Giving Thanks 09

I am going to get a Christmas Tree today, so this is my last chance to justify writing about Thanksgiving.

And what a grand Thanksgiving it was!

I would say that the biggest thing I am thankful for over the Holidays is my family. I have an incredible immediate family, but I also got to marry into one of the best families around. They have always welcomed me in with open arms and I'm so glad that they are as weird as I am. I have so much fun with them. And this Thanksgiving did not disappoint.

For the second year in a row we have ventured out to the wonderful and magical Lincoln, Nebraska! Chris's brother, Dan, and his wife, Courtney live there.

Oh, and Rudy is there, too. Sorry guys, but he is the real reason I agree to drive to Nebraska.

Devin, Katie, Jeff, Chris, and I spent four days in Nebraska and roughly 25 hours in a car. Times were had. Here are some highlights.

Thanksgiving dinner was a hit, once again. Not bad for not having parents around. I made the Olsen family Wild Rice Stuffing and everything else went really well. I think we ate a total of 72 rolls over the course of the weekend.

Thanksgiving Day isn't complete for Devin and Chris unless they beat Mario Brothers 3 from start to finish, without warping. Here is Devin in action.

A new Nebraska tradition is goin' shootin' the day after Turkey Day. We shoot clay pigeons, so don't worry. I am proud to say that I shot three this year, which is a record for me.

We also ventured to The Omaha Zoo. Enjoyment ensued.

A lost of video games were played over the course for four days. Towards the end, the girls got a little bored, so Katie, Courtney, and I got pedi's while the boys played Smash.

It definitely was another successful trip to Nebraska. Hopefully, there will be more. And thank you Dan and Courtney for having us!

Hallowed Ween

For most girls, Halloween is a time to dress up, well, skanky. Any character, occupation, or object magically becomes skanky. Skanky pirate, skanky nurse, skanky bumble bee, you name it. Halloween is the perfect opportunity to show off some of that skin that might otherwise be socially unacceptable, especially in Utah.

I, on the other hand, have always had a different agenda. The past few years I have been far from skanky.

Notice the less than flattering full body jumpsuit I sported for my April O'Neil costume one year.

And then there was the ever so attractive Red Dwarf and Black Hole combo.

But, none can beat this year's legendary duo. I give you Wayne and Garth.

I have been wanting to be Wayne and Garth with someone since the beginning of time, so as nasty as I am as a blonde, it was worth it.

We got to sport this ensemble twice this year. The first time was at the first annual Squash Bash put on by our friends Adam and Chelsea. What is a Squash Bash, you ask? Well, it's hard to describe, but lets just say that there is a lot of singin and dancin and squash bashin. Chris and I did karaoke to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. An obvious choice if you are familiar with Wayne's World.

The next night, which was Halloween, was spent at USU's production of Sweeney Todd, which was incredible. Some of my friends were in it, and it was top notch. Good work, friends.

But my favorite part of the Halloween season is the infamous Pumpkin Blow. I posted about it last year, as some of you may recall. It happens every year on the Saturday after Halloween. This is our third year partaking in this little America splendor. Behold.

80 sticks of dynamite were used this year. Notice how it is nicely tucked away in the pile of pumpkins.

Before...

After.

I tried uploading a video of the festivities but blogger won't let me. Well just know that the explosion has never been this big before. It was literally raining pumpkins. One even whacked me in the bum; a war wound that was gladly earned.

So maybe Halloween isn't my most attractive holiday, but I have a good time. Perhaps next year will bring out a more skanky Randi, but for now I will stick to nappy fun Randi and blowing things up.

Makeover Summer results

For those faithful What the Crap readers, you may recall a blog written at the beginning of the summer called Makeover Summer. And for those that didn't read it or need a refresher, you can check it out HERE.

In this blog, I went off about some of the lofty goals I had set for the summer. Here is a report.

*Getting my body in gear: Well, I must say that this one was a success. As you may have gathered from my previous post, I got way into Yoga this summer. It is a great way to trick your body into good shape because it is so enjoyable to do and so good for the soul. I don't have "the hottest body this side of the Mississippi" like I had hoped, but I did lose about eight pounds and I look a wee bit more toned.

