Sherpa's Wonderin's

Just Peeking In

2012-01-19T19:24:00.002-05:00

Iguana at the Uxmal Ruins in Mexico.

I'm alive. Between getting sick (again), preparing for a trip to the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula and being not sure what to blog here, I just let the blog lie dormant for a few weeks. But I'm back from Mexico and (maybe) back blogging. Hope this finds you well.

Grandma's Carrot Pudding

2011-12-25T17:45:00.001-05:00

I'm not the biggest cake fan. I think cupcakes are fun, and I like tres leches cake but I'd rather have a birthday pie, bars or even birthday cookies. So this year when my mom suggested my grandmother's carrot pudding for my birthday today-I said, "great"! This recipe was perhaps my grandma's signature dessert and I remember eating and loving it as a kid and adult. In fact, I only found out recently that this recipe is actually English-and there's not much modification from the English recipe that was handed down to my grandma.

Carrot Pudding
1 cup grated apples
1 cup grated potatoes
1 cup grated carrots
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
Lemon Clear Sauce

Shred apples, potatoes and carrots into large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Dust raisins with flour to prevent sticking together.
Fill four pint bottles 2/3 full with batter. Cover loosely with lids. Place on rack in pan. Fill pan with water about 2/3 up on bottles. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until done.
Serve warm with Lemon Clear Sauce.

Lemon Clear Sauce

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine sugar, cold water, cornstarch and lemon peel. Boil until thickened. Remove from heat. Add butter and lemon juice. Serve hot over Carrot pudding. Serves four.

My mom decided to serve our carrot pudding with Buttermilk Caramel Syrup from "Our Best Bites" , otherwise known as "liquidy crack" in my world.

My grandma True Feild in 1986 looking at a monument in Wyoming.

Silent Night (Stille Nacht)

2011-12-24T14:03:00.005-05:00

Of all Christmas Songs, Silent Night may very well may be my favorite. Here it is in German

A lil' Bit of Garland

2011-12-22T22:41:00.001-05:00

"Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is easily one of my favorite Christmas songs. Judy Garland introduced this song during WWII in 1944 (in the clip above). Enjoy!

A Dolly Wonderland

2011-12-21T22:46:00.000-05:00

My mom has had her car tuned to a "Country Christmas" song on her radio. Although the radio station has a few duds, this song gets a lot of airplay.

Oh, and her new movie will be out in a month!! I've posted the trailer before on here---but why not do it again?

All I want for Christmas is Bieber?

2011-12-20T18:51:00.000-05:00

This video is....awesomely bad. It's apparent Mariah Carey updated it with the Biebs to make more money (or show her awesome bod, I'm not sure). I wouldn't post it on here, but I had it in my head from the end of November to the middle of December. Not to mention, we kept hearing it in NYC three weeks ago. So enjoy...and here's a fun snarkiesh play by play interpreting the video as a tale of terror and mob rule.

For the First Day of Hannukah

2011-12-20T03:00:00.000-05:00

I love how the little boy's mother is cracking up during the last half of this segment.

Ring Those Bells...

2011-12-19T12:33:00.004-05:00

Today's Christmas song is brought to you by the Swedish Chef, Animal, and Beaker.

Silent Night

2011-12-18T21:22:00.001-05:00

Today marks a week from Christmas, and I thought I'd give you three versions of one of my favorite Christmas songs. It's one of the seminal Christmas Songs, written originally in German, and never fails to help me get in the Christmas mood. We have Bing (Crosby), the Temptations, and Elvis Presley in order.

Jingle Bell Idol

2011-12-17T21:15:00.000-05:00

About 7 years ago I saw Billy Idol at a festival in Baltimore. I had never seen anyone rock quite like the Idol even though by then I had seen quite a few shows. Therefore my Christmas Music tribute wouldn't be quite the same without him. Here's Billy

Last Christmas

2011-12-16T22:09:00.002-05:00

Today I bring you "Last Christmas" from Wham. This "gem" couldn't be complete without it's "literal version" counterpart. Enjoy!

Christmas Songs Day 3: River

2011-12-15T10:31:00.000-05:00

Today I'm shifting gears from homicidal santas and robot dancing robots at a cowboy hoe down to a melancholy tune which sort of fits my mood today. Perhaps one of my favorite Christmas songs is "River," a gem from Joni Mitchell. I couldn't find a video of Joni Mitchell playing this song, so you'll have to do with just listening to her play the song.

A Killer Christmas

2011-12-14T06:20:00.000-05:00

Since 2007, the Killers have put out a Christmas song each year. Their first song, "Don't Shoot me Santa" is arguably the strongest song (the video is great too), but this year's video is pretty great too. Love the Bonanza feel to the video. The top video is "Don't Shoot me Santa."

As an aside, Brandon "I'm a Mormon" Flowers has aged well. Looking good Brandon!

Bing and Bowie

2011-12-13T07:25:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell "recreated" the (in)famous Bing Crosby/Bowie Drummer video. I was telling a friend about the recreation of the video but she wasn't getting it because she somehow had never seen the original video. Any who...here is the original video along with the parody.

Here's the link to the spoof as I can't seem to embed the video from You Tube:
http://youtu.be/EJBFD-Wvc7U

The Twelve Posts of Christmas

2011-12-13T05:17:00.000-05:00

I've tried posting the 12 days before Christmas as a "tidying up" the blog for the end of the year, but I always fail. This year may not be any different but I think I'm going to try again.

Wordless Wednesday: Sunset and Steven Edition

2011-11-30T05:02:00.000-05:00

Apparently

2011-11-29T13:52:00.001-05:00

After Thanksgiving one forgets to continue NaBloPoMo. Oops!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T21:21:00.001-05:00

What does one do after turkey and pie?* Watch the Muppets movie of course. Best Thanksgiving Ever!!

