Olympus High School Class of 2000 Alumni Website

Read more here:
Aaron is 3 years old

I’m kind of over this particular blog at the moment. My thoughts are focused primarily on moving and other newlywed type stuff, which is why I’ve created another blog (yes, ANOTHER blog). I needed a space that was just about being young and poor and married and here it is:

Love it! Look over there if you’re interested in seeing pictures of the new place or checking in to see how our little cottage is coming along. Yes, it actually is a little cottage. I’m not even trying to be cute here.

Isn’t it comforting to know that even if I fall off the face of one blog, you can always find me on another? I’m like the Carmen Sandiego of the Internet. (Oh, the desire to make a new blog called Carly Sandiego is almost too much to resist…)

Read more here:
Where’s Carly?

My hair has hit an awkward point and I need to make a decision. But, thanks to the Internet, I’ve become terrible about making decisions without the input of people I don’t know. So let’s vote, shall we?

Bangs?

No Bangs?

Vote here:

Read more here:
Super Self-Involved Post of the Day

I’m writing a lot these days. I now have three fairly large blogs that I try to keep up with. I’m still working as a freelance writer and I have a combination of little and large projects that are keeping me occupied. When I can, I exchange witty emails with my oldest of friends, to make up for the severe lack of luncheons and movie nights that have become geographically impossible. And then there’s the rest…emails from readers that turn into long exchanges, scribbling in the journals that have slowly started to take over our room, notes that hang on the wall and threaten eternal fatness if I don’t get myself to the gym…everywhere I turn there’s just words and words and words. And I’m writing them.

But what about the things that don’t get written? A friend complained recently that I never write about her on the blog and I pointed out that I very rarely receive good returns when I write about real people outside of my husband and myself. Even with good intentions, my large mouth has repeatedly gotten me into trouble, so I no longer write about my social circle. (I also enjoy irking this friend, which is why I’m referring to her as “friend” and not by her name. Oh, she’s going to be fur-i-0us!)

I also don’t write about my work very much because it just feels like I should be keeping it separate. It’s true that I’m not working in a scary, executive job where it would serve me well to have a professional image that resembles a 24/7 paper-pushing cyborg with no emotions or personal life. Still, I’m not sure that the people I work for would want to give thousands of dollars to the freelancer that eats pork uterus and didn’t even have a decent first kiss! My thin, little professional bubble needs to remain in tact…at least a little.

But there’s other stuff as well. Stuff that doesn’t come out because I do know how public this writing is. They aren’t terrible secrets or embarrassing overshares…they’re just things that are private because they are mine…or in many cases, ours. Kyle has nearly no control over these online windows into our life and although he’s a saint about it, I can’t trade cheaply in the things that are intimate to our us-ness. It just wouldn’t be fair.

I’ve been struggling a little, though, with feeling dishonest. I get so many letters from people who feel like they know me, but as a friend recently pointed out, I’m not really what I appear to be in these little essays. I’m not particularly kind, not particularly interesting, and not particularly good company. Or, perhaps, you do see me and it’s the familiar bitchiness and total loss of control scattered throughout my existence that’s actually appealing.

I don’t know…but what I do know is this: it is easier for me to do this than it is for me to do anything else and it helps me to do this, even though I’m sure it seems narcissistic and petty to keep a blog only about this little life. So, it’s hard when I can’t write about the things that are here below the surface and, in a way, I do so want you to know what’s really here. Perhaps it is the validation, but I mostly think that when I’m honest I’m also holding myself accountable for things. It sort of keeps me from burying my head in the sand and missing my life.

Is it possible, safe, or even sane to be more open on a personal blog without crossing into the land of “Why in God’s name would she ever put that on the Internet?” I don’t know…

Read more here:
The Things I Don’t Blog About – Part One

I was talking to my boss the other day and he said that he was looking up pottery on the internet and he found some of mine on flicker. So I Googled myself and found what he was talking about. There are pictures of my bud vases that I made and donated to the Canine Casino Night and Silent Auction. Over the past few years I’ve donated some of my pieces to two different silent auctions and they sold but it’s nice to know people really like my art. The lady that bought them took some very nice pictures, and I’m so happy that she is enjoying them.

Read more here:
Google yourself…

I try to moderate the comments that I get on my blog so that crap doesn’t hang around for long. Sometimes, though, when I’m gone for a weekend and come back to 100+ emails, I just delete everything and let it ride. I figure you guys are smart enough not to click on the Viagra spam.

