Autumn's Blog

Boundaries

2011-09-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

Having grown up in an active Christian family, I have always been familiar with rules and boundaries. I've even come to believe that rules are generally a good thing; that we can actually be more free when we have boundaries to guide us. A favorite analogy is flying a kite. As long as you hold onto the string, the kite can soar to incredible heights. But the minute you let go of the thing that's "holding it back," it plummets to the ground. Boundaries are the same way - they tether us to the world so that we can soar to unbelievable heights.

Having learned and believed all of this, you'd think I'd be pretty good at following rules. Yeah...not so much. I was a senior in college before I realized that budgets work the same way. As restricting as a budget always sounded to me, I finally figured out that it was actually freeing to stick to one. I suddenly didn't have to worry about whether or not I had money to cover a certain expense or pay overdraft fees. What a concept!

So, I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that it's taken me this long to figure out that the same thing works with eating and exercise. Huh. Go figure.

Turns out, if you keep tabs on what you're eating and get exercise in, you actually start to feel better. Your cholesterol goes down, your metabolism goes up, you start sleeping better, and you can play with nieces and nephews without passing out from lack of oxygen. Weird, right?

I just can't wait to figure out what my next revelation is going to be. Maybe that if you get to work on time, you can actually leave on time. Or if you practice an instrument, you might get better on it.

Then again, could just be pipe dreams...

I did it!!

2011-05-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, it was nearly two months ago, but I'm finally reporting on the triathlon. I did it! I completed the mini-tri in just short of an hour. Literally. As in, 59 minutes and 40 seconds. Go me!

My sister, Emily, and I headed down to St. George on Friday and stayed with our college roommate and her family. It was a blast to see them, and we stayed up way too late chatting, considering I was planning to kill myself the next day, but it was definitely worth it! Thanks again Sue & Marshall - you guys are awesome!

On the morning of the race, Emily and I went to the competition area and met up with Olga, who was responsible for getting me into this whole thing in the first place. We got signed in and set up. I was pretty nervous, especially for the swim. (Though my sister-in-law, Lori, had shown me how to get started and make better turns, I hadn't had a lot of practice in doing it.)

We lined up next to the pool where the race would start and tried not to look at the guys who decided to come in tiny speedos. Yick.

Finally, it was time to start. We wore anklets that would start the timing the minute we crossed over a certain spot, and keep track of our times for each portion of the race. When it was my turn, I made my way as quickly as possible down to the lane I was assigned to and jumped in.

It was about then that I realized I hadn't put my goggles on.

So, it turns out that all the practice with jumping in and getting a good start wasn't really applicable because, well, I had to pause to adjust my goggles...

The swim actually went much more quickly than I had expected (once I got started). Emily stood at one end of my lane and cheered for me when I got to the turns, which gave me a boost for each lap. And then, I was done. I got out and tried to catch my breath while running for the transition area.

It took me a while to transition to the bike. (Most of that time went to finding where I had set up my things. Yeah. Got a little disoriented there...) Once I found it, I had to dry off (an impossible feat, really), get my biking shorts and t-shirt on over my swimsuit, put my shoes and socks on, put my helmet on, and then take my bike off the rack and head to the start of the bike race.

The biking portion was hard. I thought I was going to die on some of the hills, and I was certain that I would never reach the turn-around point, but I kept going, and, believe it or not, I did reach it. I was determined to not get off and push my bike, and I made it without doing so. (I won't mention the fact that someone pushing her bike actually passed me...)

When I got back to the transition area, I met up with a friend, and we started the running portion together. It wasn't long before I told her to go ahead and leave me behind. I was pretty sure that a turtle could have passed me at that point... I had to walk several times on the way out, but once I reached the turn-around point, I was determined to run all the way back. (The word running here may be a misnomer... At that point, a dead cow could have moved faster than I was moving.)

When I was nearing the finish line, Olga and her husband met up with me - they had come back to run the end with me. It was quite a boost, and I was able to put on a burst of speed at the last moment.

And I did it!!

...I'm still pretty impressed with myself.

Triathlon Update

2011-03-05T22:28:00.000-08:00

I made a couple of significant milestones this week, training for my mini-tri. First, on Wednesday, for the first time ever, I swam 4 laps without stopping. That's the full 200 meters that I need for the tri. Exactly one month before the race. Hallelujah!

Then, today, I did my own little mini-tri at the gym. 200-meter swim, 5-mile bike (on a stationary bike), and 1.5-mile run. It was very hard, but I did it! I was very proud of myself, and it's given me hope that I may actually be able to finish this race. :)

So, I have four weeks from today to prepare for my race, and I have a few goals in mind for the month...

First, I need to work on my start and turns in swimming. Although I did pretty well with my turns on Wednesday, I paused a bit too long each time this morning.

Second, I need to start training outside. As the weather is now nice for at least part of the time, I think that should actually work. I drove around today to see exactly how far I need to go to get in the 5-mile biking and 1.5-mile running.

Third, I need to work on my breathing in all three sports. This is more of a continuation of a goal, as I've been working on that since I started. In fact, I've really been working on my breathing since I was born, if I remember right...

Anyway, one month to go, and I'm starting to get excited for it! Now, we'll just see how sore I am tomorrow...

Snowed In

2011-02-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

I spent last week staying with my nieces and nephews in Wisconsin while their parents went to Cancun. While I expected it to be cold (it is, after all, February... in Wisconsin...), I wasn't exactly expecting the biggest storm in who-knows-how-long.

The snow started on Tuesday. By the time I picked up my niece from school, it was hard to see more than a few feet ahead, and people were sliding off everywhere. The school district announced that Wednesday would be a snow day.

By that evening, the house was shaking with wind and the snow was getting into the vents and then melting into the basement. My oldest nephew went outside and nearly got frostbite trying to fix that little problem. Every time we opened the door, snow would blow all the way across the kitchen. He tried duct tape at first, but it froze the minute he pulled a piece out. Using my dad's all time favorite "old-lady-elastics," we were able to stop the leak eventually.

Then we noticed that there was actual snow coming into the basement from the wall. Weirdest thing I've ever seen.

By Wednesday, the storm was starting to peter out. And this is what we were left with.

It took until Thursday to dig out enough that we could actually get the car out of the garage.

We celebrated by leaving the minute the way was clear. We had lunch at Taco Bell, and quite enjoyed the sight of their drive through. Or the lack thereof...

Not exactly what I was expecting from last week, but all in all, it was quite an adventure!!

Tag-Team Clean

2010-11-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

So, on Saturday, Emily texted me and asked if I'd want to tag-team our cleaning responsibilities. She came over and helped me clean my apartment, and then (after a lunchbreak), we went to her house and cleaned there. It was an excellent idea, for a couple of reasons.

First, my house is cleaner than it's been in....well, a long time. Christina and I own two vacuums, but neither of them work. (Though it's apparently important that we keep them around and try them again every once in a while - just in case they suddenly decide to start working.) So, in order to vacuum our floors, we have to borrow. It was nice that not only did Emily bring her vacuum, but she also brought a few other supplies we were low on.

B - Cleaning is always better with more people. It gets done faster, and it's more fun.

3) Cleaning someone else's house is easier than cleaning your own. Emily did most of the work at my house (thanks again!), and I like to think I put in quite a bit of work at hers.

I think one of the reasons behind this is that it's not so easy to get distracted. You know, the whole take-someting-into-another-room-and-forget-what-you're-doing syndrome. (Otherwise known as TSIARAFWYDS).

Probably another reason is that tasks in your own house start to overwhelm you until they're too daunting to consider, and then you get used to them looming over you in your subconscious mind until they just become a part of who you are. At that point, you know that actually doing the cleaning would destroy the character that you've built for yourself, so you avoid it completely. Until someone else comes along and reminds you that it only takes ten minutes to mop your bathroom floor.

