Big Sky Country

Life Symbols

2007-09-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

So I stumbled across a blog called The Happiness Project The Happiness Project which I highly recommend. Recently, one of the posts encouraged readers to start their own happiness project and to pick a symbol to represent themselves, an avatar of sorts. There was a link for a site which listed universal symbols and their meanings here:

I was wondering what one symbol could represent my life right now and what universal and individual meanings it holds. I eventually settled on a sapphire to represent myself and my happiness. According to the symbols sight, it represents intuition and premonition, both of which I rely on or experience frequently. It's also the stone in my wedding ring, so it represents my marriage, eternity, faithfulness, loyalty, and relationships on a personal level.

The primary color of a sapphire is blue, although sapphires can be nearly any color (except red--then it's a ruby) including different shades of blue, white, pink, purple, orange, and yellow. All of these colors have various meanings and symbolism, but blue is very diverse in and of itself. Blue can symbolize loyalty, honesty, knowledge, and confidence. Blue can be a calming color or a depressing color. Blue is a natural color and surrounds us on every side from the sky and the water around us. There's even a bird native to Australia and New Guinea called the Satin Bowerbird that will steal anything blue(including shotgun shells and baby binkies) to decorate its bower and attract a mate. Blue is quite the color, if I do say so myself.

So here's my question for all three of you readers out there (if there are more of you, speak up!), what avatar or symbol would you pick to represent yourself and why?

WWMS?

2007-08-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

What would Momma say?

I just ran across a fun post at Rocks in my Dryer (http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/) all about the parental catch phrase. My life is so replete with these mommisms that I thought it deserved its own post instead of just commenting on theirs, and I'd love to hear what the rest of you remember our Momma (and dad, I guess) saying to us.

Mommisms:

Listen to what I mean, not what I say!

In response to whining about aches and pains: Ohhh, poor baby! Shall we cut it off?

Oh, cussword!

Patience, Prudence.

In response to requests for transportation: You got legs.

In response to an I love you: I love me too. (one of my absolute faves.)

And I do remember once, when I was very small, getting the dadism: don't cry or I'll give you something to cry about! And I believe that led to getting something worth crying about, namely a spanking.

What do you remember your parents saying that you plan on using or already do use with your children?

Opera, Anyone?

2007-06-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

Which Mozart Opera Does Your Life Most Resemble?

Cosi Fan Tutte (All Women Do Thus). For a complete synopsis, see http://www.metopera.org/synopses/cosi.html.
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Thoughts on Motherhood

2006-10-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

So a friend recently drew my attention to the fact that I have skipped a couple of months without an update. There are a few factors involved in this, one of them (of course) being my state of upcoming motherhood. Also involved is the fact that I have sent (a couple) emails, and couldn't think of much to say on blogger that wouldn't be redundant. Also contributing to the lack of posts was the fact that my computer was homeless. We gave our old computer desk to my SIL so our computer was on the floor in my back room (the only room with a phone jack for our internet connection) waiting for my husband to get a chance to crawl underneath the house to run a phone line to the kitchen where a gently loved new-to-us computer desk awaited the arrival of it's new occupant. So, my computer's been sitting on the floor for a month, and I'm too preggers now to sit on the floor and try to type.

So, I thought now that my computer has taken up residence in it's new desk, I would finally write a few of my scattered thoughts on impending motherhood down.

First of all, I learned a couple of facts about pregnancy that really shocked me:

1. I have 50% more blood in my body right now than I would if I wasn't pregnant
2. My brain has literally shrunk 8% in size.

PREGNANCY ACTUALLY CAUSES WOMEN'S BRAINS TO SHRINK!!! It regains it's normal size 6 mo.s post-partum, but it's still crazy to think that my brain is tiny right now! It sure explains a lot...just ask my boss! I've been making a ton of stupid mistakes lately. Now I have a really good excuse!

So, although I think I'm fairly emotionally prepared for motherhood, I do think that I do have on some rose-colored glasses. This is the first time that I won't be working since I've been married, and I keep thinking that I'll at least have time to vacuum and sweep regularly. However, from what I've read and heard from somewhat reliable sources, I'll have even less time than I do now, at least for a while, and I'll be trying to function while being severely sleep-deprived. hmmm, I may be in for a little bit of a wake-up call...no pun intended.

My biggest fear is that my dear husband will be even more shocked than I at the lack of time that I have. I think he's really excited for me to stay home and he has visions of Betty Crocker making sugar plums to dance through his head.... I know he'll adjust quickly, and I probably don't give him enough credit, but I'm still nervous about the whole thing.

At this stage, though, despite the fact that my nursery is still little more than a room in which to dump my junk (help!) I'm quite frightened by the prospect of labor and delivery. I know mentally that I shouldn't be. I know that, if I choose it, I can have pain killers that will significantly reduce the pain and ease the whole process. I have doctors that I really trust. I know that all my sisters and my mother have had relatively quick and problem-free deliveries. I know that women have been doing this for centuries and come out the other end still breathing, but it still scares me!I also know this is a natural feeling for me and that everyone will do everything they can to take care of me and alleviate my anxiety, but it's still a big thing.

And the last thing: quit touching me! I know what a temptation it is to touch a pregnant woman's belly, but that does not mean that I'm going to touch the belly of a complete stranger in the grocery store! Honestly people, BOUNDARIES! If anybody finds a t-shirt that says 'touching by invitation only', please send it to me. I'm not motivated enough to make one myself.

