Oh things that we do...

There are so many things that we vow to never do or never become, but end up doing and becoming. I was thinking about these things while I was washing my hair with my cheapo shampoo, when I realized, Hey! I once swore to never treat my hair so badly by using grocery store shampoo on my dried-out locks, and here I was with suds of Pantene in my hair. Crap! So I began thinking of all the other things I thought I would never do but now do regularly. The list began to depress me.

Something I vowed never to do...

1. Watch Dancing with the Stars -Enough said. There is something wrong (but strangely satisfying...) with watching washed-up celebrities try to resurrect their careers through the samba.
2. Leave dishes in the sink -When living in the pioneer apartment (the apartment that was basically a cinder block box with none of the comforts of the everyday man), I didn't have a dishwasher. Every night after washing a sink full of dishes, I would curse the wretches who were so lazy, they couldn't put a simple dish in the dishwasher. Right now I've got 64 plates, 26 bowls, and 87 cups staring me in the face from the kitchen sink. As soon as I run out of room in the kitchen sink, I'll use the sink in the bathroom.
3. Think those weird short boots that are creeping into style are cute -Uh huh. I like them. Yup. I'm disgusting.
   
4. Be excited for the stupid Twilight movie -Agh! I hate that I want to see it. I hate that I'm overlooking the fact that none of the characters look anything remotely close to what they should look like. I hate that I care! Damn it, Stephenie Meyer! You made me care!
5. Seriously contemplate murder -I am really concerned over my sudden desire to violently destroy the insurance company that declined my application and anyone associated with them. Blowing up the building wouldn't be enough, being that enough lives wouldn't be lost. I want blood, and lots of it.
6. Like the weird anchor woman with the plastic face -I can't say whether it's her demented cheek implants or her Jackson-like nose job, but I like that weird-looking lady. She makes the news that much more interesting.

Don't mess

Today at work I was telling some of my colleagues (other low-end employees) about how sick and tired I was of a certain patient. I was expressing how I wished that I could see this person face to face, simply to be able to shout in her face for 5 hours, when one of the said colleagues blatantly stated, "She would kick your a$$" (money signs intended to deflect any possible outcry of being offended). I was stunned. I mean, really? Either I'm a major wuss (not likely), or this particular person is trained in some rare martial arts that enables them to mortally wound you just by blinking at you. I just couldn't believe it. And to add to it, everyone sort of just nodded along, in agreement! It isn't as though I'm some tiny weakling who can hardly lift a cup of scalding oatmeal (I actually did that today, lifted it right over my head). I've played soccer my entire life and did a fair number of bruising during that life, and I should think that I represent myself as fairly tough and capable of manhandling, but perhaps not. Maybe I just come across as too dainty to get my hands dirty by ruffing up some patient's mother. I don't really know the answer. The bottom line, I can take you, no matter who you are.

Pictures and more pictures

My blog is way overdue for a new post, and no one realizes that more than I do. Every now and again, I check my blog, hoping beyond hope that somehow magically someone has hacked into my blog (like it would take a lot...) and posted something new and exciting. Unfortunately, no computer genius has taken an interest in hacking into the mainframe of my blog and doing me (and everyone else) such a favor. New and exciting would definitely be a change to the mundane and repetitive entries. Either way, I'm behind in reporting my ever-so-clever observations.

Unfortunately, I don't feel either clever or observant, and so I will settle with posting picture after picture of this past week. My sister Meghan and her family came to visit and go to Disneyland, Legoland, etc. My other sister Brittany also came but more to avoid the frigid weather that exists in Logan, Utah than anything else.

These pictures are from Disneyland. There are some seriously cute ones in here.

Here are two pictures while at the Disneyland parade.

These pictures come from Balboa Park where two gay men asked me if Josh was gay and was available. He was pretty flattered, and I couldn't have been more proud.

And the rest of these pictures come from San Diego Zoo. It was all pretty sweet.

Yes on Proposition 8

So for those of you who do not live in California (the vast majority of anyone actually reading this...), you are probably not swimming in the Proposition 8 campaign. Lucky you. If proposition 8 doesn't pass, I'm coming to live wherever you live.

What is Proposition 8? It is a proposition that would change the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same sex couples to marry in California. A new section would be added to the constitution stating, "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in Calfornia." Basically, it would take away gay marriage.

But Proposition 8 isn't an anti-gay movement; it's more of what the consequences will be if we continue to legalize gay marriage. So what happens in 10 years when someone says, 'Hey. I'm an adult. I should be able to marry my sister, or maybe my mom. We both consent!' Or what do we say when people start arguing that we should lower the age of consent. That a 15 year old is just as aware of what he wants as the 30 year old that wants to marry him or her? Really people. It is only a matter of time if we don't draw the line somewhere. "California law already grants domestic partners all the rights that a state can grant to a married couple. Gays have a right to their private lives, but not to change the definition of marriage for everyone else."

And what about our rights as parents. "Public schools are already required to teach the role of marriage in society as part of the curriculum, schools will now be required to teach students that gay marriage is the same as traditional marriage, starting with kindergartners."

I am by no means politically aware, but this is an issue that we have been asked as members of the church to care about and to fight for. So I'm caring and I'm fighting ('fighting' being defined as standing on corners holding signs, going door to door, donating money, and spending at least 4 hours a week working on Proposition 8 stuff).

Learned

Being incognito has given me the opportunity to look at the world around me, and learn something. Here is a list of those somethings that I learned.

1. Breast-feeding in a public place is both sickening and completely acceptable by social standards. While dining at the world-famous Quizno's, I was lucky enough to stumble on such an experience. I was hastily eating (is there any other way to eat?) a toasted turkey sub when the woman sitting across from me pulled out what appeared to be a boob, and began feeding her wanting child, only I don't know how wanting this child was since he didn't even cry. I was aghast, but found that no one else seemed to be. No blanket and no shame. Wonderful.
2. I have been reading Scottish historical fiction type books placed in the 18th century and have found myself thoroughly involved with a 6'4'' red-headed Scot named Jamie. I love him. I will keep him safe from the Jacobite rising.
   
3. I am a hobbit. I have hairy hands. I didn't really learn this but have known it for quite some time, but thought maybe of sharing some of my vast knowledge. Now you've learned something too.
4. There are no worse words than, "I need a favor." 'Favor' really means 'something I know you don't want to do and I wouldn't dare ask you but being that we're related or have been friends for longer than 27 hours, I can phrase it this way and you really have no way of not doing it.' Asking a favor is as binding as any legal contract, but worse since there is guilt involved.
   
5. I am by no means, a domestic goddess. I can't even pretend to call myself that, since I can only cook, bake, or heat up one dish a day. If I make breakfast, Josh can rest easy that I won't be making anything else that day. If I make him a sandwich for lunch, he is already unwrapping the frozen pizza box for dinner. He knows. I know. We know. I do not particularly enjoy cooking. I tried explaining this to my friend, Janette, last Saturday, as she drug me through the grocery store, apparently appalled that I wasn't planning anything for dinner that week. I tried to explain that we already had 4 boxes of cereal and that was more than enough, but she nearly shook with outrage when I said this and started throwing herbs and spices into my cart. I now have an unused lemon that will likely rot before I decide to do anything with it, some kind of weird cheese I've never heard of, a special pasta/rice that I'm supposed to soak or something, something called 'fennel,' and a whole lot more flour than I know what to do with. Can I microwave it?
6. You should never joke about your boss while still at work, since he is likely also still at work. It happens that most of the people at my work went to a wedding on Sunday. I, never having met the happy couple, was being regaled in the happenings of the wedding, and more importantly, of the dancing that did/did not occur. One coworker of mine was impersonating our boss while dancing, when he walked right up behind her to say goodbye. I choked on my laughter, and she just choked.
   
7. I'm pretty sure I don't have a conscience, since I stole a pumpkin from my bishop's garden. It was dangling over the fence, and I made Josh climb up and pluck it off. I now have a pilfered pumpkin on my porch.
8. The power that the Eggo waffle holds over Josh is frightening. I could ask him to crush his Iphone and he would, if only for the promise of an Eggo. He loves Eggos as much as I love cereal, meaning that he would love nothing more than to jump into a pool of Eggos with his mouth wide open. In fact, I am currently listening to him talk to his Eggos, calling them 'precious' and the like. If I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure he just referred to them as 'beautiful little candy morsels.' I kid not. Crap. Now he's singing about them ("I can eat another 10 of those bad boys..." sung to the tune of Jingle Bells).
   
9. There is nothing better in life than new clothes, and especially, new pants. New pants make a person feel whole and complete. Forget soulmates, give me Sevens.
10. Fall is the best season in the entire world. California fall does not compare to Utah fall, but it's still fall.