IV: Cleaning is exercise, therefore, more is better. I didn't make it to the gym on Saturday, and yet I was sore that night. Booyah!

**The numbering in this blog is dedicated to Staci.

Walt Disney World in a Wheelchair

2010-11-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

Every other year, my brother takes his family to Orlando for a week of Mickey Magic. And because I'm such an awesome aunt, they invite me to come along. About two weeks ago was our fourth time going, and, as usual, it was an absolute blast.

However, this time was a little different than usual. The first two days we were there, we were in the parks for half a day. I walked both days. By the second night, my ankle was the size of a small melon and my knee was protesting loudly. So, on the third day - our first full day in the park - I swallowed my pride and rented a wheelchair. I was hoping that one day in the chair would help my knee to feel better. I had the same hope on the second day in the chair. And the third. Finally, I figured I was in it for good. After all, my ankle was the size of a watermelon. I couldn't resist pictures...

Normal ankle:

Not-so-normal ankle (the bump that looks like my ankle bone? Not bone):

Yuck.

Anyway, it turns out Disney World is a somewhat different experience in a wheelchair. I learned a few things, which I've decided to list here...

1. An occupied wheelchair with its brakes on will slide backwards on an inclined moving walkway. And if the moving walkway isn't moving? Well, my nephew can attest to the fact that the incline is a bit too steep at the end of the Space Mountain exit.

2. A wheelchair will get you onto some rides faster than a Fast Pass. Most notably: Splash Mountain.

3. Kids can recover from having their feet run over by a wheelchair very quickly.

4. Surprisingly, Disney World can be exhausting even when you're sitting all day.

5. A wheelchair makes it take much longer to get onto some rides than a normal line. Most notably: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

6. People have no concern for the health of their ankles. This is obvious, because they will often step directly in front of a moving wheelchair and stop abruptly.

7. The best time to have a wheelchair in Disney World? When waiting for the fireworks. No sitting on the ground for an hour. Booyah.

8. Most rides have lines that are big enough for wheelchairs, which means you're not going to get through any faster or slower than you would if you didn't have a wheelchair.

9. Lowering your line of sight to a lower level makes it obvious that very few people look good in short shorts. Ew.

10. Baxter is the best 16-year old nephew in the world. Thanks for pushing me around!!

Triathlon, Part Two

2010-10-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

Yep, I fell down the stairs. Cause I'm a big klutz. My right foot slipped out from underneath me, leaving my left foot behind. Because of how I landed, I hurt my knee. After a visit to the doctor, I found that I had torn my Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL). It's the muscle that runs along the inside of your knee to stabilize it. And, in case you're wondering - tearing a muscle hurts.

At any rate, after icing and nursing my injury for a week and a half, I saw a knee specialist, who told me that I shouldn't exercise or do any sports until I had no pain, which generally takes 2 to 4 weeks. Since that would take me up to about 2 weeks before the tri, I knew I wouldn't be able to do it.

I won't go into the frustration I felt about injuring myself just when I'd started to enjoy working out or about not being able to reach the goal I had set for myself. I will say, though, that it's been a lot harder not to exercise than I would have ever thought it could be. For someone who hadn't exercised in months before this whole thing, that's saying something! And, now that I've caught the tri-bug, I wasn't satisfied with just giving up.

I hit the four-week mark last night, and I am still experiencing some pain. I see the doctor on Thursday, and I'll hopefully find out if/when I can start exercising again. I suppose I should tell him that I started swimming again about a week ago...

So, once I get the all-clear from the doc, I will start training again. I've already researched other triathlons in my area, and I've decided to sign up for one in April. It's the same as the Turkey Tri, only it's not called the Turkey Tri, cause, well, a Turkey reference in April would just be weird.

Now I just have to decide if I'm going to try the mini or go for the sprint (which is double all the lengths). Hmm... I do have four months to train this time...

Triathlon, Part One

2010-10-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

Staci informed me the other day that it’s been far too long since I’ve blogged, and, well...she’s right. So, here we go!

About two months ago, my friend convinced me to start training for a mini-triathlon.

And now that any of you who know me have picked yourself up from the floor where you’ve fallen in surprise, I will continue.

As a kid and a teenager, I enjoyed playing sports. The kids in my neighborhood were constantly getting together for football games and an occasional baseball game. I played basketball and volleyball with the youth at church and, although I was never the best player on any team, I wasn’t too bad at it.

As I’ve gotten older, however, those sports fell by the wayside. I became an average American 20-something-year old, too busy to bother with playing games and too lazy to bother with exercise. While I’d play an occasional game of tag with the nieces and nephews or football with the siblings and sometimes even go to a gym, I was nowhere near what one would call “athletic.”

Now that I’m in my thirties and I’m not invincible anymore (as all 20-something-year olds are), I’ve been trying harder to go to the gym. And (probably like most 30-something-year olds) some weeks I do really well at fitting in exercise and some weeks I don’t.

So, when my friend talked to me about joining her in training for a mini-triathlon, I scoffed. I believe my response was something along the lines of “Yeah, that would be fun… So! How’s your new baby?”

But my friend persisted, insisting that I wasn’t too old or out of shape, that it was just a mini-tri and I could do it easily. She offered to make up a training schedule that I could follow and that would fit into my busy days. Finally, intrigued by the challenge that this training would be and knowing that I needed the exercise anyway, I agreed.

The race consists of a 200 meter swim (in a pool), a 5 mile bike ride and a 1.5 mile run. It’s in St. George, UT in November, and is called the Turkey Triathlon.

I had a few challenges to overcome in order to compete in this race. First, I’m out of shape. REALLY out of shape. I weigh more than I ever have in my life, I get winded walking up a flight of stairs, and I like to eat dessert way too much. Second, I don’t have a bike, and I haven’t ridden a bike for nearly ten years. Third, my swimsuit is falling apart and (possibly most important) I don’t know how to swim. I mean, I can get from one end of the pool to the other, but I'm not very good at it, and I know I don't do it "right."

But I accepted the challenge anyway. My friend made my training schedule, and I began to follow it, using the stationary bikes at the gym until I could borrow my brother-in-law’s mountain bike, walking on a treadmill for two minutes to every one minute run, and enlisting my sister-in-law to teach me how to swim correctly. I started researching triathlons on the internet, learning about the transitions and the overall challenge of the race. And I caught it... The “tri-bug,” as one website put it. I got excited about the prospect, and I began to actually look forward to working out, which is a completely new feeling for me. For three weeks, it was starting to look like I might actually be able to do it.

And then I fell down the stairs…

Summertime

2010-07-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

When I was young, I was always surprised about my mom’s reasons for wishing summer was over. Of course, as a kid, summer was the best time ever. Months of absolutely nothing to do except play. Which, of course, we did consistently, and never, ever got bored…

Actually, the words, “I’m bored” were outlawed in my house when I was growing up. It was a transgression on par with throwing balls in the house. If we ever dared to say the illegal words, we would be given something to do. Which was generally cleaning our room, or helping with dinner, or some other activity that every kid LOVES doing. This, of course, was meant to teach us to use our imagination. To teach us that if we’re bored, we have to figure out something to do on our own. A lesson that we learned so well that it was at least another couple of hours before we were again complaining of boredom.

Which makes it all the more surprising that my mom looked forward to the end of summer, not because she was sick of us kids (though she was), or because of the heat (though she hates that), but because it meant things would slow down.

And as I child, I thought, “Slow down?! How could anything get slower than summertime?!”

