Gilmore Girls and Fox must Die

Gilmore Girls has to go. After the sad attempt at an episode this week, I've realized that I want it to end. I think another season or even a have season would only prolong its misery. First of all, when did Rory become this really annoying sad face? Her character has changed a lot through the years, the most in this last season and it is weird to see her not succeed and be sad about it. She usually has a plan and a back up plan and a plan after that. And, with her whole "operation finish line" with Paris, she should have had lots of options in front of her. Additionally, I like that Lorelei is moving toward the not hating of Luke, but this is a very strange transition that they are doing. I was not impressed by the writer's feeble attempts to show the additional characters of the town in a motley sort of way. It was as if they were just stuck in waywardly while the real plot laid elsewhere. Okay, rant over.

Fox must die because it cancelled Drive, the new Tim Minear series that was begun in the middle of the year at a really odd time in a Monday night spot. The show was poorly advertised and began on a Sunday night before moving to Monday and only ran three episodes before Fox cancelled it. Fox doomed it to fail before it even began! It was as if they had an extra time slot to fill for a few weeks, so they created a show that they could kill. The show was actually really interesting. It was a different idea with actors that I liked and skilled writing. But, in the Fox like way, it has been cancelled... Fox needs to suck less.

It is almost summer, which means that it is almost time for my shows to take a break. I'm not really sure what I will do with myself. I guess I could pay more attention to my husband, but that sounds like a lot of work. I will have to play my new board games and the Wii that I will inevitably get. The Wii looks like buckets of fun and I want one for husband and me. Matt ordered one and we will hopefully get it in a couple weeks. Hopefully...

By Wednesday I Can't Sleep

This is the very first weekend since I have been married that I have not been sick! It is definitely a time for celebration. I really enjoy being not sick. I also opted to not be around ill children this weekend in hopes that it would keep me healthy. Hopefully this works.

So, this week Matt and I went to Natalie's 80's themed Birthday party. Our little Natalie is 23 now, she is growing up so fast. Well, I went for the vest and tie look over t-shirt that girls seemed to be into in the 80's. I don't really see how it is attractive on anyone, but the 80's really weren't about being attractive. They were all about mismatching and wearing highly unflattering clothing. I don't love the 80's.

This week will hopefully be sunny so that I can wear my open toed shoes, skirts and capris. That is what spring is really all about.

Mother's day is coming up and I once again face the dilemma of what to get. Ideas welcome.

Season of Weddings

Well, this weekend I went to Rachel's wedding. I almost didn't make it there because I got sick on Friday morning when we were suppose to leave. Kelli and Karmen went on without us and then I started feeling better later in the day, so I dosed myself with Dramamine and we went anyway. The trip was miserable, but I was glad that I went.

Rachel looked beautiful and it was a pleasant ceremony on the beach. Getting married on a beach has to be one of the coolest things. It was cold though and I don't know how Rachel stayed warm with her elegant strapless gown. I guess her mind was on other things. The reception was fun, complete with Rachel and Tim acting like freaks and dancing like freaks and all that jazz. It was an atmosphere very geared to their personalities, which worked out really well. Baby came with us and she seemed to have joyous amounts of fun with her fiance Natalie.

The trip home wasn't nearly as bad as the trip there, I attribute this to the fact that I wasn't throwing up on the side of the road on the way home. I'm glad to be home, though I enjoyed the California atmosphere in Oceanside. Oceanside is a pretty place and it was mostly nice weather whilst we were there for one day.

In other news, there is another wedding on the front. Nefi and Rose are getting married this Thursday in Bountiful. I didn't realize that the reception was so very far away and I will try to make it out to see them. They will probably partake in one of our stunning regifted items. They are the items that Matt and I did not want and did not know how to return. Not because they were bad gifts, but because we have no use for them. Anyone with a wedding coming up can expect a regift from me. Hopefully I don't give back a gift to the same person who gave it to me.

Additionally, my lovely, older sister Marie is getting married. She just got engaged last week and I think that we can all agree in saying, "It's about time!" Anthon asked her in a really cute way and Matt and I got to be there to see it all. Her ring is gorgeous and much larger than mine, which I'm sure makes her a happy girl. Marie will be wedded on 7/7/7. Which is good for Johnny because then he can actually be there for one of his sister's weddings. I feel a little bad about not waiting for Johnny, but I feel that it is for the best. Johnny doesn't know Matt at all, so it will be funsies for him when he gets home. They can go golfing or something.

Well, those are all the weddings that I can think of right now, but I'm sure that more and more people will get engaged in the near future. Who knows, maybe Mike...someday. If any of my blog viewers have upcoming nuptuals, feel free to post about them.

Wedding Pictures

Okay, so I haven't yet ordered my wedding pictures yet. I have Brochitis and I had the stomach flu yesterday. I wish that I could stop getting sick. Additionally, I'd rather like to not get two sicknesses at once again. That was pretty much the opposite of fun. Plus, I get Matt sick and there is just no good in that. A good 1.5 weeks of the 2.5 weeks that I have been married, I have been sick. That is just no way to start a marriage.

Right, back to wedding pics. Well, my pics are up on my photographer's website, so for now, if any one wants to view them, you can go here:

jesmyrickpics.phanfare.com

It is under Derington-Kimball wedding.

Here is hoping that I feel better soon and that I stop catching sicknesses from children.

Moving On

The parents have sold their house. The parents have sold their house and I'm sad. I'm sad because that house is home to me. Even though it is in the middle of nowhere and it takes 30 minutes to get there and I've hit my heel on the piece of wood sticking out at the top of the stairs about a million times, it is home to me and I love that house. I love that it is a cabin and that some of the rooms have names like "The Indian Room" because who has a room with that name? I love how big the yard is because the puppy can run like mad and the grass is usually lush and fun to play in. In the winter, there is so much snow, you could build an army of snowmen. Some of my most favorite memories occured in that house and without the house or Sarah there to remind me, we know that I'm not going to remember them!

For instance, Sumo wrestle mania of 2005, the dance competition complete with Shmala Shmadul and Mimon Cowel... yo yo yo yo yo yo yo.... Climbing in the window when I got home late because the front door didn't have keys to it yet. The tedious task of putting up and taking down the Christmas tree. The time that Sarah beat me in wrestling because she threw my head against the ceiling and made me say Uncle John. Sardines in the basement and not being able to find Johnny because he hides too well. Excessive amounts of pool with Johnny and Sarah where they make up their own set of rules and post them on the wall and then fight about it. Your Mom!.... Is right outside that window. Games, games, games/nerts/a little Sett over here. Chasing the puppy around the island and watching her freak out. Snowball fight in the yard where Sarah's and my fort really sucked and Mike and Johnny's was the awesomist. Uncle John biffing it in a foot race and breaking his thumb. The list goes on and on and on and unless you are Sarah, you aren't going to know what I'm talking about.

And, poor the Johnny doesn't even get to say goodbye to the house because he is all missionified! It is the only home that Jade has ever known and she might get confused and lost in the move. She might get really sad. And, what if the new house doesn't have a big yard? The new house is in Highland!?! What the heck is in highland besides Uncle Don? Lame. I haven't even seen this new house. It could be crap de la crappy for all I know. I blame the french for this! I hate the French!

Curse you the parents, curse you!

Honeymoon Over

Now my honeymoon is officially over since I am back at work today. Even though I didn't go anywhere foreign and the majority of my honeymoon was spent hanging out at the apartment, I miss it. I liked spending all day, every day with Matt, even if we were only watching 24 season three (excellent season). But, now it is over... Alas!

So, my sources tell me (or they are lying to me) that my reception was uber fun. It is difficult for me to know if this is true because I was so busy hobnobbing with my guests. I didn't even get to try any of the food that was served there, which was truly tragic. But, I hear that the food was good. Anthon should know best considering that he was eating for seven that night. But, I got to dance and smile excessively and see my Uncle Ron, so I was happy with the turn-out. Unfortunately, we ran out of food and we started serving cheesecake at 5 dollars a slice and the reception center charged me 500 extra dollars. I kinda hate them now. I do not recommend Somewhere Inn Time as a reception center.

