Halloween 2010

My friend, Juliann, and I went to a party at Spring Haven on Halloween. It was a blast! Although, I think I might have ruined her night because I refuse to dance and large crowds kind of weird me out. But we dressed up and had lots of fun! 
She was Fiona (from Shrek) and I was Snow White. A couple of princesses going to the "ball" to find our "prince" (ha ha, yeah right). I also got some really neat pictures of the sunset from that night. It was kind of stormy, so there were lots of clouds and then a flaming orange sunset that turned parts of the sky a dark pink.
Here are a couple of picture of the girls:

 And then we had to do a sexy (or awfully scary, in my case) pose:

And then the one where I look freakishly huge from the waist down (lots of poof in that skirt!):

My brother-in-law, Ron, is a big kid at heart and he takes the kids out trick-or-treating every year. This year was no exception, and he loves to dress up as much as they do. Here is Amanda, Ron, and Andrew:

My nephew, Ryan, is only 11, but he told us a few weeks before Halloween that trick-or-treating was stupid and he wasn't going to dress up and go. Smart kid! So Mom got a picture of him and I said, "What's Ryan dressed up as?" Mom said, "Nothing. He came over as himself." I really didn't think he'd go through with it, but he did! Here's Ryan:

My favorite part is that he's standing smack in the middle of our family room and kitchen, and the TV is in the shot. Fantastic picture, Mom! :o) I love it! It's so realistic. 

Ryan's little brother, Ben, dressed up as Harry Potter. So cute! 

'

And last of all, the sunset from that evening (looking west out the back of our house):

I'm not really a fan of Halloween, but I must admit this year wasn't all that bad!

In need of a translator

I'm in need of a translator. Someone who can translate boy talk into girl talk and boy actions into girls actions. Or maybe I just need a boy to girl/girl to boy dictionary. When he says this, it means this. When he does that, it means that. Does such a thing even exist? 
Seriously, how do people ever get married? I think I've asked this in a previous post, but still wonder about it. It seems so freaking impossible because I have no clue what guys mean when they do or say stuff. It's like I'm in a foreign country, but stranded without a language dictionary. I can't even ask where the bathroom is or figure out how to ask for schnitzel. 
One of my friends says I'm totally oblivious. We went to a Halloween party together (still need to post pictures of that) and met a few guys. According to her, they were all into me. I thought they liked her! I wondered why she didn't get their numbers. She didn't ask them because (she says) they weren't interested in her. Coulda fooled me! I had no clue what was going on. 
Somebody needs to be a professional translator for me. Otherwise, I don't stand a chance. 

So ... I lied

Anyone a member of the big box stores? I am. And I join them both because they have different items and each one has certain things that are a must (i.e. shampoo or deodorant or soap, etc.). You can't beat the prices, so being a member really does save me money, even though I have to pay the dang fees every year. 
Well, that said, I get annoyed when people at the gas pumps give you a shpill about how they've lost their card or suddenly realize they left home without it or they grabbed the wrong wallet. Yes, believe me, I have heard every one of these sob stories while standing at the pump. 
I had to fill up my car with gas tonight and these two kids (a couple, probably in their twenties, I'd say) driving like bats out of you-know-where drove up to a gas pump (the wrong way, might I add - oh that drives me CRAzy!). The guy hops out of the car and asks the lady on the opposite side of the pump if he can use her membership card to buy gas because he lost his card. She said no, jumped in her vehicle, and pulled away. (Lucky her, she was already done pumping gas and ready to roll.)
I KNEW, just KNEW, he was going to ask me next. Sure enough, he turned to me and asked to use my card. I said, "Sorry, I'm a business member and only certain people can use it." LIE! I LIED!!! Under normal circumstances, I would feel bad about lying and kick myself over doing it for weeks until I felt like I'd repented. In this case, NO GUILT WHATSOEVER!!! (We all know very well he never had a card to begin with, right?) 
He shook his head and asked another lady across from him if he could use her card. She said something (couldn't hear her), he came back with, "It's just a matter of swiping it", and she said no again. He calls her the B word along with a few other obscenities and moves on to the guy across from me. And he does what?! Yeah ... he gives that rotten little jerk his card so they can get a cheaper price on gas than they should have! Grr!!! I wanted to smack the guy across from me until I saw that he was an old man. He probably thought the jerk was going to beat the crap out of him if he didn't give up his card. 
I don't know why stuff like that irritates me so much. Other than the fact that I'm paying a fee every year to use those services and feel like I shouldn't have to pay the fees so I can give my membership card to other people that I don't even know so they can have them, too! Not gonna do it! 
So ... I lied. I'm a liar. Hopefully, it's not one of those sins that commits me to hell. I'd like to think I earned an "invitation to Satan's house" rather than arriving there by default because of one lie to a selfish jerk to prevent him from using my membership card.

