on and off the road

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:02:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:26:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 07:09:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:45:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:23:00 +0000

i'm back! well, sort of.

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:40:00 +0000

okay -

i had an amazing time with holly, my friend, and in between all of our adventures, i somehow convinced myself i need a new blog design/url.

from now on, find me at http://ontheroadwithcavy.blogspot.com/

i promise updates will be on there sometime today :)

siyanara

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:51:00 +0000

my best friend in the world is here for a visit until tuesday :)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posts will be limited, if here at all.

have a fun weekend everyone! :)

okay, okay... here. 25 random facts about me.

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:55:00 +0000

ya know, the facebook thing...

1. i'm impatient and calm at the same time. i'm also punctual, loud, lighthearted, and opinionated.

2. my friends and family mean the world to me. i would do absolutely anything for them.

3. i was one of those kids in elementary school who truly enjoyed the 1000-minute summer reading option. forget the incentives, i just wanted to see how many books i could finish.

4. my sister and i can have entire conversations only using lines from movies and SNL. our favorites include mean girls, anchorman, and any SNL skit featuring kristen wiig.

5. i would rather buy tv on dvd and watch the entire show continuously than wait for it week after week. this does not, however, include reality shows. i don't think reality shows should be on dvd at all, with the exception of the hills. some don't consider the hills reality, but that's a whole other debate.

6. i love, love, love road trips. i will go anywhere, anytime, though it's a bit harder now that i have a big girl job.

7. i am afraid that i am sometimes guilty of the things i dislike in other people.

8. i pride myself on the my ability to find my way around unfamiliar places.

9. i have a copy of high school musical 3: senior year on reserve at my local borders. it comes out next tuesday.

10. in the next few years, i want my own awesome loft/condo, either downtown milwaukee or chicago, near lake michigan. minneapolis would be very lovely as well.

11. i am a three-time county spelling bee champion: fifth, sixth, and eighth grade. to this day i am bummed i couldn't partake in the seventh grade contest - no one had ever won three years in a row, let alone four. my family was out of town for a wedding. the couple has since divorced. thanks a lot.

12. my hair grows extremely fast and i feel like i get it cut all the time. i've grown to loooooooove getting it cut and sometimes just go when i need an hour of "me time." on the other hand, my fingernails grow at a snail's pace and i would be ashamed to show them to a manicurist.

13. i am sort of a concert junkie. i have been to approximately 30 concerts in my lifetime.

my top 5:
goo goo dolls/carbon leaf
fall out boy/motion city soundtrack
sister hazel
jack's mannequin
WEfest '08

14. i am a member of sigma sigma sigma national sorority, and joining was one of the best decisions i ever made.

15. my first cassette tape was new kids on the block - it came with the jordan knight doll that i owned for approximately four days before i left it on an airplane. i do still have the cassette, though. my first cd was ace of base - "the sign." memories..

16. in sixth grade, a kid named tom was making fun of my little neighbor on the bus ride home. i punched him right on the mouth and still have a scar on my knuckle from his braces. it's now something we laugh about.

17. people tell me they would kill to have a memory like mine. i hope i never lose it.

18. i haven't danced regularly since high school and can still do the splits.

19. i have no problem shopping or going to a movie by myself. sometimes i prefer it.

20. i like giving blood and getting shots because i like to watch the needle go in my arm.

21. i like some tattoos and have two of my own, but i think tattoos on the lower back are really trashy.

22. my guilty pleasure list includes oreo blizzards and the prepubescent pop tunes of the jonas brothers. i do not, however, find the jonas brothers attractive.

23. i have a change bank that i started filling when i was little. i don't plan to empty it until i'm at least 35.

24. i honestly believe that men and women can be normal, platonic friends without any interruption by attraction. that whole "when harry met sally" brouhaha is a total crock.

