Emma

My sister Emma goes into the MTC today. Well, she was supposed to board a plane tomorrow so that she'd get to the Preston England MTC on Friday but her visa didn't come so she's going to Provo today. Emma is going to the England London Mission. Not South, not North, not East or West, just London. Emma loves England. She's an English Major. It's very fitting. So, after her year of traveling all over the world (England, France, Middle East) she's finally going to be somewhat stagnant and sitting tight for a few weeks. I think she's going to be a fabulous missionary, just like Cami and Jess. I'm excited to get missionary letters every week again. I've missed them, and it's only been a month!

Look how cute Emma is:

And now she's going to be a cute little missionary! Hooray! And, sadly, this is the first time I haven't been in Utah to take my sisters to the MTC! It's actually really sad.

Taking Jess to the MTC Oct 2008

Taking Cami to the MTC March 2009

You know what else is exciting about her going into the MTC today?
That it is 5 years after I went into the MTC.
Me: September 28, 2005.
Emma: September 29, 2010. Awesome.

Expectations vs Reality

Have you seen 500 Days of Summer? You know that scene where Tom goes to Summer's apartment and they do the split screen view and one part is Expectations and the other is Reality? Here, I'll find it so you can watch it and be reminded of what I'm talking about.

Expectations vs. Reality (500) Days Of Summer Movie Scene from catiski on Vimeo.

(don't know what the other language is, but this is as good as I can get)

So, in the movie, Tom goes to Summer's apartment and he's expecting everything to happen one way but it's so totally different from his expectations. I love-hated this scene because it could have been taken from my life. We expect things to happen one way but they are almost always another. And I tend to romanticize everything anyway. (I'd give examples but that would just show how many times my expectations were smashed and crushed by reality. And that's just not very pretty now is it?)

Last night I was confronted--blindsided maybe?--by the reality of a situation. I'm exhausted today from the emotions from last night.

I probably should have taken a mental health day. I definitely need it.

Disclosure on my dorkiness

I tend to have a somewhat obsessive personality. I don't really like that I'm like this but it's not really something that I can help. So, what have I been obsessing about for the last couple weeks that has caused my sleep to suffer and my mind to race in the middle of the night contemplating different scenarios and options and outcomes?

The Hunger Games Trilogy.

Yup, I jumped on that bandwagon when I went to Oregon a few weeks ago for Jess' wedding. I actually bought The Hunger Games on accident on my Kindle while reading the synopsis (it's hard to be on a cardio machine at the gym and have steady fingers to click away on the Kindle). But I decided it's vastly popular so it must be good and worth reading and I like series books anyway (I sometimes hate when books end, I think it's because I fall in love with characters and want to know everything about them). So, I stopped reading the synopsis and started reading the book. I was hooked before the first chapter finished, it's so intriguing, and I didn't have any clue what was going to happen.  So when I find out that the main character, Katniss, volunteers to go to the Hunger Games in place of her sister I found myself crying at the gym. (You know she goes into the games for her sister by reading the back of the book, but since I didn't read that, I didn't know.)

Unfortunately this reading kept me awake on my across the country flight to San Francisco (I read the entire way and finished the first book) and because of plane problems I missed my connection to Eugene and had to spend the night in San Fran. And, unfortunately the only available hotel rooms were smoking rooms and it was hard to sleep from the smell. But I mostly didn't sleep peacefully because I was replaying scenes from the book in my head all night long. Pathetic.

I started the second book the next day on the flight to Eugene, Catching Fire, but stopped about a quarter of the way into the story because my sleep was suffering still, and I took a break with a "fluff book". (fluff book. n. a book that has no real value other than being an easy, fun, read. These books are usually associated with shopping, girly-ness and New York City. Examples are Confessions of a Shopaholic, Something Borrowed, and other novel to chickflick movies, which both of these are.) I ended up reading two fluff books before finishing Catching Fire and then continuing on to read Mockingjay.

While reading Catching Fire and Mockingjay, in an attempt to keep myself from becoming too obsessed (and so I could sleep), I had to start doing yoga stretches before bed and include in my prayers "to keep myself calm and be able to sleep" and I also may have sang a few primary songs in there, you know, just a few things to calm my over-active/hyper imagination.

Anyway, I finished Mockingjay last Friday. (I was satisfied with the way they ended.)

And now I can sleep.

(But the best part about finishing the book was that the next day the author, Susanne Collins, was at the  National Book Festival in DC. And it made me really happy that I live in DC. And I loved hearing her background, hearing why she is interested in war and how the idea of the book came together. And, if you really want to know, I'm Team Peeta.)

