Sneak Snorkery at its finest

babybabybabybaby OH baby...

2010-01-22T14:20:00.002-07:00

for those of you who don't read the other blog (babyincredible.wordpress.com) or aren't facebook friends with me (why not? why do you hate me?) you probably don't know that after a few long years of trying, the JulkunenPedersens are finally having a baby! We're due at the beginning of September and we heard and saw some lovely heartbeat action last week! I probably won't post much more here, but just in case you wanted to know...

by semi-popular demand

2009-07-27T14:18:00.002-06:00

yeah...so I disappeared for awhile. A good long while. I have to say, it has been nice, to be off the radar completely. I'm back. Well, I'm kind of back. I have 2 blogs: babyincredible.wordpress.com, which is not private any more (also, don't feel bad if i didn't let you read it, once i went private i stopped posting). and theincrediblejulk.com which is more of a political/philosophical/pop-culture-y kind of blog (be warned, it's all the swears). so, if you have missed me, i'm back. if not, well, pretend you never saw this...

moving...

2009-02-10T22:21:00.001-07:00

my brain is done. i can't come up with a creative or witty or funny or adorable thing to say, because i'm obsessed with fertility/pregnancy, etc. since my mind can only focus on that for the time being, i've decided to take a break from this blog, and to post only at http://babyincredible.wordpress.com so, if you're interested, that's where i am. see you there...i hope!

Heber Christmas Extravaganza

2008-12-23T11:53:00.002-07:00

So this year is the first I've been able to make it to an annual shindig that Cache and Staci are nice enough to throw at their (beautiful) home. I must say, that as long as it continues, I will be attending. It was so much fun to see all my old friends! I think in the midst of being so busy with normal life, the people that aren't on my radar kind of fade into the background, and that kind of bums me out, because the minute I see them I'm so happy and I am so excited to stay in touch and blahblahblah, all those things I never do. Some of the highlights for me included:

Darcy and her caramels. I am not exaggerating when I say that I think about those licorice caramels every single day of my life. Seriously. I mean, only good things can come from butter and sugar and licorice and magic all being mixed together. I'm freaking out a little just writing about them (though, let it be said that the handfuls that I ended up eating did little to help my figure...or my whole "not eating sugar" thing). Beyond Darcy's delicious treats, it was so great to see her. She became one of my dearest friends in high school, and I am sad I don't keep in better touch with her (Hi, Darcy!). I was telling Vegor when we left that Darcy is everything I want to be when I grow up, and kind of always has been. She's just so dang cool and talented. It was great to see her and her family (Hi, Sam! Hi, kids!).

Mindy-Suuuuuuuuue. In fact, this whole post is dedicated to Mindy, an apparently avid/loyal reader of this here blog, who I regularly disappoint with my lack of posting. Sorry. I will try and be better. I haven't seen Minds in ages, and it was so good to get to talk with her. I swear my whole world just kind of melted away these past five years or so, and not seeing Mindy has been one of the cruelest fates. I got to hold her beautiful baby, Lydia, and talk about old times. I was sad I didn't get to see, Russ, though, as he's also one of my favorites, and though there were countless munchkins running about, I would have liked hers added to the mix, since I've never met them.

Crystal, Jake and Kate. I am fortunate to get to see Crystal semi-regularly (a couple of times a year, sprinkled with a few phone conversations here and there), but I never ever get to see Jake. And I love Jake! We found out over the past couple of years that Jake knows my sister-in-law, Sarah's dad really well. Wierd. Small world. Kate is freaking adorable. (Might I add, that with the abundance of fair-skinned, blonde-headded munchkins, it looked like we were raising the Aryan youth...) I can't even tell you how cute it is to watch someone so little sing the Ariel song to you. Adorable. And I can't wait for their little boy to come!

Nathan. Every time Nathan and I see each other, we commit to being friends in real-life. You know, like staying in touch and doing something once every couple of months or so. We fail at this miserably, mostly because I hate planning and driving. We are doing better, as we have seen each other multiple times this past year. To Nathan, "Real Friends: 09."

Holly Hult (Mahoney). Apparently, my blog is Holly's internet claim to fame. You may remember me alluding to having gained "a whole Holly Hult" (which is true, if not a little on the light side. I just saw her. She continues to be tiny and gorgeous and great. I have maybe gained 1.3 Holly Hults.) I didn't get to talk to her much, but got a little freaked out when I found out that she had multiple children, since I remember seeing her at her first baby shower, and it didn't seem all that long ago. Time is flying! She also made these kick-ass rolo deliciousnesses made of pretzels, rolos and almonds. *note to self, do not write about candy and chocolates before lunch; you are setting yourself up for failure.

KristinaMichelleStoneBrown, and Jacob. I talk to Kristina, often, but I miss the crap out of her. It is no fun when one of your besties lives far, far, far away. I am thinking another trip to the East Coast is in order so I can get some proper Kristina time. We both, I think, have the problem that neither of us have been around each others husbands very much, yet know a lot about them, so we have to navigate that space without being too awkward. Kristina did wonderfully, I think I potentially creeped Jacob (who apparently looks exactly like an Evanson, according to Vegor) out, but I like him so much! I'm coming to visit, soon!

I have to say, one of the greatest highlights of my night was seeing Tim and Chad. I haven't seen either of them since my wedding, and I have missed the crap out of them, and boys seem to be kind of crappy at this whole "blogging to stay in touch" thing. It's nice to know that we'll all be in the same neck of the woods so that hopefully we can hang out. (Especially since Tim will be on campus, right next to my office...so help me, if he bails on playing I will hit him like he were Nathan Moulton...)

It really was just so fun to see everyone. It was great to see Cache again and have him be as happy and charming as ever, and to finally meet his sweet wife, Staci (who really is the biggest sweetheart. We all know I'm a little socially awkward, and she came and talked to me, helping me feel more comfortable. Thanks, Staci!). It was great to see everyone's spouses, and kids, and to just be home, in that real sense. No matter how far away, or how many times I move, Heber will always be home to me, and it's completely because of these wonderful people. I hope next year there will be more people there, and that I can be better at staying in touch with these great friends over the course of the next 12 months.

(These past two posts have been nothing but sap! I really need some winter doldrums to get my head in its right, sarcastic place...)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-17T09:36:00.002-07:00

For the past week I have been baking like crazy. I decided this year that I was tired of scouring stores to find gifts that in no way mark how I feel about the person. "Merry Christmas, here's a kitchen towel." "Happy Holidays, enjoy your socks from the dollar store." See, crap.

The above is an exaggeration. I actually think I'm pretty good at giving gifts. I often give music or books that have had an affect on me that year and that I want to share with that person, and I spend a lot of time deciding which book matches which person best, who will want to hear which songs, etc. I realized the other day, however, that these are things that I could be doing throughout the year, and that I really wanted to give people things from the heart that I had worked on, not just that I had chosen.

So the baking started. Technically it started for my little sister's bridal shower (yay, Rachel!) for which I cooked about 60 cookies (gingerbread and sugar), a four layer "Finnish Cake" (ask me to make it for you sometime, it is DIVINE!), and a bunch of Pulla (a Finnish sweet bread). Something about working so hard to make things for the people I care about was really satisfying.

I baked a bunch of loaves of pulla for the women in Vegor's office, and it was well-recieved, and after making a bunch of dough last night (along with the 12 dozen cookies I made, mostly for my students) I will spend tonight finishing up so that I can go and deliver these goodies to loved ones.

I think I've moved into the realm of homemade Christmas. After a traumatizing two and a half hours looking for a Christmas tree stand (in, I kid you not, 11 different stores, from Target to Savers), I realized that I lose the old Christmas spirit pretty quickly when I am forced to walk through crowds of people fighting over the best-priced anything. I wanted to vow that I wouldn't go back shopping until Christmas was over, but I do have to get groceries, so I am a bit out of luck. However, I won't be buying anything but the food we need, and I have to say, it feels so good! I haven't felt this Christmas-y in a long time, and I think that not being part of the commercial hubbub that normally surrounds it is really helping.

My friend Nathan did something really cool for Christmas this year. When people started asking him "What do you want for Christmas," he said, "Do something nice for someone else." Then he started getting cards/emails, etc. from people telling him of the things they were doing for others, and how it made them feel. I would love to see this type of response to Christmas in all of us, as I think it brings us much closer to remembering the reason for the season. I know that we all like to tell ourselves about the "real meaning of Christmas," but let's be honest, when we devote so much of our attention to the gifts, we don't open our hearts enough to think about why we're even giving them. I'm not saying giving gifts (or getting them) is a bad thing, but rather, the emphasis we place on that process often detracts us from just loving our family, friends and neighbors. I can honestly say that some of my best Christmases have been the most meager because I ended up just spending such great quality time with people that I love.

I'm really trying to be extra kind to people I see and come in contact with in an effort to maybe bring the Christmas spirit to them as well, I encourage everyone else to do the same. Merry Christmas!

(That was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too sappy for me. I apologize. I'm sure my sardonic wit will be back soon. At least I hope it will.)

Things I've Done Before

2008-12-02T16:35:00.002-07:00

Bold the ones you've ever done. I did.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance [not the patient]
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia [I'm counting Lithuania]
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Seems like I've got a lot to catch up on...

HA! You thought you'd lost me...

