Last weekend was a very busy one for my family and I. We spent all day Saturday moving mine and John’s stuff into our new house. As it happens on move in days, it rained most of the time. It wasn’t too bad though. John and I had wrapped up the stuff from his apartment pretty well with plastic wrap when we put it into storage. Thanks to my parents, sister and Jeff( Kayla too) Katie and Cameron, it only took about 5 truck loads to get all of our stuff into the house with ease.

Oh right, the house. It is about 2000sqft. It has 2 floors with a finished basement. It’s not too big but it’s perfect for the two of us. It’s on 3/4 of an acre and is fenced so Duke and Christmas Bow can come and live with us. The landlord is a guy who works on the LFD with my dad so he’s giving us a great deal on the place. I got to sign the lease and it’s ours for at least a year. It’s amazing and oh did I mention that it’s perfect for us??

I tried to start to put stuff away the other day but it was very overwhelming. John gets two weeks off from work when he gets home ( on 5 days by the way) and said that he will help me putting everything into its place.

My parents have been a HUGE help. They are helping with a some holes in the fence as well as taking care of some of the excess brush in the back. We are very appreciative of their help with this. I just think they can’t wait for me to move out finally! It’s also just a block from my grandmother’s new apartment so I get to see her way more often.

Point being that I am really excited to have a place of my own, even it I do have to share it with a boy!

Well, this past Tuesday I celebrated my 21st birthday in the original City of Sin, Las Vegas Nevada. It was awesome. We left for the air port on Tuesday morning about 5 a.m. We hoped on a plane and landed about 10:15 a.m. After getting our baggage, my parents paid for a limo to take us to our Hotel, the New York New York. It was amazing, we checked in, got our rooms, freshened up and went out to play.

We had some lunch in the hotel, a slice of New York pizza, and then Jeff bought me my first drink. The Bar tender saw it was my birthday so he made me a Purple Hooter shot for free, to go with my Vodka Cran. It was awesome. My parents split off from there and Leanne, Jeff, Rachel and I went to explore. We went to the MGM and looked around. That’s where we found Fat Tuesdays and got ourselves some more drinks. We had cherry bombs too, which were maraschino cherries soaked in Everclear. I was drunk, and it was awesome. We then walked around and did some gambling and got more free shots. It was great.

We went back to the room and passed out for a few hours then went to dinner at Gallagher’s Steakhouse and ate the best steaks ever. Leanne ended up getting sick so she didn’t get to join us. It was an amazing dinner. Then Jeff took Rachel and I on a guided tour of the Las Vegas Strip which was awesome.

The next day we got up and did a bit of slot machine play but didn’t win much. We walked down the strip again with Leanne and Jeff and we went into some awesomely amazing casinos. I kept drinkin and I kept havin a good time! I won $60 on slot machines at the Monte Carlo which was way cool and made me happy.

That evening we ended up going out the the Mandalay Bay to see the sharks. We got all the way there and the sharks were closed for a private event and we were pissed. So we decided to head back to the New York New York. When we entered they were giving away free passes for Coyote Ugly. People had told us that we had to be dressed up and wait in line for hours to get in, so we didn’t really think too much of it. When we walked by Coyote Ugly it was loud and no line. We said what the hell and went on it. It was filled with men and 4 girls standing on the bar with lame attempts of dancing. We decided to head over to the bar and get a drink, then head out.

The head Coyote came on the microphone and gave a big speech something like “ladies this is your bar, I’ll give you a free shot, come dance, let go of your man’s balls and get UP HERE!” Just then Leanne points and says “IT’S HER 21ST BIRTHDAY” she said I had no choice and took Rachel and I on to the bar. We danced for one song and when I went to leave she grabbed me, took me out onto center stage. She announced who I was, that it was my birthday, and told me to get down on my knees. I obliged and she took a bottle of booze and poured it down my throat. Wow, this lead to about an hour more of drinking and dancing on the bar. It was a blast. Then we walked down to the Bellagio to see the fountains but they were $100 bill at a $5 21 table and met a new friend ( Eric, his wife is a physical therapist) and we played for 5 hours. It was awesome. I met a hooker in the bathroom and that was just as awesome.

