Happy 21st!

So it happened. I turned 21. It was kind of a weird feeling all day, because guess what? Emmilie Buchanan has entered the realm of "adult." Weird. Whatever, it's just a title. I'll still act the way I want to. It's fine. So on this day of achievement... or something... Shanae and I went on an adventure. We walked to Perkins... where the President eats.... and had glorious omlets. Shanae told our server, we'll call her Bev, that it was my birthday, and she gave me a giant chocolate muffin. It was divine. Bev then asked me how old I was. I told her it was the big 21, and she asked if I was going to go crazy tonight. I smiled, told her no, and explained that I don't drink. She looked highly shocked, stuttered over, "Oh, w-w-ell that's g-g-good," and walked away with a baffled look on her face. To this, I laughed out loud. I heart the word of wisdom. 

After breakfast, we ran over to Downtown Disney and checked out the beach shop, looked longingly at the Ray Bans, and got a little too close to buying half of the Roxy merchandise. Then Shanae and I continued our journey to Hollywood Studios. We were in dire need of water, so we hit up the nearest kiosk where this nice boy named Oliver gave me a free cookie for my birthday. What a stud. It helped that I had a happy birthday button on. It's fine. Then we rode tower of terror, and I'm pretty sure that Shanae almost had an aneurism. It's fine. Then, on our way to the bar another nice boy named Philipe called us over, and gave us free ice cream. Love being a girl, knowing how to work the girlish charm, and getting free stuff. It's great. 

So, it was my 21 birthday, so naturally we needed to go to a bar. It had to happen. Oh, don't worry. We ordered Shirley Temples. And it was amazing. The bar tender laughed at us a little bit, and looked a little put out, but she was pregnant- which could have been why. (And yes, I too find it a little ironic that she was pregnant and tending the bar. It's fine.) Then it was off to dinner at Sweet Tomatoes where we met Hannah, Jared and Brett, and I ate more salad than is probably healthy, but I loved every minute. I heart Sweet Tomatoes. And props to Jared and Brett for eating there. Thanks dudes. 

After dinner and lots of laughter we headed over to Hannah's casa for a pool party. It was great fun. Then we ate cake, and almost passed out from exhaustion. All in all it was a glorious day. I heart birthdays. 

Beautiful flowers from my Mamma!

That glorious little muffin from Perkins...where the President eats. 

Getting ready to ride Tower of Terror. Shanae was somewhat less than thrilled. 

Free ice cream! Thanks Phillipe!! 

Lovin' those Shirley Temples... 

Cake. 

Getting ready to eat cake. 

Brett, me, and Jared. 

Thank you, and goodnight. 

Anticipation

Okay, so I am excited to go back to school for a few reasons, but here is what I am most excited for:

• Having a week that starts on Monday, goes through Friday, and gives you a weekend on Saturday and Sunday. 
• The third floor of the library, and all of that potential. 
• Having every Sunday off. 
• Tuesdays, where all of those priesthood holders are dressed up in suits. 
• Free popcorn wednesdays.
• Rexburg sunsets. 
• Getting ready every morning. 
• Studying. 
• Having a reason to look cute (The third floor of the library. It's fine.)
• Stadium Singing!!!
• FHE Brothers.
• Road trips to Salt Lake.
• The breezeway. 
• Having my finger nails painted ANY color I want!!
• NOT hearing swear words all the time. 
• NOT being surrounded by cigarette smoke all the time. 
• Exercising at the Hart. 
• Pancake Thursdays, and the Office parties. 

I love school, and pretty much can't wait. Thank you, and goodnight.  

Warped Tour!!

Right, so this year for my birthday I treated myself to Warped Tour. I have never been, and after a series of events last year, I promised myself that I would go. And guess what folks? I went! It was awesome!! But kind of scary at the same time. This is not the style of music I normally listen to. I'm more of the Coldplay, Fray, and John Mayer kind of girl. Not the screamo-die-in-a-mosh-pit kind of gal. But that's okay; to each their own. 

I went with some peeps from the ward- Doug Foxford, Lexi and Ashley. It was so fun. Bless them. We got there around 10:30 and had to chill until they opened the gates. The first thing I noticed was how many cringey people there were... not to be a jerk, but holy cow. It was kind of sketch. I have never seen so many people trippin' on acid before in my life. Crazy. There was cigarette smoke everywhere, and I got to teach Doug what pot smells like. That was cute. But despite all of the drugs, it was great. 

