Top 40, Sun, and Softball

Nothing deeply philosophical or mind bending from my mouth tonight...all I want to write about right now is...my bad taste in music week. The top 40 bug invaded my body early on in the week. Maybe it's because I have been in a particularly good mood as of late, maybe it is because the sun brings out all of those needs to roll down the windows and blast music. Anyway, I actually bought No Air by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown, Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis, and Sexy Love by Ne-Yo. And now, I feel a little like I should roll the windows up when I am blasting these songs.

On a genuinely good song note...Hollow Man by REM and Come On Get Higher by Matt Nathanson made the list too.

Alright, so back to the top 40. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I guess it is completely acceptable to buy this stuff every once in a while...I mean, maybe some of these songs actually become hits for a reason, right? Honestly, I really like Sexy Love. Every time I've heard it in the past two years, I stand up and start shaking my booty. It's a cute sexy song, and it reminds me of when Michael Jackson was actually talented/cute/not made of plastic. Overall, I am not anti-radio...I just think they should diversify their playlists and create a broader base of acceptable radio tunes. We are missing out on a lot of good music because few channels will adventure out and play it.

On shaking my booty, since returning from Vegas, anytime I have heard a hip hop song, I want to get up and dance. So, send me suggestions for some good hip hop, because I'm not feeling my gym right now and would much rather be dancing around my house to music at this point. And, they dug up and blocked off the track and field at the highschool by my house, so I can't even run bleachers anymore. That's a great workout...hurry and finish the project guys.

Otherwise, congrats to my sister Lauren for getting two huge awards in her softball conference and to her softball team for taking 2nd place in their final tournament over the weekend. I got a few lovely shades of red (and some cancerous tan) from it, but also had a great time watching with the people who are important in my life.

Song of the moment...Did You Ever Look So Nice by The Samples. It is a great summer song and reminds me of driving down the canyon in Park City, Utah on a sunny afternoon...with the windows down of course.

Night.

The Nuprin Diaries, Part II

Back in 2005, my friend Ryan was teaching English in Korea and logging his stories on this blog he referred to as The Nuprin Diaries. As the adventure came to an end, so did the great stories...leaving me hoping that one day, he'd strike up some new tales on a keyboard. Well, Ryan's headed out on another adventure to Germany and decided to start sharing some stories with us again. So, here is the new installment of The Nuprin Diaries. I'm sure there will be some good stories to come.

That's all for now. I think that you should go listen to this new song from Portishead called Plastic...and this old song by The Roots called Without a Doubt.

People in the Sun

Every once in a while, I remember to check in on the blogs I have listed as favorites on my own blog. Go read anything on People in the Sun. I've mentioned how good this one is before, but hadn't been to it in a while. Everything he writes is fabulous.

My favorites in catching up are actually videos of his baby laughing and another kid on You Tube laughing. If we could all be that happy, life would be pretty damn good all the time.

Oh, I actually really liked Vegas this time around. It was nice to get away from reality for a while and just have a blast under the hot sun. Coming back to reality last Sunday as the airline staff announced over the loudspeaker that it was 34 and snowing in Oregon wasn't so great, but I'm here...I'm doing alright...and I'm thankful for all I've got.

A Few Lines of 'Stuff'

This is a useless post of 'stuff I'm doing' so if you are looking for a political or social rant tonight, well, all I can say is that we are pretty much screwed with all this inflation...and I CANNOT wait for Mr. Bush to leave the office.

Oh, and a year after the Virginia Tech shootings, did anyone notice that all that fanfare about gun laws that happened in the wake of the tragedy fell flat in about five minutes? What happened? Come on media! I still just hope that 'being green' actually stays an important issue after the celebs drop it and, oh wait, they still have huge mansions, private jets, and more excess than a Biggie Sized Value Meal? Oh, riiiight, they just like to look good in all those glossy ads and commercials touting green living. Not that I am a saint, but eeeegh.

Actually, I looked back at posts I have written and realize, sometimes, I can be too harsh. For example, this post, written back in 2005, that bashed The ONE Campaign. I guess I had a point, but maybe I should realize that a little effort can go a long way instead of slamming the cause. So, maybe I will feel bad about making fun of the 'trendy green' celebs eventually too...because they are just trying to make a difference right? But then again, it still frustrates me that P Diddy ever drove a BENTLEY through poverty stricken streets. Idiot.

Okay, so that wasn't supposed to happen...this was supposed to be about useless 'stuff'...soooo...I head out for Vegas on Thursday morning. Besides a short weekend in Ashland in February, this is my first actual trip since returning to Oregon. So, I'm looking forward to the 85 degree forecast, some real downtime, and quality time by the pool. Life'll be pretty simple until that 8:30 am flight back home on Sunday morning. If I decide to get on it, that is.

In other news, my half-sister is due in late July with new baby niece, who remains nameless. Right now the arguments surrounding her birth is whether she will be a Duck or a Beaver. All of us smart ones know which one she will be...the one wearing the Beaver booties.

I got invited to a trailer trash party in May. Send me some suggestions on what to wear, and remember, I like to wear clothes.

And lastly, most know I have been touting the 'single' title again for a while (but that is about all the detail you will get about that subject, ever). So, I am in the store the other day, listening to these two 19 year old girls talk about marriage. They start to say, "Oh my gosh, I want to get married before I turn 30 because if I wait until I am thirty and then have kids, I am going to be soooo old." So, I just wanted to say, thanks girls...thanks for the reminder that I am soooo old, and on top of that, soooo not married, and on top of that, apparently going to be soooo the oldest mom by the time I have kids. Thanks. You girls are soooo sweet.

