Upon opening up my hotmail box this morning, I sought to educate myself by reading an article entitled Best and Worst Halloween Candy. Thinking it would tell me what the most popular and suckiest candies were, I read with eager interest. But imagine my dismay, shock, horror, and disgust when all it was was a list of candies and their calorie content. Who wants a stick of Trident, people?
So here is my list of the ten best and ten worst Halloween candy... the right way.
Best Halloween Loot
1 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
2 Smarties. Not usually my favorite candy, but I loved getting them at Halloween.
3 Malt balls (although my mom would usually "trade" for (a.k.a. commandeer) these)
4 York Peppermint patties (see item 3)
5 M&M's
6 Earrings (that was the coolest house!)
7 Blow pops
8 Hershey's Special Dark
9 Pixie Sticks
10 Sour patch kids
Worst Halloween junk
1 Peanut butter flavored saltwater taffy. The wrappers might be cute orange and black, but just like in the wild, those bright colors tell you "get away! poisonous!"
2 Tootsie Rolls. I mean, one or two is okay, but when half your candy stash is made of Tootsie, it's impossible. Can't be eaten. I always appreciate the sucker who will trade me good stuff for my Tootsie Rolls.
3 Trident gum. I don't recall ever getting any for Halloween, but now that I know it's low calorie, keep it, folks.
4 Plastic toys
5 Circus peanuts
6 Bit o' Honey. Never actually eaten one of these. But they look gross.
7 Rock hard pink bubble gum. Any brand.
8 Black licorice
9 Generic jaw breakers. I could never tell if they were gumballs or hard candy. I think that's why I developed TMJ.
10 Fire balls. The fiery outer shell was just too much. Too hot. And apparently they're really cheap, b/c everyone seemed to give them.
So there is the definitive list. Don't waste your time counting calories on Halloween. It's like sticking to a no-gravy diet on Thanksgiving. C'mon, people. Live a little. And happy Halloween!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sarah Palin's a Brainiac by Elaine Lafferty
[Chelsea's note: I still haven't decided on who I'll vote for. And more importantly, I haven't even looked at the voter information packet they sent about the local and state issues, which arguably affect me more directly. But I have watched Saturday Night Live clips which mock and ridicule without a thought to avoid bias. This, then, is a refreshing article that shows Sarah Palin in a more positive light, which I appreciate greatly.]
The former editor in chief of Ms. magazine (and a Democrat) on what she learned on a campaign plane with the would-be VP.
It's difficult not to froth when one reads, as I did again and again this week, doubts about Sarah Palin's “intelligence,” coming especially from women such as PBS's Bonnie Erbe, who, as near as I recall, has not herself heretofore been burdened with the Susan Sontag of Journalism moniker. As Fred Barnes—God help me, I'm agreeing with Fred Barnes—suggests in the Weekly Standard, these high toned and authoritative dismissals come from people who have never met or spoken with Sarah Palin. Those who know her, love her or hate her, offer no such criticism. They know what I know, and I learned it from spending just a little time traveling on the cramped campaign plane this week: Sarah Palin is very smart.
I'm a Democrat, but I've worked as a consultant with the McCain campaign since shortly after Palin's nomination. Last week, there was the thought that as a former editor-in-chief of Ms. magazine as well as a feminist activist in my pre-journalism days, I might be helpful in contributing to a speech that Palin had long wanted to give on women's rights.
What is often called her “confidence” is actually a rarity in national politics: I saw a woman who knows exactly who she is.
Now by “smart,” I don't refer to a person who is wily or calculating or nimble in the way of certain talented athletes who we admire but suspect don't really have serious brains in their skulls. I mean, instead, a mind that is thoughtful, curious, with a discernable pattern of associative thinking and insight. Palin asks questions, and probes linkages and logic that bring to mind a quirky law professor I once had. Palin is more than a “quick study”; I'd heard rumors around the campaign of her photographic memory and, frankly, I watched it in action. She sees. She processes. She questions, and only then, she acts. What is often called her “confidence” is actually a rarity in national politics: I saw a woman who knows exactly who she is.
For all those old enough to remember Senator Sam Ervin, the brilliant strict constitutional constructionist and chairman of the Senate Watergate Committee whose patois included “I'm just a country lawyer"...Yup, Palin is that smart.
So no simple task then, this speech on women's rights. For the sin of being a Christian personally opposed to abortion, Palin is being pilloried by the inside-the-Beltway Democrat feminist establishment. (Yes, she is anti-abortion. And yes, instead of buying organic New Zealand lamb at Whole Foods, she joins other Alaskans in hunting for food. That's it. She is not a right-wing nut, and all the rest of the Internet drivel—the book banning at the Library, the rape kits decision—is nonsense. I digress.) Palin's role in this campaign was to energize “the Republican base,” which she has inarguably done. She also was expected to reach out to Hillary Clinton “moderates.” (Right. Only a woman would get both those jobs in either party.) Look, I am obviously personally pro-choice, and I disagree with McCain and Palin on that and a few other issues. But like many other Democrats, including Lynn Rothschild, I'm tired of the Democratic Party taking women for granted. I also happen to believe Sarah Palin supports women's rights, deeply and passionately.
Many of those—not all—who decried the sexist media treatment of Hillary Clinton have been silent as Palin has been skewered in the old ways that female public figures are skewered, as well as a host of sexualized new ways as well. Some feminists have weighed in; “Even the reportedly clear glasses she wears to play down her beauty queen credential and enhance her gravitas can't make up for experience,” writes my heroine Suzanne Braun Levine, former editor of Ms. Oppose her on policy? Fine. But how sad for feminist leaders to sink this low, especially when Palin has worn glasses since she was 10 years old.
Last month a prominent feminist blogger, echoing that sensibility, declared that the media was wrongly buying into the false idea that Palin was a feminist. Why? Well, just because she said she was a feminist, because she supported women's rights and opportunities, equal pay, Title IV—that was just “empty rhetoric,” they said. At least the blogger didn't go as far as NOW's Kim Gandy and declare that Palin was not a woman. Bottom line: you are not a feminist until we say you are. And there you have the formula for diminishing what was once a great and important mass social change movement to an exclusionary club that rejects women who sincerely want to join and, God forbid, grow to lead.
