Color

A rainbow of color...in vegetables!
Check out my new post on l'autre blog.

Trick or Treat?

Happy Halloween everyone!
I haven't dressed up for Halloween since high school when I was Queen Elizabeth and Ian was Tony Blair:
But this year I was invited to a Halloween party at the Hughes' so I decided to dress up. The only thing I could think of on short notice was a skipper:
While I would much rather have been a Star Weasel crew person:
Oh well, maybe next year.
In the mean time, enjoy this funny trick:

I'm Basically Famous

About a week ago I sent in a question with a couple pictures to Apartment Therapy (since I recently learned how to do a screen shot-- so simple, so awesome!!! I'm easily amused...) about the headboard in Across the Universe, which I think is a beautiful piece of carpentry and would love to have grace my future perfect bedroom.
Anyway, tonight the editor/s decided to post my question! Hopefully I will get some response from this.
In somewhat related news, over the summer when Mom and Adrien and I went shopping in Salt Lake (and didn't buy anything...) we passed this wonderful apartment building that looked like it was falling to bits, but I of course loved. I took a couple of grainy pictures with my phone:

What is wrong with me? Why do I find such dilapidated buildings so beautiful?

Boo

When I say "Boo" I'm not really talking about Halloween stuff because I don't really have anything Halloween-related going on right now (though there's a party at the Hughes' I might go to the day before and a movie at Jared & Megan's Halloween night, which I'm excited about). I sort of want to make Kleenex ghosts to hang around the house, but I don't have any Kleenex, so...boo.
That's really the sort of "boo" I mean to talk about right now, so this might be a little complain-y for you. Feel free to not read on.
I curled my hair today. It was frizzy and creepy so I put it in a ponytail. That made me feel like a 50s librarian. Or maybe like I needed to be wearing a poodle skirt.

Yes, I did just take this picture as I was sitting here typing this.

Actually that doesn't look too bad, at least not from this angle. I guess I'm too hard on myself sometimes. Well anyway.

My grilled cheese sandwich stuck to the pan, which has never happened to me before...maybe it was the pan? Though I'm pretty sure I've used that pan to make grilled cheese before...hm. Anyway, it made it taste all nasty and tore holes in it. But I'll have you know I ate it anyway. So there.

I didn't babysit this past week because the grandma/mom was in town, and you all know how grandmas are, they love their grandkids enough to babysit so the babysitter doesn't have to. For me this meant not only that I didn't have to wake up before the sun rises over the mountains and brings light and life to the valley, but also that I didn't get my $30 in spending money this week. But my habits didn't change, and the bills came early (or late?) so I have no money (though I did save enough cash to be able to buy a few necessities at the grocery store this coming week, thank goodness for my moderate foresight), and I'm having a craving to make many tasty and delicious things but I can't pay for the ingredients! I am so very, very sad :(
Luckily, Mom's coming to town on Thursday so maybe I can get her to pay for some superfluous groceries if I make tasty things for her to eat!

Madraste? Will you?

P.S. I posted a recipe for cheesecake on my other blog.

Having Fun

You know how kids are lean and scrawny because they run around all the time? (Well, besides those whose parents buy them video game consoles) Well, it's because they're having fun. Remember the days when you didn't want to come inside when you were called in for dinner as the sun was setting on another beautiful day involving running all over the yard and maybe even down the street to the huge open fields? Even if you don't, you can learn something from all of this-- fun is good exercise! Remember my post on the Tumble Gym? I went again last week and woke up sore the next morning, and I don't remember doing anything that wasn't fun, meaning the fun is what made me sore (okay, I'm stretching a bit here, but I'm trying to make a point, mkay?).
The other day Adrien and I discovered this type of "dancing" that, when we tried to learn it, put us out of breath but also made us anxious to try more because it was fun.
In Sweden they did this test to see if they could get more people in the subway/metro/whatever to use the stairs by making them more fun. And it worked! Watch the video:

So getting more exercise doesn't have to be a chore. Find a way to make it more fun. Go to the rock wall place (definitely gets your heart rate up, especially if you're afraid of heights like me), go to the tumble gym, make up challenges like "how many jumping jacks can I do during the course of this song?," or learn a jumpstyle dance! You'll feel a lot better, I can assure you.

