What?

A snow day. No way! I am loving this weather, by the way.

The true inspiration of my blog title...

I've appreciated and loved this song for a great while. The lyrics, to me, are meaningful and applicable to life. A thousand empty windows. Though it's true that we have to figure things out for ourselves, and in a way, find our own way, I'm truly grateful to meet amazing people along the path. Those who inspire and lift me, those who care. I'm grateful that we can come together and work it all out. It's a great song. I hope you enjoy it too.

AND AGAIN. AND AGAIN. AND AGAIN. AND AGAIN. AND AGAIN.

...S'YADNOM HTIW TI SI TAHW

Defending oneself...

Just wondering if any of you have ever felt like this..... Constantly on the edge of your seat feeling the need to be prepared to defend yourself against any wrongful accusations. Unaware of when it will hit next. I really don't like that feeling. I know you're probably thinking that in some way I must be guilty of something, otherwise there would be no need for my worry. I'm not guilty. I do not enjoy living my life in constant defense mode. I'm not the battling type. Don't want to be, either. But, I can't allow for others to walk all over me, hence the need for being prepared and on the defense. Am I wrong here? Any thoughts? HAVE YOU FELT LIKE THIS BEFORE?

AND AGAIN. AND AGAIN. AND AGAIN. AND AGAIN. AND AGAIN.

New blog title...

I've been wanting to change my blog and title for awhile. I guess all I needed was a certain, recent experience to inspire me. SHOUTING OUT LOUD... I believe there are both good and bad, positive and negative reasons to shout out loud. So, I felt it would be an appropriate title for my blog, since life is full of it all...you know, the good, the bad, and everything in between. I apologize for the upcoming randomness of this post. I don't get frusterated, angry, stressed out, overwhelmed, very often. I try to live my life with the least amount of drama. Truthfully, calm and quiet is usually how I roll. But, don't get me wrong, I'm always up for adventure, crazy randomness, a good time, laughter. I've recently learned to embrace great moments of spontaneity. You'd be surprised! Something happened to me very recently, which has made me want to "shout out loud." In dealing with the negative things life throws my way, it's usually quite easy for me to just throw them behind me, forget about them and move on. In fact, that's really how I always deal with things. However, on rare occasion something happens that really affects me and fills me with the need to "shout out loud." Now, if you even know me at all, then you know that I'm not really the shouting type. So, when I am filled with this need to shout out, you won't hear me in the street, or anywhere for that matter, yelling at the top of my lungs. Rather, I shout out in a more inward sort of way. Anyway, none of this is really important. I'm pretty sure the world wide web is not the appropriate place to vent feelings of frusteration, confusion, and so many other human emotions, so I'll spare you the brutal details. Shouting out Loud... My new blog title. Just curious, when something happens in your life that you can't control, but the effects of the event affect you deeper than can be explained, what is your way of shouting out loud, in other words, dealing with it?

I've been tagged.....

So, I've had to ponder this for a bit. 7 random things about myself, hmmmmm..... - I alphabetize everything (movies, books, CD's, magazines, letters, bills). - My clothes are all organized by color. - For a few months now, I have been dealing with a relentless case of insomnia. This makes life pretty interesting. Lots of thinking time. - I don't like going barefoot. Either flip flops or socks are necessary. - I am always reading, I don't know, maybe 10 books at a time. I love to read and even though I am involved in one book doesn't stop me from being interested in several others, all at the same time. - I hate getting my hair cut. Hate it! But, I also like my hair to be healthy, and realize that a regular trim is necessary. - I love school. I would spend the rest of my years being educated, learning new things always. One day I will go back to school for maybe a second and third bachelors degree. Choosing what to study is my problem. That's me!

Drive 1300 miles for what, where?

