Worst Night EVER*

*includes all nights that don't include a human life form separate from your own who has bodily fluids exploding out one end or the other... (I almost titled this 'My Worst Night EVER' but doing that wouldn't have allowed me to create that disclaimer. Which I really wanted to do.)

Last night I met up with some out-of-town friends who I haven't seen in a few years. That wasn't the 'worst night EVER' part of the night. That was actually a really, really nice visit and it was great to see them. I stayed visiting with them until midnight (much later than I had planned, but it was a really enjoyable visit!), and then made the 45-minute trek home. The drive wasn't the 'worst night EVER' part either. The roads were pretty empty and it was smooth sailing all the way home.

I got home a little before one o'clock. The three animals currently living in my home all found me within minutes of my return.

It was quick work getting myself ready for bed.

It was not quite-as-quick work getting the animals ready for bed. I got them outside, walked out onto the grass with one of them, encouraging him to go to the bathroom so he wouldn't wake me up in an hour (which, as it turned out, wouldn't have been an issue - that's a teaser...).

I came up with a genius (literally, in my opinion) idea... And it worked.

Success, and I was ready for bed.

I got in to bed, opened up the window just a little bit (I love fresh, cold air while I'm sleeping) and curled up ready to crash.

My back started itching.

A lot.

For the next hour I'd settle in, and then have an itching fit where I'd be rubbing my back on the bed trying to scratch it.

Repeat.

Multiple times.

During that hour, the visiting cat started meowing at my door. She knew I was inside my room and she wouldn't go away. I ignored her for a while but didn't want her to wake anyone else up so I let her in.

I curled up again and she started circling me on the bed. Purring.

I wasn't sure if this was some cat ritual that meant she was planning on eating me or something, but at that moment I didn't really care. I was too itchy to care.

After the hour of resting, twitching, and rubbing my back on my bed I got up and filled up the bathtub with really warm water. I climbed in and fell asleep.

For about an hour and a half.

It wasn't comfortable sleep, but it was sleep. I woke up because the water had gotten cold. I turned on the water as hot as it would go just to warm up, climbed out, and got ready for bed again - slathering lotion all over so I wouldn't stay dried out from the water I had just soaked in.

I climbed in to bed.

And couldn't fall asleep.

I was itchy again.

I remembered this back-scratcher that my mom had gotten all of us for Christmas last year or the year before. I kept it by my bed but hadn't used it a ton.

Now I will say -

Best. Invention. Ever.

That thing saved my life.

And my sanity.

I scratched that thing up and down my back for a long time. I rolled onto my stomach and started dozing with the scratcher sticking out of the top of my shirt. I wanted it close by in case I had another itching emergency.

At one point I rolled onto my side and the top of the scratcher was resting against my head.

I still wasn't ready to release it to as far away as the floor.

I finally moved it but kept it rightbymybed. Just in case.

Around this time I started feeling hungry. I had gone out to dinner but hadn't eaten a lot because my stomach was still a bit unsettled. And I hadn't planned on being awake for this many hours after dinner.

I started feeling really hungry.

I remembered that a friend had given me some Reese's Christmas trees.

I remembered those Reese's Christmas trees were in my shoulder bag... which was rightbymybed.

I reached over, shuffled things around until I found one, opened it up and started eating it.

While still lying down.

That was the lowest point of the night.


Around 4ish, I ended up finally being able to fall asleep.

I woke up at 8.

I was supposed to be at work by 7.

This Happens at Least Once a Day

Watching my friend's cat for a couple weeks. She's a pretty cute little thing and gives me a good purring/cuddle session at least once a day. I got this one today after coming home from work early.

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So Good!

Yesterday I made layered vegetable enchiladas for dinner. I first made them while I was at my sister's in Denver, but we froze those for later use so I didn't actually confirm that they were edible. I was hopeful, so I went ahead and made them anyway.

Verdict: really, really good!

Thanks, Bess, for introducing me to the recipe.


And here it is:

• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 8 ounce bag of spinach leaves
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 15-ounce can refried beans
• 1 15-ounce can low-sodium black beans, drained
• 10 corn (or whole wheat) tortillas, quartered
• 19 ounces canned enchilada sauce
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• green onions, sliced, for garnishing
• Vegetable oil

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat approximately 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they become translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the spinach leaves and continue cooking and stirring until they start to wilt. Add the corn and continue cooking until heated through. Set this spinach-corn mixture aside.

Spread one-third of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and top with one-third of the tortillas. Layer with the refried beans, the black beans and half of the remaining enchilada sauce. Top with one-third of the cheese.

Next, layer with half of the remaining tortillas, all of the spinach-corn mixture and half of the remaining cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas, the remaining enchilada sauce and the remaining cheese.

Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the sauce starts bubbling and the cheese has melted. Garnish with the green onions before serving.

(recipe from Sunset magazine)




So, over the last year or so I've learned that when a recipe calls for vegetables, it normally doesn't matter if you don't use the quantity it calls for. That being said, I'm not sure how much spinach I used, but it was a TON. I just kept dumping it in there. And I used a full onion. I also used more corn than it calls for.

The recipe above is for a 9x13 pan and the one I used was bigger. I also doubled the beans for the bean layer and used two cans of each type instead of just one. I used more tortillas (didn't count how many, but just made each layer pretty covered), but only one can of enchilada sauce. I also used more cheese since it was a bigger pan. But again, quantity isn't that important.

The one change I would make to it when (not if) (: I make it again is that I will add cilantro to one of the layers. I may dump it in with the veggies after they're cooked, or I may mix it in with the beans (speaking of which, I mixed the beans together before putting them in the casserole dish, but I don't think that's necessary). Either way, cilantro (if you like cilantro) would be an excellent addition.

