I just feel I need to add to my cuz Ror's collection of bad album covers. This was my favorite: I don't know why but it struck me as funny.

Escape

So I just read a very compelling book, Escape, by Carolyn Jessop. It's her story of growing up in the FLDS church/community/cult, being married and having eight children, and finally, her escape.

It's easy to laugh about the concept of plural wives, but this stuff is no joke. They would have killed her if they'd caught her. I had always wondered what the relationships between the wives were like, if there was jealousy, etc. The book really spelled out the whole dynamic between the husband, the wives, and their children. Very interesting. And sad.

It made me think a lot - it seems there's a fine line between preaching obedience and being manipulative.

Anyway, I had a lot of deep thoughts but suddenly I feel too lazy to write them all. (Yay for you.) You'll just have to read it for yourself, it's a pretty amazing story.

Does the fact that you're headed for Hell concern you?

Okay folks - all two of you - due to the incredulous and somewhat preposterous nature of this finding, I feel compelled to share it with you. (Kenna found it, I don't know where she finds this stuff, but she does.) NEEDGOD.COM

www.needgod.com/index.shtml

Are you a good person, by God's standards? And if so, are you good enough to get into heaven?

This is a questionaire designed to tell you just that. Such inquiries as, "Have you ever told a lie?" "Do you go to church regularly?" "Have you ever looked at someone and had lustful thoughts?" etc. etc., eight questions total. When you are done checking yes or no, you are directed to your results.

It then goes over each question, tells you what is wrong with your answer, and exactly why it is that you are going to hell. After you have read about what a bad person you are, it asks you if you are Guilty or Innocent. If you click Innocent, it tells you you are incorrect. Then asks if you think you are going to Heaven or Hell. If you click Heaven, it tells you you are incorrect.

It asks if the fact that you're going to hell concerns you, tells you that it should concern you, and then asks if you'd sell one of your eyes for a million dollars. (Don't ask me what selling your eye for money has to do with this, but heck yes I'd sell my eye for a million bucks. I've still got the other one.)

It ends with a huge allegory of what hell is, designed to scare you, then it tries to talk about the atonement, but seriously, who is going to get that far?

Nevermind that my moral character and the quality of my soul are being determined by an eight-question survey, it looks like I am going to hell. In a handbasket, no less. I wonder if my trip comes with complementary pillow-mints.

(Oh yeah, and then it politely asks you to print a copy for your records, in case you, you know, forget.)

PS, just one more thing - I'd like to know just what person in the world hasn't had a lustful thought about someone else (I'm thinking Patrick Dempsey right now)... seriously folks...

Spice Up Your Life

Earlier in the week, I lamented to my friend that I wished I had the energy to clean the house after work; hers is spotless everytime I go over there. She suggested I try blaring some fun music to get into it.

Enter: Spice Girls. As it turns out, I did more boogying than cleaning but no harm done- unless you count scaring the cat. (You can't tell me Spice Up Your Life doesn't throw you into a cha-cha frenzy). As I relived the days of the seventh grade, I thought, who more appropriate to serenade generation-x than the divas of the nineties? And was there ever a more inspiring couplet than "get down get deeper and down, get down get deeper and down?" Didn't think so. Go Spice Girls.

Another Christmas come and gone, it would be our fourth Christmas together (three married Christmases). It’s crazy! We decided to go scrooge-style this year and skip on gifts for each other… cuz you know if we really want something, we just go buy it, no sense in spending money on stuff we don’t really need or want. We consider the cat our Christmas present. :)

We did do gift exchange with the fam, however, which was fun.

Also, we sold my piano. *sniff* Actually I don’t feel too bad – it had more sentimental meaning than utility. I used to just sit for hours and hours and play – so Geoff got me that one for our first Christmas. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time that I used to have and it was just sitting there, taking up space. A girl from Logan bought it and was very excited about it, so I was happy for her, and we’ll get another one when the time is right.

Geoff also sold one of his guitars. Now he only has three guitars left, which reduces my chance of tripping over one by 25%. (They can often be found lying on the bedroom floor, or against the couch in the living room, or by the computer in the back room, etc.) He’s going to keep at least one acoustic and one electric.

So you would say we actually made money this Christmas, cool.

As for Christmas day, we went to the rents around 11 (they gave us the Die Hard collection, some cash, and a gift certificate to the mall, woo hoo), and from my sis I got a cute red purse and lip stuff. (Geoff got black socks and a tie from my other sis., “dad gifts” he called them). We went to grandma’s for lunch w/the extended family, then came home and had a huge nap and watched Lost for the rest of the night. Oh I also went to Rikki’s to exchange gifts (she got me sockies and an Office Calendar, which is hanging in my cubicle now). And Geoff took down the tree as soon as we got home too (at my request). It’s good to get back to normal.

It was a nice, relaxing Christmas. I love my hubby.

Wally the cat

This is him discovering his new bed for the first time - he kept rubbing his face in it and purring, he loved it.

Prayer to St Peter

Edwin McCain

Let them in, Peter
For they are very tired
Give them couches where the angels sleep
And light those fires
Let them wake whole again
To brand new dawns
Fired by the sun
Not war-times bloody guns
May their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie
God knows how young they were
To have to die

You know God knows how young they were
To have to die

Give them things they like
Let them make some noise
Give dance hall bands not golden harps
To these our boys
Let them love Peter
For they've had no time
They should have bird songs and trees
And hills to climb
The taste of summer
And a ripened pear
And girls as sweet as meadow wind
And flowing hair
And tell them how they are missed
But say not to fear
It's gonna be all right
With us down here

Let them in, Peter
For they are very tired
Give them couches where the angels sleep
And light those fires
Let them wake whole again
To brand new dawns
Fired by the sun
Not war-times bloody guns
May their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie
God knows how young they were
To have to die

You know God knows how young they were
To have to die

And tell them how they are missed
But say not to fear
It's gonna be all right
With us down here

It's gonna be all right
With us down here

Walter Silvestersmith Stanley

Wally-Sly for short. Our new cat. We have a new cat. In the history of Stanley pets, and for Cali pets, period, this is a first.

I'm sure it dates back to my childhood, when I was diagnosed with allergies to cats. (A hereditary trait strung through my dad's family). Add to that an old crazy neighbor-lady, who, in addition to attempted spousal murder and leaving her three kids at home for days without word of where she was, had HUNDREDS of cats. Of course since she was never home, the house -- and the cats -- went unchecked. And they multiplied and multiplied, until they ran rampant. (Just so you know - people called social services on her all the time, but of course she always managed to clean up before the investigators got there)... I have memories of cats being up inside the car engines when the car was started (pop! fizz...), and once my mom went over to her house (I think to make sure the kids were okay, once when she was gone) and came back talking about awful smells and urine-soaked carpet (from the cats). Of course in my 6-year-old mind I didn't fully understand the situation, but somehow, maybe from these experiences, and the allergies, we never had a cat. (We only lived in that house a short time.)

When Geoff and I got married, we started off with rats. Two of them, Polly and Madonna. You'd be surprised but they each had their own personalities, and I actually cried when we had to put them to sleep due to illness.

Next we tried a puppy. A Black mini-schnauzer who was too smart for his own good. He got so bored at our house that we got him a companion, a black cocker-spaniel puppy. We kept them long enough to potty-train them and soon realized that between work and school, we did not have enough time for them and they were miserable. So eventually they made their way to better homes.

It's now been about 9 months, and we are trying again. Wally-sly is a 4-year old tabby, and morbidly obese. I mean I have never seen a cat so fat. He seems to be pretty mild-mannered though, he just walks around and looks at stuff. He already has a fascination with the bathroom cabinets. I'm sure he'll get more comfortable with time. (He's already potty trained too, yay!!)

As for the allergies - I am hoping that after being around him enough, my body will get used to him. Surprise surprise but Geoff is slightly allergic too. He had a cat growing up and didn't react to her, so maybe that is a sign that we can get used to Wally.

Show me the money

Every now and then someone at work gets this great idea to have everyone "voluntarily" pitch in some of their moulah and get someone a gift - usually for the department manager, for Christmas, or their birthday, or manager appreciation day... this also happens whenever someone gets injured or has knee surgery or their basement got flooded, etc., etc.

I am not brave/mean enough to turn them down and say, "I'm so sorry your dog ran away, but not sorry enough to give you five bucks!" So, I always give five/ten bucks or so, whatever I have. For the most recent gift, I didn't have any cash on me, and today I got this email: "Just wondering if you brought the $$ for so-and-so's gift?"

I am sorry to say, but I feel this is somewhat of a problem, although well-intentioned. I feel it is innapropriate to be constantly asking for money to get people gifts - really, it is great to be a caring friend (doesn't society tell us we, as women, are supposed to be caring friends after all?) but there needs to be a limit on the asking-for-money. If someone loses a family member that is one thing, but every little thing is quite another. Perhaps I'm just a scrooge. I am open to any input/suggestions. (It's pretty hard to talk to the manager about it since many of the gifts we "pitch-in" for are for her.)

