Another one bites the dust...

So I'm thinking I have to buy a new ipod which is so sad on so many levels. I got my ipod for Christmas a year and a half ago and when I asked for it I really didn't even care whether I got one or not. I got one because I felt like I should because everyone else loved theirs so much. I quickly realized, however, that it completely changed my life. I mean, does anyone else feel like they're in a movie when they're walking around listening to their ipod? I feel like it's the soundtrack to my life or something. Once I moved to NYC I REALLY began to appreciate my little guy. I don't know how people live here without them. You do so much walking and riding on the subway. I mean, imagine not having a radio in your car. Exactly.
SO, imagine my panic when I got on the plane (to fly across the country nonetheless) and for some reason my ipod wouldn't work. When I got back to New York I kind of just left it in my bag hoping it would forget that it had broken, and one morning on my way to work I'd go to listen and I'd hear music to my ears, literally. No such luck. I finally took it to the Apple store (which is SO SWEET by the way) and the guy told me it was officially dead. My heart sunk.
So last night I decided to dock it in its home (the ihome, to be exact) just out of habit, to charge it for the night. This morning I woke up and guess what?? It had miraculously recovered!! Imagine my delight when I could get ready for work listening to my "Best of Billy Joel/Elton John" mix. Well, 5 short songs into it she froze up, and then I had to leave for work.
SOOOO, we'll see what happens. I really really really need to at LEAST get my stuff that's not already in my itunes loaded up so I don't lose, like, my favorite playlists.
The moral of the story is.....I most likely will have to buy a new ipod and I'm very happy to inform you I'll be accepting donations to my ipod fund. Out of the kindness of my heart I will even will allow you to make it a donation/birthday present. (Only 5 more days people.)

Manic Mondays....

Five things I simply could not live without:

Bye bye McConnaughey

SOOOOOOO I've been in love with Matthew McConnaughey for, like, ever. Then a couple years ago he started getting a little cooky. This week he was seen doing some weird dance with palms, and slamming a huge rock onto his chest. I think he's just gotten to be a little TOO weird for me. Thus, I'm taking him off my top 5. So sorry Matty, your loss. I couldn't find a pic of him with the palms, but here's an obnoxious picture of him. You're hot and all Matt, but put a shirt on already. You might as well be a Baldwin for all the times you're seen topless.
SOOOOOOOOOOOO, the new lucky guy in my top five is.......

I love me some John Travolta.

I love visitors

So my aunt Terry is in town with her husband Jon and his son and daughter-in-law. They're going to a million broadway shows and I'm very jealous. Terry and I went to lunch yesterday at Mama Mexico. Love that place.
Anyway, here we are. Isn't she a doll?

Woops...

I just realized my pics and comments on the post below are a little off.....sorry about that. My bad.

Celeb week

So this week I've gotten quite the fill of celeb sightings. Granted, none of them were just randomly walking down the street, but whatever, I don't care.
So I work next to Bryant Park. Officially the best location ever. On Wednesday Carmen Electra was there doing a book signing.

She looks a lot better in real life.


There was this pack of 14 year old boys. She waved at them a couple times and they went crazy. She finally went over and gave a couple of them hugs. They went ballistic. Here she is with them.

So there was such a mixture of people at this thing. There was a lot of people like me and KaRyn who just thought it would be cool to see a celeb. There were a bunch of little boys who were so excited. Lastly, a bunch of old men. There were two groups of old men. The men who were obviously classy guys, but couldn't help but go see Carmen Electra....like this one guy who was behind us in line for the book signing. KaRyn asked him if he wanted her to take his picture. He was like, "No, it's okay, I don't have a camera." She was like, "Do you want me to take one with mine and I can email it to you?" You could tell he felt like he should be like, "No, it's no big deal." But he secretly really wanted to. So he was just like, "Uh, yeah, that'd be cool, uh, thanks." Haha, it was great. THEN there were the creepy men. Like this guy in the yellow shirt with the mullet. I didn't get a picture of his face because I was too scared. He was seriously CREEPY!

She was really cute. TINY. But not much of a personality, even during the Q&A portion.

So yesterday KaRyn and I went to Fergie's concert for Good Morning America. It was so cool, there was only like 200 people there so we were right up front. Fergie is even tinier than Carmen. Seriously, look at your arm.....okay that's honestly the size of her calf. But I totally fell in love with Diane Sawyer. She's such a doll! KaRyn's mom was watching it on tv the same time we were there because she also lives on the east coast and she said she totally saw us on tv! I called my mom after and told her to make sure she tivoed it (since it's on later on the west coast.) I'm mad I didn't thing to record it myself. Oh well, maybe I will next Friday.


Gosh Diane was so cute.


Here's Fergaliscious

Here she is in action performing Glamorous. Her backup dancers were really good.

I thought she might have been lip syncing, but then she she held this note seriously forever, he faced turned a little red.

She is SO short. And seriously, this pic adds about 10 pounds. She's miniature.

