Paranormal Explained

Because today is Halloween, I felt it was only fitting that my topic be Halloween related.

Huz told me of a phenomenon where a person who is sleeping awakes to find themselves paralyzed. Huz says that he's experienced it before. Chinese people believe that, when that occurs, you have been possessed by a ghost or a ghost is sitting on your chest. Freaky, right? I had never experienced that before until a couple years ago. I was in bed alone, and Huz had already left for work. Then I saw a figure enter the room. I thought it was Huz and wanted to call his name, but I couldn't. The figure just stood there. I tried really hard to move but couldn't either. While this was happening, I realized that the figure couldn't have been Huz because he had already left for work. Later I woke up and was kinda freaked out. I totally forgot about it until I read this article.

The article provides medical explanations about certain purported paranormal experiences. What I experienced is called sleep paralysis, which occurs when there’s a disconnect between mind and body while people are going in or coming out of REM sleep. You can't move because you're really asleep. That doesn't seem very scary at all.

The article also explained this other weird thing that happened to Huz. We stayed at a cabin in the middle of nowhere one time. Don't ask me why. It was a terrible idea. Anyway, Huz wakes up in the middle of the night and really has to pee. The only bathroom is downstairs. He walks down and passes the living room. There he sees a little girl reading a book. (Mysterious little girls are always creepy!) He looks again, and the girl disappears. He of course thinks it must have been his imagination, so he continues to the bathroom. On his way back up the stairs, he hears voices. At this point, he bolts up the stairs and back to our room.

Huz actually kept that story quiet the entire trip. He knew I would probably want to leave immediately if he told me. Smart man. He told my friend and me the story right when we got into the car to go back home. However, my friend had a perfectly good explanation for the voices. She said that two other people on vacation with us had stayed up all night talking. Oooohhh! Haha!

But what about that little girl in the living room. According to the article, people who are tired are more susceptible to these visions. It’s a trick of the eye that may trigger a momentary welling up of a mental image. Makes sense, I suppose.

So really...there's nothing scary here. You're welcome.

Access Denied!

The absolute worse thing has happened!! I can't access my blog or any other blog for that matter at work. If I try, I get this abrupt page that says "Access Denied." I knew this was bound to happen, but I just didn't want to admit it to myself.

It all started about a month ago when people were complaining that the Internet was slow at work. After some investigation by IT, they figured out that there was limited bandwidth as a result of people accessing streaming media. The word "Facebook" was thrown around as well. As a solution, my firm cut off access to streaming media and for some reason online photo albums like Picasa. I learned to deal with it. But I wondered why the hell were people still allowed to use Facebook. I knew people who leave Facebook open all day long. And you know that Facebook is constantly reloading to get status updates and crap like that.

I was just waiting for the day to come that Facebook was no longer accessible. That day had come this week.

I laughed in those people's faces. Ha Ha, I said.

The following day, I tried to go on my blog. And access was denied!! Turns out that along with Facebook, we could no longer visit any social networking sites or personal websites! Ahhh! The woe that is me.

That means I can't comment back to people during the day. Worst of all, when I am bored I can't check my favorite blogs. It's probably for the best. But I don't have to like it.

P.S. On an unrelated note, which I didn't think deserved a whole blog post, I read that Miley Cyrus was voted the worst influence in an internet poll by tweens and teenagers. Haha! Maybe because she made fun of Chinese people. She deserves it. What an idiot. And her song "Party in the USA" is fuggin' crap. Yeah, I said it. It doesn't even make any sense.

P.P.S. What do you think about the word "fuggin'"? I like it.

An Attitude for Success!

Yeah, that's right. I'm writing an "Attitude for Success!" post! Me! Laura (who was a B- average student in high school because she did not apply herself until she got to college) is now on her way to success and wants to take you with her!

As I've gotten older and have taken more graphic design classes, I've learned some things about myself, my peers, and about my career. And so I've assembled a sort of list in my mind of the attitudes a designer needs to have to be successful. Tara has pointed out that this list can also be applied to many other jobs.

No 1. Love critique!

The great thing about art class is critique! They may take hours and seem kind of boring sometimes, but I love it! I love hearing what's wrong with my work. After spending hours staring at a design, I get really unsure if things look good the way they are. I always love having fresh eyes on my work! I met this girl who was saying how she hates critique. She said she gets nervous when she goes up there and feels like everyone's just bashing her work. I just wanted to shake her! That's how we get better as designers. As a designer, unless you plan to be freelance, you're going to be working with a group of designers. You have to work as a team. Not all your ideas and sketches are going to be loved just as you in turn won't love all your teammate's ideas. Design is a give and take and, unless you're ready to take, you will not be able to succeed in the outside world.

No. 2 Be able to adapt!

Every designer has his/her own style, but you have to be able to adapt to different styles because not everyone has the same taste as you do. You have to serve various brands and companies with designs that conform to their image.

No. 3 Become fluent in bullshit!

Often time, the companies you design for will not always completely understand your design or they won't love it. You have to sell it! Instead of saying "Oh, I put those random stars on the top left-hand corner, because I needed to fill that empty space with something," you have to say "Those stars are used to balance the composition of my piece and echoes the geometric tone of the rest of my design, thereby drawing readers' eyes into the page and leading their eyes to the text." Yes, I did just make that up in 2 seconds! And you must too! Now go buy a bullshit dictionary and practice!

No. 4 Be confident!

As a designer, I can get pretty confident in my work. I usually walk into class, knowing I probably have one of the best designs in the room. Some may call me cocky, but I'm usually right! I hate hate hate going into class thinking my work is a piece of crap! But when that does happen, it's okay. Your teacher and peers are there to help you. I've never bombed before, but I've had some critiques where I knew everyone thought my work was just okay, but that just drives me to make them better. You must have that same attitude!

No. 5 Be a perfectionist!

I think it's horrible when I see people get a B or lower on a project and be okay with that. I've even seen people who have a chance to redesign there work for a better grade and pass it up. Designing is what we're going to be doing for the rest of our lives! It's a dog-eat-dog world out there and if you're not trying to be the best you can be, then you mine as well give up now. It bothers me a lot to give in a project for a grade, knowing my work is imperfect. Some may think I'm crazy, but that's how you should be!

No. 6 Love it.

My final word of advise is simply to love what you do. I go into the computer lab excited to start my projects and the hours pass easily while I sit there on the computer. I see a lot of my peers have the same attitude. We can't wait to start some of our assignments, most often the ones that give us the most creative freedom. If you don't love designing, maybe this isn't the craft for you.

Free Legal Service, Anyone?

Immediately after I passed the bar, my family and friends ask me for legal advice all the time. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind helping people out. I usually get questions about contracts, personal injury, or real estate. I give them my advice and then explain that it's not really my area and that they should probably get a lawyer.

So anyway, my mom asks me questions all the time. She calls me her "little lawyer." =p I've read contracts for her or gave her advice to help her friends out. Today, I got a text from her. Here it is:

Mom: My little lawyer, what does "you can depend on the trust of the collective" mean?
Me: Where'd you get this from?
Mom: From fortune cookie.

This is why I got my degree. To help interpret my mom's fortune cookies. Awesome.

Disclaimer: This post is not an advertisement. I will not be giving you free legal services. Sorry.

The Great "Weird" Debate

Recently, we have been arguing about who is the weirdest one among us 3 sisters. If one of us does something remotely weird, we'll accuse her of being the weirdest. Laura and I are convinced that it's Tina. The evidence is twofold, namely, her really strange offspring. Her kids are friggin' weird, man! Carmen and Rachel break out in song randomly throughout the day. Rachel sometimes feels compelled to rhyme for no apparent reason. (Is there ever a reason to rhyme?) She was eating nuggets one time and said "nugget bo bugget" repeatedly. Ooookaayy...weirdo. Haha! I would elaborate, but they hate when we talk about them in their presence, let alone on a blog.

Their behavior has only one explanation. They have a weirdo mother. I have a theory about this. Tina constantly does funny things to make her daughters laugh. She has an attentive audience who loves her. Huz barely cracks a smile at my strange antics. Laura has a new boyfriend that may not fully appreciate hers just yet. Unlike Tina, we don't really have an outlet for our weirdness. So Tina MUST be the weirdest one, right?!?!

But seriously, who am I kidding? We are all pretty weird...especially when we are together. Let me break it down for you.

We have a million inside jokes that don't get tired...at least not to us. Here are some examples that we would only understand.
- Leverage
- "Hear ye, hear ye"
- "Basically" said in a deep voice
- "Babe, you're such a babe, babe"
- "Tina will hear of this!"
- Laura thinks everything is from a movie.
- "I'm going to throw a beet at you!"

We each have phrases that we say all the time. The other two would pick it up, and then we'll have no idea who started it. Each of us would try to claim it even though the phrase is probably really dumb.

We steal each other's memories. We honestly forget who it happened to. Haha! I did it to Laura the other day. I was describing how I called the wrong number one time and start blabbing thinking it was one of them. Turned out that never happened to me. It happened to Laura when she called my office. She thought the receptionist was me. Classic!

We yell in exasperation at each other for being stupid and annoying. An outside person would think we are serious. But we aren't...well, not really.

We make up phrases, usually gibberish, that we don't use in public. "Argh" somehow turned into "Argh Bargh." Don't ask.

Tina and Laura make up weird nicknames for Rachel and Carmen. Instead of something short, it takes like two or three breaths to say. Haha! I haven't thought of any yet...oh, but I probably will.

We honestly believe in Monopoly karma. The rule is don't beat someone when they are down during a game of Monopoly because it WILL come back to bite you in the ass.

We have more fun with the kids' toys than they do. Sometimes, Carmen begs us to do something else. We usually shoo her away. Tehe.

Nonetheless, I vote that Tina and Laura are the weird sisters, not me! And my vote is the only one that counts. =p

Happy Halloween 2009!

Every year for Halloween the 3 sisters get together and do some pumpkin carving. This tradition started a few years back and it's been something we always look forward to at this time of year, besides trick-or-treating with the kids. I have to say our pumpkin carving style kind of reflects our different personalities. Laura, the artist, of course likes to make her own creations and never ever uses stencils. Tara, the lawyer who always likes a good challenge, chooses the most complicated stencil she can find and creates an elaborate design fit for any professional pumpkin carver. I, on the other hand, choose the most simplest and easiest design to make. FYI: I have also accidentally decapitated a cat I was making. I'm not sure exactly what it says about me. Maybe I don't like challenges. Or maybe I'm just not creative or artistic. But I like to think that I appreciate simple things. Isn't it the simple things in life that we later appreciate the most?

Tara's "Graveyard Scene"

Laura's "Decapitated Boyfriend"

Tina's "Ichabod's Fate" (Yeah, I didn't make it up.)



Carmen's "Pirate Boy" and Rachel's "Macy, just Macy"

Serenaded in NYC

The city was bustling as usual. The streets were filled with people walking to lunch, to an appointment, or to meet friends. I was actually heading out of the city, back home. I weaved my way through the crowd to get to the train station. I was almost there when suddenly out of nowhere, I heard someone sing directly behind me.

He sang, "All you need is love." That's it.

His voice was so distinctly clear. Almost like his lips were right next to my ear. It was like this beautiful stranger was serenading me. Like he was singing only to me...in this city full of millions. He saw me and just couldn't help bursting into song

It was so sweet and perfect. I smiled to myself. But I didn't want to ruin the moment by turning around. I didn't want to find the person to whom that angelic voice belonged. So I kept walking. He was probably long gone and lost in the crowd anyway.

Whoever this person was...and whatever he was doing. I will always remember it like this...like he was serenading me. And that he looked like Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge singing that same line so loudly and powerfully. And with so much passion. Sigh.

And who said I'm not a hopeless romantic?

Tara is a Love Hater!

Yeah, that's right. You've read correctly. I am accusing Tara, the woman who's been in love with Huz for a bijillion years now, of being a Love Hater. Recently, my boyfriend and I have come to the habit of celebrating every month of our relationship with the exchange of gifts and a nice date. Tara has made it widely known that she does not approve of this. She tells us its silly and unnecessary, making my boyfriend and I shift our eyes guiltily and clear our throats uncomfortably. I used to try to keep my dignity, saying it was his idea (which it was!) or saying its not a big deal, but that time is over! Instead, I am admitting I like doing it! It's fun and cute and nice; especially for our semi-long distance relationship! And I am calling Tara a Love Hater! Boo on her!

Today, I called her out on it. She admitted I'm probably right! She is just a crude, jaded old woman! Just kidding! But it is true Huz isn't the most romantic man (Sorry Huz!) so she admits he's probably ruined her youthful idea of love forever.

PS. Don't you just love the picture I found! It's awesomeeee!

Stamps!!

(I add exclamation marks in the hopes that it will make my designs more exciting than they actually are.)



In my Computers for Designers class we were to take high res photos of some theme and turn them into stamps and also make a sell sheet, the kind you would see at a post office. So I took pictures of animals and worked them in Adobe Illustrator. I Lived Traced them to turn them into adorable cartoons. My teacher noticed my affinity for stripes.. (I've used them more than once.)

I got an A-!

Enjoy!

My First Commercial Design!

So I know I've been slacking in my blogging duties. I'm sorry, okay!

I've posted a recent assignment in my Computer for Designers class. We were to take a company of our choosing and create a rewards card and gold card for them. Being the shopper I am, I chose my favorite store, H&M! Usually I wouldn't pack so many elements into one small design but the requirements of the assignment was to have at least 3 layers on each card.

I did them in Adobe Photoshop, which is not my strong suit. I'm better with Illustrator. I have no idea how i came up with my design. I just played with it and it got ideas as I went. In critique, my teacher said he didn't particularly like my leopard print sky, but I loved it! So being the bad ass I am, I left it. Muahaha! Take that, Professor!

Sorry for the bad quality of the picture. I tried my best!

I am still waiting for a grade. Hope I get an A! :)

"Carmen has magic!"

This is a Rachel story, and believe me, there are tons of Rachel stories. Fortunately this one just happened, so I can remember every hilarious detail.

Rachel runs downstairs and announces very hurriedly, "I have to go the bathroom!"
A minute later in the bathroom, she says, "I peed on myself."
My husband tells her, "Rachel, you have to stop going so late." Because she is always in a rush.
Her excuse is that Carmen was using the bathroom upstairs.
My husband says, "There are two bathrooms upstairs. Why didn't you use the other bathroom?"
An annoyed Rachel exclaims, "Carmen was in the other bathroom."
My husband very confused now asks, "How can Carmen be in both bathrooms?"
Rachel says with all seriousness, "Carmen has magic!"

The End

Rules Shmules

Before Laura was born, at the end of every year, our mom would take us to Toys R' Us and let us each pick out a present for our birthdays/Christmas. Our little brother almost always got one of those Tiger electronic games. Tina and I, on the other hand, would always get ourselves a board game. We loved board games, but unfortunately they didn't love us. That's because we never ever read the directions. We usually just made the rules up.

LIFE was the only game we played correctly only because we just had to spin the wheel and move around the board. Easy Peasy. If it got anymore complicated than that, we'll turn the board into another game entirely...one that suited us. Rules shmules.

We didn't even play the classics correctly. Like Clue. We had no idea how to play it. We instead turned the board and game pieces into a two-dimensional dollhouse. Hehe. Also, another one is Monopoly. We didn't get the point at all--that you have to create monopolies. We collected rent and built houses as we pleased. Oh, Mousetrap was the best. We just played with the trap and didn't actually play the game.

Over the years, Tina and I collected dozens of board games, all of which we didn't really know how to play. Come to think of it. Why did we keep buying them?

Our relaxed attitude toward game rules continued into high school. It never bothered us. And we didn't think it was weird. That is until Taboo. Tina and I introduced the game to our friends and taught them how to play. We played it at get-togethers and birthday parties. Then one friend played it elsewhere and discovered that we are idiots and had been playing it wrong! Whoops. We should have mentioned that we never read the rules. Instead of guessing the word at the top of the card, we made everyone guess all the words at the bottom. Looking back, I realize that doesn't many ANY sense. But we lived on the edge. Rules were too confining for our brilliant minds.

To this day, friends would bring up the Taboo incident. Tehe. If you were wondering, we finally figured out the rules to Clue and Monopoly too. It only took us 15 years.

What's Up with Taylor Swift Songs and Grown Men?

I had that new Taylor Swift song stuck in my head all weekend. While hanging out with Huz and blogging, I was singing the song...half mumbly cuz I didn't really know all the words. I sang, "she wears high heels. I wear t-shirts..." I didn't get to sing anything else before Huz corrects me and tells me it's "I wear sneakers." First I was like "Huh? What? What did I even say?" I wasn't even paying attention. Then I was like "really?" Huz knew the words to Taylor Swift.

There's something about Taylor Swift songs and grown men. Huz's cousin admitted that he liked her songs, which was followed by Huz's enthusiastic agreement. Wow, I say, wow. The best part was when Huz's cousin was telling Huz he liked the song that went like this: "Romeo take me somewhere, we can be alone. I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run." Then Huz agreed and started singing some lyrics: "she wears short skirts. I wear t-shirts." I'm like "Dude, you guys are singing two different songs by Taylor Swift." Awesome.

Then on Sunday, in the middle of a Chinese restaurant, I found myself singing trio with Huz and his brother. "But she wears short skirts. I wear t-shirts. She's cheer captain. And I'm on the bleachers." It was pretty epic, I have to admit.

Random Niece Stories

"The Queen Bee"

Tina and her husband were telling me that Rachel was complaining that she didn't have any friends at school. They were concerned, so they spoke with her teacher. Surprised, her teacher said everyone wanted to be her friend and actually called her the "queen bee." Then Tina explained to me that Rachel was telling other kids that she didn't want to be their friend. Apparently, the other kids would then cry to the teacher about it.

Rachel was listening to this while we were talking about it. She said in a very serious tone, "I'm not their friend because they tell on me!"

I couldn't help but laugh at that.

* * *

"Uh...Ask Your Mother"

My niece Carmen is 7 years old and is naturally curious about everything. One day, we were all in Tina's minivan. Laura was sitting shotgun, the girls were in the middle row, and I was all the way in the back. As usual, we were gibber jabbering about random things. I don't know why, but suddenly, Carmen turned to me and asked me when I'm going to have a baby. (Can't believe my little niece is pestering me about this too!)

Anyway, then the topic turned awkward. Carmen asked how do babies come out of the mommy's stomach. Laura had her head turned toward the back and was facing Carmen. The look on her face was PRICELESS. She was literally at a loss for words. Fortunately, I was in the back, so no one noticed my dumbfounded expression. Also, no one but Laura saw me pointing and laughing at her in the next second. Aunties do not come equipped to handle these kinds of conversations.

I will never forget the look on Laura's face. It was friggin' awesome.

My Baby Name

Let me preface with this--I am not pregnant nor do I have any kids. However, for the longest time, I had a baby name picked out for my first daughter. It was Kalie. Pronounced kay-lee. I loved the baby name since 1997. Yes, I actually remember when. You'll laugh when I tell you how I came up with it. I first heard the name watching MTV. Haha! It was the name of a girl on Road Rules. I thought her name was pretty and different, and I instantly knew I was going to name my baby Kalie.

Fast forward a dozen years when many of my friends and family have had babies. And I didn't. People have stolen my baby name! I hate them all! Just kidding. Not really. But for some reason, Kalie or some variation of it suddenly became popular. What the hell! As I said, I liked that name since 1997 and didn't know anyone with that name. And now I know several people whose daughters' name is either Kaylee or Kayla. I also have a niece named Kalani--pronounced kay-lanie. Too close for comfort.

So this year, I decided to give up the baby name that I've kept for all these years. It made me really sad when I made this decision. I announced it to both Tina and Laura who also thought it was probably for the best. It really was a tough decision for me. I held onto that name forever.

I recently came up with another name...a secret baby name. I hadn't even told Tina and Laura yet. Hopefully, I'll have a daughter some day, and I can bestow her with my secret baby name. However, the name Kalie will always be special to me.

Dear baby Kalie...you never had a chance.

I am a Teacher!!!

Most of our bloggers know that I am a mother of two beautiful girls, but what you might not have realized is that I am also a full-time teacher. A few years back I decided to return to school and finally get certified in education. Just last year I received my certification in elementary education and was ready to enter the world of teaching. I went in with high hopes and admittedly naive expectations. I thought my students would adore me and hang on my every word. I was about to get a rude awakening. I interned in a kindergarten class, so I thought for my first year I would teach kindergarten. You wouldn't believe the goings-on in my kindergarten class. You probably imagine a kindergarten class full of shining faces, bright eyes, and cute little people. In my class, I had 5 year-olds cursing like a sailor, throwing chairs at each other, biting and scratching each other, and practically almost killing each other. I have no idea how I lasted the whole year, but somehow I made it through. And believe me, I never cried so much in my life. It was literally the most miserable year of my life. I am a happy-go-lucky person and nothing ever bothers me for long, but boy, was I the most miserable and unhappiest person. I was close to quitting almost every day. By the end, it was finally like the light at the end of a tunnel. When I stepped out and away from that horrible place, I felt the sun shining on me and I was able to breathe again. On my last day of school, my beautiful sisters threw me a little party with a cake that read, "Screw (name of school)!" It was awesome!

I'm in my second year of teaching, at a different school and teaching third grade. Thank God! I am not the best teacher in the world, nor am I the worst teacher. I have my fair share of not perfect days, but it in no way compares to even my best days at my old school. The administration and staff are supportive and actually want to help me. Last year the principal was literally out to get me. When I called the office about my crazy students, the secretary will tell me to calm the student down. How the hell am I suppose to calm a student who's on a murderous rampage?!? This year is a complete turn around. Teachers have no qualms calling the office about problem students and teachers actually like and respect the principal. This idea was completely foreign to me!

All of last year I did not feel like a teacher. I felt like a failure. When people asked my occupation, I would admit that I'm a teacher, but I felt almost like a liar. This year I can say with pride that I am a teacher! So bloggers just wanted to say, "I am a teacher and proud of it!"

Tara Goes on Strike

I've decided that I am going on strike! That's right. You won't be hearing from me until BOTH my sisters/fellow bloggers post something. Neither of them even blogged once this month! I have to remind them that this blog is called THE 3 SISTERS BLOG. Not TaraRamblesOnAndOnAboutRandomCrap.com. The purpose of this blog was to do something together and to blog about our three different perspectives. However, all our readers are getting is my perspective. Honestly, I am sick of talking about myself and my opinions. I want to hear about Laura and Tina. Am I right?!?

Blogging is a hard job. And I feel under paid and under appreciated. I toil day in and day out, and what do I get?!? Maybe a few measly comments here and there, if I am lucky. I don't want to hear excuses. I want action! Is a couple blog posts really too much to ask? I don't think so. I am officially on strike starting today.

These are my virtual picket signs:

TARA WORKS WITH 2 JERKS

3 SISTERS = 1 BLOGGER + 2 COMMENTERS

CO-HOSTS MUST POST!

THE 3 SISTERS BLOG ≠ TINA AND LAURA SIT ON THEIR BUTTS

THE 3 SISTERS HAVE NO SILENT PARTNERS!

GIVE ME WORDS FROM TWO THIRDS

SPOILER ALERT! TARA BLOGS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN...

I could go on all day. But I am on strike!

Should Leggings Stay in the 1990s?

There is not much originality in fashion these days. There is just reinvented fashion. Because I've lived for three decades now, I've seen quite a bit of fashion comebacks. I think most things should stay dead. They went out of fashion for a reason. Some have, so far at least, like shoulder pads, scrunchies, the stick-up bangs and overalls. Others unfortunately have not, like mom jeans, neon, and high heel sneakers. Fortunately these haven't really caught on. Admittedly I sported all of these fashions back in the day. Okay, I didn't really do the stick-up bangs but would have if I just knew how. I thought they were the coolest. Can you name any more disastrous fashion trends that have somehow sneaked its way back into relevance?

I noticed that a few fashion trends have been rejuvenated of late. They are trends to which I thought I said good-bye forever. I swore I'll never wear or care for them again. For example, flannel is back in full force. Although I admit they are updated and look pretty cool. Also, vests are back. Tina and I used to wear them in high school. Now I see Laura wearing them all the time. I haven't bought any flannel shirts or vests yet and probably won't. I don't know. Maybe.

Now come leggings, which is what I really want to talk about. I wore leggings back in 1992! Last year, all of a sudden they became trendy again. I refused to wear them and completely wrote them off. It reminded me of 13-year-old Tara who I rather put behind me. I didn't think leggings were me anymore. Like flannel shirts and vests, I associate leggings with me in the 90s. I was pretty dorky and clueless then. So last year for the entire year, I avoided them. There was just no way I was going to wear leggings...or so I thought.

Now I've succumb to its allure and love them. They are comfortable and cute with just about anything, including sweaters, cardigans, and dresses. Also, I like to wear loose tops that only look flattering with skinny jeans or leggings. They are great with boots too. You don't get that scrunching effect at the knee that you get with jeans. Ugh! Hate that. Plus I don leggings for my hip hop class. I look awesome while strutting my stuff and popping my hips! Bam bam! Haha.

Leggings, I welcome you to 2009.

The 3 Sisters Try Hip Hop

A few months ago, Tina called me with big news. She said she had an idea that will be life changing. I am always skeptical when either of my sisters are that excited about something. With good reason too. She wanted me to take funk/hip hop classes with her. Honestly, I didn't really want to do it. My first thought was that we were way too old to hip hop dance. But I couldn't let her go by herself. So I reluctantly agreed.

I really didn't know what to expect. But it won me over in the first class. It's a really fun way to exercise. I break a sweat every time. Plus it's something Tina and I can do together once a week. It's fun as long as you don't take it or yourself too seriously. In case you were wondering, we aren't the oldest in the class.

We learn new moves and routines every week. The instructor gets us to move our hips and do kicks and turns. Laura went to class with us today. I think she actually enjoyed herself. She was a good sport and kept up most of the time. She was so cute trying to do the kicks. Haha. But you should see me doing the spins. Laura kept laughing at my attempts. I admit that they are not pretty. I can't help that I get dizzy!

After we complete the class, we are hitting the clubs! AWWWW...YEAH!

I Need More Girlfriends

All through high school, college, three years of work, and then graduate school, I hung out with mostly guys to Huz's chagrin. Haha. No, it didn't really bother him. I felt I relate most with men because they are simple, laid back creatures. I don't have to deal with backstabbing or cattiness. Cliche, I know. But that was what I thought. Plus in those days, I wasn't looking for a BFF. I already had a best friend to whom I told my deepest darkest secrets, my twin. So I didn't really need girlfriends, or at least, I didn't think so.

Years later, I realize that I may have missed out. In all of those years, I became close friends with only a handful of girls. I have only one best girlfriend who isn't related to me, and she doesn't even live in my city. I need more girlfriends. I want to gossip with them and talk about fashion, shoes, men and, let's be honest, other women. I want to complain and vent about anything to girlfriends who will just listen without trying to fix my "problems." I want to have fabulous ladies' nights like on Sex in the City. I may have missed my chance. Now all I am left with are guy friends who don't want to do any of those things.

Well, I still count myself lucky because I get to do most of the girlfriend stuff with my sisters. But it's just not the same because Laura is 12 years younger than me, and Tina has two kids. Neither of them can really relate to my life right now. (I still love you!!) For some reason, I only came to this realization recently--that my life is a bit lacking in girlfriends. Hmmm...how do I solve this "problem"? Maybe my guy friends can help me.

Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt

Have you heard of the phenomenon that is the Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt? It is supposed to be the best t-Shirt around! It is magical and bestows the wearer with powers beyond his wildest dreams. Wearing this t-shirt turns a guy from a dud to a stud. Intrigued?

Thursday night while watching The Office, Huz points at Dwight and says excitedly, "Dwight is wearing the Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt." I was like what the hell are you talking about? Apparently, it is the new craze on the Internet. If you look at the reviews on Amazon, everyone is saying how this t-shirt turned their lives around and is a total chick magnet. It is pretty hilarious stuff. It just goes to show you that people are weird and have way too much time on their hands. Haha. It's, however, good for a laugh.

On The Office, Dwight totally got some while wearing the t-shirt. How awesome is that? And the chick he hooked up with was totally hot. It must have magical powers if Dwight can get a date. I would buy one for Huz, but I'd rather not have to deal with the sea of women that would likely come his way. But I am intrigued...

Nooooo, Ashley!

I am blogging through blurred vision right now because I am in hysterics and crying my eyes out. Ashley Merriman is gone! Noooo! She was eliminated from Top Chef tonight. (Hey, don't judge me. I get really into my TV.) She was my underdog. She was cooking against really talented chefs, but there was just something special about her. She knows how to cook, but she also has integrity. She would never throw her competitors under the bus. I have been rooting for her since the beginning of the season. But she got cut tonight!

She made salty gnocci and undercooked prawns. I was really worried. The other team at the bottom had my favorite Michael Voltaggio. He has been doing so well all season, so I knew he was probably safe. So that meant Ashley was in danger. I was in denial the last few minutes of the show. I kept chanting, "No, not Ashley." Then when it came down to Ashley and Michael, I starting wailing. There was no way it was going to end well...for me. Then when she was eliminated, I was blubbering and hiccuping. I am not proud of it, but WAHHH!

I am going to miss Ashley. I adore her.

Great Books to Really Bad Movies

I really enjoy watching movies based on books, especially serial books, that I've read and loved. Because I love the books so much, I expect to like the movie even if it is only mediocre. I don't care that the movie is never going to be as good as the book. The movies give me another chance to enjoy my favorite stories and characters again, but in a completely different way. I loved all of the Harry Potter movies and the Twilight movie. Also, I thought Golden Compass was fantastic. It was critically acclaimed but unfortunately didn't do well in the box office. I hope they make the rest of the trilogy anyway. It was soooo good.

After I read all the books in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, I was excited about the movie Eragon, which came out back in 2006. Of course, Laura went to watch it immediately and told me it was really really bad. I refused to believe her. It's based on Eragon! How bad could it be? I finally watched it after finding it in a $3.99 bin at Circuit City last Black Friday. Well, it wasn't freakin' worth the $3.99 I paid for it. It was beyond horrific. How could they have messed up that bad? I don't really remember any details because I am trying to forget it! I don't want the Inheritance Cycle to be forever tainted for me by that terrible movie.

Most recently, there was Inkheart. Okay, I didn't love the book as much as Laura did, but I was hoping it would translate well on screen. I couldn't even finish it it was so bad. I doubt they will be making the rest of the trilogy, Inkspell and Inkdeath. Well, at least, I hope not. Brendan Fraser who I kinda like is in the movie and didn't help the film much at all.

It is so disappointing when movies based on my favorite books turn out bad. I am still broken up about Eragon. It shattered any hope for a spectacular movie series, which I was really looking forward to. I thought it had a lot of potential. There are magic, dragons and dragon riders! Cool, right?!? (Yeah, I am a nerd.)

I heard that they are making The Hunger Games into a movie. It better be awesome, or you will hear about it!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

We celebrated Carmen's 7th birthday this weekend. I can't believe she is 7 years old! She is growing up too fast. It's incredible. I called her on her actual birthday to wish her a happy birthday. I know...I'm such a good Auntie. (You hear that, Laura! Haha! Jk.) Anyway, I asked her if she was excited for her party. She said, "Not really." I know she was...she just wanted to act chill. Such a teenager!

Anyway, as usual, Tina threw a party for her. And as usual, I was in charge of desserts. I usually make two kinds of cookies, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. However, this time, I wanted to try something different. I found a recipe for peanut butter cup cookies on allrecipes.com. They are so cute and easy to make. They turned out perfectly soft and delicious. My half brother's daughter wanted another before she even finished her first cookie. Haha! So cute.

I provided an actual picture of how my cookies turned out. The recipe is below:

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature peanut butter cups

Directions:
1. Unwrap the 40 miniature peanut butter cups and refridgerate.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
3. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
4. Shape into 40 balls (about 1-1.5 inches in diameter) and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Note: You can just place them directly on a cookie sheet, which is what I ended up doing because I didn't have a mini muffin pan.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

That's It! I'm Making Huz Carry Tic Tacs in His Pocket!

I don't know what it is, but I am a very jumpy person. I jump and scream at the slightest provocation. Okay, fine. I'm a wuss. A big big wuss. You happy now? I don't watch scary movies or TV shows about the paranormal. I don't even watch true mystery shows at night by myself because I think the voice over is scary. Am I right?!? I can't be the only one. I don't read scary books either. If I see a large bug even one that is like five feet away from me, I'll still scream. I know that there is no way it will hurt me or crawl on me or anything, but it freaks me out.

Anyway, this is kinda stupid, but Huz scares me all the time. He doesn't hide behind doors or sneak up on me and yell "Boo!" or anything like that. (Well, maybe sometimes.) Instead, he silently walks into the room, and, when I turn to find him suddenly next to me, I scream my head off. He always has this stupid smirk on his face like he has done nothing wrong and thinks I am mental. Okay, fine, I am. But he is so damn quiet! Before I know it, he materializes right next to me. He knows how jumpy I get!

So he did this to me AGAIN! I came home and noticed that he was in the basement. I go into the kitchen to put my groceries down and turn to put something away. And there he is, turning the corner into the kitchen. Of course, I scream. And he has this innocent look on his face and says "What?" I yell at him for scaring me half to death, and he responds that he was just coming upstairs to say hello. I tell him that he is just too damn quiet when he enters a room. He asks me how else is he supposed to do it. Then I show him. I stomp loudly in place and say aloud "I am coming into the room now." I think that makes perfect sense, right? Everyone should do that.

I've said this many times, but I am for real this time. I am going to make him carry Tic Tacs in his pocket. That way, I can hear him coming. It's like that Seinfeld episode about that stealthy guy at Elaine's office. Furthermore, I have this sneaking suspicion that Huz is doing it on purpose. I just know it!