The options for a Thanksgiving post were many, and varied. My favorite, though I didn't have the gumption to do it, was to re-enact the landing at Plymouth and the first Thanksgiving dinner (Michelle Rotar style) using a very large set of acrylic figurines and buildings (including 3 large tipis) that were given to me by my loving parents last year. I ran out of time on that one, unfortunately. Maybe next year.So I decided on the runner-up, a top ten list. My top ten things I'm thankful for:
10. Make-up. Without it, I would feel like crap, as would everyone else who had to look at me.
9. The combination of pajamas, electric blanket, and 600 thread count sheets. It's my own little slice of heaven every night.
8. Men. As much as I complain about them, they're definitely on my list of "favorite things" (insert humming in Julia Andrews-esque behavior).
7. Dessert. Yep, that ranks higher than men.
6. Music. My own universal soul healer. A little bit of Aerosmith, a little bit of My Chemical Romance, and little of New Kids on the Block, with a dash of Michael Jackson thrown in = bliss.
5. Movies. Without them (or men), I would have nothing to talk about.
4. My house. It's mine. . . it's all mine!! Mwah-ha-ha!
3. My students. They add variety and all sorts of weirdness to my everyday existence. God bless them!
2. My friends (even all those people on facebook who consider themselves my friend, but I've only spoken to them once).
1. Duh, my family. That includes my dog. We might be relatively small compared to Utah family sizes, but we're mighty (mighty funny, that is!)
So, now I'm heading out to go to Thanksgiving dinner at my Aunt and Uncle's in Brigham City. And yes, writing this blog is going to make me ten minutes late. I hope you thought it was worth it!
Last night was one of the most amazing nights of my life thus far. I accomplished a dream I've had ever since I was 9 years old. Last night, in Salt Lake City, I went to a New Kids on the Block concert.
IT WAS AMAZING!!!
Some things you should know:
-I didn't cry . . . though I almost did when they first came out on stage.
-It was the funnest concert I have ever been to.
- The Kids that have aged the most gracefully are Donnie and Joey (I know I've always been attracted to older men, but there's a reason for that!)
- Kid that has aged least gracefully: Jordan. Though he did take his shirt off for one of the songs (it's actually something he used to do in their old concerts, for the same song) and I will not lie, boyfriend has a very enviable physique. Not that I would want the same physique. . . more like I wouldn't mind touching it.
- I screamed like a little girl through the entire show. My personal favorite moment was when someone in the audience through a t-shirt to Donnie that had "I love mormon girls" written on it. He put on the shirt and wore it until the next costume change.
-Kelly and I waited for almost two hours after the concert, out by the buses, to see if the kids would come out and say hello. Turns out, the fans are just as maniacal as they were 15 years ago. Donnie jumped out of a van and came around high fiving people, and almost the entire crowd (myself excluded) rushed the van. Just being that close was enough for me.
- I have been singing/listening to their music ever since. Sometimes life is so fulfilling.
And to anyone out there who wants to give me crap for liking the New Kids on the Block:
You obviously don't have "The Right Stuff" (I know, wasn't that a really awful pun?!)
I had to go to traffic school last night. Once again, I was pulled over for something I didn't realize I was doing wrong. Not that I'm not to blame, I just wish there could be a little Orem police mercy to temper their justice.However, I was amazed at how much traffic school resembled an elementary school classroom. Let me share my findings:-There's at least one student that keeps asking the "what if" questions (what if he pulls out first, and then you have the right of way, but he hits you . . . what if I stop and a bicyclist runs into me, who's at fault? . . . what if aliens come down from the sky and land on top of my car, what do I tell my insurance. . . you get the idea).-There's the student who always has something to say; some comment to make, but it's completely clueless and almost has nothing to do with the topic.- There are the chatting girls in the back, chomping loudly on their gum, paying no attention whatsoever.-Don't forget the "back of the room wannabe snoozers" (where I fit in), fighting daydreams, or real ones.- And of course the students flagrantly doing something completely off task. (also where I fit in).But I did learn some really important things. Like:- You are not allowed to shoot someone who is running away from your house.-If you don't wear your seat belt, you will kill everyone in the car.-Don't eat before watching disturbing traffic school videos (watching accidents that were caught on film by cameras actually in the cars was probably the creepiest thing I've ever done.)- You're most likely to die in an accident on Fridays (trying to escape work). You're next most likely to die in an accident on Mondays (having made the decision to end your life rather than go back to work).What traffic school ultimately accomplished for me, was to make me absolutely terrified to drive home last night.
