Exercise Problems

I love running outside. But there's about 6 inches of snow on the ground and it is freezing! Seriously. Yesterday morning it was only about 12 degrees outside. And let's face it, I don't love running that much. So I decided I would just start working out inside. But this presents a bit of a problem.

I've done P90X in the past and I really like the intensity of it. Mostly because I know that I can slack off a little bit and still not be able to move in the morning. Because of the intensity, it's very important to wear tennis shoes. This is where my problem comes in. Our house (it's really a condo, but I like the sound of house better) is only a couple years old and the carpet is absolutely fantastic! It's so soft, and thick, and comfortable. And new! So I don't want to wear my icky, rough tennis shoes to work out on that carpet. Last week I tried just not wearing tennis shoes, but my feet would hurt when I finished the workout. I'm stubborn, so I still want to work out, but there's no way I'm going to wear those tennis shoes on the carpet.

So now I have questions. Is there something I can wear besides tennis shoes to make my feet not hurt? And if there isn't, what is the best kind of tennis shoe for working out? All my tennis shoes are specifically for running. Tyler suggested I buy a new pair of tennis shoes to just be indoor workout shoes, but I want to make sure I'm getting something good for that. Anyway, there is my exercise problem. A simple problem, but a problem nonetheless. 

Halloween is Coming!

The spooks are coming
The ghouls can be heard
The witches are cackling
But don't say a word!

They'll try to find you
They'll fill you with fright
So dress as one of them
It's Halloween night!


Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I'm not exactly sure why. Probably because it's one of Mom's favorite holidays and we are just alike. So today, as it is the first day of October, I am pulling out all of my Halloween decorations. All both of them. Yes, that's right. I only have two Halloween decorations. Remember that it wasn't long ago I was still a poor college student. So last year I bought one decoration at Wal-Mart for $1.00 and the other at DI for $0.50. Like I said, I was poor.

But now I'm a housewife! (And I love it!) And the exciting this is that I'm not going to go buy Halloween decorations; I'm going to make them. I learned a long time ago how to make a spider out of a tuna can (I think I have two or three). I'm turning a large old peanut butter jar into a pumpkin to hold the candy. And I'm going to attempt to make a monster wreath out of a hanger and some yarn to hang on the door. And then I'll see what else I can make with what I have. But the decorating and crafting starts today!

Once I'm all finished with everything (and I get my camera charged), I will take pictures to show you how it all turned out. And I'll also use that as my excuse to put pictures of my hogan up on the other blog since I have failed to do so yet. In the meantime, let the decorating and the spooks begin!

Hello, Autumn!

I went to Wal-Mart with Beau yesterday and they had all of their autumn things out. There was a cute stuffed turkey that had written on it's belly, "Gobble 'til you wobble." I got so excited! I don't know why it is, but I absolutely love the changing of the seasons! So today, even if it might be a little bit early, I'm going to get out all of my fall decorations. I don't have a lot (I bought them when I was a poor college student and half my paycheck was going to rent), but I am excited to put them up! I might even get crafty and make a few of my own decorations.

I know this is a short post, but I figured it's better than nothing since I haven't posted for a while. I will strive to be better now that things are finally starting to settle down a little. Who knew married life could be so crazy?

My Brother's Birthday

Well, today is my brother's birthday. I'm at work so I can't call him like I was planning to, but it's slow enough that I can get on here and type him a birthday message.

Happy Birthday, Trent!!! This post is specifically for you. It's hard having you so far away in Texas. The other day was such a nice day that I was wishing you were here so we could go rock climbing. It was so much fun having us both live in Provo for a while. All the games, movies (especially the Garfield holidays), and Battlefront competitions . . . *sigh* I miss it. So many good memories.

I wish I could be there for your birthday. I'll be celebrating it on this end! I love you, Trent. Have the best day ever!!

Modern Movies and Sex Appeal

The new Batman movie is coming out soon so I watched one of the trailers with my coworker. It will be starring Anne Hathaway as Cat Woman, and this sparked up an interesting conversation between my coworker and I. Modern movies and sex appeal.

The conversation started that we were excited for the movie, but we were worried about Anne Hathaway playing Cat Woman. My coworker said that she was probably in it for the sex appeal. I'll be honest, in most modern movies I despise the female leads. They always get in trouble and cause problems for everyone else because they have to be saved in their helplessness. Or they are totally hardened and have become these dark, mysterious women who always find it essential to wear tight, shiny clothing for their line of work. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but . . . well . . . no, actually I'm not.

This is perhaps why I enjoy the older movies quite a bit better than the newer movies, especially when it comes to the chick flicks. The female leads are genuine, and they don't rely on their bodies to keep the audience entertained. They're funny, quirky, and just enjoyable to watch. Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie), Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched), Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy), and Doris Day are some of my favorite actresses. Why? Because they could actually act. They were spirited, original, and quite simply, amazing. They got where they were because of their talent. Take Lucille Ball, for example. She was absolutely hilarious!! Every episode she had some hair-brained scheme that left the audience in an uproar. She would ad lib and just have fun with it, sometimes leaving the other cast members trying to stay composed and not laugh. These were the shows that left a lasting impression.

