I Want a Boxing Kangaroo

Current mood: bland

Standing on a bridge
Watch the water passing underneath
It must have been much harder when there was no bridge, just water
Now the world is small
Remember how it used to be
With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars?
~ “Funny the Way it Is” by Dave Matthews Band

This morning is day 6 of Oatmeal for breakfast. It is quite healthy – made with ½ cup of oats, 2 tablespoons of Flaxseed, ¼ cup of low-fat milk, and ¾ cup of water. Then, once cooked, I stir in blueberries until the concoction turns bluish-purple. That is the easy part. The difficult part is spooning it into my mouth and swallowing it. I am by no means a fan of oatmeal unless it is filled with sugar and artificial flavors. Still, I am eating it. I suppose it is growing on me, as today I did not gag on it, like I did yesterday morning.

For lunch, I have steamed rice and vegetables. I was actually looking forward to it until I realized that I probably cannot coat the rice in butter and salt. Hopefully, the carrots, beans, and peas will add enough flavors to the rice that I can enjoy it. The highlight of my lunch will definitely be getting to see my new lunchbox again. Non-boyfriend bought me an old-fashioned metal lunchbox. It is green and has the ‘Junior Mints’ insignia on it. I absolutely love it.

I do not know what I will have for dinner – but most likely it will cancel out all the healthy food I have eaten all day. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but I am constantly craving junk food. Still, it is all about making one healthy choice at a time. And right now, I am choosing to not go buy a snack from the vending machine. Instead, I just glance over at my remaining 3 bites of oatmeal and lose my appetite completely for anything! It’s a great trick.

I have applesauce for my mid-morning snack – which I actually am really looking forward to. I LOVE applesauce. I love apples in general (though I don’t have any because the custodial staff threw them away because I accidentally left my lunchbox at work over the weekend.). I am looking forward to this autumn when I can go to Kiser Apple Orchard in Plattsmouth/Murray, NE and pick my own apples. If you are not familiar with Kiser Apple Orchard, then you obviously have not met “Charlie”. He is a volunteer EMT/Firefighter in Murray. He is also the gentleman who put up a road block and directed traffic for us after our hot air balloon landing the other evening.

We landed directly next to the highway, which was convenient, as our spotter had no idea where we were, and landing anywhere else would have meant that I would have had to help DRAG the balloon and basket to the highway for packing up. That was NOT happening, I assure you. Non-boyfriend was a practical hero though, as he did the job of the ground crew until our spotter arrived. A quick learner, he was able to rotate the basket, help unhook the balloon, and push all the air out of it. Overall, I was highly impressed with how he just jumped in and helped our pilot out.

Anyway, back to Charlie. He appeared at the most opportune time. Luckily for us, he was heading back home from his grandparents and just happened by, right after we landed. He turned the siren lights on for his truck and broke out his reflective vest so he could be in official volunteer firefighter mode. He even posed for a picture with Mr. Rawr, which I thought was very sweet. He also invited us to the Murray Volunteer Firefighter Pancake Feed at 7am on July 4th. It is a huge fundraiser which allows the firehouse to buy safety and emergency equipment. So, if you want breakfast on Saturday morning, head on out to Murray. It isn’t far – and who doesn’t love a small town pancake feed? Seriously!

PERSONAL NOTE: Cannot wait to play Wii on Friday! It will be hysterical from your point of view.

CONFIDENTIAL NOTE: I am sorry that you will have to endure her at every family function from now to eternity! Look on the bright side . . . um . . . well. . . there isn’t really one; but, I still like you!

let's unwrite these pages and replace them with our own words

current mood: complacent

if love is a labor, ill slave til the end
i won’t cross these streets until you hold my hand
I’ve been here so long that it’s time to move
the winter’s so cold; summer’s over too soon
~ “Swing Life Away” by Rise Against

I am afraid of heights. I don’t like bridges, flying or even riding in ski lifts. I have learned, however, that if I cater to my fears, then they just get worse. As a result, I force myself to fly in airplanes and I drive across bridges, ignoring the heart palpitations. I haven’t been skiing for some time, but when I go, I ride in the lifts and look around, attempting to enjoy the scenery while praying that the cables don’t snap in the cold. This past weekend, I did something amazing – I went Hot Air Ballooning!