Because I don’t always get to delete them, every now and then I find a spam comment somewhere on an old post. It’s like an Easter egg hunt. I’ll be going along and *whoops* there’s some spam. Sometimes the comments are even more interesting than spam, like this one I just stumbled on, which was posted on an entry I did about interracial marriage and gay rights (11/06/08):

Kelly Dutton’s work at home job oppurtunities said…

I see nothing wrong with a white person marrying chinese or korean/asian person.Kate Gosselin is not Korean/asian but her husband Jon is half Korean/Asian and the children are 1/4 Korean/Asian.I love Jon and Kate Plus 8. It is however disgusting when one person is black and one person is white. (05/13/09)

I couldn’t believe it when I read it. I actually had to read it twice. I’m not deleting it yet, because I’m sure at least a couple people are going to want to verify that I’m not making this ridiculous person up.

Who puts stuff like this out on the internet, with a link back to their site and everything? It wouldn’t surprise me at all to know that I encounter racist people in my day to day activities, but it shocks the crap out of me when they say stuff like this out loud! And in print! On the Internet forever to be looked back on by their horrified descendants!

I’m hardly one to be saying this, but PLEASE, PEOPLE, think about the sort of stuff you’re posting on the internet. If you don’t, your jackass comments might get trapped in blog amber, preserved for generations to come as a classic example of how stupid people used to be.

Read more here:
Wait, What?

When I was in Ohio, I had a conversation with a lawyer friend of mine that got my wheels turning. It started out as a typical catch-up (“How’s Utah?” “It’s nice.” “Cold there?” “Yep.”) and then it turned to the inevitable “So exactly what is it that you’re doing?” Since I don’t have a job, I’m under more pressure to come up with a list of fascinating and necessary things that I get done every day. Sometimes I tell people that I’m doing some freelance writing. This is true, actually, but it makes me sound like I’m sitting in a coffee shop working on the great American novel, when in fact I’m just writing the occasional story for those newspapers and magazines that you’ve never heard of.

I also like to tell people that I’m a housewife and spend my days cooking, cleaning, and mending Kyle’s pants. This is also true, but I’ve learned that this should only be said when I’m sure that the person I’m talking to will be amused by it. I once said this lightly to someone I graduated from law school with and the look of pity that it inspired was a total conversation killer. I just had to wander away, mumbling “but I should be getting a call about that six figure job any day now.”

During the particular conversation in question, however, I gave the most honest answer I could, which is that I spend part of the day looking for jobs, part of the day picking up around the house, and the rest of my time is spent reading, writing, or blogging. This perked the interest of my lawyer friend and he asked what I was blogging about. I explained that I had a couple of different blogs, but mostly I just blogged about stuff. To which he responded, “Oh…so you just…talk about your life?”

The disappointment and disinterest in his voice was palpable. In truth, this isn’t the first time I’ve had this conversation. In fact, I’ve been on both sides of it. When someone tells you that he or she has a blog, it’s natural to immediately ask what the blog is about. When they tell you it’s about their life, don’t you always have a moment where you just think, “Oh…it’s that kind of blog…it’s not a blog about politics or cars or movies or celebrities or food. It’s just a blog about this person?” And this, my friends, makes you immediately think, “I bet that blog is a suckfest of boring.”

It also makes that person seem just a bit more self-important. After all, blogging is widely viewed as a narcissistic pastime. It’s a hobby in which you, yourself, are the thing that you’re really interested in and want to spend time thinking about. What kind of an egomaniac would sit down at a computer every single day and talk about themselves? What makes these people think that they are so much more special than everyone else…that they’re so special everyone else will be interested in reading about their daily existence? Who do these people think they are?

I caught the look of disappointment in the face of my friend and quickly changed the subject, but it stayed on my mind for days afterward. I started to wonder if I had let this blogging thing get out of hand. What started out as rants and lists and notes to self has turned into a conversation in which I naturally assume that people will tune in to participate. But who am I and what am I doing and why do I blog almost every day? At nearly 27, with two degrees under my belt, shouldn’t I find a better way to spend my time?

And then I realized something. No, I couldn’t find a better way to spend my time. Because I need this. And I don’t need it because I can’t stop talking about myself. I need it because I can’t stop talking. I think it’s a chick thing. When women get together, they don’t talk about cars and movies and politics and technology. (Well, they do, but it usually isn’t the main focus.) The women in my life get together and immediately we start talking about relationships and how we feel about things and who we feel we are as people.

I have cherished those moments with my girlfriends and coworkers and classmates. I can’t remember the names and faces of some people, but I can remember sitting down on the couch with them while they expressed secret fears about break ups or little hopes that seemed too silly to say out loud. You know that moment when you and someone else have just traded immensely personal stories and you’re just sitting together, knowing that you’re understood and not judged and not alone? I love that.

