Seven

I was tagged by a co-worker to take part in this little, well, I'll call it a survey. Basically, I've fallen to peer pressure, and I need something to do this morning, so...I give you my "Seven Survey." Thanks Chris!

List 7 things to do before I die:
1. Visit every continent
2. Get married
3. Own a resort
4. Snow ski in Switzerland
5. Direct a major motion picture
6. Own a home in Italy
7. Meet Dolly Parton

List 7 things I cannot (or will not) do:
1. See or hear someone throwing-up
2. Run a marathon
3. Water ski
4. Use illegal drugs
5. Live in Louisiana, Arizona, or Utah
6. Speak a foreign language
7. Ride in the back of a car without getting car sick

List 7 things that attract me to my spouse(or Opposite Sex):
1. Devotion to Christ
2. Sense of humor
3. Got to be a big guy!
4. Loves my family and friends
5. Spontanious
6. Love a great smile and eyes!
7. Loves to have crazy fun!

List 7 things I say most often:
1. "Freakin' "
2. "Well, you see"
3. "Shut-up"
4. "Are you freakin' kidding me?"
5. "My bad."
6. "Son of a..."
7. "You're killin' me, Smalls!"

List 7 books or series that I love:
1. To Kill a Mockingbird
2. God's in Alabama
3. Sisterchicks on the Loose
4. Oh the Places You'll Go
5. I Married Adventure
6. God At Your Wits End
7. Notes to a Working Woman

List 7 movies I would watch over and over again:
1. A League of Their Own
2. Fried Green Tomatoes
3. Steel Magnolias
4. Dumb and Dumber
5. 9 to 5
6. Pocket Full of Miracles
7. "Christmas Vacation"

List seven people I would love to join in (if they haven't already done so):
1.Kim Smith
2. Julie Goen
3. Jennifer Walker
4. Holly Herr
5. Jamie Slagle
6. Melody Forest
7. Katey Earles

Walk the Line

Two words: Over Rated.
Not necessarily in a bad way, but every single person who has seen that movie has said "Oh my gosh...it's the best movie ever!" "Wow...Walk the Line was amazing!" So, I had to find out for myself.

Two of my friends and I went to dinner and a movie last night. We ate at Chili's (one of my least favorite restaurants) and then went to an 8:15 showing of Walk the Line. Overall, I thought the movie was good. Great acting, wonderful soundtrack, accurate storyline...I just expected it to be so much better. It just goes to show you that too much hype(sp?) about a movie can be detrimental. I expected to be blown away...instead I left thinking, "Ah, ok...good movie." Not, "Wow...great movie." I would recommend going to see it, but go with an open mind. Don't count on seeing your new all time favorite movie.

If you're a Johnny Cash fan, get the soundtrack! Witherspoon and Pheonix did an amazing job portraying June Carter and Johnny Cash. And, I could have sworn when Mother Maybell Carter walked onto the scene, it was her in the flesh! They found a great likeness in her actress. Absoulutely loved Reese Witherspoon's performance. Cute girl!

So, go see the movie. It was good...it's just been beaten to death by positive reviews. Go see for yourself!

100 Things About Me

I had some free time and felt inspired by other blogs I've ready lately, so I decided to post a list of 100 things about me. So, here they are, in no particular order.