But here is the good news: women, citizens of America's high and low culture, the Economist and People magazine readers, will get it. They got it with Hillary even when feminist leaders were not supporting her or doing so half-heartedly. Yes, Palin is a harder sell, she looks and sounds different, and one can rightfully oppose her based on abortion policies. If you only vote on how a person personally feels about abortion, you will never want her to darken your door. If you care about anything else, she will continue to intrigue you. As Time's Nancy Gibbs noted a few weeks ago, quoting bioethicist Tom Murray, “Sympathy and subtlety are seasonings rarely applied to political red meat.” Will Palin's time come next week? I don't know. But her time will come.
The former editor in chief of Ms. magazine (and a Democrat) on what she learned on a campaign plane with the would-be VP.
It's difficult not to froth when one reads, as I did again and again this week, doubts about Sarah Palin's “intelligence,” coming especially from women such as PBS's Bonnie Erbe, who, as near as I recall, has not herself heretofore been burdened with the Susan Sontag of Journalism moniker. As Fred Barnes—God help me, I'm agreeing with Fred Barnes—suggests in the Weekly Standard, these high toned and authoritative dismissals come from people who have never met or spoken with Sarah Palin. Those who know her, love her or hate her, offer no such criticism. They know what I know, and I learned it from spending just a little time traveling on the cramped campaign plane this week: Sarah Palin is very smart.
I'm a Democrat, but I've worked as a consultant with the McCain campaign since shortly after Palin's nomination. Last week, there was the thought that as a former editor-in-chief of Ms. magazine as well as a feminist activist in my pre-journalism days, I might be helpful in contributing to a speech that Palin had long wanted to give on women's rights.
What is often called her “confidence” is actually a rarity in national politics: I saw a woman who knows exactly who she is.
Now by “smart,” I don't refer to a person who is wily or calculating or nimble in the way of certain talented athletes who we admire but suspect don't really have serious brains in their skulls. I mean, instead, a mind that is thoughtful, curious, with a discernable pattern of associative thinking and insight. Palin asks questions, and probes linkages and logic that bring to mind a quirky law professor I once had. Palin is more than a “quick study”; I'd heard rumors around the campaign of her photographic memory and, frankly, I watched it in action. She sees. She processes. She questions, and only then, she acts. What is often called her “confidence” is actually a rarity in national politics: I saw a woman who knows exactly who she is.
For all those old enough to remember Senator Sam Ervin, the brilliant strict constitutional constructionist and chairman of the Senate Watergate Committee whose patois included “I'm just a country lawyer"...Yup, Palin is that smart.
So no simple task then, this speech on women's rights. For the sin of being a Christian personally opposed to abortion, Palin is being pilloried by the inside-the-Beltway Democrat feminist establishment. (Yes, she is anti-abortion. And yes, instead of buying organic New Zealand lamb at Whole Foods, she joins other Alaskans in hunting for food. That's it. She is not a right-wing nut, and all the rest of the Internet drivel—the book banning at the Library, the rape kits decision—is nonsense. I digress.) Palin's role in this campaign was to energize “the Republican base,” which she has inarguably done. She also was expected to reach out to Hillary Clinton “moderates.” (Right. Only a woman would get both those jobs in either party.) Look, I am obviously personally pro-choice, and I disagree with McCain and Palin on that and a few other issues. But like many other Democrats, including Lynn Rothschild, I'm tired of the Democratic Party taking women for granted. I also happen to believe Sarah Palin supports women's rights, deeply and passionately.
Many of those—not all—who decried the sexist media treatment of Hillary Clinton have been silent as Palin has been skewered in the old ways that female public figures are skewered, as well as a host of sexualized new ways as well. Some feminists have weighed in; “Even the reportedly clear glasses she wears to play down her beauty queen credential and enhance her gravitas can't make up for experience,” writes my heroine Suzanne Braun Levine, former editor of Ms. Oppose her on policy? Fine. But how sad for feminist leaders to sink this low, especially when Palin has worn glasses since she was 10 years old.
Last month a prominent feminist blogger, echoing that sensibility, declared that the media was wrongly buying into the false idea that Palin was a feminist. Why? Well, just because she said she was a feminist, because she supported women's rights and opportunities, equal pay, Title IV—that was just “empty rhetoric,” they said. At least the blogger didn't go as far as NOW's Kim Gandy and declare that Palin was not a woman. Bottom line: you are not a feminist until we say you are. And there you have the formula for diminishing what was once a great and important mass social change movement to an exclusionary club that rejects women who sincerely want to join and, God forbid, grow to lead.
But here is the good news: women, citizens of America's high and low culture, the Economist and People magazine readers, will get it. They got it with Hillary even when feminist leaders were not supporting her or doing so half-heartedly. Yes, Palin is a harder sell, she looks and sounds different, and one can rightfully oppose her based on abortion policies. If you only vote on how a person personally feels about abortion, you will never want her to darken your door. If you care about anything else, she will continue to intrigue you. As Time's Nancy Gibbs noted a few weeks ago, quoting bioethicist Tom Murray, “Sympathy and subtlety are seasonings rarely applied to political red meat.” Will Palin's time come next week? I don't know. But her time will come.
More about cats
Yesterday after work, since it was SUCH a beautiful day and I'd rolled my window down, I completely forgot to roll it back up. No biggie. It didn't rain, and it didn't even frost. So this morning I go out there and chuckle to myself that I had been so forgetful. And then I noticed a CREATURE in the back of my car.
OK, it wasn't scary, but it did surprise me. There's this big old Siamese cat (probably as big as Toby) that roams our neighborhood, and he was SLEEPING in the back of my car!
Kind of makes me wonder what else could have been in and out over the course of the night.
I'll close my windows from now on. :)
OK, it wasn't scary, but it did surprise me. There's this big old Siamese cat (probably as big as Toby) that roams our neighborhood, and he was SLEEPING in the back of my car!
Kind of makes me wonder what else could have been in and out over the course of the night.
I'll close my windows from now on. :)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
My wonderful kitty cats
I don't usually go on and on about my pets, because it is completely and entirely boring for everyone else. So feel free to skim, but do take a look at the beautiful pitures, photgraphed by my mom while she was visiting me.
I notice that I really love blogs that have pictures of my friends. So often there are just pictures of the little ones, which makes sense, since the mom is usually the one taking the picture. I also notice that since I don't have a camera, I don't take many (any) pictures. So these are ones that my mom took when she was here a couple months ago.
