31 cents?!?!

Baskin Robbins is offering 31 cent scoops tonite for a firefighter fundraiser!!! From 5pm-10pm. Get your butts over there!! They honestly have the best rainbow sherbert.

HELL YEAH!!

The linking of the blogs debate

I've had this here blog for almost exactly 3 years. I missed my blogiversary. It was last week. Boo. Anyway, for the past 3 years I have been the sole contributor. And to be honest...I kind of like it that way.

For awhile now, Derrick's hide has been slightly chapped that my blog is linked on others' as "Karen's blog" or "Karen Callister" or "Wet Donkey" or what have you, and his poor little name gets nary a mention. But does it deserve a mention? I say you get a shout out if you contribute to the blog. He claims I appear to be single without his name attached to mine. Whatever! Raise your hand if you think I'm single. Hmmm....no hands. It's not like I don't mention him at all. Anyway, if your blog has both of our names, he likes you. If not, he doesn't. Silly boy.

But really. Do I want my blog to consist only of stories about a football player who committed to BYU only to flake out and play somewhere else where they might actually have a chance at a championship? Or how a BYU player got in a fight and now is suspended right before the BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR?? Or how a BYU football player got a great deal on trash bags at Macy's in Provo? Don't laugh. He somehow knows these things. He will have never talked to him before, but he will know where he grew up, went to high school, how many siblings he has, what his major is, and his shoe size. It's true.

In summary. I don't care if you change the listing. Am I a selfish donkey for not sharing my blog? Should I offer a one-time guest appearance? Thing is, he's a really good writer. I think I'm just scared you'll like him better than me.

Get your own blog, Derrick!

Monday Mixers

Friday I saw Baby Mama with some girlfriends. I had been dying to see it, especially considering it's essentially a 2 hour SNL episode. I thought it was hilarious. I love Tina Fey, and Amy Peohler, and there were some lines where we were just cracking up. I don't know what it is about seeing movies on opening night, but I love it. I hardly ever get to, but I love it.

I'm in love with Trader Joe's. I have been for some time now, but today my love affair has skyrocketed to new heights. Usually I'll stop in for a couple random items, but today I decided to do all of my grocery shopping for the week there. I love how fresh everything is. I love how nice everyone is. I love the orchids. I love the samples. I got a bunch of different stuff to try, let's hope it's all as good as it looks! And I even brought my reusable grocery bag and bought a couple new ones, so I'm feeling especially green today. I love it!

I'm drinking Cactus Cooler, and it's wonderfully delicious.

Speaking of drinks, I made cherry limeades this weekend. It's not the same as Sonic's, but they're pretty close. I've decided it's all in the ice. They have the best crushed ice. And I've realized I love crushed ice way more than cube ice. So what does that mean? It means I'm now beating my cube ice in a zip lock baggie with a hammer to crush it up before I use it. The things I'll do for a drink....What I really need to do is snag some ice from work. Of course hospitals have crushed ice. Or I should take all the stuff and make it there. I think I could definitely get through the night easier with a cherry limeade by my side.

Cherry Limeade: Put ice in glass. Pour in Sprite. Squeeze in a lime wedge. Leave wedge in. Pour in grenadine. Stir. Enjoy!

I've read that Cherry Juicy Juice makes a better drink. I'll have to try it.

I'm super pumped for Rooney this Friday! Tickets are still available if anyone wants to come! We'll probably hit up Great Dane in Madison for dinner (YUM!). Here's a little preview for you...



While we were at the bars Saturday night, a song came on and everyone went nuts, and they knew all the words, and I was clueless. I'd never heard it before. It was very catchy, and I liked it. Turns out it was Miley Cyrus. And then I felt old. So I just bought it. Now I can be hip with all my preteen nieces. Methinks she must have been listening to a little "Sunglasses at Night" when she recorded this. Sounds a little familiar, no??



Catchy, huh?

The fun continues...

As if I wasn't already exhausted, I headed out after the race (and a shower) to my friend Courtney's bachelorette party. We started out on a booze cruise up the Milwaukee River and out onto Lake Michigan, and then bar hopped. Sounds like an absolute blast, right? Yeah, neither the bride nor many of her friends are real big drinkers, so we mostly stood around. Since I'm not drinking, at a bar, I at least need people around me to be drunk so I have something to do and laugh at. I did audition to be The Hog's (radio station) new Rock Girl, complete with photo shoot and taped interview with the morning DJs. Who knows, maybe I'll be the new Rock Girl, coming to state fairs and hockey games near you! Maybe it was because I was exceptionally tired, but I thought it would be a little crazier. It was still fun though, for the most part. Just different than what I was expecting. I checked out at 11 and headed home for a de-smoke shower and crashed.

