ZucchiniWithIceCream's Xanga

Future Goal

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:50:14 GMT

So don't get me wrong....i'm not obsessed with Michael Phelps

naaahhh that would have to Peirsol

Regardless I would like to point out that every time my team swam NBAC I did not crowd Michael Phelps to get him to sign my suit, cap, flesh etc etc. However, as a collector and executer of strange facial expressions, I was truly amazed after last night:

hahahaha

look at that concentration...that straining...top form...

I hope the next time I get an A on a test I stand up and do this

solidarity bro...

you gotta hand it to him...he really wanted it....deep inside gangsta listening, hood wearing michael phelps is a big swimming nerd

awwwwww.....how cute

now why didn't I get him to sign my cap?

hutchhead?

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 23:27:43 GMT

Taking a break from the attack of the relatives. My mom's brother and his family are in town. They are from Germany and their oldest Laura is actually coming to stay with us for the next couple of years and go to school with my brother.
See Germany has kind of a screwy education system (don't tell a German) and kids have to take a test when they are young that will determine their whole education future. Some can only get so far and some can go further depending on how they score on the tests. Anyway apparently my cousin didn't do as well on those tests as she/ they (they being the parents) would have liked so she's going to come here and finish up and maybe even go to college here.

It's all very exciting but they have infiltrated our tiny house and taken over. My grandma and grandpa are here too...not a bad thing...just alot of people...alot of very different people haha

Anyways...so i'm taking a chiller from that....most of the relatives and my sister are at an orioles game and my grandma and grandpa and my mom are at my bro's basketball game...I declined by brother's basketball game (missed the baseball because I was babysitting) kind of so I could have a chance to have the house to myself.

Missing the good day of VF (http://www.virginfestival.com). :( I was unsure of whether or not I should go (96 dollars for a ticket??!!) and then I accidently said I would babysit for someone today (maybe it was the lure of....I don't know...100 DOLLARS....that made me forget) and so I GOT $100 unstead of LOOSING $100
nice....

I did however go to a concert a couple nights ago with my sister. Missy Higgins and some dude named Eric Hutchinson (typical guy with a piano? who knew). Missy Higgins is tremendous and if you have the time check her out. She is from Australia and incredibly cute....AND incredibly talented to boot... (one of the reasons...no lie...that we were excited to see her was so we could get a shirt...her store online is based in Australia so it's like $13 just to ship it here.) Anyway go to http://www.missyhiggins.com (you can listen right there on her site) and check her out please you won't regret it...that is if you like female singers with a guitar/ piano...if not...well...do it anyway!!
It was funny when me and my sister showed up to the venue because it was almost like a dinner theatre...you could sit down and order food....we didn't know how to handle it. wait...what....sit down for a concert? haha

Susan (my sister) adjusted more quickly than I did (she's more into that female acoustic vibe) but after awhile I really started to dig it.

Especially after Eric Hutchingson came on. From the first I was blown away by his voice. I've never heard anybody sound that good live. Plus the kid is an entertainer too! He was funny AND talented. It was amazing by the end of set I felt that I had already gotten my moneys worth and missy higgins hadn't even peeped out (since when do you get that with openers?)

So Susan and I bought his new CD "sounds like this" and are officially "hutchheads" now. He's cute too....goofy...but cuuute :)

Just look at that nose! I love a good honker...so sexy

p.s. Missy Higgins was also amazing...her live is practically better than hearing her recorded....so much rawer if that's a word

The shirt I bought

me= happy camper despite the invasion of relatives

Now I just need to get my hair cut haha

Pure genius

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:39:19 GMT

Go here:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/al_gore_places_infant_son_in

What steps can average people take to live a "greener" life? Do you have any tips to share?

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:01:35 GMT

I hate the term "go green"

more on this later

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

What is your favorite comfort food?

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:52:17 GMT

My mother's chicken pot pie!

...i'm drooling just thinking about it now...sigh....

what a horrible question...now that's all I want haha

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

What are a few of your favorite things?

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:33:49 GMT

"Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things....."

Since my question got featured...I guess I should answer my own question haha.

here we gooooo...

1. Trader Joe's, Irish Breakfast Tea
This tea is like a little piece of heaven...seriously if you have a trader joe's in your area...go buy it! You won't regret it...their pomogranite white tea is really good too

2. Any coffee...i'm much less descrimiating about my coffee...if i'm able to wake up nice and easy I have tea...if I need a jolt I have coffee.

3. My art supplies various

4. "Papa Bear" whom I sleep with most nights

5. my "shoe rack" of scarves and bangle bracelets (i'm an addict of both)

6. my hairstuff that works magic on my hair (it's all frizzy and gross otherwise)

7. My travel Bible (fits anywhere)

8. My Zen

9. My purse...holds so much crap haha

10. My favorite shoes...I wear the the brown and blue ones like every single day

11. My swim stuff...don't swim as much any more but its comforting

toodles! have a fabulous day!

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

weigh-in and the hirshhorn

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:46:42 GMT

so official weigh in is 186 pounds. egad I can't believe i'm saying that. oh well 36 pounds to lose.

---------------------

Went downtown with some of my friends yesterday. We decided to hit up the hirshhorn because we (well I) hadn't been there in a while and we decided less tourists would be there then the gallery of art.

Saw some pretty neat stuff.

Especially cool were some sculptures by Rodin.

Crouching Woman

The Burghers of Calais...gives me chills

and of course....

Monument to Balzac

Also saw some cool Calder. I love Calder.

