Allow me to be selfish for a moment...

I'm not going to call them resolutions because I feel most people don't keep their resolutions. Instead I'll refer to them as goals since they are just that.
*be able to run several miles without a problem
*save enough money to buy myself a decent car for summer (my mazda has no a.c.)
*make deans list again
*eat out less
*continue to surround myself with people who are supportive and have a positive influence on my life


Short and simple but necessary. I find I'm finally on track with my life. It's strange how everything eventually falls into place. I always thought it was so cliche when people said that to me, but it turns out they actually knew what they were talking about. I find myself almost completely comfortable with who I am. It is an amazing feeling and a relief that I am finally at that point in my life. I am in an environment that is friendly and positive and makes me feel happy just to be there. Walking around campus, I feel that I belong. I never had that at Ithaca, whether it was the actual atmosphere there or if it was my attitude at that point towards being there. I suppose I am and always will be a Connecticut girl at heart.

I am living with my best friend of nearly 20 years - something we used to dream about when we were young. Despite both originally attending different colleges, we both found ourselves at UConn at just about the same time. Again, it's funny how things seem to come together.

I have an amazing boyfriend who encourages me, supports me, humors me, listens to me, and hands me tissues when I cry.

I have been able to stay in contact with my 2 favorite ladies from Ithaca, which was a major fear of mine in the decision to transfer schools. Through all of our busy schedules, we still get a quick hi or catch-up or (in our true fashion) vulgar statement to each other.

I am so happy to be only 1 hour from home. I talk to my mom just about everyday and get to be engulfed by her hugs that I once took for granted. I am able to spend time with my dad as he goes through treatment once again. I still look back at my decision to take spring 2007 semester off and am so thankful that my gut told me to do so since my dad was diagnosed in January. Need I say it again? Funny how... you get it.

All in all, I am happy and loving life. Sure, I wish I could change some aspects but I find more and more that I look forward in life rather than backward just trying to better my life and maintain positive relationships around me.

Looking Back at 2007

January
-my semester off begins
-desperately try to find a job
-I tackle betsey's disgustingly filthy room and may have acquired several diseases because of such
-join a gym with the right intentions of getting back in shape not realizing who it'd lead me to meet

February
-I get the flu :(
-boys and girls club hires me and I start scaring little 1st graders with my eyes
-visit Ithaca to see Carrie and LNicks and the rest :) (and of course, Ithacappella)

March
-Jason asks me to our first date <3
-I get accepted to UConn as a Allied Health Sciences major
-I start physical therapy round 91283741346519803275 for my knee
-I miss my flight to Spain and therefore have to postpone my visit by 3 days...sad story

April
-I finally get to Spain (with the right passport) and thoroughly bond with the Spaniards
-I turn 21 and can finally give my sister back her i.d... *cough* I mean, get into bars!
-I begin finding out what a manipulating beast my "best friend" actually is... 'nuff said

May
-I win $700 at Bingo!

June
-I break my own record for longest I've stayed with a boyfriend
-Jill and I fulfill our dream of getting an apartment!
-I get kicked out of physical therapy.... again

July
-have successful knee surgery that has allowed me (after 3 years) to not be distracted by daily knee pain and inactivity
-see Rascal Flatts & Jason Aldean at Mohegan!

August
-begin classes at UConn and love it!
-get hired at Uno's as a waitress (fo' life)

September
-Jill turns 21 (finally!)

October
-we get a hamster... and it dies 3 days later :(
-UConn beats Southern Florida and we rush the field!

November
-work, exams, and papers... nothing too exciting except for Thanksgiving goodness

December
-I make deans list with a 3.65 gpa... my highest ever :)
-Betsey comes home and brings senor Alfonso with her
-huge family trip to NYC

Christmas, by Betsey

The Christmas morning escapades beautifully captured by my sister:

"Despite how obscenely commercial Christmas is, I love every bit of it: the bright colors, the flamboyant lights, the music, the constant eating and drinking. It’s like Las Vegas goes on tour once a year and hits small-town America. Thank jeebus it leaves la Celine in all of her Canadian glory behind. Gag. Aside from a Celine Dion holiday album, not even the annual crew of over-zealous Jesus fanatics who, along with the Nazi priest who actually forbade us from saying "Happy Holidays" (incidentally the same priest who actually yelled at me with his fist in the air for wondering aloud about reincarnation in my CCD class), come out of the woodwork to drone on about Christmas losing its original meaning can chip away at my holiday glee.

Christmas has yet to lose its special feel, even though we’re quite obviously no longer a pack of rugrats. Newer traditions (drinking, Mrs. Guarraia’s cheesecakes, Cortylandia) intertwine with the oldest ones, but the basics are still in place. It’s about being with your family. Rousing up a good fire in the fireplace. The Boston Pops and waging battles with wadded-up balls of wrapping paper. Flannel pajamas, giggles and surprises. Hopes for snow on Christmas morning. Pancakes and scavenging for batteries. That unexpected something in the very toe of your stocking that you didn’t come across before. The nostalgia for the days when Santa Claus still weighed out the year’s deeds and (hopefully) determined that you had indeed been more nice than naughty.