*Eating habits: this one was, also, a success in my eyes. I fell in love with fruits and veggies and the Farmers Market. I still eat my fair share of sweets and not-so-good things but all in moderation, my friends. Every June Chris and I are vegetarians. Just for kicks. This June Chris bailed on our little tradition but I took it on with open arms and am still going strong. I even subscribed to Vegetarian Times! I just love how much better my body feels when I don't eat meat. And vegetarian dishes tend to be healthier in general. But, I will say, even though I "wax vegetarian" I am not a full vegetarian. I still eat meat if someone cooks it for me or I just feel like it. I don't really believe in totally cutting things out of your diet (unless you have to for certain health conditions) because it messes with your head. It takes away your power to choose. Like with sweets, for example. The moment I say no more sugar, is the moment I crave it like no one's business. Again, its all in moderation. Read the book Intuitive Eating. It changed my life and my relationship with food.

*My house: A mini success. For a while there, I was getting sick of my apartment. It took going house hunting to make me fall in love with it again. There are a lot of hell holes out there and I am thankful for where I live and not having to worry about so much stuff. I did a lot of fun projects like taking down a gaudy wallpaper border and painting the wall, got some new bedding, rearranged a bit, took a big box of stuff to the DI, got new plates, painted some old frames some really cool colors and got some new art work. Even though there is still some clutter in the house, it looks a lot better and I love to be in every room, which was the goal. A huge thanks goes out to the lovely and talented Mr. Jeff Cardon. He came up one weekend and helped me re-d0 a bunch of stuff. And I got one of his paintings, which is amazing. Seriously, if any one out there needs any help with anything, he is your man.

*Wardrobe: mmmm not so much. I kind of dropped the ball on this one. I did buy a few new things and got rid of some old things but nothing to write home about. This goal is kind of a costly one. But I have been allowing myself to be more girly in what I wear. I guess I did buy a buttload of cool jewelry at the Farmer's Market. So, more of an accessories makeover than a wardrobe makeover.

*And finally, mini goals: yes and no. Yes, I did play two shows since that post. No, I did not write new music or write for fun. No, I did not decrease my Facebook time. No, I did not pay off my credit card, but I did make a good dent in it. No, I did not garden. And no, I did not build up my massage clientel. It was quite a slow summer at the Spa I work at and it's been quite a slow Fall. And so, I quit there and started working from home again, which is really exciting and I am already busier at home than I was at the spa! Good times. I did read a lot of books and I take more time to pamper myself. That was a huge one for me. I have really taken the time to fall in love with myself and get to know myself again. I know that sounds kind of cheesy, but it has been easy for me to get lost in being married and revolving my life around someone else. Over these past few months I have really made an effort to do things for me and learn to balance that with being married. And that whole process is another post entirely that maybe I will have the courage to write someday. The journey I have taken (and am still on) to get to this healthy balance isn't really one a lot of people in my life would be a fan of, but it's been really great. And I have an awesome husband.

So, there you have it. All in all, I would say Makeover Summer was a hit. I H.A.G.S. (had a great summer. Do you remember writing that in yearbooks?)
It was the perfect theme for my summer, I think. Who knows, it might even be next summer's theme. Wouldn't that be crazy? And if you didn't do it this summer, do it next summer, or next month, or next week. You never know what will happen, but I promise it is worth it.

Summa Time

Hey friends.

Yes, it has been a while since I have posted and posted something neat. So much happens in life that I just can't keep up the postings.

Life is good and busy. Before I fill you in on the here and now, here are some things that happened that were fun.

In July Chris and I got to run the Green River with our friends, Adam and Chelsea, and their family. We did a section called Ladore. It was 18 miles and it took us around 5 days. It was heaven. No phones, no internet, I didn't even wear a watch. If only real life could be like this.

Here are some hot pics. (These come up kind of small, but you can click on it to make it bigger)

Another thing that happened this summer was that I got to go to Costa Rica for two weeks. I went there to fulfill a goal I have had for a while of being a certified Yoga instructor. After many hours on the internet and many phone calls, I came across this 2 week intensive Yoga Teacher Training certification in Costa Rica. It was the best option for me time wise and money wise and it just felt like something I was meant to be apart of. So, from August 14th-30th I was livin it up in the jungle. Eat, sleep, and yoga was my life and I loved it. I met incredible people and ate the most amazing food. I not only did I learn so much about Yoga, I learned so much about myself. I really miss it.

Here are some hot pics from Costa Rica.

I was really blessed to have such an awesome summer. I left out a few other grand trips to Moab, Fargo, and Bozeman. Not much to report on those. They were just really fun.

I got back from Costa Rica a week after school started and was instantly bombarded with the pressures of getting caught up in my classes and getting back to work.

I am liking my 16 credits, working part time at a spa, and teaching yoga. Oh, I started teaching a beginner yoga class at a chiropractor's office once a week. I love it. I love yoga. Everyone should do it. It will change your life.

