Cicada Army

Happy Ben

2009-10-10T08:26:00.010-06:00

Here are some pictures to prove to Alexis that Benjamin isn't always crying. Some of these are even from your blog, Lex! Enjoy.

is there a limit to how many pics I can post?

2009-09-07T23:00:00.008-06:00

Wow, if there is a limit, I haven't reached it yet. Unfortunately they posted in the opposite order than I would have liked but that's okay, I'm not going to redo it.

This is on Antelope Island. Its a nest of baby birds outside of the visitor's center.

Here is Linwood walking down the street after we went to the beach. We were sick of walking through the sand so we took the road. And that's a tumble weed.

The desolate beach of The Great Salt Lake.

You can see where the water is and outside the right of the picture is where the road is. That's why we got sick of walking through the sand.

A "self pic" that Linwood took. He centers them so well. I'm smashing my face against him to get out of the sun.

Here I am doing what I came to do, get in the water.

These next few pictures are to show the bug (insect?) population at the lake. The gray cloud in front of Linwood is made up of brine flies moving out of his way.

He's kicking some more out of the way in this one.

This is the spot on the ground of flies before he kicked them in the last picture. It makes more sense if they were in the right order.

All of that dark area is flies.

Brine flies on a rock.

There are little orangey things in this picture, those are brine shrimp (sea monkeys).

I'm standing in the middle of some rocks.

Now I'm walking.

Here's where I'm about to go in. Note the flies that I have to go through first.

We brought a lunch to eat on the beach and this is Linwood's shirt and the area around him while he was eating. It was a good sandwich though.

I believe the dark areas that are washed up are dead brine shrimp and flies. You can also see that all the little dark spots are flies.

Okay, this is the day before when we were playing rock band with the Bennetts. We make a very good band.

Here is the day before that when we went to Oktoberfest at SnowBird with the Bennetts.

At Oktoberfest. Heidi told us to make loving faces.

This was in the pavilion where we ate German food and listened to polka music.

Here is Linwood's first professional haircut by our friend Delenna.

A view that we might miss when we move. Its the sun setting at the end of our hallway.

This is the recreation of an old picture.

The Mollies

Some Mollies and some Mollies Faithful (the spouse club).

Canning peaches!

This was on Utah Lake a few weeks ago with Burk and his boat.

Me. On a boat. In a lake.

That was tough. I hope it isn't too confusing since its backwards.

2009-06-06T18:12:00.000-06:00

*this has nothing to do with me

Movie List Summer 2009

2009-06-04T11:51:00.002-06:00

Star Trek
Up
Drag Me To Hell
Year One
Paper Heart
More Than a Game
Adam
Whatever Works
Julie and Julia

Before we leave

2009-01-31T21:07:00.002-07:00

The plan is to move back east in a year but before we go I'd like to do everything on this list so I will have had the full Utah experience.

hot springs
this is the place park
ensign peak
swim the great salt lake
goblin valley
float the provo river
copper mine
sun tunnels
sundance film festival
stay a night at that place in midway
sleep at the ranch
eat more mexican food
jazz game
beehive tea room
eat at the soup kitchen
drive Mt. Lebo loop
eat at cotton bottom

I think we will be pretty busy with all of that but I'm open to more suggestions. I did get to see a Sundance movie last week and had what I'm pretty sure is the typical Sundance experience. It was mostly disappointing and the movie that we saw (El General) was extremely boring.

Vegetables!

2009-01-28T20:33:00.002-07:00

First, do you know how many blogs I write but don't post? A lot.

I'm making a vegetable tray for my bro Jake and his future wife Karleigh (its for their wedding). For most people, this would just be chopping up some veggies but I have something pretty amazing in the works (in my head). Because this has been on my mind for a while, I've been sorting vegetables out into colors so that I can 'paint' what I want the display to look like. Here are the colors and vegetables that I've thought of. I know that some aren't appropriate for a vegetable tray but you don't have to be picky when you brainstorm.

Red
tomatoes
red bell peppers
radishes

Orange
carrots
orange peppers
pumpkin
sweet potatoes

Yellow
some squash
corn
peppers

Green
broccoli
leafy things
asparagus
celery
olives
cucumbers
artichokes
bean sprouts
peas

Blue
turns out that blue isn't a popular color in the veggie world or really the food world for that matter. Check out this article. So maybe its a Darwin thing and once upon a time there were a lot of blue veggies but nobody wanted to eat them.

Purple
eggplant
beets
cabbage
beans
onions

Black
olives

White
mushrooms
cauliflower
onions
jicama
corn
turnips

I confess, I wrote this list out earlier today but I left it at work. Who will find it, and what will they think?

99 Things

2009-01-08T15:33:00.003-07:00

Things you've already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font

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/world.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo. I hope that some day I will be able to sing well enough to want to do a solo.
11. Bungee jumped. No desire. At all.
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. Again, not even the slightest desire.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run. I'd have a very proud husband
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. Sweden and Southern California
35. Seen an Amish community (I'm from Pennsylvania)
36. Taught yourself a new language. This is the year.
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 in person
41. Sung Karaoke. Its never fun.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant. But only because someone did it for us first.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistene chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Heidi, why is this so France related?
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre. Western PA loves their drive-in theaters.
55. Been in a movie. Apparently when I was little I was in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (I think I'd be okay if I died without going to Asia.)
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood. I haven't, because my blood isn't healthy but I might some day. It just makes me queasy to think about.
65. Gone sky diving. No way.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp. I went to Germany with my family, we were near Dachau but we couldn't find it and felt bad asking locals where it was so we never really went.
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. It still hurts a little.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person. I don't remember, but I think I did when I was little.
80. Published a book. Definitely something that I'd like to do.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car. Never will. (If ever I own a brand new car, it will be because I won it.)
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper. Caption: "Brook Haglund Good Listener" This was over a picture of me at story hour when I was four sucking my thumb and listening to the story. I wasn't a thumb sucker at all but I saw a camera and figured that I should pose.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House. I've seen the outside. That counts.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life. (I don't want to do this, not that I want someone to die but I just don't ever want to be in a position where it is up to me.)
90. Sat on a jury. I really want to.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person. They even took me on a tour of the basement...
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake. I may have done this when I was younger but I'm definitely going to do it before I move.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.

Church Appropriate

2008-12-03T14:38:00.002-07:00

You tell me. Which of these things are appropriate for church?

