Tom Riddle's Diary...apparently

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (yah, she's excited)

2009-12-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

This morning I acquired tickets to the MUSE concert on April 5, 2010 in SLC. They are floor seats, meaning we will be pushed up against the stage. I am going with 3 of my besties (Garrick, Kaden and Heather) and I literally am so excited that I've been jumping around all day. This is hands down the most excited I've been since the 7th Harry Potter book came out. The Killers and Muse all within about 6 months of eachother...I don't know what I did to deserve such awesomeness, but I feel really, really lucky.

p.s. In case you're wondering, Zach and I have very different tastes in music, which is why he will not be attending Muse and did not attend The Killers. This is also why I did not attend the Pennywise show or the Pearl Jam show...it's not that we don't like eachother:) But rest assured, if the Arcade Fire or Radiohead or if (i barely want to speak it for fear of jinxing it) Beastie Boys ever came in concert, we would be there together, a united front, the Adrock to the Ione...

The Ladies, the Ladies...

2009-11-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

Back from the visit to the family, and started editing the pics I took while there...I still have a lot more but these were so dang cute I had to post them...sorry so late, Layla!!!!

The last one is my favorite...even in a sea of bubbles she's unimpressed.

My Momma

2009-10-23T17:49:00.001-07:00

Some pictures I took of my mom when she visited a few months ago...just got around to posting them.

She's just so dang pretty. Awesh, I love her. :)

The Resistance

2009-09-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

The new MUSE album came out last Tuesday... it is perfect.

Matthew Bellamy is a genius.

Seriously.

This might not make sense, but the Exogenesis Symphony he wrote is the musical equivalent of The Royal Tenenbaums. It is flawless. It is life changing. I'm so not joking.

She was Livin at the Church!!!!!

2009-09-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

Back from Chicago...how I love that city.

How I love these 3.

It only took 7 years to get a picture like this...

I am a very lucky girl.

Sigh

2009-07-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

I miss her is all.

So Beautiful.

2009-07-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

I just heart them is all.

Homeboy of the Week

2009-04-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Seth Meyers,

On behalf of everyone, we heart you for this:

“The Iranian government this week has demanded an apology from Hollywood saying the films “300″ and “The Wrestler” were “insulting” to Iranians. Well how about this Iran? You apologize for the Hostage Crisis, Pursuing Nuclear Weapons, High Gas Prices, Financing Hamas, Denying the Holocaust, and Setting Fire to a Danish Embassy because you were mad about a couple of cartoons and THEN you'll get your apology for ‘The Wrestler’.”

Seriously Seth, you're lovely.

Love,

Meg

New Hair

2009-03-31T20:01:00.001-07:00

Well...it was time for a change, and so the dark brown locks are gone...Last night I cut a foot of hair off of my head...for reals. Then it was back to the red. Please ignore the fact that I look drunk in the first picture, I think I was getting ready to blink or something, I look strangely similar to Voldemort I think...Anyway:

Here it is straight

And here it is curly:

And here it is curly from the side:

So, what do you guys think? Is it becoming on a newly turned 25 year old?

Twilight

2009-03-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

vs.

Ok, so i give a lot of crap to some of my loved ones who are fans of Twilight, but to be fair, I get a lot of crap about loving Harry Potter so much, so I feel at least I can take some of my own medicine.
Last night, after the encouraging of a good friend, I went to see Twilight at the dollar theater. Sitting in a theater alone with dozens of weird college girls who verbally swooned everytime Cedric Diggory came on the screen, i felt horribly out of place. Was I the only one who was distracted by the amount of lipstick he was wearing? But in the row behind me, there were two little girls, probably around 8 years old who just giggled everytime he was on the screen. Everyone has their limit, and I am not about to make fun of children who have crushes on movie stars, if anything, these girls softened my heart to the nationwide epidimic that is the Twilight series. I remember sitting in a theater at that age and thinking movie stars were dreamy, I still sit in the theater and think those things, granted, I don't think I've giggled in front of others since my heart skipped a beat in 1992 after seeing a cleaned up Brendan Frasier in Encino Man...but I digress.
So I've seen the film now, and I will give all of you this, it's not a horrible movie. Now don't get me wrong, there is some laughably bad dialogue in the film, and some interesting hairstyle choices, but in general, it ranks up there with most teen movies...boy meets girl, there is some pining, and in the end they are all richer for the experience...I get it, I really do, sometimes you just want mindless happy endings...with a hot vampire doctor to boot...for real ladies, I get it.

The little feminist inside me isn't exactly thrilled with Bella's inability to take care of herself, and moreover, I think it's truly weird that little girls everywhere envy her relationship with a man who a) Stalks her, b) sneaks into her bedroom univited to "watch her sleep, and c) has openly told her that he wants to drink her blood. Positive message about healthy relationships? I think not.
And so, as a gentle peace offering, I give you this, I really didn't hate Twilight...and lord knows, I thought i would...but I speak only in regards to the film...the books are something entirely different...I have tried to read them, and can't...I'm sorry ladies, but at least I'm making an effort.

Newsenergy

2009-03-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

A quick couple of updates,

The Mary Kay business is booming and I'm having a blast.
We have some news to share shortly, but not in this post.
I finished making my second scarf.
Now that I have a "big girl" job like I did in the ATL, I get to bust out my awesome collection of dress shoes, which have been laying alone on my shelf for the past 3 snow covered years.
Jer visited and got a tour of Logan
We went to payson this weekend and saw the fam, (including B-rant!!)
Jack Donaghey and I have the same meyers-briggs personality traits (extroverted, intuitive, and agressive)
Robyn told me i looked like a member of the original cast of Hairspray which is the meanest thing anyone has ever said.
Brant told me that he thought we would have been good friends in high school...which is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said.
Katie is visiting in a week and a half
Erick scored points for gryffindor when he made a jello jiggler in the likeness of "Champ."
We rented mystery science theater 3000 which i haven't seen in forever...and it's hilarious.

Fin

2 Years

2009-02-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, today, Zach and I got married. A lot has changed, I'm no longer a red head, he's no longer scared of my family. :) In the past two years we have built a wonderful life together, it hasn't always been easy, but it's definitely been worth it...and two summers of pest control, countless wii games, 4 semesters of school, crazy work schedules, crazy families, a new niece, a new dog, a summer internship, an attempt to steal my godparents' cat, a cell phone washed in the washing machine, a final book in the Harry Potter series, two trips to Hawaii, a bigfoot scandal, a new president, seeing Pierce Brosnan in the airport, 851 billion freak outs about Latin tests, an introduction to Jer's famous chili, talk of having children, talk of having a chimp, endless quoting of 30 Rock/Little Britain/Hot Fuzz/Scrubs, visits from K-lo, ABBA reinactments, ridiculous arguments about hypochondria, snow driving, an impressionable Wookie, yelling at insurance companies, job losses, faith in humanity losses, sewing projects, noodle-leg dances, anatomy books, jealousy over who Penny loves more, organic chemistry study groups, pirate board games, and lobster severance packages later, I am still very happy to have married him.

P.S. Nice Mommy: Thanks for both the Valentine's Day card and the Anniversary card.

BOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

As it is whenever Wes Anderson debuts a new film or Christopher Guest premieres his newest foray into awesomeness, the Utah movie theater union decides to get together and suck. Once again, there is a new movie that some of us, (me) have been waiting for months to see. "Two Lovers" is not playing ANYWHERE in the state of Utah when it is released tomorrow. But alas, "Twilight" is still playing everywhere...I hate so much about who Utah chooses to be sometimes.

For those of you who don't know, "Two Lovers" stars Gwyneth Paltrow, a favorite of mine since I was in middle school, ( Who doesn't love Margot Tennenbaum or Viola De Lessup?) and Joaquin Phoenix, someone who I've been in love with since middle school. ( No 13 year old girl saw "Inventing the Abbots" and didn't fall as hard as possible for the sweet set designer who pined after Liv Tyler)(Also, no grown woman has ever watched "Quills" and not felt guilty for being horribly attracted to him dressed as a priest...I need help, clearly)

But now....Joaquin Phoenix has potentially gone of the deep end, doing what I can only hope is a hoax, where he appears to be the long lost brother of the Grizzly Adams, anxious to start his rap career and quit acting.
And so i plead this to the State of Utah.....PLEASE get it together. No one cares about Twilight.(and by no one i mean me) We've already been robbed of the new Harry Potter movie, don't take this away, too. Because for some of us, this is possibly the last time we'll get to sit in a theater and be in love with Doug Holt/Merrill Hess/Abbe/Commodus/Lucius Hunt/Jack Morrison. Some of us even own "It's all about love" simply because he looks good in a suit. So please, play this movie....so that I can sit for 2 hours and think of happier times. I can think of him the way I used to, remember him like this....

So while my girlfriends sat on their beds and dreamed of Matthew McConnaughey or Justin Timberlake, I alone laid on my purple floral bedspread and dreamed of the dark and brooding green-eyed man in black, who I one day hoped to call my own.

Projects

2009-02-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my parents bought me an awesome sewing machine. I hadn't had a ton of time to work with it because of my schedule, but lately I've had a bit more spare time. (thanks Blackstone) Anyway, I told my mom I'd show some pictures of projects I've done.

Yesterday I made a pair of fleece baby pants for fun. Penny got a hold of my light brown thread so I had to make them with white thread...but babies don't care about that stuff do they??? Yesterday I also started this bag which I finished this morning.

I loved the material so I picked a complimentary fabric for the lining as shown here:

So neither project is perfect, and a few seams are uneven but overall I think they turned out pretty cute. I'm sort of proud of myself for having the patience to finish them. Oh well, I'll post more pictures later. Hope everyone is well.

UGh....

2009-02-02T08:02:00.001-08:00

So it's been a while since I've updated, I just haven't had much to update...until now:

Saturday night our boss at the restaurant informed us that the restaurant was closing and that was our last night...Serioulsy, no warning, just closed.
With that in mind, I've been looking for a job and found an opening at ICON as an assistant which I'm qualified to do...if I get the job, I'll be the second Vest girl to work there. :)
Zach and I have been talking about starting a family in the very near future which is both scary and exciting.
My awesome friend Heather mailed me her pregnancy books, saving me from buying them myself. Thanks Ladybug!!!!!!
Buck and Layla are moving to CA the end of this month!
My Dad is coming to visit which is exciting because no one from my family (except for Katie) has ever seen our house or even been in Logan.
Penny is having surgery today to be spayed....I may or may not have gotten choked up when they took her to her "room."
We went over to our home teacher's house for dinner last night and their little girl Savannah demonstrated how to do sommersaults for us.
Our 2nd wedding anniversary is in 2 weeks.
Lolo has had an exciting turn of events. :)
Scrubs is such a funny show...for serious.
About a week ago I finally did all the laundry in the house and there were like 5 loads to be washed...I am not the best housewife in the world...clearly.
We got the Wii fit a few weeks ago as a Christmas present and it's really fun to use.

I think that's about it. How are you guys doing?