But now I’m an adult. My weekends are booked until mid-August. I have something planned every night for the next two and a half weeks. I’m so tired from lack of sleep that I’m liable to doze off at any given moment. Summer means fireworks and barbeques and hiking and going to the park and swimming and playing in sprinklers and camping and yard work and road trips and babysitting kids for others going on vacation and outdoor birthday parties and so much more.

And even though all of those things are very fun, and I look forward to them, and summer is still my favorite season by far, I now understand what my mom was saying. Fall is something to look forward to, because it’s a time of recovery from all the fun we had during the summer. A time when my schedule once more settles down (and tends to revolve around the newest episode of whatever TV shows I happen to be addicted to). A time when I actually have days with nothing planned. A time when I can catch up on my reading and I have time to visit the bookstore.

Ah…the bookstore.

But for now, I have too much to do to think about that. Bring on the babysitting and the road trips and the campouts, cause summer is halfway over and I’m running out of time to cram it all in!

Days Four and Five

2010-03-29T12:04:00.001-07:00

Well, my pictures don't seem to be loading, so here's a blog with no pics...

Yesterday, we went to Versailles, which was incredible. I can't believe how absolutely huge it is. And the "gardens" are even bigger. Crazy.

Afterwards, we went to the Arc de Triomphe and climbed the stairs to the top. I've gotten quite the workout every day this week. I've been sore every day too... It was great, though, and we followed it up by sauntering down the Champs-Elysees. We stayed out until 9 last night, which is the latest we've made it so far (I know, pretty sad), and we even got up early this morning. Now that we're used to French time, it's time to go back to Utah time. Joy for us.

Today, we went to Montmartre and La Basilica Sacre Coeur, and then we went to the Eiffel Tower. It was crazy busy, but with our pre-bought tickets, it only took us an hour or so to get up to the top. I would definitely recommend to anyone going to get their tickets online before going. Before we went up, we had about an hour to wait, and we just sat at the base of it, enjoying the sun's first showing since we've been here and watching people. It was relaxing and very fun.

Now it's time to get ready to leave tomorrow. We have to be outside our hotel at 8:15 in the morning for our shuttle to the airport. We'll see how that goes...

Another Exhausting but Fun Day

2010-03-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

We started off the day with a trip to the Hotel des Invalides, which houses the Musee de l'Armee. It was really interesting. We only went to a part of it, which detailed the history of French warfare between 1643 and 1871. Here's the front of the Hotel des Invalides...

Afterwards, we took the metro over to the Conciergerie, which is (among other things) where prisoners were held before being hauled off and beheaded by "Madame la Guillotine." It was a very uplifting day, as you can tell...

Just around the corner from the Conciergerie is Notre Dame. We have tickets to go up the towers, but they closed just before we got there (literally, like 10 seconds before we got there). Bummer! But we went inside and it was beautiful and amazing, of course...

After that, we went to the Ile Saint Louis to find an ice cream shop that at least two people have mentioned to me. Here we are with our ice cream below. (Well, with Casey's anyway. Mine appears to be shy of cameras...) It was delicious. I had Salted Butter Caramel and Raspberry Rose (and it really did taste like roses mixed with raspberries!), and Casey had Raspberry Rose and Dark Chocolate. Tasty! Tasty!

When we got back to the hotel, it was to discover that tonight is daylight savings in France. Lovely. We love changing times so much, we're gonna do it again!!

Paris Day Two

2010-03-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Catacombs. It's an underground crypt where they've moved thousands of people's remains to empty out the graveyards around Paris (to make things healthier). It consisted of a million and one stairs (well, okay, it was more like 130 down and 83 up), a very long tunnel, and lots and lots of bones.

Then, we took the metro for the first time to head to the Musee d'Orsay. It started pouring rain when we got to the museum, so we didn't get pictures, and they don't allow them inside, so I just have one of the metro...

Still having a blast and getting tons of exercise (as sad as it is to admit, I'm actually sore from climbing those stairs, plus the ones up and down for the metro) and eating lots of nummy food!

We made it!

2010-03-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

After two days of travelling, we finally made it to Paris! Our flight got in at about 10:30 last night, and we finally made it to our hotel at about midnight. We were exhausted and a little overwhelmed with everything, but a good night's sleep helped a lot, and we've had a blast today!

We spent a few hours walking around the Latin Quarter, where we're staying, and we went to the Louvre. It is so much fun being here, and my French has definitely come back to me, which is a huge relief. Granted, nearly everyone speaks English here, but I have carried on at least one full conversation in French, and was told that I speak well. (Granted, the guy was flirting, but I'll take a compliment if I can get it!)

Anyway, wanted to share a couple of pics we took today (of the four million that we took...).

Crossing the Seine, with Notre Dame behind us...

Outside the Louvre...

A couple of shots of the ceilings in the Louvre. They are just as amazing as the art!

More to come as we continue to be major American tourists!!

Dallas is definitely not Paris

2010-03-23T21:17:00.001-07:00

My friend Casey and I left this morning from Salt Lake City to head to Paris! We've been SO excited for this excellent vacation that we've had planned since last November.

But now we're at the Wyndham in Dallas, Texas. In case you're wondering, Dallas is NOT Paris. Despite the airline employees' cheerful attitudes, this isn't where we want to be tonight. We were a bit ornery, but we've decided that we need a better attitude and come up with some positive things about this unfortunate experience.

First, we no longer have to try to sleep on the plane. Now we have to try to keep ourselves awake on the plane. Possibly not as bad.

Second, once we get to Paris, we can check into our hotel right away (since it will be 11:30pm) instead of waiting around because we go there at 8:30am and couldn't check in until 1pm.

And third, we got to eat dinner at Denny's in Dallas. I mean, seriously. who would pass that up?

Certainly not someone heading to boring old Paris!

Movies

2010-02-24T15:12:00.001-08:00

For most of my adult life, I have been teased about my movie-going habits. I've always loved going to the movies. There's just nothing better than seeing something on a huge screen, with speakers set at the optimal level and surrounded by people who have to (are supposed to) shut up for two hours. I love seeing something on the opening weekend and cheering or laughing out loud with the rest of the audience. I love mindlessly munching on popcorn and/or candy while lost in another world. I love sitting in the theater before the show starts and chatting with my friends. I love seeing a movie more than once, picking up lines and images that I missed the first time (or the first four times).

I consider going to the movies as one of my hobbies.

Now, as far as hobbies go, I don't see much of a problem with this one. It's cheaper than skiing. It's more outgoing than reading. It's more relaxing than hiking. Not that it's my only hobby. I love reading and I love hiking, and I have more hobbies as well. (Though skiing isn't one of them. Mostly because I hate winter and spending money to play in snow isn't going to make me happy. I'd much rather spend the day watching someone else's problems, and knowing that they will be resolved before the show is over. Two hours of buildup to a happy ending. Just what my brain needs.)

As for the types of movies I like, I'm pretty flexible. Romantic comedies, drama, action, sci-fi. I love scary-intense movies, but I'm not into horror. I also don't care for the artsy, preachy, that's-the-way-real-life-goes movies. Blech. I watch movies to escape life, not to be reminded about how horrible it can be.

My passion for going to the theater has made such an impression on certain people of my acquaintance that I couldn't convince them that I wasn't going as much as I used to. Last year, I don't think I saw anything between Harry Potter and New Moon. (That's July to November, for those that don't follow these things.) Did that lessen the sarcastic remarks from my brothers? Of course not. They didn't believe me.

So, I've decided to give up convincing them that I don't go to movies much anymore and just start going again. New Moon came out in November, which I saw several times. Since then, I've seen Sherlock Holmes (more than once), When in Rome, Leap Year (more than once) and Avatar.