Is it okay to:
tickle?
make out?
sing hymns?
clip your toenails?
cross stitch?
kiss?
back scratch?
pray?
lay down?
clip your fingernails?
give yourself a haircut?
sit quietly and reverently?
bring really noisy kid toys and dance to the sounds that they make in stead of turning them off?

I know, its tricky!

What I learned this week.

2008-10-25T20:34:00.006-06:00

I'm brave.
I had tooth #1 taken out on Monday.

Novocaine tastes horrible.
The shots weren't too bad but the taste after was Y-U-C-K-Y

I don't mind cleaning up my own blood as much as I do other people's.
I realized this as I was cleaning my room after the extraction and also as I was wiping my bloody foot prints off of the bathroom floor because of a freak razor accident.

Amoxicillin might make me very cheerful.
My family has some emotional allergic reactions. Chocolate makes my brother depressed, amoxicillin makes my gramma grumpy and it seems to make me happy and nice. (Ask Linwood.)

I can remember to take my drugs.
I have to take antibiotics every 6 hours because of some possible infection and I haven't missed a dose yet.

There is nothing to eat if I can't eat dairy.
I've heard that dairy might cause infection so I've decided to stop eating it for a week. When I'm hungry I mostly drink juice. Soon I'll be able to open my mouth wide enough to eat something else. Hopefully... I'm really hungry.

The tooth fairy doesn't come for adults.
I didn't get squat.

I can make dinner!
I made dinner 5 times this week! Thanks to simplifysupper.com

I'm not good at reciting Shakespeare while polishing someone's teeth.
But any other time, I'm pretty good.

Here are some pictures from this week.

My numb face.

Notice the blood on my cheek.

The mess.

Probably singing "How Much is that Doggy in the Window".

Trying to look cool.

Temples!

2008-10-12T13:10:00.002-06:00

When I go on trips I like to visit baseball stadiums and the Mormon temples in the area. Here's a list of the temples that I've been to. Someday Linwood will post a list of the baseball stadiums he's been to, I'm sure.
Washington D.C.
Toronto, Ontario
Palmyra, NY
Manhattan, NY
Columbus, OH
Stockholm, Sweden
The Hague, Netherlands
Los Angeles, CA
San Diego, CA
Idaho Falls, ID
Logan, UT
Bountiful, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
Mount Timpanogos, UT
Provo, UT
Las Vegas, NV
Mesa, AZ
Kirtland, OH
Seattle, WA
Denver, CO
Guadalajara, Mexico
Rexburg, ID

6 Things

2008-10-09T20:57:00.002-06:00

Tagged by Lex, I need to post 6 things that you don't know about me. This is difficult for three reasons, I posted 100 things about me not too long ago, I'm an open book, and I don't know who reads this so who is it that doesn't know stuff about me? I'll do my best.
1. I don't like to wear red because it was our school colors and red t-shirts just remind me of Moon Area High School.
2. I've never had butterflies in my stomach.
3. I got caught skipping school once but I talked my way out of it.
4. When I would recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, I wouldn't say God because I thought that was using the Lord's name in vain so I would just move my lips so I wouldn't get in trouble.
5. I haven't read a single word of a Harry Potter book.
6. I make up cheers for silly everyday things. Example: "One more thing! *clap* One more thing! *clap* One more thing for my list!"
That last one might be a little embarrassing, but there are more where that came from.

FOOD

2008-08-31T18:37:00.002-06:00

This is from Heidi. I want to see how I measure up.

The items I have eaten are in bold. The ones I would never consider eating (or eating again) are in italics.

Venison
Nettle tea
Huevos rancheros
Steak tartare
Crocodile
Black pudding
Cheese fondue
Carp
Borscht
Baba ghanoush
Calamari
Pho
PB&J sandwich
Aloo gobi
Hot dog from a street cart
Epoisses
Black truffle
Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
Steamed pork buns
Pistachio ice cream
Heirloom tomatoes
Fresh wild berries
Foie gras
Rice and beans
Brawn, or head cheese
Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
Dulce de leche
Oysters
Baklava
Bagna cauda
Wasabi peas
Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
Salted lassi
Sauerkraut
Root beer float
Cognac with a fat cigar
Clotted cream tea
Vodka jelly
Gumbo
Oxtail
Curried goat
Whole insects
Phaal
Goat's milk
Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more
Fugu
Chicken tikka masala
Eel
Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
Sea urchin
Prickly pear
Umeboshi
Abalone
Paneer
McDonald's Big Mac Meal
Spaetzle
Dirty gin martini
Beer above 8% ABV
Poutine
Carob chips
S'mores
Sweetbreads
Kaolin
Currywurst
Durian
Frog's Legs
Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
Haggis
Fried plantain
Chitterlings or andouillette
Gazpacho
Caviar and blini
Louche absinthe
Gjetost or brunost
Roadkill
Baijiu
Hostess Fruit Pie
Snail
Lapsang souchong
Bellini
Tom yum
Eggs Benedict
Pocky
Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
Kobe beef
Hare
Goulash
Flowers
Horse
Criollo chocolate
Spam
Soft shell crab
Rose harissa
Catfish
Mole poblano
Bagel and lox
Lobster Thermidor
Polenta
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
Snake

I don't know what this means except I'm not very adventurous with my alcohol, but I am with items I've never even heard of before. Why not try it once?

Reasons Sam's Club is better than our apartment:

2008-08-06T11:05:00.002-06:00

*Its at least 30 degrees cooler
*They have way more food
*The couches are more comfortable
*Sometimes its cleaner
*Its a little bit bigger
*There is a chef on Saturdays
*I'm sure it has the internet
*Trampoline (even though its on the wall, I think it would be fun.)
*Multiple big screen TVs for Linwood
*A blood pressure checker
*Lots of parking
If only Sam's Club had windows, then I would definitely move in.

List of Books

2008-07-17T08:31:00.002-06:00

Check out goodreads.com for a list of all the books I've ever read, all the books I'm currently reading, and all of the books I will read. Even better, sign up so I can see what YOU are reading!

