Being World's Second Best Blog Isn't Too Bad

If you are the type of person that limits themselves to a given amount of internet procrastination time, then read no further. Today was my first day back from work and during my lunch break I came across an article in the New York Times about blogs. They mentioned a blog called “postsecret” where people write their deepest secrets on the back of a postcard and mail it to a given address. The blogger then posts these postcards on the site. If you are looking to procrastinate or you are just bored, I highly suggest checking out this site (of course after you read the complete archives of this amazing, thought-provoking blog)

Written While Listening to “Subterranean Homesick” by Radiohead

More Mun, More Fun

SBC park
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

This weekend my cousins, May Allen and Tom, came up to Northern California to watch their hometown San Diego Padres play the Giants at SBC Park. Once again, great weekend!

Written While Listening to "My Mathematical Mind" by Spoon

Life Lesson from A Rod (and i'm not talking about my Dad)

A few years back when my brother was at Spring Training with the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez gave a talk about how to be a champion. He said that the great champion athletes limit their daily thoughts to only 500 thoughts per day. They exercise blocking out the insignificant thoughts and focus on what they want to be. For example, A-Rod would repeat the mantra ‘I’m going to get a .350 batting average, I’m going to get a .350 batting average” throughout his daily.
I still think that’s near impossible (but, hey I’m not a champion athlete). But, for this week I have developed a modified self-focused plan. I’m going to limit myself to one large activity per day and focus all of my energy and thoughts into making that event the best it could possibly be. On Monday I focused all of my energy and going to see Star Wars and it perhaps was the best Star Wars-movie-watching-experience I could possibly have (the only way it could have been better is if some one in the audience was dressed as Chewbaca or C-3PO). Yesterday, I focused my thoughts on attending my Yoga class and I had the best darn yoga session ever! I’ve decided that tomorrow’s activity will be taking over the world!! (or going to the rec pool, depends on the weather).

Written While Listening to “Old Soul Song” by Bright Eyes

Born Loser?

For my first week as a college graduate my plans are to hang out in Davis, relax, go to the Rec Pool, catch up on reading and write my thank you letters. Since the electricity is out for the day at my house, I decided to cruise the town. During my solo lunch at Pita Pit I picked up the UC Davis newspaper, the California Aggie. I quickly became excited when I realized that it was Tuesday, which means that the ex-Davis Hometown Celebrity Lamar Haystick’s column “Born Loser” would be on the second page.

Lamar writes a very entertaining weekly column about how pathetic he is and how he has no “game” with the ladies. A few years ago, my friends and I were so entertained by his column that he was often the topic of conversation over Tuesday night dinners and we would intentionally get in his checkout lane at Safeway where he worked just to get a glimpse of him. The mystery of this born loser continued for about a year until my sisters and I randomly met him at a Benefit Dinner after our Yoga class. As if he were actually a celebrity, Amy bombarded him with questions regarding his column like “Did you really live in the Safeway women’s bathroom for a month?” and “So your car actually got towed away with you sleeping in it?” He was obviously very flattered by the attention by the stunning attractiveness that my identical twin sister possesses. From then on the mystery of Lamar began to fade and instead of us semi-stalking him, he began semi-stalking my sister. Amy actually got unkowingly suckered into a hot night on the town with Lamar. She may not admit it, but I think she secretly wanted Lamar to write about how the “born loser” scored a hot date with a hot lassie, but unfortunately next Tuesday there was nothing written. Anyways, here’s a link to his article where he basically verbally gets worked by an aggie reader.

Written While Listening to "Magnolia Mountain" by Ryan Adams

All the Way May!

fireworks in SF
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

Here's a picture of the firework show held in my honor for graduating from college!! It's difficult to see in this picture but they actually wrote "Congrats May!!" with fireworks in the sky. (ok so it wasn't exactly for me...but we can pretend, right?) Thanks for a great weekend everyone!!

Written While Listening to "Why You'd Want to Live Here" by Benjamin Gibbard

Wait…so when you refer to Eminem you aren’t talking about the Chocolate that melts in your mouth not in your hands?!?!?

