Getcha Open On



It's U.S. Open time.

Game on, dudes.

The U.S. Open is my favorite grand slam in tennis because of one main reason. Two of my favorite things combined into one awesome event: sports and celebrities. This tournament is sort of like the greatest sporting event ever meets Us Weekly. Because the U.S. Open is played in New York, it's sort of like a mecca of who's who in celebrity sports fanaticism (I don't know if "fanaticism" is a word,in fact, I am pretty sure it's not, but just go with it)the U.S. Open is a tournament with all the makings of a great issue of Us weekly. Already I've read that Gwen Stefani and that odd-named baby of hers have made an appearance, Paris Hilton stopped by the Opening Party and rumors have been swirling over the "are they or aren't they" relationship of Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova. This hook-up excitement reminds me of that horrible movie, Wimbledon, with Kirsten Dunst, who I hate, but was forced to watch on a plane from London as to not go totally insane with boredom. In the movie, Kirsten is this up and coming tennis star who hooks up with veteran British cutie, Paul Bettany. They fall in love and improve each other's backhands all at the same time. It really is a ridiculous movie. Kirsten Dunst makes for a HORRIBLE tennis player. I mean really. It's comical. Go rent it just to see how bad she is.

What was the point of talking about Kirsten Dunst?....

Oh yeah. Andy and Maria. Anyways, these rumors remind me of that movie because I wonder if Andy sneaks over to Maria's hotel room at night or if Maria watches his matches from a private box. That's what I'd do If I were them.

But I'm not...and if you saw me play last night, you'd realize how far from tennis domination I am.

Me and Heather FINALLY got to play last night at Liberty Park. Heather is better than me, I mean, I'm not even going to front about that. But last night was so frustrating. I could not keep the ball in the court. I was beating myself. I feel that if I could just control my shot better, I would be able to beat Heather. She would probably beg to differ, but I am confident I'd be able to better compete. I need a new racquet too, that might help.

School started for the peeps up in L-town. Not going to lie, still not used to this whole "graduated" thing. I still miss Logan a lot.

It's P.R. night. This is it. Vincent is gone. I CAN FEEL IT.

Is anyone else off-the-chain excited for the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy because I can barely handle it. I watched two old episodes last Thursday night and during the commercials, they played one of those 2-minute montages for the season premiere. It looks way intense. If you haven't seen Grey's Anatomy then I feel sorry for you. I really do. It's the most witty, clever, gut-wrenching show on television. I used to say that about Lost, but then I discovered "McDreamy", Cristina and the rest of the crew and now my feelings have changed. Cristina is my favorite. Sandra Oh is the funniest woman on TV. She is hysterical. I want to be friends with her. I'd like to think we would get along quite well. I didn't get to watch the Emmy's last night but I checked out the Best and Worst Dressed List this morning. Katherine Hiegl was my favorite. She looked so beautiful. Grey's Anatomy didn't win anything (lame) but they all looked the best.

This weekend I went on a relatively short camping excursion in Idaho. I'm not much of a camper so combine that with the fact that it rained and I was the only girl hanging out with 7 guys who spent the entire time loading up empty bottles with a BB gun, it wasn't exactly a good time. I can only handle that for so long so I bailed out of there early on Saturday. I spent the entire summer as "One of the Guys" and I vow never to be that girl again. It's not fun and I am so over it.

Sunday night I went out with my Venezuelan friend, Freddy. We went to see World Trade Center with Anna and her boyfriend. It was pretty good. Some of it got a little boring, but I think it's because the movie focused on one particular story rather than taking on all the chaos and drama of September 11th. It's worth seeing though. One of the main dudes that is trapped in the WTC rubble was the Hispanic locksmith in Crash, you know, the one with the daughter. He's a great actor.

I drove down from Logan this morning and went straight to work. I am really tired and I need to take a shower.

I am really excited for fall. I am sick of the hot weather. I want to wear pants, sweaters and jackets again. Bring it on.

