Do you remember the first time you kissed the last person you kissed?
Yep, in the doorway of that apartment that Mel and I stayed in that belonged to Carollynn's mom.
What’s the greatest thing that happened to you today?
I raced the kids and they beat me (cleaning the family room - there are no losers in that kind of race)
Would you rather get up early or sleep in?
sleep in
What are you excited about right now?
Friday night
Would you rather smile over a lie or cry over the truth?
I'd rather cry over a lie and then smile over the truth. Then punch the person who lied in the first place - stinking practical joker.
What's the longest amount of time you've spent 'talking' to someone?
when you put talking in quotes like that, it makes me think you mean something else entirely, but I'm not sure what exactly.
Ever stayed up all night on the phone?
not ALL night, but definitely a long time. long enough to get someone in trouble about the phone bill.
What’s on your bedroom floor right now?
I don't want to talk about it. At least it isn't granola.
Do you trust people?
mostly
If you could move away, no questions asked, where would you move to?
just about anywhere north and/or west of the Mason-Dixon line and a small handful of places south of it.
Your favorite number?
13
When was the last time you had your hair cut?
March 24th
Does it take a lot to make you cry?
depends.
how tired am i?
Do you tell your parents everything?
nope
Does the thought of marriage scare you?
of course ;-)
How many kids do you want?
3.

anyone want the other 2?

I'm just kidding, I swear it.
What’s your favorite season?
spring or fall
What’s your favorite color to wear?
pink
Who was the last person in your bedroom?
I think that Haley just came down from there - Yep, she was getting some of Emma's beads she says.
What’s something that someone can do that really bothers you?
whining
Did you ever want to change your name when you were younger?
I don't think so
Do you wish you were famous?
nope.
Do you make a wish at 11:11?
make a wish at 11:11 - is that even a thing? you can't just make that stuff up. dude.
When you go to the beach do you swim or lay out more?
swim. laying out is dumb. especially with skin as white as snow.
What's something you do a lot?
laundry
Are you in a good mood?
pretty much
Does the number 23 have any significance to you?
is that the number from that movie? what's that movie called? oh yeah, The Number 23.
Be honest, do you like people in general?
yep.
Do you think Starbucks is expensive?
i wouldn't know, but rumor has it.
Have you cried today?
nope.
Honestly, are you dating 2 people?
you caught me.

duh.
Who is your favorite person to have a serious conversation with?
David
Where did you sleep last other than your house?
in the car (while David was driving, I swear)
What was the best thing that happened yesterday?
yesterday? I have no idea what happened yesterday.
Do you like where you are right now?
in general, though change is in the works.
Who was your last kiss?
SPY (which is someone different than the first question above, but time has passed since then, so ya know, I kissed someone else good night in the interim)
When was the last time you showered?
morning.
Do you have any pets?
5 monkeys
Do you still talk to your most recent ex?
nope, no idea where he is. (actually, I can't remember which one was last - which sounds bad, but it was a busy summer, which sounds worse, but it was a long time ago and none of them were very serious. it's all kind of hazy. this isn't sounding any better. I'll shut up now. I don't know where most of them are anyway.
melanie probably does, ask her ;-) )
What is the highlight of your week?
so far or what do I anticipate to be the highlight of the week? um, so far, probably cleaning out the van today. to come, Friday night.
Who do you trust the most with everything?
David
Do you miss anyone?
yep, tons of people

10 Things That Make Me Happy

tagged by Esther

In no particular order except numerical:

10. Sam napping on the couch.
9. Josh sharing everything.
8. Emily and her toothless grin.
7. Haley and her quiet brilliance.
6. Hannah and her not as quiet brilliance ;-).
5. David for all that he is.
4. My new Gazelle - someday I'll be skinny again, maybe sooner than later now.
3. Grey's Anatomy. Mmm. Aah. And one of my favorite scenes just for kicks.
2. Somewhat randomly, but I was just listening to it yesterday, the Mormon Potluck Podcast. These guys remind me of my FHE brothers from the BYU ward oh so many moons ago. Good times.
1. Various music, lately in particular Falling Slowly, Chasing Cars, and Popular.

Chocolate Buttercream Recipe

And now for something completely different:

I had a quite good chocolate buttercream recipe from here, but I tweaked it a bit today and really like the results, so I want to document them before I forget them.

