i have a friend named julie

Julie isn't a thing, she's a person, but I figure she's good for the blog since I have her. For a friend, anyway. She got me a really cool watch for Christmas that I've eyed for literally two years, so I guess that counts for the money spending.

But anyway. My friend Julie. She is frequently mentioned on this and my other blog, typically as the Julie with the clothes blog. That's because she has a blog about clothes, but she also writes really well on her normal blog-- because she writes really well. Once she wanted to be an English teacher and she was pursuing an English degree, but Julie suffers from the same problem I had in school, in that we are smart, we like to be smart, if we actually tried to be good students we could, graduate school would be no problem, but we like to sit around Denny's until 2am too often, to the detriment of our homework. In this case, specifically to the detriment of Julie's homework. So she's not an English major anymore, but she still writes really well. Like, really well.

Along those lines, it has been suggested that she write a book about her life published under a pseudonym, which I happen to think would be highly successful and a very lucrative option, but I'll leave that up to her.

This is a shirt-tunic thing that Julie has, and I have it too, so I think that counts for the blog. Actually, her little sister Jenny has it, but I've never seen Jenny wear it-- only Julie. We call it "Ragu" because one time she wore it and looked like the older sister on My Big Fat Greek Wedding, even though that lady is Greek and I'm pretty sure the word "ragu" is Italian. In fact, I know it's Italian. It's fine. We know what we mean.

In fact, it happens a lot that we just kind of talk (a lot, really. We really like to talk. I mean, we talk a lot a lot a lot, which I'm sure you'd never be able to tell since I don't ever say much on this or any blog and neither does she) in a manner so that we know what we mean, but a lot of people don't know what we mean. Like we'll say things like, "He doesn't like me, he likes me." Which, I mean, makes perfect sense.

Julie and I had a New Year's party last year, and we're having it again this year, but my point is that it was really a Big Moment in our lives. Something changed that night, and it kind of opened the door to a doozy of a year for her-- let's just be honest about it. She is. After our Grown Up party (that people came to), we suddenly found the circus of life had turned into something Normal. Then we started dating these boys, and then we both got engaged within a week of each other, and then we were going to get married a week apart. This was exciting. Long story made short, however, not all came to pass, and unfortunately, Julie (and her ex-fiance, for that matter) suffered a dis-engagement, which was pretty sad and horrible. But you know, I really think she's come out on top from the whole thing. I don't mean that she's better off than before she was engaged, and I'm not at all mud-slinging ex-fiance (who is one of my longest-time friends). All I mean is that life tossed her a few hundred lemons, and she's still squeezing the last drops of juice from them all. That lemonade sure tastes delicious!!

We met a few years ago during A Christmas Carol at HCTO when we were both in the choir. It was the last of the Great Choirs for the show, if you ask me, us with our dresses, and Robbie and Sarah, and Adam and Eric and that's when we met Jim, too. She grew up seeing every HCTO show ever and then was in it and it was a dream come true. We've been in together four years and then this year, suddenly-- we were over it. In a good, nostalgic, we'll always say we want to go back to it even if we never do kind of way. In the meantime, she auditioned for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels a few weeks ago, nailed the audish, and is going to be single cast in the show opening in February. This is because she can Sing. Not just sing, but Sing. Also she plays the piano. Not so much of a dancer, but at least she's a mover, and that will do just fine, particularly all gussied up in a French maid costume for the show.

Julie likes books, journals, clothes (duh), old movies like White Christmas, modge podging, hunting Savers and DI (she may have sold her soul to the thrifting gods-- I'm really not sure she hasn't), taking pictures of herself and others twirling around, McDonald's, Thai food, mixing up all the remnants of food and condiments during 4-hour trips to Denny's, looking at pretty things in Target, sitting in the Target food court with me, texting, tweeting (@julieannaface), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and her baby cousins. Children of all ages are drawn to her in kind of a freaky, have-a-baby-soon way. She is very nice. She likes my husband. Her birthday is on Valentine's day. She makes friends with every single person who ever lived and lives to make people happy.

Merry Christmas, Julie, and cheers to the end of a Very Long Year. Clink.

All photos courtesy of Julie's very own facebook page, which I stalk, but not enough to be one of her Top Five Stalkers.

i have music

So there's this band I like, called The Rocket Summer. The band is actually just one guy called Bryce Avary who records almost all the instruments/vocals on his albums, but then takes a band with him on tour, so he can switch around to all the different instruments throughout the performance.