This weekend I drove 1300 miles to witness a world renowned event. I bet you can't guess what kind of event it was. Albuquergue, New Mexico was the destination. Balloon Fiesta was the event. The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is the largest balloon festival in the world. Over 700 balloons participated. I can't even begin to express what a thing of beauty this was. Yes, I have a thing for hot air balloons. But, even if you don't, you couldn't help but be fascinated by such a site. True, it may seem like an awful long way to drive to see balloons enter the skies for a couple of hours. Trust me, you can't understand how worthy it is of such a drive until you've witnessed it yourself, in person. I think I am going to make it an annual thing. I've already got that weekend marked on my 2009 calendar. I apologize now for the overwhelming amount of photos. I just want you to feel like you were part of the experience. Other noteworthy parts of the trip -Eating at Cracker Barrel -Discovering Candelerria -The picture show -Coming to know the use of what now are several abondened factories in downtown Albuquerque. Really!? -Realizing that I apparently have 2 jobs I didn't know about. One at the Hobby Lobby and the other at Sephora. Seriously, I'm sure that everyone reading this knows me at least well enough to know that it isn't likely I would/could get a job at Sephora. My roommate said that people maybe hoped that I worked at these places because I'm an approachable person, which I took to be a great compliment. IT WAS INCREDIBLE!

CROSS VEGAS

Last night I went to Cross Vegas, which was right here in my Vegas backyard (Desert Breeze Park). My roommate and I walked up there to check it. There were thousands of people in attendance. I haven't ever been much in to bicycle racing, but this event was a lot of fun. Lance Armstrong was there racing. I snapped a few photos of him, which I will post. My roommate got some better pictures, so I will upload those when I get them. Anyway, it was an exciting night with the cow bells ringing. Crazy that this great event was just right here in Vegas. I mean, it's not everyday that you get to see Lance Armstrong do a full on cross race within momentary walking distance of your house.

Every now and then it happens, I can be spontaneous!

Last night I did do something spontaneous. I went to a concert. Now, I realize that concert going is not usually a spontaneous act. That is, unless you only heard about it the night before. Then there was the question of who to go with. I bought a ticket online, with less than 24 hours til the concert. I went by myself, which many thought was a stupid idea. But worth it, with the alternative being to not go at all. To describe them in one word, Rodrigo y Gabriela are, GENIUS!!!!! Their unique sound and talent make them brilliant. I've never seen or heard anything like it. And their live performance was great. They were having so much fun up on that stage. She even played barefoot, which I thought was awesome. I've had their CD for, I don't know, it seems like maybe a year now. I listen to it on a daily basis, almost. The experience was incredible, to say the least. It made me want to come home, get out my guitar, start playing, and never ever stop. But, even if I did that, I still wouldn't be able to pull that sort of genius off. Check it out! Rodrigo/Insane + Gabriela/Brilliant = "Insanely Brilliant"

Good times with the brother...

So, I've been spending a fairly good amount of time in my hometown lately, which is a bit unusual (at least for weeks at a time - but, I'll explain later). Anyway, I did manage to do some fun stuff while I was there and was able to spend lots of time with my brother and sister, which is ALWAYS the Best. My brother and I went to this cave (Magnesite, for all you Moapa Valley readers), a few times, actually. It took some four-wheel drive to get there, which was exciting. The first time we went, we got there just as the sun was going down, so it was pretty dark in the cave. We went in anyway, with only the headlights of the truck shining. The second, only a few days later, my mom decided to come with us. It had rained some earlier in the day and when we got there, the wash was filled with water, covering the road. So, we couldn't get to the cave. But it was a pretty cool sight to see that dirty, muddy, water coming off the hills. The third time, it was a bit before sundown, the water was all gone, therefore, allowing me to get some pictures and video. It's pretty cool. Love hanging with my brother, doing anything and everything. My brother and I also went shooting. I'll admit, I was a little nervous. I shoot pistols a decent amount, but I haven't shot a shotgun in over 15 years. I could just remember getting this huge bruise on my shoulder every time I did. But, my brother kept telling me I was acting like a girl, which of course made me determined to do it. Well, I did it - even shot a whole box of shells and hit over half of the clay pigeons (it was my first time attempting such). Anyway, something new and a lot of fun. I don't know how soon I will try it again, but at least I won't be nervous when the time does come. I told my brother I was good for another 15 years, but he wasn't having it. So we'll see.

Love it!!!