Enjoy!

Max is Weird

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Just a Thought

Today a co-worker told me that I was one of the - if not the - nicest people she knows.

I'm not saying this to brag at all, but it got me thinking.

A lot of people have told me I'm nice. I'm glad. I try to be nice.


I don't think there's ever an excuse/reason to be mean.


I've said that before, and I believe it.

But that's what I've started thinking about.

I don't know that I'm as nice to my family as I am to these people that I work with, or go to church with, etc. I make friends with them, and I'm sometimes nicer to them than I am to my family.

Not that I'm mean to my family, but I don't think I'm always as nice to them as I am to others.

I need to work on that.

The Magic That is Photoshop

I have a news reader widget on my phone. I originally added it in order to fool myself into thinking I was staying up with current events.

Strangely enough - I've actually looked at it. A lot. I have it set to list articles from CNN, FoxNews, NYTimes, etc. And sometimes I see some pretty interesting things.

Like the crazy wind storms that have been going on in Utah while I'm not there (yep, I'm still in Denver).

Last night I saw this article that talked about scientists being able to identify changes in photographs. I linked to this article from the original article I saw, and then I linked to this. If nothing else, check out that last link. It may blow your mind. It kinda blew mine (be sure to use the toggle feature. are you excited to see it now? it has a toggle feature.). (:

I think it's pretty cool that rather than just saying that a photo has been touched up, or assuming it has been, they can actually show you the changes.

Here's a teaser from that last link - just in case you haven't clicked on it yet.

after re-touching

before re-touching

after re-touching

before re-touching

But seriously, click on the link. It's more effective if you're toggling between the pictures.

The thing that kills me though - they're still attractive people even when they're not photoshopped. Sure they have more wrinkles and lines, and maybe some scars. That happens to... humans. But it's not enough that they're attractive. They have to look perfect.

2012 Races

If you're reading my blog through google reader, you wouldn't have seen my new '2012 Races' sidebar.

If you haven't seen it, you're missing out. (:

There are some awesome races coming up.

Here are some of the races I'm the most excited for -

runnercross -

alone, or with 2 teammates (I'm not sure which I'd prefer) - it looks like a really fun mud run/obstacle course. if you haven't done a mud run yet... well, your life is not complete.

adventure race for africa -

I am soooooo excited for this one! I think it'll be awesome. I need at least one teammate, but if more people are interested, we can talk about people doing different legs, or other teams, etc. lots of options with this one.

(it's the same day as this half, which makes me kind of sad because that half looks fun too, but the adventure race looks even awesomer... {I know that's not a word!} it's also the same day as this team event which looks like fun too, but I think I'm still sold on the adventure race.)

vigor stairs -

vigor was started by the sister of a friend of mine - she's the one doing the other team event on the same day as the adventure race, so if you can't do the adventure one, do hers! (: this stairs race looks like it will kill me. in fact, I'm kind of planning on that. but if I do survive... I'm thinking it'll be awesome.

pirate swim club run / walk the plank -

I don't know anything about this other than the race title has the words 'pirate' and 'walk the plank.' which makes me think this will be a fun race. and it's in magna. which may or may not be a selling point...

most races found through runningintheusa.com.

Just Now...

...

jumped on the treadmill for 1/2 an hour for the first time in... waaaaay too long

got my nieces and nephews in their pajamas (well, told them to get in their pajamas - they're old enough to get in by themselves) (:

helped them pick up the family room and kitchen

turned on 'camp rock'

went and took a shower

got dressed

am preparing to go to the hospital to be with my sister and brother-in-law as their 7th(!) child makes her way into this world

it's been a good day.

and keeps getting better!

Weird Dreams

The good news is -

I know how to test for a stroke even in my sleep.

Here's What Will Happen

 today-
- leave work in 7.5 hours (yay!)
- go to verizon to hopefully finally get my blasted phone working properly
- 4:30 - meet friends for frozen yogurt
- 5:30 - get to the temple for my shift in the baptistry (first time back after the last few weeks off)

saturday -
- 8-??? - play in the regional volleyball tournament (done when we're eliminated, however long that will be)
- afternoon - clean things up, do laundry, clean fish tank, PACK
- evening - hopefully get to friend's birthday party in park city

sunday -
- 9-12 - church
- 12-??? - visiting teaching stuff
- rest of the day - finish packing (unless i'm done) and relax (hopefully!)

monday -
- 10 - plane departs for DENVER
- 11:30 - arrive in DENVER

next 2 weeks and 1 day -
- spend Thanksgiving with my sister and her family, meet my new niece who will be born while i'm there (unless she comes before monday...), and love it!

Here's the Plan

A good friend of mine doesn't like Christmas music.

I find this tragic.

My mission (and I chose to accept it since I assigned it to myself): send her one Christmas song a day starting the day after Thanksgiving (I listen to it earlier - and right this second - but she refuses to do so and I will respect that) all the way until (and including) Christmas day.

I have a list of four songs and artists I would like to include, three artists who I'm going to include but I don't know which song yet, and one song with no artist selected.

At this point, I'm taking suggestions. Comment, text, facebook message, whatever - let me know your favorite Christmas song(s). I reserve the right to refuse. (: But I will listen to each suggestion.

I'm going to try to convert this girl to Christmas music - or at least some of it.

Here's one of the songs I'm going to include -

Oh, and I figure I may as well post them to my blog the day I email them.
Just so I have a record. (:

Birthday Follow-up

Well, it happened.

