simple people. simple blog.

Six Months

2011-10-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Come on. I've gotten to wake up to this dude every day for the last half a year. I am feeling pretty lucky.

In the last six months of Perry, we've discovered:

- His sneaky, demanding sense of humor. If it's not actually funny, he won't laugh. And if you reuse old material too much, forget about it. He can and will heckle you until you cry.

- He is a cuddle bug, through and through. The best feeling in the entire world is slow dancing with his head on your shoulder and his little hand rubbing your back.

- That his favorite way to communicate displeasure is a fake cough that morphs into an indignant, pissed-off yell at the end.

- That he would rather lay in his crib and talk for an hour than actually fall asleep and take a nap. I have hard video monitor evidence.

- That we miss him when he's asleep at night.

- That if you turn on music, he will freeze and get a look on his face much like this.

- That he likes mom's music more than dad's (he drew a line in the sand by choosing his U2 lullaby cd as his favorite).

- That he's easily the best thing ever to happen to us.

We love you kid.

Tripping

2011-10-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

Perry acting cool with his friends at the bus stop.

Growing up, my family had a healthy tradition of family vacations. Come hell or high water, my mom made travel happen, whether it was a camping trip on a shoestring or a family cruise. So I told Jon he could blame her for my constant trip scheming. After enough pestering, Jon made a monumental effort to clear his crazy work schedule and we took our first family vacation to Seattle.

And it was awesome.

We ate like kings. We got unexpectedly upgraded to the top floor of the W. We spent all day long just hanging out, doing fun stuff, taking pictures and talking. Perry was a champ. It was exactly what I needed to sate the travel bug for at least a couple weeks.

Blessed

2011-10-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

We waited to bless this kid until he was four months old so that our out-of-town family could be there. And this four month-old looked like a seven month-old. But he just looks like a total and complete miracle to me. We had to wait a long time for this blessing to become a reality and he honestly is the sweetest happiness that we could have hoped for. All in all, a really special day.

Mind. BLOWN.

2011-08-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

When Perry was born, I wanted to start doing something that would help document how much he would grow over the first year. So every week I have taken these pictures. And it's kind of insane.

This was the first week.

And this is last week.

Aside from the obvious changing light issues (doh), my child has also doubled in size. Holy crap.

Perry's Friends

2011-08-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

There is much love when it comes to the following friends, from both Perry and me.

Perry's makeout sessions with Sophie the Giraffe have been CRAY-ZAY. But seriously.

I had a little stuffed raccoon as a kid that I loved, so I admit some pushing of this one. But it didn't take much. Perry loves falling asleep in his carseat with his little lovey tucked under his chin. He also loves napping with it but he keeps pulling it all the way over his face so we're not quite there yet.

Garishly bright? Check. Lots of plastic? Check. Fits comfortably in your mouth from any number of configurations? Check.

I love watching Perry discover how to play with his play gym. I could just watch him for hours. He realizes that he can create noise and movement and his face lights up. It's the best.

I put a bunch of these b&w illustrations all around his changing table and this is Perry's dude. He smiles at this owl bigger than he smiles at me (but still not nearly as big as he smiles at Jon). Not sure what to think about the fact that he chose the creepiest one of the whole bunch to be obsessed with. That owl looks pretty strung out to me.

I think this puppet is a rabbit? Perry doesn't see species.

Perry starts to giggle every time I say the words "Freight Train!" He has loved this book from day one. I've even done tests with holding up other books and this is clearly his favorite. This book is awesome but I'm a little worried this could lead to an interest in Thomas the Train.

I hate Thomas.

This is a new addition to the fold but it's already one of Perry's favorites. Magda is slowly going insane thinking that we have somehow found a replacement for her. Poor Magda.

Feet First

2011-08-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

This kid is thoroughly obsessed with his feet. Can't get enough. He is shoving them in his mouth any chance he gets.

Nap Time

2011-08-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

Perry has had a really hard time getting the whole idea of naps down. I did the same thing as a baby. I think he just doesn't want to miss anything. One of my favorite times of the day, though, is when we play together on the floor as he's starting to wind down. It's pretty special to me-- I feel like it's one of the times that I see him at his very clearest.

All At Once

2011-08-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, Perry refused to participate in "tummy time." He wouldn't fuss-- he'd just lay there and look at you like "really? we're doing this? and you call it 'tummy time'?"

Until this day, when he just popped up and rolled over and the works. He just wanted to buck the expectations. Not sure which parent he picked that up from. Except that I'm pretty sure it was from Jon.

He still looks disgusted with the whole thing sometimes, though.

How to flood the kitchen, in four parts.

2011-07-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

Part 1:

Concentrate.

Part 1.5:

Naw, for real. Concentrate. This shiz is for real.

Part 2:

Strike.

Part 3:

Allow yourself a moment of smugness.

Part 4:

Plan for the next time under the cloak of adorable innocence.

What makes you happy, makes me happy

2011-07-24T20:01:00.001-07:00

He's flashing this smile all over the place now. His mobile moved a little? Smile. He sees his favorite owl toy? Smile. He sees his dad? Smile. Mom? Gotta make her work for it so she doesn't get cocky.

Good thing I'm pretty stubborn when I want something. And I want as much as I can get of this cute face.

Wow

2011-07-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Wow that such a very short time ago, Perry was this little.

Wow that Ryan Tanner is so amazingly talented at capturing this sweet little bubble of time.

Wow that we have a kid this amazing.

Wow I look a little tired.

But a lot happy.

Patriotic 'n Stuff

2011-07-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

As a kid, I was strongly, strangely patriotic. Like "I will stand UP next to you and defend her still today" patriotic. At my elementary school, they would play patriotic songs on the PA each morning before we said the pledge of allegiance and we would sing along. It sounds a little Hitler Youth-ish now, but it was the highlight of my day (don't know what that says about my six year-old self). My mom once pretended she didn't know me when I started belting out a little ditty called "Freedom Isn't Free" at the top of my lungs at the front of a Kmart. I won an award at age nine from the Daughters of the American Revolution for rewriting the lyrics to the aforementioned Lee Greenwood gem. The prize was a copy of "The Red Badge of Courage."

So, somewhere in me, this shiz runs deep. I use that extended set-up to explain, protect and defend the red, white and blue romper my child is wearing in these pictures from the 4th of July. At least it wasn't from Old Navy. Oh wait, crap. It was from Old Navy.

This kid's poses crack me up.

Here's the rest of us. And yes, I realize that we're all wearing outfits in a conveniently coordinating flag-themed palette. It was an accident. Jon's LA hoodrat look, on the other hand, is entirely intentional.

Brothers from another mother

2011-07-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

Perry and Sullivan are pretty cute little friends. Sullivan tries SO hard to be gentle and understanding about the fact that this new friend of his can't really do anything yet. And Perry is cool with the occasional poke in the eye. It's a match made in heaven.

The Many Faces of Perry Felix Shaffer

2011-06-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Just took pictures of his face for about three minutes. My favorite is the Chuck Norris "I'm probably going to cut you" shot in the bottom left corner.

The Golden Hour

2011-06-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

Let's just say that Perry is a little bit obsessed with Jon. Just a little bit. Perry has two favorite times of day: when Jon gets him out of bed and when Jon gets home from work. I'd be offended except for the fact that it's so cute. So, rather than set up passive aggressive scenarios where he has to choose between mom and dad, I just take the pictures.

Draw Me a Bath

2011-06-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

A bath, a pipe and some slippers and this little gentleman is ready to turn in for the night.

