Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Star Wars! Nothing But Star Wars!
Tonight I took Spencer to Star Wars In Concert. The tickets were his birthday gift. He was like a little kid at Disneyland. Its just like a normal concert with a big stage and a huge orchestra with a big screen in the background showing scenes from the Star Wars movies. It was pretty cool, but Spencer LOVED it! Before the show started, there were characters dressed up and all kinds of paraphernalia everywhere so we took tons of pictures of course!
Us with a Storm Trooper and Darth Vader!
Tie Fighter Pilots have captured my husband!
I'm a little scared of this dude.
Spencer and C3PO
Me and some Ewoks 
Uh oh! Poor Han Solo!
Spencer and Chewbacca
Yoda
Anakin, me and some blue jedi chick
The Orchestra!
And our host.....
The REAL C3PO, Anthony Daniels
Light Sabers EVERYWHERE of course!
Some scenes from the show:
I think its time for me to give these movies a second try. May the force be with you!
The REAL C3PO, Anthony Daniels
Light Sabers EVERYWHERE of course!
Friday, May 28, 2010
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?
"Don't worry, it will be no big deal, you'll probably get out of it."
"Its your civic duty."
BLAH BLAH BLAH!
I kept hearing this leading up to today because I was dreading my jury duty summons. But all of you who told me it wouldn't be a big deal were wrong. WAY WRONG! Not only did I get selected (they hardly dismissed ANYONE!), but I got selected to be on the Nevada State Grand Jury. And not just the grand jury but a "special grand jury," which happens to meet at the court house downtown from 8:00AM - 5:00PM every single Tuesday for the next 3 years. Yes, you read that right THREE YEARS! And the only way you get out of it and they call on one of the alternates is if you a.) move out of the state or b.) Die. Nice, huh?
Oh and did I mention I can't work on that day now and only get paid $40 a day?
And I am one of 50 people (including the 27 alternates) chosen out of 2.5 million people in the system. I've never been that "lucky" in my entire life...maybe I SHOULD start gambling...as the kids are saying these days...FML!
"Its your civic duty."
BLAH BLAH BLAH!
I kept hearing this leading up to today because I was dreading my jury duty summons. But all of you who told me it wouldn't be a big deal were wrong. WAY WRONG! Not only did I get selected (they hardly dismissed ANYONE!), but I got selected to be on the Nevada State Grand Jury. And not just the grand jury but a "special grand jury," which happens to meet at the court house downtown from 8:00AM - 5:00PM every single Tuesday for the next 3 years. Yes, you read that right THREE YEARS! And the only way you get out of it and they call on one of the alternates is if you a.) move out of the state or b.) Die. Nice, huh?
Oh and did I mention I can't work on that day now and only get paid $40 a day?
And I am one of 50 people (including the 27 alternates) chosen out of 2.5 million people in the system. I've never been that "lucky" in my entire life...maybe I SHOULD start gambling...as the kids are saying these days...FML!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
TV Rots Your Brain! (Apparently)
Is it sad that my last 2 posts were semi-inspired by television shows?! Maybe. Its a good thing I was so disappointed with the results of my other favorite show, Dancing With The Stars, last night or I might have made it television inspired post #3! Oh wait...I think I just did....Well, now that I started, I might as well finish...I'll keep it a little more light-hearted this time...the TRUE winners in my heart...a tie! :)
Evan and Anna
and Erin and Maks
Hopefully I'll be happier with Season 11's outcome....
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Biggest Loser
It was a little more than a month ago that I went home to see my Dad in the hospital, fearing that it would be my last chance to see him. I spent just about three weeks there, visiting him at the hospital when he was there, helping him when he was home, doing my best to provide for my family and make life easier for them whether it be sitting on the couch watching TV with them or talking or satisfying food cravings or just general hunger and making dinner or fast food runs.