He is a musical genius and gives the greatest concerts you will ever hear. This is not an exaggeration. Last year The Rocket Summer played in Salt Lake ON MY BIRTHDAY SEPTEMBER 19. Look how excited we were about it!

Possibly the ugliest face I've ever made in my life. Captures the moment, regardless.

Then my mom got me a Rocket Summer sweatshirt and I felt really awesome about it, so I made another ugly face, because I'm so so good at making ugly faces. Clearly. But it's a kick-ah sweatshirt and totally hardcore, which justifies the gangsta face.I even took a Rocket Summer t-shirt with me to England and I wore it when I hung out by replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship with some really hot red sunglasses. I have an international affection, Bryce. Aren't I awesome?And check this out you twits-- @therocketsummer follows ME on twitter. Yes it's really Bryce Avary. Yes, he's got 18,000 followers. Yes, he only follows 1,200. Pretty good ratio, yeah?? So yeah, I can directly tweet Bryce if I want. Shrug hair toss cigarette tap.Anyway, my fanaticism wouldn't mean anything (and probably still doesn't mean anything to anyone else but whatever this is my blog read it) if it weren't for the music music music doo doo doooooooo. So I created a little playlist for you, starting with one of the brandest new songs that's been released in preparation for the new album which will be released February 23, 2010.

Get excited. I am.

i have things

Well, world, since I've finally got three whole entries posted, I figure I might as well introduce my latest blogging endeavor. The fact is, I like Things. You know-- just, Things. I have all sorts of Things, and I like them. Sometimes I feel like writing about the Things I have, or sometimes about the Things I want, but I'm not so inclined to talk about My Things on this blog for fear of sounding like I think I'm too awesome/materialistic (which I may or not be. Both. It's fine).

So I'm starting a new blog, admittedly a la Things I Bought That I Love. There are worse things than ripping off someone like Mindy Kaling (aka Kelly from The Office) because I want to have her job, frankly.

Here is a link: Emily Has Things.
(This is my blog, not Mindy Kaling's blog, obviously. Really obviously, actually.)

Creative title, right? There's also a link on the sidebar right there -------->

Clickity-click. Help me feel not lame about it, you guys.

hair tales

In theory, I like to have long hair. I like being able to do things with it, and have cool layers, and have it go swish swish swish behind me as I walk down the hall a la Marsha Brady. Okay, not really the swishing part, but I do like long hair. Once upon a time when I was 19-years old, my hair was very long:

Guest starring Ashley Oblad, everybody. That's me on the left.

The thing about having long hair is that, I really like it best in theory. I go for long times having long hair, but on any given day it looks like this:
This is me about ten days ago, in fact, hanging the first ornament that we ever bought together (Mickey ears from Disneyland) for the first time on our very first Christmas tree. Note Ames's facial hair. But my point is that my long hair typically gets pulled off my face, piled on the top of my head, and managed by some kind of headband. Ta and da, not a big deal, what's the point of having long hair, even if the color is cool (which, I must say, it is)? But I digress.

One day, Ames showed me this video with Cortney Wolfson in it, who is a U of M grad (go Wolverines) and has recently arrived On Broadway. If you start around 3:50, you'll see why I was inspired.

And really, as much as I like long hair (in theory), I also LOVELOVELOVE short hair. I've donated my hair twice in the last five years (one of those times, I cut off 14" rather than the minimal 10" cigarette tap). I like short hair, but usually like chin length. Pour example:

So emo, right?

So yesterday I ventured to my friend Julie's house (not the one with the cool clothes blog, but a different, equally cool Julie with the cutest baby who ever existed don't you even try to argue about it with me) and she snip snip snipped off my hair without even a picture or that youtube video as a guide.

VOILA!

I think the only thing that will make it better is to dye it again! Thoughts? Ideas?

happiness and cheer

Dear Santa Claus,

How have you been? Did you have a nice summer? How is your wife? I have been extra good this year, so I have a long list of presents that I want. Please note the size and color of each item, and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself: just send money. How about tens and twenties?

All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.