2008-11-27T21:18:00.002-07:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I suck. I haven't blogged in ages. I've heard the wailing and gnashing of teeth over my absence (just because I live in a magical little land where everyone waits with baited breath over each tiny thought I might be kind enough to share with the world. So I have some ego problems, get over it.) and have decided to please my adoring fans with a little poop talk. (Yes, this is for you Julie.)

It's possible that poop stories are only good when they're about kids, or about someone else. There's a great chance that self-disclosure in the realm of number two is a blogger's suicide. These are risks I'm willing to take. I figure it's the least I can do.

I've neglected writing for the past little while because I've felt like everything I write is "my womb sucks!" or "blahblahblah period." I tried to up the excitement ante with a little recipe madness (oooh. aaah.) but, really, the only interesting things that have been happening to me lately have been in relation to my body, and generally relegated to my bottom (ha!) half.

So, in a moment of respite for you, dear readers, I change my tune from the woes of my menses to the challenges of my bowels.

For a month now I have been eating "clean." This means no sugar, wheat, dairy, anything processed...basically anything delicious. I have had more vegetables in the past month than the last four years combined. Ever tried broccolini? I have. It is ass. Kale? yup, see broccolini. I have discovered the wonders of the sweet potato, however, and occasionally indulge myself with some good old-fashioned butternut squash. A real party. This is mixed with a disgusting blend of herbs and tinctures all in attempts to make this garden grow (if you would). The point of all this is to lead you to the inevitable assumption that my, ahem, b.m.s have been nothing if not regular. Like clockwork, I am. Unfortunately, that clock's alarm usually rings about an hour into my work day. I'm not comfortable with it, but alas, it is my fate.

All of this I say to you that you might sympathize with my strife. Every, EVERY time I come to Colorado I get, shall we say, stuck. I thought that my eating habits and massive water consumption might keep me from this problem, but no. Stuck. I go to the bathroom probably once an hour in the mere hope that I might be able to get rid of some of this pressure, and I sit, and I wait. Nothing. Not even the littlest of poops.

There is nothing I hate worse than being consto. I would rather have the Tijuana trots or anything of the like than being stuffed up. It hurts, and I feel like I weigh a million pounds. The lower gut bloats and you feel like you can't eat anything without choking. Yeah, I hate it.

That being said, after an airplane ride tomorrow, and getting back on the treadmill, I'm really hoping that I can get back to normal. Okay. Yeah, I just wrote a blog about poop. My poop. Imagine me with kids.

The Most Delicious Soup in the World

2008-10-26T09:48:00.002-06:00

Alright Chelsy, consider recipe posted.

I love Carrabba's. A lot. I especially love their sausage and lentil soup, but it can't be all that good for you, so I make it at home a few times a month once Fall hits, and it never fails to get the job done.

(I'm horrible with measuring, which is why I'm a much better cook than a baker...I usually season until it tastes "right" but I will attempt to guess on meausurements.)

Carrabba's Sausage Lentil Soup (Copycat)
*Feel free to use veggie stock/vegan sausage to make this healthier

Cast of Characters:
1/2 large onion--chopped
3 cloves garlic--minced (I will sometimes go heavier on the garlic, but feel free to use less)
2 carrots--chopped
2 stalks of celery--chopped
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 lb. Italian sausage (I use lean turkey sausage and the flavor is just the same w/o so much grease, which is just gross in soup).
4 c. Chicken/Veggie stock (I always have 3 or 4 boxes of this on hand. I try to use organic/low-sodium)
3 c. water
1 c. dry lentils
2 Tbsp parsley
2 Tbsp Oregano
2 Tbsp Basil
1 Tbsp Thyme
1-2 Tbsp red pepper flakes (to taste--I like it spicy)
2 Bay Leaves
Salt/Pepper to taste
**At this point you've got the makings of a great soup, but I like to add a can of crushed tomatoes and a cup or so of frozen chopped spinach, but that's all up to you. It's not like I'm the soup nazi or anything...)

So, once you have all the ingredients gathered, it's incredibly easy. On medium high heat combine the olive oil, onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook until soft.

Then add the Italian Sausage. (I have a couple little tricks here. First, I always check Target for their turkey products, because like every other week they are on sale anywhere from 1.50-2.50 and I'll buy 3 or 4 and just keep them all in the freezer until it's soup time. Second, the freezer is an integral part--I pull the links out of the freezer and run them under warm water for a few seconds, just to make them workable. Then I slice the casings off (which is much easier when they are frozen and not all sausage-squishy) and then use a sharp butcher's knife to slice the sausage into little bite size pieces. I swear it is so much easier to work with this way!)
Cook until the sausage is no longer pink (5-7 minutes)

This is when you season your soup. Add all the seasonings (It will seem like a lot of herbs, but remember you're seasoning a whole pot of soup, not just the meat/veggies) I would be cautious w/ the salt though, because the stock will add a lot of flavor there. I messed this up last night and had to add a lot more water...

Add your stock (I just dump the whole box in) and water (I just refill the stock-box about 2/3 of the way full) and Lentils.

If you want to put in spinach/tomatoes/whatever, add it now.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for an hour or so (until the lentils are cooked through)

Now it's ready to eat. Easypeasy! Top w/ a little parmesean cheese and definitely have some good crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Sick, dude!

2008-10-25T21:05:00.003-06:00

Since I've been lying sick in bed for 2 1/2 days, I've had plenty of time to read this book.

It's really interesting, and I like the different approach it offers. It's possible though, that I just like reading about anything other than medicine since I'm doping myself up w/ a dayquil/mucinex cocktail about every four hours. I really feel like all I ever write about is my lack of fetii, but I do so for two reasons: A) It's kind of all-consuming, so if I have thoughts about anything it's usually that matter, and B) I am a firm believer in making infertility and fertility issues ok to talk about. I think that, at least for me, pregnancy is talked about as something that just happens. When you want a baby, *poof* a baby shows up in your belly. Little did I know. It's such a wild blend of science and miracle that I just can't wrap my head around.

Completely unrelated (because a few things I do are unrelated to this topic): after feeling like I could get out of bed today, I de-germed my house entirely (which always feels so good, like even if you're a little sick still it certainly feels like you won't get sicker) and then made cookies, bread and my favorite soup (a copycat of Carrabba's sausage and lentil soup...amazing) and now am just hanging out watching movies with the hubs. Hadn't posted in awhile and thought I'd best update...

Swim to my egg, little spermies!

2008-10-13T09:15:00.004-06:00

Ruh. I know that I'm not even supposed to be thinking about baby-making right now, that I'm supposed to be getting my body in gear so that it's a healthy little garden wherein our seed can grow (gag!) but, babies (well, babies to be) abound in my world right now and it's making it hard not to think about how much I'm missing this experience. I'm feeling hopeful in the fact that over the past few months quite a few of my dear friends that have been struggling to get pregnant have finally succeeded. I am so happy for all of you! (Though I will readily admit to a twinge of jealousy with each announcement. I'm only human.) So hopefully within the next few months I'll get to join the ranks of preggatude. In totally good lady news, I am like 90 percent sure that I ovulated this past month! And I had a normal, like 6 day period! (Normal in the sense that I only had to spend one night sick in bed and didn't work my way through a box of super-tamps in only a few days...gross).

My friend Jill is starting a new project that I thought some of you might be interested in. Jill has struggled with fertility issues, but has been blessed with a baby girl and one on the way. Because she so intimately understands the struggles in trying to get pregnant, she's trying to create a sort of online support group of women and their partners who are struggling, doctors who really want to help, etc. If you are interested in being part of this, leave her a comment on her most recent post about "baby bump in the road."

Love of my life

2008-09-24T08:26:00.002-06:00

3 years ago, on this very day, I wed my wonderful husband. It was the happiest day of my life, and every day I feel luckier and more blessed to have him in my life. I love you Vegs.

Did you forget about me?

2008-09-11T22:29:00.002-06:00

Ayayay! Life has been hectic. Between school, work, the gym, doing homework, grading and prepping for class, there hasn't been a whole lot of time to think or write, or do much of anything outside the schedule. It's been nice to have so much to do, but give a girl a nap or something.
My friend Heather posted this on her blog, and I decided to steal it, since high school certainly offered me some of my finer days (yeah, I realize this is the second high school post I've done. I liked it, get over it.)

1. Did you date someone from your High School? For a brief time during senior year I loved the bass player from our band at prom. We kissed. He was REALLY bad at it. I pretty much didn't have anything to do with boys until the latter half of senior year, and it kind of turned me into a college slut. I probably should have kissed more boys in high school and not so many after the fact.

2. What kind of car did you drive?
Her name was Essie. Short for the S.V. or Sex Van. I drove a big-ass 15 passenger Dodge van with no backseats, only blankets and pillows and garbage and old homework. The front seat wasn't all the way screwed down so I always had to put my arm across to keep the things or people in the seat from flying through the windshield. Once we were eating lunch in the back of it and Mr. Sweat, the VP came by and semi-joined us.

3. What was the most embarrassing moment of High School for you?
I think that shame was something I reserved for after high school. I did a lot of things I am mortified about now, but didn't think twice about then. Who remembers me wearing a red cape w/ a J on it during freshman year? I think a lot of people have blocked it out, but it haunts me every time I see a magician.

