Seasons Giving, part II

Just a quick post of one of the baskets we put together for UAF's Seasons Giving:


My father and sister came over last night and we put this together. They went slightly overboard with the food, but then I went slightly overboard with the basket and add-ins.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Seasons Giving

Two posts in one day! My sis is probably freakin' out...

Regardless, as soon as I thought about this I wanted to post it ASAP so that folks that wanted to do something different this year would have an idea. For those of you that don't know Tyler (my partner) works for the Utah AIDS Foundation. They offer services to those living with AIDS and their family members. Every year they do Seasons Giving where you can adopt an individual or a family and give them items to fulfill their basic needs.

Here is a link to the UAF site with more information:

http://www.utahaids.org/index.php?id=MTIz

This year our family is significantly reducing our spending (possibly cutting it altogether) and focusing on helping those less fortunate than ourselves. We hope you'll join us in the giving spirit of the season.

Oh My Edward

Hello Twilighters!

We took the family and some friends to the Twilight movie on Saturday night. In case anyone is feeling "on the fence" about whether or not to go see it in the theater or wait for it to come out on DVD, I offer the following post. Don't worry, there won't be any spoilers.


Hello makeup! You can only put so much white facepaint and red lipgloss on someone before it looks ridiculous. In the world of computer-modified pictures, couldn't we find a better way to vamp out the cast? Regardless, it was only a minor distraction for me, and didn't ruin the movie by any means.

Alice, the actress, the character, perfect. I'm only disappointed that we didn't get to see much of her, or the other Cullens for that matter. My recollection of the first book is somewhat hazy, but the other vamps played an extremely minor role to Eddie and Bells. I think we actually got to see more of Chief Swan than the book portrayed. My first thought was that he is a bigger name than some of the other cast members, but then I recognized Carlisle as Peter Facinelli, and I became more disappointed in the fact that we didn't see him more.

Finally, awkward teenage moments...in this movie there are several. If you thought the book read like a high school diary (like I did) then you may find yourself shifting in your seat at several points in this movie (like I did).

This is not to say that I didn't enjoy the movie, but I would have enjoyed it more at the price of a Redbox movie, and not the silver screen.

Recent Politics

With the election over I am finally able to exhale a long-held sigh of relief. I am hopeful that our newly elected president can begin to mend the damage done to our economy, the relationships we held with the rest of the world, and with each other.

In spite of this large step towards healing, it seems a good majority of us still cling to hate and narrow-minded ideas. I firmly believe that God is more liberal in his views and boundless in his mercies than we are ready to believe or receive. A friend of mine posted a message from Keith Olbermann:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4xfMisqab8

I think he has some very interesting things to say, and it causes me to wonder about the nature of obedience. We all understand that in our history God has given us directions that seem to conflict with others. Here are a couple of examples I am sure you are familiar with, "multiply and replenish the Earth" and "eat not of the fruit of the tree of knowledge", "thou shalt not kill" and Nephi being instructed to kill Laban. It seems to me that we are given a multitude of choices and the opportunity to exercise our free agency to make those choices. In many circumstances, I'm not sure that one choice is more correct than another. If Nephi had spared Laban, do you think he would have been punished, or do you think God had another plan? I prefer to think that either another choice would be offered, or that his death may have come about by another means. I don't think that Nephi made a wrong decision, but he made a decision and it is in exercising our agency that we learn.

In researching conflicting commandments I came across a poem by Keith Kent entitled The Paradoxical Commandments. I thought it was an interesting read so thought I would share:

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today, will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
9. People really need help, but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
I hope that when we are confronted with choices that seem to conflict with lessons we have been taught or learned we will exercise our agency in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. Life is about making choices and learning from the consequences. For myself, I hope along the way I learn humility and compassion, and forget pride and intolerance.

Tagged...but that's it!