Drinks taste better with penis straws, right? Especially "ethnic" ones...

I'm pretty pooped today. But Derrick finally comes home! And he's bringing a 12-pack of Cactus Cooler with him! I don't know what I'm excited about more!

My crazylegs are crazy tired

Actually, they're still feeling pretty good. But let's check in tomorrow and see how they're doing. Today I ran the Crazylegs Classic in Madison for the 2nd year. It was fa-reezing. Absolutely frigid. And ridiculously windy. You know how you watch a school of fish in the ocean move together with the currents? Big gusts of wind would come and all the runners would get pushed to the side, just like fish. Luckily I had my super cool socks to keep my calves warm. My thighs, however, got the shaft and froze. I did warm up towards the end, when I saw a glimpse of what appeared to be the Sun.

I felt really good throughout the whole run, never having to fight the urge to walk. At some points I was running against the wind and it felt like I was practically walking, but never once did I stop running!!! I didn't really have a time goal compared to last years time, I just wanted to make it under an hour, considering I hardly trained at all for it. Turns out I ran it only 23 seconds slower than last year! How's that for consistent? However, if I had known I was so close, I would have pushed it a little more. At the end there was this tall skinny old black guy in front of me, and I made it my goal to at least beat him, chanting in my head, "Beat the Kenyan, beat the Kenyann!!" I have no idea if he was Kenyan. But I did beat him. And is there any better feeling than passing people running up a hill?? Or any worse feeling than an 80-year-old grandma passing you?

I had an amazing playlist, with all the perfect songs starting at the perfect time, all on their own shuffle schedule. Cake's "Going the Distance" started right when the big hill did. As Fast As' "Florida Sunshine" kicked in right at the final stretch, giving me the energy to cruise by my Kenyan friend. Ahhh, the power of music.

It was really fun, and especially fun to do it with friends. Whitney, Linda, Jessica and I all had a blast. We're in talks of doing a relay marathon....

With Madison's #1 fan, Amy

You know you love the sexy socks! And the moronic laugh/smile combo.

Whitney kicked all our butts with a 40 minute finish.

I was just happy I averaged under a 10 minute mile! Till next year!!

I love the 80's

I love the 80's. All things 80's. Fashion, TV, fads, all of it. But more especially, I love 80's music. Synthesizers, keyboard guitars, awesome hair, what's not to love? Quite possibly my favorite musical genre. It instantly puts me in a great mood, and it's the best "getting ready" music.

I have realized recently that my collection of 80's hits was sorely lacking. Enter my new best friend, GoMusic.ru! A couple clicks is all it took to vamp up my repertoire to a whole new level.

These are my most favorite 80's songs of all time:

1. "Take on Me," A-ha
2. "Hold Me Now," Thompson Twins
3. "One Night in Bangkok," Chess
4. "I Ran," Flock of Seagulls
5. "Till the Night Closes In," Exile
6. "November Rain," Guns n Roses
7. "If This is It," Huey Lewis & the News
8. "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," Jefferson Starship
9. "Like a Prayer," Madonna
10. "Down Under," Men at Work
11. "Billy Jean," Michael Jackson
12. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," Tears for Fears
13. "I Promise," When in Rome

I was shooting for a top 5 list, a la "High Fidelity". But there are just too many.

I can't think of anything better than a Jimmy Fallon 80's medley. I want to have his children. The video quality is pretty crappy, but I couldn't find a better one.



What are your favorite 80's jams????

To all those hating on my shoes:

At least I don't have these:

Yes, shoe umbrellas. Although, I wouldn't mind owning a pair...

Cryptic CCR revealed

So great. I wish I thought of things like this. Actually, I have. I wish I acted on my thoughts.

Palermo's please!

There is a local frozen pizza factory based in here Milwaukee called Palermo's. When my family was here for graduation we toured it, and then had their pizza at the end of the tour. It was a pretty sweet tour, and the pizza was deeeelicious.

Derrick left for the city of angels yesterday until Sunday, so I'm on my own for dinners this week. Kind of nice to have a break from cooking, not that I don't LOVE it, but you know what I mean.

So I bought myself a delicious frozen pizza for dinner tonite. Should I be as excited as I am for a dinner of frozen pizza? I don't know. But with a pizza like this, what's not to get excited about?

