May

My nephew graduated. He'll be heading up to USU for a year and then head off on the painful and purposeful adventure we call a mission. I first found out about my nephew after my mom and I raced to the hospital because my sister was in labor. We met his dad in the elevator. He said, "It's a boy; 8lbs 6 oz." He was very calm which I found anticlimactic. And now my nephew's all growed up.

This is my niece. She'll graduate much later. As you can tell, she's not very mature.

This is our friend RDS. He introduced us to Dr. Who. And we love it, love it. It's British, clean, and fun. It about a "time lord" who travels around in his Tardis (a blue police box that's small on the outside and huge on the inside) solving mysteries through out the ages -- it's always the aliens "who done it."

A really scary episode includes angel statues which start out beautiful and get scary. The statues come alive and come after you... but only if you aren't looking at them. So you have can't turn away, leave, run, or even blink. It's a super thrilling episode... that I haven't yet seen, oddly enough. I saw another episode with the angels, but not the episode. I hope to soon. Anyway, we got sidewalked-chalked by RDS and JG and were delighted to wake up to this.

The stairs read "Don't even blink."

And here's a hot photo of my girls and me from the farmer's market, which happened to be less farmers and more market.

And now a poem from Chalie Boy to describe the photo.

On my mamma/ On my hood

I look fly/ I look good

Touch my swag/ wish you could

I look fly/ I look good

Bookmarks

Along the top of my internet page run my bookmarks. There are the usual ones -- gmail, youtube. (I don't have one for Facebook. The reason being that I don't want to go there too often. I find I go there less if I have to type out the address instead of just click a link. it also helps me forget it exists.) The necessary ones because they are useful and I go there often -- this blog and lds.org. The boring ones -- credit card accounts, investment sites. Then there are ones just for me.

Pandora. If you don't know what it is, crawl out from under the rock and prepare to have your life changed. My favorite stations are my broadway and my John Mayer.

Links to my favorite libraries and my paperback swap, where you can trade books for free.

Playlist. This connects to my blog. I use it to make playlists for parties as well. I like it because I can listen to a song until I'm sick of it without paying for it.

Goodreads. Many of my friends are on it. We write about what we are reading and compile lists of the things we read. I also have a link to it on the right side of this page. I enjoy seeing what my fellows are reading; I like writing out my opinions and admiring the list of my readings. And I like reading that other people loved/hated whatever book I loved/hated. For example I loved A Separate Peace as did many others; and I hated Anthem, as did most others. Very validating.

What've you got bookmarked?

Bike

Queen said, "I like to ride my bicycle/ I like to ride my bike." I can relate to this song.

Today I went for a bike ride. I enjoy leisurely bike rides -- I have to, my bike has no gears. But even still I am not an endurance bike-rider. I sit on a beach cruiser.

I love the feeling of bike riding. Especially through a city. It's idyllic for me. Walking you can observe the minutiae of the street, in a car it's much too fast. Bike riding is the goldilocks of transport. I feel a connection to my surrounding. I can hear the street, see the pavement, observe nature, greet strangers, but not soooo slowly.

Bike riding gets two thumbs up.

One Year

It's been one year since my dad died. At first, when everything was fresh, it was hard. But knowing that my dad is ok and that I'll see him again has made a difference. And I've been ok this year. I've gone on with life. But the last few days, leading up to this anniversary, have been reflective and more painful that I'd expected.

I went to his grave today, just to have a moment. I was talking to him and going over some memories when I thought, I don't know if I've recorded these memories. I want to write down a few more.

My dad's back was arched over. A long time ago he was 6'2" but he'd slumped over and was shorter than me. When you'd hug him you could feel his spine, which is kind of odd but somehow sentimental to me. I can remember exactly his hands, callused and long fingers. And when he was sitting and excited he'd bounced his knees and slap his hands over them and say, "Oh! I'm just so..." whatever.

I keep kleenex in my car because my dad did. I'd recommend it.

I reflected on the fact that I have never once doubted that my parents love me. My parents have always, without exception, treated me with love. And I'm a really lucky kid because not everyone has that. My dad was stoked about any decision I made and it was easy to be me around him, and to make my own decisions, and to live my life my way, making my own mistakes, because I knew he'd be stoked whatever. And even if he thought a decision was weird (On going to grad school "Getting married's a good thing too") he still supported me.

