rolling in the deep

So Jamie and I have been way musically inclined as of late. I have been practicing up on my guitar. My fingers are sore and are getting some pretty fantastic callouses. It's been awesome.

Last week, on Friday, we played in a music festival. It was super last minute. I sang a song I learned the words to on Thursday night at 11pm. We played Friday at 1pm. But it was still pretty sweet. Would have been better if I had been able to sing without holding the lyrics in front of me, but it was fun.



This week, on Wednesday, we made a quick video to enter in a contest that SHeDAISY is apparently having on Facebook. You'd have to ask Jamie for details about that. I just sang the song.

She doesn't have it on youtube yet, but you can watch that video here.

My next musical goal: be able to play a song on the guitar and sing it at the same time.
When that happens, I'll be sure to post a video. It might be a while though. Playing and singing simultaneously is not that easy.

i'll tell you all my secrets if you stick around

This is the last week in a nutshell.

1. Furry animals are cute. But not when they are dead.
2. People continually losing the same object multiple times in obvious places in the same day is really entertaining.
3. People generally aren't as tough as the front they put on. It is amazing to see them let those walls down.
4. Exposed zippers are awesome. 5. There can be a song applied to every situation. I usually find them, therefore, my head is like an indecisive radio station all the time.
6. Boys who wear vests and bow ties to church are magnificent. Rory, you know who you are. 8)
7. Graham crackers dipped in fruit smoothies is a super delicious snack.
8. It is pretty sweet watching a balloon float away into the sky until it disappears.
9. I heart floral print. 8) 10. Mismatched socks make me smile. So do Buddy Holly glasses.
11. I love when I have random moments when I feel like I am in SoCal.
12. I want my flowers to grow!
13. We named the monkey Jack. I love pirates! 14. Horses are crazy when they are hungry and the weather is stormy.
15. Also, a lot of horses are divas.
16. I want to steal my neighbors jeep. I love it! OR I can just date my neighbor. That is also an option. 8)
17. My birthday is in 3 1/2 days!
18. Teal and coral are amazing colors. Especially when they are together.
19. They found a rattle snake at work. Do I like rattle snakes, or any snakes? Does a cat like taking a bath? I think we all know the answers to these questions. Hint. They are the same. 20. Sometimes, getting teenagers to follow directions is like giving a cat a bath.
21. I often don't know how to count. And other such things. Did my padre tell me I am brainless? Yes. Yes he did. Bahahahahahahahaha...
22. I rarely listen to country music, but I always love it when I do. I don't know why I never listen to it.
23. I really want this watch. 24. The last two hours of the shift are always the longest.
25. No-talk has got to be more of a punishment for the staff than it is for the girls.
26. My family is hilarious! Love.
27. I played tennis with my sister. I learned two things. I really need to get my eyes checked. I have zero depth perception. And I really need to get my racquet restrung. Strings=about to break.
If you made it to the end of this. Bless your heart. 8)

yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me

Jamie and I went and saw Pirates 4 on Tuesday night.

LOVE
That is all. 8)

diamonds are a girls best friend

So for those of you who know me well, you know that my ADHD-ridden self likes to make jewelry because it gives me something to do with my hands. I have spent a good chunk of time today looking at other peoples jewelry blogs. One day I will make one of my own, but until then, I will just enjoy these gems. (Did you like my wordplay? Bahahaha...)

WireBliss Design

Beach Haus Designs

Cilla - Tell Your Girlfriends

Circa Jewels

Jewelry by Annemieke

The Guy Said Honey You're a Funny Girl

So sometimes I do real cool things. Like the time I learned how many tires my car actually has. Oops. My bad.

I had taken my car in to get the safety inspection. Also, I was pretty sure I needed new brakes. And I needed an oil change and to get a tail light replaced. So when they had looked at everything, and done the oil and light, they called me about my brakes. They told me that my brakes and rotors were pretty hammered. They also told me my tires were pretty worn out. This was to be expected since I have been driving back and forth between Cedar and St. George a few times a week for the last two years. (Although...good news...I got a job in New Harmony, which is a whole lot closer to Cedar! WOOT!) So I asked for an estimate. With the oil, lights, brakes/rotors, and safety inspection it was going to be around $500. But since I was getting brakes done, he said he would give me a deal on my tires. So he gave me the price...about $90 while it would usually be about $120. He didn't say that was per tire, and it was the week before finals, I was finishing at my old job and starting at my new job AKA working two jobs during the week before finals, and I had been out of my ADHD medication for a few days, so I didn't really put it together, even though I am in fact, aware of the standard price for tires. Also I was already freaking out about the amount of money I already was having to pay. But I figured I might as well get it done. So I told him to go ahead and do it, and that I would pick it up Friday after I got my check.

So Friday, after a frantic trip to St. George, in which I made it to the bank and got my check deposited a mere 3 minutes before the deadline, after which it wouldn't have posted on my account until Monday, and after I finished my online class (the reason for which the trip to St. George was postponed until the last minute) I headed on down to the Tire Company to pay for my car. The guy at the counter tells me the price: about $850. I made an unappreciative noise, while freaking out in my head...that was a lot more than I was expecting...about $500, but I didn't say anything. I figured I would take a look at the receipt before I said anything. Good thing too. Upon viewing the receipt I realized...FOUR tires. Not one. Good job Ali.

When I got home I called my dad to tell him he could pick up his car, which he had loaned my while mine was in the shop.

Me: Hi Dad. Car's done. But I may have slightly underestimated the price. Because I may have forgotten to multiply the tire price by four. So I may need you guys to spot me about $400 so I can pay my rent and car registration. Oops. I will pay you back when my tax returns get here.