My black cat is named Toby, short for October. He is wonderful and very very big. He started to get kind of fat, but then we got Howie. Now they chase each other around the house all day, so neither of them is fat. Toby likes attention, and at about 7:15 every morning (why do I still set an alarm?) he wakes me up and then sits on the dresser and meows for attention. I used to think it was for food, but then I found that even when I feed him at night, he still comes in to get petted. When he was a little kitten, he liked to curl up in my hair on my pillow while I slept. Now that he is a very large cat, he still likes to do that. It's a bit annoying, but I really love it. He's very much a talker and will meow conversations back and forth with us sometimes. He hates small children, and if he sees one toddle towards him, he makes himself scarce until that child leaves.
Howie, on the other hand, is a bit masochistic. He LOVES little kids and will just purr and purr while they poke, hit, and drag him. He really doesn't have his self interest in mind at all. He purrs all the time. When I was out of town, Kevin had Howie purr to me over the phone and it was super loud!
We found Howie in a tree in our neighbor's yard, and that explains a lot about him. He likes to climb on stuff, but he is kind of stupid. When we squirt him with water to have him get off the table or counters or something, it doesn't phase him. Ditto to when we manhandle him or push his head down onto the ground by the scruff of his neck (like some training books say to do). We turn around, and he's back up there.
We have a little toy that is something like a feathery-looking weasel with a bell on it, attached to a string and a stick. Howie loves to chase this and will chase it until he's out of breath and has to pant like a dog. Sometimes he'll find the toy, pick it up in his mouth, and drag it around the house, stick and everything. It is completely so cute!
Toby is sleek and refined, like a black panther. He's gorgeous and soft. But then Howie is softer in a different way. He has longer fur that is just ridiculously fine textured. It is super long, and his tail is poofy like a squirrel's.
I notice that I really love blogs that have pictures of my friends. So often there are just pictures of the little ones, which makes sense, since the mom is usually the one taking the picture. I also notice that since I don't have a camera, I don't take many (any) pictures. So these are ones that my mom took when she was here a couple months ago.
My black cat is named Toby, short for October. He is wonderful and very very big. He started to get kind of fat, but then we got Howie. Now they chase each other around the house all day, so neither of them is fat. Toby likes attention, and at about 7:15 every morning (why do I still set an alarm?) he wakes me up and then sits on the dresser and meows for attention. I used to think it was for food, but then I found that even when I feed him at night, he still comes in to get petted. When he was a little kitten, he liked to curl up in my hair on my pillow while I slept. Now that he is a very large cat, he still likes to do that. It's a bit annoying, but I really love it. He's very much a talker and will meow conversations back and forth with us sometimes. He hates small children, and if he sees one toddle towards him, he makes himself scarce until that child leaves.
Howie, on the other hand, is a bit masochistic. He LOVES little kids and will just purr and purr while they poke, hit, and drag him. He really doesn't have his self interest in mind at all. He purrs all the time. When I was out of town, Kevin had Howie purr to me over the phone and it was super loud!
We found Howie in a tree in our neighbor's yard, and that explains a lot about him. He likes to climb on stuff, but he is kind of stupid. When we squirt him with water to have him get off the table or counters or something, it doesn't phase him. Ditto to when we manhandle him or push his head down onto the ground by the scruff of his neck (like some training books say to do). We turn around, and he's back up there.
We have a little toy that is something like a feathery-looking weasel with a bell on it, attached to a string and a stick. Howie loves to chase this and will chase it until he's out of breath and has to pant like a dog. Sometimes he'll find the toy, pick it up in his mouth, and drag it around the house, stick and everything. It is completely so cute!
Toby is sleek and refined, like a black panther. He's gorgeous and soft. But then Howie is softer in a different way. He has longer fur that is just ridiculously fine textured. It is super long, and his tail is poofy like a squirrel's.
Monday, October 27, 2008
NaNoWriMo
A little while ago, I checked out a book from the library called No Plot? No Problem! In a nutshell, that's what I was having problems with: I wanted to write something but couldn't think of a plot. And books sans plots=huge waste of time. Don't even get me started about Middlemarch. Blach!
So part of this book, besides giving ideas and pointers of things to consider while writing a novel, is that the author started an event called National Novel Writing Month. He started it with his friends, fellow wannabe writers, and they all got together and wrote a novel in a month. Now, it wasn't a GOOD novel (and I'm not sure this author ever published a book besides No Plot? No Problem!), but sometimes it's satisfying to just complete SOMETHING.
So I have signed up to write a novel this coming month. It will not be good. It will be long and wholly unedited. At places, it will sound like the random ramblings of an incoherent eighth grader, and at other times it will have descriptions that put even Dickens's to shame in their length and sheer impenetrability. And I might even use words like impenetrability. So ha!
But I just wanted to let you know that I WILL be finishing a novel this November. Come join me! If you want to do this too, just go to their website and sign up. If you reach a certain word-count (like 50,000), it counts as a novel and you "win." And then you spend December and the following months editing it. You should do it too. We can be winners!
On the other hand, my school is hosting a Biggest Loser competition. That's one I DON'T want to win. ;) Who wants to be a loser?! I'm gonna spend the month sitting on my couch WRITING.
So part of this book, besides giving ideas and pointers of things to consider while writing a novel, is that the author started an event called National Novel Writing Month. He started it with his friends, fellow wannabe writers, and they all got together and wrote a novel in a month. Now, it wasn't a GOOD novel (and I'm not sure this author ever published a book besides No Plot? No Problem!), but sometimes it's satisfying to just complete SOMETHING.
So I have signed up to write a novel this coming month. It will not be good. It will be long and wholly unedited. At places, it will sound like the random ramblings of an incoherent eighth grader, and at other times it will have descriptions that put even Dickens's to shame in their length and sheer impenetrability. And I might even use words like impenetrability. So ha!
But I just wanted to let you know that I WILL be finishing a novel this November. Come join me! If you want to do this too, just go to their website and sign up. If you reach a certain word-count (like 50,000), it counts as a novel and you "win." And then you spend December and the following months editing it. You should do it too. We can be winners!
On the other hand, my school is hosting a Biggest Loser competition. That's one I DON'T want to win. ;) Who wants to be a loser?! I'm gonna spend the month sitting on my couch WRITING.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Someone get me a map!
If you asked me a week ago (and several of you did) where I thought Kevin would find a job after he graduates from law school, I'd tell you I didn't know, but he's been applying in Washington state and Washington D.C. So that's where I thought we'd be going.
However, a couple days ago, Kevin interviewed with a judge from one of Idaho's district courts, and he decided to take the clerkship with her up in Boise starting this July. So goodbye Provo; hello Idaho!