It Begins

2011-05-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

In Dante's "Inferno 2.0," the circle just below "inconsistent/absentee bloggers" is reserved for "shameless mommy bloggers."

So I think I'm in for a lot of hellfire and brimstone. Give me a few days and I'm sure I'll repent back to absentee status.

But for now, there's this.

He's kind of amazing. He really is the best little boy. He manages to be sweet enough to make things feel easy but a handful enough to let me know that he has his own little ideas on things. He has a grumpy old man face that makes every smile a study in contrast. And one of the first things I learned about him is that the kid lets you know what he thinks with his hands. Exhibit A-F:

There is a legendary photo in my family of my little brother as a kid, with his huge wire-rimmed glasses and satin Donald Trump pajamas, with both of his hands clasped under his chin and his head cocked to one side. By the look on his face, you can't tell whether he just finished a show tune medley or was just channeling his best Punky Brewster cute-face. Needless to say, the overall effect is lovably, amazingly gay (said in the best, most literal way). I would post it but I think my brother has managed to destroy all evidence of it. But when I saw Perry start vogueing all of these, I loved that I knew where he got it from. And, based on my brother's impeccable taste in designer tableware and my husband's interest in women's shoes, I think this little guy will be carrying on a great metro tradition that will make his future wife very lucky.

I really love being a mom. So much. As much as I've loved being married to this guy for the last five years (this is the segue into the "brag about your spouse" post-- I'm really hitting all the blogging red flags today).

But seriously, I really am the luckiest. There's something about seeing your husband as a dad that makes them sexier and cooler than ever. I can't believe we've been married for five years today. I've gotten five years of all the ultimate genuine character, inappropriate jokes and sweetness that anyone could ask for. We've come so far from the MTC. Never thought I'd type that. Love you, babe.

Things around our yard

2010-07-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while. For a long time, I blamed my lack of blogging on a super sophisticated ambivalence I had developed to online sharingness, but really I think I was just lazy.

I am an internet sloth no more. Maybe.

So, here's what's happening around here. In a burst of productiveness fueled by the spoils of government cheese, Jon and I bought a house. And we're kind of in love with it. I'm so grateful that Jon talked me out of the one we looked at that was gutted to the studs and which almost fell off the planet in a landslide a month after we made an offer on it (for reals). I moped for at least a day after Jon vetoed that one (with several episodes of tears and maybe a door slam or two for effect) and said, direct quote, "We'll never find a house this cool again!"

Fortunately, Jon was willing to keep looking at houses even after my super sweet sixteen tantrum and we did in fact find a house about ten million times cooler. In our favorite neighborhood we never thought we'd be able to live in.

Now, this house does have its quirks. As in, this.

That's what some people call a yard. And that's what Jon calls a summer with less golf. I think that's why his first solution consisted of lighting everything on fire and then pouring concrete over it.

As tempting as that was, our actual approach looked a little more like this.

It turns out that all we needed was a friend with a Subaru, a chainsaw and way more experience than us. We did all kinds of crazy stuff. I swung a hatchet for the first and last time ever (At 15, I cut my hand open and ended up in the ER within the first ten minutes of my first job ever at a bagel shop. Turn the bagel knife into a hatchet and you can see why we almost ran into serious problems.)

After a few 10-12 hour days of that, things were looking a bit better but we still had a really long way to go. Cue my amazing family, who, fueled by our desperate thanks and a few 64-ounce Diet Cokes, managed to turn our 24th of July into a real festivus miracle.

We actually came up with a pretty genius business plan around polygamist yard care. Call me if you want in. Because this is what the nine of us were able to pull off.

Now, we're obviously not done. But what we've been able to accomplish has almost made me able to forget that I showed up several times to Home Depot looking like this.

Anyway, I'm a very sore but very happy girl. Next on the list this summer is the new fence, taking down the 80 ft. dead pine tree, and starting to make the courtyard (my absolute favorite part of the house) as amazing as I hope it will be. I'll be posting our progress to make sure we keep making it. Other things I'll be posting about very shortly include pics from my work trip to Europe, reasons why we love our dog and why the DMV thinks Jon is gay (spoiler alert: he's not).

The Never-Ending Story

2009-04-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

A PLOT SUMMARY:

Two best friends start a stationery company, despite knowing little about such things as "invoices" or "money." Although the odds are long, these underdogs openly defy them and take the industry by storm with their impeccable style and strangely catchy vocal mannerisms. After being declared paper goods moguls, they retire to a luxe life of endless supplies of Bugles, long lunches and "America's Next Top Model."

No, this isn't the script for the next Hanna Montana movie. This is real life, people. Or at least we hope it will be.

As many of you know, we (Kristin and Amy) have been working for the last several months on a stationery line called Junky Heirloom. We got accepted to the National Stationery Show in New York in May and are busting our faces to be ready. We are going to be getting the initial run of our line back from the printers soon and we wanted to share it with you. We also wanted to document the whole story of our experience starting our own company and going out on a limb for our dreams. So we decided to start a new blog.

You can go to it here: mostlyhappenchance.blogspot.com

We are going to be posting on this blog every day before the Stationery Show to tell you what we're doing and show you all of the different aspects of our preparation. We hope you'll tune in with us and follow along. It should be interesting at the very least. We are also going to try to use the blog to help generate awareness of our company before the show, so if you want to tell your friends about it, we would love the support. If you have any suggestions, we welcome those as well.

Here goes nothing!

Kristin and Amy

I love this guy.

2009-04-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

Lots of fun pictures from our various Easter-weekend festivities are soon to come. But I wanted to take a second to throw this one up of Jon and Norah (the adorable baby of our friends Sarah Jane and Nathan) because it's a perfect example of why I love Jon so much. He just has a cute face.

We're a Real Family Now

2009-03-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

So, this is our new puppy Magda. We went to go see her brother and ended up loving her more. So she came home with us. Way to work it, puppy.

Other things about Magda:

- She slept through the night last night (we did not realize at the time of buying her that we would be taking her out four times a night for the first three days-- we are thankful that this stage appears to have passed).

- She can do awesome tricks, like looking cute and jumping over Jon's leg.

- She's turned me into one of those people that lets their dog lick their face.

- I did actually think for a moment that it might be cute to put a little outfit on her.

So, I lost my dignity but gained a pretty cute puppy. Be sure to honk and wave if you see us out and about. She'll be the dog in the sailor suit.

This guy is the worst.

2009-03-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

That's all I wanted to say. I can't decide whether I'm more annoyed that I stayed up until 1:30 watching him make a complete a** of himself or that I watched an entire season of television waiting for it to happen. Or that I publicly defended The Bachelor in front of groups of people that I respect. Or that I wore a t-shirt with his face on it. No I didn't.

The Jindal Trifecta

2009-02-26T10:09:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how one speech can result in not one, not two, but three of my favorite media moments this week.

First, this.

Yes. You did hear Chris Matthews say that out loud. My theory, though, is that it was actually Keith Olbermann saying it-- and Chris Matthews took the bullet for him. Whoever it was, it was amazing.

And then, this.

And now, the best of all:

I feel bad for Bobby Jindal. But maybe some good will come of this: maybe next time they'll actually get Kenneth to deliver the Republican response.

What Happens When Tagging Meets Crafts Meets Blog Give-aways?

2009-02-23T13:51:00.000-08:00

Get ready, people. As alluded to in the title, I am really covering all the post-modern blogging bases in this post here.

