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Ever cheat on a girl? Treat her badly? Maybe you screwed her best friend behind her back. Either way, you’d better hope you don’t wind up here!

A while back, Gabe posted an article regarding a crash test on a Mini Cooper and a Ford F-150. The results were very impressive.

Matt forwarded me an e-mail that was received from Austen, a guy who was passenger in an F-150 that crashed into a Mini Cooper:

About a month ago I was the passenger of a Ford F-150 traveling South at about 35MPH. The road we were on crossed another road at a bit of an angle. Traveling West on that road was a Mini going approximately 40MPH. There is a building on the corner that comes to a sharp point and makes it a blind corner. Our cars collided at almost full speed. Our driver side headlight nailed her passenger side headlight. The Mini was pushed about 20 ft. were it collided with a parked car. The truck I was riding in crumpled like a soda can.

My friend driving the truck was killed as was the person riding behind him. I suffered a broken left foot. The 2 people that were in the Mini got out and came over to see if I was alright. They helped me out of the truck and when I saw their car I couldn’t believe they were okay. It was mangled on almost all sides. But when I went and looked inside the window, the passenger area was almost unaffected. From a view inside, the only way you could tell it had been in an accident was by all of the airbags and the shattered windshield. I personally think that no 2 accidents are exactly the same so you never know exactly what is going to happen. But I think it’s pretty obvious that the F-150 was not engineered to protect the people in the cab as well as it could have. The fact that we were bigger didn’t mean anything when all the metal collapsed around us. I think that the fact that small cars are able to get pounded and still protect their occupants, shows that it’s possible, with some good engineering, to build safer large vehicles as well. This fact is further emphasized by the fact that there are large vehicles out there that do this quite well. All that considered, the best that the testing centers can do is give people a general idea of how things hold up when you pound on them. Some of you say that smashing an F-150 in a lab against a barrier is not a real life situation and thus, when that car ends up being completely destroyed you say it doesn’t prove it’s unsafe. But the F-150 did the same thing when it smashed against a car on the road which I’m pretty sure would be considered a real life situation. So I think that the tests are a FAIRLY good indicator of what you can expect out on the road.

I know that I’m going to pay closer attention to these tests from now on.

The weekend never lasts long enough, but what little time we seemed to have was eventful.

Friday night, Matt, Charity, and I went downtown and checked out Henry’s Tavern. Ugh. So good. The chocolate cake is, I am convinced, sex on a plate. We never made it to Powells.

Saturday, Matt and I headed to my sister and brother-in-law’s place just outside of Eugene, where I got to see Maysen bean. He showed us the art of slamming into mom and dad’s white walls with a plastic truck walker thing. He can now walk backwards and loves to talk away, though most of it doesn’t make sense. Occassionally you’ll get a “whooooooah” out of him. Oh, and mama and dada. It’s pretty cute. He’s got six teeth now. I love every minute I get to spend with him. And yeah, I’m feeling BIOLOGICAL CLOCKY ticking. I want to spawn. Oh yes.

Today was spent shopping. What other way to spend a Sunday? Oh, I took some photos. I did get some fall-ish photos, but my camera battery ran out before I could upload them. I’ll snag them next time for you.

I’m really ready for fall to start. Bring on the chilly. Bring on the rain. Bring on the gloom that lasts for months on end. I’m ready to bust out my crockpot on a regular basis. I want to feel cozy under my down comforter instead of a touch too warm. I want to actually use the wood in our fireplace bin wood holder thingie. What’s your favourite season and why?

I’m not sure that I’m ready for winter just yet, but I know it’s around the corner. I plan on taking some pretty fall pictures this weekend. It’s definitely on my list of things to do during my two days of freedom from THE MAN.

Have I mentioned I’m glad tomorrow is Friday? Sweet mother.

I’m ready for a fun weekend. Charity and I talked of hitting up Powell’s, the best store EVER. I love their cookbook section. They even have an entire aisle, and by aisle, I mean hee-uge-four-stories-high aisle section of erotica. Not that I poked around back there or anything, I sort of.. got lost…

Booze. I need more wine. I never used to get much into wine, but Matt has turned me to the dark side. (Lord. I know by him reading this, he’s going to hit me up for a Star Wars Marathon!!!1 the. entire. weekend. I just said those three blissful words, didn’t I. I’ll throw down $5 on the table in favour of that bet right now, who’s in?)

I have a sleeping tiger in my lap. She’s very warm, and she likes to flex her claws into my flesh when I chitter at her. Just watching her, so relaxed, is making me want to zZz.

So, before I leave this concious world for seven and a half hours, the AFLAC guy at my work busted out with how 1 in 3 women will get cancer. Those might be true statistics, but there’s no way in hell I’m purchasing supplemental insurance from some clown who proceeds to tell a sea of professionals about his vasectomy and throws around “butthole” as part of his sales pitch.

I feel dead sexy, baby. I got my hair cut tonight, sort of similar to how I got it last time - a little short in the back and longer in the front, sort of angling my face. REALLY cute. Tonight, I went out on a limb - same cut, but shorter in the back than I’ve ever had it, and oh. my. lord. I love it. I feel sexy. Smart. I feel as though I exude sex, mama. Oh yes. Mrowr. How much do they pay you to pretend you don’t want a piece? (You know who you are.)

