December 30... Need a hand/leg?

Today's new thing was not planned. It seems fitting to me (and very cruel), that the one time I play with superglue, I should glue my thumb to a plastic barbie leg.



Also: I sightread 52 consecutive church hymns in 30 minutes... that's a new record! And a new thing. (And a nerdy thing...)

December 29... Vegan Vittles

I've never been one to get into the whole "that innocent cow was mooing ten seconds before it was on your plate" thing, so I don't usually buy into this, but today...

I ordered my first VEGAN thing -ever.

A Portabella Mushroom Sandwich, and it was probably the most delicious Mediterranian food I've ever had. Not to say I'll be going vegan now, by any stretch of the imagination, but this sandwich could very well possibly change your life. It was that good.

December 28... Bill Nye My Eye

If anyone were to ask me what my least favorite subject in school is, I would automatically reply: science.

Today, I took this test to see if I really was as bad as i remember...

It turns out, I'm worse. I barely sqeaked by with a 65%...

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Sites

December 27... Bienvenidos Abigail Bennet!

Tonight, Ashley, Ethan, and I joined the Abby Bennet support group to welcome her home from her long stay in Ecuador... seven months!

It was quite the adventure... while waiting for her delayed flight, we hopped on wheelchairs.

I know it seems pretty impossible, but in all my 20 years of being alive, I have never been on one long enough to operate one. I got on and was completely confused at how to turn! It took me quite a while to get the hang of it, and when I did...

"Excuse me. The wheelchairs are for those with special needs. Put them back."

Ooops....

That put a damper on our wait, until we saw that lovely girl come flaoting down the escalators... we all screamed in joyous unison, and I will admit, I got a bit teary-eyed when I went to hug her. I love Abby Bennet, and welcoming her back home at the airport has got to be one of the most heart-touching new things I've done this year.

December 26... Lies!

Ever wanted to lie about something and not get caught?

Today I whispered a white lie when no one was listening.

December 25... Home Alone

Ok, not really. But this Christmas was the first one I've spent completely on my own- no friends or boyfriends- with just my family. It definitely went a little different than I planned, but it was nice to be with everyone.

Also, I made a pyramid out of snow. Take that, Frosty.

December 24... Pardon My Being Forward But...

There is nothing like a generic text forward to bring about the Holiday Cheer.

Yeah right.

Tonight I made up my own forward and sent it to those I cared about, in hopes they would pass it on to those they care about. It went something like this:

Merry Christmas! If you don't send this to 645 people in the next ten seconds, Santa will personally poke your eyeballs out. Hope you haven't been naughty...

(I didn't mean for it to sound so threatening...)

December 23... Cheetah Girls, Cheetah Sisters

I learned the cheetah girl dance that they teach on the Disney Channel.
Keep in mind, I am not a outgoing diva, but I can certainly willing to give it a try.
(Unfortunately, it didn't go so well...yeah yeah, I know my hand is awkwardly on her shoulder... she was moving too quick!!!)

RAWR.

December 22... That's Tight

Today I surfed the Urban Dictionary to learn 10 new phrases/words to use- in the streets. There include (but are not limited to:)

1. Econnoisseur

One who insists on the highest quality at the lowest price.

Being an econnoisseur I bought the ten dollar chilean wine instead of the fifty dollar french.

2. Flavorgasm

When eating food so good that you let out an involuntary moan, usually the first bite; also as an adjective - flavorgasmic
I ate this unbelievable steak yesterday. I swear when I ate the first bite I had a total flavorgasm!

3. Sargasm
Deriving far too much satisfaction from glibly berating another with sarcasm.

"Oh, thanks a lot for drinking my last beer! No, it's my fault... if I wanted it for myself, I shouldn't have put it in the fridge!"
"Dude, don't have a sargasm."

4. Bagside
The side of a body where a gigantic purse or messenger bag is carried, and an awkward barrier preventing others from walking comfortably alongside is often created.

I would hold your hand, baby, but I don't want to get on your bagside.

5. MIRF
acronym for Mom I'd Run From. The opposite of a MILF. A mom you definitely would not want to do.
"I don't know where she gets her good looks, her mom is a MIRF!"

6. Textrovert
1. One who feels an increased sense of bravery over texting, as opposed to in person.
2. One who will often only say what they really feel over text messages.

Kelly: "So how'd the conversation go with Jason last night?"
Natalie: "Ah he's such a textrovert. We didn't make any progress until I went home and he spilled his guts over texts."

