Spotted

I saw Dooce's husband, Jon, at Best Buy yesterday. He was wearing those clogs she always complains about and looked rather disheveled.

I felt kind of odd knowing that he had no idea that the girl standing behind him in the DVD section knew some fairly intimate details of his life. I thought about saying something like, "I love your website" or "I'm a big fan or you and your wife" but I really think that would have made that odd feeling worse. Plus, I'm not sure I'd consider myself a fan of theirs. It's more of a fascination with how irrational and exaggerated her writing style is. It's kind of ridiculous sometimes. And I think Leta is kind of a brat.

Anyway.

I have a free flight on Southwest. Where should I go? I very much wish Southwest went a little further south and a lot more west so I could go to Hawaii. Too bad.

Or I'm thinking maybe finally following through on some U.S. Open plans I've been talking about for the last 5 years and heading to New York in the fall.

Maybe Serena will lose her sh*t again. Maybe I will get to witness it.

Some Things Vol. II

My MacBook hasn't been charging the last few days. I took it to the Apple store this afternoon, waited 20 minutes after my scheduled appointment only to have the emo/nerdy Apple guy tell me I've charged out my battery and need a new one. And it's not covered under my warranty.

$129 for a new battery. Why don't Apple products last longer? My computer is only 1 1/2 years old. I mean, why can't apple make stuff like Toyota? Toyota's last FOREVER.

Apple should be more like Toyota.

Anyway, I have to get a new battery. Luckily it works if it's plugged into the wall, but once I disconnect it, buh-bye.

Bummer.

I watched Mannequin on E! today.

I love that movie. I remember walking to the video store during the summer when I was in middle school and renting it. It's so good.

It doesn't feel like Christmas to me. I can't get into it. Maybe it's because I don't have a tree or the money to do any fun Christmas shopping. Oh well. I miss getting into it. I remember never wanting Christmas to actually come because then it would be over and my Mom would put away all the decorations. It was always a sad day when she took down the tree. Hopefully next year I can get more into all the fun of Christmas. We did go try and see the lights at T-Square. Too bad we got there too late and they had turned them off for the night. I actually wasn't too disappointed. It was literally like 10 degrees that night. Dan said I looked giddy to not have to get out of the car.

I saw Brothers yesterday. It was intense. Very intense. But very good. I would recommend seeing it. It really wasn't what I thought it would be about. Obviously, it's about two brothers, but it definitely has some political undertones that I didn't expect.

I have a job interview in a couple weeks I am very excited/nervous about. It's a job I've wanted for about a year. I applied for a similar position last spring and got so close, I could taste it. Unfortunately, it came down between me and someone else and they broke my heart. That's really what it felt like. I kept my eye on the company since then and when this opened up, I about freaked. I finally got a call to schedule an interview a couple days ago after two weeks of nothing. I'm glad I have some time to prepare. Wish me luck. It would be a really awesome birthday present.

Speaking of birthdays...

26. OMG. Please make it stop.

Saturday 3:30 PM

I'm not going Friday because I don't want to be amongst all the shrieking teenage girls who will no doubt make it entirely impossible to hear any of the movie.

So I'm waiting a solid 16 hours after the release. I mean, going Friday night would just be pathetic.

On the DL

I've hit a serious wall in my running. Last night Dan and I only did 2 miles because my left hip started to hurt so bad. Usually it's my right one that gives me problems. I don't know what to do. I can barely walk on it today.

I hate not being able to do something because of an injury. Any injury. Last week I had to have a root canal (!) and I couldn't eat normally for 5 days. It was annoying.

So. I don't know how to correct this or if it's even something I can change with inserts or different shoes. Maybe my form is way off?

I don't know.

In brighter news, I do have a free meal card for Cafe Rio. So I mean, there's that.

Update

Things have been a little crazy the last few weeks. Hence, the no new posts.

Wedding plans are getting off the ground, barely. My problem is I have no idea what I'm doing. If I had the money, I'd hire someone to do all of this for me. Making decisions on colors and flowers and dresses and times and locations is overwhelming to me. I've never been one of those girls to like, have a secret binder of wedding ideas under their bed or something. I don't know what I like as far as all that stuff. I mean, I know what I don't like, so that's at least something.

I do really like peacock feathers. Maybe I'll use that as inspiration.

We do know we want this to be a party. Not the stand in line-greet people you don't know-don't get to eat any of your own food-type of thing. We want to enjoy and have fun with all our favorite people.

A big party.

Probably in the spring. Maybe April? Not sure yet.

I know. I'm bad at being engaged.

Bring it on

Saturday night I got engaged.

That is so weird. Awesome, but weird.

Sorry I've neglected to announce it to the world. It's still very new and kind of overwhelming. I was completely surprised. My legs felt like jello.

I'll definitely post the story, but for right now I just want to relax. We're excited, but in no hurry to plan anything or start getting crazy stressed. Last night we went to a Nickel Arcade and played games. They had The Simpsons, which I was really good at. They also had Street Fighter II, which Dan thought he'd be good at but wasn't. It was really fun.

Dan is the most amazing, understanding and patient person I've ever met and I just don't know what I did to deserve someone like him. He makes me laugh and makes me feel like I am the most special person on the planet. I love him.

Dress you up in my love

Dan is taking me out on a fancy date tomorrow night.

Like, really fancy.

He hasn't told me where we are going but I have to wear a dress. Not church-style, but more like cocktail-y. Although, cocktails will not be part of the date. Clearly, I'm lacking the right adjective here.

I'm really excited though.

I also have to speak in church on Sunday. That's sort of stifling my excitement a bit. I have to prepare for it before this date. Don't want that hanging over my head all night.

Fall Date Night

*Update: I just re-read this post and found tons of shameful typos and grammatical errors. I point this out to a) let you know they are corrected and b) Explain that I am really not stupid. Really.

Saturday night, Dan Sam, Morgan and I went out on a little double date.


