Doug's Supertastic Blogging Experience

My Best Friend's Wedding.

2012-01-05T22:35:00.001-08:00

My best friend is getting married soon and I was lucky enough to take her engagement pictures. I've been playing around with textures in photoshop and LOVE the results. Let me know what you think!! :D

Peace!

Quilling for Christmas (again!!)

2011-12-20T01:15:00.000-08:00

Once again, I'm going to show off one of my talents. :)

This one is for my niece....though she's much too young to appreciate it. But her father would probably kill me if I bought her more clothing for Christmas and she's not old enough to like anything specific.....so I thought, why not make something that she may enjoy when she's older? And for now her mom can do the job of appreciating. :)

Seriously.......I. Freaking. Quilled. A. Pineapple. Cutest thing ever. If you don't know, my niece was named after the Russian word for Pineapple.

This one is for my good friend April. She was recently fired from her job, so I figured something hopeful......such as the word "hope" would be something suiting for her.

Well, Merry Christmas! Peace.

Missy's Bridals

2011-10-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Oh hey! So here are some recent bridals I took. Enjoy. :)

True Love

2011-09-27T01:42:00.000-07:00

Well, after the end of my very-first-ever-romantic relationship......(long story...) It made me think about true love. :) I kept thinking to myself, "Will I ever find it????" (Really though, I cheesed that up....I don't really think that way..) But then I realized I get to witness it all the time and no matter what, that's good enough for me. So here it is. TRUE love:

:-] Peace!

Food Coloring and Pineapple

2011-08-17T23:06:00.000-07:00

Hello! Here just a little something that I've been wanting to do for a while. Food coloring is kind of cool, aye?

I also wanted to share a little sneak peak of what's to come. You've probably noticed that 90% of the pictures I post on this blog are of my little nephew. Well, now you'll get even MORE cuteness! I was blessed with a niece this past week, she's the cutest little Pineapple around. Here is a little snipit from her newborn photoshoot (she better get used to the camera in her face...) only 4 days old!

I'm the luckiest Aunt in the whole world. :)
-Peace!

Dug's Craft Closet: Inspiration Box

2011-08-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Isn't it great when you are looking around at all the extra (seemingly useless) scraps you have in your craft box and then you have this ingenious idea to use all the random pieces together to make something great (and FREE!!)? That happened to me this morning. Well, to be honest, I thought of this a few weeks ago and even attempted to put together what was in my head. But it didn't work. It sucked actually. Thankfully, second time 'round was the charm. So, let me introduce you to my cute Inspiration Box.

I started off with a Crayola box that I had purchased for a previous craft I was working on. The box was a 164 count package and came with a bunch of boxes inside. When I emptied it out I just KNEW I had to do something with it. So then I took a gander in my craft closet to see what I had around. You can use ANYTHING that you have around to decorate your box. Here is what I had around for my box: Paint, scraps of ribbon, sticky butterfly stencils, brads, alphabet stencil (I actually had to buy one....but that's it.), scraps of paper, buttons, and a black fine point Sharpie!

First: The box. It's pretty much the easiest thing in the world. I painted it a dark brown. It actually took quite a few coats to cover the cartoon crayons all over the box, so have patience and let your coats dry completely. Next I decided to add a snazzy ribbon. I used a different patterned ribbon for a little flourish on the side. I used a brad to hold them together. You can either use hot glue or mod podge to stick your ribbon on the box. I decided to mod podge the whole thing because acrylic paint chips off rather easy. Once I mod podged it, I simply put the ribbon on before it dried. I dabbed a touch of hot glue on the edges of the ribbon on the bottom of the lid just to secure it.

I also added some stenciled butterflies using metallic paint. :)

On the bottom of the lid I added a little text by using stencil and paint. Easy easy easy!!

Last: What is my box for, I thought? While I was a Beehive Advisor in the Young Women, I grew to love making handouts. Also, I love quotes. I thrive on quotes. You see, I have absolutely no talent for saying things that are inspiring, so use some form of the phrase "If you can't do, teach." and there you have it. :) I therefore, made my box into an Inspiration Box. I am going to fill it with things that inspire me. Quotes, notes from other people, favorite scriptures, fortunes that are actually as good as the cookie they come in and anything else that puts a smile on my face. I am going to use my love for making handouts to make my quotes interesting and more than just scraps of boring paper. Here are just a few that I've already put together.

I wanted to upload more, but Blogger seems to be hating me right now. I want to punch it in the face. You get the point, though.

I also put things like this in my box:

It's one of the many random, funny messages that Les and I leave each other. At least we used to when I lived at home........ Anyway.

I love this idea because it's something you can keep somewhere out in the open in your house for others to look through. Put it on your coffee table in the dining room. Guests can shuffle through and maybe find something that inspires them! Also, the great thing about finding these quotes and scriptures is that it takes work. It helps develop my spirituality. Why? Because to find a favorite scripture, you have to READ your scriptures. To find a great quote from a prophet, you have to READ their talks and/or watch Conference. To find a good fortune, you have to EAT delicious Chinese food.....(sound logic, no?)

Well, what's in YOUR craft closet?

Peace for now!

Paisley

2011-07-23T01:17:00.000-07:00

More to come..... (Plus some engagement shots.....) But I just couldn't wait to share these! She's a doll. :)

Some Poems

2011-07-13T01:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is kind of random. But it's almost three in the morning and I have this intense urge to post a few poems that I've written. I'm going to regret it the minute I click publish, but I guess that will just have to be....or I can delete the post before anyone reads this. (Which will end up being 3 people at the most?) The thing is, something that I've always known but I've been thinking about it a bunch this evening is this, I don't have any outlet to truly express myself. I like to claim I do it through photography or writing or crafting, etc. But really there isn't anything, not even plain speech, will let me get what's in my brain out in the open. Hence the reason I'm always terrified to share anything I've written that I've tried to make remotely intimate. But here goes.

{This first one doesn't have a title. I suck at titles. The point is pretty obvious, though.}

Fear
Like a stench in the air
It seeps
Into your skin
Your muscle
Your blood
Your soul.

Fear
Can come at any angle.
Above
Sideways
Below.
A ready Assailant.

Fear
Is a tool,
A mechanism of Defense.
Protection.
Your Friend

Fear
Is a destructive Force.
Tears you down.
Rips you from the seam.
Your Enemy.

Fear
Is a What If?
A question
Of all that could be
Or couldn't be.

Am I an empty shell?
An empty shell,
With nothing more to give.
Safeguarded from Sorrow,
Lacerated from Love.
Fear of Life.

{This one is actually about my said lack of ability to express myself. I came up with it while walking to my car from school one day. I was so impressed with myself I decided to submit it to be published in this journal (which by the way I've read a ton of poems from these UVU journals and I'm not a fan at all. They all are kind of stupid in my opinion. That is the only reason I thought I stood a chance. But it was rejected. :) oh well!}

Trapped {Lame title, I know....}

Mouth shut
Sewn up tight
I get the scissors
To make it right

But metal stitches
Hold their own
Made out of Fear
Harder than stone

Instead, attempting
To use my hands
I look down
And see unyielding bands

Wait! Wait!
Please don't go
There is so much more
You need to know

I try to follow
I can't use my feet
Horrified, I find
They've melted to the street

To late, to late
Head bent in sorrow
Gather my strength
To fail tomorrow.

Anywhooooo. That's that. Don't be too harsh in your judgements. I realize they are both rather depressing.....but that's when it's easiest to write crap, ya know? :D Mmmkay. Peace!

Wedding Photos

2011-04-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from the the wedding I shot a couple weeks ago. Enjoy! Peace out. :)

One Day at a Time

2011-02-26T00:08:00.000-08:00

I don't update my blog anymore and it makes me sad. What makes me the MOST sad is that I remember I used to write the most hilarious posts about nothing. I don't have anything funny to say anymore. I've lost my creativity. There are two reasons for this. 1.School 2.Work.

School has pretty much sucked the life out of me. Studying literature makes me not want to read. Studying how to write makes me not want to write. And the fact that I'm at school so much is just too much. So, I did what any natural quitter would do. I quit. No more school for me.

Work. I love my job. I do. I'm shocked everyday by the fact I love my job. Unfortunately, it is also sucking the life out of me. I feel that the girls I work with deserve to be my priority. So that's what I make them, and I'm working 40 hours a week, struggling not to go over hours. It's funny. I signed up for the job expecting to work 25-30 hours a week. No, my friends. No. But they love me and I love them and I just hope I'm not messing them up more because I'm crazy and enjoy being inappropriate. Just sayin'.

I dropped school hoping for some free time, but it seems that already those school days are filling with non-relaxing activities. At work, everyone has the motto of taking it one day at a time, staying in the moment, concentrating on the here and now. I'm trying. I really am. But it's hard. Anyway, I'm used to these situations. I seem to have a habit of throwing myself on the sword.

Oh well. It'll get better and I'll paint, and quill, and take photos and visit baby Paul and do all the things I need to do to be happy. :) Even now, I am happy, I promise. I'm just stressed. Hopefully my next post will be hilarious and witty and award-winning.

As always, Peace.

Rachel's Bridals

2011-02-25T23:57:00.001-08:00

Here are some Bridals I took last weekend. Indoor lighting is pretty tough, it was a downpour that day, but I think these turned out pretty great. :) Thanks Rach, you're gorgeous!

Peace!

Scholz Family Photos

2011-01-22T18:11:00.001-08:00

I had the privilege of taking some photos of the Scholz Family today. Here are some of my favorites!

All three of us were pretty excited about the elevator photos. We all agree it's completely genius.

The one above is probably my favorite picture of all time. I think it's just gorgeous. :)

Well, my first pictures of the year turned out pretty awesome. Until next time! Peace.

We Meet Again, New Years...

2010-12-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are, on the eve of the eve of New Years Day. Two Thousand and freaking Eleven. What the heck? Where did the past 24 3/4 years of my life go? In two months I'm going to be 25. I feel like making a shirt with a quarter on it and wearing it everyday until I'm 26. (HINT HINT, Lorene! You and that nifty Silhouette of yours can whip something like that out....) Oh my gosh, just typing the words "until I'm 26" made me want to throw up a little. *Just breathe, Dug. Just breathe.*

Anyway, enough about my old age and withering body. Thinking back on the past year, I can't decide whether or not I can call it a success. I'm trying to remember what my goals were last New Year. I'm pretty sure, whether or not I said them out loud, that I made the following goals:
-Find a boyfriend, or at the least, start freaking dating.
-Move out of your parents house.
-Find a job that doesn't make you want to cry all the time.
-Exercise!

Out of these 4 pretty simple goals, I have achieved none of them. So, you'd think that would mean that this year was one big FAIL, but alas, there's always a positive side to the story. This should be a fun list to make. :)

Awesome Events of 2010 in the Life of Dusty Nance:

-Any day or time spent with Baby Paul

- Winter Olympics!!

- 3 month summer of unemployment (Best 3 months of my life.)

- California road trip with Vanae and Emily

-Discovery of BBQ Pringles. (Thanks to said road trip with Vanae and Emily.)

- First temple wedding shoot and bridals

- Galveston Vacay 2010!!

- This blog post

- Pictures published in Touchstones

- Concerts! Michael Buble, Muse, Collin Raye

- Girls Camp :D :D :D

-Purchase of Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens

-Burn Notice Season 4

- Movies: Toy Story 3, Inception

- Reading: The Lost Hero, The Red Pyramid, Flipped, Princess Academy

- New music: Josh Groban, Two Steps From Hell, Hans Zimmer scores

- Painting

- Paper Quilling!

- Finding out my children will have lazy eyes

- Humanities 1010

- Finishing math......forever!

- Pictures, Pictures, Pictures,and more pictures.

- Nine inches of hair- GONE!!! Back to my old self. :)

Here's hoping that in 2011 I'll not only fulfill some of my "goals" but also have as many, or even more good times than 2010. :)

Happy New Year, everyone. Love you! And as always, Peace!

Quilling for Christmas

2010-12-26T18:03:00.001-08:00

Well, since I've become a quilling master, what else would I do for people's Christmas gifts? So, here are the things I quilled in the past 3 weeks. My fingers are ready to give up the ghost....at least for now. :)

This was for my friend Robi. I discovered a cute flower design and that brought me to my next idea......

I'm really proud of this one, made for my friend Ashley. It's a simple, yet really cute design. Love it.

This one was crazy hard. I got the idea from the AMAZING Yulia Brodskaya here at her web page. Obviously mine is not as intricate as hers, but I like the way mine turned out! Especially as it's my first attempt. And Vanae liked it, that's all that matters. :)

This one I made for my bestie, Traci. She's having a baby really soon and I thought this could be something she could hang in her baby's room. She even had a spot for it when I dropped it by! :) I thought this one turned out nice with the printed paper as a background.

Anywhooo. I still have a bunch of things I must quill upon request of some friends and family, so you'll be seeing more in the future! Peace, for now. :D

Tis the Season! ...For Pictures of Cute Babies

2010-12-08T23:10:00.000-08:00

Album Review: Illuminations by Josh Groban

2010-11-15T23:56:00.000-08:00

Well folks, this is my first ever album review. Of course it would be a Josh Groban album. :) We haven't had a new non-holiday cd from Josh since 2006. As a rabid fan, you can imagine how excited I was about Illuminations. Well, the day came......and I wasn't that impressed. I know, I know, this is JOSH freaking GROBAN, he can't do anything wrong. And I'm not saying he DID do something wrong. I'm just not feeling what I felt with Closer and Awake, which was absolute astonishment. There are some seriously great songs on this new album, but there are also a few that just had me thinking: "What the heck is this?" I'll give you a track-by-track rundown.

1. The Wandering Kind (Prelude): This is a pretty great intro. All piano and beautiful. Very John Tesh-ish. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.

2. Bells of New York City: I REALLY love this song. His voice is incredible in this song, though sadly he doesn't use any of his divine falsetto. It has a "old-fashioned" feel to it. The more I listen to it the more I think I could place it in my list of Groban Greats. 5 out of 5 stars.

3. Galileo (Someone Like You): I liked this more the second time I listened to it, but I still wasn't too impressed. Some good moments, but all around, a little boring. 3 out of 5 stars.

4. L'Ora Dell'Addio: Eh........not very impressed. Yet gets better the more I listen to it. 3 out of 5 stars.

5. Hidden Away: This was the first song released from the album. It's really good, fantastic lyrics. I actually feel like this song applies to me in many ways. I wish he was singing it TO ME. I'd tell him everything. 5 out of 5 stars.

6. Au jardin des sans-pourquoi: Yeah I had to switch screens like ten times to spell that. This song is OK. I like the melody, but the lyrics bug me.....and I don't even know what they mean. I think it's French. It surprises me that I don't like it because I usually love French. But I don't know....sounds weird. 3 out of 5 stars.

7. Higher Window: Best song on the CD. 'Nuff said. 6 out of 5 stars. :)

8. If I Walk Away: I really like this one. I could have loved it if it weren't for these weirdo background vocals. 4 out of 5 stars.

9. Love Only Knows: I liked this one a lot, but it didn't grab me. 4 out of 5 stars.

10. Voce Existe Em Mim: This is Josh's first attempt at Portuguese lyrics and boy.....I'm a fan. This is a close second after Higher Window. It's fun, and quite a different sound for something of Josh's. Love love it. 5 out of 5 stars.

11. War at Home: Good lyrics. That's about it for this song. 3 out of 5 stars.

12. London Hymn: I don't know what the heck this is. It's SO out of place on this CD. 2 out of 5 stars. (I feel like I've just committed blasphemy.....)

13. Straight to You: I really liked this song......but it just didn't have enough progression. It highlights the vibrato in his voice, which sometimes gets on my nerves......... 3.5 out of 5 stars.

14. Feels Like Home: This Randy Newman cover is such a classic. It's a good choice for Josh's voice. However, I was hoping for some major orchestration somewhere in the song...but it never came which left me a little bored. Therefore, 4 out of 5 stars. (PS- this song is only on the deluxe version of the album.)

And that's that. As a whole, it was a good album, with some great moments. Buy it, if only to support one of the greatest singers of all time.

Peace!

I LOVE this little boy.

2010-11-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

Serious. I feel like I might burst with happiness when I see him. :) I don't know how his PARENTS manage to survive!

Yep, Yep. Published......AGAIN!

2010-10-30T00:15:00.000-07:00

This time, however, my photographs are being published. Not my prose. Which one is better? I just can't decide. :) Anyway, I submitted 4 photos to be published in the Touchstones publication at UVU. To my delight, I was informed last night that 2 of my photos have been chosen!!! The launch party is November 30 and I can display something if I want. I haven't decided if it's be worth the expense.....but anyway. EXCITING, no? Here are the 2 pics chosen.

Canoes at Legacy Lake

Golden Gate Bridge.

Yeah!! I'm so happy. My goal was to do something awesome, at it was achieved! Peace!

Paper Quilling

2010-10-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

For last month's craft, the Crafty McCrafters created paper quilled letters. Lu got the idea from this tutorial. Also, check out her pictures and tutorial here. She has a link to the free hand designs as well, which is what I modeled my first design after.

This is what I did first. I free handed it and I think it turned out pretty well. I haven't framed this one yet, and I don't know if I will. I think I can do another one a lot better....we'll see.

This is my second project. I didn't want to do a letter and I have a thing for peace signs. I traced the outline of the peace sign from clip art. I framed this in a shadow box and it looks incredible! I have it displayed in my room.

