Cheesy Goodness

2012

2012-01-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast time goes by. Wow! Another year gone. I know I have been totally slacking in the blogging world. And this post will be as boring as ever. I have no pictures so if you'd like to read some rambling, feel free.

We did do some things this past year...I'm just not sure what they were. I know we visited some family. Made another trip to DC (it was great as usual). We didn't do any major home improvements (much to my dismay, I wanted to paint downstairs and do some fixing up there, but it never happened). I suppose all in all it was a good year.

This next year should bring some fun and exciting changes. Two of my sister-in-laws are pregnant (one is Sam's sister, the other my brother's wife), and come June our family will have one more as well. No, we are not finding out what gender our baby is prior to birth, and yes, I think that we will be able to prepare just as well. I'm getting excited...although it's definitely taken some time to get used to the idea that I'm pregnant. I'm not sure I'm there yet. Perhaps it would help if I was showing...maybe. I obviously don't know when it will be real to me, since this is my first time.

Anyway, I've definitely made some resolutions, but none of them are too exciting or impressive. Mostly they are just personal improvement goals...boring for you, but I'm glad to report that I've already made a good start. At least this year I DO NOT have the resolution to lose weight! I guess that might become a mid-year resolution. Maybe the next time I post I'll have some pictures of something....

June!

2011-06-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Yay! It's summer and it actually feels like summer. It is great! I guess I will write about our anniversary, not that we did anything too awesome. It is hard to believe that I've been married for two years. Weird. Anyway, we just went to dinner at PF Changs...we never go there. It was good, I could make that a tradition. And then we went to a movie after that, oh yeah, the new Pirates of the Caribbean. Pretty good show, I liked the new X-men movie we went to for Megan's birthday better.

As for that wood project I want to make later on this summer, I think it was some sort of table like chest. I haven't looked at the magazine that had the plans for a while. But, i was going to paint it black, and distress it and use it for a coffee table in our front room. If it turns out okay, that is. Other than that not too much is going on. I'm loving the warm weather and Sam and I went for our first swim of the summer last night. Yay! Of course, right as we got to the pool the wind picked up and so it was kinda cold getting out, but not too bad.

Yeah, yeah, I know this background doesn't go all that great with my heading and what not, but you have to admit it is so me. Gotta love the yellow!

Another year gone...

2011-05-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that this school year is over. It goes so fast. Crazy. It's been a good year. I did take pictures of dinners Sam and I made one week, but of course I'm way too lazy to actually put them on this blog. I know it's not that difficult. But, you know.

I mean, it's taken me this long just to get a post going. Not too much has changed in our lives. We had a good Spring Break in Vegas. Went to the Beatles Love show...I would recommend it to anyone. It was awesome. Now, I'm in school and although I only have two classes, it does manage to consume a lot of my time. It's good to be back in school. Maybe Sam will start going the second half of the summer like he says he will.

Other than that things are really about the same. I'm excited for the summer and for this semester of school to be over. I'm hoping to make a wood project. Sam said he would help me, other than that I have some sewing projects and there's always the task of catching up on scrapbooking. Good times!

2011-04-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

So I was talking with my parents and my brother, John, tonight after the priesthood session. We were talking about reading classic books and I now have a new favorite quote from John. He said, "I didn't have to read any classics because I watched 'Wishbone.'"

What is "Wishbone," you ask. Well, it was a PBS show about a kid and a dog. The kid would be going through some situation in life and the dog, Wishbone, would find a classic book that fit the situation and then act out the book. Yeah, it was pretty sweet....

Report

2011-03-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know how my projects are coming. First of all, Sam and I have been very good about making dinner and eating at an earlier time. Next week I'm planning to take pictures of our meal because some people (well at least one that I know of) doubts that I do or know how or can actually cook. Well, at least she used to. Also, I've done some sewing. I made a skirt, a bag (turned out awful), and a carseat tent-cover-thing. Whatever you want to call it. A couple of my neighbors recently had babies so it was a gift. I'm currently washing the fabric for my next project. AND, I've scrapbooked 5 pages. Yep, last week was very productive. Oh, I also worked out quite a bit. Hopefully this week will be just as busy.

Pixle Junk Shooter: the sequel

2011-03-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

Pixle Junk Shooter is a video game on the PS3. Sam and Cole love it. The second one recently came out, so they've been playing it a lot. When I asked them what I should blog about, that's what they said. Yes, they were playing it at the time. I sometimes sit downstairs while they play and look online or read or make cards or whatever. It's one of the more tolerable video games they play. Halo is super annoying to watch and I don't love Super Meat Boy.

As for the project ideas, thanks. Mary Ann, yours is on my list. And I'm thinking of going to Las Vegas for spring break. Colorado is far, and I don't quilt but I could watch Isaac...maybe during the summer???

Pixle Junk Shooter

2011-03-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

So lately my life is pretty dull. But I like it! I'm working way less hours at the fabric store and I love having my afternoons free. My goals are to clean my house more consistently and to work out more frequently. And since I tend to eat more when I'm home I think I need to be more pro-active in my hobbies. If y'all have any project ideas for me...I might take them into consideration. :) Oh yeah, I'm also going to try to cook dinner at a more timely hour. We usually eat pretty late and I don't love it. I guess those are my resolutions for March...since I didn't post any new year's goals, I figure now is as good a time as ever.

2010-11-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

Sam loves his deal sites. Woot (one of his favorites) does a shirt a day. This was today's shirt and I thought it was hilarious, so I decided to share it with you. The theme was "meat."

The Vending Machine

2010-10-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

So, here is a story that some of you know, but some of you don't. Recently I have been asked about this experience by a couple of my siblings, and I thought it would make a pretty good blog post.

When I was about 8 or 9 (we lived in a trailer park), there was a vending machine near the manager's house. Being the sugar addict that I am, I would often buy candy from the vending machine. This particular day my brother, John, was tagging along with me and my friend. He was begging me to buy him something too. I kept telling him no. He had his own money. Why should I buy him candy?!? When I got to the vending machine, he was still right by my side. I put my money in, and as I pushed the button of the candy I wanted, he pushed what he wanted too. And then, a miracle happened. My candy came out, and so did his. Wait, it gets better...someone had the idea to push the coin return, and I got my money back.

We weren't stupid. We continued putting the money in and pushing as many buttons as we could at the same time, to maximize our buying power. By this time, my sister Sandy had joined the fun, and another friend, Joey. (We fondly referred to him as yellow teeth...weren't we so kind?!?) Within a few minutes, we had the entire vending machine emptied. Best day of my life! We divided up the candy and each had a bag full. I remember walking around the neighborhood living up the moment. I started my candy binge with one of my least favorite kinds of candy, a nut roll.

Delicious...not. By the time I was about half way through the candy bar, I started feeling really guilty, along with my sister, Sandy. (John was apparently void of this feeling at his young age.) Despite our friends', and brother's utter confusion, we confessed what we'd done to our mother. She told us we needed to give the candy back and pay for what we had eaten. We took the candy back to the manager and gave him the money we owed. Yes, we made the right choice in the end, and yes it felt better than having a whole vending machine's worth of candy.

Fall Break

2010-10-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

Fall break was fantastic this year! Sam and I went to Washington D.C. to visit my sister and her family, and of course, to see the sights. My parents went with us, or we went with them, but we bought our tickets first, so they went with us. It was so much fun! We did so many things and I loved it. I won't bore you with too many details, but I'll try to post some pictures...Sam's pictures (I didn't take many myself). If you ever go to D.C. I highly recommend going to Mt. Vernon, getting tickets to go up the Washington Monument, and hitting Arlington. I love the changing of the guard and there are some cool things to see there. We walked around so much that my legs were sore a couple of the days (and I consider myself to be in pretty good shape).

There are some pictures for you. If you'd like to see more you can check out my Dad's blog, or apparently his facebook. He's much more diligent about getting pictures out than I am. And just fyi, there was one day we didn't have our cameras because we went to the White House, so yes, you are only getting a taste of what we did. Also, many places don't allow pictures. But it was a great vacation and it was so hard to go back to work. Such is life. Can't wait for Thanksgiving!

2010-09-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

So here is the new kitchen...I love it! It is almost all the way done, just have to install the dishwasher, get a new light for above the sink, and fix the hinges on one door...you'll see what I mean...

This is the old kitchen...obviously (I hope)

Destruction process...so much fun

New cabinets are in...no molding, handles, or knobs

Finished product...excepting those few things I mentioned at the beginning....Isn't it lovely?!?

Back to Work

2010-09-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

Well, the summer is over. And it has been for a couple of weeks now. I started working last Monday. I'm working at a high school...yay! Probably my favorite age group to work with. So far the teachers and staff at the school have been great! Some of the secretaries I've encountered at other schools have been a little bit condescending. So, I'm liking my new assignment. Plus I love the high school schedule...minus the getting up early part, but it's worth it to be done so early.

The summer flew by, as usual. Seemed to be pretty uneventful. But we did have some good vacations to California, Colorado, and the Uintas. Also, we finished painting our whole upstairs...that was really awesome. Vaulted ceilings are not the most exciting thing to work with when it comes to painting the house. Love them otherwise.

The past couple of weeks, Sam has been diligently working on getting our kitchen cabinets made. I think I helped a lot too, but of course he's put more hours in. I do know that I could not make cabinetry my profession. Wow! The process that they go through to finish cabinets and doors is insane. You put stain on to wipe it off. You lacquer and then you sand it off. You lacquer again and then you sand it again. You put a glaze on and then you wipe it off. And, of course, you put another one or two coats of lacquer on. Very tedious. Sam's standards relating to cabinets are much higher than mine, so he's made most of the choices for our new kitchen cabinets. It'll be great when it's all installed...which should be within the next week. I'll take some final remodel pictures then. It'll be really nice...I'm excited.

I'm proud to say that I got some sewing projects finished over the last week of summer break. Curtains in my living room and a coat I started last October. Rest at ease, Mom.

Sunday Evenings

2010-06-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

I love Sunday dinner at my mom's house. Fortunately, I get to eat there with most of my family every other week. Well, I guess it's only half my family. But still, a good time. We usually play a game or two after we're done eating. Last night we were reminiscing and decided to re-visit our childhood instead of playing games. Here's what we made...

I'm sure many of you don't know what this is. You're probably not a Carter. It's a potato bug house. Still confused?!? Shocking! When we were young we made mazes out of legos and put potato bugs in them to see if they could find their way out. Sounds stupid, I'm sure. But, it entertained us for hours as children, and for a little while last night. Not all of my siblings participated in this activity. I think it was mostly the younger ones. It was fun to remember how awesomely creative we were as kids!

