Year in Review

It's that time of year again.  Part of me says thank goodness this year is over and part of me is sad to see it go.  Then there's the biggest part of me that really just doesn't care either way.  That is definitely the dominant part.  Nevertheless, as I have been horrible at blogging lately, this is the perfect opportunity to compose a blog post that will hopefully entertain, enlighten and perhaps cause a few tears to be shed.  Haha, not really, but that was quite dramatic!  And now I shall commence with the discussing of me and my year, as that is what is truly important tonight.  :) 

Highlights of 2012

• Moving closer to my family.
• Every single moment in Paris, even the ones I didn't absolutely love because hello, it was Paris! (Except for the one lowlight, see below.)  I can't pass this one by without mentioning a few specifics:
• Sharing the experience with my family.
• Seeing works of art that brought tears to my eyes and are some of the clearest examples of the influence of the Divine that I have ever seen.  It never ceases to amaze me how the arts can be such a spiritual experience.  
• Pastries!  Glorious, glorious pastries!
• Weekends spent in Wyoming.  
• The fact that the moments where I felt like all was right in the world far outnumbered the moments where I felt like everything was wrong.
• My daily email and text conversations with Traci, who saved my sanity many, many times.
• My apartment and the solitude, serenity and pants-free environment that it offers.
• Antagonizing people on Facebook for sport during the election season.  I really felt like it was the only way to make those few months before the election bearable.  If any of those people are now reading this, I apologize if you were really and truly offended.
• Temporarily living with BFF Amber after I moved back to Utah. 
• Discovering Homeland, Misfits, Iwan Rheon, Harlan Coben and Lee Child. 
• Taking my client that had cancer for a CT scan a few weeks ago and finding out that there is no sign whatsoever of cancer!

Lowlights of 2012

• The whole Wyoming exodus.  Leaving my friends and clients was heartbreaking and many tears were shed.  Then there was the whole having to give my dog back to the shelter drama.  I still can't speak of it. 
• Moving three times in one year.  I don't want to move again any time soon.  As I wrote that I felt like I was jinxing it and condemning myself to move again in 2013.  Nooooooo!!!!!!
• Having my car stolen.  I still can't quite believe it actually happened.
• The slight (meaning major) nervous breakdown I had early in October.  It was the perfect storm of events and circumstances that caused me to question every single thing in my life; not eat, sleep or bathe for a while; and watch an excessive number of episodes of Roseanne.  Very glad that it's over and that there were people around that I could lean on for support.  On the other hand, it was this event that led me to make my plans for Dublin and London because I needed something to look forward to, so I can't complain too much!
• Being in Paris and having massive blood blisters on the bottoms of my feet that caused excruciating pain with every step I took.  I had to pad and tape my feet every day, but then it would all just come off with all the walking around.  :(  
• My client being diagnosed with cancer and the subsequent treatment.  Taking her to radiation every single day for weeks on end was definitely one of the lowest of the low moments of the year.  And I wasn't even the one with cancer! 

I know I'm forgetting many things but these are the things that immediately came to mind.  There were so many other awesome events, people and moments throughout the year and also several other really crappy moments, but all in all, I consider 2012 to be a success.  I have learned much and experienced much and I am ending the year feeling more content and secure with myself and my life than ever before.  Thanks for reading and being part of my journey!

Can you believe it's almost Christmas?

• I swear Christmas sneaks up on me quicker and quicker each year.
• Still no Christmas decorations-at this late date, there's no point.
• I've been crazy busy trying to get all the Christmas shopping done for my clients.  It's been fun spending someone's money other than my own, but it's been a little stressful trying to buy things for people who really don't need anything.  Most of their wants are simple, too.  One of my clients is perfectly satisfied with balloons to blow up, another with pens and paper to scribble on.  Their bank accounts can't have over a certain amount of money in them at the end of the month, so I'm usually pretty up to date on replacing worn out clothes and belongings.  This has not made Christmas shopping very easy.  I'm just about done, though.  Hooray!  
• I'm planning on working Christmas morning this year.  I want to make sure my staff, some of whom have children, are able to spend the time with their families.  I spent Thanksgiving with mine and we won't have kids around for Christmas this year, so hopefully it won't be a problem to open gifts later in the day.  
• My friend, Taryn, came down from Wyoming to visit for the weekend.  We had lots of fun and lots of good chats.  It was kind of nice to have someone around to hang out with and talk to.  I guess on occasion I do miss having a roommate.  On the other hand, if I had a roommate, I would have to start wearing pants.  That might be a dealbreaker.
• I am obsessed with Mojito-flavored Crystal Light.  It's perfection in a glass.  You should try it.
• I finally had a cortisone injection in my gimpy elbow and now it feels great!  It doesn't sound like it would be, but this is very exciting!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it works for a while. 

I feel like this was possibly the least interesting set of bullet points that I have done.  I gotta get back on the ball here!  Side note-did you see the monkey in the coat that was wandering around Ikea?  I want to cuddle him.

Blogger's Block

I have been in a major writing mood lately, but I can't seem to come up with anything to write about.  Nothing is leaping out of my mind and onto the computer screen.  Or at least nothing that is at all interesting.  I could go back to doing the Table Topics cards, but I'm not sure where they are.  Hmmm . . . what to do?!?  I guess if all else fails, post pictures!

weekly wrap-up

There wasn't much that entertained me (and that was appropriate to post somewhere where my family will see it) this last week or two, so I threw in some oldies as well.

• Cosby GIF mania!
• Celebrating the Year in Channing Tatum
• Least Likely to Be Adopted Project-I want them all!  I still really think that my dad should do something like this with his photography skills instead of taking pictures of birds.
• Burger King Delivery Service in NYC-I'm ok with not having Burger King delivery service, but I do really wish that more restaurants would have drive-up windows.  Or at least car-side service like at Sonic.  My point is that I will get in my car, but not get out of it. 
• Pictures from James Mollison's Where Children Sleep-Love the boy from Kentucky.  The girls from Nepal and Brazil break my heart.  Check out these pictures if you need a gratitude check.
• Russell Brand interviews two members of the Westboro Baptist Church-I feel like this is a combination of people that should have been an epic disaster, but Russell Brand handled himself with dignity (mostly) and his guests with more kindness and respect than I ever could have.
• Butt Implant Malfunction-So many things wrong with this.
• iPet Companion-I haven't actually tried this yet, but how could something that lets you remotely play with pets in shelters be a bad thing?
• My favorite travel blogger is Adventurous Kate.  She is the one that inspired me to take this solo trip to Ireland and England next March, so we can all blame her if things go horribly wrong!

I never thought this day would come.

I have a complaint about Old Navy.  I placed an online order on November 23 and was told that my stuff would arrive in 7-10 days.  I finally got an email tonight that my order had been shipped and will arrive by December 7.  I don't understand why Amazon can sometimes ship my order within an hour or so of me ordering it, but it takes Old Navy this long to get it in the mail.  I realize there was probably a significant increase in business for Black Friday, but shouldn't they have anticipated that and put more people on the job?  I've already received things I ordered from Amazon three days ago.  I feel like Amazon should just take over the world at this point because then things would actually get done. 