Des Livres

So far I have thirteen books left before I reach my goal of reading 50 books this year! I have compiled a list of books that I would like to read next and came up with twelve.
Here, in alphabetical order, with an explanation:

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
-recommended/ in preparation for the London trip this spring

Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan
-read a good review/recommendation

The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll by Alvaro Mutis
-read somewhere one's life would be incomplete until this book had been read

The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
-I read the beginning of this book ages ago and loved it but had to surrender it to the proper owner before I got very far

Blindness by Jose Saramago
-recommended by a friend

Blink by Malcom Gladwell
-recommended by a friend

Founding Brothers by Joseph J Ellis
-required for my Political Science class

Gideon's Trumpet by Anthony Lewis
-required for my Political Science class

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
-I think this is an interesting story and hope it will be a good read. I know the guy had flaws, but no one is perfect, right?

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
-recommended by a friend

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
-read a good review/recommendation

The Wild Trees by Robert Preston
-came across this book a while ago, thought it looked interesting, and haven't had the chance to read it yet

Now here's where you come in. I need a thirteenth book! Recommend something to me! Also, if you see something on my list that you read and didn't like or that you want to read too, or something/anything you might want to comment on, go right ahead. Here's to fifty books!

Spontaneity

Today I went and saw a matinee by myself. I saw White on Rice, a weird independent(?) film that was in town for a while.

WHITE ON RICE-THEATRICAL TRAILER from Dave Boyle on Vimeo.

Today was the last day it was showing in Provo and I read about it somewhere and went to see it. Everyone was in class or at work like most normal people are at noon on a Thursday, so I went alone. I was actually the only one in the entire theatre. What bothered me was that the movie was playing when I got there. It didn't bother me that it had already started because I was a few minutes late anyway, but since I was the only one in the theatre, that must've meant they were planning to show the film whether or not anyone was there. That bothers me. I'm sure Cinemark is wasting a lot of electricity by playing a film when no one is watching it. Anyway, the movie has moved out of Utah now, so I can't recommend it if you live in the area, but if you don't, check the website and see if it's coming to you. I do recommend seeing it, but only at a matinee. It was a good show and had quite a bit of comedy, but it was just a little too awkward at times. Maybe it's a better show when you have some company or don't have a headache (which I did)...
Anyway, in other news, I randomly found this song and happened to like enough to take the time to download it for free on the band's website (there's a link in the description of the video if you're interested).

Tell Me Something

Why is it that I cannot attend a concert when an interesting band comes to town with fairly good priced tickets? Oh that's right, because it's 21 and up.
And why is it that one of the best scores I've heard is unavailable in sheet music form alone? Here I've found "River Waltz" and "Promenade" from The Painted Veil in a collection, but there's no music just from that particular film. There's still The Hours I suppose, but I really love the music in Painted Veil.
Listen:

Am I not right?

New Things

With all my free time, I've decided to branch out in the blogosphere with a new food blog and participation in a fashion (of sorts) blog/project with Megan and Adrien.
Check them out!

Oh and P.S. Happy 60th birthday to Lindsey Buckingham, one of my favorite musicians.

Stuff

I'm considering making a new blog just for food stuff. But do I really cook or bake often enough to make even a weekly post? Would you read it? Input please.
Also, this is pretty cool:

“What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful”

If I had to pick between ancient Greeks and Romans I'd definitely say I'm a Hellanophile because I usually get a bitter taste in my mouth when I think about the Romans (if you really want to know why, ask me in person so I don't have to bore the rest of you). One thing they had going for them though was that they had more apparent respect for women than the Greeks did. And the Etruscans liked them even more! Here're some evidences from art:
First of all, this fresco shows a woman who apparently learned to read and write. Literacy in women was rare in the ancient world. Aside from Sappho, I'm unaware of many Greek women being allowed to learn to write (this fresco is actually sometimes called the "Sappho Fresco" even though it's from Pompeii).
Here's another fresco from Pompeii, this one a portrait of the people that lived in the house where it was found. Not only was the woman depicted literate, she was shown in equal status with her husband, something ancient Greek women were rarely shown as (there's a whole 'nother story to discuss when you mention Penelope, so let's not for now and just say Homer was the exception in Greek views on women).
This is an Etruscan sarcophagus that shows a husband and wife eating together. Greek women were not even allowed in the same room as men during mealtimes (unless they were prostitutes/dancers there to entertain) let alone lie with them on the same couch. Kudos to the Etruscans.
And here's just a nice Etruscan frieze that shows a husband and wife together. I believe this is from a tomb/funerary memorial/sarcophagus, so you could possibly say that this couple wanted to be together after death, which is sweet.

