Down 'n' Dirty

Imagine this: you're covered in mud and you get to slide down a 150-foot slip 'n' slide (longest in the world, if you're wondering), then you get to crawl through a mud pit--not caring if you're dirty. Sounds like fun, right? Sounds like your fondest childhood dream, right? Yeah, I thought so, too. Except then you had to run 10k in between those things. Throw in some wood walls and a swamp of atrociously smelly mud and you've got the Dirty Dash. Oh, and it's about 50 degrees. Sounding fun yet?

It actually was pretty fun. Except for the cold part and the running part. One thing is for sure: even though I was the slowest one and they probably wished they could've left me behind, my friends are what made this race fun! I already posted about this, but here's a refresher of what the course looked like, in case you don't go back and re-read my blog every day:

Translation: Big Pig Climb= giant hill covered in mud. Steep hill. Yikes. And that secret obstacle? Yeah, that was a swamp. Of black mud. It looked like really wet soil, and it was so deep that while running through it I actually sunk down to my knee once. Goo.

Here are Aubrey and Cary stretching out before the big race. It was really cold that morning before the sun had the chance to come out and warm things up. We didn't want our muscles to be cold, too. They're pretty intense. I'm pretty sure Carla's back there deciding whether or not she should take her layers off yet. She decided to wait.

DeeAura, Angela, and Aubrey wore their race shirts to the race. Umm....what dorks. Just kidding. But they were pretty proud of it.

This is them again. But let me tell you why Angela is my hero: In an effort to make people carpool, Soldier Hollow (where the race was held) gave out 5 free ski passes to all cars that had at least 5 people in them. Ours had 6. So that means one person would have to go without. When we were pulling up, however, we noticed that a car ahead of us only had 4 passes. =No passes. So we dared Angela to run up to the car and get in with them. It was a joke. Then she actually did it. She got out and jogged up to their car like she was just out warming up before the race. Then she knocked on their window, volunteered to ride with them so they'd get ski passes, and they let her in! So everyone got a free ski pass. Easily the coolest part of the day. Angela, you rock.

Here we are before, nice and clean.

Here we are after: nice and dirty.

It got warmer but it still was pretty cold. And the slip 'n' slide and mud pit at the end were filled with VERY cold water. So we were freezing. Big time. And then they had showers rigged up to clean up in. That's right--also cold water. I was cold for the next hour and a half. And I was tired for the rest of the day. But I made it!

It Might Be a Quarter-Life Crisis

A few weeks ago, I went to a John Mayer concert in West Valley City. It was a super last minute decision but definitely a great decision. Jaime and I drove up there together but once we got to the show, we met up with her friends Kaylee and Krysti.

John Mayer is fabulous. Seriously talented. He's an incredibly smart lyricist and, from my non-guitar-playing point of view, a pretty snazzy guitarist. I don't know if that's a word. I'll just say guitar player. Anyway, the show was really fun, and his songs are just good stuff. Probably one of the most fun parts of the show was making fun of him. I've expressed my love for him, so don't think I was making fun out of spite. It's just that I'm pretty sure he was either drunk or high. Or maybe both. Anyway, he was having a great time and watching him was pretty entertaining. Oh, and I LOVE live music.

Here he is strumming away.

This photo is to show you his sweet bandana headband. He admitted himself that he looked like a fool up there. But he doesn't have anyone to impress. And I'm pretty sure no one there cared.

Kaylee, Kristy, Jaime, and I freezing. Fall is definitely here!

 

Something else that I love: clever song lyrics. There's nothing like a good song that just expresses the way you feel. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about lyrics that are creative. I'm talking about lines that express something in a way you never would have thought of but really wish you had. Dave Matthews is one of my favorite songwriters for that reason. John Mayer is another. Throughout the whole show, I kept pointing out to Jaime all the interesting words and phrases and images he was using. I'm pretty sure she'll never want to go to a concert with me again. One of my favorite John Mayer lines: "Thinkin' 'bout my brother Ben./ I miss him every day./ He looks just like his brother John/ but on an 18-month delay." I mean, that's clever right? Pretty much he's just saying that his little brother's 18 months younger than him but "on an 18-month delay" is quite a clever way to say that. Anyway. There are some other lyrics that are way smarter than that, but I like it. Chalk it up to my love of words. Call me a nerd if you want. I'll call you something much more clever than a nerd. During the show, he played an oldie-"Why Georgia." It was on his first album which I'm pretty sure came out when I was like 15. I've heard the song hundreds of times but for some reason, it really hit me that night. Here are the lyrics:

I am driving up 85 on the kind of morning that lasts all afternoon.
I'm just stuck inside the gloom.
Four more exits to my apartment
But I am tempted to keep the car in drive
And leave it all behind.
'Cause I wonder sometimes about the outcome
of a still verdictless life.

