Car Buying WIN!

I did it! Yesterday I bought my first car! I haven't named him yet, but I have a couple of names in mind. He's a 2010 Nissan Versa. Not a Honda Fit because those are too expensive and a little too small to feel safe in I think. Mostly they were just a couple of thousand dollars more - I got a lot of car for what I paid for my Versa.

Now I feel significantly poorer. And like I could be paying for my car for the rest of my life... (it really won't take that long to pay off. It was just a small loan. But I hate hate HATE being in any kind of debt, so I want to pay it off ASAP). But now I'm free to do what I like! I can move to Provo if I so choose, or I can move closer to where I work. I can drive to California if I like. Its amazing the feeling of freedom having a car brings. The past year has been a lot of growing up for me - graduation, real job, and now a car! Pretty exciting. And scary...Now what big adventure will Jenny go on next?

Car Buying Fail #2

We went to look at another Honda Fit last night. This one was SOOOO nice. It was beautiful. The sales guy could tell I loved it and kept dropping the price. Five times he went back into what my friend Michelle calls the "magic room" to talk to the sales manager. He dropped the price down to $10,000 for me - an amazing deal. But it was still out of my price range. As I stood there, I realized exactly how little money I have to spend, and decided that the Honda Fit and other similar cars are all out of my price range. Frowny face. I was probably an idiot for walking out on such a great deal. But if I'm spending that kind of money, I'm getting a Prius or some other hybrid that gets me way better gas mileage. So now I'm changing my car search to stuff more like older Toyota Corollas. I really dislike car shopping. And money. Blargh.

Car Buying Fail #1

Well, we took the Honda Fit I've been looking at in to see my uncle Brian (he's so awesome - he just tells it like it is and really wants to help us find a good car, even though if we bought a less than good car he would get more business from us). He told us all that was wrong with it - a lot more than we expected, and given the large number of miles on it we decided not to purchase it. Bummer. No car for me yet. But I'm still looking. Man, I don't like shopping for cars. It feels like the biggest gamble. You never know what you're really getting. That's why I'm grateful for awesome mechanic uncles who know cars inside and out. That minimizes the chances of failure.

And I thought buying a computer was hard...

About a year and a half ago, after returning home from my London study abroad and beginning my fall semester of my senior year at BYU, I fell asleep with my lovely HP computer Sophie on my bed next to me and accidentally pushed her off. She fell to the floor with an echoing BANG that woke me, gasping in fright. I saw her poor little self lying on the floor and I knew she would never be the same. And she wasn't. She was broked. And she made a weird clicking noise. It got to the point where she wouldn't load at all, and I knew it was time to procure a new computer for myself. With sadness I retired Sophie and went out searching for a Mac. I shelled out around $1500 big ones for my little MacBook Pro (his name is Gareth) - that's the most money I've every spent at one time on something not tuition or school related. I nearly hyperventilated. I hate spending money.

I've been car shopping for the past few weeks, but this week I actually started going out and driving cars. It's one thing seeing the cost of something online. It's a completely different thing when you see the product in person. Holy cow, cars are expensive! And I'm not even looking at expensive ones! Yikes. I'm afraid that when buy my car (which will hopefully be in the next couple of days - cross your fingers!) I will actually fall over dead. Maybe I'll twitch a little first. Seriously, just the thought of spending anything over $6,000 freaks me out just a bit. Yes, yes, I know that eventually I will buy a house and other such infinitely more expensive items, but there's still a side of me that feels like each check I write is like a hammer to my little pink piggy bank. Devastating and painful, leaving behind a very empty feeling.

But I am excited to have my own vehicle. I would love to have a Hybrid electric car of some kind, but they seem a little out of my price range...so I'm just looking at small sedans. My favorite car right now is the Honda Fit. And I think I've found one I can afford! I don't know why, but I love that little car. I'm anxious to just get it over with. But excited too. Excited-anxious. Excitious. Anxited. You get it.

I am a Belieber!

I spent the evening watching "Never Say Never," the Justin Beiber movie (okay, I also went car shopping, but JB wins). I now think he is infinitely more adorable than before. His success story is amazing - kid from nowhere is discovered on YouTube and makes it big. I mean, seriously? Amazing. It makes me want to go put on my sparkly JB shirt (a gift from my roomie Bonnie, a fellow victim of Beiber fever). I don't care what anyone thinks - I like his music, I think his face is precious, and I want his hair. I'm not a crazy fan, just a distant admirer. The thing that most struck me was how nice he is to fans. Good job, Biebs. Please stay good.

Dancing Hands

I had my community ed Hip Hop recital on Saturday night. It went really well, I didn't mess up more than twice, and I had a lot of fun. My dad recorded my dances, and besides being really bad at filming and keeping things in focus (mostly because he's getting old and blind, not something he can help, bless him) he did a good job. But as I watched the video tonight, I realized I have something in common with Fred Astaire. Don't get your hopes up - I'm not graceful, elegant, or extremely talented.

 I have big hands.

 Fred Astaire had very large hands. He had to learn to hold them in a certain way as to make them look more normal. I've always known I have big hands - I've had a couple of people tell me I have man-hands before. I'm not shy about it. I fully accept them. I actually think I have very nice looking hands, regardless of their size. However, these hands of mine flop around like jellyfish at the ends of my arms when I dance - very large jellies.

