Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thursday, November 13, 2008

We're real southerners now...

OK not really. Not even close. I am not ready to embrace the frying of every kind of food imaginable. But we did attend our first ever Civil War reenactment. It was entertaining, and interesting. I am still trying to understand the appeal of brandishing a confederate flag and cheering for the Confederate army and booing the Yankees. The war ended like 200 years ago, right? Oh well. I guess that's why I am not a southerner. Enjoy the pics!


You can see some more on my flickr account, if you're just dying to see more rednecks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7828525@N05/

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Prop 8. I just can't believe it passed??!!

I still can't get over the fact Prop 8 passed. I thought people would actually do their research and take the time to learn what it involves before believing all the lies and propaganda. Here's a few facts in case you were interested, even though its a little late. There is also a petition you can sign to try to stop this from happening. This is from their website.


http://www. petitiononline. com/seg5130/petition. html


Facts v. Fiction
Proposition 8 would eliminate fundamental rights for a group of Californians. It’s unfair and it’s wrong.

Fiction: Prop 8 doesn’t discriminate against gay people.
Fact: Prop 8 is simple: it eliminates the rights for same-sex couples to marry. Prop 8 would deny equal protections and write discrimination against one group of people—lesbian and gay people—into our state constitution.

Fiction: Teaching children about same-sex marriage will happen here unless we pass Prop 8.
Fact: Not one word in Prop 8 mentions education. And no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it.
California’s top educators including Superintendent of Schools Jack O’Connell and California Teachers all agree: Prop 8 has nothing to do with education.

Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.
Fact: The court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”

Fiction: A Massachusetts case about a parent’s objection to the school curriculum will happen here.
Fact: California gives parents an absolute right to remove their kids and opt-out of teaching on health and family instruction they don’t agree with. The opponents know that California law already covers this and Prop 8 won’t affect it, so they bring up an irrelevant case in Massachusetts.

Fiction: Four Activist Judges in San Francisco…
Fact: Prop 8 is about eliminating a fundamental right. Judges didn’t grant the right, the constitution guarantees the right. Proponents of Prop 8 use an outdated and stale argument that judges aren’t supposed to protect rights and freedoms. Prop 8 is about whether Californians are willing to amend the constitution for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens.

Fiction: If Prop 8 isn’t passed, people can be sued over personal beliefs.
Fact: California’s laws already prohibit discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with marriage.

Fiction: Pepperdine University supports the Yes on 8 campaign.
Fact: The University has publicly disassociated itself from Professor Richard Peterson of Pepperdine University, who is featured in the ad, and has asked to not be identified in the Yes on 8 advertisements.

Fiction: Unless Prop 8 passes, California parents won’t have the right to object to what their children are taught in school.
Fact: California law clearly gives parents and guardians broad authority to remove their children from any health instruction if it conflicts with their religious beliefs or moral convictions.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Vacation Blues :(

Oh. My. Gosh.

We had THE MOST AMAZING time in Jamaica. It is so hard to come home from a place as beautiful as that. I could not ask for a better honeymoon. From beginning to end it was an absolute blast. Our room was awesome. Our view was incredible. The first thing I saw every morning was the aqua blue Caribbean Sea. It was perfect.

We did it all...we swam, we snorkeled, we sailed, we climbed waterfalls, we drank delicious Mai Tais, we karaoke'd(sp??). And we took a death defying trip into the mountains on the Zion Bus to visit the final resting place of Bob Marley.

Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Resort was incredible, The food was great, there was always something to do, and the staff was so friendly. The Jamaican people in general are just so friendly. I can't wait to go back. I wish I could go back next week. Seriously. Here's a few pics for you to enjoy. You can see the rest on flickr here or on myspace here.

View from our room!

More views from the room.


What Bob Marley called "The Natural Mystic".
This is the parish of Nine Miles where Bob
was born and is buried.



Jamaican sunrise from our balcony.

Friday, October 3, 2008

So.....because Chelsea will not leave me alone :)....I am updating my blog. I never ever write in this thing, I am just way too lazy. Plus I don't know what I'm doing most of the time.

Anyway...Gary and I are finally married! We tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony on September 20th. It was the wedding I have always dreamed of. We got married at the beach at Ole Hanson Beach Club. It was so gorgeous, the weather was perfect, I couldn't be happier.

I really could not be happier right now. Being married is incredible. Every time I get to call him my husband I smile. And now tomorrow we leave for Jamaica on our honeymoon. We are headed to Sandals Ocho Rios for a week of all inclusive fun. I'll be sure to post some pictures when we return. Mostly for Chelsea so she stops buggin me about having a blog. :)

Here's some wedding pictures:

The new Mr. and Mrs. Barnum!

Me and my Dad.


The beautiful view from the reception hall.

The first dance.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Charleston!

Well I've been here about a month now, and I've been busy! The movers showed up with all my stuff about four days after I arrived. When Gary got a look at all those boxes I think he was ready to send me back to California. Slowly but surely we got them all unpacked. It was A LOT of work.

South Carolina is really beautiful. You think you live in the most beautiful place in the world, until you live somewhere else. I still think Southern CA wins, but here it is a different kind of beauty. Everything romantic you picture about the south, its really like that. The homes are huge with big wrap around porches. The trees are old and tall and dripping with moss. Did you know that the moss in the trees is related to the pineapple? Every twist and turn in the road reveals another hidden waterway. They don't call this the low country for nothing.

The city of Charleston itself is alive with history. Every building has an interesting past. Downtown is lit at night by gas lamps, which flickers off the walls of 200 year old churches and graveyards. There are people buried here that signed the constitution. Its such a culture shock from Orange County, where everything is cookie cutter and every body dresses and looks the same. And everybody drinks sweet tea. I can't stand that stuff.

A downfall of downtown is that it floods! I work at a restaurant on historic Market street, and apparently the drains are so old that when it rains heavily, everything backs up. I waded through two feet of water to get to work. That was not fun.

Well, thats it for now. I love it here but miss CA so much. Gary has been wonderful of course. He built me a fabulous shoe rack. I'll take a picture and post it later.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

MOVING SUCKS!

Well I am currently living out of boxes. It sucks. Thankfully the movers come in one week so I can get all this crap outta my way! This is what my room looks like. Terrible!


Oh and thats just the bedroom. I am shocked at the amount of boxes in the garage. How does a 26 year old accumulate this much stuff in my short 7 years of living on my own?
I know it will all be worth it in the end, because I will finally be with Gary! In two short weeks I will be living in Charleston! Well, that is if Gary doesn't kick me out when he sees the amount of stuff I have. Wish me luck.