**I didn't actually eat turkey or pie (well, I made three pies--but we left before pie time) but it was still an awesome Thanksgiving!!

Pre-Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T08:01:00.001-05:00

Here's a link to Kelli's blog about our pre-thanksgiving dinner last night. So good!
http://factophile.blogspot.com/

Today

2011-11-22T19:02:00.001-05:00

I've been sick again (I know) so I missed blogging yesterday. I went to the Doctor's office this afternoon so I should be feeling better in a few days (antibiotics! Yeah!). In the meantime, it's been awesome to have a roommate cook for me.

Chris and Kelli

2011-11-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

While at Harper's Ferry, we decided to take "Family Portraits." Here's Chris and Kelli together.

Vegans

2011-11-19T19:21:00.001-05:00

I didn't realize until this fall that vegans won't eat honey. It makes sense, but I just never thought about it.

Lifestyle Bloggers:

2011-11-18T13:34:00.001-05:00

Interesting article about how many lifestyle bloggers are LDS.
http://www.good.is/post/sister-bloggers/?mid=52

Too bad the dog isn't a bird dog.

2011-11-17T13:09:00.001-05:00

I don't watch television, so you all may have seen this commercial, but I found it really cute. My fave part? The poster in the goose's office.

Wordless: Bear Lake Area Edition

2011-11-16T18:26:00.001-05:00

PSA: Wild Flag

2011-11-15T12:04:00.001-05:00

Have you ever found a new band and want to tell everyone how awesome they are? Well, this is Wild Flag, a chick "supergroup" that has an awesome debut album of the same name. Tell your friends, tell the children that this band is great.

(Lentil) Sloppy Joes!

2011-11-14T16:31:00.001-05:00

I mentioned to my sister in law that I had a decent lentil sloppy joes recipe so she asked for it. I then realized I took pictures of the recipe way back this Spring with the intention of blogging it. So here it is. It's really quite good and don't let the amount of ingredients intimidate, the recipe comes together in a flash! Easy enough for a weekday dinner! These are so good, my dad would love them (he has a thing against lentils).

Sloppy Lentil Joes

Adopted from JamieOliver.com and tastyeasyhealthygreen.com

• 1 cup French lentils

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 small onion, peeled and diced

• 1-2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

• ¾ cup tomato puree

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1½ tablespoons light brown sugar

• ½ tablespoon honey

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• ½ teaspoon spicy chili powder

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Whole wheat tortillas/wraps

• Lettuce or baby spinach for garnish

Place lentils into a medium-sized pot. Fill pot with water and stir in a good pinchof salt. Cook the lentils for about15-20 minutes or until they are cooked through. Drain remaining water from the pot and set aside.

Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onions and cook until they just turntranslucent. Add carrots cook until theyare tender crisp. Add the cooked lentils to the skillet and then stir in thetomato puree, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, mustard, chili powder, and smokedpaprika. Add salt and pepper to tasteand cook until the sauce has thickened up a bit.

http://tastyeasyhealthygreen.com/?p=1453

A Thought

2011-11-13T15:42:00.001-05:00

I've been reading "Dimensions of Faith: a Mormon Studies Reader" for a little while. The book is a collection of papers on Mormonism or "Mormon Studies." Some are written by participating LDS members, while others are written by non-members or less active. Most of the authors have a phd, but not all. One is even written by a friend of mine (which is how I came to own a copy of the book). Anyway, so far I've found the essays very enlightening, but I especially love the forward. Let me share with you the last paragraph which is a view I share with the editor on Mormonism:

"I think that religion especially, instead of being treated with solemnity and deference, ought to be thought out and understood so that we're not unduly influenced by proselytizers or lack confidence in our position in the world and so that we understand other people's beliefs." Stephen C. Taysom

I also quite like the back jacket summary of the book:

"Believing is one thing, deciding what to believe is harding for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that what is known and what is known is a moving target. The world changes daily as new revelations burst onto the scene in religion, science, social studies and the humanities............Where new ideas impinge on faith, it is up to us to interpret and manage these views. Rather than tremble in the face of change we can look confidently at the empirical world through the twin lenses of religious heritage and a grounding in secular learning."

Today

2011-11-12T20:41:00.001-05:00

Late this morning, Chris, Kelli and I headed to Harper's Ferry so Chris could go to W. Virginia. More pictures to follow.

Foo Fighters Friday

2011-11-11T23:59:00.000-05:00

Kelli's "Instagram" of the concert Friday night.

Kelli, Chris and I attended the Foo Fighters Concert at the Verizon Center tonight. Two opening bands and the Foo still played for almost 3 hours.

Random Updates

2011-11-10T18:12:00.001-05:00

Kelli's brother Chris came to visit and attend the Foo Fighters concert with us tomorrow night. Today is his birthday which is kind of fun.

A couple of days ago a package came to the house for Kelli. She opened it up and there were two giraffe t-shirts from Threadless. (Yes Nicole, Anna would be super jealous of these t-shirts.) This morning Chris apologized for not getting one for me too. I told him he didn't need to, but I thought that was very sweet he thought of me.

Yes, Chris got a beanie for his birthday. It fits him too!

Chris's beanie.

So, Sunday I had a tough asthma day. I knew I wasn't going to sleep without taking something, so I took an ambien. About 11 or so I half woke up, realized I wasn't wearing a watch and ordered 3 off Amazon. I realized Monday morning what I had done and tried to cancel the watches. Then when they came, I mangled the packaging so I can't send them back. I've never done anything like this while taking a sleep-aid (I sometimes have to take something when I'm sick or I don't sleep) but at least I have decent taste when I'm mostly awake--and I definitely could've spent more on watches I don't really need.