So, we've established that I like projects. And, by way of update, we did end up getting those curtains on our next trip to Ikea because 1) Jon is really the best husband ever, and 2) I made up a ruse project. And it sounded even crazier than the curtains. While Jon was busy rightfully vetoing that crazy-a** project, I was sneaking the curtains into the giant yellow Ikea bag.

And it worked! (pictures soon to come)

So, on to the next project.

This one comes via my great friends Holly and Andy. They did this fun thing on their blogs. I wasn't in time to cash in on Andy's and, technically, I wasn't even actually in time to cash in on Holly's (but I thought I was and, turns out, that was enough-- welcome to my life). Here's how it works:

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me.

Just for you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I get to choose what I make for you.
2- There are no returns or exchanges.
3- Your creation will be just for you.
4- It'll be done this year.
5- You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a poem. It may be a mix-tape. It may be a small child. Remember: no returns.

The catch? You have to join the tagging-crafting-giveaway ranks by re-posting this on your own blog and offering the same deal to 5 of your own lucky blog readers.

So, the first 5 people to leave a comment telling me they are in win a homemade gift by me!

Note: No crushing people in your hurry to comment. This isn't Wal-Mart here.

I'm Glad You Don't Mind That I'm A Lunatic

2009-02-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

Poor Jon. He thought that our recent move into our fun new apartment (I'll post pictures when it doesn't look like a bomb that blew up at a garage sale) was going to keep me satisfied for more than four days.

Unfortunately, we're learning that I have an infinite capacity to want stuff.

It's not that I'm materialistic. I don't want stuff just to have stuff. But I love projects. And more importantly, I think it keeps me off medication sometimes. Rather than popping a Xanax (I have a sneaky suspicion that I could also love prescription drugs), I arrange furniture in my head. All day. Jon aptly termed it a "healthy fixation."

Which might help to explain why I was almost in tears at Ikea last night when my convoluted explanation of how I would attach the curtains below to a network of exposed piping in our bedroom with imaginary hardware was met with less than the rapturous reaction I was hoping for from Jon.

Sorry, dude. At least now you know what a temper tantrum in Sweden would be like. Taking me out for ice cream afterwards was a really nice touch. Just one more reason I'm glad I married you.

Nursing My Blog Back To Life

2009-01-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

I know. I don't deserve to consider myself a blogger. But maybe you want to forgive me and think I can do better in the future?

I'm giving you the video below as a little "let's make up and be friends again" offering. I think you'll find it's worth it.

(A little pre-video note: This is all real. And it's all serious. And it's 199% amazing. Go to utahwolfproductions.com if you want to see more. Thanks to Collin for the great lead.)

And if you think that's awesome, how about a promise that I won't ever go a month and a half without posting again? I can totally make that promise. Probably.

Everyone Has a Twin.

2008-12-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

Notice anything funny about this picture?

Yeah, that's not me.

It freaked me out too, but apparently I have a twin running around out there, wearing Aunt Maude glasses (that I kind of want-- Jon doesn't approve). I will admit that there is a part of me that wants to figure out who she is and meet her, if only to settle once and for all the irrational claim I made as a thirteen year-old that I had to be adopted (now looking more and more rational).

Twin, if you're reading, maybe we could get together and switch places for a week, kind of Parent Trap style. I could take over your indie craft fair responsibilities and you could figure out what I'm doing with my life. I think it's a pretty fair deal. Just let me know if you're interested.

P.S.- Also, does your indie craft friend happen to have a sister named Judy? They just look kind of similar, mostly in the forehead region.

A Great Effort. A Simple Idea.

2008-11-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

I just got back from watching all of the election coverage down at the Democratic headquarters at the Radisson and I have to say:

I'm inspired.

I am so proud of our country. I am so proud of Barack Obama and his family. I am so proud of my brother, who worked so hard to help as many people as possible be a part of this process. I am so proud of all of my friends and family who made it a priority to go out and vote today.

And I am humbled by how much work we now have to do.

In the end, it was actually somewhat odd that I found myself watching his speech at a Democratic-sponsored event. To be honest, I don't think of myself as a Democrat. Or a Republican. Some might say I am being wishy-washy, that I need to pick a side and get realistic. But I think that's really where the power of Obama's campaign rests: that you can look inside and ask yourself if you are being the best you can be-- no matter who you voted for. If you stopped listening because McCain didn't win, if you stopped listening because you think it's all just words, if you didn't think that any of it applied to you because you might have a different opinion on some issues-- then you missed the point. And you missed a great opportunity to join with the rest of the country in glimpsing for a moment what we can become if we can overcome that exact state of mind.

I'm excited to have a president who will be smart, who will listen, who won't think it's beneath himself to care about more opinions than his own, who will represent our country to the rest of the world as the honorable example we should be, who will inspire and help a whole new group of people to realize that, ultimately, the potential and responsibility of our country belongs to each of us.

I don't think it will be easy. But there's nothing more amazing to me right now than having the hope to believe it's possible.

Today's Love/Hate

2008-10-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

Something I love:

Jon's mad pumpkin carving skills.

So, I was in Phoenix for work all last week. But it was all worth it when I came home and saw this. Jon had cleaned the whole house AND carved me this masterpiece. (One disclaimer: the only thing he had to carve it with was a butter knife. And love.)

Something I hate:

George Lucas

My seven-year old self would hate me for saying it, but it's true. George Lucas has now managed to destroy everything that I cared about in my childhood. I finally saw the new Indiana Jones movie this last weekend. It was almost painful. What, George? It wasn't enough to emasculate Darth Vader, now you have to make Indiana Jones a trite package of visual catchphrases relying heavily on face-melting aliens? Not cool. Somewhere back in 1989, a tear is rolling down my chubby little geek kid face as I play with my exact-to-scale Millenium Falcon.

Quick follow-up to last post

2008-10-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

So, my last post had a link in it to join Speek that may not have worked for people using Internet Explorer 7. I'm really sorry to anyone who tried to use the link and had it not work. Mostly because you really should get a Mac and forget about Internet Explorer anything. But also for your wasted time.

It's fixed now.

I Promise It's Not Tahitian Noni.

2008-09-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

The last couple months of my life have been pretty crazy. Some more sane people may be less generous and call it a total mess. I have been so busy that poor Jon has been forced to fend for himself for food even more than he already had to. I've turned into one of those "once a month" bloggers. And I've only barely kept up with Project Runway. Clearly, it's been a little nuts.

But I think it's been for a good cause.

Three months ago, I was just minding my business, working at the TSG, when my dear friend Jenna approached me and asked me if I'd do some freelance web writing for this start-up company she was working with. I said yes, expecting a few hours of easy work. As I started working on it, though, I started seeing something truly unique and, honestly, genius. I felt like Heidi Montag when she realized she could make her own music videos: this thing was just full of possibilities. I immediately called Jenna and told her that, with the right brand, this idea could be something really huge.

Thus, Speek was born.

Speek is based around the idea that advertising should be a conversation. Scott (the guy behind the great idea) one day had just had enough with all of the wasteful junk mail, lame TV spots and obnoxious banner ads that were always surrounding him. He started thinking that advertising should be something more: something that not only actually made sense for the people viewing it but that also gave something back to them and the communities that they live in.

Rather than just complaining about it (my usual stance), he then actually came up with a beautifully simple idea that solved several of the biggest challenges facing advertising. And Kristin, Jenna and I (along with several other really great people) have been working like crazy since then to help Scott make this awesome idea a reality.