This is the latest of my paper quilling adventures. I'm pretty excited about it. I came up with the design myself. It's actually something I draw in my notebooks all the time. I'm really pleased with this one. I'm not sure where I'm gonna hang it yet.

Well, that's all. Peace out.

Happy Vacation in Galveston, TX

2010-10-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got a vacation! It was much needed, and so much fun. Leslee and I went to Galveston, TX. In case you don't know where that is, it's right there....that little island in the Gulf of Mexico. We have family there and they ROCK!

We arrived Thursday afternoon and my Aunt Wilma and Uncle Jim picked us at the airport. We stopped at the Olive Garden where I ate some delish chicken alfredo. We spent the day lounging and visiting with the fam. On Friday I was sick with a migraine (and ended up throwing up in a gross Mexican restaurant's bathroom) and stayed in bed half the day. We went on a ferry boat ride where we saw......

Lots of birds.

And dolphins!! I didn't get the best pictures of them. But they were neat. :D

This is a steak house we went to. It was pretty snazzy. I ate a tasty chicken fried steak with creamy mashed potatoes. And the coolest part?? The kid's menu, which was also an activity book.

Yep, that's right. Camping with Dusty. :) :) :)

Other than eating great food, hanging out with the fam, I spent lots of time at the beach.

I made Leslee run into a group of birds to scare them into flying. :) It was funny.

We found a dead fish. I poked it with a stick, just like a small child would, you know, to make sure it was dead.

JJ is the best.

I didn't even know Seth had gotten in the picture! It worked out nicely. :) He's a cutie. He's a Percy Jackson fan, just like me.

And.....I may have gone a little crazy collecting shells. I have plans for them though. Just you wait.

One of the greatest things about my vaca was that I got lots of awesome ocean scape pictures. They have gorgeous sunrise and sunsets there.

Sunset
Sunrise

Well, that's a short version of the trip, but I didn't want to bore you. Just know, I'm moving to Galveston someday. Peace for now!

Reason #1 to Move to Galveston, TX

2010-10-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

The Sunsets.

And that's just one of the many reasons, folks. Stay tuned for a full description of my trip plus lots of fun photos! :D

Dear Wednesday,

2010-10-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I finally get a day off. A genu-ine day off! What should I do with myself? Here are my options:

1. Sleep until I can't sleep anymore, hang with the dogs, don't shower, eat lots, do homework, edit pictures.

2. Sleep in for a bit....but not TOO long, shower, go shopping, come back and hang with the dogs, do homework, edit pictures.

3. Get up as early as humanly possible (for me that is), shower, get a massage (!!!), come back, hang with the dogs, do homework, edit pictures.

4. Get up, don't shower, deep clean my room and other areas of the house, do homework, edit pictures.

5. Drop everything and just do homework. (This is the option I SHOULD choose!)

6. Drop homework, sleep, pictures, dogs and everything else, fill my car up with gas, head east and see how far I can go.

7. (This one's the biggie) Get up early, shower, go shopping, get a massage, deep clean the house, eat lots, do homework, edit pictures, watch Modern Family.

Well, what do you think is my best option? I better not stick with one, because then that would be a goal that I had made and then I'd fail in achieving that goal. So it's best you and I just play it by ear, Wednesday. We'll see where the wind blows us.

Peace! -Love, Dug

Baby Lucas

2010-09-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the pictures I took of cute little Lucas this weekend. He's a cute one!

Peace!

Top 100 Movies Pt. 2

2010-09-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the second half of my list. It was hard work, but it's done. :)

51. Wives and Daughters (BBC)

52. Jurassic Park (I still have dreams about dinosaurs.)

53. Live Free, Die Hard

54. Amazing Grace (This is such a great movie, if you haven't seen it, watch it!)

55. Newsies

56. The Music Man (1962)

57. The Great Race (1965)

58. Iron Man

59. Iron Man 2

60. Armageddon (I cry every time.)

61. Executive Decision (This is one of those cable movies that I watch EVERY TIME it's on. It's so awesome. :D)

62. Letters to Juliet (I really do love this movie, despite the last line of the film.)

63. Pure Country (George Strait: Terrible actor, wonderful singer.)

64. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (Does this count as a movie?)

65. Anchors Away

66. 12 Angry Men

67. Oceans Eleven (2001)

68. The Abyss

69. Tremors (As classic as classic can get!!)

70. Mulan

71. Penelope

72. An Ideal Husband

73. The Day After Tomorrow (Best disaster movie ever, but SO dumb too.)

74. The Italian Job

75. Krull (No one could understand why this movie is on the list except for my dad.)

76. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

77. Sweet Home Alabama

78. Arsenic & Old Lace (best Halloween movie ever.)

79. American Outlaws (Western movie full of eye candy, count me in!)

80. Once Upon a Time in the West (Long, but incredible!)

81. Stardust

82. Empire of the Ants (Did you hear that? Obligatory....)

83. The Mask of Zorro

84. Legally Blonde

85. Twister (I'm going to be a storm chaser some day due to this movie.)

86. Napoleon Dynamite (:D)

87. Kung Fu Panda

88. Remember the Titans

89. Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken

90. The Little Mermaid

91. Anastasia

92. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

93. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (This one is my favorite of the three)

94. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

95. Forrest Gump

96. The Princess Bride

97. Castle in the Sky

98. The Greatest Game Ever Played

99. Harvey (I watched this in middle school, I think. SO good.)

100. Hairspray (LOVE LOVE LOVE)

Top 100 Movies Pt 1.

2010-09-21T23:32:00.000-07:00

My life has been pretty blasted chaotic lately. Usually my day/week goes like this: Work, school, work, Young Women, school, work, work, free time that should be spent doing homework, but I choose to use as my "decompressing" time, and finally, stressing and panicking because I'm now behind on my homework (that doesn't fetching make sense in the first place.)
So, one of the things I've been doing to clear my head is I've been making a list of my top 100 favorite movies. It's actually a lot harder than I thought it would be. I know I've seen plenty over 100 movies, but SO many of them are not worth putting on the list. They have to be ones that I LOVE or really really like. My list is not in order from best to worst, nor do I base what goes on the list by the "quality" of the movie. There are a LOT of movies that I seriously love that are just generally accepted as crappy. Therefore you are going to see a lot of variety here. I haven't made it to 100 yet so I'll give you the first half now just because I feel like blogging. Once again, these movies are not in order. I actually don't have a #1 favorite movie. It's impossible to decide as the movie would change with my mood and situation in life. Example: this week I have watched The Man From Snowy River twice. I wouldn't be surprised if I watched it again in the next couple of days. Does this mean it's my favorite movie of all time? No. It just means it's hitting the spot right now and all I want to do is watch it, but I have no doubt that after this week I won't watch it again for a really long time. Anyway, onto the first 50 of my list. :)

1. Star Trek (2009)

2. Emma (2009 BBC)

3. The Man From Snowy River (I want to go to Australia!!)

4. The Last of the Mohicans (Best score of all time? Most likely.)

5. Persuasion (2008 BBC)

6. Cloverfield (So cool.)

7. National Treasure (such a fun movie!)

8. The Mummy (Total classic!)

9. North and South (BBC, not the one about the civil war.)

10. Major League 2 (So many memories, so many quotes.)

11. The X Files: Fight the Future. (Oh Mulder, you're such a Fox.)

12. King Arthur (This baby's score is in the running with #4)

13. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Shoulda just stayed at one.)

14. Independence Day (Utah salt flats! Holla!)

15. While You Were Sleeping

16. A Bug's Life

17. Finding Nemo (Eskapay!)

18. Toy Story

19. Toy Story 2

20. Toy Story 3 (Holy crap this movie was amazing.)

21. The Simpsons Movie. :) :) :)

22. Pride & Prejudice (Keira Knightley version)

23. The Shawshank Redemption (OK, THIS movie could def. be on my list of GREATEST movies ever, but not necessarily my favorite.....make sense?)

24. Inception (I'm still not fully recovered from this.)

25. (500) Days of Summer

26. The Dark Knight

27. The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)

28. Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (Oh, Bhuvan. Way to change my life. :D)

29. Equilibrium (Freakin awesome movie.)

30. Clueless (*sheepish grin*)

31. A Time to Kill (Again, one of the Greats, but not one I'd watch everyday, ya know?)

32. The Island (What a totally underrated movie.)

33. Just Like Heaven

34. Speed (Oh my heck, I've watched this movie so many times it's insane.)

35. The Matrix

36. Singing in the Rain (Someday, in heaven, I'll meet Gene Kelly and thank him personally for being so talented.)

37. The Sound of Music (No joke.)

38. Marry Poppins (Classic with a capital "C")

39. Milo & Otis (I can't even think about it without getting misty eyed and reminiscent.)

40. Ace Venture (I'm not even kidding. This is on here solely for the quotes I still use to this day.)

41. Terminator Salvation

42. Charade (Cary Grant, baby.)

43. Count of Monte Cristo (Love. It.)

44. One Fine Day (Never has a man been as charming as George Clooney is in this movie.)

45. White Christmas (I can watch it all year round.)

46. Frequency (I cry every time.)

47. The Sixth Sense

48. Signs

49. Far and Away (Thank you, Enya.)

50. Enchanted

So there you have it. The first half of my list. Stay tuned for the next half, which may be posted tomorrow, or perhaps in a month. Only time (which I have a very limited amount) will tell. Peace for now.

Ken & Bri's Awesome Engagement Pictures.

2010-09-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

Guys, I'm really excited about how these pictures turned out. I think it's my best work yet. :) Hope you enjoy. Peace!

Great Things!

2010-09-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

1. I am beginning to realize how awesome Philosophy is. It kind of rocks. And surprisingly I GET it. At least so far.....(Knock on wood.)

2. My friggin Humanities class kicks trash. That class is going to blow my mind. I just know it. I'm actually starting to think it might make me want to take more art classes...... who woulda thunk! We looked at some paintings from the Romantic Era in class and because of that I discovered the painter Caspar David Friedrich. I. Love. Him. Here are a few of his works that I'm completely head-over-heels for.

Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (1818)

Seascape in Moonlight (1833)

Die Winterreise (1827)

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Also in the "good news" world. Both Michael Buble' AND Josh Groban have come out with new songs. How rad is that? How rad is it that I am using the word 'rad?'

I feel like my brain is in a million places at the same time these days. I don't know how to compartmentalize! SO many things need to be done, along with all the other things I WANT to get done, add on top everything else that comes between.

So little time for sleep. And yet here I am blogging....... I just really wanted to tell everyone how much I'm loving my classes. Except for Meteorology. It's like a wrench that's been thrown into my schedule. Every teacher except Mr. Nasal as I call him (which really I don't mean in an "I hate that man" way. He really talks through his nose!) is SO passionate about what they are teaching and so I sit there absolutely enthralled by everything they're saying. But in Meto, I'm like *..............................*

In summary. Art=Cool. Philosophy=Cool. Meteorology=Snoooooze. My Life=Hectic. Sleep=Non-existent.

Peace!

Blog Post By Paul

2010-09-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

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Pics from Legacy Lake

2010-09-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

I know I never posted anything about girl's camp a couple weeks ago, but it's too late now. All you need to know is that I could have stayed for another 2 weeks if I had the option. :) But anyway, I wanted to share a couple of wicked awesome shots I got at Legacy Lake.

Peace!

What have I gotten myself into?

2010-08-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

So today was a VERY interesting day at work. First, let's talk about me for a bit. As most of you know, I'm a bit of a ......what word should we use....softy? Wuss? "Field Mouse" as it was recently put. The point is, my whole life I've chosen to avoid contentious people and situations and I've done a pretty darn good job. So, whenever these people or situations DO come about, I get super freaked out and nervous and my brain turns into jelly and I just want to run away and hide in a corner.

Well, as you may have read in my post not to long ago, I got a job at a treatment center. I was expecting contention, but just because you expect something doesn't mean you are automatically prepared for it. To make a long story short, a girl at worked flipped out today and I was the staff in charge of her. She took a picture off the wall and slammed it to the ground and then took a flower pot and smashed that too. I. Was. Petrified. One part of my brain was saying, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh..." The other part was saying, "Holy mother of all things, what the heck to I DO!!", and another, "*GASP* She's going to murder me! I honestly might die, right now, by her hand." and probably the biggest part of my reaction was a half open mouth and a deer in the headlights look, with both hands in midair and a slightly hunched posture.

By the way, did I mention I worked 16 hours? And other things happened that were terrible and unfair and made me think many times throughout the day, "I can't do this. I just can't do this job. It's not who I am."

But I'm feeling better now that I'm home. I love my home. I could stay in my corner bedroom under my peace sign sheets forever. Anyway, I won't give up on the job just yet. That would be absolutely stupid. I CAN do it, it'll just take lots of blood, and tears, and heart attacks and practice. I hope.

Peace out for now. :)

PS- BIG congrats to Modern Family for winning the Emmy for Best Comedy Series!! I love that show! Wahoooooo!

School is for losers......or winners, in my case.

2010-08-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

So first off, I apologize if at any time this blog post is weird. I'm starting to feel the effects of the Nyquil I just took.....

Anywhoo. Today was my first day back at the 'ole UVU. I think this semester is going to just be great. School is my escape from the monotonous life I lead and I'm happy to be back and looking forward to "learnding" things.

First up I've got Critical Intro to Lit. Turns out that it's pretty much a philosophy class. Never been good with that sort of thing, but I think it should prove interesting. And I could always use topics for good conversation starters. I mean, we have a section called "Queer Theory" and it's exactly what you think it is. How COULDN'T that start an interesting conversation here in Utah County?

Next I've got Humanities. I may already be in love with my teacher. He's an HBG. If you know me well enough, you know that's my acronym for Hot Black Guy. He hilarious and has charisma up the wahzoo. Definitely looking forward to the class, and not just for the eye candy. We get to study art in it's various forms, even music. I have a feeling my teacher will NOT allow things to be boring.

Then comes Meteorology. The main reason I'm in this class is because I want to be able to have awesome weather conversations with Mark, and eventually he and I are going to be storm chasers, so I think knowing a little bit about that kind of stuff will be useful. For example, don't walk into a tornado. I mean, that's not common sense! You've got to learn that kind of stuff in the classroom. But unfortunately the teacher is REALLY boring and he talks through his nose which drives me crazy. Leslee is in the class with me, so hopefully she'll poke me or something if I start to drowse.

Last I've got Ethics and Values. It's a required class, so I had to take it. I was a little nervous about it at first. You've got to be opinionated in the class, obviously, and I'm just not smart enough to be comfortable with sharing my opinions (or lack thereof). However, after this first class I'm REALLY looking forward to it. My teacher seems awesome, like the type of person I could just listen to for hours because he sounds so intelligent but in a really non-boring way. I can see myself getting comfortable enough with him to actually speak up in class. (Unlike last semester's Brit Lit class which I didn't say a word in the whole semester....)

Well that's that. It should be an adventure. No attractive boys to flirt with or dream about, which sucks, but oh well. :(

Until next time! Peace.

I'm Employed!

2010-08-21T23:51:00.000-07:00

That's right, people. It's time to......

CELEBRATE!!!

I got a job (finally) at a treatment facility for teen girls. It has definitely been a crazy few weeks. My position is an On-Call staff, but I've been working a bunch. In fact this week I got 40 hours! I haven't worked 40 hours since my days back at Allens. (Don't get me started....I'll just get really sad....)

As most people know I'm not the biggest social butterfly in the world, and this job requires much socializing. I still haven't opened up very much, but I'm pretty friendly, I think. So all has gone well, so far. Once I get the hang of things, and do my best not to be a pansy and stand my ground when it comes to the whole "manipulation" thing some of those girls have going on, I should be just fine. :)

Though I already miss my unemployment because I'm a lazy-A, it's nice to be earning money again. I was getting a bit low on the funds there. What was my first purchase with this said money, you ask? Cotton balls! Psh... and you didn't think I had priorities.

Wish me luck! Peace!

Summer Movie Review: Ramona and Beezus

2010-08-04T23:16:00.001-07:00

I was SO happy when my friend Ashley told me she wanted to see this. Sometimes I have to be secretive about the movies I want to see because they're "kid" movies. I always say the thing I'm excited for the most about having kids is that I have an excuse to watch movies and cartoons meant for the ages 5-12. :D Plus, I remember reading all the Ramona books when I was a little tot, so that was another reason I very much wanted to see this.

Cast: Joey King, the ADORABLE little girl who plays Ramona is just perfect. She's such a good little actress. I've never seen her in anything before, but I've no doubt we'll see more of her in the future. I really like Selena Gomez as well, I think she's just a doll. Her clothes in this movie made me so envious! Ash and I both agreed we'd like to meet whoever picked out her wardrobe. John Corbett, who plays their dad is just great. I really liked him in this. Ginnifer Goodwin is beautiful and smart as always. I just can't get enough of her haircut. And finally we come to the delishus (I meant to misspell that....it's a joke in the movie....) Josh Duhamel. IS there a more attractive man in this world? I dare say there is not.... maybe Jason Thompson.... and possibly Zac Efron.... but anyway, it doesn't matter. He's HOT. He had some pretty funny moments in this movie that made me laugh a lot.