That’s what led me to blogging. By reading other people’s blogs, I started to tap into mini-conversations with strangers all over the world. Sure, I didn’t really know these people, but when I read about the stupid relationship mistakes they made or when they cracked jokes to mask their insecurities, I totally connected to them. I felt like I was more normal for making mistakes and feeling insecure. The fact that they shared these thoughts actually began to buoy me up and enrich my life. The international chatter on the Internet was as familiar and friendly as any lunch circle in my life had ever been.

That’s why I blog. I want to add to that conversation. I want to toss this stuff out there so that someone else can read it and get something out of it, even if the something is that they think I’m an idiot and they’re glad they’re not me. (Hello, law-practicing Class of ’08!) For every person that misses the points I’m making or doesn’t agree with something I’ve thrown out there, I’ve found someone who really gets it. And even if they don’t leave me a comment or send me an email, I’ve become part of that person’s experience and hopefully I’ve made them feel just a bit more confident/happy/understood/secure/normal. I know that when I need that and I can’t get a hold of a friend, I can usually find a blog to lift up my day.

I don’t think that bloggers are self-obsessed. I think that they’re socially open. I think that they’re recreating something that is getting lost as people become more disconnected from each other. And I think that what all bloggers are doing…all of that verbal chaos and overflow of opinion…is really, really important.

Read more here:
In Defense of Bloggers Everywhere

There’s three kinds of Christmas wish lists.

The first kind is the kind you make when you’re a kid…it’s everything you can think of that you really want and the purpose of making this list is that you can give it out to everyone you know, eliminating any chance that you’ll receive bad toys and ugly sweaters. I used to think that everyone stopped making these lists when they reached the 6th grade, but apparently it’s not something you necessarily age out of. Case in point: my husband keeps his Christmas list up and running all year, so when the holiday season finally comes around he’s ready to recite the 50 things he’d love to find under the tree. (Oddly enough, the list itself doesn’t even seem to get older…lots of action figures, video games, and cartoons…)

The second kind of Christmas list is the kind that you make when you’re feeling like a responsible adult. It’s used as a reference for people (like, say, your husband) who are still likely to buy you bad toys and ugly sweaters. However, unlike the first type of Christmas list, the second type of Christmas list takes into account financial limitations, shopping availability, and what you’ll probably have to buy yourself if you don’t get it as a gift. This is the list that includes things like inexpensive kitchen gadgets, reasonably-priced home accents, and a sensible winter hat.

Now, don’t misunderstand…these are not things that you secretly don’t want. You do want everything that ends up on this list. In fact, finding four pairs of socks and a can opener to replace the one you broke last month will not only please you, it will make you feel triumphant in the face of adult life. Now you don’t have to spend your hard earned money on these essentials, so really you’ve come out of Christmas ahead, marinating in the joy of not having received something bizarre and impractical that needs batteries and a cubic foot of closet storage space. This is the kind of Christmas list that I default to.

I do admit, however, to indulging myself in the third kind of Christmas wish list, which is a type that has become very popular with bloggers. This is the fantasy Christmas wish list…mostly compiled of things that you’ve seen on TV or on the internet and entirely made up of things that would make you immediately cry out, “Oh, you shouldn’t have! It’s way too much!” My sense of anxiety around gifting means that I can’t truly enjoy receiving these overpriced items, but my sense of sheer awesomeness means that I still have fantasies about Santa Clause jumping down the chimney and dropping them off with big gift tags that say, “For Carly, who shoudn’t feel bad about the expense because the elves took care of it.” As I mentioned, I’ve seen many of these lists on other blogs recently and today, since it’s Saturday and since we’re in bed feeling indulgent and since I just sighed wistfully at someone else’s Christmas list, I’m sharing mine with you:

Read more here:
There's three kinds of Christmas wish lists.The first kind is

Updates on the 101 in 1001 project:

It’s been more than a week since we got back from Disneyland, but I still haven’t sorted through all the photos yet. Luckily, I haven’t been procrastinating in all my endeavors. I made an original goal to accomplish one of my 101 every single week and I’m still going strong. (It’s true that I’m doing all the easy ones first, but can you blame me?)

• I’ve read my third memoir. This time I picked Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay, which is a memoir of first-time motherhood. The writer is a blogger and the book is very popular, so I was excited to read it. It was actually pretty good, although not fantastic, and her constant humerous references to alcohol are sort of unfunny in light of the fact that she revealed to her blog audience that she’s actually an alcoholic. It’s all fun and games until there actually is chardonnay in the sippy cup.

