yeahyeahyeah! so i saw finding nemo yesterday!!!!!!!!

i was so excited. and rightfully so. i thoroughly enjoyed it. and dude, you would to. fo sho! that is, you all would certainly enjoy the movie.

mah brutha mayn henson said last nite that he has never seen so much action in an animated film before. well, i don't think he's really seen that many, but seeing as how i HAVE, it's kinda tru. that ocean's jam packed full of excitement! it was so cute, cuz him and our other friend, jerome, were all leaning forward during the middle of the movie...maybe to get closer to the action. awww :).

ok, well maybe not jam packed. i don't wanna hype it up too much...they did have some lagging parts, and i really wanted to smack one of the characters, but hey, no movie is perfect. tell me one that is and i'll see it and tear it up. :D but YAH! finding nemo. it's a must see.

so besides the movie, it was good hangin out with the college peeps again. still tryin to get over the whole "it's not gonna take me 10 minutes or less to WALK over to their homes" idea. NOW, it's a 30-45 minute DRIVE to my friends' places. only a couple of them live 10 minutes away. that is, a 10 min drive. :( so anyways, it was cute, cuz here we are, like 12 college (n alum) peeps watchin finding nemo. and just our luck cuz 2 of our friends brought their 13yr old n younger siblings. that means, 12 college kiddies, and 2 actual kiddies. hehe. all good, cuz we don't even need no kids to wanna see a kiddie movie. BESIDES! a lot of the jokes in there were for the adults anyways. that's wut they always do. alot of the jokes for the adults while the cute animation and action is for the kids. but DUDE! it was kinda scary. lotsa scary things in the ocean.

anyways, we went to denny's after...then shot pool at this dirty place in lombard. soorie if that's anyone's hangout, but ew :(. it was all humid in there...but at the same time a lil cold and hot. it was weird. PLUS, they're doin construction, and it just rained...so there was this BIG LAKE to drive through to get to the parkin lot behind the establishment. my friend romel drove his lil sports car, and we swore the car was gonna start to flood. hehehe. it was fun. :)

so that was my friday. today is goin to be a lazy day...that and one filled with cleaning. yay. oh happy day. ;)

aight. i wrote alot. but please, go see finding nemo. and if you really need to, find someone's child or lil sibling to take if you feel funny goin to see a kiddie movie. i think you'll like it.

Ok, so despite telling myself I'd never return to the lab (before med school I worked in a university research lab for one who will heretofore be known as the Angry Russian), here I am, back again for 6 weeks. At least I'm getting paid. And this time, I'm working for the Angry Russian's boss, not the Angry Russian. AR has apparently gotten his own lab effective July 1, and it's a few blocks away. For now his office is on the 3rd floor (I'm on the 2nd- phew), and I have seen neither hide nor hair of him since yesterday, and I kinda like it that way.

There's a bunch of new faces here, along with a few of the old ones. It's weird being in my old stomping grounds and having stuff I used to be in charge of now be someone else's job, and they do things differently and have stuff in different places. My old desk is no longer mine. Stuff on campus is in different places, too. It freakin' took me 10 minutes to figure out where the hell Subway went. Darn this construction.

It is nice seeing everybody, though. I've gotten a warm "welcome back" from everybody, so that's always comforting. But wow, is it weird to be back.

aight. it's wednesday. and i thought today was already thursday...well, it will be anyhow. :)

so i went to superdawg today for the first time with some of my college peeps. and we'd joke about not having jobs. and having to find insurance. and paying off financial aid loans. but yah, it's not funny. i think we were really depressing ourselves. but my friend, liss, was right. you think about all the things you need to do...and how you want to save all your money and not do anything so you don't have to depend on your parents. and how you hope that you'll be able to get a job soon even tho the job market sucks.

growing up is fun.

and i hope you sensed my sarcasm in that one. ;) for now, we just watch our usual line ups on tv, clean up here and there, maybe get out of the house for a couple minutes...then i dunno. wutever. but i wanna take it easy. just for a lil bit. cuz i think i have the rest of my life to be a grown-up, right? right.

so now i'll say something funny. our dog, ewok, is a WUSS. he has these doggie bones that are meant for small dogs. but ewok the lil freak can't break his. or won't. i usually have to break it up into 3 parts, then he slowly tries to chew it up in his mouth. i dunno, maybe his teeth hurt or something...but he seems fine if we break it up. otherwise, he carries the whole bone, all 2.5 inches of it, in his mouth while he walks around the house. and after a while, he'll start to cry cuz he can't break it apart. and if you try to get the bone to break it for him, he goes all crazy on you and tries to bite you. wut a lil cry baby freak. hehehe. it makes me laugh. :D

Ok, being as I'm paid by the blog for this week, I figured I'd throw in my own little birthday spiel for the sister. Happy birthday, sisterfriend, and many more to you. And thanks for calling this morning and telling us you're on the beach. You suck. But tan well, travel safely, and don't drink the water (or the ice, for that matter). Oh, and don't agree to carry anything for anyone.

a message from the Yano as she sails the high seas...

Day 2 of Christine's Summer Vacation

It's my birthday today. I'm the ripe old age of 22 now. OK. Maybe a little older than that. Go Yano! It's yo' birthday, I'm gonna party, like it's my birthday! Oh wait, it is.

Send me a card. I won't read it 'til I get back, but whoever sends me an e-card gets an honorable mention here. Yeah. Your name, forever immortalized on my blog. Isn't that every kid's dream?

...this thing is weird. all good tho. well, i'm fatima, and i pretty much type how i talk, so expect things to not be spelled right (ok, claudine?) so don't trip. oh, and i'm the supposed ghetto one, but i'm really not :D.

the main reason i'm posting a blog is cuz we're being paid an undisclosed amount of money (yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!), so that's pretty sweet, yah?

so nothing big has happened...me n claudine will be cleaning our room tomorrow. and unlike christine, we actually do clean our room. hehehe.

oh and soorie to all the ST fans out there cuz me n the other seestair don't keep up with that...claudine's into hockey and i'm more into artsy stuff. and computers. kinda. oh and comics...and disney. hehe. ok.

oh, and now that it's 2sday, happy natal day to christine!!! yay sisterfriend!!!

p's.

Hello. Claudine here. Making sure her highness's website continues on in her temporary absence. Yup. Ok, done.

