Has Taylor Swift even read Romeo and Juliet?

On Sunday I asked Ashley about the lyrics to Taylor Swift's song Love Story. Well, I didn't really ask her anything about it, but wondered aloud if they made any sense. She got very defensive that they did make sense. She was kind of stressed, though.

Let me clarify. They DO make sense, they just have very little in common with the story of Romeo and Juliet. Now, Swift's lyrics start out strong. The two protagonists ("Romeo" and "Juliet" for our purposes) meet each other at a party, as in the play, and at least one of the parents is against it:

That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles
And my daddy said stay away from Juliet

I'm not too sure about throwing pebbles, but otherwise, this fits. In the Shakespeare play they were told to stay away from each other (seeing as how the two families had hated each other for generations). The song goes on, there are some other lines, it kind of fits the story of the play, but then there's this:

'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter

She's a scarlet letter? Mixing metaphors, tsk, tsk. Given that The Scarlet Letter is about a woman that commits adultery and suffers nearly her entire life under the weight of her sin, I'm not sure what Swift is going for here. Ashley explained to me that "Juliet" is shunned, and that's what this line is about. Okay, fine. But the line that really gets me is:

I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress

First of all, didn't the dad warn him to stay away three verses ago? But more than that, it's definitely not the way the story of Romeo and Juliet goes. At this point I think the only thing she knows about Romeo and Juliet is that they were in love. Everything else she's made up. It's like an 8-year-old wrote the song after falling asleep while watching the movie version.

Anyway.

Since I already sound cranky, let me mention something that really bothers me. (To clarify, this is not something else that really bothers me, because I really like that Taylor Swift song. It's just that the lyrics are pretty dumb.) I hate when cars at stop lights leave huge gaps between them and the car in front of them. I've threatened many times to get out of my car, walk over to the offending driver, knock on their window, and ask them to explain to me why in the world they've stopped 30 feet back from the car in front. I have yet to do it. Perhaps, if you're someone who does this, you can explain why this happens so I don't have to scare the bejesus out of some poor driver one day. I have photos.


I stitched together these four pictures so you can see what I'm talking about (that's right, it took FOUR pictures to photograph the enormity of the space that this person left between them and the car in front). These were taken at the intersection of Windy Hill and Powers Ferry. Why would this person stop where they've stopped? I can't understand it.

We went bowling the other night as part of what I'm billing (starting now) as the Weekend of Heather. I bowled possibly my best two games ever, 167 and 150. Here are the scorecards:



One last thing. I really like sudoku. I'm currently trying to solve a very difficult puzzle, difficult enough that I think I need to learn some new techniques. I think I can use the X-wings technique on it, but I'm not sure. Help me out:

Ohhh the sewing machine, the sewing machine; a girl's best friend, If I didn't having my sewing machine I'd a come to no good end...

I love fabrics, and I found this seller on Etsy.com! The lady who runs the shop has a blog, and I want to win some fabric! So, go buy her fabric (But don't enter...I want to win!!)



Go here to learn about the giveaway. I never win this stuff, but I thought I would try one more time....

P.S. I have bought from her a few times and she is FABULOUS to work with!!!! I recommend her.

All eyes on me, in the center of the ring, just like a circus....

She's back.....

And she is awesome - just like I knew she would be!!!!!

These pictures do it no justice, but here are some anyways :)

I know I should be above this....But I'm totally not. I'm pretty sure I'll be a Britney fan for life!

P.S. I think I hate the Pussycat Dolls even more after seeing them "perform".

If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts

So, I don't really feel like I have anything to blog about at the moment. I always have lots of different ideas and such floating around my head, so I thought I would share a few of them. I mean, I will spare you the "I'm so excited to see Britney Spears!!" tangent (even thought I totally am....) These may or may not be more interesting than that!

So here goes....random tangents...

1) I'm so sad! It was announced that Domino Magazine is going out of circulation, and not only that, they are taking the website down too. Punks! I have been a fan of the website for a long time, and when I finally give in and get a subscription to the magazine, I only get to enjoy it for 3 months and then it's taken away from me. It's to bad too, because now I have a house to use a lot of their awesome tips and such. It's sad time. But I won't let it thwart my plans to become crafty! I already have a few ideas of things I want to make for the house, so I can't wait to get started. But, I must do it without my beloved Domino. You will be missed...

