One Milestone, Two Awards, and...Freedom!!!

Milestone: This is my 60th Post! WooHoo!!!
Okay, celebration over. Moving on...
My good Blogging Friend, Chanel, has been very generous with the awards lately. I've received TWO of them from her in the last week! I'm not really sure how to handle such wealth, but I'll try my best.

First, I was awarded the "Cherry on Top Award". Apparently it's "For Beautiful Blogs with a little bit extra."



To be honest, I'm honored. Yes, you heard that right. Thanks Chanel (and your randomizer). :)

So, as is the typical case with these blogging awards, there are rules attached.

1) Link back to the person who gave you the award. (Done.)
2) List three things you like about yourself. (What, only three?)
3) Pass the award on to 5 other bloggers. (Okay, I can deal with that.)

So, let's start with three things I like about myself. Hmmmm...this may take awhile...

1) I like that I am musically inclined. I love to listen to music, sing, and play the guitar and piano. My guitar and piano playing are not exactly what a person could call "great", but I do have a pretty good voice, if I say so myself. Sadly, my voice has weakened quite a bit since I stopped taking voice lessons, but it still has its moments of musical glory.

2) I like that I am a gifted speller. Seriously, I'm good. I grew up being the family spellchecker because no one wanted to pull out a dictionary. Even with Microsoft Word and all of the automatic spellchecking out there, I was always the go-to speller in the house. It has actually continued into my marriage as well. When Ty is writing a paper or an e-mail or something, he will ask me to help him with spelling. It's actually gotten to the point where all he has to do is call out a word, and I will automatically spell it for him. (Yep. Classical conditioning at its best. Pavlov and his dogs would be SO proud.) Yeah, I actually love being the speller of the family. It gives me purpose. :)

3) I like that I can watch and thoroughly enjoy cartoons with my son. It's fun, and who says you have to stop loving cartoons after a certain age, anyway? (PS: Phineas and Ferb totally rock out loud. The End.)
Alright, time to pass this on to 5 more lucky people. I think I'm going to take a page out of Chanel's book and use the randomizer. I'm using the first 5 names on the randomized list. Anyway...here goes...

The Cupcake goes to (In alphabetical order)...
Chanel
Charlie
Doug
George
Mynx
Congratulations everyone! Now don't go dropping that cupcake and getting frosting all over yourselves! If you didn't get a cupcake this round, don't be sad. Blame the randomizer.
_____________________________________________
Oh, and speaking of randomness, according to a band-name generator that I found, the following could be the name of our band (should we ever choose to start one):

Many Of The Sniffing

Low Demi

Gourmet Barn

Soulful Apple

Roman Challenge

Sponge Gin

Mammoth Jug

Intelligent Spleen

Illicit Britney

Defending Treason

Yep. I think they could work nicely, don't you?
__________________________________________
Alright, moving on...

Chanel has also chosen to personally honor me with The Overlord(ess) Award! Woot!AWESOME! I definitely need to put some thought into this one...



Okay, rules to be followed:
1) List three things you would change if you were Overlord(ess).
2) List ten blogs worthy of world domination. (I will be cheating on this one...)

3) Contact them about their award. (I may skip this step. Sorry, I just figure that the people who REALLY deserve the award will be reading this post anyway. Am I right?)
Anyway, now it is time for me to reveal three (of the many) things that I would change when I become Overlordess Candice, Ruler of the Universe. BwaHaHaHa!!!

1) All bigots, racists, and haters of every kind will be gathered up and shipped off (in tiny cages) to a place that I like to call "Haters' Island". It's a desert island in the middle of the deepest, darkest, most shark-infested ocean in the world.

In this secluded place, these people will be allowed to hate as much as they want. But if they try to leave, armed guards will chum the water, calling all hungry sharks to the area. Yeah, they won't get far.
Also, the Haters will be required to have mandatory vasectomies/tube-tying and leave their young children behind to be taught in the ways of tolerance and acceptance. The dark, ugly pattern of hate that has existed for far too long in this world will die with the jerks on the island, never to be perpetuated again.

2) All drunk drivers--after their first offense**--will be sentenced to a life of being driven everywhere they go by their moms in the geekiest minivans to be found. This minivan will be emblazoned with bright red letters proclaiming:
"Convicted Drunk Driver Being Driven Around By His/Her Mom. Everyone Point and Laugh." (The pointing and laughing will be vital to the sentence. Humiliation always makes a punishment more effective.)
In addition to the minivan, these people will be forced to take regular doses of Antabuse. This is an actual drug that will make the person violently ill anytime they come into contact with any kind of alcohol.
**(People can drink in my Universe--that's their business and I'm a reasonable Overlordess. They just need to take a taxi home at the end of the night.)**
3) Finally, as Supreme Overlordess, I would outlaw calories. Yes, you read that right. The richest, most exquisite desserts will no longer be off-limits. No one will be able to gain any extra weight, thus eliminating any guilt that might accompany the enjoyment of their favorite comfort foods. You're welcome, Ladies.

Now, to pass this on to 10 (cough, cough) other bloggers...You know what? I'm kind of on a power trip right now. I'm passing this on to 5 other bloggers. The bloggers that I believe will be the most excellent of Overlords/Overlordesses. Here they are, in no particular order:
Chanel: She has already proven herself to be worthy of the title of Overlordess. I would like to see what else she would change in a world controlled by Chanel. (Besides, if she becomes Overlordess, I'll be her second in command. It's a win-win for me.)
Mynx: I am immensely curious to see how she would use the awesome power that would be placed into her oh-so capable hands as Overlordess of the Universe.
Bryan: Because he SEEMS like such an kind, innocent sort of person. It's always the quiet ones that manage to be the most power-hungry and ambitious Overlords!

The Empress: Oh come on! It's a GIVEN!!! She's THE EMPRESS!!! Besides, I'd REALLY like to know what she plans to do with limitless power...

Doug: When he's President, I'll be his Vice President. So when he goes on to being the High Overlord of the Universe, it only makes sense that he'll bring me along, right? RIGHT?!?!?

Oh, alright. One more:

Elizabeth: Because she's awesome. And a fantastic writer. I'd LOVE to read the novels she'd write from the perspective of Supreme Overlordess Elizabeth. The sales for those books would outstrip the entire Twilight series in a week! (That's a brilliant idea. You owe me for that one, Elizabeth!) ;)

Okay, now that I've discharged my Awarding duties, I will now take a moment to give you all an update regarding what's going on in my life right now:

SPRING SEMESTER IS OFFICIALLY OVER AND I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SCHOOL AGAIN UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!! CEEEELLLL-E-BRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON!!!

Okay, I'm done now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone. :)

Pictures from Thursday and a Few Random Shots...

Alright, here they are. The final pictures from our final day in New York. I also included a few random pictures that I haven't previously posted here.
Also, I won't be around too much over the next couple of weeks. We've entered the final days of Spring Semester 2011 and I will be frantically studying for final exams and writing final papers. I'll be back with bells on when it's all over, though. Wish me luck!
Anyway, enjoy the photos!
Here are some shots that Ty was brave enough to take during the parade. We figured that since we'd fought our way through that crowd, we should at least take a few pictures.





Holy Crap! I can't believe I forgot to mention these guys! There was this dance group performing in Times Square on St. Paddy's Day. We ran across them on our way to dinner:



And here's another video of those same dancers:



Pictures from St. Andrew's Pub. I really did love that place. We had the perfect table, right by the upstairs front window. I was able to lean out and take a picture of the sign...



...Before turning my camera on Ty. BwaHaHaHa!!!



Times Square also has some amazing kid's stores. Here are some pictures we took at Toys R Us for our son.

Why yes, yes that IS a nearly life-sized Buzz Lightyear built entirely out of Legos.



And indeed you are quite right that that IS an enormous animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex, complete with realistic movements and roaring.



Here's a pretty famous intersection. Yep. 42nd Street and Broadway. Again, Ty was the fabulous photographer for this one. (It's currently serving as the homepage wallpaper for my laptop.)



"The Importance of Being Earnest". Seriously, it's hilarious. Everyone should see it at some point in their lives.



My final visit to Roxy's. I took several pictures from our upstairs table, we had a wonderful bird's eye view of the place.





Oh, and in case you're wondering...that's the Oreo cheesecake. It was life-changing. (The dessert featured in the background is Ty's carrot cake. He said it was fantastic, too.)



Finally, a picture of Ty and me standing in an upstairs corner window of the Times Square Aeropostale store. We got to have our picture taken with Times Square as our backdrop!



And there you have it.

I hope you will all remember that very few of my future posts will be THIS chock-full of pictures and videos. Just think of it as a parting gift from me for the next couple of weeks while I finish up Spring semester.

I'll be back! (That's not a threat, it's a PROMISE!)

Day 4...

Day 4 in New York: Thursday. Saint Patrick's Day.

Ty and I didn't have anything in particular planned for Thursday morning. We slept in a bit, because all the walking and sight-seeing was starting to catch up with us. (At least it was catching up with ME!)

However, once we'd gotten ready for the day, we still had plenty of time to catch the famous St. Patrick's Day Parade on 5th Avenue. We dressed up in our green t-shirts and set out.

A quick note for anyone that might be considering a trip to New York:

IF YOU DON'T LIKE CROWDS, AVOID 5TH AVENUE ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY AT ALL COSTS!!!

It was a complete MADHOUSE!!! It took us 45 minutes to push our way through a single block of that ridiculous crowd. This crowd seemed to be mostly made up of teenagers. Not just any teenagers, DRUNKEN teenagers. It was freaking 11 AM and more than half of them were drunk off their rockers. It was insane.

Okay, rant over. If you couldn't tell, I am one of those crowd-hating people to whom the above warning would have applied. I know it seems like common sense, but I seriously thought the crowd would have been more manageable than that.

I was wrong. It's not manageable at all. If you don't like massive, shoving, drunken, obnoxious crowds, just STAY AWAY and watch the parade on TV.

Anyway...the rest of the afternoon was mostly made up of us exploring a few places that we hadn't gotten to yet. Ty wanted to look through some antique shops. They were interesting, but we didn't end up buying anything.

We had dinner reservations again that night. We went to a Scottish pub called St. Andrew's. I'd never been to a pub before, but let me just say this: If they're all like St. Andrews, I'd be there a heartbeat. The atmosphere was exactly opposite from that of The Lamb's Club, but it was a LOT of fun. I'd go back tomorrow if I could. (Who am I kidding? I'd go back to New York tomorrow if I could, let alone St. Andrew's!)

The food was amazing, and we had an exquisite view of the bar across the street, where drunken girls were leaning over the railings of the balcony and throwing their St. Paddy's day beads to equally drunken men on the street. Good times. Goooood times.

Anyhoo, after dinner we had some time to kill before our show started, so what else do you do in Times Square when you have time to kill? Go souvenir shopping, of course!

Side Note: As we walked around Times Square, we were passed by a couple. The clearly inebriated man was basically carrying his positively SMASHED girlfriend down the street to...wherever they were going. I've never seen anyone as drunk as this girl was. She must have been at it since 7:00 that morning.

Anyway, moving on...We picked up a few last minute items and dropped them off at the hotel before heading over to 42nd Street--Yes, THAT 42nd Street--to see Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest."

The show was a lot of fun, and when it was over, we took one last walk around. At my insistence, we also made a final stop at Roxy's Delicatessen for a farewell slice of their heavenly cheesecake. Aaahhh...Roxy's. You shall forever hold a dear place in my heart...

After Roxy's, it was close to midnight, but we just HAD to stop at the amazing little place called The Colony. (We'd hit this store a few times during our time in New York as it was quite close to our hotel, but this time I actually bought something!)

Hang on...for those of you who don't know what The Colony is, here's a basic overview:

The colony is a music store. It's filled with row upon row upon row upon row of sheet music from every band, singer, broadway show, movie and anything else you can possibly think of. My jaw just about dropped to the floor the first time I walked through that place. It's extraordinary.

"But Candice," you may wonder, "what did you actually choose to buy out of this incredible selection of sheet music?"

To that I say: Duh! Of course I got 'The Best of the Beatles!' This book is about 2 inches thick and chock FULL of their best songs ready for guitar AND piano! It's a beautiful thing!

After Ty finally managed to drag me out of The Colony, we went back to the hotel.

We finished packing (thankfully, most of it had been done that afternoon before dinner) and went to bed, setting our alarms to wake us up in time to catch the shuttle to the airport the next morning...

My Epiphany...

Many of my readers know that Ty and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary in New York last month. (Geez, it seems like FOREVER ago, doesn't it?)Anyway, while sitting on the airplane that would take us to the airport in Detroit, where we would board a plane back to Salt Lake City, I had a moment of clarity. It led to an epiphany that I simply HAVE to share with all of you.
Airlines operate on a system eerily similar to that of a preschool.

Now, before you just write me off as being completely and unequivocally off my rocker, hear me out! I've compiled a list of things that struck me as I squirmed with boredom and restlessness on that airplane.
1: Boarding Row By Row. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. "Delta Flight #### would like to welcome on board our first class passengers..." And then, about 20 minutes later: "Delta Flight #### would now like to welcome on board our passengers in Zone 79, Zone 79. Thank you!"
Doesn't this remind you of lining up, single file, waiting to go to recess or to go home at the end of the day? You know, the teacher would call out: "Alright, everyone who is wearing a red shirt, come and line up at the door..." Eventually, everyone's shirt color had been called, and then we'd all go out the door single file. Good times, right?
2: Assigned Seating. Everyone on an airplane has their own assigned seat. That seat number defines you in the hierarchy of the airplane. There are the First Class people, sitting in their extra large seats with all that extra leg room. They're the ones that pointedly look at anyone and anything other than the filthy Coach passengers that walk past them on the way to their seats in the back, behind the Curtain of Shame. This assigned seating arrangement is extremely important in the world of the airplane. Let's face it, if they just let everyone pick their own seats, chaos would surely ensue. "Bludgeoned to death by crazed fellow airplane passenger while arguing over the window seat" would go WAY up on the list of bizarre accidental deaths across the entire world.

Assigned seats are vital to maintaining order in a classroom as well. There are those kids that get to sit right up front, by the teacher, getting all the attention. And there there are those that sit more towards the middle, content to be ignored. Then there are those kids who sit at the very back of the room and make as much trouble as they can. That's why the teacher sees fit to rotate these seats, assigning and reassigning them every month or so. Can you imagine if those preschoolers were left to their own devices while finding their seats? Kids would be coming home EVERY DAY with bloody noses, broken/dismembered limbs, and prematurely missing teeth. Assigned seating may not always seem to be fair to everyone, but it is all that separates us from the animals!

3: Forbidden Toys. There are certain devices that are not allowed to be used on an airplane. Guns of all kinds, bombs, and the most dangerous devices of all: Cell Phones. And then there are those items that you CAN use on the airplane, but only when you're already up in the air. Laptops, MP3's/iPods, and portable DVD players. You get yelled at if you're caught operating ANYTHING electronic once the pilot and flight attendants have told you to turn them off. If you turn them on before you've been given the OK, more yelling ensues.

In a preschool, kids are not allowed to bring toys from home at all, except on show and tell days, and even then their choices are limited. No guns, no toys that are too big to fit into their backpacks, and bombs aren't allowed there either. Coincidence? I think NOT!

4: Snack Time. Once the passengers have settled in and the pilot and his minions--er, I mean, Flight Attendants--have allowed them to start playing with their "Approved Electronic Devices" again, they start bringing around drinks and snacks for everyone. It's usually just sodas and pretzels or something similar to that, but it keeps the passengers happy.

It's pretty important to keep young kids fed. Without some sort of snack time in the middle of the day, they start to get pretty crabby and difficult to deal with, (much like airplane passengers...)

There are several more things I noticed during my epiphany, but they will not be listed in this post. Mainly because I've run out of mental steam. Therefore, I hereby issue a challenge to my readers:

In the comment section, (or in a post on your own blog, if you're so bold), finish my list for me. See what similarities between airlines and preschool you can find!

If you write your own post, be sure and leave me a comment about it so I can come over to your blog and read your ideas. Just be sure there are plenty of cookies and milk at your place when I get there.

Good luck, everyone! :)

Pictures from Day 3...

I didn't include pictures for my last post because it's a pain in the tushie. However...I do want all of you to see what I saw, so I'm doing a whole separate post JUST for pictures from Wednesday. You're welcome. :)

Here's a picture that I sneakily took of the guy at "Hello Deli". I was too chicken to actually ASK him for a picture. So I went all Paparrazi on him:



This is a picture of the Manhattan Temple. You may be able to see why we walked right past it at first. It blends right into the surrounding scenery:



Ty and me in our seats for "Phantom of the Opera". Nice close-up, eh?



Picture of the infamous "Phantom" chandelier (Sorry about the crappy picture quality. Somehow the lighting didn't work out too well for pictures.)



Picture of Ty and me outside the Majestic Theater. Yep. We look awesome. :)



Pictures taken outside the Dakota. See? I told you it was beautiful.







Pictures taken of Strawberry Fields:





Ty and me at the Italian restaurant/Mob base:



You all know how much I love to collect funny signs, right? Well, these two awnings outside of certain businesses aren't funny by themselves, but combine them and you've got a mixture that made me laugh for a good 5 or 10 minutes:



And finally...pictures from the Comic Strip. That place really was awesome. A lot of funny comics. Only the last guy sucked. (We actually sneaked out early, he was that bad.)





And there you have the photographic highlights of Day 4 in New York. Ty showed me a MUCH easier way to post pictures, so hopefully I won't have to do this again.

Unless you liked it this way better. If so, just let me know and I'll do it again. I'm nothing if not flexible.

Until next time...