It's the Simple things really

I have stairs. It may seem like a silly thing to be so ecstatic about, but let me explain. The reason I am living in the house that I am right now is because when I needed to move it filled some of my criteria; it was still in the neighborhood, it was cheap, and I knew the people I was moving in with. Ever since I had befriended the girls in the house the sliding door to the backyard has been problematic. The distance between the bottom of the door and the ground was 1-1/2 feet, oh and did I mention there were no stairs? So up until recently there was a large steel utility chest that was a makeshift stair so that there was not such a drastic drop to the ground. Well sometime this last winter the landlord reclaimed the utility chest and so getting to the backyard has been interesting. I awoke a couple of weeks ago to the nauseating smell of cigarette smoke and the banging of hammers. Some men had come to give us stairs! When I came home after they were done it was great!! Not to mention it has been a great addition as far as seating goes for when we have BBQ's. It's the simple things in life really that give me the greatest joy. Riding in my car with the windows down and the radio on, waking up after a great night's sleep, laying on the grass at night to gaze at the stars. Isn't life grand?

Proud Auntie

Occasionally I am a sappy romantic

Unfortunately my sense of romance has been destroyed by the romantic comedy movie. I don't usually watch them and would much rather watch an action flick or a gritty drama. Of late I have been pondering what these movies have done to me. Maybe I am expecting too much from guys. After 6 or 7 dates am I wrong to be a little frustrated when my date continues to offer to shake my hand at the end of the date? I'm not asking for a grand gesture like standing outside my window with a stereo, but seriously, a handshake?! I would even settle for something other than a side-hug. Maybe a little hand holding and conversation to assure me that I am not wasting my time on someone who will never be emotionally available. Is that too much to ask?

I struggle on a daily basis with the walls that I have built up around myself. I have become so accustomed to being uncoupled that I have managed to convince myself that I don't need someone. Meanwhile I watch the people around me find happiness in having a partner to share their life with. And I know that it is a big fat lie because I want someone to share my life with. Someone to tell my stories to and go home to at night. Cynicism has become second nature to me and I am trying desperately to rid myself of it's cancerous influence. Matters are not helped by the fact that watching chick flicks makes me bitter that life isn't like the movies in any way shape or form. How twisted is it that we learn to long for romantic situations that are almost statistically impossible? I've let go of some of my cynicism but that also means I have started to admit that deep down I really am a sappy romantic. Admitting my sappy nature may be the first step to recovery but it also means that I have opened myself up to hope, and hope while good, can be a dangerous thing for someone so absolutely terrified of losing something that she doesn't even have....... yet.

The In Betweens

There are a couple populations of people in Utah communities whose needs have been largely overlooked until recent years. One such group is the special needs adults. In church there is a natural progression to things. Primary, Young Men's/Young Women's and joining of the adult population in classes. Where does that leave those with special needs? Individuals who through no fault of their own are not able to progress pass the mentality of a child or teen. I have discovered that in the Salt Lake Valley there are Special Needs Mutual's that are held weekly and give no regard to age or cognitive ability. I became aware of this group because my mother had been called as the chorister for the group that meets near her house. She has on occasion asked me to fill in for her pianist. I think this is a fabulous idea, it allows parents and the kids to network resources. If you know of a similar program in your area I urge you to get involved. As the Emperor would say, the force is strong with these ones. These people are such a reminder of how elemental our faith should be. There is nothing more pure than their love!

Cute? Think Again.

Women throw around the word "cute" a lot. Probably more than we should. It's one of those words that is so overused that it starts to lose it's meaning. So we transition to stronger words like "hot", "dope" or "sick." One of my friends recently got a new car and was told by all the women he works with that it was "cute." I should mention that it is a totally smokin' Ford Mustang. "Cute" should never be used to describe something as awesome as a Mustang. This led to a discussion about what cars are considered girlie cars and what cars are considered masculine cars. I have composed a list. Feel free to let me know how I did. These are not solid, just my general observations, obviously there are exceptions. Again, this is not a definitive list, I just didn't think that a Mustang should ever be labeled as "cute."

Girlie Cars

• Volkswagen Jettas


• Volkswagen Bugs (especially the new ones)


• Mini Cooper


• Geo Metro

Masculine Cars

• Trucks in general, but especially white trucks.


• Mustangs (Shelby especially)


• Mazda 3


• Anything with a "hemi" or diesel engine


• PT Cruisers


• Chevy HHR

Gender neutral cars

• Toyota Corolla


• Honda Civic


• Honda Accord


• Toyota Camry
  

Panda's are cute, but seriously?

So I was watching the Olympics tonight and apparently they needed some filler between sports and I had the "privilege" of watching a segment titled: "Panda Babymaking." I kid you not. Pandas are cute, don't get me wrong, but do I really need to know how they exercise the pandas for "optimal reproductive health?" The segment included showing trainers putting the pandas through leg squats. Seriously?!

A Tribute to My Awesome Roommates

I love my roommates! They will tell you that I am camera happy and that I also am a big fan of the candid shot.

More Concert Attendance Pet Peeves

I had mentioned in an earlier post that there are certain etiquettes that should be followed when attending any kind of concert event that would encourage applause. I have a few more pet peeves to add to my list.

For performers:

1. It's great that your concert starts at 7:30 and that the announcement to silence your cell phones is prompt. However, it is rude to then wait 8 minutes before actually appearing on the stage. Once an announcement is made, the audience settles down and awaits the beginning of the performance. Once that much time has elapsed, the crowd begins to get rowdy again. So if you are going to start late, do the announcement late as well.
2. Please don't tell your audience how to applaud. This last event I attended, the conductor told the audience that rythmic clapping in unison is the way that European audiences show appreciation. Now that it's been mentioned the audience feels obligated to do as you suggest. Telling someone how to applaud is almost as bad as demanding a standing ovation.
3. Concerts that last too long. I absolutely adore the University of Utah Singers and can usually be found at most of their events, however it drives me absolutely insane when their concerts drag on and on. To be fair this year they are much better at time management than they were last year, but it still bears mentioning.

For attendees:

1. If you plan on paying money to attend an event, please realize that other people have as well. You may not have the same appreciation for the type of music that those around you do, but that doesn't give you the right to ruin it for everyone else by talking. That might actually be okay in a loud, crowded sports arena, but in a small, quiet concert hall everyone can hear you even if they don't know what you are saying.
2. If you are upset that someone is talking while the performers are doing their thing, don't lean over and talk to your neighbor about it! You are just contributing to the noise.
3. People who critique the performance who have no clue what they are talking about. I went to a concert and a person in my group (whom I did not invite) proceeded to use her extensive knowledge of mathematics to prattle on about the concert as if she knew what she was talking about. If you are trying to impress someone, don't try to do it by shooting your mouth off about something you know nothing about. To those of us who do know what we are talking about you just sound dumb.

Enough venting for now, I'm sure I will have more later. There is always something to complain about, right?

Legality is Best!

I have not always made smart decisions and back in 2004 I had some traffic violations for expired registration and no insurance. I had arranged to make payments to the courts (yes, plural) for my fines and in my state of utter destitute, I missed a few. During this time I had moved quite a few times and did not receive my summons to appear in court. Evidently when I failed to appear there was a "FTA" warrant placed on me. Last year when I went to renew my driver's license I discovered that it had been suspended for 2 years. Whoops. I then made the plan to use my "Economic Stimulus Package" check to pay my fines and reinstate my license. Due to some unfortunate tax ridiculousness, I ended up not getting the stimulus package. I was definitely living on borrowed time and everything caught up to me at the end of June. I'm going to spare you the details, but it was not fun or pretty. The circumstances made it so that because of extremely trustworthy and willing parents, I was able to take care of everything at once. I have always been a considerate driver and have excellent cop-spotting eyes. I have had several people ask me in the last few weeks if I feel better now that everything is taken care of. I usually responded that it was no different except that I didn't have to dart into cemetaries to avoid law enforcement. *see disclaimer I have also noticed something however, I have become a more aggressive driver. I was so pre-occupied with avoiding law enforcement that I never broke the speed limit, I always let people in and I was a much more courteous driver. Since obtaining legality I have been less cautious. It does feel great to drive down the city streets and not fear being detained and possibly jailed. But I do miss not having road rage.

* I do not recommend ever letting something turn into a warrant, or thinking you can evade the law forever. Prompt repsonse should be the ONLY option. The way things played out was ENTIRELY my own fault and I take full responsibility for it. I used to say that the only thing I would ever change about my life to this point was that I wish I had taken better advantage of my education. I now add to it that I wish I had not let things get as bad as they did. It may make a great story, but it is not a proud one, nor one I would EVER wish on someone else. Please drive responsibly and remember that you are not the only one on the road.