For Tonya

2009-01-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

Love,

Zach, Meg, & Moneypenny

Penny in a winter wonderland

2008-12-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

Moneypenny Vest

2008-11-10T16:30:00.000-08:00

Our new dog, Moneypenny.

She's still a puppy, at only 12 weeks, she's also, a pound puppy that's been rescued. :)

We heart her.

An Interesting Read...

2008-11-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-vogel/a-mormons-lament-church-i_b_138037.html

"You hear of marriages ruined all the time because of abuse, neglect, or stress over finances. But I have personally never heard of a divorce caused by another gay couple getting married." -Joe Vogel

My thoughts exactly.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T12:47:00.001-07:00

For all my Mavericks...

Update

2008-10-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hello lovelies, here is an update:

I am currently eating cheerios.

I finished midterms last week and miraculously, am still alive

I have a severe inner ear infection

The doctor put me on 2 different types of antibiotics and lortab for the pain

One of the antibiotics makes me sick...boo.

The pain pills make me loopy....double boo.

I early voted for Obama a few days ago.

Zach might have an oppertunity to study medicine for 2 years in New Orleans and 2 years in Austrailia

I'm sort of afraid about all the shark attacks that happen in Australia

Lolo will be here in like 3 weeks!

I went halloween shopping with my friend Isaac who is going as a skunk

I saw "The Duchess" the other night and couldn't believe how many wardrobe changes Keira Knightley had.

I'm excited for Nov. 4th, even though I've already voted, I want to watch the election coverage.

I have to wear a nametag at work that says "Nadia." It's a long and stupid story...let's just say that Utah serving laws are laughably outdated.

We're still getting a dog, hopefully in the next few weeks

I am sad that the new HP movie got moved to next year.

From the looks of the Twilight previews, Cedric Diggory makes a prettier girl than I do.

It's only a few more months till Buck and Layla and Maile and Vivi get here....I am so excited!
Those cupcakes in the picture are awesome. I bought the Frankenstein one for Zach, because I thought he would like it. i bought the witch one for me, because it looks like Mrs. Weasley. :)

I am going as Sarah Palin for Halloween...I made a T-shirt that says "I can see Russia from my house."

I think that is all for now. Hope you all are doing well, and have a Happy Halloween.

A sad, sad, thing.

2008-10-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

My lovely readers,

I have remained relatively quiet about the goings on in California...that is until now. I read this article, and won't keep my mouth shut any longer.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/23/state/n145556D05.DTL&tsp=1

This is an appalling thing. It makes me very sad, because I do love my country. Because I am a patriot. Because I believe in equal rights for all American citizens. Because I believe in religious freedom. I do not wish to see our country regress to the days of refusing business to those who are different. I do not wish to see a minority be treated as though they are second class. I do not wish to see my church violate tax laws by siding with a political cause then instructing me as a member how to vote, and how to spend my time and money. I do not wish to see any of this. This is a very bad thing. This is a very scary thing. You have to protect everyone's freedom if you want to protect your own.

Sharp Focus

2008-10-13T21:16:00.001-07:00

So in the past 2 weeks I've had some experiences with my friends that made me realize that there really are people in the world who know me pretty well.

Scenario 1: Me & Katie on the phone

Katie: Ugh, I sort of hate today.
Meg: Why?
Katie: I don't know, I'm just bored, I feel like I've not done anything today.
Meg: Well, if it makes you feel better...
Katie: What?
Meg: Ok, right now I am leaning over my couch because I dropped my blanket behind it...you know like THE blanket not a blanket.
Katie: Right, not the blanket that keeps you warm, but rather, the blanket that keeps you safe.
Meg: Wow, you get me.
Katie: I know.
Meg: Anyway, so I can't reach it, so just know that right now your 24 year old best friend is somewhere in Utah leaned over her couch, using kitchen tongs to rescue her security blanket.
Katie: (laughing)
Meg: You feel more accomplished now don't you?
Katie: Sort of.

Scenario 2: Robyn and I watching Ugly Betty

(Wilhemina enters wearing an awesome dress and says something hateful)

Meg: Wow, I love her dress!
Robyn: You just like it because it's all black and has an elegant but tasteful neckline.
Meg: (startled) Um, yah, actually, that's exactly why I like it.
Robyn: I know, I really do get you sometimes.

Scenario 3: Robyn & I at the library

(handing books to the librarian)
Librarian: (to me) Um, you actually have a fine, would you like to pay it now?
Meg: What is the fine for?
Librarian: Um, lets see, it looks like you had 2 books that were turned in late.
Meg: What were the books?
Librarian: ( looks at computer) It looks like they were "Life Behind the Veil: The Stories of Saudi Arabian Imprisoned women activists" and "Through the Tapestries: An examination of Latin through Roman Woven Art.
Meg: Oh yeah.
Robyn: (starts to crack up)
Meg: What?
Robyn: Nothing, it's just that, you could have given me a list of 100 books, and I'm pretty sure based on these titles I could've picked out the 2 that you checked out.
Meg: Whatever

So cheers to my girls, who really get me...and love me anyway.

For Lo: Here's to a busdriver-free day

2008-10-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

So since I've had so many internet issues, I've just decided to post some pics from the goings on the past few months..

Chi-town: In case you didn't know, this summer i split my time flying back and forth between Columbus, OH and Chicago, IL. I worked at the very same publishing company that pays me to write...and coincidentally, the same company that Lolo works for.

Here lolo demonstrates the proper arm position of a working girl.

Pieces of paper touched:48,000 (nvg)

On Wednesday nights, K to the Lo and I would take the red line into downtown and babysit for the deaconess at Katie's church. Her little girl, Naomi, is hilarious and wonderful. This is her and Katie at the beach.

This is the greatest face I've ever seen a 3 year old make.

My last week in Chicago, we decided to be tourists and go to Navy Pier...it was a hellish place infested with crazy tourists. However, there were perks, once the Blue Angels decided to stop doing flybyes every 30 seconds, I captured a picture of the drunk bridesmaid....

(disclaimer: Katie is neither drunk nor a bridesmaid in this picture, but when her shoulder straps fall down, she slouches into the position affectionately referred to as "the drunk bridesmaid")

The only picture I took of the city from the ferris wheel because....(drumroll) upon getting into the ferris wheel seat, I suddenly remembered that I am absolutely terrified of ferris wheels. No lie, I had a serious panic attack mid-air...I'm fun.

This is us, demonstrating the "ABBA face." One need only watch a few moments of an ABBA music video to understand what we are doing here.

p.p.s. We saw Mamma Mia! together in the city, and it was lovely.

Love the lovely girls. (VG)

Aww...

After our excursion waiting for the metra, Katie returned with doughnuts and a lifted spirit.

Riding the Hogwarts Express (aka the Metra) to PIL.

Newest converts to the Yurted Sea Creatures club.

Me with Jess and Katie reinacting Billy's famous pirate getaway.

Sad faces at the airport. There was some crying in baseball that day.

Stage make-up fun

My super cool stitches courtesy of broken stemware at Blackstone.

p.s. the doctor started the stitches BEFORE the anesthetic had taken effect. Nothing beats cursing loudly in front of the entire hospital staff.

So there are some photos for now. I hope to be blogging again very soon. Maybe if you're good, I'll tell you about how arachnaphobia was recently filming the sequel at my apartment. I have other stories too, stories that involve Michael Phelps and an 80's cover band. Stories that involve the Motorcycle hall of fame and Kim & Jer....Stories about how buck and Layla and the girls will be an arm's reach away soon, stories about looking at dead bodies with the nice mommy and daddy then almost stealing their cat...stories about how Branton visited us one weekend out of the blue....there are stories little ones...just you wait and see.

FINALLY

2008-10-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been so erratic with my postings but we've had some serious internet issues. Luckily, as of today, with the help of our super awesome computer savvy neighbors, our problems are solved. I have to go to work right now. But I promise to post more later, including pics of my stitches, maybe some stage makeup, and the Chicago Experience...But for now, I'll leave this pic of Lolo and me.

Still Alive...

2008-09-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

Hello all. I know that it's been a long time since I've updated, but we've had some internet issues that will hopefully soon be remedied. In lieu of a real post (with pics and stories) here is what we've been up to:

Zach finished up his sales summer
I finished up my internship in Chicago
We drove across the country
We moved back into our apartment
Started school
I started work at Blackstone
Bought decorations for our bedroom
Talked more about getting a dog
Zach is about to start work in a lab and inject mice with things...he'll later notate his findings
I'm back in Latin, since I'll never escape
Went to see "Brideshead Revisted" with Robyn
Mailed Lolo a package
Changed Katie's name from K-Lo to Lolo
Been hurt by the lies of Rickmat.
Have decided to name imaginary dog Champ
Got a pair of $200 Stuart Weitzman sandals for $19
Discussed the possibility of spending Christmas in Hawaii with the Pierson Krew
Zach teaches a physiology lab in his spare time
I do not teach a physiology lab in my spare time
I still heart Barack
I get called "baby" at least once every night I waitress
A lady I work with told me she votes for whoever her dad tells her to vote for
Compulsively cleaned my entire house and got rid of everything we don't need or use.
Took 7 bags of clothes to the DI
Started reading Chaim Potok because I thought of Aaron when I was in the library
Witnessed a German girl say "heil hitler"
Felt uncomfortable about aforementioned german girl
Defined the word "pontificate" for a professor
Had to discuss abortion at 7:30 in the morning with aforementioned professor
Number of pieces of paper touched: 3700 (nvg)

All in all, very productive.

Will post again soon, until then, hope you all are well.

One step closer to the 1950's

2008-08-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Bush Administration/Department of Health and Human Services:

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Meg

P.S. In the future, suck less.

and then she had them killed...

2008-07-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

I don't have enough info for an actual post...but here is my random list:

The only thing good to come out of the Twilight craziness is knowing that Cedric Diggory didn't die in the graveyard, but rather, has become a vampire.
When You Are Engulfed in Flames is possibly my favorite Sedaris book yet. It's incredibly well done and I heart everything about Davie...
My parents are visiting Columbus this weekend.
We're still looking to get a dog. We've decided on a Bernese Mountain Dog, but have yet to find the right one.
Per the girl sitting behind me in the airport, "The sun rises in the west in Australia." (it doesn't)
I recently found out you can win a pulitzer for criticism....which is just about the coolest thing ever.
I'm getting a haircut today.
There are those in the world who truly believe that men and women are not equals. These people are ridiculous, and usually single.
Barack Obama is possibly the coolest politician ever. I heart him.
Katie told me not to tear the moleskin with my teeth...which is unfair because I never tried to use my teeth.
Penelope came out on DVD and I wish i had her turquoise coat, but more than that, I wish I had her bedroom.
Joe and my dad will be in Columbus at the same time on Friday...that much concentrated conservatism in one place will inevitably cause the wormhole to open up right in front of me.
I love her, and her work.
Riding the train into the city from midway, by myself, is my favorite part of the day.
What to Expect When You're Expecting should not, under any circumstances, be read unless you actually ARE EXPECTING. Otherwise, it will turn you off child bearing for life. (it was the part about swollen...nevermind, just take my word on this one)
Jon Stewart makes me laugh, for real.
If one more person tells me to give Twilight another chance, I am going to lose it.
Suze Orman is totally changing the way we handle our finances. (we meaning me and Zach, not the world, though I suppose she could do both)
I had completely forgotten how awesome it is to be around Katie on a daily basis...and how NOT awesome it is to be away from Zach on a daily basis.
Last night at Jury's, K-lo and I shared an umbrella with a dentist and someone involved in marketing. (it's a funny story)
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Flaming Lips) might just be one of my new favorite albums.
Layla, whom I love, recently let me know that V-dawg had taken up having a "security blank" (anyone who knows me at all should get this reference) and is pretty sure that Violet, might actually be my kid.
Wookie Lohmann stories make me laugh really hard. He is, after all, impressionable.
As a general rule, if you work at Old Navy, you and I are probably not close friends, as the employees there are some of the most irritating on the planet.
Helen Fielding should be friends with me.
Brady is leaving tomorrow. We love Brady. We'll miss Brady. Our grocery bill will go significantly down with Brady out of the country. :)

That's it for now, hopefully I'll post again soon with pics from the parent visit. Hope everyone is doing well. Kisses!!

