Burnin' Up

High heels.
Red dress.
All by yourself.
Gotta catch my breath.

But I (Jessica) wasn't all by myself.
Or in high heels.
Or in a red dress.
And I was fully in control of my breathing.

I just really wanted to start this post like that because it's such a good song. And it's sung by our future husbands.


By our, I mean me and Erika. I don't have a multiple personality disorder.

And by me and Erika, I mean that we were REUNITED!!! SHE'S BACK IN MICHIGAN!!!! and sitting right next to me. right now. yup. that just happened.

So, this is what we did today. Prepare to be amazed.

#1 - We reminisced. We talked and looked at our senior yearbook. For the record, our spanish teacher was...so much fun. But really. That was a fun class, as was our yearbook class. Zobodos.
#2 - We ate. We went to Applebee's and got a free dessert for Erika's "20th birthday." We couldn't very well say it was her 21st when it wasn't. You know they would have checked up on us. We're too clever for that. Our waitress (Monique) has different colored eyes. Fascinating.


#3 - We went to our 2nd favorite place on earth. Walmart. Our Howell Walmart is far superior to the Walmart in Jackson, but we were disturbed by the lack of Camp Rock merchandise, so we scurried over to Target to get our fix. And a slushie.
#4 - We the went to Target to find our beloved Camp Rock Gear.

It.
Was.
Awesome.

Here's proof:



#5 - We went to Blockbuster. I had to prove to Erika that the people I work with really exist. And she wanted to read the Rolling Stone article about the Jonas brothers. Here's an excerpt:
"I have waited to meet Nick Jonas my whole life!"
"How old are you?"
"10."

Music's in my soul. Apparently, it's in hers too.

Can't Lose 2 Tha Game

Well, this week is pretty much not exciting if you want a million movies to be released.

However, if you want just one good movie to be released, then this is a pretty great week, because the movie "21" is finally on DVD.

21 (PG-13)


Someone once told me that this movie was a lot like Ocean's 11. They were lying. Or at least they were wrong for a number of reasons.

#1 - This is actually based on a real story about students scamming Vegas while counting cards. Sweet.
#2 - It's about average looking college students. Not criminals who look really hot. And I think that it's more geared at college students/teens rather than for anyone older.
#3 - The plot isn't based on revenge. Revenge takes place, but it's not the main plot.
#4 - It's not as good or as clever as Ocean's 11, but it was a pretty good movie anyway. Especially if you aren't comparing it to the Ocean's movies.




This movie is pretty solid. I liked it a lot. It's not going on my Christmas list, but it's definitely a good one to see at least once.

On a separate note, a new trailer came out for Twilight, so obviously, I had to share it because I'm TOTALLY PUMPED for it to come out!!



Lastly, I agree with Erika. If you haven't seen The Dark Knight yet, you need to otherwise everyone will ruin the plot for you or you might just end up socially crippled.

Lator Gator.

Jessica

Carolina Drama

Last Thursday, I (Erika) went to my first ever "meeting." It was an all-day long thing, so they took it "off-campus." We went to this vineyard in the mountains, and it was BEAutiful. The only downside of the location was the fact that the place didn't really have a conference room, so most of our meeting was in the wine cellar. Translation: FREEZING.

A lot of the day consisted of people giving presentations on how their marketing program has increased, how the company has increased, and some of the products they offer. Which, to be honest, a lot of the product part was waaay over my head cause it's all telecommunications stuff, and I don't know enough of the millions of acronyms they use to follow along.

It was a good day, despite getting lost on the way there. I got to talk to a bunch of the people in the office that I don't normally talk to, so it was nice getting to know them a bit. It's just a shame that this happened with only one more week of me working there. The other intern and I were also told that one of the big reasons we were hired is because we were the least likely to bring any drama with us. Heh. Clearly they don't know me. Just kidding.

After the presentations, they had a guy come in and give us this personality test. I was the only person in the entire department who scored as a "counselor." So that was kind of interesting to start out with. Here's the overview on what it means to be a counselor:

Counselors are kind, thoughtful, quiet listeners who are sensitive to the feelings of others and always take the time to offer a kind word.

People turn to counselors for help. They are perceived as forgiving persons who will listen without judging. They are mostly passive and avoid telling others how to fix their problems.

Mmmm... Yeah, I'd say that describes me. I scored second highest as a "rock." Those are the only 2 categories that had more than... 10 (I think) points. So I'm a pretty solid rock. Hahaha - pun intended. I'm so cool. Here's what it means to be a rock:

Rocks use a controlled, casual style of communication that focuses on getting the message across. They focus more on the message content than on the manner in which it is delivered.

Rocks are easy-going team players who avoid interpersonal conflicts and focus on getting the work out. They build relationships based on trust by consistently doing what's right for the customer and their organization whether or not it benefits them personally.