Music time...Sun Kil Moon have a new CD out called April. It's great. Go buy it and get the bonus disc, or download it off iTunes...just make sure you actually pay for it so that they stay afloat because they are fantastic!

Fixed Lamp, Aggravating News, & Vegas

So, the lamp from the last post has been replaced by a nice, unbroken, new one. Congrats to me.

My mother recently tried to contact my sister through a friend of hers. I don't like this at all and it's been making me wonder if I am next. Most who know me well understand why...though if you don't, feel free to go back and read this before you question why she's not in our life.

I am happily involved in the lives of my dad, his wife, and my half siblings now. I still teeter back and forth between two feelings about this:

1) Disappointment that I was raised by my mom and didn't get to be a part of my dad's and half siblings' lives until I was an adult...
2) Being aware and accepting of who I have become as a result of being raised by my mother...I'm someone who is pretty damn empathetic and resilient. I also notice I am a fierce peacemaker...maybe too much so at times.

So, let's keep with the off news why don't we? Oregon is still a tough transition for me. It's been a rollercoaster and I appreciate all of you who remain insanely 'there' for me whenever I need to talk, vent, all of it. My friends are amazing. So, just know that I realize that.

Alright, EXCITING news...I am heading to Vegas in mid April with about 16 friends for three nights and four days of fun. Vegas isn't exactly my 'perfect' destination due to the strip clubs, smoke, excessive drinking...BUT, I really NEED a vacation, we got all our nights and flight for 200 bucks, we're staying in a family resort full of cool stuff to do, and some of us are planning to head off the strip for a day out into the Red Rocks area to hike around and play. Not to mention, we'll have SUN everyday! It is going to be a blast.

Song of the moment...Chaiyya Chaiyya...it's from Inside Man and someobody finally stuck that version on Project Playlist. So, if you have my MySpace, go listen to it and promise not to make fun of me because, while culturally different to your ears...it's a badass song.

Night people.

Broken Lamp, Jack, and Ryan Adams

This is my broken lamp. I broke it one night during a clutzy moment while switching out the plug...I am pretty good at accidentally breaking things (ask Justin, he used to keep a list on the fridge of stuff I would accidentally break in the house...and it was long). So, the thing is, I broke it a month ago and haven't replaced it yet...the jagged edges go all the way around and probably aren't that safe. It is a little artsy looking now though and I just haven't had time to drive to Ikea to get another one to replace it (it's truly just a boring $10 lamp, but I really like the energy efficient light bulbs that cost just as much as the lamp). So, if you come visit me, don't make fun of the lamp. Or, bring me a new one.

I got the new Jack Johnson CD back on February 3rd when it came out and it is so zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oh, I'm sorry. I fell asleep talking about it. It's just too damn mellow. I mean, I know he recently had another kid (maybe he was trying to be quiet so he wouldn't wake him up) and recorded the CD in a solar powered building (maybe he was trying to conserve energy), but it is not what I was hoping for. Don't worry, he still looks really good on the cover though. My suggestion is to throw it in rotation of your sleep CD's or for your kid's naptime.

So, after my disappointment with not having a good driving CD to listen to, I ventured out and picked up Ryan Adam's newest CD (came out this past summer), Easy Tiger. This is THE BEST CD I have heard in a long time. Favorite song, and song of the moment...Everybody Knows. It is a perfect song.

That's all folks.

Maybe He'll Pay My $60 Parking Ticket Too

Reprinted from espn.com:

Unexpected expenses can come at you fast. Like, 101 miles per hour in a 65 MPH zone fast. Luckily for LeBron James, he's making $13,041,250 in salary this season. That works out to:

• $159,039.63 per game;
• $3313.33 per minute;
• $55.22 per second.

So LeBron will have earned enough to pay off his speeding ticket of $259 after 5 seconds of Tuesday's game -- with $17 left over for gas.

Presidential Woes

News this evening of Rudy Giuliani quitting the presidential race put a big smile on my face. I equated him to the closest thing to Bush that we could put in the White House. I feared having to watch him talk for four (or eight) years, all the while bugging his eyes out with each accentuated word that fell from his thin little lips (if you never noticed, watch now...it will drive you nuts). My biggest assumption was that he would eagerly carry on the Bush Family War overseas in Iraq. On a side note, I also personally never liked that the guy was fine with having mistresses while married either.

So, Rudy, I happily bid you farewell. Thank you for declining the idea of running for a VP spot too.

I am already nervous about the upcoming elections in November. I have to admit, that I am just not feeling Hillary, even though she is a woman. She just irks me a bit, and once again, it bothers me that she stayed with her stupid cheating husband (okay, Bill is supposedly a genius, and my guess is that a pre-presidential run divorce may not have looked so good to voters). That aside, her professional and personal can be separated, and that leaves me still just not 'feeling' the lady...and I don't give a damn if she cried and that the media said it made her 'human.' Maybe the media is the reason I am so irritated with her.

My ticket is really on Obama at the moment...my thinking is that the so called 'inexperienced' politician may actually utilize more of a positive team effort and not just assume himself the all mighty office idiot (like that one asshole in office right now). Obama is personable, has a Guy Smiley smile, and, in the end, seems to back a lot of my own beliefs.

