Celebrate the Little Things!

I just have to take a moment to say "wah-hoo!" I filled up my car yesterday for less than $20. :-)

The price was $1.33 per gallon. We haven't seen prices that low since the May 2003!

KISS AWAY STRESS!

According to an MSN news report, the holiday season is the time of year when you are most likely to die from a heart attack. According to research at the University of California, the deadliest day of the year (in terms of cardiac related deaths) is Christmas Day! MSN gave some great ideas for beating seasonal stress (all apparently backed up by the latest research). Here are a few:

• Eat dark chocolate. (The flavenoids in cocoa relax your body's blood vessels.)
• Kiss or hug. (Doing so raises levels of oxycotin which lowers stress, anxiety and blood pressure.)
• Eat fish--especially salmon. :-) (People with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids are happier, less impulsive, and more agreeable.)
• Add lots of garlic to your food. (Garlic's main ingredient, organosulfur allicin, relaxes blood vessels.)

I am definitely on board with items 1 through 3 since I love dark chocolate, salmon (see previous blog entry), kisses and hugs. Who knew de-stressing could be so enjoyable! I guess I am good with item 4 as well, but think I'll avoid item 4 and then item 2 in close succession. ;-)

My seasonal stress actually has more to do with finals week at the college than with holiday shopping, travel, etc. I think the best way for me to beat stress would be to forget about grading exams and just give all my students A's-- do you think that would comprmise my academic integrity?

Mmmmmmm.......Thanksgiving Salmon!

Happy Turkey Day . . . or Salmon Day! My siblings are not huge turkey and yams fans, so this year my mom decided to break tradition. She did make a turkey with stuffing, potatoes, and yams for those who like it, but we had thanksgiving turkey AND thanksgiving salmon AND even thanksgiving pizza. Growing up, my parents always reminded us that our house was "not a short-order house," but yesterday it actually was. My nieces and nephews like pizza, so they got it. My dad, most of my siblings, and I like salmon, so we got it. (We have joked with my mom for years that the Pilgrims probably ate fish, but we never thought in a million years that we'd actually have thanksgiving fish.) Anyway, there was a lot to be thankful for. :-) I don't think this year's spread will become tradition-- I've never seen so much food on one table or so many leftovers-- but it was a memorable feast!

And since it's Thanksgiving, let me list some other things I'm thankful for: amazing parents, brothers and sisters who have become sweet friends, nieces and nephews who are cuter than anything, incredible friends who are there through thick and thin, laughter, good neighbors, vacations, chocolate in all its forms, hot showers, good books, my warm and cozy bed, running, music, tender mercies, the gospel.

This year I'm also thankful for blogging since it has helped me keep in touch with all of you! Happy Thanksgiving!

Headline: U.S. Treasury Department Releases a New Dollar Bill

You may have already seen this hilarious 'dollar bill' since it was part of one of those email forwards that seems to hit every inbox in the country in a matter of days (or hours), but I thought it was amusing enough to post.

Speaking of our recent economic plunge, I have just made a new resolution to stop opening my 401(k) statements. Upon opening one yesterday, I discovered I had lost several thousand dollars in a single week-- ugh! Perhaps ignorance is bliss when it comes to the current state of our retirement accounts. I'll just ride the rollercoaster and open another statement in a few years. :-) Or maybe I should take Warren Buffet's advice and start increasing my investment contributions-- he says: "Be brave when others are afraid and afraid when others are brave." I'm sure there's some wisdom in that.

At least gas prices are finally dropping a bit-- huzzah! That means more trips to Utah for me. :-)

HAPPY AUTUMN!

Today is the first full day of autumn-- huzzah! On Sunday afternoon, I curled up in a blanket with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book, and it got me really excited for fall.

I can't wait for all the vibrant colors, the cozy scents and even the autumn sounds. Author Eric Sloan once wrote: "All sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air." I like that. To me autumn is magical and beautiful. It is even more picturesque than spring-- in spring the trees have flowers on them, but in fall, all the leaves are brightly colored flowers.

And although back-to-school time has its downside, there's a certain excitement that comes with it too! I love what Tom Hanks' character says in the movie You've Got Mail about sending a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils. I don't remember the quote exactly, but I love that image. :-)

So, although I am not going to decorate my living room with a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils, I am going to pull out my cinnamon scented candle, bake pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, and wish you all a happy autumn!

"It ought not to be attempted."

I am elbow deep in grading the first several assignments of the semester and I just ran across a paper with a Jane Austen quote given as one of the answers. The question asked what the university policy was rearding taking the final exam early. The student simply wrote: "It ought not to be attempted." - Jane Austen

A very classy response! If only all of my students included witty remarks in their homework that would break the tedium of grading for me. :-)

Another thing that ought not be attempted (perhaps) is trying to keep up a blog while working as a university professor. The first couple of weeks of the semester have been too crazy to fit ANYTHING in . The last couple of weeks of summer were also crammed as I tried to squeeze in every last ounce of play that I could. But, finally, I will give the requested details of my fabulous LA trip-- better late than never :-).

