Thriller

Happy Halloween, everyone.

The Annual Carve

Megan and I got this tradition going four years ago.  I grow a bunch of pumpkins in my garden, and then the night before Halloween we choose a few and carve them.  Here's this year's finished product!

In years past we've had a lot more carved, but this year I only did one, the haunted house.  Megan did the other awesome ones.  The Tardis has to be my favorite!

In The Closet

This is different from most of his music videos, but I think it's still pretty good.  If you don't like the song, or the music video, then just watch from 4:50 to the end.  It is a really cool dance scene.


And, if you want, here's a fun video of the making of this music video.

Usher, Chris Tucker, and Michael Jackson Live

You'll have heard the song before, but it's worth a watch, even if you just watch at about 2:30 to about 3 and then the last two minutes.  Michael doesn't lip sync though, so you can hear what he sounds like live.  Got to love the dance moves.  Even though it is sad that Michael Jackson is gone, we still have Usher to keep up the cool dance moves.

I Promise I'm Not Drunk

And this was EPIC............................................................................................... FAIL.  The words blip blop on the blog or the page or the scrap and people stare.  They know you're completely odd: THERE IS NO TURNING BACK.  Then there's white stuff on the ground that's fallen out of the sky, and you wonder, "Is it snow or bloody ash?"

It makes no sense, and there's no point to how the thing is spaced.


                              IT JUST IS.


When you wake up from a dream where you're marrying someone you know, like, but really don't love, and it's just awkward, because the last thing you see is the guy you love looking at you like, "What the *(&#@&$^(@) are you doing?"

Really, IT thinks that IT is going to write a book someday, and it'll be all good,
                                           when the thing at the end of the parallel universe* looks at the product, and says, "This is now the law of the universe across and down three universes from us."

Which, in all, has fallen in love with the nonsense that makes up the universe, and jumps through the loops that create reality that people call sense.  And yes, that makes sense... to me.

WHEN YOU KNOW THAT DEATH THINKS IN ALL CAPS, AND IS CAPABLE OF IT. ASK TERRY PRATCHETT.

Bounce it, because we stand on an earth that spins into a vast nothingness, and tell me that I can't think like this and understand myself, because I can.  

Overly much, this is why my english teachers hate me.

I should remember not to write my way in most classes,

because it takes a very special person to appreciate

THIS AWESOMENESS.

Like Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams.

*Which we all know is just rubbish.  The thing at the end of the universe sits on a rock that tumbles through nothingness and enjoys floppy fish.

You Rock My World

This is my favorite music video Michael Jackson ever did.  You'll notice that in almost all of his music videos he has breaking glass somewhere within them.  This one is no exception.  Every time I watch this video I think, Damn, if these things really happened in real life, I'd want to marry a guy that would dance and sing for me like that.  Well-dressed, beautiful voice, amazing dance moves... well, This Is It!

A Farmer At Heart

The storm last night made me worry that I wasn't going to be able to get my last harvest from my garden.  Sure, I'd be able to get the pumpkins out once the ground froze hard enough that I wouldn't sink into the mud, but my beautiful peppers would be lost to the freeze.  So, when I woke up this morning to find that it wasn't raining and the ground was hard enough for me to walk on without sinking, I went to work harvesting.

These pictures of the pumpkin in the grass don't do it justice.  I'm guessing it is between 35 and 50 pounds, because I could barely lift it out of the garden.  By this time of the day the ground was thawed out, and so when I carried this pumpkin about the garden I sunk in the mud.  I could barely hold on to it, as my arms aren't long enough to wrap around it and carry it properly.

This is my leaning tower of bell peppers.  Lex was admiring my work with the Anaheim peppers when I snapped this shot.  I was lucky.  I just said his name and he looked right at me when the camera snapped a shot.

I can actually keep the carrots in the ground all winter, but I harvested some for my bunny rabbit, and for me to eat.  They have been one of my favorite vegetables in my garden this year.