Story: I don't know if they used a specific book or multiple books to base this movie off of. I don't remember anything other than names from way back when. But the story was really cute. Ramona is a misunderstood accident prone little girl who tries to help her family out once their father loses his job. That's the basic plot right there. There are nice subplots going on (AKA JOSH DUHAMEL) that work really well. There are plenty of laughs and I am shamed to admit I teared up twice.... but maybe I'm just emotional lately. I was surprised by the LACK of cheesiness. You go to movies like this expecting it to make you roll your eyes at least 10 times, but I didn't do it once! The actors just did a good job with the material, I think. You know how sometimes even the best actors will do a kids movie and their acting is weird because they're trying to make it more "age appropriate?" Well, no one does that in this movie, which I appreciated VERY much.

Favorite Outfit: The wedding dress at the end. I want it. So much.

Favorite Lines: "Who has a name like Beezus, anyway?"........."Jesus?" Hahahaha. Classic.

Total Score: 8.5 out of 10. Yeah, I liked it that much!

Summer Movie Review: Salt

2010-08-04T22:58:00.001-07:00

I didn't really want to see this movie, but Leslee dragged me to girls night and this is the movie that was picked. I was pleasantly surprised.

Cast: The acting was really good in this movie. Angelina Jolie may be kinda weird (I'm not judging here) but no one can ever say the woman can't act. Liev Schreiber is always wonderful as well. Those are the two main characters that this film revolves around. The supporting actors were all well and good and so on.

Story: Honestly, I had this whole movie figured out down to the last second after the first half hour. That wasn't a bad thing though, as I still enjoyed watching it play out. There were a few scenes that were a bit too much for me, like when Salt stabs this guy with a broken wine bottle like a billion times and I think in the neck (it doesn't SHOW it). It made me a little sick. I don't do well with that sort of stuff. Even if it's not shown in a graphic way, they still add really gross sound effects. I really can't handle it when the scenes involve stabbings. Like, the movie The Village. Remember that one scene when Adrian Brody's character stabs Joaquin Phoenix's character like six times and the camera is just straight up showing it. I almost walked out of that movie because I had to throw up because of it. But I digress. There are not many scenes that are super violent. There are a lot of chase scenes and some scenes where they punch the crap out of each other, but they're nothing any other action movie doesn't have.

Random Thing I liked: Angelina Jolie's makeup. If I were a multi-millionaire I'd hire her makeup artist on a daily basis.

Total score: 6.5 out of 10. (I would have given it a 7 if it weren't for the fact I had the movie figured out. AND if it weren't for that icky stabbing scene.)

Summer Movie Review: The Sorcerer's Aprentice

2010-08-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

Well, whilst I try to gather photos and movie clips from my awesome girls camp experiences, I must catch up on all my movie reviews! I'm way behind and summer is almost over!

I saw this movie the day after I saw Inception, and so to be honest, I feel like I need to see it again to truly appreciate it and not have it be so overshadowed.

Cast: I like Nic Cage though I know a lot of people don't. I don't necessarily think he's a great actor, I just like him. He did well in this movie. I liked his look. ESPECIALLY his trench coat. Jay Baruchel was pretty well cast as the apprentice. He's perfect for the super nerd you love to love. Alfred Molina is great as always. I especially liked the character Drake Stone, though I don't know who the actor is. He delivered some funny lines. All in all, not the BEST acting ever, but definitely not bad.

Story: The story wasn't anything new and was full of cliches, but I really enjoyed it. It's simple, easy to follow and fun. There were a few scenes that were super super cheesy, but they didn't ruin the movie. You can probably tell I feel pretty "meh" about the whole thing, but it really was actually pretty good. I really need to see it again when it goes to the dollar theater. I think I could have enjoyed it more if my brain hadn't still been hung up on Inception.

Best Scene: The Fantasia scene. I thought it was pretty classy and well done.

Total score (which is subject to change!): 6.8 out of 10

Project: Modest-fy a Dress

2010-07-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

So I usually don't post crafty things, but I was kinda proud of how cute this dress turned out, so I'd thought I'd share.
When I went on my awesome vaca to California with Em and Nay, we stopped in Santa Monica for some shopping. We went into a second hand store and I found this dress. It was only $12 and it looked fantastic on me, so I bought it. But as you can tell it was a little short. If my legs were nice and thin and toned and tan, I could get away with something this short. But even so, it IS a considered a little immodest by LDS standards. Also, you can see it has no sleeves, another "no-no."

So I went down to Walmart and bought some eyelet lace. (Three inches wide or so, I think.) And sewed it to the lining of the dress, like so:

(Please ignore the terrible stitching job. I didn't worry about it because you can't see it anyway. :)

I also went down to the mall to find a cheap, white shrug. I found one, bought it, and here is the finished product.

It would also look really cute with a white shirt underneath, but for some reason beyond every one in my house, our washer discolors all of our whites. We've tried everything from Oxyclean to bleach, so we're thinking something has gotta be wrong with the washer. Anyway, in short, I don't have a nice white shirt to match the whiteness of the lace, so I'm gonna have to stick with the shrug for now. :)

Stay tuned for a lengthy post on my adventures at girls camp! :) Peace.

Summer Movie Review: Inception

2010-07-17T00:16:00.001-07:00

When I first saw the previews for this movie I thought, "Um, I'm not going to see that. It looks like it'd go right over my head." Then, later it became, "That movie looks really cool. Maybe I'll see it." And then, "I'm seeing it, it looks too awesome." And finally, "Hans Zimmer composed the music? Heck yes, count me there!"

And so there I was today. In the theater. Watching the movie.

When it was over, all I could say, after the entire theater including myself yelled "NO!" when the credits started to roll, was "Wow." And I'm talking a really good wow.

This movie was by far, hands down, one of the BEST movies I have ever seen. In my LIFE. I was honestly gripped the whole time. I was nervous and anxious and on the edge of my seat.

The acting was phenomenal. Dicaprio, I've always thought, is just fantastic. I haven't seen many of his movies, but I've always believed him to be a wonderful actor. The person who really stole the show for me, however, was Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He rocked this movie. I now how a large celeb crush on him. The supporting cast was great. I can't say enough good things about them.

The action, effects, story, EVERYTHING, was so well done, it's just crazy. See this movie. Right now. The music, by the way, was also awesome. Well done Mr. Nolan, and Mr. Dicaprio, and all you other Misters. :)

Final Score: 10 out of 10.

Book Review: Flipped

2010-07-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

Flipped written by Wendelin Van Draanen is a book for many ages. It's technically in the category of ages 10-14 ish, but since I am now well past that age (at least in appearance) I can attest to the fact that people from any age group will enjoy this book.

When Bryce Loski moves into the neighborhood in the 2nd grade, Julianne Baker falls head over heels. Not being a shy person, she does everything she can to be around him, much to Bryce's dismay. Bryce isn't so sure about Juli. She's nosy, annoying, and just plain won't leave him alone.
Things go this way until the eighth grade when suddenly things get a little flipped. After a few events that I won't spoil, suddenly it's Bryce whose thinking Juli is pretty neat, and Juli is starting to realize that Bryce's blue eye's may be the only thing worth liking about him.

This book is amazing. I read it in just a few hours and I was sucked into Juli and Bryce's world. While I very much like Bryce's character, and really feel for him during some of his crisis moments, but Juli is the shining star here. She's a tough one, will a true sense of who she is and firm in what she believes. I can relate to each of them, and many of the other characters in the book. I for sure got misty eyed more than twice and laughed at least a dozen times.

Total score for this book is 9 out of 10. The only reason I dock a point is because, while the ending is wonderful and most will find it satisfying, I was hoping for just a little bit more of "set in stone" ending.

READ IT!!!

My Week (So Far) in Review

2010-07-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

Monday I had a job interview. FINALLY! I haven't gotten a call back yet for a second interview, but I've got a feeling I will. I applied at a treatment facility for troubled teen girls. It's not my ideal job, but with my bank account getting closer to that big, fat zero, I'm willing to try just about anything. (Aside from prostitution.....although......)
On Tuesday morning, I took pictures of my cute nephew. He's now 9 months old, loves chewing on his hands, slobbering and is adorable in every way.

Later that day, I was sitting on my back porch, enjoying the warmth because my house is freezing thanks to central air. Sisco was out meandering around and then suddenly she was leering over one of the window wells. I called for her, but she wouldn't budge. Something was in there. I figured it was a mouse, but when I looked into the well, I saw a little beak poking out from underneath a large leaf. I thought to myself: How the heck did a bird get in there?? So I went and put on some vinyl gloves, moved the leaf and found this little guy.

I picked him up and almost died of sadness because he was SO, SO tiny. I put him in a shoebox and immediately decided it was my cause to save this little guy. Still thinking it was a bird, I got on the Internet and found that if you can feed baby birds baby food. Chicken and fruit baby food. With my pajamas on, my hair wet, and no make up on I ran to the store and bought some. My mom and I force fed him some in with a little syringe. He wouldn't open his beak, the poor thing, so my mom had to force it open. But he ate a little and we made him comfortable with some towels and let him sleep. I took some pics and just kept checking on him. Well, later Les got home from work and we decided to go to Art City Pharmacy to get a smaller dropper to feed him with, I took my camera so we could show our friends there. Chelsea, one of Leslee's co-workers looked at the picture and said: "Oh, that's totally a pheasant." Of course it was! I knew it didn't look like a regular bird, it looked more like a chick. So she told us he needed chick food. So we went and got some of that. To make a long story short, we tried and tried, but the next morning, he died. We had named him Tuvix after a Star Trek character. My fam has a tradition of doing that. This particular character was one that only lasted a single episode because his character "wasn't meant to be." We decided that was fitting because this little chick was probably going to die because he was abandoned and just not meant to be. And he did. It was sad, but I didn't get to attached, so I'm good. It did however, make every one in my family reminisce about a sad, sad time in our house.

About 15 years ago, we had bunnies. We were new at the whole bunny thing, and made many mistakes in deciphering what sex the bunnies were, and turns out the guy who sold them to us, told us wrong. So we put the ones who we assumed couldn't get into "trouble," if you know what I mean, in the same cage. One summer we discovered that my bunny, Gizmo, had babies. (Who knew!) But we had had no idea that she was even pregnant, so we weren't watching for them. So when we happened upon them, most of them were dead. One, however, was not dead, though it was in really bad shape. It's poor little legs were bloody from the harsh metal cage. We warmed up some towels and cleaned it up the best we could. My mom took it to the vet and we found out it was a girl. The vet told us to keep her warm and feed her formula that was specifically for baby animals. So, we were determined to save this little bunny. We named her Little Bit.

We all fell in love with Little Bit. I still remember what she felt like, all covered in peach fuzz. I remember what she smelled like, which was the formula, but man, it smelled marvelous. We all had these visions of our little pet bunny, all grown up with nothing but stubs for feet. (The cage had deformed her, so if she had grown up, she'd have nothing but little nubs.) She would have been the greatest pet ever. Unfortunately, she died after a couple weeks. It was the early morning and Mark and I were downstairs watching cartoons before school. I think I was pretty involved in my show (which may have been Power Rangers, don't judge!) because I didn't even realize my mom had come down the stairs. I looked over at Mark and saw that my mom was sitting next to him, her head on his shoulder, sobbing. We buried Little Bit in our backyard.

Wednesday night, I went to a midnight showing of The Last Airbender.

I know I usually review movies, but I just refuse to bother reviewing this one. I had just finished the last episode of the series the movie was based on that morning. It (the series) was epic. I recommend it to everyone. The movie....not so much. I will refer you to another blog for a review. This review is written by my friend Mat, who went with us to the movie. Click HERE to read it.

Thursday was a good day because I got the spend the later afternoon with these marvelous people.

We went up to Bridal Vail Falls and spent some times looking around and spitting sunflower seeds. Good times. :) I also was able to snap some more pics of this handsome guy.

Well, that's everything worth mentioning so far. Now it's Friday and I'm going to see the new Twilight movie tonight. I'm not really thrilled about it, but it's free thanks to my sister. I'm sure it'll go into the same category as the other two movies, which is: Meh.

Sorry this is such a long one, hopefully you make it through it. :) Until next time. Peace!

Summer Moview Review: Knight and Day

2010-06-24T11:35:00.001-07:00

First I should start out by saying that I love Tom Cruise. I think he's a fantastic actor and has some REALLY great films under his belt. If he hadn't been cast in the lead of this film, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. That being said, this movie was really entertaining. It's no classic nor is it oscar worthy material, but it's fun. The humor is great as well as the action.

And that's all I have to say about that one. :)

Final Score: 6.5 out of 10.

Summer Movie Review: Toy Story 3

2010-06-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

I was 9 years old when the first Toy Story movie was released. I was 13 when the second graced us with it's presence. Now, here I am 24 years old, eleven years later, and I've just gotten home from seeing the third. I cried like a baby.

If you have ever felt sentimental about a childhood toy, felt the sadness that comes with growing up and not wanting to give up something that has truly become a part of who you are, then this is the movie for you. If not, and you just want to see hilariousness all over the place, it's still the movie for you. :) I am both, but more so the former. This movie was magnificent. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you bite your fingernails in anxiety!

I'm not going to go into details about the synopsis. Just go and experience the fantastic-ness of the whole thing. We get to see all of our favorite familiar characters and we also get to meet some really really funny new characters. Ken, Barbie's male counterpart, is hilarious to the extreme. There is one scene where he and Barbie are saying "I love yous" and it had my dad and I cracking up for at least the whole scene after. Michael Keaton voiced him and he was perfect.

Seriously, what a great (and heartbreaking!) way to end such an original trilogy. What a fun day it will be when I can watch all three movies consecutively.

Final score: Solid 10 out of 10.

Also, the short six minute movie that comes before the film: Oh. My. Heck. It's pure genius. No joke, it was the most creative (and if I'm going for cheesy, truly inspiring) six minutes I've ever seen. That I also give 10 out of 10.

Now, for something to make you laugh! :) I would like to show you why this movie meant so much to me. When I was 3 years old I got a stuffed mouse for Christmas. She's about a foot tall, blue, with chewed up plastic whiskers and to this day, I love her more than anything I own. I, being such a creative child, named her Mousy. That same same Christmas, Leslee got a stuffed bunny....and named her Bunny. Mark received a stuffed yellow furred bear.....and named him Yellow Bear. Ken was given a brown furred bear.....and can you guess? Named him Brown Bear. These 4 stuffed animals honestly became the center of our universes. We gave them life, personalities, quirks. Our imaginations grew from these inanimate objects.
Time passed and they became less played with, but they were still very much a part of us. None of us have parted with them. Yellow Bear is still with Mark, Leslee has put Bunny in her cedar chest, I think. Mousy still sleeps on my bed (In fact, she's sitting next to me right now!!). Brown Bear however.....well....the poor little guy sometimes gets left behind. About 5 years ago, Mark, Leslee and I noticed that Brown was stuffed away in Ken's closet. We realized he probably hadn't seen the light of day for some time. This made us very sad. I mean, just because he's not real doesn't mean he has no feelings! So, being the witty people we are, we decided to teach Ken a little lesson by making him this video. It might not be as funny to others as it was to us, but I dare you not to laugh at least once! Quick note, just so you don't think we're total weirdos. The last part of the video (music and text) is taken from the movie King Arthur. And no, we really didn't burn Brown Bear......

****Also keep in mind we were thinking "funny," not "high quality."****

The last picture shown is a parody of a picture of us kids. It got quite the discussion going on facebook. I swear it's the most commented on picture I've ever seen! :) I'll load it for you here so you can see it.
Gosh we were cute. We look like quadruplets. ADORABLE quadruplets.

Well, peace out for now! :D

Stink Bugs

2010-06-15T13:43:00.001-07:00

I know that I have already written a post about The Sad Life of A Bug a few years back, but I feel like I should revisit this topic.
My basement is being overrun with stink bugs. Now, please don't think that I live in filth. (Just because I let a spider live inside my window sill for 6 months.......) I really am a very clean person, and no matter what one does, bugs get in the house. It's a fact of life. But seriously, they're everywhere in my basement. "Why are there so many?" You ask. Well, here is the thing. I don't kill stink bugs. I just don't. There are certain insects that for some reason that is truly beyond me, I have sympathy (fondness may be a better word....) for. Stink bugs, crickets, and especially potato bugs. (Now, for some reason I call this bug a potato bug. Most people call them a roly poly. But through my wiki meanderings, I've discovered it's actually this bug that is nicknamed the potato bug.)
Anyway, so me not killing any of the stink bugs is causing an overpopulation in my home. I'm not disturbed by this. However, I am disturbed by my lack of being disturbed.
I bring the subject of stink bugs in my basement up because of two thoughts that I've had in my dealings with them.

1: A few days ago, I had a stink bug in my room. I walked in and saw him on my floor. As usual, I just ignored him. I mean, he's not a dangerous bug and he's not crawling ON me, why bother him? I did whatever I was in my room to do, glanced at him (we'll classify him as that for now) in the same spot he'd been the whole time and walked out. No kidding, less than five minutes later I walked in again to find him clear on the other side of my room. Now, I'm not so good as calculating distances and stuff, but if you think about the size of that bug, that was a pretty far way to go in a few minutes. It must have been like crossing the Sahara! (That's obviously an exaggeration, although my carpet is a sand color......) This made me feel lazy. A BUG made me feel lazy. That poor little guy, searching for food and walking all that way in less than 5 minutes! I need to get my butt in gear so that I can be in as good a shape as that stink bug!!