4. Were you a party animal? Not in the sex drugs and rockandroll sense. We had our share of good times, though. We never lacked for something to do on the weekend.

5. Were you considered a flirt? Ha. no. See question 1.

6. Were you in Band, Orchestra, or Choir? Oh yes. Every year. I still talk to my high school choir teacher in fact. And, I'm pretty sure our Junior year trip to Vancouver was possibly one of the funnest trips of my life. (I know for a fact I've never laughed as hard as I did on some of those nights, me laughing at Duke, laughing at me...)
7. Were you a nerd? I don't think people thought of me as one (or maybe they did, I'm a little clueless about others perceptions of me) but I thought I was pretty cool, and no one told me otherwise. If you look back on all the clubs and crap I was part of, you might think I was, though.

8. Were you on any Varsity teams? #2 singles--Varsity Tennis. Still cracks me up. Never won a match.

9. Did you ever get suspended/expelled? Not this little sweetheart. I was Ms. Freaking Wasatch High School. (well, "co-ms. wasatch high school w/ Keysha). I still occasionally wear my locket that lovingly holds a picture of Mrs. Gappmeyer, the principal. Yeah, I guess I was/am a nerd.

10. Can you still sing the fight song?
I can sing the fight song AND the school song both with 100 percent accuracy. That's what you get for having Ms. Carlile for 3 years straight. She made you sing them every single day of Homecoming Week.

11. Who were your favorite teachers? Ms. Belnap, for sure. Mr. Carr. Mr. McInelly. Ms. Turnblom. I got along with all of them, really.

12. Where did you sit during lunch? In the Commons Area or @ Taco Time.

13. What was your school's full name? Wasatch High School: Home of the Wasps.

14. School mascot? A wasp. I spent one football game in the mascot uniform. It was hellish.

15. Did you go to Homecoming? With who? I went to Senior year Homecoming with Roger Pearson. I can't remember if I went Junior year or not. I didn't go to Jr. Prom though, so I never had that tortuous moment of dancing in front of strangers. Sr. Prom I went w/ Cache. It was ridiculously fun. I swayed back and forth making googly eyes at the Bass Player.

16. If you could go back and do it again, would you? No, but only because I have such fond memories, and I don't think I could get that experience back if I tried.

17. What do you remember most about graduation? Crying like a baby. The regrettable make-out of the night before. Feeling like my world was falling apart.

18. Where did you go Senior Skip Day? Lagoon. I had a blast.

19. Were you in any clubs? Japanese Club, FBLA, National Honors Society, Varsity Club, Show Choir, BYI (Big Youth International!) so many more, I can't remember. I was named class clown though...surprised?

20. Have you gained some weight since then? Way too damn much. Probably like a whole Holly Hult.

21. Who was your Prom Date? Oh, I guess I already answered this one. Cache.

22. 10 year Reunion? Of course. So many people I've lost touch with and miss dearly.

23. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself? Not any, really. I think I did pretty alright for myself. My college self, now she could do with some advice...

Any other Wasps want to play?

speed freak

2008-08-27T18:43:00.002-06:00

I went to the doctor yesterday to find out what to do about all this baby business and am on a whole new plan. Because my hormone levels are so screwed up I am apparently not a great candidate for Clomed. Boo. She said we could still try it but that they would need to run a bunch of tests and really see what was going on with my stupid old body.

At this point I said something to her to the effect of "you know, the only time I've really ever had normal periods was when I was much thinner." She said that if I lost 80 (yes eight zero, holy hell) pounds she thinks I would probably ovulate and conceive on my own. Well, for someone who has really been trying to lose weight this past year, and hasn't really moved down the scale very far, this news was pretty discouraging.

I let her know that I've been taking my thyroid meds and my metformin AND doing a low-carb diet. She suggested I start taking phentramine, which is pretty much just legal speed. I was kind of freaked out about it at first because I've been so anxious lately, but she said that it would really help.

At this point, I'm ready to try anything, so Speed Freak it is. I also am on a 40 minutes/5 times/week exercise program, and hoping this works.

When I took it this morning, I was really nervous because it was the first day of school, and thus generally speaking, hell on earth for someone in my job. However, with the additions of the new boss, and a crapload of energy, the day wasn't bad at all. I pretty much worked straight from 7:45 to 5:10 w/ barely a bathroom break, and I was FINE. I'm not tired, nor am I grumpy, so I'm really hoping this helps me in multiple areas.

I guess I should warn any of you that I see in real life that I might talk INCREDIBLY fast, or be a little intense to deal with. Apologies, just kick me, and hopefully I'll chill out.

Dear Dudes--Don't Read this.

2008-08-18T16:14:00.002-06:00

Don't read this if you are not a lady, or if you get uncomfortable talking about lady things (like menstruation and body parts and other stuff) because that's where this train is headed.

Like a good infertile Myrtle, I charted my temperature religiously for about 2 months until it nearly drove me crazy. There were a lot of shed tears over temperatures that dipped when they ought not to have dipped; Misplaced joy for 2 high temperatures in a row; Near ecstasy when my temperature got anywhere above 97.5. I say this only because for the first time in my life I have documented evidence of my last period. Let's remember that fine day, back on May 15 of this year...

Yeah. I haven't had a period since the middle of May. It's nearly September, and countless pregnancy tests have confirmed that I am not, in fact, with child. That is, until last week, when my dear Aunt Florence decided to show up, unannounced. The thing about MY Auntie Flo, is that her visits are so far apart, so sporadic, so without warning, that I rarely have the things she needs to make her visit comfortable. I also forget how much crap I have to tote around with me to keep her from acting out. (Might I suggest the Playtex Sport, btw. I generally try to stay away from schilling for Big Tampon, but, man this thing is the shizzy.)

So, it's nice to have her around, inasmuch as it means that my body managed to do something right. I don't think it's a coincidence that she showed up after switching up my diet back to low-carb (some of you may remember my stint as a semi-thin, normal sized person back in the early aught's) livin'. Maybe, just maybe, this means there's a slight possibility for getting a fetus all up in this sometime soon after all...

Have you missed me?

2008-08-03T21:22:00.003-06:00

I've noticed a lot of people slowing in their blog activity as the summer hits its peak (it's too hot too breathe, let alone to type and have a semblance of wit) so, please do excuse me for being remiss in my postings. In my defense, we have also been in the middle of a move (words to live by: do not, under any circumstance, choose to move in the month of August, especially the first of August, because your face will melt off and you will not enjoy the adventure) so I've been a titch busy.

I'll post more later, but to quell wondering minds, the new place is fantastic, lots of space and lots of new Ikea bookshelves. And no hot water. I have taken 2 ice cold showers and had one swim (because chlorine kills germs, and is thus, like a shower), apparently we were supposed to switch the gas into our name (we were told the program that is paying the rent and such for us was going to do our utilities as well) and we hadn't, so the gas won't be on until some point tomorrow. No big loss, it was so bone-singing hot that a cold shower was welcome.

Also--first dishwasher since we've been married. Looks like we'll make it after all! More to come, soon.

She and Him

2008-07-16T15:32:00.002-06:00

This is my favorite song right now, and Zooey Deschanel is absolutely adorable. I highly recommend She & Him (which also includes M. Ward, who is fantastic). You may remember her singing in Elf and thinking, what a great voice that lady has. Well, you were right. I love her, immensely.

Man, I suck at blogging...

2008-07-16T08:58:00.002-06:00

I didn't realize it had been such a long time since I last posted. Meh. It happens, sorry to disappoint, if I did. Quick update: We went to Cali Town for 4th of July. It was hot, but fun to see everyone and I got to go to the beach, so no complaints. Then we came home. Our house got messy, I still haven't cleaned it. Vegor got totally denied on this job he should have gotten. I am starting to read Cormac McCarthy's The Road if anyone's interested. I'm going to try and be better about posting, I swears it. In the meantime Kirsten tagged me with this 8 things business. Watch yo backs--I'll tag you too.

8 things I am passionate about:
1. The Husband
2. Mi Familia
3. Friends
4. singing
5. TV
6. Reading/Writing
7. Laughing/making people laugh
8. reconnecting with old friends.

8 Books I Have Read And Enjoyed
1. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. This book seriously changed the way I think about eating, and living in general.
2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. Amazing, and a quick read.
3. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. It's been a long while since I read this book last, but man will it make you cry.
4. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathon Safran Foer. This is seriously my favorite book. Ever.
5. A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius by David Eggers. One of my favorite contemporary writers. Hilarious and sad, the perfect combination.
6. Birds of America by Lorrie Moore. A collection of short stories that will break your heart.
7. Angels in America by Tony Kushner. Definitely my second favorite book, and it's a very close race. A play about race, religion, sexuality, death and identity. I've probably read it 10 times and the mini-series that HBO did from it is phenomenal.
8. David Sedaris--Anything he writes is hilarious and wonderful.

8 Words/Phrases I Say Often
1. I love you (Kirsten, I think we may give you and Nic a run for your money on this one.)
2. Seriously. This is my go-to agreement word.
3. Frealz. This is my second go-to agreement word.
4. I hate them all. I probably say this 5 times a day at work. Minimum.
5. Donkey. Really. I call people donkey, I use it as a stand-in for other words.
6. Swears, lots of them. Often. I have a potty-mouth, it's just who I am.
7. Words that I make up. All the time.
8. Meh. This is a constant.