Romantic? Not So Much

2006-07-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

So I've had this painting on my computer desktop for a while now, and the more I look at it, the more I realize there's a lot being said here. So, without further ado, here is my analysis of Gustav Klimt's The Kiss.

1. That guy is kind of short. He's standing up and she's kneeling and still almost as tall as he is.

2. I don't think she's enduring this kiss, not enjoying it, for the following reasons:
A) She's turning her head away from him
B) She's not smiling
C) Her toes and fingers (esp. on the hand behind his neck) are curled like she's very tense.

3. I think the man is quite threatening and is planning to hurt the girl.
A) He's holding her head in a very unnatural position, esp. for a kiss, and he won't let her move
B) He's got her on the edge of a cliff, her feet are hanging over the edge for crying out loud! Which does explain why her hand is around his neck, something unusual for someone being forced to kiss someone else. She's trying to hang onto him so she won't go over the edge.
C) He doesn't even look like he's kissing her, he may be whispering "I'm going to kill you" in her ear.

4. The background of this piece is kind of dark and scary. Granted, it's typical Klimt, but it's still dark and scary, like there's an especially evil rainstorm about to pound all those flowers into the ground.

5. My conclusions/story about this painting is as follows:

He is a guy she was dating out of pity (short, perhaps not that good looking, and made fun of by all the other girls). She feels bad for him and agrees to go out on ONE date. He immediately becomes obsessed with her and insanely jealous. She realizes what a crazy person he is and lets him know in no uncertain terms that he is not allowed anywhere in her vicinity, but he can't accept that as he now sees her as his property. He starts (well, continues, actually) stalking her and catches her alone picking flowers in the meadow by the edge of the cliff where he pleads for her to take him back. She's scared and refuses and he thinks that one kiss will change her mind so he grabs her and kisses her as she struggles to get away. He doesn't realize how close to the edge of the cliff they are (he's also mentally very close to the edge) and when he realizes that she's trying to get away from him, he'll push her away, and subsequently over the edge to her death.

The interesting part is that he will still see himself as the victim in this relationship.

The really sad thing is that this story is on the news every day...

Heroes

2006-06-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

So for girl's camp this year we're trying to find inspirational young women in history that our girls can emulate, such as Joan of Arc. This is really a toughie, though, seeing as how history doesn't record much about teenage girls that is easily accessible to us. If any of you know of some young women (12-17) who have significantly stood out in history in the name of doing what is right, I'd love your suggestions. Thanks!

Inspiration

2006-06-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?"

Who are you not to be?

You are a child of the Universe. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the Glory of the Universe that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

--Nelson Mandela
{1994 Inaugural Speech}

I've been thinking a lot about this quote lately. It's true, we all have unlimited potential, and I am personally afraid to try. It may be because I know what I could do or because I'm afraid that I won't be able to accomplish my dreams. It's easier to dream simply and meet your goals, but much less satisfying in the end. J and I are getting a lot of work done on the house, inside and out. We have a baby on the way and a room to prepare. We're going to get the house closed so that we really own it. J's job is coming through. Life is good right now. I'm at a good place. Why can't I use this momentum? There is no reason. In fact, I would be wrong not to try.

P.S. Ber, do you still have that book on Nelson Mandela? I'd love to borrow it if you do.

Check it Out!

2006-05-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

I'm pretty sure this means I'm going to be the best mom ever! Well, except my mom, because that's just not possible.

Bun in the Oven

2006-04-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

So everyone should know by now, and if you don't it's because you didn't call me back! I'm pregnant! This should come as no surprise, Josh and I have been married nearly four years. We both have wonderful families who don't do the pressure thing, so it makes it easy to put these kinds of things off until the time is right. We are due November 13th, and are very excited that Mom and Dad will be home from Germany then to come see baby. And, other exciting news, Josh is finally qualifying to be a driver for UPS! This will (hopefully) allow me to quit when the baby comes. Wish us luck!

Blogthings - What Jones Holiday Soda Are You?

2006-03-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

You may not know this, but I think Jones Soda is the coolest. Each bottle is different and the wacky flavors are surprisingly good. In fact, for V-day, I gave my hubby a Jones Soda gift pack with Love Potion #6 flavored sodey pop. YUM! So I think this little time waster picked a good one for me, I love Pecan Pie.

Blogthings - What Jones Holiday Soda Are You?: "

You Are Pecan Pie Soda

Sweet, but totally nuts

What Jones Holiday Soda Are You?

Just to make y'all drool

2006-02-26T17:08:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to check out the resort where we'll be spending our Mexican Vacation. Just thought you might want a look-see.

Luxury Villas and Resorts in Cabo San Lucas, Baja Mexico

Yet Another Chapter In My Fascination With Superheroes

2006-02-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

OK, so I always wanted to be Rogue, but apparently I'm more of a Wonder Woman kind of gal. I have to admit that the bullet deflecting cuffs and the lasso are uber-cool. Which super hero are you?

Your results:
You are Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman		90%
Superman		85%
Spider-Man		85%
Supergirl		80%
Green Lantern		70%
Robin		65%
The Flash		50%
Catwoman		50%
Iron Man		50%
Hulk		40%
Batman		35%

You are a beautiful princess
with great strength of character.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Christmas Spirit

2005-12-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

So I found this blog today and I think you should all read it. It brings new perspective, and it's certainly made me rethink some things. I've permanently linked to it on the right, but you can also access it here:

The Homeless Guy

We really are gorgeous!