I had plenty of tomatoes this year, and made some money off of them.  Also, I had beans, but I didn't get the last edible harvest in on time, so the beans got big.  So, I took all the bean seeds out for next year's growing season.  I'm planning on saving some pumpkin seeds and bell pepper seeds as well.  I'm going to try my hand at starting the pepper plants out on a heating mat in the late winter so by May I can plant myself some nice looking plants.  This may or may not work, so I'll probably have my dad buy some plants as well: just in case.

Computer Savvy Cat

My cat Butterfly is able to make my computer do things I didn't even know it was capable of.  I certainly don't know how she does it.  Somehow, laying on the warm keyboard at different angles, hitting multiple keys at the same time, makes my computer go wacky.

Sure, she's done it before to my brother's HP computer.  She made the desktop screen display everything upside down.  Yes, this even changed the mouse settings.  Everything was upside down.  It took my mom a few days to even figure out how to change it.  And it was lucky she did, because my cat just kept laying on the computer and turning the desktop screen display between 90 and a full 180 degrees either way.

Lately, however, she has been laying on my macintosh whenever I leave it open.  My internet screen will show all sorts of facts about the websites where I've been, my music player will be on with a screensaver up that goes to the beat of the music, or applications I didn't even know I had will be up on the screen.  And today, once again, when I returned home from buying myself a couple more of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books*, I found her on my computer.  While I was reading a blog post, I kept hearing a noise that sounded somewhere between a cell phone ringtone and a commercial on TV for an upcoming episode.  Finally, thinking I was going insane, I hit my volume button on my computer.  Sure enough, my cat Butterfly had successfully turned on itunes and was listening to my music while she slept on the comfy, warm keyboard.

*Thanks so much for that gift card to Hastings, Megs!  I wouldn't have gone searching for more books to read if I hadn't had that.  :D

Remember The Time

This is one of my absolute favorite Michael Jackson music videos.  I think I have to put it at number two on my list.

I Have A Peeve...

I have this peeve about people not being straightforward with me.  I won't hang out with or go out on a date with someone unless I know I'm capable of paying for myself.  I expect the people I go do things with to do the same as me.  If one person wants to pay, that's great, but if not, then you know I'll be able to cover myself.

I like to know where I stand with people.  I don't want to go dating someone multiple times if it isn't going anywhere.  Sure, I'll go out with someone now and then casually, but if that's the case it usually means that you pay for yourself now and then, not the "guy always pays" situation.  Given, I have a friend that always pays for me whenever we go somewhere, but that standard was set a long time ago, and since he insists, I'm not going to argue or worry about it.

Essentially, I want everything out on the table before I decide to get into something.  When people don't tell me everything I need to know, I'm left floundering, because I don't know how to act.  This is especially true with long term relationships.  So, if you talk to me, please be straightforward.

Give In To Me

Blood on the Dancefloor

Scream

It is insane how similar Janet and Michael sound.  When they sing together you can really tell that they're related.

My Kestin

I wish he were straight (and LDS), because I'd date him if he were.  I've known Kestin since High School, when we used to skip class together to go out to eat and wander through Walmart, just to come back to the journalism room and have discussions about things such as why the letters z and u were unnecessary in the english alphabet.  We have different belief systems, yet he is one of my best friends.  We think almost exactly alike, and that makes it easy to find things we like to do together.

The last time I saw Kestin was over six months ago, so it was really nice to see him again.  He's got a nice apartment in Salt Lake City.  We went to eat at the Blue Lemon, and then proceeded to his favorite consignment shop in town.  It is fun to look at all the vintage stuff there.  After that, we went to the Nordstrom's Rack, and then decided we'd go window shopping some more in Lofgren's.  As he puts it, "Furniture porn on a rainy afternoon."  One of the coolest things we saw there was a lamp that looked like something Apple would produce.

We went looking at realty afterwards.  As we were looking at houses (yes, we have the same taste in furniture AND houses), he says, "I call this looking at realty porn."  Later, he said, "You know what I am?  I'm a creeper.  I drive through these neighborhoods looking for houses to steal."  Statements like those are why I love Kestin.  With the same tastes, I think that it would be awesome if we shared an apartment.  The only problem with that would be that people would frown upon it.  I don't think anyone I know would approve.