So, I got myself a longboard. I've been longboarding, but never had one of my own and decided it was time. It took time, I put a lot of thought into it. And, I'm happy to say that I made a decision. Check it out! Pretty SWEET, huh?!

Come fly with me...

So, I haven't been much of a blogger in quite some time. Okay, okay, so I've never been much of a blogger. But, I finally have something to tell. And, I am actually going to upload some pictures of things that I have been doing. I know, crazy, I've actually been doing stuff. Anyway...near the end of August I went on a hot air balloon ride with my dear friend. I'd never been in a hot air balloon before. I'm told it's actually somewhat of a dying form of recreation (not fast or crazy enough to draw the attention of the majority). I, however, have wanted to do this for a very long time. We had to get up early (before the sun came out). I think one of the greatest parts of the whole experience was getting to witness the whole process. We saw the balloon come out of this fairly small bag, get filled with air, take off, fly, land, and then get carefully placed back in the bag. We even got to help. Pretty cool. Actually, very very cool. Our flight was over Cedar City. The weather was nice. The view was nice. It was just so very peaceful. I loved it, and would do it a gain in a second. Now, see for yourself what fun we had.

Tagged...Memory Lane

Maybe it will be fun. Let's play....Do you remember when? Here are the rules: 1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember. 2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. (If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you.) 3. Remember, if you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all ☺ 4. Consider this a Tag: if you've read it, you have to do it!

Boring blogger, I am.....

I've been thinking lately that, quite possibly, blogging isn't for me. I really love to read the blogs of all my family and friends. I'm just feeling like I have nothing noteworthy to say and I don't often do anything very exciting. So, there's not much to share. Unfortunately, I'm not very creative in my writing. Humor is something I enjoy but don't, myelf, express well. Anyway, I've been desperately trying to think about something I could share that would be worthwhile. This is what I've come up with this week. Les Miserables is one of my absolute most favorite things in the world. I have read every version of the book, seen the movies and have witnessed a live performance on 2 two seperate occasions. Tomorrow, a day that I have been waiting for for months now, is to add a 3rd experience of this great production. For those of you who are familiar with Tuacahn - the outdoor theatre just outside of St. George, is where this experience is to take place. However, the weather reports are saying thunder storms all weekend, and I am just crossing my fingers that it won't ruin this opportunity. As much as I love the rain and know that we need it, I just want to see Les Mis. I know, I'm horrible. Anyway, that's what I've been excited for. Any Les Mis fans out there?

The Celtics CRUSH the Lakers!

BOSTON!!!!! After 22 long years, the NBA has gone green.

A mixture of things I have and haven't done

I have not pulled away with the gas pump still in my tank. I have solved a rubik's cube in less than an hour. I have cried after getting a bad grade on a test or paper. I have been so hurt by something someone said about me that I cried. I have been so grateful it made me cry. I have been in a marching band. I have wanted to express my feelings but was too afraid of the reaction. I have tripped up the stairs. I have not snuck out of my parents house in the middle of the night. I have felt alone in a room full of people. I have not spent all night on you-tube. I have bought a pair of Converse All Star shoes. I have thought of joining the military. I have flown in a helicopter. I have not driven without a license. I have watched The Sound of Music more than 10 times. I have not scuba dived. I have not been in a physical fight. I have played the saxophone. I have not been hypnotized. I have not pretended to forget my wallet so I didn't have to pay. I have been to Europe. I have shot a gun. I have not gotten so angry I screamed on the top of my lungs. I have read a book 10 times. I have not purchased something on eBay. I have made clothes. I have been to New York. I have performed on stage. I have had an operation. I have not forgotten someone's name more than 3 times in one night. I have been to an opera. I have wished I could fly. I have not eaten gum off the ground. I have been in a car accident. I have been to a ballet. I have not lied about my age. I have not slept with the light on after watching a scary movie. I have not bungee jumped. I have not danced in the rain. I have not slept for more than 15 hours in one day. I have not sky-dived. I have not talked on the phone for more then 5 hours. I have watched a movie so many times I knew every line. I have sung along to a song with no idea what the actual words were. I have not run a marathon. I have pretended everything was alright when it wasn't. I have gone swimming in my clothes. I have not laid in bed the whole day watching movies. I have caught a fish. I have not fallen off of a horse. I have fallen asleep on a bus. I have not gone more than 48 hours without food. I have ridden a roller coaster. I have made snow angels. I have swam in the ocean. I have watched a movie over 10 times. I have traveled out of the country. I have not paid someone to do my homework. I have not accidentally called someone else the wrong name. I have not pushed on a door that said pull. I have wished I could turn back time. I have not stayed up for over 24 hours. I have been friends with the same people for over 3 years. I have broken a bone.