So, the wedding is over and the honeymoon is over and I have to go on with normal life... living with a man. It is odd, yet really good thus far. We will see how long I retain this view, hopefully I will always think it a good thing. Life is different now that I have a husband to think about. But, I suppose that life is suppose to constantly be changing. I just hope that with each new change in my life, I am prepared to meet it... or throw things at it and run away fast. I love my husband.

Becky Kimball

Curse you Mazatlan

So, remember that time that I got married last weekend and then didn't go on my honeymoon? That was good times. No, wait, the opposite!

So, Matt and I were ten minutes away from going out the door to go to the airport to catch our flight to Mexico, when suddenly (dramatic pause) I sat down and said that I felt sick. It was only but a second or two before I was rushing into the bathroom to puke out the contents of my stomach. Appetizing, I know! You know the euphoria one usually feels after vomiting? Well, I didn't feel that, I just kept throwing up. It was an awesome way to spend the first full day of my married life. So, after missing our shuttle to the airport, we/Matt decided that it would probably be best if we didn't go to Mazatlan whilst I had my face in the toilet. I was forced to agree because I was certainly in no position to travel. This distressed me though because when I was booking the tickets for our honeymoon, my travel agent asked if I wanted to purchase the insurance on our tickets and I declined because I believed that I was invincible and there was nothing that would stop me from going on my honeymoon. I hate when I am wrong.

Apparently, the last 23 years of my life and my being sick a not small amount of that time left my mind when I decided to not buy the insurance. In conclusion, we missed our flight to Mazatlan and we came home instead so that I could be sick in my own bed. I was quite devastated over not going on my honeymoon on my account, but, luckily, I married the most amazing man ever and he convinced me that it would be okay. That all the money that we lost on our non-refundable flight and hotel room does not matter. Oye. Luckily, my Aunt Ginnie is amazing and she got us a credit on our airline tickets, but I'm still disappointed. So, I will spend my honeymoon lounging in my apartment in Pleasant Grove. I think that Honeymooning in Pleasant Grove has got to be one of the locations that you put on that MASH game to be mean to someone else. I blame Sarah for this. I think she put that on one of my MASH games once.

Well, it all could have been worse. I could have been sick on my wedding day, or I could have been sick on the airplane, so it all turned out well in that respect. If only I hadn't been sick at all.

Becky Kimball Tomorrow!

I'm getting married tomorrow! And I couldn't be more excited. Well, I suppose that I could be, but I can't imagine it. The anticipation is unlike any I have felt before. This beats out the night before Christmas when I was a little kid, or the anticipation of a birthday or graduation or moving to Hawaii or vacation or anything! I had trouble sleeping last night because I was so excited. I kept waking up and thinking that it must be time to wake up, but upon looking at the clock I realized I still had hours and hours until I had to get up. And that is just for the day before the wedding! I'm not really sure how I will sleep tonight. This is all so weird to me! When I would say that my wedding was a month away or a week or 4 days, it all seemed real, but not really real, not like I would really be married. But, today, it is all starting to feel very very real. I'm going to be wed, married, taken, and thereby old!

I've been working toward this all of my younger life, I have been trying to do what is right and search for the perfect mate for me and I have finally found it and it is all just a little hard to believe. I've found the man that I am going to spend the rest of forever with and I'm really happy about it. The only person that I want is him and no one else and I'm happy about it, that trips me out a little in the best of ways.

Plus, I get the wedding that I really really wanted. Thanks to my wonderful parents and his, I was able to get exactly what I wanted for my wedding. I got the dress I wanted, the flowers, the location, the cake, the dinner, the everything! It is like a really awesome dream. I just can't imagine being happier than I am, but I know that my life with Matt will only get better as we start our life together.

Okay, so this is a really sappy post, but I don't care because I'm getting married tomorrow!

4 Days And a Birthday

Happy Birthday Marie!

Marie is 25 today! To celebrate, we are throwing an Old Folks home party, complete with old folks! Marie is going to make-up the people at the party as old people and she will be the only young one.

On a seperate note, it is four days until I get married and I'm finding it to be pretty freakin' awesome! I hope that this week goes by really fast so that I can be married all ready.

My Dog is Dead

I had a terrible dream last night and thus, I must share.

I dreamt that I was driving in Eagle Mountain on my way to my parents house. But, the road was blocked by multiple rocks that were placed across the width of the road. I was forced to stop my car so as to avoid the rocks blocking the road. I got out of my car and looked down the road and there seemed to be a crashed car and a ruckus. I went toward the ruckus and Baby was there, crying. I went to Baby and looked in the crashed car and Jade, our dog, was skewered on the emergency brake inside the car.

Baby recounted to me that the car had hit Jade and that Jade had gone through the windshield and had been skewered on the emergency brake. Jade wasn't dead yet though. She was bloody and skewered and sad, but not yet dead. So, Baby had put the rocks in the road to stop anyone else from coming down the road and potentially hitting the already wrecked car.

I was, of course, very sad that Jade had been so hurt. But, I was late to meet Matt for something. I called him, crying, and Matt wouldn't listen to me. He kept talking on and on about some party that he was at and I had to yell at him that Jade had been hit by a car. Matt was not understanding, he just kept asking me when I was going to meet him. This upset me even more because he wasn't sympathetic to my dying dog and how crushed I was.

Baby and I finally decided to remove Jade from the car, so we unskewered her and brought her to the house. Then, she was just regular Jade again, all happy and spastic, only she had a big hole in her mid section for the rest of the dream. It was very disturbing.

This whole dream made me reflect upon how much I love that puppster. She is a crazy, spastic, ball eating/fetching annoyance at times, but I love her. I would be really sad if she died, so I've decided that she must live forever! And, if she does decide to go against my wishes and die, Matt will have to be sympathetic because it just broke my heart that he didn't even care that my dog was dying. I think that Marie's kitties will have to live forever too. Not for me, but for her, she would just be a basket case if any of her kitties died.

12 Days and a Bridal Shower

I totally banked at my Bridal Shower this weekend! Mom threw me a very good party, I was so proud of her party throwing skills. Now I know that party planning skills are not learned, they are genetic. There were uber snacks at the party and festive purple plates and cups. I had a really good turnout. About half of the people that I invited showed up, so we had about 30 people there. We actually ran out of seats and people began sitting on the stairs.

Mom planned some Bridal games which included pre-asked questions about Matt that I had to answer. Baby had called up Matt and asked him questions about himself and I had to answer them correctly. I got about half of them correct. I like to think that I got the important ones right. I knew his name and birthday and the location of our first kiss and whether he would prefer to be killed by killer bees or a killer whale (coincidentally, he would rather be killed by a killer whale). When I got the answer wrong, I had to put a piece of bubble gum in my mouth. I do not like bubble gum. I like minty gum, but not the pink stuff. It was slightly gross.

The second game was called The Newly Wed Game and it involved matching candy to things having to do with weddings. For example, Ring Pop - Engagement Ring. I got starburst which matched with First Kiss.

Then, we did presents, which was uber fun! I love getting presents, especially when there are a lot of them. One of my favorite presents was a purple apron that Momma Ashton made for me. It is all fifties style and cute and stuff. I wore it the whole shower after opening it. I also got away with two fondue sets, three pizza pans, pots and pans (courtesy of Kellikins), and a pie plate with Kimball acided into the bottom. I got a bunch of other stuff, but I don't remember all of it. Matt and I spent Saturday choosing the gifts to return and putting away the keepers. I love being a bride!

Ever Notice that All Government Buildings Smell the Same?

