Pages From Our Book

Basking

2012-02-07T17:52:00.001-07:00

Belle takes her toys very seriously. They are her babies.

She absolutely loves to sit outside in the sunshine and enjoy its warmth. Since we are fully taking advantage of the fact that there is still no hint of snow in sight at our house, she gets to spend time outside when Brett is home between classes. Today, she snuck her baby out with her so that it could enjoy the sun, too.

Success!

2012-02-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

With the first week of my Etsy shop under my belt, I have officially made my first sale! So what if it was my aunt Michelle.

It's still pretty exciting. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come!! Have you gone over to take a look yet?

The big reveal

2012-01-29T17:33:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I have been working on a few projects. Remember that?

Today, I am finally ready to share one of those projects with you, and I really hope that you'll like what you see. It has taken a lot of time, but it is finally ready to be revealed, and I couldn't be more excited.

For the past few years I have been making jewelry for myself, mostly because I can never seem to find anything that I absolutely love in a store. The more necklaces that I made for myself, the more frequently I noticed people complimenting the pieces that I had made. Then eventually it got to the point that people were asking me to make custom pieces for them, or telling me that I should be selling my jewelry and making money off of my craft. After a lot of thought and preparation, I decided to open my own Etsy shop.

Today I listed the first round of items for sale, and The Pink Pendant officially went live.

If you have a minute, stop by and check it out. Right now I have necklaces, earrings and wine glass charms for sale, and everything is handmade by me. I'd love to hear feedback from you on anything that I can do to improve the shop or the products and I also offer custom items if requested. If you see something you like while you are there, and decide that you'd like to buy it, I am offering a discount to my blog readers, so make sure to use coupon code 'PFOBfan' at checkout to receive 15% off of your purchase.

{Click image to visit The Pink Pendant on Etsy}

If only she could talk

2012-01-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a rough one for our puppy.

We took her to the vet on Saturday for a check up, and to inquire about having her teeth cleaned. We knew that there would probably be a few other minor things that we would also need to consider, and so we had set aside some money so that we would be prepared to take care of our girl. When we got to the vet, some of our suspicions were confirmed and a few others were brought to our attention.

In the last year or so, we have noticed a skin tag sprouting from her side and a small lump growing on her back. We have been a bit concerned about them, so that was one of the things that we brought up and asked about the possibility of having them both removed. The Vet agreed with us that it would be easier to do everything all at one time, while she was under anesthesia for the teeth cleaning, than having her go through two separate procedures with anesthesia both times. The other things that the Vet addressed, that would also need to be taken care of while she was under were a broken tooth that would need extracting, and some overgrowth of her gums that would need to be lasered off. Apparently this is common in Boxers.

Yesterday was the day she went in to have all of these things taken care of. Brett did the dirty work and dropped her off in the morning while I was at work. I knew that I would have fallen apart if I had been there, because of the fact that I am an emotional basket case who always sees the worst in any situation. He is my hero. He even took her to Petsmart and bought her a new toy to take with her to keep her company while she was there. I still ended up crying like a baby from work when he sent me a picture of her in the car on the way there. Just the thought of her being scared to be there alone with strangers made me sad.

I left work early so that we'd both be able to go pick her up together after she was done. When I walked in the door, and she wasn't there to greet me, I nearly lost my shit all over again. That is one of the highlights of my day. I can't imagine how sad life must be for people without dogs.

We finally got the call that we could come pick her up, but the girl told us that the Vet wanted to discuss her blood work before we could take her home. It turned out to be fine, just a small matter of needing to lower the amount of protein in her diet, but I was worried the whole way there to face the impending doom of being told that there was something seriously wrong with her. (remember, I always expect the worst from situations) When they finally brought her out to us, she seemed a lot happier than I would have expected her to be, and her nubbin (that's what we call her tail, or lack thereof) even wiggled a bit. The spot where they removed the lump from her back had been dramatically shaven to give them room to work, and now looks like this:

When we finally got her home, she was still a little loopy from all of the drugs and in pain. My heart was broken. She couldn't fall asleep, so she just laid on the couch whining. We did our best to comfort her, but nothing seemed to help.

This morning Brett says that she seems much happier which, in turn, makes me much happier. Hopefully this will be the last of her surgical adventures, but at least now she will have a cool scar to show off.

Lethargy leads to thinking.

2012-01-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

So far, all the new year has brought to me is illness. I have been sick for the last two days, which means that I have done nothing but lay on the couch and sleep.

It has given me a lot of time to think though. I've been thinking about the changes that I'd like to make this year to better myself, better the situation we are living in, and better my relationships with the people who mean the most to me.

To better myself I plan on writing, at least a little bit, every day. Whether it's my blog or working on my book, I want to write. I need to write. Writing is my sanity. It's the one creative outlet that I have, and it helps me to keep myself balanced. I enjoy it, and that is why it's important to me. Along with writing, I need to become a healthier version of myself. I need to get back into a routine, start eating healthier and workout regularly.

To better our situation, I need to work on doing something to make a little extra money. I have a few ideas that I am working on, some by myself and some with partners, that I hope to be able to tell you all about soon. For now though, I don't want to jinx anything. They are big ideas though, and I cannot wait to see where they will take me.

To better my relationships with those that I care for, I need to start by making a stronger effort to communicate more often. This year for Christmas, I didn't pick up my phone to make a single phone call, all I did was sent out a mass text. A text message. So pathetic. The other thing that has really been lacking is birthday's of those that I love. I used to be very good at remembering birthday's and I have seriously fallen off the bandwagon with that one. I never send birthday cards, and half the time I don't even remember to call. I need to make a better effort with birthdays.

Don't mistake these changes for new year's resolutions. They are not. They are life resolutions. Things that I want to change about my life and keep up with them indefinitely.

Torn

2012-01-04T07:43:00.002-07:00

You all know that I hate the snow.

I'm a little torn lately, though.

Usually by now we have had snow for at least a month and a half, and lots of it. I'm usually bitching about the shitty commute by now, because as soon as it starts snowing, people drive like total assholes. This year though, there is nothing. No snow anywhere in sight, other than the very peak of the surrounding mountains, and it is January 4th. I wake up every morning a bit relieved, but to be honest, now it is starting to worry me.

I don't like the snow at all, but in January I would rather be a month and a half into the snow season, knowing that there are only a few more months to go before spring. The fact that we have no snow yet means that when it finally does start to fall, it most likely won't stop until June. Last year we had snow clear into April, and it started when it was supposed to. It's not unusual for the snow to linger into late April, or early May, but that is usually where it stops. This year, I'm not convinced that will be the case.

A look back at 2011

2011-12-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Sitting down to reflect on the year that we had in 2011, I was convinced that it would be tough to find much content. I couldn't really come up with a whole lot off the top of my head, and to be honest, it feels like the year was a cyclone of drama and frustration.

Then I started combing through my archives from the past year.

To my surprise, we had a pretty good year. There was still a fair amount of bullshit and drama, but there were also a lot of really fun memories made. I enjoyed reading the posts again and being able to relive some of the better moments of 2011.

I am really glad to have come across so many good things about the past year, because I was convinced that this one needed to be erased from my memory. Isn't it funny how much the negative weighs in your mind over the good? Even when, as you can see below, the good was pretty damn great.

All in all, I have to say that I have changed my mind since I began writing this post. I am not going to remember 2011 as a horrible year that sucked the soul out of my being. Instead, I will remember it as a great year of firsts, discoveries and fun.

I'm going to try and forget about the bad stuff. It's not worth the pain it causes to remember.

Favorite movie:
Usually we end up with different movies to list as our favorite for the year, however, this year Brett and I both agree that the best movie we saw last year was In Time, I wrote about it here.

Favorite song:
Sail, by AWOLNATION (Brett)
Pumped up kicks, by Foster the People (Kaylyn)

Favorite album:
Lil'Wayne - The Carter IV (Brett)
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto (Kaylyn)

Highlights:

We traded my Jetta for a Jeep (here)

We spent a week in Moab with Chaz and Shay for Jeep Safari (here, here, here, here, here, and here.... what? I really enjoyed myself, and there was a lot to write about.)
Brett got me a Kindle as a compromise to a much more insane request that I had made (here and here)
Shay and I threw a murder mystery dinner for our Halloween party this year (here)
The second annual Mardi Gras Bash at Chaz and Shay's (here)
We went to the U2 Concert, again with Chaz and Shay (here and here)
A week of doing nothing in the mountains (here)
Witches Night Out at Gardner Village with the ladies (here)

Things that we found on the Internet and fell in love with:

Tough stuff:

Cheers to an amazing 2012!!

Dark passenger revealed

2011-12-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

If you watch Dexter, and you have not seen this seasons finale, don't read this post. I purposely waited a little while though, so that I wouldn't spoil the ending for anyone who does watch.

Last week we watched the season six finale of Dexter with the Schlange's. Okay, so we didn't watch it with them, but we did watch it at our house at the same time that they were watching it at their house and we spent the whole episode texting back and forth. That's how we do dates these days. What? Commuting is expensive.

The episode moved at the pace that most others usually do, and things were pretty intense the whole time. It's always a nail biter. The texts that we were sending back and forth were mostly a string of predictions and an occasional "oh FUCK!" when something really good would happen.

The whole thing went by way too fast though, and when we realized that there was only a minute and thirty seconds left of the episode, I found myself a little baffled about how they planned on wrapping it up. He still hadn't killed the bad guy, and I was getting a little worried that it might not happen. As he usually does, he was taking time to explain to his victim the reasons that they were lying on his kill table before plunging a knife into their chest. This is always my favorite part. Then, as he was rambling on about how insane Travis was for thinking that the murders he had committed were all part of God's plan, Deb walked into the church where Dexter had set up his kill room.

At this point, I almost had a heart attack. Then, right as Dexter lifted his knife Deb walked in the room and watched him stab the doom's day killer through the chest.

I could not believe it.

With the show having two more seasons left, I am totally baffled. I thought that they would have waited until the last season to reveal who Dexter really is to the people around him. What are they going to do now??? I am seriously dying to see what happens in the next season, and now I have to wait in suspense until next September.

This is going to be a long damn year.

Thank you secret Santa

2011-12-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

The secret Santa gift exchange this year was once again a success! I had so much fun deciding what to send to my recipient, and I hope that she enjoys it! She had my name last year, and I absolutely loved the gift that she sent me so I was really looking forward to sending something fun to her and repaying the favor.

My secret Santa this year really paid attention! I was so stoked to open my package when it arrived to find this:

A bottle of Sparkling Moscato, a pink and black wine case and a pink and black corkscrew. Seriously awesome. Thanks to Sun Child for the great gift! I have already polished off the bottle, and it was delish! The case will come in handy quite frequently, and I appreciate that you took the time to make sure that you would send something that I'd really like!!

Thank you Pserendipity for arranging the exchange again this year, it is so much fun and I am definitely looking forward to next years exchange.

What a waste of a day

2011-12-19T07:07:00.001-07:00

I spent my day Saturday doing some Christmas shopping. It was a nightmare. Will you please remind me next year to get my Christmas shopping done by June? Please?

The traffic was ridiculous, and parking at any store I went to was nearly impossible. I didn't know that many people even existed in the state of Utah, let alone that it was possible for all of them to occupy one Wal-mart. That was where I drew the line. I walked into Wal-mart and made it about forty feet into the store before I turned around and walked back out. It was a cluster-fuck, and I wanted nothing to do with it. I refused to fight the crowd just to wait in line for an hour to purchase my three items. I'd rather pay a bit more and go to another grocery store.

