A Guide

moved!

2012-01-26T21:08:00.001-08:00

new blog http://casthil.tumblr.com

The West Wing is real life

2011-02-20T22:43:00.000-08:00

I love how all I have to say is “WTF LIBYA?!?” and Sarah knows I’m talking about current events while simultaneously referring to the Pilot episode of the West Wing:

Before she tweeted back to me, I tried unsuccessfully to find the scene on youtube.

Leo: Margaret! Please call the editor of the New York Times crossword and tell them that Khaddafi is spelled with an “H” and two “D’s” and isn’t a seven letter word for anything.
Margaret: Is this for real, or is it just funny?
Leo: Apparently it’s neither.

Leo: [on the phone with the New York Times] 17 across. Yes, 17 across is wrong… You’re spelling his name wrong… What’s my name? My name doesn’t matter. I am just an ordinary citizen who relies on the Times crossword for stimulation. And I’m telling you that I met the man twice. And I recommended a pre-emptive Exocet missile strike against his air force, so I think I know how…
C.J.: Leo.
Leo: They hang up on me every time.
C.J: That’s almost hard to believe.

Not only is Leo wrong to say “exocet missile strike”,

but after reading dozens of news articles over the last few weeks,

I assumed his spelling of Gadhafi was wrong as well. Little did I know the can of worms I was opening in trying to figure out the CORRECT spelling, which does not appear to exist.

Here is an explanation:

The basic problem here is that (1) there is no generally accepted authority for romanizing Arabic names, and (2) the Mummer’s name contains several sounds that have no exact equivalent in English.
For the record, here’s the official Library of Congress rundown on how to spell ol’ whatsisname: (1) Muammar Qaddafi, (2) Mo’ammar Gadhafi, (3) Muammar Kaddafi, (4) Muammar Qadhafi, (5) Moammar El Kadhafi, (6) Muammar Gadafi, (7) Mu’ammar al-Qadafi, (8) Moamer El Kazzafi, (9) Moamar al-Gaddafi, (10) Mu’ammar Al Qathafi, (11) Muammar Al Qathafi, (12) Mo’ammar el-Gadhafi, (13) Moamar El Kadhafi, (14) Muammar al-Qadhafi, (15) Mu’ammar al-Qadhdhafi, (16) Mu’ammar Qadafi, (17) Moamar Gaddafi, (18) Mu’ammar Qadhdhafi, (19) Muammar Khaddafi, (20) Muammar al-Khaddafi, (21) Mu’amar al-Kadafi, (22) Muammar Ghaddafy, (23) Muammar Ghadafi, (24) Muammar Ghaddafi, (25) Muamar Kaddafi, (26) Muammar Quathafi, (27) Muammar Gheddafi, (28) Muamar Al-Kaddafi, (29) Moammar Khadafy, (30) Moammar Qudhafi, (31) Mu’ammar al-Qaddafi, (32) Mulazim Awwal Mu’ammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi.
I mean, hey, are we talking a major campaign of Libyan disinformation here or what? Well, I’m not going to fall for it. I say we just call him Duckbreath. It’s short, it’s easy to spell, and Lord knows it satisfies the soul.

In all seriousness, though, what is going on in Libya at the hands of this man is terrible. Leo was right; Gadhafi doesn’t deserve to be recognized as ANYTHING, by the NYT crossword, or otherwise.

Okay, forgive my late night ramblings and West Wing nerd moment.

Drink more water!

2011-02-16T23:34:00.000-08:00

I don't understand how people can't like water. It is the best thing for your body. I don't understand how people can't drink 8-10 glasses of it a day without feeling physically terrible.

Drink more water. We have some of, if not the cleanest water in the world. While you're thirsting for a vodka collins, or a Pepsi, some kid in Africa thirsts. Have you ever been dehydrated? I guarantee you've never felt nearly as bad as this kid, who's only quenching comes diseased and dirty.

Nearly one billion people don't have access to clean water. You do and you take it for granted when you brush your teeth, wash your hands, shower, flush away your crap, and ignore the shiny silver tap in your kitchen for a Monster or a Coke.

I encourage you to not eat out for a week, or not buy a movie or cd this week, or stop yourself from entering that clothing store -- and instead use the money to give someone a glass of clean water.

You can donate at these two organizations, browse through and see which one you prefer:

http://thewaterproject.org/

http://globalwaterchallenge.org/home/

but most of all, the next time you step under your shower head, before you turn it on, think about not having access to a shower with clean, hot water, for months.

oh and, drink your daily recommended 8 glasses of water a day. PLEASE -- Do it for the children.

Ellie Goulding U.S. Tour

2011-02-11T00:37:00.000-08:00

In SF the week before Spring break...

Taking a break from 490

2011-02-06T12:55:00.000-08:00

...for a few minutes. Thought I would share these two tidbits from the last few days of readings (All from the 1970s):

‎[listing different forms of segregation in Northern Ireland] "In a Protestant pub the only Catholic present is likely to be the bartender."