You bet we found a potato bug and put it in!

Did I mention I cut 13" off my hair a couple weeks ago? Ugly picture, I know. But I am loving the short hair. I forget how nice and easy it is. Man I look scary in that picture! (It's the only one I have of my fabulous new hair...this was from the first day too!)

And no, our house is not finished yet. They've just been mudding and sanding. Trust me, you're not missing anything without pictures of it. But, it is looking good and they should be done today. And then Sam and I get to clean and paint. Yay! Anyone want to help???

Days 15 and 16

2010-06-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

It seems like our house really might be finished by this weekend. They said they will have to come Saturday to put the texture on the walls, but otherwise they will probably be done tomorrow. I know! I am surprised too. But, I'm a couple days behind, so I hope you're ready for a lot of pictures!

There is no longer a hole in our bedroom leading to the loft.

The wall is almost completely done.

They got a lot of the new ceiling mudded. Those were all things that they got finished yesterday.

When I got home today, my house looked a lot different. I am loving it!

They started mudding around the new part of our bedroom wall, I know, it's hard to tell in the picture. You'll have to take my word for it.

The wall is now completely back up, withe some more mud on it.

And, this is what the kitchen now looks like. I know, it needs some paint. It's got a multi-colored thing going on right now. But, isn't it awesome?!? It's way more open and light. I LOVE it!

Last, but not least:

The last little bit of wiring that Sam did. There was an outlet in one of our cupboards that he is moving to the wall. So, yes, he's made some holes in the wall, and sure he's taken down about 5 cabinets, but it'll be okay. The holes will be covered by the cabinets and the range when we move it back. I guess he knows what he's doing since he works in a cabinet shop and they always do these things when they install.

I'm really loving the way that our house is turning out. I can't wait til it's all finished. Of course, I'm not really looking forward to all the dusting and deep cleaning that will be required when they stop sanding everything. But, I guess it'll be worth it!!

In answer to a question

2010-06-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

No, we're not rebuilding the loft! They will finish what will be the new ceiling while the loft floor is still there....for convenience. They will tear out the loft floor last, so that they don't have to mud and sand the ceiling on ladders. You will understand when it's all done, but just imagine that the old floor is not there. Where the can lights are will be the new kitchen ceiling. Maybe it'd make more sense if you'd seen our house before. I don't know. I guess you can wait for the finished product pictures.

Day 14: the fun conitnues

2010-06-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

So, it seems like an eternity since we started this fun little remodel. Though there aren't many pictures to be shown, a lot has been done. The electrical work is finished, which is a miracle! Most of it Sam was able to do himself. I'm sure that will save us a lot of money. So, I didn't take pictures of the day to day work on the wiring. Not all that much to look at, I promise. Yesterday the construction guy came over to start putting our house back together. Yay! He thinks he'll be done by Friday (in a couple days)...I think it'll be great if he's done by Friday the 11th of June.

See! Our can lights are in (wired by Sam) and we have a ceiling! Yay!

And this was a wall that we tore down. (Kicking myself for not getting before and after pictures of this wall. It had some amazing texture on it. A Quarter inch thick in places. We decided it'd be easier to build the whole wall from scratch than try to sand the texture off.) So the wall is half built up again already. Happy day.

Day 3: umm...

2010-05-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

So there really hasn't been much change the last couple of days. I know I thought it'd be awesome to do daily pictures and updates, but it kinda looks the same. I'll post a few pictures and point out the changes for you. It seems like they are a little stuck on the electrical changes that need to take place. Yeah, our kitchen was, apparently, the central location for all the wiring in our whole house. You think I'm joking?!? Not so much. So, currently things are at a stand still.

This week has been a fun one, however. Got my tires rotated today and had to buy two new tires, even though it has been less than two years since I bought my tires. My car's alignment was pretty jacked up...got that fixed and am looking forward to another repair. Something to do with a bent something or another that has to be replaced! Good times. Next week should be better. Only 7 more work days til summer vacation...WAHOO!!!

See the fancy new can lights they've put up? Not that they actually work right now...but hey, I guess it's progress. And I think they tore the ceiling off since the last post.

Remember those dry wall patches in the entry hall way? Those are being mudded and will eventually look like the rest of the wall. Cool!

So, yeah, that's basically all the progress I've seen the last couple of days. Might be taking more meals at our parents' houses the next couple of weeks. It's gonna take a while before things are less dirty (dusty) and more usable. Hopefully, in the end, it'll all be worth it....

Day 1: Demolition

2010-05-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

So, we are having our 6'11" high kitchen ceiling vaulted to match the rest of our living/dining room area. They started work yesterday. They got most of the demolition done...I think. From what I hear, that's the hardest part. I hope that's so. Although, as they uncovered the walls that were there and the ceiling, I think they found some wires that may make the electrical more difficult than anticipated. Isn't that always so??? Honestly, when we got the bid, I figured it would be more than they quoted us, and maybe take longer then they said. But, we're okay with them working late, so maybe they will get it done within the week (still not holding my breath).

Here are some before pictures:

We are super sad to be losing our completely useless loft. Well, at least I think Michael is a little sad that we are taking his room and making it part of our kitchen. Sorry Michael...but I don't think Nora would like to live there with you.

And some pictures from the end of day 1:

Lazy Days

2010-05-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

I feel so totally lazy today. I need to go to the gym but so far I've just been lying in my bed. In fact, I even ate my dinner in my bed. That's how lazy I feel. So many things I should be doing but instead I'm blogging...

It's still cold outside. Fortunately it's not snowing. It's just super windy which makes me really cold. Here's a couple of my favorite things from the week:

the first thing is the grand opening of Winco! It's just down the street from my house. I am a huge fan of Winco and have been since my mission in Oregon...so long ago.... I didn't brave going to Winco during the day Monday, but Sam and i made a trip that night at 11:30. It was great! The lines were short and we got all the deals and, of course, some of my favorites from their amazing bulk section. Man, I love that place. It makes me feel like I'm in Oregon when really I'm here in Utah. I forgot how much I love it.

secondly, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." I've been wanting to read these books for a while, but the first one was always checked out from the library. (I can't read books out of order, so even though the third or fourth one would be in, I never got it.) I knew it would be an easy read, what I didn't know was how funny it would be! It totally made me laugh out loud. Good times! It was kind of nice to take a little break from reading "Lord of the Rings." I would honestly recommend those books to anyone, although I've only read the first two. It makes me want to see the movie.

last, but not least, is merely the fact that I've had good gym attendance this week, excepting today...but I'll go...eventually. I've even been really good about doing cardio, even though it depresses me that it's too cold to run outside AND it's May 6th. Guess you can't have it all.

2010-04-29T16:58:00.001-07:00

It was snowing off and on all day today. That makes me really sad.

Random thoughts...

2010-04-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

What happened to the nice spring weather? Good thing our "mini-reunion" was not this week. So cold! As I was walking into work today, I almost got blown over. No joke. The wind was so strong and cold. I thought I was done with my winter coats for the season...nope.

What's with people my age having 4 kids? It makes me feel old...I am old. But still...it's crazy. I guess they got married young...something I never had a desire to do.

This year is my ten year high school reunion...that's weird. I really AM old. Neat-o.

I just hope the weather warms up....and the price for flights goes down...and that I don't die from carbon monoxide poisoning. Now is the perfect time to test our, supposedly, "perfectly in order" heater.

And anyone who cares can thank Tracy for my blog remodel. She wanted to make me look cool or something...at least on the web...

Photic Sneezing Update

2010-04-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

My mom is a photic sneezer...that explains it. Dominant trait...about half my siblings have it. Makes sense.

Oh, and I loved that the comments on my last post started with T saying I was a freak and then everyone else said they, or someone they knew had it! So funny!

Photic Sneezing

2010-04-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

I, along with 30% of people, suffer from photic sneezing. You probably have no idea what that is. Basically it's when you sneeze because light gets in your eyes. For me, it's really just the sun.

Here's what i learned from the world's most reliable source, Wickipedia:

"Photic sneeze reflex is an autosomal dominant hereditary trait which causes sneezing (due to naso-ocular reflex [1]) when suddenly exposed to bright light, possibly many times consecutively. It is also referred to as photic sneeze response, sun sneezing, photogenic sneezing, the photosternutatory reflex, being photo sensitive, allergic to the sun, ACHOO syndrome, and Achooism,[citation needed] named after the sound made when sneezing, along with its related backronym Autosomal dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst syndrome. The condition affects 18-35% of the human population.[2]

The first mention of the phenomenon is probably in the later work attributed to Aristotle (Problems, book XXXIII).[3]"

Hereditary...interesting. I think one of my sisters has it, I don't know about my parents or other siblings. I just want to say, "Yes, it is a real thing."

I always said I was allergic to the sun!

2010-04-17T23:22:00.001-07:00

It's been warm this past week...well after it stopped snowing. I hope it stays that way. Warm. I like the Spring.

Ammendment I

2010-04-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot the most exciting part of our spring break! I can't believe it...

- we felt an earthquake. It was about 300 miles away in Mexico, at the epicenter it was measured to be 6.9. It lasted for over one minute...cool huh?

One more thing, but less exciting:
- the second time we were at the beach we saw a couple dolphins.

I think with the addition of those two things, I have now satisfactorily covered spring break.

Spring Break

2010-04-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

So this year for spring break, Sam and I went to California. It was a good time...overall. We stayed with Sam's sister, thanks! His nephew is super cute. Loves to scowl at people...it's so funny. He'll totally scowl at you and then laugh and smile.

Here are a few quick highlights of our trip:

- learned a new, and kinda funky way to play rook...I was called a "Rook Purist."
- ate home-made fried ice-cream...a delicious treat.
- went to the beach a couple of times...the water was cold, but still fun and beautiful.
- went to the fashion district, very interesting...they sell a lot of tight jeans and shirts, purses, shoes, and yes they even have lingerie stores...skank-a-licious...we bought nothing.
- stumbled into the fabric district...much more my speed. Crazy amounts of fabrics there, crazy prices. It was great! There were quite a few items that tempted my there, but I refrained and only walked away with serger thread for me and my mom...only a dollar a spool. (Talk to me in person and I'll rave about the fabric district for 20 minutes. I told Sam we're going every time we go to Cali from now on...lucky him!)
- I finally ate the infamous Tito's Tacos, pretty good...a Rosenthal tradition.
- drove by Bubbi's house...I hear it looks the same.
- and we watched the Biggest Loser, of course I've been keeping up with the season...yay for voting Melissa off!

