Le mieux blog dans le monde!

I just spoke with a high school teacher from the tri-cities area in Washington state.  She said her school doesn't use textbooks any more because they know students won't take them home and read or study them.  Instead, she has to come up with all her own handouts for her business writing class.  She teaches her 2D animation class step-by-step on the computer (which probably is the best way to learn new software).

She said she attended a workshop on schools and reading recently.  Colleges and universities are seeing the same issue.  Students don't want to use the textbooks.  Which reminded me of library school.  We had textbooks assigned for each class, but for the most part were assigned articles to read, projects to complete, or books to read for reader's advisory purposes.  We weren't assigned readings from the textbook.  I suppose it was for students who didn't think they were busy enough with the rest of library school to use.

Just yesterday I spoke with a parent of a fifth grader who was appalled and critical of her daughter's school because it doesn't have textbooks either.  She said her daughter's teacher prints off articles from the Internet for her students to learn history, etc.  She also complained that the majority of the school day is spent with reading and little time is allotted for history and science.  This parent believes her daughter's liberal arts education to be greatly lacking.

It is hard to imagine learning in this new environment.  My elementary and high schools used textbooks.  We read from them in class.  We were assigned chapters to read for homework and expected to study the textbooks for tests.  I'm not sure how students study now.  I hear many parents complain about all the homework their children have.  What exactly does that homework consist of?  Worksheets?  Research?  And then there is the great criticism of American public schools and the quality of the education they provide.

I used to think the great debate of whether books would be relevant, and thereby libraries, in the future was a big joke, thinking that books are forever.  Now I'm wondering.  We read about a drop in newspaper subscriptions because people get their news online.  E-books readers and e-books are gaining popularity.

If the young people of today are learning primarily through digital media, printed media may indeed have a shorter shelf life than I ever expected.

Something is in the air.  I'm not sure if it's the Christmas/holiday season, full moons every night (I'm sure it's possible!), or something in the Ogden water, but there is a lot of nervous, perhaps a tad bit excited, energy waiting to be expended by so library patrons in Ogden!

Or maybe it's just that it is winter and the warmth of the public library draws more people in.  We have our usual transient patrons who sit in the library all day reading and occasionally using the Internet.  Seriously, people who complain about "those people" using the library should shut up and complain about the taxpayers who also use the library and actually cause problems.

In the past couple of weeks we've had several incidents.  The Juggalos are back and intimidating patrons.  They're also spreading their damaging influence on the younger regulars.  It is so sad when you see seventh graders passing around smokes (even though these same kids can be terribly obnoxious). And, yes, I know Juggalos are not bad in and of themselves, but these ones in particular are not model citizens.

Sunday we had a young adult run into the library claiming someone in a car pulled up to the 20 minute parking in front of the library and pulled a gun on him.

Then yesterday, we had a couple of "incidents" at the same time.  One was a rumored attempted child abduction, which actually turned out to be inattentive parenting, a good Samaritan trying to keep the kid out of the street, and a meddlesome regular who likes the drama the front of the building has to offer.  At the same time, a couple of our obnoxious kids were being accused of harassing patrons.  Maybe a rude comment to one of the associate directors will be enough to kick the kids out once and for all for a whole year because they were actually caught in the act of harassing and not just reported.

Then we have the young people who are on winter break from school and excited about the prospect of escaping into a good book.  It is so much fun to suggest books to kids who enjoy reading and take a stack of 10 novels to the checkout counter, barely able to hold onto them, with huge smiles on their faces.

Today I couldn't stand it and while Baby and daddy were sleeping this morning, I went on a walk and even jogged here and there.

Boy did it feel good! It always feel good to work up a sweat, to get the heart rate up, and feel the euphoria of doing something strenuous. I didn't appreciate this feeling back when I was regularly working out because I had been in the habit of exercising for several years. Today I truly appreciated it.

And I realized I was jogging for myself. Not for the people who I passed, not so I could say I'm running, not so I could look skinny (although this is partially why it has been a concern for me and another source of guilt; need to lose those pregnancy pounds). When I realized how good it feels, I decided this was something to do just for me.

Then I thought about yoga and how wonderful that feels. I began community ed yoga a year after I got married and continued for about nine months. Then the night of the class changed to a night I work so I stopped doing it altogether. But the feelings that come from yoga and meditating are hard to replicate and I remember them and ache to have those feelings again. There is a release and clarity that comes with focusing on one's self in the manner that yoga and meditation offer. Yoga is about strengthening an individual's mind and body.

Here are some tasks that I can do that focus on myself in varying amounts of time. Many are ones that I used to enjoy but have let fall to the wayside. (Seriously my life consists of work, family, and reading--but reading so I don't have be alone with myself--sad, huh?) Some are activities I've recently come to enjoy. They may take anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour depending on what is feasible for the day. My goal is to do at least one of these activities every day.  I cannot do anything else while I'm focusing on these tasks. 

* Walking (sans iPod)
* Yoga
* Running (sans iPod)
* Journaling
* Cooking a yummy meal/new recipe
* Listening to music (I used to do this all the time; just sit, listen, and enjoy)
* Write
* Doodle
* Draw
* Meditate
* Watch a favorite television program or movie without doing something else at the same time

Please comment on what you like to do just for yourself.

A couple of weeks ago, once Baby hit five weeks, I felt I could handle doing more around the house, including experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes. I use the website Allrecipes.com to find easy, tasty, and healthy recipes to make. Bev's Orange Chicken is quick and easy to make. And my biggest food critic--my husband--thought it very tasty!

Here is the recipe:

Bev's Orange Chicken

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 1 Hr 30 minutes [original recipe; I cooked mine for 45 minutes, which was enough time for the internal temperature to be the USDA recommended 160 degrees F for cooking poultry]

Ingredients

* 1 cup orange juice
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
* 8 chicken thighs [I used chicken boneless, skinless chicken breast]

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, stir together the orange juice, soy sauce, onion soup mix and garlic powder; set aside. Rinse chicken, and pat dry. Place chicken thighs into a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Pour the orange juice mixture over.
3. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour and 30 minutes in the preheated oven, basting every half hour. If using boneless chicken, reduce cooking time to 1 hour.

Nutritional information: Calories: 180 | Total Fat: 9.9g | Cholesterol: 59mg

Rusty liked the chicken but couldn't really taste the orange. I even added a little extra orange juice. Of course, I could taste the orange but that may be because I knew it was one of the ingredients. The website offers comments and suggested alterations to the recipe including shortening the cooking time, which I'm glad I did. Had I cooked the chicken the full hour and a half, the chicken probably would have been dry.

Not sure who decided that dogs are man's best friend, but I really think more men enjoy monkeys. Men seem to instinctively think monkeys are quite funny and cute, more so than your average woman.

Today I caught part of a documentary called Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History by filmmaker Allison Argo. It focused on the use of chimps in various forms of entertainment, as pets, and for research. Chimps used in movies lose their star appeal by about age 9, when they are no longer considered cute (chimps can live to be 40 years old). Chimps used in the circus often have their teeth removed and are given away once they are too strong for the circus workers to control, which is also the case with people who take on chimps as pets and realize that their strength is too much to handle. The chimps in these three scenarios are often sold to research labs, where they are isolated in cages and given various diseases to test vaccines and drugs to treat human ailments.

There are actually chimp sanctuaries in the U.S. and Canada for chimps who outgrow their uses in the above roles. These facilities have caring workers who soon learn that each chimp has its own personality and past to deal with. These primates may be scarred from losing their loved ones, from being isolated, or abused. They can form attachments to the humans that care for them, which is very touching. I also thought it funny that chimps eat similar food to humans (including fruits, vegetables, ice cream, pizza, etc), sleep with pillows and blankets, and may enjoy wearing clothing and being reminded of their past lives. These sanctuaries try to provide a little bit of freedom for these animals that have lived in captivity and could not survive being put back into the wild. These caretakers and facilities are to be commended for taking in these animals who have been stolen from their natural habitat and forced into unnatural circumstances.

I would like to visit one of these sanctuaries and observe these intelligent animals. If they were not wild animals, I could see the appeal for having a chimp as a pet.

One thing they don't tell you about being a new mom or having a newborn is that you begin to identify with dairy cows.







1. Electric Breast Pump: While Baby was in the NICU for 4.5 days, I had to pump after every feeding. The hospital gave me an electric double breast pump to use. I sat on the hospital bed watching TV holding the milk receptors to my breasts. Cows have it much easier with their milk machines since they don't have to hold the pump attachment to their udders.



VS.

This isn't the exact model I used. Mine stood about 3.5 feet high and was VERY heavy duty! I did go out and purchase a single breast pump for home use, which is much easier on the hands than a manual pump.














2. The purpose of life? MILK!: A dairy cow lives to provide milk. The past 3.5 weeks I've often wondered what my purpose in life is. Well, right now it is basically for one thing: feeding baby (and loving him; I feed him because I love him!). Every few days, Baby decides to change his feeding schedule. I never know from day to day if he'll want to feed every hour, two hours, three hours, or the very rare four hours. These hourly milkings are nuts (probably a growth spurt) and leave little time for anything else, including sleep.

3. Feed/Express Milk, Eat, Sleep: The three important activities for moms of newborns are similar to that of a cow. What does a cow spend its days doing? I can't imagine they do more than be milked, eat, and sleep.

Despite having a dairy cow as my personal mascot, I love having this little guy and enjoy the time I have alone with him in the early morning hours to feed him, see his cute little smile (dimples and all), and get to know the little guy.

We went to the Muse concert a week ago in Salt Lake City. It was fantastic! The venue was bigger than the one a couple years ago in Orem and there was hardly an empty seat (in fact it is still a mystery as to how people were stuck sitting behind the stage at the E-Center; how much did those seats cost?). We, on the other hand, had excellent seats.

The opening band was Silversun Pickups, who I hadn't heard of until Muse started touring. Turns out the radio plays a couple of their songs, which were the best ones they performed at the very end of their allotted time (which was way too much allotted time in my opinion). The rest of their songs just sounded the same and the band didn't exhibit much of a stage presence. We chuckled when the lead singer, trying to pander to the crowd, calling us "insane". Don't know what he had been smoking but the general admission crowd was just standing around and those of us with seats were just...well, sitting. Yup. Insane, alright.

And for those who are wondering: apparently so long as you don't have any complications, you can go to a rock concert at 8 months of pregnancy and not go into labor. In fact, the only time Baby moved was when I was sitting down.

Here are some pictures that Rusty took with his cell phone. Hopefully, the next time Muse comes to your neighborhood you can take advantage of this highly recommended show.

So far this year, I've been doing a lot more cooking of new dishes and using different herbs and ingredients than ever before. Cooking shows can be very inspiring, especially when you realize that making different meals than the ole standbyes can be fun, easy, and a nice change of pace. Also, trying to impress one's spouse for special occasions is fun too.

The past couple weeks I've made a couple of dishes with fresh rosemary. Before, I couldn't tell you what rosemary tasted like or pick it out if was used in a dish I was eating. Now it is an herb that I really like. The first dish I tried with rosemary was a side dish for our anniversary dinner: roasted potatoes with greens. It was easy, fast, and very tasty!

The second dish was this past weekend for Valentine's Day. Rusty and I both had upset stomachs (again!) but I didn't want just plain chicken breast so I added a few herbs. Mostly I followed a Better Homes and Gardens recipe for herb chicken but decided to add some more of the rosemary before it goes bad. Another great recipe. In fact, I have found that rosemary and garlic go very well together.

So here's to trying something new and enjoyable!

Anyone I've ever lived with (gave a ride home, worked with, shared a hotel room with, etc) can and will tell you how messy I am. I don't dabble in organized messes--you know the kind where other people think the room is cluttered but you actually know where everything is. No sir! I am beyond organization--it doesn't describe me one bit. I tend to put belongings on every available surface and then forget where I put them (keys, bills, stapler, Muse concert tickets, glasses, greeting cards, etc). My car, house, and drawer at work are all messy. [See spare room photo to the left.]

This isn't something I am proud of. In fact, I find it terribly embarrassing and have been known to ignore the doorbell due to a messy front room. It is also embarrassing to have to clean out the front passenger seat just to give someone a ride in my car. While dating, my husband announced he had a gift for me prior to taking a road trip to visit my family using my car. I was not amused when it was Febreze because, "Your car smells weird--like fast food," he explained.

With a baby on the way I feel it is time to get my house and life in order. Rusty probably senses this as well because he actually agreed to help me rather than tell me, "It's your mess so deal with it." I checked out a book on organization from the library and read to him parts that explained my psyche. He immediately stopped what he was doing and started googling closet storage and storage supplies and we came up with a game plan. I need to go through my junk and purge. Then we'll survey what is left and purchase storage mechanisms that fit our needs, rather than going out and purchasing random storage bins, etc and then finding they don't really work with our needs.



I started purging last night. I consolidated our office supplies and crafts--getting rid of reams of scrap booking paper, card making material, beads, and other craft paraphernalia for projects I thought could be fun (like the scrap booking and card making--yeah fun for a day or two!). Our spare room is even messier than before but it is step one in cleaning house. I'm happy to report I found my digital camera--in a really odd place in the bedroom closet--so I can easily post pics of my progress. Hopefully this will serve as added incentive to make good on this goal. I have until the end of March when I hope to have purchased baby furniture and supplies for the room.


Wish me luck!

I missed posting on Martin Luther King Jr Day/Human Rights Day but still have some thoughts to throw out there.

When people complain or criticize this holiday I cringe. At first, I think the person making the complaint is just plain racist. Then I think maybe the person is just plain ignorant--ahem...ignorant white person. I was reading a book the other day about Emmett Till, who I had heard reference to only because of my job. I'd heard of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., and young African Americans who died because of the color of their skin. But Emmett Till wasn't a name I was familiar with. The author, Chris Crowe, makes mention that even though he was from the same state as Emmett and not far in age, he nor his parents had heard of him. The African American community on the other hand saw him as a martyr and a catalyst to the events that made the Civil Rights Movement really take off.

This got me thinking further. I myself am ignorant of many historical events and people who have made huge sacrifices for the best of causes. Maybe the point of the holiday is not just to remember a single figurehead of the Civil Rights Movement but to remember all the individuals who have fought for the rights of all mankind--just like Martin Luther King, Jr. He not only wanted his fellow African Americans to be treated with respect and equality, but also other minorities, women, and those who suffered.

Maybe "Human Rights Day" is a better name for the holiday because it encompasses all the people who have worked, died, and sacrificed for the sake of human rights throughout the world.

I hope I never live to see the day when society forgets or sits in just plain ignorance of violations of human rights and how these violations affect a People and a society as a whole. We see segments of the world population refuting the Holocaust, the failure of governments to recognize genocide for what it is and take action, we see people who complain about the "riffraff" in poverty but do nothing to try to fix it, and so on and so on.

May we remember and hold dear in our hearts our freedoms and blessings. Remember the pain of others and make what little or big steps we can to do our part to help alleviate this pain. May we respect people for being humanity and not for their outward appearances. May we remember and teach our posterity.

Smythe-Collins & Co. would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and lots of love for the holiday season!

This week I adopted the alias "Lisa" as a result of patrons asking for my name. These are not your average Joes and I'm immediately put on guard when they start interrogating me for personal information ("what high school do you go to?", "are you married?", "are you in college?", "how many kids do you have?"), or, in one case, a guy seemed nervous, asked my name, and then told me he's been checking me out lately (my immediate response: "I'm married.")

Oh, the hazards of working with the public.

For several months I've had no motivation to do anything outside of the day to day required tasks, which mostly involves just going to work and maybe an appointment here and there. Oh, and reading, playing Mah-Jong or Spider Solitaire and listening to a book. Sometimes I clean and feel like getting things done or doing things out of the ordinary. Overall, while there is a lot I think about doing, there isn't much I've been doing. Usually I blame it on have a tiring job (being an introvert in a public service job), and now I can blame it on being pregnant, but now that I think about it, this has gone on way too long. Guess I'll have to wait for the next shrink appointment to see if a med increase is necessary--although with winter fast approaching this may be necessary anyway.

Does anyone have any tips on non-medical-induced motivation?

So much as been going on but not really business. Mostly I have plans to write but don't and then forget what I was going to write or lose the momentum.

So here is just an update on my life. I am working at a different branch. Still at the same library system, just a different location. And I no longer do children's programming--just teens and adults. My first program was a Wii gaming tournament that brought in about 70 people--20 watched and the rest played Super Smash Bros. It was fun but, boy, 50 teenage and young adult males in a small non-ventilated room is kind of sickening!

My second program was a 3-week book discussion series called Searching Inward--Exploring Spirituality. We had a great group that came to each discussion. The books we read were Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, and The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh (which I'm absolutely loving because I already believe a lot of what Hanh talks about but hearing it from an Eastern perspective is so enlightening!).

And then this Wednesday I have a program for Teen Read Week where the teens (hopefully some show up!) will put together a robot and do sci-fi trivia for prizes.

What I really like about my new position is it a lot quieter and less stressful than the previous one. Other than the disgusting bathroom checks the first four hours of the day, I feel like a real librarian and not a glorified library assistant. No checking books in and out, no dealing with patron complaints, no crazy children's programs that I don't have time to devote to making enriching, and I have four staff members under me as opposed to eleven. This is also nice considering I've been sick this past trimester :) and probably wouldn't have survived not being able to eat every couple hours because we're too busy, or just feeling like sitting in front of my computer, eyes glazed over, feeling like crap when you're slammed busy--like at the other branch.

Rusty is still writing, playing dinky little computer games that have annoying sounds and music, and working some extra hours--he also changed his work schedule so he goes in and gets off an hour earlier.

We're also looking for a used car for me. My driver's side door handle is broken, as is the speedometer (it works sometimes); there is a power steering, transmission, and oil leak; and my check engine light went on a few days ago and I haven't found the time to take it into the shop yet. With winter coming and being pregnant, I want a reliable vehicle!

So overall life is good and we're happy and feeling very blessed.

Maybe this is TMI, but I feel a responsibility to those who are looking for tips from the patients on coping with the preparation for the colonoscopy. I'm not 50 (and thank heavens won't be for another 20 years; 50 is the age that is recommended for having a colonoscopy and then every 10 years after, so long as the doctor doesn't find any abnormalities) but have had abdominal pain for about 6 months and wasn't happy with being diagnosed with IBS without more tests being run. Of course the two weeks prior to the procedure the pain went away, although it came back after the colonoscopy--probably due to colon irritation.

Tip #1. Ask for the pills (sodium phospate). The majority of people I have talked to who have had this procedure all agree that the laxative in drink form which is required to clean you out before the procedure is putrid. Mine came with five flavor packets to make it taste better. I chose orange. Unfortunately, my bathroom soap had a citrus scent so I smelled orange for a few days later, which after drinking the Trilyte was not a good thing! I puked the last liter of Trilyte the morning of the procedure and since I wasn't "cleaned out" enough (more about this to follow) had to run to the pharmacy and pick up magnesium citrate because this is a powerful laxative. So I recommend asking for pills! I didn't know this was an option. My bishop did this because he had heard about the drink. He said the only problem he had was that he hard to drink a ton of water.

Tip #2: Eat less and only easy-to-digest foods two days before the procedure. I had a difficult time getting cleaned out. I ate whatever I could two days before because I knew I could only eat liquid foods the day before the procedure. Also, I ate green Jello during the "cleaning out" process which turned my stool green and made it difficult to determine if my stool was clear enough for the procedure (see Tip #5).

Tip #3: Drink, drink, drink that water! I didn't drink as much water as I should have and was a bit dehydrated for the procedure. My blood pressure was unusually low, think 15-20 points less than usual. Also, the nurse had a difficult time getting the IV into my veins (also unusual--my veins tend to be pretty hearty).

Tip #4: Take sufficient amount of time off work. The patient is supposed to begin taking the laxative in the late afternoon the day before the procedure. You will not be able to work because: a) you may have to drink the laxative very 10 minutes (which comes all to soon even in the safety of your home where you can control what you do) and b) you are taking a laxative and will spend a lot of time on the toilet. Then take the day of the procedure off, as well as the day after. The patient is typically put out under a light anesthesia during the scope and cannot drive for 12-24 hours after, plus you'll spend more time on the toilet (the aftereffects of the laxative). You may also still feel the effects of the laxative the day after or experience discomfort in the colon even if you don't have any polyps removed. So take 2.5 days off work!

Tip #5: "Cleaned out" means there may be some particles and the liquid stool may have a yellow tint to it. I was so worried that the colonoscopy would be postponed and I'd have to go through the hell of the Trilyte again because I still had particles (sorry, guys!) and color to the stool. The nurse told me this was okay and that the procedure could still take place.

John Hopkins also offers some nice tips. Hopefully my tips will also be of some use and make the experience a little less distressful.

Disclaimer: I am not a health professional. Follow this tips at your own risk! Be sure to follow the counsel of your doctor and ask plenty of questions.

Saturday morning was our first gig at the Leavitt's Community Garden in our neighborhood. The garden began as a resource to help alleviate the financial stresses of neighborhood residents. The Leavitt family who owns the big plots of land next to and in front of our apartment building donated some land to grow the garden. It has all the typical vegetables in a vegetable garden, plus some herbs and flowers. When they were asking for volunteers I volunteered since I've always wanted a garden (which is difficult to do in an apartment, although my sunflowers will be blooming any day now!) and enjoy being outside. Plus, (and no, he doesn't know this, but if he'd read my blog he would--heh, heh) I wanted Russ to spend a fraction of his time doing something outside, particularly physical labor, and performing some service for people outside our immediate family.

From the beginning, I've received the emails for the volunteers, including the one with all the assignments. I couldn't find our name on the chart and assumed they must have overlooked our great desire to participate. That was fine because of this and that and the other--maybe I was even kind of looking for an "out." Then last Saturday our home teacher asked Russ if we could weed the first two rows of tomatoes ("It should only take 30 minutes," Ryan said) since his family would be out of town for the week and Russ and I were assigned to the same two rows. Boy do we feel like jerks! Maybe I should learn to pay more attention to detail....

We decided to work together (Russ's idea, which I'm very happy for :). We weren't sure what the weeds would look like (they certainly didn't look like the ones we dug up in Texas), but determined they must be the plants that didn't have tomatoes growing on them. Luckily, another couple that volunteered dropped by and confirmed we were pulling up the right plants. It took an hour because we were so thorough. After about 30 minutes we began wondering if everyone else was so thorough. We were hot, sore, and covered in dirt (which I particularly like, although Russ remains true to his inner self--he hates physical labor and the heat). We also decided we need to pull our weight and have discussed this with our co-family. We're taking a row for ourselves (and, no, the other gardeners apparently don't spend as much time weeding the community garden as they do their own personal gardens).

It is fun to be a part of "something" and to now be committed to participate. Hopefully, we'll learn a lot for that "someday" when we have our own lawn and maybe a little flower garden and a small vegetable garden. Of course, this experience may also help us decide to just buy our veggies at the supermarket.

Independence Day weekend was super fun. Russ and I decided to spend the weekend with just the two of us and went to Cedar City. We primarily went for the Utah Shakespeare Festival, which is really well done. We also made a spur of the moment decision to spend Sunday at Bryce National Park, after Russ realized how close we were.

It rained a bit on the 4th so unfortunately we only hit the Independence Day events going on in the city's park, went to lunch, ran a lot of errands, and read in the hotel room. The local shops in Cedar City were closed due to the holiday so our options were pretty limited as to what local activities to do.

As You Like It was wonderful! Shakespeare's plays are meant to be seen and not just read. High school English teachers should show their students the play and then have them read it--or have them read along to the performance. Turns out this was one Shakespeare play I had not read so I started reading it a few days before the show. I thought I was getting it all but missed some important parts of the plot. Russ had no problem understanding what was happening without reading the play first. I'm excited for next year's plays, particularly Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth.

Since we had planned on hiking in Cedar Breaks National Monument on Saturday, we had our hiking apparel. Our plans were thwarted due to mother nature, but luckily Sunday had perfect weather so we went to Bryce. Russ has fond memories of a family vacation to the park in junior high, although he only remembers a hike. He thinks that all kids would rather play video games than visit a park, which is completely opposite of me. My parents instilled a love of nature and hiking at a young age. Still, he was excited when he saw we were only 1.5 hours away from the park so we spent Sunday there. We drove through the park, stopping at all the scenic overlooks. Russ had his picture taken with some ravens that loved people. We also heard many different languages, including a lot of French speakers, who I tried to eavesdrop on but could only make out a few sentences and words.

We also went on a hike down into the canyon. We saw lots of chipmunks and beautiful birds (one had a green back--think grass green). It is amazing that the hoodoos and other rock formations are randomly created by erosion. They look like they were deliberately carved by a sculptor's hand. I'll post pics once I get the film developed (we had to buy a camera since I can't my digital one).

Halfway through the hike we ran into a couple. The male was feeling sick so they asked us to get a park ranger once we made it back up the canyon. We decided to cut the hike short and went up a shorter, yet steeper hike. I really need to learn to pace myself! I tend to just go at the same pace regardless of steepness and there were times I felt I was about to pass out--not to mention I was in a hurry in case the gent had worse problems. Luckily, Russ is a pro at pacing. I went ahead since I'm in better shape but still had problems. I made it to the top after finally slowing down and walking with a lady who's family left her behind. A ranger was headed over to close the trail anyway. Apparently there were others who were having problems and a couple of stretchers were headed up the path. The ranger also said there were about 6 other hikers who requested help.

The weekend was very relaxing and fun. We tend to spend most holidays or long weekends with family so it was nice to really get away just the two of us. We both had lots of fun and talked about plans for other national park trips in the future. Southern Utah has many beautiful sights and we might as well see them before we leave the state.

Anyone who is interested in the Shakespeare Festival for next summer/fall should let us know and we can make it a date!

8 things I did yesterday:


1. Worked

2. Ate 2 pieces of pizza (which is not good for my poor little tummy)

3. Read Warbreaker

4. Talked to my sister and nephew on the phone

5. Watched 40 teens play Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero 3

6. Filled the car with gas

7. Ate too many corn chips (also not good for my tummy)

8. Finally got rid of the entertainment center (thanks for taking it off our hands Cindy Lou!)


8 things I look forward to:

1. Wednesday, when the family gets into town.

2. My appt with the GI dr. (next month)

3. 4th of July weekend in Cedar City and going to the Shakespeare Festival

4. Zero days of rain

5. Russ feeling better

6. Getting the house cleaned and uncluttered

7. Being rich and famous (or my husband being rich and famous)

8. No more stomach aches.


8 things I wish I could do:

1. Take a month off vacation.

2. Buy a newer car.

3. Be less messy.

4. Take a world tour.

5. Play an instrument.

6. Publish a book.

7. Like running.

8. Move to the city.


8 shows I watch on TV:

1. 30 Rock
2. NCIS
3. Law & Order
4. Seinfeld
5.
6.
7.
8.

8 people I tag:

1. Mommy
2. Sarah
3. Christy
4. Ariane
5. [I don't think any more people read my blog, except Miss Read who tagged me]
6.
7.
8.

This evening I decided to go for a little adventure and walk from the apartment to the post office at the next town over (my little community's post office offers poor customer service and I don't trust it with my mail). I grabbed my digital camera case (since it is lighter than a purse or a backpack), my Zen, $2 in quarters, and my debit card.

The drive takes about 10-15 minutes so I thought it would only take about 30-45 minutes to walk there. I've never been good with numbers and this proves my point. It took an hour to walk 3.9 miles and it was starting to get dark, not to mention dark storm clouds were on the horizon. (Had I walked home, I would still be walking and it is currently raining, windy, and dark.) My typical mile run is approximately 10-12 minutes. If I had decided to run, my estimated time frame for the walk would have been more realistic.

On the return trip, I took a detour to Albertsons for a snack, some water, and some reading material. I had already decided to try to catch the bus home, with the hope that 8:20 pm wasn't too late for the buses to run. Luckily my relief society president and yoga buddy was driving home from work, spotted me, and gave me a lift.

Am I a wimp? During my Boise State days, I'd sometimes walk home from campus, backpack filled with books and folders. The distance is about 6.3 miles and, back then, I didn't even bat an eyelash or consider finding the closest bus stop at four miles. Up until last July, I worked out for 45 minutes, four days a week. I used to pride myself on the fact that I had great endurance and was never the one to interrupt a hike for something piddly as a rest.

Tonight the thought of walking home just made me groan. Is my husband's lack of enthusiasm to break a sweat contagious? Does turning 30 curb one's motivation to be physical? Could I make it up the hike to Mt Timpanogos?

And, no, I am not fulfilling my New Year's resolution of exercising at least 2 times a week--may once every month.... Maybe it is time to reevaluate the goals.

Last Friday Rusty and I installed a new car battery with the hope that my car would start (the old one was definitely dead). We ran to Auto Zone at 8am, thinking it would be early enough to get the car working before our 11am movie date. No such luck. We made it to the movie but were not car savvy enough to fix the thing. We installed the battery and the car was still dead. Rusty attempted to jump the car with no luck.

My brother gave us two bits of useful counsel, one of which we followed and the other we didn't "get".

POA #1 (Piece of Advice): The connectors were bad (I had battery problems in Boise during Easter weekend). We heeded this advice. We ran back to Auto Zone picked up two connectors, one of which we were able to replace (we gave each other pats on the back). The positive connector was too complicated so we had it towed to the mechanic to fix.

POA #2: Make sure the battery terminals are not capped. Well, I thought the negative terminal came in black just for the heck of it (a splash of contrasting color for the artistic driver) and Rusty apparently didn't even notice the terminal was a different color. Yes, I was embarrassed when the mechanic told me a cap was still on the negative terminal, but felt justified in taking the car in when he said he had to replace the positive connector.

The miracle? For a few years now I have not been able to lock the driver's side door without the alarm going off, so I just came to terms with the fact that if I leave something in the car it may or may not be there when I returned (car included). [Sidenote: One evening I parked my car at my apartment and ran off with some friends, not even paying attention to the fact that I had locked the door. The alarm went off for about five hours until I returned at 1 am (yeah, the neighbors were pissed!).] I went to open the door to drive home from the mechanics and found it was locked and, better yet, silent. The mechanic didn't say anything about fixing the alarm or turning it off. Now I just have to get into the habit of locking the door.

My advice: Don't believe anyone who tells you there is no such thing as miracles today! They happen when you least expect them.