i think this just changed my life

http://www.changethis.com/6.HowToBeCreative

conclusions to be drawn from the time traveler’s wife

I enjoyed myself while reading the book, but thinking about it afterward and emailing about it with Hannah made me realize that I was starting to like it less. It was a great page turner, but it was a little anti-climactic at what was supposed to be the biggest event of the book. I wasn’t as sad as I wanted to be.

Too many old school punk music references.

Too much foreshadowing. I knew everything that was going to happen! I wish I could have been given the chance to figure out a little more on my own.

Something new should have been added to the very last scene. The author had already told it from a different point of view, but when it actually happened she didn’t give us any new information.


That is all.

that last post was too long for my liking

I need to follow it up with a short post by saying I really wish more than so many other things that I was in a position to have a dog right now.

These recently-revived feelings maybe have something to do with the fact that I finally met Buddy last week.

Photo from Billy's blog.

combating my patellar tendinitis

Did you know you can spell combating with one T or two Ts? Weird.

I've had patellar tendinitis for almost a year now.

I had Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease when I was growing up, which is a very common cause of knee pain in children and young athletes. It is a condition where the bony protrusion below the knee (called the tibial tuberosity or tubercle) becomes inflamed, painful and swollen. Yes, I copied and pasted that description. It’s supposed to go away after you stop growing, but mine came back during and after college in my left knee. It hurt to kneel and sometimes to run. I think it spurred my acquiring tendinitis in my left knee last fall.

I’ve tried so many things to make my tendinitis go away, and I will list them in an attempt to prove that it should be gone by now:

• icing frequently
• taking Aleve twice a day for a couple months as an anti-inflammatory
• going to physical therapy for a few months
• incorporating exercises learned in physical therapy to help the condition
• removing a few exercises that I had been doing that worsened my condition
• stopping high-impact exercise (usually)
• wearing a strap on my patella tendon whenever I exercise
• using orthotics to help support my high arches, and fix alignment

SO MANY THINGS, RIGHT?

And yet, I still have tendinitis, meaning, I can’t play soccer, football, ultimate frisbee (not that I want to play that game, but I couldn’t even if I wanted to), nor can I attempt any triathlons, which I wanted to do this year, and pretty much any sport that is high-impact, or involves sprints or quick changes of direction while running. So pretty much most fun sports.

I’m at the point where I don’t know what else to do except pray a lot.

Today I read about this diet (or multiple diets) called the anti-inflammatory diet. To take from Dr. Weil here : It is not intended as a weight-loss program (although people can and do lose weight on it), nor is it an eating plan to stay on for a limited period of time. Rather, it is way of selecting and preparing foods based on scientific knowledge of how they can help your body remain optimally healthy. Along with influencing inflammation, this diet will provide steady energy and ample vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and dietary fiber.

Apparently there are inflammatory foods and anti-inflammatory foods, and by eating more anti-inflammatory foods one can control their body’s inflammation. Eating this way also helps people avoid many diseases including heart disease, blood pressure, arthritis, and even some cancers, since these things are all influenced in large part by chronic inflammation. And since chronic inflammation is involved with this dreadful tendinitis that I have, I’m going to try this anti-inflammatory diet.

There are several anti-inflammatory diets, and each has its own spin. I need to do some more research, but I want to buy this book or this one and experiment seriously with this idea. Srsly, I hope it works.

Read more about it here, here, here, and here if you'd like.

tell me what you know about night terrors, nothin'

I've also been obsessed with this song, so I made this.
I realize that this was not the mood KiD CuDi was going for with this song,

but it's what this section of the lyrics evoked in me.

i told you i was obsessed with the song

This is the way I get things out of my system.

björk's choir

There are always things I'm wanting to look up, research, or find on the internet, but I usually forget about them when I'm actually at a computer (which is often). I just remembered that I'd been wanting to re-find this video.

