Happy Halloween

I just really love Halloween. I think I even like it more now than I did when I was a kid. Although I did make a pretty darn cute blue crayon in Kindergarten.

These are some of the fun people I work with. I'm just glad I don't work in a stuffy, boring office. Even though I get frustrated sometimes with work, I am surrounded by fun, creative people. It's kind of weird sometimes because in lots of other aspects of my life, like in my family and in a lot of my circles of friends, I'm known as the creative one. At work, there are so many creative ones that I sometimes don't feel as motivated to be creative because it's not unique. Anyway, for our Halloween party, one of the magazine staffs dressed up as the characters from Clue and made this little Clue game all around the office. Another team dressed up as 'famous' scrapbookers. I'm really glad we do fun things at work to keep it interesting.


This is the home of a lady I work with. Don't you love those eyes in the window? Very cool.

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum

My third annual murder mystery party was a swashbuckling success! I love theme parrrrties. I think we may have a few hoarse voices in the next few days from extreme usage of pirate lingo.

What's a proper pirate parrrrrty without a little sea shanties, grub, and of course...rum!

Can you say....ambiance? I love the way the decor turned out. We tried to make it look like an island tavern. Even though we had to drive to Spanish Fork, I'd say it was worth it. If you have any ideas for next year's theme, I'm open to suggestions.

Layers vs. the real thing

Watch this:

So, I’ve been having an “ugly” week lately. You know, when you just feel ugly. Anyway, watching this video made me feel better. Why can’t the media portray real, normal people instead of giving us an unrealistic perception? Of course I would look better if I had makeup and hair artists work their wonders on me every day and had Photoshop experts “edit” out all my flaws and had perfect lighting at all times to highlight my features. Anyone would. But let's be realistic here...and embrace real beauty instead of a fake imitation.

Ya se fue

Nathan went in to the MTC this week and I'm sad he's gone. Here he is having one last moment of "rebellion" before they put his tags on. I know eating a sucker is not rebellion, but they made him throw it out before he went inside. Another funny thing to note: He had his rubix cube in his pocket for support as he entered the MTC. Sometimes I wish I could go back and redo my mission. I made some dumb mistakes, and I wonder how it would have been had I done things a bit differently. Being at the MTC made me want to go volunteer at the referral center or something. I haven't had/made many opportunities to do missionary work lately.

The brothas and the sistas. Now I don't mean to complain (I'm currently reading the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and the first chapter is all about not complaining so I'm trying to work on that), but when I look at this picture I can't help but feel like the ugly stepsister. How come my sisters got all the pretty genes?

My hot water heater has been broken for over a month now, and if I have to take one more freezing cold shower, I think I'm going to have a nervous breakdown. Good thing I am moving soon. OK, venting is over.

P.S. Today is Friday the 13th. Going to a Halloween party to celebrate. Where did the superstition come from anyway that it's an unlucky day? In Argentina their unlucky day is Tuesday the 13th. My sister's roommate got married today, is that a bad omen for their marriage?

For your viewing pleasure

Watch this: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-234182513423170575&q=lone+peak+utah&hl=en

It's freaking hilarious. It's when my brother Nathan and his friend Zach scaled Lone Peak mountain. It's eight minutes long, but well worth the viewing time. My favorite is the last two minutes or so. They're planning a repeat trip in the summer of 2009 and this is their recruitment video.

Random thoughts

1. So I'm sitting at my desk last week, going about my regular work day activities when the phone rings. I answer, and to my surprise it is the editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine wanting me to apply for their interactive online editor job. They are looking to expand their websites, make them more interactive, and build more community. Now, I'm not saying this to brag, I'm saying it because I'm shocked that they're calling little old me. This is the first time I've been recruited for a job. Usually I am racking my brain trying to convince people that they need to hire me and how perfect I'd be for the job. Anyway, if I wanted to further my career in this online magazine stuff, it'd be a fabulous opportunity. But since I'm pretty sure I don't want to stay in this career for the rest of my life, and I'm almost positive I don't want to move to Iowa (where their headquarters are) I said I wasn't interested. Am I crazy?

2. I'm so stinkin' excited that it's October. That means it's Halloween season. I say season because for me, it's not just a one-day event...I try to make it last as long as possible and have as many festivites as I can manage. I love Halloween, I don't know why, but I absolutely love it....it's my favorite holiday. I think I just love the opportunity to be someone different for a day. What's your favorite holiday, and why?

