In Case You Thought I Was Kidding

Do you remember what my Dad's backyard used to look like... and the pretty wood structure where we used to get shade?  As you can see, the roof collapsed from the snow.  We really are having the yuckiest winter.  I believe we should all be at home watching Anne of Green Gables in our jammies right about now.

If I May

I'd like to give a quick shout out to my car.  In the past few days, we've seen snow, heavy fog, ice and (my personal least favorite) freezing rain.  My little Civic has done remarkably well.  So thank you Honda and Good Year Tire. 

I've learned a lot about winter driving in the past 10 years.  Rule #1 is stay home if you possibly can.  The other rules are to leave early, go slow, increase your following distance by at least one football field, test your brakes so you know what kind of roads you're dealing with and stay calm.  I'm pretty good at all of the rules except one (you guessed it, stay calm). 

The other thing that has been going on in Utah besides really bad weather is the Sundance Film Festival.  I went to my first Sundance film on Friday.  I felt a little out of place since I don't wear skinny jeans, heavy parkas, expensive boots and brightly colored scarves.  Nobody told me there was a dress code!  But the film I saw (Blood Brother) was excellent and ended up winning the grand jury prize for a documentary.  I hope it gets a wider distribution so I can say snobbish things like "Oh, I saw that at Sundance.  Rocky, the subject of the film, was really quite fascinating in person.  Were you able to meet him?"  

Happy Birthday Neil!!!

It's Neil Diamond's Birthday!!!

Know it.  Live it.  Love it.

Whoops

I recently realized I needed to get rid of the "I Love Jim" notebook I had at my desk at work.  The guy in the office right next to me?  His name is Jim. 

In other potentially embarrassing news, today I went to lunch with some coworkers at a Vietnamese place.  During the drive there, I heard myself say, "Wow, you used to play rugby at the U?  Those guys are legit."  I have NO business saying things like "Those guys are legit."  It just doesn't sound natural coming out of my mouth.  I was lucky no one called me out on it.  This time.  But I won't make that mistake again.

Happy Friday

I wanted to post a picture of sunshine and clear air since it is becoming such a distant memory for me.  Hence this picture in San Diego a couple of years ago.  Sigh.

So this morning I was cleaning out my junk email folder and I actually stopped to look at the subject lines of some of the messages I receive on a daily basis:

• Finish Your RN Degree
• Meet Local Asian Singles
• Eat Yourself SKINNY
• Overstock Clearance on iPads and Digital Cameras
• Tell Us Why You Want to Win a Million Dollars

We all get these messages.  And yet I feel that someone, somewhere should know that I never started my RN degree and I really don't need to get messages on how to finish up a nursing program.  Who do I talk to about this?

Wow

It takes a lot of snow to shut Salt Lake City down.  And we were DOWN on Friday. 

Caring - Sharing - Every Little Thing That We Are Wearing

My sister popped into see me this morning at work.  We were both wearing the exact same pair of black boots.  I'd like to think this was an isolated incident.  But the fact is, there is probably a 50/50 chance that Biz and I are wearing something identical on any given day. 

We played the "guess who's older" game with a couple of my co-workers.  Biz got one vote for being 13 months older and I got one vote for being 3 years older.  Close.

#24

On Saturday I did a session at the new temple in Brigham City.  My family went to the Open House and I watched the dedication broadcast, so it was neat to be able to attend this temple.  I can once again say that I have been to all the temples in Utah.

Like Ever

So this morning I'm driving to work, listening to Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together" on repeat in my car.  (Yep, I said it.  Don't judge me.)  I'm singing along enthusiastically "You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me, but we (eeeeee) are never ever ever getting back together."

It occurred to me on like my 10th repetition of the chorus how much I do NOT sound like Taylor Swift when I have a bad cold.  And I proudly kept singing along, even more expressively, with my voice going in and out, high and low, loud and soft.  I bet Taylor Swift never gets colds.  Humph.  

2012

My brother Taylor always likes to suggest that we make resolutions for other people at the new year.  For example, he might resolve that I will make peanut butter chip chocolate cookies more regularly in 2013.

I prefer to look back at the previous year and remember some of the things I did or accomplished.  "Life can only be understood looking backwards, but it must be lived looking forward."  Here are my thoughts on 2012.

This year I was a Super Fun Aunt.  I was fun at Lava Hot Springs, the zoo, the pumpkin patch, Mountain Home, and at Grandpa's House, among other locations.

This year I visited both temples in Nevada: Las Vegas and Reno.  I should probably resolve to spend less time in casinos in 2013.  (Although I didn't spend any money there except on food.)

This year I planned my ward's Relief Society Birthday Party, Summer Kick-Off BBQ, Trunk or Treat, and Christmas Dinner.  I also served on the committee for the Stake Womens Conference.  I survived.  (Barely.)

This year I made a trip to Seattle and saw many of my cousins for the first time in years.  We also celebrated Favorite Aunt Patsy's 60th Birthday in Mountain Home.

This year I completely re-vamped the website for the company where I work.  I took the project through budget approval, hiring a consultant, design, copy writing and lift-off.  I have to say it was rewarding to put in months of work and bring our website from 2001 (and that's being generous) to 2012. 

This year I did some of the things I always "mean to do."  I went to see a play at Tuacahn, I had ice cream at the Red Barn in Santaquin, I went to a display of Islamic Art at BYU, and I dragged my sister to Cove Fort.  (For which she may never forgive me.  Something about kidney stones.  Whatever.)  Oh, and I liked the Shakespeare Festival's production of Les Miz so much that I made the trek to Cedar City twice.

In 2012, I bought new tires for my car ALL BY MYSELF.  I fixed the drain in my bathtub when it was clogged with a wire hanger trick I found on the internet.  I learned how to put my garage door on manual and how to re-set it.  (Eventually.)  I killed a wasp with my boot at work.  And I "fixed" the fan on my work computer with a piece of cardstock. 

And, although I hate to brag, this year my weight at my annual visit to the doctor's office was DOWN from last year instead of UP.  My doctor (who is, in my opinion, overzealous about weight control) congratulated me for taking steps to improve my well-being.  So I guess that's it.  In 2012 I took steps to improve my overall well-being.  I hope to be able to say the same in 2013.  Stay tuned.