Monday, I was out to lunch with a co-worker at Subway. I ordered a tuna sandwich which I got about 3/4 full before I had the nastiest taste of fish in my mouth and immediately wanted to gag, puke, had cold chills and a slight headache. I didn't tell Subway that they had rotten tuna fish because all I wanted to do was get out of there fast. Luckily, I felt better after several hours but I'm still not craving a tuna fish sandwich.

I'm amazed that there's people out there trying to defend Joe Paterno.

Anyway, Happy Veterans Day tomorrow!

Wordless: Gettysburg Summer 2011 Edition

2011-11-09T17:44:00.000-05:00

Pat Collins does it again

2011-11-08T09:14:00.000-05:00

Take a second to check out this video. The

incident in question happened in the

"outer suburbs"

of the Washington DC Metro Area.

Heaven...

2011-11-07T16:38:00.001-05:00

Last week, I was headed to lunch with a co-worker when we walked by the "Wicked Waffles" cafe. This waffle shop serves sandwiches with waffles as the bread. Needless to say, I grabbed a menu and now I can't stop thinking about eating one of their sandwiches. I'm afraid when I actually go there, the sandwiches won't live up to the hype in my head.

FNL

2011-11-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling under the weather this weekend so I've been trying to lay low and try to convince my lungs that they can breathe without giving me grief. A pair of lame lungs has given me the opportunity to finally finish the last season of the show Friday Night Lights. Just as good as the rest of the show. I wish we could've had more than 5 seasons of the show, but hey-at least we got five seasons of Tim Riggins.

Beanies and more Beanies

2011-11-05T16:01:00.000-04:00

If I had to sum up the projects I've made this year in one word, it would be hats. Once I figured out how to knit in the round, I kept making hats. I realized a couple of months ago that I need to do something with all the hats I've made, but haven't decided to give them to a local non-profit or just put them in a box. Right now they are in a box along with several others I've since made. These were made while I was in Ecuador in May.

Barrel Roll!

2011-11-04T06:37:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a "freebie" today for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). I realized a couple of days ago that the sinus infection I picked up a couple of weeks ago has now morphed into bronchitis which is why I'm feeling fatigued and have been wheezy off and on. I'm getting better, but I have many ideas for posts that I've neglected to write this past year that hopefully I'll get up on here. At the least, I'll hopefully get to archiving some of the projects I've made this weekend.
Meanwhile, I leave you the following thoughts about yesterday:

Just try it. I dare you, if you haven't yet!

One More from the Del Ray Halloween Parade

2011-11-03T17:53:00.000-04:00

Yoda doesn't have his/her ears on quite right, but.....these two were still pretty cute.

Wordless Wednesday: Del Ray Halloween Parade 2011 Edition

2011-11-02T06:46:00.000-04:00

Kelli (best friend), a friend of ours and I attended Del Ray's annual Halloween Parade on Sunday. The parade starts a little more than 1/3 of a mile from our house and although the parade has a small town feel, an estimated 8k people and dogs participated. Very fun!
Oh, that "Just Hatched" entry above? The entry, complete with a zonked out "baby chick" won one of the categories. c

Halloween

2011-11-01T18:00:00.001-04:00

Although my earliest memories of Halloween are somewhat trumautic---unsuccessfully trying to ward off my dad from my candy and then the tragic separation of the candy*, I still love the holiday. I love the whimsy of Halloween, the legends, the history, the costumes. I kind of see it as I see the internet. Sure, like the internet, there's a seedy side to both, but that doesn't mean that both can't be great.

*My candy and I were reunited each year but the "good chocolate" was always gone . This might be why I like candy over chocolate. For the most part, my dad left the candy alone.

NaBloPoMo

2011-10-31T13:20:00.004-04:00

The First Day of NaBloPoMo* starts tomorrow.

Are you participating??

NaBloPoMo=National Blog Posting Month. Blog each day in November. The posts don't need to be long or involved, but it's fun.

Yes, this is similar to NaNoWriMo(National Novel Writing Month).

Some Kids REALLY Love Disneyland!

2011-10-07T14:08:00.002-04:00

Andy Rooney out of Context

2011-09-29T15:50:00.003-04:00

Simply, 1 minute and a half of Andy Rooney being Andy Rooney. Enjoy.

"Call if you're out there Robuck."

What I Saw Today...

2011-09-27T12:33:00.001-04:00

That's an engineer rappelling on the Washington Monument. Cool eh? Photo courtesy of NPR.

Dolly and Queen?

2011-09-26T15:17:00.001-04:00

Confession: I've seen pretty much every Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah movie ever so the two of them in a movie together? I'm there opening weekend.

Dark Side of the Rainbow

2011-09-25T18:05:00.000-04:00

I've really never been a big fan of the Wizard of Oz, in fact I despised the show as a kid, but I've seen The Pink Floyd/Wizard of Oz mish-mash and I'm a fan. Although thanks to this video, kids will never have to know arcane facts like you have to start "The Dark Side of the Moon" at the third MGM lion's roar, it's still pretty cool that someone synced the two together.

Here you go:

The Dark Side of Oz from Bryan Pugh on Vimeo.

Bears Playing with Pumpkins

2011-09-23T14:50:00.000-04:00

I admit, I find myself watching animal videos fairly regularly on You Tube. Here's one that's kind of fun and seasonal too!

REM?

2011-09-22T14:48:00.001-04:00

Really, I'm not all that bummed REM called it quits yesterday. I like the band, and it's a part of my child/adolescence, but they haven't put out a decent record in years. Frankly, I think they should've said their goodbyes a decade or more ago. That being said, it's still a little bittersweet that REM is no more.

