and people say dogs are easier than kids.

today was a rather odd day: i spent time thinking up a fun way to demonstrate effective opinion-building with my students (including finding support in both personal experiences and factual evidence), but the activity kinda flopped because i asked them to do it in silence. i guess that's what happens when you try to contain freshmen. . . failed activities. it's ok; i'm still learning.

anyway, so i got back to the house and talked to my roommate for a little bit about school. then i walked into my room so that i could change out of my black slacks and sweater and into something more comfortable (like cotton pants with small little riley-dogs on them). i unzipped my boots and threw them into my shoe box (i still haven't gotten a shoe rack yet); then i walked around the end of my bed and opened my closet.

i realized my sock was wet.

and that the bottom of my foot was warm.

yes, you probably guessed it: it stepped in kota barf. seriously. it was still all chunky and warm, which means it was very fresh.

and my reaction, you ask? i just started laughing and pulled off my sock. then i told heather and she cleaned it up. luckily the barf was on the wood floor and not on my new black shaggy rugs. but still. kota barf. at least she feels comfortable enough to just let it all out. literally.

room pics and other stuff.

Even though the room isn't finished, I still thought I'd post some pics. This first picture is the view when you walk into the room (that's the wood door on the left-hand side). You can't see them, but I have two black shaggy rugs on the floor to help cover some of the wood flooring. You also can't see the black iron curtain rod above the windows, but it's pretty cool. Obviously, the curtains aren't in yet-- but soon, hopefully.

Moving on. . . the picture above is of my desk (obviously) and a really cool spiral candle votive holder. I saved up some summer babysitting money to buy that from Pottery Barn a few years ago. The cool hanging thing in the corner is from a souvenir shop in Sonora, California. Then, the picture below is of my new bedspread and some random wall art. You can't see it, but I have a four-shelf bookshelf at the foot of my bed.

The only wall I didn't take a picture of is just my closet with sliding mirror doors; it's on the same wall as my door.

Here's Kota! (I thought her name was "Coda," but I was wrong. . . it's pronounced the same.) She's cute. I wasn't too sure about her at first, but she's definitely a great dog and keeps me company when the roommates are busy-- which is most of the time.

I thought I'd tell you this random story: I decided to stop on my way home from school to buy some salad, milk, sugar, baking soda, and frozen veggies for the Quick and Easy Chicken Pot Pie-- recipe courtesy of Arijaan and Bisquick-- at Albertsons on Beacon, which is pretty close to school. I walked through the store to collect all the food, stopping every once in a while to ponder if I need granola bars or tube biscuits (ultimately deciding to skip over those). Then, I get to the checkout lanes and opt for self-checkout. I punched in my preferred card number, and start scanning. After I finished, the nice lady in the machine tells me, "Proceed to checkout." I pushed the button on the screen with one hand and dug for my wallet with the other hand. I find my cell phone, a pen, some saltine crackers. . . no wallet. I opened my bag as beads of sweat start forming on my forehead. . . no wallet. I started freaking out.

And then it hit me: my wallet was in my sweatshirt pocket. And my sweatshirt pocket is next to my bed at home.

So, I did the forehead slap, deep sigh, and pushed the button to cancel all groceries. I looked around to tell someone about my blunder, but see no one in sight. I exit Albertsons.

The end of the story is that I retrieved my wallet and went back to a different Albertsons, cooked a yummy pot pie without the chicken, and now I need to work on some homework.

update on andrea's life as of late.

well, i am almost all moved in to my new location in boise! all my furniture is here, save for the occassional misplaced item (like getting a new shoe rack. . . the one i have is 2" too long for my closet) and getting some curtains and a bedskirt. my domestic mother has volunteered to make me both of those items out of the same fabric to tie the room together.

so, i painted the walls a really energetic, vibrant red: bougainvilla, named after a pretty flowering plant. the walls are about the color of the deepest red in this picture:the trim is white, and i've decorated primarily in white and black. both roommates have commented that this is the best this room has looked. . . quite a tribute to my interior decorating skills. don't worry; pictures to come later when i have curtains! =)

i officially moved in on thursday last week, and then i spent the next 33 hours grading papers, making a late night run to wendy's to grab a grilled chicken sandwich and some mountain dew (mostly, this was inspired by a massive panic attack after i couldn't find the coffee machine) doing homework, shopping for the medieval feast, going to class, loading my stomach up on red bull, holding office hours, teaching, and driving home-- only to collapse on my bed and awaken to my roommate babytalking to the house dog, coda. she's an akita. i'm a big fan.

this weekend was much better and restful. the one thing that i definitely have to start getting used to: eating dinner alone. this sounds kind of silly, but i am used to preparing dinner with my mother-- and occassionally, my father-- and then enjoying our meal together as a family. i never ate dinner alone prior to living here! however, i am determined to cook for myself and not let idaho pizza company do my cooking for me. perhaps i should create a "college student singles dinner club" or something similar, eh?

