Great Quiz

This one is fantastic, you can determine how conservative or liberal you are on a scale ranging from Jessie Jackson to Ronald Reagan... I was a 10 which puts me right with Hillary Clinton, who I freaking love!

Oh Glorious Weekend!

This has been a fantastic weekend. It started off yesterday evening when I went to dinner and a performance of "A Night Without Pants" at the Empire Theatre (where the show I will be in is going to be) with my friend Collin. It was so nice to catch up. It's funny that we have known each other since we were 11 and even though we don't see each other more than once or twice a year we always feel so comfortable and close during those occassions. It's nice to have that type of friendship. After the show Collin and I met up with our friend Jon, we went and grabbed coffees then retreated to my house for a nice political debate in the backyard...

Today has been full of errands, but I grabbed sushi with Jon and we ran a bunch of errands together afterward. Then we went to his place and lounged around in his pool which was quite warm and wonderful. Now I just feel sleepy and am thoroughly enjoying the fact that I have no plans for the rest of the evening and I get to be all alone. Well, Sunny (my yellow lab) will be here to bother me every few hours but she's so cute, I can't really complain. I just wish there was something better on TV than "UFOs in the Bible" on the history channel...

I have also been reflecting on the fact that i only have two more weeks of a ridiculous amount of driving, so I am looking forward to that coming to an end! but for now, I am off for a nap!

How Forgiving Are You Quiz Results:

Balanced forgiver. You're a basically kind person with a sense of balance and boundaries. However, you're no Mother Theresa.

Well that sounds about right. I tend to let things go, but if someone cuts me off on the freeway my inner sailor may pop out. I figure in personal relationships there is no reason to get riled up or hold onto anger if you don't have to...it doesn't hurt the other person, only yourself. Sometimes this is easier said than done, I suppose.

It's only Tuesday??

This summer is killing me! When I was in college I could take 5 classes a semester and work 40-60 hours a week at the newspaper. But now, I am not taking any classes and although I work five days a week, it is generally only 30-40 hours a week, but sometimes (last night for example) I just want to sit down and cry. I think I am tired from going back and forth between jobs, the commuting between Davis, Stockton and Sacramento and the emotional drain of missing Brandon.

Friday I was driving from work in Sacramento to my parents in Stockton around 2:30 in the afternoon and I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. If I had had to go any farther I would have needed to stop and take a nap. And I am not one of those crazy people who stay up all hours of the night, I am usually in bed by 10, 11 at the latest. Yesterday I came home and my dad was there and asked how I was. I told him I was tired. Before rehearsal I got a coffee so that i could stay awake and hopefully pull my lines out of my butt (which I think I managed to do pretty damn well).

When I got home from rehearsal my dad told me i had looked so tired before i went, he wanted to make sure i was okay to do all the driving I have to do and then told me to make sure I drink coffee before each trip. That was great. My dad has always given me crap about my iced mocha addiction (yes, it is an expensive habit, no I am not cutting back!) and now he is encouraging it. Wonderful. Maybe he will start paying for them too - that may be pushing my luck a bit I suppose. Anyway, the folks are off to Hawaii today, lucky bums! Guess I can't be too mad since i have spent a month in England this year. This is a long rambling mess, I apologize - remember, I am tired.

Oh it's SO true!

Dear Red States...

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all of the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly:

You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches.
We get Elliot Spitzer. You get Ken Lay.
We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood.
We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.
We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss.
We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama.
We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share.
Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners), 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools, plus Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.

With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush
Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.

We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are
people with higher morals then we lefties.

Peace out,
Blue States

Another "Duh" Moment

Wow, who'd have thought that Arnold Schwarzenegger would be a terrible governor?? It seems like people are finally catching on and realizing that it is more important to elect someone who has a tiny clue what they are doing and not just elect someone because they are famous...

The end is almost here...to the week, at least!

I am at work, should be working, but I needed the mental break. Today has been fine – at least I actually woke up on time. Yesterday I was supposed to get up at 6 am to leave Stockton by 6:40 and get to work in Sacramento by 8ish. Yeah…that didn’t happen. I am a very light sleeper, but I never even heard my alarm go off! Fortunately my mom was kind enough to check and see if I needed to get up, which at that point I very much did. I knew at that point I shouldn’t rush because I was definitely going to hit major traffic and in the back of my mind I knew I should have waited until 9 to leave, but I left at 7:50 instead…and got to work at 9:50!! I can’t believe it took me 2 hours to get from Stockton to Sacramento and the worst thing was a lot of the stopped traffic on the last stretch was because people were stopping to look at an accident that was completely out of the way – hence, there was no reason to slow down at all and we were barely moving!! I can’t stand it when people don’t know how to drive. I think four years of living in LA made me a bit more aggressive when it comes to the road than I used to be. Not sure if that is a good thing.

Anyway, today has been much less exciting. I talked to Brandon for a bit on my way to work and on my lunch break (took at least 12 tries to get those two connections where we could actually hear each other…grrr…). It was nice to hear his voice, of course I still miss him…about 2 more months until he comes home. I can’t start a countdown yet as he hasn’t booked a flight yet, but it should be sometime around mid-September. I am certainly looking forward to it, but for now it is back to work for another hour and 20 minutes, than errands, paper editing and movie watching.

