random thoughts of others

I haven't been getting much sleep as of late, so instead of sharing my own sleep deprived thoughts I'll share some I've come across in the last few days that for some reason I've scribbled down on little scraps of paper. See if you cultured people know the first one, I didn't. I'll give u a clue: It's a musical.

There's only us, there's only this, forget or life is yours to miss, no other road, no other way. No day, but today.

If you can't be a positive example, you'll just have to serve as a terrible warning.


When you can't sleep, don't count sheep, talk to the shepherd.

Traditions keep us safely in the sweet embrace of the familiar; they are narrative touchstones that anchor us in the stories we've learned to tell about ourselves. -Darcy Cosper

And an all time fav from Anais Nin, "Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

I threw in some pictures of Traditions because I think the traditions quote would be fun on our wall, we sell the vinyl lettering and need a good quote to use as a sample. The glass wall containers I included at the top are my favorite item we got at the last market. I used that pic on a color board I'll be showing a big client today. I don't know if I mentioned in that last entry about work a few days ago, but I'm totally working my plan to fit myself in as a decorator instead of 'catch all' for the bosses. So far, so good, today I should see if it's going to work, if she'll give me a real chance. We both have ideas for this client, I've been working on a presentation for mine like I think clients would appreciate instead of the guessing game we normally play as we put a room together because Jana likes the surprise element and keeping the client in the dark as much as possible... I'm hoping she appreciates this so Jana sees that my way has potential of taking a lot of stress out of our lives. Who wants to be surprised by decorating? Have u seen how "While you were out" usually plays out? Lots of crying and potential maiming of the people in on the secret.

Lady Mountain

I'm walking like I've been beaten up and left for dead. I did this most amazing hike this weekend and I knew I would be sore seeing how it was a pretty brutal beginning to a season full of outdoor adventure.

The hike is in Zion National, called Lady Mountain and hasn't been on the park maps since the 60's due to danger and many rescues and deaths {the guys told us it this way for added hype I think}

It's an incredible hike, in less than 4 miles it climbs 2670' in elevation. It was the first trail created in Zion in 1924, the website says women used to climb this trail in long dresses and heels! I had my Keens on and still have a couple rub marks. The website goes on to say, "This hike is not for everyone, in fact few do and should ever attempt it. The park no longer maintains the route so the few that attempt the hike must be experienced climbers. The remnants of the trail now involve 4th and 5th class exposed climbs and pitches and the hiking section of the trail is steep with slippery slopes and long drop offs. The slope is narrow, steep, sandy and covered in loose rocks. Toward the top of the mountain are the never ending steps. The top of the trail looks like a tan colored hoodoo."

My friend Cheryl invited me so the six of us set out mid morning, Cheryl, Jared, Amanda, Tom, a pup named Yetty, and me. When we reached the first climb Cheryl backed out. I can understand her hesitance, she's had nightmares of being a scab in a white dress for their wedding next week so she and Yetty turned back and went on a few smaller hikes while we continued on.

It got pretty difficult near the top, there were a couple of different times where I crawled along a second longer than necessary until I could find the strength to lift myself up just one more step and one more boulder before regaining momentum and carrying on.

The views were as breathtaking as you would expect from the top of a national park. I was seeing the other side of vistas I've only ever scene from the beaten path. We were looking down behind The Three Patriarchs and Angels Landing. I thought I was on top of Zion when I've hiked Angels Landing in the past but it is more than 1000 feet below where I stood at it's peak height of 1700 feet.

I've completely lost it

Oh yeah, that's right. It's official now, I've gone mad. I went to lunch yesterday with a couple of friends, one who is a stylist and should have lots of cute clients right? None to think of actually, so they gang up on me and tell me repeatedly to 'go online' What? Seriously? So what do I do when I get home last night? Yeah... I'm now one of the newest members on LDSSingles.com.

I'm ready for much of anything really, just some new friends that I can take to all the upcoming weddings I have coming up this month! Or maybe I should go solo, I hear weddings are good places to meet people? Wow, this is just a whole new world to me, I've never been the dating widely type. But I'm forcing it upon myself because I think it'll be a good thing once I get used to it.

