Side Order of Life

2010-09-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

8 Questions From Melissa

My blogging idol had an 8 question post on her blog the other day and then she wrote some of her own and tagged all of us girls from Seven Dames. So here are my answers to her questions.

1. If you could have an unlimited shoe budget or purse budget which one would you pick?

Shoes. Definitely shoes. I'm sometimes act like I have an unlimited budget on shoes. But that's not okay.

2. If you could change lives with one person for a day who would it be?

Tina Fey. I have a feeling she has a pretty amazing and fun life.

3. What is the one place you haven't been that you want to visit before you die?

Ireland. Gotta check out the roots!

4. What is your most unrealistic fear?

Whenever I'm in a large building like a theatre or sports stadium, I always look above me to see what would fall on me if the roof collapsed. Obviously, I'm not an optimist.

5. If you could compete in one Olympic sport, which one would you pick?

Figure skating. Duh. And let's be honest, Michelle Kwan would be my coach.

6. What was the last book you read and did you like it?

Our book club just finished The Namesake. It was really good!

7. What song best describes how you are feeling this moment?

As embarrassed as I am to admit this, it honestly is how I'm feeling: The Climb by Miley Cyrus. Focus on the lyrics people, not the trainwreck that delivers them.

8. Who is your rolemodel?

My mother!

eat.pray.love

2010-09-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

i read the book by elizabeth gilbert probably 4 years ago. long before any of this hype about the movie and julia roberts. it was a book that the minute i closed the back cover, i knew that every woman needed to read it. and i was very vocal about that belief. and i still stand firm.

i saw the movie a couple of weeks ago. i was nervous because this book had a huge impact on me and i didn't want the movie adaptation to spoil that for me.

it didn't have the 'grit' that the book had. you didn't really see the low of the lows that elizabeth explains so beautifully, intimately and painfully in the book and i don't think you see the moment that she realizes the impact her journey has had on her.

as per usual, the movie is never as good as the book.

however, when i initially read the book i pulled a few quotes and wrote them in my quote book and was simply delighted that they used them, word for word, in the movie.

"to lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life"

"this is a good sign--having a broken heart. it means we tried for something"

but my favorite line from the entire book was not in the movie, but i love it so much i'm going to share it with you anyway. i think it is something that we tend to forget as we get wrapped up in life. so many people (myself included) have this false belief that happiness is something we are rewarded, but i think what elizabeth's priceless advice could change the way you live your life. it has mine.

happiness is the consequence of personal effort.

you fight for it

strive for it

and insist upon it.

are you fighting, striving and insisting upon your own happiness?

Chhhh...Changes!

2010-01-02T18:50:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is my last day at Lake City and 120th.

I've called that place 'my store' for nearly 3 years.

I was hired on April 7, 2007.

On January 3rd, 2010, I'm clocking out, leaving my keys and walking out for the last time.

And yes, I'll probably cry like a baby.

2009-11-22T23:51:00.000-08:00

If you're a Grey's Anatomy fan, you should be ashamed if you did not know that Sara Ramirez is an amazing singer. Here is her in her TONY AWARD WINNING role. Also, if you watched the last disaster, I mean episode (Season 6, Episode 10) then you should know it was her singing Silent Night while Bailey yelled at her dad at the dinner table.

Editor's Note: Spamalot is a spoof on musicals, thus the

humor in her 'over-singing' a few of the

lines (like at 2:22 & 2:40)

2009-11-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

I have amazingly talented friends. Seriously. Talented.

Insightful photographers.

Ridiculously intelligent.

Bilingual wonders.

Wonderful musicians.

Profound and thought provoking writers.

Amazingly athletic.

Unfailingly compassionate.

Being surrounded by people who have these amazing gifts makes me want to be better. Not 'better' at anything specific, just better. Better at everything I do in life. By using the gifts that God has given them, they have unwittingly challenged me to be a better version of myself.

I've never been someone that has been really talented at any one thing (I'm a fabulous parallel parker and I have nice handwriting, that about sums it up) but I've always loved enjoying the talents of my friends. So thank you. Thank you to all of you who have the tenacity to nurture your talents and the courage to share them with others.

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me.”

Espresso Yourself

2009-10-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

I want to start this post with the following statement: I love my job. Please remember this as you read through this post.

I love my job. That being said, working in a coffee shop has really made me miss one thing that I used to love: going to coffee with friends. I remember calling up a friend, suggesting a time and a place (usually a Starbucks) and then meeting said friend. And connecting. Catching up. Encouraging one another. Laughing. I can remember so many conversations I had over a cup of coffee that have enriched, encouraged and solidified so many of my friendships.

And now I work in a coffee shop, and as a result, I don't get together with my friends over coffee anymore. Or if I do, my stupid "coffee shop" manager goggles are on and I notice stupid things. Especially at other Starbucks. My thoughts are constantly "they need to do a lobby" or "eek, that RTD/E case needs some love" or "wow, someone needs to check in with that pastry case". I am a standards junkie, as well as a slave to Starbucks so it actually physically hurts my heart to go into random Starbucks and see them not doing things to standard.

And so I try to avoid going to coffee with friends at Starbucks because I am distracted like no other and that's just plain rude.

Today I went to the 'non-Starbucks Starbucks' here in Seattle. 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea. Not only did I have the best vanilla latte this girl has every had, but I was able to chat with my friends about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It felt really nice, a throwback to the days of trips to The Service Station or Rockwood Bakery in Spokane.

I really miss that natural connection friends have over coffee. I have a lot going floating around in my head these days and sometimes I think what I need is a friend, a tall vanilla extra foamy latte and the rest will take care of itself.

Little Drop of Thoughtfulness

2009-10-26T19:45:00.001-07:00

Head on over to Seven Dames A Week to read my post entitled "A Little Drop of Thoughtfulness"

Over the Top Award

2009-10-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

Melissa is the best blogger ever. She did this on her blog and was nice enough to include me in the 'award', so here are my answers. I won't be nominating anyone on the grounds that I don't anyone that blogs.

Where is your cell phone: Sitting right next to me. I'm addicted to my Blackberry. It actually did my laundry last night.
Your hair: Still stuck to my forehead from my basketball game earlier
Your mother: is the most amazing woman
Your father: is a gem of a man
Your favorite food: sushi. love it. crave it. need it.
Your dream from last night: I don't really dream that often. Last night was a dreamless night
Your favorite drink: beer and coffee. or the best of both worlds: coffee flavored beer.
Your dream/goal: to reach a point of self satisfying success at some point in my life.
What room are you in: my roommate's room. She is being nice enough to let me use her computer since mine decided to crash last week.
What is your hobby: anything outside. Or reading. I do love to read.
What is your fear: tornadoes. Even a slight breeze makes me uneasy.
Where do you want to be in 6 years: In Seattle, in my own house with a little bulldog running around in the background.
Where were you last night: went for a run late and crashed on the couch for One Tree Hill
Something you are not: a shopper. hate it.
Muffins: remind me of the Setons. I spent alot of $1 on those Costco goods.
Wish list items: my very own place. i've been watching WAY too much HGTV.
Where did you grow up: Montana
Last thing you did: play basketball
What are you wearing: sweats
Your TV: is on way too much
Your pets: are not mine. I have 3 vicarious bulldogs who I walk 2x a week.
Your friends: are more than I deserve
Your life: an over-caffeinated, sleep deprived mess. And I love it.
Your mood: generally pretty agreeable.
Missing someone: always
Vehicle: as of Sunday, 2010 Ford Escape. Love comes quickly.
Something you're not wearing: my heart on my sleeve. At least I'm trying not to anymore.
Your favorite store: REI or Whole Foods. Again, not a shopper.
Your favorite color: purple or green. it's complicated.
When's the last time you laughed: tonight with Averi and Lisa. As per usual.
When's the last time you cried: Monday when I dropped my parents at the airport. Yep, 26 years old and still cry when I leave them.
Your best friend: is one amazing, gracious, intelligent, patient woman.
One place you go over and over: Green Lake.
One person who emails me regularly: Gina G. My little Spanish Curly Haired Nugget.
Favorite place to eat: Sam's Sushi here in Ballard rocks my face off every time I go there. And Ultimate Bagel. Duh.

So there you have it, completely pointless information about the ins and outs of my life. Yes, it's true: I really AM that boring.

2009-09-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

and people wonder why I am attracted to red heads:

2009-09-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

Hello. I'd like you to meet Sheryl Swoopes. A little background on Miss Swoopes:

Swoopes won a NCAA Women's Basketball Championship with the Red Raiders of Texas Tech. She was also honored as the Naismith College Player of the Year. To this day, Swoopes is considered "one of the best collegiate players of all time". Swoopes was the first player to be signed in the WNBA. Swoopes is a 4-time WNBA champion with the Houston Comets.She is a three-time WNBA MVP and a 3 time Defensive Player of the Year. She is also the proud owner of 3 Oympic Gold Medals.

A pretty impressive resume for any athlete. Sheryl Swoopes has long been on my favorite basketball players. The very first number I ever picked for basketball was 21, because she was 22. I couldn't pick 22 because I would never be able to live up to the real 22, so one less was what I picked. And she was the first women's basketball player to have a Nike shoe named after her: the "Air Swoopes". Those where the shoes I wore in high school.

Last Thursday, I had the honor of playing basketball with Sheryl Swoopes. She is living in Seattle and she started a 4 on 4 basketball league. A friend of mine asked me to play and I jumped at the chance to play basketball one more time during the week and obviously meet Sheryl Swoopes.

I walk into the gym and go over to her and say "Hi I'm Jen." She extends her hand and says "Hi, I'm Sheryl". She hands me a jersey and tells me that I'm going to play on her team tonight. By now, my heart is beating out of my chest and my hands are shaking I can barely lace up my basketball shoes.

So we play. And I'm focusing on my defense pretty good and Sheryl keeps telling me 'Great D, Jen!', and "Nice hands!" and a "great stop!". The 3 time Defensive Player of the Year is telling ME that I'm playing great defense? Wow. It's a tight game, way above any level of basketball I've ever played, but I'm trying to keep up. I hit the 3 pointer that gave us the go ahead lead with 1:07 left and then Miss Amazing does the rest. We end up winning by 6 points. After the game, I ask her where she wanted me to put the jersey. Her response? "Oh, I'm keeping you on my team. You'll need it next week. We play at 7."

Are you kidding me? She just told me that I, Jen Neill, am on her 4 on 4 team. I pick my jaw off the floor and say 'Oh okay. I'll see you next week then! Good game!'

So, if you call me on Thursday nights, I won't be able to answer because I'm playing basketball with my teammate, Sheryl Swoopes.

2009-04-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

"When we long for a life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure".
-Peter Marshall, in prayer

Zag 4 Life

2009-03-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

As I check out the status updates on my Facebook page, I've grown nostalgic from all the updates that have to do with the Zags and the WCC tournament going on in Vegas this weekend. One of my best college memories is from sophomore year when me and my 4 closest friends packed up the Impala and drove down to San Franciso to catch the WCC tournament at Santa Clara.

I can't believe it's been nearly 5 years since we rushed the court after the exciting win against Santa Clara--seems like just yesterday we were sportin' Kennel Club shirts and chanting Go Gonzaga G-O-N-Z-A-G-A at the tops of our lungs.

Rise Again From Ashes

2009-02-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

An excerpt from Jacob the Baker by Noah Benshea:

"...life is often heavy only because we attempt to carry it," said Jacob. "But, I do find strength in the ashes. [...] You see, Mr. Gold, each of us is alone. Each of us is in the great darkness of our ignorance. And, each of us is on a journey, we must bend to build a fire for light, and warmth and food. But when our fingers tear at the ground, hoping to find the coals of another's fire, what we often find are the ashes. And, in these ashes, which will not give us light or warmth, there may be sadness, but there is also testimony. Because these ashes tell us that somebody else has been in the night, somebody else has bent to build a fire, and somebody else carried on."