I think all in all I went to about six stores, yet it took ALL day. I finally got home after being gone for nearly seven hours, and only wanted one thing to ease the pain of it all....vodka.

I don't plan on leaving my house again until Christmas is over.

Hopefully my boss won't mind.....

Baby, it's cold outside

2011-12-12T07:49:00.001-07:00

Even though it hasn't started snowing here yet, it is getting damn cold. I don't do well with the cold at all, in fact, that's the sole reason that I loath the snow. I think that snow is beautiful. I just don't enjoy how cold it is. I am definitely going to have to expand my collection of work appropriate sweaters.

I first heard about Polyvore on Dooce. It's a fun site where you can create collages of things that are on your wish list. You just search through the categories and find what you like. You can build an outfit, complete with accessories, or just compile a few of the same item like I did. They have all kinds of fun stuff to choose from.

We were at Old Navy a few weeks ago and they had a huge selection of cute cardigans. I found some of the ones that I liked on Polyvore, and decided to try it out.

Here's my first attempt at making one:

Secret Santa 2011

2011-12-09T07:28:00.001-07:00

It's time for this year's Blogland Secret Santa! Pseredipity has been hosting a Secret Santa gift exchange through her blog for the past three years, and this will be my second year participating. Last year was a blast, so this year I am really looking forward to doing it again. I know who I'm going to be shopping for, and I can't wait to see what she thinks of the gift I choose for her.

I know that it is really helpful for the person you are shopping for to post a few hints, since most of the participants don't know each other, so I figured I'd share some things about myself to make things a bit easier on my Secret Santa.

1. If you haven't already figured it out, I love books. I love to read and someday I hope to write a few of my own. Browsing through bookstores is a favorite past time of mine. I have a small collection of books that are signed by the author and hope to continue expanding that collection. I also have a kindle that I take with me wherever I go.

2. Pink, black and grey are my favorite colors.

3. I love things that keep me warm. Hoodies, socks, scarfs, blankets, hot chocolate, etc. - I am not a fan of being cold, so anything that will keep me warm is always a bonus. The only thing you shouldn't consider in this category is a Snuggie. It would be a waste of your money.

4. I drink a lot of wine. I drink a lot of anything, really, but wine is a favorite of mine lately. My favorites are Riesling and Moscato. I used to have one wine glass that I would use all the time, but sadly it broke a few weeks ago. I also collect shot glasses.

5. I love movies. It doesn't matter what genre.

6. I have a serious sweet tooth.

7. I like jewelry. I wear a necklace and earrings every day. The only type of jewelry I don't wear are rings. My wedding ring is the only one that adorns my hand.

Dear Secret Santa,
Hopefully this list will help you out with some ideas. Please don't feel obligated to choose something that is related to this list though. I'm sure that whatever you come up with will be wonderful! I look forward to seeing what you pick, and finding out who the hell you are.

Do you dare to take a RISK?

2011-12-08T12:29:00.001-07:00

As of last night, when he finally fell asleep around eleven thirty, my poor husband had been awake for close to sixty five hours straight. He woke early Monday morning, and between work and class, he didn't have much free time to work on a big project he had due for his finals. This meant that he really only had the option of working through the night to ensure that it was completed on time.

As I slept, he worked.

I felt so bad each morning when I would awake, and walk down the hall into the office to see him sitting there in front of his computer, still. Lack of sleep has never really taken too much of a toll on him because he has always been somewhat of an insomniac, but I still felt horrible knowing that I was completely rested, and he had been staring at a computer screen all night long while consuming mass quantities of energy drinks. Knowing that he wouldn't even get to take a morning nap, because he had to go to work for the morning and then to class after.

The project was turned in on time, and the teacher proclaimed that it was success. Everyone who has seen it has been impressed with the detail and effort that he put into it. He is definitely an overachiever.

I feel so lucky to have such a dedicated man that I can call my own. He inspires me everyday to become a better person.

For your viewing pleasure, Brett's final project for his AE animation class:

RiskCommercialProject from Brett Scothern on Vimeo.

The contents of my weekend

2011-12-05T17:40:00.001-07:00

It was a busy one, that's for sure.

I spent Friday night with Brett trying to help me figure out how to melt chocolate. I know that sounds fucking retarded, but if there is one thing I can say about myself, it is that I don't really know my way around a kitchen. He is a much better chef than I am, so I would not have been able to do this project without him. He was able to figure out what we were doing wrong, and set us back on the right path.

I was making four dozen Oreo truffles for a cookie exchange the next morning, and when the chocolate wouldn't melt right I almost had a mental breakdown. They had to be done that night, because if not I would have nothing to take with me to the party.

Brett had spent the majority of the day, in the midst of finals week, building me the display for my cookies that I had dreamt up the day before and sprung on him like a total asshole. He did it though, and it was so much more amazing than I could have imagined it. Because of him, I won the award for best display at the party:

My vision was Santa's sleigh on a rooftop, being pulled by Reindeer. I'd say he nailed it.

Then after the cookie exchange was over, Shay and I (FINALLY!) went to see Breaking Dawn, part 1. I had heard mixed reviews about it, so I didn't really know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. As usual. I have really enjoyed the film adaptations of these books and watching them come to life. Now I just have to wait a year to see the next one. Damn.

December snuck up on me fast this year

2011-12-01T06:59:00.001-07:00

The only snow we have had thus far in 2011....fine by me!

I know that it's December, and there's nothing that I can do about it, but I'm just not ready yet.

I'm not ready for snow. It was supposed to bombard us yesterday, but it didn't come. I can't tell you how relieved I was when I woke up this morning and looked out the window. The fact that there was no snow on the ground meant that I had ten more minutes of sleeping to do because I didn't have to go out and clean the snow off of my Jeep. I'm not going to be happy when it finally does start falling, because if it's held off this long, I have a feeling that means it's going to be a rough winter.

I'm not ready for Christmas. I am usually so excited for Christmas to come that I just can't stand it, but this year for some reason, I'm just not. I didn't put up my tree, instead I am using the wooden tree that Brett built me last year as a cookie display. This year my heart is just not in it. I'm not sure why.

Who knows, maybe I will come out of my funk. One can only hope.

Mustaches are gross

2011-11-29T19:27:00.001-07:00

Someone that we know has recently grown a mustache. No beard, just a mustache. It rests extremely prominent on his upper lip, with nothing else there to help those who look at him make any sense of it. It is all alone, almost as if the rest of his facial hair saw it coming and ran in the other direction.

This person is family.

I am the type of person who tells people what is on my mind, and I don't have a very strong filter. Especially if the thought is in relation to something extremely ridiculous. This no-filter-asshole-behavior has no exceptions for family. If anything, family gets it a little worse than most because they know me, and they know to expect it.

When said family member showed up to Thanksgiving, and I caught sight of the ghastly thing, I blatantly laughed out loud and called him a pedophile as soon as he was within earshot. I felt a little bit like Nelson from the Simpson's, only without the pointing.

Anyone who has a mustache, without an accompanying beard, looks like they should stay the hell away from small children. Even Brad Pitt:

I don't understand this trend, and hopefully I never will. There is just something so wrong about it. It just looks like an extra eyebrow.

Am I the only one who feels this way about them? Tell me I'm not alone here!

Doing things a little differently

2011-11-21T17:20:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving has never traditionally been a holiday that I look forward to. I don't know about you, but If I am going to spend one day of the year devoted to eating, my food of choice wouldn't be turkey. Pretty much the only thing that I am ever excited to have on Thanksgiving is the stuffing, and I can make that any day of the week.

This year we will be the only ones going out to Brett's parents house, so there's really no sense in making all of that food for just the four of us. I proposed to Brett's mom that we do something different this year, to which she replied: "We will eat whatever you want".

You guys, do you know what this means?

It means that we are going to have pizza for Thanksgiving.

I am a total pizza junkie, so when she gave me the freedom to choose the Thanksgiving meal, I thought that it would be fun if we spent the day together making homemade pizza. Then eating it. Isn't that brilliant?

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Do you have any traditions?

Something that I will never understand

2011-11-20T18:11:00.001-07:00

Why is it that people make such a big deal about black Friday?

You have a nice relaxing Thanksgiving holiday, where you get to spend time with your family and enjoy good food, only to wake up the following morning far too early and go fight crowds of people to get deals on shit that you really don't need.

I remember when my mom used to come home after a long day of black Friday shopping. Exhausted and broke with bags and bags of stuff. Just stuff. Half of the things that she would buy weren't even on the list she had taken with her, and when she got back she would spend the rest of the week trying to decide who she was even going to give all of this stuff to. She didn't need it, she just bought it because it was such a great deal!

I have only ever ventured out on black Friday once, and it will never happen again.

It was right after we moved in with Brett's sister. She had caught wind of the fact that Joann Fabrics was going to have their flannel on sale for ninety nine cents a yard, and both of us thought it would be totally worth it to go. We were planning on being there as soon as they opened so that we would get a great spot in line and be out of there in no time. If there's one thing that I know now from that experience, it's that things never go according to plan. Ever. When we got there, the doors had only been open for a brief fifteen minutes or so, and we went straight to the cut table to pull a number so that we wouldn't have to wait long once we got our fabric cut. The number that we pulled was something like 107 (come on, how do you expect me to remember the exact number? It was like four years ago.) and they were currently serving guest number 3.

The biggest mistake we made that day was not turning around, right then and there, and walking out of that store.

We started filling a cart with bolts of flannel with all kinds of patterns, there were so many to choose from. By the time we were ready to have our fabric cut, they were only serving guest number 12. We decided to wait it out, because how long could it really take, right? Well when everyone ahead of you has an average of 30 bolts of fabric, it can take a long damn time. Brett kept calling to see where we were, because before I had left the house that morning at 5:00, I had assured him that we would be home by no later than 7:30. I was so wrong. It got so bad that when we were still there, waiting to have our fabric cut and it was only noon, Kristi called a friend of hers who lived in the area and begged her to bring us Cafe Rio. We had no shame. We sat there at the pattern table with our lunch and ate it in front of everyone there.

By the time we got out of there it was almost 2:00 in the afternoon.

Tell me why people do this to themselves year after year, just to save a few bucks. I don't get it. I would rather spend the extra money and shop on a day that there aren't hundreds (thousands?) of other people fighting to get to the same thing.

Are you a black Friday shopper? Why do you do it?

And I was like, Emilioooo!!

2011-11-18T19:16:00.001-07:00

There has always been a special place in my heart for the comedic combination of Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan. There is just something about the two of them together in Night at the Roxbury that makes me laugh constantly for the entire ninety minutes. They are the ultimate dynamic duo. I have seen it a million times, which probably explains why I can recite almost every line in the whole movie, and it still never gets old.

Brett, on the other hand, has never really been a fan of the show. In his defense, I don't think he had ever actually seen it all the way through until the other day. We were hanging out at home a few days ago, and I convinced him to watch it with me. A few minutes into the first scene, I noticed that Brett was laughing a little bit under his breath. I was a happy to see it, but figured that it wouldn't last. However, a few minutes later I noticed him laughing again. This continued on sporadically throughout the whole show, and during some parts he even laughed out loud.

Needless to say, I think we now know what Brett and Chaz are going to be for Halloween next year.

Because we could all use a laugh on Friday....

2011-11-18T12:09:00.001-07:00

Last night we were browsing Vimeo, which is a new found love of ours, and found these two little gems. I could not resist sharing, because as we were watching the first one I started laughing so hard that I had tears rolling down my cheeks. It's so simple, but also so brilliant.

