This is a great movie! Just watched it. Highly recommend it. Seems to be historically accurate, and the acting is terrific. Ohhh, I just loved it. Nothing negative at all to say about it, other than perhaps it is sad that it actually happened.
PS There is a really cute lion in the movie, based on the real lion, and he has his own site! Go here: http://www.flyboyslion.com/
No seriously. At least according to a poll by the BBC. On the top 10 list (side note, I accidentally typed liar at first... look at the keyboard, perhaps it was some sort of Freudian slip, also the radio is playing a song that keeps saying "liar, liar," so that could be the source), he comes in #2. Second only to Angelina Jolie. Is she really the sexiest person ever? It is kinda funny, because Lara Croft is #6 on the list or something, too. Other people in the top 10 include Marilyn Monroe, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Beyonce Knowles, Kylie Minogue. Anyway, it is a British thing, and it was an internet poll, so I'm sure if people from generations before would have been included, perhaps there would be some Caesars or Alexander the Great or people like that on the list... you never know. At this moment in time in England, Jolie is definitely the sexiest... but do they know that her accent is fake? I can understand how Elvis made #2, he is super big over there, much like the Beatles are/were here.
It makes me laugh because I think these two pictures are very similar, and I don't even know if they are super sexy pictures. And if you think about it, if she tried to, Angelina Jolie could look a lot like Elvis. They have the same lips, similar eye color, similar hair color (well okay, Elvis was a natural blonde, but dyed his hair dark for most of his life so at least it appears similar) and even eye-brow shape. Perhaps they have more similarities. Any suggestions, anyone?
Oh, btw, Anna Nicole did not make the top 10 list and this makes me happy.
Why, you ask?
Well, they are the oldies station in Cleveland. They used to carry my favorite syndicated radio program, Elvis Only. I had given up on listening to it from Cleveland though, because I think they stopped playing it. Apparently this upset many Clevelanders as it should have. They just decided to bring it back to Cleveland.
Majic used to have something called Elvis at Eleven, which I thought was amazing. They would play 2 Elvis songs every night at 11, and I often treated it like a horoscope. The first song they played I would relate to the day I just had or the night I was going to have, and the second song would predict how the following day would be. It was something great to look forward to, like you knew they would play at least two Elvis songs a day. They got rid of that long ago. They have something now, and I'm not sure if it is meant to replace it, and it is called the Beatles at Bedtime. Since there were four Beatles, they play four Beatles songs... and right before they do, they have all these sexual innuendos (is that the proper spelling for the plural?) and say things like "How about a little four-play??" and it makes me laugh. Sometimes they play five songs and I find it even more funny. I don't have a thing against the Beatles, but I don't understand why they have that every night now, a good solid 15-20 minutes of the Beatles every day, and they stopped the Elvis at Eleven. Oh well. At least they brought back the Elvis Only show. I had listened to it last weekend from an Albuquerque station.
Links you may want to check out:
http://www.wmji.com/main.html
http://elvisonly.com/
By the way, "once you see the light, you ain't never goin' back," I think that is an Elvis quote. Not sure though, I may have dreamt it up as I do lots of things. I don't think I need to sign this post. Who else could it be ;)
So I've noticed a lot of bitter arguments shooting through cyberspace, particularly on our happy little group of blogs. It made me sad that people are so quick to judge. I don't understand why we have to fight about this stuff. I mean, sure, sometimes I get annoyed with people who are more concerned with their own images than actually living their lives, but I keep it to myself because I don't like to add to anyone's problems. I'm not saying that fashion is a problem. I used to, but as I watched the Oscars this year, I found that it was an absolutely FASCINATING way to learn what people are really like. You know. The things they wear shows (to a certain extent) the things they are interested in. It says to me that they care more about how they appear to others than a lot of other people. Certainly more than me. My entire outfit today consists of things I bought at Goodwill. (I love the random T-shirts you find there.)
I sort of decided to write this in response to a post about the bubble we live in on these campuses. (Campusii?) I've never been surrounded by so many people who are that much more well-off than I am. I always sort of looked at immensely wealthy people as celebrities. Like people I would never come in contact with. Weird, I know. It's always been a fantasy world for me. (As a disclaimer: I'm not bashing the people who are well-off. However, I will bash the ones who are well-off and think that BECAUSE of that, they are better than everyone else.) My family has never been wealthy. I grew up moving around from house to house as we had problems finding a way to find a permanent home. (This was largely because we lived in a town the size of two UP malls placed end-to-end. That town was ridiculous.) I went to public school all my life, with the exception of me finishing out the 8th grade at a parochial school after we moved to Indiana.
