too close for comfort

Wal*Mart, Wal*Mart. oh, Wal*Mart.

so they're putting a service deli in the Wal*Mart here in Eph. they've got the usual big plastic curtains and plywood fort to let you know it's a construction zone. i'll admit i was pretty excited when i found out. heck, i might be able to buy fresh sliced hard salami and Havarti cheese in my very own town now. but here's the rub... in order make make room for more stuff in the same old Wal*Mart the isles are getting pushed closer and closer together - a problem Wal*Mart already struggles with. it's true, some isles you can't really feel a difference but others are barely wide enough to push a cart down. and others still are so close you have to shuffle down in a sort of side step. i'm not joking and i'm not exaggerating. how do you think i got my 3-pack of ankle socks?

one of the benefits of living in Utah is being near thee most beautiful slot canyons in the world. there's no need for merchandise slot canyons at the grocery store. it's pretty ridiculous. and thus my love/hate relationship with Wal*Mart deepens. to quote Johnathan Richman (who put on a great show last week), 'and i wish the worst for the place i shop.'

happy first birthday

a cake from scratch made by Mom and Dad, eaten very methodically.


we had one of these clocks when i was growing up and it was a major favorite. needless to say i was thrilled to see that Ash is a fan as well.

no sugar for a month

English and i have decided to avoid sugar for a month starting next Monday - after Ash's 1st birthday and Easter, of course. 'why?' you may ask. well, it's a good challenge. it's a healthy experiment. T.R. did it. i gained ten pounds over the winter. i have an insane sweet tooth, in other words i feel like a 'treat' after lunch and dinner almost every day. i heard it will transform me into a wonder woman full of strength and vigor. so we're giving it a try.

that means this week is the last week of sugary goodness. i made a batch of chocolate chip cookies yesterday and i'll be having birthday cake on Saturday, not to mention marshmallow Peeps, on Sunday. yeah, it's probably a bad idea to load up right before laying off but oh well.

i'll keep you posted.

Ephraim, Ephraim, it's a wonderful town!

Ephraim has a population of 4,500 when school is in session. it's small-town Utah and i've grown to like it even more than i had expected. indeed it is a wonderful town. but don't take my word for it. da nunt nunt. here are two inspiring articles from a recent edition of Snow College's student newspaper, The Snow Drift* (click image to enlarge) that echo my sentiments. believe me, it's worth the effort.


*The Snow Drift is a weekly paper and it's embarrassing. BYU's Daily Universe doesn't stand a chance. besides the lack of content and reoccurring themes - dating, sports, and the latest health risk - it is full of errors both small and large (e.g. featuring a photo of Snow's new president with the old president's name as the caption or headlining an interview with world-renowned local potter, Joe Bennion, with 'A Visit With Joe Bunion') every time. both entertaining and frustrating at the same time.

spill the purse

last fall one of my good friends gave me this little bag/purse. she brought it back from a killer sale in Maine. way cool. it's the first real purse i've had. in the last five years i've had little bags off and on but this is the first that can be called a purse (by the way, i hate the word 'purse'. not necessarily because of what it is or what it means but rather because of the way it sounds. purse, pamphlet, pouch - oh, and moist; all disgusting-sounding words). but i digress. upon cate's request i show you the contents of my purse.

wallet (indeed). sunglasses (especially). pile o' change (for all of the parking meters here in Eph). sharpie pen (always comes in handy). pretty boring and unrevealing, i know. i realize you were expecting something more and i don't want to disappoint. so i'll open my wallet and show you a collection i keep inside...


...my student ID cards from 7th - 12th grade. what a collection! you'd be surprised how many times i've pulled them out. they're quite the conversation piece. 10th grade is especially entertaining. i have a boy haircut, which i loved at the time, and i look a little dopey (livin' it up at Lagoon the night before). so there you have it.

if you have yet to spill your purse, feel free. it's been fun.

the red hat of courage

in anticipation for our upcoming adventures we're acclimatizing Ash to the tent. as we set it up in the front room this morning, Ash was very interested in the poles and things but once we got it up she was unsettled. i can't blame her. she came from a small, enclosed space not too long ago and i bet it's unnerving to crawl inside something that is reminiscent of the womb. so English and i got inside and eagerly demonstrated how much fun the tent is.

'hey look! this is great, Ash!' and
'woah! i'm having the time of my life!' and
'i don't feel scared or anything.'

she hemmed and hawed for a few minutes, whimpering at the door. she made a move to crawl in but changed her mind at the last minute, still unsure. but then she did the bravest thing i've seen - by anyone - in a long while. she mustered up the courage and crawled in - no looking back. i could tell it took a great amount of courage and i was way impressed.

once she was inside i picked her up and showed her the finer things in the tent: mesh windows and celing, nylon walls, little side pockets for storing things, like, say, a Kermit.

now, she's a pro. we're going to leave the tent up for a couple more days and i'm sure we'll have to get it out a few more times before heading out but we've made progress.