Am I livin' it right?
Am I livin' it right?
Am I livin' it right?
Why, why, Georgia, why?

I rent a room and I fill the spaces with wood in places
To make it feel like home.
But all I feel's alone.
It might be a quarter-life crisis
Just a stirrin' in my soul
Either way I wonder sometimes
About the outcome of a still verdictless life.

Am I livin' it right?
Am I livin' it right?
Am I livin' it right?
Why? Why, Georgia, why?

So what? So I've got a smile on.
It's hiding the quiet superstitions in my head.
Don't believe me. Don't believe me
When I say I've got it down.

Everybody is just a stranger. Well.
That's the danger in going my own way.
Guess that's the price I have to pay.
Still, everything happens for a reason
Is no reason not to ask myself

If I am livin' it right.
Am I livin' it right?
Am I livin' it right?
Why? Tell me why.Why?
Why, Georgia, why?
During that song, I felt like John Mayer and I were one. Well, the John Mayer from 2001 and I were one. I was impressed how introspective the song is. And how typical the feelings are. I think every young 20-something has probably felt at least once that they're not really sure where they're going with their life or even where they should be going. So you just go on faking it and how someday you'll figure it out. But, as John so wonderfully states, the old phrase "Everything happens for a reason" is no reason not to check up on yourself. It's no reason to just assume that life will happen to you and you'll deal with it as you go. It's important to check up on yourself and see if you really are living it right. Or at least living it in a way that you feel good about. This is when I felt like little Johnny was even getting a bit religious. Even though a lot of the time I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing with my life, and I wonder if I really am doing what I'm supposed to be doing, I know I can check in with someone and He will tell me. I can kneel down and ask my Heavenly Father if I'm living it right. And He'll tell me. And if I'm not, He'll show me what I need to change. So even though I feel like I, too, am having a quarter-life crisis just about every other day, I can feel the peace the Spirit brings. And I have the gospel as a road map to follow. And if I stay on that path, the verdict will be good in the end. And that's what keeps me going. I wish I could share that with John Mayer. I really think he needs to know.

Carly

My friends Cary and Carla got married right after I got home from Argentina. Like a month and a half ago. Sorry about the delay. Anyway, I always want to mesh their names, you know, like Brangelina. Or Bennifer. Except their names are almost the same to begin with. So I'll just call them the Tippetts. But that, too, creates a problem because it already ends in an s. How do you pluralize it? Oh man. I'll just go with Carly. Anyway, Cary and Carla got married. I've been really excited for this wedding all summer because it was one of the first times I've known both the bride and groom at a wedding. AND I got to go with all my friends, which makes it that much more fun.

AND they are just a dashing young couple.

(I don't mean to brag, but I should probably tell you how great I am. I took this picture of Cary and Carla. And it was their favorite from their whole wedding. Except now they have the professional ones back so they probably like those better. But for an amateur photographer, I'm pretty darn good.)

The centerpieces were made of jell-o. I don't think they were meant to be eaten though, ANGELA.

The Omni ladies. I have fabulously wonderful and incredibly beautiful friends!

Brazofuerte

In the MTC, I was able to have two amazing teachers--Sarina Thomas and Dan Fey. They were both fabulous in their own way, but Hermana Thomas was just one of the most impressive people I have ever met. I want to be her. In the MTC, I wanted to be the kind of missionary she was, and now I just want to be the kind of woman she is. She had an incredible way of motivating us and making us feel valued and loved. She has an incredible testimony of the Gospel and of missionary work, and she is really, really good at sharing it. She's super talented, so fun, and an extremely positive influence in every way. I could probably go on all day about how great she is. Most of you don't know her, though, and you'd get real bored so I'll refrain from doing that.
Anyway, this summer, Hermana Thomas got married. The story of how she and her husband finally ended up together is impressive and quite complicated. It's pretty obvious that the Lord brought them together, though, which is not surprising since she's pretty tight with the Lord. Her husband's name is Christian Armstrong so now she's Sarina Armstrong (that's Brazofuerte, in Spanish, if you care). Jaime and I were able to go to her reception. She was beautiful, and the party was as beautiful and unique as she is.

It had been rainy that day so after the reception, we came out to this beautiful, explosive sky! Sunset through the clouds.

Masaman and The Book of Mormon

Two very important things happened this week:

I tried Masaman curry for the first time.
And I read Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk about The Book of Mormon. Read it here.Let's start with the Masaman. Monday was my good friend Aubrey Shuler's birthday. I'm sorry that I don't have a picture to share from that night. My camera's batteries are having trouble working. But she was radiant. We went to Thai Ruby in Provo. Oh. My. Gosh. It was abso-freakin-lutely delicious. I've never had Thai food before, so I asked Aubrey (well, both Aubreys, really) if I should get Cashew Chicken or Masaman Curry. They both said Masaman without a doubt. So I trusted their advice. Best decision of my life. I was full about halfway through, and I ate the whole thing. Couldn't stop. If you've never had it, go get it. Today. Right now. You won't regret it.