'Non-boyfriend' and I went up in the Euphoria – the largest hot air balloon in Nebraska. It is red and white striped, very similar to a giant balloon-shaped candy cane. I posted all the pictures on Facebook, if you care to look at them:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=122404&id=720672801&l=dd89cac15e

The experience was surreal. I admit, that I began to have my doubts in the safety of embarking on such a journey as soon as the balloon was approximately 100 feet off the ground. The wind caught us and we started moving forward, instead of just upwards. The basket was feeling like a very poor substitute for the ground. After approximately 3 minutes of messed-up equilibrium and thoughts of ballooning disasters, I relaxed and began to really enjoy the flight. Our pilot has been flying balloons for longer than I have been alive – so I knew he wouldn’t do anything to endanger us – or his precious balloon, which is not a cheap expenditure.

I never knew that Sarpy County, NE was so beautiful. We saw tons of deer galloping in the corn fields. We looked down upon the birds in flight looking for their dinner. The best part of the trip was seeing how excited people get when they see a hot air balloon. One young boy was so excited he ran for a little while so he could still see us. It truly was a phenomenal experience. I strongly suggest that everyone do it at least once – there is nothing like it.

That covers the “high” of my weekend. The “lows” were not nearly as exciting. I spent the weekend downloading and selling photographs at the Nebraska Ballroom Dancing Competition. While the dancing itself was pretty impressive, I did not enjoy listening to the announcer and music directly next to the speaker. Truly, a jet engine has lower decibels than what I had to endure all weekend long. Adding insult to injury, I was completely hung-over on Saturday – thanks to the Second base Preservation Society Pub Crawl and Bus Party from Friday night. I don’t even remember buying a drink – yet, I must have bought several (or had them handed to me by kind philanthropists). I am too old for those kinds of shenanigans.

While most of the night is a blur I do remember a few key highlights:

1. Made a new friend, “Shuffleboard Max”. He was also my shuffleboard partner, which is a far more exciting sport than I originally thought.
2. Kept myself from vomiting on the bus-ride home thanks to “Granite Guy”.
3. Ran into an old friend from high school. That was actually really fun. I love it when people come up to me and tell me that I have “taped their ankles”. It reminds me of simpler days.
4. We made some money for the Breast Cancer 3-Day! Not a ton – but some, which is great news!!!!!

As a reminder, we still have t-shirts for sale and you can always make a donation online at: www.the3day.org/goto/jtuck

No donation is too small. Truly!!!!!

PERSONAL NOTE: Thanks again, for keeping me from throwing up.

CONFIDENTIAL NOTE: You keep me young.

SHOUT OUT: My sister, Katie, is amazing! She can organize events like no other. GREAT JOB!

Pitter-Patter of Little Feet

Current mood: apprehensive

I remember running through the wet grass
And failing a step behind
Both of us never tiring
Desperately wanting
~ “Desperately Wanting” by Better than Ezra

I have beautiful feet.

Seriously, I do. I love my feet. I do not have a foot fetish by any means – but I have seen a LOT of feet in my lifetime and mine are among the top of the line, aesthetically. When I was a sports trainer in high school and college, I had the opportunity to see and wrap hundreds of pairs of feet. You can take my word for it. My feet are gorgeous.

Since I am so secure in the appearance of my feet, I will take any opportunities I can to be barefoot. I NEVER wear shoes in the house. I kick them off by the door and walk around sans footwear. I love to walk barefoot in the grass and have done so recently. I was with ‘non-boyfriend’ in the Old Market and we walked over to the mall area. Without a second thought, I kicked off my shoes, enjoying the cool, lush sensation of the grass under my feet.