Time to shut the pie hole? Nah ....

A friend posted a status on Facebook that read something like this: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on the earth. Yep, I said it!" 
DID NOT EVEN PHASE ME. 
Until ... she starts getting reamed by some chick who thinks she knows all about our doctrines and theologies and history and blah blah blah. Whatever. 
Normally, I'm not so outspoken (believe it or not). No, really. I'm not. I'm more of an observer. I don't put myself in the middle of things and DEFINITELY avoid conflict at almost any cost. This is true and my mom will vouch for me. (Was that the proper usage of vouch? Hm.) 
Anyway, I got on a high horse with this chick. She was saying that our doctrines and theologies and history were not Christian. Therefore, the members of the church aren't Christian. Hello?! Do you hear yourself? 
A) We are called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a reason. Um, that reason would be because we believe in Christ. Duh! 
B) The definition of a Christian (in the noun sense and thank you dictionary.com) is: a person who believes in Jesus Christ; adherent of Christianity; a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ.  
I'm not sure what got under my skin so much, but I posted several responses to this person and will now be the better woman and ignore her stupid antics. Some people are just out to prove themselves right or fight for their own agenda. Whatever, lady. You can have it your way.  It won't dissuade me from knowing what I already know.
So let me state clearly here what I know to be true. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true AND living church on the earth today. That doesn't mean other churches have no truth; it only means that they don't have a fullness of truth because they do not have the proper priesthood, proper authority, or living ordinances to make it so. There doesn't need to be any Bible bashing or scriptures thrown in anyone's face over it. We can (and are) respecters of persons and treat others with the love and kindness Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father show to us. We are not perfect people, but the Church is full of perfect principles and doctrines because ... dun, dun, dun ... they are the Savior's principles and doctrines. Gosh, how incredibly amazing that we would be Christian and abide by Christ's principles and doctrines and do things the way He would do if he were on the earth today! How ingenious is that?! 
Is it time to shut the pie hole then? No way. I won't respond to her nonsense anymore, but I will definitely take more opportunities to stand up for truth as I know it.

Bath time and puppy love

Bear hates getting a bath. He's really good throughout the process, but I can tell he hates it. He also gets a little ... hyper once it's over. He runs through the house like a maniac trying to get dry. It's hilarious to watch! 
Well, last night Bear needed a bath - big time! I put him in the tub and really scrubbed him good. He didn't shake any of the water off until I was done (thank heavens!), but he jumped right out of the tub once I'd squeezed the excess water from him. 
As predicted, he wanted to take off running. However, I had the bathroom door shut. Poor dog! He stood there looking at it longingly. I made him wait until I got out of the shower instead. :o( He was NOT happy with me. 
In return, when I did let him out, he jumped on my new couch and soaked it and then scratched at the door to the upstairs hoping Mom would save him. Eventually, he ended up under my bed (one of his many favorite spots to hide). 
When I was finally ready for bed, I said out loud, "All right, Bear. I'm getting in bed. If you want to sleep with me you'd better get up here now." He came right out from under the bed (still very wet). I picked him up and put him on the bed. 
And then he did something I've never seen him do before. He burrowed under the covers until he looked like this:

Ha ha ha! That big ball is Bear buried under the covers. 
Well, I couldn't let it go at that, so I tried to get his picture under the covers. I dug and dug and finally ended up with this shot:

That's his left front paw and he tried to swat me away. I was relentless though! 
And that is how I got these pictures:

At which point, I realized how mean I had been to Bear by making him stand around in his sopping wet hair. So I let him have all the covers (except for the bedspread on my feet - be reasonable!) and we quickly drifted off to sleep. 
He eventually got out at some point during the night because I was in the covers and he was cuddled up outside of them next to me when the alarm went off. What a funny little creature! He cracks me up. And that's one reason I'm glad we have a dog. 
I jokingly said to Mom one time, "Bear sure likes to cuddle and have his belly scratched when we're laying in bed. If I were married and my husband said, 'Cuddle with me.' I'd say, 'Are you kidding?! No! Get away from me.' But when Bear kicks me or scratches me and I know he wants his belly scratched, I give in every time." That's got to be real puppy love, right? 
Maybe, just maybe, one day I'll love humans as much as I love that little dog of mine.
 