Wordless Wednesday: Peoa Edition

2011-09-14T19:08:00.004-04:00

My Grandmother Feild's Obituary

2011-09-13T19:12:00.000-04:00

1921 ~ 2011
True Roundy Feild, daughter of George Spencer Roundy and Hannah Agnes Marchant Roundy, completed her time on earth and left us early in the morning of September 2, 2011. She was born September 19, 1921 in Peoa, Utah where she spent her life. She loved her home in the mountain valley and the people there.

True graduated from South Summit High School and Utah State University where she obtained a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She taught 3rd grade in Kamas. After her marriage to Keith Alma Feild she devoted her life to her children, church, ranch, and community.

She served faithfully and diligently in many church callings including a mission with her husband to Fort Thompson, South Dakota, where they grew to love the people there, and service in the Salt Lake City Temple. She was proud of her pioneer heritage so membership in Daughters of the Utah Pioneers was a joy to her. (These last few years were a trial to her. Because of her physical limitations she was unable to serve as she was accustomed to. ) And she found the time to attend many rodeos and other athletic events to cheer for her sons and grandchildren.

Our mother taught us well in the important things of life. Her example and steadfastness showed us the way. We will always cherish her. She will be missed. True is survived by her children, Hannah Braithwaite (Kent), Joyce Buhler (Paul), John Feild (Becky), and Lewis Feild (Veronica), sixteen grandchildren and 25 " greats".

She is now reunited with her husband, her parents, sister Verna, little brother John, and her son Richard. What a joyous time it must be.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, September 9,2011 at the Peoa Ward LDS Chapel. Friends may call on Thursday evening, September 8 from 6p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. prior to the services. Interment will be in Peoa Cemetery following the services.

The family expresses appreciation to all of True's friends, neighbors, and ward members who were such a support to her these last few years. A special thank you goes to the caregivers at the Beehive Home in Payson, Utah who took such good care of our mom these last six months. In lieu of flowers True would want you to make a donation to the Primary Children's Hospital or a charity of your choice

Craig's List Misers

2011-08-26T07:27:00.000-04:00

I've got a couple of Craig's List RSS* Feeds that I've been following for a while. One thing I find on there is people asking less than 40-50% off retail for a product that's clearly been used. For example, check out this bike rack. This car rack has been sitting on a car for 3 years in the Virginia area (roof bike racks are notorious for rusting out after a year or so out here) and the owner is asking 33% off or "Best Offer" for the rack. I'm pretty sure someone could find a comparable deal online for a new rack.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS

Shake, Shake Shakin'

2011-08-24T08:40:00.000-04:00

So, the earthquake yesterday? Honestly, it wasn't the strongest quake I've ever felt, but that might be due to the fact that I was sitting in a building that was dedicated in the 1930's and is rock solid. The first 10-15 seconds felt like someone moving furniture on the floor above us. After that, the building started shaking. I realized immediately what was going on and moved into the doorway. The quake stopped after about 45 seconds or so. My co-workers immediately started speculating. One thought it might've been a bomb, but that idea was shot down pretty quick. We weren't evacuated immediately, but after about 10 minutes. Then we stood outside for a while until we were excused to go home.
The buildings in DC aren't built to earthquake regulations to my knowledge, and as my building takes up two city blocks, it's going to take time to inspect the whole building. I headed to the metro, but a co-worker stopped me at the station and told me to find an alternate way home. The platforms were crowded and the trains were running at 10 mph. After that, I walked down to the bus stop. Another co-worker stopped me, told me that wasn't a great idea and asked me if I wanted to walk with him over to Virigina to another station. We walked over but as soon as we got to that station, we realized we weren't going to get on a train there anytime soon. After that, I walked back outside and waited for a hour and a half before getting on a train. The trains were still crowded and running 10mph but I was able to get on one and home a little after seven in the evening.

Monkey Self Portrait

2011-07-28T09:29:00.000-04:00

Although this hit the internet several weeks ago, I'm still charmed by the incredibly great monkey self-portraits taken in Indonesia.

Best Practices from Pot Dealers

2011-07-20T14:30:00.000-04:00

A couple of days ago, I took public transportation to a Doctor's appointment. There were about 4-6 guys behind me on the bus engaged in conversation. As their conversation was loud, I quickly realized I was listening to drug dealers. Not really alarmed, I then realized that they were sharing "best practices" in the drug industry and not trying to one up each other as I originally thought. Anyway, I left the bus a little amused by what I overheard.

What I Learned over the Weekend

2011-07-19T08:26:00.000-04:00

1) That our dog, 13 year old Lady died.

2) My friend had no idea that Japan and the U.S. was playing the final in the Women's World Cup. Ironically, my friend is half Japanese and at least her father was following the game closely.

3) When my mom went to put a cover over Lady, Lady jumped up. Both my mom and the dog were surprised.

4) I've been asked to teach Sunday School. The best part about this assignment? No class to teach.

Poetry Thursday

2011-07-14T15:12:00.000-04:00

Joy

by George Bilgere

Today I sit on the sun porch
with my body, just the two of us
for a change, the flu
having left me for someone else.

I'm thinking about how good it is
to have been sick, to have been turned
inside out. Until we are sick, says Keats,
we understand not. and for four or five days
I understood. Fully and completely.
There was absolutely no ambiguity,
no misunderstandings of any sort whatsoever.

For awhile I thought I'd never get better.
I'd be that sick eagle, staring at the sky
on a permanent basis. But
we're living in the age of miracles:
another jetliner smacked into New York,
only this time nobody got hurt. A black guy
thoroughly fumigated the White House.

And this morning I woke up
feeling like a little French village
the Nazis suddenly decided to pull out of
after a particularly cruel occupation.

The baker has come back to his store
and everything smells like warm baguettes.
The children are playing in the schoolyard,
the piano bars along the river
have thrown open their doors.