The quote in the title is by Sappho, since we're talking of ancient women.

My Feet are Cold

Autumn is descending like a low cloud on the mountains.
And I am glad.

Shaun the Sheep

I'm sort of in love with this show:

Too bad viewing is limited outside the UK :(

Blue Skies

Do you like the new look? Summer's officially over I think (well, not the season, but the freedom certainly is) so I thought I'd go for something a little less summer-y. And I took that picture :)
So I found this preview for a movie I think looks kind of cool. The thing is, the only way to watch it (it's 45 minutes...only.) is by buying the special version of this random band's newest album. I'm still working out whether or not it means that much to me (since I don't really know the band or the music, though I like the song in the preview), but if I decide to buy it, you're welcome to borrow it if this tickles your fancy:

Also, a feel nerdy because I'm sort of really excited about these? Think of it...you could give people bread and stuff and never have to worry about them giving your pans back or feeling lame because you just gave it to them in a giant ziploc bag! Wow, I am a nerd. But I'm really getting excited for giving people bread. Haha!

Breakfaaaast...

With my lack of anything to do, I've lately been really wanting to get back into one of my favorite things to do-- cooking. But I have no one to cook for, and admittedly (at present), not a lot of money to be buying fancy ingredients.
This morning, however, I was perusing the many food blogs I subscribe to, and found an article about how to make the perfect poached egg. I tried the vortex method about a year ago to very unfortunate results, but I have now found a method I'd really like to try.
Now imagine this: fresh wheat bread lightly toasted and buttered, topped with a slice of tomato and a few leaves of spinach sauteed in olive oil, and the poached egg sprinkled with sea salt and pepper. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! And I don't even like tomatoes. Maybe a couple slices of bacon for added protein. But man. Maybe I'll go make that wheat bread right now since I have a recipe I know is great.
Does anybody want to help me eat?

Note: Apparently this method of poaching an egg is the most common...don't know how I missed the memo!

Oh, and kudos if anyone can guess what the title of the post is quoting. And I'll be surprised if you get it.

Terrible, Horrible

Please enjoy this lovely find:

It's a Walk in the Park

I'm not a parent, but I spend a lot of time with little kids (nephew, niece, and a little guy I just started babysitting) and I can appreciate how not always easy it is corralling/whatever them. But kids are really a lot of fun. Monday afternoon I went with Megan and the kids to Vivian Park up the canyon for a "picnic" (Burger King dollar menu) and some fun. It was incredibly windy. Nathan (for some reason) hates wind, so that was interesting, but even more interesting was watching Megan run all over the grass picking up stuff that got blown away. Here are some pictures from the excursion:

Megan; not actually holding a white ball-- I was just trying to reduce "Cleavage City" as she called it, but I think this picture is super cute so I had to include it.
Nathan with awesome hair. Like I said, it was windy.
All going down at the same time! Nathan enjoyed it, but I'm not sure Rylie did.

Absence

I haven't posted in over a month! This is a little crazy. But I guess there just hasn't been much to say. I lost my job due to not being a student anymore, I moved to a much more expensive (but nicer too) place, I went back home for a visit for a couple of weeks and didn't take any pictures because my camera died on the first day, and now I'm fighting the masses looking for a new job. Let me know if you see or hear of anything. And I'll try to post more often since I know all (three) of you hang on my every word...
In the mean time, watch this cool/weird/funny/whatever video that Maggie posted on Facebook so you've probably already seen it:



P.S. I'm changing my goal of how many books I'd like to read this year to 50. It seems 100 is a bit too ambitious.

Dream

Oh my life is changing everyday
Every possible way
Though my dreams, it's never quite as it seems
Never quite as it seems

I know I felt like this before
But now I'm feeling it even more
Because it came from you

Then I open up and see
The person fumbling here is me
A different way to be

I want more, impossible to ignore
Impossible to ignore
They'll come true, impossible not to do
Impossible not to do

Now I tell you openly
You have my heart so don't hurt me
For what I couldn't find

Talk to me amazing mind
So understanding and so kind
You're everything to me

Oh my life is changing everyday
Every possible way
Though my dreams, it's never quite as it seems
'cause you're a dream to me
Dream to me
-"Dreams" Cranberries

I heard this song on the radio a few times in the past couple days. I love the Cranberries. They're part of my childhood and I think they're lyrics are clever (though these are a little more generic).
Tomorrow after work Adrien, Eric, Ian, and I leave for Flaming Gorge! Should be fun, I'll take lots of pictures.