So, how does Speek work?

1. People come to speekback.com and sign up for a free account. In this account, they create a profile about their interests.

2. They then get access to an online viewer where they receive advertising for things that are actually interesting to them (so, for example, I might get an ad for a discount on a new "So You Think You Can Dance"sheet set-- stuff like that).

3. For every ad the member views, they get $.05 and a partnering non-profit organization of their choice gets $.05 too. So, not only are you getting information that you actually might find useful, you're also getting some of the benefit for your time and helping to support the causes or groups you believe in at the same time.

4. As people share Speek with their family and friends, they also get money for each ad that anyone that they invite views. Even if you just invite a few people and view a few ads, it all adds up pretty quickly to cover your gas money or, in my case, your Bugles money (come on-- you know that crunchy salty amazingness is pretty much impossible to resist).

5. Advertisers then have a way to interact with people that would be interested in their products without filling our mailboxes and landfills with wasteful junk that doesn't work for anyone involved. So, the whole process is better for everyone involved.

Anyway, I think this idea has the potential to change the way that people see advertising. And I've been spending blood, sweat and tears (my fingers are cramping even now) getting this to the point that we can now share it with you.

So, it'd mean a lot to me if you would check it out and let me know what you think.

First, you can check out the site here: www.speekback.com.

Then, come back here and click here to sign up (right now, people can only join by invitation, so you have to use this link). It's totally free and it only takes a few minutes.

Thanks for taking a few minutes to support me. You guys are the best.

(One caveat: realize that all of you amazing people will be among the first to really experience Speek. So, there may be some things that are still a work in progress. But aren't we all?)

Back from the dead. Kind of.

2008-09-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

Right about now, I can't decide which I feel worse about: the state of my house or the state of my blog. But where fixing one of those things involves cleaning supplies and actual work, I think I'll start with the blog.

Nothing like posting pictures from a trip you got back from almost a month ago. But I'm okay with that. Almost like I'm okay with my face in this picture.

Remind me never to try to look cool in pictures again.

So, let's get on to some of the better ones.

Our trip was so much fun. There's nothing like travel to remind you that there's nothing better than hanging out with your husband every day with no responsibilities. You can tell from Jon's increasingly awesome hair that we really took that "no responsibilities" thing seriously.

And yes, he does love Haribo. We take our gummy candies as seriously as we take our responsibilities.

Our trip consisted of stops in Budapest, Prague, Krakow, Warsaw, Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia (with an afternoon in a lovably dirty little coal town called Lodz thrown in for good measure). We had so much fun everywhere we went that it is kind of hard to say which was our favorite. But here are some of the things we discovered.

Never-nudes and stretched pennies are phenomenons that cross both borders and cultures.

You can stay in one of the nicest hotels ever one night (yes, there were TWO shower heads for each person-- wrap your mind around that)....

And stay across from an internment camp the next night. Thanks for nothing, Priceline Europe.

Thousand Island dressing is one thing. But Europeans have harnessed the power of Seven Thousand Island. No wonder the euro is kicking our trash.

The place to look for a Communism museum is sandwiched between the biggest McDonald's I've ever seen and a casino. Karma's a real b****.

Eastern Europeans try to be politically aware when arranging their touristy folk art.

There's nothing better than embroidered dog pictures. Unless it's embroidered dog pictures dressed in colonial military garb on pillows. Then you've really got me.

There is something about Eastern European dudes and their chess.

This guy had to be my favorite, though. He's just chilling. But his customer service never falters.

But, anyway, here are some of the pictures we took when we weren't acting like total idiots.

Okay, so I make a promise to be better with my blog. Check back in the next few days for my rundown on this season's most interesting music releases, reasons why my life is insane and my real thoughts on Sarah Palin. I'll try to keep it interesting.

How to Waste 3.5 Hours in the Copenhagen Airport

2008-08-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

So, we're back. And we had so much fun. And I am jet-lagged out of my mind.

So, while I get my head straight enough to sort through our approximately 4.5 billion pictures and make a proper blog post, here's a little nugget from how we spent our day yesterday. Let me just say that, if you have to be stuck in an airport, Copenhagen is the one to be stuck in. It's pretty fancy (Who doesn't need access to a Gucci store, Burberry store, Hermes store and a Ferrari dealership on the way to their connecting gate?) It's also pretty funny.

Yes, this is a real store. But isn't it also a state of mind? I like to think that I'm always... Soaked in Luxury.

But you know you've been a little too Soaked in Luxury when it comes to starving children and all you can come up with is "Who Cares?"

My favorite marketing message from the Danes, though, had to be this one for Sterling Airlines that we found on the baggage carts. I love people with a little self confidence.

I'll be back soon with more wild and zany moments from Eastern Europe (I promise I won't make you look at all the pictures. I'm saving up that kind of torture for when we have a kid). As much fun as it was, though, we missed you all and we're glad to be back.

I Love Flying

2008-08-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend I was in Phoenix for business. On Sunday night, I was sitting on a delayed plane, trying to get home. Because we'd been sitting there for a while, they'd turned off all the lights except for people's reading lights, no doubt hoping to trick all of us into falling asleep rather than being annoyed that we were late. Well, this one four year-old was having none of it. The plane is totally quiet and he starts yelling, as only a four year-old can:

"I like big BUTTS and I cannot lie! You other brothers can't deny!"

Yes. He started singing "Baby Got Back." And he did not stop. His lyrical memory was impressive. I had to kind of respect his parents: Sir Mix-a-Lot should be a part of every young child's life.

On a similar note, Jon and I will be gone for the next couple of weeks, hopefully encountering many other such children in our travels. If I get a chance, I'll post some pictures as we go. See you all soon!

Totally Josh

2008-08-05T05:46:00.001-07:00

I just got my new camera and have been having a ton of fun learning how to use it better. This is one of the shots I've really liked so far. This is my little brother Josh to a tee. Innocent. Goofy. Slightly west-side. He's got it all going for him.

American Voters: A Bunch of Morons

2008-07-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

No, this has nothing to do with Obama's visit to Afghanistan or John McCain calling the Czech Republic Czechoslovakia three times. This is about important stuff.

Will got voted off SYTYCD. And I am officially pissed.

Are you kidding me? He is so insanely talented that it makes me sick. And now the finale is not going to be as good because he's not in it. Plus, Mark has to feel like an absolute tool because what do you say to that? "Yeah, your dancing is about ten million times better than mine but I did get the whole state of Hawaii to vote for me, so, about that..."? Everyone knew that Will was the best dancer on the show. Plus, as evidenced by the video, he is the only guy in America who can dance that stunningly while wearing a pair of never-nudes (Tobias is turning green with envy).

Unbelievable. Come on people.

Yes, I'm a Bookworm

2008-07-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

So, the other day, I was in Smith's Marketplace and I saw a kid trailing behind his mom's cart, walking unsteadily down the cereal aisle. Why? Because he had his nose about two inches away from the pages of the book he was trying to read as he walked. I waited to see his mom turn to go down another aisle. He stopped in a daze, not even attempting to keep up with her. Two seconds later, she doubled back and impatiently pulled him along. I had to laugh. It really took me back.

I was that kid.

Let's be honest. I was a geek. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on, regardless of my comprehension level or age appropriateness of the material (which may have explained why my mom found me reading "Gone With The Wind" in second grade and then had to explain to me what the Civil War was). Every night, I would sneak books into bed with a flashlight. I remember loving to see the sun rise as I finished the last page of whatever it was I was reading that day. My whole childhood was shaped by the books I read, from "Babysitters Club" to "Brave New World." I was that same kid, driving my mom nuts because I wouldn't put the book down for long enough to keep up with her.

