So I saw The Lion King in theaters last week again. LOVE. Still probably my favorite movie of all time. ALL TIME. Which is why I'm entering to win it on DVD from this wonderful mommy blog! http://www.twoofakindworkingonafullhouse.com/2011/10/lion-king-diamond-edition-blu-ray-dvd.html?showComment=1318526695307#c177848000676526769

The giveaway ends not this Monday, but the Monday after that. 10/24. So go enter and give it to me if you win ;)

So usually I don't really care about fashion-related things... I am usually aware of the latest trends but they usually disgust me. I like watching awards shows and seeing what the stars wear but in the end it doesn't really make a difference to me who's wearing what and how many thousands of dollars they spend on their dress and jewelry.

But this! For some reason I am absolutely flailing and I just need a few moments to brag about how fashion-forward I can be. Sometimes. On Glee this week, Quinn wears a coral dress to the funeral... which also happens to be the dress I wore to graduation that my aunt bought me in March!!! PWND.


(http://www.fashionofglee.com/post/4830173624 in case it's not permalinked)


YEAHHHH WHO'S STYLIN' NOW?!

I think astronomy is the closest thing to a religious epiphany I've had in my lifetime.

I don't remember when it started; I wasn't always interested in space and stars. But somewhere in middle school, something just clicked with me, and I started to realize and understand how freakin' huge this universe is. And how freakin' awesome it is. Also beautiful. But that's a sidenote.

I've never really jumped on the whole "life on other planets" bandwagon. Everyone seems to be so obsessed with martians and aliens and life in other galaxies. I think it'd be pretty cool to know that we're not alone in this universe, but it's never captivated me as much as simply looking at everything in the sky for the beautiful things they are and understanding the concepts behind them. Very un-scientist-like of me, I know, but I've always been more of an observer than a question-asker. Let me put things into perspective for you, how I've learned it and the way I see it.

Space. Is. HUGE. I think we all know that, but, for example, do you really know what a light year is? It's a measure of distance, not time. It's the same as saying it takes an hour to get somewhere. Light travels really, really, really fast. For example, it takes 8 minutes for light to get from the sun to the earth; 8 light minutes. Now imagine how far light could travel in a year. Voila! A light year. So, taking that knowledge and moving up a level, say there's a galaxy 4 million light years away. Even traveling at the speed of light, it would still take 4 million years to get there. Crazy right? But it doesn't end there.

The pendulum swings both ways. This principle applies to light leaving and arriving at the earth. Remember how I said it takes light 8 minutes to reach earth from the sun? When we know something that we can see from earth is, for example, 4 million years old, it means that light took 4 million years to get here. So if we're seeing light on earth TODAY from a galaxy 4 million light years away... that means that light is 4 million years old and we are actually looking back in time. Is your mind blown yet?! Let's take one more step up. Knowing all this... let's say a supernova happened in a galaxy 4 million light years away. If that supernova happened TODAY, we wouldn't see or know it for another 4 million years.

So I wonder... if we know all this, it makes me wonder why no one has taken it into consideration in explaining why we haven't found life on other planets yet? If we know that light from a galaxy 4 million light years away took 4 million years to get here and we're actually seeing light 4 million years old... what if there were no life on planets 4 million years ago? It's going to take another 4 million years before we see what life in that galaxy is like TODAY. Even though 'today' is a relative and probably irrelevant term in describing time throughout the universe... it still makes me wonder, especially when you consider how long it took life on earth alone to develop, and how short of a time we've been here.

Maybe that's why I'm not caught up in the alien bandwagon; I just don't see it happening in our lifetime. I do believe there's life out there, somewhere. I'm just not sure we're ever going to find it or have the chance to know about it until long after we've destroyed ourselves. But that's a rant for another day :)

JUST HAD THE AHA-MOMENT OF MY LIFE TODAY

COPY EDITING

!!!!

aka proofreading. Companies generally don't require much more than a couple years' experience and a related degree. I do it at the Winonan every week, I have a background in journalism, and it's something I love doing. It's something every company needs everywhere, and I've already found a couple options... in Madison, in San Francisco... even at Lands End in Dodgeville!

THIS COULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN. YOU GUYS. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS I AM READY TO CRY OVER THE FUTURE BECAUSE I AM ACTUALLY *EXCITED*. AND *HOPEFUL*. !!!!!!! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. YES YES YES YES YESSSSSSSS 

So I've been unusally nostalgic lately, even from me. I was looking through old entries on here... it's so weird to thing I've had this LJ for 8 years already. I was looking back on entries from 2006 - end of junior year of HS through senior year of HS - and man, now I remember why I look back so fondly on those years. My senior year ROCKED, jus' sayin'. Just in case anyone's interested in taking a trip down memory lane with me, here are random tidbits of entries and surveys/memes that made me smile, made me nostalgic or made me feel old :)

( Please be kind: rewind. Remember renting VHS tapes from Blockbuster? )

Had you told me 10 years ago that in 10 years I'd be out protesting something, I might have believed you.
Had you told me 10 years ago that in 10 years I'd be out protesting something because I was interested in politics, understood what was happening and was truly passionate about the issue, I may have found that harder to believe.