2) I'm so excited!! My oldest cousin Jenni and her husband Jon just had a baby!! He's a beautiful baby boy - Tilden Douglas. They are both wonderful people and are going to make such fantastic parents! I can't wait to meet the little man - I hope it's sooner than later!! They will be posting pics of Tilden soon, so check out their blog! What an exciting baby season :)

3) So, since Jacob and I are married now, we are in a new ward. When I was baptized at 19, I was baptized at the Singles Ward, and spent the last 7.5 years there. It had it's ups and downs, but it was comfortable and familiar to me. The family ward is a whole new can of worms. I don't know a lot of people (thank goodness for awesome people like Reva and Jared and the Burke's who are there). I know I will get comfortable there soon...and I hope its sooner than later!

4) I think that if Christian Bale ate something, he wouldn't be so moody on the set (I swear he gets thinner with each movie he does...) This would cause him to be pleasant to be around, and not cause him to scream at innocent people (I don't know if the video with the article is a copy of the rant, but I don't recommend listening to it...he's got the mouth of a sailor!) At least he apologized - he gets a lot credit for that. But still.

5) My Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer is my new favorite gadget. It makes me want to bake things all the time!! I've made cookies, pies, cup cakes, and they have all turned out great, thanks to the mixer!! Holy cow it's amazing...and pretty.

Turns out I don't think any of them were interesting, but since I typed it all up, I am posting it anyways. Maybe the next post will be better.

You know its gonna make it that much better, when we can say goodnight and stay together...

Happy February!

Jenni, this post is for you!! I promise to be a better blogger from now on :)

So, things have been really good, but also really busy, so blogging has taken a back seat. It's sad, but true. Thus far, 2009 has been a good year. Jacob and I got married toward the beginning of the year, and from there went to St. Johns for our honeymoon. It was perfect and beautiful and warm...and I can't wait to go back!! I love the beach, and this was by far the most beautiful place I have ever been to. Once we get the pictures developed, I will post some. Since I had been living in my mom's basement with all of my stuff already over at Jacobs house in boxes, I couldn't find my digital camera charger before we left, so I bought disposable cameras instead. How old school!

The house is no longer Jacobs house, but it's our house now. We have slowly been getting settled in, and hopefully I will be unpacked sooner than later. It's true, I have a bunch of stuff, so I need to make some decisions about what I will actually be able to keep, and what needs to be chucked. I may be a bit of a pack rat, so those kinds of decisions can be hard on me. But I want to get everything put together so it feels like home and I have a place to start on all the different projects that I want to. I know it will take some time, but I hope it doesn't take forever!

The wedding was perfect - I had no complaints!! And it was so exciting to have some close friends and family come into town - it meant the world to me!! I will also post some pics of the wedding soon too. I have seen a preview of them, and Heather did an AMAZING job!! There are so many reasons why I love her!! I included a sample, but when they are all finished I will put some more up.

The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear!

So, it's Christmas time. It's usually one of my favorite times of the year! This year though, I have been hard pressed to find my Christmas Spirit. I don't know where it went! And I hate when I can't find it - it totally ruins everything. Sure, life has been a little hectic and/or stressful, but that doesn't usually stop me. But I had come to terms with it. I quit trying. All of my favorite holiday movies are packed up in boxes somewhere, so I can't watch them. It's has not been particularly cold this year, so it doesn't feel or smell like Christmas. There aren't as many lights out this year, and when we went to Stone Mountain to see the lights there (like I have done MANY years in the past) it all of the sudden costs an extra $20 bucks to walk around the village! Bah-humbug! I'm to cheap for that! So, these are a few of the reasons why I haven't found my Christmas cheer.

Until last night.

I was going about it all wrong. I was focusing on me, and that's not what Christmas is all about. I went and delivered some packages to some friends. I love giving people gifts, and putting the thought and effort into picking out that perfect thing that they will really love or use. Some years I'm better at it than others, but it doesn't matter, I love trying! I love being around family and getting to see people who I haven't seen in a while, and hearing stories and sharing memories of those who aren't with us anymore. I love feeling the love and joy Christmas brings out in people. So, as I was driving home from delivering those packages and doing some late night shopping at Kohl's (thank goodness they were open until midnight!) a song came on the radio. It was a song that I loved as a kid and used to sing with my mom and brother all of the time. It's called "Do You Hear What I Hear." I wasn't really paying much attention, because I was so exhausted, but all of the sudden I started listening as this verse started playing:

Said the Shepard boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
In your palace wall mighty king
Do you know what I know
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold

This is when I got goosebumps. Then, the last verse played:

Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere
Listen to what I say
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

And that might be when I started to tear up (I will neither confirm or deny that I actually started crying...) The realization that I had been so selfish and almost Scrooge-like hit me - hard. I had forgotten why Christmas is so beautiful, and how I have been given the best gift of all - the Savior in my life. And this is the time of year we get to celebrate Him, His wonderful life, and the people who had the faith to allow this wonderful miracle to come to pass! I had it all wrong. I'm not perfect - I let all the things in my life pile up and block out what really matters most - Jesus Christ.

