 | | |
| | |
|
Spaces home  HeatherPhotosProfileFriendsMore |  Tools   |
Links to blogs I like
There are no categories in use.
|
HeatherAugust 23 How EmbarrassingSo the other evening I was taking a walk along the trails by my house. And, yes, I had my Ipod. And yes, I was...shall we call it dancing? Yes, I do this from time to time, as I have mentioned previously here. A dancer probably wouldn't call what I do dancing, but it involved raising arms dramatically and moving feet in what I guess you could call a pattern. The song wasn't something I would admit listening to in a room of my peers, but here are a few of the lyrics (thanks Michelle):
Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter
Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter
Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade.
Don't tell me not to fly, I simply got to
If someone take's a spill, it's me and not you
Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade?
I mean, those are great right? Well, in the middle of my song and dance routine, I was startled - make that scared - by a man suddenly behind me with his two dogs. Um, that's right, he saw the whole ball of butter thing. I saw him with big eyes, yelled "sorry!" and then immediately faced forward and started walking as fast as I could away from him, head ducked so that maybe he couldn't see my face. Embarrassing. Well, after I felt comfortably alone again, I started listening to Billy Joel's Piano Man. And I ask you, how can you not sing to that song? You know:
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' all right
So I was singing to it. Loudly. And, well, you guessed it, all of a sudden, there was that man again, with his two dogs. "They walk faster when they hear you singing!" he told me.
I walked home as fast as I could.
August 21 Here's a PoemWhat We Might Be, What We Are
by X. J. Kennedy
If you were a scoop of vanilla And I were the cone where you sat, If you were a slowly pitched baseball And I were the swing of a bat, If you were a shiny new fishhook And I were a bucket of worms, If we were a pin and a pincushion, We might be on intimate terms. If you were a plate of spaghetti And I were your piping-hot sauce, We'd not even need to write letters To put our affection across, But you're just a piece of red ribbon In the beard of a Balinese goat And I'm a New Jersey mosquito. I guess we'll stay slightly remote. August 18 Things that are Disturbing
August 09 TuacahnMom and Dad came to see Les Miserables Thursday night at the Tuacahn theater here in St. George. We also bought the dinner they offered, which felt very ward dinner party, and there were lots of bees. Also, the dessert table had a handwritten sign that looked like this (no other signs, just the one):
with
Out
Nuts
I like St. George; I like how they are trying so hard! The Tuacahn theater however, is really something. It's outdoors, and is located just outside of the Snow Canyon State Park, which is all beautiful craggy orange cliffs and canyons. The theater is basically in between two giant rock formations. It's pretty cool. The bad part is that there were so many people, some of which a) kept putting their sweaty arms on Dad's arms b) slurped snow cones loudly throughout the serious songs c) tooted the whole night and d) kept trying to put their feet on the back of my chair. Let's just say that was unpleasant. But the play was great. I have to say, the best part of Les Mis, is really Eponine for me. The whole unrequited love thing? Can we not all relate?? 08/08/08OK, so if you missed the Olympic opening ceremonies last night, you
totally.
missed.
out.
It was so awesome! I love the Olympics. They are so inspiring. Even the commercials are inspiring. I might have to go exercise today. July 31 Definition: Self-aggrandizingAccording to www.dictionary.com, here is the definition of aggrandize:
ag·gran·dize 
–verb (used with object), -dized, -diz·ing.
So, are blogs self-aggrandizing, as one blog I read argued? Maybe. But I think they also help us share who we are with others in just a fun way. Most of the ones I read are not (per www.wordreference.com):
self-aggrandizing
adjectives: boastful, braggart, braggy, big, cock-a-hoop, crowing, or exhibiting self-importance, "big talk"
I don't think I'm a cock-a-hoop, do you? That said, here's my take on Staci's fun tag below. I decided that I am going to write whatever pops into my head first.
"I"
I am: tired right now of looking at the computer
I know: the church is true
I want: chocolate
I have: too many things to do that I don't do
I wish: there was a man in my life to come do some work around the house (and maybe a few other things...)
I hate: getting ready in the morning
I miss: living in Salt Lake
I fear: snakes
I hear: silence
I smell: my favorite lotion
I crave: things that are sweet
I search: St. George for interesting and fun things to see and do. Pretty much found everything...except I definitely haven't hiked and camped enough
I regret: time wasted, but I'm sure I will waste some more
I love: the ocean, the mountains, babies that aren't screaming, family
I care: about a lot of people
I always: am traveling or thinking about the next trip
I am not: flakey or irresponsible
I sing: in the car and in the shower and sometimes in the choir, when I feel like it
I fight: with people that I wish I didn't fight with
I lose: my keys on a regular basis, and earrings and sunglasses with frequency
I win: most arguments at work
I never: make empty promises
I listen: to my ipod with lots of joy
I am scared: of unfulfilled dreams and wishes
I need: to get the boxes of papers organized in my bedroom
I am happy about: the way my career is going...generally
I tag: you
July 29 Sigh...So I'm reading this book about food. The fact that it's written by one of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver, was its major selling point in the airport bookstore, where I was forced to choose between it and learning more about Brangelina babies, as I was out of reading material and had at least an hour's wait in the pit that is Delta's Skywest terminal waiting area. Have you been there in the Salt Lake airport? It is how I envision one of the rooms of hell.