Hitting the Clay

Today my office had a little staff tennis tournament out at the Salt Lake Tennis Club. I was a little nervous when I found out that I was basically REQUIRED to participate, but the real kicker was when I found out we'd being playing on clay courts.

Aw crap.

We are talking, Ausralian Open style, genuine clay courts here. I have never seen a real clay court, let alone played actual tennis on one. My anxiety level peaked when I found out. All the people I work with have played tennis their whole lives. Me? Yeah, I touched a tennis raquet for the first time 2 years ago.....not exactly a seasoned veteran. But after I warmed up a bit and got the feel for the clay, I definitely held my own. We played doubles and even though me and my partner lost both our matches, I had a lot of fun. Playing on clay is a trip. The ball skips really bad and then just dies so you have to move a lot more, which is a task in and of itself. I about went down several times. But overall, good day on clay. I really want to join a team leauge. One of the league coordinators told me I should. We'll see.

The Format is in SLC again tonight. I completely forgot they were coming so I didn't get a ticket, but I am stil trying to track one down. Great band. Check 'em out.

Project Runway is on tonight.....SAY GOODBYE VINCENT!!!!!

I am starving right now. I want Paradise bakery but I went there yesterday. I swear they must know me by now. That place is delicious. So is Panera Bread, but we don't have one here...not that I know of. Anyways, I need to go eat.

Mitt
That is Mitt. Mitt Romney. Currently he is the governor of Massachusetts, but is you ask him, he would probably tell you he is the future President of the United States.
Mitt seems like a decent guy. I mean, if you ask me, he is a little too tan to be the leader of the free world, but what do I know. Also, what kind of a name is Mitt anyway? It reminds me of little league.

"Mom! Where's my Mitt?!!!"

Mitt is a real big deal down here in Utah because Mitt is Mormon. There was this article in the Trib today about Mitt's ancestors and how they were polygamists. It's sort of interesting. Anyways, I don't know exactly how I feel about Mitt yet. We shall see.

I am stoked for Project Runway this week. If they do not throw crazy Vincent off, SO HELP ME.... Seriously, the dude needs to go. He needed to go on day one, but because he is so crazy and causes so much drama, they keep him on, even though his sense of style is so whacked. It pisses me off. Just so they can draw more viewers and so Heidi Klum can make more money, they keep the crazies on there. Same goes for Angela. However, Angela has surprised me the last couple of shows. Her Audrey Hepburn dress was really good. But still, she has a little bit of crazy in her too and that doesn't fly with me. Michael is my pick to win. Michael is so rad. He is sort of this gangster, Kanye West wannabe, but all his clothes are so awesome. You look at him with this baggy jeans and iced out jewelry and can't believe he creates these soft, feminine, beautiful clothes. I love him. Thank goodess for Michael.

You know what I'm thankful for?

Cohabitation.

Because my brother decided to move in with his girlfriend, I am the beneficiary A LOT of really nice furniture.

My brother, the deal-maker, talked some dudes into driving a UHAUL all the way up from Vegas to drop off the items. There were a lot of items. A couple couches, a bedroom set, coffee table, end tables, kitchen table and chairs. The best part of the day was opening up drawers to find random things folded up in towels and such. This donation couldn't have come at a better time either. We were desperate for some furniture and now our house looks so cute. We almost didn't get one the the couches inside. The thing about our house is that is was built in the 40's and for some reason house builders in the 40's didn't think about how those living in the house would get their furniture in and out. I had already cursed the house when my box spring wouldn't fit up the stairs, so when we couldn't get one of the couches through either of the doors, I was pissed. Here I have a beautiful suede couch that I can't even get inside. It was so annoying. Me and the movers put it in our backyard when we gave up on squeezing it through the door. Later that night though, one of our friends, Greg, was over and he and Heather decided to give it another shot. I was a little pesimistic about the situation. In fact, I thought it hopeless. But Greg and Heather wouldn't give up and against all odds, THEY GOT THE COUCH INSIDE. I don't know how they did it and I don't know how we are ever going to get it out, but that couch is in and I couldn't be happier. There is something about having a well furnished home, one you can relax in and feel good about coming home to. For me, it makes everything in my life more in sync. When I live in a environment of chaos, the rest of my life feels out of control. I still can't get the stupid box spring up the stairs, so I'm going to have to buy a split queen box spring. So until I do, my room is a little incomplete. But I do have a new dresser to put all my clothes in which were previously still in their respective plastic storage bins, so it's progress if nothing else.