I'm so grateful for this time of year, and the reminders we have all around us about what the holiday season is really about. They are there, we just have to look for them. I'm excited to celebrate with my mom's family later on today. I don't get to see them often enough, but it's always a blast when we get together! I know we will have a gift exchange, but we will also talk about the story of Christmas, and sing Christmas songs that allow us to focus on the Lord. I'm so grateful for that, and for what the Christmas Spirit really is all about.

I will leave you with a quote from the article The Best Christmas Ever, where President Thomas S. Monson, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, says (and quotes):

President David O. McKay (1873–1970) declared: “True happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior’s doctrine of losing one’s life to gain it. In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service.

“It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring ‘peace on earth,’ because it means—good will toward all men.”

Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than things. To catch the real meaning of the “spirit of Christmas,” we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the “Spirit of Christ.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Catching Up

I keep checking the blog to see if Ashley has posted something, but I realized today that she won't be able to post anything for a while, so it falls to me. You see, we moved Ashley out of her condo on Saturday and she's now staying at her mom's house, which has some type of internet deal I've never heard of where only one person can be on the internet at a time and they have to login or some such nonsense, so she can't use her laptop to get on the internet. At work it's board meeting week which means she's busy all day (plus she has to stay late Wednesday and Thursday, conveniently allowing her to skip out on being my date to my work holiday party). So, yeah, if I want to read something new on this blog, I have to write it.

But, don't worry, I'll spare you from my self-indulgent writing and instead just post some pictures from the last few months. Those always seem to be popular.

My brother, Carter, built this bottle launcher to have some fun with his kids. It's pretty ingenious. Pressurized air is put into the system (see the air compressor hose connected to the right side) and obviously something wants to give. The bottle is held in place by little plastic nubs (see detail below) that are locked into place above the rim of the bottle by a piece of piping that can be yanked down. When you pull on the string, it pulls down the piping holding the plastic tabs, all that pressurized air finally has a place to go, and the bottle shoots into the air.

Detail of the plastic nubs and the bit of pipe that holds them in place.

Carter thought more weight would help it launch higher, so we added this boot. It didn't help.

I only post this picture because sadly, this is the last picture that I have of my brother's beautiful purebred boxer, Hazel. She died of cancer this past weekend. It's hard to tell in this picture, but she's got some pretty sizable lumps in her throat, part of what killed her. She wasn't in pain, though.

We went bowling a few weeks ago. I don't know if you've ever seen Ashley bowl, but her form is... interesting. I want to say awful, but she doesn't do so badly, really. I kept trying to capture the weirdest part, which is that she kicks her left leg out in front of her and to the left. You can see her arm way up in the air, though, and I think the leg kicking is to counterbalance the crazy release she does.

I know, you've seen a million pictures like this. Everyone takes them - they always seem impressive when you take it, but then later you're like, wow, that's a boring picture. Still, I'm always amazed at how it can look like another planet above the clouds. This was on my way to Chicago for a presentation that I was really nervous about. I actually hand wrote seven pages of presentation notes on the flight. Most writing I've done with a pen since college.

I love these two trees in front of my house. I changed the color in iPhoto to make the picture look more like the color looked in person, but I overdid it a bit. You can see that with a lot of the leaves yet to fall there's already a pretty thick carpet of them on the lawn. A few weeks later, when I still hadn't mowed or raked the lawn, my Dad (quite tactfully, actually) asked if I'd mind if he came over and cleaned up the leaves for me. He said he had a whole leaf-gathering operation running and wouldn't mind doing it. I accepted.

Ashley made a delicious apple crisp when we were at the cabin. So Martha Stewart! Except Ashley's a lot sexier.

This was on the mantel at the cabin. Kind of creepy, because it was always staring at you.

See?

This was just after lugging three pretty heavy sections of an entertainment cabinet up a steep hill into Ashley's mom's house. All those boxes are Ashley's stuff. I'd say about 1/12th of it.

That's it for now. Maybe I'll do another one of these in a month or two. Blogger is a total pain to add pictures too, though. Hmmm... Maybe I'll let Ashley do the next one.