Food Fixation Much???

Yesterday was one of those rare treats where I got to eat out twice. I guess 3 times if you count the cereal and banana I had at my desk in the morning, but I don’t really count that because even though it is technically outside of my house, my desk is my home away from home (thus why it doesn’t count). Anyway, Mark and I had a lunchtime date at Orchid Thai , which is just a hop, skip, and a jump from my building. You basically cross the street and boom, there you are. On our way, we noticed that a Mr. Pita and a Papa Romano’s (best pizza on earth!) are going in a couple store fronts down…ah, yes, I love culinary commerce!!

Our Thai food was really good. I usually order some kind of stir-fry like Pad Thai or Pad Pak…lots of veggies in a warm gooey sauce over rice. Sometimes I get the noodle bowls too, but today I was craving something different. Mark ordered his usual Pad Cashew, and I broke out and ordered an Apple Salad. It sounds simple enough, but it was oh, so tasty!! Basically the bottom layer was iceberg lettuce (yeah, sounds boring), and then probably 2 whole green granny smith apples sliced into long, skinny strips dumped over that, then some chicken, then some shrimp, then some cashews, then some toasted coconut shavings, then some green and white onion and the whole heaping mound was topped with an sweet, citrus-y vinaigrette. It was not only eye candy, but very refreshing. (Do I sound like P.F Day?) It made me feel like I was sitting on the beach in the Bahamas or something. The sensory experience was almost equal to the culinary experience. And that’s what it’s all about folks. Seriously. I felt like my purchase yesterday was completely justified given that I walked out feeling full, satisfied, relaxed, and joyful. I love that.

When we got home from work, it was just one of those days. You know when your limbs become dead weight and refuse to propel you forward and your stomach sounds and feels like it’s eating it’s own lining. So we decided to go out. We usually go out once a week, and we rotate who gets to pick the place. This was Maryn’s week. Earlier in the week she had decided we were going to Chuck E. Cheese. This normally isn’t on the list of options because it’s expensive, and it also assaults both Mark and my sensory receptors and causes my jaw to clench and teeth to grind. (There I go sounding like P.F. Day again.) So there’s that too. Anyway, she was feeling a little sorry for herself and like she needed a little compensation because Avery got invited on a play-date this week, and she didn’t. Anyway, Chuck E. Cheese seemed like a fair bargain at the time, but I really, really didn’t want to go last night. So we told her she could pick the place (hoping she wouldn’t remember Chuck E. Cheese, is that terrible?), but it couldn’t be fast-food because we did that last week. (Please don’t remember Chuck E. Cheese, please don’t remember Chuck E. Cheese…) Avery suggested Taco Time, which sounded enticing, but because it was Maryn’s turn to pick, even if it sounded good to her too, she would undoubtedly choose something different just to oppose her sister. So she chose QDoba!!!!!! And the heavens parted and I swear I heard angels singing. (QDoba is my fave, if you didn’t already know.) I kissed her and thanked her and she giggled and smiled. (And she never said a word about Chuck E. Cheese.) I got to have my naked 3-cheese queso burrito on the same day as my newly discovered refreshing Apple Salad!!

Simple pleasures, maybe. But I can’t help but be happy anyway. It was an awesome ending to an already perfect day for food!! And yes, I’m planning on running a little longer on the treadmill today…hee hee.

Blast From the Past

In case anyone is wondering what I'd like for Christmas this year...click here.

I remember laying on my bedroom floor and listening to this soundtrack on my Fisher-Price record player. I loved every song and still remember the lyrics to many of them even after all these years. My German companion on my mission taught me the lyrics to "My Turn on Earth" in German, and we'd practice it while we were tracting. "Es ist mein wig, ist mein wig, ist mein wig das Welt..."

And did you know they made a sequel for this?

This little gem definitely ties for first place in my list of favorite Mormon musicals. I absolutely love this soundtrack and remember watching the VHS on Sunday afternoons with Melanie and Erin. I hope "White Star" comes out on DVD soon.

So am I the only nerd who loves this stuff? I know that at least Erin's still with me on the Saturday's Warrior thing. What else do you remember about growing up Mormon in the Eighties???

You know you were a Mormon in the Eighties if you remember:

• Stage productions of Ricks Colleges' "Showtime"
• Living Scriptures
• Shaklee Vitamins
• Missionary Farewells
• Called to Serve and Labor of Love on VHS




• Ward Dinners on Friday nights (Pot-Luck, oh yeah!)
• Primary on Wednesday afternoons
• Borrowing tables and chairs from the Ward building for parties at home
• Having bridal and baby showers at the Ward building
• Overnight Temple Trips
• Going hog wild at the Distribution Center on trips to the Temple or SLC
• Mr. Krueger's Christmas and The Last Leaf
• Our Heavenly Father's Plan on Cassette tape
• Missionary Flip Charts
• The Mormon Rap
• I"ll Build You a Rainbow (short film and song)
• Ward Building Custodians
• Saving Church Magazines and Newspapers indefinitely
• Road Shows (and Livonia Ward winning 4 years in a row!)
• Ward Campouts using the Stake owned tents and sometimes (eww!) sleeping bags
• Treats in Primary

Musically Challenged

Quick question for all my homeys reading my blog...I've got a $15 gift card to iTunes and don't have the first clue what to spend it on. I'm somewhat musically challenged.

Can you help a girl out???

Please post ideas in my comments so I can finally get around to updating my iPod shuffle hopefully by next weekend. I'm looking for some upbeat tunes for running, relaxing tunes to enjoy while I click-clack at my desk all day, and otherwise random bits of wonderfulness.

Can't wait to see what ya got!! Thanks!!

Everything Will Be Fine

“Everything will be fine”, she said. “Everything will work out for the best.” Those are the words that always come to mind when thinking about my Mother-in-law. She is a glass half-full kind of woman. She is practical, optimistic, happy, and grateful almost all of the time. She has a heart the size of a football stadium (and not just because she loves the sport!). She is always open, ready, willing, and jumping in when the slightest hint of a need arises. She is quick to save the day, offer comforting words, and a compassionate ear when trial and worry sneak in to rock somebody’s world. She has loads of perspective, and I suppose that’s why she does and says what she does. Because she’s a “woman that knows”.

I remember her saying these words to me for the first time when I was engaged to her son, and was slaving away taking 21 credits the semester before we were to be married, the same semester where we had naively gotten engaged in October and were to be married right before Christmas, the same semester where I would be embarking on a new life, packing all of my belongings and leaving everything that was comfortable and familiar to live in another state with a boy! Her words offered me a glimmer of hope. And she was right, everything was fine.

She said those words to me after six months of marriage, while she and I were taking a walk around the Pocatello Outpatient Surgery Center waiting for Mark who was in surgery for testicular cancer. I was a messed-up ball of emotion, and panicked with fear at the road that lie ahead of us with treatments and prognosises, an uncertain future, and the threat of infertility. I know she must have been feeling all of those things too, but she never showed it. She was a rock, for me, for Mark, for everyone. And in spite of it all, she was right. Everything was fine.

She was there after we brought our premature little 5 pound chicken baby home from the hospital. We were elated and terrified at the same time, and she offered her words of wisdom to help soothe and comfort our weary minds. I had a tough time at first and couldn’t figure out the whole breastfeeding thing, and she was there for that too. Everything worked out. Everything was fine.

When we were faced with unemployment, she was there offering those same sentiments. When we became a family of four, she was there encouraging and helping out where she could. When we stumbled and fell down (a couple of times) in our marriage, she was there with those same words. (Even though I didn’t want to hear them anymore.) She still managed to be right. Everything is fine. And everything will be alright. I am more sure of it now than I have ever been. And I hope she realizes the wisdom in her own knowing words. Everything will be fine. Everything will be alright.

The Name Game

MY ALTER EGO NAMES

1. Your rock star name: Bootsie Windstar (first pet, current car)

2. Your gangsta name: Fudge Tracks Flip Flops (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe)

3. Your Native American name: Green Orangutan (favorite color, favorite animal)

4. Your soap opera name: Marie Dearborn (middle name, city where you were born)

5. Your Star Wars name: BROSU (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name)

6. Superhero name: Yellow Limeade (2nd favorite color, favorite drink)

7. NASCAR name: Max Frederick (the first names of your grandfathers)

8. TV weather anchor name: Stewart Seattle (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)

9. Spy name: Autumn Petunias (your favorite season/holiday, flower)

10. Cartoon name: Strawberry Knee-Hi’s (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now)

11. Hippie name: Raisin Bran Japanese Maple (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)

Aside from Maria Lion, I thought these were pretty amusing.

A Belated Father’s Day Wish

This is my Dad. He turned 70 this year.

I was reflecting on some of his life stories as I was preparing my Father’s Day talk for yesterday. This quote is taken from the “Combined Vision Statement” presented at the Day Family Reunion at Snow Mountain Ranch, July 2007. It describes something that I admire a lot about my Dad. He is a hard worker and is always willing to sacrifice himself, his time, talents, etc. for a worthy cause.

“As most of you know, I was raised in a large family during the 1940’s and
1950’s. My Father often worked two jobs to provide for us. Mom took in students
from BYU to help supplement what Dad brought home in his paychecks, and to make
ends meet. We lived in a big home and were a happy family. We never had to worry
about having a roof over our head, sufficient food, or clothing. We were
encouraged to get jobs to provide the extra’s that teens believe they need. We
were also encouraged to save our money to accomplish future goals like college
and missions.

I have memories of some of my early jobs, such as delivery
of the Deseret News each evening and Sunday morning for six years before I was
15. Also, during the two summers while I attended Farrer Jr. High School, I was
hired to work with the head gardener at Provo City Power plant. I helped cut the
lawns with a power mower, watered the lawns and shrubbery, and helped to trim
the decorative shrubs around the plant. I worked at Provo Bakery during my years
at Provo High School. My work involved clean-up of the Bakery work area each
evening and on Saturday morning. I washed the pots and pans the bakers used for
the various baked goods. I really didn’t care for this work because during the
winter months it interfered with my love of basketball. Also, during that time I
really enjoyed participating in the annual Timpanogos hike sponsored by the City
and BYU. While the hike was so exciting and enjoyable, I had to return to work
on Saturday afternoon, bone tired, to do my cleaning chores. When I graduated
from High School, my uncle Grant hired me to work for Strong Company, a road
construction company. I worked on the labor gang the first summer before my
freshman year, and then drove gravel truck and water tanker the remaining three
years.

Each job did provide some of the extra money I needed. Mom used
to tell me how proud she was that I was able to provide for my own needs and
then some. The money was used for school clothes, movies, gas for the car, and
often loans to balance the family budget. Later on I was able to fund the
purchase of all of the clothing I would need for my mission to England, and
support my living expenses the first year.”

Thanks for living this life lesson for me, Dad, and for your wisdom and example!

And Happy Father’s Day!!

Bits ‘n’ Pieces

Lots happening in our little corner of the universe lately. This past week was the last day of school for the girls. They are officially on summer vacation as of Tuesday afternoon. Last Friday, Maryn’s class took a field trip to the AMC Theaters to see Kung Fu Panda, and then had a pizza party back at her school for lunch. Avery had a fun, outdoor picnic with all 3 kindergarten classes on Friday morning that she enjoyed. She wore her Dad’s Superman hat (to protect her fair little ‘noggin) and felt like the coolest girl in the world.

Monday was the all-school talent show all day long. The K-2 graders performed in the morning and the 3-4 graders performed in the afternoon. Maryn mentioned wanting to be in this Talent Show several months ago, and I kinda figured it was just one of those things that she’d mention and immediately forget about. She kept at it though, and insisted that she wanted to participate. I explained to her that these kinds of talent shows are usually for people who dance, sing, or play an instrument (nice encouraging Mom I am, huh?). She decided she could tell jokes. She found a book with some dog/cat jokes and picked out about 6 of them. She tried out and made it! I took Monday morning off, and along with my parents, attended the Big Show!! I didn’t realize it was going to be in front of the whole student body, faculty, staff, and parents! I was nervous for her! My heart was pounding, hoping she wouldn’t get stage fright, or spontaneously combust (you never know). She had borrowed a poodle costume from her cousins and also had a set of cat ears. She came out and everyone laughed at her costume right off the bat. She started into her jokes and waited for the appropriate pause before her punch line, and the audience laughed! She was so cute! She didn’t flinch once and was cool as a cucumber. I never knew she had it in her. It was pretty cool to watch and learn something new about her. Avery’s class also performed…they had all dressed up in Hawaiian clothes and sang and did a little hula dance. It was very cute, but Avery was on the back row and I couldn’t see her very well.

Tuesday was also their last day for the School-Age Child-Care (SACC) program they’ve gone to before/after school all year. For SACC, they had a pizza/pool party at the neighborhood swim club. They had a great time, but both of them got totally fried with some nasty sunburns. It’s kinda irritating, because I gave their teacher 2 different kinds of sunscreen AND cover-ups AND specifically requested they use both to avoid this very thing. Oh well. The hardest part about it has been listening to them howl when we put the Aloe Vera on their backs. You’d think we were applying acid to their skin.

For summer child care we are using the Child Development Center (fancy name for daycare) in my building on M-W. On Thurs and Fri, we’re using a babysitter in our home. She’s a great girl from my parent’s ward who is home from BYU for the summer and we’re all just really excited about it. Yesterday was her first day, and it went really well. Maryn grabbed onto her and didn’t want her to go home at the end of the day. That’s always a good sign.

This weekend we are helping my parents get some IKEA shelves set up in my Dad’s office (Happy Father’s Day), and are giving talks in Sacrament meeting on Sunday. EEK! I totally get stage fright every time. Our topic is the Priesthood. I guess it’s appropriate with Dad’s Day and all.

Speaking of which, me and the girls picked out a hilarious present for Mark. He already knows what it is, but it still makes me laugh just thinking about it. It’s a leg pillow. He insists on sleeping with a pillow under and/or between his knees because he says it’s good for his back. The only thing is its kinda nasty when you think about it. Anyway, I’ve insisted that he put triple pillow cases on it and even then I flinch when I have to actually move it to make the bed. Well, Avery and I were out shopping at Bed, Bath, & Beyond when we saw it and the “antimicrobial” pillowcase that goes with it and we both knew we had to buy it for him! Hee hee. Hopefully it will do great things for his back and not hurt his ego too much in the process. He is getting some other things that he actually wants too, so hopefully he’ll have a good day!

Have a great weekend everybody!!