part-time robot

Frownsmiles!!

2009-06-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of the judgmental frownsmile that Utahan's are so good at giving when they disapprove of something. SSB just nails it on the head - she had people send in photos...

http://seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com/2009/06/frownsmiles.html

Sweet Weekend!

2009-05-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

I had a really good weekend full of endless stuff to do. Friday night, Randy's band The Much Bigger Diamonds, played in Sundance. My mom, Hannah and Heidi all came - it was a lot of fun! I ended up staying out until about 3 in the morning - the band played until 1:30 am, it took about 45 minutes to take everything down and get back to Orem, then it was breakfast at Denny's until about 2:45 am. WHAT A NIGHT!

Saturday, I skipped 8am kickboxing due to my irresponsible (Hannah's words, not mine) partying on Friday night. We had a hair party at my aunt Barb's house. I got cut, straitened and a little bleach right in the front, Heidi got blue streaks, and Barb got less white and more dark gray. THANKS MOM!!

Saturday night was a 9:00 pm soccer game and then Randy and I made some serious homemade nachos and watched movies until late. When we were about to call it quits, we saw Debbie on Skype in China, so we talked to her for an hour or so. I was so tired - I barely made it upstairs to bed.

Sunday was a good lazy day with beautiful weather outside! We watched a movie and went to Lincoln's 29th birthday party in Mom's backyard - the nieces and nephew were darling and the weather was picture perfect. We ate grilled sandwiches, lots of sides and way too much dessert. Thanks for the grill George Foreman and tanks for being born Lincoln!

If Only...

2009-05-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

THIS is why you're FAT

2009-04-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

I love this website! www.thisiswhyyourefat.com There are so many great recipes. I propose we have a party and everyone has to make something from this site. Who's in?

A few highlights:

Meat Cake - Meatloaf with potatoes and ketchup for icing.

The Bacone - A bacon cone filled with scrambled eggs and country gravy topped with a biscuit.

Mega Double Stuff Oreo

Corn Dog Pizza

Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheddar Cheese Burgers

I did Hannah's Q&A

2009-04-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

I thought Hannah's Q&A was interesting, so I thought I'd do one for an easy blog post.

1. First thing you wash in the shower? My arms
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? gray
3. Do you plan outfits? very, very, very, very, rarely
4. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Mentally, great, physically, sore
5. What's the closest thing to you that's red? Red sharpie
6. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? My boss was at my house early in the morning with his wife and kids eating cereal – it seemed really normal in the dream
7. Did you meet anybody new today? Nope.
8. What are you craving right now? Pizza, always pizza
9. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Stinky
10. Are you emotional? nah
11. Have you ever counted to 1,000? probably
12. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? Bite it – I hate soft serve
13. Do you like your hair? Nope, but it’s easy to do after the gym in the morning
14. Do you like yourself? Most of the time
15. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? I would like to plan the lunch and then not show up – take that former leader of the free world!
16. What are you listening to right now? Typing, a small fan, people talking in the hallway at work
17. Are your parents strict? They were pretty cool.
18. Would you go sky diving? Totally!
19. Do you like cottage cheese? Yes, but a little burned out on it right now.
20. Have you ever met a celebrity? No, but I would love to meet Joel and Ethan Cohen
21. Do you rent movies often? I go in spurts
22. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? not one thing
23. How many countries have you visited? 2 – Canada and Mexico, *yawn*
24. Have you made a prank phone call? Many
25. Ever been on a train? Only recently – the Heber Creeper and I was so barfy!
26. Brown or white eggs? White – brown creep me out a little bit
27. Do you have a cell-phone? No, I have an iPhone – booyah!
28. Do you use chap stick? Yes, and Burt’s Bee’s Wax and some free stuff from work
29. Do you own a gun? I have 2 shotguns and 1 handgun and I babysit a .22 Ruger rifle that is not technically mine
30. Can you use chop sticks? Very clumsily, I like silverware better, unless its sushi

31. Who are you going to be with tonight? Randy, some friends and a t.v. with the Jazz game on
32. Are you too forgiving? With people I like, yes. With people I don’t like, no.

33. Ever been in love? YES
34. What is your best friend doing tomorrow? Not sure I have one
35. Ever have cream puffs? Yes, gross!
36. Last time you cried? Can’t remember
37. What was the last question you asked? Do you want us to proceed with that?
38. Favorite time of the year? Spring and Fall are tied
39. Do you have any tattoos? No, I don’t think anything stays in fashion as long as good old fashioned skin

40. Are you sarcastic? Of course
41. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? Yes, it was weird and cool
42. Have you ever walked into a wall? Yes
43. Favorite color? Green
44. Have you ever slapped someone? yes
45. Is your hair curly? curly
46. What was the last CD you bought? M. Ward – Hold Time

47. Do looks matter? Not that much, but if someone is really homely looking I have to laugh.
48. Could you ever forgive a cheater? Yes
49. Is your phone bill sky high? You mean my iPhone bill? – no, my work pays it :)
50. Do you like your life right now? For the most part
51. Do you sleep with the TV on? Only if it’s a short nap, never at night
52. Can you handle the truth? I like the truth, it makes things easier
53. Do you have good vision? Yes, thanks to surgery
54. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? I would like to say NO here, but I probably do
55. How often do you talk on the phone? As little as possible, I like texts and email better
56. What are you wearing? Work clothes, you know the kind where you try to look kinda like you care…
57. What is your favorite animal? Wild ones – to look at and sometimes shoot at
58. Where was your default picture taken? My facebook pic was taken in my laundry room
59. Can you hula hoop? I thought I could until I tried a few months ago, it seemed hard
60. Do you have a job? I am at it right now, taking a lunch break
61. What was the most recent thing you bought? Hummus, pita chips and an orange from Walmart

62. Have you ever crawled through a window? Not since being a teenager, but I had enough experience to last a lifetime.

He was an ice cream man, she was a New York lawyer...

