Baby Olivia....my favorite.

This is Olivia playing with my favorite bracelet, Willy brought it back from Brazil for me. She stretched it out, but it was worth it just to see her eyes light up. She is such a cutie.
I love this pic even better than my current header. She is so sassy, kicking up that leg for no reason. And i think in the pic you can tell I am her favorite. We are having a good time.

I love this little classy lady. Maybe it is that i am 31, and have nowhere to put my maternal insticts, but i got to say, i love this girl. She is so sassy, so sweet. I love being an aunt. I can't wait to see this little lady grow up, and I want to be there for as much as I can be (hence the trip to AZ when i couldn't afford it). Sumo and Rita thanks for letting me hang out so much. Love you guys.

Pappoosas.

I know you are all psyced...more pictures of me eating. but this post has a purpose and i promise, i am keeping all my clothes on for the next couple of months. When I got my call to El Salvador, everyone told me I was going to love the papoosas. What are those I asked, and you might be asking too. Well they are masa (dough) with meat or cheese or beans in them (and sometimes a mix of 2 or all together) and you eat them with cabbage and red sauce. Anyways they are wonderful and I haven't had them in about 8 years (we went to El Salvador restaurants right after the mission but it has been awhile). The thing is papoosas are supposed to be eaten with cortito, which is fermented cabbage and ongins on top...And my parents, being my parents decided to take topping the papoosa to a whole new level.

My mom decided the papoosa should not only have cabbage, but also cottage cheese...GROSS, El Salvador is shaking its head at you...
My Dad decided to forgo the cabbage all together and just top the bean and cheese pappoossa with peanut butter and Jelly....this is such a typical thing for him to do, it just made me laugh. But once again, El Salvador is hanging its head in shame.
That is the right way to do it. The only way, although I would also add the red sauce and honey to it. Red sauce was accpetable, but i don't know if honey crossed the lines of normalcy. I would eat pappoossas at least once a day, but sometimes for all 3 meals. When i was there they cost anywhere from 12 to 25 cents each. Lovely.

Here they are, the best, creative, fun, and lively parents in the world. I love them and I am so grateful my mom had pappoosas for me, when I got home for Spring Break.

Getting Fit.

The stress of Law school has not been especially kind to my body. Plus in the cold winter, getting plumper just happens. So today (after china buffet of course) I decided, if I can rock the Appellate brief (it's not "brief" by the way, it puts life on hold for 5 weeks). I can start rocking the gym.
However, what did I expect...the best part of Idaho is the fry sauce, something i missed these 11 years I wasn't in Idaho. I also love Tabasco (discovered in Jackpot Nevada with Krysal, Cousin and Mr. Bigelow) now I love Tabasco on almost everything but especially on my fries. These two sauces are like old friends, and I am gonna miss them, as I try to make my "law school back chubs" aka "new friends" go away.
This is Miss Jenifer Pleasant (aka Pleasy) and I enjoying a basket of fries. WE are hard-working law school students, we deserve it....but now I deserve to start fitting in my clothes again, and feeling sexy enough to flirt with the Idaho boys in the ward who are 6 years younger than me. so bye-bye french fries, and all your goodnesses (fyi-fries are better in Idaho b/c the potatos are so fresh I decided).
Here I am all googly-eyed because I am eating this wonderful burger. It was one of those "as big as a plate things" so we had to cut it in fourths. At first we said we would each only eat one fourth and give the rest to Pleasy's fiance, but we ended up eating the whole thing....YIKES. Now I gotta pay the price. It is sort of like the debt i was talking about a few posts ago. Party now, Pay Later...and my health is paying.

So this is official for the record. No more China Buffet (yeah eating there tonight, probably what is bringing this on, it just made me feel sluggish) No more Subway "spicy Italain" sub for 5 dollars, No more Dairy Queen Runs just because, "I got a coupon". This is the time for taking my health back, and not eating out because of law school stress (as if i have ever needed a reason to eat out). I am going to start eating healthy, drinking more water, and working out more. Maybe in a few months I can post an after pic (hopefully minus the back chubs)

Law school, at 5 am. 2 nights in a row.

Hello to all who i know and love out there. I miss you guys, shoot. I feel like a lone wolf up here. I suddenly got old, at least i feel old. I don't think i am moisterizing enough. Maybe. Maybe it is just years of paryting so hard (mormon style) that is catching up to me. I think it is probably worrying when my Mormon dreams were going to come true so much, that all that worrying has made me older. Or maybe it's teaching, or missions (i got a grey streak on my mission) or because I don't like to wash my face at night (truth) but I do only half the time. Maybe it's because my good genes had to run out sometime. Why am I babbling you ask....?