7. Slackitude
The act of, or state of being a slacker. Describes the attitude typically associated with being a slacker. Most appropriately applies to one with no responsibilities, one that gets by pretending to be hard at work, or the co-worker that is found hanging out near the coffee machine for most of the day.

I just can't tolerate that guy's slackitude! If I were his manager, I'd sack him, no doubt.

8. Tag Hag
A person who is obsessed with brand name clothing.
She is such a tag hag! She wanted to wear my Versace even though she hates it!

9. Trill
An adjective used in hip-hop culture to describe someone who is considered to be well-respected, coming from the combination of "true" and "real".
Trill A** Niggaz keepin it true and real.

10. Flesh Forks
Your bare fingers
Person A: Dude, I don't have a fork!
Person B: Just use your flesh forks, dude.

I also enjoyed:
Crop Dusting:
farting while walking
In which you would respond with:
Flatuglance:
That look you give someone when they have just farted around you.

That's a wrap, homies. Keepin it real in the hood. These words are gonna be off the hook, that's all I'm sayin.

December 21... Also No Clever Catchy Title.

In an effort to invite the true meaning of Christmas into this Holiday Season, I celebrated with the Ercanbracks in a "Shepherd's Dinner". Basically, we all came out in bathrobes and cloth tied around our heads, ate on the floor, and dined on cheese, grapes, nuts, olives, fruit, bread, and some meat. This helped to put us in the shoes of what it might be like for a shepherd living in Jesus' times, and it was a really neat tradition. Then to completely flip the mood afterwords, we celebrated the first day of Hanukkah. I learned how to play with the Dradle and enjoyed a nice jelly-filled donut.

Life with the Ercanbracks is always an adventure.

December 20... Soup Nazi

Today I did a few "News"...

-I attended my first work party. It was a Famous Daves, and there was more than enough food to go around... and more than enough presents. I totally scored- jazz tickets, money, candy, lotion, and homemade bread. It's nice to know that even Cartridge Fillers get a break every now and then :)

-I became Godmother to this Russian Tortoise.

-I watched a whole episode of Seinfeld. (Not only that, but 5 consecutive episodes! Season Seven.) Never in my life have I seen so many nothing fights... fantastic.

December 19... Mistle-Toe.

Today was supposed to be the day I got my wisdom teeth removed. In honor of cancelling the appointment, I decided to celebrate another body part...

I decided upon a favorite toe.
Right big toe, just because it has a freckle next to it.
Unfortunately, no picture. Although that toe is my favorite, I think my feet are undesirable for the appearance of the blog. I'm sure you understand.

December 18... A+

I finally did what all other girls do in times of desperation...

I chopped my hair into an a-line.

December 17... Diggin The Denim

Today I helped my dad go pants shopping. In other words, I learned what the two numbers mean... the first is the waist size, and the second is the length. I also learned to distinguish between loose straight, regular, fit, and bootcut. (the last of which is desirable for skinny dudes such as my father.) Shopping for men is more confusing that I thought! (Although not NEARLY as much as for girls.) Unfortunately, we didn't get much selection- we were in the local Smith's Marketplace in the clearance section. Troys will be Troys.

December 16... A day that will live in infamy.

Today I finally met Jason Clark. The big deal is: we've been meaning to meet for seven years. One of my closest friends, and I've never actually met him. The story is simple yet complicated- so it will suffice to say we've been friends on the internet since I was about 13 years old. It was a friendship formed through distance, but we didn't let that stop us.

Finding myself in the Provo area today, I decided to give him a call on a whim, and we met at Barnes and Noble. What followed was a lovely conversation about Rosie O'Donnel, Twilight bashing, European philosophy, punching the Iowa sign, and band sellouts. And although there was nothing to fear, I'm still glad he didn't show up as an incognito 50-year-old creepo. Just kidding :)

December 15... Ove-Lay

I wrote a love letter entirely in Pig Latin.

*And no, it was not to Jason Mraz.

December 14... Oh Holey Night

My titles are getting worse and worse...

Today I made a BUNDT CAKE.

Why they have holes in the middle, I'll never know.

December 13...That's Handy

In light of today's snowstorm, Kate and I went out for a walk with our dog Zoey. I decided to bring along some handwarmers, in case my hands (as they often do) became chilly. And we set out for a lovely walk amongst the snow.