That's my spring break in a nut shell. Ironically, the only picture we took was when Sam's car hit 100,000 miles on the drive home. Yes, I was lazy when it came to taking pictures. Oh and thanks for dinner, Mare! It was great! Oh, I guess the last thing to mention is that Megan performed a 15 minute concert on her "drum set," including such hits as, "Santa Wants You to Love."

Heater Saga

2010-03-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

So, we finally got the work on our old GE heater done. I guess it wasn't work on it so much as just replacing it completely. Well, it did get replaced, and so our basement is warm. Unfortunately, our upstairs is still cold.

I'll be brief in my ranting. I did yell at the company at least one more time before anything got done. They came at 8:30 one night to replace it. They got it half done and then Sam and I went out of town. They were scheduled to come back monday and do it...apparently scheduled appointments mean nothing. Oh wait, I knew that. They DID call us tuesday night to see if they could come by...it was at 11:30 pm. Like we would want them coming at that time of night to work on it. Genius pantses!

And they actually came wednesday afternoon to finish the job. Yes, Sam missed more work. But it's done. Now if we could only get the Lennox fixed. We did call the warranty to have another company come to check the Lennox. they almost sent CDM over again!!! Seriously?!? Hopefully we'll have better luck with this other company. Such fun!

2010-03-25T19:59:00.001-07:00

So, I went to a high school to interpret for a meeting. When I walk in the lady in charge says, "What grade is your student in?"

Heater Issues

2010-03-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know, we've been having major issues with our heaters and even bigger issues trying to get them fixed. Thanks to our home warranty it's relatively cheap for us to get them fixed, it's just a matter of dealing with possibly the worst company ever.

After not showing up for TWO appointments we had set to get it fixed today (this is after a lot of crap we've had to deal with...paperwork not being sent in, inaccurate diagnoses, etc.), I decided it was time for me to step in (up til now, Sam got to deal with them). Sam had taken the day off work to be here for them to come. They told us it would be an all day project. An hour and a half after they were supposed to be here, Sam called them to see what was going on. They fired a technician and so they weren't able to come at the scheduled time. Did they bother to call and let us know that they wouldn't make it? Oh no! Even thought they said they knew they wouldn't make it at 9 this morning. So the rescheduled for the afternoon and Sam went to work. When I got home from work (7:30 pm), they still hadn't come...or called. So, I decided to give them a call.

I can be pretty mean when I feel like it's necessary. Today was a long day. I was tired, grumpy, and hungry. Poor, poor lady who answered the phone when I called to complain....

Warm Weather

2010-03-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

Today was such a nice day! Yay! I got to go for my first outside run...and I made it a long one. It was so nice to actually go somewhere on my run instead of trying to keep my balance on the treadmill at the gym as I watch whatever movie they happen to be playing at the time. And they do not always pick running-friendly movies. Ever tried running to "Bedtime Stories?"

I don't know if you have ever run in a "cardiocinema," but it is not the easiest thing. They make it all dark and have a movie playing on a big screen. It took me a while to get used to running in that type of a setting. It makes me totally off balance. I think it might be caused by the glaring red lights on the treadmill contrasting with the darkness of the room. At first it made me sick to try to run in there with the red lights in my peripheral vision. Eventually I got used to it, but there were plenty of times that I almost fell down due to a loss of balance...so fun!

Just glad it's actually warm enough to run outside again...at least for now.

Easter Candy

2010-03-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

This is a shout out to my mom. A few weeks ago, at Sunday dinner, we were talking about holiday candy. I mentioned how I am disappointed with the candy industry. I hate that the holiday candy selection is mostly regular candy in holiday wrappers. It seems like when I was a kid we could get different kinds of candy during the holiday season. Not just snickers in pastel wrappers or pastel colored m&ms.

Ever since that conversation my mom has been buying my unique-type of Easter candy that she has found at the stores. As a result, I left Sunday dinner tonight with glorious bag of candy. My mom must really love me!!! Thanks mom!

Blast from the Past

2010-03-04T22:14:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to my brother, John....

So, the other day I was remembering an event from my childhood. When John and I were younger we were watching some Disney movie. It may have been Aladdin...I'm not sure. Whatever movie it was, it had a preview for Disney's newest feature film, The Lion King.

During the sneak peak of this, soon-to-be-released movie, they showed typical things. You know, artists drawing the lions, beginning stages of making the movie, etc. One of the lines during the preview was, "Disney's 32nd animated feature film, The Lion King."

John, who was pretty big into wild cats at the time said, "I don't care if that movie is only 30 seconds long, I want to see it!"

I laughed right out loud and told him how he had misunderstood what it said. Good times!

Hearts to John!

Whose Mom are You??

2010-02-26T18:41:00.000-08:00

So, I didn't think that I looked older than my actual age, but some events this week have made me re-think that estimation of myself.

The Junior High School I work at was having a book fair this week. I decided to go check it out and see if there was anything I needed to get. I sometimes feel like I should support my place of employment. I went to the book fair and I found this awesome cook book. It was "Quick and Easy Chicken recipes from Scratch." I decided I would buy it. As I was paying for the book the cashier, a PTA volunteer, told me about the raffle they had if you bought a book. Then she says, "You can just put your student's name on this ticket and it'll go in the drawing."

Really?!? I look like the mom of a junior high student? That would mean I had a child at age 15. I told her that I don't have a student at the school and that in fact I work there. She was like, "Oh, well we have a separate for faculty and staff that you can enter."

The very next day, I was taking a little break during second period. You know, just getting a drink, going to the bathroom, walking around a little. As I start walking down one of the main hallways this man turns to me and says, "Whose mom are you again? You look so familiar, I just can't place your face with your student."

Seriously??? I said, "I don't have a student here. I work here. If I did have a student I would've been 15 when I had the child...so nope, just an employee. Thanks though."

So...what can we conclude from this? Either I look about 32 or I look like the type of person that would get pregnant at 15. Thanks for making my week, Ms. PTA volunteer and Mr. Choir Teacher.

Six Questions

2009-11-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

Josh emailed me these questions so I thought I would post my answers on my blog...

A) Four places that I go to over and over:
Work, work (yes two different jobs), Michael's, and the gym.

B) Four people who e-mail me:
The RS, Border's (but I just unsubscribe from that), I guess that's about it.

C) Four of my favorite places to eat:
The Pie, Great China, home, Mom's house

D) Four places you would love to be:
San Diego, Las Vegas, Washington DC, Colorado

E) Four people I'm almost sure will respond:
I'm not emailing this, so it doesn't really apply...but Sandy might post it too. She usually loves these things. And maybe MaryAnn.

F) Four of your favorite TV shows:
The Office, The Biggest Loser...that's about all I watch as far as TV goes.

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead

2009-11-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

Well, i know it's unheard of for me to blog twice in a week, but here I am once again. Surprisingly I am writing my first Biggest Loser blog of the season...shocking how long it's taken.

So, for those of you who've been watching it, you may know that the least liked contestant this year is Tracey. And she finally got voted off this week. I was surprised, I didn't think they would ever do it. She was for sure a big game player, from the start of the season. I thought she would've been voted off long ago. she lost a lot of popularity early on. After she chose the black and blue teams, I swore I would never watch again. (The show has to be rigged, btw.) But, I did watch the next episode, then I missed one, and then I watched this week's.

The things that drove me crazy about Tracey, were her creepy eyes and her mannerisms. I hated when she would stick her nose in the air and shake her hair back. And she just has really creepy eyes. She did look quite thin when they showed her 'now' pictures. She seems to have lost a lot of weight. My biggest fear is that she'll come back in the next couple of weeks when they bring a contestant back on.

And, how is Daniel still here with all of his low numbers??? With losses (or not) like that, I would have thought he'd be long gone.

Mr. Beaver and Lucy

2009-11-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

So, I have a bit of free time on my hands...I know, I can't believe it either. So, I thought, "Now will be a great time to post those fabulous Halloween pictures and blog about the sweet party."

First, I have to thank John and Megan for putting the party together. It was so fun. I love the idea of an adult trunk-or-treat. That's right, folks, we had an adult trunk-or-treat. You should be super jealous. I think we should continue the tradition as long as we continue to be childless...what else will we do for Halloween???

Earlier in the month, Sam and I were trying to think of cool Halloween costumes. I said, "I know! I want to be the White Witch from the Chronicles of Narnia." Sam replied,, "I'll be a potato beaver!" It was the funniest idea and I knew John would love it, so I sacrificed my great idea to make his costume. I didn't think I could make two in time for Halloween. I know, how noble of me, right?!? (For those of you wondering what in the world a potato beaver is, I'll explain quickly. It's the beavers from the old school Chronicles of Narnia...fabulous show. Thank you, BBC. If you don't have time to watch the whole movie, my brother does a pretty superb highlight reel.)

So, the moment you've all been waiting for (pictures):

This is Scott as the drunk Mexican, and Mary Ann as Brigitta...you should've seen her little introduction.

Friends Of mine, Josh and Amber...I think their costumes are obvious.

John and Megan as Mulder and Scully....Great costumes! Especially with the musical entrance.

And two more of my friends, Michael and Nora...again, a pretty obvious costume. If only they'd gone as Bob and Jillian like I suggested.

Sam did win three awards for his costume, 'Best Costume,' 'Most Original Costume,' and second place for 'Scariest Costume.' Good times!

Oh, and I won 'Funniest Costume.' I guess the pickings were pretty slim!

Oh yeah! In case you want to do a side-by-side, check out these pictures from the show:

Lucy, in all her beauty.

And, the original "Mr. Beaver."

Back to school...or...work

2009-08-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

So, this yeah I've been assigned to interpret at a junior high. Today was the first day back. It was just the 7th grade today. The halls were crowded and I had to keep reminding myself that it was only going to get worse. Apparently the 7th grade class at this school makes up almost half the student body...unreal.

7th graders are so sweet and innocent...for now. They go to their classes on time and when the teacher is a little late getting in, usually for taking some extra time in the hall to direct the little lost kids to their class, they just sit there quietly. It is so different from high school and probably even the older ages in the junior high. It was a fun day. I can't believe how old some of the kids look and then there are the others that don't look old enough to be there.

All in all, I really enjoyed my first day back to work, minus the pain the I get in my arms. Guess that's what I get for not interpreting during the summer. It's worth it though. I love my vacations!

2009-07-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry,Mary Ann. I was going to include a disclaimer, but I didn't. I do feel bad, and I hope that you don't hate me. But, really, you had to know that was coming, right?!?