Why did it take so long?

I know it is only more of the same, but in a sick way it makes me happy. I don't want anyone to ever forget that I voted for Kerry last November - and the "Anyone but Bush" bumper sticker will be on Ned (my car) as long as I have it.

Nothing much to say

Well tomorrow is Monday, back to the grind. I think that working 5 days a week is more stressful when going back and forth between jobs - I spend two days a week working at UC Davis and three days a week at CSU Sacramento. I guess August will be here soon enough and that will be the end of the archives internship at UCD. But tomorrow it is a long UCD day, then driving back to Stockton for rehearsal. I love how on Sunday night I already can't wait until Friday.

I was able to be productive, exercise and spend time with friends this weekend which was good. The only bummer was that Brandon did a double marathon (in the UK) from Saturday through Sunday and then had his phone off Sunday (when he told me to call to check on him). Hope he managed to survive those 100 km without too much trouble. At least I had a nice letter from him that he sent when he was in Sierra Leone. So even if I couldn't talk to him, I was able to get a little surprise from him this morning in the mail (well in yesterday's mail, but I didn't bother to get it until today). My favorite part was when he said the African boys at the hostel where he stayed saw a picture he had of me and said I was beautiful and he was so lucky :)

I hope he knows it!

It's late (for me), so I am going to call it a night.

It is about freaking time...

POLL SUGGESTS DROP IN BUSH'S PERSONAL CREDIBILITY
Thu Jul 14, 7:25 AM ET (Reuters)

President Bush's personal credibility appears to be eroding at a time when Iraq has become the top public priority and the White House is engulfed in controversy over senior Bush adviser Karl Rove, a poll released on Wednesday suggested.

The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed the percentage of Americans who believe Bush is "honest and straightforward" fell to 41 percent from 50 percent in January, while those who say they doubt his veracity climbed to 45 percent from 36 percent.

The telephone survey, which was conducted July 8-11 and included responses from 1,009 adults, also showed that Iraq has replaced jobs as the leading issue among Americans.

With a 3.1 percent margin of error, polling data said 40 percent see Iraq as the top priority for the United States, against 34 percent who view jobs as their main concern. In January, jobs ranked highest among 46 percent to 39 percent for Iraq.

The new poll also showed Bush's overall job approval rating slipping to 46 percent from 47 percent in May, while his disapproval rating crept upward to 49 percent from 47 percent.

The White House this week has been reeling amid controversy over Rove, the top Bush political adviser who was named by a Time magazine reporter as one of the sources who identified CIA agent Valerie Plame to the media in 2003.

Democrats have called on Bush to fire Rove or block his access to classified information. But Bush, who originally pledged to dismiss anyone responsible for leaking Plame's identity, said he will withhold judgment on his deputy chief of staff for now.

Fire the evil Karl Rove!!

On Sunday, Newsweek magazine revealed that Karl Rove – as you know, the President's closest political advisor -- was responsible for disclosing the identity of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame.

The agent, Valerie Plame, worked on weapons of mass destruction for the agency and by exposing her identity, the leaker could have jeopardized the lives of other covert agents in the field. At best, it was recklessly irresponsible; at worst, it was malicious; and either way, the leaker undermined our national security.

President Bush has pledged to fire anyone who helped leak Plame’s name to the press. Now we know that the person responsible was Karl Rove. Please take a moment to sign the petition telling the President to keep his promise now at:

http://www.moveonpac.org/firerove/

A good way to waste my time

Cjristina has inspired me to complete a number of these silly quizzes - it is also an excellent way to postpone cleaning my room!

Kissing Purity Score 71%
For you kissing isn’t a casual thing. Lip to lip action makes your heart sing.

How American Are You? 32%
You don’t love it or want to leave it. But you wouldn’t mind giving it an extreme make-over.

What’s your 2005 Summer Anthem?
“Behind These Hazel Eyes” by Kelly Clarkson

Broken up, deep inside
But you won’t get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

What type of kisser are you?
Part Expert Kisser:
You're a kissing pro, but it's all about quality and not quantity
You've perfected your kissing technique and can knock anyone's socks off
And you're adaptable, giving each partner what they crave
When it comes down to it, your kisses are truly unforgettable

Part Romantic Kisser
For you, kissing is all about feeling the romance
You love to kiss under the stars or by the sea
The perfect kiss involves the perfect mood
It's pretty common for kisses to sweep you off your feet

I love mocha's but apparently I am not one:

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

I feel old.

Yesterday I went to a wedding and it was the first time I have gone to a wedding of my own friends. It was beautiful, but I still could barely believe that my friends from high school were getting married!! It made me feel so old, getting married is something that adults do. Perhaps I am an anomaly because I don't have any friends with kids and, until yesterday, I didn't have any friends that were married. I guess this was a hint that we are growing up and inching ever closer to "reality" - whatever that may be.