I turned 30.

And the world didn't end.

I didn't really think it would.

Really...

I had a really nice day (couple of days).

It started a day earlier when I was out to lunch with my internship supervisor (turned co-worker). While we were eating she asked when my birthday was (she knew it was coming up) and when I told her it was the next day, she insisted on paying for lunch. Which was really nice.

Thursday (my actual birthday) my mom came up to my office, brought me a plant for my cubicle, and took me out to lunch. We tried a new-to-us restaurant and it was pretty good. Our meals were served with mole sauce which neither of us loved, so I scraped it off of my enchiladas (previously my only mole experience was when it was served to me on top of an iguana omelet... yuck).

Thursday evening a friend arranged for a group of people to go to a frozen yogurt place to celebrate. I had been kind of torn between celebrating and not, but Amber kept offering to do something. So I finally stopped being difficult and let her. And I'm glad I did. It was a lot of fun.

Following that, Amber and I went back to her place where I proceeded to do what I hadn't done in a looooong time - stay up way past midnight. It was after 1:30 by the time I got home. Way too late for a 30-year old. (:

During the day on Thursday I heard from lots of friends and all my family in some way or another. I got two awesome phone messages from a niece and then a nephew singing happy birthday to me. Those are my favorite messages (little kids singing any song really, so feel free to leave random messages of your children singing on my voicemail). (:

The next evening a couple of friends of mine from the master's program wanted to go out to dinner. The three of us have tried to get together about once a month for lunch or something, and they decided to combine it with my birthday. I had taken Friday off from my temple shift in case I needed to crawl into a corner and cry (which never happened, thank goodness). When I got to the restaurant to meet them I saw that they had invited another guy from our program and his family, my parents, and a friend of mine from my ward (thank you facebook for letting people who have never met get in touch).

The surprise was complete with balloons (a must for surprise parties, I'm told) -

And a present from Katie who made this after remembering I mentioned this quote a long time ago saying that I intended to eventually cross stitch it and frame it. And now I don't have to!

I love it.

And I think it's a great addition to this picture grouping.

Thanks to everyone who emailed, called, texted, facebook posted, took me out etc. - or thought about doing any one of those things -  to wish me a happy birthday. It was a great couple of days. (:

I Am So Blessed

Earlier this year I blogged about some drawbacks to getting older. In September, I started thinking about how blessed I am to be getting older and how much I have to be grateful for. I had it in my mind to create this post early and schedule it for publishing on my birthday. - Yep, the day is finally here, I'm 30. - So, on 29 September, I started this post. I'm planning to add and edit throughout the next 41 days so it's all ready for publishing by the 42nd day. Here goes!

In no particular order (and not a comprehensive list)...

I'm blessed because -

- I have a family who loves me
- I have grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters, in-laws and 21 (soon to be 22!) nieces and nephews whom I love
- I have the gospel in my life
- I have the blessing of being able to repent
- I have been able to work at the temple once a week for a year and a half, and I work with some pretty great people
- I have had really good health for pretty much all of my life
- I have really good friends in my life
- I have had the blessing of being able to get two degrees
- I have two dogs who love me
- My natural hair color looks good on me (:
(that's what my mom tells me)
- I have a body that allows me to push it to do hard things and doesn't hold it against me
(for too long anyway...)
- 1 marathon, 4 half marathons, and multiple 5ks and 10ks, as well as 1 half-marathon relay
 - I have working senses that allow me to see, hear, taste, smell and touch beautiful things
- I had an internship that turned into a real job (with benefits!)
- I've learned to be happy in whatever situation I'm in
(it's a process, and sure I have harder times than others, but overall... I think I'm doing pretty well)
- I have never struggled with addiction to harmful substances
- I have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep on
(thanks Mom and Dad!)
- I don't know what it's like to really go hungry
- I have a car that gets me where I need to go
(even with it's recent repairs)
- I have a Savior who lived and died for me because He loves me that much
- I have had one dating relationship in which I learned a lot about myself
(hey, it's more than zero...)
- I learned to drive a motorcycle and got my motorcycle license
(again, thanks Mom and Dad)
- I am a certified SCUBA diver
(ditto to above)
- I have the ability to learn and grow from my experiences and mistakes
- I have the ability to feel joy and pain
- I know how to laugh
- I live in a place where I am surrounded by beautiful things
- I am happy

Happy Thursday (weekend eve!) Everyone!
I hope your day - and your life - is filled with reminders of wonderful and beautiful things around you.

God lives.
Jesus Christ lives.
And I am so blessed because of it.

So Funny

Perhaps you've already seen the result of Jimmy Kimmel's challenge to parents to videotape their kids while they tell them that they (the parents) ate all the kids' Halloween Candy.

If not, well here you go.

So funny. And so sad.

I love the last two little boys, and how the older one is still really encouraging his brother who tries to add two and two, at the same time he's dealing with his parents eating his candy. So sweet!

Wow. All I Can Say is WOW.

Today the memory of the woman who had her face ripped off by a chimpanzee came to mind. It wasn't completely random because I had been reading the file of a man who shot his head off. (yes, that's what I do.) So, I googled her. And then I youtubed her (like that word I just made up? for only $5,000 a use, you can use it too :).

This is what I found -

Which led me to this -

Which led me to this.

Modern medicine is truly amazing.
As is the strength found in some people.

I'm amazed.

This Man is Hilarious

part 1 -

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

and part 2 -

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Two Hours Later...

