vegemite sandwich

I wish that I wrote on here more often

so that

it would be more appropriate for me to say something along the lines of

"sorry homies, no new posts for a while--

I'll be in Australia"







(I leave tomorrow)

good enough for me

On Tuesday, these delights came back into my life.




On Thursday, they were gone again.




But this story has a happy ending!




Six minute walk to more.

{and no, I didn't share one crumb}

ozzies and kiwis

rose is a rose

When I have babies and they need names, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna go right down to the cemetery and stroll among those beautiful old headstones and when I notice one that's extra crumbled and weathered and whose engraving I can barely make out, I'm gonna take that eroding, etched word and give it brand new life.

no barking, no smog

Yesterday I'm like ugh I don't like this Verizon bill. So I go to the Verizon store and talk about it and they're all, yeah, you have a good point, this bill is terrible. Why don't we take twenty bucks off this bill, and then we'll go ahead and knock it off all future months too. And I'm like yeah I'm down, I can work with that, it's just also see I've had this issue where sometimes I don't get to go home all day and my phone battery gets low. And they say you know what we can do for that? We can give you a car charger, right here, right now, you'll never have to worry about going home to plug in your phone again. And I'm so down with that so I take my reduced bill and my free charger and skip on down to Urban Outfitters. And I'm glancing around there, not really looking for anything, just looking, and then my eyes fall on the most perfect skirt I've seen in months. And I try it on and it fits more perfectly than anything has in months. And I look at the price tag and there's a bright orange sticker telling me that what once was $52.00 now is $19.99. And I think yeah I can do this, this perfect skirt and I can become one for twenty bucks. So I walk up to the counter and the checker lady is friendly, she compliments my skirt because it is perfect after all, and she does her thing, scans that bar code, and gives a happy little--oh! Whaddayaknow, she says, it's on sale even more, she says. $9.99 flashes on that screen. $9.99 for the most perfect skirt in months. No bag, I say, I'll just carry it, I say. So I wrap my skirt around my charger and I've got a nice little pack. I'm on my way. Skip on down the stairs back to my car, the car that just a few minutes ago had pulled into the primest of prime free one hour parking spots. And I'm off, phone filling up with juice right there in my car, no traffic getting in my way, only one tiny little stop sign to slow me down. But oops it doesn't slow me down quite quite enough because in my rear view mirror it's the law. And I smile, I smile? I slow down and pull over, I'm on the quietest of quiet streets with the widest of wide shoulders and there's plenty of space and privacy for me to pull right over without the whole 6:00 commuting work force checking out my troubles. And Officer Parker walks up and says hello I'm Officer Parker with the SLCPD and you didn't stop at that stop sign. And I smile and apologize and giggle a little and he's all what's the deal with the giggle and the happiness and I'm all it's just, you see, Officer Parker, sir, I've never been pulled over before, and it's a bit of a thrill, you see, to be having this experience, sir. And I probably giggle some more and I don't think he means to but Officer Parker laughs as well but you can't call his a giggle. And he wants my license and reg and proof of insur and I've got them, right on hand, quick as a flash, from my week-old organization job in the glove compartment. And he takes them for a spin in his car while I take a few pictures of that flashing red and flashing blue, and before I know it here's Officer Parker back at the window, smile on his face, my documents in his hand, reminding me to come to a complete stop at all stop signs, and telling me to enjoy my shopping. And I try to give him my best million dollar because he's earned it, he's made my day. And then I'm off again and headed to things that are too secret for my blog but let me tell you what, Thursday continues in that vein.

It was a good day.

modern love

It's the weirdest thing, see, I'm so excited for Valentine's Day this year. I have no reason to be! I'm not in love, in the traditional sense. But every minute I keep shoving love and hearts and pink and candy in everyone's face. One of my most incredibile friends (Deanna! It's you!) asked me what specifically I love about Valentine's Day and I realized I had not one little answer for her. But I guess the answer is lying right there in the question? The word love?

Lately it's like I only come around this blog (that's website to you, Brad) if I want to gush about ohhhh the woooorld is so beeeauuutiful and life is so amaaaaazing and I'm so lucky lucky lucky and I LOVE EVERYTHING. That's pretty obnoxious, right? I would be annoyed by it. Guess what, I totally don't care, I'm doing it again.

I LOVE EVERYTHING. And that right there is why I love Valentine's Day. Because it's a time of year where for once it's socially appropriate to tell everyone, straight up, flat out, hey I love you. Maybe we never see each other outside of M-F 9:00-5:00 but I love you for working through a lunch to help me meet a deadline. Maybe you are old and married with kids and not at all in the same stage of life as I am but I love you for listening to my dating woes and thrills. Maybe I actually only e-know you but I love you for clicking like on my facebook pictures and sending me funny little messages. Maybe we don't know each other's names and will never know each other's stories but I love you for acting like you recognize me every time I check out at your aisle at Rite Aid. Maybe I have a crush on you and want to spend more time with you and it's creepy to tell you that I love you but I love you for making my day a little more exciting when my phone rings and your name pops on the screen. Maybe I have known you for my entire life, or yours, and we have been through every possible up and down together yet still have so much to know about each other, but I love you for sticking so hard by my side that whole time and for the guarantee that you're always going to stay there (that one is for Kecks). Maybe we haven't even met yet and you are just a half-formed idea of a friend or a child or a lover out there in my future but I already love you for the daydreams you give me. Man oh man how could I NOT love Valentine's Day?? I get to SAY these things instead of just feeling them!

Of course it could be attributed to such simpler things--an abundance of good music indulging my ears lately, Utah unrelentingly driving the point home that it is so so beautiful, an inordinate number of babies coming into my life, that Google Super Bowl ad--but I really think this barrage of love I've been feeling is real and deep and lasting. It's so hip to be disinterested and unmoved and unimpressed by things and I reject that. I am interested, I am moved, I am impressed. By you, probably. The other day--too few days ago--I decided I wanted to write a little Valentine's love letter to every single person I love and then realized there literally was not time. I made my list of people and used up sheet after sheet after sheet in my favorite notebook (Julia! This love shout-out is for you!) and a few pages in became overwhelmed at how many wonderful people are in my life. And then I was crying and laughing and turned the music up louder in celebration that I never have reason to be lonely ever ever ever.

So, happy Valentine's Day, love. I'm so glad I know you.

vzw

The most important thing to happen to my cell phone today was this picture message I got from my mom. She and Pops are setting sail on a luxury cruise liner.

Our dancing waiters. It almost makes me cry to see all these people from all over the world singing and dancing together. Maybe that is the key to world peace. We are underway so soon will lose service. Talk to you sunday