Limited

I have too many great ideas (humble I know).
But really, there are just too many things I could do with my life, and I get upset every once in a while that I cannot figure out how to do them all. Here's a few on my list- what does yours look like?:

• Become a Nurse Practitioner in Women's Health. Obviously, this is the one I'm for sure going to do. Mostly because I'm in the program and school starts in August. This may involve one or two overseas adventures eventually, hopefully. 
  
• Be a nurse. I already do this one, which allows me four days off a week, which is a lot of time to think about what else I could be doing, like:
• Designing furniture. I'm really no artist, but I've had this idea for kids furniture based on cell organelles for several years. I know it sounds nerdy, but it would be so cool. I have no idea where to get started, although I've e-mailed a few designers, one French, who I don't think speaks english because the e-mail didn't have anything to do with what I wrote. (I can just envision pitching this idea to Target or the momastore.)
• Becoming an executive assistant. I applied for these jobs in 2002 following my first graduation when I realized a BS in Zoology gets you a $7.50/hr job. I think I would love this. My dad thinks I would hate it. It probably doesn't pay enough, but I love a) planning vacations and trips  b) applying for things (jobs, college, it really doesn't matter) and c) buying gifts. Getting paid to do these things and fill out forms really sounds strangely fulfilling. Getting talked down to does not. 
• Writing for a magazine. At some point I just have to do this. I sent in one article to SELF and it got rejected (also 2002-ish). I'm not so great at coming up with my own ideas for stories, though. However, I click the "writing/editing" section of craigslist almost every day. Just to check. I should probably write something other than this blog. (And thanks to the random person who commented and said I should write a book. It made my day.)
• Speaking of writing a book, occasionally I want to do this. It would be about being a Modern American Mormon. I wrote the titles for the chapters three years ago. 
• Presenting. I need to fly around the country and make presentations about something. I like to do this. A lot. Both of those things. Now what should I talk about?
• Study faces with the guys Malcolm Gladwell talks about in Blink. I could get bored pretty quickly, but what a skill to have as a doctor!
• Franchise Lilly Jane's Cupcakes
• Something with Odwalla, American Express, Vestas, or Kimpton Hotels. 
• And lastly, just today I read an article in Outside about programs to install solar panels. Apparently there is an 8 year waiting list in New Mexico for a 2 year program. I wrote the director and asked how to start one in AZ (ASU is huge on solar power but has no program). I have no idea what I will do with this information, but it sounds brilliant, doesn't it?

Ok, your turn!!  (I also have a side list made up for Brad, due to the fact that he can do some very cool things that I do not have a talent for. His list includes becoming a tailor, a eco-friendly landscape architect, and a dentist.)

• Oh, and own, run, and design a boutique hotel. This one is very important. 

Stones!!

So my friends are having a baby. His name is going to be Stone. I had an idea for onesies and was going to have a store downtown make them, and then Bridget told me to just buck up and do it myself; It wouldn't be that hard. So I did. Here are my first ever iron-on transfers and the most crafty thing I've done in quite awhile. Anybody need a shirt? :-)

Here's a link to her thoughts!

I Love to See The Temple...

So for any one who doesn't know, I am
1- an active Latter-day Saint
2- an unendowed Latter-day Saint, which means, of my own free will and choosing, I have not yet "received my endowments" and gone through an entire temple ceremony. Which means I've only seen a few rooms of the temples I've gone to. (This is generally a mid-20's thing for girls to do. It's going to be an early-30's thing for me to do.)
But before a temple is dedicated in a special other ceremony, anyone can walk through the whole thing. Well, Utah just got its 13th temple, and I got to walk through. You still can't take pictures, but it was totally beautiful and still had such a great feeling. I am very much looking forward to the time when I get married there (at a temple; not this one) (and whenever else I decide to go through).




In perfect Mormon fashion, cookies and water are given afterwards. Here's the picture perfect reception area:

And last but not least, we made a quick stop at Emily Inglet Smith's house to see her two darling boys and her soon-to-arrive baby girl. It is always so fun and a little crazy to see my pregnant high school friends. I love it!

Thanks Bridge for an awesome TRIP!! Love you!!

Sundays are Better in Utah

There's a little something wonderful about Sundays in Utah. It's like God is really happy with all these people going to church and there is just such a good feeling about everything. Relief Society was hilarious. We only had a ten minute lesson. Why? Because we had snacks!! Notice, also, the handwriting of the announcements on the chalkboard. That doesn't happen by accident. That girl erased at least 3 letters to get it to look that perfect. Her scrapbooks must look amazing. Here also are a few other pictures that just show how pretty everything around there really is.








After church it was off to temple square, where we ran into Missionary Barbie from Mexico. John and Bridget had met her in Park City but failed to get pictures. So we were so excited to see her.

Then we realized our keys were locked out of our car. And that's a story for Bridget's blog....

Park City Party Time!! Saturday

This weekend I went to Park City and had SO MUCH FUN. Here's a little insight into our fun times. Bridget has a ton of pictures as well. Her blog is www.perfectmiracles.blogspot.com. So you can get her version of the story, too!
First stop: The airport. No surprises here. Here's what the Grand Canyon looks like from the plane and what I look like when I realize I'm on vacation:


Then off to the Farmer's Market. Where I got Polly Pocket a wedding present and realized that people in SLC really love big dogs. It was probably the coolest Farmer's Market I've been to, and had I had a fridge or a garden I probably would have bought a lot more stuff. Here, by the way, is my delicious lunch from there:

Then back to Bridget's hotel/apartment. Let it be said that I think she lives in SUCH a cool place. The little fridge, the itty bitty stove, the studio look with her huge bookcases. It's all very urban in the middle of the mountains and I think it's P-I-M-P.
Here's a glance at the outside. She'll have to give you a picture of the inside sometimes.

Then it was time for a real lunch. We called Gus and trekked through downtown PC. We ate at Wasatch where the only buffalo burger available was 1/2 pound. And, well, I need my iron. Here's the three of us chowing down!



Then Gus went home and B-ridge and I went Shopping!!
The two main stops were MaryJanes & Sugarbuzz, places that she just KNEW I would love. And she was right. We spent quite a bit of time at MaryJane's. Everything in the store was 25% off because it was Park City's 125th birthday. So I got a candle, some bachelorette presents for Ariana, and, well, the BOOTS. We got rain boots. Hunter, made in Scotland, 75% off rain boots. Bridget's are yellow. Mine are Purple. We love them. They are awesome. (What you say? I live in a desert? Well, Monsoon season is in August, and I won't live here forever!!) Bridget, meanwhile, is getting a ton of use out of them because it rained every single day we were there. Here's a few pics of this super-cool store:



At Sugarbuzz, a candy store, we bought these cupcakes. They are beautiful and pretty gross. We actually threw some of them away. So sugarbuzz gave us a free dozen from another baker. And they were delicious. We also met Jen, who we told about our boots and she went and got Pink ones. So fun. Here's our pretty cupcakes:

NEXT?! A date in Provo. We went with Ryan and Cameron and it was pretty fun. First, a stop at Orem days where we ran into this Utah-rific parade:


Yes, that really is guys in white shirts and ties throwing ties to the crowd. Holy Mormons!!
Then it started to rain so we got delicious roasted corn and high-tailed it out of there.
Off to the Foundry Grill in Sundance. It was an unexpected treat where we met up with a few other of Bridget's friends. I had ginger sweet potato soup and mahi mahi. And was so delicious. Yum!

That night I slept in Bridget's toasty bed with an electric blanket and Bridget slept next to me on an air mattress. How's that for a hostess?? Thanks so much! !!

Low Maintenance

I swear I'm low maintenance. Really. I mean, it's 2:46 and I haven't even taken a shower. I did however, clean my bathroom and do something that I've thought about doing for a while now:
Take this picture:

This picture and the presence of all this stuff everyday makes me
a- question the simplicity of my life
b- have a generally messy bathroom
c- freak out when I think of not checking baggage at the airport. (ONE quart-size bag?!?)
d- want to stuff throwing stuff away
e- wonder exactly what the definition of "high maintenance" really is.....
f- be very grateful Brad considered counter space when choosing our apartment.
I used to have a pretty clean bathroom. I used to wear my hair curly every day. I used 2 eyeshadow colors and called it good. Now I straighten my hair half the time. I have 3 different body washes, which is nuts, and 10 eyeshadows, most of which I use, and too too many things for my hair. And as of last week, I have eye cream and a face polisher. Because I flipped out because I thought I was maybe starting to look 29. (I thought people would be surprised when I told them I bought eye cream. It seemed frivolous to me. Everybody just acted like it was a good idea. hmmm...maybe I do need all this stuff...)

Here.

In seventeen minutes, my plane to ireland is taking off without me. I was sad about it last night. Today I am wondering when I am going to go for real and pleased to have a little time to be more financially prepared.
But yet, I still feel a little bit as if the plane is abandoning me. I've never before ever planned a vacation I didn't go on.
So instead I'm eating the fresh & easy version of Pirate's Booty in the living room in my underwear reading Oprah. At least until I know the plane has left.

UP

I went and saw UP last night. There were some weird little parts, including some odd talking dogs, but it was so cute. I knew I loved old people, but who knew I would cry within 10 minutes of the movie starting? I'm such a sucker.

I Went on a Date

I went on a date last Saturday with a guy who used to be in my ward. He is a very nice guy and was a good sport through the night. He and I had never talked much; he's a pretty quiet guy, but he was a good conversationalist, so all in that area was well. I wasn't, however, a huge fan of the rest of the group, who were kind of.....how do I say this nicely....dbags. Now, I usually don't say this and I might edit it later, but people who ignore completely what you are saying, won't take pictures with you during your group photo scavenger hunt, and straight up walk you past a place called'ICON: sip nibble flirt' to go to Burger King are just basically rude. I later realized Allen and I should have ditched the group to go here, but sometimes I'm just too nice for my own good. I tried to make my own fun by taking most of the pictures/videos on the list. Here's a few examples:
Me dancing on the lightrail

A random person on the lightrail (I rode the new light rail!! That was fun!!)

A guy whose facial hair was longer than the hair on his head

And me jumping in a fountain. Oh wait, that wasn't on the list. But sometimes you just have to entertain yourself.

Oh, and this is Allen. Enjoying the shake straw exclusive to Burger King. Whoo-hoo!!

Indefinite Postponement

Brad did not send off for his passport in time. 

I do not want to spend 12 days by myself seeing so many cool things alone. 

So someday I will go to Europe. 

And I will love everyday of it. 

But it will not be this month.