You know what a wild goose chase is, right?
I've coined a new term: a WILD GOOGLE CHASE!
You know, sometimes you go to Google to look up something completely innocuous, like maybe an address. Then, your attention is caught by something on the page, and after about an hour, you find yourself online shopping for Argentinian antiques!
That is one definition of a wild Google chase. Another one was given to me by Blake when I was explaining this to him last night.
He says he is often led on a wild Google chase by the Google suggestion box! You know when you start to type something in, and Google auto-completes it in a variety of ways, trying to guess what you're going to say before you have even formed the thought yourself? He says that he is always led on the chase by the completely random things that Google suggests. I admit, I have had that happen. When you type in "The power of . . . " and it auto-completes with "the power of half, the power of icu, the power of possesiveness (?)" and, of course, we cannot forget about Celine Dion, "the power of love lyrics." Of course I want to go learn about the power of half! Sometimes these things are just intriguing. And sometimes, we just really don't have a life.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Utah!
First: When you get up early in the morning to go running, brush your teeth before you leave.
I decided to start running today. And I woke up at 5:15 in order to be able to get ready for work on time. I literally stumbled out of bed and into my running shoes and out the door. I wasn't thinking clearly at all! And I discovered, I really should have just brushed my teeth. I think it would have helped me breathe. Probably.
On to other things. The Utah road trip! Sharla and I traveled up to Utah for our great friend Bethany's wedding. It was hectic and a lot of driving, but the scenery was so beautiful (and our music so jamming) that the drives just flew by! We stayed Friday night in Castle Dale with my grandparents. When we woke up, Grandma Jeffs fed us just so much breakfast! We looked around Castle Dale and then went up to Salt Lake City. We looked around Temple Square. It is so great! All the sister missionaries! I got so excited thinking that I am going to be just like them! Except in Holland! HOORAY!
From SLC, we went to Lehi to the wedding of Bethany Gentry and Cameron Jacobs. It was lovely. We may or may not have gotten lost and been a little late, but that's ok, because the wedding was on Utah time (or something, I think they were just running behind) and started after we arrived. Bethany looked so lovely. Her mother made her dress! You could not even tell, it looked so professional! Her and Cameron were just giddy and happy. It was a beautiful wedding with a super great grape salad. You know me, all about the wedding food.
After the wedding, we started on our way to Midway to stay with my Aunt Kaylma. I was looking at our atlas and saw that we had to pass through Provo. I said, "Sharla, do you want to stop in Provo and visit Kelly B. and Stephie?" Our friends from Thatcher had moved last week to attend BYU. We called them and they were home! It was probably one of the greatest times I've had. We all had a joyous reunion, and talked and talked and talked, and caught up on Thatcher gossip (juicy campus dot com!) We made a trip to P.F. Chang's (first time ever!) where we dined on deliciousness, left our waiter a tip of coins spelling "We heart Joe" (don't worry, we left him a real tip on our cards) and took pictures of some college students with a Justin Beiber cardboard cutout. What a successful night!
It was so good to see these girls. Sharla and I discussed it as we were driving home on Sunday. We've just made such good friends in Thatcher! Everyone is scattering now, to literally all parts of the globe. It was just so good to be able to see friends, even so far away from home and Thatch town. I guess that's one advantage of everyone scattering: Wherever you go, you know you'll have a friend to see. Makes the world a little smaller. It was a brilliant time.
After that, we left Provo and set out for Aunt Kaylma's. We arrived, and Vanessa and Jake and little Polo had come to spend the night and visit! It was so happy to see them! Aunt Kaylma showed us around the house and took us up to our room. Ethnee was out with a friend, but she brought popcorn when she came home, and me and Sharla and Ness and Ethnee stayed up talking and laughing til one in the morning!
It was really fun. It felt just like old times! Vanessa was acting just like a teenager instead of a married lady with a darling little kid. We all laughed and had a great time.
In the morning, Aunt Kaylma made biscuits and gravy! It was so delicious! We all ate together, and then we sang some songs (Gillespie side of the family, had to be done!) We sang God Be With You Til We Meet Again, and of course we all cried.
Isn't family great? Sharla and I were so grateful for the kindness of my family for taking us in and giving us a place to sleep. That's really all we needed. But they gave us so much more: a home cooked meal, love, support, a lunch for the drive, happiness!
We got on the road and drove all day to get home. It was a great time for me and Sharla. We talked about everything, we jammed to awesome music.
This was our road trip of 2010. I fully label this one a success.
I decided to start running today. And I woke up at 5:15 in order to be able to get ready for work on time. I literally stumbled out of bed and into my running shoes and out the door. I wasn't thinking clearly at all! And I discovered, I really should have just brushed my teeth. I think it would have helped me breathe. Probably.
On to other things. The Utah road trip! Sharla and I traveled up to Utah for our great friend Bethany's wedding. It was hectic and a lot of driving, but the scenery was so beautiful (and our music so jamming) that the drives just flew by! We stayed Friday night in Castle Dale with my grandparents. When we woke up, Grandma Jeffs fed us just so much breakfast! We looked around Castle Dale and then went up to Salt Lake City. We looked around Temple Square. It is so great! All the sister missionaries! I got so excited thinking that I am going to be just like them! Except in Holland! HOORAY!
From SLC, we went to Lehi to the wedding of Bethany Gentry and Cameron Jacobs. It was lovely. We may or may not have gotten lost and been a little late, but that's ok, because the wedding was on Utah time (or something, I think they were just running behind) and started after we arrived. Bethany looked so lovely. Her mother made her dress! You could not even tell, it looked so professional! Her and Cameron were just giddy and happy. It was a beautiful wedding with a super great grape salad. You know me, all about the wedding food.
After the wedding, we started on our way to Midway to stay with my Aunt Kaylma. I was looking at our atlas and saw that we had to pass through Provo. I said, "Sharla, do you want to stop in Provo and visit Kelly B. and Stephie?" Our friends from Thatcher had moved last week to attend BYU. We called them and they were home! It was probably one of the greatest times I've had. We all had a joyous reunion, and talked and talked and talked, and caught up on Thatcher gossip (juicy campus dot com!) We made a trip to P.F. Chang's (first time ever!) where we dined on deliciousness, left our waiter a tip of coins spelling "We heart Joe" (don't worry, we left him a real tip on our cards) and took pictures of some college students with a Justin Beiber cardboard cutout. What a successful night!
It was so good to see these girls. Sharla and I discussed it as we were driving home on Sunday. We've just made such good friends in Thatcher! Everyone is scattering now, to literally all parts of the globe. It was just so good to be able to see friends, even so far away from home and Thatch town. I guess that's one advantage of everyone scattering: Wherever you go, you know you'll have a friend to see. Makes the world a little smaller. It was a brilliant time.
After that, we left Provo and set out for Aunt Kaylma's. We arrived, and Vanessa and Jake and little Polo had come to spend the night and visit! It was so happy to see them! Aunt Kaylma showed us around the house and took us up to our room. Ethnee was out with a friend, but she brought popcorn when she came home, and me and Sharla and Ness and Ethnee stayed up talking and laughing til one in the morning!
It was really fun. It felt just like old times! Vanessa was acting just like a teenager instead of a married lady with a darling little kid. We all laughed and had a great time.
In the morning, Aunt Kaylma made biscuits and gravy! It was so delicious! We all ate together, and then we sang some songs (Gillespie side of the family, had to be done!) We sang God Be With You Til We Meet Again, and of course we all cried.
Isn't family great? Sharla and I were so grateful for the kindness of my family for taking us in and giving us a place to sleep. That's really all we needed. But they gave us so much more: a home cooked meal, love, support, a lunch for the drive, happiness!
We got on the road and drove all day to get home. It was a great time for me and Sharla. We talked about everything, we jammed to awesome music.
This was our road trip of 2010. I fully label this one a success.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Hearing Aids
Apparently, if you get Oticon hearing aids, you will be instantly able to Roller Blade.
This is a picture that was on a hearing aid order we received in the office last week. I ask you, does this picture remind you, in any way, of hearing aids?
The answer is no.
Monday, August 9, 2010
What the Heck?
Everyday, I go into the bathroom at work, and there are dead roly poly bugs. Every time! I don't know where they're coming from!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Hair
So, I may or may not fix my hair. And when I say that, I mean, most mornings, I get up from bed and fluff my hair a bit, and then I am off to my day.
I like to think that it passes as "casually messy." You know, you read all those celeb magazines that detail A BILLION WAYS TO DO YOUR HAIR LIKE THE STARS!! A good 67% of those stars have the casually messy look going.
However, today, I passed a particularly unforgiving mirror in a particularly unflattering fluorescent light. That's the point when I realized: my hair is not movie star status "casually messy." It is, in fact, just plain dirty and disheveled.
Ah well. Maybe I'll buy a celeb mag to demonstrate a happening hairstyle for me.
I like to think that it passes as "casually messy." You know, you read all those celeb magazines that detail A BILLION WAYS TO DO YOUR HAIR LIKE THE STARS!! A good 67% of those stars have the casually messy look going.
However, today, I passed a particularly unforgiving mirror in a particularly unflattering fluorescent light. That's the point when I realized: my hair is not movie star status "casually messy." It is, in fact, just plain dirty and disheveled.
Ah well. Maybe I'll buy a celeb mag to demonstrate a happening hairstyle for me.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Oh Gracious
How long past the due date can you trust yogurt?
Also. I just wrote on my khaki pants with my black pen. Did not mean to, it just happened. Curse the clumsiness that made me keep the cap off!
Once upon a time, my friend Kelly B Marie Shalana Malana Jaranna Anna Banana Falana Badger (Ok, her name is really just Kelly Badger, and I call her Kelly B. But if you can fit eight nonsense names in, why not?) Anyway, once upon a time, my friend Kelly B was great. And that time continues even today! I was thinking about Kelly last night, because I was looking on Facebook at some pictures she'd tagged me in! There was a great one of me and her and Lora and Marisa and T Stevens and Nicholas Barney going bowling. That was an excellent time.
Anyway, I am glad for EAC giving me the chance to make such great friends as these people. Probably they'll all be married when I come home from The Netherlands. I will not be mad. Hopefully, they might even have small and cute little babies for me to play with! And then hand off to their parents when they start to cry.
Great plan! Ready, break!
Also. I just wrote on my khaki pants with my black pen. Did not mean to, it just happened. Curse the clumsiness that made me keep the cap off!
Once upon a time, my friend Kelly B Marie Shalana Malana Jaranna Anna Banana Falana Badger (Ok, her name is really just Kelly Badger, and I call her Kelly B. But if you can fit eight nonsense names in, why not?) Anyway, once upon a time, my friend Kelly B was great. And that time continues even today! I was thinking about Kelly last night, because I was looking on Facebook at some pictures she'd tagged me in! There was a great one of me and her and Lora and Marisa and T Stevens and Nicholas Barney going bowling. That was an excellent time.
Anyway, I am glad for EAC giving me the chance to make such great friends as these people. Probably they'll all be married when I come home from The Netherlands. I will not be mad. Hopefully, they might even have small and cute little babies for me to play with! And then hand off to their parents when they start to cry.
Great plan! Ready, break!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Summer Reading
Per the request of my great cousin Kayrena, I would like to share some of my reading from this summer. I promise this list will be varied and will probably make you scratch your head as to how all these books possibly got together into the same thing. Yep.
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. Such a great book. I read it every summer, it just feels like summer to me.
- The Fablehaven series, by Brandon Mull. I don't really enjoy these books. Why, you will ask, are they on this list then? Well, remember when I hung out with my friend Jeremiah last week? He was raving about these books, and said I HAD to read them. He said they were as good as Harry Potter. THE BIG REVEAL: They're not. So don't get your hopes up, like I got mine! Also, nobody tell Jerem I said that. Ha! However, I am currently reading the second book in this series, and it being summer and they being books, they must be put on this list. Try them, but don't expect HP caliber writing.
- Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. This book is the basis for the Broadway musical of the same name, and it tells the comprehensive story of the Wicked Witch of the West, before, during, and after Dorothy came to Oz. The book is intriguing, but don't expect it to be full of lighthearted music, dancing, and fun, like the play is. It goes into way more depth about every aspect surrounding the Witch. Very interesting.
- The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare. This may or may not be in the children's section of the library. . . . but it is great.
- 24 Girls in 7 Days, by Alex Bradley. See, this title sounds a little iffy, right? Don't even worry, it is a hilarious book about a boy who is choosing a date for his senior prom. The first time I read it, I literally laughed out loud. I was reading in the bath, and my mom knocked on the door and asked if I was on the phone, because I was laughing constantly. Ha! Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face. Hilarious.
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, by Ann Brashares. You may or may not think that I am a pre-teen girl for recommending this. However, onward and upward. I just finished the series, and it made me cry. Good enough for me.
- The Women of Genesis, by Orson Scott Card. Alright, who knew that this guy is LDS? I just thought, you know, science fiction writer, cool, whatever. But I was reading his afterword, and he is def Mormon! This is a series, and I have read the book Rachel and Leah from it. There are two more, Sarah, and Rebekah. I am definitely going to read the other two. They are dramatized versions of the Biblical stories of these women, and very interesting reading.
- A Long Fatal Love Chase, by Louisa May Alcott. My friends Lora and Kelly B. recommended this book to me. At first, I was a little sketched out, thinking, Alcott? The same that wrote Little Women? Which, while being a good story, is incredibly sappy. And also, I hate Amy in that book and movie. The little wench baby, thinking she is the queen and getting everything!! Daht! Ok. Calming down. Anyway, I checked out A Long Fatal Love Chase from the library, and I was literally hooked. It is brill! Suspenseful and tense, so interesting! Very great.
- Digital Fortress, by Dan Brown. Yes, the same Dan Brown that wrote the Da Vinci Code. Which I also love, but not as much as Angels and Demons, WHICH I found at a thrift store for $1.67! That price includes the tax. However, I do believe that Digital Fortress may be my favorite Dan Brown work. I also may or may not be a nerd who loves numbers and codes and just wishes I could be as smart as the people in this book. Ah well.
- The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. It had to be said. I love this entire series. I read all seven books ever summer. Let's rank in order of favor, shall we? This may be hard. But. I will try my best.
1. The Last Battle. Have you read this? If so, did you get all the incredible symbology? Gospel stuff, just literally peppered with gospel analogies!
2. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Great adventure.
3. Prince Caspian. Again, adventure to the max.
4. The Magician's Nephew.
5. The Horse and His Boy.
6. The Silver Chair
7. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Ok, this list also gets mixed up a lot, due to the fact that all of these books are a 10 on the one to ten scale. They are all great!
- Standing In the Rainbow, by Fannie Flagg. This book is so hopeful. That's really the greatest way to describe it. It always makes me happy. Also, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by the same author is outstanding as well.
- The HARRY POTTER series, by J.K. Rowling! It has to be said. HP FOREVER!!
I think that will end the book list for today.
Just realized, this post may or may not be my first attempt at book criticizing! I am well on my way to fulfilling lifelong dreams!
Before the end, we will do one song recommendation: Stephen, by Ke$ha. Ke$ha, what a girl. As my friend Jeremy once said, when asked to rate Ke$ha on the one to ten scale, "On Auto-Tune, she's a 10. Live, a 3.3."
Thank you, and goodnight.
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. Such a great book. I read it every summer, it just feels like summer to me.
- The Fablehaven series, by Brandon Mull. I don't really enjoy these books. Why, you will ask, are they on this list then? Well, remember when I hung out with my friend Jeremiah last week? He was raving about these books, and said I HAD to read them. He said they were as good as Harry Potter. THE BIG REVEAL: They're not. So don't get your hopes up, like I got mine! Also, nobody tell Jerem I said that. Ha! However, I am currently reading the second book in this series, and it being summer and they being books, they must be put on this list. Try them, but don't expect HP caliber writing.
- Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. This book is the basis for the Broadway musical of the same name, and it tells the comprehensive story of the Wicked Witch of the West, before, during, and after Dorothy came to Oz. The book is intriguing, but don't expect it to be full of lighthearted music, dancing, and fun, like the play is. It goes into way more depth about every aspect surrounding the Witch. Very interesting.
- The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare. This may or may not be in the children's section of the library. . . . but it is great.
- 24 Girls in 7 Days, by Alex Bradley. See, this title sounds a little iffy, right? Don't even worry, it is a hilarious book about a boy who is choosing a date for his senior prom. The first time I read it, I literally laughed out loud. I was reading in the bath, and my mom knocked on the door and asked if I was on the phone, because I was laughing constantly. Ha! Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face. Hilarious.
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, by Ann Brashares. You may or may not think that I am a pre-teen girl for recommending this. However, onward and upward. I just finished the series, and it made me cry. Good enough for me.
- The Women of Genesis, by Orson Scott Card. Alright, who knew that this guy is LDS? I just thought, you know, science fiction writer, cool, whatever. But I was reading his afterword, and he is def Mormon! This is a series, and I have read the book Rachel and Leah from it. There are two more, Sarah, and Rebekah. I am definitely going to read the other two. They are dramatized versions of the Biblical stories of these women, and very interesting reading.
- A Long Fatal Love Chase, by Louisa May Alcott. My friends Lora and Kelly B. recommended this book to me. At first, I was a little sketched out, thinking, Alcott? The same that wrote Little Women? Which, while being a good story, is incredibly sappy. And also, I hate Amy in that book and movie. The little wench baby, thinking she is the queen and getting everything!! Daht! Ok. Calming down. Anyway, I checked out A Long Fatal Love Chase from the library, and I was literally hooked. It is brill! Suspenseful and tense, so interesting! Very great.
- Digital Fortress, by Dan Brown. Yes, the same Dan Brown that wrote the Da Vinci Code. Which I also love, but not as much as Angels and Demons, WHICH I found at a thrift store for $1.67! That price includes the tax. However, I do believe that Digital Fortress may be my favorite Dan Brown work. I also may or may not be a nerd who loves numbers and codes and just wishes I could be as smart as the people in this book. Ah well.
- The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. It had to be said. I love this entire series. I read all seven books ever summer. Let's rank in order of favor, shall we? This may be hard. But. I will try my best.
1. The Last Battle. Have you read this? If so, did you get all the incredible symbology? Gospel stuff, just literally peppered with gospel analogies!
2. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Great adventure.
3. Prince Caspian. Again, adventure to the max.
4. The Magician's Nephew.
5. The Horse and His Boy.
6. The Silver Chair
7. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Ok, this list also gets mixed up a lot, due to the fact that all of these books are a 10 on the one to ten scale. They are all great!
- Standing In the Rainbow, by Fannie Flagg. This book is so hopeful. That's really the greatest way to describe it. It always makes me happy. Also, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by the same author is outstanding as well.
- The HARRY POTTER series, by J.K. Rowling! It has to be said. HP FOREVER!!
I think that will end the book list for today.
Just realized, this post may or may not be my first attempt at book criticizing! I am well on my way to fulfilling lifelong dreams!
Before the end, we will do one song recommendation: Stephen, by Ke$ha. Ke$ha, what a girl. As my friend Jeremy once said, when asked to rate Ke$ha on the one to ten scale, "On Auto-Tune, she's a 10. Live, a 3.3."
Thank you, and goodnight.
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