July 21, 2009

So my birthday day was fun. Sandy, my old boss, brought me a cake and a card! I ate the cake only but Shelly in the office said the icing was amazing!
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That night, we ate at Pho-Lan in Moore. I love ethnic food and Vietnamese is wonderful. I had Pho with shrimp, quail egg, and squid. After dinner we went and saw The Hangover. I had already watched it, but I saw it again.
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Our office lunch was on July 23. We ate at Red Robin. It was Holly's suggestion and it sounded good. They made me wear balloons on my wrist. Unfortunately, everyone got sick from the Spin Dip! It was choke full of onion so I was in the clear!
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My celebration isn't over! Mom and I leave for Maine in three days! WOOOHOOO! I hope I don't drown in the river.

Half-Blood Prince

Well, I waited for Boogie. SHE didn't wait for me. She and mom went to see the movie without me. I am quite proud for waiting. It did nearly do me in though, truly. Jessica thinks I am mad, I am sure. When the lights darkened I did a little happy dance in my seat. She gave me a classic "You are such a geek" look and kind of laughed to herself.

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I was pleasantly surprised by the Half-Blood Prince. It wasn't as abysmal as I anticipated. I have been let down by the movies. In the past I have felt they "dumbed them down" and the tone of the films have been patronizing at best. Kids are smart! Anyway there were only a few small things I disliked. *SPOILER ALERT*SPOILER ALERT*SPOILER ALERT*
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1. Harry should have been stunned in the tower by Dumbledore.
2. The end battle was too brief. You can't even call it a battle. It makes it look like the Death Eaters entered and left the castle undetected!
3. Burning down the Burrow. I can't even say anything else about this!
4. The Order of the Phoenix were missing.
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Bravo to Snape and Draco. It's no secret that I love Alan Rickman, but Mr Tom Felton did a fine job playing Draco. I also was impressed with Jim Broadbent. He was too skinny for "my" Slughorn but I thought his portrayal was fabulous and very funny.
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I will see it again for sure.

Six Flags part 2

This is when we got started on Friday morning. It looks like I would be hot but I wasn't hot all day. These pants are the super thin cotton Old Navy pants. I didn't want to stick to the rides. I brought another shirt which I used because they dragged me on the water ride. It's funny, I don't like getting wet. Even during 100 degree softball games, I always refused the ammonia towel. So of course I got drenched and was a little miserable in wet pants.

Well as you can see, I am now in a pink shirt. This is post water ride. We are on the Titan. I think this photo is funny. We rode this back to back with no waiting. It was great. I was too scared to try and video the experience. This is completely different from The Shockwave. G-force is reached on the initial plummet. At one point in the spiral you are unable to raise your hands even when you try. Such a great day!

Shockwave video

Silly girls video

Six Flags part 1

I started my birthday weekend by travelling to Six Flags Arlington with two friends (Nancy is in the center, Karen is on the right) Here is our before we leave picture. We left Thursday night around 8pm.

This is before we got on Shockwave. It is an older rollercoaster, but the first to have two back to back loopty-do's. It is pretty fun. The line for this use to be outrageous but it is hard to compete with the new shiny coasters like Mr Freeze and Titan. I am surprised we are smiling in this photo, the guy taking the pic was a class A jerk.

Thursday night, we stayed at the Baymont Inn and Suites or as the marqee said, Baymo-I-n. After we left the park Friday, we went and stayed at Nancy's parents' home. The pool was magnifique after a long day screaming and laughing. Nano and K-rod got a little overheated but they are white girls and the sun loves me.

I finally took a picture of food that wasn't half eaten!!! We went to an awesome Mexican restaurant for dinner, Uncle Julio's, in Fort Worth. It had some traditional dishes and I was tickled to order Frog leg and shrimp brochette fajitas! I love frog legs but haven't had them in years! This place was excellent! The salsa was hot and yummy. I didn't take a picture but we also shared a shrimp and lobster ceviche soup which was super spicy.

Lana, Nancy's mom, made me a breakfast bagel with whipped and a strawberry birthday treat. She is a great lady. She taught music at Broadmoore Elementary and kept all her old yearbooks so we got to see Boogie as a first and second grader! She had some funny hair! As you can see in the photo, the girls who wore sunscreen are sunburned :)

I am exhausted in this pic. I stayed up late two nights in a row. I had super fun time in Texas this weekend. We sang in the car, played some trivia, rode all the great rides multiple times, ate yummy frogs and tried not to drown in the pool. Hopefully the real day goes just as well..

