The Hodge-Podge Blog

Time

2009-10-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for the passage of time. Going through some old pictures I ran across this photo from just 4-years ago. It instantly gave me anxiety.

Here is the same space earlier this year. Sooo much better.

Baking Update, etc.

2009-10-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

I guess I did leave out vital information from my last post! They were supposed to be cupcakes that I was making ... from scratch; not out of a box. Yikes! What a mess. Today I'm baking bread instead.

I've been meaning to post this picture as well. We live in the middle of a city, so this is the last thing you'd expect to see in your front sidewalk. And I'm not talking about the weeds.

However, in the past, we have seen deer on the Trax lines, racoons in the creek, and owls in the trees. So fun!

Oops!

2009-10-03T18:56:00.001-07:00

This is a pretty good indication that it's time for me to quit baking for the day:

This was the SECOND batch. I followed all the directions so that they wouldn't "collapse". Hmmm.

Sumo Man

2009-09-25T07:28:00.001-07:00

You never know what you may find when looking at an address through "Street View" in Google Maps:

Like "Sumo Man". Hmm. Not what I was expecting. Upon closer inspection, there is a guy filming Sumo Man:

Well, it is in San Francisco. What's your instinct ... Eccentric? Hollywood movie? Protester? Geico caveman commercial?

I bet there is a website out there for unusual things found on Street View. I think I'll check, because I have a submission!

LDS Graffiti

2009-08-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

I didn't know that we had youth taggers in the LDS church ...

We went for a nice Sunday drive, and among the beautiful pines and rain scented air, we were taught our Sunday School lesson ... "Modest is Hottest".

And we also got to appreciate some classic expressionist art ... someones version of The Scream by Edvard Munch.

What a day!

Fish Lake

2009-08-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

Spent the weekend in Fish Lake, Utah for a family reunion ...
Fun on the lake it one of the best places on earth!

Llama Fest

2009-07-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy Saturday and we ended the day by having a lot of fun at Llama Fest! It was very HOT and we were glad when it got a little cloudy.

This was my favorite llama.

Here is one of the llama races. Some of them were .... resistant ... to racing.

This llama has made a new friend. He loved having Matt scratch the side of his face and was ready to come home with us.

Something's Wrong ...

2009-04-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

I remember going to the dentist when I was a kid, and they had the cute magazines with the back cover that had a bunch of strange events depicted ... a bird with a human foot, a kite flying with no string, a chair with two legs, and the caption read "What's wrong with this picture?" ...

All I can say about this photo and caption that appeared in BYU's student newspaper, the Daily Universe, is "oops!" ... I feel so sorry for the poor student editors.

But, doesn't Elder Perry look so happy in that photo?

Holi

2009-03-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

Mom, Matt and I drove down to Spanish Fork this Saturday for Holi ... the Festival of Colors!

Oh, wow ... we were stuck in traffic and didn't make it down there it time for throwing colors. People were parking 2.5 miles away from the temple and walking to attend. In the past they've had about 2,000-3,000 attendees. There were 10's of thousands there on Saturday. People were FLOCKING to the temple and there was a huge plume of colored air all around that area. Traffic on I-15 was backed up 7-miles before the exit. We sat in traffic for over an hour.

I did take a few pictures of people and the temple as we drove by. Not as many as I wanted to because I was driving, but I got a few.

Matt was glad to stay safely in the car. My mom is excited for next year, and says she wants to go down really early in the day so we can see/experience everything! It was a lesson learned. Totally different than Diwali, which is LOW KEY, and which I really loved! So, I guess I have them both to look forward to in the next year, and maybe in 2010 I will get painted!

Elephants

2009-03-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

In conversation during the last few months, I have brought up the idiom of an "elephant in the room" a couple of times. I am constantly surprised that no one has heard this saying! People look at me with blank eyes searching for some meaning in my comment, and then I try to explain - unsuccessfully I'm sure.

Here's the wikipedia explanation: "The elephant in the room (also elephant in the living room, elephant in the parlor, elephant in the corner, elephant on the dinner table, elephant in the kitchen, elephant on the coffee table, and horse in the corner) is an English idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed. It is based on the idea that an elephant in a room would be impossible to overlook; thus, people in the room who pretend the elephant is not there might be concerning themselves with relatively small and even irrelevant matters, compared to the looming big one."