Ten Tens

Yay! This is my 100th post on the blog. I spent like a week trying to decide what to write about for the 100th post and couldn't think of anything particularly amazing or anything really having to do with 100, so I decided that I would make a list of ten things I'd give a ten (stars, thumbs up, happy faces, elephants, whatever) because ten times ten is one hundred. That much I know. So! The list (in no particular order...just the order I thought of them):

1. Keane
As pretty much the world knows by now, Keane is my favorite band. But it's more than just the fact that I like their music, because I listen to other bands more often (for instance, I can listen to Coldplay for a few hours at a time but I have to limit my Keane time; and Fleetwood Mac has the most plays on my computer), but more for these reasons:
1. They're breaking new ground. Sort of. You might remember my post about the 3D broadcast made from Abbey Road. Keane was the first band to do that. They were also the first band to put out a single on a USB stick. But more importantly...
2. They're a success story. Particularly the lead singer Tom Chaplin. For Chaplin particularly there was a lot of struggle in dealing with the stressors of fame and producing good music, etc. After the first album, the band went directly into producing the second. Chaplin developed a drug and drinking problem somewhere during that time and started missing interviews, etc. He finally quit the Tour in Japan and checked himself into a clinic. Several months later, Chaplin was back on his feet with not only a cleaner, healthier body but also a cleaner look. The band took him back because he was their friend and he had talent (not to mention they're helping him stay clean-- the tour bus is a designated sober area). After a hiatus, the band took on a bit of a new sound but didn't change the Keane-ness of it too much. In fact, all three albums have a bit of a different sound. This can be attributed to the incredible talent of the songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley (and of course the other band members), who's also responsible for the great lyrics-- some of which are based on literature, which I think is outstanding.
Overall I'm just very pleased with the fact that the band could stick together through their difficult times and still produce great music that doesn't repeat what they've done already.

2. Harry Potter
There are so many reasons to love Harry Potter. First of all, the fact that it has gotten children reading again is wonderful. The world is becoming iliterate and when an incredible story comes along that anyone can get into and causes nine-year-olds to read 700 page books is just amazing. Way to go Ms Rowling! Anyway, another reason I love Harry Potter is because of the incredible and complex story of good triumphing over evil. I love to read about all the intricacies of the magic and the conquering of Voldemort and just how everything fits together and nothing is by accident.
I love the movies too for many reasons. I think that cinema is a great art form and that when a good story is taken to film and made different (hopefully better...the only time it hasn't been was with the first two films) and make something that one could only imagine into a reality-- that is what I love. And the fact that so many different kinds of people will line up 5 hours in advance for the midnight showing of a Harry Potter film-- it brings people together.

3. The Earth
Look around outside. Look up/over/down. That's the world! Maybe if you live in the city it's a little more difficult to realize the earth is there, but it is. Drive a few minutes out of the bustle and you'll discover that. When I lived in Long Beach it was sometimes difficult to realize this because no matter where you went there was city, but the drives home to Fallbrook and back again or the trips to the beach were something I always looked forward to. The ocean was always a different color, the trees were always towering. My favorite part was just after the 5 freeway (going south) opens up into San Juan Capistrano and you can see the ocean and the sun setting over it, reflecting onto the cliffs. Even better was the stretch through Camp Pendleton, especially after fire season when the rains come and the flowers bloom like an explosion in the hills. I'm so grateful to have grown up in Fallbrook, where it was beautiful pretty much every day. I can't remember ever thinking Fallbrook was ugly (though it had other drawbacks I won't mention). I'm also grateful to have been raised literally in the middle of a jungle. And living here in Provo now-- I used to think it was ugly, but the mountains constantly towering overhead don't make me feel caged in so much anymore. Now they appear to me as ladders to beautiful, quiet places. Climb them and you can escape the hectic world below. Venture a bit into the forest or the hills and you'll see things you never knew could be natural-- like the crater in Midway or pretty much anything in Yellowstone. The world is beautiful and I love it for that.