Which is why I'm loving the adult reincarnation of my love for books: The Kellie Bacon Book Club (it's called that because we all know each other through Kellie... get it? Kevin Bacon, Kellie Bacon... I thought it would be funny). Anyway, I can't say enough about how much I love my book club. All of the girls in it are smart, funny, successful, insightful, insane. I used to think joining a book club was a boring mom thing to do. Now that I see all of the crazy stuff that women actually talk about at book club, I realize that this is the hip place to be.

I'm also adding this Shelfari thing to my blog to show the books I'm reading or have read, both for book club and outside of book club. I always love recommendations from the people I like. And I'm going on a trip soon, which means that I want to take at least my full body weight in books (Jon told me I have to carry the backpack with the books-- I think it's his attempt at regulation). So, comment away and tell me about all the stuff I should be reading.

Major Commitment

2008-07-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

It's been two years since I got married and, as of several days ago, I had yet to change all of my legal documentation from "Spittler" to "Shaffer." I don't know entirely why. Maybe it was a combination of fierce loyalty to the Spittler name that was infused with years of elementary school suffering (just mix anything closely resembling the word spit with any child between the ages of 5-9 and imagine all the possibilities). Maybe it was the sense of identity that came from being one of only two "Amy Spittler's" in the whole world (okay, yes, I googled myself. You may say it's narcissistic but I found out that the only other person in the whole world with my name is a collegiate swimmer in Alaska. Sounds like the beginning to the next Wes Anderson movie, right? We should become friends and go on a Yukon train trip and see all the wacky ways that we... never mind.) Or maybe it's because I'm just lazy and didn't want to hassle with all that annoying paperwork.

Whatever it was, it was working pretty well for me. I pretty much had everything under control, remembering that I was Amy Shaffer at church and the gym and Amy Spittler at the pharmacy and the bank, Amy Spittler on my work email and Amy Shaffer on my gmail. I was actually rather proud of my mental juggling.

Until last Wednesday.

That's the day that I realized that I had booked my plane ticket for our upcoming trip in my married name and that my passport was still in my maiden name. At first, I told myself not to be too worried. But then I called the airline and they said there was no possible way I would be allowed on the plane if my ticket name and passport name didn't match. So, the last few days have been a blur of Social Security office lines and expedited passport forms. And $135 later, I am now officially Amy Elizabeth Shaffer. And I'll have a brand spanking new passport with none of the cool stamps I had accumulated over the last several years (yes, I was the annoying person who still asked for the stamps even though they don't really do that anymore).

No more hedging my bets, Jon. I'm in this for life now.

Today's Love/Hate

2008-06-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Something I love: Dwight as Xena

I don't know if it's the hairy legs or the saucepan bra set-up, but this is freaking funny stuff, man. The fact that he kind of pulls it off is both disturbing and awesome. Check out the Entertainment Weekly piece that this came from, where he also impersonates McGyver, Paulie Walnuts from the Sopranos and Captain Picard. Genius.

Something I hate: Indecision

I am not ashamed to say that I have some obsessive tendencies, especially when it comes to making decisions. So, when I tell you that 85% of the conversations I've had with my husband this week have revolved around the roughly 92 million internet reviews I've read about this camera that I want, you shouldn't be surprised. I think I'm driving him absolutely nuts (while eating dinner: "On dpreview.com, though, they said that it didn't perform as well in high ISO situations"... getting in bed: "But then I can't use the prime lens series because the focusing computer isn't in-camera." ETC.) I've been really wanting a DSLR for a while and am getting a little more serious about it in light of our upcoming trip. With my price range and ultimate intentions for the camera, I've narrowed it down to two: the Nikon D60 and the Nikon D80.

But now I am an absolutely crazy person (we're talking crack addict, Gary Busey crazy) trying to make a final decision. I just keep getting sucked in to read yet another review.

Help me?

Returning to Our Roots

2008-06-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

So, apparently this very persuasive campaign from the Polish Tourism Board worked 'cause we're going to Poland!

Jon and I have been thinking about doing this for a while. Amidst all of our joking about our mission courtship (it's just jokes, relax), we never got to serve in the same places. I am so unbelievably excited to go. I love traveling more than anything. Unfortunately, I also get somewhat freaked out by money (and the lack thereof) and those things fairly regularly clash, especially with airfare being as expensive as it is now and me accepting the idea that I have to be a responsible adult. But at some point we realized that, while still being sensible, you have to just go for it and do stuff every now and then because the experiences and memories are the whole point of life.

So here's the itinerary for our little Eastern European adventure: we're going to fly into Budapest on Aug.5, spend a few days there, then go to Prague. We'll be in Prague for three days and then we'll head up to Krakow and then to Warsaw, stopping along the way in some of the smaller cities that we served in. Then we'll end the trip in Gdansk/Sopot/Gdynia, the beautiful tricities area of Poland that is right on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Then we'll fly out of the Gdansk airport on Aug. 19.

July is going to feel like a really long month to wait.

P.S. -- I could find out the actual translation of the French on the poster, but I'd rather have all of you give me suggestions of what you think it should say. You know, like, "Come Lay Some Pipe in Poland," or "Come Expand Your Horizons with these Fancy Tools I'm Holding." I know you can come up with some good ones.

What?

2008-06-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do with Jon is go on random little shopping trips. On this particular outing, we hit up DI. Trips to DI have become increasingly rare lately, mainly because I'm not as dirt poor as I was in college and the charm of buying shoes that someone else has already been putting their feet in kind of wears off when you have more than $3.50 to spend. DI does have its benefits, though, in that you can occasionally find gems like this.

I think we can all agree that there's nothing hotter than ravishing someone with an infant looking on. Thanks, "Heart of the Raven," for teaching my innocent young husband the true ways of the world. And all for only 50 cents.

(For any concerned family members reading this: No, we didn't really buy it. What kind of pervs do you think we are?)

The store next door to DI was also another highlight and we didn't even have to go in.

The 99 cent +- store? As in "everything here is 99 cents, give or take some"? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that every store?

I love it.

I Might Be a Bad Person

2008-06-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a special day. It was Vegas day on So You Think You Can Dance, an event that like-minded SYTYCD fans will know is no small deal. I even convinced my husband to let me pick him up early from work so that I could be properly seated and ready for the festivities when the clock struck seven.

Little did I know that my plans were about to be foiled.

As Jon and I walked from the car to the house, we saw a lady from our ward walking up the street. I tried to hastily wave and keep moving (it was 6:55, man) but it quickly became clear that she was in the mood to talk. Now, let me give you a little context: this lady is kind of crazy. She did make Jon teach her Sunday School lesson once by calling him late Saturday afternoon and telling him that she felt a prompting from the spirit that she shouldn't teach the lesson. So, it should have come as no surprise that she spent the next ten minutes telling us about a little problem she has called a "mold response" that apparently turns her into the Incredible Hulk and has caused her not only to dump her boyfriend in an irrational rage but also to change wards (the other ward meets in a different building with--you guessed it-- less mold). After a while, Jon could tell that I was dying a little bit inside with every minute that passed and graciously figured out a way to wrap up the conversation. I did almost cry, though, when I flew up the stairs and turned on the TV only to see that I had missed seeing crazy popper alien dude dance his last dance.

