i need to marry a scot

No, the title is not a misspell. I need to marry a Scot, as in someone from Scotland or someone who has Scottish ancestry. I made this decision today after going to the Highland Games with my family in Phoenix. I'm not sure what it is, but there is something sexy about a guy in a kilt.

This year, the weather was beautiful. Usually it's hot and we all end up sunburned, but today was nice, cool, and overcast. The first thing we saw were the Irish Wolfhounds. These dogs are huge but awesome!
We listened to some awesome music, ate some awesome fish & chips, and I tried haggis for the first time. It was better than I thought it would be. Not sure if I'll ever eat it again, but now I can say at least that I've tried it.

wonderland and middle earth

I love to travel. I love going new places and discovering fun little stores and restaurants wherever I go. My two favorite places to visit though, aren't real.

When I was little my favorite movie was "Alice in Wonderland."

I wore out two VHS copies of this movie because I watched it so much. I'm not really sure what it is about this story that I love so much. Maybe it's just the wacky, craziness of it all. Whatever it is, it has been and always will be one of my all time favorites. I love the Mad Hatter. I love the Chesire Cat. I love the things that Alice learns about life and about life. I often have the "Unbrithday Song" stuck in my head and I wish that flowers really did talk. I re-watched the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp version yesterday. It's good, but the old animated Disney version is still my favorite. Although, there was a mini-series on SyFy called "Alice" that I watched a couple month ago that I need to buy. Partly because it was an good take on the story, and partly because the guy who played Hatter was hot.

I read the book, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" when I was about 10. It's been so long now that I don't remember a whole lot about the actual book (it all gets mixed up in my head with the movie). I definitely need to read it again. This week I read the first book in a trilogy (try as I might I CANNOT get away from trilogies!) called "The Looking Glass Wars."

It's a retelling of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" but with a twist. Alice is really Alyss Heart and she's actually from Wonderland. She comes to our world (dimension) and ends up telling her story to Lewis Carrol who takes artistic liberties with it, turning it into the story we all know. The real story of Alyss, however, is not all tea parties and caucus races. I thought it was an intersting take on the story and I can't wait to see what happens next! Luckily, this time I picked a triology that has alreayd been all written. I don't have to wait a year between books. I just have to wait for payday.

Since this weekend was a holiday (President's Day) and I didn't have work today (Monday), Katy and I decided to do a Lord of the Ring's marathon. Middle Earth has been one of my favorite places to visit ever since I read the books for the first time about a decade ago. Since then I've read the story about three times and seen the movies more than that. Those of you who know me well know that I have a thing for this guy:

So much so that at one time I had a couple of the movie posters framed and hanging up in my room and a cardboard stand-up of him. Everyone thinks I'm crazy when I tell them, but I love him. I don't know what it is. He's dirty. He's scruffy. He's dark and broody and angsty. But he's also the king. And when he finally accepts his destiny, picks up the sword of Isildur, and fights to protect Middle Earth...it's hot.

I love the scenery in the books and movies. I love the characters and the transformation that each of them goes through. I love the eternal struggle of good versus evil and the lessons that are learned from the choices that are made. Tolkein was a genius and I am so glad that he gave the world this story.

The best part about traveling to these two places is that it's free and I can go whenever I want! I'm not quite sure how much a ticket to Wonderland or Middle Earth would cost but I'm pretty sure that both would be out of my price range.

today

Today I learned that I am perfect.

I also learned to pay attention to the little words, to try to see the big picture, and to have hope.

It was a great day.

status update

I'm borrowing this from a friend's blog...(thanks, Kristy!)

Time: 6:58PM

Location: My house, living room, sitting on the couch

Sounds: Monday's episode of "Being Human" on the TV, the celing fan, my fingers typing

Mood: Tired but generally content

Worried about: my credit card bill, how I'm going to pay my student loan when I have to start paying it back in a few months, whether or not I'm ever going to actually write a book that can be published

I wish I was: on a cruise

I feel pressured to: lose weight

I feel panicked that: I won't ever fall in love and will reach 30 without having ever been kissed

I worry that: I spend my time on the wrong priorities

I miss: "Science Court"

I desperately need: inspiration

I am nervous for: the GRE

I wish I could: teleport

Life feels like: a joke sometimes

Today I: started reading a new book: "The Lookinglass Wars," and realized I actually like Justin Bieber's music

updates

Results of the cookie competition at work: my cookies didn't win *sad face* but my team won for best decorations!

Bought and read a new book that I LOVED.

Dyed my hair and cut some bangs.

chocolate chip of love

We're having a Valentine's Day Cookie contest at work. Each team gets to submit a cookie to be judged. We held a mini contest yesterday within my team and I won! :) So...here are my Chocolate Chip of Love cookies that are going to go up against all the other team cookies tomorrow. Wish me luck!!

favorite hymn

We sang one of my favorite hymns today in church. I love this song. Whenever I sing it I immediately feel the Spirit.

gawain and lady green

One of the three books I've been reading the last coupl weeks was "Gawain and Lady Green." I picked it out at Barnes & Noble when I was up in Salt Lake with Kristy. It caught my interest beacuse I've always been a sucker for a story that takes place during the time of knights and kings, peasants and princesses. Plus, this one had the added bonus of being about a knight from King Arthur's Round Table. (Confession Saturday Morning: I love Arthurian stories)

This story, however, I did not like. It was the novelization of the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Now, let me be clear. I thought the author did a fantasic job of writing the book like an old medieval text. The story itself, however, left a lot to be desired. I'm going to be honest, I've never read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, so I was going into this book with no expectations except that it had to be good. I mean, it was about a knight and a woman who falls in love with him. How could that be bad?

It was weird. **Spoiler alert** There were fairies, druids, magicians, lying, kidnapping, love, betrayal, and death. The people I thought would end up together didn't. Gawain gets killed and Lady Green ends up with the creepy druid guy from her village. Dumb. And dumber. Bottom line. Don't read it. Unless you want to read a book that doesn't have a happy ending.

books i'm currntly reading

#1. Gawain and Lady Green
#2. The Book Theif
#3. Stardust

All very different. Not sure if I recommend any of them yet, but I will let you know.

oh my gammit

So...it's cold. And when I say cold, I mean: COLD.

Now, one would think that spending 16 years split between Oregon and Utah where snow, ice, and fridgid temps are the norm from October to April, I would be used to winter weather. But I'm not. And I know that with the majority of the country dealing with blizzards, I should be glad that "it's a dry cold" here in Arizona. But it's COLD. Currently it is 38 degrees outside. The low tonight is supposed to be 24. See for yourself and tell me that's not cold. Look.

Yeah. That's what I thought. COLD.