February WILL BE AWESOME! because

*Shannon Hale's newest book comes out.. well.. it comes out 1/31, BUT I will be reading it into Feb, so it counts. 

*TCC is doing a show on 2/10! 

Again? 

Yea.. so? Shut up. 

*Anthony Raneri (lead singer of Bayside) is doing a show on 2/11. 

Umm... and he's kind of pretty awesome. 

Disregarding the fact that Derek said he'd break my legs if I didn't go. 

(It's a good thing that this and TCC didn't run the same night. I'd cry) 

 *BIRTHDAYS! Not only is it MY birthday, (because i'm slightly in denial about that..) but a WHOLE SLEW of friends and fam w/ b-days! Yes! Absolutely it's time to celebrate!! 

By making this Pie-Caken thing Kj posted about. Umm. Yes. It's intriguing isn't it? Pictures will follow. 

Fun! is coming out with their newest album "Some Nights." 

I've been waiting for more Fun. for ages. 

My dear friend Jodi found out my birthday was coming up and suggested I come to the Inn for dinner.. Where her husband is the chef.. 

Where he makes 9 courses and 3 hours the most magical in your LIFE.
So mix the food, the location, and some of the best company!
(book talk all around..) 
Maaagic!

So add on TOP of that, that I'm now IN Seattle which means..
I can see my aunt and cousin WHENEVER! 
My cousin, who is such an awesome cook/baker let's me come over for dinner and take home loads of delicious cookies. 
I wander UW campus pretty much whenever I want and admire the stellar architecture of the city.. 
There are parks up the wazoo that have the most stunning views.. 


Magic, I tell you.. Ma-gic. 

it's another late night.. i think i'm possessed

i don't know what my deal is but i've got some random thoughts.. i was reading a post by matt macdonald  and there was a bit about fame and the drug that comes with it. i've never wanted to be in the spotlight. hated it actually. i've been in so many recitals, given talks or lessons at church, or speeches in class. oh, i hated the attention. i hated knowing that all eyes were focused on me. i'd like to say that i've gotten over this a bit over the years, but only a little.. i've had the "don't hide your light under a bushel" idea told to me so many times it's on constant repeat. and with that dislike, i've never been one for fame, fortune, or certainly not any type of spotlight.

my career choice is a simple one, one that i would love to do. (in case your really not aware- i want to be a librarian.. elementary/middle school library) the benefit of it is that it's a combination of my love of books and my love of kids/people. it saddens me greatly when i talk to someone who hates to read, and i think it's because of the books that were forced upon them. /this is good.. this is considered great.. consume or die trying.\

i have a good friend that i worked with at the inn who told me on many occasions that she just didn't like reading, or was very particular about the books she would read.. not particularly the books, but hardback vs paper, and the type of paper used in said book. it's very humorous to consider now thinking back on it. she ended up with one of my books totally by accident, a funny snarky YA book about girls in spy school. (i'd tell you i love you, but then i'd have to kill you by ally carter) umm.. she texted me one day to tell me she had started it and was actually enjoying it. umm whaaa? awesome! i tried not to get TOO excited.. didn't want to spook her.

i've spent hours talking to people about books/movies/etc. i've spent hours reading random varieties and my favorites over and over again. i can't seem to get enough. so, obviously this isn't something that will get me any kind of recognition.. that's never been the goal.

i'm not even sure what i'm rambling about at this point. i need to go to bed. i've got church at 9 am.

but here's a random thought from me to you..

i was wandering around the other day and realized as i was passing the graveyard near my house that.. lo and behold there's a song for this moment.. suddenly i wanted to have a lyrical conversation with someone.

goal: to write a whole letter using only lyrics from a huge variety of songs and have it make sense, and then have someone pick out all the songs. christine, this will probably go to you.. cause that's what i do.

random thought:
my sister and i are total dorks.. i realize that there's big backstory about things we find hilarious, but when it's put simply it doesn't seem like THAT big of a deal.. it is. and i laugh.. we laugh a lot.

last random thought:
i love my siblings. luf. i have particular moments where they rally around me in best amount of support and love, mixed with seinfeld quotes and oozing sarcasm... we are complete, we're hilarious... when we are a collective whole, it's the best of times.

i miss them. 

Nearly 2 AM...

And for some reason, I'm up...
Odd, yes. BUT I totally got lost in my need to work on this thing for the Writers Conference.

what are you talking about, amanda? 

Well let me tell ya. 

The head of the Whidbey Island Writers Conference this year asked me if I wanted to volunteer to help out with the conference. Now, she says help out.. I think set up chairs... direct and lead to various classes.

This is not the case. We're having agents/editors coming for people to sign up to pitch there ideas or have an actual agent/editor take a look at their manuscript and see what they think. Now what exactly does this have to do with me? Well, I'm in charge of scheduling the contestants for The Price is Right.. ha.
OR arranging for when people get to have their chance with the agents/editors. It makes me feel pretty important.

So at 1:48 in the morning, I'm arranging and rearranging... and trying to figure out excel enough to work this out... Because in Amanda-land... I'd just do this all on PAPER! But that wouldn't look at ALL professional now, would it. NO!

But that doesn't matter, really.. Do you know what DOES matter?? Is that some of these people are over YA/Childrens Lit. A few are former librarians. These are book people. Writing people.. aka MY people.. in the future.. I'm so stoked about the opportunity to be apart of this and to meet these people. It should be a great opportunity.

----

In other news.. We've had crazy snow here. Half the world has shut down on account of it. I've already missed 3 days of work. (because work shut down due to snow) It's ridiculous. And for whatever reason.. I want a cupcake. Not to mention that I can't go anywhere. I live on a hill, said hill is covered in ice.. Amanda (Arizona Driver)+ snowy/icy roads= BAD PLAN! So I opt to not do it.

(good choice, amanda.. if all else fails, drive slow.) 

yea yea yea. i know.. 

But now it's late and we must go to bed. 

SNOW DAY!

So I was all proactive about running errands this morning, got up early for work.. 

yadda yadda.. 

I get a phone call (at this point i'm already in everett to go to work) 

oh work is canceled due to snow.. 

*merh?*

It was snowing like CRAZY in Everett today.. And after I received said phone call, I thought, hey.. I have the whole day.. How about I go see Ivy- since I'm already here..

It was great... BUT may have been a poor choice because when I did leave, I barely made it out of there. Stupid snow. Stupid stupid snow.. 

Although, the thought came to mind.. 

While I'm glad that I went to BYUI for my education and all the stellar people I met.. 

I'm also grateful for REXBURG.. To which, in my head.. Nothing could be worst than. 

I can survive___ because I got through Winters in Rexburg. 

Is it as cold as Rexburg? I'll be fine. 

That all rang true for me today. 

And thank goodness I'm in Seattle.. I got there- it's practically BALMY in comparison to the snow in Everett. 

Another note-- Finished Sherlock today... 

Shoot, dang.. it was amazing. 

My heart my have swooned a bit. 

Aaaaand SCENE! 

Top Dudes: Guitar Edition and Other Nonsense

I made a Top Dudes: Don't You Test These Besties, playlist a year or so ago, and I've come back with another kind- the ones that I like enough the start plucking away on my guitar.

Winter: Bayside
What I Wouldn't Do: A Fine Frenzy
Grey or Blue: Jaymay
You Don't See Me: Josie and the Pussycats ;)
On Love, on Life: Bayside
Honestly: Bethany Joy
I Don't Know: Lisa Hannigan
The Weight: Thrice
The Tide: Spill Canvas
Someone to Fall Back On: (ahhhh?? From Bandslam- pahha)

All in all, I'm a total sap. FYI

Would live to learn if I could actually figure out tabs/my own sucky rhythm
Graveyard Near the House: Airborne Toxic Event
Different Now: The Classic Crime
Winter Song: Sara B/Ingrid M
Broken Mess: The Classic Crime

Headlights: The Classic Crime

In other news: 

My grad school application is due.. oh tomorrow. (tomorrow as in TUESDAY!) AHHHH! Haha. Just kidding. Everythings fine, I'm fine, we're all FINE! I'm so excited to get this in and done. I've had a good dozen people (probably) look at my essay.. Different people point out different things. It's interesting to see what people notice. I think it will go better this time around. 

Next will be a more intense job search, cause I don't know when the phone call is going to come for this temp job to end. It's been an interesting ride, ended up with some great experiences... But I still wait for that ball to drop.

Do you know what also comes tomorrow!? Oh.. the rest of the EP for Matt & Kristie's "Vocal Few." It will make for a very satisfying Tuesday.  

OH! AND! Pahhaaa. Midnight in Austenland: by Shannon Hale comes out the end of this month. 

And Fun. for next.. 

And Anthony Raneri of Bayside is coming to Seattle in a "Where's the Band" Tour.. Guess who will probably go..? 

Really? 

No guesses.. 

Pathetic...

Note to you: 

THIS is a great show.. 

And this one... 

In other news, we had a really great lesson on humility/gratitude today in Relief Society. I was thinking about the people in my life that have had such an influence on me and that are the best examples of this. Throughout this lesson, however, I realized that I have more pride issues than I care to admit. I'd like to think they aren't terrible, but I have my moments. Makes me want to smack myself upside the head. There was a big part of the lesson about being satisfied with what you have and appreciating it. Sometimes enough is just.. enough. And I keep thinking about the things that I'm not satisfied with. The wanting more when I need to appreciate the things I have. And I don't mean just temporal stuff. 

Pondering of a delusional mind. 

Gosh I'm tired and I hurt. Stupid air mattress. No. I'm grateful I'm not sleeping on the floor. Or in my car.. Blast. 

Note: This amuses me: and THIS

Another note: This is The Long Room at Trinity College in Dublin. I saw this once. I walked in and saw these books and stopped in the middle of the walkway. I'm pretty sure the words, "Holy books, Batman," came out of my mouth. I only mention this because I mentioned something about this glorious room in my application.. and I wish I could plaster a picture in there to show them what I'm talking about.. Because, shoot. Who wouldn't have that reaction? (Only me? Really..) 

I'm going to sit here for a minute, sip my chocolate mint tea and ponder life and the universe before sleep. Maybe something good will come to me. I'll let you know. 

Resolutions

Someone asked me last night what my New Years resolutions were. Thinking on it, I don't think I have made them in a couple years. They change, they get dropped by the wayside ever so quickly. 

But I was realized as I was going to sleep last night, that from 2011, 

not that these were resolutions, more of an aspiration, a goal.. 

There were two things I desperately wanted, 

two goals I was determined to get..

Realizing that I have posted this picture before, but I just wanted to emphasize that I did it. 

I am going to revel in that fact, just for a moment. 

Goal 2012:

Although with this, I've got a whole admissions board to contend with.. 

My 2011 goals seemed to be more... based on me.