Alphabet of Supermarkets

2008-06-25T14:50:00.003-06:00

If I'm going to be an alphabet of drugs, I have to do one of supermarkets too.
Albertsons, Aldi
Broulins
Costco
Day's
E
Foodland, Food Lion
Giant Eagle
Hy-Vee, Hannaford
Ingles Market
JJumbo
Kings Soopers, Kuhn's, Krogers
Liberty Heights
M
Northern
O
Piggly Wiggly, Publix, Peachins
Q
Ralph's
Sprouts, Safeway, Smith's, Shop 'n Save
Trader Joe's
U
Von's
Whole Foods, Wegmans, Winn-Dixie
X
Y
Z

I did my best and used up about a half hour of my life. I'm afraid I'm disappointing people with the absurdity of some of these posts but this is what I do. If I didn't post this list I would have made it anyway. So, there must be stores for the E, M, O, Q, U, X, Y, and Z, right?

Our Road Trip

2008-06-17T21:12:00.004-06:00

I was going to paint tonight in effort to develop my hobbies but I've had this blog on my mind for a few weeks now. Linwood and his brother Evan and Evan's wife Hilary and I took a pretty impressive road trip a few weeks ago. Linwood and I flew to Denver where we stayed with Evan and Hilary then the four of us drove to Las Vegas to spend a few days then drove to Los Angeles to spend a few more days and then drove up to the Bay Area and after a few days there we drove back to Salt Lake City. We got to visit with a lot of family and see some really cool things. I also kept almost all of my reciepts while on the trip so that I could review where our money was spent. Here is the breakdown:

1 yard of ribbon
1 2-pack of AA Batteries
1 LA Angels baseball ticket
1 Cup of Tomato Soup
1 Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich
1 Beef 'n Bleu Grilled Cheese Sandwich
1 Bottle of Apple Juice
1 2-pack of socks
1 Purse
2 Breakfast Buffets
1 Tube of Cheek Stain (Blush)
1 Retro Adidas Jacket
1 Pair of Jeans
1 Pair of Red Loafers
5 In-N-Out Cheesburgers
4 In-N-Out French Fries
2 In-N-Out French Fries Animal Style
3 In-N-Out Strawberry Shakes
2 Registration for Bolder Boulder
1 Pair of Sweet Asics
1 Bottle of Hairspray
1 Package of False Eyelashes
1 7-Up
1 RedBox Movie
2 Shirts
1 Sweater
1 Jacket
1 Skirt
1 Pair of Black Jeans
.59 lb Roasted Salted Macadamia Nuts
1.02 lb Raisins
1 Lemonade from Hot Dog on a Stick
Some Mexican Food
1 Beef Taco Salad
43.21 gallons of gas

There was more but that is my list from all the reciept that I saved.

100 things

2008-05-21T09:25:00.002-06:00

1. My name is Brook.
2. I love to sneeze.
3. I don't usually know what to do with my free time.
4. I enjoy naps.
5. I love my husband.
6. I wish I could travel all the time.
7. When I was four, I would wait for the mailman every day.
8. When I get my associate's degree, I will have been going to college for eight years, thirteen semesters, one hundred and forty four credits, and a lot of money.
9. I have gone to college at six different campuses and four different schools.
10. I work at a dentist office and I like it!
11. I also work at a gift wrap store at the mall (I like that too).
12. I like to learn.
13. I'm afraid of grocery stores.
14. I love my family!
15. My family is in Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, and California.
16. I have lived in California, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Washington, and Utah.
17. I want to move to Delaware.
18. I have been to Germany, Austria, Sweden, Holland, Canada, and Mexico.
19. I have not been to these states (as far as I know) Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Lousiana, and Tennessee.
20. I make lists.
21. I think hair dying should be illegal.
22. I like chocolate peanutbutter icecream and mint chocolate chip.
23. I like going to concerts.
24. I love to hear Linwood sing.
25. I don't like to run, but I'm trying to.
26. My life has not turned out as I planned, its better.
27. As far as I can tell, Obama is our best presidential candidate.
28. I don't like animals, but I don't think that makes me less of a human.
29. I've played the trumpet, piano, french horn, and mellophone.
30. I will never own a new car.
31. My only budget plan is to hide as much money as possible in a savings account.
32. I prefer people to be sincere and rude rather than insincere and nice.
33. I think I'd enjoy cooking and baking if I had a kitchen larger than a closet.
34. I don't like standing in line for food.
35. I can't wait until I have a yard and a driveway.
36. I like to sing but I'm not very good.
37. I read CNN.com every day at work.
38. I think I'm very patient.
39. I wish wireless internet was free (should I move to Philly?).
40. I just went to the bathroom.
41. I like watching documentaries.
42. I have a lot of lofty goals.
43. I had a good conversation with a Jew this morning.
44. I like to be educated and informed but I also appreciate my ignorance.
45. I can't say no to Mary Kay people but I REALLY wish I could.
46. I'm still smelling the first customer's cologne and its giving me a headache.
47. I like to make things.
48. I'm stubborn.
49. I love Wild Oats pizza.
50. I have three brothers and two sisters.
51. My favorite shirt that I had when I was little said, "I'm entitled to be grumpy!" I didn't really know what it meant but I loved it.
52. I stapled myself with a staple gun when I was 11. I've since had a slight aversion to staple guns.
53. Halloween used to be the only time I saw cowboys, then I moved to Utah.
54. I go to a few MLB games every year.
55. I floss my teeth almost every day.
56. I get really anxious before I fly.
57. I've decided that 57 is my favorite number because of Heinz.
58. I get anxious about a lot of things and can't breathe.
59. I love to throw stuff away but I need to learn how to recycle.
60. I don't like to take drugs, not even Tylenol
61. I need to get my wisdom teeth pulled (and one day I'm going to get them out at work when things are slow...if I'm feeling brave).
62. I have fond memories of breaking into places covered in No Trespassing signs. My mom says I get that desire from my gramma.
63. I want dreadlocks.
64. I got married in Washington D.C.
65. I only apply for credit cards to get the initial discount at stores and then cancel them. Currently I have none.
66. I'm afraid of guns.
67. I wear contacts and I won't get Lasik for many reasons.
68. Once I either sprained or broke my ankle and it didn't heal right so I don't balance well on my right foot.
69. I like being suprised, but I don't like anticipating suprises.
70. I am a good driver.
71. I don't like public bathrooms. (who does?)
72. My name is Brook Elizabeth Haglund Biddulph, Elizabeth Haglund is my middle name(s)
73. I really like avacados.
74. If it takes you five minutes to read this, then it took me 1,728 times as long to write it. (I've been adding things for six days now.)
75. I always order water when I go out to eat.
76. I have 11 nephews and five nieces....soon I'll have twelve nephews!
77. If somebody offers me money, I take it.
78. I like to watch Jeopardy!
79. I have a lot of gray t-shirts.
80. I just learned that its okay to spell it grey or gray.
81. I can't possibly finish this list...
82. I run and camp once a year.
83. I like Mitch Hedberg.
84. I used to quote movies all the time.
85. I've always wanted to do cool tricks on BMX bikes.
86. I want to buy a bike.
87. I love rain and I really love thunderstorms.
88. I keep the tips I earn in a pile by the bathroom sink. (There isn't much there, it isn't worth trying to steal.)
89. Magic confuses me.
90. I spend a lot of time on hold.
91. When somebody dies, I don't like to say they passed away, I say they died.
92. I count in my head a lot.
93. If I'm not counting, I'm usually keeping a beat in my head (and often tapping my toes).
94. I don't think I have any sort of regional accent except for my bad grammar that I learned in Pittsburgh.
95. I like to memorize things that will never be useful to me.
96. I know that I have too many clothes. I need to purge the closet.
97. I'm almost always tired.
98. I used to have more friends.
99. Speaking of friends, Linwood and I both had best friends named Taylor.
100! If I had a band, I would call it Cicada Army, I don't have a band so I just named my blog that...I like to think of band names.