It is ironic to me that during this time, I watched more television and sat on my butt more than I think I ever have. It is ironic to me that my mother got me hooked on her favorite television show "The Biggest Loser" while I stopped exercising and being active and ate horribly for 3 weeks and gained tons of weight. It is ironic to me that when I got home, I continued to watch this television show and it motivated me to be healthier just as my Dad's situation motivated me to live life to the fullest every chance I have. It is ironic to me that this morning I was catching up on "The Biggest Loser" while I was relishing the fact that since then I have lost 10 pounds and that I want to keep going because I feel better than I ever have, that my mom texted me and told me that my father saw the doctor yesterday and because he has no appetite, he now weighs 137 pounds. It is ironic to me that I struggle with having too much of an appetite. It is ironic to me that my Dad, who is more than a foot taller than me, now weighs less than me. It is ironic to me that on any given day, I feel like I would give anything to eat a big greasy cheeseburger as opposed to my much healthier alternatives, just for fear of gaining 10 pounds back. Today I would give ANYTHING for my Dad to WANT a big greasy cheeseburger. To gain 2 pounds let alone 10. To be strong. To be healthy. To not be "The Biggest Loser" in my family, without even trying.
Praying for you Papa...that you have more good days than bad days, so you can get your strength back and feel better...and that Mom and I can be the ones losing all the weight in our family instead of you. I love you.
It is ironic to me that during this time, I watched more television and sat on my butt more than I think I ever have. It is ironic to me that my mother got me hooked on her favorite television show "The Biggest Loser" while I stopped exercising and being active and ate horribly for 3 weeks and gained tons of weight. It is ironic to me that when I got home, I continued to watch this television show and it motivated me to be healthier just as my Dad's situation motivated me to live life to the fullest every chance I have. It is ironic to me that this morning I was catching up on "The Biggest Loser" while I was relishing the fact that since then I have lost 10 pounds and that I want to keep going because I feel better than I ever have, that my mom texted me and told me that my father saw the doctor yesterday and because he has no appetite, he now weighs 137 pounds. It is ironic to me that I struggle with having too much of an appetite. It is ironic to me that my Dad, who is more than a foot taller than me, now weighs less than me. It is ironic to me that on any given day, I feel like I would give anything to eat a big greasy cheeseburger as opposed to my much healthier alternatives, just for fear of gaining 10 pounds back. Today I would give ANYTHING for my Dad to WANT a big greasy cheeseburger. To gain 2 pounds let alone 10. To be strong. To be healthy. To not be "The Biggest Loser" in my family, without even trying.
Praying for you Papa...that you have more good days than bad days, so you can get your strength back and feel better...and that Mom and I can be the ones losing all the weight in our family instead of you. I love you.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Finally Not Totally L O S T
It isn't always true what they say, about TV rotting your brain. Unfortunately, it is a TV show that has contributed to some of my most thought provoking moments in quite a long time. Tonight, after 6 years of devoting my Tuesday nights to what I think might be the best television show EVER, the mind screw has ended. I don't care how ridiculous it might be at times, I much prefer a mind stimulating program over a mind numbing one and that is just what Lost was to me. Tonight's series finale was no different. As some of you know, I tend to have very random "deep thought moments" so although this finale did not make my "Lostie" status equivalent to "Trekkie" status as I thought it might (or...maybe it did and I'm in a bit of denial about that part), it did provoke my thoughts enough to remind me of some good life lessons and leave me with some good, heartwarming, reminders of how one's life should be lived. I know, right? All THAT from a TV show...I need to get a life! But, so it goes....
