Come See About Me

So. It's been one heck of a summer so far. I [Erika] don't even know where to start, really. So many things have happened. And it's all 100% weird cause I don't have school to go back to in the fall [hopefully]. But yeah, like I said. Lots of things have happened. Both good and bad. And here's a list to fill all y'all in on my life. :)

1. Tigers' game.

This has definitely been one of the highlights of the summer so far for me. Rebekah won Tigers tickets at a thing a few months ago, and let me tell you. They were GREAT seats. Rebekah and I were sitting on the 3rd baseline only about 15 rows back. Best seats I've ever had. It was spectacular despite the loss. And believe it or not, the good news doesn't end there! It was kids' day, so if you were with a kid, then you were able to go on the field w/ them as they ran the bases. So much fun. I can now say that I have been on the field at Comerica Park, ran the bases at Tigers' Stadium, thrown a football on Ford Field, and skated at the Joe Louis Arena. Palace of Auburn Hills, here I come. :)

In front of the Tigers' Dugout. Yeeaah.

My Tiger: Brandon Inge. Adam's tiger: Gene Lamont

2. Weddings galore.

As you can see from Jessica's post a few down, we went to Alyssum's wedding. And then the very next weekend we went to Andrew's wedding. They were both fun. I love dancing at weddings. :) It's my favorite part. I'm still waiting for somebody to play Boom Boom Pow, though. Buter - it's all you. As for the ceremonies, they're nice too. . . but, I don't know. It's just weird seeing so many people my age getting married. Goodness. I'm not an adult yet! Why are people my age getting married?? But. It's been great for seeing all my friends. It'll be weird not going to a wedding this coming weekend.

3. RED WINGS.

They are on their way to win their 2nd cup in 2 years. And I love that it is agains the babies of the NHL - Malkin and Crosby. Good gracious. Do I hate them! My hatred for Crosby rivals that of Barry Bonds and Kobe Bryant. And if you know me and my position on these people, you know that is saying something. But... *sigh* Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Datsyuk (welcome back, you were missed), Franzen, Maltby, Abdelkader (Who'd ever heard of this guy??), Osgood, Draper, Helm, Rafalski, Cleary, Filpulla, Hudler, Homstrom, Hossa, Kronwall, Samuelson, and any other Wing I might have missed, you all hold my heart. Thanks for being awesome. Also. Thanks, NBC for taking away JoeVision, I was really hoping that I wouldn't be able to go downtown and enjoy the game on the big screen. It's much appreciated. SIKE.

4. Job searching/Classing.

Yes. Classing - it's a word. It means to be in class and doing things for that class. Blah is what I have to say to this part. Blah. Blah. Blah. Who knew this is what came after graduation. Ok. I guess I did, but that doesn't mean I am enjoying it in anyway. But. Just so you know what I'm doing with my life, right now I'm just looking for a temporary job as I finish up my last class and prepare for my art show in the fall. I did get a job at Blockbuster [yes, with Jessica], and I have a couple other prospects right now... but I will mention those later if something actually comes from them. But for now, all I have to say is: jobs, class, loans, money [or lack thereof], and tuition - BOO!

5. Computer crash. . . ?

Yes. You read that right. My computer just might be done-for. Which totally sucks. And I don't really want to spend too much time writing about this cause it sucks, but. Yeah. I'm using Timmy and Rebekah's computer right now. :( My poor little Mac . . . Come back to me . . . please?

6. Adam.

Haha. Yes, Adam - you get your own point. He and Hal (Whose birthday is today, by the way - happy birthday, Hal!!) came over to Jessica's house and we played [and won] games like Catchphrase and Uno attack. And then watched Taken. Great movie . . . I just wish it wasn't hyped so much [andrew...]. And our interactions w/ Adam don't end there. On Sunday, Jessica and I went to his church to hear his band play. Adam plays the bass, and it was great fun. We didn't even get lost on the way there. Or get a ticket because of Jessica's lead foot. But if you ever go to one of Adam's concerts, don't get excited if there is a microphone stand in front of him. He is probably not going to sing. Even though I wish that he would. And then we went to Red Robin for lunch. And Adam got egg on his burger. Weird? Yes. Jessica, Hal, and I all got normal lunches. And it was fun.