I've never been Nancy Politics. I've never been genuinely interested in social studies or history or government or economics or unions; I learned it because I had to, and that's that. But when I read that Walker was planning on taking away collective bargaining rights from unions and wanted the bill passed in a week, something struck a chord inside me, and I was pissed. I did my research, made sure to read up on both sides. Posted on facebook, had debates with neighbors. The more news stories I read, the more interested I became. The more debates I had, the more fascinated I became. And it all culminated with me taking a trip to the capitol this weekend - to do a news story for senior sem, yes - but more importantly, to give Walker a piece of my mind. And it was fantastic.

I've never been involved in a protest before. Closest thing to it was the gay pride parade I attended in DC, which was also wonderful. But this was something different. This was democracy in action; this was what it means to be American. There was so much anger yet so much respect for one another. It was unity in its purest form. It made me proud to be an American and even prouder to be a Wisconsinite. This is MY state and I'm not going to let some idiot eff it up.

There were firefighters marching down the streets with bagpipes, showing their support for unions; there were doctors writing notes for teachers; I EVEN SAW MY SIXTH GRADE TEACHER AND GOT TO SAY HI TO HIM. I knew I always loved him :) Anyway, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was history unfolding in front of my eyes.

It was invigorating. It was enlightening. And I can totally see myself becoming one of those politically-obsessed people I used to hate. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but if I ever cross a line with any of you, please let me know. This is all new to me, and I still have so much to learn. But I couldn't be more excited.

(picture is of me on State Street today in front of the Madison, Wis. capitol building :])

so um. I LEAVE FOR EUROPE TOMORROW (assuming that stupid volcano allows me to land in Barcelona!). it hasn't really hit me completely. I'm all packed and the reality is sinking in more but the fact that I'm going to be in SPAIN in less than 2 days? holy effing WOW. and two weeks after that I'm going to DC for my internship!!!! this summer is finally here and taking off and just wow. and I know I've done plugs for this before, and I feel bad but I'm going to be writing in my other blog more. So bookmark it and check it this summer because I'm not sure how much I'll be writing in here. I'll probably do the same thing I did last year, where if there's something private I need to vent about I'll do so. But WordPress is for friends and family and employers and everything... so yeah. that is all. hope everyone is doing well <3

You guys should go check out my not-so-new other blog at wordpress. here :) I really want to start posting there more often, and I want to start using it for stuff that, you know, matters. Something that reflects my life goals and interests, something that future employers might read and find mildly interesting and impressive. Someplace to keep record of my European travels in less than a month, and of my summer internship in D.C. Something free of an 8th grade alias and squeeing over Celine Dion and swearing and such.

I just wrote an entry today yesterday, about the absolutely absurd airline crisis in Europe right now. Read, comment, let me know what you think. 

As I've said, I'll still continue to update here for more personal updates, rants, what have you. But you guys should keep my more professional (and hopefully more interesting) blog in your blogroll, as well. Thanks bbs :)

It's so funny how views on birthdays change over the years. Remember when you were little, and you had a birthday and got SUPER excited? And then when your parents' birthdays came around, you got really excited for them, but they never did? I never really understood that until these past few years. I mean, I did, but I'm reaching that point where it truly makes sense.

I am, of course, excited for my 21st birthday for obvious reasons (and, sidenote, this is relevant because ANOTHER one of my college friends turned 21 today, another one turns 21 on Monday and another, the Monday after that). Yes, I'm excited to be able to legally drink (and after being able to legally drink in Spain, I find the age limit here more absurd every day). I'm excited to go out with my friends to the bars if I want. To have a glass of wine with dinner at a restaurant. To be able to make myself a few drinks with liquor I purchased myself and not worry about paying someone back, or getting caught. Yes, that will be nice. But the other half of the reason I'm so excited is because from here on out, I'll be the one who gets to gloat.

See, for the last, I don't know, 20 years or so, I've been playing catch-up with my friends from my grade. I'm not turning 21 until my SENIOR year of college... I didn't get my driver's license until my junior year of high school and didn't turn 18 until I got to college. So, yes, I am young for my grade. My birthday always falls at the beginning of the school year, and it's a nice way to start off the year. New school year, new age.... but then it's overshadowed by the fact that everyone else who had a birthday after me was a year older. I was FINALLY turning 16 when everyone else was turning 17. And when I FINALLY turned 17... well guess what, all my friends were about to turn 18. no big deal. And like, I never got teased about it. But I'm younger than all my friends in my grade, and yeah, I feel like I've been playing catch-up my whole life.

