This post is dedicated to the men and women of the armed forces on this grand Memorial Day.
I want to say 'thank you' for all the sacrifices you make for me, for my family, and for your families.
I come from a long line of military service. All 3 of my grandfathers served in WWII, one in the Navy, one earning a Purple Heart, and one serving as a medic in Iwo Jimo at the age of 19. They're some of the most incredible men I know, and their stories are even more incredible.
My father has served in the military for the past 25+ years. He's served in 2 wars and completed his 4th tour in the Middle East last year. He's made countless sacrifices, and gone through more than any human should ever have to, and I'm eternally grateful for everything he's done.
I love him, and I'm more than proud to call him 'Papa.'
Happy Memorial Day.
Never forget.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Caitie.
Text Conversation:
Caitie: So what chu writing on that blog o yours?
Annalee: I dunno yet. Any ideas?
Caitie: Dedicate an entire entry to me.
So here it goes...
My first memory of Caitie is in Sunday School, about 11 years ago. The class was sitting in chairs lined along the the walls of the classroom, and I was sitting diagonally from Caitie. I don't remember what the lesson was on, or who was teaching it. All I remember is Caitie sitting there with her scripture case full of candy. Not sharing. I was instantly annoyed with her, and let that annoyance fester over the next couple of years, even after she moved away.
The next time I remember seeing Caitie was walking down the halls of Lees Corner Elementary School. I was returning to class, and I saw her. Standing there. Sharpening her pencil. I don't remember why I was in the hall, or what she or I was wearing, or if I said 'hi,' or waved. All I remember is the annoyance...which I promptly let fester for another couple of years.
I don't remember exactly when we became friends, or why. All I remember are late nights at Caitie's house, playing Sims, making fake commercials, eating inordinate amounts of cookie dough ice cream, and laughing. Always laughing.
This is where is gets cheesy.
Ever since that one summer, we've been best friends. We may have been an ocean apart most of the time, but we always knew the other one was there. Then, each summer, we'd pick up where we left off. She's been a constant in my life ever since the 7th grade, the longest friendship I've ever had. It's literally spanned decades and continents. It's sustained weeks without being able to talk, camping trips that made us hate each other, boys, schools, good times, bad times, all of it. She's one of the few people I know I can count on, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather call my best friend.
And here it is, the Top Ten Things I Love About Caitie Metts:
10. Her sense of style, which is fearless. She can pull anything off.
9. Her addiction to ice. It makes me feel better about my addiction to carbonation.
8. Her sense of adventure. She's up for anything, anytime, with anyone.
7. The laughter. Oh the laughter...
6. The fact that we can go from deep, meaningful conversations, to joking about stupid stuff in 5 minutes.
5. She's a smart cookie, about a million times smarter than people realize at first.
4. Her caring side. She's one of the most compassionate people I know. She's the perfect aunt, and she's gonna make an amazing mother.
3. She can find the good in anyone, and make fun of the ridiculous in them too.
2. Her unpredictability. When that mouth opens, there's no telling what's gonna come out.
1. She's my best friend! I love her, I would do anything for her, and I don't know where I would be without her.
Alsotherewasthisonetimeshestartedsnoringlikearhinoandkeptmeupallnightlongitwashilarious!
I love you, Caitie Metts!
Caitie: So what chu writing on that blog o yours?
Annalee: I dunno yet. Any ideas?
Caitie: Dedicate an entire entry to me.
So here it goes...
My first memory of Caitie is in Sunday School, about 11 years ago. The class was sitting in chairs lined along the the walls of the classroom, and I was sitting diagonally from Caitie. I don't remember what the lesson was on, or who was teaching it. All I remember is Caitie sitting there with her scripture case full of candy. Not sharing. I was instantly annoyed with her, and let that annoyance fester over the next couple of years, even after she moved away.
The next time I remember seeing Caitie was walking down the halls of Lees Corner Elementary School. I was returning to class, and I saw her. Standing there. Sharpening her pencil. I don't remember why I was in the hall, or what she or I was wearing, or if I said 'hi,' or waved. All I remember is the annoyance...which I promptly let fester for another couple of years.
I don't remember exactly when we became friends, or why. All I remember are late nights at Caitie's house, playing Sims, making fake commercials, eating inordinate amounts of cookie dough ice cream, and laughing. Always laughing.
This is where is gets cheesy.