2009-04-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

I hate romantic comedies - I. HATE. them. It's not just that they are so predictable or that the acting sucks. It makes me really sad that there are so many good movies out there like this one, or this one, or this, or this, or this one, this one, or even this. After watching a romantic comedy, people try to convince themselves and their friends that they just saw a good movie. These movies are marketed for dating and for people who don't understand love and relationships enough to get a date. The reason they don't understand relationships is because........ (drum roll please) they watch too many romantic comedies! If you're with me, check out this post - I was laughing my guts out!!

If you still insist on seeing these movies, let me take the liberty of ruining the plot of every single one:

Step 1 - Two unlikely people fall in love
Step 2 - There is some sort of misunderstanding that you know about, but the characters do not.
Step 3 - The misunderstanding is resolved in a very humorous and cutesy way
Step 4 - End of movie wedding scene is optional, but can be soooooooo cute!

iAddicts

2009-03-27T22:50:00.000-07:00

I recently got an apple iPhone and I decided to take an inventory of all of the apple i products we have in our household. I think things have gotten a little out of hand...

2003 - 20 gig white gray scale ipod (possibly deceased, given away to one of Randy's guitar students)

2003 - 30 gig white photo ipod (deceased, sitting in a drawer)

2005 - 80 gig Black Video ipod (used daily by Randy for rocking out)

2008 - 1 gig red ipod shuffle (used daily by Hillary for working out)

2008 - 30 gig Black Video ipod (used sometimes by Hillary)

2009 - 1 gig green shuffle (used daily by Randy for working out)

2009 - 16 gig White iPhone (used daily by Hillary for work and showing off)

Much Needed Break

2009-02-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

I have been working a lot lately and Randy has been working a lot less lately. We have both been stressed for different reasons - me, way too much work - him, worried about finding another job or going back to school. We decided that we need a break, so we are heading to the Johnson Mill in Midway for a few days. We have stayed there a few times and absolutely love the peace and quiet and fly fishing. We are staying in the Mt. Timpanogos room - a first for us.

No Super Powers

2009-01-31T14:30:00.001-08:00

So I found out n Friday that I do not have the same genetic mutation known as BRCA1 that my mom has. So I am not a mutant and I don't have any special powers. I am very relieved. I decided to have a good attitude either way, so I was amazed how much relief I felt when I found out. I also immediately felt sad for my cousin Michelle who has it and for my mom and aunts who have it.

The reason I was tested is because my mom has this mutation and it increases risk for breast and ovarian cancer by 40% - 60%. She found out she had ovarian cancer at age 51 and luckily it was caught in time to get rid of it. So far, my mom and 2 of her sisters have the gene mutation. One of her sisters does not have it. Some of my mom's 8 brothers will get tested to so they will know if their adult daughters should get tested. My sister Hannah was also given her results on Friday and she also does not have the mutation. My sister Heidi needs to call and get her results. I really hope she got lucky and doesn't have it either. And it is all luck - there is a 50% chance of getting the gene if one of your parents has it. There is nothing you can do to prevent it or get it. This mutation happens as your DNA is formed in the womb.

I am glad they can do testing for this type of gene mutation. If you have it, you start doing breast mammograms earlier in life and your tests are just a lot more thorough. Since my mom had cancer, I have heard of a few people that have cancer but caught it too late. My sister in-law's mother died of cancer pretty young. I hope research like this can continue so nobody has to go through something like that.

This whole experience has made me more aware of cancer research and a lot more apt to get involved in causes that raise money for this type of testing and research.

First Taste of Kick Boxing

2009-01-30T07:24:00.000-08:00

I went to a kickboxing class with Hannah last night. It was my first time doing something like that and I really liked it. I was dripping sweat for almost the entire hour. I didn't know that my body could do some of the stuff that the instructor was having us do. I am sore this morning, but I still managed to do my normal workout. I don't think I have done an hour straight of hard cardio in years. I bet my heart rate stayed in the target training zone (around 155 for me) for the whole hour, so that was good. One thing I didn't expect was to have trouble with the hand-eye coordination, but I did. I think I could get better at it over time, but either way, it made me sweat and it made me hurt, so I think it is working.

and thats why you don't blog your pics

2008-12-16T21:26:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Extra Ticket = Extra Entertainment

2008-08-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

I will do just about anything for entertainment these days - what is wrong with me??

I am going to see Wilco again – this time they are coming to Salt Lake City. The concert sold out really quickly and luckily I was able to get 4 tickets on the first day. I figured Debbie could find someone to go with her, but it turns out that nobody else really likes Wilco enough to go. So, we asked around and most of our friends either can’t go or want more than 1 ticket.