The last day we didn’t do much, I was wicked hungover so we just walked the strip again. I had a great time. I went to the oxygen bar, which killed my handover, it was wonderful! My parents were awesome for taking us and for another birthday present, they paid off my car and it’s now all mine. Leanne and Jeff were amazing too, with Rachel and all I had the best 21st birthday ever!

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment!

At 7:03P.M. this evening my Grandfather, William Lee, passed away. He has had some serious health problems as of late and his body could only take so much. He was in the hospital since last Monday. He had 3 strokes and 2 surgeries. I got to see him a few times, gave my kisses, and told him I loved him just a few days ago. I am going to miss him with all my heart. He was an amazing man with many accomplishments in his life. I can only now feel comforted by the fact that he is no longer suffering from any pain. Somethings in life, no matter how many times you go through them, just suck.

Oh yes, it’s rant time. Ok, maybe not so much rant as confused comments on the new moral rules of our Christian lives. I guess I will start at the beginning with the original 7 “deadly sins”.

1. Pride- ok , so don’t be a jerk about your success in life. I get this one.

2. Envy- Be happy with what you have, I get this one too.

3. Gluttony- Don’t be a fatty, fatty. It turns out to be very unhealthy as well. This one I get.

4. Lust- Naughty thoughts get you in trouble. Only sleep with the person you are married to. Again, got it.

5. Anger- Angry people are ugly, calm people are nice. Get it.

6. Greed- Share yours with those who don’t have. This is the one I think I get the most.

7. Sloth- Get up and do something fatty, this one hits close to home too

I get these. Believe it or not, in my modern day life, these sins still seem relevant to me. I believe that I can use these rules in my everyday life, some more than others. I don’t see much wrong with these, however, it may be because I’m not Catholic. ( nothing personal but I am REALLY holding back my comments here as to not offend people I care about, and God)

So, now let’s take a gander at the new things that have already given me a one way ticket to a fire party for the after life, shall we?

1. “Bioethical” violations such as birth control.

- Ok this one I understand because it goes with that whole lust thing I mentioned before. However, I still find it really hard to believe that if I find the right person, wait until I’m married, then have sex with them, that I will STILL be committing a major sin if I want to practice my rights as a wife and share that intimate time with my husband, when I do not intend to have children. If the sole purpose of sex is to strictly reproduce, then why does it cause such pleasure? Then if it isn’t suppose to cause so much pleasure, why then does it matter who we reproduce with? Why shouldn’t we be able to exercise our rights as husbands and wives with out the intent of children? Oh and then if every wasted ejaculation is ” future child killing” then WHY would our bodies be made to have wet dreams? ( I could go on but I will spare you)

2. “Morally dubious” experiments such as stem cell research.

So, I killed chicken embryos to harvest cells, and grow them to possibly use this technology to create a new heart or lungs or other internal organ to save a life of someone in severe suffering. Is that really that bad? If I can spare a few potential lives to save millions, is that too close to playing God? Could it be an amazing discovery that will change technology for the greater good?

3. Drug abuse-

Alright. This one I give to you.

4. Polluting the environment.

Bringing methane to the air is pollution. Again I ask why we should be punished for something that our bodies were CREATED TO DO? Does this mean gum spit out on the sidewalk? Does this mean driving cars and flying airplanes? Doesn’t the pope travel? Doesn’t every “good Christian” travel? Eat food? Use Paper?

5. Contributing to widening divide between rich and poor.

I guess I really just don’t understand what is meant by this one. Is it working for a big corporation? Is it making money? Is it ignoring the man standing on the corner begging for my hard earned money? Is it not giving money to the crack addicts whom spend all theirs on drugs?

6. Excessive wealth.

Let’s say I discover the cure for cancer and become worth $72 trillion dollars. I would call this excessive wealth. Now, where does it become a sin? Does it become a sin when I take the money? What if I take 20% and tithe it? Is it still a sin? What if I take $36 trillion and donate it to the staving children in a 3rd world country? Does it make me as bad as a massive cocaine dealer from Columbia whole makes about $3 Million a years, and kills anyone who gets in my way? Does becoming rich give me a one way ticket to Hell? If that’s true then I will NEVER try to work to do anything spectacular to fall into any kind of money. ( but then if I did that, would I be committing sloth?)

