Wooo!

Excuse you, HOW HOT are these shoes??? And I got them for $25 - which is 1/2 off the original price!!

This has been such a great weekend so far...

The silver lining

By now, most of you have heard about the Fr. Cutié scandal. It's a sad thing, and should rightfully make people angry... but one perspective I hadn't thought about until just now was how confused the members of his parish must feel. But Abp. Favalora apparently has a pastoral heart, and had this to say. It's long, so some key points (emphases and comments mine):

According to our canon law, with this very act [of announcing that he is leaving the Catholic Church and becoming an Episcopalian] Father Cutié is separating himself from the communion of the Roman Catholic Church (c. 1364, §1) by professing erroneous faith and morals, and refusing submission to the Holy Father (canon 751). He also is irregular for the exercise of sacred orders as a priest (canons 1041 and 1044, §1) and no longer has the faculties of the Archdiocese of Miami to celebrate the sacraments; nor may he preach or teach on Catholic faith and morals (cannon 1336, §1). His actions could lead to his dismissal from the clerical state.

This means that Father Cutié is removing himself from full communion with the Catholic Church and thereby forfeiting his rights as a cleric. Roman Catholics should not request the sacraments from Father Cuité. [sic] Any sacramental actions he attempts to perform would be illicit. Any Mass he says would be valid but illicit, meaning it does not meet a Catholic’s obligation. Father Cutié cannot validly officiate at marriages of Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese of Miami or anywhere.

Father Cutié is still bound by his promise to live a celibate life, which he freely embraced at ordination. Only the Holy Father can release him from that obligation.

And:

Father Cutié may have abandoned the Catholic Church; he may have abandoned you. But I tell you that the Catholic Church will never abandon you; the Archdiocese of Miami is here for you. (I LOVE this!)

And:

Father Cutié’s actions have caused grave scandal within the Catholic Church, harmed the Archdiocese of Miami − especially our priests – and led to division within the ecumenical community and the community at large. Today’s announcement [about the Episcopalian thing] only deepens those wounds.

And:

In my nearly 50 years as a priest, I have often preached on Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son – which really should be called the parable of the Forgiving Father (Luke 15, 11-32). Perhaps the story told by the Lord so long ago is applicable to our discussions this afternoon.

...

In this beautiful parable Jesus teaches us that God is a loving and forgiving Father. Each of us has experienced that love, each of us needs that forgiveness; for we are all sinners. If our brother comes home, let us celebrate with the Father.

Finally:

In conclusion, I commend and salute the priests of the Archdiocese of Miami and all priests who faithfully live and fulfill their promise of celibacy. By their fidelity to their promise they reflect more clearly to the world the Christ whose total gift of himself to the Father was pure and chaste love for his brothers and sisters. In our times so pre-occupied with sex, the gift of celibacy is all the more a sign of the Kingdom of Heaven where, as scripture says, there will be “no marrying or giving in marriage” (Matthew 22, 30). I encourage all Catholics to pray for and support our dedicated priests.

Blogging spree... making up for lost time I guess.

Dear Lord, I do not ask to see the path. In darkness, in anguish and in fear, I will hang on tightly to your hand, and I will close my eyes, so that you know how much trust I place in you, Spouse of my soul.

- Blessed Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad

(h/t to Jennifer at Conversion Diary)

And some quick headlines too!

I love CNA. I really do. Their headlines are just AWESOME sometimes:
Obama picks Cuban Liberation theologian as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
At least they just put it on out there... Not only do they point out that he's a "strong Obama supporter" and has "significant praise from the Catholic left," but they also just scream LIBERATION THEOLOGY!!!
Favorite quote:

Although he claims to be a “defender of life in all of it stages,” Diaz was among 26 Catholic leaders and scholars who signed a statement supporting the nomination of staunch pro abortion Catholic Kathleen Sebelius as Health and Human Services Secretary.

*snerk*


Abortion supporters vandalize church, pro-life offices and university
Booo! Hissss!
Also, "Get your rosaries off our ovaries" is the best y'all can do? Really?


Kmiec proposes end of legally recognized marriage
You know, tie me up and call me a liberal, but I don't think this is a horrible idea. I've been saying for a long time that non-traditional couples want the term "marriage" because there's a certain level of psychological equality that's given there. They already have all the same rights and privileges (in CA, at least, which is where Pepperdine is and the Prop 8 stuff has been going on) - they just want to be called the same thing.