That Little B*tch

The tooth that I had the root canal on today has now officially been dubbed "That Little B*tch."  Why, you may ask?  Don't worry, I shall tell you!  Not only did it have hook-ended roots, but the roots were also abnormally long, which meant that it was really hard to get it numb.  Do you see where this story is headed?  It's headed towards PAIN!  The fancy dentist told me about my root problem and then conveniently added that for $55 extra I could get nitrous.  I figured they were just trying to get more money out of me, but let it be known that I will never turn down something that will make a root canal slightly more pleasant.  It turned out to be a very wise investment.  Even with the nitrous and the initial numbing of the tooth, I nearly jumped out of the chair when he started drilling.  Given the shooting pain, he said we were going to move on to Plan B.  Plan B turned out to be him telling me to suck in hard on the nitrous while he hurriedly drilled through the tooth so that he could shoot extra anesthetic into the inside of the tooth.  I was not happy at this point, but then they upped the dose on the nitrous and I was ok after that.  So that is why my tooth shall now be referred to as That Little B*tch. 

better late than never

I keep meaning to do a post about things I'm grateful for, but then everyone was doing that for Thanksgiving and I don't like to do what everyone else is doing, just on principle.  Then I realized that such an attitude made me sound a little bit hipster-ish and that's annoying, so here you go, a list of random things (because I refuse to do the ordinary) that I am grateful for . . .

• child actors who don't end up messed up
• the combination of sea salt and caramel
• pronouncing caramel care-uh-mel so that you sound posh
• foods that can be eaten out of the original container
• foods that can be eaten out of the original container using my fingers
• not having to close the door every time I go to the bathroom
• my tickets to the MoTab Christmas concert featuring ALFIE BOE!!!!!
• clever people
• watermelon Jell-o
• moments when I am not socially awkward

tidbits

• I have to have a root canal tomorrow and because this is me, it can't just be a simple procedure.  I have to go to an endodontist (I don't even know what that is) to have it done because one of the roots of my tooth has a hook on the end.  I feel like eventually it will be funny that I have hook ended teeth, but right now it's irritating.
• It's funny how our opinions of movies/books change as we get older.  I'm watching Jane Eyre and I have always thought that while Mr. Rochester was a bit of a jerk, he was also a dramatic hero who just needed love.  Now I am realizing that he was kind of horrible.  
• My turkey dinner on Monday turned out well.  I normally brine my turkey, but since I had just decided Monday morning that I wanted to cook it, I clearly didn't have time to do so.  Instead I coated it with a Mediterranean spice rub and cooked it on a bed of apples.  It was/is nummy.  
• I forgot to mention in my Thanksgiving wrap-up that for the first time ever, I ate cranberry sauce.  I don't like cranberries.  Never have.  This year my sister in-law said that she adds horseradish to the cranberry sauce and since I am a bit obsessed with horseradish, I decided to give it a try.  It is amazing what a difference just a spoonful of horseradish can make.  It was absolutely delicious!
• I also forgot to mention that I finally bought a car.  I got a 2008 Ford Fusion.  I feel like it's kind of an old person's car, but I really like it.  
• I am feeling the need to de-clutter.  I hate that it's the wrong time of year for a yard sale.  I also hate that I have no yard on which to have a yard sale.

Thanksgiving Summary

• Thanksgiving was great.  By the time we actually sat down to eat I wasn't even hungry because I had been picking at food all morning.  It was for the greater good, though-I can't serve food to people if I haven't already tasted it myself to make sure it is edible.  So basically I ate a whole Thanksgiving meal before the actual Thanksgiving meal.
• I did loads of shopping over the weekend-Black Friday starting Thursday, Cyber Monday starting Sunday, etc.  Unfortunately I didn't actually buy anything for anyone else, just myself.  
• I have the day off today so I have decided to go ahead and cook myself another turkey dinner since I didn't bring any leftovers home from my parent's house.  Too soon?
• I went and saw the new Twilight movie over the weekend.  I refused to go too early after it came out because I don't like screaming teenage girls (or screaming women behaving like teenage girls).  I expected to find it to be ridiculous, but I actually enjoyed it.  To be clear:  there was ridiculousness, but I was o.k. with it.  
• I also finally saw Pitch Perfect, which I enjoyed.  I want Rebel Wilson to be my best friend.  Plus, has anyone noticed that she's freakin' gorgeous?
• I can't decide whether or not to decorate for Christmas this year.  Last year I did it at the beginning of November, so I felt like the effort was worth it.  At this point, I don't know if it's worth getting everything out of storage for just a month of prettiness.  Actual conversation occurring in my head:  "Christmas isn't about the decorations.  I feel like I should honor the real meaning of Christmas.  B*tch, please!  You know you're just too lazy to go haul the boxes in from the storage shed.  You ain't foolin' no one!"

weekly wrap up

• Looping GIFs
• The green caterpillar is trippy!
• Sonia Sotomayor visits Sesame Street and crushes dreams
• Cutest wet kitten/gremlin ever
• Anne Hathaway attempts the Claire Danes cry
• Also, for my fellow Homeland fans, check out texts between Brody and Abu Nazir.
• Who should play the candidates and other prominent people in the movie version of 2012
• Steven Segal as Joe Biden=pure genius.
• Straight men everywhere better watch out for those girlfriend-stealing gay guys!
• A motherf*cking quiche!
• I now know why my dating profile didn't work. 
• Favorite tweet of the week
• Big Bang Theory flash mob?  Yes, please!
• Best reason ever to not go to class
• Supercut of Robert Pattinson's stares
• So intense.

Also, these were not entertaining, but were informative and/or interesting, so enjoy them as well:

• France's new anti-domestic violence ads
• Woman dies after being denied an abortion
• America Has the Worst Economy Anywhere, Except for Everywhere Else

And finally, this is the way I feel about most people:

Winning!

This is what I had for dinner tonight-macaroni and cheese made with powdered coffee creamer that expired in 2009* and boiled shrimp.  There were also some chocolate chips, but I ate them before I took the picture.  Jealous?


*I didn't have milk.

Too soon?

I'm in a Christmas mood!  I just rewatched the Christmas episode of Gavin & Stacey and, due to the following scene, I am ready to put on some Christmas music and decorate.  Well, I should rephrase that.  Due to the following scene I am willing to look up the music video for "Do They Know it's Christmas?" and think about how much effort it would require to get my Christmas decorations out of the storage area.






Also, I can't see Bono now without thinking of the following scene from Misfits:

I am nothing if not consistent.

Ok, so I'm really not very consistent at all, but in this case I am amazingly consistent, which just goes to show that I am in no way consistent.  I am currently counting down the minutes until Homeland is on and I need to kill time, so I turned on He's Just Not That Into You.  Big mistake.  Big.  Huge.  Except for those moments when I was mesmerized by Bradley Cooper's eyes, I was irritated by nearly every single character.  And then I remembered that back when this movie came out, in 2009, I did a blog post about it!  I just reread the post (which you, too, can read here) and discovered that I was thinking the exact same things I thought then, only a little less bitterly, because I've totally mellowed since then.  True story. 