Strength AND hope in ashes.
Happy Lent.

Grace.

2009-02-19T23:55:00.000-08:00

Grace is God's unmerited favor. That is, grace is God doing good for us that we do not deserve.

I've always believed that to be the definition of grace. And I am fully aware of God's grace in every aspect of my life.

It just wasn't until this week that I experienced that level of grace exchanged between myself and another human being.

So I messed up pretty bad this week. I admitted my guilt to the offended party, amid tears and sheer embarrassment. It was hard, but it was definitely the right thing to do. And you know what they did? They forgave me. Said it was okay. They didn't even hesitate. Seconds after the truth spilled from my mouth, they forgave me. Not even a minute, hour or day to let it sink it. Forgiveness--just like that.

Talk about being in awe of grace.

But I'm having one small problem. I can be pardoned from my sins by the people I committed them against. Because of God's mercy, I do not receive the judgment of God against my sins.

But I'm having trouble forgiving myself.

It's For Gina.

2009-02-18T17:57:00.001-08:00

Today, from 5286 miles away, Gina Gailis made my day. By simply posting a well-timed quote on my facebook profile. I really miss my Gina G. She has been over in Spain for quite some time now. The other day I was trying to remember the last time I actually got to hug Gina. But instead of figuring out the last time we saw each other, I remembered all the other good times we had. April's Angels, SEARCH, Mission:Possible (oh geez--the memories there. That would need an entire post just to do it justice), Ultimate Bagel/Starbucks dates, Bloomsday......and on. And on. And on again.

Miss you Gina!

Young Alumni Weekend

2009-02-12T21:08:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I was able to head to the right side of the state to revisit my old stomping grounds. Jen Bachand and I hopped (but nearly missed) a plane to hang out with Melissa in Spokane for the weekend. It was 'Young Alumni Weekend' and we are proud to be alumni, and quite frankly, happy to be considered 'young'. Here are the pictures from the weekend. I am choosing not to discuss the game because it was horrible. Enjoy the pictures.

Jen and Melissa hanging out on 3rd floor of the Ad Building.
We stopped in Crosby and had to stop by good ol' Crosby cafe. Not for coffee. For steamed milks of course!
Jen and Jen having a good time like old times in Crosby.
The Gonzaga Class of 2006 gift to the school: a bronze bulldog!

2009-02-03T22:16:00.000-08:00

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

I Can Be A Grace Seeker

2009-02-01T23:59:00.001-08:00

Tonight I tagged along with a friend to Mars Hill to hear the dynamic Mark Driscoll speak. That man is an amazing speaker-truly is captivating.

So tonight, we were going over 1 Peter 1:13-21 and Pastor Mark was unpacking Peter's words. While many things really struck me, there is one thing that I wanted to blog about specifically:

God drops grace into our life as a sign of hope

And to be transparent, I must admit he changed what I thought my definition of hope was tonight. He defined hope as "a confident certainty". We must place our faith and hope in God (1 Peter 1:21) because if we put it elsewhere we will be disappointed.

Mark then asked the million dollar question: Where is God's grace in your life? The simple answer is everywhere. The harder part is thoughtfully examining and seeing where in my life God's good grace has truly touched me.

I don't have an answer tonight. Well, I could have some sort of thrown together answer. But this week, I am going to be a grace seeker. I am going to go through this week with 'grace goggles' on and truly see the grace in my life.

Whitney Week: Day II

2009-01-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

Day Two began the way most good days begin: sleeping in! Now, as a person who usually wakes up quite early, every hour past 6 am is considered sleeping in, so today, when I opened my tired little eyes to see 9:48 on the clock, I was immediately in love with Wednesday, January 28th.

Our start slow start to the day began with a trip to Top Pot Doughnuts. As a 2-year veteran of this city I can say that I've certainly enjoyed the wonder that is a Top Pot Doughnut, but I had never been to one of their neighborhood stores. We each picked a doughnut of our choosing (a blueberry cake donut for Whitney and a cinnamon sugar old fashion for this girl) and then we split one recommended to us by the man behind the counter. Whitney's blueberry doughnut was fantastic--literally like a blueberry exploding in your mouth. And mine was delicious as well--afterall, I am the girl who has 2 shakers, like most people, on her stove. Unlike most people, one is filled with salt. The other is a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Classy, I know. And then our third 'staff selected' doughnut was scrumptious as well. Their coffee was very enjoyable as well. Overall, I was definitely impressed with Top Pot!

After the overconsumption of sugar at Top Pot, we headed down to Pike Place Market to wander around. I've never been there during any other season than summer, so to be there when there wasn't a gazillion people walking the halls was quite enjoyable. Whitney had gotten a new camera, a Diana, and was using that to take some pictures of the flowers, veggies, fruits and whatnot that are all on display at the Market. We then hopped over for some gelato (yum!) and then walked on down to Fran's Chocolates to buy some salted caramels. Afterall, they are our new President's favorite candy! It's just being patriotic, people.

After that, we headed out to dinner at a restaurant called The Jones. It is owned by one of my regulars at Starbucks, Scott. He is a great guy and is restaurant is just as awesome as him! Whitney was able to meet my friends--it was pretty great to have 4 of my favorite people at the same table. It was great fun.

Tomorrow, Whitney is forcing me to the spa for a massage. I know..I know...what a terrible friend, eh? :)

Whitney Visits!

2009-01-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

One of my very oldest and dearest friends in the entire world is here in Seattle for the week! Whitney flew in from Boston on Monday night and we are hanging out all week before she heads down to San Francisco to visit another friend.

Today I had to work the early shift and then we took the bullies for a walk. Whitney had fun getting to know both Chloe and Duncan, as well as seeing the beautiful part of Lake Washington I walk near. We also had some fun taking some action shots.

More pictures to come as Whitney Week continues.......

Must Hear

2009-01-24T11:47:00.000-08:00

Adele is the new artist that is monopolizing my itunes, my ipod and my cd player. Her freshman cd, "19", is amazing. I haven't like an entire cd this much since Norah Jones' first cd. And even more amazing, is that the title of the album reflects her age when she recorded it. Yep, 19 years old.

Check Her Out:

Best For Last:

Chasing Pavements:

Balancing Act

2009-01-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, I was cleaning out my closet and I found a picture of me. It was taken right before graduation. But most importantly, it was a time when I was the happiest and healthiest I have ever been. And as I sat on the floor of my closet amid hangers, old shoes, pictures and boxes I promised myself I would get back to that point: happy and healthy.

I know it's early into 2009, but so far I'm a big fan of this year. Since early December, I've been very consciously working on the trifecta of life: mind, body and spirit

MIND
I've been reading a ridiculous amount lately--even more so than usual. I'm averaging about a book a week! I've finally picked up a book I've been intimidated to read for quite awhile, C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. I am taking my time and trying to soak it all in. I don't think I've focused this much on a book since Philosophy 467! And I will learn Italian this year. Yes, I will.

BODY
I'm running regularly again, which makes my heart soar and my lungs burn. Basketball is still the highlight of my week. And I've been trying to eat healthy--that's been the real challenge!

SPIRIT
And while I can't say that I'm totally settled with my crisis of conscious I've been having with religion, I'm making progress and generally feel okay about where I am at, but very good about where I'm going. I've been regularly reading my bible, started a study group with some friends and going to mass regularly. I'm sort of a freelance Catholic, I guess. This is definitely the biggest work in process, but I'm feeling more settled.

I haven't felt this balanced since I've moved out to Seattle, so to be at this point is somewhat of a relief--a regrouping of my former self.

And it just feels good.

This One's For Jodie

2009-01-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

"Friendship, like the immortality of the soul, is too good to be believed. When friendships are real, they are not glass threads or frost work, but the solidest things we know."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thy Will Be Done

2009-01-04T22:23:00.000-08:00

While it is no secret I loved many, many things about Gonzaga, one of my favorite things about ol' GU was/is Father Spitzer. He didn't preside over mass that often, but when he did, it was well worth the 45 minute homily in the wooden pews.

I loved how he would get so engrossed in his homily that he would feel the need to apologize and end his sermon with, 'I got a little carried away'. And he need not apologize--his best stuff came when he 'got carried away'.

I feel like a have a rolodex of the all priceless nuggets of wisdom that Father Spitzer bestowed upon us during our time at Gonzaga. But there is one little phrase that has always stood out and has helped me when I wasn't sure what to say. Father Spitzer told us that when we weren't sure what to pray for, what to ask God for, what to say to Him to say 4 simple words: Thy Will Be Done.

I was reminded of this tonight while attending a friend's baptism at Mars Hill Church. We sang a song that had the phrase repeated over and over. I couldn't help but smile, thinking of Father Spitzer. And realizing how powerful those 4 words truly are.

Amazing Cover!

2008-12-30T21:49:00.000-08:00

I really like youtube. Like alot. And this video is a perfect example of why I love it so much. It's a cover of The Fray's "How to Save A Life". It's fantastic.

Adorable

2008-12-29T21:45:00.001-08:00

My 9-year old niece, Micheal, has started a delightful tradition of her own every Christmas. Starting last year, she spends one day of shopping at the $1 Store to get a gift for all guests that will be joining us for the holidays. Last year, I received a stuffed animal with the following explanation: "Auntie you live alone and I worry about you. This stuffed animal will keep you company".

This year the gift was equally as adorable.

A little background information. Micheal and I are 'roommates' whenever I go home for a visit. We sleep in my bedroom at my parent's house that has 2 twin beds, me in one and her in the other. Micheal absolutely loves being called my roommate and looks forward to having her roomie home. Truth be told, I don't mind it either! We always go to bed at the same time and because I read when I go to bed, she does the same. The nights leading up to Christmas I read my bible and then wrote in my journal. .Christmas rolls around and I saved her gift for last. This darling little 9 year old had tucked away in the gift box a new composition notebook and a new set of pens. She came over to me and said "This is for when your journal fills up. You're gonna need a new one" and then she politely added "these are my favorite pens. and I made sure there was a purple one".

My First Apple Pie!

2008-12-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

Whenever I'm at home I spend alot of time helping my mom in the kitchen because there is always tons to do. I do it to help her, obviously, but I also do it selfishly. I say selfishly because I get to help and see how things are done, get to get my hands dirty and see firsthand how Sherry makes the magic happen! Well, this Christmas vacation was extra special because I made my first apple pie! I've enjoyed the wonder that is apple pie for years now, but never ever have I made one. Sherry let me take the ropes this year and I have to admit, I was quite proud of my debut apple pie.

Here is my self-proclaimed blue ribbon winner:

The Neill Christmas Party

2008-12-23T21:11:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Season doesn't feel like it's in full swing until we have the Neill Christmas party. After all the baking, shopping and wrapping are done, it's time to unwind and meet up with old friends. This year's Christmas party, as per usual, did not disappoint! Unfortunately, I kind of forgot that i had my camera, so I took only a few pictures. But here they are:

The fake tree and I. It's my only bone of contention with my mother's holiday decorating.
The long awaited Tom and Jerry. Some people have eggnog. Others hot buttered rum. We, at the Neill's, have Tom and Jerrys. Delicious.
Whitney heartily agrees with both Tom and Jerry.
Getting ready to greet our guests.

Welcome Home!

2008-12-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

Billings greeted me with below zero temperatures. This was taken at 10:30a in the morning. I hope my body can remember how to handle frigid cold!

More pictures to come as my Christmas break unfolds.....

Recharge?