And yes, it's the last movie that they are making into 2 parts. Where, apparently, Harry is going to become a genius with the wisdom of an 75 year old wizard who has spent a long time studying the life of Tom Riddle. He's going to magically know that Riddle is attached to Hogwarts and would want to use items from the founders of the school to turn into horcruxes. AND he's going to know all about Voldemort's pet snake and everything else that Dumbledore told him in book 6 that was crucial to the destruction of said wizard. Can't wait to see how they pull that off! Should be interesting.

Harry Potter #6

2009-07-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

So, earlier this week I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I must say I was quite disappointed in the movie, but not in the crowd. As always, the movie seemed to leave out all the important parts. I really don't know how they can merge into the story of book 7 with what they included in the movie.

But alas, the midnight crowd...which is what I went for was delightful. There were some great screams for the upcoming Twilight movie, especially for Jacob. And I loved the lady two rows back who was absolutely sobbing at Dumbledore's death. I mean you had to know that was coming,right? You read the book, I'm sure. Why else would you be attending the midnight showing? Yes, the crowd did not let me down.

I will say that the part I hated the most was the scene with Harry and Ginny in the room of requirement. If you've seen the movie, you'll know why. Wow! That was an awful line. So bad! I think I'll have to read the books again to remember why I like the story so much. The movie...just does not cut it.

Wedding Pictures

2009-06-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

2009-06-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

2009-06-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hey! Just thought I'd let you know that we are back from our fun honeymoon cruise and that we just closed on our house! Yay! So we are no longer homeless. Happy Day!

To sum up...

2009-05-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast/slow this week has been. It was dragging at first, but now as I look back it went fast. Do you realize that I'm getting married in just over a week??? That's weird. But, it still seems unreal to me, so I'm good.

So, Ron did not win the biggest loser...or the at home loser, if any of you thought he actually could. His son didn't win either. It was a surprise victory by Helen...well, sort of a surprise. I always thought she could win. I think the only person who was surprised was Tara. Guess you can win as many challenges as you want, but you didn't have what it took to win the whole thing. I just think it is unreal that Helen lost 54% of her body weight and now weighs 117. Yikes. She's a skinny old lady, that's for sure. Well, she's not too old. And the at home loser, Jerry. He lost a lot too like 45% or something. He looks like a turtle, I think.

As predicted Joelle lost hardly any weight and David lost even less. It was an entertaining season. But I think I might have to give up the show. We'll see. I'm sure I'll get sucked in during the fall. It does make me want to go for a run. Too bad I have to work for five more hours....

I liked this...

2009-05-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

Thought you might be bored with looking at wedding accessories...

Rules are, you highlight, bold, or underline any of the following things you have done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched an amazing lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning...
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Ran a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy

I took a page from Shannon's book, and counted Paris, ID as visiting Paris. Also, do apostles count as famous people? I think so. And I might not have actually prepared the animal I ate, but I've caught fish that I've eaten while camping...one of the few times in my life that I eat fish. And, I didn't really bounce a check, but when I changed banks I had some outstanding checks that I had to go to great lengths to make sure they didn't bounce. Yeah, that was fun...oh how foolish I was when I was younger. Oh and I got 36...not bad...I guess.

Jewelry

2009-05-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

So since the most popular tiara was number two, how do you feel about this jewelry to go with it? I figured it was the best match to go with tiara.

Putting it to a vote

2009-04-28T07:36:00.001-07:00

So, I am planning on getting a tiara for my wedding...or maybe just borrowing Mary Ann's. But I wanted some feedback on these ones I've been looking at. So, let me know what you think.

Ron...oh, Ron: the sequel

2009-04-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to post about The Biggest Loser this week, but because MaryAnn commented about I figured I would. First of all, Tara bugs me. Yeah, she's strong, and wins everything. But I seriously get annoyed at her complaining. Everyone picks on me...wa wa wa. Of course they do! You always win, AND you've lost the highest percentage in the house. Deal with it. And, of course Jillian is going to get mad when you eat 4000 calories in a temptation. Sure you're there for you, but Jillian's there to get mad at you when you do stupid things and don't work out. Sheesh! Do these people not know what they signed up for??? I mean honestly, they've all confessed to watching the show before. Did they think that going from their state of inactivity to working out 12 hours a day would be easy? For real!

Secondly...Ron. Oh my. I just can't even express in words how much he annoys me. I think that Kristen said it best when she was talking about how controlling and manipulative he is. He really is the biggest game-player in the house. Just because someone tells you, "You'll be fine," that doesn't mean they are voting for the opposite person to go home. Perhaps it just means that they think you will be fine when you go home. Up until last night I really quite liked Mikey, Ron's son. But alas, he was so upset that people would vote for his father to go home (how dare they!!), that he, too, annoyed me. I would've voted Ron home long ago merely because he is unpleasant to look at with his shirt off. Fortunately, they've reached the point where they weigh-in with those form-fitting tank tops on. Unfortunately, I've seen Ron enough to know what that bulge is that seems to be hiding under his shirt, lurking barely out of sight...his six-pack haunts me.

13.1

2009-04-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

So, after watching the episode of The Biggest Loser where they contestants ran a half-marathon as the challenge, I thought to myself, "If they can do that, I certainly can." It became my goal. Of course, I thought I'd work up to it, so the last couple of weeks I've been running longer distances...you know, like 5-7 miles. Just about once a week...outside. On the colder days I've stayed in the gym and ran my usual 3 miles.

Well, yesterday I decided that I was going to run 10 miles. Because I'm too lazy to actually plan a 10 mile route, I just run around the track at the Orem hospital, that Ive been told is a mile plus...I'm going to figure out exactly how long it actually is today (hopefully). Can I just tell you that running that track 10 times was probably the most difficult thing I've ever done?!? (Physically...that is.)

Ironically, it was the 9th time around that was the hardest! I wanted to cry, I'm not even joking. I seriously wanted to give up...but then as I neared my starting point I thought, "I only have one more time to go around to make 10. Are you really going to quit so close to accomplishing your goal for today?" My stubbornness kicked in, and I ran the last lap.

I think I must be getting old, because my knees are killing me today! I can hardly walk. Well, ok that's not really true, but it does hurt. I must commend those of you that have ever done long distance running like that. It's not easy. Yes, I still plan on running a half marathon and eventually a marathon. That is one of my life goals. I am pretty proud of finishing my goal yesterday. It feels like quite an accomplishment. Yay for me!

Shout out

2009-04-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a shout-out to Tracy for taking, pretty much, the best engagements ever! I love, love, love the pictures. Thanks...you're the bomb.com!!!

Engagements

2009-04-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

If you want to preview some engagement pictures, check out the link.

Ron...oh, Ron

2009-04-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

OK, so by now you all know that one of my favorite things to do in the small amount of free time I have is to watch the Biggest Loser. So, yes, I am writing yet one more post about that horribly addicting show.

What is the deal with Ron? Is it just me or does anyone else think that he should have been voted off five weeks ago??? I really don't know how all the contestants have fallen into his sympathy trap. HE NEEDS TO GO HOME!!! He drives me crazy! He has been up for elimination five times, and five times the other contestants have done what he's asked. I take you back to the week Mandy was eliminated...said Ron, "Mandy, it's your turn to go home now." Who decided that Ron got to assign the "turns" to go home?

So, in last nights episode they brought back a contestant, Nicole. Unfortunately Nicole gained weight and was up for elimination. Ron, once again was up for elimination. How he managed to get by, yet again, I have no idea. I mean, from the game-player perspective, Nicole was a bigger threat. But, I sure liked her much better than I like Ron.

Sandy's fun list!!!

2009-04-01T13:53:00.001-07:00

Here's the scoop...post a comment in response to the following questions about me. Feel free to copy the whole list into the comments if that is easier for you.

1. Where did we meet?
2. Take a stab at my middle name?
3. Color of my eyes?
4. Do I have any siblings?
5. How many?
6. What's one of my favourite things to do?
7. What's my favourite type of music?
8. Am I shy or outgoing?
9. Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules?
10. Any special talents?
11. If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what is one thing that I would bring?
12. What is my favourite color?

Thanks for playing!

March

2009-03-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

I just realized that it's the last day of March today and the post I just published is my first one of the month. Wow! Where has the time gone?!?

Busy!!

2009-03-31T11:03:00.001-07:00

So, I know that I have been promising for months now that I would post more pictures of my ring. If you thought this would be the time, you thought wrong. Really, I have been busy. But, I am not going to bore you with those details. Instead, I thought I would share a story.

So, this last weekend Sam and I went to Target with his sister. Who doesn't love a good trip to Target?!? While we were there I decided to peruse the clothing section. I'm not going to lie, I've seen a look that I am growing fond of. Hopefully you'll know what I'm talking about. It may be difficult to describe. It's basically skinny jeans folded up to capri length...if you know what I mean. It's just one fold, not like they roll them up, but it makes like an 8" (or so) cuff on the bottom of the jeans.

While in the clothing section I found some skinny jeans and decided I would try them on...and fold them up. So I did. Sam said it looked good...but I think he's biased. I kind of liked it, but following my usual policy, I put the jeans back and decided to give myself a week or so to think about it. If you know what look I'm talking about, I'd like some feedback. Obviously you don't know what it would look like on me, really, but the fact that I am considering buying skinny jeans scares me a little. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned how they are so not made for bigger girls or girls with any kind of curves. Of course, we always end up doing things we swear we never would...at least I've found that to be true in my life. I suppose I should follow the advice given to young Feivel of 'An American Tail,' "Never say never again!"

So...

2009-02-25T23:46:00.000-08:00

Just read my last post...something I should have done sooner. What is the deal with that first sentence? (If it can be called that.) I guess that's what I get for writing something so late at night.

Basically I just wanted to let you all know that I'm still alive. I haven't found much time to blog. Guess it's not high on my oh-so-long list of things to do. Not that I'm stressed, cause I'm not...yet. Things are still going well and I promise I will post more pictures soon. I really will. I'll have to schedule it in sometime....

Engagement

2009-02-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

So, no one ever tells you this when they're engaged...but you (at least this happens to me) I get really paranoid that I'm going to lose my ring. AND I've even already had a nightmare that some of the diamonds have fallen out of my ring. Yeah, it was not a good night. I think I woke up all panicky...love it.

Other than that, I am so far enjoying being engaged. I get to spend a lot of time with my best friend, and we are trying to get everything done early so we won't be so stressed later...closer to the date. (Which is May 23rd for those of you that don't know...mark your calendars!) Good times!

Love, Twoo Love

2009-02-15T09:32:00.000-08:00

OK, so I'm not really sure if that's how you would spell "true" the way the priest on "The Princess Bride" says it, but you get the idea. So, as most of you probably know by now, I'm engaged! Yay! I know. I am so excited. And so, as to some requests I'm blogging about it so you can see some pictures of my fabulous ring! I love it! And I love to show it off.