1. I love surveys.
2. I sometimes write on my blog or look at other blogs instead of working.
3. I’m currently re-decorating both my house and office.
4. I wish I had an expense account for my house.
5. I want a new SUV.
6. I’ve never had a car over 2 years.
7. I usually wreck them.
8. I’ve been in 4 car accidents and have totaled 3 cars.
9. The constant weather changes this winter are making my head and knees hurt.
10. Christmas time (Nov.-Dec.) is my favorite time of the year.
11. Christmas is my 1^st favorite holiday.
12. Followed closely by Thanksgiving, 4^th of July and my b-day.
13. My family watches Christmas Vacation every Thanksgiving.
14. We watch White Christmas every Christmas.
15. I would like to have a home in Montana someday.
16. I’ve never owned a video game in my life(Nintendo, PlayStation, etc.)
17. Dolly Parton is my absolute favorite celebrity.
18. Mariska Hargitay is a close second.
19. Patrick Dempsey is one of the hottest men alive.
20. Grey’s Anatomy is one of my favorite shows.
21. I’m also a huge fan of Desperate Housewives, CSI(all of them), Law & Order(all of them), Criminal Minds, Sex and the City and Golden Girls.
22. I have perfect eyesight.
23. I have a home phone, but the only people who use that number are telemarketers, therefore, I do not answer my home phone.
24. I don’t believe I could live without my cell phone.
25. I’m allergic to cats, but they’re my favorite type of pet.
26. My second favorite pet is my sister’s dog, Maxie, who is a Yorkie.
27. I started college as a Journalism/Mass Comm. major.
28. I then changed to a Psychology major.
29. I ended up in Family and Consumer Science.
30. I finished my degree my junior year, so I picked up Business Management my senior year.
31. I hate Wal-Mart.
32. All of my close friends in Abilene are over the age of 30.
33. I’ve always wished to be older…not sure how I’ll feel when I’m 30.
34. I don’t love children.
35. I miss my friends from college a lot.
36. I broke my jaw in high school while eating mashed potatoes.
37. We later found out it was the result of a soccer injury.
38. I broke my nose during my senior year of college playing football.
39. I love sports…playing and watching.
40. I must marry a man who likes sports.
41. I must marry a man who likes to hunt.
42. Bottom line: I must get married.
43. I received my first perm when I was 18 months old.
44. I had very fine hair as a child and my mother thought it would hold curl better.
45. I had a perm every year after that until high school.
46. Failure is probably my greatest fear.
47. I’m also very afraid of ghosts.
48. I’m intrigued by Johnny Depp.
49. I become intrigued by people very easily.
50. I have one brother(20) and one sister(18).
51. My brother is a sophomore at ACU and my sister will be a freshman at ACU next year.
52. They’re growing up so fast!
53. I adore my family.
54. My mom and dad met at ACU.
55. My mom used to be a stay-at-home mom and my dad used to be an oil field engineer.
56. They now own a restaurant called The Farmhouse.
57. I love parades.
58. All of my ex boyfriends, with the exception of the gay one, are now engaged or married.
59. The last one to get engaged was the hardest for me to accept.
60. I’m becoming very good at handling crisis situations in my job. They’re happening a lot this year.
61. I hate wearing dresses.
62. I own a lot of suits.
63. I love PF Changs. I often crave their lettuce wraps.
64. I love a lot of restaurants that Abilene doesn’t have.
65. One of my dream jobs is to be a movie director.
66. Another of my dream jobs is to be a speaker with Women of Faith.
67. I’ve never told anyone about #66.
68. I have my entire wedding planned out with the exception of my bridesmaid’s dresses and my dress.
69. And, with the exception of the groom. Minor detail.
70. I want to live in a major city, downtown, in a flat someday.
71. LA/Hollywood is one of my favorite cities, but I don’t want to live there.
72. I really like Nashville too…I could live there.
73. My mom always wanted a daughter she could call Jenni after she saw the movie Camelot, so she named me Jennifer.
74. The only people who call me Jenni are my family and a few friends from high school.
75. Most people call me Jennifer, Jen or Ellison.
76. I guess I have one of those last names that people like to say instead of your first name. I’ve been called Ellison since junior high.
77. I sing in my car when I’m listening to the radio or to cds.
78. I love singing.
79. The only reason I miss chapel is for the singing.
80. I hate running, but I love the way I feel after I work-out.
81. My favorite work-out is Body Pump.
82. I don’t do cardio very often, but I have Body Pump every MWF…lifting weights is much more fun than running in place.
83. Slow drivers drive me insane.
84. I love baths, but I rarely take them.
85. I love buying books, but I don’t read them.
86. I have tons of books at my house, most of which I’ve never read.
87. I’m the youngest member of Rotary in Abilene. Probably in Texas. Could be in the US.
88. I relieve stress by lying on my couch watching TV or by driving around campus.
89. I love going home to my parents house and driving around their farm with the windows down.
90. I have one cow, named Meredith, who has had over 10 calves that make me a lot of money. I’m about to have to sell Meredith and I’ll probably cry.
91. I rarely cry.
92. My grandparents recently sold their house on the lake and now live in Van about a mile from my parents.
93. Both of my dad’s parents are dead and I miss them very much.
94. I hate scary movies.
95. I love smoking cigars with my friends on my back porch.
96. I hate it when people cancel out on plans, events, nights out, etc. When you make plans, stick with them.
97. One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is getting facials.
98. I love listening to and singing Christmas songs.
99. I sleep better in hotels and B&B’s than I do my own bed.
100. I think it’s hard coming up with 100 things about yourself.

Layers

I stole this from my pal, Kim. Just a few facts...

LAYER ONE
--Name: Jennifer
-- Birthday: 10-21-81
-- Birthplace: Van, TX
-- Current Location: Abilene, TX
-- Eye Color: blue
--Hair Color: dirty blonde
-- Height: 5'10"
-- Righty or Lefty: Righty
-- Zodiac Sign: Libra

LAYER TWO
-- The shoes you wore today: Nine West brown dress shoes
--Your weakness: Procrastination...I actually probably have a lot of weaknesses!
-- Your fears: ghosts...and failing
-- Your favorite food: now there's a weakness! I love MANY different kinds of food!
-- Goal you'd like to achieve: marriage at some point...I have a lot of other goals

LAYER THREE
-- Your most overused phrase: "freakin" or "hater"
-- Your thoughts first waking up: Just ten more minutes.
-- Your best physical feature: hum...I like my eyes
-- Your bedtime: usually between 11-midnight. Sometimes later, sometimes earlier.

