Most definitely because of:
But most especially:
Friday, May 23, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Happy Birthday Karen!!
So here I am in the beautiful state of Utah. I have come to wish my sister a happy birthday. After all, it's not everyday a girl turns 20 and leaves her teens behind. I remember the day Karen was born. Mom called me to tell me I had a new baby sister. I was devastated. I wanted a brother!! It took a while to warm up to her since she ruined my dreams of a baby brother... but now I wouldn't change a hair on her head. I love her just the way she is.
Karen is so funny. She's been managing to slip her birthday into just about every conversation she's had since I got here on Saturday. With everyone. One of her classmates said she walked into class today and announced it to the class... Well, I certainly hope she enjoys it. I am very grateful to have a sister as wonderful as Karen. She is so smart, funny, and beautiful, and she rarely lets that go to her head. (Just kidding, Karen!!) We've enjoyed our weekend together. We spent part of Saturday at Temple Square. I got a few good pictures of Karen, her roommate Michelle, and her boyfriend Tyler. They're all good sports as you can see. T
hey're quite tolerant of the crazy girl with the camera. 
Karen is so funny. She's been managing to slip her birthday into just about every conversation she's had since I got here on Saturday. With everyone. One of her classmates said she walked into class today and announced it to the class... Well, I certainly hope she enjoys it. I am very grateful to have a sister as wonderful as Karen. She is so smart, funny, and beautiful, and she rarely lets that go to her head. (Just kidding, Karen!!) We've enjoyed our weekend together. We spent part of Saturday at Temple Square. I got a few good pictures of Karen, her roommate Michelle, and her boyfriend Tyler. They're all good sports as you can see. T
hey're quite tolerant of the crazy girl with the camera. 
We planned to kidnap Karen and take her to breakfast this morning. It was the only way we could ensure she got her birthday waffles, but she ruined our plotting by working this morning. She got scheduled relatively last minute, and we expected her home an hour before she arrived. I guess the shift ran long. By the time she got home, there was no way we could take her to breakfast and get her to class on time. Michelle and I even waited for Karen to come home before eating, only to find out Karen had feasted at work!! I guess that's what we get for being sneaky. We're taking Karen out to dinner tonight, Tyler, Michelle, and I. We're still waiting for Karen to pick a restaurant. We've got another surprise for her, nothing spectacular, but she'll hopefully like it. Mom's in on it too, even though she's stuck out in Texas.
So, the birthday is only half over, so I'm sure I'll have more to report later. Karen's napping now (she had to get up at 5 am to be to work on time...), so I thought I'd take the time to give a little update. I hope you enjoy the few pics I've uploaded so far. There'll be much more when I get home to a computer with a photo program I actually understand.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Chi That is No More and Other Random Stories to Catch You Up
Part of the problem with being so busy is that I forget to blog regularly. When I forget to blog regularly, I forget to tell you the important things that are happening in my life. I'll try to catch you up as best I can.
When I decide to wear my hair straight, my preparation begins the night before. I have to shower at night and allow my hair to air dry because blow drying and straightening my hair makes it brittle and frizzy. The problem is that air drying my hair does not produce curls. It makes my hair morph into a mass of kinky, frizzy, waves. So, if I do air dry my hair, I HAVE to straighten it. So one night a couple of weeks ago, I decided I wished to straighten my hair for work the next morning. I hadn't done it in a while, so I thought it would be a nice change. I woke up and prepared for work, and the last thing I began was my hair. I plugged in my wonderful Chi straight iron as I sectioned my hair to give it time to warm up. My Chi had been plugged in for a few seconds and I heard a snap, crackle, pop sound. I didn't know what it was, but instinctively unplugged my Chi. I switched it off, and then plugged it back in. I pressed the test button and then the reset button. Then, I held my breath and switched my beloved Chi back on. "Snap! Crackle! Pop! Spark Spark!!" went the Chi, and I pulled the plug out of the wall to avoid starting a fire. (My mom wouldn't have appreciated a fire, no matter how badly I wanted straight hair...) I called work to let them know I was going to be late, and then had to figure out what to do with the rat's nest on my head. I had two options. I could shower again to allow my hair to curl, or I could pray I hadn't thrown out the old curling iron I was sure I'd gotten rid of months ago. Luckily I found the curling iron, and managed to smooth down my hair. It was still pretty frizzy, but manageabley so, so I survived my day at work. Alas, my Chi is no more, and I will have to begin a quest for the new perfect straightening iron.
I ventured once again into the land of the singles. I joined my friend Sarah and the singles from the Denton institute for a night of games and a video they'd created in parody of "The Office". It was quite well done. The video was about an institute council meeting, and I know they were just joking around, but I used to be on institute council. The video wasn't that far off. I had a lot of fun, and even learned to play the game "Apples to Apples". It kind of reminded me of "Imaginiff". I met a couple of new people, but I am pretty shy, so I mostly stuck to the few people I already knew. I actually felt pretty old. But it was still good to hang out and not worry about the world outside for a couple of hours. I was sorry when it ended.