2005-12-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

So y'all have to try this website and post who it says you look like:

http://www.myheritage.com/FP/Company/tryFaceRecognition.php?s=1&u=g0&lang=EN
Especially since Lisa was asking just a while ago. I posted this picture:

and we all really are gorgeous! And sisters, we all share one or two stars that we look like. Apparently I do look like Drew Barrymore and Kirsten Dunst. It also pulled up Cate Blanchette with two different pictures, Doris Day, Vivien Leigh, Judy Garland, and Bridgitte Bardot.

Have fun!

Pictures

2005-12-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

So nothing really new has been happening. We had a lovely Thanksgiving in Bigfork with Josh's family and we've just been relaxing and getting ready for Christmas. Our tree is up (and v. pretty, if I do say so myself, and I do.) and we've already got more than our fair share of snow. We took a little (long) drive the other night looking for fresh pine boughs with which to decorate our home. We found a big pile of trees that had been cut down (some sort of disease, I think) so we cut some branches and even took two of the smaller trees to put up in front of the house. Dalyn, I think some of the following pictures may make you jealous. Oh, and this, Big Mountain, the local ski resort, got 4 inches of fresh snow last night and they already have a 30" base. I wish I knew how to snowboard...

And there you go. These are just a few of the pictures I've uploaded recently to our flickr account (link on the right) so be sure to go look at what else Josh and I have been up to.
Love to all!

Lisa, your wish is granted

2005-11-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

FINE already! In answer to Lisa's loving nagging, here is the latest from me.

Loved the Corpse Bride, but am currently too excited abou the DVD release of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this weekend to think much. Halloween was a little slow, I just dressed up to pass out treats, but I did get some pics, not digital, that I have not yet developed. I hope they turn out, as I looked really cool. I loved Lisa's and the boy's costumes, and I already think I want to borrow it for Halloween next year, if you don't mind. Where'd you find the boots? They were faboo!

Zero is doing fine, although he doesn't get out with Josh as much as he used to. He now lays down and rolls over, but only if you have a treat in your hand. He has a puppy from across the street that comes over to play every once in awhile, and it seems to be the only dog that will play with Zero instead of attack him. There's something about him that screams to other dogs "attack me". Even little dogs that he could bite in half!

Painting the house hasn't been going as I've been working on other stuff. Like getting better about housework. You'll rarely find any dishes stacked in my sink anymore. Oh, and Josh has been hunting every spare minute so he isn't around to help. We'll probably get on the painting wagon once one of two things happens: Josh fills all his tags (three total) or hunting season ends. I'm voting for Josh filling his tags, although that entails the subsequent butcher of whatever game he brings home. Good thing our next door neighbor is a butcher. It makes the whole process a lot easier and quicker when you know what you're doing.

I do have to pat myself on the back, though. I was watching Oprah earlier this week and she had a panel of men who answered questions regarding why men do certain things. In the course of the discussion they said that a woman shouldn't be threatened if her husband/partner/whatever goes to strip clubs or looks at porn. I thought for sure someone would disagree with them, but no one did. I was rather apalled, to say the least, so I emailed the show and told them what I thought. I'm sure no one will pay attention, but I couldn't just ignore it. Someone as watched and respected as Oprah should not condone that sort of behavior, even if it is just by not disagreeing when someone else says something like that on her show. So, that's my latest adventure in the crusade for righteousness. We'll see if anything comes of it or not. I think that I've decided that I personally need to voice my opinions of things like this that I see. If I don't, who will? And sending an email to show is so easy now that it's almost an insult if I don't say anything.

I also just sent in my Pampered Chef order and am eagerly awaiting my Ultimate Slice & Grate and Stonewear Bar Pan. I think I could love cooking if it were easier. I've found some really amazing recipes lately, and Josh thinks that I'm about the best thing since Betty Crocker in the kitchen, so I think it's worth it. In fact, he's rather attached to the idea of getting me a KitchenAid and I know for a fact he was researching them online this morning. Hello Christmas!

Speaking of Christmas, any ideas what I should get the ol' hubby for, you know, Christmas? any and all suggestions are completely welcome.

Love to all.

My life is boring

2005-10-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

So the title about explains it all. I attended a meeting today where a 50 year old woman, who was the main speaker, was wearing a side poneytail straight out of the '80s. She was a banana clip and a unit belt away from being in Pretty in Pink. That was the highlight of my day.

Oh, that and we got our UPS benefits information in the mail. Josh gets a discount on JellyBellys and Lugz just for working at UPS. That was kind of exciting.

Mandy, congrats again on the upcoming remarriage to Nate! That was also very exciting.

Ummmm, other than that, I've just been living on the few captured hours I get to spend with my wonderful hubby every day. I think it must be the shorter days that are getting to me.

Loved your phone calls, Aaron and Lyric. I miss my fam and friends.

And that's all from me :)

Been a while

2005-10-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

I know, I've been lax in my posting habit. I should be better now that I have my trusty internet connection at home. I still lack any really interesting things to write, though...

So I just thought I'd check in with you and let you know that I am still alive. Congrats, Erik, on the new job, and good luck with that. I should think of something more interesting to say sometime and when I do, I'll write it down here for your voyeuristic pleasure!