8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die (in no particular order)
1. Make a Baby
2. Have a career that I enjoy.
3. Write a book.
4. Sing in a band.
5. Run a marathon (this one is a LONG way out...Though I do have goals to do a 5k by Thanksgiving.)
6. Learn to swim well.
7. Have a house by the ocean.
8. Live in Oregon.

8 Things I Learned This Past Year
1. Patience is a virtue I don't have.
2. I should do what my doctor (and not google) tells me to do.
3. I can run more than I thought.
4. That good friends really do make your life so much better.
5. That I can make it through any obstacle, and that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
6. That finding a new job is really hard.
7. That I can drive in states other than Utah.
8. That I really, really, really love the beach.

8 places I want to see
1. Finland (again)
2. Vancouver (again)
3. France (especially the countryside)
4. Italy
5. India (this is a very recent development, much thanks to The Darjeeling Limited and India Palace)
6. Alaska
7. The U.K.
8. Puerto Rico

8 things I miss
1. Being skinny. I miss it a lot.
2. My long hair.
3. Kristina Michelle Stone Brown
4. All my old friends from high school and the good times we had.
5. My dog
6. My baby. I know that seems weird, but the longing I feel is less like wanting and more like the most painful missing of someone.
7. Being able to run for miles and miles.
8. Being in school.

8 things I currently want/need
1. My baby.
2. To have my roots colored. I am rocking some serious darkage there man.
3. to lose weight.
4. to be able to run for miles and miles.
5. to be in our new apartment.
6. my dog back.
7. a nap
8. a wonderful new job.

8 People I Want To Tag
1. Crystal Freeman
2. Amy Carpenter
3. Sarah Pedersen
4. Sara Edwards
5. Brooke Sperry
6. Alicia Carter
7. Keysha Peck
8. Janene Kay
(and anyone else who reads this and wants to do it.)

Sore boobs.

2008-07-01T14:41:00.004-06:00

I am looking forward to sore boobs. I'm sure that those of you who suffer from this affliction think that I am completely insane, but I stand my ground. Bring on the sore boobies!

I say this because I've never had them. Ever. Not in high school, not before my periods, never. This is likely because my body doesn't produce very much estrogen. In fact, one's estrogen count can be as high as 170. Mine? 29. While that's on the low end of normal in some people's worlds during some phases of their cycles, I don't get too much higher. That's why my lovely doctor has placed me on the estrogen patch. Side effects of said estrogen patch include moodiness (sign me up!) and the aforementioned boobal soreness. The excitement comes via the fact that sore boobs = estrogen working, which hopefully means hormones getting in balance which hopefully means baby in my belly.

I was also told that I need to be much more consistent with my metformin (I can ever only remember to take it in the mornings, sue me!) and my meals (since a lot of times I only end up eating once a day or so) and my exercise. Hopefully following all the rules she's given me will get my body working in the right way.

I knew right then we were playin' free in Oregon...*

2008-06-30T09:15:00.002-06:00

(from the great song "Portland, Oregon" by Loretta Lynn with Jack White)
Technically, I've been back from Oregon for over a week, but last week was a bit hectic, so, here we are.
Oregon was great. The 13 hour or so drive wasn't too bad (which is a miracle since I hate sitting in the car for very long) thanks to great company and beautiful scenery. Things would have only been made better if Vegs hadn't been hurting from his surgery and knocked out on Percocets most of the time.
It was such a nice, relaxing time. We stayed in Seaside, which is a little trashy, but I like it anyway (the people watching was AH-MAZING!) and so spent the evenings there, but the days we spent at Cannon Beach and Astoria (both with Goonies ties).
Astoria is pretty much my dream town. It's a little worn down, the way I have always imagined coastal towns to be, and if there were jobs out there, I would have no problem moving there right now.
I don't know why I feel such a connection to the ocean, I wasn't around it very much at all as a kid, but I am so drawn to its vastness. I think that's why I like Oregon so much, because it has mountains and ocean so close to one another, and it was never hotter than 65 while we were out there. I just can't complain about it in any way.
We got back last Monday and I had a job interview for a position I really wanted. I did really well, but they ended up going with someone else, so I'm pretty bummed out.
I've been putting job applications out all over to see if there's anything else better out there for me.
In good news, Vegor got a job interview with college marketing and we're really keeping our fingers crossed. If he gets it, I would love to try and get a part time gig on campus and then finish up my education certificate. I only have 7 credits left on my English degree, so getting the certificate should only take about a year. I don't love teaching (but, alternatively, I don't hate it, either) but I think I'm really good at it, so it looks like it may be the best field for me. I think I could tailor teaching high school English to discussing the things that I'm really passionate about, and I think it would be good to keep my head in the space of reading and writing all the time to facilitate the writing I feel like I should be doing anyway.

A liar and a sneak...

2008-06-17T22:14:00.002-06:00

Okay dudes, I lied w/ that last post about books. Mostly because as I sat in the hospital at 6 this morning (the hubster had a minor surgery...everything is fine, don't worry) I REALLY needed something to read, so I cheated. I skipped past all the books that I am supposed to be reading (mostly People of Paradox which I really need to finish for a class) and read Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" which was fantastic! If you haven't read it, I highly suggest it. The story itself is really good, but the way that this book is written really got to me, I suppose it's the post-structuralist English major in me, but I just kept being totally impressed.

I'm also skipping the list to read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. It's a memoir of a family's attempt to eat only locally produced food for an entire year. Since the recent changes in our diet I have been really interested in getting as much local food in my diet as possible. I will start it tonight and likely read it in the next couple of days (we do have a 12 hour car ride in front of us on Thursday) so expect posts about our adventures on the Oregon Coast (if Oregon has wi-fi). And I'll also probably read the Sedaris book on the drive so if any of you have read or want to read those books and want to discuss them next week, let's do it!

Book City, BookBook City!

2008-06-09T21:47:00.002-06:00

In an attempt to stay on top of my goals for the year I finally started reading again. My friend Brooke just lent me "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. I liked it pretty well. It's not the type of book I normally read, but was glad that I did. I totally cried, and that's really all you can ask for from a book or movie, in my opinion. I had initially planned on posting before I read books so that I could discuss them with friends who wanted to read them with me, but I started reading this and didn't really put it down this weekend, so I'll be better from now on.

On the agenda for the upcoming weeks:
People of Paradox by Terry L. Givens (which I am considering my "learning" book) and my "fun" book will be The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon.

Also, upcoming in the month of June/July:
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
The Great Derangement by Matt Taibbi
Heresies of Nature by Margaret Blair Young
Falling Toward Heaven by John Bennion
Vernal Promises by Jack Harell

Join me if you'd like!

Quote-zilla!

2008-06-09T19:06:00.002-06:00

I have never been a fan of quotes. I can't remember where my keys are, let alone some notable line from an episode of The Simpsons from 1996. My husband, on the other hand, speaks almost exclusively in quote (ok, not EXCLUSIVELY, but, there's a lot of them). He'll say things to me with that look of "get it? get it? You know, from that movie you probably slept through..." I think it's really adorable, and sometimes feel bad that I can't remember things well enough to play along (though, I've been getting better).

I don't know why I am so bad at remembering quotes: funny, memorable or otherwise. I often wish I could, especially when I read, because words just move me in such a fundamental way on a pretty regular basis. But, I don't.

Last week, I was having a rough couple of days when I came across this quote from Hamlet (let's not jump to any conclusions here, it was from a book I was reading quoting Hamlet, not actually Hamlet). That's one of my favorite experiences, reading something that seems to have been written for you and you alone, even if it was written hundreds of years ago. Anyway, I'm writing this one down in case I ever need it again, or in case I just need a reminder sometimes:

Doubt thou that the stars are fire;
Doubt thou that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt that I love.

Happy Saturday to me!

2008-06-07T12:45:00.003-06:00

I have to say, this has been one of the best Saturdays I've had in a while. A quick recap:

*Amazing workout at Gold's on 9th (I had never done cardio-cinema before and I may quickly become an addict...working out in the dark is really good for my psyche).

*Perfect weather for a bike ride to the farmer's market.

*Fresh lettuce, rhubarb and sourdough bread from the farmer's market. (Strawberry-rhubarb turnovers, here I come!)

*Lunch of pita and hummus followed by leftover sticky rice pudding w/ mango from last night's great dinner w/ the Sperry's.

*Clean house

*Reading a great new book (My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult)

Some things that could have possibly put a damper in my day but did not:

*El Serpiente. That snake is going to really make me insane.

*Falling down my stairs, face first. No bruises (except on my ego) but it was a pretty nasty fall that I'm pretty sure janked up my back. Highly embarrassing but too funny to keep secret.

It never ends.

2008-06-06T15:24:00.002-06:00

The snake came back yesterday. I was mortified, but feeling much braver than last time, so with the support of my husband on the phone and my neighbor watching and laughing (which, he should have totally just stabbed at it w/ a shovel, but I guess I'm WAY braver than my man-neighbor) I managed to chase the snake away from close to 30 feet away. I wrangled our landlords hose off the hanger (with my arms full of stuff, as I didn't want the snake to crawl into my bags and such and I was on the phone) put on the sprayer and turned that sucker on full-blast. That showed the snake who was boss. He very soggily slithered back to his home under my porch. Gross. Gross. Gross.

