Sunday Seven: A Day Late, A Buck Short

Sunday Seven
(a day late, a buck short*)

1 Kat, my faux-sister slash neighbour (also pictured above)
2 High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
3 Bowling
4 Lady Gaga
5 Making Thai food (Garlic Basil Stir Fry on Wednesday night)
6 The Lovely Bones (the beautifully done movie, and yes I did read the book)
7 Not That Kind of Girl (my new favourite blog)


* Blink 182 - Dammit

Live more. Write more. Move more.

This is Chance. He's about nine years old and loves taking walks and chewing on rawhide bones. Actually he's obsessed with those bones. He needs a new one every day, even when he isn't finished with an old one. The other night when I was letting him back into the house I asked, "Where's your bone?" and he ran off the porch and began barking at the stairs. Unfortunately it was late and I could not see beneath the stairs so I had to give him a brand new one inside. I'm unable to take Chance on very many walks during this time of the year, because by the time I get home from work it's dark out and it's always cold. This weekend was moderately un-cold (and by that I mean slightly above freezing).

There are a few blog-related things I decided on the two walks that Chance and I went on this weekend. The first is that I miss taking pictures and I decided that most pictures on Penny Days are going to be my own. Taking pictures is incredibly therapeutic for me but I seem to never really do it any more. It forces me to find beauty in what's around me in order to take the time to really, carefully show it to someone else.

The second is more life related and really, it's not some huge epiphany. It's not even news to me. I turned twenty-five a couple months ago, and I've decided to make 2010 the best it can be. I had the same thought last year, with slightly different numbers of course. I need some sort of motto, something I can live with and make into my life or at least my year. LIVE MORE. WRITE MORE. MOVE MORE. Can I handle that? It seems almost too vague. But I'm trying. Right now I'm trying with this very post.

Happy Sunday everyone, I have to go figure out a certain stance I have with a certain boy. Wish me luck because, uh, I'll need it. (This does involve me living more. And also, facing certain anxieties, and potentially moving more. Ha. Ha)

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SATURDAY SEVEN

* Arrested Development
* A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1) trailer
* Girl Scout Cookies
* Greek Yogurt (my personal favourite is Chobani)
* Convincing the drunk BFF to call Chace Crawford
* $4 prescriptions at Target

The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus

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Go see this movie for all of these reasons (& many many more): Heath Ledger, Magic, Side Shows, Wanting to Run Away, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, The Devil, Evil, Lily Cole, Imagination, London, Immortality, Love. It's the best movie I've seen in theaters in a while. <3

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Saturday Seven

Reflecting on the seven things I loved the most about this week.

* New England Aquarium
* Rant - Chuck Palahniuk
* Giant Cupcake shaped cakes
* Monday night Karaoke at Sam Diegos
* Teal nail polish
* Managing to sell something to the least likely customers
* Looking at furniture at Target and Ikea

What did you love this week?

10 Less than Usual Resolution Ideas for 2010

I meant to post this a couple days ago, but as it's winter and I work in customer service, etc. etc. I've had the worst kind of head cold. But that's all right, because I'm surviving on orange juice and episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. As usual, I've yet concrete "Resolutions" for 2010 but I came up with a list of ideas for resolutions that aren't your typical lose weight, join a gym and save money type goals.

* Start your own Cheese of the Month Club. Or anything of the month club, really. For me, January's would be Brie. I would try a different meal at least once a week, deciding what ways to incorporate Brie into my every day life.

* Take more bubble baths - Everything about bubble baths excites me. The bath bombs from Lush will leave you smelling amazing, and some of them even make you shimmer. You can take a nap in a bubble bath, light candles, listen to music or read a book.

*Try out a new hairstyle - You don't even have to cut it. Try a new, semi permanent colour, buy a crimper or experiment with braids.

* Write more letters - Snail mail seems to be a dying art these days, but who doesn't love opening their mail boxes to letters hand written to them? Find a penpal online or head over to Yes and Yes and read Sarah Von's post on letter writing.

* Learn a new language - Why not go for something not taught in the usual high schools? Sure, I could re-learn Spanish, I took four years worth of classes. Or I could learn (or re-learn, sort of. i took a semester way back when) Italian and learn different words for lots of delicious Italian foods. Or I could learn French and watch French movies and try to understand what they're saying.

