i have a burning question

Well, it would appear that I did not have a November, or that I had nothing worth relating during the month of November. However, the truth is that, in November, I was on a completely different planet; one that does not have blogs, or the internet, or even catchy little titles for them.

No, in November I was on Planet Wed and so I apologize that I did not blog at all...I don't even think I remembered that blogging existed. Then, Thursday afternoon, out of nowhere the word "blog" popped into my mind and it was like an entire previous life was instantaneously reintroduced into my memory. I have a blog, my loved ones have blogs, I must view theirs and update mine. Thus, here I am.

And I am here to pose a question that has come to me following my recent experiences and a comment made on a friend's blog. Why on earth does almost everyone act like you are going to be so tired and hungry and crabby on your wedding day that you will be counting the minutes till you finally get to leave the reception? I don't know how many times I heard comments like these, "Oh, you're gonna be so tired you'll just wanna be out of there," "So, are you stressed out of your mind yet?" "Oh, you don't want to have too much to do, you'll be so stressed and tired," etc, etc. Not to mention the anecdotes that have reached me about newlyweds who starved on their wedding day/night because they never had time to make it to the food, or who were annoyed at the reception about whatever. Therefore, I would like to set the record straight.

According my my experience none of these statements or observations have the least basis of fact. I had a fantastic time on my wedding day! It was the best day ever! Yes, there was a lot to do. No, it didn't all turn out just as I'd envisioned. Yes, I took my shoes of for most of the reception cause they did get a bit tired after walking around all day. But let me tell you, I didn't care one iota. I had the best time! None of my biggest worries came to fruition.

~I'd been afraid that I'd be so tired of taking pictures that I would hate being dragged all over temple square to take more, but it was great! I felt it a wonderful way to bask in what had just occurred and to spend time leisurely allowing it to sink in (I was glad we'd brought granola bars and water, though).

~I was afraid we would run out of time for lunch and I'd be crabby for the reception. Actually we did (though barely) have time to get lunch...then I hardly ate any of it! When my emotions are overflowing in someway I generally don't even want to eat, and I found that pretty much all day, even if I was a little hungry I didn't notice or mind like I typically might.

~I was afraid of being late to the reception...and we were. Oops, and while I apologize to anyone who found that incredibly inconvenient, it was not the end of the world and everyone was so cool about it and I still had a fantastic time at the reception.

~I was afraid I would be so tired and antsy to be gone with Ty that I would not even want to be at my reception and might even be testy at having to greet all sorts of people whom I don't know and may never see again. In reality, I had a blast at my reception! Seriously, I had so much fun! I loved my flowers and our music and seeing my little nieces and nephews out the corners of my eyes and cutting the cake and dancing with Ty and my Dad...I even had a great time greeting all those people! I was genuinely in such a good mood that I was chipper and friendly and talkative and it was just awesome!

~I was afraid I'd miss food at the reception and be so hungry that night that I'd be crabby. I totally wasn't. Firstly because I asked a sister to pack some food for Ty and I which she graciously did. Secondly, because, as noted above, extra emotions tend to make me not very hungry. So, while I ate a few bites, I really didn't need that much.

~I was afraid we'd miss our flight the next morning...we did. Ha! Ok, somehow that just happened, but it all worked out anyway.

So, what did I learn from all of this? Don't believe a word people say. Their experience is their experience, yours is yours...and I'm just glad I'm not them.

i know what they were talking about

Lat night my darling fiance was over. We scanned some pictures into the computer that we are hoping to incorporate into the wedding celebrations. We ate some dinner I'd made while we watched "Dancing With the Stars." We covered what each of us had gotten done that day and what we still needed to do. We talked about money and housing arrangements and family and helped Deanna close and open a really big pressure cooker. Above all we sat on the couch nestled in each others arms whispering sweet things that no one else will ever hear and I experienced that absolute pang that I have approached before and knew, at some time, would come...I wish I was married now.

Last night was the dividing line between still-enjoying-the-planning-and-anticipating and that's-enough-already-I-want-to-be-married. I want to be married! To shop for all my own food. To fix enough dinner for he and I that we both have leftovers for lunch the next day. To talk over things as we get ready for work in the morning and as we get ready for bed at night. To know where I am going to live for the next few years of my life. To find out how he wants his underwear folded and if it will annoy him that I often wear socks to bed in order to keep from getting cold. To have our own kitchen where we both know where everything goes so he can put dishes away too. To sleep-in on the weekends and not wonder whether he's awake yet or not because I can see him right there in the bed next to me. To make plans for our money that will help us accomplish common goals. To hear each other's music enough that we realize that we already know some and that we actually like some of the stuff we didn't know. To talk into the night, and not have to "go home."

Oh the bliss I look forward to. Alright, I know it most likely won't always be bliss, but it will be dang good, new and exciting, and an incredibly big, important and wonderful step in my life. And I'm pretty much ready for it to start...17 more days.

the day the alphabet song failed me

It was an easy going morning. I was about my usual business of getting ready for work and had poured myself a bowl of generic Rice Chex over a small pile of diced peaches. I drizzled some honey on the top and poured a mixture of soy milk and cow milk over the bunch (some kinds of soy milk are not my favorite so I like to mix in some usual milk for flavor).

As I got busy masticating, I decided to occupy my mind with a little game we used to play all the time as kids. We called it "The Alphabet Game." As we ate we would look all over the cereal box to find all the letters in the alphabet, starting from A and working all the way down to Z. This particular day the soy milk bottle looked promising so I was playing with that.

A is in "taste"
B is in "build"
C, D, E...
This game is so fun and easy.

H is in "thick"
I is too
J...took a little more effort

Before I knew it I had found myself at Q. Now any of you who have played this particular brand of "The Alphabet Game" will know that Q is not the easiest letter to find, and any of you who speak English will know that it is likely to be followed in a word by the letter U. So I went searching for the Q. I looked all up and down one side and finally found it in "quality" (I recommend finding the "high quality" declaration should you ever attempt this pastime). Then what's next...

