Spanglish?

I'm thinking that it's time for a haircut. I actually tucked my hair into my pants while getting dressed today. My hair is toooo long. My little sister is going to freak out, but I really need to get rid of a few inches.

I. am. exhausted. Lately it seems like all I do is "go, go, go". I know I have free time, but it doesn't feel like I do. I've been spending too much time stressing. I can't wait until school starts. I think that's weighing heavily on my mind. Who knows, maybe I'll live to regret those words. I hope and pray that having class doesn't add too much stress!

You may or may not remember a post I wrote about a year ago when I said there was this one boy that I don't think I'll ever fully get over. Well . . . I had a dream about him last night. It's crazy . . . He hasn't been a part of my life since high school, but I still think about him sometimes. First love, maybe? Who knows .  . .

I've also been thinking about my ex a lot lately. (Since he kicked me out on Christmas Eve, this time of year tends to spark random memories of him.) I still remember the moment I first new without a single doubt that he was cheating on me. The crazy thing is, that moment came before we were married . . . and I still married him. Ugh. *facepalm. The moment I am referring to came after he had left for the Navy. I had these little feelings and intuitions that he was cheating, but zero proof. None whatsoever. Until, that is, the day that he told me he and his Navy buddy, Andy, were going to go see a movie in theatres. What movie?

Spanglish.

Spanglish?

Either you two are knocking boots . . . or you are taking women. Am I right? (I was right.)

I don't know why I ever married that boy. I cared a whole lot about him, but our whole relationship was a disaster. An unhealthy, chaotic disaster. Right from the beginning.

Anyway, I really need to hit the sheets now. Judging by the paleness of my face, I'm going to say I'm coming down with something. Good night, all.

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!

I have been so stressed out that I am having the strangest nightmares almost every night. I can't remember all of them (thank heavens), but there are a couple that have stuck. Two nights ago I dreamt that I had two babies, a little girl and a little boy. Both were redheads even though I knew their father to be a dark brunette. I didn't want kids (their dad wasn't around), so I gave them to some family friends. They named them Aiden and Pearl, and I was PISSED! I hated those names! And then I wanted them back and couldn't have them! I know it sounds silly, but it was one of those dreams that you feel more than anything. It woke me up totally depressed.

Last night I dreamt that I was giving out free lift tickets to Targhee and I was so worried and stressed that I'd get caught. (Ummm . . . ??? NOOO idea where that idea came from. I'm not about to scam my own place of employment.) Anyway, I let my best friend and her family in and she ended up shooting someone and killing them. I saw her a few minutes later fleeing the scene with her crying children, telling them not to be afraid, that mommy and daddy aren't "bad people". (They really aren't. Again -- NOOOO idea where this is coming from.) Then I was worried that they'd tie me to the scene as an accessory since I was the one who gave her the lift tickets. It was horrible!!

This morning I woke up to find that my dvd player isn't working, so I can't do my workout. That alone stresses me out to the point of tears (nearly, anyway). If I don't get a good workout in before work, I lose steam less than halfway through the day. I'm very worried, stressed and pissed about it. And I agreed to work tomorrow (my only day off), so I really screwed myself over. I've been feeling so negative for a few weeks now. I don't know what to blame it on. The weather? Work? School? Maybe a little bit of all of those . . . ? All I know is that I need to get it together soon. I've been over stressed, over worked, and over eating for too long now!!

O Holy Night

Last night I had a really bitter-sweet dream. I won't go into the details (I'm way too tired for that), but I will say that it was about me dating a certain boy and things were going really, really well. I woke up feeling completely in love with him. (But I'm not in real life. Those feelings faded soon after my alarm went off.) I was really happy while the dream lasted, though.

You know what else makes me happy? The fact that I feel like I can blog without it being tainted by readers who don't belong here. I can't tell you how good that feels!!

Christmas is right around the corner again. Isn't that crazy? I spent this afternoon thinking about some of the things that happened this time last year and it blows my mind that they happened a year ago already. Wow.

There's no snow on the ground yet. That's really bitter-sweet. I love that the roads aren't icy yet, but it's weird to have so much rain and no snow in December.

And I'll leave you with this. Enjoy!

 

Aubs had a dream.

I have been so busy that I actually am starting to get a little burned out. I love my job at Targhee, but holy crap! It wipes me out! This drug testing thing is sucking up a significant amount of time as well. The frightening thing is: school hasn't even started yet! Yikes. Life is going to get pretty crazy once I throw a few classes and a bunch of homework into the mix.

Just a random thought I'd like to throw out there: I am so grateful that I have so many lawyers/people involved in law in some form or another in my life. It has been beneficial this past month. I have 3 lawyers in my family and a best friend who's been in Law for 20+ years. I feel like I'm pretty well versed in the matter.

My sister had a dream about me last night, and she remembered it quite well. It was so odd that I want to write it down before I forget it. Since I'm blogging, I guess I'll jot it down here.

So Aubs had a dream that I had three kids. Two girls named Hannah and Leah and a little boy who I apparently decided to name Zach. I was going out of town (to Utah) so I had her babysitting for me. She was pissed about this because she had the Christensen boys over and she didn't want to have any distractions. So she fed my kids pancakes and had them watch a movie while she flirted with the boys. And apparently I had no husband/boyfriend to speak of. Haha.

I guess when I type it out it doesn't seem like such an odd dream. Maybe it was just in the way she told me. ;)

Okay, I hate to be pathetic, but I have got to go to bed. It's already 8:30 and I have to be up super early. I have to work the next three days at Targhee and I'm not really looking forward to it. I'm just too exhausted to be happy about scrubbing toilets and making beds for 8 hrs per day for the next three days. Ugh. I am, however, looking forward to shredding it up on Saturday. Yesssss!

That's All

Manager? Yes. But not of Stress.

With as many talents as I have, I have to say that stress-management is not really one of them. I'm about 2 challenges away from a large dose of Prozac! Haha.

Today at 8:30 I have a phone orientation that should last anywhere from one to two hours. I'm going to be taking over my parent's little drug testing business they have here in the Valley. They haven't had time to take on a lot of clients and grow it. I plan to change that.

I have an appointment in Idaho Falls at 2. I hope the roads are okay.

At some point I need to call ISU and make sure I'm all set to enroll in my classes on Sunday/Monday. (I'm not exactly sure which day. Just one more reason I need to call them.)

I start work back up at Targhee tomorrow. I haven't purchased a shuttle ticket yet and my tires are baaaad. I am a little nervous about the drive in the morning.

I need to call and schedule a total of 11 drug testings and the majority of those have to be done on Saturday between whenever I get off work and 5 p.m. Then I have another one to do Monday morning at 7 a.m. I may just need to ask for Saturday and Monday off at Targhee so I can get those drug testings and school all taken care off.