25. i absolutely cannot live without carbonated beverages or caffeine. diet coke provides a wonderful combination of the two.

now please go read tactical diversion's take on the whole craze.

the new york times has its own opinion on the bandwagon.

twitter-pated

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:43:00 +0000

i gave in, i joined, i'm there.

and i'm loving it so far :)

follow me as i tweet away!

my first memes :)

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:10:00 +0000

i'm new to the meme thing, but all the ones i've read so far have been great, and i'm thrilled that alexa over at cleveland's a plum and just playing pretend gave me my very first ones!

so, without further ado, alexa's questions are in teal and just playin's are in red:

1. so i'm a newish reader of your blog. tell me something fun about yourself that i just simply need to know.
well, i know all the words to all the songs of the high school musical trilogy, and i thoroughly enjoy the entire hannah montana franchise. i don't think i need to elaborate on this, haha.

2. you have to listen to only three CD's for the rest of your life, what are they? you also can only watch three movies for the rest of your life - spill it.
CDs
jack's mannequin: everything in transit
taylor swift: fearless
cities97 sampler, volume 17, 2005

movies
the holiday (i still don't own a copy - i'm too cheap to buy it - but i am THRILLED when i see it on the free ondemand menu)
10 things i hate about you (most quotable movie EVER)
my big fat greek wedding (my sister and i watch this at least twice every time i'm home and usually text quotes back/forth)

3. talk to me about your relationship status. update me please.
well, i've had two long relationships and a few short-lived ones. currently i'm "on a break" with a handsome blond athlete named trevor (i am usually not attracted to blond guys unless they are of the celebrity genre, i.e. paul walker, brad pitt). we started dating about a month after i moved to milwaukee for work. i met him at a flag football game that a colleague (his roommate) invited me to join in on. it was a wonderful four-and-a-half months, and then i heard i was moving to reno. we discussed our options, and seeing as i'm afraid of long distance relationships and am convinced it would fail miserably, the decision to "take a break" (i hate that expression) was mutually agreed upon. we still talk regularly, and we're technically not exclusive but neither of us have seen anyone else. i now wish we had tried the distance thing, and i'm deathly afraid that by the time i get back (mid-april), one of us won't feel the same as we did before.

4. if you could change one thing - either your career, your living location, or your age which one would you change and why?
right now, my living location. i'm loving my twenties - they've been a blast so far! i also love absolutely everything about my job, with the exception of the fact that they have an office here in reno. i was living the dream (as cliche as that sounds) in milwaukee and holding out for the chance to go to boston or seattle for awhile. i'm a city girl through and through, and reno is just not doing it for me. it makes minneapolis seem like a three-times-as-big-new-york-city. you've got the strip, the suburbs, and the desert between the mountains. wahoo.

5. do you have a blogger crush? if so who and why?
i am absolutely in love with the blogs of chris, lilu, and you, alexa. they are the first ones i read and the ones i remember the most. they make me laugh out loud (for real, not just an "lol" type thing) and think at the same time. if you're inquiring as to an actual attraction to another blogger, no, i do not. haha, weird.

1. You have some tattoos you've written about. How many tattoos do you have and what's the meaning behind them?
i have two.

the first one i got because there was a meteor shower the night i was born. my mom was in labor for about 22 hours, and the shower started as soon as the nurses told her to push and lasted until i was out and crying to the world. my dad tears up every time he's reminded of this. (side note: it's hard to draw an actual meteor shower, so i decided to do shooting stars)

the second one i got basically because i knew i wanted another one. it took me two years to figure out what to get. i was debating between my family's creed/motto (i'm 75% italian) and a latin phrase (i took latin in high school and college). i went with the latin option after digging through my old workbooks last fall and came across "she flies with her own wings." that was that and there you have it.

i don't think i'll ever get another one, but if i did, it would probably be behind my ear or on the bottom of my foot.

2. You've discussed some unsatisfaction with your current residence in Reno. So what's the worst and then the best part of living in Reno?
the worst: it's a junky city, which is just something that comes with being a town built on the gambling industry. oh, and there's hookers. lots of them. i think a lot of it also comes from the fact that my life here basically only consists of work and work people. i live with coworkers who are also in the training program, and so i basically only hang out with them, which is a really narrow social circle - something i'm not used to. and now that i've started working nights, i hardly see them (they're on a day schedule now), and my schedule makes it nearly impossible to meet other people (sleep all day, work all night), so i feel like it's just me here alone.

the best: i'm within 12 driving hours of the biggest cities in the western part of the country. two hours from sacramento (home to a beyond-brilliant shopping center with outlets ranging from coach to burberry to banana republic to puma and more!), four hours from san francisco, seven from las vegas, eight from los angeles, ten from portland, twelve from seattle. of course, to get a weekend away to anywhere farther than san fran, i'd likely fly. and flights going in and out of reno are cheap!