So, I decided to check out craigslist and see what they were going for. I paid $28 each for the tickets and most of the listings had tickets for sale for at least double or even up to $100 for 1 ticket!! So, I could either choose to try and sell the ticket to some jerk that had $100 or just sell it to someone who wanted to go really bad. You might think I am stupid for selling it for less in this economy, but I went with option B. So here is what my listing said:

I have 1 EXTRA ticket for WILCO at Red Butte Gardens

I have 4 tickets to Wilco and only need 3. I will accept the best offer. Please email me your offer and/or sob story of why you need to go to this show and I will let you know.

Here are some of the emails I got. It starts out boring and then picks up some steam…

"$50 what your ad advertises.
Sent from my iPhone" – What does this even mean, there is no sob story, are you just bragging that you have an iPhone and I don’t??… yawn!

"Yes I am interested, how much are you willing to sell for." – But WHY are you interested?? Are you dying and this is your last wish, do you want to propose to your girlfriend at the show, did you try out for the band and almost make it?? I need to be entertained!!

"Do you still have that ticket available? I am flying into SLC on Monday next week and would love to see the show." – zzzZZZZZzzzzzzZZZzzzz...C’mon people!!

"I would love to see the show but have little money for entertainment lately. I am however a licensed massage therapist of 8 years. If you or anyone you know could use some therapy I would love to share my trade… and have an office in Murray. Thanks. Hope to hear back from you." – Getting warmer, but still boring…

"You see, my situation starts wayyy back in 1984 (the year i was born), or maybe even 1976 (the year my oldest brother was born), depends how you look at it. But Wilco wasn't even a band at that point? I know. But we were siblings at that point. And we have been ever since. And I'd like to think we'll remain so for forever. That's where you come in. My brother (now 32) has seen Wilco perform live 6-maybe 7-times. And, while attempting to discuss this with me recently he became rather frustrated at his lack of appropriate words and my lack of understanding (he's got a masters degree in creative writing so he's got reason to be frustrated) and, after some thought, said — 'you just don't understand me as a person if you haven't seen them live.' I froze. Was this the end of everything we'd been building for the last 23 years? Were all of his instructional mix cds and you know, changing my diapers and motivational sit-downs for not? It all came down to this? See Wilco or say goodbye to my brother forever? I guess what I'm trying to say is that I need to see Wilco Live. For me, for my brother, for my mother, for the world. What I'm also trying to say is that I work hard but I don't have tons of money, you know. So like, whatever you're willing to do for me as far as saving my family, would be great. I mean, $50 is reasonable. I could do that. Because everyone else is asking for more and I just don't have more. Did you already sell this ticket? Did I just spill my soul for nothing? Please let me know. I'm sorry this is so long but I felt it necessary to include a few details" – Now this is what I am talking about!! Now we’re getting somewhere!!

AND THE WINNER IS…

"Hello-

I will buy that ticket for $40, because my story is worth 10 bucks.

NOW for my sob story portion of the e mail:

I live in Japan which is great-but day after day I am subjected to AWFUL J-POP boy bands. Please see the attached you tube vid for an example. It will change your life. This was number 1 on the charts a month or so ago:

Check It Out Here

Between that and the karaoke culture here I am in serious need of Wilco...STAT. Anyway, I will be coming home to Utah this Thurs. I have never been able to see Wilco because they were always sold out in Chicago (where I previously lived)...To add to it, my friend who doesn't live in Utah anymore will be in town for just a few days with his new wife that I haven't had a chance to meet and they have tickets (yay) but didn't get me one (boo)

So you have the opportunity to supply me with a ticket to see Wilco and my long lost friend. Either that or I'll have to wait for them not to be cool anymore and go on a never-ending tour of Japan (You get points if you know my "This is Spinal Tap" reference) and will cry myself to sleep at night to the sounds of this youtube clip."

--HURRAY!! Now this is what I am talking about! Great story, offered me less than $50, included precious YouTube link and made a Spinal Tap reference. How am I not friends with this chic already?? She is coming over to pick up the ticket on Saturday - maybe I will get a picture and put it on the blog... or not.

BLOG about a BLOG

2008-08-13T08:38:00.001-07:00

I have been reading a pretty funny blog lately - its very sarcastic and may be offensive to some, but I find it refreshing. The web address is http://seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com/ - if you have ever lived in Utah county, especially in the vicinity of BYU, I think you can relate. This blog is written by some unknown genius and it pokes fun at the LDS mommy blogger culture. I love all of the references to lip gloss, Breaking Dawn, and Cafe Rio! You might want to start at the beginning of the blog to understand what is going on. The blog starts out like this:

"Hi everybody!!! My name is Tiffany/Amber/Megan/Nicole and I am married to Jordan/Jason/Wes/Taylor, and we have non-stop fun all the time and are LOVING married life! We are super busy but we still love to make time for fun stuff and we just love being married and living our awesome lives. I LOVE crafts (especially Stampin' Up! and homemade jewelry) and he loves sports. I went to hair school/teach 2nd grade and now we are going to law/dental/business/medical school! So hard! But being in law/dental/business/medical school is really fun for me because there are tons of wive's clubs like bridge club, book club, walking club. Pretty awesome! Love you guys!! If you have anything you want me to blog about, puh-LEASE let me know"

LOVE IT!!

