Time to grow up? Cast your votes

I haven't written on my blog for far too long. I'm up at BYU-Idaho with a client. We went to McDonald's, and because this is our last time together I let her choose whether to play computer games or card games. She chose computer, so I finally have access to the Internet.

I'm leaving the beautiful state of Idaho in one week. It's sad, but I'm excited to be living in the same home as my husband!

The inspiration for this entry was a nice birthday present one of my old roommates gave me. I think the people that know me the best know that I have a pretty good sense of humor, and one way I keep it fresh is by keeping up on my daily Peanuts' comics. I have many Peanuts' memorabilia, and this is cause to ask myself, "Is it time to grow up?"

My old roommate got my a canister of Spiced Hot Cocoa and on the front of the tin can is Snoopy and Woodstock around a festive Thanksgiving centerpiece. I'm 24 years old and I don't think I could have asked for anything cuter!



But, I am 24 years old. Is it time to grow up? Is it time to replace my coffee table comic books with photography books of the mountains, or a Time's magazine or the newspaper with current events? Is it time to collect my stuffed Snoopy, my Snoopy mug, the several Peanuts' t-shirts, and Peanuts' mint tins and store them away in a Tupperware in the basement?

Personally, I think no. I've got a good 2, 3, or 55 years left in me before it's time to start growing up! Like my dad has said, "Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is a choice!"

Appropriate or Inappropriate?

I flew home this past Tuesday for a grad school interview. I drove into Salt Lake City and parked my car in the Diamond Parking Lot and hopped on the bus that took me to the airport. It was 5:30 in the morning, so I was a little out of it, but I was awake enough to notice the tip jar on the driver's dash board. I peeked into my wallet and realized I had zero cash on me. Suddenly, I was faced with a predicament. I couldn't leave my credit card or my debit card. I had to ask myself, and text my sister, "Is it appropriate to leave a tip in the form of a gift card if you don't have any cash on you?" The only other 3 options: a) Wal-Mart gift card with an ending balance of $68.91 (not likely I was leaving a $70 tip...) b) Borders gift card with a balance nearing $1.00 (I think it actually had like .56 cents or so) c) Dairy Queen gift card for $2.82 So, what did I do? I did what any white girl with three carry-ons-- carrying them by herself without any help getting on or off--would do. I took a free water out of the cooler in the back of the bus as four or five other businessmen got on the bus, prayed that one of them would tip the driver, and was the first one off the bus when we approached the Delta Airlines curb.

My Bed

I'm a floater. I've accomplished a lot in my life, but when it comes right down to it, I don't really know what I'm doing. I have just recently moved into the fourth, and hopefully final, place of residence in under one year. The good thing about moving so much is you get to see how much stuff you really have. This is good, because I think that I have managed to purge three or four giant trash bags full of old things. This is from clothing, to old cooking supplies, to furniture, to a lamp that never should have made it outside of my college apartment. Now, I have moving down to an art. Most of my stuff stays in storage (a good 5 boxes) and the rest I fit into my new room:

If your attention is directed to the green/white rectangle on the floor, you may be asking yourself, "Self, what is that green/white rectangle thing on the floor with the pillows on top?"

To that I would answer you, that is my current bed. Story: I had my parents take my queen size bed back home to Colorado b/c (A) I was pretty sure I was going to move to Utah in September (today, oddly enough) and they had furnished housing there and (B) I wouldn't be living in Idaho much longer anyway, so might as well take it with them so I wouldn't have to lug it around.

Well then, now you probably want to ask me, "Max, are you sleeping on-"

"Yes, I am sleeping on 4 queen-sized egg-role mattresses folded over so it really feels like 8. And yes, I put twin sheets around them to keep them bundled together to make it look and feel like a real twin-size mattress. And, yeah, I guess you could call me cheap for not wanting to buy a $60 twin mattress to use or have to shuffle around for the next 4 months."

Well, well, well....

So Kelly got a blog! Yay!! Check out hers...It's under my quick links entitled "KELLY!"

Welcome to Wal-Mart...

