Everything Glitters Like Blank Paper

1. what is your middle name?
Davis

2. Name someone with the same birthday as you:
Emily Robertson's younger brother, Joey

3. Favorite fruit?
pears

4. For or against same sex marriage?
For for for.

5. Are you allergic to anything?
Codiene and pollen. . .mold. . .etc.

6. Are you bisexual?
depends on the moment, really.

7. Have you ever slept in someone else's clothes?
Yes.

8. How many U.S. states have you been to?
How about I list them? That's easier...

alabama, arizona, arkansas, california, colorado, connecticut, delaware, florida, georgia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, louisiana, maine, maryland, massachusetts, mississippi, missouri, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new mexico, new york, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, texas, utah, vermont, virginia, washington d.c., west virginia.

9. How many of the U.S. states have you lived in?
3 -- Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas and I guess you can count Pennsylvania as well,

10. Have you ever lived outside the U.S.?
no, but it's in the cards.

11. Name something physical you like about yourself?
I take great pride in my facial complexion. I take really really really good care of my skin. Oh, and I'm also smart.

12. Something non-physical you like about yourself?
I'm funny. I love making people laugh.

13. Do you have any pets?
two dogs, one named George and the other Samantha

14. What is your dream car?

a new one that doesn't have any problems like my current one. lol. Probably a Prius.

15. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?
At the moment? Newark. I don't know why, either.

16. Are you bipolar?
no way.

17. What dream car do you want your husband/wife to drive?
Uh. . .how is this relevant? One that runs so that if mine breaks down I can use his. Also, he shouldn't be focused on it.


18. Where would you want to go on a first date?
On a first date, I'd like a lunch. That way you have all morning to look forward to it, and all evening to analyze it.

19. Would you date the person who posted this before you?
Well, seeing as it was Cody McClanahan, I'm not into that. A) she's a girl and B) she's too young for me.

20. Has anyone ever sang or performed for you personally?
Yes!

21. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
don't think so.

22. Do you like president Bush?
NO

23. Have you ever bungee jumped?
no

24. Have you ever white water rafted?
yes

26. whats your favorite color?
black

27. What song are you listening to right now?
the soundtrack to Cirque du Soliel's "Verakai"

28. What's your favorite song at the moment?
'Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira and Wyclef

29. What was the last movie you watched?
"Flight 93" -- it gave me a headache I cried so much.

30. Where was the last place you went besides your workplace or house?
to the movies yesterday.

31. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property?
no

32. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
yes

33. What's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
their face and their height.

35. What do you usually order from Starbucks?
tall decaf venti breve

36. Say something totally random about yourself...
I have a skin disease. Seriously.

37. Do you have an iPod?
not yet. Some day I'll be updated into the 21st century.

38. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
Yes. Most commonly Renee Zelwegger and Scarlett Johansson

39. Do you have freckles?
many come out in the sunshine.

40. Are you comfortable with your height?
most definitely

41. Do you love someone right now?
yes!

42. How tall are you?
5'5"

43. Do you speak any other language other than English?
spanglish

44. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
yes

45. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?
Yes.

46. Do u watch tv?
yes. love it.

47. What is your favorite thing to do?
whatever I feel like at the moment.

48. What's something that really annoys you?
when people are inconsiderate of others around them.

49. What are some things you really like?
sex and the city, Ty Burrell, boys, Kidd Kraddick in the morning, food, beverages, flip flops, and great days spent with friends.

50. Do you like Michael Jackson?
I don't care what anyone else says. . .Michael Jackson rocks so hard it hurts.

51. Have you ever surfed?
no. . .I've always wanted to try but I'm afraid I'd make an ass of myself and then lose the board in the surf. no pun intended.

52. Do you know how to pump gas?
yes

53. What do you drive?
1998 Saturn LS2 four door sedan

54. What's the latest you have ever stayed out?
7:00 a.m.; leaving at 9 pm the night previous.

55. Have you ever thought that you were honestly going to die?
no.

56. Were you ever rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
no

57. Have you ever been dared to do something you didn't want to do?
who hasn't? Isn't that the point of daring?

58. What's your favorite state to live in?
Currently Texas. But I'm thinking that I'd really enjoy colorado.

59. What color is your hair?
blonde

60. What color are your eyes?
greenish grey

61. Do you have any special talents?
I can roll my belly, shake my hips like Shakira, sing, play guitar, hambo, many others.

62. Favorite non-alcoholic drink?
Tea

63. Favorite city?
Austin.

64. Have you ever ridden a mechanical bull?
no. I've lived in Texas for 2 years and haven't. ODD.

65. If you were working on a pirate ship, what would you most likely be?
A pirate with a wooden leg and a parrot and an eye patch and one gold hooped earring. I'd stand around and point at people and say, "ARRRHHHHG...YOU! SWAB THE POOP DECK! SAVVY?"

66. Who do you live with?
best friend -- Kevin.

67. Last thing you watched on tv?
Verakai.

68. Do you wear glasses or contacts?
neithe.r

69. Have you ever taken a roadtrip?
Yes! Kev and I take one almost every year. Good times. Great Oldies. Magic 105.

If you didn't catch this on SNL this past saturday night, I encourage you to watch it now.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OcZiel6D18&search=gore

A) My first year of college is officially over -- yay!

B) My tax return came and my finances are looking FANTASTIC!

Both of these things are incredibly good and I'm very happy about both of them. Interesting, though, I can't wait until PNME starts. This semester has just been incredibly. . .rough. It hasn't been too busy and I haven't ever once felt overwhelmed. The problem is just that I've been doing things that I don't necessarily like.