We ate dinner at Chili's. I'm sorry, Chili's may be the most generic place to eat ever (next to the Olive Garden, of course), but their fajitas are so, so good. I like their chips and queso, too. So I don't even care. This is Utah. Options are limited at 10:00 PM.

After dinner we tried to go to this pumpkin patch in Lehi but we ended up getting there right as they were closing. Too bad because if there's anything Utah Valley does right, it's Halloween. I don't know what it is about down there but they have the craziest Halloween stuff going on. A couple weekends ago, we went to the Haunted Forest in American Fork. Let me tell you, I about peed my pants, it was THAT scary. I think Utah in general does Halloween pretty well. Around September, all these "Halloween Boutiques" start popping up in empty commercial spaces. Like, in the empty space that Office Max used to be in before it went out of business, all of a sudden there's this huge Halloween store. And then by November 1, they disappear. It's quite bizarre actually.

Anyway, after our failed attempt at the Pumpkin Patch, we went to Harmon's and picked up a couple pumpkins and a carving kit. I got a little ambitious and tried to carve out a bat design, but I don't think it turned out very well. I broke both of the carving knives in the process, too. Oops.

I like fall.

Dan. Listening to the ocean?

Yes, he's really eating pumpkin guts.

Sam and Morgan.

Finished products

Let the trotting commence

Love this picture. Reminds me of Sardine Canyon.

I've decided I want to run a 10k in November on Thanksgiving, the Redding Turkey Trot, more specifically. It's a pretty classic Redding event - right up their with the Freedom Festival, Cool April Nights, and the Asphalt Cowboy Breakfast. I mean, it's a total Redding thing to do.

But, I'm doing it.

I got my training schedule all mapped out and while it's only 6 miles, I feel like I need this schedule to help me along. I haven't done much running since I left USU. My right hip starts to hurt after 3 miles, so I stopped running and started playing tennis and spinning. Me and running just couldn't get along anymore.

But latey, I really feel like running, Maybe it has something to do with the cooler fall weather, but I've been itching to start again. I figured I will get myself some new, very quality running shoes and just deal with any pain. I mean, I can pull it together and get through 6 miles, right?

If you're lucky enough to be in Redding over the holiday, you should do it, too. It will be funny fun.

I wish my sister would post more photos of my niece and nephew

(headline has nothing to do with this post. But seriously, Jen? Some pics now and then can't be that hard)

Today was painful.

It was one of those days where you wake up and would do anything to not have to get out of bed.

It was exponentially worse because after getting only 4 hours of sleep last night, I had to be up at 5:30 to do a radio interview for my job.

The rest of the day felt like a slow death. My eyes stung. My body was sore from the gym yesterday and all I wanted was to crawl back into bed and sleep for 100 years. I finally told myself I would leave work 15 minutes early because I could just not take it anymore.

Once I got home however, I opted to watch the Grey's premiere which I had not seen yet. I then made myself some dinner (salad, chicken noodle soup). After dinner, I watched The Good Wife premiere that was also waiting for me on DVR (it's ok, but I have high hopes).Then out of nowhere I decided to clean the kitchen. And then the bathroom. And then my bedroom. Now it's 8:45 and I am finally in bed, so excited to fall asleep. It's so weird how that rush of productivity came over me. I'm kinda bugged by it actually. If my house wasn't so sparkly clean, I would be down right pissed. I was THAT desperate to go to sleep all day.

Conference this weekend. Pretty excited. Yes, always good to hear the counsel of our prophet and apostles. A little more excited about Sunday's dinner at Dan's house.

You see, every conference his family decides to cook under one theme. One year it was Greek and Vegan, another it was Soups and Thai. Last conference we had Southern food. It was so great. This year we've decided on Italian food. Not like, spaghetti and meatballs Italian, but like authentic, straight from the old country, ITALIAN. I stupidly offered to make a risotto recipe I've have for a while. I've never made it. And I have to make it for like 20 people. Definitely going to do a trial run on Friday. This could be epic or disaster.

I get to buy a digital slr for my job. I have a $800 budget. I'm in full-on consumer research mode. What do you fancy camera peeps think I should get?

For real though. I'm going to bed.

I love Fall

The leaves, the crisp air, and all the new TV shows come back! It really is a glorious season.

Here's what I'm looking forward to:

Grey's Anatomy: This show is still great to me, even though Katherine Heigl totally bugs and George is killed off (you all knew that right? I mean, that's common knowledge around here, right?) Things I hope for this season: Izzie stays in a coma for a while and then wakes up more like Izzie from season 1. Also, can Callie please not be a lesbian anymore? I have nothing against lesbians or lesbian portrayals on television, but I mean, it's just not believable and way out of left field.

Project Runway: We're already like 4 or 5 episodes in, but there are like 50 designers on this season and it seems like it will be a long one. I like Althea, Gordana, and Christopher. Everyone else I don't really care if they stay or go. Although Shirin seems a little annoying.

The Office: The season premiere was SO FUNNY. I heart Andy Bernard. "Michael. Am I gay?" Bless his heart.

The Good Wife: This one is new but I think looks way good. The promo's are intense. It's also about time Juliana Marguiles returns to TV. I remember watching her on ER reruns when I would stay home from school on rainy days. Also, her skin is amazing.

Glee: This is also a new one and if you aren't watching it, I feel bad for you. I really do. It's so brilliant. Hilarious, too. Kurt is my favorite. And does anyone else get goosebumps anytime Lea Michele (Rachel) opens her mouth? She is unbelievably talented. And she looks a lot like Idina Menzel, who is also amazing. Coincidence?

I'm limiting my TV watching (well, loyal watching anyways) to these. I'm kinda over Gossip Girl so I can wait till the DVD's come out, or watch it online when I fall asleep. I might also include SYTYCD when it starts again. But I feel that's ok because it's artistic and stuff.

I refuse to watch Dancing with the Stars. REFUSE.