My cumulative vision of Christmas when we were children looks like something plucked right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. The Christmas tree stood in the corner, its strands of tiny bulbs blinking red, orange, green and blue weaving festively through the ornaments. We made sure to set out cookies and a tall glass of milk for Santa, along with enough carrots to fuel the whole gang of reindeer through the rest of their round-the-globe night.

Night would fall on Christmas Eve, and our parents would try to hustle us to bed with the classic “Santa won’t come if you’re not asleep” threat; this is not helpful, however, when you’re a seven-year old insomniac. Instead of struggling to stay awake to see what happened, I remember actually throwing myself into a sheer panic fearing that Santa Claus would know I was awake and skip on to the next house.

In the end, it'd all go off without a hitch, and come Christmas morning we’d be up before the sun was. Partly because we were early risers in our youth, but most because I’d feel a presence, open my eyes, and see my sister’s eyeballs no more than one inch from my face. She’s now 21 and has yet to relinquish her role as the Christmas Day family alarm clock. Once she managed to successfully awaken her first victim (me, since my room was the closest), she then sprang into full-speed action, bouncing up and down and off the walls like a super ball. My sister is also the one person who shot into super ball mode not only opening her own presents, but when everyone else opened their own.

Once we recruited my brother, we’d take on the task of getting our parents up. After spending long and torturous minutes poking and prodding our parents as if they were lethargic cattle, they'd finally groan awake and we'd give our first cheer of victory. We’d race to the top of the stairs, wriggling around in gut-wrenching agony which was only compounded when we realized our dad had full intentions of taking a shower (and his sweet time).

So we'd listen to the shower run, the three of us sitting side-by-side on the very top step. We weren't allowed to go downstairs, of course, until our parents gave us the green light... at which point we'd take off at speeds rivaling the Indy 500. The one time my brother crept silently down the stairs to take a peek around the corner, my sister and I sat in breathless fear until he safely returned and whispered, his blue eyes huge in awe, "he came!"

Finally, the parents, freshly showered and yet back in their pajamas for the sake of the pictures (when every opened present was followed by "ok, now hold it up" and a flash), would slowly emerge from their bedroom as if they were ethereal beings gracing us with their presence. My sister, still bouncing, would squeal “Can we go down yet?” and before we even heard an answer we would be scrambling down the stairs and sliding across tile floors until we reached the family room.

To our delight, the carrots had always been nibbled, the milk was always gone but for a few drops, and just a few crumbs were sprinkled on the plate where the cookies had once sat. Some years, Santa would leave behind one half-bitten Oreo, and we’d marvel at it as if it were the freakin’ holy grail.

So while we're no longer kids and we now know that our parents - and now we, as well - suffer through daunting credit card bills, Christmas is still Christmas. Plus, our presents are still signed "from Santa". "

Happy Father's Day!

Keep fighting, Pops...Love you

I want one!

My sister recently introduced me to The Daily Puppy (http://www.dailypuppy.com/) where I discovered the perfect dog for me amongst my ooooh's and awww's: the Puggle. It is 1/2 pug and 1/2 beagle. They only get to be 15-30 pounds and just over a foot tall (perfect for laying on the couch/bed with me at all times). Puggles are known to be mild-mannered, playful, sociable, and affectionate - who could ask for anything more in a lil pup?! I've been really wanting a little tyke to tromp around after me of my own the past few months and if I had the funds, I surely would have bought one already - Just look at 'em!

How can you resist those eyessss and floppy ears and wrinkly face?? Adorable.

1 sheep, 2 sheep, insomnia, 3 sheep, 4 sheep, insomnia

I fear that my days of not being able to fall asleep have devilishly returned. It happened the other night as I watched my boyfriend comfortably sleep for 2 hours as I ultimately ended up folding laundry and watching tv instead of dreaming of better things. I have been in bed for 4 hours now and have failed to even come close to achieving la-la-land. I reflect on my high school days in amazement when I would stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning and wake up at 6 to get ready for school, then go until 2pm in classes followed by exerting my energy in either a practice or a game only to return home to complete my homework, stay up until 2 or 3am again and repeat the process all over on a daily basis. I do not want to return to those days. I love sleep. I am a serious napper and by that I mean I don't take your normal 30 minute nap... I am more of a 2-4 hour napper. I absolutely love sleep, which leave me to wonder why at night I cannot fall asleep when it's the one thing I absolutely want to do. I watch the hours dwindle down to when I have to wake up all the while calculating how many hours/minutes of sleep I am going to get and figuring out how I am going to make it through the day. I've cleaned my room, made to-do lists, wrote down random schedules, and flopped around a few too many times and yet, here I am, still no sleep, and less than 4 hours before I have to get up. I think it's time for some Lunesta or some other script that'll get me some quality Z's!

BINNNNGOOOO!

I've been unfaithfully attending bingo a la Foxwoods Casino since I turned the legal age of 18. You know, paying 15 dollars to spend time with 1000 old people stamping away at our bingo cards only to leave with nothing but a good time and some great memories.

Last night was different, though.