Alphabet of Drugs

2008-05-15T10:22:00.002-06:00

I had this idea when I was watching TV last night. I didn't think it would be too hard to come up with at least one drug name per letter. In fact, it was pretty easy.

Ambien
Boniva
Cymbalta
Darvocet
Excedrin
Fosamax
Glucagen
Heparin
Imitrex
Junior Strength Advil
Keflex
Lunesta
Midol
Naproxen
Ortho Evra
Paxil
Questran
Reclast
Soma (Brave New World)
Triaminic
Unisom
Viagra
Wellbutrin
Xyzal
Yasmin
Zantac

Now I know my Ambien, Boniva, Cymbalta...

Photo Tag

2008-04-15T13:05:00.017-06:00

I saw this on Heidi's blog and its a list so I thought I'd do it. At the end of the blog, you tag other people to add it to their blogs. She didn't tag me, but I think I'm allowed to do it anyway. So, what you do is search for a picture on Google (or Yahoo!) Images in each category then post an image from the first page of results.

Age on my next birthday:

(26) nothing describes me better than math

A place I'd like to visit

Italy, of course

A favorite place

Not suprising: PITTSBURGH!

One of my favorite things:

I typed in 'my family'. This is close enough.

One of my favorite foods:

Adam, we should totally make a shirt of this one...Adam?...Adam?...

My favorite flower:

That's a Cala Lily and I've heard that it isn't technically a flower. Can I get a do over?

My favorite color:

Cerulean Blue

City I live in:

Salt Lake City, UT. Its been almost 6 years.

Name of a past pet:

I had a really hard time trying to think of a pet that I kept alive long enough to name. When I worked at Sherwin Williams we bought some fish and I named mine Kumquat. It lasted a week! Also, I love this artist.

A nickname I've had:

Typically nicknames are a shorter version of someone's name but that would leave me with Broo or just Ook.

My college major:

This image says it all. (Social Sciences)

My first job:

I was 15 when I started working at the Dollar Tree. I'm glad this image includes happy Dollar Tree employees.

A hope for 2008:

I've been working on my associate's degree for eight years now and by just doing an image search I've found that you can get degrees for only $50!

Okay, that was harder than I had expected but fun. So, now I will tag all of the people who read my blog and have a blog of their own and have not yet blogged this already. That's you Alexis.

living like a tourist

2008-04-02T15:40:00.003-07:00

I've decided that I should start living more like a tourist. So, next time I go to NYC I have to go to the "touristy" places which include:
Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island
Brooklyn Bridge

And while I'm living here, I need to:
tour the Kennecot Copper Mine
go to the Tracy Avairy
swim in the Great Salt Lake
go to the Hot Springs
take some tours at Temple Square
churn butter at This is the Place Monument

Also, when I go to Vegas this summer (which is touristy enough) I'll:
watch the water show at the Bellagio
go to the Coke factory
see the Hoover Dam

Then I'm going to Los Angeles and I'll:
go to the beach
see a Jon Brion concert
Dodgers game...
eat In-n-Out (I would do that anyway)

I think within 5 years, I won't be living on this side of the Mississippi so I need to visit all of the places that people travel here to see. Also, I love going to New York City because its so relaxing to just wander around the city but I really should check out this statue of Liberty. Its been years since I last saw her. I'm thinking she's gonna look a lot smaller now that i"m so big!

Update: I just went to NYC and didn't do anything on the list and I haven't done any of the Salt Lake things yet. When I was in Vegas it was too windy to do the water show at the Bellagio, the Coke factory doesn't exist anymore, and we didn't go to the Hoover Dam. In LA I DID go to the beach, I DID see a Jon Brion concert which was at the same time as a Dodgers game so I could do both and of course I ate at In-N-Out. Not bad.

This is stupid.

2008-02-14T17:08:00.002-07:00

I just want to write a blog to aknowledge the fact that I haven't blogged in a while. I have some drafts going but nothing ready to post. I'm busy.
I go to college.

Lookie Here

2008-01-15T14:22:00.002-07:00

Have I done this one yet? Here is a list of things that I have memorized at some point in my life.

the entire movie Hook, as well as Toy Story and most of Billy Madison
pledge of allegience
paul revere's ride
some scriptures
o captian my captain
all of the states and capitals
preamble to the constitiution
gettysburg address
the alphabet forwards and backwards!
dental codes
my lines for the school play Readin' Writin' and Rockin'
the night before christmas
chicka chicka boom boom
that book I read to jake a billion times, bees buzz
shel silverstien poems
a few shakespearean monologues such as the beginning of Romeo and Juliet

There are probably a billion more things that I have memorized but I can't think of them right now.

My Bucket List

2008-01-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen the movie (The Bucket List) but I'm pretty sure its about guys who do the things they wanted to do before they die. I've had a list like this in my head for a while but I've just called it "a list of things I want to do before I die". Here are a few things on that list that come to mind right now:

learn sign language
write a book
own vending machines
learn spanish
get a college degree
have babies
go to Italy
learn to enjoy running
see the MOMA

Two of these goals should be done, or well on their way in 2008. But I'm not telling which!