3. In your opinion, what is your best personality trait?
i'm someone to trust. i have never, ever divulged a secret told to me, not even in elementary school, and i don't intend to start now. the lone exception would be, obviously, if some sort of action needed to be taken.

4. What's the funniest thing that has happened in your life in the past week?
okay, there's this woman (probably forties) at the gym who has really long hair. i mean, past her ass. it's thick and uneven and sort of comes to a point at the bottom, ya know? she always wears it completely down when she works out. she must get really hot (duh) under that blanket of waves and therefore flips her hair over her shoulder and dabs at her neck with her gym towel in a sort of "look at me! i'm fabulous!"-type way. she also has these wispy bangs that she sort of spikes up when they're sweaty.

so i'm on the climber yesterday, which is on the upper level overlooking the weights area on the main floor, and i see her using one of the shoulder presses. her hair is so long that she's actually sitting on a lot of it in the machine chair. she lifts the machine arms and sets them back down a few times, and when she gets up, she (and i, and others around) realizes her long-ass hair has indeed gotten stuck in the gears of the machine. she became hysterical and started flailing her arms like a bird trying to stay up in the air. i had to get off the climber to breathe because i could barely hold in my laughter.

one of the trainers tried to help her out and couldn't, so he began to yell to the girl at the front desk: "SHANNON! BRING ME THOSE DAMN SCISSORS NOW!!!! BRING THEM TO ME NOW! COME ON! COME ON! NOW!!" it was mass chaos - everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. the woman was still flailing and wailing. one group of college guys actually laid down and rolled on the floor because they were laughing so hard they couldn't stand anymore. shannon and the trainer had to cut her hair out of the gears, leaving the left side about six inches shorter than the right.

i overheard the manager later telling her he was glad she wasn't hurt, but she is from this point forward forever required to wear her hair up and in some sort of bun.

5. A rich old man comes into your life and offers you 500,000 dollars a year to marry him and comply to his every whim. What do you do?

i'd have to weigh many factors, like his level of attractiveness, genetic traits, age.

if he's got the george clooney look going on, daaaaayaaaam.

if he also comes from a healthy line of smart, solid people, perhaps.

if he also has the energetic, vibrant life thing going on and was good in bed, yes.

of course, if he's really old, he ~~hopefully~~ probably wouldn't have the energy to want to do anything sexual. i mean, hugh hefner is a one of a kind in that regard.

if i was really desperate for moolah, i'd get a lawyer to write up a contract saying if we happen to divorce i don't have to pay him back, and then i'd marry him, stay for a year, divorce the dude, and get on with my life.

okay folks, there you have it. that was fun - thank you alexa and just playing! :) if you'd like to be interviewed, email me at cavfc.blog at gmail dot com. thinking of questions will certainly be as enjoyable as answering them.

hold me back, hold me back!

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:09:00 +0000

i'm halfway through my first night shift (12 hours total); bear with me if this seems incomprehensible.

okay, for someone whose personal trainer enourages to eat subway sandwiches regularly (more on that in a bit), i became aware of some exciting news today.

for a limited time, of course, subway is offering up ALL of their sandwiches for the $5 footlong special. meatball, cold cut combo, whatever your little heart desires, it now only costs you five bucks!

the sandwich artist who concocted my typical chicken breast/swiss/spinach/tomato/cucumber/bit o' ranch on honey oat made a really solid effort to convince me to try something else. something else that dan the trainer probably wouldn't see as a "good choice." i wavered for a minute or so between getting the chicken or switchin' it up to turkey.

i'm not a big "lunchmeat" person as it is, so i pretty much stick to a routine in that department. ham was out of the question as i only ever will eat it during easter, and then only if my chef mother is the one who made it, because she does something to it that makes it less "hammy," if that's possible. roast beef should be enjoyed in a hot french dip with au jus, never cold. i'll stop there.

