Zombie Dance

Back to So You Think You Can Dance, this is upon recommendation from the Abby-Girl - (it's also one of my favorite dances ever). The choreographer, Wade Robson, just won an Emmy for it. And Mia Michaels also won an Emmy this year - yay!

Practically Famous

http://www.overheardintheoffice.com/archives/005255.html

For those of you who are keeping track, this was overheard at a temp job I had last spring - a certain distributor of building materials, specifically for roofing.

Thank God I'm a Country Girl

Okay, so I'm not really a country girl. In fact, I start to feel out of place as soon as I get anywhere north of, say, Shoreview. But I understand the appeal of the small-town, slower-pace lifestyle and would love to move to the country - if only I could find a town with a progressive, free-thinking, socially conscious population. It's not because I believe that's the only acceptable way to approach life - there's value in differing beliefs and opinions - but it's just that I prefer to be around people who don't make me want to throw rocks at them when they speak.

Anyway, I've been a country music fan almost as long as I've been a music fan. And I think it's too bad that so many of us (especially in the city) avoid it. I appreciate the wholesome themes of true love, family, simplicity and faith in God.

So I share with you some of my favorite country music lyrics. (There are so many, it's hard to choose.)

I have wondered this world far and wide
I've been all around to the other side
But there's nothin' like comin' home
I wanna sit on my front porch and drink my lemonade
Cut my grass after church every Sunday
And go out on Saturday night
Live the simple life
Wake up in the morning to these fields of gold
And take a long walk down a gravel road
Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Simple Life

My grandma was a wise old soul
Took me by the hand not long ago
Said, "Son, what's your hurry, boy slow it down
Taste the wild honey, listen to the sound
Of the wind that's blowin' through the trees
Rivers flowin' to the sea
Yeah they're all headin' home just like you and me
Life's for livin' child, can't you see?"
Keith Urban, These Are the Days

'Cause it's the first long kiss on a second date
Momma's all worried when you get home late
And droppin' the ring in the spaghetti plate
'cause your hands are shakin' so much
And it's the way that she looks with the rice in her hair
Eatin' burnt supper the whole first year
And askin' for seconds to keep her from tearin' up
Yeah man, that's the good stuff
Kenny Chesney, The Good Stuff

There are also country music lyrics I hate, of course - songs about the U.S. of A. putting a boot in your ass, 'cause it's the American way. But I won't get into those, at least not in this post.

My Bedroom Door

I have recently been wanting to post several creations that are not my own - poems, quotes, art, tongue twisters and the like that I have been collecting over the years - so I've created a separate blog. Hopefully someone besides me can enjoy it.

My Bedroom Door

The name was inspired by the location of the original collection, which was my bedroom door. (I know, I'm creative like that.)

"Life is burritoful."

If I was feeling really creative, I might write a short ode to Chipotle, the maker of all burrito-y goodness.

As it is, I'll just post this link. You can calculate the nutrition information for your specific variety of burrito (or tacos, or whatever you might consume).

My Chipotle Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 Burrito

Calories 1174 Calories from Fat 420

Total Fat 47g
Saturated Fat 18g
Cholesterol 166mg
Sodium 2989mg
Total Carbohydrate 125g
Dietary Fiber 10.5g
Sugars 6g
Protein 61g
Vitamin A 109%
Vitamin C 39%
Calcium 52%
Iron 24%

Chipotle Nutrition
Results provided by: Chipotle Fan.com

And now we have another testament to Chipotle's brilliance - one burrito, one meal and (almost) one entire day's worth of calories. Yummm.

Best. Choreography. On TV.

So You Think You Can Dance is one of the two TV shows that I watch (the other is The Office).

Mia Michaels (choreographer of the first two pieces) is a goddess. Really. The second of her's here is the story of reuniting with her dad in heaven - just amazing.

The third piece is the best disco I've ever seen - so much fun (not sure who the choreographer is).

Why I ♥ the Internet - Part I

I often hear people argue that the Internet is useless, detrimental to our society and lacking in quality content.

I vehemently disagree. There is so much information available on the Internet that I never dreamed would be possible to find - and so much more that I never dreamed would exist. Like this:

Muppet Wiki - Snuffleupaguses


“The back of Mr. Snuffleupagus has been performed by Richard Hunt, Brian Muehl, Frank Kane, and Peter Friedman, but since 1979, the regular back-end has been Bryant Young.”

Blake has suggested I look into this position as I explore various career paths.

These Days

This is me, these days:

That's a slight exaggeration, I guess. It's actually more like this:

DISASTER

As long as we're talking about home organization (well, I am), I have to post this photo. It's from an ad for Smart Spin. It reminds me of my worst nightmares.

The thing is, Blake's tupperware cupboard actually does look like this. And I have, on several occasions, opened it only to be attacked by an army of improperly stored containers.

But these are the labors of love.

Closets and Love

Once upon a time I fell in love with home organization. I don't know exactly when it happened. I have fond memories of the house I grew up in, organizing and reorganizing my bedroom closet - emptying it completely and putting everything back in carefully chosen spots. While other kids were outside playing, I was in my closet. (Well, I did also spend a decent amount of time outside.)

Then when I was 13 we moved and I entered a whole new frontier in the world of organization. The closet in my new bedroom was larger than the old one, but without adequate shelving. I was aghast, as you might imagine. My mom and I made a trip to The Container Store (I thought I had found heaven on earth), measurements in hand, and I designed my first shelving system. My dad and I installed it together and there was a place for everything. Happier times I cannot remember.

But sadly, I have recently realized that I will never, never achieve the closet organization enlightenment I have always dreamed of. Much like everything else in our society, the closets we are accustomed to seeing in magazines, the closets we are led to believe are the ideal - are not even closets. See Exhibit A. I'd like to meet someone who owns clothing in only three coordinating shades. Exhibit B - who actually purchases food based on packaging color or repackages it in coordinating glass canisters? And if these are the closets, then where are people supposed to store the rest of their things?

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Yes, they're easy on the eyes, but I demand realism in the home organization industry. Someone needs to acknowledge that most of us own more than five shirts. I want to see skirts of various lengths and purses that are not freestanding. Show me what a real closet looks like - with halter tops, strapless dresses and bulky sweaters that don't stack well. Show me a closet that lives, breathes, is beautiful and can actually be used.