Matt and I went and got our marriage license yesterday from the Utah County Clerks office. We discovered that it is very easy to get married in the state of Utah. It doesn't matter who you are or if you are who you say you are. We got there and filled out all the paperwork and the worker put it into the computer and printed something out for us to sign and then just gave us our license. She didn't ask for ID or any proof of being an American or anything. We could have used completely different names and no one would have known! Well, Matt and I would have known and that would have prevented us from getting married, but I thought it very odd.

I am one step closer to getting married now. I feel like I am baby stepping to the wedding because it feels so very far away. But, at the same time it feels very close. I think that it feels close because I know that I still have a lot that I haven't done yet! And, even though I am checking things off of the list, I am also adding to it because I keep remembering other things that still need to be done. So, I live in conflict because I want the day to come sooner, but I also want more time to accomplish all the things that I still need to do.

18 days to Go

I am 18 days away from being married. MARRIED!?!

Frankly, this idea is exciting and trippy. I always knew that I would get married and I'm really excited to be married to Matt, but all the same it is a little weird. I will no longer be single and I will no longer live on my own and I will no longer be my own person. When people refer to me, Matt will be tacked on: "Are Becky and Matt coming?" "Matt and Becky voyaged north," they will say. Or, we may be referred to as The Kimballs, or(please let it not be so) The Marrieds. I really brought that last nickname upon myself seeing as Baby and I started calling the other, older, married siblings that. Darn you Baby!

I'm either losing part of my own identity or Matt and my identities are merging into this mutant Mecky or Batt. Neither of which are as clever as Sarah's made up Marie Anntonette (for Marie and Anthon) or my Fisheree (for Fish and Ree or Anthon and Marie). If we had a cool and fun to say nickname, at least it would be a little better. Like The Annelos; that is one fun to say nickname.

So, I ask you, my blog viewers who are oh so creatively inclined, what will we call me and Matt? Because I just can't settle for Matt and Becky. First of all, his name comes first in that little arrangement and second of all, it is lame.

Happy Belated

Happy Birthday to me. Or Happy Birthday when it was my Birthday. I decided to post pictures of MY Birthday in celebration of Mike's Birthday, which was a couple of days ago. So, wish Mike a happy belated birthday. We are all dressed up like superheroes.

Moving

I am moving a bit sooner than I expected to. I expected to move into Marie's basement the last week of my single life because I wanted to move almost all of my things into my new apartment with Matt. But, Marie found a tenant for my room a bit sooner than I expected. The new girl plans to move in a week from tomorrow, so I have to be out before then. In conclusion, I will be moving this week!
It is kinda in the realm of not fun because I have to move twice in three weeks, and I have to not live with Kelli sooner than I thought. Additionally, it makes everything seem really real because I'm actually moving and leaving my single life behind me. I feel like I should have enjoyed my time alone while I had it. I should have enjoyed my beautiful purple bedroom and my walk-in closet and my own bathroom. Granted, I will have a huge walk-in closet when I move in to My and Matt's apartment, but then I might actually feel bad about how messy my closet gets because I will be sharing it. I really love my apartment that I have been living in for the last two years, even though I have been sharing it with Jade. The person, not the dog. I am really going to miss it.
Even though I am really excited to be married to Matt and have a life with him, I am really going to miss the life that I had before. I'm going to miss my space and my own bed and my own everything. I used to share everything with my sisters and I was really happy when I had things that were my very own. I'm hoping that sharing things with Matt won't be as unenjoyable as sharing things with sisters and roommates was.
Additionally, I hate moving! I hate packing things up and having to put everything I own into boxes and then find new places for them in a new place. Plus, I'm against heaving lifting as a rule because it is difficult and sometimes painful. I'm hoping to recruit some of my much stronger sister's boyfriend to help me move furniture. (hint, hint)
I would like to give a shout out to my lovely sister Marie who has generously offered her basement to me for my use of living in and storing my stuff until my apartment becomes available. You are the bestest Marie! *raises imaginary glass*
Okay, I'm done wigging out... for the time being.

My First Valentines

This is my first Valentines Day with Matt, which makes it very exciting. It gives me an excuse to be all lovey dovey and truly revolting. I'm sickeningly in love with Matt everyday, but today I have an excuse because that is what the day is made for!

Matt is taking me out somewhere tonight. I do not know where we are going and this is perhaps better because it is all surprising. I've been instructed to dress semi-formal, so I can only guess that we are going to a monster truck show or a rodeo or something equally romantic.

Spending Valentines with the man I'm going to marry has got to be the best Valentines Day ever. I'll let you know if it holds up to my expectations.

XOXO

It's MY Birthday (Kelly Osbourne voice)

It is my Birthday... nothing has happened yet. But, I am wearing a tiara, so I am staying positive. You may now celebrate the day of my birth.

Pics of Me and Matt

We are So Pretty!

Pretty Pics

500th Post

Matt and I took engagement photos this weekend at Noni Gardens. A lot of them turned out really well, so I thought I might post up our favorites on my blog. Kelli's mom was gracious enough to be our photographer and she did a fantastic job! Really, all we had to do was stand there and look pretty. Those are two things that I do really well!

I've been sick all week and it has been less than fun! I have a cold that won't seem to vamous. I really need to find a decongestant that actually works because mine could be candy for all I know! I blame Matt entirely for getting me ill, but now we can be ill together. Maybe if I think of it as romantic I won't complain so much. Not likely, but maybe.

Many things to do still in preperation for the upcoming nuptuals, but I am certainly chipping away at my list!

Super Heroes Away!

As is my tradition, I am once again throwing myself a Birthday party. I enjoy my getting older every year and I really think it should be celebrated, so who better to throw me a party than me? This year I am getting help from my fellow hero Kelli because I've been getting busy with wedding maddness, so I really feel like I have a partner in crime fighting.

As every year, I have a theme for the party. This years theme is Heroes! Everyone is invited to come dressed as their favorite super hero or villian. And, if you can't think of one, you are invited to make one up! Such made up heroes include Super Mom, The Plumber and Captain Cliche. Our mission: To save the cheerleader. What the heck does that mean? Well, you will just have to come and find out.

My blog viewers are, of course, invited to this festivity that will take place on the 9th at Marie's (the party house). Well, the blog viewers I like anyway (sorry Mike). (Just kidding Mike, you know I love you!) If you have not already been invited, please make me aware of it so that I might send you the pretty pretty invitation that Kelli made.

I know that all of you are just excited to celebrate another year of my being born as I am!

Is This Thing On?

I must be getting really boring because I've posted twice in the past week and a half and I only got four comments. It is truly a sad moment when one realizes that their life is not in the least entertaining.
I wish that I were quippy like Justin, then I think that people would listen to me, or they would at least make fun of me. Justin always seems to get the most comments off of his comments on my blog and it must be because of his quippiness or his strangeness.
Maybe I should be extremely sarcastic like Baby. Then people would think me funny and would laugh or be offended by most everything that I say. If I offend people, they will like me. I know this because Baby is so popular.
I know, I'll write everything and then caption (monotone) next to everything. It works for Marie when she is speaking, so I figure it can't be too different in print. People will respect me and believe what I say if I'm all monotone. Just look at Ben Stein, everyone thinks that he is really smart and it is because he speaks in a monotone voice, I just know it. Marie is a clever one she is!
Or, I can be completely random and make up words and write them randomly on my blog like Mike does. What does Dar mean really? Besides "to give." Of course, Mike's randomness does not get him comments. I should abandon being like Mike right.....Now!
I should just write about things that apply more to my blog viewers. Right now I'm all wedding and Matt and everything and none of my blog viewers care because they are neither a wedding nor Matt. Except for Matt who is Matt, but his commenting is seldom if ever.
That brings me to the purpose of a blog, or my blog to be more specific. Is the blog for me to spill my rantings, my ravings, my thoughts and events in my life? Or is it here to entertain and put on a show for others, hoping that I can gain the most attention of all the bloggers?
I would like to think that with the shanty amount of blog viewers that I have, the blog must be just for me.
Although, despite the low numbers of attendance of my blog viewers, they all seem to be very dedicated to me and my blog. This must mean that they really like me and care about my life. Or they are really bored and can't find something better to surf on the net.
Either way, I'm going to continue to put my words out there, even if there is no one to listen because I like to think that I am important and/or interesting.