So, here's the big fear. And it may be irrational, BUT, I really think that if a woman or a minority makes it into office, some idiot is going to try to assassinate them. And not just some idiot...many idiots. This will not change my vote. I embrace the chance for change in the office and am ABSOLUTELY voting for a non-Republican. I just see the potential out there for extremely racist and/or sexist individuals to really have a hard time with such a change in the USA and do something really stupid as a result.

I can only hope that my irrational assumption turns out to be unnecessary pessimism.

Song of the moment: Over My Head by Red House Painters. It is a mellow Sarah song, but you may like it.

Dear Oregon, Stork, Dems, and Jack...

Dear Oregon,

Thanks for giving the Beavers a stellar football season. I always knew we were better than those Ducks.

Please give us some more days without rain. The sun would be a good accomplice to everyday right now too. Especially my birthday on Friday (that's a hint people...I only turn 30 once)!

Please HEAVILY consider speeding up this smokefree establishments movement so that I can go out and not have to overdramatically cough when people blow smoke in my face all night or take a shower when I get home (we ARE trying to make the world a greener place you know...at least until all the celebrities move on to a new cause).

Dear Stork,

Thanks for bringing me a new niece or nephew to hang out with this coming July. Twins would be good, but my sister Lexy and her husband Ben may want to try one kid to start with, so you decide.

Dear Democrats,

Please beat the Republicans over the next 11 months. I think we need a change in that whole mess that Mr. Bush and his pals have created. Screw executive power...get some competent people in office!

Dear Jack Johnson,

Thanks for coming out with your new CD Sleep Through the Static on February 5th. I already love the first song and will be in line at Borders to buy it when it comes out. Could you please be there so I can ogle you in real life for a while?

Love, Sarah

Oh, my song of the moment is Can't Complain by Nickel Creek...not Nickelback, Nickel Creek...the group that is actually talented and deserves radio airplay. Go listen to it.

News and Opinions, Part 1

I figure that if I title this Part I, I will be more likely to post a Part II sooner than two months from now. So, posting few and far between, here is something to fill the void:

No More Mapquest: Justin bought me a Garmin for Christmas. I couldn't be more excited because I, as everyone knows, don't know north from south or east from west. Yes, I still utilize the 'it's that way' shout/pointing of the finger. The POI's and voiced directions will SURELY help with the upcoming trek across the country in a few days, which leads to...

Oregon Again: As I reduce the use of my blog over the years to post terrifyingly personal info about myself (I STILL haven't erased some of my posts from 2005 EVEN though I go back and read them and think, did I SERIOUSLY write that?!), I will use this short and sweet description of what is to come...

I will be back in Oregon...A LOT.

Those of you who talk to me on a regular basis are the ones who know what is going on, and that is how I would like to keep it. Over revealing post be damned, that's all I have to say. Oh, AND that I am looking forward to girl's nights and family time quite a bit. My younger sister and her husband are headed back the same time as me, so that is really exciting.

Never Buy Me the Stars: Sorry if you think it is awesome, but buying someone a star is stupid. You really want to pay $54.95 for a spot of gaseous light in the universe?! As this article says:

"Who gave them the right to name stars? And then charge someone for the name?" The answer is simple: Nobody gave them the right. They just do it.

So, unless you plan to lasso that star and put it in a really cool display box for someone (especially me), never buy a star as a present. Apparently, they are occasionally sold as part of fundraisers, so if buying someone a star sends a kid to Space Camp, go right ahead. But likely, you are just paying for a certificate from some slimy webrunner.

One last note. If the sun happens to be for sale, you can buy me that because you all know how much I love that big ball of happiness. As a favorite dialog with one of my good friends goes:

Him: What are you doing?
Me: Sitting in the sun.
Him: I knew it!

Speaking of Presents: Okay, not really, but my birthday is exactly one month away. It's one of those big ones that starts with a 3 and ends with an 0. My goal is to celebrate making it this far rather than freaking out about it. I mean, in some countries I would be LUCKY to live to 30, so why wouldn't I celebrate the big milestone? Though I have to admit, I will REALLY miss my twenties.

ALL CAPS: Yeah, so, I never got up to speed on writing in all caps being equal to yelling at someone. But, I like to emphasize my words in all caps...so don't take it personally alright.

And now, for the song of the moment (in all caps to emphasize that you MUST go listen to it):

DO YOU FEEL ME by ANTHONY HAMILTON

Absolutely obsessed with it right now. He appeared as himself in American Gangster (damn good movie by the way) and sang it. Great song from yet another often overlooked talent.

Alright, Part II should be coming to you from a desk in Oregon. Goodnight.

Life in Simple Sentences

I'll be home in Oregon for a week starting Sunday night. It snowed today in Ohio. The Beavers officially have a winning season. I am giving those #2 Ducks some love this year because I have to as a faithful Oregonian (until the Civil War at least). We'll be going out on Friday night in Portland if any of you wonderful Oregon people want to come out with us. Go listen to, well, how about you all tell me what to go listen to. I need to find some new music!

Dear Beavers,

Please beat Stanford tomorrow. And then USC the week after that.

Love, Sarah

Good Stuff of the Moment

1) Jim and Pam are together on The Office. If you were hoping they wouldn't be, you just don't get it. Though I wish they would have kept us hanging a little longer.

