What 2013 Taught Me

Whew... what a year that was!  It's amazing all the stuff that went down around the world, not to

mention in my own life.  I certainly wouldn't want a repeat, and it is my sincerest wish that 2014

will be a lot better.  Anyway, what I learned, in no particular order...


* "Monk" is an awesome show and I wish I would have watched it sooner.

* Although I've been there before, I still find the Tuacahn Amphitheater in St. George incredible!

* If you're truly, truly unhappy at your job, you are a complete idiot if you don't find a new one.

* Once you get a new job where you feel appreciated, you know you're actually accomplishing something, the manager(s) give good feedback, and they actually know what they're doing, you'll hit a level of job satisfaction that could never be reached had you worked in retail another 30 years!

* I really like my new job (in case you couldn't tell) and I feel so blessed that I have it!

* It is fun to "dress up" for work.

* It really is quite important to listen to your body.  If something's wrong, then you need to get it looked at A.S.A.P!!!

* You really shouldn't compare your accomplishments (or lack thereof) with other people your age. 

* People share waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy too much stuff online... especially Facebook.

* I totally do NOT understand the point of "Snap-chatting".

* I need to listen more to that, "Still, small voice". 

* Even though I don't have any, I am worried about what the world will be like for my children.  Actually, it really freaks me out.

* It is sad that with certain topics I am not allowed to say what I REALLY think, because all hell would break loose... even though others can say stuff without retribution.

* Okay... I guess there's nothing preventing me from saying that stuff, but I just don't WANT all hell to break loose. 

* If you play "Words With Friends" with a former English teacher, she will totally cream your corn!

* I now understand the saying, "Youth is wasted on the young".

* It really doesn't do anyone any good to DWELL!

* I am glad that I have my Faith.  It is important to me.

* It feels so nice to hold a diploma in your hand... even if it's only an Associates. 

* Someone who is really boring can also be really nice.

* It is incredibly awesome when someone encourages and helps you to succeed.

And finally...

* There really is a purpose behind the "bad things" that happen.  Even if you don't find out right away, there is always some lesson, experience, or outcome that, in the end, only makes things better.  I know that He in charge of all things.  Things do not happen by "accident".  Proverbs 3:5-6 sums it up nicely. 

Happy 2014!!!

P.S. I really don't care if you're offended that I mentioned my Faith.  It's my blog, so I can say what I want.  I also don't care that I don't care.  :)

What 2012 Taught Me

Holy crap! It is time for me to write another one of these?!! Whoa...

I saw a lot of change in 2012: births, deaths, engagements, weddings, break ups, hellos, goodbyes, "you suck!"s, and so on. I don't always handle change in the best way. I like to stay in my little nest, even if it was woven out of misery. I know that's no way to live, and 2012 didn't let me forget it.

* Math is still hard... REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HARD!

* It isn't always a "triumphant" feeling when you pass a hard class. I think it is the same reason you see tired looking marathon winners.

* I like art museums. It's hard to explain the experience of seeing a real life Van Gough, Monet, or Picasso.

* I guess it is the new "norm" for men to stay in the hospital right alongside their wives after giving birth. (No offense, but I find that very bizarre. There's no sense BOTH of you coming home sore, cranky, and utterly exhausted.)

* It is never too late to apologize, but it is apparently too late to be forgiven.

* Movies based on books are rarely good... The Hunger Games is definitely an exception to this rule!

* I would not call being stranded in the St. Louis airport for five hours, "Good Times".

* If you make under $10 an hour, it is less likely that your boss will give any sort of crap about you.

* In this economy, bosses rarely give a crap about anyone.

* People feel the need to get on a plane ASAP just so they can be the first one to sit and wait for 45 mins before take off.

* I really think we're going to be screwed for the next four years.

* I would REALLY like to be proven wrong on that.

* I think your kid is cute and it is good that you have one, but as a "non-mom" I don't really care about the details.