Registering for Gifts

So, Matt and I registered at Bed, Bath and Beyond last night and I have to say that I am a registering pro. The sales lady woman explained to us what we were suppose to do and she told us that it would take us 2-3 hours to register. She handed us the scanner thingy and we went to. It was lots of fun! I got to pick colors for my bathroom and kitchen and living room and such and it was buckets of fun! I was in charge of the scanner thing and I just started scanning all sorts of things that I wanted. I didn't realize that there were so many things that I could possible need or want that I don't have. I've been living off of Marie for so long, that I forgot that most of the stuff in her condo belongs to her. Anyway, we are registering pros because what "should" have taken 2 hours, took us less than an hour. We are both very quick decision makers, so if we liked something, we scanned it and that was that.

The beauty of registering is that you can register for whatever you want, as many times as you want because people won't necessarily shop there for your gift anyway! In light of that, I picked out a bunch of stuff that I don't actually need:
-a pink KitchenAid (I want a kitchenaid, but not necessarily a pink one and I thought it was fun!)
-A waffle iron that is all self timed and turny like the ones in the caf
-a bread maker (because when am I actually going to make bread?)
-four bath mats (I'll have two bathrooms, but I couldn't pick between bath mats so...)
-A palm tree lamp (this was a Matt pick because it was so funny)
-An air purifier (this was in tribute to Ross)
-Three tablecloths (We only have one table, so I don't know what we will do with three table clothes)

The list goes on, but you get the idea.

In conclusion, registering is fun! I want to do it again. Luckily, I think that Matt and I will also register somewhere else for big furniture. Yeah!

Dreaming

Okay, I am once again going to retell my dream...

I dreamt that I was at my wedding reception, and I was very confused because first of all, it was in a cultural hall and most people know that I have a hatred of receptions in cultural halls. Secondly, I couldn't remember ever getting married, so I was confused as to why I was at my reception. I kept trying and trying to remember actual getting married, but I couldn't. Then, I was all upset because I felt like I had missed my wedding all together. Which is really tragic because you only get married once and I couldn't remember it.

I think that this dream is trying to tell me that I am going to get that disease that I can't spell that makes old people forget about things. And, it is also telling me that I darn well better appreciate that my parents gave me a substantial fund for my wedding so that I can have everything that I want. Additionally, it is telling me that Matt looks great in tails and he should wear them to our wedding.

I'm Just Sayin'!

So, puzzle me this Riddler...

I'm more than slightly annoyed as of late because of an individual that I formerly dated. This individual recently found out that I am engaged and decided to take the initiative to leave me a letter. This letter (nine pages single spaced, left on my car) entailed many things, as proven by the length, with the underlying point that the individual loves me, misses me and always hoped that my relationship with Matt was a rebound relationship and how do I feel about all this? And I'm just wondering, who the heck does that?!? Who writes an old flame and professes their undying love AFTER finding out that said flame is engaged! I would have to say that an engagement indicates a very big permanentness! What would prompt someone to think that I even care about them when I've got someone that I obviously love and want to marry? Absolute insanity if you ask me! Plus, really annoying!

Additionally, I am apparently being watched by this person. Inadvertently and supposedly unintentionally (according to the letter), but the individual is noticing when Matt and I come and leave my apartment and went to my graduation to watch me. That just gives me the freakin' hibbie jibbies! Now, I feel like I am being watched whenever I arrive at or leave my apartment! This morning I left my apartment to go to work and right when I stepped off my stairwell, I hear a car alarm or a car horn or some car noise, which I ignore until I get in my car, and then I look (discreetly) and it is the individual outside of their car. This occurs conveniently at the same time that I leave my apartment and the individual's car conveniently makes a noise right as I am in a position to look at the source of the noise! This is just too coincidental for me not to believe that it was not to draw my attention or to watch me more thoroughly! Or, maybe I am really conceited and think that everything revolves around me, but I can't help but think that I am being watched by the individual after I was told that I was being watched. I'm just sayin'!

Why is it that I always seem to get the crazy stalkerish exes? Do I have some sort of sign on me that says, "I'm easily manipulated, stalk me now!" because if I do, I would think that someone would let me know. Lisa, you know that it is your job to take care of me and tell me when I have toilet paper stuck to my foot, so I would think that you would let me know on this one. You are surely slacking your duties. Being stalked once, maybe twice is funny, but after that it just gets excessive! I don't understand the logic in it all. And, if you are stalking someone, you would think that you would want to keep it a bit more of a secret!

So, because the really long letter made me angry and annoyed and creeped out, I burned it and am choosing to ignore it and the sender despite the letter's plead for a response. If excessive ignorance doesn't do the job then I don't know what it is that I will do. I just want to marry Matt and be happy and be left alone and forget the stupidity of my past love interest choices. I just wish that I didn't feel like I was being watched and I really really can't wait to move! Luckily, I have Matt, who acts as my protector, confidant, best friend and husband to be.

So, again, I thank Justin for being one of the more sane people that I formerly dated. That Justin is just good people. He can lift a car you know.

Wedding Plan-a-palooza

Planning a wedding has to be one of the lesser fun things to do. It is time consuming and expensive and there are so many things to do that I needed a five page checklist to help me remember them all! I think that if I knew that it would be so much work, I might have done that whole eloping thing. Except that my family would kill me if I did that! These are the times that I wish I had Jennifer Lopez or Monica Gellar to do it all for me.

I'm glad to say that the date is set, the temple booked, the reception center found and the dress almost picked. I attempted to complete the most difficult parts of planning a wedding first because then I would not have to worry about it. Now all I have to do is find a photographer, florist, tux shop, invitation maker, and a bunch of other things that I can't even remember.

I think that the wedding part of a marriage has got to be the least fun part. I want to fast forward to the part where I'm actually married to Matt cuz that is going to be awesome. I'm extrodinarily happy and I think that that will get me through the wedding maddness.

So, my blog may be very wedding/Matt focussed for the next couple of months and you blog viewers who have a problem with that will have to deal! Or, throw a fit, either one.

Oh, and I would like to throw out a special thank you to Justin for not being a crazy psychopath. That is real nice of you Justin and I appreciate it!