So bummed this pic is blurry cuz it's like my fav.

Fergie was trying to bump it with Diane but she couldn't quite get it. Love her. More so than Katie Couric now.


So Brandon's mom and aunt are in town right now. I went with him to the airport on Thursday to pick them up and immediately I fell in love. They're adorable. SO southern. Two of their friends from Alabama are also in town so last night we went to dinner at a french restaurant. It was so much fun hanging out with them. They reminded me of the Ya-Yas. They wanted to do something cool after, see a celebrity, or have some sort of "New York moment." I could definitely understand this. Brandon, on the other hand, doesn't get that excited about celebs. "They're just people." Blah blah blah. I'll admit, I don't get all crazy like I used to, but it's still exciting and fun. By the way, he totally works out at the same gym as Elliot from Law and Order SVU. The other day Elliot asked Brandon to spot him. I almost died. I'm in love with Elliot, or whatever his real name is, Chris something or other. ANYway, so we took them to the building where Kevin Spacey does his broadway show.

The girl who stars opposite Kevin came out, as well as some guy who's in the show that apparently was on Star Trek. I didn't know who he was for obvious reasons. Then, this guy came out who looked really familiar. I guess he was in the second Pirates movie. I'm not a huge fan of those shows so I couldn't tell you which guy he was, but I definitely remembered him. Then came Kevin. He was a trooper. He signed autographs and took pictures for about 15 minutes. Of COURSE my battery died from the Fergie concert earlier. I got this crappy pic on my cell, but Brandon's mom actually got a picture WITH Kevin so I'll post that after she emails it to me. It's a good one. He officially makes it onto my favorite celebs list for being so nice to the fans.

Email: Like bleeding to death from a thousand needle pricks

Okay so I saw this little cartoon on another blog and it cracked me up because here in the city people are seriously SO ADDICTED to their blackberrys, or should I said, crackberrys. Seriously, every day when I leave work and I'm in the elevator with everyone else "leaving work" I look around me and everyone's on their crackberry. Waiting for the subway? Crackberry. On family vacation in Mexico? Crackberry. (A specific instance....my boss was emailing me while sitting on the beach. When I reminded him, in a friendly manner-we have that kind of relationship, that he was on vaca and to get back to Margaritaville-he's a big drinker, he said, "I know! Whoever invented blackberrys should be shot!!") Even when people don't want to be emailing, they feel the need. While I don't have a crackberry, I can definitely understand. I'm so addicted to my email it's ridiculous. I mean, who asks if they can check their email at someone else's apartment? (I don't do it everywhere, just Brandon's....and actually come to think of it I don't even ask there, I just do it.)
So there is part of me that wants to get a blackberry because everyone has one and let's face it I get sucked into the trend, but there's an even bigger part of me (for now) that really doesn't feel like adding that leash to my many other addictions.
Anyway, just thought I'd share the cartoon that made me chuckle because it's so true.

California trip

So I unexpectedly went home for Lauren's funeral. It was great to see my family and old friends, but I wish it could have been under better circumstances. Lauren would have loved to be there for the big reunion.
Here are some pictures of some of the happier times during the trip.

Rachoda and Reesoda
Risa and I were super close in high school but now with life taking us to different places we only get to see each other and each others' families pretty much at Christmas time. This is us at Claim Jumper.

I can't get enough of little Megan.

Obviously I'm the favorite aunt.


The whole fam is so excited that now we can go out to eat at Chinese now that I've discovered my love for sweet and sour. (Which, by the way, is on its way to my apartment as we speak....mmmmmmm.) This is everyone minus Brad and Nadia. Missed you guys.

Okay seriously, how many 2 1/2 year olds do you know who eat with chopsticks?? This kid is seriously a genious.

Who could resist squeezing that face?

Manic Tuesdays??

Okay so I maybe went home after work yesterday and took a three hour nap instead of working on my very important blog I've been thinking about. We all know Monday is list day, but today we're improvising.
Okay, so on Sunday Brandon was a little discouraged with all the sadness in the world and was wishing there was something we could do to make things a little better. We came up with the idea of sponsoring a child in another country. I did a little research and Brian Andre gave me some great websites. You ALL need to check out www.risingstaroutreach.org. Honestly people, it is so sobering. I cannot believe how blessed we are to live in this country, in these conditions. It is UNREAL how dirt cheap it is to be able to help kids in other countries. Brandon and I decided we were each going to sponsor a child in India. IT'S ONLY $30 PER MONTH. I mean, come on, that's like, a new shirt, or an expensive meal out. You can pay it monthly, bi-annually, or annually.
When you sign up you have to choose whether you'd prefer a boy or a girl. Obviously neither Brandon or I cared, but since we had to pick I chose a girl and he chose a boy. I thought if I were a little girl I would want to be writing my letters to another girl, and same with the boy.
So below I'm listing the ten reasons why you should all sponsor a child in India.

1- Because even though many children of Leprosy-afflicted parents living within a colony do not actually have Leprosy themselves, as a family unit they are rejected from society due to a lingering stigma around the disease.

