Here we go again...

That's right folks, once again, The Ten Tenors are coming to a city near me. Well, sort of near me. I don't live in a small town. I kind of take pride in the great theaters my fine city of Denver has. In fact I recently made a spreadsheet of all the shows I want to see just to make sure that I don't miss any (and that I have enough money to see all that I've planned). But I have to drive all the way to Greeley to see the objects of the magnets on the side of my refridgerator (or Colorado Springs or Avon, but I chose Greeley). SIGH.

And, as you might recall, Shannon is not going to be there. How depressing. You couldn't tell, though, seeing as I've told everyone I talk to regularly several times about my tickets, (and since they're living in my purse, I often whip them out as further proof of my excitement).

So yes, get excited. And the concert is just a week after Wicked. Good times.

My new goal in life

Anyone who knows me will agree: I must go here.

I mean, really, I thought Yellowstone and Niagra falls were amazing, this place is like heaven.

And, while I'm at it, I've decided to go here as well.

At first I decided this would be my 30th birthday celebration. But then I realized that's only 2 1/2 years away, I can't possibly save the thousands of dollars this trip will require by then. So maybe it will be to celebrate my brother's 30th birthday.

Unless anybody has an extra $5,000 they want to send my way?

West is North

So I've always been directionally challenged. If I have to turn more than 3 times to get to a new place, forget getting myself out, and the next time I won't remember how to get there either. And don't tell me to turn south. Ever. I have no idea what that means.

Now, when I lived in Provo I learned that as far as directions go, I'm mostly ok if I have 2 points of reference. Mt. Timp is north, Y mount is east, therefore the other 2 are easy to figure out. And they are huge, so you can't miss them from anywhere in the town. Denver, not so much. People here like to cheerfully say the mountains are in the west- well that's great, but I can't see the mountains from here, and even if I could, that doesn't tell me which way north and south are. You see my difficulty?

The other day I was at the library and in the parking lot a lady stopped me and asked where the closest grocery store was. I said well, there are a few, which way are you going? And I told her about the one that was just a few blocks away. She said well, I'm headed north, is that north? I said that I honestly had no idea. I pointed in the direction my subconscious thinks as north and said it's that way, thinking it's totally got to be on her way. There was another lady there who said no, you want to go to this other one, it's north. Turns out I was pointing west.

Let me explain. Shortly after moving back to Denver after college (that's right folks, I said after college, and after having lived here my whole life before college), I figured out north and south I-25. North I-25 will take me to Northglenn, Westminster, Broomfield, Lakewood (people try to tell me Lakewood is actually west, whatever, I have to get on I-25 North first to get there, therefore Lakewood is north), Arvada, etc. South I-25 will take me to the tech center.

Here's the problem. I often get on northbound I-25 from Colorado Blvd. It is a right turn. Nevermind that there is a beautiful view straight ahead of the mountains, and nevermind that I-25 curves all over the place, I'm getting on northbound I-25, therefore that way must be north.

I didn't really realize that direction had been ingrained in my head as north until one day my mom and I were going somewhere north and we were arguing about where we should meet, whose house was closer. Although my house is closer to the highway exit I would take, she insisted that her house was closer and it would be silly to meet at my house. But I live in Denver! You live in Aurora! Aurora is south of Denver! She just laughed. As I was driving to her house contemplating why her house was closer, driving in what I thought of as the opposite direction of our final destination, I suddenly saw the mountains and realized that the direction I thought of as north was not north. It's west.

But that's the way I turn to get on North I-25! Shouldn't I be able to trust the highway to tell me which direction I'm going? Well no, turns out you can't. But it's too late. The damage has been done. This incident happened like a year ago, and here I am at the library just yesterday, totally pointing west and telling the lady that the grocery store that way is north. When I think of going to visit my aunt & uncle in Broomfield, that's the way I think of. When I think of going to visit my cousins in Cheyenne, that's the way I think of. Ironically, when I think of my friend whose house is in Lakewood, that's also the way I think of.

Don't even get me started on I-70. I really, honestly have no idea where I am when I'm on I-70.

The Allegory of the Light Saber

Testimony meetings can be interesting. We've had the gospel compared to baseball, football, flies (at which the phrase "fly crap" was actually uttered...shudder) and a host of other bizzare and completely unrelated things. Today we were dreading another such occurence, and so I wrote the allegory of the light saber in anticipation.

Just like your testimony, everyone acquires a light saber in a different way, and they all

look a little different. But the green ones are just as good as the blue ones. Both can be lost

(along with a hand) but through hard work and help from others can be reconstructed.

Some people forget the value of their light saber, and then it turns red, just as one can turn

away from their testimony and it's used against them. A light saber only lights up when you

turn it on and use it. A testimony only works when you use it, and will provide light when

used propertly.

But a testimony should not be used as a weapon.

Fortunately the meeting went off without a hitch, and I refrained from sharing my inspired allegory with the ward.

Sara and the purse snatcher

What does it take to drive a person to snatch someone else's purse? I can only imagine that the act of stealing someone's purse makes a bad day worse, but apparently I'm mistaken. And then to steal it right out of an office in plain daylight? That's low.