I desperately need to fast today. (I must've eaten something not gluten free yesterday and I'm all bloaty and hurty.) With all this stress, though, I'd give my right arm for some dark chocolate and/or sushi.

I know that little list doesn't seem like a lot, but I was up a lot throughout the night thanks to various nightmares that all had to do with that stress. Ahhhhhhhhh!

The Forgotten Garden

I finally finished my book today. As I was reading it I kept thinking to myself, Wow, this is taking me a reeeeaaaaallllly long time to get through. Maybe my reading skills have slowed way down.

It turns out that I'm still a perfectly functioning speed reader. The book I was reading just happens to be 648 pages long in its paperback form. (And since I'm reading it on my Kindle, I had no idea.) Hence the couple of weeks it took me to get through it.

Anyway. The book I was reading was "The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton.

O. M. G. ("g" for "goodness", of course.)

Never before have a fallen so deeply in love with a book.

Never before have I felt so kindred to a character in a story as I did to Eliza Makepeace.

And never before have I immediately started a book over upon its completion until "The Forgotten Garden."

I loved it. The writing style is perfect. It was a very smooth, easy read that was filled with dimension and intrigue. Kate Morton found a way to create a story that has a truly fascinating plot, and write it out in such a way that there is not a dry page to be found in all of its 648 pages.

As always, I was saddened to reach the end of the book (there's nothing worse than realizing a story you've grown so fond of has finally come to an end), but it's a sadness that cannot sustain because the book's ending is the story's beginning! And by reaching the end you are reminded of the beginning. I don't dare say anymore than that because if you intend to read it, you'll be sorry that I did.

The story is about a very old woman on her deathbed who is encumbered by both a secret and a mystery. Both of which are resolved in a most pleasing manner throughout the book. The story bounces back and forth between three different time periods, but follows a single family plagued by secrets and scandal.

You can Click Here to read an official summary.

If you enjoy reading at all, I would highly, highly recommend this one. Though the story may not reach out and touch you in quite the way it touched me, I can still guarantee you'll enjoy the journey!

Wipeout!

Today was the perfect day for curling up by the fire with a book . . . And that is exactly what I did. It's been snowy the past couple of days--and cold--so it felt amazing to grab a blanket, my little dog, my excellent book and curl up for a few hrs on the couch and just enjoy a good read. Seriously, is there anything better than that?

Aubrey and I also played a little "Wipeout" on the Wii. Have any of you ever played that game? It's pretty friggen hilarious. So we spent about an hour this afternoon in stitches--laughing so hard over this game. Then we exchanged back massages while watching the newest Vampire Diaries episodes.

I <3 days like today.

Perks of . . . Hypothyroidism??

Today I discovered a little perk (if you can call it that) of having suffered from hypothyroidism for so long. I was browsing through my movies at about 7:00 this evening because I was bored and decided I would watch yet another movie (it's really growing to be a bad habit). I decided I'd watch Superman (the newest one).

I KNOW I've seen it before--probably multiple times, but it was like watching a brand new movie. I recognized none of it. And it got me thinking about the fact that I have quite a few movies in my collection that I probably don't remember a thing about. Since watching movies is something I really enjoy (when I can find the time), I think this little fact is actually kind of cool. :)

It may be small . . . but I'll take it as something good coming from all that time spent on my "death bed". Haha.

Also . . . while I'm on the subject . . .

. . . You would think owning as many dvds as I do would be pretty awesome (and it is, I guess), but it has its downsides. For instance: I almost NEVER watch any of my dvds because I can NEVER pick one. Ha! Ironic.

Well . . . I'm off to bed with Kate Morton. ;) (Seriously, this book I'm reading--"The Forgotten Garden"--is absolutely fabulous so far. If you're a reader and you haven't checked this one out already . . . do at some point!)

Too Much TV.

As you are all well aware . . . Obama won the election. Ugh.

But enough about that. I have a confession. Today I caved an made some gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. And they weren't that great. (Probably because my little sister talked me into adding peanut butter. Not a fan.) Anyway, despite the fact that they weren't that great, I ate not one . . . not two . . . not even three . . . but FOUR of them. Yikes. They aren't huge cookies, but they aren't super tiny, either. Needless to say, I had a pretty epic sugar buzz going on for a while. I think Levi took the brunt of it. I kept rubbing his head and commenting about how small his brain must be.

I really need to get some writing done. I haven't done any in more than a week. Yikes. And I have no real good reason for slacking. I've watched a bunch of movies. I can honestly say that I have watched more movies in the past month than I did in the entire past two years put together. Honest truth right there. Here's a list of some of the movies I've seen this month:

-Battleship (I thought it was okay. Might not watch it again for awhile, but I did like it.)
-Snow White and the Huntsman  (Liked it quite a bit.)
-The 3rd and 4th Underworld films (The 3rd is the best of all of them)
-Dark Shadows (I couldn't help myself . . . Love the cast . . . Loved the movie. Big Eva Green fan.)
-War Horse (Not really my favorite genre . . . so not my favorite, but still a good flick.)
-Jane Eyre (Loved!)
-What to Expect When You're Expecting (Cute show.)
-21 Jump Street (Meh . . .)
-Wrath of the Titans (Enjoyed it quite a bit.)

And I'm sure there may have been one or two more than that even. Tsk tsk . . . That's a LOT of tv. Too much. School starts in a little more than a week. I need to give up the tv and get back to reality!

 

Hulkshare

"Top of the World" -Slightly Stoopid

P!nk

I've always been a pretty big fan of Pink's, but my love for her has grown since I've done a few of her songs on karaoke. It wouldn't be fair to call them "easy", but I find them easier to sing than some other songs.

I've been thinking about hiring another vocal coach and seeing if I can get my voice back to what it used to be pre-cancer. I used to bring the heat, baby! Seriously though, I used to be able to really sing well. Now I'm just mediocre . . . and that makes me a little sad. Especially since I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

Anyway . . . I didn't title this post "P!nk" for no reason!

 

HACKED!

Sooo . . . today I hacked Becky's SingSnap account and sang a song. But not just any song. It was a vulgar song. Haha. And she doesn't know it yet, but I fully intend to periodically hack her account and sing more vulgar songs. I'm thinking I'll do Lily Allen's "Not Fair" next. :)

Anyway, this song is full of pitchy moments and my voice sounds weak. This is because there are people in the room next to me and I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of them hearing me randomly screaming "Peacock cock cock cock" at the top of my lungs at 11 pm. (I use headphones, so they wouldn't be able to hear the music to make sense of it all.)