Dad: (after laughing at me) How about we just spot you $400 dollars, and you don't pay us back. (What wonderful parents I have.)

So when my parents came to get Dad's car my mom also laughed at me and asked if I forgot how to do math. I am a history major. I don't need math. Bahahahahaha...Yep. Funny story. My bad. But I do know how many tires are on my car now!

The Princess and the Bean

So I don't like beans. At all. Any of them. While at the parent's house a few days ago we had some quesadillas for dinner that had chicken, rice, and cheese in them. My dad's also had beans in them.

As my mom was walking up the stairs to make them:

Dad: "You should put one bean in Ali's. Just one."

Mom: "Okay."

But we didn't really think she would do it. So I am eating my quesadilla and thinking how delicious it is, when I have a bite that was not so delicious. At first I couldn't figure out what it was. And then it clicked.

Me: "Ugh. I think I found the bean."

My mom was still upstairs finishing my dad's quesadilla.

Dad: "She wouldn't put it in there. Who puts one bean in a quesadilla?"

Me: "Mom."

So when she comes down stairs I made the accusation and she just smiled and looked all pleased with herself.

Me: "You did. You put one bean in my quesadilla. Well, I found it."

Mom: "I can't believe you found it!"

Me: "I guess I am just like the Princess and the Pea, except I am the Princess and the Bean."

Mom: "And you were eating, not sleeping."

So yes. That is how cool I am. The Princess and the bean. 8)

Baby You're a Firework...

So it's been a little while. Here is a little update.

Bad News:

• We don't have cable, so I can't watch baseball.
• SJ the pigeon (who used to live in my parking lot) is nowhere to be found.
• My work schedule makes it real hard to have a social life. (ie. It has been almost a month since I have seen the really attractive boy in my ward whom I've been trying to make friends with because my off days seem to be at really inconvenient times.)
• My computer has decided it is appropriate to not work. Real nice.
• I have to get my car serviced. It's gonna be a pocket-book-breaker.

Good News:

• My beloved Yankees are doing great (minus an embarrassing loss to Boston).
• I got a letter from my Wend, who is on a mission in Argentina.
• My little brohadre, who is on a mission in Zimbabwe, talks really funny now.
• Dasher jokes are still going strong.
• School is almost over! WOOHOO!
• It is almost summer!
• I don't have to work this weekend!
• Our crappy dryer broke, so they are getting us a new one.
• I just learned how to spell dryer. I never knew if it was an "i" or a "y" when referring to the machine.
• My class got canceled this morning. It would have been nice if I had known that before I went to class, but I'll take it.
• I get lots of money back on my tax returns!
• My second set of parents...aka...Nikki and Kent, are coming home from Taiwan soon.
• The attractive boy in my ward looks like Wentworth Miller. Seriously...attractive doesn't even begin to cover it.
• I did not have to find out that my sister was engaged via facebook or her blog, because she didn't actually get engaged (April Fools). See the link. I was mad until I realized what day it was.
• I learned how to Dougie (for those of you who are confused...it is a dance0>
  
• I have a lot more good news than bad news!

Just Dance (and sing)

So far February has been a month full of singing and dancing for me to enjoy-slash-participate in. I feel good about this because it has been pretty dang entertaining if I do say so myself. Which I do.

At the beginning of the month my dear roommate Jamie and I participated in the 21st Ward Talent Show. We wanted to do something funny, but we were going to get more people to do it with us. Then we both got sick, and neither of us were feeling ambitious enough to find people and figure out what we were going to do. So we decided to do something really original. Yep, that's right. Jamie played the guitar and I sang. I know. No one has ever done that in a talent show before. Anyways, we decided on "When it Rains" by Paramore. We threw the whole thing together in about 5 days. And of course we had to go first. Which maybe was a good thing because we got it over with, but we also were the victims of the technical difficulties...feedback from the speakers that messed Jamie up a little bit. All things considering though, we sounded pretty fantastic. And don't even worry that I was so nervous that I couldn't look at the audience...hahaha...but perhaps if we ever do anything like that again I will be able to acknowledge their presence.

Here is the video; it isn't much to watch (as I said, I wouldn't look at anyone), but we sound good.

But the talent show was not the only place in which I was able to sing. On Valentine's Day, rather than spending the night wallowing in the despair (yeah right) of being single, I headed on over to my good friend Megan's. Once there, Megan and I played "Sing It" on the Wii, with her roommates. But we didn't just sing any old songs. We played "Sing It" in the style of...wait for it...High School Musical. Yeah. I know. You are all jealous right now. There was definitely a lot of dancing involved since we all know random parts of all the dances. And there may or may not have been a few instances when we might have been slightly off-key. Maybe. Mostly just when we had to sing the male parts, but I won't say that it didn't happen when we were singing Gabriella and Sharpay's parts. Unfortunately I didn't not capture these treasurable performances on video. We were far too busy to worry about such things.

Once we were all sung out, we moved on to "Just Dance," also on the Wii. Again, we were to busy to get video or pictures, but let me tell you. Boys make funny faces when they play this game. And by funny faces, I mean "concentration faces." I have never played this game before, but due to my background in dance I actually could hold my own in this game. And by hold my own, I mean kick Megan's butt in one of the harder dances. This is probably the only video game in the history of all video games that I have actually been good at without having to practice. And I imagine that revolves around the fact that when I play other video games I tend to use my whole body. If I am playing a racing game, I don't just use the buttons to steer myself; I acutally turn my whole upper body. However, in this game, it is appropriate to use your whole body. Which I appreciate.

This is the dance that I killed Meg in...Rockafeller Skank...yes please.