• The daily goals of photoblogging and drinking water are still things that I’m attempting, but it was so annoying to have to log in every day and update it that I’m not longer keeping a strict count. I’ll just have to give myself a thumbs up or thumbs down when the project is over.

• I sent my random care package, but I don’t know if it’s been received yet…

• I joined a gym with fitness classes included and it shouldn’t be too hard to find one that I’ve never taken before. I’ll let you know when I pick one.

• We’re at 80% on the church we want to join. We’re only hung up on the fact that it’s a 30 min drive every Sunday morning.

• I’m taking Kyle to see Les Mis at Riverton High School this Thursday, which fulfills both my musical requirement and seeing a creative arts production where I don’t know anyone in it.

• I woke up and photographed the sunrise, but apparently I was really sleepy because I can’t figure out what I did with the camera after that. When I find it, I’ll share the pictures.

• We’ve been invited to Universal Orlando but I don’t know if we’re going. I’d really like to see the opening of that Harry Potter land, though…

• I’m at 97 followers on the wedding blog…only three to go!

• And last, but definitely not least, I’ve met three of my five people from the internet. While we were in California I had lunch with Hope, J.Darling, and Luis, who are all long-time readers from the days of wedding planning. We had such a fun time and it was really great to meet them in person, since I feel like I know them all so well. I also met Hope’s fiance Mike and his friend Andrew, but I’m not counting them towards my five since they aren’t blog readers. Plus, they were sort of dragged along, much like my sweet husband. (Kyle: “You want to have lunch with internet people? Did the Craigslist killer teach you nothing?!?!”)

So, all in all, the project is going strong. I’m actually really happy with it and I strongly encourage everyone to start their own list and share it.

Read more here:
Updates on the 101 in 1001 project:It's been more than a week

Blog posting has seriously be lacking here at Nat-the-brat. I do apologize. To you my readers, I am very sorry. But never fear, I have an arsenal of posts that will be firing out of this blog so fast you will think that your baby just had a blowout on your computer screen. Sick. I don’t know why I said that. Erase that from your memory.

Anyway. Back to this post. So I know the internet is just DYING for another Halloween post. And so, I’ll give you one. Well I kind of will, but not totally. I spent my Halloween doing the following:

Breakfast with friends
Pedicure with Brooke
This Is It movie with Brooke
Visited my newest “nephew” Jonathan*
Utah Game
Halloween parties

When at I was at the U game, I was all, “I am SOOOO tired. I have been going all day.” And then when I was asked what I did all day and I repeated the above tasks, and then felt completely embarrassed. Really, Natalie? Really? Eating, being pampered and sitting in darkness listening to MJ made you tired? I’m totally screwed for real life. I do realize that.

Anyway, the low part of my Halloween was the parties. I mean, maybe if I had dressed sluttier it would have been more fun. But alas, I am not a slut. Well, at least I don’t think so.

I did get my “Border Babe” costume at Blue Boutique (yes, it’s debatable. I might be a slut).

However with this costume, I chose to wear pants. You know, like what most normal people do on regular days. But I guess Halloween is not a regular day and people forget their morals, and their pants. Maybe you can tell me, would I have had more fun at parties if I had chosen to exclude the pants from this outfit?

I’m pretty sure the fact that I chose to put on pants this Halloween ensures that no one can call me a slut for at least 90 days. At least.

Hope you all had a fun, and modest, Halloween.

*It’s highly likely that by the time I marry, I will be past child bearing years. And so my friend’s children are my “nieces and nephews”.

Read more here:
Excuse me officer, but I think you forgot your pants.

So, I’m still lovin’ on my 101 in 1001 list. I appreciate all the offers to help…it sounds like I’m making popovers with Bryttin, playing Backgammon with Schovy, and meeting a whole bunch of people from the internet in the near future. In fact, I got so many responses to #70 that I’m probably going to have to break the California people into bunches and spread them across a few trips! I even got an invite down to Mexico to meet a reader, so soon I could be blogging from south of the border…

Oh yes…and thank you to all of my friends who let me know that I could send them cards and care packages randomly. It’s not random if you guys tell me to send something. Just sayin’. Now I’m going to have to send all those care packages and cards to everyone who doesn’t read my blog.

I’m actually pretty close to having a bunch of them done, probably. A couple of people have said that they’ll put up their own lists, so when I actually see one I can check that one off. I’m hitting a new restaurant on Monday with book club that I’ll be joining, swapped four books on paperbackswap.com, and I bought the piano music for “The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.” I’m even at 90 followers on my wedding blog, which is awesome. I thought I was in the mid-60s still…it’s going to be a lot easier to get 10 more instead of 40 more before Kyle turns 30!