Searched for Drugs

So, the other night, Matt and I were driving to his sister's (The Annelos) to babysit their baby when Matt exclaims, "Oh, I forgot my phone!"
"Do you need it?" I ask.
"Yes," Matt replies.
"Okay, well, lets turn around and get it," I say.
We turn around and head back to my place to retrieve his phone. As we are approaching my street, Matt passes the turn.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
"To work apparently," Matt says as he drives a little farther and flips a U-ey.
We proceed back toward my street and turn on to it. Upon approaching my complex, I see a car has run into the sign of the condos. Then, a police car flashes its lights and turns on its siren behind us.
"Oh, man (or something of a similar exclimation)," Matt says.
"No, no," I say, "they are not coming after us, they are going for that person who hit the sign."
"Nuh, uh," Matt says. "Look, he is following us."
"Okay, pull over."
We pull over in front of my complex and the cop pulls up behind us. The cop comes up to the driver's side window and asks for licence and registration. Matt gives it to him. The cop says, "I'll go check this out and then come back and tell you what this is all about."
"That was weird," I say. "What did he mean by, 'I'll come back and tell you what this is about?'"
"I don't know," Matt says.
"I don't think we broke any laws," I puzzle. "Is making a U-turn illegal and I'm just unaware of it?"
"Arg, I don't need this right now," Matt says in frustration.
The cop returns to the window and says, "Okay, your car's description has been linked with drug trafficking."
"Oh!" I exclaim.
"Is it all right if I search your vehicle?"
"Sure, of course," chorus Matt and I.
We get out of the car and the cop pulls out his flashlight and begins to search the car. He looks under the seats in the back and in the front seats and the glove compartment. He asks Matt to pop the trunk and begins looking in there.
"Is all of this stuff in here yours?" the officer asks.
"Yeah," Matt says.
"Can you come over here?" the cop says.
"Sure," Matt says. "Bec, you just stay there.
I remain on the sidewalk as Matt looks in the trunk with the policeman.
"What's this?" the cop asks as he pulls a brown paper bag taped to the roof (underside) of the trunk off.
"What the heck?!?" I exclaim.
"Who would put drugs in Matt's car?" I think as this bag is revealed.
"I don't know," Matt responds to the cops question as he takes the paper bag from him.
Matt rips open the paper bag and inside is a ring box.
"What is a ring box doing in the trunk of Matt's car? That is a really weird place to keep it," I think.
Matt opens the ring box and kneels on one knee in the snow. He looks at me and asks, "Rebecca Lynn Derington, will you be my wife?"
"This is a really inappropriate time to be proposing to me," I think. "We are being searched for drugs!"
I look at the cop and he is standing there smiling at me... I don't clue in. I look at the police car and there are two people in it with a video camera filming me... I pause.
"Oh! This is all planned!" I realize finally.
Turning my attention back to Matt, I see that he is still there on one knee, looking at me. Finally, my processing has completed as the snow continues to fall and I say, "Yes."
Matt stands and puts the ring on my finger (His knee is most likely very wet by this time). We hug and then we hear cheering. I look to my apartment complex (where the cheering is coming from) and see that a group of boys from an apartment have come out onto their balconies and are cheering for us. It was awesome!
Not only was I proposed to, but it happened in a very picturesque atmosphere with the snow falling and the pretty. Additionally, I was also cheered, and everyone knows that I like a good cheering when the cheering is for me (though it might have been for Matt, but from here on out, we can pretend like we are one person).
So, that is my proposal story. I was very happy and the ring is very pretty and I give serious props to my Matt face, though I am sort of bias considering I'm going to marry him and all.

Doesn't He See the Shiny Thing?

Currently waiting for something shiny. If you see something shiny that looks like it is mine, let me know because I've been expecting it.

*looks around*

Nope, nothing shiny there.

*sigh*

My Trip the to Hospital

So, it turns out that when you throw up a bunch of times and then you pass out a bunch of times and have a very high fever, you (or me to be more specific) get a fun trip to the hospital!
Hospitals are the opposite of fun. They stick you with needles to put an allegedly "needed" IV in and then they pump you full of really cold liquid. Mean.
Matt, my Mom and Kelli were nice enough to stay with me for hours and hours in the hospital instead of sleeping, in really uncomfortable chairs. Such troopers!

I was finally sent home only to go insane and not know where I was and flail at the people around me. The flailing and shaking eventually subsided and I realized that I was in my own bed.

I'm feeling slightly better today, eating slightly solid foods and everything.

In conclusion, I'm sick and I blame the child Amara for she was sick first. Now Matt is sick and I'm going to attempt to take care of him while I am on the mend.

Why I hate Skiing

So, Matt took me skiing for the first time ever and I have to say that it was not enjoyable. First and foremost, above all else, ski boots are the most uncomfortable and painful thing that I have ever put on my foot. And I have worn a LOT of uncomfortable high heels in my time. But the heels were worth the pain because... cute! Ski boots, not cute in the least, thereby making the pain so not worth it. The boots cut off circulation, so my feet kept going numb, plus they put pressure on my shins, calves, toes, tops and bottoms of feet an inside of foot. Additionally, it didn't matter if I was standing or sitting, the boots were painful just to have on. They also force you to stand in a way that my muscles are not in the least used to.

The actual gliding on the snow part did not go too unfortunately, I was a little shaky at first because I was scared or skiing out of control and falling, but eventually I was able to keep my skis straight. Oh, I should mention that I didn't actually go down a hill or mountain or anything. I rode the rope (a training rope that teaches you to ski) down a slight decline and then I rode it back up again. This was the extent of my skiing experience and it was more than enough!

My legs did not like standing in the position you must stand in in order to ski. My muscles would start to shake and threaten to not hold me up any more and I would have to stop. So, just to ride the rope down the slight decline, it took me like 45 minutes. Plus, the ski boots caused me so much pain, I just couldn't stand in them for prolonged periods of time.

Additionally, when riding the rope back up the slight incline, I had to use my arms muscles so that it could pull me along. It was then that I realized that I have no arm muscles. I was able to ride the rope up the whole way with out needing a rest, but again my muscles were shaking and they did not like it!

After I was done riding the rope down once and up once, I was done for the day. I have concluded that I am not a fan of skiing. The whole experience would not have been so bad if it weren't for the boots. I was able to deal with the feeling of having the skis on and gliding through the snow and I can always condition my muscles to getting used to standing in the awkward skiing position, but the boots were unbarable! I couldn't wait to get those painful boots off!

I didn't even go on the ski lift, which I thought was a plus because I'm afraid of heights and that lift looked like it went really high! And, there was no bar to pull down in front of you in the ski lift at Alta. I'm pretty darn sure I would have been scared out of my wits and hyperventallated and had an asthma attack and died. Good thing I didn't do that.

Matt was very good to me the whole time though. He was patient and followed me around on the rope and taught me what to do and sat down and took a break with me when I wanted to. He was wonderful! Plus, he carried my skis for me when I wasn't wearing them. DJ was also very patient as I attempted to learn how to ski. Matt took me up to the restaurant after I was finished and bought me hot chocolate. He is pretty much the best boyfriend ever! The unfortunate skiing experience was in no way related to Matt, it was merely those blasted boots!

In conclusion, Matt will have to pursue his skiing activities with people who are not me.

Hypnotism and Fire-ings

So, I meant to post a couple of days ago, but for reasons unknown, my blog was blocked at work via the website filter. I guess there was offensive material on my blog.

Here is the latest announcements: Makau has instituted another layoff and sadly, our own Marie was one of those sacked. Luckily, Marie has a two week paid vacation! I wish that I had a two week paid vacation, but no such thing has occurred.

Now, it is time for another "Here's My Dream" story telling! (Try to stifle your excitement.)

So, Baby and I lived in a Bed, Bath and Beyond, I don't know why, we just did. And Baby and the Parent's had decided that they would hypnotize me without my knowledge or approval because it would supposedly help me sleep. So, every night, when Sarah and I went to bed, (in the Bed, Bath, and Beyond) Sarah would hypnotize me and I thought that I was sleeping, but really I was hypnotized! Evil! Sarah would then make me do tricks (like a dog would) and she would take care of me while I was in my hypnotized state. But, dream Becky was unaware that she was being hypnotized. I woke up kinda resenting Baby for doing this to me. Plus, I kept talking in my sleep last night and kept waking myself up, so it was an unfortunate night all together.

Did anyone else have an interesting dream they would like to share?

And when is Mike getting into town?

My Conning Days Are Over!

It is a good thing that I have given up going to conventions because about 500 people who were suppose to go to a Firefly con just got screwed out of their money. The day that they convention was suppose to happen, the convention-puter-oners cancelled it. And everyone is out their money and they are not getting refunds. It makes me glad that I stopped going to conventions because it is fun once, twice, maybe three times, but after that it is just the same ol' thing.

But, I pine for all those who lost their money in an elaborate fraudulant scheme. That is what you get for showering. Lesson learned.

How to Be Persuasive

What Is Persuasion?

