Shortened Words

Have you all noticed the craze lately?  I'm sure you have.

Obvi (obvious{ly}), Deets (Details), Preesh (Appreciate), Redic (ridiculous), whatevs (whatever), Totes (Totally), Sitch (situation), Peeps (people), Cray (crazy, Steve LOVES that one)... the list goes on, surely you can think of a few yourself.

I find myself using these shortened words when I'm trying to be obnox.  See what I did there?  Anyhow, I'm not cray about the idea of doing this, but EVERYONE is adapting to it.  It's like text lingo (which I don't even really know, I always text full words), people are using text lingo in emails and shit now.  WTF?

What are your thoughts on this crazy new trend?

10 Day You Challenge: 9 Loves

At first I thought this was 9 people I'm in love with... and well... I'm only in love with one person.  Then I thought about it more (give me a break it's early!) and realized it's probably 9 things (generically speaking) I love.... so I'm going to roll with that.

1. Being that it's the Summer Solstice today - I'll list Summer as the first.  I absolutely LOVE having 4 seasons in Minnesota.  As much as I complain and generally despise winter, there are certain aspects of it that I do enjoy (like waking up to beautiful hoar frost) - wait, I'm talking about summer here!  While it's not my favorite season - I love it because there is so much to do and so much fun to be had.  Corn on the cob fresh from a Minnesota farm, swimming in one of our 10,000 + lakes, beautiful flowers blooming everywhere, opening windows in the house and driving with the windows down... it's just such a welcome break from being cooped up inside!
2. Food!  One of the greatest things Steve has brought into my life is an adventurous appetite.  I was raised in a meat and potatoes home.  We didn't eat anything spicy and we certainly didn't eat anything off the wall.  Our veggies were standard and the same (green beans, corn, broccoli).  Often times I was offered money (like $1) just to try something.  Exploration of food came way later in life; a huge part of that has come with Steve.  I'm not sure why, but since meeting him I've tried a lot more food and finally conquered spicy hot things, to the point where I crave it!  My food repertoire has expanded!
3. Steve.  While this list is in no particular order, he would most certainly top the list.  As mentioned above he's helped me explore my wild taste buds (that sounds dirty... I promise it's not!) - but he's done so much more for me than that.  He's been a shoulder when I cry, he has loved me unconditionally, he accepts my quirks, he smiles every time he sees me, he holds my hand, he empties the dishwasher, he does his own laundry, he makes me laugh, but more than anything he is my best friend.
4. Travel - I wish I could do more of it.  I know that I've been very fortunate to have traveled so many places and having big girl bills now pretty much puts a stop to it all, unless I save and save.  I've been to 34 of 50 states in the US, as well as a couple places in Canada and Mexico.  I love the hustle and bustle of city life, but quite enjoy going somewhere less busy as well.  I love seeing new things, things that you see in movies and only dream of seeing one day in real life.  I love people watching in different cultures as well as my own.  I love picking up a map in a new city and getting from point A to point B all on my own!
5. Our New Home.  I'm simply in love with our home.  Everything about it from the old wood work to the neighborhood it's in.  Deep down I am a city girl - growing up in NE Minneapolis was one of the best and most amazing things in my life.  Living in Anoka now has brought a bit of community back to my life - we are able to walk downtown Anoka and grab a bite to eat or browse an antique store or get a scoop of ice cream.  All things I lost when living in Andover with my mom.  We live across the street from a park, so there is noise every Monday night while the people play their co-ed softball - and I LOVE it!  The inside of the house reminds me of my roots as well - a lot of the NE neighborhood was built around the same time as our home, so the craftsmanship is stellar and good quality products were used.  It's absolutely beautiful, even with the small annoying things that need to be replaced or repaired.
6. Boomer.  Probably more so now after our little scare last month.  I've always had a pet cat, my entire life growing up, they've always been the family pet - Boomer is my boy.  He's all mine!  What's even better is that he loves Steve as well (he hasn't so much cared for my past suitors).  Even though Steve is allergic to cats, Boomer seems to have less of an affect on him with each passing day - and he's got mad love for the kitty too!  Sometimes I think Boomer likes Steve more than he does me :(
7. Sour ... well, sour ANYTHING!  I almost just put sour candy, but I love lemons/limes as well.  Steve and I were seeking out any and all things sour for awhile there.  We found that Warheads Extreme are about the best, but I never turn away a bag of sour patch kids or sour apple gum... and even a stick of raw rhubarb to get my sour things going!  If you present me with anything sour, my mouth will start watering in .025 seconds.
8. Family - without my family I am nothing.  I've blogged about my family many times and simply put - we all like each other.  How many people do you know that can say that?  I feel like everywhere I turn someone is talking about how their family is crazy or they don't get along or they don't spend holiday's together.  It's so odd to me.  My parents, my brother and SIL, my nieces, my cousins, my aunts & uncles, my grandparents... ♥
9. Wine!   I love wine and everything it stands for - I think it can make almost anyone look classy (except for maybe this person), I love wine glasses and I love wine related art.  As of late I've been trying to cut sugar from my diet (see #2 on this post), basically because it's unnecessary - so I've cut out a lot of wine drinking.  Plus, with summer being here Red wine just doesn't feel good to drink as often as it does in the winter.  I don't usually keep a stock of white wine, but I do enjoy it quite a bit.   