Ever since that one summer, we've been best friends. We may have been an ocean apart most of the time, but we always knew the other one was there. Then, each summer, we'd pick up where we left off. She's been a constant in my life ever since the 7th grade, the longest friendship I've ever had. It's literally spanned decades and continents. It's sustained weeks without being able to talk, camping trips that made us hate each other, boys, schools, good times, bad times, all of it. She's one of the few people I know I can count on, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather call my best friend.
And here it is, the Top Ten Things I Love About Caitie Metts:
10. Her sense of style, which is fearless. She can pull anything off.
9. Her addiction to ice. It makes me feel better about my addiction to carbonation.
8. Her sense of adventure. She's up for anything, anytime, with anyone.
7. The laughter. Oh the laughter...
6. The fact that we can go from deep, meaningful conversations, to joking about stupid stuff in 5 minutes.
5. She's a smart cookie, about a million times smarter than people realize at first.
4. Her caring side. She's one of the most compassionate people I know. She's the perfect aunt, and she's gonna make an amazing mother.
3. She can find the good in anyone, and make fun of the ridiculous in them too.
2. Her unpredictability. When that mouth opens, there's no telling what's gonna come out.
1. She's my best friend! I love her, I would do anything for her, and I don't know where I would be without her.
Alsotherewasthisonetimeshestartedsnoringlikearhinoandkeptmeupallnightlongitwashilarious!
I love you, Caitie Metts!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Window in the Skies
Every once in a while I get the feeling like I'm not myself. I feel detached from my surroundings, like a foreign entity. I start to feel very strange, and start looking for something familiar. It happens pretty frequently, especially as I spend more and more time away from home, or even when I am home and I don't exactly feel like I belong there. It's something comparable to loneliness, but not loneliness in the sense that I wish that I had someone or something to lean on. It's purely statistical, like I'm one person out of trillions. Alone. In a very stark sense. I'm not explaining this right. I know I'm not.
Anyways, whenever I start feeling this way I start looking for familiar things, things that remind me of home, or even familiar feelings. Sometimes it's a movie, or calling home that does it. But, the most effective method is music, and the most effective peace of music is "Window in the Skies" by U2. It's one of my all-time favorite songs for several reasons. I grew up on U2. My oldest brother and my dad were big fans of them when I was young, and I thought if I liked them too, that I would somehow be part of the 'club.' Somewhere along the way, I started liking them too. Another big part of it is the music video. The music video is comprised of clips of different singers lip-synching the song, everyone from Nat King Cole to Jimi Hendrix to Green Day. It's my favorite music video of all time, and odd as it may sound, it made me cry the first time I saw it. I'm gonna regret writing that later...
The reason I write this is because today I was going through one of these 'spells.' I didn't feel particularly like myself for whatever reason, and felt a little detached from everything around me. I was walking home from class around 5:30, down the hill from campus on the way to my apartment, when 'Window in the Skies' came on my iPod. Immediately I started feeling like myself again. I snapped back into the present, and became exponentially happier. I started to think about my family, about the fact that I'm a part of something bigger than myself even if only through this song. It's the ultimate quixotic anthem, which I know can have a negative connotation. To me, though, being quixotic is the essence of life. It's being hopeful, even to a foolish degree, which is what we all need from time to time.
So here it is:
'Window in the Skies' by U2
The shackles are undone
The bullets quit the gun
The heat thats in the sun
Will keep us when there's none
The rule has been disproved
The stone has been moved
The grain is now a groove
All debts are removed, ooh
Oh can't you see what our love has done
Oh can't you see what our love has done
Oh can't you see what our love has done
What it's doing to me
Love makes strange enemies
Makes love when love may please
Soul in a strip tease
Hate brought to its knees
Sky over our head
Can reach it from our bed
If you let me in your heart
And out of my head
Oh can't you see what our love has done
Oh can't you see what our love has done
Oh can't you see what our love has done
What it's doing to me
Oh oh ohhhhhhhhhhhh
Oh oh ohhhhhhhhhhhh
Please don't ever let me out of here
I've got no shame
Oh no oh no
Oh can't you see what love has done
Oh can't you see
Oh can't you see what love has done
What it's doing to me
Oh I know I hurt you and I made you cry
Did everything but murder but you and I
But love left a window in the skies
And to love I rhapsodize
Oh can't you see what love has done (to every broken heart)
Oh can't you see what love has done (for every heart that cries)
Love left a window in the skies
And to love I rhapsodize
Oh can't you see
Anyways, whenever I start feeling this way I start looking for familiar things, things that remind me of home, or even familiar feelings. Sometimes it's a movie, or calling home that does it. But, the most effective method is music, and the most effective peace of music is "Window in the Skies" by U2. It's one of my all-time favorite songs for several reasons. I grew up on U2. My oldest brother and my dad were big fans of them when I was young, and I thought if I liked them too, that I would somehow be part of the 'club.' Somewhere along the way, I started liking them too. Another big part of it is the music video. The music video is comprised of clips of different singers lip-synching the song, everyone from Nat King Cole to Jimi Hendrix to Green Day. It's my favorite music video of all time, and odd as it may sound, it made me cry the first time I saw it. I'm gonna regret writing that later...