Because I have gotten only 3 hours of sleep in the last 45 hours. And I am afraid to go to sleep now, because the paper i have literally put over 150 hours in, is due at 9:30 am (it is 5:30 now) and I am afraid if I go home and lay down, i won't wake up in time... Here is the thing about the turn in time. If we turn it in, even 1 second after 9:30, then we loose one third of a letter grade (thus my C goes down to a C-). If we are one hour late, i think it goes down 1 letter grade. And then 1 letter grade for each day it is late.(I used to come up with these types of policy's for my Jr. High kids, not once was it effective, if the due date was past, the penalty was harsh, the kids wouldn't even try. Come to think of it, they were not trying anyways. But a strict turn your work in on time policy just gave them excuse to not try--It's funny how law students are like Jr. High kids in every way, except the work ethic-I will explain that soon enough). Now I laugh becuse in law school there are 3 maybe 4 grades we get (like all American students). So I really can't imagine someone being silly enough or careless to put their own needs of sleep before the need to turn that paper in on time.

So here I am...paper written. Four hours before the due time (no due dates anymore, just due times)I know I should be slaving away untill the last second. But it is like I had this peace rush over me...I think it is the chemicals releasing when you are super sleep deprived, so you feel drunk and useless (that is how I feel). So forgive me for the babeling. I promise pictures later tonight. I think they might be of the Moscow China Buffet...stay tuned.

Don't know what to do....

Opportunities.... I am sick of people saying, "you better do it now, because once you are married or have a family, you can't do what ever you want." This outreaches to many many areas. But, today I am going to focus on Travel. I am going to make a point here, about my views on travel, and feel free to contradict me if I am way off, or agree if I am way on, or give me a new insight.

I have traveled, but it has always been at a price (and it usually has to do with Men). For example, at 19 I was at Ricks College. I was invited to go on a trip to Vegas with my true love Mr. Bigelow, and our friends Crystal and Brian (they are married now). What price did I pay to go to Vegas (baby Vegas). Well I had the best job in Rexburg, plasma center intakes....6.75 an hour, and they wouldn't give me the time off. But I faked illness, went anyways and paid the price. I eventually lost the job, based on my flakiness (they didn't believe that was a real illness).

At 24 I was living my dreams of being in massage therapy school and paying for my lifestyle as a school bus driver. I had 3 weeks off for Christmas break at work, but not at school. My friend Jeff (who I was crushing on) and I decided "now is a good a time as ever" to go to Europe. So off we went, I had discussed it will the Massage School, and they said I could make up the missed days, and would still be OK (which ended up being a lie, I failed that semester due to my missed days and would have had to take both day and night classes to make up). Of course my massage therapy debt I am still paying for (it has been absorbed into my other student loans).

So I have had 2 experiences where I threw caution to the wind, and paid for it.

Anyways, the reason i bring up a little of my travel at a cost history is because i have a couple opportunities this summer. I applied to a summer program in Spain and I was accepted. It will be 5 weeks in Madrid, 6 credits. The cost for being there is about 10 thousand and then i have to take out more to pay my car payment, credit card bill, cell phone etc. Or I could stay here in Moscow, and it will cost about 5 thousand for 6 credits, and that includes the rest of my expenses. So there is is, is it worth 10 thousand to go to Europe? Is it a chance of a lifetime?

I don't think so. As the economy is crazy, and I have so much disdain for our government, and all of us who didn't listen to the prophet and live within our means (myself included). I can't simply throw caution to the wind. And say, "well i will pay it back later". I have said that so many times. I am still paying for my stupid kayak (2 years ago), I am still paying for my 1 quarter of massage therapy school (7 years ago). As a grown up, with very real debt, it is hard for me to make unneccessary purchases on credit, with the idea that i will pay it back later. Am I wrong? What are your opinions of play now, pay later (because your not going to be single forever) because the opportunity (means) is available...Isn't that how we screwed up America and our own personal finances in the first place.

Talking in church...I am gonna Rant!

Ok, so I never get asked to speak in church, never. It has probably been at least 6 years, maybe more. Anyways, i really like to do it too. I am such a critique of others talks that i consider myself an expert in an awesome singles ward talk (Hell i have been doing this thing for over 12 years). So a few weeks ago, when they asked me to speak i was really Jazzed about it. It was going to be the weekend after Spring Break, so i knew numbers would be down, but i still thought "what a great opportunity" and a little selfishly, pridefully i was phsyced that it would be about "Personal Conversion" something I have been thinking alot about, and working on.

