O Christmas Tree

Although Thanksgiving is officially today, Jerome has already placed the Christmas tree up. As I am not totally into Christmas I helped, but not a lot. Last Saturday, we spent the day basically on a journey to put up said Christmas tree.

First, Jerome, Lewis, and I went to about a million stores before we decided to get a tree at Big Lots. We would've probably gone to two million stores, but Jerome had already made the rounds and so our total search time was abbreviated. Kevin got to skip out on the journeys earlier in the day because he went to the LSU football game with Todd.

Fast forward to we have the tree after standing in line for 30 minutes. Then we go to Hobby Lobby to look for the ornaments that will go on the tree. After an hour looking around and finding some tree ornaments, I walk out of the store with three Snowmen Volleyball ornaments. I LOVE THEM, they are sooooo cute. Jerome walks out with a plethora of silver and gold ornaments.

(Volleyball snowmen--love 'em--only two as the third is on the tree)

We then get home, open the box and tragedy of tragedies, the tree has colored lights when Jerome wanted clear lights. So, we all pile back into Lewis' Santa Fe and head back to Big Lots where we essentially become stockmen and push and pull box after box of tree until we can find the "perfect" Christmas tree.

We then get back to the house put up the tree and are excited to hang the ornaments when lo and behold, we don't have any hooks for the dang ornaments that we picked up at Hobby Lobby. So, it's back to the Santa Fe and a quick trip to Target (it's after 9pm by now), to pick up ornament hooks, and of course a tree topper. By this time, Kevin had returned from the football game and was driving us around as Lewis, Jerome and I didn't need to be driving anymore (if you know what I mean).

(Lewis and Jerome walking into Target after 9pm towards the end of our quest.)

After all this, we put the tree up and it looks FABULOUS! It was well worth the effort and has brought a home-y air into the place. It was fun day activity that we started at about noon and finished at about 10pm that night.

(The finished product)

(Jerome with his Christmas tree)

As an unofficial celebration our wonderful accomplishment. We went out to Olive Garden the next night.

I think I like spending money....

So, aside from my most recent purchase, I have also bought plane tickets to go home to Utah for Christmas, and got a room in Las Vegas for New Year's Eve. I will be staying at the Orleans casino and although it's not on the strip, it looks like a nice place. Not sure what shows I will go to, although it seems that Carrot Top, The Price is Right, and Phantom of the Opera are the top contenders right now.

Check out the Orleans Casino at http://www.orleanscasino.com/

Holy moly cow. I just bought a new TV!

I am in love with my most recent purchase of a 32" flat screen Samsung TV. It was a totally unnecessary buy, but I have been wanting one for a long, long time. It looks great in the living room and I am in love with it. Bring on the NFL games, NBA games, and movie nights, I'm ready.

Chad & Timmy's new house and vball in Lafayette

Last Friday, Chad and Timmy held an open house for their new house just south of Baton Rouge. I didn't have my camera, but wish I did. Their home is beautiful and there were a lot of new people that we met while there.

In other news, played vball in Lafayette again this past Sunday. We went 2-2 and I was worn out when we were done. Looking forward to doing it again.

-eaux is cheating at Scrabble

So a random thought hit me regarding the use of -eaux in Louisiana. Basically, due to the French influence people use words with -eaux in them, rather than the basic English spelling. The best example of this is with the LSU football team. Instead of saying GO TIGERS, they say, GEAUX TIGERS.....pronouncing Geaux as "Go". I think it's just a ploy to be able to cheat at Scrabble.

On a separate note, I had some beignets and hot chocolate today, so maybe the French influence isn't totally bad.

Volleyball in Lafayette

Tonight, I played volleyball at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. It was awesome. It felt like playing back in my club days. The guys we played with were all really good A players. I played with Lewis, Kevin, Karl, Paul, and another guy. The other team had more talent and athletic ability, but we won 3 of the 4 games we played by having better ball control and just being more consistent. It brought me back to when I played club and I wish that this level of competition was what we always had when we played. Anyway, hopefully, we get to do this again in the future.

Stephanie is ENGAGED!!

Just a quick shout out for Steph. SHE IS ENGAGED!!!!! Congrats and I am looking forward to going to the wedding on the last day of 2008. It is a tale as old as time.

---Girl is dating Mississipi boy.

---Girl logs onto her computer.

---Girl meets Nevada boy over the internet.

---Girl dumps Mississippi boy for Nevada boy. (This was a good move.)

---Girl starts long distance relationship with Nevada boy.

---Nevada boy flies to Ohio to see girl.

---Girl and Nevada boy set marriage date.

---Girl asks Justin to come to wedding and be in her wedding party.

---Girl and Nevada boy officially get engaged when girl flies to Nevada.

---Girl and Nevada boy (aka: Gigantor "he's 6'7") meet the parents.

---Girl gets in mini car crash the day after she comes home from Nevada, but doesn't care because she keeps looking at her ring and praying.

---Stay tuned for more details.


I don't think anything can wipe the smile off her face right now.

LUV YA STEPH!!

