Playing Me

Last Saturday I drove to Salt Lake to see a film and although specifically I can't relate to the main character in general some of the lines in the film have seared my soul. Without even thinking about it I swear I go through the same process as George just to get through the day. And for me at least, as I sat in the dark theater thinking, "Geesh, maybe I'm not the only one on the planet who feels this way..." Obviously, I've changed the name to mine so that it reads better:

It takes time in the morning for me to become Angie, time to adjust to what is expected of Angie and how she is to behave. By the time I have dressed and put the final layer of polish on the now slightly stiff but quite perfect (haha--not quite) Angie I know fully what part I'm supposed to play.

And this is also quite incredible:

A few times in my life I've had moments of absolute clarity, when for a few brief seconds the silence drowns out the noise and I can feel rather than think, and things seem so sharp and the world seems so fresh. I can never make these moments last. I cling to them, but like everything, they fade. I have lived my life on these moments. They pull me back to the present, and I realize that everything is exactly the way it was meant to be.

That is what I aspire for. To someday have "absolute clarity" about anything and to realize that "everything is exactly the way it was meant to be". No, I'm not a single man in 1960's Los Angeles strugging with sadness over the loss of my partner but sometimes this place feels like 1960 and I do feel like a square peg trying to fit in a round hole.

Amen.

Dubb

A couple of weeks ago M. I. Dubb made me take photos of

he and his friends for his new album.

Even though I told him a thousand times that I don't like the

pressure of a photo shoot he has some kind of

freaky power to make me do stuff.

It ended up being semi-fun and I like the first one a lot.

Skawy Witch!

I *love* the pure honesty of the little people. The other day I was babysitting Bella and we we went to McDonald's to get some "food" (definitely her choice not mine) and she kept pointing at the pretty lady with VERY long hair and saying, "Skawy Witch. Skway Witch." Clearly someone has watched too many Disney movies but hey, I'm not her parent.

Love the little people. Today it is much funnier to me than it was while standing in line at McDonald's. Much funnier.

**Warning**

I feel as if it is my duty as a human being to warn everyone that Dill Flavored Green Beans are awful. In fact they are so beyond terrible that if they are accidentally bought, opened, heated up and placed on your plate they will ruin the rest of your dinner. Ugh.

Seriously, I didn't even know they existed but I definitely do now! I think I'm going back to the earlier plan of not ever purchasing vegetables. Much safer...

**P.S. I never buy canned vegetables. Clearly, this was my original mistake.**

66 Days!

I just made a decision -- been thinking about it for a while but 66 more days until I get to see Meredith! Hey, Kendra--want some Sosa Borella? How many days in a row can a person eat at Shake Shack? Guess we'll see won't we? At the very least I need to try all three locations...

Random Christmas Pictures

Ang and Jo Jo

Why couldn't he smile like that in our picture?

"And the Angel of the Lord...."

Bells was being so impatient and Bob had to hurry up

the story of the birth of the Savior so that

The Angel could appear early....

What's in a Nickname?

A couple of weeks ago in Staff Meeting we were given our new "Blogging Policy"-- for real -- my company has one. Basically, I can't "Speak for" the company (duh) and we should be careful about what we say about work (also, duh). Oh, and I had to give my boss my blog address so that he could periodically monitor it. I totally don't care about that because he would be bored after the first three minutes and I think he already knows I'm crazy. During the HR presentation about the new policy they mentioned that it would be good to be careful about what we say about people because "you never know who could be reading your blog". I leaned over to my friend and said, "Or, come up with a nickname like I do". I love me a good nickname. It makes me giddy with delight to think of new names--those I love and those that I may not love. For instance, it makes me sad that I technically shouldn't blog about The Wee One and how much I now admire his great strength especially now after having to lug the shred bag to my desk when I accidentially put something in the bin that I shouldn't have put there. That little dude is freakishly STRONG cause I couldn't even move the bag and he slings them over his shoulder. Or, I wouldn't be able to talk about The Bish and how much I love his guts. He puts me in a fit of tears at least twice a year and last week spent the better part of a couple of days making fun of me to my face. Love The Bish. Mostly, I just love nicknames. I love that my friend Baz has so many fantastic little nicknames. I hope she likes them too but they are all in love. Well, hers are.

