Failure!

I am once again failing at being a blogger. It's just that life is so darn busy, what with my grueling schedule of tv watching and online shopping. I've also started but not finished about 10 books. Oh wait no, that's a lie. I did finish one of them. Matched by Ally Condie. (Whose child I happened to teach in Primary. He was not one of the demon children, fortunately, or I would be forced to hate her book on principle.) So anyway, here's yet another bullet point themed blog post for your reading enjoyment:

• Pretty in Pink is on right now and I just had a WTF moment. I've always bitched about how Blane (That's a major appliance, that's not a name!) said "You said you couldn't be with someone who didn't believe in you. Well I believed in you. You just didn't believe in me" Well, apparently (according to the Bible of IMDb), he actually says "Well I believed in you. I just didn't believe in me." I guess that really would make more sense, but whatever.
  
• It's snowed like a foot here in the last 24 hours. When I checked the weather forecast on Friday, I swear it said an inch. I take consolation in the fact that we're almost through with two months of winter. Only five more to go!
  
• Lorri and I just watched the Oprah from a couple weeks ago where she goes back to a town in West Virginia where she did a show in 1987. The show was about a gay man who had AIDS and how he was treated by the town. It was really uncomfortable to watch how hateful those people were. I realize that back then we didn't know as much about the disease and how it was spread as we do now, but a lot of the hurtful comments were about the fact that the guy was gay. It always drives me crazy when people cite the Bible as a reason for being anti-gay. If we're going to go by what the Bible says, we should probably start stoning people again. Oh, and according to Mark, if you get divorced and then marry someone else, you've committed adultery. I wonder how many of those people were (and still are) on their first marriage.
• Remember a little while ago how I made a client cry twice because I made her do her laundry? Well, I managed to make her cry again. This time it was because she lied to me about eating Christmas candy. That makes me sound horrible. I didn't get mad at her or anything, she just felt really guilty and didn't want me to tell her mom. So really, in both incidents, I didn't make her cry, the consequences of her behavior made her cry. Somehow that still makes me sound horrible, doesn't it!
• Does anyone watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? (I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I do.) The last episode was cray cray!!! That psychic lady (I'm afraid to even say her name-she might put a hex on me or something) is truly insane. I won't ever be able to see a cigarette again without thinking of her creepily puffing away on her fake cigarette. I'm getting the heebie jeebies just thinking about her.
• I'm not usually a huge Kenny Chesney fan, but I can't get enough of this song:
  

• I'm also enjoying "Long Time Coming" by Delays. If you actually watch this video, can we please talk about how creepy twin children can be? For other examples, please see The Shining and, let's be honest, pretty much any Olsen twins movie.

• O.k., just one more song! Since I invited myself on my parent's trip to Ireland next summer, I've been watching Irish-themed movies (great excuse to watch The Boondock Saints again!!!) and one of my favorites is The MatchMaker. This song is in it and I can't stop listening to it. It's "Haunted" by Sinead O'Connor and Shane MacGowan (original lead singer of The Pogues).
  

what I've been up to

Um . . . not much. Here are some tidbits; some exciting, most not:

• We're doing a Thanksgiving dinner this weekend for the clients and their families. And when I say "we're doing a Thanksgiving dinner," I mean I'm coming in on my day off and will probably end up cooking most of it.
• The weather here has been crazy. Yesterday morning, I was awoken at 6:30 am by what sounded like someone in my attic. Turns out it was super windy and really warm (relatively speaking), so the snow was sliding off the roof. Then, like two hours later, there were blizzard-like conditions. You could only see a couple feet in front of you. Then it got warm again and most of the snow melted. Then it got super cold and all my car doors and windows froze shut.
• I just read sTORI Telling by Tori Spelling and it was so enjoyable that I read it in one evening whilst ignoring my clients.
• Did you guys watch the Sarah Palin Alaska extravaganza on TLC last Sunday? What were your thoughts? I liked it, other than the fact that I felt like she was turning every single thing she said into a sound bite. Like the part when she was talking about the mama bear fighting for the future generation, or whatever. I think I would have liked the show better if it had just been about Alaska, and not the Palins. :)
• I'm going to Ireland (and possibly England) next summer. I'm more excited for this trip than any other trip I've been on.
  