I drew an absolute blank. I could not for the life of me think of anything to follow Q other than U...
I resorted to the alphabet song. I sang to myself, "A B C D E F G...L M N O P, Q U..." that's not right. So I sang it again...I got the same answer! Oh my goodness! Even the alphabet song could not save me now! My mind was determined to believe that U followed Q and I could not convince it otherwise.

Let me tell you, I felt pretty silly that morning. Me, a grown woman of 29, a college graduate, a consistent scholarship awardee, a prized employee, and tutor of children, sitting there, singing the alphabet song to myself (out loud even) and still unable to get it right. Humility of humilities.

I did eventually come up with R, but it seemed to take me forever and even then it didn't feel right. I laughed about that all day. I guess we each have something that we will just never be super good at and mine happen to be spelling and the alphabet.

what can i say, i'm a dancer

The other day I got an email from a friend that was just so super cool that I had to share it. In it she told me that the night before she had had a dream in which she was at a dance party. There was good music and lots of people, but no one was dancing (which was a little irksome to her). Finally the song "Tainted Love" came on and she couldn't help herself. She got out on the dance floor and started putting her groove on, but everyone else was just standing around looking at here like she was a loony. Finally she said, "Well if [insert my full name] was here, she'd be dancing up a storm!" Then she woke up. If that isn't the most awesome tribute I've ever received I don't know what is. I'm glad that there is someone out there who thinks of me (if only in their subconscious) as someone who likes to dance up a storm.

today i am engaged

Yesterday I had a toothache, but the dentist got it out.
Some time ago I wore little tiny shoes, but growing took care of that.
Last year I dyed my hair dark. I loved it, but I like how it is now, too.
A few years ago I was in school, and now I have a job.
When I was little I hugged stuffed animals on a regular basis, now I hug them not-so-regularly.
A month ago I had never been to Spain, I can now say it looks a lot like Utah.
A few days ago I had a boyfriend, today I am engaged.
Yesterday was one way, and today is simply another.

spain looks uncannily like utah

I hope that any Spaniard will not be upset by the comparison...or any Utahan for that matter, but it is pretty much true. And I'd have pictures to prove it if my camera had been working on my way from Madrid to Bilbao or if I'd thought of it on our way from Bilbao to Madrid, but as it is you'll just have to take my word for it. It's pretty dry and pretty brown and yellow, but with enough green to be pretty-ish and seem productive. The biggest difference seems to be that Spain's valleys tend to be wider and Utah's mountains tend to be higher. So there you go, no need to feel bad about not going with me if, indeed, you were feeling bad.














Of course, the coast is not so much like Utah. It's more like California...everybody tans, there are a ton of Spanish speakers, and I found myself wishing that days could be a little bit longer and my skin a little bit tougher so I could hang out in the sun and surf forever! I love the ocean. Apparently that remains constant regardless of the continent.

Espania

Yeah, so, um, in case any of you are not yet aware, I am going to SPAIN! Oh my goodness gracious. I've been wanting to go while Rachel is on her break over there so I went crazy this week and got tickets. I've been starting to feel antsy to go somewhere and this is just gonna be really fun.

gee i'm glad it's raining

It was raining last night and I couldn't help but think of this song. I think of it a lot when it rains. Man, I loved this movie as a kid, and this song still makes me feel weepy-eyed. I love Earnest.



Maybe I should own this movie, or at least see it again.

if only i were irish

So the other weekend I went to Ty's family reunion. We had a lot of fun and it's the first time I've really hung out with his brother and fam who live in Ohio...of all places. Before the weekend Ty told me to wear green. You see, their great-granddad came over from Ireland, and the stories and heritage are so close that they regularly talk about being Irish and recognize family characteristics as being particularly Irish and all that. It's sort of interesting to me since, while my last name is Dutch, I certainly don't talk about being Dutch or claim any personality characteristics that are stereotypically Dutch or even own a shirt that says anything about my Dutch heritage. However, Ty does have shirts like that...at least two that say things like "50% of me is 80% Irish."
So, when he told me to wear green on this Irish reunion weekend after thinking about it a bit, I decided I'd go one better. After all, I may not be able to claim being Irish, but I could claim this...




So I found this shirt and bought the iron-on letters and it was a lot easier than I'd anticipated. I totally had time to finish and I wore it to pick Ty up from work on our way out of town that day. He loved it, thought it was so cute, even told his mom about it days later and the rest of his family got a kick out of it too...so I thought I'd share. :)

check this out

It's a blog that gives you a new ingredient every week to use in a recipie. You post your recipie with a picture and each week a winner is picked who gets a prize for their effort. Fun stuff! At least I thought that some of you might like to try it. I will say, though, that I haven't a clue what to do with rubarb, so maybe I'll check it out again next week.

www.ingredientchallenge.com

P.S. I cannot seem to figure out how to directly link sites. It should be easy, I pull up hyperlink and enter the site, but then you can't see it in my post. If you have any brilliant tips, please share.

the problem is...it's real (relatively speaking)

I figured out why I don't want to watch reality shows anymore. Yes, I must admit that I have been caught, this year, watching some of those dopey dating shows. I don't know how it happens. I watch half an episode and all of a sudden I feel like I know these people, know how they feel, know what would be best for them and must know if they will heed my advise (not that I speak it out loud to the screen or anything).

So I follow the show for a few weeks, or how ever long it takes, and in the end am either frustrated with the dater's choice, or thrilled to see that they were as wise as I was hoping they were. And that, my friends, would be the end of the story if this were a novel or movie or any kind of fictional romance. But that's the problem, these people really do exist, and despite the fact that I've never met them and they have no idea who I am, knowing whom they have chosen is not enough. I now feel the need to know if they actually do get married, or if they break up, how much did the show's editing mess with the truth, if they ever have kids, how their family feels about it...in other words, I feel like they are my friends or family and so I want details when they totally are not and I can never get them! Frustration!

So there is a conflict between knowing it's none of my business, but still feeling entitled to the info since they put themselves on TV in the first place, and yet never being satisfied with what follow up information I can find, since you know it's probably all been pieced together from rumors and half truths. Not to meantion that only like one couple on all those seasons has even made it to the altar! So not cool.