Four Alarm Fire

2005-09-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Seriously. There's a four alarm fire blazing down the street right now at the old Conlin's Furniture building. It was being renovated by Glacier Bank (our biggest client)to be their new building and now it's burning to the ground. There a pillar of black smoke rising hundreds of feet into the air and flames leaping into the air. Crowds of people gathering to watch it. They've evacuated half of the block and are hosing down the building adjoining the burning building in order to try to save it. They'll still acquire quite a bit of damage to all their goods. Columbine Art Gallery will probably have some serious renovating to do as well. They've evacuated at least half of the block. I stood with two other girls here at work and watched someone's job and livlihood go up in flames. My heart pounded in my chest and I thought how temporal the physical things of this world are. Granted, it was under rennovation and therefore mostly empty, but it just made me think for a moment.

Nuts Anyone?

2005-09-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

So Josh and I have a charming habit of taking lunch together, now that we just work mere blocks from one another. Today we ate at depot park, a few blocks away. They host lunchtime concerts there during the summer, but the season has ended.

So we're sitting on the bench, eating away, and Josh feels something brush his leg. He thinks it's a twig or something, but then it really clamps on. He jerks his leg, and all of a sudden there's a very fat squirrell sitting about a foot away from us. It had been going after Josh's nuts, literally. Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts. The little fellow was not very shy about going after what he wanted. We did magnanimously decide to share with him. He must really like the Honey Roasted variety. It obviously all went to his hips.

Yay!

2005-09-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Only 16 days until Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride hits theaters! I have a graphic from the movie on my desktop currently. I'm a little excited.

Since it's been awhile since I updated (sorry everyone) I had a long Labor Day weekend. I worked at my Aunt Colleen's shop Fri. night and Sat. day, and then filled in any extra hours working on the in-law's cabin. not really that fun and I'm still completely worn out and everyone involved is sick of the whole situation and just wants to twitch our noses a la Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched) and have the whole process be done with.

On a good note, Josh starts his job as a teller for Wells Fargo today. I think I forgot to mention that to anybody...So we'll see how he likes that. He's still got the job for UPS, and they've finally hired him on as a permanent employee rather than just a temp. So, in that department, things are looking up. We've also found a member of our ward who's a mortgage lender so we may be able to close on our house before the end of the year. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Sooper Dooper

2005-08-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

So if you haven't guessed, I really like super heroes. It'd take a half a day to tell you why, but I just want to know if you were a super hero(ine) who would you be and why? Feel free to plagiarize already-created super-beings, or make up your own. Just be specific about what powers you'd have, why, and any other interesting details you'd care to put in there (what your costume looks like, cheif enemy, weaknesses, etc.) Happy posting!

My writing skills are going to pay off!

2005-08-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

So I'm getting my haircut yesterday and I'm just eavesdropping on my stylist's conversation with another stylist.

"Don't let me forget, we need to find a writer and a videomaker!"

(at this point, my curiosity and my ego get the better of me and I jump in)

"I'm a writer."

"You're a writer? Perfect! We need you to write the application for us to be on The Amazing Race! And we need you to write a letter to Oprah for us!"

"A letter to Oprah?"

"You know, whenever they do one of those best friend shows, you know, people who've known eachother forever? Well, we've been best friends for 12 years and we've never had a trip that was just the two of us for fun, we've always had the husbands or the kids or it's been for work. We want Oprah to bring us to Chicago for a little fun vacation, and we need you to write the letter!"

How could I refuse? The woman did have the fate of my hair in her hands, after all.

So in a couple of weeks when I go in for a trim, I pick up the application and fill it out for her and her friend. If they make it on the show, I'll tell everyone that it's my fault. If they don't, I may get a bad haircut...who knows?

So we got on the topic of reality T.V. shows and decided that since Survivor was the ultimate reality T.V. show, they needed to revamp it so it'd be couples Survivor. You couldn't vote off one person without voting off the other and I bet there'd be some pretty dramatic scenes...and if they're couples, they wouldn't mind splitting the million dollars. I figure Josh and I would be a shoe in if they ever decide to do that. Josh would be the big competition but I'd be quite the weakling. It'd be interesting to see what would happen. Plus, I wouldn't mind a month on an island with my husband...

Anyhow, I figure if I get the girls on Oprah they can wear my jewelry for some pretty high profile advertising. I bet I could live off of making jewelry for the rest of my life if my jewelry line became one of Oprah's Favorite Things...Oh well, it never hurts to dream big!

Finally, another update

2005-08-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

O.k., so I know it's been forever since I've written and I don't have a lot of time, so here's the condensed version:

Not this last weekend, but the weekend before, Josh and I had a blast! We went Saturday morning to a classic car parade and then to the show where we could look at the cars close up. There were some really neat roadsters, but the most people congregated around an old Willie's Jeep. As J said, you can tell this is Montana. They all look at the trucks. It was pretty cool, but Zero didn't like all the loud noise from the engines and we had places to be, so we got back in the truck and headed to Columbia Falls for the 24th of July picnic that our ward put on. We chatted with friends and made a few new friends all while eating excellent nosh, and let Zero play with all the little kids there. He liked it mostly, but when the kids got to be too much, he sat right in between Josh and I where the kids couldn't get to him.