[lists different ways leaders have tried to fill the gap between Protestants and Catholics] "Some other leaders in Northern Ireland mentioned the possibility of chess or bridge to bring the people together. But chess and bridge are not, to any great extent, the pursuits of working class people."

Yeah, and playing a good game of chess is gonna resolve decades of official government sponsored religious and political discrimination. LET'S GET OUR BRIDGE ON AND DISBAND THE IRA.

The Spendor of the Central Coast

2010-12-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

2010-11-28T17:56:00.000-08:00

With winter fast approaching, it's time to start brewing and keep warm!

Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast tea, chai, you name it, I'm drinking it. What is about tea that is just so good? It manages to calm and yet caffeinated simultaneously!

StoryofmyLife

2010-11-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

“I believe that all anyone really wants in this life is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich.”

- Liz Lemon

A True Black Friday

2010-11-26T22:53:00.000-08:00

It is a citywide blackout here in Lafayette Friday night just as the sun decided to say goodnight.I can hear the sirens echoing from all over town as well as the panicked driving. But I can’t see anything. Conserving computer power and phone power.

And now I read by candlelight…the way it should be.

*Now called the Black[out] Friday of 2010*

Cranberry Oat Cookies [Vegan!]

2010-10-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

I have a bake sale this weekend, I also have a friend I want to cheer up, and it has been far too long since I've gotten my hands dirty making some delicious treats. I vaguely remembered a recipe I saw on Tumblr about cranberry applesauce cookies, and so naturally, I decided to make them when I'm standing in Target's produce section. Thank heaven for GOOGLE.

I found a recipe on Who Are You Calling Crafty?, and to my sheer and utter amazement, this vegan cookie recipe is BLISS.

We forgot to buy nutmeg, so used cinnamon instead, and substituted Stevia for sugar (you use half the amount suggested for sugar).

I was nervous, never having made a vegan recipe without cocoa or coffee, and anything with oats can be a hit or miss. Liz, whose humble abode was where this all went down, was less apprehensive, especially when she smelled the mixed concoction.

The 25 minute wait seemed endless, but it was well worth it. These little cookies are warm and scrumptious, and contain the essence of "comfort" food but are GUILT-FREE. I recommend them to anyone, vegan or not. Next time I make them, I'm using chocolate!

Applesauce-Oatmeal Cookies

 3 c. oatmeal

1 c. whole wheat flour  (or 2 c. oatmeal and 2 c. whole wheat flour, whatever combination you want) 1 t. baking soda 1/4 t. nutmeg 1 c. unsweetened applesauce 1 c. sugar (or less) 1 t. vanilla 2/3 c. raisins or dried apples or dried cranberries (I myself am not a raisin

fan so I did not use that much.)  Combine the first four ingredients.  Mix up the next 3 ingredients and add

them to the dry ingredients.  Stir in the dried fruit.  Roll in small balls and smash to 1/4 " thickness on the cookie sheet.  Bake at 275 degrees for 22-25 minutes.    Makes about 50+ cookies (I got 54 cookies with one batch) with only .3 grams of fat each.

Crazed Genius

2010-09-14T05:56:00.000-07:00

One of my American Lit professors this semester is a genius, but crazy; the two seem to go hand in hand. I have been meditating on something he said last week, and thought I would share (I don't know if this is original to him or not):

Life will betray you so that you will think deliberately.

[Stolen] Obsession: Hall & Oates

2010-09-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Below is a blog I stole from Sarah, and I guess I can justify "borrowing" her words on Hall & Oates since I encouraged her obsession. I have to add the video below to the blog...because it is PURE happiness. What is, after all, happiness, without an animated bird and choreographed dancing???

Obsession: Hall & Oates

If you've never heard a Hall & Oates song, then clearly you have been living in a cave your whole life. If you don't own their The Very Best of album, I urge you to buy it immediately.

According to a theory created my friend, Hilary, Hall & Oates clearly had to have sold their souls to the devil for the number of hits they had. There is a certain Hall & Oates mystique, you must admit. What, pray tell, happened to John Oates' mustache? And inquiring minds want to know -- what will Hall & Oates not go for -- what exactly are they referring to when they say "no can do?"

A few weeks ago some friends of mine gathered at a local establishment for a DJ'd night of "Spinning Hip Hop, Ol' Skool Rap, Free Stylin'"

In what can only be described as one of the greatest moments of my life, my friend, Brittany, convinced the "I-don't-do-requests-and-I-probably-don't-have-the-music-you're-going-to-ask-for-so-don't-bother-asking" DJ to play... Hall & Oates. Turns out he's a kindred Rich Girllovin' soul.

Proof that this night really happened: Brittany, me and Hilary with DJ-a-creepin' in the background.