Learn to listen!

Over the weekend, my mom and I found a steal (yeah, it was more like highway robbery) on a new sofa and chair. My brothers, David and Jon, are helping me pick them up tonight and move them in. Just what they wanted to do on a Monday night for FHE, right? 
Anyway, last night *I had a thought that I should get everything moved out of the way so they could get the old couch out and the new couch in without too much hassle. I didn't want to be the cause of any unnecessary swearing. 
(*I say "I" because it's never really me that has these thoughts.)

Because it was late and I was tired and had a headache and (insert any number of excuses/reasons here), I didn't follow up on that thought. My brother-in-law, Ron, came to help David get the old couch out and moved over to his house this morning and, in the process, had to move everything in my kitchen and a box behind the kitchen door. Apparently, per Mom's email this morning, "the box fell apart and there were books, paper, music, everything all over.  I picked up what I could." Her exact words. Great. 
When will I learn to listen?! If I had just listened to the prompting to get things taken care of last night and not been selfish about getting some sleep or whatever else, everything would have been done before they got there this morning and my house might still be in some kind of order. Things like this happen all the time. It's not an uncommon occurrence. I need to practice more patience and do the things that come into my mind without dismissing them as MY thoughts. Obviously, Heavenly Father keeps trying to talk to me and I'm so busy trying to make sense of the big things that the small stuff (the important stuff) gets overlooked. Bah! Learn to listen, Katie! Save yourself the trouble. :o)

It could be worse

It's been an incredibly craptastic week. If something could go wrong, it did. School is BEYOND stressful right now. Work is getting crazier as year-end approaches. Everything costs money. Thanksgiving (which means days of cooking and cleaning) is less than four weeks away. My apartment is a total disaster area, almost approaching the toxic point. And to top it all off, my oven might be wrecked since it took an hour to heat up to 175 F last night when trying to bake brownies for a work party. Yeah, not a happy camper. 
BUT ... it could be worse.  I was reminded of that very thing on the way to work this morning as I was feeling sorry for myself. There was a grocery cart filled with all sorts of belongings parked in front of a bus bench that contained two little eyes poking out of a tightly wrapped blanket. And my description does NOT do the scene justice. Yeah, I was humbled and teared up a little bit, too.
Then I thought, "You know, it was really nice of Heavenly Father to remind me how good I have it, especially after thinking things couldn't get any worse." So cowboy up, Katie! You've got it easier, even with your so-called troubles, than a lot of people. 
Yeah, it could definitely be worse.  

Getting Giddy!

Oooh, I'm getting giddy for Christmas! The cold weather hit this week (sad), which made me start listening to Christmas music (my very favorite), and I'm now pretty sure I know what my parents will get for Christmas from me (hallelujah!). 
This is good news because I fret over their gift every year. Usually, I end up getting them something practical. Last year, it was new phones for the house. Boooooooooring! The only problem with knowing what I want to get them is that I can't post it here. (Dang you, Mom, for reading my blog!)
Let's just say I'm excited about it, even though I'm also a little worried it won't go over as well as I hope it will. They may very well hate it and wish I'd bought them another set of phones. Mom claims they love everything I do for them. But she has to say that because she's my mom. 
For now, I'll end by saying that my favorite song of all time is Sleigh Ride, and I love the Arthur Fiedler with the Boston Pops Orchestra version the very best. Although, Johnny Mathis does a pretty great vocal version. And, in the "spirit of the season", I got out my Columbia snow boots this morning just in case the white stuff had piled on the ground last night, but I was happy and relieved when we only got a skiff. The road construction is going to be murder this winter!!!

