Ordinary Adventures of Sarah Hoot

Guys it has been too long and I am so sorry! I meant to write over break but I got wrapped up in all of the festive holiday things and now I am back!!! This post is not really about anything in particular, I am just writing to see if I can start up a black market knitting business. And by black market I mean completely legal because I don't want to get in trouble with the knitting secret police (trust me they are out there; those little old ladies who sit in their knitting circles, judging you, yeah those are the ones). Anywho, I am wanting to make some knitted things to sell because I am strapped for cash as I search for jobs so I am putting together a list of things that I can make that way you, faithful readers, can buy something you like. So without further ado here is the list, it is short at the moment because I am still learning but I can look for special projects if you ask it will just cost a wee bit more. Scarves Single or multiple colors in a variety of patterns ...

OK so warning this might not be a very nicely worded review but I will try and keep it professional because someday God willing a possible employer will read this and want to hire me (please pray :)). Any way here goes..... Well the sequel that we were sorta excited for (though not like Incredibles 2 or Finding Dory, but I digress) has arrived. The Barden Bellas have just come off of their third win in the national collegiate acapella competition and are preparing for their national tour. However one poor performance for the President's birthday leaves the Bellas' reputation yet again in shambles. Facing the dire punishment of never again holding auditions or performing again within the United States, the Bellas' propose that they compete in the World Acapella tournament and if they win they should be allowed to be reinstated. The only catch is that a U.S. team has never won the Worlds and the German team is undefeated. So joined by their newest recruit Emily Junk (Hailee...

OK, so in all honesty I am probably in most peoples' opinions a pretty stereotypical white girl, true I don't drink Starbucks or wear UGG boots but I am still a white girl. That being said I am probably one of the last people that you would expect to go and see let alone like a movie as hardcore as Straight Outta Compton. The year is 1986 and Compton, California is one of the centers for drugs, gangs, violence, and racism. But something is else is being put in motion, something that will change the face of rap music forever. And it all started when Andre Young (Dr. Dre)(played by Corey Hawkins) asks his buddy Eric Wright (Easy-E)(played by Jason Mitchell) to use some of his money to help produce a record. Together along with fellow artists O'Shea Jackson (Ice Cube)(played by O'Shea Jackson Jr.), Lorenzo Patterson (MC Ren)(played by Aldis Hodge), and Tracy Lynn Curry (The D.O.C.) (played by Marlon Yates Jr.) they form the N.W.A (Niggers with Attitude) and produce their...

Guys I am so sorry, I am a horrible person for abandoning you for so long. I have been super busy and posting has not been an option. But now I am here and I am going to give you a fun light hearted post about my feelings on some of the memorable moments during my favorite season, Fall. First things first, Pumpkin Spice. Now I am all for pumpkin things, I mean it's a staple of fall. We pick them, carve them, put lights in them, and use their seeds and meat (the part we eat....) for eating. But why is it that every fall season pumpkin spice throws up everywhere; there is pumpkin spice drinks, pumpkin spice snacks, pumpkin spice candles, pumpkin spice soap, and so much more. It is getting ridiculous! There are so many other smells for fall, for instance, apples and cinnamon. Like my favorite drink, apple cider. Nothing screams fall to me like fresh apples and cinnamon blended together to make a magical combination. Now I know some people do not like this and that's fine, to eac...

OK , so here are the second and third days of my retreat (yes I know I said I would post earlier but I got busy). The second day of retreat started out quite pleasant, despite the fact that I had to sleep on the floor. We woke up, got ready, had a nutritious breakfast of muffins, bananas, and juice, then headed out to the church. First we had our morning service which was set up like a series of TED talks, short sermons on different subjects. The first was on how the church is a family and that we are all on a mission together with the mission being to spread God's love to all people. The second one was about how God made us a generous people, he gave us his love and we are supposed to give that to those who do not have it. Another sermon was about conflict and how we need to not avoid it or see it as something to compete at but instead use it to be humble towards one another to see the value in all people. Once service was over we had a discussion with our small groups about w...