And here you are, with coffee
and an open blouse, and two cool breasts
from the land of joy.

"Joy" by George Bilgere, from The White Museum. © Autumn House Press, 2010. Reprinted with permission. (buy now)

This poem might be a little self-referential, but I enjoyed it and thought you might too.

Dear Blog

2011-06-28T13:03:00.000-04:00

Blog, I haven't forgotten you, it's just been a weird month, so I've taken a breather from you.
Don't worry, we'll be back together before too long.

"Wild Geese"

2011-06-11T06:24:00.000-04:00

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

© Mary Oliver. Online Source

Via "The Mormon Child Bride"

Wordless: All of my Pictures from the Ecuador/Galapagos trip Edition.

2011-06-08T16:27:00.001-04:00

Here Lie Monsters

2011-06-06T06:30:00.028-04:00

I really don't like starting my Monday morning with a personal reminder before 6:00 am that there's honest to goodness crazy monsters here in Northern Virginia. Don't worry, I'm fine, Kelli is doing okay and on a plane to Hawaii this morning.

Am I a bit jealous of her week in what is safely assumed in the Western World as paradise? Who wouldn't be? Am I a little jealous that she's going to the North Shore, and gets to gaze out at the Pipeline before me? Maybe. But that's alright.
May she have a great time at the Polynesian Cultural Center, may she eat a whole pineapple in one sitting and I'm hoping she gets a great shot of the LDS Hawaii Temple for me too.

Besides, my body isn't at it's peak surfing and snorkeling capability. Will it be when I go to Hawaii?

Hecks yeah!*

Until then, I remind myself to be a supportive friend to my buddy who totally deserves another week in Paradise. And get my stubborn lungs to peak swimming capability so I can actually be comfortable in the ocean when I learn to surf.

Now here's my kind of monster!

*Kelli would be the first to remind me that this is a family-friendly blog as she reminded my friends that my (Galapagos) Boobies album is a family-friendly album a couple of days ago on Facebook. Thanks Kell for that too.

Galapagos Penguin Family Pictures

2011-06-02T19:18:00.001-04:00

So, you know how in families with small (or larger) children, it's impossible everyone to pose and smile at the same time? There's always one pulling a face or goofing off? The same rule applies to Galapagos Penguins.

This being said, that third penguin is my favorite. Just look at his/her antics!

I'm back

2011-05-31T11:13:00.001-04:00

So we made it back at 9:00 or so last night. The trip was incredible. If you ever get a chance to go to the Galapagos Islands, sell your first born, mortage your house and go! No really, we had a great time both on the Ecuador Mainland and the Galapagos Islands. Here's the first picture from the trip I put on Facebook. This is a marine Iguana--these guys are the only oceangoing lizards who eat algae off rocks in the pacific. They blow the salt water out of nostrils on their head, but I didn't get a picture of that. This was a big one-he was probably 2.5 feet from head to tail (they have long tails). I took the picture just outside the Charles Darwin Research Center.

Oh and as an aside, we made many, many booby jokes. Really, how could we not?

Marine Iguana Galapagos 2011

Wordless Wednesday: I hope to see one of these (a marine iguana) in the next three weeks edition

2011-05-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

From NG

"The Job that Really Matters"

2011-05-03T08:12:00.001-04:00

Via "The Daily What"

I had no idea that cleaning was the "job that really matters" for mothers. Huh.

Knitting in the Round: Spring Hat

2011-04-30T08:42:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, I brought along a couple of balls of Lion's Brand "Vanna's Choice" Worsted weight yarn to "Fat Camp." Between playing and eating, I had plans to attempt to knit a hat with circular needles. After several mis-attempts at starting the hat, I finally figured it out, and only made a few mistakes on the brim of the hat (they are on the other side). I finished the stripes on the bus this week and think they turned out fine, but then I realized I had to use double pointed needles(dpns) on to shape the top of this beanie. Well, I swallowed my fear, bought the needles and decided to finish the hat while babysitting a sleeping babe. Mart, Whit, I may have used your computer to watch how to use dpns on youtube. I more or less butchered the top, but managed to salvage the hat. This knitting hat thing? I kind of dig it. I even might be ready to attempt the dpns again soon!

PS: This hat fits a 24-25 inch head. Yeah, I kind of botched something pretty basic, but since I wasn't making it for anyone in particular, I'm not too worried about that. I may just give this to the person with the biggest head I know.......

Eight Years....

2011-04-29T06:45:00.003-04:00

As of this week, it's been 8 years since I moved in with Kelli. Wow. We still talk to each other too. Not bad for two straight girls, I guess.

October 2009. Maine Coast Kelli-Green, Joy-Orange

Wordless: People in a Peach Orchard Edition

2011-04-28T06:00:00.003-04:00

From Left: Steve L., Jeanette L., Courtney G., Jane P., Ben H., Me, Kelli K. Bottom: "Other Steve" and Roger. Picture courtesy of Roger.

Quick Update

2011-04-27T14:36:00.001-04:00

I'm still alive...just kind of in survival mode the past week or so trying to deal with 80 degree temps in my bedroom and the crazy pollen levels. Right now, I'm kind of mad at my body for being so paranoid towards pollen, but being angry isn't going to solve the problem. Luckily, after tomorrow night, the weather looks to be rainy and substantially cooler for a week. Yay!

Oh, and I had a great Easter with a group of friends up in south central Pennsylvania! We call our trips together, "Fat Camp," where you play hard and eat harder. My kind of holiday. Hope you had a great Easter too!

Cookie the Penguin..