I met with a client this morning to get some pictures and measurements for window treatments. She has great taste and some fun spaces that I've got all sorts of ideas for. I've never done the decorating thing on my own, all my clients are for painting projects or special art pieces so when Jana gets back from Sea World I'm going to pitch the idea that I'd like to be in charge of this one. It's time to take some initiative instead of being the back up girl with out the pressure of making the job go off with out a hitch. I'm excited, I hope she likes the idea. She should, she has a couple other projects in process so this would be the perfect time to hand this one off. Did I mention the clients budgets is the biggest one I've ever seen while working for Jana?

20+ hour flight

My parents left around 3 this afternoon for Africa. So with 7 hours under their belts, they only have maybe 16 hours to go or around that long. Wow. Only I guess they also have the 8 hour layover in London to look forward too. I would take advantage of such a long layover, would you? I'd go out and find one of those red buses and do something you could only do in England. So really, they are less than a third through the trip right now! What could you possibly do with all that time? I only know one person who can sleep properly on flights, and I swear he is borderline narcoleptic. I feel for them but if I know my dad he's studying something along the lines of Forex or if he's lucky has has some kind of owners manual to play with. And my mom? If they would only let her take on a needle she could sew the whole way there. I told her to hide it, but what a way to start out your mission being held by authorities for a concealed weapon. Just the thought of being in a plane that long makes me want to run around just because I can!
PS Did you know the Black Mamba snake who lives in Africa can travel at 10 MPH?

Ginko Trees

"Shee wan sheop sheop sayo" This saying doesn't have an exact translation and I'm not even really sure I've got it exactly right, but it means something along the lines of: Even though I'm moving on and I'm sad, I'm excited too and I'll take this experience with me. A friend taught me it the day I left Korea and it kinda applies in my life again wouldn't you think? I did just have a big harry blog entry that went on about all my thoughts on this but I decided against it. I'm working on keeping my e-forms of communication simple right now. I'll tell u a story to support this reasoning, since it puts Signe into fits of hilarity, if you like? Oh, why not?
OK, so Amy set me up with a cute guy a long time ago, her brother in law. "He's perfect for you!" she raves, even his stepmom got in on this and still bugs Amy to this day about the failure of the love that wasn't. Good intentions both of them, but honestly. Anyway, he did turn out to be a good efriend. I emailed him from Korea. He was a really cool, funny guy when I did meet him but because of life that's all there is to that. And while Amy had big plans of setting us up again now in the present I thought epals was more me at the moment. So I decide to email said epal when things settled down in my life and I never heard back from him. Oh well right? Well, Signe is pretty interested in my life as it is these days (a source of entertainment maybe?) and said I should put another email out there (I'm not sure I should admit to this but since I'm already telling this silly story, what the heck? Signe also coached me on how to word the perfect email to get a response. Pathetic? Yeah, a bit! But I don't take this stuff too seriously, we were bored and she was talking about being "The Emailer" so there you have it) And guess what? I get an email back within hours. She really is gifted. So while I'm chatting with the folks on messenger that very night I was goofing off writing a pretend response to The Epal. Of course I'm not sending THIS response, I learn quick my friends. My emails get responses in a month, Signe should proof read and tell me where I'm going wrong, right? (Yes, in the real world I shouldn't bother. If I'm supposed to have an efriend it would be. With out the aid of "The Emailer" but alas, the madness continues in a very messed up Cyrano de Bergerac type story) So I'm goofing off as I told you when the email just disappears....my computer informs me that my message has been sent. Seriously. Come on!! Then and there I know I've ruined all chances at being cool. This is my life right now! You can guess the outcome, I never did hear back from my epal because he most likely thinks I'm estalking him or basically, an efreak. And there you have it. Signe almost punched me when I told her that yes, she is a genius, and no, we won't be writing any more emails cuz I already killed it in an awful fluke technical malfunction. And can I tell you I have learned my lesson! What's that you ask? OK, maybe I haven't learned anything.... I do still giggle to myself when I tell this story to myself! Hopefully I wrote it in a way you could see the humor.
I guess my blog is becoming a log of events in the aftermath of divorce. I didn't expect a lot of the aspects of divorce, unrelated to the story I just told but a thought I've had today anyway. It's like a weird sense, probably imagined, that people look at me like I'm broken, damaged, or baggage ridden. Where would I get this idea? I guess because I've thought it myself about other divorced people, we all know what happens when you make assumptions?
And you are my lucky audience for the stories that come out of living this reality I never saw myself in. What will I come up with next?

