Here I NCUR'm

Last semester was a real doozy so I have been MIA as of late, but I now find myself in the last semester of my baccalaureate studies and I am proud to say I just may get this thing over with once and for all (just a shade over a decade)...  I am also pleased to say that the research I completed last semester was chosen for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) which will be held at Weber State University on March 29-31, 2012.  It's still a couple months away, but when I get my slides all complete I might try to post them...for all my adoring fans out there...  In the meantime, if anyone wants to make sure I'm not blowing smoke or to get info about the conference, check out the NCUR website here.

The other option for this post is to check out the sweet sweet music from a man me and my bandmate Merissa affectionately refer to as "Sexy Martin."

'Yes I'm bound...'

bumersummer

If anyone is reading this, you will know that I haven't updated this thing for awhile, and frankly, I blame school.  I have 5 online classes right now, so I really get sick of staring at this screen, even if it is to let the rest of the world know how awesome I am...

So, in honor of summer school this year, here's a little vid from way back in the day when I had a summer off...last year when I floated down the Colorado River with my friend Alex.  We spent the whole month of July floating through the Grand Canyon.  I was on a raft for most of the trip, but for a few days, Alex let me try out his kayak.  After a full day of tipping upside down through nearly every rapid and not knowing how to roll back up, when we stopped for camp Alex taught me how to roll a kayak.  And here it is folks.  Documented just for your entertainment.

I'll try to post more picks of this trip later (...someday?).  I was with an amazing group of freaking awesome people to whom I really need to pay tribute.  But for now, it's back to the books.

What a drag it is getting old...

Dog-sitter, Extraordinaire

My roommate had to dog sit for her parents this week.  They own a toy poodle named Snuggles (she kinda looks like the Snuggle fabric softener bear).  Me, being the festive person I am (?) suggested we give Snuggles an Easter makeover.  First, I started by grooming her fur coat.  Unfortunately, I didn't start snapping photos until after the cut, but here is a picture of a toy poodle from the web, of what Snuggles would normally look like...

Kinda cute for a little dog, right?  Well, she was due for a trim, so I tried my best with the limited dog grooming skills that I have (umm, none?)...

And here is the post-cut!!  Snuggles is now rockin the 'hawk.

Well, no cut is complete without a little color, right?!  So, I was thinking along the lines of an Easter theme.  What I was envisioning is a spring chicken, so I ran to the groc and bought a few packets of lemon and orange kool aid for the coloring.  This is a technique my sister, Leslie, used in high school on her blond hair for a little punk flair.  Just kidding.  I was probably more of a punk than she, but I didn't have the hair color to play around with the temporary self-dye.  

Lookers-on...  

Unfortunately, I didn't grab enough kool aid packets to cover her whole body, so it didn't work out quite like I had envisioned, but here is the final product...

Note, the orange "beak" and the (pastel) yellow!  Also, to coincide with the punk rocker mohawk, Alicia bought a spike collar in pink.  

Just look at that face!

Alicia's parents arrived and they loved the Easter surprise.  Her dad even tried to get Snuggles to sit in the flower bed to pose, but she wasn't having any of that.  I think she was ready to get away from the crazy Weimaraners.  She was a sitting duck (or chick?) after I painted that orange and lemon kool aid all over her. 

In the past I have not been much of a fan of small dogs (especially little yappy ones), but I have to admit I enjoyed hanging out with snuggles and I had fun giving her a new style.  I felt like I was 5 years old, playing dress up with dolls (which, by the way, I never took part in).  Overall, I think the end result just made Snuggles look like a punk rocker rather than a spring chick.  

A spring biker chik, perhaps?  I think so.

Happy "hawky" Easter, everyone!

The Dog Ate My Homework

As funny as this excuse was as a child, I have found myself referencing it in my adult years...

That photo of a bowl of veggies must have appeared to be too irresistibly delicious to a dog.  Jean just couldn't help herself...

So, do you think the bookstore will buy back a partially-devoured nutrition book?  It's just too ironic to resist, right???

I'm sorry. You have the wrong number. (Part 1)

RANDOM TEXT MESSAGER 1:  Is this April?

ME:  No.  I'm pretty sure we're in the dog days of August.  Haha

RTM1:  What?

ME:  It was a joke...August, not April...  But seriously, you have the wrong number.

RTM1:  Oh i get it.  Ha ha.  Thanks

pupdate...

This week, I noticed a rash in Nixie's ear.  Upon further investigation, it appeared she had dirt in her earlobes, but it just didn't look right.  After consulting my friend, the internet, I came to the conclusion that she has ear mites (well, that explains all her scratching)!  Ear mites, if left untreated, can cause deafness...which I guess would give them a better excuse for not listening to me...  Blue has them as well, but his aren't as bad.  So, a quick trip to the pet store, and with ear cleaner and ear mite drops in hand, I set out to clean the dogs.  Ugh.  It was a 2 man effort because those pups sure didn't appreciate my poking and prodding, so Alicia held them down for me.  

So, first I had to clean out all the brown stuff...which is actually a mixture of dead mites, blood, and earwax.  Ewwww....