2011-04-20T15:09:00.001-04:00

Cookie is a penguin at the Cincinatti Zoo. This little penguin has a foot ailment which means it needs to get it's foot wrapped once a day. Because of the constant contact with the zoo keepers, lil' Cookie is the "unofficial" mascot of the bird house. Well, one of the bird keepers filmed lil' Cookie getting tickled. The result? Well, watch. Who knew tickling could get such a reaction?

Wordless Wednesday: My Bike Commute Edition

2011-04-20T10:26:00.002-04:00

Modcloth Sale and my "Bourge Problem"

2011-04-19T11:21:00.002-04:00

Modcloth is currently having a "super secret sale" with the coupon code, "Stay Classy." I'm pretty sure with a password like that, they are appealing to a certain demographic that I well, am a part of (women or cross dressing men who adore Will Ferrell in circa 1970's clothes).

Anyway, I misread the instructions this morning for the sale and thought it was for the whole site. I promptly fell in love with the dress below before I realized it was full price. Now I'm in love with a dress that I can wear without a sweater, that would be perfect for summer for church, the office and evenings in DC after work, but I've got to save money for a Galapagos Island cruise that I'm taking next month. So, no dress for me, even though I really, really want it.

Wait, I've totally defined a "bourgeoisie problem."

Yeah, don't feel sorry for me and my "bourge dilemma." I'm suffering from unrequited love, but I guess seeing blue footed boobies is more of a priority. Besides, if it's anything like the boots I was enamored with in January, the dress probably won't fit right anyway.

Here's the link

Paula Deen Riding Things

2011-04-18T10:22:00.001-04:00

There's a great site out there where people post photoshopped pictures of Paula Deen riding things. Well, they outdid themselves this week with the image above.

Wordless Wednesday: DC Spring Edition

2011-04-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Because everyone needs a song in their hearts...

2011-04-12T15:14:00.002-04:00

Not wanting to exclude anyone, Steve Martin wrote the "First Hymnal for Atheists"

Monday Morning Views...

2011-04-11T10:23:00.000-04:00

Via this website

The Company Mormons Keep....

2011-04-08T10:49:00.000-04:00

These Two aren't the same Fruit. Really....

2011-04-05T14:19:00.000-04:00

Not Sherpa Made: "Knit Your Own Royal Wedding"

2011-04-04T16:31:00.000-04:00

I pretty much adore the ridiculousness of this book...but those Corgis? Not Ridiculous. Aren't they awesome?

S'mores Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies!

2011-04-03T12:17:00.000-04:00

Above is pictures of the cookie that ate all the other cookies. Seriously, this is cookie monster, if he were a cookie. Anyway, I decided to make S'mores stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies because I was curious, and wow, these cookies are amazing. However, I'm kind of scared to give these bad boys away so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them as I can only eat 1/2 of a cookie in one sitting.

S’mores Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 12 large cookies (These are like three cookies in one!)

2 sticks (8 ounces) softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I strongly recommend using mini chocolate chips. Minis makes the dough easier to work with)
24 graham cracker quarters or 12 full sheets separated at perforations
3 Hershey Bars, broken into rows of 3 bars
12 large marshmallows cut in half lengthwise

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silpat liner. (Parchment Paper makes cleanup so easy!)
2. In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, continue to beat until well combined.
3. Place flour, salt and baking soda into a bowl; mix to combine then add slowly to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips.
4. Layer a graham cracker quarter with 3 Hershey chocolate squares and 2 marshmallow halves. Close with another graham cracker. Top s’more with a large scoop of cookie dough. Place in hands and place another large scoop on bottom then front and back sides as needed. Form dough around s’mores. Will get messy, but stick with it, it does not have to be perfect. S’mores will move around but it’s no big deal. Place large cookies onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until edges are golden and centers are cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack or serving plate.

(You can view the original post of this recipe on Picky Palate)

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-04-03T12:02:00.000-04:00

I tried a new chocolate chip cookie recipe last week and it was a hit! I took them to a church function and then to work the next day and was told the recipe is a keeper. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 4 dozen cookies.

2½ cups AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks, or chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line sheet pans with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

On low speed, add the flour mixture, and mix just until blended. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chunks. Drop by tablespoons onto sheet pans, 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Via "Memories in the Baking."

Note: Don't refrigerate this dough.

Sherpa Made: Hats!

2011-04-03T11:53:00.000-04:00

I started knitting (not with a loom) hats last fall. These two are double stranded worsted wool hats made in a panel and then there's a seam up the back. I keep telling myself I need to learn to knit in the round. Soon. Soon!

Nature's Pyschopaths

2011-03-30T15:07:00.000-04:00

I've been watching the BBC Documentary called "Blue Planet" on Sundays before church. I find the show relaxing and informative--except for the Killer Whales. Just when everything is hunky dory, the Killer Whales show up, stalk baby sea mammals and kill them for recreation. Just watch...

Here's a clip of Killer Whales going after Sea Lions.

This clip would be a pod of Killer Whales stalking a gray whale calf.

A Single Ward Announcement

2011-03-15T10:57:00.003-04:00

I haven't said too much on here about being single and LDS or talking about the 31-55 age Singles Ward (congregation) I used to be a member of.

Before I continue, I really think the ward serves a purpose and will and continue to be an asset to the Stake I attend and the community. The older singles do need activities and venues to meet each other which this ward does a good job of providing.
Personally I met many great people in our older singles award that I'm lucky to count as friends. However, I realized after 9 months that I personally need to be in a family ward which is why I went back.

For a long time I didn't e-mail about the singles community in the church for various reasons, but even though there's a personal need for me to show the LDS church in the best possible way, I think it's okay for me to publish the letter below...................

Dear Sisters,

I just wanted to let you know that we have had seven men move into the Pontiac* Ward in the last three weeks. I am confident that all ward members will welcome these brethren into our ward family!

