Halloween Highlights

This Halloween included:

completing an epidemiology test that I had been working on on-and-off for the past two days
answering the door maybe 10-15 times to give eager trick-or-treaters treats (no tricks)
taking cute pictures of my nephew w/ the pups
cleaning up throw up after making my pup eat too much
(perhaps more on that later...)
buying food after being reminded that I'm the one in charge of dinner tomorrow
(listening to Christmas music while running errands)
using cutex sponge nail polish remover for the first time
(I'm sold. it's amazing! - I bought mine at a store, but here's the product)
taking the pups on a longer-than-usual(lately)-walk because it was such a beautiful day outside
more than doubling my steps from yesterday, but still not reaching the 10,000 goal
(that gives you a clue as to how pathetic yesterday was)
looking forward to an extra hour of sleep, woo hoo!
getting ready for November!

I hope you had a great Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

A Bonus:



In case you want to learn it yourself:



another bonus:

Oops.

Yesterday my unknown whereabouts and accidentally-silenced-cell cause a minor manhunt to ensue.


I had said I'd probably be home around 4.
I had an appointment with my home teachers at 6:30 or 7.
I didn't leave for home until almost 7.
I completely spaced that my home teachers were coming over.


Phone calls were made.
People were worried.
The manhunt included 2 out-of-state sisters, 2 younger brothers also on campus, time-checking the last emails that I sent out, and 1 good friend/former co-worker.
I came home alive.
I had 10 missed phone calls, 2 voice messages, and 3 text messages on my phone.
And a couple of emails.


Oops.

Because it Snowed Yesterday...

... I listened to Christmas music this morning! And I sang Christmas songs yesterday while on a walk with the pups (they don't mind me singing - another reason why they are excellent walking companions!).

For your listening pleasure -

if you skip ahead to about 2 min. into it you'll skip all of their talking

don't worry, I'll post it again when it's closer to Christmas

ps - while listening to the music in the car today, I realized that I had never put together a great Christmas play list. that's one project I'll be working on. I love Christmas music!

Have I Completely Lost My Mind???

Just now I was trying to look up a 5k that my sister, sister-in-law, and I ran last year, and that my sister-in-law and I are planning on running this year (my sister was an out-of-town visitor last year, otherwise, I'm sure she'd run it again). When I typed in the name of it, I saw hits for the race for 2009. I purposely typed in the name of the race and 2010, sure that I had just come across an old website the first time.

Oh dear.

Published...

... Photographer...??

I just found out that in January 2010 a picture that I took of the temple will be published in this magazine.

Yay!

Okay, here's the story:

Remember this picture that I gave to John and Sharla?
John works in the Multicultural Office (where the magazine is based) and heard that needed a picture of the Draper Temple. He asked me if I'd mind if he shared the album that I had shared with him and Shar full of pictures of the temple. Of course I didn't mind and told him so.

He shared it.

They chose one.

The rest is history.

(or will be as soon as January rolls around)

Midterm

Today I took my first grad school midterm.

That's about the best thing I can say for it.

I'll let you know if that changes once it's scored.

Somehow I doubt it will.

I think I'm getting sick again.

All I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep.

And it's not even 6:00.

Hmm... Good Idea.

I came across someone's blog listing 30 things they'd like to do before they turn 30. I thought it was a good idea, and since the time-frame is relevant to me (28 next month!), I thought I'd create my own.

Here goes:

(in no particular order)

1 - run another marathon (and complete it in under 6 hours - so run a second or third if that's what it takes to make the time goal)
2 - run another half marathon
3 - hike Mt. Timp.
4 - go on a Mediterranean cruise
5 - live abroad for a little while
6 - finish my Master's degree
7 - de-junk everything in my room (closet, drawers, etc.)
8 - find a place to do service regularly (or multiple places)
9 - fall in love*
10 - lose any and all extra weight that i am currently carrying
11 - keep said weight off
12 - go paragliding or hang gliding (or both!)
13 - read Les Mis (all of it this time)
14 - see Victoria Falls
15 - try skiing
16 - try snowboarding
17 - finish the blanket that I started almost a year ago
18 - find a job (after graduating)
19 - get a bike (and use it... by participating in a bike race)
20 - learn Spanish
21 - visit my relatives in Mexico
22 - re-learn to ride a motorcycle and take myself through the canyon, Park City to Provo
23 - actually use my SCUBA certification somewhere other than the Midway crater
24 - retain my HIV/AIDS instructor certification by teaching the required 1 class a year
25 - have my first kiss* (nope, that's not a mistype - in case you were wondering)
26 - settle into my own place (after graduation)
27 - take a dance class (ballroom perhaps?)
28 - use my sewing machine for the second time (more would be good too)
29 - make myself a cute dress (if I don't do that the second time I use the machine, I guess that guarantees a third usage)
30 - have an "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" marathon party with former roommates as we've discussed a few times

*perhaps these were silly to set as goals. i'm trying to think of other things i'd like to do and since this list was created spur-of-the-moment, i feel like i have a right to swap out any and everything that i want to swap out. until 1 jan. 2010. by then, i figure the list should be stable or i'll have no hope of completion. let me know if you have any suggestions for things to add!