We had a fairly funny little dialogue going on in her comment thread about it. You can click here if you want to read it.

 

The Thirteenth Tale

I just finished a book yesterday called "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. I started it probably a month (or more) ago. At first I was enjoying it, but a few chapters in I started finding it to be completely dry. Nothing about it was capturing my attention. So instead of reading for hours each night like usual, I would only read a chapter or two every few nights. I would have stopped reading it altogether, but I hate quitting things, so I knew I was going to have to finish it no matter what.

The story is basically about a woman who is called on by an elderly author to come and write her "true" biography. The elderly woman is notorious for telling stories and lies and no one knows her true story, but now--on her deathbed--she decides that she finally wants to tell the truth to someone. (It's a very similar plot line as "The House at Riverton" by Kate Morton, but the story is very different, of course.)

Interesting enough plot, right? That's what I thought, too. And it is an interesting plot, but the writing is too dry for my taste. I like a story that keeps me on a constantly inclining roller coaster with lots of action and some big, shocking twist ending--and that's definitely not what this book was offering.

Well . . . by the time I reached the 80% complete mark in the book, it actually started getting really interesting. And once I hit that point I finished the book in one sitting. And the ending was astounding!

Let me just say that the writing in the book--though dry--is full of artistic metaphors and descriptions; which I like, but that in-and-of itself doesn't make a book interesting. There were plenty of seemingly useless details throughout the book that I had wondered why bother even put in there at all . . . until the ending came and tied everything together; just as a good book should.

Suddenly I found myself wishing I had read the book faster so I could remember more of the details that had suddenly become crucial to the tale. I think I may actually have to read it again now that I know the mystery.

If you are looking for something to read, I would ultimately recommend this book, but it comes with the warning that you may or may not enjoy it until the very end. So if you start it . . . finish it. I promise it'll be worth it.

The Solo That Started It All.

Today I was reminiscing about my first time singing in public. That time also happened to be my very first solo.

I was seven.

I sang in church for my grandparent's mission farewell. It was actually all of my cousins singing a song appropriately titled "Grandma and Grandpa are going away on a Mission", but the first few lines were a solo part. The part was supposed to go to the youngest grandchild, who was actually my sister Hailee. I remember being totally jealous that she was going to get to sing a solo in church. But she was only four or five at the time, and was completely mortified by the concept, so she tearily declined; and I was quick to fill her shoes.

I don't think anyone knew at the time (including myself) that I could sing, so it came as a bit of a surprise when I turned out to have pretty strong vocal abilities.

I remember how completely amazing it felt to be up in front of all those people singing. I don't remember feeling the slightest bit nervous. I was too excited to be nervous.

And that's how my singing career began. After that, my parents signed me up for some vocal lessons and the rest is history. I often wonder how different my life would be if I hadn't offered to do that solo. I may never have ended up in singing lessons, which would have meant that I would have never performed. I probably wouldn't have ever been in any type of music competition or musical play. I never would have spent that little bit of time working with a singing producer before cancer came along and squashed that dream. Haha. (At the time I was bummed, but I've since grown to appreciate that my life went in a different direction.)

And on that note . . . I'll share this lovely little musical gem with you. (Aubrey is performing the male part.)

 

PS, I finally got around to posting the next part of Chronicles of Zacorah. Sorry it took so long for those of you who have been asking me for it. I wasn't sure where to end the first episode. It was either too short, and ended in kind of a dull place, or it was waaaay too long. Ultimately I chose to publish it even though it's short and ends dull. Haha. Oh well. If you want to read it, Click Here. If you've already read the Introduction, just scroll down to Episode 1.

Pity-Party.

This is not going to be a happy post, because I am not a happy person right now. I'm having a bit of a pity-party day.

I think when I was up in Heaven, I thought I was a lot tougher than I really am. I signed up for waaaay too much stuff here on Earth. I didn't sign up for anything super challenging (so far, anyway), but I signed up for something to happen constantly.

If it's not cancer or hormone issues . . . it's a new allergy.

This gluten thing is kind of kicking my ass. Which is really ironic, because I typically have a lot of self control over what I eat. But now that I can't eat certain things, it seems like I crave them far more. (And this is of course (unfortunately) normal.) And then there's the fact that no one around me is forced to keep a gluten free diet, so they of course don't.

At all.

Pizza and chocolate chip cookie party anyone? Cortney? Oh, that's right . . . you can't eat this. Hmm . . . why don't you snack on yet another rice cake while we all dig in right in front of you. What's that? The smell is making you suicidal? Well . . . there are more rice cakes in the cabinet. Eat a few more of those.

I hope rice cakes disappear from the face of the Earth. I'm growing soooo sick of them. And yet, every morning I somehow crave another one.

I've literally been living on foods that I couldn't stand in another life. And by "another life", I mean 4 weeks ago.
-olives
-eggs
-rice cakes
- . . . .

Oh, wait . . . that's it. That's all I eat. For 7 weeks now.

And I don't have a boyfriend. Not that that's related. Just another annoying fact.

Oh, and I've had cramps for the last 96 hrs straight. Periods are bad enough. Cramps are just cruel.

Also, this picture seems to fit today.

 

New songs and artists

I hate it when I judge people. Fortunately, it's not something I do often, but sometimes it just catches me off guard! For example, today I was browsing through one of my fb friend's albums. Mostly it was pictures of funny sayings and stuff, but then a picture of her popped up. My first reaction was Yikes. Did she really put that on fb??

I instantly felt terrible. Judging isn't me!! That's something I simply don't do, and I have to wonder where this thought came from! It's horrible! I feel really bad. I'd apologize to her, but since she doesn't know it happened, I think it's best if I just apologize to God. ;)

There is a spider living in my bathroom. :-/ I found him the other day hanging out in my shower. It of course creeped me out, but I have my litte rule about not killing things. Anything. Not even spiders. So I left him alone. I thought about taking him outside, but that would mean certain death for the little guy given that it's currently about 30 degrees outside. I guess I'll just have to live with him there. :(

I discovered some new songs/artists this past week. I'll share a couple of my favorites.

First, there is this song by t.A.T.u. Not sure how I hadn't heard it before; apparently it was pretty popular??

t.A.T.u. -- All About Us

Tatu - All About Us download at emp3

And there's this one from Apocalyptica. I think I had heard it before . . .


Apocalyptica -- I Don't Care

Adam Gontier/Apocalyptica - I Don't Care .mp3

Found at bee mp3 search engine

And then there are these following artists who I hadn't heard of, but I really like their stuff. Here are some of my favorites.


