Run Day

If you've looked at my Facebook page at all you can probably tell that I've been running a lot lately.  In all fairness, I have to admit that my runs are one of the few times I'm actually motivated to post things to Facebook, so my feed tends to get a little clogged with running times.  I apologize!  What is not obvious from my newsfeed is that me and running have never mixed well.  Up until last winter, I would have told you I hated running, and that I would much prefer lifting weights… or watching a movie!  Haha.

At risk of sounding like a cliche, this January I called up my local Gold's Gym, and got in on a New Year's membership deal.  Also, in March I decided to start into a personal training program through the gym.  From the second week of January 2014, I haven't missed a single week of getting in some kind of workout.  I hate to brag, but I started out strong going to the gym six days a week (mostly because I was sure if I missed even a single day, I'd just give up).  Since then, I've tapered off a bit, but I still either make it to the gym, or go for a 45 minute run 4-5 times a week.  I can't really say why exactly I made such a one-eighty, but I do have to say I'm loving this new obsession of mine!

I've decided that the only way I ever got myself into running is because of my love for movies!  Sound strange?  Well it started out with this awesome cardio theater that Gold's had, which allowed me to focus on a movie while I forced myself to stay on the treadmill for more than ten minutes.  After that, I started using fun runs to get myself motivated.  Prior to July, I couldn't even tell you what the distance for a 5k was (it's 3.1 miles).  All I knew was that I was going to participate in a Harry Potter themed race!  (See, movies!)  I also happened to stumble across a fantastic group of people in my ward that also enjoy doing 5ks on the weekend.  With their encouragement, I have now completed five 5ks, and I'm currently registered for two more.  As you will see, I also do these because I love to dress up!

•  Potter Run: A Harry Potter themed race on Harry's birthday, July 31st.  Liberty Park.

Potter Run.

Potter run with my Gryffindor robe and bow tie!

• Kiss Me Dirty: A mud run with obstacles, mud pits, and colorful foam.  State fair grounds, August 16th.  Team name was Batman and Robinhood!

Pink and muddy, just the way I like it!

My running companions, Kami and Christina.

• Run or Dye: a color run through downtown Salt Lake, and the Energy Solutions center.  A fabulous riot of colored chalk (that I'm still finding in odd places), and currently my best run time.  October 4.

Don't mind my blue 'stache and teeth!

Running ladies from the ward!

I had pink stain in my elbows, and I had permanent staining for the next 24 hours on my forehead, ears, scalp, and fingernails.  Fabulous!

• Haunted Half: a Halloween-themed costume run around the State Capitol, and down emigration canyon.  Beautiful fall run.  I went as Ariel.  October 18th.  Despite a late start due to parking difficulties, this is my favorite run so far.

At the finish line.  My Ariel would've been more convincing
if I hadn't had so many wardrobe malfunctions!

Note my awesome "scales"!

Just running.  The last 0.5 miles were decorated, and even had a haunted tent thingy!

• Hero Dash: this run was unplanned.  It was supposed to happen in July, but was rescheduled several times before being combined with Comic Con's Zombie Run.  This made my third 5k in a month, and I wasn't too thrilled to give up another Saturday.  However, I finally got to utilize all my Batman swag!  October 25th, Liberty Park.

I had a cape, and knee-hight Batman socks.  Also, I don't know how the real Batman wears a cowl, because it turned into a disgusting sweat funnel.  (Sorry, that may have been tmi?)

Being completely honest, I'm still not running the entire race, but I can consistently finish in 45 minutes or less.  It's been an excellent journey, and some of my favorite memories of this summer have been the rainy days when I've been out running around the lake watching the lightning in the distance.  I feel the need to go ahead and put this out there, I've officially lost 25 pounds since January.  Seriously, what a difference!  I eat healthier, I feel more confident about myself, finding clothes is much easier (and more fun), and I have the ability to do things I know I couldn't have done a year ago.

My usual running haunt, Ocqhirh Mountain lake.  (Seriously, how do you spell that?!)

Halloween Movie Night

Okay guys, Halloween is my thing!  Seriously, I wait all year for this.  Get ready for lots of October-related ramblings.  I decided to compile a list of movies I typically like to watch to get into the Halloween spirit.  Also, I've been adding all kinds of rando movies to my collection.  I've discovered this store FYE (for your entertainment) that is basically a giant, Wal-Mart sized movie store!  I've found all kinds of older movies that I couldn't seem to collect anywhere else.  Okay, here's my list.