He helped pay for my mission. Last night I was going through some things we got from his house and among them were the emails from my mission. My mission means everything to me. It is the most important experience of my life. And I got to go because of my supportive family, and because of my dad.

School too. My dad paid for a lot of my costs associated with school. Yeah, I could've done it without him, but it was so much nicer to do it with him. And he let me use his car until I got my own, which was a big relief to me as I was returning from my mission.

When Fred and Dad and I went to Disneyland -- just weeks before he really got sick -- when I was still in high school, he made us ride the Matterhorn, like, three times in a row. I didn't get a big thrill out of it, but Dad did. Fred and Dad had mint juleps as we rode the ferry around Tom Sawyer island -- I probably had a coke.

Balm Bar. Never heard of it? Dad had some in his house and his car. Apparently it moisturizes very well. When I'd borrow his car we'd have to get his things out: the Balm Bar, medications, his disabled sign, his glasses.

When I was little Dad went to Italy. I know because he bought me back a small bottle of sand that read Venice. I wondered, because Italy was so far away, that he really hadn't told me about it until he was back. It wasn't until much later in life that I learned of a nice beach in California called Venice.

In January 2009, when dad busted his femur, I visited his every week in the rehab. Loved the wheelchair that sat by the side of the bed. I attempted to teach dad to text. But, uhh, Dad had other talents.

When Dad test drove my yellow PT cruiser (which I love almost as much as life itself) he rode the brake. I about died. I kept thinking, don't ruin my car, don't ruin my car. He recommended I think about the car for three days and see if I still wanted it. He went home and I bought the car on the spot. Love is love. And Dad was stoked for me.

Dad and I went shopping before back-to-school night for the sixth grade. We went to the Gap and I got gray stretch pants with a long-sleeved short/mini dress with twirl power (it's a legit power). I felt like a million dollars going to back-to-school night.

A couple years ago Dad and I were driving along way together, probably to the family reunion held in upper Mongolia (or Eastern Utah, I forget which). Dad told me how he broke into a radio station when he was in high school. They played some prank on the DJ.

Dad loved cars. He always wanted a Cadillac. He could name the makes, models, and years of old cars. He would tell me about the cars he'd had and I'd have no clue what he was talking about.

I asked Dad why he didn't wear Wrangler's like most of his family. He said he wanted to have kids.

Dad loved the Golden Girls and Dallas. Probably loved Dallas a little too much.

When I was five, Mom was at work and Dad was tending me. It snowed outside and I asked go out and play. He said no so I told him it was opposite day and asked again. He said yes. So I went out and played for five minutes before I was too cold and came back inside.

Miss you, Dad.

Michael Buble

The tickets were obtained months in advanced. The day planned for... then forgotten... and reminded. Michael fantasized about. I enjoyed Michael's humor in general, his renditions of Billy Jean (here on youtube) and Shake It Up Baby, and just listening to perfectly sung song after song. Check out the photos below.

Necklace Boards

Miss J made one and it was rad, so I -of course -had to follow the trend. I made one for myself (pink) and one for my niece, Kyrsti (green). Don't tell Kyrsti, though, it's a surprise. I don't think Kyrsti reads this blog. If you do, Lou, pretend you didn't read this and be very excited. ;)

I went to Home Depot and found a 48" long board (that's just what size it came in, but I'd also check the scrap heap too) and about a half inch thick. I had the fine worker there cut it into two 21" slabs -- you could go a little longer but not much. I should have kept the left over piece and made place to hang keys-- so take the into consideration if you do this.

I sanded the board then painted it with regular acrylic paint I got for $2 at Robert's. I cut out magazine clippings (I'd think you could also do photos but print on regular paper not photo paper) including letters for each of our names. You can use glue to stick everything onto the board, or just paint the back-side of each clipping and it sticks to the board. Press firmly to get things to stick and hold for a second.