***I have a nagging feeling that this is probably the most useless blog post I have ever written and I am now making this face:

Confessions, updates, nonsense

• My travel plans are coming along nicely!  I was going to stay in a cheap hostel, but then a friend of mine recommended Airbnb.  It's a website that allows people all over the world to rent out spare rooms and such in their homes.  Let's compare . . . for $15 per night at a hostel, I could have a bunk bed in a room with 9 other people in it (most of whom are around 20 years old), share a bathroom with many people and get minimal sleep due to said young'uns coming in drunk at 4am.  Or I could pay $30ish dollars per night for a private room with a king size bed, my own private bathroom and stay with a lovely, young Irish couple who live in a nice suburb of Dublin which is only a short ride away from the city center by bus.  And, to make the decision even less complicated, if I stay with the nice couple, I won't have to bring my own towel or keep my belongings locked up so that other travelers won't steal them!  Happy day!
• The weather here has been a bit crap.  It's snowed over a foot since Friday, which I don't really mind, but my power went off for most of Saturday morning.  That, I do mind.  I think the internet has turned my brain to mush because I can no longer concentrate on books like I used to.  I'll read for a little bit, then have to take a break.  Clearly I have newly acquired LADD (literary ADD).
• Why is it that I always end up with the gimpy cart at the grocery store?  The other day my cart clanked the whole way around the store, causing people to stare at me.  I think a better question may be why didn't I take the cart back and get a different one?  Oh yeah, that's right, I'm lazy.
• The definition of bitterness . . . having to pay several hundred dollars on my insurance premium for a car that I NO LONGER HAVE!  Yes, I know I should just be grateful that I have insurance, but I would be far more grateful had my car not been stolen in the first place.
• Lately I have started keeping a small tub of bleu cheese crumbles in the fridge.  Every so often I have a little spoonful and revel in the deliciousness of the mold.  
• I looked out the window the other day and remarked to my OT on how bad the weather was looking.  Then I realized that I was looking at the grayish wall of the building next door.  
• It took me 3 weeks to realize that there isn't a second room at my OT's office that has exercise equipment in it.  What I thought was a special work-out room was really just the reflection on the glass exit door of the exercise equipment in the room I was currently sitting in.  
• Still obsessively listening to Iwan Rheon.  You can download each of his albums (which sadly only have 4 songs each) for under $4.  It is well worth it. 

This week's entertainment wrap-up

Here are some of the things I enjoyed on the internet this week (many of which are election-related)*:

The Funniest Tweets from the 2012 Presidential Election
Election Night Texts Between Strangers
Let's Play 'Drunk Nate Silver'
My personal favorite tweet of the week
A Leaked Scene from the New Star Wars Movie
Australia Twitter-Shames the Crap Out of Random Teen
Girl Meets Lion (The sad face on this lion-I can't handle it!)
Rachel Maddow on Obama's Re-election   (This one is a must watch!)



*I would like to think that this will become a weekly feature, but I think I know how this story ends.

Brills!

I've finally made my flight reservations for Dublin and London in March!  Whoohoo!  In thinking about what I want to do on this trip, I stumbled upon a brilliant idea.  So you know how I run a group home for people who have disabilities?  And you also know how I get a little obsessive about things?  Well, due to my obsessiveness and my dedication to this community of people, I thought it would be cool to see if I could possibly check out a program of a similar nature in Dublin as I would really like to see how other countries provide these services.  I found an organization that looks cool, so I'm going to see if they will let me come check out their facilities and meet some of their clients.  Now here comes the brilliant part . . . I'm going to see if I can set up a pen pal program with my clients and their clients.  How great would that be!?!  There are some of my clients (and actually some former clients-I'm working on that piece of the puzzle too) who would love doing this and I think it would be an awesome opportunity for them.  So yeah, that's my exciting news.  And yes, I realize that this plan is probably exciting to no one other than myself!  :)

another song o' the day

I can't stress enough how much I'm enjoying Iwan Rheon's music.  When I heard he was a musician in addition to being an actor, I was concerned that it would be another case of someone famous deciding they know how to sing (a la Paris Hilton), so I am constantly surprised that the music is actually really good and I really, really like it.

today's useless information

• As excited I am for this election to be over (I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that it doesn't drag on for days and days), I'm really going to miss purposely trying to rile people up with my responses to their political posts on Facebook.
• Speaking of the election, I am glued to the tv watching the results and it's giving me major panic attacks.  I don't want to miss anything by going to the kitchen and making something to eat so I ordered pizza.  If only I could add a couple of Xanax on to my order, life would be good.
• I recently signed up for Couchsurfing and I'm super excited about it.  I love the idea of having people come to stay from all over.  I am operating under the assumption that a.) someone actually wants to come here and b.) they won't be psychotic and kill me.
• I have stopped doing my hair.  I've discovered that because I have awesomely fabulous hair, if I use special shampoo and let it air dry, it goes all curly.  Fortunately, it's more like this:

 than this:

• My car still has not been found.  Or at least I have not heard anything from the police.  For all I know, they found it a week ago and just never called me.
• I keep meaning to post this link but haven't yet.  In honor of election night, here ya go . . .  Which Romney Son is Creepiest? 

It's a sick and twisted place.

Here are some of the things that go through my mind on a regular basis:

• No, I can't follow (famous person) on Twitter because if we ever meet and become friends, I don't want him/her to think I've been stalking him/her.  
• I should sell all of my belongings and become a wandering gypsy.
• I should find a job where I can work from home so that my transition to being a hermit will be complete.
• I so don't like people.
• I need to be more sociable.
• Dude.
• What if all of the lies I've told suddenly came true?  
• How long can I go without doing laundry before I run out of clean underwear?
• I wonder if someone's peeping in the window at me.
• What the hell is the matter with you?  (This could be referring to myself or others.)
• Put down the book!  You do not need to buy any more books!
• Where is Veronica Mars when you need her?  
• That is the most obnoxious child I have ever seen in my life.
• I've got them so fooled.  If they only knew . . .  
• You're a moron.
• Really?
• I really need to take the trash out.  Eh, I'll do it later.
• I really need to shave my legs.  Eh, I'll do it later.
• I'd do him.

Song o' the Day

So it turns out that the actor who plays my favorite character on one of my favorite tv shows* is also a musician.  And he's good.  My mind has just been blown in a very good way.  All of his music has now been downloaded AND I even spent actual money for it instead of getting it in a totally legal but not really way!

Iwan Rheon-Sink





*Or at least it was one of my favorites until they got rid of said character.  I couldn't even make it through the first episode of series 4. 

random links

Does anyone else bookmark random things on the internet so you can check them out later, but then you never actually do, so your bookmarks list is really, super long and full of weird things?  Here are some of mine.