The point is that I'm no stranger to trailer parks and the people referred to as "white trash". It's not weird for me to think of the kids growing up with an abusive parent going out behind the school after 3pm to toke up. Alcoholism is not a foreign concept (though I am not myself an alchoholic, I have many friends who are by this time.). In my sophomore year of high school I was asked to prom by someone who is now wanted in California as a sex offender. But these things do not make me bitter. They have only made me stronger. They've taught me the real beauty of being able to attend a school like this. It truly is a blessing.
Blessings are gifts, and therefore should not be expected.
-Miranda
........................
...if so, make sure everyone knows that you're contagious.
-Miranda
Have it be known I am pissed. Why? For the stupid reasons that follow:
1. I'm tired and cranky.
1a. My boyfriend is tired and frustrated with most of the world. He tells me that I am one of the three people he wants to hang out with right now... everyone else has too many petty issues he doesn't want to deal with in more hour long counsel sessions/conversations. However, his frustration indirectly effects us. If he's in a bad mood then no matter how nice I am he just can't shape up and enjoy the time with me. Well he enjoys hanging out, but he isn't quite so fun to be around. Last night he felt bad about his attitude especially after having an awesome weekend together, and doesn't want to end it poorly... so SHAPE UP bucko!
2. This morning I printed out several powerpoint slides. Nursing requires a metric buttload of printing - so I got to the library nice and early this morning to take care of those things. I send my several powerpoints downstairs (b/c the upstairs printer wasn't working) and printed out a few other documents. When I got down there some other nursing majors were crowded around the printer. And naturally, a girl took my slides that I'd printed off first and made it off to class on time... I was late waiting for their frickin slides. And what else makes me pissed is the fact we had a 53 slide ppt and I made sure to print them out double sided with 4 slides each. (I wanted extra room to write). However, some ***** took mine, leaving me with 6 slides to a page... meaning I had to cram all my notes in looking all disorganized. I even asked the class as we moved onto that content, "Did anyone happen to pick up the slides with four to a page, instead of six? Because some one accidently took mine." Did student X speak up and give me mine back? Hell no. And to make me even more pissed this same student drunk called me Thursday night at 2:30am. I had even gone to bed early b/c I was exhausted! So I got a pleasant wake-up call from her! And has she apologized? HELL NO!!! This girl I have tried time and time again to go out of my way to be nice to her, but I'm getting to the point where I want to be a bitch right back to her. ARGH.
3. I now have to go to class. And I'll be late again b/c of this post.
4. I don't get to finish venting about why else I'm frustrated and pissed and cranky.
5. I'm chosing this attitude. Too often little pettie things upset me... and here I am doing just what my boyfriend is doing. Why????
How great it is to have little siblings :). I love my little brother Kevin. (This picture might embarrass him if he knew I put it here... cuz I made him try them on... but I love it and he doesn't need to know, right?) He was here this weekend for the event. Kevin is 12, and he is a pretty calm kid, so he didn't really want to take part in the planned events. So Kevin and I did a lot of just hanging out, watching movies and stuff. He even worked the front desk with me from 1 am- 3 am Friday night/Saturday morning. Though to be fair, we had fun... we popped some popcorn and watched "Bewitched," the one with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. Kevin's favorite part of visiting me here at SMC is when my parents come too and they get a hotel room at the Inn on campus. Kevin adores the cappuccino machine and the jacuzzi. I do as well, so much that I stayed there last night. It is great to feel like you are on vacation, yet still be right by school and everything. Oh, I love my family very much...
Also, I like the updates to our blog, ladies :-). And I like that flower picture.
- Mickey
I showed Dan my tonsils today. He pretty much all but puked in disgust as a response. I thought it was hilarious (plus it's good to know that I have something I can use as a weapon to get him off of me when he decides to mess with me).
The vicodin made me a little loopy the other night, but now all it does is knock me out for a few hours. In that sense, it's kind of a cruel drug. (What you're thinking: Aren't ALL drugs cruel? My response: If they actually help heal you, no.) It makes you feel insanely happy about every possible situation concerning anything and the next minute knocks you out so you'll sleep through the happy. Either way, I'm content with sleeping.
I started organizing all my photos today. This computer here at home was pretty much the slowest thing I've ever experienced, next to that day we were stuck in the Superdome for over 14 hours, doing nothing but WAITING for the dang Sugar Bowl to start. (I'm still mad that we didn't see the sun that day.) So I asked Mom to get some blank CDs for me so I can start keeping them in an organized file system that WON'T slow down the computer. I'm tempted to start deleting some of my music on here, because I'm pretty much in love with my MiniMac and it'll be more convenient for the people who use this old PC more often than I do.