2) 75 degrees and sunny weather for me

3) A triple bogey yesterday (apparently, this is bad for some, but for me...it's improvement. And a 6 on a Par 4...whatever that's called.

4) The Wind by Amos Lee, Dig by Incubus

5) Me home in Oregon for New Year's Eve again (I have a standing tradition with the Andersons that just can't be broken because of 2400 miles right...break out my annual shot glass!)

6) My team of lovely girlfriends who are always there when I need them (mushy love alert, but they're great...and Robin, well, she is borderline psychic).

7) Niagara Falls. Pretty tourist trapping, but really worth seeing. See...

Making the Rounds From Heaven?

A friend of mine just posted a story to her blog about a dream she had last night where a friend who passed away was there, sitting at a table talking to her. She got to hug him and ask for him to stay until he finally said, "No. I'm sorry. But I'll always be here." I decided to leave a comment, mentioning that the night before her dream, I had a dream about our friend Greg where we were talking as if life was going on like normal. Minutes later, she sent me a message...He must be making his rounds because the dream was about Greg.

Being me, I refuse to think that it's just a coincidence we both had dreams about our very close friend on consecutive nights. Just because someone moves on doesn't mean that they don't have their ways of letting you know that they are still around. Especially this guy...if you knew him, you probably knew that he could get away with whatever he wanted.

So, I guess all I will say is that I'm happy to know that you're still checking in on us, Greg...and that I hope you know you are never far from our minds. Thanks.

Oh, if you click on the picture you can read the promissary note I made that he kept until he died...as an Alaska native, he had a plan to take AK back from the US. Would he have succeeded?

Something Other Than Turtles!

I've been on a blog break and plan to pick back up again soon. In the meantime, here are some things I suggest you do:

1) Root for the Beavers. Even if they sucked against Cincinnati and are playing a lame blip of a team on Saturday...they need the love to get going again. Remember last year? It took a little time to make it to the glorious bowl games, but we did it.

2) Pick up some litter off the street (really, I bet if you look down when you head outside, there will be something).

3) Tell me what the hell has happened to Outkast...Big Boi, Andre, I miss you. Just because Idlewild tanked doesn't mean you had to call it a day. Come back!

4) Watch Zodiac. I liked it. True story too. Maybe watch anything with Clive Owen too...he's got a smoldering hotness about him and he can actually act!

5) Quit smoking. Smoking is rampant out here in Ohio, even with the no smoking laws in effect (which I love). Sorry smoking friends...I only want you to stop smoking so I can have you in my lives that much longer.

6) Hope that I quit having dreams that I am in jail. Ever since I've started going into the jails to interview inmates, I have dreams that I am getting locked up. It's really irritating.

7) Look for me sometime in the fall in an Oregon near you. I need Oregon time!

8) Listen to some songs of the moment...Breathe Me by Sia, the new Rogue Wave tune Lake Michigan. Then, go cry for Kanye West because he is such a whiny SOB...talented yes, but so, so, so in need of someone to tell him to quit with the pity party. I foresee a 50 Cent/Kanye West compilation in the next two years.

9) And lastly, give love to my lovely girls Jessica and Delainie. If you don't know them, you are missing out because they are two of the best friends a displaced Oregonian could have at the moment. Love you girls.

Night.

A Snapping Success

The turtle above is celebrating with his arms in the air because all 32 of his snapping turtle family members successfully hatched and were released...3, then 6, then 20, then the final three today. (Well, maybe he is just terrified of the huge person hovering over him to take this pic). I'm surprised that they all made it and suffered many bug bites transporting them all out to their new home in the marsh. When there were just a few, I thought they were pretty cute, but as they grew in numbers, the prehistoric features started to creep me out a little. Here are a few more pics to check out..

Turtle Birthday!

The first snapping turtle started hatching on Monday night and climbed out of his shell this afternoon. He is a little camera shy and I figured it would be mean of me to go all paparazzi on him and try to get a better shot by making him pose or yelling his name (which he doesn't have yet). So for now, you get this shot of his back turned to me. Of course, you also get to see turtle #2 hatching...it seems to take about a day for them to come completely out of their shells. I'll release these two in a few days together and then continue to pair them and release them as they hatch. Stay tuned for more pics of the rest of the bunch.

The Kidz Bop Slaying

I don't like the sound of children singing. Call me a cold and heartless person, but unless they are in a prestigious choir or they are a cute little button of a three year old trying to eke out The Itsy Bitsy Spider, I simply tune them out.

I can trace my disdain all the way back to elementary school music class. When it wasn't 'instrument day,' I would sit on the bleachers with the other kids and literally SUFFER through the sound of us all singing together. I always hated participating in holiday music festivals. I never owned a kid music tape or record (except for the Alvin and the Chipmunk records…but those were chipmunks singing, not kids).

And so we have the release of Kidz Bop 12, a horrific compilation of mega hit covers sang by tone deaf tweens and untalented adult leads. It debuted at number seven on the Billboard Charts this week selling 71,000 copies.

I did some iTunes research and backtracked through the Kidz Bop years. It appears that no song released after 2001 is safe from a kid friendly butchering…Snow Patrol, Rascal Flatts, Gnarls Barkley…if they've had a top twenty hit, chances are that an assault has been made on their musical integrity.

