Thursday, December 23, 2010

Share the road?




Who do you think the sign refers to? Cars sharing with bikers? Or bikers sharing with cars? I have my doubts for each.


I was first surprised to hear about driver animosity with bikers in Lance Armstrong's book where he mentioned truckers treating him on a bike with little respect, but since then I have gotten my license, and spent a year running trails with bikers yelling every time they passed me, and I have to say, most of them are buttheads.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Black Swan

I just got back from Black Swan. I know many of you won't be seeing it because it is rated R, but it keeps whirling through my head and I need to talk about it.

It was much more of a psychological thriller than I was expecting, and my stomach was basically in knots the whole movie, or I would be cringing and hiding my face. Yet it was beautiful. And gross. And weird. But definitely, definitely, definitely unforgettable.

I can't decide if I love it or hate it.  I feel like there needs to be a discussion on symbols and what everything means.



But I know that Natalie Portman can act (as if I didn't know that already. Girl is GENIUS!) because half the time I was watching the movie I wanted to shake her and tell her to get herself some gumption. 

And I know Natalie Portman isn't really like that. 

PS. Isn't that like the freakiest picture ever?? I didn't even see a trailer before I saw the movie, or that picture. It might've been prudent of me to research what I was getting into....

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Parents

People ask me allll the time how I got to be so smart and worldly. Did you catch the sarcasm?

I just tell them I got it from my parents.


I  made a "that's what she said" joke to my Mom the other night- not that I usually do, that's SO 2007, but she just set it up so perfectly. Then she didn't get it and asked if I was making a sexual joke. So I suppose it is, and say yes. Then she gets mad and says that I shouldn't say that kind of stuff to my mother. Then I say, HELLLOOO I know you watch the Office!!


She had never "heard" it before. I put it in "" because she does watch the show but had never caught onto it. *headsmack*  She didn't even believe me until we watched a recent episode- which I wouldn't even think one of those jokes would be on because they cut them back, but sure enough it was. And she missed it. Again.

*headsmack*


And for my oh so wise and observing father discovered in Australia while he was reading a sign that "UGG Australia" is not pronounced U-G-G Australia, but "ugg". He had never heard of them before.

*headsmack*







Yep, the apple sure doesn't fall far from the tree.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Hand Model

There aren't really words for this....




I'm surprised that she deigns to even touch the products she is advertising though...

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Good night, good luck, good grief

My sister shared this little tidbit with me. I think non-Groban fans would appreciate this because it is just plain funny.

*It helps if you find him adorable though.*



Part 2 of 2. You can find part one on the internetz.

Ps. I made a second batch of stuffing today, partly because I love stuffing, partly because we still have half of our turkey left. Which I cooked btw- nbd. (lolz!)

Friday, November 12, 2010

Life can be cruel.

Did I mention that the past week my parents have been in Australia? Yeah, and I drove them to the airport earlyyyy in the morning.

Oh, and you should also know that my sister is in Hawaii. On vacation. For practically nothing. Oh, and I had to drive her to the airport too. Funny how that works.


And I'm home. Alone. In charge of the dogs, dutifully picking up their "business" after them everyday. 

And cleaning the house. 

And going to school.

And tutoring.

And working (did I mention that? I got a job. Khol's).

And I generally think of myself as a busy person when I have hours of time to fill in by myself. So adding in a job + random tutoring (But it pays so much better than retail! and more fun!) makes me stressed out, even if I am not actually that busy. Especially compared to some of you guys. Reading your schedules makes me want to go on vacation. 


Maybe a friend will have pity on me and have me over for thanksgiving? My aunt did, but I am sure I have to work on black friday and can't drive all the way to her house.




Thanks for reading my bitter betty-ness. On the bright side, I've overcome my fear of picking up dog poo. *Except* for those couple of times I kept gagging and nearly barfed. 

She thinks she is cute or something.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Mirror, Mirror



Likey? I dug it out of a bin at Goodwill.  Originally I thought the color was a bit too bright of a gold for me, but I couldn't settle on a color. So I think I'll leave it as is. Or if you have a suggestion, let me know!