Hall & Oates fan 4 life.

History on the Move

2010-09-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting around to posting this! This is a mix of my final paper for the class, an article I wrote for the BRW August Newsletter, and a few other additions.

“The American West” and “An Introduction to Public History” were led by the quirky Dr. Bob Carriker, his wife, Dawn, two children Ella (5), Leona (3), Dr. Mary Farmer-Kaiser, and her two children, Pete (8) and Irene (5).

What I experienced over the course of the trip would reinforce my beliefs about the majestic and distinctive American experience.

The first few days were marked with soulful reflection and sadness as we visited Dealey Plaza, the site of President Kennedy’s assassination, and the Oklahoma City Memorial. Our trip was marked with visits to many “firsts”; places where Americans experienced a new beginning; be it positive or devastating.

Dealey Plaza was an intense experience. Not our first Presidential assassination, but perhaps the most memorable in the minds of living Americans. Where were you? Everyone remembers when they heard. The most eerie thing about strolling across the grassy knoll is the realization that the street is still heavily used. Cars pass over the two x’s marking the shots fired upon the President. More than anything, for me, it is hard to imagine such a beloved politician. Sure, he is idolized, and it’s easy to do so years later, but to have such a love from a nation…well, I find it hard to fathom in this political climate.

The Oklahoma City Memorial sits between a block of the downtown; a garden, a landscape, a haunting testament to the destruction that occurred there. Where the building once sat, 168 chairs now sit, 19 of them smaller than the others. The sight of the children’s chairs made my eyes water, and when I turned away I found refuge under the Survivor Tree, which still bears the scorch marks of the blast and the fires that followed. The memorial seems almost frozen in time, locked between the 9:01 gate and the 9:03 gate, each facing each other on the opposite street. In between them lies the reflecting pool, echoing the empty chairs on one side of it – chairs that remain empty at each of those person’s family tables.

Quinter, Kansas, between a Tree and a Wheat Silo.

Stopping in Denver, passing up King Tut for the Denver Western Art Museum, we were told to throw all our previous images of the West –the Cowboy, the Indian, the romantic Frontier and all its associations – out the window. Our tour guides at the museum gave us a detailed view of contemporary and classic Western Art. The 19th century artists found beauty in the enchanting landscapes, political motivation in the Indian depictions, and a strong connection between the West and a new, burgeoning American Spirit; one of individualism, independence, and the strong will to survive.

We also toured the Bureau of Reclamation's Hydrology Lab, where they [who control most of the West's water] make to scale models of dams and test different things on them, like fish ladders and emergency situations.

In Casper, Wyoming, we had an interactive experience at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center. Quite a mouthful, and sounding a bit boring, it was actually one of the coolest places we visited. Not quite a museum, it has a detailed and hands-on approach to telling the stories of the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails. This visit was on the heels of a hike up to see actual Oregon Trail ruts.

Trail ruts!

I gained a new appreciation for the journey and hardship the pioneers on those trails faced.

Yellowstone National Park

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Wyoming also gave us a hike to see Native American Petroglyphs, hope for a Harrison Ford sighting in Jackson Hole, and our first taste of the delicious huckleberry. We had a memorable sojourn in Yellowstone National Park, where our wake up times were later and our cabins overlooked Old Faithful.

Yellowstone

Sulfur-ish area, Hot Spots, Yellowstone

We took quiet hikes to see sulfur spots and timid buffalo, and on one hike to an overlook of the great falls, I slid down the trail and off of the side of the switchback. After pulling myself back over the edge, I soon found my legs to be the first victim of an accident on the trip. I continued down to the overlook, took my pictures, and hiked back up to the car to dress my wounds.

If we still had accidents on a paved, manmade trail, my mind wondered in what sort of trouble the pioneers before us found themselves, not to mention, Indians!

A buffalo jump in Wyoming or Montana (?)

Through Montana we saw the industrious history of mining in Butte, America; toured an old brothel, saw the cringe-worthy Berkeley Pit, and ate at probably the worst Chinese restaurant in the West (and Dr. C could not live this down). And about this time, the older Dr. Robert Carriker and his wife, Eleanor joined us. “Papa C” as we came to call him, is very knowledgeable on Lewis and Clark, and Western History Expansion. As we caravanned through Montana and Idaho, his voice would rattle over the walkie talkies for twenty minutes at a time, just to introduce the next site to us. Because the Carrikers are from Spokane, their connections in the Northwest really came through for us: we had a behind the scenes tour of the Grand Coulee Dam (as well as the Bureau of Reclamation in Denver, which beforehand we named “B.O.R”, but soon found it was actually one of the most interesting stops we would make on the trip). We also spent a day on lake in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, rested in the dorms at Gonzaga University, and toured the grounds of the Cataldo Mission, where we discovered the older Dr. C was the principal historian of the site, and cited so in their introductory film.