inevitably, i stuck to the usual and was grateful when the sandwich artist agreed to wrap the two halves separately. one for now, one for during work.

oh, and a diet coke, please. i need all the caffeine i can get. but no cookies, thanks.

anyway, dan says subway is very good for you. of course, we've all seen the success of jared the subway man, but i can't fathom eating it every single day. wretched thought.

he redeemed himself when he also offered up burrito bols from chipotle and naked burritos from qdoba (minus cheese and sour cream, obviously). now those i could maybe stomach a few times a week.

maybe.

is it okay if i speak to you today

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:08:00 +0000

dear brother,

i think it's time you grew up and realized how much you've taken for granted over the past few years. mom and dad are putting you through school with the sole requirement that you come home with a 3.0 each semester and don't end up with a criminal record. i'm thinking since you were never not on the high school honor roll and you're an all-around good kid, this shouldn't be a problem. coming home at the end of last year and this past fall semester with a 2.4 and a big attitude about them "leaving [you] alone to run [your] own life" is basically unacceptable in my book. if you're doing so well on your own, tell them you'll take over the tuition payments.

it also wouldn't hurt to answer the phone when one of them calls you. it's not like they call you every day, and when they do, it's not to have mindless chit chat for two hours. heck, you calling them just once might even put their calls on hold for awhile.

and no, calling me to vent about what "our parents keep doing to [you]" is not something i wish to engage in. especially when you expect me to take your side.

yes, mom and dad both got facebook. so what? you can refuse to be friends with them if you want - it's your decision - but don't think that they signed up because they want to keep strict tabs on you. it's not like they're looking to stalk your profile for information to use against you. it's not like you have something to hide, either, or else you wouldn't be friends with me and our younger sister. many adults these days have facebook. deal with it.

maybe you should lay off the weekend shindigs a bit and reconsider your desire to live in a house with six other guys next year. if you keep up everything you're doing now, don't expect mom and dad to pay your rent. and since you barely worked last summer and then decided to buy a motorcycle, i doubt you can afford to cover it on your own. oh, but i'm sorry, i forgot you were "ready to run [your] own life." good luck with that.

grow the eff up. you're a three-year-old stuck in a 20-year-old's body.

what happened to the responsible, mature guy who all the neighbors wish was their son?

love,

your older sister

This post's title taken from: Bowling for Soup

you do something to me that i can't explain

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 19:49:00 +0000

dear trevor,

i miss everything about our relationship. i miss the long-winded conversations over miller lite at the friday fish fry. i miss the pre-basketball game dinners at turner hall. i miss hearing about your day at work and what your boss thinks about the team this year and what your colleagues did over the weekend. i miss the "let's be low key" nights that turned into something not-so-low-key, like the time we went for a stroll along the lake and ended up downing tequila and shakin' our groove thangs at that military wedding reception.

i miss roaming about the east side at four in the morning and eating chinese takeout on the curb. i miss admiring the newly fallen snow and then frantically digging our cars out of snowbanks before the tow truck arrives. i miss sunday hangover breakfasts where all we can handle is black coffee and toast. i miss your insane knowledge of all things related to the minnesota golden gophers, even though you're from wisconsin. i miss being the one you call with good news and bad, the one you ask for advice and the one you hold.

i miss your confidence, your smile, and the way you look in a t-shirt and jeans. i miss you twirling my hair, kissing my forehead and tracing my skin with your fingertips. i miss you knowing how i'll react before i do.

most of all, though, i miss knowing you're there for me.

all my love,

the girl who is over being "on a break"

This post's title taken from: Incubus

ok computer

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:19:00 +0000

i love anything apple-related, and i am fully aware of my macbook protection obsession. there are times when i fall asleep with my computer next to me in bed.

anyway, i read this on ari herstand's facebook page, it's from steve jobs:

"I was very lucky to grow up in a time when music really mattered. It wasn't just something in the background; it really mattered to a generation of kids growing up. It really changed the world. I think that music faded in importance for a while, and the iPod has helped to bring music back into people's lives in a really meaningful way. Music is so deep within all of us, but it's easy to go for a day or a week or a month or a year without really listening to music. And the iPod has changed that for tens of millions of people, and that makes me really happy, because I think music is good for the soul."