2008-12-10T22:48:00.000-08:00

When my phone battery is low, it beeps at me.

When my Ipod battery is low, I get a message window that informs me that I have 20% battery left. If I wait long enough, it will tell me I have 10% battery left.

When my computer battery is low, I get both a message and a beep to let me know I'm running on empty.

But what about me? When do I know that my battery is low? My tank is almost empty? That I'm running on fumes? I don't have a beep. I don't have a message box. I don't have a warning. And I can't just plug myself into the wall, wait an hour or so and be recharged.

I have 8 days before I can 'recharge'. I can't wait to get home to 2021 Wentworth Drive, collapse in my mom's reading chair, drink a Tom and Jerry and just enjoy being home. No 3:15a wake up calls, no action items, no unruly customers, no difficult conversations with partners. Just Mom. Just Dad. Fresh baked bread. Hugs. Lots of laughs. Hopefully some snow. Mass in the 4th row with the entire family. Eating spinach dip with Whitney. Having a roommate, even if it's my 9 year old niece!

The week I spend at home will be my recharge. And I am definitely in need of a recharge.

2008-12-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

As of late, I've been kind of in a funk. I'm not quite sure what has put me here and why I've allowed myself to stay here. But I've gotten to a point where I've kind of forgotten what is important. I've been going through the motions lately and not stopping to appreciate all the things that make up the landscape of life. I've definitely become a human being, not a human doing. I stumbled across this graduation address from Anna Quindlen (one of my favorite authors) this morning and it really spoke to me. She is very insightful.

Villanova Commencement Address

Class of 1999

Anna Quindlen

…you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank account, but your soul.

People don’t talk about the soul very much anymore. It’s so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit.

…here’s what I wanted to tell you today: get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger paycheck, the larger house.

Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze over Seaside Heights, a life in which you stop and watch how a red tailed hawk circles over the water gap or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a Cheerio with her thumb and first finger.

Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Each time you look at your diploma, remember that you are still a student, still learning how to best treasure your connection to others.…

Get a life in which you are generous.…And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted.

Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around.…All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good, too, then doing well will never be enough.

It is so easy to waste our lives: our days, our hours, our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of the azaleas,…the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of live.

I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and to try to give some of it back because I believed in it completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned.

By telling them this:

Consider the lilies of the field.
Look at the fuzz on a baby’s ear.
Read in the backyard with the sun on your face.
Learn to be happy.

…you can learn all those things, out there, if you get a real life, a full life, a professional life, yes, but another life, too, a life of love and laughs and a connection to other human beings. Just keep your eyes and ears open.

Look at the view. You’ll never be disappointed.

Unity in the Community

2008-12-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

I've lived in Seattle for nearly 2 years and I have to admit, I feel as if I almost have everything a girl could want to be happy in the big city. But there are 2 things that I miss.

1. Sherry Neill.
Duh. She's my amazing mother.

2. A Community of Faith

Growing up, I had a very strong community of faith. I come from a large Catholic family--going to church involved a large van and people going early to save the whole pew for the family. Additionally, I was involved in the CCD at St. Bernard's and alot of my friends from school went as well. As I got older and began to get involved in clubs such as Young Life and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, I felt I had a larger group outside of family to be a part of.

When I decided on a college, I knew that I wanted to go to a small, Catholic school and I found Gonzaga. And community and Gonzaga go hand in hand. Most of my friends were Catholic and we all attended mass together, in a large group. And the friends you didn't go with, were at mass anyway and you'd meet up with them at the post-mass cookies and juice session.
I had some amazing experiences at Gonzaga, which further deepened my knowledge of Catholicism and really made me understand my identity as a Catholic. And I feel as though I got to this point because of the community around me.

And now, in Seattle, I've found going to church is kind of difficult for me. I go to mass alone every Sunday and every Sunday I am reminded of how alone I am--my family is miles away and my Gonzaga community is dispersed across the United States. And while I do need and appreciate my time alone with God, it's still hard for me to go every week all by myself. Genesis 2 highlights my feeling: "In a perfect and sinless world, where man enjoyed perfect community with his Creator, God, looking at His creation, said, “It is not good for the man to be alone." Mass has always been a joyful thing for me--the tradition and ritualisticness of it is comforting and a giant part of who I am, but for the first time, I felt like a huge part is missing.

I wish there something like a Young Catholics club existed in Seattle. As I sit alone in my pew, I see tons of families, young couples, lots of elderly people but rarely do I see a young person around my age attending mass by themselves. And I'm thinking to myself, 'where are all the young Catholics?'. I have a few friends out here who are not Catholic but belong to other churches that are overflowing with community. They have retreats, weekend getaways, community projects, bible studies...etc...etc..etc!

I think that it's just really hard to be a young adult and Catholic--I really do! The Church is very good about catering to the young children, even the high schoolers and there are all types of programs for older people wanting to deepen their faith, but their is a lag in the middle. We get lost in the shuffle and it's then that many people my age turn to the churches that celebrate their youth and want them to be a part of their community.

In conclusion, being Catholic is a huge part of my identity and I love being Catholic. But I just miss the 10pm masses, the social justice projects on the weekends, having someone to discuss the homily with, cookies and juice after mass. But most of the time, I just miss having someone to hug during the sign of the peace after the Our Father.

I Heart My Employer II

2008-11-27T21:50:00.001-08:00

Another reason I am absolutely in love with the company I work for:

Just 2 pills day that cost 40 cents can keep someone with AIDS alive and healthy.

40 cents. That's it. Get a cup of great coffee. Save a life.

On Monday, Dec. 1st when you buy ANY handcrafted beverage, we will donated 5 cents to (RED). Yep, even drip coffee is considered 'handcrafted'.

"We make a living by what we get. But we make a LIFE by what we GIVE"
Winston Churchill

The Thanksgiving Post

2008-11-26T22:28:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and it is the holiday that calls us to remember all the things and people in our lives that we are grateful for. And as I examine my life I think I need way more than just a day to think of all the blessings I have in my life. I've decided to boil it down to the 2 things that I am thankful for every single day--family and friends.

1. Family
Even if this is my first Turkey Day away from my family, it still makes me realize how much I love my big family. It will definitely not be the same without Sherry, Greg and the rest of the clan. My family has always been supportive of my goals, my dreams, my hopes. Without them supporting me, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had the courage to live my life as my own life. And while it is hard for me to be nearly 1000 miles away from them on a daily basis, I do cherish them and miss them on a daily basis.

2. Friends

"Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold this world together." When I take a brief moment to think of the friendships I have in my life, old and new, I am in awe at the caliber of people that I am fortunate enough to call my friends. I don't think I deserve these compassionate, genuine, intelligent, hilarious people, but I am so thankful they let me be a part of the story of their lives. These past 2 years have separated me from the handful of friends that I love and it's been hard not to have your best friend across the hall, up the stairs or down the street. But it is in distance that I realize how close these people are to me. I miss them everyday and I thank God for trusting with such amazing people to call my friends. And while I've been missing the people I've known for years, I've also had the opportunity to meet new friends and work on building new relationships. And thus far, I've been fortunate in meeting some incredible people out here and they've been such an integral part of me establishing my life here in Seattle.

Speak No Evil

2008-11-24T21:18:00.000-08:00

"Our speech, whether it is about others or to others, tends to tear down or build up. It either corrups the minds of our hearers, or it gives grace to them."
From Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

I definitely stole this quote off of my friend Emily's blog (thanks, e-dub!) and I've been thinking about it recently. And i've been able to think about it on both sides of the coin--from my perspective, from the words i use with my co-workers, my friends, my family, anyone i come across. And I had an experience the other night that allowed me to experience the other side. And Jerry Bridges is for real--words do have the capacity to tear you down or build you up. It's amazing how a person I barely know can make me feel so insecure, so timid. But his words are still echoing in my head.

It has definitely made me think more about the words I use.

Michael Franti

2008-11-21T14:19:00.000-08:00

Please check out this awesome artist! I've liked him since my Pita Pit days back in Spokane. Not only does he have a great sound, but his lyrics are pretty legit as well. Here are a few videos of him doing his thing:

Yell Fire at The Gorge:

Time To Go Home:

My Vicarious Bulldog

2008-11-08T21:27:00.001-08:00

It's not much of a secret that I want a bulldog really badly. However, they are really expensive and I live in an apartment building that doesn't allow dogs, so needless to say, I've been only able to dream about my having a bullie to call my own.

Until now.

About 3 weeks ago a woman came through our drive thru with 3 bulldogs in tow. Duncan, Chloe and Annie each had their own seat in this woman's sedan. I immediately fell in love and jokingly told her that any time she needed a bullie sitter to stop by. One week later, she came through again and asked me if I was serious about watching the little nuggets. I told her absolutely!

Now I get to walk Duncan and Chloe three times a week--Annie is far too old to go on walks. She does lap swim at the beach--not even kidding. Being around all 3 of them have solidified my decision to one day own one of these jovial creatures. It's still a long time down the road, but until then I am the vicarious bulldog owner of Chloe, Duncan and Annie.

The photo is of Chloe and her tire. She will play with that tire for hours if I'd let her!

25

2008-11-07T21:36:00.001-08:00

i'm only 25 years old. but when i examine the person that has filled those 25 years, i've found that i've been so many different people. i am 25 years old, but sometimes i feel like i've been 25 different people. i look back at who i was a 1 year ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago and i'm different at every single moment. as much as i wish i could say that i've been getting progressively 'better', like a fine wine, i can't. no doubt i've changed as a person. as a daughter. a sister. a friend--that much i know. sometimes it's been for the better, sometimes it hasn't. i know i've posted about change and i understand that the only thing constant is change, so this shouldn't come as a shock to me. but it does. i look at the girl i was in middle school and i cringe. the jennifer in high school was a girl who i'm not even sure i knew, now or even then. college could definitely be divided into a different person every year--ranging from a fresh-faced, hopeful freshman, to a jaded and angry sophomore, to a revitalized junior and finally a terrified, but content senior. and even in the short time i've lived out here in seattle, i've seen myself grow and change, even as difficult as its been. it's a day by day process for me. one day i am filled with hope and determination, the next i dash my confidence with flooding thoughts of doubt and confusion. i truly am my own worst enemy!
for all this change, i do hope there have been a few things that i've carried with me. and by carried i mean that the years and experiences have allowed them to mature and come to fruition--things like loyalty, integrity, compassion, conviction and the capacity to love. and i hope that i continue to carry them with me throughout the years that are yet to come so they can continue to develop. i need to understand that without change there is no growth and without growth there is no change.

2008-11-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

I took this picture on my Mission:Possible Spring Break trip my junior year of college. It is located at the Civil Rights Museum in Nashville, TN. Across the street from this sign is the Lorraine Motel--the motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. MLK Jr spoke these words on April 3rd, 1968. The next day, April 4, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was struck down by an assassin's bullet.

If you can't read it clearly, it says:

I May Not Get There With You But I Want You To Know That We As A People Will Get To The Promised Land.

Forty years after MLK Jr said these words, the United States of America elected not just their 44th President, but their first African American President.

I Heart My Employer!

2008-11-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

This is one of the many reasons I love working for Starbucks:

Meet Stanley

2008-10-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

I'd like you all to meet Stanley. Stanley is my 'dog'. He came to me in an interesting fashion. Let me explain...

My dear grandmother has a knack for picking up cute little knick-knacks to decorate her house. Seriously, if there is some sort of decoration that can sit on the floor, the edge of the coffee table, or the entertainment stand, Darlene Henderson has it. This is where Stanley originated. On one of my visits home from school I was over at my grandparents house and while sitting on the floor (I haven't graduated to furniture or moved up from the kid's table yet) I noticed this little be-spectacled dog peaking out from behind the davenport (old people term for sofa). I had to get in for a closer look. By the time that I had completely taken in this little nugget I was, not even kidding, rolling on the floor laughing. At the time, he was adorned in a santa hat and santa coat. My grandmother heard the ruckus and went on to explain that dear ol' Stanley actually has 13 rotating outfits that he dawns depending on the time of year.