Live, from PIL...

2008-07-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

There are those, who shall remain nameless, that simply do not believe that I am in Chicago half of every week working as an intern at Katie's (yes, she owns it) publishing company. For those aforementioned doubters, I submit a photo of K to the Lo and I taken approximately 3 min ago. As a general rule, no one is allowed to judge our appearances because:

A) We wake up every day at 5:30am and then are on public transit for another hour and ten minutes which leaves us both looking less than pristine.

B) This was taken with a camera phone.

C) This picture was taken at my cube, which is flooded with the kind of light that makes everyone look like they have a drinking problem.

D) When have you ever been allowed to ever judge us?

So here we are. And here I am, in Chicago, for the fourth week in a row, (and still I've neglected to bring my camera) I do have stories...some happy, some sad, and some just flat out weird, but I'll save those for another post. But until that time, rest assured that Katie and I are alive, Zach and I are still happily married (for those who have posted concerned emails asking me if we've split up because of our geographical separation) and Pat Robertson is still an idiot.

All is right with the world.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAYLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-18T06:10:00.000-07:00

I HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY IS FABULOUS AND WONDERFUL. WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU! KISSES!

The Picture Search

2008-06-17T14:26:00.001-07:00

My creation
Originally uploaded by megpierson1984

You've all seen the questions and flickr search process by now, feel free to do this on your own.

1. What is your first name? Megan....this was the only picture that flickr pulled up that wasn't of Megan Fox, the slutty girl from transformers.

2. What is your favorite food? Pizza, this one looked the most appetizing.

3. What school did you go to? Oak Park, this is a cool tree apparently having something to do with Oak Park.

4. What is your favorite color? Pink, and I really like this picture, the colors are all so beautiful.

5. Who is your celebrity crush? James McAvoy, a charming lad, with a charming accent. He also is quite charming when wearing a fedora.

6.What is your favorite drink? Soda

7. Where would you most like to vacation? Hogwarts

8. What is your favorite dessert? Raspberry Cheesecake, I love the food, and I love the reds in this picture.

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? A better version of myself...I suppose this picture could also be interpreted as invisible as the woman blends in quite well.

10. What do you love most in the world? I answered with the word "strong." I'm not trying to be pretentious, but if I look at the patterns in my life the things and people I love most all share a common trait of being strong...strong sense of right and wrong, strong sense of conviction, strong architecture, strong personalities, strong women, strong-willed husbands and children, strong make-up choices...the list goes ever on. I picked the elephant picture because I've always loved elephants, and they are in fact strong...take that metaphor!

11. Describe yourself in one word. "Person." In possibly the most ironic moment of the week, I searched the word "person" and came up with a statue of the village idiot...in many ways this is probably very accurate.

12. What is your nickname? I have many nicknames, but the one that has seemed to have caught on the most amongst my peers is "pook" which is the shortened version of "pooky." This picture is seemingly unrelated, but I enjoy both trees and arty photography, so pook it is.

Feel free to post your own pictures, but don't feel obligated, blog shaming is not a good color on me. I apologize the pictures aren't very big, but if you click on it, its bigger...not sure how to make it bigger on the blog...

Chitown

2008-06-10T09:45:00.001-07:00

I made it to Chicago. I started my internship today and so far so good. I'll blog more later. But I'm here, I'm safe, I'm riding only earth tone train lines...

Kisses.

Still alive

2008-05-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

Have no fear. We're alive and in Columbus, but our computer is in the shop, hope to have it back tomorrow so we can post pictures from the trip. Kisses,
Meg

Simple Pleasures

2008-04-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, Dani requested all her blog friends post their "simple pleasures." I've not been blogging much lately as the past few weeks have been ridiculously stressful. So in effort to reflect on happier things, I'm posting my list of pleasures. Though some are far from simple, these are a few of the things that make my life better.

The googletalk memoir. With the exception of Baxter, this has been the greatest birthday gift I've ever received. Katie printed a book (with a real cover and library of congress number and reaction quotes from everyone from Edward Norton to Mitt Romney) of our chats. This book is not only hilarious to read, but it is a tangible reminder that Katie is seriously the coolest person I know. The back cover alone is enough to make me bow down to her skills.

The Notwist is a band I stumbled across a few months ago, not since I discovered DeVotchka have I been so enamored with a new band...I also found this Icelandic band called Sigur Ross...but that's another day, anywho, this is a fantastic album, and I heart it.

MAC's fluidline gel eyeliner is the greatest product MAC offers. (and between you and me, that's saying something) Ladies, and a few of my more liberal male friends :) this is the best product you could ever buy...you apply it with a brush and it comes in every color ever...it doesn't smudge, smear, or run. FOR REAL.

My nike shox. This is my second pair, and I don't think I'll ever switch. These are the greatest shoes on the planet. They're so comfortable and they come in approved meg colors.

The strike is over and Ugly Betty is back...I LOVE (in capital letters) this show. Especially Justin and Gio, even Zach likes this show. It's wonderful, anyone who thinks differently hates freedom.

Cynth gave me her old Oskar food processor and I love it. I've lately been following the sneaky chef trend and mixing vegetable purees into everything I make. I love it, and the food processor, even though slightly outdated, still works like a charm. Seriously guys, if you've eaten at my house recently, you've been unknowingly eating tons of veggies you swore you never liked...

I love this movie. I always have. I always will. It is as close to perfect as a movie will ever get.

I've been rereading Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" and I had forgotten how much I love it. If you haven't read it, I really do recommend it. I usually leave the book recommendations to Dani, but I'm making an exception, this is a great book.

Katie. I'm not sure if you can count people as simple pleasures, but to imagine my life without Katie is like trying to imagine my life without the use of half of my brain. She's my best friend, my therapist, my career advisor, my tag-in, the person I'd call to help me hide the body, and my life is a lot easier when she's around.

Last, but certainly not least, Zach. If ever there was a man after my own heart it's him. I feel like I could be really irritating and talk about the things I love about him, or, I could show you a picture of him eating whipped cream right out of the bowl and tell you that he made a Mii character (for the Wii) that looked exactly like Hitler only with blue eyshadow, lipstick and a beauty mark and called it "Hitlerwhore." He gets me.

And there you have it. My simple pleasures.

Consider yourself tagged.

P.S.

For my last simple pleasure, you'll have to go to Layla's blog and watch the video of Maile's dance recital.

This made me laugh...

2008-04-17T20:35:00.001-07:00

Felicitaciones Brady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-04-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

Brady opened his mission call last night. We are so proud of him. Congrats Bradu, we love you!!!!!

LOL

2008-04-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

I read this quote today, and I humbly submit it for your viewing pleasure:

"Feminism encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians." -Pat Robertson

I also found one from him that compared gay people to Hitler and Satan, but I'll save that for later...Instead of ripping to pieces the above quote, I've decided to take the high road, and respond to the aforementioned quote with another quote:

"Pat Robertson is an idiot." -Megan Pierson Vest

****As a side note, I'd like to add that Feminism doesn't make women become lesbians, but I'm pretty sure Pat Robertson has made more than a few women switch sides...blech. He makes me feel sick.****

Mini Buck

2008-04-07T11:06:00.001-07:00

Z-dawg's b Day

2008-04-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

Well, last Saturday was Zach's 24th birthday...here are some of the pics.

Here is his special made Spiderman ice cream cake.

Blowing out his candles...

24 lit candles produce a sizeable amount of smoke when extinguished.

Cutting the cake.

Smiling about one of his gifts, the first season of "Flight of the Conchords." He also got his own copy of "Old School" and a new game.

Birthday brotherly love from Bradu.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACH!!!

Hawaii

2008-03-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Violet being all cute

V-dawg being Buck's daughter

Mom and Dad

Maile getting sunscreened up

Baywatch Zach

Mom and Zach at the beach

Papa, Tutu, and Maile at the beach

Mermaid Maile

Maile's princess gown

Papa and maile

The girls

Wearing Auntie Meg's glasses

The Family at Waimea canyon

Zach and I at Waimea canyon

Buck and V-diggity

Maile having the childhood we all wanted

Vivalicious

Shave Ice Tongue

Shave Ice X3

Layla & V dawg

Me on the beach

Zach at the beach

Together on the beach

Sunset

happy family

The girls

The girls, smiling

LOL

Beautiful Maile

Layla and Vivi

Zach and Stewart bodyboarding

View from the back of the beach house

Back in Utah

We had a really great time in Hawaii, it was a much needed break from the cold and the school work. I could've posted a ton more pics, but I'm tired, so I didn't. Kisses.

Starting the girls early.

2008-03-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

We're back from Hawaii (and have been for a while) but things have been so busy with school that I've not had time to post all the pics. Hopefully I can do that tomorrow...but until then, I am posting this picture. It makes my heart happy. Davie and Maile and Vivalicious together at last!

She's also available to do weddings and Bar Mitzvahs...

2008-02-28T18:52:00.000-08:00

Katie Lohmann Leaves a Voicemail: Conceptual Art Through the Vocal Medium

Random

2008-02-23T07:28:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been super busy, and really random. So today, I've decided to post just random photos, because everyone likes random photos...

First, I found this picture online, and it just makes me laugh.

Here Zach learned how to use both the zoom and the black & white features of our camera. As a result, this is me, looking like Anna Wintour.

This was obviously taken when k-diggity was here, but it just makes me laugh, because she appears to be skating out from the beyond. We heart her.

This is Z-dawg, looking less than thrilled that he doesn't appear to be etherially skating from the beyond.

Ok, the next pictures, I stole from Buck's myspace page, I just saw them today and they all made me laugh.

Here is Maile...being hilarious.

I think this pic is pre-deployment...but I was laughing so hard when I saw it, mostly because when I think of Buck, this is the face he's usually making in my head, our mother makes this face. And maile's little double chin is just about the cutest thing ever I love how it's like she's fighting to not smile.