The first band we saw was Breathe Carolina. They were so fun to watch perform. I decided that I would probably never listen to them in real life, but seeing them perform was a blast. They did a cover of Miley Cyrus's "See You Again," and it was the bomb.com/I laughed out loud. It was crazy, because they all looked like they were on something. But whatev- it made them perform better. After thier set Doug and I went over to meet them. That was sweet. The lead singer, Kyle was so chill. He was awesome. But my favorite part of this whole little scene was not Kyle Evans, and his story about how they got started, but the guy in the background. What a stud. Let's call him Rick. Now Rick looked like he was having a rough morning. He came up to me while I was talking with Kyle, looked at his hands which were shaking, and looked at me. He looked like he was having a conniption. Rick was very pale, and I'm pretty sure he was stoned out of his head. Then without warning, Rick stumbles over the the back corner of the tent and wretches. It was so foul, and yet no one paid any attention, as if this sort of thing happened every day. Then Rick chugged a Monster, and I found myself thinking about how grateful I am for the word of wisdom. Good old Rick. 

Then Doug convinced me to head over to Attack! Attack! I agreed, figuring hey! I'll try something new. This ladies and gentlemen is not always the best attitude to have while going to Warped Tour ignorant. I had never heard of Attack! Attack! nor did I have any idea what kind of music they played. Answer=screamo. Gross. But whatev, I thought to myself. What's the worst that could happen. Answer=mosh pit. Mosh pit that I was stuck in the middle of. I won't lie, that was one of the scariest moments of my life. Without warning, the band came on stage, and everyone around me started pushing everyone in sight, and hitting and rubbing up against each other, and throwing people! It was horrific!! I had at least two fools fall on me! I don't know where they came from, but suddenly they were falling towards me. That was stressful. I was getting punched in the face, and was freaking out because we hadn't even hit the most exciting part of the song yet- it was still the intro. I didn't know how I was going to get out alive. I looked around at all the other girls around me, and they all had the same similar look of impending doom written upon their faces. Suddenly Doug had pushed his way to my side, (literally) and asked if I wanted out. "YES!!!" I almost sobbed. He pushed his way of of the pit with me next to him. I felt like a square, so I tried to look really sick or something. The truth was I am just a pansy/I hate moshing. It's totally fine. Don't judge. 

After this little attack attack, I needed a breather. While Doug was getting his Mosh on, I walked around the various stands just chilling. It was, well, chill. And I loved it. I caught All Time Low, and that was great. The fool with his shirt off was highly attractive. Luckily I had learned my lesson with Attack! Attack! and stayed towards the back. I saw plenty of crowd surfing and moshing going on ahead. So I stayed in the back; the safe back. Then, when I went to go meet up with Doug again, I happened into another little adventure. I was crossing a bridge when this girl lurking in the corner yells at me, "Hey! You're really hot. Do you want a kiss?" "No!!" I responded, rather disgustedly. To this she swore at me and called me prissy. I walked away replaying everything that had just happened. Then I laughed out loud. Yes, my awkward sweater was on, and I found Doug and told him everything that had just happened. He looked slightly ill, and I just kept laughing. That happened. 

Oh it was a great day. And after seeing a few more bands, rocking out to more Miley covers and watching some fools passing a joint back and forth during Scary Kids Scaring Kids, I realized that though this was a blast, I would probably never go again. This music really isn't my style, but it was still the shiz. It was so sweet. Won't lie. I heart Warped Tour '09. Oh, and I also heart the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because I will never be drunk, or high, or hungover, or hit on a girl. It's fine. 

Lexi, Ashley, Me and Doug. Hard core. 

Me and Kyle Evans from Breathe Carolina. Rick is right behind us, probably convulsing in the corner. 

Loved Warped Tour. Less Than Jake was jammin' in the corner. It's fine. 

There was kind of a few people there. Most of whom were highly cringy. It's fine. 

Thank you, and goodnight. 

Dreams

I have a few dreams for my life. Well, more than a few. But here are just a couple. I am convinced that people are good. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I believe that people are genuinely good; and more than most things in life, I want to highlight it. I want to each week, find a random stranger who lives an ordinary life. And ordinary life that is filled with joy, sorrow, pain, pleasure, laughter, tears, and love. I want to highlight the good that is done each day within that person's life. Because everyone is capable of goodness. 

Another dream I have is to live on the beach and write for some little, practically no-name paper that somehow has ties to the AP wire. I want my own little column where I can write nonsense everyday. 

Thank you, and goodnight. 

Awesome Sauce.

Right so here is just a little update of my life. It's not very encompassing, considering the fact that it's done via pictures, and I never take pictures anymore... it's fine. But here is just a little smattering of some of the awesome stuff that has been happening. 

Hitting the beach with Shanae and Hannah. Love them.

 

Getting highly sunburnt. 

Celebrating Hannah's Birth.