Some of Lost's toughest critics might disagree with me. Some of Lost's biggest fans might even disagree with me. (And if you haven't seen this show and/or the finale, and intend to watch it in the future then this is your official SPOILER ALERT!) But the symbolism in this show and how you apply it to your own life is far more important here than the answers you seek to all the questions that you are virtually forced to ask after watching all six seasons. ("Every answer I give you will only lead to more questions.") Who cares where the food drops came from? Who cares what the numbers meant? Who cares why pregnant women died on the island? Who cares how the island got its mystical properties? Who cares why or how there was a damn polar bear on the island? These were all ways to draw you in, keep you watching, and force you to invest in the lives of each of the characters on the show, so that in the end, you care what happens to them. Each character that survived the crash and ended up on the island (and it IS my belief that they did in fact survive the crash and live on the island...if you can't grasp that fact, then you SHOULD hate the finale and the entire show for that matter, because otherwise, it was totally pointless) had a major flaw, a major mistake they made in their past, or a major issue they just couldn't overcome and had to keep running from, like all of us, because nobody, NOBODY is perfect. But its how you overcome these issues or how you live your life after these issues that matters. Its all about how you redeem yourself when given the opportunity. Each of them was given a chance, on the island, to make up for what they had done. To give back somehow. Like their own twisted community service. They taught each other lessons, protected each other, took care of each other, looked out for one another, sacrificed for one another and in many cases, saved each others' lives. Think of how much lovelier the world would be if people did this for complete strangers, or even their own loved ones, on a regular basis, as if it were the only way to survive. Think of how much less lonely folks would be. ("If we can't live together, we're going to die alone.")
I truly believe that each of us has a destiny; a path that is chosen for us long before we are here on this earth. Figuring out what that destiny is and following the proper paths to get there is the challenge. But I believe we always end up "there"...doing what we're supposed to do with who we're supposed to do it with. Choosing between right and wrong and finding your destiny are constant themes in this show and constant themes in life in general...at least in mine. But at the end of the day, I want to know that when I do look back on my life, even though the road may have been rocky, I will be able to see why I made the mistakes I made, and why I made the good choices that I made, and why I had to face the hardships I faced and that I ended up loving the people I was supposed to love. (That's what happened in the "flash sideways" moments on the show.) And I hope that when I do look back in that direction, I see that I did more good than bad. That I helped more people than I hindered. That I made a difference to at least one person. That when I see all of this, that I can let go of all the bad times, and the mistakes made, and the hardships. And that when my time on this earth is done, I can go to a better place, where I am free of all the guilt and sadness of the bad parts of life and am surrounded by the people who represent the best things I ever did. And this might be a long shot, but I think that's what those Lost writers were trying to say as well. Which is why the show and the finale resonate with me. It sits well with me to know that someone (maybe) thinks like I do. And if I'm wrong, well, then it was a damn good, mind boggling, thought provoking, addictive television show that I am proud to say I "wasted" several hours of my life on.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Yep, ALL THAT from a TV Show....RIDICULOUS, I know! ;) But thanks anyway to those damn good folks who "showed me the way."
Some of Lost's toughest critics might disagree with me. Some of Lost's biggest fans might even disagree with me. (And if you haven't seen this show and/or the finale, and intend to watch it in the future then this is your official SPOILER ALERT!) But the symbolism in this show and how you apply it to your own life is far more important here than the answers you seek to all the questions that you are virtually forced to ask after watching all six seasons. ("Every answer I give you will only lead to more questions.") Who cares where the food drops came from? Who cares what the numbers meant? Who cares why pregnant women died on the island? Who cares how the island got its mystical properties? Who cares why or how there was a damn polar bear on the island? These were all ways to draw you in, keep you watching, and force you to invest in the lives of each of the characters on the show, so that in the end, you care what happens to them. Each character that survived the crash and ended up on the island (and it IS my belief that they did in fact survive the crash and live on the island...if you can't grasp that fact, then you SHOULD hate the finale and the entire show for that matter, because otherwise, it was totally pointless) had a major flaw, a major mistake they made in their past, or a major issue they just couldn't overcome and had to keep running from, like all of us, because nobody, NOBODY is perfect. But its how you overcome these issues or how you live your life after these issues that matters. Its all about how you redeem yourself when given the opportunity. Each of them was given a chance, on the island, to make up for what they had done. To give back somehow. Like their own twisted community service. They taught each other lessons, protected each other, took care of each other, looked out for one another, sacrificed for one another and in many cases, saved each others' lives. Think of how much lovelier the world would be if people did this for complete strangers, or even their own loved ones, on a regular basis, as if it were the only way to survive. Think of how much less lonely folks would be. ("If we can't live together, we're going to die alone.")
