The Tally Continues

Current temperatures this fine morning:

Honolulu : 70 degrees

Idaho Falls : 1 degree (not joking)

The countdown is to 25 days. Crazy!

I owe you nothing Idaho.

Oh Utah... How Do I Miss Thee {Highlights}

This past weekend Maryn and I hit two birds with one stone by going to Utah. She needed a ride to the airport, and I needed to see my friends. It was mildly exhausting, but mostly really fun!

We got there Thursday night, and I made it just in time for yoga at the climbing gym with Tia (and, as it were, to wave at Cute Rock Climbing boy, who, as it were, is dating someone. Maybe she'll be gone in 18 months?) Ah I love yoga. And I love Tia.

I visited Sparks, said hi to my brother, and then helped Jared edit a paper. It's possible my grammatical advice was unsolicited, but part of me always itches to add a comma or combine two sentences.

Breakfast with Sarah was really fun. Though she and I were roommates, it is pretty rare that when we get together, it's just the two of us. So I really liked that.

Climbing with Alison and Steph for the last time was a little sad, but good. Haha I didn't realize how much strength I had built up until I went this weekend, and quickly realized I had lost it. :)

The dance party with Maryn and Jessie, though short lived, was also quite fun. But probably not as good as when we tried to fit five people in one bed to watch a movie at Tyler's. I ended up sleeping on the floor, and I bet we all got maybe, maybe 3 hours of sleep.

Seeing the Joseph Smith movie and then going to some sort of Wedding Expo for the free food at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake was excellent. The movie was great, and it was really good to have such a clear reminder of why I started this mission business in the first place. The free food- so good. Nothing like mooching with your friends when everyone is poor.

Stopping by Sparks for a last heart to heart with some of my brother's roommates was unexpected, but certainly enjoyed.

Grocery shopping with Emily- loved it and love her. :)

Sushi with the money room- what a good group of people! It's funny to think that some of my favorite/closest friends came from where I worked. You can never go wrong when you're with a group made of people you enjoy individually.

I wish I could say I remembered more about sleeping over at Emily's with Margo, but after the movie, I was falling asleep while they were talking to me. However- the morning was fun!

Classic Laurie Caitlan time. It's remarkable that after 2 and a half years, I still never laugh as hard as I do at what she and I manage to come up with. (Zebra Death Song? Ok)

Oh Erin. I'm so glad that was my last Utah adventure, because it was definitely the funniest. She and I always bring out the best in each other- and by best I mean bold, lack of inhibitions, and a guaranteed good story. It all began with sitting in sacrament meeting, and noticing a cute boy in one of the pews in front of us. The day progressed, including making small conversation with Church Boy at a later fireside, and ended with us sending him flirtatious/forward texts, and he and I arranging for a lunch date the next day. Poor kid. But it was good, I still think he's cute.:)

I only spent about $100 for the entire weekend. Yes, I think it was worth it.

Blogs are funny

I think I like blogs because I like to talk, and here is a chance for me to share my thoughts, where it is appropriate to talk without being invited to.

Random thought #1- I think people should come with warning labels, myself included. If I could create a warning label for myself, it would say, "Beware. This girl has a very limited filter of what, when shared in confidence, should be kept personal, about herself or others. If you want something you share to stay a secret, you must make audible mention."

No recent horrible occurrence of me being a blab made me share this, but I have often been told my openness, even with people I've known for a long time, is disconcerting. The worst part? I don't think I'm that open, and wouldn't know it if people didn't comment. Hence the warning label- I don't think there's much I can do to fix it, so... be warned.

I also know a few people I would have liked to have been warned about. Like a roommate or two. "This girl seems really nice and fun. But watch out! Warning: Will dominate the conversation and talk to the boy you like for over an hour, even if he came to see you." or "Warning: This girl eats copious amounts of tuna, and never thinks to rinse the can, plate, or any utensil she may have used, thus stinking up your kitchen for days."

I'm sure some of my associates, unfortunate roommates included, could come up with a warning label or two for me. I still think it's a great idea. And yet for some reason, when people try to warn you upon your first meeting of something about themselves, it often comes across awkward. Why is that? (Sidenote: I already wrote a blog about asserting that I'm awkward. Perfect. I'm awkward because I stated I'm awkward.)

Random thought #2: The upcoming mission (5 weeks!) and this good book I'm reading (The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs) have made me contemplate, not doubtingly question, but evaluate, my faith. I've come to this conclusion, as more finely stated by President Thomas S. Monson:

'' 'And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!'

This is the knowledge that sustains. This is the truth that comforts. This is the assurance that guides those who are bowed down with grief—out of the shadows and into the light ."

New Obsession

So since I've been home and jobless, I've become a bit of a housewife. Or, mother's helper I suppose, since I'm not married. Anyway- the point is this- I am furthering my knowledge of kitchen greatness. My new favorite is this website my sister Elise showed me- http://blogchef.net/

It is so fun! I made his recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala (Indian food) the other night, and while it was a bit labor intensive, it was fun making something legitimately. Haha I felt especially cool when I was grating the ginger root. So, that is all.

Keeping Score

Idaho Falls, ID Current Conditions

Temperature:	20°	Pressure:	30.38 in
Wind Speed:	6 mph	Dew Point:	11°
Wind Chill:	12°	Visibility:	10 mi
Humidity:	62%

Honolulu, HI Current Conditions

Temperature:	82°	Pressure:	29.89 in
Wind Speed:	15 mph	Dew Point:	67°
Wind Chill:	82°	Visibility:	8 mi
Humidity:	60%

Idaho, if you want my love, you will have to step it up, quite a bit.

Keeping Score

Cooking

I've always had a closet desire to be chef. Well, maybe not so closet, but, as careers go, culinary arts has gone without being pursued. Somewhere along the lines between middle school and high school, I wanted to be more health oriented and got it in my head that all chefs would ultimately be grossly obese and I should take a different path. Sidenote- some thoughts seem so logical until you actually express them. Anyway. Now everything I'm interested in has to do with the market and money, which I do legitimately like. However, every time I watch Stranger than Fiction, and it's the part where Anna Pascal is talking about dropping out of Harvard to make the world better by making cookies, I always, always think, "I don't want to go to school anymore. I want to make people happy with cupcakes, too!" But let's get real- the idea of opening up your own business hoping people like your cookies better than other people's is slightly daunting. This is the plan- because I do think having a degree is a good idea. I will graduate, gain some business experience/save my money while working some sort of real job, and then, by and by, the real job will be phased out by a sandwich and cookie shop. Perfect. Not wholly credible, but still nice.

I feel like this post should be summed up with my chocolate chip cookie recipe, which is always my fall back whenever someone does me a favor. ("Please? I'll make you cookies. Ok thanks!")

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 375

1 cup (2 cubes) softened butter (not totally melted though, it does weird things)

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 cups loosely packed flour

2 1/2 cups / a bag / however many you want of chocolate chips

Mix the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the eggs. Then add the baking soda, salt, and flour. The dough should be soft and all hold together, but not stick to your (clean) finger if you touch it. Stir in the chocolate chips and bake for like 9-10 minutes at 375.

When I was at school, I would probably only bake half of the dough and the rest would be eaten, by my roommates, with spoons. I personally prefer cookie over dough, but whatev.

Oh- and tonight I used a combo of muenster and cheddar cheese when making grilled cheese, with just a dab of pesto- delish. Did I copy Zupas? Yes. Was it really good? Also yes.