Buffalo style chicken pizza! This specialty pie features our Rustico signature authentic crispy & chewy pizzeria-style thick crust, topped with white-meat chicken marinated in a spicy Buffalo sauce. Then we combine whole milk Mozzarella, White Cheddar and Gorgonzola Bleu cheeses to create one heck of a gourmet pizza.

Is 4pm too early to eat dinner??

Go go, go go speed typer!

I owe my typing skills to AOL Instant Messenger my freshman year at BYU. 96 wpm ain't too shabby, right?? Thank you, AIM!!

96 words

Speed test

A peep show of peep toes

I feel like I own my fair share of shoes. But I know that there are many women out there that trump me in numbers. By far. I know you have zero interest in my shoes, but since I am home, lonely, and bored. I decided to take a picture, or 59, of all of my shoes for your viewing pleasure. (If you counted, and got 58, you are correct. I omitted a picture of my white nursing school shoes. My OCD-ness didn't want a single picture of them, and it didn't fit numbers-wise into the other collages. But don't worry, you're not missing much.) And because I am OCD, I have arranged them my color. I thought about arranging them by style, but then the mix of colors would have sent me into convulsions. My closet is organized by color as well. After analyzing the mix, I realize my collection is lacking in yellow and purple shoes, and overabundant in brown and black. I'm doing pretty good in the pink shoe department, however, with 4. I feel like I could tell a story about each pair of shoes. But don't worry, I won't. Suffice it to say there are a number of pairs that are long since past their prime, but I haven't tossed them for one reason or another. Maybe today is the day. Maybe if I get enough comments about how ugly they are. And after looking at the variety, I realized I don't have a lot of athletic shoes. Is this surprising? Not really. The only pair missing from my collection for it to be complete is a pair of white Chucks. The only shoe I wore in middle school, it is the overall comfort and go-with-anything shoe. I also need a new pair of white shell toes. The ones I have are so beat. Those two shoes are probably my most favorite shoes of all time.







A lame post, I know. But I do love my shoes. And since it's Earth Day and all, I guess I should make some sort of statement about that. So....recycle your shoes when you're done with them! I know Wal-Mart has a bin where you can toss them right in. Easy peasy!

Committment Issues

I've noticed this twice in the past two days, and I think it's kind of funny slash ironic. Ha, I spelled out slash instead of just using the symbol. Guess that just goes to show you I type just like a speak.

Anyway, here's the sitch: Yesterday at a baby shower (for a church member friend) the topic of joining a gym was discussed. The general consensus was that nobody wanted to commit to a two year contract required by most gyms. And today in church someone mentioned not wanting to commit to going out with the missionaries or something like that.

I just find it ironic that Mormons, who marry for ETERNITY have a hard time to committing to anything. I mean, come on, you've already booked yourself solid for the next infinity years of your life AND BEYOND with another person. What's a 2 year gym contract???

Peculiar people, indeed.

Buyer beware:

These are not good. They taste like hamster food. I wouldn't give these to a homeless guy on the corner. I should have known with a name like Honey Almond Flax.




These, however, are quite enjoyable. Tasty, even. Jam packed with fiber and protein. The perfect 3 am snack, when you want to dropkick the baby who only shuts up when you hold him.

The great debate

There are not a lot of topics that I get overly emotional about. I'm not heavy into politics. I sometimes feel that I don't have a real opinion on a lot of things. However, there are a couple things I am pretty opinionated about. One is childhood obesity. The other is vaccinations and autism. Childhood obesity will have to wait it's turn for another day.

Myth: Vaccinations cause autism.
Fact: Vaccinations have no correlation with the incidence of autism.
Maybe it's the 8 years of university level science courses I had, but I am definitely one who bases their opinions and decisions on scientific fact. On research. Not on hearsay or personal stories. I'm also skeptical to believe emails or websites sent by groups founded by parents with children of autism. They are not objective. They will find only information that supports their cause. Nor will I believe anything called similar to www.VaccinesKill.com or the like. I have no idea if that's real or not, but you get the idea.

The CDC's official statement:

Many studies have looked at whether there is a relationship between vaccines and autism. The weight of the evidence indicates that vaccines are not associated with autism. But CDC knows that some parents and others may still have concerns about this issue. CDC is committed to protecting the health of children and to identifying the biological and environmental causes of autism and other developmental disabilities, so we will continue to study the role of vaccines.

Also on the CDC website is an article which I will post here. It's a little lengthly, but worth reading. Here is the direct link if you'd like to see references.

Thimerosal and Autism
By Paul A. Offit, MD, Director, Vaccine Education Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Some parents are concerned that thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative contained in the influenza vaccine, causes autism. However, during the past few years a series of biological and epidemiological studies have shown this concern to be unfounded. Here is a summary of the evidence showing that, while some things do cause autism, mercury in vaccines isn’t one of them.