I'm also passionately against The Hills. I feel sick just thinking about how those worthless, irrelevant people actually get paid to have cameras follow them around. Reason #192 I hate LA.

This was funny. And really smart. Not that I've never gone through the BK drive-thru, but he's got a good point.

New Rule: You can't complain about health care reform if you're not willing to reform your own health.

by Bill Maher

Unlike most liberals, I'm glad all those teabaggers marched on Washington last week. Because judging from the photos, it's the first exercise they've gotten in years. Not counting, of course, all the Rascal scooters there, most of which aren't even for the disabled. They're just Americans who turned 60 and said, "Screw it, I'm done walking." These people are furious at the high cost of health care, so they blame illegals, who don't even get health care. News flash, Glenn Beck fans: the reason health care is so expensive is because you're all so unhealthy.

Yes, it was fun this week to watch the teabaggers complain how the media underestimated the size of their march, "How can you say there were only 60,000 of us? We filled the entire mall!" Yes, because you're fat. One whale fills the tank at Sea World, that doesn't make it a crowd.

President Obama has identified all the problems with the health care system, but there's one tiny issue he refuses to tackle, and that's our actual health.

And since Americans can only be prodded into doing something with money, we need to tax crappy foods that make us sick like we do with cigarettes, and alcohol -- and alcohol actually serves a useful function in society in that it enables unattractive people to get laid, which is more than you can say for Skittles.

I'm not saying tax all soda, but certainly any single serving of soda larger than a baby is not unreasonable. If you don't know whether you burp it or it burps you, that's too big. We need to make taking care of ourselves an issue of patriotism. If you were someone who condemned Bush for not asking Americans to sacrifice for the war on terror, the same must be said for Obama and health care.

President Arugula is not gonna tell Americans they're fat and lazy. No sin tax on food on Obama's watch. And at a time when it's important to set new standards for personal responsibility, he appointed a surgeon general, who is, I'm sorry, kind of fat. Certainly too heavy to be a surgeon general, it's a role model thing. It would be like appointing a Secretary of the Treasury who didn't pay his taxes. He did?

And get this: Surgeon General Benjamin had previously been a nutritional advisor to Burger King. The only advice a "health expert" should give Burger King is to stop selling food. The "nutritional advisor" job was described as, "promoting balanced diets and active lifestyle choices" -- and who better to do that than the folks who hand you meat and corn syrup through a car window? When you have a surgeon general who comes from Burger King, it's a message to lobbyists, and that message is, "Have it your way."

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/new-rule-you-cant-complai_b_291852.html

2nd Chances

I'm going to the Utah State Fair tonight and you better believe I'm getting a corn dog.

1. I wish  I had the guts to cut all my hair off.

2. I wish I would've thought twice about the duvet I just bought. 

3. I wish I could justify renewing my Costco membership for reasons unrelated to $1.50 hot dogs.

4. I wish I had the drive to study and take the GMAT.

5. I wish I was out of debt.

6. I wish that Congress would just STFU already and pass Healthcare reform...w/a public option.

7. I wish my Taco Cart guy would come back.

8. I wish Cafe Rio delivered.

9. I wish Wyndham Resorts would stop calling me about buying a timeshare.

10. I wish I would have gone to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs concert on Saturday.

11. I wish relationships weren't so complicated.  I officially don't understand how people get married. I just don't.

LOSER

Kelly Clarkson said it best, I think.

Nothing Ever Hurt Like You

I really like James Morrison.

Like, a lot.

I haven't bought an entire album in a while and I just got Songs for you, Truths for me last night. LOVE IT. It's like a year old, but still. I've been pinching some SERIOUS pennies lately and my iTunes account has been feeling the hit, unfortch.

But prosperous times await and I went on a little music binge last night. I'd like to personally give a huge Amen to Jordin Sparks because love DOES always feel like a battlefield. Totally.

For real though, James Morrison is kinda dreamy...

I still need to post Wendover pics. I will, but my roommate has the better photos on her camera.

Other exciting news:

New Job gave me a pretty new laptop (Not a Mac, but I'll survive) and sole use of the company camera. Nikon D100. I know, not the latest and greatest but I'm really excited to be part of the SLR club, ok?

Late night

Last night some friends and I went to Wendover on a "Fun Bus." $18 got you over there along with a Free Buffet, $5 cash casino voucher, and 10% off your entire purchase at the Peppermill gift shop. 

Sooo yeah, totally worth it.

We got home at 6:00 AM.

My eyes hurt and I'm barely functioning right now.

More on this later. With pics. And maybe some video.

p.s. I haven't lost my touch at the Blackjack table, either.

Class 2 Rapids are not as scary as they sound

Moab was a great success. No one drowned, no paddles were swept away and only two cars got lost and ended up driving 2 hours in the wrong direction. Overall, everyone had a good time.

Although, the rafting consisted mostly of floating slowly down the Colorado River. The rapids were a bit weak and few and far between. Fortunately, our rafting guides brought along some inflatable kayaks, which were way more fun, especially going through the rapids.

Liz and I, on the very sketchy bus that drove us to the river.  

We floated past this little beach where there was a DJ spinning some sick jams and old women dressed in neon prom dresses. I'm not kidding.

Plugging up the hole in our boat.  Oops.

Ming, our river guide.  He was from Thailand and kept us out of trouble.

This weekend marks a lot of firsts for me.

It's the first time I'll have been to Moab.  It's the first time I will have ever gone river rafting. And it's the first activity I have planned as the Activities Chair in my ward.  

Exciting.

I enjoy planning things like this. Reminds me of being in student council in high school and getting to plan everything the way I wanted so that it didn't suck and wasn't lame. It's also made me really enjoy my calling and has forced me to get to know a lot of people in my little ward.  And it is little.  Maybe 100 people. Maybe.  But I love it.  A lot of singles wards in SLC are huge.  So huge, that it's impossible to feel any form of community or friendship. But my ward is small and pretty great, I mean, as far as singles wards go. I'v never been too super involved with any ward I've gone to.  Mostly because I've never been in a ward long enough to get super involved, but also because I was fine flying under the radar.  I never wanted to get sucked in too much and end up being the person everyone called on for prayers or talks or whatever.  There's a lot of pressure on those people, ya know?