This is my first Christmas as a real Grown Up. I've spent the last few weeks making lists of people I needed/wanted to buy gifts for, and then actually getting and making them, and then addressing Christmas cards, and thinking about in-laws and extended family, and signing everything "Love, Emily & Ames". That's my favorite part about this Grown Up Christmas-- the "Emily & Ames" part. But also, in being Grown Up, I don't even really have a Christmas Wish List.

I'll pause while you gasp.











I know, right? I have a theory about this-- I think I have been overwhelmed by gifts this year, with the getting married and all. And we even continue to receive wedding gifts. We got one today in fact, no lie. Also there was that time when we went a little crazy with my summer bonus a few months ago, so I mean, there's not much that I really want. I like pretty things. Easy.

Actually I lied. I wish for my orders from Amazon and Barnes & Noble to get here on time like whoa.

In the meantime, look what we have, where we can put any of those items from my non-existent wish list!
I have my very own Christmas tree in our very own house which we bought together, in the spirt of Charlie Brown! Look at how darling and sparse and skinny it is! All it needed was a little love, and a $10 gold star from Target that I'm actually obsessed with, and now it's the Perfect Tree. Also I made this tree skirt:
Weren't we cute when we were eight years old?I don't start my new job till January 4, so I fully plan on sitting in this living room watching LOST on Netflix for two full weeks, in view of this Christmas tree.

ChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmas.

job update

So you guys.

I GOT A JOB.

It's true. After all that whining and freaking out and heaving breaths, I got a job. And not just any job.

I got THE job.

Let me introduce you to the new Noorda Theater at Utah Valley University. It is shiny and new, and its focus is to be a pretty youth-oriented theater, which means we'll be starting summer youth programs in 2010 (which I'll help to organize and run-- exciting!). Ames performed in the Noorda this year, when he was Lurvy in Charlotte's Web, and sometimes he builds sets for Noorda shows. There's even a small chance that he might do a work study next semester building sets, but that's another story.

This story is about ME and how I got THE JOB at UVU.

My official position is Administrative Assistant II and I'll assist the director of the Noorda Theater, but I'll have my foot in the general theater department as well. It's a salaried job, with full health benefits. I mean, my position will mean that Ames has to lose his scholarship because being full time, I get free tuition for both of us.

Free tuition! Free tuition! Free tuition!

I begin January 4. Thank you everyone so much for your thoughts and suggestions and prayers, since I know there were a lot of those on our behalf. I'm so thrilled to have gotten a job at all, to say nothing of THE job that I wanted, which balances all of my job experience and interests and qualifications.

I'm a happy girl.

read this

If your Recently Read book list is limited to Twilight, or even if it's not, stop what you're doing and read every book you can by Erik Larson. Luckily he's only written three books, so it won't take you long.

Begin with this:It's about the Chicago World's Fair and a serial killer who murdered all kinds of tourists while they were there. Did you know the Ferris Wheel was invented for the Chicago World's Fair? Also, corn flakes? If you read this book, you'll learn things like that. And the thing is: it's all true. It is a true-to-life, nonfiction book that reads like a novel, and is as good/better than any Law and Order episode you've ever seen (minus Brisco and Green, but there are some other neat detectives anyway). You won't be able to put it down, for real. Creep factor to the max!!!

Then read this:
This is the one I'm reading right now, and it's about the development of wireless communication in the early 1900s, and the murder of a B-grade variety show celebrity by her quiet, mousy husband (who was involved in the early years of over-the-counter medicine). Did you ever stop to think about how home pharmacy was not always a reality? Or exactly what it took to develop early technology that lets me text message 200 times a day? Or how early paranormal research relates to either of those things?? I hadn't ever thought about it either, but you should, because it's awesome.

Now go on-- set Bella and Edward aside. You've read those books 80 times anyway.

the truth of joblessness

About two hours ago, I had a little meltdown, all by myself in my freezing cold basement apartment. The novelty of a cool apartment for summertime has worn off drastically as the temperature outside drops, and the inability to control the heat in my home combined with the reality that most of the vents in our apartment can't open makes me a little more than frustrated. Also, typically frigid. Thank goodness Ames tends to have a predictably high body temperature.