From that moment on, each time that I went to my grandparents house, little Stanley would be there to greet me with a season appropriate outfit. And I would erupt into a fit of laughter. Every time. I'm not even exaggerating.

So, when my parents came for their annual August visit this past summer my grandma had sent a little package with Sherry and Greg. And what was in the little box? My little nugget Stanly and his entire wardrobe! God bless Darlene.

Stanley has found his place quite nicely in apartment 209. Currently he wearing his rainslicker--I do live in Seattle! I pledge that I will always keep you updated on the current fashion trend of my little Stanley.

With the holidays around the corner, I have a feeling there will be quite a few changes......

Let's Play Some Basketball!

2008-10-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

The season is SO close! I found this video on Youtube and I totally got goosebumps!

Go Zags!

HSM 3

2008-10-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Not even a little bit embarrassed to admit that I'm really excited for High School Musical 3. I'll just have to wait to see it until I'm home with my 9-year old niece. That way it will be socially acceptable.

Award Winner!

2008-10-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

New Poet

2008-10-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

On Laurel and I's hike on Sunday we had some great conversation about a variety of topics, including spirituality, religion, our place in this crazy world and the awkward position many of us young career folk find ourselves in. During the course of our convo, Laurel quoted a poet named Oriah so I went home and googled her. And I'm glad I did! I found this amazing poem she has on her website. For many of the people my age we're all struggling with what we want to do with our life and I think that this poem really makes a person consider what is truly in their heart and soul when making that decision.

The Invitation

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Check our her website here: http://www.oriahmountaindreamer.com/home.html

Fall Hike

2008-10-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air."

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Today was spent the best way I know how to spend a day--outdoors! And I can't even begin to describe how perfect today was for a brisk fall hike! Laurel and I hit I-90 early this morning and found our way to the Mt. Margaret trailhead. We both took lots of pictures--some amazing views of the surrounding mountains, a few lovely pictures of the leaves starting to change and a few more of the beautiful scenery.

Mt. Rainier decided to hide behind a cloud all day:
Check out those colors:
Our final destination, Lake Margaret:
Laurel and Lake Margaret:
Snow littered a few parts of the trail:
The cool ice crystal things that actually grow up from the ground:
Laurel and Jen:
Mt. Stuart in the distance:
I heart fall!

This was definitely a good hike--9 miles to be exact. We got to eat some amazing wild blueberries, had the first snowball fight of the season and just generally enjoyed Mother Nature's unmatched pristine beauty.

I've often said that I see God the most in the time I spent outdoors witnessing his magnificence and with that in mind, I found myself perfectly satisfied with how I spent my Sunday....

Palin as Tina Fey? Gimme a break!

2008-10-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

I just read an article that was talking about how the McCain campaign was going to counteract the amazing Tina Fey/Sarah Palin impersonation that has been rocking Saturday Night Live. The article mentions that Palin is planning on spoofing Tina Fey.

My reaction?

If Sarah Palin plans on 'spoofing' the incomparable Tina Fey it would actually be better. Tina Fey is an intelligent woman who speaks in coherent sentences that don't dodge the issues or sling mud at Barack Obama. Tina Fey uses the 'g' on the end of words that end in 'ing'. Tina Fey is amazing. Sarah Palin would be wise to spoof Tina Fey. And stay that way.

Funny Vlog

2008-09-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

So I've been known to waste quite a bit of time on youtube and I have to tell you, this election is not helping me at all. I was looking at some of the clips of Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric (can you say trainwreck?) and I happened to come across some videos with this girl doing a pretty funny impression of Palin as well. Don't get me wrong--she is no Tina Fey but she does a rather hilarious job of poking fun at Palin. Take a look:

The Phantom of the Opera

2008-09-20T21:28:00.001-07:00

Wednesday night I had the pleasure of taking in one my favorite stage performances at The Paramount: The Phantom of the Opera. I went with my co-worker Christa and we had great time.

I have a storied history with the Phantom. I was originally introduced to it when I was a 4th grader--my music teacher at the time was in love with it as well and shared that with our music class. So my appreciation for Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic started early. And continued until the accumulation of seeing it in London while studying abroad in the summer of 2005. I was fortunate enough to see it at Her Majesty's Royal Theatre right in London--the very theatre the original the play debut at. It was a pretty great experience.

Here is Brandi and I in London before the 2005 show:

The Seattle performance was quite good! As with the London performance, I did not particularly care for the gentlemen playing the Phantom. But I think I have pretty expectations seeing that I've been listening to the soundtrack since elementary school! But the man who played Raoul was fantastic! He had a great voice and really good staged presence. The woman who played Christine was pretty good! Overall, I really enjoyed this cast. The Paramount is such a great venue to begin with, adding my favorite performances only makes life better.

My next show at The Paramount will be Spring Awakening--critically acclaimed and winner of 8 Tony Awards.

Promotion!

2008-09-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

I quit my job as a project coordinator on April 25, 2008 with the intention of pursuing my Starbucks career full time. My hope was to become an assistant store manager.

Today is September 16, 2008 and as of last Friday I have obtained that goal. I am now the assistant store manager at Starbucks Store 3402--Lake City Way and 120th. And quite honestly, I could not be more happy.

While it is still very fresh and I'm not sure it's really hit me yet, I am so excited for this next step. By staying at the store I started at I am able to stay with my store manager, Erin, who has the capacity to teach me so many things. And I will be a sponge for her knowledge and experience. She has been instrumental in getting me to the place I am today and I'm so honored that she wanted to hold on to me as her ASM.

I took a big risk by quiting that other job, but my risk has paid off with huge rewards. I am working a job that I enjoy, for a company I love and with people I admire.

Simple as that.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Neill
Assistant Store Manager
Starbucks Coffee Company

Politics & SNL

2008-09-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

The minute I saw a picture of Sarah Palin, I thought to myself that it was a shame that Tina Fey was no longer a player on Saturday Night Live because I thought Fey would be able to do a spot on impression of Palin. Well, lo and behold, Lorne Michels and I think alike because the following is the opening sketch from the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. Amy Poehler helps add to the hilarity with her Hilary Clinton impression. (and sidenote: Poehler is totally pregnant!)

Take a look here.

Yearbook Pictures

2008-09-09T22:08:00.001-07:00

A huge thank you goes out to Gina G for sending me the link to this AMAZING website: yearbookyourself.com

Basically, you upload a picture of yourself (or your friends) and then they put your face on an actual yearbook picture of someone from a various time period. You can select any year from 1950 through 2000.

As you can see from below, I had WAY too much fun with this:

Here's me in 1962:

Lovely Kristina in 1978:
Stephanie in 1958:
And Annie in 1960:
And Whitney looking fantastic in 94:

My friends were lookers even back then!

New Bad Habit

2008-09-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry if you are a member of the group of people who I've been a jerk to lately.

And by jerk I mean either:
a) not returning your calls
b) not returning your emails
c) not responding to text messages
d) all of the above

I must insist that you believe me when I say it is not a conscious decision. I don't do it on purpose. I don't not want to talk/communicate/catch up with you. I have no excuse(s). I'm just a thoughtless, inconsiderate jerk. It's definitely a horrid habit that I have unconsciously developed over the past couple of months.

It has been brought to my attention and I assure you that I am trying very hard to abolish the habit via post it notes and reminders on both my cell phone and computer.

So, if you have been personally affected by Hurricane Jen the Inconsiderate, I do apologize! Please find it in your heart to forgive me.

All in Due Time...

2008-09-03T16:03:00.001-07:00

I definitely went to Denver like 3 full months ago, but I just recently got the pictures from the my disposable camera back today. And please do not judge the fact that I bought a disposable camera--I still use my digital (even if it's the Zach Morris cell phone of digital cameras) but we ran the Bolder Boulder and I thought it would be fun to have a camera during the run.

So, here are my pictures from Memorial Day Weekend with Steph and Brian in Denver:

And then I must share that I got a 'professional' photo taken of me during the race. Check it out here.

Dave @ the Gorge

2008-09-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

There are a few weekends I look forward to every year in Washington.

Bloomsday. Check.

Hoopfest. Check.

Dave at the Gorge. CHECK!

I just got back from beautiful George, Washington where I was fortunate enough to take in the final day of Dave Matthew's Band weekend at The Gorge. This was my 4th year seeing DMB and I have to admit, this was far and away my favorite one I've been to.

On the drive over, I always ask the people I am with what song they absolutely want to hear. And then, should that song be played during the concert, we all go crazy because that lucky individual got to hear 'their' song. Mine has been and always will be 'Seek Up'. It's an old song many have never heard. I've never heard it live and every year I cross my fingers they will play it.

This was my year.

Dave opened the show with this musical nugget! I almost fell down the hill I was so excited. I've sang that song at the top of my lungs in the shower, in my car, in my apartment, on the treadmill a million times, but NOTHING is better than singing it at the top of my lungs with Dave. At the Gorge. With a few of my favorites.

His set list also included a few other favorites. He played Warehouse AND All Along the Watchtower--back to back. He also played Rhyme and Reason #41 and Where Are You Going. It was amazing. And Tim Reynolds was there too, so the jam sessions were crazy good.

I will continue to be on my DMB High for the next month or so. Currently, the play count on 'Seek Up' on my itunes is 17. We'll see what it is in a month or so. Plan on triple digits.

Summer Mix

2008-08-29T21:41:00.001-07:00

I recently went through and organized my millons of cds and I noticed an interesting trend. I unknowingly have a burned cd for the past 5 summers! I literally have 5 separate cds all labeled Summer Mix XX--starting with '02 and ending with '07. I knew I was a creature of habit....

During my college years I loved making mixes. You could always tell who my friends who because their cds collections had at the very least 7 mixed cds by Jen Neill. Unfortunately, I've fallen out of practice. Thus, I unknowingly broke the Summer Mix trend. There is no Summer Mix 08! So I decided I would blog my Summer Mix 08. And let's be honest, I'll probably end up making it anyway!

So here it is, in no particular order, Summer Mix 08. Better late than never!

1. Pocketful of Sunshine
Natasha Bedingfield
2. I'm Yours (Acoustic Version)
Jason Mraz
3. Taking Chances
Celine Dion
4. Stronger
Kanye West
5. The Heart of the Matter
India.Arie
6. Her Eyes
Pat Monahan
7. Misery is Business (Acoustic Version)
Paramore
8. All America Girl
Carrie Underwood
9. Your Love
The Outfield
10. Seek Up
Dave Matthews Band
11. Alone
Celine Dion
12. Bleeding Love
Leona Lewis
13. The General
Dispatch
14. Lucky
Jason Mraz f/ Colbie Caillat
15. Save Roome
John Legend
16. Details in the Fabric
Jason Mraz f/ James Morrison

Michelle in 2010?

2008-08-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Gina G pointed me towards the following Today Show clip with Michelle Kwan. When Anne asks her about Vancouver in 2010, Michelle definitely does not shoot down the possibility! Michelle says she has been thinking about it and will continue to think about it!

Kwan + 2010 = gold?

Only time will tell! Check the vid out:

Parentals Visit!

2008-08-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

Greg and Sherry made their annual weekly visit to the Emerald City this past week. It is definitely something that I look forward all summer long! They come and literally take over my 697 square foot apartment and I sleep on the hide-a-bed in my living room. But I absolutely love having them here.