I truly believe that each of us has a destiny; a path that is chosen for us long before we are here on this earth. Figuring out what that destiny is and following the proper paths to get there is the challenge. But I believe we always end up "there"...doing what we're supposed to do with who we're supposed to do it with. Choosing between right and wrong and finding your destiny are constant themes in this show and constant themes in life in general...at least in mine. But at the end of the day, I want to know that when I do look back on my life, even though the road may have been rocky, I will be able to see why I made the mistakes I made, and why I made the good choices that I made, and why I had to face the hardships I faced and that I ended up loving the people I was supposed to love. (That's what happened in the "flash sideways" moments on the show.) And I hope that when I do look back in that direction, I see that I did more good than bad. That I helped more people than I hindered. That I made a difference to at least one person. That when I see all of this, that I can let go of all the bad times, and the mistakes made, and the hardships. And that when my time on this earth is done, I can go to a better place, where I am free of all the guilt and sadness of the bad parts of life and am surrounded by the people who represent the best things I ever did. And this might be a long shot, but I think that's what those Lost writers were trying to say as well. Which is why the show and the finale resonate with me. It sits well with me to know that someone (maybe) thinks like I do. And if I'm wrong, well, then it was a damn good, mind boggling, thought provoking, addictive television show that I am proud to say I "wasted" several hours of my life on.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Yep, ALL THAT from a TV Show....RIDICULOUS, I know! ;) But thanks anyway to those damn good folks who "showed me the way."
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Unrest
"When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others."
Today I begin my quest to bring more peace to my life. With several outside influences bringing stress and unrest to my life I am at the point where I am feeling overwhelmed and frustrated and worse, becoming someone I don't want to be. I don't want to be grouchy. I don't want to be short tempered. I don't want little things to bother me. I don't want to hate. Life is too short for all of this. I realized this when I was home helping my Dad and I don't want to waste time having a bad day and letting myself forget it. The people around me deserve a more peaceful me as well. I may dislike living in Las Vegas, but I love living in our little apartment with my amazing husband. He deserves to have a happy go lucky loving wife at home. I may dislike my job, but the people I work with could be worse. They deserve to have a patient boss and/or co-worker at work. I may dislike living so far away from my friends, but they deserve someone positive to talk to when they call or email. This is the person I want to be. This is the person that is at the heart of me. And when I am at peace with my world, this person shines through. I am well aware that I am a constant work in progress. I am always trying to better myself...to be a better wife, friend, daughter, sister, co-worker, etc. I can't do this if I am not at peace with my world and myself. Any suggestions anyone would like to offer on ways they achieve peace in their lives are always welcome. I know that I need to eliminate the relationships in my life that are bad for me. I know I need to continue to work on forgiving those who have done me wrong and stop holding grudges. I know I need to work with Spencer to remove us/myself from situations and places that don't give us peace about our life together. I know I need to stop letting peoples' words and hatred affect me and I need to stop taking it personally. I wonder what else I can do? In the meantime, be patient with me...I'll get there.