All mercury isn'’t the same:methylmercury vs. ethylmercury

Mercury is a naturally occurring element found in the earth’s crust, air, soil and water. Since the earth’s formation, volcanic eruptions, weathering of rocks and burning of coal have caused mercury to be released into the environment. Once released, certain types of bacteria in the environment can change mercury to methylmercury. Methylmercury makes its way through the food chain in fish, animals, and humans. At high levels, it can be toxic to people. Thimerosal — a preservative still used in the influenza vaccine —contains a different form of mercury called ethylmercury. Studies comparing ethylmercury and methylmercury suggest that they are processed differently in the human body. Ethylmercury is broken down and excreted much more rapidly than methylmercury. Therefore, ethylmercury (the type of mercury in the influenza vaccine) is much less likely than methylmercury (the type of mercury in the environment) to accumulate in the body and cause harm.

Evidence that mercury doesn'’t cause autism

•In 1971 Iraq imported grain that had been fumigated with methylmercury. Farmers ate bread made from this grain. The result was one of the worst, single-source, mercury poisonings in history. Methylmercury in the grain caused the hospitalization of 6,500 Iraqis and killed 450. Pregnant women also ate the bread and delivered babies with epilepsy and mental retardation. But they didn’t deliver babies with an increased risk of autism.•

Four large studies have now compared the risk of autism in children who received vaccines containing thimerosal to those who received vaccines without thimerosal. The studies were consistent, clear and reproducible — the incidence of autism was the same in both groups. Denmark, a country that abandoned thimerosal as a preservative in 1991, actually saw an increase in the disease beginning several years later.
•
Studies of the head size, speech patterns, vision, coordination and sensation of children poisoned by mercury show that the symptoms of mercury poisoning are clearly different from the symptoms of autism.

Methylmercury is found in low levels in water, infant formula, and breast milk. Although it is clear that large quantities of mercury can damage the nervous system, there is no evidence that the small quantities contained in water, infant formula, and breast milk do. An infant who is exclusively breast-fed will ingest more than twice the quantity of mercury that was ever contained in vaccines and fifteen times the quantity of mercury contained in the influenza vaccine.

What is known about the causes of autism?

•First, like cystic fibrosis or sickle-cell disease, autism clearly has a genetic basis. Researchers found that when one identical twin had autism, the chance that the other twin had autism was about 90 percent; for fraternal twins, the chance was less than 10 percent.

Second, although autism clearly has a genetic basis, environmental factors can also cause the disease. For example, children whose mothers took thalidomide during pregnancy had birth defects, including malformed ears and shortened limbs. But they also had a significantly greater incidence of autism than babies born to mothers who never took thalidomide. Thalidomide clearly caused autism, but only if mothers took it early in pregnancy. If mothers took thalidomide in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, their babies weren’t at increased risk of autism.

•The thalidomide experience showed that there was a vulnerable time early in pregnancy when a drug could possibly cause autism. Echoes of the thalidomide story are found in babies infected with rubella virus. Babies born to mothers who suffered rubella early in their pregnancies develop birth defects involving the eyes, ears, brain, and heart.They also are at greater risk of developing autism, but like thalidomide, only if the baby is exposed to rubella early during pregnancy. Babies don’t develop autism if they are infected with the virus soon after birth.Taken together, these findings suggest that a virus or a drug can cause autism, and that there is a vulnerable time early during pregnancy when the baby is at risk. However, during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, or after the child is born, the window for environmental factors causing autism has apparently closed.

Women in the United States also occasionally received mercury when they were pregnant. It happened when doctors found that the mother’s blood type was not compatible with their baby’s blood type. To prevent this blood mismatch from hurting the baby, mothers were given RhoGam, a product that contained thimerosal as a preservative. However, consistent with the observation in Iraq, babies exposed to thimerosal in RhoGam did not have a greater risk for autism than babies whose mothers never received RhoGam. Although thalidomide and rubella virus can cause autism in pregnancy, scientific evidence clearly indicates that mercury doesn’t.

As a medical professional, especially as a nurse working with infants and concerned parents, this is an issue I face almost daily. Everyone is worried about mercury and vaccines and autism. Rightly so. What parent would knowingly put their child at risk for developmental defects? But I cannot advise parents on skipping vaccinations because of the risk of autism. Firstly, and most importantly, there is NO correlation. It's unfortunate that autism emerges during the same time period that vaccinations are given. But studies have shown that children who received no Thimerosal still had the same incidence of autism as children that did.