Two days of the journey was spent on the Salmon River, rafting over 40 miles and camping on the river’s sandy beaches. The rafting company cooked us gourmet meals, provided tents, and though it seemed effortless, they chauffeured us through rapids and currents. On the first day, Dr. C made it his mission to pull me (the most experienced kayaker of the students) out of the raft first, though I would get my revenge the next day.

As we made our way to Seattle, our group was just about ready for the trip to be over. As much as we liked each other, we didn’t like each other after almost three weeks of nonstop contact. But we soon found ourselves re-energized with freedom to roam and explore in Seattle. We enjoyed an architectural tour of the city (given by Papa C), and a humorous but education Underground Tour. The one thing I had been looking forward to most: finding spots in the city that were featured in Sleepless in Seattle. After our food tour of Pike Place Market, a friend and I found the Athenian Inn. Here, Rob Reiner coaches Tom Hanks on the dating scene over steamed clams and beer. Here, my friend Sarah and I talked--almost about the same things--over steamed clams and wine.

Coming from the West, my varied images and expectations of it come from my experiences. I was born in California, lived in Nevada, Utah, Suburban Washington, D.C., and of course Southern Louisiana. I admit, my images of the West were narrow and, as I learned this past month, confined to certain classic Western ideals. Most of my family live on ranches, raise cattle, wear Wranglers, and rodeo. We’ve trudged over mountains, rain, sleet, snow, and shine, in little Hondas or towing a six horse trailer. I’ve hiked mountains, dug for geodes, braved the white water rapids of the Sevier River, and even encountered a rattle snake or two along the way. So setting out on History on the Move, I had a mind to think I knew what most of the trip would be like. And as far as “The West” was concerned, apart from the vast and expansive mountains of Montana, I thought I’d experienced all the awe one could feel for the geological splendors it had to offer. So what I expected was basically…more of the same.

The West – spotted with fast-paced, technological urban centers, but held together by the blood and sweat of the more rustic areas. That was how I viewed it. This was reinforced by the trip, and the contrast between the rural and the surrounding metropolises we saw in Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and even Washington: all a reminder of the bustling centers that arose to supply the pelt traders, the miners, and the frontiersmen. I suppose factoring pop culture into the equation, when I think of the West as more than a place, but an experience, a few other things come to mind. The West is hard. The West is Romantic. And in the corner of my mind, the West is a John Wayne movie. From films to reality, life on the “Western Frontier” has so many variables and difficulties; weather, geography, wildlife, other peoples, it has an untamed nature and an unpredictability that still sets it apart from the rest of America . What I experienced over the course of the trip would reinforce my beliefs about the majestic and distinctive American experience.

To start, following the journey of Lewis and Clark really opened my eyes to hardship of Western bound travel. Even today, the hikes and drives over the various mountains and hail-ridden plains are difficult.

Hail Storm in Yellowstone

With a large caravan of people, travel anywhere in the West is tedious and taxing. I gained a new respect for the monumental accomplishments of the Corps of Discovery, as well as the pioneers on the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails. I thought I knew what to expect on such a long journey. Our trip, a mere three weeks, felt like an eternity. The routine –getting up every morning, packing, heading out, and staying on the move—was not what I expected and took a lot more energy than what I had originally anticipated. It’s hard to imagine it without cars, coffee, air conditioning, a daily shower, and the other modern marvels that kept me somewhat pampered and complacent. The fact that I picked up somewhere on the trip: the “$1 Bath; Fifty Cent 2nd Bath, and Twenty-Five Cent 3rd Bath” once a month, has stuck with me and made me reevaluate every Western-themed film I’ve ever seen and the cleanliness the characters exhibited. Even more so, when I think of other long Western journeys, I think of John Ford’s epic The Searchers, and the five year quest its characters embarked upon across the lower half of the Western expanse. The classic Western panoramas, the desert landscape, and the war with the Indians are all classic Western ideals, ideals we were told to rethink at the Denver Art Museum. It makes me think of the moral ambiguity of the unsettled West and the standard of ethics that evolved from that. As discussed in class, there is an attitude that most Westerners share; one of individualism, independence, and the strong will to survive, forged in the West and every bit a part of the American Spirit. Now, more than before, when my mind wanders over the term “The West”, I think of an ideal. Not so much the classic, romantic images of Western culture, but more of the great things the peoples of the West accomplished – and a much greater appreciation for them.

Of all the many landscapes we traversed, I thought I would love Yellowstone most of all. Admittedly, when I wasn’t falling off of cliffs, I was admiring the epic waterfalls and valleys, the timid bison, and on the insidious hunt for the illusive moose.

Timid Bison

Yellowstone has been building up in my mind for years as the greatest of our national parks, and while it was pretty magnificent (except for the gravelly switchbacks), I find myself more entranced with Glacier National Park.