I think you're going to like this

There is a guy that stands at one of my bus stops in the mornings. He's an older, mentally handicapped, but really friendly guy, and says hi to all the passing cars and any and all runners, walkers etc. If I'm running late I take the bus at his stop, but if I'm on time I'll run up the street to catch the other bus. (Lately I can't get up before 7:15 so I end up taking the later bus.) But usually he'll say good morning to Lisa and I, especially if he's having a good day, he'll yell, "Goooood Mooooorning Lay-deeesss!" really loud and wave. I've suspected that he might have a little crush on Lisa or me.

Well, this morning it was somewhat confirmed as we waited for the bus, he lamented to me that his sort of girlfriend doesn't want to be his girlfriend anymore. Then he asked me if I had a boyfriend. I probably should have lied and said yes but I feel bad lying to him so I answered truthfully. I knew exactly what was coming out of his mouth next and could have bet a million dollars on it, "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

I had to decline telling him that he was just my friend.

But glad to know the charmers are into me...

Last weekend in Utah

I went to Utah last weekend because Liz got married. Hooray! And here are the pictures I'm borrowing from my friends (thanks Erin and Amy).

From the dinner the night before the wedding. 

Left to right: Erin, Steph, Linds, LIZ THE BRIDE, Cath, me, Amy

Us as the bridesmaids minus the bride.

Me with the beautiful bride. Doesn't she look so pretty?

Pictures I can't wait to see from the official photographer:

• My sister Cami boxing me out, basketball style, to get the bouquet. (I would have gotten it too.)
• Dancing in a huge circle adding on to the dance move done by the person before.
• Liz and Mark leaving on their vespa after running through sparklers.

Pictures that I wish would have been captured but most definitely weren't:

• My sister Emma picking up a peach that fell out of a flower arrangement and eating it.
• The band playing a cover of Ice Ice Baby only identifiable by "All right stop, collaborate and listen." Otherwise it would have been completely lost.
• My sisters dancing.

And a picture I'm glad was not captured? My sweaty back from dancing. Ew.

Lisa

My roommate Lisa and I work at the same agency. So that means we commute together. And have lunch together. And email through out the day. It really makes us sound kind of pathetic. I usually end up sending her cool things I find online through blog stalking and such. But now she's on TDY--which is government talk for a work trip. (TDY stands for Temporary Duty. No idea where the Y comes from... Oooo! Just googled it, it stands for Temporary Duty Yonder. Thank you Wikipedia!) So, she's on TDY in a really cool place (well, not THERE exactly, but the country it resides in). And that really cool place will be followed up by another really cool place (ok, probably not that exactly either but it was a jealousy inducing picture found through google image search, she's here) making her gone from my daily routine for five whole weeks. How dare she!

10 K

DC Temple Christmas lights

Anyway, because I send her so much stuff online that I think is cool and know she would like, I have decided to avoid filling her inbox full of junk from me, and started a new blog just for her. Isn't she so lucky? I know, she really is. But now so are you because I decided to let you in on the secret. Check it out. Things I'd Send Lisa While She's Out of the Country

Mr. Yogato Karaoke

Mr. Bird. Our Thanksgiving Turkey.

PS. All pictures stolen off Facebook and because I hardly ever update Facebook none of them show us in the summer. Oops!

Utah

Well, I'm back from my weekend in Utah. I never thought I would miss Utah as much as I do.

Things I miss, and knew I'd miss:

• sisters
• extended family--grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins
• friends who are still there
• the mountains
• BYU campus

Things I didn't know I'd miss:

• hearing someone casually mention something so Mormon like Stake Conference at Target (or any other store for that matter)
• driving on I-15 and seeing temples
• seeing missionaries at the Provo temples/on Temple Square
• the familiarity I feel being there, it's the same feeling I get in Oregon, like I'm home

Things I definitely still don't miss:

• college parties (I may have stood outside on the sidewalk for a good 10 minutes--which felt like 30-- waiting for a friend I knew to get there before going back inside the party)
• guys who look like tools at said parties
• being an actual student (ie. doing homework)

Utah was lovely. It was definitely a quick trip but I feel like I got the best of two worlds, hanging out with my long time girls at Liz's wedding, staying at Erin's house in Salt Lake like old times, but also going to Provo, seeing my sisters some more and seeing my lovely Jerusalem friends.

Utah, I miss you. I'll have to do fun things this week to forget.

Religious Intolerance Makes Me Sick

Have you been following the story of the idiotic pastor in Florida who plans to remember 9/11 by burning copies of the Koran?

It makes me so mad and brings to mind a quote by Heinrich Heine, a German poet.

"Das war ein Vorspiel nur, dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen."

