There are some things that I have strong convictions for avoiding and others that I am a little more lenient about. I guess this can all be separated into foods, apparel, and toiletries.

FOODS

For one, I am avoiding beef like the plague these days. Since last July, I can count on one hand the number of times that I've eaten beef (neither time was ground beef) When I was in SF over the summer, I was informed of some horror stories about mad cow and I'd rather not take my chances. My children will not either, no hamburgers. Unless of course it is organic, free grazing grass fed cattle. I am beef free.

Another one is white flower and white sugar. No grain or sugar occurs that white naturally. I know that when those two go through the processing plant, bleach is added. This is easily remedied becuase you can get ahold of natural cane sugar or sugar in the raw and wheat flour at all grocery stores now. No matter how awesome bleach is, I will avoid.

When it comes to organic food, I have mixed feelings. It comes down to taste and pesticides. Do you want to eat pesticides on all your vegitables and have you ever had an all organic salad? It just plain tastes better. I guess it's personal taste too, but man, carrots are more carroty and apples just burst. I'd take soy and flaxseed chips over Lays any damn day. Some of my favorite things (even if they're not organic) are only found in natural foodstores such as Kettle Chips, Blue Sky Sodas, Reed's Ginger Ale, Panda Licorice, Good Earth Tea, and Kasha. Man, you must have a deep pocket if you're going to eat primarily organic. Expensive: yes. Worth it: I can't say for sure, it's on a conditional basis.

Tune in next time for my explanation of natural toilettries.

Tristan & Isolde

I know when this movie is first observed it screams chic flick, but looks are deceiving. The battle scenes are pretty impressive and action packed, would not expect anything less from Reynolds (Though I kind of wish I could see a version of this movie tht the Scott brothers whip together.) There are a few stunts that caught my attention, such as when the actors jump to kill a man on the ground the camera is at a perfect position to make you gasp. Supherb cinamatography, you'll know what I'm talking about when you see the movie.

I like this movie for the same reasons I enjoy Romeo and Juliet: there's no fairytale ending. It's real and you can feel the power of it. So real that you can understand that this can and probaly did actually happen. If you aren't crying by the end, you will still feel the grief hours after the theatre. Seriously, this movie made me feel actual grief! Just like Romeo and Juliet did when I watched it for the first time. Actual tugs at my heartstrings, this one. Personaly, I think the actors did awesome and were perfectly cast. Especially Tristan (James Franco) and Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell) , pretty damn convincing. Although I think Reynolds was more preocupied with the battle scenes than the scenes of desire and that's where it was a little disapointing. It had a little more potential, but overall I still think it was great.

"There's something beautiful about a well-made tragic love story. It may not be as uplifting as one with a happy ending, but it's more cathartic. Tears, they say, are good for the soul, and few will leave Tristan & Isolde with dry eyes. It is an affecting motion picture with enough romance to satisfy those who appreciate that genre, and enough swordplay and battle scenes to keep lovers of derring-do from becoming restless."

"The ad's designers pull in close on the pretty faces of Franco and Myles hoping that generic contemporary hotness will sell tickets."

OK, I'm done. A-

Friday the thirteenth

.

Elliot Smith

either/or

I feel I discovered Elliot Smith for myself way too late. I wish I would've been more into his music when he was alive. I thouroughly enjoy it now, but in high school I would have loved it. It's sad when a thing like this happens. I was sitting in my dorm room casually watching Good Will Hunting and I heard the song "Between the Bars' and was hooked. I bought the album a day afterward, the first purchase of the semester. I can't believe I only discovered him this year! This album is awesome, awesome, awesome. Other favs of mine even have major referrences to him, how did I not catch these years ago? His life was pretty cool as well. He graduated from college with a degree in philosophy and politicol science, two subjects that fascinate me to no end but I'm too scared to dedicate myslef to them. Ben Folds' Late and Weezer's The Other Way are both about him. Can't live without this CD.

"I can be another fool or an exception to the rule. You decide the morning after."

Things on the tube that got a lot of watching out of me.
My Viewers Choice:

FIREFLY


This show was really, REALLY awesome and again it's one I discovered a little too late. Josh mentioned it a few times, but it was Jerry who forced me to watch a couple of episodes. I was hooked. Brandon had to let me borrow his DVD's, though I discovered recently SciFi picked it up. They had a marathon the day I had my wisdom teeth taken out so I was delightfully suprised! Of course it's one of those shows that Fox cut way too early and that disappoints me greatly. No worries, Universal made a movie out of it so that good news for us bad news for Fox. Just think what wouldn've happened if Fox cut Star Wars, hmm? The character development was so good that you had to love every one of them and the writing was that fast, dry humor that forced you to laugh out loud long after the scene was over. Brilliant, I say.

GREY'S ANATOMY


This show is pretty new, first season being January 2005. I adore it. It's Chicago Hope meets ER meets Friends. Sandra Oh gives a stunning performance as the thick skinned, tough, emotionless yet brilliantly talented intern. I love her character, it's no wonder she's up for a Golden Globe. I identifly most with the innocent-finding-herself, Izzy, who is ironicaly named Elizabeth. This is my new Sex and the City.

SUPERNATURAL


This is also a new show consisting of Angel meets Buffy the Vampire. Two brothers traveling the country solving supernatural mysteries that usually involve a pretty girl. I most enjoy watching this show with my friends Travis and Kim in my dorm room with surround sound doing linear algebra during the commercial breaks. Some of the episodes can be quite creepy, one actually had Kim and I jumping into eachothers arms and screaming. Yep, like two 12 year-olds. Travis wasn't with us to share this incredible event, too bad for him. Good show.