Next, I went over the whole board with a thin layer of white acrylic paint. This gives it a shabby-chic look. If the white it too thick, just use your fingers and wipe it off. On one of them I used some mod-podge at the end just because things were struggling to stay down.

Last, I inserted nails wherever I felt it was right. Hang in your desired way; I drilled two holes through the board and nailed it to the wall.

It was a really simple, cute project.

This I Believe

I believe Suze Orman really cares about me and my money.

Growing up I had two very different monetary educations. My dad's philosophy was "You can't take it with you so spend it now" and my mom was a bargain shopper. This was a difficult difference for me to absorb and assimilate. Instant gratification or slow and steady wins the race?

Buying now and worrying about paying later is a nice way to live most days of the month. I like nice things. I have lots of nice things. And I paid full price for some of them.

Finding a bargain is a nice way to live too. When you find something really amazing then you brag to all your friends how there are none left and you only paid $xx. People envy that sort of thing, I think.

In becoming my own human I've taken the best of both worlds and added a li'l something. I've read some finance books, been online for tips, and attended some workshops. I like Suze Orman's show. She tells people what they can and can't afford and she's really strict. (I don't think I can afford anything.) But she's strict because she cares. And I've read her books bzw. I've skimmed some of her books. My saving account is based on her advice: eight months expenses. And lately, for non-planned items, I've just given myself an amount to spend, however I please (no "budget" requirements or specificities) -- on full- and sale-priced items; for big and small purchases. And I just go until it's gone. I'm also trying to work on a cash-only basis for this part of my budget. I can actually see and feel how much moola I got. I have also felt empowered when I realized I had more than I'd probably need so I bought some curtains that block out all light. Sleepin' good and feelin' in control.

My dad once railed on my girl Ellen because she's gay. Later he mentioned his love for Suze Orman. I thought about bursting his bubble on Suze's sexuality, but stopped myself because I really like Suze and I truly believe she cares about me and my money.

Drill, Baby, Drill!

Surveying the mess that is my second closet (yes, I have two) I knew something had to be done with the purses. I had an old board of hooks in the first closet (the display having tumbled to the ground many moons). If only I had a drill, I thought.

But, wait! I received a drill for Christmas. And once my bro Ty had showed me how to use a drill. Without consulting anyone (ok, I called Ty about drill but size, but that was it!) I drilled into my wall, and effectively hung this rack. Now the purses are nicely organized and off the floor. So proud.

If you thought this blog was going to be about something else, then I bet you'll get a kick out of this.

Weekend Update with HRH

I'm still plugging away at Lent with "lapses" every couple days. Although I have not been able to totally eliminate treats and high-sugar foods, I have significantly reduced the consumption. I feel the difference in my body and I'm eating more heathfuly. For example, on a recent grocery shopping trip I loaded my cart, on happenstance, with only food in its natural form (besides milk and whole-grain bread). I've rediscovered pears and everyone needs to try the Greek honey yogurt from Good Earth -- after going Greek, you just can't go back.

I gave up Facebook for a week. Not hard at all. I thought it would be hard and take some will-power. With Facebook deleted from my address book and no access at work, the week slipped by without me noticing very much, if at all, that Facebook was missing. I'd recommend it (the going without, not Facebook).

I'm training for a 5K -- never ran so far in my life. Miss J and I are on a schedule: run 1.5 miles Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays with increasing distance weekly and cross training Wednesdays. I have had this goal before but it never materialized because I wasn't motivated. I'm successful because we are training to run The Race for the Cure in May in support of our friend Lulu, who has breast cancer. I'm pretty stoked. It's a big group and we're doing shirts at all. Most importantly, it's really encouraging for Lulu.

I'm heading to NYC in June. My sister runs leadership camps for high schoolers in NYC, DC, and Cali all summer. My mom and I are going to visit her in-between camps. Our plan is to just see show after show after show, then go to H&M, tour, then see another show. Recommendations on shows?