The trip included pretty much everything we planned. We didn't make it to Buster Keaton's grave site to get a picture for my friend, but as luck would have it, Buster's 'Star' was just outside the Pantages Theatre where we saw Wicked, so we got a photo of that-- this pic is for you, Jer! Wicked was fantastic-- far exceeding my expectations! I guess I really didn't have any expectations though. Glynda made the show-- I thought the creative depiction of her character was brilliant! The special effects were pretty cool too! I guess I can see what all the hype is about. :-)

We spent the rest of the trip relaxing and eating great food. We soaked in some sun, read great books, and (my favorite) rented bikes to cruise along the beach. If Carrie hadn't lost her credit card on the bike ride, it would have been perfect. We had the credit card in the bike basket (yes, the bike had a basket like the one on the Wizard of Oz-- how appropos). Well, the card must have turned itself around and slipped out the hole sideways becase the holes weren't big enough for it to fit through in any typical way. So we actually cruised the beach twice-- once in a liesurely manner enjoying the view, and once at racing speeds looking for the credit card and trying to get the bikes back on time. My mom, my sister and I also went running every morning along the beach, coveting all the beach houses as we went. Running at sea level is SO nice-- perhaps I should do a marathon on the coast instead of the one I'd planned to do in Utah.

Well, I better get back to grading, but I'll add a couple more photos first. The one on the left is inside the Pantages Theatre where we saw Wicked. The one on the right is me and mom in front of the beach house we're planning to buy as soon as we come up with the capital-- only $10 million or so. ;-)

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Monkey business.

Who knew the zoo could be so much fun? I took my nephews last week and we had a blast! We got some great pictures too.

I also learned a few fun zoo facts:

• An elephant can be pregnant for up to two years. (yikes!)
• Zebras can't see the color orange.
• Alligators' jaws are strong enough to crush their prey, but they can be held shut with a single human hand.
• Mosquitoes have 47 teeth!

Okay, so I didn't learn that last fact at the zoo, but I just had to include it. :-) Aren't my nephews adorable?

That's wicked!

I am going to L.A. to see Wicked on Tuesday! I know almost nothing about this musical (shameful, I know), but I am ultra excited to see it, nonetheless. The real miracle is that I talked my mom into coming with me! (Spontaneous and last minute is not usually her thing.) My sister heard about the trip and jumped on the bandwagon. (Unlike me, my sister apparently knows everything about Wicked and is an avid fan.)

I've been to LA a few times before, and we'll only be there for three days, but I do have a short list of things I want to do while I'm there:

• eat some fabulous foreign food (Idaho is severely lacking)
• escape to Venice (Venice Beach, that is)
• rent beach cruisers and cruise the beach
• try boogie boarding
• RELAX :-)
• stroll Rodeo Drive and walk the Sunset Strip
• take a picture of Buster Keaton's gravestone for a friend who is an avid fan (if I can drag my mom and sister to the cemetery)

I also want to scuba dive, but I know I won't be able to talk my mom or sister into that. Oh well-- good excuse to plan another trip soon. :-)

I've been tagged!

Okay, so Brittany tagged me almost 2 months ago. I'm guessing she figured I wouldn't respond, so I'm going to prove her wrong. :-)

FIVE THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST: plan a trip with my mom, get a substitute teacher for my Sunbeams class so I can stay in Utah the next few Sundays :-), catch up with all my Utah friends, research graduate school programs, read a good novel (I've been so busy wrapping up the last semeser and doing grades-- now I finally have time for some fun!)

FIVE JOBS I'VE HAD: math professor, research assistant/computer programmer, tutor (math and German), telemarketer (ugh!), Macey's bakery cashier (in high school)

FIVE PLACES I HAVE LIVED: Sandy, UT; Logan, UT; Rexburg, ID; Hannover, Germany; Leubeck, Germany

FIVE FAVORITE SNACKS: chocolate covered nuts (cashews, amlonds, macedemias), fruit smoothies, crackers with cottage cheese, cereal without milk, berries or mangos in yogurt

FIVE THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME: I can solve a rubic's cube, I played soccer in high school, I didn't like math until college, I have considered switching careers to exercise science, I am training for a marathon

FIVE THINGS I WOULD DO AS A BILLIONAIRE: travel, buy a house, travel, open a restaurant, travel

FIVE THINGS I LOVE: my family, the gospel, amazing friends, chocolate, learning

FIVE PEOPLE I AM TAGGING: Laura, Dustin, Ashley, Jennie B, Danae

Outdoor adventures with the fam!