Sarah V. and Me in Glacier

Set so much farther north, the ragged cliffs and icy waters tell the tale of hundreds of thousands of years of geologic history.

The cabins in which we stayed were positioned closer to the mountains, the number of visitors to the park seemed less than Yellowstone, and overall it felt more nature-oriented and less like a vacation spot.

Me, Sarah, Bre and Linzey in Glacier

The fact that there’s only one or two paved roads in the park, while the rest of it is filtered with hiking trails and campgrounds also gave me the same feeling of a natural experience. While we didn’t stray too far from the Going-to-the-Sun Road, I wanted to experience more of the park. I suppose I felt a connection with it, and the traces of a few John Muir quotes rattled through my head; “Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean”. Before we even left the park, I was planning a trip back next summer, and silently making a checklist of all the things I’d need.

There’s an awe you feel when standing next to a skyscraper. I definitely felt it as we walked through the downtown streets of Seattle. But eventually the awe subsides as the skyward metal becomes a part of the everyday. The wonder that fills your entire body when you stand on the base of a mountain, or looking down from atop it is a totally different feeling all together. With hardly anyone else around you, the size and scope of the landscape shakes you up and reminds you how small you really are. The feeling never really leaves. One of the more striking feelings I had, not particularly in Glacier National Park though, was the uncertainty of the hikes. Like our predecessors of centuries past, we didn’t really have maps, and we didn’t know to a certain extent what we would come across the unknown terrain.

A much less natural landscape, the streets and surrounding mountains of Butte, America, will stay with me. The haunting downtown, in its emptiness, used to house over 100,000 people, and now teeters around 30,000, leaving behind the historic buildings and their histories. The Berkeley Pit and the surrounding mounds of earth were unnerving to say the least. Wrapping my head around the idea of capitalism and the patriotic need for copper, I understand why these things exist, but I can’t say I feel very good about them. The landscape of Butte seems frozen in time, a time where commerce and industry, hard work, and environmental naivety, were part of the day to day. It is easy to look back on a place like Butte, and what happened there, and criticize, but it is simply a living, working monument of the path to modern industrial practices. It is a step in American History.

All of the places we visited were steps in American History. From Dealey Plaza, to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, to the Museum of Flight, there is a chronicle of great (good and bad) American experiences across the West. Each shows the determination of the American Spirit, a frontier spirit that has the courage to go places where we have not gone before.

Can't Get It Outta My Head: Temper Trap

2010-06-10T17:54:00.000-07:00

Heard this on Sirius Altnation and forgot about it for a while. Now, I can't stop listening to it. I love how the lyrics and the melody give me an uncanny burst of happiness. Enjoy:

Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap

Instant Insanity: Digital Cleanse

2010-06-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

I recently ran into an old friend at a graduation party and we discussed a few things. We caught up on our lives, he told me about a good florist my friend could use in her upcoming nuptials, and he also related some gossip to me he had heard first-hand. The party went on and then we parted ways.

I haven't had any opportunities to see him since, but I did send him a facebook message about the florist. No reply. I sent him a text. I left a voicemail. After all of that, a week later, I feel like I did something wrong. I agonized over whether it got back to him that I related the "gossip" to another friend, if he was mad for another reason, or simply ignoring me.

Finally, through all the confusion, another mutual friend tells me I'm insane, and everything is fine. After removing the oxygen mask, I sat down and thought about it.

With my Blackberry I get every message almost instantaneously from my multiple emails, Facebook, and Twitter. I get voice mails, track missed calls, and admittedly, can ignore all of these alerts by claiming the battery died, or the ringer was off, or the technology failed in some way.

But this system of instant gratification--instant messaging and discussion--is it really a good thing? I drove myself crazy because I didn't get an instant response from my friend. At what point is patience no longer virtuous but endangered? Is our society losing its patience, one social networking site at a time?

I don't want to be caught up in the digital, fast-paced world in which we live. I want to slow down and enjoy the ride. A while ago, John Mayer had a similar revelation, on his blog with his One Week Digital Cleanse:

Hard drive fragmentation is a great metaphor for - if not a literal manifestation of - what’s happened to our brains over years and years of processing small bursts of information. 2009 took fragmentation to a whole new level given the rise of Twitter and the social acceptance of texting people as a substitute to making phone calls. That’s where the one week digital cleanse comes in. I’ll be defragmenting my mental and psychological hard drive...

He lays out a few simple, easy to follow guidelines:

*email only from laptop or desktop computers
*cell phones can only be used to make calls, and no text messages or e-mails are allowed - if you receive a text, you must reply in voice over the phone. E-mails must be returned from a laptop or desktop computer.
*no use of Twitter or any other social networking site - this includes reading as well as posting.
*no visiting of any entertainment or gossip sites. (No need to detail which ones -
you know what they are.)