Ok, her face here had me cracking up.

This last one isn't funny, I just thought it was way cute.

Happy Saturday everyone.

One Year

2008-02-17T09:41:00.000-08:00

Today is our one year wedding anniversary, since it feel on a Sunday, we decided to celebrate yesterday. The day started off pretty normal, Zach gave me 2 dozen roses and we had breakfast together. Then we got in the car and headed to the Anniversary Celebration aka INDOOR SKYDIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is us in our "flight gear." Please note the subdued neon yellow and purple suit I'm wearing, which makes me look frighteningly reminiscent of Bridget Jones.

Me on my first flight. (we each flew twice)

Zach on his first flight.

My second flight. (unassisted!)

Zach was a liitle braver then I was, for his second flight he had the fans turned up and flew pretty high. This is him looking like superman.

It was a super fun day. So while everyone else celebrates their anniversary with dinner and a movie and maybe some jewelry, The Vest's celebrate by getting blown around in a tunnel...that's how we roll baby.

One Step Closer...

2008-02-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've updated, and quite a few things have happened. First, and most importantly, Buck got home from Iraq a few days ago. So yay for him getting home safely!!

Second, and far less significant but important to me none the less, I've had some really exciting developements happen for me as far as writing goes. A few months back K-lo the great let me know that her publishing company was looking for writers who could help with a book that was behind schedule. The books is a "Kid's say the darndest Things" type of book, filled with "kids" quotes about God, dogs, parents, siblings, etc. Anyway, K-lo basically told me, "if you want to submit some quotes, I can't guarantee anything because I'm not in charge of this book, but etc, etc, if they like what you submit they'll pay you for it." So I submitted about 30+ quotes and didn't hear much for a while. Then I got an email from the acquisitions editor of the book, telling me that not only did they LOVE (seriously, in the email, she used all capital letters) my quotes and were approving a lot of them for the book, but they wanted me to write MORE! So this week I submitted about 40+ more quotes and received more praise. I don't know the exact number they'll be using in the book, but the point is, I am being paid to write things that will in fact be published. My name will appear in the book as a contributor, and the book will have a library of congress number, so this will officially be a published book in the U.S. that I helped write. The other less exciting story is that I am in a fiction writing class, and on the days that we have a story due, we are divided into groups, read our stories aloud, and then the groups vote on who should read their story to the entire class. A few weeks ago, my story was voted to be read aloud, and in a moment of Davy-esqueness, I read my story to an audience that literally was cracking up. It really was a weird feeling, I've always thought my stuff was funny, but this was the first time I'd read it to a group that wasn't made up of close friends, and it was incredibly well received, and they even cheered and clapped when I was done reading. Anywho, my professor said I should submit it to "Scribendi" which is USU yearly publication of student writing and draiwing submissions that are judged, the top 2 from each category are picked and then they are published into a book that most english classes use the following semester. Not as exciting as being published by a real publishing company, but exciting nonetheless. Anyway, I got an email a few days ago saying that my story had been picked and that it would be published. I don't know it's ranking, and won't until March, but the point is, in a few months other students will be forced to read my story and discuss it in class.

So that's the update, as of now, I am an officially paid, published writer; and one step closer to lunch with Davy.

LOL

2008-02-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

So Mitt Romney won the Utah primary with nearing 90% of the GOP vote...LOL, seriously Utah, you're not helping your case at ALL...anyone still want to tell me that people aren't voting for him because he's Mormon???? Luckily Romney is just about down for the count...better pick a new candidate....Might I suggest:

SENATOR BARACK OBAMA???? Who kicked ass and took names last night, (even in Utah) and is now in a dead heat with Hillary....

In other news, in a wonderful twist of irony, My parents, the Baptists living just minutes from downtown urban Atlanta both cast a vote for a Mormon (whom p.s. finished 3RD in the Georgia primary) whilst My husband and I, two Mormon's living in Utah, both cast votes for an African-American democrat. I smell sitcom!

Also, as a side note, what's with the creepy new "I voted" stickers that have a fingerprint on them instead of a flag...it's all a little too Big Brother for my taste.

Holy Monkey!!!

2008-02-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

So I've lived in Utah for 2 years now, and I've never seen it snow quite like this...

This is our front yard...I know it's hard to tell how deep the snow really is, so I hired a model to bring it all to scale...

Here Zach demonstrates how the snow drifts in our front yard are as high as his waist...I swear this isn't a camera trick, they really are this high. Also, if you notice the cars in the background are on shoveled surface, but in front of the cars are drifts that are taller than the cars...fun.

Here he looks unhappy, because even where the snow hasn't drifted there is at least 14 inches of snow...and it's still snowing...a lot.

Can't wait for Hawaii.

Something Fun and Lighthearted...

2008-02-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

Buck is coming home from Iraq very soon, and as I promised my next post would be a fun one, here are some pretty funny photographs featuring myself and the would be tough guy marine.

Here we are at a Civil War Monument...something new and different for our childhood...please note Buck's fantastic mullet and tight-rolled jeans as well as my very chic striped ensemble that is about 4 inches too short, that's a hot jean jacket Meg.

My goodness we were trendy.

This picture was put in merely to make fun of both of us in our awkward not really a child, not a teenager phase...nice legs Buck. And Megan, where are your pants?

Here we are visiting some sort of military museum...once again, something new and different for us...I like that Buck has real binoculars and I have cute little playskool yellow and blue binoculars...isn't that cute...even then I wasn't trusted with things of value :)

Ok, this picture is probably only funny to me, but really, I'm not sure which aspect I like the most...Is it Buck's refusal to look into the camera? (look at the size of that boys head!!!) Maybe it's the blimp flying right above Buck's head? Or is it the fact that I have the haircut of a Vulcan? That's right, I made a Star Trek reference, suck it world, and live long and prosper.

Buck, nice hair and teeth...Megan, is that a members only jacket?

This picture I feel is a metaphor for our lives as siblings...He looks cool and confident, holding his gun and staring into the camera. I on the other hand look confused and goofy in my mismatched clothes. Also, him holding a gun wearing a Hawaiian shirt is just a tad bit of foreshadowing, no?

I posted this last picture for mom, it's her favorite picture of us together as kids...awww.

And there you have it, a fun look towards yesteryear featuring the photographs of the Pierson children in all their glory.

Logic and Humor?!?!?! Barack and Hillary, making politics fun.

2008-01-31T19:05:00.000-08:00

The Super Ticket

Nuts and Gum, together at last.

Winston Churchill once said “Any man under 30 who is not a liberal has no heart, and any man over 30 who isn’t a conservative has no brain.” Winston Churchill also once said, “I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion,” so lets all take a deep breath and remember that Mr. Churchill wasn't always right.

Tonight I watched the Democratic debate, the last before super Tuesday. Obama and Clinton discussed in detail their plans for Healthcare, national security, education, Iraq, experience and censorship. While I thought both did a good job making their points, I felt that Senator Obama did an AMAZING job explaining his stances and viewpoints. I know I've been posting about him a lot lately but I can't help it...for the first time in my life I not only support a candidate, but I feel INSPIRED by a candidate. This isn't a long post, because I don't want to shove my opinions down anyone's thoat (we get enough of that from the ultra conservatives who call anyone who disagrees with them un-American and naive) but I urge you if you can to watch some or all of the debate tonight. Youtube and CNN both have links to it on their websites.

Also, I am about half way through Senator Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope" and I strongly recommend it...it truly is a great read. Finally, I have one last thing I want to address, (and I promise my next post will be about something funny and light hearted) lately I keep getting the impression that people feel that the thoughts and opinions of American soldiers are more important than civilian opinions. I want to stress this is not the case. Now please understand, I have the utmost respect for the men and women that serve our country, they are heroes and should be treated as such. But just as gender, race, or religion should not play a part in our equal rights as human beings, neither should our jobs. I personally know service men and women of all different political affiliations, and not a single one of their opinions is more important than the next. It is the true beauty of our country that the Baptist Army general and the feminist lesbian both have equal say in the way our country should be run. A vote is a vote, and while I cannot emphasize enough how much respect I have for our national heroes, I feel like it needs to be said that just because someone is in the military, it doesn't give them the right to act as if everyone else's opinions on political issues are less important...

That being said...I hope you all vote on Tuesday, regardless of whom you choose to vote for...

President Hinckley

2008-01-27T22:19:00.000-08:00

President Hinckley, the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints passed away today. I've been a member of this church for almost exactly 2 years now, and although I have issues with certain teachings and still struggle to accept certain cultural differences, I can say with with 100% truthfulness, I've never heard President Hinckley say anything that I didn't truly believe came from his heart. He was an honest man, and his was a message of love and kindness, and most importantly, a message of acceptance. A few years ago, I was sitting on my friend Heather's (then Collier, now Smith) couch perusing her issue of the church published magazine The Ensign. In it I read a talk written by president Hinckley talking about the importance of reaching out to others, regardless of race, gender, status, religion or sexuality. He emphasized the importance of never intentionally hurting someone who believed or acted differently than you personally might have agreed with. I remember thinking that anyone who would write such beautiful things had to have been divinely inspired. I have since read many things from President Hinckley that strongly condemn any form of hate crime, specifically towards gay people as they are "god's children as well." President Hinckley was also a huge advocate for women getting as much upper level education as they could attain, a cause near and dear to my heart.

I struggle, as I'm sure many do, with belief in spiritual things. My faith is not unshakeable as it is for many and it always has been, perhaps I'm just prone to disbelief. But for me, President Hinckley's teachings always gave the impression that our Father in heaven loves us for who we are, not who we pretend to be. A thought that has helped me get through many bouts of disbelief. Whatever the small qualms I have with our church's doctrine, they pale in comparison to the overwhelming good I feel the church does for members and non-members alike. Even though today we have lost a great leader, and an even better man, I am confident that whatever happens next will be part of the plan laid out for us by our loving Father in heaven.

Barack Obama

2008-01-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

This speech is amazing, it gave me chills. I love this man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpP-QSea-5w

"...in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope."
-Barack Obama

Want to talk about a "Kennedy" speech? THAT is a Kennedy speech.
Dodging questions about a religion you act ashamed of under the guise of "my faith shouldn't be questioned" does not a Kennedy speech make.

This summer I had the misfortune of sitting at my desk while I listened to someone tell me that the reason Obama or Clinton would never win is because, "America will never vote for a black guy or a woman." It is this kind of ignorant, sexist, racist thinking that will hold us as a country back and ultimately cause our demise. People challenge Obama's stances saying that he's simply "playing the hope card," but I assure you, there is nothing wrong with hope. It is my hope that this election will be the catalyst for change in our country...our amazing, wonderful, beautiful country, that is slowly headed towards self destruction.

I Don't Heart This Huckabee....

2008-01-18T06:56:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, he's currently losing in all the primaries....here are some quotes from Mike "I'm gonna run on the crazy ticket" Huckabee:

"I think the radical view is to say that we're going to change the definition of marriage so that it can mean two men, two women, a man and three women, a man and a child, a man and animal,"

"[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards."