7. Creating poverty.

How am I responsible at anytime for creating poverty? Is this one even aimed at a common person like me? Or is this aimed at , again, a big corporation who takes excessive amounts of money from consumers? Someone like the head of an oil company? Is it insurance companies who keep sending us ridiculous bills for simple medical procedures?

It is way too late for me but I had to get this all out of my system. If you have a different look on things PLEASE open my eyes. I would love to be able to accept these but I really just think it’s a joke. With a list like this I’m surprised that reading Harry Potter isn’t number one.

I haven’t posted much in a while. I have been pretty wrapped up in other things, as of late. I’m getting down to the last bit of school and I’ve been a big ball of stress. I haven’t been working much which also adds to the stress. ( you know, no work no money) I’ m getting pretty excited because Vegas is just a few weeks away. YAY!

Since John has been gone, I really haven’t spent time with a whole lot of people. Last weekend, though, was my dad’s 51st birthday weekend. So, my mom, dad, Leanne, Jeff Best Friend Jenni and myself did what we always do and went moonlight bowling for dollars. It was really fun. I didn’t win any dollars. That part wasn’t so fun. Then on Sunday, Leanne and I hosted a “PartyLite” candle party. John is going to KILL me when he see just how many candle and candle related things I received. I’m excited non the less.

This weekend I managed to get some friend time in. Cassy and I have been friends since oh gosh like 5th grade but haven’t spent too much time together since high school. Friday night I took the time and went down to Lacey to visit her. It was a very fun weekend. We got some good girl time in, talking, sharing emotions, dying hair. It was a good, much needed weekend.

I will be putting up some new pictures on my flickr for the enjoyment of others.

This is just really really funny.

Since John’s 4 month trip to Iraq is between January and May, we get to miss out on 3 special occasions together. The occasions being Valentine’s day ( which he really doesn’t care for much anyway), our 1 year mark, and my 21st birthday. We had decided before he left that we would celebrate these events when he came back. I didn’t mind this idea at all because well either way I get spoiled

I guess my guy didn’t feel right about me not having him here to celebrate with me. So, he gave me the amazing gift of human touch. I got a spa trip, good for one pedicure and one massage. I am so excited. He really hit the nail on the head with this one. I get 2 hours of massagy goodness on my worn out body. I also get to just relax and spend some much needed “me” time.

This is the best present he could get me. Ok second best, the first being him home. I think that this pretty good substitute though.  He did very well. Thank you honey! I dunno, I might have to keep this one around for a while.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

So Today Katie and I decided to join team Weyerhaeuser for the March of Dimes. I got a chance to raise money and participate when I was in fourth grade, so when the opportunity came up again, I jumped on it.  March of dimes is my Charity choice. They raise money nationally to fund research to stop premature babies, and birth defects. The March of Dimes was founded my President Roosevelt in 1927 and 17 years later, they cured Polio. Now, their focus in on premature babies and babies born with birth defects. In 2006, 91 cents of every dollar raised in Washington State went directly to grants which were given to our own hospitals, right here at home.

It’s a great cause and I do it because I want to be able to help out a heart broken mother by donating and raising the money to support her suffering premature baby. I want to give something, do something that will impact a life. So

So now I am going to ask for your support. Please, any donation will help, EVERY dollar counts. My goal is to raise $500 for this fund. Thank you so much. You can click on the link below to make an online donation to me and my team.  So, now I will raise the money and March for Babies, 6 miles on April 19, 2008. Thank you for your support, guys. It means a lot.

My Personal Page

This weekend I was able to par take in one of our favorite races of the season. It was the 14h Annual Chemult Sled Dog Race. It’s has been a long time since I have been on a sled by myself so this was an event for me. When my parents made the offer for me to go with this year I was very excited. It was going to be my dad running in the 8 dog class, my  mom in the 4 dog, and I was going to borrow 4 dogs from a friend and run in the novice class.  Unfortunately, my mom had too much work do get done with the business and so I agreed to run her team for her since the entry fee had already been paid. Bad idea.

 Incase you’ve never heard the story, the last time I ran my mother’s 4 dog team I crashed and was drug behind the sled for about a mile. I know that these are different dogs and all but history seems to repeat itself.