Still, it was nice to see him again.  I hope we do something again soon.  I'd hate to have to wait another six months before I see him again.

Ghost

I've been trying really hard not to post a bunch of Michael Jackson music videos, because I wouldn't stop until they were all used, but I just couldn't help myself this Halloween season.  So, you may find somewhere between five and ten Michael Jackson music videos before the end of the month.  Yes, I was one of those people who was a fan of Michael well before he died, and I don't appreciate the jokes people tell about him.  I thought I'd start with a video that fewer people would recognize to start off, instead of Thriller, which I hope to post on either the 30th or the 31st.  Whichever day I have more time.

Random Thoughts

When writing a talk for church, it is essential to go on lds.org to find out what the official stance of the Church is on what your talking about.  It is also nice to utilize all the materials on your topic there in your talk.

If you're going to apologize to a friend, do it in person, not over the phone, on facebook, or in a text.

Some topics require in person conversation.  A text or phone call won't suffice--such as above.

Sometimes when you've gone through adversity and come out of it, you still have depressed days.  Nothing you do or say gets you out of them, and you just have to work through them and hope that tomorrow brings a happier mood to you.

Attraction to someone doesn't have to do with soul mates, people!  It has to do with a rush of norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin to the brain.

If you sew, you will rip.

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore" is a funny line that always makes me think I'm singing it wrong.

Nicolas Cage is old, as evidenced by how good looking he is in the 1987 movie Moonstruck.  He's still good looking now, just much older.

Making time to do things is great, but only if you do what you had planned and don't just sit and stare at your projects during that time.

Self discipline is essential in completing online classes with no deadline until the next year.

If you want someone to know something that is bothering you about said person, then tell them.  Don't tell someone else and hope that word gets around.

Shawn's Halloween Party

For the first ever Halloween party I've gone to, let alone been invited to, it was really fun.  I brought Halloween themed cupcakes and dressed up like Jenny, The Farmer's Daughter, from The Last Night On Earth zombie board game.  That board game was the theme.  What was nice about the party was that we could all just visit while we roasted hot dogs over the fire and ate yummy treats.  Well, for me, that mostly meant talking to Becky.  I haven't seen her in a long time--since the Weber County Fair.  It was nice to catch up and not feel out of place.  I always feel out of place at parties, so this was a nice feeling.  Once again, I left early because I was in pain and didn't have any medication with me to stop it, but I told everyone that I just didn't want to watch a scary movie.  Really, since I'm not that into scary movies, it was a good excuse.

Melinda Parr is the blonde, and Shaylynne Whitten dressed up as Jade.

Becky Spencer and Shawn Maw.  Shawn is just a zombie, but Becky is both Stacy and a zombie, so a Zombie hero.

I brought the spiderweb stuff, but these girls put it up.  That's the best kind of decorating: the kind I don't have to do but can enjoy.

I'm sorry to say that I don't know who the girl with the ribbons in her hair is.  Her last name is France, if that helps anyone.  To the right is Jen Weston, dressed as a Zombie hero version of Jenny.  Of course, Shawn is on the left.

Shawn made this out of gelatin.

I insisted on taking a picture of both Becky and me together, but I only did a semi decent job.  The ripped grocery bag tied to my cowboy hat was part of a game we'd played earlier, and I had forgotten to take it off.

And this is just a random picture of a bunch of people at the party.

An awesome picture of Becky.

Birthday Treats

It's been a long time since I've written compared to my usual number of posts each month, but I just haven't felt like writing, and when I have, I've been in too much pain to really want to move over to my computer, so I just go to sleep.  However, I thought that I'd post some of the pictures from my birthday.

Each year I just have a small party with family and a couple close friends, which usually means just Megan on the friends side.  This year Shy came over to visit with her boyfriend for a little while.  Still, I was my same old keep it small and close self.  The only different thing was that my dad bought those candles that just keep relighting themselves.  It probably took me a minute to get them all officially blown out.

And at the next morning I found the card, candy, and a balloon on my car.

Where is the Love?