I get the same feeling of relaxation when I walk on a sandy beach. It’s so wonderful to walk along the seashore, the texture of sand under my toes while the waves wash over the tops of my feet. Mmmm. Damn, I miss the beach! Grrrrrrr.

This posting was inspired by a friend who described the PLUSH carpeting beneath his feet. It reminded me of how badly I want to kick off my high heels and walk around the office barefoot. I mean, my feet cannot be any germier than the disgusting carpet that has not been cleaned in ‘forever’. They say it’s a safety hazard if I don’t wear shoes. I say it’s a safety hazard to walk around in shoes which make me 3 inches taller than I normally am. Hee hee

Bloody Hell!

I have 5 more days until I receive my LSAT score. I am tired of waiting for the score to arrive. With every day that passes, I lose a little more confidence about my performance. Well, I guess that is all I have to say! Thanks for reading.

PUBLIC NOTICE:

Save Second Base Pub Crawl and Party Bus Fundraiser
This Friday, June 26
Meet @ Varsity West at 8pm
Take Bus to JimmyD's, then onto the Old Market. Visit your preferred bar, pub, or restaurant.
Meet @Nomad @1am to catch the bus back to Varsity West where your car will be waiting.
A safe and sober bus driver will be taking us around on a JoneZ Party Bus!

$10.00 donation per rider

Have a fun night while helping a GREAT cause!

Stop Breast Cancer!

PERSONAL NOTE: I like you.

SHOUT OUT: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jeffrey!

I Miss My Trips to Boston Sometimes

Current mood: sleepy sleepy sleepy

The shapes come into the light
And it was love at first sight
Baby, baby, you're the light
And the flame burns in my mind's eye
~ “Hearts Collide” by Green Day

Him: are you recording this?
Her: lol. . . no. your truth isn't mine to share; i only share my own
Him: that would make a good shirt
Her: you can have it. . .
Him: whatev...you'd shrink it . . .gotta pee

One would wonder how a conversation such as this one would inspire me to think about my life, my future, and the choices which are required for me to get to where I am supposed to be. Some may believe that there is a specific route which they are supposed to take and that it is possible to choose incorrectly, wrecking havoc on the destiny the Fates have designed. I disagree with this wholeheartedly. There are good choices and bad choices – but not right or wrong ones, when it comes to living our lives. There will always be a fork in the road . . . always. We have to just keep choosing. I believe it is similar to those ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books I used to read as a kid. I can choose to jump down the well OR I can choose to look in the basement – no matter which one I selected, somewhere later in the book, I ended up in the same place, with another choice to make.

Something I am slowly learning – is that I don’t need permission to make choices. I am ALWAYS waiting for someone to tell me it is alright to choose selfishly. That isn’t to say that I don’t make selfish choices . . . because I surely do . . . but I also make very selfless choices; sometimes to the detriment of my own happiness. I am not afraid to make bad choices. . I am afraid to make selfish ones. I do not want to disappoint anyone – any more than I already have. Ha This coming from the fingertips of an infertile, twice-divorced 32 year old who lives in her parents’ basement with her dog, her cat, and one of her little sisters. I assure you that THIS is not the life I had in mind when I was applying for colleges, those many years ago.

Still, even with all of this, I am pretty content. Yes, I still have wanderlust! Yes, I still wish that I were debt-free, living in some foreign embassy, speaking Arabic to a diplomat who cannot stop staring at my uncovered ankles. Um. . . I don’t really wish that. *rolling eyes in disbelief* I would like to be a better tennis player, weigh 20 lbs less, and be able to make my hair not be a tangled mess when I wake up in the morning (or after sex). What happened to the sexy tousled look that all the romance novels promised me? Seriously – I look like something nested in my hair any time it touches a pillow. Perhaps I should have chosen to be a hairstylist instead of a historian who pretends to be a technically savvy wonderkin!
Yes, all of these thoughts were inspired by a conversation where a man mentioned t-shirts; life; and peeing. Not very many people can segue between those three topics so easily.

