Smooth move, Ex Lax!

That's what my mom's friend Ron would say.
~Kenneth the Page, 30 Rock


Well, after six months I finally did it.

I took Lola outside...and forgot to bring my keys. Hence, locked out. Of the building.

Nice.

What was even nicer is that since we've been having really nice, warm weather, I've been lazy about putting shoes on before taking Lola outside. So I was barefoot. And in my PJs.

Yup.

So of course I realized just as the door was latching shut that I had locked myself out, and then I also realized it was like 1:00 in the afternoon, meaning pretty much everyone else in my building was at work. So no one was really coming in and out of the building at this time.

We had gone out the back door, so we walked (barefoot, mind you) around the building, through the grass toward the front door. And I just have to say, walking through the grass barefoot is kind of like walking through a minefield, only instead of mines there are little -- and big -- piles of poo that you have to constantly scan the ground for so you don't step on one.

This story would probably be better if I told you I DID step on a doggy-poo landmine, but that would be a lie. If you'd like to pretend I did for the sake of entertainment, that's fine with me.

So we got to the front door, and I just stood there...like a goober.

What next? Uhhhh...

We have a dial system that allows residents to ring people in through the front door, and for a moment I thought about just pushing random numbers until someone let me in. But considering I don't really know anyone in my building, I thought that might end up being super awkward.

Then I thought, well maybe I should push the button for the main office, and then I got those memories about living in dorms and how the RAs would tell you at the beginning of the year to always carry your keys with you because if you got locked out you were gonna get charged for it. So I hesitated because I didn't want to get...like...fined for getting locked out. Do they even do that at my building?

Luckily I didn't have to risk it because just then a guy came and unlocked the door on his way inside, letting Lola and me back into the building.

And then I stepped in dog poo.

KIDDING! Nothing gross happened.

The end.

if i could write songs...

...I'd write one about today.

But unfortunately, I don't possess that gift. So I'm just going to describe it to you.

Lola and I went for a walk downtown. It was perfect: sunny, comfortably cool, warm but not enough to break a sweat. Jeans and t-shirt (and scarf!) and sunglasses weather.

We took a lap around the courthouse square and passed the Java Roaster where there are ALWAYS people sitting around outside, which is one of the reasons I love the place so much. Today it was a friendly older man who gave Lola a good ear-scratch, a very school-of-ag looking student studying a text book, and a couple of biker dudes.

Lola and I turned the corner and headed toward the pedestrian bridge, passing Red Seven where people were enjoying the most scrumptious cuisine I have ever smelled. We decided to work up an appetite and started across the bridge.

As we climbed the depot stairs, a train passed underneath us, which is always fun for some reason. Lola looked so cute climbing up and down the stairways that got us to the pedestrian bridge. Something about those wrinkly little legs hopping steps and those perky little ears flopping and that pink tongue sticking out sideways just gets me!

We said hello to another older gentleman who was resting next to his walking cane on a bench in the middle of the bridge, and we met a dad with a beautiful baby girl in a stroller.

Then we walked past what looked like a yoga class in session on the west side of the bridge. It was the most ragtag group I'd ever seen, but they seemed to be enjoying learning their poses. Next to them sat two scruffy guys who were drinking who knows what out of a paper bagged bottle. One of them asked me if I was single and I laughed as we walked away (quickly).

It was shady and cool at the other end of the bridge, so I gave Lola some water and sat on a bench to read a few chapters of a Jane Austen book. Then it was time to go back.

We ran into three teenage kids who liked Lola. One of them asked me if I wanted to hear a song and I said yes. He pulled out a guitar and sang and played "No Rain" by Blind Melon and it was pretty good! He attracted a little crowd there on the bridge as he played.

After the song, we moved on, pausing to say hi to a family with two adorable little kids. They had cameras with them; obviously a perfect day and setting for some pictures.

We crossed the bridge and passed Red Seven again on the way back to the car. People looked so classy sitting on the patio under the square umbrellas, all dressed up for a special night out. The servers sailed around the tables removing and replacing big, square, steaming dishes that smelled irresistible.

We walked past the Lafayette Theater where a skinny guy in the ticket booth was eating a plate of noodles. I smiled at him and he smiled back. Then we went across the street and found the car. Lola climbed into my lap, which I usually don't allow when I'm driving. But this time I rolled my window down and let her hang her tongue out the window as we climbed 4th Street to the apartment buildings.

Now Lola is asleep, snoring her adorable pug snore on her little blue bed. I've got the living room window open. I can hear voices and dinner plates clinking through other open windows in the building. The crickets and every other insect in nature with a sound to make are creating little symphonies out in the woods. I love that sound.

Now it's dinner time and I know that as soon as I cross over the baby gate into the kitchen, Lola will wake up and start jumping around in anticipation of food. Then the sound of the skillet and the kitchen faucet will drown out the summer sounds coming through the window. Before I know it, it will be time for work.

So I'm going to hang on to this peaceful moment just a little bit longer.

previously on "lost"...

So...I've been a bad blogger.

And I could use the (poor) excuse that my OTHER blog has been keeping me busy, but the truth is that I haven't been doing too well with that one either recently.

Apparently I've just been busy!

And that sounds weird to say, because whenever people ask me how things are going, or what's new, I literally have nothing to report. Now, that doesn't mean there aren't big things on the horizon, both near and far. It's just that I can't talk about those things yet.

Oooh...now are you curious?

But since I last blogged, there ARE a few things I can talk about that are new in my life. So here they are...

First of all, my older sister is getting married! So surreal. I don't know why; she's been talking about getting married for a long time, but now that there's a ring on her finger and pictures of white dresses showing up in text messages on my phone, it just seems so weird! Not in a bad way, just in the way that it doesn't quite seem real even though all the tangible evidence is starting to appear.

And as happy and excited as I am for my sister, let me just quickly take a trip to Single-Town and say, what is the DEAL with all the engagements and weddings lately? Of course every year there's a flock of girls I know from high school or college or even work getting married, but this year it seems like more than usual. Maybe it's because it's people closer to me...roommates and family members...or maybe it's because many of these weddings are for friends who are younger than me, but not younger in the sense that I'm saying, "Oh no, they're WAY too young to get married." They're at a totally acceptable age to get married. It's just that they're younger than me and that somehow feels weird.

And I don't mean this to sound bitter about the fact that I am leagues away from getting married. I really don't mind a bit. It's just that I feel like EVERYONE is getting married this year! I don't know...