Today is Dave's grad party, and right after that, we're off on a plane to Miami. Tomorrow, we're heading out on a cruise to Mexico, and on Friday we're going to a wedding in Georgia. It should be a lot of fun, and you know I'm going to take TONS of pictures! And video, too!

Goodbye everyone!!!

Dave graduated today from the Des Moines University School of Osteopathy. It was great to see him up getting hooded. He's worked so hard over these last 4 years, and made a lot of sacrifices in the process (one big one being having a long distance relationship with me - it wasn't always easy). His fellow classmates would be the first to tell you that Dave is one of the most studious, hardest working med students out there. And today, all that work, all those late hours studying, have paid off. He's now a doctor of osteopathy.

I am the proudest girlfriend this side of the international dateline. I'm kinda pissed that my camera flaked out on me when I was taking his picture while he was getting hooded. But that's ok, I've got him on my new Sony MiniDV digital video cam. That thing ROCKS! Dave's main goal was not to get his cap knocked off while they were putting the hood on him. He succeeded. Unfortunately, they said his name wrong, saying it 'Esta-show" rather than "Es-tahshow" (like pistacio). Luckily, one if his friends yelled out the correct pronounciation. Speaking of, I'm happy that Dave has made some great friends in school. They're some really good people. They've got their internships in all different places, so we'll have lots of places to stay when we go traveling.

So one major step down in Dave's medical career. Next up, an internship in Downey, CA, where Dave will be moving to in a couple weeks, and I'll be moving to after we get married.

OT - I'm in the car driving back from Des Moines, and earlier a bird hit my windshield. Now it's raining, and the windshield wipers are spreading the guts across my windshield. Eew.

Anyway, congratulations to my Dave. I'm really proud of you!

9 hours after coming home from Seattle, I'm off to Des Moines!

How exciting!

NOT!

I update the sidebar every now and then, but I was thinking of posting updated sidebar info so you know when it's changing...

reading pleasures

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

I really liked this book. It was a realy quick read (finished it during my Seattle trip). It's about two boys during China's cultural revolution who are sent to a remote village to be 're-educated' in ways of life. During this time, books are outlawed, but these two boys manage to find a secret stash of Western books, translated to Chinese. Anyone who really loves books can appreciate the magic the boys feel when reading the books, and how precious these treasures become.

song stuck in my head

'Where is the Love - Black Eyed Peas

I've always loved the Black Eyed Peas, since 'Joints and Jam' from way back when. Here, they make a social statement on how the world has changed, and where we can go to find the answers to make things better again.

at the movies

Matrix: Reloaded

I liked it. Not as much as the first one. But it swas good. The fight scenes kicked ass, though I could still see the CGI. But it was well choreographed. The story was ok..you really had to pay attention to what was being said. Can't wait til the 3rd one!

yummy for my tummy

sourdough bacon cheeseburger

Damn Burger King. Damn them for making such a tasty burger!

addiction

traveling

IT SUCKS!

1. What brand of toothpaste do you use?
Colgate Total

2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer?
Charmin

3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear?
Payless. Once in a while I'll splurge.

4. What brand of soda do you drink?
Coca Cola, Nestea Raspberry

5. What brand of gum do you chew?
Wrigleys Extra Wintergreen

Hmm...I've been a pretty busy gal in Seattle...here's a little rundown...

Yuki and the 2 Hour Haircut

Dave called me a stalker. I said that I've been busy as hell lately, my hair was long and out of control and I needed a haircut, and Lord knows the next timeI would have an hour at home to get it cut. I knew I was going to Seattle, and what a coincidence, I know of someone that has a salon in Seattle. It just so happens to be the salon of Yuki Ohno. There was no stalking going on here, it was just convenient. Ok, maybe just a little stalking.

So I get there, and I start to wonderg if Yuki would remember me from SLC. I mean, I was sitting in front of him for half of the comp. And I'm sure he caught me glancing at him. Luckily, I was able to make an appointment with him. He starts washing my hair, and asks me what I do, and I tell him I work at a software company. He asks me if my company is in Seattle or if it's out in the suburbs. I tell him I don't live in Seattle. He looks surprised. 'You don't?' Then I tell him I'm from Chicago. Once again, the surprised look. I know it's time for me to 'fess up.

'Um, I'm a fan.'

'You are?'

'Yeah, a fan of yours!'

Yeah. Smooth Yano, really smooth. So then, he asks me what name I normally use online. This is the real test...I don't know why I'm scared to tell him the batname. I shyly say 'Yano'. And Yuki starts laughing. 'I know you you are! You're the one that brought the camera crew to Salt Lake City!' Ok, I'm not the one who brought them, but I like that sound of it. 'Yeah, that's me,' I reply. 'I knew I recognized you from somewhere! I thought it was because I had seen you around Seattle.' Wow. I'm almost feeling famous here!

So that kinda broke the ice for me. As he cut my hair, we talked about a ton of things. Crime rates, unemployment, my upcoming wedding, and of course, short track. Yuki knows his short track! It was really cool to chat with him, and he was so friendly and outgoing. He made me feel comfortable at once, and he was SO nice! However, there came a point when I started wondering, just how long have I been here? And I looked at my watch, and it was already an hour and fifty minutes after I sat down. Yuki was cutting my hair FOREVER! But I could tell that he was a perfectionist.

Afterwards, I asked him if we could take a picture together. I tried being cool and tried taking our picture in the mirror, but as you can see, it didn't turn out that well. The funny thing was, before taking the picture, Yuki kept on pulling out the scissors and doing little spot trims, trying to make my hair picture perfect.

So it's the day after, and my hair is still looking good. It's a lot shorter, which is a little strange for me, but it feels so much healthier now. Thanks Yuki, for the great haircut, the great conversation, and for being so welcoming and sweet.

It's Almost Like Seaworld

I'm going on a cruise next week. Haven't been working out as much as I wanted to. No motivation. So I'm not too fit right now. And I ended up shopping today for clothes for the trip (I won't be able to shop at home). So I'm shopping for bathing suits, and seriously, it's the perfect way to torture someone. Have them try on swinsuits. EEK. I had it. I felt like Shamu the Killer Whale while I was in the dressing room. I was tempted to take a sip out of water bottle and spit it outside of the door like a fountain, just so people would know that Shamu was inside. Luckily, I found a nice suit that fits pretty well, and that doesn't make me look bloated.