The reason I write this is because today I was going through one of these 'spells.' I didn't feel particularly like myself for whatever reason, and felt a little detached from everything around me. I was walking home from class around 5:30, down the hill from campus on the way to my apartment, when 'Window in the Skies' came on my iPod. Immediately I started feeling like myself again. I snapped back into the present, and became exponentially happier. I started to think about my family, about the fact that I'm a part of something bigger than myself even if only through this song. It's the ultimate quixotic anthem, which I know can have a negative connotation. To me, though, being quixotic is the essence of life. It's being hopeful, even to a foolish degree, which is what we all need from time to time.
So here it is:
'Window in the Skies' by U2
The shackles are undone
The bullets quit the gun
The heat thats in the sun
Will keep us when there's none
The rule has been disproved
The stone has been moved
The grain is now a groove
All debts are removed, ooh
Oh can't you see what our love has done
Oh can't you see what our love has done
Oh can't you see what our love has done
What it's doing to me
Love makes strange enemies
Makes love when love may please
Soul in a strip tease
Hate brought to its knees
Sky over our head
Can reach it from our bed
If you let me in your heart
And out of my head
Oh can't you see what our love has done
Oh can't you see what our love has done
Oh can't you see what our love has done
What it's doing to me
Oh oh ohhhhhhhhhhhh
Oh oh ohhhhhhhhhhhh
Please don't ever let me out of here
I've got no shame
Oh no oh no
Oh can't you see what love has done
Oh can't you see
Oh can't you see what love has done
What it's doing to me
Oh I know I hurt you and I made you cry
Did everything but murder but you and I
But love left a window in the skies
And to love I rhapsodize
Oh can't you see what love has done (to every broken heart)
Oh can't you see what love has done (for every heart that cries)
Love left a window in the skies
And to love I rhapsodize
Oh can't you see
Sunday, May 23, 2010
And please bless...
This is my prayer template for the time-being...
Please:
1. Help me to wake up on time tomorrow morning.
2. Let me like the color of my hair when I wake up.
3. Give me the motivation I need to do homework.
4. Don't let my feet die on me. I really like running...
5. Let me find the right internship for Fall. LA would be nice.
6. Don't let me give in to my desire to cut my hair.
7. Stop these stupid breakouts. Seriously.
8. Bring back Arrested Development.
9. Don't let it snow in Rexburg anymore.
10. Let this week go by fast.
Thank You for (in no particular order):
1. My job. I love it. No matter how much I might complain, or wish that a student cancels.
2. My friends. Near and far.
3. Not letting my hair fall out after this millionth dye job.
4. Letting me run again. I forgot how good it feels.
5. My iPod. My hero.
6. The World Cup. Only 3 more weeks.
7. Asian food. This is self-explanatory.
8. My family. I don't know what we did to deserve each other, but I can't imagine being a part of any other family.
9. Kids. They make everything better. Everything.
10. The church. Also self-explanatory.
Please:
1. Help me to wake up on time tomorrow morning.
2. Let me like the color of my hair when I wake up.
3. Give me the motivation I need to do homework.
4. Don't let my feet die on me. I really like running...
5. Let me find the right internship for Fall. LA would be nice.
6. Don't let me give in to my desire to cut my hair.
7. Stop these stupid breakouts. Seriously.
8. Bring back Arrested Development.
9. Don't let it snow in Rexburg anymore.
10. Let this week go by fast.
Thank You for (in no particular order):
1. My job. I love it. No matter how much I might complain, or wish that a student cancels.
2. My friends. Near and far.
3. Not letting my hair fall out after this millionth dye job.
4. Letting me run again. I forgot how good it feels.
5. My iPod. My hero.
6. The World Cup. Only 3 more weeks.
7. Asian food. This is self-explanatory.
8. My family. I don't know what we did to deserve each other, but I can't imagine being a part of any other family.
9. Kids. They make everything better. Everything.
10. The church. Also self-explanatory.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Favorites
I haven't done one of these in a while...