Primary Program

The boys didn't scream when they sang. 
Almost every kid had their part memorized. 
They all knew the words to the music. 
Everything went really well. 

Until the fire alarm got pulled! Yep. It's true. We're ready to sing the closing song, I've just played the introduction, and the fire alarm goes off. (I heard later that someone actually pulled it and it was NOT an accident. Jerks!) The bishop got up and ran to turn it off. The kids were a little worried, wondering if we should evacuate. The rest of the congregation, including the Stake President, sat right where they were and didn't move an inch. 
What did I do? Well, I just kept playing. What else could I do? I knew if I stopped playing the kids would go nuts and we'd never get them back to sing the closing song. And it was such a good song! We had to sing it. 
The alarm finally got turned off, we started singing again, and the alarm beeped a couple of times and then died. The children finished singing, and the whole program turned out beautifully! I'm so happy those older boys were respectful. And I'm so glad the teachers were there to keep the kids reverent during the fire alarm fiasco. 

The crowning jewel of it all? One of the yelling boys came up to me in the nursery room and (with head down and arms folded) said, "Sister Miller, sorry about last week." Aw. How cute! Then, I found out later his mother had only heard about the incident that morning and it ruined her Sunday! She was NOT happy and demanded that he apologize. They were planning to come over after church, but I saw her at choir practice and told her about his apology. I think she was glad he'd done it on his own accord. The reason doesn't really matter. What matters is he knew what he did was wrong and tried to make it right. He deserves a pat on the back for that. And it feels good to know that my going postal actually made a difference, even if it was only for a second and only with one of those boys.

Pumpkin Stew

I love fall!!! It's my favorite time of the year. The smells, the colors, the food - everything about fall is great. It's quickly slipping away though, darnit! We've had cold weather the last few days and it doesn't look like it's going away any time soon. 
The saving grace? Pumpkin Stew. That's right, stew you eat out of a pumpkin. It's so delish! And I'm making it this Saturday for our Halloween treat. While I was at WalMart last night picking up some Christmas gifts and other things, I saw pie pumpkins on sale for $.78 a pound. Sweet! So, I picked up eight little punkins and can't wait to get cookin' on that stew. 
This year's stew is going to have hamburger, onions, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, beans, and corn in it. We'll top it off with some Parmesan cheese or melted cheddar. Mm, mm, mm. That's good stuff, Maynard! I might find some other things to add to the pot, too. We'll see. I think my brother, David, is just as excited (if not more) as I am to get this party started! 
I might have to make some yummy corn bread to go with it and a delectable dessert (for those who insist on some sugar-coated goodies with their meal). This year, my friend, Juliann, is coming over to eat with us before we head up to Spring Haven for a Halloween shindig. She's dressing up as Fiona (from Shrek), so the two "princesses" will be in for a night of good food, fun, and adventure. Yee-haw! 
One of these days I'm going to either meet or be a chef. It's hard work to make such yummy and creative feasts, but so worth it when you get to enjoy it with some of the people you love most! 
(It is okay to end a blog post on a sappy note, right? Okay, good.)

Changed my mind

I changed my mind. I'm going to be Snow White for Halloween instead of Dorothy. 
The reason?
I'm an idiot and remembered AFTER I bought the Dorothy costume that I had purchased a Snow White costume for last year thinking I'd go to some snazzy Halloween party and didn't. Thus, I have two costumes, both of which require red, sparkly shoes. So I'm glad I bought those this year to complete both costumes! 
Now, if I can just learn to walk in those shoes ... three inch heels are not something I wear on a regular basis. Bah! Watch me fall over before I even get in or out of the car. D'oh! 

I did tell Mom that maybe I would meet a prince at the Halloween party I'm attending this year. She exuberantly said, "Yes! Maybe you will!" Ha, ha, ha. Yeah, right. Don't hold your breath folks! I didn't eat a poisoned apple or sleep for a gazillion years or work for lousy step-sisters or anything else princess-y. Therefore, no prince. Just a bunch of idiot boys who wouldn't know what hit them if it announced itself first. 
At least I'll have good company on the way there and back. Thank heavens for awesome girlfriends that come as my posse!

I decided on ...

Decision made. 
I'm going to be Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz for Halloween. Red shoes and all. 
Suppose I can take my dog with me to any Halloween Parties? That would TOTALLY complete the outfit, yeah? Yeah.