2: Yesterday there was another one in my bathroom. In the morning he was there when I took my shower. Again, I didn't bother him. A couple hours later, I walked in and saw him in the same spot. The first time I didn't wonder why he hadn't moved. But yet another time later he was still in the same spot. I decided to take a closer look. He was upside down!!! The poor little guy's legs flailing wildly in the air. Like the weirdo I am, I felt sorry for him and decided to flip him over, so he wouldn't die in such a terrible way. So I flipped him on his feet and I walked away. Yet another amount of time went by and I found him again, in the same spot, on his back AGAIN, his legs twitching in the air. Now I was annoyed. "Good heavens, bug." I thought to myself. "If you're that stupid, you deserve to die!" But, once again I flipped him over and moved him to a new location on the floor. Who knows, maybe that particular spot was slippery!

There are no morals to these stories. They're pretty pointless, but I thought I'd share them with you anyway, if nothing else but to help you see what a lunatic I am. Until next time! Peace. :)

Summer Movie Review: The A Team

2010-06-14T00:04:00.000-07:00

This review is going to be rather short. I'm not going to give you a synopsis, because it's just too much work. I'm also not going to go on about the things I liked about this movie, because it'd mostly be about how attractive everyone was with their blue eyes.
However, I will say this: This movie was a BLAST! Seriously, it was funny and action packed and really funny. Did I mention how funny it was? If you decide to go see this one, keep an open mind and go to just enjoy a good popcorn flick. :)

Final Score: 7.5 out of 10. Now, if I were basing this on just entertainment value, I'd give it a 9 out of 10 instead, but I've gotta include all around quality, ya know? I'm pretty stingy sometimes with my scoring. :)

Next up: Toy Story 3! Holy smokes, batman! I'm excited! :D :D Until then, peace out!

Book Review: The Red Pyramind by Rick Riordan

2010-06-07T15:31:00.001-07:00

I was so happy when this book came out. I missed my Percy Jackson, and I figured anything Rick Riordan writes would fill the void. This book is the first in a series called The Kane Chronicles. Let's get to it!

Plot: Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set--has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Thoughts: There are many aspects of this book that are very similar to the Percy Jackson series, but since I loved those books, I was OK with that. One of the first things that made me love this particular book is the little "shout-out" Riordan gave to his former book series. If you've never read the Percy Jackson series you won't get it, but if you have, you'll catch it...and it'll make you grin. :)
But enough about Percy Jackson, this book was extremely entertaining in it's own right. The story was exciting and the characters (the good and the not-so-good) are very likable. I'm not going to lie, there is one character who I decided to pictures as myself....because I'm a nerd like that. But anyway, another thing I enjoyed was the mythology, obviously. In Riordan's Greek mythology based series I could see what was coming, because I'm really familiar with all those names and legends. But with this book, Egyptian Mythology based, it was new territory. I enjoyed that aspect. I had studied Egyptian Mythology in my Myths and Legends class a few semesters ago, but I had forgotten most of it. I liked being surprised and I loved learning names and stories about Egypt.

Final score: I give this book a 9 out of 1o. The only reason I take off one point is due to the fact that I didn't actually get into the book until about 10 chapters in.

Summer Movie Review: Killers

2010-06-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

OK, so this movie was SLAMMED by the critics, and after seeing it that doesn't surprise me, but I don't necessarily agree with them......

Synopsis: Spencer is a government agent who hates his job. He wants to settle down and live a normal life. Jen is a recently dumped gal who never does anything exciting or out of the ordinary. One day in France (while Jen is on a vaca with the folks and Spencer is on a "mission") the two meet and fall madly in love. Spencer keeps the truth about his job a secret. They get married and the movie really starts about three years after. Stuff happens, she finds out, yada yada yada.

Cast: I like Ashton Kutcher, and though he's no "A-List" actor, I enjoyed him AND his hot shirtless scenes! (Yes there IS more than one!) But really, I liked his character. Despite my severe dislike for Katherine Heigl, I wasn't repulsed by her in this movie. She's a good actress and delivered some funny lines. We get to see Tom Selleck and Catherine O'Hara as Jen's parents. Selleck is just OK, but Catherine O'Hara is seriously funny playing a woman a little too fond of the alcohol. She was my favorite part of the movie.

Thoughts: While this obviously is not the best movie in the world, I thought it was going to be the worst. Like I said earlier, the critics were ruthless with this one, along with many IMDB reviews. So I left my brain at the door, thinking my IQ might drop a few points if I brought it with me. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I thought it was funny, and though cliche, the actors make it work. I wasn't a fan of the "twist" thrown in, partially because you see it coming a mile away and partially because after it's revealed, the movie falls flat.

All in all, it's a good movie. If you are saving pennies, wait til you can redbox it (or better yet, support your local rental store! Help out the "little man" if you can!) If you are in the mood for a big screen movie, go see it in theaters.....but see a matinee. Don't spend more than you need to on this film. Like I said, I did very much enjoy it but I am not going to lie, when I began writing this review I had to pull up the movie's IMDB page just to remember the characters' names. That should tell you something.

Final score: 5 out of ten (note that probably 2 of those points are contributed to Ashton Kutcher's shirtlessness.)

Next week: The A-Team. Until then, peace!

Pick-Churs

2010-06-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a few picks from the wedding shoot last week. It was fun! Except for when I biffed it like a fool on the temple steps.....but I was rewarded with a really great bruise. :)

Summer Movie Review: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

2010-05-30T23:18:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are with probably my most anticipated movie of the summer. I was not disappointed, but I wasn't astounded either.

Plot: Dastan is an orphan who was taken in by the king as a child and raised as a prince. When his brother orders an attack on a neighboring city, Dastan discovers a dagger which turns out to have power that turns back time. His father is murdered and Dastan is blamed. Along with the Princess Tamina (of the city they attacked), Dastan must find the true person responsible for his father's death and protect the world from the possible danger the dagger could unleash.

Cast: Let's just come right out and say it. Jake Gyllenhaal is uber attractive. I think he's a fantastic actor as well, and he proved that in this film. He made his character believable even with the sometimes shotty dialogue he was given. Gemma Arterton is decent and her character is phenomenally better than the one she played in Clash of the Titans. (To know how much I hated that character please see my review of THAT movie.) She and Jake had wonderful chemistry in my opinion. The only other character that stood out to me was Sheik Amar, a man who organized ostrich races. He had the best comedic dialogue in the film. The rest of the supporting cast did well, once again considering the cheese factor of the movie.

Likes and dislikes: Dastan. I loved his character, his costumes, everything. The fight scenes were well done, though at times I found the camera work to be slightly strange. The romance was nice (I'm never opposed to a little of that!), though I would have liked a better kiss. *Wink wink* I mean, they supposedly had all this tension throughout the film and all we got was that little smooch? Pshh, come on Mr. Director, you have single women in the audience! We need something to vicariously live through. ;) Special effects were decent, borderline great, but nothing too extraordinary.

I'll be honest, I had to see this movie twice in order to really decide how I felt about it. The first time I was distracted by my extreme tiredness and pounding migraine. (That's what I get for attempting the midnight showing!) That time I left the theater a little confused by how cheesy it turned out to be. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was intentionally cheesy. So, I went to see it again with Leslee and I really really enjoyed it the second time around. It could have been due to the fact it was in the afternoon and I only had a mediocre headache and not a full on migraine. So I recommend going into the movie knowing that the dialogue and story is a tad cliche' and cheesy, but have the mindset that it's supposed to be that way. Be excited to enjoy a light, fun, action adventure! And for SURE enjoy Jake Gyllenhaal's good looking-ness! :D

My rating: 6.9 out of ten.

Next week we have Killers, staring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl. But before that, I'll probably post the photos of Kevin and Jenny's wedding that I took on Monday! Be excited!!! :D Peace, my friends!

Shoes!!

2010-05-29T23:05:00.001-07:00

I know I said my next post would be another movie review, but I just had to post a picture of the shoes I got yesterday. Are they not the cutest shoes in the world? I am in LOVE!! :D Peace!

Summer Movie Review: Iron Man 2

2010-05-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

So, I know that I started my Summer Blockbuster List a little late and I forgot to include Iron Man 2. Well, I will now correct my mistake and give you my official review!

I heart Robert Downey Jr. I think he's absolutely spectacular. He played his part just as well as he did in the first Iron Man movie. I liked Don Cheadle as well, even though I usually hate when they replace actors playing the same character, but he made it his own and I really enjoyed him in this movie. I'm not a huge fan of Gwenneth Paltrow, but I like Pepper's character and the banter between her and Tony. RDJ and Paltrow have really nice chemistry. I downright dislike Scarlett Johansson, but her character in this movie was pretty bad-A. Though, honestly I can't give credit for her character being bad-A to her, I give it more to her stunt man. :) I'm glad they gave Sam Jackson a little more of a role in this, I like him. And he's in every other movie in the universe, why not this one! Sam Rockwell was hilarious. I especially love the orange palms that he had due to his excessive use of tanning lotion. Last but not least I'll mention Mickey Rourke. He's creepy and that allowed for a great villain. I thought he played the part well.
All in all the acting was superb with this all-star cast.

I really enjoyed this movie. I enjoyed it so much that I saw it twice! I thought the action sequences were fantastic. The birthday party scene was just a tad overdone though. A lot of people have complained about what a jerk Tony Stark was. Here's the thing. I contribute this (and maybe justify it a little, though I shouldn't) to the fact that he was going through a particular "crisis." I won't say what, just in case you haven't seen the film yet. I also contribute this to the fact that when people make sequels, they tend to take the things people liked in the first movie and times them by ten. He WAS a jerk in the first movie too, although Ken will argue otherwise. So of course he's going to be an even bigger jerk in the second movie, because that's what people LIKED about the first one, his rude, sarcastic personality!

One of my only qualms was that it was too long. They could have trimmed almost twenty minutes outta that movie, and it would have been even better.

Favorite Scene: Tony Stark discovering a new molecule. It rocked my socks.

All in all, I give this movie a solid 8 out of 10.

Next up: My review of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Until then, Peace!

Looks like it's Summer! (Only without the Sun.)

2010-05-26T12:30:00.001-07:00

Well, as all of our beloved TV shows come to a temporary close (I don't watch that much TV....but still...) the world of entertainment fills that void with SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS!! This is my favorite time of year, I'm not going to lie. That might be pathetic, but it's true! I can't deny it!
So, my dear blog readers, be prepared for a weekly movie review! Here's a schedule of the movies coming out that I'm looking forward to seeing!* Seriously, every weekend a new movie!!!!
*Take note that just because I'm looking forward to them, does not mean I think they're going to be "good."

May 28: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - I've been looking forward to this movie for over a year. I think it's going to be in the same rank as The Mummy, kinda dumb, but SO entertaining. + The music is by Harry Gregson-Williams. How can it NOT be epic?

June 4: Killers- Now, I don't hold out much hope for this movie, but I'm a Ashton Kutcher fan and he is shirtless in one or more parts of the movie so count me in!

June 11: The A Team- Again, not holding out much hope that this movie will be good, but I have NO doubt it's going to be entertaining! And come on, Bradley Cooper is in it and he's hot.

June 18: Toy Story 3- I can't even explain the excitement I have for this movie.

June 25: Knight and Day- I love Tom Cruise. I love most of his movies, and this looks like it's one that I will add the pile.

June 30: Twilight: Eclipse- Now, I hate the first 2 and I'm no longer a big fan of the books, but I know I'm going to see it because that's what I do, watch movies.

July 2: The Last Airbender- I've never watched the Nickelodeon series this is based off of except for the last battle that Ken showed me, but I think this movie looks like it has spectacular visuals, so I'm in.

July 16: The Sorcerer's Apprentice- Despite his awful hair, I like Nic Cage, at least the Disney productions he's been in, like National Treasure. This movie looks like it will be a fun one!

Also on July 16: Inception- Face it, this movie looks crazy weird and awesome!

July 23: Salt- I am no Angelina Jolie fan, but Leslee wants to see this, which means I will probably see it as well.

And that's it for my summer line-up. I'm very much looking forward to all the popcorn and Junior Mints and overpriced concessions! :) Peace!

Socks

2010-05-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

In the colder months, I usually sleep with socks on, because my toes are always freezing. But I hate socks and so in the middle of the night, I usually wake up (or half wake up) and slide them off. Well, last night, I hopped into bed and realized I had no socks on. This was because I couldn't find any. They'd all disappeared. Then I remembered that I had MANY socks, they just happened to be at the foot of my bed, stuffed neatly between the sheets. So I reached down to get a pair to warm my toes and I pulled one sock out.....then another, which was not a match to the first, and then another, which was no match for either the first or second.....and yet another sock after that. So here I was pulling sock after sock from the bottom of my bed. Finally I put two mismatched socks on my feet and called it a night.
And they say the washing machine eats socks................

I need to state publicly...

2010-05-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

That I have some really really amazing friends in my life. In ALL the past stages of life I look back on, it amazes me the luck and fortune I had in that department. From grade school to Jr. High to high school, from job to job, I have been blessed. And the luck just keeps on coming. I spent a great weekend in California with two awesome gals. Nay, who has been my friend since the third grade (minus a few years of estrangement....but we won't get into that.) and Emily who is one of my newest friends, having only hung out with her twice (yet she was so excepting of me, it was like we've been friends for much longer). We had such a good time chilling in the sun, shopping, and reading a few books together (Hunger Games, anyone?).
Other recent events have caused me to reflect on these wonderful people in my life. What's interesting, is it's mostly the contrast in certain events that's effecting me so much. There are a few people who (in my eyes) have shown their true colors and they are not pretty. These people are people who I have considered good friends, and it's really frustrating. So I get angry and I start to think that maybe everybody sucks deep down inside. But then, I come home from California and my mom tells me that Seagull Book is hiring (this story is going somewhere I promise.) So I go, and they tell me they aren't hiring, but they give me an application anyway. I text my mom, teasing her that she's a dirty liar. She writes back and tells me how she came to know of the job opening. Kyle, my old boss/good friend/awesome person, knows someone who is quitting there soon and when he saw my mom in Allens, (he's the baker there) he jumps at the chance to tell her I should apply there. My dad later tells me Kyle was excited to tell them of the job opening. I called Kyle not to long ago, just letting him know that I'd love to work a few days a week for him, because 1. I need a job and 2. I miss working with him. He told me there were no openings, but if anything did open up I'd be the first person he'd call.
The point is, Kyle heard of the job opening at Seagull Book and thought of me, a person he's seen probably three times in the past year and a half. And he was excited about letting me know, because he cares and he, for some reason I can't explain, is looking out for me.
For some reason this simple gesture just hit me like a ton of bricks, though not in a bad way, as that expression is usually used! :D
It's so nice to know that are people out there as truly good as Kyle. And he's my friend!
Anyway, super sappy, I know. But it needed to be said. So, to all you good friends of mine (you know who you are!), THANK YOU!

Jenny's Bridals

2010-05-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm taking a big risk posting these. Kevin (Jenny's fiance') is under no circumstances allowed to see her dress! But let's be realistic here. Who really reads my blog? And I especially doubt Kevin will be reading it any time soon. :) Anyway, Jenny is adorable and I was so happy to take her photos. Here are just a few of my favorites (and I had a LOT of favorites, but I don't think it's "kosher" to post 70 pictures on the 'ole blog.) ((((OH my heck, I can't even decide which ones to post!!))))

I can't decide which of these I love more. I obsessed with both of them right now.

Well, peace out!

Thanksgiving Festival II

2010-05-05T21:16:00.001-07:00

So here are some more pictures from the good 'ole Tulip Festival! :) (You're welcome, Lu! )

You would be surprised to know that this is the face that most men make when I try to kiss them. :)

I like:

2010-04-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

Cute things. Here are some examples of cute things that I like: Baby ducks, adult ducks, Jane Austin films from the BBC, butterflies, Baby Paul, mini umbrellas, those toothpicks that look like pirate swords, mice, guys who tell me I have the cutest smile at UVU, the small flashlight my mum bought for my car that has pink flowers on it, Zac Efron in High School Musical 1, 2 & 3, Athena (I miss her!), baby cows, those tiny cans of Dr. Pepper (what are they, like 6oz or something?), peeps (though I don't like to eat them, unless they're stale), The Little Red Hen, panda bears, the number 4 (don't ask me, I just think it's cute), flowers, the piggy bank that Leslee bought me one Christmas that says "little slugger" on it, Delphinus, Mr. Peanut, keychains, puppies, Michael Buble songs, Michael Buble, Snuggles (You know, the fabric softener bear?), Barkley's reaction when you blow in his face.......
So, if you are thinking about getting me a present, which I know most people are thinking that all the time, any of these things will do......though I don't know how you can "get" a constellation....but it makes for a great challenge. :)

The Tulip Festival

2010-04-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some of the pictures I snapped at this year's tulip festival at Thanksgiving point. :)

These flowers are actually a lot darker purple. For some reason, my camera processed the color a little different.

Just had to sneak this one in. He's so cute.

I LOVE this picture. :) Baby Paul looks just like his mum.

For some reason, to me, these flowers look like they're made of frosting. It makes my mouth water just looking at it.

The color, shape, and texture of the petals in this picture I love. So pretty.

And for your entertainment, here is what I look like when I try and take these pictures. Looking like a fool comes with the job, I guess. Thanks to Les for snapping these. :)

Yep. There ya go. :) Peace!