• Hocus Pocus - my number one favorite Halloween movie
• Clue
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Corpse Bride
• Beetlejuice - Oh hey, this has a young Alec Baldwin in it!
• The Sixth Sense - Remember how creepy this was when it first came out?  Also, I feel obligated to mention The Village, and Signs.
• Bram Stoker's Dracula - an old classic that I still find extremely creepy
• Dark Shadows - Johnny Depp as a vampire.  Lovely.  Also, a really weird movie.
• Underworld - Vampires!
• Hotel Transylvania - Adam Sandler and vampires
• Batman Begins trilogy - because everything is better with Batman!  Besides, you can't get much creepier than Heath Ledger as the Joker.
• Secret Window - more Johnny Depp
• Warm Bodies
• Harry Potter
• I, Frankenstein - bad reviews, but somehow I still like it
• Ghostbusters
• Sleepy Hollow - Johnny Depp.  Again.  Must be the whole Tim Burton relationship.
• The Mummy I and II
• Alien - This movie literally gave me nightmares, but it's totally a classic.
• Alice in Wonderland - a few years ago I was the Mad Hatter!  (um… Johnny Depp)
• Bewitched - an adorable story about an awkward witch
• Phantom of the Opera
• Cabin in the Woods - another odd discovery with bad reviews, but I liked it.  A bit dark.
• The Blair Witch Project - caught it on Netflix
• Van Helsing - a pretty bad movie, but at least it has Hugh Jackman.
• Beautiful Creatures - a $2 Black Friday item, a bit cheesy, but it involves witches
• Beastly - another cheesy romance, but it's got Ashley Olson as a witch.  And maybe a Halloween party?
• Something Wicked This Way Comes (Is that a real title?  Pretty sure that's the one.)
• Under Wraps - a lame Disney movie about mummies, but I remember it from my childhood.

These are the movies I could think of.  Generally I'll kick off the Halloween season by watching scary movies all month long.  Not to mention a plethora of TV series' like Moonlight (vampires), Vampire Diaries (a little too much drama to be actual Halloween material), Once Upon a Time (especially the episodes with Frankenstein), Being Human (vampires, werewolves, and ghosts), The Walking Dead, and any Halloween special of Modern Family, or Friends.  Hooray!

Goldie

I literally started writing this like a year ago.  Here's to maybe finishing this.

When you move to or away from and island, the things you take with you are pretty minimal.  Just in comparison, when I moved from Omaha back to Cedar after dental school graduation, I filled an entire 10 foot moving truck and the trunk and back seat of my car.  When I moved to Maui I took four suitcases weighing 240 pounds or less.  That either says I have a lot of things I don't really need, or I'm just really good at living minimally for a short period of time!

Regardless, when I moved to Maui I brought my car Goldie with me, but I decided it wasn't going to make the return trip back to the Mainland.  I was getting nervous about all the things I needed to do before moving, so right after getting back from my visit to Cedar in May, I put my car up for sale on Craig's List.  I was amazed at how quickly my faithful little car sold!

I met with a guy to test drive the car, and June 12th I sold it to him!  The guy paid me in cash, so I was walking around with an envelope full of a couple thousand in hundred dollar bills.  My friend told me I should take a picture of it all spread out with me laying on top of it like in "Indecent Proposal."  I was totally up for this plan, but it turns out I was too nervous carrying around that much dough, so I headed straight for the bank!  It was a little bit sudden, and I had just over three weeks left when I still needed a car.  I got a sweet deal from Costco, and I was driving a rental for my last couple of weeks in Maui.  It was this sweet little Dodge Caliber that had the wimpiest engine ever.  Luckily no one really needs to get places fast in Maui!  So here's to my sweet little golden car.

Things we did:

• Started out with me in College, and my first year of Dental school at the U.  This equals late mornings trying to find parking up at the hospital, and late nights hanging out at the library.
• Moved a good number of possessions from Incline Terrace apartments up the street to my cute Corner house.  This included a rather large dresser that actually fit in the back seat!
• Moved out to Omaha with me.  This trip it took on a trailer behind a Penske.
• Survived those horrid winter snow months, including spinning out and landing in the median at least twice.  (Cops were involved both times.  Urgh.)
• Speaking of cops, I think I got one speeding ticket, and at least one or two warnings….
• Became the designated road trip vehicle.  This friend went to Nauvoo twice, to the Mall of America, and a couple of times to Des Moines.
• Got multiple bumps and bruises from the dental school parking lot at Creighton.  Seriously, worst parking area ever.
• Moved from Omaha back to Cedar in a 15 hour caravan with David Densley.
• Was shipped from Las Vegas, across the Pacific, all the way to Maui.
• Multiple maintenance issues.  Tires, brakes, hit a deer, minor fender bender, and new tint that was replaced twice, then removed to be legal in Maui.
• Got a random huge crack in the windshield one night in Maui that had to be replaced.
• Got me safely around the entire Hana road at least three times, and up and down Haleakela another three times.