• I have become obsessed with cereal. It is delicious.
• I had an Aha Moment the other day when watching Oprah. It was the reunion show with the cast of The Color Purple, and as I was watching it I realized that my favorite color is purple and I was like holy crap! O.k., I didn't say it was a good Aha Moment, just that it was one!
• Have you tried the new Suave Rosemary Mint shampoo and conditioner? It's amazing. It was on sale at Smith's the other day for $1.33 and I bought like twelve of them. (In case you were wondering, no, we don't have a Smith's here. I got them when I was in Idaho Falls, which is possibly my least favorite city on earth.)
  

I am currently enjoying . . .

• The Seventeen Magazine Project
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
• The FURminator (Seriously-if you have a pet, you need this.)
• Being outside (Yes, Traci, my deck does count as the great outdoors!!!)
• Tootsie Rolls
• Hoppipolla by Sigur Rós
• Masterpiece Classic's adaptation of Little Dorrit
• the countdown for the season finale of Glee tonight
  

stuff I'm enjoying at the moment

The soundtrack to Spring Awakening. So good.












Whale Wars



"Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" by Rufus Wainwright




any book by Susan Jane Gilman


baby bok choy



eos smooth sphere in sweet mint

laughing so hard

I'm currently reading The Liar's Club by Mary Karr. The book is, to quote the back cover, "a wickedly funny account of an apocalyptic childhood." That's a pretty accurate description. The Liar's Club is this woman's father and a bunch of his friends, who sit around playing dominos and telling their best stories. This is kind of long and I'm editing it down a lot, but here's her dad's story:

"Hopped the Double-E train from Kansas City to New Orleans. Cold?" He glares at each of us as if we might doubt the cold. "That wind come inching in those boxcar cracks like a straight razor. It'll cut your gizzard out, don't think it won't. They finally loaded some cattle on somewhere in Arkansas, and I cozied up to this old heifer. I'd of froze to death without her. Many's the time I think of that old cow. Tried milking her, but it come out froze solid. Like a Popsicle." . . ."I shit you not," Daddy says . . . "You hop one one of those bastards some January and ride her. You'll be pissing ice cubes. I guarangoddamntee you that.". . . "they unloaded one old boy stiff as a plank from down off the next car over. He was a old one. Didn't have no business riding trains that old. And when we tipped him down to haul him off---they was four or five of us lifting him---about a dozen of these round fuzzy things rolled out his pant leg. Big as your thumb, and white." . . . "One old boy had a big black skillet in his gear. So we built a fire on the edge of the freight yard. It was a kind of hobo camp already there, some other guys set up all around. Nobody bothered us. This old fella's stretched out behind us stiff as this bench I'm sitting on here." . . . "And you ain't never gonna guess what happens when they thaw." This is the turning point. Daddy cocks his head at everybody to savor it. The men don't even fake indifference. The domino tiles stop their endless clicking. The cigar smoke might even seem to quit winding around on itself for a minute. Nobody so much as takes a drink. "They pop like firecrackers and let off the biggest stink you ever smelled."

"They was farts?" Cooter finally screams, more high-pitched than is masculine, and at that the men start to laugh.

September 15

Outside my window . . . is a lovely sunset.

I am thinking . . . it's a good thing I'm not going to be seeing anyone this evening because I just ate a ton of garlic. My tongue is actually burning.

I am thankful for . . . the fact that Gossip Girl didn't disappoint me yesterday.

From the kitchen . . . I made soup again. Recipe to follow.

I am wearing . . . back to the jeans and t-shirt. I also just noticed that my jeans have stains on them that obviously did not come out when I washed them. I hate it when you don't notice the stain is still there and then you stick whatever it is in the dryer and set it in even worse than before. Grrrrr. And of course the stain is right on the front of my thigh, so it's completely obvious.

I am going . . . to be needing some kind of treat pretty quick here.

I am reading . . . I finished "Kabul Beauty School" by Deborah Rodriguez today. I read it obsessively all day today. It was really good and it made me want to go work with women in Afghanistan. I would definitely recommend it.

I am hoping . . . that my dad brings something yummy home from the grocery store. He has been sent to go get treats to send to Mark and I made it very clear that he needed to bring something home for me as well.

I am hearing . . . "Fire on the Mountain" by Rob Thomas.

Around the house . . . Have I mentioned that I love the new dryer?

One of my favorite things . . . soup on a rainy(ish) day.

A picture . . . me and Ashlee, my Hallmark Hall of Fame partner in crime.