yes, i realize he's bragging about his 'baby' - but why shouldn't he? the bigger picture here is that the entire music industry was forever changed when the ipod craze happened. let's see, what was that other music player i used to use? with those things they called, what, tapes? they were called tapes, right? oh and then when we all graduated to cd players, and that bulky, heavy "discman"... man, those were the days. right. ::sigh:: i love my ipod. i don't know what i'd do without it.

side note: ari herstand is one of my all-time favorite artists, and i think you should all check him out.

favorite ari songs

"baby eyes"

"most beautiful girl of all" (found on my handy sidebar playlist)

"float on by"

"whispering endearments"

huevos rancheros and a whole lotta tasty

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 02:33:00 +0000

i absolutely adore going out to breakfast on a late weekend morning. there's just something about good food and good conversation at a bustling greasy spoon that i can't get enough of.

in minnesota, we went to the main cafe. in milwaukee, it was ma fischer's. i've finally found that place in reno: peg's glorified ham 'n eggs. i went with matt from work this morning to check it out.

the omelette and hashbrowns made me go weak at the knees.

This post's title taken from: Soca Boys

get inked, part 2

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:27:00 +0000

well, i up and did it. i've wanted another tattoo forever, and it came down to a phrase either in latin or italian.

after considering many options, the final two came out to be:

alis volat propriis - latin: "she flies with her own wings"

le stelle sono con noi - italian: "the stars are with us" ... and my family's creed/motto

i ended up with option 1 on my left wrist, and i am psyched about how it turned out!

and yes, that is the newest OK! mag - hot off the press, literally!

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:11:00 +0000

next monday i start working nights. yuck. 7pm - 3am. it might not sound soooo bad, considering i can still get plenty of sleep and also do everything else i need to do during the day. the only thing is that all three of my roommates will now be on a day schedule and likely working a normal 8-5 routine (they're in different rotations, so the hours change).

with the two bathrooms upstairs, two of us are sharing each one. the one i'm sharing (with joy) is the master, and she is in the master bedroom. that means when i get home at 3:30 or so and begin getting ready for bed, i'm going to have to tiptoe across the entire room (it's quite large), open the door in a way that doesn't allow it to squeak or rattle or anything (we've had that problem), close it as much as possible without her over-the-door hooks getting in the way, and then make sure the sink isn't loud. god forbid the running water to wake everyone up. it should be interesting.

dan's workout today made it hard for me to haul boxes of samples. my arms are starting to feel a little like jelly. he said, and i quote, "today is the day you're gonna get your ass kicked. are you gonna do the kicking or would you rather i?" lordy. ninety minutes later, i can hardly move. this is hard for me, seeing as i'm more into to running long distances than lifting barbells and doing tricep dips. in college i had this loop i would run when i really needed to blow off steam. i miss it - i haven't found one here yet. in milwaukee i just ran up and down the lakeshore, but once winter hit, that went out the window and i was forced to succomb to the immense boredom of the treadmill. YUCK. i HATE treadmills.

side note: i think i might have to treat myself to new running shoes this week. i heard there's a sale at famous footwear.

the boxes to be hauled are calling my name. i'd much rather stay and type seeing as my arms can rest on the desk...

there's always time for a dance party

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:32:00 +0000

i saw this on jamie's blog and was completely blown away.

completely.

and this 'round a clock place

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:43:00 +0000

joy, one of my roommates, and i joined the gym here in reno when we both came out in early january. i'm a pretty frequent exerciser anyway, but we decided to get personal trainers for the time that we're here - just to see how much they could push us. the gym was running a special (of course, since it was january and everyone and their mother decides to sign up as part of a new year's resolution) anyway, so we are giving it a shot.

my trainer's name is dan - he's 37, awkward, and one of the funniest people i've ever met. once we get to the machines, though, he turns into this serious dude who says "okay, five more" when he really means ten. my arms are killing me today.

joy's trainer is aaron, and he's pretty much the stereotypical jock type who is really into bulking up and downing protein shakes. he's also gorgeous - but he knows it. blegh. talk about attitude.

i should mention that reno is a 24-hour city and therefore, multiple business are open all hours of the day and night. the gym, the casinos (of course...), wal-mart (again, of course...) mcdonalds, all grocery stores, some starbucks, applebees, ihop, etc. it's great. i'll start working nights next week, so it'll be nice to be able to get stuff done at odd hours. that also pushes my trainer appointments to 7 am. i really wish i could stick to the 1 pm time slot i've got going right now... :)

now if only i could convince the movie theaters and target to be open 24/7... that would completely make my life!