Yes, gay marriage is exactly like marriage between a man and an animal...animals are capable of intelligent thought and are therefore able to verbally consent and sign a marriage license. Give me a break, what an ass. I'm not saying he needs to support gay marriage, I'm saying you shouldn't equate love between two people of the same gender to beastiality.

The Constitution quote is my favorite...I am a Christian. I believe in God and I believe in his son Jesus Christ. However, I also believe in America (not to sound too Godfatheresque) and America is a country of Freedom for everyone who lives within it's borders. Freedom of Religion is central to our government, so to change the Constitution to make it agree with "the word of the living God" is a joke. First, we don't all believe in the same God, some don't believe in God at all and the beauty of our Country is that you aren't forced to adhere to a religious government and it's interpretations of God...if I wanted that, I'd live in Afghanistan and wear a burqa. My other problem is that he seems to act as if he knows exactly what God wants. Is this because he's a former Baptist minister? Because forgive me, I've known a few ministers in my day who made it pretty clear that they weren't speaking on behalf of God...

You don't have to agree with me, I just wanted to put this out there, because the more I read from this guy the less impressed I am with him.

You're Never Really Alone...

2008-01-17T09:32:00.001-08:00

So lately, I've been feeling a little homesick...not anything serious, but I haven't seen my family in a while. So I decided to peruse some pics I have of them...and something occured to me. At first glance, these pictures seem normal, but if you look a little closer...you'll start to see a trend...

First, we have Katie, who although is technically not my family, she might as well be...look closely at this pic...do you see what's so funny about it? No? Ok...let's move on...

Next we have V-dawg and Maile sitting on Santa's lap...do you see it yet? Focus on Violet's face...

Here we have my brother and Maile...this shouldn't be hard to spot, they're both doing it...

This is a fun one, maybe a little harder to get if you don't know my Dad...do you see what he's doing there?

This one makes me laugh...it couldn't be more obvious what he's doing...

Finally, this one is my favorite...almost all of us are doing it to some degree...but focus mostly on Layla, who is the most blatant of us...

As you may have guessed, these are all photos of my family judging. I don't know what they're judging, and frankly I don't care. The point is, they are clearly MY family. And while my crazy judgements of child brides, female education and ratted hair seem foreign here, it's nice to know that somewhere there is a group, that clearly gets me.

M-Bray's B-day

2008-01-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

Today is Maile's 3rd Birthday! Happy Birthday to the most awesome, fun, beautiful, smart and lovely 3 year old in the world.

For Megan...

2008-01-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

Per your requests, here are some jazzed up photos of you and B-Rant for your "Big Introduction" to the blog. Kisses!

Two of my favorite people...

2008-01-07T22:13:00.000-08:00

I heart them...I really do.

Christmas Break '07

2008-01-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

Break started with a bang...Zach, in anticipation for Christmas dinner, tried to eat my hair...

Next, We were off to Payson to hang out with Zach's family...Below we have Zach and Brant doing "Shake Face."

Then we have a lovely game of family Scrabble...please note the wan smile on Brant's face and the slightly scared, apprehensive smile of one, Braden Vest...very "Mommy Dearest."

As Cynthia and I were the only girls in the house for a while, I decided to make do, and used the boys as surrogate sisters. In my defense, their pores DID look smaller when it was all said and done.

Tadd opted out of the masks, and instead, chose his favorite meal of something containing cheese and a Pepsi...

Christmas morning we all opened one present and saved the rest for when Kurt & Dani and Megan & Ryan would be there...this is me, opening my deluxe Scrabble board...I'm a nerd.

Zach opening his guitar hero...

Zach and Brant doing their Christmas eve dance...note Megan and Tadd and Cynth in the background...

In the spirit of the holidays, Truk decided to shave what will one day come to be known as the worlds greatest holiday handle-bar mustache...

Then we had a visit from Brant's friend Megan, whom I love because she is super fantastic and hilarious. Also, she has a tendency to blurt out questions most people would be afraid to ask...which makes her "my kind of people."

After many sleep deprived evenings, we came home to play the weirdest game of scrabble ever...where everything seemed hilarious....including my side pony tail and my jedi braid...we were cracking up...

Seriously...

Jeffy judging me... :)

On New Years eve K-Lo came to SLC!!!! Hurray! Her first morning in U to the Tah, we all went sledding...

Katie and Brant at the hill...

The boys pulling off winter Reservoir Dogs chic...

Me & K-lo

Me and the husband...

After a day or two in Payson with Katie, we headed back to Logan...This is Zach giving Katie the traditional "good morning" Steamroll....

Then we went ice skating...

We ran around Logan and did all kinds of fun things, and then when the storm hit and Katie got to stay an extra day, we played with make-up and photo editing....below is Katie's picture that reminds me a bit of sandra bullock....

Finally Katie flew home, and now it's time to stop blogging and get ready for class...Today is the first day of school.

I hope everyone had a fun Christmas. I didn't get to see my family which is always sad, but it's nice to be able to see Zach's parents and siblings, and of course, it's always fun to hang out with K-lo. Hopefully we'll get to see my family in March when Buck is home from Iraq, and we'll finally get to meet V-dawg!!!! Oh well, I'm signing off now. Happy New Year!!!!!

Mummy, I want a Daemon...

2007-12-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

So lately, I've really been wishing I had a daemon of my own...to walk beside me and make snarky comments to me...since we live in a boring world without patronuses or daemons, I had to do the next best thing...Find an online quiz to determine my daemon....

And here are the results:

PANTHER - Your daemon is one of the big cats - perhaps a puma, or jaguar, or maybe a leopard. You are brave, proud, and graceful. Yours is a strong spirit, and a fierce sense of liberty. You cannot be confined. You let nothing stand between you and the things that you want. You are cool-headed and you like to be in charge of the situation. You do not take orders. You work best on your own, because the incompetance of others just impedes your ability to get things done. You are the true king of the jungle.

That panther looks judgy....HURRAY!!!

Are you kidding me, Baldwin???

2007-12-10T13:27:00.001-08:00

I just took the final from hell. My professor has actually systematically beat my interest in Islamic History right out of me.

Good Hell.

Love, Katiely...

2007-12-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

Today is Katie's 24th Birthday...so Happy Birthday to K-lo, my best friend, my favorite ninja, the bad ass acquisitions editor, the hater of Candy, Jerry Springer's favorite audience member, the girl the Weasley twins grudgingly respect, Zach's surrogate sister, cerulean puppy breader to the stars, Maile and Violet's favorite surrogate aunt, the cool one, the smart one, the funny one, the one who understands that Calvary doesn't involve horses, the Anna Riley in all of us, the publisher of "a googletalk memoir," Amy's assistant autographer, and last but certainly not least...my hero.

Happy Birthday K-lo.

Um...what?

2007-12-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

On Monday, my professor called on me in class by saying, "Yes, my little Georgia peach has a question?"

I felt awkward.

I'm not sure which is more weird, the fact that he called me a peach or the fact that he added the posessive adjective "my."

Thoughts?

Zach's Winter Wonderland...

2007-11-27T10:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to all. And a BIG what up to K-Lo.

Footage Courtesy of Meg's Camera

All footage filmed outside Zach and Meg's front door. Logan, UT.

Also, Happy Birthday Truk!!!!!!

Me Color Pretty One Day

2007-11-19T15:39:00.000-08:00

So the History department held a "Turkey Coloring Contest" for all the History majors to compete in...the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners all get $25...being a fan of both money and coloring...I decided to enter...below is my entry...I posted 2 pics because the first one I forgot to turn the flash on, and the second one the flash was too bright...but you should get the idea.

I think it's creative...It's a lot more interesting than all the other stupid entries of plain turkeys (I'm clearly way too involved in this)...although one kid did a Caesar Turkey complete with knives in him and a wreath on his head...whatever...

I'll find out tomorrow if I won, the History teachers get to vote, and I know a few teachers for sure voted for me, but...until then, Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Iran So Far...

2007-11-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

This is the most hilarious thing I've ever watched...

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/index.shtml#mea=169811

I hope Mahmoud gets to see this...it is my one Christmas wish.

I'm going to make "Olbermann is my homeboy" t-shirts, and send them as Christmas gifts.

2007-11-17T21:19:00.000-08:00

Please watch below clip.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GWo5IiyxfuE&feature=related

Someone should buy this guy a drink. Well said my friend, well said.

She openly attacks EVERYONE yet calls me Godless...for Christmas I'm going to make a donation in her name to both the Clinton '08 Campain and to GLAAD.
She's makes me feel sick inside...sort of the way watching footage of Hitler's does...maybe it's because they both drag God into places he has no business being dragged. Someone needs eiecere her creepy exoskeleton, hate spewing, butt... Props to Latin for providing me with the infinitive form of the verb "eieco,eiecere, eieci, eiectum" meaning "to throw out."

In the hilarious words of Ms. Tina Fey...

2007-11-14T16:37:00.000-08:00

"Just because I think gay dudes should be allowed to adopt babies and that we should all drive hybrid cars doesn't mean I don't love America."

My sentiments exactly.

As a fun side note, I read this quote from Ann Coulter today: "I think there should be a literacy test and a poll tax in order for people to vote."

Remember when the south got busted for doing that after the Civil War???? Yah, me too. That woman is batsh*t crazy...ugh. For real lady?

"...and on Earth peace, and good will toward men." "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

2007-11-13T08:26:00.000-08:00

Yes...that is my tree, I finished decorating it yesterday...
SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!It's that time of year again. (dont' argue with me that it's too soon, I don't want to hear it.) Anywho...that means that it is time to send me your mailing adressess...

Even if you think I already have your address, either post it in the comment section or email me...if you don't, there is no guarantee you'll get a Christmas card from me...and also, I've already signed, sealed and stamped the cards, so if I don't get your address, I'll have wasted 41 cents...

Tagged by Dani...

2007-11-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Here are 7 things about me...not necessarily interesting, but factual nonetheless...

I love the Beach Boys, which of course is not interesting...HOWEVER, what you don't realize, is that I started listening to them when I was a kid and Uncle Jesse's band, Jesse and the Rippers, did a music video of the Beach Boys "Forever." I have been an avid fan of the band as well as John Stamos for a number of years now.

When I get bored, and no one is in the house, I download classical pieces that I own the sheet music to, and then accompany the computer on my cello...recently I've been doing a lot of Handel's "The Messiah"...because I feel that Christmas, like speeches given by Castro, should last for several months.

Once, when I was like 6, I kicked a boy at church, and when my mom found out, she didn't tell my dad, but instead, took me into my room and told me that she didn't believe it when she found out, and looked me straight in the eye and said, "Not my Megan, my Megan wouldn't do something like that." And to this day, I feel pangs of guilt and shame when I think about it.

About once a month, every month, since my great grandmother died, (which was like 4 1/2 years ago) I have a dream where I'm sitting in a room on a cruise ship and she is sitting on the bed across from me, and every time she asks me about my life and before I wake up, she always tells me that she wants to make sure that I'm ok. I don't know what that means.