The thing is, marriage is and always has been an institution created by GOD - it's not an act of the state to sacramentally join two people. I think that by giving EVERYONE "civil unions" or whatever, and then having a priest/whatever-you-other-religious-people-use religiously validate that union... every couple is UNITED, affording them the same privileges (such as starting a family, visitation rights at the hospital, after-death legal stuff, etc.) - but they are only MARRIED in the eyes of the Church.

I wouldn't mind something like that at ALL for me personally - I think it would clear up a lot of confusion. Especially with people calling their significant other things like "partner," which does not necessarily imply religious marriage, the end of legal recognition of the term marriage would go a long way in increasing the amount of respect that mainstream, WASPy Americans have for non-traditional couples. And I don't care if you think homosexual sex is wrong (it is!) - everyone deserves respect at a basic level.

Thursday Thunks... continued...

Last Thursday I did the week's Thunks... apparently last week was part one. Here's part two:

21. How many states have you been in?
Let's see... I'll have to write this out, I've been in quite a few. Counting states where I just drove through or was only in the airport, like for a layover... 21, as best I can tell.

22. If a sexist Man is called a pig, what is a sexist Woman called?
A feminist? ;)

23. You see the one person who you absolutely despise. If you were guaranteed that he/she couldn't say or do anything back to you... What would you do??
The thing is, as much as I would LIKE to castrate my Ex sometimes, I'd rather have him be able to talk back - so I'd slip him some truth serum and interrogate. THEN maybe kick him where it hurts.

24. How many states are to the right of you? And don’t give us a map to look at.
None. East Coast, holla!

25. You can go anywhere in the world for free. Where are you?
Dublin. Unless "go anywhere for free" includes a spending budget, in which case I will be leaving my penthouse apartment in Manhattan to go shopping.

26. HOW MANY FINGERS AM I HOLDING UP?
Two.

27. Are you a boxing fan? Do you think there will be a rematch of the Hatton-Pacquiao fight?
I have no idea what that is. I think boxing is kind of boring - I watched WWF in high school, don't judge!

28. What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
I don't even know... Brussels sprouts? Lima beans? Probably lima beans. I've found that Brussels sprouts can be tolerable when cooked right.

29. Is it cloudy right now?
It's sad that I had to go run and check... sad because I don't have a window anywhere near me, and sad that I actually felt the compulsion to actually get up and check. It's cloudy, but those thin sort of clouds so there's still plenty of sunlight filtering through. It's going to rain today, supposedly.

30. What is your dream job?
Party planner - weddings, sure, but things like engagement parties, anniversary parties, etc.

31. Someone gives you a $500 gift card to WalMart or Target. What are you going to buy?
Lots and LOTS of clothes? Or maybe a desk or a really comfy chair for my bedroom.

32. When you were little, what did you want to be "when you grow up"? And, how much different is your occupation now from where you thought it would be when you were younger?
I wanted to be everything - a model/ballerina/actress, of course (this was BEFORE I realized I was destined to be a midget)... A district attorney - I remember that one distinctly... a teacher, a business woman (you know, MBA type of thing)...
The "events planning" thing really only arose when I looked at myself right after graduation and thought, "The only part of public relations that I actually LIKE is planning parties. I plan parties all the time. I think I'd
be pretty damn good at doing it professionally." Then I found the job I'm in currently and it's really sparked something in me.

33. what was your favorite toy as a child?
Barbies and Legos, pretty much equally.

[34 is lame]

35. Why do you think so many "fake" veterans get away with pretending? Why don't people question them more (especially the media who eats up their stories?)
Um, what "fake veterans"? Did I miss something here?

36. What is the last place you had a good cry and why?
Oh gosh, on Tuesday night I was going through piles of stuff (spring cleaning!) in my room, and came across my "things The Ex gave me that I'm either donating or burning" pile... I found one particular stuffed animal and just started sobbing. So I just flopped down on the floor and let it all out. I'm a little horrified that I had that reaction, but hey.

[37 is also stupid]

38. Which Sesame Street Character do you relate with the most and why?
Probably Elmo - I guess just the sunny personality. Or maybe Grover?