Wearing out my swimsuit.

 

Sexy...No?

Running to Wendy's with Shanae and Jared. Often.

 

When in doubt, go with #2.

Chillin' with the Pez Dispenser. 

Lovin' some candy. 

Yeah... I've been pretty busy... with awesomeness. Eat it. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Fabulous

Right, so yesterday I had the sudden impulse to get my hair cut. Generally these impulsive haircuts work out the best for me, so I went with it. Shanae decided that she also would highly enjoy a haircut, so without further ado I called the Cut and Color Room. I was scheduled with Richard for 8:00 that evening, and she was scheduled with Holly for the same time. They asked for my name, my cell phone number, oh, and my credit card number. It was legit. I had never felt so serious about getting a haircut before. Suddenly my impulsiveness caused a little bit of anxiety. What if I changed my mind in the next hour? Would they charge me. Yes. Yes they would. So I had to go and get my haircut. It was pretty intense. The entire time I was going over these events in my head, and I decided that this salon better be the shiz, and this better be the best hair cut of my life. 

Luckily our delightful "F" bus takes us to Crossroads where the Cut and Color Room is so conveniently located. We get there, and my anxiety starts to mount. I love getting my haircut, but it's always a little bit stressful because what if they messed up? "They better not mess up because I gave them my freakin' credit card number!!" Such was the comfort provided by that little screaming voice in my head. So I go in, and say whatev. It's going to be fine. Richard, who I was originally scheduled with was running a little behind. So Joyce, my new receptionist friend who I bamboozled into getting $10 off on my haircut, put me with Matthew. She then told me that he was fabulous, and that he likes to tell people that he's her favorite. "Well," I wanted to ask her, "Is he your favorite??" But I just smiled, nodded, and threw in an "Awesome. I'm excited."  

So Matthew comes and gets me. Now, I always feel like your hairdressers pass judgement on you when they first meet you. They especially judge the state of your hair, I feel. Sadly my hair was in bad shape last night, as I had just gotten off of work. It was in a ratty pony tail complete with wispy ends that had gone amok. Super cute. Not really feeling it necessary to apologize for myself, but still feeling more self-conscious than I ordinarily do, I made a hasty comment about work... and how I had just come from there. I don't know what it is about salons, but they make you want to be beautiful. Well that wasn't happening last night, so it was a little bit awkward. Don't even worry it's fine. Because as it turns out, Matthew was a super nice guy, and thought that everything was "Fabulous!" He was very gay, and quite fabulous himself. We talked about working for Disney, because guess what? He worked there too (fitting...) We talked about The Proposal, and how we both thought Ryan Reynolds was so attractive. We talked about how I am a gypsy, and don't really have a hometown. I told him that my family is in California. At this, he lit up, and talked about how fabulous California is. We talked about how I'm going to be a Journalist, and how fabulous that will be. Then he styled me up, called me fabulous, and I was on my way. What a fabulous kind of guy. 

So now my split-ends are gone, along with the ruler straight cut from last time. My bangs are trimmed, and my layers are more defined. All in all, I'm feeling slightly more fabulous today. Thank you Matthew, for making me fabulous. And thank you, and goodnight. 

Life Takes Joy

Life is funny. Here are a few examples:

• That time that guy came over to my apartment and tried to hit on us with this classy line, "So what blood type are you?"
• That time I had lunch with Jordan, Tyler and Alex. 
• That time that a co-worker asked me if I liked Daughtry, but with his thick accent it sounded like "Do you like adultery?"
• That time that Shanae and I took Jared and Brett to Sweet Tomatoes, and they were highly appalled with the lack of meat, the amount of salad, and how few calories there were in the ice cream. "It's non-fat."
• That time I almost strangled myself on my scarf...twice.
• Bruce and Sheldon
• "It is a peanut butter and jelly shake. the jelly is silent like the 'K' in knife."
• That time that Jordan and I ate at the Rose and Crown Pub. 
• Morocco
• That time I almost had to call Cici's to ask them if they found my pants.
• Playing MASH with Latoya
• All those times I danced in public
• That time that everyone thought I moved the table with my gut. (And I don't have a gut... it's fine.)
• That time that Shaun Mayo made an armadillo pancake that was scared. 
• Spooning with Dale
• That time that my roommates and I were a chess club. 
• Al men named Steve.
• "Shanae says 'Hi," Okay, sorry- Shanae says 'Holla,' and she threw up some gang signs."

See? Life is funny. Thank you, and goodnight. 