I think it's my empathy working against me. So, since I do not want to follow all these people's lives for the rest of mine, I think I will give up the genre altogether...or if I can't at least I have the consolation that basically anything is better than TV drama. Ick.

just for the joy of blogging

I really really wanted to blog today, don't know why, so I am determined to tell you something...something that is hopefully uplifting and fun and worth reading...gimme a sec...ok, I've got it. A friend blogger once did a "100 things" entry and I liked it. I'm not sure if I'll make it to 100, but I'll do my best.

1. I love that my sister gets to have a Spain adventure.

2. Ok is really meant to be spelled "ok." "Okay" is actually an extenuation of the original word.

3. I love that my brother and his wife are going to be living close to me this fall. I plan to have many Rock Band parties.

4. I love that my sister is going to be living close to me this fall. I plan to have many throwing parties.

5. I love that my boyfriend-hopefully-more-than-that-soon will soon be living closer to me (at least he has, in earnest, been talking about finding a place up here).

6. Some wedding dresses are REALLY beautiful.

7. Most of them are strapless, which is both unfortunate and unimaginative.

8. I love nachos, homemade with homemade guacamole and/or salsa. They may just be the perfect food.

9. I love my car. It is so simple and nice and has awesome gas mileage.

10. I love shoes. I have too many, yet always seem to have room for more. I did get rid of 15 pairs about a month ago, though, which fact I celebrated by buying about 3 more.

11. My split keyboard is wonderful. I didn't even think I'd miss it until I didn't have it for about a week. Those were dark days.

12. My boyfriend doesn't read my blog. Ha! So I think I'll start saying more about him, just to see if he ever peeks.

13. My job can be really boring sometimes. I miss the lady I used to work with. She was really fun to talk to and at least made things just a little more interesting.

14. I love personality profiles. They help people make more sense and that has to be a good thing for all of us.

15. I have never been skydiving but think I would like it.

16. Today I saw a thing at a track where you can pay like four grand to hang out and drive super awesome cars around, just for fun, all day. They even include champagne. I think I want to do it (sans champagne, of course).

17. Did I ever tell you that I like cars?

18. I think kids are cute, but have never been the type to want to hold someone's baby. The thing usually starts crying and I don't know what to do so I feel stupid and can't wait for the mom to take it back. This used to worry me a bit til my Mom told me that she'd been about the same and that it's totally different with your own. I can believe that because it's already so different with my sister's kids.

19. I LOVE my nieces and nephews.

20. Wow, number 20, that's one fifth of 100.

21. I love stand-up comedy and am so glad that people in my life have introduced me to the joys of Brian Regan, and Mitch Hedburg.

22. I have an oscillating fan and like to ask it questions that a fan would say "no" to. Do you keep my hair in place?...That's right. Do you keep my papers in order?...no, you do not. Do you have three settings?...liar.

23. I am super lucky...so healthy, have everything I need plus people who love me enough that they actually read at least 23 things that were on my mind today.

24. Did you know that you can listen to Carol Tuttle's radio show streaming online? I'm gonna start listening to it at work sometimes instead of the radio.

25. Ok, that's one fourth of 100. I'm thinking that that is probably good for today. Maybe I'll pick it up on another day that I desperately want to blog, but have no defining motive.

go green

Well, it might as well be known that my life's aspiration (in addition to being a wife and mom, of course) is to have as "green" of an existence as possible. So, when I learned about these things online, I just thought I'd like to share.

Biodegradable bags. SO COOL!


Biodegradable, non-allergenic, made mostly of coconut and lemon oils, but work as well as old-school cleaners!


Bamboo dishtowels are soft and smell nice naturally.


Little Green Deep Cleaner uses earth-friendly cleaning sprays, 95% less PVC than usual and is shipped with very little extra packaging and that is recycled and recyclable!


Green Bulbs by Amcor use LED light technology, use very little energy, fit most sockets, and have no mercury or halogen gases so recycling them is easy!


Man, it just makes me happy to see that there are more and more products becoming available that are better for the Earth...and us since they have less crazy chemicals and, in many cases, less packaging. I mean, we simply don't need three layers of plastic, cardboard, or styrofoam between us and all of our purchases. I just love that.

if i renamed my blog

If I were to rename my blog I believe I would have to call it 'ebelskiver' because I'm pretty sure it is my new favorite word. I mean, go ahead, say it (it's pronounced 'ebl-skeever' with a soft 'e' like 'edible')...fun, huh? So it is my new word of the day. Now, do you know what an ebleskiver is? It's a Danish, ball-like pancake that is pretty yummy according to this link. Check it out.

http://neverbashfulwithbutter.blogspot.com/2007/02/danish-pancake-balls-aebleskiver.html

I am now tempted to make some little ebelskivers. Only, I would need to have an ebelskiver pan like this:


Funny, huh? Well, you learn something new everyday I guess...and if it's a fun word, I'm pretty sure you get double bonus points.

japanese cars

Oh man, one of my fears has just been realized. Look at the cars in the picture, in particular the closest one and the one two down from it. They are the same car...only mine is the far one and the front one belongs to some blonde lady who has at least one child. How do I know this?...you may well ask. Well, I'm glad you did.

I just ran out to get something from my car. I walked out the door at work, clicked my remote unlocker, heard my car's usual beep, opened the front door and reached inside, then paused...something was different. I looked around and saw a blonde lady reaching in the opposite back door getting a kid out of a child's seat. She had paused too, and was looking at me. Awkward. I said, "oops, sorry," removed myself, closed the door, and (while laughing inside) explained to her that I have the same car, it's just parked down a couple. Oops.

That was just too funny. I mean, I've walked up to cars that weren't mine before. I even tried the lock a few times once before I realized it wasn't my car, just a duplicate. But I have never before actually basically gotten into someone elses car with them watching me! Ack! Oh my, I think I'll be chuckling again and again today over that one.

ergonometrics

I have been acused of being the most ergonomic person that one particular friend of mine has ever met. So, lest I should loose my title I decided to tell you about the greatest purchase I made today. On my lunch break I zipped over to IKEA and bought this great little side table to put my monitor on so that I can stand up here and there while at work (it still has the plastic on it, guess I should take that off). All day sitting in a chair is just way too much (especially in one that is not at all ergonomic).