When we were done there it was still pretty early so we headed out to Rebecca Farms (where I had one of my Glacier Symphony concerts) to see the Event. We watched the Steeple Chase for a while, where they send one horse at a time through an obsticle course and over all kinds of neat jumps. There were a lot of dogs there, so we took Zero with us instead of leaving him in the truck, but after a while he got too excited watching the horses. Every time one went by he'd nearly strangle himself trying to get off the leash and go play with it. So we left a little earlier than we would have otherwise. On our way out, we decided to stop and watch one more horse go. Josh felt something warm on his foot and thought Zero was licking his foot, but when he looked down, Zeo wasn't licking...he was peeing! Josh didn't hink it was too funny, but I found it rather amusing...Zero was just marking his territory!

So, off to home and that was the end of our weekend.
Begin the next week: Mostly the same stuff, but Josh had his eye on a truck which we ended up buying Thursday. We got it because it's better on gas, bigger, and newer than both his other trucks, so it can be a work truck and just a driving around truck. It's a 1995 Dodge 2500 Cummins Diesel with an automatic transition :( and full cab:)so it's pretty nice and we got a deal on it that can't be beat considering the condition that it's in.

Friday, my mother-in-law and I had the day off because it was Josh's b-day weekend, so we took the new truck and the canoe up to Lake McDonald in Glacier Nat'l Park for a bit of fun. We had a lovely day tootling around the (very very cold) lake and after a while decided to go up to the truck to see what time it was. My father-in-law took my key that the previous owner had given us as a spare, and came down a little later to tell us that it wouldn't open the truck...hmmm, we were in a bit of a quandry. Josh had left his keys in the truck because I had mine, so we were locked out! We didn't have a wire hanger, only sticks, so we tried everything we could to unlock it using a stick pushed through Josh's slightly unrolled window. Nothing we tried worked until I suggested that they try to unroll the window with a stick, since it's a manual window. That finally worked, but we had a very tense 45 min. thinking we were stuck in the park.

Back at home, Josh and I decided to go to the drive-in for a little bit of a date, so we called ahead to our favorite Chinese food place and told them we'd be there in an hour. We got there about 15 min. early, but didn't have to wait for our food because it was already done, and went off to the movies. We enjoyed the Fantastic 4 and then I enjoyed Mr. & Mrs. Smith while Josh slept (poor little sleepyhead) and then we went home. We checked our messages and there was one from the Chinese restaurant, and the lady that had taken our order apologized for our food being cold as she hadn't told the kitchen what time to have it ready, and they gave us a free meal next time we come! I was very impressed with their wonderful customer service! Very unlike Amber's last customer service experience!

So Saturday we didn't do too much, just looked at bows for Josh's upcoming bowhunting season and tested the 4-wheel-drive on Josh's truck. it works. Then Sunday I got set apart for my new calling as ward music chairman (no surprise there) and then cooked a gourmet meal for Josh's birthday (San Francisco Pork Chops, Curried Peas, and Chocolate Cake) and that's that. Whew! we've been busy kids! I'll try to be better with updating everyone and I loved talking with Amber (wink wink) Aaron, and Lyric this weekend. Thanks for the love everyone!

Wonktastic Weekend

2005-07-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

So Charley and the Chocolate Factory was everything I hoped it would be and more! Depp delivers a hilarious and outstanding performance as a chocolatier with exceptionally cavity-free teeth (will wonders never cease?) and I need to see it again. I didn't quite catch the Nightmare Before Christmas (TNBC) reference that I'm sure has to be in there somewhere...good excuse to go see it again! The movie was, however, very Burtonesqe, esp. the puppets.

Other excellent movie news, Burton is coming out with his second stop-motion animated picture: The Corpse Bride. I'm very excited and this promises to be another TNBC, which is my all-time fav. I love Burton's twisted mind and his artistic style is right up my alley.

There were a few other trailers that looked like really good movies, but I was so excite by the Corpse Bride that I can't remember what they were.

After our trip to the movies Friday night, Josh and I attended the local Potter Party at the mall. We didn't have any kids, but it was fun to see all the kids running around in their witch/wizard costumes and we then watched the worst magician I've ever seen. There was an entertaining man who was giving the magician the whole MST3K treatment, so that was rather entertaining. He left about halfway through, though, as his 6 mo. old was getting cranky.

Other than that guy, the highlight of the show was when his flowers fell out of his sleeve. I think this guy got into magic rather late in his life, so I admire the effort. He was kind of funny in a Mr. Magoo sort of way.

Saturday Josh and I got to spend the whole day together, and took a little jaunt down Main Street to check out a liquidation sale at a jewelry store (my idea, of course) and I did end up getting a very pretty pair of earrings. Josh was talking to the security guard on duty, who happened to be the MST3K guy from the night before. It turns out he owns a little cafe on Main Street (with fabulous Italian Sodas, I might add) and just lets his flunkies run it while he's hired muscle/repo man. He just decided that he was board and that job sounded fun. Within a short time he was promoted to head repo man, and so when he's not guarding jewelry stores, he's (legally) stealing cars. He tried to recruit Josh because, well, Josh is just a big guy. I was looking at jewelry during this part of the conversation, but apparently MST3K/Security guard/Repo Man would rather shoot Josh than fight him if it came down to violence. I was rather disturbed by this...

Anyhow, the rest of the weekend was just relaxing and full of lots of nap time, and reading a little Harry Potter to boot (went to Costco and bought it first thing in the AM on Saturday. No crowds, no line, it was amazing, and 50% off list price!) I waited to start it until Sunday night, though. I'm also currently reading The Two Income Trap, as recommended by the Lanes, and finding some very insightful things that are surprising, but make total sense once you think about it. I'm just glad that I don't live in California or New York or one of those other places with exorbitant prices on crummy houses. So, I'm following in Madeline L'Engle's footsteps by reading one book for fun and one book for education.