The Kitchen Sink

Right, so in honor of our country's independence, Shanae, Hannah, Aaron and myself decided to go on a little adventure. After a quick little stop in at a BBQ- got to make those occasional awkward appearances... we were in dire need of a Beaches and Cream run. Now Beaches and Cream is this glorious little place at the Beach Club Resort. It has many wonderful things there. Such as peanut butter shakes, delicious chicken sandwiches, divine french fries, Nostalgia bottles of Coke, but most of all- they have the kitchen sink. What is the kitchen sink you might ask? It is 5 glorious scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, and mint chocolate ice cream smothered in every topping they have- peanut butter, hot fudge, brownie, rainbow sprinkles, bananas, pineapple, whipped cream, angel food cake, strawberry, carmel, almonds, oreos, bundt cake, and cherries all inside of a huge kitchen sink. Um, yeah. It's rather wonderful, and you should be so lucky as to sample such a fine specimen of greatness. So after litterally announcing to the entire resturant what we were about to eat, our server Brian, (bless him) places the kitchen sink in front of us. I felt like a kid at Christmas. I didn't know where to begin. There was so much goodness before me, and I couldn't try it all fast enough. After about 11 minutes, we had made a pretty good dent in it, and were all feeling a little ill. Suddenly all of that glory was turning into gross...ness. But you know what? It was so freaking good that I don't even care. Would I do it again, um, I'm going to have to go with no on that one, but it was still divine. 

Aaron, Shanae, myself, and Hannah at Beaches and Cream. It's so cute!! 

Behold, the Kitchen Sink. 

It was kind of a lot. And that's kind of nast. Don't judge me. 

Um, not sure what exactly what was happening here, but it kind of looks like one of those wedding pictures where the Bride and Groom drink champagne together. Only we're Mormon, so it's ice cream. It's fine. 

That last bite almost killed that poor girl. Notice the look of anguish and suffering on her face as she tries to get that last little bit. No bueno. We still love you, Hannah. It's totally fine. 

Indeed, it was quite the ordeal. Yet it was ridiculously fun. How I love Orlando, and how I will miss all of my awesome peeps. Not that Kitchen Sink so much. It's fine. Thank you, and goodnight. 

I Hate Michael Jackson. I Said It.

Okay, I have to get this out. I am so bloody sick of hearing about Michael Jackson I could punch you in the face. Really people? He was not a good person! So why in the world are we remembering him as this saintly figure who was just trying to make the world a better place? Really? He was a pedophile!! Sure he contributed some great music to the world, and I too love to dance it out to "Thriller", or "Beat it." It's fine. But really? I think the media and pretty much the world in general has gone a little over the top. He was a troubled, creepy, don't-look-him-square-in-the-eye man. So stop all the crap about how the world has had a great loss. Um, nope. Because as far as I can tell they will still play "The Way You Make Me Feel" on the radio, and people will still line up and try to dance to thriller, when really all of America only knows the first 3 counts of 8 anyways. 

Today at work I heard something that sent me over the edge. Several co-workers were discussing what everyone discusses now. Michael Jackson. They were discussing what they think should happen to the Neverland Ranch. One woman said that they should turn it into a place for kids with cancer to recover, and get the necessary treatment. Oh, because that's what Michael would have wanted. Shut. The. Front. Door. YOU DON'T KNOW HIM!!! You don't know that that's what he would have wanted!! I'll bet you a million dollars he would not have wanted to turn that bloody ranch into anything for kids with cancer! It's totally fine. That was my cue to leave before I stepped out of my usually non-confrontational shell and blown a fuse. I'm so sick of Michael Jackson. Thank you for your time and patience in letting me vent. Thank you media for giving me blogging material. Thank you co-workers for providing entertainment. And Thank you, and goodnight. 

Exciting

So it hit me today how exciting relationships are. Oh, don't worry. I'm not in one. Not even close. Although I may have announced to the Relief Society that I was engaged. That happened. It's fine. But really, I have noticed the great amounts of hooking up and engagements, and really- it's such an exciting and happy thing! Maybe the lack of any of this in my life has given me a heightened sensitivity towards these situations, but I am genuinely excited for anyone that enters into a new relationship, or gets engaged. I think I've already confessed at some point my extreme love of looking at engagement pictures. It's so cute and fun, and I'm grateful for the massive amounts of couples that occupy my time on facebook. I heart your pictures. Thank you for your love- and I mean that in the best way possible. 