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"Six Flags part 2" will have the official pictures that I was scammed into buying! :)

2009 Opera Season!

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I am out of control! I purchased season tickets to the KC Opera! Someone disable my internet connection! I, like always, take things too far. I wanted to add more arts to my life and I am now a little obsessive about it!

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I am extremely excited about the season I must admit. Opera touches my soul. I bawl like a baby! It's bonus too because I can go hang out with mom! I am making her go with me. She thinks its okay. She is not a nerd like me. I lose myself in the love, the conflict, and the heartache. I totally get immersed into a great story. Hmmm I think my dweeb is showing. :)

Feed Me Seymour!

So I am excited for The Little Shop of Horrors! I love Rick Moranis in the movie and I have high hopes for the stage production. It will be here in the middle of August. I have awesome seats of course, I am a snob about seating charts. I am going alone. I didn't ask anybody. I love my "me" time! I am going to eat dinner alone and go to the show alone and LOVE IT! No talking for 4 hours at least! I might even leave my phone at home! I have been surrounded by people whether it is at church or work or dates or swimming! AARRRGGG!

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Long story short, it has been too long since I ate a meal at a place by myself. Jessica says I am crazy about this but I don't care. I am a pushover in a group, always doing what everybody else wants, so anytime I can blow everyone off and do what I want to do I jump at the opportunity! I tried to do that at the art museum but it was closed. Anyhoo, I think it's healthy to have an occassional dose of alone time. Good music, good food and no mindless chatter! :) (I fear I will make a good curmudgeon someday)

I am in agony!

I promised Jessica that I wouldn't go see the new Harry Potter movie without her. It's too bad I don't break promises like I break secrets. The midnight movie is tonight and I am bummed. I have to wait a week for her to return to go see it! What was I thinking? I am the girl who went to a University costume party to celebrate the 7th book release with the Utah cousins! I don't fancy the movies like I do the books, but this movie is getting praise from critics for being realistic and not campy! Arrrrrgggggg! I might need to ask permission to see the movie before she comes back from vacation.

Sunday Dinner

Dinner at the P's! Because it's summertime we have been eating cold stuff but tonight was Turkey dinner with all side dishes. They even made the best stuffing! CHICKEN STOVETOP!

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From left: Shelly, Shawn with Giacomo on lap, Greg, Bill (standing), Christine, Emilie (behind Christine) Shaelea, Gregory's head, Guy, and Jerry. There is another table in the kitchen but I didn't go in there. We are playing Apples to Apples Bible edition. I am horrible no one ever picks my cards!

Geoffrey didn't quite make it to his room.

Joey is a P and he is lying across Rob and Amanda. They attend the north singles ward and are a couple. She is an new investigator.

Camille is new to the Sunday night zoo. She is 25 and a law student. Mitch, age 24, is a Living Scriptures salesman who was adopted by the P's and this makes his 4th Sunday visit. FYI he is a sales genius, I bought all kinds of videos Marren and I will need.

Obviously the festivies were too much for Jerry. I don't think I told him about this picture!

This was after singing time. Tonight I chose, "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go". Bill is my BFF. My dad still thinks he is "after" me. It's hilarious. Shelly comes to the older singles group with me and Bill and this is her 2nd month coming to dinner.

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Nineteen is a low number for dinner. I didn't take a picture of Oscar, he had a Spanish Branch meeting to attend and left after eating. Every Sunday we eat, play games, then everyone picks a song to sing. The sing-a-long takes about an hour. We go in order of birth. My Sunday is about ten hours long. It's exhausting but enjoyable.

I am exploding with untold jokes!

I have no audience so I just wanted to share some words to live by:

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Expecting life to treat you well just because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge you just because you are a vegetarian :)

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Have a lovely, lovely day!

Swimming with P's

From boy laying down clockwise: Guy, Shaelea, Emilie, Grace, Gregory, and Geoffrey! FYI Giacomo is in the wheelbarrow. We went swimming yesterday in the neighborhood pool. I hang out with this family nearly every Sunday evening. They are the nicest most misunderstood family I have ever met. I don't say that with any meaness and I apologize if it sounded bad. I totally can overlook that they think babysitting as a 2nd date is a brilliant idea! :) This family has the biggest heart I have ever encountered. They take "fellowshipping" very seriously and I am fortunate enough to benefit from their kindness. I love this family and spend a lot of time with them.

