Summer Picture Chapter Two: Wheels and Bridges

I apparently have a thing for wheels. I wasn't truly aware of that. I was aware of my thing for shadows though. I really love shadows. I have a whole family picture somewhere of just our shadows.



This is the bridge over Brandy Creek. But I think it's a new one. Anyone remember? Didn't it used to be red?
Aspen, Colorado and Kyra.

Bye Mommy! Have Fun at School!

I have started my history 201 class at BYU. It is my last GE and my second to last required class. I had to wait 2 years for this one to be offered at night. So far, the parking, walking, arriving on time thing hasn't gone so well. Working on it...

As I was sitting there on the first day, my pencil felt awkward in my hand and my notes looked messy. I didn't like being squashed between 2 non-note-taking guys. But then I found the clock, my breathing slowed, and I started to feel...completely normal. The classroom, the building, my seat, and my position in the room were all familiar. The backpack at my feet and the spiral bound notebook in my hand were comforting. It was perfectly normal for me to watch the clock and think about feeding the kids and getting them to bed. Perfectly normal for me to be angry with the teacher for requiring a special assignment drop off time and place because it required another trip for me. Perfectly normal for me to plan how to accomplish the homework late at night. Perfectly normal, in fact, to be annoyed at my husband for being late giving me the "other" car and still not having bought me a cell phone. (That one started back in '99.)

So this is my 11th year at BYU and graduation is finally in sight. I can hardly believe it. And I tell you, I look around that GE classroom at all those young people and think about how they have no idea how complex life will get.

Tonight I finished my first BS history paper that required a thesis so obvious as to be painful and unsupportable. Sometimes things are too easy. And I chant, "I only need a C," and know I'll be upset with anything short of an A. And I'm planning where to park tomorrow and how early to leave so I don't arrive late to class out of breath and sweaty. That is, of course, after my speical trip into school to turn in the stupid paper. But I know tomorrow my pencil won't feel awkward. anymore.

Epiphany

Dude, I just realized that Sunday is Stake Conference and that, like, totally means there will be no Fabulous Friday table. So the fact that I didn't break into Amy's house will not matter and I can acquire stupid red paper at a later date without adding to my criminal record. Isn't that the best news you've had all day?

Has Anyone Noticed This?

This adorable place is on the road to Mirror Lake, past Kamas. We laugh at it every time we drive by. I don't know if it is joke or not...but I can't stop giggling with images of nude ranchers going through my head. Ranching? Riding horses and herding cattle? Nude? Really? It's got to be a joke. It wasn't until I had this picture, though, that I saw the sign on the left that says, "Closed due to mosquitos." The cowpokes who ranch nude are afraid of mosquitos? And why is that bear wearing chaps? Giggle giggle.

I wonder if putting up a sign like that would discourage or encourage visitors?

Laundry Tales

A friend emailed a link to an article about laundry, and I thought it was hilarious. And I could laugh and even have no guilt, because as horrible a housekeeper as I am, I'm not that bad! I'm close...I've posted before about Xander wearing girl underwear or socks to school, and I've had comments about "matching" pajamas before. So I sympathize. My solution to my inability to keep the laundry clean has been to buy hundreds of the most run-out-of items. When Xander's underwear are all clean they barely fit in his drawer.

And I recently threw away all the white socks. I erroneously thought that buying white socks, or packs where each pair was different, would aid in the pairing. It is not so. All I got for my effort was boxes of white socks - none of which matched any others. So now we are color coordinated. Jadyn has purple-heeled socks, Kyra dark pink, Xander grey, and Aspen light pink. Sock matching is now doable. Unless, of course, I don't get to it right away and the monsters dump out the clean socks and mix them up with the dirty laundry and I have to start all over again. Sigh. But I'd still rather do laundry then clean a bathroom....

Summer Pictures Chapter One: Beach

I was going to put up all my favorite "pretty" pictures at once, but the job is getting too big and I'll have to go at it piecemeal. Here is the first installation, taken at Gold Bluff Beach on the Northern California coast.

Aspen and Uncle Nathan
I adore sandy toes!

And silhouettes!

This one isn't a true silhouette, dang it, but Nathan wouldn't cooperate. He didn't want any "artsy" pictures taken. The Lump!

This is a Test

 

This is only a test.

Experimenting with Windows Live Writer.

These are the flowers that sprung from a dead cactus.

 

And now I'll do a different picture.

This has proved to be very interesting.  Let's see how it looks  online!

Apparently after I deal with a bunch of crap at Picasa Web Albums.  Curse them!  And Scott wouldn't let me use the username of "you'restupid."

Reviw: Breaking Dawn Part II

After reading other reviews I laughed at myself because I can be so easy to please. I will sometimes refuse to think about things that are less then perfect...and of course I would never want to offend anyone! Sheesh.