This visit was a bit different because my 9-year-old niece Michael came along for the adventure. And because of this pint size addition we did a few more touristy activities as this was little Michael's first trip to a big city. Which was great because I got to a few things I had never done either.

We did the Ride the Ducks tour. It was pretty fun even though I was a bit hesitant to do the whole hybrid-water-land-automobile thing- the way I see it is do one thing and do it well. But Michael really enjoyed it and I learned a few things about Seattle as well.

Once we returned to dry land, we hit up the icon of the city, the Space Needle:

We headed down to the waterfront to check out life at the Seattle Aquarium. It was my first time and it was pretty awesome. We got to catch the feeding of the resident octupus, Everett. And my favorite were the little otters. They were so cute!

The highlight of our little tour de Seattle was I finally got to the see the famed trolled that appeared in my favorite movie, 10 Things I Hate About You
They left this past Monday and my apartment seems so empty and quiet! As usual, we had a really fun time just hanging out. My mother deep cleaned my apartment and cooked some great meals.

There is only one thing that I hate about living in Seattle.
And that is that my parents don't live here.

Funny Article

2008-08-12T08:31:00.001-07:00

I found this article written by Mindy Kaling, the actress who plays Kelly Kapoor on The Office. She has some insight on the reality living alone and some of her descriptions hit pretty close to home.

Living Alone Is Hard

By Mindy Kaling

Here's a true story about me: I keep a plastic bottle of water near my bed at night so I can stay hydrated. Hydration is the key to great skin and being thin and lots of life's other happinesses, according to the many, many women's health magazines I subscribe to.

So, one night, I drank a big gulp of water from my water bottle, turned off the light, and went to sleep, very pleased with myself.

In the middle of the night, I heard a gunshot and immediately peed my pants. Well, to be accurate, I peed my pajamas. For those of you who haven't had the experience of peeing yourself, it's not just for children and the elderly. It can happen to anyone who is terrified and thinks that they will be murdered shortly.

Well, it wasn't a gunshot. It was an indentation in my plastic water bottle un-indenting itself, loudly. It made a loud, plastic-y crack,, which I mistook for a gunshot. When I realized this, I felt relief ... then a deep foolishness.

Living alone is hard.

Don't get me wrong, living alone can be wonderful. I listen to the same Jordin Sparks song on repeat and no one tells me how irritating that is. I don't have to wear deodorant. I can wear granny underpants, my hair can be stringy, and I can eat directly from containers. I have autonomy. I'm like a Lost Boy from Peter Pan.

Since I have to be in makeup at 6 a.m. every morning for work, having no one see me when I get home is an amazing freedom. Also, by not having a roommate, I avoid friendship-ending arguments about house messiness (to be accurate, about how I am largely responsible for the house messiness).

But since I'm a chatty, tactile person, it can also get incredibly lonely.

When my New York–based boyfriend, Ben, is in town, this solves a lot of loneliness problems. But not danger problems. Ben is great, but he looks like a thinner version of Beck (himself a pretty skinny dude), so he's not a huge insurance policy against prowlers. Since I moved into my house, I've had some massive fraidy-cat moments almost daily — people knocking on my door to welcome me to the neighborhood, children trying to sell me magazines or cookies or get me to sign something.

So I've had to become a little more brave. Mostly I pretend I'm Jodie Foster in Panic Room.

Or Jodie Foster in any movie. Jodie Foster is always single-handedly fending off baddies. I also learned two key self-defense moves, about which I'm not going to go into detail lest people learn my secrets (hint: One involves groin damage, the other, arm-socket damage). Last, I bought a deafening alarm for my key chain, which I've set off when riffling through my purse, and it scares the living crap out of me, so I'm confident it will work in a time of duress.

As frightening as it can be, I treasure my time alone. Why? I can be as self-interested as I please. I'm 29, and as I feel myself drifting toward marriage and kids, I'll look back on this time as a delicious, tiny window where I got to do whatever I wanted. Including, as it turns out, peeing my pajamas in terror.

Big Sky Country

2008-08-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

9 days seemed like a long time when i originally booked my flight home. in reality, those 9 days flew by so quickly! i worked at the starbucks in billings for 4 days--definitely a different experience than what i've been used to. not bad, just different. then the neill's loaded up the truck and headed west into the beartooths for a little camping action. the place were ended up was a new place for us--we had never been to this side of the beartooths. we are red lodge campers, but due to a large forest fire that is literally taking over the red lodge side, we thought we had better find an alternative camping location. the one we found ended up being absolutely fantastic. we were situated in this great canyon with nothing but mountains around us. the 360 degree blanket of mountains is such a comfort to me. my dad and i spent the first night at camp gazing up at the stars. it has been a long while since i had seen the stars that pronounced, that alive. we could even see the outline of the milky way. it was pretty incredible. on day two, we found a trailhead and took a switch back trail up to woodbine falls--a gorgeous display of the natural cycle of the annual snow melt. i unfortunately did not have my camera on me, so i was forced to make a mental memory of the falls. my brother sean drove down from bozeman to join us--it was really good to see my big brother.

Here is me standing near the river that ran right by our site:

And my niece admiring the view as well:

additionally, by pure chance, my friend whitney happened to be in town from boston as well. we were able to hit up our usual spot, mackenzie river pizza co, for a catch up session. (btw, mrpc sold out to the corporate level. a huge disappointment). it's always so wonderful to see whitney. i keep in good contact with 2 people from high school and she is one of those constants. and i appreciate her friendship more than i think she'll ever know.

other than that, most of the time was spent hanging out with my amazing parents, my niece michael and my g'parents. nothing is better than sitting on my parents' porch on a lazy montana evening, watching the stars come out and enjoying the big sky country.

Brief Hiatus

2008-07-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been MIA in the blogging world....I've been in Billings for the past 5 days, so I've been pretty busy enjoying the comforts of home.

But I do have a lot to blog about and it will come in due time. Here is a bit of preview:

You definitely know you're in Montana when:

1. There is a raffle at your local bank. for a rifle.
2. As you're driving down one of the busiest streets in town, a 4-wheeler pulls out with a man in khakis and a collar shirt on his way to work.
3. Going out on the town simply requires your 'nice' cowboy hat.

There's more where that came from...trust me!

Miss Organized...

2008-07-22T19:25:00.001-07:00

The last week or so I've been given a FANTASTIC project at work! Quite possibly the best project anyone could ever give me.

Erin has invited me to organize the entire store. Yep. Organize the ENTIRE STORE.

The first couple of days I kind of just sat in the back rooms and stared at the daunting task ahead of me. Sure, you can organize your file folders, your sock drawers, even your pictures. But the key to this little undertaking is that it must be a system that is easily implemented and flawlessly maintained. We received new product 4 times a week! That is a large quantity of product going on the shelves and so much flying off the shelves.

So far it's been alot of fun rearranging things, moving the racks, getting feedback from the partners and seeing my progress. I'm nowhere near being complete. Once I get the big things settled, I have my eyes set on organizing the 'floor'--the area where the baristas work hard to make your fantastic lattes, frappuccinos, mochas and teas. My aim there is to make their work easier, less cluttered and aesthetically appealing.

Erin even gave me a title for this adventure: Inventory Management Specialist.

She knows me pretty well, eh?

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

2008-07-20T20:43:00.001-07:00

I spent the afternoon on Sunday watching America's great past time, baseball! Jen works for Boeing and was able to get some pretty sweet tickets for us, so we loaded up Bus 17 and took it down to Safeco for a day at the ballpark!

While our hometown Mariner's weren't able to seal the deal with a win, we did see a pretty good baseball game. And sip on some lemonade and eat some ball park food!

It's been a new experience living in a city that has multiple professional sports teams. Being from Montana, professional sports were something we always watched on tv. I must admit, I think that I've done a pretty good job of soaking up the pro sports Seattle has to offer in the year and a half I've lived here. I've been to multiple Mariner's games, a few Storm games and I was lucky enough to catch a Seahawks game last season as well. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to a Sonics game.

Here a few pictures from our day at the ballpark....

Annie, Jessica & Jen:

Jen, Annie & Jessica:
We were clearly unable to get a full group shot!
And one of the infamous "Annie use your long arms and take a picture of us both" pictures:

Cougar Mountain!

2008-07-11T23:50:00.000-07:00

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: nothing beats Seattle on a gorgeous sunny day. And nothing beats a gorgeous sunny Seattle day then spending it with one of your favorites. I got the best of both worlds this afternoon! Jodie and I packed up Lily and headed a wee bit east to check out Cougar Mountain. It was the first time either of us had ever been there but we wanted to soak up the beautiful afternoon with a quick hike. It was a perfect day and Cougar Mountain was a good place for a quick jaunt up a trail. Lily came along to pull us down the trail.

It wasn't a fancy hike. It wasn't a hard hike. It was just a hike with a great friend on a nice day with a cute dog. And then we ate sushi. Here are some pictures:

Lily and Jodie:
Canyon Creek Falls (but it was more of a trickle):
Jodie and Lily traversing the bridge:

Kayaking!

2008-07-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon I met up with some friends from mbi and we took the waves of Lake Union via kayaks. Let me just come right out and say it: it was absolutely fantastic.

It was great to see the gals from mbi. I've really missed seeing them since I left and I admittedly haven't done a very good job of staying in contact with them, so it was so wonderful to meet up and just hang out again.

And kayaking is easily my favorite activity. I seriously do not do it enough. Every time I get that little boat on the water, a huge grin takes over my face and I just feel like I could row to the end of the world in it!

Additionally, it just makes me love this city so much when I get to see it from Lake Union. I think I repeatedly shouted above the sound of the waves, the sailboats passing and speed boats zipping by that 'this is living'! It really is!

Needless to say, being on the water on Sunday and the company that joined me, I was one happy kayaker! Here are some pictures from the day on the lake:

Mairead and Emily gearing up:

My tandem boat partner, Kristin:

Mairead conquering the lake:
Emily & Kristin:

Hoopfest!

2008-06-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about one of my favorite weekends of the year: Spokane Hoopfest weekend.

This past weekend was my third year as a Court Monitor at the world's largest 3 on 3 basketball tournament. As per usual, it was a good time! This year I was placed on the youth female court and that consisted of 5th and 6th graders. In past years, I didn't have to worry about calling fouls--the players were responsible for that part, I was just there to keep things organized, call out of bounds, make sure the rules are followed, etc. Not this year. I had to actually call fouls! I have to admit, I was less than excited to have to actually ref the games. I was worried I would be horrible. I was worried players would yell at me. I was scared the parents would be unforgiving and ridiculous.

Boy was I wrong on all levels. It ended up being such a great experience doing the young girl's games. Sure I had a few issues with people but nothing major. I had several parents and coaches tell me that I did a great job, that I was consistent and they couldn't have asked for a better court monitor! YAY!

And I course finally got my much needed sunshine (arguably too much--you should see my face) and it was so great to be back in my ol' stomping grounds. I got to see some people that I miss dearly and being in Spokane just makes my heart happy!

Another successful Hoopfest under my belt! I wonder how many more I'll do before I become a Court Marshall.....

Storm Game!

2008-06-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

On Monday night I went with my rec league basketball team to the Seattle Storm game against the Connecticut Sun. It's no secret that I love basketball and I've wanted to see the Storm play for quite some time. They have 2 of my absolute favorite basketball players on their roster: Sue Bird and Sheryl Swoopes. I've been a fan of Swoopes since she was a Red Raider at Texas Tech, so getting to finally see her play on Monday night was pretty awesome. And Sue Bird. She is everything that a point guard should be. She is fun to watch.