But, before the pictures comes the story. Alrighty...so we were planning to go to dinner and the temple on Friday the 13th. (By the way, I have always loved Fridays the 13th.) So, we were driving toward the Bombay House...great restaurant...probably my favorite. But instead of heading toward the restaurant, Sam went left to go up Provo Canyon. I looked at him and he said, "We're just going to go up the canyon for a little while before we go to dinner."

We drive for a little longer and then he pulls into the parking lot for Timpanogos park. We get out of the car and he starts leading me towards a pavilion. So, it's still quite snowy in the mountains, and there is a definite path where you can see people have walked. The closer we get to the pavilion, the more he kinda pushes me off the path into the deeper snow on the sides. I'm thinking, "Does he not realize that the snow is pretty deep here? Does he think the path is only wide enough for one?" I'm pretty focused on watching where I'm walking and eventually I just started walking behind him. We walk a bit further and as we get closer to the pavilion, there are stairs leading up to it. On the ground where the stairs start there were rose pedals sprinkled around. We get to the pavilion and there is a table set up. It had a nice white cloth and this gorgeous bouquet of flowers, some wine glasses, chocolate covered strawberries, a space heater, and a blanket. I sat right by the heater and put the blanket on. Then he poured some hot water into our glasses and we made some cider (there were packets of cider too...obviously). We just talked for a while, while drinking our hot cider, and eating some strawberries and then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was great! Seriously, it could not have been more perfect.

I apologize. You can't see the ring very well in this one. I'll get some pictures from Sam's Mom's camera and then you'll get a better look at it.

The flowers that were on the table! So pretty!

Oh, and the reason that he was pushing me off the path was becuase he could see the table up ahead of us. I didn't notice it until we were right there becasue I was looking down the whole time. I just thought that was a funny part of the story.

2009-02-10T09:33:00.001-08:00

I promised my mom that I would let you all know via my blog that John and Megan now know. So, breathe easy folks. If you don't get that, I guess you are out of the loop...sucka!!!

The Pie

2009-02-08T01:12:00.000-08:00

For those of you that don't know, the best pizza place in Utah is, by far, The Pie Pizzeria. Oh so delicious! I love it! Seeing as how I love pizza anyway, it's not too hard to please me. But, when my family did the conference weekend pizza challenge, the pie did win. And by the time it was entered in the challenge it was kind of cold. The closest one is in Sandy, I think. But I go to the one in Salt Lake by the U campus. It is great! It's in the basement of a building and it's a pretty unique place.

So, tonight, a group of us, 14 to be exact, made the trip to The Pie. It was definitely worth the wait. I don't even know how long we waited. The line was pretty long. And then when the workers found out that it was a group of 14 of us, they were kind enough to kick other people out so we could all sit together. Well, they maybe didn't kick people out...they were already on their way.

I used to have a philosophy about The Pie, and I think I need to remind everyone what it is. You can only eat there once a year. It's true. I'm pretty sure that it could be the death of me if I tried to eat there more often. Don't worry, I haven't. Let me just say this, after eating two or three pieces of the cheese pull-apart and one slice of pizza, I was ready to burst. It was delicious though. Their pizza is loaded with toppings. I'm not joking. You take a slice out of your pie, and the cheese and toppings from the surrounding slices ooze onto the pan...and there are still plenty on the pizza. It's fantastic! Mmm...so good. Can't wait until next year!

By the way, some people I have met are disillusioned about pizza places. Navoli's does not hold a candle to The Pie. For real people?!? What are you thinking. It's like comparing...well it's too late for me to think of an analogy. It's just ludicrous, that's what it is!

Random Facts About Me!

2009-02-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by John's post of random things about himself. It was amusing so I decided to give it a try. It's a lot harder to think of things like this than I expected. Thus, you only get a list of 15. Enjoy!

1. I'm named after an actual Princess...it's true.

2. I like to run to screamo...thanks Sam.

3. I have the tastes of a 3 year old...some of my favorite foods are pizza, and macaroni and cheese (with or without hot dogs in it).

4. I have an obsession with coats...to date I have 7 winter coats...yeah I know. No one really needs that many. They are quite fabulous however.

5. I got ran over by a bicycle when I was 14 (I think) years old...it did leave a pretty sweet scar, which has virtually no feeling in it. Ooh and it was my best friend's brother on the bike so then I thought I was really clever and when he would make fun of us after that I would say, "Oh I'm so hurt. You've scarred me for life!"

6. When I was 24 years old I found myself semi-waiting for a missionary...24 people. Heavenly Father likes to make you eat your words sometimes I think.

7. I like to eat cheerios in my yogurt...that's an Arly-ism. It's delicious. Try it. Granola is also fantastic!

8. I've worked at a fabric store for nine years...taking a year and a half break. It's only very part-time now, but I just love the people. And I think my mom would kill me if I quit!

9. Due to my work experience, I have a whole lot of fabric. Seriously, a lot. And not a lot of time to sew. I did get rid of some recently...it went to a good cause so I don't feel too badly.

10. I like to scrapbook. This may not be that random to a lot of you, but it is to me. I never thought I would be a scrapper...but I am. And I like it.

11. I love, love paper. I get that from my mom. I like the smell of it and they make some wicked cool paper these days. That is originally how I got into scrapbooking...I guess.

12. I was among a small group of women that were told, by a prophet, that some of us would not get married in this life. Some of 20...that makes my chances of fulfilling that prophecy a little higher than I would like.

13. I love the smell of office supply stores. I could also look around an office supply store for hours. I also love the smell of shoe stores. Good stuff.

14. I can stick my finger way down my throat without gagging. I guess my gag reflex is pretty non-existent. I don't gag when I get a throat culture either. Weird.

15. I went through a phase where I would watch "Oklahoma" everyday with my sister, Karen. Well, maybe not everyday, but we watched it a lot! We would sing along with all the songs, taking turns to be either the boys or the girls. We would fast forward over the dream sequence...awful! I don't know how they ever thought those were a good idea.

2009-01-26T14:34:00.000-08:00

Apparently I shouldn't go to the gym between the hours of 2 and 5 pm...what a disappointment.

2009-01-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

I use the predictive word setting when I text. For some reason if I'm trying to say "snowing," the first choice is "ponying." Is that a word? Who decides those things?

The Biggest Disappointment

2009-01-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

So, as you may recall, I'm kinda a sucker for The Biggest Loser these days. It's strange because before I was totally an Idol fan, but I dropped it for The Biggest Loser. I think I might have to go back. For those of you that don't watch the show, you won't really relate to this, you can just stop reading now if you don't want to waste your time.

Last night there was an opportunity for the most annoying contestant ever to get voted off the ranch. We all thought that she would be gone, she thought she would be gone, and yes, even Bob thought she would be gone. But in a shocking twist the votes were a tie, which means that the lowest percentage had to go...it wasn't her. What the crap?!?

I now believe that the show has to be rigged. The producers of the show, I believe, made half of the contestants vote for the other option to go home. They had to. It's the only explanation for why she will be on next week. I think that she is just so dramatic, and annoying, that they needed her to stay on to boost the ratings. It's a load of crap! For real. She doesn't even want to be on the ranch. She hardly works out, and complains the whole time that she's in the gym. And when asked if she wanted to be on the ranch, after a long hesitation, she spouted some nonsense. I honestly don't even know what she was talking about. They obviously edit the show to make you think one thing (they trick me so often...it's pathetic really), but still she should have been sent home.

Perhaps she was literally afraid for her life if she would have gone home, and that's why she's still on. Her teammate would have killed her, I'm pretty sure.

The Gym

2009-01-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is, but when people are working out they think that allows them to show their worst-self...my interpretation, more skin than we want to see. So, today, since I didn't work I had free time to go to the gym at an earlier hour. I saw, for the second time, one lady who dresses fairly odd. She's quite petite, and I guess in her mind, that means she doesn't need many clothes. She wears a halter top shirt that barely covers, black leggings pulled so low...well you don't want to know, and of all footwear, boots-pink and black fluffy boots. I can understand some skimpy clothing in the gym if it was really hot or something. But it's winter. It's not that hot in there and I've never seen her do cardio, only weights. She does have nice tone in her arms, I will give her that much.

Unfortunately I happened to see her bend over to adjust some equipment today, and yes, she had, what some might call, a "plumber's butt" (no offense to any plumbers). But it sure wasn't cause she had a big belly. Ultimately I would like to see people wearing more clothes at the gym, show some respect for those of us who accidentally look your way! (Note to self, do NOT go to the gym between 3 and 5 pm).

Forgot Some Things

2009-01-19T15:10:00.000-08:00

OK so I forgot a few great things about my trip. First of all, if you haven't heard it yet, you need to hear Lauren bark like a dog! So funny! Man, I have cute nieces. Secondly, one of my favorite Megan moments: we were eating lunch before church on Sunday and Megan's last bite of macaroni and cheese fell onto her bib, when she realized what had happened she exclaimed, "Oh crap!" I died. MaryAnn admits to teaching her that one. So, to echo Megan Carter's post about "Apple Bottom Jeans," kids do listen and repeat. Megan is especially good at that these days. "What people in the white car?" LOL! One more reason not to have kids folks, they can cause havoc!

2009-01-18T18:55:00.000-08:00

Oh and MaryAnn is the one who set up this new background for me. I think it's pretty great and festive! I'm a sucker for Valentine's day paraphernalia.

Las Vegas

2009-01-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

I know I have totally been slacking on the blogging. Did ya miss me? Yeah, I thought so. Some of you may know that my life has been a little crazy.... So I took a vacation. I came to Las Vegas to visit my sister and her cute kids. They are so cute! It has been a good time and very relaxing, which is what I was looking for. Maybe a little too relaxing...I think I'm going to have to spend 3 hours in the gym tomorrow and I'm not getting on a scale for at least a week. Anyway...

Here are some of the highlights...sorry there are no pictures. I totally left my camera in Utah...oops. Anyway, mostly what we did was shop. We went to a new mall here in Vegas, Town Square. It is really nice, an outdoor mall. They have a great play area and we had a lot of fun playing with the kids. Also MaryAnn and I scored some sweet deals at the Ann Taylor Loft store. Clearance with an extra 25% off...too good to be true. But, since I had just paid tuition before leaving, I didn't over spend. Most of the money I spent was on MaryAnn and kids and food. Yeah, our lunches were the most expensive parts of our shopping sprees. Pathetic.