I love how much the kids get into the song. Love love it.

oh yes.

hahaha. totally.

found here.

swing higher

...we laugh, and laugh, and nothing can ever be sad, no one can ever be lost, or dead, or far away: right now we are here, and nothing can mar our perfection, or steal the joy of this perfect moment.

-The Time Traveler's Wife, p. 241

scout camp

Last weekend up at East Canyon I was honorary den mother for a troop of African refugee boys for which Brian, Danny, and Jason are scoutmasters. My very first Boy Scout camp out. We swam, mini-golfed, caught a snake, had car dance parties, learned French (Non laisse moi !), kayaked (in circles, unfortunately, but that was just me), made a fire, cooked and ate hobo dinners (formerly known as tin-foil dinners), and made s'mores.

I want to be a Boy Scout.

Teaching the boys how to pump up the kayaks

Davis High Color Guard

So much pretty

Hooray timed cameras

bummer

My friend, Josh, and I signed up for a bookbinding class through Salt Lake City School District's Community Education program. The class was supposed to start next Wednesday evening, but I just got an email saying that they didn't have enough people sign up for it, so they canceled the class.

I am bummed, especially since all of the other classes I could have taken instead have started already.

I'm thinking I should make Wednesday evenings my allotted creative/learning time to make up for it. I wonder if I could stick with something unstructured like that...

one year down, pass it around

Last week I had my one year anniversary at work.

My manager brought me this cupcake as a token of celebration.

Why do we celebrate anniversaries of events anyway?

Well, I'm celebrating that I now accrue more PTO,

but in general, I do not know. Anniversaries are just fun.

a solid soul and the blood i bleed

I'm obsessed with this song today:



It was so chilly this morning!

the fair, the fair

We made friends with some swine

and then were very grateful for the hand sanitizer stands.

Oh heyyy little blurred-face-mixed-breed calf.

Note: Calves have very soft hair (fur?).

Proof: Cows like graffiti too.

Goats do, in fact, really eat paper.

Fairs are both thrilling and melancholy to me.

There's an energy there that exists nowhere else.

P.S. If you're ever going to spend $5 on a carnival ride,

it should definitely be The Zipper.

s.o.s. music

I've been in and out of the music scene (mostly out) since moving to Salt Lake. Since then I've been listening almost exclusively to NPR (with an occasional new favorite artist, album, or song, and for a few weeks there until I couldn't take it any longer, German-learning CDs). Whenever I'd listen to music in the car all I could think about what I was missing on NPR, so I'd end up switching back (Anyone else feel that way?). I realize that that is sort of insane.

I became aware a couple of days ago what a giant music slump I've been in, and more importantly, that I needed to get out of it. So I started doing some research. My music research included emails to and from a couple of musically-aware friends, last.fm, the hype machine, iTunes store, my iTunes library (I'm still surprised by what I find in there), and youTube. Last night I compiled 20+ playlists of music I need to burn to have in my car (no iPod adapter, sigh). I also pretty much bought out iTunes, which is fine for now, but it might not be once I get my iTunes receipt.

If these new favorites of mine are old news to you, it's probably because I've been too obsessed with the news instead of music.



Any other suggestions?

grey day

Sister/cousin time across the street from Grandma's house.

The grounds of Bountiful High have made for many a family photo shoot.

a recent quote from my mother

"God wants us to go camping!"

Bell's Canyon is beautiful.

thundercloud eyes

sometimes my eyes are thunderclouds.

they are translucent and they are full.

drops of sorrow weep from my thundercloud eyes.

memories of the past and of the future.

reminders of tomorrow and yesterday.

no matter what falls from these thundercloud eyes

they will always tell whatever it is i cannot say.

Amanda wrote this over two years ago while I was still stalking her blog for its words and hadn't yet made myself known. At the time I read this, all I had were my thundercloud eyes, so I kept it—saved as a draft in my email just so I'd have it. Today's skies have been thunderclouds, but they haven't been sad ones. They brought back these words all the same.