I am just trying to keep everyone posted on positive ward events. (grin)

Sincerely,

Bishop Jones*

*Name Change

(I didn't change the format however).

Weekend Accomplishment

2011-03-14T08:28:00.000-04:00

I did this to a friend's kite on Saturday on the (National) Mall. So, uh...how was your weekend?

Footnote:
Flying kites is a great time when you don't put someone elses not cheap kite into a large tree.
I did get the kite out with no damage inccured to the kite. Yeah!

Calvert County Daytrip---

2011-03-12T11:00:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago Kelli and I decided to spend part of the day gnoshing on seafood, gawking at rays and skates and attempting to be fossil hunters.

We started the day at "Stoney's Seafood House" in Solomons Island, MD. I'm almost ashamed to say I've ate at Stoney's four times but each time is so excellent I don't have a desire to explore another restaurant in the area. We ordered buffalo style rockfish (better than many buffalo wings I've had), rockfish gyro and cheesy shrimp and grits. All dishes were crowd pleasers (Kelli and Joy pleasers, I should say). After eating while gazing out over an inlet at the bay and feeling sorry for a one legged sea gull, we headed over to our next destination, The Calvert Marine Museum.

Although both Kelli and I have been to the museum at least three or four times, we both really love this museum. The Calvert Marine Museum was closed the day we were there , but we were still allowed to walk around the museum (for free).

The Calvert Marine Museum is one of the best small town museums I've ever visited. Small town museums that focus primarily and in-depth on their local natural and anthropological history are a treasure in my opinion, and this museum delivers. There's marine exhibits (and aquariums) on bay life, a large display showcasing the oyster business, boats, and even a couple of otters. There's also a gem of a fossil display talking about the various fossils found in Calvert Cliffs. Several rooms are devoted to the fossils. The museum's presentation is perfect-not dumb downed, but still engaging with a couple of quirky details that makes the rooms oddly endearing. For example, hidden amongst other displays is a quirky exhibit about fossilized alligator poop that was found in a fossilized shark's stomach. Paleontologists are unable to tell how the feces got in the shark's stomach so there was a couple of possible scenarios presented. There was even a couple of alligator feces on display.

After we went through the museum, we headed straight to the Calvert Cliffs State Park. I had heard that there's quite a few fossils-plus the public is able to take whatever fossils they find. The "best" part of the State Park are the "fossil beaches" on the Chesapeake Bay. Most of the beach is covered during high tide though so watching the tide charts at Chesapeake Beach is suggested for a better trip.

Anyway, we walked along the beach for a while and started seeing shards of fossilized shells. Then we noticed that there was a hillside full of decomposed fossilized clam shells. After that, we started coming upon a few pretty cool finds. We spoke to a father and son who informed us the best fossils were right around the mouth of a creek close to us. Kelli decided to wade in the creek since the temperature was in the "balmy" high 40's and found several really cool fossils. After that we headed back to avoid hiking in the dark, but not before Kelli exclaimed, "today was pretty much a perfect day!" Indeed.

Clockwise from top left-Kell with a complete shell, Kelli in the creek, Kelli as we were leaving, the cliffs, Joy, fossil, the beach.

Dance, Sam, Dance!

2011-03-09T14:03:00.004-05:00

Somehow I neglected to share this last week, but well, this video has aged well (kind of like a fine wine or cheese) in my head. Here's a video of the actor Sam Rockwell dancing in various movies. Mr. Rockwell's most well-known role is in the "Ironman" movies, but he's done quite a few Indy films that are great cinema.

In my opinion, he's one of the most talented actors of his "generation," but whether or not you agree with that-we both could probably agree.......that Mr. Rockwell likes to get his groove on and will probably put a smile on your face!

Smart Viral?

2011-03-08T10:32:00.003-05:00

Okay, there's a "Smart Water" viral video with Jennifer Aniston that's been going around the past couple of days. I've embedded the video below:

Okay, now that you've seen it, what do you think? Some people love this video and that's cool. Personally, I'm lukewarm about this viral video but maybe it's because I read this condemning post from "The Daily What" before I sat down and watched it yesterday.

Here's the meat of the "Daily What's" opinion:

From self-describing itself as “viral,” through its glib, Revenge of the Nerds-esque portrayal of “Internet boys,” to its employment of memes that are quite literally as old as the Internet, this video was clearly produced by people who not only lack a basic familiarity with Internet culture, but appear to be openly disdainful of the Internet and anyone who uses it.

While I don't quite feel that the people who produced the video are openly disdainful of internet culture, the video falls a little flat for me.

Anyway, I'm a little surprised about the variety of reactions from the video above. If you feel so inclined, let us know how you feel about the video. If you love it, that's okay.

Davies

2011-03-07T10:01:00.003-05:00

I'm bothered by the Brandon Davies saga. I think BYU did the right thing by suspending Davies, but what bothers me is the publicity. Here's a 20 or so year old kid who had consensual sex with his girlfriend and now the whole nation knows about his mistake and he's going to be known by many people as "that" Brandon Davies throughout the country. That punishment seems pretty harsh to me.
I can't figure out in my head a way where BYU could continue to uphold the honor code and keep the offender's discretions private, but even though Davies is a representative of the school and a very public face of the standards of the school, the punishment still seems pretty harsh.

On another note, my ward now lets women say the opening prayer in Sacrament Meeting since December. This makes my little feminist heart happy every Sunday.

Random Thoughts

2011-03-06T11:14:00.002-05:00

1) BYU Basketball: There's been non-stop talk about Brandon Davies for the past several days. My thoughts? How would it be to have your sins broadcast to the whole nation who can't seem to stop talking about it. Poor kid.

2) Charlie Sheen: Although it's temptingly easy to make Charlie Sheen jokes, the guy is mentally ill. Here's Craig Ferguson talking about why he's dropping Sheen jokes (I tweeted this last week, but still think it's great).