I got this frame at Goodwill awhile back too. It was empty, and so I made a blackboard from blackboard paint. Sorry it's backwards. I took the picture with my computer. Cause I'm lazy like that.



Oh, and when I was in france I got this tapestry. I like it. I got two smaller ones too, but I'll show them when I get them up. I'm not sure how I want to get these up though. I figured that I'll put them in frames so they can hang without putting holes in them, like a lot of other methods. But if you guys have any ideas, I'm definitely up to it!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Ponyo

The other night I watched this sweet little movie called Ponyo.


It's by the same director who did My Neighbor Totoro, and I think you get the same delight watching these two movies. Plus Ponyo has a little of The Little Mermaid mixed in.


I've told you before how much I love My Neighbor Totoro...  wait I totally thought I did, but searching my archives I don't see one. Wha?!?

If you haven't seen this movie.... then I'm sad for you.  It's such an ode to the imagination of children. And it's totally funny!

Here's a trailer. That theme song is amazing.






and I'm so glad I found another movie that's like it!

Ponyo trailer!



Personally though I think the voice clips they take for the trailer is a bit misleading for the story...

Go watch it!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Tis the Season

I already caught myself almost listening to Christmas music.  I think the gray clouds and being cozy in the house while it rained brought it on. Cause it's not even Halloween yet.

One of my favorite things I like to watch on TV right now is Renovation Realities. Makes me want to get up and take a sledge hammer to a wall, rip up some carpet, and put tile in. And build a wall. And stairs.

Buuut the other week when I bought an empty frame to make a blackboard and put it in, I got totally overwhelmed.  Ok, not overwhelmed, but I am TERRIBLE at measuring. It was the hardest part for me in my graphics class when I was an engineering major. I am just terrible at it, and over think it.

{I'd show you guys a picture of my new framed blackboard, but we don't have a staple gun so it's not secured in there. But I think it looks pretty cool.}


Ok, so this whole post has basically been off topic (I'm watching Renovation Reality right now, hence the getting off subject-ness)... I bought my parents their Christmas present, but I'm pretty terrible at getting good gifts and I'm pretty sure they won't be psyched. But I felt it was pretty original and could potentially cool. And we have a lot of blank walls.


For my mom, cause she is Japanese... the seller didn't have a Japan only map, so I settled for Central Asia.





And one for my Dad who is from England.

I got the idea from Stacy's guest room tour, and I really liked these because they are older (1842 and 1850) and hand colored in.

I tried to get matching ones because there was one map of Britain that was from the 1700s that I actually liked more, but I wanted them to look similar. Going to get matching frames. I'm still iffy though on whether it was a good idea. I'm not totally sold, but when I get an idea I run with it.




I do think this map is way awesome. It's from March 1917, from a German collection of military maps. Buuut I don't have a spare 200 buckaroos to spend on it.



March 1917. Wall Map or Poster-Sized Map. World War One Historical Military Map of Nesle-Montcornet-Reims-Soissons, France,

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Gettin' mo and mo white trash evry dai

So I haven't washed my car in probably nine months. And thats with driving to and from Utah and all the summer dust.


Today while I was filling up my car, I decided it was too dirty for my taste and therefore began to squee-gee  my car. No, not the windows, but my car.


And I was only slightly embarrassed. 


And now my car has squee-gee marks all over it. 





I blame my mother. She always has my dad put her car through the car wash because it intimidates her, so of course, I followed suite. 







PS. I just started watching Modern Family and Parks and Recreation. I'm obsessed. I tried parks and rec when it first started and didn't like it, but man oh man, was I wrong. And if you have netflix both seasons are on instant. Cha-ching!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Warning: Do Not Feed After Midnight

haha remember Gremlins? This post doesn't really have anything to do with them besides the similarity of: Gremlins +Food + After midnight= monsters; Me + cooking + After midnight= Monster.

Okay not really a monster, but I get kind of cranky. But then again people always tell met that I get cranky when I cook. Which is weird, because I love cooking.



Okay, is it just me, or is there something really satisfying about making a huge mess cooking, and then cleaning everything up and having a sparkly kitchen plus yummy food?