Ahhhh... It's nice to be back.

Christmas Music

2009-12-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

Here in Utah, we have two radio stations that play Christmas music exclusively at this time of year. They’re big competitors, and they’re always trying to get the jump on the other. When they started, FM100 was playing 100 hours of Christmas music (therefore starting about 4 days before Christmas). Then 106.5 decided to get in on the game and started earlier. As they continually try to “one-up” each other, the date continually moves up. This year, they started before Halloween. Next year, they’re going to start around Labor Day.

As I’ve listened to the holiday cheer, I’ve noticed that Christmas songs seem to fall into roughly four categories for me. Though some can be put in more than one category, there are a few clear lines.

First, there are the traditional, “classic” songs. You know, White Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Joy to the World, Deck the Halls, Oh Holy Night, etc. The good stuff. The ones that every artist has to sing. The ones that I can still imagine being played on a record player.

Second, there are the classic songs that have nothing to do with Christmas. Winter Wonderland, Sleigh Ride, Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, Let it Snow. They’re fun songs, but they’re actually songs about winter in general. So, why don’t we hear them in January? My January could use a little cheering up with “Winter Carols.” And while we’re talking about Christmas songs that aren’t really Christmas songs, what’s up with playing “Favorite Things” at Christmas? I mean, it came from the Sound of Music. Do they even have a winter scene in that show? Wikipedia notes the following: “The wintertime imagery of some of the lyrics has made ‘My Favorite Things’ a popular song during the Christmas season … although in the show and movie it is sung during a summer thunderstorm.” Uh-huh. A summer thunderstorm. Can’t think of anything more Christmas-y than that!

Third, there are the Santa songs. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Up on the Housetop, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Here Comes Santa Claus, Jolly Old St Nicholas, Santa Baby. Again, fun songs that deal only with the commercialization of Christmas, avoiding the “reason for the season.” These are the ones that kids are still allowed to sing in public schools.

Then there are the new songs. Ah the new songs. While there are some that I enjoy (generally the ones by BNL), most of them drive me crazy. Christmas Shoes; Do they Know it’s Christmas?; So This is Christmas; Grownup Christmas List; Last Christmas. I don’t know why, but these songs just grate on my nerves. Maybe it’s because they’re played all too often on the radio at this time of year. Maybe it’s because I have no memory linking them to wonderful Christmases in the past.

Or maybe it’s just because they’re stupid songs.

For example: “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” This is a song that focuses on those less fortunate than us, specifically those in Africa. While I appreciate the sentiment and the charge to “feed the world,” I find it humorous that the song points out that “there won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas.” Well, duh! When was the last time they had snow in Africa? And why on earth is it a bad thing that they’re not getting any this year? I mean, really, have the writers of this song ever been in snow? Would you really want to wish it on a people who are in no way prepared to handle it?

Wanna know what’s on my Grownup Christmas List? An ITunes card, some clothes, jewelry, books.

And of course, World Peace.

Good Times

2009-11-18T21:22:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about little memories I have from my childhood. Just random things that have nothing to do with anything, but that make me smile when I remember them. I thought I would share some of them here.

There was the time that I typed a paper on my brother's computer. It was the first time I'd ever used a computer, and I hit "return" at the end of every line, like you would with a typewriter (yes, I'm that old). Brian had to teach me that the computer wraps the words itself. Then he fixed my paper for me. I wonder how long it took him to go and backspace all of those "returns" out of there. Hey - thanks, Brian!

Once, when I was a teenager, we performed a tricky Chinese Fire Drill in Rose Park. (For those of you who don't know what that is, it involves getting out of a car, running around it, and getting back in before a red light turns green. The more people involved, the better. In a two-door car with five people, it can definitely be tricky.) During this particular drill, one of my brothers nearly lost his shoe as he got back in. Ever wonder how that one shoe got in the middle of the road?

When I was growing up, there was a spot in our side yard where our parents allowed us to dig and play in the mud all we wanted. There was a slight incline, and we would make rivers and roads and bridges and tunnels in the mud, and then we'd put the hose at the top of the hill and turn it on, so that the rivers would fill. We always loved it when one of the dams broke, because we could get away with "swearing." (Dam it! Dam it!)

I remember spending hours on our swingset out back, pumping as high as I could and singing "Let's Go Fly a Kite" at the top of my lungs. Bet the neighbors loved that one. That swingset was also the site of some major competitions (who could jump off and get the farthest without taking a trip to the hospital, for instance). The set had a slide on it, and I remember one time we put a kiddie pool at the bottom and a hose at the top to make our own waterslide. If I remember right, it didn't work out so well. (I know - shocker!)

I have memories of getting up out of bed for one reason or another and finding my parents sitting on the front porch, enjoying the cool evening air and chatting together. Depending on my reason for getting up, they would either tell me to get back to bed, or they would let me sit on one of their laps for a while. It was so peaceful.

...makes me want to be a kid again...

Driving

2009-11-10T22:39:00.001-08:00

I got stuck driving behind a student driver the other night. Since I had plenty of time to think (going 20mph in a 45 zone), I began to consider all the things that we aren't taught in Driver's Ed.

For instance, everyone learns (eventually) that when you are at a red light, it's important to watch the car in front of you. If they roll a couple of inches forward, you must immediately follow suit. If you don't, you risk getting honked at by the person behind you, who saw the movement and can't figure out why you're not trying to get closer to the line. After all, that extra inch and a half may make the difference between making the green light and having to sit through another red one.

Try it sometime. Next time you're sitting at a red light, inch forward a little and then watch the cars behind you. Or better yet, try to stop yourself from moving when the car in front of you rolls. It's goes against all instinct.

Apparently there's an unwritten rule in some areas (I've noticed it in the Midwest) that you must stop at least one car-length behind the white line. I don't really understand this, but there must be a reason. Maybe the pedestrians there tend to break into dance halfway across the street and need the extra room...

My favorite unwritten rule about driving pertains to the "fast lane." This is, of course, the furthest left normal lane on a freeway. (In Driver's Ed, they call it the "Passing Lane," but once you're out of class, you immediately learn that's a misnomer). Because it is the Fast Lane, you automatically have the right to get upset with (and flash your lights, yell and make obscene gestures at) the person in front of you, who is only going 15 miles over the speed limit, when you wanted to do 20 over.

They teach you in class what to do if a stoplight goes out, or is flashing red. We all know that we're supposed to treat it like a four-way stop. What they don't tell you is that at least half the population doesn't know how to work a four-way stop. So good luck with that one.

We are also taught that a turn signal indicates that you'd like to get into a different lane. This only works in some states. Not in Utah. Here in Utah, a turn signal indicates that you would like the car in the next lane to speed up and then match your speed, thereby making it impossible for you to get into the lane in time to make your turn. We work on aggression here in Utah. You have to really want to get over. Forget the signal, and just start forcing your way in.

When they honk at you, they're really just telling you how much they admire your driving skills.

TV Geeks

2009-10-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

A lot of roommates have fights over who gets the remote. Not my cousin and I. When I come in the room, she automatically gives me the remote. This is for two main reasons.

First, I’m deaf. I inevitably have to turn up the volume when I come in. Although I have to say, I’m not so sure it’s that I’m deaf. I think it’s just that Christina has the hearing of…well, something that has really good hearing. Or maybe she just isn’t as anal as I am about hearing every tiny detail. I don’t know.

The second reason is because I’m really good at skipping certain things on the DVR. For instance, on So You Think You Can Dance, I’m really good at fast forwarding through all of Mary Murphy’s comments. Holy cow, that woman’s got an annoying voice!