The next day, I was reading the Ensign from November 2009. I try to read a talk a day. I'm hoping to get caught up some day. My progress is slow. Anyway...that day I read the talk "Safety for the Soul," by Elder Holland. I listened to the talk when he gave it, and I've read it since. Not to mention this talk seems to be like the pop favorite. Everyone talks about it. But I didn't remember being that impressed. I mean, it was fabulous; Elder Holland is always fabulous. I just didn't have the same reaction everyone else did. Well, I'm apparently slow, because it rocked my socks off. His testimony of The Book of Mormon is so strong. One part really stood out to me:

"Now, I did not sail with the brother of Jared in crossing an ocean, settling in a new world. I did not hear King Benjamin speak his angelically delivered sermon. I did not proselyte with Alma and Amulek nor witness the fiery death of innocent believers. I was not among the Nephite crowd who touched the wounds of the resurrected Lord, nor did I weep with Mormon and Moroni over the destruction of an entire civilization. But my testimony of this record and the peace it brings to the human heart is as binding and unequivocal as was theirs."

When I was reading that, I felt so overwhelmingly sure of the same thing! I, too, know that The Book of Mormon is true! I may not be an apostle, but I know that everything in that book is true and that Joseph Smith was who he said he was and saw what he said he saw. I am so grateful that I know that, and I'm so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who sends His spirit to remind me that I know it.

Don't Go Chasin' Waterfalls

My Labor Day weekend was nature-filled! Ok, seriously, I'm not a nature girl. But I went hiking! Some friends and I hiked Stewart Falls Friday night. I wish I could say it was beautiful, but...it was dark and...I couldn't really see it. Hiking at night was great because it was nice and cool, but I would definitely recommend hiking it during the day so you can actually enjoy the reward at the end of the hike.

That's all I could see of the falls. The rushing water sound was definitely thrilling, though.

Angela, Erik, Aubrey, Curtis, Derrick, Cody, Adam, and Deena

Angela, Aubrey, and me. That's right, I had my camera and a flashlight. So prepared. Just call me a Girl Scout.

Then on Labor Day, we had a bbq! We did hot dogs which were amazing because we had J-Dawg's sauce. O.M.D. (That stand for Oh My Delicious, just so you know.)

Our most recently married couple even came to enjoy the day with us. AND they were sick! That is dedication.

Jaime, Athena, Braden, Abby, Erik, Angela,Aubrey, Adam, and DeeAura. That's Derrick back there rockin' our teeny grill. It did its job, though. Good work, grillita.

Non-Labor Day

Labor Day is fabulous. Let me tell you why. It's 12:10 pm. As in just after noon. I woke up this morning at about 9:30, ate a little breakfast, then decided I wasn't ready to go running yet. So I got back in bed and read my scriptures until I fell asleep again. I woke up again at 11:30. I put my contacts in, brushed my hair and pulled it up to go running, except then I started on my daily internet rounds. You know--check my email, check facebook, check every blog I ever knew existed... The point is, it's 12:12 now, and I have only done one thing today that I consider productive. And I don't care! I'm not even stressed about it because I only have 3 or 4 things on my list to do today that are productive, and I still have pleeeeenty of time to get to those. So Labor Day is currently my favorite day because it's my day. I don't have to share it at all with Wells Fargo or BYU. Take that.

Living Within My Means

It's hard. As I previously posted, I paid off my credit card. And I decided to try out some prophetic counsel. You know, live within my means. I've been thinking about it for a while but last month I went to my friend Jaime's ward and her Relief Society lesson was all about saving and budgeting. (Check out the church's inspiring financial counsel here.) I decided that if I really wanted to stop worrying about money, I needed to master it. So I'm budgeting.

I'm not a crazy spender but I usually just put everything on my credit card and pay it off whenI get paid. Except it doesn't usually get paid off all the way...hence the excitement over a $0 balance. So I decided that with this fresh start I should stop using my credit card and start using a budget. It's hard. I don't even really know how to begin. And today I had to deny myself some very cute on-sale shorts because I frankly don't have enough money for them. If I wasn't so busy being sad about being poor, I'd be very proud of myself for holding back.

Like I said, I don't even know where to begin on making a budget. Any suggestions? Should I write down everything I've spent over the last little while? What if I don't know what I spent it on? How do you plan for things you don't have to pay all the time. For instance, I fork out a few hundred dollars a couple times a year to go home to visit my family. How do I work that into my monthly budget when I only have to do it twice a year? I could really use any suggestions, tips, or good resources you know of.

Pretty soon I'll be sittin' on several thou' in my savings account. Just have to stop spending it so I can start saving it... Oh, and yes. Those are my favorite earrings ever.