So when I got the program as i was walking up to the stage, I noticed there were 4 speakers and a special musical number. I thought well, i will have 10 minutes, and that will be perfect. Now I do wish the guy who asked me to speak (one of the marrieds they have come into help) would have told me there would be 4 speakers, but no big deal.

So the first girl, is my roomates best friend. And she didn't know there were 4 speakers either. So she had prepared a full talk. Only problem is she does a 5 min. story about how "she forgot she had to talk until 1 hour before church, and this will be the worst talk ever." But then she continues to give a 25 min. talk, with factors, scriptural references, funny anticdotes, etc. Those who know me, know that i don't hide my emotions very well. So when i am a bit annoyed, I will look at the clock every 2 min. just to make my point. This girl was eating into my moment of glory and i was not too happy about it.

So while she is speaking the 2nd counselor tells me and the boy who is speaking before me to keep our talks short, (obviously running short on time). But the next boy doesn't keep it short, he is a "stutterer" the worst grown up stutterer i have ever met, and he likes to practice talking, he doesn't let the stuttering hold him back, he will conversate like no other. So he did a great job controlling the stuttering, but not a great job on the time 15 min. I realized my glory would be cut way short. So there i was, time for the meeting to be over....and 2 speakers left.

So I do a little joke/dig/a passive-agressive way to get my point across that I am annoyed. I say for the microphone as my opening, "In contrast from ______'s 'worst talk ever' (she referred to it as such, in the 5 min. intro), my talk is the 'best talk ever' but becasue the time is up you will only get a few chosen points." I felt like the hero for saving the meeting, (my talk was 5 min. ) reveling in my sacrifice and put myself above others (who don't 'get it', that we gotta share the time at the meeting) thought, "I am the enlightened one."

I got to thinking, "why am i so bugged by this". Was it that I wasted 5 hours of my life prepping for a talk? Was it that I hate self-depriciator's, public announcements that they are not prepared and will be giving something sub-par? Was it that I felt like I should have been privy to the info. that there would be 4 speakers or offended by the fact, they never have had 4 speakers before. Was it because I wanted my crush Lewis, to think i was a great speaker, and probably fall in love with me, and make Moscow not so lonely anymore? Hmmmm?

All i know, is even in church, some of my "not-so-christian" attributes come to the surface. I think thats ok, but am I the only one who gets annoyed at church? Often?

What I do on an AZ Spring Break.

So far I have watched T.V., studied at the Mesa Public Library, played with Olivia, checked Facebook, eaten at El Charro (the spot of my parent's first date) with Ak, Mitch and Drew, gone to a girls night out which was a Turkey Dinner with all the fixens (minus sweet potatoes), ate at Costa Vida, was given 2 pairs of Last Chance Boots from my mom (including my first pair of Uggs), went to home ward with my parents and made comments in both Sunday School and R.S., sat in the front yard to get some sun, visited both sets of grandparents and talked politics and watched some more T.V.

By and large it is everything I could hope for. Well I always hope I will meet my soulmate on the plane...but other than that perfect.

Yet to be done? Shopping at Last Chance, more time in the Mesa Public Library, dinner with Starr, Hachi Babas with friends, running on the canal, a few more lunches with friends, some time by the pool, much more time with Olivia and of course her lovely mother and probably more T.V.

Then of course a plane ride back.... (here is to hoping)

Classy Traveling Hair

"Pappi where are you? Give Mammi a call..." There is this big, old, Mexican flight attendant who left her bags alone in the airport for 20 minutes...how do i know this because we are charging our electronics next to each other, her a cell phone (in which she as Mammi calls Pappi-Marie I am thinking of you and your "Pappi" Ed. right now), me, I am charging my mac...so I can write some more of my paper and maybe blog a bit. I have been in Portland for 2 hours now. I will be here for at least 2 more hours. That is right, i shop the cheap flights....

So far I sat between a man who had one black hair growing out of his nose, works for a Japanese company, and who started having kids when his wife was 35 (this was meaningful to me, because the last week about 4 different people have made it clear, that I am no spring chick anymore, and that if I want to have any babies (they don't know I still harbor the desire to have at least 6 possibly 8 out of my own womb) I better start making it happen...but then there is the usual trail off in the voice about technology and modern medicine, maybe making it possible that my old cob-webbed womb might, might be able to reproduce.

