What Did I Do?

I wanted a new look for my blog and after one frustrating hour of trying to create a new template I gave up and decided to go the ultra simple route with grayscale and no title bar. Sorry if the new design (or serious lack thereof) bugs but I actually kind of like it and it will only be temporary. Oh, how I wish I had any photoshop skills so I could do this stuff myself.

Happy Birthday Emily!

I wanted to send a big shout out to Emily on her birthday (the big 2-7)! I know that since you are just reading this that you can't tell that I'm getting a teensy bit emotional but just thinking about how much she means to me really makes me get sappy. There are about a million reasons why I love her but here are 27, in honor of her age:

1. She is a fabulous mom to Reid and is now pregnant with twins.
   
2. She taught me how to hide a jumbo bag of Skittles under my shirt and not get caught by Mom (and no, we weren't stealing anything...we got the Skittles from our storage room in the garage, it's a long story).
3. She knows how to dish out tough love to help knock some sense into me when I am acting stupid.
4. She introduced me to Express Editor pants - the best fitting pants in America.
5. She convinced me to give a dry humor speech to a bunch of elementary school kids when I ran for Student Council Vice President in the 5th Grade. It did not turn out well.
6. She also loves Martha.
7. She is beautiful.
8. She is an example to me of how to be a good wife/mother/daughter/sister.
9. She bears her testimony to me. I remember one time in high school when she was driving us home and she stopped to tell me how important it is that I read the Book of Mormon and really have a testimony of its truthfulness.
10. She doesn't steal my chapstick anymore.
11. She can speak movie quote language with me.
12. She is fun to have girl talk with.
13. She introduced me to Stampin' Up!
14. She is crazy smart.
15. She is crazy creative.
16. She taught me how to make cupcake pops.
17. She likes to talk about new business ideas.
18. She is turning into our Mom...which is a good thing.
19. She isn't materialistic at all.
20. She always has good suggestions for when I ask her how I should cut my hair. She even provides pictures.
    
21. She does a dang good job manning "the booth."
22. She introduced me to America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, What Not To Wear, and The Office.
23. She lets me vent and whine to her.
24. She makes a killer Chipotle burrito.
25. She accepts my apologies.
26. She has a magnetic personality which makes everybody adore her.
27. She sympathizes with the plight of those with big teeth, Arnett Self-Assured Syndrome, basketball syndrome, etc.
    

Happy Birthday Sissy! I love you!

No Bake

Today I felt like baking something but what actually sounded good were no bake cookies (you know the kind I'm talking about). So, I made the cookies as per the recipe but my cookies didn't turn out anything like what they are supposed to. How does that happen? These things are so easy that a two-year-old could make them. And, now that I think about it, the last time I made these in the last ten years was one time in college and I actually managed to burn them. Again, how does that happen? I'm no Martha Stewart but I swear I know how to bake. Maybe I'm just not good at not baking. Yes, I think that must be it.

Let's Talk Politics

Have any of you seen the marquee on the corner of 3300 South and Highland Drive for a Mr. Horiuchi that is running for some city government position? It is fabulous! This guy made a deal with the Tres Hombres restaurant and now cartoon drawings of Mr. Horiuchi in various sports uniforms are covering the mechanical dancing hombre figures on their marquee with the slogan that "He's Got Game." I love his creativity but I would also love it if I knew what he was running for and what "he's got game" has to do with anything. Even still, when I see his name on the ballot I will be slightly more inclined to vote for him solely based on his clever advertising which, I well know, is a ridiculous reason to vote for someone. I mean, I'm in marketing for crying out loud! I should know better than to fall for that type of gimmick and instead base my opinion on facts...which leads me to my next point.

I'll be the first to admit that right now I am nowhere near as educated as I should be on the political issues and the candidates' platforms, specifically in regards to Obama and McCain. I figure I now have two months left to get educated and I am looking for any sources of information that you have found helpful in your research. I have found that the official websites for Barack Obama and John McCain offer good information but I would love to find some literature or websites that compare their platforms with as little bias as possible. I know that I may be asking for the moon with that request but I have hope that such sources can exist. Also, I would love to read postings on personal blogs that offer viewpoints that might "expand my horizons" so to speak. As my intent is to find out as much information as possible, please do not do me the injustice of assuming what I do or do not believe/support/want to know, and censoring your comments or information sources according to those assumptions. That said, I'm not interested in flashy, overly-emotional, or degrading material that does little to relate to the issues. As evidenced by my experience with the Horiuchi marquee, I want to not let surface impressions dictate my stance but instead be grounded in the facts.

