blog much?

so, when i was in slc for rachael's wedding awhile back, i had a good amount of bonding time with lady susan. she's been workin' hard to get her business - freshly picked - off the ground. she's doing really well at it. awhile back, she was featured on a mommy blogger's site - dooce.com - and it pushed her sales through the roof! anyway, it triggered this whole discussion about bloggers that make livings maintaining their websites, etc. it's incredible! apparently, it's a big deal and people are making good money blogging about their lives. go figure!
anyway, since then, my friend turned me on to a new website - the pioneer woman - which chronicles the life of a woman who walked away from the city life to marry a cattle rancher and live on his ranch in oklahoma. as some of you know, i'm obsessed with cowboys. this website does a great job of feeding the obsession. i could spend hours perusing the recipes, anecdotes and photos of her hunky husband, marlboro man. yum! apparently, a million other people love it, too. i checked in this morning and pioneer woman had a new post from just this morning that 600 people had already commented on! i wanted to scream, "get a life, people." but then i realized that i'd have to be pointin' the finger at myself. i kept quiet. so, check it out. love it, hate it. i'll be on it.

turnin' heads.

i recently moved to an area that borders what's known as leisure world - it's a GIANT retirement community. what that means is any local stores are usually swarming with geriatrics. it's good times. this morning i was doing a little grocery shopping and met the most adorable man. as i was standing behind him waiting for him to select his bunch o' spinach, so i could move in for my own, the conversation went a little something like this:

old man: is this spinach?
me: yes, sir, it is.
old man: i've got that macular degeneration. i don't see so good.
me: well, lucky for you i was here, then!
old man: you said it!

i had a bag in my hands and offered it to him. as we bagged his spinach and i turned to get my own bag, the conversation continued.

old man: in world war 2, i was a sniper. i could shoot a man's heart out from a mile away. and now...well, i'm getting old.
me: but you're as handsome as ever!
old man (chuckling): now, now, a pretty girl like you will turn my head with that nonsense.
me: maybe i wouldn't mind that. either way, it put a smile on your face, didn't it?
old man: that it did, little lady. that it did. you have a wonderful day.

that conversation put a big smile on MY face. you know, there's just somethin' about conversations with strangers that is so much fun. the older, the better. you just never know what you're going to get!

vm

i feel the urge to blog. and, having partaken of a most delicious bowl of dreyer's best, i'm ready to settle in. i can't help but overhear the dulcet tones of miss kristin bell's voice coming from the living room as my roommate ploughs through season 3 of my latest obsession. that's right, veronica mars. having spent the past several weeks drowning myself in episode after episode, it's official: i'm addicted. i, too, am working my way through season 3, but i'm only on the first disc of the set. and to think i once scoffed at my beloved martha when i walked in on her getting her vm fix. those were the olden days - i was young and stupid. now i'm up late and obsessing.
my developing crush on jason dohring fed naturally into another television obsession: moonlight. think twilight meets veronica mars. yeah, it's good times. it only made it one season, but i've been chompin' right through those episodes, too. the gods were smiling upon us the day we were given itunes.
and guilty pleasure numero tres starts up this week. yeah, it's tv watchin' time.
oh, to be logan's veronica.

i love my job.

so, i walked into my co-workers office the other day. he's a really nice guy. super smart and pretty reserved. he loves to golf. this is the conversation we had:

me: is that a golf tee in your mouth?
jason (looking sheepish): yeah. sometimes they just end up in my mouth. i don't know how.
me: really?
jason (laughing): yeah. so, if i were you and i saw it laying around, i wouldn't touch it.
me: noted

and scene.

only one.

there's nothing like the fall lineup to make you realize you're addicted to television. between pushing daisies, the amazing race, gossip girl (yes, it's a guilty pleasure) and a myriad of other shows, i'm simply not going to have much free time. although, it's pretty safe to say that "free time" hasn't really been in my vocabulary these days. then again, the fact that i'm spending a good amount of time getting caught up on the past 3 seasons of veronica mars would say otherwise. or blogging, for that matter. ah, well. priorities, i guess.
in other news, my darling new roommate, natalie, packed up and moved to utah. yeah, i guess i was too much for her to handle. hee. she's headed to europe before the big relo, but not before she found us a new roomie. named paula no less. yeah, insert some joke about there not being enough room for two paulas in one house. in case you're wondering, there's only ONE paula peralta. that's right, baby.
well, veronica's calling. go neptune high.