Exploring I-5

I never got the returm mapquest directions to my hotel from my client's building. So I had no idea what exit to go off of (I have NO idea how I got home yesterday). And I was talking on the phone. So I ended up driving up and down I-5 for about an hour today. Just so I could stay on the phone, and I didn't have anything better to do. Took a wrong turn in the semi-ghetto, though. However, as ghetto as it was, it still had some beautiful greenery. I love Seattle. The first time I was here, two years ago, I fell in love with it. Seeing the ocean, being on the mountain, the lake, it's all so gorgeous! As much as I get annoyed when I get lost when I'm out of town, this time, it was really enjoyable. I'd love to come here for vacation sometime! Then I can actually go inside the Space Needle than just taking pictures of it.

*sigh* leaving to go home tomorrow. I'll get in at about midnight. Then it's up bright and early the day after to go to Des Moines. Dave's graduating from Med School. Whoo hoo!

OK...here's my collection of Seattle pics...

It's my wonderful sister Fatima's birthday today. She's one of the best two sisters on the planet! I called her at midnight this morning, giving her my very best 'Happy Biiihhhrthday, mister puhrrresident' Marilyn Monroe impersonation. I really wish I could be there for her birthday, but she'll just have to settle for a cool birthday present from Sea-Town!

Love you, sisterfriend!

Got a haircut yesterday. Some of you may know the handsome gentleman who cut my hair. More later today. Gotta go to work.

Where is Yano Today?

Seattle, WA

So here I am in Seattle. I'm pooped after the 4 1/2 hour flight. There are no hotel rooms available in all of downtown, so I'm stuck here at the airport. Fortunately, I'm staying at a place where I have a free high speed internet connection. Whoo hoo!

I'm so tired.

Watched 'The Recruit' on the plane. Colin Farrell is one sexy bastard. He looks nothing at all like Wil. Muhahaha...

So I saw X-Men 2 Saturday. I liked it a lot better than the first X-men, but I still have many gripes. I can go on for days, but I'll give you a run down of the good stuff, and the not so good stuff... (warning, there might be some spoilers)

Good stuff:
* Nightcrawler's fight scene was kick ass. He teleports visually just the way I thought he would.
* Storm didn't have any stupid lines, and Halle Berry's wig was a lot better looking this time around
* Magneto, as bad ass as ever. Loved his escape.
* Colossus! In metal form! Whoo hoo!
* Hank McCoy and Remy LeBeau. Gotta watch more to see which ones I missed, but these guys are in there, in some form!
* Kelly Hu. Damn. I want to be as hot as her someday!
* The story was A LOT better than the first one
* Jean Grey's powers. Yeah...big stuff....can't wait til the next one...

The Not so Good:
* Nightcrawler - where's the *bamf* when he teleports? And he's not my furry blue elf! And if he said 'My name is Kurt Wagner' one more time....
* I still can't get over the fact that Bobby Drake is a teenager. Grr.
* What's up with Wolvie's hair? He was channeling Jim Carrey's white devil hairdo from Ace Ventura.
* Cyclops. Man. I can't get over that he looks so much younger than Famke Janssen's Jean Grey, and he really didn't have any character development. You're almost rooting for Wolvie to get Jean.
* Although we did get to see Colossus, Kitty and Jubilee, they didn't get much screen time.
* Dude, when are we going to see the Danger Room?
* In the comics, Mystique is Kurt's mom, and she was Rogue's foster mother. I wouldhave loved to have seen some hints to that.
* More bad guys with mutant powers!
* Kelly Hu was great to look at, but dammit, give the gal some lines to say!
* Hugh Jackman needs more scenes with his shirt off. *wink*
* I don't think that Professor X would have been as easily manipulated as he was in the movie. Also, Patrick Stewart needs more screen time!
* To me, Mystique is the character in the movies that is the most unlike the comic book version. She's a lot better in this one, but I'd love to see Mystique with some guns and talking, and I really like the white dress with the skull belt from the comics.
* Although Rogue used her power in the movie, she only used it to take someone's powers, not to use the powers herself. How awesome would it be if Rogue took Cyclops' powers and started blasting everyone away?
* I have a big gripe with the ending, but I don't want to give anything away, but all I have to say is 'Why don't you do it INSIDE the plane?!?!?!'

OK, I'm done griping for now. Really though, I liked it. I got all excited when I saw Hank McCoy. It was TONS better than the first. I think I might actually see the next one on opening day this time. Can someone say 'Dark Phoenix Saga?'

I give it 3 stars.

Since the fall of 1993, there has always been a Feliciano sister attending the University of Illinois. I started in 1993, ended in 1997, Claudine started in 1996, ended in 2000, Fatima started in 1998, and finished up yesterday. An era has ended. And my father breathes a sigh of relief. No more three hour drives through cornfields. No more moving in the daughter to a new apartment. No more bounced checks. No more calling your daughter at school and 1 in the morning, and she doesn't answer. No more 3 hour fashion shows he has to attend.

But for, an era has ended. I loved Urbana, and even after graduating, I had a reason to return and relive my college experience through my sisters. Of course, as time went on, I felt older and older, and more out of place, but still. It was home for me. But now, I have no reason to go back. I'll miss it.

And so, with that, I want to congratulate Fatima on graduating from the University of Illinois, with a Bachelor of the Arts in Psychology. Hope that degree does you more good than it did me, little sister. We're all proud of you! I'm really happy to have you back home.

It was a pretty long day, waking up way early, driving to Urbana, going to the graduation, then driving back home. Thanks to Mel for keeping me awake while we were going there, and thanks to her again, for what she did on the way home. No, we weren't in deep conversation. Actually, I think she was in a deep sleep. But knowing that if I crashed the car, I would be taking her own life as well as my own was enough to keep me awake. Most of the time, anyway.

And also, I did my part to save a life today. While talking to Fatima on the phone as I was driving, a opossum skittered across the road, right in the path of my car. I swerved a bit, gently hunked my horn, and the lil critter turned and ran the other way. I had seen enough carcasses on the road today - I didn't want to create a fatality. I want to give life, not take it away!

I'm going to be a busy traveling bee....check out the Yano tour schedule for the next couple weeks:

May 18 - Urbana, IL
May 19 - May 22 - Seattle, WA
May 23 - May 24 - Des Moines, IA
May 25 - Miami, FL
May 26 - May 30 - Cruise, going to Key West and Cozumel Mexico
May 30 - June 1 - Savannah, GA
June 3 - Denver, CO

Whew!