At 9:30 this morning - while at work - I see my phone light up with a phone call. I don't know the number, so I let it ring. Two minutes later it lights up again with the same number. Again, I didn't answer it, then I saw that I had two voice messages.

My dogs were out walking around the trail.

Fifteen minutes later I was out the door of my building and on my way to the car to drive the half hour back home. -- With my supervisor's blessing.

This was after I had called my mom who works at home to see if she happened to have any breaks in her morning appointments. -- No answer. Twice.

This was after I had called my neighbor to see if she, by any chance, was home and had time to drive around looking for my dogs. -- She answered (my phone call woke her up), but she had to be out the door in an hour. I told her not to worry about it.

This was after I had called my dad, who also works half an hour away from home but in the opposite direction, to see if he had any ideas on what else to do. -- No answer.

My neighbor sends a text message right as I'm leaving and I call her back. She says she can go look for them after she's gotten ready, but that she'd have to leave by 11 even if she hadn't found the dogs. I appreciated the offer, but told her I was on my way home to look for them.

I called the lady who had left the two messages earlier, asked if she had seen them again (she hadn't) and asked if she would call me again if she did.

My dad called, suggested I call my grandpa who lives next door and let him know in case the dogs decided to come wondering back home. I did.

The lady called when I was two minutes away from the trailhead by the park and said that she had just seen them and she tried to get them to stay with her but they were headed in the opposite direction and wouldn't come. They were headed home.

I looped around to where the trail breaks to cross a street, parked my car, and whistled for them. Nothing.

I drove home, grabbed their leashes, and started walking toward the trailhead where I knew they were last seen. I walk to that same break in the trail where it crosses the road. Nothing. Along the way I ask people if they've seen two rogue dogs. I get a few affirmatives, 'Yeah. A big white dog, and another one in a coat?' 'Yep.' They tell me when and where they saw them (unfortunately nothing more recent than 15 minutes) and I feel good about the direction I'm heading. At the break in the trail I see a lady on the street. I ask her the question, she gives me the same answer. But points in the opposite direction saying she saw them down there about 15 minutes prior.

During this information gathering stage, I hear from a couple of people that there's also a coyote out somewhere along the trail. Dingo kind of looks like a coyote, but I think the coat domesticates him a little bit. I also run into a lady who's looking for her mom's cocker spaniel. I get her number so I can call her if I see her dog. I never did.

By this point I'm wondering how the devil can the dogs be on one side of the trail 15 minutes earlier, and then 5 minutes later I ask someone else who saw them on the other side of the trail 15 minutes earlier.

I start to feel like I'm playing a real live version of 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego.'

I don't like it.

When I'm almost back to my house I call my grandpa again who announces, 'They're here. They walked up to me outside about 3 minutes ago.'

Relieved, tired, frustrated, and with the beginnings of a headache, I go talk to my grandpa who said that after he got my call he went outside and saw that his gate had been pushed open by two rotten dogs (my words, not his). He fixed the gate then got in his car and drove around looking for them. After getting home he was standing outside for a minute and they came running up the street toward him. - Dingo sans coat.

While I do appreciate that they stay together (it was hard enough - and I was unsuccessful - at finding one moving target, it'd be that much harder to find two), I hate that they get out and take themselves on a walk. I'm also really, really grateful for people who call to let me know that the dogs are out. That's why I got the ID tags. And I try to do the same when I see a dog running around. Good karma and all that.


 And that's my story.

...I'm back at work.

With a headache.

Rotten dogs.

My Workstation (I Feel Fancy)

 Last week IT came up to my cube and set me up to have two monitors. I love it. I'm already spoiled by it and would LOVE to have this option at home. Maybe someday...

When I told a friend she should come checkout my sweet setup today I had stepped out when she happened to come by. I caught her leaving, and she came back with me and showed me what she had left on my screen:

 

the way it's written, i'm not sure if she was calling me a name, or signing her own... (:

Lastly, something random from my chat with the same friend today. 

it's true. i don't want to marry him, and i love him in the 'Jesus said love everyone' type of way. (:

ps - Perhaps this is an appropriate post to mention that my internship that started this past June has TURNED INTO A JOB. Yay!!! Huge relief that I don't have to keep searching for one.

Things I've Been Looking At Lately

• Zenhabits and a post encouraging you to 'Toss Productivity Out the Window.' Definitely interesting. A friend posted about it a while ago and I've had it on a tab in my browser ever since.

• An article about how there's not a really great reason to celebrate Columbus day. Another friend linked to this on Columbus day. I'm a bit behind, but stay tuned for a post on how Columbus day saved my life. (:

• Google translate. I'm trying to learn Spanish again...

• This post about a recipe that helps dogs pack on the pounds. Dingo is getting pretty skinny even though he's eating. I'm hoping this will help him beef up a bit. Looks like an appetizing bunch of ingredients, no?

• And this just for fun and just for dreams, right now anyway.

• A princess bride reunion picture. I love it. Saw it on her blog.
  

I think that does it for now.

ps - When I was younger I used to often have bruises or scrapes that came from unknown reasons. I'm realizing that that's not a thing of the past yet.

Yesterday at work I kept bumping my knee on my desk and it hurt a lot more than it should have. It felt tender to the touch too and I figured I had just bumped it harder than I thought. Last night I finally realized that it was most likely a real bruise (I had pants on so I never actually checked it out) and that it came from me throwing myself on the floor one, two, or maybe three times during a volleyball game on Wednesday. So I guess not technically from an unknown place... just a bad memory. Another sign of aging? Perhaps.