I think I probably need to get a life. Or at least Tivo. And probably repent.

Is this what a hangover feels like?

2008-06-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Tired beyond all belief. Arms and legs heavier than you remember them. Lingering impaired judgment.

This weekend was fun.

Jon and I, Kristin and Craig and Emily, Tim and Claire made St. George our tranny nanny this weekend. We were all over it. From pedicures to golf to insane hikes, we were doing it all.

Let's start at Asia Nails.

Now, the name of the place says something before you even walk in the door. Once you're inside, Asia Nails does not disappoint. Great florescent light displays, a flashing lights/music/sound-animated bonsai Ewok village behind the register, a masterful Japanese water scene on the wall behind about 50 pedicure stations... this is where the real magic happens.

Imagine our disappointment when our nail technician turned out not to be Edison (the Asian dude with the over-exaggerated accent who thought it was the funniest joke ever to ask Emily about nine times whether her baby was for sale) but rather this girl.

But she was great. Not only did she do a totally passable job on our pedicures but she also told us about her domestic bliss with her boyfriend of seven years who, and I quote, "always knows exactly what flavor of energy drink she wants." She also tried to make us really jealous by telling us that he brought her a Diet Pepsi at work the other day held by a stuffed koala bear. She was really loading it on. Another funny moment of the pedicure? Realizing that I had chosen a nail color called Fuzzy Navel. Really? Someone needs to fire that nail polish namer. He is really off the rails.

Next, let's move to the pool. If I could sit by the pool and read a book all day, I would be happy. But if you could also toss in a totally adorable baby who went swimming for the first time, I'm totally sold.

Also, we all discovered that we are, in fact, now lame grown-ups who, rather than all jumping in the pool later that night, would rather sit around the edge and put our toes in. Maybe we really do need some alcohol. It was pretty fun, though.

Last stop, Zion's. I love this place. Claire was so cute in her little back-pack. Jon put on three layers of sunscreen (he kind of missed his whole nose-cheeks- ears area the day before). And we all went up the Emerald Pools trail.

Later, Kristin, Craig and I decided to do Angel's Landing which is, in Kristin's words, "a little messed up." But it was all worth it when we hauled ourselves up to the very top and then spent a half an hour up there enjoying the insane views and talking to this young German couple who were there vacationing. We did teach them the word "skanky." It was kind of a proud moment for me.

Anyway, it was a really fun little trip. And now I'm back at work and I'm totally trashed. It's the circle of life.

Everything Figured Out

2008-06-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

My little sister Alison graduated from high school this weekend and I'm so proud of her. I also can't believe how grown up I thought I was when I graduated. If I had continued to live my life by all the things I thought I had figured out at that point, I would now be a French Horn-playing, Lois Lane wannabe driving a Mini Cooper. Whew. Really dodged the bullet on that one.

Love you, Al.

Stupefy!

2008-05-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

So, a couple of days ago, I accidentally scratched my eye and am now unable to wear my contacts for a few days. Which means that I have to wear my glasses. Which were only barely cool when I got them in 1998. Which has led to my husband giving me a new nickname.

Harry Potter.

Thanks for being sensitive to my deeply repressed insecurities that go back to my second-grade pink-plastic-coke-bottle-grandma glasses (I know that you swear that I chose them, Mom, but really?) We'll see who's laughing when I get really messed up and start carrying a wand anytime we go out in public.

Life Questions

2008-05-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Spending your weekend in Afton, Wyoming can get you thinking. You start asking yourself questions like, is that really a five year-old driving that ATV? And since when have men worn button-up sleeveless shirts? Tucked in?

Here are some of the better questions that came out of this weekend.

1) So this is what it's like to have grandparents? Grandparents were the point of this whole little trip, namely Jon's grandparents. I've never had the fortune of having grandparents who cared or knew much about my life (To be fair, it's not really their fault. Being dead and/or emotionally stunted by your childhood as an orphan are not entirely things under one's control). But I have to say, I now get what all the fuss is about. My inherited grandparents are kind of awesome. We came to stay with them for the weekend and they did such grandparent-ly things as insist on filling up our gas tank, teach me how to play Chinese Checkers, give me an amazing old red Schwinn bike and keep us fed with a constant stream of homemade cake and cookies. Sound like a ten year-old boy's dream? That's probably about right.

2) Do I want to be a farmer? The scenery was beautiful and there was nothing to do except enjoy it all weekend. Hence, for about ten minutes, I thought, "Maybe I just want to live on a farm, in the country." I got a pretty good fantasy going in my mind until I tried to imagine Jon milking a cow and me doing anything involving poo or bugs. Then I realized that what I really want is to read books all day and not have to go to work. Turns out, my dream life is not defined as "farmer" but more as "lazy."

3) Can you really pickle zucchini? The answer is, yes.

Lucky Me

2008-05-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

I've been a combination of lazy/busy the last few days and haven't gotten a chance to tell you how lucky I am. As of Sunday, I have officially been married to my favorite person ever for two years. To celebrate, he took me to Ruth's Chris on Saturday. My favorite part? The most delicious steak I have EVER had. I'm more into fish than I am into steak but I have to say, wow. My other favorite part? Valet parking our little Mazda and then realizing that they didn't even park it in their normal parking lot as to save room for oh, say, this Ferrari. Funny.

Love you, Jon.

I Gots Me a Big Mac

2008-05-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

We just got a brand new iMac and I kind of love it. Apple is one of the few (okay, many) things out there that just brings out the total nerd side of me. I love how they balance power and style with pragmatic simplicity. We also did a mini-remodel of our sunroom to make it into an office (translated: put down Flor carpet tiles and moved around some furniture-- if you're wondering about the "remodel" label, you should see what I classify as "cooking"), so I'll post a couple pictures of that soon. But for now, in celebration, I share this seriously awesome music video by The Bird and The Bee, constructed entirely using Mac OSX. It's pretty fun.

Working for the Weekend

2008-05-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

Some weekends, I laze around and consider just feeding myself worthy work for a two-day period of time. As awesome as that sometimes is, there are other weekends that we actually do stuff. This was one of them. Here are a few highlights.

1) My Mom's Birthday. My mom is amazing. And she's now a sprightly 49. We had fun celebrating at Bambara on Friday night (Cool little hint... if you make a reservation and tell them it's someone's birthday, they apparently print you special menus with a birthday message. Way classier than singing waiters.) We then went and saw Iron Man (spoiler alert: the suit's most supernatural power is keeping Robert Downey Jr. sober). I totally loved the movie but I have to say that my favorite part of the night was hanging out afterwards and watching my mom giggle like a little girl at Jon Stewart's anti-McCain jokes on the Daily Show. Way to stay young, mom. Love you.

2) Lydia's Baptism. This was an interesting event for me because it did not feel like my little sister was getting baptized. It felt like my little sister/child was getting baptized. Because of how the adoption process worked with both Josh and Lydia, I got a lot of opportunities to perform mom-like duties when Lydia was a baby and my parents were in Russia for Josh. I also got to endure lots of nasty looks when I took her to the Bountiful Albertsons and everyone thought I was her teenage mother. And now she's eight and I honestly can't believe it. The whole experience has helped me realize how moms can do anything for their kids. It's amazing how much you can love another person.

3) Brian's Coming-Out Party. No, my brother is not gay. He's the only thing that Utahns may get more worked up about: a budding Democrat. And this weekend, I got to see him speak at the Utah Democratic Convention because he was running to be a national delegate. As a national delegate, he would get to go to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this August and cast Utah's vote for his boy toy Obama. He did an amazing job and he won (against some stiff competition-- one of the guys he was running against looked just like Forrest Whittaker, I am not even kidding). I'm really proud of him. He looked so snazzy with his suit and delegate tags. Good job, buddy.

