Oh Bindi, you dumb dog!

If you've been reading this blog for the past several months or so, you all know how much I absolutely love my puppy Bindi. Well, our love for Bindi was put to the test Friday when she decided to eat Judd's special Birthday Brownies!

My plan was to make this awesome brownie structure dusted with cocoa mix and powdered sugar, then put little toy dirt bikes on it for Judd's birthday. So I bake the brownies, set them where I'm pretty sure Bindi can't reach, and wait upstairs for them to cool off. Bindi was sitting innocently in the office with me for awhile, then wanders downstairs. 3 minutes later, Judd comes upstairs and asks me what I did with the brownies. "They're on the counter", I remind him, can't he still smell that lovely chocolaty wafting through the house? "Kristen, we have a BIG problem", he says. Just then, Bindi comes into the room, guilty as sin, with chocolate in her teeth.

"GET THAT DOG IN THE CAR!!!" I yell. "THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!" We rush to American Pet, which was closing in 15 minutes. Lucky for us, we're still super cool with them, so the second we got there, they rushed her back and gave her an injection to throw everything up. They invited us back to the treatment area (you know, since 9 months ago this was my job and all!) to watch them save Bindi. They stuck a tube down her throat to pour four tubes of activated charcoal through.

Now when I did this back in the day, dogs would fight tooth and nail for this procedure (unless they were freaks and enjoyed the taste of charcoal). I was super proud of Bindi for sitting still and letting Dr. Pond and Lori work with her. (yes, this dog CAN sit still, believe it or not!). They released her just in time for us to rush to Judd's Buffalo Wild Wings party (more on that later).

Bindi is going to be okay, thank goodness, mainly because we got her to the vet within 20 minutes or so of her eating the brownies. If your dog eats chocolate, the quicker you get her to the vet, the less invasive and less expensive the treatment (by the way, thanks APH for the discount!), and more likely your dog won't have any lasting damage. We're really glad the staff was able to make her feel better so quickly, and I really appreciate them making me laugh when I was seriously on the verge of tears for being so dumb with the brownies. They piled up some of the barf and stuck a makeshift candle in it and sang to Judd, way gross, but I really needed that laugh!

Now I have to make them brownies as a sweet thank you!

First Time Field-Producing!

Today was my first time field-producing a live news event and getting paid for it! Channel 8, along with LVRJ and PBS, put together the Gubernatorial Debate between Rory Reid and Brian Sandoval tonight at the Andre Agassi Preparatory Academy.

My job was to be the stop-watch queen. Basically, each candidate only had two minutes to answer a question, and one minute to rebuttal. We had to keep them within time since this was a live event with no commercials. I would work the stopwatch, and Chris would hold up the time cards. Surprisingly, the candidates mostly managed to answer the questions within the allotted time! Now whether they actually answered the questions is another story...

Without getting too political, I was impressed on how much the candidates were concerned about the failing education system of this state, and intrigued by both of their plans. I've read up on both of them and find things I like in both. Unfortunately I was too absorbed in keeping the time and barely breathing for an hour to really focus on how the candidates answered the questions, but that's what DVR is for! I wish there had been a little less mocking the competition, but I guess that's to be expected. Thankfully the audience was mostly quiet until the end when a couple of Reid supporters couldn't hold it in anymore and had to let us know "RORY HAS A PLAN!". Guess what, Sandoval does too!

It was a really great experience and affirmed to me that I'm definitely in the right field of business. It's exciting to work on a live show in the location that the rest of the city just watches on their screen. I liked meeting cool people and feeling so professional in my suit and sitting up front. It's really neat that Channel 8 let Jay (another current UNLV student, cool kid) and I work this show even though we're still in school. But then again, I'm excited that we have these jobs before we graduate! I hope we did them proud!

The BEGINNING of the END!

Today is the first day of my last semester of college! I am in total shock/excitement that this day is actually here. I've been doing the college thing for a little longer then I envisioned when I first started 5 years ago, but now that I'm here, I think all the extra time was worth it. I've really enjoyed being a student for the most part and I know I'll miss it. I would do grad school, but I'm in such a great position when I graduate to have a great career ready to go that I'm not sure it would be worth it. I've made so many awesome friends throughout the years, particularly my Studio G crew. Being stuck with the same people every day putting a show together either brings you closer or makes you crazy, so fortunately it's the former in our case!

I'm so glad I married someone so supportive of my schooling. I know in so many cases, the wife usually works/has kids while the husband finishes school. We got a lot of questions about that for the past few years, and I know a lot of people were concerned that I was going to school when they felt it really should have been Judd. I guess all I can say is that it was a decision we made before we got married, and it was a sacrifice Judd wanted to make for this family. It's perfect, really. Now that I will have a degree, I will be able to work a job that can support us while Judd goes full time, where I was unable to do that a few years ago. That way I feel like I "did something" with my degree before we get around to having kids! I really want Judd to enjoy school and get the degree that he's already earning the life experience for, so I can't wait for him to start this spring.

But anyways, I fully plan on living up the college experience (minus the boozing and sleeping around) for the next 4 months and enjoying it while it lasts! And to participate in my college experience, I will shamelessly plug in our daily news show for your viewing experience! We will air at 1:30 Mondays-Fridays at unlv.tv/views!

Dear Hollywood,

Dear Hollywood,

I understand you feel there is a need to make an American version of an internationally acclaimed movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo that's only been out a year. Just because the book took off in America doesn't mean there needs to be an American version of an already existing Swedish movie. You're playing to the needs of lazy Americans who refuse to read subtitles. There's also a voice-over dubbing option as well (but kind of loses the effect). No offense or anything, but you kind of tend to screw up good books when you turn them into blockbusters.