My favorite word (In the English language) is smote. Past tense (or perfect tense as latin tells us) as in "...And God smote his ruins on the side of a mountain."

My older brother seems to remember a ton of things about me from when I was in middle school, from my best friend's name, to my favorite band, he recalls it all. I've always thought this was weird until just a month or so ago, it occured to me that the last time we actually lived together was when I was in 7th grade, as he joined the Marines when I was in 8th grade. So it's not that he has a ridiculously good memory, but rather, he just remembers the version of me he left behind. It's like the sibling theory of relativity, and if I think about it too hard, it makes me feel very sad.

Although it is neither written or published, the title of my first collection of essays will be called "Family Trees" and as an homage to Jo, it will be penned by M.P. Vest....and if things go as planned, it will be dedicated to K.M.L....who believed from the start.

And there is my list, I hereby tag Heather-ether, K-Lo, Bratch, Layla, Layten, and whoever else.

As a side note, I'm not sure why I posted this pic, I guess I just like it, and I think my mom is pretty.

I-R-O-N-Y and that's the way we spell Irony...

2007-11-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas...early:

In my below post, I made mention of the girl in my anthropology class who referenced the "52 states," below is the actual cut and paste of her online discussion posting...I SWEAR I HAVE IN NO WAY ALTERED THIS:

"I think it's really sad how people are losing education they need because people cannot speak our language. English is the American languag, 52 states language so people who live here should speak it. I know people come here to have a better life since America is free but if you come here you should learn the language and speak it fluently not expect everyone and everything to speak yours and accomidate to you. "

Indeed, what a shame it would be if we couldn't all be fluent in English...are you starting to see why I hate going to this class sometimes? My favorite part is when she explains why people come to the U.S. (it's free) and then states that not everything (meaning toys?) can speak a foreign language. I'd like to publicly thank Jerry D. Pierson, Jr. and Kimberley D. Pierson for making it clear to me early in life if I ever said or wrote anything like this they'd personally beat the crap out of me. All I'm saying is that if knowledge is power, then Utah State by all standards, should be ground zero for the brainwashing to begin...S-T-A-L-I-N and that's the way we spell Stalin, Stalin, Let's get Stalin, Woo!

I'm updating...now quit your whining.

2007-11-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

So my fair readers, it's been a while...since there are several excerpts from my life worth mentioning, I've decided to do this post list style...

As many of you probably know, Halloween isn't really a favorite holiday of mine...I didn't write this so as to get responses from everyone trying to convince me how fun it is...so don't send me emails telling me that "I haven't lived until I: trick or treat as a 23 year old/make witches brew/embroider the word "spooky" onto a pillow...also, don't compare Harry Potter and Halloween...it's not the same, just like Calvary and Cavalry aren't the same...
As a caveat to the above point...I did in fact throw a Halloween party on Halloween...for the record, it was to help a friend, not because I had a sudden change in spirit and decided to dress up as someone else, and beg for food from strangers....The posted pics are of the pumpkins we carved...mine's the pirate skull.
Robyn, whom I think is hilarious, suffers from a severe case of dyslexia, and as such, this gave the party an added bit of flair when she unsuccessfly carved the word Squash onto her pumpkin, twice. It was pretty much the greatest thing of all time. And her Sqash was a hit...look closely at the picture...it is indeed labeled "Sqash." Also, someone else at the party misunderstood Robyn when she said her major was natural resources, of which, they only heard "resources" and it was revealed towards the end of the evening that this partygoer thought Robyn was mentally handicapped...which is mildly offensive on a number of levels, but more importantly, it's freaking hysterical.
After enduring a day of people telling me "no seriously, halloween is awesome," culminating with a party thrown by me, I took some "me-time" and realized the two main reasons I don't like halloween. They are as follows: 1st, My mom doesn't like Halloween, and so I wasn't allowed to trick or treat after the 5th grade, and prior to the trick or treating ban, we weren't allowed to dress up as anything evil, ie: a witch, a wizard, a vampire, a ghost, etc...So naturally, it wasn't that fun for me. 2nd- I did theatre for a really long time, i've had my fair share of costumes, and while I appreciate that adults think it's funny to dress up as scooby-doo, it usually comes off as sad and desperate, unless of course the adult is drunk, in which case, Drunk Scooby will always be funny...in the dark, twisted way in which I enjoy my humor...
I went to see NWC, a play about racial stereotypes and it was really good...also, the play had a lot of references to George Michael, which is someone I thoroughly enjoy. Also, it had a lot of political jokes which were funny.
My mom told me the name of someone I know who has in fact dated Barack Obama...I'm not going into it, because apparently this person likes to keep it quiet...but seriously, if I had dated Barack Obama, I'd tell every person I've ever met ever...seriously...aside from his politics and wit and kick a** dance moves, he's by far the best looking presidential candidate we've ever had...and no Dad, that's not why I support him.
Keeping up with the presidential thing...I've had like 8 dreams about meeting Hilary Clinton, I don't know why this is, I thought maybe it was God's way of telling me to vote for her, but then I realized that following that logic makes about as much sense as voting for someone because they are the same religion as you are...
Also, Pat Robertson is a moron, no, strike that, a freaking lunatic with moronic tendencies...seriously do we all really fear the impending attacks by "Islamic terrorists"? Shut up dude, you don't even know what the hell you're talking about. He and Fred Phelps should hang out and figure out a new strategy. And Rudy...do you really want him announcing that he supports you?
Fred Phelps is getting sued...which I am positive is God telling him to stop using his name, because whatever mystery remains about God, I think we can all agree that he doesn't want praise for dead soldiers, and also, I'm going out on a limb here...HE DOESN'T HATE GAY PEOPLE, he just doesn't.
I got awarded a scholarship, which is cool because now I basically go to school for free, and since it is retroactive beginning with this semester, the school now owes ME money, which admittedly is a nice change of pace.
A girl in my anthropology class made reference to the fact that everyone should "speak English in all 52 states."
Buck wrote an article that got published, it's pretty clever and funny, and also, this proves that in fact, he really is better at absolutely everything.
Next semester I'm taking Roman history, which I am completely stoked about...plus, it's taught by Dr. T, whom I love.
Latin is still ritualistically kicking the crap out of me every day between 12:30-1:20
Although I've yet to meet Violet (or V-dawg as she is affectionately known) every picture I've seen of her leads me to believe that she is moody, judgy, and generally unimpressed...which makes me feel a closeness to her I cannot begin to express.
Maile went as a pirate for Halloween, proving my hard work has paid off.
Also, not that I'm not grateful (because I am) but I think you all can stop buying me pirate stuff...I think I own all the books, all the games, all the old maps...someday, when we buy the pink house on Archer Avenue from Etheline, I'll have a pirate room.
Brant texted me, assuring me that "At Christmas, the scrabblers will rise from the ashes as a phoenix." which makes me realize that Brant gets me.
And finally...I saw the Darjeeling Limited...It's beautiful, I heart Wes Anderson.

And there you have it my loyal subjects, the official update.

Being married makes me a submissive piece of property, right?

2007-10-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

So this is from the May 13, 1955 issue of Good Housekeeping Monthly....

Since it's too small to read on the blog, I've taken the liberty of putting the "Guide" into a readable font...

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.

During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.

Be happy to see him.

Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.

Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

A good wife always knows her place.

I think I've stumbled across what all the girls I go to school with have been reading, thus explaining their sickening behavior, like being defined by their marital status and refusing to object to blatant gender discrimination and segregation based on genetic makeup...Part of me dies every time I read "You have no right to question him." I think what grosses me out is that my dad was born in 1955...meaning his mother was actually SERIOUSLY reading this crap and adhering to it's implications...Anyone who judges the women's movement need only read this one article to understand why they burned their bras in protest...

On Behalf of the Band, I hope we Passed the Audition

2007-10-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

Last night Zach and I went to see Across the Universe, a movie I've been wanting to see since I saw the trailer for it about 6 months ago. For those of you who've not heard of it, its an art film centered around the lives of 6 people and their lives during the race riots, civil rights movement, the Vietnam war, and perhaps more significantly, the Vietnam war protests. Of course, the really cool part is that the entire movie is set to music by The Beatles. No other songs, just the Beatles. It's flipping AMAZING!!! (there is a rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" that is so beautiful) Being a huge Beatles fan myself, there are enough small references for a true fan to catch, (like the rooftop performance on top of "Strawberry Jamz" as it's called in the movie). More importantly, the movie is aesthetically pleasing, borderline cutting edge, and it's message is very anti-war without seeming unpatriotic or disrespectful to the troops. I don't recommend a ton of movies, but I do recommend this one. There is a ton of symbolism in the film so if that's not your thing, maybe you should skip it, otherwise you'll feel lost. My only other warning is that if you have family or friends in Iraq right now, there is one scene that is particularly hard to watch, so you know, just an fyi.

If you want to see the trailer, just click here:

http://movies.aol.com/movie/across-the-universe/25070/video/trailer/1849672

Hope you like it as much as I did.

***p.s. I just realized that of all my friends who read this, My dad is probably the only one who will get the title of the Post....hi, Dad.

I don't want to be a downer...but....

2007-10-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we all know that i've loved Radiohead for what is soon nearing the "half my life" point....that being said, you may or may not know that "No Surprises" is by far my favorite song they've ever done, possibly my favorite song anyone has ever done period...that being said...

As I was perusing Itunes today, I came across several remakes of "No Surprises" which although none of them were as good as the original, some of them were pretty cool...HOWEVER...one of them was filed under "Music for children" and was a creepy version of the song apparently sung for children complete with a chorus of little kids singing "No alarms, and no surprises" and what appeared to be the lead singer of the Wiggles singing along with a snappy guitar. I don't want to be a prude here, but am I the only one that thinks its inappropriate to have little kids sing about a man giving up and contemplating suicide? "A carbon monoxide handshake" isn't too hard of a riddle to solve people...some songs just really weren't meant to be children's songs...that being said...when Mandy Moore, remade "God Only Knows," some of us died on the inside...

p.s. as a fun side note, last night I had a second pregnancy dream, this time I was in labor...ugh...i don't care what my body is trying to "tell" me, I'm not having any of it...no babies...not for years...no. Also, as an even more fun side note, I also had a dream that Christian Bale really was batman and i found his cape and i used my harry potter wand to fight heath ledger...no lie, my dreams are awesome. Also, I had an awkward one last week where I met Hilary Clinton...so yah...welcome to my world.

Transcending time and space on the 3rd floor of the Merril-Cazier...

2007-10-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

Remember how Dr. Podgorski makes me hear narration in my head whenever I see him? (for those of you who didn't know that, he's a very slightly built Bio professor at usu who has souless eyes and and a gaunt grayish face, and everytime I'm around him, a voice in my head [not mine, but rather a british man with a weathered voice] begins to narrate. Seriously, I'm not making this up, I'll be sitting in his class and staring at his hunched over frame as the voice starts up with something like "He stared into the sea of uninterested students, sipping his watered down cofee, wondering what had happened to his life." It's very much like the Narrator in The Royal Tenenbaums...anywho...