Little Dragon -- Twice

Little Dragon - Twice .mp3

Found at bee mp3 search engine

Amberian Dawn -- River of Tuoni

Amberian Dawn - River of Tuoni .mp3

Found at bee mp3 search engine

Sirenia -- The Other Side

Sirenia - The other side .mp3

Found at bee mp3 search engine

A Few of My Favorites.

My favorite . . .

Genre of music: Currently Indie.
Song: P!nk - Just Give Me A Reason

Musician: Muse and Florence + the Machine.
Perfume: "Bombshell" by Victoria Secret, "Ralph" by Ralph Lauren, "Revert Eco" by Rue 21
TV Personality: Ellen Degeneres. (LOVE her!)
Comedian: Steve Carell. (LOVE him!)
Actor: Right now it's Zac Efron (yes, that little crush is still goin' on) and Robert Downey Jr.
Actress: Jennifer Aniston. (My sister and I both adore her!)
Author: Right now I'm really into the Child and Preston books.
Season: Fall
Holiday: Halloween and 4th of July
Food: Sushi, but only from a legit sushi bar--none of that "grocery store" stuff.
Junk Food Snack: Caramel rice cake with honey-vanilla Greek Gods greek yogurt, flax seed and raspberries on top.
Healthy Snack: Salmon fillet salad with fresh-squeezed lemon and a dash of sea-salt substituting for dressing.
Workout Routine: Any of the Jillian Michaels videos.
Kid's Movie: The Lorax.
Action Movie: The Avengers.
Action/Comedy: the Sherlock Holmes films.
Action/Adventure: Avatar.
Comedy: Step Brothers or Role Models.
Drama: Seven Pounds.
Romance: The Notebook.
Teen Comedy: 17 Again.
TV Show: Glee and Vampire Diaries. (Previously I've favored Lost, Psych, Heroes, and--of course--Friends. In fact, those are the ONLY shows I've ever watched.)
Candy: I only eat one kind of candy--Dove dark chocolate with almonds.
Breed of Dog: Miniature and Doberman Pinschers.
Place to Visit: Fort Myers Beach, Florida (Second is Bozeman, Montana.)
Time of Day: Sunrise.
Video Games: The Elder Scroll series, the Fable series, and the Zelda games. (And occasionally, Sims.)
Color: Gold

Also, completely unrelated to the rest of this post (because this is definitely not one of my favorites), here is a song I sang recently. Not my best. Not my worst. Moderately difficult song.

 

Chronicles of Zacorah.

I've started a new blog, Chronicles of Zacorah. Feel free to check it out, and leave feedback if you'd like.

The Legend of the Tetons

 

Aubrey had to write an "Indian myth" for her English class. It had to be two pages long (hers ended up being much longer), include cliches often found in Indian tales, such as "many moons", and it had to be about how one of the landforms in Idaho was created. She of course came to me for help and I had a FIELD day. I miss having homework assignments like these.

Anyway, we thought about it for a little bit, and decided to do her myth on the Tetons. This is what we came up with. (Ignore the fact that it repeats the difficult names about a million times. That was our private little joke because the teacher had to read the legends out loud to the class and we thought it'd be funny if she kept having to say all these words.)

 

The Legend of the Tetons

            Long before the grass-covered flats of Northern America became known as the Valley of the Tetons, there lived a boy named Ciqala, which means “little one”. He longed to be a fearsome warrior like his father and brothers, but was mocked and ridiculed by the members of his tribe for his tiny stature. One day, the boy pleaded with his father for a way to prove he was more than just his size. He wanted a chance to prove he too could be a great warrior, but his father proclaimed, “Ciqala, you are simply too small. In order to be a warrior yourself, you must find a way to impress the fearsome warriors of our tribe, and this would be no simple task; especially considering your tiny size.”  

Discouraged--but not deterred--Ciqala thought of all the ways he could possibly impress the great warriors of his tribe. He remembered the legend of Hotah Tohapka, the white buffalo. Hotah Tohapka had eluded hunters for many years and had lived an extraordinary long life. Hotah Tohapka was worshipped and considered to be a sacred symbol to the people of the tribe. It was considered a great honor to see the buffalo. Legend stated that, he who could approach and ride the buffalo was destined to be the most fearsome of all great warriors.

That very night, Ciqala snuck out and used the full moon as his guide across the vast valley. He traveled for many nights until he finally found Hotah Tohapka grazing in a field of alfalfa. The buffalo watched intently as Ciqala attempted to approach. The buffalo turned to leave, but Ciqala pleaded with him, “Please, Hotah Tohapka. My name is Ciqala and I am here to prove to my tribe that I can be a great warrior. If you would just let me ride upon your back, my tribe would accept me as the greatest warrior to be born in many moons. You would bestow upon me a very great honor.”

Hotah Tohapka paused in consideration, then nodded for Ciqala to approach. The boy returned triumphantly to his tribe atop of Hotah Tohapka’s large, pale back. The great warriors of Ciqala’s tribe held a ceremony in his honor, officially welcoming him back as the greatest warrior in the land and gave him the new name, Ciqala-Cheveyo, meaning “little spirit warrior.”

Many years flew by and even though he never grew to be as large as the other warriors in his tribe, Ciqala-Cheveyo grew to be a great warrior indeed; always accompanied by the white buffalo, Hotah Tohapka.

Unbeknownst to Ciqala-Cheveyo or the members of his tribe, as the seasons came and went an enemy tribe was plotting against them. They envied the small warrior with the fearsome white buffalo and longed to take the beast for themselves. Rumors of Ciqala-Cheveyo’s small size only encouraged the enemy tribe, convincing them they would have success in taking the life of the little Indian man. The enemy tribe plotted for many seasons until the budding of the Quaking Aspen trees signaled to them that the time to take the white buffalo for themselves had come. Hundreds and hundreds of enemy tribesmen mounted their large, black steeds and headed out across the grassy countryside towards Ciqala-Cheveyo and his people.

That night, as Ciqala-Cheveyo and his brothers slept, Hotah Tohapka paced across the plains in agitation, the cold, Idaho breeze barely registering through his thick, heavy white coat. He had senses superior to any man or beast and sensed the impending danger of the enemy tribe’s approach. He knew their numbers would be great—far greater than those of his family tribe—and thought long and hard about how he could help to save those he loved.

Just before the sun was prepared to make his journey across the sky, Ciqala-Cheveyo awakened to a terrible trembling of the ground. At first, he thought there was an earthquake, but as he stood, he saw the enemy tribesmen, still far away, but approaching fast on horseback. They much represented an angry, omnipotent cloud. Ciqala-Cheveyo quickly awakened his fellow warriors and, with a sense of impending doom, all prepared for the imminent battle.