It started when I realized that I wasn't challenged by any of the classes I took this semester. I didn't have any homework or outside projects. I also didn't have to read any of the books that I bought. My instructors were so easy, I found that if I just listened in class I didn't even have to take notes in order to pass. Amazing. So. . .I found my hour and a half drive to San Antonio to be almost worthless. It was a rough semester in school. I never really wanted to go; too boring.

Then there's the issue of Sunshine. When springtime came around all I could think about was how happy I was last spring when I worked at Sunshine. I was outside all the time working on projects and I was in really good health. I lost something like 15 pounds last spring. It was crazy. I was really happy. So I thought about quitting Chili's and working only at Sunshine this spring because I thought I would be happy again like last spring. Well, it didn't exactly turn out that way because I couldn't leave Chilli's the way I wanted to.

Chili's had invested a lot of time in me by asking me to go to different certifications. It seemed wrong to me to quit Chili's after they had invested so much time in me. So I worked out an agreement between both employers where I can work at both places on the weekends. Now my weekend schedule is CRAZY. I work:

friday night: Chili's
Saturday Morning: Sunshine
Saturday night: Chili's
Sunday Morning: Sunshine
Sunday Night: Chili's
Monday Morning: Chili's

On my first day back to Sunshine I was excited because I thought -- finally, I'm back to the place where I was so happy last year. As it turns out, I'm not very happy because, simply, things aren't the same as last year.

What I failed to realize is that Sunshine made me happy last year because of where I was in life. I'm in a different place now and I feel differently about many things. This is why I'm unhappy at the moment.

It's just odd. I wonder -- next year, when I'm thinking back on this spring, will I think of myself as happier now then I am then? Why is it that I always perceive of myself as happier in the past? Am I capable of being happiest in the present? Why? Why not? Odd. Odd. Odd.

Smooches,

Danielle :)

ps: Dig the upgrade with the photo?

Scene: George W. Bush, Rudy Giuliani, a New York City Firefighter, and an ordinary American Civilian sit together at a round table in the White House.

W: Well boys, I’ve gotten ya’ all together today to discuss how we’s gonna’ commemormarate the people that died in the plane crashes on 9-11.

Civilian: Don’t you mean ‘commemorate,’ Mr. President?

W: That’s what I said, commemormarate. Why?

Civilian: Never mind. . .

Giuliani: I’ve been thinking, sah, and I propose that we leave ‘dose two humongous hydrogen burning lights in the place of the taowahs, in ordah to commemorate the deafs of our tree thousand fallen.

W: I think that’s a fine idea, Rudolfo, but I’m not sure it’s the best’in. See, we are Americans. We are the home of the free and the land of the brave. We crushed the commies and soon we’ll crush the terrorists!

Giuliani: Wats da point?

W: The point is that we gotta’ do somethin’ bigger. Bigger than anybody else’s got. We gotta’ make something big – like Howard Hughes’s Spirit of St. Louis!

Civilian: Don’t you mean the “Spruce Goose,” sir?

W: That’s what I said! Spirit of Spruce Gooeys! It makes sense! Hell, if we don’t make somethin’ huge, that’s like ‘llowing Al Qaeda to come and take a shit in our apple pie!

Civilian: * sighs *

Firefighter: I think we should build a huge statue of our beloved and fearless leader, George W. Bush. And the statue will depict you, Mr. President, standing on top of a bunch of terrorists, and you’ll be holding a small Osama bin Laden in your right hand but he’ll be headless because his head will be seen clearly in your teeth, right? Then, on your shoulder there’ll be a tiny statue of Jesus taking a shit on the Quran!

Civilian: But. . .if you don’t mind me asking. . .how will we be able to know the pile of humans he’ll be standing on are terrorists?

Firefighter: Oh….that’s easy. They’ll all be wearing turbans. I forgot to mention that Jesus’ shit will burn constantly like Kennedy’s eternal flame!
W: I like it! Will it be the largest statue in the world?

Firefighter: If we can make it so.

Civilian: I just don’t think that’s the right direction to go in considering the unrest in Holland. . .

W: TERRORIST!!!!

Civilian: What?

W: What?

Civilian: You just screamed “terrorist.”

W: Oh. . .while you were talking ‘bout history I kinda’ fell asleep; never was my best subject. Hehe hehehe. Must’a been dreamin’. Listen, I got a great idear.

I think we should build a tower in place of the old towers. Only, it’ll be the tallest tower in the world see, and it’ll stand there taller than anything. And we should call it somethin’ big and grandose!

Civilian: Don’t you mean “grandiose?”

W: That’s what I said! Gradsnopes!

Giuliani: What do you think we should call it, W?

W: Freedom Tower, of course!

Civilian: But don’t you think that building a skyscraper, the largest in the world, with such a pretentious and arrogant name such as “Freedom Tower” is only asking for another tragedy like 9-11? Possibly including a plane? I mean, what are we going to do if this building is destroyed and another 3,000 people die? Build another tower? How in God’s name is it a good idea to build a tower that touches the rim of outer space in order to prove that we are not nearly as bad as our opponents claim?! How does a gigantic tower not just scream CAPITALIST PIGS!!!

W: *presses button on table* Security, we have an al Qaeda operative in our midst, and we need a removal. . .

So...

I just finished watching "Mommie Dearest" on the Lifetime Movie Network, and let me tell you, that child's life was effed UP. I don't know where to begin with this film. I will say that the famous scene where Joan drags Christina out of bed over the wire coat hangers is absolutely terrifying; the fact that "Joan" was wearing that mud mask made her look like a real monster. The monster she was, I guess.


I want to read the book now.

Ciao,

db xo

ps: check me out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/semi_ruckus

I don't know about you. . .


But I LOVE hearing that Muslims are chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Bush."

Yes, things really ARE on target over there!

<3,

db

Do you think that their cities suffered when superheroes and heroines left to join forces for the justice league? Personally, I'd think Gotham City would just crumble. . .