My sister tagged me in her blog and now I'm supposed to post my 4th picture in my 4th folder. Well, my 4th folder at home is Lagoon pictures, which have already been posted, and my 4th folder at work is wallpaper pictures (booooring!). So I'm just posting a random picture I found while going through my pictures. Sue me.

This is me and Ty and I's good friend Brandy (aka 'the good Brandy'). We're all swankified because we're at the Utah AIDS Foundation Oscar Gala (2008). I don't know who won which Oscars but the party was fun, and we made a bit of coin for charity.

So I would tag someone else, but I'm kind of the end of the line for those kinds of things. Ciao!

'Tis the Season

Quick post (B, I'll respond to your "tag" and post the 4th picture in my 4th picture folder another time), but Ty and I went to Lowe's last week to get a hinge or a pipe or something and what did we see when we first walked in? Christmas Trees!!! Seriously people, Halloween hadn't even happened yet!

So, in the spirit of Christmas getting here a little bit earlier each year, I post the following:

Ho, ho, h-bah humbug!

The Mummy ... Bombed.

I had a feeling I was going to be disappointed with this movie when the part of Evie was played by an actress that was not Rachel Weisz. We love Rachel Weisz. This movie would have been 10 times better with Rachel Weisz. Instead, it was only somewhat entertaining, and that was when I completely ignored the storyline and just focused on the special effects.

For those of you who like flashbacks...

"What is a place like me doing, in a girl like this?"

So that's what Ty and I did over Labor Day weekend. Saw a movie, played with the puppy, did some yard work. How was yours?

Puppy!!!

Hold on to your knickers folks, I'm updating again!

Tyler and I took the plunge and have moved onto the next phase of our relationship, parenting. We got little Sadie last Sunday and have had her for a whole week to make sure my allergies can handle it. Since that hurdle is now overcome, we thought it would be prudent to announce the new addition to the family...


Sadie is a 7-month old rat terrier. We saw an add for her on KSL Classifieds and met the owner at Murray Park and took an instant liking to her. The owner wasn't asking for money, which was a shock to us, only that she get a good home. We took her home and the rest is history.


She's a very good girl and is nearly housebroken. We've only had a few incidents and she seems to be bonding to both of us well. For those of you who are worried about visiting us now, she's very well-behaved and doesn't bite. She loves kids and seems to be less hyper around them. She also doesn't have an undercoat. That means, little shedding and fewer allergens in the air at the house. Finally, we have a Dyson, which means HEPA filter!! So feel free to visit. Weekends are best as she gets a bath!!

Say g'nite Sadie!

What Fun IS!

Yesterday my sister (B), her sister-in-law (D) and Tybo went to Lagoon! My work (yay, eBay!) had our annual summer party there this year. Our day began at 10AM.

I neglected to take pictures for the first half of the day. Sorry folks. But prior to lunch, we went on Wicked, which included teasing D about keeping her head inside the ride at all times to avoid decapitation. The ride was short but fun, highly recommended! Then we went on the Spider. Another fun ride, where one spends part of the time going forward and another going backward, with random spinning in-between. Aside from the gum that seemed to line the entire structure going up to the ride (freakin' kids) we loved it. After the Spider we tried the Wild Mouse. Now, I know what you're thinking...isn't that a kiddie ride? Well, considering the number of people who have lost their lives to the notorious mouse, we thought it rather brave of ourselves to give this one a try. Actually, D probably screamed louder on this ride than any of the others.

After Wild Mouse we had lunch on eBay. Burgers and hotdogs, can you imagine a tastier meal? We couldn't, and it was freakin' good, especially considering how hot it was, and how hungry we ended up being. After a quick lap to say 'hey' to the co-workers, we were off to ride the rides again, starting with the Bat. It had a very scary entrance. Ty and B were spooked! This nice thing about this ride was that your feet get to dangle and B got to kick off her flip flops. Which was good, stinky feet need to air out a bit. After that, we were off to the Re-Entry, not to be confused with the Rocket, which is the exact same ride, but in reverse. The Re-Entry takes you straight up a few hundred feet, and then drops you straight down, literally your seat is taken out from under you. Very fun!