This is still one of my favorite songs they sing, and the lyrics are as true today as they were when the song was released.  Oh, and sorry it is a vevo video and there may be some ad you have to watch before the song.  I couldn't find a good version other than this.  Sometimes vevo makes me angry with all their ads and whatnot.

Happy Birthday To Me!

I turned twenty today.  Thought that was worth a mention on here.

My Favorite Jazz Player

Andrei Kirilenko has been my favorite Jazz player since he joined the team in 2001.  In the 2003-04 season he ranked third best for blocked shots in the league and fourth best in steals in the league.  He was the second NBA player in history to be in the top five for both of those categories in the same season.  He finished first in the league with 220 blocked shots in 2006.  Then when he hit a down spot in his career in 2007, it seemed like everyone lost confidence in him.  My dad would always boo him when he came out on the court, but I would still cheer.  I really do love to watch this guy play basketball, and I support him through all his play, even if he's going through a rough spot.

He came back and played wonderfully in the preseason opener against Portland.  I truly believe that I'm going to really enjoy this season, and that Andrei Kirilenko is a big part of that reason.  He's been on the All-Star team and the All-Defensive First team, among many others.  AK 47 is one great reason to love to watch the Jazz play.

He's the best defender against opponents such as Kobe Bryant, because he's quick and predicts movement very well.

He's fun to listen to, because of his accent, and because of how hard he worked to be able to speak english fluently.

And I think he's good looking to boot.

You'd Better Believe It

These last few days have only been so-so, and then today just made me want to cry until I went to the Jazz Game.  I've been having lots of motivation issues when it comes to school, and I haven't been 100 percent in my physical health either.  I feel tired and look tired.  When, a few days ago, a guy who's blog I read asked for comments on our thoughts about women in the work field (LDS Church thing when it comes to having a family and working, and what is appropriate), I thought I'd submit my thoughts.  This is what I said.

I can't say I'm wholly indifferent on the topic, because having grown up in a family with parents that weren't always active in the church, I was raised a little differently. Growing up I was taught that I could do anything I wanted to do; this included having a family and a job. That's why, when I came to BYU and expressed my belief that I could do both, I was blown away and upset when my first religion professor told me I was a sinner and that I only had one choice: to give up my occupational dreams and raise a family, or I was going to hell. 

Since then I've heard many of my leaders express this same belief, and I won't lie, it hurts to hear that these men believe that women should give up all their dreams and "do as they're told" as soon as they get married. I've even been told that if I get married in college I should give up getting an education and start having kids. Having heard all this and taken it with a grain of salt, my belief in making decisions through prayer and study has been solidified. I firmly believe that I need to have a college education, and that God wants me to have all the knowledge I can acquire in this life. I believe that after I get that knowledge, if I'm not married, I can get a job and enjoy having a career until I get married and decide to start a family. Once that decision is made, I believe that a woman should talk with her spouse and pray about the decision that they've reached together for confirmation from the Lord that the decision is the right one.


After I wrote this I nearly forgot about it, so when I went back on his blog to read a different, post, I was surprised to find that someone had written this in response to my comment.  I have no clue who wrote it. The author left their name anonymous.


I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the person above is mildly exaggerating.

"going to hell"? "sinner"? Did the professor really use those words? Or did you choose to perceive it harshly because you were already sensitive to the issue? No prophet has ever said that women should "give up getting an education".

"It is so important that you young men and you young women get all of the education that you can." - Gordon B. Hinckley, Inspirational Thoughts

"In his day, President Brigham Young encouraged women to get an education. This is still good counsel..." - James E. Faust, What it Means to be a Daughter of God

These 2 quotes popped up after about 3 seconds of searching on lds.org. I feel confident there are many more.

If people really say that, be the bigger woman and don't let it affect you, knowing they are fundamentally wrong. If people really didn't say that... let's not fall into the abyss of drama.


This post just topped off my not-feeling-good day.  I hate when people don't believe me, and when people blindly accuse me of lying.  Whether they outright say that I'm a liar or not, their word choice and patronizing tone already confirms that they think I'm a liar.  So, just like that, I decided that I'd better clarify what I said.