I used to be so anti anything couple or relationship. It would irritate the heck out of me, and I got so disgusted with all of it. Now not so much. I think it's such a great part of our progression as we make our way back to our Heavenly Father. We are striving to become more like him as we love other people and become more selfless. What great lessons are in store for me. What great experiences are ahead. What great changes are waiting around the corner. How excited I am for the future. How happy I am for a loving Heavenly Father with a plan for me. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Stoplights

Sometimes I feel like my life is like that light on the corner of Orchard and Elm. It's the kind of light that seems to take an exceptionally long time to change. I'm always sitting there thinking of all the things that I still have to do; all the places that I still have to see; all the people that I still have to meet; all the experiences that I have yet to enjoy. I sit at that light; that's where I do all of my pondering of the universe. That is where I remember all the people who have touched my life. That is where I remember all the ways I have changed. That is where I remember all of those missed opportunities. That is where I play the introspection game. That is where I truly think about who is important to me. That is where I remember all of those things that I should have done. That is where I remember all the times I dropped that wretched ball. That is where I make goals to do better. That is where I remember that one time, and laugh out loud. That is where I make all of my decisions. That is where I remember all the things that "Oh crap! I totally forgot to do!" That is where I remember all the times when I wish things would have turned out differently. That is where I realize that I'm so glad everything happened the way it did. That is where I see God's hand in my life. That is where I know that he has a plan for me. But as I sit at that light, and I have these deep and penetrating thoughts about my current state, that light goes to green. Change happens. And never when you are expecting it. So that light on the corner of Orchard and Elm taught me a thing or two. You have to let it happen. You can't waste a minute. Take life at face-value. Enjoy the awkward. Enjoy the wonderful. Enjoy the pain. Enjoy the growth. Enjoy the moment, and the memories. Because chances are, change is on your horizon. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Bugs. Of Death.

For the love of everything good and holy in this world, why must every time I go outside at night are there creatures crawling all over the walls?! I hate the bugs in Florida with a fiery passion that lies deep within my bosom. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Gypsy

Right so, this morning I woke up like 4 hours before I was supposed to. Awesome. Love that. And I didn't really have anything to do... so I messed around on facebook, naturally. I decided to clean up my profile, because I hate the really long and all-inclusive profiles that so many people have. Just give me the basics here folks. I don't need nor do I want to hear you life story in your profile. It's fine. So I got to the hometown portion of the profile, and got stumped. Thoroughly. I don't really have a home town. If by definition of hometown you mean where you were born: answer=St. Louis. If by hometown you mean where you lived the longest: answer=Sandy, Utah. If by hometown you mean where you liked it the best: answer=Orlando. If by hometown you mean where are you going back to: answer=Rexburg, Idaho. If by hometown you mean where is your family: answer=Ferndale, California. If by hometown you mean where did you grow up: answer=Kansas City, Kansas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Eagan, Minnesota; Acworth, Georgia; Prescott, Arizona. If by hometown you mean where do you call home: answer=I have no bloody idea. Probably where the family is... but I don't call California home. Do you see the predicament I am in? I hate the question "So where are you from?" A dreaded question that I answer literally every day. And the answer is always some awkward stuttering form of, "Well.. all over." Where am I from. I've started telling people that I'm from America, but apparently that's not good enough for some people. That have to know where in America. And that my friends, is where it gets a little tricky. I probably have a complex about the whole home thing. Awesome. At least I have a place to always call home, even though every time I go there it's in a new state. Maybe I'll just really send everyone for a loop, move to Biddeford, Maine, and call that home. Done and done. I'll send you all a post card. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Cassette Tapes

Right, so I have decided that my life is like one of those old school commercials for one of those compilation cassette tapes. You know what I'm talking about. Those awesome sauce commercials that have Berry Manilow, or Elton John rocking in out on the screen as 17 or 18 different craptastic love songs, or 80's songs roll down your screen. My favorite part of those commercials is that the song they were currently playing would always be highlighted in yellow. So as not to confuse the general public. Thank you; thank you. And they were so great because within the period of 30 seconds they would give you a little smattering of what the tape was like, and all the reasons for you NOT to buy it. Got to love that old school advertising. But this morning, as I was pondering the universe once again, I started thinking about these commercials for some unfathomable reason, and it hit me that they are a little bit like my life. I feel like I have 17 or 18 craptastic love songs, and 80's songs that are so defining of what life is like for Emmilie Buchanan. Because things are constantly changing, and always moving forward just like the songs on that screen. Now the one major difference between my life and those horrific commercials is that my life is awesome. And I'm sure that if it ever was turned into one of those craptastic commercials, I would have such hits as "Friday I'm In Love," "I Do Not Hook Up," "Don't Stop Believing," "Miss Independent," while also featuring such classics such as "The Best is Yet to Come," and "All You Need is Love." So I hope that within these 30 seconds I too have given you a little smattering of what my life is really like, and convinced you to buy the cassette tape of my life. Because guess what my friends, it's awesome. Thank you, and goodnight.