This is the first post of two about my weekend at the resonate retreat. The next one will follow but right now I got to get some homework done. So this last weekend I had the opportunity to go on a retreat with my new church Resonate. This was really exciting for me because I am still a new-comer to the group and it was great to interact more with the people that I was meeting. The retreat took place on the North Idaho Community College campus in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. There were Resonate groups from all over, besides us there was Washington State University, Eastern University, and University of Idaho, all together there were around 400 people attending. We left on Friday and headed out about 3:30. I was riding in a car with my friend Sarah (who was the person who introduced me to Resonate), Micah, and Noah (two boys from my Village (the Resonate life groups)). Our car was a party the whole ride over, with lots of Beyoncé throughout. The four of us arrived about 6 I think. We...

Well here we are again dear friends, back at Central and all settled in to my new home. It was a much calmer move in than it was last year which was good, plus I had a very helpful young man to lift the heavy boxes (thanks Jared Ramey). And once the boxes were all brought up Mom and Emily unpacked while Grandam, Grandpa, Jared, and I went to Fred Meyers to pick up some last minute dorm room necessities. After words we headed out to lunch at Brooklyn's Pizzeria (rating for this restaurant in the ratings section), it was pretty yummy especially on Sundays when they have a pizza and salad bar buffet. So we had lunch and then headed back to my room for the final checks then after a fond farewell they headed out back home and I stayed behind to further my education.  Now this year my room is on the third floor and is one of the sought after corner rooms; it has a small walkway between the two wardrobes, two beds on the sides of the room along with the desks, and a bay window to l...

The start of another new school year is upon us and for those transitioning into a new school it can be tough and a wee bit scary. But fear not, because Jessica and I are here to help make your first week of school the best first week ever. We will walk through the whole day and try and give you tips and advice on what to look out for.  First off, the bus (even though depending on your school situation there might be a different mode of transportation for you. And that's a whole other topic): Jessica. I would advise a snack, I always advise a snack. Sit next to someone don't be shy, start a conversation! Sarah. Don't be that jerk that saves the seat for the friend that's not coming (though if you actually have a friend coming then you should save them a seat) because nobody wants to be that person that is wandering around looking for a spot to sit. And then if they sit with you you could make friends with them (bonus if they go to your school). Also for those who ...

If you live in Washington for any period of time then going to the Evergreen State Fair is a must. One of our state's biggest fairs, the Evergreen Fair first began in the 1800's as merely an agricultural display but now it includes the traditional animal showing-everything from bulls to pigeons, even cats and dogs-, art, plants, an army of food trucks, music, vendors of all types, carnival games, and of course rides. I haven't been to the fair in quite a while, I think the last time that I was there was when I was around ten. So this post is all about the day that my friends and I had at the fair, hopefully this post stirs you into going as well. The fair runs until September 7 so get out there while you can. Well it was a rather blustery day for going to the fair, a wind storm was ripping through the greater Marysville area, but we weren't giving up our plans easily. So my good friends Nathan and Tyler, and their friend Sierra, picked me up from work and headed out...

Eleven year old Riley (voiced by Kaitlyn Dias) has a wonderful life; she has a best friend, is a part of the local hockey team, and a mom and dad that love her very much. But everything changes when her dad announces that he is moving them from Minnesota all the way to San Francisco. Riley's emotions do not know how to take this news and now they are on red alert. There is Anger (voiced by Lewis Black), Disgust (voiced by Mindy Kaling), Fear (voiced by Bill Hader), Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith), and Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) who is trying to make the most of the bad situation. Though that is getting harder and harder to do as the moving truck gets lost, dad is stressed about work, and San Francisco puts broccoli on pizza. Then during the first day of school emotion headquarters begins to shut down when Joy, Sadness, and Riley's core memories (memories that give you personality) get sucked out of headquarters and land smack in the maze of long term memory. Things go from b...

If you were spellbound by the story of Wicked the you are sure to fall in love with Son of A Witch the next book in Gregory Maguire's The Wicked Years series. Follow Liir, a young man who is unsure of who he is or where he belongs in the world, as he searches across all of Oz for his step-sister Nor. After being abandoned by Dorothy Gale-the girl who killed the Wicked Witch of the West-Liir returned to his home at Kiamo Ko hoping to see if he can try and get information that would help him find his missing relative. But instead finds nothing but the wizened old woman called Nanny and Elphaba's troop of flying monkeys. So he sets off to find answers and on his way he joins the army, meets a princess disguised as an Elephant, spends some time in the terrible dungeons of Southstairs, rides a magic broom, and even kills off some military grade dragons. Meanwhile in the story Liir also lies comatose and in the care of Candle, a supposedly mute Quadling girl with an unusual talent...