A Good Quote

I just saw this posted on a friend's blog and I love it. So I thought I'd share -

'The first service that one owes to others in community consists in listening to them. Just as love for God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God's love for us that He not only gives His Word but also lends us His ear. …Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians because these Christians are talking where they should be listening. But he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon be no longer listening to God either; he will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and, in the end, there is nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words.'

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
(I have an audio book about him that I haven't listened to yet. - he was part of a failed assassination attempt on Hitler)

I think it's a great reminder of the need to listen to other people even if (maybe *especially* if?) their viewpoints differ from your own. Not that you have to agree. That's not what I'm saying at all. But I don't know that it's ever harmful to let someone explain where they're coming from. I think it can lead to a greater understanding of and love for your fellow man.

Ticket: Purchased

This morning, the last thing I did before leaving for work was buying a plane ticket to Denver. While I'm not spending my 30th birthday there like I had originally planned to, I will get to be there when my sister has her 7th baby (5th daughter) and makes me an aunt for the 22nd time, as well as Thanksgiving - spending a total of 2 weeks and 1 day there. I must say - I'm pretty excited about it.

Just FYI, Southwest and Delta both have awesome fares to Denver right now. Cost me $115.10 through Southwest - it was $110.10 yesterday when I checked, but I forgot to buy it when I got home from work... oops.

So Much Fun

Thursday evening we had a relief society activity called something like - 'Apples, Aerobics, and Autumn' (I may be getting the order wrong). We had apples, we did aerobics, and it took place during Autumn. (:

A counselor in the presidency brought her Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies DVDs. We put volume 2 on (my favorite is Volume 1, I think... it's been so long...) and started sweating.

I had forgotten how much fun those videos are! I remember doing them with my mom and some siblings. It was so much fun. I loved the music (big Oldies fan here).

So, as an early Halloween present (you are so lucky, who gets Halloween presents?!) I'm giving you this link.

No need to thank me.

Just know that I'll be doing that video sometimes.

Promise.


Oh, and in case you were wondering, we had a 100% satisfaction rate with that activity. The 6 of us that were there loved it. (:

(read more about Richard here)

Clean and Sober

via

It's been two weeks and three days since I posted this about how I was thinking of getting rid of my facebook account (I'm not counting days, I had to look it up on the calendar).

That same day I deactivated my account.

I must say, I'm not really missing it.

Also, when looking for the above image, I found this and this. I must say it seems as though there are really good, legitimate reasons for not having a facebook account, but few that are really great arguments in favor of it... (that second link is pretty cool, showing how the availability of info on facebook has changed over the years - it took me way too long to figure it out, but click on the graphic to see the different years, or click on the years that are in faded letters next to the graphic)

Today's Walk

The kiddos helped me walk the pups tonight. I love that Jimmy kept his birthday hat on the whole time. So cute.

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We Got Snow

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Columbus Day

I don't have to write a report on Columbus day in order to have
A DAY OFF FROM WORK.

The joys of working in a state office.

It will be a very happy Monday. (: I'm planning on using the time to put the principles from 'It's All Too Much' to use in my bedroom.
I'm excited.

via

When I left for work today I still had pillow marks on my face. Let's just say I woke up a bit late.

The last two nights I've gone to sleep after taking a dose of melatonin and Excedrin PM because of a nasty soon-to-be-migraine (I hate how I can feel those coming on, but I guess it's better than being totally blindsided).

Also, I don't remember if I've mentioned it before, but for the past few weeks I've been waking up sans alarm. After sleeping through my 374th snooze one more for the 837th time I realized that the whole alarm thing wasn't really doing it's job.

Now, I don't go to sleep until after saying an urgent 'please-let-me-wake-up-early-enough-for-work-and-maybe-even-early-enough-to-exercise-before-work-like-5:30-would-be-great-but-no-later-than-6-...-20-...-please-please-please-please-please' prayer.

I don't always wake up as early as I'd like (take this morning, for example) but it's almost always been early enough.



And it's soooo much nicer than an alarm clock jerking me awake.



random - last night I had a dream that I wanted to sail from one place to another. It was like a city on water, but not really. I knew the way I had to go over the water was really hard, but I still wanted to go. I was going to go with five other people and the boat was really little. Actually, first we started planning to take a raft-type-thing, but then switched to a small rowboat. For some reason I was really intent on making sure Max could come with us, when at the last second I said it was okay if he didn't. Also, when everyone was ready and we were trying to decide how to fit in the boat I realized that I hadn't packed anything. So we all went over to this big building where I kept my stuff and I tried to make other excuses while I packed my bag - grabbing whatever random stuff I could. It was a weird dream.

Apparently I Listen the Same Way I Read

I normally have a few books that I'm reading at any given time. Often, one will grab my attention more than the others and I'll spend more of my time on that one until I finish it, begin my mass readings again until another one wins my attention, repeat process again and again, adding in new books as I finish others.

For the last couple of years I've had an account with audible.com. Earlier this year I really started taking advantage of it. Now, almost all of the 'for fun' reading I do is through audio books. It took me a while to get used to it, but now I love it. I've noticed, that just like when I'm reading, I listen to multiple things until one grabs my attention, etc, etc.

Here's what I've been listening to lately - in no particular order (except that it's alphabetical, so I guess that is a particular order...) :



My sister sent me this book years ago thinking that it would help me with my 'issues' (my word, not hers), and I just barely found an audio version of it (not through audible). I've been listening to it for the last few days and I really think it's helping me work through some things. It's a great book for figuring out your current relationship with food, yourself, and your body.


I've heard from a few different sources that this is hilarious. I've just barely gotten into it, and I must say, she's pretty funny.