Hotah Tohapka watched the enemy’s swift approach and listened to the weeping of the women and children of Ciqala-Cheveyo’s tribe. He looked out over the miles of grassland separating his loved ones from the approaching enemy and, in that moment, he knew what he had to do. He turned toward Ciqala-Cheveyo, let out a large snort of air and signaled with his head for Ciqala-Cheveyo and his people to turn and flee. Before Ciqala-Cheveyo could object, Hotah Tohapka turned and raced toward the thick flood of enemies. He raced long and hard, gaining speed, then burrowed his massive frame deep into the ground, disappearing under the green earth. Then with great effort he heaved upward, pushing the rocky soil up and up with his strong, sturdy back. He pushed and heaved and pushed and heaved, and as he did the earth raised with his effort. It raised and raised growing more and more jagged, climbing higher and higher until a great mountain range formed between the stampeding enemy tribe and Ciqala-Cheveyo’s people.

The enemy tribe’s progress towards Ciqala-Cheveyo and his people was forced to a halt. Despite their best efforts, they could find no way over the large mountains that had formed before their very eyes. They returned to their people, heads hung low in defeat.

Ciqala-Cheveyo’s brothers rejoiced at having been saved and held a spiritual ceremony in Hotah Tohapka’s honor, thanking him for his heroic actions, but Ciqala-Cheveyo couldn’t bear to join the celebration. Instead, he packed a few belongings and headed toward the great mountain peak which had been created by the back of Hotah Tohapka. He climbed to the top of a peak near the largest of the three main peaks and began digging, hoping to save his beloved beast from his earthy tomb. He dug so long that the moon and the sun both had time to complete their casual journeys across the sky three times. He dug through the mountain until it was no longer a peak, then pounded the earth flat over and over again in aggravation, pleading for Hotah Tohapka to hear him, but there was no reply. He dug many caves into nearby mountains, trying to gain access, but again had no luck. Hotah Tohapka had perished with the effort of his heroic rescue. Lost without his life-long friend and companion, Ciqala-Cheveyo soon joined him in the heavens.

Many moons later (more than most can count) Hotah Tohapka’s mountains became known as the Grand Tetons and the valley that sheltered Ciqala-Cheveyo’s people became known as the Valley of the Tetons. The mountain top worn flat my Ciqala-Cheveyo’s desperate search for his pale friend became known as Table Mountain, and the caves he had dug in an attempt to rescue him soon were called the Caves of Wind.

The end.

Sharing a few songs . . .

I am in the mood to share some music. So here are a few toons I'm diggin' lately.



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Spoon - The Underdog .mp3

Found at bee mp3 search engine

 

Neon Hitch - Fuck You Betta

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David Guetta Feat. Sia (www.Aloonak9.in) - David Guetta Feat. Sia - She Wolf _Falling to Pieces_ _Radio Edit_ [256]

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Correatown - All the World (I Tell Myself)

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A Fine Frenzy - What I Wouldn't Do

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Voxhaul Broadcast - If I Run

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Coldplay & Rihanna - Coldplay & Rihanna - Princess of China

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And of course, my most favorite (because Florence is amazing!!):

Florence + The Machine - Breath Of Life

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We go together.

I'm going to start this post by once again stating (I've already said this on my facebook page) how much I absolutely hate, loath, detest and abhor Silverstar. Their internet Suuuuuuuuucks. Sucks. Sucks. Sucks. I can't say it enough. They suck so bad.

Anywaaaaaay . . .

I entered the SingSnap "Nifty Fifties" challenge. We had one day to prepare and had to pick a song from an artist who got their start in the fifties. I decided that I wanted to try and do one that no one else had done, but with over 600 entries, that didn't leave many options. Really only one, in fact.

It only left this one.

Eff, that song was harder to sing than you would think. My voice was DEEEAAAAD by the time I was done recording it. I spent over an hour just learning the song. I haven't watched Grease in such a long time, and then I never exactly learned the words to that song in the first place (for obvious reasons.) But I think it turned out okay. The comments people have left are very sweet. Then again, everyone leaves sweet comments--even to the people who royally suck--so I take it all with a grain of salt.

I don't imagine I'll win--not with as many entries as there were--but it was still fun to enter. :)

Want to see something cute??

(Nevermind . . . Silverstar SUCKS so it won't let me upload the video.)

My little dog is too dang adorable. He also has got to be the cleanest little dog ever! He LOOOVES to shower with me. In fact, ever third day, he'll scratch at the shower door and whine until I pull him in. We even have a system worked out. While I'm under the water, I stand to one side so a stream still comes down and hits him (which he positions himself under so it hits him square between the shoulder blades), then when I'm out of the water lathering up or whatever, he moves under. He loves it! Especially now that it's getting cold.

He also has gotten in the bad habit of not ever wanting to leave my sight. Especially since I've been home so much lately with him. (More on that in a moment.) He's a great little dog and I love his little guts!! We've had a great weekend, just the two of us. I turned down two dates this weekend just so I could enjoy my time alone with my little guy. (And because I've felt horribly lately, honestly.)

About me not working so much lately . . . That is an aggrivating story. Basically since July my skin has been freaking out. Like, royally freaking out, so I haven't wanted to go anywhere. But only along my jaw line. If I'm being honest, my skin has been breaking out since last March, but it only started getting out of control in July. And it has been anyone's guess as to why. I've had doctors thinking it was related to my job with Targhee and the chemicals we use. Others have thought it was hormone related. I even had one doctor tell me I probably have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. But that didn't make sense. My cycle is normal (you're welcome for that information) and I don't have any "masculine hair growth". In fact, I have NONE of the symptoms of that syndrome besides the breakouts along my jaw.

I finally started doing some research of my own and discovered that I have a gluten allergy and possibly something called Celiac disease. It makes perfect sense! Basically all that means is that my body can't absorb gluten so my immune system treats it as a threat. This adds up with my symptoms more than anything. Remember how I said my skin started getting bad in March? At the time I blamed it on the stress of having to come home from my vacation and get back to reality. But while I was in Florida I first broke my diet by eating a salmon sandwich. (My vegan diet I was on was gluten free completely by coincidence.) Then, when I got back, Zach and I spent those two weeks together and I ate so much bread. I ate incredibly poorly nearly everyday and my skin was getting worse. So was our relationship, so I blamed it on the stress from that. Then, in July I started working at Targhee and the job was so physically taxing that I felt like I needed more calories than my vegan diet was providing, so I started taking a sandwich pretty much every day. And THAT'S when I started having the troubles with my skin.

It's kind of ironic -- Since I dont' have a thyroid I have literally prayed for a way to stay in shape (people with no thyroids often end up overweight, and those tendencies run in my family anyway so . . . double whammy). Well, I think my prayers were answered. If I can't eat bread or sugar . . . pretty sure I'll be fine my whole life. :) As long as they are done messing with my thyroid, that is. So . . . in the end, it's a huge blessing! My temptation to eat junk food is completely eliminated by this new fact of life!