• 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself
• How to Make Liquid Handsoap from a Bar
• Eliane French Bakery
• Amish Project
• Two and Three Letter Scrabble Words
• Lamebook
• Music Video for Jessie Ware's "Wildest Moments"
• National Singles Week: Marriage Isn't for Everyone
• Carol Lynn Pearson's Newsletter Index
• Roseanne Quotes, Facts & Trivia
• Binders Full of Women
• How to Take a Detox Bath
• A Pagan's Guide to Dublin
• The Real World on Hulu
• St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer
• Vanessies
• Music Video for Spanish Sahara
• Dawn French as Vicky Pollard's Mum

Current Musical Obsessions

Sinead O'Connor-The Wolf is Getting Married



The Rapture-Echoes



Katie Melua-the Flood



Paloma Faith-Picking Up the Pieces (Acoustic version)



Maroon 5-Secret

>

David Guetta-Titanium (feat. Sia)

Never a dull moment.

I went outside last night to grab something out of my car only to discover that my car was no longer there.  Someone stole my car from the parking lot of my apartment complex!  Are you freaking kidding me?!?  I have State Farm insurance and I am not pleased with them at the moment.  They will pay for a rental car for you if your car is damaged and in the shop, but not if your car is stolen.  That doesn't make sense to me at all.  And when I talked to my insurance agent he said most of the time kids just take the car for a joyride and then abandon it, so I'll probably get my car back.  Awesome . . . what do I do in the meantime? 

Fortunately I didn't have anything hugely valuable in the car . . . other than my mailbox key and the key to my storage area which also happens to be the same key that opens my front door!  My landlord just came out and replaced all the locks for me, thank heavens.  He was also nice enough to do it for free instead of making me pay for it.

On a brighter note, I am planning a solo trip to Dublin and London in the spring.  Yay!

Seriously . . . there is never a dull moment in my life.

UPDATE:  They actually are going to cover a rental for me!  Thank you, thank you, thank you State Farm!!!

current obsessions

• Graham Norton
• British teen dramas
• apples
• boots
• hoodies
• binders full of women

Best crisp ever

I've been having appetite issues the last couple of weeks and have been having to force myself to actually eat.  It turns out the best way to lose a quick 15 pounds is to eat nothing.  Imagine that!  Anyway, since it's rare anymore that something sounds good, I jump on the opportunity to eat when something actually sounds appealing.  Today it was fruit crisp.  I love me some fruit crisp and consider myself a master in the art of fruit crispery, but today's batch put all the others to shame.  I'm trying really hard to just use what I have on hand, so I used frozen peach slices and a frozen berry mix.  I mixed them up with a little flour and sugar, then topped them with a mixture of yellow cake mix, oats and butter.  I've never tried cake mix in a crisp and it is amazingly good.  It may be my new go-to dessert recipe.  I suggest y'all try it!

You know you're single and childless when . . .

You go to the grocery store and come home with the following:

• crab legs
• sushi
• ice
• guacamole
• pound cake
• fancy olives and cheese from the olive bar
• ice cream
• grapes

I need the following things ASAP

• A way to eliminate all political posts from my Facebook feed. 
• The willpower to walk into a cupcake store and buy just one cupcake.
• Someone to help me decorate my apartment without spending any money.
• More grapes.

thoughts and an update

• Remember my client that has cancer?  Well, we had a check-up with the surgeon yesterday to and . . . the tumor is gone!  Whoohoo!  We still have to do a CT scan to make sure it didn't spread, but thank the Lord, I think we're going to be ok!
• The surgeon we saw is a colon-rectal specialist.  How do you decide you want to spend your day poking, prodding and looking at people's butt holes?  I mean, seriously, he had to suction away poo before he could fully examine the tumor.  What kind of person wants to spend their day doing things like that?  In case you were wondering, he was definitely a little weird.  And he flat out lied to us.  My client was supposed to be sedated for the exam, but when we got there they said they couldn't do that.  The PA said the notes from the referring doctor said we would need sedation, but the PA didn't know where the miscommunication came from since they're not equipped to do that in the office.  Fine, whatever, mistakes and miscommunications happen, not a big deal.  I didn't appreciate it, though, that when the surgeon came in he totally pawned it off on the first doctor and said yeah, so and so didn't tell us she would need sedation.  Oh really?  That's funny, because your PA already told us it was in the notes that he did.  It's not even a big deal, but don't blame it on someone else, just say sorry about the miscommunication, let's see what we can do to make this easier without the sedation.  
• My poor dog, Lizzie, tore her ACL and is having surgery on Monday.  When my dad called to tell me about it I though he was going to say they were going to put her down and I immediately started crying and getting all dramatic because if they have to put Lizzie down, then it'll only be a matter of time before Darcy goes because because he'll be so lonely and he'll die of a broken heart and then we'll have two dead dogs.  Fortunately my dad had already decided to pay for the surgery and my sanity and the lives of our two dogs are safe again.  
• I hate it when I come to the last of an author's books.  When I find an author I really like I usually go read all of their books and get all obsessive about it, so it really sucks when there are no more new books.
• Why is it that books at the DI in Provo are so much more expensive than anywhere else?  The books that sell for one or two dollars at the DI closest to me are four and six dollars at the DI in Provo. 
• As I've been sitting here writing this, the tv show I was watching ended and Saved By the Bell came on.  I can't bring myself to change the channel.

mi familia

It seems like most of the time when I blog it's because I'm irritated about something, so I thought I'd do a little something different this time and write about the one thing that always makes me happy . . . my family.  I wish I had great pictures to illustrate this, but sadly I do not. 

• Papa-My dad is the smartest person I know.  He's my hero and my rock.  I think every good decision I have ever made has probably been because of his advice.  My biggest fear in life is something happening to him.  He had an aortic dissection and almost died in 2001 and sitting in the hospital that night, not knowing whether or not he would live, was the worst night of my life.  He has a great sarcastic sense of humor and I love it when he mocks the gun-toting right-wingers. 
• Mamacita-My mom and I have definitely had our rough patches (such as those horrible teenage years), but now I just love spending time with her.  At some point it finally clicked that she's not just my mom, but is an actual person.  That sounds weird and stupid, I know, but growing up you just think of your mom as mom, not as someone with their own identity and who has had their own life experiences.  And when it comes to life experiences, she has many and keeps adding to the list because she has the energy of a teenager and never stops.  On family vacations she is up for anything and everything.  The other day she mentioned how inadequate she felt as a mother compared to someone else and it stopped me in my tracks.  She definitely isn't the typical Utah Valley mother who sews, cooks, cans, crafts and bakes homemade bread, but to me she's much better.  She is educated.  She is cultured.  She is open-minded and she stands up for what she believes in. 
• Matthew-My older brother has always been a great example to me.  He has worked hard at everything he has done and has always been very driven.  Basically we're exact opposites!  I think the thing that I appreciate the most about Matthew is the example he has been of how a man should be.  He is an awesome father, he provides for and takes care of his family, and he has always shown respect for the women in his life.  Between him and my dad it's no wonder I'm single-no guy can ever live up to these two!
• Melissa-Matthew's wife, Melissa, is another person I love to hang out with.  We didn't get off on the best foot initially, but now I just think the world of her.  She's an amazing mother and a beautiful person, inside and out.  She's also a great cook and has a really great fashion sense.  If I didn't love her so much I'd have to hate her!  In spite of being all around fabulous, she's also a genuinely nice and caring person. 
• The kiddos-I would go into detail about how incredible my two nieces and nephew are, but there aren't enough words in the English language to describe them.  I love them to bits!
• Mark-Anyone who has met my little brother understands that to know Mark is to love him.  He's just plain fun to be around and I don't know that I've ever heard him say anything mean about anyone.  I love that he is always in a good mood and extremely positive.  He takes whatever life throws at him and makes the best out of it.  He's the kind of person that makes the day better when he walks into the room.  I'm pretty sure the world could be coming to an end, but if he walked into the room, everyone would be like "Yay, Mark's here!"  