For example: A relative has received bad news, which has trickled through the grapevine to the entire family. At a gathering, everyone is chatting about all sorts of subjects, specifically avoiding that one topic, although everyone in the room is aware and likely thinking about that information at one point or another during the gathering.

Ta-da!

Now you know ... and you can use it ... just make sure you don't say "white elephant in the room", because that has an entirely different meaning!

I wish ...

2009-02-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

Today I wish I were as talented as this guy. Wow! Song and video!

Poke

2009-02-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

Question: Why Facebook?
My Answer: It is interesting to have little mini interactions family and friends. Some I haven't spoken to in years! And it's honestly mind-numbing how many people are on there!

Question: Why not MySpace?
My Answer: You may not agree. I never joined MySpace, but I think it's the creepy version of Facebook.

Question: Is Facebook addicting?
My Answer: I've been told it is. Most evidence indicates so, such as people updating their status from their mobile phone. I'm too new to the process to know for myself. I think it may be fleetingly addicting.

Question: Do people like to chat on Facebook?
My Answer: It seems not. I see people are online, but no one takes the bait to chat. It seems the majority of Facebookers like to have a reminder that their friends and family are still out there plugging away; liking to see little glimpses of what they're up to that they can chuckle about. But, no chatting please.

Question: Why poke?
My Answer: I have no answer. I couldn't figure it out. I Googled it.
Online Answer: “A poke is a way to interact with your friends on Facebook. When we created the poke, we thought it would be cool to have a feature without any specific purpose. People interpret the poke in many different ways, and we encourage you to come up with your own meanings.”
My Second Answer: OK, so my own meaning if I poke you in Facebook is that I think you're wearing the coolest socks ever! And if you happen to not be wearing socks, then it means I like your hair today. If you happen to be bald, then it means that you should smile more.

Question: Biggest complaint about Facebook?
My Answer: If Google were involved, ease of use would increase through the roof.

Question: How can a person be slowly driven crazy?
My Answer: By a cat who is howling outside the door, and just won't seem to be quiet today!

Last Thoughts: It amazes me that all these online "find someone" sites like Reunion and Classmates are still running. Facebook does the job more effectively and for free. Their days are numbered.

Seniors with Guns

2009-02-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

We went to a funeral yesterday for my uncle in Koosharem, Utah. The weather was nice, it was good to see family, and it was great to hear about all the things my uncle did to affect those around him. He was a good and respected man.

We went to the gravesite, and because he served in the the military during the Korean War, he had military honors at his funeral. It was an interesting thing ...

First, the cute old men were treating their gun more like a cane or walking stick than a weapon.

Second, after a bit of music was played, the group prepared to shoot the guns in the honorary salute. Although most aimed over a 45 degree angle, two of them had a hard time lifting the guns that high. I was assured there were blanks in the gun, but couldn't help duck as they took their shots. The two low-aiming gentlemen probably would have barely cleared the canopy if there had been bullets. Barely.

The first shot startled the shooter on the right, who jumped. And immediately all the babies began to cry.

Third, my brother enjoyed overhearing a conversation among the men who were trying to decide where the safety on the gun was actually located.

And last, as we were preparing to return to the church, we were all saluted again. We turned to see that the men were loading the guns into the back of someone's truck, where they accidentally let off two shots. And then the babies began to cry.

"I guess they're right, old people, though slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose."
--- Lloyd Christmas, Dumb and Dumber

Fluff

2009-01-23T06:47:00.000-08:00

Hello! Not much really happening in our household, but thought I'd say hi to everyone. Some things that I'm excited about, that most people probably wouldn't think exciting:

I love to shop clearance, and have certain places I go to frequently to patiently wait for a bargain. This week I got some amphibious footwear on sale for $25!

They're impractical winter shoes, but will be fun for summer. I think the "drain frame" is so interesting how it directs the water away from your feet. So cool.

I added a Shelfari bookshelf to my blog! (Look left.) I was already on Goodreads, and a friend sent me an invite to Shelfari. I wasn't going to do it, but I love how adding books you've read actually put them on your bookshelf! It's fun! (Which makes me sound and feel like a 5th grader.) Speaking of books, I just finished reading this book:

And a bunch of others than you can check out on my bookshelf. (Look left.)