Here is a few of us cheering the Storm on (and I even made it on the jumbotron):
Sue Bird doing what she does best--rocking at basketball:
I don't have a picture of Sheryl Swoopes, but because I try to be like her, I'll use a picture of myself:

photos courtesy our team captain's boyfriend, Andrew Abella

The Spitz

2008-06-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

I was going through some notes of mine I have from college and I came across a napkin that I had scribbled on during one of Father Spitzer's many thought provoking homilies. He said something that really struck me then and struck me again today.

Gotta love the Spitzer:

You don't have to run around proving you're lovable. God is your safety and your home. You are well embraced. It's important to remember that we have intrinsic dignity from God. And always will.

india.arie = awesomeness

2008-06-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've listened to my india.arie cds, but she has a song on the Sex and the City Soundtrack, so I was conveniently reminded of my love for her music!

I own 2 of her albums and I find some of her lyrics to be simply amazing and inspiring. She is truly a gifted artist and you can feel her passion for music and life in every single one of her songs.

The song that is on the Sex and the City soundtrack is a remake, but a darn good remake. Check it out below. And if you like this song please let me know and I'd be happy to share some more of india.arie with you!

Check it out here:

Twenty-Five

2008-06-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

Today is my 25th birthday. Whoa. I've been on this earth for a quarter of a century.

I've been actually dreading this birthday for quite some time--for two reasons. One being that I'venever been a big fan of my birthday. I can't really say why, but I just don't like a big deal to be made out of my birthday. Other people's birthday I quite enjoy, but when it comes to my own, I'd rather just skip over it.

The other reason is far more complicated. I'm letting myself be vulnerable with this information, so I hope I express it succinctly enough.

25 years is a milestone. How many times do you hear about a couple's 25th Wedding Anniversary or a company celebrating 25 years with some sort of celebration. It's a nice number, divisible by 5 and recognized in our currency as a quarter. Thus, turning 25 years old is kind of major mile marker along the road of life. But there is a huge road block as I approach this mile marker. As I turned 25, I feel that I have nothing to show for it. I haven't done anything fantastic in my 'professional life'. While most of my friends are settling down and getting married, I'm the forever single girl, scared to death at the prospect of spending the rest of my life alone. It's not that I have some unrealistic vision of what I thought my life would be when I was 25--it was/is pretty basic: good job, a close knit circle of friends and maybe someone special to share life with. I've never even had my heart broken. Seems pretty silly to want to have your heart broken, I know, but a broken heart is a sign of something good--it means you were loved and loved someone. Means you tried for something. At 25, the only thing I've ever broken is my collarbone.

I just feel like in the pond of life, I'm splashing like hell to keep my head above water, but most days its the most difficult thing to do. I just feel so lost. I'm living in a city that has more people in it than I've ever lived near and at times I can't help feeling more alone than ever.

In general, I'm fine. I just have days, my 'Debbie Downer Days' when all these thoughts swarm my head. I know...I know...Pity Party of 1, right?

Happy Birthday to me.

Rough Week...

2008-06-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

I just rolled my ankle in the first 3 minutes of my basketball game tonight. And I mean rolled it real good. This is no tweak or sprain--this is a full fledge golf ball sized swell on the side of my ankle, hurts to walk, I cried a little roll job.

The hits just keep on coming.......

Pain In The....

2008-06-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

This morning I was putting my hair up in a ponytail,getting ready for my Saturday opening shift, and I heard a POP! in my neck. I got light headed and felt nauseous. And then couldn't move my head to the left.

Which was perfectly convenient considering I had an entire Saturday at Starbucks to worry about. And then a partner didn't show up. And then a new supervisor was training. And we were crazy busy. My team needed me to be 100% today and because of this stupid freak thing I was about 85%. It is surprisingly difficult to rock the bar with a 33 degree neck turning radius to one side. All I wanted to do is curl up with a heating pad and cry because it hurts so bad.

It's still extraordinarily sore and painful. Ibuprofen, my heating pad, a long hot shower and some 90210 have made it a little better. I work again tomorrow and I hope that I can at least be comfortable enough to run my shift.

Okay...I'm done whining.....

Sex and the City Movie!

2008-05-31T23:50:00.000-07:00

I just got back from seeing the Sex and the City movie (finally!). I've been literally waiting for this movie to come out since I first caught wind of it MONTHS ago. And I'll be the first to say it was worth the wait...

Annie and I went together because, frankly, Sex and the City has always been a huge part of our friendship. It served as our reward for long stretches of studying, the key to a lazy Sunday or the cornerstone of a Girls Night In.

I feel as thought I can't say much because I don't want to spoil it for the few readers of my blog who have yet to see the movie, but it was truly fantastic. I get nervous when something like Sex and the City--something that has become a cult hit, a pop icon, an integral part of everyday vernacular--is taken to the big screen. The series finale tied up all the lose ends and I felt that it was ended particularly well. That being said, I felt that they could spoil that contentment I felt at the end of season 6. But bravo to Michael Patrick King and Co! Ends were untied, no doubt, but tied up tightly again. My heart was broken momentarily, but quickly put back together. And most importantly for me, the little things that made me love the show were there. Miranda's cynical outlook, Charlotte's undying optimism, Samantha's curt humor and Carrie's play on words. All there. And then some.

I love this show. And now I love the movie. The themes of love, honesty and true friendship runs much, much deeper than the sexual innuendos and outlandish tales of the womens' love escapades, making it SO much more than just Sex and the City.

Mile High Vacation!

2008-05-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

This past Memorial Day Weekend I had the pleasure of hoping a plan to the Mile High City to visit my dear friend, Steph. I was super excited to visit Denver for a variety of different reasons:

I missed Steph. Duh.
I hadn’t been to Denver since I was a freshman in high school
I really needed to get away from Seattle

The weekend was absolutely fantastic. Not only did I get to hang out with Steph for nearly 4 days, but I got to meet all the boys in her life—Brian (the boyfriend), Brodie and Solo (the dogs).

Friday night I got in around 7:00, so we hoped the Light Rail for some dinner downtown (sushi!) and then hit up a few of the bars in downtown Denver.

Saturday we headed over to Littleton to see Steph’s folks and then off to the Castle Rock outlet malls! Steph and I shopped until we dropped. I got some great summer clothes and only 1 new pair of shoes (that’s pretty good for me)

Sunday I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the other man in Steph’s life, her 2-year nephew Lucas. I’m not even kidding when I say this is probably one of the most adorable little boys I have ever seen! He entertained us all at breakfast. Then we headed to Coors Field to watch the Rockies take on the New York Mets. We were perched high above the field in “The Rockpile”. The sun was out and so were the Rockies! I got a little sunburned and the Rockies got the win.

The view from The Rockpile!

Steph and Jen: front and centerfield.

Brian and Steph!

All 3 of the bleacher creatures.

Monday began bright and early as Brian, Steph and I hit the road to Boulder to partake in the 30^th Annual Bolder Boulder, a 10K road race through the streets of Boulder. We had to race to the starting line in order to start with our specified group. I have to admit, Jen totally wussed out. I have my 3 excuses as to my lackadaisical performance:

Altitude. I went from sea level to about 5000 feet above sea level. The mountain air was a shocker to this girl’s lungs
I didn’t tie my right shoe tight enough at the beginning so my ankle hurt, then I tied it too tight during the race, making it hurt even more
And finally, I’m a wee bit out of shape.

I walked a little ways into it because I thought my chest was going to explode, but then I sucked it up and jogged the rest of the way, finishing the 6.2 miles in 1 hour and 13 minutes. (Which, btw, is right around my best time for Bloomsday. A 7.46 mile race. Pathetic.) Apart from my lack of performance, it was a really fun race! It was great to see all of Boulder. I apologize but I do not have pictures of the race yet. We got a disposable camera and I still have a few pictures left before I can develop them. But I will share them when they become available.

And then it was time for me to head back to Seattle. Sadly. I really liked Denver—like I could totally see myself living there. Denver is a lot like Seattle in many ways. They would be like cousins or something. Maybe Step-sisters. Steph and Brian showed me a good time and it was hard coming back to Seattle.

Here are a few other pictures from the weekend:

Post game refreshments. The Coors Light represents me being in the middle of Coors Light Country.
Breaker One-Nine. Breaker One-Nine. Brian rolling in the big rig at EspnZone.
We had our own sweet rides too!
This is, by far, the best Starbucks sign I have ever seen!
The Rock Bottom Brewery Sampler that turned into a race.

Personal Sabotage

2008-05-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I continue to sabotage myself. More often than not, when I have something great going, an opportunity to grasp, I find myself doing something to blow my chances, to cripple my chances. Most of my missed opportunities are handcrafted by yours truly. Of the things that I have let slip from my grasp, it is solely myself that let go of the rope.

There is a line in my favorite movie where Kevin Bacon asks Alex Baldwin "Do you think I'll be happy?", to which Alec Baldwin replies smugly "Yeah...you just won't know it". I have this sinking feeling in my stomach that I have this adverse reaction to letting myself just be happy. I can't help but get nervous when things are going good because it just means that there is something coming around the corner to knock me back down to reality.

Apparently, my favorite hobby is building a case against myself, lighting the fire to burn the bridges and pushing myself off cliffs. At least I finally found something I'm good at......

A Shout Out to the Magic City

2008-05-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

some people get their news from The Seattle Times, the New York Times, CNN, Fox or a host of other media outlets. As for me, I choose msn.com. It has everything on one page that takes newspapers pages upon pages to report.

As I was 'catching up' on my current events today, I clicked on an article entitled "The 100 Best Places to Raise a Family". And to my surprise, and I do mean surprise, good ol' Billings, Montana was on the list. And not deep in the list---try #3. Check it out here: http://men.msn.com/articlebl.aspx?cp-documentid=7560549&GT1=32001

I'm proud of Montana roots, no doubt. And now I gotta give props to good ol' B-Town!

2008-05-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

i am absolutely in love with what i do for a living. and who i get to do it with.

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.

2008-05-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

I just purchased Jason Mraz's junior album entitled "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things." This is a big deal for me because I very rarely buy cds, but I can proudly say that I have purchased all 3 of his studio albums.

Anyway, I have to say, this is far better than his last cd "Mr. AZ." He wrote all the music and lyrics on the cd, which I love because he is know for having complex lyrics that are both witty and hard to lip synch to! He even paired up with 2 of my favorite artists--Colbie Caillat and James Morrison. The Colbie Caillat collaboration produced the song "Lucky", which I totally loved. Here it is:

And the duo with James Morrison is equally as delicious, it's called "Details in the Fabric". It's a slower paced, but I love both Jason and James' voices, so I think they sound so good together! And I can't help but love love the guitar in this song. So good.

The first track "Make it Mine" could possibly be my new favorite song. As with "The Dynamo of Volition"--this is the song that truly illustrates his tongue twisting lyrics. It has a great beat too.

The only gripe I have about the album is the version of "I'm Yours" he opted to put on there. I've been listening to "I'm Yours" since sometime last summer so I was pretty excited for it to be released on an album, but the version(s) I have are way better than the one on the album. The ones I have are live versions and I have to admit, Jason really shines live so that is probably why I prefer the live version over the studio recording!

Overall, definitely worth the wait for the cd to come out! Let me know if you want to borrow it! If I could see him in concert this year my life would be complete!

Bloomies Unite!

2008-05-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was the annual running of the Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane, Washington and made the trip to the east side to partake in my 4th Bloomsday. My friend Brandi drove up from Portland and then we headed to the 509 on Saturday afternoon.

Bloomsday is a 7.46 mile road race that literally takes over the streets of Spokane. This year saw 42,697 'Bloomies' take their turn on the course. Bloomsday is such a fun event--there is live entertainment along the entire course, tons of people cheering you on from the sidelines.