How am I going to plan this wedding?

Head hurts. Should have drank more water....

CAUTION! Drunken post ahead!!! (2 kahlua and cokes, 1 car bomb, 1 jaegermeister, 1 purple hooter, 1 jack and coke and uh....yeah..there was more, but you get the picture.)

You know, as of late, I've been complaining a lot about my life and all my stresses. And something I tell everyone (sidenote, i type as fast drunk as I do sober, but not with as much accuracy - the backspace is my friend) when they have a bad day, or bad month, is for every bad, there is a good to look forward to. And tonight was my good. No, it's not that I consumed a good amount of alcohol (water is my friend). It's that I got to see old friends. And when I'm with these people, there is no bad in my life. Only the happiness that I felt during the best four years of my life. Only the knowledge that for the rest of my life, I know that I will love these people, and that they will love me. I love my friends from Urbana! I only wish that we could have all been there together...

So my Mike is getting married in a couple months, and he's been living in California for the longest time. But him and his lovely wife-to-be Ann came into town today, and we all met up at Betty's Blue Star Lounge for some conversation, dancing, and in true Urbana style, some drinks. Lotsa drinks. It was great to see him again, and it was great to have my boys all together in the same place.

Warning!!! Thoughtless rambling coming ahead! (as if it wasn't thoughtless rambling BEFORE this warning).

Let's rewind a little. Junior year, college. I'm in a relationship. I'm in school. I had a routine. Boyfriend, school. But then I meet these four freshman guys. And they change my life. They help me realize that there's more to life than a boyfriend and school. There are way too memories that were created at 711 W. Elm Street to go over here, but I'll love these four guys forever. Emer, Deo, John Jay and Mike. The best little pseudo-lil brothers that anyone could ask for. Those were some crazy times, staying up til dawn running around the apartment with Nikki and Jaygee. It was the apartment where FAT-ERMA lived, which was the name that our phone number spelled. Pochaco wrestling, late night Gumby's, drunken Lambda parties, potluck dinners with charades after...all memories with my roommates and my boys that lived at FAR. (The Florida Avenue Residence)

So yeah, I'm a drunken nostalgic fool right now. And it was nice to see my boys together, because it's been a LONG time since I've seen them all together in one place. And how lovely it was to see Alki-Man come out and play (thanks Emer). And surprisingly enough, Alki-Gal came out, too (thanks to Mike for celebrating my birthday 10 days early). It was great to have everyone together again, it was great to talk about old times, and I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have a fiance as great and as patient as as big of a beefcake hunk-a wonderful burnin' love as Dave. He's the bestest, and I can't wait to be married to him. And my boys love him, too.

And thanks, guys, for wanting to take a picture with your Elm street gal. It means a lot that it meant so much for you to get a picture of all four of you and me. Dar, I can't wait til I get those pics sent to me. You're the best for taking the pictures for us!

Jamie, good luck on that waitlist. DePaul would be at a loss without you.

Gel, sorry for getting all sappy and 'remember when' with you. Blame Emer.

OK, so now my rambling must end. I'll drink up the rest of my water and retire for the night, because I have to wake up early and drive to DeKalb.

Oh, and I watched the Matrix tonight, too. Kick ass! More on that when I'm in a better state of mind....

Got this link from Kelly. Translate a page to porn-ish. Go to Pornolize!

For a good laugh, see what this site would look like! Finally, a language that Dan (and his life partner John, the hairy Italian ass) can understand.

Well, I broke my last New Year's resolution. Today, driving home from the airport, the gas light went on. Me and the gas light were good friends last year, it seemed like every time I was in the car I'd be running on empty. So I decided to make it part of my New Year's resolutions. It took me 5 months to break all of them, so it's not too bad. Let's do a recap...

1) Exercise at least 2 times a week (right now I'm at 0 times).
-->Yeah...that one was the first to go!

2) No more snacking after 9pm.
-->Damn that White Castle on Addison. After a late night clubbing, it just calls to me. 24 hour hamburger joints should be outlawed.

3) I will not renew any more of my magazines. I never read them anyway.
-->I find Entertainment Weekly too intriguing and too cheap of a subscription to let go

4) I will not buy any more magazines at the airport.
-->How could I pass up US Magazine's '10 Most Romantic Proposals and Weddings' issue?

5) I will take more pictures with my camera. There's a lot of times that I really wish that I had taken some pictures.
-->Even though I carry my camera around with me, I'm still to chicken sometimes to take pictures, and later on, I kick myself in the head for not taking them.

6) I will be better with returning voicemails and replying to emails.
-->Um, yeah. People bitch at me for not calling them back. Or emailing them back. Dude, I never call anyone back. Just ask Dave. He'll be the first one to tell you!

7) I will submit my consultant reports and my expense reports right after I return from a trip.
-->One of the first things my old manager told me new manager - "Christine's a great worker, but make sure you nag her to turn in her consultant reports!

8) I will try and get at least 4 hours of sleep each night.
-->Damn those MSN chat rooms.

9) I will get a new membership card to Bally's.
-->One has to GO to Bally's to get a replacement card...(see #1)

10) I will put gas in my car BEFORE the gas light turns on.
-->Ahh...the last one to break. I lasted for 5 whole months!

11) I will watch my posture. I'm a big sloucher.
-->I think my head is too big for my back to support, hence the slouching.

12) I will try and schedule my time more efficiently at work.
-->If you call staying at work til 7pm all the time at work because I'm not meeting deadlines being efficient, then maybe this one isn't broken. Hmph. It's those damn long lunches!

Yeah...so now it's time for me to figure out what I want to do for next year's resolutions!!!

Before this month, my dad hated the computer. He only went on when he HAD to type something out, or send an email, or check on his banking things.

But then he was contacted by one of his friends from highschool. And then he was added to his highschool mailing list - it's been 40 years since highschool for him. He asked me to help him get his email, and I ended up reading one of them, and it went a little something like this...
"It's me again. I do apologise for not telling you that our group has finally tracked down one of the cutest guys of Class63, Vic Feliciano!"
Yup, my dad was a stud in highschool. I grew up with stories of his various escapades, and how many girlfriends he had, and what a stud he was. And tell the truth, my dad was a cutie in highschool! He must have LOVED getting that email.