Apparently I get attached to my vehicles!

Yes I love Technology

Always and forever!
But really, I think that literally all of my technology is crapping out on me.  What terrible timing.  First my internet is sporadic, then my cell phone literally decides it doesn't want to be a phone anymore.  Basically it doesn't ring whenever anyone calls or texts me.

Yeah, I've taken up this new "screening" process where I never answer the phone ever, and rarely do I return calls.  This is because I can literally be holding my phone, then I look down, and realize I've missed a call.  Anyway, I've been waiting for my contract to come up since like August, then I decided to wait for the new iPhone because, why not.  Also, if I don't get it I know I'll just regret not waiting.  Now I'm just waiting for my new iPhone 6 to come in, but in the meantime you should probably leave a voicemail that I may or may not listen to!  Oh yes, and then my computer decides it doesn't want to work either.  Luckily that was because of a dead battery that was easy enough to replace.  However, the guys at the genius bar at the apple store took the opportunity to make fun of my "antique" computer which I purchased in 2008.  I guess six years in computer years is even older than in dog years!

Baking with Sherlock

Considering my long hiatus, there are so many things to document, and so many random stories in my head right now.  However, since it was Conference weekend, I thought I'd start with this story.  Conference - and Sunday afternoons in general - seem to bring out the inner chef in me, and today I decided to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies while watching Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch.

Funny story.  Because Sherlock had a opium problem, he's actually high at this particular moment.  Not exactly the kind of "baked" I was going for.

So my younger brother Randall got engaged this last spring, and he got married May 29th.  Very exciting!  My mother put together this huge, amazing open house following the wedding, and a few weeks prior she asked  me to help provide baked goods that we could freeze and then serve to guests along with plenty of other delicious items.  Challenge accepted!

This became a perfect excuse for me to purchase this industrial strength Kitchen Aid from Costco I had been eyeing for the past several months.  I figure that "adults" need to have some sort of mix master, or bread maker, or food processor to complement their baking collection along with a crock pot.  What better way to break in my new acquisition than to whip up about twenty batches of cookies!  I spent a good portion of that Sunday afternoon baking while watching The Princess Bride, and one of my personal favorites, Sherlock.  Apparently Benedict is my designated baking buddy!

Hooray for Costco!  And free sample Saturdays.

Ready to bake with my trusty apron and spatula.

I have to admit that the only prior experience I had with a Kitchen Aid was my friend Zach's, and I might have broken a beater once…  So the fact that I managed to explode flour all over the counter and myself was, all things considered, only a minor mishap!

I did manage to concoct up an unsettling amount of melt-away cookies, and my own special favorite, coconut lime sugar cookies.  (The secret ingredient is lime zest from about twelve limes!)

I'm a pro zester by now.  Just look at all that delicious, tangy zest!

Okay, okay, I may have stole the idea from Pinterest, but whatever.  Anyways, I may have made myself slightly sick today from eating a whole bunch of cookie dough.  Whatever, it was totally worth it, and what is Conference Sunday without delicious goodies?  Besides, there were absolutely no baking mishaps worth mentioning today, or yesterday (I made red velvet vampire bite cupcakes on Saturday).  Hooray!

Am I the only one who finds Conference inspires you to do all kinds of crafty activities while listening to the Prophets?

Best. Day. Ever.

Oh hey guys!  Remember how I used to write on this blog occasionally?
Anyways, thought I'd randomly catch up with some goodies.  I really skipped some stuff, like when my family visited me in Maui, and how I moved back to Utah, and then how I got hired for a dental clinic in Taylorsville.

At the end of September I moved back to the Salt Lake valley into a cute little condo in West Jordan.  I started my new job in October, and I was immediately put to work "drilling and filling!"  That's right, being a dentist is pretty awesome.  Because it took a couple of months of interviewing to be offered a job, and then another month before I actually started a job, I went a little while without having an actual "job," and therefore an income.  My budget was pretty tight for that first month while I was earning it, but my first paycheck was totally awesome!  Never mind that a big portion of my checks now go to paying back my student loans, this was the biggest paycheck I had ever received.  Score for life after dental school!  Okay, okay, I was pretty responsible at first.  But then all of a sudden it was Black Friday time, and the new Xbox One was released, and then it was Christmas time!