39. What song one would you listen to over and over if you absolutely had to?
Currently I've got "This One's for the Girls" (Martina McBride) on repeat on my iTunes. Before that, it was "If I Can't Have You" by Adam Lambert.

40. Did you ever make what you believed at the time to be a horrible mistake - that in hindsight turned out to lead you on the best path in your life?
You know, I don't think I've made any "horrible mistakes" in my life, except for the ones I still regret. I guess time will tell with those.

41. If you could change one thing on your person, what would it be?
I'd make myself incapable of gaining weight. Or maybe I'd make myself taller (like 5'5" I guess, with proper proportions) and therefore any fat would have more room to spread out, and I could wear clothes made for NORMAL people.

42. What’s your favorite show to watch on television nowadays?
FAVORITE show? Impossible. Well, American Idol is over for the season, so is House and 24... But I'm REALLY excited for Glee (which just aired its pilot but won't begin its season until Fall), and Mental looks really interesting (I have the pilot taped, just haven't had a chance to watch it).
Also, I am not-so-secretly addicted to trashy reality dating shows like Daisy of Love, which is entirely reprehensible but very very entertaining.

43. Do you believe there is life after death?
Clearly.

Catholic Headline News

All headlines from CNA, emphases and comments mine as usual.

New 'orthodox Anglican' diocese forms in western U.S.
Excerpt:

Rev. [Bill] Thompson [rector of All Saints’ Church in Long Beach, CA] charged that the Episcopal Church had crossed “a bridge too far” for his fellow Anglicans in its move away from “the ‘faith once delivered’” and its official approval of “behaviors that are contrary to Scripture.”
"It was time to go,” he told Virtue Online. “We realize it is not without pain. There is a cost to discipleship and many of us are paying that price in litigation and more. But we are called to be faithful to our Lord first and foremost."

Archdiocese of Newark leads the nation in priestly ordinations

"Ten of the [thirteen] ordinands were foreign-born, with three from Colombia, two from Nigeria, and one each from Italy, Ecuador, South Korea, the Dominican Republic and Hungary. Several of the foreign-born priests grew up in the United States."

According to a church historian at Seton Hall, 1/3 of the Catholics in the AD are foreign-born, so this isn't exactly a representative sample... but that's not the point. 13 new priests really is a lot these days - let us thank God for this, and pray for more!

The rest of the article has some more really interesting stats and stories, including one priest who found his vocation through working as a funeral director. Go check it out!

Vatican publishes Compendium to guide Church in China
It's basically a fuller guide to the letter B16 gave them in 2007 (here), addressing some of the more "delicate points" he made.

Two women killed in attack on Catholic church in Nepal
Apparently it is believed to be the work of Hindu extremists. This concerns me because a very good friend of mine, who is Catholic, is in Nepal right now teaching English.

The country has been in some (mild-ish) form of civil war for a while now, but none of it has been directed toward Americans. But if there are attacks targeted against Catholics, the possibility remains that Americans visiting churches could be at risk. Please keep Nathan in your prayers, and all Catholics in Nepal right now.


STILL WAITING... on word from the Alameda County school district about the results from last night's school board meeting. With the 3-hour time difference, hopefully word will be posted on the website by 11am EST. We shall see.

PENDING... I'm on page 4 of 104 of the CA Supreme Court's decision and opinions from yesterday. (104 pages AFTER I shrunk down the size of the text!) This will obviously take a while, but at first glance, the reasoning behind the decision seems really solid and has nothing at all to do with homosexuality outright, just the ability of the people of California to amend their own Constitution. Very interesting stuff. Or maybe I'm just a nerd.
(If you want to struggle through it with me, the links are in my most previous post.)

That's it for today! Stay classy, San Diego.

*headDESK*

EDIT 2: Press release here (PDF)

EDIT: The CA Supreme Court's opinion on the Prop 8 case, mentioned at the end of this post, has just been published (UPHOLDING Prop 8!) can be found here in PDF form, and here in Word.

From CNA: Compulsory LGBT curriculum pushes 'political agenda' on schoolkids, California parents charge
Emphases and comments courtesy of your friendly (ha!) neighborhood Cookie

A California school district decision to mandate a new curriculum requiring children as young as five years old to be taught about homosexual and transgender communities has prompted significant protest from parents who charged that a "political agenda" is pressing age-inappropriate material upon their children.