What do I really think is so wrong with kids singing top hit tunes that mostly suck anyway? Well, besides the REALLY terrible singing, let's look at the song selections…What Goes Around…Comes Around by Justin Timberlake. Seriously?! It's a song purely about infidelity and revenge! I don't think I knew many shady 12 year old hookers who was wronging the boys in my day. Ditto on Beautiful Liar…not that I even know who sings the real version of that useless garbage, but it sucks. They also attempt a hardcore 'rock out' (and hardly angry) version of Never Again by Kelly Clarkson. I had no idea that tweens were so head strong about love and loss! But wait, in addition to being 'angry' they can also be so 'sad' too, evidenced as they emotionally convey it off tune in their rendition of Boston by Augustana. And of course, they can all "stand under my umbrella, ella, ella" too. Didn't that song just come out like two months ago?

I guess I should really give some credit to my mother for protecting me from the shitty kids music trend. She managed to instill a true sense of musical appreciation in me. At a young age, our mom was making us compilations of Harry Chapin, Fleetwood Mac, and Led Zeppelin to stick in our tape players. We watched movies with great soundtracks like The Big Chill and Footloose (I saw it three time in the movie theater when I was five years old) and had a shelf full of great musicals. We decorated the Christmas tree every year while watching Billy Joel videos or collections of videos she'd record off of MTV. She'd go to concerts and come back and tell us all about them and then play the music for us (which wasn't always good…I don't know if I will ever listen to another Billy Squire or Journey song in my life because they got deathly overplayed in my house). And of course, I had THREE posters of Billy Idol on my wall in the second grade and a t-shirt that I sported to school every chance I got. My sister still has a killer collection of records (yes, records...we're getting old here) that she got from our mom.

So, here's my thought...If you want your kids to grow up with a true appreciation for music, let them listen to the real thing. Saturate them with all different genres. Rarely turn on the radio. Their (and your) reward? The singers will be in tune, the instruments won't be synthesized, and best of all, there won't be a bunch of obnoxious kids singing you the chorus.

Back to the Working World

After a long two and half months of not answering to anyone except the dogs whining in the morning to go outside, I'm heading back to work full time in community corrections.

Starting Monday, I'll be wearing the 'social service' hat again as an Intake Specialist for a non-profit in a neighboring city. My job will be to assess inmates for suitability in community intermediate sanctions...basically, I will be helping to reduce the inmate population by moving suitable inmates to other programs like residential facilities and house arrest. Some positives to this job:

1) No caseload...I just get to screen, test, and interview and then move them on to an assigned caseworker. 2) The company I'll be working for has saved the state something like $40 million by keeping people out of jail and by reducing reoffending. 3) My ego can become re-intact now that I will have a job title other than 'house manager' and 'full time dog mom'...not that I think staying home full time is bad...it's just not for me at this time in my life. 4) This will be my shortest commute ever at 17 miles.

Hopefully, I'll have some updates for you next week on what I think.

In the meantime, go listen to Jailhouse by Sublime. A fitting choice for the new gig and one of the few Sublime songs I never got sick of after our freshman year of college when everyone played the self titled disc over and over and over and over and...

32 Future Yertles

Warning: This post is exclusively about turtle eggs, so you may want to skip it if that bores you to death. My nephew Cedar just asked me over the phone today if I "could maybe send the turtle eggs in the mail to him for a few days." That I can't do, so I thought that posting this pic instead might make him happy.

We have been working on leveling our backyard, and unknowingly hit this clutch with a shovel last week. Three eggs were sacrificed, so I decided that the best thing to do would be to move them to a safer place until they hatch (mother turtles are DONE with the babies after they have laid the eggs). So I did some research online, created this nest, placed all the eggs in the same direction that I pulled them out in, and check them every few days to see if they are hatching. A snapping turtle had been in our yard a couple months ago while I was home in Oregon, so it can be assumed that these guys are due to hatch between now and the end of the month. Once they are hatched and done digesting their yolks (eww), I will take them out and release them in the swamp behind our house. I don't expect them all to hatch (some were very light compared to others), but will take some pics of the babies before I let them go and post those. Justin asked if we could keep one as a pet (but I think he is joking). We could, but I think that the chance of a monstrous snapping turtle chomp on a dog's nose or person's finger weed out that option.

Good Dirty Fun

I took part in a mud volleyball tournament over the past weekend and thought I would share some pics from the experience. My hesitation about spending a day in the mud quickly disappeared after I duck taped up my shoes (you have to if you want them to stay on in the mud and not get cut by the rocks underneath) and jumped in. We beat our first competitors 15-1 and ended up 4-2 to clinch a spot in the third place bracket. To the left is part of our team, The Itsy Bitsy Spikes, after three games. Not so dirty! There were some teams with people swimming, floating, and diving into the mud, but most of our team heeded the warning that sharp rocks were at the bottom of the pits (may have had something to do with our team being one of the fewer sober teams there).

I am pretty certain that true volleyball skills had little to donate to this tournament. Knee deep in mud with eight to a team, the spikes were few and far between, and several times, the ball would just thud onto the water right outside arm's length, splashing tons of lovely mud right up into your face. There were quite a few rallies though and it was hard to not just dive for the ball (though hilarious when people did...they'd lie there for a minute and then stand up, soaked and shocked, covered from head to toe).

We plan to participate again next year with a more organized team and stay the whole day (half of us had to leave eight hours into it before we finished the tournament because of other obligations). If they have one of these going on in your area, I recommend taking part...you will get a free mud bath and have a lot of fun.

