Alleluia!

Springtime has finally arrived!!

I do not think it is possible for me to adequately describe how happy I am right now and how much I love this time of the year. So much is happening for me right now and it is resulting in the culmination of years of hard work finally paying off in ways that still seem to good to be true. God has always blessed me and I have always been a happy person, but right now I just have so much to be thankful for and so much to be happy about!! Ok...so you get it...I'm happy. :)
A few of the myriad of amazing things in my life right now include the fact that I received admission into the University of Washington's School of Nursing - the #1 School of Nursing in the nation. Out of 475 applicants this year, only 96 were admitted. You are reading the blog of one of those 96. :) My aunt gave me a nursing school regulation stethoscope at Easter along with a really beautiful card and those little things are what make this seem so real and exciting!! I just cannot believe after literally almost 6 years of hard work, careful planning, dedication, tough decisions and often times the neglect of more age-appropriate pasttimes, I finally am able to follow my dream. I realize the hard work has only just begun - nursing schools grueling and I don't forsee having much of a life outside of academia for the next two years, but I am so prepared to work hard at this. :)
The downside of receiving admittance on March 30th is that this quarter is basically BS for me. I'm only taking one class (and one summer quarter) and all I need is a 2.0 to retain my offer of admissions. Obviously I'll try for something higher than that, but I don't need to because my gpa is now irrelevant. Even for grad school - I've been told that graduating from UW SON is prestigious enough by itself that grades aren't really that important. I'll still try to get decent grades, but it's nice knowing that the school on my diploma will speak for itself. :)
On the heels of my nursing school admittance came my first layout in my ultimate-playing history. Technically speaking, a layout is when a player dives headfirst for the disc and it's pretty damn epic. However, the thought of diving headfirst for anything, especially when I know people who have broken bones, sustained concussions, or at the very least received BA turf burns, turned me off for years. However, I kept telling myself I would layout, and that conviction finally paid off at OnionFest 2012 in Walla Walla. I actually laid out twice and in full disclosure did not catch the disc either time, but now that I have overcome the mental block associated with laying out, I am confident that this summer will be a summer for the layout books. :)
In addition to laying out, I am really jelling with my UW team and can feel myself improving, even though the process is very gradual. It's the little things - like reaching out to catch something behind my back just out of instinct, or throwing a disc with exactly the right amount of spin exactly where I wanted it to go, or reading someone's hip positioning and poaching the hell out of their shoddy d. I even threw a hammer yesterday during scrimmage! (Again full disclosure: it was uncatchable. But I had the presence of mind and confidence to at least try it!)

I have always considered myself a confident person, and never really had an issue with self-image or insecurity or caring too much about other people judging me. When I started at UW, I got kind of a reality check because being 1 in 40,000 students leads to a very public sort of isolation. People kind of put on this hard, impersonal exterior and basically pretend like no one else exists. It's really weird, but I felt myself being sucked into that mindsent a little. I think part of it was my crippling insecurity and doubt about nursing school and what I would do with my life if I didn't get in. However, now that I'm in, and that it's Spring and that I am so happy, I just feel my self-confidence bubbling back and I am surprised at how contagious a good mood is! I know I won't be this happy forever, but I am loving life right now and damn well want to make the most of it.


Well, I think this post has gone on quite long enough. As always, I could write for pages more, but I will refrain out of respect for the time of anyone who chances to read this, although, let's be honest, probably no one does. :)

Alleluia! He is risen! He is risen indeed!!

#themayanswereright

It's 2012, Bitches! The world ends this year!

With that apocalyptic foresight fully disclosed, I now present my annual goals and aspirations for this year. I have a feeling this will be a great and amazing year full of new and exciting opportunities, lots of fun, and lots of hard work. Even though the world will be ending, I think it's going to be a year for adventure, a year for trying new things, pushing boundaries, and reaffirming everything that I think is great about life. So, without further ado, my list of goals for 2012:

• Get into Nursing School!!!!
• Start Nursing School
  
• Move out (I say this every year...it might actually happen this time)
• Get a job
• Cross something (or many things) off of my bucket list
• Layout
  
• Callahan? Bookends? Layout D? Anything and everything is possible!
  
• Potlatch with a kickass team
• Do lots more hiking and cross off a lot of trails off my list
• Kayaking with my dad
• Put in a Grand Canyon permit bid
• 21 & Over comes out - hopefully they kept some/all of the scenes I'm in!
  
• CLUB RUST
  
• And finally, complete my New Year's Dare
  

I'm sure I'll think of other things I wish I could have put on there, but right now that is my 2012 Goals List and I have 355 days and counting to accomplish it all! Let's go!

A tangle of mysterious prejudices...

Hair brings one's self-image into focus; it is vanity's proving ground. Hair is terribly personal, a tangle of mysterious prejudices. ~Shana Alexander

And with this thought provoking message, I leave you.


Merry Christmas.

Winter Break Movie Reviews

Vanity Fair (2004) PG-13 Drama ***/*

Reese Witherspoon plays Becky Sharp, a girl who, as one character so aptly put it, "is not a social climber, but a mountaineer." Starting with nothing but the head on her shoulders, Sharp gradually ascends the tiers of English society. But each time she ascends, the path becomes more dangerous and compromising. The movie presents a cautionary tale, but might not present the moral you suspect. The movie's side plots are delightful as well and one features the superb Jonathan Rhys Meyers which makes any movie better. The movie is rather long, though, (2:20) and the plot doesn't really seem to progress until about the 1 hour mark. I think the movie would be an excellent venue for a movie discussion, but didn't quite work as just a relax-at-the-end-of-the-day sort of film.