At first I was a little worried that I was going to freak out since I went to the wedding alone (it's hard for your date to make it when he is in another country) and I am a girl, so I have always been emotional at weddings - even when it is people I barely know. But I think I held it all together very well and being there alone gave me the opportunity to catch up with some other girls I haven't seen since high school graduation 5 years ago (I can't believe it has been five years already!)

All in all it was a lovely day, but certainly a mile stone too. Who would have thought you could feel old at 23?

Can't get enough of London...

Here's a picture of Brandon and I in London in March. Aren't we cute?

More on London

I did okay for most of the day yesterday dealing with what had happened in London, but when I got home I put the news on and they were talking about Kings Cross and it hit me - Brandon and I were just there...in the last few months we have been at the station so many times and the bed and breakfast we stayed at was less than two blocks away. We spent time in each of the other areas as well. Brandon was just in London a few days ago when he came home from Sierra Leone...it is so scary to think that something like that could just happen and change lives forever. With this, like with 9/11, it makes me worry about not living enough, not accomplishing enough. What if this happens where I am next week or next month or next year? There is so much more that I want to experience and I want to hurry up and do it all right away just in case.

Of course I know that you can't rush life. Nor can you be afraid of the "what ifs." But a day like yesterday can make you think just a little bit more about what you want out of life.

London Bombings

Woke up this morning with the news that multiple bombs had gone off in London. It was terrible news and I was a little extra concerned knowing that Brandon’s parents arrived in the UK this morning. He lives about 3 hours north of London, so I figured he was safe and I was nearly positive his folks arrived at Manchester airport not London Heathrow, but still I was concerned. I tried to call before dashing off to work, but of course, nothing would go through. Around 10 PST I was able to leave a voice message for him. I took an early lunch and tried in vain to call – again nothing would go through. Fortunately right before I was to head back to work he called me back. He and his parents are all fine – they had indeed flown into Manchester. I was definitely happy to know they are all safe. For those who were affected by the London bombings, you are in my thoughts. I can’t understand what anyone thinks will be achieved by killing innocent people who are merely on their way to work or school. I suppose no matter how I question this, I will never be able to understand the motive behind such acts.

Good to Know

Your Brain is 73.33% Female, 26.67% Male

Your brain leans female You think with your heart, not your head Sweet and considerate, you are a giver But you're tough enough not to let anyone take advantage of you!

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Make Poverty/AIDS History

Wednesday is a very important day, not only is it my birthday, but it is also an opportunity to let eight of the most powerful leaders in the world know how we feel about the poverty and AIDS crisis in Africa. Please take a few seconds to visit this site and sign the petition:

Could the G8 summit on July 6th be an historic opportunity for America to lead the world - and save
millions of lives? Nelson Mandela thinks so: He's calling on the world's leaders to act now to end AIDS and extreme poverty.

In a new video on ONE.org [http://www.sun.com/one/mandela ] , the former President of South Africa and hero in the
struggle against apartheid asks the G8 nations for an unprecedented deal on debt, aid and trade for people in the world's poorest countries.

Will you join this call and sign the ONE letter to President Bush [http://www.one.org/addmyvoiceaspx ] today?

Please, let your voice be heard and encourage 8 men in 1 room to save the lives of millions of people each year.

it's going to be a cool day - only 99!

I think I will celebrate this "cool" day but not spending too much time outside. In fact I think I will celebrate this cool day by not doing much of anything. Last night was nice. My parents took me to dinner for my birthday (it's really Wednesday) which meant i got to have two of my favorite things: lobster bisque and chocolate souffle. I think one of the reasons I enjoy lobster bisque so much doesn't even have to do with the taste, I associate it back to the "yada, yada, yada" Seinfeld episode. If you are not a Seinfeld fanatic like me, let me remind you what an important role lobster bisque played in this episode:

Elaine tells Jerry and George a story about a date she went on 'he picked me up, we went to dinner, I had the lobster bisque, we went back to my place and yada, yada, yada I never heard from him again.' Jerry says, 'but you skipped the best part.' And Elaine's response is priceless, 'no, I mentioned the bisque.'

Gotta love it!

I was also a bad girl last night because I opened my gifts since we were in a celebratory mood, which included the card and package that Brandon sent me (that specified they not be opened before my birthday...oops!) But since he has been in Sierra Leone for the last two weeks there hasn't been much communication (two cards from him and an "i'm alive" email is pretty much it). He will be able to call me on my actual birthday and that is present enough. I just wanted to feel close to him before he is back in the UK Tuesday and we can talk - is that so wrong? At work the other day a guy told me I won the long distance relationship award for being with someone who is so far away. It is certainly not ever an honor I was looking for, but I will accept it for the time being. I just can't wait until B comes home in September...it feels so far away right now!

Live 8

I am so glad I don't have anything to do today and I can sit around and watch Live 8 all day. It would only be better if I were actually at the London concert because they certainly got the best line-up! I hope that these concerts and the world wide support shows the men at the G-8 summit that they could make a difference in the world. Let's make poverty history!

My Inner European...

Your Inner European is Italian!

Passionate and colorful. You show the world what culture really is.

Who's Your Inner European?