Now I ask you (and I asked my coworker this as well), when was the last time you saw a female lead in a modern movie play in the comic relief? And the flirting with the male lead does not count. Usually it's the male lead and the male lead's supporting actor, right? Why? Because today's media is so focused on sex appeal that the role goes to the body, not the talent.

It use to be that people had to be able to sing, dance, or act to be able to get into the movies. Nowadays, they just have to have low standards. And that's how the media portrays how women should be. But it's not. That is why I'm so hesitant of modern movies even when people say it's so good, and why I despise the female leads and refuse let them influence me.

We, as women, are better than that. We should be funny and quirky. We should have talent. We should be ourselves. And we should never fall prey to today's media and rely on our bodies to take us places.

Simply In Love

School and work are always enough to keep me busy, especially since now I'm playing catch-up from when I had my concussion. Lots of stress, lots of work, and little time. So when Sundays come, it truly is a day of rest. I woke up early this morning and since I don't go to church until 1:00 in the afternoon, it's given me plenty of time to just relax and listen to Sunday music, and ponder and reflect.

I already know that I am a terribly lucky girl, but in moments like this I get to look deeper and see just how lucky I really am. Today, among other things, I thought a lot about the amazing young man who wooed me and won my heart. I'm still not sure what I did to deserve such an amazing friend, who will soon be my eternal companion. He always treats me like a princess and just being with him makes everything better. Even when I'm ornery, he sticks it out until he can make me smile. Somehow he always knows exactly the right thing to say, the right thing to do, and the right time to say or do it.

I tried to keep track of all the reasons why I love him and why he is so amazing. But I couldn't keep up with him and I soon lost track. You know the saying, "I couldn't count them if I tried"? Well, I did try, and I couldn't count them. There are just so many, like his smile. He has a couple different smiles, and I love them all. I love to see him smile, especially when he can't help but smile. And all the little things he does for me, like scraping the ice off my car before he leaves for work, or calling me every day. This one I especially find cute. When we first started courting, he told me that he wasn't much of a phone talker and he didn't really like calling people. But now he calls me every day and will talk to me for quite a while. Last night I was home alone and he called me three times just to talk and make sure I didn't get too lonely.

He can always make me laugh and we just have so much fun together. He really is my best friend, and I love being with him. I could go on and on about all the things I love about him, and all the incredible things he does for me. I am so grateful for him. And I am so grateful to him. He means everything to me. And in less than two months, I'll never have to tell him good-bye again; it will just be "see you later."

I'm simply in love. And I have never been happier in all my life.

Good Night, Void

"Early to bed, early to rise
Makes a man healthy and wise."

Usually I'm not too bad when it comes to following this routine. The habit comes from my days on the drill team. And it helps that Tyler has to go to bed early because he works at 6 o' clock in the morning. That leaves me with, well, plenty to do, but missing him too much to really do any of it. Still, I get done what I need to then it's off to bed. Except on occasion I'll have nights like tonight . . .

So, what's so special about the nights I can't sleep? I will tell you. I don't know. If I knew why I couldn't sleep, I would find a way to fix it. Waking up in the middle of the night I don't mind so much. I really enjoy writing within that broken sleep (which is why I started this blog - take not of the title). I enjoy writing anyway, but there's something about having my mind still in the dream mode that makes it fun to write. But this isn't broken sleep. This is no sleep.

I can pull an all-nighter and be just fine until about 3 o' clock the next day. But usually with an all-nighter I'm hanging out with friends or doing something worthwhile. Tonight, though, is not an all-nighter by choice. Actually, I hope it's not an all-nighter at all; I really want to get some sleep before the sun comes up and I'm off to work and school.

No, tonight is different. Tonight is one of those nights where my mind is starting to shut down but my body won't. Tonight is one of those nights I aimlessly wander around the apartment trying to figure out what I can do to fall asleep (and trying not to eat all the cookies my roommate made). Tonight is one of those nights I get so lonely not being able to sleep but wanting to and not having anyone to talk to. I'm not moping, mind you. It's just a little bit frustrating, and I don't know what to do.

So I guess my question is: How? How do I convince my body to fall asleep on these nights that sleep just won't come? How do I convince the sun to sleep in a little bit so I can get some rest when I finally do crash? And how in the world have I been able to maintain the self-control to not call or text Tyler in the middle of the night when I'm feeling lonely? I'll be honest, I'm kind of proud of myself for that one. Anyway, I don't know how many people really read my blog. It's more for me. The writing, it just lets me escape. I guess most of what I write gets sent out into the void. But that's okay. The writing is enough. And it has let me relax enough that I might be able to get to sleep. So I guess I'll finish here and send this off into void. And hopefully sleep will take me. Good night, dear void.