This post's title taken from: Kenny Chesney

i don't know how it gets better than this

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:45:00 +0000

okay, well, here goes.

i moved to milwaukee, WI mid-august to start my new job on august 20th. i lived downtown milwaukee, made some amazing friends, started dating an amazing guy (we're currently on a "break"), and discovered i really, really love my job. in early december, i was informed i would be starting a 3-month rotation out in reno, NV, after the first of the year.

see, i'm in this 2-year training program where we do 3- to 6-month rotations in various departments throughout the company. it's a pretty sweet gig - if we get sent anywhere outside of wisconsin, we get free housing and a weekly per diem. i'm definitely loving that part right now. i currently live with three other trainees in a house in northwest reno. it's pretty big and we all have our own rooms, which is nice, and it's close to everything - target, the gym, etc.

mom was nice enough to make the 1800-mile road trip with me. i personally LOVE road trips, and we managed to squeeze in some interesting tourist traps along the way. it took four days and was all in all a great time. i started in reno on january 9, and i'm learning to love the desert. it's very dry, and the weather seems to change more often than i blink in a day. recently it's been 65 degrees in the late morning and barely 40 by dinnertime. this past weekend, we got 2 inches of snow overnight and it was completely gone by 8:30 am the next morning. when i drive to work and go through one of the mountain passes, i can see it snowing up on the peaks even though it's sunny here in town. i am definitely not missing the weather in the midwest... there is no such thing as "wind chill" here. amazing.

my last day here in reno is technically april 10, if it doesn't get extended (crosses fingers). the latest i would want to stay out here would be early june, and since that doesn't make for another 3 months, it probably won't work out. plus, i already told them i want to be back in milwaukee for the summer. i've got plans, man.

in other news, i've become a big fan of the "weekend getaway" - and since i now have free weekends and flights have drastically decreased in price, i'm actually sort of able to "get away" when i want. i'm heading to san francisco (well, this is a driving trip since it's only 4 hours away) over valentine's day weekend with one of my best friends from home who is coming for a six-day visit. i can't wait! then i'm off to vegas the first weekend in march with some trainees currently in milwaukee, and then to portland at the end of march to visit a friend in grad school up there. when i get back to wisconsin, it'll finally almost be time for the annual mexican vaycay! too bad i'm not going with the fam over spring break this year - the real world doesn't really offer that as an option. instead, i'll be flying south with my current reno roommates and my future milwaukee roommates over memorial day weekend. six days, five nights. heck yes!!!

did i mention i get this cool radio-type thing that hooks onto my belt? it's pretty stellar. the press guys page me when i'm needed. it makes me feel important, haha.

speak of the devil. time to check on macy's west!

This post's title taken from: Taylor Swift

i guess what i'm saying is there ain't no better reason

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:38:00 +0000

to start blogging again.

i'm back. it's been a very long time, but here i am again.

i'd like to start by updating all you bloggers on my life since july 2008, when i invariably stopped posting, but that will have to wait until i'm done with a spreadsheet for work.

back soon!

This post's title taken from: Jason Mraz

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:44:00 +0000

congratulations to me, for two reasons.

i have paid off my credit card. okay, so it wasn't a huge amount like you usually hear when they talk about college kids in credit card debt (actually, it was nowhere near that sort of amount...), but it still feels good!

i cleaned out my room and all the stuff that has accumulated over the last eight years in addition to everything i have purchased and brought home from college. i now have shelves that aren't cluttered with random stuff and a floor i can see and actually walk on. wow, i had carpet under all of that? what???

anyways...