I met with a mortgage broker but, in thinking things over, I'm not going to buy a house. I could, but I've decided to focus more on grad school. I'm taking a GRE prep course in May and then doing an Anthro class in the summer. I think I'd like to do a Ph.D. in Anthropology. Duke and UC San Diego have programs that look neat (if... no... when I get in). Is it weird to say that part of my inspiration comes from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II where Bridgett does an archaeological dig in Turkey? (I don't want to be an archaeologist, but I'd like to go on a dig if they'd let me). I'm even more stoked about it after reading (though I'm not quite finished) Guns, Germs, and Steel. It's the first non-fiction I've read (ok, so compared to Gladwell and Pollan) that the author was a true expert and it's wasn't super repetitive. I've learned so so much. The book is all about how society got to where it is and why other societies didn't seem to evolve the same. It's a long book and I don't think I'd have made it through except that it's on CD in my car, but I'd highly, highly recommend it.

My girl (that's us in the photo) Vali, in Germany, got her mission call to Temple Square. I yelled much when I heard, as did my mom. We just love her and her family. She said, "You came to us and now I'm coming to you!" She's the girl who, at age 14, who asked if we could knock some doors when the appointment we'd invited her to fell through. Who does that? Vali is a very special person.

And that's the update.

Hunger Games and Catching Fire

I recently read the first two of three books, Hunger Games and Catching Fire, in the Hunger Games series. I did not enjoy the books because they aren't necessarily happy books. They were entertaining and they made me think. And I'm still thinking about the message. (For a summary of the plot, go to the end of the post.)

When she got the idea for the book, the author, Suzanne Collins, was apparently flipping through TV channels -- flipping between the Iraq war and reality TV. It occurred to her that the juxtaposition was kind of sick. In a way watching people fight for their lives is side-by-side with the shallow entitlement of reality TV. The books have made American Idol extra stressful (luckily I rarely watch) because as they are eliminating people, my subconscious believes those people will be killed. That's way more terrifying than just being kicked off a show.

The books really make you feel the shallowness, without being preachy. One of the ways it does this is with Katniss' "styling team," the folks that make her super wonderful and beautiful prior to ya know, dying. The team members are totally consumed in their own lives, even commenting on inconveniences and "privations" they must suffer due to (unbeknownst to them) rebelling districts. When you're reading the book you can hear Amy Poehler and Seth Myers yelling, "Really?! Really?!" It has me considering my own priorities and if sometimes I am not slightly entitled. I am. My life is extremely comfortable and my problems are more or less surmountable. In our lives it's so easy to forget that so many don't have it easy. It's the ultimate "out of sight, out of mind."

The purpose of the character of Haymitch is worthy of some dialogue. Haymitch, to me, is the god-figure (although, be a drunkard and all, he's nowhere near divine). He gives simple, concise advice that when followed always works out. Also, Katniss must consider what she knows of Haymitch while in the Arena so that she can get what she needs from him (like medicine or food) and playing the Game with Haymitch's strategy works out. In a religious way (and I don't believe for a moment Collins intended this) it like following God's counsel and also figuring out what you have to do to get Him to do what you need Him to do, which will, in turn, be best for you.

Katniss is a strong female lead. Ok, so some have likened her relationship skills to that of Bella's (sorry, I just threw up in my mouth), but, as my friend Hayley pointed out, Katniss is concentrating on survival, she doesn't want a family at all, so give the chick a break if she doesn't give a lot of thought to guys. That aside, the girl got some wicked skills: hunting, archery, strategy. It actually really got me thinking about my own survival skills and now I'm working on emergency preparedness. Katniss is also compassionate and brave. She's not waiting to be saved; she's surviving and saving. She doesn't take a victim role. She doesn't expect others to solve her problems or make excuses for herself. She doesn't feel she's better than anyone else. I think those are all really great qualities and qualities I'd like to see more often in myself and others.

So, the third and final book comes out in August. Party: yes. More lessons to learn. I think so.

*The basic premise of the books are of a futuristic, dystopic North America ruled by the elite and perversely wealthy Capitol. To keep the remaining 12 districts in check, the Capitol hosts the mandatory Hunger Games- the ultimate reality TV show where 24 tributes (a boy and a girl from each district) fight to the death in an elaborate arena. Only one can win. Katniss Everdeen volunteers to go when her younger sister is drawn by lottery; but the plot thickens when her male counterpart declares he's got a thing for her.