Top 7 Bands of June 2008

2008-06-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

I have been posting about exercise a lot lately, so I thought I would change the pace a little and talk about music. I change favorite bands every few months, so I thought it would be fun to talk about the music that I’m into right now. Ten years ago, this list would have been a lot different. I don’t have any bands on this list that would have been in my top 25 (ok, maybe Radiohead). So here is the run down of my Top Seven bands right now and why I like them:

Wilco – They have been at the top of the list for a few months now. I first found out about Wilco in 2004 when they came out with an album called A Ghost Is Born. I didn’t really like this album, so I assumed I didn’t like Wilco, but after listening to 2007’s Sky Blue Sky, I listened to some older stuff like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and I was in love! I saw them live in Colorado and will see them again on August 18^th at Red Butte Gardens in SLC.

The Shins – I found out about the Shins from the movie Garden State as I am sure a lot of people did. They have excellent lyrics and really cool layers of guitar. Here are some lyrics from the song Pink Bullets:

“Cool of a temperate breeze from dark skies to wet grass
we fell in a field it seems now a thousand summers passed
when our kite lines first crossed
we tied them into knots
and to finally fly apart we had to cut them off”

The Postal Service – This is a band that started with two dudes sending CD Roms back and forth in the mail aka the band name, The Postal Service. One of the dudes, Ben Gibbard is also the lead singer in another band that I love called Death Cab For Cutie. This band rocks some sweet techno beats with old-school video games sounding electronics and then cover it with really cool lyrics that just nake you sing along.

The Killers – “Somebody told me you had a boyfriend who looked like a girlfriend that I had in February of last year. It's not confidential, I've got potential.” –Enough said.

Radiohead – I never get sick of Radiohead. Their new album In Rainbows is the Radiohead I love – mellow and rockin’.

Lucinda Williams – Another oldie but goodie. I have really been digging her live stuff lately. She has this amazing old country voice – kind of like if Allison Kraus got drunk and rode a few roller coasters.

Feist – I first heard Feist on a iPod commercial. I had to know who it was after seeing the commercial a dozen times. She writes very catchy and danceable music.

Honorable Mention – M. Ward – This guy is a really good singer/songwriter. The only reason he didn’t make the top 7 is because I am still listening to his albums and falling in love with them. He will most likely make the top 7 in a month or so.

2555 Calories Per Day

2008-06-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

I looked at an email today that had a formula for a BMR (base metabolic rate). The newsletter said, “Your BMR is the number of calories your body burns in a day when operating at absolute minimum capacity. Basically, imagine sitting on the couch all day. Your BMR, then, is the number of calories your body burns just to maintain your heartbeat, digestion, respiration, tissue repair and other organ functions. That's it.”

I don’t know how accurate this kind of stuff is, but I have been curious lately about how many calories is too much or too little for me in a day. I don’t think I am dedicated enough to carry around a calorie counting book with me everywhere, but I definitely need to work on portion control. Here is the formula for BMR:

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

My BMR is 2060. So basically to maintain my current weight (which I do not want to do) I could sit on the couch all day and eat 2060 calories.

So then you figure our how many calories you are burning each day by using the Harris Benedict Equation:

Harris Benedict Formula

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

I figure that right now I am about a 3-4. I exercise moderate/hard 5 days a week. So I take my BMR (2060) and multiply it by 1.55. So now my daily calorie intake to maintain my current weight is 3193. So I found some more information on how to figure out how many calories are too little/too much to lose weight:

“If you want to lose fat, a useful guideline for lowering your calorie intake is to reduce your calories by at least 500, but not more than 1000 below your maintenance level. For people with only a small amount of weight to lose, 1000 calories will be too much of a deficit. As a guide to minimum calorie intake, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levels never drop below 1200 calories per day for women or 1800 calories per day for men. Even these calorie levels are quite low.

An alternative way of calculating a safe minimum calorie-intake level is by reference to your body weight. Reducing calories by 15-20% below your daily calorie maintenance needs is a useful start. You may increase this depending on your weight loss goals.”

If I reduce my caloric intake by 20%, this means I can eat 2555 calories a day to lose weight. If I go with reducing the number by 1000, I can have 2193 calories per day and still lose weight. Seems a little complicated to count calories, but at least now if I go to Wendy’s for lunch and have their southwest taco salad with the works, I know that I’ve eaten 650 of my daily calories.

May 2008 Recap

2008-06-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Things I am proud of:

I went to the gym every Monday – Friday in May except for one

I have been eating less and thinking about what I am eating more

I got desperate and ate a Totino’s pizza one night but then threw up (I am proud of that because my body rejected it)

I get out of bed easily in the morning

I haven’t had a regular soda other than on a free day and I have been drinking very little diet soda

Working out is the best part of my day

I have more energy

I have lost about 7 pounds

I have better posture

Things I need to work on this month:

I need to drink a lot more water

Some free days have turned into more of a free weekend – I need to have more willpower