Anyway, in other news, Lola is doing great. Actually, my blog was featured yesterday in our local paper, and they printed my last post, which was about getting Lola and that made me proud. She's come a long way and gotten bigger, but not too big :) We're still working on obedience training, but she's getting better about not chewing or nipping at fingers. She's socializing with other dogs really well, and she's just an all-around sweetheart and cute as a button. A wrinkly, squishy little button.

And recently I've been on a little hiatus from doing any theatre. Mostly because of Lola, but also because this has been the summer of accomplishments and it's been a lot easier to focus on and achieve several goals with more free time on my hands. I've paid off my car, thus freeing up some money from month to month (yay!). I've started eating healthier, which is a bit more expensive but totally worthwhile as I've also lost some weight and just feel generally better about my lifestyle. It's also resulted in my attempting more cooking than usual, with success, I might add! Just last night I broiled salmon for the first time and it was delicious! I also started singing with the praise band at church and that's been fun too and has opened some doors for being able to contribute more around there.

And that's my life recently! More news to come; I promise I won't hold out on you forever.

Until then!

the pug life

So...apparently what happened was, I spent two years whining on my blog about how much I wanted a puppy, and then once I got one it monopolized my time to the point that I couldn't write in my blog about actually HAVING a puppy!

Sorry about that.

But here we go...

Meet Lola!



Lola is about 10 or 11 weeks old at this point. I got her just over a week ago. She is a sweetheart. The first week we spent together was exhausting; not only was I recovering from my latest run with Civic Theatre (which went well, by the way), but I was also finding out that having a puppy means not getting a whole lot of sleep the first few days.

Right off the bat she was great with her house-training, but she did not like being alone AT ALL and would cry all day in her kennel while I tried to sleep. It was really heartbreaking but it was also really disruptive to my REM cycles.

After the first couple of days, however, we started to hit a rhythm and she got more comfortable with being in her kennel. My next task was getting her to eat. She was always more concerned with where I was and what I was doing than with eating her food, so for a couple of days I had to sit on the floor next to her bowl so she could sit in my lap between bites.

By the end of last week, though, Lola was eating a lot better and staying content in her kennel for longer amounts of time, which meant I got to catch up on some sleep, my other blog, and other random stuff.

This week is off to a good start. Lola is still coming in to work with me at night, but she sleeps through most of it, and everyone at work loves to play with her, which is great! She'll even follow me around at work without a leash (which makes me feel like a proud mama)!

She's teething now, which is really annoying because she wants to chew on my clothes, jewelry, buttons, shoes, and even my fingers! I'm trying to get her to understand that chewing on people is not ok, but she gets so excited that she doesn't seem to pay attention to my scolding. Any helpful tips on this would be greatly appreciated. She also wants to eat EVERYTHING she finds outside...leaves, grass, sticks...you name it, it's in her mouth.

And this week we're working on some simple obedience commands. So far Lola has seemed to have mastered "stay" and "come" (although sometimes I think she's just coming to me because she always wants to be picked up and held). She's doing pretty well on a leash and we've even taken a couple of walks around my apartment complex. Every once in a while she'll stop and tug at her leash, though, so it's kind of slow going there.

Training a puppy is definitely a lesson in patience. But she's just so stinkin' cute that I can't help but love her!

In other news, I'm definitely going to be around here for about another year (until July 2010). So this fall I'm gonna update my resume and start putting out some feelers for new opportunities...hopefully in a place that doesn't have a tornado season.

Finally, this weekend I'm in my first wedding as a bridesmaid! I'll be standing up for Sarah, who was a fellow Purduette as well as a roommate in college. She actually made our dresses, and they turned out really cute! I'll try to take lots of pictures!

OK, that's all for now. Happy Hump Day!

it's happening!!!

Guess what. Ok, I'll tell you.

I'M GETTING A PUPPY!!!!!

It's a girl. She's a fawn pug. And she's coming home Monday night! I have not yet decided on a name for her, though I've been given TONS of good ideas. I think I have it narrowed down to a couple of choices.

Anyway...she's adorable. She has a beautiful blonde coat and a squishy little black face, and a curly tail that wags. Just thinking about it makes me all fuzzy inside! If you know anything about me, you know I've been waiting for some time to get a dog and now that it's finally happening I can barely believe it!

More to come, including pictures and probably even some home videos! I will definitely keep you posted. I'm so excited!!!

Happy Friday! :D

confession time

OK, so here's something I've figured out about myself:

I suck at life when I'm doing tech week for a show.

I don't do dishes, I eat like a teenager, I don't pick up clothes or clean ANYTHING, I don't update my blog, I don't have time to work out, and I have to resist a very strong urge to wear the same thing every day. And sleep in it. The only thing that keeps me from abandoning all personal hygiene is the fact that I have to put on make-up and do my hair for each night of rehearsals and shows, which means washing my face and hair in order to do that.

But here's the good news: after tomorrow (or I guess today) I will be in show mode, which means no rehearsals till Thursday, and then shows on the weekends. I'll have time to sleep, eat, clean, and work out; which will in turn restore my will to put together outfits and take showers. I'll also get back to answering people's emails and updating my blogs. This is the fun part of doing a play!

And speaking of which, opening weekend has gone well so far. So many of my favorite people showed up each night, and I now have enough flowers in my apartment that I could put my vase of fake tulips in the closet! It's always nice to not have to put ALL your fake flowers out :) And doing a comedy is really fun! It's so cool to see how different each audience is; every night different lines get the laughs. It's also fun to try doing lines a little differently each night to get different responses from the audience. I have to admit, laughter and applause are two addicting things! But I think after this show I will need a break from the play-acting.

Other news: I called someone about pug puppies Friday. I haven't heard anything yet, but hopefully things will work out and I'll be able to get a puppy soon! Also, my favorite season, summer, is well on its way! Friends are finishing school and coming home for the summer, and soon my schedule will be clear for days at the pool, cookouts at night, and weekends at lake houses, downtown festivals, and county fairs. And this month I'll make my last car payment, meaning a little freed-up dough for summer clothes shopping (yay!) and, of course, puppy stuff!!! Mix it all up with a solid tan, a couple of weddings, and a week up north at the lake in August, and you've got a pretty excellent summer! It's so close I can almost smell the Coppertone!

OK, shutting down for the night/early AM. Sweet dreams of summertime!

change of scenery?

Lately I feel like if my life were a color, it would be grey. I'm just kinda bored. But whose fault is that?