Top Ten Favorite Movies:
1. When Harry Met Sally
2. Shawshank Redemption
3. The Mission
4. Dumb and Dumber
5. Silence of the Lambs
6. Little Miss Sunshine
7. Pride and Prejudice
8. Godfather
9. The Sure Thing
10. The Royal Tenenbaums
11. Casino Royale
Top Ten Favorite Chick Flicks:
1. Father of the Bride
2. Waitress
3. Sixteen Candles
4. Pretty Woman
5. Where the Heart Is
6. Say Anything
7. One Fine Day
8. Bridget Jones Diary
9. Devil Wears Prada
10. Love, Actually
11. Down With Love
Top Ten Favorite Books:
1. Kite Runner
2. Year of Magical Thinking
3. Man's Search for Meaning
4. Catch Me If You Can
5. Leaves of Grass
6. Me Talk Pretty One Day
7. A Spy for All Seasons
8. Dress Your Family in Corderoy and Denim
9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
10. The Sun Also Rises
Top Ten Favorite Bands/Artists:
1. U2
2. Jimi Hendrix
3. John Mayer
4. Paul Simon
5. The Killers
6. Taylor Swift
7. The Shins
8. Beyonce
9. Ennio Morricone
10. Coldplay
11. The Bravey
13. Beck
That felt good.
Top Ten Favorite Movies:
1. When Harry Met Sally
2. Shawshank Redemption
3. The Mission
4. Dumb and Dumber
5. Silence of the Lambs
6. Little Miss Sunshine
7. Pride and Prejudice
8. Godfather
9. The Sure Thing
10. The Royal Tenenbaums
11. Casino Royale
Top Ten Favorite Chick Flicks:
1. Father of the Bride
2. Waitress
3. Sixteen Candles
4. Pretty Woman
5. Where the Heart Is
6. Say Anything
7. One Fine Day
8. Bridget Jones Diary
9. Devil Wears Prada
10. Love, Actually
11. Down With Love
Top Ten Favorite Books:
1. Kite Runner
2. Year of Magical Thinking
3. Man's Search for Meaning
4. Catch Me If You Can
5. Leaves of Grass
6. Me Talk Pretty One Day
7. A Spy for All Seasons
8. Dress Your Family in Corderoy and Denim
9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
10. The Sun Also Rises
Top Ten Favorite Bands/Artists:
1. U2
2. Jimi Hendrix
3. John Mayer
4. Paul Simon
5. The Killers
6. Taylor Swift
7. The Shins
8. Beyonce
9. Ennio Morricone
10. Coldplay
11. The Bravey
13. Beck
That felt good.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Euro-trash
So every semester, I feel like there's one class that doesn't mesh well with the others, the class that you don't like going to, that makes you feel like throwing up every single time the thought of that class enters your mind. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
This semester it's Modern European History. I thought I was going to enjoy the class when I first signed up for it. It fulfills the history requirement for my Poli Sci minor, and my family's planning on going to Europe at the end of the Summer, so I figured it would all fit. But, I'm starting to regret it. It's not that the class is awful, it's just that it has no structure- and I don't like the final project. That, and it's at a time of the day when I would much rather be working or doing homework.
BUT- I just looked up the academic schedule, and the last day to drop classes without receiving a 'W' was yesterday... Let the character building commence.
In other news, all the other classes are going really well. They're all pretty chill, with the exception of Advanced International Relations, which has a lot of social capital involved. It's hard to get a word in sometimes, but at least it's interesting, and Brother Adamson is the man.
ALSO, it's snowing. It's May 6th, 2010, and it's snowing.
ALSO, ALSO, I should probably recap the weekend. Friday night I went to Idaho Falls with Scotty, Russell, and Ryan to a place called the Snakebite. SO GOOD. It's a sort of hole in the wall type of place with a really tight atmosphere. It's super small with only a few waiters, and some f the best food I've had for a while. Anyways, I highly recommend it.
Saturday morning (I'm talking 3 am) I made the trek to Salt Lake to meet Dad for his birthday. I got there around 8, and slept in until around 11, then Dad and I woke up and we went out to lunch at Marie Callendars. We talked for somewhere around 2 hours. It was so nice just to sit and talk with him without any interferences or distractions. I forgot how much I missed him. Afterwards we went to the Gateway to pick up some shoes for church the next day, and then to Barnes and Noble. I got a new book of memoirs, and he picked up some Sudoku for the plane. That night the whole family got together for Dad's birthday- it was really nice to see everyone again (at least everyone that showed up. cough, cough...) We chilled out and talked over pizza, played with LOUIE VITO'S DOG! Anyways, the next morning, Dad and I woke up too late for church, so we stayed home and watched Master and Commander, then we had Dad's birthday dinner and I left for Rexburg again...which wouldn't be a huge deal if my shuttle home wasn't taken over by a girl who decided to make herself the ring-leader of the 11 GIRLS who were on the shuttle with me. For 4 hours, all I heard was her trying to one-up people. It was entertaining, but incredibly annoying. And now, I'm back at school, not ready at all for classes.