I feel like I should be writing inspiring things, but I don't have much energy to even try. Right now I just want to work on building up my strength so I can be back in class pee-dee-kyu. (Ha. I wrote out "pee".)
Quote of the Day: "Just because I think gay guys should be allowed to adopt and that everyone should have a hybrid car doesn't mean I don't love America." -Liz Lemon, 30 Rock
Just wanted to say that I am sick of hearing about Anna Nicole Smith. She is everywhere on the news. I know I am making the problem worse by writing about it, but I just wanted to tell y'all how I feel. I do feel bad for her, with how her life was and how her son died and everything. It just upsets me that some people are comparing her to Marilyn Monroe, and it upsets me more that people are comparing her to Elvis. She was no Elvis. Perhaps they both died the same way around the same age, but Presley left a legacy for generations to appreciate. Same with Monroe. In today's Observer, Erin McGinn writes "Marilyn Monroe is arguably America's first and most recognized celebrity icon." I might argue with that and say Elvis is, but I'd be okay if Marilyn is... she definitely is the most recognizeable female icon. McGinn ends her article with "Ms. Monroe had one attribute that her successors seem to lack -- talent." If you are a fan of Smith, I apologize. If you need more reasons why I think Presley and Monroe have more staying power as icons, let me know. Also, I'm sorry to complain about this to you, but I'm sure many of you agree with me.
I saw this play tonight and it was amazing! Everyone did an excellent job. Liz, you were awesome! How was it playing the corpse? I recommend this to anyone who has the time to see it this weekend. The audience sits on the stage with everyone else, and that is pretty cool I think. You sit in on the action. There are a few different stories going on surrounding three couples, and the stories are all interconnected somehow. I won't say anymore about the plot, but you should go see it! I loved the history lessons too, and the costumes and the music and yes... everything. I want to see it again :-)
-Mickey
...see that you avoid getting mono at all costs.
Being sick is something I've never tolerated. I always push myself to the very brink and in very few cases (including this one) I fall over and land myself on the living room couch all day. In this sense, I'm glad I'm a townie.
In the past two weeks or so (I've pretty much lost all sense of time on the outside...) I've managed to harbor a pair of tonsils up to the size of some healthy golf balls, in addition to managing a scaled-down model of the Black Forest of Germany on my legs. (No worries, I still shower every day.) Sometimes my tonsils hurt so badly that I can't talk or swallow, but then the doctor just prescribes a new pain medication and hurries me off. In all truth, though, I'm really only on an 800mg dose of Ibuprofen and, as I call it lately, "the magic V" (meaning Vicodin).
It's hard to stay asleep because my enlarged tonsil friends cause me to snore and I wake myself up. Then I toss and turn for a while and eventually fall asleep again, knowing full well that I'll be awake again shortly.
Mom told me to think of all the medications/herbal home remedies as some kind of fierce army full of creatures swimming through my bloodstream and eating the virus. I think of ninjas (I've always loved Jackie Chan), pirates (for the love of God, DO NOT reference the newer Disney movies...), and vikings (you don't get much more badassery than huge bulking men covered in metal and hair).
I still hate being sick.
I decided last night that I want to learn a little bit of Polish, so I officially joined Polish Club. I attempted to go to the introductory lesson, but the teacher never came. I sat around with 5 other Polish students talking about Poland and why we want to learn the language. I'm about a quarter Polish, I've got the last name... I've always wanted my mom's Irish maiden name, but I have accepted my Polish last name as it distinguishes me from most people. So while our teacher never appeared, I enjoyed getting to know new people at this stage in the semester. Hopefully I will continue to go to Polish Club and enjoy the lessons, and maybe remember some of what I learn so that some day I can speak Polish! :-) All I know how to say in Polish is "Kiss me," but I have no idea how to spell it so I won't try right now. Phoenetically, "kiss me" is "die-me-vouge-ee" with the "vouge" pronounced like rouge in French. Perhaps once I learn something I can write a mini-entry all in Polish. Oh, on a side note, in the Polish part of my family, we are rumored to be relatives of Pope John Paul II. I must say he resembles my grandfather and my grandfather's family a little bit, so the rumor could be true.
My random thoughts as I was walking back from work today:
Yesterday, entering the nurse's break-room there was a sign posted informing us that the city's blood supply was down to one day. One day! before they are out of blood. Reading that reminded me of the fact those bags of blood hanging in the patients' rooms come from volunteers - people who willingly have their arm stuck with a large needle and squeeze a ball for a half hour while their blood is collected. Unlike medications, oxygen tanks, or food trays... blood is not something that cannot simply be reordered at the ring of a phone call.