But, back to The Magicians and Mrs. Quent. I really loved it. Not sure if Olivia still checks out my blog, but I would recommend it to her since many of the books she's talked about on her blog I've also enjoyed. I think my mom-in-law would also like it - so check it out.

I have a renewed interest in my favorite band from my younger years. Don't laugh .... Oingo Boingo! Around Christmas I got a couple of my favorite albums of theirs off iTunes ... all of these I only ever had on tape!

I'm not much of a concert-goer, but I've been to two of theirs; one was their farewell tour. :(

Another of my favorite-ever albums is:

Over the holidays we watched Mamma Mia! at least five times! It has now been officially added to my list of favorite movies. To be added to the list means that I can watch it repeatedly and never tire of it. Here is the list, not in order of my favorite -- because I couldn't pick a favorite -- but in order of when they were added to the list.

"Dumb and Dumber" really doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the movies, does it? Can someone please buy me Nancy Drew's blue roadster?

Of the movies above, I have also read Pride & Prejudice, Marnie, and Random Harvest. You can find them on my bookshelf. (Look left.)

Other exciting things in my world ... Odwalla has new Monster Protein drinks that will keep you awake and energized for hours! Yeah! And they're so yum! I couldn't find a picture of the new ones, but here is the Chocolate Super Protein, which is also tops!

We went to the car show with our friends last weekend. My favorite car was the midnight blue Saturn Aura with the brown interior. It was a beautiful combination of colors. I couldn't find one that was similar online, but here is the interior:

That's the scoop on all the unimportant, yet exciting things in my world. The important thing that takes up the majority of the time (i.e. work) is about the same. The hatchet keeps threatening to fall, but so far I still have my neck. ;)

It's good that I have so much exciting fluff to engage my thoughts in troubled times!

Good things...

2009-01-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

do happen in January!

Today we had our final inspection on our house, and we passed.

So our house permit is now officially closed and we can put things upstairs for real.

When Matt called today to tell me the result, I was so excited that I wanted to do a happy dance.

And at the same time I was so in shock. It was hard to believe that it's real. When you've lived with something in the back of your mind for so long it's hard to convince yourself that it has come to a close.

So, we took a gift card we got from my work and went to The Cheesecake Factory for a celebratory dinner. Yippee!

And I can whole-heartedly recommend that place. Wonderful food!

Bollywood Again

2009-01-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

I didn't watch the Golden Globes, but I wish I would have!

You all know I'm a freak for Bollywood movies! Imagine my surprise when I find out that the biggest star in Bollywood ... "King Khan" or Shahrukh Khan ... was invited to present!

Lucky for me (and you) I found the clip on YouTube!

If you click the Bollywood label below, you can see other references to Shahrukh Khan in my blog and other Bollywood films!

One more thing to note which I think is super exciting ... A.R. Rahman was nominated and won a Golden Globe for best music. He is the first Indian to win a Golden Globe. He also composed the music for Jodha Akbar and Dil Se. Click on the Bollywood label below and you will find an awesome clip from Dil Se with subtitles!

New Year!

2009-01-01T10:33:00.001-08:00

We kind of disappeared the last three months of 2008! They are my favorite months, and they get packed full of activities!

Honestly December was disappointing because I was sick so much! I got sick December 1, and I had the last traces of my cough from that cold around December 19. But, I was so glad to break my yearly curse of being sick ON Christmas!

Ha - ha. December 24 I started in with another cold, and this one has been worse than the first. Probably since I had been sick so recently. Anyway - this one is still hanging on. Matt's entire family, except one individual, got sick. So, we had a cough-filled holiday. It's just my luck that I'll be feeling good in time to go back to work! I really can't remember a time when I've been sick for so long. Only 5-days of being well in one month! Crazy!

But, we tried to have fun anyway, and did some cool things:

December 2 - We went to the play "Savior of the World".
December 4 - We got free tickets from my work and went to see "The Nutcracker".
December 6 - It was a very warm Saturday and we finished our Winter yard preparations, and put the Christmas lights on the house.
December 14 - We had our yearly Christmas Dinner with my family.