This is actually a perfect job for Kevin. He gets along with the judge really well. She had traveled to China in the 1980's, and for 3/4 of their interview, that's what they talked about. I mean, Kevin's qualified for the job and everything, but so was everyone else who applied. My husband just has some awesome interpersonal skills!
It's also perfect because the job is just for a year-- essentially a prestigious internship. Kevin's applied for some other jobs with the US Foreign Service and State Department and stuff, and he's really excited about those possibilities. But the government takes its sweet time when processing job applications, sometimes even up to a year. So if things work out according to the dream, he'll work at this court clerkship for a year and then go work for the government in the Diplomatic Corps or whatever. If not, having a clerkship (and understanding how a judge's job works) makes you really marketable for regular law firms. So this clerkship fits him to a T.
I've never been to Boise, but it sounds really nice. The wikipedia article had some information on it, and googlemaps shows me what it looks like if I were an eagle or a vulture screaming overhead. So I feel comfortable moving there sight unseen (site unseen?). It's always exciting to go do new things, especially with Kevin. I love him, and I'm proud of him for finding a great job for after law school. We are seriously, so blessed!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
White Rock Ward
I love the White Rock Ward! I think it might not be perfect, but in so many ways it works the way a ward should work. People are friendly with each other. They can count on their Home Teachers or Visiting Teachers in a pinch. And they don't let minor setbacks prevent them from doing what they should.
About that last one, I had a friend who said that one week the Air Conditioner went out in their church building. So she didn't go. Or I've heard of wards in Utah (where no one lives further than 3 blocks from a church) have canceled church because of too much snow on the roads. Boots, people!
So I'm sitting in church on Sunday, and right in the middle of the second high counselor's talk, the power went out. There are some emergency lights by the exit doors, so once our eyes adjusted, we could see some faint outlines of people. When the little kids stopped talking, the speaker made a comment about the power and then continued with his talk. After about a minute, he reaches the end of his thought and says, "Well, with the lights out, I can no longer see my notes. So I'll say what I can remember, and then I'll shut up and sit down." Someone brought him a flashlight, and he finished right on time. It really made me understand why in the old days, everyone sat on the front rows of the church pews. I was on the third row, and when the babies were talking, I could hardly hear the speaker. In my ward currently, no one ever sits on about the first 3 rows, and then it is pretty sparse for the first half of the chapel. But the back divider is opened up, and there are tons of seats in the back, where most of the people sit. I think it would be a great experiment to turn off the microphone for a few weeks, encouraging people to sit together as a congregation and a community. The feeling of community is what is missing in many wards, and I think it's partly because we don't sit together and get to know each other. Kevin and I really try to do that, talking to the people we sit with. There are just two of us, so we fit on rows with just about anyone.
So continuing the power outage. The organ wouldn't work without electricity, of course, so the closing song was with piano. We sang "There Is Sunshine in My Soul," ironically. Even though we couldn't see our hymnals as well as usual, I think there was more fervent and enthusiastic singing than I've heard in a long time. It was beautiful.
The Sunday School class got moved to the Relief Society room, where there are several windows. I enjoy Sunday School in White Rock, because I feel that I learn. In my ward here, I feel that we have great discussions sometimes, and sometimes I learn something new. But in White Rock, I always feel like I learn a lot. Everyone there is thinking and has done a lot of thinking, studying, and research over the years, and then they're happy to share their thoughts.
After Sunday School, the power went back on, and it was off to Young Women and Relief Society.
I was really impressed with the Young Women who led the opening exercises for Relief Society and Young Women. They were mature and collected when giving the announcements... which is not always or ever happens in my ward. The girls in charge took care of the prelude music, announcements, theme, and prayer, without making it a question and answer series with the leaders. That's something to work on in my ward. I'll take it as a challenge myself.
There's a lot that is right with my current ward, but there are a few things that White Rock does really well, and I enjoy those when I get to go back home to visit. I hope I get to visit often. I don't know the next time I'll be able to go... maybe over spring break. But I definitely want to go for the 4th of July. I've spent the 4th of July in a couple different places (Utah, New Mexico, China, Lake Tahoe), and the best by far is New Mexico!
About that last one, I had a friend who said that one week the Air Conditioner went out in their church building. So she didn't go. Or I've heard of wards in Utah (where no one lives further than 3 blocks from a church) have canceled church because of too much snow on the roads. Boots, people!
So I'm sitting in church on Sunday, and right in the middle of the second high counselor's talk, the power went out. There are some emergency lights by the exit doors, so once our eyes adjusted, we could see some faint outlines of people. When the little kids stopped talking, the speaker made a comment about the power and then continued with his talk. After about a minute, he reaches the end of his thought and says, "Well, with the lights out, I can no longer see my notes. So I'll say what I can remember, and then I'll shut up and sit down." Someone brought him a flashlight, and he finished right on time. It really made me understand why in the old days, everyone sat on the front rows of the church pews. I was on the third row, and when the babies were talking, I could hardly hear the speaker. In my ward currently, no one ever sits on about the first 3 rows, and then it is pretty sparse for the first half of the chapel. But the back divider is opened up, and there are tons of seats in the back, where most of the people sit. I think it would be a great experiment to turn off the microphone for a few weeks, encouraging people to sit together as a congregation and a community. The feeling of community is what is missing in many wards, and I think it's partly because we don't sit together and get to know each other. Kevin and I really try to do that, talking to the people we sit with. There are just two of us, so we fit on rows with just about anyone.
So continuing the power outage. The organ wouldn't work without electricity, of course, so the closing song was with piano. We sang "There Is Sunshine in My Soul," ironically. Even though we couldn't see our hymnals as well as usual, I think there was more fervent and enthusiastic singing than I've heard in a long time. It was beautiful.
The Sunday School class got moved to the Relief Society room, where there are several windows. I enjoy Sunday School in White Rock, because I feel that I learn. In my ward here, I feel that we have great discussions sometimes, and sometimes I learn something new. But in White Rock, I always feel like I learn a lot. Everyone there is thinking and has done a lot of thinking, studying, and research over the years, and then they're happy to share their thoughts.
After Sunday School, the power went back on, and it was off to Young Women and Relief Society.
I was really impressed with the Young Women who led the opening exercises for Relief Society and Young Women. They were mature and collected when giving the announcements... which is not always or ever happens in my ward. The girls in charge took care of the prelude music, announcements, theme, and prayer, without making it a question and answer series with the leaders. That's something to work on in my ward. I'll take it as a challenge myself.