Umm.... I think that's about all I've got for you right now. Ooh. I did love the storms yesterday. You know, as long as they don't cause mass destruction, I am totally fascinated by storms.

Also. One more thing. I'm reading Captivating, and it's so good so far. :)

Ok. That is all.

Peace out.

Don't You Want Me

Well, it's another summer at Blockbuster for me (Jessica), so I'm back to reviewing new movies in order to get a blog quota.

He's Just Not That Into You (PG-13)

This was one that I personally loved. On Valentine's day earlier in the year, Erika, Kate, and I went and saw this in the theater and it kind of opened my eyes a bit to what guys may be thinking...especially in the whole "pre-dating" mode. I think that the 2nd time around, it was still just as good for me. I'd have to give it 3 1/2 stars.



However.

My mom, dad, and brother all didn't care for the movie. Maybe you can only appreciate it if you're a single girl who doesn't understand what guys are thinking...I dunno. I liked it.

Revolutionary Road (R) and Defiance (R) also come out this week, but we didn't get them in time for me to rent them before they're released to the public. But from the previews, I can't say that I'm heartbroken I didn't get to watch them early...





I saw the new Pixar movie, UP, and it was great. I was scared out of my mind, considering it was in 3D (for those of you who don't know, 3D is one of my worst fears, 2nd only to 4D movies...) but it was super cute and not actually scary. It was right up there with Toy Story in greatness. LOVED it.

On a separate entertainment note, last Friday was Jay Leno's last Late Show, so here's a clip from one of his "Jaywalking" tournaments as a tribute to my favorite nighttime talk show host:


"Well that's boring."
Oh Adrien. :)

Green Eyes

Green eyed Alyssum finally went and got herself married to her Canadian. And we saw it.

Yesterday, we (me-Jessica, Erika, Kate, and Andrew) made the perilous journey into the frozen winter wasteland of Canada to watch the nuptials of Alyssum and Matt.

We got held up at the border for a little bit going into Canada (the border patrol man was totally flirting with Kate)...and got lost in the cones trying to get to the bridge...and we pulled up to the border way before we were supposed to. It's quite confusing...they should have more signs telling us newbies what to do. But at least we didn't get so lost that we missed the entrance into Canada and went back to the States like Jamie. :)

Once we hit the border, we realized that we left the wedding present in Kate's room. We're a bunch of geniuses.

The ceremony was great and the dancing afterward at the reception was even better. But even better than that were the bikers that were chillin' outside of banquet hall. Kate was in love...with the bikers...and the border patrolman...and a Canadian.

The way back to the US was pretty uneventful until we made it to the border again. I was really excited because I had won a bet with Adam, so I was texting him...and the border patrol man said something to the effect of "any other border patrol man would have gone (pardon my...or rather...his french) 'ape shit' on me for having my phone out and we'd get stuck in an hour long process of being checked at the border." Again, more signs with more directions would have been appreciated.

We're so lucky that we didn't get arrested or detained on this trip...



P.S. On a side note, last week, Erika, Kate, Adam, and Hal came over and we had a game/movie night. I would just like it to be known that Adam and Hal lost to a bunch of girls while playing Catchphrase. For shame.

Chocolate Rain

What do you do when it's hotter than the blazes in your dorm room and all of your Easter chocolate is melting?

Have a fondue night, of course!

No, we didn't melt our already melting chocolate, but we did have a fondue party nonetheless and it was the best. First, I (Jessica) dropped my Hannah Montana sunglasses in the fondue. Then a bunch of really cool people came over.

And then more really cool people came over.

And then we cleaned up.

It was awesome.

On Friday, Kate went home for a job interview (and it was a success I might add), so Erika and I were on our own. We watched John Tucker Must Die and I think almost an entire season of FRIENDS. We also went to McDonald's looking like this:

Yikes.

On Saturday, it was just a lazy day afternoon. I'm trying to get Erika hooked on the TV show, Chuck, and I think...I think...it might be working.