Eight Random Things

I have been posting a lot lately, but I can't sleep and my sister tagged me to write 8 random things about myself and then tag 8 others to do the same (and has been harassing me constantly to get it done). What the hell is a meme? Apparently this is it. So here, have some facts about my first 29 years:

1) Not really a drama queen: I was the first female in my highschool class to become a thespian. Of course, I am not much of an actress (I had my own monologue in a one act play), did mostly 'techie' work, and purely did it to hang out with my sister and stay out of our crazy house, but it's a nice factoid. Later, the school ditched thespians and labeled themselves 'Drama Club' instead. I thought most of the Drama Club people were nuts.

2) If you know me, this isn't surprising: I actually won an award in a high school summer program for having 'The Loudest Volume of Voice." Hey, for two summers in a row, I lived in dorms with 70 other high school kids...you had to be loud if you wanted anyone to hear you. It was an awesome program though which allowed me 9 weeks out of every summer to escape from my house and also helped me to become the first person in my family to graduate from college.

3) Fish in the burbs: In elementary school, I lived in a suburb with a community pool. My favorite thing to do was these extravagant flips off the diving board ALL day...until one day. The lifeguard on duty said that I should be careful because my head was too close to the end of the board when I did my flips. After her comment, I could never bring myself to do another flip again and I am still pissed about it. Another part to this is that we got to live in the suburb because my aunt wanted us to grow up in a nice place, so she registered the house she owned in the neighborhood to qualify for low income housing which made it affordable for my single mom and three kids to live there. Thanks Aunt Marlene!

4) Which one are you again? I have had two boyfriends with the last name Gardner and dated two guys with the last name Turner. AND, in highschool I dated two guys named Brian at the same time, which made messages left for me in my absence hard to figure out..."Well, which Brian was it?" "I dunno." The Gardner men were close together and had similar first names, so people would accidentally refer to the new one as the old ones name. Oh gosh, this is a terrible factoid that surely will not make a father proud.

5) Duh nuh nuh nuh nuh: In high school, I had some guy friends in a neighboring town who created a song about me while we were on a spring break camping trip. It was essentially my name over and over. It went (as Julie Engel can sing perfectly) "Dun nuh nuh nuh nuh, Sarah C----." Two years later, a college classmate mentioned that he had been down by the river a couple nights before and 'some guys were singing a song with your name.' It was pretty embarrassing because I had a huge crush on the guy (well, maybe it captivated him, because he eventually asked me out and was my boyfriend for a couple months). I think there is actually a recording of that song out there somewhere.

6) My suppressed childhood: In highschool I had to tell a judge my opinion on the custody battle for my brother to either live with my mom or my aunt. I apparently told the judge that I thought he would end up dead if he had to live with my mom and her then husband. After, I yelled and screamed at everyone that I wanted them all to get along. To this day, I can't remember anything about that day except for what others tell me, but I am happy that my aunt raised my brother. Thanks again Aunt Marlene.

7) Speaking of: Well, since I have mentioned her a couple times already, lets just tell this story: My Aunt Marlene is actually not even related to us. She is the sister of my mom's first boyfriend after my parents got divorced. The two were not together that long, but we gained some great family members from the relationship...the boyfriend is now 'Uncle David' and their mom was our 'Grandma' who passed away while I was in high school. They did a lot to help us kids turn out okay.

8) Study by song: I used to make up songs out of the words in my textbooks in order to memorize important information and prepare for tests. It really worked.

So, now I get to tag eight other people. Sadly, my blog friends and 'regular reads' don't write so much anymore except for Benny K, who my sister already tagged, and Zach Braff, who, well, lets just say probably doesn't have time for this. So, this will bring me to tag...

#1 JB! JB leads an incredibly interesting life and surely has 8 facts to write about himself. So JB, write away and spread the love.

#2-8...Well, the rest are MySpace bloggers with private accounts, so what is the use in tagging them? But, I think that Marni, Louise, Liz, Sarah K St J, Julie, and Wes may actually take a stab at it because they write ever so often. So if you read this (in MySpace World), write something girls (and guy). So, there you go. Don't say I didn't try sister Jennifer.

Some From the Life of Sarah

Here are some of my opinions and thoughts of the moment...

DC: I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Washington DC last week. I got to spend time with my good Oregon friend Marni and her family while touring what I found to be an amazing city. We battled 100 degree heat the first day and then did an evening tour of all of the monuments and memorials that night. Two favorites of the trip: The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

It was a sad reality check to walk through all the exhibits at the Holocaust Museum and realize that most of the women, children, and elderly people in the pictures did not survive. Some pictures actually have 'this man was executed shortly after this picture was taken' written right below.

This gets me to thinking...how did the world ever let something like the Holocaust happen? And how in this world are there some people who think that it never happened? And how IN THE WORLD are we still letting things like this happen in other countries everyday? Completely baffling and unethical.

A good movie about ethnic cleansing: The Mission. It's a genius 1986 film with Robert DeNiro.

On a lighter note, my other favorite feature of DC had to be The Onion, in print, free to take, at the entry ways to the Metro Station. I need a subscription to this now!

No mo Harry Po: I went to see Harry Potter the other night because the nine year old we were watching wanted to see it. I have to be honest and say that I find Harry Potter to be DREADFULLY dull and boring. Maybe if I read the books, I would be able to make it through a movie and like it, but I was literally bored to tears. Yes, I know most of the world just loves these movies. But I will never be one of them.