Here in Milwaukee we have seen an outbreak of Measles in the past couple weeks. And just the other day we had our first case of Rubella. Last year was the Mumps outbreak. There is no doubt in my mind that these cases are a direct result of unvaccinated children. Diseases like these, which can easily be prevented with an MMR, are potentially fatal for small children with weak immunities. I would gladly give my child a shot that could save them from a completely preventable death.

Some people may subscribe to the theory of "herd immunity," where the immunity of a group as a whole will help to protect the unprotected. But if the trend continues as it does, with less and less immunized members, there will be no more herd immunity.

Spiritually speaking, man has been blessed with the knowledge and ability to create methods by which to protect ourselves from disease. Medical advances have saved countless lives, and vaccines are no exception. Who are we to not take advantage of these blessings? And should adverse effects result, surely they are the intention of a loving Heavenly Father, who knows all, infinitely more than we do.

Still, we are blessed with our own agency, and freedom of choice. We should be educated on all fronts. It just saddens me that children are going unvaccinated because of the slight possibility that an adverse effect may occur. It's like never driving a car because you might get into an accident one day. The odds are small. The benefits far outweigh.

Just my two cents.

Who's with me?

Rooney is playing in Madison on Friday May 2nd. We're going for sure. Tickets are only $15!!! Anybody want to come with?? Check it out here. I can't wait!

Potpourri for 300, Alex

While in Omaha, we made a pit stop in Iowa, just across the border, on the hunt for some Palermo's Pizza. No such luck. However, look at what we DID find:

Have you ever seen no-bakes in a grocery store like this? I never have. We did not purchase any. Iowa is kind of scary. Like, white trash scary. Sorry if I offend anyone from Iowa. But more sorry that you're from there.

Two new (well, new to me) CD's I'm hooked on: Vampire Weekend's self-titled album and Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Both fantastic. You know how some CD's you just know you'll love them the first time you play through them? Well, that was not the case with these. It took a few spins before I fell into deep smit with them. (Movie, anyone?) Vampire Weekend is just so catchy, and upbeat, and harmonious. iTunes says "A-Punk" is the most popular song but my favorites are "Oxford Comma," "M79," and "One (Blake's Got a New Face)." Really, if I could marry GoMusic.ru I would. Tomorrow.

I tried a new recipe last night. And tonite for that matter. But last night's was truly divine. I present to you: Pecan-crusted Chicken with Sweet Mustard Sauce. Keep in mind I don't really like pecans or mustard, and I thought it was delicious. It comes from the new Pampered Chef cookbook 29 Minutes to Dinner. I should be trying to pimp you for a sale, but instead I'll just give you the recipe, because I'm just so darn nice. And I want everyone to enjoy good food.

Chicken

1 egg white
1 1/2 cups pecans (buy them already chopped, labeled as "chipped")
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 chicken tenders (I just used breasts and cut them in strips)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Dressing and Greens

1/4 cup peach preserves
2 tbsp prepared stone-ground mustard (by the Grey Poupon)
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups mixed baby greens

1. For chicken, lightly beat egg white in shallow dish. Finely chop pecans if needed, and place in another shallow dish. Combine salt and cayenne pepper and sprinkle over chicken. Dip chicken into egg white, then into pecans, pressing pecans into chicken.

2. Add oil to skillet and heat over medium-low heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Cook chicken 2-3 minutes or until deep golden brown. Turn chicken over and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until centers are no longer pink.

3. Meanwhile, for dressing, whisk together preserves, mustard, vinegar, salt, black pepper, pressed garlic, and oil.

4. To serve, toss greens with 2 tbsp of the dressing; divide among serving plates. Drizzle remaining dressing around edge of plates. Arrange three of the chicken strips around each salad.

I had strawberries and felt it needed some color so I added some. It was soooooo good!

I bought another zip up. I can't stop.

A big Happy Birthday to Chris, who turns a whopping 28 today!!! Hope you eat all the bottomless salad your little heart desires!

Dude, where's my car?

I walked through the parking garage at work for a solid 10 minutes looking for my car this morning. I was convinced it was stolen. Some of my thoughts as I wandered in the cold: "Did I lock the back seat door after I unloaded groceries yesterday?" "I knew I should have taken my CD face plate off." "Who would steal a purple Corolla with only two mismatched hubcaps?" I had already had the conversations in my mind with Derrick, Allstate, the security at the hospital. But I was cool, calm, and collected. Hey, maybe I could get an upgrade out of the deal. I tried to remember everything that was in my car so I could tell the insurance company. The only thing that brought me mild panic was knowing my Old Navy Stuff and Save bag was in there. Bummer.