I have to admit that there are a couple I’m nervous about. For one, I’m not sure if there’s a historical monument in Utah that I haven’t been to. My parents were pretty ecstatic about all the old crap in this state when we moved here and as far as I know nothing else has been deemed monumental. There’s also the water one…I had to chug two glasses of water last night before going to bed and then I had to get up and pee all night. I hate drinking. Honestly, I’m not putting a requirement on the amount I drink because if I have to do three shotglasses of water and call it good, I want to make sure I have that option!

(And don’t even get me started on why I hate drinking…it’s just one of those things that I can’t explain. Some people hate green vegetables and some people hate stinky cheeses. I hate the act of drinking. It’s boring and it makes me feel like a water balloon. I can’t explain it.)

What else…oh, it turns out that Kyle doesn’t want to go camping and I’m not that crazy about camping, actually, but since it’s on my list I guess we’ll go. Do you think being in a cabin in the middle of the woods counts as camping? Or maybe building a blanket fort in the living room and sleeping in that? It’s going to be a little silly if I drag Kyle out into the forest and make him sleep under the stars because I blogged about it once, especially if we have to buy camping equipment. I guess I should have thought that one out a little bit more…

Anyway, I’m starting to think about my holiday shopping, so if anyone has any recommendations from Etsy, let me know so that I can tackle #9…

Read more here:
So, I'm still lovin' on my 101 in 1001 list. I appreciate all

All day today I thought about how excited I was to write my next post. It was going to be great. It was going to be on the stupidity of how drunk people act in public and I even have videos to support my claim.

However, I now find that idea inappropriate and meaningless compared to the events that happened today in my family. I type post this with tears streaming down my face and a heart full of sorrow because my dear grandpa Doug left this world unexpectedly today.

My heart hurts for my mother, who lost her father. For my step-grandma who lost her husband. For my dear young cousin (shown above with Grandpa Doug) for losing the only father she ever knew.

Although my time spent with him over my life was not extensive, I still have found memories of him and man that he was. Let us not forget how just a few months ago, he tried to set me up with one of his friends. He was a very talented artist who saw the world and it’s beauties in ways that I could only dream of.

As horrible and difficult as the next few months will be for my family, all I can think about is how my grandpa is in a much better place. I’ll miss his crazy stories and the $25 bonds he would give us kids at Christmas. I’ll miss him telling me “no, I can’t give you a painting, I have to make a living somehow.” But most of all, I’ll just miss him.

Here are a couple of his wonderful paintings:

image courtesy of the Utah Arts Council

image courtesy of flickr.com

I’ll see him one day again….and it will be a joyous reunion. We’ll hug and cry and be overjoyed to be together again. It’s then and only then will I get mad at him for not giving me a painting.

Read more here:
If only I was as talented as he…

New project!

Gina at Legally Brunette started this today and I’m going to be a copycat because I think the idea is fabulous. Here’s the basic idea:

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Start Date: October 20, 2009
End Date: July 16, 2012

I love that this is a realistic time frame for goals of all sizes…plus, as a happy coincidence, the end date is Kyle’s 30th birthday, so it’s going to be easy to keep it in my head! I suppose it’s a little odd to be trying to accomplish a list of goals before my husband’s 30th birthday, instead of my own, but what can you do…

I’ll keep the list updated in the sidebar on my “About Carly” page and to keep you guys posted on my progress. So now, without further ado, here are the 101 things I’d like to accomplish before Kyle turns 30…