There's a lot that is right with my current ward, but there are a few things that White Rock does really well, and I enjoy those when I get to go back home to visit. I hope I get to visit often. I don't know the next time I'll be able to go... maybe over spring break. But I definitely want to go for the 4th of July. I've spent the 4th of July in a couple different places (Utah, New Mexico, China, Lake Tahoe), and the best by far is New Mexico!
Saturday
Another reason I was excited to go home this weekend is that a couple of my friends from day camp, Adam and Casey, are living in Los Alamos these days. They're married and have a baby, Cara, who it was fun to meet. We decided to go hiking and have a picnic lunch up at Camp May.
I'd never done much hiking out there, and I'd been missing out! It was gorgeous and a perfect day for hiking! The trees on the ski hill were dark green and then bright gold where the aspens were changing colors. I was there on the right day. Last week they would probably have been green, and next week the leaves will have all fallen off. The weather was warm in the sun and cool in the shade, which was perfect for hiking. Apparently a lot of other people felt that way too. We ran into several other people, most of whom we knew. I actually ran into Adam Light, who I usually like to go see when he's in town. But since he lives in Colorado, I didn't figure he'd be there. When we came across him and his dad on the trail, I actually recognized his dog first. :) He has a cute little dog that's just bite-sized and completely adorable (this coming from a devout dog-despiser). She was hopping along the trail, followed by Adam's parents' dog, a big ol' sheepdog-type that should be named Bruno or Brutus or something. I forget his real name. :S
So that was fortuitous to run into them on the trail. :)
When Adam, Casey, Cara, and I got to our picnic, we had a lovely time. Adam and Casey are super fun people, and their daugher is great. She has this super sweet smile that says, "I'm so special!" And you can tell she knows her parents love her lots.
I wish they had gotten to meet Kevin and that Kevin had gotten to meet them. But it was great to finally meet Cara and to get to hang out with the three of them. Yay!
I'd never done much hiking out there, and I'd been missing out! It was gorgeous and a perfect day for hiking! The trees on the ski hill were dark green and then bright gold where the aspens were changing colors. I was there on the right day. Last week they would probably have been green, and next week the leaves will have all fallen off. The weather was warm in the sun and cool in the shade, which was perfect for hiking. Apparently a lot of other people felt that way too. We ran into several other people, most of whom we knew. I actually ran into Adam Light, who I usually like to go see when he's in town. But since he lives in Colorado, I didn't figure he'd be there. When we came across him and his dad on the trail, I actually recognized his dog first. :) He has a cute little dog that's just bite-sized and completely adorable (this coming from a devout dog-despiser). She was hopping along the trail, followed by Adam's parents' dog, a big ol' sheepdog-type that should be named Bruno or Brutus or something. I forget his real name. :S
So that was fortuitous to run into them on the trail. :)
When Adam, Casey, Cara, and I got to our picnic, we had a lovely time. Adam and Casey are super fun people, and their daugher is great. She has this super sweet smile that says, "I'm so special!" And you can tell she knows her parents love her lots.
I wish they had gotten to meet Kevin and that Kevin had gotten to meet them. But it was great to finally meet Cara and to get to hang out with the three of them. Yay!
Friday
So this weekend I had two extra days off school for UEA. I'm not sure what that stands for (Utah Educators something-rather), but it used to be called Deer Hunt. And then Monday there was a staff training that I didn't have to attend, so I took off to spend the weekend in New Mexico.
I LOVE New Mexico in the fall! October is my favorite month there for several reasons, and I was super excited to go. I love the trees and the changing weather. The most beautiful spot in the world is along the Rio Grande right after the road to Espanola, where the cottonwood trees are BRIGHT yellow and stand out from the pink and dark mesas with the little juniper bushes on them. It was worth the trip down there just to see that.
On Friday night my family went to the LAHS football game. Daniel plays football, but he's on the JV team, and they didn't have a game this weekend. But he's also in the marching band (snare drum), so we got to see him do that. I never thought of my old high school football games as something I miss, but it was so fun to go and see all the hoopla that I used to be a part of. I mean, since I was in marching band, I went to every single home football game, and it was cool to see it all again.
One part I'd completely forgotten about was that during the last quarter of the game, there's a guy with Down's Syndrome who comes to lead the band in the fight song (Go Toppers!). So he's up there directing with the drum majors, and he's had enough practice that he waves his hands better than the drum majors, I think. This time, he gets up to the front and puts on a black cape. Then he leads the band in some cheers and generally works the crowd. I remember how fun it was to cheer with him, because he is absolutely BURSTING with school spirit, and you can tell that the football games are the highlight of his weeks during the fall. He comes with his mom, and she's always there with him, although she sits quietly while he's leading cheers and yells.
It's nice to visit home, although I don't know as many people as I used to. But when you only know 3 or 4 people, you have to make sure to visit and talk with all of them. So during the game, my mom and I went and talked to a few people, and it was nice to catch up.
One girl I graduated with, Katie, writes a blog, and I read it occasionally, linking through Julia's blog. I've known Katie since 5th grade, and we've never been tight friends or anything. But her blog is really neat. She has a lot of great ideas for living a simple life, and that's something I'm really interested in. She knits a lot, and she posts some pictures of the things she's knitted.
So I'm at the game, wandering around with my mom, and we see a baby stroller. I'm not sure that it was even hers, but it reminds me that Katie and her baby son would probably be at the game, since her husband is a coach and she goes to all the games. Right then I see this little baby toddling around with someone who must be his grandpa. And the baby's wearing a knitted hat that I had seen a picture of on Katie's blog! So I went and talked to Katie and told her about the blog picture and recognizing her son. I hope it didn't creep her out, come to think of it.
And I got to talk to my neighbors, the McCulloughs. They're putting a new porch on their house and decided that pink construction paper was a good look for their house. ;) No, seriously, it looks really great with a shady porch instead of a solar oven, which all south-facing houses tend to become. And it will look even better once they stucco over the pink.
The band did a show from Tommy, the rock opera. I didn't know the songs, except the last one, Pinball Wizard. The colorguard had some gray "pinballs" and used them as their apparatus for the last song. I guess I've been watching too much rhythmic gymnastics, because I was expecting some awesome rolling, tossing, and manipulation, and sadly they just held them. But it was a cool idea.
And the Toppers won the game 12-0 against Farmington, so the band wore their hats backwards to march back to the band room. I didn't watch a bit of the game, but all in all, it was a grand evening.
