2008 in review

as 2009 approaches, i thought i would recap some of what went down in my life in the year of 2008. so here we go...

January:
-2008 started off with me sitting in my Los Angeles apartment, watching Batman Begins and texting my boy who was in NY. At this point, there were 4 of us living there, Michelle and Jordyn in one room and nicole and i in the other. We also had an invisible roommate who was paying rent while living in South Dakota or something like that (she ended up moving in about a week after i moved out). My roommate nicole and i were going to have people over, but we had only a few friends and changed our minds last minute. i am not sure the exact reason, but i am guessing it had something to do with Brian, Nicole's creepy friend/stalker/worshipper. He was planning on coming and i think she freaked. so nicole and i were to spend it together. she fell asleep at 10.
-Ashley came down to visit me and we began discussing the idea of me moving back home because she wouldn't be able to afford moving to LA and my work (Virgin Megastore on Sunset) had closed down. So that following weekend, Ashley, Lindsay, Melissa and I road-tripped it up to san jose, mainly for my dad's 50th birthday party. I asked my parents if i could move home and of course the obliged and i got to tell some of my best friends that night that i would be returning. I felt peace. and they were all happy :)

February:
-I went to Utah to visit the boy. It was a lot of fun. it was also really hard. we both knew it wouldn't last but it definitely was fun while it lasted. While i was gone, Nicole called me everyday. Not because she missed me, although i am sure that was part of it, but because they were having some issues with Jordyn. Long story short, Jordyn got pissed at michelle and nicole, drew creepy pictures of michelle in her journal, keyed Nicole's social security number into Michelle's car and denied the bullemia we all knew she had. So she moved out while i was gone.
-Nicole's 21st birthday was the 14th, and we were both so exhausted, we stayed in that night. So the next night, Lindsay joined Nicole and I for Nicole's 21st birthday celebration. Probably one of the funnest nights i have ever had. We went to our favorite Hollywood bar, Cat N Fiddle, and just had an absolute blast. Nicole then decided we should meet up with her co-worker in Westwood (about a 20 min drive, and yes, i was driving). So we met him at a hookah bar. Persian city. it was awkward. really, really, awkward. So we left soon after, and headed back to the apartment. Lindsay left and the next morning, Nicole and our roommate michelle and i went out to breakfast at The Griddle. So delicious. The i packed up the rest of my stuff, said goodbye to my remaining 2 roommates and headed to San Jose. I found out later they both cried after i left. that meant a lot to me.
-4 days after moving back, i went on an interview at the preschool my old boss/youth pastor's wife/friend was the director at and met the other director and started work the following day. When i moved to LA, it took me 2 months to get a job and within 5 days i moving to san jose, i had one. Kind of a sign i did the right thing.

March:
-I finally got a great picture with Gavin DeGraw. After seeing him and meeting him about 7 times and taking a picture with him almost every single time, i finally got one where i looked good. On the down side though, his show was cancelled because he was sick. But he hung around to personally apologize to his fans, the sweetest man ever, and take pictures. I talked to him. A lot. I was so cool and so calm even though i am madly in love with him. I invited him to get drinks with ashley and i but he never made it, like he said he probably wouldn't. but i had to ask! i don't know what came over me, but that was probably the best hour of my life. And oh yeah, he really liked my yellow jacket.

April:
-To start the month, Brooke and I saw one of our favorite bands, Steel Train, at one of my favorite venues, Slim’s. It was SO GOOD.
-The day before my birthday, Brooke and I went to San Jose State Event Center and saw Dear and the Headlights (our favorite band) open for Paramore who opened for Jimmy Eat World. Yeah, I guess you could say it was one of the best concerts I have ever been to.
-On my actual birthday, a bunch of friends helped me celebrate at Khartum’s in Campbell. It was really fun!
-That Friday, my brother decided to throw a party and invited myself and his friend Kevin to make it a combined party. He loves them parties to the theme was dress up as your favorite Jon, Kevin or Jessica. There was someone who received a Dear John Letter, Jessica Simpson, JonJacobJingleHeimerSchmit, I was John Krasinski as Jim Halpert as Dwight Shrute, there was a John (a toilet), John Lennon, Kevin Bacon, John Dunbar, Jessica Walter, and many, many more. It was way fun. So all in all, I had a pretty fun birthday.