And there's the fact that you seriously considered casting Kristin I'm-really-good-at-biting-my-lip-and-that's-about-the-range-of-my-acting-ability Stewart as Lisbeth. Noomi Rapace, the Swedish actress who plays Lisbeth in the existing film DOES speak English, just so you know. But then again, she's been this character for a year and a half now as Sweden chose to film all three movies at once so she might be tired of it. Rooney Mara has some BIG shoes to fill!

Plus, as super uncomfortable as some of the scenes were, they are part of the story and I think you would just dilute them (I covered my eyes anyways, they were that uncomfortable, but at least I knew what was going on!). I liked the idea that some of the girls stood up for themselves after all the abuse they had gone through, even if it was extreme. I've read that late author Stieg Larsson witnessed a rape as a youth and felt horrible for not doing anything about it, hence why his female characters are very strong.

Some of the best films I've seen were foreign made, Run Lola Run, Hero, and Life is Beautiful just to name a few. I think it's fun to watch a movie made from different perspectives than American filmmakers. They give a glimpse into different cultures and different values and how artistic expressions are viewed.

I understand you have to appeal to the masses. Just try really hard not to screw it up, okay?

Yours truly,
Kristen

Congrats Kim and Geoff!

So after a year of anxiously waiting, Kim and Geoff finally got married!

I got back from my trip just in time to help with all the festivities. Kim, Amber, Shelly, and I went accessory and makeup shopping the night before the big day. After that, Judd came and helped us all decorate the church for the reception. His engineering skills came in handy for trying to figure out the best way to hang the canopy! We had a bunch of crafty things to use as centerpieces, so Kim and I played with them until we came up with an arrangement sort of like the one above for each table. Not that you can see it really well in these pictures, but that necklace is Kim's "Something Borrowed"...my necklace from my wedding!

The next day, Judd and I were honored to be present during their sealing. It's not everyday you get to go to a live one, so it was nice to be there and remember our own. Kim's brother on a mission, Kevin, was also there, in cardboard spirit! (But not in the temple, he had to wait outside!) After pictures, Judd and I headed home where I spent the next two hours frantically assembling a Kristen-Custom-Designed reception guest book, our last minute wedding gift! I'm pretty proud of how it turned out and bummed I didn't take any pictures of it. But at least everyone signed it and wrote the bride and groom some sweet messages!

The reception was fun, especially the dancing (my favorite reason to go to them!). Kim and Geoff looked as happy as could be, even if Geoff's super-sweet car got written on. Geoff's 4 brothers each spoke, and Kim's cardboard brother gave a pre-recorded speech.

I'm so happy for the new couple, especially for Kim. I've known her since Girls' Camp days, and she has always been such an amazing friend and confidante. She really does deserve the best.

On a side note, I think it's cute that we both started out with our initials KA, and now we're both KK!

And your Fun Fact for the day! Kim's sister Amber is dating Judd's brother Telly (really small world), so if it hopefully works out someday, Kim and I would be somewhat related!!!

Cape Cod- Hocake Style!

So 6 days in Paradise wasn't enough for me. Judd went back to work, and I stayed in the Cape to hang out with my most favorite Cape Cod Hocake (trust me, it's a term of endearment), Alex! It was fun to have a girl's trip. Her family was very gracious in letting me stay in their cottage (like I used to back in the day) and eat their fantastic food. Even though the rest of our usual Cape Cod gang wasn't there (losers!), we still had a blast doing all the usual Cape Cod things! I think this is the summer we realized that while a lot of things change (friends move, graduate, have real jobs they can't ditch for two weeks, oh, and grow up), some things stay the same on the Cape. The tides still go in and out, Kate's ice cream calls for nightly trips, kids still try to sink the barge-like rafts, lobster is always excellent, and some friendships are meant to stand the test of distance and time. I think an annual Hocake trip is definetly in order from here on out!

Cape Cod- Judd and Kristen Style!

I am so glad I married someone who can appreciate my favorite place in the entire world almost as much as I do. Judd and I went to the most scenic town Brewster in the most beautiful place in the world, Cape Cod! For those unfamilair with what Cape Cod is (it's okay, I'm finding most people have no idea), it is the part of Massachusetts that kind of juts out like an arm flexing, and Brewster would be kind of on the bicep. It's one of those places where the tide will go out a mile and you can walk the flats and play with all the little sea critters. There are two cottages up there that my family shares with various extended family members, and the Alworths have been going up for about five generations now every summer. We're related to half "the park", which is the community the cottages are in by the beach, which meant I always had to be careful who I dated up there back in the day! Everything Cape Cod is totally ingrained in me, so luckily I found someone who loves it too!

Judd and I enjoyed 6 days of fishing, boating, biking along the Cape Cod Bike trail, eating excellent seafood that you just can't get in Vegas, beaching it up, tanning, shopping, and so on. Judd was a good sport and played in the weekly community baseball game with Dad and Sam, which all the older guys appreciated! He was also a good sport Monday night when I commandeered the one television set to watch the season finale of The Bachelorette (Chris deserves better!). Judd also enjoyed the most likely to cause a heart-attack burger ever at Friendly's (another New England entity): a burger in between TWO grilled cheese sandwiches!

I just love this place. It is a town ingrained in American values, where people wave and say hello to strangers. They buy their vegetables from farmer's stands and catch their own fish to eat. Kids have bonfires on the beaches and play sports in the mornings. I can jog in the woods and not worry about getting attacked. It is my ultimate dream to live in Massachusetts, and Judd agrees that when we get rich enough, we're buying a cottage on the beach to live in during the summer! There really isn't a happier place on Earth, not even Disneyland.