i am curious as to why many married people don't wear their wedding rings. i've been noticing it more and more lately, and i don't understand why anyone wouldn't. of course there are always legit reasons.. for example: my mom is a chef and isn't allowed to wear any jewelry in the kitchen. or when you're lifting weights and don't want it cutting into your finger (i've had other rings that do this and it's not exactly pleasant). other than the obvious reasons, i just don't get it. i have one friend whose father only wears his to weddings and funerals - and he won't remember to put it on unless his wife leaves it out on the dresser for him. hrrumph... to each their own, i suppose.

and this weekend is the basilica block party. two nights, two stages, 14 bands. food and alcohol and people-watching galore. tomorrow is the better of two nights - with dave barnes, augustana, and onerepublic all performing on the big stage.

i can't wait.

get inked.

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:27:00 +0000

i'm leaving minnesota in 39 days. YIKES.

and i want another tattoo. perhaps on my foot or something. thoughts?

this is the one i have right now, on my left hip:

i got it august 4, 2004. big thank you to kyle at tatts by zapp who took my sad little attempt at drawing and made it look decent.

every heart beats true 'neath the red, white, and blue..

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:58:00 +0000

the 4th of july in my hometown is a BIG deal. people come from all the surrounding suburbs and even wisconsin just to see our fireworks over the st. croix river. i love, love, love the 4th. it's by far the best holiday after christmas.

each year, my mom and sister and i get up extremely early to put many blankets down in our usual spot by the river. there tend to be at least 15-30 people in our groupage at any given point during the night, so we need a big space. we usually get downtown around 6:30 a.m. to secure our favorite corner - in the grass right behind the boardwalk, between the flagpole and the biggest light post. this has been going on since we moved here - back in 2000 - and we've never had an issue.

apparently, however, the 8th year is not a good one. we get downtown this morning at 6:18 (i was still in my pajamas), park the truck, and walk to the site. it's taken. blankets already placed down on OUR traditional spot. seriously?? i was so mad. we staked out the spot next to them and made our way home in sadness.

then we get down there tonight, and they had a total of 3 people on all their blankets. THREE. they had a total of 6 blankets, including one that quite possibly was a queen-size duvet cover. all that space for three lousy people. HOW RUDE. we had 7 blankets and about 18 people on ours - obviously using the space we took up. you don't take over a huuuuuge corner and then only have three people show. that's just not fair to the rest of the town. good lord. my neighbor greg actually handed me his beer and told me it would help me stop fuming. i told him it would simply give me the guts to throw out some verbal comments to partner with the dirty looks i gave those three people all evening. that's probably mean, but honestly, they shouldn't take over a space they obviously don't need.

okay. well anyways, the fireworks were amazing as always, and i spent the entire day surrounded by my awesome family, neighbors, and friends. i luurrrrrve the 4th of july. happy birthday america!

This post's title taken from: "You're a Grand Ol' Flag" (traditional)

noreply@blogger.com (CAVFC) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:05:00 +0000

i am, i must say, a HUUUUUGE fan of 'so you think you can dance'. every wednesday, the girls come over and we plop down in front of the tv for the (currently) 2-hour show. no one is allowed to talk during the dances - only during filler and commercial breaks. it's rather intense. they're on season 4 right now, and i will admit that i don't think it's as good as season 3, and season 2 was by far the best one yet.

they're now down to 12 dancers: chelsie, courtney, comfort, katee, jessica, kherington, twitch, will, joshua, thayne, gev, and mark.

best dances in show history:

Bleeding Love - current season - Chelsie & Mark

Time - season 3 - Lacey & Neil

Black Mambo - season 2 - Benji & Heidi (tie)

Why - season 2 - Ivan & Allison (tie)

note: season 2's "sexy love" (Ivan & Allison) and "calling you" (Travis & Heidi) are definitely up there. i repeat, season 2 is the best so far.

best choreographers: mia michaels (contemporary), shane sparks (hip hop), tyce diorio (various styles)

oh, and we can't forget the auditions... they rival those of american idol. there's this ca-RAZY guy named david who has auditioned with what he considers dancing (mainly jumping around the stage) every single season - and he goes by the stage name "sex." one time, he even had his mom come and back him up to the judges and inform them that yes, his name was sex and he was a sexy dancer. seriously...sometimes the american people scare me.