I Love People

I'd like to start out by saying that generally people are probably all quite lovely and kind but lately I've been surrounded by the rest of the population: stupid, nosy, judgy and inconsiderate. I try to keep an open mind and be nice in public but thanks to a situation at the movie theater on Saturday (I'm sure Cali is grateful that I kept my comments mostly to myself during the film--otherwise there would have been a fight) and a story my parents just told me about a dinner situation they just experienced and let's just say if I had been there I would have been arrested for beating the guy to a bloody pulp. Here's the situation...

Bob and Shauna and another couple are at a restaurant having a nice dinner and a great although mostly controversial conversation. At a certain point Shauna could tell that the guy sitting at the table next to them had turned around in his chair and was actively listening to their conversation. Oh, also, he was taking notes. At first she thought it was because he recognized Bob and was some kind of freak so she tried to blow it off but he became more and more obviously obnoxious and eventually tapped Bob on the shoulder and began lecturing them on everything that they had WRONG. He was/is super conservative and sounds quite reactionary and continued to preach to my parents and their friends about how they were wrong and he was right and then proceeded to give Bob his notes because, "I already know this stuff--you need it". Oh, help me Rhonda! Who the hell does that? Who is this random guy who actually didn't recognize Bob and just wanted to help "Save" some incorrect people so that they could come to God. Literally, they would have had to pull me off of him because I would have not been able to contain my rage. Even my sweet, kind, understanding mother was beyond angry at his audacity and insanity and really the fact that he ruined their dinner.

I love people.

Love.

Please...

This is what I want for my birthday!

I believe it would go beautifully with my

home decor AND the tail wags!

JoBro'd

I got JoBro'd on Friday...best Valentine's Day card!

New Discovery

Thanks to my friend Tiffy

I've discovered that water is a lot easier to

consume when laced with caffeinated strawberries.

Two thumbs up for Crystal Light energy drink!

The Birthday Slip-up

Last week my brother Steve told me that he and Bob were going to Baton Rouge to see my Grandma for her birthday. In NO PART OF THAT CONVERSATION did he mention that it was a SURPRISE. On Friday morning my grandma called to thank me for the flowers I'd had delivered and just to make conversation I asked what time my dad would be arriving. Um...yeah, she didn't know. Um...yeah, I ruined it. Um...yeah, my aunt called my mother and screamed at her because of me.

Auntie: Shauna, blah blah, guess what Angie did...
Shauna: She didn't know it was a surprise. Obviously she wouldn't have said anything if she'd known. I forgot who I told what...
Auntie: That's because you have too many kids! You ruined this and now you have to fix it. I know you hate to lie but you have to fix this...

So, my sweet, innocent, never lies mother had to call Granny and lie lie lie. She told her that they had intended to go for granny's birthday but that tickets were booked and didn't make the flight stand-by. Granny believed her--of course she did--Shauna doesn't lie. Ever.

Whew!

A Thousand Cranes

My friend Julia is directing a play this week and next week at The Brigham Young. It is based on the children's book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. It's an incredibly touching true story about a little girl in Japan after the Hiroshima bomb. I'm going on Saturday but I just wanted to give a shout out to anyone who might be interested in doing something different--I complain all the time that the only thing to do in The UC is dinner/movie--this is different. They preview it for two weeks at BYU and then take the play around to elementary schools in the area. I'm super excited for Julia and know it will be incredible. Follow the link for further details!

http://www.byuarts.com/calendar/eventdescription_v2.php?eventid=94.

This is the description from the back of the book...

Hiroshima-born Sadako is lively and athletic--the star of her school's running team. And then the dizzy spells start. Soon gravely ill with leukemia, an aftereffect of the atom bomb that fell on her city when she was only an infant, Sadako approaches her illness as she did her running--with irrepressible spirit. Recalling a Japanese legend, Sadako sets to work folding paper cranes. For the legend holds that if a sick person folds one thousand cranes, the gods will grant her wish and make her healthy again.

Monday Night Dilemma

I know I watch too much TV but I'm really struggling tonight with which two TV shows to cancel so that I can record the other two that I really want to watch. I haven't had this problem in years. And let's be honest...the two I "cancel" will be ones I can watch on Hulu later this week. Geez, just a few years ago I was shipping VHS tapes all over the country for friends who had missed their shows. God bless TiVo, DVR and the Interwebs. Technology is fabulous!

I know. I know. I have huge problems. I do have a lot of actual problems

but focusing on my "TV problems" helps distract me from the real shiz I'm ignoring.