I collected my summer wardrobe. I remembered wishing I had more than one pair of shorts last summer, so I got a couple new pairs. I got some shirts for work, and a new swim-suit too. I even bought two new pairs of sandals. They are super cute, but both gave me blisters.
My CTR ring arrived!! It wasn't quite what I thought it would be from the tiny picture at the
LDS bookstore...it's better!! I love wearing it. The first day I wore it, when I took it off at the end of the day I felt naked, like a part of me was missing. I've never adjusted to a new ring so fast. It's odd how something as simple as a ring can calm me down. I find myself more patient with my customers, and less likely to fly off the handle. The CTR shield is meant to remind us to choose the right, but I think it also reminds me who I am and Who is watching over me.
The local stakes were reorganized. They created a new Frisco Stake by taking wards from Lewisville, Denton, and Carrollton. President Hathaway was released as the Lewisville Stake president, and President Riding was called in his place. For the first time in YEARS when President Hathaway is at his home ward, he can sit with his wife. It's going to be weird calling him Brother Hathaway. I don't think I remember a time when he wasn't in the stake presidency in some way. He's a good man and he's been a great leader. He was once almost a father-figure to me, but I love President Riding dearly. He's like another beloved uncle. I am so thrilled to know I have someone in leadership who truly cares about me, my family, and especially my dad. No one outside my family loves my dad as much as he does. His wife is a cousin of mine. I think she and my dad's last common ancestor was about three generations ago. I know it must be a tough and scary position to be in-- to have so much responsibility on his shoulders, but President Riding can do it. I wish him all the luck in the world.
My Aunt Mar and I tried a new restaurant but I forget the name. It was something like "Snooky's" or "Snorky's" The kitchen dip which looks and sounds disgusting is really quite good. We enjoyed our little adventure into new food territory, though it most definitely cannot be labled gourmet.
I had jury duty this week!!! Yes, the dreaded jury duty. Two very very long days to end up giving a big time drug dealer five years in prison (if we're lucky, he might serve a year and a half of his sentence). His defense attorney was a snake, but I know who I'll call if I ever get into trouble. He's very good at what he does. He basically tricked the prosecution's scheduling so a key witness who was supposed to testify today was missing. The witness was an undercover policeman the prosecution couldn't reach to try to get him in to testify yesterday. Why the judge wouldn't give the prosecution an extra day is beyond me. I was enjoying my experience until after it was all over and the judge allowed us to speak freely with the DA and defense council. It was a sickening, eye-opening experience in the end. I'd serve again gladly, but I am highly disillusioned. It makes me so sad that this man will be out on the streets in a year or two dealing to this community's children again. But next time he gets caught, even if his attorney can fool the jury again, the minimum punishment the jury can give him is 15 years in prison. I hope he gets life. On the flip side, I have a new respect for the prosecution. (My dad's a cop, so I already have a healthy respect for law enforcement). I could tell the DA was a just man, trying to do what he felt was right. His hands were tied as were ours. I knew we disappointed him, but he was very happy we hadn't given the defendant probation. He even tried to make us feel better by telling us the minimum punishment for the defendant's next offense. I was lucky to serve with a highly intelligent group of people. We were able to compromise fairly quickly, and though personal biases were expressed, no one allowed them to affect our decision. For many of us, it was our first time to sit on a jury. We got along well, and I liked each of them very much.
In two days, I fly to Utah!! I will get to see Karen for the first time since Christmas. Her birthday is next week, and so is what would have been my 4th wedding anniversary. Now it will be a celebration of my freedom. We plan to party as hard as two fairly conservative Mormon girls dare. (Especially since one of them still has to work and go to school...) I will also get to see my grandparents if my grandpa is feeling up to it. I'll get to meet Karen's roommate and her boyfriend. We're going to spend Saturday in Salt Lake City, and who knows what we'll do for the rest of the week. But I know it will be a blast!!!
If there is anything I have forgotten, I apologize. The last couple of weeks have been super busy with many ups and downs. It kind of all blurs together, and I can guarantee the stories in this post are not in chronological order. If there's something I should have added, comment!!
When I decide to wear my hair straight, my preparation begins the night before. I have to shower at night and allow my hair to air dry because blow drying and straightening my hair makes it brittle and frizzy. The problem is that air drying my hair does not produce curls. It makes my hair morph into a mass of kinky, frizzy, waves. So, if I do air dry my hair, I HAVE to straighten it. So one night a couple of weeks ago, I decided I wished to straighten my hair for work the next morning. I hadn't done it in a while, so I thought it would be a nice change. I woke up and prepared for work, and the last thing I began was my hair. I plugged in my wonderful Chi straight iron as I sectioned my hair to give it time to warm up. My Chi had been plugged in for a few seconds and I heard a snap, crackle, pop sound. I didn't know what it was, but instinctively unplugged my Chi. I switched it off, and then plugged it back in. I pressed the test button and then the reset button. Then, I held my breath and switched my beloved Chi back on. "Snap! Crackle! Pop! Spark Spark!!" went the Chi, and I pulled the plug out of the wall to avoid starting a fire. (My mom wouldn't have appreciated a fire, no matter how badly I wanted straight hair...) I called work to let them know I was going to be late, and then had to figure out what to do with the rat's nest on my head. I had two options. I could shower again to allow my hair to curl, or I could pray I hadn't thrown out the old curling iron I was sure I'd gotten rid of months ago. Luckily I found the curling iron, and managed to smooth down my hair. It was still pretty frizzy, but manageabley so, so I survived my day at work. Alas, my Chi is no more, and I will have to begin a quest for the new perfect straightening iron.I ventured once again into the land of the singles. I joined my friend Sarah and the singles from the Denton institute for a night of games and a video they'd created in parody of "The Office". It was quite well done. The video was about an institute council meeting, and I know they were just joking around, but I used to be on institute council. The video wasn't that far off. I had a lot of fun, and even learned to play the game "Apples to Apples". It kind of reminded me of "Imaginiff". I met a couple of new people, but I am pretty shy, so I mostly stuck to the few people I already knew. I actually felt pretty old. But it was still good to hang out and not worry about the world outside for a couple of hours. I was sorry when it ended.