This year, the tables turn.

I'm starting to see that 21 is the last birthday everyone looks forward to. And it makes sense. Some of my friends complain, "ugh, 22? I'm so OLD!" After you turn 21, you're an adult. And not only do you get the liquor, but everything else that comes along with turning said age: the responsibility, the job, the underlying expectation that you know what you're going to do with your life. You actually have to face the *real* world. And yeah, it sucks. I'm not looking forward to it, and I'm not necessarily excited to turn older in subsequent years.

Except for the fact that instead of playing catch-up, and instead of being the envious one... for the rest of my life, *I'm* going to be the envied one. My friends might have beamed proudly when they got to turn 10, 13, 16, 18, before me. But guess what? That also means they get to turn 30, 40, and 50 before me. 21 years of watching my friends reap the benefits of growing up.... and from now on, I'll be the one to lay back and calmly watch everyone panic as they turn a decade older, knowing that I have at least 9 months before I have to worry about it.

Yes, revenge is sweet my friends, and I firmly believe karma will always even everything out. 21 years of "haha, I'm 16 and you're 15!" or, "haha, I'm 21 and you're 20!" (even though it never went *exactly* like that :p) will soon turn into, "haha, I'm 29 and you're 30!" or, "haha, I'm 39 and you're 40!" yep, I am definitely looking forward to this. You never realize it until now, but being younger definitely has its benefits. :)

 holy crap you guys. LIFE LOVES ME THIS WEEK. this is seriously the greatest week of the year so far, probably one of the greatest weeks in awhile. Seriously, EVERYTHING is going my way and it feels fantastic!!! First of all, I GOT AN INTERNSHIP WITH WW FREAKIN" F!!!! Out in Washington DC!!!! I have been into this organization since I was like 5 or 6, and to have the opportunity to actually work for them?! talk about wild!! If that wasn't enough to absolutely make my life, here's just a few more reasons why this week is absolutely rocking my socks off:

*I'm not sure this counts as "this week," but I spent the weekend in Madison with two AMAZING girlfriends that I don't see hardly at all. We went salsa dancing (!!!!!!!), got sushi, had raspberry ale, chilled out, frollicked on state street, caught up on life... fantastic. I miss those girls a ton and I was so happy to see them!
*I got Erik a birthday present :) I wasn't sure if it was going to be too forward, or something, but when we were shopping Saturday I found a coffee mug that had a picture of a tea bag that said "my cup of tea" on it. So I got him that, a pack of Reese's, then wrapped it up and wrote him a not that said "you're my cup of tea. happy birthday :)" and sneakily dropped it off at his apartment. and he liked it :) he called to thank me, and thanked me at least three more times in our conversation, and then suggested that when I come home TOMORROW, that I should stop in Madison and have dinner with him. Which I will. :) :) :)
*Alternate side parking ends tonight!!! so I don't have to worry about moving my car every night. WIN.
*Met Craig Culver, the co-founder of Culver's restaurant? Not a huge deal but it kinda made me happy.
*IT IS SO FREAKING WARM OUT!!!! 72 yesterday, 75 today, 78 tomorrow. hellooooo skirts and shorts :) I even biked to work yesterday and today! so I didn't feel so bad about not making it to butt & gut!
*Made a random run to Taco Bell. Laura came to my door with Mako and Mal and was all, "TBell, you in?" and I was all, "k." so we went and I got a chalupa for the first time in years and it was impromptu and wonderful.
*I got a 97 on my stats test (the highest grade in the class according to D2L!) and a 98 on my Spanish test! DOUBLE WIN!!
*Did I mention I have no class Friday and that I get to go home tomorrow?!?! HELLOOOOOO dog kisses, movie nights with friends and neighborly love :) We're having an easter egg hunt for the kids and I get to help put the eggs together and hide them around the court. SO EXCITED. :)
*Hung out with my Ed's boys - margaritas (virgin for me ha :/) and tacos on Monday, Wings on Tuesday! Was supposed to do wings again tonight with my favorite Broadcasting Russian, but I only had an hour and they left me waiting for about 40 minutes. I pretty much had to leave by the time her and her boyfriend and his friends showed up. But I didn't really mind... as you can tell, everything else this week has been working in my favor so it's okay :)
*oh and of course, Celine's birthday was Tuesday!!! just another dose of happiness for the week. Wore my Celine shirt with pride :)
*and!! I found someone to go to Barcelona with me and she bought her ticket Monday!! so I officially have a travel companion in Barcelona, yay!

yeah, that's basically it. I have to go pack and finish a write-up for my only class tomorrow and then it's off to Madison and then home :) I hope everybody's week is going fantastic as well! have a good night and take care :)