Me Want Cookie!

I used to love Cookie Monster.  Then around the time I went to college, he started eating vegetables which totally negates his title. So I don't mind the costume below.



I would totally dress up as an Elmo Slayer.

Happy Birthday Steve!

Doesn't this look fun?

Nothing new...enjoy pretty pictures

Cattails at night by headlights

 These were much prettier in person.  Very ethereal looking.

Pretty sunset

Photo turned out better than I expected.  Gorgeous sunsets recently.  Unfortunately, they happen at about 4PM.

Princess Vader.  Awesome Halloween Costume.

Entertain Me Updates

What I'm reading:
I've been on a dry spell with reading.  I had read and liked the dystopian  Enclave by Ann Aguirre and have been trying to read her other books but just couldn't get into them.  Started Pirate King by Laurie R King yesterday and have been thoroughly enjoying it.  It's the 11th book in her Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell series.  I highly recommend the series - start with The Beekeeper's Apprentice.  Next up is a fantasy series Kim has lent me then I have gotten several freebies on Kindle to catch up on.  Just checked my library to-be-read list - 16 books!  Better start reading!

What I'm listening to:
Amazon has sucked me with a lot of MP3 sales.  I love their MP3s and they work on all my players.  Latest one to suck me in is the Ting Tings. This morning, Sugarland's Stuck Like Glue had me dancing in my chair.  Hot Chelle Rae's Tonight Tonight was the song of the summer for me.  And I finally got a good version of one of my favorite songs ever Blind Melon's No Rain.

What I'm watching:
First off, I am SO GLAD that Netflix decided not to go with Qwikster.  Still, I think I'll delete my streaming option soon as I don't use it very much.  I'm trying to clear out what I currently have on account, so I've been bingeing (how on earth do you properly spell that?) on BBC miniseries (quite liked North & South) and Doc Martin.  On TV I'm liking the new show Revenge, but it needs a little more humor. On the Internet, The Guild is doing a great comic-con season.  No movies recently, and wow, there aren't that many upcoming that I'm interested in.  I'll might go see the new Twilight movie, and maybe the Sherlock Holmes or Mission Impossible sequels.  I also kinda sorta wanna see the new Three Musketeers movie.  War Horse is the only movie that may get me in the theater, but it looks to be a quiet movie, so may be better to wait for DVD.

Family Apple Picking!

Dad and Mom headed to pic apples of the dwarf trees.

Best. Apples. EVER.

It only took Dad about a minute before he bit into his first apple.

Not posed at all.  

Mom snuck to another row all on her own.

Most fun parents ever.

I tried to take a nice picture of just the apples, but Mom rushed in to grab them before I could.

A bounty of apples (and a strong man!)

I snuck to the last row.

Mom with the weed flower I picked for her which she forgot about and freaked out when she found it in her jacket (this was much funnier than it sounds)

The very not-to-scale dinosaurs we always pass on the way home .

Fun shot I took of myself - you can see Dad in the reflection of my glasses!

Eddie From Ohio concert with Kim

A couple weeks ago Kim and I went to Wolf Trap to see Eddie From Ohio (who are confusingly, actually from Virginia).  It was nice and cool which was a big change from when we saw them at Wolf Trap last year which happened to be the hottest day in Virginia in history (or at least that's what I remembered the radio saying).  We both wore pigtails and it felt kind of like being in college again.  Except now we are old and have pet peeves which involved Kim shushing people talking during the opening act (Martin Sexton) and me thinking of creative ways of destroying the cell phones of everyone who kept texting around me (they finally settled down after the 3rd song).  

Kim & I waiting for people to arrive to the EFO concert

Overall it was a pretty good concert, though they did more of their old stuff this time and so I knew less songs.  My favorite is still "Old Dominion" which I've linked to a performance of below.  You also get a taste of what their banter is like, which is equally fun.  Enjoy!

My Current Desktop Background

I know EXACTLY where on the trail this is - do you remember?

Happy Birthday Dad!

I love this picture.

I miss having a dog.

Me and Midnight - the most awesome dog ever.

