What kind of weenie cries over a box of candy?

This kind.

England isn't exactly known for it's food. It's getting better I hear, but really, when you think of food you think, "Hey let's go out for Mexican!" or "I feel like Chinese tonight" or "Let's be fancy and go to the new French Bistro" or "I want some comforting Italian food." No one ever says, "Shall we go out for some British food?" Unless you're talking about fish and chips (gag) or bread pudding (double gag).

Even when I was in England, the best food I ate was either Italian or Indian. The dinners we had at school all kind of tasted the same. It was enough to keep one alive, but not really crave. And that's when I met Aero. While trying out some of the local goodies, I found mint aero bars. Oh my freaking heck they are wonderful! Just... wonderful minty chocolaty airy goodness. They come in regular size bars and and king size bars. the king size bars are at least eight inches long and three or four inches wide- so a good size bar. anyway- Because I was a picky eater amongst strange foods, I found something familiar and for nearly six weeks I lived off of these chocolate bars. I ate at least one a day (pretty much). When I got the new Harry Potter (Half Blood Prince came out while I was there) I holed up in my room for two days with the book and a stash of mint aeros.

Anyway, being a British candy (there is a Canadian version as well) they are somewhat hard to come by in the western US. My sister and I were chatting the other day about British treats and I told her about my favorite candy. I told her how much I missed them and couldn't find them anywhere (seriously, whenever a store boasts an international food section, I look). And I've been so homesick lately, that a taste of any kind that would remind me of the happiest six weeks of my life would be a treat.

Surprise surprise yesterday when a box showed up at our door. I thought it was for my aunt. I knew I wasn't expecting anything. When the label said The British Food Store I had to wonder what it was. I was so excited when it said not my aunt's name, but MINE!

With all the enthusiasm of a five year old at Christmas, I ripped into the box, not daring to hope what it might be. When I dumped out the biodegradable Styrofoam peanuts and seven glorious aero bars fell out....

I immediately started bawling. It was just such a thoughtful thing. I called Valeri to tell her thank you. I was on speaker phone and her kids asked me, "are you crying?" I had to say yes. That was just so sweet and so unexpected that my emotions overcame me. I shared a little- but most of the bars will go into my secret chocolate hideaway and only be taken out for special occasions, like my birthday, or Christmas, or a Tuesday.

It made watching The Doctor even sweeter.

Band Wagon

I am not one who does things to go along with the crowd. In fact, I'll usually do the opposite just to be contrary. I didn't start reading Harry Potter until after the fourth book came out- because they were so popular I didn't want people to think I was only reading them because it was the cool thing to do. Same thing with Twilight. If I'd known how popular they were when I first read them, I probably wouldn't have read them. 

It was also the case with the Big Bang Theory. Everyone talked about how fuuuunnny it was and all these Emmy's and blah blah blah... but still, I resisted. Then one day I sat down to watch it in an environment where I didn't have control of the remote- and found it's actually hilarious and I love it now and have seen every episode (except season 5 because I HAVE to watch things in order the first time and I haven't been able to get the DVDs yet on Netflix. There's a long wait")

Anyway, to come to the point (there's an actual point to this???) I have found a new thing that I've finally discovered that zillions before me have loved- and many have said I'd love- but I resisted.

Doctor Who.

I can't believe I haven't been watching this for years. First of all, it's British. I, who love everything British, have resisted it for years. And I'm not sure if it's more popular than ever, or if I have just seen more adverts for it or what- but something in the universe is telling me I need to watch it. So I did.

I watched all of series one in like, three days (and where I work 12 hour shifts, that's quite an accomplishment) and I watched at least nine hours worth yesterday.) I have the weekend off- so guess what I'll be doing... :)

I love him.

and I love him.

But I've learned that a true Whovian (when I first heard that term I thought it was a Dr Seuss reference- wrong Doctor) is loyal to The Doctor, not to an actor.

Get With the Times!

I have been accused of being a fuddy-duddy. Of not being Jiggy wid it (and the fact that I use that phrase, I've been told is proof of said accusation)

I have a dinosaur phone. It doesn't have a touch screen and *gasp* you have to push buttons to turn it on!!! [[the horror!!]]

But there are a few other new fangled terms and things that I admit, I'm just not caught up on.