A new memory

Finished up the last of the Christmas shopping tonight. While I was at the mall I saw an old friend from high school. I'd always thought he was so funny and even cute, we had fun together. I said his name to get his attention and he stopped to say hi but then acted like he didn't want to talk. I was waiting for him to introduce me to his two friends, but nope. It was awkward and kind of rude. So I said a quick, "it was nice to see you," and walked away. I don't expect there will be another encounter with him, which is a teeny bit sad since it forever changed my memory of him. Oh well.

Anyway, it's great to be done with the shopping. This weekend Geoff and I are house/dog sitting for the rents, and guess who's coming by? Reggie! (His new family is going out of town for Christmas). So I get to play with my baby again, AND have cable for a weekend, yesssssss.

I love my husband more than anything. He is my sweetheart.

Cali's Christmas Commandments

My own cheesy list of rules for the holidays:

1. Thou shalt not begin Christmas shopping before the three days prior to Christmas.

2. Thou shalt never actually bake the neighbors/coworkers/visiting-teaching-sister's treats, rather buy them at the store and claim you made them. (Don't forget to remove the wrapping.)

3. Thou shalt forget about the Christmas music and play Alanis Morissette in your car instead.

4. Thou shalt (not) cuss at the crazy people who cut you off on the road in their mad dash for gifts.

5. Thou shalt always pick the shortest-looking line and wait there the longest.

6. Thou shalt buy something cute for yourself while shopping for gifts.

7. Thou shalt not forget to call thy grandma and wish her Merry Christmas.

8. Thou shalt ENJOY the holiday goodies.

9. Thou shalt resolve to live at the gym the following week.

10. Thou shalt always applaud the carolers.

11. Thou shalt appreciate and enjoy your family and HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Man's Search for Meaning, Victor E. Frankl.

I just read a book called "Man's Search for Meaning," by Dr. Victor E. Frankl. He was a prisoner of Nazi Germany's concentration camps for three years during WWII. He is a psychoanalyist, and the book is about the psychological process and experience of prisoners of the concentration camps. I find it so fascinating that he was able to draw meaning out of senseless suffering. The book is so full of insights that are worth the time to read. I have to share a few that stood out to me most.

[Author's note: I just finished writing this post and it is incredibly long... not for someone with a short attention span. However, if you get all the way through it, there are some awesome awesome quotes in there.]

This is toward the beginning of the book, where he is telling about his first arrival at Auschwitz, after being stripped of his family, posessions, clothes, and finally hair, and herded into the showers: "While we were waiting for the shower, our nakedness was brought home to us: we really had nothing now except our bare bodies - even minus hair; all we possessed, literally, was our naked existence." Throughout his experience, he learns that the one absolute he could have complete control over, was his attitude. He also made it through by finding something to have hope in. "Seen from this point of view, the mental reactions of the inmates of concentration camp must seem more to us than the mere expression of certain physical and sociological conditions. Even though conditions such as lack of sleep, insufficient food and various mental distresses may suggest that the inmates were bound to react in certain ways, in the final analysis it becomes clear that the sort of person the prisoner became was the result of an inner decision, and not the result of camp influences alone. Fundamentally, therefore, any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall become of him - mentally and spiritually."

He also talks about how when new prisoners arrived at camp: "On entering camp a change took place in the minds of the men. With the end of uncertainty there came the uncertainty of the end. It was impossible to foresee whether or when, if at all, this form of existence would end... The prisoner who lost faith in the future - his future - was doomed. With his loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay. Usually this happened quite suddenly, in the form of a crisis, the symptoms of which were familiar to the experienced camp inmate. We all feared this moment - not for ourselves, which would have been pointless, but for our friends. Usually it began with the prisoner refusing one morning to get dressed and wash or go out on the parade grounds. No entreaties, no blows, no threats had any effect. He just lay there, hardly moving. If this crisis was brought about by an illness, he refused to be taken to the sick-bay or do anything to help himself. He simply gave up. There he remained, lying in his own excreta, and nothing bothered him anymore."

It is such a sad picture, and the following exerpts tell what he did to fight that hopelessness in himself.

"Any attempt at fighting the camp's psychopathological influence on the prisoner... had to aim at giving him inner strength by pointing out to him a future goal to which he could look forward."

(I love this...) "The latin word finis has two meanings: the end or the finish, and a goal to reach. A man who could not see the end of his "provisional existence" was not able to aim at an ultimate goal in life. Therefore the whole structure of his inner life changed; signs of decay set in which we know from other areas of life.

One of the prisoners, who on his arrival marched with a long column of new inmates from the station to the camp, told me later that he had felt as though he were marching at his own funeral. His life had seemed to him absolutely without future. He regarded it as over and done, as if he had already died.

A man who let himself decline because he could not see any future goal found himself occupied with retrospective thoughts... But in robbing the present of its reality there lay a certain danger. It became easy to overlook the opportunities to make something positive of camp life, opportunities which really did exist... everything in a way became pointless. Such people forgot that often it is just such an exceptionally difficult external situation which gives man the opportunity to grow spiritually beyond himself. Instead of taking the camp's difficulties as a test of their inner strength, they did not take their life seriously and despised it as something of no consequence... Life for such people became meaningless."

Here he is saying how necessary it was to have a goal, something to look forward to, a reason to live. Thank God Himself that I can read these words from the comfort of my own home and not have to learn them by experience - because they are also applicable to my life. We talk so much about setting goals in our Monday meetings, but for a different reason. This one seems to mean so much more.

Also - something interesting for my Dad. We were talking the other day about the power of the mind, here's a story Dr. Frankl tells that demonstrates it.

"I once had a dramatic demonstration of the close link between the loss of faith in the future and this dangerous giving up. My senior block warden, a fairly well-known composer and librettist, confided in me one day: 'I would like to tell you something, Doctor. I have had a strange dream. A voice told me that I could wish for something, that I should only say what I wanted to know, and all my questions would be answered. What do you think I asked? That I would like to know when the war would be over for me. You know what I mean, Doctor - for me! I wanted to know when we, when our camp, would be liberated and our sufferings come to an end.'
'And when did you have this dream?' I asked.
'In February, 1945,' he answered. It was then the beginning of March.
'What did your dream voice answer?'
Furtively he whispered to me, 'March thirtieth.'
When he told me about his dream, he was still full of hope and convinced that the voice of his dream would be right. But as the promised day drew nearer, the war news which reached our camp made it appear very unlikely that we would be free on the promised date. On March twenty-ninth, he (my senior warden) suddenly became ill and ran a high temperature. On March thirtieth, the day his prophecy had told him that the war and suffering would be over for him, he became delirious and lost consciousness. on March thirty-first, he was dead. To all outward appearances, he had died of typhus.
Those who know how close the connection is between the state of mind of a man - his courage and hope, or lack of them - and the state of immunity of his body will understand that the sudden loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect. The ultimate cause of my friend's death was that the expected liberation did not come and he was severely disappointed. This suddenly lowered his body's resistance against the latent typhus infection. His faith in the future and his will to live had become paralyzed and his body fell victim to illness - and thus the voice of his dream was right after all."

Okay, I realize how long this post is. But there are just two more exerpts I want to post because I thought they were profound.

About suffering:
"An active life serves the purpose of giving man the opportunity to realize values in creative work, while a passive life of enjoyment affords him the opportunity to obtain fulfillment in experiencing beauty, art, or nature. But there is also purpose in that life which is almost barren of both creation and enjoyment and which admits of but one possibility of high moral behavior: namely, in man's attitude to his existence, an existence restricted by external forces. A creative life and a life of enjoyment are banned to him. But not only creativeness and enjoyment are meaningful. If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete... The way in which a man takes up his cross and all the suffering it entails, gives him ample opportunity - even under the most difficult circumstances - to add a deeper meaning to his life... It is this spiritual freedom - which cannot be taken away - that makes life meaningful and purposeful."

I changed around the last few sentences of that quote to condense it together a little bit.

And to finish up this long post on a positive note, here's a beautiful one about love:
"A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth - that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understand how a man who has nothing left in the world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive action, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way - an honorable way - in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfillment. For the first time in my life I was able to understand the meaning of the words, "The angels are lost in perpetual contemplation of an infinite glory."

I love the part, which he claims is truth, that the salvation of man is through love and in love. He is obviously not a mormon, but he comes closer to nailing down the basic fundamentals of our doctrine in that one sentence than in all the rest of the book.

Well, I know it seems as if you no longer have to read the book because I just posted it for you. But, there are hundreds of amazing things in it. I highly recommend it. The first half of the book tells mostly of experiences of the concentration camps, then he gets into analyzing it, then the last portion of the book is about Logotherapy, a form of psychotherapy that he invented. Even if you just read the first half of the book, it is well worth it.