Another unique Marysville restaurant Mai Phim is located in the Safeway Plaza. This restaurant serves up some tasty Thai favorites like swimming rama and a variety of delicious curries. So if you are in the mood for something a little different then head on over to Mai Phim Thai.  Atmosphere ** ~ While the restaurant is nice and clean there are some draw backs. The lighting within the restaurant is sparse and dim which makes it difficult to see the menus, or anything really. And while decorations within a restaurant are nice there is a limit to what is nice and what is tacky; unfortunately this restaurant's decor borders very near to the tacky side. Service ***** ~ I have only been here once but the wait staff seem very friendly. It is a family restaurant and the wait staff work to make sure you are enjoying yourself. They also make sure to come by your table as often as possible to refill glasses and take away dishes. Food **** ~ This place has some pretty yummy food, my...

There are several teriyaki stops throughout the city of Marysville, however, this one is my favorite. Located in the Prime Square strip mall just down the road from Fred Meyers is Marysville Teriyaki. This restaurant serves the classic teriyaki dishes, everything from chicken katsu to stir fry, they even have bubble tea for those who enjoy the drink. *Blogger's Note ~ This place offers both to go options and in house eating so don't pass this place up just because you're busy. Atmosphere ***** ~Super clean and bright with just enough decorations to create the mood but not go overboard. Booths and tables are available, but both are nice. Free tea and ice water are provided for those waiting for food or eating in-house. Service ***** ~Honestly this place has some of the nicest people working there, if my rating scale went above five stars they would get it. This is a family restaurant and the people are super friendly to everyone that comes through (they will even reme...

Hello faithful readers! I have an adventure story for you. Last weekend Jared and I went with Jared’s family to the annual Skagit Valley Highland Games. Now because we are both nerds we decided that we needed to dress up again, we dressed up last year too. This year he wore his usual jeans, his fancy medieval pants ripped so they were a no go, his black medieval styled shirt, his hat (of course), and one of his favorite swords. I on the other hand went in a different direction. Before I describe my awesome outfit (fashion post to be written later) I want to explain my reasoning behind this costume choice. Traditionally Highland Game goers wear the traditional highland gear: kilts, tartan patterns, or other fancy peasant dresses; however, I did not do this for two reasons, one because I don’t have any real medieval styled peasant dresses, and two because I am not Scottish so dressing up with the tartan pattern would kind of be a sell out because that is not my heritage. That being said,...

It is said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, and it has occurred to me that the creators of Jurassic Park might not have ever heard this saying... After the first attempt at building a dinosaur theme park went horribly awry they rebuilt the park with new attractions and then let people in. And of course it went horribly awry when scientists started to mess with things they shouldn't, because as we all know "life finds a way." The beginning of the movie marks the introduction of the new park Jurassic World, where all of the attractions are bigger, wilder, and scarier than ever before. Located in the labs scientists have created a new breed of dinosaur, the Indominus Rex, a new hybrid designed to both scare and attract tourists. The story follows the vacation of two boys Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray (Tym Sympkins) as they travel to Jurassic World courtesy of their aunt Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), one of the man...

Ellensburg Washington may not be the first stop a pizza connoisseur makes, but none the less, there are some pretty top notch pizza places in this little town. For all of those interested in expanding your pizza horizons search for these restaurants on your way through town. This post does not include restaurants that simply list pizza on their menu this is for the places that specialize in those works of culinary art known as pizza. My Top Pick: ~ Brooklyn's Pizzeria : This is a great place to go as a family. The classic pizza place complete with salad bar. Their pizza is really tasty but tends to be a bit on the greasy side, especially if you get a pizza with lots of meat on it. But it is altogether worth it because it is delicious;  the best part is that they fire roast their pizza which gives it that crisp crust and awesome flavor. P.S. there is an arcade for the kids so parents guard your quarters. Atmosphere: ***** Food: **** Service: **** Total Stars: 13 Yummy ...