But, things are good here and we're doing Moab tomorrow.  Not going to lie, I may be most excited for S'mores tomorrow night.

Crucial Conversations

Me: "Cheesesticks are really good, right?"

Him: "They are really good."

Me: "Do you like them with the marinara sauce or with the ranch better?"

Him: Pausing.  "I don't know. I'm pretty loyal to the concept of ranch, but I am going to have to go with the marinara."

Me: "Me too."

I Win

8:00 AM - Drive to the Utah Department of Workforce to prove to crazy people that I am indeed not trying to commit unemployment fraud. I'm so sure.

10:00 AM - Finally leave with the new realization that the Utah Department of Workforce is the most depressing place EVER.

10:30 AM - Come home to find the cat we're fostering has a very swollen eye infection.

2:00 PM - Get a text from Verizon informing me I'm over my minutes and my bill is now $200.

5:00 PM - Go to Boot Camp class to try and work out my anxiety.

5:30 PM - Think Boot Camp may have been a bad idea.

5:33 PM - Think Boot Camp was a definitely a bad idea. 

5:34 PM - Walk out on military crawls to go to the bathroom.

5:35 PM - Sit on the bathroom floor waiting to throw up.

5:36 PM - Throw up.

5:40 PM - Remember better days when I wouldn't throw up during Boot Camp. 

6:00 PM - Emerge from the bathroom stall feeling like jello.

6:01 PM - Go back into aerobics room to get my water bottle and keys I left when I bailed on Boot Camp to throw up.

6:28 PM - Arrive home to find a Summons letter from Salt Lake County Court system - 3 cheers for Jury Duty!

9:00 PM - Decide to go to bed because I just can't take one more thing

Viewer Discretion is Advised

People are annoying.  

That being said...

Jay-Z "99 Problems"

Before you roll your eyes, just remember, she came to me.

Two days ago, I was walking outside to my car when I hear this persistent meowing. Being the cat person that I am, I meow back, trying to coax whatever is making this sad little noise out from it's hiding place.

Low and behold, here comes running up to me, this little thing of a cat, clearly very excited to have found someone to take care of her. Not only could this cat not shut up, she could also not get close enough to me. I sat there, literally on the ground, for at least 20 minutes, playing with her, until I had to get going. I figured since she was so friendly and loving, she must belong to someone and would eventually head home.

I came back around dark to find her still hanging out, this time right outside my front door. She was so happy I was back. I know it. I brought her inside to give her something to eat, which she did, quite quickly.

We let her hang out in our apartment until about midnight. Then we put her outside for the night, thinking she would maybe head home this time. She had other plans because around 6 AM she started crying outside. We finally let her back in around 8:00.

I've put an ad on Craigslist and KSL to hopefully find the owners. She is too friendly to be a stray. Hopefully someone claims her. If not, I don't know what I'm going to do. Of course, I would love to keep her, but my apartment is small, I live by a pretty busy street and my one roommate is allergic. I really don't want to take her to the shelter either. No way.

So, if you or someone you know is thinking of adopting a kitty, let me know! She really is the sweetest cat I've ever known. She slept under my covers last night and is currently sleeping on my chest as I write this.

(She sort of looks like my Mom's old cat, Sammy. Except Sammy was about 3 times bigger, had a crooked tail, and I'm pretty sure he was part bobcat. Seriously.)

Thinking the Bachelorette is kind of an idiot. And a little skanky if we're being completely honest here.

She should've gone with Reid.

I love this picture

I don't know why, but this is one of my favorite photos of Dan and I together. If you've ever met him, you know he has the best laugh and cutest smile. Well, I think so.

relatable

Addicted*

This was amazing. I was so moved by this performance. I may have cried a little. Amazing.

*Addicted is the name/theme of this dance. It is not an indication that I am addicted to this show, because I'm not.

The 4th

For the 4th of July Weekend, Dan and I , along with 15 of his work friends + wives, girlfriends, and in one case, a random Brazilian chick picked up at a bar the night before, headed to South Lake Tahoe to enjoy the beautiful lake and holiday festivities. 

We all crammed into this great little house overlooking the lake.  It was a little crowded, but we were definitely taken care of.  His company took care of all the expenses so all we had to worry about was having a good time and soaking up some sun, which I did. Again.  I think my skin needs a little break from the sun.  My back started peeling from my trip to Rehoboth and from a 4-hour pool day last week where I neglected to wear any sunscreen.  Dan took the liberty of peeling it off every couple hours.  Anyone who is willing to peel dead skin off your back is a keeper, if you ask me.  

The fireworks were great, and since our house was in such a prime location, we were able to avoid huge crowds and horrible traffic by watching from the balcony out back.  It was perfect. I hadn't been to Lake Tahoe in a really long time.  It's so pretty there and smelled so good - fresh and piney.  The water was a little cold, but the weather was so warm it was perfectly refreshing.  In fact, after it took us 4 hours of driving to get there, we were all so sick of being in the car so we immediately jumped in the water when we got to the beach.  It was great.  

I once again neglected to take any photos.  The only reason I have this one is because as we were putting our stuff in the car to leave, I saw my camera at the bottom of my bag and told Dan we didn't take any pics.  So we ran out back to snap one or two right before we took off.

He's in charge of the camera from now on in this relationship.

Beach.

I took 12 photos the whole trip. I am so lame.  Jen has good ones on her nice camera.  I'll try and steal some.

Cal. So cute.

Lilly and friend.

Lilly and her pail, which she continued to ask me to fill with water, "Go get water, Bee"

Crabs. Yum.

Traditional crab night.  