Simply Brilliant (will explain later)

Well this morning there was a verrry BRILLIANT and motivating work meeting, then a jet to a doctors visit, in which she rammed something up there so far I thought it was going to get lost. LOVE being a girl people, and can't wait to be pregnant. Also, had a chat with the "other friend" today after work, boy was it fun. I'm off to da gym den to mom & dad's to pick up my recompense for a simply INSPIRATIONAL day.

So Unsexy

Here's a song I just heard yesterday. I loved it because she singing about how she know's she's okay, but sometimes she just feels blah, even so. The words don't look happy, but the song is actually very upbeat which makes it fun to listen to. I guess if Alanis Morissette feels that way sometimes then I'm normal. (Please no jokes... kidding). I just love this album (under rug swept). The lyrics are so totally honest.

I can feel so unsexy for someone so beautiful
So unloved for someone so fine
I can feel so boring for someone so interesting
So ignorant for someone of sound mind

Anyway, had a nice weekend. Friday night I got bored while Geoff was working, so I went down to Mom & Dad's to hang out. Mom & I decided to go see Grandma at the hospital. She's been there over two weeks, recovering from a kidney infection. While we were there, Uncle David came in. He blew up one of those latex gloves like a balloon, then wrote "Donald" on it and drew a face. We taped it to the foot of her bed. She just laughed. She looked really good - actually mom said that's the first time she's seen her laugh since she went in, so she's starting to feel more like herself again. We talked about how Donald is so good to her. She said she was happy to have him then got on the subject of grandpa. She said, "oh, I loved your dad," then got a little teary-eyed. "We had a good life, we had fun," she said. She will be out by Christmas, which we're glad for.

Thursday, Kenna & I got together and "borrowed" each other's music, and ordered pizza, yummmm. (Guilty confession: we probably spent an hour watching backstreet boys music videos on youtube). It was a lot of fun though and I wish we'd get together more often. She is going on a cruise very shortly here, then after they get back it's brain surgery!! I'm really glad they found a surgeon. She will be okay. :)

Today, Geoff and I SLEPT IN!!! Then we made a life-saving trip to the grocery store. We made a futile attempt at Christmas shopping. (We're just going to do it separately during the week - hopefully it will be less crowded). We came home and took a nap on the couch then went to the BYU basketball game. They kicked trash. I enjoyed it a lot - it was really fun to get out and spend the night with hubby, and not have to worry about what homework needs to be done. A co-worker gave us her tickets since she is home recovering from a knee operation. She utterly refused to allow me to pay her for the tickets, so I bought her a yummy pumpkin roll from the store- she loves pumpkin anything. We'll take it to her house tomorrow evening after we know they'll be home from church.

So I got thinking this weekend, and realized how utterly perfect Geoff and I are for each other. Our little personality quirks just fit each other, like a puzzle - for example: I have this dumb habit of being a know-it-all, and though I have been working on it for a long time, it still comes out sometimes. Anytime I pipe in and give Geoff the "correct version" of what he's trying to tell me, he doesn't get defensive or try to argue with me. I don't know if he holds his tongue or he just doesn't notice, but can you imagine if he was a has-to-be-right-all-the-time kind of person, we would always be fighting. We almost never fight. (that's just one example.) I have to attribute some of that to his maturity too though. He knows what's important and what's not, he takes care of me, and a host of other things, and everything he does is so damn cute. I'm quite sure if I looked for a lifetime I would never find someone so perfect for me like he is. I am truly blessed to have him.

I used the word utterly twice in this post. I guess three times. Also, it's two in the morning so that is the reason if I'm not making sense.

Whatevs...

So... it has come to my attention that the recent but persistent work drama is actually revolving... in a makeshift way... around me. I have recently become 'friends' with a co-worker who is 'best friends' with my other friend, who is displaying signs of intense jealousy, and the other friend is afraid the friend is talking about her behind her back, so in turn the friend is talking about the other friend behind HER back. *sigh* Whatever dude. I just hope that as long as I keep my mouth shut about other people, I'll be able to remain neutral - because I like them both and I don't want to get caught up in the middle. I have kept my nose clean for a year and a half so far, I'm not about to start playing that game just because I work with a bunch of drama-queens. *sigh* Why can't everybody just be men? The world would be so much less complicated. I'm aware they are possibly talking about ME behind my back, but I am pretty apathetic. I just do whatever I feel like doing, man.

Hubby has found a way to fill his extra time this Christmas break - West Wing, Lost, movies with intense gore-factor, etc. I have already been shopping, to the gym, and taken the Man out to lunch. There is a mountain of dirty laundry that nearly reaches the ceiling, but I am happy if that's the only thing hanging over my head.

Man in the Arena

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

This is kind of what our Monday-meeting training sessions are about...

Today was Day 1 of our workout thing. (Tiff & I are going to the gym 6 days a week until January, since I don't have class). We went to the cardio cinema at A.F. The A.F. gym is HUGE.

Got about a tenth of the way into studying for my last final and totally crashed until Geoff got home. I'll be studying my butt off tomorrow, but tonight it felt good to sleep. Going to bed now.

Work Christmas party

Future Stripper

This is my little sis about, 20 years ago. Luckily we were able to convince her that stripping is not her life goal.

My family came over for dinner tonight and brought some old pics... here are a few more.


This is me, with my favorite bear, Caggie. Don't know where I got the name.




This one's not so old.



My sisters are babes, that's all I have to say.

Christmas party - hotels & swag

Last night was my work party at the Grand America, it was awesome. Our ballroom had a HUGE chandelier in it - bigger than any I've ever seen. I'd say the inside of that hotel could be compared to a temple - maybe only a little bit less fancy, maybe. Anyway, we had a nice dinner, we sat at a table with Cas & Tiff & their husbands/dates. After dinner there was a performance by Johnny Biscuit. He started with a standup routine that was, well, it was funny, but maybe we are a hard crowd to please - I hoped he wasn't dying up there cuz people weren't really laughing much. However, the second part of his performance he brought a band on stage and dressed up and did clips from a bunch of famous songs. One, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, about halfway through the clip he plugged in an electric Ukelele and started jamming out with this little tiny thing, it was pretty funny.

Then, they presented the owners with gifts from the company (we had all pitched in), and then they gave us each a humongous swag bag. I'm going to name everything that was in it just for kicks & giggles, I really can't believe they are so good to us. A big fleece robe, 3 sets of squishy socks, 2 sets of pajama bottoms, a Rembrandt teeth-whitening set, a $100 gift card to Nordstrom, a Taste of Home all-desert cookbook, a picture frame, a workout ball w/workout DVDs, a Kenneth Cole watch (pricetag read $85!), a make-up brush set, make-up remover pads, 2 huge bottles of shampoo & conditioner, a loofah, nail polish & nail polish remover, bottle of Victoria's Secret Love Spell, toothpaste, ricola cough drops, A Christmas Story DVD, disposable camera, then in the side pocket there was a bunch of stuff like deoderant, chapstick, face lotion, etc. It all came in a huge Under Armour duffle bag, which pricetag read $80. (Yeah, they left the pricetags on, but I guess I would too if I were them). It was so heavy Geoff had to carry it to the car. But anyway, that on top of the Christmas bonuses & gift cards they already gave us.

Considering that the most I ever got from any other employer was a Christmas ham, this was pretty dang awesome. (The bags for the guys had different things in them). I guess they know how to keep their employees.

Natalie did my hair for the night, which was cool of her. It was fun to get all dressed up and have a night out.

Symphonie Fantastique

Well finally some breathing room. 3 finals down, 1 to go. Tonight Dad treated us all to dinner at Brick Oven, then a symphony at the Covey Arts Center. Geoff had to work, so he missed the whole night, but it was still fun. I really want to go to the next one in January, because they're doing Hadyn and Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique (Fantastic Symphony). We studied a little of both of those in my music class, and I got to really like the Fantastic Symphony. Maybe I can get Geoff to come with me - I dragged him to an opera once, so anything's possible I guess. I think it's really cool to live late enough in time that all the different kinds of music have been invented and done. From the early gregorian chants all the way through time to today, we can take our pick. It's hard to imagine that there would still be other "major genres" to invent. There probably won't be, at least not in my lifetime.

So, the tree is up and there is snow. Once in awhile I have a moment that stops me, and I think to myself, "wow, is this really me, is this really my life?" I look around and see what I've been blessed with - a nice, stable life, a handsome sweet husband, a home. I guess that's what I've wanted all along - it just hit me suddenly that, hey, I've got it now. It's amazing.

That's not to say we aren't working toward anything - why go to school for nothing? It will be soooo nice to have this break though.

You Are a Green Crayon

Your world is colored in harmonious, peaceful, natural colors. While some may associate green with money, you are one of the least materialistic people around. Comfort is important to you. You like to feel as relaxed as possible - and you try to make others feel at ease. You're very happy with who you are, and it certainly shows! Your color wheel opposite is red. Every time you feel grounded, a red person does their best to shake you.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Ummm I guess....?