I Love My Calling. :)

2010-04-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

So, I just want to say that I love making cute handouts for YW. Tonight, I started my lesson late and so I didn't have time to go out and buy supplies. However, this is what I made from what I found in my storage room. I just think it's so simple and cute. :)

Also, last week for our activity on Tuesday, we went to the Provo temple and took pictures. You guys have probably figured out by now that I'm obsessed with taking pictures of flowers. :) Here is a great shot that I'm very proud of. I haven't even touched it in photoshop, so that makes it even cooler. :D

If you like this, you should tell me, because I can post a whole LOT more if you want. I went to the Tulip Festival yesterday with Les, Lu, and Baby Paul. We had SO much fun. And I got some really nice pictures too.
Well, until next time! Peace :)

Baby Steps, right?

2010-04-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

I talked to Career Center Boy(CCB) today. (Please click here if you don't know who I'm talking about.)
There I was, walking through the hallway. He was hotly sitting at his desk, and I thought, "hey! there he is!" I haven't seen him since that first memorable day, and it was quite nice to see him again. He's like a 10, ladies. Seriously. HOT.
As I walked past him, I had a wild thought!!! You see, I had just finished my math homework whilst eating lunch in the Valley View Cafe. (Yum! Best salad bar ever.) And all the pages were loose. I needed a stapler. So......why not ask CCB for a stapler? This is how I pictured it in my head,
Me: "Hey, do you have a stapler I can borrow?"
CCB: "Sure * hotly passes me a stapler*, you know, you look familiar. Were we in a class together last semester?"
Me: "Um, *playing dumb* I don't know, maybe."
CCB: "Huh, It's just you have the most beautiful eyes. I swear I've seen them before."
Me: *Blushing profusely* "Oh, well, haha. Thank you." *Flutters eyelashes for effect.*
CCB: "Say, I'm about to take a lunch break. How would you like to join me?"
Me: "I'd be delighted." *Flash signature smile*

So, no, things didn't go exactly as planned. Here's what really happened,
Me: "Hey, do you have a stapler I can use?"
CCB: "Um, yeah. Here ya go." *Passes me the stapler.*
Me: *Staples paper together* "Thanks."

And then I turned around and walked away. I know. Intense, right??? I mean, wow. Reality is SO much better than my imagination! (Please note that I am using much sarcasm as I type that.)

Why didn't it go like I planned? I have made a list.
1. I didn't wear my hair down today. I look tons better with my hair down. It hides the lack of jaw line...
2. I wore a really cute shirt, but it has kinda puffy sleeves, making my shoulders look broad. Pair that with my hair being pulled back, accentuating my small head.....
3. I'm a loser.
4. All I did was ask for a stapler. I should have made a joke or something.
5. I can't make spur of the moment jokes, which would have helped with #4.
6. He's outta my "attractiveness" league. I mean, this guy should be in a Gap advertisement.

But, after making this list, I've decided the REAL reason things didn't go like I thought, is this:
I'm way too cool for him. He couldn't even BEGIN to handle my coolness. So, he decided not to say anything about my beautiful eyes, because he was to intimidated by the aura of awesomeness that seeps from my every pore.

*Sigh.* Poor guy, I hope he'll recover soon.

Until next time, Peace!

Cute Cute Davis Kids. :)

2010-04-13T21:29:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of taking pictures for a good friend of mine. These are her adorable kids. She's getting anxious to see them, so to give her a little teaser, here are just a few of my favorites. :)

Still on that roller coaster ride........

2010-04-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of the Muse concert Leslee and I attended on Monday. It was SO fun. They didn't talk to the audience much. I was very saddened by this because I like me a good British accent. Judging from the opening band, however, dropping the "f" bomb every two minutes, I guess I can see Muse's lack of conversation as a good thing. I was so excited by all the great songs they played. And they played a LOT!! Their stage setup was kick-A and all the lasers and psychedelic-ness going on was pretty crazy. I'm pretty sure they had subliminal messages going there....but I haven't killed any government officials yet, so I think I'm in the clear.

Here's some good news for the week, both of which pertain to my Brit lit class. We finally got our scores back for the midterm and critical papers. I got 97% on the test and a 93% on my critical paper. I know most people think that A's are just given away for free at UVU, but I worked hard for those grades and am really excited. :) Unfortunately, I have another paper due on Tuesday. This one I'm even more nervous about, and should be working on it instead of blogging. But I've found that if I try and fit everything together in my head and write it last minute, I do better. Ken said it's probably the adrenaline I get, knowing it's due the next day, that kicks my "intelligence" into gear. I think he's right. Either way, keep your fingers crossed for me!

My last day of work at Healthwise is on Monday. I still haven't put in any applications. I'm such a lazy butt. I better get said butt in gear or I'm going to be in a pile of....you know..crap. Too bad you can't see the future....I could have saved myself from buying that car.....and saved the Mallard in the process. Although, that also means I could have died, seeing as how the Mallard was one tick away from exploding every time I stepped in that thing. *Sigh* I miss that car. She was a gem. :)

I went laser tagging last night with some friends. That is a fun activity. Talk about a great leg workout. At least, a good workout for those who are ridiculously out of shape like me.

Also, Mark Nance is a "Connect 4" genius. How do I beat him?? He's too strategic. I wish I had gotten some of that trait. Oh well. I got green eyes, so I can't complain.

Why do I get hungry when the clock strikes midnight?? Is it like that for everyone? I'm trying to make a goal to not eat after ten, but once that little hand inches it's way closer to the 12, my stomach, or better yet, my brain (because I'm usually not even hungry) starts yelling at me to eat something. Like right now, all I can think about are chocolate chip cookies.

I got my ganglion cyst drained on Tuesday. I was SO cool. I decided to watch. I was too chicken the first time. The PA who drained it from me was Steve, he works with my dad. He gave me a shot of lidocaine in my wrist and numbed it right up. Then he took this gargantuan needle (seriously, this needle is 2 inches long, and thicker than a quilting needle), and pushed it through. It took him a while to find the darn thing, so he had to move it around. That was kind of gross. He finally got it and this clear liquid started filling the syringe. Then he pulled the needle out and injected (through the same hole) something else...I'm not 100% sure what it was, but it was milky and white. Anyway, so after he was done, I asked if I could look at the stuff in the syringe. He squirt it out on the table! There was about a dime size amount of this stuff. Picture what the consistency of OraGel or something like that is, and that's pretty much what it looked like. It was completely clear, no blood or anything mixed with it. It was SO cool. Then Steve touched it with his finger!! It made me laugh. Those PA's, they don't get grossed out by anything. :)

Well, now that I've grossed you out, I'll call it a successful night! Peace!

Movie Review: Clash of the Titans

2010-04-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

Synopsis: (Taken from IMDB and edited by me because of many grammatical errors.) "The Clash of the Titans" is set in the Greek city of Argos where a war is about to explode between man and the gods. Perseus (Sam Worthington) was raised as a fisherman, but is actually a demi-god. Perseus is the bastard son of Zeus (Liam Neeson) who is about to take on the gods after the death of his family. Zeus' brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes) was the one who killed his family, and Perseus wants to kill him. However, it is Perseus' destiny to rescue the city of Argos from the ruthless rage of Hades and his Kraken monster. With nothing to lose, Perseus leads a band of soldiers on a quest to defeat the Kraken. In doing this, Perseus will prevent Hades from overthrowing Zeus and in turn destroying mankind.

My thoughts-

Acting: The acting was good. We have some great actors on the list here. Sam Worthington (Avatar), Liam Neeson (Schindler's List), Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter) and Mads Mikkelson (King Arthur). They were all great, even with the script being campy at times.

Special effects/cinematography/overall "look" of the movie: Great. All of it. There were a few moments where the special effects had a slight cartoon-ish look, but very seldom.

Music: Oh. My. The music was fantastic. Ramin Djawadi was the composer, though I believe some themes were written by Craig Armstrong, as he was originally set to do the score. But whoever did it, did a great job. I've got to get it from iTunes asap. I've needed a good score to soothe my hectic life, and this just might be the one to do it!

Story/plot: OK, here is where things get a little sticky. I'm a mythology buff. And I am quite partial to the myth of Perseus. Unfortunately, the screenwriter for this movie was not. Some of what they added was fine, like the whole "war with Hades" thing. I didn't mind it at all, and it really added some nice dynamics to the story. But here's the BIG thing that they did, and I still just don't get it. In the myth, (and yes, there are many versions of said myth, but this one fact remains the same in all of them.) Perseus falls in love with Andromeda. Um, hello! You can't just take that out of the story, but they did! What's the point of it all if you do that????? Instead, they decided to throw in this random character named Io, who is so pointless and stupid, and I can't even deal with it. Seriously, my mind is boggled by this character. She makes no sense, shows up randomly, seems to know everything, but you have no idea why. She's dumb and I hate her. The movie would have been almost perfect if they'd not added her stupid character. You think she dies, which made me so happy. But no, they bring her back in the end in this lame cliche' scene. And they imply that Perseus hooks up with her. This may seem like the lamest reason for disliking a movie, but I'm seriously bugged, you guys. To the point that I want to throw something. Andromeda's character was made into this background character who had like two scenes in the film. Ugh. Why did they do that?? I just don't understand. And I'm pissed.

In conclusion: Up until the last five minutes of the movie, I was entertained. It had some good aspects to it, some cheesy aspects, but all in all, good flick. However, I left the theater feeling really unsatisfied.

My rating: 6.5 out of 10

Concert Review: Michael Buble' Crazy Love Tour

2010-04-01T22:11:00.000-07:00

Last night was phenomenal. That's all I can say. Simple amazing in every single respect. Bubbles' opening act was an acapella group called, Naturally 7. They're insane. Look them up on youtube. All the instrumental sounds are made by their voices. One of the guys can make his voice sound like an electric guitar in an crazy way. They were great and very entertaining.
Then came the moment of truth. The white curtains were closed, but the band began to play. They started out with the first song on his new CD, "Cry Me a River." As the they played, the lights started to flash and you could see the silhouette's of the band members. And then........his voice came.......and for a moment I went into cardiac arrest. Now, I went to his concert last time he came to Utah, but it didn't stop the fact that I was there last night from being completely surreal. The curtains opened and there he was in all his hotness and glory. After he sang another song, he stopped and started talking to the audience. What I love about him is he is SO personable. He really connects with you and chats with you, in a really non-scripted way. He makes jokes, tells you about his life..etc. And his voice is just FLAWLESS. He is genuinely talented, unlike so many of our current music "artists."
He did a few new songs, one song he heard in Sweden or something, and he also did a really hilarious Michael Jackson impression and sang a few notes of "Billie Jean." He did the whole running into the audience thing. The way he did it was not as cool as the last tour....but I was still jealous of all those people who were able to feel the sweat dripping off of him. *Sigh....*
My one complaint was that he didn't sing my song. There is a bonus track on his new CD which is "Some King of Wonderful." It's my favorite song. Ever. But I let it slide, only because I adore him so much. He ended the concert with the same song as last year, because it's just so appropriate. He closed with "Song for You."
And then he was gone, and he took my soul with him. That's OK, he can have it. It'll give me something to say when I meet him. (Which I totally will....someday.) "Oh hey, Mr. Buble', Can I have my soul back please.....or an exchange would be fine. Keep the soul, I'll take you instead."

Yep. That'll be one great day. Until then, I'll just have to make due with what I've been given, and that is one hell-of-a night that I'll never forget. :)

Peace!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

2010-03-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that was a scream of excitement, don't you even fret.

So, remember how my last post was all whiney and 'woes me'. I'm over that.

Now I want to tell you why I'm excited about LIFE!!!

1- Um, I'm going to a Michael Buble concert in 3 days. Holy crap. Last tour was amazing, I've never seen such an entertaining performer. His voice is flawless live, he's hilarious, and did I mention he's stunningly attractive??

2-OK, so most of you know I'm a nerd. THIS weekend is.......(dun dun dun dun) Clash of the Titans. I truly believe that as of this moment, the trailer for this movie is the BEST ever made. I know the movie is going to suck, but MAN, they know how to make a killer trailer. I'm a sucker for kick-A trailer music and this my friends, is kick-A trailer music. Here's a link...you know...if you want to make your lives explode with awesomeness for approximately two minutes and nineteen seconds. http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2626946073/

3-Oh, what's on Monday?? Muse???? I think.....YeS! I've never been to an alternative concert before. I was just told today that I should invest in some ear plugs. I'm a little tempted to dress up completely goth. I could pull it off. Fo sho. I've got the moodiness going, ya know?

All this is happening THIS week! And I need to fit in job hunting, resume creating, homework doing.....etc. etc.

*Please keep your seat belts fastened and your arms and legs inside at all times, until the ride has come to a complete stop.*

'Nuff said. Peace!

They Say You Can't Go Home Again. Unfortunately They're Right.

2010-03-24T21:53:00.001-07:00

As I was on my way to the post office today, I heard Miranda Lambert's new song, "The House That Built Me." So all day I've been very...reflective...I guess you could say. Basically the song is about a girl who goes back to her childhood home to try and fix her life by looking to the past. Now, right now I know what ALL of you are thinking. You are thinking something like, "Um....Dug, how the heck does this pertain to you? You live with your parents.....still."
I know, I know. I'm a ridiculous person, but let me explain. So, I quit my job. As most of you know, I hate my job, so why would that make me sad? Well, I really like my co-workers. A lot. I've been through this before. I worked at Allens for six years. SIX years. That's a long time. It was like my second home. Rob was my second father.....who I felt uncomfortable talking to because I feared him. Kyle was the awesome uncle who made me laugh hysterically. Barry was that creepy stalker in your life that you don't know how to deal with...so you just go with it. Mani was like a cute little grandma who baked you cakes and wanted you to marry a rich husband. Peggy....I miss her. She owns goats. :) The checkers/baggers were like my siblings...and perspective spouses......though THAT never worked out. (Kiss mine, Pete!!!!) And Annette....oh Annette. She was my INSPIRATION!!!! I give her full credit for my decision on becoming a writer. If it weren't for her, I would never have dreamed to have the imagination to write creatively.
I know a lot of my friends and family thought it was not a good place for me to work. It took up too much of my social life (Like I even wanted one. Psh.) It stressed me out.....I smelled like fried chicken all the time...etc. etc. But I LOVED it there. When I was there, I felt confident, I felt safe, I felt like I was HOME. Then I quit, because you have to move on with life, I guess.
Let me tell you though, I miss that place every single day. When I drive by, I feel like there's a hole in my life. I can't even walk into the place because it makes me too sad. Not once since I quit that place have I felt half as confident in myself (Is that pathetic or what??.) Whenever my life gets all crazy, I honestly think to myself, "If I could only go back to my old Allens days. Then it'd all work itself out." That's why that song made me reminiscent. That, added to the fact that I have to go through it all over again.
I've become very good friends with everyone at Healthwise. They're like my family. They think I'm cool!!! It's a rare thing, finding people who've heard me clear my throat of a popcorn kernel and still respect me. :) Or not give me crap about being single......wait.....scratch that. They DO give me crap. Lots of it. But that's OK. I like them enough that I'm cool with it. All the hilarious videos, the hysterical conversations. I'll miss them so much. Sure, you can always try and keep in contact with people, but it's never the same.
Life never stops for you to catch up, and you have to leave people behind. In my case, it's usually me being left behind. I barely see my best friend who used to be attached to my hip (Thanks alot Brodie!). I never talk to my high school friends (except on Facebook. What would we do without it?) And it's not that I don't want to hang with them, or talk with them, and it's not that they don't want to see me, it's just a fact of life that people come and go. And it SUCKS. At the worst moments in life, you'd think that good memories would make things easier. But they don't. They just make the worst moments more terrible. Because you're stuck with the fact that you can't turn back time, you can't regain the friendships you once had, you can't relive the shining moments. Thankfully God is merciful and he keeps allowing new wonderful people to enter your life and sometimes there are those few who, for some reason, stick by you forever (Thank you, Nay!). And then there's family. Sometimes I don't treat them as well as I should because I start feeling crowded, and like I'm not my own person anymore, but at the end of the day they're all I've got. And I've really come to like them.
I apologize for the heavy post. I know I usually keep things light....and hilarious....but I guess there's two sides to every coin. I'll be on the up and up next post, don't you even fret. :D
-Peace!

Once Upon a Time.......

2010-03-09T20:10:00.000-08:00

I was at school.

Walking to the CS building, passing the Career Center.

At a desk sat a boy.

"Ooh." I thought. "That is one fine lookin specimen."

I walked on, feeling slightly happier. I mean, just knowing there are guys that good looking out there is a real comfort.

I go to math. Learn about stuff. Like Simple Interest.

"Haha, I've got Simple Interest. In that HOT GUY sitting at the Career Center." I chuckled inside.

Class was dismissed. I started for the library.

Once again, I was passing the Career Center.

I had stopped thinking about the boy.

THE boy.

But then I saw him again.

He was standing up, with a jacket on. Talking to girls. Gross.

Maybe his shift was ending?

I'm looking for a career. Maybe he can help me find out what my "options" are.....if you know what I mean.

Oh well, like I'd actually have the guts to talk to him anyway.

Wynona Judd's song I saw the light just started playing in my ears. I had my earphones in, jammin to my pod. That's a good song. Classic Country.

I looked at the TV on the wall as I continued walking. CNN was on.

The bottom had catching text that read: OKLAHOMA TORNADO. They were showing footage of destruction and misery.

I wanted to watch that. Because I'm morbid.

I stood for a moment, not really in the middle of the hallway, more to the side.

"I should get to the library." I thought.