3. General Conference weekend was a totally different experience for me this year. I was driving home Friday night, and the police had already started blocking off my street. There was this gigantic satellite dish on the street in front of my house hooked to a little trailer. I walked over on Saturday to see what it was and that little trailer is where they broadcast conference to the whole world. It was full of little TVs monitoring everything and tons of electronic switches and a guy with those big headphones inside controlling everything. It was pretty amazing. Then I saw Elder Perry going in the back door of the conference center, which I can see from my bedroom window. And, I could hear the bagpipe guys playing their hymns all day trying to drown out all the protestors. Anyway, it was pretty neat experiencing it all from right across the street. It also was kind of weird watching the sessions I couldn't attend on my TV from across the street. I almost felt guilty, but there was nothing more I could do to try and get inside.

Why do we do dumb things?

I'm not quite sure why I wanted to go on a 14 hour hike, jump into sub-Arctic temperature water, shimmy down 100-foot rock drops, climb out of a canyon in the pitch black, get home at 3:30 a.m. and get up at 6:30 for work the next day, and not be able to walk for 3 days after...but the Subway hike in Zions is pretty dang cool. Note to self: Don't ever go in September again unless you have a wetsuit.

This is why they call it the Subway...pretty amazing how rocks do that.
So just as we got out of the slot canyon, we heard a thunderous noise, and we all sprinted for high ground. Luckily it was not a flash flood but what if there really would have been? I can't even imagine being stuck in that canyon and getting swept away by the freezing cold water.

This is where I fell last time while trying to rapell down that rock face and I hit the rock cliff wall on the left side of this picture. This time though, we all made it safely by shimmying down that little crack and then swimming across.
Can I just say my Gramps is amazing? What other 80-year-old man would brave this one? And then get up the next day and go on yet another hike. I hope I have his genes!

Anyway, back to my original question. I think I do dumb things sometimes to add a little excitement to my life. I get bored of being in the same old routine every single day. I think it's somewhat a form of "rebellion". I think I just didn't want to go to work that day, so I almost killed myself on this hike instead. Or how about the time when I chopped off my hair and got a really ugly haircut just because I needed a change. I think I let things go for too long until I get super frustrated with the mundaneness of my life so I feel like I have to do something drastic.

Note: I think I made this hike sound like a dreadful killer. It's an extremely awesome hike--my favorite in fact--and I'd recommend it to anyone in half-decent condition. We just had some unexpected setbacks that made it a bit more challenging.

Tom Selleck graces the Utah State Fair

With Napolean Dynamite last year and Tom this year, I can't even imagine who they could possibly get for next year to top it off! This is way better than the butter cow. I also hope the Minnesota donut man makes a reappearance next year. Good times for all. Next year I will remember to bring a coat though.

What is wrong with this picture?

Today is September 16. It snowed today. Not just in the mountains, but at my apartment. What is wrong with this picture?

29.5 hours, 619 miles, 1 almost failed campfire, 10 numb toes, and $800 later...

I made it to Bryce Canyon! And was it ever cool. I have never seen anything quite like it...it was seriously amazing. It's so extremely cool how the rocks have eroded to be what they are--and so many all in one place. Wow! Really that's all I can say--WOW!

I must say that we had quite the adventure. We could not start a fire for the life of us, so we just left to set up the tent after burning all the paper we could find, and left our tin foil dinners in the fire pit, hoping they'd cook in the heat of the burning paper. But when we came back, the logs had finally lit on fire. I can't explain how it happened, but it was unbelievable. Then I had an unfortunate mishap with a tree as I was backing out of the campground,which is why this trip cost me $800. Don't worry, the tree is OK. Hopefully my car will be too. At least the trunk still shuts. And now I have an excuse to get the stalker key scratches fixed.

And now the summer is officially drawing to a close. I think I'll wear black all week for proper mourning. But to celebrate the last day of summertime (OK, I know it doesn't officially end til the 21st or so, but we all know it really ends on Labor Day.) I went hiking, and had a blast. Goodbye summer of 2006--and hello fall! Season of football games, corn mazes, apples, the fair, pumpkins, and my favorite holiday--Halloween!