So that's my family in a nutshell.  I kinda like 'em!

Why I am a horrible person

• I'm discovering more and more of what I can't stand about potential suitors.  One thing that is driving me crazy is when a guy constantly thanks me for letting him get to know me and for talking to him.  Once or twice is polite.  Fifty times means you need to have some confidence in yourself and realize you're worth talking to.  The fact that you have to constantly thank me makes me think there's something wrong with you and that you're an outcast whom nobody normally wants to talk to.  Ugh, gratitude can just be so irritating sometimes!
• I don't know why, but somehow I seem to end up with guys whose ex-wives turned out to be lesbians.  (This has nothing to do with me being a horrible person, it's just something I've been pondering.)
• I like to buy bags of ice at the gas station instead of continually refilling the ice cube trays.  No, this doesn't make me horrible, but it does make me lazy. 

on a lighter note

• A former co-worker just turned up in my eHarmony matches.  Weird!
• Are we 100% sure that you can't get pregnant just from thinking dirty thoughts?  I swear I'm having pregnancy cravings. I can't stop eating grapes.  I had to make a special trip to the store today just to get two more bags of grapes.  I've already eaten one of them.  It's ridiculous!
• Maybe the grapes are why I've had crazy dreams the last few nights.  First I had a dream that a crazy person was attacking me, then I dreamed that my dad died, then I was an assassin and I had to cut into little twin boys to collect their blood for some big plot.  I'm going to choose to believe that it's the grapes and not that I'm going insane.
• My dad went to Peru last month and brought me back two paintings for my collection of original artwork.  I really like saying that I have an original artwork collection.  I feel very fancy.  Unfortunately, none of my paintings are framed so I can't do anything with them yet.  Oh well, such is the life of an art collector.  ;)

bullet points

• I spent an entire day last week watching a marathon of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.  I am so ashamed.
• Has anyone been watching Honey Boo Boo?  Apparently it is rubbing off on me, as I just bought a huge barrel of cheese balls.  I had to make sure no one was around when I took it from the car into my apartment.  I was like a white trash ninja.
• Have I mentioned before that I love spending other people's money?  I spent $970 at ShopKo tonight.  It doesn't even matter that I don't get to keep the stuff, it's just the thrill of picking things out and buying them.
• Lorri's coming to visit from Wyoming tonight.  Yay!
• Last weekend was great.  It was fun catching up with friends, hanging out at the farm and seeing my old clients.  
• I also had a couple of epiphanies while there.  I'm not going to go into what led to them, but I feel like the door is now closed on me ever moving back to Wyoming, and I'm ok with that.  I also realized that when it comes to my love life, I'm not willing to settle just so I can be with someone. 
• I've been reading obsessively lately.  I can't get enough of Harlan Coben and Lee Child books.  I'm seriously going through one book every day and a half or so. 

a quickie

I'm about to head up to Wyoming for a quick weekend vacation.  I can't wait to get out of the haze and heat of Utah!  My old roommate, Meagan, will be in town so I'm going to hang out at her family's farm/ranch and catch up with all my old friends up there.  I'm also going to go see my old clients!!!  I can't wait to see them!  It's been way too long since I've gotten my Jane and Connie hugs. 

I have to say . . . I really miss Wyoming sometimes.  I think maybe I'll end up back there someday.  Probably not in the very near future, but definitely someday.  I think it'll always feel like home there.  It has since the first time I went up there in 2005. 

Anyway . . . enough rambling.  I should probably stop watching Hallmark movies and finish packing now.

Things I'm pondering

• I'm feeling antsy again.  I think I need a hobby.  I don't really do anything crafty.  I like to cook, but don't have anyone to cook for or the money to buy any fancy ingredients.  Maybe I should take a community class or something.  
• I really need to find a way to get my staff to (for lack of a better way to say it) give a shit.  We're a not for profit, so what we can pay them per hour is based on what the government will pay, which means not much.  How do I motivate people to do a good job when they don't make much money?  I keep thinking they must care at least a little bit considering they could probably make more money at McDonald's, but I know that when I'm not there, most of them sit around and do nothing.  
• I think I might be emotionally unavailable.
• I keep thinking that maybe I should go back to school, but I think it's just because I'm bored.
• I'm finding it difficult to bond with my clients here like I did with my clients in Wyoming.  I feel like I need to find a way to form better relationships with them.  Until I do, I don't think I'm giving them the best care that I'm capable of. 

So . . . anyone have any suggestions?

latest obsessions

• Awkward.
• Hallmark Movie Channel
• Olympic drama
• middle-aged lesbians 
• Fourth-Place Medal
• fortune cookies
• reading books actually printed on paper

goings on

The day before I left for Paris I signed a lease on a new apartment, so the time since I got back has been spent moving.  Always so much fun!  This is the fourth time I've moved now in the last two years and I always say I will get rid of lots of books, but I still somehow end up with about 50 heavy book boxes.  I just need to get rid of stuff in general.  Oh well, hopefully I will be in this place for a while and I won't have to worry about moving any time soon.  Here are my thoughts on being in my own place again:

• Other than to go to work, I haven't worn clothes for days.  I've missed walking around in just undies!  It really saves on the electric bill too-I rarely have to turn the air on. 
• Cooking for one person sucks.  I can't do it.  I've been eating lots of frozen food.
• It doesn't help that my kitchen is still not fully unpacked.  I would be a lot more willing to cook if I knew where things were.
• I had house guests last week.  This is one of the main reasons I wanted a two bedroom place.  It was so much fun having people over to stay.  Of course it meant I had to put all the unpacked boxes in my bedroom while they were here, but no worries, they're all moved back into the spare bedroom now.  I'm working on them a little bit at a time.
• I have no decorations up yet-no pictures on the walls, no knick knacks on the bookcases, etc.  All in good time.  I need someone to help put pictures up-any volunteers?
• I love the location.  Everything is convenient and nearby, including work.  My commute is now 10-15 minutes.  
• This place has tons of closet space!  What's sad is that I'll probably be able to fill it up.  I really, really need to get rid of stuff! 

Paris Summary

Favorite things:

• Marie-Antoinette's English peasant village at Versailles
• the Louvre
• the Musee D'Orsay
• L'Orangerie
• fresh baguettes every morning

Least favorite things:

• Most of Versailles
• the crypt at Notre Dame
• the price of everything
• not speaking the language
• feeling like a schlub next to all of the impeccably dressed Parisians 

Favorite foods:

• baguettes, obviously
• these pastries that had a waffle cone-like shell, then a custard inside, and were topped with fresh raspberries

Least favorite food:

• A quiche my dad bought the last morning that had fish in it.  I don't mind fish, but this was gross and I threw it up.