I was a little hesitant about the book, as it was described on the back cover this way:
Author Barbara Kingsolver and her family abandoned the industrial-food pipeline to live a rural life -- vowing that, for one year, they'd only buy food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is an enthralling narrative that will open your eyes in a hundred new ways to an old truth: You are what you eat.
Not exactly The Poisonwood Bible, now, is it? And I was sure it would be chock full of liberalist propaganda. Well, it is in many ways, and having just officially declared myself a republican this year, I can't even say that it is all bad. In fact, it's pretty darn interesting. The food you eat, as you probably know, is not from around where you live. Most likely it's from Chile. Or India. Or China. Or California. Sometimes eating it has the energy efficiency of living in St. George and flying to Philadelphia to work out in a gym for 30 minutes, and then flying back home. But hey, you got your workout in. I'm also learning just what organic really means. (it's not just for those who like patchouli oil and/or home-school their kids - it is actually very good for you and for the environment and for farmers) And it is really making me look at food in a whole new way.
A new thing to feel guilty about. Because guess what I had for lunch today? Pie.
July 20 UpdateLeadership training: check
Make a dumb comment at leadership training: check
White starfish: check
Laguna Beach: check
Gelato: check
Sunburn: check
Grass dying at home: check
July 11 More time for the grass to dieI leave on Sunday for a week in Denver (leadership training - I've been to lots of these...are they trying to tell me something?) and a week in Los Angeles (beach laying, ocean viewing, tide pool exploring, white starfish buying, gallery hopping, Wicked and Jay Leno seeing, Santa Monica pier going and L.A. farmers market breakfast eating..among other things). I think another plant will die and the strip of yellow grass in my backyard will not turn green. Oh well! Good-bye St. George and your furnace heat, hello cooler climes. July 07 ResearchTypically before I travel somewhere, I like to research the place that I'm going, so I am familiar beforehand with what I want to see, what I should know about the culture, the history, etc. I like to get the lowdown. Usually I do much of research with guidebooks, but I also try to read a few real books too. For instance, when I went to Italy, I read Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun and the Bella Tuscany, which would make anyone want to go to Italy. I have discovered a fun new way to research places: Netflix! For Philadelphia, I rented Rocky, In Her Shoes (which I am reading right now and it's fun to know where the Philly neighborhoods, streets and places that the author mentions), and a bio on Benjamin Franklin. Melissa and I are going to L.A. in a couple of weeks and guess what's in my queue to watch? That's right: Laguna Beach (yes, I'm re-watching, but that stuff is classic), and The O.C.
I can't wait for research.
July 02 Things that are GoodThat YM/YW service project where they wash your car windshield while you are in the temple. My windshield had lots and lots of baked-by-the-St. George-sun-for-weeks-smashed-bugs on it and it was nice to get it sparkling. Thanks whoever you are! June 30 This, That, The OtherNumber 1: I'm back! I have been traveling - to Jacob's Lake, to the Grand Canyon, to Philadelphia and back and it felt soooo good to sleep in my own bed two nights ago.
Number 2: It is HOT here in the desert. Jon described little Lindsay's first foray into the fiery Vegas heat last week by mimicking her little facial features, wide-eyed and shocked by the unfamilar waves of heat that assaulted her Seattle skin, and it makes me smile every time I imagine it. 108 degrees today.
Number 3: THANK YOU to everyone who came to the first ever McKinnon family shindig. It was so much fun and I loved spending time with you all. Thanks for the food, the good times, and everything else that went into driving (or flying!) several hours away from your homes, sleeping in tents, and using an outhouse (I did appreciate the antibacterial lotion dispensers, didn't you?) for a few days.
Number 4: Philadelphia is a wonderful city. I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I might have since I was there for work (and it was actually HARD work - usually when I travel for work, it's not so hard. This trip I was glad to go back to my daily job), but I did do some damage shopping and eating out at some of the fun Philly restaurants. My fave was a place called Buddakan, decorated very shi-shi and with a huge, you guessed it, Buddha. My friend Megan came up from D.C. and we had such a nice visit.
Number 5: I miss my horse, Sister, who has gone to live with the other horses (and her sisters and brother and mother) up north for the summer.