2 sticks margarine (or butter I suppose)
5 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
about 6 tablespoons of milk, maybe a little more (I was just pouring from the carton and guessing)
2 teaspoons (or capfuls) vanilla

I softened the margarine and added 3 cups of powdered sugar and then beat it a bunch. Added the cocoa powder and then the milk to see what consistency it was before finishing the rest of the powdered sugar. The original recipe was too stiff and too chocolatey and too sweet and this one is just right for my tastes and came out the closest to the kind I buy I've ever gotten. Fluffy. I beat it on a fairly high speed for quite a while.

Okay, that's all. Back to the regularly scheduled fluff. Oh hey, fluff - now the frosting fits perfectly with the rest of my blog. Yay!

22 words

one-handed

Shockingly, the one in which I steal a survey.

Actually, the shocking part is I stole it from someone besides Esther. Mwah.

PART ONE
1. Who was your FIRST prom date?
Kevin Thompson

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?
yep.

3. What was your FIRST job?
babysitting... but then, the Beehive

4. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?
um, no one

5. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?
Josh, he woke me up.

6. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?
Mrs. Smith. Both of my sisters and maybe my brother also had her for 1st grade.

7. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?
I think to Utah from Washington. Or vice versa. Definitely one of those 2.

8. Who was your FIRST best friend and are you still friends with them?
Hmm, probably Elizabeth Chang and I have not seen or heard from or of her since we moved the first week of 6th grade (1986, 22 years ago this fall).

9. What will be your FIRST thoughts when you wake up tomorrow?
"C'mon, the alarm hasn't even gone off yet."

10. Where was your FIRST sleep over?
Probably grandma's house.

11. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?
Josh

12. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?
Mine.

13. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?
watched the news

14. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?
Duran Duran. That's not actually true. I went to some EFY-type and orchestra/symphony concerts before that.

15. FIRST tattoo or piercing?
ears, right before I graduated from HS

16. Who was your FIRST kiss from?
Mark Madsen

17. Who was your FIRST boss?
Bishop I'm totally blanking on his name. Peterson

18. When was your FIRST detention?
never. obviously they didn't give detention for tardies ;-)

19. What was the FIRST state you lived in?
Washington

20. Who was the FIRST person to really break your heart?
stone is really hard to break ;-)

21. Who was your FIRST roommate?
Well, Jenifer I'm sure. First out of the house was um, that one girl. Dang it.

22. Who will be the FIRST to repost this?
Esther

23. Who was your FIRST date?
Officially? Chris Kaletta

PART TWO
24. Are you an Aunt/Uncle?
yes.

25. Can you do a cartwheel?
last time I tried

26. What was the last movie you saw in theaters?
that chick flick I saw with Julie I think - 27 Dresses

27. Do you eat vegetables regularly?

28. If you were going to get a body piercing, where would you get it?

29. Do you ever hang out with someone of the opposite sex?
seriously?

30. What is the weather like right at this very moment?
sunny and warm

31. What is something that you can't wait for?
next weekend

32. How many times have you been to Canada?
5-10

33. Have you ever had a reptile as a pet?
yes, a skink

34. What is your favorite fruit?
grapes

35. What song is on your myspace profile right now?
Falling Slowly

36. Who was your last missed call on your cell phone?
1David

37. Where are you most ticklish?
I'm not.

38. Who's your number 1 on myspace?
David

39. When was the last time you were sick?
don't remember

40. How many siblings do you have?
5

41. Have you ever gotten caught sneaking out?
Nope. ;)

42. Did you ever try running away from home when you were younger?
nope, not that I remember

43. What makes you the happiest?
Being with friends and family.

44. How do you feel when you see a child at the store?
Phew, glad that one isn't mine too. hahahahahahahaha. jk.

45. Where do you want to be right now?
I'm good right now..

46. Have you ever finished a Rubik's Cube?
probably

47. When was the last time you rode a bike?
TOO LONG AGO

48. Do you have any vacation plans for this summer?
maybe

49. Where were you 1 hour ago?
At home.

50. Do you kiss a lot of people?
yes

51. Are you wearing socks right now?
no

52. When was the last time you went out of state?
Valentine's weekend

53. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?
no.

54. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Vanilla Coke Zero

55. What are you wearing right now?
jeans, David's superman shirt, shoes, etc.

56. What was your last purchase?
milk and etc. from Wmart

57. Last thing you ate?
pretzels

58. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
yes

59. Are you a sexual predator?
Seriously, who asks these things?

60. What is in the backseat of your car?
which one? carseats

61. What was the last movie you watched?
Mr. Magorium

62. What kind of car does your father drive?
I can't remember the name of it. Actually, I think it has a number for a name.