Persuasion is the act of getting a sentient being other than yourself to adopt a particular belief or pursue a particular action. This tutorial will teach you how to excel at doing just that. Our examples will assume a variety of different specific circumstances, but the principles we present will be applicable in a myriad of situations. Whether you're trying to persuade a pseudo-intellectual that his political beliefs are, in fact, as savory as unwashed socks, or whether you're trying to persuade a vicious dog to please kindly release your coccyx, the techniques of persuasion you must employ are fundamentally the same.

To be persuasive, you must make use of a number of different tactics. The more you can utilize in conjunction with each other, the more persuasive your argument will be. We will start by isolating and identifying each of the different techniques, and then we'll show how they can be used together in a single compelling argument.

Verbal Techniques
As debating is primarily a verbal undertaking, most of the techniques you will need are verbal in nature. We'll start with those, then look at how you can polish off your style with other types of techniques.

Stubbornness
The cornerstone of good persuasive arguing is stubbornness. You must never, under any circumstances, concede that your opponent might ever possibly be right. Openmindedness has led to the downfall of many great debaters. If you find yourself doubting the correctness of your position, don't let it show. Repeat to yourself, "I am right. I am right." If you can't convince yourself that you're right, you'll never convince others that they're wrong. Here is an example of the use of stubbornness in a debate:

· You: "The moon is made of cheese."
· Opponent: "Umm. It's a proven fact that the moon is NOT made of cheese."
· You: "The moon is made of cheese."
· Opponent: "Ok, look, I have a piece of moon ROCK at my house. It is not made of cheese. It is made of ROCK."
· You: "The moon is made of cheese."
· Opponent: "No, it isn't. We've sent ships to the moon. People landed on it. They looked at it. They said it was made of ROCK. They brought back ROCK. It is made out of ROCK."
· You: "The moon is made of cheese."

Strategic Compromise
Compromise would seem to be prohibited by the previous tip about stubbornness,
but it's not, because you should only use compromise as a diversionary tactic. Don't ever compromise your main point. But if you introduce points you don't even care about, then compromise on them later, you can often trick your opponent into conceding. For example:

· You: "We should go out to eat tonight."
· Opponent: "But we ate out last night, and we need to save our money."
· You: "I don't care. We should go out to eat tonight, and then we'll treat ourselves and all of our neighbors to a Broadway play."
· Opponent: "But that would cost a fortune!"
· You: "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Gosh, that would run hundreds of dollars, wouldn't it?"
· Opponent: "Yes, it would."
· You: "Ok, just dinner it is, then."

Big Words
Use of big words is persuasive several times over. They make you look all smart and other people look all stupid; hence, your argument becomes the more compelling. Furthermore, use of big words means you'll talk longer, and usually whoever talks the most is the most convincing. "Wow, look at all he has to say about this," people will say to themselves as they observe you making a protracted argument. "He must know a lot about this subject."
By way of example, compare the persuasiveness of the following two statements:

· "Hockey is better than football."
· "You are the manifest profusion of delusional ideology incarnate if you do not fulminate against the institution of football with great superciliousness and promulgate the preeminence of hockey."

Forgetfulness
Forgetfulness is a powerful debating tool. You must use this tool wisely, because it can be a devastating weapon in your fight against ignorance. Here is what you should do: in the middle of your argument, forget what you're talking about. This may sound counterproductive, but by forgetting your point you show the person you're debating with that he is so utterly wrong, it's not worth the trouble to follow the course of the conversation. For example:

· You: "Virginia has never produced any good presidents."
· Opponent: "Yes it has. Actually, most of our better presidents came from Virginia."
· You: "But that's exactly what I'm saying...I think...I dunno...I forgot."
· Opponent: "So we agree?"
· You: "Yup. I'm right."

Interruption
Talk relentlessly, especially when your opponent is also trying to talk. Interrupt constantly. If you never give your opposition a chance to give the other side, you win by default.

· Opponent: "Australia seems like a cool place to visit."
· You: "What? How can you say that? Australia is too hot! You'll die of thirst! And there are diseases and wild dogs--"
· Opponent: "But--"
· You: "--and you can't see the ground because there are so many snakes and spiders, and they are ALL DEADLY. But that's ok, because the jet lag will be so extreme that you'll spend your entire vacation sleeping in the hotel room, which will probably smell and have deadly spiders crawling--"
· Opponent: "No--"
· You: "--around it, and plus everybody talks funny, and they're all CRAZY. Have you SEEN 'The Crocodile Hunter'? The hole in the ozone down there gives them all brain cancer--"
· Opponent: "B--"
· You: "--and they all get tumors which drive them insane!"
· Opponent: "..."
· You: "..."
· Opponent: "..."
· You: "..."
· Opponent: "Well--"
· You: "And furthermore, they're all criminals! Australia is just one big country-sized maximum security prison for thieves and murderers! I can't believe..."

Lies
Facts might be the best way to substantiate an argument, but lies are the next best thing. If the facts don't prove your point, make some up.

There are varying degrees of lies. A "fib" is a small exaggeration of the truth. A "hyperbole" is a larger exaggeration of the truth. A "lie" is a statement that has nothing whatsoever to do with the truth. A "big lie" is not only blatantly untrue but will cause your great grandmother to roll over in her grave with shame. The big lie is normally the way to go.

· You: "Dogs are better than cats."
· Opponent: "I prefer cats."
· You: "But cats eat babies! They dig their rabid muzzles into infants' chests and rip their kidneys out!"
· Opponent: "No they don't!"
· You: "They do! And they killed my great grandmother! Twice!"

Rhymes
No persuasive argument would be complete without a little rhyming. Not only does it make you sound clever, but, when used correctly, it can make your opponent sound ignorant. To employ this amazing persuasive tool, you take one of your opponent's points and make up a nonsensical rhyming word to go with it. This tactic has no known refutation.

· You: "There are no people on this planet that do not believe in democracy."
· Opponent: "Yes there are. They're called communists."
· You: "Communists schmommunists!"
· Opponent: "..."

Taunting
Taunting is a crucial element of a persuasive argument. The purpose of taunting your opponent is to intimidate him into submission.

· You: "Modern art is stupid, and Picasso was a loser."
· Opponent: "I disagree strongly. Picasso was a visionary genius."
· You: "Nyah nyah nyah."
· Opponent: "Er, well, I am entitled to my opinion."
· You: "Bring it on!!"

Random Comments
The interjection of random comments is a useful diversionary tactic. Although the best way to win an argument is for your opponents to concede the debate to you, this last ditch effort can be used in an emergency to secure a secondary victory by disorienting your opponents so much they don't know how to proceed. This tactic has the side benefit of presenting yourself as knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects, so observers are bound to be impressed by your breadth of expertise.

· You: "School lunches suck."
· Opponent: "Despite the taste, school lunches are, in actuality, very nutritional."
· You: "On the contrary! Mahogany is one of Honduras' primary lumber exports."
· Opponent: "Mahogany? Honduras? This has nothing to do with school lunches!"
· You: "Yeah, well, I could beat you at arm wrestling!"
· Opponent: "What does-- But-- You--"

"Clearly"
When in doubt, say "clearly." It may not be clear, but your opposition doesn't know that. By offhandedly suggesting that a particular train of thought is obvious to you, you will come across as a daunting force of intelligence difficult to reckon with.

· Opponent: "I don't see how you can say clothing is immoral."
· You: "Clothing was invented as a means of concealing immorality. Anyone wearing clothing is clearly doing so for the same reason."
· Opponent: "No, people wear clothing for a number of reasons. To stay warm, for example."
· You: "Clearly, these reasons are rationalizations made up after the fact."

Subliminal Messages
Subliminal messages are important components of a persuasive argument. Why? Because subliminal messages cannot be argued. If your opponent doesn't know you are suggesting things to his subconscious mind, what possible rebuttal can he have? Convey subliminal messages by whispering under your breath quietly enough so that your opponent does not consciously hear.

