Breaking Bad

Hank's face at the end of Season 5!

I have to wait a year for the second part?!?!?!?!

GAH!

I don't know if I can make it....

I absolutely love this movie! 

Pop it, Bob it, Fro-it, Yo-it

Best fro - yo ever @ Twisted Bliss in Kalispell, MT! The pink balls that look like fish eggs... They're called popping boba! It's like a gummy ball filled with fruit juice! The guy working said they have to special order them from overseas. My new favorite topping! =) I beg to stop every time we travel to Kalispell! 

LMAO! Guilty!

HAHAHA!

Last Hoorah!

Mahalah goes back to school tomorrow and we had to keep painting at the apartments... which she was pretty bummed out about, considering this is her last day of summer break.

So, after we were finished, we drove to Bonner's Ferry, Idaho to eat at one of our favorite Chinese Resturants!  So delicious!

On the way home, we heard there was a brewery in town so we stopped and got a growler of their pale ale. Yum!

The End

Alabama Shakes

Just discovered this band...

Me like...

Katelinn Rutherford...

I think you might appreciate this!

House Painter's Blues

While fixing up our rental apartments in Libby, I leaned over and got paint in my hair.

Awesome...

I think more got in my hair then on the walls

Sexy Jazzy Tiger Rag

A jam-packed past couple of days...

Tuesday I went for my 'lady' appointment at this fabulous clinic.

It was decorated with a homey touch.  The walls were painted and had actual furniture in the exam rooms.  People were super nice and my doctor was amazing.

I found out some helpful news.  My blood test revealed I am hypo-thyroid.  I thought what I was feeling was just 'post mono' crap but I am so excited about this because I'll be on the way to feeling much better.

Have to share this funny thought of mine...

While in the exam room, I already feel awkward....duh, I go to lay on the table and above me is a stained glass picture of a flower.

All I could think was "Man, that's a really nice gesture but it still doesn't make me feel any less awkward..."  Right.  Like the picture is suddenly going to make me forget where I am LOL!

Also, had to pee in a cup.  Like seriously.  I haaate doing that.  It's so messy!  Half of it doesn't even make it in the cup, it gets all over the place, and then starts to peel the label off because you got pee on it....It's like a game trying to guess which way the stream is going to go.

First world problems.....

Yesterday, I got rear-ended and went in to the doctor today just to check my neck.  Just a minor case of whip lash thank goodness.  

It might be just me but some doctors make questions very unclear.  Like today the doctor asked me "Are you working this summer?"  aaaaand I proceed to tell her my life story.  And then she looks at me weird and clarifies "I mean, is this interfering with a job at the moment?"  Aaaaaand I feel like an idiot.  Can you please just ask that the first go around?  Was I supposed to understand that's what you were asking?  Maybe this is just my odd problem...

Regardless, I'm on the right track to being healthy!  Finally!

Tomorrow I'm going to Polson to watch my sister Mahalah play in a volleyball tourney. I'm so excited!  She's starting varsity libero and I hardly get to watch her play during the year!

Happy Travels!!

All The Things You Are

This blog has been stagnant for some time.

Not exactly sure why...

Just didn't feel like writing very much...

The last post was mid-spring quarter and boy did I have an attitude problem.  I was making myself miserable as well as everyone around me.  It took me a long time to realize it but when I did, I quit throwing pity parties and started making immediate changes

SO

enough with the grim

and

onto summer festivities!!

Starting with my current motto...

First was my family's annual trip to Kansas!  Tons of fun, lots of great food, and wonderful people!

Burning wheat stubble

After we got back from Kansas (which we had to stay two weeks because the transmission in our van went out...yippee)  Troubadour was playing a show in Libby.  Opening for Sawyer Brown!  So much fun!  All the families came up!  It was a blast!

Curran and Michael

Horn Section! Austin and myself! 

 Alek!

 That's Byron on my right!

 Opening set!  I was so nervous

 After party!

 The Band!

The whole gang!!




















Next was two weeks of jazz camp!!  Man oh man did I learn tons!  I got to teach theory, big band and small groups.  What a blast!

TA's playing video games...Don't judge...

Rob's 'going away' cakes =( I will sure miss him.  One of my favorite teachers of all time.  Good luck at U of M!  Go Griz!