The Unified School District in Alameda has proposed a curriculum with the stated intention of addressing bullying, respect and acceptance. The curriculum includes a 45-minute Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) lesson once a year from kindergarten through fifth grade. The kindergarten lesson will focus on the harm of teasing (fine - no one should have to endure teasing because they look different) while the fifth graders will study sexual orientation stereotypes (also fine), Fox News reports.

Second grade course material includes a children’s book about homosexual penguins trying to create a family. (Because, you know, that sort of thing happens in nature ALL THE TIME. Oh wait.) The book is titled "And Tango Makes Three."

Protesting parents in Alameda, a suburb of San Francisco and Oakland, said the curriculum is definitely not age-appropriate (meh) and the issues are best learned at home (yes, because no parent will gay-bash instead of teaching love and respect for everyone). They were also angry they will not be allowed to keep their children out of the classes. (It's called private school!)

"I believe these children are far too young to be learning about what these issues mean," Alaina Stewart, an Alameda mother of three elementary school children, told Fox News. "These are adult issues and they are being thrust upon the children." (Yes, but behaviors are learned early.)

One father of schoolchildren charged that the policy would violate the First Amendment rights of those who don’t support homosexuality because of their religion.

Kirsten Vital, superintendent of the Alameda Unified School District, said students reported feeling bullied on LGBT issues.

"This work is in response to teachers asking for tools to combat name-calling and bullying at school," she told Fox News. (YES! Exactly! School should be a safe place.)

One parent named Michael Williams said he thought LGBT issues would come up anyway and that teachers should be prepared to help kids "respond appropriately."

Another father named David, who asked that his last name be withheld, told Fox News an "overwhelming" majority of parents spoke against the LGBT instruction at one of the school board meetings, but their protests had little effect.

"The chairman of the school board repeatedly claimed to the audience that the curriculum is evenly supported and opposed," he said. "I am beginning to lose confidence of the board, as it seems to have a preconceived political agenda and [does] not truly represent their constituents’ opposition to the curriculum."

Karen England, a spokeswoman for the conservative policy advocacy group Capitol Resource Institute, noted that there are five protected categories under anti-discrimination laws but the curriculum only focuses on sexual orientation. (This is where things start to go haywire. There SHOULD be a focus on anti-bullying for ALL of these categories.)

She told Fox News she believes the curriculum committee purposely excluded religion. England suggested "an agenda is being pushed."

A May 21 report from the Capitol Resource Institute said that school board meetings had been packed with people and claimed 90 percent of those who spoke opposed the curriculum. The only speakers allowed during the Monday continuation of a May 12 meeting were those who had attended the first meeting.

Saying that speakers were "courteous" and presented "well-reasoned, articulate opposition," the Capitol Resource Institute reported that hecklers "repeatedly booed and hissed when parents and students rose to express their opposition.["]

One man angry that he was not allowed to address the audience about his support for the homosexual schoolwork physically charged one woman presenter, forcing other men in the audience to come to her defense and forcibly remove the attacker.

One father denounced the actions of homosexual advocates, saying "This bullying is taking place by the people you're asking me to entrust my children to!"

He also said he had recently been labeled a bigot and a white supremacist for expressing his opposition to what he called social indoctrination.

According to the Capitol Resource Institute, the few speakers who favored the curriculum repeatedly stated that the LGBT curriculum was "just a start" and "the first step" in teaching equality in classrooms. Some reportedly told the board that no parental opt-out should be allowed because the children of curriculum opponents were those who most needed the instruction.

Another speaker at the meeting, an Alameda principal and teacher for 45 years, said the curriculum would place teachers in a very difficult position. She expressed concern over the questions sexual classroom teaching would prompt in young children and was booed by supporters of the curriculum.

The final vote on the curriculum will take place on the evening of Tuesday May 26.

This happening today, on the same day that the CA Supreme Court will be issuing an opinion on Prop 8. Interesting timing?

It needs to be said that schools should be safe zones for all children - bullying for whatever reason needs to be stopped, and the bullies need to be taught why what they are doing is wrong. That's not to say that "Tango Makes 3" really fits that goal... there is clearly some tweaking that needs to be done. Homosexual behavior may be wrong, but homosexuality itself cannot be denied, and no one deserves to be spat upon (figuratively or literally) because they are biologically attracted to a particular someone.