("Where they burn books, they will ultimately also burn people.")

The most interesting part about this statement is that it was made in 1821. One hundred and twelve years later (1933) would be the day the of the Nazi book burnings in Berlin. Heine's quote seems almost prophetic when coupled with the realization of the book burnings in Germany and later the known existence of extermination camps in Europe in the forties during WWII.

Now I'm not saying the burning of the Koran would lead to WWIII, but whatever the outcome, it will not be good. I am grateful for freedom of speech, but what this pastor guy is doing is not freedom of speech, it is religious bigotry and it's foul.

Red Eye

I'm desperately grasping at anything and everything to keep me awake right now. I boarded the plane at 10:36 last night in San Francisco after having taken some Nyquil and having bought a pillow and blanket set from the little gift shop. Let me tell you, it was probably the best $40 I've ever spent. The Nyquil knocked me out. And the super soft pillow/blanket combo kept me asleep pretty good. But now I'm suffering the residual affects of a party hard weekend and little sleep, and having gotten off the plane at 6:40 am, getting home in in the cab by 7:40, jumping in the shower and getting ready as fast as I could to get to work by 9.

I hope I don't start getting sick due to lack of sleep. Also don't hope I contracted Mono from Liz two weekends ago when I was in NY...

Jess' Wedding

It's Monday, a few days after the wedding and we're still exhausted. We sat around the house all day yesterday. It was pretty heavenly. A really nice man in our ward took a bunch of pictures at the reception and gave us the CD. Here are some of my favorites.

Jess' dress was made out of fabric she bought in Singapore.

Our back deck where we had a combo play nice jazz music in the background. The piano player is in our ward (and he's also Amy's brother-in-law)

Eating Tasty Thai. Our favorite Thai restaurant in Eugene. They packed everything for us in to-go boxes. And the food was delicious!

The cake was decorated with left over flowers by Emma.

View of the eating area from the deck.

As a surprise for Michael Jess sang Ballad For My One True Love by Mason Jennings

They learned a salsa dance and performed for everyone.

 

Full blown dance party. We like to dance...

The day was really fun. We got up at 6 to get ready for the marriage at the Portland Oregon Temple, then had a luncheon afterward at a house in the Portland area before driving the two hours back down to Eugene to get ready for the reception at 7. Everything was so lovely, the temple, the luncheon (which was so cute and put together by the groom's family, and styled by his lovely sister, but I didn't take a single picture. oops!) and then I just thought the reception was so much fun. Jess kept saying she didn't want to leave the party early. We told her it would end as soon as she left. She still wanted to hold out longer. It was pretty funny.

Oh, and I learned I take horrible candid photos while I'm dancing. Evidenced below...

Slight stream of consciousness

I have become a once a week blogger. How boring. I wish I had something exciting to write about. I don't. But, I'm going to Oregon tomorrow and will be there through Tuesday morning. I haven't been to Oregon since April and I always forget how much I love it when I go back. I wonder if my parents feel the same way when they go back to California, you must always love the place you grew up in.

I'm antsy. I want to travel, I want to see the world, the US and have fun all the time. I don't want to stay here right now. I would rather be in: England, Poland, Germany, Italy, France, China, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Hawaii, Oregon, California, Utah, New York, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee etc. (Those are the first places that came to mind. I know, random mix. I don't know why I chose some of those states either. Something about Tennessee is appealing...)

I even wish I was a student again. Something about the first day of school is so exciting. I remember staying up late and figuring out my classes, where they all were (that started in middle school and continued all through college) and getting excited about pulling out my new notebooks, using my new pens, and colored pencils (even though you really didn't need them after elementary school). I think college was extra exciting because it was like experiencing a whole new first day of school every four months.

I want to have access to an awesome bookbinding lab. I feel like making something. But not necessarily sewing. Maybe that's why I always end up baking. Maybe I'll make pudding tonight. That sounds nice. Chocolate pudding.

I used to make chocolate pudding on my mission at night. Sister Cox would make popcorn. Her night treat was a lot more healthy than mine.

I wish I had a Kinder Bueno right now. Mmmm. Those are tasty. I wonder if Cami brought some back from Finland. Actually, I know where some are sold in DC. Maybe I should stop there and get some.

I don't want to go to the gym after work tonight. I didn't go last night. I went and saw Nanny McPhee Returns. I liked it. It was cute. I thought Emma Thompson did a good job.

During the movie I ate my favorite new yogurt. The Chobani yogurt. I'm obsessed. I could eat it everyday, twice a day it's that good.

I need to pack tonight for my trip tomorrow. I don't want to do that.

I think we're going to watch Strictly Ballroom too.