Some favorite song lines (or songs)

"Some days I surrender, some days I resolve. Every day I conquer, with your love."
-Collective Soul
This one has spiritual meaning. Even if it's not something I feel I attain to at this time, it's still something I hope to attain to. One thing that always amazes me is that even though I am so lazy, when I do something as simple as try, I can feel the Lord's love in my life. That He would be so quick to show his tender mercies to someone who doesn't deserve them.
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That I would be good even if I did not think.
That I would be good even if I got a thumbs down.
That I would be good if I got and stayed sick
That I would be good even if I gained ten pounds

That I would be fine even if I went bankrupt
That I would be good if I lost my hair and my youth
That I would be great if I was no longer queen
That I would be grand if I was not unaware

That I would be loved even if when I numb myself
That I would be good even when I am overwhelmed
That I would be loved even when I was fuming
That I would be good even if I was clingy

That I would be good even if I lost sanity
That I would be good whether with or without you
-Alanis Morriessette
This one means so much because I think it represents people from so many different walks of life - all different people with different crippling worries or concerns, yet all have the same basic, simple desire, and that's to be accepted and loved for who and what we are, no matter what.
--------------------
Oh, perilous place walk backwards toward you
Blink disbelieving eyes, chilled to the bone
Most visibly brave, no apprehended bloom
First to take this foot to virgin snow

I am magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment
I am a wunderkind
And I live the envelope pushed far enough to believe this
I am a princess on the way to my throne
Destined to serve, destined to roam

Oh, ominous place spellbound and un-child-proofed
My least favorite shelter bear alone
Compatriots in face they’d cringe if I told you
Our best back pocket secret our bond full blown

And I am a magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment
I am a wunderkind
And I am pioneer naïve enough to believe this
I am a princess on the way to my throne
Destined to seek, destined to know
Most beautiful place reborn and blown off roof
My view about face whether great will be done

And I am a magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment
I am a wunderkind
I am a groundbreaker naïve enough to believe this
I am a princess on the way to my throne
And I am a magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment
I am a wunderkind
I am a Joan of Arc and smart enough to believe this
I am a princess on the way to my throne

Destined to reign, destined to roam
Destined to reign, destined to roam

I just like this one because of the sort of mystical feeling it gives about believing in yourself and exploring the unknown. I myself am working toward such a thing - although I am a little scared, it is also exhilarating.
-------------------------

Is this all that you have in store?
Should you forget those dreams of something more?
Will you always believe in the year that could be
When you close your eyes you see
But you push your whole life and hope to achieve
And it's the uphill climb that makes you question your dreams

So when will you make up your mind
When things in life don't go to light
You have to try

You just turn, you turn and decide
that if it's meant to be it comes naturally
But if you want it enough, you gotta learn to be tough
Cuz the best things in life, they don't come free

You may say it's not meant to be
And if it makes you feel better, you can choose to believe
But the only one you'll deceive is the only one who can change anything
Nothing comes to someone who waits a lot
Waiting for something that won't come with time

So when will you make up your mind
When things in life to go right, you have to decide
You turn, you turn and decide
that if it's meant to be it comes naturally

But if you want it enough, you gotta learn to be tough
Cuz the best things in life... they don't come free
-Kathryn Moss

This one to me is about taking responsibility for your own life, your own decisions. It's easy to let the days pass, thinking that someday what you want will come, and before you know it the years have gone. But each day will only be like the last, until you get off your butt and go for it. I agree with it 100%, it's the stuff of life, man.
-----------------------

There's so much that you don't know about me
But let's not rush, cuz we have eternity
And for a world of pure insanity
Life makes an awful lot of sense to me

With all the things I thought I knew aside
I am speechless for the first time
And I'll turn in my search where beauty hides
When the most beautiful life entered mine

Can you feel it, it's different this time
Can you feel it, cuz I've heard this difference only mine
And I know what they mean, but it's so much more
than any different I could've dreamed

There's a calm hush in all the air
I can feel it everywhere
My heart's strength is about to fold
I never thought there existed such a soul

Can you feel it, it's different this time
Can you feel it, cuz I've heard this difference only mine
And I know what they mean

But it's so much more, so much more,
Than any difference I could've dreamed.
-Kathryn Moss
------------------------------
I will be the answer
At the end of the line
I will be there for you
While you take the time
In the burning of uncertainty
I will be your solid ground
I will hold the balance
If you can't look down

If it takes my whole life
I won't break, I won't bend
It will all be worth it
Worth it in the end
Cause I can only tell you what I know
That I need you in my life
When the stars have all gone out
You'll still be burning so bright

Cast me gently
Into morning
For the night has been unkind
Take me to a
Place so holy
That I can wash this from my mind
The memory of choosing not to fight

If it takes my whole life
I won't break, I won't bend
It will all be worth it
Worth it in the end
'Cause I can only tell you what I know
That I need you in my life
When the stars have all burned out
You'll still be burning so bright

Cast me gently
Into morning
For the night has been unkind
-Sarah McLachlan

Shmurfy

I feel I've been neglecting my blog a little bit. But that's because, in your predictable college-student-procrastination fashion, I have much to do. I am taking a brief break here though, to tell you that I have bought me a real-life little black dress. It's for the work Christmas Party. My sis came over and helped me decide on a few things tonight, and now I just need to buy nylons, very high black heels, jewelry and a hair-clip and maybe a hand-clutch to go with it. I'm very excited. (Sis also helped me clean our house, which for some bizarre reason, she enjoys doing. Of course it is very much appreciated.) There is much I wish to write, even things of an other-worldly nature, but it will have to wait until there's more time. I hope ya'll have a great week!

Vacation

Well Park City turned out really great, for the most part. Our room was beautiful - two big beds with soft, thick, beautiful comforters and tons of pillows. We had a computer desk, a TV set, mini-fridge, and the bathroom was so cute, too. Next time we get a hotel, I say we do the Marriott. Right after we checked in we went over to Tanger to shop around a little bit. Geoff actually said he likes to go shopping with me, "it's fun," he said. (It was cute.) It was so crowded because it was the day after Thanksgiving, even though it was evening at that time, we could hardly find a place to park. I got a pair of shorts for the swimming pool and Geoff got some tennis shoes for the gym. We also split a Mrs. Field's cookie and went in to see the pet adoption center. Wow there were some gorgeous cats there. We talk a little about getting a cat now and then - a short-hair - but the only setback we really have is my allergies, although they don't seem to be as bad as they once were. I have my yearly dr's appt. next month, so I'm going to ask her what she thinks about the allergies. We miss having pets, as soon as we can have another dog we will. This brings to mind a joke Geoff told me the other day - "what does a dyslexic agnostic insomniac do?" I said, "he lies awake at night wondering if there's a dog." He was surprised I knew the answer. Anyway, when we got home from the outlet mall, we went down to the hotel gym, which had a couple treadmills, a couple ellipticals, and a weight-center thingy. We worked out for about 30 minutes, then went back to the room and changed into swimsuits and checked out the pool. First we went into the sauna. I didn't like the sauna much, the minute Geoff opened the door to go in, I was hit in the face with a wave of steam. It didn't change much once we got in, I draped my towel over my head and tried to breathe. Then we jumped in the pool for a few minutes, then the jacuzzi. Once we tired of that, we went back to the room and showered and went to dinner. Yes, we were those people who go on vacation and eat at the hotel restaurant (c.g.g.chef) - I didn't really feel like going out, and the restaurant had a soup and salad bar, which we thought would be appropriate since we had just worked out. The restaurant was fairly nice except for the pounding that was going on overhead. We think we were below some kind of ballroom, which had to have been hosting a swing-dancing competition.

By the time we got back to the room, I was pooped. It felt so good to just lay there and watch TV (and cuddle!) :) I got up only once, to use the ATM and buy a couple of sodas from down the hall. We watched a couple hours of the To Catch a Predator marathon then went to sleep around 11 or so, I think. We put out the leaflet for room-service breakfast, which came promptly on time the next morning. (and was very good!) We checked out, and had had plans to walk mainstreet and see the museums, but at the time it didn't sound very appealing I guess (we couldn't make a decision about what to do), so we just came home.

I was glad we came home though because turns out, it was grandma's birthday, and she had invited everyone down for chili and to watch the BYU-Utah game. So then we did that, and enjoyed it. I told everyone we'd been to Park City, and Aunt and Uncle said "hey! If you ever want to go to Park City again tell us and go use our condo, it's just sitting there." It was nice of them to offer. They have been nothing but generous to us ever, but I just hate to feel - or to have them feel - like we're taking advantage of them. Anyway, then today was a normal lazy Sunday, but it felt good. Geoff taught the lesson again in Priesthood, and it sounded like it went well. He seems to be a talented teacher, a skill I admire him for. I will never have that talent, so I'm glad at least somebody in the family does. :) I love spending time with him, it's so nice to have somebody to spend not just lazy Sundays with, but the whole of life. I did manage to get some homework done this weekend, and we watched The Ultimate Gift - a Christian movie starring Abigail Breslin (the little girl from Little Miss Sunshine), it was really good. And it had a song on it that I loved the first time I heard it on the radio probably over a year ago - Breathe Me by Sia Furler. It's not exactly an uplifting song, but I just love the piano-echo thing, and the percussion.