I am finally posting photos from our July 4th and July 24th hiking and camping adventures. The group shot is from our Donut Falls hike.

These pictures of my nieces and nephews are just too great not to post. :-)

I'm also going to throw in one photo from last year's July 4th hike since it's a classic!

Are you a little stitious?

Happy Friday the 13th! I'm not at all superstitious, but I love celebrating Friday the 13th (as my college roomates can attest). Really, I just love any excuse for a party. I haven't thrown a Friday the 13th party in years, but we used to throw them in college, complete with "mis-fortune cookies" instead of fortune cookies. :-)

I once heard someone say: "I'm not superstitious, I'm just a little stitious." That quote really made me laugh, so I thought I'd pass it on. Hence the question, are you a little stitious?

Time to dive in!

I am now officially scuba certified! I took the class last semester and did my open water dives two months ago, but I just got my official certification card 2 days ago (to the right).

I can't wait to dive somewhere really impressive. Our open water dives were at a hot springs in Plymouth, Utah, so there wasn't much to see other than bubbling hot water outlets and golf balls (knocked in from the course next door.) The water was pretty stirred up, so we could only see about an arm's length away anyway. As fascinating as the hot springs were, I am anxious to go somewhere that actually has animal life and vibrant colors (or at least visibility beyond two feet-- I'm not picky.) :-)

Any suggestions? Anyone up for a trip to Hawaii or Belize?

Nothing to fear but fear itself.

I've been reading a fabulous book by Particia T. Holland called A Quiet Heart. The book is all about keeping the right perspective--it's a great read! Anyway, I just wanted to record one of the insights I got from this book.

At one point in the book, Sister Holland talks about faith versus fear. She points out that fear is a learned behavior. She says, "In our earliest moments, we were awestruck, astonished, full of wonder. We were filled with love and had every confidence in God's continued goodness. What happened? At what age did we begin to feel anxious, fearful, doubtful?"

She then quotes Marianne Williamson who explains that it happens because "we [are eventually] taught to focus elsewhere. We are taught a very negative view of the world that contradicts who we really are. We are taught to think thoughts like competition, struggle, sickness, finite resources, guilt and pride. . . We are taught that things like earning grades, being good enough, having money and doing things the proper way are more important than love, trust, and confidence. We are taught that we're separate from other people, that we have to compete to get ahead, and that we're not quite good enough the way we are. We are taught to see the world the way that others have come to see it. . . Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we have learned here."

I love that last bit: "Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we have learned here." If only we could all go back, even a little bit, so that faith, love and confidence could prevail over all the messy stuff like fear and doubt!

Calculus blunder!

I was working a problem in calculus yesterday and I got stumped at the board! Okay, I wasn't really horribly stumped, but I had made an algebra mistake that caused me to end up totally in the wrong place at the end of the problem. The worst part of it was that the algebra mistake I made was a classic error that I had warned the class about just a few days before.

Anyway, I had to laugh at myself. I once heard someone say: "Laughing at our own mistakes can lengthen our life. Laughing at someone else's can shorten it."

My calculus blunder also made me realize that life can be like a calculus problem: a seemingly small error at one point can cause you to end up completely in the wrong place in the end. That's a terrifying thought. I guess that's why prayer is so important!

Now you know my ABC's.

I received a fun question and answer email the other day (one question for each letter of the alphabet), so I thought I'd start my blog with the ABCs of me.

A - Attached or single? Single.
B - Best friend? My sisters & Melanie, Brittany, Ann Marie and Danae. (I can't pick just one!)
C - Comfort food? Chocolate anything.
D - Day of choice? Sunday.
E - Essential item? Chapstick.
F - Favorite flower? Wildflowers.
G - Gummy bears or worms? Neither. (Although cinnamon bears covered in chocolate are pretty good.)
H - Hometown? Sandy, UT.
I - Indulgences? Going out to eat with friends. Taking the time to read a good novel.
J - January or July? July, hands down. Summer, season of play! :-)
K - Kids? Someday.
L - Life isn’t complete without…? Humor, Laughter. :-)
M - Most valuable possesion? Scriptures.
N - Number of brothers and sisters? 3 sisters. 2 brothers.
O - Oranges or apples? Oranges. Mmmmm.(Although I hate peeling them.) :-)
P - Phobias or fears? Spiders.
Q - Quote? "The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet." -James Oppenheim
R - Reason to smile? Kids.
S - Sport of choice? Soccer, running.
T - Tastiest cuisine? Thai food.
U - Unknown fact about me? Hmmm. I don't know. I'm an open book. :-)
V - Vegetable? Peppers (especially red, orange, yellow).
W - Worst habit? Being late.
X - X-ray or ultrasound? Huh?
Y - Your latest adventure? Trip to Greece and Italy.
Z - Zodiac sign? Virgo.