I need to eat more breakfast and less dinner

I need to work out one more day a week - either Saturday or Sunday

I should start walking and running rather than just doing the stationary bike

I need to eat less candy – eat it only on the free day

I need to be eating more protein like protein shakes and cottage cheese

I need to eat better carbs like brown rice and more whole wheat

I need to eat more breakfast and less dinner

I should start walking and running rather than just doing the stationary bike

In general I need to work on eating better, not just eating less

Animal Planet, Eat Your Heart Out

2008-05-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

I was out walking around on Sunday morning at the Cougar Ranch and I found a really weird baby snake. I had my camera with me, so I filmed it a little bit. The video isn't very great because I was a little freaked out about seeing a snake. I was deathly afraid of the snake because of its bright blue tail and everyone knows bright blue = poisonous or pretending to be poisonous, so I didn’t want to get to close. Also, the thought of getting bit by a baby snake at the Cougar Ranch brought back haunting memories of my Uncle Dale and his close encounter with the legless kind. My adrenaline was definitely pumping as I was trying to remember if I knew how to tie a tourniquet in case I was bitten by this deadly reptile. So here is the video, I added some Steve Irwin (crocodile hunter) audio to make it more exciting (so turn up your speakers):

Everyone back at the cabin was wondering what the snake could be. We went back to the scene of the crime and we couldn't find it anywhere. We decided to google it when we got home. I just happen to work across the hall from a bug/nature/reptile/snake enthusiast named Neil. He is a beekeeper and loves spiders and snakes and pretty much anything gross. I told him about the snake and he got pretty excited and told me to bring the video in and he would look at it. He said there were only 31 species of snakes in Utah, so we could figure it out. He asked me if it had legs and I said – uh, no, it was definitely a baby snake. He went back to his office and within 5 seconds sent me an email with the following picture:

It is a western skink, basically a lizard. It must have had the tiniest legs because I didn't see them at all!! I felt kind of dumb for freaking out about the snake. Ever since talking to Neil, I was dreaming about discovering a new species of snake and naming it after Kurt Cobain or something really cool like that. A girl can dream, can’t she? It was just a lizard, but a pretty cool lizard as far as lizards go.

17 Hours in Grand Junction

2008-05-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

So a couple of weeks ago a hair-brained scheme came to me. I love the band wilco. Randy and I discovered them sometime last year and just can't get enough. They have been on a world tour promoting their latest album Sky Blue Sky. - and when I say world tour, I mean everywhere in the world BUT Utah. I check their website semi-frequently to check for tour dates and I saw a show in Grand Junction on May 8th. EUREKA!! I also saw a show for August 18th at Red Butte Gardens in Salt Lake City. EUREKA!! Well, a normal person would be thrilled that the band was coming to their state and just leave it at that, but that would be a normal person. I immediately called Randy, and called Randy, and called Randy, but he finally answered and said, I gotta go, I'll call you back. DANG IT!! I needed to buy tickets fast and look for a hotel and coordinate with work, etc. So, I text messaged little Debbie to see if she was in and she was. So I figured out all of the details and verified with Randy that I was not insane and bought 3 tickets, booked a room at a bed and breakfast and told work that I would be gone all day Thursday, but would be back in time for a 4:00pm meeting that I had to attend.

We left Orem on Wednesday at about 1:30 and arrived in Colorado at about 5:30. We checked into the Willow Pond Bed and Breakfast and rested for a few minutes before grabbing dinner and going to the show. The theater where the show was being held only sat about 1400 people, so it was the perfect size for a really good concert. Wilco played some of our favorites from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot as well as a lot from Sky Blue Sky. They also played a lot of songs that we had never heard. I like going to a show where they actually improvise and play obscure songs that they want to play rather than just what the record label tells them to play. The crowd was great - a lot of them were drunk and just having a really good time. I think non-Utah crowds are better than Utah crowds any day and its not just the drinking - I think people just know how to listen to a band and how to appreciate the music more in other states. It is hard to pinpoint exactly, but I've seen this phenomenon several times. After the show, we went back the B&B and slept.

In the morning, we had an amazing breakfast of vegetarian chorizo breakfast burritos and good conversation with some other guests from British Columbia who were there to mountain bike. we checked out and went to a few music stores in downtown Grand Junction and then we hit the road so I could make it back in time for my meeting. It was a whirlwind trip, but one I will never forget!! And the best part it, I am buying my tickets to see them at Red Butte on Monday morning - WOO HOO!

Yes, I Do Take Requests...

2008-05-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

For Lincoln:

So Freakin' Far, So Freakin' Good

2008-05-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

So, here's the update... I have been in the gym every weekday morning (except 1 because I was in Colorado) since May 1^st!! I have been so sore that I could hardly walk, hardly shampoo my own hair, or tie my shoes. I sneezed one day and my abs burned so bad that I had to lie on the floor in my office and stretch for a few minutes. All of this and I couldn’t be more happy. I just think it is the right time for me to be working out. I just needed to pick a date and stick with it. I have also been eating better. I had a free night on Saturday night and ate a burger and fries at Fuddruckers and that seemed to curb the salt and fat cravings pretty good. I am keeping a “Fitness Spreadsheet” as suggested by my trainer. He wanted me to log my food intake and my exercise intake (outtake??). Anyways, I am trying to eat 6 small meals a day – kind of body for life style. I try to eat a good protein portion and a good carb portion and some veggies when I can. I am also drinking more water, but still not enough. I am trying to be disciplined, but if I go too overboard with discipline, I will get too frustrated and quit because nobody tells me what to do, not even me!! So far, when I am doing cardio or weights, I have a few weird motivations that keep me going (and even smiling most of the time). Do other people do this?

