Flower child decor

I love bananas, but this banana vase is a little much (or how about a boobs jar?). However, this reminded me that I really need to get one of these gun vases....and then, of course, I probably need to get some flowers. ;)
p.s. D'oh, I just realized that the guy that originally showed me this years ago had a crush on me. It triggered something in my brain and I finally connected the dots. Well, that explains a lot. I'm an idiot.

Pop culture

This is just a list of current sh** that amuses me:

• Wow, look at that awesome beard! The look is just not complete without a nice pair of those Kanye glasses, though. Has anyone tried those on? You can't see a thing, but I guess that's the price of fashion.

• ...Which reminds me, no one should be paying any price for harem pants ever again. I can't believe they are in style this season. MC Hammer should have taught us all a thing or two:
  1. You should only wear those pants at some rather ambiguous and unknowable "hammer time," and you still "can't touch" them.
  2. Don't build a ridiculous mansion that you can't afford right by your old ghetto. You'll never sell that thing.

• Whoa dude, have you seen this Denny's campaign? I have mixed feelings about it. I enjoy the fact that they're acknowledging and targeting the late night drunk/stoner customers, but it's almost too blatant and low-brow. Well, I guess no one claimed Denny's was classy. Their grand slams are still delicious, though.

• Having milk and cereal after a workout helps your muscles recover and synthesize protein better than a sports drink does. I thought when I had my regular bowl of cereal (typically dinner) after taiko that I was just being lazy, but it turns out, I was being smart. Go me!
  

• I've started calling the last bit of milk in the fridge "miracle milk," because the expiration date says May 9 and it's still not bad. Well, it doesn't smell or look bad. I've been afraid to try it for a few days because today is May 26 and something should definitely be wrong with it. Maybe I should commemorate this event with a holiday, like Hanukkah, only with milk. Sponsored by Maggie Moo's. I'll probably just get new milk when I go shopping tomorrow.

• Cheney and Limbaugh should just go away. Blah blah blah, I'm so over it. You failed. Either go cry in a corner or start contributing something useful.
  

• John Mayer played a song at his concert last summer that I really liked, but I tried looking for it later and could not find it anywhere. Apparently it was a Herbie Hancock cover and not on any John Mayer cds. I recently overheard it playing at a restaurant and my friend came to the rescue and finally told me the name of the song. This is only part of it, but he's also only partially clothed, so it evens out. Too bad he's a bit of a whore. Oh well, I could maybe make an exception, just this once:
  

• Don't worry, guys, I didn't forget about you: www.explosionsandboobs.com.
  

• Someone was talking about their first celebrity crush the other day and I wasn't sure about mine...Then I remembered "Today's Special" and this guy. He can sing and dance, he's smart, and he's magical. Hey, I was 4, but I still admire those qualities. And in case you needed more blackmail, I used to play with a hat like that. See, when you take it off, you turn back into a mannequin. I should see if that still works (on Cheney and Limbaugh first). Hours of fun!

Never forget

Even though I am a bleeding heart, peace-loving liberal, I respect the troops that fought and died for this country and who continue to do so. I do not quite understand that mindset in every case, but I respect the decision. My uncle died in Vietnam. It is the ultimate sacrifice and it affects so many people. However, especially in the cases of Vietnam and Iraq, I wonder why they must pay the price for the mistakes of politicians. In honor of Memorial Day, I decided to watch Rush To War, a documentary on Iraq.

Perhaps I am a masochist, or perhaps I am still grasping for a reasonable answer to the whole thing. I'm pretty sure that a reasonable answer does not exist, but I'm also pretty sure that the super neo-cons (Rumsfeld, Cheney, etc.) were just waiting for a catastrophic event like 9/11 to launch this plan (actually, there's a 1997 new ideology document that talks about how they would need a "Pearl Harbor type event" to "sell" the idea). As for the rest of America, this could suffice: "The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger." ~Herman Goering, Nazi Reichsmarshall

Gag reflex test

I got carried away with facebook quizzes again and one of the quizzes I came across was "Who is your perfect match?" I figure the result is too sickeningly cute and uncanny not to share, really. It's too cute for a facebook post, though. I mean, more than 3 people might actually see it there. I took it more than once, just to be sure that it wasn't rigged or something, but I got the same result. Try not to gag. :-P

Your Result: Intelligent Thinker
Your perfect match is someone who is kind, creative and quiet. This person is a thinker, someone who enjoys observing and analyzing the world. This type of person is content to let you do all the talking, yet is intelligent and bright and can contribute a wealth of knowledge to any conversation. While this person might seem aloof or even shy, once you get to know them, they are incredibly interesting, full of life and their serious side will compliment your more out-going nature. The top traits they are looking for in a mate include someone who is supportive, compassionate and understands their introverted nature. While this person might be somewhat skeptical that love exists because they are not big risk-takers and they choose their friends cautiously, deep down they are ready and eager to fall in love and will fall deeply for you, forming a deep and eternal bond.

Best week ever

This has been a great week so far and I'm pretty sure it will extend into the weekend. My sister graduated on Monday. *sigh* She was in the top 10 of her class (out of...130?), too, which is pretty cool. However, she said something like, "I didn't think I would get it. I only have a 3.9. I've gotten like 4 B's"...In her entire high school career. Too bad she hates school and seems to lack ambition. I'm sort of Miss Over-Achiever and she's Miss Apathetic. Later that night, she went to the lock-in and I went to an impromptu blues bar. Good times were had by all...