All this contract/future talk has me thinking about where I'll be going and what I'll be doing a year from now (and both of those are a big "I don't know"), and I think that thinking about all the potential for new places and things and people has me a little bored with my life right now. I think I'm also a little depressed because Tommy and Mike will both be gone soon, and Sara will be gone too in a few months, and that bums me out.

Also, I'm going through one of those funks at work where I'm like, "Uggggh I just don't feel like doing this!" All we had this morning was swine flu stories. That's it. And I was like, "There are other things going on in the world, right? Surely we can find something else to talk about." Nope. All swine flu. And especially since it hit Indiana yesterday, it's a big deal right now. But come on, a whole show about swine flu?! Yuck.

I've got lots of things to be excited about -- "So You Think You Can Dance" starts up soon, which will be a new experience for me, and Jillian will star in "The Bachelorette" soon as well! I have one more car payment to make and I'll be officially done, which means puppy time, and I'm currently putting out feelers for pug breeders (so if you know anyone, let me know!). And I just got time off approved for my SECOND vacation of the year (holler!), which will include my cousin's wedding and a week at Mom and Dad's newly-built cabin up at the lake! That's not till August, but still.

And all my adorable little High School Musical friends will be home for the summer soon, which (I hope) will mean more trips to Culvers for ice cream, afternoons by the pool, and weekends in Monticello! Summer!

So what's not to be excited about, right? I just need to get myself pumped up for all the fun stuff coming my way and stop feeling like my life is so boring.

Oh, final note -- and girls, back me up if you get this too -- the last two days I've had these lovely dreams involving beautiful beaches or lakes and dreamy dudes, which NEVER happens. I always have the weirdo dreams, not the sweet ones. But of course, I'm having these super-sweet dreams and then I wake up before I want to. Then I can't go back to sleep and back to my dream! But when I have a sucky dream, I either can't wake up, or I do shake myself out of it, and then fall back asleep only to enter Crazy Town all over again. So not fair!

Oh well. I'm gonna go to bed now and attempt a sweet dream that doesn't involve me waking up before I absolutely have to.

Happy daydreams! :)

i want that.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially two car payments (and thus two months) away from getting one of these:



I want one so bad!!! And I've tried to be very patient and responsible about waiting until the time was right. And now that time is almost here and I'm so excited!

And oh yes, if I didn't already tell you, I've officially decided to get a pug. The more I research them, the more they seem like a good fit for me. Plus, look at that face! How can you resist? Oh, and they also come in black:



As you can see, both variations are very adorable. Plus, black and fawn both go with everything. (Not that I would think of my dog as an accessory...but I want us to look good together! Just sayin.)

So starting in May, the puppy hunt will begin in earnest. And I'll be sure to keep you updated all along the way!

Until later! :)

have a dilemma? ask jimmy!

I'm happy to say that the doggie dilemma has been decided by none other than Jimmy Fallon.

Ok...well maybe he was just saying that. I think in reality it's just gonna come down to gut instinct. Which should be criterion enough to choose a dog, since that's how a surprising amount of Americans choose a President.

Today was a bag of mixed nuts. I woke up this morning to a call from my friend Chris who informed me that he slipped and broke his ankle on the ice Friday night "like a geriatric" and now he's out of Children of Eden. Buh-MER. Not only am I super-sad not to get to hang out with him at rehearsals, but Chris is very talented and left a very big role for someone else to fill a MONTH before this show opens.

Yikes.

I didn't celebrate the Super Bowl this year, but most people did, so we moved up rehearsal to 4:00 instead of 7:00. This kind of cut into the middle of what would normally be sleepy-time on a Sunday, so I got like an hour of sleep before rehearsal. Then when I got home I heated up a frozen pizza and watched Miss Congeniality, which was relaxing. Then I tried to get some sleep, but that didn't go well. Then I OVERslept and got to work late, which isn't really a big deal on the weekends.

But I do have that kinda gross feeling you get when you haven't slept enough. And I didn't wash my hair because I was running late, so it looks a little flat. And I have my meeting with Big Boss today. So...yeah.

And now I'm really starting to feel the pressure of figuring out what my next move is. I've been sort of looking forward to this point for the past year and a half, but now that it's here, I am a little reluctant to deal with it. I keep thinking, "It would be so much easier to just stay here for another year."

And ironically, that's how I know it need to start looking elsewhere.

Whenever I get to the point where I'm not being challenged, I get this way. Looking forward at what would be the next step up, I always get really tempted to stop where I am because it's comfortable, easy, familiar. And when I start to feel that way, I know that means it's time to be a big girl and move on.

That's not to say that staying here for awhile isn't an option anymore. I just need to make sure I seriously look at and apply for some other jobs, instead of chickening out. And here's my plan: I'm only going to move on if the job is

a) something I think I'll enjoy equally as much as or more than my current job
b) something I'll be getting paid as much as or more than I am getting paid here

Otherwise, it's honestly not going to be worth it. There's no reason I should move on to something I won't like as much (even if they pay me more money), because I really like it here. But basically I'm gonna go big, or go home. Or, stay home, I guess...lol.

OK, speaking of work, I better get back to it! Hope everyone has a happy Monday! Do you think DeAnna is coming back this week on the Bachelor?!! My prediction was that she'd show up the week after Megan left to keep the drama going. Check in tomorrow to see if I was right!

Until later! :)

options

Doggie dilemma!!!

OK, as you may know, I am a little puppy crazy right now. And the plan is to start looking at breeders in June and get a puppy this summer. And up to now I had made up my mind on what to get:



A miniature schnauzer. I did my research, consulted my dad (who is a veterinarian), and finally came up with this choice. And I mean, I was set on it.

Until this weekend.

I went home to my mom and dad's for the weekend (which was awesome. It started with me calling Dad for help with a burnt-out headlight Saturday and ended with me packing up for an overnight stay that included working on the car with Dad in the garage all afternoon, doing my laundry FO' FREE ("Unforgivable," anyone?) and going out for dinner and drinks with the people my parents ride Harleys with and watching Indiana's Katie Stam WIN Miss America! Wooo! But anyway, back to the dogs...)

OK, so my dad says, "We had a puppy come in to the clinic and it made me think, 'You know what would be a great dog for Lisa? A pug.'"



Me: "OK, what?! That's what I had originally wanted to get but you said it had too many health problems!"

Dad: "What? I don't remember that."

Me: "Uh...I do. That's why I started looking for other ideas. That's how I came up with miniature schnauzer!"

Dad: "I don't remember you saying you wanted a pug. They're fine; they don't have too many problems, and they don't shed. And miniature schnauzers bark a lot."