Luckily, we both enjoy the same types of shows and movies. We love having our DVR, so that we can fast forward through all the commercials on our favorite shows. We record at least one show every night. We’re also big fans of TV on DVD. We have an entire bookshelf dedicated to our collections.

We’re TV geeks.

Random

2009-08-03T17:36:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! Day Two, Post Two! I'll be waiting for your comment, Meghan!

I worked from home today because I was sick, which means I have a lot of random thoughts going through my head (why one leads to the other, I couldn't tell you... but I'm feeling random, so it works).

First of all, I'm pretty sure I got more done today than I do when I'm actually at work. Apparently watching What Not to Wear and a couple of movies is actually a great way to increase productivity. Or maybe it's because I had a window today. Or because I was lying on the couch. Of course, I'll probably get to work tomorrow and realize I didn't get done as much as I think I did...

You know what cracks me up? When people tell you that you shouldn't have the same password for everything. Not that it doesn't make sense. Really, it does. If someone cracks your password, and you have the same password for everything, then suddenly your entire life is laid out before them. But it's not realistic. Everything, and I mean everything requires a password these days. I have a list of my passwords, and it's over 60 items long. And there are probably ones I've set up that I didn't put on my list. (Okay, so I probably no longer need the password to pay the bill for the gym I used to go to - you know, the one that no longer exists in Utah - but I mean, you never know when you're gonna need it again.)

We need to clean out our fridge. There's some stuff in there that would grace the tables of a science fair. How does that happen? And why did we buy it in the first place? We both knew we weren't going to eat that salad stuff. Wishful thinking? Or were we trying to impress each other? Hmm...

Why is it that when someone yawns, we automatically assume they're bored? I mean, last time I checked, a yawn indicates either a lack of sleep or a lack of oxygen (depending on who you ask, I guess...). It has nothing to do with lack of excitement. So if I ever yawn when listening to you, get over it. I never go to bed before midnight; it's inevitable that I'm going to yawn several times a day.

And why is it that when you hear the word "yawn" it makes you want to yawn? I can't even read the word "yawn" without the desire to, well, yawn. Hence, I am now yawning. And chances are, you are too...

Blogging

2009-08-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is it. This is the week. The week when I blog every day. I can feel it. Really, I can. Every day. How hard can that be really? I mean, interesting things happen to me every day, right?

Yeah, not so much.

But, everyone keeps telling me that I need to blog, and I agree. I mean, it's been more than a month. And that's just wrong.

I've had good intentions, I promise. I even took pictures on the Fourth of July so that I could make fun of my brothers and dad and how intricately designed they make their fireworks show (it was actually really cool). But I never got around to emailing them to myself. And then, on the 24th, I was the one up there with Joseph planning out our show, so I couldn't take pictures then.

(It was a blast, by the way. Bunch of pyromaniacs, I know...)

So, there you go. My first blog of seven this week.

Of course, on Friday, we're all headed to Wisconsin for a Bruner Family Extravaganza, so I guess the "every day this week" will depend on whether or not we have internet access in our hotels (you'd think I would have checked that out when I booked them...). But at least I'll have all kinds of interesting things to blog about next week!

Disneyland!

2009-06-28T20:34:00.001-07:00

For several months now, Emily and Jason have planned to take Ezri to Disneyland for her 4th birthday. Ezri was very, very excited. They invited me and Christina to go as well.

Whenever we asked Ezri when we were going to Disneyland, she would say, "Tomorrow." I'm pretty sure that "tomorrow" means any day in the future for her. She was beside herself when it really was time to go!

We left Friday morning and drove eleven hours to Anaheim. The kids did very well, and slept a little bit.
Saturday was our first day in the park, as well as Ezri's actual birthday. Christina bought her a princess dress, which she absolutely loved (she thought she'd have to give it back and was very happy when we told her she could take it home with her). I treated her to lunch with all the princesses at Ariel's Grotto. Ariel greeted us as we came in, and then the other princesses (Snow White, Belle, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella) came around to everyone's table to talk and take pictures. Ezri was absolutely beside herself, especially when Sleeping Beauty (her favorite princess) came to talk to her. She giggled and grinned for about fifteen minutes after that visit!Besides the princess lunch, the Tea Cups were her favorite part of the park. She would have gone on them all day, if she'd been with adults who could have handled that much spinning. She also got to meet Mickey, and we saw Minnie from afar (she says that she wants to meet Minnie next time).
Riker's favorite ride was the carousel. He loved that nobody had to hold onto him and would laugh the whole time. He'd also spend time gazing up at the mechanism as if he were trying to figure out how the thing worked.
On the second day, we went to Disney's California Adventure, where they have an area just for little kids. It was a hot day, so we let the kids play in the water - shoes and all! They absolutely loved it!
After more time in the park on Monday, we left Anaheim at about 3pm and drove all night. The kids tried to sleep, but it was difficult for them. In fact, it was rough on all of us. We got fairly loopy and laughed a lot, but I wouldn't recommend it. We decided that next time, we would stay in Anaheim till the next day and just drive home then...

In all, it was a very fun trip, and Ezri talks about it every day. I asked her yesterday if we should go back. She thought for a moment, and then said. "No. Let's go tomorrow."

Thanks, Emily and Jason, for such a wonderful time!!

Snail Hunting

2009-06-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Emma can tease me all she wants after my two-month hiatus from blogging. I could give a million excuses, but nobody wants to hear them, so on to blogging!

I had to post some pictures of good times with Joseph's kids. We went Snail Hunting (which is oh so much more fun than Snipe Hunting...).

This is Alex, looking for snails in the wall under the bushes. She reminds me a little of myself when I was young - out looking for worms and snails and bugs right alongside my brothers.

And then, because snails are the bane of my parents' entire yard, we took it to the next level...

Salt

And here is the aftermath... Hungry, anyone?

So, there you go. I'll probably hear it from the Society for Snail Safety, but at least I've upped my status to coolest aunt ever. Incidentally, Grandma let them use her salt shaker, so she's pretty darn cool, too...

Pet Peeves

2009-04-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

We all have them. Those little things that drive us crazy, no matter how stupid they are. We call them pet peeves. Which is an interesting name. I just looked it up, interested to see where it came from. Peeve is actually an American word. Go figure. We're American. Things annoy us. It was back-formed from "peevish," which is from Middle English, and it was first used around 1910. How on earth could they know that?!

I could point out several more things about the origins of the phrase, but I shall resist the temptation. Hopefully people divulging useless information is nobody's pet peeve...

At any rate, I was on some website the other day (I don't remember which one). The soul purpose of this particular webpage is to log in to the website. There's nothing else you can do on the page, except maybe link back to a home page. And yet, when you get there, the cursor doesn't automatically show up in the username field. Now, I'm no web designer, but it seems to me that it can't be that hard to make the cursor go where it needs to go. Everyone else does it. Instead, I have to actually click on the field. I know - the horror, right? Probably doesn't bother most people. But it drives me crazy.

That made me think of some of my other pet peeves. Things like people who don't use their turn signal, and then get upset when you don't let them into your lane. Because I'm supposed to read your mind? Or were you signaling by letting your car drift dangerously close to mine? Because I thought that was just because you were texting your friends while you were driving.

I suppose I should pay more attention to the unstated intentions of others.

Of course, there are plenty of pet peeves to be discussed when it come to driving (cough, tailgating, cough). Let's face it. We always consider ourselves the best driver on the road. Anything happens, and it's automatically someone else's fault. Don't lie - you know you feel that way. At any rate, I'm going to leave the realm of bad driving at that...

