Jiggety, jig...

I'm home again - worn out from over 1500 miles of driving - but full up of good stories! I'll post more when I'm...less...tired...

A week gone by...

So hard to believe that a week has gone by - and I've logged just about 1000 miles in the car since Friday. For anyone interested, I did get my research work done and turned in and then I packed my bags and left for a Spring Break road trip. I've spent a few days with my aunt and uncle in Boise - having a perfect picnic lunch at the auction and lots of visiting with all the fam there.

Then on Sunday afternoon I blazed my way across Idaho to my Grandma and Grandpa's house in Idaho Falls - again more really good food and visiting. I also got to go to "Club" with my Grandma. This is a group of ladies that have been friends and officially meeting once a month for over fifty years. Yes, 5-0 years. And it was a really big deal to be invited to Club. There will be a separate Club posting. I also got to go to the Idaho Falls Temple with my Grandma at her usual time: Tuesdays at 8:00 a.m. It was a really nice session - and even better to be there with my Grandma and all of her temple-going friends.

Yesterday I drove from Idaho Falls to Perry, Utah to deliver a package from one of our missionaries to his family there. The sad thing is: I don't think it was a very exciting package for his family to receive but it was packed in a Coors Light box...so that's good! It was cool to see where Elder Wyatt came from and meet his mom.

Then from Perry down to Layton, where I'll spend a few days visiting with the Malleys and having a dinner with the Binghams. I do wish I was able to stay longer - but I'm headed back to Boise on Friday for the Crockpot's 50th Birthday!! Then back to Portland for a day of rest and then the Spring Term begins. Yee-Haw.

In really big trouble...

So I'm sitting here - doing everything I can to avoid this final project. It's a few short essays about the different parts of my Gilbert and Sullivan research project - which will be continuing into next quarter. But I couldn't be less interested if I tried. Obviously my blogs are up to date, my purse is organized, I've taken a trip to the D.I. truck with things...I've straightened my hair. People - it's bad. If my fingers didn't hurt so bad from last night, I would finish the crocheted edge on a baby blanket I'm working on for the Relief Society.

Yes the papers are due tomorrow - and no...I just don't care.

Basics made so easy...

My newest love is ReadTheScriptures.com. It is such a fun way to read the scriptures each day - you should check it out. I have never been more fastidious in my daily scripture reading than when it's delivered to my e-mail box each day! I also love listening to the audio scriptures while I do laundry...yeah. I'm that guy, huh?

PostSecret.com

My friend, Reyna, told me about the PostSecret project about a month ago. A man asked people to mail their secrets - something they'd never told anyone before. They should be the size of a postcard and he has them mailed to his home. He reads them, and posts just 20 of the hundreds he receives each week on his website. He's also put together three books, with a fourth on the way, of some of the postcards. He also travels with the postcards as an art exhibit. After one visit to the website, I became obsessed. If you're not familiar - and you already have enough hobbies and time occupiers in your life - don't get the books or link to the website. It is so addictive. You've been warned: PostSecret.com . The secrets and postcards that people send in can be funny or heartbreaking and some may find a few of them shocking. But I've always felt compassion for the authors of these secrets. It's an amazing effect that this project and these postcards have.

Today the project creator, Frank Warren, had an appearance here in Portland at Powell's City of Books on Burnside. I'd put it on the calendar and invited my mom to come with me. We drove down and then rode the street car over to Powell's. This was a first for us - we'd never been to a book reading or any kind of an event like this. When we got to the Pearl Room where the reading was being held, the place was packed. All the seats filled and people were standing and gathering in aisles. It was very cool. Even cooler was our author/creator. He is an average, normal guy. Not too artsy, not full of angst or too full of himself. And he is an amazing storyteller. We stood in an aisle for an hour listening to him talk about the project, how it started and what has become of it since it's inception in 2004. It was fascinating and riveting and good report and praiseworthy. We even got a pre-addressed postcard so that we could send in our own secrets. I wrote mine at lunch afterward. If I see it on his site, I'll let you know.

Deceptive weather...

The weather outside has been steadily growing warmer and dryer - well, at least for our neck of the woods. Today the sun is out and so are all the people. And I "forgot" to bring a jacket with me today. And sadly, it's still only 64 degrees outside...too cold for being out in short sleeves and skirt, man! But it looks so pretty - and it's still too cold. Ah, well. Spring will come.


In other updates: Tomorrow is the last day of classes - and then next week is finals week. I've got obligations on campus up to next Wednesday - then it's SPRING BREAK, BABY!!!

Getting mail...

I've always been a mail junkie - I love sending it, I love getting it - but now with Geoff on a mission, I'm a fiend when it comes to checking the mail! And man did it pay off yesterday!! He sent home pictures - and this is one of my faves...

Elder Taylor and Elder Thompson

If you'd like to see more, visit his website at Making It Look Good.

Should the rules be spoken?

I've sat through many meetings and classes where people bring food and snacks. But seriously, do people not understand that a bag of chips and an apple are absolutely the loudest foods to eat in a classroom?

I'll admit, I already have a really hard time listening to other people eat. I'm fine during a meal, where we're all eating - or snacking during a movie or something...but man oh man...if we're not ALL eating - it's beyond gross. The sounds drive mercy out of my heart.

But two days ago I was sitting RIGHT NEXT TO a girl who was munching on an apple...and this isn't a boisterous class where your chewing and crunching can be masked. And she was RIGHT NEXT TO ME! I'm currently sitting in a class next to a guy who is alternating between eating the crunchiest bag of chips known to man and hocking up loogies. Delightful. No jury would convict me...

Crazy cravings...

For whatever reason - my body has gone into panic mode - if I don't get steak fries...I might have a collapse...or hurt someone.

The Work Weekend...

Dad and I went up to Camp Namanu this past Saturday. It was the Spring work weekend - and we had a lot of fun. Geoff had one final request before he left for his mission: please burn my old work clothes.

Working at Haggen, Geoff had to wear a white shirt and tie and black slacks every day. And he didn't invest a lot in those shirts, because they got so gross and dirty during each shift. Once he had finally quit his job he put all of the clothes in a pile - and hoped that one day a large fire would appear that would allow for the proper retirement of the items.

It's as if you were burning them yourself, isn't it?

Spring: I honor thee

In a bizarre twist of meteorology we've had a 66 degree day here in Portland. It has been glorious. And to honor the warm and the sun and Springness I did the following:

I wore a short sleeved shirt and no jacket

I had a personal picnic in the Park Blocks at PSU, sitting at an outdoor table and being amazed/scared by the street corner preacher who was arguing more than preaching

I had a venti Tangerine frappuccino. If you haven't had one, you should...right now. It means Spring is here!! (FACT: they sell tangerine frappuccino's all year round)

I went out of my way to share the sunshine in my soul with those around me

I sat and listened to the lawn mower symphony in my neighborhood.

Folks it's a good day. Tomorrow will bring more rain and that can be a good day too. But you could really tell that today was a good day!

I'm down to a week and a half of this winter quarter - so crazy to think that it was just Christmas...it WAS just Christmas, right?

Now it's time to start getting a Spring wardrobe together...