4) Mother's Day. Yes, my family really knows how to pack it in. My mom always gets to enjoy Mother's Day and her birthday within a few days of each other. I keep hoping that Jon will do like our ward does and get me a present on the whole "I'll be a mother someday" premise, but he doesn't fall for it. My favorite moments of the day both came courtesy of Josh. First, as my mom was opening her presents, he chimes in, "Ooh, mom, hopefully you'll get something cool... like cash." Then, when it came time for the primary kids' obligatory "Mom Medley," he went all American Idol on us, got right up on the podium (with the other, say, fifty kids to either side of him) and sang right into the microphone. After enjoying a two-song de facto solo, he then threw in a goofy skipping dance move to accompany the "Tra La La La La La La" chorus of "When We're Helping We're Happy." In his final shout out, he pointed straight at my mom, gave a thumbs up and winked. The primary leaders had nothing for that. I was dying.

So, as far as weekends go, it doesn't get much better than this one. Had the Jazz lost, though, it would be a totally different story.

Today's Love/Hate

2008-05-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

Something I love: this house.

This is a house that any self-respecting Ivory Homes owner in Utah would hate you for building next to them. I love it so much, though. I love the angles, the light, the sense of calm personality that comes through in every design decision. My dream is to someday build a modern home that manages to walk the line of minimalism without completely giving the finger to any sense of homieness (and not homieness in the 'Jenny from the block' way, more in the 'carpet is not inferior to concrete in every single possible scenario' way). I think this place comes pretty close to that balance. You can check it out at metrohouseaustin.com, a really cool design/construction firm in Austin. I don't love all of their designs as much as I love this one but I think what they're doing is really great. I know that there are individuals who are doing things like this in Utah, but it will be interesting to see if a major design/green-oriented builder will ever emerge here.

I want this house so bad. But I also just want straight up central air sometimes. So, here's to taking things one step at a time.

Something that I hate: wasting time on CNN.com.

I mean, honestly, I don't even know why I even go there anymore. Bad habit, maybe. But when the two top news stories today (based on site traffic) are "Britney Back in Court" and "Sex in the City Death Rumor Addressed," I have to wonder. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for celebrity news (I have been known to buy People magazine on a whim at the checkstand more than once). But the headlines on CNN.com just seem to get more and more sensational and, in some cases, just plain ridiculous (the ones highlighted above are pretty freaking awesome). I'm fine with that, it just doesn't seem like the most legit news source anymore.

Anyone have a good, no-nonsense but interesting place to get the news online? I like NPR.org but always love new suggestions.

P.S.- I just found a pretty funny site: wtfcnn.blogspot.com. I think the name says it all.

Great Expectations

2008-05-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend had its share of expectations, both high and low. Expectations play a funny role in life. Is it better to expect everything and be inevitably disappointed at times? Or is it better to never expect anything and have occasional moments of surprised happiness? If you were to base your life philosophy on a movie and a concert (which is only natural), you'd probably come out with one of the world's great symbols tattooed on your arm: the yin-yang.

Which is what I did this weekend. Not the tattoo part. Just the "basing my expectations and happiness in life on a movie and concert" part.

THE YIN: Baby Mama

Everyone knows that I have a fake girl crush on Tina Fey. According to my husband, it's because she validates my life-long hope that a girl who loves to eat, write and quote Star Wars actually has a future as a semi-normal and successful human being. I also just think she is seriously funny. All that being said, however, I was seriously concerned about this latest movie venture. First, I found out that Tina Fey didn't even write it (dashed were my hopes for Maternity Mean Girls). Then, all the commercials made it look not only entirely predictable but also entirely not funny.

But I am a girl with loyalty.

We saw it on Saturday as we celebrated Jon's birthday with some of our favorite friends (You all now think I'm the manipulative wife who ropes her husband into seeing the movie she wants to see on his own birthday. But that's where you're wrong. He wanted to see it too. And it wasn't even his real birthday.) And the verdict: I laughed my head off. Yes, it was totally predictable. But it was also funny in surprising ways. And I left with thoughts of cheating on Tina Fey with Amy Poehler.

The zen lesson? Low expectations sometimes lead to higher pay-offs (somewhere out there, Michael Scott just said, "That's what she said.")

THE YANG: The Swell Season show

This show was the polar opposite in terms of expectations. We bought our tickets over three months ago. I not only love their album but also adore the movie that brought the two main players in this act (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) to Utah in the first place. And there's a magical combination of love, sacrifice and success in their story that everyone loves to believe is possible.

When we got to The Depot on Friday night, I started worrying if maybe my expectations were a little too high. There was a huge line of people waiting to get in and it made me a little annoyed (I really hate crowds). Plus, the lame snobby part of myself looked at the people around me and said (in my head), "You're only here because you saw these guys on the Oscars."

When the show finally started, I realized how stupid I was being. It really was an amazing show. Backed by members of The Frames (Glen Hansard's former band who is also definitely worth a listen), all of the songs that made me love the Swell Season took on an even greater life. And that's when I discovered why all of these people came out to this show: when someone does something that they really love and they put themselves completely out there for it, it speaks to people. Glen Hansard isn't the most technically accomplished guitarist out there. He only plays one guitar for the whole show and it's the same beat-up one he played in the movie. It's not about an impressive stage set-up or mixing or anything like that. It's just beautiful songs by people who love what they do. And it's a reminder to me to forget all of the unimportant things that you think hold you back from doing what you love and just try it. Because sometimes creating something beautiful and meaningful even in the face of imperfection is the most impressive thing.

It was a pretty perfect show, though.

The zen lesson? Sometimes, high expectations are good. It makes you remember that amazing things are possible when even those are exceeded.

So, there you go. I left this weekend with my expectations satisfied. And I'll try to avoid referencing the yin-yang ever again.

It's called Friday Fun Lunch

2008-05-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

Want to get me (or any other of my fellow basement coworkers) really enthused? Just utter the words: Friday Fun Lunch. But I've recently been hearing the question: what makes a lunch qualify as a "Friday Fun Lunch"? Is it magic? Is it genius? Turns out, I've got answers.

1) It has to be in a suitable location. Red Iguana is always preferable. Koko Kitchen or Cafe Rio will do in a pinch. But Rumbi's is straight up not classy enough (not enough velvet back-lit wall hangings, as pictured above).

2) Any topic for discussion is total fair game. Just today we discussed the difference between snuff and chewing tobacco, the mid-90s phenomenon known as "pantsing," and whether it is at all advisable to admit that you think Joan Cusack is hot (that last one wasn't me, I promise).

3) It has to take more than an hour. On principle.

Do you think your office could benefit from a little Friday Fun Lunch? Go for it. Just remember these important guidelines.

* Friday Fun Lunch is a registered trademark. Every time you use it, you owe me (or maybe Kristin) a dollar.

"I Just Love Television So Much"

2008-04-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

What? An electronic Kenneth bobble-head doll with a button that will play all of your favorite Kenneth lines, like "Pregnant cornbread?", "Frankly, LaDonica, you have not been real helpful," and "My mom is my best friend"?

Um, yes, please.