With four days left until graduation, I’ve been taking my spare moments to reflect on the things I’ve learned within the last twenty-two years. Being a Liberal Studies Major, my course work includes two classes in almost every subject. I have taken everything from Chemistry to “how to teach Physical Education.” With such a wide breadth of knowledge I have acquired, the most shocking information is the crushing of a lifelong belief that Jackson Browne wasn’t of African American descent. On the many Shelley family road trips we would have a regular rotation of the Beatles, Bad Company, James Taylor and Jackson Browne blazing on the tape deck. My mom often told stories of her teenage crush on Mr. Browne and on one trip to Sun Valley, Idaho my brother and dad actually met him. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago when I “googled” Jackson Browne that I stumbled upon a picture of a short white man. I sat at my desk in confusion wondering why a picture of a white man came up under Jackson Browne’s name. And then it clicked that my whole life has been deceptions and lies.
I started to recall stories of friends and family members and the crushing stories of their lifelong misconceptions. For example, a dear and loved one to me just realized a few years ago that the sauce you put on top of eggs benedicts is not called “Holiday Sauce” rather “Hollandaise sauce.” My favorite story of another loved one (not to be named) believed that Gary Sinise (best known for his role as Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump) actually didn't have legs in real life.

Written While Listening to "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" by David Gray

From Plain Jane to Hottie with a Body

It’s a known fact that “reality tv” has officially taken over television programming. Within this new era of programming, there have been some great reality shows (Show Dog Moms and Dads, the Amazing Race, Wife Swap just to name a few) and some horrible and degrading ones. The last people I would ever expect to fall into the abyss of Reality television are my parents. They are suckers for the Makeover shows and I’m not talking about the Home makeovers and re-design the bedroom shows, I’m talking about the Swan type shows. The shows that take the “ugliest of the ugly ducklings” and remove them from their loved ones as they transform into the beautiful swan they could never have been without plastic surgery and a personal trainer.
When I was home for spring break a few months ago, my parents explained their new pitch for the ultimate reality series: “Surprise Extreme Makeover.” The show will find some not-so-attractive people who need a basic, simple surgery like removal of the tonsils or the removal of wisdom teeth. The twist is that while they are under anesthetic the doctors will perform all of the necessary transformation surgeries: tummy tuck, nose job, liposuction, breast augmentation, etc. It’s a perfect combination of the surprise twist that keep viewers watching shows like “Joe Millionaire” and the makeover element found in shows like “Queer Eye.”

Written While Listening to “You and Me” by Kelsey Bulkin

First Sign that the Whole Earth Festival has come to Davis

love machine
Originally uploaded by mayshelley.

It's official! The Whole Earth Festival has begun! (Check out the plates on the car '1HIPPIE')

Gives a New Meaning to "Finger Foods"

A hot dinner conversation amongst my friends within the last few months is the lady who “found” a finger in her Wendy’s chili. I have been following the Wendy’s story since I first heard about it over spring break. Allegedly the Las Vegas lady who found the finger in her Chili in San Jose planted the finger stub in the Chili in order to get some money out of it. One may wonder where one can get a finger stub. Apparently, the stub belongs to another Las Vegas woman who got her index finger bitten off by some sort of feline (no not a Liger, Liger’s are friendly) who last saw it in the Emergency Room in Las Vegas. The case of the missing finger in the chili still continues. Adding to all this chaos, a man in North Carolina bit into his ice cream this week to find what he thought was an unexpected nut. After sucking the ice cream off of the “nut” he removed the nut to find it was actually a human finger tip! I have found some interesting things in my food throughout my lifetime. Most of these items are bugs or a stray hair….but two fingers within two months?!?! Someone needs to call FDA.

Written While Listening to “Don’t Stop” by the Brazilian Girls

My Sistas- not in a genetic sense- 4 Life

This past weekend, I ventured to the land of the “sistas.” I’m not referring to my biological sisters Amy and Maryam, rather my soul sistas. A few Baha’i friends from the Bay Area put on “Sister Saturdays;” a place for woman to gather and talk about what is on their mind. Although, I am not allowed to fully explain our intimate discussions and rituals due to members of the other gender who happen to be readers of this blog, I will tell as much as I am permitted to.

As I walked into the Baha’i house, the smell of food and estrogen filled the air. We started off by lighting the altar dedicated to the greatest sista of all…Oprah. Continuing with a verbal exercise of discussing what is on each ladies mind aka talk about how one’s husband doesn’t help around the house, insecurities with one’s physical appearance, and the personal struggles that all women go through. With my home girl Erykah Badu’s CD grooving in the background we started with the health and healing component. This included making our own salt scrubs and wraps and giving each other facials with Miracle Wip. I’m not really the “only hang out with girls” type; the thought of spending more than ten minutes in a Sorority House gives me the major heeebie jeebies. Yet, this weekend I walked out of there with twelve new soul sista’s and I can now officially say that I, too, am a Sista!

Oh yeah, Happy MAY DAY to all!!!!

Written While Listening to “Mayfly” by Belle and Sebastian