 I don't hope to ever be as good as Fred Astaire at dancing - as if I could ever even dream that big. But if I am to dance, I am going to take a leaf from his large-handed book and learn to hold my hands in such a way that they look elegant. Or at least smaller. It just looks awkward with them flapping about. I guess I just focus so much on what the rest of me is doing that I forget about my hands.

How I Spent My Day Today

I woke up with stomach cramps and body aches and knew...I had the flu. My least favorite type of sickness. It's so miserable. I called in sick and sat in my bed all day, except for when I was vomiting, of course. I made really good friends with my toilet. And I watched the entire first season of Downton Abbey. I also filled out an application for University College London and took a two hour nap. So, besides the fact that I couldn't move without making myself nauseous, I got a lot done!

What kind of gamer are YOU?

I recently read the following post:

http://hellogiggles.com/what-kind-of-gamer-are-you-part-1?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-kind-of-gamer-are-you-part-1

And it got me thinking...which type am I? I have spend a considerable amount of time gaming, but I wouldn't use the term "gamer" to describe my habits. After reading the post, I determined that, based on their criteria, I am a "Mid-Core Gamer." Not hardcore, not novice. Just in the middle.

I recently discovered that a guy I work with is a Zelda geek like me. We're both playing our way through the newest Zelda installment, Skyward Sword. It was comforting to me to see a married man who seems pretty normal and balanced also harbor a passion for Link and his adventures. Video games are fun in moderation - yes they can suck your life away, but if you follow the general rule that real people are more important than video people (as my mom had to continually remind me after I got my hands on The Sims games) then I think you're safe. Games should also generally played with others. I have watched countless hours of my brothers playing games. It sounds like a waste, but I have some really fun memories of it. It's a shared adventure, kind of like watching movies with friends except you get to help make the movie.

My new phase: Georgette Heyer - where have you been all my life?

Cotillion by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, mostly because it seems to be the next best thing to Jane Austen. It doesn't have the emotional depth of Austen, and many of the characters are one-dimensional, but it's exactly what I needed--an escape book. I love the era, and Heyer is a master of Regency dialogue. I find it hard to believe she lived in a completely different time period. Her writing is fascinating. And the best part? There's like 50 more of her novels to read. Hooray for books that just sweep you up and take you away to a wonderful world!

View all my reviews

It's funny how things change

Tonight I watched Never Been Kissed as I attempted to write another grad school application letter of intent. Didn't get much done on that letter. But I did enjoy the movie. I used to watch that movie ALL the time. I loved it. I thought the teacher was so attractive, and I loved that they ended up together in the end. But now, as I watch it from a slightly older perspective, I see how terrible it is that the teacher falls for Drew Barrymore. Although I still love it, and I still think the teacher is SUPER attractive, and I secretly wish something like that would happen to me, I can't get over how wrong it is. Oh well. It's funny how something like that doesn't bother you when you're really young and have no perspective on it.

No More Fat!!!

In order to make it to my healthy eating/weight loss goal, I have devised a scheme. Well, more of a reward program of sorts. I found myself a lovely little jar - my "No More Fat!" Jar. Every day that I don't eat candy or fatty foods I get to put a dollar in the jar. Additionally, every day that I work out I get to put a dollar in the jar. So, every day I can earn two dollars towards something fun, like movies or books or new gadgets. Brilliant, yes? I thought so. This method is proven in Jenny history - it's how I was potty-trained. And so the healthy habits of the New Year begin. Wish me luck!

Reflections On Past and Future

2011 was a big year for me - I graduated from college, I got a grown-up person job, my brother Josh came home from his mission, my puppy Luke and my Papa passed away, I decided (for the time being) not to serve a mission and to work and get my Masters instead. I moved home, I met a lot of new people, and I didn't have a boyfriend for the second year in a row. I've learned a lot, changed somewhat, and grown up less than I probably should have.

And now there's 2012.

I have always been a fan of New Year's resolutions. Not the silly ones you make and try for a month then give up. I mean the ones you seriously commit to, the ones that really inspire you. I make resolutions all year round - I'm a very goal oriented person - but this year I'm going to make some that I can actually track. These resolutions will have actual numbers or tasks, rather than just vague ideas. Thats the key to success, right? And here they are:

New Year Resolutions

Photography 365 project - take a photo every day, trying to capture that day in that one shot, an post to my Flickr account weekly.

Read the Book of Mormon every day

Work out 4+ times a week and lose 15-20 pounds.

Read one or more NEW books each month (Tale of Two Cities at top of list)

Blog every day, alternating blogs - one day on my personal blog, one day on my movie review blog, and one day on my writing blog.

Write in journal every day (digital or hard copy - I think digital so I'll write in more detail)

Finish Spanish Rosetta Stone

Finish watching Lost (I need to be free of it!)

Write feature length screenplay and/or a novel - write for at least 15 minutes a day or 30 minutes every other day. Let people read my work and give feedback.

Well, those are the measurable ones. In writing those I realize that I have resolutions that are not so measurable, but perhaps even more important:

Patience with others.

Understanding where others come from and truly appreciating it.

More time with friends - quality time where I actually have a conversation and learn things about them.

Thinking about others more than I think about myself.

Mostly, just a general forgetting of myself and looking for ways I can help the people around me. I spend so much time developing my talents and worrying about my life that I don't do the things I could do for other people.

So there they are - my New Year resolutions. Here's to making them a reality!