Most overrated:

• Champs Elysees
• the Mona Lisa

Most underrated:

• The kindness of the French people

Paris Day 7

Our last day in Paris we all went our separate ways to try to fit in the last couple of things we each wanted to see.  My dad and I went to L'Orangerie first, which is a smaller art museum that has some amazing works of art.  My favorite part was two oval rooms that were completely lined with Monet's Nympheas panels (part of his water lily paintings).  It was pretty awe-inspiring.  There were also works by Cezanne, Renoir, Modigliani and many others.  It wasn't very crowded and the size of the museum was just right; I didn't feel rushed to see everything and it wasn't overwhelming.

We then walked through the Tuileries Gardens and went back to the Louvre for a few more hours.  We split up there so that my dad could take many more hundreds of pictures (I think his total for the day was over 700).  I managed to fit in everything I hadn't seen before-the Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern sections.  I also checked out Napoleon's apartments and the decorative arts section, then made my way to the gift shop.  There are actually several gift shops at the Louvre, and they all line a large hallway, at the end of which is the inverted pyramid you may remember from the end of The Da Vinci Code.  Was I perhaps in the presence of the remains of Mary Magdalene?  Hmmm . . .

Everyone met up after that for lunch and then my dad went back to the Louvre to take even more pictures, while the rest of us went to the Centre Georges Pompidou.  It's this really neat building that is kind of inside out.  There are visible pipes everywhere, both inside and out, that are color coded for water, electrical wires, etc. and there's a glass-enclosed escalator on the outside of the building that was cool to ride, but unbelievably hot inside.  The Centre also houses a large modern art museum.  They have a section that they redo every two years with new art and artists and then a permanent collection as well.  I'm not a huge modern art fan, but there were many great paintings there, including the Chagall painting that was in Notting Hill. 

I then went to a grocery store to get some fun treats to bring home with me (best place to get gifts to bring home to people, in my opinion) and then went back to the condo.  I messed up my right foot somehow during this trip and I didn't think I could stand any more walking around.  Even cutting the day a little bit short, it was still a great ending to a great trip.

Paris Day 6

Today we got up early and went to Versailles.  I wasn't overly impressed.  Well, I was impressed by the size of it-it really is huge, but overall, it was probably one of my least favorite sites that we've been to.  The Palace was huge, but we were only able to go to a small portion of it and I thought the insides of the Royal Palace in Madrid were far more impressive than at Versailles.  The famous Hall of Mirrors was just o.k.  All in all, I wasn't a huge fan.  It did, however, contain one of my favorite little areas of the whole trip-Marie-Antoinette's little peasant farm village.  That tiny area was great-cute, little buildings with thatched roofs, a small lake with fish, very impressive vegetable gardens, and even some animals.  If I had my pick of the actual Palace of Versailles, the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon or the peasant village, I would most definitely choose to live in the peasant village.  Royalty, I am not!

If you're in Paris and want to go to Versailles, I would recommend that you go earlier in your trip rather than later.  There is a ton of walking (and I have several large blisters on my feet from walking around yesterday), both to get to the actual entrance of the Palace from the metro stop, not a ton inside the building, but then tons more on the grounds.  We rented bikes to ride around the grounds, which was the best idea ever, but to get to where you can even ride bikes, there's a pretty long walk (which is uphill on the way back, right when you're the most tired).  Riding around the grounds was definitely fun, though.  I haven't been on a bike in years and it took me a minute to get used to it, but it was well worth it.  It wasn't hugely expensive either and once you get out there on the grounds, there aren't many people around.  Btw, I keep saying grounds, but technically I believe they are gardens.  I refuse to say gardens, though, because it's more like a forest.  There's a small area with actual flowers, but the rest is pools and trees and grass. 

Also, make sure that you're prepared for massive amounts of people.  We didn't go on either of the two busiest days of the week, but it was still insane-wall to wall people inside the Palace.  Obviously, there are less outside, but if you walk around where it's shady (which you definitely should because it's really hot out there-side note--don't wear a black t-shirt, bring a hat and sunglasses), it's a little bit more crowded. 

We headed back to the condo in the late afternoon and I am thoroughly exhausted.  Versailles is definitely a day trip, not just an afternoon or morning thing.  I stopped for pastries again on the way home-I have to get my fill while I can!!!  Tomorrow is our last day.  I'm not sure what the plan is-I still want to go back to the Louvre and also to L'Orangerie.  I definitely won't be doing much walking around, though-my feet feel like they're on fire.  One of the blisters goes up between my toes and that one is the worst.  Sad face.

Paris Day 5

Yesterday we spent the morning at the Musee D'Orsay.  It was pretty awesome-lots of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings from Renoir, Monet, Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Corbet, Caillebot, Degas, Cezanne, Seurat, Gaugin, etc.  The paintings were amazing, but the building, itself, was also really cool-it used to be a railway station.  After the museum we went out for lunch and I had duck.

We then went to the Rodin Museum and most of the statues were out in the garden, and it was really hot.  I have a vague recollection of BYU not allowing the statue, "The Kiss," to come to their art museum because it was of nudes.  Such a shame.  Afterward, we went over to Les Invalides, which has a military museum (from medieval times through the second World War), and also houses Napoleon's tomb.  The tomb is pretty big-there are actually four different tombs inside.  Not really sure why.  My sister in-law, Melissa, and I were pretty much done after the tomb, so we headed back to the condo and stopped along the way at a patisserie and got a bunch of delicious pastries.  It's strange to think that what we thought were amazing pastries are probably mediocre to Parisians.  My standards aren't very high, I don't think!  We had one tart that had strawberries on it and they were how strawberries should be-so flavorful.  A total difference from the huge ones you get at CostCo!

Paris Day 4

We went to the Louvre first thing this morning and needless to say, I was in heaven!  I felt like a 13 year-old at a Justin Bieber concert and got all teary-eyed when I saw several paintings I've loved for years.  We went to see the Mona Lisa first, but I've never been a huge fan, so that wasn't overly exciting other than for the fact that now I can say I've seen it.  It's just a little overrated in my opinion.  We're planning on going back a second time, but just in case something comes up and we don't make it, I wanted to make sure I saw all the really big stuff-Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, the Code of Hamurrabi, the Vermeers, Michelangelo's Dying Slave, and paintings by Rubens, Gericault, David, Murillo, da Vinci, etc.  There are far too many must see pieces of art in my mind!  There are still many things I want to see that we didn't have time for, so I'm definitely going back.  I didn't even make it into the Egyptian section at all!  We decided to only spend about three hours there so we didn't get museum fatigue, and that was about perfect.  I could have maybe done another hour, but then I definitely would have been worn out.

For lunch we went to a creperie and had a really nice meal.  Mark tried escargot which smelled delicious, but looked disgusting as he pulled it out of the shells.  He said it tasted like boogers.  I had a savory crepe with spinach, creme fraiche and an egg on top, and then a sweet crepe with just butter and sugar.  The savory crepes were made with buckwheat flour and I didn't like that as much as the regular sweet crepes.  They were still delicious though.  It was nice to finally have French food since we've been having Middle Eastern food for lunch everyday.  I enjoy kebabs, but we're in Paris, I want French food!