*Sigh*. It was such a great weekend and I enjoyed it so much that I just hate to start a new week. I'm sad it's over. But it was good. It's time for bed now.

Judge Judy

Today hubby got an autographed 8x12 of Judge Judy in the mail... of all random things?? I about died laughing when i saw it on the table, he's so funny. He collected lots of autographs when he was a kid, but I don't think he's actually sent away for one since then. Court TV seems to be the latest craze at our house - when I come home for lunch we sit and watch Judge Alex together. (It's the time between classes and work for him). It's so fun to laugh at the people on it - yeah - that sounds like a really fun way that people with lives pass the time huh? :) I just found out she has her own star on hollywood blvd or whatever it is. It's scary when she smiles.


It feels so nice to be starting the weekend and it's only Wednesday. Niiiccccceeeee.


I feel a little bit like this right now. Oh yeah? Whatever dude. Kiss it.

Holy... war?

So tomorrow at work is the eve of the holy war. It's mostly for the enjoyment of management, but everyone is encouraged to participate. There is an on-going fued between the BYU fans and the UofU fans - everytime there's a new person there, they have to stand up in staff meeting, introduce themselves, and confess whether they bleed red or blue. In mine I said, "Um.... green?" Not that school fanaticism is a bad thing, I just don't understand it is all. School is merely a means to an end... a necessary evil. Fun but time consuming and expensive.

Had a quiz for economics tonight. I got an 83. :( I was bummed because I actually studied - and on all the other quizzes I got 90's. Except for that last test I didn't study for at all. I guess it's one thing to do poorly because you didn't make an effort, but to do poorly when you actually made an effort is a bit of a helpless feeling. It would really help to be able to go back over the test afterward, maybe with the class, and work through the problems in question so we could see why we got it wrong, but tests taken at the testing center don't work that way.

I'm so excited for this weekend. Thanksgiving din-din wit da fam, then Park City for a night! It's supposed to be really cold though, but that will be fun. It's cold here, now. You know I actually drove home from work in dark fog today. It's a sad day when you no longer need sunglasses outside after 5:00. BUT I do love Sarah McLachlan, so that makes it all better.

My friend from high school (one of the very few I have been somewhat in touch with) has found out she has a pituitary tumor. She has to have a neurosurgeon remove it. I just can't believe it, it's so crazy! We always think this kind of thing happens to other people. From what she says to me, they don't seem to be worried about her immediate safety, but it does need to come out pronto. I hope she is able to find a good surgeon and soon. I'll be praying for her.

Am I a brat or what...

While standing in line at WalMart, I felt someone sneeze on me from behind. Disgusting. I turned around to see a girl with rather poor hygeine, or maybe she was just sick, standing way too close to me. Every time I tried to move up to control her violation of my personal space, she just inched closer. Hello, boundaries?? We are going on our last hoo-rah this weekend for a long time and I don't want to be sick with a cold. I washed my hands as soon as I got home. I'm a jerk. A highly annoyed jerk.

On the cool side of things, our boss gave us a Christmas bonus this year - plus a gift card for Thanksgiving groceries. They are so awesome. Last year, for our Christmas party we played Deal or No Deal at the Grand America hotel (they really went all out for it - it was really cool), with the chance to win from 5 cents to 1,000 dollars, and that was meant to be our Christmas bonus. The highest anyone got was 300, and I think they felt kind of bad when some of the people went home with only 5 cents. So this year they did it differently. We are still having our Christmas party at the Grand America this year, but this time they hired entertainment (a comedian). They are so awesome, they treat us so well.

Speaking of work - it was sooo busy today. I admit it could be worse, but still we ran like headless chickens, came early, skipped lunch, and stayed late, and will be doing so tomorrow and the next day. It's for the Thanksgiving break - if we want it off, we have to smoosh everything into three days, but it's so worth it.

Dad offered us tickets to the Jazz game against the Lakers on the 30th, great seats, only eight rows up. Had to turn them down because Geoff has work, and it's the last night of class for me that night and I better not miss it. :( Oh well, it was very nice of Dad to offer them to us. Someday we'll be able to just do stuff in the evenings. :)

Starting tomorrow my work is starting another wellness program. I did the first one, but did so horribly that I chose not to participate in the second one. But this next one, is just to maintain, not gain, from tomorrow to the end of the year. I think I can do that, since my weight seems to be dead-set no matter what I do. I am going to try and lose though - if you actually lose weight then you get a bigger prize. But it'll feel good just to lose.

This is the end of "gratitude week" too. I didn't do so hot at making a list at the end of every day, but I did make an effort to just think to myself some of the things I was grateful for that day. The most common recurring thing was my husband. But not just him, I mean I've been blessed with so much, even the little things. We watched a movie last night, Blood Diamond. It was very good. But I just kept thinking, "what would it be like to live in a place of such insecurity?" How does life just go on with the constant fear that you could be attacked at any minute, having your home and family, your way of life, taken from you. And here in the states we get all riled up when someone spanks their kid, in fact it's illegal in California I hear, but in some places the children are being taught how to use machine guns, how to kill and ravage, how to use heroine and other such things. Sure our country has it's own problems, but how many places in the world just don't have the security we have here? It's very humbling to think about. I am immensly grateful to live hear, to be able to work and earn sufficient $ to take care of our needs, to be able to go to school and secure the possibility of a better future? And to do it all knowing that I'll be home at the end of the day and my home and family will still be there. It just amazes me. And it makes me want to be able to do something about it - about all the horror that happens in other places, especially to the children. I have an old highschool friend who's majoring in some economics thing, who plans to take on world poverty. Not that he'll be able to cure it, but he'll do great things. I wish/wonder if I could ever do something like that.

Did anyone else see this?

I just read on Yahoo news that Santa Clause's in Australia are being told to say "ha ha ha" instead of "ho ho ho", because "ho ho ho" may be offensive to women. HA HA. Maybe they're just trying not to get sued (because people will sue for anything). Sad but hilarious.

DeAnna's portfolio

BTW- if you have time check out my friend's website: http://deannaleeshaw.blogspot.com/

She is amazingly talented and I love her work. I'm actually buying a copy of Lilies for our front room.

Surveys

I'm sick of thinking seriously about anything for today. I'm listening to the new Finger Eleven song, Paralyzer. I say while Finger Eleven is a perfectly horrid name for a band, as are most of the lyrics to this song, there is one line I love: "And if your body matches what your eyes can do, you'll probably move right through me on my way to you." ---HOT--- .

Speaking of HOT, I have two newbies to add to my list - Christian Bale and Billy Zane. (Don't worry my hubby is still in first place - he has his own list anyway).

I've been tagged by McKenna, So here goes:

This is a different tag, so here are the rules:
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 little-known facts/habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged.

1. I think like a bi-otch but keep my voice as sweet as sugar. (That was a chapter heading in a book I looked at once and agreed with it.) (I'm not really a bi-otch, but you get what I mean - the word "bitch" is edited here for any who may feel uncomfortable reading it.)

2. Anytime I work out or wear stilettos, the middle toe on my left foot goes numb.

3. I secretly wish to be a yuppy.

I'm quitting at three. I don't care if that's lame, but this is not a homework assignment. Posting surveys is lame to begin with anyway. Here's a different one. (My parents see these once in while when an email forward goes around)

Four places I've lived: A house, a basement apartment, a duplex, a condo.

Four jobs I've had: Office Cleaner, Video-store person, bookkeeper, payroll person

Four things I'd like to do before I die: Get a degree, have children, travel, live in the city

Four favorite desserts: Chocolate cookies, chocolate milkshakes w/whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles, sorbet, better than sex cake

Four interesting facts about me: See above

Four favorite movies: 28 Days, Eternal Sunshine, Emporer's New Groove, and still looking for the fourth

Okay, I tag... Sarah, Kenna, and Natalie.

Shmatitude

Our Monday morning meeting today was actually a good one. First we talked about some of the characteristics of successful, happy, and unhappy people. Then they said that studies show that the single best combatant of unhappiness in people is.......... duh duh duh... GRATITUDE. (Sort of old news to most of us but I guess to science it's a major breakthrough). So, my "action item" for the week is to make a gratitude list at the end of every day. Although I am a little skeptical I figure it can't really hurt, right? We'll just have to see what happens.

I love Geoff.