Friends,

The above title is taken from the movie “Heathers” starring Wynona Ryder, a then nearly unknown Shannon Doherty, and Christian Slater. I recommend you see it. I mean today’s title literally.

Before I begin today’s topic, I’d like to comment on the “tips for punishment” topic. The truth is, I’ve also tipped less for poor service. Sometimes, you get a really awful server who just doesn’t care or doesn’t notice you. And in this circumstance, I say that it’s okay to not tip well because you are sending the message that this person does not need to be a server. But there are tons of people in the world who are wonderful servers but mess up from time to time. If you look at your server and you can see that they are working their ass off—almost overwhelmingly—and they happen to mess up something, be like Allstate and have accident forgiveness. Don’t tip poorly because someone’s trying to prioritize and you aren’t number one at the moment. Another moment will come where you will be. That’s all. Oh, and I totally agree that restaurants should not give the payment responsibility to the customers but they do and we must remember that always.

There doesn’t seem to be any process by which university professors are screened. This, of course, does not make any sense to me. Take for example, my math professor; I don’t understand a word he’s saying half the time nor what he writes when he “writes” on the board. I can only imagine his interview:

UTSA: Well, Mr. Agrawal, we see here that you received your doctorate in mathematics at Charmed Elephant Maharajah University in Dehli; that’s a prestigious academy.

Chiezekienj Agrawal: Yesh.

UTSA: So. . .you’ve taught math before, right?

C.A.: Jesh I daught de matimatiks, jesh.

UTSA: And do you speak English?

C.A.: Yesh, I likes de engrish beary mushk.

UTSA: What?

C.A.: De engridsh? I rikes it.

UTSA: Oh.

C.A.: I love to teach de cheedreens ‘bout de porynomirals, jeshk.

UTSA: Can you teach remedial math.

C.A.: Yjesh!

UTSA: Welcome aboard, Agrawal! You’re hired.

It’s not that my professor can’t speak or write English; it’s that he can’t pronounce words properly or with the right inflection. Every class is a roller coaster of spending time analyzing his English and quite frankly, I don’t think that I should have to. Should I pay big money to sit and listen to someone who doesn’t speak English well enough to teach me the material? I don’t think it’s right. Oh, and he doesn’t understand English very well, either. I remember this one time when I had a question he was visibly having trouble understanding what I was saying. As you can probably guess, no one really asks questions in class. All in all, this guy should not be teaching.

Why is it that universities are poxed with these types of professors? When did it become okay to seemingly let just anyone teach? Because if this person was allowed to teach high school, I know he’d make it a year maximum. Are there any Model kids out there who remember Mrs. Lefevre? Aside from the fact that she was a raging box, she was also a poorly communicative overall horrible teacher. So she got fired because enough students and parents complained. This would never happen in college. First, because of professors are protected by tenure or know important people on the administration. Second, because most college students accept bad teaching because the think “that’s just the way it is.” Or even worse, they don’t recognize what bad teaching is. Ugh! Well, it might be the way it is but it certainly isn’t the way it should (nor truly has) to be.

Just because you completed numerous years of school at (often) prestigious universities and received an otherwise useless degree does not mean that you’re automatically qualified to teach. To me, it only means that you’ve got a degree that’s better used teaching. You may have your doctorate in Asian History, but you’ve more qualified to be an auto mechanic. This one sector of college really sucks because when your grade actually counts and is important (unlike high school) you have to weed through shitty teachers and politics.

Enough of this noise.

In other news, my friend, Lindsey Luettkenhoelter was tragically killed early Sunday morning. Her memorial service is this afternoon. If you pray, I ask that you please pray for her family and for their (and otherwise) forgiveness of Brandon Lee.

Got to motor,

danielle

Friends,

Restaurants bring out the best and worst of people. While waitressing I have served some of humankind's greatest and worst and let me tell you, as a diner you have the ability to both make and shatter someone's [your waiter] day. As a result of experiencing both treatments, I decided to compile a list of rules you should try to remember when you're eating out. I contend that if you follow these rules, you will not only have better service but you'll also be respectful of the person who's working hard to take care of you. Because many of you probably haven't worked in a restaurant before, I hope that this list sheds some light on what it means to be a server -- in short, really hard work.

1. When your waiter arrives to take your drink order, please be kind and give the order promptly. Do not keep conversing with your table mates and blatantly ignoring your waiter. This is disrespectful and rude.

Also, don't assume a waiter can remember everything you say without writing it down. Give some warning that you need to order something and let the waiter have a moment to jot it down. If you just start ordering things while you're getting situated, the chances of you getting it wrong or it not coming out at all are higher than if you had been patient enough to wait until your waiter is ready. Common courtesy, folks.

2. Take the time to try to remember your waiter's name so that if you need something or there is a problem, you know who to go to. This is important because with very few exceptions your waiter is the only person in the restaurant who can make changes to your ticket or order. Additionally, if a change is made without your server knowing it can cause him or her undue distress; i.e. "I wasn't taking care of them good enough. . ." or even get them into trouble with you or the management.

3. The next time you're in a restaurant, take a few minutes to observe the servers. Are they often standing in one place? Or are they darting around the building? In most cases, the waiters are all over the place taking care of numerous tasks that range from placing orders into the computer system, making drink orders, printing tickets, delivering food, etc. There are a lot of things that servers are responsible for, and often, there are numerous tables that a server is responsible for. It's hard not to feel like your needs are the most important sometimes, but it's good to try to keep those in check. Your table is not the only table your server is trying to care for; if your tea goes unfilled for a few minutes, relax. Often, your server knows of your needs but just needs a few minutes to prioritize. Learn to deal with the fact that your tea is not number one priority at that instant.

4. DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT use tips as PUNISHMENT. Tips are not an extra "gift" that you are supposed to give to your server out of the goodness of your heart. Tips are what the restaurant expects you to give your waiter. An average server makes around $2.13 an hour. Remember earlier when you looked around and saw everything they were doing? The amount of work servers do against the wage they make is atrocious. Why there aren't "save the waiters" groups around I don't know. The point is that the restaurant assumes the server will be making minimum wage or more hourly based on their tip money. Therefore, they shouldn't have to pay anything more than the bare minimum.

So say your waitress places in your food, but the kitchen is backed up on numerous orders, and it takes 45 minutes to get to you. In this situation, a manager should comp a few things off your ticket for the wait. But say you're pissed off anyway. Who can you take this out on? Most likely, the person serving you. Once you get your ticket you see that it's $30.00 even with comped goods, so you're pissed and don't want to pay more. You put $1.50 on your tip line and walk out vindicated. Well, the fact that your food came out late wasn't your waiter's fault, and putting $1.50 doesn't 'stick it' to the restaurant the way you intended. The only person you stick it to, is the waitress. And on a night like this where everyone's food is late and everyone's pissed, that waiter might leave with only $20.00 when she did $80 worth of work.

In short, it isn't your job to punish the waiter. If you're mad, talk to a manager and see what you can get free, then tip accordingly. It isn't fair to the person who's busting their ass to try to keep you happy.

5. And while we're on the subject of tipping, always try to tip 20%. It's the appropriate amount for the amount of work the person's doing for you. If you can't afford to tip this amount, then don't go out to eat at a nice restaurant. Here's an easy way of calculating close to 20% when you're out.

the tab is $36.80

a) move the decimal point one place to the left: $3.680

b) multiply this new quote by 2: $7.36
i. or multiply 36.80 by .20 for same result

c) your new tab is $44.14 (both ticket price plus tip)

6. Don't abuse refills.

And most importantly. . .

7. Be respectful to your waiter. Waiters weren't brought over from another country and chained into waiterhood; they are average people you would meet on the street or at school or a neighbor's barbeque. Don't talk down to them and don't abuse them. Say you're at that barbeque and a friend goes to get you a soda. When they come back they accidentally brought you the wrong soda. Would you then shift into a condescending tone and ask how hard it must be to get the right soda? Would you be short with them for the rest of the evening? If they needed $2.00 for a cab would you only give them 50¢ all because of this soda incident? No. You'd probably just laugh and say, "hey, no big deal" and then let your friend get you the right one. Think this way when your server makes a mistake or your steak isn't cooked the right way. Chances are, your waiter can get you the right things and will do their best to make sure you are happy. The least you can do is be respectful and understanding if they mess up. Accidents happen, and waiters are *gasp* people, too.

I hope that these simple rules shed some light on dining for you,

Danielle

Dear 1s,

a) I didn't draw this but I wish I did -- I think it's abfab!

b) I'm thinking of planning a solo trip to London for a week or so.

c) Can it hurry up and get sunny again in Austin, please?

d) Happy St. Patrick's Day!

cuddles,

Danielle :) xo

Okay everyone, Lunchroom Poll:

What do you think of the new look of my livejournal? I think it's fantastic! I love the ferrets;)

Well,

Special thanks to Sam Brown over at http://www.explodingdog.com for today's journal title; it's the closest thing to how I'm feeling today. Have you ever simultaneously felt blah and happy? It's an interesting experience. Let me run down the day for you so far.

I woke up at 4:30 this morning to take Kevin to the airport. The funny thing about taking Kevin to the airport is that whenever he leaves he always says something like, "We have to leave by 5 a.m." and we always leave about a half an hour after he says. So this morning we ended up leaving at 5:30 and rushing into Dripping to pick up a package at the post office, then flying down 290 to the airport. Somehow, we managed to get to the aeropuerto by 6:15, just in time, and we said bye. So then I left with the intention of coming home and crawling back up into bed, but I stopped to get a cup of decaf on the way home (because I like hot beverages in the morning) so I didn't get home until 7:30 or so. So it's 7:30 and I walk in the door and I realize that I'm not ready to go back to sleep. Instead, I play around on the internet and end up on livejournal.

Yesterday I made plans for myself for today; I'm planning on rearranging my bedroom and trying to figure out how to get wire the satellite into my bedroom while Kev's away. I'm sure it's possible but I'm not sure how yet. Hmmm...we'll see. I think I can rewire the main wire through my window. . .or. . .down the hallway. We'll find out soon. How cool would it be to have satellite in my room? Awesome. Plus, my room really needs arranging again. I need to get rid of some stuff and clean and vacuum and make it all purty. Also, I'm planning on manicure and pedicure, some pilates, taking the pups for a walk (when it clears up because it's all nasty and wet at the moment), mud masks, maybe some yoga, and then tonight I'm getting a full body massage and that should be fantastic. Plus, I'm seeing my friend, Roam, so it should be good fun. Plus plus, Roam just got a new ADORABLE puppy named Harley and I love to play with him and his big slobbery puppiness.

Also, I think I might clean out my car. . .but only if I feel like it. There's also a problem with the coolant. . .I think. ANYWAY.

Okay, so now I'm going to go and work on my toenails and hopefully nap for a few minutes before I get up for the second time today and begin working on my pretty new bedroom:)

smooches,

Danielle

ps: you know, the only thing I hate about Kevin going out of town (other than the obvious thing of my best bud leaving), is that he tends to leave around 6:00 in the morning, which means waking up at 4:30 and often not being able to go back to sleep. So, I end up having this uber long day --like, I think, "hey, it's gotta' be noon by now" and I walk in the kitchen and it's only 9. In short, my whole day gets all messed up.

pss: I'm grumpy and I'm hungry. I think I'm going to eat and then try to sleep and then wake up and commence a nice relaxing day. I was going to say "perfect" but there's no such thing as perfect. Plus, Kev and I won't hang out so it won't be *perfect*.

pss: the end. Food!