I finally found it. It was lower than I thought. 24 straight hours awake will make you a wee bit crazy.

I'm an alcosonic!

Omaha was fantastic. So much fun. 100% fun. 0% unfun. I feel like the time went by so fast while I was there. Hanging out with Sara is always a great time, but being able to go through the temple with her and go to her bridal shower was just so much fun, and what better place for friends to be than in the temple? It was amazing. I also go to meet her fiance Brian, who is a lot of fun, not only be with, but to tease as well. Luckily he's a good sport.

Some highlights of the trip:

• Shopping, and buying 6, yes 6, pairs of shoes.
  
• Going to the Winter Quarters Temple and visitors center. Very beautiful.
  
• Eating at Kona Grill, which came highly recommended by Jason. The macadamia nut chicken was delicious. As were the avocado eggrolls. Thanks, Jason!
• Eating at Gandolpho's. Twice.
  
• Playing Guitar Hero. And beating the Medium level. I'm so amazing. And so addicted. (like I need another addiction...)
  
• Playing Wii Sports. I kicked butt at boxing. And now I can't move my arms. Really.
  
• Hitting up Sonic 7 times. 7 glorious, delicious, refreshing times. 7 times in the span of 4 days. That's pretty impressive.

Saints crossing the plains

Winter Quarters Temple

After the session

With Abby at the bridal shower

Sonic much?????

Bottoms up!

Is there a better name for our Guitar Hero band???

Look closely! I beat it!

Dinner at Kona Grill

So thanks Sara and all the Beans for a great weekend! Friends like Sara don't come around very often, and I'm so lucky to know her! And now Brian! Only 39 days till the wedding! We can't wait!

Zip it!

Pop quiz:

What is my ideal outfit? What do I feel the best in? If I had my druthers, what would I wear every day of my life? Is it....

A) Wrap dress and sexy heels
B) Shorts and a tank top
C) Nothing
D) Jeans and a zip up hoodie

If you answered A, you came in a close second. If you answered B, you would have been right 5 years ago when I actually could wear that. If you answered C....you've obviously never seen me naked. Plus, I get cold too easily. If you answered D, you are absolutely correct. Is there anything, really, more comfortable than your favorite pair of worn in jeans and a cozy zip up? I don't think so. It's the perfect fall and spring weather get up, and for winters inside when it's chilly out.

While I was pondering over my love for zip ups, I started wondering how many I actually have. So I decided to count. What's a reasonable number to have? 3? 5? 7 maybe?

I have 15. Fifteen. Is that excessive? Probably. Will I stop buying them? Probably not.

Am I alone in this?? Tell me there's someone else out there who shares my love.

Look! I can see my house from here!

Late Sunday night there was a murder at our apartment complex. Um.....YIKES?! Apparently a girl was shot 6 times and then the shooter left. And is still at large. Isn't that lovely? You can click here and see the story and a picture and watch a video and see what our buildings look like. I was at work so I didn't hear the commotion, and Derrick didn't hear it either. To top it all over, there was another murder less than 2 miles away within 30 minutes of this one. We freaking live in the juh-hetto.

Guess it's time to get a little more serious about finding a house, eh?

New Addiction

I feel like I could title a post like this every single week. I'm sure I've mentioned this many times on here, but it's no secret I have an addictive personality. Addictive tendencies. Once I like something, I quickly become obsessed with it. Just off the top of my head I can think of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, The O.C., Across the Universe, knitting, and the list goes on. There is no doubt in my mind that if I weren't a Mormon, I would be an alcoholic, gambling stripper living in Vegas. No doubt whatsoever.

So what is this new addiction, you ask? It comes to me courtesy of Scott, who ranks high in my Top 5 Most Favorite People. Scott and I share two common loves: food and The Beatles. So I pretty much believe anything he tells me, I trust him that much. Plus, he visits us a lot. Anyway, he has shared with me the phenom that is GoMusic. (After he's known about it for a whole 2 years already....but I have since forgiven him.)

What is GoMusic, you ask? Why, it's a Russian music downloading site. What is so phenomenal about this, you ask? Why, their songs are ridiculously cheap, that's what! How cheap is cheap, you ask? My, you ask a lot of questions, don't you? How does 20 cents a song sound to you?? What's that? Sounds pretty good, you say? Yes, it is good. It's amazing. It's about 2 bucks an album. iTunes what? Who?