Animal Adventures

2008-06-05T15:47:00.000-06:00

Julie is right, I have been a little on the slacker side of things when it comes to updating my blog, so a few run-ins I have had recently.

Last Friday we went to my friend Tiffany's house where she prepared us a delightful vegan meal of curried tofu kebabs and grilled potatoes. Awesome. Since Tiffany has a dog, and she's an agreeable kind of lady, she told us it would be fine if we brought our dog with us, so we did. All was going well, her chihuahua mix spent a significant portion of 2 hours humping the tail or face of my sweet golden retriever (though, I'm pretty sure Mickey was doing the doggie equivalent of eye rolling). Then, out of nowhere, a pig, yes, a fairly large spotted pig comes strolling into Tiffany's yard. Let's be clear here, Tiffany doesn't live in the "rural" areas of Utah County, but right in the suburbiest of suburban areas south of BYU campus. Needless to say, both dogs took off at an incredible rate, and I was convinced I'd be cleaning bloody pork from my dog's fur, not to mention telling some poor child that their pet piggy had become doggy dinner. Fortunately the speed of Babe, Pig in the City was too much for the awkwardly paired pair of pooches.

One would think that would suffice for a week's worth of animal adventures, but I was none too lucky.

Yesterday afternoon I came home to find a fairly large water snake on the top steps of my porch. At some point I lost my tolerance for all things creepy-crawly, and I generally don't want to be in the room with anything small enough to crawl up my pant leg (baby kittens and puppies don't count, but just about everything else does) so I froke out. I was on the phone with my sister at the time and probably burst her eardrum when I let out a blood-curdling scream. At this point I just keep babbling, "a snake on my porch there's a snake on my porch!" Rachel tells me, "just get a stick and move it," to which my obvious response was that is WAY too close. Her next suggestion? A broom. In my opinion, a broomslength is still much closer than I would like to be to this disgusting reptile, so I cross our driveway (away from the snake) and start throwing rocks to try and scare it into the flowerbeds. I am not much of an aim, but eventually (and REALLY slowly) the snake slithers into the crack where it likely lives with a million of its disgusting snake babies, though part of it is still showing. I use the Tommy Konchar "balance on the outside of the stairs" approach and climb my steps as far away and on the tippiest of tip-toes to steer clear of the snake. My next obstacle is actually getting in the door. I am concerned for 2 reasons: first, this means turning my back to the snake, not really an option in my mind; second, the dog is inside and will probably come running out as soon as I open the door potentially scaring the snake INTO MY HOUSE! I take the risk of letting the dog out first (so I can at least see if the snake tries to go inside) then jump into the house, slam the door and run upstairs. I get into my bed and tuck myself into the blankets as tight as I can, because at least I'm off the floor and protected by the blankets. This process was at minimum a half hour long, and I stayed in my bed until I left for the movie (Sex & The City, also known as America hates Errin and everything she believes in) when I finally let in the dog and jumped down the steps and into my friends car as fast as is probably human possible.

Needless to say I will be totally fine if I never see non-domestic animals in my neighborhood ever again.

Christmas Baby Oil--The Accident

2008-05-28T22:50:00.003-06:00

So, in my rush to get this Christmas Oil (ok, ok. Sclar Essence" oil) I managed to not read the label and instead just ingested 20 drops of lavender essential oil. Awesome. Apparently lavender can be toxic when ingested, just what I wanted, so I ended up on the phone with Poison Control. Reminds me of the time I got a grapehead (like lemonheads, only grape, and DELICIOUS) stuck up my nose and I was convinced I was going to have to go to the hospital to have it removed by a professional (and yes, this happened in my 20s). I make a lot of stupid mistakes thanks to hasty actions.

So you all know, I'm fine. The amount I ingested was too small to cause any real damage (though I was warned I will likely be nauseous) and that they are primarily concerned with things like eucalyptus, camphor and menthol. At least my burps taste like lavender (and are oddly relaxing...aah, aromatherapy). On an only somewhat related sidenote: if you're having trouble falling asleep/relaxing at night, rub some lavender essential oil on the soles of your feet. You will fall asleep in like 12 seconds, I swear. Just be sure to keep the bottle away from the practically identical bottle to the one your supposed to ingest. And, I will probably take up the sclar essence business in a day or two after I'm certain this lavender has left my system...

Christmas Baby Oil

2008-05-28T22:16:00.002-06:00

My dearling sister-in-law Kirsten suggested I try "Sclar Essence" oil in my attempts to get a baby in my belly. Since I'm up for anything and it (seemingly) worked for her, I will now be swallowing 20 drops daily of an essential oil blend that supposedly works on my hormones. It was pretty pricey for a damn bottle of Christmasy smelling "essence" so I'm hoping it works.

I've been trying not to think about the whole getting preggers biz, but everyone and their damn womb has a baby on the way and I'm freaking jealous. There, I said it. I know that it's not a pretty emotion, and I genuinely am happy for family and dear friends with child, but C'MON, I do it all the time and have only been on birth control for maybe 6 months of the nearly 3 years we've been married. Where's my kidney bean/blueberry/etc.? Ok, that was as ranty as I'm going to get. And for the record, I'm not jealous of individuals, but rather jealous of the situation of being with child. I know a lot of my friends have struggled with fertility and the whole baby making endeavor too, so I hope they understand what I'm feeling, and that maybe they, too have tried all kinds of methods (tried and true or not) to get pregnant, so they understand this feeling of futility. The nice thing is that I know that all of my friends who struggled (that I know of) were eventually successful via the medical way, the natural way, the adoption way, or a combination of all of the above.

So, those of you who are baby carrying right now, be very grateful, and be patient with those of us who are trying, and, maybe let us hold your babies and sniff their heads a little longer than you normally would have...

the most delicious mashed potatoes in the world...

2008-05-22T11:49:00.002-06:00

Ever since Vegs & I started traveling down the path of vegandom, I have done a lot more cooking than I am accustomed to. I've been trying to modify recipes of some of my favorites so I don't feel like we're missing out on anything. I've also been making everything from scratch, including some amazing orange-coconut cupcakes last week, falafel w/ tahini sauce, and a bunch of other stuff. Last night I was feeling a little down in the dumps and wanted some "comfort food" which was really taxing me as far as recipes come, so I decided to go all beige. I stopped by Target and picked up a loaf of artisan rosemary & olive oil bread and some fresh rosemary. From here, the best/easiest mashed potatoes in the world are born. Make them tonight, you can thank me later:

I recommend a waxier potato--yellow preferably. I used baby reds, but think the texture of a yukon gold would work really well here.

Ingredients:
4-6 potatoes (or more, depending on how many you're feeding, and if you're using it as a side dish or a main, like I do)
1/2 cup of olive oil (you may need more)
3-5 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. of fresh herbs--I used rosemary, but I think basil would work well as would tarragon or thyme.
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cut potatoes in quarters, place in a pot large enough to accommodate them and plenty of water. Fill pot with water, just enough to completely cover the potatoes. Add a little salt to the water and put them on to cook on high.

Once the water starts to boil, (this makes the timing just about perfect) chop your fresh herbs and garlic (you may want to reserve some of the fresh herbs as garnish, or to add more flavor later) and put them in a frying pan with 1/4-1/3 cup of olive oil.
Cook the garlic/herb/oil mixture over low (or medium if you're impatient like me, you just have to watch carefully so you don't burn the garlic or herbs) and cook until garlic turns golden brown. Remove from heat.

At this point, the potatoes should be completely cooked through. Drain them and return them to the pot they were cooked in, and return to the heat element (this should be off now, but the heat while it cools down helps evaporate any leftover water on the potatoes).

Pour the garlic oil over the potatoes and using a potato masher incorporate the oil. They will still be fairly dry, at this point add remaining oil and salt to taste. You could also add additional herbs at this point.

Now, sit down in front of American Idol (or, So You Think You Can Dance, since AI is over :( sorry, D. Arch) and devour them until you have to unbutton your pants.

Picasa rocks my butt off...

2008-05-20T10:30:00.002-06:00

Now you don't have to go to the link in the previous post, you can just watch the slideshow. Hurrah for techmology. Also, today blows.

All the pictures...

2008-05-19T23:12:00.001-06:00

I was trying to upload a bunch of pictures and my computer kept dying. So, you can see the pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/errinpedersen

Thanks, Ashley!!

2008-05-17T16:04:00.002-06:00

My dear friend Ashley took some pictures of us last weekend, and I love them! She has more posted here and if you need pictures taken for any reason in the near future, I highly suggest you get on board the Ashley Thalman boat!

i'm a big baby...

2008-05-15T16:42:00.004-06:00

I just spent the past hour or so reading old emails from high school friends, and I cried the whole time. My life was very different then (as everyone's is...I can't believe it was so long ago! 8 years? Holy Crap!) and I know everyone has changed and we've grown apart over the years as people are bound to do, but I just couldn't help being moved by how important my dear friends were to me growing up (I am such a SAP!) I've stayed in (semi) contact with a few, and thank goodness for the internet, as it helps me feel a little more connected to people I love but have let drift out of my life (I always vow to get back in touch with people and never do...THIS YEAR, though...)

