Don't worry, I can blackmail myself part 3

I just had to. This was part of my "group" of friends in high school. From left to right: Leslie, me, LaDawn, and Tonya. As you can see we were rather dateless, but boy we sure did have fun on our own. Which leads into another story.

My friends and I may not have been 'bells of the ball' so to speak, but that doesn't mean we didn't have a good time. In fact we spent quite a bit of time on the dance floor. We did a substantial amout of head banging and jumping (Jump! Jump! Jump!) One of the favorite things to do was grab hands and swing around in a circle as fast as we could.

So one time, we were at the dance on Fair weekend. It was in the gymn at the Elementary school. I can still feel the squeaky floor underneath my feet. There was a boy there that I was just ga ga over. He sold t-shirts at one of the stands, "Button Your Fly". (You know as well as I that all teenagers have brain damage and an extreme lack of taste in the opposite sex. I was no exception.) His name was Kimber. He said I looked like the singer from the B-52's. He called me his B-52 girl. I was head over heels, for the moment at least. He also thought I was 17.

I was 15.

Anyway, we (Tonya, Leslie, and I) were on the dance floor, doing our signature hold hands and spin move (cause that's way appealing to the opposite sex??) when I was released from their grip. I flew out of the spin and did a backwards summer-salt into the corner speaker. I was mortified!!... but not unused to making a fool of myself at the most inopportune times. My face went glow-in-the-dark red, I stood up, took a bow and sat down.

Yep, those were good times.

Huh.

For some reason every time I get a haircut I'm inspired to write about it. It's like you get a chance to choose a new you. There you are, looking in the mirror at the old you with the non-descript mop lounging around your face and trying to decide what the new you is going to look like.

Should I color? Should I just get it cut? How short? What do I want to be able to do with my hair? What will look good? What will make me wake up in a cold sweat realizing that I have killed my chances of fortunate and fame by getting a stupid haircut!? (at least until is grows back into the mop that is.) And what will help me walk down the halls of the University knowing that I look like a million bucks in spite of the fact that I have at least 13 years on most of the students wandering the halls. Let's face it the "do" seems to say a lot about how you feel, especially when it's a bad one.

I can't help but think of some of the really good bad hair-do's I have had while growing up. I used to get perms a lot when I was in junior high and high school. They were the home perms that mom did cause hey, why not. I'll never forget one particular home perm. The solution apparently sat a little too long and as my mother was taking out the perm rods, there were bursts of quickly stifled laughter. "It'll be fine, it'll be fine" she said quickly and stifled another laugh. I looked like I had stuck my finger in a light socket! Tight little curls. Yechk.

Second all time favorite remembrance was "the haircut". Mom was just having a bad year at that time. It was the same year she gave my brother the "Trojan war helmet cut". She was trimming my bangs, pulled the hair down, asked "Is this the right length?" and then cut it before I even had a chance to look, let alone respond. My bangs were maybe two inches long. I'm betting an inch and a half personally but it can't be proven since I would allow no one to take a picture of me till they grew back out. Positively mortifying during the delicate high school years. I had to use one of those super extra small curling irons to even put a curl in it. I wanted to put a bag over my head, or come down with mono or something so I could skip the rest of the school year.

For your enjoyment, the hair of high school past... thank heavens!

Sophomore year. The perm. Young, innocent.

Junior year. The attempts at straightness. (failed) Senior year. I have no idea... seriously, what was that. (Don't you think I kind of look drugged?)

It's really sad when...

.... you have writers block for your own blog. It's not like I have a deadline or an editor. My income does not depend on it, but here it is nonetheless.

Have you ever seen "Little Women" with Winona Rider? Remember the part when they are going over their own self-made newspaper and Beth's article is a recipe? Anyone read my last entry...

I woke up this morning to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. I immediately thought of "Wayne's World" and our adventures in Soda Springs Idaho as me, Sarah, Tonya, Leslie, Lisa, and Angie went to the Idan-ha theatre to see it. (Was LaDawn there? I don't remember... that was awhile ago.) I believe that was the trip that some Soda girls thought we were hitting on their boyfriends and followed us around so they could beat us up. We were in my parents suburban at the time and the windows were tinted. When we finally pulled over and rolled down the windows, they realized just how many people we were and they took flight. It's a good thing cause I don't know the first thing about beating someone up that isn't my sibling! ha!

I sometimes feel as if there is something magical about putting my life stories out there for the world to see. Like I'm no longer afraid of my past and I can look at it squarely in the face... at last. I'm not proud of some of the stuff I did in High School but it's part of me whether I like it or not. If I stare it in the face and let other people take a look as well, perhaps some of it will stop haunting me. Like those super embarassing moments that sneak up on you when you are content and happy with life. Those moments that pop into the back of your head and say "neiner neiner ha ha, you aren't that great. You shouldn't be nearly as relaxed as you are, remember this!" and then it snears at you all menacing-like. Yeah, I hate it when that happens.

I know, weird huh!

K, so this may not be the oddest thing I've ever posted, but I tried this recipe tonight and really liked it. Plus it was really easy. So I've decided to share.

Oh-so-easy Tomato Cream Soup

2 cups milk
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender; cover and process until smooth.
Transfer to a large saucepan and heat through.

