jaimerachele's Xanga

Credit Card Roulette & Other Random Thoughts

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 17:56:16 GMT

Professional fonts: Is it inappropriate to tell a co-worker that you don’t like their font and you think it’s unprofessional? Blue, Arial 13.5 sized font in an email? Are you serious?

Credit Card Roulette: Last night at P.F. Changs we came up with a brilliant game called “Credit Card Roulette.” Instead of having the waiter/waitress run 6-8 credit cards, hold up all of the cards, fan them out and have someone at a nearby table “pick a card, any card.” The winning card pays for the entire tab. Sounds fun, huh? J

Wedding Season Nears The End: Wedding season officially ends Saturday (congrats to Rach & Travis!). It’s been fun, but 4 weddings, 6 bridal showers, 2 bachelorette parties, 2 rehearsal dinners and 2 bridesmaid dresses later... I’m ready to call it quits for a while. My friends have been supportive (i.e. merciless). Apparently, when I was attending yet another bachelorette party last week, one of my friends told my brothers “I wouldn’t be surprised if Jaime proposes to some random stranger.” Thanks friends... I feel the love.

Snowboarding Anyone? In the lovely Inland Northwest, Opening Day for the much-anticipated snowboarding season typically coincides with Thanksgiving. For you who are keeping a countdown... that’s 7 weeks from today. J

Monday, September 18, 2006

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 23:54:25 GMT

Quick FYI to my friends... this concert will be amazing. I hope to see you there!

~Jaime

Layla Angulo in concert!

Layla Angulo is one of only a handful of women instrumentalists performing in the Latin Jazz genre; she may very well be the only female saxophonist/composer of authentic Latin and Afro/Peruvian Jazz in the world today. With the release of two Latin Jazz CDs, and an intensely loyal and growing fan base, Layla and her band create a thrilling musical experience wherever they perform. This is one you don’t want to miss!

Layla Angulo

Saturday, September 23, 2006

8:00 p.m.

CenterStage Theatre

1017 W. 1st Ave

Spokane, WA 99201

Tickets are $15 in advance / $20 at the door

http://ticketswest.rdln.com/EventDetails.aspx?evt=49821

For more information, please see the following websites:
Layla’s Website <http://www.layla-angulo.com/>
Layla’s MySpace <http://www.myspace.com/laylaangulo>
CenterStage MySpace <http://www.myspace.com/spokanecenterstage>

I hope to see you there~!

~Jaime

Wedding countdown... 3 days...

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:01:42 GMT

My sister has been negligent on posting... perhaps it's because she's the bride. :)

The wedding is in 3 days. I just had heart failure because I remembered something about how I was supposed to pick up the groom's ring in Spokane. Luckily, my wiser, smarter, mom with a better memory has it all taken care of. My brother Bryan is now the ring bearer.... at least from Spokane to Maple Valley until it is entrusted to a five year old. The five year old is probably a safer bet than giving it to me.

The Bachelorette Party is tonight. We're going to listen to live jazz at this great place over here that came highly recommended. At least all the girls get to laugh and relax prior to the big day.

I have been assigned the two tasks of making sure everything is taken care of for hair and tulling. Important wedding tasks. I feel needed. :)

People have started to arrive... Annere is here from South Africa... my aunt and uncle from Oklahoma recently arrived in the great Northwest... so fun...

My cell phone has been ringing off the hook...