I turned.

OH. CRAP.

I pulled out one of my headphones.

"Sorry, what?" I asked innocently.

"Oh I just was asking when that happened." the hot boy asked. THE hot boy. THE hot boy I'd been drooling over just moments ago.

"Oh, sorry, I couldn't hear you." I replied stupidly.

"Yeah, I know, I tried asking you when you had your back turned, but you didn't answer."

OH CRAP!!!! HOW LONG HAD HE BEEN STANDING THERE??????

"Haha. I wasn't trying to ignore you." I instantly regretted my statement, knowing is was LAME.

"Yeah, so when did that happen?" He asked, referring obviously to the footage on the screen.

"Oh, I don't know. Today?"

"Today? Are you sure."

"Not really. It hasn't said, I don't think."

"Oh, alright. See ya."

Then he walked away.

I had a difficult time keeping myself in an upright position for a moment.

Had that hot boy, THE hot boy, just spoken to me?

More importantly, did I really just say all those lame things in that really lame voice??

My whole being was just screaming- NERD!!!

But he had spoken to me. HE spoke to ME!!

And he saw the back of my head, which if I do say so myself, looked very nice today, because I did my hair in these cool braids.

But....I had my headphones in, and I totally didn't hear him the first time. Oh my GOSH, that is so embarrassing. I don't know why. But it IS.

I hope I looked good. I hope he was so stunned by my radiant beauty that he remembers my face and maybe next time I walk past the Career Center and he's sitting at that desk, he will smile at me. Maybe a funny wave. Even a pity wave, that's all I ask for.

I'm picturing it now. It'd be just like a scene in those movies where the main girl is really lame when you first meet her. I'm picturing a Sandra Bullock type character. I'd go up to him, thinking I was clever and funny and say (as I had my earphones in). "Haha, don't try and ask me anything." Then point at my ears. Then everyone in the audience would cringe at the awkward sight. He too, would be cringing. Inside, I would be cringing more than all of you put together because I KNOW it's so ridiculous what I just said. He'd give me a sympathetic smile, hoping I'd leave. I'd maybe throw in a few more forced chuckles to try and imply I really was cool, but so obviously was not. Then I'd turn and walk away. THEN the school would be attacked by evil ninjas and one would take me hostage. "Help me!" I'd scream in a 'damsel in distress' sort of way. Career Center boy would step out from behind the front desk, ready to save the day. "Excuse me Evil Ninja, but I think you should let the lady go." His voice husky and challenging.
Well, I think you know where this is going. Yes, you're correct. The shark gets away, leaving few survivors in his wake. But then he's defeated by a Panda. And the Humbolt squid take over the sea...and eventually....the world. The end.

Until next time. Peace!

Natalie and Logan's Engagements

2010-02-28T23:28:00.001-08:00

OK, so today I had the privilege of helping out my cousin, Natalie, by taking a few engagement pics along with her sister. I guess the photographer they hired didn't take any pictures they thought they could use for their invitations. Trisha, my cuz, called me and asked if I could help out. Of course I was more than happy. Any opportunity to take pictures is a happy day for me. Especially when I was able to discover some GREAT locations. I got some fantastic pictures coming away from the shoot. I'm pretty impressed with myself. But I guess it doesn't take that much talent when you have a really good looking couple and really good looking locations. :) I couldn't post all 100+ pictures that I took, so I choose 10 to show you. It was tough, but these are a few of the best from the day.

This last one is so cute. I can't even stand it. ;)

Movie Review: Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief

2010-02-27T22:51:00.000-08:00

As a lot of you know, I'm in love with the book series, Percy Jackson and The Olympians. When I learned about.....um maybe 2 years ago that they were making a movie, I was happy and sad about it. When you love a book as much as I love this fantastic Greek mythology based book series, you hate to see someone else take their own ideas and mix them with the author's, creating a mess of weirdness and stick it on the big screen. However, I'm a movie lover. A big movie lover. So, I decided to give it a chance.
I FINALLY got around to seeing it today with Papi, having waited two weeks after it's release. I knew that there were already two things that this movie had going for it before I even entered the theater. 1- They have a GREAT movie poster [see pictured above]. I was actually worried that they were going to re-release the 1st book of the series (Author: Rick Riordan, for anyone interested in checking them out) with the new movie poster as the cover. (They often do this with books, no?) I KNEW that I'd buy it, even though I already own a hardcover, glossy and very beautiful copy with the original cover. However, they did not. (I was kinda disappointed, but my check book is grateful.)
And 2- The main actor, Logan Lerman, is EXACTLY how I pictured Percy Jackson. It's crazy. (At least how I pictured him in books 4-5ish. In the first book he's only 11 years old....and in the movie he's like 16 or something.)
I left the theater kinda bummed. However, during the whole movie I wasn't bummed once. It was actually pretty decent. I was entertained, for sure. As expected, the main actor was great! I really love him. If he weren't like 17 in real life, or I was 17 again, I might have a fangirl crush on him. However, since I'm 7 years his senior, I have "what a cute kid" type feelings for him. (Oh my gosh, I feel disgustingly old right now. Blech!)
Most of the actors I enjoyed very much. Sean Bean plays Zeus! I LOVE Sean Bean. He's such a fun actor, and he always plays his characters so well. Kevin Mckidd plays Poseidon. For those who watch Grey's Anatomy, you'd know him as Dr. Owen Hunt. I don't like him in that show, but I loved him in this. Boy, he is one good looking man. He had a Brit accent in this movie, but in real life he's got an Irish one *swoon*. Great job by Uma Thurman cast as Medusa. She was PERFECT! And wow, they nailed those CGI snakes. Pierce Brosnan, who I'd lost all faith in after seeing the movie Mama Mia!, restored my love for him in this film. Though, in the film his character's part was quite small. (In the books he's a major character) Also, props again to the special affects team for making him look like a real Centaur.
OK, so basically, I loved the characters themselves, however that's not to say they reflected the characters in the book. Most of them didn't, but in the context of the movie, they were very well done. They all had great chemistry, which is something that really glues a movie together, in my opinion.
Now, onto the plot. Here is why I left the theater bummed. THEY COMPLETELY OMITTED THE ENTIRE STORY ARC OF THE FIVE BOOKS!!! What the hell?? How are they even suppose to make movies of the following books if they do that?? It's impossible! They left out at least a dozen extremely important characters, and changed the other half into completely different characters who happened to have the same names. (Except Chiron AKA Pierce Brosnan. They really nailed his character.) I mean, seriously though. They took the SUB STORY of the first book and made a movie of that. SO weird. So weird. I'm just so.....unsettled about it.
I guess in the great scheme of things I can understand why they did what they did. They didn't know how the much the movie would make so they wanted to make it more of a stand alone movie. I understand it , but I don't like it.
Also, in the first book, the main characters are about 11 years old. For the movie they aged them like five years. (Another obvious reason they had to omit the story arc...it would have made no sense at the age they were in the movie.) Again, I understand why. Who wants to watch a bunch of 11 year-old kids do stuff?
There is only one more thing that really irked me. And if you can believe this, it's what irked me the most. The main female character, Annabeth, is BLONDE in the book. Percy mentions it like a trillion times. It totally adds to her character! But of course they couldn't find any blondes to play Annabeth in the movie, I mean, they were wiped out with the dinosaurs right?? So the Annabeth in the movie was brunette. Ugh. Bugs. Plus they left out 90% of her character's qualities, so I guess it doesn't really matter. But still. Grrrr. (Although, the actress was not bad. She's actually in White Collar as Neil's long lost girlfriend, for anyone who watches that! LOVE that show.)
So, if it was possible for me separate my love for the book, and my like for the movie, all would be well with the world. But alas, I can't seem to do that.

If you like fun movies, that are really made for younger audiences (although it was surprisingly NOT immature) and you haven't read the books, check this movie out! Then after you do, go read the books. Because they're amazing. I think I'm going to go read over my favorite parts as soon as I'm done blogging!!

I give it 3 out of 5 stars. :)

*So, this is my first ever movie review. Maybe I'll give you more in the future, but only if you comment on what a fab job I did. ;)*

Love you all! -Peace

Leslee...The Olympics.....and Ferrero Rondnior

2010-02-23T20:42:00.000-08:00

So, I was told by Vanae that my last blog post was rather depressing. I apologize for that. I always try and keep things light....and occasionally, freakin hilarious. (Ok, let's be honest, I'm always freakin hilarious.)
So since my birthday I've been trying to come up with something to blog about. Today, Leslee was sitting on the couch and I asked: "Leslee, I need to blog. What should I blog about?!" And she replied: "Um, me! You never blog about me." So the following is what I have to say about that.

[deleted for excessive use of bad language and bloody violence]

Agreed?

On to my next subject. The Olympics. I'm obsessed with them. They've been my life for the past week. I actually did very poorly in my classes the past few weeks because I can't do my homework while watching them. Sure, I could watch them later, but that would take away most of what I love about the Olympics. The sheer excitement of cheering on your country, not knowing who is going to take the top spots! Yelling at the TV as if the Olympians themselves could hear you! So for this year's Olympics, here are some things that I've loved.
-Apollo Ohno. (I want to bare his children.)
-All the USA athletes kicking trash.
-CONTROVERSY!!! Isn't it exciting?? People are so lame, it makes me laugh.
-Ice Skaters making it all look effortless. Jealous.
-Evan Lysacek's performance. Amazing.
-Apollo Ohno. (I want to bare his children.)
-Morgan Freeman narrating all those commercials that make me cry. (Because of their content, or because of his sweet, sweet, silky chocolate voice......I just couldn't say.)
-Athlete Spotlights. Man, they are so heartwarming!
-Apollo Ohno. (I want to bare his children.)
-The fact that the gold medalist (snowboarding) from Australia is LDS. I think that's so cool.
-BOB COSTAS!!! That's right. Bob Freaking Costas. I love him. So much. I could kiss him. But that would be gross. Cuz he's old. (Excuse me, oldER.)

There are so many other things I could list. But I don't want to bore you. I will say one of my favorite things happened last night. The Canadian couple that won gold in Ice Dancing.....holy crap. They were phenomenal. Simply amazing. I want them to be in love. So much. I know that sounds weird, but I would be so sad if they weren't. They were THAT convincing. Here's a link to their Gold Medal winning performance. Watch it. You won't regret it.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=b3b9fe59-1049-450c-827d-db4328c55050.html#canadians+dance+gold

Ok, so moving on from that. School kinda sucked today. I had a math test that I didn't do so well on. I don't know my score yet, but I know it won't be good. I didn't even get a quarter of my homework done. (For reasons, see previous paragraph.) Then you know, the whole being so intimidated by my Brit Lit class...STILL. Well, I was feeling a little low on my drive home, so what do you do when you're sad? You go to Walmart. I discovered something amazing there today. I discovered Ferrero Rondnior. I've had Ferrero Rocher, and I love them don't get me wrong, but I wanted something not so hazlenutty. I'm a dark chocolate fan. It's like my life source. So when I saw this unfamiliar packaging that said DARK CHOCOLATE....I knew I'd stumbled on something special. And boy, was I right. It's like a little ball of dark chocolate heaven, surrounded by a creamy dark chocolate, then encased in a thin, crunchy wafer, then dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with crunchy dark chocolate bits. (Man, could I go into advertising or WHAT???) Anyway, as you can tell. I like them a lot. But I only ate four. Seeing as how there are eight in a package, I'd say I had a lot of self control!

I had such a great weekend. I spent my Saturday with Vanae and it rocked. We went and got pedicures. It was Vanae's first, and I think she enjoyed it! I was jealous at the self control she had. Whenever they start scrubbing my heel and toes with the file, my leg just starts to flinch uncontrollably! But not Nay, she didn't move a muscle. After that we couldn't leave the mall because we weren't supposed to put our shoes on for a half hour. It was snowing outside and all we had on were those flimsy flip flops they give you. So we shopped for a bit and I got a great shirt for only 7.99!! :D Yeah for bargains, because I usually just ignore logic and buy the expensive stuff.....
After that we went to Nay's and watched a movie and ate lots of junk food. She pretty much rocks.

Wanna know something funny? So in Health class, we had an assignment where we were supposed to make a goal that we were to work on the whole semester. It had to be something to better some aspect of our health. It didn't necessarily have to be eating healthier or exercising more, etc. But it could be mental health..or other stuff like that. But I ended up going for the eating healthier. I am not in the habit of eating fruits and veggies, so my goal was to try and put them into my diet. Here's what's funny. A normal person would think that meant REPLACING the junk food with the good food. Nope, not me. I just ADDED them into my current eating habits. So not only am I eating fruit and veggies, but I'm STILL eating the junk food. So I'm eating MORE all around. Which means I'm not losing any of that fat...I'm just packing it away. I just can't give up my Ferrero....or hostess cupcakes.

Wow, this post is turning out to be a lot longer than I expected. So, I'll end there and continue watching the Ladies' Short Program. :D
}peace{

P.S- Leslee is awesome.

24 Points on My 24th Birthday

2010-02-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

I'm 24, single, and living in Utah County. Gross.
What's up with those word verification things? The last one I had to type in was hysterho. I'm am curious if this is short for, hysterical ho. Because if it is, I have a new found respect for the people that come up with this stuff.
The Saints won the Superbowl because it was my birthday. It's a fact.
My calling rocks, and I love the people I get the privilege of working with in the young women leadership. And the girls rock too. :)
This British Lit class is kicking my butt. I've never been in a room full of such intimidating people. I have yet to say a word in class......I doubt the teacher could even tell you who I was.
The dust covering my dresser and nightstand is about a half inch thick. Good thing I brought down the pledge.
Speaking of pledge, did I ever tell you about the guy that asked me if I had a best friend named Pledge after I had introduced myself? Props to it being the most original mocking of my name I've heard.
I am ashamed to say that I love mainstream music. I do. I know it's lame, but I do. Right now I'm obsessed with an Adam Lambert song. I can't even believe I'm admitting that to the world, but darn! That boy can sing.
Burn Notice is rocking my socks. JD is one good lookin' man.
I love when TV shows (or even a book series) end just the way you want them too. It's so.....I don't even know what word to use. But it just takes some weight off your shoulders, if only for a little while. It's nice. :)
Thinking of 24 different things to say is really hard, so I'm using that point as one of my 24 points.
Everything about me is a contradiction. It's ridiculous. The next points will list these contradictions.
I hate being single, but I don't want to date, or even be social.
Listen to my ipod on shuffle. It's crazy. One minute, you'll be listening How Great Thou Art or something churchy, the next a Gothic metal song will blow your ears off.
I disdain all forms of hunting. Yet, I eat meat. Only beef, chicken, and pork. But still, meat is meat.
I complain about not being fit, yet I don't conjure up the will power to do anything about it.
I hate my job (to all co-workers who read this, please note that I said JOB, I love all of you guys!) But I refuse to go job hunting.
I say that I hate Vegas, but I want to go there ALL the time. I've gone like three times in one year. And I'm going next month!
Eh, that's enough contradictions. You get the point.
This is only point number 20......too bad I'm not turning 20, I'd be done!
I have really awesome friends. I don't even get why they think I'm so cool. Maybe it's because I'm so hilarious. I guess we'll never know.
24 years from now, I'll be 48. Maybe that's when I'll decide to tie the knot.
That's an interesting expression, "tie the knot". You can think of it in so many different ways. Tie the knot of love that will bind you together forever! Gag. Or, tie the knot of the noose that is about to go around your neck! Yes, that's the one right there. ;)
I'm totally kidding. I love the idea of being married. I just don't like the road that takes me there. You know, all the crap that comes with finding a guy.

Ha! Done. Peace!

Random Thoughts During Math Class

2010-01-19T20:35:00.000-08:00

(As written by me earlier today in math class, now being typed and spell-checked! Phew!)

-I've already learned something by just writing this title with my mechanical pencil. (Can you believe people still use these things? I remember when they first became popular. But they never compared to the Pog!) Anyway, what I learned is that writing in cursive is a lot easier when using a pen. Yeah, that's right, cursive. I try to practice it sometimes, don't judge! I just want to be accepted.

-I wish my math teacher was my grandpa. Not as in a replacement for my current grandpa (haha, that makes it sound like I go through them every week of so), but just, you know, another one. Its just that he is this little old man who, when you see him walking down the hall, looks at his shoes and his face has the expression that he just witnessed someone kick a puppy.
**whoa, I should have been paying attention just now. Whatever the crap he just wrote on the board makes no sense**
Back to the grandpa thing. I want him to be my grandpa so that it would not be inappropriate for me to give him a hug. He looks like he needs one. :(

-Oh my heck. This girl just asked how this applies to life. 1-could a question be any more cliche? 2-Come on woman, you are older than me and even I've learned that math doesn't apply to ANYTHING! **oh, word problem. I've got to pay attention now.**

-The story problem involves the word potassium. Did you know that if you take the T-A-I-U out of potassium, you get the word possum? This of course reminds me of the Simpsons episode Marge VS. The Monorail. "I call the big one Bitey." Classic.

-Wow, that was a crazy-A word problem. As I said, math doesn't apply to anything!

-Now we are taking a short break. While I sit here, let me ask you a question. Why are the ends of my hair so fuzzy? I looked at them very closely and I don't see a single split end, yet I look like I've stuck my finger in an electrical socket. I even flat ironed it this morning. I guess it's chopping time aye??