May:
-I took a roadtrip down to Cal Poly and visited Arianne before she graduated. We went to her usual Thursday night place and went line dancing! It was pretty ridiculous because I had no idea what I was doing and she is like a pro. Then I finished the drive and headed to LA. At this point Nicole had moved out of an apartment with Michelle and Michelle’s sister because of a sketchy landlord and a lot of sneakiness going on behind her back. So she was living with a coworker in Silverlake, the place we wanted to move to before I moved home. We went to our bar again and met up with my friend Max and some other guy we won't speak of anymore. Max said we could stay at his mom's place so we drove up the hill, yes, THE HILL. Beverly Hills. Did i mention who max's mom is? Nora Ephron. It ended up not working out because they were having painters come over early the next morning so he drove us back to Nicole's place. Darn.
-Lindsay moved home. I was so thrilled for this.
-Robbie and Stacy had Thrice tickets but couldn't make it, so they sold them to brooke and I. I had tried to get tickets but they were already sold out so i was stoked. It was so good. Dustin Kensrue is my perfect man. If he wasn't already married, i would think he was my soulmate. No joke.

June:
-Shannon's family went camping in Tahoe and she invited me along for a weekend. It was way fun. I hadn't been in so long and after going ever summer since i was like 5, i was pretty excited to get to go back. We didn't do much, but we did enough to have a really good time.
-Saw Steel Train again at Slim's and also Augustana at Music in the Park. both great shows.

July:
-I went to Hume Lake as a counselor for the high school group at hillside and had a great time getting to know those girls. Hume is always amazing and it was definitely a different experience not really knowing the girls very well, but it was still fun.
-Saw John Mayer for the 2nd time at Shoreline with Greta, Vanessa and Breanne. I don't know how he does it, but he is still so good even though we were really far away.

August:
-August was definitely not my month. i don't really even know what to write here without bringing back some great memories that turned out not so good. Long story short, I met a boy, he led me on, broke my heart, and stopped talking to me. Normally, no big. But i thought this one was a keeper. and he led me on, so i thought he was in it too. Guess that'll teach me to fall fast again. Lesson learned God.
-the other horrible thing that happened to me was one of my best friends stopped talking to me out of the blue. Adam lives in WI and i have only actually hung out with him once. but we had known each other for almost 3 years and talked on the phone at least once a month. We were really close. I finally had the money to fly out to see him so we decided to meet in Chicago and hang out there for the weekend. I bought the tickets (twice because i had to change the first ones) and we were in the final stages of planning the details when he stopped returning my phone calls, stopped responding to my messages and comments and just completely forced me out of my life. To this day, i still don't know why. I don't know if i did something, if he just had a change of heart, if his new girlfriend didn't want him talking to him or what. I wrote him a message asking for an explanation and never heard back. So after 3 years of friendship, that was that. It still hurts to think about and it still confuses me beyond belief.

September:
-I can't remember much about September. Went to Oregon with the family and that's about all.

October:
-After not seeing Holly (who moved back to Roseville in April) since she moved away, i finally was able to make a trip to see her. Betsy and i headed up and Holly had no idea i was coming along. It was really fun getting to surprise her. We went out to dinner with her and Betsy's sister Emily and their roommate Sarah and just got to talk and hang out and watch movies. My favorite part of the trip was going to sleep. Holly shared her bed with me and we just talked and talked and talked all about life and boys and God and family and everything we were going through and it was so amazing! i will cherish that time for a long time.
-Brooke, Betsy and I took Lindsay out to dinner for her birthday. We got all dressed up and went to PFChang's downtown and had an absolute blast.
-Brooke, Betsy, her boyfriend Kenny, Ian, Michelle and I went to Slim's and saw The Reign of Kindo, Barcelona and Sherwood. My brother had been on tour with Sherwood for a few weeks so i got to see him and those are three of my favorite bands and some of my favorite people so all in all, it was a good time.
-I finally had a really fun halloween. I found my perfect costume the day before, Batman, and wore it to work and then went to a party and Brent and Sarah's and hung out with some good friends.