Tuesday was taiko, as usual. I ended up teaching the group a new song by default after the leader of the group had to leave. It worked out pretty well and looked so much better by the end of practice. We need to do that more often, with all the songs. It often feels like I'm the only one commenting on sloppy choreography, but I guess I'm also the most attuned to it. They don't call me the "arm nazi" for nothing.

Wednesday was dinner and "girls night out" with my sister at the glass factory. We got massages and made glass paperweights. I'm not sure that my papers need weighting, but hopefully it will at least be a nice little decoration. I'll find out when I pick it up in the next few days.

Last night taiko performed at UMSL's "Spring To Dance" festival. A guy from my flamenco class and a hip hop instructor that I keep seeing around town happened to be there, as was the crazy interpretive dancer lady that shows up at these kinds of events. The group got two tickets to the real show, and since I'm the dancer, they went to me! Well, me and uh...a mystery person, I guess, in the group leader's mind. When a (practically) former group member/my guest showed up for the dance show, the leader assumed it was a complete coincidence (because, you know, this other person loves dance so much). He said, "Oh, you should have told us! UMSL gave us two tickets and we gave them to Julie." Uh, yeah...I knew the leader was clueless, but I thought maybe he would put 2 and 2 together. I don't think that he ever did. I was amused.

Tonight is a free beer party at the dueling piano bar! Yes, FREE beer from 5:30-8 and no cover. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me. I responded to an email from the place for a chance to win this party, and I guess I won. I reserved a table for 12 and it should be almost full. I'm pretty excited because it's always a good time.

Speaking of winning, they should be pulling my name out of a raffle at work any minute now. It was "employee appreciation week." We had flying pancakes on Monday (we had to catch them on the plate) and a surprise on Tuesday (a really nice picnic blanket with a handle, perfect for summer concerts). Plus, my boss brought me back fancy chocolate from her recent trip to Switzerland. Thursday was half a day and then a picnic at Creve Coeur Park, and today they're drawing names for 22 different prizes. I'm shooting for the 2 round trip airline tickets.

Tomorrow's a birthday party, Sunday is Third Eye Blind, and Monday is an extra day off work. Awesome.

5 Things Happy People Do

I consider myself to be a pretty happy person, and it has a lot to do with my attitude and perspective. I choose to make the most of what I have and consciously appreciate it. I came across this article called "Five Things Happy People Do," and while I haven't mastered any of these (maybe the best friends one), I think I generally follow these basic rules. I am not a motivational speaker, but here's my summary, based on the article:

1. Find your most golden self. Passive, pleasure-oriented contentment is okay (relaxing on a beach, etc.), but eudonic happiness (pursuing excellence) works better. Actively strive for personal growth. Know your unique talents and potential and do something about them.
2. Design your life to bring in joy. Spend less time on things you hate and more time on things you like. Everyone has obligations that aren't exactly pleasant, but they don't have to consume your entire day. Even a small shift in the balance can help, so take action.
   
3. Avoid "if only" fantasies. Live in the present, not the future. Don't expect some future occurrence to miraculously solve everything. Once (if) you get that, the excitement will eventually wear off. Instead, switch things up to keep it interesting--try a new hobby or a new spin on something familiar.
4. Put best friends first. Social engagement is important, obviously. You get more joy from spending longer periods of time with a close friend, though, as opposed to a bunch of acquaintances. You don't even have to get into anything heavy, just spending time together does the trick.
   
5. Allow yourself to be happy. Don't feel guilty. Sure, you should take care of others, but don't forget yourself. Happy people tend to be more open to helping others and they live longer, too.

They grow up so fast

I'm in a writing kind of mood, but nothing specific is coming to mind. Maybe something will magically form as I'm typing. Let's see...today I went to my sister's "Rose & Candle Ceremony." It's an awards ceremony and also a symbolic thing where the seniors pass the torch (candle) on to the juniors. Kind of nice, kind of long. I'm glad I went, though. She got some awards and I saw her in her graduation gown for the first time. She graduates on Monday and she'll be going to college in August! I can't believe that. As I always say, I (thought I) was so much older at that age.

Since I'm 7 years older than her, she has kind of always been my pseudo baby. We have sort of a love-hate relationship--sometimes we're so goofy and affectionate that it's rather sickening and sometimes we drive each other crazy. We're pretty close, though, despite the age difference and relative lack of things in common. Our similarities don't extend too far beyond our looks, music, the occasional movie, and our secret gangsta swagger (hehe). Her school did a "senior sendoff" variety show and she was in a skit. I saw a video of it and was thinking "Which one is she?" until...out of nowhere, someone threw up a gangster-style peace sign and got the girl next to her to do some sort of (sitting down) hip hop move! Okay, we are related. :) I hate to see her grow up and "leave the nest," so to speak, but I think it will be good for her.

I happened across my yearbook from senior year the other day, and I had no idea that this was my senior quote: "Wisdom has two parts: 1) Having a lot to say 2) Not saying it." After I saw it, though, I remembered that I found that on the inside of a Dove chocolate wrapper. Actually, if you think about it, that is rather fitting.