The reason most goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first.

- Robert McKain

If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do and how to do it.

- Abraham Lincoln

The common conception is that motivation leads to action, but the reverse is true - action precedes motivation. You have to "prime the pump" and get the juice flowing, which motivates you to work on your goals. Getting momentum going is the most difficult part of the job, and often taking the first step is enough to prompt you to make the best of your day.

- Robert McKain

A Little Humor, and Then...

Have you seen this?
It's hilarious.


However, I don't care how little he may or may not have done.

What concerns me is that he's surrounded himself with people like this:



I don't care what Mao Tse Tung said. His horrific actions led to the deaths of millions and millions of people. Surely, surely, she could have quoted someone else to get the same point across. Or just left it at Mother Theresa if there really was no one else to quote.

It makes me angry that people like this are responsible for running our country.

I really want to swear right now.

I Swear They Somehow Know What I'm Doing

I think the pups get kind of offended every time they see me using a lint-roller. They kind of look at me with this, "i can't believe you're doing that... i thought you loved me..." expression.

Maybe it's just guilt.

But I also feel that way after I've given them a good petting session then go to the sink and wash my hands. They follow me to the sink (they follow me everywhere), and look at me like I just hurt their feelings.

Blast.

I have a really hard time sleeping when there's a moth in my bedroom. It's something about the possibility of their fluttery wings flapping on my face that kind of freaks me out.

I mention this because I just saw a moth flying around.

It's going to be a long night.

update: apparently there's a name for what i'm feeling.

Everything Today is Thoroughly Modern

I've been listening to the "Thoroughly Modern Millie" soundtrack on and off for the last couple of days. I'm kind of loving it. Okay. I'm really loving it. In my listening I've discovered that I love hearing Gavin Creel and Sutton Foster sing. So much so that I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy each of their albums.

Here's Gavin singing:

Here's Sutton:

And here's something from the actual play:

As much as I love the movie (and I do!) I must say that I've like the play versions I've seen maybe a little better than the movie. They have some fun songs that the movie leaves out.

If you haven't already seen it (or even if you have) you should see it (again!)!

Light is Good.

I just put three new lightbulbs in my fan/light fixture. I've been living with one for the last... too long. It's amazing how different things look now. I like it. A lot.

Any Suggestions?

Kind of gross, but since I already mentioned it, I may as well ask...

Gargling warm salt water doesn't always do the trick. Right now, (one of) the reason(s) I can't sleep is because there's a mucus buildup in my throat. I kind of gag just thinking about it, but that unfortunately doesn't help it loosen.

Anyone have the same problem when you're sick? And a way to get rid of it?

just curious.

Right Now...

I'm lying on my bed watching Shall We Dance (not the J Lo, Richard Gere one).

Here's a sweet scene from the movie:

I can't move like that even when I don't have wheels on my feet!
They say it took over 150 takes to get the scene filmed. I'm amazed at how comfortable Astaire looks dancing on skates. I love watching him dance.

Warm Salt Water, Chicken Noodle Soup, and White Christmas

For the past few days I've been keeping these items close:

(not shown: the cherry chloraseptic that I begin and end my day with)

I've spent a lot of time here:

And these two have been my near-constant companions:

Today is much better than yesterday. I had been sick for a coupel of weeks, but it's gotten worse this week. Yesterday seemed to be the peak of everything. I was coughing a lot, my nose was almost constantly running, and any nap I tried to get was full of restless tossing and turning.

Today I'm still sick, but I think I've reached the turning point. I got up around 10, watched a movie, and fell asleep for another 2 hours (today my nap was very restful, a healing sleep). It was almost three by the time I got dressed. And by dressed I mean I changed out of my pajamas into sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

To explain the title: I read that gargling warm salt water can help loosen and clear out mucus that's caught in the throat. So I gargled. And it worked. (side note: did you know that it's possible to gag on water that you gargle? it is.) One of my professors mentioned drinking lots of chicken noodle soup. It sounded so good, that I went to the store today and got some. It was great. Last, I watched White Christmas last night. Yes, it's the middle of October where I live too, but that's such a good movie that I feel like it's watchable anytime of year. I stand by that. I loved it.

That's all.

"What Up Dawg?"

... nope. After 12 hours, it still doesn't feel natural.

I was put up as an example of how certain things sound natural when coming from a black person to a black group... and not so natural when coming from a white girl to a black group.

I'm in an HIV/AIDS instructor course this week through the Red Cross. This awesome black lady from St. Louis, Missouri is teaching it. It's specifically for African Americans so we'll know how to relate to them culturally. Only thing is - there are three Africans (not African Americans) in the class, two white girls (myself included) and a Hispanic guy in the class. It's kind of a funny dynamic. But it's a great course.

Oh My Goodness

read the story here.

Did You See This?

You can read a bit more about it here.

And you can see Bill O'Reilly call Jackman a patriot - here.