I've mentioned this book on my blog before. Like here, and here, and even here. It's a great motivator to change your eating to be healthier. So many things can be prevented if you eat a healthy diet (I'm talking real healthy, not fake vegetarian or vegan healthy that is stocked full of pastas and breads - and sadly, I love pastas and breads).


I found this book when I did a search for a feng shui book that my sister asked me to look over so I can help her baby-prep her house when I go visit. I couldn't find the feng shui one, but I've been listening to this one and I really like it. I have a problem with not getting rid of clutter, and I like the way this guy talks about why we have it and how to get rid of it. He used to be on the show Clean Sweep (which I've never seen, but think I might enjoy). I'm also looking forward to listening to his book 'Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?'


No explanation necessary. It's a classic. I'm listening to the unabridged version. It's about 60 hours long.

BIG NEWS - have you heard about this? I'm really pretty excited about it (not that it's 3d, but that they're making a musical movie version). I just really, really hope they don't ruin it. And that the actors can actually sing. I mean really sing. I will say that I'm pretty thrilled with the casting of the lead role.


I read books like this and I think - I have nothing to complain about. So why do I keep complaining? Wow. It's about a Russian girl during WWII. I started listening to it a while ago but it got pushed to the side with some of the others. I'll try to finish it in the next week or so since I have less than an hour and a half left.


There's an in-depth look at my audible app on my phone. I have lots of others yet-to-be-listened to. Some of those include: 'Cary Grant: A Biography,' 'The Story of My Life,' 'Endurance,' 'The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook,' and 'Tears in the Darkness.' Plus more... I'll keep you updated. (:

Pretty Much, Yep.

My friend Amber showed this to me and I just had to share it.


I can't be the only one who relates to this, right?

I'm a Guest Blogger!

A friend of mine began a blog based on defining femininity. She asked for contributions... and I contributed. Check it out here, and let me know what you think.

I Needed to Hear (Read) This

Disclaimer: I'm stealing this straight from this website. None of the following material belongs to me.

How to Build Self-Discipline

Written by Peter Clemens - 243 Comments
Categories: self improvement

Discipline is freedom. You may disagree with this statement, and if you do you are certainly not alone. For many people discipline is a dirty word that is equated with the absence of freedom. In fact the opposite is true. As Stephen R. Covey once wrote, “the undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites and passions”. And in the longer term, the undisciplined lack the freedom that comes with possessing particular skills and abilities – e.g. to play a musical instrument or speak a foreign language.

Self-discipline involves acting according to what you think instead of how you feel in the moment. Often it involves sacrificing the pleasure and thrill of the moment for what matters most in life. Therefore it is self-discipline that drives you to:

• Work on an idea or project after the initial rush of enthusiasm has faded away
• Go to the gym when all you want to do is lie on the couch and watch TV
• Wake early to work on yourself
• Say “no” when tempted to break your diet
• Only check your email a few of times per day at particular times

In the past self-discipline has been a weakness of mine, and as a result today I find myself lacking the ability to do a number of things which I would like – e.g. to play the guitar. But I have improved, and I can say that it is self-discipline that got me out of bed this morning at 5am to run and then write this article. Believe me, I would love to be curled up in bed right now, but this desire is subordinated by my inner sense of purpose.

If you struggle with self-discipline, the good news is that it can be developed. For example, it is only in the past two years that I have trained myself to wake early. The following are what I have found to be the five traits of self-discipline:

1. Self-Knowledge

Discipline means behaving according to what you have decided is best, regardless of how you feel in the moment. Therefore the first trait of discipline is self-knowledge. You need to decide what behavior best reflects your goals and values. This process requires introspection and self-analysis, and is most effective when tied to written expression. I highly recommend taking the time to write out your goals, dreams and ambitions. Even better, write out a personal mission statement. I found that writing such a statement gave me a greater understanding of who I am, what I am about and what I value. Dr. Covey has an excellent Mission Statement Builder on his site.

2. Conscious Awareness

Self-discipline depends upon conscious awareness as to both what you are doing and what you are not doing. Think about it. If you aren’t aware your behavior is undisciplined, how will you know to act otherwise?

As you begin to build self-discipline, you may catch yourself being in the act of being undisciplined – e.g. biting your nails, avoiding the gym, eating a piece of cake or checking your email constantly. Developing self-discipline takes time, and the key here is you are aware of your undisciplined behavior. With time this awareness will come earlier, meaning rather than catching yourself in the act of being undisciplined you will have awareness before you act in this way. This gives you the opportunity to make a decision that is in better alignment with your goals and values.

3. Commitment to Self-Discipline

It is not enough to simply write out your goals and values. You must make an internal commitment to them. Otherwise when your alarm clock goes off at 5am you will see no harm in hitting the snooze button for “just another 5 minutes….” Or, when initial rush of enthusiasm has faded away from a project you will struggle to see it through to completion.

If you struggle with commitment, start by making a conscious decision to follow through on what you say you’re going to do – both when you said you would do it and how you said you would do it. Then, I highly recommend putting in place a system to track these commitments. As the saying goes, “What gets measured gets improved”.

4. Courage

Did you notice the sweat dripping from the man in the picture at the start of this article? Make no mistake, self-discipline is often extremely difficult. Moods, appetites and passions can be powerful forces to go against. Therefore self-discipline is highly dependent on courage. Don’t pretend something is easy for you to do when it is in fact very difficult and/ or painful. Instead, find the courage to face this pain and difficulty. As you begin to accumulate small private victories, your self-confidence will grow and the courage that underpins self-discipline will come more naturally.