2- Because within a Leprosy colony conditions are often dire; children face challenges of limited fresh water and healthy food, inadequate medical care, and terrible hygiene.
3- Because sometimes children are taken out and used as beggars on the streets and as a result, grow up living lives of filthiness, sickness, and deprivation, with little reason to hope for anything better in their futures.
4- Because your contributions will give life-altering opportunities to children. They’ll be placed in a Rising Star home where they’ll receive life necessities they’d otherwise go without. They’ll be provided with daily educational activities, developmental activities, and the opportunity to simply “play”-a rare luxury for them. They’re also afforded an opportunity to learn personal and group responsibility. They’re hugged and encouraged.

5- Because the homes they’re placed in (under the request of their parents) consist of a “family” that includes 12 children and at least one loving “House Mother.” (Parents visit once a month and children go home twice a year for extended vacations.)

6- Because before getting to the Rising Star homes, children are severely malnourished. At the homes they’re provided with three daily meals and nutritious snacks outlined by a professional dietician.

7- Because Rising Star provides for all the children’s medical and dental care, including vaccinations and bi yearly check ups. They also are taught hygiene skills that greatly improve their overall health. Most of the children have never received vaccinations before arrival and some are developing early stages of diseases like leprosy and TB. Almost all have parasites, scabies, lice, and various skin diseases.

8- Because Rising Star schools provide an environment where children are taught English, among other things. Knowing English can mean a 400-500% difference in salary for the average Indian. Computer literacy and skills are also taught.
9- Because you’ll be able to send emails and pictures to your sponsored child, and they’ll be able to email you quarterly. You’ll also receive a picture.

10- BECAUSE IT ONLY COSTS $30 PER MONTH!!!!

Okay, seriously, go to www.risingstaroutreach.org RIGHT NOW. You can do it.

Love you Marsh

Lauren Ann Marshall
10.18.82-5.13.07
I'll miss you Marsh. I can't count the good times we've had in the last 10 years. Love you, please know I'll be there for Meg and your parents, as will so many others whose lives you've touched. Keep smiling that gorgeous smile.

Manic Mondays....

It's list time again! Today it's 10 things I've recently discovered I love...
1-Pineapple.
How have I not known about this fruit my whole life? I went to the dang Dole Plantation in Hawaii and totally missed the boat on the pineapple. It is so good I could eat it at every meal.

2-Billy Joel songs.
Another thing I've been missing out on. This guy knows how to write em!

3-Central Park
I love the fact that I live 2 blocks from it. It is so much more amazing that I could have ever anticipated.

4-The sun.
Okay, okay, I've always known that I loved the sun. I live for sunny days. However growing up in sunny southern California really makes a person take these days for granted. I didn't even appreciate them when I lived in Idaho. Finally, it sunk in after I moved here to the Big Apple. I soak up every sunny day and make sure to spend as much time outside as possible. Love it.

5-Sweet and Sour chicken.
Oh how I love you China Man. Yet another thing I've missed out on for 20+ years. (I know, I know, to all my family members and long-time friends who are reading this, I KNOW you've tried to tell me, and I'm sorry. This is why I'm finally trying every new thing. Last night I actually tried RAW sushi. The real stuff. It was nasty.)

6-Piano man.
Although most girls swoon, the whole "guy who can sing and play the piano" has never done much for me.....however let's just say recently I've been exposed to it in a different light and, basically, now I can't get enough of it.

7-Walking.
Kind of lame that I'm just figuring these things out. I just grew up in an environment where you drive everywhere, so I got used to it. Even in little Rexburg I scoffed at the idea of walking anywhere. Why walk when you can drive? Now that I don't have a car and it's subway (too stuffy and dirty) taxi (too expensive) or bus (too confusing) I generally opt for walking. Okay not always because sometimes you just need to get there or you're in a hurry or something. But when I can, I thoroughly enjoy it and you'll often hear me saying, "It's only 18 blocks." (Actually just this weekend I told some tourists, "It's just 19 blocks north." They looked at me in disgust and asked where a subway was.)

8-Volleyball.
Sooo, I liked this growing up, but I've really taken a liking to it lately (even though I'm not good) since we've been playing Thursday nights. I haven't been in a couple weeks due to a more hectic schedule, but I still thoroughly enjoy it and look forward to it. It's always a good time.

9-Purell Hand Sanitizer.
I know I already blogged about it, but you don't understand. I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!! I have a bottle on me at all times.

10-Boutiques.
So KaRyn pointed out this weekend that I'm totally a boutique shopper. I never realized it, but it's so true. On our little shopping excursion to Brooklyn we found a couple boutiques and she wound up waiting for me in every one. We finally hit this HUGE Century 21 and when we walked in the door I looked around at the size, got completely overwhelmed, and immediately wanted to walk out. Luckily, I'm a true shopper and found a few things despite my anxiety. But for future reference, give me no name boutiques or expect some serious complaining.