I don't have a good view of the mountains and skies, because there is a wall outside the window near my desk, so I went downstairs and outside to hear the thunderclouds and see their tears.

I love these cozy days, these sorrowful days.

we're going to make a beautiful future

the leaves are changing & so can you. NEW SCHOOL. NEW JOB. NEW LOVE. NEW LIFE. autumn calls for reinvention, a change of scenery. don’t hold back. cut your hair, tell her you love her, tell him you’re leaving, start a band, leave your job, switch your major, do what makes you feel good. the choices you make now will pave the way for the rest of your life. does that always have to be a negative thing? no no no no no no!!! don’t be frightened, things will work out. throw your heart into it & hold your chin up high. we’re going to make a beautiful future. this is the start of something remarkable.

This came up on my Google Reader this morning and made me happy. Contrary to what it may seem, this emo photo also made me happy.

words from here

photo from here

the most wonderful time of the year

I've started getting my Halloween costume together,

which is one of my most favorite things to do ever.

I'm excited for it to get a little further into September

so I can start decorating for the season

and participating in seasonal activities

such as this, this, this, and most definitely this.

(I already bought candy corn, candy pumpkins, reese's pieces,

and a Halloween-smelling candle to prepare.)

how did i never realize how cute sufjan stevens is?

maybe i never saw a photo?

also, he never smiles.

9

So excited to see this Tim Burton (and Shane Acker) geniusness tonight.

The song throughout the trailer (though it's been years since I've listened to Coheed and Cambria) induces high levels of emotions, one of which makes me want to throw down while playing some intense intramural flag football.

what's all the commotion about?

Parts I liked:

Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make?

-Obama's speech to students

AIGA 50 books/50 covers

I went to see the AIGA 50 books/50 covers exhibition, displayed on the fourth floor of the University of Utah's Marriott Library. It was a lot smaller than I was expecting, but it was pretty interesting nonetheless. Some of the designs had artist statements explaining what specifications they'd been given for the particular design, and it was cool to see what they came up with from those specifications. I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy designing book covers.

I also explored the Marriott Library, which is pretty sweet (along some of the hallways are booths with cushy seats and tables, like in restaurants), although I'm still rather biased toward the Harold B. Lee.

party favors

This was the more appropriate selection of cookies found

at Sabriel's bridal shower on Friday evening,

which was held at Elizabeth's Tea Shop & Bakery in Salt Lake City.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

highway robbery

I'm 24 years old, and last night I stayed up until one in the morning deep-cleaning a refrigerator for the first time in my life. The fridge cleaning part being the first, not the staying up until one in the morning, obviously. Would you believe me if I told you I feel really accomplished after completing such a task? I wouldn't have believed it either, if I were you.

Also, I just paid my speeding ticket over the phone to the Park City Police Department, and it was $90 for a nine-over ticket. Seems a little excessive, don't you think? Well, it's not quite as excessive when you realize that I had actually been going 25 over.

here's to imagination

Some people say there is no originality left in the world, that everything is a copy or a mixture of things already done or created. For many people I think that is true, but only because that is the truth they've come to believe.

I think originality still exists.

I think Keri Smith is an example of an original person. She's always asking questions, always exploring, always trying things she's never tried before, always making a conscious effort to think or do things differently. I've been a little obsessed with her for a while (because I am jealous of her).

She guest-blogged for Penguin Group USA this week about how she discovered her secret powers. Her posts are so empowering to me!

Here are a couple of the illustrations which supplement her posts about her secret powers.

I always liked school, but I do think it made me learn to question people less, speak my mind less, and conform more, which I don't like.

Here is her website/blog and here's her flickr photostream.

the air up there

The pink sunrise accompanied me on my early drive to work, and the mountains stood silhouetted, still, and strong. I, too, was still and strong.

This evening the yellow light bulb light, the clutter, the television noise were all getting to me. I escaped to the mountains where I ascended them, still and strong. I unwound as my car wound through the canyon, up and around breathtaking private roads, cool air, and woodsy smells.

And back down.