"NO LIQUIDS...REALLY"


I realize it has been a while since my last post, and for that, I am sorry.

This past weekend I headed home for a friend of mine's wedding. I have known Tiffany Hurley for as long as I can remember. We went through elementary school, junior high and high school together so I really wanted to make it to her big day. I didn't know if I should actually should go home that weekend. My parents were going to be down in southern California hanging out with Jen, Ryan and his family so I was going to be there all weekend by myself. But I'm glad I decided to go. I got to see a bunch of friends I haven't seen since graduation. Reuniting with high school friends is a trip. It's cool becuase even though most of us haven't really keep in contact with each other, when we get together it's like nothing has changed. We all have the same personalities we did in high school and end up laughing about the same dumb stuff.
Tiffany's wedding was really beautiful. She married a Hawaiian dude so they had a Hawaiian styled celebration. I am not really a fan of "themed" weddings, but this one turned out to be an exception to that rule. Tiffany and her husband are natural born performers-they sing, dance, act...you know the type, so their whole wedding was very entertaining. Lot's of music, lot's of dancing...just a big party.


Tiffany looked beautiful. She wore a form-sitting laced, halter gown that her mother made. Very pretty. Her and her new husband make a great couple. I'm really happy for her.

The rest of the weekend I spent hanging out with a couple friends. We went out to Win River Casino (a Redding landmark for sure) and spent the night playing blackjack and dancing with Redding's finest. If you've ever wondered why our end of the valley gets a bad rap for being a little white trash, go to Win River. You will understand.
Sunday my good friend Kristina took us out on her family's houseboat. It was so relaxing. We just kicked it out on the lake for a few hours, laughing at each other, recalling all our classic high school stories. Since all of us have been fortunate enough to travel abroad, we also talked a lot about where we've been, what we've seen and where we want to go.


Monday morning I drove my brother's car down to Sacramento and hung out with my sister Jen for a couple hours. If you aren't familiar with Jen, then let me tell you that she is pregnant. Come March, she is going to be a mother. Weird. Lately though,Jen hasn't been feeling so hot. I have never been pregnant so it's hard for me to sympathize with her when she complains to me how bloated she feels and how much she hates being pregnant. We went to lunch and then hit up Target and Old Navy. By the end of the outing we were both exhausted. Jen, because she is pregnant, me because I don't like to shop and a mere 30 minutes into any shopping adventure, I am spent. So she drove me to the airport where I hopped a very empty plane to Salt Lake City by way of Las Vegas.
This whole "No liquids" deal is quite intense. I flew to Sacramento the day all that stuff in London went down and so when I got on the shuttle from the parking lot, I was bombarded with fliers and announcements about "No liquids of any kind." It didn't really cross my mind that I might be carrying the types of liquids that could be considered dangerous or suspicious so when I got in the security line (which was insanely long) and noticed some guy walking around with a huge cart full of lipgloss, hair products, and beverages I realized that these dudes were NOT messing around. I had to get out of the security line and go check my suitcase I was going to carry on because there was no way I was throwing away all my stuff. I mean seriously, there was some expensive crap in that cart. So I went to the check-in desk, checked my little suitcase and got back in the security line, where I waited for 45 minutes. Good thing I had a copy of the latest Us Weekly (thanks Jen) to keep me occupied while the line in front of me whittled down. Had I not been so interested in Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, I might have noticed I was about to miss my flight. I got to the gate and saw NO ONE. Then I heard over the intercom, "This is the final boarding call for flight 328 service to Las Vegas" Oops. There was no one at the entry to the jetway so I just cruised on in and walked on the plane. I mean, no one was there to make sure that I actually had a legit boarding pass valid to get on the plane. I mean, how can airport security be seizing lipgloss and bottled water but there be no one checking to make sure who does and does not get on the plane? Huh. Whatever, I made it and needless to say I got to and from Sacramento sans any liquid/security incident.