So I had to teach him how to use email. And save email. And send attachments. Everything. And the guy is on my computer all the time now. He's an addict. He gets about 9 emails a day, which is a change from the 1 email he got every 6 months. It's really funny to see. After contacting his high school chums in the Philippines, he's been a little happier. He's more inclined to laugh. He's got more of a spring in his step. It's good to see. So I don't mind as much giving up some computer time to let him get his kicks from his old pals.

I guess this internet addiction thing is in the genes!

On a related note, I received an email today (yay for reader feedback!) which made me look over my post from yesterday.

Exhibit A: "Sometimes it upsets me that people can say things without thinking how it affects other people, and no matter how righteous they might think they are, or how much they think they are watching out for someone else's self interests, they fail to see the people they might be hurting along the way."

Exhibit B: "So just ignore all the mom-types out there"

All said within the same paragraph. I hate it when I find out that I've just contradicted myself. Damn my gemini-ness! To you mom-types, I apologize. I never meant it to come out that way. It was something said in the heat of the moment, and what would we be without our mom-types?

So to the mom-type, thanks for calling me out. I never meant to offend, and I hope you keep on reading!

I swear there was something important that I wanted to post in here, but I forgot what it was.

Oh well. Dinner with Torrie and Corin was a blast. It's always great to talk to those two. They've got a great perspective on things. We also had some great talks about movies, TV and more movies. We stayed at the restaurant til closing. I seem to do that a lot when I meet friends when I'm traveling. Maybe it's because I'm a talker. Or maybe we're just trying to stretch the time that we're together. Chances are I won't see these two again til Marquette in October (if I go). Unless I meet up with them tomorrow. But I may use tomorrow as time to rest and go over some wedding stuff. I brought it all with me.

A little shout out to my Butta. I know that today probably wasn't the best day for her, but she got to give a kiss to her idol, and no one can take that away. Sometimes it upsets me that people can say things without thinking how it affects other people, and no matter how righteous they might think they are, or how much they think they are watching out for someone else's self interests, they fail to see the people they might be hurting along the way. I can't apolo-gize for these people Butta, but I can say that you shouldn't let it taint the experience you had. It was a special moment, you took a chance, and I don't think he was offended at all. You are a sweetheart, you're passionate, and you always make me laugh, I hated seeing you in such a foul mood. So just ignore all the mom-types out there and just revel in the thought that YOU KISSED HIM!

And Fata, if you're out there reading this - you were too shocked to bitch him out? Where'd my Fata go? She would have bitched him out in a heartbeat! Love you, sisterfriend.

Claudine, my belly hungers for your cookies. I'll be waiting! (But make them after the cruise, OK?)

Just a real quick post because I'm meeting some friends for dinner.

Things are much better today. My only big faux pas of the day was getting to the client at 9am, when I was supposed to be there at 8:30am. I had totally forgotten! Luckily, I think they forgave me.

So I totally get hooked up at this client - I get my own desk, I got my own NT login, my own email address @thisclient.com, I even got a security card and had my picture taken for it (the pic sucks).

I guess I gotta do a good job now!

Where in the world is Christine Feliciano?

Denver, CO

It's 2:30am Chicago time, and I'm fucking TIRED, yo!

So why am I online? Because I have to email my DJ and my invitation lady to tell them that I can't meet with them this week.

That, and I'm grumpy. So I want to bitch and moan about a couple things.

My trip was planned in a rush. Since people were laid off from my office, the responsibility of setting up my trips was given to a new person. I'm pretty sure she was overwhelmed, having to do her own job and then planning my trip. So I'm working late, and I realize, she never sent me my itinerary information. And the website of our travel agent was down. I had no idea what hotel I would be staying at. Fortunately, after waiting for half an hour on the travel agents emergency line, I got an email of my itinerary.

I had made up a 2 page statement of work of what I needed to do at the client site. Then at 3pm, the client sends me a 38 page fax of what they're expecting, complete with screen shots. Um, yeah, I don't think that's gonna get done in 3 days.

I found out when I was checking in that I'm no longer a Premier status with United. Fucking sucks! After I was 'grounded' at work last year, they didn't send me anywhere, and now I'm paying for it. Now I'm just a lowly regular passenger with no perks (sorry fellow lowly regular passengers). *sigh* At least I was able to charm the guy at the counter into giving me an Economy Plus seat.

My plane boarded about 15 minutes late, and I got in at 10:50pm MT. I got my luggage at 11:20pm. After waiting about 20 minutes for the AVIS shuttle, I finally got into my car and settled at 11:50pm. Argh. And my car has no CD player. Damn. And to think I brought my favorite hip hop jams to cheer me up. Hmph.

I got lost with the directions that the AVIS counter gave me. Wasted another 15 minutes. Surprise of surprises - I had some Mapquest directions printed out, and THEY WERE RIGHT. Too bad I trusted the AVIS directions more. Got into my hotel at 12:50am. 1:50 Chicago time.

OK, there was a lot more I wanted to bitch about, but I'm too sleepy to remember. Goodnight. Hoping tomorrow is a better day!

I hate it when I'm grouchy.

Well, looks like I'll be heading on a plane to Denver today. I really didn't think I was going to be leaving today, because the client didn't seem prepared, and I had spec'd out 2 days of in house consulting here in the office before I head out there so that I could be more prepared, to run tests on their customizations. But they really wanted someone out there, so I'm flying out there tonight. I have a bad feeling about this.

There were SO many things that I needed to get done this week. The invitations are done, and I need to pick a delivery date for them, and I need to meet with the DJ. I've also been really tired and very stressed lately. Not to mention that I'll be missing the series finales of Buffy and Dawson's Creek. I know, I haven't watched Dawson's Creek in forever, but I'd like to see how it ends. Not to mention all the other stuff for work that I need to do that I'll have to push until Friday to do, which will be jam packedm, because after Friday and Monday, I'm off to Seattle for more consulting, then I'm off for a cruise with Dave that I haven't even begun to pack for or plan yet....

ARGH! Stress! *munches on a s'more to ease stress*

Haven't posted a test in here in a long time. I got this one from Linda's blog. She's only at the fourth level of hell. I'm at the 8th level. Of 9 levels. Is it just me, or is that a BAD thing? Well, here's how I measure up...