thoughts on a wednesday morning

bear with me: it's been a very long day/ morning, and i've decided to blog about it in a very montaigne-esque fashion. as of late, i have been struck with the overwhelming desire for change-- in so many areas of my life. i am incredibly annoyed with myself for becoming so complacent and comfortable with just about everything (from school to relationships to living arrangements); can i just pack up and flee to the woods for a week? pull a dave chappelle and roam around africa for a little while and clear my mind? transform into bruce almighty for a second so that he can use his godly powers to read and respond to the ever-growing mound of student papers on my desk? sprout some biceps like popeye on spinach to help me lift boxes of books, my tv, etc. that i've neatly packed for moving? (i'll let that image of me trying to commune with rhinos marinate for a sec.)

seriously, where are some gummi worms when i need them?

ok, so i'm being sort of whiny. (i told you this was inspired by montaigne, right?) perhaps i should follow becca's example and blog about things that i love-- being that it's february and all. well, right now i love blogger.com because it is awake and available to hear me out. thanks, blogger, i appreciate you.

moving out.

dearest faithful blog readers,

as most of you know, i am moving out of my cozy purple room on wind weaver and headed towards boise-- with some clothing in tow (unfortunately, it appears that 75% of my precious garments will remain in eagle, eagerly awaiting the day i pluck them from my closet and whisk them away in my arms to a newfound closet space). i am very excited about this new opportunity to live with two of the most free-spirited, laid-back basketball fans i've ever met.

despite my enthusiasm, there are several things about home sweet home that i will dearly miss. for example, fresh-baked homemade bread on the weekends. and my doggies (i've already tried to convince my parents to let me bring along elliot... unfortunately, no such luck). and having my entire 60-something pairs of shoes at my disposal. oh, and free rent-- i couldn't possibly forget that.

pray hard, dear friends, that this was indeed a wise decision and that i will embark on a favorable and fun journey into the land of roommates (including one very large and very hairy akita named coda).

onwards,
andrea

the world will never ever be the same.... and you're to blame.

It's been almost two weeks (in about seven more hours) since I said goodbye to dear Zachary, and I can't help but miss him terribly. He called me today from Iraq for the first time since he's been gone. . . the sound of his voice was so welcoming after a really long day at school and a painfully slow and slippery drive home from my night class. I miss him and can't wait for June. Until then. . .

Music blog

Go to the music player of your choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud and press play. Use the song titles as your answers. NO CHEATING!

How does the world see me?
Song: Cause = Time
Artist: Broken Social Scene
Comments: Mathematical equations confuse me. Alas, I shall reign solitary with my liberal arts education.

Will I have a happy life?
Song: We Still Kill the Old Way
Artist: Lostprophets
Comments: Perhaps?

What do my friends really think of me?
Song: She is Beautiful
Artist: Andrew W.K.
Comments: Suh-weet!

Do people secretly lust after me?
Song: Love Shack
Artist: B-52's
Comments: Hmm. . . maybe it's the Melville obsession that turns heads?

How can I make myself happy?
Song: The World I Know
Artist: Collective Soul
Comments: Remember, we are in the world but not of the world. Thank you, Anne Bradstreet.

What should I do with my life?
Song: Singing in my Sleep
Artist: Semisonic
Comments: See! I should spend the majority of my time unconscious!

What will fill my life?
Song: Champagne Supernova
Artist: Oasis
Comments: I'm OK with that.

How can I maximize my happiness?
Song: Shadow
Artist: Ashlee Simpson (no, I'm not ashamed that she's on my ipod!)
Comments: I think this goes along with the whole sleep thing. And besides, Emerson's light metaphors and Thoreau's symbolic awakeness get kinda old after a while.

What will my children be like?
Song: Pretty Handsome Awkward
Artist: Taking Back Sunday
Comments: Fair enough. (See, Becca, your children will be Gap-poster cute and mine will thrive on awkward moments. . . )

How will I die?
Song: Black Letter Day
Artist: The Cardigans
Comments: Surrounded by newsprint? I can deal with that.

What is some good advice for me?
Song: Cardiff-by-the-sea
Artist: The Ataris
Comments: Are you saying I need to get out more?

What is happiness?
Song: The Widow's Peak
Artist: Dashboard Confessional
Comments: Nothing makes me happier than dreaming about a new hairline.

What is one of my obsessions?
Song: Foolish Games
Artist: Jewel
Comments: Oh, please, that is so high school-- unless you count 'games' in some sort of Scattegories-esque manner.

How will I be remembered?
Song: Goodbye to You (Acoustic)
Artist: Michelle Branch
Comments: At least someone will be around to say goodbye!

Any advice for the time-being?
Song: Over You
Artist: Chris Daughtry
Comments: Oh, ipod Nano, how I love you so.