Goofin' around during Natural Disasters

I've stayed in my apartment all alone most of this week due to earthquakes and hurricanes 

(I survived both!  So did almost everyone else!).  

That has led to a lot of cleaning and goofin' around with my camera phone when bored.  

Forgot I had this on my phone...I totally want this car decal.  

Me wondering what I look like with my eyes closed.

I like how it looks like my window is one big sun catcher.

This is much harder than it looks.

My homemade standing desk.  Just disassembled it.  Need to get something firmer under the keyboard next time.

Pink toes!

My hair after a long day of cleaning.

Me realizing the cleaning is over for the day!  And I still have Oreos!

Locke & Key

Fascinating comic book.  Would have loved to see it become a tv series (pilot wasn't picked up).  Trailer for pilot is below.

Creepy, isn't it?  YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

Baseball magic?

Can you do this?  Is it real?

Strong Man

Erica Wickline, Dad & me, Kings Dominion 1984

I might need this tee shirt.

http://www.snorgtees.com/masked-turtles

Hopefully you get the reference.

Photobooth @ Disneyland

Stacy & I having too much fun.

Amazing Catch

Apparently this is a Gatorade viral video.  Still love it though.

Disneyland / Huntington Beach Vacation - June 27 - July 1

 So my WONDERFUL sister paid for me to go to Disneyland with her to "chaperone" my niece and 3 other 17 year old girls.  I have never been to Disneyland (or Disneyworld - or California - or the Pacific Ocean...) so I was super-excited to go.  And we all had a blast!

Cost:  Priceless

We spent three days in Disneyland and California Adventures parks.  Stacy and I were together and went on tons of rides.  The only one she wouldn't go on was Tower of Terror which I went on with Brittany, Tabitha, Serena and Jessica.

WHY DO WE ALL LOOK SO HAPPY TO BE TERRORIZED?

I know I'm "old" because my favorite things were the shows we saw - a short Aladdin musical, A Bug's Life 4D theater (complete with water sprays, smells, stingers poking you in the back and "cockroaches" scurrying under the seats) and the Muppets 3D.  I was in the room with the old men muppets commenting from the balcony!  I wish they allowed pictures.

We both really liked the midway games.  I rocked Stacy in the first one, but she ALMOST got me in the second game.

I WIN!

Maybe the most memorable ride we went on was Splash Mountain.  Having ridden the log flume countless times at Kings Dominion, neither of us expected to get very wet.  Boy were we wrong.

Not a dry spot left.

We went to a lot of stores, but neither of us wanted to spend much money.  That didn't stop us from trying on hats though!

Minnie Me.

Mad Hatter Stacy

Stacy and I also got henna tattoos (only last a couple weeks).  I think this cures my idea of a real tattoo as I keep trying to scrub it off.

So pretty...*scrub scrub*

On Friday, Stacy and I sat around and watched Shrek Forever After while the girls went to the LA Temple. Then we all trekked off to Huntington Beach on a beautiful cloudless (and windy) day.  Stacy would only go in a couple feet, but I managed to splash her like a good little sister.

Beautiful Huntington Beach

The coolest teenagers around - Tabitha, Jessica, Brittany and Serena

Still recovering, but really fun trip!  Stacy and I want to try to do something again next year - but I think that was enough Disneyland for me.  Never enough Stacy & Brittany time tho!

Happy Birthday Pat!

You haven't changed a bit!  

MonkeeMania

The day finally came...I got to see the Monkees in concert again!  Last time was my first concert in 1987.  Davy, Mickey and Peter were there and did a high energy and entertaining show at Wolf Trap.  They had an 8 piece band helping them out with instruments and singing, but still played some instruments themselves (Peter rocked the banjo) and Peter even did a couple of Mike's songs.

Of course, I forgot my camera, so most shots are from my horrible cell phone camera.

Waiting impatiently for the concert to start...

None of them had great voices, but the tonal quality was still there. Peter warbled a bit (totally understandable - he just had part of his tongue removed due to cancer- impressed he was doing the tour at all!) and Davy and Mickey tended to more speak-sing than actually sing.  At points Mickey sounded like he was trying to be operatic, which didn't really work for the songs.  Davy warmed up about half-way through and danced in his typical 1960's style through out many of the numbers.  Two older woman even brought him flowers to the stage and he gave them each a kiss, causing one to shake her arms with glee.