My "Bucket List"

Well, I may as well get the ball rolling....  the things I want to do before I die.  I would imagine to always be adding to this list and, hopefully, always crossing things off.

I have added things I've already done, because they were goals... at one point.

1. Set foot in every U.S. State
   Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana| Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota| Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah| Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin| Wyoming
2. Enjoy my mother
3. Go to Hawaii
4. Ride every roller coaster in the United States
5. Fly a plane
6. See the Golden Gate Bridge
7. Sell a photograph
8. Get another tattoo (my last)
9. Be in a parade
10. Dance on the street
11. Send a secret to Postsecret
12. Smash something
13. Take a photograph of {my) footprints in the sand
14. Write my name in the sand
15. Read more, and enjoy it
16. Walk across The Brooklyn Bridge
17. Go to a Drive-In movie
18. Plant a Tree
19. Get married
20. Make a difference in a child's life
21. Be on a game show!
22. Sit on the Jersey Shore (only partially due to watching the show)
23. Urban Explore the Gold Medal Flour Mill
24. Watch the sunset over the ocean, in the arms of someone I love
25. See The Statue of Liberty
26. See the "Grain Belt" Sign light up again
27. See The Northern Lights
28. Learn to drive a stick shift
29. Capture a lightning bolt photograph
30. Meet Joe Mauer
31. Make love behind/under a waterfall
32. Build a snow fort
33. Dine in the dark
34. See the "New" 7 Wonders of the World
35. Swim with Dolphins
36. See Niagara Falls
37. Enjoy a 100 year old bottle of Red wine
38. Make Green Eggs and Ham
39. Invent something
40. See the 7 Natural Wonders
41. Invest (buy stock) in a new company and watch as it succeeds
42. Bungee Jump
43. Become fluent in Spanish
44. See Paris
45. Own a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes
46. Ride in a helicopter
47. Skydive
48. Make {and keep} a family tree with all my genealogy {3/17/11 - currently working on it}
49. Stay in a glass bottom house in Maldives
50. Forgive everyone
51. Attend the Olympics
52. Sit on a jury
53. Drive, East-West or West-East, across the U.S.A.
54. Dance the night away, until the sun comes up
55. Design my own kitchen
56. Go on a Hot Air Balloon Ride
57. Catch a Foul Ball at a Baseball game (preferably in Target Field)
58. See Mount Rushmore
59. Move out of my moms basement (might aide in #2)
60. See The Vikings win a superbowl (I have NO control over this)
61. Join a fantasy football league
62. Attend a ballet {coming in May 2011}
63. 
    

Things That Make ME {Happy}

Sushi

Guacamole

Rick Bayless' Cooking Show

Wearing my boyfriends hoodies

The Vikings

My Nikon

Ruby Slippers

Spooning

Salt on a Margarita

Amazing Friends

Game Nights

Waterfalls

Rapping

Flip Flops

Photos via we♥it

Some things I've done

I stole this from Kayla, cause I though it would be good inspiration for me as I work on my bucket list.  So far I have a great start (soon to publish)... but this was kind of a oh hey, look at what I've already done list- is it wrong to add things to your bucket list that you have done just to cross them off and say you've done them?


Feel free to copy and paste it to your own blog.  Unbold them all, then just bold the ones you've done... maybe it can serve as a list of goals moving forward (some, not so much)?


01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain (Eagle Mt, Highest point in Minnesota, only 2301 ft.)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea (over Lake Superior, which is like a sea)
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon -
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn't care who was looking 
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch 
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on a television news program as an "expert"
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone-
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach-
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you -
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life