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Eigth Level of Hell - the Malebolge!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Very High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Moderate
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)	High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Extreme
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante's Divine Comedy Inferno Test

No surprise that I scored so highly on Level 3 - Gluttony.
And for those of you who don't know what a panderer is..."One who caters to or exploits the lower tastes and desires of others". Yup...that's me!

Well, it's Mother's Day today, and I just wanted to do some reflections on my mom.

You know, I think its either the age that I'm at right now, or just because of my mother's sickness that I'm finding a new closeness with her, a new appreciation for all that she has done for me, and all that she means to me. Four years ago, it was discovered that she had breast cancer. She had a mastectomy, had chemo, lost her hair, and won. Or so we thought. Last year, the cancer came back, and this time had spread to her lungs. She's been fighting it ever since. Chemo, radiation, more medication than I can count - she's doing it all. And when some people would whine and ask people to feel sorry for her, she's silent about it. She moves on. She tries to keep on living life as she did before. Now there may not be many things that she can do as well anymore (she's lost a lot of mobility in her right hand), which is where me and my dad come in. My dad has been amazing during this - but I'll save that for Father's Day. And sometimes, yeah, it's been a lot of stress for me, and yeah, sometimes I feel a lot of resentment that my sisters aren't here to share some of the responsibilities. But as much as I complain inside my head, rarely have I heard my mother complain.

You know, when you're a kid, your mom is everything. But as you get older, you start to question your parents, maybe even sometimes get a little embarrassed by them. That's what I did. I saw her as annoying, a nag, someone that didn't want me to be myself or have a good time. Looking back on it, I was an idiot. But over the years, I've come to see my mother as more than my mother. I've come to see her as a person. And to see her going through what she has gone through, to tell you the truth, I never thought she had this strength in her. And knowing that she has this strength gives me the strength to take the trivial little dramas in me life into perspective. It also gives me hope that someday, if I was ever to meet a challenge, that I would persevere. That I would never give up, and fight it all the way through.

So to my mother, thank you for bringing me into this world. Even more than that, thank you for helping to make me into the person I am, and the person that I someday want to be. Well, not the nagging part. But the other stuff. Definitely the other stuff.

Here's a picture that I put into a frame for my mom today:

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there!

I went to the mall today to get my mom a card, and let me tell you, every time I travel, I always go to the local mall to hang out, check the local scene, see if Clinique bonus days is going on, eat fast food, etc. And in my travels, I have not gone to a mall that has as many ghetto-wannabe teenage thugs like at the Lincolnwood Town Center. I love it. It makes me laugh. The great thing about the teenage thugs at the LTC is that it's a little "We Are the World' of thugs. Black kids, Latino kids, Asian kids...all of them represent at the LTC. Lincolnwood should be proud.

So I guess I wasn't the only one getting a last minute card at the card store, because there were 20 other people in line in front of me. I had no idea what to get my mom, but then I found this pretty frame. Unfortunately, I don't have any good pics of me and my sisters, so I'll have to photoshop something together. I also got Dave's mom something. Never to early to kiss up to the in-laws.

So for you moms out there, here's a little poem...

M is for the million things she gave me,
O means only that she's growing old,
T is for the tears she shed to save me,
H is for her heart of purest gold;
E is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
R means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell MOTHER,
A word that means the world to me.

Howard Johnson 1915

Yesterday me and Dave headed out The Buzz where Gil was celebrating the end of his second year of dental school with the rest of his class. It was CRAAAAAAZY! I felt like I was at a college party again. By midnight most of the people there were drunk. People were dancing like crazy. A couple girls stumbled into me and I swear I was gonna throw down. (Not like I ever got into a fight before but still, I think it would been fun. *wink*) Nah, I'm too old to get into a fight in a bar. The music was pretty good, and it was hilarious to watch Gil go back in time and be 21 again. Then it made me wonder how many of these people knew that Gil wasn't 21. And me and Dave also had some really good laughs watching women flirt with Gil, some literally throwing their bodies at him. What a stud. Why is this guy still single?

All in all...A good time!!

Testing!

Testing Testing 123!

Testing out some stuff

Testing!

What do you think about having this format for the bars on the right hand side? Add a little texture to my site? Hmm? HMM??!?!?

I don't think I've been home from work any earlier than 7pm this week. It's been REALLY hectic at work since everyone's left.

Yesterday we had our Book Club meeting, and this time I had actually finished the book. (There have been many book clubs where I didn't finish the book) The book was Fury by Salman Rushdie. It was a pretty good book, not one of my favorites, but pretty entertaining. We had a pretty good discussion, but as always with our book club, the better conversation comes when we're NOT talking about the book. Yesterday's talk was about religion, namely the things one has to go through to become a new member of a religion. Of course, we also went through office gossip, which this time around, there was a LOT of.

I also went bowling yesterday night, and it's always great to hang out with the old gang. I love to give hugs! Looks like our bowling nights is going to be a monthly thing. That's good, I gotta work on my game. I scored a 119, then a measly 85 after that. But that's all good...it was cosmic bowling so I got to catch up on all the music videos that I've missed, and got to watch Gel and Jamie drool over Shakira.

Today for lunch, we met up with Abie (who was laid off last week *pout*) for some food and pool. It was great to see him, and it was good to give him the hug goodbye that I didn't get to do last week. *sigh* I'm gonna really miss that guy.

It's freezing in the office today. I'm wearing my big yellow jacket. I look like Big Bird's vertically challenged little sister. It doesn't help that today was ice cream day in the office. That's my weakness. I had 4 scoops, and some cookies, too. Diet be damned, ice cream makes me happy!!!

A disappointing Friday Five for me!

1. Would you consider yourself an organized person? Why or why not?
Not at all. I'm horrible at organization. I like to PRETEND I'm organized, but I'm not.

2. Do you keep some type of planner, organizer, calendar, etc. with you, and do you use it regularly?
I used to have a Franklin Planner. Lost it. Had a Palm Pilot. Lost it. I don't even bother anymore.

3. Would you say that your desk is organized right now?
HELL NO! First you should ask if I can SEE my desk. I think my desk is the eyesore of my whole company.

4. Do you alphabetize CDs, books, and DVDs, or does it not matter?
No. The only bit of organization I have is that all my Anne McCafferey books are on one shelf. That's about it.