Thinking of some good times...

Recently I have been reflecting on the college days. I guess, because another school year is coming to a close. Excitement is in the air, for those recent graduates. A whole life to look forward to. All this has taken my thoughts back to Logan and my days spent at the one and only Utah State University. May I just say, I love Logan. It is like home. I have missed it since the day I left. Sad to say that I haven't been back to Logan since my own graduation day. Sad, very sad. As, I thought about USU and all the fun times, I couldn't help but think of the fight song. You've just gotta love it. Right AGGIES!!!

Funny (to me at least) Polish commercial

Try it, just for fun.....

Saw this on a friend's blog... 80 words

Speed test

Movies...

Anybody seen any good movies lately, Old/New??? Just wondering... I love movies, but it seems I haven't been to the theatre in a long while. A few of my recent favorites, new DVD releases, are Dan in Real Life, August Rush and Juno. I really love all of those and have watched them more times than I care to admit. Also, a few weeks ago I watched, Sydney White, which was predictable and silly. But, I enjoyed it. My sister pretty much thinks it should have won best movie of the year. But then, you have to know my sister. She also has the entire Legally Blonde movie memorized. Which, I'm not saying is a bad thing. Legally Blonde is a great movie. And, my sister is AMAZING, truly!!! Just looking for suggestions, if you have any.

Darn allergies...

This weather, the wind, it's killing me. A little over a year ago I started having allergy problems. Never before in my life have I had such problems, until then. I was hoping they would somehow just disappear as the time went on. But, no, they stuck with me throughout the entire year. Somehow, they seem to be getting worse. It's crazy, because I don't even know what I'm allergic to. I think, however, it's time for me to find out. I just figure that it will be helpful to know, so I can at least try to minimize the problem. I don't get the runny nose and cough. My symptoms are itchy, soar throat - itchy, soar, watery eyes, and a constant fever of sorts. Anyone else out there having a problem like this...

Completely Random

I realize this is just coming out of no where, and most of you probably don't really even care. And.....I know, I have already included a post about hair this month. I have just been thinking about this lately and thought I would share. What I am about to say will probably surprise the majority of you. There are only a few people I have ever shared this with, mostly because the people I have shared it with just think I'm crazy. So, if you didn't already think I was a bit crazy, you probably will now. I have, for a really long time now, wanted to have dreadlocks. If this were a hairstyle I could have just for a week or two, or even a month, I would have already done it by now. But, because it requires a much longer commitment than that, I just can't bring myself to do it. I am not even really sure why I have this particular desire. I guess I'm just fascinated by some part of it. If only dreadlocks were not so permanent, I would probably be wearing them right now. Maybe. For now, however, it's just straight and, well......straight.

Troubles.....Car trouble...

Even the simplest car troubles can be such a pain. At times I wish I were a mechanic, or at least had the knowledge of a mechanic, so I could fix some of the small stuff myself. I'll be honest, when it comes to cars, I don't know much. It's not that I don't care, I would love to learn. I guess there's just no one around to learn from. But, being single and all, it would probably be very beneficial for me to pick up some basic understanding of some things. As I look back, now, I feel lucky. During the first two weeks I had my drivers license I got two flat tires. I don't really know why it happened. Well, I think it had something to do with my dad taking it hunting in the hills on the weekends during that time. Anyway, I learned quickly how to change a flat tire. And, I have had a variety of different car problems since that time. Currently I have a tail light that is out. And, as I said at the beginning, it is such a simple problem, but a pain all at the same time. I really am not complaining, because there are much worse things in life. How grateful I am that it is just a tail light and not something much worse and far more expensive. I really am grateful! I just need to get in and get it taken care of and it will be over with. Simple as that! Yes, simple as that!