On the other side of the lone nose hair man, was a 76 year old woman, who looked fantasic, who mentioned 4x that the biggest problem in the modern world is that people take too many pills, "there is a pill for everything, and the thing is those pills can kill you". But she did mention that her grandaugther is in Pharmacy school, so everyone has a price. Also I learned that she was married to the same man for 60 years, and they live in Preist River. But this was by far the best part of the conversation....
Jodi says, "Yeah, I agree with you, there is a lot to be said with Natural remedies, when my mom had breast cancer, my dad researched the remedies, and we were all drinking wheat grass, and spinach shakes",
Old Lady replies, "I had breast cancer too. Guess who discovered it?
Jodi gueses , "you"?
Old Lady says, "Nope, My husband". Then Old Lady begins to smile so slyly..."that was 10 years ago."
Jodi thinks, "Good job Old Lady and her husband."

3rd Person I met, was a man with the shiniest bald head who was waiting for his "bride." We talked about Nascar, cranberries and time shares....

I wish I had pictures of these people...but all I got is me in the pink Northface. Phoenix here I come.

Good Morning...

So yesterday, I woke up in the best mood. I even straightend my hair, made a veggie shake, got out the window scraper, and scrapped the 4 inches of snow off the element...and then was ready to go. It was 9:10, I had class at 9:30. It takes me 4-6 min. to drive to school. So I was doing good. Then what to my horror occurred? My car was stuck in the gravel. IT wouldn't budge. I got out. I tried to move some gravel under the tires, to give a little traction. I tried to reverse again. Nothing. Then I went to the back tires to break up the ice, to give all 4 wheels a chance to show off their all wheel drive abiliites. Nothing. Then I tried some more things, each time reterning to the attmepts to get the car unstuck. NOTHING. So i started walking. It is a 2 mile walk. I knew that my 9:30 class, property would be going over the midterm answers, a class I didn't want to miss.

I walked in the snow.

In my sweater boots (half suede/half sweater)

I walked some more. And tried to look as pathetic as possible so someone would give me a ride. Nothing.

Then a miracle happend.

An Astro Van, Taxi drove by me.

Then turned around and drove me again.

It cost me $4.50 plus a .50 cent tip...but I got to school only 10 min. late.

My sweater boots were soaked, but I didn't miss the class.

Thank you Astro Van Taxi Miracle.


Then my good friend Chip helped me get unstuck, after classes with his big American Truck and tow rope...

Broken Bones and a Broken Dream

So Mitch sent a text that said, "how is your finger?" My figure got broken 2 years ago today. Today is Lehi days rodeo, the traditional Lehi Stake Activity. I remember going since I was a little girl. Finally at age 29 I participated in the steer dressing and paid dearly for it. Here are pictures taken later that night. I had to have a couple surgeries to get thet thing straightened out. But now....good as new.

Exausted.

So my friend Anna asked me if i like it here or if I am just trying to be optimistic (via Facebook). Hmm.

I am happy.
I have good friends.
I have a sufficient amount of interesting men up here to keep me crushing just enough so i don't say, "there are no good men anymore" or "there is nothing in Idaho".
I have my facebook account which i rely to heavily upon, but without a phone it's all i got. Oh yeah i lost my phone again, so if you have an old TMOBILE, let me know...i will be in AZ in a week and come come pick it up.
I did so much better on this paper than the last one. So that is great news. This one is worth 30 percent of Legal Research and Writing... BIG DEAL
I make 30 dollars an hour (well only at plasma, 2x a week, if i don't have to wait because there are lots of doners).

I don't know why I started hating on everything...Life is great, life is beautiful, we all just do the best we can. Now I could make a list of all the things that are not that great. But I am going to try and just be happy for what I got. So Anna, yes I am trying to be optimistic...I gotta keep giving myself those pep talks but, I am Happy!! And that red dot on my nose...still going strong, but no cold sores, so that is something to be happy about too.

UP LATE ONCE AGAIN?

Pandora on? check. Doing my outline at 2 am on Monday Morning? check. Posting a blog with a picture? check. Walked around the library, barefoot to see who else is here? check. Living my Law school dreams with all the passion that one could muster in Idaho? working on it.


So what is the worst thing you can have on your face? I am talking about zits, cold sores, big pores, pocks, wrinkles, etc. I got this one pore on my nose that gives me a bit of trouble. I feel like I am Rudolf incarnate. Anyways, I thought i would take some pictures of me at my carol at 1:30 am on this early Monday morning, so you could see the red dot for yourself. Obviously a cold sore is the worst on the list above. . I mentioned it to Sumo on Ichat tonight and he was like the last thing you need is a cold sore. Yikes...So my Rudolf Pore is sort of an ongoing struggle, but i would have this any day if it just keeps the cold sores away.