While I will have no problem with the gossip sites, Facebook and texting will be difficult. But,
I pledge, Friday, June 11, at 9 a.m., I will start a one week digital cleanse.

Blogging is not against the rules, so, hopefully with a clear mind and free hands, I will be able to blog more. Expect great things.

Margaret & Clint's Wedding

2010-06-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

May 29th, 2010

After days of overcast, cool temps, and even rain, the sun peeked out and warmed up McArthur for the big day. With the fabulous rehearsal dinner the
night before [Margaret's family cooking some delicious Chinese food], I was looking forward to the late afternoon ceremony and reception. Knowing my cousin, I was interested to see what he and Margaret had planned. By the time 4 o'clock rolled
around, people were still arriving and we [my family] were sitting in the front row with the sun beating down on us. My Aunt Lisa had a bottle of sunscreen and was thinking about offering it to others while she fought for the seat next to me with her daughter, Mary Kate [10 years old]. "Why don't you go sell your sunscreen?" M.K. whined. My Uncle and cousins were the valet parkers, as the wedding was up on a hill of the Albaugh Ranch. When the wedding finally commenced, I was disappointed with the lack of a wedding dance [c'mon, it would be pretty fantastic to witness one!], but loved the elegant entrance of Clint, my Aunt Elena, Uncle Steve, and the rest of the wedding party [including my cousin Trina, getting married in August in the same place]. Margaret's entrance was pretty awesome though, riding up in a vintage La Salle [pictured below], and being led down the altar by her wonderful mother, Gene.

The ceremony was presided over by Margaret's high school basketball coach and was classic [minus any religious affiliation] to the dot. Their vows were what I would expect from them; personal, humorous, and full of love and respect for each other.

Their first kiss as a married couple. *cue "Love Story" by Taylor Swift*. Because my cousin is pilot in the Air Force, he got an Arch of Sabers:

Traditionally the bride and groom walk through the arch of swords. That passage
is meant to ensure the couple's safe transition into their new life together.

The guys on the end threw their swords down and demanded a kiss for them to pass. It took not one, or two, but three kisses for them to let Margaret and Clint down the aisle.

While the 300 or so guests hit up the receiving line, I discovered the sangria and the photobooth! There were two booths and a table of costumes and props for the guests to take pictures and put some in the wedding guest book. It spit out a page with 3 pictures on each side and "Margaret and Clint Albaugh [line] 5.29.10". Mary Kate and I visited the photobooth many times.

The guestbook turned out so cute. One of the more memorable messages [and the writer will remain anonymous, you know who you are]: "Costumes can come in handy".

When the dinner had been eaten, the toasts had been made, it was time for the first dance. After that came...well, what do you get when you mix a well stocked D.J., a dozen or so military men, a beautiful woman, and a keg truck of beer?

This:

which is of course a nod to this:

Overall, the wedding was beautiful, went off without a hitch (to my knowledge) and allowed me to see a lot of my friends and family that I hadn't seen in a while. It was really just part one, since Trina is getting married in August, same place, only bigger! I'm a bridesmaid in that wedding, and I can't wait to celebrate my cousin's big day, on her birthday!

My Bucket List

2010-05-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

My Bucket List -- an idea I got from Sarah Smith. In fact, we have some of the same goals. This is just to start, Lord knows it will need some changes and additions.

1. Climb Half-Dome
2. have a lengthy stay in Ireland
3. Write a novel and have it published
4. Go to Oktoberfest in München, Deutschland
5. Kiss someone in the rain
6. Go to the Louvre and see the Mona Lisa (among others)
7. see every one of Shakespeare’s plays live (All’s Well That Ends Well, As You Like It, Comedy of Errors, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Measure for Measure, Merchant of Venice, Merry Wives of Windsor, ~~Midsummer Night’s Dream~~, ~~Much Ado About Nothing~~, Taming of the Shrew, ~~The Tempest~~, ~~Twelfth Night~~, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Winter’s Tale, Cumbeline, Henry IV Part I, Henry the IV Part II, Henry V, Henry VI Part I, Henry VI Part II, Henry VI Part III, Henry VIII, King John, Pericles, ~~Richard II~~, Richard III, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, ~~Macbeth~~, ~~Othello~~, Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens, Titus Andronicus, Troilus and Cressida).
8. ride a tandem bicycle
9. visit every region of Italy (Abruzzo, Valle d’Aosta, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, ~~Lazio~~, ~~Liguria~~, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Sardegna, Sicilia, ~~Toscana~~, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Veneto)
10. Kiss the Blarney Stone in Blarney, Ireland.
11. Go to a Billy Joel and/or Elton John concert.
12. Gamble in Vegas
13. Drink a margarita in Mexico
14. travel the streets of London in a red, double-decker bus
15. be caught under the mistletoe
16. Walk in Memphis, with my feet ten feet off of Beale
17. go to a movie premiere
18. go scuba diving off the coast of Australia
19. walk the Great Wall in China
20. attend the Black and White Ball in San Francisco
21. see the Pyramids
22. Visit every state in the Union (not counting airports and times I can’t remember: ~~Alabama~~, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, ,~~California~~, ~~Colorado~~, Connecticut, ~~Delaware~~, ~~Florida~~, Georgia, Hawaii, ~~Idaho~~, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, ~~Kansas~~, Kentucky, ~~Louisiana~~, Maine, ~~Maryland~~, ~~Massachusetts~~, Michigan, ~~Minnesota~~, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, ~~New York~~, New Hampshire, ~~Nevada~~, ~~New Jersey~~, New Mexico, North Carolina, ~~North Dakota~~, ~~Ohio~~, ~~Oklahoma~~, ~~Oregon~~, ~~Pennsylvania~~, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, ~~Tennessee~~, ~~Texas~~, ~~Utah~~, Vermont, ~~Virginia~~, Washington, ~~West Virginia~~, Wyoming, Wisconsin.
23. pray in Jerusalem
24. eat sushi in Tokyo
25. learn the Romance languages (French, Spanish, ~~Italian~~, Portuguese, Romanian)
26. work for a winning presidential campaign from the beginning
27. plant a flower and vegetable garden
28. stand in front of the Himalayas (no need to climb!)
29. cook a Thanksgiving meal for my family
30. go skiing in Vail