This swimming trip was a "cheer Aubrey up" trip. I have had a bad week, (all my fault, by the way) and yesterday was a better day because of this adventure.

Book review!

Ok, so I don't read Michael Crichton. I tried reading Jurassic Park but had to stop. I love science and find it really facinating but after reading 40 pages on the description of DNA I wanted shove needles in my eyes. Yes I said it DNA is boring! That, my friends, was 12 years ago. A friend told me that Congo was one of his favorite reads and I decided to give it a try. It did help that I enjoyed the movie. Who doesn't enjoy skull crushing hybrid monkeys and a talking gorilla?! And Tim Curry? He is my favorite. I digress.. I really enjoyed the read. It is fast paced and plot driven. Mr Crichton does give background factual information about the Congo but it is small blurbs and not a Golden Corral buffet regurgitation. It was a little anticlimactic because I had seen the flick but I was still able to hype myself up for the final scene.

This gem of a book will be next! It looks a little morbid but the description is hilarious! I can't believe they were even allowed to publish it. :)

Museum Day

So I decided to go to the art museum downtown. I had the day off and I have never been there. I go and find my way downtown. It only took me two passes to get where I needed to go. (my sense of direction is appalling) I park in the lot. It is crazy to pay $8 to park but the meters are only for 2 hour parking and I planned on being their longer to view the Cezanne exhibit! So I am excited! I pay the pay box by shoving my money in the #7 slot and walk to the museum.

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The museum is closed on Mondays.

Mingling with the public

I avoid the crazies. I don't go out on New Year's and I don't go downtown for all major holidays. I must say I had a lovely time listening to the OKC Philharmonic Orchestra outside near the Coca-Cola event center. It was very low-key; sitting in lawn chairs in the parking lot, listening to good music occassionally singing with the crowd. True, it was July 3rd not the 4th but still a holiday. I haven't been downtown for the 4th since the Okies were selling glow necklaces. (circa 1994) The fireworks were impressive too. I never expected them to last as long as they did, but it was at least a 10 minute display. I must say that I get giddy when watching fireworks. It was a great evening. Very unexpected, very enjoyable, very surprising.

30 Things you might not know...

01. Grease 2 is my favorite movie, I want that "moment" on the motorcycle in the sunset.
02. I love it when I am called "Aub" Only those who love me use it.
03. I am afraid of sharks.
04. My favorite memory of my Grams is the Halloween that I dressed up as a gypsy. I might have been 5.
05. My favorite color is green.
06. I am scared of speaking in public.
07. I have never received flowers from a boy.
08. There are 216 light boxes in church.
09. 10 years old has been my favorite birthday.
10. When I lost my first tooth I threw it away thinking I would be in trouble.
11. I get seasick.
12. I cannot whistle.
13. Thirteen is my favorite number.
14. I can't be paid to eat water chestnuts. In Utah one Christmas I flushed one down the toilet.
15. I will play Lego's any day of the week.
16. I buy Charles Wysocki puzzles but don't put them together.
17. I want a guy to sing to me.
18. I like cold ears.
19. I like messy root canals and apicoectomies but almost pass out if I am the one bleeding.
20. I remember all my old boyfriend's birthdays. (There are only 4)
21. I have been to six major league ballparks.
22. I have a Thurman Munson rookie card. Topps lists it at $1800.00
23. Snapping off a guy from 3rd base is the most exhilarating feeling I have ever experienced.
24. I don't like my hands. I wear a size 8.5 ring :(
25. I dance in my house when I am alone.
26. I embarrass easily.
27. I stole a lock and key from luggage around the age of 8 when I was with Granddad. I threw it away in the Braums trashcan because I saw a cop car and thought he was coming for me.
28. I have all of my old Garbage Pail Kids. Look them up they are awesome!
29. I can hit a ball 300+ feet but have never been able to do a pull-up.
30. I have a hard time keeping secrets.

The final countdown has begun. There are only 19 days until the dreaded birthday. I hope you like my list.

Movie Review

Boogie and I went to a movie last night. The Proposal is hilarious! I love Betty White! I can only hope to get away with what she says when I am 80 years old. I laughed throughout the entire movie. Ryan Reynolds has some great facial expressions (and abs). If you a are a fan of The Office you are in for a treat. Oscar Nunez has a great supporting role in this movie.

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I have never dreamed of being called "Satan's Mistress" but after seeing this movie I wouldn't complain if I were. :)

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This gets a 10/10. I will be buying this movie when it becomes available on DVD.