December 17 - We got free tickets from my work to see the advanced showing of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". It was interesting, but soooo sad.
December 20 - Our friend Quincy got married and we went to his reception.
December 22 & 23 - I had two glorious non-sick days of cleaning/shredding junk out of our office.
December 24 - We had a fun evening doing what we traditionally do this night - - - dinner with Matt's family at his Aunt & Uncle's and then watching "We're No Angels", our yearly Christmas movie, with my family.
December 25 - We had Christmas breakfast at our house with Matt's family. Normally we go to my brother's house for dinner, but I was really sick so we stayed home this year.
December 28 - Matt's mom made her own birthday dinner (isn't that sad), and everyone came to our house to eat. Matt and I were both horribly sick by this point, so mom took over and did all the work. We woke up to eat. She flew home on her actually birthday - December 29 - and was the last one to get sick, starting in with it that day! What a birthday present.

We hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year's! Happy 2009!

Hmmm ...

2008-12-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

I just WORDLED my blog.

I didn't think I said "turkey" that much! Or "things"!

Here it is ... you can click to make larger.

23 LBS

2008-11-30T21:11:00.001-08:00

This year I got a big Thanksgiving turkey ... 23 pounds ... because we were having almost all of Matt's family over, and because I love to make turkey soup from the leftovers.

I hefted the bird onto the grocery conveyor belt at the checkout. After the clerk scanned the tag, he lifted it, exhaling all his air, and carried it around to my cart. After dropping it in with a crash, he exclaimed, "I bet in life that was one fat a** turkey."

I was eager to tell Matt the story of the punk at the store who insulted our turkey, and we laughed as we shared it with our family.

And here we are just before digging into the fat a** turkey!

Elusive "I'm Done"

2008-11-24T07:24:00.000-08:00

Something about myself that I like and also at the same time despise, is that I am constantly in search of the Elusive "I'm Done".

It sounds stupid, but that statement describes it exactly. When there are things to be done a few things I automatically do include that:

I make lists. I put it on paper so I don't have to keep it in my brain. In my mind it goes around and around. On paper, I can purge it from my mind and relax. I tick off each item on the list until it's FINAL, and I don't think about it anymore.

I start early. I won't give details, because I'll really sound like a freak. But, I always start brainstorming things way in advance. I pick up little pieces of the puzzle along the way until it's all put together. If I know an event, project, or deadline is on the horizon, I want to get it FINAL, and not think about it anymore.

I communicate. I tell everyone, up, down, sideways, who may need or want to know. I don't want anyone left out and I want all the questions to be answered way in advance. Then I can wrap it up in a pretty bow and say it's FINAL, and not think about it anymore.

I like that I can quickly organize and complete things. I don't like that I allow myself to be consumed by thinking and sometimes drive others crazy when I take them down that path with me! Sorry! I know some of you are reading this.

It's all in the quest for that Elusive "I'm Done"; the moment when I suddenly realize that I have NOTHING to do because it's all done! That's where the "elusive" part comes in because we all know that in that moment I would create something to do.

2, 4, 11, 16

2008-11-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

.... 39!!!

That's the number of unread posts in some of my favorite blogs. How long has it been since I've checked my Reader?

I feel very busy. I've been working my hardest to be ready for the holidays so I can just sit back and enjoy. And I'm only 2 ticks away! Yeah!

My calendar says that I have been busy. Most nights are filled beyond my capacity, and I'm shedding some commitments. Sorry if you're getting shedded.

Results of this schedule include that my blog has been postless since October! I bet a lot of you are already feeling this way with the upcoming holidays, and if you're not, probably will soon.

But tonight I escaped the cage I've built of busy tasks! Thanks to Matt! We went and saw Quantum of Solace, which is the first time I've watched any entertainment over 30-minutes in some time! At least a couple weeks.

And I managed to squeeze in a post. Don't get too excited. This is it.

Getting Creative

2008-10-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

What would happen if I super-glued an ice pack to my head?

I have seriously had this thing permanently pressed to my ear for the last three days! Yesterday all during work, all evening last night, and all morning and afternoon today. Of course it thawed last night while sleeping, so I woke up with "Puffy Ear" and "Swollen Jaw".

Enter ice pack and "hyper and moody pills" which let me tell you have been less on the moody and more on the hyper side. YEAH! Things are feeling slightly better this afternoon. Again.

So back to my original question. Super-glueing the ice pack to my head may sound convenient, but it would be difficult to "recharge" upon thawing! Of course sticking my whole head in the freezer might solve some things as well!