I LOVE New Mexico in the fall! October is my favorite month there for several reasons, and I was super excited to go. I love the trees and the changing weather. The most beautiful spot in the world is along the Rio Grande right after the road to Espanola, where the cottonwood trees are BRIGHT yellow and stand out from the pink and dark mesas with the little juniper bushes on them. It was worth the trip down there just to see that.
On Friday night my family went to the LAHS football game. Daniel plays football, but he's on the JV team, and they didn't have a game this weekend. But he's also in the marching band (snare drum), so we got to see him do that. I never thought of my old high school football games as something I miss, but it was so fun to go and see all the hoopla that I used to be a part of. I mean, since I was in marching band, I went to every single home football game, and it was cool to see it all again.
One part I'd completely forgotten about was that during the last quarter of the game, there's a guy with Down's Syndrome who comes to lead the band in the fight song (Go Toppers!). So he's up there directing with the drum majors, and he's had enough practice that he waves his hands better than the drum majors, I think. This time, he gets up to the front and puts on a black cape. Then he leads the band in some cheers and generally works the crowd. I remember how fun it was to cheer with him, because he is absolutely BURSTING with school spirit, and you can tell that the football games are the highlight of his weeks during the fall. He comes with his mom, and she's always there with him, although she sits quietly while he's leading cheers and yells.
It's nice to visit home, although I don't know as many people as I used to. But when you only know 3 or 4 people, you have to make sure to visit and talk with all of them. So during the game, my mom and I went and talked to a few people, and it was nice to catch up.
One girl I graduated with, Katie, writes a blog, and I read it occasionally, linking through Julia's blog. I've known Katie since 5th grade, and we've never been tight friends or anything. But her blog is really neat. She has a lot of great ideas for living a simple life, and that's something I'm really interested in. She knits a lot, and she posts some pictures of the things she's knitted.
So I'm at the game, wandering around with my mom, and we see a baby stroller. I'm not sure that it was even hers, but it reminds me that Katie and her baby son would probably be at the game, since her husband is a coach and she goes to all the games. Right then I see this little baby toddling around with someone who must be his grandpa. And the baby's wearing a knitted hat that I had seen a picture of on Katie's blog! So I went and talked to Katie and told her about the blog picture and recognizing her son. I hope it didn't creep her out, come to think of it.
And I got to talk to my neighbors, the McCulloughs. They're putting a new porch on their house and decided that pink construction paper was a good look for their house. ;) No, seriously, it looks really great with a shady porch instead of a solar oven, which all south-facing houses tend to become. And it will look even better once they stucco over the pink.
The band did a show from Tommy, the rock opera. I didn't know the songs, except the last one, Pinball Wizard. The colorguard had some gray "pinballs" and used them as their apparatus for the last song. I guess I've been watching too much rhythmic gymnastics, because I was expecting some awesome rolling, tossing, and manipulation, and sadly they just held them. But it was a cool idea.
And the Toppers won the game 12-0 against Farmington, so the band wore their hats backwards to march back to the band room. I didn't watch a bit of the game, but all in all, it was a grand evening.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Trust issues
Update: My green shirt is fine. I washed it, and it looks... about 1 wash older than it did before. I can handle that. My knee is still bluish green, and my ankle is still sprained. A certain 3-year-old niece of mine (who shall remain nameless) ran into my legs as they were perched on the coffee table, which somehow re-sprained my ankle something fierce. But I'm planning on living through this. Bear with me as I continue to whine about it.
My mom is staying with me, and last night we dyed my hair. It's just a teensy bit darker than before. We took before pictures and during pictures, but we have yet to take after pictures. I'm lucky my mom was here, because she has a camera. Otherwise there would be no photographic evidence that anything had changed at all.
And now you'll just have to take my word for it that pictures exist. :)
On another unrelated topic, let me tell you how awesome my brother is. I needed to get an oil change, and so I called him to see which services and fluids I should have done when I go to Jiffy Lube. He used to work there before he got his real mechanic job, and he said that sometimes the people there just tell you need to have stuff done, but you don't really need it as often as they say. So I called to ask him what I should have done, and he said, "Actually, I've been wanting to take a look at your car for a little while now. Why don't you bring it by after work and I'll see if I can change some of the fluids too." How cool is that?!
And this is coming from the brother who used to tell me that in that Beach Boys song, Kokomo, that line that I thought sounded like "mounds of rotten steak" actually said "monster at the stake." Because obviously when you find monsters on tropical islands, it is traditional to burn them at the stake. (We watched "Ivanhoe" a few too many times as children). I think what he meant to say is "Monsarrat mystique."
We used to watch Return of the Jedi together, and I had a really hard time understanding what some of the characters were saying. I thought I was just stupid, because Han Solo could understand Chewbacca just fine, and so could my brother. I'd ask him what Chewy had just said, and he'd tell me, "Oh, he just said that he doesn't want to go to Corusant." Ok, so I know you can kind of infer what he was saying, but please! Erik didn't (and doesn't) speak Wookie!
He also taught me that a lobotomy is where you drill a hole in someone's head, poke a stick in it, and scramble their brains.
He would make sand battleships in our sandbox and show my parents, pointing out the gun turrets, the airplane landing strip, the cockpit or whatever. My parents would stand there saying, "Oh," "Ah," and "Ooh, how neat." And I thought there was something wrong with me because all I saw was a pile of sand. Same goes for his "gun cabinet" in our tree fort. I thought they were just sticks.
So despite having a little sister with absolutely no imagination, Erik is still patient enough with me that he will fix my car for free. Or for cost of supplies. Maybe I could get him to change my wiper blades. Although I heard that's pretty easy to do. I just have yet to try.
My mom is staying with me, and last night we dyed my hair. It's just a teensy bit darker than before. We took before pictures and during pictures, but we have yet to take after pictures. I'm lucky my mom was here, because she has a camera. Otherwise there would be no photographic evidence that anything had changed at all.
And now you'll just have to take my word for it that pictures exist. :)
On another unrelated topic, let me tell you how awesome my brother is. I needed to get an oil change, and so I called him to see which services and fluids I should have done when I go to Jiffy Lube. He used to work there before he got his real mechanic job, and he said that sometimes the people there just tell you need to have stuff done, but you don't really need it as often as they say. So I called to ask him what I should have done, and he said, "Actually, I've been wanting to take a look at your car for a little while now. Why don't you bring it by after work and I'll see if I can change some of the fluids too." How cool is that?!
And this is coming from the brother who used to tell me that in that Beach Boys song, Kokomo, that line that I thought sounded like "mounds of rotten steak" actually said "monster at the stake." Because obviously when you find monsters on tropical islands, it is traditional to burn them at the stake. (We watched "Ivanhoe" a few too many times as children). I think what he meant to say is "Monsarrat mystique."