Everything is coming together... I hope. :)

I'm going to bid adieu for now...

~~~ the maid of honor

The importance of stress...

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:10:00 GMT

Stress: Importance, significance, or emphasis placed on something.

When I was 8 years old, my mother signed me and my sister up for piano lessons. My sister took lessons for a few years before dropping out; it just wasn't her thing. I, on the other hand, stuck with it until I was 18. I fell into the middle category of musical students... not horrible... but also not a child prodigy (perhaps if I had practiced more instead of being distracted by social activities... but that is another story).

I used to drive my teacher crazy... I just couldn't seem to put the proper emphasis (or stress) on the correct notes. I didn't get the feel of the music. My timing was off. I couldn't seem to grasp the importance of certain sections, musical phrasing; I stressed the wrong notes.

I realized earlier today... that I'm facing the same problem. If life is a melody, then I'm allowing myself to stress the wrong notes. Instead of a beautiful, calming rhythm... I'm anxious and disjointed. This aura of stress is affecting me... and others in my life.

Perhaps it's time to retreat into quiet reflection.... to take time for those things that relax my soul... to place the emphasis on the right notes.

Six Things About Me...

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 21:19:03 GMT

Here's the rules: Once you are tagged, you must post six things about yourself which are either weird, unusual, habitual, or are just plain fun to hear about (and true!).

So here they are in no particular order:

1) I love writing poetry, but I RARELY allow anyone to read it. It's something very personal to me... a type of therapy I guess. My favorite poem, was written about a year ago... after a very confusing relationship left me in a state of turmoil. Perhaps someday I'll let people read it... but... probably not.

2) I hate carnations with a passion. I will always think of them as the "cheap" flower... something a guy buys a girl when he's trying to look good but isn't willing to spend money on decent flowers.

3) I am deathly afraid of sharks. For some unknown reason my parents allowed me to watch JAWS as a kid. I had nightmares for years. After about 10 minutes in the Ocean... I wimp out and head for shore.

4) When I get really nervous, I smile, laugh, and twitch a lot. In fact, the more nervous I get, the louder I get. It's a bad cycle, and occasionally, I have to leave a room, just to calm myself down.

5) I get teased for this all the time, but I studied mime in high school. I loved all the nuances... learning about how each part of the body represents and communicates different things non-verbally. I get really picky watching people in dramas and on stage who do things "wrong."

6) If I'm going out with a guy... I always "google" him first. I typically find some great information. Once I found a family website complete with photos. I've also found sports statistics from high school & college.... and photos from when someone was on a debate team. LUV Google. *smiles*

Okay.... that's it. Now it's your turn~ :)

Not your average speeding ticket

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 16:43:21 GMT

Occasionally, themes emerge in my life that catch my attention. In the past six months, I've had many people tell me that I lead an unusual and interesting life. I suppose I do... but I've never really thought about it before.

See... it's one of those apple / tree things. My parents aren't exactly average either. My mother was a world-traveler turned single mom. In her 30s with three small kids, she took us on adventures all over the Northwest (the only type we could afford at the time). Now remarried and living in South Africa, my mom and step-dad work in real estate development and organize missions trips to Malawi. Not your typical parents.

On their latest adventure, my step-dad got a speeding ticket in Botswana. The reason: driving too fast in a donkey-cart zone. (Apparently they were on the main north/south freeway and missed the sign). I just laughed when I heard it - another average day for my parents.

Perhaps that's why I dont think my life is that unusual or interesting... look what I have to compete with! *smiles*

(Recent photo of my parents...)

4th of July

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 22:27:15 GMT

I wrote this blog a few days ago... but I'm finally posting it on xanga. A delay... but... better late than never.

Irony: Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs.

We were walking in Riverfront Park last night when my friend said it was the fourth of July. July 4th... Riverfront Park... my mind started to wander back to my childhood days. Days of innocent bliss before my world crumbled. I remember running around the park when I was 5 years old... riding on the carousel, playing bumper cars, and standing in line over and over again for the dragon rollercoaster. It was a brief time of joy before I grew up too quickly. The memory got caught in my throat... I tried to recount it... but I became silent again. Tears welled up in my eyes.

I refocused on my friend. He was lost in thoughts as well. Similar thoughts... thoughts of a brief childhood, of growing up too soon... and of misplaced faith and trust. The irony hit us. On the day in which we celebrate our independence... we feel alone.

And yet we're surrounded by friends.

It's the incongruity of life. Those we thought would be by our sides forever are gone. But others are there... friends who were unexpected... often times very different from us. True friends who know where we've been, know us as we are... and still invite us to grow. Those who sing the song of our hearts for us when we've forgotten the melody.

It was at that moment I realized my tears had dried up. Walking with my friend in the park, the pain of the past was replaced with appreciation for the present. I was thinking about how I am fortunate to have such wonderful friends. You... you are my irony. You are not what I expected. And for that, I am grateful.

Friends are the spice of life...

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 18:49:59 GMT

Last night I was surrounded by some truly wonderful friends. The warmth, hilarity, and joy of the evening made an impression on me. I wish I could've frozen time... even if it was just for a moment.

Friends are the spice of life, arent they? I feel fortunate to have a unique spice rack. I have a variety of friends... who add color, taste, and flavor to my life. They turn the good into something extraordinary.

Yesterday, it was a friend's birthday. Let's call him Jalapeño (a very distinct taste you either like immediately or you have to acquire over time). Jalapeños may be too hot or spicy for some to handle... but I think they are necessary if you are going to properly enjoy a Latin dish. I didn't realize my life was lacking something until I met him. Now... there are just some situations in which his presence is necessary... and thoroughly enjoyed.

My sister is my Salt (good on just about everything and very useful). Without her... something is missing. She provides a little bit of sanity in my life... something stable and reliable. She's had some ups and downs in the past few years... but she handles every situation with grace and poise. She amazes me. I hope to be more like her some day.

My dear friend Parsley (reliable, good in large amounts, but also excellent as a garnish on almost anything) has been my constant companion lately. She's the perfect friend. Reminding me about whats important, listening to my stories and laughing with me. Sometimes I can't wait to log in just so I can say hi. Parsley is the reliable person who keeps the world ticking. But just when you think you know her... she adds a little garnish which makes the dish perfect.

Ah...my friend Wasabi (the spice where youre not sure where it came from, but when randomly mixed in can turn any situation from ordinary to entertaining); I miss him terribly. Everything is exciting and spontaneous when he's around. His charisma is infectious. He's a little impulsive... but thats why I love him.

Oh... there are so many other friends... too many to talk about right now. I could talk about my Vanilla, Nutmeg, Cayenne Pepper, and Basil. Perhaps I'll save that for another post.

I love you all! Thanks for providing the kick and zest that I need. What would I do with you? (*inspiration ran out and I need to get back to work!)

*hugs&kisses*

~Jaime

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Tue, 30 May 2006 18:32:41 GMT

Photos from Thailand! Sorry it took so long. :)

Here's a photo of Lisa and I at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

This was by far the coolest "tourist" place we visited. The palace grounds were extensive and extremely ornate.

PS - it was hot, sweaty and dirty. These clothes should have been burned.

----> Here's a photo of Khaosan Road... it's kinda like the Asian version of New Orleans.

Markets, music, restaurants... one lively place! Our friend Kongkit... a local Thai... showed us around. What a great day!

Okay, so I like getting my photo taken with big kitties. :)

Don't worry... this one was drugged.

Another large animal photo op... following the elephant show. Wow... I had no idea how intelligent elephants are. They played soccer, dunked basketballs, used hoola hoops, threw darts at balloons, painted pictures of flowers and trees... you'd have to see it to believe it.

Of course... our trip wouldn't be complete without some time by the pool & the ocean. :)

Although... rumor has it... that Spokane had better weather while I was gone than I had in Thailand.

Oh well! I still got a tan. *smiles*

That's enough pictures for now~ :)

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Sun, 14 May 2006 03:32:26 GMT

Greetings from Asia!

Lisa and I are in the business center of our hotel... it's pouring rain out... so we're entertaining ourselves with our favorite medium... the internet.

Bangkok is definitely full of adventure. There are tourist traps everywhere... and well-meaning but confusing Thai people have helped us at every turn.

There are a lot of stories already... but I'm going to save them for when I return.

~Jaime