Just not feeling it

I'm reading this book right now. It's won a bunch of awards and is supposed to be all sorts of amazing and beautiful and genius, but I just can't get into it.  I'm on page 67 and I want to give up, but I hate not finishing books.  It seems like such a waste and I feel like a failure, to be honest. 

I read My Sister's Keeper last week at the beach-mainly because I want to see the movie and I have a strict policy on reading the books before seeing movies that are adapted from said books.  It was ok.  Definitely a thought provoking story idea, but the ending was so abrupt and annoying. 

I heard the movie ends differently. Hmm.

I finally got my camera cord sent to me and will post photos of the beach soon. And by soon I mean eventually.  

Return of the Photo

My flash is annoying. I wish I had a cool camera like all the cool bloggers.

But he's so cute so it doesn't even matter.

Reason #43 DVR has saved my life

We had a great weekend. I did manage to snap some photos and we'll get to that but I have some things I need to take care of right quick.

So You Think you Can Dance has become somewhat of a good replacement for all the shows I usually watch that are on hiatus this summer. I haven't gotten super into it yet and for that I blame on the obnoxious-as-hell judges. It's a great show, but I will not watch it unless I can fast forward through the stupid judge's remarks. I can't handle them. Just like I can't handle Paula Abdul trying to put a coherent sentence together in her medicated haze. But, at least Paula's laced-out quirkiness is somewhat endearing. I mean, when I don't want to throw my shoe at the TV, I'm usually left laughing hysterically over the way she gets up and dances, or whatever it is she's doing, during every performance. But the SYTYCD judges take it to another level. Mary Murphy, in particular.

Seriously, what is her deal? She is so obnoxious with her screaming, and awkward phrases, and the screaming, with the nasaly voice, and all that screaming. She's like a tranny Paula Abdul meets Marie Osmond, meets the Joker, on crack. She's a mess. She's a hot tranny mess is what she is.

This brings up an interesting question: Why are all reality TV judges/hosts so annoying? As bad as Mary Murphy is, the worst of the worst are those fools on Dancing with the Stars. How many people do they have running that show? Like 15? It seems like it, especially when they cut to Samantha Harris and her riveting backstage interviews with such stars like Melisssa from the Bachelor and that guy who was in that one Pauly Shore movie about the army. I mean, really Samantha Harris? In what world does your job serve any purpose? Also, does anyone else notice how she ends every sentence with, "...blah, blah, blah......Tom." Can she not, with all her groundbreaking entertainment journalism experience, come up with another out to Tom Bergeron? She's like one of those awful female sideline reporters for Monday Nigh Football, asking the dumbest questions and just getting on everyone's nerves. And it's like, since when do we take those people seriously? I mean, I just don't get her. And she needs to eat something and chillax on the hair spray if we are being completely honest here.

I get that it sounds like I am a religious viewer of shows like this. You're probably going,

"Brianne, if you are so annoyed with these shows and the idiot people on them, why do you even watch?"

The thing is, I don't watch them. Not really. It's not like I'm jetting home every night so I can catch the opening credits for So You Think You Can Dance. I'm not. It's more of me being acutely aware of my culture and it's obsession with really awful television. Specifically, it's my roommates who are the culprits. They're the ones that are crazy for this crap and I can't get away from it. It's really not my fault. You should see our DVR. In fact, I can can tell you right now that The Hills*, The City, 90210 (the new one), Real World/Road Rules Challenge The Gauntlet in the Inferno IV, and The Real Housewives of New Jersey are currently being recorded on a regular basis.

Really. You should actually feel bad for me. You should.

*I am so anti- The Hills that I will literally leave the house when my roommates start watching it. If we continue to enable these people then the terrorists win, you guys.

I promise to take photos

Going back to San Jose this weekend.

Taking Dan to Monterey for his 26th birthday.

Activities include:
-Monterey Bay Aquarium
-17 Mile Drive
-Picnic dinner on the beach...at sunset.

Cute, right?

I'm excited.

'merica

The City of Logan has just announced this years theme for their 4th of July fireworks event at Romney Stadium...

Are you ready for this, people?

Land of the Free. Home of the Brave.

Genius. Genius, is what that is. 

Adventures in Silicon Valley

This weekend was a good one. I left Friday evening for San Jose to visit Dan. Notable airport story: I had to change planes in Vegas (I hate Southwest-do they fly anywhere non-stop?!). While me and the other passengers were lining up, I noticed this unfortunate looking couple with two beers in their hand who were either, A) Completely confused with the logistics of boarding an airplane B) Totally wasted on airport-bar cocktails, still in hand. I concluded the latter, especially since they somehow managed to stumble onto the right plane and sat in the row across from me and immediately asked for two Jack and Cokes the second the flight attendant walked by. No big deal, really. The guy could handle his liquor better than his girlfriend, or whatever she was, but she struggled forming complete sentences. I noticed when we were getting ready to land they still hadn't finished their drinks, which were still lying on the folding trays, which were obviously not locked in their full and upright position. So, when the plane hit the runway and came plowing to an abrupt stop, their drinks went flying everywhere, including onto me. When everyone stood up to get off the plane, the woman started yelling about how she needed to get off the plane right now. "NO SERIOUSLY, I NEED TO GET OFF THIS THING."

I can't think of anything more pathetic than being drunk on an airplane.

Anyway.

The rest of the weekend was great. Dan had to work Saturday till 2, so I took my photoallergic chances and laid out by the pool. Three(3) hours and one(1) application of SPF 15 later, I was rash free. Phew.

Later, we went to the Winchester Mystery House and took a very well-staged 60 minute tour from Danielle. Danielle was a great tour guide. She was very animated and had good comedic timing. She sounded like she'd memorized the "Winchester Mystery House Tour Guide Manual" a few times. I'd never been, but always seen the billboards for it along highway 50 to San Francisco. I can remember driving along that freeway for volleyball or basketball tournaments and being all, "What the heck is that place?" I didn't even know what it was until we took the tour. The story of the house is weird, and a little creepy. The tour is a little pricey ($25 a ticket) but it's something I'd recommend doing once if you're ever in San Jose.