There are two parts in the series, and I can only hope that they will continue on with more. I could watch this little guy for hours.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Marcel the Shell with shoes on:

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON, TWO from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Refreshing

2011-11-15T10:51:00.001-07:00

For the past three months or so, I have been working four ten hour shifts at work so that I could have Friday's off. I was convinced that a three day weekend would be the answer to my prayers. At first it was nice having an extra day off every week, and I thought that I was living the life.

Let me just tell you how wrong I was.......

I was working until 8:00 every night, and by the time my forty minute commute was over all motivation had been long gone. I never really did anything productive when I got home and stopped working out, so I wasn't feeling up to par. Sure, I got to sleep in a little bit each day and didn't have to go to work on Friday's, but what good is being off on Friday when your husband works or has school all day and your best friend lives an hour and a half away? No good.

I have recently changed my schedule so that I am working earlier, five days a week, and I am off each day by 3:30 or 4:00. It's still new, but man is it making a huge difference in my day. I get to see my husband more often, and actually eat dinner with him at a reasonable hour on occasion. I am less bitchy. What? I can admit that ten hour days doing customer service on the phones makes me bitchy. I feel like I have so much more time in my day, and yesterday I got to do something that I haven't been able to do for a while...read. I got my house cleaned, and some laundry done, then while Brett was working on homework I actually took some time to read. I have been working on the same book now for so long that I am starting to forget how it started.

It's going to be great to have myself back. I miss being a productive wife. Wait. Brett, was I a productive wife before?

Don't answer that....

In Time

2011-11-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

As someone who loves to write, I find myself noticing that there are more movies than not that are a repeat of some other story that is already in existence. It's very rare to find an original storyline, so when I do, I get pretty excited.

Going into this movie, I wasn't really sure what to expect. The previews were just vague enough that you didn't really have a grasp of how intense the plot was going to be, but it drew you in and peaked your interest. I had this whole other idea in my brain of the direction it was going to take. I think that is part of what I loved about it though. As we were watching it, I had no idea what to expect so it made things that much more exciting for me.

The only criticism that I really have, is that I wish the leading lady was not Amanda Seyfried. I'm not really a fan of her acting, and that wig just looked ridiculous. I would have much rather watched him get naked in the ocean with Olivia Wilde who, oddly, was cast as his mother instead of his love interest. I would've done it the other way around. Everyone else, in my opinion, was cast brilliantly.

I love it when a movie challenges my brain like this one did. I can only hope that there will be others just as good. I am not looking forward to the day when time is our currency.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Quite possibly the best YouTube video of all time

2011-11-09T14:27:00.001-07:00

Who dunnit?

2011-11-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

This year's Halloween party was a Murder Mystery dinner. It was a lot of work to put it all together, but in the end it was worth the effort. The costumes turned out amazing, and everyone did a great job with their characters.

The hostess of the evening:

Shay's character was Countess Bathory, a 16th century mass murderess.

As usual, Shay went all out on the decor, and it turned out so beautiful:

Here are some pictures from the evening:

Kaylyn and Shay

Amber and Kaylyn

Teri and Kaylyn

Kaylyn, Brandi and Kate

The guys - Danny, Chaz, Mike, Brett, Ryan and Nick

Kaylyn, Shay, Jen and Kate

The company that we ordered the party kit from was a little disorganized, so a lot of work went into rewriting the clues and the format in which their questions and answers were set up was a bit scattered. I really enjoyed writing the character stories though, and I am seriously thinking about making my own Murder Mystery dinner party business. It would be a great creative outlet.

Overall, I am so glad that we opted to go with the Murder Mystery theme, and I really do think that we will do it again next year.

I want to send a special thanks to Chaz and Shay for always hosting these great shindigs! Maybe next year we'll live closer and I can host so that you two can take a break.

I am the luckiest girl alive

2011-11-03T08:03:00.001-06:00

If it wasn't for him, I'd be completely lost.

He has done so much for me in my life, and has made so many sacrifices for us to better our situation. He is the most thoughtful person I know. I've never met anyone who works harder than he does. He would go to the end of the earth and back to help someone that he loves, and he would give anyone the shirt off his back if they needed it.

It's hard for me to imagine what life would be like without him. I have known him for almost half of my life, and I can't even remember what things were like before he was here. I don't want to. He is my number one fan, and he encourages me to be the best person that I can be. He supports anything I do, and that means the world to me.

The best thing about him though, is the incredible amount of fun we have together. I can't even begin to tell you how often he makes me laugh. I love spending my days off with him, even if we are just hanging out at home. He is my favorite person in the whole world!

I love him completely.

Happy birthday love! I hope that this one is the best one yet.

The time has come

2011-10-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Tonight, all of our hard work will finally pay off. We have been slaving away in preparation for this dinner, and it is going to be killer. (pun intended)

Clues are hidden, queue cards are written and the costumes are all complete. I think this year, I can safely say that we will not be scrambling to the last minute to get everything ready. It feels nice to be prepared for once.

The only thing that makes me a little sad, is that Halloween is almost over. I'm dying to know, what are you going to be for Halloween this year??

The evening of the enchantress

2011-10-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

It has become a tradition for us to attend Witchapalooza at Gardner Village each October, and this year we actually went on Witches Night Out.

I have never seen so many grown-ass women in costumes in one place. It was amazing.

If you live in Utah, are a fan of Halloween and have never been to Witches Night Out, I highly recommend it for next year! You see so many awesome costumes, the shops are incredible and if you choose to go to the dinner show, there's also great food and entertainment!

There are some professional witches, who go all out on their characters:

Then you get to see a bunch of amateur witches:

I could not believe the effort that went into some of the costumes we saw this year! I would love to be a professional GV witch! Thanks to Shay for making it possible! Every year she orders our tickets way in advance to make sure that we have good seats for the show. I love that we have found this little gathering, and hope that the tradition continues!

My weakness is that I care too much

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

"When I shut my mouth, and turn to walk away, it doesn't mean you've won. It simply means your stupid ass isn't worth anymore of my time."

I have spent so much of my life trying to make sure that other people are happy that it has finally taken it's toll and is starting to make me bitter. Thank god I have finally opened my eyes and come to the realization that people change, no matter how hard you try. Their actions are beyond my control, and I can no longer exhaust all of my effort by trying to make things stay the same.

I have recently gone through some family drama, that for some reason unknown to me, has caused the relationship that I once had with my sister to fall apart completely. It's been months since we've spoken and she has no idea how terrible all of this has made me feel, but only because she doesn't care enough to try and find out. I have spent so much time trying to get a hold of her in every way I know possible, only to have no luck whatsoever. I have her address, but I just don't think that showing up on her doorstep is going to change anything.

I have always been the mender.

I try so hard to pick up the pieces and put them back together when things fall apart, and it just makes me angry and hurt when the other people don't seem to care as much as I do. Still, I call and make the effort to keep the relationships strong and continue to keep pushing forward despite the betrayal and hurtful words that have been hurled in my direction. I have always felt that if I just keep on trying, the other person will eventually come around. Now I know that is not the case. Some people are just hopeless.

Three females in my life lately have basically become void of emotion and began to let our bond disintegrate completely with no explanation. I have, until now, given it my all to attempt stitching up the tears that have been carelessly created in the fabric of the relationship, but it's too late. As much as it breaks my heart to do so, I have to let go or I will lose my fucking mind.

I just wish I knew how to make myself forget the way they have. To come to a place where I don't give a damn either. On the other hand, then I would be a soulless monster too, and I don't want that.

Instead I will just continue to nurture the relationships of those who still matter and try to tuck the others away, somewhere in the back of my mind.

Dearest Shay,

2011-10-26T09:13:00.002-06:00

Today is a BIG day!!

Today you hit a milestone.

Today you turn 30!!

I am sad that I can't be with you guys today, but I am happy that you are spending your big day in the happiest place on earth! I know that there is no where in the world you would rather be today, and that makes my heart happy. A little jealous, but happy none the less.

I know Chaz isn't quite the Disneyland companion that I would be, so I have to apologize for that, but I know that you will be able to forgive me for not being there. There's always next year.

When you get home, as you know, there are great things for us to look forward to in celebration of your new chapter in life, and I cannot wait to experience them with you! You are the best friend that I could have ever hoped for, and I love you more than you will ever know. I am so lucky to have you in my life, and I don't think that you realize all that you do for me.

Happy birthday buddy! I hope that this is your best birthday yet!! You totally deserve all of the happiness in the entire world.

Love,

Kaylyn

Have I ever mentioned to you guys that I am not a fan of Monday's?

2011-10-24T17:33:00.002-06:00

There are too many reasons to name.

Today specifically though, it could have a lot to do with the fact that I am sitting here at work, and Chaz and Shay have been in Disneyland for the last eight hours. We were really hoping to be able to go with them this year, however, things didn't seem to go as planned. We spent the majority of this past weekend hanging out with them and wrapping up preparation for the murder mystery dinner next weekend, talking frequently about how jealous I was that they would be spending the week in Disneyland.

Then last night, I had a dream that Brett decided that he was going to fly out to California and join them, leaving me behind because I couldn't get the time off of work. That's just fucking rude. He kept sending me videos of the three of them on rides, taking pictures with Mickey Mouse, and rubbing it in that I was not there with them.

Then I woke up.

Which brings me to the next thing that I don't like about Monday....it means the weekend is over.

What did you do this weekend?

Too cute

2011-10-13T19:59:00.002-06:00

This is seriously the cutest damn thing that I have ever seen. I laughed so hard that it made me cry. I think that every kid should get a chance to be surprised with a trip to Disneyland when they are little. This is what the pro sports players should be doing with their 20+ million dollar contracts...donating it to little kids. Instead they sit around bitching and complaining that they don't make enough money and some of us struggle to even pay our bills. Fuckers.

You can't hide from her duck feet

2011-10-11T20:00:00.001-06:00

When friends converge and there is alcohol involved, it's inevitable that someone will take a photograph. It's never really a surprise when you flip through the camera the next morning, because you are doing so expecting to find some incriminating evidence.

Today, while I was examining the contents of my phone, I found a new avenue for capturing some of this glorious content. Audio. My phone came with an app, that until this weekend had never been used, called voice memo. Apparently during the period of time that we were all inebriated, I discovered this app and decided to record my good friend Kate babbling from the bathroom floor.

I must say, most drunk people slur their words to the point that they are not even recognizable. Kate doesn't have that problem. She is the type of drunk whose words you can hear clearly, it's just the content and the way that she mixes it all together that makes no sense. My personal favorite was the two minutes that she spent telling us all how we couldn't hide from her duck feet.

I'd like to send a special thank you to Kate for entertaining me tonight while I sat at work, listening to this new found audio, waiting for my phone to ring.

Crunch time

2011-10-10T19:33:00.003-06:00

With one week left until Witches Night Out, I still had a lot of sewing to do, so my plan was to spend the majority of the weekend sewing. Doesn't it suck when things don't go according to plan?

I got quite a bit done on Friday while Brett was at work, and then we packed everything up and headed to Ogden to see our favorite friends. Friday night was spent mostly planning what we were going to accomplish Saturday, and my costume was at the top of that list. Halloween is one of those times of year where I just have way too much going on. I always over commit myself to projects, but this year I feel like everything, though there is a lot of it, will be easily managed if I just stay on top of it.

Saturday morning threw a little wrench into my plans..... my sewing machine broke.