Dear Ones,

Overall, this year's Oscars pleased me greatly for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I was incredibly happy that "Brokeback Mountain" did not win best picture -- "Brokeback," in my opinion, was not the movie people made it out to be. I felt that "Brokeback" was not a complex tale, nor did it throw the audience a bone -- no pun intended; I wasn't emotionally invested at the end though everyone said I was supposed to be. And can we please have a movie about a Gay couple where one partner doesn't die? Oh, and one last thing about "Brokeback"--In my personal (calm, objective) opinion--the screen adapters who won were the two biggest bags of douche I have ever seen. Can anyone say "pretentious?" Anyway, in the words of Snoop Dogg, back to the issue at hand...

SO happy that Phillip Seymour Hoffman won the Oscar. If you haven't seen "Capote"...well...I pity da' foo' who hasn't. PSH did an absolutely fantastic job (it even had Harper Lee's approval) that blew the other actors in the category away. He was right--he DID get the role of a lifetime. I also secretly hope that as a byproduct of his win, more people will read "In Cold Blood" and see Capote's brilliant masterpiece of literature.

SO happy that Reese Witherspoon won the Oscar. It's about damn time that Reese won something for her genuine awesomeness. Anybody who can pull off Elle Woods then switch gears into June Carter-Cash is deserving of the cherished gold guy.

As for "Crash" -- what an upset! I was so happy that I leaped off the couch and jumped aournd a'hootin' and a'hollerin'. It was funny because EVERONE in the audience couldn't believe it. Jack Nicholson couldn't believe it! What brilliance! These three wins -- PSH, Reese, and "Crash" proved to me that maybe the Oscars aren't all about politics--it renewed my faith in the academy.

As for the rest of the Oscars, I waned between apathy, disgust, and disappointed. I could really care less about the technical awards. We all know that as long as Peter Jackson is alive, nobody has a chance in the "creature feature" categories. Seriously; only if that man dies will someone else win a technical award. I was disguested that Amy Adams didn't win best supporting actress for "Junebug" which was one of the most brillian portrayals I've ever seen. I attribute her loss to her youth and her unknown-ness. But, like with Paul Giamatti, I have faith her Oscar day will come. Finally, I was just plain disappointed with Jon Stewart. It proves that a)the Oscar writers suck and b) the Daily Show writer rock and c) Jon's only truly funny when he's being himself. I didn't laugh once and that makes me sad because I believed he would rock the Oscars and help everyone to not take themselves so seriously; but it didn't happen. Oh well, I guess this is just another addition to the LONG list of failed hosts. I call this the “Curse of the Crystal” because we all know who the best host is. I only hope that this doesn’t tarnish Jon’s reputation or hurt his career. I hope people realize, like me, that this simply wasn’t his fault. The Oscars can mean one of two things to a host:

a) a repeatable great paying gig… or…
b) career suicide.

As I said, though, overall I was quite happy and I look forward to the 79th next year. Alright, 2006 – you better wowo me with some movies!

A few more thoughts on “Brokeback”,

I hope that one day, movies about Gay couples with true happy endings will become so common place that we aren’t surprised by them anymore. The again, the hype over “Brokeback” wasn’t over the film itself, rather, it was who was in it. I’m willing to bet some money that had the same film been made starring two unknowns then it would have been either shunned, ignored, or forgotten, or, a combination of all three. I contend that lots of people had a curiosity about seeing Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in rugged man-love rather than seeing the doomed Anthony and Cleopatra that is Jack and Ennis. One day when Gays do achieve equal rights, then all this hype over “Brokeback” will be seen as silly and the truth of it’s awfulness as a film will finally be seen.

Now…on to something completely different.

Is it just me, or is Target becoming more expensive? I just am not motivated to go and buy a pair of shoes for the same amount as at the mall; and this goes for clothes, too. Recently, Target commissioned Luella (Bartlett?) to create a fashionable yet “inexpensive” clothing line exclusively for Target. Some of the things advertised were incredibly cute, so I went to Target to buy some Luella gear (as it’s a limited time offer). Well, let me tell you something. . .some shirts rant at $49 while a jacket ran at $149!!! The only thing inexpensive about these clothes was their production costs; I mean, up close the clothes looked like shite. They were stringy and some looked mis-shapen like they were made in a child-filled Taiwanese sweat shop then carelessly shipped to the US for an exorbitant fee that we now must repay by chucking up $49 or a cheap black and white striped cami. Atrocious. Target—please bring back Isaac Mizrahi and only Isaac. Do you know how awesome this guy is? He’s a great person who’s incredibly smart and sweet and his clothes are

a) well made, fade resistant, and of good quality
b) affordable
c) CUTE CUTE CUTE!!

Don’t hire cheap trollops like Luella. Give me good clothes or give me….my money back, damn it. Whew…I’m glad I got that off my chest. Seriously, though…

Lunchroom Poll:

Do you think that Target’s gotten more expensive lately? Tell me what you think.

Ciao Bellas,


Danielle :)

I thought I should share this with you...

I was talking with a friend earlier about M. Night Shyamalan's new film "Lady in the Water" that's due out this summer. Anyway, my friend can't pronounce his last name so he called him

"Shamalama Ding Dong"

which I found to be FUCKING HILARIOUS for some reason. I don't know, I think it's because I haven't had a quality laugh in over 5 days.

Love ya,

Danielle :)

Friends,

Well, a lot of things have happened since I completed my first update of 2006. I think it's about time that I bring everybody up to speed. Let's begin after the New Year, shall we?