PERSONAL NOTE: Drunk or not, you were a great conversationalist. Thanks!

CONFIDENTIAL NOTE: Cannot wait until the 4th.

Welcome to Omi-ha-ha

Current Mood: elated

We were forced to behave while we sat
In rows like children
I crossed some standard state lines
I finally found myself so far away from home
~ “A Year on an Airplane” by Daphne Loves Derby

Monday morning, Girl Twin and I arrived at the airport before 7am. She was very excited to be heading to Omi-ha-ha and I was very excited to be escaping the Texas heat. Both of us were a tad apprehensive about the flight. Little did we know, the flight was not what we should have been worried about?

At 8:10am American Airlines announced that our flight was boarding. The best thing about early morning flights is that they tend to run on-time. As we boarded the plane, we were hit with a blast of very hot, very humid air. The flight attendant announced over the intercom that the pilots had not arrived to turn on the plane (and the ground cooling units). She apologized for the heat but assured everyone that it would be rapidly remedied.

By the time we reached our seats, 16E and 16F, we were sweating, As we sat down, the flight attendant announced that we needed to keep the shades closed, to prevent sunlight from making the situation less comfortable (as if that was possible). There we were, on a completely full plane, sitting in intense Texas heat, smelling the choice aromas of the people around us, and she was forbidding us to look outside, making the plane seem more like a tomb than a mode of transportation. People were fanning themselves with the in-flight magazines.

There were lots of mumbles and grumbles from the passengers. I found the situation so ridiculous that it was funny. I was laughing and making quiet comments to Girl Twin to make her giggle. The guy next to me, a hygienic person who believed in showers AND deodorant (thankfully) also found my comments amusing.

Around 20 minutes later, the pilot arrived, only to tell us that the cooling unit on the plane was broken and needed to be replaced. He again apologized for the heat, and threw the gate personnel under the bus by clearly stating:

“I would like to apologize that you were permitted to board a hot plane. The gate personnel should not have put you on this plane until we had arrived and turned on the cooling unit. Unfortunately, they also did not notify us of the gate change, meaning that the flight crew has spent the past 30 minutes fixing the broken cooling unit on a different plane. That plane is quite cool now.”

After another 25 minutes or so of unsuccessful repairs to the cooling unit, the pilot demanded that the gate be reopened so we could de-board the plane. He was not nearly as amused as I was - though he was as warm as we were, which helped with camaraderie for most of the passengers; NOT ALL – however. One guy got off the plane and started berating the pilot for the situation. He, apparently, had not been listening to the frequent announcements which blamed everything on the gate people. His tirade prompted the pilot to get back on the intercom to reiterate the apology and the blame.

Objection Your Honor

current mood: enamoured

“If you could change the choices that you made
Would you do it today?
If you could spin the world the other way
Could you do it on faith?”
~ “Just One Day” by Better than Ezra

Five months of studying culminated yesterday, with the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). With a reputation of being the most difficult and stressful standardized test issued, the LSAT offers an experience that most would not want to repeat. Personally, I believe that the government should forego water boarding, and instead subject alleged terrorists to the torture which is six 35-minute testing sections. The breakdown is as follows:

1 Logical Reasoning section (aka Logic Games)
1 Reading Comprehension section
2 Argumentative Reasoning sections
1 Essay portion
1 Experimental section

The experimental section can be any one of the categories – filled with questions which the LSAC (people who create the LSAT) want to ‘try out’ before actually integrating them into a test. What sucks is this: you don’t know which one is the experimental section. So, you have to treat every section as if it counts. Adding insult to injury, ,the written essay also isn’t scored; but is sent to the law schools where you apply, meaning that you have to actually try to sound coherent after completing a grueling 175 minutes worth of mind boggling questions. I imagine most LSAT takers sound like third graders by the time they begin their essays.