I have to be honest--I did not train for this year's Bloomsday as I have in the past. I basically was hoping that my adrenaline would propel me to run the majority of the course. Lucky for me, my adrenaline showed up. I did walk a little--I would venture that I ran 6 out of the 7.46 miles. My finish time was not my best, but I was happy to cross the finish and get my t-shirt. And for the record, I did run up the entirety of Doomsday Hill.

Here are my stats:
Finish Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes
Finishing Place: 13, 817 out of 42,697
198th out of 505 in the category of 24-year old females.

You can see me cross the finish line here: (I'm wearing a blue shirt with red shorts)

Apart from the race, the trip to Spokane was really quite nice. I got to see a few of my favs, eat at a couple of my favorite restaurants (I miss Ultimate Bagel more than Kwan misses the gold). And after the race I got to walk through campus a little bit. There is just something so special about campus to me and I'm glad I got the opportunity to walk through it on my quick little trip.

Can't wait for next year's Bloomsday!

Big Day

2008-04-28T19:00:00.001-07:00

Today is the Tomorrow You Worried About Yesterday
And All is Well.

     Today was, literally, the first day of the rest of my life. I officially started my full time Starbucks career today. Which to be quite honest, hasn't really sunk in yet.
     My day started bright and early at 3:30am. I had to be at work at 4:15am. The great thing about opening is that it goes by so quickly. Sometimes too quickly! My shift today was kind of rocky in the sense that I never really got a handle on it. It was surprisingly busy! But I think I just need this week to get acclimated to my new routine and the things that happen on a day to day basis in the store.
     After work I slipped into my *new* running shoes and thanks to some beautiful weather, I hit the trail around Green Lake. Green Lake is easily one of my favorite places in this city. The wind greeted me as I ran around the lake as I have done dozens of other times. But today was different--for the first time in a really long time I am genuinely happy. It's as if a huge burden as been lifted off my shoulders. I knew that each of my steps pounding the pavement were marking out my future, allowing me to finally take control. And then I cried; tears of joy. relief. I continued to run. I ran until every muscle in body was screaming for oxygen. As I stopped at the shore, gazing over Green Lake, I felt renewed. Refreshed. Recharged.

The best really is yet to come.

A Page Is Turned

2008-04-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my final day at mbi.

And now I sit with Gilda Radner's quote "Delicious Ambiguity" ringing in my head. It's amazing to me the amount of emotions that are running through my mind right now. On one hand, I'm so excited to have the opportunity to dive into Starbucks 103%. On the other hand, I am absolutely terrified. I've learned to live quite nicely on my 2 paychecks for the past year. And now I'm down to one. And there are no guarantees. Not that I want a guarantee--guarantees are for people who don't want to work for what they get. I'm ready to work. I'm ready to earn it. I'm ready to prove it. I guess I'll chalk it up to a calculated risk. And then I'm back at excitement because I think about all the time that I'm going to have when I get off at 12:45p. Running. Hiking. Kayaking.Soaking up the sun. Doing my laundry in one day. Enjoying time with friends. Etc. Etc. Etc. This summer is going to be full of so many adventures!

My last day at mbi was very nice. I felt sort of embarrassed at all the attention I received. From the minute I walked in to find that my desk had been toilet papered, I knew that Friday was going to full of surprises. And it was. My Account Manager, Elton brought cupcakes from Cupcake Royale. Michele and Krista had a bagel party for me, Elton bought pizza for lunch, Michele got me flowers, and then we all went out after work for dinner/drinks and a movie. I was never in love with my job. That much I know. I found the difficulty in leaving was leaving the people that I shared so much of my time with for the past year. And Friday further proved that point.

And so now I find myself ready to embark on my next journey. My time at mbi was not wasted--I learned alot about myself, what it takes to work with lots of different people, and most importantly I learned that not only can I do something that I love, but that I NEED to do something I love. Getting out of bed for a job that neither excites you or fulfills you is not worth it. And I had the opportunity to meet some great people--including a friendship that I know will extend beyond Aeron chairs and ped files.

Some Stories Don't Have A Clear Beginning, Middle, and End.
Life is About Not Knowing, Having to Change, Taking the Moment and Making the Best of it,
Without Knowing What's Going To Happen Next.
Delicious Ambiguity.........

New Perspective

2008-04-20T21:59:00.001-07:00

I turned a corner today. Gained a much needed new perspective about one of the most important friendships I have ever had.

I just decided that I refuse, absolutely, stubbornly, adamantly, without a doubt, completely refuse to let this friendship dissolve. I refuse to repeat the past. I refuse to sit back and do nothing and let one of my closest friends dissipate into a distant memory.

For some reason I couldn't stop thinking about the Rachel and Mary Debacle of freshman year this weekend. This 'thing' has a tendency to sneak up on me without warning and just latch into my subconscious. And then it'll disappear for a couple months or so, only to resurface at a random, completely undetermined time. But this weekend, I wrestled with the situation with Rachel--what I did, what I didn't do. And at the end of it, I have to suck it up and admit that I just didn't fight hard enough. I hate to have regrets because they are completely pointless and counter productive, but the dissolution of Rachel and I's friendship is on the top of my list. But what is done is done, the only thing I can do about the situation now is to not let it happen again.

I went through my stages--anger, bitterness, stubbornness. And I end at perspective. My friendship with Annie is not a disposable plastic fork. It is made of the truest stuff--faith, understanding, respect, laughter, bagels, burned cds and so many other things. And I refuse to give that up. Ever.

One True Thing

2008-04-17T23:45:00.000-07:00

The thing that really makes me love a musician is their ability to perform their songs live. I absolutely love live music. Here a few of my favorites(mind you, the list could go on and on):

Colbie Caillat:
This is one of my favorite songs off her album. And I have to add that this video is dated February 2007. So she was a big deal before she was big deal.

Jason Mraz
He is far and away one of my favorite artist. He is quirky, extraordinarily witty and just phenomenal live. This is one his best songs. The quality of the video is kind of sketch, but it proves by point as to how good he is:

Dave Matthews Band
Absolutely love them. Favorite Band. Favorite Band Live. Favorite Song Live.

Kelly Clarkson
Would not be complete without the amazing woman that is Kelly Clarkson. This song was a hidden track on her cd and it was a treasure to find! It's called "Chivas" and rocks almost as much as she does. (Right, Melissa?) Again, video not the best, but KC is.

Jump!

2008-04-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

I quit my job on Monday!

I had made the decision to do it about 1 week or so ago, but I hadn't actually put the ball in motion because I hadn't told my boss yet. So Monday afternoon I mustered my courage and broke the news to my boss. She took it really well--made me feel good about the time I spent at mbi.

It's like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders! I feel so good knowing that I am taking positive steps towards doing something that I love. April 25th is my last day at mbi and I'll start full time at 'bucks on the 28th. I am super excited to be able to dedicate 100% of my energy to my store instead of the random nights and weekends I've been doing. My store manager is stoked, my assistants are happy and I'm estatic! I'm going to be learning to much in the next couple of months--from how to run a business, build relationships, navigating a new schedule and finding out exactly what I'm made of!

To start off, it won't be glamorous. I'll still be just a shift supervisor slinging coffee 40 hours a week, but I know that with my hard work and dedication my efforts will pay off.

El Salvador Pacamara

2008-04-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today was an all around fantastic day. I had the rare opportunity to attend a coffee tasting at the Starbucks Senior Support Center (SSC). And that was the second best part of the day.

One our regulars at our store is a man named Major. Now Major is kind of a major deal. He is the Senior Coffee and Tea Educator at Starbucks. When I first started working at my store, I knew that Major was a partner down at the SSC, but I had no idea he was as big a deal as he is. Regardless he invited myself, my Assistant Store Manager and Store Manager to the coffee tasting as well as arranging an highly educational learning opportunity before the tasting. He hooked us up with Brad and Brian who are the main roasters for Starbucks Coffee Company. These two fine gentlemen walked us through the process of taking a green coffee bean to the dark, glossy coffee bean that we all know and love. The coffee was roasted right in front of us! We heard the first pop--when the coffee bean literally bursts open like popcorn. We witnessed the second pop--which sounds like rain. It was incredible! Here is a chart that shows how the progression from green coffee to coffee beans, a process that only takes 11-15 minutes:
During the roasting process, as the 6 of us are huddled around the roaster, Dub Hay--the Senior Vice President of Coffee at Starbucks--came over to check in with us, shake our hands, ask us what store we worked at and such. My favorite part was pulling the hot beans from the hopper, watching the 20 pounds that were roasted JUST for us go through the cooling process and become ready to put in bags. We scooped the coffee into the bags ourselves. This is the freshest coffee one could possibly get. The only way to get fresher coffee is to go to El Salvador, pick the cherries and roast them on the spot. The name of 'our' coffee is El Salvador Pacamara. I have to wait for it to de-gas, but come Thursday I cannot wait to brew it! Here is a picture of the roaster used for our coffee:

As if that wasn't enough, we still had the coffee tasting to look forward to. Starting next week, Starbucks is introducing a brand new coffee to our brewed coffee lineup---Pike Place Roast. Today was the first time the partners at the SSC had the opportunity to try this transformational coffee. They had a little presentation, including a speech by Howard Schultz. This my first chance to see him in person and I have to admit, it was pretty exciting for me! The Pike Place Roast is incredible--it is so totally different from any coffee that I have tasted. After the tasting I got the opportunity to just hang out at the SSC for awhile and talk with different partners.

And it couldn't have come at a better time. I've officially made the decision to leave my other job and take on Starbucks full time, starting May 1st. I've finally found something that I am passionate about and that gets me out of bed at 3:30 in the morning.

I'm so excited.

I'm so terrified.

But as Howard Schultz tells us...ONWARD!

Must See Movie

2008-03-31T23:49:00.000-07:00

I said I would do a Book of the Moment. This could technically
fall under this category, because it was a book before it was a movie.

This weekend I netflixed Atonement. I'm real glad I did. This is one
of the better movies I've seen in a LONG time. It was very different
from most movies--the story is told in a very unconventional way. The
story unfolds in a series of flashbacks, flash forwards and coulda,
shoulda, woulda's. Keira Knightley is fantastic in this movie, as is
the man that plays opposite her, James McAvoy.

The plot is simple: it's about a lie told by a 13 year old and how that lie changes the lives of her sister, a boy named Robbie and consequently, hers as well.

It's turns out to be a heartbreaking story, and it is beautifully told
and superbly acted.

I am not one to quickly label a movie as a favorite, but this sits
up there with The Shashank Redemption as one of my favorite movies.

Going Through the Motions

2008-03-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

I've found the past two weeks to be excruciating! It's been increasingly difficult to get out of bed in the morning and go to a job that I no longer enjoy, knowing that my heart and my future are somewhere else. I'm stuck in this 'hurry and wait' stage and it's killing me! Sometimes, I think I'm like Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: 'Daddy I want a golden goose and I want it NOW!' I must remind myself that patience is a virtue. It's also bitter, but its fruit sweet.

I found a good quote in my book this weekend and it is now plastered around to remind myself:

Never think that God's delays are God's denials.
Hold on;
Hold fast;
Hold out.
Patience is genius.

And next Tuesday could very well be one of the greatest moments of my career and possibly my life.

Cafe for this Americano

2008-03-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

Last night as I stood at the end of the counter, I took a minute to pause and look out at the lobby of Starbucks Store 3402. It was 8:45 pm and our lobby was packed. At one table I saw 3 college students with their papers sprawled out, flashcards dispersed, books open and highlighters in full gear as they frantically tried to prepare for their impending final. Sitting near the window were 2 older gentleman, who were engaged in a conversation while they both were looking at newspapers. A larger group had pushed together 3 tables to form a circle. Each person sitting in the circle was holding a book and listening attentively to the person speaking. I noticed another table that had 3 girls laughing and giggling while looking at some pictures they had just printed.