I also got a smaller table to raise my keyboard on. Til then the stacked binders will have to do. Yay for ergonomics! My bum feels better already.

the "body quote"

Yesterday I invented the "body quote." Well, maybe I didn't invent it, but I used it and decided that it should be defined and referred to as an even more effective way of conveying ideas than any invented so far. You see, the "body quote" includes much more than a usual "quote." I will explain.

A usual "quote" is a mere repeating of words and (among advanced parties) voice inflections. It is even sometimes accompanied by a simple hand gesture known as "quotes" which is formed by raising two fingers from each hand to about shoulder height and then slightly bending them while simultaneously dipping the arms about one inch. It is very useful for conveying what a famous, wise, or other-wise quotable person has said. I myself have collected many many such "quotes," which have, unfortunately lost all inflection since I had to write them down. Nonetheless, they are invaluable to me and I esteem them.

However, the "body quote" is a more advanced means of passing ideas. Perhaps you are aware that many things that are worth quoting are said person to person and almost unfailingly include some sort of body, hand, and/or facial gesture. Here we approach the brilliance of the "body quote." Only when a thought is conveyed as exactly as it was conceived can it truly be effective on its subsequent audiences. Be warned, though, the "body quote" is not to be attempted without proper preparation. Make sure your limbs are flexible and your face loose. Maybe practice in the mirror before your debut. Then, when you are ready, pull it out at the perfect moment and witness the supremacy of...the "body quote."


Here we see mister Trump expertly "body quoting" Uncle Sam's "We want YOU!" Slogan.

i knew i was a princess

You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Sweet.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

long hair

Yesterday I wore a shirt that is a fabulous green and has a cute square neck with my hair down and I remembered something...how much I love having long hair and exposed skin for it to fall on. I LOVE the feel of my hair brushing my neck. It just feels so nice and sort of tickles without being unpleasant. I remember being in highschool and getting ready in the morning and swinging my head back and forth so my hair would tickle my shoulders and loving it. It's been a while since I felt that because my hair has been a little shorter for about a year now. So I'd just like to say, welcome back long hair, I didn't realize how I'd missed you.

teddy bears

So, I have a question. Why is it ok for kids to seek comfort from things like teddy bears, but not for adults? I would submit that adults sometimes need emotional support, and that it could easily be supplied by some of the simple means employed by children, but for some reason we, as a society, decide that it's not a "grown up" way of behaving, so we ignore the need and feel miserable. For example...
At a certain time last year, I was a couple months out from a very sad (though healthy and needed) breakup and was having a day of near depression where I just wondered if I'd ever get over missing him and if I would ever find peace or stop feeling so alone. It was miserable and I think most of you can identify. Well, some months before that I had won a small (I could wrap his body in my one hand), floppy appendaged teddy bear at a function. I thought he was darling, promptly named him Jimbo, and usually kept him in my room on a shelf. Well, at this time of my total sadness, I decided to throw social decorum out the window...I carried him around with me all day. I didn't hug and cry on his shoulder, I didn't suck my thumb or even show him to anyone. I just left him in my purse or pocket and would reach in and squeeze his fuzzy little body as I was going about my business. I can't tell you how comforting it was to have Jimbo around that day. Some of you may think I'm crazy, but you are the type who help people think that what people think of them is more important than their own peace of mind. And for those of you who remember my childhood days of loving stuffed animals and only smile lightly to yourselves, thank you for knowing I'm not crazy, just a little atypical. Please, let us all embrace the fact that we are all sometimes sad, and there is just something about having something to hold, be it only a cutely contrived mass of cotton and polyester, that can help us get over the rough spots to where life is good again, and Jimbo can spend some more time up on the shelf.

you are

"You don't have a Soul.
You are a Soul.
You have a body."
-C.S. Lewis

I like that...a lot.

in may i tell you

It's snowing this morning...sigh.

push against a wall

Do you know how much work you can do without doing any at all? Today in one of my classes I was teaching the kids about isometric exercising. Basically that's when you push or pull against something that doesn't move...but you push or pull it anyway, and as hard as you can. So we did some of those and I tried really hard and I left with my arms being totally fatigued. Seriously, they had that slight shaky feeling like you go to pick something up and then don't think you can. I was totally impressed! I think I want to do that more often. The thing is that I could pause through the day and do them since they don't take any equipment and are intense but short. Then I'd have my resistance training in and would only have to worry about cardio when I'm not at work. Cool!

So, I think this means tomorrow is leg day.

P.S. I got this and bunches of great exercises at http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/shenandoah/OBB/OBB.html

onyx is the new platinum

This is for all of you who have been quite itching for yet another way to compare yourself to others. My gym has come up with an answer. You see, when I joined, some months ago, the memberships were named things like "Active Advantage" or "Sports Supreme" or whatever. Basically you can see that they appeared to have specialties, but no ranking order. However, be it between us, I had the cheapest membership available. Then last month, as if conjuring the fact that I was feeling desolate at not knowing just where I stood in comparison to all the other gym attendees, they mercifully renamed the membership plans. Now I have a Gold membership...sounds pretty good right? Well, you would be wrong, because, as you know, here in America the best is never the best for long.