Also my friend Rachel showed us this really cool guy Clyfford Still

The pictures don't do justice to the coolness of seeing his stuff in real life. These huge canvases and the brush strokes...it's amazing

It's interesting...you can really tell the issues that artists have just by looking at the way they depict women.

case in point:
Matisse vs. Willem De Kooning

Matisse:

Kooning:

Do we even need to discuss?

I probably shouldn't think it is funny since poor Kooning was so messed up but I kind of do...haha

HAPPY 4TH!

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:30:18 GMT

So Happy 4th of July!
I hope you can have a fabulous cook-out with someone somewhere....watch some fireworks and have a nice relaxing day!
-----------------------------

Anyway, I have a new goal in my life....to lose around 30 pounds.
Now i'm not exactly obese, but the stress of school and no swimming competitively anymore has really gotten to me.

So official weigh-in on Monday.

I really want to try to take my time with this. I usually rush myself get discouraged and then give up haha. My long term goal is to weigh 150 by the time I study abroad in Barcelona spring semester.

Can I do it?
YEAH!

also:
I really want to fit into my pink pants again

How stressed are YOU?

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:00:20 GMT

I thought this was pretty funny coming from Hello Kitty.

Apparently...I have a "fair" stress level.

"One of your reasons for this is your conscience awareness to release stress before it gets worse.

However when you come across many troubles at the same time, you might unable to handle it. There comes the problem. For this type you better enjoy the green and wood.

As long as you are in the natural environment, you will be peaceful to resolve any problems."

Grammatical errors aside, that is actually pretty accurate.

go here: http://www.sanriotown.com/psycho/psycho6/psycho6_us.htm to find out how stressed you are.

WAAAAAaaalleeeeeeeeee OR PIXAR triumphs

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:07:45 GMT

I have to admit I wasn't sold as instantly on Wall-e as I have been with other PIXAR movies of the past. It seemed less go and get 'em, less out there, and well...entertaining. It seemed more introspective and...adult. From the previews there seemed to be no Brad Bird psychosis.
I liked the way Wall-e looked and I loved the cute way he said his name

wwwwaaaAAAaaalllleeee ....

so I thought i'd give it a shot

annnd....

I saw it for the second time today

I saw it the first time with some friends Sunday night. I was really tired so I had trouble really enjoying it, but today when I saw it for the second time with the kids i've been babysitting I was able to really sit back and enjoy it.
My thoughts:

Pixar seems to be revealing a whole new side of themselves. Wall-e was directed by Andrew Stanton who previously directed Finding Nemo, but Wall-e is completely different than Nemo. Finding Nemo has psychosis, it has craziness, it has father-son...family relationships. Wall-e is different. Some people have called it dark, but I call it...well...almost....artsy. The thing that first makes me think of this is that the soundtrack to Wall-e is great! From the beginning with "Put on your Sunday Clothes", to the mysterious re-playing of the Hello Dolly clip, to the the ending credits with Peter Gabriel...Wall-e's music packs a punch that's way more imaginative, AND stuck-in-your-head inducing than most movies.

Secondly, Pixar has continued to develop their animation to amazing bounds. In the beginning of the movie the animators paint a picture that is stark and yet beautiful in its bleakness of a world that has taken it's commercialism to far. The piles of trash as high as the skyscrapers next to them is a powerful and even kind of silly (so old PIXAR is still there?) picture. Later when they are aboard the AXIOM again the animation paints a strong picture of a world ruled by robots and the peak of laziness that humans can come to if you just let them. haha All of these is done with little to no words. That is one of the things that I found most amazing about Wall-e...the fact that it is virtually wordless is an amazing artistic credit to animators and story writers. One of my favorite parts is in the beginning when we are getting to know Wall-e. Everything that we learn about him is shown to us because he really has no one to talk to. There are also some just truly beautiful shots in the movie. My two favorite are when Wall e and Eve "dance" in space and when Wall e is traveling through space for the first time.

Also, the movie is just down-right cute. I mean they hold ROBOT HANDS for crying out loud. :) It's funny because although there weren't that many laugh out loud moments for me (more the second time then the first) the little boy I was babysitting LOVED it when Wall e tries to teach Eve how to dance on earth and she almost blasts him through space. He asked me afterwards though....They were just holding hands because they were best friends right...they didn't love each other did they? haha too classic...

Finally some people have thought that this movie was conceived as an environmentalist rant and I couldn't disagree more. I think it's more of a thoughtful approach to love and stewardship. Love that anyone can have no matter who they are so long as they are willing to make sacrifices for it, and stewardship to take care of the things that we love. In the end the humans return to earth even though it's not perfect and changed. They have decided that they care again but they still need to to a lot to change what they believe, however, they also believe that they do belong on the earth and are most certainly good enough for the earth. It reminds me of the movie Happy Feet. I loved that movie...until about 3/4 of the way through it and then it just went downhill into a huge environmentalist rant...what kid wants to watch that?

One final thing I found interesting was the theme of robots and humans working together. When only robots were in control they often missed things that a human eye would have seen. Would Wall e have been able to tag along into space if a human had been piloting the ship? Would Wall e have been able to follow Eve on the AXIOM if humans had been transporting her? Would the humans have been able to get home if Auto Pilot had not had a manual switch? Not to toot humans horns...they did destroy their planet after all, but I think it's a refreshing look at what can happen when we lose a human touch and heart. Might not have been purposeful but I found it interesting.

The short was disappointing. It was more slick than any of the previous ones (except maybe bound and rebound...but who can top that?) but it lacked the oomph to make me laugh....was it just that I saw all the other ones when I was younger and less jaded...haha I wonder.

I love m-o!