Another thing that drives me crazy is when somebody interrupts another person who is speaking. It doesn't even have to be me being interrupted - just listening to a conversation when one person consistently interrupts bugs me. I'm not talking about an occasional I'm-too-excited-to-tell-you-what-I'm-thinking-so-I'm-going-to-interrupt-you type of a thing. I'm talking about the persistent interrupters. Apparently anything they have to say is much more important. Than anything else.

I could go on, of course, but I don't want to sound like some peevish, negative person. I leave that to all of you - what are your pet peeves?

Aunting

2009-04-07T20:23:00.001-07:00

Wow. Two blogs in as many days. What's wrong with me?!

I have four brothers and a sister, all of whom are married and all of whom have at least two children. Needless to say, I have a few nieces and nephews. The newest little Bruner joined our ranks nearly a month ago. Lucky girl. I finally got some pictures off of my digital camera, and I had to share with the world...

This is Claire Louise at about a day old. Isn't she adorable? Aw.

I couldn't pass up putting this one on here. This is Claire with her cousin Alex, who absolutely loves babies. Alex is almost 6, and she sat and held Claire for at least an hour this last weekend.

Anyway, the biggest perk to being the only single one in the family is that I get to spoil my nieces and nephews and brag about them. Because they're the cutest kids in the world. All seventeen of them.

And I'm not biased at all...

Parents

2009-04-06T20:09:00.001-07:00

Everyone who knows my dad knows he has a great sense of humor. Very corny, but great nonetheless. The best part, of course, is his laugh. You just can't listen to him laugh and not join in. And, since he tends to laugh at his own jokes, it's very difficult not to laugh, whether the joke is actually funny or not.

My mom is just as hilarious, but her humor is a bit more subtle, so not as many people are aware of it. Recently, she showed just how funny she could be...

First of all, you have to understand that Dad is a bit, well, obsessive-compulsive. Or, as they said in the old days, anal. Have you ever seen the TV show Monk? Yeah. That's Dad.

Anyway, we have an end table by our couch with magazines on it, and every time Dad walked by, he would straighten them, so that they'd look something like this:

Then, as soon as he left the room, my mom would get up and go mess them up again, just to see if he would notice. Then Dad would walk back through the room and straighten them out once more. He never said anything about it.

This went on for about a month, until my mom couldn't take it anymore. She watched him straighten them one more time, and then asked him if he ever got frustrated with them getting messed up. He started to answer, and then he said, "Wait, have you been doing that?!"

At which point he started laughing so hard that it was impossible not to join in.

Moving

2009-04-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

You know those life-changing decisions that everyone hates making? Things like should I quit and get a different job? Should I get married to what's-his-name? Should I have ice cream after dinner tonight? You know, the important ones.

Well, I've made an important, life-changing decision lately, and I'm really pretty excited about it.

I'm going to be moving next month. I'll be sharing an apartment with my cousin (we've lived together before, so we know we can do it without killing each other), and we're both ready for this change.

When I was making this decision, several people told me I should buy a house. It wasn't a bad idea, but I decided not to. Since then, I've decided that renting definitely has its perks. First of all, we'll have a pool. That we don't have to take care of. And a hot tub. Ah yeah.

Also, if anything breaks, someone else will fix it for us. Not that I won't try anyway, cause I like to pretend that I'm good at fixing things, but when I can't figure it out, there's always someone to call. Definite perk. And according to people who have lived in this complex before, they're pretty good about fixing things right away. Gotta love that!

There's also the issue of a yard. Not that I wouldn't like the benefits of a yard, but I don't have to take care of one (except maybe my parents, for when I feel like gardening...). We have a playground on the property of our apartment building, for when our nieces and nephews want to visit. We're set!

If anyone wants to see where we'll be moving, you can click here. We'll be in a two-bedroom apartment. It's about a five-minute drive to work, and it's right by a huge shopping center. Booyah!

Basketball

2009-03-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't played basketball in a very long time. So when I was asked to referee a youth game this morning, I just laughed. And then, because I had a lapse in good judgment, I agreed.

It was actually pretty fun. I mean, the jokes being thrown at me were pretty good and, well, true. One person said that it was too bad I couldn't make it to the game. Another teased me every time I blew the whistle. Probably because I didn't blow it much. The girls took care of most of the refing for me.

In my defense, I was the only ref for the game. It's really hard to see what's happening on the other side of the court, and I apparently didn't inherit from my mother the ability to see out of the back of my head. Or maybe that's just because I'm not a mother yet.

Truthfully, I was just pretty impressed with myself that I could run that much. Up and down the court. Over and over. For three 6-minute "quarters." Whew! Eighteen minutes. I think I need a nap.

Newsworthy

2009-03-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law accused me not too long ago about being “as bad as my brother” because I don’t blog as often as I should. I have a good reason for this. Well, okay, I have a reason for it. Probably not a good one.

I love to write, and I like blogging. But I have a tendency to want to “wow” my audience with something spectacular. Therefore, until I have a great idea of something to write about, it tends to remain undone. Not that I neglect it. I write about once a week. My sister-in-law just happens to blog approximately three times a day.

Anyway, I was at the gym yesterday (which is pretty newsworthy in and of itself), watching the news on the TVs they have set up for the cardio machines. Or, more accurately, trying to avoid watching the news on the TVs they have set up for the cardio machines. I’m not a big fan of the news. Especially at the gym. I’m sweating and I’m in pain, and you want me to watch commercials about food, interspersed with depressing news about how the world has gone to seed? Come on, people! Give me something that’s going to keep my mind off of my aching muscles!

There are seven or eight TV’s in front of the cardio machines, and they are all inevitably turned to the news. Because apparently when you’re working out, you need to know what every single station considers newsworthy. Doesn’t seem like it should be that big of a deal to change one of them to a TV show or a cable channel, but they rarely do.

It was for this reason that I wanted an IPod, so that I could download audio books and ignore the screens in front of me. Thing is, though, you apparently have to sync the books to the IPod. There’s always something.

So I’m stuck watching the news for now.

Without sound and without subtitles.

When it comes to current events, I prefer to get my information from newspaper headlines or from more reliable sources like, you know, my brothers. That way they can sort through all the crap and let me know what’s really important.

At least the weather’s interesting. The best part of watching the weather at the gym is seeing the discrepancies in the forecasts of the different stations. Either it’s going to be cloudy and 45 this weekend, or it’s going to be sunny and over 60.

Classics - Moby Dick

2009-03-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

When I was in high school, we used to say that a novel was a "classic" if it ended badly, or if it's depressing. That's what it always seemed like, judging by the classics they were having us read. If I hadn't grown up loving books, high school would have made me hate reading.

Now that I'm a bit older (just a little bit, of course), I'm reading more and more classics. I've found some that I completely love and others that are worthy of being assigned to high school students.

For instance, high schoolers should have to read Moby Dick. Now there's a classic. It's boring and everybody dies in the end (well, almost everybody).

I've seen a couple of shows lately that had a character whose favorite book was Moby Dick. All I can say is WHATEVER! Give me a break! My apologies to anyone out there that loves the book, but I just don't see it. Maybe if it's an abridged version....no, not even then.

The book has chapter upon chapter about whales - their anatomy, the way you kill them, the reasons that they're fish and not mammals (apparently that was a hot topic in 1850). There's a story in there as well, but it seemed to be about a fourth of the book. Not that I mind informational chapters. Les Miserables had a lot of those, but I enjoyed that one. They were interesting, and they were interspersed amongst the plot, unlike Moby Dick, where the plot was interspersed among the informational chapters.

Yep, it's a good one for high school English. Right up there with the Grapes of Wrath.