This is a good time for another 'this gets me to thinking'... I tend to have a problem with long movies set in fantasy. Lord of the Rings...possibly the most captivating trilogy known to cinema right? Can't stand them. Star Wars...the original three were good, but most recent ones drove me nuts. Maybe this has something to do with my attention span. Hmm. I have always been a bigger fan of nonfiction, reality, all the 'true story' flicks and books. But I really did have an imagination as a kid, I swear!

And lastly, a Sarah report: People, I am restless. I am going nuts being several states/days/hours away from most everyone who matters to me. Doesn't this always happen to Sarah when she lives far away? Maybe I will start working on warp speed time travel this week.

Song of the moment: Love Song by Sara Bareilles. So what if it was the free song of the week on iTunes two weeks ago...you can't help but want to sing along and love it.

A Wish Granted

I have been duplicating the posts from this blog into my MySpace blog. A friend honored my request to stick it to Ann Coulter by leaving this pic in the comments on that blog...


Love it! My sister also informed me of a great blog that captures politics called People in the Sun. Check it out. And here is another one called Coulter vs Predator. It's no longer updated, but what is there is pretty funny.

Travel Advice

I just got back from a three day road trip to Washington DC. According to my tiny Chicken Little resembling 15 year old cashier at Hardee's this afternoon, it's a good thing I went before 2009...

Her: Are you travelling today?
Me: Yeah (I think to myself...why else would I be in this truck stop mecca that is Breezewood, PA?)
Her: Where to? (She pushes up on the nose of her oversized glasses)
Me: Headed back to Ohio from DC
Her: Do you travel a lot?
Me: I like to.
Her: Well, you should really reconsider that because starting in 2009, they are raising the tolls on the roads by 25 percent!
Me: Oh, they are pretty spendy I guess.
Her: Yeah, when I get my license and can drive with someone, because I am 15 right now, I am going to drive my whole family to Ocean City. Have you been to Ocean City?
Me: No.
Her: You should go. That's where I am driving my whole family (didn't she just tell me this)...but we are going BEFORE 2009.
Me: Alright. Thanks for the tip.

After the conversation ends, she counts back my change and cheers to herself "Yah, I got the change right!"

I start to think to myself...Gasoline costing $3 a gallon and plane tickets in the hundreds...who cares? If I have to pay that extra two bucks at the toll road in 2009, I am never stepping foot outside my house again!

Thanks for the advice weird little Pennsylvania girl.

Duct Tape + Ann Coulter = PLEASE!

So, Ann Coulter thinks it's alright to use the word 'faggot' if you are using it in the right crowd...and by right crowd I mean 'right wing' crowd. Glenn Beck, a conservative himself, shot back at her that, no, it's not okay to use that word...ever...no matter what type of crowd you are entertaining. By the way, for a conservative news guy, I generally respect his point of view...it is quite opposite of how Ann Coulter goes about spouting her own.

I despise Ann Coulter. She is the epiphany of ignorance. I actually cheered a few years back when someone threw a pie in her face, and I quickly change the channel when her bug eyed bitchy voiced frame appears on the TV for fear of chucking the remote at it and breaking the screen. Why? She typically represents her side of conservatism with such hatred for the people she doesn't see eye to eye with. Those who are liberal, gay, or just pissed about the war will rarely hear a well thought out and educated explanation for why they should see it her way. Instead, she resorts to slurs, lashing out, and 'shock jock' type antics to push her points.

Those who know me know that I am pretty far left on most of my political views. And with that, I maintain strong opinions on some things...I'm sick of the war, support pro-choice, am all for same sex couples and marriage. I wish we'd cancel Columbus Day and label him a murderer instead, and think Bush is a big putz (vetoes stem cell research, takes away money from foreign countries that don't teach his abstinence plan in place of sexual health and education, cannot put together just ONE sentence that makes sense). I do however, listen to people's points of view. I try to understand where they're coming from, and maybe even get into educated debates with them.

On the flipside, I still lose it if you say 'that's so gay' or 'fag' around me. I can't stand racial or cultural slurs. I also wish that all those who are so set on removing all the immigrants from the US would step back and realize that they themselves are probably here from some long line of immigrants...know many people here who are 100% Native American? Didn't think so.

That is probably why I wish that someone would take a fat piece of duck tape and stick it across Ann Coulter's mouth. She tends to hit me on my 'flipside' way too often. And those types of people just tick me off.

I noticed tonight while watching Glenn Beck give her his POV, she actually shut her mouth and looked a little defeated. I hope that this is a true sign that she has to know, deep down somewhere, that she is almost always talking out of her ass and just hoping that her 'right wing' crowd will cheer her on.

Time to Love Spoon

And no, not the type that scoops my cereal...here is the Good and Not So Good...plenty of it too...

GOOD: Beavers win the College World Series 2 years in a row, Tar Heels boyfriend left defeated and pouting again (well, that part may not be good, but he'll get over it).

NOT SO GOOD: Humidity. Especially, 92 degree weather with high humidity. Smooth shiny hair isn't much of a trend out here.

GOOD: John Legend, Amos Lee, Rogue Wave, and now, Spoon...nothing brand new...but all so worth your ears!

NOT SO GOOD: That song by a 17 year old kid about committing suicide if she doesn't love him. Really bad. No clue who sings it. He kind of sounds like Akon (who is such a winner himself...have you heard his apology song? What a dumb shit).

