Just asking...

Can anyone place Sarah Palin's accent? It's some amalgamation I've never heard before. It sounds like a mosquito buzzing in your ear as someone runs their fingernails down a chalkboard. I want to poke my ears out with fondue forks every time she opens her mouth.

Now then...

Ok, so today's post is gonna be a bunch of random stuff again. I have a feeling this is going to start becoming a trend on here, so heads up.

First, I'm a little late on this, but this stupid LHC thing... Seriously? Let's not make shit that has any possibility whatsoever to produce even a smidgen of a freaking black hole. So not worth it.

Next: WOO! I won my fantasy football league last week! Hell yes! Also, for an update, my team name is Sharp Cheddar. (i.e. a smart cheesehead, but also a type of cheese!) Yeah, I'm clever like that. Haha.

Yesterday was slow at work, again. Because of this, I stumbled upon a bunch of Mad Men stuff. Here are a few gratuitous shots of the really freaking hot Jon Hamm (Don Draper).

1: I don't know why he's on a motorcycle, but to the photographer: Thank you.
2. The reason why I'm desperately searching for somplace that'll rent gray suits for our wedding.
3. I don't remember where I found these. Sorry.

Enjoy.

I also randomly came across Rich Sommer's (Harry Crane's) blog. Add him to my list of celebrity (and fictional character) crushes.Image here.

Cute!

Also, lastly (since my lunch hour is coming to a close), my new dentist is a rockstar. He filled two cavities & fixed my chipped (hillbilly-looking) tooth in about an hour, with no pain or discomfort or even nitrous. Dude rocks the house.

More to come later. Must get back to work now.

First of all...

Image here.

In remembrance...

Random

Ok, ok... so I know I promised posts this weekend and failed to deliver.

But, J had the weekend off (which is a miracle) and I had to take advantage of our only two whole days together until probably Thanksgiving. It was a freaking awesome weekend filled with puppy parks (pics later), sunburns (at 9am--recall, surface of the sun), swimming, sushi (wow, lots of alliteration here), and vegging out around the apartment. Truth be told it was just great to be able to spend entire days together (his days off are Wed/Thurs, so on weekends he doesn't get home til 3pm).

At any rate, I have a lot of random thoughts, observations, questions, etc. today that I thought I'd share:

Wyatt has been a completely different dog since taking him to the puppy park Sat. morning. He's been calm, obedient, loving and not once did he do sprints around our coffee table. This means much more regular visits to the park from now on (despite the blazing heat and morning sunburns).

Does anyone else get choked up watching the Johnson & Johnson ad w/ Michael Phelps' mom?

We started looking at timeshares in Cabo last night for our honeymoon! (J's rents have a week of timeshare that they're letting us use). I'm SO excited. What I wouldn't give to be sipping a margarita on the beach right now...

I'm so bored at work right now I might just lose my mind! Hopefully soon I'll start getting some actual projects rather than a bunch of mindless busywork. I know I'm at the very bottom of the food chain, and really, I am happy to get shit done and do it right and wade through it as a right of passage... but damn am I bored.

Does it have to be 32 degrees inside when it's 105 outside? I think not. A mild 80 would do, so I'm not shivering and losing feeling in my fingers...

I love Mad Men. Like a lot. Before doing anything today, ask What Would Don Draper Do?

That said, I cannot WAIT til the fall TV season starts! (fyi, Gossip Girl premieres already a week from today!)

Check out this new ad celebrating Lego "Miniman's" 30th birthday. Awesome.

I really don't wanna go work out tonight, but I'm forcing myself. I've fallen off the workout wagon these past few weeks, and it's about time to get back on. Even if it does mean forfitting my entire night.

I can't think of a good team name for my fantasy football team. Any help is appreciated. I want something to demonstrate my knowledge of football but also have subtle WI undertones... Also it has to be fierce, cause I'm gonna kick some FF ass in the office "B" league!

Anyway, that's about it for now. More to come later. Adios.

Remember me?

Does anyone know how to embed youtube videos on here?

Also, I suck at consistent blogging. I promise to try harder... I'll have a few big posts this weekend. Stay tuned.

And again...

Have you ever wanted to be someplace else so badly that it hurt? I'm talking like physically hurts your heart yearning...

I wish I was here.

Sorry, I promise not every blog entry is going to be about me wanting to move back north. It's just that people were talking on the way back from lunch about how great Mpls is. I agree with them. Now I only have to wait ___ more years to experience it again.

Location Claustrophobia

Sometimes I just feel the need to scream this at the top of my lungs. Yesterday and today have been prime examples. I just get so fed up living here. It's like I'm stuck in an elevator between floors with no air conditioning. No matter how loud I scream, I'm stuck in there, sweating.

I need to get out of here or do something interesting or SOMETHING! I feel like I've been stuck in this boring-ass cycle of work, working out, mindless errands, and TV watching (on our broke-ass TV might I add...). Maybe when J has time off in Aug. we can get out and do something fun. It's just hard to normally since he works weekends.

Where I really want to be is here:

Image found here.

Chillin in the 80 degree weather at Lake Calhoun in Mpls. I can't wait til we get to move back there. It's gonna be such a relief. I can finally get out of the stuffy elevator and take a nice deep breath.

Until then, I'll have to tough it out I guess.

Mad Men Love

Oh sometimes I wish I had a Delorean with a flux capacitor. I'd set it for Valentine's Day, 1962, where we catch up with the lives of our favorite Mad Men (and women).

What an amazing time. So much change happening. Such a tug of war there between status quo and innovation. I just love the aesthetic of the era... the formality of it all. (Which is interesting if you knew me, cause I'm the most casual jeans & t-shirt chick you'd ever meet). Anyway, on to the show.

First off, a little girly gushing:  OMG I have such a sad little crush on Don Draper. So tall dark and handsome. He's brilliant but brooding and mysterious. And his suits are perfection! The gray suits with the little white pocket square (rectangle-wise, not bloused and triangular). Total perfection.

I have a feeling if I were in this agency in 196_, I'd totally be Peggy. I relate to her totally. I'd be less than gorgeous (some things don't change just because you go back in time), but totally earnest and wanting more than just the usual women job as a secretary. I'd end up being one of the guys (read above about things not changing). Hopefully though I wouldn't end up preggo by a married man (though Pete does have that boyish charm going, even if he is a total weasel). I wonder what she did (or is doing) with her baby boy... My money's on adoption. I hope anyway. She can't afford to give up her new Jr. Copywriting position.

I am constantly enamored by the insights that Don has. Did anyone see the Kodak pitch he did last season? It was pure perfection. Just poetry in motion soaring off his tongue. Tonight his speech to Peggy about why sex doesn't sell was awesome. It really is overlooked sometimes that when it gets down to it, advertising needs to make someone feel something. Feel good. Feel bad. Feel sentimental. It has to evoke some emotion or feeling within someone that is strong enough to make them spend their money on your product over another. Too often I see creatives just trying to do something 'genius' when really, if an ad doesn't hit someone, stop and make them think, then what's it really doing?  Winning awards? Good for you, but that's not going to sell soap. Like Draper said, "stop writing for other writers."

Another thing: LOVE that BMW sponsored the entire episode. Genius. I need to remind myself which agency has them now... I forget. But that buy was great. And the one-minute 'break' with the copywriter who wrote the line, "The Ultimate Driving Machine" was a great and smartly-placed brand-building spot to put in there. It promoted BMW but also fit in with the show, and with the demo of the show (you know TONS of people in the business have to be watching this).

Alright, that's enough for now I think. I'll write more later if I think of anything. I just love this show. The writing is intelligent and spot-on historically correct (from what I've heard). It's up for 16 Emmy's and in my book should win em all.

Deadbeat Blogger...

Yeah, that's right. I've been a total deadbeat blogger. Someone should take my blog away and give it to a blogger who can care for it better than I can.

Anyway, sorry for the hiatus. Things were crazy with going home, then the 4th, then my birthday, etc. etc.  Not a good excuse, but mostly, I've just been lazy.  I promise to be more diligent with writing from now on.

That's all for now. I'll post another later tonight with my reaction to the Mad Men Season 2 premiere tonight! I'm so excited--I'm totally obsessed with this show! Anyway, catch ya later.

Homeward Bound!

Yay--I'm leaving in the AM for WI!  I'll be there til Sunday to look at some wedding locations (& hopefully pick one)!  I love going home.  I love being able to see my family & friends.  I get really homesick living here in AZ so far away from most of the people I love.

I'm also really excited to take a break from the 110+ degree weather!  80 degrees is gonna feel SO good!

I'll try to post some pics of the locations I'm looking at as I go this week, but I make no guarantees.  It's gonna be pretty hectic, and I'm not sure how much spare time I'm gonna have between appts. in the day and going out w/ friends at night.  Til then, adios!

PS:  I really hate flying.  I used to love it, but now I just get super nervous every time.  So please, send me some good vibes for a nice, uneventful, smooth flight.  Thanks!

Tuesday

Only one week til I get to go home for 5 days! I'm seriously excited. I also really can't wait to get off the surface of the freaking sun for a few days. Today a colleague and I went to get lunch and in the five minutes we were in the car we were both drenched in sweat. Really, really gross. People don't get it either... they're like, "well, at least it's a dry heat..." yeah, so is your oven. Go put your head in there for awhile and see if it's comfortable.

Enough of the weather rants. Here are a few happy thoughts:

Got a great shout out & comments (yay) from Heather at TALKINGWITHMYSELF24. Thanks!

Just finished watching Jim Gaffigan stand-up on Comedy Central. Freaking hilarious.

My InStyle came today and led me to some cheap aviators (which I've been looking for since Wyatt bent up my last sunglasses) at Shop Suey Boutique.

Uh oh, looks like somebody's got a case of the Mondays...

I never quite fully woke up today. I've been puffy-eyed and slow all day. Also, I live on the f-ing surface of the sun.

But enough of the negativity. I think I need to turn over a new leaf. Despite having a lot of good times here, I've kind of been in a funk since I've lived in AZ. 

I got a really good idea from Heather over at TALKINGWITHMYSELF24 [really cool blog, from MPLS nonetheless]. She's decided to write about at least one thing every day that makes/made her happy or something to be grateful for. I think I've been so down and focusing on the negatives so much, that I tend to forget I've got it pretty good.

Without further ado, here are a few things for today:

Wyatt almost knocked a drink over on my laptop & simultaneously knocked the laptop off the table... but he didn't. All is good. For this I am VERY grateful.

My mom is awesome and used her first full day of summer vacation (she's a teacher) to schedule bridal appts. for me since I couldn't do it at work.

My toenail polish is staying on remarkably well.

My yellow daisies that I got on Saturday are still alive and kickin! :)

That's all for now. Thanks for listening. Or I guess, reading.

Introducing...

my puppy! I thought I'd take this opportunity (while I procrastinate cleaning my apt.) to introduce you to my little buddy, my puppy, Wyatt.  The first pics are from the day we brought him home (he was about 8 wks old), and the second set of pics are actually from last fall. (NOTE: I haven't been able to upload new pics for awhile because good ol' Wy decided to eat my camera cord).

He's a wild man, a gunslinger. Generally though, he's a really good boy. I can't wait for the day we can get him a real house with a big back yard to run his little heart out in. Til then, he loves trips to the puppy park & swimming after soccer balls.

I'll post new pics when I finally buy a memory card reader.

AWOL Blogger

I don't know if anyone actually reads this yet, but in the event someone out there does, I apologize for being an AWOL blogger for the past week. I have to get used to posting on a regular basis. Things have been pretty busy this week, so thanks for not hating me.

At the moment I'm taking a break from wedding location research. This is the most tedious part of the wedding planning I've come across (and well, most important). I'm flying home in 11 days to check some places out, so I have 11 days to narrow down my choices...  Wish me luck.

I promise to have more to blog this weekend. Until then, TGIF!

PS: Remember "TGIF" back in the day with Full House & Family Matters and all that?  Freaking awesome. Peace out.

Damn You, JCrew...

Sometimes I wish I could bring myself to throw caution to the wind and rack up a nice big balance on my credit card. I'm trying to be responsible and save money and all that fun stuff, but damn, JCrew is such a tease...

These are just a few of the items I'd start out with. Damn, can you tell I'm in the midst of a pretty hardcore yellow obsession? I might have to start going to meetings...

Heaven in Beer Form

Best beer on the planet, hands down!

If you haven't had Leinie's Sunset Wheat, you're clearly missing out. I've been missing it since I've lived down here (it's predominately a Midwestern regional beer, made in Chippewa Falls, WI) but guess what?! The Frye's down the street from us just started stocking it! Best. News. Ever. (Or this week anyway).

Seriously, if you live outside the Midwest, check out the Leinenkugel website and find out where it's sold in your area. Then run, don't walk, to said store. You won't regret it.

Finally...

I saw it. Why is it that within a week of it opening I felt like the last person (girl) on earth to go see it?

Anyway, two words: Freaking Awesome. Nuff said.

PS: I have the best fiance ever. Since I don't really have any good girl friends here in Phx yet, he offered to go with me. I swear I didn't pay him or put him up to it. Totally his idea. He was one of maybe a half dozen guys in the extremely estrogen-filled theater. Funny thing is, he actually really liked it. (I will probably be the only one to ever hear come out of his mouth.)

100 Things About Me...

1. I'm from a small town in WI that my fiance makes fun of and likes to refer to as "Pleasantville." It really was a perfect place to grown up in my opinion. 
2. I've broken 4 bones in my life. My femur (age 6), radius & ulna (age 11), and clavicle (age 15). The femur resulted in a 10 week tenure in a pair of plaster pants and a late start of first grade. It also got me my first TV of my own. :) It also inspired me to learn all of the scientific names of all of the bones. I used to want to be an orthopedic surgeon.
3. I have brown hair and eyes.
4. I also have a lot of freckles, mostly on my face.
5. 3+4=predominately English and Irish decent, if you couldn't guess.
6. As a result, I tend to sunburn easily, which is kind of a liability living in the desert. I also never get a nice even burn or tan. It's always either a freaking weird farmer's tan, or I'll be laying out by the pool, forget to flip, and wind up with a front side burn, while my back is still pasty.  Looks pretty cool let me tell you...
7. I'm starting to thing 100 things might be difficult to come up with.
8. My friend and I were really obsessed with Good Will Hunting when it came out. We watched it so many times that not only do I have a good portion memorized, but we devoted one viewing to counting the number of F-bombs dropped. Our count was 134. Feel free to double check for me. You know you have a spare couple of hours lying around like we clearly did.
9. I am a total sucker for romantic comedies. Most of the movies I own would fit into this genre.
10. I was a Golden Gopher for 4 years of college (still consider myself one), but I've never given up my Badger roots. I get really conflicted when they play each other.
11. I've been described as "meat and potatoes."
12. My favorite color is red.
13. My hair is naturally wavy/curly/crazy but I straighten it every day. I wish it were naturally straight... That would save me a lot of time.
14. I'm engaged to a freaking awesome guy that I love more than words.
15. We were together 5 years and 4 days before we got engaged.
16. I have a weakness for guys with nice shoulders. Maybe that's why I'm with a former college gymnast.
17. I love everything preppy. JCrew is a huge weakness, and I basically have to force myself not to buy out the whole store. It's especially bad now that I keep checking up on their wedding section...
18. I kick ass at Friends triva. I once ran the board 4 times in "Friends Scene-it." My friends refused to play anymore after that.
19. I could eat chips and salsa or queso everyday. Of course, I'd then be about 300 lbs.
20. I'm definitely more of a beer girl than a martini girl. Perhaps it's a product of my WI upbringing.
21. I've lived in AZ for a year and almost 9 months, and I'm still not used to it, nor has it grown on me.
22. The more I drink, the more Canadian I sound. This didn't happen until a few years into college in MN. I was once asked if I was from Canada, while I was at a bar in Madison, WI.
23. My parents tell me that when I was little I had a pretty strong Boston accent. *I've never been to the East Coast.
24. My favorite smell is the smell of freshly cut grass. It takes me back to weekend mornings in the summer as a kid, when everyone in the neighborhood would mow their lawns on those perfect summer days. I rarely get to smell that here...
25. I never thought I would be excited to have a cloudy day.
26. I don't understand why people put the toilet paper on the roll backwards. Clearly the sheets need to go over the top and to the front, not around the back. Many times I'll change it if it's wrong.
27. I have a life-size cardboard cutout of Brett Favre. He's currently residing in my parents' family room because we didn't have room for him on the drive out to AZ.
28. I'm a HUGE, I mean HUUUUGE Packer fan. My best friend is the only person I know crazier about it than I am.
29. My dad and I have a lot of game day superstitions for the Pack. Also, he calls me on every touchdown.
30. I was at Brett Favre's last regular season home game ever. Thank God we got those tickets.
31. I've been playing soccer since I was 5 years old.
32. I grew up always having a dog. Since I was 6 we've had yellow labs. First Max (who I named after Prince Eric's dog in the Little Mermaid), then Tucker (which sounds like F***** when you yell out the front door at him...). Last May the fiance and I got our own yellow lab puppy, Wyatt.
33. We named him that because he's a gunslinger. Wild and unpredictable. (Know anyone else who's a gunslinger? See #27). Anyway, he's a good pup though, for the most part.
34. I can't stand when people mix up your/you're, there/they're/their, to/two/too, etc.
35. I watch way too much TV. Always have. Always will.
36. Luckily I have a career in which watching a ton of TV is actually a helpful asset. Go me.
37. I'm kind of obsessed with The Office. I also have a monumental crush on both Jim Halpert and his real-life counterpart, John Krasinski. JAM-4-ever!
38. I'm a skee-ball addict.
39. I'm also super competitive... in pretty much everything.
40. I've always wanted two sons when I get older. I'm afraid this pretty much guarantees me two daughters...
41. When I was little, my best friend and I made up dances in her basement to Ace of Bace and All 4 One. Hell yes.
42. If I had to choose any other profession other than advertising (or anything art-related), I'd be a meteorologist in a heartbeat.
43. I'm kind of a klutz.
44. I used to make fake braces and retainers out of paper clips because I thought they were cool... until I got the real thing and decided they really really sucked.
45. I've never smoked anything. Never even tried a cigarette.
46. I was once referred to as "Frank the Tank" because of the amount of booze I could put away.
47. I have a photographic memory.
48. I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a double major in Strategic Communication: Advertising & Studio Art.
49. I have one tattoo, which I designed myself. It represents my favorite quote.
50. My favorite quote is by Walt Disney: "All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."
51. My parents and I are really close. I talk to them about every other day. I really wish I didn't live so far away.
52. My mom is a fourth grade teacher. Because of her I have excellent handwriting (as does she).
53. I used to be the girl at every birthday party that couldn't stop laughing and would spit pop out all over the place.
54. It's "pop," not "soda."
55. I'm a total Wisconsin cliche: I love beer, cheese, and brats.
56. I get really impatient when cooking.
57. I absolutely HATE country music.
58. If I could buy any car right now, it would be a gunmetal Acura TL.
59. I got zero points off on my driver's test.
60. I love liverwurst and peanut butter sandwiches.
61. I'm not a big hugger.  I think it's awkward when people you don't know that well try to hug you.
62. I check my facebook like 80 billion times a day. It's a sickness.
63. My fiance is 4 inches shorter than I am. (Remember, he was a gymnast).
64. I still love a great pair of heels. (Though I'm not very graceful walking in many of them). Most days I'm rockin the flip flops.
65. My list of 5 celebrities I could cheat on my fiance with are: Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Dermot Mulroney, Jake Gyllenhall, and I'm not sure who the fifth would be right now.
66. I can't get to sleep without the TV on.
67. I fall asleep every night to Nick at Nite.
68. My summertime drink at Starbucks is an iced skinny cinnamon dolce latte.
69. In kindergarden I had a Doogie Howser poster over my bed. He had the lab coat on and everything. Go NPH!
70. I hate being late for things.
71. I'm a total perfectionist with just a smidge of OCD. (Not clinically or anything, but you get the idea).
72. My favorite city I've visited is San Francisco.
73. I really want to move back to the Twin Cities in (what will probably be) a few years. That's where I hope to raise my kids.
74. I go through phases with certain colors, especially when buying clothes. Right now I'm in love with yellow and navy blue.
75. There's nothing like a great comfy sweater on a brisk fall day.
76. I'm pretty cheap. With my money, not like a hooker.
77. The smell of the dentist's office makes me gag.
78. I love margaritas. Love them.
79. I believe in fate.
80. I have one sibling, a younger brother who is 20.
81. I'm 23. I'll be 24 in July.
82. I've always been really really afraid of bees. The only time in my life I've been stung was because I was running away from one and a different one stung me for no good reason. Bastards.
83. I'm convinced one of my future sons (see #40) will get some recessive genes from my dad and brother (who're both 6'2), and will be a star football player.
84. Before I die, I will ice skate at Rockefeller Center at Christmastime.
85. My favorite ice cream is Blue Moon.
86. I read PerezHilton.com everyday.
87. I love the smell of laundry straight out of the dryer.
88. I hope to never have to spend a Christmas in Arizona. It's just not right.
89. I love to jam out and sing at the top of my lungs to the radio in my car.
90. I really wanna learn to play the guitar.
91. I won my school's geography bee in fourth grade. I also once taught myself all of the capitals in South America, just for fun. I'm a nerd, what?
92. It's been over 4 months and I still can't stop staring at my engagement ring. It's the ring I always pictured it would be.
93. I love being a sarcastic smart ass.
94. I absolutely hate rude people. Pet peeves include not holding the door open for someone behind you, not letting people merge or change lanes, and not giving the courteous wave when I do let you in. There's no excuse not to have manners.
95. Sometimes I wish I grew up in the 50's/60's.
96. I grind my teeth when I sleep.
97. I'm pretty shy and introverted around people I don't know well. I really wish this wasn't the case, and I'm trying to change it.
98. I've never dyed or highlighted my hair.
99. Growing up I always wanted to work for Disney. I wanted to be a storyboard artist, character designer, or animator. This was my life goal and dream until I started taking advertising classes in college and realized it was probably more realistic. Turns out I fell in love with advertising, and recently found out I probably would've hated living in So Cal anyway. I still might try to get hired there before I die...
100. I'll be surprised if anyone actually reads any of these, let alone all of them. If you do, kudos and thanks!

Blog-tastic!

Well, here it is. After being a long-time blog reader & lurker, I've decided to venture into writing a blog of my own. Mostly it'll just be an avenue for me to post my thoughts, likes, dislikes, y'know, whatever I feel like I guess. And who knows... someone might actually read this someday!

So without further ado, I welcome you to Desert Cheesehead, a blog by a Wisconsin girl stuck for the time being in the Arizona desert. I'll have more info about myself later. Until then, enjoy.