Game On

Many of you know my good friend and roommate, Heather. Heather and I are so much alike it's scary. Among other things, we both love sports, being unhealthily tan and are both unlucky in love. I can't tell you how many times I have called her, obessed over a new song or band and she will already have the song burned to Cd, blaring in her car. We even, unknowingly, have the same hair dryer and flat iron. Althought we are so similar, we are also total opposites. Heather is a lot more low-maintance than me (according to her, I am an 8.25 on the "high-maintence" meter, a little high if you ask me...) She is also more blunt and to-the-point than me, which is refreshing especially when I desperately need someone to snap me back to reality...

"Brianne! He is just NOT THAT IN TO YOU!"

Right.

The reason I bring Heather up is because Heather has one of the coolest jobs ever. She coaches the University of Utah volleyball team. She got this job after coaching Utah State's team for 3 years. Now, I feel bad saying this because I feel like it's going against some Aggie Alumni Code of Honor or something but Utah State's volleyball team doesn't even compare to the Utes. Really. I watched the Aggies for 3 years myself, having lived with some volleyball players and being friends with Heather. I actually liked to look at myself as an unofficial coach. I would often come early to the matches, scouting out the team, and chat with Heather about who was on, who was off and who needed to take out her pigtails (seriously...) I got oddly involved with that team, getting frustrated with every piece of drama that plagued that them. I know, I have no life. You're telling me...

Well good-bye Aggies...

Bring on the Utes...

I am rather exited to see Heather's new tean in action. I am looking forward to getting to know the players and seeing how they play. I am sure they will be awesome and NOT wear pigtails... According to sources, this team puts Utah State's to shame and I have no problems going along with that. They play one of their first matches against USU on Sept. 8th so that will be extra fun to watch. Can't wait. I need some sort of hobby in my life again. If cheering for a vlleyball team of which I have ZERO association is what it takes, then so be it.

P.S. Heather sorry I cooked salmon and stunk up our house. I won't be doing that again anytime soon. But not going to lie, it was delicious!

Summer Time

I can't believe it's already August. Jeez. Where did the summer go? I guess it went to Europe with me. That month really took a chunk out of the summer. But seriously, summer has flown by and I am getting sad. Everyone will be going back to school soon and I will be alone. My social life resides in Logan, unfortunately without me. I guess I will have to make some new friends so I don't go crazy. Actually Heather finally got to stick around for a weekend. We hit up the pool again yesterday. That's always fun. We end up talking about the same things we always do but it's the best. Her season starts soon so that's exciting for her. I can't wait to watch them play. They are good-so I hear.

This picture is from July 24th AKA Pioneer Day. It's kind of a big deal in Utah. July 24th marks the celebration of the Mormon pioneers arriving in Salt Lake Valley. It's by far the biggest holiday in Utah, I'd say. Lots of picnics, fireworks and sales....very reminiscent of the Fourth of July. We got a big group together and went to Ogden for the big Pioneer Day festivities. Pretty fun.