Number 6: I have a few yellow patches of grass that has apparently died, despite my best efforts of paying someone else to do my yard work. They don't look too bad, but does anyone out there know how to fix them?
Number 7: I finally paid my library fine and am enjoying several good books. I have several "should-read" books at home, but I just can't read them right now. So, I am debating this very minute: should I go to FHE and be social or should I go home and read? I know what I should do, but guess what I want to do? Guess what will probably win?
Number 8: I need a pedicure.
Number 9: I don't really have anything else for this list, but it seems now like I should come up with 10 things....
Number 10: While I am looking forward to next month's trips to Denver (for work) and to L.A. (for fun), I am not looking forward to the airplane. I hate flying. It is just so uncomfortable and annoying. The ipod helped a lot this last trip though, but it did not help with the turbulence of the baby airplane ride from St. George to Salt Lake City. Ick.
The End. June 13 My YardI am officially not a fan of yard work. I have discovered that it is pretty painful to pull weeds. You just have to put your body in an awkward position to get at those suckers. At least I do, because they are growing among the xeriscaped rocks in my front yard, and it isn't pleasant to sit down amongst the rocks and weed, really, so I have to sort of crouch. So, let's just say that my yard has been weedy. I also have a little patch of grass in the front yard and what can only presumably be called grass in the backyard which I have never mowed since living here (a year and a half). And, until about 2 months ago, you really couldn't tell in the front yard - it didn't look that bad. It didn't look that good either, but in the last couple of months several blades of grass somehow shot up or grew into another kind of grassy specimen and became quite tall. Also, I got a menacing letter from Coral Canyon, saying that what I thought was a bush with funny flowers in my front yard, was actually a weed, and that I was herby informed that I must remove it or pay a fine. The backyard is a whole other story. When I first saw the place, the back yard - really just a large patio - was one of the selling features, as I felt that since I was living in St. George with its beautiful weather, I really needed to have an outdoor space of some kind. The space was perfect - not too big, not too small, a pretty myrtle bush, a nice little place to put some outdoor furniture...just a lovely little spot. Until, I did nothing with it. And the sprinkling system broke. And it was 112 degrees many, many days last summer. I did try to grow some grass in the fall, but I didn't try all that hard. I put down some grass seed and spread some manure-ish type of stuff over it, as directed by the boy at the nursery, but I kept seeing birds eat it. I failed.
Well, after some thought I finally decided to do something about it: I paid someone to clean it all up! There was also a tree in the back that had grown extra tentacles on the bottom, and quite frankly, scared me a little. They fixed all of that! I even bought some paver stones to put out in the back in the new sod which was put in today. It's lovely. Yes, I guess I will have to water it some more, and yes, I will buy a lawn mower (only the pusher kind though). No, it wasn't free, BUT! It felt great. Glad I did it. June 06 You know you're getting old when...A bunch of friends invite you to go dancing Friday night in Vegas and you think, "that sounds exhausting."
Yes, I'm still going.
And coming in to work tomorrow, even though the word is that we won't get back home until 6:00 am tomorrow morning.
I'm tired already.
May 29 Finally!The first time that I went to Baltimore to live for awhile, I found myself near a big, beautiful Barnes and Noble near the Inner Harbor and knew that I would like the place. Upon moving to St George a year and a half ago and discovering that there was not only not a Barnes and Noble, but actually not a decent bookstore, I was not sure if I would like the place. St. George is growing dramatically (the U.S. Census Bureau shows it as the fastest growing city in the country) and almost weekly there are fun little signs. Last fall they expanded the downtown area known as Ancestor Square with water fountains you can walk through. They got an Olive Garden and an In and Out Burger (and yes "animal style" is truly mouth-watering -- thanks Karen), and they even have a weekly Farmer's Market. Tuesday though was the big day for me, because finally, FINALLY, a Barnes and Noble opened its doors, with cake, a ribbon cutting and the St. George mayor singing his wacky Dixie song (not Confederate Dixie, but southwest Utah Dixie - it's our nickname too). I walked around and smelled the coffee (yes, I think it smells wonderful...I would so be a coffee drinker if it wasn't for the WoW), looked at row after row of beautiful books and couldn't stop smiling.