In upcoming excitement, for enrichment our R.S. is going to one sister's cabin on Bitterroot Lake tomorrow for fun on the water and just plain ol' get-to-know-you time. I think I may just enjoy this! I'll keep you updated!

Loitnin' 'as just struck me brain!

2005-07-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

I just had an epiphany--I'm perfectly happy with the way I look. My husband tells me all the time how beautiful I am and I know that he means it. Most days I even think I'm not half bad. I'm worried that since I've graduated my brain is atrophying. I think that's why I'm writing this blog. People can't judge me on my looks here, it's solely based on my brain and my wit and my spelling. My brain needs to feel good about itself. Who knew?

P.S. Kudos to you if you can name the movie from which I took the title.

Movie Review

2005-07-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Things #5

Movies. I love movies. I'm especially excited because tonight I get to see the combined efforts of my favorite director, one of my favorite actors, and one of my favorite authors combine to re-create a classic: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The reviews have been good, as I expect anything directed by Tim Burton to be, and I can't wait to see how Depp interprets the rather insane Willie Wonka. Word to the wise: look for The Nightmare Before Christmas element in the movie. Jack Skellington has made appearances in Planet of the Apes and Sleepy Hollow, and the ringmaster in Big Fish was rather reminiscent of the Mayor of Halloween Town--especially with that tremendous top hat!

I think I like movies, especially Tim Burton's, because they are an escape into a fantasy world. The forest here in Montana will never house hidden doorways into Christmas Town or Halloween Town and the local Avon Lady will never find a man with scissors instead of hands, but I can see my wildest dreams in vivid reality, and trust me, I have some wild dreams. So, your assignment: Your favorite movie and (here's the important part) why? No two or three word answers people, put some thought into it!

Self Image

2005-07-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

So Julie asked me awhile ago what I look like inside my head--like what I think I look like without looking in a mirror. I've been mulling this over lately and I'm not quite sure what I look like. My hair's a little redder, I'm a little fatter than I really am(die you self-hating beauty-magazine-loving media-people!) and my nose is a little more bumpy/bulbous than it really is. This is kind of disconcerting. I know I'm prettier than the image in my head, but I really do think that the U.S.'s definition of beauty has infiltrated the lower echelons of my psyche and lodged there to stay.

This is rather disturbing to me. I know my nose isn't that big, but the "Montgomery bump" has always irritated me, so much so that I rub it when I'm not thinking trying to wear the bone down. Self inflicted rhinoplasty by way of wear-and-tear doesn't work.

And I'm not that fat. I have gained weight over the last three years which was kind of a surprise, as I made it a point to avoid stepping on a scale for about two and a half of those years because I thought it would make me rather obsessive and self-conscious if I owned a bathroom scale. I was right.

However, my hair, my eyes, and my feet are perfect in my head, just like they are in real life!

So I got to thinking about it in a Shallow Hal kind of way. What if we could see everybody as they saw themselves? Those who have self-confidence would be beautiful, sparkly people, but I think the majority of people would be rather blah. Having your real insides exposed would be a shock and a treat, though. We'd be able to tell who was a jerkoff and who was a genuinely nice person just with one glance.

When I can create my own worlds, I'll see what I can do about that. And I'll banish mosquitoes forever.

My Favorite X-(Wo)Man

2005-07-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

I wish I could fly. I wish I could punch through brick walls. I wish I could suck the life force out of you. Most of all, I wish I was a natural redhead.

R-O-L-A-I-D-S spells Relief

2005-07-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

So that last post, mostly fixed. My boss complimented me and the deep-seated fear of authority figures is put to rest for the time being.

My conductor (whom I've finally figured out to address as Maestro. Yes, he really calls himself Maestro!) also complimented me after our first concert. I think he may have had a glass or two of wine, though.

And I worked out things with you-kno-who, also for the time being. I know it's not the end of the line, but perhaps my skin is a little thicker now.

So, down to the boring details of my life. Friday was a bit hectic. I left work and went to meet my ride to Bigfork for our first concert. I waited. and waited. and waited. She didn't show, so I ran back to work, called to check my messages (nothing) and got my boss to draw me a map to where I was supposed to go. So I drive off to Bigfork, find it just fine, and there's my ride. She'd hit traffic on the way and we probably missed eachother while I was checking my messages, but all turned out well nontheless. The concert was a success and they even fed us yummy food!

Saturday Josh and I didn't have to go work on the Bigfork house because it was pouring, so I spent the morning talking to Sasa, J cleaned my car, and then we went to the craft fair that was in town. Josh found a guy that would trade Damascus Steel-Bladed knives for antlers, so Josh traded him for a very nice knife and I found a bracelt made out of antique silverware. It's very purdy! I made it to my second concert and it was much colder than the first, but it still went well enough. There were even two couples from the ward there and I felt very pleased with myself. I didn't play my best (hard when the wind's blowing the music off the stand and your fingers are froze!) but I think I did well nonetheless.

Sunday Josh and I just lazed about the house and took a nice drive to some of the surrounding cities. Allergy season is here, so I missed part of the drive due to a Benadryl-induced nap, but Josh saw a fawn! I've seen a bear this year, but I still haven't seen a fawn. Plenty of grown up deer, but no fawns.