Me: "Nice flip-flopping, Dad! Who are you, Mitt Romney?"

So now I'm trying to decide between the two. And I know what you're probably thinking...(a) why do I care, (b) why are you freaking out, it's only January, or (c) you've stopped reading by now so you're probably thinking about what's for lunch.

But I'm just trying to consider my options. So here is the famous Liz Lemon list of pros and cons:

Miniature Schauzer Pros:
Very intelligent and easy to train
Loyal, protective
Doesn't shed
Good swimmers (this dog has to go to the lake, so that's important)
Good with other pets and children
Good watch dog
Cute beard and bushy eyebrows

Pug Pros:
Fairly intelligent and trains well
Loyal, likes to cuddle
Doesn't shed
Loves people
"Comedian" of the dog world
Super-cute curly tail and buggy eyes

Miniature Schnauzer Cons:
Hair has to be groomed often
Barks at strangers
Will tear things up if he gets bored

Pug Cons:
Susceptible to some eye injuries/infections and breathing issues
Not sure how he'll do in the water (but they do make doggie life jackets!):

(is it bad that this video makes me laugh so hard?!)

And I'm sure a big part of the decision will come down to what's available when I start looking. But if you want to weigh in on this or if you've ever owned any of these breeds, let me know what you think!

Until later!

twenty-five

This came from a Facebook game, and I'm not asking anyone to play it here...although it does make for a kind of fun blog post if you want to try it! I just thought I'd post mine on here for that very reason.

(The Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, you choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.)

Here are my 25 REALLY random things:

1. I am a social networking junkie. I have a blog, two YouTube channels, a Twitter feed, and (of course) Facebook! I don't have MySpace, though. Do people still use that?

2. I wouldn't say I hate cooking, but I don't enjoy cooking just for myself. (And I don't mean making burgers in the George Foreman or scrambling up an egg omelette -- in my book it only counts as cooking if you actually measure out ingredients and stuff.)

3. I do enjoy living on my own, even if that does mean cooking (or frying, or microwaving) for one!

4. I love my job. Even on the days when things don't go well. It doesn't matter how much money I make...I just love what I do.

5. I'm left-handed. Did everybody know that?

6. I have so. Many. Shoes. Most of them are heels because...

7. I am 5'2". Just like Reese Witherspoon, Ashley Tisdale, and Amy Poehler!

8. My dream jobs include: Marci Klein's job at SNL, Gellman's job on Regis & Kelly, being a personal assistant to Tina Fey just so I could soak up her awesomeness (did you catch how that's a reference to Mean Girls, written by Tina Fey?!), producing my own TV show, performing on Broadway.

9. I'd really like to write and publish a book someday.

10. I am so proud of my friends; so many people I know from high school, church, college, and after college are incredibly talented and I can't wait to see them make it big so I can cash in on those friendships. Totally kidding. But I truly believe that so many people I know have absolute star quality!

11. I have lived without cable television for 3 and a half years. I still keep up with a lot of TV shows; I just watch them all online or buy them by the season on DVD.

12. I do not, and probably never will, like the taste of coffee. I think it smells good, but tastes gross.

13. I don't remember a moment in my life where I stopped believing in Santa Claus. Most people can tell a story about how they found out, but I have no recollection of that happening...which makes me think I probably still believe in Santa Claus.

14. I also don't remember a point in my life where I started believing in God and in Jesus. Most people have a story to tell about that moment, too. But for me, the belief has just always been there, although that belief has definitely evolved and been challenged and dissected throughout my lifetime.

15. Back to accessories...I also love handbags and hats. I think my love of hats is what gets me through the winter.

16. I think it'd be really cool to live in the South, but I love-love-love the change in seasons that we get here in the Midwest. I would have a hard time giving that up.

17. I want a dog, really really a lot. I think everyone knows that. Hopefully I'll have one by this summer!

18. A lot of people ask me this, so in case you're wondering, here's what my work/sleep schedule is like: I go into work around midnight. I stay until 8 AM (give or take, depending on how much other work I need to do), then I go home and go to bed, usually from 8 or 9 AM until 4 or 5 PM. I don't have black curtains or heavy shades to block out the daylight. I'm just nocturnal, like an owl or a vampire.

19. My all-time, hands-down, no-contest favorite song in the world is "More Than Words" by Extreme for three reasons: (1) it reminds me of being at the lake (I don't know why), (2) the harmonies are beautiful, and (3) I love the lyrics and I think they have an awesome meaning. YouTube it and listen.

20. $20 bills are the worst. It seems like most bank machines and cash-back options always start at $20, which annoys me because usually I just need 5 bucks to put on my laundry card and I don't want to spend money just to break the 20, and I feel like a jerk just walking up to a random cashier and saying, "Hi, I'm not gonna buy anything, but will you just break this for me?" And it's hard for me to actually go to the bank and get cash in the amount that I want because I'm usually asleep during bank hours.

21. There's an episode of "The Office" where everyone was naming the five movies they'd bring with them if they were going to be on a desert island (the game is called "Desert Island" and it's supposed to be books, but I guess everyone was mildly illiterate, so they did movies). So anyway, here are my Desert Island 5: Big Fish, Singin' in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, Ferris Beuller's Day Off, and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I think. I'm never completely sure; I like a lot of movies!

22. My favorite color is pink. I feel like everyone knew that one too. My dad actually ordered me a pink phone without me having to ask. Isn't that awesome?!

23. On your 23rd birthday, you go off your parents' insurance. When I turned 23 I was working two part-time jobs, so I didn't have any insurance. It was that way for a few months until I got hired full-time at the TV station. Luckily, nothing bad happened.

24. I have a lot of fake foliage in my apartment. Fake flower vines around my kitchen, fake lilies in a vase on my counter, fake ferns on my window sill, a sconce with a fake bouqet on my wall, a vase of fake flowers in my bathroom, and a big fake flower sitting on my dresser in my bedroom. Low maintenance beauty, folks. That's what it's all about. Although I do enjoy real flowers too.

25. My favorite magazine is "Lucky." (I just bought one today, so that's what made me think of it.) I like it because you don't have to see any stories like "most embarrassing moments" or "101 sex tips." It's just all about clothes, which is my only reason for reading fashion magazines anyway.

And that's it! You might give it a try...just start at one and write about the first 25 things that sort of just pop into your head!

Have a great weekend :) Until later!

it's that time of year...

...when the world falls in love...