Last year I missed out on Black Friday, partly because I had to work the next morning, but mostly because I was essentially on a student's salary on a very expensive island.  This year I was down in Cedar, and I had recruited my brothers - and partners in crime - to help me out at Walmart.  As per usual, it was a complete madhouse.  We seriously showed up by mid-evening (like 9-ish) on Thanksgiving day, and all of the Xbox Ones that Walmart had advertised were literally all gone.  Well, long story short, I kept checking with the guys, and at the end of the night two were left unclaimed, and they happily gave one to me!

TADA!
Happy 'you've got a new job' and 'early Christmas' to me.  I tried to explain to my mom just how lucky it was that I actually obtained one of these babies since they were just released like a week prior.  She didn't get it, and I won't attempt to elaborate here.  I let the picture explain just how excited I was!
Well, I got my new friend home, only to discover that it didn't work on my TV.  After reading through lots of FAQ pages on the Xbox site, and a very long, very tedious online chat with someone from Microsoft, I discovered that my TV, which was only four years old, didn't have enough pixels.  Seriously, they should put that on the box!

My reaction.  Also, unlike this scene, the fine print on the box was very misleading.

I was not amused.  Apparently it would work if I could change something in the settings, but it literally wouldn't even turn on (all I got was a black screen).  All of a sudden I had a perfect excuse to buy a new TV.

Do you guys remember that random Church movie that came out in like 2004 called Single's Ward?  My absolute favorite scene is when the main character randomly drives his buddy to RC Willy to get a camera, and instead leaves with a big-screen TV.  He's got this totally goofy sales guy listing off all the features to these TVs, and he keeps just saying "got anything bigger?"

That was me.

Ever since seeing this movie, I couldn't get it out of my head how cool it would be to be able to casually decide one day to buy a big screen TV for your apartment.  Complete fantasy realization.  I just sauntered into Best Buy and started checking out the biggest TVs I could find.  I figured that I would either go big or… go bigger!  I won't tell you how I wedged that giant flat-screen in the back of my friend's trunk, and drove it home in a blizzard because delivery would have taken too long.  I will tell you that dropping a large sum of money on something I really wanted felt fantastic after being a poor student for so long!  Sweet sister Lizzy sing me a sweet song of joy!!  (I really was going to post a Single's Ward clip, but I couldn't find one.  It's too obscure for YouTube.)
Oh yes, and my Xbox worked like a dream.  That was why I bought the TV, right?  Right?

The grass is always greener

With graduation and starting my first real job, I've upgraded to my own little condo.  I must say, I enjoy my own happy little routine, and for the most part I really enjoy being a single lady.  What's not to like?  I can binge watch an entire season of House of Cards over President's Day weekend without anyone mocking me, or begging "please Netflix, don't start the next episode!"  Not to mention that on occasion my living room turns into a giant bedroom with my overabundance of blankets, pillows, and cozy seating arrangements.  (No really, I think I spent more time sleeping in my love sac than my actual bed last weekend.)  There's the whole flexible schedule thing, meaning I can stay out as late as I want, and sleep in till ridiculous hours on weekends without someone (dog/human/baby?) feeling neglected.  (I have a lot of friends with children who don't get to sleep in anymore.  Suckers!)  If I don't feel like cooking, who cares, order up some takeout, or enjoy some tasty cereal!  Not to mention, no one gets offended if I just happen to leave my laundry in the dryer all week...  

However, there are some things that just plain stink about being single in a career primarily dominated by married people with families.  So here's my little list of hopefully amusing things about why being in a co-dependent relationship just might be better than my awesome singlehood!

Taxes.  Who knew that the government likes money?  Well, I guess that's a given, but apparently without any dependents, I am required to pay more.  Huh.  I will say that apparently children are expensive, so in the long run I'm probably coming out ahead.  Not to mention, I have complete autonomy with my spending!

Packages.  My apartment complex recently informed me through a very unhelpful flyer that they will no longer be accepting packages in our behalf any more.  They kindly suggested we plan to have someone else at home to accept our packages.  Well gee.  Wouldn't it be nice to have a live-in package receiver for those of us who work ten hours a day?  (No, I'm not complaining that my apartment office people have discovered yet another way to not be useful.)

Travel.  Specifically difficulties associated with travel.  I like to consider myself a pretty self-sufficient person.  Generally I can fix a wide variety of household items, and I have some know-how about vehicular maintenance.  Vehicular repair, on the other hand, is completely out of my depth.  Basically, if my car breaks down, I'm screwed.  No ride to work, or I'm limping by till the weekend when I can get my car fixed.  It would be nice to have someone else to give me a ride, or take the car in during regular business hours, or even fix said problem.  Maybe I can fix this problem by just having a backup car.  Or give up and just call in sick!  Ha ha.

Okay seriously, the grass is always greener on the other side.  But if I had to be honest, I love my lifestyle.  Just please don't let me become the crazy cat lady!