The List for 2006

1. SXSW for the 3rd time
2. write a letter to our Congressman or Representative
3. buy a really cool pair of shoes
4. watch every episode of Grey's Anatomy
5. give 10% of all earnings away to church or charity
6. file taxes by end of January
7. complete FAFSA by end of January
8. take vitamins and algae everyday
9. floss
10. repair bike and save gas
11. clean my car inside and out
12. lose 15 pounds by May
13. drink 3 gallons of water a week
14. spend only $10 on extra food every week (while in school)
15. only watch matinees, but watch at least 3 a month
16. read and complete a book a month
17. learn to play the piano well
18. write 2 letters a month to my Nonnie
19. buy antique jewelery
20. play a lot of animal crossing
21. get first in mario kart worldwide match
22. eat 0 deep fried foods
23. drink strawberry milk and eat a diego's burrito
24. complete all essays for Ellery's class on time
25. get a 4.0 this semester
26. play tennis again
27. say "I love you" to Josh everyday
28. keep up with friends' birthdays
29. catch a bouquet at a wedding
30. don't lie or stretch the truth
31. go to church, but think for myself
32. take a roadtrip to see Pablo
33. explore Christoval
34. skinny dip somewhere in San Angelo
35. keep practicing my flute
36. practice my ballet
37. don't over-involve myself
38. make some great coffee
39. don't get drunk, just razzed
40. don't talk with mouth full
41. eat at the Cactus Cafe' with someone cool
42. have a "photo-date" with someone
43. be nice to spoiled rotten sister
44. make up kick ass flag routines for Grape Creek HS
45. get a manicure and pedicure
46. get 7 hours of sleep every night
47. bake cakes and cookies for friends
48. stop disappearing from friends
49. buy a new Victoria's Secret bra
50. go to an art show
51. go to the symphony
52. live with Josh for the summer
53. be grateful to my dad
54. thank God for life every day
55. plant some trees, kill some misquites
56. go caroling at a nursing home
57. learn how to juggle

58. never sleep past 11 on weekends
59. get better at frisbee
60. drink coffee with Thinh at IHOP
61. eat the healthy breakfast thing at IHOP with Ashlin
62. email Darby
63. attend The Way at Glenn Junior High
64. be in my best friends' wedding
65. be happy for said friend getting married
66. pop someones Amelie cherry
67. be an encouragement to the girls on my floor
68. visit sister in San Antonio
69. don't have sex
70. look like Jackie O
71. discover and love a new band all on my own
72. stand up strait
73. dance with Juston
74. be supportive of Amber
75. play with animals in an animal shelter
76. be supportive of Matty
77. buy a cool new poster
78. don't eat out very much (or at least don't PAY for it)

79. take a roadtrip with Ashlin

80. be more positive about school

81. figure out what job i can see myself doing the rest of my life
82. be there for someone
83. visit my 1/2 canadian nephew
84. watch all of the olympics i can
85. keep dorm room clean
86. go camping somewhere
87. have a lost in translation, life aquatic, broken flowers marathon
88. have a sofia coppola marathon
89. dig deeper into my italian heritage
90. read a graphic novel
91. eat my fruits and veggies
92. meet and elope Zach Braff (crossing fingers!)
93. go to the library, it's there for a reason
94. order something besides a cinnamon latte at starbucks
95. go to Austin more often

96. find the confidence i had before may 2003
97. make my car last another year
98. don't be so self concious
99. remember my dreams
100. keep dreaming

What can be said about Christmas 2005? A myriad of good things. I got to spend a ton of time with Josh which is really all I ever want to do anyway. For gifts he got me Serenity, a Coffee Pot, Coffee, The Chronicles of Narnia, a fancy clutch bag, a printer, printer cable, a USB hub and a coupon for Animal Crossing. Can I say delightfully spoiled? Well, he hardly sees me throughout the year so it's justified. I can't believe we've been doing this for SO long. In 2005 we saw eachother about 6 weeks total. Finally this summer may just allow us to be normal for a while and actually spend more than 3 weeks together. The plan is to fly up there after Matty's graduation and stay there until school starts up for me. Living with Josh in an apartment for a couple of months... sounds too good to be true. This can actually happen and it's phenominal. I'm thrilled.

2006

In June of 1996, my mom, and sister and I packed all our stuff into one U-haul truck and headed east from Cali. Saddest day of my life. On June 26 I'll have lived half of my life here in Texas, therefore I am a citizen. Texas hasn't been all that bad to me, but I still can't help but loathe it when compared to the California of my childhood. Yet the California of my childhood is much different from the California of today. I've come to the realization that I don't want to live there, just visit probably. Texas has given me a great high school experience, free college, a delightful boyfriend, and no income tax. Maybe it's not so bad being Texan... maybe my mind will change about that tomorrow.

My resolutions for my Texan year:

-save $1000
-spend the summer in West Lafayette, IN
-spend time with my Nonnie in SF
-write my Nonnie every two weeks or so
-keep in touch with friends, especially distant ones
-spend money responsibly, not frivilously
-keep ALL receipts
-follow throgh on committments
-make a 4.o this Spring
-loose 15 pounds
-be a great and RA
-read the Bible more frequently
-have some quiet time
-learn to play the piano
-get better on my flute
-be honest
-don't swear
-let my boundries be known, don't allow myself to get hurt
-go to SXSW
-love passionately
-appreciate acts of kindness and return the gesture

Alright 2006, bring it.

FROM NOW ON MY BLOG WILL BE COOLER!