This weekend was really low key. Saturday I went to watch a friend of mine play in a tennis tournament. He lost, but I was very impressed with him. He has only been playing a year and decided to enter with tournament. He did really well. Later, some friends and I made dinner and watched the MLS All-Star game against FC Chelsea from the European Soccer League. The MLSers pulled off the upset and beat Chelsea 1-0. The MLS is so fun to watch. I have been to a couple REAL Salt Lake games and they are fun. I wish America would get in to soccer more. Europe is nuts about it. I mean, it's life for them. It's such a huge part of their culture. Soccer in Europe can't really be compared to any sport in the U.S. EVERYONE is a soccer (futbol) fan. It's really cool. Anyways, America should get excited over our league. REAL Madrid, the European sister team to REAL Salt Lake, is coming over to play RSL. Madrid is good. David Beckham plays for Madrid. David Beckham will be in Salt Lake City in about 6 days. Rad. I really want to go, but the tickets are sold out and really expensive on EBay and stuff. Oh well. I am supposed to go home for my friend Tiffany's wedding next weekend anyways. I still need to get my ticket. I am looking forward to it. I'll get to see a lot of friends from high school I haven't seen in a while so that will be fun.

Well, I need to take a nap. That's what Sundays are for.

These are a few of my favorite things...


Andy Roddick is my favorite tennis player. He's also my number 1. He's been struggling lately in Grand Slams, but I have a feeling he'll come around at the U.S. Open this year.


If you know me at all, you know how I feel about cats, kittens especially. This one is way too cute. I just want to pick her up and squeeze her....but I wouldn't.


Mike Bibby represents my favorite team. Kings 4 Ever.


Lost is the best show on television. If you haven't seen it, beware. One episode and your hooked. It's like heroin. But if you have a free weekend, go rent the DVD's or get them on iTunes. Great show. Matthew Fox is a babe.


This is one of my favorite bands, Jack's Mannequin. They're kinda like the Beach Boys meets Ben Folds meets Dashboard Confessional. Check 'em out.

So there. Some of my favorite things. My bout with tonsilitis seems to be coming around. My tonsils have recessed and are now a more subtle red than the flaming hue they were a few days ago. I got a job finally. I am now the a marketing/PR assistant with the U.S. Tennis Association. So now I am really looking forward to making that Andy Roddick thing happen...

Tonsilitis.

What are tonsils? Really? I need to know because mine, I think, are KILLING ME.

I should have woken up yesterday morning to the sounds of the derenchal down pour and deafening thunder going on outside. But no, I woke up to an agonizing pain nestled right at the top of my mouth, just north of my throat. It hurt so bad, it took everything I had to try and swallow. Then I began to feel really claustrophobic because I could actually feel how my tonsils had expanded over night, partially cutting off airflow to my lungs. I don't get claustrophobic usually but when my air supply is cut off, I tend to get slightly (and understandably) panicked. The more I thought about it, the more I freaked out, but I soon realized that although I was freaking out, I was still conscious and therefore must be getting sufficient oxygen. I went straight to the bathroom to examine my throat.

What I saw looked very simliar to this:


There. Just like that. All inflamed and what not. I even had a couple white spots on the right side. Gross I know, but listen, it was painful. The underside of my jaw, around my lymph nodes, was also very tender and swollen.

Great. Just what I need as a broke, ex-college student with no health insurance.

Knowing that we fear what we do not understand, I did some serious research to figure out what was going on up in my throat.

After looking around on WebMD I have diagnosed myself with Tonsilitis

I most likely have a bacterial infection because I don't have any cold-like symptoms (coughing, sneezing, runny nose, etc.) And because it is most likely bacterial, there is a chance I have strep throat. Upon further reading, there is also the possibility of me have mononucleosis. They think (the WebMD people) I should be tested for strep and mono.

Fantastic.

I guess I am just going to have to see if this thing gets any better before I am forced to find a doctor and get checked out. Maybe I qualify to go to one of those traveling clinic things. You know, those RV's that park outside homeless shelters and give the needy free check-ups and such. I bet I do qualify.

I wonder if they give free antibiotics too...

Hopefully, it doesn't come to that.