Not that I'm not way happy with book! Hardly. I was serious about loving a happy ending. But here are a few more thoughts.

• I had no problem with the imprinting. It made sense. I was set up for it, without realizing it, with Quil and Claire and the other descriptions off the universe stopping and the strings being cut and the guy becoming re-centered around the girl. The age difference didn't upset me either, but I've read lots of fantasies with big age differences, and my own husband is significantly older than me.
  
• Pregnancy was the big shock for me, but I was okay because I figured that when male vampires get "frozen" I guess their sperm does as well. I'm thinking, though, that that gives them a limited amount of fertility since they aren't making any more, but also makes them very fertile because they have immortal sperm. Since Edward hadn't been with anyone (according to this logic) Bella didn't stand a chance.
• I thought her name was silly and liked the nickname - never thought of Lock Ness until Bella brought it up. But I did like Carlie.
  
• The fizzle that surprised me the most was Rosalie. (She is the least likable character in the book for me.) She fought so hard for the baby and not because she cared much about Bella. I thought there would be a fight between Rose and Bella over the baby's affections - that Rose had been hoping that Bella would die so the baby would be hers.
  
• Bella was bugging me in the beginning about not accepting being married. Get over it.
• I liked the description from Bella's point of view about being a vampire. Fascinating.
• If Jacob imprinted on the girl most likely to make stronger wolves...how is it that gonna work? Werewolf plus 1/4 vampire? Hmmmm.
• I didn't have a problem with Nessie's appearance in my head. I just pictured a fast growing articulate kid. It said over and over how her proportions were not exactly baby-like. She was charming.
• I do think Meyer's was working to make everyone happy, and at times I wondered how there could be so much book left when there seemed so little plot left. But I don't envy her position with millions of screaming fans and a series to end perfectly. Talk about stress!
• I still don't understand why the volturi have milky eyes? Anyone care to explain?
• The ending could have been more tense and less perfect without killing the ending. A few volturi could have died! But I guess that wouldn't help with the sequel everyone thinks will be coming. And I didn't care that much when Irina died. I'm heartless. Apparently.

Okay, enough for now. I really do need to feed my kids dinner.

I am suffering from that withdrawal I get after a good book or series ends. What do I do now? My life is so boring! Gotta get a new book...gotta get a new book....

Fictional Crushes

I got to thinking about fictional characters and why I have crushed on certain ones. I mean, there are tons out there - heroes of all sorts - but there are only 3 that pop to mind when I think of crushes. Why is that? So I was analyzing myself and my 3 crushes and came to this conclusion....I like guys that are powerful and could protect me from anything. I guess I like to feel safe. I also like the guys who are really good guys. And, yes, all these guys are beautiful (well, Garion is in my head) which is nice, but I think I care less about their faces and more about their physical strength. Here are my crushes:

Garion from the Belgariad, which started with Pawn of Prophesy, by David Eddings. I read this series as I young teenager (it's 10 books long) and have never shaken my crush on Garion. He ends up as the most powerful magician in this fantasy world, though the journey there is long, and he stays this moral, lovable guy. He makes his mistakes, of course, but ahhh.... He also tends to shape shift to this huge wolf. And wolves are so cool.

Although this is old and obvious, I really like Edward. He too is capable and powerful as well as moral. And very devoted and romantic.

And then there is Jason Bourne. He is fictional but in our world where he battles with wits and weapons. While he is actually an assassin, he is trying to do the right thing.

What I found interesting was how different my 3 crushes are - one in a fantasy world, one a mythical creature, one with military training in the "real" world. (The Bourne movies do come from a book series, though I haven't read them, just watched.)

So, my question is, who are your crushes and why? Is there a theme? How long have they lasted? I'd love some sharing....

Review: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - A Very Quick Review of IT

Breaking Dawn
by Stephenie Meyer
Paranormal
Twilight #4
754 pages
published: 2008
3 of 5 stars

I finished the book round about 5:30. I started last night, but didn't stay up too late, so I was reading most of today - minus diapers, and lunch, and crowd control, ya know. As penance, I cleaned the kitchen as soon as I finished. But that is not the point...

I'd have to echo Suey's thought, in that it was not what I expected. Several hanging, never-ending questions that I supposed might be resolved by the end of the book where actually answered fairly quickly. There was one huge plot twist that totally blindsided me! Paint me pink and call me Lucy! There was the romantic mush (I do like it), and suspense...and an end that wasn't exactly surprising. I do not mean that negatively...so many series seem to pull new bad guys out of their butts to carry on the story...and I'm thinking, wow, that was...original and oh so illogical! This story still made sense.

I enjoyed it immensely. I didn't put it down. And I am happy and satisfied at the end. I do think it might disappoint those who favor a more "realistic" outcome. I think this series could fit nicely in the category of Fairy Tale. But again, that is not a negative comment. Me, I'm from the Disney generation, and love a good happily ever after.