Yeah, yeah. I know I haven’t been posting on a regular basis, like I want. I’m not real sure what’s up. I’ve been feeling pretty uninspired lately, in all aspects of my life. So it’s not just you. (It’s not you, it’s me. Ha.) I’m feeling a bit stagnant, at the moment. There have been some pretty exciting things going on, such as Charity (childhood best friend since third grade) moving here on a permanent basis. She’s living just down the road from me maybe four or five blocks away, and will be joining my team at work, which is pretty exciting. It’s been awesome having her here. We get to do all the things we’ve daydreamed about doing on a regular basis, and I’m loving it!

There have been a few blah moments, too, like my inability to get motivated to do the things I keep saying I want to do. I haven’t taken photographs in a while, which means I’m not getting any better at them. I’ve been wanting to progress in learning French, which I haven’t even attempted. I’m still in the mode of trying to remember everything I learned in high school French I and II. Surprisingly, I remember quite a bit. I just need to find someone to speak French with on a regular basis. Any ideas?

Work’s been a tad stressful. Our team finally has a manager, which is something we’ve gone without for quite a while. That’s a frustration within itself. I’m feeling really bombarded and slightly put off by her, though. It’s pretty much the consensus of my entire team, I’ve been finding out. Her tone of voice is such that it sounds belittling when she advises you of certain things, rather than teach. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to perhaps say something that doesn’t sound like an attack. The biggest frustration, I feel, is that our team has really been the red-headed stepchild, therefore, we’ve had zero direction in months. Throwing someone new to the group in the mix who berates and makes you feel about an inch tall isn’t helping things. I hope things get better. I’m trying not to focus on it too much, however.

I want to get more involved in the church, however, we’ve missed Mass the last two Sundays. I’m feeling empty that only Mass can fulfill.

I haven’t been walking as much, due to spraining my ankle badly a few days ago when jogging. Sweet mother, it hurt. It’s finally getting better, so I’m hoping to be back up in action in the next few days.

And ugh. This post has turned into nothing but a bitch fest, which is something I didn’t want. I just think I need to be more proactive in problem solving and finding solutions to life’s little issues that come about instead of looking at them longingly, thinking to myself, “Dang. That’s a lot of stuff to deal with. Where do I start?” for months on end. Perhaps I should take Matt up on his idea of setting up a task list on my desktop.

So. Here I am, apologizing for the lack of excitement around here. I’m hoping things get better. I just think I need to simplify my life a little bit and take time to do things I want to do to better myself and not let little things I cannot change, be my focal point.

I can’t get enough of “Soul Meets Body” by Death Cab for Cutie. (When the site loads, “Soul Meets Body” plays automatically.)

Well, here we are, Monday morning, and as I predicted, I lost some weight. Down to 282.5. Woo! I guess it pays off not to eat that shake you might want, eh? Who knew? Have a happy Monday!

This weekend went by way. too. fast. Matt and I attended some friends of ours’ wedding. It took place in a beautiful ballroom downtown. Sitting there amongst all the pretty made me realize how much stuff needs to get done when it comes to our wedding. We’ve not really started much of anything at all, but that will change this week. Oh, yes it will. Oh. Saturday night, we had Jeff and Nicole over for a congratulatory dinner. Nic passed her exams to become a licensed massage therapist. I’m so very proud of her! I made her a ridiculous chocolate cake to show my pride, too. Complete with sprinkles and gawdy pink frosting. It was hot. We also decided to record a podcast, though Matt’s machine isn’t being too friendly at the moment, in order to complete the transfer. Your listening pleasure will have to be put on hold until it decides to play nice nice.

This week’s bringing a lot of good things. Cam’s birthday is tomorrow. I hope he gets my present in time. My best friend, Charity, is beginning her cross country trek to the beautiful Northwest to begin her new life tomorrow. She is leaving Kansas and took a job with the company I work for. It still hasn’t hit me that she and I will get to hang virtually whenever we want to. That’s something we haven’t had access to in years. It will definitely be a pleasant change.

Tomorrow morning is the weigh-in day for the week. I have a feeling I did pretty good. I know I worked hard curbing bad food all this week and worked out at least every other day. Cross your fingers for me. You’ll get an update on the progress either way, tomorrow morning.

I’m so used to dealing with Photoshop for all my editing, but since my machine was reformatted, I’m dealing with GIMP, which is different, but cool. Just takes a little playing around with. I’ve been trying to get out of my lull I’ve been in with everything. The motivation to do stuff has been sucked out of me, it seems like. I have an unfinished book sitting on my nightstand that has been there for nearly two months. I haven’t picked up the camera in a while, hence the lack of photos. Grr. I need to get with it. Find some time for me, and my little projects. So. Monday almost. Blah. Where did my weekend go? What did you do this weekend?

My little bean,

Your mama and daddy took you to Disneyworld this month. You’ve picked up a cute little habit when you chatter away. You can mimmick “Whooooooooa”, and then at the very end of your word, you suck your breath in really quick. It sounds like something that would make me want to cough, but it makes you squeal with glee! You get a huge grin on your face and laugh a sound that makes everyone in the room get warm fuzzies. You got a new carseat, too. You’re officially becoming a big boy! I can’t wait to see you again.

Love,

Auntie