Tragedy Struck

2007-12-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

This morning Linwood and I woke up around 6:40 and a few minutes later, we started to hear a creaking sound followed by a CRASH. Our bookshelf on the wall had fallen down...on top of our 4 month old laptop. It was by far the most expensive thing we owned followed by a very distant second with Linwood's acoustic guitar and our car. Unlike the car and guitar, we used the computer every day. It was so shocking to look at the screen that stayed intact but the picture shattered and blacked out in spots. Linwood and I love our technology (Linwood especially) but to distract myself from all of this I've been making a list in my head of non-technological things that I am grateful for.

Alphabetically:
Art
Baby Jake (Big Jake isn't so bad either)
Birds (but not as pets)
Books
Cereal (and the cereal shelf that we keep it all on, hopefully it won't fall)
Chocolate cake
Christmas
Circles
Crunchy leaves
Diversity
Faith
Family
Family Photos
Flowers
Friends
Frozen yogurt
Granola
Hope
Linwood
Music
My jobs
My "teddy bear" blanket
Ninjas
Our apartment
Pie
Prayer
Rain storms
Rice
Salad
Simplicity
Sleep
Snow
Sunshine
Strength
The University of Utah
Warm bed
Warm/Comfy clothes

The list keeps growing and it isn't hard to come up with more. Some people are reading this thinking, its just a computer! Well they are exactly right but for me, it takes a little more work to put it into perspective. I'm so excited for Christmas and to spend time with my friends and family!!!

*this was written on a computer at work... its not like our computer was the only one that existed!

Update. I went to the Apple Store and they seem to think that only the screen was damaged so we're going to replace it for about $500. I guess its better than another $1800 computer. Also, I met a guy at the store who hangs shelves for a living and I explained our problem. He said that I put it up correctly. Oh well.

A Lady's Purse

2007-12-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Lately my purse has been feeling really heavy! I thought I would see what was going on and here is what I found:

Now, can you find: twenty two cents, a Nintendo DS in its case, a pile of reciepts, a picture of myself posing with a hula dancer, two packets of instant oatmeal, a DS charger, my card case, two parking validations for the Gateway, fancy sunglasses case with the sunglasses in it (but you wouldn't know that), an apple, an envelope that may still contain a paycheck, my super-secret sketchbook, an excessive supply of tampons, two paintbrushes, a cell phone, a folded piece of paper with unknown contents, a Best Buy gift card from 2001, tissues, a bra strap headband, ticket stub for Bourne Ultimatum, a pen, ticket stub from a Pirates/Phillies game, an abandoned to-do list, two tubes of chapstick, a frequent shopper card for Paradise Bakery, a frequent shopper card for Subway, a Dum-Dum, a Trax pass, moisturizing lipstick, and a baggie full of business cards? I hope you can!!!

music of 2007

2007-12-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

Every month Linwood makes a cd featuring his favorites for that time of the year. So, here we are in December and his favorite albums of the year are in!
1. Arcade Fire -- Neon Bible
2. LCD Soundsystem -- Sound of Silver
3. Radiohead -- In Rainbows
4. Deerhoof -- Friend Opportunity
5. Menomena -- Friend and Foe
6. Animal Collective -- Strawberry Jam
7. Once Soundtrack (The Frames)
8. Kevin Drew -- Spirit if...
9. Of Montreal -- Hissing Fauna
10. Feist -- The Reminder

Honorable Mention:
Iron and Wine-The Shepard's Dog
Panda Bear-Person Pitch
Peter Bjorn and John-Writer's Block

You don't have to take his word for it!

Jobs

2007-11-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

As I recently resigned from one of my favorite jobs and began another, I think its time to post a list of all the jobs I've ever had. (At least the ones I can recall right now.) These are in no particular order.

Felicity's Gift Wrap
I've only been there a week but its great. We just need some more customers and it will be the best place ever. Come check it out at the Gateway next to Ben and Jerry's.

Dentist's office
This one pays the rent and such. I plan to have it until the day I move.

Utrecht
I'm still technically employed here but I just don't have time to work. This was probably one of the best jobs. I worked hard but played hard too. I also met some really great people.

Extra
I was an extra on Everwood. I just stood at the snack cart and ate food that wasn't for me. Mmmm.

Market Research
This was a fun job but it took up most every Friday and Saturday night for 2...maybe 3 years. It paid well and I had a pretty good time. We made people so mad though. It was a little bit shady.

Ensign Elementary
I was a teacher's assistant in a special education class for first through third grade. The other TA was horrible to the kids. I really liked being with them but it was stressful to be ordered around all day. I used getting engaged as an excuse to quit.

Kiwanis Felt Rec Center
Best job with the worst pay. I worked for the county playing with kids all day. We went on field trips and made crafts and played games and ate and napped (but not really)... we had a good time. I wish that place still existed. Those kids LOVED me.

Sherwin Williams (SLC, PIT)
In Pittsburgh I was an Interior Decorator and was extremely overpaid. We had a really good staff and had a great time. My claim to fame was meeting Andy Warhol's brother. I was there for 2 years or so. When I moved to Salt Lake, I had the same responsibilities plus more. I got paid 2$ less and didn't like my coworkers. I think it only lasted 3 months.

Wooster College
Alexis and I worked at a basketball camp at the College of Wooster in Ohio. It was pretty great. We just made sure the girls went to sleep and didn't fight. If they were homesick we let them cry to us and tried to make them happy. I also remember ordering a lot of pizza and making a ton of Gatorade. Oh and, we drove a golf cart around campus. It was excellent.

Homeless Youth Resource Center
I volunteered with Volunteers of America and made lunch for homeless teenagers. This didn't last long because I wanted to help out but they really didn't need me. The best part was the kid's names. Lets see...there was Blade and Frenchy, PacMan, Fro, ToothPaste, Camaro, Magnet, Tabasco, now I'm just making these up. But they had really cool streetnames.

Salt Lake City Blitzz
This was an especially embarrassing job. The Blitzz was Salt Lake's professional soccer team a few years ago and I worked for them doing various things. I would pass out the promo item at the gate and one time I had to count the ticket stubs so they knew how many had come to the game. It was a lot. I also sat on the sidelines of some games and passed out water. I was the water girl! I did get to meet Mia Hamm and got to know some members of the team. The embarrassing part comes from one particular game where we didn't pass the promos out at the door, we went out on the field and threw them into the stands. I think they were stuffed soccer balls about the size of baseballs. I'm really not good at throwing so sometimes the people in the first row caught stuff but mostly it just kept falling back down in the field.