possession is 5/7 of the law.

today i realized that i live for the weekends. wait, let me restate that. i've always known that i live for the weekends, but today i realized that my obsession with "making it" to the weekend permeates every aspect of my weekday experience. i'm never satisfied with the weekday because i know that the weekend is coming up. and i spend all week wishing the days away in anticipation of the weekend. it's terrible. although, i shouldn't say i'm wishing the week away. 'cause by "wishing" i mean that i'm running from church meetings to class to church meetings to random errands...to...to...to...you get the point. anyway, what kind of life is a life that discounts 5/7 of the week? no life at all, i tell you. so, in a quest for a happier life, i'm going to make more of an effort to enjoy the weekdays. yes, it is a herculean task, but i'm up for the challenge.
viva le weekday!
in other news, we had a wack-o earthquake today. 5.8 they tell me. whoever they are. and whatever 5.8 means. all i know is that men in my office that are normally very self-possessed had looks of abject panic on their faces as they scrambled for the nearest door jamb in our swaying building. good times, indeed. i heart california.

makin' it work.

so, i hoped that changing my blog template would inspire me to kick up the blogging activity. we'll see how it goes.
in the words of sam cooke: a change is gonna come. or, in my case, the change has arrived, honey! i've moved out, moved up and moved on. and life is good.
in other news, tonight was the first episode of project runway: season five. it's not the same without my martha but it's still good times. my new roomie is a trooper and stuck out the late night viewing - and loved every second of it! i can't believe it's time for another season. i can't wait to see how it goes!
oh, and i have a new boyfriend. his name is facebook. the longer we're together, the happier i am. the best part is that he's not one of those boyfriends that takes me away from my friends; on the contrary, i'm closer than ever to my friends. in fact, he's encouraged me to get in touch with so many people that i haven't talked to in ages.
well, i've got a paper to write and no time to be sittin' on the computer. more later.

The Big 2-7

I turned 27 last week. I must say, it was a most delightful birthday. Better than I expected, to be sure. Life is good. Since the blessed day, I've been wracking my brain trying to think about what goals I would like to set for my 28th year. I just don't know. Until I figure it out, my goal is to do more blogging. Stay tuned. Oh, and thanks for making my birthday super fab!

Paula the Dummy

Sometimes I feel like my blog makes me sound like a such an idiot. I guess I only have myself to blame for that, eh? That is all.

Rediscovering California

I went to the beach again this weekend. Utah Peeps, you have my permission to be so jealous. The weather was gorgeous and, for a few hours, life was so good.
So, I'm a woman on a mission. I've decided to dedicate my summer to rediscovering the joys of California. Right off the bat, it's pretty safe to say that I'll probably be spending in inordinate amount of time at the beach. Whut?! It's what we do here. Don't hate. Seriously, though. There is SO much to take in here - museums, plays, concerts, game nights and even the occasional rodeo thrown in. Good times, indeed. Anyhoo. I'm pretty pumped about the whole shenanigan. Even if I'm doing it all in hope that it will ease the pain of my Martha leaving me. Buh. Moving on. If you're feelin' adventurous, you give me a call or come visit. There are good times to be had in SoCal with Miss Paula!

Herding Cats.

There's a reason the phrase, "It's like herding cats," is used to communicate a sense of fruitless labor. Today, I'd like to make the blanket statement that Young Adults are like cats. And, for the past several months, I have been the shepherd. Lucky me. It's no wonder we're all single - we can't commit to the most basic of events or responsibilities. Buh.

California Livin'

I just realized that this month is my 3-year mark of California Livin' - livin' the dream and just livin' it up. I can't believe that it's been 3 years! I am dying right now! It's been an interesting few years, to be sure. There have been a lot of crazy goings ons (yes, it's a grammatically correct phrase) but they've all combined to teach me a lot of really great lesson.
And what better way to celebrate than going to the beach! Yes, indeedy. The Golden State seems to be holding a celebration in my honor with the weather this weekend! I went to the beach and had a most delightful time. The air was warm, the beach was packed, the water was freezing and a good time was had by all! It was a fantastic reminder that even though the cost of living is ridiculous and the Joneses are WAY too hard to keep up with, I sure do love it here.
And to those of you that aren't lucky enough to permanently reside in California (ahem, UPs), I say to you: "Get off your duff and come visit!"
You won't regret it. I'll make sure of it!