The only downside is that I have a bad habit of cooking when everyone else has gone to sleep (basically often after 10, mostly past midnight) and so I have to be really careful about lids hitting the counter too hard, accidentally banging dishes together when I'm washing them etc. Please don't worry about the safety of my dishes, I don't hit them that hard.


My mom tells me I spend too much time cooking, and I'm kind of starting to believe that I have a problem with cooking/baking too much. Last night I firmly told myself that I wasn't going to cook again because I somehow always spend multiple plus hours in the kitchen but then decided at half past midnight that I couldn't resist and whipped up chicken pot pie (but with a bisquick topping instead of pie... so really a chicken pot bisquick) and bacon jalapeno cheddar biscuits.



Aaaand then I waited around for the pot pie to cool enough to put in the fridge. At 3:30 am. When I had woken at 5:30am that same day.



Goooood thing I don't technically have to do anything tomorrow until 6 pm.


PS. Is anyone doing NaNoWriMo this year? Even if you aren't a writer (because I am sooo not) it's really fun to try out, and it has made me appreciate other's writing even more. 

It doesn't start till November so you have time to decide/ think about what you would want to write about!!




Saturday, October 9, 2010

Like Nobody's Watching.




I've always wanted to be graceful, to have the grace, balance, and confidence of a dancer.

I was even in a tap class when I was really little. I could've been a star I tell ya'!

buuut I thought the class was too long so I made my mom let me quit?



So the other night I told my sister that sometimes I may or may not leap around the kitchen when everyone else is asleep pretending that I'm a ballerina.

And then I demonstrated.


And she began laughing uncontrollably. 


And then she got in trouble for making so much noise. (She hiccups when she laughs. Loudly.)


And my butt ached.


And so did my pride.

.
.
.



But I still spin around and leap across the room sometimes. Cause in my head I'm still a ballerina.


And a princess.


Saturday, October 2, 2010

Remember that one time I went to France?


Look how appropriate my footwear is! Actually I brought those target sandals and my sandal crocs I know, so fashionable and not at all American, right? because my feet hurt a lot from walking and those are my most comfortable pairs of shoes. Sad, I know. What I discovered when it started raining is that my crocs are completely worn on the bottom, which = no grip. 

Side note: We were totally looking for something else when I decided it looked like something was a couple of blocks over. To our surprise it was the Louvre! So we went with the flow and switched our game plan around.


(In the Tuileries)

I nicknamed this statue Despair. It really spoke to me. And I love it. Haven't we all felt that way sometime? I just love the emotion captured there. 



I really, really love ducks. They were pretty much my favorite part when we visited Paris when I was nine. So I was pretty much obligated to stop and feed them for a few minutes. 




Can you see the hunchback??

Side note: We were attempted to find the aforementioned site- that turned into a Louvre tour- again when we stumbled upon Notre Dame. I don't think we ever made it to the place we were looking for. Mainly because I can't remember what we were looking for.


I really loved seeing how intricate and ornate the floor originally was. 


Aaaand Sacre Coeur.

Unfortunately we took the metro here and unexpectedly walked up a never ending spiral staircase to the street level- seriously, people were stopping to rest- and then took a I-want-to-die ride up the hill cause I sure as heck wasn't going to walk up more stairs, up to a very crowded and touristy area. I'm not a fan of huge sweaty touristy crowds. Not that I was touristy. Or sweaty. 

But I do like that picture. 


PS. Just because I know you are chomping at the bit to see more of my trip, I took a video of under the Eiffel tower, which isn't exciting in itself, but I love the dirty look my mom is giving me at the end.

Under the Eiffel Tower from Michelle Mann on Vimeo.



And of our boat ride on the Seine. Especially because all of our pictures were super blurry. 


Seine boat ride from Michelle Mann on Vimeo.



Aaand the light show on the Eiffel Tower. Because my camera wasn't capturing it well as a picture. And please ignore my ridiculous video skills. And voice. {Does anyone else haaate their voice how other's hear it? It's fine in my head. "

Eiffel Tower light show from Michelle Mann on Vimeo.

I kinda wish I got a video of the nasty nasty HUGE rats scampering to the trash on the side of the park after we watched the light show. Reminded me of Ratatouille?

