Decade things: Songs I will love forever

Instead of making a list of songs that influenced me or blah blah blah, I have decided to tell you about songs from the last decade that I will love until I croak. Most of these songs are "bad." Good thing we're not snobby.

"Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim, and Mya. How freaking sing-alongable!

"Hey Ya" by Outkast. It was so exciting when I figured out the correct number of "All Right"s to sing.

"Mr. Brightside" by The Killers. I don't care what you say. It reminds me of trips to Canada.

"Single Ladies" by Beyonce. No, I'm not influenced by the moment. Even if this song weren't connected to memories of Norwegian bus stops and trendsetting by STH and I, it would still be magnificent.

"Yeah" by Usher, Lil Jon, and Ludacris. There was a tiny "Yeah"-shaped hole in my heart, and this song completed it.

"Crazy in Love" by Beyonce and Jay-Z. In addition to the booty-shaking it inspires, I really really really like to say, "Yes sir I'm cut from a different cloth / my texture/ is the best fur / chinchilla."

"Maria Maria" by Santana and that guy. I think they're describing me. I am Maria. I'm growing up in Spanish Harlem, living the life just like a movie star.

"Who Let the Dogs Out" by Baja Men. It's funny every! single! time!

2009: The Special Times (Part 2)

May: Ski to Sea!



June: Moving to Jackson Hole and having constant adventures. (Pictured: JENGA!!!! Not pictured: Bear sightings, creek floats, dodgeball, barbecue, etc.)



August: Hiking the Teton Crest with boyfriend, a.k.a. Motivational Hiker.



September: BL Camping Trip.



September: Vaux's Swifts and visit from the boyfriend.



October: Boyfriend's return to the magnificent PNW and Scaryaoke!



November: Loving my job all the time. (Not pictured.) Loving West Seattle all the time. (Not pictured.) Thanksgiving! (Pictured.)


December: I don't have ANY pictures from December, but boyf and I went to Winthrop! We also had a lovely Christmas. I ate a lot of Chex Mix, which is the proper way to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Two thousand nine, I like you a lot.

2009: The Special Times (Part 1)

OMG, the year is almost over! It's time to reflect! (Thanks for the inspiration, Drara.)

Favorite Moments, In Chronological Order Because I'm Too Indecisive to Choose Favorites:

January: Celebrating our new president with silly, silly Europeans and silly, silly Americans in silly, silly Norway.



January - March: Giving Americans bad names based on rowdy bus behavior in Trondheim, Norway.



February... or March: Learning to snowboard and do choreographed dances in Are, Sweden.




March: Boyfriend surprising me with a visit! Driving back to Wyoming with him! Cross-country skiing to hot springs!



April: Choose Your Favorite Decade birthday party!



April, May, June: Un/underemployment in Puyallup (including Alpacapalooza):


Are you ready for the second half of 2009? No. You can't be. It's too exciting.

Winthrop tripthrop

Hamble and I are moseying over to Winthrop this weekend. You know what we're going to do there?

Disco dance.

You know what else?

Cross-country ski.

But mostly the former. (Click it! CLICK THAT LINK!)

Safeway trip

Today, I bought Life cereal instead of instant oatmeal. IAMVERYUNPREDICTABLE!

How your brilliance can increase my magnificence

You guys, you guys, you guys. You know how I get tuition waived at all public Washington colleges? I've decided to take advantage of it.

WHAT CLASS SHOULD I TAKE NEXT QUARTER?

I've looked into extra endorsements, and they don't seem like the best fit right now. But I can still go for professional growth! Or personal growth! Or bicep growth! I don't even know!

Non-credit classes like "Chop Like a Chef" and "Pacific Northwest Wines" won't be free for me, but how about math? Or Psychology? Or something else?

Give me ideas asap as possible.

Your new favorite website

Should I wear galoshes tomorrow? Or maybe flippy-floppies? Let's see what President Obama would do.


Scarf it is, Mr. President. Scarf it is.

I'm teaching poetry to my juniors. I read this and beamed. Threeish of them felt it.

The Orange
By Wendy Cope

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all my jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.

Tiny Art Director

A click you won't regret:

This artist makes pictures and then his toddler daughter, the Tiny Art Director, critiques them. Amazing blog. Example:

The Brief: A dinosaur, not too scary
The Critique: He's a ugly one! I hate those kind of dinosaurs! Where's your eraser?
Job Status: Rejected
Additional Comments: [hits page] He has ugly eyeballs.

On Monday, I joined the YMCA.

My new YMCA membership evinces much about me and my life:
-I desperately need racquetball partners.
-I overestimated the misery required in getting to my target heart rate.
-I laugh out loud when I'm not supposed to.

I want to elaborate on this last bit. Yesterday, I was ellipticalling when my neighbor made a noise. I thought, "She must be exercising like a madwoman to be emitting noises like that!" Then I switched my fancy elliptical TV to Family Guy. Everything's lovely, la da da, when "[insert deep nose noise]". I made the noise! It was a laugh! And it was a little embarrassing!

But then I felt some camaraderie with the lady next to me, and we continued to get our cardio on while snorting like semi-fit pigs to Family Guy (me) and King of Queens (her).

Successful workout.

Mystery Milk. Mylkstery.

Something's up with the milk.

Its expiration date is November 2nd. Today is November 20th. The milk, however, still smells and tastes fresh, and when I pour it into my tea there is no goop.

Something's up with the milk.

Flight of the Kelchord

In a tizzy of curiosity and coupons, Hamble and I went to The Flight Museum. It was all it's cracked up to be.

First and foremost, we were treated to a concert by the Boeing Employee Band! You didn't even know they existed! But they do, and boy oh boy, they can blow those horns. It was funny, too, because Hamble and I were like, "What is the tune of 'Halls of Montezuma' again? I know the song says this:

From the Halls of Montezuma
To the Shores of Tripoli
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea

But how does it go?"

Then boom. Boeing Employee Band playing Halls of Montezuma.

Also, we got to mosey through an old Air Force One! Can you believe it! In a shocking security lapse, they left the nuclear codes in one of the lavatories. I suspect they're expired, though, so I'm not going to try them. Maybe I'll sell them on eBay, I don't know.

Anyway, munchkins, the boyf and I had a tip-top time at The Museum of Flight and we encourage YOU to patronize it, too. It will elevate you to new heights... in knowledge. Just knowledge. No free plane rides.