The only that SUCKS about it is that sushi (my very most favorite food) isn't always gluten free. The soy sauce especially is a no-no. Balls. I think I'll just have to deal with poor skin a couple of times a year because I don't think I can eliminate sushi from my life completely.

 

 

Just Some Thoughts.

Thoughts I've had today:

Why can't I do it for myself? Why does it always have to involve a boy??
I am not immune to the Gangnam Style groove. It gets me every. time.
I'm going to eat that cookie.
Being vegan for a year and a half, and then abruptly stopping was a baaaad idea.
Nevermind. I'm not going to eat that cookie.
It's not over. Oh, no. It's not over. He'll see.
What ever am I going to do once I'm done with all the Child and Preston books?!?
Okay . . . Maybe I'll eat the damn cookie.
Aubrey and I's Gangnam Style is almost as cool as the original.
I'll have an entire, huge house to myself this whole weekend. And I'm completely single.
No!! No cookie!! I'll eat this banana instead. But I'll be wishing it was that cookie.
I'm effing cold.


Also . . . look how hot my sisters are . . .

 

Halloween Photos! (Again!)

It's OCTOBER! October is by far my most favorite of all the months. Halloween is my favorite holiday, which may seem weird, but it's not for the reasons you may think. Halloween is the ONLY holiday that still brings me the exact same emotions I felt from it when I was younger.  And I love everything about the month that hosts it. I love the crisp weather (even though it's cooling down dramatically), I love the falling leaves, the smells, the pumpkin spice teas and candles, and I especially love the COLORS (of course!)!!!

You know what else October and Halloween mean, right?? Halloween photos!! Haha. Yesssss. Here are the three I've done so far. (Thanks Colt and Will for letting me do your photos.) :)

Make sure and email me if you want yours done again this year!!

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

Today is my mom's birthday (Happy Birthday, MOM!) so Aubrey and I sang her a little song. It got off to a rocky start (my earphones weren't plugged in), but ultimately, I think it adequately communicates our love and appreciation for our wonderful mother. :)

 

In all seriousness, my mom is wonderful and has done so very much for me in my life. I'm very grateful for her and love her VERY much!!

Brown Eyes

Becky and I had a discussion on the phone the other day that hurt my heart a little and inspired me to sing this song.





 And this one . . .

 

Annnnd this one . . .





It's a little sad how low the odds of meeting someone you completely click with are, isn't it? I've been on quite a few dates and met quite a few new guys in the past two years, but there have only been 2 that I clicked with right from the get-go. That sucks. That's an average of 1 per year. I better hang on to the next one who comes along like that or else I'm going to be 30 before I get remarried. Yikes. But I am determined to have that chemistry right from the start. I do believe that love and chemistry can grow with time, but it's never the same! I really feel that there has to be that passion and chemistry right from the first conversation. It's happened before to me, so I know it exists. It's just rare. But I'm going to hold out for it.



 

First blog from my phone!

Sooooo.... I'm apparently locked out of my car AND my parent's house. I stopped by for... A "feminine emergency". As I was getting out of my car, I locked it, and as I locked it I realized I had left the keys in it. I shrugged it of... nbg... I have a spare key in my parent's house. Walked up the steps, tried to open the door. Nope. Locked. I checked every door and window and... nothing. So now I have to wait an hour for my dad to get home and let me in. Kind of ironic (and lousy) considering the nature of my emergency.

Ugh. Balls.

As you can see, I'm blogging as a distraction/way to preserve my sanity. I hate unexpected complications like this I'm too OCD for this shiz!! Haha. I also happen to be wearing shorts and it's freezing out here!! Lame. I'm thinking some hot tea is in order immediately upon my entry into the house.

This is my first blog from my phone! Kinda cool, I guess. Well, I guess I'll find some way to make myself useful (without moving around too much) while I wait. I'm thinking I'll weed this flower patch even though it's almost October. Wth. Nothing better to do!

Disgusting.

You know what concept I don't get? Drugs. I don't get it. At all.

Take for example this article.

That literally pisses me off. What the eff is wrong with people? Why, why, why would anyone want to take a drug that makes you see the shit described in that article?????? How is that fun? Eff, people! Learn to do something constructive with your lives before you end up a vegetable in some government funded home, mooching off of the hard-working, tax-paying Americans who have half a brain and avoid that type of garbage!

Ugh. Disgusting.
 

Oh, the things I've done.

Things I've done in the past few days:

-Dehydrate Bananas. This is about as "domestic" as I get. Normally.
-Clean out and rearrange nearly EVERY cupboard in my mother's kitchen. I've been house sitting. And it's been boring.
-Read 2 (yes, TWO) books.
-Hauled wood from one pile to another using a wheelbarrow when I could have used a trailer. I desperately needed to do something "active". For the record: my parents yard is uphill leading to the porch, so I had to push the wheelbarrow uphill and then carry the wood up the stairs and to the far end of the porch. I'm surprised I never got sore, honestly.
-Watched "The Woman in Black" with three teenagers while babysitting them.
-Locked the keys in my car while babysitting those same three teenagers and had to get a ride back to Victor for all of us.
-COOKED! Whaa??? I know. Crazy. But I had to. (Babysitting, remember?)
-Played Skyrim. Yes, I caved and bought it. Ugh.
-Worked on my book, but not nearly enough. (Damn you, Skyrim!)
-Gave myself a complete pedicure. It took over an hour.
-Gave Aubrey a complete pedicure/manicure. It took just under two hours. I guess I decided I should do SOMETHING with my degree in "nail technology". Haha.

Want to know what I didn't do?

Work.

Not once. And it sucks. I get to go back on Wednesday. In the meantime I'm playing this "domestic" role full-time. Like I said, I'm "babysitting" my baby sis while my parents are in Florida. (Btw, if you are some creeper getting ideas about us being home "alone", just shake those thoughts from your disgusting mind right now. I have a gun. And I'm good with it.)

Anyway, Aubs and I have been hanging out--just the two of us (and my gun)--for a week now. The Mattson kids came to stay the weekend with us and we rented The Woman in Black. That was an interesting couple of hours. If I wasn't feeling so lazy, I'd share the story. But I'm feeling too lazy. I will tell the story about locking my keys in my car, though.