Tailgating at the LSU vs. Alabama Football Game

The biggest college football game this week was LSU vs. Alabama in Baton Rouge. ESPN Game Day was there along with a record number of people. Jerome, myself, Melanie, Lewis, Todd, and Kevin went to the tailgating party, although only Todd had tickets to the game. Regardless, we had a great time before the game.

Tailgating in Louisiana is much, much, much, different than any tailgating I have ever seen in Utah. The crowds are bigger, noisier, drunker, and funner (thought I'd continue with the 'ers.) There were RV's from people who had been camped out for up to four days before the game. People were cooking on large bbq pits, making gigantic steaks, pork loins, stews, jambalaya, you name it, it was pretty much there.

Signs all over the place showing huge funny and sometimes crude slogans and pictures. People brought out their satellite dishes and 40" inch screen televisions to watch the game outside, because they couldn't get into the sold out stadium. They packed their generators so they could power those tv's and keep their beer cold in the ice chests/refridgerators that were there.

There were people everywhere! It was like being at the state fair in Utah, only 5 fives bigger and EVERYONE had a beer in their hands.

Anyway, LSU lost in overtime to #1 ranked Alabama. We stood outside the stadium, watching the game on the flat screen plasma TV that someone hooked up to their satellite dish and ate chips, jambalaya, beans and sausauge. We left the house at 7:15am and got to the game by 8:30am after meeting everybody and stayed until after five o'clock. Then came home, watched the last part of the game on our own tv and then hit the sack. It was an awesome day.


Apparently, this is how you stop the "crimson tide".

Crowd around the ESPN Game Day set.

Jerome was actin' a fool as we were leavin' and so I pretended to slug him.

Useless Information

So, I received this from Stephanie, and in case anyone was wondering, here is who I am. An X means that I have done something, no X means I haven't.

(X) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school (done this waaaaaaaay too many times)
(X) Watched someone die (used to work in a nursing home)
(X) Been to Canada (and will never go in the winter)
(X) Been to Mexico (seem to always get tied up coming back)
( ) Been to Monte Carlo
( ) Been to Rio De Janero
( ) Been to the French Riviera
( ) Been to Bermuda
(X) Been to Florida (Miami, baby!)
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Jumped out of a plane
( ) Been on a Helicopter
(X) Been lost
(X) Been on the opposite side of the country? California and Florida
(X) Gone to Washington DC
(X) Swam in the ocean (Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, South China Sea, Philippine Sea.)
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers (or cowboys and indians)----somehow I end up the Indian.
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Been in an ambulance
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(X) Made prank phone calls
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Stayed up reading all night because you couldn't put the book down (all the Harry Potter books)
(X) Stayed up all night playing games on the computer (Age of Empires)
(X) Danced in the rain
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
( ) Been married more than twice
(X) Blown bubbles
( ) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone Skiing
(X) Been skinny dipping outdoors (Miami, baby. Also Texas, South Padre Island)
(X) Gone to the movies---(um, seriously, I should own half the theatre by now.)
( ) Survived Cancer.....(maybe I'm surviving it and don't know it.)

Here's the question and answer section:

1. Any nickname? Several. Justine, Justino, Alexis, Dine, Rasputia, Bean, Jay, Keith, Jus, Just, JustinTyme,

2. High School Attended? San Juan High School (Home of the mighty, fighting Broncos).

3. Favorite drink? Non-alcoholic-Cherry Pepsi, Alcoholic-Vodka Cranberry.

4. Tattoos? Not yet.

5. Body Piercing? No way.

6. How much do you love your job? On a scale of 1-10, I would give it an 8.

7. Hometown? Blanding, Utah

8. Favorite vacation spot? Toss up between Las Vegas, NV, and camping in the mountains.

9. Ever been to Asia ? Yes

10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Yes, I'm an adult.

11. Ever been on TV? Yes, a News 4 KUTV special about interracial dating when I was in high school.

12. Ever steal any traffic sign? Yes, in high school, but my dad made me put it back.

13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes, just once, but it was enough.

14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4

15. Favorite salad dressing? Ranch or Raspberry Vinagrette

16. Favorite pie? Chocolate Silk

17. Favorite number? 17

18. Favorite movie(s)? Clue, Harry Potter movies, Rabbit Proof Fence, Grease

19. Favorite holiday? New Year's

20. Favorite dessert? Rice Krispy Treats

21. Favorite food? Mom's Navajo Tacos and Dad's Dutch Oven Potatoes.

22. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

23. Favorite brand or type of body wash? I have Old Spice-High Endurance-Fresh

24. Favorite toothpaste? Colgate Total with whitening

25. Favorite smell? Rain, Sandalwood, Fresh Baked Bread

26. Favorite thing to relax? Read

27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Making triple what I make now and living in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, or New Mexico.

28. What would you like to do that you've never done before? Travel the world, go on a cruise

29. Furthest place you will send this message? Probably Utah.

30. Who will respond to this the fastest? Probably no one, I'm not e-mailing it.

Two Weddings and a new pair of curtains

Quick update....went to two weddings this week. Both were very nice. Also, went with Jerome and Todd to buy new curtains. They are sky blue and very nice looking. (Told you it was a quick update)