I am a hot rock n’ roll guitar chick playing for a big crowd. Randy is playing keyboards for some weird reason. (he doesn’t play piano

Hiking up to the top of Timpanogos and carving something funny on a tree up there (I will not reveal what THAT is)

I am not quite as fat as the fat people on the Biggest Loser show – I can do it!

I think about my mom’s bald shiny head running down that hotel hallway in Seattle – she definitely would have beat me and that is NOT OKAY!

Body By Blendtec

2008-05-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

I took my camera to the gym on Wednesday afternoon so I could add them to the blog. I was taking a few pictures and then someone came in.

Trainer: Hi, can I help you?

Me: Uh... (fumbling to put camera in pocket) I was just taking some pictures for my blog (pushes up glasses and hikes up pants). I mean, I work here, and I am going to start working out tomorrow and I just wanted to make sure that I could find the gym...

Trainer: Oh good, we have a great gym, are you new here?

Me: No, I've worked here for about 4 years.

Trainer: Wow. Well, have you ever used Body By Blendtec?

Me: What?

Trainer: (points to large 3' tall letters on the wall) Body By Blendtec, you know, the gym.

Me: Oooohhhh... (nervous laughter), I've been in here once, to turn in my paperwork and to get some free food. I forgot the gym had a name... (side note: I think the name "Body By Blendtec" is cheesy and completely lame).

Trainer: (looking up from file cabinet) Ok... Looks like you're signed up - we can get you on a good plan.

Me: I think I need to start slow, like just trying not to die. (nervous laughter, slowly backing away)

Trainer: We won't hurt ya! See you tomorrow!

Here is the gym:

Here are the lockers:

Here is one of the showers (there are 2):

Dooms Day

2008-04-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

I committed to myself (and Hannah via a very nice Google chat) that I would start exercising and being healthier on May 1st. CRAP! That is tomorrow - a few weeks ago when I made the commitment, it seemed so far away and now it is TOMORROW. Many of you know that I have a free gym at my work - yes, its free, they even have contests all the time and PAY YOU MONEY or give you FREE PRIZES if you lose the most weight, spend the most time exercising, etc. I have never set foot in the free gym except for the day it opened and they were giving out free first aid kits and some refreshments. I have to laugh at how lazy I am - I went to the gym once - FOR FREE FOOD!! What is wrong with me?? So, tomorrow is the big day. I plan to be at the gym at 7:00 am - work out for 30 minutes and shower and get ready for work by 8. I am not sure what I am going to do for those 45 minutes exactly - we have 2 free personal trainers that hang out in our free gym, but I am afraid of them. I am sure they are nice and I just need to get to know them so I don't feel intimidated. I took a big step today by actually going into the gym and looking around. l picked up a nutrition plan packet from one of the trainers while trying not to make too much eye contact. Wish me luck...

Super Hannah

2008-04-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

I got to see Hannah run last Saturday and I was amazed!! How could someone who has had 2 kids and bum feet for 6 months run 13.1 miles?? It was definitely more mental strength than physical strength. This is something that I admire about Hannah - she decides to do something and then makes it happen. She is this was with parenting, money and now running. I certainly admire (and lack) her will power. Watching the race was definitely inspiring. It was neat to see Mya watch the race. She was so excited as she watched for her mom's orange shirt.

"My dad's favorite color is orange, so my mom has a an orange shirt and orange dishes"

"Gimme five, on the side, up high, in space, IN YOUR FACE!!!"

"My mom is the fastest mom in the whole world, she's gonna WIN!"

"Look at the cute doggie, he's runnin' the race TOO!! He's runnin' the race, he's runnin' the race TOO!!! Hillary! Hillary, take a picture, hurry!!!"

"I love you mom!"

"Gimme five, on the side, cut the pickle, TICKLE TICKLE!!!"

Seattle Loot

2008-04-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

I didn't blog about Seattle yet, so I thought I would. We all had a great time. We missed Rebecca, but her absence will hopefully allow us all to have an excuse to go again with just the girls. I'm not a big shopper, but shopping was probably the highlight of the trip for me. I bought a lot of stuff from Trader Joe's and even looked at their website to see if we could open a franchise here in Utah. We can't - their privately owned and they open stores wherever and whenever they feel like it. With all of the Californians living here in Utah, I think we will get one soon. Here is a picture of my loot:

The real highlight of the trip was seeing my sister Heidi. I really miss her, but I can see why she loves living in Seattle.

I think Randy survived just fine. Here is the evidence I found when I came home (p.s. - This was not posed):

Lion House Chicken Broccoli Bake Recipe

2008-04-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

The weather has turned cold once again. Bad news for being outside, but good news for comfort food cravings. I always call my mom for this recipe, but I decided to finally blog it so I actually have a record of the recipe. If you have never had it, don't be fooled by the simple recipe... this is really good - its not the usual boring cream of chicken casserole!

2 lbs chicken (get a rotisserie chicken and save yourself some time)
12 oz. frozen broccoli florets
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup miracle whip salad dressing
1 cup shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup buttered bread crumbs or Parmesan cheese

Tear cooked chicken into bite sized pieces and place them in the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan. Cook the frozen broccoli according to the package directions and drain really well. Mix the chicken soup, mayo, and miracle whip in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Add the lemon juice at the very end and stir a few more times. Pour 1/2 of the sauce mixture over the chicken. Place the broccoli on top of the chicken and sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the broccoli. Top with breadcrumbs or Parmesan cheese. Cover pan with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes with the foil on, remove foil and bake another 20 minutes or until cheese sauce is bubbly and top is lightly brown.