* I'd like to travel to more big cities.

* Heck, I'd like to travel more in general.

* I need to write more.

* I need to write better.

* If you're going to run out on your kids then at least have the decency to leave them ALL behind, rather than saying, "I'll take you two, but I don't want you three."

* When it comes to reacting around someone with memory loss people tend to think, "I don't want to offend or confuse him, so I'll just stay away." They do not realize that doing such only offends and confuses him further.

* I find it offensive to be too politically correct.

* I hate conspiracy theories.

* I hate feminists.

* I hate wimpy women who NEED to be "taken care of".

* I REALLY hate women who dress up as "sexy little girls". BLECH!

* A lot of innocent children were horribly murdered this year. I am not okay with that!!!

* Taking away alcohol didn't stop prohibition. Taking away guns will not stop tragic murders.

* You shouldn't feel bad for pulling yourself out of the mud when you've done everything you could to get someone to join you.

* It is never, ever, ever a good idea to think, "I will never be as sad/lonely/hurt/ as I am right now."

* It can be a good thing to reconnect with someone from your past.

And finally...

* It is not that people DON'T change, it is that people WON'T change.

What 2011 Taught Me

Perhaps I've said this a lot lately, but I'm awfully glad this year is almost over. I am ready for a new start. What has been interesting about this year is a good deal of the lessons I learned were from events that did not directly happen to me. The theme of 2011, for me, would definitely be, "Learn from the mistakes of others". Don't get me wrong, I've had plenty of mistakes too. So, yet again, here is my list for what 2011 taught me. In no particular order...

*A friend you've known since birth will de-friend you (on facebook), but that dude you hardly know from work/school will comment on your every post.

*Some girls really believe they will shrivel up and die if they don't have a boyfriend at all times.

*Monks make good jelly... that is, they are quite skilled at preparing it.

*It is not wise to wear flip flops on a steep, rocky, dirt-covered hill.

*It takes 6-9 months for a toe nail to grow back.

*It is both interesting and rewarding to help students from other countries with their English homework.

*It is VERY important to keep your mind healthy.

*The one who "hearts" more, hurts more.

*When four, 20-something men share an apartment, it can get REALLY MESSY AND GROSS!!!

*"Logan's Run" is one messed-up movie!!!

*It really, really, really is NOT a good idea to date your co-worker. No, you're not different. It won't be okay. Just don't do it.

*Making cards is fun!

*The Intro to Film class I took was incredibly interesting. It almost makes me wish I would've gone into film instead of English.

*Teaching is terrifying!

*Math really is hard. I thought I just didn't like it because I was a dumb teenager when I last took it. Wrong, it is hard!

*When you whisper in a movie theater that is mostly empty, you might as well be yelling. It's a little something called acoustics.

*You shouldn't read a REALLY personal essay in front of your class.

*You probably shouldn't write a REALLY personal essay for an assignment.

*Someone rambling drunken nonsense on TV = Pure hilarity! Someone rambling drunken nonsense in real life = Frightening...terrifying...worrying...not sure what to do...etc.

*No one writes thank you notes anymore, especially for wedding gifts. That's terrible!

*Saying, "Hey man, thanks for the gift" on your facebook wall IS NOT THE SAME AS A THANK YOU CARD!!!

*I am NEVER planning a, "Let's get together outside of work" activity EVER AGAIN!!!

*People don't understand the concept of R.S.V.P!

*Girls will buy really, really expensive swim suits not for swimming, but so they can look good at the beach. That's fine in and of itself, but I'm talking about girls in UTAH!

*A lot of messed up stuff happened due to that freak wind storm we had a month ago.

*Apparently, it is kosher to let a shopping cart ram into the back of some one's car and just take off without so much as an apology.

And finally...

*I need to learn better to "Live in the moment". I miss a lot just by...well, being me and worrying too much.


I hope I can take these lessons and use them well so that 2012 will be a good year!