Unfortunately, the handwarmers did not warm up. I have only used them once before, while snowboarding, and I could never get them to work. So, after complaining to Kate repeatedly, she took matters in to her own hands. She discovered, upon deeper questioning, that I had no idea how to utilize them. She then proceeded to teach me how to use handwarmers. The problem was, I hadn't taken them them out of the outside protective package. Needless to say, I was completely embarassed. But, swallowing my pride, I let her open my bag for me, and my fingers were soon as warm as they could be.

Also, on a completely random tangent: We went inside Guitar Center for the first time. This is definitely worth the title of a new thing, and you probably won't understand why unless you've been there.

December 12... Netflix Nostalgia (title courtesy of Katelyn)

Ever used Netflix? Today I logged on (granted, it was on Pete's account...) and watched a video with Melissa, as our last little hurrah as roommates. Paris, Je T'aime... an amazing collection of short films with locations in different places in France. My most favorite of the films would definitely have to be Place de fetes, Faubourg Saint-Denis, and Bastille.

Sidenote: Really impressed with Netflix. It froze so I had to restart it in another window, and when I did, it started right where we left off. Pretty impressive, neh?

December 11... Fzhoookie!

For Hailey's "last fling" in Logan before moving to Salt Lake, we went to a restaurant for only dessert. It was pretty awesome! Even more awesome was Ray's tirade on little children and politics we got to hear the whole way back home. It made my ice cream taste all the sweeter. (Until I finished the whole thing... now I just feel sick.)

December 10... Grape Wraiths

I looked to Pete's left. He was there, coming straight towards us, our impending doom. We were about to be caught, by a manager nonetheless! But new things must go on. I looked at Pete, who looked at me, and we picked up the bag nervously. Mumbling something about quality, I plucked a single grape off and plopped it in my mouth. As we scurried off, I contemplated the thought...



Like my mom used to do, I had just eaten a grape at the grocery store without paying for it. Whoever said it is stealing hasn't tried it yet.

December 9... Tipsy

Today I played the piano in an art gallery on campus. (It is called the Tippets Gallery.) I played for my vocalist's jury, which was located inside, behind all the paintings. It was such a cool experience- nice piano, echo-ey sound, and professional feel. Very classy indeed.

December 8... Nice Rack! ...I mean...

Tis the Season for finals week, and my roommates and I decided to kick it off in style with a Prom Night at the Olive Garden. All went well and the dresses were beautiful, but alas, I had no place to put my coat. Solution: I put my coat on a complimentary coat rack in the front of the restaurant, untamed and left alone.

It wasn't until after dinner when I had seen an employee take their coat off the same rack, I realized it probably wasn't complimentary...

December 7... "Toe"dally awesome.

Tonight, Melissa, Pete and I wrote stories on each other's feet. This was extremely entertaining, due to the fact that we are all very ticklish there. Deep concentration broken due to uncontrollable bursts of laughter and giggles were common. We were all rolling on the ground laughing, in fact. Definitely a different take on storytelling- Dr. Seuss would be proud.

December 6... How APeeling

Passing the Trax on my way to the USU/BYU basketball game, I intentionally made a banana peel trap for people to slip on. It's a good thing we were so close to the Medical Center...

December 5... The Light At The End Of The Tunnel.

Today, I jumped the second to last hurdle of Fall Semester by playing well in my jury. So, some ways I celebrated:

I longboarded down the hallways of the piano department.

I ate a banana split from Charlie's, a famous ice cream joint in Logan.

and I was part of a photobooth for my professors' wedding reception.

After going through the line, the guests would get their pictures taken, to be printed out and put in the guestbook for them to sign. It was so much fun! I was just the photo/food/runner/support group. It was a blast seeing all of those uptight old people come out of their shells and take those crazy photos!

December 4.... Lament

Sadness overtakes my body. Due to jury stress and personal life, I can't seem to remember what my new thing of the day is today. I swear it was legit...

December 3rd... O.

I played with Incense and made my first smoke ring today.

December 2... Happy Birthday To Me

The accomplices.

Well folks, here it is, the BIG TWENTEEN. That's right, Twenteen. 20 years later and I'm still not ready to grow up. However, I did earn some amazing friends along the way. This blog entry goes out to...

Melissa Martinson.

Pete Smithsuth.

Kate Crump.

and Cailie Ercanbrack.

who made my birthday full of surprises and adventure!