Miss Kyra

My little baby niece, Kyra, is sick in the hospital. She's had one surgery and it's lookin' like she'll have another in a few days. Our family has initiated a fast for her today. As I prayed for her this morning, I was reminded of Elder Bendar's words during his Conference address about praying for the mighty faith that can work miracles. I am so proud of my family for rallying around and calling upon the powers of Heaven to heal this little one. I'm grateful to have the gospel in my life - it instills peace and comfort in tumultuous times. I just want our little baby to get better.

American Idol is the Devil

Okay, American Idol isn't really the devil. But I basically spent the past two hours watching "American Idol: Idol Gives Back" and bawling over all the stories of the children and families in New York, Africa, New Orleans, Tennessee and a host of other places that are ravaged by crime, poverty, AIDS, lack of education, malaria and other horrifying things that are beyond my ability to comprehend. It makes me so sad to see the things that children are forced to deal with simply because they are victims of circumstance.
At the same time, I can't help but be so grateful for the fullness of the gospel that teaches us that this life is such a small part of our eternal existence. I know that, long term, those children that suffer will be the first to be enfolded in the loving arms of our Savior.
The other thing that always strikes me, is how incredibly happy and resilient these "suffering" people are. I once read a quote that said, "Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional." These people suffer from illness, fatigue and lonliness but there is a joy and hope in their faces that is incredibly inspiring.
I often feel helpless in my attempts to make this world a better place. The problems are so large and I am just one person. I have spent many hours traveling to Mexico to volunteer at orphanages and participating in ONE rallies to help fight the spread of AIDS. I don't doubt that these things contribute to the greater good, but I always think that it's never enough. Fortunately, there is something I can do, something we ALL can do that doesn't take too much time. Just a little paradigm shift. We can be grateful. We can pray for an understanding that less really is more and that we are too abundantly blessed to be unhappy over unfulfilled wish lists. And, as much as I hate to say it, there's always someone that has it much worse than we do. Always.
As for American Idol, I'll continue to dedicate a couple of hours a week to watching these talented people fight for their dream of making it big. Maybe American Idol really IS the devil. Well, add it to my list of flaws. What can I say? I love pop culture. David Cook is my one true love.

Cornerstones of Humanness

I recently read a quote by Sigmund Freud that said, "Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness." As hesitant as I am to agree with Freud (famous for his sexual repression theories), I must admit that this little psychological tidbit hit home for me. When there is a balance of love and work in our lives, we are happy. I am convinced of it.
As one who works just as hard as she plays (most days), I can tell you that the best times in my life, the times when I am most content and satisfied with the state of my life, are the times when I am working productively and still taking time to show love - to family, friends and myself.
Unfortunately, striking a balance between the two is not quite as easy as you would think. For me, work is a glutton who is never satisfied with the space it has been allotted in my life. It pushes and pulls and encroaches into every other aspect of my life. If I'm not careful, I can wake up to find the love cornerstone shivering in a cold, dark space alone and neglected - sometimes it goes on for months at a time.
I'm sure I'm not alone in this sort of human tug-of-war. It's a lifelong struggle that I'm only beginning to develop inklings of understanding about. That said, I know I can do better. As blessed as I am to have a fantastic job with great opportunities, I have a responsibility to those I love to maintain an awareness of the balance (or lack thereof) in my life.
In the October 2007, Elder Claudio R. M. Costa said, "We can lay down our lives for those we love not by physically dying for them but rather by living for them - giving of our time; always being present in their lives; serving them; being courteous, affectionate, and showing true love for those of our family and to all men - as the Savior taught."
I live a very selfish life. I have no husband or children to tend right now. I pretty much do what I want to do, when I want to do it. I come and go as I please and rarely have to consider other people's feelings when making decisions for my personal life. It's a gift and a curse.
I recently had the opportunity to sit in on a friend's family gathering. I only knew a handful of the people, but I was overwhelmed by the sense of love and camaraderie that was apparent among the group. I was only there a few minutes but everyone was hugging and chatting and laughing from the get-go. And their arms opened wide to a stranger. Seeing so many happy, familial faces that Sunday evening dedicated to taking time out of their day to lift and love the members of their family was a keen reminder that taking time to keep loved ones close is important.
When I spend time with loved ones, I realize that there is a certain satisfaction that comes from being with them that cannot be duplicated in any other way or by any other event. I need to have people in my life. It's part of who I am as a human being. It's the way Heavenly Father intended it. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
And so, to my work cornerstone I say: "Cram it and stay in your corner!" To my love cornerstone I say: "I'm trying. Be patient. I'll get there. Someday."