In the beginning of January I worked at JCs Steakhouse as a hostess and then trained to be a waitress. Now that I am even more financially independent, this job was good for me because it provided me with at least $50 a shift, and I was making some good bank each day. Then one day in mid-January we were all called in for a company meeting. As it turns out, the owner of the restaurant informed us he was closing because he hadn't broke even--not once in the 5 years of ownership--and he couldn't afford to keep it open. The news was a huge blow to the side of my head because I lost my job and, honestly, my family, in the same day. The kids at JCs were my first family when I moved to the ATX and it broke my heart to think that I wouldn't be seeing them weekly anymore. It was incredibly sad:(

I spent only three days unemployed because I found a job as a server at Chili's in Lakeway--about 15 minutes from the house--which is incredibly convenient. Typically, the training schedule of "new chiliheads" lasts 5 days and includes menu tests and shadowing. However, my training only last three days and I didn't have to take the last of the menu tests because management didn't believe I needed that much training. So far I've been working my ass off there. They have mediocre tables but a TON of side work that is necessary. It wouldn't be too bad if each server had one or two things they had to do but....11 things? That's a little too much if you ask me. Anyway, I'm also making mediocre money. So, I've decided that when March rolls around I'm going to go back to Sunshine and work three days a week. I have no idea how I'm going to fit in homework but at least I can count on $250 a week, which is a luxury I can't count on at Chilis.

School has been going okay. I'm not nearly as happy this semester as I was last semester and I can't quite figure out why exactly this is. I think it has to do with a number of things. I only like 2 out of 4 classes, I don't get to see my friends that I made last semester, and I only get to see Nomi every other week. This is problamatic. Also, I haven't had any opportunities to make new friends, either. I have met a few people, but none of whom I'm interested in pursuing as a friend. I was speaking to Kevin about this the other day and I explained that I want quality friends--friends with potential to last throughout the years--and not "party" friends. I'm having a hard time locating those. I'm also feeling a little bit bored at school--bored and lonely. I don't know what to do about this. Maybe I should look into some groups on campus and see what I can find. I think maybe it could be good. We'll see?

I am now capable of running again and I'm beginning the process of getting back up on my feet and running, so to speak. It's difficult to get back into my old routine for numerous reasons, mainly, because I'm terrorfied of getting hurt again and I'm also a little bit lazy. I'm planning on getting my running chart back up and working and I think this could be the key.

So...those are the major things.

In more recent news, Kevin and I had a great time this past sunday. First, we went bowling and Kevin brought his customized bowling ball. The funny thing about this is, if you know Kevin, of course it would make sense that he would have a customized bowling ball, right? LOL. Anyway, I called it "the Olive" because it looked like a green olive with pimento finger holes. hehehhe. That day he bowled, I think it was, 6 strikes in a row! I was proud and he was amazed. I bowled pretty good, too, but I don't consider myself to be a great bowler. After our games, we went to Romeo's--a restaurant in Austin that has yummy pizza. We ate and laughed and had a good time. Then, we went to the Hilton because Kevin's stepmom, Linda, had invited us to this folkmusic extravaganza that was taking place there. After dessert in the hotel's restaurant, we went to this incredibly weird shindig. Essentially, this group called the "folk music alliance" has a festival that changes location annually. What they do is, they rent out a few floors of a hotel and in each room hold a different concert. So you can walk down the hall and listen to an accordian and harmonica duo in room 388 and then in room 389 hear an upright bass, banjo, and accoustic group. It's insane! We saw this incredibly good group called "Old School Frieght Train" that did strictly bluegrass and they rocked. It was a great thing:) Afterward, Kevin and I went home and chilled out before bed. Overall, it was a great day with my best friend.

On tuesday night, Kevin, Linda, and Kevin's dad, Tom, and I went out to dinner at El Chile in Austin. I wasn't feeling right when I came home from school--my tummy felt a little weird--but I thought I would probably feel better once I ate something. Boy was I wrong. In the car on the way home I had chills all over my body. I just layed there in the back seat and tried to not throw up as we twisted down the winding roads that led home. When we got to the house, I asked Kevin if it was okay if I slept upstairs with him because I was sharing my bathroom with Dad and Linda and I didn't want to wake them (or gross them out). He said "of course" so I went upstairs to lay down. I still had horrific chills. I slept pretty rough until sometime in the early morning, and then all of a sudden, I got up to vomit. And that pretty much is where I stayed.

The next morning, I awoke to horrific pains in my head and up and down my spine. I stayed in bed all day--I couldn't get up, and for many hours, couldn't lay with my eyes open. I lived in the bed and the bathroom...and it was awful. Kevin, Dad, and Linda went to dinner with our friend, Michelle in San Antonio...and I was supposed to go...but I couldn't because I felt too damn awful. I seriously, didn't move very much at all yesterday.

This morning I woke up at around 4:15 to take Kevin to the airport. We had a good drive there and I felt good enough to drive home, but not good enough to go to school. When I got home, I slept for another hour or so, and then I woke up to see Dad and Linda off. Since around 8 this morning I've been feeling better, a little sad, but better. Sad only because Kevin's gone for ten days and I felt so bad last night that I couldn't spend some quality time with him before he left. But, I suppose we had that great day on Sunday so I should remember that and be happy:)

Now I have no idea what I'm going to do today--no school and no work but I don't feel great enough to be incredibly active. I ate some fruit earlier and that made me feel good. I think I should perhaps do some laundry and maybe try to go on a walk with the pups a little later. Also, I can watch some movies. Oh, and I have to go the post office to mail Kevin some stuff he forgot. Maybe today will be a ton better than yesterday.

Alright, everyone should feel up to date.

Love you,

Danielle

ps: I watched "Bruno: Warrior of Ukbar" last night for the first time in AGES and laughed my ass off. What good times those were. I kept reminiscing to myself about all of us kids running around in practically nothing in the snow, filming this film, and having the time of our lives. I thought about the premier and how funny everyone thought the film was. I thought about how proud I was, and still am, of Corey and Julian, for doing these types of projects instead of drugs. And then, I thought about how much I miss Corey. If you're out there and you still read this, I miss you, friend.