The whole day was just stress for me. As every minute passed I felt the sinking feeling in my stomach get worse. About 20 minutes before my class started I was convince that I needed to go and vomit up blood. There were 12 teams total and I was going out 11th. As my dad brought me to the line the intense sick feeling became, if possible, even worse. Before I knew it I took one deep breath and it was count down, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, you’re off. We flew out of the chute. As we got past the spectators and further on the trail I started to loosen up a bit. This was not as scary as I remembered ( running the sled has never really been my forte) The trail was beautiful, hard and fast. I was good until I got to the curves. This trail is probably one of the most fun trails, for someone who is a bit more confident in their skills and team, not so much for me. I was way too worried about how fast I was going. I rode the break a lot and wasn’t concentrated on my dogs or where my hands, legs, and feet were. This resulted in Jessica falling off the sled and into the snow many times. I was doing good and I even passed a team but then fell over and it was all down hill from there. Rollo(my leader) kept looking at me like I was nuts.  When I came back in, I was covered in snow and sick again because I knew I had one more team to take out.

 I ended up using the old and crusty dogs of the friend of ours. I didn’t matter to me really at all. I loved these dogs and they wanted to run, they just weren’t very fast, at all. I took them out ( it was the same course) and I did a whole lot better. I was able to figure out my sled a little more and not be suck a wussy on the corners. It was the confidence builder I needed and came in with a big grin. I had a great time running the older dogs. After I made it back to the truck, Polly ( one of the many mothers I had growing up) came up to me and said there was blood on the side of my head, but I didn’t feel anything. She looked at it for me and it turned out I split my ear open. She told me it wasn’t bad so I was mildly concerned but went about my business, taking care of my team. As I walked around people kept coming up to me and asking if I was sure I was alright but I didn’t see what the fuss was about until I looked in the mirror. Turns out I had blood down the side of my head. That’s when it started to hurt. It really wasn’t bad at all just a little shocking to see.

 The second  day was much better. It had snowed quite a bit before and during my class which made the trail a little slower and easier for me to navigate. I didn’t fall at all though which was a big relief. I finished 10th out of 12 in 4 dog which was good because I was NOT last and I finished 1st out of 2 in novice.

 All in all it was a fun weekend. I got to see people I haven’t seen in ages and got to race again.  The worst part about it is that I know when I was younger I’d fall a lot too but I don’t ever remember it hurting this bad. My muscles feel like they’ve been hit by a large truck. Anyway, here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

Mom’s 4 Dog Team 

My Novice Team 

It has been brought to my attention that my readers were growing old of my once in a while posts and need more of me. Well, who doesn’t want more of me? I’m fabulous. Anyway, the reason I have been lack on the writing is that there is not much going on in my little world.

I’ve gotten back onto the whole I’m fat so I need to diet and exercise thing. Meh, it’s doing alright. I have a hard time making myself going to the gym after driving from home to school to Weyerhaeuser and then to Lakewood (where the gym is). I am eating a whole lot better though. It not only makes me less fat but it makes my body feel better too. I am really mostly trying to go in shape for Vegas so I don’t feel like a total cow.

I’m getting things together in school. I’ve started on my Microbiology tests and am getting my media and bug bank worked on too. I’m also taking math this quarter, just pre-algebra but I’m doing real well at it ( so far). I will also be doing Tissue Culture. Ah, Cell Tissue Culture. Let me share a little more with you about this subject.

“Tissue culture is the growth of tissues and/or cells separate from the organism. This is typically facilitated via use of a liquid, semi-solid, or solid growth media, such as broth or agar. Tissue culture commonly refers to the culture of animal cells and tissues, while the more specific term plant tissue culture is used for plants” — Wikipedia

Plant Tissue Culture was neat. I did all that work at Weyerhaeuser and received credit for it at school. I didn’t mind that at all. For Tissue Culture, though, we will being using fertilized and incubated chicken eggs. I get to incubate my little eggies for 10-12 days until they get to the right stage and then I get to open up the shell, pull out my little chicken that I’ve grown for 10 days, decapitate him, cut off his limbs, and rinse and mince him up into a beaker and then play with his cells. Oh yes I just can’t wait, can’t wait to vomit. Doing this will be a BIG challenge for me. 

Other than that, life is pretty simple. I am going to a race this weekend with my parents. I hope to have some pictures to show when I get back.