After lunch we went to a flea market that is supposed to be Europe's largest.  Initially it appeared like the market was really small and we thought maybe it was because it was Monday instead of the weekend, but then Mark went exploring and found that the area where we were wasn't really part of the flea market, it was just the outskirts.  Once we crossed the street, the place went on for what seemed like miles.  It was HUGE!  And also kinda dirty and ghetto.  There were lots of hookas and gangsta rap t-shirts for sale.  There were also many booths full of African stuff-jewelry, carvings, etc.  We stayed for probably an hour and a half and by then we were burning up (severe lack of shade there!) and tired, so we headed home.  I did find my original art there though, which oddly enough, I purchased from the same artist that my brother purchased his two pieces from the last time he was here.  It's just a small painting of an African village (the artist is from the Congo), but I love it.  I also found a cool Middle Eastern wall hanging and a new carry-on suitcase that has a map print on it. 

We were going to go to Versailles tomorrow, but most of the museums in Paris are closed on Tuesdays, so all of the tourists go to Versailles.  We're going to save Versailles for Wednesday and go to the Musee D'Orsay (HUGE collection of Impressionist art) and Les Invalides (where Napoleon is buried) tomorrow instead.  Yesterday, after the Pantheon we stopped by the steps where Owen Wilson sits in Midnight in Paris, and my older brother wants to go back there, so we'll probably go there as well. 

P.S.  Breakfast this morning was amazing-still warm baguettes, pain du chocolat, and a pastry with chocolate chips and a glaze on it, another with bacon, and yet another with Roquefort cheese.  Unbelievably delicious!!!

Paris Day 3

Yesterday was a busy day, filled with lots of cool stuff.  We started the day out by going to Sainte Chapelle, which was one of the things I most wanted to see.  The stained glass there was truly amazing.  They're restoring it all, section by section, so we didn't quite get the full effect, but it was still breathtaking.  Nearby Sainte Chapelle is the Conciergerie, which is a former royal palace and the prison where people, including Marie-Antoinette, were kept during the French Revolution.  They had a replica of her cell and examples of the other cells they had at the time.  They had bigger cells for all the riffraff, and then, if you had money, you could buy your way into a cell that had actual beds in it.  These were supposedly slightly cleaner and, according to the signage, were not as rife with promiscuity.  They had a couple of great slide presentations about the French Revolution and Marie-Antoinette's time at the Conciergerie.  I would like to read about her life-I know very little about it, other than she didn't actually say let them eat cake.  It sounds like she was definitely a character, but also a pawn in a political game that ended up with her being executed. 

Next we went to Notre Dame.  They happened to be doing Mass when we got there, so as we walked in you could hear the angelic singing and smell the incense.  The inside wasn't hugely impressive, but the outside was cool.  I loved the gargoyles and ended up buying two cheap, touristy replicas later in the day.  There is a small crypt outside of Notre Dame that we went to that was boring and hot.  It showed the remains of the original city center that's been excavated below the Notre Dame area.

We next had Lebanese food for lunch (delicious), then went to the Cluny museum.  It's a medieval museum and it contains the famous (possibly only to me???) Lady and the Unicorn tapestries.  I was like a kid in a candy store with those things.  They're pretty darn amazing!  The rest of the pieces in the museum were pretty cool too-they had several portrayals of Jesus being circumcised.  My dad spent an excessive amount of time taking pictures here, although I think you could probably say that about just about every place we've been to at this point!

The Pantheon was next.  It's a mausoleum that houses the remains of some of the most distinguished French citizens.  We saw the burial places of Rousseau, Voltaire, Braille, Madame Curie (and her husband), Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo.  The crypt, where they are located, was actually really cool this time around.  The Pantheon, itself, houses Foucault's pendulum (although this one is from 1995), and different monuments to things I can't remember because I got distracted by Mark's app that allows you to place cats in different pictures.

We had planned to go to the Musee D'Orsay at this point, but it was too late, so instead we went over to the famous bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, and then my mom and I did a little souvenir shopping back over by Notre Dame.  We then went back to the condo, to meet up with my brother and sister in-law, who had just arrived after a few days in London.

Today we're hitting the Louvre and Europe's largest flea market.

Paris Day 2

The day isn't over (it's around 7:30 or so here), but we've just come back to the condo and I think I'm in for the night.

We started the day off by going to Pere Lachaise, a famous French cemetery.  We saw the graves of Edith Piaf, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Steine, Marcel Proust, Auguste Comte (founder of Positivism, a religion based on science), Marechal Ney (one of Napoleon's generals), and of course, Jim Morrison.  Those of you who know my father can guess which two graves he insisted we see!!!  There was also a whole area with graves and monuments dedicated to people who resisted or were killed by the Nazis during WWII.  That was probably my favorite area.  Most, if not all, of the concentration camps had their own monument.  Several had statues on them that were amazing-skeletal looking people and such.  Pictures to follow.  It was really moving-I think of WWII being such a far away thing, so it was strange to think that part of it happened in France.

After the cemetery we went over to Sacre Couer, which is a basilica set on the highest hill in Paris.  It had a great view of all of Paris (it's even higher than the Eiffel Tower), but was fairly small inside.  Beautiful, though.  From there we walked over to the Moulin Rouge, which was disappointing.  I guess in my mind I had pictured it as being this big windmill set off on a hill kind of by itself and surrounded by artists.  There were no artists, but it was surrounded by sex shops and strip clubs.  Needless to say, I did not find the art I was looking to buy! We also passed by Le Musee de l'Erotisme.  We didn't go in, but there was a chair out front that had part of the seat cut out and attached was a wheel that had items sticking out that resembled tongues.  Use your imagination. 

Next we went to the Arc de Triomphe.  It was pretty impressive just to look at it, but you can also climb to the top.  There were 284 steps to get up there, all of which my legs keenly felt.  The view was well worth it, though-AMAZING!  After hiking back down we walked the entire length of the Champs de Elysee.  We stopped at Laduree, which supposedly has the best macaroons in Paris.  I also had to stop in at the Sephora there, which was huge!  It doesn't look that big from the outside, but when you walk in, I swear it goes back about a quarter of a mile.  Very impressive!  The Champs de Elysee ends up at the Place de la Concorde.  There we saw the obelisk that marks the spot where the guillotine stood during the French Revolution-Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were executed there.  We didn't walk around much-by then we were all hurting and ready go head back to the condo.

It was a fun day and we saw lots of cool stuff, but I think my favorite part of the day was the WWII section at Pere Lachaise. Tomorrow we're going to Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle, and a museum or two, and my brother and sister in-law arrive from London.  Fun, fun!

Paris Day 1

I don't keep a journal, so I'm documenting my trip here.  