4. Photographs of things maybe not considered art
This is a little weirder of a topic. So you all know I love photography. But something that really interests me is photographs that "change the world" as they have sometimes been dubbed. They usually depict things that people might be uncomfortable seeing (such as the Buddhist monk that lit himself on fire in protest or the face of the murdered Emmet Till) or moments in time that no one might have thought to capture otherwise (like the deaf boy who heard for the first time...his face is priceless). Anyway, so this kind of photography is, to me, very important because it opens the eyes of those less aware to things that happen in the world around them.
Here's a sample.

5. Universities
Places of learning where you can learn about pretty much anything without too much restriction-- what's not to love? And the fact that higher education is available to literally everyone with a bit of persistance and financial aid makes me very happy-- although I'm in awe so few Americans take advantage of this. I just wish I could graduate from one already, although I'm very grateful that they make me want to strive to be a better, more rounded person and open my eyes to other people of all kinds/histories/etc/whatever.

6. Ancient Cultures
A couple of weeks ago Ian asked me what the reason for studying ancient cultures might be. He had a sort of "they died out so why do they matter" type of additude, but it got me thinking-- why do they matter? The reason goes far beyond the fact that without learning about the past we "are doomed to repeat it" or however the saying goes. Learning about other cultures, especially ancient ones, opens your eyes to your own culture. Also, it's just sad when something exists and then is merely gone. Bring it back up and you learn so much about your past and someone else's past. I can't quite explain precisely what I mean to say, but all I know is that I feel that learning about the ancient past is both very interesting and very important.

7. My Family
Since my family is the only one who ever reads this blog, I won't gloat too much, but I'd like to say that they have been a very important support to me in difficult times, as well as where I've learned most of what I've learned (in all areas) or where I've gained inspiration to learn about something I couldn't learn from my family. They are my best friends and my favorite people to be around. My life centers around (extended and immediate) family gatherings and I try to never miss a one because I know I might be out of the loop on the inside jokes by the next one.

8. The 5 Senses
If I had to pick one of the five senses to get rid of, I'd have a very difficult time deciding. To me, each and every one is an important way to experience everything good (and bad...to avoid it next time around) about the world. Without hearing I couldn't listen to music or hear peoples' voices. Without sight I couldn't see all the natural beauty or watch movies or anything. Touch...what a stimulus, what a way to associate things with feelings or whatever it may be. Smell-- well...smell perhaps I could do without because so many things smell bad nowadays, but I've discovered that most of my memories are associated with smell (and vice versa). When I smell something it makes me think of a memory. There was a tree in high school that I passed in the Ag Department that smelled bad but made me think of cut fuyu persimmons and an old wet washcloth in the kitchen. Both these associations made me think of dinner in the evenings-- wiping off the table and then having fuyus at dinner. And taste-- well you couldn't taste anything without taste, obviously. Food is important to me not because I want to eat (because I've never felt that way) but because of the taste and how when it tastes good it makes you feel amazing. Does all this make sense?

9. George Lucas & Star Wars
I'm not talking so much about why Star Wars itself is a fantastic story, but more about the impact George Lucas and the first Star Wars had on the film industry. George Lucas not only created one of the best examples of the story of a heroes journey (as I mentioned, it's a great story) but he also paved the way for modern cinema. He invented new ways of doing sound (THX), special effects (Industrial Light and Magic), animation (Pixar), and digital editing. His programs and companies are still used today by several filmmakers today (there is a short on this in the special features of the ep.4-6 DVD set thing). And the fact that he came up with all this stuff in the 70s still amazes me. He was a visionary in the film industry and cared about making films real while everyone else was stuck in a rut. I'd also like to throw out there that American Graffiti is a good, fun film.

10. Sleep
I love to sleep when I can get it. Sleep is so relaxing. I also love my dreams. They're sometimes totally random and sometimes help me sort out feelings/problems/whatever. Did you know that without sleep your body would fall apart and without dreams you would go crazy? It's true. I'm keeping a dream journal right now. Sometimes I don't remember writing down a dream and then go back and read it and it's really hilarious. Here's one from the other night, word for word as I wrote it: "I was back home at Mom & Dad's and Brandon was upstairs in the computer room upstairs and I gave my phone to Sylvester and he sat at the kitchen table and sent Brandon like 15 text messages and Brandon yelled down and said it was getting annoying and that if I had something to say I should just tell him and I told him it was the cat then he thought it was cool." I think that's hilarious.

Well, there's my Ten things I give a Ten. I'll probably think of other ones I should have mentioned later on but I'll spare you.