Our exam had 5 ladies officiating. They had to have been the five dumbest women ever to run an LSAT session. They could not answer basic questions and appeared to not have any idea what they were doing. Plus, I was less than impressed with the lax security.

“Do you have any electronic devices or a cell phone?”
”No.”
“Great. Go get thumb-printed.”

I did not have any electronic devices; but if I had, they wouldn’t have known – because they trusted everyone to tell the truth.

FYI: IF SOMEONE WANTS TO SNEAK SOMETHING INTO A TEST, THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY ARE NOT SNEAKING ANYTHING IN. THAT IS WHY THEY CALL IT ‘SNEAKING;.

At the end of the test, we were instructed to sign the front of our test booklets and one future lawyer raised his hand and apparently was confused as to what his test booklet was. . . as he signed his answer sheet – yes, he signed his SCANTRON answer sheet – right across the middle of it. Genius! Coincidentally, this particular gentleman also happened to have been at one of my practice LSAT sessions a few months ago. I knew then that he should have saved the money on his admission fee. Apparently, he disagreed with my assessment.

I am not going to speculate how I did on the exam. I know which section I am praying was the experimental section. LOL. Other than that, I did the best I could. . . I was emotionally and mentally exhausted after it was over. Now I just have to wait 3 long weeks for my results. At least it is out of my hands, and I can relax. I learned my lesson after taking the GRE that stressing once the test is over serves no practical purpose.

PERSONAL NOTE: See you in less than a week.

CONFIDENTIAL NOTE: Yes. A thousand times, yes.

Crank the Music Up and Let it Never End

Current mood: quiet

“All this time
I felt so confused
Then came you
And I just knew”
~ “I Just Knew” by Better than Ezra

Last night, I rocked my socks off with Better than Ezra. Well, I wasn’t actually wearing socks – I was in heels – which is the second dumbest shoe choice I have ever made while attending a concert. Jumping around and dancing in heels on a concrete floor with lots of people around me leads to painful feet the next day. Still, well worth it!!! BTE always, always, always puts on an amazing show. Seriously, always!!!!! I am pretty sure that KG and Tom both dripped sweat on me. Normally, I am not into that sort of unsolicited fluid exchange – but considering I was drenched in my own sweat, I couldn’t be too upset now, could I? I seldom sweat. There is just something about concerts which opens the pores and allows for detoxification!

After the show, I stopped by a bar where some friends were congregating and singing karaoke. I had to wear my new BTE t-shirt because the pink shirt I had worn to the show was disgusting. I am pretty sure I looked a mess – but no one commented, which is kind.

The new album, “Paper Empire” is pretty damn good. I highly recommend buying it! Also the bad will be in Ft. Worth and Dallas next weekend. Buy a ticket. Go! They never ever disappoint. I promise you!

Something that always surprises me is the number of male Better than Ezra fans that attend shows. These ‘Ezralites’ as the fans are called, range from frat boy to geek to good old boy! Unlike most shows I attend; BTE really does appeal to all types. Also, the fans tend to be pretty easy-going and friendly in the crowd. Not a lot of shoving or ‘cat fights’ over guitar picks and set lists.

Last night was really my last night of fun for awhile. In less than a week I will be sitting down to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). I have been preparing for about 4 months. I am terrified and excited at the same time. I have a few schools in mind – though in the end it will matter who gives me money and where I can afford. I really don’t want to go part-time – but may be required to do so; as I will most likely need to continue working. Bringing in an income is rather necessary at the moment.

Here is the basic breakdown of the LSAT according to the law School Admission Council:

Test Format
The test consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions. Four of the five sections contribute to the test taker’s score. The unscored section, commonly referred to as the variable section, typically is used to pretest new test questions or to preequate new test forms. The placement of this section will vary. A 35-minute writing sample is administered at the end of the test. LSAC does not score the writing sample, but copies of the writing sample are sent to all law schools to which you apply.