(P.S.: Pray that the folllowing semester engulfs me in fascinating literature and provides some more clarity about my future so that I will no longer post such ridiculous blog entries. Thanks for reading!)

winter wonderland

Even though I like Boise, the weather stinks. I am a California girl at heart-- a true valley girl who prefers sunshine, beaches, and orchards over ice, snow, and frigid winds (yes, I said "frigid"). However, with harsh winter comes great freedoms (do you like the 'Spiderman' speech imitation??? I truly am an English major), which delight me thoroughly-- so much so that I've created a Top 10 list for Winter Break:

1. Sleeping in. Ev-er-y day.

2. Learning to sew on the sewing machine. My first project was fleece cage accessories for my favorite ferret at EFS, Five:

I hand-delivered the hammock, floor pad, and sleep sack. Not to sound conceited or anything, but he (and his cagemate Cracker) loved them.

3. Getting my hair cut. I opted for a long-layered shaggy look a la Trish in "The 40-Year Old Virgin."

3 1/2. Taking random pictures of my new haircut and imagining that I could totally rock a body perm:

4. Ringing in the new year with Brett. We made margaritas, watched "The Pursuit of Happyness," played video games, and caught the last three seconds of the ball dropping in NYC:

5. Meeting friends for some quality pig-out time, like Anna and Christy, at Cafe Ole; Amy at Moxie Java; and the Melville Edition interns at Bittercreek Alehouse (Becca, you're next!).

6. Wimping out on driving anywhere in the snow. As the Zamzow's radio commercial warns, "Don't get overly confident if you have four-wheel drive." I'll just over-exaggerate that statement and claim little to no confidence with driving on any road conditions other than "dry."

7. Reading. I actually have time to read recreational literature! I finished "The Nanny Diaries," "The Virgin Blue" by Tracy Chevalier, half of Barbara Kingsolver's "Prodigal Summer" (I'm forcing myself to give it a chance-- slow going!), half of "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller (I need time to let his words marinate between readings), random Walt Whitman poems, and I reread "Choke" by Chuck Palahniuk before giving it to Zach...

8. ... which brings me to my next favorite thing about Winter Break: hanging out with Zachary who is on R&R from his tour in Iraq (he goes back to work on the 18th).

We always have a blast when we're together:

And another for good measure:

9. Watching endless hours of dumb television, including (but not limited to) America's Next Top Model marathons, Project Runway reruns, What Not To Wear, Rachael Ray, and most anything on E! After break, I'll bulk up on some intellectual reading material-- don't worry.

10. Mostly, I love break because it reminds me of how much I enjoy my life. Can school last forever? Can I get paid to go to school for the rest of my life? I really don't mind, as long as I have a few respites every once in a while.

Hope you're having a fun new year as well.

Christmas 2007

(We used to be photogenic people. . . )

I hope your holidays were joyful, faithful blog-readers (whomever you are!). Brett's family went to California for Christmas, so he spent Christmas Eve (making homemade pizzas for dinner) and morning with us, which is pretty exciting seeing as how he's the ONLY guest at the Johnson household for Christmas morning (with the exception of my maternal grandparents who visited before Austin was even born). Here's a photo blog post to explain the rest:

All dressed up for the 'casual' Christmas party for Brett's work. Remind me to rave about the chocolate fountain at the party. . .

Leftover snow = White Christmas in Boise! Just ask this garden turtle statue (to know this is to know my mother) how he feels about all the snow!

As previously mentioned, we made home-made pizzas for Christmas Eve dinner. Here's the family creating their scrumptious concoctions-- apparently, Riley thinks pizza is yummy (pictured above begging for pizza tidbits under the table).

I bought a Wii last July with my summer job money. My brother has every other game console besides the Wii, so my purchase rounds out the technological goldmine in our house; it also came in handy to entertain our Christmas Eve all-nighter. (However, Brett and I proved what an old couple we are by falling asleep around two a.m.) The above picture shows Brett playing Call of Duty-- or trying to, anyway-- with my brother in the role of backseat-gamer.

And then Christmas morning came!

My mom made a great Christmas brunch-- breakfast casserole (egg, sausage, cheese, mushrooms, and other breakfasty/omelette items), fruit salad, coffee cake (from Brett's mom), bacon, and OJ. Gift-opening was quite an ordeal as well, at least in my family, because one person at a time opens their stocking, then gifts, and the non-openers look on in great anticipation for the perfect reaction on the recipient's face. . . quite a suspenseful and slow-going process!!! Judging from the gifts from my family, one would conclude that I am a narcissistic video-gamer (somewhat accurate), based on the Wii supplies, brown boots, desk items, candy, pasta recipe book, misc clothes, and other items they gave me. Brett gave me a new black iPod nano that holds 8 GB's worth of videos, pictures, and--of course-- music. I'm still in the process of loading my CD's onto it. Very cool! Now I can join the rest of society and tune out everything except pure musical satisfaction pulsing through the microscopic magnetic holes in my earphones.

All in all, 'twas a great Christmas.

Farewell, ANTM... for now.

My week consists mainly of school, teaching, and watching ANTM on Wednesday nights. Well, last Wednesday was the season finale of ANTM Cycle 9. Congrats to Saleisha, the winner:

although I have to express my extreme disappointment (to the point of tears) that my girl Jenah didn't win.

I feel like my week will be devoid of skinny-girl drama and the oh-so-fierce Tyra Banks. But, here's the great news: the new cycle starts on February 20!!! YES!