Sarah: Kevin is the fatherly figure

The comments in a recent entry apparently brought up painful memories for Mallory.

M: Dude. WHAT IS WITH YOUR FAMILY BRINGIN UP MY PAST EMBARRASMENTS?
S: Yeah, um. Unfortunately? You got served. By DAVID. hee
M: Let it be known, I'm not talking to either of your siblings.
S: Dave said "haha, I looked at her fanpage. It is AWESOME. Dude, I still always think of Mallory as the girl with the backstreet boys fanpage..." I just love that Dave thinks of you as the girl with the BSB webpage.
M: I dont! I have respect for dave's taste in music I don't want him to think im some teeny-bopper talentless pop music listener
S: I know. You aren't.
M: WHAT EVER.
S: Wow.
M: I'm so ashamed. I could never go into politics.
S: You'd have to come clean about your fan page.
M: That would be my dirty past.
[I told Dave about this issue.
D: "What do you have to say for yourself, Miss Qualls? Did you? Or did you not? Make... THIS... WEBPAGE"
M: HE SHOULD SAY THAT TO MY FACE.]
M: People'd be all "Don't vote for Romney because he's a mormon and he'd take his orders from the prophet before the people. Don't vote for Qualls because she'd do whatever Nick Carter tells her to do."
S: Seriously, you'd have to hope that Lisa, Marci, and I were supportive or we'd rat you out.
M: BLACKMAILING BITCHES. YOU'RE LIKE THE GIRL THAT STEALS KIDNEYS. KIDNEY STEALER!
S: hee. Wait. THAT SEEMS LIKE A BIT OF A LEAP.
M: ITS A SLIPPERY SLOPE SARAH. A SLIPPERY SLOPE.
M: So, just wondering: When you, Lisa and I first became friends, when you went home and talked to Dave were you like "so last night we were hanging out with our friend Mallory, YOU KNOW THE GIRL WHO LOVES BSB, and shes all 'I like the internet' SHE LOVES BSB AND HAS A FANPAGE"?
S: lol. NO.
M: Because I think the first time i ever met Dave was at that Nintendo party, so really SHOULDN'T HE THINK Oh Mallory The Girl who likes Nintendo?
S: I think it just came up sort of early on? I honestly don't know.
M: or Oh Mallory The girl who likes Jimmy Eat world (I went to that concert that week)
S: I don't think we found out about your dirty little secret for a while.
M: Yeah i keep that one pretty close. YOU ALL KEEP SECRETS SO WELL. Hee. I see now that I can't ever trust you again.
S: We are only telling the INTERNET about your site which is on the INTERNET ALREADY. DAMN! You have SUCH problems.
M: BUT I CANT FIGURE OUT HOW TO TAKE IT DOWN AND YOU GUYS WONT STOP VISITING IT SO IT WONT DIE.
S: We LOVE it.

Because Mallory was so upset, I asked Dave to explain why he associated her so closely with her BSB-loving past.

D: I think it's just that that was one of the first things i ever knew about Mallory, so what I've learned about her since has always been with that in the back of my mind. I've always seen her through that lens, if you will.
S: I see. That's like with Mallory, the first thing she learned about Mark was that he loved Radiohead.
D: Yes. Although, that's probably an accurate portrayal of who he is.
S: So now when she sees him she's all, "Hey! It's that blond-guy-that-is-Dave's-roommate-that-loves-Radiohead" and Lisa and I are all "um. Mark?"
D: Exactly.
S: Dave, Mallory is very disturbed. She thinks that when I first met her I'd just go home and be all "so today Mallory, YOU KNOW, THE GIRL WITH THE BSB FANPAGE, said something funny..."
D: I can't remember how you told me... was it something like that?
S: Hee. I hate you. She's going to break up with me, and it will be ALL YOUR FAULT.
D: She won't break up with you.
S: I wouldn't be so sure, Dave. Women can be so fickle.
D: It's true, they are fickle. But not Mallory. She is so sweet and childlike. With her undying love of Nick Carter.

Lisa: This is thriller, thriller night

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

I guess I did say I wanted to do something more low-key for Halloween this year, but working until 9 and then going to Crown Burger might be a little lower than I anticipated. There was no Zuul. There was no Leia. Pretty much we sat around taking pictures of each other...taking pictures of each other. I think all that partying (or, you know, campaigning, or school, or work, or whatever) has taken its toll.

Not that it wasn't awesome, because it was! Plus, after Crown Burger we headed to Nip/Tuck night at Marci's, complete with midget sex (sorry you missed it, Mal!), murder by omission and the associated kidney thievery, Alanis as a controlling lesbian, and plenty of snarky debauchery from our pal Christian.

I just wish I'd worn a costume.

Sarah: Emergency

Warning: I discuss underwear in this entry. Some links will lead you to photos of underwear. I realize that some people might view models in underwear as somewhat scandalous. If this is offensive to you, do not click the links. Thank you.

I would like to take a moment to talk about Emergency Underwear. Maybe you think I'm referring to your days-of-the-week underwear that you keep near the back of your underwear drawer. I'm not. Because even though you feel a bit ridiculous wearing blue cotton panties with a smiling giraffe and "Tuesday" printed on the front, there is at least that moment when you are getting ready and you glance in the mirror and then start dancing in your bedroom to the radio playing Sexy Back because really? Your butt looks SO cute in Tuesday.

No. I'm not talking about those panties. I'm talking about your laundry day panties. The underwear that you keep telling yourself to just throw away, but then all of a sudden, you have no clean underwear left, and it's either wearing your emergency underwear or nothing at all. You know the panties I mean. They are white, they are high-waisted, and they kill a small part of your soul every time you are forced by the dirty laundry gods to wear them.

My emergency panties look like this. I bought them thinking they'd be kicky and fun. They would eliminate panty line and be comfy and lounge-y. Plus, look how they look cute on the model. Right? WRONG!

These are horrible monstrosities. Best case scenario, the underwear is too loose. Worst case scenario, the "legs" of the shorts bunch up under pants and create an indescribable effect that is much, much worse than panty line, yet the overall effect is still sort of loose. No, not loose. Breezy. The shape of the underwear indicates that they should sit on your hips a few inches below your bellybutton. Placing the garment in the appropriate location, however, leads to an uncomfortable lack of bits-hugging fabric. Regardless of the cut of underwear you prefer, certain parts should be covered. My emergency underwear? DOES A SORRY-ASS JOB OF COVERING THOSE PARTS. My point is that these are very bad emergency panties. And I wore a pair yesterday. And another pair today.

I need to do laundry as soon as possible so that I can get back to underwear I like. Like these. My good friend Marci, she who holds all underwear knowledge, encouraged me to get them, and they are hot. Hotter than they look on the model, if you ask me.

Lisa: Turkey Dinners

Background: Sarah has the charming but somewhat inexplicable tradition of buying Christmas panties from Old Navy every December. She wears them all year round. I think it is obvious to everyone that I, as part of my sisterly duties, am obligated to tease her about said Christmas panties.

Sarah: I HAVE A BAGGY WEDGIE AND IT'S PISSING ME OFF.
Lisa: I am so sorry about your baggy wedgie. You should stop at Old Navy for some Thanksgiving panties.
Sarah: I hate you.
Lisa: No, I was serious! You should! And I'm sure the Halloween panties are on supa sale.
Sarah: Dude... DO YOU THINK THAT OLD NAVY WOULD HAVE PANTIES THAT HAD A FAN OF MULTICOLORED FEATHERS ON THE BACK?? Because that would be cute. Plus, then you could shake your tail feathers. I'm just saying.
Lisa: HA! That? Was brilliant. Victoria's Secret sells holiday panties with like Santa fur and stuff on them. They should totally sell Thanksgiving ones with feathers.
Sarah: And they could also sell a... sexy pilgrim hat? A bra with some sort of pilgrim collar?
Lisa: Heeeeeee. Besides, Puritan lingerie is the ultimate oxymoron!
Sarah: Yes, like someone says "is nothing sacred?" And we say NO!
Lisa: Do people really care about keeping the Puritan tradition sacred? Just wondering.
Sarah: Lisa. We could make a whole line of Thanksgiving underwear. A pair could just say across the butt, "You SHOULD be thankful!"
Lisa: Or it could say, "Thanks but no thanks!" Or, "No, thank YOU!" Or, (OR!!!!) "Thanky Panky."
Sarah: I hope you are saving all of this somewhere.
Lisa: Seriously.

Sarah: Tool of the Week

I present to you a tool required for every self-respecting celebrity lover.

NETFLIX

Netflix is great because you make a wishlist of every movie you've ever wanted to see. It's like shopping, but way easier on your budget. Plus, you won't forget those movies, or lose the list. Eventually, you will see all of the movies you can handle. Plus, you can check out as many "guilty pleasure" movies as you like, because you aren't paying for the rental of each individual dvd. It's guilt-free and inexpensive, and as a side bonus, you get mail frequently. I love mail. The shipping of a dvd only takes one day, so you don't waste time between movies, unless you choose to.

Now, if only Netflix would stop advertising via pop-up ads, I could endorse them even more whole-heartedly.

Sarah: Take the Power Back

With local elections being held tomorrow, I'd like to remind our Utah friends to vote tomorrow, November 7th. Take a few minutes to educate yourself about the different candidates. A list of candidates and links to their respective websites can be found here.

A race of particular interest is that of the campaigns for U.S. Senate. As we've mentioned, our good friend and responsible citizen Mallory is working as a volunteer intern for Democratic candidate Pete Ashdown. Having a friend inside the campaign has given me a reason to examine this candidate and compare him to his Republican opponent, Orrin Hatch.

I don't like to get very vocally political, nor am I comfortable explaining either party's campaign. Regarding Ashdown's stance, a campaign employee summarized by saying,
"Pete is a great alternative to Hatch. He will unite us to solve the pressing problems of today, and lead us toward a better future. He's a fiscal conservative. He believes in a smaller government that doesn't interfere with people's personal lives. Pete will represent you, the ordinary citizens of Utah, and will not be beholden to special interests. He believes that success in Iraq would be best measured by giving the Iraqi people the chance to vote on our presence there."
Mallory's thoughts about Pete Ashdown and her work on the campaign are here.
Personally, I think that it's good to mix things up in political offices. A new senator feels the need to keep the voters that he represents happy. He is in touch with Utah, not accustomed to a job hundreds of miles away, comfortable with a long string of reelections.

Take advantage of the democratic system and vote tomorrow. I hope that all Utahns can think seriously about who they believe is best for the job and vote accordingly, regardless of their decision. As for me, I'll be voting for Pete Ashdown.

Dismounting from soapbox now.

Lisa: my crybaby you'll be

I told Sarah about the Children's Book Club blog that I'm a part of, and asked her if she had any book suggestions.

Sarah: You should write about that "my baby you'll be" book, because it is GUARANTEED to make you cry every time you read it.
Lisa: I know. It's like the Butterfly Kisses of books.

Speaking of ridiculous songs that make you cry, 'tis the season again for the "when Mommy meets Jesus" song, so prepare yourself. I find keeping a few fast-food napkins in the glove box of the car is adequate. On the other hand, if you like being manipulated into tears, maybe you should read this book series BASED ON THE SONG.

Sorry, I just had a rage blackout.

In other timely topics, don't forget to vote today! If you live in Utah and want to check your polling location, try this handy site.

Edited to add: read the recap of the Jesus Shoes MOVIE here.

Sarah: Very Exciting Day

I. Have. TiVo.

Or rather, it's en route to my house. I got the Tivo box for free. How exciting is my life??

If you're considering Tivo, (which you should, because it rocks) take advantage of their Free-TiVo-box promotion. And list either lisa or myself as your referral, so that we can get TiVo Rewards Points. Then everyone wins!

Sarah: That would be... pretty good...

Mallory and I discuss her answers on a quiz.

Sarah: 29. Who's your favorite Disney princess and why?
Jasmine, because she's the coolest? and has the hottest boyfriend? PLUS She gets to ride on a magic carpet AND is friends with a genie, talking parrot and monkey. ...Um.
M: Aladdin IS THE HOTTEST. I mean c'mon. Eric? The human beast? SIMBA? ALADDIN'S ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVORITE.
S: Eric is quite dreamy...
M: No he's not. He's all squarish.
S: Ew. The Beast-Beast is hotter than the Human-Beast. We called him Prince Saucerlips.
M: And Aladdin has a hotter personality. Lol.
S: I. Um. We can't talk about this anymore because it's making me giggle excessively.
M: I just almost spit out my water giggling. Thats all.

M: Aladdin really is the hottest character. Who else is there to think is hot? Prince Charming? WOODY FROM TOY STORY? I dunno why I'm being so defensive of my attraction to Aladdin.
S: Lol. Aladdin is hot.
M: Mostly I want you to know that my love for him is a true love, and not based on my current relationships.
S: I had a crush on him. Lol.
M: PLUS his voice is totally Steve from Full House. And who DIDN'T have a crush on DJ's boyfriend?
S: Dude. I don't remember that guy. I remember that DJ once went out with an older guy with a moustache and her dad was all upset, but then realized that he was dating a really young girl.
M: Danny Tanner... What a pervert. She went to Europe and when she came back she told everyone she had a surprise for everyone? And it was Steve? And they were together FOREVER and then broke up after hiking to the top of a mountain. Lol.
S: Wow. Was the mountain a metaphor for their love?
M: YES! OBVIOUSLY THEIR LOVE WAS TRUE AND YOU DON'T REMEMBER IT.
S: Wait. If their love was true, why did they break up?
M: I think they went to different colleges. Mostly I think Steve decided to become Aladdin.

M: I'm sort of ashamed right now.

Sarah: Cabin

I used to give weekend updates, but I've been slacking lately. Here's a quick review of what I did with myself a few weeks ago:

I hung out with a group that I often call the Century Kids. They rock. And smell nice. And all have very pretty hair. Now to the point: E invited us all up to her cabin in Kamas. I drove up with Andrea and Michelle. Once we got within about five miles of E's cabin, it began to snow.

Michelle drove and I was in the back seat. That's her in the mirror.

Andrea is well-known for taking a plethora of pictures at any get-together. She was much more on top of her picture taking and blog-writing than me, so you can see her version of the events here. And below you can see Andrea in her natural state.

Clay is very indulgent of Andrea and I taking photos. He even smiles (when I don't interrupt a cookie-tasting).

I love my brother. And I love that he lets me hang out with him. All of my siblings are pretty cool that way.

I admire E's fashion sense. Her sweater was very lovely. So was, apparently, her pizza-cooking. Michelle enjoyed it.

Through all this excitement (er, that is to say, standing around while the camera flashes from Sarah and Andrea rained down upon E's guests), we played some Guitar Hero (see pictures below), watched The Fog, and played Monkey Ball and WarioWare until 5 am.

I consumed approximately two liters of Diet Coke, and was ridiculously excitable and giggley as a result. It was a good night.

Thanks E!

Lisa: I'll be seeing you

I tend to find something I like and stick to it. I like routines. I revel in traditions. I am a creature of habit. I know you think that doesn't sound exciting, but you will be jealous. Why? Because I am about to tell you about one of my favorite traditions. And that tradition is reading City Weekly's "I Saw U"s at Cafe Med.

First, you have to understand the awesomeness of Cafe Med.

I think the awesomeness of the "I Saw U"s speaks for itself:

malibu barbie
I called you malibu barbie. You looked so annoyed. I definetly was not trying to insult you but I am not very good with words. So lets try again. You are a fine looking woman. Will you go out on a date with me?
When: Friday, October 13, 2006.
Where: maverik
You: Woman
Me: Man

Mr. Green Lexus!
Hey you Mr. Green Lexus with black and red rims! I saw you @ 3300 south and 300 East. I would love to meet you and take you for a crazy ride! Please let me know you are available. I look like Angelina Jolie...but bigger lips! Interested?...meet me at Bad-Ass coffee co. Friday after 3:00pm, Ask for Kelly.
When: Tuesday, October 10, 2006.
Where: 3300 S. 300 E.
You: Man
Me: Woman

Sarah: Give Me A Cupcake, I'll Give You My Heart

My mom and I are flying to Seattle next weekend to visit my Aunt Becky. As part of the planning for what promises to be an action-packed weekend, I suggested a visit to a little cupcake shop in town.

Becky: Sarah -- What famous cupcake store?
Sarah: Cupcake Royale.
B: OK. I just checked it out. The Ballard store is about 5 minutes away. We could even walk.
S: Do you watch Grey's Anatomy?
B: Regularly. My favorite soap opera. Do you want to ride a ferry?
S: Ha ha! Well, I, like McDreamy, love ferry boats. But if you remember when Alex gave Izzy a cupcake with a little sugar heart on it, that was from Cupcake Royale. Nothing says true love like a pink cupcake.
A: That little detail blew right past me . . .
S: Well. Now you know! Ha ha.
B: My car repair place is in ballard. I usually drop the car off and then hike home. Now I can go by the cupcake store to fortify for the trip up (and I mean up!) my hill.
Mom: OK I want a cupcake with a pink heart. But not from Alex. From George or McDreamy or maybe from the chief. He may need my help sewing on buttons.
S: I would prefer a cupcake from Burke.
B: Agreed. Or McVet.
M: DEFINITELY from Burke.
M: I would be SO much better for him than Sandra Ho. [ZIIIIING!] Or whatever her name is. McVet would make me allergic. But he is cute. And I would take his cupcake.
S: Mom! DIRTY!
B: But could someone send me a Mark Spitz style poster of Sloan in a towel? I could put it on the back of my bathroom door.
M: Sarah is too young for Mark Spitz, Becky.
S: Mark Spitz?
B: But she is not too young for the poster.
M: That is true. She'll have to look him up on the internet.
B: I just tried to look him up, but the poster did not pop up.
S: Becky, your taste in jewelry is impeccable, but I'm not sure about Mark Spitz.
B: Way too clever! I didn't say I wanted Mark Spitz, I said I wanted a poster of Sloan in a towel posed like Mark Spitz!
S: Ha ha. Oh, okay.

Lisa: a week in pictures

I had a hard week this week, but the best girlfriends in the world kept me busy and helped me through it.

Tuesday, I voted (here I am at my polling location)...

and then Sarah and Marci met me at Crown Burger before Nip/Tuck. Mallory couldn't join us because she was listening to Pete's concession speech.

Sarah was concentrating very hard on drafting our proposed changes to Crown Burger's wikipedia entry. I'll let you know when we post them BECAUSE IT WILL BE AWESOME.

Wednesday, Molly and I started watching Firefly.

Thursday, we ate at The Pie and Marci treated us to Pride and Prejudice at Pioneer Theater,

where I wore my new shoes...

and we were told we had no class by these fine denim-clad people.

Friday, we went to the Ben Lee concert at Saltair, where we heard Under the Influence of Giants,

Rooney (otherwise known as the band from The O.C. fronted by the guy from Princess Diaries),

and Ben himself, who was adorable and awesome and wearing a suit made of gold glitter.

I hope Sarah talks more about the concert, because (Mallory's hate of Rooney notwithstanding) it was really fun.

Saturday was wallow day. I met Sarah at her apartment with egg burritos and we watched music videos and assorted mindless MTV programming pretty much all day. Mallory and Marci joined us after dinner for Newsies. It probably goes without saying, but we sang along. Loudly.

Thanks so much, ladies, for being there when I needed you. You are fun and funny and smart and beautiful, and you make life bearable.

Sarah: Considering

Have any of you done a cleansing diet? If so, were you glad you did it? I'm thinking about trying one.

Lisa and I talked about taking a Book Arts class through the U some time. I'd really like to, I just wish they had more of a variety of offerings each semester.

I leave for a weekend in Seattle on Friday. I'd love suggestions for places to visit or activities to include. Thanks!

Lisa: share the wealth

Don't you think my little brother Dave (a.k.a. "Mr. Moneybags") should buy me a nano for my birthday so that I can play the running game with him? When I suggested as much to Dave, he merely scoffed. I guess he just doesn't love me 150 dollars worth.

When Sarah and I intimated that he could be our benefactor or patron, David pointed out that we would have to do something for the money. I think his exact words were, "What are you going to do? Blog?"

I think I need to get myself some hobbies.

Sarah: Haiku for Ryan

Park City TV
Featuring Neighbor Ryan
I saw him myself.

Lisa: I told you so.

So, remember when I was talking about how I thought there was a Ghostbusters cartoon with a gorilla, and how everybody thought I was insane?

WELL I WASN'T.

While I was looking for the answer to that mystery, I came upon this rather complete listing of cartoons from when I was a kid which not only made me sing the Thundercats song out loud but also serendipitously gave me the answer to another puzzle.

Now when I say, "Remember that cartoon with the animals with words on their shirts? And the words were like...what they were THINKING?" you'll know what I'm talking about. So, no more glazed looks, guys, ok? Guys? HELLO?????

Sarah: Awake is the New Sleep

I have now been awake for 27 hours. Why? Because I chose to clean my apartment in preparation for a trip instead of sleep. Mom, I blame your genetic contribution exclusively.

Lisa: I hate you so much right now

Advertisers must be wary of association with the scandal-fest that is Nip/Tuck, because FX seems to play the same two commercials over and over during the show. One (a set of trailers, actually) is for Dirt, starring Courtney Cox. The other causes me to involuntarily gouge out my eyes with the nearest sharp implement, shrieking ineffectually at the TV screen, "A SHRUG IS NOT A SHIRT!!!!!!!!"

It is hard to watch Nip/Tuck with no eyes. FX, have mercy!

Sarah: Vacation Haiku

Cupcake Royale, Bond,
Bodies, Galoshes, Whole Foods
Seattle was fun

Sarah: To My Favorite Sister

Today is Lisa's birthday.
Lisa, I love you. You are a great example to me, and I love being your friend. I'm so glad you were born.
Love, Sarah

Lisa: The Family Dean

Seems a bit incestuous, doesn't it?

Sarah: No More Rhyming, Now I Mean It

My creative writing class has entered the portion of the class focusing on poetry. This is a problem. Although I normally enjoy writing, I will never be a poet. Sure, I've written a silly haiku or two on this site, but as for actual, serious poetry? Forget about it.
In the fourth grade, I set out to enter my school's contest in which, given a theme, students could submit a poem, drawing, song, or photo. My mom encouraged me to enter the competition, and, because it seemed easy, I chose to write a poem. The theme was "If I Could Give the World a Gift." I disappeared into my bedroom for an hour, working feverishly to craft the perfect, award-winning poem. After only two lines, my mind was a blank. Grasping my paper in my hands, I walked upstairs to seek guidance from my mom. I read the lines aloud:
If I Could Give the World a Gift,
I'd make it so we didn't biff.

And there, amidst my mother's laughs, ended my future as a poetess.

Lisa: go on and teas me

I think non-tea-drinkers who are considering becoming tea-drinkers need a guide to help them through the process. I know I could have benefited from such a guide.

Why you want to drink tea:

Why you don't want to drink tea:

What you can do:

Sarah: Another shorty

I'm going to do some nice long posts this weekend, but Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Lisa: two hearts that beat as one

Since Sarah and I are pretty much the same person, we've been sending each other text messages as mental notes to ourselves. Here's what we wanted to remember tonight:

Sarah: Seattle

I haven't pulled pictures off of my camera for several weeks, and it shows. I broke that trend today in order to present my seriously lacking photographic evidence of my trip to Seattle.

My mom and I flew out to Seattle:

Yes, remarks about how much more pale I am have been made. I obviously have my dad's genes (note: eyebrows, fair skin, blue eyes, etc. etc.), but I am not even sure I was within 100 feet of my mother's womb. Oh wait.

Possibly because I had skipped sleep altogether the night before, I restlessly took pictures.

My mom is cute, her glasses are Prada, and I think that's Mt. Ranier in the last photo. I also slept on the plane. Actually, I slept a lot on my trip. I'm pretty sure that my mom and my aunt were bigger party animals than myself. Oh well.

Stuff we did:

So it was a fairly full three days. And what do I have to show for it? These two pictures of the space needle, taken from inside Becky's car:

pictures of my mom trying on Becky's leather pants:

a picture of Becky (she's much more glamorous than this picture would lead you to believe. And very pretty. I am mostly posting this photo to show that my mother is always ready for her photo-op.):

and a picture from our flight back to Salt Lake.

So I failed on the taking-picture front, but at least we had fun, right?

Lisa: you can take my breath away

Real men sing karaoke.

...And apparently wear very shiny suits. Rawr.

(Thanks, More Than That!)

Lisa: Tales of Eternia

Sometimes when I get in bed feeling a little stressed, I ask Blake to tell me a story to take my mind off things. Here's what happened last night:

Lisa: Tell me a story.
Blake: Okay. (Thinks for a minute.) Once upon a time, in a magical land, there was a boy who was a prince. And he had a cat.
Lisa: A pet cat?
Blake: Yes. And it was a scaredy-cat.
Lisa: Hee. This sounds like a good story. What was the cat's name?
Blake: Cringer.
Lisa: That's a good name for a cat! What was the boy's name?
Blake: (Pause.) Adam. And Adam had lots of fr--
Lisa: Wait! Did Prince Adam have a friend who had no legs but wore a dress and a hat and could fly?
Blake: HAHAHAHA! YES! HOW DID YOU KNOW?!?! (More uncontrollable laughter.)
Lisa: (Punching Blake in the arm) You tricked me! You tried to tell me the story of He-Man!
Blake: (Laughing) I thought you'd figure it out by the time I got to Castle Grayskull!

Then we told each other the stories of several cartoons, discussed the irritating Snarf/Thundercats and Pluto/Goofy dichotomy at length, and I tried to explain the plot of the Smurfs movie with the magic flute (which I was very fuzzy on) and how it was disturbingly different from the TV cartoon.

Thanks, Blake! It might have been He-Man, but your story did the trick.

Sarah: Baby, You Can Drive My Car

While emptying the memory of my digital camera, I came across several pictures of my friends in cars, but I have no idea when they were taken. I thought, though, since my friends are extremely attractive and make up a substantial portion of our readership, I could post the pictures anyway, regardless of context.

Last week I gave thanks for friends that were so lovely, inside and out.

Lisa in the rear-view mirror, and there's another Scion in the car in front of us!

Mallory looks smolderingly hot. Marci is adorable. Lisa looks awesome, and can do that while driving safely.

Lisa: Wanna read? (If you could hear my voice, you'd know that was a Willow reference.)

If you're looking for some fun, easy reading for the holidays and you're interested in helping out a glamorous but approachable librarian (that'd be me), I'd love it if you'd consider reading one of these kids' chapter books and letting me know what you think!

Grimoire: the curse of the Midions, by Brad Strickland
Moose's Big Idea, by Stephanie Greene
Shamer's Daughter, by Lene Kaaberbol
The Fairies of Nutfolk Wood, by Barb Bentler Ullman
Ugly, by Donna Jo Napoli
Wabi: a hero's tale, by Joseph Bruchac

They're all possible nominees for the Beehive Award for children's fiction. Here's the official review form (it's a Word document), but just leaving your rating and a short comment in the comments area here would be great.

ETA: Who am I kidding? It would be MORE THAN GREAT! Feel free to leave a request for your reward of choice in the comments area too.

Lisa: make like a tree and leaf

I finally finished the Branching Out scarf I started last May, and I wore it for the first time today! I actually finished knitting it quite a while ago, but I lost motivation before weaving in all the ends. Here's to finishing a project! And here's the finished product:

The color is much closer to the picture with the flash, but the picture without the flash shows the detail much better, so I included that too. It really wasn't that complicated to do the lace pattern once I got the hang of it. Next up, blocking the Ribby Cardi!

Sarah: Weird

Random quote of the day: "I ate a twinkie and fell asleep."