Let's just say that Halloween is NOT cheap. Between the pumpkin carving, fun activities, oodles of candy, costumes, accessories, decorations, and everything else, Halloween is becoming more expensive than Christmas. There's something wrong with that picture. Not that Christmas is all about money, but when did Halloween become all about everything BUT the little kiddies who come knocking on the door? Plus, we've forgotten neighborhoods and gone for trunk-or-treats. What kid needs 40 pounds of candy?! Good grief. 

The one thing I AM looking forward to is making that stew in a pumpkin. Mmmm. That's good stuff! There's something about eating a warm, flavorful meal out of a pumpkin. It's a lot of work, but so worth it! Bring on Halloween!!!

The one where I went postal ...

The Primary Program. Need I say more?
Well, I will anyway. Because yesterday at our practice, I lost it. Went postal on the children. Yes, on the children! 

Here's the scoop:
I am the Junior Primary pianist. The Senior Primary pianist has to play the organ, so I volunteered to play for the whole program. This was the first time both sections of the Primary had been together to practice. There was a lot of organized chaos, but I was so pleased with the little Junior peeps. They were reverent and listening and trying their best to sing the songs and get the words right. Go team! 
During every song we sang, there was some yelling. At first, I thought it was a few of the smaller ones singing loud (because they don't know the difference sometimes between singing loud and yelling). Before long, I realized it was NOT the little people. It was the oldest boys who were sitting behind me. 
Well, I let it go for a bit. The senior music leader wasn't there, so one of the Presidency was helping with the music. We got to the song "The Church of Jesus Christ" - one of the kids' all-time favorite songs to sing. They always sing it with gusto. The Junior chorister taught the kids they are singing their testimony. And it's the one song they know all the words to without hesitation. It didn't surprise me that they sang VERY loudly. 
Then, this overwhelming feeling of anger welled up in my throat. The oldest boys were yelling - actually, it was more like screaming - every time the words "church" or "Jesus Christ" were sung in the song. I couldn't take it anymore! 
I stood up from the piano bench and gave them what for, basically saying they were singing a song about my Savior and that was NOT the way the song should be sung. Here are these boys, sitting behind the sacrament table, screaming the words Jesus Christ and thinking it was funny. These are the boys that will pass the sacrament to me in the next two years. And that's how they treat the words Jesus Christ?! I don't think so!!! 
Well, with tears in my eyes, I nicely told them where to go and re-played the song introduction. Everyone (except those boys) sang the song again, only this time it was much more quiet and respectful. After church, I went back and apologized to the Presidency saying I shouldn't have lost my cool, etc. They all said the same thing - "You don't need to apologize!" Little did I know that the Primary President had gone out to look for members of the Bishopric to come and sit with the boys. When she couldn't find anyone, she came back to the chapel, only to hear me chew them out. 
Oh man. I feel bad for going postal, but there is no way I will allow someone (especially someone who knows better!) to disrespect my Savior that way. Later, I told Mom that it kind of felt good to do it because now I knew I was capable of standing up when things counted - when it mattered. And that I wasn't afraid to speak my mind and say, "Hey, that is NOT how you speak about Jesus Christ." Hopefully, that means I will also say the same things if I'm ever being tortured.  Or maimed. Or anything else that's bound to happen with the Second Coming as the world is being burned.
Honestly, I'm not one that gets mad like that a lot. Things bother me, sure, but I don't usually speak out about it because I'm more of a peacemaker - I just want everyone to get along with and love each other. Guess we'll see what happens next week when we do the program for the whole congregation. Start praying now that those older boys behave because NOBODY wants to see me stand up and give them what for during the meeting. 
Do you suppose I'm going to be "cast out" for going postal on the Primary children?

Word usage that drives me crazy

The word is anyway - NOT anyways. 
Don't say "for reals" when it's "for real." 
And it's I/he/she said - NOT says. 
Please don't say, "She goes or he goes..." It's not proper.  
Argh. I don't know why, but incorrect word usage drives me crazy!  
Whatever people. Just start using words correctly and we'll be fine.