Then, excitement this morning, I was listening to the radio while I was getting ready for work and called in and answered a pop-culture trivia question, so now I'm qualified to win a $5,000 shopping spree at a local furniture store! I'm amazed and I really hope I win! Then I can be furniture-store-chic instead of salvation-army-chic! So everyone, keep your fingers crossed for me!

My Ego is Suffering from a Bout of Schizophrenia

2005-07-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

So I'm being mentally battered from three sides and I'm not quite sure how to handle it. This is going to be a ranting/complaining blog, so anyone who doesn't want to be effected by the forthcoming negativity, please discontinue reading now. And no, I don't always complain, one of my friends just told me I was too happy to be very interesting. I'm still interesting, just not very interesting. So here goes.

Work: I'm mildly perturbed by my boss' brusque manner and can't quite tell if he thinks that I'm doing a good job, therefore I assume that I'm performing poorly, therefore I do perform poorly because that's what I expect of myself. I did hear, however, through the grapevine, that after I left on my first day one of my three bosses said that I was smarter than any of them...but there have been a lot of days since then and I'm on temp-to-hire basis right now so I'm continually thinking that I'm going to monumentally screw things up, get fired, and go back to the abhorrent job hunt in no time at all.

Relationship with Anonymous Person: Here's the part that I don't want to complain about, but must for sanity's sake. No, I'm not talking about my husband, and I'm not talking about any of you, and yes, I realize the hypocrisy of what I'm going to say before I say it. There is someone whose good opinion of me is utterly important to my state of mental wellness, therefore I need his/her respect. However, this person, whenever he/she is around me, speaks very ill of others behind their backs. Thus, I am constantly aware that as soon as he/she leaves my presence, a comment issues forth from his/her mouth deriding my cooking, haircut, choice of outfit, virtually unnoticable blemish hidden behind my ear, but at which I have unconciously picked. Do you see where I'm going with this? Normally I would just avoid a person like this who constantly undermines me with sniping little comments to my face (in a cutesy-teasing tone of voice so you know he/she is only kidding (not)), puts me on guilt trips over stupid things, and complains about everybody who doesn't meet his/her extremely high standards of perfection while constantly turning a blind eye to his/her own imperfections?

This person has virtually alienated every other important person in his/her life, and I am refusing to be one of those. I've had some success in conflict resolution with this person in the past, but you can't ever tell this person that he/she need to apologize/clean up his/her act/treat people better and they might like him/her more and he/she might have more friends. Most of all, you can never tell this person that he/she was wrong. This is perhaps the most frustrating. At times, I would really love to tear into this person and tell him/her to quit his/her people-alienating ways before he/she drives away everyone and becomes a bitter old codger/hag.

I'm running out of cheeks to turn and this mental battery persists with me throughout my day. Sometimes I wish I was like the kid I went to University with who got in a bike accident and the think-before-you-speak part of his brain didn't work. Granted, he grated on everyone's nerves, but at least he had an excuse.

So here's my dilemma. How do you deal with people who are saccherine sweet on the surface but filled with bubbling vitriol instead of blood? Ok ok, maybe that's a little harsh, but I had to say it just for poetic reasons.

Glacier Symphony: I know, this is supposed to be a relaxing diversion from the cares of my everyday life, but I forgot the reason why I quit the last Symphony Orchestra I was in. Enter the giant Ego. I admit, I have one too. I tried to convince myself that I wouldn't make it, then I was ecstatic when I did make it. Then I got the music and was crushed. I'm only a second violin, and this music is harder than anything I ever played as a first violin, and even as a soloist! So last night at our first rehearsal (one of only two before our fundraiser concert for the stinking rich) I screwed it up royally. The majority of the other violins were not that friendly, and I was terrible! Even worse than the lady who's missing the end of her third finger on her fingering hand! As a parting shot, the conductor (big egomaniac, what a shock) said there would be changes in the 2nd violins, which I'm assuming means that I will be place in the very back so that my caterwauling can be drowned out by the percussion section. I guess I'll find out tonight what will happen there.

Sometimes I wish I was like the Unsinkable Molly Brown (which I watched in order to cheer myself up after the harrowing orchestra experience last night). I wish I was a scrapper sometimes, that I wouldn't take bull-sugar from anyone. But then I think of what kind of person I would be then, and I dont' think I'd like that person either. I have this image in my head of the woman I want to become, and she's not quite congealed. There are many traits I wish I had, but they conflict with one another. What's a poor girl to do? Perhaps I should feign a case of Multiple Personality Disorder and be whomever I want to be whenever I want to be that person. That way I can be everyone I admire and have an excuse for the radical changes in character...

Pics

2005-07-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Ok everyone, here are just a few random pics. None of my own so far, just ripped off from other people, but I like them anyway and they help express me! Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/linzdawn/

Pop Star Vanity

2005-07-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Things #4

Pop culture. I'm addicted to it! I love the fairy tale life that movie stars lead and all the pretty jewelry and clothes they wear. I love seeing new movies and old TV shows. I love Andy Warhol and that comic-book-style art that's all dots (Julie, you can help me out with the technical terms on that one).