After watching said movie, the teens and I all headed to Driggs to clean and close the laundromat. I left the keys in the Cadillac (because it's a force of habit--I do every time I clean the place), but Milo accidentally hit the lock button as we got out of the car. We didn't notice until about 10:30 (pm), soooo I had to ask an employee from Subway to drive us home. Which she did. (Thank-you!) It's kind of funny because as we were standing outside of the car I was thinking, hmmm, this sucks. I wonder what we're going to do. I looked around at the kids and realized that I was the adult in the situation. It was me that was expected to get us home. It's not that I'm not used to responsibility. It was just a weird moment. I'm really not sure why. Annnd that's that story . . .

Remember how I mentioned I cooked? It's true. Shocking, I know. But here's a little fact for you all that I usually try and keep well hidden:

I am actually a really great cook. Like, really good. Only problem is, I HATE to do it, so that talent is completely wasted on me. That's why the whole "vegan" thing suits me so well. It's not that I'm lazy, because I LOVE to clean. I just hate cooking. Period. Noooo idea why. In fact, if someone forces me to cook when I don't want to I tend to intentionally screw it up just so they won't ask again. Ridiculous, I know. But that's life. I don't intend to cook ever again unless I decide to get remarried and my husband demands it. Haha.

Oh! I finally took a picture of my ski gear! Check it out . . .

I even have a really cute, matching grey turtleneck and warm, thick, white pants. :) (I was wearing them, but you obviously can't see them under my coat and snow pants.) Here it is from the back.

I'm not dreading snow this year. It's kinda nice . . .

All About Zac.

So, remember how I mentioned that I developed a celebrity crush on Zac Efron? Yeah . . . Wanna know how? No? Too bad. I'm telling you anyway.

It all started with me renting the movie The Lucky One. (I know what you're thinking and stop! It's premature. It's definitely not what you think.) As I was saying, I rented the movie The Lucky One and watched it at about . . . Ohhhh . . . 9 pm. (It was alright, btw. Not great. Not bad. Whatever.) The whole time I'm watching it I'm thinking, Wow. This movie is kinda cheesy, but I still kinda like it. And that guy is preeetttty. Then, after watching it, I worked on my book (editing a few chapters) and as I was working, I realized that my main character looks a lot like Zac Efron. This of course was completely NOT on purpose since I really didn't even know who Zac Efron was when I started the book.

Anywho, as I'm editing and tweaking and writing, I'm picturing my main character, Andy, as Zac Efron. And that's how I got my crush.

Still confused?

Someday you can read my book and you won't be. It'll allll make sense. ;)

Anyway, I have had a couple of very productive days. I'll go into that more tomorrow (or Saturday) (or whenever I feel like blogging next), but one of the things I did was watch the movie 17 Again. (Why? Ummm . . . Zac Efron movie, hello.) I've seen it before, but it's been awhile. As I was watching it this second or maybe third time, I remembered being impressed with Zac's acting the first time I watched it. He does a fabulous job of being a young Matthew Perry character. He even moves the way Matthew Perry characters move. So, this time around, I really paid attention to the movie and I realize that . . . I really like it. Is it a favorite? Meh. Maybe in the top 20.

I would like to take just a second and explain to you all that my "crush" isn't anything more than a relative interest, really. I'm not about to print out pictures of Zac Efron and paste them up all over my house. He won't even be my computer wallpaper. (Ooooh, maybe he should be my computer wallpaper -- he's so pretty!) Okay, MAYBE he'll be my wallpaper, but that's as far as it goes. I'm not even about to run out and purchase every Zac Efron movie. Which is impressive. I mean, if I was going to do something obsessive, that would be it. I already own over 800 dvds. What's 5 or 6 more?? So, to sum up this weird and awkwardly constructed paragraph: I'm not obsessed with Zac Efron. I just think he's pretty. And, let's face it . . . TALENTED! Have you seen the boy dance? And sing? And juggle? And do impressions? And act? And ski? And dance?? And sing??? . . .

*Sigh*



 

A Couple of Things . . .

1st off, I have a celebrity crush. And it's on . . . Zac Effron . . . ? What? Crazy, but true.

2nd of all, Aubrey and I had a little fun today and made these. (Yes, those are our unedited voices. And yes, I did the low voice in Barbie Girl. I'm that cool.)

 

That's all.

The Story.

I'm going to share a new song with you that I love. It may have been around for awhile -- I don't know -- but I just discovered it the other day.

Brandi Carlile - The Story .mp3

Found at bee mp3 search engine

So now . . . on a completely different note . . .

I firmly believe that people come and go in our lives for a reason. I'm talking a predetermined, predestined reason. I think back on some of the people who have come and gone in my life (boys especially) and I can see now exactly what "purpose" they served. There was the boy from last summer who quite literally saved my life. Maybe not in the "saved-me-from-imminent-death" kind of way, but he still saved my life. If it wasn't for him, I'd hate to think of where I am today. He motivated me in ways that I don't think anyone else could have and set important things in motion for me. And even though I haven't heard from him in about 2 months (and don't expect to ever again), I still would like to thank him for that. (So, should you ever read this, thank-you for the things you did for me. Without you I wouldn't be as happy or as healthy. I wouldn't be singing or writing or even drawing. You can bet my first book will be dedicated to you.)

Then there were the boys from last winter. They helped to keep that motivation up after summer-boy was gone.

And the boy from this past spring/summer served a purpose, too. I think his purpose was to open my eyes to the things that are out there in this world that I was completely naive to. He really did show me a whole other side to life that I now enjoy everyday. He also taught me some lessons that are slightly more negative (and personal), but they were lessons nonetheless. And they were lessons that I clearly needed to learn. He also (ironically) helped me to realize how important the church is to me and has helped motivate me to get back to the Temple. It's been waaaay too long since I went last. (So, should YOU ever read this, thank-you, boy. Thank-you for all the things you showed me and introduced me to. Without you, I'm not sure I'd ever have the desire to explore new opportunities quite like I do now.)

Even my ex husband served his purpose. In fact -- he served the biggest one of all. (Of course, right?) My years spent with him taught me more about myself than I would've learned any other way. Those years I spent so unhealthy and miserable really showed me my own true colors. I think the saddest thing about our relationship is that he remembers me that way instead of as the girl he knew in high-school (who is more similar to the girl I am now -- only a little more mature. Just a little.) ;) I sometimes wish that he and I could have remained friends. In fact -- I wish that about the previous two, also. At least only one of them has cut me off completely. And, ironically, it's not my ex-hubby. Haha.

I think about my life-long best friend. She's been a rock for me my whole life even though she doesn't know it. She's ALWAYS been there for me, and no matter how long we stay apart and "lose contact" she's always willing and available to pick things back up right where they left off. She is now and will forever be my sister and best friend.