In the 80's the Gold membership might have been the most expensive (see how I am now obligated to speak of relative expense instead of how the membership suits my needs? Someone please gag me with how modern marketing ALWAYS plays on peoples' pride), but I knew that there would at least be a Platinum membership. I think that happened in the 90's somewhere with credit card offers, they needed something better than the Gold cards they were handing out like pretzels, so they came up with Platinum. It was not the existence of a Platinum membership that piqued my curiosity, though. I knew, from when I joined, that there were at least three kinds of memberships and that mine was the least expensive. "What could the third one be?" I wondered to myself. "What precious metal could they have possibly ranked above the all superior Platinum?" The answer, my friends, is Onyx. That's right, not a metal at all, we now are turning to the gem stones to define who we are, and what we are worth to all who take the time to traipse to the gym. So there you have it, now you know, when your credit card company sends you a "pre-approved" application for you new, never surpassed Onxy card you will know who to thank...LifeTime Fitness, good ol'.

love/hate relationships

Every now and then it puzzles and fascinates me when I notice that there is something in my life that one day I will just be in raptures over and love like crazy...and then the next day it's driving me crazy and I almost wish it didn't exist at all. I call them my love/hate relationships. There aren't many, but they are significant enough to weave a web of delight and entertaining frustration into my simple existence. Here are a few:

DONUTS:
Donuts are delicious. No one can deny that. The sugary cakey treat always calls to me whenever they are around. They are even attractive looking with their poofy shape and smooth frostings, or else tantalizing crumby coverings. Yummy! But just as sure as they will call to my eyes and nose, they will wreak havoc on my digestive system. My poor stomach will always cry to me, "Why would you expose me to such filth?!" And I always find myself apologising with a promise to never commit such another misdeed...I am getting better and better at only eating 1/2 to 1 donut at a time. That seems to reduce my tummy's complaints to a gentle murmur, easily drowned with a pure fruit smoothie or spinach salad.

FOOD IN GENERAL:
Anyone who knows me knows I like food. My mom has often called me a gourmet when I am preparing a dish that takes a little longer but tastes and looks delicious; and my siblings used to tease at how perfectly I would spread the tomatoes over the top of my 7-layer bean dip. I love to create perfectly proportioned yogurt smoothies, guacamole, humus, or make up something that is unique and delicious from whatever I can find in the kitchen. That is, of course, if I don't have time to actually shop and make something from a new recipe I've been wanting to try. Food is delicious, and almost never more so than when I can make it myself.
On the flip side, sometimes I just don't have time to make it myself and I am relegated to eating at a fast food place merely so I can finish my day, even if I'd rather not have a bread and meat sandwich. Sometimes I will be going about my business and will get dizzy or tired or my stomach will hurt and I think, "What in the world is wrong?" Then I see the clock and realize it's been hours since my last meal...oh. And I do get hungry about every 3 hours...Good for metabolism, an absolute nightmare to shop for. I get so sick of trying to find healthy and yummy snacks that I can leave at work and eat cold whenever I get hungry. And when I do find something I like, I always get tired of it after about a week and then have to come up with something else. ACK!

BOOKS:
Ah, this may be the ultimate. You all know I love to read and have since I was a kid. Don't know exactly what it is, but there is nothing quite like a well crafted story that is poetically phrased and gets you so involved in the characters that you start to think of them as family. I LOVE IT! I could spend hours in a book if my eyes, shoulders, and bum wouldn't get tired of it. But there you see the not-so-much-like side. I COULD spend hours and hours in a book. However, I have a life, and there are things I need to do in that life, and if I am spending hours with my nose in a book those things are not getting done. Hence, I have to forgo finding my heroines fate until after work, or til the laundry gets done, or I get something to eat so my stomach will stop growling. ARG! And all the while her heart, and possibly life, is hanging in the balance! Oh my, I can hardly take it. So all the way to the dentist I am anxiously pondering her possible fates and those of all whom she is connected with. Three weeks later (days if I give in to the urge to read) I finally am relieved of my anxiety, now knowing what happened, and then have to look forward to an interval of no book to read which is, in itself, both a relaxation and a nuisance. Ah me, what shall I do? ;)

A FEW OTHERS IN SHORT:
Shaving: Smooth legs are nice, but they get prickly so fast.
Cold: I love the snow and cuddling up in a sweater, but some days all I want is to be really warm.
Dancing with the Stars: I want to be a star so I can be on that show, but does every dance have to relate to you-know-what and do the costumes have to be so sparse?

That's all I can think of now, and certainly it is enough.

b-day follow up

Thanks a ton to all of you who called or in any other way wished me happy birthday! That was so nice, and I had a wonderful day. I don't typically write all my events, but I thought there were some that were noteworthy enough that I wanted to share.

First, my cute Aunt made me a yummy breakfast and we ate it together before I had to go to work.

The lighting could be better, but doesn't it look yummy?

Then I went to work and had a very good day. One of my classes even (with no adult intervention mind you) sang me happy birthday. I thought it was pretty cute that all those adolescents would do that so spontaneously when I'm sure they felt a little awkward. (I guess I'm not TOO mean to them ;) A coworker bought me some bagels, and everything was pretty nice. That night I went to the gym for a little bit with the fabulous man in my life who then treated me to a little supper and desert. Isn't he great? At home I found cards and new book that I've wanted forever (Shel Silversteins Where the Sidewalk Ends) waiting for me. So great! You all are the best.

And today I am wearing my birthday purse for the first time. You see, I found it about a month ago and loved it so much that I had to buy it...however, I decided it would be my birthday present to myself and I wouldn't wear it until my birthday. Then my birthday came, I got it out, and thought, "You know, I really like this purse, it is good quality and I want it to last a long time. Maybe I'll waterproof it before putting it to use." So yesterday I sprayed it down with waterproofer and let it out to dry so it's ready today and here it is.


Sooo cute! (Again, sorry about the lighting) My first ever striped purse and I think it is destined to bring me many smiles. Tonight I get to go out to dinner at a nice restaurant up the canyon and this weekend I get to listen to conference, do my laundry, and almost nothing else. Man, sometimes life is just grand. :)

year schmear

So, I meant to blog on April fools, something fun and clever.
Then I meant to blog yesterday, twas it only on the weather.
Well today I finally got myself to get on the computer,
...super.

Ha! So today is the first anniversary of this blog, Yay! And what a wonderful year it has been. I've slowed down on the quantity of blogs since then, true, but that is mostly because my responsibilities at work changed such that I'm not on the computer as much. However, I hope the quality hasn't been lacking. And it's a bunch of fun. I'd like to thank you all for reading it and writing comments. I love to read them.