Friends,

So this is the first entry of 2006.

I spent the first few days of this year sicker than a dog on the couch with the head cold from hell. Now I'm getting better.

I haven't lost intrest in Livejournal...I've lost interest in writing about my life. Some new things are happening...maybe I'll write about them soon.

Love always,

Danielle
Celebrating my 5th year of Livejournal

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night:)


Love you,

Danielle

1) Was 2005 a good year for you?
It was, actually. It seemed like the year passed really quickly without my recollection that it even occurred. Odd.

2) What was your favorite moment of the year?
That would have to be the drive Kevin and I had across country. Priceless.

3) What was your least favorite moment of the year?
A few nights ago. I ate something at a party that had drugs in it. I really wanted to go to the hospital. I got over it, of course, but I felt so bad for two days. And I hurt my best friend because he had done a lot for me that day and I repay him by showing up completely stoned out of my gourd and seeking medical attention for how fucked up I was. Fuck that was stupid.

4) Where were you when 2005 began?
-JCs Steakhouse. I was working as a hostess that night.

5) Who were you with?
A ton of drunk people.

6) Where will you be when 2005 ends?
JCs Steakhouse where I will be working as a hostess or a waitress...undecided at this stage.

7) Who will you be with when 2005 ends?
A ton of drunk people. And Kevin.

8) Did you keep your new years resolution of 2005?
I didn't have one.

9) Do you have a new years resolution for 2006?
I suppose just to be more considerate and try not to hurt my friend too much. I seem to fuck up a *ton*.

10) Did you fall in love in 2005?
I wouldn't call it "love" as much as "infatuation." I feel in infatuation a lot this year. I didn't score at all, though.

11) If yes, with who?
Okay...T, R, and M

12) If yes, do they know?
nope. I think R is starting to fall into infatuation with me as well, but I can't tell. It's sporatic.

13) Are you still in love with them?
Yes.

14) You regret it?
Maybe T. Sometimes I wish I didn't want him so bad.

15) Did you breakup with anyone in 2005?
I haven't dated anyone in over a year.

16) Did you make any new friends in 2005?
A ton! Felicia, Rene, Ali, Valerie, Nichole, Lisa, Phoebe, Sydney, Ross, Franz, Robert, Mary Ellen, and more!

17) Who are your favorite new friends?
Felicia***, Rene**, Ali*

18) What was your favorite month of 2005?
-June. What an awesome month!

19) Did you travel outside of the US in 2005?
no, unforunately.

20) How many different states did you travel to in 2005?
I went to Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Utah, and West Virginia. I think I might have left one or two out, though.

21) Did you lose anybody close to you in 2005?
thankfully no.

22) Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Rhianna, Audry, Mrs. Ruppel, Mr. Rhodus, Dr. Edwards, Kim Murphy, Corey, Dad, and more...

23) What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2005?
Capote. no question...changed my life forever. It's awesome that I saw it after reading "In Cold Blood." It's changed my destiny for 06.

24) What was your favorite song from 2005?
"Sound of Settling" by Death Cab for Cutie.

25) What was your favorite record from 2005?
Wow. I don't think I have one. However, this was a year of fantastic mix cds by myself. So, I'd have to say that the "Brian Garza Farewell Party" soundtrack was the best I made. Funny thing, though, there wasn't ever a party and I've never met Brian Garza.

26) How many concerts did you see in 2005?
Well, all the PNME concerts...so..10? Then a few in Vegas. I saw a lot of stuff this year.

27) Did you have a favorite concert in 2005?
Probably the concert with Ross's solo piece...that rocked my socks.

28) Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2005?
I drank moderately this whole year. I did increase my tolerance, though.

29) Did you do a lot of drugs in 2005?
I did drugs in 2005 for the first time and discovered just *how* much I hated them.

30) How many people did you sleep with in 2005?
I came close once. But...none.

31) Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Weekly.

32) Do you enjoy where you are now?
It's alright...but it could be a lot better.

33) What was the worst lie someone told you in 2005?
That would have to be, "I'm sorry I hurt you" uttered by a mister B.W.Mitchell.

34) Did you treat somebody badly in 2005?
Yes. Unfortunately. :*(

35) Did somebody treat you badly in 2005?
kind of...

36) How much money did you spend in 2005?
a lot.

37) What was your proudest moment of 2005?
How skinny I got from running.

38) What was your most embarrassing moment of 2005?
That would be auditioning for the Bobby Bones Show. Mortifying in retrospect.

39) If you could go back in time to any moment of 2005 and change something, what would it be?
I would have been more on top of my financial aid back in January so that I wouldn't have caused as much pain as I inflicted later. I would have chosen not to do sprint finishes the day I hurt my foot. I would have never asked for Mason's number. I wouldn't have eaten that brownie. I would have done a lot of things differently.

40) what are your plans for 2006?
Do well in school. Work a lot. Buy a laptop. Try to piece myself together. Get R. D. and make him mine.

Friends,

Did you ever see the movie "Seven?" Remember that one scene where they find the guy that's been tied to a bed for over a year? His muscles are all mush and he's become a mental nut case? Okay. That's how I feel right now. Well...maybe not that extreme...but I do feel shitty. Let me explain.

Having not been able to exercise has messed me up. I still have the same appetite that I used to, and I want to eat all the time because a part of my body thinks I'm going to get up tomorrow and run it all off. Since that's not going to happen, I wavor between hunger, eating, and then feeling like a lardass. It's not like I eat bad things, either. I eat mostly fruits and salads, and every once in a while meats. I eat a lot of cereal, but none with added sugar. I try not to have a lot but I do eat some sugar every day. I'm not drinking much, so the only liquids I consume are milk, water, and juice. So...it's not like I'm two-fisting a big mac and then not moving for 24 hours. It's just that my body shouldn't want food but it does. grrrrrrr!