OK, I think that time of year is just about over. But really, it's that time of year when we all make a list of things we're going to do (or not do) in hopes of becoming a better person, having a better year, and making it a better world.

New Year's Resolutions.

And I feel like the act of making them is kind of a cliche, and something we as a culture don't really take seriously anymore. But I think there are some things in my life I want to improve, and I might as well make goals now, right? And I think writing them down will sort of make me commit to them and hold myself more accountable. Plus, then I can blog about them, which I'm sure will help too!

(I have to mention that as I'm writing this, I'm listening to the playlist I just attached to my blog and it's really fun to write while these songs are playing. I hope that it's not annoying that music starts playing on my blog, and you don't have to listen to it, but if you don't mind turning it up a bit while you read, think of it as a soundtrack for my blog. These aren't just songs I like; they all have a reason for being on that playlist.)

OK. Here we go.

1. I'm going to get into and stay on a regular workout plan. (The ultimate New Year's resolution cliche, right?!) But over the past few days, I feel like I've eaten enough sweet stuff to give myself diabetes. And I keep reading all these news stories about how much the average person should work out, and I'm realizing that more and more, I can't put myself in that group, which is pretty sad. So, I'm going to start out by saying I will work out three times a week. That's really not that hard. And I'd like to do more than that. But I think I'll start with something I know I can do realistically, and then once I've been doing that for a few months, reset the goal for something higher. But I'll start at three days a week.

2. I'm going to save money. That is kind of hard for me to do; my paycheck does not stretch very far. But I got a small raise recently, I'll be getting paid for coaching color guard, and I just worked a holiday, so that should give me a great springboard for saving. I mean saving significant amounts of money, not saving one month just to use it all up the next. I really want a dog, and I'm waiting until I pay off my car so I can use that money every month to save/use on doggie expenses. But I'd like to have a bigger cushion before then. Speaking of which...

3. I'm going to get a dog. The plan has been in place for months and months, but why not add it to my list? I will finish paying off my car in May, so the plan has been to start looking at breeders in June. That way I have the summertime to house-train and everything, not to mention have the financial means to take care of a dog. And here's an added motivation for Item #1 on this list - the kind of dog I want to get (miniature schnauzer, for anyone who has forgotten) has a tendency to get fat and unhealthy if it doesn't get a lot of exercise and good nutrition. Sound like anyone else you know? So I think if I can get a healthier lifestyle in place by the time I adopt a puppy, I can do a better job of taking care of and raising a dog!

4. Speaking of nutrition, that's something I also want to work on. I kind of phase in and out on this, and I eat WAY less fast food than I did a year ago, but I want to keep improving on this. Sometimes it's hard to eat regular, balanced meals because my schedule is so weird, but I've been at it for a little over a year now, and I think I can figure out how to make it work. I'm going to eat more fruits and vegetables. I'm going to eat more meat. I'm going to eat two balanced meals every day. (That has to include some sort of meat and some sort of produce; not just peanut butter and crackers or a bowl of cereal.) I'm going to start rehearsals for a play soon, and I know that's going to make it harder to eat right, but I've already been through this schedule during the summer, and I know I can do it.

5. I'm going to do some housework every day, instead of waiting until the end of the week to do all my cleaning. Whether it's washing dishes, taking out the trash, surface cleaning, laundry, sweeping, or just picking up around the house, I always feel better when I do a little bit here and there every day than when I let it pile up and then spend my whole weekend doing all of it. Plus, when I get a dog, I'll probably have to do some cleaning every day anyway :-P

6. I'm going to consider my career options. I'm going to look around and see what's out there. I'm going to keep staying here as an option for one more year. I'm not going to limit myself by what I think is realistic; if Good Morning America still has a segment producer opening available when my contract is up, I'm going to apply for it. I'm not going to be too afraid to go for something big. I'm not going to be discouraged if the job market is frozen and the best option is to stay here. I'm not going to feel pressured or obligated to stay if that's not the best thing for me to do. I'm going to trust God to help me make a decision and to take care of me whatever I decide.

7. I'm going to use up all of my vacation time and comp days this year. Five days will absolutely be for a trip to the lake with my family. The five-plus-comp days I would like to use to visit my sister in Florida, take a trip to New York with family or friends, possibly use for job interview trips, and maybe even take another trip to the lake with friends now that we have the new cabin. I'm entitled to those days and I'm going to take them. Just because it's hard for them to cover my job while I'm gone doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to use my vacation time up. I have just as much right as anyone to take time off. I'm not going to feel bad about it anymore. I'm just going to schedule it, and not worry about it. I've got it down to a science now how to prepare the person filling in for me, so it shouldn't be that hard.

I feel weird stopping on seven, but I think those are my big things I want to accomplish this year. I'm actually proud that I accomplished a lot of things in the past year -- I'm living on my own, supporting myself, I got involved with a church that I go to regularly, I made big changes and improvements to my show at work, I got involved in civic theatre, I made new friends, I've done a better job keeping in touch with people, and I feel like I've improved and cultivated my relationships with my parents and my sisters. Of course I want to keep working on all of those things, but I think you need to be able to look back on your year and be proud of what you've accomplished, so that you realize you are capable of achieving the goals you've set for the year ahead. Life is good, and it can be better.

Happy new year!

happy thoughts!

I know lately my blog has been all about elections and money and similarly un-cheerful topics, but I think this is a very important message from two actresses I really love. So pay attention.

See more Natalie Portman videos at Funny or Die

"I waount that!" (Said in the voice of the lady from Napoleon Dynamite.)

This is the kind of dog I am hopefully going to be getting this summer! It's a miniature schnauzer, and they are awesome dogs because they are just as intelligent as they look (don't you love the little beard and bushy eyebrows?), they're easy to train, good with kids, they love giving and receiving attention, they're fiercely loyal, and they aren't supposed to shed very much. And they are apartment-sized!

And I just realized that I think that pretty much describes ME. Except for the beard and bushy eyebrows thing. And the shedding...I actually shed a LOT. Ask my sink drain.

This is what the puppy version looks like:



EEEEEEEEEEE!!! Look at those little faces! OK, I know, I am obessed. But whatev. I feel like I've been taking frequent trips to Negative Town on my blog lately, so I thought today I'd just leave one of my best happy thoughts on here instead!

You know, like in Peter Pan, where you think of your happy thought and then you can fly?

Mine is...PUPPIES!!! :)

Update...
Look who else is happy about puppies! My favorite online celebs, Whatever Hollywood!

just me and my thoughts...

Kels, I promise I will do a purse post soon! That was such a cute idea!