So a meltdown is an interesting concept as I'm tempted to go get those gloves that I've got with the tips cut off, so I can continue to type while I warm up my hands that are finding it increasingly difficult to type, being so chilly. But a meltdown it was, like I haven't had since June as I found myself in the exact same predicament:

essentially jobless

Don't get me wrong-- I'm grateful for my part-time work at the theater which, at approximately 16 hours a week, doesn't bring in much, but at least it's something. Anything. But it's a hard truth that 16 hours a week doesn't stretch as far as it seemed to in college, when my only concern was myself, having fun, and managing to pass classes enough for a degree. It's a Big Deal to be all but unemployed right now, which I guess is why I wandered for a while, crying and huddled under my Christmas Carol blanket, still in my pajamas, and carrying a 2 liter bottle of Diet Coke, nursing it like I might a bottle of vodka, without the anticipated payoff of a splitting headache and a foggy line of thinking tomorrow morning.

I've spent the last few hours job searching, a task I've again taken more and more seriously as I've started to feel more and more desperate--the exact routine I executed till mid-June in an effort to sooth that weight in my chest that pounds harder and harder when I start to consider the next few weeks months years if I don't find something more stable, like, yesterday.

Interestingly, I actually had an interview for a job this week. I happen to know it was a highly competitive position, and there is a chance the interview process came down to me and one other girl, who I passed in the hall on my way into my potential employer's office. It's astounding that I made the cut that far, from the 400+ applications submitted to HR, to the 70+ passed on to the employer, to the interview process. I should be grateful enough for that. But it's happened a few times this year that I make it That Far in the process, only to determine that I'm "not the right fit for the position."

Did you know that a Bachelor's degree is kind of not even enough right now? Most of the positions that catch my attention require a minimum of a Master's degree, a thing I'm not really opposed to getting except that I need money to pay for a Master's degree, which can only be earned assuming I can find a job with a wage good enough to save for a Master's degree, which job pays well enough (given my skills and qualifications) that I need a Master's degree to even apply for the position. Chicken, egg, chicken, egg, around and around and around...

Which still leaves me working part-time at less than $10 an hour without benefits.


My point is not to wallow in self-pity (I did that before, remember, with the crying and the blanket and the Diet Coke which is still sitting next to me on that side table there), but really to ask this question:

Should I continue to find myself without a full-time job in the next week or two, do you know of anyone who will hire me??

The position I acquired over the summer was due entirely to the fact that my good friend of many long years was the one hiring and she knew I'd be very capable in the job. Even at the theater, I was hired on a personal basis. I worked at BYU for two years thanks to a recommendation from another friend. I didn't actually interview for any of them. These days, I really think actually getting a job may just come down to Who You Know.

Education
BYU
Bachelor of Arts: English
Minor: Theatre Arts Studies
Acting Merit Scholarship
UVU
Theatre Study Abroad Program-- London & Edinburgh
Edinburgh Fringe & American Association for Community Theater festivals

Skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills and communication-- pleasant "phone voice" and customer service
- Strong writer and editor-- typing = 80 WPM
- Extensive experience handling financial, credit card and confidential information.
- Solid knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office, Quickbooks, Adobe products, and ticketing software-- capacity to learn new programs quickly and well
- Ability to remain helpful and cheerful when assisting disgruntled customers
- Self-motivated and efficiant with time-- need little supervision
- Good team player-- good interdepartmental relations, work well with executive management
- Quick and accurate data entry
- Attention to detail
- Experience in theater administration-- ticket sales, Season Ticket packaging, Door Managing, costuming, etc.

Recent Employment History
Box Office Representative, Hale Theater Orem-- 8/1/2008 - Present
HR Supervisor, Seven Peaks Water Park-- 6/13/2009 - 9/30/2009
Clerk, BYU Bookstore--MTC Branch-- 4/1/2008 - 7/15/2008
Secretary, BYU Teacher Education Office-- 6/1/2006 - 4/1/2008
Secretary, Independence High School-- 3/1/2006 - 6/1/2006

head pretties

I was speaking with one of the owners of the theater the other day about how I love headbands. To be honest, that's a bit of an understatement. I mentioned how I have approximately 40 headbands-- I mean, give or take. She said to me, "That sounds like an obsession!" but I insisted that many of them have been gifts, especially in the last year or so. Then she said, "Oh, well then it's a collection." She did that face she does when she's sounding teasing, but insistent. But my point:

I have a collection of 40+ headbands
(give or take but mostly give)

You know how people sometimes have their "thing"? Like, Julie has belts, and my sister has cool/weird necklaces, and my mom has bracelets. Headbands are kind of My Thing, to say the least, along with cardigans (which will be a different blog post entirely). Sometimes I walk into stores and my thought process is literally, "HEADBANDS HEADBANDS HEADBANDS HEADBANDS HEADBANDS" and then I go try them all on every single one. I am a Headband Connoisseur.

