Spring, where are you?

I've been shut up inside all weekend due to illness. This nasty, not niceness of a spring is not making me happy. Although, I do love how fresh and green everything has turned.

My running tree

(taken with an iphone)

There is a tree at the top of a hill by my house. I visit it when I go running and look out across the place where I grew up, the place I call home. It transfixes me every time I see it. I have taken several photos of it as the sun sets in the background. I can't seem to get enough of this tree's silhouette, no matter the season. It must be because I know it will always be there and always be beautiful to look upon. A symbol of my home.

The lesson of sunscreen

This little guy puts up the biggest fits when he has to get sunscreen put on. Poor thing has transparent skin so there is no getting out of it. He absolutely hates it. He tries to ask other people if he can get out of it, recommends that he'll just stay inside, & suggests that he will wear lots of clothes instead (he's a smart lil guy). As I was putting it on his pure skin at the beach last week, he asked through his cries why he had to get it. I said, "It's like a helmet for your skin." (ps: he loves helmets)

I can't think of one person who likes putting sunscreen on. Especially at the beach. But we have to do it. Some of us more than others. We spread that greasy stuff all over our never ending bodies while sand creeps in and sticks around uninvited. There is no winning in the war against sand. The whole thing is irritating and uncomfortable. But we have to do it.

There are so many things in life that no one likes to do that we have to do. Some of us have more uncomfortable tasks than others, but we all have them. There is no getting around them. Well, actually there is. We could not do them, just like we could not put on sunscreen. But oh how those consequences hurt. And possibly ruin an otherwise pleasant time in our life. Just like a burned lobster red back ruins a good night sleep or time at the pool on our vacation.

So how do we get around these irritating and undesirable tasks? We don't. We just do them and learn that sometimes a little sacrifice of comfort for a short period leads to a better life in the long run. I will still hate putting on sunscreen, just like Sammy. But I'll do it because I know the pain otherwise. And isn't a tan so much more fun than a burn? Thanks for the lesson, sunscreen.

Return

A few years ago, my family was vacationing in Florida and my back got severely sunburned. My sister was kind enough to apply aloe vera to it morning and night. But she would call me "sunburned babers" all the time.

Well folks, sunburned babers has returned. This time on my arms and legs.

Now I'm going to eat some more avocado with lime, pepper and salt.

Home

I've returned from the nation's Capital. I worked and played and saw old friends and went to important places and ate yummy food. But mostly I sweated.

Upon returning home, I realized I have lots to blog:

-The rest of NYC trip (hello! that was back in April!)

-5 weddings. 5.

-One big concert

-Lots of pictures of friends

-DC

short list. lots of pictures. lots of stories.

Oh the vanity

While driving to and from Chicago, we saw the following license plates:

LADYPIG

and

EMBALMR

.

I can't do it anymore

Cannot speak French anymore. As proven yesterday.

A gentleman who only spoke French came in to work. I understood him for the most part (kinda), but I could not figure out his main concern. I was able to reply in French, but oh my, I have forgotten everything. It was a sad day for my intelligence.

Photo presentation

Tomorrow I'm giving a photo presentation for Family Home Evening.  So come if you can and bring your camera.  

First item of business:  the viewfinder is not for your mouth but your eye.

Second item:  every little boy should have a sailor hat.

{ps: that's my toy camera from when I was 4 or something}

2nd grade love

Remember the days when you brought Valentines for everyone in your elementary school class?  And they were not really Valentines but things like these Star Wars sayings?  And then you had a party (so sweet!)?  

In second grade, I received a wrapped shoe box from a boy on Valentine's Day. Upon coming home and opening it, I found lots of candy (Toostie Rolls) and a note.   The note: "I love you" in second grader crayon penmanship.  Then below in the corner was small, adult writing: "We are good friends."  I was officially freaked out. The whole box remained hidden under my bed for a few years and I kinda avoided this boy all the way through middle school until we went to different high schools.  Yeah, I'm mature.

Goodbye 2008

'Twas a good year.  

Florida.  Orlando with Twins.  Mocktail party. Florida again. Angels and Airwaves.  Wicked (twice). Switchfoot.  Church activities.  Hymns.  Gospel Doctrine lessons.  Beating Michael at Wii games.  Photography business. Lindsay's engagement.  Class at MIAD.  Bethany's wedding.  Paramore.  Sammy's first birthday.  Apple.  Interstate Partners.  Specialist to Concierge.  Cousin's wedding.  Kirtland.  Palmyra.  Sacred Grove.  Anna, Kip, Melissa.  Long car rides.  Hours of hiccups.  Food.  Nike+.  Nikon lenses.  Sammy walking.  Wedding planning.  New decor.  Car accident.  Lindsay's wedding.  "New" cameras.  San Francisco.  Pixar.  Kara.  Nick.  Hawaii.  Film Is Not Dead.  San Francisco again.  Unreal amounts of snow.  Turning 24.  Sammy says my name (all the time).  Christmas.  Florida.  

photo by Jon, of course.

Oh the weather outside is frightful

It's snowed so much this month (as in we have some five feet piles of snow) and it continues to snow.  It makes it feels very Christmas-y.  

It has been -2 deg. outside the last two days.  And windy.  It is soooo cold.  brrrrrrr.

What do you think?

Thanks to Paul, I figured out how to make pictures bigger on blogger.  

Let me know what you think.  Is it awesomely big or annoyingly huge?

A couple'a things

1. I love Thanksgiving.  Eat Mom's yummy food, sleep, play with baby, see movie with sisters. Perfect.

2. Black Friday was very manageable.  It helped that we were well staffed.

3. Edward Cullen should not have pit stains.  Nor should any actor who's wardrobe dept is on top of things.  Someone help the poor guy out and get him another shirt.

A few pictures of the car.

More damages all over the car too (except the spot where I was).  I just have these pictures right now.

May it rest in peace.  

It was good to me and my sisters.  It got us through college, in the mountains and on the long path of I-80 many a time.

Car accident #2 in my life

The first one was ten years ago and I was hurt hardcore in the teeth department.  This one, I'm ok, just a little stiff neck.  However, my car is totally beat up.

Here's what happened.  I was about 2 miles from home, driving on the road that gets me from the freeway to home.  It was late at night, and I was picking up speed to get up to the speed limit.  All of a sudden a deer was in my lane right in front of my car.  My gut reaction was to hit the brakes and swerve out of the way, which I did.  I swerved too much, caught the gravel on the shoulder, got spun around into the other lane, rolled over into the ditch.  Thought going through my head:  "oh no.  not happening.  there is nothing i can do.  oh, i'm upside down.  i'm am actually rolling." 

I was able to get the car started and drove it out of the ditch.  Reason for this:  I couldn't find my dead cell phone, and no one was pulling over to help me.  I figured if I was more on the road, maybe someone would be more compassionate.  As I got the car turned around and headed to see if I could make it home (ha!), the car died and would not start up again.  

Finally, a nice kid pulled over and let me use his cell phone to call my parents.  Then like six police cars arrived.  I asked how they knew I was there.  They said a neighbor heard the accident and called them.  

The car got towed away and I made it home in one piece.

Here are all the things that could have gone wrong that didn't:

- I wasn't going fast enough to roll over multiple times since I was at the beginning of the highway.

- I ended right side up.

- The car rolled on the opposite side of where I was, damaging that side more.

- My windows were bent and cracked, but didn't shatter and hit me.

- There were no cars in the other lane to hit.

- If I had rolled more I would have ended in the pond.

- I was really close to smacking into/rolling on a fire hydrant.

- I was not hurt at all!  I don't know how that was possible.  

I've been watched over and blessed.

Harley 105th

This is throwing off my groove.  boo.

Bye bye

I'm going bye bye for the weekend.  

Hopefully I'll see people serving where I am going.

Double hopefully I'll get to see a bestest friend.

This is where I'll be.

Away

I've been gone.

But I'm back now.

Lucky you...

Buggin'

Lots of rain = flooded and wet ground

flooded and wet ground = good mosquito breeding grounds

good mosquito breeding grounds = more mosquitos

more mosquitos = AHHHHHHHHHHHH! THE MOSQUITOS ARE OUT OF CONTROL

seriously.

help...

Macro Hair Cut

Mowing the lawn is a bit like giving someone a hair cut.

I love to mow the lawn.  Ahhh... summer.