What else?

Oh! Good news! I have some movement back again:) Yesterday morning I awoke to find that my left foot was once again the size as my right foot. This is quite an ordeal considering how my left foot has been so swollen lately that I've repeatedly lost feeling in my toes :(. But...now that the swelling has significantly reduced I feel that recovery is coming swiftly down the path. I also discovered that I can place my foot down on the floor like my other when I'm standing--haven't been able to do that since moments before the accident. Also, I can wiggle my toes, I can move my foot side to side, make little ankle circles, and plantarflex as well as dorsiflex. My range of motion is nowhere as good as the other foot, but it's still early. Additionally, I haven't seen a doctor yet so it hasn't been inspected. I'm afraid of pushing it too quickly, but quite frankly, it seems to be healing at warp speed :)

Today, I wasn't thinking and momentarily put my weight on it for balance. And you know what happened? I felt no pain! It was as if my foot and ankle could tolerate my weight again! Oh I hope this means that in a week I'll be sans both amigo and crutches!

I can't wait until I have full rom again. First thing I'm going to do is find an aerobics class at school. Then I'm going to do aerobics and run 6 days a week. I'm going to loose any weight that I've put on from this, and I'm going to get my strength and endurance back. I can't wait. Christ bananas I can't wait.

School is going well; the semester is drawing to a close. Big news coming soon, but can't post just yet.

Hope everyone's doing well.

the most loveable mars bar,

Danielle :)

Friends,

I was supposed to have a doctor's appointment today but I couldn't afford to go, so, I'm waiting until next week when I can. Sucks, though.

Weekend update!

Friday: School was pointless, as I documented. On friday night I went home and made some spaghetti. I played ball with Sammy for a little while until she got tuckered out. I talked on the phone to Dr. Edwards, and Becky, and someone else but I don't remember who. I kept hoping that someone would call me. Then, Rene called to tell me he was having a party and he needed to give directions to someone who was coming from Austin. Rude? It's not like I could* go because the dogs didn't deserve to be left alone longer AND I had just driven home from San Antonio, but still. It was rude. I drank the wine, watched some television, talked to Kev and went to bed. So, friday as a whole was pretty much useless and boring and lonely.

Saturday: I went to work but didn't really do anything. I sat behind the register almost all day. When we hit the nothing slump during the afternoon, Rich and Brad watched the UT/Kansas game and I went back in the office to read my novel. I'm happy to say that I finished "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," by Jonathan Safran Foer. EVERYONE GO OUT AND READ THIS....NOW!

After work, I came home and took a nice long bath. Later that night, Roam came over to help with the aforementioned housework. It was so good to have him there. It was wonderful. He vacuumed, swept, mopped, did my laundry, folded my laundry, helped me put my stuff away, put dishes away, and so much more. Then, we made mac and cheese and ate while he iced my ankle. It felt good for numerous reasons:

a) the house was liveable again.
b) I wasn't so lonely.
c) mac and cheese.

He went home *late* and then I went to bed.

Sunday: I woke up to Kevin's incessant text messaging. He texted me and hadn't gotten a response for numerous hours. I normally wake up around 8, which is when he texted me, but when I didn't respond at 10:30, he began to get worried. He called me and I apologized, but I was sleeping in.

I didn't know what to do with myself. I had no plans; no homework. I just layed there for a while, trying to figure out the day. I eventually got up and made some french toast which was good. Then I went upstairs and downloaded music for a while. Then I watched "10 things I hate about you" while I painted my fingernails. Just as an aside, does anyone besides me recognize that they never say the ten things anyone hates about anyone in that film? It doesn't make sense. It was probably just a cool title without relevence. ANYWAY.

I decided that sitting around by my lonesome wasn't good; I remembered what Nomi said about how isolation isn't a good thing for me. So I got up, checked movie times, got dressed really quickly, and left to Barton Creek to see "Shopgirl" for the matinee show.

I really adored the film. There were a few *sod* problems in there, but it was quite adorable otherwise. But I don't know what's worse: a person going to a movie by themself, or, a crippled person going to a movie by themself. I was the latter. But it was okay...

After the movie, all I could think about was my future and what the hell I'm doing. I kept thinking about how things may be scary and big and it might hurt to move to San Antonio and start a new life there. I thought about buying futons, and what it would be like to live without a cell phone for a little while. I thought about renting an apartment, internet access, and public transportation. I thought about school, about getting my liscense to work in a spa in San Antonio, I thought about couches and end tables. I thought about picture frames, and wondered if most apartments come with refridgerators and microwaves or if I'll have to buy that. I thought about salt and pepper shakers, about candles for bathrooms, about having one or two cats named "Katelyn" and "Dr. Scoops." I thought about how every time I've been heartbroken in my life, when I thought I was hurt beyond repair, that somehow I was always mended and facing a new phase. I thought about everything and nothing all at the same time, and wondering if all signs are, in fact, pointing to "yes."

It was good for me to stop thinking about big important things for a moment. Those things can get to you. So I went grocery shopping and bought lots of yummies for the house. Once at home, I unloaded everything, which wore me out. I ate dinner, made lunch for monday, fed the pups, and talked to my parents on the phone for an hour. I took a big warm bath, crawled in bed, iced my ankle, and finally fell asleep around 12:30.

Which brings us to today.

Today has been good. Nothing incredibly special. Still driving my amigo! I have an appointment with Nomi here in a half hour, and I can't wait to talk to her about all the things I've been thinking about. It's gonna' be good. I think. :)

Love you all,

Danielle :)