I had an economics exam tonight, after work and class. I had about a week to study for it and never did. I reviewed beforehand, but this test covered 4 chapters, more than the usual end-of-chapter quiz. I just decided to count on my half-absent memory (I've gotten in the mid-high 90's on all other tests and quizzes, but the stuff always drains from my brain like a cullender upon completion of the quiz.) It was 100 questions, and I ended up with a 78.1%, almost a B and pretty good considering I fully expected to fail. I know I should care more, but the whole time I sat there I kept thinking, "eh, I don't care if that's wrong just get me the h-ll out of here." I feel a little guilty now because I still want a good grade in the class. We'll have to see. I wonder if it's a sign of pending burn-out - or maybe I'm just overwhelmed with all the work coming up at end of semester time.

Anyway they say the only difference between an F student and an A student is that the F student forgets everything before the test, and an A student forgets everything after the test. That puts me in the right category, doesn't it?

I have gratitude that this day is OVER and now I can shower and go to bed.

Eric Clapton - Blue eyes blue

A Very Near-Miss

We very nearly missed a wreck on the freeway last night. We had been at Sears buying a new vacuum cleaner and had just come off the northbound University Ave. exit in Provo. We were right about up to freeway speed, and I looked ahead and notice a trailer off to the right of the road, and the cars in front of us were slowing down. Suddeny, the cars in front of us skidded around, and I heard the crashing sound and saw a fender go flying. One of the cars veered around and smacked into the guard rail on the right. I think I yelled at Geoff to slow down, and we came to a screeching halt right in-between the two wrecked cars, about three feet away from the fender that was now lying in the middle of the road. There was glass everywhere. We sat there in shock for a minute, then decided we better get off the road and pulled over. Luckily nobody was hurt. There was another girl there who had been a witness, so the three of us sat there and waited for the cops to come so we could give a statement.

I guess what had happened is that the trailer that had been sitting on the right side of the road had needed a tire change. So, the owner of the trailer had set the spare tire down on the road, at an angle that made it roll into the middle of the freeway. He chased it into the middle of the road - and I think the cars in front of us were probably trying not to hit him when they skidded around and crashed.

When we left I thought, "well, that's over now, let's go to the video store and get some movies." It didn't occur to me until later how close we were to being smashed. If we had been going just a little bit faster or had left Sears just a few seconds earlier, that would have been us in that wreck. Of course, if we had been in that spot, we might've been able to maneuver so that there was no wreck, OR it could've been much worse than it was. (On the way TO Sears, we were talking about how nice it was to have the cars paid off finally, and I had mentioned that we better not speak too soon, or we'd probably wreck. Ha. Strike one for Murphy's law.)

Today in church, someone was speaking about how they had lost a son a long time ago in a car accident, and she stressed, "Now is the time to prepare to meet God." I'm glad nothing happened to us because I am NOT ready to die. I also want to appreciate my family more while I have them with me and especially my sweet husband, because I love him so much. I can't imagine if I had to continue life without him.

The Light of Doom

So, after I got home from class tonight I grabbed a bowl of cereal and flipped on the TV, and caught the tail end of The Next Great American Band or something like that. A couple of mediocre bands played, then it cut to the pre-interview with the Light of Doom, a group of young boys. And the first thing I noticed was their long, shimmering, lustrous hair. (Even Hansen didn't use curling irons). I want hair like that! Because of the connotation I expected them to sound like Hansen, except worse. Then they played. And they kicked-A. They rocked harder than any of the other bands - and they were showmen too. (Or show-boys? But that doesn't sound very good).

I feel a little snowed with homework tonight. That's okay cuz I set this whole weekend aside for homework... starting tomorrow. :)

"Never-out" is a crappy name for toilet paper dispensers when there's never toilet paper in them.

There's a cute song by Jackie Green, called Falling Back. If you can look it up then do.

Big Hairy Scary

So, word is out that one of my co-workers actually went to the boss and made a complaint that some of us dress too nice. ??? I could MAYbe see a complaint about some people not dressing nice enOUGH, but too nice?? *sigh* This is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about when I say WORK DRAMA. It's all about tripping the prom queen. You work in an office full of women, there's always going to be the one or two who'll do anything to spread their misery. It's ridiculous.


On a better note, the woman I work with on "big hairy scary" (that's my name for our nastiest client - I'm her helper with this one), there's been more drama going on with her and this client.
I'll avoid going into all the gory detail, but she takes a lot of abuse from them, and the other day something happened that was just the last straw. As we talked about it, I think I went off about how if it were me, I'd be livid, and I'd be doing this and this, and she just kind of listened to me and nodded. The next day, she went in and had a talk with the boss, and came out with extremely positive results. She was so happy. She told me that if I hadn't encouraged her, she would've never stood up for herself. It was kind of cool for me to hear. We talk a lot about self-validation in my philosophy class, so when she said that it sort of made my day. :)

My friend came over last night and watched the Office with me too, that was fun.

And I love my husband more than anything. :)

I just watched an old episode of Who's the Boss. Tony Danza was pretty hot then, no?

Wow this is amazing

The left is an x-ray of the 2-year old girl they operated on. She was born with eight limbs. The most amazing part is that they were able to successfully remove the extra limbs and organs and re-build her pelvis. They said the people in her village regard her as a re-incarnation of the hindu goddess on the right - in fact she is even named after her. It's all just bizzare, but I'm glad they were able to operate successfully.

Backstreet bird.

This is hilarious. Turn up the volume and have a good laugh. I love birds.

Crack bust

So, you can tell I have nothing else to do tonight. I'm kind of trapped in the back room here cuz the carpet is wet out front and the kitchen is jammed with furniture. So, I am just perusing through the news and here's a couple things I found:

Mexican authorities have made the world's largest cocain bust - 26 tons - that's 52,000 lbs. of coke! They think it came from Columbia and belongs to the Pacific Cartel. The U.S., with their oh-so-good intentions, is talking about giving Mexico 1.4 BILLION dollars to help them in their fight against drugs. Meanwhile... Mexico is salivating. Don't you think if you give a country that much $$ to help with their drug problem, they're going to keep having a drug problem? hint hint? Maybe they should spend the dough on keeping the drugs out of OUR borders, at least then the demand for coke would decrease, and maybe by snuffing out a bunch of the customers the suppliers would also decrease their production, thereby decreasing the amount of drugs in circulation. With the decreased availability of drugs inside the U.S., their price would skyrocket, also decreasing the amount of users in our own system. Viola! It works for us and for them. Unless of course... unless the underground drug market is actually a facet to our economy, (just like it probably is for their economy - in Columbia), in that case this whole thing is just a big show for the people who think our government should be doing good things, and what a waste of money. (And perhaps I'm actually learning something in my economics class) :)

Here's another: "DANBURY, Conn. - A man is facing drug charges after he allegedly walked into the Danbury police station puffing on a marijuana-filled cigar.... Officers came out and smelled the distinctive odor of marijuana and arrested Snow." Duh? 'Nough said there.

I am so sick of hearing about referendum 1

I just talked to someone on the phone to invite them to hang out with me at Target (I gotta get out of the house while the carpet dries), and they replied that they were out on the street corner by the mall campaigning with signs for Referendum 1, for 30 bucks an hour.

Well, I always wondered how those political campaigners (the ones that picket) didn't have better things to do with their time, but I guess at 30 bucks an hour, they probably really don't. Personally, I don't think either campaign accurately or fully reflected all the facts, and that's kind of shady to pay a bunch of college kids $30/hr to picket for them as if they really believed in it, even if it is good for the college kids. (I guess for people without children the main thing we would care about is how either vote affects our taxes). Oh well, it sounded like a blast and an easy, much-needed buck, so sweet. It's gotta be better than hanging out at Target.

I bring home the bacon now

Well, I decided not to get a ticket to the Tori Amos concert for Christmas. I told Geoff thanks, but I would rather save the money. I am enjoying her CD that I bought, however. One of my favorites on there goes like this:

I wasn't thinking, my head was in the book
His hands were on her uh-e-uh-va-uh-re-uh-where
I saw his face, I dropped my coffee
He's cheating on me with a hoochie woman

Ooo hoo hoo, you keep your hoochie
ooo hoo hoo, and keep the house
ooo hoo hoo, I have the bank accounts
cuz' boys I bring home the bacon
I said boy I bring home the bacon now

It's so angry-girl, I love it. For the most part this album is a lot more laid back (The Beekeeper) - like vacation music. This one is kind of reggae-funk, keeping the piano at the forefront. It's not so dark and heavy, I really like it. I also like Cornflake Girl, which is older.

We had the front room carpet cleaned today. When I came home for lunch Geoff had moved all the furniture into the kitchen for the carpet guys to come, and we sat on the bare front-room floor and ate lunch. It had a real primitive feel, like before you move into a house and it's empty and your stuff is still packed up. Or when we got our first apt. right before we got married. It was fun. My baby's so cute.