Four of the best dudes ever!  Jordan, Michael, Austin, and Alex

After the camps, my friend Bailey and I attended the WMEA (Washington Music Education Association) Assembly in Seattle.  It was sooo much fun.  A great experience.  Learned so much and met so many people.  Can't wait to put them in action at EWU.  We went to a winery for dinner (which was delicious) and got to see my relatives (I call them my aunt and uncle) =) Patti and Bob.  You have no idea how many times I got lost and had to call them for directions....

Here is one of the teachers I met.... Very nice guy...He's also 6'8.  NBD.

And now... Just been chilling out at doing the summer do's...

Love this guy <3

This is where Michael is working this summer!  Killer food and beer!

And now just hanging out with family (and pets), going to the lake and vball games before school starts!

Been a dang good summer and it ain't over yet!! =) Cheers!

Music Cakes!!

These cakes are sooo amazing!  My best friend, Katelinn, posted them on her blog and I had to do the same!

               

Wowza!

Dude...

Too bad no one else was in the car with me while driving to Libby on Friday.

My brain kept whipping out the funniest stuff and I kept thinking "oh man!  what a great FB status!"  Wtf!  I never think that!  Anyway, I had so many goofy thoughts I thought I'd just put them all on here

(I think I was just excited to be going home)

"Thank God, I'm a country boy"..... wait... HA!

"Oh man, the best thing about coming home to Montana...I get to drive faster!! Screw Washington speed limits that happen every 10 feet!"

"Ok, I'm just gonna say it.  I feel super cool when I'm wearing a "supa fly" outfit and I order a coffee and carry it with me..." haha biggest dork ever!

"When people explain a hairstyle and they say "to finish up, just secure with a bobby pin.  I think to myself 'ya right... when you say secure with a bobby pin you really mean "put a pin in your hair and you'll spend 50 times trying to make it stay!"  There is no such thing as a "secure bobby pin."

Anyway, this a totally random post.  There were more, but ya, don't remember

Hope you enjoyed! =)

The Closing Premier of Winter Quarter

'Ello!

I haven't really had anything interesting or profound to write about lately... oh ya... I forgot I have been as busy as a woodpecker in a petrified forest...

The end of the quarter has been extremely busy, especially these last two weeks, there have been wind ensemble concerts, jazz concerts, recitals, composer concerts, trumpet solo night, jazz combos, choir concerts.... phew...

Here is what I've been up to for the past month or two

~Trumpet Solo Night-Performed a classic concereto for trumpet on E-flat trumpet
~Recorded music for EWU's Theater Departement's production of Antony and Cleopatra
~Performed at the MENC (Music Educators National Conference) in the Jazz Band
~Played with the Orchestra for the first time since I've been at Eastern
~Took the WEST-B Test
~Performed with the Brass Quinet

Upcoming:

~Upper Division Jury... =z eeeeeek (we have what are called juries in the music department which are basically finals for the instrument you are studying.  Upper Division Jury is basically a "audition" to sign up for higher registration number in lessons.  It's basically a progress test for your playing.)
~Auditions for the Concereto Competition- a competition where you audition on a memorized piece.  If you win, you get to perform your piece with the Orchestra at the Spring Orchestra Concert!!
~English final- who gives a shit... I just want that over with

Dead week and finals week have felt like molasses.  It has been soooooooooooo slow.  I just can't wait be done, feel stress free and go home for a week to see my family, my sister play some softball, see my pets and come home to Montana!

=)

I wanna see this guy at some point in my lifetime!

Coolest Thing Ever!

"Makes you think a little...."

Have you ever had those moments where something happens you had a dream about or thought about something and you go " WOAH!  That's so weird!"

Last Monday was one of those days.

I got home Sunday night from a music convention in Yakima, WA.  I got home and my roommate was watching the show "I survived."  It was a guy who was held hostage in a box for 6 months.  The guy on the TV instantly jolted my memory.  It looked just like a man who was my neighbor when I was little.  He was like a second grandfather to me.  He was from Hungry, had grayish, silver hair and a beard; and a strong accent.  I said out loud without thinking "Holy cow!  That looks just like Albert !"  I told my roommate all about my childhood with him: how he would always have candy, I remembered their house and all of his stories about Hungry and I thought to myself "hmm, I wonder how he is doing."