But for now...

This is the first Friday night/Saturday morning in a long time that I've gotten snagged on my sleeping schedule and ended up awake all night. It's 4:40 AM as I'm typing this now. I was supposed to go to Twin Lakes for color guard this afternoon, but wasn't feeling well, so I called in and stayed home to sleep, which was a good choice; I feel much better just getting some solid sleep under my belt.

But now I'm up.

And I need to get at least a little sleep sometime this morning because I have to be at one of the local high schools for regional band competition (at least I don't have to drive far!) at 10 AM. And it's going to be a full day because after regionals, I am off to another local high school to watch my friend Justin march in his marching band. It is the one and only chance I'll have to see him march, so I need to go. And afterwards we might do a movie, so...yeah. Sleep is going to be needed at some point this morning.

I actually probably would've been able to achieve a second round of Z's if it hadn't been for the fact that I swung by Marla's sorority and stole her to go get some ice cream. Before that, I had just eaten dinner and finished a Bacardi Raz, and there's nothing like a full stomach from a warm meal and a little adult beverage consumption to get you comfy and ready for a nap. But Marla needed some cheering up, and I was only too happy to oblige! I love being in the same town as her. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do when I move away; we've just always been within reach. It's not like we hang out all the time, but when times like tonight come up and we need some sisterly support, it's just nice to know we can physically be there for each other. I tried to talk her into moving with me wherever I go...lol...but she wants to stay close to home, or at least in the Midwest. And I don't blame her; the Midwest is a wonderful place, and it will always be home. But it's just been home to me for my entire life, and if I don't get out now, I never will. A year from now, I really hope to go somewhere unlike any place I know.

Possible thoughts...

Savannah, GA (I am in love with that place, ever since a visit there on Spring Break once. Small-town feel, but big on culture and especially history!)

Somewhere near Hollywood, California (Entertainment capital of the galaxy.)

Charleston, SC (Again, one Spring Break trip there and I was in love. For many of the same reasons as Savannah plus the shopping there is amazing!)

Somewhere in Florida (My sister is moving to Tampa...maybe after a visit I can come up with some ideas.)

New York!!! (Whenever Lorne Michaels and Marci Klein call me up.)

Watch me end up somewhere really random like Omaha, Nebraska. Or French Lick. Yikes.

Anyway, I'm watching GiGi. I never realized until this year what it's really about. And what it's about is a girl who is being raised and trained to be a mistress to rich men in Paris. I know, right?! Granted, the last time I watched this was when I was really little, so I didn't really gain anything from it except the song "Thank Heaven for Little Girls," which now that I watch the movie as an adult is kind of a creepy song.

Oh! This is one of the best parts--Gigi is singing "I don't understand the Paweeeeesians!" I don't either, Gigi.

OK, can I just explain to you how much I want a dog? It's like, some women get this crazy obsession with having a baby, like Jennifer Garner in Juno or Tina Fey in Baby Mama. Well I have that, but with dogs. I mean, I grew up in a family with pets. My dad is a vet, so I think we all are kind of naturally animal lovers. I live on my own, and I'm at a great point in my life to have my own dog. And the plan is to get one this coming summer--which I realize seems like a long time form now. But financially it's the best timing. So now I'm like this crazy lady obsessed with having a baby, only my baby will be a dog. Haha...yep, I've officially lost it.

OK, maybe I need another Raz. Or a snack. Something that will make me sleepy.

Sweet dreams!

One Year Later...

I just thought I'd take a little personal inventory and reflect on where I am a year after starting this blog and, essentially, starting my life as a grown-up.

I recently re-signed the lease for my apartment. I've been living here by myself for almost a year (I moved in last July). When I moved, I was holding down two jobs: part-time production assistant at the station, and pretty much full-time waiting tables. Plus working in the nursery on Sundays, so techinically three jobs, although the nursery doesn't really count because that's only like 3.5 hours a week, if that. Now I am a full-time, contracted news producer. I still do the nursery thing.

I have paid off half of my car, which is exciting. So another year from now, I will be done making car payments! I decided that will be the time for me to get a dog. It seems like good timing; I will have freed up some financial obligations and be more capable of taking good care of a pet. I still want a miniature schnauzer.

I have ended two dating relationships since starting this blog, so now I am single. And I am really happy about that. I am at a time in my life when it's OK to be selfish and do my own thing, and that is exactly what I'm doing. A lot of friends my age are getting engaged and married, and some are already on their second kid, and I want all of that eventually, but not right now. A friend of mine at the station who gives me lots of good advice told me he doesn't see me getting married until my late twenties...28 or 29! It freaked me out to hear him say that, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized he's probably right. And to be honest, I don't have that "time is running out" feeling either. Actually, "finding" someone is about the last thing I want to even think about at this point in my life. The only someone I want to find is a cute puppy--in a year!

I've now been out of school for a year, which makes me feel old. But it IS awesome not to have to study or do homework or take quizzes ever again! And I've been working at a "real" job for about a year now, so that makes me feel a little more like a real grown-up. Also, a member of the HSM cast told me yesterday that I'm his first adult friend. Really? Oh yeah, I AM an adult! But I still feel like I'm just a kid a lot of the time.

And I still don't like coffee.

engaged

"Do you have the wing?"
~Impressive Clergyman, The Princess Bride

I just found out via Facebook this week that two more of my friends are engaged! This super-sweet guy I know from high school...and it's really awesome that he popped the question. I'm very happy for him. And a girl I knew from various campus activities in college. And she is one of the nicest people I know, so of course I'm happy for her.

But are you kidding me?!

Who ISN'T engaged, or married? Oh, that's right. Me! And the thing is, I'm not in a hurry for that to happen; I'm enjoying this whole experience of living on my own, focusing on getting my career started, making new friends, and trying to do some growing up in preparation for being ready for whomever I end up marrying someday. It's not like I go around all day looking at my left hand and feeling like something is missing there. It's just that every time I find out about another friend getting engaged, married, or having a baby, I get this little pang in my heart--"I want that!" It's like when you see someone with a dog. I want a dog. But I don't think about it 24-7. I do think about it when I see someone with a dog. And I know that's something I want eventually, not right at this very moment, but hopefully within a matter of years.

It's just kind of funny; I'm one of the oldest in my graduating class, so I was the first one to have everything happen to me. I was always sort of leading the way with those little landmarks of life. But now it seems like I'm the one watching it happen to everyone else. Like everyone else is driving around in new cars and I'm still waiting to get my driver's license. It's like playing a board game, and you keep having to skip a turn while everyone else is getting way ahead and winning.