1. Write 1 fiction book: (0/1)

2. Write 2 nonfiction books: (0/2)

3. Read 5 “classics” that I haven’t read before: (0/5)

4. Read 25 memoirs: (0/25)

5. Release 2 books into the wild with Bookcrossing.com: (0/2)

6. Drink three glasses of water per day: (1/1001)

7. Participate in 1 Disney sports event: (0/1)

8. Send 10 cards to friends just because (0/10)

9. Sell 5 things on Etsy: (0/5)

10. Learn 1 new craft: (0/1)

11. Get a new car: (0/1)

12. Go on a Disney cruise: (0/1)

13. Do 10 days of volunteer work: (0/10)

14. Send a random care package to a friend

15. Run a community benefit 5K: (0/1)

16. Run a community benefit 10K: (0/1)

17. Get an article published in a magazine: (0/1)

18. Make it all the way through 10 push ups: (0/1)

19. Go down 2 clothing sizes: (0/2)

20. Finish editing our wedding video: (0/1)

21. Go to 5 cities I’ve never been to: (0/5)

22. Make myself an article of clothing: (0/1)

23. Make Kyle an article of clothing: (0/1)

24. Swap 10 books on paperbackswap.com: (0/10)

25. Take Kyle camping: (0/1)

26. Take a fitness class I’ve never taken: (0/1)

27. Take a girls’ trip: (0/1)

28. Join a church: (0/1)

29. Write 3 thank you notes for outstanding service/product etc. (0/3)

30. Visit the new Walt Disney museum in San Francisco: (0/1)

31. Take a Lifelong Learning class from the U of U: (0/1)

32. Join a book club: (0/1)

33. Learn to play Backgammon: (0/1)

34. Teach both my cats to do a trick on command: (0/2)

35. Change my name to my married name: (0/1)

36. Have a pizza delivered to a friend in another city as a surprise: (0/1)

37. Attend a high school creative arts production where I don’t know anyone in it: (0/1)

38. Take Kyle to see a stage play: (0/1)

39. Take Kyle to see a musical: (0/1)

40. Take Kyle to see an opera: (0/1)

41. Take Kyle to see a ballet: (0/1)

42. Buy something from 5 different Etsy stores (0/5)

43. Give out 10 business cards: (0/10)

44. Throw a holiday party: (0/1)

45. Host a game night: (0/1)

46. Wake up to photograph the sunrise and share the pictures: (0/1)

47. Learn how to play a new song on the piano: (0/1)

48. Take myself to see a movie Kyle doesn’t want to see: (0/1)

49. Get my name in a newspaper (for a good reason, this time!): (0/1)

50. Reconnect with a grade school friend I’ve drifted away from: (0/1)

51. Buy Kyle something nice just because: (0/1)

52. Fill up the journal sitting on my nightstand: (0/1)

53. Drink that bottle of wine Kyle brought back from Italy in 2004: (0/1)

54. Make something for someone’s new baby: (0/1)

55. Send out an engagement card when I hear that someone’s engaged: (0/1)

56. Do a portrait in charcoal and share it: (0/1)

57. Make up a really cute nursery for future Baby Morgan: (0/1)

58. Try 10 new restaurants (0/10)

59. Surprise someone with dinner for their family: (0/1)

60. Take a trip to visit Schovy in Texas: (0/1)

61. Watch Citizen Kane, The Godfather, and An American Tale: (0/3)

62. Wear a bikini in public: (0/1)

63. Learn how to play a song on the guitar: (0/1)

64. Scan my WDWCP scrapbook into the computer and share it: (0/1)

65. Attend an outdoor concert: (0/1)

66. Attend a book signing: (0/1)

67. Attend a benefit auction: (0/1)

68. Make an appointment to get my skin mapped: (0/1)

69. Make a family history movie of some sort: (0/1)

70. Meet five friends from the internet in person: (0/5)

71. Make something for Kyle from his mom’s recipes: (0/1)

72. Make some sort of traditional chinese dish I haven’t made before: (0/1)

73. Attend a religious service for a religion I don’t know much about: (0/1)

74. Help my mom publish a cookbook: (0/1)

75. Help my dad buy a new computer: (0/1)

76. Stay in bed for an entire Saturday (preferably with Kyle): (0/1)

77. Find a reason to wear that blue dress again: (0/1)

78. Do a free family portrait session for a friend: (0/1)

79. Buy a “new” outfit from the thrift store: (0/1)

80. Try a kind of meat I’ve never had before: (0/1)

81. Try a kind of fruit I’ve never had before: (0/1)

82. Try a kind of vegetable I’ve never had before: (0/1)

83. Make cookies from scratch and mail them to five people: (0/5)

84. Go an entire week without eating meat: (0/1)

85. Go an entire week without eating cheese: (0/1)

86. Take a massage class with Kyle: (0/1)

87. Visit Universal Orlando for the first time ever: (0/1)

88. Volunteer to host a baby shower, wedding shower, or birthday party: (0/1)

89. Volunteer at a conference and attend for free: (0/1)

90. Make popovers: (0/1)

91. Send out a first anniversary card a year after someone’s wedding: (0/1)

92. Attend a midnight movie premiere: (0/1)

93. Serve breakfast for dinner: (0/1)

94. Spend a night in Vegas with Kyle: (0/1)

95. Visit a historical attraction in Utah that I’ve never seen: (0/1)

96. Start a new Christmas tradition: (0/1)

97. Photoblog my food every day: (0/1001)

98. Hit 100 followers on one of my blogs: (0/1)

99. Inspire someone else to do 101 goals in 1001 days: (0/1)

100. Donate $5 per failed goal on Kyle’s 30th birthday to a charity of his choice

101. At day 1001 celebrate accomplishments and create a new 101 list for the next 1001 days

(thanks, Jed, for the picture!)