It took a good part of the morning, but my handy husband finally fixed it, and sewing continued. Then a little while later, it stopped working again all together and I was so frustrated at that point that I just gave up. I don't deal well under pressure when there is a deadline to meet, and I can't very well go to Witches Night Out naked. I don't think anyone would appreciate that.

Sunday, all was well again because I took Shay's sewing machine home with me and was able to finish my costume and get Brett's mostly done.

I can't wait for next Saturday to post the pictures of our costumes!

This is seriously the first year that I'm not out shopping or sewing the day before our Halloween party to try and get my costume done. I'm a procrastinator.

What are you going to be for Halloween this year?

If the zombie apocalypse happened tomorrow

2011-10-02T10:50:00.001-06:00

I was looking back through my archives today, and I have realized that I don't take pictures anymore. I used to have my camera with me everywhere I went, which in turn gave me a lot more to post about.

I used to be fucking snap-happy.

What the hell changed? I still have a camera, so that's not the issue.

I think that I need to try and motivate myself to start taking pictures again. If I do that, maybe the content on this blog won't be so boring or sparse.

In the spirit of Halloween, I recently downloaded an app for my phone that turns people into zombies. Maybe that's a good place to start.

Zombie Scotherns:

Zombie Schlange's:

The fever has set in

2011-09-26T18:53:00.000-06:00

I am consumed with thoughts of All Hallows' Eve.

Planning has commenced for this year's festivities and the construction of my costume is well under way. Decor has emerged from it's resting place and taken up residence among the other items that usually adorn my living room. It's the best time of year.

This year there is not going to be a huge blow out party like we usually do. Instead, Shay and I are hosting a murder mystery dinner. We only invited 16 people, so it's going to be a little more low key than usual, but I am convinced that it will be the most amazing Halloween get together to date. We have our work cut out for us over the next five weeks though, but it will all be worth it in the end. We have divided up the work load between the two of us, and it seems as though there is no possible way that we will have it all done in time. I know we will, but right now there is no end in sight. I think that this is what I live for though, the chaos of the season, and the payoff when all of the hard work is done.

My character for the event is Belladonna Erotica, a 19th century Italian murderess. I have a vision in my head of what the costume should look like, and I am hoping that I can pull it off. I found some amazing fabric the other day, and it is going to make all of the difference in the world. I cannot wait until it's complete. Sometimes I wonder why I don't just buy my costumes, because I tend to get in a little over my head every year. I just know that a store bought costume is not as awesome as something that I can tell people that I made. It gives me a greater sense of accomplishment.

October is officially my favorite month.

Losing My Faith in Humanity

2011-08-27T09:04:00.000-06:00

Betrayal is hurtful, but it hurts the most when it comes from someone that you genuinely believed that you could trust. It stings like salt in an open wound.

She has been there for me most of my life, and her age surpasses mine by more than a decade. I thought that she was smart, but it turns out I was very wrong. How could she do something so vicious, and not even stop to consider the impact that it would have on everyone else involved. It wasn't only herself that she was fucking over. There were two more of us, waiting to learn what she had done. Her own siblings. The people that have been there, by her side for a lifetime, trying to help make sense of all the bullshit right along with her. People who genuinely loved her.

It makes it worse that she didn't have the balls, still doesn't, to call and tell me what she did herself. She can't even bring herself to utter the words. I had to find out through a random phone call from a stranger. Someone that I had never spoken to before in my life, and he laid it on me like a ton of bricks. My inheritance was gone with one careless act from the bitch that I used to call my sister. Too selfish to let on to the fact that she was drowning financially. Too proud to ask for help. Too cowardly to tell the truth after all was said and done. We trusted her, and took her word for it far longer than we ever should have. Turns out she was nothing more than just a thief and a liar. Words that she had used to describe the common enemy that we shared in my mother's husband. A man we all hated, her more than the rest of us, yet here we are and those words fit her like a glove. Liar. Thief. Coward.

She packed up and moved away, not leaving a trace of evidence as to where she has gone. Her phone number has changed, and she is no longer responding to emails. It is as if she has vanished. I almost wish she really would.

If I had the chance to speak to her, just one more time. I would ask her why she did it, and beg her to give me some sort of justification. Even though I know there is none. I want to know what the fuck she was thinking when she signed the paperwork that sealed our fate without even having the decency to let us know what was coming. I thought that's what family was all about. Communication, and for god's sake, honesty. I guess that, up until this point anyway, I have suffered from an altered perception of what reality is. A place that you could trust people, a place that apparently doesn't exist.

I am done exhausting effort to try and get a hold of her, and I am accepting the fact that she and I will never speak again. I will never know why she did it. I will be left to continue assuming. I will be left to live with the fact that my own sister fucked me over worse than any stranger ever could.

I am erasing her from my life.

Night and Day

2011-08-24T18:47:00.003-06:00

Something that I failed to mention in my previous post about our camping trip was the final hike that we went on a few days after we took Belle home. The reason that I have waited to post about it, is because I was hesitant to let you in on a secret of mine.

Let me explain.

A few years ago, Brett and I went on a bike ride. If you have been a long time reader, or possibly sifted through the archives, you probably know where I am going with this one.... If not, take a quick pause and read this.

Remember now? Yeah, that.

Okay, now that you are acquainted (or reacquainted, rather) with our first encounter with the trail I am going to tell you about, we can continue.

Turns out, when I posted about the trail the first time, I was being a little dramatic. What? I can admit when I'm being ridiculous if I want to...... It's true though. I had a serious case of over exaggeration, mostly because I was bitter about the situation.

About half way through our camping trip, we made the mutual decision that we needed to make another attempt at conquering the aforementioned trail. It would be a lot different this time, because I would not be stuck pushing my bike the whole way, and we were going to pack more water. The trail was not going to win.

This time around the trail was pleasant. It was tough in some spots, but seriously so much more enjoyable! We had great conversation the whole way, mostly reminiscing about the first time, and the views were amazing. I don't think that we even stopped when we were up there before to enjoy any of it. There were no injuries involved, and no crying on my part. That right there has to say something! This time we also wised up and took the GPS with us to map out the trail and see how far it actually was.

Would you like to take a guess at how many miles it really was?

We were told that it would be ten miles, ended up thinking that it was more like twelve miles, and we now know that it was just under six miles. SIX! That's it. Here is the GPS image of the trail:

The only part that sucked at all was the last ten or so minutes. We were in an open area, with no tree cover, walking uphill. The majority of the trail had some gorgeous tree cover, and there was wildlife running around all over the place. We even took a second to stop for a picture in the same spot as last time:

I would definitely do it again, as long as there is not a mountain bike involved, and next time we will probably take Belle with us. She would have loved it.

Back within the grasp of reality

2011-08-15T19:58:00.000-06:00

Waking up in the morning to the sound of the river, rolling along the rocks, just fifteen feet away from our tent was so calming. It was just what we needed. It's good to be home, though.

The first day consisted mostly of setting up the campsite the way we wanted it, and gathering firewood. Brett made a pretty impressive woodpile to get us through the week, and we were lucky to have his dad's chainsaw to make things go quicker than trying to cut up six dead trees with just an axe.

We took Belle with us, which we had never done before. Don't ask me how we have gotten through seven years of owning a dog without taking her camping, because I have no idea. Usually when we go, it's just for one night, so we find someone to watch her for us. Needless to say, we were a bit worried about how well she'd do. She is such a princess. I mean, we are talking about a dog who cannot sleep without a pillow under her head, or at least a blanket.

She surprised us the first night by investigating the wilderness surrounding our campsite. Though she never strays too far from sight, she got a lot more brave than I expected that she would. She was off into the stream, traipsing through the weeds, and even laying in the dirt despite the fact that we had a blanket on the ground for her just ten feet away. She seemed like she was loving it, and was born to be outside, so the next morning we decided we were going to take her on a hike. She loved every minute of it! Towards the end of the hike, we came across a water trough that had been placed just off of the trail for the people who rode through on their horses. Belle was in heaven.

After we got back to camp though, she decided that she was ready for a nap in the comfort of the front seat of the Jeep.

The next morning, she was not a happy camper. After we woke up, she was walking like her feet were bothering her, and she was sick. We decided that it would probably be best if we took her home. She was clearly not having fun anymore, and I worried that maybe she had eaten a plant or bug that had made her sick. She looked and acted miserable. We took the short twenty minute drive down the canyon to drop her off at home. Brett lifted her up out of the back of the Jeep and set her on the grass, and it was as if someone had flipped a switch. She was no longer walking like her feet hurt, and she acted like she was just fine. I am convinced that she was just trying to manipulate us so that we would feel guilty and take her home. We totally fell for it.

One thing that we learned during our week of roughing it, is that we are totally not cut out for long term camping for a few reasons. There were two times that we came back into town after we brought the dog home, to get ice or other things that we had forgotten. We also rely too heavily on technology. We took a generator with us so that during the hot times of the day we could sit under the shade of the canopy and watch movies or play Pac Man on the laptop. We also used said generator to run a fan to cool us off and charge our phones when they were losing battery power. Who the hell knows how we would ever survive without electricity. I guess that's why we decided to only camp twenty minutes up the canyon from where we live.

Some other things we learned on this camping trip:

Mosquito's are not repelled by mosquito repellent or citronella.
Flies are a pain in the ass, however, they are repelled by smoke from the campfire.
Dogs should not eat whole corn cobs, so don't throw them in the fire pit or on the ground.
Two humans can consume $150.00 worth of cheap liquor in five days.
Hiking in the blistering hot sun is only fun for the first 5 miles.

All in all, the camping trip was exactly what we needed, and we had a ton of fun! I think that we are going to try and make it a tradition that we go camping for a week each summer. I love spending time with my husband in nature.

Dear mom,

2011-08-13T13:58:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday.

I cannot believe that time is continually moving on without you here. I think about you everyday, and it's still hard to believe that you aren't coming back. I hope you know that we are celebrating for you in our own way tonight, even though you won't be there to enjoy it. We are going to have fun and remember the way things used to be. The way they should be, still.

I love you so much, and miss you more than words can express.

Love,
Kaylyn

Simplicity

2011-07-21T12:24:00.000-06:00

In a few short days, Brett and I will be heading off on a week long camping trip. Just us and our dog. It's going to be glorious.

This break from everything that makes my life hectic is so needed right now, and I look forward to soaking in every minute of it. I don't care what the weather is going to be like. I don't care that I will be cut off from technology and the rest of the world. I don't care that the closest thing to a shower I will have is a box of wet wipes. I don't care about any of that, because all that matters is that the two most important beings in my life will be there with me.

The two of them are all I need to be happy.

Instagram

2011-07-12T12:04:00.001-06:00

I recently stumbled across this new app for my phone that I am loving. It's a photo sharing app that allows you to add effects to your pictures, as well as a social networking type of photo sharing. As far as I know, right now it is only available on the iPhone, but they are in the works for apps that will work on other phones as well.

I'm not too interested in gaining followers or following others, unless they are people that I know, but I do love how great the pictures look when you add the effects. Have you tried it? What do you think??

Here are a few of my favorites that I've played with so far:

Sunset near my house

Indian Paintbrush in Moab

The stage at the U2 concert

Belle

Brett and I on the beach in Carmel, CA circa 2007

Mardi Gras 2011

Blurs

2011-06-24T17:58:00.000-06:00

Life moves too fast most days.

I don't always have a chance to sit down and write. That makes me sad. It seems like the older I get, the less time I have in my day. When I fail to accomplish something that I needed to get done because I didn't have enough time, I get so frustrated. I wish that I could just take the clock and slow it down, temporarily of course.