I received seven headbands for my birthday this year (three with feathers, two with bows, one with both). If you think I'm hard to buy for, you're wrong. I told Ames I wasn't going to buy any more for myself ever again, but have bought four more since then. I have a bin in my linen closet to hold them all. Ames teased me, but it's better than having them scattered around the house, wouldn't you say?

I think the fondness began early, owing to my mom's self-proclaimed inability to "do hair." Thus, as a two year old:

I'm the stylin' one on the left

Ta da! An easy and adorable (if I do say so) quick-fix. And the thing for bows on headbands certainly continues (16 in my collection) :

The Greatest Bow Headband to Exist while drinking a Diet Coke (surprise!) in Paris, France

(Eiffel Tower to my left, not pictured)

One of the greatest things about headbands is the grand variety-- a headband for any occasion!

Intense Christmas Carol party headband
(curls not included)

9th grade competitive Irish dancer headband

Honeymoon in Disneyland wedding Minnie Mouse ears with a veil headband

Waiting on the plane for four hours to leave New York City awesome head wrapping headband
(featuring Anna Mortimer)

Look how cute Ames Bell is headband

Happy New Year/We threw a party and people came headband
(featuring Julie Garbutt)

Allow me to introduce a few of my recent favorites from my expanding collection:

Feathers are rarely a bad idea headband

Bejeweled headband

My middle name is Rosie the Riveter headband

I feel like a Who in Whoville would wear this oversized bow headband

THE BEST PART IS: I have never spent more than $7 on a headband in my life.

GOOD FOR: Dressing up/down an outfit, cuteifying dirty/gross hair, making a ponytail more interesting, pushing bangs off your face, accenting how cute your bangs are, conversation starters, making yourself look younger in headshots (truth), collecting something inexpensive but awesome.

HEADBANDS TO AVOID: Anything more than $10 because why are you spending that much?, anything over-the-top that makes you look like a poser, anything that looks like it should be drawn onto a Peanuts character.

black friday

We ventured out yesterday afternoon on Black Friday, not so much to participate in any kind of deals, but to get a Christmas tree stand (with a Home Depot gift card that we got as a wedding gift, so we were actually spending someone else's money!). Kind of boring, unless you're a newlywed girl who is preparing for Christmas for the first time, in which case you get real jazzed about things like Christmas tree stands and strings of lights and darling ceramic bird ornaments for $0.99 at Target.

Anyway, there is something to be said about the gross consumerism of Black Friday-- being around the crazies grappling at everything they can get their thrifty hands on, shoving past people to see exactly which DVDs are on sale for $3.99 (even if you're not interested in actually buying them), and reveling in the spirit of a Capitalist Christmas (we'll wait to acknowledge the religious aspect-- you know, the important part-- for December 1st).

Here are some materialistic highlights of the day:

1. 50% - 70% off EVERYTHING at Aeropostale
This is not an exaggeration. Everything in the store was literally 50% - 70% off. Usually I have a hard time finding clothes for myself in Aeropostale these days (in spite of my 7th grade allegiance, since I basically limited myself to Aero and Old Navy for a whole year), but Ames is nice and tall and slim, which is just about right for the cut of Aero clothes. Also they have cute jewelry and bags and smells and my friend Tanner works there, so we bounced in on a whim.

Result:

actual images unavailable due to a network connection failure at aeropostale.com
corduroy pants for Ames / grey & silver striped leggings for me = 50% off

I can't speak for Ames's pants, but these striped leggings are not only adorable and affordable, but they look fantastic with cranberry colored knit boots and a dark gray striped boyfriend cardigan.

2. Lunchtime
Five Guys wasn't having any kind of deal, but it didn't keep the lines from going out the door! Can you imagine what it must have been like at In-N-Out? I don't even want to know. There wasn't a table to be hand, particularly when other customers heartlessly vultured tables from under us as we stood there awkwardly, food in hand, looking pathetic and helpless. Since Black Friday is all about dog-eat-dog, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. Maybe those same customers will be a little less cut-throat come December 1st, when Christmas starts to focus on The True Meaning of Christmas a little more.