Episcopal Diocese
I got this job through Kelly Services. I only worked it for one day but it was supposed to be longer. When I came back for the second day there was somebody else in my seat. I guess they weren't impressed with my "sitting at a desk" skills. I was just supposed to transfer calls to the correct people but the whole day I only got two or so calls. Nothing too memorable there.

Oil Convention at the Salt Palace
Also through Kelly Services I worked at the convention center and helped out with whatever conventions were coming through. The one I worked the most on was an Oil Convention where I learned all about Schlumberger and other oil giants. Nobody really knew what they were doing. I think we just had to print up name tags and check people in. Seriously nobody else could figure this out so it was like I was the one eyed man in the land of the blind except I had two eyes with 20/20 vision. Does that make sense? I was so poor when I had this job and somehow the people that I worked with knew this (I probably told them) and some of them gave me cash in addition to my paycheck when the job was all over.

Cigna Healthcare
Another job where I got to work with Alexis. I couldn't have done it without her!!! We actually worked for Intracorp: the Pre-Certification for Cigna. I think we had to call hospitals and doctor's offices to track down people who did not bother to pre-certify with Cigna to see if it was okay if they got treatment. I'm really not sure. I just know that we learned a lot of short hand and I used a fax machine a lot. I also learned to call dead people "expired". It was really really mundane. We took walks around the parking lot every day and ate egg salad sandwiches for lunch. Towards the end I was taken off of phone duty and took care of all the incoming and outgoing faxes. I saw a lot of disturbing pictures of cases that were trying to get pre-certified like skin blemishes (moles, birthmarks, growths) and many breast augmentations and botched implants. It was shocking.

Porter's Prescription Pharmacy
The summer after I graduated high school I got a job with my pal Cherisse at Porters. It was very uneventful. I remember taking calls from doctors and lots of our customers dying (expiring). I also remember dusting a lot and reading Hallmark cards. I don't really remember how it ended but I don't think anyone was too sad.

Kaufmann's
I worked at Kaufmann's for a looooong time. Kaufmann's for those of you who don't know is a part of the Robinson's-May company who recently renamed all of their stores Macy's. I worked there for a while in pretty much every department. There were a few highlights. There was the time that somebody asked me how to get to the mall (that hadn't been built onto the store yet) and I gave him directions that he obviously could not follow since, again the mall did not exist yet. It was really immature and mean but I was young and bored. Once I was at home and got a phone call from one of our security guys who wanted to ask me out. He got my phone number from all the information that he was privy to because of the position he was in. It really creeped me out since there were cameras every where and I'm not sure how long he had been watching. He was fired. Like I said, I was there for quite a while so there are many stories. I think I'm still on my lunch break from the last day I was there. I may go back one day and clock back in and get to work.

Dollar Tree
This was my first real job. I wasn't very good at using the register. Its true that everything is a dollar...except for the things that are 2 or 3 or 4 for a dollar and some has tax but some doesn't. So it isn't that easy. I did well though. Dollar Tree will always have a special place in my heart.

Janitor at the Weather Station
This is a job that I was able to work with McKenzie. We had a blast. We had keys to the weather station that serviced all of Pittsburgh and maybe even south western PA. I don't remember how old we were but for anybody, that was a lot of power to have. It was like having a key to the city. We were supposed to clean the whole place (including the bathrooms) and I think we did pretty well but we didn't go near the bathrooms. We got that job because the regular janitor was going out of town. I hope he still had it when he came back. I think we got paid like 200$. I also learned that weather balloons are huge!

Substitute for Prof. Woods at CCAC
There was a lady in our ward who taught a class at Community College of Allegheny County but sometimes she couldn't make it to her class so I would show up to take attendance and throw a movie in. It really earned me too much respect. The students thought I was legit and would ask me questions and I think they were even a little intimidated by me. I never figured what the class was about. Something along the lines of psychology.

Babysit Brinks
I was stuck in the middle of an ugly divorce babysitting the Brink kids. It was horrible. I left on bad terms but I was glad to get out. It was really horrible.

Embassy Suites Banquet Serving
Another not so great job. I set up, served, and took down banquets at Embassy Suites. My co-workers were sleezy and the job was not fun at all. Setting up involved polishing silverware, folding napkins into fancy shapes, and a few other things. Serving, for me, involved dropping giant trays of dishes and hopefully not spilling food or broken glass on the guests. Clean up was just getting the dirty dishes to the right place as well as the dirty laundry. I wore black pants and a tuxedo shirt with a black vest that was way too big for me. Sometimes when we served cherries jubilee for dessert I had to throw sugar into the flaming alcohol and dance. It was mildly embarrassing. The worst, of course, was when people that I knew would come. Once I served my high school's Christmas dance which just felt weird. Oh and once I worked at the cash bar which was totally illegal but I did make a lot of money.

Is that the end?!?!! I don't believe it. There have to be more that I haven't thought of. Well that was a walk down memory lane.

Trips

2007-11-14T22:44:00.000-07:00

Places I'd like to go to between now and this time next year:

Los Angeles
Pheonix
Denver
Chicago
Pittsburgh
New York
New Orleans
Philadelphia
New Jersey

I think there was more.

a short list

2007-11-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

As I was eating my lunch today I realized that there are a lot of things that I eat (and everyone else should try) that seem a little odd...or even gross. But you should try them.

tortilla with melted cheddar cheese and grape jelly
pancakes topped with sour cream and syrup
raw eggs (don't really eat them, I gave this up when I was little)
and for some reason yogurt and granola, which sounds normal but I eat it at work for lunch and they think its really weird "eww what are those crunchy things in it?" (referring to the granola)

In fact, I could make a list of things that aren't very odd at all until I eat them at work and then I'm surrounded by my very own gagging audience. That list would include, but not be limited to:

Edamame
eggplant chicken stir-fry

irritations

2007-10-31T12:47:00.001-07:00

-when people don't show up for their appointments after they have been rescheduled 2 billion times. (Unless its a Friday afternoon.)
-shopping carts left out in parking spaces.
-putting a 'T' in words like false (faltse)
-soggy socks
-the letters written to the editor of People magazine debating whether or not Britney is a good mom
-my sleep habits/addictions
-rubberbands, especially the skinny ones
-french manicured toe nails
-ultimate fighting
-uptight people
-jack johnson
-livelinks commercials
-boys II men
-hair dye

websites that I go to regularly:

2007-10-21T20:03:00.000-06:00

hotmail
myspace
facebook
boingboing.net
imdb.com
gap.com
wikipedia.org
jason's blog: http://jvanjura11.livejournal.com/
the Spinto Band's blog: http://www.shark-dance.blogspot.com/
scott's blog: http://several-such-buildings.blogspot.com/
jake's blog: http://jake.slaptech.net/
other people's blogs that don't want other people to have access to their blogs
abc.com to watch Ugly Betty
youtube.com
clearviewfcu.org

Das all.