movies and such

I don't have much to report except I'm happy it's the weekend and I was pretty excited when I just read in this months W Magazine that one of my favorite books I read this year is being made into a movie. The Nanny Diaries was a fun read, and that's what I've been eating up as of late, I just can't get enough of these girly books, but no worries, I throw in a good spy thriller now and again to even things out. And after reading Cara's list of Top Reads I have my work cut out for me.
I guess sometimes making a movie out of a good book can be bad thing, like Da Vinci Code or Harry Potter... I love the fun way JK Rowlings writes her books way more than the movies. But it can also be a good thing. I LOVED Sense and Sensibility, and Meryl Streep was a picture perfect image of what I imagined the crazy boss should look like in Devil wears Prada.

So I have high hopes that Scarlette Johansson and Alicia Keyes live up to the characters I have imagined, but I have no doubt they will, Johansson is one of my all time fav actresses and Alicia Keyes is just flat out one talented chic.

And in other news, since my missionary parents have been too sick and too tired to write on their blog I'll give u a mini report cuz I'm sure you are all interested. I talked to mom this morning, they are done with their training, so they will spend the next few days catching up on sleep and laundry and getting in some Sports Dance competions at the Y. Mom said, "We're excited and scared!" a bunch of times in her cute croaky voice. I think catching a virus might be something you just do when you go to the MTC? They will be the only welfare missionaries serving 5 countries so they have their work cut out for them! They head to Africa on the 12th, with a 20+ flight and a 8 hour layover in London I'm sure they will be glad to get there and get to work. Be grateful when you are throwing in your regular sized laundry load and think of them, their washer/dryer will only be able to wash a couple of items at a time when they get to Africa, crazy!

Spring Fever

I woke up to a morning that looked a lot like this one (only this photo was taken on a vacation we took to the coast when mom came to visit the country of morning calm, and rightly called that. B-E-A-utiful! Name that movie and u win a prize. I'm still trying to use up all my random photographs that I love)

After a balmy 70 degrees yesterday I was bummed to go back to winter and grudgingly changed my shorts I wanted to bust out for a warm sunny day. I was pleasantly surprised though when the clouds cleared out for another spectacular spring day.

I got into the 'spring' (I heard puniness is silly, but what do I care?) of things and came home after work and planted my flowers I bought last time I thought it was spring, then I had to bring them all inside while things got nasty again for a minute. I picked all of my favorites: geraniums, daisies, and my very favorite, Gardenias! But I'm worried I'll kill those with the help of the ultra dry climate here. I'll try my best to keep them happy, but I don't have much of a gardening gene, so..bless their little hearts for coming home with me. Then I dusted off some sweet lights that my mom passed on to me from Grandmas house, u guys know the ones they have up on the back patio? The cool retro 50ish style flower ones? Ok, I don't know what I'm talking about, but I'll take some pictures and let u be the judge of how cool they are!

I took advantage of the fantastic weather to take Ben's Camaro for a spin around the neighborhood a few times too! Nothing like a fast car and my own built in race track. ie our ultra quiet block. JK, I write this to scare my dad, and maybe Ben, but I don't think he's into blogs.



Tomorrow the boss n I are heading to Vegas on a mission to find the worlds largest magnifying glass. To be found at none other than Pottery Barn Kids, who else would have one right? It's a self assignment really, Jana is already on to decorating her next house and this monster is on sale. We have a couple other rooms we are working on that warrant a trip to the 'big city'. Plus I have some Christmas gift cards to burn so I'm syked!