Boredom

2009-02-22T17:19:00.001-08:00

I never get bored any more. Which is kind of nice, I have to say. Some of the reasons are that I'm pretty busy. With work, family, church and friends, there's always someone/something clamoring for my time. You know how they say if you need something done, ask a busy person to do it? That's because you know that they're the ones that can't say "no". I have issues with saying that word. Which is often a problem.

But I digress. Though my busyness keeps me from sitting around at home with nothing to do, I'm saying I don't get bored even in those really boring meetings that we all feel obligated to have. I don't get bored in the car or when I'm standing in a ridiculously long line at the store. I don't get bored when I'm waiting for someone or for something to start. It's really quite nice. I find boredom quite boring.

Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a writer. I always had a story going in my head (and sometimes I even actually wrote it down). It wasnt until college, though, that I realized that I always had entertainment when I needed it. I got through many a boring class by writing stories in my head. It takes me about 3 seconds to lose myself in a swordfight or a car chase or, well, a kiss.

This can be a problem sometimes. Such as when a teacher called on me. Or when it's my turn in line, and I don't realize it because I'm in my own little world. It's caused a few embarrassing moments (except that I don't really get embarrassed - see my blog on that). But I don't mind that.

Keeps things interesting....as in, not boring.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T23:08:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I've never been a fan of Valentine's Day. Seems to be a holiday focused on couples getting angry because someone forgot it and singles feeling miserable because they don't have anyone to fight with. (I don't know why I think this...my dad's always remembered to get my mom flowers.)

Most people figure that I don't like it because I'm single. Maybe they're right. I don't know. But I think it's because of the candy. It's a time for cheap chocolate and hard sugar. Blech.

The only redeeming factor of the day is that, once it's over, Easter candy comes out. Cadbury. Yum.

Of course, in the past few years, my big brother has made the day more enjoyable for me. He has been sending me flowers every year on Valentine's Day. What an awesome brother. I've included a picture of this year's bouquet - a gorgeous selection of lilies. They smell awesome.

Thanks, Brian. Love ya!

Embarrassment

2009-02-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

I've always hated when someone asks me for my "most embarrassing moment." I think it's a stupid question, for a couple of reasons.

First of all, I have the worst memory in the world. The moment someone asks me to remember something, my mind goes blank. Not conducive to answering such questions.

Second of all, my embarrassing moments are seldom that embarrassing. It's usually a personal irritation, like I spelled something wrong in an important email, or I said something in anger that I would never say when in my right mind. See? Not really anything to get worked up about. And really, when someone asks for your most embarrassing moment, they're looking for a good laugh, right?

Not that I don't have a couple of good stories. But I don't really get embarrassed easily. I'm so clumsy that getting embarrassed about tripping or running into a wall would mean I'd be blushing all day long. I enjoy a joke too much to get embarrassed about one that's told at my expense. It's more fun to laugh instead.

The third reason I don't like the question is this: If it was really the most embarrassing thing I've ever been through, why on earth would I want to share it? So that I could be embarrassed all over again?

Of course, usually people share moments that were embarrassing at the time, and then just funny afterwards. But I wonder how many people have ever told their real most embarrassing moment. You know, the deep, dark secret...that time you did something and you still can't believe you acted that way?

Or maybe that's just me.

Music

2009-02-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

I love music.

I thought about that today as I drove home from work with my CD player blasting in my car. It's good stuff. Music can change the mood of anything in seconds. I saw a special on TV once where they showed a part of the movie "Jaws" without music and then the same part with music. Not so suspenseful without the music. In fact, it was pretty hokey. Whoa! Big fish! You're gonna need a bigger boat.

Yeah, doesn't really work without John Williams in the background.

My brother used to quiz me in the car when we were listening to the radio. "Who's this?" he would ask every time a new song came on. I dreaded that question. I was usually wrong...when I could actually venture a guess without embarrassing myself too badly. I still don't know most of them, unless they're a song I really like. Then I have about a 50/50 chance of getting it right.

Here's the thing, though. I get songs stuck in my head like crazy. There is always a song in my head. And it's not always a song I like. Not fun at all. I'm pretty sure a person could go certifiably insane because they can't get a song out of their head. This is why I tend to be testy when someone starts singing one of "those" songs. You know, the ones that stick in EVERYONE's heads. Such as the "Song That Never Ends" or "It's a Small World" or...well, I actually don't want to think about any others. I could end up in an insane asylum.

This is also why I tend to listen to more ...uh, shall we say appropriate?... music on Saturdays. Because I know it'll stick with me through Sunday. Nothing like sitting through church with Coldplay in your head.

This is a serious condition. I now have the "Song That Never Ends" in my head. Call the men in the white jackets.

Addiction

2009-01-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

As I stated in my first blog, I recently got over my blogging aversion and started, well, this blog. Now I'm addicted. I go through possible posts in my head as I get ready for the day, I mention my blog to everyone I know (and some I don't know), and I notice little things during the day that I could maybe write about (most of which I forget by the time I get home). Definitely addicted.

I know Christina, you told me so.

In thinking about this recent addiction, I started to consider other addictions I've dealt with in my life. No, I'm not addicted to alcohol or drugs or cigarettes. But I do tend to get addicted to things. Blogging, scrapbooking, certain books and movies, computer games.

I was analyzing my behavior as I dried my hair this morning. I have often avoided getting involved in certain things for the ostensible reason that I don't like to do what the crowd is doing. The first time I heard about Harry Potter, I didn't want to read it because everyone was reading it. I tell people that it's because I like to be different, I don't like getting caught up in the craze. But in my self-analysis this morning, I admitted to myself that the real reason is because I know instinctively that I'm going to get addicted. I didn't avoid Harry Potter because I didn't want to be a follower. I avoided it because I knew I would become a crazy fan.

I first heard about Harry Potter when the fourth book came out (I'd been out of the country when it had started to become popular). There was a story on the news about people who stood in line for hours, waiting for midnight to strike so that they could buy the book. I thought it was pretty cool, considering that's something that people do for a movie, not for a book. But I also thought 'I'm not going to read those until they all come out and the craze is over.'

Turns out this was a self-preservation instinct. When I ignored the instinct and gave in, I actually took the book to work and read it under my desk because I had to find out what happened. I agonized over the amount of time left before the next one would be published, and I saw the first movie the day it came out. I read them several times, and I was one of those waiting for midnight when the fifth, sixth and seventh books came out. I got into arguments about what was going to happen and I discussed Harry Potter every chance I got. I was addicted.

The pattern repeated itself recently with the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. I distinctly remember finishing Eclipse and immediately starting the whole series over again. I was up until midnight yet again when Breaking Dawn came out (well, later than that, cause then I was reading it), and I'm not going to admit how many times I've seen the movie. Again - addicted.

Of course, I'm doing better now. I no longer dream either about vampires or about Voldemort. I can go weeks at a time without arguing whether Bella should have ended up with Jacob or with Edward (as if there's any contest...Jacob drives me crazy). I don't discuss apparent discrepancies in Harry Potter with anyone who would listen. I haven't actually read a Harry Potter book for several months, and it's been a while since I've read any of the Twilight books. These things usually fade with time.

So I guess I can't really call it an addiction. Apparently, despite all my attempts to the contrary, I'm obsessed.

Technology

2009-01-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

This blog isn't about the weather (I know, surprising!), but I couldn't pass up posting this picture from the University of Utah webcam. This is mostly to make those who are freezing in Wisconsin (and elsewhere) be grateful that at least they're breathing clean air. Usually, you would be able to see the Oquirrh mountains and maybe even a shimmering line of the Great Salt Lake from this view. Those little lines you see through the yellow is the Salt Lake City skyline, which is about two miles away. Yuck!

Anyway, I promised this wouldn't be about the weather, so onto better things.