I also love very much when these stars with all their money and stylists and publicists and people-hired-to-make-them-look-good fall flat on their face and make fools of themselves in public a la Tom Cruise. I must admit that I love reading about the train-wreck that is TomKat. At the same time, even though she turned me off greatly in her wierd stage, I admire Angelina Jolie for her humanitarian work. There are some people who spread their riches around trying to do good works.

And then there's fashion. I love seeing what celebrities wear on and off the red carpet, and I love seeing some of the aweful mistakes they make. Just go to show that money does not a fashionista make. I.e. this interesting little photo I happened upon earlier today. This photo was taken last weekend at the Live8 concert. Notice anything funny? Mariah's stunning sixpack is painted on! I know it's a rather small image, so you can see a bigger one at 6pack.notlong.com. I don't know about you, but I think it looks like she slept on an ice cube tray. Bad decision, Mariah. Oh yeah, crash and burn baby! Just goes to show--pop stars are human too. (insert wicked laughter here...)

Qwestions

2005-07-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

1. How do I put links to others' blogs on my site?

2. What should I get my hubby for his b-day at the end of the month, he says tools but I don't know which ones. He refuses to be more specific than that.

Interesting...

2005-06-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun link I like to browse through in my spare time, it's the phobia list!

http://www.phobialist.com

Today's phobia:
Zemmiphobia- Fear of the great mole rat.

There's an interesting topic: Fear. Why are we afraid of weird things like cotton balls and sunflowers? I myself am afraid that I may jump off of something very high, i.e. the balcony at Symphony Hall, the Grand Canyon. I don't know why I experience the urge, but last time I was on a plane I wanted to jump out the window so I could see what the clouds feel like. Apparently they're cold and icy and when you're falling really fast (as you would when you jump from an airplane) all that ice is hitting you in the face and it's not so fun. I just think it'd be kind of fun to fall really really far. Hitting the ground doesn't sound so fun...

So, what're you afraid of and why?

My Favorite Things #3

Shopping, but not for pants.

Mmmmm...Workahol

2005-06-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

So, we're a nation of workaholics. I read an article on MSN regarding how much Americans work. Inventions like PDAs and e-mail were supposed to allow us more free time, but instead we Americans have used them to accomplish more work. Americans work on average an entire month more every year than they did at the end of World War II. Granted, that's fifty years, but where did our appreciation of free time go? Instead we work more when we have the devices intended to help us work less.

I think this reflects only partly on the fact that work/money is more of a priority than spending time with the important people in our lives. I say this because in this beautiful Big Sky Country, the living is expensive! It's not L.A. expensive, but it's extremely expensive compared to the career opportunities here. Having recently been in the job market, and finding a job in the real estate industry, there is a huge discrepancy between average starting income ($8.00-$10.00, w/o benefits) and the price of homes (starter homes run about $150,000) is huge. To make only $3-5 more than minimum wage isn't enough to buy a house, pay for health insurance, and food.

Well, goodbye summer vacation.

Now, on a positive note,

My Favorite Things #2

Hand soap. I love hand soap. The feeling of clean hands is an amazing thing. Because of handsoap, I can play with my dog before I cook. I can handle raw meat and not worry about all kinds of bacteria and germs. My personal favorite brand is Cucina from Fruits & Passions, which is sold at my Aunt Colleen's interior design shop. It's developed especially for the kitchen and comes in Coriander & Olive and Lemon & Rosemary scents. These soaps are made with an olive oil base so they're not as drying as other soaps and they smell really yummy. Note to all of you who want to shower me with gifts (yeah, I know you're only in my imagination) but I'm due for a refill shortly...

I'm in!

2005-06-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm officially a member of the Glacier Symphony! As horribly as I thought I did in my audition, I must not have been completely abominable, as I am now a Second Violin. I am an outer chair, though, which means that I'm one of the better Second Violins. This is encouraging, but looking at the music for my first concert, quite intimidating, especially when one considers that there are only two rehearsals before the concert. Gulp!

It will be fun, though, to play with professionals again. My last orchestra experience was more schizophrenic than symphonic, especially considering that the conductor was married to the Concert Mistress (i.e. best violinist in the orchestra). Even more disturbing was the fact that He was her high school orchestra teacher, and they were married very shortly after she graduated. Icky!

The other Big Sky news is just about the same. Josh is just cutting wood for the time being. If any of you ever want to be Josh's second favorite person in the world, get him a chainsaw. It seems as though chainsaws are about on par with hunting on Josh's List of Favorite Things.

Speaking of favorite things, maybe I should keep a running list of my favorite things a la Oprah and get y'all to tell me what your favorite things are. So here goes:

My Favorite Things #1

Grass. You don't know how much you love it until you can't walk barefoot in your yard because it's only weeds. I also have to sweep dirt out of my kitchen constantly that gets tracked in just by walking from the car to the house.

Plus, there's the way grass tickles the bottom of your feet and makes a perfect cushion under a picnic blanket. Grass is my favorite color (which I will expound upon another day). Grass smells especially good in the rain and when it's freshly mowed, and there's hardly anything lovlier than watching children play in the yard.

So, what're your favorite things?

MVOB or My Very Own Blog

2005-06-27T00:51:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! I'm a blogger too! I've kind of had a blogger for awhile, aparently, as this still has Montgomery on it. I must have set it up and completely forgotten about it, but when I tried the old standby user name and password, tada! Anyhoo, I'll try really hard to keep this up as well as my weekly emails and I can put pictures on here without clogging up all of your email accounts. Anyhow, more exciting news from Big Sky Country coming soon!