In case you all didn't know, I am one for surprises. I love that look on someone's face when they get something completely unexpected and thoughtful. Today I was completely shocked to find that my friends had gone behind my back and plotted some fantastic things... which I had no idea about. Not even an inkling.

It started out at midnight, with receiving my first ever bouquet of lilies. I love these flowers more than practically any gift anyone could give me, and they are positively beautiful.

Then, around 3:00 AM, I woke up (it took a while) to someone (Pete) putting a blindfold around my eyes and carrying me to a car. That's right... I was "Cort"napped. I was a bit scared when I heard someone yell "Shut up, or I'll cap you!" until I realized that it was Melissa, pretending to be a criminal. I started laughing and tried to talk, but they kept telling me to get some sleep. After driving for about half an hour, we stopped and they led me out of the car. Taking off the blindfold, I beheld in front of me, the most magnificent Gorilla Art in the world... full of inside jokes and beautiful memories. Pete told me to look around, and I was very confused until I took a step backwards and realized... we were at Midway. The little gift shop/restraunt/mystery house in the middle of Sardine canyon. I had planned to visit this little place as a new thing for months now, and here I was, standing right in front of the little Open/Closed sign. I returned to the original spot, to find that they had more in store for me... they wanted me to nail up the gorilla art. So I drove that first nail into that telephone pole, and MAN ALIVE it felt so great. I hope it is still there!!!

Unfortunately, the story disappears in the drudgery of college life... fast forward to 6:45. I walk into my apartment to find a very large and mysterious box sitting in my living room. I remember Cailie saying she was going to send me a package, and sure enough, her name was on the address. After looking at the sticker "Over 70 pounds" and muttering "What the heck did Cailie get me?" I opened it, and....

OUT POPPED CAILIE! I have never gotten a package with a human in it before. Let alone a small human with raptor claws and packing peanuts. It was such a great surprise! We knocked off another new thing by seeing Benton Paul at Why Sound, a little venue in Logan I had no idea existed. Thanks to Cailie, Pete, Melissa, and everyone else, my birthday turned out to be an unbelievable day.

Also: Thanks to my sister Kate, who called me at twelve and is the best sister ever.

December 1... A "Prom"ising Night

A new thing I've been craving since High School....

I went out to eat wearing a prom dress for no special occasion. We are so good looking it's ridiculous.

November 30... From Another Perspective

For some reason, there is an exercise machine located next to the band room in the FA building. Today I climbed on it and went backwards a complete 90 degrees. (With a bit of help). It was unreal.

November 29... Just A Couple of Long Johns

The most epic picture ever.

My dad has always lived by the philosophy that food tastes better when you work for it. Today we put this adage in perspective by going "hunting" for pheasants in the wee hours of the morning. We also shot skeets, and I found out that I am a lot better than I than I originally assumed. Also, it was really fun watching Pete get kicked in the shoulder by a 10 gauge... he was a good sport!

After watching Ellen and taking a quick power nap, we fixed the birds up to make Honey Roasted Pheasant, which was positively delicious. Yay for grunting like a man, stuffing out faces, and wearing Long Johns all day!

November 28... No clever title (based on the randomness of items enclosed)

I think, based off of this blog, that it is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. Today I learned how to wash a shirt using the Delicate setting on the washing machine. (Sometimes my shirts need a delicate touch...)

Then I made my way to breakfast, where I learned how to flip a gas station egg on a spatula. And I didn't even drop it!

As for new experiences: we went out with family for the night to see the lights and Temple Square come on for the first time. Followed my a delcious dinner at McGrath's, in which I sampled my first crab leg.

November 27... Thankful for Translators.

As many of you already know, I have a grandma from Thailand (In the picture, back middle, with the white visor). Ever since she became part of our family, I have wished for a way to better communicate, or bridge the language gap. With some coaching (and coaxing) from Pete, I took my first leap into the language barrier by saying my first Thai phrase:

"I'm leaving."

(It might be helpful to know... I was attempting to say Thank You.)

After staring for a second, Aree said, "Are you really leaving?" She must have seen the perplexed and confused look on my face, because she started laughing and explained that I used the wrong word. I looked over, embarassed, and noticed Pete laughing at me too. I think I'll stick to english for now....

Also, on a random tangent: This is Kate and Brad's belly after a gigantic Thanksgiving meal. Hope it was delicious for you all!

November 26... The "Pie"liminaries.

Apparently, since I moved away to Utah State, there is a new tradition started with the Pelletier family. Today I attended PIE NIGHT.