Weddings, Weddings, Oh My!

2010-04-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

This summer I will be (literally) on the move most of my days. While not exploring the rich history of the Western United States, I will be doing crafty things (a list is on its way) and attending the many weddings of my friends and family:

May 31st -- Clint & Margaret

My cousin Clint: an Air Force pilot living in England, he flies refuelers and gets to take weekend vacations across most of Europe. He and Margaret have a truly romantic story, an almost "love at first site", and are going to have a beautiful, elegant wedding in McArthur, on the family farm. I definitely owe Margaret a great deal of thanks for introducing me to the delicious vegan "Black Bean Brownies", that are both addictive and a perfect match for a coffee addict like me.

June 26th -- Shannon & Greg

My best friend Shannon: one of my oldest friends, Shannon grabbed me behind the curtain at our freshman musical, On the Town, and danced with me during the overture. Since then, we have been doing a lot of dancing! Whether it's to Cher's "Believe" (which is actually banned from car rides...) or some awesome OK Go! or MSI, we dance and have a good time! Shannon met Greg while working at the movie theater (we all worked there) and moved to Arizona to go to school with him. I am really excited to see one my best friends start a new chapter of her life, probably to a song by the Beatles, and to quote Grey's, "We're adults now..when did that happen?!"

August 14th -- Trina & Ethan

My cousin Trina: Clint's older sister, Trina is like an older sister to me, and is just finishing her master's degree this spring, and getting married on her Birthday! I am really excited for her, she who has done so much; traveled all over the world and had so many great experiences, and now is getting married. I am honored that she asked me to be a bridesmaid, and I have to say I'm excited to be wearing our favorite color: PURPLE. Ethan has been finishing helicopter training for the National Guard down in Alabama, and has been able to commiserate with me from a few states away, regarding Southern Humidity and weather. Though I can't say I can commiserate with him about Montana winters!

I am so happy for all of my loved ones, and can't wait to celebrate their special days!

History on the Move Intro

2010-04-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

For those of you readers that don't know, I am going on a three week travel history class. My mom kinda forced me into it, just like a lot of things, that I always inevitably enjoy. We all remember my 6-week stay in Italia?

The first meeting with all the students was this week and I am pretty sure my excitement level can't get much higher. We have one week of class in late June and then we leave July 3rd to explore the American West! Yellowstone and the parks of Montana are the highlights on my list, but the whole trip is going to be awesome. It starts in Louisiana, goes to Oklahoma, Kansas (I know, I know, big "Ugh" about Kansas, but it *is* a state and *does* have a history...unfortunately...), Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and ends in Seattle.

So expect to see some pictures, blog posts and historical tidbits (it is a 6-unit History course, after all!) in the coming months!

(also visit the class blog http://historyonthemove.blogspot.com)

April Fool's Day

2010-04-02T12:31:00.001-07:00

Okay, a day late, I suppose. My version of the April fool.

I seriously do not understand the appeal of this day. I am a naturally gullible person. I take it as a compliment, not an insult, to be judged for having a certain optimistic naiveté. So what bothers me so much are people who think it's funny to take advantage of that for amusement. In the past, I have had some people I called "Friends" do some pretty questionable things to me on the "April Fool's" Day.

There are enough problems in the world, why make people feel bad for trusting others? It's not like I can't take a joke, just ask any one of my friends, I am the source of a lot of laughter. Fooling someone is not a joke, and it's not helpful. You want to be funny? Do or say something witty, do not use trickery and deceit, because that is SO 1990's.