Jill, a virgin to Bingo, and I attended. Having the usual chatter about what would you do if you won. I randomly texted my boyfriend saying "I won!" completely joking around. Nonetheless, 30 minutes later, during the X-formation, I saw my last number show up on that beautiful tv screen. So I whisper to Jill "I won, Jill, I won" completely calm. And then the announcer said it, that beautiful, round number "G-58!" and there I go "BINNNNGOOOO"
... I was hoping Jill would chime in but I don't think she quite caught on that I expected her to.

Followed by my bingo came the "ohhhhh" disappointment of the rest of the crowd. The floorworker came over to verify my bingo card. Again, fear came over me. Did I make up a number? But then came the announcement "that is a good bingo...hearing no other bingos we have one winner for 700 dollars"...the lady comes back with 700 dollars in solid cash. I've never held that much money in my hands at one time in my life and it was glorious.

Finally, my days at bingo have paid off and I am one happy girl!

...and, yes, to all of you who have predicted what I might do with the money, I just bought 3 pairs of shoes :)

Happy Mother's Day, BernBern!

So I've been told I am BernBern, Jr. and you know what, that's fine, because I love that girl. Sure she gives too many details when they are not needed and I am gradually doing the same but she's got a big heart, works hard, and loves her family... if I can do that much, I'll be happy.

25 randoms that you probably don't care to know

1. I own over 30 pairs of shoes and have to keep myself away from shoe stores in fear of buying yet another pair.
2. I am amazing at "Wheel of Fortune" and should seriously consider being a contestant
3. My brother and sister used to refer to me as "Wayne" and also told me that I'd marry Saddam Hussein but I guess the latter won't be coming true
4. I scream and jump at the sight of a spider... 8 legs is just wayyy too many
5. I wore makeup before my sister who is nearly 4 years older than me due to her non discovery of being female until the tender age of 16.
6. My mom refused to buy me flare jeans until 7th grade until which I had to suffer with the forever-fashionable tapered Levi's...she also didn't buy me a real bra until 8th grade until which I had to wear sports bras and *shutter* training bras. who didn't love having a uniboob
7. I had braces, bangs, AND glasses in 8th grade
8. I once told myself I never had an awkward stage... but that was because I didn't realize that I was STILL IN my awkward years.
9. You could rattle off 100 movies and I've probably only seen 2 of them
10. I secretly get very excited every time I catch the numbers 413 (My birthday!)...such as on a clock or the random total of my purchase orrrr the milk's expiration date
11. My nicknames are: Lainey Boggs (after rachel leigh cook in "She's All That"), Lainey, Lainers...with or without the 's'...whichever you prefer, Ghetto Booty/G.B. (after my childbearing hips), L.E.^2 (after my tendency to have a boyfriend for a month before i get sick of him), Lanye East (after Kanye West), Mom (for being a 40 year old trapped inside a 21 year old's body), Sparky (for being lost and getting called back to attention)
12. If you tell me to look at something I am guaranteed to look the opposite way and by the time you get me to look where you originally intended me to, whatever it was has passed by and I missed it.
13. I visit approximately 5 websites on a daily basis: My email, FaceBook, My sister's blog, youtube, and PerezHilton
14. I am technologically disadvantaged. Being able to turn the tv on and the cable on at the same time is a major step in my life as is getting the dvd player in sync with video 1 in order to watch a movie.
15. I became a vegetarian back in high school mainly because I feel bad for the animals...my heart gets all twisted up when I know what they're really doing to them.
16. When I see a shoe store it's like there's a gravitational pull and my body subconsciously just goes toward the store.
17. Any time someone misspells a word I feel the annoying urge to correct them
18. I swear that an addiction to ice cream is in the Mattern genes as it has been passed down from generation to generation.
19. My favorite number is 17, my favorite finger is my pointer, my favorite color is blue and pink...it's a tie I'm sorry, my favorite show is Grey's Anatomy, my favorite band is Dave Matthews Band, my favorite ice cream is cookie dough as long as it has legit pieces of cookie dough in it, my favorite restaurant is Olive Garden solely for the salad and bread sticks although the entrees are fabulous as well
20. I would wear jeans to bed if it were socially acceptable
21. I expect my husband-to-be to shed a tear as I walk down the aisle ... I really don't feel it's asking all that much considering I will be honoring him with my presence for a very long time.
22. I took dance for almost 10 years including a brief stint in ballet, then tap, jazz, and Irish dance
23. My dad had me take golf lessons for 3ish years. My swing is amazing but I cannot hit the ball for the life of me.
24. If a grape or tomato or other random vegetable or fruit has a brown mark or dent in it, I refuse to eat the entire thing.
25. I have a mole on the top of my ear that you can only see if you pull my ear away from my head.

white face, maroon lipstick...hot

I had the unfortunate realization that I had a dream involving none other than Marilyn Manson (see below for full visual). There we were (me...Marilyn...people...) in an intimate circle as he was involved in a rap-off, a duel if you will. Thankfully the rap-off was not against me as I'm sure he would eat me after, enjoying every last drip of my blood. His "rap" was his deep nasty screaming sounding like death was surely near per the usual accompanied by strange body movements showing he is most definitely possessed by the devil himself.









I think I'd rather not dream anymore