I think about my other best friend. My "long-distance-bestie". Her advice has gotten me through many hard times. (Mainly break-ups.) She's seen things in my relationships and been a good enough friend to point them out to me -- even when they weren't what I wanted to hear. She has my best interest at heart.

And I think about the boy I'm currently with. I don't yet know what his "purpose" is. Does he just have another lesson to teach me, or is he just here temporarily to add some further motivation to my life? Or is he maybe here for the long-haul?

It's exciting and comforting to know that I'll someday know the answer to that. It makes the unknown aspects of it more bearable.

Back to the song I posted above for a moment. Did you listen to it? Did you like it? I happened to do it on Singsnap too. It's not fair to judge me against the artist because she's a professional and I'm not. AND she performed hers in a recording studio and had her voice tweaked to perfection whereas . . . I did not so . . . Ignore the sour notes that are typical in my songs and ENJOY!

 

And if you happened to like that and want to share it on your fb page, Click Here. ;)

 

Just a few things . . .

Many of you have probably seen this story already, but I wanted to share it on here anyway because I think it's absolutely wonderful.

(Click Here.)

I'm also super addicted to this song right now.

Annnnnnd this one.

I ended up having a good, productive day yesterday, just for the record.  Today . . . not so much. I went to work this a.m., was off by noon and have spent the rest of the day reading. I rented The Hunger Games, so the plan is to watch that a little later.

I really don't have much else to say at the moment. Life is boring without my Matty blowing up my phone. :-/ Oh well. Back to my book.


 

Getting Lost In Oblivion.

Ugh. Ya know?

I am having an undeniably "downer" morning. I have the serious urge to sit on my ass and get lost in a video game. Yep. A video game. I haven't played a video game in a verrrry long time, and right now it sounds sooo appealing.

What video game?

None other than one of the Elder Scrolls games. Either Morrowind or (most likely) Oblivion. (Besides, the name is totally suiting. Get lost in Oblivion. Get it? ) I almost wish I could get my hands on Skyrim, but not really because I think that one would suck up too much of my time. I just want to get lost for a few hours is all.

I suppose I could play the Sims, but I don't think that game would be distracting enough. I need an activitiy that is either completely mind numbing or consuming.

I miss my M. A lot more than I thought I would. That's always the way it goes, though, eh? I was asked out for Wednesday or Thursday night, which would be a nice distraction, but I don't know that I'll go. It used to be that I'd go on dates just for fun and no other reason, but now I find myself thinking, if it's not going to go anywhere, why bother? Umm . . . because it's fun? Or it should be, anyway, but recent experiences have taught me that dating someone while missing someone else isn't fun.

Sooo . . . I probably will get "sick". (No, I'll be honest with him.)

Since I can't make it to work today, I think my agenda will look something like this:

Finish this blog post,
Finish cleaning my room up,
Finish packing and moving my clothes and exercise stuff,
Play a video game,
Work on my book,
Go to bed.

And maybe I'll throw a movie in there somewhere.

And at some point in the day I WILL turn my day around and make it a good one. (Probably at the video game part.) ;)

Biggest Fan Award.

Wow. I am sleepy. I think I've managed to accumulate about 8 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours. That's not enough for me. I'm one of those people who needs at least 7 per night to function properly.

While you're here, you should check this out!

Did you notice the comment at the bottom? That lady is too sweet. She's brought a lot of traffic through to my songs. She definitely wins the "biggest fan" award. Haha. Her compliments have been appreciated. I've been needing an ego boost lately.

Oh. I'm single again. Just in case any of you are trying to keep up with my drama. M and I didnt' have some epic fight/break-up or anything. We just decided that we'd cool it until he's back in the US. Well, I decided that . . . and he was cool with it because he's truly amazing.

Okay, it's only 9:45, but I seriously have to go to bed now before I die. Haha.
 

Excited for Snow! . . . (?)

I have had the strangest mixture of emotions going on today. (I hate being a hormonal female.) I've felt everything from extreme joy towards/love for my new job/family of coworkers at Targhee, to moderate pain and anger towards my ex-boyfriend.

Ummm . . . Pain and anger toward my ex-boyfriend? Really??? I've felt regret before, but anger?? At one point, as I was making a bed, it hit me just how angry I really am at him. It may have taken awhile, but it's finally catching up with me, I guess.

I really shouldn't give a sh*t either way. Especially since I'm officially with M. Woot! That boy is adorable. Unfortunately, he will be overseas for work for the next few months. :-/ Bummer.
I had a really weird thought process yesterday. And it wasn't good. It went like this:

Ooooooh, those brownies look good. But I can't have one because I don't want my skin to break out and I don't want to gain weight. But M is out of town, soooo . . .

I ate a brownie. Nope. Can't have that kind of reasoning going on or my pants won't fit by the time he gets home. Yikes. I wish I was the type of person who could eat a brownie now and then, but my skin just won't allow it. I guess my waist line would tolerate a brownie here and there, but still . . . not going there.

By the way . . . that brownie was amazing.

My entire snowsuit is here. I now have a helmet, a "porn beanie", goggles, coat, gloves, snow pants, and socks. And they are all color-coordinated. :) I never thought I'd say this EVER, but . . .

I'M EXCITED FOR WINTER!!!!

 

 

Yep. I said it. I want snow. I want to hit the slopes with all my new gear! I've decided not to buy skiis yet because it's incredibly cheap for employees to rent and I want to learn to board this year. Then I'll decide whether I want to invest in skiis or a board next year. Eventually I'd like to own both. 

 

I'll have to take pictures in my new suit soon and post them.

 

It's sexy! ;)

Gearing Up!

I just ordered the first of my snow gear. Here's what I bought:

On sale for $124.99 (usually $269.99)

 

 

On sale for $84.99 (Usually 164.99)

 

 

On sale for $64.99 (Usually $129.99)

 

 

On sale for $9.99 (Usually $24.99)

 

 

That will be my snow gear for this winter. Thank-you Backcountry.com!!! They have a lifetime guarantee on all of their gear and they will take any item back at any time for a FULL refund -- no questions asked! All it costs to send items back is $6.99 for the return label. And they have free initial shipping on any orders over $50. Think it's too good to be true? It's not! Seriously, go check it out for yourself! You can click on the link above and it'll take you right to the site.

 

(I would just like to thank the boy who showed me this website. You're great!)

 

I had promised to post a few pictures from my week, so I'm going to do that now. Though, I'm not going to post very many. I'm feeling far too lazy.

 

 

^ That is the view that I nearly paid for with my life. (Story is in the previous post.) It's beautiful, but I still have to wonder if it was worth it. ;)

And that is a view of one of the (more than) 300 waterfalls that are apparently located inside of Yellowstone National Park.

Oh! And check out my awesome bruise!

Sexy, eh?