Today is October 14th. It's my BFF's birthday. Ah, good memories with Shauna Bunanna. I don't remember NOT knowing her. We've been through thick and thin, fun and sad, and everything in between. Our backyards were connected by a hole in the fence. We spent days and nights together. We played house, school, Barbies, and music together. It's been an amazing 33 years. Who can say they've had a best friend for that many years? And who can say they've been best friends with someone since the day they were born? Pretty amazing. 
There ain't nothin' 'bout Shauna or my friendship with her that drives me crazy. 

Should ain't be on the list of word usage that drives me crazy? Nah.

That's not a valid reason

There's been a lot of broo-ha-ha (however you spell it) over tax hikes for families in the very near future. Supposedly, Obama said they wouldn't increase taxes for those who make less than $250k a year. Uh, yeah, that includes a LOT of people. 
After reading the report about the tax hikes and discussing it some, I heard someone (single) say, "Well, one more reason I'll never get married." What the?! That's not a valid reason. Sure, the comment could have been made in jest, but really? I don't even get the thinking behind that. You don't want to be taxed more, so you avoid finding an eternal mate and having children in order to get out of it? Wow. That's gotta be a marker of some kind of insanity. Better yet, I think it's the best example of selfishness I've ever heard. Why not say instead, "I like having my time, money, and interests to myself. Therefore, I'll never get married." But nnnnnnnno. You gotta use some dumb excuse about tax hikes to try and cover your selfishness. Genius. 

Instead of ending on a negative thought, I'd like to say how miraculous and amazing and wonderful it is that 33 Chilean miners are being rescued today. They have spent 69 days in a mine. The 15-20 minute ride in a capsule to daylight has got to be the longest ride of their lives. Imagine how they must feel seeing their families for the first time in months. Knowing they can have a real meal for dinner tonight. Realizing that time has passed while they've been enclosed in a hole 2,000 or more feet underground. Wow. How incredible is it that they have now been saved and get to go back to "normal" life? It's truly a miracle of huge proportions. 

Betcha none of them are worried about tax hikes. And I betcha none of them would let tax hikes keep them from finding and marrying the love of their life and having kids that they can tell their amazing story to as they grow up. Betcha the last thing on their mind is being selfish. Hope it doesn't take such dramatic events for other people to stop being selfish. They could really learn a lesson from those miners. 

Perceptions

Perceptions = 90% of our truth

I firmly believe that. We only see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear.
Case in point: Recently, I planned an activity. The day before said activity, I intended to ask a certain person if they would like to come with me. Then, certain person mentioned they had plans with friends the evening of the planned activity, so I didn't invite them. Later, I invited another person to the activity. 
The first person then told others who were at the activity that they never get invited to do anything, that they are always left out, etc. HOWEVER, the "uninvited" person is only seeing and hearing what they want to see. Instead of going directly to the person (me) that didn't invite them and asking about the reasons they were not invited, they made assumptions and unfounded accusations. 
The stupid thing is that what they want to see and what they want to hear is complete untruth! Their perception equals 90% of their truth, and their perception is totally (100%) wrong. Maybe people should check their facts before making judgments instead of basing everything on perceptions. If you're going to base everything on perceptions, learn to ask questions first and go directly to the source before assuming you know what's going on. 
Otherwise, remember that YOUR perception is not even .001% of MY truth, and that means you're basically crazy and have no clue what you're talking about.

Quit Yer Belly-Achin'

Does anyone else ever feel like it's impossible to please certain people? There are some people who won't be happy no matter what you do. To those people, I say, "Quit yer belly-achin'!" 
After all, I wasn't sent here to live my life for other people, was I? Wasn't I sent here to learn from my own mistakes and be responsible for my own happiness? Because, if we were really sent here to make everyone else happy, we'd all be complete failures! 
That means I can't always extend an invitation to everyone, I can't always include everyone, I can't solve everyone's problems, and I definitely can't be the source of happiness for everyone on the planet.
To those who think that I should make them happy and include them in everything I do and invite them to every place I go, I say again (even louder), "Quit yer belly-achin'!" Take some initiative and find ways to be happy on your own. Find places to go and things to do without waiting for an invitation. Better yet, actually plan something that you can invite others to do with you. Now THAT is a novel idea! 
And one last word to the wise: the more you complain and carry on and talk smack and whine about others and the "injustices" you've been subjected to, the fewer invitations you'll get and the less likely you'll be included in anything. So cowboy up and ... 
QUIT YER BELLY-ACHIN'!!!
 