Today I begin my quest to bring more peace to my life. With several outside influences bringing stress and unrest to my life I am at the point where I am feeling overwhelmed and frustrated and worse, becoming someone I don't want to be. I don't want to be grouchy. I don't want to be short tempered. I don't want little things to bother me. I don't want to hate. Life is too short for all of this. I realized this when I was home helping my Dad and I don't want to waste time having a bad day and letting myself forget it. The people around me deserve a more peaceful me as well. I may dislike living in Las Vegas, but I love living in our little apartment with my amazing husband. He deserves to have a happy go lucky loving wife at home. I may dislike my job, but the people I work with could be worse. They deserve to have a patient boss and/or co-worker at work. I may dislike living so far away from my friends, but they deserve someone positive to talk to when they call or email. This is the person I want to be. This is the person that is at the heart of me. And when I am at peace with my world, this person shines through. I am well aware that I am a constant work in progress. I am always trying to better myself...to be a better wife, friend, daughter, sister, co-worker, etc. I can't do this if I am not at peace with my world and myself. Any suggestions anyone would like to offer on ways they achieve peace in their lives are always welcome. I know that I need to eliminate the relationships in my life that are bad for me. I know I need to continue to work on forgiving those who have done me wrong and stop holding grudges. I know I need to work with Spencer to remove us/myself from situations and places that don't give us peace about our life together. I know I need to stop letting peoples' words and hatred affect me and I need to stop taking it personally. I wonder what else I can do? In the meantime, be patient with me...I'll get there.
THE Work Blog
This blog has two purposes and it will travel as I update it so if you have read it before, don't forget to look for the new additions if it returns to the top of the blog!
These are actual events, customers and happenings at a Las Vegas Starbucks. No names have been changed to protect the innocent. No parts of these stories have been exaggerated. These are just a few of the reasons that I am slowly losing my faith in the human race......................................................but what can you do besides laugh?
*This blog is dedicated to my extremely intelligent and patient co-workers. :)
DRIVE THRU CUSTOMER: "Can I have a quad venti HOT Caramel Macchiato with whipped cream and can you make sure the whipped cream isn't melted or mushy?"
(I'm not sure how we're supposed to prevent the cold whipped cream from melting or becoming "mushy" when it is on a HOT beverage....but ok...)
A: "How are you today?"
Old Guy: "Well, I took my viagra today so I'm feeln' pretty hard."
Who says that at Starbucks?! Who says that to a complete stranger?! WHO SAYS THAT AT ALL?!
Man: "What coffee are you brewing today?"
Me: "Pike Place and East Africa"
Man: "Well I don't have jungle fever so I'll take the Pike."
Guess he didn't care if he offended anyone without his morning coffee....
An lullaby from India is playing in the background...
Weird Guy: "Can you change the music selection? This song makes me feel like I should be humping a camel."
Does music frequently make you feel like you should do these kinds of things to random animals?
This one needs no direct quotes...
Its a warm sunny morning at around 7:30AM. The drive-thru is pretty busy, the lane is full. A man orders his coffee and then waits his turn to make his way to the window. However, he never moves up and the cars keep piling up behind him. We can see on the camera that his eyes are closed in the car...we hope he has not died of caffeine deprivation. We wait a few minutes and he still doesn't move. The cars behind him begin to get impatient. J goes out to check on him and has to wake him up to get him to move up. Narcolepsy or just a severe need for caffeine? YIKES!
Old Lady: "Can I have a tall caramel frappucino light?"
Me: "Sure, your total is blah blah blah..."
Old lady hands me her money, etc.
Old Lady: "Did I just order a frappucino?"
Me: "Yes ma'am."
She nods and looks down and starts rummaging through her purse and mumbling to herself.
Old Lady: "Sometimes I forget where I'm going."
Ok....................................I hope she wasn't driving a car........
A woman probably in her 40's walks in with her boyfriend who is probably in his mid to late 30's. She is wearing a t-shirt that says "COUGAR."
Cougar: "I'd like a venti caramel frappucino."
Me: "Would you like whipped cream on that?"
Cougar: "No, but do you have any female liquid viagra you could put in my drink?"
Me (faking a chuckle): "No sorry."
Cougar: "Oh. I was hoping you'd say yes."
She wasn't laughing with me. Neither was her boyfriend. They were both very serious about their question....HUH?
Spanish Speaking Lady: "Habla espanol?"