I don't know where I heard this (it may have been EWTN's "Theology of the Body for Teens" but I could be entirely wrong), but there was a point made recently that there are two typical practiced behaviors of homosexuality:

1) Gay and in the closet

2) Gay and openly promiscuous

However, the Church teaches a third: Gay, not closeted, but living chastely, as we are ALL called to live chastely. Too much is made of homosexuals, I think - no one knows what anyone does behind closed doors - even the biggest drag queen of them all may just be putting on a show. Just because I'm straight does not mean I have sex all the time. I mean, come on. [/rant]

This went in a totally different direction than I expected it to, but anti-gay sentiments have been everywhere lately (at least where I've been looking, particularly concerning American Idol) and I had to get it off my chest.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on all this... or any of this...

May 25

Today is the 8-year anniversary (EIGHT YEARS) of the day I fell in love for the first time. It's ridiculous to think how long ago that was, and how much I've changed since then.

My new bed!

Now, who can I find to assemble it for me? ;)



It looks black, I know, but it's actually a really dark brown. Wooooo!

Just when I think they don't know me at all...

...My parents surprise me with QUITE the appropriate bevy of birthday presents.

• Cherry cheesecake (my dad's recipe, which I drool over)
• Box of chai tea
• Box of Twinings brand Earl Grey tea
• A gift set of... wait for it... Bailey's Irish Cream. The same gift set that a seminarian friend of mine gave me for Christmas. (Maybe they're trying to tell me something?)
• Giftcards for Harris Teeter, gas (BP), Bath and Body Works, Kohls, and Outback Steakhouse

And the best one... my mom's taking me shopping for an ACTUAL bed! All I have now is the metal frame that keeps it off the ground. She's paying for the headboard, and (since the rest of it is slightly unnecessary but I want it anyway) I'm paying for the rest. IKEA HERE I COME.

And of course, tomorrow's Memorial Day cookout... I convinced my dad to do ribs (his are the BEST), I'm making potato salad, and there are Coronas and limes in the fridge just for me! :)
This weekend has turned out surprisingly well so far, and definitely better than I expected.

awwww :)

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

ee cummings

I could use a job...

...Maybe the Vatican's PR/communications office could use a youth perspective on the mess they've made.

Pope plans to reach youth with Facebook profile and website

The president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, announced on Thursday the launching of a new website, pope2you.net, to reach out to young people and bring them into contact with Pope Benedict XVI.

The archbishop told L’Osservatore Romano that the initiative is part of the activities surrounding World Communications Day, which will be celebrated on Sunday, May 24 under the theme, “New Technologies, New Relationships.”

The idea behind this website, the archbishop said, “is that in order to be able to enter into a fruitful, rich dialogue characterized by respect and friendship, we wanted to use the digital world, that is, the instrument most friendly to young people, through which they encounter each other daily and often without meeting each other in person.”

Commenting on Pope Benedict XVI's call to young people to use the internet to evangelize, Archbishop Celli said the Holy Father was encouraging them to participate in online social networks and “bear witness to the love of God for all mankind.”

The archbishop also said the new site would be directly linked to Facebook from which users will be able to send pictures of the Pontiff and excerpts from his discourses to their friends.

“The presence of the Pope on Facebook is limited to this, to the possibility of sending a picture of him with an excerpt from his teaching,” Archbishop Celli noted.

The new website will be in five languages: Italian, Spanish, English, French and German. Young people will be able to access “not only all news referring to the Pope and his activities, but also they will be able to enter into contact with the person of Benedict XVI through his words,” he said.

Not an awful idea, I suppose. I'd be first in line to "friend" B16 if he ever actually got a facebook profile, but I don't think kids are going to visit an EXTERNAL site. If "he" (let's be honest, the Pope is way too busy to get on facebook. Maybe Ganswein would be the moderator?? Hmmmm!) started with facebook, posting links to the website, THAT would work.

Also, pope2you.net is a really lame name for a website.

PS

If there's an Extraordinary Form Mass near you, GO TO MASS TODAY! I'll only be able to go over the readings in my Missal, as the EF I go to is an hour away and Daily Mass is at 12:15, while I'm at work.

But if you live closeby, do what I can't, and get your butt to Acension Thursday Mass!

I loved Glambert, but oh well.