That's ok, though. The bank wanted to buy you a tank of gas. I didn't really want to use my brand new waterfall checks, and I was just thinking that I hadn't visited the DMV in an awful long time. I needed to buy a new planner anyways, and my mom was secretly wishing that she could have another shot at crocheting a purse for me. Not to mention that T-Mobile has just been pining to scam another $70 from me for yet another new phone. It's ok. I have nothing better to do than to collect all my friend's and family's phone numbers again.

Tip o' the day: Sigh. Lock the door.

Cruise!

At the beginning of May I went on a cruise with my mom, sisters, brother and aunt Dee Ann. It was a great trip! Going on a cruise is a different kind of trip than the kind I usually take, but I must say I enjoyed it! Here are a few pictures.

At the airport.

In front of a cool tree in Miami, the morning of our cruise before leaving.

Laura wearing everybodys sunglasses, waiting around in Miami before the cruise.

The first thing we did once on the ship was a safety drill. Pretty exciting!

Laura, mom, and Dee Ann sitting on the deck of the ship.

Dee Ann, Emily, mom, me, Laura standing on the deck of the ship (Terrence is

taking the picture)

On our way to go snorkeling at Key West. Everybody looks terrible in the picture but me. But don't I look cute?

On the sail boat we took to a reef in Key West to go snorkeling. It was really pretty out there, and we saw lots of cool fish.

After snorkeling, Laura and I went to a beach on the island. We swam, sat on the beach, and got sunburned.

That night was elegant night in the dining room. We got all dressed up for dinner, it was pretty fun.

Emily on elegant night.

Warm chocolate melting cake (in the bowl). I had this for dessert every night.

All of us on elegant night, waiting for the big show to start.

Fun day at sea! Here's Dee Ann with a yummy fruit drink!

Sorry, I don't know how to flip the picture.

Water slide! Well, ok, not in this picture, this is at the bottom of the slide...

The mini golf course is at the very end of the ship, the windiest place for some reason. At night we sat at the very back and watched the moon rise.

Sunset from the ship. I don't know which night this was...

We went to this park in the Bahamas and watched flamingos marching. Weird, I know.


A weird plant and Emily in the gardens at the Bahamas.

Dee Ann feeding a parrot.

Aren't I cute?

The last night of the cruise, with our waiters Budi and Sushi. During this picture I was fast asleep in our cabin, a bit seasick.

Our cruise ship. Not the best picture, but if you look real close, you can see the water slide.

And that was our trip! We had lots of fun, saw some fun shows and ate some really good food. Good times!

Why is "Free Willy" one of my favorite movies of all time?

I don't know. No, I really don't. I was thinking about it just now while watching it for the hundreth time. Don't get me wrong, it's not Star Wars material (I don't have this one memorized:) but I can watch it over and over (and have).

So why? Is it because I have fond childhood memories of watching it? No, we didn't even have it when I was a kid. Is it because I have a strong affinity for killer whales? Well, I like them, but not much more than the next guy. Is it because I feel for the plight of foster kids? Well, of course I do, but again, not that much more than the next guy. Is it the music? Aha! It might very well be a combination of all of the above, and the music brings it all together.

I don't know why I'm such a fan, but whatever it is, don't mind me. I'll be in here watching Free Willy. Again.

The look of the panhandler

So you're driving down the street, stop at a light and there on the corner is a panhandler, with his little cardboard sign. What does he look like? I know, I know, you generally try to avoid eye contact and hence don't really look at him, but when he walks behind your car, you know you take a glance in your rearview mirror. So picture in your head for a second what the guy looks like.

So the other day I saw an attractive male panhandler, probably my age or a little older (sad that mid-30s I consider "a little older"). Not hot, I probably wouldn't look twice if I were to see him in the store or movie theater, but in the role of standing by the side of the road holding a cardboard sign I must admit I had to look twice. And then once more. You know, you just don't expect a panhandler to be attractive. I thought it was interesting, anyway.

Ding Dong, the truck is gone!

Julie and I like to abuse pick-up truck owners who live in apartment buildings. Pickups are good for, well, picking things up. Hauling things and helping people move, right? What do people living in apartments have to haul, we frequenly ask. Wouldn't it be cheaper to rent a truck that one time you need it and get something more practical like a Civic for every day driving?

There's this one green truck in our parking lot that has been the bane of my existence. In reality, I don't care if you own a pickup, I really don't. But seriously, it's big. Do you have to park it in the exact middle of the lot? And then, the guy forgets that he has it. Seriously, this truck has not moved an inch in a year- I do not exaggerate, it's been a year. Ok, now I'm one to talk, I know, I owned 2 cars for not one but 2 years, a lot of which one sat in the parking lot doing nothing. But at least I put it in the side lot where people don't tend to park! This guy put his truck smack in the middle of the parking lot and completely forgot about it. There are a few other truck owners who also like to park around there, forcing me to park my little Honda in between two gigantic trucks. Frequently. One cannot see in either direction when backing out if they are in between two gigantic trucks.