So, for those of you who may have been around black in the day, a few memories:

*Sara Rodriguez (now Edwards): I probably shouldn't talk about kissing stories now that we're all married and have husbands and such, but I'm pretty sure all of Heber knew about my first kiss, and my revolution (albeit a brief one) into a total priss! We went and sat in the hotpots with "college" guys, who were post-mish (which is totally creepy now that I think about it, I can't remember if I was even 18 or not...gross!) and we ended up smelling like sulfur and watching Wayne's World on my couch and then I ended up kissing the dude and he was a horrible kisser and the dude that came to "hang out" with Sara was a total ugly ginger weirdo? Oh, sweet memories...

*Many of the girls: We went naked-lakin' and a few of us (I won't name names, but I'll admit to being one of these people) got totally stuck and couldn't make it up onto the dock so we had to get pulled in, totally butt naked? I believe on that night, or at least another night we had jumped in the lake (there were many that summer after graduation) we ended up sitting in Shane Sweat's hottub and I had on shorts and a tube top bathing suit and I then everyone in the hottub thought I was naked?

*I used to rub Chris Rigby and Tim Coleman's earlobes all the time. It's so weird to think how close we all used to be and now I have no idea what's going on in anyone's lives.

*When Emily Horner (what is she up to now??) and I wrestled for a pep assembly.

*Girls' Christmas sleepover when Tyler dressed up like Santa Claus?? PUB WEEZER!

*All the ridiculous videos we made for Mr. Moss' class. Amy--remember when we made the claymation movie? or the silent movie?

*Hanging out at Nathan's house sprawled out on the floor in near tears, convinced I had an ulcer, when really it was just gas...thus, "checking the lights" was born.

*Hanging out on the corner by Tim's house.

*That we loved, of all things, "Colors" (which, I will admit, I have listened to once or twice in the past couple of years and get totally sentimental over it.)

I could come up with a million more. I know I didn't really go into that much detail, but I was more concerned with triggering these great memories than with trying to describe them. I'm pretty sure I'll end up reading old letters from friends on missions and old yearbooks tonight. Sappy. (Oh, and any WHS friends, you should totally leave memories you have in the comments. I would love that.)

Cruisers...

2008-05-13T11:42:00.002-06:00

If any of you have gone on a cruise, where did you go, did you like it and does anyone want to go on one in December?

cross TWO off!

2008-05-12T21:08:00.002-06:00

I've been doing the vegan thing for about a week now (which isn't that long in the grand scheme of things, but I'm really happy about the way things have been going with it. Today I cooked my first meal with tofu, and it wasn't half bad! A little on the salty side, but the tofu itself wasn't gross (I always imagine it as ricotta cheese like in texture, which just grosses me out.) I've been doing a lot of cooking since we headed down this way of eating, and I'm thinking we'll save SO MUCH money! (There's pretty much only 2 restaurants we can eat at now and have meals that we'll enjoy). Anyway, if anyone wants to come over for a vegan dinner, let me know and I'll cook you up something delicious and meat and dairy free!

A lot of people have asked why we went vegan. While there are multiple reasons the most significant is in trying to get pregnant. I'm convinced that all the hormones in milk and meat can NOT be good for making babies. My mom has been reading "The China Study" (I'll look into it as well) but it basically says that dairy & meat wreak havoc on our endocrine systems, totally screwing up our hormones. I figure I need as much help as I can get. I'm taking a B12 supplement and prenatal vitamins in addition to Vitex (chasteberry) and my metformin and synthroid. I'm hoping I'm getting enough nutrients going to get a little seed going. I went to Barnes and Noble today and started reading "The Tao of Fertility" and learned a lot as well. Said some really interesting things about how your body is trying to germinate a seed, and how for a seed to grow it needs proper nutrients, water, good air, etc. Also said some interesting things about meditation and acupressure that I'm going to try for awhile.

Check one off...

2008-05-05T15:28:00.003-06:00

So, I'm already going to be crossing one of my goals off of my list! I signed up for voice lessons and I start tomorrow!
I realized last week that one of the reasons I may have been so happy during my time in high school and my early years of college could have something to do with the fact that I was involved daily in something I really loved, namely music and athletics. I mean, how can you not feel good if you get to spend an hour of your day just singing followed by 2 or 3 hours out on the soccer field or tennis court? I'm not saying that it isn't hard work, because learning new things and really stretching your abilities is difficult no matter what your expertise level, but for me, it's the really fun kind of challenging. As far as singing goes, it's also one of my favorite ways to release stress; there's something so cathartic about singing hard for an hour or so. If it works out, it maybe something that I end up doing every semester!

Also, I started reading a new book for my "1 book every 2 weeks" and am currently working on "Mysteries of Pittsburgh" by Michael Chabon, which thus far is semi-okay. I think I may start posting the books I plan on reading so that if anyone gets interested they can read with me.

Also, did I mention that in my first interaction with my voice teacher, she was rocking the double denim? If anyone reads this still happens to sport the double denim look, I offer this bit of advice to you...STOP! If God wanted us to wear denim all over our bodies he wouldn't have made it look so 1995. This includes those of you who wear denim jackets with your jeans, that is too much denim. I'm sorry to break this to you. A few exceptions can be made: construction foreman(woman), and occasionally the very thin and or pregnant can look pretty adorable in overalls. Also, children are allowed to wear overalls (I know that technically overalls are just an act of SINGLE denim, but it is still just way too much jean.) I also plead with you to tell your friends and neighbors that NOW is the time to move past this type of pairing. It will be a hard transition for many, but one that will ultimately benefit the community as a whole...

26

2008-04-26T18:57:00.002-06:00

1. Get Pregnant.

2. Pick up a new hobby--a REAL one, that I actually devote time to (marathon sessions of The Hills just don't count). On the potential docket: mandolin (ouch), photography, sewing, cross-stitch, running (i would LOVE to take running back up, i miss it dearly.), container gardening, writing.

3. Read a book every 2 weeks.

4. Finish incompletes that I still can

5. Complete my second degree.

6. Learn to build websites.

7. Start taking singing lessons again Start 5/6/08!!

8. Bluegrass Sabbath. (A Black Sabbath cover band--bluegrass style...this WILL happen!)

9. Letter writing to old friends.

10. Mend broken fences.

11. Regular exercising.

12. Go Vegan?

13. Thursday Night Barbecue.

14. Get REALLY REALLY tan.

15. Hike Timp.

16. Backpacking Trip.

17. Adventures with friends old & new.

18. Mom & daughter vacation?

19. Outdoor concerts.

20. Start working on "Charly 2.0"

21. Wardrobe change.

22. Catch up on movies.

23. Grow my hair out.

25. Date Night weekly.

26. Grown-up health (dentists, eye-doctors & such).

For the first time in my life, I feel kind of old. Hoping this will keep me feeling young.

Nights in White Satin

2008-04-20T20:02:00.003-06:00

er...white poly-cotton blend...ok, just regular old white cotton.

Because I'm on crack (apparently) I decided that the best option for bedding would be ALL WHITE. I guess I'm hoping that it will be one of those decisions where the opposite thing happens, for instance--one should never have white bedding AND children. Since I know have white bedding, maybe it will bring children. Just hoping that I have this type of bad luck.

I was going to post a picture of the new, incredibly soft, incredibly (though not for long) white bedding, but the pictures turned out horribly. Instead, here's Mickey, living in luxury...

King Size...

2008-04-18T11:01:00.002-06:00

I don't know how we have managed in a Queen for this long. My wonderful parents-in-law schlepped a king-sized bed (and a giant tv) out to us through the steep and snowy Rocky Mountains last night. Vegor and I were up until almost 1 putting it together, but, it was well worth all the effort! I slept in the same position all night long, and that's really only happened to me one other time (also on a Pedersen sponsored king sized bed...hmmm) and it's the greatest thing in the world. Now comes the shopping for bedding, which I'm totally excited for. I was thinking Ikea, which is where we got our queen-size duvet covers (that I totally love, and am kind of sad to be moving on from) but there hasn't been anything that I've seen that I'm totally in love with. Also, I'm wondering whether or not to buy 2, as that's what we have on the old bed and I think it looks really nice, AND, I don't have to share blanket. However, king size accoutrement are a bit pricier and I'll have to buy the comforters to go in the duvet covers as well. I checked Overstock, but wasn't really in love with any of them either. Anyone know a good place to get decently priced but also decent quality bedding?

We're one month out from the official "Trying to Have a Baby" countdown, as in, I'll have finished my birth-control for 2 months which means hopefully my estrogen will shoot high enough for me to ovulate. Keep your fingers crossed! Maybe it's just because I have baby on the brain, but so many people around me are either pregnant or just had babies. I'm ready to join their ranks.

The weekend looks to be pretty fun, chock-full of Pedersen festivities. Health is good, weather should be decent for the next couple of days, and I've been surprisingly calm for being xanax-free this entire week. Things are looking up.

Confession

2008-04-08T22:12:00.001-06:00

I love "The Hills" and I think it breaks my hubby's heart a little with every episode I watch.

coughsneezeheadachestuffynoseachybonesfever

2008-04-04T08:46:00.003-06:00

Total bummer. We decided last week that we would go camping w/ the Paynter-Sperrys down in Zion's area (where it is mid-70s! not the crappy mid 40s we're going to have in P-town this weekend.) and me and the Vegs were so excited. About Tuesday I started getting really achy, but thought I was maybe just tired and needed some rest, but I have just been getting worse. Now, I'm at full-blown cold/flu/hell and won't be getting anywhere near sunshine and fun. I will get to spend yet another weekend cooped up in crappy old Provo wishing I were dead. Awesome.