The cleaning solution is supposed to dissolve the ear wax in the ear canal, where i couldn't reach with a q-tip, so the actual medication will have to wait til the ears are all clean.  Until then, the pups will be keeping their distance, I'm sure, to avoid the ear probing!

Warning: this post could possibly cause the purchase of a puppy

My new roommates are a real handfull.  I have to serve them their food, take them to the bathroom, and even work out with them (endless playtime!!  Whew!)...not to mention, they are up at six o'clock every morning.  There's two of them.  Brother and sister.  Arthur is a bully, and he's always picking on Nixie.  She fights back though, and sometimes is the one who instigates it.  She's one tough girl, but she depends on her brother and DOES NOT like to be separated from him.  At the end of the day, all they really want is to cuddle.

Jean Phoenix Gray and Arthur Blue Radley

Now, if only they could help pitch-in on rent...

Cooke-lash

My baby sister Sadie must be a psychic. She had the amazing foresight to give me a pair of awesome slippers for Christmas to replace my pair that I have been wearing for probably 8 years. Those old slippers still look okay on the top, however, the tred has little left to be desired and has worn completely smooth. Unfortunately, I forgot my new pair of slippers at my parent's house, and finally, the sole of my old slippers got the better of me on Friday.

Behold the culprit slippers:

So, here's the story...
I was getting ready for class on Friday, and headed downstairs to grab my bag. About the second or third step down, I lost traction on the carpet, my feet flew out from under me, and I went down. Hard. I reached out to catch myself on the hand-rail, but it snapped clean though, and I landed on the stairs directly on my back, with my head whipping back into another step. With the wind knocked right out of me, I proceeded to slide down the rest of the stairs until I was curled up at the bottom...gasping for air and groaning in pain. After a few minutes, I was able to breathe again, and I got up laughing at myself.

The evil stairs and now-broken hand-rail:

So, I think it's definitely time to retire the old slippers...

Then, just to make my body more upset with me, Friday night I went to the indoor surfing spot with my little brothers in Ogden. Nothin' like following up on some whiplash with more whiplash. It has done wonders for my neck...

Jasper workin' the wave:

And from the peanut gallery, aka Wiley:

Mmmmmhmmmmm. Good times. Now, after two days in traction, I hope I can move around better tomorrow.

just a little holiday hilarity

Ahhhhhhh. I crack up every time...


holidays, sistah style...

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

...and now for the bruthas...

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Ahhhh...sweet success for this lucky lady punk

I just took a Sociology test today, and I am happy to say I aced it....which means I don't need to take the final, and I still got an A in the class.  *Woot!*  That's right...one less cause for more gray hair.  SO, I am celebrating by eating a Carl's Jr. teriyaki burger and watching Dirty Harry on Netflix.  Now for some well deserved down time. DON'T I FEEL LUCKY?!?

Let's hear it, Clint...

Don't open that door. My gorilla is in there...

I love music.  Music has been my ongoing love affair since I can remember belting out James Taylor and Anne Murray songs in the bathtub before the age of 5.  I can thank my James Taylor repertoire to my mother, who affectionately referred to him as "JT."  So, it's no surprise that JT would sometimes wander into my dreams as I slumbered.  One of these dreams, I can still remember to this day...  I was with my parents and we were going over to JT's house.  It was a modest abode (a double-wide, in fact) in Teton Valley.  Everyone was sitting around chatting, and I could hear some noises coming from a room behind a closed door.  Me, being the curious 4 or 5 year old that I was, went to investigate.  James noticed, and as I was about to open the door, he stopped me and said: "Don't open that door.  My gorilla is in there."  That is all I remember of the dream, but any of you who are familiar with JT, you know he has a song called Gorilla.  I couldn't find a video of James singing the song himself, but I wanted to post the song.  Here is a pretty good rendition by a couple of guys.




So, me being the amazing daughter I am....hee hee...I bought my mom and I 5th row tickets to go see James Taylor at the USANA amphitheater a couple years ago. It was a wonderful experience to share with my mom, and the least I could do to repay the lifelong love of JT's music she passed on to me.


THE HOTTIES...

AND THE MAN...

Simply magical.  Thanks JT, for a great memory.

Virgin Post

I have finally succumbed.  I have wanted to start a blog for years, however, I tend not to take initiative and I find I most enjoy perusing ksl ads for things I will never purchase but wish I could.  That, and I would just rather blog stalk others who have their own blogs.  Tee hee.  I particularly enjoy the blogs by my childhood school friend Nellie Rae, and my sister Leslie.  They keep me quite entertained and in stitches.  So, today, I don't know what spurred it on. Maybe I decided my life is interesting too; albeit childless and single.  I still manage to fill my days with a little insanity every once in awhile.  Also, my laptop recently crapped out on me, and I figure I better start archiving things in multiple places.  So this is it.  My virgin post.  No bells or whistles, 'cuz I haven't figured this thing out just yet.  Just bear with me, and before you know it, you will all be sick and tired of my awesomeness.  This blog is really meant for me (and my forgetfulness) to organize all the things in my world that inspire me and make me feel, well...alive, and appreciative for creation, be it God's or (God inspired?) mankind's.  I think sometimes we all need that little reminder.  And I prolly need it more than most.  So, enjoy.