P.S. Check out this post of mine from September. It is an interesting forecast of my current predicament!

4am

2008-10-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

What can you do at 4am?

You can watch the news and hear about stocks plummeting on the other side of the globe.
You can see Orion way up in the sky!
You can be awake to hear the first Trax train run by!
You can put a new post on your blog!

So, I went home yesterday afternoon and ice packed, which did no good. About 6p I was running a fever of 102, so I went to After Hours Medical. They told me it was a delayed but "extreme and potentially deadly" reaction to a bee sting. It's not fun to hear "deadly" during a Dr. visit.

I had multiple stings on my leg about 3 years ago, and ended up at the doctor's. They told me that time that if I got stung in the future to watch my breathing carefully for anaphalactic shock. But, I was breathing fine this time, so I thought I was OK. They told me last night that sometimes the reaction is delayed and with the swelling getting steadily worse, and the fever, that problems breathing was likely an upcoming symptom.

So, I got two shots (ephinephrine and tetanus - since they consider a bee sting a puncture wound) and had to take two oral medicines (steroids and inflamation) last night, along with a lot of water!

Within 10 minutes my heart rate and blood pressure were down to normal levels. You mean 130 bpm isn't normal while at a resting state!? Within an hour the fever was gone.

They have me on 3 medications for the next 7 days, since they said it would flare up again. The medicines are supposed to make me hyper and moody! (I'll try to be on my best behavior.)

Oh! And now I get to carry an EpiPen with me wherever I go, since they assured me next time it would be even worse!

So, now it's 4am and I can't sleep. Mostly because the swelling is going down and I have a huge headache! They said with the skin swollen, the nerves are stretched out and you can't feel it. Now that the swelling is going down, I CAN DEFINITELY FEEL IT. So, I'm biding my time until I can take my happy pills (oops - I mean hyper and moody pills) and head into work! I have a feeling it may be soon!

Relaxing Evening: CANCELLED

2008-10-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Trust me ... no picture is necessary for this post!

Work's been a bit crazy - well, REALLY crazy! And it's sucking a lot of my energy, so my mental state is already pretty drained, and I'm feeling really behind in life. (For example, my list of unread emails.)

Enter last night. I got home, and decided to feed the dogs early before I got started on an evening of relaxation and getting caught up! So, what happened to alter my best laid plans?

I got stung by a yellow jacket!!!

No kidding, that STUPID thing flew straight into my ear, buzzing like crazy and generally getting pissed! All the while, stinging me repeatedly!

So, I'm frantically trying to get it out, and of course my hair is in the way, so it's not working. Then I tripped on our edging and fell on the lawn. Of course THAT got the bee out of my ear/hair! And now I'm laying on the lawn, having a hard time trying to get up because I mangled my knee! And my ear is starting to sting and swell.

I got up, hobbled inside (Goo staring and me in total bewilderment), and after a couple of stressful phone calls to complain to loved ones and attempt home remedies, I spent the evening on the couch, with an ice pack on my knee, an ice pack on my ear, and Benadryl (which makes me LOOPY) and Ibuprofen in my tummy.

This morning my knee feels slightly better. I have a couple bruises that have shown up on my hand and shoulder. My ear is HUGE puffy, and I'm sitting at work with a cold water bottle wedged between my ear and shoulder. (While enduring co-worker giggles, who apologize because they feel bad laughing, but can't help it because it looks like I'm talking on a water bottle!)

I'm really thinking that it was the Benadryl that took the swelling down last night, because the cold water and Ibuprofen alone aren't doing it today! So, I think I may go home early and take some Benadryl and drift off into a drugged stupor!!

Monday

2008-10-21T21:11:00.001-07:00

After our busy weekend, we took some gift cards I got from work and went to The Melting Pot last night. We've never been before, and it was a lot of fun! I know I wouldn't pay $120.00 of my own money to go, but on someone else's dime, it was fabulous!

After dinner, we walked around downtown remembering when we used to work there. Matt and I met while working at Pacific Rim Mortgage Company which was in the Kearns Building. Everything sure has changed a lot since those days! The malls are gone! The Trax train runs down Main Street! The Conference Center was built!

HINT: Temple Square is NOT crowded in October. You can take a nice leisurely stroll on the grounds and run into very few people!