5. What's the hardest thing you've ever had to organize?
I've never organized anything. I don't even bother.

As I may have mentioned before, I live in a predominantly Polish neighborhood. As usual, I was late for work today, so I took a later bus. I get on the bus, say hello to the bus driver, who is this kinda good looking thirty-something African American male, and I sit down. Near the front of the bus is this little old Polish lady, chatting away with the driver, as a lot of people do...

"How long have you been doing this route?" asked the lil lady.

"For a couple months," answers the driver.

"Do a lot of people try to speak to you in Polish?"

"A couple times people have tried explaining things to me in Polish."

"Oh, do you speak any Polish?"

"No ma'am, I don't."

"You're a good looking young man, are you married?'

"No, I'm not."

"Aww, that's a shame. You'll find someone someday. So you don't speak Polish, eh?"

"No ma'am. I'm not Polish."

"No, I guess not!" lil lady exclaims.

"I'm Irish," he says. And then he looks at her and winks.

Then the lady lets out a big wallop of a laugh. "Ha! You're a good one, you are. I'm happy you're my driver. That's my good laugh for the day."

Yeah...it was mine, too!

For my once a week hit of culture, I'm going to show you one of the best things to happen to comic books in a while, the art of Greg Horn. It's not your conventional comic book art - he usually does covers. He specializes in painting. Right now he's been doing the covers for Wizard Magazine and Elektra. I love his art. It's AWESOME! So here's a sampling of my favorites...

So since we're down a couple people, I volunteered to work the late day today. Totally forgot that I had a meeting in the morning, so I ran into work earlier, but then realized that they rescheduled since they discovered I was working the late shift.

Today was a HECTIC day today! I'm not a good juggler of tasks, and I just stressed myself out. Luckily we had a meeting where I felt OK to vent out my frustrations. I just have so much on my plate right now. I want to make sure that I don't burn out.

And now I'm on the late shift. No one else is really here, and it's really quiet. So different from people crowding around my desk all day asking me this or that or getting me into conversation. I can actually get some quality work done! But then again, it's LONELY!

*sigh*

*chows down on her TV dinner*

Well, I finally did something I've been putting off for a LONG time - upgrading to Photoshop 7.0. I had become so comfortable with 6.0, I didn't want to upgrade. But I found all these great brush and tutorial sites, but most of them only dealt with 7, not 6, so I decided to make that leap. It's SCARY! 7.0 looks so different! It'll take me a while to get used to the new options. But to tell the truth, it's AWESOME. Just in the hour I spent playing around with it, there are so many new great add ons, I know I'll have a great time with it.

Maybe I can then actually add some of MY OWN art to my art gallery!

Well, I went with my little flower girl and her mom to David's Bridal to go and pick out her flowergirl dress today. I think this was just what I needed to get my spirits up. She was totally adorable!

So Nina is only two, which is pretty young for a flowergirl, but seriously, this little girl is a cute as a button, there was no way I could pass up the chance of having her in my wedding. Unfortunately, since she's so young, there wasn't too much selection for her to choose from, but she had a GREAT time trying stuff on.

So my Ate Gail, her mom, is helping her change in the dressing room. She comes out in the first gown, and she looks absolutely adorable. She looks in the mirror that is connected to the dressing room, and I can tell she likes it. She tries on the second gown, and she's really getting into it, going up to the mirror and smiling into it. When she came out in the third gown she looked like a little fairy. She walked out of the dressing room, glanced at the mirror that was next to it, then kept on walking. We called after her, and she went to the front area of the store, where the brides try on their gowns, and went up to this little pedestal that was in front of these huge mirrors. And Nina just stood there and admired herself for a while. The other women there were remarking how cute she was, and she just sucked it all in.

So for every dress after that, that's what she did. Come out of the dressing room, go straight for the big mirrors. It was SO funny when she had a dress that was too long, and she would try to run in it, and she would fall down, but in slow motion. She could tell when we were at the last dress, because she wouldn't leave the front, and she just lay on the ground, not wanting her moment in the sun to end. She's hilarious. She's definitely going to make the wedding interesting with her antics. I can't wait!

I grabbed this from Noelle's. Thought it was interesting...
Monday Mission 3.18

1. Are there any confrontations you have been avoiding that you know you will eventually have to deal with? What's that all about?
I love peace. Dave's always on my case about it, that rather than sticking to my ground, I'll say something like 'that's your opinion' or 'I understand where you're coming from' and I'll let whoever it is think that they're right, even though I feel that I'm right. I don't like it when people I care about don't get along.

As for confrontations, well, I avoid them as much as I can, especially when I know I'm at fault. I'm like a little kid that hides the dead goldfish under my bed because I forgot to feed it and it died, hoping my parents won't notice its disappearance. However, there was one situation lately where I just sucked it up and said that I was at fault for not being responsible enough, and as always, it was good to get it off my chest (even thought I stressed about fessing up for a while).

2. When was the last time you surprised yourself by being more brave than you ever thought you could be?
I think I surprise myself after the fact for being brave. When it's something that I do spur of the moment or out of instinct, but later think to myself, 'OMG, I can't believe I did that!'. But as for the last time...hmm...I guess when I'm traveling, I'm surprising myself all the time, braving traffic, going out on adventures on my own, becoming independent...I had always thought of myself as a person that needed to have other people around to rely on. But by pushing myself I've found out that I can do just fine on my own.

3. You know that sickly feeling you get when are speeding and out of the corner of your eye you realize you just passed a hidden police car? It is that "deer-caught-in-the-headlights" feeling, where you are so busted there is no way out. When was the last time you were in a situation like that?
Damn. That happens all the time at work! When I'm working with a client, I'll tell them that I'll call them right back, and I get so caught up in a million other things that I'll forget to call them. Then they end up calling the president of the company, I'll get a call and get chewed out.

4. Do you have any things stored away that you just can't get rid of but will probably of no sentimental value to anyone once you are gone? Why do we hang on to that stuff?
Anyone that's ever been in my room knows that answer to this. My room is one big black hole of sentimental crap. The reason I keep these things is so I'll remember. Notes from highschool, movie stubs, dried flowers, each thing I hold on to reminds me of a happy time in my life. I can never let go!

5. What are some of the things you have a strong stomach for, and what are some of the things that can turn your stomach?
People are surprised at the strong stomach I have for porn. Believe me, working with guys for so long gives you a strong stomach for anything, and I've seen enough to make me immune to any shock that these guys try to give me. I've got a weak stomach for animal cruelty, though. I think I get it from Fatima.