Chuck is just so cute and endearing :)

After this, we went and saw 17 Again in the theaters.



#1 - Zac Efron = SO HOT.
#2 - I haven't laughed that hard in the movie theater since I don't know when..
#3 - We popped our own popcorn and snuck it into the theater.
#4 - Zac Efron = SO HOT.

On Sunday, it was back to the daily grind. I went to the photo lab and printed this picture for our "solitude" assignment, and three things came of it.

#1 - I was able to print it in one shot...that never happens. What usually takes me 3 hours to make, only took me 45 minutes.
#2 - I kind of electrocuted myself a little bit while in the lab, but I'm ok now. Lesson learned = stay away from outlets after handling prints in the stop bath...
#3 - Everyone in my class loved it in the in class review.

And this is the last picture I printed...it was supposed to be a Christian photograph. It also got rave reviews :)

It's also better looking in person.

That's pretty much it, I think...I'm probably forgetting something...but that will get added eventually, I guess...

P.S. One day, Ryan Ploch will be famous.

We Win!

This is epic.

This is the first blog since August that Erika and I have actually written TOGETHER.
Yowzas.

Also epic: this weekend.
It included Relay for Life, Mario Kart tourneys, baseball games, Taco Bell, Meijer runs, Friends marathons...and CORN DOGS (or, as labeled, corn battered frankfurters on a stick).

#1 - Relay for Life.
It was a pretty dinky turnout this year, but our team raised 1/5 of the total money earned.


Also, When the Clouds Run for Cover played a concert for us

and Erika I walked a total of 2 hours around the track with lots of fun people.

Pablo made another appearance this year and enjoyed it thoroughly, mostly due to the fact that he never got kidnapped. He just got loved on by a little girl.


#2 - Mario Kart Tourneys
We SLAUGHTERED Adam in MK. A lot of talk for someone with very little game ;)
As if anyone could hope to beat us.

#3 - Baseball game
This was the first athletic event that Erika and I had been to all year. Quite a big difference from last year. Our team is pretty much amazing, as usual. And the sun was shining, which was glorious. The only not glorious thing was the ladies behind us who were talking about us like we couldn't hear them. Too bad for them, I have super sonic hearing when it comes to eavesdropping, not real life.


#4 - Taco Bell
Tasty as always, and I won $25 off of my cup! YAY!

#5 - Meijer run
Erika and I witnessed a sight not suitable for the internet. But we also got the makings for fondue and we got corn dogs!!

#6 - Friends marathon
Is any weekend without our favorite friends a complete one? I think not. They'll be there for us!

#7 - CORN DOGS!!
When you mix corn dogs with Friends marathons, life is just that much more worth living :)

Other than that, it's hotter than the blazes in our dorm room, so I'm going to go to the art building now to do photo stuff and Erika is going to cut her toe off in protest.

Ok, Peace out.
Jerica Mellens

PS - Red Wings are totally dominating. Series: 2-0. For those of you who live under a rock.

Let's Go to the Zoo

For Easter, my (Jessica's) parents took me to the Cleveland Zoo.


Contrary to popular belief, I do not think that this zoo belongs in the top 5 in the US...or whatever it's ranked...

I love the Detroit Zoo. It was the first ever zoo that allowed animals to live in their "natural habitats" as opposed to keeping them in cages, like the Cleveland Zoo. Boo.

Free - YAY!!

VS.

Not free - Poor little jaguar :(

But it was nice to get a little time off and go on a vacation with the family. Even if this monkey didn't think so. He's mostly mad that he's in a cage :(

Poor little monkey.

In better news, one of my photos from photography class got hung up on the "Photo of the Week" wall! Yay!! I'll scan a copy in...eventually...as soon as I get to the library...but it won't be the exact picture, because that one's ON THE WALL!!!!

Oh. Lastly...

Animals Rule!

Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)

For those of you who don't know, I [Erika] am a sports fan. I love all sports... well... almost all sports. I'm not a golf fan or a nascar fan... or any other weird sports fan. But I love hockey, baseball, basketball, and football. Not necessarily in that order... although hockey is my favorite.