Saturday night we hit up Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I still can't decide how I feel about Cheesecake Factory. The first couple of times I went there, I wasn't impressed with it. But I tried the Chicken Di Pana last time I went and loved it. So I guess now that I found something I like on their menu, I'll stick with it. That menu by the way is like a freaking magazine. I mean, there are literally full-page ads in it. I don't know about anyone else, but it's a little overwhelming. Also, I make a better cheesecake than them. I'm just saying.

Sunday we went to church, wherein the San Jose mission President proceeded to single out an investigator and make her stand up in front of everyone and explain her questions about the church. I'm no missionary expert, but I'm going to venture a guess that maybe singling out an already anxious and confused young person in front of a room of about 100 strangers isn't the best way to nail down a baptism date. Really.

I really need to be better about taking photos. I bring my camera, but it just sits in my purse the whole time.

I won't tell you how many times I've watched the *New Moon clip via MTV.com. It's shameful. But, I will say that already, the overall quality looks so much better than Twilight.

*(ok, Jacob? Ummm...yes please)

Things I'd rather do than see the Lakers win the NBA Championship

-Swim in shark infested waters

-Intern for Samantha Harris

-Attend a GOP fundraiser

-Attend a GOP fundraiser w/ Limbaugh as the keynote

-Go to Costco on a Saturday 

-Listen to Avril Lavigne on repeat

-Listen to Nickleback on repeat

-Hang out with Heidi and Spencer

-Teach Sunday School

-Twitter w/ my coworkers

-Eat bugs

Maybe I should stop talking about my health problems.

So Saturday, I ventured out to play some tennis with my neighbors.  It wasn't a particularly sunny day -  in fact, it was pretty overcast and a little windy. ( Not that it matters, but I just want to include that I was the champion of the day, coming back being down 1 set and 3 match points to eventually pull off the win in the 3 set. It was epic, especially for someone like me, who feels I've actually gotten worse at tennis in the last year or so. But I digress.)

Later in the day I realized I was a bit sunburned on my shoulders. No big deal.  If anything, I was slightly ashamed I had been out in the sun for, oh, maybe 90 minutes on an overcast day and still managed to sunburn.  What developed later in the evening was more disconcerting, however.  I noticed my legs had these red bumps on them - maybe just razor burn, I thought.  But then my legs started to itch. And then my arms started to itch .  And then I went into the bathroom to take a shower and saw that my stomach was covered in this red rash.  My back was pretty bad too. Ok,  rashes, in any form, gross me out for some reason so I was understandably disturbed.  I could not for the life of me figure out how I got this rash, although I was beginning to think it had something to do with my sunburn.  But I'd never reacted to the sun like this before, so it was all the more confusing.  

Enter WebMd.  

WebMd has become a trusted friend of mine over the years, offering me confident diagnosis' House could be proud of.  I searched general sunburn rash topics and eventually stumbled across this little bit of info:

Sun-Sensitizing Drugs

Sun-sensitizing drugs are drugs that have side effects when people taking them are exposed to the sun. Some reactions are caused by exposure to the sun's UVB or "short" waves, but most are caused by UVA or "long" wave exposure.

There are two main types of sun-sensitizing drug reactions. They are:

1. Photoallergy. In this case, problems occur when skin is exposed to the sun after certain medicines are applied to the skin's surface. The ultraviolet (UV) light of the sun causes a structural change in the drug. This, in turn, causes the production of antibodies that are responsible for the sun-sensitivity reaction. The reaction usually includes an eczema-type rash, which often occurs a few days after exposure. The rash can also spread to parts of the body that were not exposed to the sun.
   
   
2. Phototoxicity. This is the most common type of sun-sensitivity drug reaction. It can occur when skin is exposed to the sun after certain medications are injected, taken orally, or applied to the skin. The drug absorbs the UV light, then releases it into the skin, causing cell death. Within a few days, symptoms appear on the exposed areas of the body. In some people, symptoms can persist up to 20 years after the medication is stopped. Among the most common phototoxic drugs are the tetracycline family, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen) and Cordarone (a heart medication).

This woman, whom I am sure is completely qualified to be giving medical advice, agrees:

Bingo.  As it would seem, I have diagnosed myself with a phototoxicity as an affect from the antibiotics I'm taking.  Wonderful.  Not sure how long this will last, but you better believe I am not going outside today, even if it is my day off and really nice out.  I don't mess around with rashes, ok?

On the mend

I think my meds are finally kicking in because my throat has gone from KILL ME NOW painful to MAYBE I CAN TRY EATING AGAIN. However, I have noticed I've been producing what seems like a ton of spit the last couple days, which I guess isn't that big of a deal, except I keep having to swallow it and now it's literally making me nauseous. I've resorted to spitting into my garbage can every 2 minutes because it's grossing me out. (TMI?)

I planned on going to Lake Powell over the holiday weekend, something I was very excited about since I've never been. Usually when people go to Powell they go for like a week, and in the past, I've always had to work. Some friends planned a weekend trip, which was perfect....right up until I got pretty sick. I figured I'd rather go when I'm 100%, and not spitting into a Coke bottle every 90 seconds. That's no fun for anyone. So I'll be sticking around this weekend. Shannon decided to make the drive up, along with my requested Sprinkles cupcakes. Hopefully I'm really well enough to eat one tonight or tomorrow. And hopefully the weather is nice so we can go to the pool or something. I need to build up a base tan before I hit Rehoboth this year.

Speaking of which, have I ever talked about my love/hate relationship with booking flights? I think it's pretty similar to the same feelings experienced by those who love to shop at Ross or Nordstrom Rack. Ironically, I happen to hate such bargain hunting adventures. Those stores are too chaotic and messy. I get overwhelmed too quickly and end up leaving in a fit of anxiety. It's just not worth it.