Yes, I did actually have a teacher say that to me at BYU using those words. I wasn't exaggerating, and I didn't feel I was being dramatic. I know what the church leaders have said, and when I was speaking about my leaders I was speaking of my ward leaders telling me that I should give up my education when I get married to have a family, not the General Authorities. I know the ward leaders who have said such things to me are fundamentally wrong, but I can also see where their misconceptions come from. Anonymous, you may think that I am exaggerating, but if you came to live in Plain City where I do for a month you might just change your mind about what you said.

Furthermore, I don't believe you read my full comment, or you would see that I am being the bigger person by strengthening my faith in Christ and moving forward without grudge towards those people.


I feel that what I said was justified, and that I wasn't exaggerating or being dramatic.  Not only do I hate drama, but I hate to become dramatic in my speech.  Truly, I love Plain City, but many of the people within my home ward have been anything but kind to my family.  I don't ever expect most people to understand what it feels like to be blackballed by an entire community; in fact, I wouldn't want them to.  I just want people to believe me: trust that I'm an honest person.  When this anonymous person wrote that, it cut me to the core.  I wanted to cry just like I wanted to cry when the professor I spoke of called me a sinner for wanting to work and have a family.  If I hadn't have gone to the Jazz game with my father less than an hour later, I might have sat down and done just that.  


This all leads to the question, when did people become so uncivil, unforgiving, and accusatory?  We should expect people to give us the benefit of the doubt that we are honest until we give them reason to believe the contrary.  LDS people should be even more so like this.  Society has decided that it is okay to treat one another terribly.  Whenever you turn on the television and watch a reality show you can see it.  As Christians, we should be the first in line to denounce such behavior.  To me, this comment made by Anonymous was one of these unforgiving, uncivil, accusatory attacks on someone's honesty.  It not only hurts, but it strengthens my theory that Christianity is a good religion, but that people aren't good Christians.  


Yes, I've forgiven this person through my writing this post; I wouldn't want someone to think I'm holding a grudge towards an anonymous entity.  I can't help but believe that this person truly thought that they were helping me realize my faults and correct them, and I can't wrack my brains in anger for long enough to even be upset at that one individual.  What it makes me do is sorrow for the world and what it is becoming.  As we lose the ability to believe that people are upright and honest with one another, we lose the ability to be civil and kind to those around us.  We lose the heart of a happy community.

When My Dad Has His IPhone...

Pictures will be taken.  Labor Day weekend was no exception.  He always brings his IPhone along when we go four wheeling, even though he doesn't get service anywhere we go.  When we stop at random places in the wilderness, he whips out that phone and takes pictures!  Actually, they're pretty good quality pictures.  I finally got some of these pictures after I fixed my email in my Dad's phone so he could actually send them to me.

My mom wasn't overly thrilled about pictures.  She was tired from how long we'd been riding.

Ryan looks pretty awesome.  That's mainly because he just can't look terrible.  He's a fashion statement even when completely covered in dirt.

I was happy to be four wheeling, but I don't look so cool.  I do look terrible covered in dirt.

My brother was the smartest of us all, because he kept his helmet on, and it hid how dirty his face was.

And if it weren't for my Dad always carrying that phone of his around during odd times, we would never have any pictures like this to show.  I guess we should be grateful that he finally caught up with the technology of the times, and is capable of using it!

HAAY 13

He's a good singer too.

Another Note

The nice note leaver has struck again!  Yesterday I hadn't been feeling very well due to a reaction to a flu vaccination earlier in the week, and so I had decided not to go to the temple and get everyone sick.  After I'd taken some cold medicine and let it take effect, I decided that I needed to go get myself something to eat.  When I went out to my car this note was left on my windshield (it was a little less melted than it now looks):

Once again, it made my day.  Really, I don't know who it is that's doing this, but it is sweet.  It feels good to know someone cares, you know?

HAAY 12

I think that the young Clint Eastwood looks really similar to Hugh Jackman.  I couldn't resist putting one of my favorite western actors on here for a HAAY.