3) I already facebooked this, but I love it, so here you go:

Tom Hanks should make more comedies. Really, he's awesome.

Hmm...

2011-03-01T08:22:00.001-05:00

Via "The Daily What"

I never attended BYU, but I don't think the Daily Universe has much on this one.

In Latest News...

2011-02-20T13:56:00.002-05:00

I really do live in a quiet neighborhood. Really. But in the almost three years we've lived there, there's been drug deals go down in Kelli's parking spot, a couple of shootings, and last week a body was discovered in a vehicle just across the street of our house. Apparently, a man decided to kill himself next to the park/tennis courts which is kind of unsettling to everyone. Did I mention it really is a quiet, safe neighborhood?

Who am I: An Easy one...

2011-02-11T10:27:00.001-05:00

Love me, Love my NPR

2011-02-10T13:07:00.005-05:00

So far this year, I've seen quite a few "alternative" Valentines. However, this year, my favorite ones come from NPR.

The Golden God and Friends plus Mississippi!

2011-02-09T08:36:00.002-05:00

Occasionally I'll find myself really looking forward to something. When that happens, I often find myself disappointed. The movie, album, or concert just doesn't live up to my expectations. However, occasionally I find something that exceeds my lofty expectations and it makes those expectations worth it.

Last week, I attended a Robert Plant + Friends concert which defied expectations. Seriously great show.

The show started with "The North Mississippi All-Stars" opening. They were spectacular. I haven't seen an opening act that good in several years. By their last couple of numbers, all of Constitution Hall was quiet which is a rarity in opening acts.

Then, Robert Plant and the Band of Joy performed. They opened up with "Houses of the Holy" and it was amazing. Plant sounded great, Buddy Miller tore it up on lead guitar and Patti Griffin sounded great as backup vocals. The show proceeded with a couple of numbers from everyone, then each of the band members would perform a cover of a song. Patti Griffin sounds even better live than on her album (you can't say that of that many singers), Buddy Miller is just great and Darrell Scott amazed us all with his incredible voice. Then there's Robert Plant. His voice is still incredible and somehow he's retained his sex appeal. We were all swooning over Plant.

Rock and Roll Dream

2011-02-07T08:26:00.003-05:00

Every once in a while a rock musician shows up in my dreams. I've had several dreams with Dylan making an appearance. We never talk, he just smiles at me. Then there was my favorite rock dream-sitting in an empty theater watching Jerry Garcia play. I woke up after dreaming of Jerry happy, until I realized that I just dreamed of a guy who had been dead for over 10 years. I'm a little superstitious when it comes to dreaming about the dead.

Anyway, last night was a first. I dreamt of a fictional (I think) 60's band called "Wolf." Think Beatles with more blues. Their lead singer was named Wolfie and had perfect hippie hair. My dream was like VH1 Behind the Music and was long. So long that I woke up at least once and went back to dreaming about Wolfie and the gang. Anyway, sometimes dreams rock!

Deja Vu

2011-02-04T15:39:00.002-05:00

I just got back from the Doctor's today. I'm on another round of antibiotics for the next three weeks. Both the Doctor and I think it's probably the same infection I had back in October or at least the one in December. This time, it's Amoxicillin, which I've never been able to handle. I explained to the Doctor that I feel like I've been punched in the stomach every time I took it. He told me how to take it "correctly." Wish my stomach luck!

The White Stripes Paint me Blue

2011-02-02T15:47:00.004-05:00

I like the White Stripes. A lot. In fact, they are one of my top two favorite bands. So when I heard today that Jack and Meg White called it quits, I feel like someone kicked my puppy. If I had a puppy. Anyway, it's not like they died, and we still have Jack White's many, many projects. But I still feel like it's the definite end of an era, and that makes me blue.

2011-01-30T10:17:00.003-05:00

Steven and Anna got off to a bit of a rocky start. We tried it again later and although she wasn't so sure about him at first, they soon got along swimmingly!

(Click on the picture to see it better)

Joe Biden's Dating Advice for Girls

2011-01-19T20:13:00.002-05:00

At the Congressional Swearing-in day for Congressmen earlier this month, there was a photo op with VP Joe Biden. ABC News compiled clips of Joe Biden's dating advice to young girls. The same dating advice to each and every young girl he came across that day.

Shoe Therapy

2011-01-18T16:03:00.006-05:00

Have you ever noticed that when you're going through something difficult, you tend to be super focused on something else to get you through difficult times? When a cousin came off her mission, she all of a sudden got really into the Jazz. So much so, that I had to follow the playoffs just to communicate with her. Although she likes sports, she never was a die-hard fan except for the playoffs that one year. My best friend? Super baseball fan, so much so during one playoffs that again, I had to follow every team (not just mine) in both leagues just to talk to her. She hasn't watched the baseball playoffs since, and it's been three years.

I've done this too. The Yanks were originally an obsession to deal with September 11 (I was a fan previously, but not as obsessive as I've been the past 9.5 years), but I kept that going since then. This time though, I've noticed that I'm really into shoe shopping. Yes, shoes. I like shoes, but as most shoes give me blisters, I don't shop for them much. I've also never spent much time pouring over shoe websites online. Now, when I'm feeling blue, online shoe window shopping does the trick. The past week? I've spent a lot of free time looking at shoes online. I even bought two pairs of shoes (that I scouted online) yesterday. So, if you see me drooling at shoes the next week or so, just pat me on the back. It's therapy! I'll snap out of it before long, I'm sure.

* The pictured boots are Troopa's by Steve Madden. Although they are somewhat trendy, I know I'll wear them several years, I just haven't purchased them yet. Aren't they lovely?