Normally, I wouldn't take time in this light, friendly blog to speak politically. Allow me to do so now. I am sick and tired of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints being fingered for bringing down all civil rights in California and apparently everywhere else in the world. I have not been very active in the whole Prop 8 thing. However, lately it seems like everyone has something crappy to say about the gospel of Jesus Christ. When this thing all started, I was wondering why the church was getting involved in politics (I had only seen it happen once before...also in California when I was younger). However, after doing my research, I was able to find out why the leaders of our church took a stand. It's not about hating people (I have several homosexual friends who I adore, sometimes even more than some of my straight friends. I'm no hater). It's not about saying they shouldn't have rights. It's not about pushing the church's collective weight around to prove we've got power. It's about protecting the sacred unit of "the family." It's about helping prevent society from applauding actions and relations that will not lead to eternal salvation. People say the leaders of our church became much too involved. Well, if the prophet, seer, and revelator makes a move, I'm sure as heck going to follow it (it turns out he has a bit more perspective with the BIG GUY than I do). This campaign wasn't about immediate consequences, it's about the future. What this could do down the road, based on what it has done down the road in other countries.At Institute this week we were talking about God's command for the children of Israel to utterly destroy the civilizations they came across. We also discussed the story of Lot, who pitched his tent facing the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, a symbol of his acceptance of the worldliness of those cities. If you aren't familiar with the fate of those cities, look it up in your Old Testament. There is a big difference between the gospel's idea of tolerance (loving your neighbor, doing good to those who persecute you, embracing the sinner but not the sin, etc.) and the world's idea of tolerance. An official statement from the church describes it as thus: "Instead of love, it has come to mean condone – acceptance of wrongful behavior as the price of friendship. Jesus taught that we love and care for one another without condoning transgression. But today’s politically palatable definition insists that unless one accepts the sin he does not tolerate the sinner. "You might consider me an ignorant girl (I do, myself, most of the time) or you might agree with me. All I know is that I have an unshakable testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in His prophet that directs the church today, and in His eternal truths (that means "unchanging"). No matter what you think, you'll never convince me otherwise.So you might as well save your breath and your hate. For more information please visit this official statement from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I got in somewhat of a frustrating debate with a friend last night. To preserve his anonymity, we'll just call him Andy M. . . . no wait, A. Morrise. I was cleaning my room when I found this old gem of a top ten list. It seemed oddly appropriate. It's from back in the day when LaNell was a roomie. I know this because it was attached to a cartoon of us I drew. Trust me, if I had a scanner, you'd be able to enjoy that drawing as much as I currently am. So here's the list:Top Ten Reasons to Not Forgive Others10. We would no longer have an excuse to use swear words.
9. My punching bag performance would suffer.
8. If I wasn't so angry, I'd probably just eat more.
7. My crusty glare still needs work. It still can't kill instantaneously.
6. Bitterness is a muscle that needs to be worked on as much as your abs do (washboard
bitterness?)
5. When have we ever been commanded to do this? I would know if we were. I read the
scriptures often.
4. I didn't start it . . . . he/she/it didn't apologize.
3. Planning revenge is an exercise of the imagination.
2. Nursing a grudge is just as fun as nursing a scotch (or so I hear).
1. Forgiveness makes you weak, jerkface.