For those looking for an easy on the go lunch, Earthquake Empanadas is the place for you. This is a small restaurant but don't overlook it. Their menu includes their trademark empanadas as well as other food for any occasion. Atmosphere: **** ~This was a nice little cafe; you order at the front counter and then find a seat either inside the restaurant or outside on their little patio. The restaurant is clean and well put together, they even have a display case showing off what they are offering. Food: *** ~ I thought that their famous empanadas were good but not spectacular. Jared and I bought two pulled pork empanadas and one pear and bacon empanada. The pulled pork ones were good, the sauce was pretty flavorful though the meat had quite a bit of gristle. The pear and bacon one I thought was not very good; Jared liked it, however, I thought that it was a little bland and in my opinion the combination of pear, bacon, and mozzarella cheese was a little strange. A plus thou...

Kick off your summer with some spicy yet satisfying Mexican food from Fiesta En Jalisco , Ellensburg. While this restaurant is small compared to its neighbor Los Cabo, the food is more worth while in my opinion. So get ready for some mouth watering delights from South of the border, when you head into Fiesta En Jalisco. Food **** ~My grandparents who are sticklers when it comes to Mexican food loved this place! My grandma got the Molcajete and I got the usual combo of taco, enchilada, and tamale. Usually I am disappointed by Mexican food because I think it all tastes the same, with most of the flavor coming from the salsa not seasonings in the meat. However, this time I thought that the seasoning used on the meat was amazing, it was spicy but not over powering which was really nice. The only downside for me was that the tamale was under-stuffed and a little disappointing. Atmosphere *** ~There was not really a super stand out atmosphere to this place, though it was pretty nice. U...

Sooo we meet again faithful readers! This time for Catching Up pt. 2, which is going to be different than pt. 1, seeing as it is pt. 2......obviously......OK let me just get to the point. When I last left you I was talking about my weekend at Spring Camp Out, so this time I will talk to you about the last couple of days. Starting with....... May 1, 2015: Today was actually pretty boring for the most part. That is until the sun went down, cause everything gets hotter when the sun goes down (mwahaha). But really, I just went to a late night Central activity. This time the Student Activities board put on a comedy night featuring two different comedians, a lip sync battle, and rock and roll BINGO. The comedians were pretty funny, if not a little crude for my taste; their names were Travis Nelson (Northwest Comedy Competition Finalist) and Adam Norwest (CMT's Next Big Comic of 2012). Once the comedians finished their acts we headed downstairs for free pizza and more fun stuff. Fir...

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I let everyone know what was happening in my life over here in sunny, but windy, Ellensburg. So I thought I would write a nice long post about stuff that's going on. Let's see what to start with..... April 24-26: This weekend I went with my Chi Alpha (my campus church) friends to Daroga State Park for their annual Spring Camp Out. It was a super fun trip, and it was my first time going so that made it even more fun! We left Friday afternoon and got to the park around 5:30 p.m., once we all got to the park we set up our tents in our separate areas (the girls on one side of camp, the boys on the other). My friend Sierra and I decided that we wanted to have a race between us and my other friend Sarah and Jessica to see who could get their tent up first. We won of course but the tent we had was super weird so it took us longer than usual. After getting settled in we headed over to the fire pit to listen to the wise words of Jason Swingl...

Another great place to grab a bite while in Ellensburg Washington is Rodeo City BBQ. This is a great stop for any BBQ lover as they make their own sauce and the food is exceptional. Rodeo City BBQ is located at 204 N Main St. Ellensburg, WA 98926, and is open: Tues. - Thurs. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., and Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.. ~Atmosphere: **** (This is a fun place to eat. It's very rustic looking inside and there is a lot of rodeo paraphernalia on the walls including pictures of famous rodeo riders. Also on one side of the restaurant is a gift shop where you can buy restaurant souvenirs, cowboy themed decorations, and even bottles of their BBQ sauce.) ~Service: ***** (The wait staff is super friendly and love to strike up conversations with the patrons. They are also readily willing to offer up suggestions in case you don't know what you want (which is great for first timers). The food and drinks are brought out fairly quick...