R.I.P. Heath Ledger

You probably know by now, but two days ago on January 22, 2008, Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment. He was only 28 and left behind daughter Matilda Rose Ledger (2yrs).


I was shocked and saddened by the news. Not that I wish it on them, but had it been Lindsay Lohan or Brittney Spears who died, I would not have been surprised. I did not expect this though. Heath hasn't been splashed all over the news for drug use or reckless behavior. He didn't look like the picture of bad health. So, I was just very taken aback. Someone said that Heath might be the River Phoenix of our generation, and perhaps its true. I have such fond memories of him in 10 Things I Hate About You, which is one of my favorite movies of that genre.

It may not be an Oscar-worthy role, but it was my favorite. He's been in many good flicks (Brokeback Mountain, The Patriot, A Knight's Tale), but 10 Things is by far the best in my book, with A Knight's Tale following a close second.

I don't know what else to say (since I didn't know him personally, I can only talk about his movies), but my heart and prayers go out to Heath's friends and family.

to heat or not to heat

When I got home last night, my roommate was already asleep. I thought the apartment felt chilly, so I went to turn the heater up. It didn't turn on. At all. Then I discovered that none of the electrical outlets worked except the ones in the kitchen and bathroom. I didn't feel like dealing with it at midnight, so I bundled up and went to bed.

Naturally, the next morning I didn't want to get up because it was so cold in our place by then. My roommate said she put in a work order and that she heard that other people were having problems with their heat as well. This is at least the 4th or 5th time the heat in our building has gone out. We realized though, that our problem was beyond just the building's main heating system; it's electrical. Whether they fix the heat or our electricity first, it won't help us get warm until both are fixed.

I took matters into my own hands and walked across the street to the local hardware store to pick up a small space heater (chances are, the heat will go out again eventually) and an extension cord to run from the kitchen to the bedroom. The guy at the counter said, "You gonna use this for this?" Apparently getting the cheapest extension cord is not a good idea when you want to plug an appliance like a heater into it, so he advised me to get a better one.

Now we have heat. It's not great at warming up the whole place as toasty as our normal heater does, but it should get us through the night. Hopefully we won't need it longer than that for now.

1st time with American Idol

Though I've seen snippets of American Idol before, tonight was my first time watching an entire episode- fitting since it was the 2 hour season premiere. Katie and I went over to Becca's to watch it after $0.35 wing night at Native New Yorker. I've heard of the legendary Simon Cowell and how cruel he can be to the contestants, so I think someone either told him to tone it down, or the editors cut the harshest bits because I thought he seemed quite civil. Not warm, but not mean. The guy I felt most sorry for was this tall guy who sang very monotone and unintelligibly. Paula and Randy couldn't help laughing at him, and his eyes started to water. He really was terrible, but my heart went out to him. I can't stand the people who think they're great and then get angry when the judges tell them so; they freak out and yell and curse, and I think they deserve to be taken down a notch. The softies who cry though... I feel so bad for them and want the judges to let them down gently, which they pretty much did tonight. The last contestant was a sweet girl from Mesa, AZ who said she's never seen a rated R movie, so naturally I thought she must be Mormon, but Katie and Becca thought so too, so I didn't feel too bad about stereotyping. She made it to the next round, so I'll cheer for another Arizona girl. That is, if I keep watching, which I doubt I will. I already have too many shows to take up my time :-)

Today's funny quotes:
"How many poops have you eaten?" - Becca Martin
"I'm not joking you." - Becca Martin

Lazy Sunday

One of the great things about weekends, even when I'm on vacation, is sleeping in and being lazy. I didn't wake up until 10:30 today, and then I watched several hours of Gilmore Girls. If I could talk as quickly with as many quips and pop culture references as Lorelai, my life might be complete. The fast-talking duo of Rory and her mom annoys many, especially boys like my brother and boyfriend, but I love it. I love the small town of Stars Hollow and all its quirky characters like Taylor and Miss Patty and Mrs. Kim. I also get sucked into almost any show that has one of those couples who beg the question, "Will they ever get together?" Joey & Dawson, Ross & Rachel, Booth & Bones... you get the idea.

Since Leah has all 7 seasons on DVD, I've been going through them while I'm staying here. In season 2, which I'm watching today, Luke's nephew Jess comes to town. He's played by Milo Ventimiglia, who also plays Peter Petrelli on Heroes, another of my favorite shows. It's weird to see him as this young rebellious teenager on Gilmore Girls and think, "Hey, that's Peter, the most powerful Hero there is."

I also talked to Mike five times today for a total of two and half hours. I love free weekend minutes! It was a good day, full of my favorite things :-)

Wii fun

Though guitar skills are not actually required to play Guitar Hero, some type of skills I can't quite identify and do not possess are required, which means I suck. On an easy level, I might hit half the notes, but I frequently find myself booed off-stage. Nevertheless, I had a blast playing with Leah, Katie & Krista. We followed Guitar Hero with WarioWare Smooth Moves and hanging out at Xtreme Bean- a night full of fun!

Discussing a friend's life issues today, I asked her if she had ever read The Alchemist. I waited a long time for a book that I could say changed my life, and I finally found it. The Alchemist, which I read about two years ago, is the reason I'm working on my master's degree and living in New York. My advice to my friend, and to anyone else looking for something different for their life, is to read this book and sell your sheep. Having faith in God as provider helps too :-)

Today's fun quotes:
"Where's my shoo stick?" - Katie Stall
"Something demonic is about to happen." - Krista Hetsler

a return to Skyline

I went back to Skyline and they threw me a party and parade. Well, kind of. I happened to be there on the same day as a pep assembly, but I did get to walk with the yearbook staff during the club walk-in. It was a great way to see as many former students and fellow teachers as possible- and way more fun than sitting through a normal day of classes. I really enjoyed catching up with old friends and sharing about my time in New York. Katie, Becca and Dustin put together a taco lunch bar, and Gabby brought delicious funfetti cupcakes :-) I even got to see baby Keane when Becca's husband Joe brought him by after school.

One thing I realized as I discussed my New York experience is that I truly am living a dream- and not just any dream... my dream. I've wanted to live in the Big Apple since I was in high school. I don't think I ever believed it would actually happen. It was just one of those things you think about abstractly. Wouldn't it be cool if...? kind of thing. And now I'm here, for two whole years. And it is exciting and full of possibilities and new friends and new experiences, which I want to make the most of while I am here. What a blessing it is that God has orchestrated the events in my life to make this time possible, without my even asking for it. In fact, three years ago my heart was set on getting married. I longed for the day when Michael might propose, but years went by and graduations went by and no proposal. But if God had allowed that prayer to be answered, I wouldn't have applied to grad school and moved away. While getting married remains a desire of my heart, God found a way to also grant me the wish to live in New York before I settle down.

We plan, God laughs.