I've been thinking lately about technology. This is probably because of the fact that I've had a technology explosion in my life lately. In November, I got a laptop to replace my desktop at work. For Christmas, I got an IPod. This month, I finally gave up on my desktop at home and bought a laptop, with a wireless router. My sister got an IPhone for her birthday and gave me her "old" cellphone (one with a keyboard), and today I got rid of my pager at work and got...wait for it...a cellphone

Right now, I'm sitting on the couch, writing this on my new laptop, listening to my new Ipod, and I have both my personal and my work cellphones on the table next to me...just in case.

Makes me wonder if I've gone a little too far....

...Nah.

A couple of people were surprised that I got a laptop when I'd just gotten one from work. After all, why would I need two?

Before I bought my personal laptop, I would do my personal stuff on my personal desktop. The desktop I bought when I graduated from college. Eight years ago. Eight computer years. That's what, three hundred in human years?

In general, I just dealt with the quirks of my ancient computer. I mean, a new computer isn't something that you just go out and buy on a whim. Well, it isn't for me, anyway.

But it was to the point that I would never shut down the poor thing, because when I'd turn it back on, it took about six months to boot up. If I got on the internet, I had to be sure that I didn't close any of the windows I was working in, or it would shut down everything.

And then I got an IPod.

When I discovered that I couldn't download I-Tunes on my aged companion, I decided I needed to put my poor old friend down. It was just inhumane...or intechnane...to continue to make it work.

I reworked my budget and bought a laptop two weeks later. Goodbye, old friend.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 24th at 10:00am.

Breathing

2009-01-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

Whoever said that breathing is highly overrated is strongly mistaken. Wait...has anyone ever said that?

So, I've recovered from my bronchitis, just in time to get another cold. I've been sick going on two months now. Some of my friends think maybe I should talk to a doctor. HA! I say. Doctor, schmoctor! I say. Who needs a doctor?!

Okay, apparently I do.

But it's not as if I haven't talked to anyone about it. I went to a doctor about my bronchitis. He gave me cough medicine and said it would take 3 weeks to get over it and charged me $100 for the visit.

Now I have a cold again. I think. Maybe it's just the end of bronchitis, mixed with the fact that you can practically chew the air, it's so thick with pollution. Maybe it's allergies. I'm allergic to winter.

But it's probably a cold. And everyone knows that there is nothing the doctor can do about a cold.

It's no big deal, really. Better than the bronchitis. Except that I can't breathe. Strangely enough, my body thinks that breathing is important. And since my body is somewhat important to, you know, continuing to live, I guess it's time to call the doctor.

Or maybe I'll just move to Hawaii.

TV

2009-01-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up with my five siblings, we often gathered around the TV and shared in a show or a movie together. I remember several Sunday nights, gathering around for the Wonderful World of Disney. We had our regular shows - the Cosby Show, Knight Rider and MASH reruns, to name a few. Not to mention Saturday morning cartoons. Back when Saturday morning cartoons were cool. (You know, Muppet Babies, The Real Ghostbusters, GI Joe, etc.)

But most of the time, my mom would come in, turn off the TV, and tell us to go play outside. We would usually moan and groan, complaining that there was nothing to do outside, but we were obedient children (because we knew what would happen if we weren't obedient), and headed outside. Of course, we always ended up having fun, but the result was that we often didn't see some of the shows that everyone else was watching.

I remember one time I was on a school fieldtrip and everyone started singing the theme to The Brady Bunch. I had heard of the show and seen it a couple of times, but I couldn't have sung the song if they'd paid me (which of course they wouldn't have). I still couldn't sing the song.

Of course, if someone is willing to pay now, I'd be happy to learn it...

I was embarrassed on that bus ride so many years ago. (Not so much any more - now that I've actually seen the show, I'm actually quite grateful.)

But, as I said, we did have our regulars. To this day, the theme song to MASH makes me hungry - it was on every day at 5, when dinner was being made. My mom loved to watch TV, and she passed that love onto most of her children. Of course, nowadays it doesn't matter if we need to go outside and play (or, you know, go to work). We can just record our shows on a DVR. Or wait for a few months and buy the whole season on DVD. All the joy of watching our show, and no commercials.

Ah, the wonderful world of technology! Allowing us to keep up on the important things, like who got kicked off of Survivor or why Grisham left CSI. You know, the stuff that really matters.

Car

2009-01-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure many of you did, I made a few resolutions this New Years. One of them was to go to the gym more. I made it there yesterday, and I was prepared to go today. N0 excuses.

But on my way out of the parking lot at work, I broke my car. What an excellent excuse.

The best part is how I broke it. I slid into a curb going maybe 5 miles per hour. Now, I may be way off the mark here, but I was thinking that with all the safety features they put in cars these days, they would have prepared for a 5-mile per hour impact on the tire. I mean really, didn't anyone think of that?

Maybe it's because I run into curbs all the time, and the car's just had it with me. As much as I like to brag about being a good driver, I do tend to cut corners a little too tightly. But I've never broken anything before. Except a few curbside paint jobs.

Admittedly, I don't know yet what's wrong with it. Except that I can no longer turn right. Hardly important, right? I'll just take lefts from now on. Not a big deal.

Except I'm pretty sure I can't get to the gym without a right turn.

Ah well...maybe next year...

Winter

2009-01-04T21:38:00.000-08:00

Because I've been sick, I haven't been outside much in the last few days. When I went out today, I nearly froze to death. What's with the below freezing weather?! Let's bring back the blizzards. At least it's warmer when it's snowing.

I was thinking about winter this morning, and about the fact that, despite my hatred of the season, I still live in Utah. Why aren't I living in Arizona? I know some people couldn't take the heat in the summer, but I say, bring it on! (Of course, I've never lived there, so maybe I'd be singing another tune if I did...)

I came up with two reasons why I'm still here (besides the obvious, you know, my job's here, my family's here, blah, blah, blah), and those are:

First, the mountains. You just can't beat living ten minutes from a really good hike. Seriously, you can drive out of the city and be in wilderness within minutes. Nobody else around for miles. Love that.

The second one is that, as far as winters go, Utah really isn't too bad. I mean, yeah, we have the inversions (when the cold air gets trapped in the valley, along with the smog and pollution and gunk, and when I want to go jump off one of those mountains), but then there's always the February thaw, followed by another inversion and then the March thaw.

I spent a winter in Indiana, and it was cold. All the time. No change. Except when it got colder.

My favorite part about winter in Utah is how the thaws always seem to take native Utahns by surprise every year. It gets up to the 50s in February, and it's like the world is coming to an end. "Oh, it's global warming!" or "Man, can you believe this? Never seen anything like it!" Yeah, except for every February for the last 50 years!

Seriously, though, the old adage: "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes" definitely holds in Utah.

Except during an inversion. I can't be sure, but it feels like they last at least 8 years (approximately).

A New Year

2009-01-03T19:18:00.001-08:00

Okay, so it's 2009 now, and I figured it's probably time to get over my blogging aversion and join the 21st century. I know, I know, I'm gonna hear it from several of you, but I'm willing to take the jokes and jabs, cause I'm a big person...which, incidentally, is why one of my new years resolutions is to get back to the gym...

As many of you know, I'm working on finding an agent for my first novel, which is extremely exciting! I finished the novel early last year and began sending it to agents in August. Each time I get a rejection, I tweak my query and sometimes my manuscript, and send it off again. Can't wait for the notice that someone actually wants to read the whole thing!

I'm excited for 2009. I have a good feeling about this year. Despite the fact that I started it by getting bronchitis (just an excuse to sit on the couch all day and get a ton of writing done on my laptop), I think it'll be a fun year. Can't wait for the big family reunion coming up in August!