GOOD: Golf...hate watching it, but really like playing it. Suburban life is swallowing me whole. Someone check my insides for robotic features.

NOT SO GOOD: Suburban teenagers with really nice cars that they drive really fast through the neighborhood on summer nights. Was I once that teen? Wait, we were worse...we did that in really crappy cars and egged houses. Gosh, I feel guilt.

And on a serious note of NOT SO GOOD...Abuse and domestic violence. Even one incident makes the list too long. A pro wrestler just killed his wife, child, and then himself. Here in Ohio, a boyfriend is under arrest for suspicion of killing his nine months pregnant girlfriend (and apparently assaulting her in front of their two year old). It's a true mess. What can we do to change it?

Oh and I forgot to mention in my last post on 6/23...love to GDD. If you knew him, you loved him.

Song of the moment: I Turn My Camera On by Spoon. Listen and like!

Beavs Kill the Heels Part II?

Today begins a very important event in the Sarah-Justin household for the second year in a row...

THE BEAVERS WILL PLAY GAME ONE OF THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES AND BEAT THE TAR HEELS AGAIN!

Well, that is my hope at least. Justin's dad called me last night to cheer on the Beavers (even though his son is the Tar Heel)...yes that's right...he knows the better team to root for...or maybe he just likes me more.

Everyone in Beaver Nation better be cheering!

GO BEAVS!

Back, and As Always...A Little ADD

Well, I had a blog all written and it DISAPPEARED...a sign it must have been too boring to read. So, here is news in speed form...and sadly, it is probably still a little boring.

Back in Ohio...missing you Oregonians, but actually happy to be back to Justin, my dogs, my own bed. There is always something nice about losing the five pounds you gained while eating out for 2 weeks straight. Seriously, I ate everything I usually don't on my last trip home...two BBQ's alone on my last night in town, treat trips with my nephew, 8 Happy Meals because I did so much last minute eat and drive stuff, plenty of social desserts and drinks...bad I tell you.

Other randomness: We've been working on interior painting a lot...one night until 6 am***I have eight boxes of cereal in my cupboard right now***My allergies still suck***The Beavs are in the College World Series again for Baseball...GO GUYS GO!***

If you want to test out some good music, visit my new playlist on my MySpace. I have to say, every time I visit MySpace or talk about it, I think of Maya Rudolph on Saturday Night Live playing the teen who spontaneously yells 'MySpace!' midsentence during her appearances on the news. And then...I feel like a loser for having a MySpace.

Moving on from spontaneuos to gratuitous, have you seen Alpha Dog? That movie could have been so much more, but they had so many GRATUITOUS sex scenes where they could have been developing characters more...lame. If you want to watch a good movie about the drug business, stick with City of God...absolutely amazing and also based on a true story with the characters so well developed that you want to scream. Another good movie...Running With Scissors. That movie is so bizarre, but completely worth watching.

Well, let's hope my next post is a little less ADD...what the heck is this mess I just wrote?

Midnight in Good Old Oregon

Well, Washington actually...I'm five minutes north of the Oregon border at my sister's in Vancouver for a few nights. I just rounded out three nights and four days in Salem where I stayed at Robin's brand new house and ate too much everyday with she and Aimee.

While in Salem, we managed to get in a great girl's night with nine of us (thanks to Gwyn, Delainie, and Louise for doing the footwork to make it happen...so much fun!). My favorite part of the night was toward the end when a guy who knew Wes (who witnessed the tail end of the girl madness) commented, "It's awesome to see a group of people out genuinely having fun together...like, you guys actually all like each other. Most of the time in a group like this, people are putting up fronts and acting like they're too cool, but you guys look like real friends." Very true.

Well, I'll offer up a quick Good and Not So Good. It's definitely been a long time:

GOOD:

The weather in Oregon while I'm here...seventies and eighties everyday with clear skies. No rain. Yes, no rain.

Smokefree establishments: We managed to find three different places to go on Saturday night that were smokefree. Going back to Robin's to fall into bed not smelling like smoke was great.

Rogue Wave: Wait, let me say that again...ROGUE WAVE! JB, they're the best gift of music you could have possibly given me. I love them. They are just a perfect band and have completely satisified my need for new music. Listen to them people. You will like them.

Justin: Yes, Justin gets credit here for supporting me in turning down that job a couple weeks ago, then quitting it, AND THEN going on an 11 day trip back home, without him. Did I mention that Sarah means princess? Some days it REALLY shows. Oh, he's also been working on all kinds of house chores while I am gone, so thanks again. I do have relocation chores to do while I am here too, but it's all pretty painless when it's surrounded by several of my friends and family members.

NOT SO GOOD:

My intermediate sized car rental is a PT Cruiser. I just can't say I love the ride, style, or gas mileage much and really thought I was going to get something more car shaped. But it has been getting me from point A to point B no problem, so I think I will survive another week in the bright red thing.

Allergies: My allergies have transformed into a crappy cold. Pretty annoying. The valley has been walloping me the past few days. I've got allergies in Ohio, but not this bad.

Joblessness: Probably not a word, but I kind of need to get a job again when I get back to Ohio. I still dislike the job market there, and my sister suggests that I just get my stuff together and start freelancing. That would be pretty ideal for this girl who likes to write a lot. Someone just needs to kick me until I actually try to get something published.

Alright, go listen to Rogue Wave. I'm going to bed.