I collected my summer wardrobe. I remembered wishing I had more than one pair of shorts last summer, so I got a couple new pairs. I got some shirts for work, and a new swim-suit too. I even bought two new pairs of sandals. They are super cute, but both gave me blisters.
My CTR ring arrived!! It wasn't quite what I thought it would be from the tiny picture at the
LDS bookstore...it's better!! I love wearing it. The first day I wore it, when I took it off at the end of the day I felt naked, like a part of me was missing. I've never adjusted to a new ring so fast. It's odd how something as simple as a ring can calm me down. I find myself more patient with my customers, and less likely to fly off the handle. The CTR shield is meant to remind us to choose the right, but I think it also reminds me who I am and Who is watching over me.The local stakes were reorganized. They created a new Frisco Stake by taking wards from Lewisville, Denton, and Carrollton. President Hathaway was released as the Lewisville Stake president, and President Riding was called in his place. For the first time in YEARS when President Hathaway is at his home ward, he can sit with his wife. It's going to be weird calling him Brother Hathaway. I don't think I remember a time when he wasn't in the stake presidency in some way. He's a good man and he's been a great leader. He was once almost a father-figure to me, but I love President Riding dearly. He's like another beloved uncle. I am so thrilled to know I have someone in leadership who truly cares about me, my family, and especially my dad. No one outside my family loves my dad as much as he does. His wife is a cousin of mine. I think she and my dad's last common ancestor was about three generations ago. I know it must be a tough and scary position to be in-- to have so much responsibility on his shoulders, but President Riding can do it. I wish him all the luck in the world.
My Aunt Mar and I tried a new restaurant but I forget the name. It was something like "Snooky's" or "Snorky's" The kitchen dip which looks and sounds disgusting is really quite good. We enjoyed our little adventure into new food territory, though it most definitely cannot be labled gourmet.
I had jury duty this week!!! Yes, the dreaded jury duty. Two very very long days to end up giving a big time drug dealer five years in prison (if we're lucky, he might serve a year and a half of his sentence). His defense attorney was a snake, but I know who I'll call if I ever get into trouble. He's very good at what he does. He basically tricked the prosecution's scheduling so a key witness who was supposed to testify today was missing. The witness was an undercover policeman the prosecution couldn't reach to try to get him in to testify yesterday. Why the judge wouldn't give the prosecution an extra day is beyond me. I was enjoying my experience until after it was all over and the judge allowed us to speak freely with the DA and defense council. It was a sickening, eye-opening experience in the end. I'd serve again gladly, but I am highly disillusioned. It makes me so sad that this man will be out on the streets in a year or two dealing to this community's children again. But next time he gets caught, even if his attorney can fool the jury again, the minimum punishment the jury can give him is 15 years in prison. I hope he gets life. On the flip side, I have a new respect for the prosecution. (My dad's a cop, so I already have a healthy respect for law enforcement). I could tell the DA was a just man, trying to do what he felt was right. His hands were tied as were ours. I knew we disappointed him, but he was very happy we hadn't given the defendant probation. He even tried to make us feel better by telling us the minimum punishment for the defendant's next offense. I was lucky to serve with a highly intelligent group of people. We were able to compromise fairly quickly, and though personal biases were expressed, no one allowed them to affect our decision. For many of us, it was our first time to sit on a jury. We got along well, and I liked each of them very much.
In two days, I fly to Utah!! I will get to see Karen for the first time since Christmas. Her birthday is next week, and so is what would have been my 4th wedding anniversary. Now it will be a celebration of my freedom. We plan to party as hard as two fairly conservative Mormon girls dare. (Especially since one of them still has to work and go to school...) I will also get to see my grandparents if my grandpa is feeling up to it. I'll get to meet Karen's roommate and her boyfriend. We're going to spend Saturday in Salt Lake City, and who knows what we'll do for the rest of the week. But I know it will be a blast!!!
If there is anything I have forgotten, I apologize. The last couple of weeks have been super busy with many ups and downs. It kind of all blurs together, and I can guarantee the stories in this post are not in chronological order. If there's something I should have added, comment!!
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