Brilliant, simply brilliant

Monday morning meeting. Heeeyyyyyyyyy, that's brILLiaaaaaaaant!!! That's how our meeting-guy talks. This morning's meeting was about.... umm.... it was about..... shoot. I can't remember. However, I CAN remember the poem we were supposedly supposed to memorize and then never talked about again.

WILL

There is no chance, no destiny, no fate
Can circumvent or hinder or control
The firm resolve of a determined soul

Gifts count for nothing, will alone is great
All things give way before it soon or late
What obstacle can stay the mighty force
Of the sea-seeking river in it's course
Or cause the ascending orb of day to wait

Each well-born soul must win what it deserves
Let the fool prate of luck. The fortunate is he
whose earnest purpose never swerves, whose
slightest action or inaction serves the
one great aim. Why, even death stands still
and waits an hour sometimes for such a will.
--Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Living apart, together?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21369007/GT1=10547

Well I think this one may be the most interesting one yet - a married couple who loves each other and swears they are faithful and they have a "normal," happy relationship, with kids, yet they live in two different places on two different sides of town. That just doesn't make any sense to me. She does bring up some good points, but altogether I disagree. See what you think.

Tori Amos

Yesterday Geoff asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I said a vacuum cleaner. He said he had something else in mind - a ticket for the Tori Amos concert at the end of November. Hey, we could really use a good vacuum cleaner but I'll go for the ticket. ;) He won't actually come with me of course, so I guess I'll just go by myself. I don't know of anyone else that really likes her. (Maybe they do but they've never said anything to me - I don't mind going alone).

I really like Tori Amos because she's 100% GIRL, with just a touch of psycho. Her music is totally something only a girl would write. It's a little weird and unconventional sometimes, but that's what sets her apart, I guess. So now I am catching up on all the stuff I don't know of hers. Someone told me that he saw her in concert once, and she sang and played two instruments simultaneously. It'll be cool if she really does that.

We'll probably get a vacuum cleaner sometime next week.

From the night of the concert

At First Glance...

What do these look like?


They are actually candy. Every Halloween at my work, everyone brings in their kids, grandkids, neighbors kids, whoever - and they trick or treat to all of our cubicles. I wasn't exactly looking forward to this as it was a busy afternoon and I'm not very good at doing the "Ohhhh so cuuuuuute!" thing, especially if I have to do it several times in a row. So, it being Halloween and me having no candy for the little trick-or-treaters, I ran to the nearest Wal-Mart and grabbed the nearest, cheapest back of candy I could find... a bunch of "Candy Sticks" in boxes with Spiderman on the front. Well, come to find out, when you open the boxes, the candy looks like that. (They aren't even flavored, they're just pure sugar). Oh well I gave them away anyway, what else could I do? I just hope none of the parents saw them and wondered what moron at work gave all the kids fake cigarettes.


After work, I went to class, and after class, I went to register for next semester's classes. Geoff and I both have Saturday classes beginning January. We REALLY aren't going anywhere once it starts. We are celebrating our quickly-terminating "freedom" by getting away to Park City over Thanksgiving break. Yay!


Anyway, after registering I was going to go to a party in Spanish Fork, and stopped home only to shower real fast. My mind was so engrossed with classes that I totally forgot it was Halloween (again). The second I got in the house and turned all lights on, there was a knock at the door. I peeked out the hole and saw about ten kids and three moms outside, all dressed up holding their treat bags. I didn't have any candy at home. I slunk away quietly, hoping they would go away, but a few minutes later the doorbell rang again. They knew I was home - they weren't going anywhere until they got some candy.


I opened the door and was bombarded with little hands holding open bags up to me. I told them to hold on a second and ran to the kitchen to see what was there. Could I give them chocolate weight loss shakes? Probably not. Eggs? No. Aha! A box of dried fruit packages would work. I handed them their packages of dried fruit, and they took them with disappointed looks and walked away. "Hey," I wanted to say, "I just spend 15 bucks on you, you're welcome!" (Those boxes of dried fruit are not cheap). After they left I locked the door and turned off all the lights in the house and went to shower. Amazingly enough, I could still hear the doorbell ringing while showering. Whatever...

Sweet as Candy

I went to Grandma's a couple nights ago to have her help me with my coat, and stayed to watch the Jazz game. While there, I learned a few things about grandma's new husband, Donald.

-He likes to watch Dancing with the Stars
-He LOVES candy and sweets
-He makes amazing fudge - better than professional stuff and I'm not kidding
-He grew up on a farm, and when he was a little kid their pig had babies. Well, the babies disappeared and he overheard his parents speculating as to whether she ate them. Well, as a young boy, he was so mortified that the mom pig would eat her babies, that when she gave birth again sometime later, he stood by and then took all the baby pigs and put them on the other side of the fence away from the mom. (And then ran for his life as the mom wasn't very happy with him.)
-He takes wonderful care of my grandma and treats her like a princess

I have to admit, it was a little strange to have grandma get married again at first, but I'm so glad she has him.

My new friend

Saturday after the early choir practice, I stopped by the Macey's in Spanish Fork on my way home, and what should I see there but Frankenstein himself. (He was passing out candy to the little kids). He tried to get me to take some candy, but I told him only if I could get a picture. As we stood there he asked if I was married, and when I said yes, he said, "ohhhh your husband is going to be sooo jealous." ha ha. It was fun.

So we had Geoff's dad down this weekend, and it was a lot of fun but we ate so much crap! I actually ate until I was almost sick, something I absolutely HATE doing and almost never do. Time to get back to the plan!

Saturday was also the choir reunion/concert. The practice at 7 a.m. in S.F. Little Sis was there, so that was cool, and the concert was that night. I was wearing an aqua green sweater and black skirt, and Geoff showed up to match, in an aqua green dress shirt and black pants. He said it was cuz he wanted to show he's my Number 1 fan! Ha ha, he's so dang funny. I have pictures but I can't post them until we get the internet again. It was great to see some old friends and even more fun to sing. We did my favorite one, "I Never Stand Alone," from the Hill Cumorah cantata by Janice and Steven Kapp Perry, and a couple of others.

We quit Comcast because our internet service kept going out. Actually, we called and cancelled our account on Saturday and the guy was supposed to pick up the modem on Sunday and he never showed up. So I called Comcast and they said our account was never cancelled. So, someone over there lied to our face. We just signed up with Qwest, which actually makes me a little more nervous. I've always sworn we would never do Qwest because of some dealings I've had with them in the past, in business settings. They are incredibly sneaky. So, we just wrote down everything they said and hopefully things go smoothly. As long as the internet WORKS. That's what we are paying for, after all.

Awwwwww

Yesterday at work I got really upset and went home for lunch. Geoff was there (it was the break in between class and work for him), and I started bawling. Geoff was so sweet and took me out to lunch. I wanted McDonald's so we went to McDonald's. He's such a sweetheart and I love him so much. He takes good care of me.

Seize the Day

Right now I am escaping the headache of an economics chapter I really don't understand. Although this is the last day I can do it before the weekend, I really should make this short. I read a cool quote today:

"To be elated at success and disappointed at failure is to be the child of circumstances; how can such a one be called master of himself?" --Chinese Proverb

If this is a measure of self-mastery, then I am far from the mark. I get so excited about small things and then bad things really tend to get me down sometimes, too. On the other hand, I don't think self-mastery means you should quelch your emotions. Celebration of success and dissappointment at failure is all a part of life, good and bad. One wouldn't be complete without the other. There's a scripture somewhere that says all things have their opposite, that in fact sadness is necessary in order to feel joy, etc. (I'm too lazy to try and look it up right now.) I guess maybe what this quote really does is show a difference in culture. Maybe for a Chinese monk, that would be the rule, but in America we are about living it up... at least, we try. Carpe Diem or Seize the Day. Or, as my philosophy instructor puts it, "Cherish the day."

Anyway, we should have a fun weekend. More about it next week I guess. Back to economics!

Dumbledore, I never knew

Okay, this just makes me laugh. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071021/ap_on_en_ot/books_potter_dumbledore;_ylt=AuqAIUSBJ3SEmP4Cra8O9ylxFb8C

I have absolutely nothing against gays, in fact, I think they are denied some basic rights that they should be able to have. It's just, well, she waited until long after her last book was released to mention it. I think she's just trying to get publicity, using homosexuality to try and get a few more sales out of her retired series (like she really needs a few more sales). It's not like Dumbledore has been hiding something all this time, and has put careful thought into coming out at a good time in his life... because he's FICTIONAL! JK Rowling IS Dumbledore. Is there a connection there??

On another note, how sad about the fires in California. All the people without homes. It's a sign of the times, no? Scary because Utah isn't exactly immune to wildfires. We don't have the Santa Anas here, but it could still happen couldn't it? I know someone who is going to Disneyland on vacation this weekend, today she was complaining about how she has the most rotten luck that there would be a huge wildfire on the weekend she planned her vacation, potentially ruining it... I guess she meant the air quality and a trip to the beach. I said, "yeah, I bet all those people who's houses burned down are thinking the same thing." Phhhhht. I am a jerk. I really actually love this person because she's a sweetheart, it was a little funny though.