I've not seen Podgorski in a while and thus, haven't had much narration lately. However, it's started again, only this time with a mysterious T.A., ugly library chairs, and a group of my friends, listing off the depression meds they've used not unlike the way one might describe various films they've seen.
"Have you been on Celexa?"
"Yah, but I found it mediocre, kind of like Zoloft with none of the fun side effects."
"What about Effexor?"
"Effexor was good, but once I found Cymbalta, I've never gone back."
"Me, too."

Upon hearing this conversation whilst sitting next to the T.A. wearing a coat he stole from either starsky and hutch or Zach...the narrator came back to me...transcending time, and asking aloud if it was wrong to consider their conversations as possible essay topics. I like the narrator though, he sounds like Sean Bean only he reads my thoughts back to me, and always in 3rd person. Megan always did love 3rd person.

10:1 I'd be in Slytherin

2007-10-04T00:36:00.000-07:00

Remeber how Logan sucks and the Darjeeling Limited isn't playing here? Yah, me too.

In twelve years he'll be eleven and a half. That was my favorite age.

She's been hiding her smoking since the age of eleven, she also returned with a wooden finger and no explanation.

Also, you'll find a pair of safety glasses and some earplugs under your seats. Please feel free to use them.

Harvard is my safety.

Update

2007-09-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't updated in forever...for those of you keeping track, here's the deal...

I've been sick since Sunday night, I went to the Doctor on Tuesday and he said I just had a cold and to just get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids...Tuesday night however, I was running a really high fever, and literally my ears hurt so badly that I was in tears...

Needless to say, I went back to the doctor yesterday where they realized i'd been misdiagnosed, and actually I have a severe inner ear infection, and the fluid buildup is so immense that he said (seriously a direct quote) "You're lucky your eardrum didn't burst, I'm surprised you can even stand, most people would be vomitting from that much pain." Normally I'd be irritated that I'd been misdiagnosed but as long as they give me medicine to fix it, i didn't care. So here I am today, on a ridiculous amount of antibiotics, something to remove the fluid from my ears, and prescription pain pills. Normally I'm not a fan of pain pills because I don't like walking around feeling high, but seriously, the pain was absolutely excruciating, so the pills are just a relief. Unfortunately, the side effect is that I feel drunk all the time, and now, I'm going to attempt to go to class whilst feeling intoxicated...oh well it beats the alternative. Also, as a fun side note, the medicine makes me super clingy, I don't like being alone and now i'm super cuddly. Zach and Robyn both think it's funny that it apparently not only takes away pain, but changes my genetic makeup.
I feel blessed that Zach and I have insurance that paid for my visits and my prescriptions, I have so many friends that don't have insurance and I know what a burden that must be. Also, I'm really lucky my eardrum didn't burst, that could have meant surgery and loss of hearing, so I think it's clear that someone is looking out for me. I can't really do lots of homework right now because my brain feels so muddled but I have been playing my cello a lot, it appears to be the only thing I can do without thinking about much...
Anywho, that's all for now, I'll post more when I'm feeling better.

Welcome to the posse, V-dawg

2007-09-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

Violet was born about 40min ago 11:58am Hawaiian time. She has blonde hair and it appears, blue eyes. At 19 inches long, I think mom said she weighs 7lbs, 6.4oz but that could be a bit off.

Also, in effort to make up for her delayed delivery, (just like her namesake, she did it HER way)(A big universal "what up" to Nanni)Violet was born just 30 minutes after Layla was admitted...and as per her plan, the super hero that is Layla gave birth without ANY drugs.

So welcome to the world little Violet...we love you already.

Dumbledore has a wife, and her name is Dr. T.

2007-09-15T06:59:00.000-07:00

If you've ever met me (and it seems that you have) you've probably heard me make mention of a History professor of mine, that I refer to as "My Dumbledore." By far the best teacher I've ever had (with the exception of Mr. Hale, whom I've come to regard as a second Dad rather than a teacher) Dr. Damen is absolutely a brilliant professor. There are some that really don't understand his teaching method (he's super excited 90% of his lectures). I've even had someone who remain nameless say, " If Dr. Damen is the best teacher you've ever had, then I feel sorry for you." I won't go into detail, but for that brief moment, I actually felt the fleeting feeling of hatred

towards this person whom I usually regard with high esteem. Regardless of other's opinions, Dr. Damen is a truly great educator. Don't misunderstand, his classes are a kick to the stomach in terms of work load, but as with all things in life, I've come to realize, that if someone respects you, you tend to respect them back, and thus, Dr. D's students willingly spend 4 hours a night doing their homework. He demands excellence, and as students, we we bust our a*ses to achieve it. My first and only A+ in college was in one of his classes...but I digress, this post really isn't about Dumbledore, or how I desperately seek his approval, (it really is ridiculous how desperately I want him to think that I'm smart) but rather about another professor...Dr. Damen's wife, Dr. T.

Dr. T. is my Latin professor, and oh yeah, she's married to my Dumbledore. When I first enrolled in her class (under the advisement of her husband) I literally was worried that I'd not like her. I'll try and explain this so it doesn't seem weird...You know how little kids are often posessive over a parent, and if anyone else gets too close the parent, they feel jealous and act out? That's kind of what I mean...not in a weird way, its just that I haven't been inspired by a teacher like this since my sophmore year of high school and Marysia Nowosad told me I was destined to be great. (It's a long story) And so naturally, I felt a little bit posessive of Dr. D, and in turn, a little apprehensive about Dr. T. However, the first day of class put to rest any of my fears. Dr. T. is freaking awesome, she even makes references to Harry Potter in class...I heart her.

Aside from being a really great teacher, (and I can't imagine it's easy teaching Latin) she's hilarious and kind. She respects her students and like her husband, she demands excellence. Yesterday I got my Latin test back, I got a 100%. I don't say this to brag, I say this to make a point...As Zach can validate, I literally work hours every night (because the class meets everyday) studying and reviewing for that class. I consider myself a smart kid, but seriously, this class is a kick to the face. My point is, when you respect a teacher, you'll work hard in their class, not just for your own benefit, but because you want them to know that they're doing a good job. And I can't imagine respecting two people more.

The net of it is (Hi Dad!) they are the best teachers, and my own personal Dumbledores. So, I'll wrap up this post, because I could literally go on for hours about how much I love these two professors, but I have to go study now, because it's Saturday...and that's what I do.

P.S. Sorry my grammar is so bad in this post, I'm too lazy to go back and edit.

Paging Dr. Vest....

2007-09-11T09:38:00.001-07:00

Look at Zach in his lab coat...aww...now he's off to Human Disection to skin a cadaver...

He's funny.

2007-09-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

We like him.

Laudare, Schmaudare

2007-08-30T23:54:00.001-07:00

Raise your hand if it's 12:54am and you are still studying Latin.

(Raises Hand)

There's a reason pandas don't mate in captivity.*

*A big "what's up m'nerds" to the 3 of you that got the above reference.

We're Back

2007-08-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it back to Logan...after a couple days of driving, stopping in Hutchinson, KS to visit my Grandma (and get Zach his bead work) then through Kansas, Colorado, stopping in creepy Wyoming with its bad restaurants and ridiculously bright sunshine (but rather nice hotels). Finally we made it here, unloaded the car, got some necessities out of storage and went to bed. Today is the first day of school...so I don't have time to post any pictures or witty anectodes (or anikdotes if your name starts with a K and ends with an atie...) but hopefully I'll have some soon.

p.s. Yesterday was Buck's 28th Birthday...Happy Birthday Buck!

I Heart Her

2007-08-22T11:13:00.001-07:00

Ok, the train wreck that is her personal life aside...you've got to admit, Amy Winehouse's music is pretty frickin fantastic...

This one time...

2007-08-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well...as you can see, it was a weekend of maturity...

Mom, Tonya, and Grandma came to visit, and we had a lot of fun.

Below is photographic evidence of why I am the way I am. Here are the 2 women that raised me...being very adult.

This picture is nothing shy of a miracle... My mother has a very unique gift in that it's nearly impossible to take a picture of her where she is making a normal face. 95% of the time, she either has her eyes closed, or her mouth open, or both...it's really funny...it took about 10 tries to finally get this picture...but doesn't she look cute?

Finally it would appear that her eyes were not the only thing Maile B inherited from Tutu...it seems that one's sense of balance is genetic. Yes, that is my mother, being an antenna, helping to get better TV reception.

All in all, a very fun weekend.

Everything's not lost...

2007-08-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

I start the day with some good news, I've been following this story for a few days now, and today it was announced that perhaps SOMEONE finally put on their smart cap... To read the article, click on the link below....

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSJAK9668320070821?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

That's right people...Virginity tests...at a school...ummm....what the h? The feminist inside me died a little...

Aside from the obvious double standard of not checking boys, (And yes, I realize there is no medical way to test if a boy is a virgin) who in their right mind thought, "Well, we'll just kick the girls out if they "fail" the test?" Give me a freaking break people...I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that most of the "contaminated" girls were not having sex with other girls, but in fact, with other boys. ( I'm pretty sure you could medically assume these tests would indicate heterosexual intercourse) And since there's no way to tell if a boy is "guilty" then you can't in good conscience kick out anyone...

NOW....

Double standard aside, (and the ridiculous violation of human rights aside)(checking for head lice is one thing, but the school nurse acting as a gyno is something else) the bigger issue for me is the fact that the girls would not be allowed to continue at the school if they were found to be not virgins. AWESOME. So because they had sex before marriage, they now get to be denied education? EFFING BRILLIANT! Lets just assume that all of these girls willingly consented to have sex with someone (and lets face it, at least a percentage of them didn't) that means they aren't allowed education????? What the hell??? I don't care what your moral views on pre-marital sex are, but they shouldn't be allowed to dictate how much education a young girl recieves. Arguably, these "troubled" (a term put upon their heads by the "morally upright" adults metaphorically raping them of a fighting chance) need MORE education.
So today, logic has evidently prevailed for the time being...Let's hope that the craziness of denying education to children will come to an end soon.

Correct Me If I'm Wrong....

2007-08-16T10:56:00.001-07:00

But it would appear, that these two have the same haircut...

And no, Bankruptcy is not a viable consequence for surviving...

2007-08-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

If you're prescribed Trazodone, don't go off of it, ok psycho? Crazy is the new pink.

My love of Damian Lewis has now spread to Zach, I think we both have a crush on him. Not in a weird way. It's just, he does a better American accent than I do.

It would seem that originality ran away with it's mistress, never to be heard from again; its fine though, who needs original ideas when you can copy everyone else?

Cheer up though, at least you get a front row seat to watch the fall of Western Civilization.

I wish Baxter were here, it's always nice to have someone physically on your side.