5. Internal Coaching

Self-talk is often harmful, but it can also be extremely beneficial if you have control of it. When you find yourself being tested, I suggest you talk to yourself, encourage yourself and reassure yourself. After all, it is self-talk that has the ability to remind you of your goals, call up courage, reinforce your commitment and keep you conscious of the task at hand. When I find my discipline being tested, I always recall the following quote: “The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret”. Burn this quote into your memory, and recall in whenever you find yourself being tested. It may change your life.

Peter writes about how to change your life at The Change Blog. He also runs a blog for audio book lovers called Audio Book Downloads.

I See Crazy Things on the Street Sometimes

Yesterday, I saw one of these:

Ever seen one before? Check them out here.


Today, I saw someone riding a bike uphill while talking on a phone. Uphill. On the phone.
Hats off to you buddy.

I Am Beyond Impressed

I'm a DWTS fan. I like watching the different dances and imagining that it's something I would be capable of if I just had the right training. I don't always watch every episode of every season... but I'm still a fan.

It helps if there's someone on the show that I either knew of before and liked, or get to know a little bit about during the show and they seem like good/nice people.

This season it's this guy:


J.R. Martinez was wounded while driving a Humvee while serving as a U.S. Army infantryman and the Humvee hit a landmine. Read more about him here.

before and after
via - follow the link and read more about him - plus a video of him

Call me a sucker for a soldier, patriotism, or a tragic hero; but I'm really impressed and grateful that there are men and women willing to serve their country regardless of the risks to themselves.

And as a bonus, he seems like a nice guy (I know, I know, what can you tell from a few hours on TV? Probably not a whole lot...). He also seems to have a great attitude, saying things to his partner like - 'I only have one ear, so I can only hear half of what you're saying.' Anyway, I hope he wins this season.

Check out his most recent dance. Week 2, the Jive:

update: he got a 22 on this dance (same as last week)
even though carrie ann was ticked about the lifts at the beginning and len thought it looked more like a lindy hop than a jive

I Think I Would Maybe Feel Like Killing Him

I got this sent to me through my work email. I don't know the person who sent it, so I'm wondering if I was an unintended recipient, but I'm kinda glad I got it. (:

Considering the Plunge

via

I'm thinking about closing my facebook account.

I've been thinking about it for a while.

Any arguments for or against?

I'm open to hearing both sides.

I Did It!

#12 - go paragliding or hang gliding (or both) -- check!

practice flight -

flight number 3 or 4 (or 5?)

Soooo fun! I loved it. I almost always got nervous before take off (just a little) but I loved being in the air. It was awesome. It's way too expensive to become a hobby for me now (maybe at some point in my life...) but I would love to go on a tandem flight sometime. Alex - my instructor - offered to cut Annikki and me a deal if we ever wanted him to take us up. I'm probably going to take him up on it sometime.

Not all of my take-offs were as flawless as what's in the video. After that flight I hiked up the slope to go on one more flight. The wind was kind of picking up, but Alex said we could get one more in. I was all set to go, got the paraglider up, and the wind picked me up and threw me right back down onto my backside. It was kind of hilarious - and maybe just a little bit painful. He got me re-set up right away, and that time I got the paraglider up, and then the wind started shooting me way over to the left. I thought using the right brake might help compensate for that, and it kind of did... except I shot the brake down way too far, ended up falling down on my right side and getting dragged through the rocks and weeds a little ways until the paraglider decided to come down and join me on the ground. That one was a bit more painful.

Don't worry though, I did end up having a flawless last flight (after the two blunders) and it was awesome. It's not a sport for sissies, and I have the scrapes, bruises, and sore muscles to prove it. (:

This is Getting Depressing

So... I'm turning 30. I've mentioned that... once, maybe a couple of times... (and more, I'm sure)

Anyway, I have a friend from my graduate program who is also turning 30. 11 days before I do. We've been commiserating this week about all the aches and pains we're getting. So sad. We're talking like old people.

Just this morning I mentioned to him that I pulled a hamstring while running yesterday. He said he was doing the criss-cross-type of crunches and could feel a pain in his back starting, so he left off the last set.

That's it.

I'm old.

How sad is that?

I Really Want a Snickers Bar

Make that a Snickers Peanut Butter bar.

I also want -

- Krispy Kreme doughnuts
- a pudding/cream cheese dessert my mom made last night
- ice cream - cookies and cream
- pizza

I think that's it.

Am I going to have any of those things?

No.

Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.*

Why?

Because I'm back on 'Eat to Live' as of Monday.

I knew the cravings would come, but ugh...

I'm leaving work in 20 minutes.

I'm stopping at the store on my way home.

I'm buying -

- kidney beans
- zucchini
- broccoli
- dog food

That's all.

No Krispy Kremes, ice cream, etc.

I really hope this craving period ends.

SOON.

*that's a movie reference, obscure though it may be. probably a jazillion points if you get it.

Record-Breaking Week

This morning I found out that a guy I know was on Regis and Kelly with four other guys attempting to break the world record for the most front-flip slam dunks in 30-seconds.

Check it out -
Justin (my friend) is the next to last when they line up to talk to Regis and Kelly, and the one who helps Regis get in position at the end.

Bringing the Kitchen to the Bathroom*

I know a lot of people are blogging about 9/11 today - with good reason. I really don't have anything to add to what I posted last year, except for maybe - God Bless America. We need Him so much (always, but even more so now than before I think), for so many reasons. I love this country and am indeed proud to be an American. I don't agree with everything that goes on, but I don't want to live anywhere else. America truly is great.

