. . . my wine. I don't care what any study says. I'm probably going to get some sort of cancer someday anyway. You can pry my (most probably empty) wine glass from my cold, dead hand. You can most likely pry the bottle from my other cold, dead hand.

This is called “FIRST REACTIONS QUIZ”. You have to type the 1ST thing that comes to mind whenever you hear these 35 things.



1. Beer: sometimes makes a good dinner.

2. McDonalds: Whatever happened to Hamburglar?

3. Relationships: Yay!

4. Purple: my favorite color

5. Power Rangers: I know someone who knows the person who played the Pink Ranger.

6. Weed: can be fun from time to time

7. Steroids: can be fun from time to time (just kidding)

8. Cartoons: are enjoyable at any age.

9. The President: Maybe his next job could be as Micky Mouse in Disneyworld. I bet Jeb could hook him up.

10. Tupperware: is handy, although the lids often tend to get misplaced.

11. Florida: is humid.

12. Santa Claus: I don't want to sit on a stranger's lap!

13. Halloween: seems to take more work as I get older, although I dearly love it.

14. Alice: has a restaurant.

15. Grammar: me can has chiropractor now, yes?

16: Myspace: is fun!

17. Clowns: are fucking scary.

18. Marriage: should take place in a church, not a courthouse.

19. Paris: I'd love to see the Louvre.

20. Pat: is an awesome soprano!

21. Redheads: are awesome, like me!

22. Blondes: are awesome, when I'm a blonde.

23. Pass the: mustard.

24. One night stands: are waaaaaaaaay in my past, and it only happened once, and actually ended up not being one night after all.

25. Donald Trump: has no excuse for having that much money and still having hideous hair!

26. Neverland: I think I dated a guy from there. I wonder if he ever did grow up . . .

27. Pixie: this monkey's gone to Heaven.

28. Vanilla ice cream: Jane's favorite food!

29. Hooters: has a public bathroom, for which I'm forever grateful.

30. High school musical: disturbs me (the movie)

31. Pajamas: love 'em with frogs, monkeys, or penguins, but not for sleeping in.

32. Woody: what the heck? Cheers?

33. Wet Socks: unpleasant

34. Beach: windy, sandy, wet, and fun

35. Love: rocks!

I've been really struggling the last week and a half with depression and anxiety. I have A LOT to do to prepare for 1) leaving my job and life in Denver and 2) moving back to LA and finding a job. Unfortunately, my automatic response to severe stress is to shut down. I've been having a hell of a time draggin' my butt out of bed in the mornings. It would be nice to be one of those people who gets depressed and starts cleaning the house or building bookshelves or some other useful thing. I've made progress, though. This morning I told myself that I can be depressed and I'm just going to do stuff anyway.

One thing I started last week, in order to make myself feel better, was a myspace page for my dog Milo. I don't know why, but it really lifts my spirits. Maybe it's because I get to get in his head for a while and get out of mine. He has a pretty low-stress life (except for housesitting). Plus, it's uber-funny to think of Milo writing haiku.

Here's the link to Milo's myspace page. I think it's extremely funny, but then I would.

I'm back from Los Angeles, and my birthday did indeed kick ass. We went to Bossa Nova, one of my favorite restaurants in LA. It is, in fact, the only restaurant where I will order pasta. As a general rule, I don't order pasta in restaurants, because I don't feel that it's worth the price when I can make it yummier at home. But, Bossa Nova . . . yum! They make a pasta with garlic, fresh basil and tomatoes that is to die for! Ok, I guess I'd rather not die, but you get the idea. I make my own garlic pasta, but this one just tastes different. mmmmm . . .

My birthday surprise was that Kjell took me to see Wicked! Yay! Our seats were great, and the musical was mind blowing, absolutely amazing! Kjell had me close my eyes when we got close to the theater. We parked and he had me open my eyes. The first thing I saw was a giant billboard for Johnny Walker. I was confused. Then, in between the legs of the billboard, across the street, I saw the Pantages Theater where Wicked is playing! Yay!!!!!

After the show, we went home and I gobbled up all of my leftover pasta. It was a great birthday, and it makes up for the fact that I'm 34. As laurapalmer813 reminded me, I'll soon be 35. Thanks, laurapalmer813!

I don't have a picture from my birthday, but here's a new one of Milo.

Here's to a fun, exciting, happy, healthy 2008! Wheee!

I'm moving back to Los Angeles in two months. I'm doing a really good job of not completely FREAKING OUT! I might just be numb.

Meanwhile, I'm celebrating the new year and my birthday in LA this year, and it rocks! Kjell has a birthday surprise for me tomorrow. It's an event, and I get to dress up. hmmmm . . . And, there's dinner! mmmmm . . . dinner . . .

I donated blood on Saturday. It had been a while since I last donated, due to the fact that I almost always start coming down with something soon before I'm scheduled to donate. I'm wondering if I don't do it to myself subconsciously, although I've only had good experiences donating blood. I'm one of those lucky juicy people who has good veins. I've never had a phlebotomist who had to poke around in my arm with the needle, yet I am extremely nervous every single time I go to donate blood. So nervous, in fact, that I have to tell them that I'm "really nervous" so that they understand why there's such a large spread between my starting and ending blood pressure. I like to think that they will be encouraged to put me with their most skilled phlebotomist, although I have a suspicion that whichever phlebotomist is available is "the best." At any rate, all of my phlebotomists have been excellent.
( pros & cons of donating blood )

I'm sick, or, at least, trying to be. I don't like it. I'm tired, tired, tired, and my froat hurts. That's right, I said "froat." I feel better when I say that my froat hurts. I don't know why. Maybe it's just a big baby thing. I also feel better when I whine. (Cheese with my whine would be delightful. I like cheese.)

I'm debating whether or not to attend DWC rehearsal tonight. I can't sing, but I can still benefit from the rehearsal. I'm just so freakin' tired! I'm thinking that I should stay home and rest since I'm flying to Chicago on Thursday. I don't want to be sick on vacation!!

Here's a really cute picture of my dog Milo.

Poll #1089272 Scratch 'n Sniff
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 2

What was the best scratch 'n sniff scent?

If you chose "other" on the previous question, what is the best scent?

What was the worst scratch 'n sniff scent?

If you chose "other" on the previous question, what is the worst scent?

What is the most unexpected scratch 'n sniff that you've encountered?

If you chose "other" on the previous question, what is the most unexpected scratch 'n sniff scent that you've encountered?

What scratch 'n sniff scent was never created (that you know of) but should have been?

If you chose "other" on the previous question, enter your answer here.

Remember scratch 'n sniff stickers? A friend and I were talking about them last night, and we both agree that the root beer scented ones were the best. I had one that smelled like pickle, and it was the grossest thing I've ever smelled. Grosser than "skunk." It all started coming back to me, the scents that I had. I had a kick-ass sticker book in fifth grade, and I had a decent collection of scratch 'n sniffs. There was banana, peach, gasoline, pizza . . . oh, those were the days . . . gasoline . . .

Check out this link for a trip down memory lane. http://www.bubbledog.com/sns/

I found this picture from the Denver Women's Chorus fundraiser in October. There were go-carts and mini golf. I had so much fun with these animals!

Wow! It's been quite some time since I've posted an LJ entry! Wheee!

I'm moving back to LA in four months, and I'm starting to freak out a little bit. I have so much to do!