However, when it comes to buying a plane ticket, I will pour over every travel web site I know before I book a flight. Travelocity, Cheaptickets, Kayak, StudentUniverse, and about 10 more, to find the cheapest deal I can.

In my experience, it's all about timing and variables - like changing the airport or arrival time. For example, I know from hardcore consumer experience that flying into the Bay Area can be significantly cheaper if you fly into Oakland instead of San Francisco, which is actually good for me since usually I'm headed to Sacramento anyway. Oakland is easier to get to and you don't have to go over the Bay Bridge. Also, I know that Southwest doesn't offer a direct flight from Salt Lake to Sacramento- they always stop in Las Vegas. So, even though Southwest flights are cheaper, you end up spending 7 hours traveling from SLC to Sacramento by-way of LV, when you should just spend the extra money and fly non-stop on Delta.

It's like a game to me and right now I'm in an intense battle for my ticket to Baltimore for my family's beach trip. 21 days is usually the cut-off for the cheapest flights - booking less than 21 days in advance pretty much screws your chances of getting a decent rate, especially on coast-to-coast flights. So, this means I have approximately one week to play the airline odds. My goal is to not pay more than $350. Usually, I'd shoot for getting something under $250, but because I have to fly in to Balitmore (instead of D.C. or maybe Philly) and at certain times to meet up with the rest of my family, my varibles aren't so varied.

Wish me luck.

Not well

I have strep throat and it is quite possibly the most miserable thing ever. EVER.

I don't get sick very often, but when I do, it's horrible. I've been living off Ibuprofen, cough drops and Jamba Juice for the last 3 days. Luckily I got some antibiotics so hopefully those start kicking in and get rid of this.

Update: I just read on webmd that anitibotics don't necessarily get rid of symptoms. They just prevent spreading it to others. According to them, I still have 2-10 days of suffering. Fun.

Taco carts = Growing Economy

So there I was, watching the local news last night and the lead-off story wasn't about some car that ran into a house, or that girl who was was kidnapped by her parents for getting baptized into the LDS church. 

No, no. The journalistic geniuses over at KSL lead with a story on taco carts and happened to feature my taco cart of choice, Awesome Tacos!  Someone over there deserves a raise because it was the best story I'd seen on KSL in a while.  Oh, they mention stuff about the economy too, I guess. You can see the clip here.

If I had a clothing line I'd call it, "Short Chicks Need Not Try On"

I walked down to the Gateway today to try and find some new additions to my work wardrobe since I will be starting a new job next week.  I'm not a big shopper so this wasn't really a pleasant excursion for me.  Not that I don't like having new clothes... trust me, I do.  But the process of it all is just exhausting to me.  Never mind that probably 12% of the merchandise out there might be considered a fit for a lurpy body like mine.  So I work twice as hard as everyone else when I shop, and only see 1/4 of the results. Lame.

I went to Express first, only because I have an Express credit card (?) and was sent a 20% discount coupon for having it.  Coupon or no coupon, I hate Express.  I don't even know why I spent the time to look in there.  I actually found some cute suiting pieces that were on sale and asked the girl she could get me my pant size in a long inseam.  The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hi. Do you have these in a long?"

Her: "No, we don't. I'm sorry."

Me: " Oh, but you have those grey ones in long. Do they not make this color in long?"

Her: "No."

Me: "Oh, really? That's weird. Why wouldn't they do that?"

Her: "I don't know.  We have them in regular. You could take out the hem."

Me: "Uh, no. They'd still be way too short.  Wait though, they all come in short.  Why do they come in short and not long?"

Her: "It's probably because normal American women aren't that tall."

Me: "Well that doesn't really seem fair or logical.  I mean, wouldn't it make more sense to make pants longer so the tall people could be able to wear them and the short people could hem them? I mean, that makes more sense to me, don't you think?"

Her: "I don't know."

Express struggles.

I tried BR, Anne Taylor, Anne Taylor Loft, and J. Crew.  Nothing. I eventually dragged myself into Gap where I found some pants that were on like, super clearance.  They were long enough, too. So, not a totally wasted outing.  

On the walk home, I stopped by the local taco cart for some yummy chicken tacos.  They were delicious.  Taco carts are such a great idea.  You need to be careful, though. There are a few around downtown and some are really sketchy.  My taco cart guy is legit. He sits right outside the very North end of the Gateway on 400 West. His cart reads, "Awesome Tacos".  And they are awesome. That's a promise he can deliver. He's a really nice guy and I hope he sticks around there for the summer.  I got two chicken tacos and a Coke for $3.50.  I mean, really. Can you beat that?

This one goes out to all you Californians out there.

*Thanks, Heather

Relocation

I've mentioned before that I'm kinda obsessed with house/apt. hunting.  Even when I'm basically happy where I'm currently living, I occasionally drive around a neighborhood I'm presently obsessed with and look for places for sale or for rent.  

Right now you could say I live downtown, but I categorize it more on the edge of Rose Park, although we are still on the east side of I-15. It's actually a great location: seconds from downtown (I can walk), close to the freeway, and around the corner from a 7-11.  Pretty ideal.  But, I've recently fallen in love with a section of Salt Lake City known as Capitol Hill.  It's this quaint little neighborhood right along the Capital building and I love it.  Lots of big shady trees, really old homes with lots of personality and charm, sidewalks, and gardens.  It reminds me a lot of some of the neighborhoods I saw around Europe - lots of small streets, with little cottages tucked away among vine bushes and slate walkways.  One of the girls I visit teach lives conveniently in this neighborhood (as do a lot of people in my ward) and I basically drooled over her house last night as we talked about something relating to perfecting the saints...or serving our fellow sisters....I'm not sure.  I was too concentrated on her original hard wood floors and built-in bookcases.  