After that we went on the Samurai, a spin-you-around-six-different-ways-including-upside-down kind of ride. I laughed hysterically, I think we all did, but D and I left the ride with a bit of a headache. I managed to recover but D was still jumbled up a bit later. To further jumble us up, we went on the Boomerang. For those of you who don't know, that's the bumper cars. There was no line, which was good. Though you'll get a different account of who-owned-who in the ride, I think it's safe to say that I was the best and most aggressive driver. Again...it depends on who you talk to.

After the Boomerang we decided to play one of the many games for prizes you see around the place. B wanted to play the squirt-gun-clown-balloon game. I totally won this one and got a little bride teddy bear. Since Ty and I have teddy bears all over the house, we gave it to D. I think it made her headache feel a little better.

Teddy in hand, we headed over to Pioneer Village for some ice cream. We almost thought better of it when we passed the dentist's shop. But our need for sugar and something cold won out. We all decided Rocky Road was the way to go. B and I didn't finish it all so threw some of it away, much to the disappointment of D, who seems to have a much higher level of regard for ice cream. Her regard is so high, in fact, that when her scoop of ice cream fell out of her cone, she caught it with her bare hand. Ha ha!

After devouring our cold and creamy treats we proceeded to wait in the longest line since the beginning of time for the Log Ride. Seriously, we couldn't figure out what the problem was until we actually got to the ride and saw people riding as singles. Come on people, get a little closer and get on the ride! We were significantly hotter and tired by the time we got to the front, which was probably why the girls stole the back of the ride, assuring that wetness would be had by all.

After that we tried to convince ourselves that the 5-hour wait to ride on Wicked again would be worth it, but after 5 minutes in line, we thought better of it and ran over to the Colossus. It ended up being a lot more fun than we thought it would be, possibly because we were seated at the back. It seemed to be a lot faster than I remember.

After that we called it a day and grabbed one of my co-workers as they were entering the park to snap a photo of all of us. See you soon, at Lagoon!

"Twilight" Preview

So, though I'm loathe to admit it, I'm quite excited for this movie to come out. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, take a few minutes to watch the preview (courtesy of MTV):

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

Fine holiday fun!

See It, Believe It

Seeing as no one can bring themselves to believe that I am capable of manual labor, I offer this post.

After a couple of hours of volleyball (of which I did not do too shabby) I went home and did yard work (for those of you who are trying to debunk the legitimacy of this post, notice I'm still in my volleyball gear). See that I am digging up weeds by their roots. Wearing gloves, even, due to the fact that thistle is an exceptionally evil weed, that likes to fight back.

I dug up so many weeds, in fact, that in order to transfer them to the garbage can, I had to use a snow shovel. See the piles of weeds? See them!?

All of this I was doing, by myself, while Tyler was power washing our gutters. It's amazing how much junk falls on the roof and into the rain gutters.

So there you have it folks. When it snows, I shovel the walk. When there are weeds, I dig em up. When the house is dirty, I clean it. When my clothes smell funny, I wash them. I hope we can all accept that I'm a grown up now, I do things I don't necessarily care to do, and can even get dirty in the process.

Peace.

Seeking After These Things

I don't know why I feel most compelled to post a blog when I am waxing spiritual...but here you have it. Recently my partner has experienced some strife at work when dealing with some of their contracts. His company has done the work that they have said they would do, and have billed to be paid for the work, but the companies they have serviced are refusing to pay for one reason or another. What is frustrating, is if they stop working on the project, they are not entitled to be paid, and so those who have the money hold the power, and hold their owed payments over their head.