Result:
bacon cheeseburgers, soda and cajun-flavored fries

Just as delicious and fresh as any other burger I might have had yesterday from any other establishment to ensure fresh and delicious flavor. No free refills for us, however, since we finally just took our bag of food to the mall food court where we were immediately able to find a table. Thanks for nothing, other Five Guys patrons!


3. Forever 21 never fails
I know I promised that I wouldn't provide myself with any more headbands for my collection, and I already have a large selection of cardigans to wear on a daily basis, but what could I do when faced with unbearable cuteness? Anyone else would have done the same, I defy you to tell me they wouldn't have, regardless of sales not applicable to these specific items (though I applaud my friend Julie for her efforts to advertise Black Friday promos on her first full day of work).

Result:
photos to come later, due to lack of time at work to post

I've looked at this cardigan a few times and have talked myself out of it in the past, but there comes a time when I just have to give in after a while. And are you KIDDING ME about that headband?!?!!? RIGHT??!!


4. Adam Lambert is for MY entertainment
For curiosity's sake, we wound up at Target, mostly in search of a Christmas tree topper (found one, didn't get it, going back for it eventually). We already have a pretty TV, and I already have three pairs of boots from Target (don't worry about it) and aside from The Dark Knight, I didn't care to spend money on DVDs for the sake of a good deal. We couldn't pass up some music, however, regardless of a recently controversial performance.

Result:

I don't care what you say, this man has a voice that is not to be believed. And the album cover looks like freakin' Xanadu. XANADU, you guys. $10 for more eyeliner than you've ever seen on a man and that screaming voice is more than a deal, if you ask me (which you did, since you're reading my blog).


Conclusion: A successful Black Friday. Saw some friends, ate some food, spent some dollars. And I'm looking forward to listening to Adam Lambert while we set up our Christmas tree while wearing striped leggings and corduroys and cardigans and a headband (for me, not for Ames).

let me introduce to you

This is my immediate family, who are squishy and lovable.

We all went/go to college, which is why some of us like to hang out in graduation robes sometimes. This picture makes it seem like we kind of look alike too, which is not necessarily always the case.

This is my husband. His name is Ames, and we've known each other more than a year now. He wants to be a youtube star.
I talk about him a lot. He's really cute, and he's really nice, and he's got these eyes that make me go woozy because they're so deep, aren't they? Yes they are. We've only been a little Bell family for a few months, but (and they always say this) it feels like so much longer. For real, I feel (and they always say this) that we've been together for years and years and years and I'm starting to wonder how we ever existed without each other. I mean, of course we existed without each other, but you know what I mean (they always say that too, when they don't know what else to say). He's the most thoughtful boy a girl could ever ask for. Also, he's really snuggly when I'm freezing at night (which is almost always). Also, he indulges my headband collection (you thought I was going to call it a headband obsession, didn't you? Wrong). Also, he thinks I'm really cool and funny and talented and a kind of fashionista, which is all very nice and flattering, so I like to keep him around. He also sings a lot and very well, which is easy on the ears. Ames used to have very blond hair when he was young and kind of looked like Zach Morris. He thinks it's funny when I suck at Mario Kart and try very hard not to pout about it, though he beats the game every time and doesn't make any effort to hide it. He speaks Japanese. He's going to teach theater to high school students which makes me so proud and excited because he'll be such a good teacher. He'll contribute very pleasing genes toward our tiny Bells sometime in the undetermined future.

This is my dad Andy. He drives a boat and practices Wii bowling when he should be arranging music.
My dad is really cool, in that ultra-nerd kind of way. He wanted to be in the Coast Guard until he woke up one day and realized he needed to get a degree in Viola Performance, which is probably really good because I definitely see him poking around music libraries and spending hours in practice rooms, not Guarding the Coast. To compensate, however, he's got a veritable armada at our house in Maine consisting of two canoes, a row boat, a peddle boat, and a speed boat-- though he won't be satisfied until we can get him a little sailboat. Won't he be darling in a little sailboat? He's got this exploding wheezy laugh when he thinks something is especially funny that goes like this: "EXPLOOOOOOOODE-WHEEZ-WHEEZ-WHEEZ" and sometime his face turns bright red too. He's had the same haircut since he was seven years old. Once he brought a girl a dozen roses as an "I'm Sorry" on the night he broke up with her, which was an Oops. He and his friends made up a student in college called Frank DeLong who was actually enrolled in some classes and turned in assignments and curiously publishes pieces in my dad's string method books. He's a sucker for small dogs and takes them running. He's one of the smartest people I know, and I really like eating lunch with him at Gandolfo's when he quizzes me on the names of the sandwiches and why they're important in New York. I'm pretty glad I inherited my Polishness from him.