My favorite parts were the warm weather. I think I'm thawed out now...just as I'm about to return to home. Hearing Lauren say her new words, "Ariel" (this one you have to see, she holds her mouth in an O when she says it...so cute!), hearing Lauren's low grunty-laugh, seeing Megan answer for Lauren when in the car (she does a really high voice when she's being Lauren), and hearing Megan sing the Little Mermaid songs. Yes, folks, we have another niece headed that way. Thanks to: Tim, for buying that movie for Megan, it is well watched, and Shannon, for the infamous princess book. Without these two items my trip would not have been what it was. Megan only wants to hear the princess stories and only the ones with princes in them. So funny!

So, knowing that I am going to have to wake-up wicked early tomorrow to catch my plane and looking forward to the homework that I didn't even bring with me, this trip draws to a close. I am glad I had the opportunity to get away for a while, although things are still as confusing as ever. What can ya do?!?

Christmas

2009-01-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

In keeping with tradition, I took no pictures during the Christmas break. I will refer you to Sandy's and Dad's blogs to check out some photos. I don't know what it is, but I'm just not a picture taker. It's something that I have to make a concerted effort to do. So, anyway. Christmas was great! I love my family! My friend told me that playing games with my family is my "happy place." It's true. I love it!

So, the other highlight of Christmas was that my niece, Lauren, learned to say my name. Has she been asking for me, MaryAnn? She's cute, and despite what you all think, she does not just call me "Di." (That's an easy one for kids to say, so they usually pick it up fast.) She calls me some version of "Ana," it maybe sounds like "Iana" a little bit. Guess I'll have to go to Vegas for a visit soon so she doesn't forget it.

The Great Blog-off

2008-12-17T22:23:00.000-08:00

I guess I should thank Tracy for getting me involved with the whole blogging thing. It's been fun. And, I too am shocked that I came in second place. The reasons that I'm not in first place are 1) Lore got a desk job and she has access to a computer all day at work and 2) I don't blog during the summer. The number of posts during those months are particularly low for me. But I don't regret that. There are much better things to do in the summer time than sit at a computer and rant about things to the world. So, I will proudly accept my second place ribbon.

The Biggest Loser

2008-12-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

So, another season has come to an end. It was a great finale, yes, great! I am so glad that Michelle won. I disliked Vicky so much that if she had won I would have sworn off the show forever. It's true. I could not stand that lady. She was sneaky and mean and just low. She did, however, lose more weight than I thought she would. Good for her. But, Michelle made me proud. And, can I tell you once again how much I love Jillian? I don't know what it is about her, but she cracks me up! I love it when she yells at the contestants and they start crying. I just enjoy the show. I don't know if I would want to experience the fierceness of Jillian myself, but it's fun to watch.

So the new season starts in January. It looks like it'll be a good one. It has the biggest contestant they've ever had. I think his starting weight is like 474 pounds. Yeah...wow! It'll be good.

Tagged by Trace

2008-12-17T22:01:00.000-08:00

Whats your Favorite brand of jeans?

Silvers for sure. But since I'm a little bit too cheap to buy them I'll go for a pair of jeans from Vanity. As long as they are sized by waist and length I'm good to go.

What is your favorite restaurant? What do you get there?

The Bombay House, hands down...Saag Paneer. So delicious, if you haven't been than you should go. Mmmm...I want some.

What is your current favorite song?

Tough question. IDK maybe the Umbrella song by that punk group. Not the original...yuck.

What's your "type"? Is that what you ended up with?

I plead the 5th on this one.

What is something unusual about you?

Ooh...when I get really excited about something I talk really fast and my voice gets all high and squeaky. It's really endearing...right?!?

How do you describe your everyday style?

As casual as possible. Pull my hair up, throw on some "business casual" clothes on a work-day. Make-up??? What's that?

What were the last three movie you saw? How were they?

Twilight, Max Payne, and The Dark Knight...I know I don't get out much.

What are your favorite TV characters?

I would have to go with some of the Office characters...don't watch much else. The contestants on the Biggest Loser don't really count as characters, do they?

What was the last book you read? How was it?

The Exceptional Student. It's a text book and it was boring!

You are asked to bring your best dish to a party, what do you make?

I go to the store and buy something...

What qualities do you find attractive in your significant other or a prospective one?

Dedication, motivation, and thinking I'm funny!

Is there a song that everytime you hear it, it reminds you of a certain memory? What is it and why?

Too many to say! I guess since it's Christmas I'll say "Wonderful Christmas Time." Yes it blows, but there are some funny memories in connection to it. I love my family!

Do you swear?

For like a week in eighth grade. Not a habit that stuck..fortunately. Just doesn't go with my personality.

What is your worst vice?

Pride...I guess.

Yeah yeah, being materialistic is bad. What is your favorite THING you own right now?

Coats...love coats!

Coke or Pepsi?

Pepsi...cherry! Yum!

Beach, Mountains, Big City, Country, or Desert?

Since it's winter I'm gonna go with beaches, but I did go on a really fun hiking/camping trip this summer, so maybe mountains too.

Whats your favorite Candy?

Anything sour and non-chocolate! I love candy. Laffy Taffy is a classic that usually hits the spot.

If you could dress your significant other (or prospective mate), how would you dress them? What do they usually wear?

Probably more casual...shockingly enough. Sometimes I like him in a t-shirt and a baseball cap. Something that he hardly ever wears.

What is your favorite dessert?

Ice-cream. I could go for some Farrs peppermint stick ice-cream right about now. With or without chocolate sauce.

Whats your least favorite fashion trend?

Skinny jeans for sure. Ugh...

How much did you love doing this??

So much

Another Reason Not to Have Kids

2008-12-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

If you haven't read Tracy's blog, you should. First I must make a disclaimer...this "list" is sarcastic. While the thought of having children terrifies me, I'm sure that I would get over that and have a few...IF I happen to get married before it's too late for such things. I think that this "list" started because there is a lot of pressure in my family to have cute kids. Not that anyone is to blame. Have you seen my nieces and nephews? They are super cute! Yes, Tracy you are mistaken, I am the aunt of the cutest kids. So, with this pressure to keep up the family tradition of cute kids and the fact that having children scares me I developed a habit of responding with, "There's another reason not to have kids," when I hear women talking about child birth, etc.

I think if there was a written list most of it would be about the pain of child birth. The rest of the list would probably be the effects of child birth. For example, one of my friends said that her nose got bigger after having children. If it's true or not, I don't know. But, my nose is plenty big as it is. I don't know if I could risk it getting bigger. On the up side, one of my young women leaders quit growing hair on her legs after having children. I guess that would be a bonus to having children, shaving is a pain. So, I guess all in all, if you ever hear me say, "there's another reason not to have kids," don't take it too literally. I'm a funny girl, I make jokes!

Twilight

2008-12-02T22:24:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may not know, I HAVE read the books. Yes, all of them. Even the illegally released portion of "Midnight Sun." I think I went into the books expecting more than they were. They are teen-pop-trash. They are what they should be. And yes, the books are slightly better than the movie.

Tracy, I couldn't agree more with you, I HATE Bella (that's the main character for those of you that don't know). Oh and I forgot one unattractive characteristic of Edward, he's also hard as marble. Weird.

Confession

2008-11-30T18:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, I went to see the Twilight movie. I know, I am pathetic. I do want to say that it was not my idea...sorry Michael. My friend, Michael, and I decided to go to dinner one day and then he suggested going to a movie. There's really not much good out there right now, folks. (He had already seen James Bond.) So, Twilight it was. Sorry to all those hard core fans, but that movie made me throw-up a little in my mouth. At one point I leaned over to Michael and said, "If they do one more sequence with that stupid song playing and those two characters just looking at each other, I am out of here." They did do it again, but I stuck around anyway.

That brings me to my whole Twilight confusion. Could someone please tell me what is so attractive about a "person" that is cold as ice, pale as none other, and often has big dark circles under his eyes? I don't get it. So, yes, I am totally a Jacob supporter. But...since I hate Bella, I'm glad that she ends up with the Vampire.

Not to gloat...

2008-11-20T17:37:00.000-08:00

When I was at the gym last night, I decided to step onto the scale. Something I usually try to avoid! Since it had been a while, I was happy to see that I had lost about four pounds! I was real excited about that. So, today I decided to break out the skinny jeans (as in waist size, not the trendy skinny jeans). Yeah, you know what I mean. The ones that you try on every now and then to see how much weight you've gained. Well, I was happy to see that I fit quite comfortably into my middle-sized skinny jeans. I wore them to school today. :) When I got home from school, because I was feeling so good about myself, I decided to try on my skinnier skinny jeans. While, they are not as comfortable as the middle-sized ones, they were not half bad. I think I might wear them to work tomorrow!

A List

2008-11-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

You can only type ONE Word! Not as easy as you might think. Change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers.
1. Where is your cell phone? Bag
2. Where is your significant other? Home
3. Your hair? Long
4. Your mother? Funny
5. Your father? Corny
6. Your favorite thing? Candy
7. Your dream last night? Nonexistent
8. Your favorite drink? Water
9. Your dream/goal? Teach
10. The room you're in? 101
11. Your hobby? Scrapbooking
12. Your fear? Roller-coasters
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Graduated
14. Where were you last night? Scott's
15. What you're not? Spontaneous
16. Muffins? Like
17. One of your wish list items? Recess
18. Where you grew up? Orem
19. The last thing you did? Read
20. What are you wearing? Shoes
21. Your TV? None
22. Your pets? Yuck!
23. Your computer? Ghetto
24. Your life? Going
25. Your mood? Tired
26. Missing someone? Sometimes
27. Your car? Red
28. Something you're not wearing? Make-up
29. Favorite store? Depends
30. Your summer? Super!
31. Like someone? Yep
32. Your favorite color? Yellow
33. When is the last time you laughed? Earlier
34. Who will retake this? Candice??

Winter is Here

2008-11-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I actually had to brush the snow of my car before I could go to work. I know, it was a sad day. At least there was no ice-scraping involved. I would have been late for sure. Although there are some good things about the winter, it's still kind of depressing. It's so cold! It feels like I'll never be warm again. *sigh* I guess it's my own fault for living here. I'm old enough now that I could move out and far away from home if I really wanted to. Guess I shouldn't complain any more.

2008-10-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

I forgot how heavy the bar feels the second time you try to lift it...if it's been a while. It's like when you go running for the first time after a while. It's not that bad. But the next time you go it's a whole lot more difficult.

Gotta Get Big

2008-10-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

While getting big is certainly not one of my goals, it is for my friend. Because of this I got a gym pass again. Yay! I do like to workout and I always feel great after I've had a good workout. Shoot, I even like the soreness the next day...or two or three.