I admire people who donate blood. Whenever I think about who regularly does so I envision a person in their late 40-50s... some one who has given away 1 pint of blood every 52 days for x number of years. The same people coming in and out with a cookie in their hand. But why don't more people do it?
Some times I think it'd be a sweet idea to have the donor's name on the actual blood bag so other people can know who was helping keep them alive. Yet, then again, I can imagine people not wanting to accept blood from a person whose name sounds African American or Mexican or Caucasian or whatever... just like most everything else politics would be drawn into it. Then not only would people take for granted that gift of life, but resent it.... or even more stupid... refuse it.
Requirements to donate blood (according to American Red Cross)
+You must be healthy ("Healthy" means that you feel well and can perform normal activities. If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, "healthy" also means that you are being treated and the condition is under control.)
+At least 17 years old or 16 years old if allowed by state law
+Weigh at least 110 pounds
+Not have donated blood in the last 8 weeks (56 days).
I have a cold so when I phoned the local blood bank about donating she told me to wait 72 hours after all cold symptoms are gone. So to all you healthy people - DONATE BLOOD and save up to THREE lives!
Gotta love it when your patients flick you off! And there I was thinking he was a super sweet old guy. Haha. I had to take his blood sugar by pricking his finger, so I asked which one he wanted me to use... he stuck up his middle finger with a mischievous smile. What a goofball. : )
Later, he was walking down the hall with the Physical Therapist... until his had a bowel movement... dripping down his leg and gown, and splattered on the PT's shoe. Geesh. I helped clean it up and off him. I teased him that he was just trying to get out of PT. He laughed and came up with some smart aleck answer I can't recall. But despite the mess, patients who have a good sense of humor always make problems like this not quite as difficult.
I always get the bad luck of the draw when it comes to answering other nurses' call lights. (Either I'll end up with helping a patient up to the commode, off the commode, wiping up poop, pee, or vomit, spending an extra 15 minutes chasing around their nurse for pain meds, etc... I'll answer a call light that is guaranteed to put me behind regardless.) Anyway, a patient's call light will be pushed and generally either a Patient Care Provider (PCP) or their RN will answer it... unless you're not busy and can help out. So today, having two patients, I was going to say good-bye each one. I'd already reported off to the evening nurse at least a half hour earlier (technically placing them out of my care). As I turned left down the hall I saw one of my "past" patient's call light on. I had baaadd feelings about this one. So I promptly turned to the right and said goodbye to the fun old guy first. Heading back up the hallway to the other room I knocked and found that patient on the bedside commode. I apologized for interrupting, but wanted to say goodbye, yada yada yada. He chuckled and said that I'd just missed out on the excitement. I asked what he was talking about. He pointed to the floor... the small piles of loose stool on the floor. Apparently, he didn't make it up to the commode in time. At that point the PCP was walking back in with towels. I said goodbye to the patient again and promptly left with a smile on my face. (It's an unspoken rule that whoever answers that call light is responsible for messes such as these.) In a different case I would have helped her out, but I was over an hour late leaving at that point and I hadn't eaten in over nine hours (minus a granola bar). So for once, my intuition served me right! Chalk up one small victory for this student nurse please!
Hope today is a good Mardi Gras for everyone. I am not doing anything super special, though I am wearing bright colors, and I think one of them is a classic Mardi Gras color. I might watch King Creole tonight, as it is set in New Orleans. Could be fun :-). Also, I may overdose on Facebook and MySpace, as today is my last day for them. Are you giving up anything for Lent? And do you think I can survive? Last year I just gave up Facebook, and it wasn't bad, but I ended up spending more time on MySpace which kinda defeated the purpose. I thought about giving up Elvis. One year for Lent, I gave up talking about my crush, and then when Lent was over, I didn't like him anymore! It was a good thing. I wanna keep liking Elvis though. And you can't give up music or the internet, because those things are unavoidable, out of your control. Interesting things to ponder... hmmmmm...
-Mickey
I can't believe this weather! Instead of wearing snow boots I'm going to have to find galoshes to sludge through the melting snow. On a related note: I want to get running outside again, but I keep finding excuses not to head out the door. I am suppose to run in the Holy Half Marathon next month, but that means either 1.) I have to run out of excuses or 2.) Get my butt in gear. I'll keep you posted.