Pie Night has a very basic function: stretch our stomachs the night before Thanksgiving. It also gives us a chance to eat that pie that we just can't seem to save room for on Thanksgiving. As you see in the photo above, there are plenty of delicious desserts to choose from.

People such as my sister Madeline love pie night. You can tell it is Pie Night by any of the following (this goes for most of our family parties as well):

People Harmonizing to Songs on the Piano

Grandpa's Jazz/Ute outfit

Ben is nowhere to be found (love you Ben!)

Will has whipped cream all over his face

Someone is playing Scrabble.

However, there is one new edition to Pie Night this year... a "Walk" around the neighborhood to work off that extra weight gained.... and let me tell you, 15 people walking around singing Christmas carols at 10:00 PM is something truly magnificent.

November 25... Aint No Thing But A Chicken Wing?

Thanks to Pete's "Early Birthday Surprises", I blew out a candle on top of a piece of honey-barbecued chicken today. If life were any less random, I couldn't tolerate it.

November 24... Marvelous Martha

I believe there are certain things a girl must cook to become a woman. Such as a casserole. And a whole roast. And homemade dinner rolls. Today I took a step towards the great title that is womanhood, (and a step towards early Thanksgiving) and I made a homemade pie all by myself. I wouldn't call myself Martha Stewart by any means, but it did have a tangible crust and a sort-of-pumpkin flavor....

Does it make me look less legitimate if I tell you that it was the "Easy Recipe" can of pumpkin?

November 23... Binary Solo! 0000001001010010101

Inbetween studying, wallowing in pain, and laughing, I learned how to count on my fingers in Binary. The thumb represents 1, index is 2, middle is 4, ring is 8, and pinky is 16. This key may help when watching the video.

Also as a sidenote: I went out to eat at a nice restraunt for lunch wearing a blanket. I didn't really think it was that strange until I walked in and was stared down in disgust by 10+ people in the waiting line. I guess just because they serve breakfast doesn't mean I can get away with pajamas at noon...?

November 22... More than just cream cheese.

I think I had sushi with eel in it today. I'm not one for exotic fish in my meal, but it was an option presented, so I took it. Not the coolest new thing of the day, but it was a very awesome night regardless.

November 21... "Finnish" your lunch.

I ate RIISIPIRAKKA today- a finnish rice cake treat. It was really warm and delicious.

I also ate a ginger candy cube, which tasted like eating a boutique store... if that would be possible.

Awesome things await those who stay in the FA building for nine hours straight...

November 20... The Old "Spin"ster.

Today I learned how to throw/spin cards through the air at high speeds.  

A flick of the wrist, and you could suddenly have a business card lodged in your jugular.  Watch out...

November 19... We Have Contact.

Frustrated without a phone and way to contact people, today I resorted to using a free public phone to make a few personal calls. Let me explain.... This little guy is located next to two public computers by the Fine Arts Building Entrance. Alone and isolated in a tiny wooden cubicle with only a small Logan phonebook as its companion, it is overlooked by many. I saw my chance today and went in, expecting complete success. Alas, I was confused and frustrated when I didn't know how to operate it. The phone lacked directions or hints. With each number I would press, it would do a different dial tone and hang up after a few seconds. After pushing buttons for over ten minutes, I left, disheartened at my utter failure. However, after pondering for a while, I remembered the "Dial 9" rule, so I rushed over....Lo and Behold! Success. Now I look like the homeless bum in the Fine Arts Building.

November 18... Un rire qui se perd sa sur la bouche

Inspired by the movie and story I saw of the great Mme. Edith Piaf, today's new thing was learning the words to La Vie En Rose... In french, of course.  My goal was to sing the words with the song, but somehow I simply can't memorize french phrases like I used to be able to.  But man alive, what a beautiful song.

November 17... Kick Your A

Every student at USU should own a game shirt.

Today I went out and bought one.

Now I can identify with the crowds around me! And shout nasty things at the basketball games like every USU boy and girl should.

November 16... The Lovely Apprentice

I became an apprentice to Pete's photography... took part of my first

Wedding Photography Photoshoot Session. Below are my favorite

pictures he took of them, although there were plenty of really good shots. Please check out his blog http://peteloganphotography.blogspot.com/.

If any of you need photoshoots for anything, he would love to do them

for you.
(Yes, I am advertising. He is that good. Ha)

Also, check out the photos of Kate and I below, which he took

this weekend... she's all dolled up for Bingham Ball!