Needless to say I was a little skeptical about purchasing and hence downloading music from a Russian site. But if Dwight Schrute can do it, so can I. So after about a week of debating and getting moral support from others, I broke down and bought a CD. And while I was downloading Danger Mouse's Grey Album (a mix of Jay-Z's Black Album and The Beatles' White Album--amazing) for a mere $2.05, I thought I faintly heard a choir of angels singing praises of wonderment. Each song played perfectly. My computer was still intact, virus-free. For now. And then I couldn't stop. What next? Each album was pennies. Couch change. My possibilities are limitless. Next purchase: Hairspray soundtrack. This one was a little pricier at a whopping $3.25, but there are 19 tracks. And boy, could I hear the bells! Next! Muse's Black Holes & Revelations for $1.88!! Next! Vampire Weekend. Jack Johnson. Spoon. Silversun Pickups. Somebody stop me. No. Don't. Stop. Don't stop....

So friends, family, music lovers, if you're tired of paying $9.99-$14.99 for an album on iTunes, come with me. Come with me to a country where they could give a rat's ass about royalties and the like. Come with me to a land of music without borders. Come with me when I get hauled away in handcuffs.

Messed up in the head

There is seriously something wrong with me. I just got back from running, and it's sooo sunny out, and I felt actual heat on my bare shoulders, and I thought, "Wow, I should lay out for a little bit." It's 51 degrees, folks. But in a momentous occasion I turned OFF the heat, and opened the doors and windows, and it feels amazing.

It's a good day.

Friday bits

It's finally Friday. Hooray!

I'm baking 2 lasagnas for a missionary zone conference this afternoon. My place smells delicious, and I won't even get to taste the bliss that is Stouffer's. The lasagna that my husband and his entire family prefers above even homemade lasagna. And I have to admit it's pretty tasty. And much easier than making it. But there's something so gratifying about making a homemade lasagna.


Tonite we're hosting this ward small dinner group type thing. The theme is "fiesta". Two single ladies and a couple we don't know are coming. Should be interesting.....It will be fun, no matter what, after the initial ice breakers. I'm thinking of getting a pinata. But where would I hang it???


Today is my last day off before I work 4 in a row. Yikes. I'm sure I'll be beat Wednesday morning, but will that keep me from getting on a plane Wednesday afternoon for Omaha, where I can enjoy Sonic cherry limeades everyday? No way, Jose.


Did I mention I'm running the Crazylegs Classic again in Madison in a few weeks? I haven't been running nearly as much as I was last year, so I'm sure I won't beat last year's time, which is a little disappointing. Still, it's a fun race, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll just need to make a super awesome 5 mile playlist to keep me pumped and running. What are some of your favorite songs to run to? You know, the ones that keep you running even when you want to walk?? Cough 'em up! I need some new material! I ran 3 miles yesterday, and it was pretty hard, but after I finished I felt so amazing. And then I came home and fell UP the stairs my legs were so tired. So awesome.


It's opening day for the Brewers today, and I'm wishing in a bad way I were there. It's a toasty 45 degrees out, and while not warm, per se, quite nice for this time of year. I can already smell the barbecues and hear the mediocre cover bands in the parking lot. My love for baseball has grown exponentially in the past couple of years. What's not to love?


I've recently had a strong new desire to learn to play the accordion. And here in polka land Milwaukee I'm sure I'll have no trouble finding somewhere to learn. Anyone want to join me? C'mon. 20 years later when you're playing polka hits a la Home Alone for your kids you'll be able to say, "Back when I lived in Milwaukee I learned how to play this here accordion." Enticing, no?

Happy Friday!!

Vote for Mary!

My friend's wife Mary is being featured in US Weekly as a celebrity look-a-like for LC, Lauren Conrad. Vote for her!

Confessional: I'm having an affair

Yes, it's true. I'm cheating. On who am I cheating, you ask? My three best friends: Carrie, Rooney, and Kanye. The three most played CD's in my car (Carrie's "Some Hearts", Rooney's self-titled album, and Kanye's "Graduation"--odd mix, no?) have been pushed aside, stuffed in the visor organizer along with Jessica Simpson and Coldplay rejects, who have waited years to be given the chance to spin just one more time in the player. And years they will keep waiting. Just who is the adulterous mistress? As Fast As. "Open Letter to the Damned" has been running non-stop for the past week. Thank you Chris for making me a dirty Jezebel. No, really, thank you for introducing me to my new favorite band. I'll take the title of adulterous hooker if it means finding awesome new music. Check 'em out. You won't be sorry. And if you are, you won't be my friend.