· Opponent: "I'm afraid you'll have to come with me."
· You: "These aren't the droids you're looking for."

The Last Word
Above all, you must get the last word. Getting the last word in an argument is terribly important, because it means everyone listening to the argument -- both those involved and those observing -- will leave with the last word as the dominant memory of the debate. If you have the last word, that means your side will be the most remembered. For example:

· You: "Paper does not come from trees."
· Opponent: "Yes it does. My father works in a paper mill. I have personally observed the process by which lumber is processed and turned into paper. These four books I have here describe this procedure in minute detail."

This certainly looks like an argument you've lost, doesn't it? But consider how much stronger a case you make for yourself with this slight modification:

· You: "Paper does not come from trees."
· Opponent: "Yes it does. My father works in a paper mill. I have personally observed the process by which lumber is processed and turned into paper. These four books I have here describe this procedure in minute detail."
· You: "Nuh-uh."

Name Calling
Name calling is an efficient way of pointing out your opponents' weaknesses and call into question the authority with which they dispute your position. By encouraging your opponents to doubt their competence, you can undermine a contrary argument from the inside. For example:

· You: "I believe all short people should be beaten with rocks until they bleed."
· Opponent: "I think that's a very horrible and malicious idea."
· You: "Well, you're fat! Fatty fat doo doo head!"
· Opponent: (sobs)

Yelling
Yelling is one of the most instinctive and exciting methods of getting your point across. It is also very effective. When you yell, you gain people's respect and awe. The louder you yell, the more respect you incur. When yelling, remember three rules:

1. Be loud loud loud. If you aren't loud, you aren't yelling.
2. Accompany your yelling with eye bulging. The further out of your head your eyes bulge, the more effective the yell.
3. Turn red. Red is a color of power. The redder you get, the more power you have. Observe the logo for this tutorial, at the top of this page. Notice how compelling the 'a' is, because it is red? The other letters are quiescent and relatively nondescript. But you wouldn't want to tangle with that 'a', would you?

Witness the following use of the yelling tactic:
· You: "Canada is a stupid country."
· Opponent: "Canada is a fine country that has made many contributions to the world in the areas of economics, cuisine, and the arts."
· You: "No it isn't!!!! Canada is lame!!!!!"
· Opponent: "That's a totally unsubstantiated opinion."
· You: "SHUT UP!!! CANADA IS A STUPID COUNTRY!!!! STUPID!!! STUPID!!! CANADA SUCKS LIKE A VACUUM!!!! BAD!!!! BAD CANADA!!! BAD!!! BAD!!!"

Swearing
Swearing is absolutely crucial if you want to convince someone of something. Swearing is a sign of great articulation, vocabulary, and bravado. By swearing, you can demonstrate that you are mature, for you understand mature concepts, and that you are daring enough to thwart the oppression of social convention.

· You: "**** you, man! ****** Canada is a **** ******* *** of a ***** country!!!!"
· Opponent: "Can you tone it down a bit? And Canada is a very important nation."
· You: "***** *** * ***** ******** ******, MAN!!!! ******!!!!"
· Opponent: "Could you please watch your language?"
· You: "Oh, so **** you too, ****, you just go **** ****** *** **** your ***** *** ****** **** ***** **** *******!!!!! **************!!!"

Physical Techniques
Even the most solidly constructed verbal arguments can crumble if your physical stature is not imposing enough to back it up. Here we will discuss how you can use body language to support your arguments.

Flailing Arms
The flailing arms strategy is used to express surprise and to reinforce your arguments. It's very hard to disagree with someone who waves his arms in confidence. For example:

· Opponent: "Water is very important. You need to drink it to survive."
· You: (waving arms wildly) "Water is poisonous!"
· Opponent: "Whatever you say man, just please, don't hurt me!"

Being Tall
Physical stature is an important intimidation tool. Your opponent is more likely to concede an argument if you appear to be bigger than he is. Shortness is associated with children, who are dumb, while tallness is associated with authority figures who know better. Consequently, you should never debate someone at anything less than eye level. If your opponent is sitting, stand. If your opponent is standing, stand taller. Wear thick-soled shoes. Stand on tip-toes. Stand on chairs if you have to.

Another effective gesture you can make that increases the power of your presence is to make a fist with one hand and ominously punch the open palm of your other hand.
Here is an example of how physical intimidation can sway the course of a debate:

· Opponent: (sitting) "I love old movies."
· You: (standing up) "Old movies are all boring and stuffy."
· Opponent: (standing up) "That's just because you have no sense of taste. Modern action flicks have dulled your brain."
· You: (standing on tiptoes) "They're boring, and the acting is bad."
· Opponent: (still standing) "On the contrary, Laurence Olivier, for example, is one of the greatest actors of all time. Um, what are you doing?"
· You: (standing on a chair) "Old movies suck, and Laurence Olivier was a poser." (punches palm)
· Opponent: "Uh. Riiiight." (sits down)

Biting
Biting is a last ditch effort. You use this tactic when the other person has been given every opportunity to conform to your opinion and still refuses. It is normally best to go for an important artery or organ. The jugular vein is recommended, as it is located roughly at mouth height.

· You: "I'm right."
· Opponent: "I don't agree. In my opinion, yo--"

Using These Techniques Together
Here is a sample debate that illustrates each of the techniques given above. Notice how, when used in conjunction with one another, you can create an unstoppable argument.

· You: "Our daughter should not be dating."
· Opponent: "Our daughter is mature enough to date, especially if we transport her to and from the restaurant and the movie theater ourselves."
· You: "Our daughter should not be dating."
· Opponent: "She has shown herself to be level-headed, of strong moral character, and very trustworthy."
· You: "Our daughter should not be dating."
· Opponent: "But she's 17 years old!"
· You: "Our daughter should not be dating."
· Opponent: "The guy she wants to date is the boy next door, whom we know is nice and would treat her right."
· You: "Your adjudication is fallible if you do not contraindicate our Y-chromosome deficient offspring commencing to consort with potential inamoratos."
· Opponent: "Huh?"
· You: "Our daughter should not be dating."
· Opponent: "Come now, be reasonable. Don't you see, if we keep her from dating now, what happens next year, when she can date without our permission? She should learn about dating now, while we're here to guide her."
· You: "Well...well.... I tell you, nothing makes me madder than those teachers' unions! They're too powerful! Why, combustion engine emissions are tearing through the ozone layer even as we speak! Oh, what were we just talking about?"
· Opponent: "Our daughter, dating."
· You: "Oh, right. I agree with you. Absolutely out of the question."
· Opponent: "But--"
· You: "BOYS ARE EVIL!! DATES ARE JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A BOY TO CORRUPT OUR DAUGHTER! THEY'LL FIRE SOVIET MISSILES AT HER!! THE KID NEXT DOOR HAS PILES OF THEM IN HIS BASEMENT!!! NEXT TO THE TWELVE WOMEN HE HAS UP IN CHAINS!!!!"
· Opponent: "Good heavens, what are you talk--"
· You: (waving arms wildly) "CLEARLY HE MAKES THEM EAT LIZARDS!!!!! ******! HE **** AND ***** AND MAKES THEM **** ** **** *****!!!!!"
· Opponent: "Gracious! I have never heard you use such language! What is wrong with you? I can't have a discussion when you're like this."
· You: "Discussion schmiscussion!"
· Opponent: "Calm down. And get off that chair."
· You: "Why don't you make me!? Nyah nyah, can't make me! You're a wimpy dimpy loser!"
· Opponent: (crying) "I don't believe you said that."
· You: "You're right. I'm sorry. I don't really think you're a wimpy dimpy loser, and I'll get down from this chair, as long as our daughter isn't allowed to date."
· Opponent: "Thank you. I didn't quite realize you felt so strongly about it. Why don't we let her date just this once and see how it goes, and then--urk...gurgle--"
· You: "Right, then. No dates."