Thanks everyone if you feel inclined to offer information for me. I really appreciate it!

My Trip to Wisconsin

This week I went on a business trip to Wisconsin and I'm just going to cut to the chase and give you the highlights in a bullet point list:

• Business conversations seem more interesting when the person on the other end of the conversation looks exactly like Mike Ditka.
• Cheese curd is disgusting but FRIED cheese curd is delicious. (That isn't really a surprise. I'll bet that fried anything is delicious)
  
• Not having a company laptop can have its perks. For instance, it allows you to take naps or watch Transformers on HBO in your hotel room without feeling completely guilty that you are wasting time.
  
• I went to dinner at some great little restaurants that had gorgeous serving pieces and lovely food presentation. I got to have steak two nights in a row...not the healthiest idea but I wasn't going to turn down Wisconsin steaks.
• Escargot is not appetizing. I felt like being adventurous so I tried it when it was offered to me. The only redeeming part was the taste of the melted butter and parmesan that it was soaked in. I think I have a new motto: If something is edible only if soaked in fat then it probably isn't worth eating. But, aren't you proud of me for even trying it?
  
• Despite my best intentions, I didn't make use of the running gear that I packed. I'm going to blame it on the fact that it isn't safe for a single girl to run alone at night in an unknown area. Nevermind the fact that the hotel had a treadmill somewhere.
• Hockey is no laughing matter in those parts. I spoke to one hockey mom that actually floods her backyard in the winter to create an ice rink for her kids. This process involves running water then unhooking the hose and taking it inside to thaw with a cycle of once every hour for 48 hours straight. That is one dedicated mom...and a very expensive water bill.
• Finally, Stampin' Up! is awesome. Enough said.
  

...and I lived to tell the tale

So, yesterday I participated in the Jordanelle Triathlon with some of my co-workers. Lauren, Patti, and I decided to form a relay team with me swimming, Lauren biking, and Patti running. As you probably know, I grew up swimming competitively (well, in the exhibition heats) so I wasn't too worried about my serious lack of training prior to the race. However, it only took about 20 seconds into my 1/2 mile course before I realized that swimming freestyle in open water is actually really scary. If you are swimming with your head down you feel claustrophobic because you can't see more than one foot into the murky abyss in any direction and when you take a breath there is no guarantee that a little wave won't overtake your air supply. So, after quickly deciding that freestyle just wasn't going to work for me, I instinctively flipped over on my back and swam backstroke the whole way. Now, swimming backstroke in open water has its drawbacks as your kicking pretty much gets lost in the water and you end up swimming way more than you need to because you can easily veer off course. Another drawback that I didn't notice until today is that your neck gets really sore from trying to hold your head above water to compensate for the little waves. I'm not kidding when I say my neck muscles are sore...I mean, I chose not to go to choir today because I thought that singing would make it hurt too much.

All in all, that was probably the longest half-mile I have ever had to swim but it was a good learning experience. Someday I would like to actually train for and compete in triathlons so I'm grateful that I could try out the swimming thing so it won't be so new to me when I do a whole race. And, the relay was actually a really fun way to get involved in a race with your friends because you have someone to talk to when it's not your turn, you get to be close to the action and watch the other athletes, and you get to cheer on your teammates. I want to send a big shout out to Lauren and Patti for doing such a good job and inspiring me to not throw in the towel and have one of the rescue kayaks tow me in. Go Team Snack Pack!

Oh, how I love the Olympics!

Don't you? I am watching the opening ceremonies and I have goosebumps. It may sound cheesy but there is something so touching, humbling, and almost sacred about an event that can bring the world together in such a fashion. I am not naive to the presence of threats, scandals, and negativity that often surround the games. Even so, it is hard to deny the unity the Olympics bring, even if just for a few days. Wow, USA just walked out and I started to tear up...when did I turn into such a sap? Anyway, I have added a new life goal to my list and it is to attend an Olympic opening ceremony. That may be really hard to accomplish but I've got plenty of time so I have confidence that I can do it. In the last six months alone I was able to accomplish two of my other life goals so I'm sure that given the allowance of fifty or so future years I can make it happen. Speaking of, does anybody know if any of Mitt Romney's sons are still single? If so then that could really be helpful, and for more than just the opening ceremony goal, I'm sure. Well, I can't wait to watch the swimming events as they are my favorite. Which events are you excited to watch?