6. Have you ever been involved in an experience that started out as something good and enjoyable but eventually became destructive and bad for your health (mentally or physically)?
Same answer as Noelle. Short track was so fun in the beginning and being a fan was awesome. I had met so many womderful people, and had so many great experiences. But being exposed to what I've seen over the past month or so has really been, uh, stressing. I guess that's the only word to describe it.

7. Do you believe in evolution or creationism or something else?
Evolution. I look at the gorillas in the zoo, and they look at me, their eyes saying, 'Yano, we are kin. Protect our habitat!'

Amy and Tony's Cinco de Mayo party was a blast. Never thought white people could throw such a great Cinco de Mayo fiesta. Just kidding. And yes, it wasn't the cinco de mayo, but the tres de mayo was close enough! I had a lot of fun, a lot to drink, and did a lot of dancing. I've also got a lot of interesting pictures. There would have been a better picture of Jon's ass, but unfortunately, it's just TOO hairy to post on my site, so you're just gonna get a look at a cheek. The food was phenomenal. The cheese dip was amazing, the flautas were delicious, and I couldn't stop eating the steak that was grilled for the quesadillas. And Tyson's frou frou blue island flavored pucker went well with whatever I mixed with it. DJ Jerry did a great job dancing with that pole, even though he didn't let me take a picture of him. And he told me to post something here, but unfortunately, I wasn't in a state to remember it...it was something like 'Jerry loves [something] and [something].' I think it was something like 'Jerry loves dancing with poles and Mexicans.' Or something like that. I laughed a lot. And I realized that I suck at playing 'Asshole.' And that after a couple drinks, Dan gets just a little more annoying. Just kidding, thanks for the ride, dude. But Claudine, if you're out there, Dan slapped my ass. Really hard. You need to keep your man in check!

Here's my pictures...

My world is getting pretty crazy right now, in so many different places. My head sometimes feels like it's going to explode.

I need to take a step back. Figure out what is fantasy and what is reality. There are better things to stress about.

Tonight, I shall celebrate Cinco de Mayo and have some amigos, cervesas and comido to make me feel all better. This better be a good party, Amy!

Note to self: The day after getting a pint of blood take out, do NOT go out drinking with coworkers. It just makes you damn silly after half the amount of drinks it would usually take to make you look like an idiot.

However, the pool skills are there. A little.

Off to drink me some water!

Here's this week's Friday Five. I really like this one!

1. Name one song you hate to admit you like.
"Wannabe", by the Spice Girls

2. Name two songs that always make you cry.
"Can't Cry Hard Enough" - The Williams Brothers
"The Freshman" - The Verve Pipe

3. Name three songs that turn you on.
"Closer" - Nine Inch Nails
"Touch It" - Monifa
"You're Making Me High" - Toni Braxton

4. Name four songs that always make you feel good.
"Come on Eileen" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
"Those Were the Times" - Miguel Reyes
"Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz
"Love Like This" - Faith Evans

5. Name five songs you couldn't ever do without.
Man, I've mentioned a couple of them already!
"1979" - Smashing Pumpkins
"It's Like That" - Run DMC
"Always" - Atlantic Starr
"This is For My People" - Missy Elliott
"You Got Me Up" - Cajmere ft. Daje

I swear, the oreos at the blood donation place are laced with something, because they taste REALLY good. Anyway, here's my preaching for the day - give blood. There's a massive blood shortage. Of the people who are eligible to give blood, only 5% do. It's a lot of fun to watch and feel your own blood drain from outside your body. Today, I had an awesome bloodsucker lady (what do you call these people?) and when she took out the needle, I didn't feel it at all. Seriously, it hurt more when my finger was pricked for the iron test!

To my special lurker reader and pole dancing buddy - Sometimes husbands are just JERKS. Not that I have one. But remember, I give free hugs. And I got yo' back! I'm DOWN!

Good quote of the day: "Yeah, she was on drugs. She was in a lot of pain, and they gave her stuff to take the pain away, you know like codeine and stuff like that. What is that stuff called? Oh yeah. Laxatives." <-- Bryan. It was even funnier when he realized that no, laxatives are in no way related to codeine. Still can't think of what he was trying to say, though!

Work was a little sad today. We're all still reeling a bit from the loss of our friends and colleagues. It's also BUSY as hell at work since we've got to make up for the people that are gone. Sucks ass. Earl, we're thinking about ya, buddy.

Well, X-Men 2 comes out at midnight tonight, and seriously, I forgot it was coming out! True, Kelly Hu (below) looks dead sexy in the movie, and I'd love to see her as Lady Deathstrike, but the first movie cause such a flurry of conflicting emotions while I was watching it that I don't know if I could go through it again.

But I'll probably go see it. Well, I'll certainly go see it. I'm just a little sad that I'm not more excited to see it. I was SO hyped up to see the first one, and it didn't hold up to my standards. True, being a fan of the X-Men for so long made me critical, and there was no way a 2 hour movie could encompass the different facets and capture the personalities behind our favorite mutants, but still, come on, no one knows Rogue's real name! Bobby Drake wasn't a student at the school as the same time as Rogue! Storm doesn't say lame lines! Mystique carries guns, and she's tough as nails. I had a lot of criticisms. I admit, the movie was entertaining (Dave, a non-comic reader, loved it) I think I was expecting too much, which really wasn't fair to the movie.

But in a way, the movie had one shining moment for me. Patrick Stewart had always been my pick for Professor X. Way back when me and Fatima made our X-Men casting call, way before they had even had the movie in the works. Seeing him on screen as my favorite professor just made me smile, and my heart leapt. He's so AWESOME as Professor X! It's almost as if he was the Professor X in my head, everytime I read the comic.

Anyway, here's mine and Fata's list...remember, this was like 10 years ago...
Professor X - Patrick Stewart
Cyclops - Tom Cruise
Jean Grey - Nicole Kidman (yeah, like THOSE two will do a movie together!)
Iceman - Val Kilmer (as a blond)
Arcangel - Matthew McCaunaughy
Beast - Jason Alexander
Magneto - Charlton Heston
Storm - Angela Bassett
Rogue - Julia Roberts
Gambit - Billy Baldwin

Do you have any picks?