Totally easy, I used dried basil because let's face it I'm not that good.

6 Signs of a Successful Sick Day

1. Your bed remains unmade for the duration

2. You are still in your pajamas when your husband gets home

3. The hair has remained uncombed throughout the day

4. A minimum of 4 hours of TV has been watched and/or slept through

5. The dishes are still dirty

6. The will to live returns by the end of the regular work day

"The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards

So it's been awhile since I posted about a book. I finished this one quite a while ago but I'm still not sure what to think of it. Let me explain.

"The Memory Keeper's Daughter" is about a couple who had twins in the 60's when modern medicine, and more importantly, Downs Syndrome was largely misunderstood. The couple did not know they were having twins and the husband, being a doctor, actually did the emergency delivery in the middle of a snow storm. The first, a boy, was born perfect and healthy. The second, a girl was born with Downs Syndrome. Without telling the mother (who was under at the time) he made the decision to have the girl sent to a home where others could take care of her. So dad tells mom that the child died at birth and he already had her buried. Mom is mortified at not being able to at least see the child, but does her best to understand. The nurse who was to take the child to the 'center' couldn't do it, takes the child and raises her on her own and tells dad that's she's done so. Dad couldn't ever bring himself to tell mom.

The story continues as husband and wife dad try to make a home while husband hides the truth of the child and wife feels a lack of connection between them and doesn't know how to bridge the gap. It's really quite a sad story.

The book confuses me because it's hard to categorize. It's hard to look and say, "wow, why didn't these people drop the charade and just talk to each other and get it all out." It was a different time. Communication and striving to understand each other is such a key part of any relationship and yet there were these strict social rules that made it difficult to just sit down and talk. In an effort to 'not hurt his wife' the husband never did tell her the truth. Instead he let it drive their marriage apart while he accepted it as penance for having hidden the truth in the first place.

In the bright side, it made me quite happy to know that even if David and I did try to hide something from each other, it wouldn't last for long. We are so very open with each other it's almost appalling! But it works for us.

Overall, I'm not sure that I would recommend this book as anything other than a study of the human spirit and what a secret in a relationship can do. Not uplifting, but perhaps it does help us understand some of what goes on around us.

Death of a...

My hair dryer died today. I feel it appropriate to have taps in the imaginary background for this. It has been a part of my life for at least 6 years now. I had no idea it was old and close to death, it just happened so suddenly. One minute I was drying my hair happily with the steady whir of the faithful hair-dryer motor (Do hair-dryer's have motors? Weird.) when it happened. The steadiness wasn't so steady. It began to come on and off much like a bad cell-phone connection or a bad analogy. Then it went into the death rattle. It sputtered, gave an extended dying breath and stopped. It's little blue digital display will never light up my mornings again.

A moment of silence please...

But alas, one cannot get too emotional over inanimate objects. And most importantly one cannot go on with wet hair! No time for mourning, a replacement has been procured.

As silly as it is, a picture seems appropriate.

Thursdayness

So this week has been BUSY! I had no idea! I feel a bit like I've run a marathon without training for it. If that were true I would be a pile of jello that hurt in places I had no idea existed until now. And I would be missing toenails because of course my shoes would be too tight.

That's what life has been lately. My work has taken me places that I had no idea existed for me. Marketing, web design (as far as the strict guidelines of the University allow... which are incredibly stupid by the way) advertising. It's just a lot for the ol' brain to wrap itself around right now and consequently there is a gelatinous feel to it I'm sure.

Take today for instance, I spent entirely too much time just trying to get the Catering logo on the website today. It was ridiculous! I thought about throwing my computer out the window but they are made with reinforced, fire-safe glass. It would have bounced back, landed on my foot, and crushed the tiny bones. Therefore, I didn't throw it but only because I hoped to walk out someday with a little dignity left. But boy did I feel like it.

I also felt like getting stamp that said "Stupid" and stamping people's foreheads with it. I would start with mine just so I could have a visible disclaimer to explain my actions. You have to admit that would be pretty funny to do. Mostly in jest, some in all the seriousness that I am capable of.

I can only hope that as Friday wraps up tomorrow, respite will be on the horizon bringing a much needed rest. I am looking forward to General Conference quite a bit this time around. Several reasons. First, you can't beat church in your pajamas. Second, I'll be getting in some serious knitting time. Third... well really you just can't beat church in pajamas which also has the accompanying "I get to get out of bed whenever I want and since the television is in the next room turn up the volume please" aspect.

Life is looking better already!

.. and another thing.

1. One of the best things about my job is breakfast. There’s nothing like being met in the kitchen by piping hot French toast only the way that Jeff makes it… it’s heaven I tell ya!

2. Sometimes I play Christmas music when it snows in a semi-vain attempt that it will make be feel better about “the great white” that insists on staying around much longer that anyone has ever planned.

3. Never put hot beverages in bio-degradable “plastic” cups. They melt.

4. Thursday night TV is usually my favorite night, but I don't watch E.R. and that's all that's on. Blast! Except for Grey's Anatomy but I'm not caught up on that one.

5. Playing the piano is very cathartic, especially when you have a song that's supposed to be played loud.

the end.