Like it or hate it......To each their own

I recently bought a new pair of shoes (which look exactly like the one pictured above). According to the company, they really aren't shoes, they're sandals. So, basically, you have the looks of a shoe but the comfort of a sandal. Nice idea! Anyway, I really like them. I don't get new shoes that often, just because I have a hard time finding some that I really like. So, when I do, it's pretty exciting. It just so happened that I was with my dad the day I purchased my new favorite set of foot wear. Now, my dad and I don't have the same taste in shoes, or pretty much anything for that matter (I'll admit, I have a pretty different taste in shoes than most). The only comment he made about them was, "If you had been wearing them for the last five years, or if you had stolen them from someone who had worn them everyday for the last five years, and asked what I thought, I'd say they looked pretty good. But, considering they are brand new, they look pretty worthless. They do, however, look like a Jessica shoe." So, that is the feedback I got. My brother was also there. He doesn't usually have much to say about such purchases, mostly because he doesn't really care. But, he didn't seem to disagree with my dad. Which is fine with me, I really don't care. They are the ones that are missing out. I have myself a very comfortable shoe/sandal and I couldn't be happier about my purchase. It's amazing how different we can be. But, how fortunate a thing that we are, otherwise, this life would be pretty boring.

Just being stubborn...

Are you the kind of person who, when beginning to feel ill, goes straight to the doctor? (You know, tell me what's wrong, prescribe the meds and let's get on with it, kind of person). Or, are you like me, and figure - oh, I'll just give it a few days, it'll be gone before I know it. It really isn't that bad.....Definitely not something worth worrying about heading to the doctor for? Just wondering... I have been thinking about it today, because, well...I do have a little something and, of course, I have not gone to the doctor. I pretty much try to avoid it at all cost. It's not that I've had a bad experience, or that I don't like doctors. I guess I just feel like I can fix the problem myself. And, not that I ever do any fixing, time simply heals whatever the problem may be. But, I realize that there are occasions, this not being one of them, when we can't fix it ourselves, and the passing of time won't take care of the problem. I just have to wonder, when/how is my stubborness getting in the way of things that matter, like my health. Yes, what can I say, I can most definitely be stubborn. However, I'm quite certain that I'm smart enough to know when to give in.

A little story about me.....

When I was little, I hated being a red head. None of my friends had red hair, and no freckles either. Why did I have to suffer so greatly?! This was a question I often asked. In fact, my brother and sister were the only other people I even knew who had red hair, and they hated it just as much as I did. My dad would often sit us down and tell us how some people would pay a lot of money to try and get their hair the color of ours. The 3 of us could never figure out how someone could be that crazy. If only we could tell them how miserable and awful it was, we could save them from the great pain that we felt. Well, years have passed and now my brother, sister and I wouldn't trade our hair color. It is a little out of the ordinary. And, being a red head is fun. Now...this brings me to another point. I'll admit, I hate getting my hair cut. I pretty much struggle with any change that takes place, but it's extremely difficult when it comes to my hair. It seems like I just get used to the length and am comfortable with it, then it's time to get it cut again. I'm lucky, however, because my sister cuts my hair. I tell her exactly how much I want cut off and she does exactly that. She wouldn't dare do otherwise, just because she knows how much I hate getting it cut in the first place. She is great! Okay, enough confession for one day.

Television/Music...