Giant Rockers and Poker Chips

It was another fun weekend in the great state of Utah. General Conference was the excuse, but the tickets fell through and we all know that I love my Utah Peeps. I kept the date and surely did not regret it.
As tradition dictates, Rachael and I kicked off the trip with some Cafe Rio. Matt and Sarah were kind enough to let me crash the newlywed party, so I called Magna home for the weekend. There were dance parties, poker games and even a giant rocking chair! I had so much fun, I didn't want to go home - even though there were rumors of snow in the coming days!
To all my UPs, I sure do love you! Thanks for all the dance parties, the Scattergories, the green visors, the pasta dinners, the digeridoo lessons and everything else that makes me love you.
I'm comin' back it 2 weeks - let's do it again!

Red Rock and Frisbee Circles

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I heart the Utah Peeps.
This weekend was the annual Moab trip. It was most assuredly a delightful time. We camped, hiked and laughed our heads off. It is so good to be around such a fantastic group of people. It was a comfortable and relaxing trip that was much needed. I spent the first day with Miss Brenda and the Barker Boys. Good times.
The rest of the Peeps rolled in on Friday night and that's when the insanity really began. I just can't even express the hilarious dynamic that exists among such a group.
Yay for friends.

Best Roommates

I entered Martha and me in "Rob & Big's Best Roommate" Search. Vote for us at: http://www.sugarloot.com/bestroommates. The winner will be chosen on March 12, so vote now!

Bowling for Spiderman

Everytime I see the Blogger.com bookmark on my web bar, I feel a flash of guilt for the lack of blogging. And, I occassionally get the non-confrontational guilt trip from the blogamaniacs I call friends. So, even though it's late, I still haven't read my scriptures and I have to get up in less than 6 hours, this one's for you.
Okay, so after class, I met up with some friends to go bowling. Why is bowling so fun? I'm not sure. My personal opinion (and Johnny Durmeier concurs), is that it's the large amount of high fives that are given and received during the course of a game. There's nothin' like gettin' a high five from those you respect and like a great deal, but don't know well enough to hug. Although, that doesn't really apply to me 'cause I've never met a stranger that I didn't want to hug. 'Cept maybe that freaky Spiderman wannabe on Hollywood Blvd. that Rachael took a picture with. But that's a story for another time.
Between work, school, piano lessons, Activities Committee, OCMCO and this craziness that we call life, I sure do miss you! If you're reading this, it means you love me. And that means I love you. Yeah, I'm fickle that way. But that's why you love me.
Until next time.
P.S. I bet on 4 games of bowling tonight. The good news is I won a dinner and an ice cream. The bad news is I lost two dinners. Serves me right.

Back in the Saddle

Shameful! I just realized that I can count on one hand the number of times I blogged last year. Okay, I don't know if I can count on one hand; the truth is, I didn't actually count. I just know that I didn't blog very much last year. But y'know, in an age of that insane busyness that is my life, it just hasn't been a priority. That said, here's what's up:
I'm pretty sure that 2008 is going to be the year of reconnecting for me. I've gotten in touch with a TON of old friends in the past few months. It's been very exciting for me. It gives me an opportunity to reflect on the kind of person I've been in different stages of my life. I've made a lot of mistakes in my relationships with people and I'm sorry to say that I haven't always been the kind of person I needed to be, but I'm lucky that real friends learn to love us despite our weaknesses and less than endearing qualities. The more people I get back in touch with, the more I realize that each of them had a decided affect on who I am today. It's pretty amazing to think about. It blows my mind, actually. And so, to that small number of you that read my blog, I want you to know that I love you and appreciate your contribution to making me the woman I am to day. Your suffering was not in vain! I'm happy to say that this point is probably the happiest I've ever been. Now, don't get me wrong, my life is most definitely less than perfect and I've got a fair share of problems, but amid all the fuss and bustle, I've learned how to be happy. It's the accomplishment I'm most proud of.