Well, American Idol is over (which is the main reason I've been "too busy" - at work - to post at all)... so here's another Thursday Thunks. Still haven't read blogs... the idea of catching up at this point is terrifying... but that will come.

1. Have you seen the new Star Trek movie, and if so what did you think?
Oh, I loved it! I came in with no knowledge whatsoever of Star Trek (except that there's a Vulcan language, and some people can actually speak it, which is horrifying ... and the "live long and prosper" sign) and I thought it was GREAT!

2. Which popular sitcom character (past or present) are you most like?
I think I can be a lot like Monica, from Friends. But I'd rather have someone else tell me who I remind THEM of.

3. What kind of dreams do you have?
I have all kinds, but I don't remember them often. I think the last one I had, I was with someone I'm just friends with and I kissed them. Trying not to overanalyze that one.

4. Bugger it. Go get a tattoo and come back. Right, now answer me this, what ees eet?
I would get a fleur-de-lis on the nape of my neck. I'm still toying with the idea.

5. Do you think you could be on American Idol with the singing voice you have now without any voice training?
Well, I've HAD voice training. And I've always wanted to try out (maybe this year I will... I'm running out of years to be eligible). I think I might make it past the initial screeners, and actually make it to the judges, but beyond that I'm really not sure. Maybe I'd make it to Hollywood and get cut there.

6. How much wood, would a woodchuck chuck? If a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Lots?

7. If you were a tree in a Dr. Seuss book, what would you look like?
Oooooooh. I'd be a lorax, with sky-blue ... leaves? feathers? mossy stuff? Yes.

8. Twilight? I'm addicted/Who cares/What the hell is Twilight?
Haven't read it/mildly interested.

(9 is stupid, leaving it out)

10. What the worst injury you've ever had?
Well, the only one I've ever had stitches for was when I tried to be an iceskater... on an icy hill... by jumping over someone. Gashed my chin open. Luckily the ice numbed it so I didn't hurt too bad. I think I got 7 stitches.
Also, once I accidentally knelt on a piece of broken china. I should've gotten stitches, but I didn't, so that's probably my most visible scar.

11. What is your favorite dessert?
That's the most impossible question I could ever be asked. Don't make me choose!!!!

12. What do you prefer...beach or mountains?
Beach, hands down.

13. What movies have you seen that still make you cry?
Deep Impact (I KNOW.), The Notebook, Braveheart... those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

(14 is lame too)

15. How often do you do laundry?
Used to be every week, now it's more like every two weeks or so. I'm due up today.

16. What is your favorite movie of all time, and why?
I have several... they're all so different.
Garden State - this is my stuck-on-a-desert-island-with-only-one-movie movie.
The Last Kiss - very gutwrenching and introspective.
Rent - MUSIC!!
Sweeney Todd - MUSIC!! JOHNNY DEPP!!
V for Vendetta - it's just awesome.

17. If you won a million dollars in the lottery, would you keep working?
I'd quit, and take the time off to find a job I really loved. But yes, I would still work - I can't imagine what it would be like to just sit at home with nothing to do. I'd be bored to DEATH.

18. If there was a war of the gummies, would you be on the gummi bear side or the gummi worm side?
Gummi bears, definitely.

19. What's your favorite comic strip?
I love SinFest. XKCD is great also. (Can you tell I have problems picking "favorite things"?)

20. Close your eyes… imagine you are in the perfect room/place… describe it.
I'm in a magical version of Ireland where the weather is always warm and it never rains during the day. Oh, and I'm there with all the celebrities I have the hots for, and they all think I'm great. Fine, I'm shallow.

Yes, late, I know, but this is what it's come to.

Thursday Thunks. From..... last Thursday. Yeah, yeah. I don't really have anything to blog about, mostly because I haven't watched Obama's speech at ND yesterday, or read Fr Z for about 2 weeks. After I do that... all bets are off.

1. You are at the store when suddenly 2 men walk in with guns and rob the place. Are you the hero, quiet & follow the rules type, or try to make a run for it?
I hide in the magazine racks. Or in the frozen pizza section. Who would look there??

2. Do you like Twizzlers?
YES. The only question now is: regular, or pull-n-peel? I'm a junk food maniac.

3. Are you a YouTube watcher?
I watch the YouTubes on the Internets, yes.

4. When a auto glass store calls you and asks if you have a chip or crack in your windshield, what do you tell them?
"......No?" I mean, if someone cold-called to ask me that, I would probably not be very polite.