Really bad quality - sorry.  Can you recognize the opening song?

I was happily surprised to hear them play my favorite song  "As We Go Along"  from the Head soundtrack.  It didn't come across as ethereal as the recording but still, SO HAPPY.

Pat and I at the concert...(see!  So happy!)

Pat & Janet went with me and noted that the audience was full of older white people (though saw several young'uns with their dads).  They didn't remember many of the songs, but said they both enjoyed it.  I was surprised that so few people were singing along!  There was one song I didn't recognize (sounded like a 70s Davy Jones penned and sung one), and I didn't know ALL the words to two others.  Still, everyone stood up and sang a chorus of "Daydream Believer" together at the end.

Throughout the show there were images projected in the background of stills or movies from their TV show, concerts or candid shots.  So fun to see all the memories!  They must have played at least 20 songs - all their hits plus a few extras. I'll definitely be back for their 50th anniversary tour if they have one (this was their 45th).

Me post-sweaty concert in new overpriced Monkees t-shirt where I they totally photoshopped Mike out (picture is from the Headquarters Album)

Happy Fathers Day 2011

Dad & Me

Dad with Cards

Dad on meeting his kids

Dad on his dad

Mom & Pat's answer to and invitation to speak on video about their dad.  

Steve Folk Dancing Pt. 2

All Folk Dance videos can be found here:  http://www.youtube.com/user/Llanally
Steve is in the following videos:  Russian, Armenian, Appalachian, American Western, Czechoslovakian, Ukraine Hopak.  He also can be seen briefly in the Hokey Pokey with kids and Faith in Every Footstep.

Here are three more videos that feature Steve: (first three were posted last month).  NOTE:  Click on YOUTUBE logo in the video to get a bigger picture on YouTube!

Fishing with Dad

Last Friday, I finally got to go fishing with my dad.  We didn't take any pictures, so this one of the last time I was fishing will have to do.

Yeah it's been awhile.

Since then my dad had promised to take my fishing in the future.  Well, the future finally came and we went out to Lake Frederick on free fishing weekend.  I've always thought of fishing as a crack-of-dawn kind of sport, but apparently the boat rentals didn't start until 9AM.  When we got to the lake we wandered around for a bit and then practiced casting our lines from the shore.  

My fishing pole, by the way, was PINK.  It was a Lady Pink.  Dad's was orange and called a Ugly Stick.  Ha!

Dad promptly caught a rock.  I almost hooked Dad.  

Once we got our metal boat with a cute little electric motor, we set sail and started trolling.  It was a beautiful day - about 80º on the lake.  I didn't realize my line just kept unreeling, but surprisingly hooked something within minutes!  And it wiggled, so we think it was a fish.  By the time I'd reeled it in, it was gone - and it had eaten my lure!  

The next line I cast was baited with a live worm and I promptly caught a blue-gilled sunfish about the size of my hand.  I CAUGHT A FISH!  Because it was so small, we decided to through it back and keep trying for a large mouth bass.  

Throughout the day we alternated between trolling and just sitting with our poles in the water.  We saw bass twice but weren't able to hook any.  I did hook enough pieces of tree that if put together could have made a decent sized Christmas Tree.  Dad hooked another rock.  Our anchor hooked a tree stump under water. And the coup de resistance, I hooked the electric motor.

Dad has the patience of a saint - he unraveled the line each time.

It was a truly peaceful day.  We chatted a lot with dad telling me stories of his fishing at Strawberry Reservoir in his youth and various other sundry topics.  We were there about 6 hours and it felt like less than two.  I definitely want to go again.  It's my goal to catch, clean, cook and consume a fish.  Just one of my preparations for the potential upcoming zombie apocalypse! (MUHAHA)  (That felt like an evil laugh might be needed.)

I aM mE

Whole reason I watch America's Best Dance Crew is for performances like this.  Wow.

Can you say the actual colors of the all the words out loud?