For starters:

• I# don't# understand# the# use# of# hash# tags# (I've only just learned they're called that now. I always called them pound signs, silly me) I# guess# they# have# something# to# do# with# the# Twitter# (which I've never been on) and# I'm# not# entirely# sure# of# their# purpose.# I# only# know# I# get# really# tired# of# seeing# them# everywhere#. (and ### to grow on)

• I don't know who the Kardashians are or why they are famous. Seriously (please don't judge me) when I first heard there was a show called "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" I thought the Star Trek people had made a mock series about a Cardassian family. I was judging everyone for saying it wrong, thinking I was all superior because I knew how to pronounce Car-Dass-ee-ann instead of all the idiots who pronounced it Car-DASH-ee-an. Even Google doesn't know. If you type in "Cadassian Family" in the search, it comes up with a pictures of an old Olympian and a bunch of chicks with majorly fake boobs and/or tans. 





• I'm still not entirely sure what Bath Salts means. I looked it up and someone eating someones face... what? 



• Going back to TV, I don't know what/who a Snookie is and what is her situation. I know it has something to do with New Jersey which... after have spent some time there... Nah... I'm still confused. And why do I care if she's pregnant?

• Also, why do I want to watch (which I don't) a show about a pregnant 16 year old? Is it supposed to scare teenagers? or does it glorify bad parenting (on the part of the 16 year old's parents- her bad parenting choices I imagine go without saying).

I do watch TV. I do. I just... I guess I just don't understand how these things hold enough of an interest that people actually watch them. But then, I've thought that about shows like Survivor and the Bachelor (et al) for years.

I'd much rather stay in my cozy corner of Rom Coms and Disney movies, listening to audio books instead of the radio and watching stuff on Hulu or DVR rather than get anti-educated by commercials. If that's the case, get me a whiskey and a maraschino cherry with a twist because I'm Old Fashioned.

Decoy Bride

It's been a long time since I've seen a movie that I've liked so much that I watch it two days in a row. Last night I was playing on Netflix trying to find something to kill time when I came across this little beauty.

It's not a big budget film. It's not an instant classic masterpiece. But boy, it sure is a cute movie and just makes you feel good and have the giggles... and then sighhhh....

David Tennant (who most people know as The Doctor- but I know as Barty Crouch Jr) is engaged to marry a Hollywood super star. And somehow things just keep going wrong with the secrecy of the wedding plans. So they end up on a remote Scottish island. Enter Kelly Macdonald (The voice of Merida [she also plays Helena Ravenclaw]). All kinds of Rom Com shenanigans ensue and it all adds up to a cheesy, totally predictable, really cute movie that, oh yes, I will be buying so I can watch it over and over even once Netflix takes it off it's watch instantly playlist.

Hand's down- best line of the movie: "My whole life flashed before my eyes... halfway through I got bored."

I also love that she drops the phrase "flippin' heck." I thought that was just a Utah/Idaho thing. Ha!

Jinx

I am a jinx. There is no other way to say it. I discover a product/show/store, they stop making it/carrying it/close. Every. Time.

Some of my more mourned ill-fated favorites are:

The store Anastasia's Closet. A quaint Victorian-esqe store at Gardner Village.

I went shopping today at Gardner village and they're gone. :(. I've never bought anything at that store because I don't have a home to decorate- but I sure love uh... loved... to go look at things. I was going to buy myself a cameo for Christmas. Not now I guess.

NBC's Awake. Starring the absolutely yummy Jason Issacs.

I don't watch cop shows. I just don't. But this one looked really interesting so I got myself vested in it- never missed an episode... then learned it was being cancelled. Stupid NBC!!! You leave crap like Smash on and take off the show I like? Rude!

Ben and Jerry's Bovinity Divinity. White chocolate ice cream swirled with chocolate ice cream with little white chocolate and fudge cows mixed in.

I ate this stuff by the bucket loads (almost literally) and it's now in their graveyard of ice creams past. Yes, they actually have a graveyard.

Ben and Jerry's Fossil Fuel. Ice cream with little chocolate dinosaurs, cookie chunks and a swirl of chocolate fudge

This was my replacement for Bovinity Divinity but it also became extinct (did you see what I did there?).

Ben and Jerry's Marsha Marsh Marshmallow. (Now masquerading as "Smore's") A groovy ice cream with all the smores fixin's built in. They changed the name- and every store I've searched for the last five years doesn't carry it. It didn't say it was in the graveyard list- but I sure can't find it. I guess something suddenly came up.

I am almost afraid to start liking anything new. It never seems to last very long.

Labor Day Movies

Since it's Labor Day I thought I'd "celebrate" it by watching movies about people who work. Ha!

The first movie I watched- I just love this movie and I bet 99% of you have never even heard of it, let alone seen it.