*Note* I did not write this, I am merely passing it along for it is hilarious and I want you all to be good arguers. I don't know who did write this. That is all.*

Why I Hate Mondays

So, for Baby's Birthday, we decided to take her laser tagging. I love laser tag because it is competitive, not to difficult and I am usually good at it. Well, my skill was greatly overated in my own mind last night.

We were playing, about 12 minutes into the game, and I got up on one of those sniper steps two shoot down the little guys, but after I stood there for about four seconds, I realized that there were only five us in the game and only two people on the other team. So, in genius like fashion, I stepped off the big scary step onto the dark and cavernous floor and for reasons unknown, my foot rolled, I twisted my ankle and I fell to the floor, hitting my elbow in the process.

I yelled of course and people came a running to my rescue and though I lobbyed for a continuation of the game, we momentarily stopped. I just marvel at my own stupidity for falling as I did. Darn me and my lack of coordination! The sad thing was that I was in fourth place even before I fell and hurt myself.

Well, the game did continue, after my shoulder sensors were turned off to give me an advantage, and the game went muchly better for me. I was more difficult to hit and therefore took advantage of that, limp and all. The girls won both rounds and Baby got MVP. I got second in the second half of the game and that was pleasant.

I'm still all gimpy this morning and my ankle is fatalicious, but I had a good time nonetheless. We all may now mock me and my gimpiness.

Happy Birthday Baby!

Today is Baby's Birthday!

She is a whopping 18 today, so be sure to wish her a Happy Birthday. Also, if you have any words of wisdom for Baby, feel free to include them as well.

Baby, it will only get harder. You may think that being older gives you more rights or cred or something, but really it only means more work. Enjoy!

Your Baby,
Becky

11 o clock and all is well

Shopping maddness is the best/worst of times in the Christmas season. I love shopping and I love buying gifts, but come Christmas season it seems to take up a lot of time. I think it is the maddness and swarms of people that is the most frustrating part. Why must everyone flock to the store while I am there? Don't they know that I am most important?

Additionally, I have to think of gifts for other people. Most of the time, this is not to difficult because I am good at thinking of gifts, but this year it seems to plague me. For instance, I have to get a gift for Norm and I'm just not quite sure what to get him (suggestions helpful for those of you who know Norm). Buying for my parents is nigh on impossible because they buy most of the things that they need/want and I still haven't thought of a gift for my Mom. Hopefully, that will come to me soon.

For this reason, I've decided to shaft my friends this year and get them nothing because I hardly ever see them and unless there is a party or a consensus on a gift exchange, nothing will be given. That just leaves buying gifts for family and significant others and myself (can't forget about getting me gifts!). Shopping will be hopefully minimal this year.

Gobbler Day

This year for Thanksgiving, I will be baking pies! Now, I've baked a pie before, a pumpkin pie (with the close supervision/help of Matt), and that pie turned out fairly well, so I have some confidence in my baking skills. But, Marie and I are the only ones in charge of pies, so I feel that they really should be quite good. I've decided to do three different kinds of pie because Marie claims that she will be purchasing her pies rather than baking them and that is just not an acceptable pie. My pies will be the traditional pumpkin (which should be present at every quality Thanksgiving feast), apple (which can prove difficult with that top crust, so I will be doing a crumb crust), and chocolate pudding (because easy and oh so yummy). I think that baking might go better for me than it has gone in the past.

In the past I have not been allowed to bake things. I have a tendency to burn things or to sink things and my baking priviledges were therefore taken away. That is why I had a Lisa. Lisa did the baking of the cookies and other such oveny things (I'm afraid of the oven, it is a burn thing). But, now my Lisa has left me and I must venture out on my own and conquer my fears. Hence the pie making.

Thanksgiving will be at the Parents again this year and, unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) the marrieds will not be coming. Excellently, we snagged Darin and Deanne for Thanksgiving dinner. It is excellent because Deanne makes the best rolls ever. Her rolls are the best rolls I've ever had and there are always too few of them. I don't know how we snagged them on such late notice, but somehow we did and I am joyful. Anthon will also be attending the festivities with children in tow and this is also joyful as he has not yet come to a holiday dinner with us.

The best thing about Thanksgiving is not the food, it isn't the time with my family, it isn't the day after shopping, but rather it is the short work week. Three day work week is pretty much the best thing ever! Just one more day of work and then five days off. I love not having to work for the joy of sleeping in is sweet. Though, I am looking forward to day after turkey day shopping. Hello pretty things for Becky!

Side note: I did not get a PS3 and it is sad. I pine for me.

Happy Thanksgiving Blog viewers!

Dreaming of Superman

So, I had this strange dream last night and we all know that I like to reveal my dreams on my blog for reasons unknown.

In my dream I had a child that rapidly grew and I was Superman. I had all the Superman powers only I was female and me. Anyway, Lex Luthor was the parent of my child and the baby girl started out as a baby, but rapidly began to grow into a toddler. It was all very strange because the whole time in the dream, the little girl felt like she was really mine and I woke up feeling like I was missing something. It took me moments to realize that I did not have a child and I was not Superman and Lex Luthor was not the father of my non-existant child.
I always find it very disconcerning when I wake up with the same emotions I had in my dream. Now I really wish I could fly though.

I've always assumed that all women dream of being pregnant or having children, but then I thought that maybe I was wrong, maybe I'm just a strange dream weirdo.

In conclusion, I've learned that it is not the best idea to watch TV right before I go to bed because I will then dream about tv.

I'm flying

Heroes rocks! Watch it, love it, live it.

Make the Madness Stop Already!

Justin's lamo post could not be the first thing that my blog viewers see, so I had to put up something new. I've been serioiusly slacking my blog duties as of late and I'm thinking that that has got to stop.

I'm always working and when I'm not working, my social calendar is always very full, and I think to myself, "How did I ever have time when I was in school?" Between work and school, I'm not sure how or if I had a social life at all! Now, I have so many social demands on me that I have to often turn people down. It is so hard being popular AND beautiful.

The other night, at Buffy night, there was a birthday/halloween themed event and it was buckets of fun as we ate and caroused... until... They (the group) were picking out a movie to watch (of the scary variety) and they had begun shouting about one that they wanted to watch. I politely and quietly asked someone by me what the movie was rated (I don't watch movies with an R rating), she continued to shout the question to the crowd. The crowd responded, "Does it matter?" She said that it did, and the movie was rated R and everyone realized that said girl was asking on behalf of me. Then it just got really awkward because some still shouted for the R movie, while others (the host included) said that we could watch a different movie. I said that it was no big deal and I would just cut out of the party earlier. There were many protests to this statement. They did not want me to leave, but they wanted to watch their movie, so one individual checked the rating content in an effort to pursuade me to watch because there was only nudity, sexual content, violence and language that made the rating R. I declined said watching and a PG-13 movie was chosen. But, then, other party attenders left because they didn't want to watch the PG-13 movie. This just made me feel really guilty and out of place because I was the only one who did not wish to watch the R movie, so I once again said that I was taking off, again to great protest. So, the other avid R watchers departed not long after the PG-13 started.

So, in response to this whole experience, I wonder why some people are so afronted or offended by those who don't want to watch some content and try to force their viewing choices on others. I did not try to force my viewing choice on the rest of the group, I simply attempted to remove myself from the situation so that others may do as they please. But, some found this distasteful because they would feel guilty if I left the party. Why would they feel guilt for a choice that I am making? Why would others try to pursuade me to act as they do? Why would some become so offended by the situation that they leave? It is perplexing to me.

The whole situation made me extremely uncomfortable, and though I am normally perfectly comfortable around these people, (though many hold different beliefs than I) this was the first time that I was not comfortable in the least.

In conclusion, I'm going to stay away from Buffy night for a bit because it left me with an unsettling feeling.