So. There ya have it - I'm a Counselor/Rock.

And on a totally seperate, unrelated note - if you haven't seen The Dark Knight yet, do it.

Do it now - 5, 4, 3, 2....1. NOW! (also, if you don't watch The Office, do that as well)

A Dollar Down and a Dollar a Week

Yeah. Unfortunately, that's almost my salary at Blockbuster.

But being nothing spectacular happened this week, I'm going to give my reviews of the movies that came out today that I got to see before all of you because I'm awesome.

#1 - Penelope (PG)


I'd have to give this movie 4 stars (out of 4, obviously). I love a good fairy tale, and this was as good as gets. It had a great plot and a great moral. I know learning lessons from movies is slightly lame, but this one had a great one. And I kind of think James McAvoy is a hottie. Not so much in this movie, but sometimes he is, so I can give bonus points for that. Basically, it's about a girl (Christina Ricci) who's cursed to have a pig nose until "one of her own kind" (socialites) can love her for who she truly is. She's kept hidden by her family, and when one of her suitors finally gets a look at her, no one believes what he says she looks like, so he pays a man (McAvoy) to get a picture of her so they can publish it and clear the suitor's name and reputation.





#2 - The Bank Job (R)

I'd give this one 3 out of 4. It was a pretty good plot and it's based on a true story about a bank robbery, but there was A LOT of sex and nudity and I was really embarrassed that I was watching that with my parents. Basically, unless you have a pretty good fast-forward button for those bad parts, this may be a movie to stay away from. That being said though, it was a good movie and starred Jason Statham, who is AWESOME, and it's set in England, so they call all criminals "villains." Ha. I pretty much loved that and wished I was British so I could say stuff like "villains." Moral of this story? Don't have sex out of wedlock, because it will come back to bite you in the butt at the worst possible moment.



#3 - Step Up 2: The Streets (PG-13)

I'd give this one 3 1/2 out of 4. As far as sequels go, this one was pretty solid. Channing Tatum was only in it for like 5 minutes, which was sad, but the new characters made up for his absence. The plot of this movie wasn't as strong as the original Step Up, but the dancing is much better and if you like break dancing even a little bit, you'll probably love this movie. Basically, this movie's about a girl who's about to be sent away from her friends and dance crew to live in Texas or something if she doesn't get her act together. She ends up going to the Marilyn School of the Arts (the school from the original movie) and creates her own crew to compete in the streets against her old crew that dumped her because she started going to a preppy school.



Some other movies came out too, but I didn't watch them because they looked lame (College Road Trip, Meet Bill). The movies I reviewed would be your best bet if you just want some good entertainment for under $5.

You're welcome ;)
- Jessica

Blessed

So. I had a really good weekend this weekend.

Probably one of the best since being down here.

It started on Saturday. It was really nice outside – it’s been rainy lately… which is ok, cause we really needed it. We were in drought status. But it makes for doing things outside more difficult.
Anyways, since it was nice, my dad, Diane, Kendal and I went to the lake. The bummer thing is, unlike Michigan, there isn’t a lake around every corner, so we had to drive an hour to get there. But the cool thing is, also unlike Michigan; this lake is at the base of a mountain. So needless to say, if you got tired of swimming, you could just look around and take in the awesome view.

We did all the normal things people do at lakes. We rented a paddleboat, read, barbequed, and went swimming, of course. We also played the “spectacular catch” game (Daniel) and I had some pretty great catches, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, though there was no HydroSmash. So no diddlies. Or even diddly-squats. (If you don’t know what that means… don’t worry about it).

This lake also has a high diving board. And I went off it. I’m glad that I did it cause now when I play whoonu, I can actually have an opinion for “the high dive.” It is a card. And it was… an experience. I’m not sure if I’ll ever do it again because of the gallons of water that went into my head through my nose and ears… but, like I said – I’m glad I did it. And, just so you know, this thing is like… 20 feet above the water. So it’s no small task.

And then Sunday was the best ever too.
I went down to see Brian in Atlanta. And it was awesome. I haven’t seen anybody from school since the Slagers’ wedding, so it was really really cool.

When I first got there, we went to a mall called the Santa Fe Mall. Brian had never been there before and wanted to check it out. So we did. And it was… an experience, that’s for sure. I don’t think I can really explain just how… different this place was. It was clearly a Mexican/Hispanic mall. Brian and I were… I think the only white people there – definitely the odd people out. Almost everything was in Spanish first and then English. The storefronts looked like they could be outside… but they were inside. The best way we came up with to describe it is that it was like walking down a road in Mexico, except instead of dirt, there was tile. And then obviously a ceiling. The best thing about it, though was we got to see a live Mariachi band. I’ve never seen one before, and they were pretty good. :)

It was a pretty small mall, so we didn’t stay there very long. We left and made our way into Atlanta. For the next 2 hours or so, we just drove around, and Brian showed me… everything, really. It was sweet. I got to see where he works. We actually drove into the Bowen Homes, and he showed me where he saw the drive-by. I also saw the neighborhood where T.I. grew up. Just driving through those places was… sad. I don’t really know the right word for it… but it’s definitely one thing to read about this stuff in books, but it’s a whole different thing when you see it. It really makes you realize just how blessed we are.