I used to be pretty good at working out regularly. Then I stopped (about 2 months before my pass expired). I decided that since I didn't use it those last two months, it wouldn't be worth it for me to renew my pass. But now that my gym-going friend is home, I got another pass. (And we got a good deal. Only about $15 a month!) It's so much easier to go to the gym when you have someone to go with.

I went yesterday for the first time in months. I am so feeling it today. On the upside, I'm not as weak as I thought I would be. For example, the first time I tried benching I think I lifted the bar (yes, only the bar...it's 45 pounds) maybe two times by myself. Yesterday I was expecting about the same, but I did probably 20 reps myself. I was proud.

Anyone wanna start a biggest loser competition again??

For Laura

2008-10-18T15:57:00.001-07:00

Here you go, Laura. This is from the Freedom Festival in Provo...not this year, but last year. It was the 5th of July. I believe. After we went to the balloons, we went to IHOP for breakfast...perhaps the wost experience I've ever had at IHOP. Our food took forever to come out, and when we did get it, it was cold. Yeah, I guess out waiter dropped the ball on that one.

Calculus

2008-10-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess the world is demanding to know why I'm happy. Ok, ok, so maybe they're not really demanding to know. But a few people asked. Let's see...here are a few reasons why I'm loving life right now. I think the main reason is that I've been doing really well at making time for personal scripture study and meaningful prayer. I know, you all thought that I was a pro at that type of thing. But, it's not true. I think, like most of you, there are times when I do really well at those things and times when I don't. I feel really stupid, because I always know I'm so much happier doing it, so why not just be dedicated all the time, right?!? Yeah, I know. It doesn't make sense.

Also, it's coming on coat season. As much as I don't love the cold, I do love my winter wardrobe. Especially the coats. So, even thought it's ten times harder to get up when it's cold outside (and in), at least I have some coat-wearing to look forward to.

My family. Yes, Shannon, we are lucky to have 5 sisters. And not just that, you all are 5 amazing sisters. So thanks for that. And, although there was some drama with one of my brothers about this time last week, it's all good now (I think). So that too contributes to my happiness.

Also, I have some really great friends. They are patient with me, and despite all my crazy, they apparently like to hang out with me. Also, they will try foreign foods when we go out to eat. What's the point of going out if you're always going to get a hamburger and fries? You can make those things better at home than a restaurant can. You've got to try some good Thai food or some exceptional Indian food! Good conversation contributes to a fun evening out too.

And finally, calculus. I don't know if you've ever been the only girl in one of your college classes, but it's kind of fun. Especially when the boys ask you for help with homework. (Don't worry, I ask them for help plenty too.) But it does make you feel like you're breaking through the generalization of 'girls aren't as good at math as boys are' when you are the only girl in a calculus class.

Oh, and yeah, it doesn't hurt that my good friend is home from his mission.

2008-10-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

I've just been really happy lately. Well, at least the latter end of the week, I guess I should say. Just thought you might like to know. Find happiness in the little things...ultimately, life is good!

Lyrics

2008-10-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things is when you find out you've been singing a song wrong for years. I had this experience the other day. I was driving home from a friend's house and a Gin Blossoms' song came on, "Hey Jealousy." Don't laugh too hard, but I always thought the song said, "Hey Josie." I know, I was shocked when the radio announced the name of the song. And then I had a good laugh at myself. I know you've all done this before, except for maybe Tracy. I guess the way I sang it might not have made any sense, but I've never really paid enough attention to the song to know what it's actually talking about.

There are, of course, other songs that I've sung the wrong words to. I used to sing, "When you love a woman tell her that she is a woman." I know, it doesn't make sense. I think that's why I hated that song...not that I like it now. It's a stupid song, but the real lyrics are slightly better than my version. "When you love a woman tell her that she is the one."

It's been a while

2008-10-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

I know that I've been slacking on the posting. But, I've been doing a lot of math homework and other school stuff. So you should be proud of me! Um, as you know I recently went to Denver. To read more about that trip and to see some fabulous pictures you should link over to Sandy's blog. I can't write about the same thing. Although, you will need to check the comments to hear a little bit of what she left out.

It was a great trip, and as always, difficult to get back into the swing of things. Although a mid-week vacation is pretty fun. Even if it makes you a little late to work the day after you get back. I finally got to go to Vern's Toffee House in Fort Collins. Not that cool. The toffee is good though. But I really like toffee. Yum! Other than that little excursion, my life is pretty normal. Just working and going to school and studying.

So the other day my friend and I got a movie from Redbox. I must say that I do love the convenience of that company. Rent a movie anywhere and return it anywhere...pretty ingenious whoever thought of that. Anyway, the movie we selected (not our first choice by any means) was "The Call of the Wild." About 10 minutes into the show we are realizing that it was not exactly a quality film. Word to the wise: DO NOT rent that movie. It sucked! I don't know how it got to be in a redbox anyway. I thought the box only offered quality films. Luckily it was a free rental, that movie was not even worth a dollar.

Denver

2008-09-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

So, I'm on vacation in the middle of the week, I know I am the luckiest person in the world! Well, me and my BFF, Casey. We made plans this summer to come to Colorado to see the Counting Crows in concert. Here's the reason. Casey and I are opposites in every possible way. It's true. She loves country music...me on the other hand, not a big fan. I love Mexican food...she thinks black pepper is spicy. Despite these and many other differences, we get along famously. We served together as missionaries for 6 months. Most of you might not know, but that is a really long time to be with one companion. It was great! We got home from our missions and kept in touch and are still great friends.

Anyway, one of the few things we have in common is our love for the Counting Crows. When they came out with a new album, we were anticipating they might go on tour. They are, but they did not go to Utah. Colorado is close and I have a sister that lives here, who also loves the Counting Crows, and gets along well with Casey, so we decided to make a trip of it! Yay! We got here late last night and are flying home late Thursday night, but it's bound to be great!

One thing about taking a vacation in the middle of a work week is that it totally messes your days up. It feels like it should be a weekend to me. And, yeah, Casey loves to sleep in. Since I took my sister to work early-ish this morning, I am up with not much to do.

The Biggest Loser

2008-09-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

So, one of my shows started last night. I don't know why, but I am hooked to The Biggest Loser. It all started last season. They are doing families this season, and already I am loving it. Although, I am a little disappointed. None of the men on the show have nasty man boobs. I mean, nothing really could compare to Jay's from last season. Yikes!

For the first time ever, one of the contestants was restricted to only a half-hour of exercise everyday. How is that possible? Well, I mean I know it's for health reasons, but all they do all day everyday is work out. He still managed to lose 17 pounds at the first weigh-in. I know a lot of that has to do with eating habits and I am sure that he spent time at least walking on the treadmill most of the day. At least I would think he could do that. Who knows?!?

I used to always like Bob the best of the trainers, but I am leaning more toward Jillean each season. I think I would love to have some time to work out with either of them for a day or a week. If anyone knows how to set that up, let me know! Happy watching to you all!

Hello Yogurt

2008-09-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

So the other day I went to this new yogurt shop with some friends. It was good. It's kind of an interesting idea (at least I've never seen anything like it in Utah before). You pick your size and then you fill it with some yogurt (they had maybe 6 different kinds) and then your put some toppings on it and then they weigh it and you pay 38 cents per ounce.

After getting our yogurt we sat on the couches in the store to enjoy it. We were sitting in front of the yogurt dispensers and so we got to observe all the people that came into the store. This group walked in that were two big Polynesian guys and their wives. When they came into the store some other couple that was already there started chatting with them (apparently they were all friends). A little while later this other couple came in that were probably in their 50s. For some reason the wife says to me, "I think I better get in front of them," pointing at the talking Polynesians.
I agree with her thinking they might be talking for a while and I wouldn't want to wait for them either with the line moving ahead.
And then she adds, "There won't be any left when they get done."
I quickly explain to her that I thought they might be talking for a while...blah de blah.

Can you believe it? I mean who says things like that? She was talking loud enough for me to hear and we weren't that close to each other, there's no way those guys didn't hear what she said about them. I was rather appalled at her nerve or maybe her tactlessness. Just plain rude. I hope that they didn't think I was agreeing with her because I thought they would eat all the yogurt, honestly, I was just thinking they would be talking with their friends for a while. Sheesh!

Another Sign of my Age

2008-09-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was working at the fabric store. I only work there about twice a month, but for some reason interesting things happen when I'm there. Anyway, we were listening to the radio station FM 100. For all of you not in Utah, it's an easy listening station. Typical listening material for fabric stores and other such places. Anyway, near the end of the day they announced a new album coming out for the band Matchbox 20. One of my favorite groups. I got excited to know that they were making a new album that would be out the beginning of next year, and then I realized that I was listening to FM 100. You may not know what this means. It means that one of my favorite groups is old people music. For real!

I Must be Old

2008-09-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

When I take the time to think about it I realize I'm in my late twenties. However, it's not something that I think about often. Occasionally I have a wake-up call that makes me realize just how old I am. The other day I was shopping for some new school/work clothes. It's that time of year. You have to buy new outfits in the fall, it's just the way it works. Anyway, I was wanting some new slacks so I could look semi-professional when I go to work. I was becoming frustrated as I tried on pants and didn't like the way they were looking. Most of the time I can tell I won't like the pants (or any article of clothing) just by looking at it. I mean, I've lived in this body long enough to know what I'm going to like on. Anyway, as I went to yet another store I found some slacks that looked like they might work. I went to the dressing room and it turned out they fit quite well. They were long enough and not too tight.

While wearing these pants at work the other day, I realized that they are totally old-people pants. I mean, they were so not the type of pants I would normally wear. They were a "straight-leg" cut. I don't know why they are called straight, because what it really means is that they are tapered. Well, I still like them and I will still wear them, but it just made me feel really old.

Hmmm

2008-08-31T17:57:00.000-07:00

So, Sam and I went to his friend, Kevin's, house the other day. The reason was that Kevin's wife had made Sam some salsa and Sam was wanting to get it to eat it. It was quite tasty, by the way. Nothing I love more than home-made salsa this time of year...delicious!

Anyway, while we were there Kevin pointed out this particularly fetching picture of himself. (I hope you sense the sarcasm there.) As I picked it up to look at it more closely I noticed that it was Kevin without his shirt on and shaved vertically into his chest was "I 'heart' U." Yeah, I know, sick, right?!? It made me throw-up a little in my mouth. I don't know if that was an attempt at romance, but boy-howdy, that is pathetic. I guess some girls might like that of think it's at least amusing...just not me.