We used to watch Return of the Jedi together, and I had a really hard time understanding what some of the characters were saying. I thought I was just stupid, because Han Solo could understand Chewbacca just fine, and so could my brother. I'd ask him what Chewy had just said, and he'd tell me, "Oh, he just said that he doesn't want to go to Corusant." Ok, so I know you can kind of infer what he was saying, but please! Erik didn't (and doesn't) speak Wookie!
He also taught me that a lobotomy is where you drill a hole in someone's head, poke a stick in it, and scramble their brains.
He would make sand battleships in our sandbox and show my parents, pointing out the gun turrets, the airplane landing strip, the cockpit or whatever. My parents would stand there saying, "Oh," "Ah," and "Ooh, how neat." And I thought there was something wrong with me because all I saw was a pile of sand. Same goes for his "gun cabinet" in our tree fort. I thought they were just sticks.
So despite having a little sister with absolutely no imagination, Erik is still patient enough with me that he will fix my car for free. Or for cost of supplies. Maybe I could get him to change my wiper blades. Although I heard that's pretty easy to do. I just have yet to try.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
I hurt
I didn't make it to Young Women's tonight.
Oh, I meant to go. I made dinner early and then changed into some cute clothes (not my bikeriding grubbies) to go over to the church. When I was leaving, I went and showed Kevin my new shirt. I got it at Savers, but I think it was brand new... or at least only worn a couple of times. It's bright green, long sleeved, with a boat neck, and it's really soft. I love it.
So I took off for Young Women. Despite having ridden my bike to work today, I had a ton of energy, so I decided to run to church.
Unfortunately, there's a little hole in the yard right where I was running. I've stumbled through it before, but never much more than a misstep. But today I took it at a run. Before I knew what had happened, I twisted my ankle and found myself diving forward into the ground. I didn't catch myself before my whole body was spread-eagle on the ground. I tried to sit up and assess the damage, but I hurt too much to move. I didn't have my phone, so I knew I'd either have to make it inside or just lie outside and hurt in the yard.
Apparently I have some self control, because I was able to pull myself up and limp back inside. I think my ankle is just sprained. It hurts, but nothing close to when I broke it in China. My jeans tore through, and both knees are skinned and bleeding. But my left hand must have been what broke my fall as it skidded through the dirt. It's all sorts of cut up, with some dirt shoved up into it far enough that I couldn't get it out, despite all my scrubbing.
I cried because I hurt, and I cried harder because I think I've ruined my beautiful green shirt. I'll wash it, but I think it's all pulled and mud-encrusted, so there's very little hope.
My ankle didn't swell too much, because I iced it, and my scrapes are washed and band-aided but still sting.
It's been a long time since I've done this to myself. People at work tomorrow will think I crashed my bike. No, I'm just dumb and decide to run through fields of potholes.
Oh, I meant to go. I made dinner early and then changed into some cute clothes (not my bikeriding grubbies) to go over to the church. When I was leaving, I went and showed Kevin my new shirt. I got it at Savers, but I think it was brand new... or at least only worn a couple of times. It's bright green, long sleeved, with a boat neck, and it's really soft. I love it.
So I took off for Young Women. Despite having ridden my bike to work today, I had a ton of energy, so I decided to run to church.
Unfortunately, there's a little hole in the yard right where I was running. I've stumbled through it before, but never much more than a misstep. But today I took it at a run. Before I knew what had happened, I twisted my ankle and found myself diving forward into the ground. I didn't catch myself before my whole body was spread-eagle on the ground. I tried to sit up and assess the damage, but I hurt too much to move. I didn't have my phone, so I knew I'd either have to make it inside or just lie outside and hurt in the yard.
Apparently I have some self control, because I was able to pull myself up and limp back inside. I think my ankle is just sprained. It hurts, but nothing close to when I broke it in China. My jeans tore through, and both knees are skinned and bleeding. But my left hand must have been what broke my fall as it skidded through the dirt. It's all sorts of cut up, with some dirt shoved up into it far enough that I couldn't get it out, despite all my scrubbing.
I cried because I hurt, and I cried harder because I think I've ruined my beautiful green shirt. I'll wash it, but I think it's all pulled and mud-encrusted, so there's very little hope.
My ankle didn't swell too much, because I iced it, and my scrapes are washed and band-aided but still sting.
It's been a long time since I've done this to myself. People at work tomorrow will think I crashed my bike. No, I'm just dumb and decide to run through fields of potholes.
Monday, October 06, 2008
All About Me (Thanks to Jill and D'Nell)
Last Movie I Saw In A Movie Theater? Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
What Book Are You Reading? Hmm... Kind of in the middle of rereading Pride and Prejudice, Twilight, and Anna and the King of Siam
Favorite Board Game? Monopoly (and no, it does not take forever... not if I beat you really quick)
Favorite Magazine? If I were to subscribe to one, it might be Better Homes and Gardens or The Economist (yes, I'm a nerd... but they have great, well-written articles!
Favorite Smells? Baking bread, lilacs, lilies
Favorite Sounds? Kevin singing, and my cats meowing
Worst Feeling In The World? sticking to popsicles or cold metal
First Thing You Think of When You Wake? Wow! I slept really well! or Ungh! It can't be morning yet... it's still gray outside!
Favorite Fast Food Place? Carl's Junior
Future Child’s Name? Girl: Mercedes Boy: Calvin
Finish This Statement—“If I Had a Lot of Money,” I would spend every bit of it: remodeling my home, buying said home, getting a haircut, sponsoring doctors and dentists to visit remote places, growing a garden and selling stuff at a fruit stand.
Do You Drive Fast? Really really no
Favorite place you have visited? Beijing, Washington (state), DunHuang, Urumqi, Turpan
Storms—cool or scary? I love thunderstorms! Dust storms, tornadoes, hurricanes... those are scary
What Was Your First Car? 1983 Oldsmobile. It was quite a beast
Favorite Drink? Pepsi... although I can't drink it (or rootbeer, caffeinated or not) after 4:00 PM if I plan on sleeping that night
Finish This Statement—“If I Had the Time, I Would…” install an irrigation system in my yard, do house repairs, hang out with my friends and my sister more often, get a haircut that requires extensive preparation every morning
Do You Eat the Stems on Broccoli? Not if I can help it.