5. What is the age difference between you and your father?
Let's see... he's... almost 55 (is it sad that I looked his birthday up on FACEBOOK?) (Yes.) ... and I just turned 23, so almost 32 years.

6. Have you ever tried to find the end of a rainbow?
Nah, I'm afraid of leprechauns. And any other humanoids that somehow manage to be SHORTER than me. ;)

7. Camping - recreational vehicle or tent?
Ooh. Probably RV, but I do like camping.

8. Have you ever had to call 9-1-1?
Nope!

9. Who is your favorite blog in the Thursday Thunk bloggers to visit?
Cassandra, of course!

10. How long do you think you could live locked in your house on the food that you have on hand right now?
Ha! I just went grocery shopping yesterday! So probably two weeks, at least, if I rationed it all out.

11. Pepper - shaker or grinder?
Grinder, all the way.

12. What state (or country if you are not in the US) is 2 states west of you?
Arkansas/Missouri

13. What color do you believe you look best in?
Green, probably. Earth tones. Although I've decided that teal/turquoise is my new signature color, so...


Alright! Now if you will excuse me, I have to go find a High School Musical costume for a theme party tonight... eesh.

Hello!

Ok, that's it for today! Completely uninspired lately, sorry. But I should be really, REALLY bored at work for the next few weeks, so that should help matters.

Thursday Thunks

1. Why the heck did you come back this week to do this meme?
Because I'm a sheep. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeep. Baaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

2. Ever whiten your teeth?
No, but I want to.

3. Do you drive the speed limit?
What's a speed limit?

4. Did the dog eat your homework?
Unfortunately, this was never a viable excuse for me, as my parents didn't get me a dog until 11 days before I left for college (this was approximately 4 years later than promised but WHO'S COUNTING.)

5. How many bites does it take to get to the center of a watermelon?
Oh, ouch. I'm fairly sure that's impossible...

6. Did you eat paint chips as a child?
No, I never ate anything weird like paper or paint or whatever... I have a major sweet tooth, so glue wasn't one of those things that ever appealed to me.

7. If someone rang your doorbell/knocked on your door at 1am, would you answer it?
Depends... am I having a party?

8. "Amazingly Smooth" makes you think of what?
Shaving cream?

9. What was the last stupid thing someone said to you? (not counting this meme's questions)
Anything my Big Kahunas said yesterday... we had the most insulting, preposterous meeting about how we are not only going to clean out the office (acceptable, since we're shutting down), but we are going to get the materials ready for our replacements. Are you effing kidding me?

10. Would you eat a stick of butter for $100?
I mean, probably. It'd be nicer if they let me melt it over popcorn...

11. Find the nearest fabric tab, not counting your clothing you are wearing. What does it say the object is made of and where was it made?
My purse:
Body: 100% cow leather
Trim: 100% cow leather
Lining: 100% polyester
Made in China

12. What is the strangest name you've ever heard someone name their child (or a person you met... however you want to answer it)?
Top favorites: Pilot Inspektor (Jason Lee's kid), Sage Moonblood (Sylvester Stallone), Audio Science (Shannyn Sossamon), any of Frank Zappa's kids, Moxie Crimefighter (Penn Jillette), Zuma Nesta Rock (Gwen Stefani)... etc.

13. Why is some toilet paper really soft and others are really hard?
Ply?

Hellooooo? (echo)

WELL then. I did not expect the hiatus to go on as long as it did, and I may be a little absent next week too (yet ANOTHER program at work... on my birthday... shoot me...) but I'm back for now. Hello to everyone, I've missed reading your blogs - it's going to take FOREVER to catch up... I haven't even looked at Fr Z in almost 3 weeks!

Luckily, nothing of interest has happened in my life since I last blogged. This is mostly because I have been too tired to do anything at all after work the last few weeks. But my "normal" roommate is moving out today for the summer, and my summer roommate moves in next week. (!!!) And I've reconnected with a good friend who's been out of touch since August, so that's been lovely.

For reasons I'm not entirely aware of, I've been feeling a little lukewarm lately. Something's going to have to break, because I don't like it. Keep me in your prayers as I try to stay sane here at work (dramaaaaaaaa) and begin the summer.