They Rocked

We had a great trip to Denver over the weekend and although we never got tickets to the game, we went downtown and took it all in as if we were really going. It was so fun. There was that good old fashioned happy feeling in the air. The feeling that says I am a true blue fan of my team, come rain or shine. And then it rained. And we had to rethink a few things.

Another Day of Smoke

This is what the sky looked like outside my apartment at 6:30 am. This has been the worst smoke cover yet - I woke up with a sore throat and our bedroom smelled like someone had built a campfire in our closet. This was what the sky looked like at 7:30 am on my way to work.

This is the 8 am view of the sky just across from my office.

Here's the sky at 6:30 pm, when I got home from work.

Here's a little drive-by-smoking for ya.


An eerie night just in time for Halloween!


And here's the countertop in my house at 6:45 pm. Adam made the most delicious dinner! MMMMMMMMMM.

Ruffles

Never thought I'd be putting ruffles on my wall. But then ruffles and I fell in love. Although I can't help but think of little girl ruffle bum panties every time I look at my wall. That's a little distracting. This whole framing fabric thing is still....I don't know. It feels incomplete. I like it because it's simple and cheap and interesting. But I feel like there needs to be a mirror or a picture within the frame. What do you think?

The pictures along the bottom are still a work in process. And that lovely Martha Stewart bowl (deep footed compote) I was so excited about that you see on my table - well, I went to TJ Maxx last night and found two MUCH cooler pedestal bowls and I could get them both for the price of the M. Stewart one. Sometimes I am just hypnotised by the Martha brand. She's so clean and crisp and photobrushed in every picture. We share the same name and sometimes I think I am her. But really, let's face it, a woman who crochets ponchos in prison is not to be trusted.

Hot Time in the Old Town

I faced my very own death head on last night...while pacing all eight steps back and forth between my TV and the bathroom. I was packing my bags and saying my final words to Adam. I thought we would not make it til morning. We were oblivious of any blaze in our area til about 10 pm when our neighbors (who were in Arizona) called and said there was a fire in Irvine. Hmm, come to think of it, the air WAS smoky. It was five miles away from us! I packed plenty of clean underwear and my face wash, just to be clean and zit-free to meet my Maker. There ended up being no "mandatory evacuation" for us, but Adam and I took turns checking the news throughout the night, just to be sure.

The air is still really, really, really nasty, but we are in no danger. We went to work, the power was out here and there. Adam didn't get World Series tickets cuz the ticket co. is based in Irvine (UPSTAIRS FROM ADAM'S OFFICE!! - he had some words for them and he got to say them to their faces, in a civil way of course) and their servers were down, partly due to fire/winds.

Man. These Santa Anas. They sounded so nice and breezy. They're pretty wicked.

Muslims and My Hair

In the spirit of that Sabbath, I want to share a few things I learned at a Muslim/Mormon forum that I attended last night. Oh and by the way, here's my hair. Adam and I went on a walk at the beach yesterday so there's a windblown look for you. Today I parted it on the side I never part it on. I felt awkward all day, but it had a lot of umph.

Anyway, last night a BYU professor (somebody Peterson) spoke to a packed house at our Stake Center, mostly full of Mormons, about a bunch of random stuff re: Muslims and Mormons. Many Muslim dignitaries attended, and I think the point of the whole thing was to build bridges and just enjoy inter-religious dialogue, but I did come away with some useful knowledge and some good general insight.

Three rules to keep in mind when you want to learn about another religion:

1. Talk to those who love and live their religion. We Mormons can appreciate this - don't read Under the Banner of Heaven if you want to know whether or not we practice polygamy.

2. Don't compare your best to our worst. IE: Don't compare Pres. Hinckley with Osama bin Laden.

3. Leave room for holy envy. This means - take note of something that another religion does that you admire and try to incorporate that into your life. For instance, I admired one Muslim lady's answer to a question asked about why they wear head scarves. She said Muslim women believe in being modest; they are supposed to wear the head scarf mostly during prayers, but she wears the head scarf constantly because she is in continual prayer. I really admire that about her and want to be more constantly committed to remembering God. (Plus, Mormons can relate to the modesty thing and the "holy covering" thing, but that's beside the point.)

Someone asked: Why hasn't the Muslim community spoken out loud and clear against Osama bin Laden and terrorists that claim to be true followers of their faith? A Muslim fellow answered that they have, many times, and the most coverage they got was a tiny corner article on page 17 of the Boston Globe. (He said you can read such speeches at cair.com and mpac.org.) Maybe this is an exaggeration, but I think this is an important reminder that we need to pay attention to the good that the Muslim majority do in our communities. They believe in our same God and have a sincere dedication to be "doers of the word, not hearers only." We have some great things in common and can work together to promote higher moral values in a slippery, secular world.

PS - Watching baseball STILL. Will it be SOX and ROX? Probably.

Wish this was me

I....uhhh...I cut my hair. Again. This time really short. My inspiration was the diva above, Amber. Her haircutter did a sweet job. My haircutter...was me. And I did an ok job. Last time I cut my hair this short was in a dingy Taiwanese bathroom with very bad lighting so I just worshipped the little pixie-dish hairdo I had created. I thought it was the biz. Now I live in America, and I have flourescent lighting and a hand held and side mirror. I can see everything. Still pondering on posting a photo of myself. Right now I have that just-got-home-from-work look going on -- aka haggard and splotchy. So maybe later. Maybe after some intervention. Maybe after a bout with the clippers. Maybe...

Happy Birthday, Mim!

No, not happy birthday mom, happy birthday MIM! Mim is my bff from high school and this is her little tike, Josie. How can you not feel a giggle and a hearty birthday wish a rumblin' in your guts when you see this picture? She is just too cute.

Well, Mim. You've done it. You're 25. And you've got so much to show for it. A cute baby, a husband who can grow a bear of a beard, a degree, a mission, bona fide Russian mannerisms, a few years in Aspen Village, a good drill team kick and a lot of modern dancing. You'll always be my Jan Munich....and I...your Peggy Duprey. Happy Birthday!

Marthaware

I LOVE Martha Stewart's blindingly white collection of wares at Macy's Home store. I bought the deep footed compote dish and filled it with $5 worth of plastic cherries from Target. It completes my kitchen.

Rocktober

That's what they're calling it. Rocktober. The month that the Rockies dominate. The month is also Breast Cancer Awareness-tober, National Cookie Month-tober and Save the Bunnies-tober. I'm still alive and the Rockies won all weekend. Adam might be spending his life savings on a World Series ticket. Stay tuned...

Baseball make benefit glorious nation of Khazikstan

If you're wondering what I'm up to this weekend, just come on over and check my pulse to see if I'm alive. I'll be camped out in the lobby with the Rockies and food and a pained, confused, yet sometimes thrilled look on my face. As for food: Last night it was sushi. Tonight it's flaming hot Chex mix and flaming hot tomato soup (did I use chili powder instead of paprika?). Sunday it's potluck with a bunch of friends, even though Adam renounced Sunday sports last week. General Conference brings out our best ideas for a couple days at least.

If there's one thing I've learned from watching sports, it's that sports make people crazy. Last night Diamondbacks fans threw waterbottles and other garb on the field after a controversial call (see above) and were arrested because of it. My question: Did you know you were going to get arrested? Did the police know they were going to arrest you? In the heat of a bad call, when the boo-decibal is deafening, who knows what is what? The fans: "Man, I'm really chafed at that call. Let's just throw things. Let's try to hit other people in the head. That'll really solve the issue." The police: "Uhhhh, man, those boos are getting louder and louder. Uhhhh, the Rockies coach just pulled his players off the field for fear of waterbottle imposed brain damage. Uhhhhh, guess we better do something. Hmmmmm. I do have handcuffs. I've also got the law on my side. What the heck, Arrest!"

Also what I can't handle about sports is that someone always goes home freakishly mad and sad. (See above paragraph making the point that sports make people crazy). Now, when a bad call is made and one side is mad...I just feel for them. Even if I am rooting for the winning team, I ALWAYS feel SO bad for the loser. Because I hate conflict and I hate competition and I just want everyone to be happy. This is why I've never won anything in my life. I am way too nice and just want other people to benefit from my kindness. "Here, you catch the ball. I'll run really slow, and if I get out....you'll be happy!" Okay, I'm not that much of a pansy. I can play mean if I really want, and I can get competitive if I really care.

Also, why do sports events have to be so long? Don't they know I have restless leg syndrome? Alright, I'm out. Rockies are on.

Craftastic

These are a few things I'm proud of. Both of these ideas came from Real Simple, not sure where the web page is now -- it was one that had new ideas for old frames. I got this frame and the wood chunk from Salvation Army. The knobs I got from Anthropologie on sale. I mod podged a scrapbook page for the apron hanger and just used leftover paint for the frame. I'm planning on doing more with Anthropologie hooks -- that's all I look at when I go there now -- and am waiting for more to go on sale. But a good hook sale is a rare treat...now, a good hooker sale they might have.

Home Decor

Ariana and I went home decor shopping last night while the boys were at Priesthood Session and this is what I bought at IKEA. I've decided to come to terms with the fact that I can't paint and should probably distance myself from DIY home decor for the most part. Except...well, I've had a few successful projects...I'll post them next.

Spiritual Marathon

I always feel a little exhausted after the spiritual marathon that is General Conference. But it's always a good tired. And my favorite talk was from Joseph B. Wirthlin on Saturday afternoon (that was the best session, too). Elder Wirthlin's talk was on charity and the best part was when he started shaking (I suppose it was Parkinson's flaring up) and Elder Nelson stood up and held his arm and back and steadied him for the rest of his talk. Elder Wirthlin plowed through his talk and was not about to give up, and I loved that Elder Nelson was exemplifying this Christ-like love that Elder Wirthlin was talking about. Very moving.

It's always fun to make Conference a little house party, too. Saturday morning we had the Elders over for a pancake breakfast and Sunday afternoon we had a pita sandwich party between sessions with our friends the Heinrichs and Neves.

I Like

I like Pushing Daisies. It's not laugh-out-loud funny, it's not overly dramatic, and it's pretty to look at.