So, if it's the anniversary of my blog and I started it on my birthday, that must mean that...(intense "DUN Dun dun") it's my birthday! And so it is. And what's more, I am 29--by golly, that's crazy. I'm not totally taken aback or anything, cause I have been practicing that age in my head. It's been a habit of mine for sometime to always get ready to be the age I'm about to turn. I just want to age gracefully, not be taken off guard, and enjoy every age as it comes.

A year ago I wrote that I thought 28 was going to be a good year and it totally has been. It just makes me soooooo grateful for a family that loves me and for the incredible blessing it is to believe in the Lord and that he's always there guiding me. I am insanely glad to have been exposed to some new ways of thinking that have helped me feel more capable, empowered, and confident in my life. I love that! So here's to 29, to being the age everyone tries to pretend they are, to having another wonderful year to my credit, and always getting better (even if you have to claim the record for staying single longest in your family...oops :)

I love you all. XOXO

buckwheat

So, today I made pancakes all on my own for what I think was the first time in my life. Funny huh? That seems like such a normal thing to make. Even single guys who couldn't boil water somehow know how to whip up a batch of pancakes. Nonetheless, this was my first. And there are a couple good reasons why...well, maybe just one. I don't really like pancakes. I never have. I don't recall ever hearing that we were having pancakes and looking forward to it, it was more of a drudgery to be endured (yet I always loved waffles...hm). That is until my mother discovered buckwheat. If you've never had pancakes with some buckwheat substituted for some of the wheat you really ought to try it. I'm sure there are people who won't like it at all, but, surprisingly, I love it! When at home and I know those are on the menu, I actually do perk up and look forward to it.

So last weekend I was in Vegas and got to stay with my cute brother and his new wife and they made pancakes with a wheat-free gluten-free mix that was really yummie and got me to thinking that maybe I could like pancakes. Thus, before returning to Utah I got some of that mix as well as some buckwheat pancake mix; today at church I invited a friend over; and tonight I made pancakes for my first time ever. I put a ton of blueberries in that I'd purchase especially for the occasion, cooked them up, and voila! They were irregularly shaped, but very yummy.

Those pancakes with a little scrambled eggs and a sweet, fresh orange made a fabulous Sunday supper that I am looking forward to repeating in the future. So here's to learning something new, and trying it!

P.S. I realize it's kind of funny that I would like waffles but not pancakes, and I've thought about it and think it must be something to do with texture. Waffles are crisper, and buckwheat pancakes have a kind of gritty texture, as do cornmeal pancakes from Ihop that I also recently discovered that I love. They taste a lot like corn bread (which is one of my favorites) and are super yummy. So all these things are more grainy-like, I guess, than usual pancakes...and it would seem that I like that alot.

adequate hydration

"You should get a bigger water bottle."...a seemingly innocuous comment...that I seem to have gotten a lot of. Firstly, why do all these people even care that I have to walk a whole 15 steps into the office to fill my 12 oz. water bottle almost a whole two or three times a day? Secondly, don't they think I knew what I was doing when I purchased it? I am verging on 29 and have lived away from home for much of that time. I mean, my little bottle is just the size I want! It fits in my purse, can be tucked under a jacket, doesn't look out of place on my desk, and is not ungainly to drink from. It's not like I'm crossing the Sahara in my daily commute. I only have to make it from one conveniently located source of purified water to the next. If I had a cup you wouldn't be saying "you should get a bigger cup," but cause it's a bottle it needs to be bigger?! I also got stainless steel on purpose since most of my fluids come from it and I don't want to intake any more of that plastic chemical that is reportedly bad for me than I have to. And maybe I like having an excuse to get up and walk around every so often throughout the day. Who wants to sit inert for 5 hours together? Certainly not me.

So, honestly, while I don't hold anything against these people with their truly innocent, yet irritating comments, I do beg of you, should you notice my diminutive-yet-perfectly-adequate water bottle and wonder why I didn't splurge on a larger...just keep it to yourself.

two stories

Ok, there are a couple of things that have happened lately that are just interesting enough that I've wanted to tell you all, and just uninteresting enough that I seem to have forgetten to ever tell you over the phone. So, here I will make remedy.

First, we totally had an earthquake recently and I actually felt it. The last time I was in an earthquake I was asleep and didn't wake up at all. This time, I'd just woken up, was sitting in my bed thinking about getting up and my bed started to jiggle. At first I thought I must have moved violently enough to make it do so, but then it kept on jiggling while I sat perfectly still. Hm. That's interesting. "Wow, an earthquake!" I thought. Then I pretty much forgot about it til later in the day when someone mentioned it and we talked more about it. Then everyone I saw at work got to relate their earthquake-noticing-or-else-didn't-notice stories. Turns out the epicenter was near Wendover and had caused some pretty serious damages there. I hope all is turning out alright for them. But yeah, weird, I totally felt an earthquake.

Then story number two--this one still makes me chuckle when I think of it. So, sometime ago I went to get my armpits waxed (by the way, I was pretty happy with the results). It hurt pretty dang bad, but the pain is short lived, so if someone is hairy enough to really want to try I'd say go for it, but that's not the point. So I'm there in the salon, laying on a massage-style bed, with my arm over my head and the lady helping me is applying wax to my underarm. Suddenly she stops, probes the area a bit, and asks if I do regular self examinations on a particular personal type of tissue (so worded for the benefit of under-age eyes :) as well as if she can see my other arm. Then she says, "See, what is that?" and directs my attention to a "lump" in my armpit. I reach my other hand over, press the same location, and say in a matter-of-fact tone with incredulous undertones, "that's muscle..." HA! I guess she doesn't get too many girls in there who actually workout their upper body cause she totally didn't recognize that it was muscle! HA! Oh man, some people's kids.

mukluks

Oh by golly, I love this thing. Seriously, I have daydreams about learning it with some friends and performing it sans accompaniment. I'm sure that wouldn't be the same, though. Oh well, I'm not above lip sinking. So kick back, listen, and smile to yourself. Yay for having a little brother who gets connected with random things that he then shows me and are totally hilarious.