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim starring Betty Grable and Dick Haymes. It's set in 1870 Boston (which, oddly enough I had a dream I was in Boston last night... maybe it's a sign I need to visit).

Miss Pilgrim has just graduated from Typewriting school in New York City and is sent to prim and proper Boston for work. She's a total sensation because she's the first woman in the city to have a job in an office and immediately gets sucked into the local chapter of the women's suffrage movement.

I don't know why this movie isn't more widely played. It has a great message about equality and the woman's right to work- if she so chooses. I also think women who are brave enough to stay home and raise their kids are pretty amazing too- but at least it's now a choice and not a social convention.

Anyway, this isn't really meant to be a political soapbox of any sort. I just really like the movie, it has some snappy songs and some pretty funny moments. Also, Mr Haymes is pretty easy on the eyes and ears.

(It's also the screen debut of Marilyn Monroe- I bet you five cents you can't find her in it. But she's there!)

Speaking of Betty and Marilyn. Have you ever seen How to Marry a Millionaire? This one also stars Lauren Bacall. Three girls living in New York working as models and trying to catch rich hubbies... Hilarious! Seriously. You need to watch it.

I grew up on both of these movies- and I crave to watch them. Good clean fun, says I.

At the end of the day

• My three favorite words to say are: "Log me out" That means I'm going home from work. 12 hours is a really long day- no matter how good a day it's been.
• I love taking my shoes and socks off first thing when I get in my room. Ahhhhhh......
• As much as I love my necklaces and earrings- it sure is a nice feeling at the end of the day to take them off and put them back on my pathetic little jewelry organizer.
• I love sitting on my bed. I just got an awesome new mattress pad for my bed so not only is my bed ridiculously high- it's terribly comfy.
• I love looking at Facebook. I get a teeny bit sad when I don't have any notifications. Makes me feel like no one loves me. On the other hand, I get super annoyed when I do have notifications, and they're just invites to play stupid games or other people's comments on a status I commented on.
• I like washing my face and brushing my teeth. It's just a good feeling to be clean. The toner I use always makes my greasy skin feel nice and fresh.
• I love putting my hair in pig tails. My hair is rather short and curly right now- so when I put it up to get it out of my face, I look like a Who- or a Fraggle- with a little pom pom on my head.
• I like the sound of silence in the neighborhood. Utah has some super awesome crickets and they are LOUD. I love that things are quiet enough to hear them. It reminds me of sitting on my grandma's porch when I was little.
• I love writing in my journal. I haven't missed a day in over 10 years. Most of the time I don't have anything to say- but I write nonetheless. Sometimes it's just a paragraph. Sometimes it's a page and a half. Mostly it's travel log. It's a rare gem to get real insight and true emotion. THAT has to be a special day (be it good or bad)
• I don't like being cold (bad BAD snow!) but I love the late summer/early fall when I can leave my window open at night and still curl up in my blankie.
• I love to read in bed.
• I love sleep.

I woke up in a super good mood today. And oddly enough, it's lasted all day long! A couple of people accused me of being a grouch at work- but that's just my natural expression. I tend to scowl when my face is at rest. sorry folks. I'm actually quite happy today- for no reason what so ever.

I'll be the Boo Boo to your Yogi

This one's for Amy.

Yesterday I did something new. I'm sure it's not a secret that I've been having some back issues the last month or so. Probably longer, but they got pretty bad there for a while. I'm pretty much back to normal, but I talked to a trainer and she's going to help me loosen up my back muscles and open my spine (sounds painful to me...)

So today she taught me a few yoga moves. It wasn't a class setting. Just her and me. But in the middle (and when I say "middle", I really mean "back corner"- but it was a crowded corner) of the gym. Have I ever talked about how much I *love* having my giant arse up in the air while people are around? Oh, and let's throw in a loose fitting shirt that respects the law of gravity and hangs down so that everyone behind me can see any secrets I try to keep hidden.

That's when I turned my back to the wall. That was a little better. I don't know the names of the positions she had me doing. Most of them felt pretty good- nice and stretchy. I like stretching. Some of them hurt like someone was trying to break my bones! (I found the problem area!) I know one I did was downward dog. Huh... who knew that my hands and feet could touch the ground at the same time? It hurt like hell- but I did it. I did some kind of cat stretch and then a few where I felt like a twizzler- straight up and down but all twisted up and then a little bendy from side to side.

It was one thing to do those with a trainer. We'll see how I do on my own. I may have to stay home for that portion of my "work out".

How I think I look doing Yoga

How I actually look.