I have made an effort in the past 6 months to not shop at Wal-Mart. They do have such great prices and so much stuff, that when you go in for a dozen eggs, you wonder why you're leaving with 2 for $10 goggles, 3 for $5 pop tarts, 4 for $10 Diet Pepsi 12-Packs, and a cute graphic tee off the $7 rack. Not to mention by the time you drive home and bring your bags inside you realize you forgot the eggs you actually went in for. My reasons for not shopping at Wal-Mart were very hard for me to explain, but ode to MSN.com, someone who is more business-savvy and economically in tune has explained my feelings: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/the-price-of-wal-mart-coming-to-town.aspx And, what is it with Wal-Mart piggy-backing on Target? I love Target, and I just find the rumors curious (if they are true), why is it that Wal-Mart is remodeling their stores to embody Target's floor plan? Anyway, it doesn't make you a bad person if you shop at Wal-Mart. For me, I would rather spend my dollar for the same stuff at other stores.

Crazy Cat Lady

I don't know what got into me. I've had many ridiculous ideas before, but this one, this one was good.

My sisters and I have the age old joke that if any three of us don't get married in the next few years, one of us may become the crazy cat lady. It's not that I hate cats, I just don't like them. Kittens, on the other hand-like the six little ones in a brown box labeled "FREE" sitting outside Wal-Mart today-are so adorable.

I picked up an adorable little orangish-red one. I would have named her "Spicy", because "Ginger" is derogatory, and "Big Red" didn't sound cool. I think I picked her up because she was making the most noise and the little "meows" were like, "Max! Take me home! Please! I won't pee on your floor! Take me with you!"

I was with a client at the time. She picked up a little black one, and two other teenage girls picked up a white fur-ballish one and a black/orange/white tigerish one. We stood outside the store like that for a good 20 minutes. 5 were spent calling my client's mom, where we got the answer 'no'. The other 15 minutes were spent trying to convince myself not to walk away with the kitten in my arms.

My reasons for not taking the kitten:
1) I would have to buy cat toys.
2) The kitten would turn into a cat :(
3) Litter boxes smell like dung holes.
4) I would unsubconsciously start my journey down the road of becoming the crazy cat lady.

I put the kitten back in the box and told the man that I would be back in ten minutes. We ran into Wal-Mart, got our snacks and goggles, and while we were making our way to the check out counter I called my roommate.
Me: "What would you say if I brought home a kitten?"
Her: "I hate cats."
Me: "Yeah, me too."
Her: "If it was a dog, that's another story. I'd be okay with that."
Me: "I agree. Cool, just checking!"

There's still hope for me!

21 Things I Want in a Lover...

I've been listening to Alanis Morissette quite a bit lately. She wrote a song entitled "21 Things I want in a Lover" where she lists things that she wants in a lover. I don't think she actually lists 21 things (I think I counted 18...) but, I thought it would be fun to think of 21 things that I look for in a lover, or for a better word, a mate. Like Alanis says, these are "not things I necessarily need, but qualities that I prefer." I also love how she lists them like questions, as if she wrote an ad for the paper or craigslist.

1. Do you laugh with others, but not at them?
2) Can you sit in a room without constant noise?
3. Do you like simple things, like being okay shopping for cooking utensils on a date?
4) Are you okay with a girl changing her mind, then changing it back, and maybe changing it again?
5. Can you run a 10k under an hour, and are you up for training for a marathon?
6) Do you like watching the Disney channel on a Saturday morning?
7. Are you open to trying new things?
8) Are you into artistic development, especially within yourself?
9. Can you dance to the rhythm of a band, and not worry about who's watching?
10) Do you do nice things when no one is looking, and honestly don't wish for the recognition?
11. Can you cuddle, and hold me like I mean the world to you?
12) Do you have a good imagination?
13. Are you creative in problem-solving and creation?
14) Do you love to learn and strive to make learning a life-long journey?
15. Can you forgive and forget?
16) Do you believe in eternal life, love, and happiness?
17. Are you good with kids, aged 1 day to 18 years old?
18) Are you patient, understanding, and slow to anger?
19. Are you laid back, can you relax, even when life throws a quick one at you?
20) Do you go to church, love God, and serve others?
21. Do you want the world to be a better place, and engage yourself in good causes?

It's a rough list, but things I look for nontheless. That was fun. Maybe it'll change in a month, or a year, or maybe it will stay exactly the same.