Lousy Smarch Weather

2008-04-02T12:20:00.005-06:00

I can say that I have never been happier for a month to end. March was rough on just about everyone I know, and am glad to have it behind (the collective) us. I am committed to making April significantly better.

When things aren't working the way I expect them to, or things are completely out of control, I yearn for change. I have this crazy idea that making some extreme physical change will jerk my emotional headspace back on track. It is for this reason that I have 2 regrettable (well, one regrettable, one semi-regrettable) tattoos, piercings that have lost their magic (down to nothing but 2 ear holes now, ain't ya proud of me?), and perhaps some of the most awful hair decisions known to humankind (Few of you likely remember the great near-shaving incident just preceding my college graduation. Fortunately there are few pictures to document that awful hair time.) I can't tell you how many bottles of bleach and cheap boxes of hair-dye (does anyone remember that bright pink streak I had last Spring? And the lovely shade of Starbust Pink/Orange my whole head turned when I decided I was over it? MISTAKES, people!)

I have at least determined, at this point in my life, when I'm going to make drastic changes to my hair, to let a professional have their hand at it. So, here's "Yearning for Change: April 1, 2008"

Let's hope this change signals a move into springtime and good things in my families' lives and yours. (Because that's what haircuts do...I'm an idiot.)

MEDICINE!!!

2008-03-24T18:16:00.003-06:00

I never thought I would be so happy about the necessity for pills in my daily life.

I managed to make an appointment last Friday with my doctor (okay, Physician's Assistant, but she is SO amazing!!) and she was able to prescribe some meds for me that I think will really help w/ a lot of my problems.

The first thing she did was put me back on birth control. She said that it sounded backwards, but that it would get my estrogen high enough that in 2 months I should start ovulating on my own. So, I'm on fem-con for the next 2 months, which if it works, great, if not, I'm not in a much different place than I was before. Plus, I actually really like being on Fem-Con. It boosts my estrogen so that I feel like a normal human being, and my skin looks AMAZING when I'm on it...

The next thing she put me on was Metformin (also known as Glucophage). Apparently this drug works really well in women with PCOS, not only in regulating their sugars/insulin levels, but by regulating those things it can address the hormonal levels that the lack of insulin control I regularly have creates. So, not only will I be able to process sugars better (that means I can eat a regular healthy diet, not just protein, which has been the only way I've been able to lose weight in my life) and lose weight, which is exactly what I need to do before any baby-making ensues. Apparently women lose weight on it right away, without making any other modifications, but I'm trying to stay eating healthy, and my 5 am gym workouts aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so I'm hoping to see some quick results. The other thing this will help is ovulation. For some reason, people with PCOS tend to ovulate when they're on Met. I'm hoping it also means that I stop growing hair in all the wrong places and that the hair on my head stops thinning!

Finally, she put me on Synthroid, which is a thyroid medication. Apparently I am on the VERY low end of normal, and it could explain why I'm so sluggish all the time as well as a lot of my difficulty in losing weight. I was kind of bummed that we hadn't seen these things earlier, as my labs were drawn last October, BUT, better late than never, which is quickly becoming my motto.

At this point, the side effects have been minimal. I am nauseous, and have been having headaches, but I'm hoping those pass. I also learned that even a little bit of chocolate cake will have dire effects on me! It's crazy to feel my body working to do little tasks, but it's nice to have the help!

Anyway, things seem to be on the upswing, for what it's worth, and I'm trying to keep the best attitude possible in light of all things.

Damn you, Dr. Drew!

2008-03-14T18:45:00.000-06:00

Vegor and I were falling asleep last night to “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” and I realized, I have a problem. Here, these poor people recount their experiences with addiction to drugs or alcohol, and all the problems that become part of their lives because of this, and I realize, I have an addiction to food.

Initially that sounds obvious and stupid, “of course you have an addiction to food, you need it to live.” True, which makes it so much more difficult to cope with, because unlike drugs and alcohol, I can’t LIVE without food. But that doesn’t change the entirely unhealthy, completely dependent relationship I have with it. I’ve heard, from people who I think are fairly obsessive about food actually, that we shouldn’t “live to eat, but rather eat to live.” I am not, and cannot do that at this point in my life.

The past few hours have been very difficult for me as I have realized this. It’s the same problem other addicts face when they must admit their problem. I have never wanted to look at myself in this way. I see it as weak, and as disgusting. Problems were bad enough when I was just fat. Now, I see that my fatness is a byproduct of this disease.

I can hear the critiques now, that I’m just finding excuses for not eating healthily and not working out. That I’m lazy, and that I just need to exercise will-power. True enough, but, tell an alcoholic that they can no longer drink to excess–that just a little will have to do–and you’ll have a very cranky drunk on your hands.

To put a positive spin on all of this, it seems like a real place for me to take control of my eating, which has always had a complete hold on me, somewhere I was completely at a loss of fighting against it. I have envied anorexics for their determination and ability to have control over such a powerful force. It seems like seeing this aspect in myself might be a place for me to start working through some major issues.

I shouldn’t be surprised. Before I was old enough to talk, food was the solution to (but likely also the cause of) many problems–crying? give her some more Cream of Wheat. It’s no shocker that as a young child I turned to food as an outlet for confused and angry feelings that stemmed from sexual abuse, something I only recently started working through as an adult. I have, nearly 25 hardcore years of serious emotional eating. I don’t eat because I’m hungry, I eat to battle the things happening inside of me, because I know no other way.

I consume to the point of pain, almost every time I eat. I’ve blamed this on everything from lactose intolerance to gluten allergies. The real problem is I eat far too much for my body. The more I can force inside of me, the further down I can stuff my problems.

I think of food nearly non-stop. When I’m not eating, I’m thinking of things I shouldn’t have eaten, or what I’ll eat next. I dream of being able to just eat healthily because I need those calories for energy, because it’s a human drive.

I’m afraid of all of this. Afraid that knowing this is opening me up to coping with issues I may not be ready for. I have assumed for the past 5 years that I am working hard through emotional and psychological issues, but that they are all on my radar, that I’m aware of every potential tick. Knowing this, about my relationship with food goes to show that I’m not as in tune with myself as I thought that I was.

I know this will be a significant battle for me to fight. This primarily because, as I’ve already said, I do have to have food as a part of my life. It is far more than a physical need. It is social, it is sexual, it is passionate, not only for me, but for all cultures. I love the sensuality that people who truly love food exude. But this is not me. I do not love food, I hate it. It is a weapon I use against myself. It’s cutting, it’s burning, it’s entirely self-destructive for me.

She's Ba-ack!

2008-03-12T20:21:00.004-06:00

Wow. Sometimes I forget I even have a blog, which would really explain why I never post anymore.

Right now I'm sitting back watching American Idol having just cleaned my kitchen, I know, a real wild and exciting life.

Spent the afternoon at my parents' where my little sister is staying right now. She apparently has a 2 inch cyst on her ovary that is causing her immense pain. She has to wait for it to burst and it's killing her. I feel so bad for her. Though it's not anything I've had to deal with (and God-willing, won't) but wonder how cystic I am in my lady-bits. The fact that there's no babies in my belly means to me that there is some cystic problems (given PCOS, and the numerous cysts I find all over my poor body)I just hope that it doesn't cause too many problems in that kid making process.

The weight loss is going slow. The gym going is off and on, and I'd love to be able to commit myself to going every day. The thing I really need to change is my diet, and am hoping to go to something more protein heavy but not a ton of meat, which of course, means SOY. I'm trying to learn to like tofu, but it's a hard thing to swallow (sometimes literally) but I have some vegan friends who insist if you cook it correctly it's fantastic. We'll see. I would like to cut out sugar and white flour as well, but that's proved to be increasingly difficulty. If anyone has any suggestions on this front, I'd love them.

I've started drinking Kangen Water, which is "alkaline" that apparently counters the acidic things in our bodies that happen from all the crap we love to ingest. I don't know if it works, but I've been drinking more water because of it.

Hopefully I'll update this blog more, now that I remember it's out there (thanks for reminding me, Janene! And, I haven't heard from Washington State. I'm not holding my breath, and am in fact have decided that graduate school may not be the best option for me right now, if ever. I am applying for a position at UVSC-Wasatch Campus, which would get me closer to "home," so, we'll see.)

A long time gone...

2008-02-08T11:21:00.001-07:00

It's been ages since I've posted in this neck of the woods. Life has been so hectic. I've taken Keysha as an example and started getting up at 4:30 in the morning to go to the gym, but then I don't get home until about 5:30 at night, meaning I am TIRED ALL THE TIME! Besides the time issue, work has been crazy lately and I have no emotional energy to deal with anyone or anything, so I apologize if I have neglected you in email, phone call or otherwise. I'm hoping my life calms down in the next couple of weeks as I get the hang of this gym thing. The weight is coming off slowly, but surely, so I plan on sticking with it.

long long ago

2007-12-11T09:05:00.001-07:00

I'm not very good at keeping this whole blog thing updated. I guess I just think my life is bo-oring. That's not true. I am just so tired from all the awesome stuff I do all day every day that I just don't have the energy to write about it? Accurately, my life is somewhere in the middle of those two places.
What I'm saying, is I'm lazy. Really lazy. So lazy, in fact, that when it comes time to write, I would much rather do a "tell so many things about yourself" post than actually come up w/ content.