-Ugh! I can't believe I wrote and solved that whole problem and it's not even on the homework. Come on! That was an entire sheet of paper I just wasted.

-Problem: Bob is heading west at 50 mph. George is heading east at 70 mph. If they start at the same place, how long until they are 500 miles apart?
Answer: Not Applicable. George was pulled over and arrested for drug possession.

-Oh so much to do today. I have to get home and make refreshments for New Beginnings. Speaking of food, I am such a great cook. I would never presume to be as talented as Robi Porter, or even Bobby Flay, but I can fry some good chicken. I made chicken Alfredo last night, and fried chicken the night before. Both times the meal turned out deliciously superb! Although, chicken is the only meat I'm good at cooking. That and dessert. :)

-Problem: Melissa has two dogs, a cat, and three fish. If one of the dogs eats the cat, how many gallons of paint does Melissa need to paint her house?
Answer: She'll figure it out later. Right now she has to go bail George out of jail.

-So now I am in my British Lit class. Two things happened as I walked through the hallway. 1- I think I spotted the boy who was in my English class last semester. I refer to him as "the boy with beautiful eyebrows." I know, who in the world would be attracted to some one's eyebrows?! But I'm telling ya, every time he walked into class I just wanted to run my fingers over them! (oh my, TMI, I apologize. I should have put: Rated M for suggestive material in my post title.)
2-I saw this other boy who had hair longer, smoother, shinier and altogether better looking than mine. I was tempted to stop and ask for some styling and maintenance tips. Don't worry, I resisted the urge and kept on walking.

(That is all I wrote during my boredom at school. Now, on to current topics.)

I discovered Dark Chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cups today. They are amazing. "The darker the chocolate, the richer the taste," as my good friend Seaweed would say. (Ten points to the first person who can tell me what I'm referring to there.)

Ok, so my Betta is dead. I feel so bad you guys. I didn't mean to murder him. It just happened. You know, there are accidental murders all the time! Here is the story. A week ago I decided to put my beta in the same tank as my tiger barb. Not together though, I bought a tank divider (at least a makeshift one) to separate them. Most people think that bettas are really aggressive, but if you do your research, you will find that they are only aggressive towards other male bettas. Tiger barbs however, are nippers. They'll nip any fin that comes in their way. So this is why I used the divider. However, somehow the tiger barb kept getting to the other side. He never harmed the Betta, but I moved him back to his section anyway. Well, Sunday I left for church and I came home and started dinner (the aforementioned fried chicken) and Ken and Les suddenly came up to me and said: You killed your Betta.
I was like: WHAT THE EF????
So I went downstairs to find both fish on their separate sides of the tank, but my betta's fins were GONE!!! COMPLETELY TORN TO SHREDS!!! Oh my heck, I almost started to cry I was so distraught. And I didn't even like the fish that much, but it was still so sad! He just started to lay there on the gravel, struggling to breath. Ugh, my heart is breaking even thinking about it. So I went to my dad and told him the situation. He told me to flush the poor fish. I told him no, because the betta was not dead. But my dad "convinced" me that the betta would die faster if we flushed him. That way he wouldn't be in pain for long. (I still suspect he was just trying to make me feel better.) I couldn't do it though. I didn't want his blood on my hands!! So I told Pop to do it. So he did. Now my betta is dead....or else mutating in the sewer somewhere, growing into a super fish and planning my torture and demise. Either way I'm sleeping good tonight!

One last thing. The UVU salad bar has THE best honey mustard dressing I've ever tasted. Points to you UVU. Points to you.

For now, Peace!!

Always the Optimist (at least for the most part)

2010-01-11T20:10:00.000-08:00

Here's a funny story: I tried to write a poem the other day. I try to write poems often, but they always suck. But my Script Writing professor told me that if I was serious about writing, I needed to be writing 5 pages per day. It doesn't matter what really, just so long as you keep your creative juices in a constant flow. I know, impossible right? Anyway, this particular poem I was trying to write was supposed to be sad and depressing. I don't know if you know this, but the only writing that ever means anything to anyone important (you know, the "man") is always about sad things, about struggles and turmoil and horrible crap like that. Earlier that evening, I heard some sad news that put me in a melancholy mood. When I feel melancholy, that's when I most feel like I may be able to write something intriguing. So I sat and began to write. I wrote about the sad things that Time brings, like death, and winter and so on. Then I ended it on a note that makes you say: Oh yeah, that's GOOD stuff right there. So I closed the book (p.s. thank you Ashley for the journal which is now my Doug's Book of Thoughts, Stories & Poetry) and went about doing other things, like cleaning my room. I kept thinking about what I wrote and after looking at a picture of my cute nephew (Thanks Lu for the calendar!), what I wrote started to bug me. "No, Dusty, it's fine. No one is ever going to read it anyway." I told myself. But I couldn't stop thinking about it. It wasn't finished. What was bothering me, was that I had made Time seem like the bad guy. But Time isn't the bad guy at all, so I had to write a whole other verse. Now I was talking about the wonderful things that Time brings, like Spring and babies. Then I did this cool thing where I took a phrase from the sad verse and wrote it again and it took on a whole other meaning! That's when I knew I was finished. :)
That's the thing though. I can never end things on a sad note. It bugs me too much. All my stories are happy. And that, my friends, is why I shall never become a famous writer. Because no one remembers the story when it's about flowers and butterflies and chocolate cake. They only remember the stories about the time those two people decided to kill themselves over what they thought was "love", or the man who slowly goes crazy and evil, or the little orphan boy who can't have a second helping.
But, always the optimist, I can't leave this blog post on a sad note. And telling myself I'm never going to be a great writer is definitely sad.
So I will end with this: There is hope for me to be a great and famous writer! I mean, eighty years from now when I'm dead and gone, someone will find my book of snippets and thoughts and they'll realize that I WAS amazing the whole time, but it just took a while for people to figure it out.
Hahahahahaha! Then I will laugh at the world from my grave!

Until next time! -Peace

Little Jimmy Photo Shoot

2009-12-17T23:56:00.001-08:00

So, Lu asked me to take some photos of Baby Paul for a calendar she's working on for a Christmas gift. Here are a few of my favorites. :) I think the ones with him in the tie are absolutely gorgeous...if I'm allowed to brag...but it's not bragging anyway. The subject just happens to be naturally gorgeous.

Oh yeah, Merry Christmas Ya'll. :) -Peace

Pain, Pain Go Away

2009-12-01T19:10:00.001-08:00

Today on the Supertastic Show, we are going to be learning about medical stuff. (Lu, after seeing that video you posted on your blog, I thought you'd enjoy the inarticulateness of that sentence.)

As some of you may know, I have back pain. A lot. What is the cause of this back pain you may ask? Well, let me tell you.

I've recently been unable to move (walk, sit, lay [the last two being my favorite pastimes.]) without causing myself much pain and sorrow. So I went and had myself an MRI. This is not the first one I've had. I also had one when I was around 15-16 for similar reasons. What I learned then apparently has not changed much. So, the findings of this MRI were quite similar to my past MRI.

When I was checked for Scoliosis way back in the day, the doctor said I was positive for it. But alas! He was wrong. Upon getting a second opinion, with the help of the super x-ray abilities of the MRI, we learned I actually had what was called Schuermann's Disease. This disease is the deformation of your vertebrae, causing your spine to curve outward.

Here is a handy picture in which I have digitally circled the deformed vertebrae. As you can see, some of the vertebrae are more pie-shaped than square.

So Dusty, is this what causes you so much pain? Why no, it is not, I just thought you might like to know. All I know is that someday this disease may give me a "mighty hump" as Mr. Burns would say.

So what is causing my pain? Well, I have learned (from both MRIs) that I have two herniated discs in my lower back. (Animation pictured below)

Ouch right?? Double ouch! As stated above, I have two herniated discs. One is located on the bottom level of my Lumbar Curve, and the other is the top level of my Sacral Curve. Again, with the wonderful use of modern technology, I have circled in red the area of which I speak.

So, what are my options? Well, one is to just live with it. The herniations are not so bad that they are in danger of causing any neurological problems. So I could just go around walking like my grandpa all the time. But that is no fun. Nor is it attractive, and heaven knows, life is about being attractive.

Another option is a Spinal Injection. They take super long needles and punch it into your spine and fill you will nice Cortisone. No, not like the cream. It's actually an anti-inflammatory medicine that is made from steroids naturally produced by your own body!! Who knew that WE were the cure all along?? This picture below shows one reason why I do NOT want to have this procedure. See that huge needle being punched into that spine?? Yeah, I know.

So the only option left is to take a Medrol Dose Pack. They're oral steroids that I'd have to take for a week or so. This is an option I do not want to choose because of the side affects. One of the major side affects is MOOD SWINGS!! I don't want that. No, not at all. My mother has taken Medrol before and boy, her mood swings were crazy!! Also, this is not a cure, just a temporary solution. The injections would actually last a few months longer. But remember that long needle? Anyway the last side affect that worries me is the whole gaining weight thing. Remember how steroids do that? I don't want to end up looking like this guy.

For now my friends, as I ponder this lose-lose situation, I'll stick with my 500mg Lortab!

Mmmmmm........Lortab........

Well, for now, Peace!

Announcing New Mormon Themed Restaurants

2009-10-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

I got this in an email from a friend of mine and found it so funny I wanted to share it! :) Hope you enjoy it too! -Peace

Announced plan to open ! Mormon-themed restaurants

There is an idea floating around Utah, Arizona, Idaho and California for a chain of non-pretentious Mormon-themed restaurants called "The Steak Center" (Where There's Never a Dry, Boring Meating!)

-Each Steak Center will have one enormous dining area with basketball hoops at either end and folding metal chairs and long tables covered in plastic tablecloths.

-The Steak Centers will not have hostesses, but greeters -- men in their seventies will meet you at the door and talk like they have known you all your life.

The main menu items for lunch and dinner will be:

Porterhouse Rockwell Steak

Primary Rib

Poor Wayfaring Pan of Beef

Parsley P. Pratt Funeral Potatoes

Eliza R. Snow crab (in season)

And It Came to Pasta

Kraft MacaMoroni and Cheese.

Breakfast items will include:

Pearls of Great Rice

Frosted Minivans

Adam-ondi-Omelettes

Also available In Our Lovely Desserts:

Fast Sundaes

Gadianton Cobbler

Laman Meringue Pie (just sinful!)

-The waiters will be 12- and 13-year-old boys wearing white shirts and their fathers' ties..

-At the end of the night the customers will be asked to help fold up the chairs and tables and vacuum the floor.

Aunt Doug? Aunt Awesome? I just can't decide.

2009-10-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

Paul Royal Nance

Yeah that's right. Mark and Lu are the proud parents, Ma and Pa are the proud grandparents, Ken's the proud Uncle and Les and I are the proud Aunts. :D Isn't he perfect? Yes. That should be your answer. Peace!

Update

2009-09-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

Well, things are good. August was a good month. Nothing too exciting happened, at least not that I can remember at this particular time. I helped Mark and Lu move down from Logan. They live in Springville now, which is awesome. Les and I went over there last Saturday and just chilled. It was good times. I'm glad that they're here. I like chillin with the fam.
A few weeks ago I took pictures for an awesome family I know. Sam had just turned 1 and Megan wanted to get some photos snapped. I took some of cute ones of David too. Here are just a few of my favorites.

I started school last week. So far so good. I think I'll really enjoy my classes this semester. My favorite so far is my Old Testament institute class. My teacher is pretty much the best ever. I've been really lucky when it comes to Seminary and Institute teachers. Anyway, the class is awesome. We've only had two lessons, and I've been blown by both. It's a great way to start off the school day.
I am also taking an English 2010 class. My teacher is very much an.....what's the word...intellectual? Maybe that's the word I want to use. I'm not sure. He's super passionate about writing and reading which is awesome, though sometimes a single sentence from him can make me go: "Wha?" And then I feel stupid. But that's nothing new.
Last and I wish least, I'm enrolled in Math 1010. Let's just pray I can make it through. My Professor is definitely cool, and I've actually made friends in the class (Is that the sound of the end of the world I hear?). But math is like death. Inevitable, but not fun.
Leslee's sure had a good month. A while ago she was at work and her back started to hurt. Pretty soon she was walking all distorted. She was like a walking right angle. So over the the hospital she went and had an MRI. What a surprise! She's got degenerative disc disease, inherited lovingly from Mom. :) I think all the kids got it. I was diagnosed when I was like 15. But unfortunately for Les, one of her herniated discs flared up. I've never had that pleasure, but sure am looking forward to it.
So yesterday she had spinal injections. Yikes! I just about pass out at the thought! Mark and I went with my mom once when she was getting injections. The needles they use are insane! But Leslee said it wasn't as bad as she thought. Hopefully it'll help her for a few months at least.
The best part about this past week was I was able to watch Athena! She's just as cute as ever. This time around she wasn't as easy to tend. She didn't like my Mom for some reason and would cry her eyes out every time I left the room. (This filled me with secret joy in knowing that she liked me more than everyone else.) Yesterday, while Les and the parental units were at the hospital, I watched her all by myself. Yep, we could do OK, she and I. I pretty much adore her, and clearly she thinks I'm awesome. It was sad to see her leave again, but I'm just grateful I got to say goodbye this time.
Now it's time to rest my poor body which is sore from carrying her all over the place. Here's to all the mom's who have to do it everyday!! You guys are great.
Also, another cool thing, I'm finally done with Primary! I will be released tomorrow. What's my new calling you ask? I'm the new Beehives advisor! Wahoo! This should be an interesting experience. I've never taught older kids before. They'll probably end up teaching me a few things. :)
That's all that's going on with me. Thanks for stopping by. Peace!

Years of Growing

2009-08-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

Now, don't slide your mouse over to that red X in the right hand corner just yet. I promise that this is not a corny blog, though the title may suggest otherwise. :) I just wanted to talk about my hair. I know, ridiculous right? Here's the thing. As some of you may know, I can't stay with one hair style for too long. We laugh often at pictures of my friends and me at how in each picture my hair is completely different. Well, for about 2 years now, I have been growing my hair out and it's been very difficult. Growing my hair is like......growing a Chia Pet. It's really boring, takes much too long and the end result is never what you want. But I'm trying anyway. So, let's take a look back....just about two years ago.

This was taken with my phone, so that explains the poor quality, but here is my hair at it's shortest. Isn't it adorable? I think so. I would curl the sideburns sometimes, giving myself a very 20's style. Miss it!

Here it is at about the same length (this was taken at the end of 2007) But it was flipped out, instead of smoothed. Again, miss this length. So fun.

Now here is mid 2008. My first months in the growing out process. Still cute, the layers gave my hair some good body. (however my bangs usually looked better than they do in this pic)

Here is early 2009, it's almost to a shoulder length....but not quite. Not as cute as the shorter styles I'm afraid.....but again, I'm determined.

Now here is a picture from two months ago. I was actually having a great hair day on this day, so know that my hair does not often look that good. (Usually I pull it back in a bun anyway)

And if you look to the previous blog post you will see even more recent pictures. The point is, I'm meant for short hair. Everyone agrees. But yet, I am stubborn and refuse to cut it. At the same time, all I want to do is chop it off! I'm hoping to last until next summer before I cut it all off. That way I can grow about 4 more inches. I've never had my hair that long in my life. Who knows, maybe when it gets to a certain length it'll be way hot. Doubtful, but we'll see.

Well, now that I've wasted about ten minutes of your time. Time in which you could have been doing something infinitely more exciting. But thanks anyway for reading! Peace!

July In Pictures

2009-07-29T23:34:00.001-07:00

July 4th- Stadium of Fire

Missy is way excited for the JONAS BROTHERS!!!
OH MY GOSH IT'S JOE!! :)

Leslee and I spent many days in the car, driving lots of places. Mainly SLC.

We went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. Here is poor Moroni who was struck by lightning and now has a black arm and trumpet.

What a beautiful temple!

Who doesn't love stopping at Sears on their day off?

On the 17th (aka-the best day of my whole life) we went to the George Strait concert at the Usana Amphitheatre. It kicked A! Except for this part. See this long line we had to stand in? Yeah, 104 degrees outside baby. I think I lost twenty pounds in sweat. Gross.

See, we are not happy. But don't fret. It was totally worth it.
Now we're inside the amphitheatre! It may not look like it, but we did have pretty good seats. Though being surrounded by drunk people was a little strange...........

Here is the whole group! And a few drunk people behind us. :)
AHHHH!!! It's Gorgeous George!!! Isn't he the best?

This me being all giddy about the fact I was watching the love of my life singing on stage. :)

Now we're on to the next day when we had a BBQ for my Grandpa's B-day! This is me making cupcakes. Just call me Betty.

This is Leslee eating my cupcake batter. Smart girl.

So, for five days we watched my cousin's 10 month old baby girl. Her name is Athena and my family fell head over heels for this little cutie. She was the best baby I've ever encountered. She hardly ever cried, slept whenever she was tired, loved to clap her hands and drool and go for walks in her stroller. She ate her food like a good little baby (even the gross macaroni and beef with chicken crap). Long story short. I love her. I miss her.

My visiting teachers said she looked like she could be mine (a comment of which filled me with complete bliss because I wish it was true!) But I don't see a resemblance really. She's much too cute to look anything like me.

This is the day we went to the Zoo and a baseball game. Unfortunately, we couldn't take the camera into the baseball stadium, though I think I would have just taken pictures of the players looking attractive in their uniforms. :) I'm not going to post any animal pictures either. They're kinda boring. But here is cute little Thena in her stroller. Les likes this picture, she kinda has shifty eyes goin on.