**Variations:
Add 2 cups cooked macaroni or shell noodles to the chicken layer

Add 2 cups cooked rice to the chicken layer

The Grape Lady Music Video.

2008-03-30T20:24:00.001-07:00

And now for the 3rd funniest video on youtube.

Grape Lady Animation

2008-03-30T20:23:00.001-07:00

The 2nd funniest video...

I love the Grape Lady

2008-03-30T20:22:00.001-07:00

This is probably the funniest video I've seen in a while. The noises she makes after the fall are funnier than the actual fall.

Busy Week

2008-03-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

This week has been pretty busy at work. I was in a conference room Monday through Friday 7:30 to 5:30 and then working from home Monday through Thursday night on the stuff I didn't have time to do during the day. It was about a 65 hour work week with a few nights with very little sleep. I don't know how my brother does it!! This is just one week and my brain is fried. My company has purchased some new ERP software to replace our existing software. We were running Sage Pro 7.4 and we are changing to SAP Business One. This change is long over due and I am wishing every day that this would have been done 1 or 2 years ago. The idea to switch was presented about 2 years ago and rejected by upper management. Note to anyone in upper management - LISTEN TO THE IT DEPARTMENT!! IT gets a bad rap a lot of times, but they don't mess around. If the IT department says you need to do something, do it. Enough whining and some things to be thankful about:

1. Learning a lot about business during this process at work
2. It is really nice to be listened to and respected in these meetings
3. I love that I have an understanding husband who lets me work too much when I have to
4. I love that I have an understanding husband that makes me take a break before I actually fry some brain circuits.
5. I am glad nothing happened this week to prevent me from going to work, ie getting the flu, car trouble, rabies, etc.
6. I am SO GLAD every week is not like this week
7. I am glad someone sent me the following video. It gave me a good laugh.

Toothpaste For Dinner

2008-03-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

About 4 years ago, I stumbled on a web comic called Toothpaste For Dinner. It is by far the funniest comic I have seen, and the best part about it is the really ghetto drawings. The guy who does it has a very similar sense of humor to mine. I recently added the website to my iGoogle home page and now I look at the comic every day. The comic can be a little crass sometimes, but for the most part it is clean. Here are a few gems:

New(ish) Car

2008-03-21T09:37:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we bought a new (used) car. It was sad to see the Jimmy go, but it was time. We wanted all-wheel drive but better gas mileage than an SUV. Hannah and Lincoln have had a few Subaru's as well as several of our friends. I think if you live in Utah you will eventually own a Subaru. It is inevitable. We ended up buying a 2002 Subaru WRX Wagon. It is pretty sweet.

Here's the re-cap:

Top 5 Things We Hated About the Jimmy

1. Bad gas mileage (13-14 MPG normal, 16-17 highway)
2. Driver side door. (hinge was broken so you had to slam it shut every time)
3. Missing handle to pop the hood. (I pulled this off once and I don't know where it ended up)
4. Bad shocks - really bumpy ride
5. Bad alignment - made the tires wear funny and the car veered to the right a lot

Top 5 Things We Will Miss About the Jimmy

1. Nostalgia - we went on a lot of fun trips in that car including our first deer hunt
2. Low Maintenance - we didn't have to fix much in the 5 years we owned it
3. 4-Wheel drive low and high. This got us out of a few hairy situations
4. Beater car - we were never afraid to do anything with this car because it wasn't very nice
5. Two words - CARGO SPACE - We fit 2 dead deer in the back of that thing along with 3 hunters. Awesome!!

Top 5 Things We Love About the WRX Wagon

1. Cool sounding muffler turns heads
2. We did not have to sacrifice 4 wheel drive to get a smaller car - it has AWD
3. Good gas mileage - we are getting 10 more MPG easily
4. Reliability - Subaru's last forever - we want to drive this one into the 200,000+ range
5. Surprisingly good cargo space. I don't think we will be fitting 2 dead deer and 3 hunters, but it hauled 4 of us and all of our crap to the Cougar Ranch last weekend.

Damn Cookies

2008-03-21T08:01:00.001-07:00

So... I bought some girl scout cookies. I grew up in a Thin Mint/Samoa family and I can't resist buying the dang things. Have they gone up in price recently, or is the economy just that bad?? I paid $3.50 a box and ended up buying 2 boxes of Samoas. That was Tuesday, today is Friday and with little/no help from Randy (he grew up in a no frills household and is not addicted to girl scout cookies), I have eaten both boxes!! I can only blame myself, and the girl scouts of America. Did you grow up in a girl scout cookie household? What kind of cookies make you loose all control?