Do you think that Hermione Granger will let me borrow her time turner? I bet I could get more done in the day if I had one of those in my possession.

Butter Yo Shit!

2011-06-14T17:54:00.002-06:00

I came across this video on Dooce the other day and just about died laughing. Okay, so I didn't just about die, but I did pee my pants a little.

This bitch is funny.

If you haven't had enough of the hilarity, head on over to her website and watch the other six My Drunk Kitchen episodes: HERE

Indian Paintbrush

2011-05-29T17:44:00.002-06:00

My mom absolutely loved wildflowers. If you had asked her what her favorite flower was, wildflowers would have been her response. She loved anything that grew wild in nature.

Her favorite wildflower was the Indian Paintbrush. Whenever I see one now it reminds me of her, and I think about all of the memories that I have of my childhood when we would stop to pick one anytime we saw them. It didn't matter if we were camping or driving through the canyon, she would always stop. Her favorite thing to do was take them home and press them, but the first thing she would do was take a small piece of the flower and stick it behind my ear. Every time.

In Moab, the desert is sprinkled with Indian Paintbrush. Every time I saw one while we were out on the trails I had an urge to get out of the Jeep and take a picture. After the first twenty, I started to realize that it was a little excessive, so I stopped. It's funny how the little things in life make you remember the ones that we've lost. To anyone else it's just a little red flower, but to me it's so much more than that. It's like having a little piece of her there.

Inconsistencies

2011-05-26T15:01:00.001-06:00

Last night after Brett got home from work we decided it was time for a snack, so we headed off to Smith's Marketplace down the street from our house. Brett grabbed a six pack and I got some ice cream. Quick trip to the store, and we'd be on our way in a matter of minutes.

Or not.

We got up to the self check out to pay, and when the machine prompted, the cashier working in that area came over to check Brett's ID. After handing his ID to her, she turned to me and asked for mine as well. I told her that I didn't have my ID with me, and she quickly advised us that she could not sell us the beer if we didn't both have our drivers licenses with us.

In the three years that this store has been open, we have never had this problem. Usually they ask the person who is purchasing the beer and that is it. In a few instances I have even been by myself buying beer and the cashier has not asked me for my ID at all. When we brought this to the cashiers attention she still wouldn't budge.

Management was involved and the cashier and managers that we were speaking with kept referring to the fact that they couldn't sell the beer to us due to a state law that prohibited it if we didn't both have ID.

We ended up leaving, sans beer, to go home and get my ID so that I could abide by their rules and prove that I was, in fact, old enough to buy beer.

We wouldn't want to break any laws now, would we?

Upon returning to the store after retrieving my ID, we gathered our items again and headed back up to the front to pay. When we got up to the cash registers, we chose another line to go through so that we didn't have to talk to the previous cashier again. She had been a real bitch, and I wasn't in the mood to hear more of her shit.

We put the beer and ice cream on the belt and waited our turn to pay. When we approached the register we were greeted by the new cashier and she began ringing up our items. She asked Brett for his ID and then continued to ring us up. Without asking me for my ID.

Before the transaction was complete, the cashiers phone rang. When she picked it up, we knew exactly what was happening. The managers that we had spoken with earlier, who were standing up at the front of the store, were apparently panicking because they knew that she hadn't ID'd both of us.

I was so pissed. I had gone home, and come back to the store because I was assured that there was no other way for us to leave that store with a six pack in hand.

Then the new cashier went ahead and totally proved us right.

As mad as I was that they had wasted 45 minutes out of my day, I couldn't have been happier with the outcome. We ended up taking the phone number of their store director and you better believe that he will be hearing about the way that we were treated by his employees.

Music in my soul

2011-05-25T12:41:00.000-06:00

Last night we met up with Chaz and Shay downtown for the U2 concert.

When we walked into the stadium, the stage was so massive that it took my breath away.

Not only was their stage enormous, but the colors on the whole thing changed for every song they sang and the big circular screen in the middle was on tracks moving up and down for the latter half the show. The visual of it all was so amazing.

It's a Beautiful Day

2011-05-24T17:39:00.000-06:00

Tonight we will be joining Chaz and Shay for the U2 concert.

I have always liked U2, but I wouldn't say that I'm a die hard fan. It just seems like one of those shows that I would regret passing up. From what I have heard, they put in an amazing performance and I am so excited to see it.

It also doesn't hurt that The Fray, who I happen to love, is their opening act.

Mashed Potato

2011-05-23T21:27:00.000-06:00

We went on a trail called the mashed potato on our second day in Moab. I thought that it was a really fun trail, but the ass end of my Jeep would probably disagree with me. There were so many steep spots to go down, that I had a hard time not slamming my hitch on the rocks as we would come off of them. I even got a small dent in my tail pipe. I've gotta tell you, when we bought this Jeep we had every intention of making a rock crawler out of her, but it made me cringe every time I heard the sound of metal grinding on rock.

I will learn to get over it, I'm sure.

I know that I have said this about twelve thousand times already, but the pictures just don't do it justice! Watching Chaz maneuver over these massive rocks was purely amazing. I cannot wait for the day that Millie can do half the shit Culpepper does. I was in awe the whole time we were there about what these vehicles are capable of.

A friend of Mike's came down with his girlfriend, Newland and they rented a Jeep for a few days. He looks just like Dexter, and that is all Shay and I were calling him the whole time they were there. To this day I can honestly tell you that I have no clue what his real name is. Is that rude? Sorry Dexter.

Also, do you have any idea how hard it is to get a picture with 8 adults looking at the camera at the same time? It's impossible. That's why one or more of us is looking the wrong way in every attempt we made. This was the best we could do.

Phone Etiquette

2011-05-23T21:01:00.000-06:00

I work in a job where I am on the phone all day. The one prominent thing that I have learned from working in this field is that there are a lot of people who don't have very good phone etiquette. A lot.

Here are some pointers for you if you are one of these people:

If you are calling someone on the phone, don't stick food in your mouth right before they pick up. It's gross.
If you are talking to someone on the phone, and they are in the middle of a sentence, let them finish what they have to say before you start talking. Cutting people off is fucking rude.
Don't breath heavy into the phone.
Don't start your conversation off by yelling at the person who picked up the phone. Chances are, whatever you are pissed off about is not their fault.
Don't have side conversations with your co-workers.
If you called me, don't put me on hold right after I answer the phone.

This shit happens on a daily basis.

Lost*

2011-05-21T10:00:00.002-06:00

I can feel the cold, frigid air falling in around me,
it's my least favorite thing, snow.
Yet I'm surrounded by it,
where am I? I don't know...

I cry out for someone to bring me warmth,
but there is no one around to hear.
I can barely see through the blizzard of snow,
nothing in front of me is clear.

I don't know which way is North or South,
if only I could tell them apart.
As I start to think that I may never get home,
I have a sinking sensation in my heart.

I am shuffling my feet through the blanket of snow,
just trying to push my way through.
I keep trying to figure out how I got here,
and what I am going to do.

As I continue moving on,
the darkness around me grows thicker.
I want so badly to get home,
I can feel my feet moving quicker.

As I'm walking I suddenly feel myself fall,
but before I reach the ground.
My muscles jolt and my eyes shoot open,
I take a second to look around.

It takes me a minute to catch my breath,
as I try to take it all in.
Just moments ago I was lost in the cold,
but now things look familiar again.

It seems that the night is over,
and the light of the day is moving on.
The sun shines bright through the window now,
and the darkness appears to be gone.

*a poem that I wrote sometime last year

Magnificent

2011-05-20T20:44:00.002-06:00

Brett and I have lived in Utah all of our lives and I honestly don't know how it is possible that we had not yet been to see the delicate arch before this trip to Moab. It is one of Utah's most well known landmarks and people come from all over the world to see it, yet we have lived literally right around the corner from it for more than 26 years and have never taken the short venture to see it in person.

I think that it definitely proves that we, as human beings, take things for granted on a daily basis. We think that just because something so magnificent is sitting in our backyard means that we have an excuse not to take the time to admire it.

The arch is honestly one of the most amazing sights that I have ever seen, and I cannot wait to go back. It's a gorgeous hike, which doesn't take long at all and when you come around the corner and see the arch standing there in all of it's glory it literally takes your breath away. I could not believe how massive it was and still, as the name suggests, so delicate.

{Brett, Kaylyn, Shay, Chaz, Mike and Kate}

{The delicate arch}

{Indian paintbrush}

I can honestly tell you that I have never been so totally amazed by anything. Ever. The pictures don't do it justice.

Rocked My World

2011-05-16T21:36:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite trails in Moab is Hell's Revenge. It was a great mix of hard obstacles and amazing scenery. There was never a dull moment on this trail, and I can honestly say that there were a few times that I really thought I might die. Gladly, no one was injured in the making of this blog post.

This is Hell's Gate. A few weeks before we were set to leave for Moab, Chaz started emailing me links for YouTube videos of various trails telling me how awesome it was going to be to take my Jeep on them. The first video that he sent me was one of someone trying to crawl up Hell's Gate. Trying, and then failing and rolling down the hill. Needless to say, Millie didn't attempt this one.

This place is seriously breathtaking! Everywhere you look there is a different kind of terrain. For most of our visit the weather was extremely cooperative. It rained the first two days, and then the sun came out and didn't go away. If I didn't have any responsibilities in life, I would take my husband and run away to the desert.

Entitlement

2011-05-16T16:50:00.002-06:00

There is a long bridge between generational gaps.

There is a younger, female, member of our family who has been causing some serious problems lately for those around her, us included.

About two years ago, mid summer, the trouble started when said family member stole my car. She was only 15 and didn't have her license at the time. Out of respect for her parents we called the police, but chose not to press charges. We knew that if we pressed charges the people that would be most negatively affected would be her mom and dad. They would've been stuck paying her fines, and we didn't feel that would be fair to them.

After the initial shock of what had happened her parents carried out her punishment and the law was never officially involved. It seemed like things were going well and the incident was nearly forgotten.

Fast forward to this past February.

One day Brett and I noticed that there were a few things missing from our house. Naturally my mind shot straight to the car thief. Instead of just outright accusing her, I asked her if she had taken the missing items. I wanted to give her the opportunity to tell the truth, but she flat out denied it. She lied right to my face without even blinking an eye. Then had the audacity to tell me that she refused to stand there and be accused of something she didn't do.

After acquiring the proof that I needed to be sure that she was the one who had taken the items in question, we changed the locks on our house. We wanted to make sure this wasn't going to happen again.

I have never been in a situation where I have had my privacy so violated. It is a truly disgusting feeling.

Since all of this has unfolded there have been a few more incidences that have taken place and I have had some brief communication with her. She is delusional. She is under the impression that she has done nothing wrong. Nothing to violate my privacy. Nothing that I have the right to be upset about. She conjured up a story in her head to make me the villain, and she genuinely believes it. It's really sad. She has burned that bridge, and I am not interested in repairing it.

Here's what I want to know: what the fuck happened to the generation that followed mine to make them feel so god damn entitled?

They are lazy, and believe that the world should be handed to them on a silver platter. I don't know about you, but I think it's bullshit and I refuse to buy into it!

Adventures

2011-05-10T18:56:00.004-06:00

During one of the aforementioned weekends that I spent hanging out with Shay while the guys were slaving away on the Jeep, we decided that we would go see a movie.

After reading through the list of movies that were playing at the theater around the corner from her house we decided on Arthur.