Read more here:
101 in 1001

As I have blogged about here, Jinny is convinced that I am going to find my eternal companion via the internet. Specifically eHarmony. Not quite sure why she hasn’t latched on to match.com, but that is not for me to understand. Anyway, I found particular joy in two comments I received on my last post:

After my good friend Marianne commented, I was 100% sure Jinny would be elated and concur with her. And like giving candy to a baby, Jinny commented. Sweet!!! Yes, that deserved 3 exclamation points. I was that happy about it.

I then told roommate Nicole about the exchange of comments and she sent me the following ecard today with a personal message of: “Because every time someone tells me I should try online dating, I die just a little bit inside.”

This card made my day.

There is no right or wrong way to met a person. But online dating, it’s just not for me.

Thank you. That is all.

Read more here:
For all I know, the internet is just another way for me to meet another loser

My first time to Cap Cod was a few weeks ago and it was wonderful. I can’t wait to go back

.

Read more here:
Cape Cod

Dear Internet,

I am sure you have been very concerned about my whereabouts and why I haven’t blogged. And well, I don’t really have an excuse. Unless I can say I have writers block. Yes, I’ll say that. I mean, I have starting writing like 10 different posts, all of which have sucked and I have deleted them. So there, I have writers block.

I am going to blame my lack of thinking/ideas/coherent thought on the fact that I accidentally* rented the 1st dvd in the Prison Break series a week ago and have been sucked into a whirlwind of television viewing that has rendered me completely useless. The show is amazing. You should rent it.

On another note, I signed up for the Utah Woman’s Football Clinic. That’s right. A football clinic. And no, I don’t have to actually play football. No way in hell would i sign up for that. Physical exercise? I think not. Sitting in a chair and learning about football. Just my style. We had our first class last night. We met the coaches, toured the workout facilities, the Utah Hall of Fame and then watched film and learned about blitzes, screens and penalties. What? You don’t know what those mean? Well, now I do. Next thing you know I am going to be kicking it with a cold one** and burping with the boys. I’m so going to get married now.

Love,
Natalie

*And by accidentally, I mean I was fully aware of what I was doing and didn’t really care.
**And by cold one, I mean a glass of ice water. Remember, I am off the juice.

Read more here:
A letter to no one.

Day Two of Vegas officially started some time in the middle of the night while Jed and I were consuming low grade steak and talking about those things that you only talk about after 10+ years of friendship, but since the sun didn’t come up until much later, we’ll start there.

When I woke up on Day Two, Jed had already gotten up and gone to the gym. Less ambitious, I managed to get up to pee and then I spent the next 6 hours (no, really!!) laying in bed watching television. I watched a documentary about plastic surgery and then a special about a hospital mix-up and then I was so worn out with reality television that I caught a nice little nap. I’m going to be really good at being a senior citizen.

I finally peeled myself out of bed around 4:30 and Jed and I went through Take Two of getting ready for the wedding. I feel like everyone at the wedding actually got a little cheated because Jed and I got all dolled up on the first day and I did my makeup and my hair and everything, but on day two we were tired and smelled like that pizza we ordered in and ate in bed, so I sort of managed to get some eyeliner on and that was about it. I didn’t even put my heels on because my feet were blistered from walking the strip the previous night. Unshowered, overslept, quite rumpled…I resembled what you’re supposed to look like AFTER a really good wedding, not before.

This time we made it over to Caesar’s with not too much time to spare and, after an incident with a chocolate cookie that I will elaborate on later, we found the wedding almost underway in the palace gardens.

One of the themes of the wedding was butterflies, so each guest was handed a small lantern containing a live monarch butterfly to release during the ceremony. It’s the first time I’ve been given a live animal at a wedding and I have to admit that it was a little stressful, especially because I accidentally kicked the lantern over twice. Jed’s butterfly didn’t even fit in the lantern…its little wings were all bent and smooshed to get it in there. It definitely gave everyone something to talk about, though!

Kristen looked completely gorgeous. She was wearing a dress that our friend Sarah had made and, frustratingly, I didn’t take a single good picture of it because the gardens had a no photography policy. (I HATE THAT!) I tried to sneak a photo, but it’s too blurry to see how stunning the bride looked. The ceremony was short and sweet and involved references to beer and the wedding night and other things Kyle and I forgot to reference during our own. And then they were married and so happy and I teared up again, like I apparently do at everyone’s wedding but my own.

