Fashion pain

So I wore pretty sandals to church today thinking my foot was mostly back to normal. Apparently it isn't. I debated wearing different shoes but decided these looked so much better with my outfit that I just had to do it. As you can see I took my shoes off as soon as I got to the car.

tourism

i remember when i went to new orleans quite a few years ago we went to a local place to listen to some live music. i loved that there was a such a "night life" to enjoy. sometimes i think slc lacks a night life. but last night, while attending a concert at temple square, i realized slc DOES have a night life - it's just unique to its location the way the night life in new orleans is unique to its location. every city has a unique character and entertainment to accompany it. i think a lot of the entertainment caters itself to tourists as much as it does to locals. well, i decided the free concerts at temple square that go on ALL the time constitue the night life that caters to locals and tourists. i'm not sure the tourists are huge fans, but at least if you're staying down town in a hotel there is stuff to do and see for free. last night's concert was at the assembly hall. i think there were more gray heads present than younger ones, and there were only a few couples that appeared to be tourists - you know what i mean, wearing the casual warm weather clothes that scream tourist. i enjoyed the music as much as i did the people watching. i love my city!

marriage

okay, i hope i can do this post justice. one of the current issues that's been bouncing around my head the last few years has to do with same sex marriage. it's definitely been a topic in the news. as a faithful latter-day-saint i adhere to the belief that marriage is a sacred covenant between a man and a woman and god. i do not want to make same sex marriage legal, but i also don't want to make an opposite law - i don't like the idea of laws related to something that to me has always been a spiritual or religious issue. i'd rather church and state stay separate - call me an american. so i've been concerned about the same sex marriage agenda that's going on in a few states, in particular, california. i don't really want a law that says marriage is just between man and woman, but i also don't think that marriages should be recognized as marriages between same sex partners. my sister lives in california and has been involved in canvassing the neighborhoods to discuss the issue and hopefully persuade people to vote for proposition 8. it's been a good experience for her, her husband, and her two teenage children. she shared a link with the rest of us so we could read more about the issue. it's published by the lds church, so it makes sense to me. it's kind of long, but i skimmed and scanned and came across this paragraph which i felt clearly expressed what i'd been struggling with in my head. i don't claim to have thought of this on my own, but when i read this it spoke truth to me and i realized it was the reasoning i was seeking:

"When a man and a woman marry with the intention of forming a new family, their success in that endeavor depends on their willingness to renounce the single-minded pursuit of self-fulfillment and to sacrifice their time and means to the nurturing and rearing of their children. Marriage is fundamentally an unselfish act: legally protected because only a male and female together can create new life, and because the rearing of children requires a life-long commitment, which marriage is intended to provide. Societal recognition of same-sex marriage cannot be justified simply on the grounds that it provides self-fulfillment to its partners, for it is not the purpose of government to provide legal protection to every possible way in which individuals may pursue fulfillment. By definition, all same-sex unions are infertile, and two individuals of the same gender, whatever their affections, can never form a marriage devoted to raising their own mutual offspring."

i think what i like best about this paragraph is how it defines the purpose of marriage. marriage is not designed to proclaim your love for another person. people can rent hotair balloons with "i love bob" plastered on the side if they want the world to know how much they care about somebody. marriage is to raise children in a healthy (the best you can) environment. sadly, the sanctity of home and family has been lost by much of society already, and that's probably why same sex marriages seem like a logical option. i also really like the point that government is not supposed to provide legal protection for every form of self fulfillment people might have. that would get crazy messy. anyway, it's also sort of sad that more people haven't discovered the self fulfillment that comes from true self sacrifice. aren't we all struggling with that one?

now that i've posted something possibly controvertial i can only hope that i spoke politely enough. the librarian at school says i'm a great diplomat - here's hoping she's not just being nice.

my hands

no photo, but i'm sure you can feel my pain. remember my poor fingernails? besides being broken now some are splitting. what's happening? my cuticles seem to be getting paper cuts and this morning i discoverd a thorn working it's way to the surface on my pinky. really - i'm a mess. i blame school. did you know it's friday? i intend to watch a video tonight - kite runner. maybe i'll sleep in tomorrow. walk in the park? sounds bit like heaven. maybe instead a walk to the library. then i can read on monday! it's a holiday weekend!!!!! okay, now to do some lesson planning since tuesday will be here like the wind.

humility

mike is a regular commenter on my blog so i've gotten in the habit of reading his. the other day he wrote a post about panhandlers - you know, the people on street corners with their hands out. last night i went to the temple (hooray - geoff and darren were there too) and as usual passed the same man and woman that are usually there. they DO look in need and are always polite in their asking, never too forward. since mike's post and my own thoughts had been rumbling around in my brain i decided this time to actually dig something out of the purse and give it to one of them. on my way in i was a bit late so i walked on by, but as i was going home i found 50 cents. my reasoning of late (and i tell you i've been known to go back and forth) is that this is their job. it's not a job i want. it earns them some semblance of a living. each time i see them i'm reminded of the commandment to feed the poor and needy - deuteronomy 15:11 "for the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land..." (yes i know this means spiritually as much as physically and some argue that instead of giving money that can be used for drugs you should give food, etc.) it occurred to me that no one questions the way i spend my living so i don't want to question others. i'm telling myself i'm paying them for reminding me of my blessings and reminding me of where i don't want to wind up. so that's it.

by the way... i think school is making me way tired. last night in the temple, as i've been known to do way too often, i dozed off. but this time the dozing was so deep the lady next to me had to give me a knudge when it was one of those important times to be awake. it was some deep dozing, but luckily that was embarrassing enough to kick me mostly awake for the rest of the session!

blogging by proxy

the good friend dan was kind enough to post a totally thorough summary of my bday party. i was very impressed with all the photos and details she included. she claims i showed her how to blog but i believe she surpasses me in skills. anyway, i thought some of my readers might like to know more about the fabulous party we had so read this.

ow

i stubbed my toe. first period done. prep now - hooray. rough start. here's hoping for the best. i wish i didn't have to teach english. my students like music and skateboarding and relaxing. what a creative bunch. good thing to know that there's more to them than that, even if they don't recognize it.

Lava

This weekend the ward had a fabulous trip to lava. Lovin' lava seemed to be the general feeling. We all had fun. There was tons of good interaction between everyone. Dinner and dancing - let it be known I was the first and only on the floor for quite a while. Good times all around! Here's my good buddy cara who drove me up there. She was a kick in the pants. The whole trip was a kick! I loved tubing the river despite losing my sunglasses.

nail update

well, one more has bit the dust. that's a total of seven fingernails i've broken since work started on monday. i think i've been moving too many boxes and tables and bookshelves and printers and chairs and carts and cabinets and blah blah. at least the toe is improving. i've been to the gym twice now - used the eliptical so the toe wouldn't have to move much - still i can tell it's a lot harder than before. no wonder people complain of bunion surgery - it's a long recovery. compared to broken fingernails anyway.

World Literature

I teach 10th grad world lit. today was "sophomore orientation." i met with some of the students (who bothered to come) and told them a bit about what we'll do this year. i even had a cute little letter explaining why i love teaching world lit and how valuable for them i think the experience will be. i talked about how knowing other people's stories from across the world and across the span of time will help you gain social skills. (afterall, isn't that what high school is about - being social?) it will help them communicate and understand new ideas. really, reading is critical to living in a world with a variety of people. so after doing orientation i sat down to read the ny times headlines. i came across this article by mikail gorbachev. maybe you too remember growing up with him as one of the most famous politicians of our day - well when i saw his name i was determined to read what he had to say. i've always respected him - based on his actions to open the soviet union and change the face of europe. well, i liked what he had to say so much, and it seems to go along with what i'd been preaching to my students, so i've copied and pasted the article here for your own reading enjoyment/education:

August 20, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
Russia Never Wanted a War
By MIKHAIL GORBACHEV
Moscow
THE acute phase of the crisis provoked by the Georgian forces’ assault on Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, is now behind us. But how can one erase from memory the horrifying scenes of the nighttime rocket attack on a peaceful town, the razing of entire city blocks, the deaths of people taking cover in basements, the destruction of ancient monuments and ancestral graves?
Russia did not want this crisis. The Russian leadership is in a strong enough position domestically; it did not need a little victorious war. Russia was dragged into the fray by the recklessness of the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili. He would not have dared to attack without outside support. Once he did, Russia could not afford inaction.
The decision by the Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev, to now cease hostilities was the right move by a responsible leader. The Russian president acted calmly, confidently and firmly. Anyone who expected confusion in Moscow was disappointed.
The planners of this campaign clearly wanted to make sure that, whatever the outcome, Russia would be blamed for worsening the situation. The West then mounted a propaganda attack against Russia, with the American news media leading the way.
The news coverage has been far from fair and balanced, especially during the first days of the crisis. Tskhinvali was in smoking ruins and thousands of people were fleeing — before any Russian troops arrived. Yet Russia was already being accused of aggression; news reports were often an embarrassing recitation of the Georgian leader’s deceptive statements.
It is still not quite clear whether the West was aware of Mr. Saakashvili’s plans to invade South Ossetia, and this is a serious matter. What is clear is that Western assistance in training Georgian troops and shipping large supplies of arms had been pushing the region toward war rather than peace.
If this military misadventure was a surprise for the Georgian leader’s foreign patrons, so much the worse. It looks like a classic wag-the-dog story.
Mr. Saakashvili had been lavished with praise for being a staunch American ally and a real democrat — and for helping out in Iraq. Now America’s friend has wrought disorder, and all of us — the Europeans and, most important, the region’s innocent civilians — must pick up the pieces.
Those who rush to judgment on what’s happening in the Caucasus, or those who seek influence there, should first have at least some idea of this region’s complexities. The Ossetians live both in Georgia and in Russia. The region is a patchwork of ethnic groups living in close proximity. Therefore, all talk of “this is our land,” “we are liberating our land,” is meaningless. We must think about the people who live on the land.
The problems of the Caucasus region cannot be solved by force. That has been tried more than once in the past two decades, and it has always boomeranged.
What is needed is a legally binding agreement not to use force. Mr. Saakashvili has repeatedly refused to sign such an agreement, for reasons that have now become abundantly clear.
The West would be wise to help achieve such an agreement now. If, instead, it chooses to blame Russia and re-arm Georgia, as American officials are suggesting, a new crisis will be inevitable. In that case, expect the worst.
In recent days, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and President Bush have been promising to isolate Russia. Some American politicians have threatened to expel it from the Group of 8 industrialized nations, to abolish the NATO-Russia Council and to keep Russia out of the World Trade Organization.
These are empty threats. For some time now, Russians have been wondering: If our opinion counts for nothing in those institutions, do we really need them? Just to sit at the nicely set dinner table and listen to lectures?
Indeed, Russia has long been told to simply accept the facts. Here’s the independence of Kosovo for you. Here’s the abrogation of the Antiballistic Missile Treaty, and the American decision to place missile defenses in neighboring countries. Here’s the unending expansion of NATO. All of these moves have been set against the backdrop of sweet talk about partnership. Why would anyone put up with such a charade?
There is much talk now in the United States about rethinking relations with Russia. One thing that should definitely be rethought: the habit of talking to Russia in a condescending way, without regard for its positions and interests.
Our two countries could develop a serious agenda for genuine, rather than token, cooperation. Many Americans, as well as Russians, understand the need for this. But is the same true of the political leaders?
A bipartisan commission led by Senator Chuck Hagel and former Senator Gary Hart has recently been established at Harvard to report on American-Russian relations to Congress and the next president. It includes serious people, and, judging by the commission’s early statements, its members understand the importance of Russia and the importance of constructive bilateral relations.
But the members of this commission should be careful. Their mandate is to present “policy recommendations for a new administration to advance America’s national interests in relations with Russia.” If that alone is the goal, then I doubt that much good will come out of it. If, however, the commission is ready to also consider the interests of the other side and of common security, it may actually help rebuild trust between Russia and the United States and allow them to start doing useful work together.
Mikhail Gorbachev is the former president of the Soviet Union. This article was translated by Pavel Palazhchenko from the Russian.

Signs of work

Today was my second day back on the job. The students have yet to show but i've been killing myself with 9 hour days mostly filled with meetings. When I haven't been meeting, though, i've been hauling furniture and boxes trying to get my room in decent shape to be usable. As illustrated in the photo, my nails have taken a beating. Just a week ago I was admiring my nicely even perfectly grown and shaped nails. Today I lost three of them. Cry for me argentina.

100 year old fruitcake

I forgot to attach the picture of the cake. It's encased in glass with a piece of paper on the outside that says it used to be four layers with some candy decor that the children ate long ago. There's also a decorative crafty mouse on the glass to remind you how inedible it is. Lynn read a review somewhere on line about it's gray patina. Lynn likes that word. I believe it's what he'll name his daughter some day.
The photo below features tatting. I'm a tatter - I was impressed.

Hurricane

It got its name when erastus snow was driving over the ridge and a strong wind came along and blew the top off his buggy and he commented that it was a hurricane. They have one fabulous visitor's center - you MUST go when you get the chance. It is staffed by an elderly woman who can tell stories. Most everything in there appears to be a scout or young woman's project depicting and highlighting local hisotry, like the cliff dwelling indians and their arrow heads as well as the pioneers who dug a 7 mile canal by hand to the virgin river. Some highlights were the 100 year old fruitcake and the 50 year old slab of bacon. I was also impressed with the tatted table cloth and "thunder mug" - basically a chamber pot. Like I said - you must visit. And as you leave - look at the horizon behind the building and you will see mollie's nipple - it's a beaut! So said the plaque - I would never make up such a thing. I think danielle got a photo so you can see for yourself - if she ever gets around to blogging. It was a trip of excessive documentation.

Grafton

This house, a church/school, and two much smaller homes are all that's left. I took the photo with the school behind me. Apparently this tiny area was used in the movie butch cassidy and the sundance kid. The bike ride bit happened directly behind where I was standing for the photo. The other indoor shots come from the small home across the lane from this nicer house. It was much smaller and more run down. You can see where some ceiling beams have been replaced. There are still cows that graze. We ran into two women that spent their childhoods living in a home that's now gone. They had no electricity and they'd have to daily go get water from the nearby town of rockville. While we were visiting a large yellow butterfly landed on her shoulder. It was a neat place to visit and we counted ourselves lucky that the sons of the utah pioneers group was out there touring the same time as us so we could get the stories.

Sparkles

Can you see them? It's the hotel's ceiling - it sparkles. I like it. The room has been great. I slept great last night. Lynn didn't. We suspect his fish sandwich on friday night was the culprit. We scheduled a late check out for maximum use of the room. I'm using the time to finish my blogging of the trip. I still have to report on the ghost town.

The globe

Here we wait for othello to begin. Pretty good seats. Long show. Great acting. Iago was amazing. I went in and out of conciousness a lot - pretty normal for me at a shakespeare play but I read and analyzed this one plenty back in january so it didn't hinder my understanding much.

grafton ghost town

About 13 people died in 1866 - the place wasn't exactly conducive to living. The cemetery is pretty well cared for. A lot of original and newer headstones. Some are outlined with rocks. Nearly all are mounds still - not sure why or how - but it makes it easy to walk around them.

Green show

This is mark enjoying the green show before the play starts. It's a pretty big crowd and being gimps mark and I are sitting. Or I should say lying.

Sulli's

Here we are at dinner. Good potatoes. Lots of photo taking. Nice waiter. Next to hotel. We went swimming. Next is othello.

Sharing a room

The joy of sharing a room is that you get to have fun bonding/squishing moments. It reminded me of college days - one bathroom and 6 girls. I loved it when we'd all get ready for bed about the same time and find ourselves brushing teeth together. I also have happy memories of grown siblings home for christmas gathered in the basement brushing teeth together. Oh and there was that time I tried the hungarian slap dance with risa. Anyway, this trip brought us 5 friends together in a hotel room with one bathroom. I convinced lynn to participate in the tooth brushing activity. Dan and lex joined us later. Mark was busy fetching ice for his swollen foot. We had a bit of fun end-of-day conversation before the guys closed their bedroom door leaving us women to have our own girl talk. What fun!

Cemetery

Next stop... the cemetery. Well what do you normally do after eating a ton of fried food? Danielle has people buried here. Being a genealogist she's doubly interested in visiting the cemetery. I personally don't feel so well. So i'm resting. So much in fact that I didn't bother trying to get a better photo. Besides - what would I focus on anyway? at least it's warm and pleasant lying in the sun.

Tat

I got a tat at the hut. Beautiful isn't it?

Landlocked lighthouse

Yep - there's a real lighthouse here in cedar. Since it says providence all over it maybe we're now in providence. Who knows. Sounds like a town you'd find in southern utah. I got a photo of my foot and then got a photo of mark taking a photo of his feet. It's right off the main drag next to a zion's bank. oh and earlier we visited a ranching store and saw some fundamentalists - sight seeing in southern utah - total blast. Dan got tons better photos - some day she'll blog them. Nothing beats the ease, though, of mobile blogging.

Bricks

The first brick yard in utah was located around here 800 s and main in cedar city. See - dan is checking it out. There are two sides to the thing so you don't have to lean around like dan is doing to read about it. If you are interested in men's abs from the 30's there's a great photo of them on this plaque.

Holiday reading

Ah, memories. Years ago I went to new orleans with some of my closest friends - 8 years ago I believe - and here we are again, on a trip, this time to cedar city. Well four out of 7 are the same - the others got married. Anyway, on that trip I discovered what a nerd my good friend lynn is. He brought along dickens' bleak house. When on holiday don't most people bring something lighter? Well, on this trip I caught dan reading cervantes' don quixote (english translation, though). What's up with them? Lynn's driving but for his spare time he brought lonesome dove - we're in the same book group. He claims he also brought cyrrano de bergerac - to prep himself for the play he's seeing tonight. Nerds all around. Earlier dan passed around past issues of the ensign - I remember the days she brought copies of entertainment weekly. I'm thinking our age might be showing. And for those interested I packed middlemarch and at the last minute grabbed austenland - for something light and fun. I'll get to it as soon as I finish the article on addiction in july's ensign.

Lettuce

This is too funny! I just got this card in the mail from my sister. It's a head of lettuce. She wrote inside "i hope you have yummier food to party with than lettuce, though I know you do like lettuce." how did she know? I totally had lettuce at my party. AND other good food.

loot

i have to say - this bday i seem to have lucked out with some really great loot. i had a grand party - i just love seeing so many people i love in one place - and many of those people felt inclined to give me gifts - cards and other cool stuff. currently i'm blowing bubbles with some bubbleyum. not bad - for about 5 minutes. my good roommate learned on monday night of my new love for bocce so i got myself a set of bocce balls now. okay, so i doubt she got me the 90 plus dollar ones - but they're still totally fun. from dan i got a whole set of photos to replace the ones she gave me last year in my photo mobile. i love my photo mobile. i love photos of my friends. i am the lucky one! i got the usual set of happy smelly lotions and soaps - very nice to have. i received a couple of gift cards to my favorite places (b&n and target) - really does it get any better? one good friend gave me hand made earrings - in my favorite stone - turquoise and in a color i really needed for earrings - black. it was like she knew! and speaking of knowing - the best surprise of all came from a friend that i don't know terribly well, but we do seem to have quite a few connections. i once attended a movie showing at her house, "smoke signals" (an all time favorite). while there i checked out her walls and she had many story people decorations. if you haven't discovered the joy of story people then it's about time you did! story people are delightful! my dear friend kristin used to email me story people greetings on a regular basis - that's when i first fell in love. they have clever sayings to go with crazy art. so this new friend knew how much i liked them so she went out and gave me my very own print! really - very cool! my print's saying was meant for me: "if she held on to the handle, she said, it's easier to maintain the illusion of control. but it's more fun if you just let the wind carry you."

it was a spectacular party. how blessed i am in every way shape and form.

mysterious ancestors

okay, danielle may mock me for my version of "family history," but i'm excited to have discovered an answer to a long standing question about my heritage. granted, i just did some googling and came up with it, but i have no reason to doubt its authenticity.

when i was a child and filling in my pedigree charts on sunday afternoons (yes, this was one of the approved sabbath activities in my home) i was excited by my relation to a sarah ward. although i wasn't named for her, i liked to believe i was. the cool thing about her is that she had one son, james, that took her last name. the other cool thing was that from all i could tell she had had two different husbands, william spanswick and a william spackman. i always wondered if it was the same guy - their names being so similar - but why didn't james have one of those last names? why did he go with ward? my father always said i should ask my uncle platt, i guess he was the record keeper of the family - my grandfather was the youngest of nine in his family and i'm guessing platt was the oldest boy at least. anyway, i do remember visiting platt in a nursing home once, but my family was never that big on bonding with the extended family so i never did ask uncle platt about good old sarah and her son james.

since i've been doing some scrapbooking lately i got online and googled "sarah ward" with utah. mostly i was looking to see if you could come up with anything about me online - nope. but i did discover this great ancestor of mine. let's see... she would be my father's father's father's father's mother. so is that my great great great grandmother? i found this story about her that said she was married to william spackman, to whom she was later sealed in the logan temple, but she already had a son named james spanswick whose father died when he was two. i'm guessing james later just kept his mother's maiden name - unfortunately the site didn't tell me why. but at least i figured out the order of the men and how james fits into it. spanswick is basically forgotten since the sealed line is with spackman. man, those sealings can be confusing. another cool thing i discovered about sarah is that her second husband (he's the only one i found real info on) was nine years her junior! i always thought it was cool that my grandmother was six years older than grandfather - but i guess that wasn't so abnormal afterall.

i love the internet.

bday update

wahoo - happy to report i've already begun celebrating my happy day! i got up at a decent hour, because i treated myself to a decent bedtime, which i could do because i allowed myself to finish lonesome dove during the day light. ANYway, i've taken care of the yard and cleaned the kitchen, still should mop, caught up on reading blogs, talked to my mother, met up with mark to get device for tonight's party, gone to the library (to get happy new reads), and then treated myself to an iced cocoa and mixed berry scone at the local cafe while reading one of my new books - a graphic novel about buddhism. and now i have a lunch date with al! happiness all around.

I give in

Okay mike... here it is. The proof that swelling is down. Sorry lynn - i'm a push over, what can I say? The public demands the visual proof!

Sheesh - seems like for my bday I should have a better post than this. I'll keep the eyes open - I bet I can get something else.

Party at 7 at liberty park if you want to join the fun!

Swelling down

Repeat...the swelling appears to be down. I know, old news, but this time i'm thrilled to report that a shape is beginning to appear out of the sausage that was once my big toe. Really - not quite the hourglass figure of my other toe but you can definitely see the potential.
In case you're wondering... I left out the picture (visible proof) out of respect for the weaker stomachs that are reading this. Over the weekend I heard from two totally different sources that they've found my blog. I better be more careful in my blabbings. And photo posting. Trust me - the swelling is down. I'm going to try walking again tomorrow - seems like a festive thing to do for the bday.

Lonesome Dove

i've been reading it for the last couple of weeks and i have to say it is one of those books that's so good it just leaves you drained. it's over 900 pages - it's like watching the entire first season of the o.c., or buffy, or alias, or any dramatic epic story all in the span of a few days - it's that engrossing. sunday night, by making myself go to bed at 10 p.m., i felt the joy that comes from being free of an addiction and monday morning i felt it too - my eyes weren't so achey and my joints weren't so stiff. last night i intended to do the same - i can totally attest that going to bed early is better for you than sleeping in (or in my case, trying to sleep in) - but good intentions often go the way of the world and next thing you know it's 1 a.m. and it takes all your remaining energy to close the book and turn off the lights. so i'm currently taking an eye strain break - by looking at the computer screen. hmmm, i guess i should have gone for a walk. anyway, i think if i push hard today i can finish it tonight BEFORE midnight. actually, the visiting teachers are coming at 7:30 so that's my target time. i wonder what i'll read next.

anyway - i MEANT to say that this is a really good book. i can't remember the last book that made me smile big and cry hard. i find myself wishing hard i could be one of the female characters, i even try to imagine in my head how i could behave or speak differently so i could be more like them. now, in case you've read the book, don't get me wrong - the women in this book are generally whores - but i don't want to be like them in that sense but more in the sense of self awareness and courage. yes, i want to be tough and strong and brave and independent, at least in spirit. anyway, i guess i should say they're inspiring - i don't REALLY want to be like them, i just find myself being a bit inspired. if you haven't read it, make sure you have about a week of your life to kill. it's thicker and more intense than any measly harry potter.

okay, back to my book.

Cocktail Party

What a fun night I had partying it up with many friends. I wish I'd documented it with my camera for better blogging, but I'm counting on Lena, Tricia, and/or Marie to do so for me. Okay girls... any time... I'm waiting. =) Anyway, one fellow, who is a non-dancer, commented that it was the best time he's ever had dancing. That's some high praise. I think the dance cards made it so successful - everyone interacted and kept moving. It was a bit challenging to have any sustained conversation, but that's better suited for a different setting anyway. What a successful, beautiful, grand night! Muchas gracias my beautiful hostesses!

band of brothers

once a month i meet with a group of girl friends to discuss a variety of topics - in way it might be described as a self help group - we share goals and insights we have in relation to achieving them. last meeting one of them shared a few thoughts from an article in the ensign entitled "band of brothers." i remember reading the article and not getting anything out of it - just chalking it up as one of those wwii stories. anyway, this morning i chose to reread it and i was struck by one paragraph. it reminded me of something i know marie has given a lot of thought to (the social aspects of the gospel) and it helped me rethink some of my motives for daily decisions. anyway, now you get to be inspired!

Understand Your Priorities

If someone were to ask you who we are as a people, what would you say? Who are we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

The answer, I believe, is a simple one given to us by the Savior Himself. We are a people who love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and minds. And we are a people who love our neighbor as ourselves. (See Matthew 22:37–39.)

This answer satisfies many of the questions asked about why we do what we do. Why does the Church ask so much of its members? Because we love the Lord, and we love our neighbor. Why do we do temple work? Missionary work? Welfare work? Because we love the Lord, and we love our neighbor.

These are the roots of all that we do. We do not send our missionaries out into the world to collect statistics. We send them into the world because we love our Heavenly Father, and we love our fellowmen.

That is who we are as a people. That is why we do what we do.

El Tigre

I've often been tempted to take my car to the local mechanic - it's like 2 blocks away, but I feared the unknown. When the battery died and rotted away last night I realized it was time to put fear aside for the sake of convenience. Luckily, my good friend veronica always spoke highly of el tigre. She gave me the necessary confidence and phone number. They got me back on the road within half an hour and only charge 30 for labor (not sure how it compares but he implied it was a discount). I was thrilled to be mobile again. It's one thing to have a lame foot but another to have a lame car. Hooray!

For Lynn

This foot photo is for lynn. He said my other foot photos grossed him out. Notice I am boot free! Hooray for freedom. Now if it just didn't hurt so much to walk on. I gave it a good workout tonight - walking downhill through mueller park. The real pain, though, was discovering my car battery was dead and corroded. I hate cars.

Lasagna gardening

Look at my friends! They are serving their community by doing a bit of lasagna gardening. The process involves peeling off all tape and labels from strictly brown cardbaord. Then you lay it down over the grass/weeds you want dead. Then you wet it down with a hose and cover it with three inches of mulch made out of chicken poop. You wet it all down one last time. It is biodegradable as compared to the black fabric others choose to use to kill/block weeds. We learned a lot, worked hard, and were treated to a free bird show at tracy aviary. Good times!

In the news

My little brother told me about this news story over lunch yesterday. It's hilarious! Luckily he emailed me a link - now you can enjoy it for yourself. It came from KSL News.

Would-be robbers walk away empty-handed
April 11, 2008

Marc Giauque and Mary Richards reporting

A frustrating night for some would-be robbers in Salt Lake City, especially for one whose demand for cash went way wrong.

In Utah it may be a difficult deal to tell the difference between the words "fill" and "feel." Last night when a robber presented a bag at the Cafe Treo, he told the server to "fill" it.

"The employee thought the suspect said ‘feel' the bag, so the employee reached over and felt the bag," said Detective Jeff Bedard, spokesman for the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Bedard says the suspect replied, "You've gotta be kidding" and fled the store empty-handed. "Maybe he had a chance rethink his life of crime," Bedard said.

Police are also looking for someone who tried to hold up two Salt Lake businesses with a hypodermic needle. They say the would-be robber came into the Starbucks store near 900 East and 900 South, pointed a hypodermic syringe at employees and demanded money. The employees told him they couldn't open the safe, so he left.

Officers say just 15 minutes earlier he tried to rob a salon in Sugar House with a needle as well, but he left when they told him they had no money.

Witnesses say he was wearing brown gloves. Apparently he didn't want to get stuck with the needle but didn't care about the others.