Here is me pushing the stroller at the Zoo.

So instead of animals, how about I show you pictures of Les and I acting like retards at the Zoo playground! I'm in a turtle shell, which I may say was very difficult to get into due to the fact I was in a skirt. Les is in an egg though she kept saying "I'm in a womb."

Good news! We have a new washer and dryer! Aren't they pretty? I don't know how to work them yet, but they're Bosch. And I hear that's pretty good.

Now this is a picture of our new central air system! Yeah baby! Woohoo! No more swamp cooler for us. We're moving up in the world. Dang, new washer and dryer, new air conditioning system, a basement all to myself. Psh! And people think it's uncool that I live with my parents. I'm livin the dream!

These are my favorite. :) This is my "photo shoot" with Athena. Thanks to Les for helping with the entertaining.

So that's all the pictures I'll post. It was a good month. Thanks for stopping by! Peace.

My sermon for the night. :)

2009-07-08T00:06:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 6:13-18

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit..."

For years upon years these versus have been almost a constant in my mind. I'm not sure what made them resonate like they have, maybe it was that song on the New Testament church CD. That guy with a deep voice sings it. :D The point is, I love them. Now here is my spiel:

Paul the Apostle told us to take upon us the WHOLE armour of God. Leaving any part of ourselves unprotected well.....leaves us unprotected. It makes us weak, makes us vulnerable to Satan's wiles.

Verse 13: "...that you may be able to withstand in the evil day..." Is there any day more evil than today? There is nothing more prominent in the world today than immorality. The first piece of armour Paul speaks of is the Girdle of Truth (chuckle if you must, I do every time I see the word). We have to keep ourselves true, morally righteous, clean, chaste, and so on. That is the most difficult task we young people have ahead of us, what with all the media garbage thrown in our faces wherever we go.

Verse 15: [Keep] "your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace". I love this part of our armour. I look at it in two ways. The first is missionary work. What better opportunity do we have in life than to teach others the gospel? Wherever we go, we must spread the gospel of peace. Second, if you just read it like this: keep your feet shod with peace, I think of it a bit different. In the footnote to this verse it says "Peace of God". Christ's gospel IS peace. "Build upon my rock, which is my gospel." D&C 11:24. We need a solid foundation to stand on. There is nothing more solid than the gospel of Jesus Christ. He must be our rock. If we keep our feet firm on the solid foundation of the gospel, no storm can move us.

The other pieces of armour I could go on and on about too, but I don't want to start boring anyone. But I do want to say something about the Shield of Faith. "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked."

No protection you have will do any good without faith. We believe in that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We can keep our faith strong by doing those things we should be doing. I don't want to sound like a child in primary, but what better answer to 'what should we be doing?' is there than the typical primary answers? Going to church, reading our scriptures, saying our prayers (As we're told to do in verse 18!), going to the temple, etc.

The point is, the church is true. The Gospel of Peace is the true gospel. I know it. God loves me, Christ loves me and there is nothing that will make them change there minds about that. If we lose a piece of our armour and make mistakes, as we all will, what greater gift our we given than the gift of repentance?

Well, that's it. I hope I didn't ramble on, I just needed to write my thoughts down. I hope it wasn't too weird that I basically bore my testimony on my blog.......

Anywhoo, life is good! I wish all of you well! Peace!

Art City Days and such

2009-06-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Well another week over, another week to come. That doesn't sound very positive, but I don't mean it to be negative. This weekend was actually quite cool. The carnival was in town for Art City Days. Saturday was our traditional Saturday. We had the parade in the morning, thanks to Bryan and Megan for coming! Their cute little boy David livened the whole thing up for me. He's a keeper. Here's a pic of him at the parade showing me some of the great taffy he picked up off the ground. :)Here's their other little Cutie Sammy-

I didn't get any real nice pictures of the parade, so I'm not going to post any. :) Anywhoo, After the parade it was off the the Nance Family BBQ. I played Daddio in ping pong and held my own, though I'm sure he was just going easy on me. It was nice to see the fam. Especially Grandma. I love that woman. After the Par-tay, it was back home to watch a great Thunderstorm. After the rain stopped I took the camera out and snapped some pictures. They turned out pretty well, though they would have been better if I had a Macro Lens. But alas, I do not.

The pictures above were actually taken before it rained. :) Hence, the dryness of the flower.

After that my fam took a quick trip to the carnival and I bought a pretty bracelet. :) Saturday night Bryan, Megan, their kiddies, Pop and I braved the wet cold and went to the fireworks. They were awesome.

So that was my weekend in a nutshel. For now, Peace!

Remember that time........

2009-05-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

When I didn't have a job? When I came home from school and didn't have to do anything but play? When I'd call Traci and be like: Can you play? Then we'd do something cool, like crash a 4-wheeler into my fence. When I watched awesome shows with the sibs at seven in the morning like Ronan Warriors and Littlest Pet Shop? (It always pays to have some variety!) When there was no pressure in relationships because I was too young to even be allowed a boyfriend? When It was totally cool that I knew nothing about politics because I was suppose to be stupid? (Because when you're young, it's not stupid to be stupid.) When cell phones didn't exist which meant I could get a good nights sleep without twenty people sending me text messages? When being responsible for your own life was something you looked forward to? When living with your parents wasn't something people looked down upon? When The X Files was still on TV? When ten dollars was like a million? When I could come home and play with Stomper? When my Dad had a mullet? When Camcorders were as big a car? When my neck didn't hurt so much? When I didn't have to shower for three days? When I didn't have to shave my legs??

My Fantabulous Week in Review.

2009-05-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we'll start off with Monday. Monday was the day I anticipated the rest of the week.
Tuesday was the BIG DAY. On Tuesday book 5 of a great series I read by author Rick Riordan was released. The series is called Percy Jackson and The Olympians. (Yes, they are children/ young adult novels.) Basically I'm in love with the series. It's all about Greek Mythology which I happen to be obsessed with. So anyway, this book that came out on Tuesday is the final book in the series. I was pretty nervous to read it. But oh man. It was the greatest book I've ever read. I love Rick Riordan. His books pretty much solidified my desire to write. And the Percy Jackson series are just the type of books I want to write. I can't wait.
Wednesday was the day after I read that fantastically great book. I was pretty tired since I stayed up until three A.M reading it! But also, I had lunch with Traci. It was SO good to catch up with her. I love her to death. I hope she has fun in Hawaii!!
Thursday was also a big day. It was STAR TREK day!!! We waited in line pointlessly for four hours to see the 11:00 p.m showing. No one even started lining up until ten o'clock! We thought it was going to be massive chaotic crowds, but alas, we were first in line. A girl from a BYU newspaper was in line after us and she was writing an article about the premier. She interviewed my family and me. It was pretty funny. My dad has a tendency to go a bit wild. His interview ended up being almost 45 minutes long.
Anyway. The point is: Star Trek was phenomenal. It was nothing like the original series to be honest. It was much better. The acting was good (And the cast uber attractive), the effects were good, the story was good (although I always go a little psycho with time travel story lines. My minds tends to go around in circles until I'm exhausted.) All in all I give it a 10 out of 10.
Friday was just a boring Friday until Mark and Lu arrived from Logan. They confirmed that they will be having a little boy!! Gah, I'm so excited. From this time forward he will be known as: Little Nephew Ruddiger.
Also on this exciting Friday night, I checked to see if my grades had been posted. To my shock I actually passed Biology. I honestly did NOT think that was going to happen. Mind you, I passed with a C, but still. It's passing. I got an A in my Myth Lit class. That was pretty obvious though. I say with no hesitation that I kicked butt in that class.
Saturday I enjoyed taking family photos for a cute family. During the afternoon I just hung out around the house. Then in the evening I went again to Star Trek. :) This time we had a group of 11 people. It was a blast. The movie was even better the second time! Zachary Quinto, I'm in love with you. Unless you are playing a scary serial killer in Heroes.
After the movie we went to Red Robin for some great food. All in all, good day.
Today(Sunday) I spoke in church. I will admit I had more than a few of people with misty eyes by the time I was finished. :) At home, I cooked dinner for my mothers day gift to mine mum. I made my kick A fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn. I did it all on my own and it turned out delicious. I'm a pretty good cook come to think of it.

So now here I sit, watching Tom Cruise hotly fly fighter jets in Top Gun. I think I'm going to do a little writing and then go to bed. I really don't want to go to work tomorrow. I need a vacation. (Bryan when you read this please don't take that personally!)

Hopefully my good day streak will continue. As always, Peace!

First and Foremost

2009-04-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

-Here's a shout out to Bryan! "Hey B-man! S'goin on?"

Here are some pics of Barkley and Sisco that I took today. Also, I discovered my 401K from Allens still has three hundred bucks in it! Retirement here I come!!!!

This picture pretty sums up Barkley's whole existence. Looking over his shoulder in fear of my wrath! Mwahahaha!

I couldn't get any good pictures of the wee one. She's def which means I can't get her to look at the camera. Oh well. As always, Peace!

Sour Patch Watermelons (Artificially Flavored of Course)

2009-04-27T21:38:00.001-07:00

Well, the weekend was a great weekend. After two months of waiting the Rescue finally came! It was a blast. I drove with Nay, Bobby and Jeremy up to Trax and we mosied on up to the University of Utah. The Trax ride was interesting. An Oriental woman sat next to me and admired my cell phone. You'd think she'd never seen one! Which is ironic seeing as how it was her people that invented everything technological. (I did not mean 'her people' in a racist way.)

Anyway. Right when we arrived at the President's Circle, we started our march! It took forever, I think I heard someone say it was a three mile march. To me it seemed like twenty. Jeremy was kind enough to keep me company on our excursion and he can tell you that I may or may not have complained a lot. But I really was enjoying myself. I see complaining as a pastime. Like baseball. I told him that walking that three miles took care of all my exercising for the whole week. He told me that it did not. :( Whatever. Unless you have a degree in physical fitness Jeremy, I'm sticking to my theories.

We finally made it the Gallivan Center and set up camp. My little group and I had not eaten all day so we high tailed it over to a Carl's Jr. just on the corner. I ordered a Bacon Cheese six dollar burger. It was huge, and delicious! I'm usually not one for eating beef. But man that was one good tastin cow.

Speeches and cold rain filled our Saturday evening. Thankfully I had Nay to keep me warm. Thanks for snuggling with me Nay!!! Senator Bennet came and "rescued" us. I didn't hear his speech sadly. I wanted a hot chocolate (please see earlier comment about it being very cold.) But by the time we made it back, Senator Bennet was leaving.

So then the people began to dispurse. We left around nine-ish, took Trax back to my car then drove home. I may or may not have completely run a stop light on said trip home. Good thing there were no cars coming the other way!!! So anyway. It was a great turn out and I'm so happy I was involved with something great.

Now it's Monday and I'm sitting here eating Sour Patch Watermelons. They make my tongue feel weird. Does that stop me from eating them? No. But the good news is, is that I signed up for an Aerobics class next semester! Hotness here I come. I am going to be looking SO good. ;) That or I may die of a stroke during the first ten minutes of class. We'll just have to wait and see.

I have one more final left on Wednesday. It's biology which means I will fail, but I've come to terms with this fact and have moved on. Still no word on the score for my bird paper..........

Anywhoo. I'm off to bed, or maybe to clean my fish tank. So for now, Peace!

Springtime!!!!!

2009-04-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today was my day off so I decided to enjoy the warm sun and put on some shorts and take a walk around the neighborhood. I took my camera and snapped some pics along the way. Enjoy!! Peace!

I. Am. Awesome.

2009-04-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

My goal this summer? To get hot. That's right. GET HOT. I've been doing lunges lately. Ask Les, I'll just randomly start lunging around. To get food from my kitchen? Lunge! To go to the bathroom? Lunge! There isn't anything you can't do while lunging. Well, except for maybe lots of things. But the point? I'm toning up baby! It'd help to cut the Dr. Pepper from my diet, but no body's perfect.

Tremors is on right now. Is there anything better than a young Kevin Bacon fighting giant worms? I think not. I just want to run my fingers through that amazing hair of his..........I mean......ignore that.

So, how's everyone doin? Today was a good day for me. I received two letters in the mail and as everyone knows, getting something in the mail is better than Christmas to me. I love it! Anyway, I got a letter from my good friend Geraldo who lives in Brazil. I met him when I worked at Allens. He was a customer who couldn't speak ANY English and I can't speak any Portuguese, yet we made it work somehow. He became a good friend and we keep in contact. He's such a nice guy. He's hoping to come back to the US in March of 2010. Yeah!

I also got a letter from Senator Orin Hatch. That's way neat right? For the Invisible Children Rescue event we need someone 'high up' to come rescue us so I've been sending a bunch of emails to people. How cool is it that he sent a letter to me? I mean, I'm sure he sent one to everyone and by he, I mean his secretary, but it's nice that they took the time to respond. Unfortunately he can't come to the event. Oh well. :)

Another cool thing about today is that it was the Warp and Weave launch party! I got my copy of the book featuring a kick A story written by yours truly.

Isn't it a beautiful cover??? I was so happy about that fact.

Look! There is my name in the Table of Contents! How cool is that???

Look! Here is my name again underneath the title of a cool story!!

And here is me holding the book in question. With my gross fish tank in the background. And my fat fish who is way fat and should have died months ago and yet he lives.

So anyway, here's the story about the launch party. They wanted me to read part of my story in front of everyone. They called me this morning about it and for some horrid reason I said yes. What's up with that? So I get there and I'm super nervous. Leslee (she's the best!) came with me for moral support. I have this big problem with speaking in front of people. I almost pass out and my voice becomes really monotone. I think I did OK though. Les said I got better as time went on. There was this nice guy who introduced himself to me afterwards. Les said it's probably because he thought I was way hot.

On that note, after we left Leslee said it was so funny to walk into room and see it full of completely stereotypical sci fi nerds and then me. I guess I should take that as a compliment?? :)

So anyway, after I finish reading my story I sit down at my table. I happen to be on the same table as the head of the Warp and Weave department. He suddenly asks to see my book so I pass it to him. He's flipping through the pages and suddenly starts writing with his pen on a page. I looked at Leslee and was mouthed: Is he writing in my book!!! He passed it back and whispered: "we missed one."

I look down at the page, which happened to be a page of MY story and he's circled the word 'peaked' and drawn a line to the margin and written the correct spelling "piqued". And that's not even the worst! He had chocolate on his fingers and there was a brown smudge above the word he circled!!! Oh my hell I was so pissed off! I'm still mad about it. I almost threw my book at his face.

It's not the fact that the word needed correcting. I don't care, but it was my book! And he wrote in it! And smudged chocolate in it!! And then just passed it back to me like that was OK????? What the heck?????

So now that my rant is over, I'm going to go work on some Biology. Last minute stuff. When I know the score I got on that bird paper I'll let you know! ;)

Concerning Birds

2009-04-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

I have a biology paper to write. It's about birds. I was suppose to go bird watching as I proposed in the beginning of the semester. But, I failed to remember that when I proposed such a thing, it was winter. Cold cold winter. Who wants to freeze there butts off watching birds? Oh wait, there are no birds. They do that whole "flying south" thing. So here I am, thinking of what in the world I'm going to do! My paper is do tomorrow. Planet Earth anyone?
I like to take notes before I write a paper. That way when I get lost in my mind's meanderings, I can look back and remember what it is I'm talking about. So about thirty minutes ago I opened up a word document and typed in the heading: Notes of Birds. Thirty minutes later all there is on the page is one bullet point. With no point made at all.
What really is there to say about birds? There's a lot of them. They all eat and poop on cars. Some really big ones eat mice, which I have to say angers me. I have a soft spot for mice (which is why my future home will most likely be disease ridden).

**Leslee just sent me a picture message via cellular phone. She crimped her hair for some eighties themed pics Miska is taking for her class. Pretty snazzy Les! Keep it up!**

Back to birds. What the heck are they all about? What have they done for us lately? You know, I'm likin this post...maybe I'll use it as my paper. You know, the one about birds.

It's been quite some time since I've written here on this 'ole blog. Not much has changed in life other than two or three extremely important details. Like the biggest is well, my hair is longer. I'm changing it up tomorrow though. Maybe somethin somethin a little risky, maybe somethin somethin a little crazy. Who knows. All that matters is I have great hair and it seems to turn out nice no matter what I do. Is that conceited? Hmmm.

Did you know that there are over 10,000 different species of bird in the world today? Talk about some procreation with a bit of Natural Selection going on there! Huh huh? *wink wink*

Other important changes: I lied about the hair being most important. The truth of the matter is: I'm going to be an Aunt. I've never been so happy! I'm probably going to be the greatest aunt ever. Aunt Dug. Hmmm....no? Auntie Dug? Oh yes. Mark and I already decided. I'm Aunt Awesomeness. Yes, that will do.

Another great thing that happened is I am going to be a author. An honest to goodness published author. Isn't that neat? I wonder what the people were on when they chose my story. Crack perhaps?? Only time will tell. That's not true. Time will only mask the truth. Damn you time!!! Damn you!!!!

Well, now the Wee One (aka Shadow [the dog who is small and has no teeth.]) has now come into my room begging for food. Trust me, she won't leave me alone until I feed her.

I guess this will be goodbye for now. Please feel free to leave comments if they deal with anything bird related. Thanks!!!!