November:
_November started out with some great concerts. First, She & Him (Zooey Deschanel's band) at Bimbo's 365 which was a venue I had never been to and it was a awesome venue and an amazing show. I love that band.
-Then, we were very blessed that 2 of our favorite bands were going on tour together. Dear and the Headlights and Steel Train. And they played at another favorite venue of mine, Bottom of the Hill. So lindsay, brooke and i headed up and had an absolutely phenomenal time. Another one of the best shows i have ever been to.
-I once again went down to visit Nicole. By now she was living back at home in Visalia so i drove down there thursday night and we left for L.A. friday morning, checked into our hotel, went shopping, went to our usual Cat N Fiddle with her friend Denise, got ridiculously wasted, went back to Visalia saturday afternoon and hung out all day while we recovered adn then i came home sunday morning and an hour later went to Laurel Warwick's bridal shower.
-For thanksgiving, my family went up to Willits and had dinner with my mom's sister and family. It was really fun. and the next day we just hung out and walked around the little town and then came home that night.

December:
-My mom and i went to Oregon to visit her family. My cousin who is in the air force has been stationed in Japan for 4 years or so, came back to the states with her family so they got to all come up too. I met my cousin Michael for the first time and got to play with two 3 year olds too. I know, i am a dork. And I was happy because there was lots of snow!!!
-Lindsay and i hosted our first annual Christmas Potluck Brunch/Ornament Exchange and it was a definite success! There was 9 of us total, everyone brought a breakfast dish and an ornament. We ate and then played a fun game to exchange ornaments and hung out for a little bit. It was a good time.
-Christmas Eve, I worked til 3 while the rest of my family went to celebrate it with my dad's side of the family. I met up with brooke and lindsay after work and we gave lindsay he present. My family got home around 7 and we had Panda Express and watched A Christmas Story.
-Christmas day, we all got up early and went to a 6am church service. It was early, but a great way to start off Christmas day. Singing old hymns and hearing the prophecies of Jesus' birth all the way to His birth was really nice. We came home, had cinnamon rolls, a Havens family tradition for Christmas morning. We then opened stockings and presents. I got The Office Season 4, Transformers, brown boots, black jacket, a calendar, an ornament, Julie Andrews book Home, and i can't remember what else, but that's the jist of it. Then we went and saw Yes Man which i REALLY liked. that night i watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
-Two of my new favorite things i got but not for christmas is a Canon Rebel camera my aunt gave me and brooke sold me her old (about a year old) record player.

As i look back on 2008, there were many many ups and downs. I definitely think 2009 will be a better year. I just have a really good attitude going into it. We shall see!


ps - if you read through this, you must really like me.

my favorite christmas song

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels' voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.



and my favorite version of this song:

1st annual Christmas Party

about me

my old roommate nicole just changed her about me section on myspace. that was my inspiration.

I have a fantasy of becoming a rock star. I would call it a secret fantasy but now everyone knows so its not so secret anymore.

I'm not afraid to admit that I would rather be a stay at home mom than anything else. But I am smart enough to know that it most likely won't happen.

I have worked with kids since I was in the 7th grade but don't know how much longer I can last.

I am a really good listener and unlike most people, I don't really like to talk about myself. and when I do, I feel selfish (and yes, thinking of all these things has been very difficult).

My friends are my world. I can't imagine where I would be or who I would be without them in my life. 

I've loved Christian Bale since I was probably 8 years old. It's not just some "Batman" thing. 

And with that, I loved Batman before Christian Bale. But I can't deny he helped.

I am not "religious" and I don't like calling myself a "Christian". I have a relationship with He who loves me more than anyone and although I can't understand it and don't always believe it, He's always there for me and never leaves my side.

As  cliche as this sounds, I love my grandma's cooking.

I'd like to live in New York, Chicago and Colorado at some point in my life. I think I should visit those places first and then see where it goes from there.

I regret nothing. Everything happens for a reason. As hard as it is for me to see it sometimes, I really, truly believe it.

I hate when someone adds me on myspace or facebook and then doesn't even talk to me. Even if I "make the first move".

I've decided to go back to school and get my degree in Counseling with a minor in Photography. I am so excited and at the same time scared as hell that I won't be good at it.

Music is a huge part of my life. It can change my mood, heal my wounds, open up old ones, spark friendships and even make me love someone more than ever imagined.

ok. that'll do for now.

just 2

why can't i just be over it?

i don't get closure so i don't move on.

i like to just blame it all on you.

it's easier that way.

sometimes i think that people are too involved in themselves and their own issues to see mine. and if they do see them, and ask about them, i begin to feel selfish talking so much about me. so i ask about them. and it's a vicious cycle.