After the wedding, the guests climbed into the party bus, opened up the champagne, and headed out to the Vegas sign for a group picture. It was dark by the time we got out there, so I have no idea if the photos actually turned out, but I had never been out to the sign before, so that was fun anyway.

After the sign, the bus took us out to Red Rock, which is this lovely casino out in the middle of nowhere. The reception was held at Cabo, in this amazing room that had large open windows which let in the desert night air. The decor was lovely, Kristen looked incredible in her reception gown, and the food was positively to die for!

One of the highlights of the reception was the blessing. I don’t think I can fully do it justice, but I can paraphrase:
“Uh, hi…Kristen and Chris asked me to give the blessing yesterday, so…um…God…and Jesus and all that, too, just to get it out there…yeah, I’ve known Chris a long time…we used to work together and we always quoted Caddyshack…so, uh, (insert Caddyshack quote)…and, uh, (insert Caddyshack quote)…no, but really, this is our first trip to Vegas and we’re having a good time…I was kind of hung over this morning but now I feel great and the food looks really good, so let’s eat.”
(from somewhere else in the room) “Amen!”

We ate and talked and ate and talked and then it was time to get into the limos and head back. Going through Vegas in a party limo while listening to top 40 dance mixes and drinking cocktails was just a little too Vegas for me, so I sort of conked out for most of the ride. I guess I’m really just not the party limo type!

And then we were out on the bright streets of Vegas again, but Jed and I just wanted to go home so we caught a cab and headed back to the hotel. As a side note, free of embarassment because he never checks my blog, can I just tell you how much I love Jed? I would have had 2% of the fun I had if he hadn’t been there and when we were riding back to the hotel I just kept thinking about what a good time I always have when we’re together. So cheesy, I know, but it’s the truth. Jed would totally be the person I could call if I woke up and there was a dead body in the room because he’d help me get rid of it AND he’d turn it into a really funny story.

Kristen and Chris, you’re amazing! I had a great time and I’m so happy for you guys and I miss you already!

Read more here:
What Happened in Vegas (Part Two)

We’re in Utah. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I thought I’d reiterate, since there’s been a lapse in blogging. I apologize, but the move took more out of me than I thought it would and the stress, combined with the toxins currently floating in the air in Utah, has made me very, very sick. What I thought was a mild asthma attack has turned into a full out kick-you-in-the-butt kind of sickness and it’s just ironic that I’d be this sick now that I’ve moved away from all the black mold.

So, we’re here. We occupy two upstairs bedrooms…one that we use for sleeping and one that we use as our little living room/office. It’s cozy, but not as cramped as you’d think it would be and my family has actually turned themselves inside out to make sure that we have enough space. But I won’t lie…it’s hard. It’s hard to not be able to fully unpack, it’s hard not to know where we’ll be living in six months, and it’s hard to wake up every morning and try to figure out what I’m going to do with myself for the day.

I didn’t feel the unemployment as much when I was in Ohio because moving out of Ohio was a full time job in itself. Even after the packing was done, the cleaning and sorting and other details kept me busy right up until our midnight drive to Akron. But now…it’s true that there’s cleaning and sorting and other details to attend to. There’s even cooking and errands and taking care of the eight pets that live in this house. But not having someone to report to is more unnerving that you would think because when the day is wasted, it’s 100% my fault. An hour spent surfing the internet isn’t taking advantage of company time, it’s taking advantage of my own time. It’s an hour that I’m not spending cooking or cleaning or looking for a job. And it’s enough to drive a person crazy.

Another minor detail that isn’t helping is that Kyle isn’t here. Because of the craziness that is our life, Kyle had to fly back to Ohio so that he could return to work because his transfer didn’t go through fast enough. He’s going to be back next week for good, but for some reason that doesn’t make me miss him less. I’m homesick right now, but not for Ohio. I just want my husband here to talk to, but he’s asleep on Dave’s floor in Columbus, Ohio, because he has to wake up and go to Costco tomorrow morning and stand behind the merchandise returns counter because someone out there in the universe decided that the world was going to end if Kyle Morgan woke up in Utah on Wed morning.

I suppose I sound like I’m feeling sorry for myself, which is a little bit true, but mostly I’m feeling sorry for Kyle. I was all worried that he wasn’t going to like Utah, but we had a great time while he was here. It’s really starting to dawn on me that we’ll have a great time anywhere as long as we’re together. So maybe I should start a petition to get him back. How many signatures do you think I’d need to collect to get my husband off of the Columbus Costco sales floor?

Read more here:
A Status Update