Really, I'm not way serious about moving. Moving is not fun, but if I come across a little gem of real estate on Capitol Hill, I'd seriously consider it.  I'd just need to get my roommates to come with, which would be next to impossible.  Who knows, if I can find something amazing for a good price, maybe it would be time to consider living alone.  I actually wouldn't mind living alone. In fact, if I could afford it, I'm sure I'd be living alone now.  

Anyways, I dyed my hair and now it's too dark. I don't like it. Hopefully it fades a little over the next couple weeks.  

I also saw 17 Again tonight. Ok, Zac Efron? Yes, please.  I'm going to go ahead and use this blog to publicly proposition him to be the father of my children.  There I said it. I'm not even ashamed.  Zac, if you're out there, it's brianneolsen@gmail.com.

Alright, Alright, Alright.

Can anyone recall a movie where Matthew McConaughey doesn't play a southern, smooth-talking womanizer with the eventual heart of gold? I mean, besides Dazed and Confused?  I swear he is the same guy in all of his movies.  

This one looks no different:

Uh, no thanks.  Skipping this one for sure.  Although, I do adore Jennifer Garner. She's so lovely and normal.

I remember when I used to plan my week around the Kings playoff games.

Spring used to be such an exciting, anxiety-laden time of year for me. However, because the Kings have taken up the responsibility as the NBA's worst team and are subsequently not in the playoffs, I'm activating my interim-support for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Although, I do really like Derrick Rose-he's such a calm player and strong leader on his team, even as a rookie. I wouldn't mind the Bulls winning either.  

But, this guy is just ridiculous....

Bottom line: Anyone but the Lakers.  Am I right, people?

Dan in Real Life

Last week was Dan's last before he moved to San Jose for the summer to work.  He surprised me on Wednesday by driving us up to Logan so I could show him my old stomping grounds! I love Logan and miss my college days a lot sometimes.  It was so fun to show him my old apartments, take him around campus, and hit up all my favorite spots around town.  We even ate a really yummy dinner at my old work, Hamilton's.  Except, I ordered Dan's steak a little too rare for him. I felt bad. He said he liked it, but we ended up switching meals ( I had the Chicken Cord en Bleu), so I know he didn't.  Oops. 

We stopped by the Logan Temple (my favorite), too. 

Logan has a small (very small), zoo and since I'd actually never been myself, we decided to check it out.  One of the first animals we saw was this beautiful peacock.  I was obsessed with it. I can't get over how cool they look.  I want my own peacock someday.  Seriously, I do.

We also made sure to pick up an Aggies hat for Dan. He looks good in it.

Last week we also went to an awards ceremony at UVU where Dan received a leadership certificate for this program he's been involved with his last semester of school. I'm very proud of him. He's the kind of guy that people just love to be around. He's really smart and a natural leader. He's going to do some amazing things in the future.  

What happened to World Peace?

The weather has finally turned nice.  It's about time.  Although, it is supposed to rain a bit the next couple days, it's better than snow.  Rain I can handle. Snow in the middle of April is just ridiculous.

People keep asking me what I think about this whole Miss California USA thing.  Here's what I think: It was a catch-22 question. She was screwed no matter which way she answered it.  I think asking a question like was done to intentionally peg her and make her look controversial. You know Perez Hilton was just waiting to set her up to either take his side or not.  It was a question meant for his benefit, not the pageant. Either way she answered it, he looked like either the victim or the activist. Although, I do think she could have maneuvered 

 her way out of it without taking one side or the other.  Her PR people should have prepped her for something like that. 

Anyways, I feel bad for her, actually.  I may not agree with her necessarily, but still.  She didn't stand a chance and that's not fair. 

Perez Hilton kinda bugs me now. 

hi.

I'm getting really into Southland.  It's about a police unit in South LA, centered around this rookie cop's experiences (Ryan Atwood Ben Mackenzie, who is great in it).  It's pretty gritty and makes you realize how effed up the world is in some places. 

It snowed yesterday.  I won't even get into how I feel about that.

I have a friend going through a pretty painful breakup and there's nothing I can say to make her feel better or even feel like there isn't something wrong with her. There's nothing wrong with her. She's great.  People just break up. Sometimes, that feeling's just not there for someone. She doesn't see it that way. It's pummeled her self-esteem and I feel horrible that she feels so horrible. What do you say to someone like that? How do you help them?

It's people like this and this and this who make it really hard for me to like anyone who considers themselves a Republican. I know, that is completely judgmental, but really.  So irritating.

I've been helping Dan with the Sentence Correction portion of his GMAT prep.  Um, let's just say I am not as good with grammar as I thought and have zero desire to take the GMAT. 

We also watched about an hour worth of "Cute Kitten" videos on YouTube last night.  It's pretty safe to say that Dan is now fully aware I am a cat-person.

We went to the Britney Spears concert on Tuesday. 

It was ok.  I mean, I knew going into it that it would be scandalous, but seriously, I was borderline uncomfortable at times.  Maybe  it was because I was there with Dan and there were half-naked people dancing around. I don't know. It was a cool concept I guess, but I felt like Brit just walked back and forth and just grinded up on people.  She didn't really dance like I was expecting her to.  Remember back in the day when she used to just kill it? I wanted that.  Actually, the best part of the show was when her back-up dancers each did a solo dance performance.  That was way cool.

I've been taking yoga classes at the gym and I'm hooked. I feel so good after, like my body is completely relaxed and I'm hyper-aware of all my muscles.  Yoga always seemed so intimidating to me because I'm tall and lurpy and not all that flexible.  But, I sucked it up and went and now I love it. I'm still learning, but my favorite poses are pigeon pose and plank pose.

So what is up with this whole pirate thing? I thought we took care of our pirate problems, like, 300 years ago? Apparently not. I mean, are these pirates looking for gold coins and treasure and whatnot? Or do they just want to steals big ships? Do they think they can actually hop aboard a boat and steal it without anyone doing anything about it? They do realize we have things like Navy Seals around now, don't they? I just don't understand that logic, I guess.  Then again, I'm not a pirate, so...

I need to go tanning.