By the way, the world will NOT be ending tomorrow. I'm sure of it. :)

On yesterday...

She saw things she didn't want to see.

The pit-stains of humanity!

Lying, complaining, running away...

Selfish, sluggish, what more can she say?



Love is mostly dead

Charity is gone

The jerks reign on, triumphant

Their silly lives go on



Though the offenses are done

The masses will turn on one.

She'll get the biggest blame of all

For simply stating what she saw.

Countdown to Halloween---#7, #6, & #5

I love Halloween; that's a given. It is a holiday I look forward to every year. Therefore, I decided it might be fun to countdown to 10/31 by writing a blog each day, indicating 10 reasons why I'm such a fan.

Blog #7---Halloween Music

Halloween music? What's that?

Yeah, I know, there really aren't any Halloween-specific songs. We don't sing Halloween carols, that's for sure. However, like decorations, the right music can certainly put you in the Halloween spirit. I have a "Halloween play list" on my ipod that I've been listening to for the past few weeks. Here you go...

1-This is Halloween (The soundtrack version, NOT Marilyn Manson)
2- Halloween by Aqua (Yes, that Aqua. It's super-cheesy, I love it!)
3- I Put a Spell on You-- Bette Midler from Hocus Pocus
4- Thriller-- Michael Jackson
5- Ghostbusters-- Ray Parker Jr.
6- Time Warp-- Rocky Horror Picture Show (NOT the Glee one, yeck!)
7- The Monster Mash-- Bobby "Boris" Pickett
8- Theme from 'Halloween'-- John Carpenter
9- Theme from 'Psycho', the shower scene

So, there you have it. I'd like to add more songs one day, but it's not high on my list of priorities right now. There's a lot of other great movie soundtrack songs out there. Scary music is a must for any proper horror film, which brings us to the next blog...



Blog #6---Scary movies

I'm not a fan of the ultra-gory, sickening, and utterly demented horror movies (i.e. the Saw franchise), but I do like a good horror movie. I'm more prone to thrillers, like The Sixth Sense, The Others, The Glass House, to name a few. Of course, you can never go wrong with the classics; Rear Window, The Birds, Carrie, The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm Street... the list goes on!

Probably better than the legit horror movies are the ones that are awesomely-bad. The king of this list is, without a doubt, Troll 2. Wow, what a gem of a movie this is. Not only does it make absolutely no sense, but the acting is terrible and it was filmed right here in Utah. If you have Netflix, you can watch it right now. That's how I saw it, and I'm certainly glad I did.

I also like the classic horror villains; Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein's monster, the mummy, Jason, Freddy Kruger, Michael Meyers, Pinhead, Chucky, Ghostface, Jigsaw... they're legendary!

Now, I know scary movies aren't for everyone, but you should at least try to watch one semi-scary movie each Halloween. They're infinitely safer than haunted houses and, well, they're just fun! Come on, give them a chance.



Blog #5---Halloween TV Episodes

Halloween episodes of your favorite shows are usually pretty fun to watch! I've always liked seeing what my favorite characters will dress up as. Back in the 90's, I would go ape for the Home Improvement episodes. Tim Taylor really knew how to throw a Halloween shin-dig. Nowadays, you can't go wrong with The Office or Community.

However, the king of Halloween episodes is, without a doubt, The Simpsons. Don't you just love the Treehouse of Horrors? I love the week leading up to Halloween, because that's when they air these classic shows. Every one's got their favorite; mine would have to be the one where they rip off The Shining. Of course, like the show itself, these later episodes aren't as good as they once were. 90's Simpsons reigns supreme. If you haven't yet, sit down and watch one. They're gloriously funny!!!

Also, you can't go wrong with going to homestarrunner.com and watching their Halloween toons. If you don't know what I'm talking about, shame on you. I'd need a whole other blog to explain it, but it's awesome too.

Anyway, find your favorite TV show and watch a Halloween ep. Most have them and most are pretty fun.