There is something special about a little girl dancing with her daddy. No matter how old she gets, she is never too old to dance with him. At least that is how I feel with my daddy. I was a girl scout from first grade all the way through senior year of high school, and honestly, I might still be a member... I do not know. I stayed in girl scouts primarily for the annual father-daughter dance. This dance fostered my love of Elvis, and it was something special we looked forward to doing every year. I don't know if it is because I'm the oldest, or the only daughter, but there has always been something really special about my relationship with my dad.
Throughout those Girl Scout years, I would request "Can't Help Fallin' in Love" and they would usually play it at the dance. I was surprised at the Sophomore Parents' Weekend Dance this weekend that the band performed this song first. I grabbed my dad and we danced to the song, and then they followed it with "Blue Suede Shoes." I didn't care who was watching, and of course my dad didn't care either. We happily danced right by the bandstand and it was a glorious time.
Gotta treasure these fun moments with your parents, they don't happen that often so you gotta take advantage of them and keep them close to your heart.
-Mickey
"You are so young, so before all beginning, and I want to beg you, as much as I can, dear sir, to be patient towards all that is unsolved in your heart and to try and love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, that cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer." -Rainer Maria Rilke, "Letter to a Young Poet," July 16th, 1903
My friend read this passage aloud in the library today; I felt as though Mr. Rilke was speaking directly to me. I have a feeling I will return to this quote more than once.
I wish I could be more patient - ridding myself of this intense desire to have all the answers. (What am I going to do next year? How do Matt and I define our "break" next year as we take jobs in different cities? Do I really want to be a nurse?) As a college senior, the pressure to know the answers is overwhelming at times. Where I'll be next year is the question always at the back (or forefront) of my mind. Yet, a letter telling me exactly what to do won't be received - hence the value of being "patient towards all that is unsolved in [my] heart" right?
Mr. Rilke also said to "Live the questions now" and "Do not seek the answers." But at the same time, I cannot afford to let my procrastinating nature take hold - I cannot not seek answers. I must work towards an end... I can't put everything off until the last minute. I need to finish my resume and cover letter. I need to work on my applications to volunteer service programs. I suppose partly what he's getting at though is that living the questions can be seen as this search I'm on. I must be patient when researching the different job opportunities and naturally let the answers (my heart) lead me toward the right path. I can't wait around for the answers to come to me, nor can I expect myself to intrinsically know the answers. I must go about living and working on my resume and whatnot - by moving forward I will eventually come across the answers that I've been looking for.
I didn't do a good job of explaining what's on my mind. Too bad I cannot eloquently write the words on my heart as Mr. Rilke has done for me. -Sara
Happy St. Valentine's Day everyone :-).
I don't think people celebrate this holiday properly. It is too commercialized that it cannot be enjoyed for what it is meant to be. I feel bad for the girls who get let down because they have high expectations of their boyfriends. I feel bad for the girls who do not have anyone with whom to celebrate. It seems like a lot of people end up sad on this day, instead of happy. I think I remember hearing something like the most amount of suicides happen around this day, or maybe it is second to Christmas. I know it is second to Christmas with the amount of money people spend. If both these statements are true, it leads one to question if there is a correlation between spending a lot of money and committing suicide around these holidays... what does that say about us as a society? Is it all about having great expectations, or being jealous, or just not being satisfied for whatever reason? I think this is a problem. I also think it is something that will not be fixed any time soon, because there are enough people who benefit from this day and Christmas and those people would not think it is worth it...
On the other hand, I believe this is a good day, when one looks at the true reasons. If people celebrate it as friends, much like first graders celebrate it at school, then they are experiencing the true meaning. Just imagine the cute little kids who make handmade cards for their moms and then the Valentine gets displayed on the family refrigerator for years to come... that is so cute. I also think love is a good thing to recognize, but I think it should be recognized year-round and not just overwhelmingly on one day a year. If you go to the store tomorrow, you will see everything on sale... all the candy, roses, jewelry... it would be less expensive to celebrate this holiday a few days after everyone else does. I like that idea. I should remember it in the future.
Lots of things to think about, but I sincerely hope this was a good Valentine's day for you :-)
-Mickey
Trudging through campus in snow boots, I curiously watch those who wear high heels during the winter (along with every other season). I don't quite understand their need or desire to delicately tiptoe across the ice at the risk of falling or twisting an ankle. Don't these women mind getting cold feet and wet socks? Is it now a fashion faux pas to wear tennis shoes with heels in hand? Personally, I'd break my ankle, so perhaps my lack of coordination prevents me from attempting such a practice. I should comment that it's understandable if some one needs to dress up for business classes, meetings, church, etc. but really... any insight ladies and men? -Sara
Case in point:
