Just to make you {SMILE}

This made me smile, and laugh. Oh how I smiled. Then I watched it a few more times. Thinking: This is exactly how dad's should be.

i {LOVE} this pen

I know...its a Pen

But I seriously love it. I have ALWAYS loved the way my hand writing looks with a fine tip Sharpie. [I Mean WHO doesn't have GREAT Sharpie writing?] So this pen is a my new favorite. It is clear, sharp, and it doen't bleed (I checked).

Is is it just me or does my handwriting look better?

Not to worry, I am working on my own Font.

I just want to make sure I practice first. As SOON as it is perfected, I will let you know how you can get your hands on it.

♥ Single Girl

Life is hard, and so is MARRIAGE

I loved this article on Modern Love that the NY Times ran.

It is an inspiration in a divorce epidemic.

♥ Single Girl

Calling in sick and other important GROWN UP stuff

I once fake called in sick like this:

It was a JOKE when i took a day off to drive to Seattle with friends. My boss laughed when the note arrived under his door.

Good thing I now have this little chart to follow:

iM admittedly a little slow on the uptake, but How to Behave: New Rules for Highly Evolved Humans is pretty funny.

The rules by Brad Pitt are the funniest. Especially: Should I Ask My World Of Warcraft Wife If She's Really a Dude?

his response: Absolutely not. If it's good, don't check under the hood. I say, love her with everything you've got. I mean, she's your wife, man!

Other interesting rules:

• Ignore your Ex on Facebook
• Can I talk on the phone while in the bathroom
• Holster Style Guide
• Friend Your Boss But Not Your Boss' Boss
• Never Broadcast Your Relationship Status
• Don't Lie With Your Facebook Photo
• Balance your media diet
• Is It OK to Look at Porn at Work?

Some of my FAVORITES aren't even real Rules, just this little tips hidden in the article.

I feel like I am on the path to a better life.

♥ Single Girl

PS: I have in fact UNFRIEND-ed some people for being STATUS/Tweet crazy

ALMOST as good as vacation:

Sleeping in
Bfast with Morgs
swimming in a heated pool {kind of}
LUNCH at the Diamond Grill
quick change
movie night
frosting
NCIS
hide out
Movie 2
SUGAR Babies
a soda explosion
DDD on Tivo


oh Weekends... You are too short, too fleeting

♥ Single Girl

NEW PLAN: Laugh more

There was this once when I didn't know who Jim Gaffigan was. It was a sad sad sad day. My MOM {Of all people} was making bacon jokes and I was a little clueless.

My new roommates set me straight and sat me down with King Baby. I was hooked. The put the DVD in and left me to my laughter. I was home alone laughing out loud.

Later we found out JIM was coming to town. My mom bought tickets and we planned a little family time in SLC.

It was AMAZING. I literally laughed the entire way though. It was [fun/refreshing/hilarious] & a good work out. My cheeks and my sides ached from laughter.

My favorite was an entire series on how no one should eat sea food. That most of the sea food we eat are bugs, that even the fish want to call an exterminator. I loved it mostly because I HATE sea food & not for lack of trying.

Lobster= scorpion

shrimp = roach

oyster = rock full of snot

calamari = fried garden hose

it made me giggle. Well worth the trip to Salt Lake. It's a good thing that my sides ached because we ate an amazing dinner at Stone Ground (my mom discovered YELP, help us all) before hand which we polished off with a little gourmandise.

Not a bad way to start off the weekend. Next on my list, I hear Brian Regan is funny.

♥ Single Girl

S(O)MEtimes it is better we ignore each other

Like when I am at Wendy's trying to get a small fry and a small frosty. OR a Diet Coke.

There are good and bad things about being back in my old college town. One of them is that I run into people I know all the time. Like the manager of the local Wendy's.

We might have lived in the same complex like 5 years ago. He might have been friendlier with me than I cared for. I might have enjoyed the LARGE Wendy's Diet cokes that would magically appear at my apartment from time to time. There was a time when I thought Wendy's coke was like nectar from heaven.

So whenever I get a craving for a [frosty/fry] I CRINGED at the thought of running into him.

Yesterday I did, in the drive through, after work.

Thanks goodness he used discression. He simply took my money handed me the goods and smiled. I sped out of there like bat out of hell. I May never go back.

♥ Single Girl

Michael C. Hall: YOU should have won Best Actor in a DRAMA.

DEXTER you should have won OUTSTANDING Drama.

Jimmy you should have won for Best Guest Actor in DEXTER.


iM counting down to the SEASON IV Premier.

September 27th can't get here fast enough.

IF you aren't sold on it yet WATCH the Trailer HERE.



Ohhhhh Dexter. iM glad you are back. iM excited to see what happens in your life. WELCOME back.



I was recently googling my new little obsession: DEXTER.

i FOUND this little beauty here.




♥ Single Girl

300 & counting

I can't believe that it's already been 300 posts. It seems like just a day ago I was breaking into the blog world on a solo act. HERE I am 300 posts later. As a mini recap i thought I would make a few notes.

In the last 300 posts I have:

Moved: Orem, PG, P-TOWN then I TRIED to live here. NOW iM in Springville.

CRIED.

MADE some Confessions: about LIFE, my habits, about being SINGLE

Shared some secrets...

met a boy. I had a {CRUSH}. I went Speed dating. I was contacted by an EX. I had a breakdown about THE EX.

DIDN'T get murdered, go missing or committee suicide.

Was RESCUED by a 16 year old boy.

Traveled lots of places...Seattle, Walnut Creek, CA...Disneyland, LA, NYC, Las Vegas, Ethiopia...San Francisco CA, China/Korea/Japan.

and found some more places I wants to go: In Europe & an amazing Fantasy land

FOUND some new hobbies: ONE that stuck.
ONE that DIDN'T


i WORKED

I've painted a bowl & a CUPCAKE.

Its been a pretty interesting 300 posts. I have changed and frown and matured. It has been a good ride, and I am excited to see where I end up!

♥ Single Girl

RIP: 16G High Capacity SD CARD

We got official word. The SD card is not fixable. Lucky us, our card has the one problem that CAN'T be fixed. EVEN with a super professional, super expensive data recovery service.

Good bye 2000 pictures. I will miss you. People keep telling me it is the memories that count.

iM not so sure.

here are some tips we learned the hard way:

• You are better off having several smaller Gig cards. That way if one card is busted, you don't lose all your pictures.
• UPLOAD/backup your pictures EVERYDAY {as much as possible}
• Don't leave lots of space on your memory card. Fill one card almost to max then switch out
• USE FILM...ok I love film, but it's not fool proof either

♥ Single Girl

Nerd Vacation anyone?

OK, I knew it was rumored. I had hoped it was TRUE. I imagined what it would be like to walk thew magical word of Hogwarts. I never thought it would be a reality. BUT IT IS!

Opening Spring 2010 at Universal Studios, Florida is:

OK I know MOST of you are probably thinking: It's a [movie/books/FAKE FANTASY WORLD] why is she getting so excited about it?

Answer: I LOVED the Harry Potter Books (thanks to my little sister Morgan who sent them to me one summer while I was in college). I enjoy being transported to another universe where things are fun and magical and unbelievable. Where you could have special powers, NOT because you are a super hero, simply BECAUSE. Where the candies taste better and the colors are brighter and the toys are more fun. I hope it will be a fantasy come to life.

I know NERDS UNITE!

BUT LOOK at how cool its going to be:


Hogwarts Castle, Hogsmead, Olivanders Wand Shop

I want to get fitted for my own wand. I want to ride the dragon roller coasters. I want to send a letter by OWL. I want to visit the castle and see the Sorting Hat.

I know, Its OVERWHELMING. To see all the plans, pictures and videos {Sign up for email alerts} look at the official website here.

Looks I will be planning a trip to Florida next year, anyone else interested?

Dareth I know your family will be going can I join you?

Erin thanks for confirming my WILDEST dreams. Are you going to convince Nate to go?

♥ Single Girl

If you hate Harry Potter Please feel free to refrain from commenting.

DEXTER

Hi iM Single Girl, and iM an Addict.




{Hi Single Girl}





I've been addicted to Dexter for several months now. It all started in July when a friend from work was talking about a TV series with a serial killer that you actually WANT to murder people. I was intrigued by the idea so I borrowed Season I.





It CONSUMED my weekend. I polished off all 12 episodes in a little over two days. I locked myself in my apartment and ENJOYED.

I fell in love with a SERIAL Killer.

It was an unexpected attraction. Who would have thought I could Love someone so VILE? A person who was so damaged, so disturbed.

I found myself wanting him to get away, for him to find the perfect victim, LONGING for the ritual to start. To be a part of his world.

My coworkers and I would exchange words, ideas, theories and insights into the show.

I quickly traded Season I for Season II. Which I downed again in a weekend. The same scenario. Locked away for a weekend watching hours and hours of a fictional life that I have somehow become consumed with. Season II only deepened my connection to Dexter. To a serial killer so alone in this world. To complex relationships between co workers. To secrets.

The thoughts in his head were insights to his life. I often talk to myself that way, I narrate my own story {hence this blog}.

I had to wait an entire MONTH before Season III was released on DVD (Good thing I had that whole China trip to distract me, or I would have gone mad).

When KMG walked into work and said: I have a surprise for you...

My heart quickened, my palms started to sweat a little, and I knew. I was going to get my FIX.

Season III got me through Labor Day. My entire family was in Santa Barbara so I sat at the pool, watched Dexter, sat at the pool & Watched Dexter. It was PERFECT.

Except now iM in so deep I can't get out. Season IV starts in a few weeks on Showtime. iM not sure I can bring myself to upgrade to the Showtime package. My Dexter support group swears they will all come watch and pitch in a dollar. BUT who knows, its is worth it?

Is it time to STOP this addiction?

some say its harmless. As of yet it isn't getting in the way of my normal functioning. I am still gainfully employed, spend time with family and friends. My hygiene hasn't changed. So maybe having a little guilty pleasure isn't all that terrible.

I tell you don't start watching unless you are prepared for Dexter to be a part of your every day life. Its not a show you can quit, stop watching, get over. Its an experience.

And iM addicted.

♥ Single Girl

this POST might be a little over dramatic. No need to worry, send rehab fliers to my house or alert the authorities.

Single Girl in CHINA {Part II}

Ok so I have been putting off posting in the hope that the corrupted SD card would come back with some legit pictures. ALAS it is not back yet. So I mentally wrote it off, and iM moving on. Now if it comes back with ANYTHING it will feel like a present.

So after Church on Sunday we took a train to Changzhou. Getting to the train station was an experience in and of itself. The train station was CRAZY busy {a few foreigner asked me how to buy tickets, I stuck out like a sore thumb} We dragged our bags around until it was time to load our train. We paid the extra $6 to upgrade to BUSINESS class. TOTALLY worth it. The seats were nicer, bigger, softer. It was great! We jumped on our train car, threw our carry ons up top and enjoyed the ride.

Susan let me have the WINDOW! It was great. I had never traveled by train, i LOVED it. I only wish there were more trains here. It was a relaxing way to get around.

The first night we checked in and hung out. I had dinner at the hotel restaurant {with Free wind I didn't drink}, I was scribbling away in my notebook the entire time. I got addicted to making a [favorites/not favorites] list after my trip to NYC. So I was writing away notes of all the things i [loved/hated] for the last day, making sure I got it all down so I wouldn't forget. The server asked if I was a writer.

I paused. I didn't know what to say, so I said YES. I mean I post on my blog. I write text messages, that makes me a writer, right?



Changzhou was a nice change of pace. Compared to Shanghai it was a breath of fresh air. The city felt so much cleaner, the people seemed nicer it was newer and well built. We spent the next day exploring the city. Including the fake Ikea, the China Walmart, the malls, the streets & the food.





We needed a place to feed Reagan. We thought we ordered an appetizer and some coke. We were surprised over and over again when food kept coming out. A whole Fish, shrimp with the eye still in, stinky tofu, chicken wings, veggies and olives. It just KEPT COMING.




That is me after eating Stinky Tofu. IT was SURPRISINGLY good. SPICY, but good. My favorite part of the city was that the SUPER fast BUS was called BRT {Be Right There} or at least in my head that is what is stands for.



After a quick lunch we walked around the city. I ate a GIANT rice ball with bean paste. It was good. YUM. Then we headed to the Tianning Temple. Of course on the way there it STARTED pouring rain. It was RAINING harder then I had ever seen. It made taking pictures hard. BUT worth it.

Me in Front of the Tianning Temple & with the Pagoda in the background.

It felt so authentic. It felt so real. It felt like China. Being there satisfied all my China dreams.



It continued to rain & Rain & RAIN. So bad that the cab we took back to the hotel had a puddle of water at our feet. There was no way to keep dry. We were soaking and probably looked like sewer rats.

We spent the afternoon resting in the hotel. I drank an EXPENSIVE Diet coke. Only my third in two weeks (I will admit they taste better when you aren't guzzling them down) We dried off, packed our bags, and watched crappy TV hoping the rain would let up. I saw Stewart Little and a city flood.

The thaifoon that hit Taiwan really messed with the weather.

The Rain wasn't letting up and we had a late train to catch, so we grabbed our carry ons and headed to dinner. It was delicious & weird. They gave you plastic gloves to eat with. The sauce was so spicy it numbed your mouth and tongue. The soup was weird and egg yoke-y. The veggies were yummmy, the dumplings were hot. The Chinese food was good.

After dinner we borrowed umbrellas and walked around town. We found a swap meet of sorts and looked for some last minute souvenirs- Susan picked up a Chinese dragon made from beads and pipe cleaners. The walking was hard. Our roller bag back packs got heavy as they continued to get soaked with rain. We walked and walked and walked, until it was time to get to the train station.

We Rode the train back to Shanghai, slept for 4 hours, and headed to the airport.

The next morning we were on our way to Seoul! We were a bit tired from lack of sleep, but we were on our way to Seoul! We arrived early to the airport. Our Cabbie picked us up at 4:30am. We headed to airport, on the way the cabbie messed with the meter drive like a mad man and pretty much scared the crap out of us.

The airport was deserted when we got there. Literally there were no workers anywhere. So we waited, checked in and took advantage of the free wifi.

FINALLY we loaded the bus and drove to the tarmac and then boarded the plane from some roll over stairs.

I will admit i was a BIT sceptical of this whole endeavour. CHINA SOUTHERN, really? I mean who has heard of that... And the few times I have loaded from tarmac its been small planes that made me a little woozy. BUT we were off to Korea. Some rickety little plane wasn't going to stop us!

♥ Single Girl

I ♥ BACON

I know. It's a sick obsession. The food is mostly fat, with little crisp edges. PORK. YUM. It all started when I was in Asia{Que flash back Music}

In Korea I was craving something American- food that I knew the name of. So I ordered a BLT. DOESN'T it look GOOD? When it arrived I was sooo excited. I thought it was going to be delicious. So i took a GIANT bite only to find out, the bacon WASN'T cooked. Or at least was so limp and slimy there was no way anyone in their right mind would have thought it was cooked. So much for Pork in Korea.

While we were in Japan we went to an all pork restaurant, I wasn't expecting it to be so delicious. 7 kinds of [Bacon/Pork]. It was surprisingly scrumptious. {YEAH alliteration!} Pork cooked in all different ways, different seasonings, different parts of pork. Pork on a stick, in a salad, with noodles. It was MAN heaven.

When I got home I was recapping my trip when the BACON jokes started. Bippity Boppity BACON. Then I got addicted to THIS sketch. It is pretty freaking comical. I know BACON jokes right, but they are pretty good. I was laughing out loud home alone.

Oh BACON, how I have rediscovered my love for you.

BLT's yum. Bacon with eggs. Bacon with Bacon.

good thing my roommates love bacon. We all smell like it. The house smells like It. We love it.

iM not the only one. Just google I LOVE BACON and see all the tributes to this food from Heaven:

Think my next training group would take me seriously if I walked in with a bacon watch, Turned on the project and put down my bacon briefcase?

Good thing the BLT at the Caf is only like $3

♥ Single Girl

PS: I was doing some BACON research and found this little beauty. COULD it be the new super food? A perfect blend of my current taste obsessions? Probably not. Mostly likely it would make you vomit.

ONE in 8 million

the New York Times has a great series of personal stories. They highlight ONE in 8 million people living in Manhattan. The project is amazing and really moving. It is amazing the kind of people who could be living next door, or passing you on the street with out you even knowing.

ONE of the 8million that was featured is a Naisi Zhoa, a Sister Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

her stories is simple.beautiful.insiprirng.

Listen to her words here.

♥ Single Girl

One small act could

Make the world a much [happier/healthier] place





iM as guilty as any other.

I ADMIT that when iM standing in a long line at the grocery store I peruse the magazine rack. I get sucked in by their glossy photos and catchy headlines.

At TIMES iM guilty of buying a mag or two when I have a long flight coming up. Or perhaps when grabbing a coke and sitting by the pool with friends.

I should stop.

HOW do I stop?

♥ Single Girl

Indexed

Single Girl in CHINA {Part I}

I have always had big dreams of traveling. I make lists of the places I want to go and the things I want to see. Most of these destinations I know I may never see. Time and money and life seems to get in the way of simply DOING whatever I want.

So when the opportunity came to travel through Asia for a little over two weeks I jumped at the chance. Mostly my thinking was this:

I’ve always wanted to go to Asia.
I doubt my family will go...
When else CAN I do this?
I can afford it. Right?
WHY NOT?

It was the Why not that got me. I mean, I did always want to go. My family had little to not interest in going. I am single, have little to no responsibilities {Not really but married people seem to think that about us SINGLES} AND I had the money!

So I booked a ticket. Admittedly for the wrong day that caused a HUGE debacle with Delta.

It went something like this. Celina calls Delta, talks to a ticket agent in India. Celina asks for a supervisor, gets another agent. Agent double charges my card for the upgrade fee. Celina calls Delta several more times, gets mad, gets a supervisor, holds for hours. Celina gets her ticket changed for free. Thanks Delta for the $756 comp.

I finally met Susan in Tokyo! There we jumped on the last leg to Shanghai. We looked so pretty after 15 hours of travel time! Seriously I wonder if it’s worth upgrading to business class. I should REALLY work on making more money.

<---Travel Face!

Another 3 hours and we made it to Shanghai. We deplaned, went through customs which was a little scary and made our way to the Maglev.

Which was of course closed, because that is how our luck works! So we scrambled to find a cab, and then made it to our hotel. Night one we crashed.

Day two we got up early and made our way to the train station. We were supposed to buy our tickets to Beijing for the weekend. The subway ride to the train station was slow. When we got off at the station we walked several block to the train station, or what we thought was the train station.

We walked through the dirtiest street I have even been on. It smelled like hot latrine. It was full of pot holes. Rain water and trash strewn everywhere. The depressing part was not the filth, but the people. They all looks so sad. Some were huddled over begging. Others were simply vomiting in the streets. It was a real culture shock on day one. The farther we walked, the more uneasy we got.

When we arrived at the train station, we were told it was the bus station and we needed to walk back. We walked around a little on our way back, took the subway back to the hotel and crashed. We had a HUGE lunch, watched some crappy TV and slept. We decided to get on a good sleep schedule.

Susan KNOCKED out and Manning the TV. ME being myself, after reading a book, watching TV & taking a nap.

Day two we were up and out of our hotel by 6am. We headed to the southern train station that was supposed to be nice and new. We found someone who spoke English only to find out the south station doesn’t go to Beijing. So we headed back on the subway to the first train station we never found. By the time we got to the train station the only tickets left were standing room only to Beijing. 12 hours standing on a train sounded like complete hell. So we bagged Beijing. I almost cried.

Defeated we went home {to our hotel}.

We stopped at a great little juice place on our way back. We ate and then jumped in the hotel pool to cool off and relax.

The next day we woke up early and headed to Peoples Square. We walked the streets while they were empty. It was a nice change of pace. There were people out doing tai chi, line dancing and taking ballroom in the streets. We walked to the Bundt, the City temple and stopped to have a lunch of Chinese dumplings.



The MISTY subwayin Shanghai. It was so humid in China it would hit you the second you walked out the door.

At the dumpling house we were seated next to Hiro, a nice Japanese guy. We shared dumplings, talked about traveling and then headed out. We shared a cab back to town with Hiro*, who paid for the ride, gave us his business card in case we made it his way in Japan, and disappeared onto the subway.

*SIDE NOTE: when Hiro said: Would you like to share a cab back to town, I INSTANTLY had flash backs to Taken. The first cab we got in wouldn't take us. It was weird, the second did.

Top: Little guys hand rolling all of the dumplings, ME using my mad Chop Stick Skills, Susan Eating a dumpling. Bottom: Me drinking a 7UP, our dumpling Menu, The goods

After splitting up from Hiro Susan and I made our way to Toa Boa market. We were directed there by the hotel concierge. It was a FAKE market. It was GLORIOUS. Five floors of knock offs. We bartered for jeans, hand bags, baby clothes and almost anything you could think of. Susan got 3 pairs of jeans for less than $50, and I picked up a D&G bag for a little less than $15. We felt successful.

Sunday we went to church in Shanghai. It was interesting to go to church in main land China. As a member of the LDS Church we attended a foreigner branch.

In Mainland China foreigner are allowed to met under specific guidelines. They were read out loud in sacrament meeting and printed on the bulletin.

• Only foreign nationals holding a foreign passport and their spouses can attend the branch.

• There is no active or passive proselytizing.

• Members of the church are not to contact or attempt to contact Chinese nationals who are members of the Church.

It was a good reminder of the blessing of religious freedom. This was the first Sunday in over a year that the congregation was able to worship for all three hours.

It was interesting to be there. Church felt the same, except we weren’t in a church but a conference center. The member were from all over [US/Japan/Korea/Canada]. They spoke many languages, which were all translated via headsets. The people were friendly, the lessons were well planned and the atmosphere felt just like church. We were even invited to a young single adult dinner party. TOO bad we had train tickets.

After Church we check out of our hotel and got ready to start part II of our Chinese adventure.

♥ Single Girl