Me: "No"
Spanish Speaking Lady: "Habla espanol?"
Joe: "No"
Spanish Speaking Lady: "blahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblah" (all in Spanish)
Did we mention we DON'T SPEAK SPANISH?! "No" is English AND Spanish right?! WTF?!
To be continued..................................................................................................
These are actual events, customers and happenings at a Las Vegas Starbucks. No names have been changed to protect the innocent. No parts of these stories have been exaggerated. These are just a few of the reasons that I am slowly losing my faith in the human race......................................................but what can you do besides laugh?
*This blog is dedicated to my extremely intelligent and patient co-workers. :)
DRIVE THRU CUSTOMER: "Can I have a quad venti HOT Caramel Macchiato with whipped cream and can you make sure the whipped cream isn't melted or mushy?"
(I'm not sure how we're supposed to prevent the cold whipped cream from melting or becoming "mushy" when it is on a HOT beverage....but ok...)
A: "How are you today?"
Old Guy: "Well, I took my viagra today so I'm feeln' pretty hard."
Who says that at Starbucks?! Who says that to a complete stranger?! WHO SAYS THAT AT ALL?!
Man: "What coffee are you brewing today?"
Me: "Pike Place and East Africa"
Man: "Well I don't have jungle fever so I'll take the Pike."
Guess he didn't care if he offended anyone without his morning coffee....
An lullaby from India is playing in the background...
Weird Guy: "Can you change the music selection? This song makes me feel like I should be humping a camel."
Does music frequently make you feel like you should do these kinds of things to random animals?
This one needs no direct quotes...
Its a warm sunny morning at around 7:30AM. The drive-thru is pretty busy, the lane is full. A man orders his coffee and then waits his turn to make his way to the window. However, he never moves up and the cars keep piling up behind him. We can see on the camera that his eyes are closed in the car...we hope he has not died of caffeine deprivation. We wait a few minutes and he still doesn't move. The cars behind him begin to get impatient. J goes out to check on him and has to wake him up to get him to move up. Narcolepsy or just a severe need for caffeine? YIKES!
Old Lady: "Can I have a tall caramel frappucino light?"
Me: "Sure, your total is blah blah blah..."
Old lady hands me her money, etc.
Old Lady: "Did I just order a frappucino?"
Me: "Yes ma'am."
She nods and looks down and starts rummaging through her purse and mumbling to herself.
Old Lady: "Sometimes I forget where I'm going."
Ok....................................I hope she wasn't driving a car........
A woman probably in her 40's walks in with her boyfriend who is probably in his mid to late 30's. She is wearing a t-shirt that says "COUGAR."
Cougar: "I'd like a venti caramel frappucino."
Me: "Would you like whipped cream on that?"
Cougar: "No, but do you have any female liquid viagra you could put in my drink?"
Me (faking a chuckle): "No sorry."
Cougar: "Oh. I was hoping you'd say yes."
She wasn't laughing with me. Neither was her boyfriend. They were both very serious about their question....HUH?
Spanish Speaking Lady: "Habla espanol?"
Me: "No"
Spanish Speaking Lady: "Habla espanol?"
Joe: "No"
Spanish Speaking Lady: "blahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblah" (all in Spanish)
Did we mention we DON'T SPEAK SPANISH?! "No" is English AND Spanish right?! WTF?!
To be continued..................................................................................................
Saturday, May 8, 2010
"Make The Best Of What's Around"
Today we made the best of our 2 least favorite things at Starbucks...1.) crazy customers and 2.) Frappucinos. It helped that I was working with some of my favorite people! Only 8 more days of this nonsense...No Diggity! :)
(P.S. Thanks to our *favorite* customer Khara for taking our picture!)
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Viva Elvis!
Tonight Spencer and I went to Aria at City Center to see Cirque du Soleil's newest show in Vegas, "Viva Elvis". We also got to see our friend Carus who works there. The show wasn't perfect but we had a great time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)