Paycheck (2003) Pg-13 Action, Political Thriller ***/*
Ben Affleck stars in this confusing and convoluted but highly thrilling film about a man who (long story short) agrees to a secret engineering job only to find at the end of 3 years his memory erased, his paycheck forfeited, the FBI wanting him dead, and a manilla envelope of 19 seemingly random objects. The movie is essentially his quest to figure out what happened, why people want him dead, and why he chose the envelope of junk instead of a $92 million paycheck. I don't particularly like Affleck but the movie was pretty cleverly written. I appreciated the way it focused more on intrigue and clever plot twists than fights and action but rest assured there are plenty of fights. Aaron Eckhart also stars in the movie and does a smashing job like always. Uma Thurman also stars but I don't like her nearly as much as some other actresses. Altogether, though, a great movie.


The Tick: The Complete Series (2001) NR TV Comedy *****
I LOVE THE TICK. After seeing the cover I will wholeheartedly disclose I had serious reservations, but the first episode completely shattered those. The humor is slapstick, goofy, witty and I don't even know how to describe it. The Tick is, well, The Tick, a blue bug committed to defending justice. Arthur (the dude in the white moth suit) is his sidekick but sometimes still has trouble adjusting from civilian to superhero life. Batmanuel is plain awesome, and Lady Liberty is just about as bad ass as they come. I really can't say much more than don't judge the TV show by its cover and also stay away from the animated Tick series because the live action is really much better.

Carolina (2003) PG-13 Romantic Comedy *****
Right, so this is basically my new most favorite romantic comedy. Julie Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You, Bourne Series) stars as Carolina Mirabeau, an LA game show assistant who lives in an adorable little apartment and has the craziest extended family around. Although gorgeous, talented, funny, and did I mention gorgeous? she still has not managed to get past the 4th date with any guy. Her neighbor and best friend, Albert Morris (Alessandro Nivola,) is secretly a romance novelist and not only loves Carolina, but also understands her family. When she meets Heath Pearson (Edward Atterton), though, Albert seems to grow jealous as Carolina falls in love with the attractive and rich Englishman. The movie isn't just about her romance, though, it's about her family and past and trying to move beyond her terrible upbringing while being sucked back into the Mirabeau way of life in a sometimes frustrating but always humorous way. Shirley MacLaine also plays a key role as her Grandma and adds so much to the movie. Stiles is one of my all-time favorite actresses and Nivola is, well, ridiculously good looking. All this together makes a great romantic comedy with a bit more to it than most.


Flash of Genius (2008) PG-13 Drama ***

Flash of Genius was a very interesting and thought-provoking movie. Greg Kinnear plays professor, husband, and father of 6 Robert Kearns. Kearns is an average suburban dad who one day invents the intermittent windshield wiper - a feat which all the major auto companies had struggled to accomplish for years and never succeeded. Naively, he shows the plans to one auto manufacturer which at first can't use his invention fast enough. Suddenly, however, they cut off all contact with him and within a year role out intermittent windshield wipers on all their cars - without recognizing their true inventor. What was first a brilliant invention turns into a bane and heartrending quest for Kearns. After facing defeat, mental instability, and the prospect of tackling the insurmountable obstacle of Ford by himself, he faces a choice of whether to pursue justice or raise his family. His decision gives the movie an almost eerie feel, and each member of my family had very strong opinions about his decision by the end. I disagreed strongly with his decision, but the David vs. Goliath aspect of the movie makes agreement desirable. The movie ends on a triumphant and joyous note, but left me feeling sad and angry. At first I considered my reaction atypical, but the movie ends in such a way as to make the viewer stop and think. Excellent movie for a discussion afterward. The movie is based on a real story, so the next time you use the windshield wipers think for just a second about the man and story behind their invention. Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) also stars as his wife.

Because I haven't posted in a long time...

Hello. I am a wonderful person. You are all wonderful people as well. That is why we're friends! I had a wonderful Easter. I had a beautifully amazing Easter vigil as well. Blessed Sacrament is stunning, and Jesson outdid himself as normal. It was simply magnif and I need to you guys!
Madeline: it's movie night time.
Curti: it's sleepover time.
Grace: it's brownie time.
Other peoples: it's party time!

Send my love to the ducks. (haha! ducks!)

Nothing too abnormal has happened in my life since the beginning of March. I'm goign to Vegas as a bystander most likely, and also most likely going to CA to visit yonder Bernhofts. I started drivers ed and have my permit now. :D And Lent is Over! Easter is Here! ALLELUIA!

Oh! I forgot; I found out why Daffy Duck is crazy! He apparently worked at a merry-go-round and rode the horse with the lavender eye with all the wicked girls. ;) Explains a lot about Looney Tunes. :)

Mary, the Mother of God

Today is my favorite of Mary's feast days. This has always been my favorite title for her, imagine, the mother of GOD!! It's so beautiful to meditate upon. I also love the fact that our Church has declared it a holy day of obligation. How much more special this title is!
Anyways, happy feast and I hope you all have a (no Fr. Daniel adjectives)wonderful 2007!
Cheers!

Yummm...:)

I hate beer. I always have and probably always would have but those Belgians got in the way. At my uncle's Thanksgiving Day party there was this Belgian woman and she brought the BEST beer I've ever had. It was this Belgian fruit beer and of course the lawyers (there were like 6) had a tremendous amount of fun because there wasn't any indication of the beer containing alchohol. (One sip told me there was, however.) Also, please comment when you visit, even if it's only a little, "hi!" just so I know you've seen my blog.
I hope everyone had a happy (I won't supply another 10 or 12 adjectives like Fr. Daniel so often does) Thanksgiving.