That next morning I was talking to my mom and she said she just found out that morning that he had killed himself.  My heart just sunk and tears started pouring from my face.  I didn't even know why.  I felt incredibly guilty about not keeping in very good contact with him.  Would that have saved him?  It was so heavy to think about.  My mom said "It was sooo strange.  I kept feeling the need to get in touch with him.  I said last week we need to contact him.  Didn't get around to trying to call until today.  There was no answer so she e-mailed his ex-wife's niece.  She e-mailed right back saying he shot himself last week.  My mouth dropped.  No way.  This is too weird.

I told her about what I saw on TV and she couldn't believe it.  If it wasn't enough of a coincidence, she was just recently telling my dad that she believe's there are no hunches in life.  We need to heed that feeling, whether it's a thought of someone or a fear of something, it's meant to be taken seriously.

I thought about the coincidence all day long.  How bizarre is this situation?  I saw something on TV that made me think about this man I haven't seen in years and it happened to my mom at the exact same time.  Makes you a wonder a tad... eh?

To top it off, two of my friends told me their grandparents had passed away.  Man oh man.  What is going on?

When it rains, it pours.... I guess.

This whole situation made me really sit and think about the people we come across in life.  Even after they've gone, do they still send us messages through the TV and through our hearts?  Sure seemed like it last Monday.  Bottom line:  Tell people you love them, think of them often, keep in touch with them and above all trust your instincts about them.

R.I.P. Albert-I will miss you and I wish I got to see you one last time.  I wanted to thank you for all of the good times, lessons, smiles, laughs and chocolate candy. =)  Love you!  Go in peace.

The Meaning of Valentine's Day

First off I'd just like to say THANK YOU!!  For over 1,000 views!!  This is so awesome!

Anywaaaaayz!  Obviously you can guess what this post will be about.

Stuck?  Ok, it's Valentine's Day!

But this wasn't just any V-Day.  What happened on this one, I will never forget.

Michael and I don't have very much money so I knew our gifts and celebration would be marginal.  I made a crock pot stew and we were planning to relax and play Nintendo!

Pretty cool!

Well, I had a series of events happen to me on the way home that just absolutely destroyed my mood.  I saw guys buying flowers at the store.  My present for Michael was way more than I expected.  I had a scholarship to fill out that night and I was hungry, tired, smelly and just beat right down to my socks.

Now, something you should all know about me, if I am hungry and/or tired, I don't really rationalize very well and that is exactly what happened.

Earlier that day, Michael surprised me with a beautiful, handmade card that he put up on my music locker.  When I saw it I was grinning from ear to ear, tears starting to well up in my eyes.  It was incredibly unique and special!  But later on that night I saw all of the flower posts and chocolate posts and gifts and surprises on Facebook.  My mind started to tumble and I kept thinking more and more about it.  I thought to myself  "you sack of ****!  You don't even like flowers! What is your problem?  He made you an incredibly special gift showing you he loves you dearly!"  Obviously it showed because he forced it out of me and I couldn't hold it in any longer.  After I told him, it was like some just stabbed me in the stomach.  Why on earth would I say that to him?  Why did he make me say it?  I would have gotten over it if he would have just left me alone!!  I was so ashamed and so heartbroken about my actions.  To think that Michael didn't view his gift as good enough literally tore me to shreds.  It all came into the light as soon as I said it out loud; how foolish it was, how selfish; how ignorant and ungrateful I was.  I truly loved his gift.  The art was amazing and the message makes me smile every time and he made it from the kindness of his heart.

But instead of walking away or yelling at me.... you know what he did.... he looked at me...saw I was devastated about what I said...walked over to me...held me in his arms...and said "it's ok, honey... It's not your fault.  Don't worry about it.  I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day."

It was at that moment I realized the true meaning of Valentine's Day.  It's not for flowers, chocolates or presents but to remember those who truly care for you even when you are being a total bitch! =)  Be thankful you have a Valentine.  Someone who loves you at your best and even more when you're at your worst.  His loving grace and forgiveness made it the most treasured and most humbling Valentine's Day ever!

I don't have lots of money,

But what I can give you,

Is lots of love and support

And a Lego Millenium Falcon... (someday)

Love, Michael =)

Thanks sweetheart! =)

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Favorite Part of this Movie