You're All Grown Up Now

2008-04-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

It's my cute husband's birthday. He's turning 24 (if he were writing this, he would insist on including some joke on how that would now make me 53 or something). I was going to compose 24 reasons why I'm glad he was born, but I thought I would spare you and keep it to three.

1) He loved me even more (or at least just as much) after he discovered that the only cookbook I had upon entering our marriage was a Star Wars cookbook. I am not even making that up. It takes a real man not to be scared off by the fact that your wife actually has a decent level of interest in making Yoda Soda. He's made up for all of this by being a very good cook in his own right and always makes sure that we don't starve.

2) He taught me how to play golf. It's in his own self interest but, let me tell you, it's taken a high level of patience and skill to accomplish. I used to think that I would rather spend a beautiful summer day shopping or at the pool or something. Now I've realized that cursing loudly and making excuses for my swing is way more fun.

3) We have more obnoxious inside jokes than I ever thought possible. "I don't know percentages." You know what I mean, babe.

I'm pretty lucky to have a guy who is this cool. Happy Birthday, honey, and thanks for being my best friend.

Somewhere Between Earth Day and Mothers Day

2008-04-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

Here it is, my one source of domestic self-esteem. This is my mild-mannered office plant that I have managed to keep alive for (count it) four months. I know it sounds ridiculous but I feel warm and happy every time I look at it. It seems to say to me, "Yes, you got your husband a $5 Subway footlong last night and called it dinner, and, yes, you were even proud of yourself for that effort but it's all okay because I'm here and I'm still alive." It's an atonement for the entire ecosystem of flowers/bushes/etc. that I let wilt away on my deck last summer. And, most importantly, it's proof to me that someday I actually might be able to nurture higher life forms such as sea monkeys, dogs and children.

Thanks, little buddy. Keep hanging in there.

Jealous of an Unborn Baby

2008-04-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

That's right. I'm jealous of an unborn baby. Call me immature, but let me explain why. See, we had a really great couple baby shower for our friends Sarah Jane and Nathan last night, who will be having a little girl in the next few months. Pretty awesome presents were doled out by multiple parties that made me start wishing not that I was having the baby but that I actually was the baby. I mean it. Because there is really cool stuff for babies. I mean, I really wish those alphabet shoes came in my size. Clearly, from the picture, SJ wishes she could throw on that adorable little sun dress/bloomers combo. And I would hang those amazing prints/crafty creations in my own room any day of the week (major props go to Karisa, who made them).

Maybe it's crazy, but I'm just saying.

(Another thing that was too cute to believe? Paul and Holly's new baby, Leo. Good job, guys. He's a winner.)

Today's Love/Hate

2008-04-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Something I love: new music.
I got the new Weepies album today and am loving my life. There are few things that make me happier than getting new music. My initial impression of this particular album? It's classic Weepies. Makes you feel good without feeling stupid. Honest without being dull. Quirky without being too hip. Should be playing soon in an Anthropologie near you.

Something I hate: Tracy McGrady.
Is it the sneer? Is it the weird shoulder ice pack/underarmor thing he's been sporting? Or is it that jacked-up eye? Trust me, it's all of them. This dude bugs. Now, clearly I am a lifelong Jazz fan, so the fact that we're playing them in the Playoffs definitely contributes to my disdain. All I'm going to say, though, is that anyone who instantaneously reminds you of the crazy hyena on Lion King (think about it... you know he does) deserves to be disliked. Add to that the fact that he can never come through for his team when it really counts (only one point in the fourth quarter of TWO GAMES COMBINED? Really?) and he has more than earned a spot on my "People it might be fun to punch in the face" list.

(Okay, just the fact that he had to pose for this picture makes me feel kind of bad for the guy. But I only take half of it back. Go Jazz.)

The Power of Advertising

2008-04-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

So, it turns out that the advertising industry that I work for is really pretty powerful. As evidence, I offer up this conversation I overheard between my sister Lauren and my 8 year-old brother Josh (shown above with his cutting edge night-vision goggles) while at my parents' house for dinner.

LAUREN (after explaining to my mom some concern she was having): "I'm not really sure what we're going to do about it but I'm sure we'll figure something out."

JOSH: "You could call Nationwide."

LAUREN: "What?"

JOSH: "Yeah. (He begins to sing with remarkably accurate pitch) "Nationwide is on your side."

LAUREN: "Good idea, Josh."

JOSH (pulling out a wiffle bat): "Let's go play lightsabers!"

Good job, Nationwide. I think you've really hit your target market. Now if I could just learn how to write some decent jingles, I could really take over the world.

Weekend Update

2008-04-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

As close friends and coworkers know, if there's one thing I'd rather do than work, it's make a playlist. I also like to name my playlists after whatever is dominating my thoughts at the given moment (hence, my iTunes library being filled with playlists with names like "Straight Up Working," "Why Isn't Thursday Friday?," and "Weekend Warrior." What's the insight here? I write lame playlist names. And I really like weekends.) So, anyway, here is my new playlist for this weekend. It's called Weekend Update. As soon as I figure out how, I'll upload some of the songs so that you can listen along.

Weekend Update

1) Beautiful Beat Nada Surf
2) I'm Leaving You Because I Don't Love You Jens Lekman
3) Beat (Health, Life and Fire) Thao
4) Answers and Questions Earlimart
5) Elephant Gun Beirut
6) Skinny Love Bon Iver
7) El Diablo En El Ojo Tindersticks
8) Slow Show The National
9) Sundialing Caribou
10) Kids MGMT
11) 4 Minutes Madonna (feat. Justin Timberlake)

(That last one really doesn't fit with anything else. But it is freaky catchy. Consider it the Denver Nuggets of my playlist. Nobody really knows how it got there but everyone knows it'll be fun. Can you tell that I'm excited for the playoffs? Go Jazz.)

No Deal

2008-04-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

This post is a little bit late, but hey, I'm new at this. We'll just let it slide.

So, bright and early last Saturday morning, Kris and I headed down to the RC Willey on 2100 South. Why? Because we were doing something responsible and adult-like, like shopping for a tasteful microfiber sectional?

Nope. Because we were trying out for "Deal or No Deal." Along with about 15,000 other certifiably crazy individuals.

(One side-note: what is it about Utahns, that we get so worked up about getting rich quick and getting on TV? I can't cast stones because I was definitely in that line, but I can say one thing in my defense: I didn't camp out. And trust me, there was an entire tent village.)

Anyway, Kris and I have had this crazy idea for a while that we want to go on "Deal or No Deal" together. We even worked up a pretty good schtick that we thought would definitely get us on. Until we finally got to the front of the line and got separated into our casting group. Which consisted of a black Vietnam vet, a special-ed school bus driver and a 90 year-old grandma who watches every episode. I'm not even kidding. Who can compete with that?

Needless to say, we were the kids sent crying to the curb to sit and wait for our ride home (we didn't really cry. but almost.) And thus went a disappointing but extremely entertaining Saturday morning.

(In case you're wondering, yes, the guy in the picture did wait in line with his shirt off for over four hours. And, yes, he did artfully recreate the "Deal or No Deal" logo in black Bic pen on his chest. And, yes, I did pretend like I was making a phone call while taking a picture of him.)

No more excuses

2008-04-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

Supposedly, I write for a living. There are some who may argue the point (myself included) but I think we can all agree that this is probably the worst excuse for not having a real blog until now. It's kind of true, though. Other excuses have included: we don't have any kids to show off, I couldn't find a blog template I liked, gas prices are too high and jon is afraid of heights.

Luckily for both of us, we're over it. And here's our blog.

Amy