* Incorporate more colour into your wardrobe - most of my wardrobe is blacks and blues with some teals and purples mixed in there. I might have a pink shirt, and maybe one red. But really? I need to switch it up a little bit. Colourful clothing makes you stand out, and it gives you more to accessorize with so why not, really?

* Go on more dates - with everyone. Your significant other, that boy who works at Borders, your best friends, yourself. Make it a point to schedule some alone time with the people who are important in your life.

* Capture more moments - on film and video. Write about your day. Record your life.

* Leave more comments on blogs - I'm terrible at commenting on blogs, but I know how much your words can mean to the writer, so I'm determined to try. Voicing your opinion can be relieving. You can spark a conversation or make a new friend.

* Start new traditions - for holidays and non-holidays alike, traditions keep a certain level of comfort while making your lives and friendships a little unique at the same time.

What are your less than usual resolutions for 2010?

09 Experiences of 2009

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I find it so easy to just not reflect on the year passed. While blogs are busy with list making and reflections, I am so good at ignoring holidays such as New Years. We all know that resolutions are mostly crap. We know that years are so long, so much is put into one year, that what are we

New York!! - in late August the BFF and I went on an amazing adventure to New York City. We took the Fung Wah bus, stayed in Chuck Bass' hotel (The Palace), maneuvered the metro system, and had two nights of general amazingness

My First Kiss - It was awkward and weird and made me question my sexuality, but I was nearly 25 at the time, and it was about time for this experience.

My 25th Birthday - a weeklong event that included the BFF staying with me, hanging out with my brother and his girlfriend (I lovingly refer to them as GA or Georgia), discovering that White Zinfendel is my alcohol, becoming immortal, getting lost in Boston, pumpkin cheesecake and a basement party that included drinking boxed wine out of Diet Coke cans.

Taking Charge of My Mental Health - it's been a long time coming, and I am certainly not there yet, but I've actively been making changes that have decreased my anxiety and depression. It's an amazing experience and I'd reccommend that anyone who thinks they might have issues to try and do something about it.

Landing My Current Job - I started 2009 unemployed, but two short weeks into the year Mutual Bank hired me as a teller. One year later, I've worked in three different branches and gone from part time teller to full time teller. I enjoy my job, more than I thought I would before I began to work at a bank. It's not my favourite, and I don't intend to make this into a career, but it's been a lovely job to have. I've met some amazing people, I have some pretty sweet benefits and within the past month or so I've been able to read lots.

Starting This Blog - This is a brand new adventure. I've decided to make this into a blog, form it as I form myself and see what comes of it. I know I've started blogs before, and I've yet to even really advertise this one, but I have a good feeling about Penny Days and all that it will bring me in 2010.

Peaceful Meadows - When I was sixteen I got a job at the best ice cream place in Plymouth, Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream. I spent five years on and off scooping ice cream for tourists and regulars alike. Earlier this year I was working only part time at the bank, so I decided to go back to Peaceful Meadows part time. I had forgotten how much I loved working there. Sure, it's food service, there are crazy customers and cakes to frost. But I loved knowing people's orders and writing Happy Birthday in red icing. I worked by myself during the day and danced around listening to top 40's music. It was a good time.

Pushing Daisies - I can never express how much I love this show. The last few episodes aired earlier this spring, and the dvd was released months later. Every time I watch an episode I am reminded how much I love the Pie Maker and Itty Bitty and Lonely Tourist Charlotte Charles and every single other character on the show. I love the bright colours and strange characters, I love Ned and his adorableness, I love Chuck's wardrobe. I love the humour and the awkwardness, the magic and Jim Dale's narration. It's a great show, and it was really a shame that it was canceled.

Driving In Boston - I used to refuse to do it. Drivers in Massachusetts can be insane, and I know Boston mostly by walking and taking the T. But there were many times this year I braved the streets. Armed with my GPS I drove through tunnels, picked up friends at South Station and Logan Airport, and I even drove through Brighton and Cambridge without even panicking.



and, as a bonus, here are the ten most amazing experiences of my past decade (2009 experiences listed here not included...)
graduating high school. (and college!!)
grad night 2003 - Disney World
all of the amazing times with my close friends i've met online (ohio, texas, tulsa, washington, THE CONFEDERACY)
mayfest 2005
california <3
ITALY
all of the jobs i've had happened in this decade
meeting Hanson
co-writing an awesome novel in 3 months
Harry Potter