Maile B and V-Dawg

2007-08-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about me, but if you are my friend and female, you're probably pregnant. In the past month just about every person I know and their Argentinian 5th cousin has announced they are pregnant. I don't know why this is, but needless to say, it has spawned many a "When are you and Zach going to have a baby?" questions from just about everyone. I'm here to answer everyone's question. We're not...not for several years, maybe in a year we'll get a dog and see how that goes...but people, we've been married for 6 months...we'll not be having offspring anytime soon.
I started thinking about babies with the upcoming birth of Violet, my neice who is due to make an appearance in the next few weeks and a thought occured to me. It's not that I particularly love babies...it's that I love Maile...For real, hear me out on this one...I like babies ok and everything...but Maile is the only one I've ever really spent any time with and left thinking "I want a baby." And it's clear to see why that may be....

From the early years when she was like the most hilarious little version of Buck with her big head and small body....

To her fabulous sense of style and posing....

To her rebellious days where she tried to fight against her innate love of the Ocean...

Her comfort with her less than toned body...

Her ability to pull of the baby "Page boy" cut...

Rockin the duck dress Auntie Meg picked out...(and I might add, that unlike a certain heiress, she really does pull off Prison chic)

Giving Crumpet Sedaris a run for his money on who's the cutest Christmas elf ever...

Embracing her inner Jackson Pollock...

Being just about the cutest thing ever...

Showing posessiveness over loved ones...(while still looking fresh with a flower in her hair)

Her ability to attain a Rita Hayworth quality while being true to herself...

Having no fear of venturing into the world of Sports with her own unique style...

Never afraid to express herself...

For being the only other person allowed to wear white on my wedding day...

For being brave, never afraid to try new things, (A Gryffindor if ever there was one)

For realizing that it's her party, and she can wear sunglasses inside if she wants to...

and basically, for growing into the most sweet, hilarious, brilliant little girl on the face of the planet.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that M-diggity is so cool, she's pretty much got the 2 coolest people on the planet for parents, the girl basically won the genetic lottery.

But with the ever nearing birth of Violet, I can't help but wonder what kind of sibling Maile will be. Will she be the protective type, always helping V-dawg and teaching her to watch belly dancing videos? Or will she be the type that pushes Violet's Jumparoo a little too hard while Layla's not looking so that the baby flings helplessly up and down...if she's anything like her Dad, she'll probably be both.

And so, as everyone and their sister prepares to become a mom, I'll be here, content for now, to just be Auntie Meg...

Get Ready...

2007-08-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

Because 3 of the women in my life are going on a road trip. First Stop...Tulsa.

Also, Kudos to K-Lo for surviving.

Update

2007-08-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

Well, a lot has been going on lately so I thought I'd give a bit of an update.

1. School- USU starts up in about 3 1/2 weeks so that means Z-dawg and I will be driving back to Utah on the 24th. For those of you keeping track, after a summer long battle, my residency has been approved, so now all I need is for my scholarship to be switched to "In-state" and the fiasco will be over...either way, I paid my tuition online yesterday, and was at least relieved to be paying a reasonable amount. However, the bookstore is still in business, breaking banks and robbing the public blind with their ridiculous pricing on books. No lie, here's the scoop, the one book for my class at the bookstore was $300 USED! I refuse to pay $300 for any book that doesn't have the words "Harry Potter" and "Personal message from both David Sedaris and JK. Rowling written in cover for Megan Pierson Vest" somewhere in the title...anywho, I was able to find the book online, and paid $80 for it...anyway, I recieved it today (and keep in mind it came with a bonus book, so I technically got 2 books for $80) and this is what I saw:

It's a bit hard to see in the picture, but this book is paper back and about 380 pages long...meaning that USU was going to charge me nearly a dollar a page...whatever...

2. In other news, Zach won a flying sling shot monkey today in a game at the office. While everyone else thought it was something funny and a great toy, I alone saw it for what it really was...one more thing for Zach to scare the crap out of me with when I get out of the shower in the morning. Did I mention it makes freakishly loud monkey screeches when it soars through the air?

3. My boss at corporate sent me flowers as a thank you and they are way bright and cheerful. So that was happy.

4. And last but not least...Zach surprised me with a gift the other day, a hot pink ipod! (See below picture of its coolness) I was pretty excited, I've wanted to get one for a while now but I never got around to it and Z-dawg went and picked it out himself without even telling me. It's already about half full with all my music and I'm having lots of fun with it. Yay Zach! 10 points to Gryffindor!

PS. Oh yah, we found an apartment in Logan. It's a 2 bedroom and its super nice, and super close to campus...and IKEA is now open in Utah...YES!!!!!

My brother.

2007-08-01T15:12:00.001-07:00

Buck left for Iraq yesterday morning. Please keep him in your prayers as well as all of our soldiers overseas.

Meg Plays with her new camera...Act 1

2007-07-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

Oh...and P.S.....

2007-07-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Zach is addicted to Harry Potter books now...YES!!!!!!!!!!!

Which means, for those of you keeping track, the score is now Meg: 1, World: 0

Hurray

2007-07-26T11:11:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Zach and I bought our new camera!!! It's pretty freakin sweet if you ask me. I've been playing with it this morning and so I decided to post some pics of Zach...because he's so handsome. Anywho, I'm excited, it takes really good pics and I think we'll have a lot of fun with it. Plus it has all kinds of little gadgets and stuff to take super cool "artsy" pics...I'm still reading the manual though, so for now, It'll just be normal everyday shots.

These are such classic Zach faces...I hope if we ever have kids they frown at me the way he does, because its hilarious.

More later...

Class of 2002

2007-07-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

1. Who was your best friend? Whit-Dawg (and she still is)

2. What sports did you play? LOL

3. What kind of car did you drive? 2000 Ford Focus, otherwise known as the thunder tomato

4. It's Friday night, where were you? Always with Whit...either at the movies or at a party, or throwing a party, or going to John's in downtown KC, or going to a club.

5. Were you a party animal? I was more wild than I am now but not as wild as I was in college.

6. Were you a flirt? No, I think I was single for like maybe 3 months for my entire high school career, so I was always dating someone, no need to be stupid and flirty.

7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Orchestra

8. Were you a nerd? No

9. Did you get suspended or expelled? No, but I did get in trouble once my senior year for skipping class too many times.

10. Can you sing the fight song? No, I never learned it...

11. Who were your favorite teachers? Ms. Nowosad, Mr. Glenn, Mr. Hale and Blay.

12. Where did you sit during lunch? At a table with Kevin Kelly, Ryan Hoagland, Evan Ross, and Potter and I think a few others...but I don't remember.

13. What is your schools full name? Oak Park High School

14. School mascot? Norman The Northman (he looked like a very homo-erotic lumberjack)

15. Did you go to Prom? Of course, prom was only open to Juniors and Seniors though, so I went once with Tim and once with Voldemort.

16. If you could go back and do it over, would you? There are definitely things I miss about High School...I miss KC, I miss seeing Whit dawg every day, I miss Mr. Hale and blue spotlight, I miss Blay and a few other things, but in general, I wouldn't want to do it over again.

17. What do you remember most about graduation? I know we graduated by class rank so I graduated like 2 minutes into it...and I graduated in a RLDS church building and I remember sitting there as they read the other 480+ names thinking, "Mormons are weird"... I've never shied from irony...

18. What was your favorite class to skip? First hour French

19. Did you have a job your senior year? I worked at Sunfresh.

20. Where did you go most often for lunch? We didn't have open lunch, so the cafeteria, every day.

21. Have you gained weight since then? Yah

22. What did you do after graduation? We went out to dinner, and then a few weeks later I went on a trip to Colorado to be outdoorsy and white water raft and look at bears and defy who I was.

23. Did you go to your high school reunion? I've not had one.

OMG!!!!!

2007-07-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you interested....Here is the link to JKR's midnight London reading....She reads the first chapter of Deathly Hallows....Enjoy my fellow Potter fans...I'll see you at the end of 7.

http://dl.groovygecko.net/anon.groovy/clients/bloomsbury/bl01.html

It's true.

2007-07-19T18:20:00.001-07:00

Because you are never too cool...

Or too smart...

Or too good looking...

Or too nerdy...

Or too old...

Or too young...

The Darkness is Creeping Towards You....

2007-07-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

As the inevitable sadness of book 7 fast approaches, I humbly offer you a glance towards a happier, more carefree time...

Without further ado, I present my favorite (in no particular order) HAPPY moments from the series.

1. "Give her hell from us, Peeves!" And Peeves, whom Harry had never seen take an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset.

2. Dumbledore's Wit:
(while talking discussing Rufus Scrimgeour)
‘Yes,’ said Harry. ‘He is not very happy with me.’
‘No,’ sighed Dumbledore. ‘He is not very happy with me, either. We must try not to sink beneath our anguish, Harry, but battle on.

"I see a light in the kitchen. Let us not deprive Molly any longer of the chance to deplore how thin you are."

3. All of the paintings in Dumbledore's office, I just like them...and so do you.

4. Wood's maniacal behavior and his sudden urge to want to kiss Hermione for unfogging Harry's glasses.

5. Ginny Weasley. Always. Just Because.
"You'd think people had better things to gossip about," said Ginny as she sat on the common room floor, leaning against Harry's legs and reading the Daily Prophet. "Three Dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if it's true you've got a Hippogriff tattooed across your chest."Ron and Hermione both roared with laughter. Harry ignored them."What did you tell her?""I told her it's a Hungarian Horntail," said Ginny, turning a page of the newspaper idly. "Much more macho.""Thanks," said Harry, grinning. "And what did you tell her Ron's got?""A Pygmy Puff, but I didn't say where."

6. Remus Lupin and his furry little problem. (the badly behaved rabbit)

7. I really love the Weasley twins...next to Sirius, they are my favorite characters, and it always makes me laugh when I think about how their magenta robes "clash fantastically" with their hair. However, there are too many moments courtesy of Gred and Forge to post them all....so I'll just post this one..
"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" said Zacharias Smith. "Here's an idea," said Ron loudly, "why don't you shut your mouth?""Well, we've all turned up to learn from him and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it," he said."That's not what he said," said Fred Weasley."Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" inquired George, pulling a long and lethal-looking metal instrument from inside one of the Zonko's bags."Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we stick this," said Fred.

8. Dudley had done the thing he was threatening to do since age three: He had become wider than he was tall.

9. Won-Won

10. The school song when sung as a funeral march.

11. I LOVE (in capital letters) the Marauders....
"Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."Snape froze. Harry stared, dumbstruck, at the message. But the map didn't stop there. More writing was appearing beneath the first."Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git."It would have been funny if the situation hadn't been so serious. And there was more..."Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor."

*********** I of course realize that there are a ton of moments worth mentioning, but I just wanted to spread a little happiness before we have to read about something really serious....like snow blindness in cats.************

(Insert clever title written in Parseltongue here)

2007-07-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

Ode to the Destroyer

2007-07-12T14:18:00.001-07:00

O Destroying one, why must you be so awful?

You suck the fun out of everything and make life feel so blue,

When o when will I be rid of you?

You are my least favorite of your generation,

Perhaps it's because you lack any imagination.

That is all, as it were.
-M.P. Vest