Both Shay and I are fans of comedy, and especially when it's inappropriate comedy. Who is more inappropriate than Russell Brand, you ask? No one.

We arrived about ten minutes before the show was supposed to start and ordered a smorgasbord of junk from the concession stand then made our way to our seats. We were the first people in the theater, so we had our pick of any seats in the house. After we sat down, we started chatting and shortly after, the previews started to roll. It was then that we realized that we were still the only two people in the theater.

We automatically turned into the equivalent of small children and started talking loudly, running around from seat to seat and, of course, doing cartwheels down the center aisle.

We even thought to make a video:

YouTube Video

We had a great time acting ridiculous, and the movie was good. All in all, it was a success.

The Time We Almost Didn't Go To Moab

2011-05-09T12:31:00.002-06:00

Holy shit.

Moab is amazing!

Millie did so awesome. Seriously. There were some trails that we went on that totally made my butt hole pucker, and I never thought we would make it out alive. But you guys, we did it! We lived.

I think that the proper way to start out the Moab posts, because there is just too much to cram into one, would be to introduce you to the Sargent. Sargent Culpepper is Chaz and Shay's Jeep. It is a loyal Wrangler that Chaz has had since he was in high school

About two months before we were set to leave for Moab, Chaz got a wild hair up his ass and decided that he wanted to take Culpepper's four cylinder engine out and swap it for a V8. Brett nor Chaz had ever done such a thing, but they both thought, "fuck it, why not?".

Chaz had purchased an old Durango with some body damage so that he could gut it and replace all of Culpepper's insides with the ones that used to reside in the Durango. Sounds like a great plan to everyone, and the work begins.

Here is what it looked like under the hood before they got started:

And here is the progress after removing the old four banger:

In order to get the new engine in Brett had to cut the old engine mounts out so that Chaz's cousin could come weld some new ones in the right place:

Here's the new engine softly nestled into its new home:

And last, but not least, here is what Shay's kitchen table looked like for the majority of the month of April:

I know what you are asking yourself right now. Why is it so important to share this information with you before I can tell you about our trip and all of its Glory?

Because with such a large project in so little time, two months before our trip, we almost didn't get to go.

Brett and I went up to the Schlange's house every weekend so that Brett could help Chaz out with the engine. It was all going really well, and they thought that they had given themselves plenty of time. I enjoyed our weekly adventures because I got to spend a few days every week with my BFF. It was truly refreshing. Who cares if the drive was monotonous, we had a hell of a time!

When it hit crunch time they started having some issues with the wiring harness. The fucking thing would start, but it was only firing four of the eight cylinders. Something was wrong, and Chaz didn't know how to fix it.

Two days before we were set to leave, Chaz decided that it was time to call in the pro's. He took it to the shop and basically told the mechanic that it didn't matter what it took, he just wanted Culpepper runninig before Moab. It had to be on the trailer in 48 hours.

I was so worried that we weren't going to go that I didn't start packing because I was afraid that I'd be wasting my time. I had convinced myself that it wasn't happening, just so that I wouldn't get my hopes up. I was devestated. I'm sure that the sadness being experienced by Chaz and Shay was 100 times worse, but it was hard for me to recognize at the time.

After convincing myself that Moab was not going to happen I was at work when I received this text from Shay:

"Hey! He's back in business!"

Relief!! The next day, our adventure began. Stay tuned.....

Security Blanket

2011-05-05T21:58:00.000-06:00

Just after I had left home this morning to head to work I realized that I didn't have my cell phone with me.

I hate that feeling.

I instantly flipped around to go back for it. When I opened the door, Brett was already standing there with it in his hand, waiting. He had noticed it was still sitting on the table and tried to catch me, but I had already gone too far. It was as if he had read my mind, and knew that I would be returning.

Isn't it funny to stop and think that there was once a time when no one carried a cell phone in their pocket, and if you had an emergency while you were on the freeway you had to wait for someone to stop and offer their assistance? I cannot imagine how life would be if that were still the case.

I use my phone for a plethora of things, but communicating with my loved ones conveniently is definitely my number one reason for having it. I have already sent multiple text messages to my husband and best friend today. If I hadn't turned around to go home for my phone, I would feel so lost.

Farewell Carell

2011-04-29T10:11:00.001-06:00

Last night was Steve Carell's last episode of the office.

I cried.

I may have been a little bit drunk.

Safari

2011-04-21T18:36:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, mid-day, the Scothern's and the Schlange's are heading south into the desert. We will be spending almost a whole week with our two favorite people and laughing a lot. It's going to be a glorious week filled with friends, some great scenery, and the low rumble of engines.

We are finally going to Jeep Safari.

I have wanted a Jeep since the day I turned sixteen. It has always seemed like a distant dream that would never fully be realized, and last year I was so insanely jealous that Chaz and Shay would be going to Moab without us. We couldn't go because I had just gotten a new job and was going to be in mandatory training for six weeks. So this year, when we found Millie, I knew immediately that I had to schedule the time off of work. I have been waiting in anticipation for just over a month now, and tomorrow is finally the day!

It's going to be fucking awesome.

Cry Baby

2011-04-13T15:01:00.003-06:00

For two days now I have been violently ill. Laying on the couch for 48 hours is extremely boring, and I have been relying heavily on the E! channel to keep me entertained. I also whine a lot, which is particularly pathetic because for the majority of the day I am by myself.

Did i mention laying on couch whining...out loud. To no one. Yeah, it's ridiculous. Thank god I don't have some substantial disease or illness. Everyone around me would be on the verge of hanging themselves just to get away from me and you would probably want to reach through your computer screen and bitch slap me right now.

In order to save you from further whining, here are some of the upcoming movies that i saw previews for these past few days and am looking forward to seeing when they are released:

What movies are you looking forward to??

I'd Be Screwed....

2011-04-08T10:38:00.003-06:00

.....if hair straighteners had never been invented.

Thank god someone was smart enough to recognize that there was a need for smooth hair in the world, or I'd be walking around with this fuzz ball on my head all day:

I don't have any natural curl in my hair, unfortunately, but my hair is so frizzy after I dry it in the mornings. Its just not pretty.

But after it's dry, and I get out my straightener, it looks a little more presentable.

I don't spend a ridiculous amount of time on my hair in the mornings, but the little effort that I do make is a huge difference.

What in the hell did I ever do before I found my straightener?

127 Hours

2011-04-07T12:23:00.001-06:00

We have been wanting to see this movie since it came out, but for one reason or another we never made it to the theater to see it before it was no longer showing. We finally rented it the other day.

All I can say is wow.

The entire time we were watching it I had mixed emotions. I wanted to turn away, but I couldn't. I was so enthralled with his strength and will to survive. I was amazed with how well he kept his cool throughout the whole ordeal. It was intense from beginning to end. Then when it got over, Brett and I just sat there in silence staring at each other. We were completely speechless and couldn't decide how to react. It was such a tragic story, but at the same time it was an extremely triumphant story. It really makes you think.

If you haven't seen it yet, I would highly recommend it.

Sister of Mine

2011-03-31T17:49:00.001-06:00

When I was a little girl, I idolized her. I followed her around everywhere she went and always tried to tag along with her and her friends. She is the reason that I love 80's music, she always knows how to make me laugh, and she is there for me when I need to talk. We have an endless supply of memories that we will always share, and I know that there are many more to come.

She is my big sister.

As sisters we have obviously been through our rough patches, because that's what sisters do. It's okay though, because we always find a way to work it out.

Happy birthday sister!! I love you.

Mardi Gras 2011

2011-03-30T21:07:00.002-06:00

Shay and I have decided that Mardi Gras is our new tradition. It gives us a good excuse to have a party around my birthday, and since Halloween is right by her birthday it works out perfectly.

This year the decorations were more intense and there was an abundance of beads to go around. Almost everyone came with a mask, and if they didn't Shay had some backups ready. That bitch is always prepared!

Every time we get together with this group of people, a great time is had by all. It seems as though each party we have is better than the last, and as a bonus there was no one puking in the sink or bathtub at this party.

Thanks again for the killer party Shaymus! It was awesome, as usual.

{Kaylyn and Brett}

{Shay and Kaylyn}

{Brett and Chaz}

{Emily and Kate}

{Danielle and Ryan}

{Jen}

{Shay and Kaylyn}

Out With the Old....

2011-03-21T22:18:00.003-06:00

In with the new.....

Kindling

2011-03-18T12:22:00.000-06:00

Yesterday as I sat on the couch reading, I found myself trying to remember where my love of books began. What was it that kindled my fire?

Like most kids, I have a lot of memories from my childhood of being outside in the summertime climbing trees or riding my bike. I don't remember reading much until my teenage years. I've always liked to read, I just don't remember always being in love with it. Most of the memories that stick out to me involve being outside, without a book in my hand.

After a few minutes of digging through the filing cabinet of memories in my brain, it hit me. I was 13 years old.

For the first time in my life I was boarding an airplane, and I was terrified. I couldn't fight the tears from falling on my cheeks and I was squeezing my mom's hand so hard that to this day I am surprised it didn't break. We found our seats and my mom continued trying to sooth my fears to no avail. She tried distracting me by telling me all of the amazing things that were going to unfold after we landed, because we were going to be in the happiest place on earth. I could not focus on all of the happy things that she was telling me, because I was convinced that we were on our way into the air only to plummet to our deaths. Why get excited about Disneyland if I was never even going to make it there?

After a few minutes, the woman sitting behind me tapped me on the shoulder. When I turned around I could see that in her outstretched hand, she was holding a book.

"Reading always helps me when I'm upset."

"Thanks."

I took the book that she had given me and started to read it, then the next thing I knew we were in the air and my nerves were completely calm. She was right, it did help.

After our flight had landed I tried to give the book back to the woman, but she wouldn't let me. She told me to hang onto it and finish the story.

I'm really glad that I did, because it sparked something in me that changed me forever.

Burning History

2011-03-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

Brett has been working on a project for one of his art classes in which he has to depict a historical event with mixed media. From the beginning he knew that he wanted to choose an event that no one else in the class would be doing so that his could stand out. We spent some time brainstorming and he decided to go with Hitler's book burnings. While doing some research for ideas I came across this quote, and I really loved it so I decided to share:

"Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings"

- Heinrich Heine

Eff You Snow

2011-03-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

I remain unconvinced that spring is on it's way. This morning I woke up to the sound of my neighbor's snow blower clearing off their driveway. Definitely not the way to start off the morning. I am going to continue to attempt to defy the winter though. I wore a knee length skirt and open toed heels to work today. Take that, winter.

The longer that I live in Utah, the more I wish that I didn't. Shay, let's take our husbands and go to California! There's a good idea. We can come back once a year to go to Moab, and then we can be warm and happy for the rest of the year. No more snow. Wadya say??

Born This Way

2011-03-04T12:28:00.001-07:00

Lady Gaga will be here in concert the day before my birthday. Tickets sold out at year ago. Now the only tickets that you can get your hands on are from scalpers who are selling them for twice the price. Why do people have to do that? It's not cool if you ask me.

Anyway, I wanted to share this video because this little girl is so adorable and so talented. She is doing a cover of Gaga's new song Born This Way. I was looking for the official music video on Youtube, but when I typed in the name of the song this was the first video that came up and I loved it. :)

A Change

2011-03-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Last night I took Belle for a run. Outside. As in, not inside on my elliptical, but outside in the sunshine. With no snow on the ground. It was glorious. Well, as glorious as running can be when you are out of shape and struggling for breath.

I am not a good runner, but I have decided that I would much rather run outside and be in pain than be inside on my elliptical. It's just too boring. At least running outside gives me things to look at and keep me entertained.

I am really hoping that March brings the spring along with it, and I can continue running outside. I am really looking forward to it.

65 Red Roses

2011-02-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

I love reading all different types of blogs. I like stories, and it interests me to read about different people and the stories that they have to tell. This is why blogs are good. You can read about different people around the world and get a glace into what their lives are like.

I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis, and most of them are great. Every once in a while though, a blog comes along that knocks me off my feet. Eva's blog is one of them.

I found her blog about a year ago, and have been combing through her archives ever since. I have now read all of her posts, and feel like I have known her all my life. She died last march, shortly before I found her blog. She was a beautiful woman, both outside and in, and she was my age.

Eva spent her whole life in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis. She went through a double lung transplant, and things were looking up for her, then about a year later she suffered chronic rejection. Her blog documents the high points and low points of her life and she is very open about what it is like to live with CF. They also filmed a documentary about her transplant that will be showing on the OWN network this spring. I cannot wait to see it.

If you are looking for an inspiring and amazing story to read, Eva's is the one.

Here is the trailer for 65 Red Roses:

65 Red Roses Trailer from 65redroses on Vimeo.

She Loves Us

2011-02-27T10:38:00.002-07:00

Most dogs wouldn't sit still long enough to let you put a hat on their head, let alone sit there with it on while you run and grab your camera and then let you snap a picture. Belle is a dog that will do whatever she's told, and we take full advantage of her patience. She may not always look like she's happy about it, but deep down I'm sure that this is one of her favorite things about having us as her humans.

I love her.

{Halloween}

{Hannah Montana}

{Bellerina}

{Amy Winehouse}

{Karate Kid}

{Bret Michaels}

{Tupac}

Day Dreaming

2011-02-22T20:45:00.001-07:00

Have I mentioned that I hate the winter? Because I do.

There are so many things that I am looking forward to this summer. So many. It just won't come fast enough.

I can't wait to go to Jackson with Chaz and Shay again. Just thinking about the way that the sun reflects off of the water makes me smile. Even though the water is icy cold, the beating sun warms you up quickly and dries out your wetsuit enough that it leaves you begging for the next big wave to come along and cool you off again.

It's amazing how loud the water is as it rushes over the rocks and throws the boat from side to side, yet it's so peaceful.

Just thinking about it warms my soul.

The Art of Compromise

2011-02-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

After I decided that I wasn't willing to shell out all of the money that it would take to make my Guinea pig dreams come true, Brett and I decided on a compromise.

It wasn't a hard thing to sell him on at all, since it is a lot less alive than a Guinea pig and would not bother him with any noises or smells. As soon as I suggested my alternative idea he agreed immediately.

We picked it up on Friday, and I am smitten.

Yay For the Weekend

2011-02-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

I am so happy for the weekend to finally be here. It's been a draining week and I am ready to have some fun. :) We are going to be surrounded by good friends, and I'm sure plenty of good food as well. My friends are just the medicine I need to cheer me up right now!!

I just wish that the weather would change for the better, it seems like it's only getting colder each day. I'm so ready for spring.

I hope that you all enjoy your weekend, and party hard for the super bowl!! Go Steelers!!

A Bit of Old Poetry

2011-02-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

I wrote this poem in 2006 shortly after my mom was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma.

It came as such a shock,
I never saw it coming.
When you called to tell me the news,
I could feel my heart beat drumming.
The first question I had for God,
was 'when will it be enough?'
She's been to hell and back before,
but I guess he knows that she'll stay tough!
The trials never get her down,
she always fights it through.
I think that I'm the one who's scared,
and I don't know what to do.
The tears that hit my cheeks,
were letting out all the pain.
But staying strong for her,
is something I have to do again.
I want to understand it all,
how, when, where and why?
But then I think about it again,
and I just can't help but cry.
It hurts to know there's nothing I can do,
but sit back and hold her hand.
Maybe that will help, I guess,
but I just don't understand.
I slowly start to realize,
the word is the scariest part.
When you hear someone say Cancer,
there's a sinking feeling in your heart.
Then you come to see the light,
that she'll make it through each day.
A sense of strength comes over you,
and you know everything will be okay.

Harold Boyd Hughes

2011-02-03T15:21:00.001-07:00

A week ago today, the world lost an amazing man. My grandpa. Harold Boyd Hughes.

I am so lucky to be able to say that I have had him as my grandpa. He was the most loving, understanding, funny, talented, and kind man. My heart hurts so much because I will never be able to hear that infectious laugh, taste his homemade candy or listen as he tells me one of his entertaining stories again, but my grief is just me being selfish. He is in a far better place now, and he is in the company of his beloved wife as well as my mom. He is where he has wanted to be for the past few years, and I know that they will take care of him for me.

I will think of him often and smile.

I love you grandpa, and I will miss you everyday.

Liars are assholes

2011-01-24T15:06:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing I hate, it's a liar.

If you do, or have done, something to hurt me just grow the balls and tell me. There is no sense in lying about it, because it's inevitable that I will just find out eventually.

Being lied to hurts. I will hate you less if you just fess up to whatever it is that you did wrong.

Liars are cowards, that's what I've decided.

Dear Shay,

2011-01-21T14:34:00.001-07:00

{Jackson Hole, 2009}

I cannot wait to see your face tomorrow!! I've missed you so fucking much. It's going to be so nice when we live closer so that I don't have to be without you for such long stretches of time. It's torture!

Love,

Kaylyn

How to Annoy a Co-worker

2011-01-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

I work in a large office building with roughly 200 employees that are on the same floor as me. They do stupid shit that pisses me off on a daily basis. Here are a few of the things that annoy me:

They eat my lunch out of the fridge, even if my name is written on it
They don't always flush the toilet
They forward every email that they ever receive to everyone in the company assuming that we all have the same dumb humor they do
If their food makes a mess in the microwave they don't always clean it up, apparently they think their mom works here too
They park like assholes
They talk into my ear telling me the same old stories every single day, even if it is obvious that I am trying to ignore them
They come up and talk to me when I'm on the phone with a customer

For the most part I like the people that I work with, but anyone who shows the above behavior on a daily basis makes me crazy, and is therefore excluded from being liked. If you would like to avoid being the person within your company that everyone hates, don't do these things.

Huge Hearts

2011-01-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

I saw this video yesterday and had chills when I watched it. It's a cute couple in Virginia who is trying to adopt a little girl named Rinah from Uganda. They have an amazing story and huge hearts.

I wish them luck in their journey.

adopt rinah from VsTheBrain on Vimeo.

A Great Escape

2011-01-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

I just recently finished reading this series.

I must say, it was fantastic! If you are a lover of books, or just someone who enjoys a little break and a great story every once in a while, this series is for you. I was sucked in from the first word.

Almost everyone that I work with had read it and they were all talking about how amazing it was. I have to admit, everything that I heard about it from the first time a co worker uttered it's name to me seemed a little out there and I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. It's set in the future, and the main idea behind the series is that each year a boy and girl from each district are thrown into an arena to fight to the death.

After I finished the first book I had the second and third done in a matter of days. The story is so original, which it seems the world is lacking lately. I would definately recommend that you go pick them up!

A Look Back at 2010

2011-01-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

Looking back on the posts that I did in 2010 makes me realize how uneventful the year was for us. It seemed like we had a lot going on, but obviously not much was worth blogging about. I'm hoping that in 2011 we will be able to experience some great new adventures that will make for some great stories to better entertain you.

Here's a look back at some of the more interesting moments in 2010:

In January I had my blog reviewed over at Ask and ye shall receive which was an interesting experience, and I have to be honest, I thought it would go over a little better than it did. But I guess it could've been worse. Also, I discovered Skype!!
February brought on a new job. I was so nervous to start a new job because I loved my old job so much that I just didn't think that anything could match it. It may not be quite as good as my last job was, but it's a close second and I am extremely lucky to have found it.
March showed me what a party was.
In April I made contact with my biological father.
June brought me In n' Out Burger. Which I didn't think would impact my diet as much as it has because I don't even like Hamburgers. But I do like In n' Out Burgers.
In August I got a new tattoo in honor of my mom on her birthday.
October was the month that we discovered Dexter and had our Hollywood Undead party.
November was pretty much devoted to more Dexter.
I spent the bulk of December trying to convince Brett to get me a Guinea pig and trying to decide what to send my recipient for blog secret santa.

How was your 2010? Any great plans for 2011??

Project GP

2011-01-10T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally did it. I convinced my husband to buy me a Guinea pig.

Don't get too excited, shortly after I managed to persuade him I talked myself out of it. For now.

Once I was given the green light to finally get a Guinea pig I was so excited to go pick out all of the necessary supplies to make our new little buddy comfortable. I had no idea that it was going to be so expensive. I have decided to wait until we have our own house again so that we can make sure we have the space and the funds to properly take care of him. The cages that we saw were all so ugly, and the ones that I have seen online that I really like are super expensive.

Not to mention all of the shit I will need to keep his cage clean as well as treats and food. Yikes.

Spreading Christmas Cheer

2010-12-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

My friend Pserendipity hosted her annual secret Santa blog gift exchange again this year and I had the honor of participating. I, along with 17 other bloggers, were charged with choosing and mailing a gift to the person that we were assigned by choosing random numbers. I didn't really know what to expect at first, and I was worried. I don't know anyone that was participating in the exchange other than Psonya so how would I know what to buy my recipient? Would she like what I sent her? Would the person who was picked to be my secret Santa send me something that I would like?

Everything turned out great in the end. My recipient blogged about what I sent her and seemed really happy with it. Phew. A lot of thought went into what I sent her, so I was relieved that she liked it. Then, a few days after I sent my package off in the mail, mine showed up.

Here's what was inside:

She obviously did her research, the first item I pulled out of the package was a Martini glass. Perfect gift for someone who is a lush, and let's be honest, I love me a stiff drink.

Then onto the next gift, a cookbook. It's not just any cookbook though. It's a cookbook that was given to her by her Grandmother when she got married over twenty years ago. Complete with a handwritten personalization on the inside cover that she altered to say our names instead of hers. That makes it so much more than just a cookbook.

Then there was the luggage tag with the initial to my last name on it that acted as my clue to try and help me guess who my secret Santa might be.

TravelDiva; I want to thank you for the amazing amount of thought that went into the gift you sent me. I am so lucky that you were my secret Santa! I will cherish the cookbook always, and I can assure you that I will get plenty of use out of the Martini glass. :) Hopefully someday I will get the chance to travel so that I can use the luggage tag as well. You really went above and beyond. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T10:54:00.001-07:00

We are enjoying a relaxing Christmas surrounded by the ones we love and hope that you are all doing the same!

Happy holidays to you and yours. May the season bring you lots of laughter and smiles.

Merry Christmas!!

Love,
Brett and Kaylyn

Project GP

2010-12-17T12:31:00.001-07:00

Brett is not budging on the guinea pig. He just won't let me have it. I have been going to extremes such as having my best friend call him and proclaim that she believes in her heart that I need one, begging, bartering, and even sending random pictures of guinea pigs to his email throughout the day so that he will realize that they are adorable and we should definately have one. None of it is working, so now I am taking a different approach.

Every time I take Belle to the pet store with me she stops to look at the guinea pigs. They are on the lowest level of cages, which just happens to be at eye level for her. So now I am using her as bait and trying to convince him that it is not only me who wants a guinea pig. It's the dog, too.

Here is what happens when two grown ass adults are arguing about whether or not their dog wants a guinea pig for Christmas:

{Brett = Grey / Kaylyn = Green}

Who's side are you on?? Don't you think Brett should buy me a guinea pig?

Monday Randoms

2010-12-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that that Christmas is already just a few weeks away. It seems like we just got done with Halloween, doesn't it??

One of my favorite things to do around Christmas is wander around a book store. I could spend hours upon hours just browsing at the books imagining what they all contain. Someday I will have my own library full of books from floor to ceiling. Currently I am reading The Hunger Games, next up on my list is Unbearable Lightness by Portia De Rossi. What's a good book that you've read lately?

I am getting ready for a cookie exchange next week and Brett built me a beautiful display for my cookies. I kind of feel like I'm taking part in a mini Food Network Challenge. {minus the $10,000 grand prize} Who cares if we went a little overboard. Go big or go home, right? I need to make a better effort to learn how to cook more. Cook books might help with that, I just have to learn how to follow a recipe first.

I just bought a copy of Beauty and the Beast on DVD. It's my all time favorite movie, and I try to buy the Disney movies when they are out of the vault, but lately this is the only one that I have really made the effort to snag.

We played a really funny board game at Thanksgiving called Know it or Blow it. I tried to text my sister in law afterward to ask her where she got it, but she didn't respond. Looks like I'll have to investigate. I enjoy board games.

We went to Brett's company Christmas party last night and there was a hypnotist hired for the entertainment. We were both laughing so hard that we had headaches by the end of the show. It was fucking hilarious.

My house is a mess.

I need to get crackin' on my Christmas cards. I haven't even started them yet.

I am making an effort to try and convince Brett to get me a Guinea Pig. He's not convinced that it will be a good idea, but I keep telling him that it will be okay. I don't think he's gonna give in.

The weekend didn't last long enough and I don't get along well with Monday's. Why can't we all just have three day weekends? It would make life so much easier.

This year for Christmas I decided to take off the three days before our vacation at work actually starts, so I'll only have to use three PTO days, but I will get to spend nine, did you hear me? NINE days with my husband. We aren't going anywhere. Just hanging out at home. Okay, we'll probably go visit the Schlange's.

How was your weekend?

Borderline Insanity

2010-11-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the plan was set for us to head up to Ogden to hang out with Chaz and Shay. I couldn't wait for the fun to begin for two reasons. First, it had been far too long since I had seen my best friend. I don't like that we live so far away from each other because we just don't get to see each other often enough, in my opinion. I cannot wait for the day that Brett is done with school and we can move closer to them. It's going to be a beautiful day. I know for a fact that we will find plenty of new ways to get ourselves into trouble when that day finally comes. I will be able to see her whenever I want, which will be often.

The second reason? Season four of Dexter.

We originally planned on getting together to eat a good meal and watch a few episodes of Dexter. It started off as we had planned, and we watched the first two episodes of the fourth season. We broke for dinner, and then set out to watch another episode. I think that across the board, we were planning on watching just four episodes, and then save the rest for another night.

Things didn't go according to plan. We were so enthralled with the intensity of the story that we just kept watching episode after episode. We began watching the first episode around 3:00 pm and didn't stop until the entire season was over at about 4:30 am. It was awesome.

As I have said before, if you are not currently watching Dexter, you should be. It is sooo good!!

Should I be embarrassed that I just admitted to watching 12 solid hours of Dexter for the second time? Because I'm not.

If you haven't read the last Harry Potter book yet, you shouldn't read this post....consider yourself warned

2010-11-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic weekend. The only thing missing was a little time with Shaymus. That's no one's fault but my own though, I just didn't feel like making the drive. I'll see her next weekend, and it will make me feel better.

We went and saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1 yesterday and I loved it. I cried when Harry was digging Dobby's grave at the end though. I knew it was coming, but I still couldn't prepare myself for how sad it would be. Damn you Bellatrix Lestrange. I'm not looking forward to waiting six months until part 2 comes out. I think I'm one of the only people that wouldn't mind sitting through a 6 hour Harry Potter movie.

Saturday night we went to the liquor store and picked up some vodka. Then we drank it. I'm not sorry. Sobriety is overrated.

How was your weekend??

Hollywood Undead

2010-11-14T15:09:00.004-07:00

This year's Halloween party did not disappoint. In years past we have had a few friends that didn't dress up, and it has always been a disappointment to Shay and I. This year, however, those assholes dressed up! We couldn't have been happier.

The theme was Hollywood Undead, so everyone was a celebrity/musician and the turnout was great!

This year, Shay went all out with the decorations and transformed her house into a red carpet Hollywood event. Brett and I took the day before the party off so that we could help finalize the decorating, and we all had a few last minute items to buy for our costumes so there was some shopping to do that day as well. It really made the weekend fantastic to be able to spend the whole thing with our best friends. We truly don't get to see them enough.

Shots were taken, beers were had, delicious food was eaten, beer pong was played, and lots of dancing was done by all. I think that we topped the dead man's party from last year, and that was the goal!

Lady Gaga and Lil' Wayne:

Bret Michaels and Amy Winehouse:

Holly Madison and Ben Roethlisberger:

Kat Von D and Jesse James:

Raquel Welch and Billy Idol:

Soni and Cher:

Marilyn Monroe and James Dean:

I am already counting down the days until next Halloween!!

Dry Spell

2010-11-13T21:03:00.002-07:00

It has been three weeks since Brett and I have had any alcohol. We are trying to take six months off, since lately we have been over doing it. It feels good not to wake up on a Saturday morning with a hangover, feeling like I'd rather die than vomit one more time, but at the same time I find myself wishing I had a drink.

I think I miss it because I'm just so used to it.

This time, unlike the times we've tried this in the past, we're gonna stay on the wagon and ride it out. It'll be tough to do during the holidays, and especially New Years Eve, but we aren't going to give in.

Check back soon for a Halloween post. I still can't believe I haven't posted about it yet.

Loving This Album

2010-11-11T08:32:00.001-07:00

I love the covers that they did of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance and Kanye West's Stronger. Brilliant. You should go to itunes right now and buy it.

Happy birthday Chaz

2010-11-10T14:35:00.002-07:00

My three favorite people have all celebrated their birthday's in the past few weeks, today it's Chaz's turn. Happy birthday Chaz!!

I don't know where I would be without these three! They keep me sane.

Happy Birthday Brett

2010-11-03T21:57:00.003-06:00

Here's to at least 28 more birthdays!! I love your fucking guts.

All Hallows Eve

2010-10-31T22:12:00.002-06:00

Tonight is my favorite night of the year. Tonight is Halloween. I remember when I was little trick or treating always took place on Halloween. No matter what day of the week it was there would be kids in costume running from house to house gathering candy that filled their bags to the top. The doorbells would ring until 11pm. The streets were filled with laughter and screaming, and it was obvious that good times were being had. Good memories were being made.

Now things are so different.

Trick or treating takes place on the Saturday closest to Halloween, mostly as a convenience to the adults, and the kids that come to the door are sparse. The doorbell stops ringing at 8pm. The kids just don't seem to be as enthused as I remember being when I was in their shoes.

It's sad.

Tonight there are no trick or treaters and I only saw one person making a poor attempt at a Halloween costume in Office Max. We are watching Sweeney Todd with no interruptions from the doorbell.

This isn't how it should be. The kids these days are getting gypped. It makes me sad.

Happy Halloween! A post to come soon of our Halloween party last weekend.

Today is a special day!

2010-10-26T09:24:00.002-06:00

Today is a good day. Today is the day that 29 years ago my best friend was born! I am so lucky to have her. She is truly the most amazing friend that anyone could ask for, and I would be so lost without her. She is hilariously witty, extremely creative, gorgeous, smart, thoughtful, stylish, loving, intuitive and loyal.

Basically the definition of what a best friend should be.

I love you Shaymus. You dirty little whore, you. Happy birthday love!!

Picture Perfect

2010-10-08T12:39:00.001-06:00

It's no secret that I have wanted Brett and I to have our pictures done professionally for a long time. Remember this? Yeah. It's been a while, but the desire for a photo shoot has not left the forefront of my thoughts and I have still been looking for someone who's work I love.

There is one photographer that I have admired for a long time, and I have wished that we could afford to have our pictures taken by her, but to be honest, for the price that she charges it just isn't going to work right now. With our budget the money will more likely be spent on a years worth of food. I have come to the conclusion that I will most likely not be able to even think about booking a photo shoot with her for years to come. For now I will live with just admiring her beautiful images from my side of the computer.

At first I was extremely discouraged when I came to this realization, but then {then!}right after I had decided that I was going to have to give up for a while on my hopes for having our pictures done, I read something that made my heart leap.

Enter, Mrs. Taylee Winder.

We have been friends through blogging for a long time, and I read her blog religiously. Come to find out, she is an amazing photographer!

Turns out that very soon, I will finally be able to meet her because she is going to do our pictures for us!! I can't tell you how excited I am. Not only will we be able to have our pictures done by a very talented photographer, but one of my long time blog friends will become a real life friend. It couldn't have worked out better.

See her amazing talent here, and book a session of your own!

Strange addiction

2010-10-04T16:23:00.002-06:00

I will admit that I am a big fan of T.V. and I watch plenty of shows that I am not proud of, i.e. Dog the Bounty Hunter. It's a white trash train wreck that I cannot bring myself to take my eyes off of, and I watch it every chance I get.

Brett, on the other hand, rarely watches T.V. at all. If he's watching something on T.V. it's for one of two reasons....we're either watching something that I want to watch, or it's the middle of the night and he can't sleep.

Recently Chaz and Shay have introduced us to something that has quickly become an exception to that rule.

Dexter.

We are both sucked into it's vortex and unable to break free. We only started watching it last weekend and we have already finished three out of the five seasons. It's bad.

The show is just so intriguing. Every single episode has something monumental happening, and the plot points are intense. I don't know what I am going to do with myself when it is over.

You knew this one would be coming....

2010-10-01T13:39:00.001-06:00

You guys, I'm not sure if you know this or not, but its October!! Guess what that means.....Halloween is almost here! I cannot contain my excitement. Shay and I are in full blown prep mode!

This years party theme is 'recognizable musicians' and let me just tell you, there will be some good costumes this year! Here's a little preview of who will be attending:

Yeah, I know. It's going to rock. {pun intended}

My Way of Coping

2010-09-27T14:22:00.002-06:00

August 13th was my mom's birthday. In the months approaching it, I was dreading each day that brought it closer. I am not coping well with her loss, and every time I think about her I want to cry. I just miss her so much.

I was trying to come up with a way to honor and remember her on her birthday, and I started brainstorming a few months ago. I wanted it to be something significant. Something that would make a lasting impression on my life, and help me keep her memory alive in my soul. My sister and I had been talking about getting memorial tattoos in her honor, but didn't really know what we wanted or when we wanted to do it. I picked up the phone one day and called my sister. "Let's do our tattoo's on mom's birthday!" That's all it took. She was in.

I had started looking at designs and finally decided what I wanted to do and found the artist that I wanted to go to, so Brett set the appointment. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! My sister did the same general design, but hers is in a different location and has color instead of just black and grey. I choose to merge two Celtic symbols that I loved because their meaning was perfect for what I was trying to represent. One is the Celtic symbol for motherhood and the female power, and the other is the Celtic symbol for the transitions through life and death. I think it's perfect! What do you think?