If You could Dye your Hair Any Other Color, What Would It Be? dark brown
Name All the Different Cities In Which You Have Lived. Orange, TX; White Rock, NM; Provo, UT; Urumqi, China; Nanjing, China; Beijing, China.
Favorite Sport to Watch? Football! And men's volleyball is pretty exciting in person
What’s Under Your Bed? My collection of soda bottles refilled with water (food storage), dried beans and flour (food storage), a couple books, and I'm sure my missing earrings are there somewhere.
Would You Like to Be Born As Yourself Again? I'd really prefer not to have to start over.
Morning Person or Night Owl? Basically neither. My brain shuts off at about 9:00 PM, but I hate getting up in the morning. But once I'm up, life is great. So... morning person but not really.
Over Easy or Sunny Side Up? I consider myself an educated person, but I really don't know what "over easy" means. I don't like Sunny Side Up, though.
Favorite Place to Relax? As you can read at the bottom of my blog, I spent a Sunday afternoon the other week on a blanket on my lawn, in the fall sunshine, listening to our fountain trickle into the pond and read a book all afternoon. That was perfect. (except for the dropping walnuts... but that's another story)
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor? Phish food or Creme Brulee by Ben and Jerry's. Mmmmmm!!!
What Book Are You Reading? Hmm... Kind of in the middle of rereading Pride and Prejudice, Twilight, and Anna and the King of Siam
Favorite Board Game? Monopoly (and no, it does not take forever... not if I beat you really quick)
Favorite Magazine? If I were to subscribe to one, it might be Better Homes and Gardens or The Economist (yes, I'm a nerd... but they have great, well-written articles!
Favorite Smells? Baking bread, lilacs, lilies
Favorite Sounds? Kevin singing, and my cats meowing
Worst Feeling In The World? sticking to popsicles or cold metal
First Thing You Think of When You Wake? Wow! I slept really well! or Ungh! It can't be morning yet... it's still gray outside!
Favorite Fast Food Place? Carl's Junior
Future Child’s Name? Girl: Mercedes Boy: Calvin
Finish This Statement—“If I Had a Lot of Money,” I would spend every bit of it: remodeling my home, buying said home, getting a haircut, sponsoring doctors and dentists to visit remote places, growing a garden and selling stuff at a fruit stand.
Do You Drive Fast? Really really no
Favorite place you have visited? Beijing, Washington (state), DunHuang, Urumqi, Turpan
Storms—cool or scary? I love thunderstorms! Dust storms, tornadoes, hurricanes... those are scary
What Was Your First Car? 1983 Oldsmobile. It was quite a beast
Favorite Drink? Pepsi... although I can't drink it (or rootbeer, caffeinated or not) after 4:00 PM if I plan on sleeping that night
Finish This Statement—“If I Had the Time, I Would…” install an irrigation system in my yard, do house repairs, hang out with my friends and my sister more often, get a haircut that requires extensive preparation every morning
Do You Eat the Stems on Broccoli? Not if I can help it.
If You could Dye your Hair Any Other Color, What Would It Be? dark brown
Name All the Different Cities In Which You Have Lived. Orange, TX; White Rock, NM; Provo, UT; Urumqi, China; Nanjing, China; Beijing, China.
Favorite Sport to Watch? Football! And men's volleyball is pretty exciting in person
What’s Under Your Bed? My collection of soda bottles refilled with water (food storage), dried beans and flour (food storage), a couple books, and I'm sure my missing earrings are there somewhere.
Would You Like to Be Born As Yourself Again? I'd really prefer not to have to start over.
Morning Person or Night Owl? Basically neither. My brain shuts off at about 9:00 PM, but I hate getting up in the morning. But once I'm up, life is great. So... morning person but not really.
Over Easy or Sunny Side Up? I consider myself an educated person, but I really don't know what "over easy" means. I don't like Sunny Side Up, though.
Favorite Place to Relax? As you can read at the bottom of my blog, I spent a Sunday afternoon the other week on a blanket on my lawn, in the fall sunshine, listening to our fountain trickle into the pond and read a book all afternoon. That was perfect. (except for the dropping walnuts... but that's another story)
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor? Phish food or Creme Brulee by Ben and Jerry's. Mmmmmm!!!
Friday, October 03, 2008
Designer Jeans
When I was in China, one of my closest friends was Renee Clark. They lived within walking distance, and we often went to hang out with her and her family. Her husband was there working at the Canadian embassy, and their son went to bed like at 6 PM. So we didn't often have them to our place, but we went to theirs.
One time we went over, and Renee had just come home from a shopping spree. She had bought 6 pairs of jeans... and we fortuitously discovered that we wear the same size! So I paid her five bucks and came home with a pair of Dolce & Gabbana Jeans.
I'm not sure if they're real or fake, but I know that one of the buttons fell off, and the zipper broke, resulting in either an open fly or a safety pin.
The worst part is that they have shrunk. They started shrinking when I got home from China, making the thighs particularly tight. And they've been especially shrinking these last couple weeks since I've started riding my bike to work more often.
I don't want bigger muscles! I want to be able to keep wearing my fake Dolce & Gabbana Jeans! Whine! They were only 5 bucks!
I think I'll go to Savers this afternoon. Sometimes they have good stuff. But not Dolce & Gabbana.
One time we went over, and Renee had just come home from a shopping spree. She had bought 6 pairs of jeans... and we fortuitously discovered that we wear the same size! So I paid her five bucks and came home with a pair of Dolce & Gabbana Jeans.
I'm not sure if they're real or fake, but I know that one of the buttons fell off, and the zipper broke, resulting in either an open fly or a safety pin.
The worst part is that they have shrunk. They started shrinking when I got home from China, making the thighs particularly tight. And they've been especially shrinking these last couple weeks since I've started riding my bike to work more often.
I don't want bigger muscles! I want to be able to keep wearing my fake Dolce & Gabbana Jeans! Whine! They were only 5 bucks!
I think I'll go to Savers this afternoon. Sometimes they have good stuff. But not Dolce & Gabbana.
The Torialists
Through my reading of blogs, especially through reading somewhat-fashion-related blogs like A Dress A Day, I've found a wildly popular blog called the sartorialist. This guy goes around places like NYC and various European cities taking pictures of people's everyday fashion. Some of it is pretty cool; some of it is weird. But he's a talented photographer, and it's neat to see the styles and settings he finds. He has quite a following, and all these stylish people like to put in their two bits about each outfit or whatever. That's not my cup of tea. But I do like the website.
Then I found today's "blog of note." I love it!
Then I found today's "blog of note." I love it!
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