Niko!!!!!!!

I sometimes wonder what Niko does all day when I am gone. Every night when I walk through the door, he is running down the stairs, but clearly a little sleepy, which suggests to me that he sleeps, all day long. I'm not sure where yet, but I am thinking on the top of the couch since that's where he'll sometimes pass out when I'm watching a tv.

Anyway, I bought this new camera today. I also went with a 4-year Accidental Insurance policy, which upped the price $80 bucks, but if I happen to drop or scratch it, Best Buy will replace it for free. So, not a bad deal if you ask me. (or if you ask Jameson at the Best Buy on Charleston and the 215, who talked me into purchasing it). I'm excited to get back to taking pictures again...and to jazz up this blog finally.

Gone green

I'm not embarrassed to admit that last night I watched the ENTIRE Academy Awards broadcast (we're talking live here, with commercials). Some thoughts on the evening:

1. Rachel Weitz was my best dressed. I thought she looked like a porcelain doll draped in silver. I LOVED her whole look. Some people gave her crap for her big, fat diamond necklace, but I say if you can't wear a big, fat diamond necklace to the Oscars, when can you?

2. Ex-Veeper Al Gore was the bell of the ball. The "I Love Al Show" peaked when he and Leonardo Dicaprio got up and announced that the 79th Annual Academy Awards had officially "Gone Green." Someone explain to me how an annual televised awards show is suddenly eco-friendly.

3. Alan Arkin totally dissed on his Little Miss Sunshine costar, Abigail Breslin by telling Ryan Seacrest he didn't think she should win. He thought she had had enough attention. I'm so sure, Abigail was probably the most classy person of the night. She was adorable and lovely and probably deserved that award just as much as anyone else.

4. If I ever get married and then divorced, I hope to look half as good as Reese Whitherspoon. Seriously.

5. Ellen did a good job I thought. I thought some parts were hilarious (i.e. asking Steven Spielberg to take hers and Martin Scorsese's picture for her MySpace page). Others, not so much (i.e. the "recycled jokes" bit) Yawn.

6. Overall, the acceptance speeches were very blah. Jennifer Hudson's was my favorite, only because I thought she was the most genuine. And, I got a little emotional when she cut to a smiling, teary Beyonce, who I'm 90% sure wasn't faking it.

7. Speaking of Beyonce, not to be outdone, she rocked her performance of the Dreamgirls nominated songs. So great. It was cool to see her and Jennifer perform together too. Too bad that as soon as they left the stage, Melissa Etheridge won the Oscar for her song from, what else? "An Inconvenient Truth" This was followed by another round of applause for Al Gore.

I am getting a new camera this weekend. I can't take it anymore. This blog is pretty lame, and it's even lamer without pictures. So if I must, I must.

Tuesday.

Have I mentioned that I got a cat? Well I got another cat. Bootsie is my first cat, but she lives with my mom and dad in Redding. She has a good life there and besides the threat of being swept away by hawks and/or falling down the cliff into the Sacramento River below my parents house, she is happy and secure and I don't want to uproot her life and cause her any more trauma than she has already endured. Ok, so all you peeps who keep giving me crap....Enough.

Cat #2: His name is Nikta, Niko for short. Nikta mean "night" in Greek which I thought was so perfect for him because he is black as night. See, a camera here would help the description. Here's a cat who looks similar and captures Niko's inspiration quite nicely:

Niko is still a kitten so he's not at big as that cat. But you get the picture. I really couldn't not get him when I happened to come across the adoption day going on at PetSmart. His little paw kept swiping at me through his cage. I had to. AND he was found as a stray newborn kitten in UTAH. So really, it's pretty much destiny that I found him.

Speaking of Utah, the shootings at Trolley Square were so sad. I can't believe it. It's bizarre to think that something like that can happen in a place like Utah. I mean, if you can't feel safe there, where can you?

Obama made it official on Saturday and announced his candidacy for the Presidency. Awe-some. I am stoked. I have already ordered my Obama gear and cannot wait for Lilly to be born so she can sport this:

American Idol is on tonight. I'm going to try and not watch it, but I'lm not making any promises. This is the first Hollywood episode, so I mean, let's be realistic.

Heather is making her way to Vegas this weekend. Finally. Someone to hang out with!!! I am stoked. Hopefully we get some tennis in because it's been way too long.

Lastly, Happy 22nd Birthday shout out to my sister Shannon. Shan, you are my best friend. We may not always get along, but you can make me laugh like no one else. Do something fun tonight. HAPPY BIRTHDAY....fish. sssss sssss sssssssss.

So True.

You know you're from Redding if.....

You know exactly where the Miracle Mile is, and actually use it when giving directions.

You remember having to drive to Chico for back-to-school shopping.

You know what the River Bowl is.

You know that on Friday and Saturday nights the cops are every where on Hilltop... so you don't "cruise."

You go to Discovery Village on any night, and always see at least three people you know.

You've been to Win River.

You know that Taco Shop sells $39 tacos everyday.

You know that Eureka way is 299...

You know that Mary Lake is more of a scum pond...

If you went to Shasta High school you were a "snob"

If you went to Enterprise High School you were "ghetto"

If you went to Anderson you were either a "druggie" or "Hick"

If you went to Central Valley you were a "slut" or "pothead"

Movies 8 use to be cool, until Movies 10 came along and became the "big" movie theater.

You know that there is no better place than Jack's to get a steak.

The jail is the tallest building in Redding.

Marketfest is something you go to even though you know its not that fun, unless you are drunk.

You know the Downtown Mall was never an actual mall, it was more office spaces.

When you move away you either move to Chico, Sacramento or San Diego.

You call Food Maxx ... Food for less... because, well, that is what it is...

And you remember when Winco was still called Waremart...

You know who Mike Mangus is.

You've walked across the Sundial Bridge.

The people you went to elementary school with are the same people you went to high school with.

More than likely one of your best friends parents grew up with your parents.

You have "your spot" at Whiskeytown Lake.

The concert on Wednesday was amazing. It was the best show I have ever been to. I mean, really. Even better was the fact that we got to sit in the VIP seating area because for some reason they weren't seating in the balcony and that's where my tickets were. So the manager escorted us to this bar area right above the crowd. It was AWESOME. I have seen him perform with his other band, Something Corporate a couple times and knew he puts on a great show, but he was so good. This description sucks, especially since I'm failing to come up with anything more engaging than "good" and "great", but it was was. I'm so glad I went. Christian went with me, which was nice since I don't think he was that into the music, but he stayed and I appreciated it. There's something so emotional about listening to live music you love...and this is music that I love, probably even obssessed with.

As for the meet and greet, I didn't get to go because it was at 3:00 in the afternoon, which I was so annoyed with. But I didn't want to ask my boss to leave work early on my 3rd week, you know? But I was bummed that I couldn't go. Seriously, who does meet and greets in the middle of the aftertoon on a weekday? Don't people have jobs?

Today I'm going to a Denim Sample Sale at the Westin. It's a huge designer jeans sale that is invite only. If you go to the website, you can check the schedule to see where and when they are coming to a city near you. It stays mainly in California, but they go to Seattle and Phoenix as well, and obviously Las Vegas. All you have to do is RSVP to get on the list, which I guess is strictly enforced at the door. Timing couldn't be better on this sale because I need me some jeans way bad and I just got paid. However, I won't be going nuts...one pair, maybe two depending on how much they are.

I have been cleaning this house all morning and all last night. It was gross. Kacie and Louis brought in so much dirt that is just accumulated everywhere. So gross. So I dusted everything in the place, vaccumed, cleaned the windows, and swept and mopped the floors.