Disclaimer

Kenna is not a porn-crazed psychopath. I didn't realize the way I said it made it sound bad, but she plays the "next blog game" the safe way, too. (She just forgot to tell me how!) :) (No wait, I think she did tell me how, a long long time ago, I just forgot).

With the choir thing coming up and all, it got me thinking on some past experiences with choir tour. I remember trying to save up and earn money (the tours can cost quite a bit of money for a kid who's in school). One day my grandpa Boyack came over, just to chat. And he gave me a crisp $100 dollar bill, to put towards tour. It was such a sweet gesture, he was the kindest-hearted person.

Kill the Beast

So, I decided to try Kenna's idea and play the "next blog game." I was using the "next blog" button at the top of the screen... DO NOT do this unless you are or want to be a porn-crazed psychopath or you have loads and loads of money to spend on totally worthless crap. I figured out how to browse blogs the safe way - go to yours or my profile, then click the city or state, and it brings lists of people's blogs in that area and you can choose which ones you want to look at. Yes, this is a lesson in how to become a blog-stalker, but apparently I'm not the only one with such an interest. So it's socially acceptable which must mean it's okay, right? (I know I know, if everyone else jumped off a bridge...). Besides, if people didn't want you to read about them then they wouldn't be posting their journals online, would they? One thing I've discovered is that while it's interesting to read about other people's lives, it's actually really boring to look at picture after picture of other people's kids, if I don't know them. (If I know you then I like to see those pics). If you are the one writing the blog, I like to see pictures of YOU. Maybe your significant other. But your kids? zzzzzzzzz. I'm a jerk and I don't care, and I know they don't write their blogs purely for my enjoyment, which means I can bash them because I don't write my blog purely for their approval. Where was I going with this?

Oh yeah - there is a UVCC alumni concert this weekend. I've been wanting to do this for a long time. Sometimes I'd get out my Cumorah's Hill choirbook and play it on the piano and wish I could actually sing it with a group again. (Sad and pitiful but I missed it) As much as the 7 a.m. Saturday morning practices sucked, it was good memories, and nothing else really matches up, you know? Ward choir pales, because once you decide to quit going they come back for you, with torches and pitchforks, hounding you week after week until you fall crying and cowering to the ground with your hands over your head yelling, "STOP!!!! I just want to be left alone for the love of [insert what you love here, in my case chocolate], I just want to live my life in peace! Please, please just let me live my life in peace..." Maybe they thought badgering a young new girl would help them magnify their calling or something weird. Of course I was always too nice (or too wimpy) to just tell the crazy person I hated it, so I just kept saying I would be there and then never showed up. You'd think they'd get the hint and quit calling, you know? We had to move to get away from them. (Yes, now you also know why we've moved around so much... it's the flight response.)

There was snow on the ground Sunday morning, I couldn't believe it. It's gone now, thank goodness. Anyway, work and school drag on. The Monday morning meetings are becoming increasingly annoying. It's only because our guy who presents them, as nice as he is, talks like he just inhaled a giant bug and he's constantly gasping for air, and it takes an hour to say what could've been said in ten minutes. Some motivational speakers, it's as if they talk like they just discovered God's gift then everyone will think what they're saying is really special, and it hurts the ears after awhile. Just talk to me like I'm a normal human being with normal intelligence, please?! (Yes I already know that's not the millionaire-mentality but I'm working on it here). I just want a quiet, non-eventful week, where I can just fly under the radar and not have to talk to anyone too much (meaning co-workers) and just get my stuff done.

Yikes maybe they should come after me with pitchforks.

No Title

Geoff and I made an attempt at having friends this weekend. We invited someone who used to work with me and her husband out to dinner. It actually turned out really fun. We ate dinner at Tucahno's, and it snowed really hard while we were there. I love the huge windows there. Then we walked over to Borders and filled what space was left in our tummies with Chocolate Trio with mint and whipped cream and sat in the cafe for awhile. Then we rented Poltergeist (in honor of Halloween and their party that we will be missing), and watched it at their apartment. It was so much fun! I love Ashlee, I love having friends. We'll see if they feel the same (meaning, we'll see if they ever call us back again! ha!)

Geoff taught the lesson in Priesthood meeting today. It was about women in the church, he said it went really well. People kept complimenting him in Sunday School. That's good, cuz when we taught the 16 & 17 year-olds in our last ward, I don't remember it being that great of an experience. We tried, and I tried really, and we got to know the kids pretty well, but the teaching itself was lacking. I guess it was me, Geoff appears to be a pretty good teacher, so that's good.

He's already lost weight with the little plan we've got going. What is it about men that they can do that faster than women? I'm still the same. I guess it will take time.

I really love this Emerson Hart album. I recommend it if you're looking for something new.

From someone who is REALLY named after a state

Is anyone else as shocked as I am that they are advertising the sale of Hanna Montana concert tickets on the nightly news??? Come on?

zzzZZZzzz

I bet I have a world record. Yep, a world record for how many times a person can push snooze in the morning before finally getting out of bed. (My clock is a four-minute alarm, too). Due to the “behave like a responsible adult” plan, I’ve been going to bed between 9:30 and 10:30 the past week, giving me an extra 2-3 hours of sleep per night. You would think this would help alleviate the problem, but noOoo. Getting out of bed is like trying to raise the dead out of the cold, hard ground. I bet, if that train nearby de-railed and headed straight toward our house, I would probably roll over and mutter, “just give me ten more minutes.”

When I was in high school, (or hike school, whichever you prefer), I used to put the alarm clock on the other side of the bedroom. Do you know, I could actually get out of bed, walk across the room, turn the alarm clock off, and go back to bed without ever waking up? Recently I brought a diet Dr. Pepper to bed with me and left it on the nightstand. My idea was to take a big long drink right when the alarm went off, then wait about 15 minutes for the caffeine to work. No such luck.

Before getting married, I worried what my snooze-slapping habits would do to my poor husband, but he’s learned how to sleep through it as well, thankfully. Perhaps someday there will be a cure for the person whose body won’t function before 10:00 a.m. Until then, my alarm continues to take the abuse.

Tripping the Prom Queen

If you've ever wondered why women relate to each other the way they sometimes do, I recommend this book. Just get past all the TV analogies, and it's a very interesting read. (Especially after working with a large group of women for a little while, I see the stuff every single day, ha.)

Geoff bought an ipod today, one of the really cool ones. I think he might've felt a little guilty about spending the money (although he knows I don't care) because he insisted it would be for BOTH of us. He's so cute. The only time I ever used an mp3 player was at the gym, but I've since reverted to text books. Fun, huh?

Ice on the windshield this morning! Winter is almost here, yikes!!!

Interpretive-Dance Tutorial

For our Monday morning weekly work meeting, (the one I mentioned earlier that is supposed to improve job satisfaction and performace), we have been asked to memorize a poem called Will. It's a smart poem and maybe I'll share it sometime - it has all of the cheesy analogies you can think of... sea-seeking rivers and ascending orbs of day... you get the picture. Last Friday when I asked the ladies if they're going to memorize the poem over the weekend, they said, "no, but watch Emily's interpretive dance for it." (Emily was a theater and dance major in some college in New York, she's quite the dramatic one but we love her). I watched as Emily got a running start, then leaped into the air with arms stretched out at her sides, and landed with a thud on one foot while bowing and pointing her nose like a hound who's just found a scent. So graceful.

Of course after Emily's inspirational display, we couldn't help but share our own interpretive dances, a few of which I am going to teach you right now.

1. The Sprinkler. Place your right hand on the back of your neck and stick your elbow out. Lift your left arm out in front of you, and move both arms toward each other at the same time, then away from each other. Perform this motion repeatedly while moving your body with the beat of the music.

2. The lawnmower. Make a fist with both of your hands. Stretch arms out in front of you in a downward slant. Now shake your hips and move as though you were pushing a lawnmower, and pull upward with your right hand repeatedly as if you were pulling the starter on the mower.

3. The Car. This is one of the most adverse interpretive dance moves, as you can do nearly anything you want with it. (Think "wheels on the bus", except club-style). Once such move is to hold your hands up in front of you palms facing away. Now flick your right wrist. Now flick your left wrist. Repeat a few times. (that's honking the horn.)

4. The something-or-other. I really just made that name up because I don't know what this one's called. Place your right hand on the back of your neck again, and stick your elbow out. Staying upright, bend your left knee and bring your left foot up behind you so your left ankle rests comfortably in your left hand - now you are balancing on your right foot. Bring your right elbow and your left knee toward each other, then away. Repeat several times, if your stomach can take it. (Similar to doing crunches.)

So. Now I have further dorkified what could not be any dorkier, but there you go. I know there are more I just can't think of them. Happy dancing!


(I stole this pic from Kenna's blog. Cute huh.)