Thursday, September 23, 2010

HP Numero Uno

I'm taking French semester. Level two. Even though I took four years in high school. And it's hard guys.

I have a hard enough time pronouncing english words and remembering them and how to spell. So adding a new language.... C'est très difficile. 






Since I pretty much learned how to talk and the english language besides the constant language around me..... through reading, I thought maybe I was approaching French wrong.




I know it'll take a long time to trudge through- since I'll have to look up a lot of words and think a lot more than normal, but I bough Harry Potter And the Sorcerer's Stone in French!!







Made me very happy to get it in the mail.




Isn't the cover cute?!?






PS. Is the fact that I put the post title in spanish an indication of my French proficiency? 

Monday, September 20, 2010

Apple Crisp

Okay guys, fall is so close I can almost feel it creepin' up on us.

And I seriously can't wait. 

And to me cooler weather means apple crisp. Okay okay, I still make it during other times of the year, but it is technically a fall/winter dessert.

So to celebrate, I thought I would post my famous Apple Crisp recipe. It's the dessert I'm most proud of, which is odd because it contains no chocolate whatsoever, and has fruit in it.

wha?!? A dessert without chocolate, and with fruit? And I eat it?! Even crave it?! What sort of madness is this?!? 

Yes people, it is that good. Okay but seriously don't build up expectations. I hate having expectations. But it is pretty good. IF you like apples, and sugar, and awesomeness.

I originally got it from some recipe on the internet, but adjusted it for my needs. So I claim it as my own now. (I can do that right? Nevermind, I don't want to know.) 

I prefer it the next day, and cooled-but I know some crazy cats out there that warm it up with some vanilla ice cream. Plus, it is hard to wait till it's fully cooled. 

I was originally going to post this without pictures, but I'm pretty obsessed with Pioneer Woman, so I decided to take a page out of her book. If you haven't tried any of her recipes, I highly recommend that you do. My jiggly bottom can attest to the tastiness. 

Apple Crisp

-Approximately 6 apples (green or red)
-1 cup old-fashioned oats
-1 1/2 cups flour (whole wheat pastry if you are a health freak works perfectly. Or do half ww pastry and white. It's really a forgiving recipe.)
-2 cups brown sugar
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp cinnamon (or just dump some in. I'm all about approximation)
-1/2-2/3 cup butter, melted
-Sweetened&shredded coconut 
-Ground Flaxseeds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut cleaned apples into small pieces ( I prefer pretty small, so it cooks better). 

You can use peeled apples if that's the way you roll. 

But I can't really be bothered then you have more fiber. 



2. Dump apples and 1 cup of the brown sugar into a 9x13" baking pan. Stir around the goodness. 


That is ONE of the cups of brown sugar people. This is an important step.

But, y'know, they are all important in my book.





I love when the juices start coming out and mix with the sugar(see the brown syrup on the bottom??). I won't judge if you eat a couple. 

I know in my family these rarely make it unto the oven unharmed. But then again every time I bake I have to keep an eye on the people in the kitchen. It's a dangerous world out there people.


3.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together except for coconut and flax seeds.  Add coconut to your hearts content and mix in. I have never measured mine, but I guesstimate it to be about 1 1/2 cups.  If you want you can add a couple tbsp of ground flax seeds. You can't really taste them, but they add nutrition.



{Look I even added all the ingredients so that you can see them. My bowl doesn't look that normally. And then I couldn't get the camera to flash! My mom's camera is just too fancy for me.....}



You can put a couple tbsp's of flax if you are feeling extra health conscious. The nuttyness blends in really well, and works great with the texture. 

I use it if it's on hand to make myself feel more justified in eating it for breakfast.



Make sure it isn't too dry!

That bowl may or may not be on the ground.... I needed direct sunlight! I have no regrets.

....


Or not. Still- No regrets.

4.


Spread mixture over the apples and bake for about an hour. The juices should be bubbling around the sides. If you cut your apples bigger, you will need to cook for longer. And I recommend covering the crisp loosely with foil if you plan on baking for longer so that your crisp does not become a burnt. (haha!)


Aaaand it's baked! Sorry no inside shot. I was entertaining and didn't want to whip out the camera and put the food on the floor searching for light, etc etc.