So, 20 quick facts (One sentence or Less)

1. I really want to have a baby.
2. But, I also really want to go to graduate school.
3. So, I will wait to hear from the one school I applied to, and then we will decide on this whole baby-making endeavour.
4. But, in the meanwhile, I thought all of last week that I was pregnant (wishful thinking).
5. And spent every morning throwing up.
6. I'm going to try and lose 50 lbs. by June.
7. Because I've put on that many in the past 3 years.
8. That doesn't omit the weight I put on before those 3 years.
9. But 50 lbs. seems much more doable.
10. I love interior design, but am horrible at it--actually, I think I'd be very good at it, but my buyers remorse doesn't allow for me to do it in the way I want to.
11. Even though I'm working on my second bachelor's degree in English, I don't ever know the difference between than and then.
12. I am missing my old friends. I love the friends that I've made in college and over the past 5 years or so, but when I read about everyone's lives, I just miss the crap out of them.
13. I am afraid my children are going to have ridiculously bad potty mouths because I do.
14. My dogs woke me up every 2 hours last night to go outside. I thought they were sick, but now I'm convinced they were just outside causing trouble.
15. I am going to be teaching a class at UVSC next semester and am simultaneously really excited and incredibly freaked out.
16. I made sweet potato french fries last night from scratch. Not very good.
17. I am a horrible liar.
18. I am nervous about Christmas because we are flying to Denver on Christmas Eve.
19. I have done NO Christmas shopping yet.
20. The next 2 weeks of my life are going to be ridiculously boring because no one will be on campus, but I will be.

seis cosas

2007-11-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

Because I am an avid lurker of friends' blogs, I know that I was tagged by Crystal to do this six things thing. I willingly accept the challenge. It's supposed to be on something I haven't posted about before, which should be pretty easy, since my postings are sort of weird anyway (toilet paper?)

1: I have lived in Utah County for almost 7 years. This makes me slightly ill, especially since I told myself I would NEVER live down here. Hopefully, this will change within the next year (everyone MUST say their prayers/cross their fingers/wish on stars/not step on cracks, etc. that I get into graduate school @ Washington State).

2: I am a really good cook! On Sunday I made a sausage and lentil soup that tasted EXACTLY like Carrabba's. So delicious! I'm obsessed w/ anything that I can eat w/ a good slice of crusty bread and a glass of milk, and right now, this is topping the list.

3: I have recently committed to walking my dogs everyday. Normally I just let them run around the yard like crazies, but I think they are driving each other insane and need to let out that energy in a more constructive way. The problem is that daylight savings time is over and so when I get home from work by the time I get out the door to walk them it's DARK, so I have to carry mace and wear a headlamp. Adorable.

4: I love whatever time we are in right now (I get confused whether it's daylight savings or regular time)! It makes me feel so much better when it's light when I leave the house rather than freezing and dark (though i know it's coming.)

5: One of my favorite things is to drive around with Vegor on Sundays (usually to my parents in SLC) and listen to This American Life. If you don't listen to this already, you should start!

6: I am surprisingly tolerant of stupidity. As long as people aren't being mean or selfish, I am willing to help just about anyone, and I'll have a smile on my face, but the minute someone turns into a jerk, I want to stab them w/ molten forks.

The End. I tag Amy, and Kristina (who really should get a blog, don't you think?) and anyone else who reads my blog. (Which, if you do, comment! and let me know, so I can add you to my links!)

Toilet Paper

2007-11-02T10:42:00.000-06:00

Yes, this post is really about toilet paper.

I go to the bathroom,a lot. I don't know if I go more than others, or if I go an unhealthy amount (when I asked Vegor if I peed too much, he just responded with, "do I pee too little?") but let's just say that I spend a substantial amount of time every day visiting the ladies.

Now, the bathroom near my office is directly across from a Department Chair's office, who, for some ungodly reason chooses to keep his hall door open ALL THE TIME, which means EVERY time I leave the bathroom, I end up looking right at him, usually making eye contact.

Another woman who works with me confirmed my fears of him keeping, what I call, a pee-tally. She, too, drinks nearly a gallon of water a day, and makes many trips to the lavatory.

One of the problems of visiting this sanctum of sewage is that UVSC, being a cheap-ass institution, provides the thinnest, roughest, barely resembles anything that you would want touching your body toilet paper.

One of the commitments I made to myself when I got married was to always keep "fancy" toilet paper in the house. With the cheap stuff you just end up using more and running out sooner anyway, so why not spend a little more and have a bit of luxury on your bottom?

That being said, I decided today to bring my own toilet paper to work, and boy, what a difference! I've decided against parading through the halls with a full roll, but instead just tuck enough for any potential bathroom situation into the waistband of my pants, and make my merry way to the banyo (yes, I realize it should be bano w/ a tilda over the n, but I can't figure it out, so, phonetics!)

For other people faced with the tragedy of using other people's cheap t.p., might I suggest the tuck and carry, keeping your bottom happy all day, every day.

Washington??

2007-10-19T08:57:00.001-06:00

I've finally decided to go on to graduate school. It's so crazy for me to imagine living a life any different than the one we live now, but I think we're due for a major change.

I'm applying to the PhD program in American Studies at Washington State University. I'm REALLY nervous about it. I'm scared that I won't get in, but I think I'm just as scared that I will. It will be so hard to pick up and leave all of our family and friends. I know that it's not that big of a deal, that people do things like this every day, but, I had a hard time moving from Heber to SLC. What am I going to do when my family is 633 miles away? What if I hate it? What if Vegor hates it? What if Vegor can't get a job? What if I can't get a job? It all just freaks me out so badly!

On the upside, I really need to go to graduate school. Doing academic work makes me feel like I'm putting my brain to good use, and that I'm good at what I'm doing. The area is supposedly beautiful, and, it would be a great opportunity for me to get my "living outside of utah" wings spread a little. Also, our really good friends Wes and Gretel are probably moving there, since Wes is applying to the same program.

All in all, the process is freaking me out, but I'm really hopeful that I get in so that we can move on to the next phase of our lives.

another way that love is similar to tape...

2007-10-01T08:27:00.000-06:00

i've missed watching flight of the conchords every sunday night (not that curb your enthusiasm isn't great, because it is!) because, it usually meant you would have a really catchy, albeit really silly song stuck in your head for at least the next few days. i woke up this morning with this particular ditty, and i must say, when you have this running through your head, it's hard not to have a really good day.

Speaking of the tape of love: we spent the weekend driving to Denver and back for my mom-in-law's surprise 60th birthday party. Even though the drive was WAY long, we had a really great time, all the siblings were able to make it except for Kirsten and Nic (they sent a video, which is what we were supposed to do...the julkunen-pedersen's have a tough time getting things in the mail at all, let alone on time, which is why we ended up driving 16 hours this weekend) and we had such a great time! Two of my sister-in-law's have had babies over this past year, so it was really fun to see them. They are such good babies, which is bad for me, because then it just makes me want one NOW, which we're just not ready for. If the babies were fussy and crying then it would have been much easier to say NO to babies.

Happy Anniversary!

2007-09-24T10:48:00.000-06:00

So, today marks the 2 year anniversary that my dear sweet husband and I have been married. I couldn't be happier than I am with him. At the risk of sounding mushy, he has made me a far better person than I could ever be without him. He makes me laugh everyday, and puts up with my constantly changing emotions. He's the smartest man I know, and makes me keep up with him. He is my family, and keeps me going on days when I think I cannot. I love him. Happy Anniversary, Christian V Pedersen.

Sugar High

2007-09-13T16:25:00.000-06:00

I have eaten at least 37 dum-dums

and about 13 bit-o-honeys.
I have not been able to sit still all day. To Health!

2007-09-07T13:06:00.000-06:00

I guess this was inevitable. I mean, I spend 8 hours a day (at minimum) sitting in front of a computer. What better to fill my time than self-indulgence? Now many of my friends (that I haven't seen in a very long time. Shame on me.) also take time out of their lives to keep the widest of world webs up to date on the happenings in their homes. I just wanted to be like everyone else, I reckon.

Life's been good at the Pedersen (or Julkunen-Pedersen, depending on what time of the day it is) casa. I started a new job last month, and love/love to hate it.

I work for the Communication Department at UVSC. It's very laid back and my major frustrations come from the overwhelming amount of red-tape I face for every instance. But, we're on the far end of campus, tucked out of the way, so things stay pretty quiet overall.

Vegor is still working at The Woodbury Art Museum as their designer. He's taking a couple of classes that I'm really jealous of this semester: One about the possibility of life on other planets...I think it's called AstroBiology...pretty awesome, and another called Language: the most dangerous game. I would love LOVE to be taking the latter, but, both my student employees are in that class, which leaves me with no one to cover the office.

The dog is fine, though she seems kind of sad these past couple of days. Probably because she's not getting to hike as much as she was over the summer (read from 3 days a week to about zero). She gets to run alongside the bikes, but I just don't think it does much for her.

Our friends Wes and Gretel just got a new puppy, a Newfoundland. Let me just say that a similar addition will be made to our family as soon as possible. A-Damn-Dorable.

More later...