May 27 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullIf you liked the first three Indiana Jones movies (I did), you will like the new one. It is true in spirit to its predecessors with the same old Indy (yeah he's old now, but not in too bad of a way), back with a new adventure full of wisecracks, creepy crawlies, bad guys, lots of action, and the supernatural. It's a great sit back and eat your popcorn and love the movies kind of movie. There are fun nods to the prior movies with insider jokes and it's just a good old-fashioned fun movie - no thinking necessary. May 23 SoundtrackI know you have all been dying to know what I decided to spend some of my tax refund on. Well, one thing was an Ipod Nano (Yes, I know for some I am way behind the times). Can I just say that it is so way cool. Now I actually look forward to exercise. I have a network of trails around my house and I have always enjoyed them, but now? Now it's like I'm in my own music video. Running to "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera or even walking to "Piece of Me" by Britney Spears (yes, I am admitting listening to her) gives the experience a whole new attitude. There are several large viaducts on the trails that are made for walking through and in the evening with the sun going down, it is all I can not to dance through tunnels. OK, I admit it, I do dance. Luckily no one else hardly seems to take advantage of the trails and I am out there by myself so no one can see the foolishness. You should all get one. It really is like you suddenly have your own soundtrack. And here's what's on my current exercise playlist:
Liars, Inc...Freakhouse
Piece of Me...Britney Spears
Waterfalls....TLC
Umbrella....Rihanna
Ray of Light....Madonna
Let's Get Loud....Jennifer Lopez
Intuition....Jewel
Clumsy....Fergie
Never Gonna Get It...En Vogue
Fighter...Christina Aguilera
Rhythm Nation....Janet Jackson
Bolero.....classical
I know, I'm a nerd. But it is FUN.
May 16 Donuts!Happy Birthday Becky! I have a forever image that comes up when I think of teenage memories: Becky running around the church at Mutual with multiple glazed donuts ringed around each of her fingers on both hands - she did love donuts. Now she chases after children doing similar things. Love you. May 09 Ma BelleHappy Birthday Michelle! For your birthday I give you a trip to Costa Rica...we will go to Volcano Arenal, drive an SUV through miles and miles of country villages and jungles, sit at a deserted beach with orange sunsets, hunt the quetzacoatl bird, and listen to "Closer to Fine" over and over. Oh wait, we already did that and it was the best trip ever. Love you! May 07 Listening to...On Friday I was up north for my sis' graduation (Congrats, Staci!!) and I also got to go to an AWESOME concert at The Depot in Salt Lake City, an AWESOME place to go to a concert. It was an AWESOME band and an AWESOME experience, and no, I am not using hyperbole here...it was AWESOME!! The band is The Swell Season. Here's a link:
KlutzyYou know how some compliments that you receive stick with you? My first year at BYU one of my roommates told me that I walked very gracefully. I have always remembered that because a) despite looking at myself in the mirror and at pictures of myself, I still wonder what do I really look like to other people and b) generally I am just a very uncoordinated person. Yesterday, I fell while taking a walk and it hurt. Saturday I took an African dance class with Michelle and the teacher made fun of me (in a nice, but honest, way). My ankle was broken earlier this year by my horse, yes, but mostly because I wasn't coordinated enough to move out of the way fast enough. No, I do not play sports, but when I was in Young Women's and forced, er, encouraged to participate, I liked practicing showing that I was fouled most of all, because it was easier for me to look silly and fall from a supposed bump than to actually try and hit a ball in the right direction.
 I just think this picture is funny.
And this weekend I have somehow got myself into playing laser tag. Sigh....
April 30 Happy Birthday Mom!I decided to try and like birthdays, even though it means getting older. Because the opposite of getting older? Not getting older. So hooray for birthdays, and especially hooray for Mom. Love you! In-N-OutAbout a week ago St. George welcomed an In-N-Out Burger restaurant. The line of cars of people wanting to get a burger and fries stretches around the block and has caused all sorts of fun traffic. You would have thought that the universe exploded and they they are handing out stardust for free. I think they make a tasty burger and it is pretty cheap, but really? What is the big deal? Sadly, it has put 3 other little fast food restaurants (granted, two were Super Sonics, so who cares, they are gross, but one was an excellent mom-and-pop seafood place that was very good) out of business. I guess it's just like the Olive Garden phenomenon that happened here last year. It's new! So we have to go there even though the wait is ridiculous! Oh well. I will however be at the Barnes and Noble that opens soon. Yes, it is a chain, but it is an AWESOME chain and I heart B&N. And there are no good bookstores here! I can't wait... April 24 Women's LibThank you to all the suffragettes and women who helped get women equal rights. But I have to say, one of the real things that got women out of the kitchen and into schools, into the work force, and into learning more than how to clean and cook? Modern inventions. For instance, 100 years ago (don't ask me actual dates...I'm not trying to be a historian here), if a woman needed to cook her family some chicken to eat, she had to:
A process obviously that could take a whole day! Last night I ate some chicken. First I got out a frozen chicken breast from the freezer. Then I put it in my George Foreman grill. I ate chicken (with vegetables) less than 10 minutes later.
April 23 I do not understand...The motivations of:
Yes, I was watching "The Secret Lives of Women" on the WE channel last night
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Invite as friend