We did more driving around. And it was still sweet.

For dinner, I experienced Firehouse Subs for the first time. Brian's right. They're DEFinitely good.

And to top the night off, as I was backing out of his driveway headed for home, I hit a tree. Yesss. Probably the best part of the night. Just kidding. It wasn't really at all. But, it's ok - it didn't hurt the car (or the tree) at all. :)

Everything's Not Lost

Don't worry, everyone.

My book finally came.


And I almost hugged the mail carrier.

Almost.

I also got my hair cut today. I don't have any fabulous pictures of it yet, but I didn't want you all to clamor for a picture, so I took a semi-ok one, just for you guys.


And then, I got The Prestige, Stardust, and Sydney White on sale at Blockbuster.

All in all, I think it was a pretty good day. Now I'm gonna go do some pilates.

Peace out.

- Jessica

We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes

Ok. I (Jessica) stole this from one of James' friend's blogs, but I thought it was really interesting. There's this site that you can go and take a survey and from those limited results, it tells you who you'd be interested in voting for.

http://selectsmart.com/president/2008.html

And these were my results:

1. Theoretical Ideal Candidate (100%)

2. Stephen Colbert (campaign halted) (70%)

3. Chuck Hagel (not running) (63%)

4. Duncan Hunter (withdrawn, endorsed Huckabee) (63%)

5. Sam Brownback (withdrawn, endorsed McCain) (63%)

6. Mike Huckabee (withdrawn) (62%)

7. John McCain (59%)

8. Mitt Romney (withdrawn, endorsed McCain) (59%)

9. Tom Tancredo (withdrawn, endorsed Romney) (57%)

10. Alan Keyes (withdrawn) (56%)

11. Newt Gingrich (says he will not run) (51%)

12. Jim Gilmore (withdrawn) (50%)

13. Tommy Thompson (withdrawn, endorsed Giuliani) (49%)

14. Fred Thompson (withdrawn) (46%)

15. Bob Barr (46%)

16. Ron Paul (concedes nomination not possible) (45%)

17. Rudolph Giuliani (withdrawn, endorsed McCain) (44%)

18. Michael Bloomberg (says he will not run) (43%)

19. Wayne Allyn Root (is now Bob Barr's running mate) (42%)

20. Al Gore (not announced) (41%)

21. Hillary Clinton (defeated, endorsed Obama) (40%)

22. Kent McManigal (campaign suspended) (37%)

23. Wesley Clark (not running, endorsed Clinton) (36%)

24. Joseph Biden (withdrawn) (33%)

25. Barack Obama (32%)

26. John Edwards (withdrawn) (32%)

27. Bill Richardson (withdrawn, endorsed Obama) (31%)

28. Christopher Dodd (endorsed Obama) (27%)

29. Dennis Kucinich (withdrawn) (27%)

30. Alan Augustson (campaign suspended) (24%)

31. Mike Gravel (withdrawn) (19%)

32. Ralph Nader (18%)

33. Elaine Brown (withdrawn) (16%)

Who knew? I mean, it's a limited survey and it doesn't go into all of the issues, but it makes you decide about most of the major issues.

And it took up 15 minutes of my time. 15 minutes of non-boredom means 15 minutes of time well spent. :)

Her Eyes

Work at Blockbuster has officially begun.

And I (Jessica) already got hit on. I think. Actually, I don't really know what to think...

Here goes.

I'm shelving movies, minding my own business. I then notice that this guy has slowly made his way next to me. I kind of saw him eyeballing me earlier, but I ignored it. I find that being ignored takes away a lot of gumption that creepers think they have.

Anyway.

He looks at me and starts saying something. However, he's speaking in such a low tone, that even a person with the best hearing in the world couldn't have heard it. We all know that I'm practically deaf, so I obviously didn't hear him.

I ask if him he needs any help finding anything and he mumbles something more and then sulks away.

As I continue to put more movies away, I notice that he is now facing me...no...staring/gazing at me over one of the shelves. I ask him again if there's anything I can do to help him. He says, "mlckdanjdalsjfdslkjfasdlf." Or at least, that's what I heard. I told him I didn't understand him and then he says at an audible level, "Are you wearing contacts?"


"Uh...no." I respond, slightly disgusted and a little taken aback.
"Oh. It was just a question. I was making small talk."

