recentlies

Part 1

So I haven't posted in forever, Since I have nothing interesting to share. This post is dedicated to first, my memories from france 2007. Second, random pictures that deserve some attention.

This is at a random castle in France, I forget which one. We spent an entire day visiting castles and they all just blended together in my mind. Regardless, they were fascinating. I was sick this day (hence the attire) and throughout the entire trip.

Madame and I overlooking Mt. Saint Michelle or however you spell it. Probably one of my top three most beautiful places visited in france.

Mac and I in the metro station. Two words: Fabulous/Creepy.

Versailles, where Marie Antionette lived, So absurdly over-the-top.

This was when we had to go to school with our French Family. Both of our families kids went to the same school. Except the french hate Americans so much they wouldn't allow us in the classroom with them, so I had a nap outside!

I need to get out the pictures with my family, they were wonderful!

Downtown Paris

Jessica and I on the bateau, by the eiffel tower which is lit up

Scariest Moment of My Life

Saturday was the luckiest/unluckiest day of my entire nineteen years with probably only the exception of my birth.

I was heading to work on Saturday morning. I literally had just gotten on the highway and had drove about a mile down the center lane of 35W N towards minneapolis. A van in the right lane wanted to move into the center lane, never saw me and merged anyways. I tried speeding up and moving to the far left lane and thought that I was in the clear. I was even about to honk my horn at him all pissed off like "You almost killed me!"

Turns out, he still never saw me. He continued to merge and his left headlight hit my right tail light sending both cars to the right. (Mind you, we were both travelling very fast, 65mph) my car swerved all over the highway and flew down a 7 foot drop into a ditch. His car flipped into a tree several hundred feet south of me.

The time that my car was completely out of control took FOREVER. Time seemed to slow down and crippled with fear I just kept WAITING for the car to stop moving. I really really really just wanted to stop moving, and at that moment I really expected that I was going to die. My life did NOT flash before my eyes, I did not succomb to praying to god or anything equally dramatic and stupid. I was merely scared and waiting. Finally my car halted to a stop, my entire passenger side squished in, the windows and windshield broken, glass everywhere. My gear switcher console completely popped out of its place. An entire ton of car comprised of steel and metal ruined. I looked at my squishy, fragile human body in amazement. How this strong machine could be so damaged, but my meager in comparison human skeleton and squishy organs appeared without injury was nothing short of freakish.

In shock, I sat in my car for who knows how long. I called my dad first. Then Work. Only then did it occur to me to call 911.

Several cars pulled over to help, until the ambulance, state patrol and fire came. A lady who told me she was a nurse was the one who called 911 and she let me sit in her warm car until the police arrived. The man in the tree somehow got out of his car before I got out of mine, which makes me think that I was in there for quite awhile. How he got out of his car is a mystery to me, seeing as his car was upside down. He also was alright. From the look of him, he seemed like a dad who would probably have young kids. (late 30's, driving a mini-van) I am glad they weren't in the car, that would have worsened things a thousand percent.

I sat in the back of a cop car for awhile, (very uncomfortable) and then in a tow truck. It took 45 minutes to get both cars out of their respective landing spots. Needless to say, both vehicles were totaled. (RIP to my car, as crappy and annoying as it could be, I still loved it)

Alas, car shopping at the moment... driving a rental for the time being. Feeling rather lucky and a little sore about the whole mess. Moral of the story: fucking look before you switch lanes.

&

Chess Sucks

Played chess 1&1/2 times today, and let me tell you it's not fun when you have a boyfriend who spends an hour a day practicing. Anyways, afterwards I spent a few minutes listing off all of the things I am better at than him to nurse my bruised ego. However, revenge can be so tasty in the form of bath time pictures!!

















So Today we went to my parents house. My family along with my neighbors got new puppies. The black one who my brother named "Jasmine" who I call "Bella" is my parents and she is so fricken cute! We were watching Hamlet 2 with my family and she was laying with me the whole time until she fell off the couch. :) There aren't any pics of my neighbors choice but its a white one with a black circle around its tail.
There is another puppy that we are still looking to find a home for and that's the one Shahin is holding in the photo, but I kinda hope Shawn from Zombie Boardshop gets her, He's a swell guy.

Sexual Surrogates

So I was looking into Sex Therapy as a possible career choice, but then I came across the phrase "sex surrogates" and I was like hmm???? I found out that there are people out there who legally participate as sexual partners "therapeutically". This includes 'sexual and sensual touching' 'fallaitio' and even intercourse. All under the supervision of a sex therapist. I don't really get it. I'm not really seeing any clear line whatsoever between the role of sex surrogate and the role of a prostitute. One Therapist claimed that it is different because of the intention behind the sexual activity. (pleasure/gratification vs. therapy and learning?) I think they do exactly the same thing. They work with people who have problems in normal sexual activity who pay another person to help them have sex, which in turn relieves stress, anxiety etc. I don't understand why the government doesn't just legalize prostitution in the first place. Wait, I do actually... religion. Another vessel to which religion has used the government to prevent adults from being free to do as they please. Except, I don't understand why there isn't any religious fervour against sex surrogates like there is about abortionists. Anyways.

Recent Events

Well, I've declared a major!Eek! Not formally but I'm signed up for classes in the major of social sciences and minor in education. Its a really big major/minor combo and my concentration will be psychology. I feel like such an a-hole adult now. I haven't decided what age group to teach yet.

So "thanksgiving" with the fam is always a vast spectrum of emotions. I am equally happy/disgusted/loving/annoyed with my beer drinking, football watching, 6 taco's at a time eating relatives. Mostly, my cousins keep me intellectually at bay, my aunts and uncles are the worst though. (Some of my favorite quotes include "God put animals on this earth for us to eat" and "are you sure you put butter on these VEGGIES, I can't hardly taste it!")

But I did find something semi-cool out. My dad (who never votes, out of laziness not on principle) actually voted this year... Democratic? Weird. He always talked like George Bush when we'd get in "political debates." (I use that term loosely because really, to sum it up the situation would go like this, he'd be belligerent say something about immigrants, I'd call him an ass hole, we'd scream about it a few minutes, my mom would leave the room and In the end I'd be so pissed I'd leave)

Then it was my birtha on Friday which was indescribable really. Shahin got me very neat and beautiful gifts that made me cry. Then I had to go to the doctor because my spleen is enlarged. (!) Then My mom and I went shopping all fricken day which was so tiring, she got me a blender and margherita mix (I can't spell it right) some clothes and groceries. Then people came over and I spilled two batches of margheritas on the floor (stupid directions, you HAVE to read them!) It was snowing out really bad and so a lot of people couldn't come, but it was good nonetheless.

In the end I fell asleep really early due to fatigue mono and three margheritas give you.


Oh, and Leatherheads is a great movie!
pictures later.

My Father won free tickets from KQ92 to see Australian Pink Floyd so Sean and I went to it. We only stayed until Intermission because I am not particularly in love with pink floyd and everyone there really reminded me of my parents. Needless to say, It was free and...






We saw this in the skyway thing to our parking ramp! Weird kinda. I was honestly considering eating some of them.













Today though, we had more serious issues at hand. Shahin and I went to St. Paul to protest Proposition 8 which outlawed civil unions in 4 states which previously recognized them.

I am pretty peeved by this seemingly obvious violation of civil rights. It's almost too annoying to acknowledge, but there's America for you. Anyways this protest was organized by a member of the LGBT organization at my school. We met some nice folks and it was cold but definitely worth attending.
Some people had some fantastic signs and things to say.





I took this picture, I like it :)














We gathered at the capitol.













Shahin's sign was brilliant.














Mine was a little lame, admitedly, but I was very tired last night















A group of people from Hamline we asked to take a picture with us.


















I was so fucking cold!

Then to warm ourselves, we went to Panera which I had previously disowned because of a terrible past experience, but I gave it another try and it was so good. I had broccoli and cheddar soup and bread. The bread reminded me of France, but it could never be AS good as real parisian bread. Still though, a nice second.

Anyways, now I'm wanting more Panera.

It was a great day. We really need to delegalize all marriage though. Fucking religion needs to get out of the law book. It's almost archaic at this point.

Bye!