I really am much more of a music person. For the most part, I am always listening to something. The TV gets turned on occassionally, when a specific show I like is coming on. There are a lot of TV shows out there that I've never even heard of, or don't know that much about. Recently, I've branched out a bit and decided to check some of these shows out, those that I have been hearing about. One of them being the HBO comedy, Flight of the Conchords. For those of you who don't know, Flight of the Conchords (description taken from the official website) follows the trials and tribulations of a two man, digi-folk band from New Zealand as they try to make a name for themselves in their adopted home of New York City. The band is made up of Bret McKenzie on guitar and vocals, and Jemaine Clement on guitar and vocals. Bret and Jemaine have moved to New York in the hope of forging a successful music career. So far they've managed to find a manager (whose "other" job is at the New Zealand Consulate), one fan (a married obsessive) and one friend (who owns the local pawn shop) -- but not much else. Now, I have only watched three episodes so far. But, I do find myself laughing quite often at the silly concept of the whole show. Anyway, so far so good. I am enjoying it. Second, I know this one is loved by many of you out there. Again, I know I may seem pathetic because I am just now discovering it,....... Arrested Development. I checked up on this show and found that it actually won some awards while it was on the air. Unfortunately, after just 3 seasons, the series was canceled. So far, I've watched the first season. This show has a very diverse set of characters, all roled into one family. Dysfunctional, as the series describes them, is a fitting term. This show is fun. So, I am wondering who people are a fan of.....I personally think Buster is pretty funny, and I like the roles of George-Michael and Maeby. So, that's what I've been doing...............

What do you do for fun?

So, while conversing with some friends of mine the other night, we began to discuss the recreational and/or fun classes we took while we were in college. There were many great activities mentioned, such as...ice skating, bowling, different types of dance, tennis. Like I said, they all sound like a lot of fun. Once again, me being the not normal one (hence the title of my blog), my contribution to the conversation was stating that I took 2 semesters of Billiards (Beginning and Intermediate). That's right, you heard correctly, Billiards! Yes, I spent an hour everyday, for 2 semesters, in the (BULL PEN) pool hall. I'll straight up admit, I loved it. To this day, I still love billiards, and I am pretty sure that I always will. It is such an intense, strategic, mathematical game. It was tragic, during my second semester of the class I broke my wrist. But don't worry, that didn't stop me from playing. In fact, the cast actually steadied my shot. During the broken wrist period, I even won the class 9 ball tournament, which took myself, the teacher and the entire class by surprise. I haven't played now in quite a while and I miss it. Owning a pool table is one of my desires. So, one day when I have a place for it, I wll have a pool table of my own. There will need to be a designated "billiards room" in the house, and it will definitely need a name. Any suggestions?

Some may think I'm crazy...

"We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection." - Anais Nin I'm just telling it how it is..... I pretty much write EVERYTHING down, because, I know there will come a time when I just can't remember the stuff I need to and want to, anymore. Having nothing to refer to, in order to keep the memories flowing, for me would be a tragedy. I have a little notebook that I carry with me. And...I will stop in the middle of something to scribble a few words down, so that I can later go back and write a more detailed account. It's more than journaling. The things I write down include a great variety of happenings. Thoughts, thoughts of others that I find to be valuable and meaningful, things I need to get done - that I know I will forget to do otherwise, goals - things I would like to accomplish, memories, the overall theme of conversations I have with people. As I said, pretty much everything. I have found it to be very beneficial to me, all this writing. I love to go back and read through and remember meaningful conversations, moments to treasure but are sometimes so easily forgotten. I don't know, it's just important to me. If I am going to live this life, I want to remember it.

These are a few of my favorite things.....

1: Reading 2: Writing 3: Music 4: Billiards 5: Playing guitar and bass 6: Sitting and talking with good friends 7: Movies 8: Guitar Hero 9: Organizing and Alphabetizing pretty much everything 10: Musicals 11: Winter - Wearing sweaters, coats, gloves, hats, scarves 12: Rainbows 13: The color green 14: Taking pictures and then scrapbooking them 15: Poland 16: Polish 17: Hanging out with my brother and sister - just doing anything 18: Good food 19: Traveling 20: Clothes, right out of the dryer - when they are warm and fresh smelling 21: Shoes - crazy, and fun 22: English Bulldogs 23: Being blessed with great friends 24: The Book of Mormon and all scripture 25: My testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ I really like a whole lot more, but, I don't want to reveal all at once. That would be a bit overwhelming, I'm afraid. So, I'll save the rest for later.

DESSERT.....ALWAYS, A MUST!

Last week.....Yogurt from Golden Spoon. Hanging out with good friends. What more could you want on a Thursday night?! Peach was the flavor of the night for me. Incredibly tasty!