As I stood there, soaking in all the different scenarios that were being played out in my store, I couldn't help but smile. Each of these people in the lobby were there for a purpose--to study, to catch up with an old friend, to discuss politics, or to hold a book club. All very different people. All very different reasons. The only common denominator in this entire scene was coffee.

I love coffee for what it extracts from a person. In the students' case, the tall mocha extracts concentration and hard work. For the 2 gentlemen discussing the paper, coffee extracts debate, challenged points of view and a feeling of vulnerability when talking about what you believe in. The book club that gathers over coffee to discuss character flaws and plot twists extracts from one another a sense of belonging, a thirst for knowledge and the contentment of finishing a novel. And the girls looking over their pictures, coffee is there to accompany them down memory lane and to strengthen their bond of friendship.

As I see so many people of all different places and stations in life come through the doors of my store, I can't help but wonder if coffee is the one thing that truly ties us all together.

You may think I am crazy for putting so much thought into a simple coffee bean, but sometimes the simplest things can define the most complicated things of all.

I Heart Amy Poehler!

2008-03-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

Please check out this SNL skit, poking fun at Project Runway. I absolutely love Amy Poehler and this furthers proves her comedic genius. Enjoy!

A Decision Has Been Made

2008-03-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

I believe strongly in 'Cost-Benefit Analysis'. I've decided many things using this technique.
When Jen is faced with a tough decision she gets out a pad of paper, 3 sharpened pencils and lets the process begin. And then I let it simmer for a couple of days--adding and subtracting things from the list as they come. For me, it's more realistic when I have it on paper, in black and white, right in front of me.

Anyway, for the past couple of months I've really been struggling with what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I've wrestled with so many ideas and dabbled in a few others. There have definitely been some moments when I feel as though, for the first time in my life, I have nothing to pour my hear into. In high school, it was sports and school. In college, it was school and the clubs I was in. Now, it's....it's....it's....NOTHING. I feel like a robot. I feel like a girl on auto pilot. I have coasted through this year, spending so much time doing nothing.

Until now.

On Saturday I sat down with my Store Manager and had an open and honest conversation about my future, my goals and what I want to be doing in the next 5 years. I've decided that I am currently on a path that may lead me where I want to go. But then again, it may not. So, in order to get on the path that will help get to my desired destination, I'm changing courses. I don't know when it's all going to go down, but the ball has begun to roll.

A strong 'benefit' in my Cost/Benefit Analysis is something my store manager once said to me:

I'm absolutely in love with what I do for a living.

I want to feel that way. And right now, I'm just living to work. My supposed 'work-life balance' is a figment of my imagination and most days, I have to drag myself out of bed. I'm done with that. I'm ready to move on.

Sometimes you just gotta leap and the net will appear. I'm ready to leap.

Rip:Torn

2008-03-06T23:04:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I just feel torn. Torn between the two separate worlds that I currently inhabit. The toughest part is I feel that I selfishly cast myself into these two separate, distinct worlds.

On one hand, I have my life out here in Seattle. Something that I've honestly thought about and worked towards since I first visited this city when I was a fifth grader. It's so great to be able to live in a place that continues to impress it's beauty upon you on a daily basis. I'm discovering new places, new hobbies, new ways to throw paint on my canvas of life. And unfortunately, I don't think that I'd be able to do this back home in Montana. So I feel that by choosing to live in Seattle and not Billings, I'm essentially choosing myself over my family.

On the other hand, I could very well be living back in Billings. I would be close to my entire family, specifically my parents. One of the greatest difficulties of living so far from home is being apart from them. But by choosing to be close to them, I forfeit my ability to be in a place that I love, working with a company that I respect and admire and generally enjoying the cultural things that come along with living in metropolitan area. But overall, not being 100% happy living in that place. I couldn't wait to graduate and get out of there, so I can't imagine what it would be like to go back now.

It's a lose/lose situation and I'm constantly torn about it. Who am I to venture to a city where I know very few people, to try and turn my given 'country mouse' upbringing into a 'city mouse' life?

But then again, who am I not to?

It's a vicious cycle!

Book of the Moment

2008-03-03T17:33:00.000-08:00

For anyone the knows me, they know that I've never been on the cutting edge of fashion. I'm far from fashion forward and my sense of style is pretty bad. I don't know what's in this season or what is out from last season.

So, in an effort to overcompensate for my inability to know the fashion of the moment, I will blog about 'my book of the moment'. It will simply be the book that I either currently devouring or one that I recently read.

The first official 'Book of the Moment' will be:

Anna Quindlen's One True Thing

I would first like to point out how much I love Anna Quindlen. She is the author of one of my favorite books, Rise and Shine. She is such an insightful writer, she makes the reader really connect with the characters in her novels.

That being said, One True Thing is about a girl my age who had recently graduated from Harvard and had just moved to New York City with nothing but the sky as her limit. Until her mother is diagnosed with cancer and has to quit her job, break up with her boyfriend and move back to the little town she grew up in. In the course of caring for her mother, Ellen learns so much about the mother she once took for granted and the father who she used to worship.

It's a book that really focuses on the special relationship that girls have with their mothers and how important our mothers are to our everyday life. It's a real quick read and thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommend it to anyone that has ever had a mother. :)

Saturdays Are Lovely!

2008-03-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

I actually had a day off today. And while, clearly, this is a great thing, it’s also a horrible thing! I could definitely get used to not having to work on Saturdays!

This magicial non-working Saturday began with one of my absolute favorite Seattle activites—Green Lake. I picked up Jodie around mid-morning and we met Emily at the ‘rental shack’. From there it was giggles and good times as we walked the path around the lake. It was on the cooler side, but comfortable. We admired dogs and cute boys, talked about our weeks, our worries and our friends. All in the span of 2.78 miles. I could definitely get used to that!

From there, I didn’t have any plans. No place to be. No schedule to keep.

Jodie invited me out to her classroom and I happily obliged. I have only been out to her classroom once and it was real brief. So I packed up my computer, a good book and some magazines and headed to the East Side with my favorite first grade teacher. She worked on her report cards and I happily balanced my checkbook, put together some mixes on my Itunes, worked on my training plan for the triathalon I’m training for and read for a bit.

Such a change of pace for me—to spend a leisurely Saturday with some great company. Not having to worry about alarm clocks, deployment positions or lunch breaks. I’m afraid I might be able to get used to this!

But don’t fret, I’ll be back to the grind tomorrow—5:15am I’ll be in my green apron making lattes.

Beantown!

2008-02-19T20:06:00.000-08:00

My long awaited trip to Boston to see Whitney has come and gone. It seemed to take forever to get here and then when it finally arrived, it zipped by. But my little 4 day trip to the East Side allowed me to fall in love with yet another city, experience a new taste of Americana and see what life is like for Whit.

Friday night started out great--with lots of laughter. Whitney got us some tickets to a comedy club down at Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market. The comedian was KathleenMadigan from Last Comic Standing.She was absolutely hilarious. She comes from a big Catholic family and her entire act was based on making fun of them and our religion. It was very entertaining.

Saturday we went to go check out the Samuel Adams Brewery. It was a perfect marriage of two of my favorite things--beer and factories. It was kind of hard to find, as you can clearly see the confusion I was having while trying to find the brewery that was tucked in a residential neighborhood:
We got a tour of the facility, learned a little about the patriot Samuel Adams and most importantly, we go to taste some beer!
As usual, Whitney looking elegant as she samples the Boston Lager. We tried 3 beers--the Boston Lager, the Winter Lager and the final one, my favorite, the espresso stout. They let the beer sit on espresso beans! I thought I was in heaven with the beer and factory thing, but then to make an espresso beer in a factory? I almost needed CPR. Here I am lovingly enjoying my espresso brew:

The Samuel Adams Brewery was a great place to visit and start our day off. And of course, Jen was able to add another pint glass to the collection.

The rest of the time we spent hanging out (afterall, I went to Boston to see Whitney), eating a fun restaurants with fun names like 'The Barking Crab' and just exploring the little tidbits of history that surround Boston. Checked out the campus of Harvard (I still love good ol' GU--no worries) and I definitely purchased a Harvard sweatshirt from the bookstore. A girl can dream, right?

All in all, a GREAT trip. I absolutely loved Boston. And it was so great to see Whitney and spend the weekend with her. Sorry, but I didn't take alot of pictures.....

I Left My Heart in Boston...

2008-02-18T22:02:00.000-08:00

....just got back from Boston.

I will blog about it tomorrow! It was a glorious trip.

More to come.....

It's 3:18 am....

2008-02-14T03:18:00.001-08:00

.....and I can't sleep. Not a big surprise, really. But this morning it's for a reason. I can't sleep tonight because my chest is full of excitement and mind can't shut off because of the opportunities and possibilities that are swirling around in there.

For the past year or so, I've really struggled with my path, my purpose. I haven't had anything to throw my heart into, pour my energy into and nothing to motivate me to keep my eye on a goal. I've been going through the motions, nothing really sure why.

February 13th, 2008:

BREAKTHROUGH

I have a focus.
I have drive.
I have a goal.

And most importantly, I have confidence.

But I must be present in my role today, for the future will come tomorrow.

Just Happy.

2008-02-11T23:55:00.000-08:00

Today I was happy. Just really happy. There were moments when I would just catch myself smiling as I went about my business.

And it just felt so GOOD! I rarely allow myself to enjoy the little lapses of joy because I tend to spring forward to the next big thing, the next worry, the next stresser. But today, I just was.

That's all.

Three Powerful Words

2008-02-05T21:21:00.000-08:00

Check out this video I stole from Melissa's blog. Up until I saw this video, I was unsure of who to go with in this upcoming election. But as I was watching this for the first time, I got goosebumps and my doubt faded.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation: Yes, we can. It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom: Yes, we can. It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness: Yes, we can. It was the call of workers who organized, women who reached for the ballot, a president who chose the moon as our new frontier, and a king who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the promised land: Yes, we can, to justice and equality.

Yes, we can, to opportunity and prosperity. Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can repair this world. Yes, we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long. But always remember that, no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

(WE WANT CHANGE!)

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics. They will only grow louder and more dissonant. We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

The hopes of the little girl who goes to public school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA. We will remember that there is something happening in America. That we are not as divided as our politics suggests. That we are one people. We are one nation. And together, we will begin the next great chapter in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea:

Yes. We. Can.
Yes. We. Can.
Yes. We. Can.

This post is dedicated to my favorite political activist, Melissa Warburton. I still remember sitting in that coffee shop in Long Island, talking about this upcoming election and the excitement it was going to stir up.

When To Say Uncle?

2008-01-30T23:57:00.000-08:00

crap.

i hit a brick wall tonight.

i usually bounce back. or surge right through.

but these days, it takes longer for me to get back up each time.

Song Of The Day/Maybe Even the Year: Slow Me Down Emmy Rossum

And Gary On The Kick Drum! Come! Come!

2008-01-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

This is completely 107% random, but I find it hilarious.

Last year, while I was still living in Spokane with my roommate Annie, we used to love this particular scene from Jennifer Aniston's movie, 'The Break-Up'. We would sit in our apartment, pop in the DVD and only watch this scene. And giggle uncontrollably. Or we would just be doing nothing and either she or I would look at each other and simply say "And Gary on the kick drum..Come! Come!". And then giggle uncontrollably. I had kind of forgotten about it, but I talked to my friend Nehemiah the other night and he reminded of our mild obsession with this. Needless to say, this has been in my head for the past week. I find it absolutely hilarious. Take a look: