Cougar Or Creeper?

I realize the title of this post could be misleading. Am I talking about a seemingly older woman creeping on younger men or a creepy old man creeping on, well, any female with two legs?


Well, as interesting a post that might be, no. This relates to my status on Facebook after seeing a fellow Cougar [*ahem* WSU  Cougar]:

"I feel as though there should be a universal hand signal for fellow Cougs to identify eachother whilst driving...that way other drivers know I'm waving & freaking out in an excited way, not a creepy way...haha awkward!"

{I specify "whilst driving" because any Coug knows simply saying "GO COUGS!" is sufficient to anyone within yelling distance. Also works with rolled-down windows at a stop-light. :) } 

Lindsey replied:  "I agree completely! Especially when you see someone out of Washington state... it is like this super exciting feeling... and then you realize they have no idea why you are being so creepily excited towards them. Haha :)"


Amanda said she threw up the "pitchfork" sign at Arizona State University, and that I should make my own and start a trend. Believe me, I've thought about it:

Ok, so I didn't actually come up with this one, Tim and his buddy Chris (also a fellow Coug) did. [By the way, ignore my apparent disinterest in style and hair as I was coming off of 24-hours of straight travel and THEN expected to stay up past midnight for New Year's 2010.] 

But I like the idea: 

Put your right hand in a claw formation and strike down whilst yelling "RAWR". 

This would work quite well in a car situation- put up your "claw" and see if the other driver does as well; if so, continue with the signal! This also provides an auditory outlet for the pent-up excitement, but in a way that stays within the Cougar realm. Genius.

Other ideas?

tomato, potato...

Or...bleary, blurry, or bright-eyed?


I often get made fun of [mainly by one person, *ahem*TIM*ahem*] for saying dumb things, probably because I forget to think before I speak. I like to think that I'm just so excited to impart wisdom and wit that my mouth jumps ahead of my thoughts and spews out a cacophany of words...and that they are so above everyone's knowledge that no one understands.


Case in point:
Sunday, July 17, 2011


I say the sentence, "My eyes are all bleary." Meaning, of course, that they were unfocused and felt a little like sandpaper.
Oh MAN did that set off a rampage of corrections! 
"Bleary? What's bleary? Don't you mean blurry? Bleary isn't a word." 
[I do have to admit that I said, "NO, Bleary...like bleary-eyed and bushy-tailed." 
Which Tim so kindly reminded me, "What an IDIOT! It's BRIGHT-eyed and bushy-tailed." 
Turns to Ryan and Karla, "She aaalways is saying dumb things."]


~however~
back to my original point, my eyes were, in fact, bleary. 


Evidence (from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bleary):

blear·y

   [bleer-ee]  Show IPA

–adjective, blear·i·er, blear·i·est.

1.

(of the eyes or sight) blurred or dimmed, as from sleep orweariness.

2.

indistinct; unclear: The day begins with a bleary view ofone's world.

3.

fatigued; worn-out.

THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT [OR, ACTUALLY, DAY]!

Day 29: Your Favorite Restuarant

Really? I have to pick just one??!! 
I love food. Tim and I make a point of finding delicious food at delicious sounding restaurants [especially breakfast places] and consuming more than the average person would ever need. So rather than giving you a never-ending list, I'll narrow it down to my favorites in Hawaii:

Best All-Around/Can-Eat-Whenever-No-Matter-What-"Food-Mood"-I'm-In

Yardhouse

Best Dinner/Date-Atmosphere-With-The-Prettiest-Pond/Garden-View-From-Your-Table

 Haleiwa Joe's [Kaneohe]

Best Breakfast-In-Which-You-Can-Stuff-Yourself-And-Not-Feel-Even-Remotely-Guilty- Because-It-Tastes-So-Good

The Original Pancake House

Granted, the one pictured above is in Portland- the original Original Pancake House.
But it tastes the same in Honolulu! 

Day 28: A Picture Of You And Your Best Friends

My girls! Monica, Me, Cassie, Lindsey
Parma, ID 2008

Spedettes!
Bryan, Lindsey, Monica, Lindsey, Me, Cassie, Tim, Nick
Flag-Football Intramural Champions 2008

Day 27: A Picture of Your Favorite Shoes

no shoes- just my barefeet :)

Day 26: A Picture of Someone You Miss

♥ my nieces ♥

Day 25: A Picture Of You Dancing

Tim Mcgraw concert in San Diego 7/2010

Back when a hole was a hole...and when you said "I'm down with that" it meant you had the flu...

Sweet Charity 2005

The "Frug"

Day 24: A Picture From Your Favorite Day

"Park Hopping"

The term was coined back in 2005 with the original hopping team of Amy, Monica, Lindsey, Eric, Kelsay, Bryan, Brock and myself. We took advantage of a sunny day by driving around to all the parks in Pullman and playing like kids!

Amy, Sonja, Lindsey, Monica

Sonja, Eric, Kelsay, Bryan

Day 23: A Habit You Wish You Didn't Have

Getting ~sunburned~

Yes, I know. It's not only a bad habit, but a painful one. Even a deathly one. And one that is easily remedied by simply applying that 45 SPF that all the magazines and doctors seem to be talking about. [I can also hear my dad in my head..."SONjaaa...(tsk, tsk, shaking of the head)..."] I just get sucked into the innocent thought that for "just a little while" I'll go SPF-less so I can get a little sun, a little tan...that seemingly rosy thought quickly spirals downward and turns, well, rosy. Quite literally. 

Oops. 

-Although-

I WILL say that the sunburn pictured above was a particularly harrowing experience that lasted weeks-the kind where you just want to walk around clothes-less because anything touching your skin feels like a million little burrs scraping off what little of it you have left. And it has actually inspired me to wear my sunscreen! Only 30 SPF, but it blocks the sun nonetheless...most of the time...
I mean, I still have to make all my mainland friends and family jealous that I live where I can get a tan burn on a daily basis ;)

Day 22: A Picture of Something You're Afraid Of

The list includes the dark [especially if I'm alone after a scary movie], the man behind the shower curtain [true story], and cockroaches.
It also includes...


FERRIS WHEELS!

 Yes...they are beautiful. And even look sort of fun in an old-time, country sense.

But they deceive! 

Why are they so rickety? 

Why are they held up by one little measly hook? 

And WHY do people insist on rocking the chair when the sign specifically says not to??!!

Day 21: Your Dream Job

Preschool Counselor

I got to work my dream job from 11/09-7/10 as a temporary counselor for Kamehameha Schools. Preschool is my favorite age group, and I want to work in a school setting as a counselor. They don't really have preschool counselors- the only one I've found was at Kamehameha Schools. So I would be happy to work with any grade level, preferably elementary.

Day 20: A Funny Face

RAWR. [or sniff, sniff?] I'm a bunny.

QUITE the attractive couple, wouldn't you say?

Day 19: A Time You Felt Completely Helpless

Yes, this is what you think:

Back in my senior year of college, I was unprovokedly [of course] hog-tied with duct tape, fireman carried down 2 flights of stairs, unceremoniously thrown into the back of a 4x4 truck [that had puddles of water in it, BY THE WAY...], and driven jerkily around the parking lot and over speed bumps. 

I just ♥ my friends.

                                                                                                                        :)    

Day 18: A Picture That Shows Your True Self

By DAY...

...and by NIGHT

never wake a sleeping Sonja...

Day 17: Playing An Instrument

This is me playing carols at Christmas...from like a level 3 book :) I took lessons from age 7-14, so I should be way better than I am. But, sadly, I didn't keep up on practicing and now I can only sight read hymns and easy level books.  BUT I can still pull out my old songs and bust them out!

Day 16: Somewhere You Would Love To Travel

Day 15: Picture of the Cast From Your Favorite TV Show

Friends :)

Chandler, Rachel, Ross, Monica, Joey, Phoebe...who doesn't love them? I own all 10 seasons of this beloved goodness. Tim and I just finished watching them...1.5 years later! 

Favorite lines:

"Joey doesn't share FOOD!" [Joey]

"Lips moving, still talking!" [Monica]

"Do you think I'm someone else?" [Rachel, in response to a lewd comment.]

"We were on a break!" [Ross]

"Yea, it's like a cow's opinion. It just doesn't matter. It's moo." [Joey]

"Do you know the only person who'd wanna listen to this? A mental health professional. And that's only because they get paid a hundred dollars an hour!" [Rachel]

Day 14: Person You Do The Craziest Things With

#1: CHERISE

she was the originator of "secret missions" with me. even before those, we had many adventure. since 7th grade. and 9th grade when she made me "Don't Be A Moose, Vote for Bruce" campaign sickers. And 9th grade Ms. Only's class with you-know-who. And a funeral for your dog Doogy[sp?]. And watching Doug and Allen stay up for 48 hours....w.o.w.

#2 Sarah. yep. no words. she knows what adventures we've been on :)

One is when I visited spring break of 2009 and we broke down on the side of the road...

Day 13: A Picture of A Memorable Night

lots  of memorable nights. most recently, when tim came to visit me when I was in kelso in OCTOBER 2010 and we spend the night traipsing around portland :)

also when  bryan and joel came to visit us in hawaii in march of 2010!!! that was QUITE the night of many heart to heart talks ....♥

Day 12: Your Most Far Away Trip

RUSSIA!

[St. Petersburg]

We went to St. Petersburg, Russia in the spring of 2005 with the Washington State University Concert Choir and Madrigals. It was a-ma-ZING! I can't remember where I voted to go, but I'm glad it was here...because it is somewhere I probably would never have chosen to travel to on my own. We had a really inspiring time- saw the Cathedral of Spilled Blood, the Summer Palace, the Hermitage, frozen over Neva River, and many other places. I realized that this country that I thought of as a frozen, boring, weird place was actually really beautiful with a crazy history.  I mean, it still was bitterly cold [we went in their winter months] and had weird food [jellied meat?]...but it was cool to experience a new culture! 


Plus, I got to go there with one of my BFF's, Monica, and her sister Heather. :D

Day 11: You And A Family Member

Great-grandma Bruce- the last time I saw her in May of 2009. I moved to Hawaii the next day and she passed away 11/09.

My broham James and me. We loved the sitting in the laundry basket and playing spaceship.

Day 10: Something You Wish You Were Better At

art.

All the artsy genes apparently went to my brother and sister, because I have none. My brother evewon scholarships for his drawings and paintings. I mean, I do "pretend"art- scrapbooking- but that is basically just putting putting pictures onto paper and making it look cool by adding ribbon, stickers, etc. I want some mad art skills like pottery, painting, drawing...I used to have my mom and brother draw the pictures on posters I made for school. Oh well, I work with preschoolers. Stick-figures are sufficient. :)

Day 9: Picture That Makes You LAUGH

enough said.

cassie, sonja, lindsey...being ourselves :)

we all "shared" lindsey's bowl of soup.

Grandparents' 50th anniversary! What better way to entertain ourselves on the ride in the limo down to Portland than making faces on the glass to the cars passing by?!

Halloween- Knocked up White Trash. Lindsey's expression especially cracks me up :)

Olympia convention...haha

i'm a part-time model...

Day 8: Picture of Someone Who Inspires You

my

Erica and her beautiful family- Matt, Lexis, and BrookLynn

Seahawks game 2010

BFFs- Hanging with the neighborhood kids :)

She's been through a lot and has produced such BEAUTY! If I can accomplish what she's accomplished by the time I'm 28 [2 years], it will be a miracle. I hope I can go through experiences and life with such grace. 

I ♥ YOU!! 

my never ending bucket list...

My last post inspired me to update my bucket list...it's never ending and always changing. But here is the current list. The ones in bold I've already accomplished :) 

1.       Swim with the dolphins

2.       Climb a mountain

3.       Test drive a Ferrari

4.       See the Great Pyramids

5.       Walk the Great Wall of China

6.       Hold a tarantula (High school biology, 2003)

7.       Say “I love you” and mean it (2010)

8.       Hug a tree

9.       Bungee jump (San Diego Fair, 2011)

10.   Stay up all night and watch the sun rise

11.   Go to an NBA (Portland Trailblazers), NFL (Chargers, Seahawks), NHL (Canucks), and MLB (Mariners) game...and now an MLS game :)

12.   Touch an iceberg

13.   Sleep under the stars

14.   Ride in a hot-air balloon

15.   Have a food fight

16.   See an eclipse

17.   Ride on a roller coaster

18.   Dance like no one is watching

19.   Sing like no one is listening

20.   Pretend I have an accent of some sort when I meet new people

21.   Visit all 50 states

22.   Go whale watching (Hawaii, 2010)

23.   Sing karaoke

24.   Parasail

25.   Go hang-gliding

26.   Backpack around Europe

27.   Live abroad for at least a year

28.   Visit a third-world country and experience life without conveniences

29.   Walk up to the top of the statue of liberty

30.   Ride a camel in Egypt

31.   Zipline in costa rica

32.   Go on a cruise

33.   Receive a dozen roses [I’m not even particularly fond of roses…it just seems like something I should experience]

34.   Run a marathon…or at least a 5k J

35. Mush a dog sled

36.   Visit a country I don’t really want to visit all that badly [I went to Russia in 2005…next on my list is probably somewhere in the middle-east or Asia]

37.   TRAVEL TO INDONESIA!!! [I’ve wanted to do this since I was little…not really sure why. I think I just though the name sounded cool.]

38.   Take a road trip

39.   Go rock-climbing

40.  Midnight walk on the beach (Hawaii, 2009)

41.       Go sky-diving

42. Go snow skiing

43.       Go to a movie by myself

44.       Eat a meal with a stranger

45.       Milk a cow

46.       Lounge around the house all day

47.       Go scuba diving (Hawaii, 2010)

48.       Kiss in the rain

49.       Play mud football

50.   Go to a drive-in theater

51.   Take a self-defense class

52.   Go to Jamaica!! [I’ve also wanted to go here since I was a little kid.]

53.   Bake cookies from scratch

54.   Fast for at least 3 days

55.   Ride in a gondola in Venice

56.   Go white-water rafting [the kind where you need a guide…]

57.   Perform on stage

58.   Go to Las Vegas (2002)

59.   Record a cd [I really want to do one of hymns to give to my family]

60.   Go shark-cage diving

61.   Visit Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines…

62.   Buy a house and remodel it

63.   Become fluent in a 2^nd language

64.   Get unintentionally knocked-out

65.   Randomly move to a new city/state and start fresh (Honolulu, 2009)

66.   Sing loudly in the car with the windows down in rush hour traffic

67.   Shoot a shotgun (Pullman, 2006), rifle, and pistol

68.   Ride a horse

69.   Go to the Grand Canyon

70.   Have an all-inclusive resort experience in Mexico

71.   Learn to surf (Hawaii, 2009)

72.   Ride on the back of a motorcycle (2005)

73.   Learn to drive a motorcycle

74.   Become an expert at driving a stick-shift

75.   Go snowboarding (2005)
76. Road trip across the United States and end up at Harry Potter World :)