A Day at Work

2008-08-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

Well, the school year has started again, so I am back working full time. And you might think that this post is about that job, but you are so wrong. I was working at the fabric store last night. One really great thing about that job is that the store closes early (we close at 6:30). So, I locked the doors and asked my co-worker if she knew if there were any more customers in the store. Since neither of us knew if there was or was not a customer in the back I decided to go check. As I neared the back of the store I could see that someone was there. I approached the lady and asked her if she needed any help with anything.
"Oh are you closing?" she asked.
"Yeah, we are."
"Ok well...(she asked some questions about the fabric she was looking at)...let's just take this up to the front then to measure it."
"Alrighty," I respond as I reach for the bolt, to carry it up there for her.
"Oh," she starts as she is reaching toward my stomach, "are you expecting?"
After I revive from the shock this question put me in I tell her that no, I am certainly not expecting. And yes, she actually touched my stomach.
She replies, "Well, I just wouldn't want you to carry this if you were in that motherly way."

Ok folks, I know that I could stand to lose a few pounds, but for real?!? Who does that? And even if I were pregnant, I would hope that I could carry a three pound bolt of fabric...for the love! Now if you have never had the experience of being asked if you are pregnant when you are so not pregnant, let me just tell you: it's not fun. It's a little funny in hind-sight. After she left the store I told my co-worker what had happened. We had a good time thinking about what I should have said in response to her question. Here are the top four:
Number 4: I could have just hit her upside the head with the bolt I was carrying for her.
Number 3: "You could stand to lose a couple pounds yourself, ma'am."
Number 2: "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Get out now."
Number 1: "Hey listen, you're no perfect ten either!"

I guess it's good to know that my poochy stomach is at least firm. It's not just all flabbin' around.

Pictures to Appease Tracy

2008-08-15T13:48:00.002-07:00

Who doesn't love the Bourne series??

This was part of the "studio tour," just some cool special effects.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride...I think that's what that ride is called.

This meal was about $25

We rode the Winnie the Pooh ride...the wait was non-existent. We had just finished Splash Mountain. (I don't know why I look like I'm grimacing.)

Memory Tag

2008-08-15T13:48:00.001-07:00

Here are the rules:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a lot or a little, just any memory you have.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave memories for you.
If you leave a memory for me I'll assume you are playing and I'll leave a memory for you. If you don't have a blog I will email you.

Goodbye Summer

2008-08-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

Well, today was my first official day back to working full time. It wasn't a typical work day for me, but we had pre-start-of-school meetings. It was so much fun. :( I did, however, have one last hoorah for the summer. Sam and I went to California last week and got back yesterday. It was fantastic! Not one of those relaxing trips, really, but fun.

We got to California Friday night, late. We went to Universal Studios free on Saturday (thanks again, Bryce). I had never been to Universal Studios, so it was fun. Sam even got to participate in the special effects stage presentation thing. It was pretty sweet. The best part about Universal Studios is that they had these fans set up that would also spray water out. They were called "cool zones." I should have taken a picture of them. It made it way nicer to walk around the park, and they had water mists in all the lines too. It was bearable to wait for 40 minutes in the hot California sun because of those.

Monday we spent the day at Disneyland. Yay! I love that place. Disneyland did not have any cool zones, and I think that they should look into it. They really make the park-going experience so much more pleasant. I don't know if you've heard, but the small world ride is shut down. How sad is that? Sure, it's not a very fun ride, but it's classic. It's made fun of and you just have to ride it when you go to Disneyland. The reason it's shut down (as we were told from a group of kids that looked maybe 16) is because America is too fat. Apparently the boats were not meant to support so much weight and they would sink to the bottom of the shallow river that went through the castle that housed the ride, and then the boats wouldn't move. (I should take the time to actually research the reason that the ride is closed, but I like this version.) Anyway, the front is all covered up and rumor has it that they are going to change the ride completely. I think that is so sad. Come on people, if this isn't a wake-up call to the obesity problem facing this country, I don't know what is. Personally, I'm going to resolve to get in better shape. Hopefully shed a few pounds, so tragedies like this don't happen on my account.

All in all, it was a fun trip though. Other than the small world ride and space mountain being broken, Disneyland did not disappoint. The worst part, as is true for most vacations is coming home. It's been a great summer for me and I really will be glad to get back to work.

Hair

2008-08-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

We might as well admit it right now: we all have quirks about us. If you deny it, you are just lying to yourself. Everyone else around you knows it's true. And yes, we are ALL strange too. There is no such thing as normal. With that said, I wanted to share one of my quirks.

I have some strange opinions about hair, I guess is the way to say it. I think hair has appropriate places, and when it is not in those places it is unacceptable. For example, hair should not be left in the shower, on the walls the floor or any other place that it will be seen by the next shower user. (I had some Mongolian roommates once and finding their black hair in the shower made me crazy!) Hair should not be left on the bathroom floor, counter top, or sink. It's just not okay. Clean up after yourself, please. Now, here comes the extreme part of my opinion. I really think that every human should shave their arm pits. For real. Guys, hairy arm pits are repulsive. I don't want to see it. I can accept hairy legs and arms for the boys, although if we (girls) have to shave I don't see why you get off scot-free. I won't even start to talk about hairy chests and, perhaps the worst of all, backs.

I attribute a portion of this opinion to my first real boyfriend. He was a lacrosse player and would shave his legs, because if you get a leg injury and wrap it when your legs are hairy it really hurts to pull it off, or so I'm told. At the time that I dated him he didn't play lacrosse, but I guess the shaving habit stuck. And I liked it.

Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime

2008-07-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

There are some things that I really love about the summertime, and I thought I would share those with you.

Not working 40+ hours each week
Hanging clean laundry on the line: I think this is an acquired taste like corn tortillas with melted cheese and pickle on it. I love the crunchiness of towels and jeans after they have been line-dried. And they smell so good.
Summer rain storms. The smell...the warm puddles to jump in. Good stuff.
Driving with the windows down: you can't do this when it's too hot though. It's more of an evening or morning activity.
Ultimate Frisbee. So much fun! If you're in town and want to join in a game, we play twice a week. Just let me know :)
Running outside. I haven't done enough of this so far. Also this has to be a morning or evening activity.
Sleeping in
Snowie shacks: I've always loved a good snowie. Add some cream on there and it is even better. Also a good way to make a fat-free snack not so fat-free. If you haven't tried it though, you need to. Tiger's blood with cream (or ice-cream). Yum!
Popsicles. One is definitely not enough. I love the giant otter pop types at Wal-Mart and I always eat at least two, maybe more at one time. Twin-pops are also good, classic. And I love a Big Stick, it's a yellow-orange swirled dream-come-true.
Summer school. It's great to finish a class in half the time. Stressful, yes, but worth it.
Swimming! Fortunately both my brothers live in condo neighborhoods that have swimming pools, so this activity is free to me. Here's a hint (for the girls reading this): being comfortable in a swimsuit has less to do with how you feel about your body, and more to do with finding a great swimsuit. It might cost more, but it's worth it to feel cute in a swimming suit.
BBQs. Grilled hot dogs are good.
Outdoor movies
Indoor movies. Not as fun as outdoor movies, but there are always great movies that come out during the summer.

I may have missed some of my favorite things, but still, a pretty good list. I hope that you've been enjoying your summer as much as I have been enjoying mine. Take time to appreciate the small things. Life is good!

Mr. Miyagi Knew What He Was Talking About

2008-07-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

As predicted, this summer has kept me from blogging very often...or at all. But that's a good thing, I think. I'm glad to know that I have better things to do than sit at a computer. A few weeks ago I decided to wash my car. You know, the good old fashioned way. Drive it onto the lawn and get the hose and a bucket and get to work. It was...well, hot. But afterward my car did look nice.

I went up to Sam's house, he had also washed his car. He went to extra mile though. He decided to wax his car, by hand. If you've never had this experience, I don't recommend it. We thought it would be a good idea to wax my car as well. It took so long! It's hard work to wax a car. I really think that it could be good training for fighting. I am putting a lot more stock in the immortal words of Mr. Miyagi, "Wax on. Wax off." That circular motion gives you a shoulder work out like you've never had before. It SUCKED!! (For those of you that know me, you know that working my shoulders is by far my hate-iest type of exercise. Yes, hate-iest.) Needless to say, after that fun experience, Sam and I realized that waxing two cars at the same time is not the smartest thing ever. If you do want to wax your car, get a friend to help you, but don't do their's that same day.

Raffle

2008-06-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

So, apparently my brother decided that I am unable to make the choice of marriage on my own. Yesterday he came up with this fabulous idea...well it's funny anyway. He decided that he was going to put on a raffle to determine my future husband. He wrote the rules during church yesterday (he thought the meeting was boring, I thought it was fine).

"Any temple-worthy, non-related male can choose to enter and gets one initial ticket. Additional tickets will be added one ticket per month of dating Diana, post DTR months as determined by Diana. Diana's parents each get five tickets with the name chosen by the parent. Diana's siblings each get two tickets of their own choice. Diana's BFF, Casey Davis, also gets one ticket of her choice."

Those are the rules as set forth by John. It did provide for an entertaining dinner conversation yesterday. Since most of us were home for Father's Day, my siblings were taking a poll to see who would have the most tickets. It was amusing. Not sure when the alleged raffle is to take place. I'll keep you posted. Yeah, I guess my brother is pretty funny.

*I should give some credit to Megan. She claims the raffle was her idea. John did write the rules however.*

Summer!

2008-06-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

So, I work in the public school system. I do love it! I love my summer break and all the other vacations I get throughout the year. This is just to let you know that I do not play on the computer near as often during the summer as I do during the school year. Thus my posts will be few and far between. That's just the way it is. If you look at my blog and get frustrated that it has not been updated, just think to yourself, "Oh well, I guess she is busy doing something fun, outside in the warm Utah summer." And then you can sit at your desk and pout because you have one of those jobs where you have to work all year 'round.

Sucks to be you.

WHAT?!?

2008-05-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

So, I read a lot of blogs. More than I should waste my time on. I link through my friends' blogs and have found quite a few blogs of people I knew in high school. No one that I was really good friends with, just acquaintances. To me, they are interesting to read...and a little bewildering. Honestly, I CANNOT believe that there are people out there, my age, that have three or four kids. What is that?

Granted, I was never the type to get married young, but still. How is it possible that a girl my age could have a child old enough to go to kindergarten? Wow! It blows my mind. I don't feel old enough for that. I guess I am just a slow mover in life. You know, slow to marry (if that ever happens), slow to graduate college, and for sure slow to have kids.