Andy Bernard sings

2007-10-20T20:26:00.000-06:00

Here is a list of songs that Andy (Ed Helms) from The Office has sung to date:

Cranberries: Zombie
Cardigans: Anyone But You
Abba: Take a Chance On Me
The Tokens: In the Jungle
Kermit the Frog: Rainbow Connection
Bobby Day: Rockin' Robin
Haddaway: What is Love?
Indigo Girls: Closer to Fine

He's was also in an a cappella group called Here Comes Treble back at Cornell University. Ever heard of it?

That is all that Linwood and I can think of but I know there is more. Please feel free to contribute.

***UPDATE***

Linwood found this little gem on youtube.

Fed Up

2007-10-17T14:27:00.000-06:00

I don't think anybody even understands how annoying the music is that I listen to at the office. I'm going to try to make a list of the next few songs and see if anybody feels bad for me.

How to Save a Life - Fray
God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You
Hold My Hand - Hootie and the Blowfish
Taking Chances - Celine Dion
Into the Night - Benny Mardones
The Cup Of Life/La Copa De La Vida - Ricky Martin!!
All I Want - Toad the Wet Sprocket
(I Just) Died In Your Arms - Cutting Crew
You Sang to Me - Marc Anthony
Ain't no Mountain High Enough - Michael McDonald
Together Forever - Rick Astley
Walking On Broken Glass - Annie Lennox
Crazy For You - Madonna
You're Beautiful - James Blunt

That is from 1:19 till 2:38. Now, you might look at some of these and think that they aren't that bad. Maybe they aren't when played by themselves but the mix of music is like a rollercoaster that I never wanted to ride!

Elizabeth

2007-09-24T21:04:00.000-06:00

Does anybody know how many different ways there are to shorten the name Elizabeth? I'll start:

Beth
Bis
Biz
Liz
Lizzy
Betty
Betsy
E-Beth
Eli

I know there's more.

I'm sorry!

2007-09-20T22:34:00.000-06:00

I would like to take this time to apologize to all of my loyal fans. I'm sorry that I haven't written in a really long time. At the moment, its a little difficult to write this because Safari shuts down every time I hit delete. Its making me paranoid that I'll type something incorrectly and I won't be able to fix it. Hopefully I can type this blog perfectly so I don't lose it. Here is a list of the things I want right now. (Not the things I need, the things I WANT.)

a kalidescope
a necklace that looks like this: http://www.imooi.com/index.php
Asics
and also these shoes: http://www.shoestation.com/shoestation/product.asp?dept_id=3163&pf_id=PAAAAAJHNLPPDGAK&
and a pair of black boots too
I'd also like some astronaut ice cream
a Whirly-Pop
a queen size bed in stead of this California King that takes up too much room
new kitchen rug
frames to hang up cool art

...That might be it...for now. (Remember that I cannot hit the delete key in case there are any errors. I normally go through 2 or three rounds of editing and proofreading but tonight, I cannot.)

The Car

2007-09-13T21:10:00.000-06:00

Right now my list is long and miserable. Due to the incident that happened on Monday to our car I have to sort everything out and deal with insurance and stuff. Dealing with dental insurance at work is one thing but dealing with it when its my own car is a little bit stressful. So, within the next week but ideally sooner I need to:

Go to the collision center and take the plates off of the car
Find the title
Get the car towed
Send the license plates and repair reciepts to Romney
Bring the title to a guy named Clint who will give me $100 for it
Get Jake's car back to him that he SO kindly lent to us...Kenzy and Ad couldn't get to college w/o it
Have McKenzie call Geico (did you get that Kenz?)
Finish reading To Kill A Mockingbird because its keeping me sane
Calm Down!!

So that's it. But also I'd like to take this moment to spread what might be a rumor but if not, you should know: Police are giving out fines for people driving and talking on cell phones at the same time. Of course its something you shouldn't do in the first place but if you're like me and are really good at mulit-tasking then you might rationalize and think that you shouldn't get fined. Lets all cooperate and buy hands free accessories or pay the ($50) fine. Because nobody thinks that just not talking on their cell phones is an option.

collEdge

2007-09-09T13:26:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago my mom saw a school bus drive by...and none of her kids were on it. This is the end of an era. My youngest brother Adam is starting college and the Moon Area School District is void of any Haglund kids after 22 years!!!. So now, as Adam goes off to college at Brigham Young University in Idaho, the sibilings have gathered up some advice for him. This advice may be added onto at anytime, and MUST be followed...or else.

Floss daily. -Brook (...If you have time. -Lex)
No back scratching in church. -Brook (!! -Lex)
Don't miss class just 'cause you don't know where it is, ask! -Brook
Be nice to Kenzy. -Brook
...Kenzy be nice to Adam. -Lex
Eat good, healthy food--you CAN afford it. -Brook
*Addendum: Don't eat bowl cake for every meal. -Lex
Go to FHE and other ward activities--just make the best of it! (plus there's always free food!) -Lex
Make friends at these activities that have similiar likes and interests (and that have a sweet video game system). -Linwood
Do you dishes and clean so the roommates don't hate you. -Kenz
Study as much as you can in the library to be most productive (but not on the 3rd floor aka the singles bar of ID). -Kenz
Ask your teachers for help--go to their office or get tutoring--its free! -Kenz
Be a good hometeacher--the girls will love you and bake for you. -Kenz ..and maybe even date you. -Lex
Don't hide in your room, go to the gym, library, etc. -Kenz
Get involved in intramurals--especially if they have ultimate frisbee! -Kenz
Go to devotionals on Tuesdays. It is a nice break and the cool thing to do. -Kenz
Be nice to girls -ask them out if you want- they are always flattered! -Kenz
Don't get too behind on HW, studying, etc-so you can stay sane! -Kenz
Don't let the seasonal onset depression set in during winter. -Kenz
Buy a calling card and call us anytime! -Brook
VISIT US -All of us

Adam, its gonna be great and you'll do very well. We love you!