Plus there was like an inch left at the end of the night.



PS. If you are worried that you don't like coconut or something, or think that I am just a crazy person, the coconut flavor isn't that overwhelming and provides a great chewniess to the crisp. I highly reccomend keeping it in. But if you don't let me know how it is! I've never been that crazy.



Condensed instructions: (I'm nothing, if not thorough)

Apple Crisp

-Approximately 6 apples (green or red)
-1 cup old-fashioned oats
-1 1/2 cups flour
-2 cups brown sugar
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2-2/3 cup butter, melted
-Sweetened&shredded coconut 
-Ground Flaxseeds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut cleaned apples into small pieces ( I prefer pretty small, so it cooks better). 

2. Dump apples and 1 cup of the brown sugar into a 9x13" baking pan. Stir around the goodness. 

3.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together except for coconut and flax seeds. Make sure it isn't too dry. Add coconut to your hearts content and mix in. I have never measured mine, but I guesstimate it to be about 1 1/2 cups.  If you want you can add a couple tbsp of ground flax seeds. You can't really taste them, but they add nutrition.

4. Spread mixture over the apples and bake for about an hour. The juices should be bubbling around the sides. If you cut your apples bigger, you will need to cook for longer. And I recommend covering the crisp loosely with foil if you plan on baking for longer so that your crisp does not become a burnt. (haha!)

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Hot Chocolate Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sound intriguing?




Well they are veryyy good. So good I've made them twice this week.


... Coincidence that I also started exercising more?

(Just ignore the fact that it calls for TWO sticks of butter. Your stomach will thank me, but your bottom may not.)

My ever favorite Pioneer Woman makes them here (picture is also from there).

Original recipe here.

Do you guys stalk PW as much as me? I totally want to go live on the ranch with her. But only for like a week because I would eat her out of house and home. And lodge.  She has a beautiful house doesn't she? And the ranch is beautiful too.

PS. I wouldn't blame you if you tried adding a little peppermind extract into the batter. It's amazing. Even though my sister said she kind of felt like she had just brushed her teeth. I mean, it's like mint hot chocolate, yo!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light


The Old Astronomer to His Pupil
Reach me down my Tycho Brahe, I would know him when we meet,
When I share my later science, sitting humbly at his feet;
He may know the law of all things, yet be ignorant of how
We are working to completion, working on from then to now.
Pray remember that I leave you all my theory complete,
Lacking only certain data for your adding, as is meet,
And remember men will scorn it, 'tis original and true,
And the obliquy of newness may fall bitterly on you.
But, my pupil, as my pupil you have learned the worth of scorn,
You have laughed with me at pity, we have joyed to be forlorn,
What for us are all distractions of men's fellowship and smiles;
What for us the Goddess Pleasure with her meretricious smiles.
You may tell that German College that their honor comes too late,
But they must not waste repentance on the grizzly savant's fate.
Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.
-Sarah Williams
PS. Just reread HP 7 to be prepared for November. Can't remember the last time I cried/laughed so much. So amazing. JK Rowling is a master at weaving emotions. And I know not everyone loved her epilogue, but I thought, and still do, that it was a perfect way to answer questions while still leaving it open for new stories to arise. Ever read fanfiction? I listen to a podcast of it when craving the magicalness of HP when there is no new books coming out. I'm a geek. and proud. 

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

joshyy pooo


Josh Groban has killed me with his amazingness. Again.


I have been stalking reading his Twitter for over a year about his new album, and I'm so excited that it is almost out!! (November for those who are unaware.)

Hidden Away is amazing and made my heart go pitter-patter again. *sigh* He's still got it.

You can click here and listen to and download it (for free! Cha-ching!)


Before he knew the title of his new album (Illuminations), he tweeted about it. Giggling from me ensued.



--For the non-twitter users (freaks!) you read bottom to top.

  1. True...but I don't want to jinx the whole "wanting to be alive" kick I'm on. RT @elyawhite Not Dead might work too :)

  2.   
    Thanks for all the title suggestions. I think Not Retired would answer the question on most people's minds.

  3. throwing around album titles today getting the news that 4 mixes are already in the can. moving so fast now.tomorrow looking at cover shots.