(*those of you who know me well may know how hard it was to write that title. i refuse to take any food or water into the bathroom. it's disgusting. but read on, and then the title will make sense. :)

For a little over a week I haven't been using shampoo or conditioner on my hair. Don't get freaked out, I'm still clean (promise!). I've just been using an unconventional method.

Ready to hear it?

Baking soda.

That's it.

Well, baking soda in water. 1 Tbsp baking soda for every 2 Tbsp water. About. It's not a scientific process. I put it in a little squirt bottle and shake it up before every use (it separates), and after wetting my hair, I squirt some baking soda/water on my head. Rub it in really well (it's a different feeling and takes a bit getting used to), then rinse it out really well. The post-baking soda/water feeling take a bit of getting used to as well.

A few days after doing this, I read this lady's blog who mentioned putting an apple cider vinegar/water mixture in your hair after washing with baking soda, or lemon juice/water. I put some lemon juice (about 1 Tbsp to every 1 cup of water - again, not scientific so it doesn't really matter) and water in a squirt bottle and after rinsing the baking soda out, I put some of that in. I love how my hair has been feeling. It feels clean and is easier to manage. I'm sold.

Next crazy idea:

brown sugar/honey/olive oil/vanilla body (and face!) scrub.

I've tried this for a few days too (a couple of days without the olive oil, then I saw a recipe with olive oil and I mixed that up last night and used it this morning).

Once again - SOLD.

I love it.

This also separates, but I keep it in a little tupperware-type container and keep a plastic spoon with it so I can just quickly mix it up before using it.

With my hands, I scoop some out and start scrubbing.

My skin felt so soft and moisturized even before getting out of the shower. I didn't put any lotion or any kind of moisturizer on my body or face after getting out of the shower - because I didn't need it.

I know I posted about the greatness of baby oil gel a little while ago, but this trumps that. There's no contest in my opinion. It's really amazing.

One warning with the brown sugar mix - careful about it getting into your hair; or wash your hair after using the body scrub. I got some of the mixture in my hair from my hands and shoulders where my hair touched, and my hair was just a bit oily (because of the olive oil). I'm still going to use the scrub because it's awesome, but I'll probably clip up my hair after washing it just to keep it out of the way.

And the best thing about using these things - if you get really hungry in the shower you can just make yourself a cake or something. (:

Which reminds me of this:
(skip to 2:33 - or a bit later - and watch to the end to see what I'm talking about)

also, in honor of National Honey Month (who knew that even existed?) read here.

My Mom and I Got Pedicures the Other Day

It may have reminded us of this:

Hmm... I Don't Think I Love It...

A friend told me about stumbleupon a few days ago. It's a pretty fun website. I've found some cute ways to do nails and hair (especially long hair - which makes me determined to grow mine out again -- for real this time...).

One type of nail painting that I thought was really fun is called water marbling. I got some fun colors today (silver and pink) planning on trying it, but the polish I got just wasn't working (they do say that some are better than others). While looking at tutorials on water marbling, I found this post on tie-dye nails. Soo much easier, and also kind of fun, so I thought I'd try that instead.

Simply - paint two layers of one color on all your nails. Let it dry. Paint one layer of another color on all your nails. Let it dry. Take a q-tip, dip it in nail polish remover, and start rubbing different designs into the nails as you reveal the lower color.

~ for the second layer I didn't really care if I covered the whole nail since I'd be rubbing some off anyway ~

~post q-tip rubbing ~

It's kind of growing on me, and I'll probably leave it on for a few days, but I don't think it's my favorite look.

Don't Think I've Posted This Yet

I heard this song for the first time after I had been dumped because I like dogs.

Needless to say, this song has a special place in my heart. (:

What's the Difference Between...

... going to sleep at 9:30 and going to sleep at 10:30?

- a 5 am wake-up and a 7 am wake-up.

or

OLD AGE.
I'm feeling it...

Monday night I had lights out at 9:37ish. Yesterday morning I woke up just after 5, went downstairs and exercised, then got ready for the day.

Last night I had lights out at 10:30... this morning woke up at 7:10 (after kind of waking up at 5:30, then 6:20, and deciding that I was just too tired) and rushed through getting ready.

Which did I prefer? The first option for sure. It's amazing how much going to bed just one hour later can change how things happen the next morning.

Tonight's goal: 9:00. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Good Things Monday

I feel like Mondays get a bad rap. I kind of like Mondays.

Today, this is why:

:Dingo didn't wake me up in the middle of the night (for the first time in about a week)
:I got an extra hour of sleep (it was because I slept in, but I still got an extra hour - and I got to work on time)
:I had a really good lunch (just a microwaved meal, but it was good)
:I finally got the dogs out on a walk - a two-miler - and it felt awesome (they seemed to really enjoy it too and Dingo only started lagging at the very end - it helped him that we walked to the park for my ward's home evening and had a nice break between the miles)
:I got to play volleyball (well, there was no net, but we made a passing circle - and it was a lot of fun)
:I saw the start of the tons of beautiful sunflowers we get near the trail (I've decided that if I get married in August or September, I'm just going to cut a bunch of the sunflowers and use those as my wedding flowers)
:I got told about this crazy article from this friend who had a cute post today (I'm surprised that I'm still surprised at people's stupidity. And who's the genius lawyer who thought the kids actually had a case?)
:I got to read this post from another friend and I love reading her posts
:I feel tired (like, muscle-tired, which is awesome. it's been way too long...)
:I'm in bed and all ready for bed and it's not even 9 o'clock (lights off by 9:30)

This has been a good day.
Yay for Mondays!