I don't know, maybe if these guys can do it. :)

my valentine

By the way, it is super duper fun to love a boy on Valentine's. I mean, I liked Valentine's ok before, at least I was determined to.

There was a time ago when I had a friend who would send all of her family and friends Valentine's cards and stuff. Before then I'd always had that slight bit of single-person bitterness about it. However, watching her made me think, "How fun, just make it a 'Celebrate Love Day' instead of only for sweethearts." The next year I bought all my family cards, plus a few other people and I loved it! I felt so much better about the whole situation and enjoyed the season that much more. Probably because it helped me focus on how much love I had in my life rather than what I was lacking.

That said, it sure was fun to have a boy this year, :)

groundhog day

Hey, so it was Groundhog day yesterday, one of those holidays that are minor enough that you don't get time off, but just major enough for everyone to know it is happening. Well I'll tell you what, from the snow that's blowing outside of my house right now, I'm pretty sure it's another few weeks of winter. And that's ok, we have needed it.

i got tagged

So my cute friend loves these things. I am always getting emails that have been forwarded with long lists of questions or details that she's answered and now I'm supposed to answer and email back as well as to some more people. I'll usually answer them and send it back only to her since I know she likes it. Well now she tagged me with this game so I figured I'd indulge her yet again...besides some of these questions are actually pretty fun.

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning. B. Each player answers the questions about themselves. C. At the end of the game the player tags 5 people, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.


10 years ago: Am I old enough for that question? Crazy. Ok then, I was nearing the end of my first year at BYU. I had a crush on a guy in my freshman ward who's last name was Callister, but I don't remember his first name. I was playing tons of volleyball and trying to get over being shy. I'd just started a zoology class that had a 7:30 am lab every Friday where we dissected something new each week. That was pretty cool.

5 things on my to-do list today: 1) Make pizza 2) call family 3) shop for snow boots 4) get a Valentine's gift for my boyfriend 5) vacuum

Snacks I enjoy: chips and homemade salsa or guacamole, chocolate, Ben and Jerry's ice cream, cheese and crackers

I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire: pay back my parents for their help with cars, buy them four-wheelers for their new house (one with a snow shovel attachment), sell my wonderful car and buy two others--one hybrid 4-wheel drive, one super-awesome-but-not-too-ostentatious sports car (also hybrid), renovate my Aunt's kitchen to raise the ceiling and replace the cupboards, buy a vacation home in Switzerland and plan some European vacations with any family (or friends that are almost family) who wanted to come, buy Rosetta Stone and really start to learn Italian, save, invest, donate

3 of my bad habits: 1) Picking at my eyelashes. I know I know, I'm still working on it. 2) Snapping in moments of frustration. I'm not doing that anymore. I don't like being snapped at, I shouldn't do it to others. 3) Thinking I'm smarter than other people, it's hard not to though when it's true. Hee hee.

5 places I have lived: Las Vegas, NV, Provo, UT, Falls Church, VA, Murray, UT, South Jordan, UT

5 jobs that I have had: lifeguard, envelope stuffer, dry cleaners employee, entomology TA, teacher\tutor

5 things people don't know about me: This one's pretty hard considering that basically everyone reading this is family and knows almost everything. I'll give it a shot, though. 1) I always have some stuffed animal that is kind of sentimental to me in my bedroom. I've tried not to be a weirdo single girl who fills her bed with them, but as much as I always say I'm not that sentimental, there is something comforting to me about having one or two around. 2) I want to be ambidextrous. I've totally practiced writing with my left hand enough that it's perfectly legible, I use my mouse with my left hand when I can, I try eating with my left hand, I just generally try to do stuff left handed that would normally be right handed. I just think it'd be cool and possibly useful. 3) I want to ride in a hot air balloon really really badly. And if it could be in the East during the autumn that would be super duper awesome. 4) I want to learn Italian. It is just so cool sounding! 5) I like skinny dipping. I haven't done it much, but would love to have privacy such that I could.

So there you have it. I think I'll tag some people on their blogs. If you like this sort of thing I'd be curious to see your answers, if not it's no biggie...I'll love you anyway.

five hundred twenty-eight thousand, nine hundred sixty-nine feet

Do you like to run? I kind of do. Sometimes I even feel like running and I'll hop on a tread mill and go for about 20 or 30 minutes which usually translates to maybe two miles. That's usually good enough for me. Then I'll go do other stuff. I mean, I like to workout...really do. My life would not be complete without it. It makes me feel good, makes my body feel balanced and strong. I pretty much want to be able to carry my own groceries and swim laps until the day I die.

That said, I have never really understood people who run marathlons. Maybe it's a matter of purpose. My purpose in working out is for health and functionality. That's what I want and that's what my workout program brings me. People who do long races must have some other purpose, like to accomplish something difficult, or enjoy a super endorphin high, or to need to buy new sneakers on a monthly basis, or maybe they are hooked on pain. Whatever it is, I don't get it, but I do have a lot of fun wondering about it.

For example, there is a guy I know who, this Saturday, is running a race that is 100 miles long! Yes, you read that correctly. And here I was oblivious enough to think that marathons were the extent of people's craziness. It's not. If you want more proof just google something. And to hear what distances people swim sometimes is truely insane. But anyway, back to this guy.

Saturday morning he is going to wake up and go running ALL DAY. It seriously takes about 24 hours. That is 538,969 feet on his own two paws. The most amazing thing, though, is that this is his third 100-mile race. What in the?! Evidently you just go as you can, eating along the way at refueling stations and sleeping wherever and whenever you need to. And he's done two already! He must be slightly insane. I'll tell you what, though, either the slight insanity or the endorphins from all that travel certainly keeps him chipper. He always seems super happy and energetic and in the end I guess it's his deal if he wants to do that. It's just so fascinating.

So, in all my pondering I couldn't help connect my yearning for American Gladiator's to his experience. Evidently there is a part of me that would love to workout and train like crazy to get insanely fit. Only I've never done it. I wonder why or if it matters. I always tend to blame it on having to work and this guy does work at a gym so I'm sure that makes it a little easier, but that can't be all it.