Right. Gotcha. Guys - please add "Are you wearing contacts?" to your list of pickup lines NOT to say to a girl. It's weird. You can only say that after you've known them for a while.

And then later, a coworker was just staring at me and when I asked him if he needed anything, he said no and asked why I said that. I told him that I tend to ask people what they want when they just stand there staring at me for no reason, and he was like "I can stare at what I want."

I then proceeded to tell him and another coworker about the contact guy, and the staring coworker says, "maybe he was just in awe of your wonderful beauty."

Maybe he was. But still. Weirdo McBeardo.

Whistle While You Work

Ok. Most of you know that I (Erika) got an internship this summer.

But I have failed to explain what it is I am doing exactly. Well, here is that post. :)

First and foremost, I must say that The Office has forever skewed my view on what office life is and should be. I want, and expect there to be a Dwight, Michael, and Jim in every office in America. There doesn't have to be Pam, I'll be Pam. :) No Roy either, he's a bum. Anyways - there isn't a Michael, Dwight, or Jim at my office, much to my dismay.

And, as for the blog title - I don't whistle while I work (I do listen to my iPod, though), but there is somebody who everytime he/she walks by, he/she is whistling. It brightens my day. Before you start wondering - I said he/she because he/she walks on the other side of my cubicle-like wall, so I can't see who is doing that. Not because it is a person that I can't really tell by looking whether it is a boy or a girl.

So. What I do there...

The fun stuff is designing flyers, making graphics for the website, photo editing, and coming up w/ new ideas for the website. Here's some examples of that.

So, they have a company store online that's pretty ugly. This is my updated version. It's pretty conservative. I know. But it had to be.

This was a flyer for a sales incentive they are doing. This actually isn't the finished product, but it's the one I have on my computer at home, so it's the one you all see. :)

The boring stuff is helping the web lady research and compile the research of how good their website is doing. Blech. It's all excel stuff copy, paste, organize. Copy, paste, organize. Copy, paste, organize. Copy... well, you get the idea.

So, yeah. Despite the boring stuff and lack of "The Office" drama, I am really enjoying it. And I've said it before, I'll say it again: as much as I love ice cream, it's definitely better than Dairy Queen. :)

In other news, if you haven't seen Wall-E yet. Go. It was SO cute.

Twilight

Ok.

Now I'm bored.

My (Jessica's) job hasn't started up yet, and my family is in Arizona and my friends are far away. It's just me and my dog, which, I know for some of you would be worse than being alone.

Anyway, I've had lots of time for reading. So much time, in fact, that I'm already re-reading a book I read just last week.

Pathetic. I know.

But in my defense, ALL of the books that I'm interested in reading are checked out of the library and I'm on huge wait lists.

Anyway, in my boredom, I'll tell you a story about this new book series that's captivated me: Twilight.


I first heard about this book from facebook flair. I saw all these stickers about "Edward Cullen" and "So what if my boyfriend is a vampire?" and lame stuff like that. If you haven't noticed it, you have to get out more...or stay in more, i suppose, being it's on the computer. Seriously. I'd never even heard of this Edward Cullen, and I didn't realize those bumper stickers were related, so I figured if people were obsessing about him, he must be from American Idol or something.

So one day, I wikipedia-ed it. And I found out that he's a character from a book about vampires. I thought to myself "how lame. A human girl falls in love with a vampire. Whatever."

I was wrong.

I think this is one of my new favorite books. I would even bring it on a deserted island before I would bring Harry Potter. It's captivated me.

So, before it took over my life, I was in Aruba and saw it on sale on half. com for $4, and I figured, if I hate it, it was only $4. So I bought it. When it came, I read it in less than 24 hours.

My next step was to buy the next 2 books. I saw the prices online, and the 2nd book was comparable to prices at Borders right now, and I wouldn't have to wait, so I bought the 2nd book at Borders and ordered the 3rd book online, figuring I could control myself and be done with the 2nd book around the time the 3rd one arrived.

No dice. I finished the 2nd book even faster.

And then. Much to my chagrin, my 3rd book couldn't be delivered. I reordered it (It was 2x as expensive at Borders, and I'm not that desperate) on Friday. It still hasn't been shipped. I then called up my library and am on a wait list of like 25 people. Ugh.

In my attempt to defeat boredom, I created another monster. It's something combined with impatience and anxiety. I know. I'm obsessed.

But, for what it's worth, I still function like a normal human being. I just want to read. Right now. And I can't. It's infuriating.

I would really recommend the books. The 4th one comes out in about a month and it's the last one of the series, so you won't totally be held in suspense for long. And the movie comes out in December, which I can't wait to see.



Ah. I'm glad that you guys put up with this "woe is me" post. I know I've been doing exciting things that normal people would be jealous of, but after going nonstop for a month and then coming home to nothing...well...that's culture shock, in and of itself.