And I'm spent.
Quote of the Day:
"Think constantly, both as Roman and as a man, to do the task before you with perfect and simple dignity, and with kindness, freedom, and justice. Try to forget everything else. And you will be able to do so if you undetake every action in your life as if it were your last, leaving aside all negligence and the opposition of passion to the dictates of reason, and leaving aside all hypocrisy, egotism, and rebelliousness against your own lot." -Marcus Aurelius
"Think constantly, both as Roman and as a man, to do the task before you with perfect and simple dignity, and with kindness, freedom, and justice. Try to forget everything else. And you will be able to do so if you undetake every action in your life as if it were your last, leaving aside all negligence and the opposition of passion to the dictates of reason, and leaving aside all hypocrisy, egotism, and rebelliousness against your own lot."
The man may have persecuted thousands of Christians, but he knew his stuff.
This semester it's Modern European History. I thought I was going to enjoy the class when I first signed up for it. It fulfills the history requirement for my Poli Sci minor, and my family's planning on going to Europe at the end of the Summer, so I figured it would all fit. But, I'm starting to regret it. It's not that the class is awful, it's just that it has no structure- and I don't like the final project. That, and it's at a time of the day when I would much rather be working or doing homework.
BUT- I just looked up the academic schedule, and the last day to drop classes without receiving a 'W' was yesterday... Let the character building commence.
In other news, all the other classes are going really well. They're all pretty chill, with the exception of Advanced International Relations, which has a lot of social capital involved. It's hard to get a word in sometimes, but at least it's interesting, and Brother Adamson is the man.
ALSO, it's snowing. It's May 6th, 2010, and it's snowing.
ALSO, ALSO, I should probably recap the weekend. Friday night I went to Idaho Falls with Scotty, Russell, and Ryan to a place called the Snakebite. SO GOOD. It's a sort of hole in the wall type of place with a really tight atmosphere. It's super small with only a few waiters, and some f the best food I've had for a while. Anyways, I highly recommend it.
Saturday morning (I'm talking 3 am) I made the trek to Salt Lake to meet Dad for his birthday. I got there around 8, and slept in until around 11, then Dad and I woke up and we went out to lunch at Marie Callendars. We talked for somewhere around 2 hours. It was so nice just to sit and talk with him without any interferences or distractions. I forgot how much I missed him. Afterwards we went to the Gateway to pick up some shoes for church the next day, and then to Barnes and Noble. I got a new book of memoirs, and he picked up some Sudoku for the plane. That night the whole family got together for Dad's birthday- it was really nice to see everyone again (at least everyone that showed up. cough, cough...) We chilled out and talked over pizza, played with LOUIE VITO'S DOG! Anyways, the next morning, Dad and I woke up too late for church, so we stayed home and watched Master and Commander, then we had Dad's birthday dinner and I left for Rexburg again...which wouldn't be a huge deal if my shuttle home wasn't taken over by a girl who decided to make herself the ring-leader of the 11 GIRLS who were on the shuttle with me. For 4 hours, all I heard was her trying to one-up people. It was entertaining, but incredibly annoying. And now, I'm back at school, not ready at all for classes.
And I'm spent.
Quote of the Day:
"Think constantly, both as Roman and as a man, to do the task before you with perfect and simple dignity, and with kindness, freedom, and justice. Try to forget everything else. And you will be able to do so if you undetake every action in your life as if it were your last, leaving aside all negligence and the opposition of passion to the dictates of reason, and leaving aside all hypocrisy, egotism, and rebelliousness against your own lot." -Marcus Aurelius
"Think constantly, both as Roman and as a man, to do the task before you with perfect and simple dignity, and with kindness, freedom, and justice. Try to forget everything else. And you will be able to do so if you undetake every action in your life as if it were your last, leaving aside all negligence and the opposition of passion to the dictates of reason, and leaving aside all hypocrisy, egotism, and rebelliousness against your own lot."
The man may have persecuted thousands of Christians, but he knew his stuff.
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