Well, thats all for now. Stay tuned for updates on how my "Makeover Summer" went and other current events!

I love you.

09.09.09

Happy 9.9.9 everyone!

And to celebrate, this is what I saw at 9 o'clock pm with 9 of my friends.


It was legendary.

Props for my girl

My loverly friend Lynette is giving away this amazing bag on her blog. I do own one of her bags already and I love it. It's all unique and vintage and it makes me feel cool. Check it out on her blog here:

http://ladydanburrysews.blogspot.com/

Peace.

A little ditty...

Yes, it has been about a month since I have posted. I have gotten so behind on posting the exciting events of summer that I get overwhelmed when I think about posting. I do intend of posting some grand highlights of my life soon, but in the meantime I shall entertain you with another little ditty.

I just finished an online class I was doing this summer and here is a piece I wrote for it. Don't worry, it's not even close to being as long as the last piece I posted.

Enjoy.


The True Tree Hugger

I always thought Sister Nelson was a bit crazy. Her hair was always in a tight bun at the top of her head, revealing her discerning eyes. The way she dressed herself in long skirts and shirts the color of pale earth tones were not the least bit flattering on her figure that proved she had a big family. The stern way in which she taught my Sunday school class of preteens seemed to encourage us to mock her afterwards.
Most of Sister Nelson’s lessons went in one ear and out the other, except for one.
“We all have Spirits, my little brothers and sisters,” she spatters as she motions to everyone in the small Sunday school room lit only by an open window. “And even though someday we will all die, our Spirits will live on!”
Internally, I roll my eyes as I assume I had heard this lesson before.
“And not only do we humans have Spirits, but everything has a Spirit. I have a Spirit. You have a spirit. Birds have spirits. Cats have spirits! Even...um…this table has a spirit!”
“A table? How can a table have a spirit?” a fellow class member asks as we all whisper and giggle.
“ Well, look at the table. What is it made out of? Wood! Wood comes from trees and trees definitely have spirits.”
…

Logan Canyon had never felt so refreshing as it did one day this past winter. Logan City had been suffering from a polluted overcast season that happens in the winter months. I had forgotten how much I had missed the sunshine and fresh air as my husband and I were snowshoeing across a field covered with glistening powder. The crisp air that brushed across my nose with each crunching step reminded me of how excited I was to be alive.
I was in the zone. Having a husband who is about a foot taller than me forces my legs to move twice their natural pace. Determined to keep up on this excursion, I focused on my pace more than the breathtaking scenery around me. With my determination unknown to my husband, he got caught up with our friends we were with, leaving me alone.
Eventually, I stop to rest. As I lift my head to look around, I become overwhelmed. I notice that I stopped in the middle of the most beautiful patch of white birch trees I have even seen. The setting sun peeks in between the trees creating a golden aura around each trunk. For a moment I feel frozen in time. It’s like there is a force coming from the trees keeping me locked in place so we can exchange a moment. My heart starts to drown in unconditional love being exchanged between us.
Trees definitely have spirits echoes in my mind.
…

Today, at the Gardener’s Market, I bought a pendant made out of a gourd with the dark outline of a tree and its branches carved into it. When I passed it in small booth owned by a woman in a long flowing skirt and braided hair, I knew I had to buy it. I resisted the purchase until the marked was coming to a close and I chased down the flowing skirt merchant as she was leaving. Now, I wear it around my neck.
Starting at it, I start to contemplate my love for trees. My mind wanders back to my childhood and almost every memory is associated with a tree. Like the time I climbed higher than any boy in my neighborhood. Or the time I ran away from home and hid in a tree until I got hungry and went back home. And there were the many times I pretended the tree in my backyard was Grandmother Willow from the movie Pocahontas. I would often go to it for guidance in my, oh, so important childhood decisions.
I look around my apartment and notice the artwork and décor of my home consists largely of different depictions of trees. My photo albums of my adventures all over the world each feature specific trees that stuck out to me. What is with trees and me? Perhaps, it is their quiet dignity. Or how every part of them is there to serve. How their leaves provide oxygen to breath, their sap is used to eat, their wood provides building materials. Even the way they encompass the earth creates shade on a hot summer day and adds beauty to any landscape. They are the perfect example of humility and selflessness.
Eventually my thoughts take me back to Sister Nelson. Maybe she wasn’t so crazy after all. Maybe she is wiser than I ever gave her credit for. Or maybe, I am just as crazy as she is. Whatever the case, I know I am thankful for those selfless giants. Somehow they show me that everything is connected to each other, that there is something bigger than myself looking after me, and that no matter what happens, it is all going to be ok.