And then, just like that, on Wednesday night I trot out to my car headed for choir and the truck is just gone! I imagine something like this happened: Wife says hey, didn't you used to have a truck? Husband says oh yeah, wonder what happened to it? They both look out the window and lo and behold, in the middle of the parking lot, there's their truck. Husband says maybe I ought to move it. Wife says let's just sell it. They sell it and bada bing, the world is a better place.

I get happy about it all over again everytime I see green truck-free parking lot.

So much for that conversation

So this morning I walk into work and the girl at the reception desk says to me- sad, the Bronco’s live mascot died yesterday. I kind of looked at her blankly and said um, I didn’t even know the Broncos had a live mascot. She says yeah, you know the white horse that’s always prancing around during games? I said um, I’ve never actually watched a Broncos game, actually.

Oh to have perfect vision...

My contacts and I had a serious fight the other morning. We’re not really on speaking terms at this point. I don’t expect us to make up soon. I mean, you take a new lens out of the box, you kind of expect it to work. You know, go in your eye, help you see, not cause pain. I didn’t think that was too much to ask out of a brand new, just out of the package contact lens. I seem to be wrong, however. I didn’t throw away the offending lens, I’m hoping that it will see the error of its ways and when I give it a second chance, all will again be well between us.

Tagged

Ok, so techcnially I got tagged like 5 times over the last few months. If you're one of those lucky people who always get those emails from me with a bunch of random questions you are supposed to answer, you know I typically love those things. But for whatever reason I never got around to doing them. So anyway, here's one.

8 favorite TV shows

1. Numbers
2. Star Trek: Voyager
3. Smallville
4. Home Improvement
5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
6. Ghost Whisperer
7. Star Trek: The Next Generation
8. Frasier

8 Books you recommend
1. Mistborn
2. Harry Potter
3. Count of Monte Cristo
4. Pride & Prejudice
5. To Say Nothing of the Dog
6. Leave it to Psmith
7. anything by GeorgetteHeyer
8. The Theif

8 things that happened yesterday
1. stayed up until 1 am finishing a book
2. went to Estes Park with Julie
3. bought a superb cookie in Estes Park
4. saw some co-workers in Estes Park
5. watched some excellent Voyager episdoes
6. never got around to eating dinner
7. played the piano, including a bit from the new song I'm learning
8. um...went to bed

8 things to look forward to
1. eating the superb cookie I bought yesterday
2. my next choir concert
3. dinner
4. cruise in May
5. reading the last Harry Potter book again
6. visiting my sister in UT
7. the new Star Trek movie
8. Phantom of the Opera

8 things on my wishlist
1. sewing machine
2. knowing where I'll be this time next year
3. Thumbelina and some Cary Grant movies
4. to be able to fit into that one skirt that no longer fits me:(
5. for Shannon to rejoin the Ten Tenors
6. ooh, also for David & Liam to rejoin the Ten Tenors- what were they thinking?!?!
7. hmmm...
8. I don't know what else

8 things I love about fall
1. crunchy leaves
2. Christmas is approaching
3. pulling out my cute long sleeved shirts
4. sweaters
5. actually...
6. I don't really
7. like fall
8.that much

One year older and wiser too....

Alright, well yesterday while contemplating the fact that I am now unquestionably closer to 30 than 20, I decided to come out of blog exile and once again grace the internet with my presence. I know, I know, no need to thank me.

So, without further ado, I present 27 things I did during my 27th year:

1. got a new job
2. went to Mexico
3. got a horrific sunburn and therefore now have charming freckles on my shoulders
4. read a ridiculous number of books
5. one of them being the Count of Monte Cristo, numbering 1,465 pages or something like that
6. went to 2 midnight movie premiers: Indiana Jones and Twilight
7. was released from my favorite calling
8. saw The Ten Tenors in a fabulously live concert
9. learned that Shannon was leaving TTT, making for a tragic day indeed
10. saw Jim Brickman in concert- not the greatest event ever, but he did play Angel Eyes
11. was called as alto section leader in the chorale, a job which I enjoy quite a bit
12. was also called as ward rep in the stake public affairs council...no comment how how I like that...
13. went to Utah a couple times, and saw a great play called "She Loves Me"
14. learned the rest of a great song on the piano that I had previously deemed too hard
15. watched seasons 1-4 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, remembering what a fun show that is
16. visited my grandparents in Kansas, which turned out to be the last time to see the farm as I remember it as they moved into town a week later
17. finally got the dents fixed on my car
18. wrote in my journal a grand total of 5 times
19. decided that I really don't have any embarrassing stories
20. decided that I am still afraid of dogs, so I should just own it
21. took many walks in the summer, discovering what a charming and slightly quirky neighborhood I live in
22. got a raise
23. finally sold my old car
24. took a day off work to go to Elitches, only to find it and every other water park in the city closed and instead swam in my complex pool
25. discovered that my ears are still pierced, and that I do like wearing earrings
26. decided I was lactose intolerant and quit buying milk
27. turned a year older one day at a time

Tip o' the day: Try to come up with 27 things you did last year. It's harder than it sounds!