Since I have this love for sports, I have chosen a soulmate from all of my favorite teams. Now, a soulmate is very different from favorite player. For example, my favorite Piston is Tayshaun Prince, but he is not my soulmate for 2 main reasons: 1. He is too old for me. and 2. He is married. So the rules for soulmates are that they must be unmarried, and they must be close to my age. And once I pick a soulmate, I am loyal to that soulmate until they are traded or leave the team for some other reason.

Now that you know the basic rules for soulmate picking, it's time for me to share who mine are. I have one from the Red Wings, Tigers, Pistons, and.... Lions... I think. I don't pick college soulmates cause... well the longest they can be my soulmate is for 4 years... and... well, I just don't.

Red Wings
Soulmate: Jiri Hudler - 3 years older than me.

I just decided this last night. It was between him, Jonathan Ericsson and Vlaterri Fillpula. And I know it's risky cause Hudler might be leaving at the end of the season. But... he's just so great. By great, I mean not necessarily skill-wise, because I think Filpulla might have the edge on him there, but I mean he's just so endearing. He always seems so happy. Happy Hudler. He was also the reason the Wings won the first shoot-out that I had ever seen. And his interview afterwards was so great. The person asked him what was going through his mind as he skated out to center ice and he said, "Don't fall... Don't fall... Don't fall." Hahaha. So great.

Favorite: Undecided
This always stresses me out. I just can't choose. And when I think I can... Like... Zetterberg, for example [he's always high on the list]. I start thinking about how great he is and how he should be my favorite. Then Franzen pops into my head. SO great. Then Datsyuk pops into my head. SO great. Then the old favorites pop into my head - Maltby, Draper, McCarty. Also great. Then Lidstrom pops into my head... and it's about at that time that I just resign to the fact that I can't choose one favorite Wing.


Tigers
Soulmate: Curtis Granderson - 6 years older than me

I think this choice is pretty self-explanatory. Even though 6 years is a bit of a stretch, how can I not choose Granderson? He's great. In all aspects. He's a great player - how many triples? And just take a look at that picture. What a catch. And he's smart. Read his blog - great writer. And, let's be real, he's attractive. Great all-around soulmate for sure.

Favorite: Brandon Inge
I was excited... but worried when they signed Cabrera. Cause I have always loved Inge and I didn't want him to be released or traded. I'm sooo glad they got things straightened out. Inge has been my favorite since the Tigers sucked and he will be until he leaves. For reasons like yesterday in the home opener - he made a spectacular catch. So great.

Pistons
Soulmate: Amir Johnson - about 3 months older than me.


This choice shows my loyalty to my soulmates. Back when the Pistons were good, like - really good, they picked up a player that was the same age as me. At the time, 18. I was immediatly excited about this and chose him as my soulmate. He was actually the first of any of my sports soulmates. He has since come a long way with the Pistons. From being a bench warmer to an actual player, he has been an exciting soulmate to watch. But, to be honest, if I hadn't already picked Amir, Rodney Stuckey would be my soulmate. But, hey! No regrets. :)

Favorite: Tayshaun Prince
Ever since Tayshaun made the "block heard 'round the world" on Reggie Miller, he has been and forever will be my favorite. I also just love his quiet style of play. I still say he's way underrated.

Lions
Soulmate: Calvin Johnson - 2 years older than me.



Much like Granderson, I think this choice is pretty self-explanatory. He's the best player on the Lions. And I have always been a sucker for wide receivers, running backs, and corner backs. And, whataya know - Calvin Johnson's a wide receiver, and excellent one at that. It was a travesty that he wasn't in the Pro Bowl last year. Just cause he's on the worst team.... ever, doesn't mean that he's not great.

Favorite: Calvin Johnson
Let's be real... I don't have much to choose from when it comes to the Lions. So my soulmate and favorite are the same.

So there ya have it.
I love sports and those that play sports. I also love the sunshine and warmth we've been having lately. Just to throw that out there. :)

Ok, peace out.