63. Do you like scrabble?
I LOVE Scrabble.

64. Where did you attend high school?
SF, Oly, and Elma

65. Do you like mornings?
eh, not so much

66. Last television program you watched?
the news?

67. Spell your name with no vowels.
Dwn l Lln Lstd Yng

68. Does your neighbor have an animal that annoys you?
yes. many.

69. Does your family own any boats?
no.

70. Do you wear flip flops constantly?
or never.

71. Do you have air conditioning in your room?
yes.

72. Have you ever kissed your dog?
NO.

73. Where were you when 9/11 happened?
taking Hannah and Haley to school

74. How often do you read books?
depends. never as often as I would like.

75. Describe the computer you are currently using?
a desktop with a black monitor.

76. How long does it take you to get ready to go out?
years

77. Will you donate your organs after you pass?
maybe.

78. Have you been outside of the USA?
yes.

79. Would you ever get your nipple pierced?
NO.

80. If you could pick one person to be with forever who would it be?
Too late, I already picked.

This is SOOOO stolen...

Googled "best survey ever" and the result is below, stolen from this website. I'm taking out the ones I don't want to answer though. Because I can, that's why. You can answer them if you want to, freak.

1. Let us assume you met a rudimentary magician. Let us assume he can do five simple tricks--he can pull a rabbit out of his hat, he can make a coin disappear, he can turn the ace of spades into the Joker card, and two others in a similar vein. These are his only tricks and he can't learn any more; he can only do these five. HOWEVER, it turns out he's doing these five tricks with real magic. It's not an illusion; he can actually conjure the bunny out of the ether and he can move the coin through space. He's legitimately magical, but extremely limited in scope and influence.
Would this person be more impressive than Albert Einstein?
No, he'd be scary because of his obvious pact with the devil.

2. Deleted due to creepiness.

3. Let us assume there are two boxes on a table. In one box, there is a relatively normal turtle; in the other, Adolf Hitler's skull. You have to select one of these items for your home. If you select the turtle, you can't give it away and you have to keep it alive for two years; if either of these parameters are not met, you will be fined $999 by the state. If you select Hitler's skull, you are required to display it in a semi-prominent location in your living room for the same amount of time, although you will be paid a stipend of $120 per month for doing so. Display of the skull must be apolitical.
Which option do you select?
I pick the turtle, even though there is some risk to it. I like turtles and they aren't as creepy as Hitler or his skull. For what it's worth, I would probably pick the turtle over anyone's skull.

4. Genetic engineers at Johns Hopkins University announce that they have developed a so-called "super gorilla." Though the animal cannot speak, it has a sign language lexicon of over twelve thousand words, an I.Q. of almost 85, and--most notably--a vague sense of self-awareness. Oddly, the creature (who weighs seven hundred pounds) becomes fascinated by football. The gorilla aspires to play the game at its highest level and quickly develops the rudimentary skills of a defensive end. ESPN analyst Tom Jackson speculates that this gorilla would be "borderline unblockable" and would likely average six sacks a game (although Jackson concedes the beast might be susceptible to counters and misdirection plays). Meanwhile, the gorilla has made it clear he would never intentionally injure any opponent.
You are commissioner of the NFL: Would you allow this gorilla to sign with the Oakland Raiders?
I would not.

5. You meet your soul mate. However, there is a catch: Every three years, someone will break both of your soul mate's collarbones with a Crescent wrench, and there is only one way you can stop this from happening: You must swallow a pill that will make every song you hear--for the rest of your life--sound as if it's being performed by the band Alice in Chains. When you hear Creedence Clearwater Revival on the radio, it will sound (to your ears) like it's being played by Alice in Chains. If you see Radiohead live, every one of their tunes will sound like it's being covered by Alice in Chains. When you hear a commercial jingle on TV, it will sound like Alice in Chains; if you sing to yourself in the shower, your voice will sound like deceased Alice vocalist Layne Staley performing a capella (but it will only sound this way to you).
Would you swallow the pill?
Forever? Let's say that I believe in soul mates, which I do for some, though I don't believe that finding your soul mate is the magical key to happiness and I also think it possible that someone's soul mate might be better as a friend than a lover and might be a friend of the same sex, with or without sexual attraction. What was the question again? Oh yeah, let's say that we're talking instead about the love of my life and that I already have fallen and not that I just know that this person is my "soul mate" and so I MUST be with them or be miserable and die. In that case, bring on the Alice in Chains.