Mark and I arrived in Paris yesterday morning safe and sound, but really tired.  Neither of us could really sleep on the plane, which sucked, but hey, we're in Paris, so there's no complaining allowed!  We got our metro pass and headed to the condo to drop our bags off, which they were nice enough to let us do even though the rooms weren't ready yet.  Then we went out to explore!  We walked around the neighborhood a little bit and, of course, stopped at a patisserie for some pain du chocolate (chocolate croissaints).  Then we took the metro over to the Eiffel Tower (at which point I finally felt like I was actually in Paris instead of any random European city) and walked around for a little while before taking our river cruise on the Seine.  By this time, however, we were both exhausted since we hadn't slept for over 24 hours.  Both of us were doing the bobble head thing and nodding off.  The cruise was actually quite nice, though-we saw Notre Dame and many other sites we will soon be exploring.  Afterwards we headed back to the condo to take a shower and a nap.  My parents finally arrived around 8pm (they had been in Scotland) and we visited for a while, then walked over to the neighborhood grocery store to grab stuff for dinner and breakfast.  We had a great meal of soup, bread and cheese, then madeleines and pudding stuff for dessert. 

The condo is nice-it's out of the city center, by Chateau de Vincennes.  It's three bedrooms, two bathrooms (split up weird-one full bathroom, one room that has just a toilet, and then in one of the bedrooms, a room with just a shower stall and a sink), a kitchen and living room/formal dining area.  We have a little balcony as well.

I'm sitting here eating breakfast as I type this-fresh baguettes from the local baker, and what I thought was yogurt, but is not.  It looked like yogurt and the label said Danon, but it turns out it's actually whipped cream with the kind of strawberry syrup you get at the bottom of fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts.  It was a delicious surprise!  We forgot to pick up butter last night, so my Dad has gone to the market (which is just across the street) to grab some for the bread, then we'll be off to sight-see for the day.  I think we are going to go to Montmartre for the morning to see the Moulin Rouge and Sacre Couer.  It's an artsy area, so I'm hoping to buy some art while there.  My brother and his wife got a couple of cool paintings when they were in Paris a couple of years ago, and I want to get something for my walls too.  

Later!

The countdown has begun!

I'm leaving for Paris bright and early Thursday morning and I'm officially beyond excited!  I've been more apprehensive than excited until the last week or so, mainly because I've never been somewhere where I don't speak the language, and let's face it, Parisians don't have a reputation for being nice to stupid American tourists.  My little brother and I get there early Friday morning and we have all day to explore the city before the rest of our group gets there Friday evening.  It will definitely be an adventure!  I think we're going to do a river cruise of the Seine while we're waiting for everyone else.  It will be a great way to see the city and relax a little bit after the long trip.  This will definitely be a nice break from the stress of the last couple of months and I can't wait to immerse myself in art, history and, of course, food!

a confession

I'm still spending most of my days at the hospital with my client and I have a little confession to make . . .  I can't stop stealing the alcohol prep swabs.  I love them!  I use them to clean my phone and other dirty surfaces.  My purse is now full of them and I feel like I should feel bad for stealing them, but I don't.  They probably cost a fraction of a penny each, so maybe I'll leave a quarter in the room tomorrow!  And really, if they don't want things stolen, they shouldn't leave them in unlocked drawers.  Leaving me alone and bored in a room with unlocked drawers full of fun medical supplies is just asking for trouble.  Does anyone want a couple of emesis bags or maybe a tongue depressor?  I can totally hook you up!

stuff

I'm going camping in Wyoming this weekend and I just found out it's going to be all couples . . . and me.  I'm sure it will be tons of fun and not depressing and lonely at all!!!

Here are some random pics from my phone because I can't come up with anything else to blog about:

A friend of mine taught me how to make homemade kimchi.  It has these disgusting looking baby shrimp in it.  Delicioso!

I bought this awesome cat plate at DI for 75 cents.  Money well spent!!!

 I did not buy this Jesus statue.  Look into his eyes!!

 The difference between driving around in Wyoming . . .

  . . . and Utah.

 

Homemade sushi from the friend who made the kimchi.  I admit the thought of homemade sushi was a little frightening, but it was actually really good.  

 

This is how much snow was on the ground when I left Wyoming in March.  I didn't miss it then, but I do miss it now.  It's been so stinkin' hot lately!

 

 The friends I'm living with for the moment have two dogs (the brown one and the black one whose face you can see), and a couple weeks ago they were dog-sitting their aunt's dogs.  For unknown reasons they all liked to congregate on my bed.  While I was in it.  It actually totally made my day.

The cousin of my client who has cancer sent me flowers.  How gorgeous are they!  And how sweet is she!  It's always nice to know you're appreciated. 

Stating the Obvious

Cancer sucks and life isn’t fair.  

No, I’m not just realizing this, I’m just REALLY realizing it.  One of my clients was recently diagnosed with cancer.  I’ve been spending my days taking her to doctors appointments, chemo and radiation and my nights worrying about how to give her the best care I possibly can.  This is a woman who was born with severe disabilities.  She was then molested and contracted HPV, which eventually led to anal cancer.  She doesn’t understand what’s going on, she just knows she doesn’t feel good.  She can’t verbalize if she’s in pain, all she can do is scream and hit her head.  She doesn’t understand that her hands are covered in socks and taped up to keep her from pulling out her IV.  She just knows that now she can’t feed herself, which was one of the few things she used to actually able to do for herself.  She doesn’t understand that she can’t have breakfast because she has to go under general anesthesia five days a week and you can’t eat beforehand; she just knows she’s hungry every morning and we won’t let her eat.  And worst of all, she doesn’t know what’s in store.  The doctors told us that this is one of the most treatable types of cancer, but the actual treatment is one of the worst.  Not only is she going to have bowel and bladder problems, but when she soils herself it’s going to be on top of skin that is raw from the radiation.  She will probably be nauseous all of the time, but at her current 87 pounds, she really can’t afford to lose any more weight.  And her food doesn’t even taste good right now because we have to put her ground up meds in it since she can’t swallow pills.  I’m guessing chemo drugs and chocolate pudding probably don’t make a good combination.  She can’t even go to day programming anymore because there are too many germs there.  Instead, she sits at home all day long, only leaving to go to the hospital. 

Fortunately everyone at Huntsman has been really great with us.  They understand that this is a more challenging case than normal and they have been very accommodating.  There has only been one person who hasn’t been absolutely wonderful, but I think this receptionist just wasn’t quite sure what to think about the woman in the middle of the lobby who was screaming out and pulling her pants down, trying to figure out how to make the pain go away.  Everyone else just loves her.  She gives everyone kisses on their hands and says “Very, very sweet,” which is one of the few things she can say.  Then she starts crying. 

so far so good

EHarmony has been going well thus far.  I like the site because unlike all of the other sites I've tried, you don't have to browse for matches.  It doesn't feel like a meat market like the other ones, where the hottest piece of meat gets all of the attention (and then devoured?).  Instead, eHarmony "scientifically" matches you with other people and then sends you their info.  I can't decide if it's high tech and super cool, or just made for lazy people.  At any rate, I'm talking to several guys who seem very cool and I've got a date with one of them on Monday.  There is a new exhibit opening at the U of U art museum and we're going to a dinner to celebrate the opening, then attending the exhibit.  It sounds like it will be lots of fun, or at the very least, a bloggable story.  Either way-victory!  I'll let you know how it all goes.  This is assuming, of course, that I don't back out at the last minute with a bogus story about a work emergency.  Not that something like that has ever happened because wouldn't that just make me a horrible person!