Commitment

2008-03-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

So... I have been an extremely lazy blogger as of late. I was looking at the family blogs lately (Hannah, Rebecca, Christina, and Harley) and I realized how much I look forward to reading their blogs and when there isn't anything new I am really bummed. Not that my life is very interesting, but hopefully someone is looking at my blog weekly and saying "dang-it" when I don't post. So... here is the resolution: I will commit to post at least twice a week for the rest of the year. I have put it on my calendar for every Sunday and Wednesday night to have something to blog about. Here is what I am hoping this will do for me:

1. Keep me connected with family
2. Motivate me to do cooler things so I have something to blog about
3. Set goals in my blog and feel the pressure to accomplish them
4. Get to know myself a little better

I have a lot of catching up to do, so here are some topics to look forward to in the coming days:

1. Sold the Jimmy, bought a new (used) car
2. Seattle trip plans
3. New music I like
4. Thoughts about getting into a new exercise routine
5. Recent trip to the cougar ranch

Kaylee Monster

2008-01-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

Kaylee is the cutest fatest little baby I know. She is so mellow and likes to shove food in her mouth by the handful.

A Feeling of Peace

2007-11-27T09:05:00.000-08:00

My mom received a priesthood blessing from my dad, Randy, and Harley. There was a great feeling of peace and comfort in the room and I feel very good about her surgery for ovarian cancer. It is amazing to me how you can feel so worried and upset and how the power of the priesthood can make you feel so much better. I am guilty of sometimes taking the church to lightly and getting into a routine. Sometimes the social aspects of the church really get to me and I let them effect my attitude. The bottom line is, the holy ghost is real, the priesthood is real, and the promise of eternal life is real. These are the things I know, and no matter how much life tries to get in the way, I will always be grateful for the feelings of comfort I have felt in those quiet times when I have made the time to listen.

I am so grateful that a 14-year-old boy, Joseph Smith, entered a grove of trees asking to know which church is right. I will be eternally grateful for the answer he received and the subsequent restoration of the priesthood and its keys through John the Baptist; Peter, James, and John.

You Guys

2007-11-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

Mya is so much fun to play with. She has such a funny personality and she is very creative. Sometimes I have no idea where she comes up with some of the stuff she says. Here is a video of Mya and me playing at my place.

Good Karma

2007-11-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

Here is a list someone sent me that is supposedly "...what The Dalai Lama has to say for 2007". Whether this list is from the Dalai Lama or not, I am not sure, but the ones in orange really stood out to me today.

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
Follow the three R’s:

Respect for self,

Respect for others and

Responsibility for all your actions.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Spend some time alone every day.
Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
Be gentle with the earth.
Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Speaking of reckless abandon, here is a pic of me, Randy and little Debbie at the Poison concert a few months ago. Don't need nothin' but a good time!!

Californ-vacation

2007-11-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

We just got back from California.Went to Disneyland for 3 days, Seaworld for a day and the San Diego Zoo for a day. Randy and I went with his 3 brothers, their wives, and their kids (we were the only ones on the trip with no kids, ahhh, the freedom!). The total ratio of kids to adults was 8:8 - so nobody was outnumbered, although the adults seemed to be at times. We rode with Randy's brother Brian, his wife Desi and their 2 cute kids Roxy (age 4) and Riley (age 2). It was a lot of fun. This is the first time in the five years that we have been married that we have taken this many days off in a row together! Even our honeymoon was only 4 days because of work and school. It made me want to go on more trips and maybe some trips with just the 2 of us for a long period of time. Before the trip, a friend that I work with was joking about Disneyland souvenirs. I asked what I should bring her and she said, "I want you to find me a Mickey Mouse antenna ball with a santa hat on it." We both laughed. Just for fun, I looked around a little at Disneyland, and in no time at all, I found this:

Disneyland is insane! I saw some even more crazy souvenirs than this, like a mickey mouse whisk, pirates of the carribean playing cards, buzz lightyear toothpaste, etc... you get the idea.

Classy.

So... Randy needed a haircut before disneyland because his hair was getting a little long. We went to mom's house and as the haircut progressed, we all decided it wold be a shame to not cut a mullet. Mom was feeling nostalgic about the mullets she used to cut in Texas and Randy was excited about the prospect of his sister in-laws being embarrassed to be seen with him. This is something I like a lot about Randy, he really doesn't take himself too seriously. When we left on Sunday morning, it was quite a surprise to everyone. We got some good looks and Randy purposely walked through a few pictures and videos of perfect strangers so everyone could enjoy the mullet. I hope his mullet shows up in someone's blog...

All in all it was an awesome trip, my only complaint is that I wish I could have relaxed a little more, but we got to ride a lot of fun rides, eat some amazing food and we all left with some great memories.

Randy on the dumbo ride with niece Paige.

My sister-in-law Desi with her daughter Riley

To blog or not to blog, that is the question

2007-10-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. I started a blog. I don’t want this blog to be very heavy duty, just kind of a light hearted journal of things I notice, things I like, things I don’t like and stuff I am doing. My sister, Hannah, is the inspiration to start blogging. I have always liked the idea of having a journal, but the idea usually stops at that, an idea. I am a digital chic – I don’t like writing anything with a pen. I don’t like paper very much either. But yet I like to scrapbook, so that doesn’t make a lot of sense… whatever. I want to be able to archive life events, pictures, thoughts, etc. and be able to pull them up. My sister-in-law Rebecca also blogs. I think it is a good way to keep up with what is happening in each other’s lives. I hope my youngest sister, Heidi will start blogging – she lives in Seattle and then we can all live vicariously through her. She seems to have a lot of fun.