There are too many reasons to love this video. Let's pretend it's a hidden pictures puzzle. You tell me what I love about it. I'll even get you started:

1) It's called Florida Sunshine. Hello? Captain Obvious!
2) Astroturf
3) That chick is HOT

Now you go.

The transition of a night nurse

Before: Happy. Alert. Chipper, if you will.

After: Not so happy. Not so alert. Not so chipper, if you will. More sleepy. More hungry. More longing for bed. More hair thrown up in sloppy ponies.

I still really like it, though. :)

April Foolery

Yesterday I felt like such a loser because I couldn't think of a prank to pull. Gmail had a good one. YouTube had good ones. Even CNN had a good one. Ok, so it wasn't CNN. Still.

Derrick and I were headed to the mall for Ike's appointment, and decided to go to Noodles beforehand, and then we saw National Treasure afterwards. (Which was very entertaining, if not completely unbelievable.) So I decided to "glam up" for our big date.

I was heavy with the blush and eyeshadow. It looked like it could be normal for some, but I never wear it like this. I essentially looked like a hooker. This is our conversation when he gets home:

Me: Hi!
Derrick: Hi! Wow....look at you!
Me: Do you like it?
D: Yeah...
Me: I thought I'd dress up a little for our night out! You really like it?
D: Yeah...You look like a....rock star?
Me: (laughs) Thanks!
D: You look like you're going clubbing or something.
Me: (can't keep the laughs in) Are you serious??? You'd let me go in public like this??

Then we both crack up. This picture probably doesn't do it justice. I don't actually like it, but for your enjoyment I shall post it. Please excuse the poor posture. My mother would be so ashamed. Oh, and you can see my new 'do. I got my hairs cut on Friday. I think it's pretty short, but I think I must think it's shorter than it really is, b/c it doesn't really look all that short, does it? Should I go a tad bit shorter next time??

He lives, he lives who once was dead.

Sacrilege? Probably. But Ike has been fully restored to health. Resurrected, again. The nice man with the shaggy beard helped us last night at the Apple Store. It happened just how I knew it would. He tries to reset it, as if his fingers press on it differently than mine. Then, he takes it to the back room, and does his black magic voodoo moves on it, and brings it back fully functional. What in the world do they do back there?? I have wondered this many, many times. A secret combination of key presses? A magical machine they hook it up to? A cryptic prayer? A hammer?

Whatever the case, Ike is working, and my bathroom routines are more enjoyable now. He's on his last click, however. He makes a little ticking noise, which beard man says is a hardware issue, and it's only a matter of time before he just plain tuckers out. But, on the bright side, a dead Ike is worth a 10% discount on a future iPod purchase. I can't even think about replacing him right now. We've been through too much. However, I already have my sights set on an 80G Classic. Silver. The only problem will be finding a name for him. Or her???

What is this cold white liquid??

Sunday night I partook of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Milk was available, but, I do not like milk. Unless it has Hershey's syrup in it, with the chocolate to milk ratio being 4:1. However, I don't like being thirsty either, so I had a small glass. My taste buds were shocked. Surely, this creamy, cold, refreshing beverage (that's for you Joel) could not possibly be milk. Milk at my house is thin, watery, gross, the opposite of delicious. Hence why I never drink it. I asked Whitney why this milk was so good. I said, "Whitney, why is this milk so good?" Then, in a revelation unlike any other, she pointed out that it was 1%. One percent. Could it be that I like milk, just not fat-flavor-substance-free milk? Skim milk is hardly milk. It's white water. It's water with chalk dust in it. It's cow pee. It's nasty. But Derrick likes it. "I'd rather not waste calories on my milk" he says. Yeah, because I'm so sure you're really concerned with counting calories.

Ever since that night I've been craving chocolate chip cookies and milk. Real milk. 1% milk. Actually, I'd prefer 2%, but that is a little excessive. And whole milk? I don't want to have to chew my milk, thank you very much. I don't think I've craved milk in my entire life. Not once. I know I need more calcium, and if buying a half gallon of 1% gets it done, so be it.

Cookies and milk has plagued my thoughts for three days now. Today I put an end to its persistent nagging. I made cookies and bought milk. A half gallon, just for me. And delicious chocolate chip cookies to go along with them. Daneise's cookies, which are truly the best. They even turned out good for me, so you know they're good.

And no I won't share the recipe. If everyone knew how to make these delicious little circles, then nobody would need me to make them for them.

But I might possibly be bribed with some milk.

YouTube

Go to YouTube right now folks and check out their featured videos. Today. Not tomorrow. Quite good. All of them.