Getting Back in the Swing

2010-03-31T17:28:00.000-07:00

I swear I will post blogs again! Expect one tomorrow! And no, it wont be an April Fool's...but it will be about it!

This summer I will be blogging about SO much so stay tuned as I travel from Louisiana to Seattle on the History on the Move class trip, attend 3 weddings, and take on TOO MANY craft projects to mention!

A few twenty-ones

2009-10-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

So August and September brought my and Sarah's lives to a count of 21 years. Here are some of the photos to document said birthday celebrations:Sarah, Me, & Behnaz

Sarah and Yvonne, who is holding one of my gifts to Sarah; BITCH wine.

Sarah & I

The group: Yvonne, Nnoma, Emily, Sarah and Me!

RAINBOW CAKE!!!!

I was very privileged to meet Sarah's good friend Carla, who invited all of us to her going-away / birthday party. She is half Lebanese and is spending a year there studying abroad. We had a great time dancing Lebanese-style and meeting some cool people!
POKER NIGHT! The weekend of my birthday. Not many pictures, but we had a great time playing poker! Behnaz, my awesome roommate, cooked delicious Iranian food on my request! IT WAS FABULOUS!
Called Zuresch Pollo, the dish is made with Jasmine rice, barbaries, saffron, onion, and chicken. IT IS SOOOOO GOOD.

Another adventure in between our birthday was SUSHI NIGHT. Sarah has a make your own sushi kit. We had some good Sweet Potato rolls and a few other homemade concoctions, as well as the "I SAY SAKE YOU SAY BOMB" experience.

I am sure more adventures are to come.

For Sarah:

2009-10-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

You Can't Take It With You

2009-09-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

Well, if you know me, you know that one of my all time favorite bands is As Tall As Lions ("but lions aren't very tall!"). I don't even know how I discovered them, but the first song I can remember being obsessed with was "Deep Sleeper", which you can hear in the montage of Italy pictures:

Italy 2

When their self titled album came out and I got my hands on it, I was pretty much smitten for life. "Song for Luna", "Ghosts of York", "I'm Kicking Myself", and the ever-popular "Love Love Love" (featured in Meg & Lane's wedding video) are just a few of my favorite songs. The vocals themselves are like another instrument...it's intense.

Back to the point, and their latest venture You Can't Take It With You, probably beat its predecessor into the musical happenings of my heart. The CD plays out in order like a film, each song complementing and leading the way for the next. My personal favorites, the title track "You Can't Take It With You", "In Case of Rapture" (amazing lyrically), the long instrumental "Duermete"...I mean, the whole cd is pretty fantastic.

I am hoping beyond hope I can get my hands on a ticket to the Voodoo festival in New Orleans on Halloween weekend, because As Tall As Lions is performing on Halloween Day! and I have never seen them live, though I've tried.

If you haven't heard them before, download:

Deep Sleeper (From Lafcadio)
Love Love Love (As Tall As Lions)

Ghosts of York (As Tall As Lions)
Stab City (As Tall As Lions)
Songs for Luna (As Tall As Lions)
I'm Kicking Myself (As Tall As Lions)

You Can't Take It With You
In Case of Rapture
Lost My Mind

Why Louisiana?

2009-09-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

"Actually, I'm from California."
"Really? Why did you move here!?!?"

You would not believe how many times I get this question. So to simplify it, here are the reasons:

1) Adventure! I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and experience something new and completely different than what I knew. While Louisiana is still familiar, there are a lot of differences between the food, culture, and social structures than in California. Believe it or not, sometimes it feels completely different! But it has almost all* the comforts of home.

*There is, however, a lack of good Mexican food and cheap sushi.

2) Cost! It is a fact that you get more bang for your buck here. My housing, a bedroom and bath all to myself with 3 roommates, two living rooms, a kitchen and washer/dryer, is the cost equivalent of a shared dorm room at a California university! The tuition, even out of state, is equal (and since the tuition hikes in Cali) or lower to California tuition.

3) Atmosphere! The overall feeling at the ULL campus is laid back and not LIBERAL. I don't feel the weight of a liberal faculty or student body, in fact, it's the opposite! There is a huge population of Catholic students (and other religions) on campus, who are active and outspoken. There's even a Catholic chapel on campus, Our Lady of Wisdom! I see Father Chester at Zeus all the time (the on campus Greek cafe).

4) The Campus Aesthetic: the campus is gorgeous! I fell in love with the buildings almost instantly! The ancient green tree canopies over the walk ways give it an old world feel, the look of an ivy league with less pretension.

5) My friend Sarah said it fit me perfectly: Sarah said I would fit in on this campus more than she did (she's a French major), and she was right! Not only was it a great choice, but I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else. I love my teachers and classes, and have made some great friends here. Who knows what I will do when I graduate!