6. At long last, someone invents "the dream VCR." This machine allows you to tape an entire evening's worth of your own dreams, which you can then watch at your leisure. However, the inventor of the dream VCR will only allow you to use this device of you agree to a strange caveat: When you watch your dreams, you must do so with your family and your closest friends in the same room. They get to watch your dreams along with you. And if you don't agree to this, you can't use the dream VCR.
Would you still do this?
With friends, sure. It could be weird and awkward with family. Wait, it's a VCR, so that means I COULD fast forward past the not G-rated parts, right? Okay, then it's a go.

7. Defying all expectation, a group of Scottish marine biologists capture a live Loch Ness Monster. In an almost unbelievable coincidence, a bear hunter in the Pacific Northwest shoots a Sasquatch in the thigh, thereby allowing zoologists to take the furry monster into captivity. These events happen on the same afternoon. That evening, the president announces he may have thyroid cancer and will undergo a biopsy later that week.
You are the front page editor of The New York Times: What do you play as the biggest story?
I pick the story about the president propositioning the Loch Ness Monster and Sasquatch.

8. You meet the perfect person. Romantically, this person is ideal: You find them physically attractive, intellectually stimulating, consistently funny, and deeply compassionate. However, they have one quirk: This individual is obsessed with Jim Henson's gothic puppet fantasy The Dark Crystal. Beyond watching it on DVD at least once a month, he/she peppers casual conversation with Dark Crystal references, uses Dark Crystal analogies to explain everyday events, and occasionally likes to talk intensely about the film's "deeper philosophy."
Would this be enough to stop you from marrying this individual?
It could be worse. He could be into WoW. hahahahaha.

9. A novel titled Interior Mirror is released to mammoth commerical success (despite middling reviews). However, a curious social trend emerges: Though no one can prove a direct scientific link, it appears that almost 30 percent of the people who read this book immediately become homosexual. Many of these newfound homosexuals credit the book for helping them reach this conclusion about their orientation, despite the fact that Interior Mirror is ostensibly a crime novel with no homoerotic content (and was written by a straight man).
Would this phenomenon increase (or decrease) the likelihood of you reading this book?
It would increase the likelihood that I would read it. Curiosity killed the cat and all.

10. Nah.

11. You are watching a movie in a crowded theater. Though the plot is mediocre, you find yourself dazzled by the special effects. But with twenty minutes left in the film, you are struck with an undeniable feeling of doom: You are suddenly certain your mother has just died. There is no logical reason for this to be true, but you are certain of it. You are overtaken with the irrational metaphysical sense that--somewhere--your mom has just perished. But this is only an intuitive, amorphous feeling; there is no evidence for this, and your mother has not been ill.
Would you immediately exit the theater, or would you finish watching the movie?
I would IMMEDIATELY exit the theater. I don't mess around with intuition.

12. You meet a wizard in downtown Chicago. The wizard tells you he can make you more attractive if you pay him money. When you ask how this process works, the wizard points to a random person on the street. You look at this random stranger. The wizard says, "I will now make them a dollar more attractive." He waves his magic wand. Ostensibly, this person does not change at all; as far as you can tell, nothing is different. But--somehow--this person is suddenly a little more appealing. The tangible difference is invisible to the naked eye, but you can't deny that this person is vaguely sexier. This wizard has a weird rule, though--you can only pay him once. You can't keep giving him money until you're satisfied. You can only pay him one lump sum up front.
How much cash do you give the wizard?
$20.

13. Every person you have ever slept with is invited to a banquet where you are the guest of honor. No one will be in attendance except you, the collection of your former lovers, and the catering service. After the meal, you are asked to give a fifteen-minute speech to the assembly.
What do you talk about?
What don't I talk about? It's a very compact audience. I think it would tend to be more conversational that speech-like.

14. For reasons that cannot be explained, cats can suddenly read at a twelfth-grade level. They can't talk and they can't write, but they can read silently and understand the text. Many cats love this new skill, because they now have something to do all day while they lay around the house; however, a few cats become depressed, because reading forces them to realize the limitations of their existence (not to mention the utter frustration of being unable to express themselves).
This being the case, do you think the average cat would enjoy Garfield, or would cats find this cartoon to be an insulting caricature?
I think quite possibly that cats would be insulted by everything and anything they read. They're like that you know.

15. You have a brain tumor. Though there is no discomfort at the moment, this tumor would unquestionably kill you in six months. However, your life can (and will) be saved by an operation; the only downside is that there will be a brutal incision to your frontal lobe. After the surgery, you will be significantly less intelligent. You will still be a fully functioning adult, but you will be less logical, you will have a terrible memory, and you will have little ability to understand complex concepts or difficult ideas. The surgery is in two weeks.
How do you spend the next fourteen days?
I would spend the time documenting my life and compiling photos (to combat the memory issues). I would make sure that my finances and other important things are taken care of by someone I trust. I would make a will and a power of attorney. I would CRY.