Maybe I'm really just that little bit of lazy enough to not want to workout that hard.

Maybe I'm afraid of something. I tend to think I'm scared of getting that fit, and then feeling pressured to keep it up for the rest of my life. For example, if I lost 15 pounds of fat and gained 10 pounds of muscle (remember, my aspiration would be more toward Gladiatorship than running anyday) would I feel gross going back to my current and perfectly normal as well as beautiful body fat percentage? Hm, I really don't know.

Or maybe I really don't care at all, but my exposure to people who do that sort of thing makes me think I should care about being an extreme athlete, and so make me wonder if I could or should bite the bullet and do it.

Maybe I like my current diet too much. I mean, I'm no porker, but I'm pretty sure I'd have to change some things to be really top notch, and (back to the lazy bit) I really don't think I want to have to think about my food any more than I already do.

Maybe I don't want to give up the time. As much as I like to workout, there are always a million other things I want to do as much...I wonder if that priority would change once I started to see what I could do? Hm, that's an interesting thought.

So anyway, it's just an interesting thing. Overall I think I'm just perfect as I am, but every now and then I just think it'd be really cool to be that girl at the gym who has the faintest shadow of a six-pack.

puppy bowl

So, anyone who knows my family with any degree of intimacy will know that my parents do not watch that much television including, and possibly especially, sports. As a kid I do remember following the UNLV Rebels basketball team. We would watch games and I'd know the team members' names and watch for them on the court. I'd be impressed with their moves, would cheer when they scored and stew when they lost, loved watching "Tarkanian" bite his towel in between yelling from the sidelines. Then there was some sort of scandal, the team kind of went downhill, I got older and never played basketball, so I gradually lost interest and have never again followed any organized sports team very closely.

Hence you might understand my fascination at the phenomenon that is NFL football and the Super Bowl in particular. The other day, for reasons that may become clear later, I logged on to the TV Guide website to check out what time the Super Bowl was on this Sunday. The game is slotted for three and a half hours from 4:00 to 7:30. Ok fine, I know football games are long, but did you know there's a "pregame show" that starts at NOON! That means they are planning to flap their lips for four hours before the game even starts! Can you say crazy? That's longer than the game itself. Then they have to sum up all the stuff you just watched by having a "postgame" show. However, that is only a modest half hour so I guess that's passable. So anyway.

All this got me thinking how grateful I am that I'm not strug up on football. And grateful that a friend just let me know of a fun alternative. Not that you have to have an alternative or watch any TV at all that day, but should you be curious enough to check it out, there is a little thing called "Puppy Bowl."

It's this show on Animal Planet where they put a whole bunch of puppies on a mini football field and watch them play. They even have a kitten half-time show. SOOOOOO CUTE. Incidentally it is on for almost as long as the Super Bowl (playing twice from 4:00 to 10:00, wow) This is the fourth year it's been on (I think) and they do it kind of to encourage people into getting pets from humane shelters and things like that. I've never watched, but, as much as I'm not sure I'd ever want to own one, puppies are so darling that I am planning to tune in here and there...even if it's only for a few minutes. If you like this little preview, you may just want to join me.



I'll especially have to try and catch the half-time kitty show since I want a cat soooo bad. Happy viewing!

i am a total wannabe

So, did you all know know?
Yay! I'm so stinking excited! I looooved American Gladiators as a kid. I guess I've always had some sort of competitive streak (don't laugh too hard :) and all the events on that show looked sooooo fun to me! Oh man, to do the joust...I think my life would be complete. See, pretend this is me...

Awesome, huh? Of course, I'd have to workout a little bit more to get those legs...and arms...and everything else...and I'd get a different outfit that would be sure to incorporate silver since all the 2008 gladiators have silver in their get ups. But I'm ok with that.

I'd even be happy to be a competitor, I'd still need to workout more and have a different outfit. So, I've been thinking about it. The only thing standing between me and American Gladiatorship is my job. I simply don't have time to have a job and train for the show. So, I just have to quit my job, hire a trainer, and workout like crazy for the next few months and I think I could do it. That's all! I know I have the body for it, it's just hiding under a small, normal, feminine layer of fluff. It'd be SO MUCH FUN! Seriously, the other day I went to the gym and thought to myself the whole time I was working out "what if I was training for American Gladiators." Man, I worked out so much harder and faster and all that than normal. It was great! I love it! But seriously, finding the time right now would be an absolute pain. Hm.

So, I guess my AG daydreams may have to stay daydreams, but let me tell you, they are sure to continue rich and fulfilling. And maybe they'll help me get more fit, even if it's never quite up to nationally televised standards.

2008 rhymes with more than just "great"

I graduated from high school in 1997. That means I had my 10-year high school reunion this year, I had a good time and am glad I went but probably won't ever bother doing that again, but that's not the point. The motto of my graduating class was "Oh thank heaven for '97" and I can't imagine that kids from last year had it much better, cause let's face it, heaven is about the only word that rhymes with seven...maybe leaven, or Devin, but "Oh gee Devin, let's cheer for '97" is just a little silly.

So, that got me to thinking about 2008. Man, there are about a billion words that rhyme with eight! Ate, bate, late, Kate, elate, frustrate, exacerbate, potentate, hate, rate, fate, wait, state, inebriate, satiate, truncate, etc. those lucky kids who are graduating this year. I'll bet they all have different great mottoes, unlike every school in any English speaking country in the "7" years. Here are some of my ideas for if I were to be graduating this year:

Life is great in 2008!
We can't wait for 2008!
2008! Hoorah!
Head of state in 2008!
We'll expiate in 2008!
It's time for fate in 2008!
It's never too late, in 2008!

Ok, so maybe it's a good thing that I never ran for student body office. ;)
Well, no matter what all those high schoolers are up to this year, I'm glad I'm out of it. And happy to see 2008, it's such a nice round number and I'm sure will give me good cause to right many a joyful entry in my journal that are marked with it. So, welcome 2008! Bring it on!

2008, we appreciate!