This is my mom Diane. She is the most beautiful and Aretha Franklin owes her money. This is not a lie.
My mom's jingle/voice-over voice is not only almost unrecognizable, it is also awesome. She has a degree in classical voice performance but should have been a Disney voice. She has sung hundreds of commercials, most notably for Tang (hilarious), Campbell's Soup (the ones in the late 80's-- you all have heard them), and My Little Pony (told you she's famous). She also sang backup for Aretha Franklin a few times when we lived outside of Detroit, which is why Ms. Franklin owes her money. She drove Bobby McFerrin to his hotel after one of their rehearsals (cigarette-tap). She's one of the most kind and thoughtful people I've ever met, though she simultaneously has the capacity to crust three inches thick when someone (usually her kids) needs defending. She's got a great collection of Santas that we like to set out each year for Christmas. Once we got to play Marmee and Amy together in Little Women for a whole summer which was not only a dream come true, but also one of the sweetest experiences in my life. Her middle name is Claire, which is why I want to have a little girl named Claire someday. I can always tell how proud she is of me by the things she doesn't say, or when she tears up. She's spontaneous and buys a Wii and Beatles Rock Band kind of just on a whim, which is definitely to our benefit too. She's funny enough to be on Saturday Night Live (can you picture Kristin Wiig + my mom?). I don't really look like her, but I'm glad we have matching eyes.

My little sister's name is Elizabeth. She's a really good musician and her nickname is Biz. She wants to live to be 100 years old.
Mom wanted to call her Elizabeth without any nicknames, but Elizabeth turned into Bizzy and then into Lizzy and she's been Lizzy ever since. She used to toddle toward the JCPenny's catalog in my mom's hands when she was learning to walk, and I'd set up a fortress of solitude on the couch with the coffee table pushed right against it so tiny Bizzy couldn't crawl up to me. She used to be a Trombone Performance major (keeping the music performance tradition going in the family) but then realized how much she hated playing classical music, so isn't doing that anymore, which I think is cool and very true-to-herself of her. It turns out she's really good at drawing too, which shouldn't surprise anyone because she's really, really good at basically anything she tries doing. Like cooking, for example. We used to fight over silly things, like this pink house that was in our town in Michigan, and we convinced ourselves that the other wasn't allowed to like the pink house because we already individually liked the pink house. We like to have a good laugh and still do it a lot. She's real supportive of me, and that started particularly when I moved home because of a bum thyroid. She's getting married on January 15, 2010, which is cool because then Ames and I can hang out with her and Spencer for eternity, and I don't think we'll get sick of each other.

This is Spencer, who will shortly be my brother-in-law. We went on a date once.
Spencer Bean is the reason why my sister and I will continue to have the same initials after marriage (EB). He's going to throw some nice blond-haired-blue-eyed genes into the Dabczynski mix, which will be interesting since there aren't many of those on either side of our extended family. He speaks Swedish and tells us all how to pronounce things at IKEA. We went on that date the night before I turned 19, which is funny because then he celebrated Biz turning 19 too, three years later. Then when she was in Japan this summer for like a month we went on another kind of date that was only a kind of date because he bought me dinner, but they were already engaged by then so it didn't count "like that." He's a real easy-going guy and likes sports, which is good for my dad. He's really nice and patient and is happy to help people do things, which is good because he's good at lots of things like computers and technology things. He and Biz are playing Young Scrooge and Belle opposite each other at HCTO this year, which is cute because that's how they were friends and kissed for the first time in the first place. When Ames and I got married, I inherited five brothers-in-law, but since I've known Spencer so long and since he belongs to Lizzy, I feel like he belongs to me as a BIL a little closer than the others, and I think it's neat that the Dab clan will be a full set of six instead of five.

I'm thankful for my family at this Thanksgiving time, even when we all look gross squinting into the sun after a 2- or 4-mile race on Thanksgiving morning. We ate a lot of food for the rest of the day, so it's good we got an early workout.