Haven Kimmel

One of my favorite non-fiction writers is Haven Kimmel. She's written several novels, but it's her two memoirs that are friggin' awesome. If you haven't read them, I would highly suggest that you do so. I'm currently rereading She Got Up Off the Couch and Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana. (BTW, does anyone know how to underline in Blogger? It always bugs me when I can't underline a title. Yes, I am that anal.) Here's a little quote from the book that made me laugh. This is Haven talking about her sister:

• "Melinda was pretty without meaning to be and without trying. She just couldn't help it. Her hair was blue-black and her eyes were gray-green with long black lashes and she had the sweetest smile in the world. Never mind that she was made of pure Satan . . . " (Pg. 50)

I love it. Go get these two books. You won't regret it, I promise.

she's gone wiccan

Well, maybe not wiccan, but definitely new age-y. Every year or so I go through a new age-y/Buddhist/spirituality kick. Not that I'm leaving my Church or anything, but I do start coloring mandalas, meditating, thinking about doing yoga (occasionally I'll do a little downward facing dog and child's pose, but that's about it), and reading up on all sorts of what I call "New Age, You Go Girl" literature. Technically it isn't all new age, but it is about being a powerful woman. Here is what is currently on my bedside table. Some I've read before, some are new. And a couple aren't actually NAYGG books, but they're still good.

• "The New Feminine Brain: Developing Your Intuitive Genius" by Mona Lisa Schulz
• "Women Who Run With the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
• "Wise Women: Over 2000 Years of Spiritual Writing by Women" by Susan Cahill
• "The Witch of Portobello" by Paulo Coelho (fiction)
• "Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living" by Pema Chodron
• "Living by the Word: Selected Writings 1973-1987" by Alice Walker
• "Dematerializing: Taming the Power of Possessions" by Jane Hammerslough
  

I think it's good every once in a while to declutter your mind, retreat from the world just a little bit and remember that spirituality and religion aren't the same thing. Are you the kind of person who lives their religion as a checklist? Prayer-check. Family Home Evening-check. Scripture reading-check. Do you go through the motions because that's what you're supposed to do or do you actually feel it? Does it bring you joy or does it just bring you more things to add to your to-do list? My new age-y kicks seem to always come at a time when I'm just going through the motions, but not really feeling it. They always seem to help me refocus my priorities and realize that I'm doing things for all the wrong reasons. So if you're ever feeling the same way, I hope you won't be scared off by any kind of new age stigma (i.e. thoughts of pagans celebrating the Solstice, etc.) and you'll consider checking into it. This doesn't mean you need to start buying crystals or anything like that, but just try to get more in touch with the world and not the worldly.

I heart the Olympics!

I'm so excited it has finally arrived! I don't really get into the Winter games, but I love Summer! The Opening Ceremonies, while a bit long, were spectacular, and I'll admit it, I got slightly teary-eyed at several points during the show. I've always had this fascination with China and I'm so excited that they finally get to show the world what they can do. Now that's not to say that everything about China is perfect (i.e. the government), but for the regular, everyday person, I'm happy that they get a chance to shine. They've been through so much during history, and it seems like things are (hopefully) getting better for everyone. BTW, if you familiar with Chinese history, especially regarding women, you should read "Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China", "Red Azalea", "Life and Death in Shanghai", or if you prefer fiction, pretty much any Amy Tan books, and "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan". Also, the book "Wuhu Diary" by Emily Prager is an awesome book about a woman who takes her adopted daughter back to China. It focuses more on what China is like now. If you or anyone you know has adopted a child from China, this book is a must read.

O.k., I got a little sidetracked there! Back to the Olympics! So here's what I'm looking forward to during the Games: Michael Phelps, Dara Torres, gymnastics, track and field, Michael Phelps, diving, beach volleyball, tennis, and Michael Phelps.

Good parenting book

If you have kids, I would highly recommend that you read "Awakening Children's Minds: How Parents and Teachers Can Make a Difference" by Laura E. Berk. It was an optional book for my Parenting class and I'm just now using it to write a paper on fostering creativity in children. It's a great book not just about creativity; it also addresses the quantity vs. quality time debate, child care issues, learning in the classroom, children with disabilities, make-believe play, private talk (children talking to themselves), and a bunch of other factors that affect development. I find it all fascinating and I don't even have kids, so I would imagine that those of you who do will really appreciate it.

BTW, I spent more for my used copy from the BYU Bookstore than the price Amazon has listed for a new copy.

A Must Read

I read this book a while ago, shortly after it came out, and I think about it all the time. If you haven't read "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson, you really need to go get it. Even if you're not much of a reader, this is one of those books you have to read. Trust me. Go get it. It'll change your life.