Fragile

Dictionary.com's definition of fragile is: easily broken, shattered, or damaged; delicate; brittle; frail. That about covers it. 
It's a pretty small word that covers a lot of ground. After all, there are a lot of fragile things. Life is fragile - it can end at any moment. Feelings are fragile - they can be hurt with just a few words. Children are fragile - one bad memory can scar them for life. Friendships are fragile - you can lose a friend in seconds if you're not honest or trustworthy. 
There are a lot more things in life that are fragile. I'm not sure what drove me to write this post. Often, I think we forget how much we have and how it can all be lost in a matter of seconds, sometimes by the choices others make. Maybe that's why it's so important to enjoy the small things and take advantage of things like smelling the roses. We never know when those moments will be our last. 
Wow ... it sounds kind of depressing, but that's not at all what I meant to convey. I'm glad that life is fragile. It solidifies my knowledge that a loving Heavenly Father exists and knows what is best for me. My job is to enjoy the blessings I've been given and show my gratitude for them by serving others and trusting that the fragile moments (which will come) are the best teaching tools in mortality. That way, when we are called Home we have no regrets and leave nothing but good behind for those who must go on without us. 
Guess that means all of us, no matter our situation or economic status or educational background, are fragile. What say we start treating each other that way? Ah, yes. I see world peace covering the whole earth right now ....

Guster Love

My favorite group is:

I found them ages ago when a friend of mine suggested I listen to Snow Patrol because it was her favorite group at the time. Well, I didn't really get into Snow Patrol, but iTunes suggested a group called Guster. Just for the heck of it, I listened to some of their songs. 
That very day, I downloaded every song of Guster's I could find. :o) I'm not impulsive at all. 
It's been a while since they've released anything new.  And then, a few months ago, I got an update that they had a new album coming out today. I immediately pre-ordered from Amazon and am happily listening to my favorite group. 

Ah, yes. THAT, my friends, makes it a good day! 
The album is called:

and so far, I really like it! But what's there NOT to like about Guster? (There are some songs that have bad words, but I don't listen to those, and I know where the bad words are so if I decide to listen to them I remove the headphones when a curse word is coming up. Does that make me a bad person? Just don't tell.) 
These are some of the lyrics from the new album:

It's going to take a little time to have ALL the lyrics memorized (like the other albums), but I'm sure by listening to it multiple times a day, it won't be hard. You might want to give them a try. If you don't like them, I won't be offended. Of course, it would be better if you didn't tell me you don't like them because then I won't have to argue with you about their awesomeness. Hooray for new music!
Oh yeah. I'd also like to say that Blogger is dumb because it makes you THINK you can upload several images at once, but you really can't. Unless you want to insert them all at the same time. Not cool, Blogger. But you haven't ruined my day. I have Guster love! 

Well, Hello Mr. Sexy

I had to make a phone call this morning to get some school-related junk worked out. 
A Mr. Sexy answered the phone. I imagine he looked something like this:

That is the actor from North and South. He's Mr. Sexy, too. Sometimes I think it would be cool to have visual phone conversations. That way you could see exactly what the person on the other end looked like. Maybe you could actually meet more people that way, too. You'd be more likely to take an interest in someone if you could put a face to their voice/name, right? Hm. 

On a completely opposite sidenote, I'd really like to dress up for Halloween this year. There's a big party on the 30th that I'd like to attend, but that means I've got to come up with something creative for not a lot of money. Suggestions? 
One year for a work shindig I asked my sister, Lisa, to make me a clown costume. It rocked! My hair was longer then and we rolled it up really tight in curlers (thanks to Mom) the night before and sprayed it green. It was the best costume I've ever worn. Unfortunately, that costume is WAY too big now, so I've got to come up with something else. If you've ever searched for Halloween costumes online or in a store, they are not cheap. And I'm not into the "dress like a whore because you can get away with it one night a year" thing. Besides, the fun part of Halloween is not the scary (or skanky) stuff. It's the cutesy things - like pumpkins, scarecrows, and funny witches. 
Too bad I don't have a Mr. Sexy to wear on my arm. That would be costume enough!