To make matters worse, the woman with whom my partner has had dealings, claims to be a faithful Latter-Day Saint. Upon hearing this story I was first filled with righteous anger, and thought to use my investigative skills to find out more about her, and let her know how her actions have affected the lives of others. But as I thought and prayed on this, my anger has cooled, and instead, I think I shall post an article I found, and my own meandering thoughts, to the rest of the world.

I was inspired to find this article while I was getting ready for work this morning. I couldn't get the song for the 13th Article of Faith out of my head. I will not quote it as it is quoted in the article I will be copying below. After I got to work (and the world of the internet opened to me) I found a talk by President James E. Faust from the April 1998 Priesthood Conference session on this very topic. Though it is directed at men, I think it applies to everyone, at least this paragraph;

Tonight I plead for greater consistency between our beliefs and actions. I take as my text the 13th article of faith. "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul--We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." Brethren, does the Spirit of Christ that we have taken upon ourselves spill over into our behavior in the workforce? Brigham Young said: "We want the Saints to increase in goodness, until our mechanics, for instance, are so honest and reliable that this Railroad Company will say, 'Give us a "Mormon" Elder for an engineer, then none need have the least fear to ride, for if he knows there is danger he will take every measure necessary to preserve the lives of those entrusted to his care.' I want to see our Elders so full of integrity that they will be preferred by this Company for their engine builders, watchmen, engineers, clerks, and business managers. If we live our religion and are worthy [of] the name of Latter-day Saints, we are just the men that all such business can be entrusted to with perfect safety; if it can not it will prove that we do not live our religion." What President Young urged of the priesthood holders in his day is just as important in our day. The Spirit of Christ should permeate all we do, whether at work, at school, or at home.

Though I think it a fairly slim chance that this woman will find, read, or even heed these words, everyone else should and always remember, it is easy to be a good person at home or at church, but if you can be a good person at work, in the world, or in the eyes of a stranger, that is a truer reflection of the kind of person you are. Peace.

A Gelato for All Seasons

I felt compelled to write about a little restaurant we discovered in Sandy. If you're ever in the mood for an amazing italian sandwich or, more importantly, need some amazingly authentic gelato, you need to head over to Cittá Gelato & Café on 2101 E 9400 S in Sandy. I highly recommend the meatball sandwich (italian sausage meatballs on panini) and the peach yogurt and blood orange gelato (or the sour cherry). The tomato bisque soup is also very tasty.

Five stars!

Who's FICA? And why's HE getting all my money!?

I don't plan on making it a habit to post blogs that purely complain about things, however, I just finished doing my taxes...and I don't think Rachel could have said it any better. I know I'm fortunate to be a somewhat successful professional in spite of not having completed my education, but it's frustrating to make just enough to get by, but not enough to get any tax breaks.

I think this will bother me less as my nephews get older. At least then I can rationalize that I'm paying for their education. Of course, because I don't have any kids of my own (and can't legally adopt) I'm S.O.L. as far as having a say in how I think they should be taught.

Or perhaps a better word, I heard recently, "indoctrinated", if you listen to Oklahoma politicians. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, take a moment to listen to some hate:

Oklahoma lawmaker says gays are worse than terrorists

At first I laughed, that an elected official who (I imagine) has received a college education would spout such garbage. But now I feel sad, that simply being educated is not enough to dispel these myths and lies. The only agenda I'm aware of is equality, and it's not a new ideal. It's just our turn to fight.

And while I could go on about this and several other issues that are close to my heart, I'll instead close this blog and leave you with a scripture that has become my mantra over the years since I came to accept who I was...

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. - Matthew 5:44

Posting for Posterity

Well, everyone else is doing it so, why not me? I've decided to start a blog for posterity's sake. Who knows? Maybe in the future this will be the historical documents we leave our children (or in my case, my nephews), in a futuristic world where we all wear synthetic blends and paper is an illegal substance...and still, no flying cars.

I make no promises as to the quality of the content that will be displayed here, only that it's the truth as far as I believe.

Stay tuned.

P.S. Happy Birthday Ryan, and Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!