Anyway, this isn't something I worry about a ton. It's just like a little alarm goes off each time I find out someone else is moving on to that next spot on the board. If only I could roll a 2 or a 5!!! No, just kidding, I don't even know of any games that make you skip a turn until you roll a 2 or a 5. But sometimes it does feel that way. I know I just need to keep doing what I'm doing, be patient, be wise, pray about it, and enjoy my present circumstances, because if I try to blast past this part of my life I know I will regret it later.

Things are better now than they've ever been. I don't want to come off as anxious or discontented with where I am in life right now. I know that the things I'm experiencing right now are not too big or too small, but "just right," and I'm so thankful for that. Actually, I feel like I have a sense of clarity and self-awareness that I haven't had in a long time. I feel more and more like I know who I am, and what I'm about. I know when I started this blog I felt kind of lost in several aspects of my life. But now it just seems like things are lining up...like, rather than me trying to force all the pieces to fit, I'm just being true to myself and they are fitting where they are supposed to. And that gives me great hope in the future. I think great things are ahead!

But I swear, if I have to hear about one more engagement...

Just kiddin'.

Until later!
lis

Being a Grown-Up is Boring.

It's just as I suspected. Being a grown-up is boring.

Here's what's happening in my life: I go to work. I come home. I eat something. I go to sleep. I wake up. I work out (sometimes). I take a shower. I go to work. And that's my week. And even though I'm used to the schedule, my work week still feels more like one really long day during which I just take lots of long naps. Honestly, the best part of my day is from 5 to 7 a.m. Now who else in the world can say that? I have the most fun of my day when we're doing the morning show.

I talked to Ryan yesterday and literally had nothing new to tell him. Because there's nothing new in my life right now. I have a few things to look forward to, but other than that, I'm just doing the same thing every day.

I feel like things will pick up this summer, and here's why. As you may know from reading my last post, I have two major goals for this summer: to get a puppy and to be in at least one summer civic theatre show. I really hope I can be in a play for this summer because once I started rehearsing, I'd have something to do other than work, which would be great! Also, once I have a puppy I will have a lot more to do, like clean up after it, take it outside all the time, and train it. Even the hard parts of owning a dog sound fun! That's how boring my life is right now.

Don't get me wrong; I love my job. It's just the rest of my day when I'm not at my job that's so boring.

And lately I haven't been motivated to do much of anything, like clean my apartment or go work out. I'm just tired of doing this stuff every day! But, welcome to the rest of adult life, right?

Oh! Here's one thing I'm excited about: For the first time since living on my own, this month will be the first that I've actually been able to save a significant amount of money! Tomorrow is a pay day, and I'll be able to pay all my living expenses and still have money left over to speak of! It seems like a small accomplishment, but it's actually a big deal to me, especially since I'm budgeting for a dog in the future.

OK, quick media picks.
Movies: I went to see Katherine Heigl's "27 Dresses." It was great, and I am now completely in love with James Marsden. The movie was one part "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," one part "Runaway Bride," and one part "My Best Friend's Wedding," add James Marsden, shake, strain, and pour into a martini glass. Yum...everything a chick flick should be! My favorite part involves a slightly drunken duet between Heigl and Marsden singing "Benny and the Jets" in a packed roadhouse...it was very adorable (especially Marsden...did I mention I'm completely in love with him?)

TV: Thanks, WGA for not letting anyone get back to work. This is getting really old. I did see that NBC.com posted episodes 1, 3, and 5 of season 4. I still need to watch season 3 on DVD, but now I'm caught up for the most part on the current season, so I really hope the strike ends soon since I'm almost ready to be a weekly Office watcher! Plus I'm waiting for more "Pushing Daisies" on NBC. On the other hand, Big Brother is just around the corner and I can't wait! CBS has been promo'ing its new show line-up for February sweeps, and so far the only thing I'm interested in is Big Brother. Although for Survivor fans they're doing a "Fans vs. Faves" season, which I think is a great idea. They need to do that for BB as well...that would be hilarious.

Music: I don't listen to music anymore. Just kidding. But I haven't listened to anything new lately. I need to dig through my CDs and find some old stuff that I haven't heard in awhile.

Ok, that's it for now. Hopefully next time I write, I'll have something new to say!

(not) Busy

I really want a dog.

How great would that be? I'd have someone to keep me company, we could go for walks, drive around together...and I have plenty of time to train it and stuff.
So I'm saving up for a dog.

Also, I'm going to get involved in civic theatre this summer, or at least try out. I don't know what musicals they are doing yet, but I know one of them is HSM...and of course I'm enough of a 12-year-old to be totally excited about that!

I need to find someplace to sing, because I miss it so much and I really freak out sometimes about losing my singing voice. I sing in the car all the time...not really the same thing!

I'm just not used to not being busy...I go to work, I come home, go to bed, and I work out, and that's pretty much it. I started a video blog so I spend some time editing videos and stuff, which is really fun, especially when you have plenty of time to work on it. But for some reason my camera isn't reading my SD card, and I had a lot of stuff on there, and now I can't get the camera to recognize it. Plus, for some reason the internal memory only hold about 3 1/2 minutes worth of video (which doesn't seem right). So I'm going to take it in to Best Buy tomorrow and see if they can tell me anything. The problem is my sister bought it in Hong Kong or Singapore or something, so it's not like I can take it back to where I got it and get their help. I'm sure it'll be fine, it's just annoying to not be able to figure out what's wrong with the thing.

Speaking of memory...I apparantly ran out of it on the computer I use at work! I was trying to save my videos to the server we use for stuff we put on the air, and I couldn't save the videos because the drive had run out of space. And of course, this is at 4:30, so it's half an hour before the show and I have no video ready. Luckily one of the anchors let me use his computer to do the rest, and the video guy helped out by dubbing some tapes I needed into the server in the sports office. And everyone was really flexible. One of the PAs was like, "Lisa, you seem concerned but calm," which I guess is a good thing...I didn't feel calm, but everyone else was being really patient with me, so that was keeping me from having a meltdown! There was a point in the morning when I felt like snapping, but then I realized I didn't have time for it! It would have been pointless anyway. No one was causing me any problems; quite the contrary.