What the Test Measures
The LSAT is designed to measure skills that are considered essential for success in law school: the reading and comprehension of complex texts with accuracy and insight; the organization and management of information and the ability to draw reasonable inferences from it; the ability to think critically; and the analysis and evaluation of the reasoning and arguments of others.

I already know that I can be successful in Graduate School. If not for the lack of funding, I would have my masters degree by now and wouldn’t be worried about going to law school, as I could be earning a nice 60k a year teaching high school in Rhode Island or Alaska or Connecticut or Ohio – while taking summers off to travel and further my education in foreign places. Maybe I could move to Antarctica and teach English to the natives. I hear the cost of living is low there – and land is cheap!

Hopefully, my law school plans will pan out and in 4 years, I will be the proud partner in the:

Tracy, Tuck, and Roll Law Firm

Now I just need to find the other partners. Someday!

That’s it. Go home!

PERSONAL NOTE: ‘I’ve waited longer because I needed proof that every door I shut leaded me to you.’ – ‘Absolutely Still’

Mr. Rawr Takes a Vacation

current mood: yuckers

bruises cover your arms,
shaking in the fingers with the bottle in your palm,
and the best is, no one knows who you are.
just another girl alone at the bar.
~ “Don’t Trust Me” by 3OH!3

This weekend I made a whirlwind trip to Fort Worth. I was there for 48 hours and 37 minutes. I did not sleep much. I did consume a lot of adult beverages, however. A big thank you goes out to both of my host families. I would also like to thank American Airlines for making the whole trip possible. Oh my, I don’t want to forget anyone, um. . . Alamo rental car and Priceline.com. Oh, and last, but definitely not least. . . Mr. Rawr for being a fantastical traveling companion. I believe I may still be detoxing from the trip. I think I need to eat some charcoal tablets and get my stomach pumped. I definitely cannot recover like I used to.

Amazingly, I am making the same trip again in 2 weeks, to pick up Girl Twin and bring her to visit for a week. She has been packed for a couple of weeks already. I cannot tell who is more excited; me or her. We are going to have the most amazing time! I bought her a Travel Photo Scrapbook, which we will work on her last day here. That way she can return home and show everyone the highlights of her trip right away.

While on my trip I was lucky enough to have a rental car which had XM radio. It also had a USB port so that drivers may plus in their iPods and listen over the stereo system. Unfortunately, the USB port was broken. XM did work, however, and I listened to AltNation for most the weekend. I heard previews for the new 311 album that comes out tomorrow. I also heard previews for the new Taking Back Sunday album, also coming out tomorrow. Both seem to be solid records. So, support the music industry and make a purchase. The new DMB album comes out tomorrow too – but I previewed it last week on Pandora.com.

Today, I bought my Toad the Wet Sprocket tickets. They are coming to town at the end of July. Beginning Wednesday night, my summer concert series begins. I get to see Better than Ezra – then Toad in July – Green Day in August, and U2 in October. Plus I will soon be buying my Voodoo Music Festival tickets for Halloween 2009 in New Orleans. And while they have not announced the full line-up – they have confirmed Beastie Boys and KISS. Looking forward to that weekend – though I am truly hoping no New Balance managers are there.

I need some advice before I close this entry. Since I often solicit medical advice from those without medical training, I want to know how long to wait to go to the doctor when you have a pus weeping cat bite on your wrist. It seems that the only way I can get the redness and swelling to go away is by using lots of Neosporin and Band-Aids. The bite continues to weep though, leaving a yellowish brown colored residue on my Band-Aids. If I just keep it covered, will it heal itself? Let me know.

PRIVATE NOTE: Thank you for picking me up at the airport. As always, you have pleased me immensely.

CONFIDENTIAL NOTE: Thank you for leaving additional bruises on my arm in an attempt to determine the source of the original bruises. Now no one will ask questions for sure!