LAYER FOUR
-- Pepsi or Coke: coke
-- McDonald's or Burger King: McDonalds
-- Single or group dates: depends on the situation
-- Adidas or Nike: Nike
-- Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Lipton
-- Chocolate or vanilla: chocolate
-- Cappuccino or coffee: cappuccino

LAYER FIVE
-- Smoke: Not anymore
--Curse: occasionally
-- Sing: Love it!
-- Take a shower everyday: every morning...and sometimes at night too
-- Do you think you've been in love: I've only told one boy outside of my family that I love him...looking back, I'm not sure if it was really love or if we were just caught up in the moment.
-- Want to go to college: been there, done that...got a degree to prove it
-- Like high school: I loved high school!
-- Want to get married: yes
-- Believe in yourself: definitely
-- Get motion sickness: uh, yes! I don't throw-up, but I get very queezy and dizzy
-- Think you're attractive: I think I have an attractive personality...but with today's standards, I'm not a 10
-- Think you're a health freak: uh, no
-- Get along with your parents: LOVE my parents! We get along very well.
-- Play an instrument: I can play the sax, but I haven't in about 3 years.

LAYER SIX:
In the past month...
-- Drank alcohol: No
-- Smoked: No
-- Done a drug: No
-- Gone on a date: No
-- Gone to the mall: Yes
-- Eaten an entire box of Oreo's: No
-- Eaten sushi: No
-- Been on stage: No
--Made homemade cookies: No
-- Dyed your hair: No

LAYER SEVEN:

Ever..
-- Played a game that required removal of clothing: Yes
-- If so, was it mixed company: Yes
-- Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Yes
-- Been called a tease: No
-- Gotten beaten up: No
-- Shoplifted: I think I stole candy when I was little, but not since then
-- Changed who you were to fit in: sure

LAYER EIGHT
-- Age you hope to be married: 26 would be great
-- Numbers and Names of Children: I honestly don't want children...but, if God chooses for me to have children, I'd take 1 or 2...not sure of names, but I would want them to be creative(not scary creative)
-- Describe your dream wedding: Are you kidding me? There isn't enough room on my blog! If you really want to know, call me or email me and I'll tell you.
-- How do you want to die: In my sleep
-- What place would you most like to visit: Las Vegas...or Italy...or Switzerland

It's been awhile...

Well, it's been like a year since I've posted an entry, so I figured I'd take few minutes and just write a random update.

Basically, my life revolves around my job right now. But, I'm not complaining! This past Tuesday, the great Pat Summerall was on campus. For those of you who don't know who Pat Summerall is, ask your dad, brother, husband, boyfriend, etc. Pat was the voice of the Dallas Cowboys for years and was John Madden's sportscasting partner on Monday Night Football forever. Let me just say that he's much taller in person! He's a neat man. Nice, polite and gracious. He spoke on his struggles in life, dealing with an addiction to alcohol and how he completely turned his life around and followed Christ. He was even resposible for the baptism of the late baseball star Mickey Mantle. It was an honor to meet Mr. Summerall and be instrumental in his coming to our university.

So, the majority of this week has revolved around Mr. Summerall's visit. Monday was spent preparing for his arrival, Tuesday was the actual event, Wednesday and Thursday were spent recovering from his visit and today(Friday) I'm moving on to prepare for Lester Holt's visit. I'm completely excited about Lester Holt coming to campus. We already have 425 people who have responded, which means this will be twice the size of Pat's. How exciting!

Moving on...Last night I went on a whim to see the movie North Country with a few new friends of mine.

North Country...great movie. Once you get passed the language, the movie tells a great story. Very impowering. Actually, it gave me a new appreciation for the women that were portrayed in this film. Women in the workforce today owe a great deal to the women who forged a path through sexual harrassment and predjudices in America. The movie is based on acutal facts, and I felt that it clearly and accurately dipicted the way of life for these women and men. Go see it, and be impowered.

This weekend will be yet another weekend full of activities. Pretty sure I won't have a weekend off, or at least one with downtime, until Christmas. Tonight I think I'm going to go watch our volleyball game...our girls are in the playoffs and the first round is held here on campus. Our girls are REALLY good this year. Tomorrow I'm shopping all day in Dallas. I've considered just leaving my wallet in Abilene because I really shouldn't spend any money, but, we all know that one of my hobbies is spending money, so...I'm sure I'll be taking my wallet with me. Sunday, I'm praying for a nap! I truly believe it's a sin not to take the Lord's Day Nap...but, the past month of Sunday's I haven't been able to take a nap. So, I'm asking for His forgiveness and will hopefully make up for lost times during a nap this Sunday. Do not call me between 1 and 5 Sunday afternoon.

Well, that concludes my update for now. I hope this finds you doing well. Enjoy the weekend!