I was talking to one of the anchors after the show about how easy it is to come to work with this group of people, because everyone has the same goal in mind: to do a good job, and to enjoy doing it. We all can goof around and tease each other, but we all feel like it's important to put a good show together and get it on the air, and we're not trying to discourage each other. I think that's really rare, not just in TV but in any workplace. I was talking to some friends who were asking me how I like my job, and I told them I'm really blessed to have been put in the right place at the right time with the right people. Yah, I complain about things sometimes, but it's pretty rare to have any reason to. And sometimes we get frusterated because things break or don't work the way they should, and we can't always depend on our machinery. But we can always depend on each other (as corny as that sounds). Not many people are as lucky as me, to find a job they love with people who make it fun, right out of college...or ever!

Moving on...I don't really have any new media picks right now. I'm actually trying really hard not to spend money on movies (arf arf!).

Oh! I did see "Uptown Girls" at a friend's house. I had always wanted to see it; I thought it looked cute. It really surprised me. It wasn't just a fluffy chick flick. It was a little deeper emotionally than I thought it would be. If you're not familiar, it stars Brittany Murphy as the orphan daughter of a rock star couple who died in a plane crash when she was eight, but of course left her tons of money so she didn't have to actually work or be accountable for anything. (She did go to college, but I don't really know why.) But the cool thing is, she's not exactly Paris/Nicole...she's got this quirky, super-eccentric flower child vibe and though she's very materialistic and extravagant, she's not snide or witchy or uppity at all. She's got a flair for fashion, but it doens't have to be couture. In fact, the opening sequence shows her crushing a tiny wire candle-lampshade and pinning it in her hair. She's basically a little girl who didn't mature much past the age she was when she lost her family.
She has a super-preppy best friend, which I don't understand at all. They were apparantly college roommates, but I don't see how their friendship works...I guess it's that "opposites attract" cliche. Her best friend is like a Martha Stewart disciple, with a bob cut, headband, high neckline, and pearls. Yah.
Of course, what happens is that "Bob," who takes care of Molly's (Murphy's character)parents' estate, runs off with all of her money, which means she has to get a job. Her other best friend, (played by Turk from Scrubs!!!) who is some kind of associate music producer, gets her a gig as the nanny of his boss's bratty daughter, played by the creepy Dakota Fanning.
In this movie, Fanning's character is like a cranky 65-year-old lady trapped in a 9-year-old's body. She is OCD, germaphobic, and militaristically precise. She is, of course, the exact maturity level but polar opposite personality of Molly.
There are some hilarious interactions and adventures with the two "uptown girls," but they also find out that they are both acting out of fear because of the hurt of losing their parents (Fanning's character has a dad who is a vegetable). And they influence each other to better balance having a good time and being responsible ("fundamentals are the building blocks of fun"). The best analogy for thier relationship is the fact that Fanning's character is in ballet class, which for her is a perfect outlet for her love of order and discipline. For Molly, dancing is an outlet for individuality and spontinaety. At the end of the movie is a scene where Molly goes to the dance recital to see her charge mixing her own precise technique with a mimick of her nanny's freeform version of dance. That was probably the part that made me want to cry the most.
It's a rather predictable movie, as most chick-flicks are, but it's not what you'd expect from the previews. I realize everyone else has probably already seen this movie as it was released on DVD like two years ago, but that's my insight on it.
Go check it out.

OK, time to go work out...I totally didn't mean to spend that much time writing on here.

Mary Tyler Moore

I know, I know...what happened to September? Let's just say it was a blur. I adjusted to working this time of the year, not going to school, and balanced my three jobs. Then at the end of September, I got promoted to a full time job at the station as a production assistant in the mornings! I love the morning people, so I was elated, not to mention eager to get a bigger paycheck. I have just completed my second week as a full-timer, and I just accepted a new job.

I know, I know...what??? How does that happen?

It happened because our morning producer got an offer from his hometown station and decided he wanted to go back. He has been working here for not even as long as I have, and he's already moving on! Well, about the same time he decided to leave, we got two new production assistants on part-time. One came in for the mornings to get the experience of a 4:30 am - 1:00 pm work day, and as we were waiting on the floor to do the noon news show, the anchors asked the new guy what he wanted to do as far as a career path.

"I want to do engineering for television," he said. And believe me, we need more of those. One of the anchors then turned to me and said, "What about you, Lisa?"

"What about me?"

"What do you want to do eventually?" he asked. I said I thought I might like to produce.

"Well, don't you know we have a morning producer position open now?" he said. "You should apply for it." I told him I didn't think I had the training or experience needed.

"Oh, we train people all the time," said the other anchor. "You could do it."

"You should talk to the news director," said the first anchor. "In fact, I'll make a note to say something to her myself."

And that's how it all started. Word gets around in a small, small station, and before I knew it, my old buddy the evening weather guy was leaving notes for the morning crew: "Lisa should take that producing job."

Well, I did talk to the news director, and she was interested in looking into this possibility. So I have spent the last few days shadowing a couple of the producers to find out more about the job and what it entails. And today, I went to the news director to talk, and our conversation ended with her giving me the job. I guess it's not official yet; I still have to sign the contract and work out details with the production manager, but I start training Sunday night.

I have to sign a contract. Is this a real job or what?

I called my mom and told her, and we both stuttered excitedly on the phone, speaking mostly in incomplete sentences that trailed off to "...wow." I then hung up, put my paycheck in the bank, and started to drive home.

As I crossed the bridge over the Wabash, I started to cry.

I'm so stunned. I can't believe it's true. After I walked out of the office, I thought, "Did that just happen?" But it did. And I'm going to be a producer.

I haven't told Ryan yet, and I can't wait to! He's going to call soon, and then I'm going shopping!

I don't know if you've ever seen the Mary Tyler Moore show, but it's about a girl who's out of college, single, and living alone for the first time. She gets a job as associate producer at a local news station in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I bought the first season of this show on DVD, and I love it. It's very relatable to my life. Well, while I was on the phone with my mom, she said, "You're gonna have to watch another episode of Mary Tyler Moore!" And I said, "I know, that show IS pretty much my life!" Especially now. I know it's corny, but I just love that theme song..."You're gonna make it after all."

Everything's looking up. I've been decorating my apartment, and I finally have it to the point where I want it....it looks really good! My next goal is to budget for a pet. Today our "Pet of the Week" on the noon show was a pair of sweet, mellow cats, and playing with them made me really want a cat. I want a dog, too, but cats are a lot easier to take care of, as well as easier to find. If I got a dog, I would want a specific breed, and if I want a cat, I just want a sweet personality. We'll see. Oh! I also finally have internet in my apartment. I feel like I've officially moved in!

More later, and more often!
Lis ;)