2007-09-06T15:30:00.000-06:00

Today I'm doing laundry, going to the grocery store and cleaning. Cleaning is so overwhelming for me because I never just straighten up, when I clean I disinfect everything, spray the bathroom down with bleach, and today I even scrubbed those little tray things under the burners on the stove. Since I wait so long between cleanings, these things are usually necessary. Amidst all of my stuff, I found a list I made recently that we'll call:

colors that don't sound like colors

gamboge
viridian
aureolin
juane brilliant
oxide of chromium
caput mortum
brown pink (it is neither brown nor pink)
asphaltum
vermillion
rosso veneto
stil de grain
turkey umber
madder lake

So what do these colors actually look like? I was going to post the answers, but I think you should go to your local Utrecht Art Supplies store and ask an associate.

The Dentist is In

2007-09-05T10:05:00.000-06:00

I planned on posting yesterday, I really did. At about 7:30 the power went out which knocked out the internet. It didn't come back on until after 10 and since 30 Rock and The Office came out on DVD yesterday, that's what occupied my time until about 12:30. Today the list at hand is what I'm going to do after I write this blog.
I'm working at the dentist's office so here's what I have to do:
-Process monthly payments
-Pull charts for tomorrow
-Confirm appointments for tomorrow
-Return messages
-Problem box (it is as miserable as it sounds)
-Three weekly reports
-Mail
-Prepare deposit
-Stamp checks
Save the worst for last:
-Track down insurance claims that have not been paid on in at least 3 months. By law insurance is supposed to respond within 30 days but the laws don't really apply to them most of the time. So its my job to mail/fax claims to them over and over again until they finally pay.
I seriously love this job but reading that list, I have no idea why.

Happy Labor Day

2007-09-02T23:48:00.000-06:00

I'm still trying to be diligent about this blog thing. I don't think it will be a daily ritual necessarily because I do have other things to do...usually. Today my list is a little less fun and a bit more purposeful. I really need to plan my week and this is how I do it. This week I need to:
Go to Thrift Town (50% off Labor Day)
Have a BBQ (also on Labor Day)
Put away the dishes
Do the laundry
Make dinner at least once (mostly because we're running out of cereal and PastaRoni)
Finish a painting
Wash the car...for the last time because we get a new one on Saturday
Work
Throw away our dead plant and replace it (*don't kill the next one)
Clean the apartment really well because we'll be having guests! (mom, kenz, adam)
Be a better person.
That about sums up the week I think. Not too daunting.

too good to be hidden in a list:

2007-09-02T00:08:00.000-06:00

by far the best MasterCard commercial:

Thanks Linwood for the contribution!

concerts:

2007-09-01T23:32:00.000-06:00

I am working on a list of concerts I've been to, but it isn't ready yet. Here's a list of concerts I almost went to and missed them for some reason.

The Rentals...twice
They just toured recently but I was kind of touring the country at the same time. They played in SLC right after I left for Pittsburgh and then played a show in Pittsburgh a few days after I left and headed back to SLC. Bummerfest. My brother and friends saw them in Pittsburgh and Philladelphia.

Peter Bjorn & John
I was running late and couldn't find a parking spot...but the concert was free so no excuse is a good excuse.

Beastie Boys/Rage Against the Machine
They toured the summer of 2000 together. I spent $70 on a ticket and Mike D...or maybe it was Ad Rock got into a bike accident and broke his shoulder or something. The tour was cancelled and my dreams were broken.

The Mollies http://www.myspace.com/themolliesmusic
This is a local band that makes some beautiful music. We were on our way to see them and took our time getting there. We arrived just as the band AFTER them began to play. We haven't made it out to see them since.

The Flaming Lips
They played in Ohio the fall of 2002...right after I had moved to Utah which happens to be nowhere near Ohio. Brian went and had a chat with Wayne Coyne.

All Tomorrow's Parties Festival including:
Explosions in the Sky
J Mascis + The Fog
Lou Reed
Lungfish
Modest Mouse
The Black Heart Procession
The Walkmen
Wolf Parade
Sufjan Stevens
The Buff Medways featuring Billy Childish
White Hassle
White Magic
Willy Mason
Built to Spill
Constantines
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
The Cramps
The Flaming Lips
The Shins
Eagles of Death Metal
Love As Laughter
Magic Magicians
Peaches
Radar Brothers
Those Peabodys
What happened here? Last minute I decided that I just didn't feel like driving to California. I had bought the tickets. They were very pricey and I bought two, one for me and one for a friend (who I later ended up marrying so its okay). This decision will end up on a list of regrets but I have since seen a few of the bands.

There are probably more but I guess theses are the ones that I dwell on the most.

starting off with a bang

2007-08-31T23:17:00.000-06:00

The very finest Pauly Shore quotes:
"Owww, my lobes!" -Encino Man
"Middle America, ripping the fields." -Son in Law
"Chickens! You guys have chickens? Are they extra crispy or original recipe?" -Son in Law
"Sorry! All out of vodka!" -Son in Law
"I'm not a geek, I'm a unique weasel." -Encino Man
"If you're edged 'cause I'm weazin all your grindage, just chill. 'Cause if I had the whole brady bunch thing happenin' at my pad, I'd go grind over there, so dont tax my gig so hard-core cruster." -Encino Man
"Judge Ito! Have some of my burrito." - Jury Duty
and finally in response to "What do you guys want out of life?" "To die and come back as a leotard." -Bio-Dome

Let me explain

2007-08-31T22:44:00.000-06:00

I start most days with a list of what I need to do. Whether I'm headed to work or planning to spend the day at home keeping busy with errands, a list is always necessary. While I'm checking things off of these To Do Lists, I'm making a list in my head of music I could listen to until I die, places I'd rather be, colors I want to paint with, shoes I want to buy, jobs that I've had, quotes I enjoy, poems I've memorized, concerts I've been to, regrets I've had, and basically anything that can be put into a list. The topic of the list sometimes relates to what I'm doing or thinking that day. I'm not great at keeping journals so I've decided that this is the best way to chronicle my life. So I'll begin today...