16. Someone builds an optical portal that allows you to see a vision of your own life in the future (it's essentially a crystal ball that shows a randomly selected image of what your life will be like in twenty years). You can only see into this portal for thirty seconds. When you finally peer into the crystal, you see yourself in a living room, two decades older than you are today. You are watching a Canadian football game, and you are extremely happy. You are wearing a CFL jersey. Your chair is surrounded by books and magazines that promote the Canadian Football League, and there are CFL pennants covering your walls. You are alone in the room, but you are gleefully muttering about historical moments in Canadian football history. It becomes clear that—for some unknown reason—you have become obsessed with Canadian football. And this future is static and absolute; no matter what you do, this future will happen. The optical portal is never wrong. This destiny cannot be changed.
The next day, you are flipping through television channels and randomly come across a pre-season CFL game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Knowing your inevitable future, do you now watch it?
No, regardless of how I will feel later, I still find it lame now. Why torture myself sooner than later?

17. You are sitting in an empty bar (in a town you've never before visited), drinking Bacardi with a soft-spoken acquaintance you barely know. After an hour, a third individual walks into the tavern and sits by himself, and you ask your acquaintance who the new man is. "Be careful of that guy," you are told. "He is a man with a past." A few minutes later, a fourth person enters the bar; he also sits alone. You ask your acquaintance who this new individual is. "Be careful of that guy, too," he says. "He is a man with no past."
Which of these two people do you trust less?
The one on the left. He has shifty eyes.

18. You have won a prize. The prize has two options, and you can choose either (but not both). The first option is a year in Europe with a monthly stipend of $2,000. The second option is ten minutes on the moon.
Which option do you select?
I choose Europe, but I sneak back home and enjoy the stipend here, where it would make more impact.

19. Your best friend is taking a nap on the floor of your living room. Suddenly, you are faced with a bizarre existential problem: This friend is going to die unless you kick them (as hard as you can) in the rib cage. If you don't kick them while they slumber, they will never wake up. However, you can never explain this to your friend; if you later inform them that you did this to save their life, they will also die from that. So you have to kick a sleeping friend in the ribs, and you can't tell them why.
Since you cannot tell your friend the truth, what excuse will you fabricate to explain this (seemingly inexplicable) attack?
I don't make an excuse. I just say I kicked him for the fun of it.

20. For whatever the reason, two unauthorized movies are made about your life. The first is an independently released documentary, primarily comprised of interviews with people who know you and bootleg footage from your actual life. Critics are describing the documentary as "brutally honest and relentlessly fair." Meanwhile, Columbia Tri-Star has produced a big-budget biopic of your life, casting major Hollywood stars as you and all your acquaintances; though the movie is based on actual events, screenwriters have taken some liberties with the facts. Critics are split on the artistic merits of this fictionalized account, but audiences love it.
Which film would you be most interested in seeing?
I've seen the first film, I'd be most interested in seeing the second.

21. Imagine you could go back to the age of five and relive the rest of your life, knowing everything that you know now. You will reexperience your entire adolescence with both the cognitive ability of an adult and the memories of everything you've learned form having lived your life previously.
Would you lose your virginity earlier or later than you did the first time around (and by how many years)?
I don't think I would change anything. I probably should, but I don't think that I would.

22. You work in an office. Generally, you are popular with your coworkers. However, you discover that there are currently two rumors circulating the office gossip mill, and both involve you. The first rumor is that you got drunk at the office holiday party and had sex with one of your married coworkers. This rumor is completely true, but most people don't believe it. The second rumor is that you have been stealing hundreds of dollars of office supplies (and then selling them to cover a gambling debt). This rumor is completely false, but virtually everyone assumes it is factual.
Which of these two rumors is most troubling to you?
Ooooh, I'm a bad girl.

23. Consider this possibility:
a. Think about deceased TV star John Ritter.
b. Now, pretend Ritter had never become famous. Pretend he was never affected by the trappings of fame, and try to imagine what his personality would have been like.
c. Now, imagine that this person—the unfamous John Ritter—is a character in a situation comedy.
d. Now, you are also a character in this sitcom, and the unfamous John Ritter character is your sitcom father.
e. However, this sitcom is actually your real life. In other words, you are living inside a sitcom: Everything about our life is a construction, featuring the unfamous John Ritter playing himself (in the role of your TV father). But this is not a sitcom. This is your real life.
How would you feel about this?
Does he still die at a tragically young age? Because that is what sucks about this story.

We're back from NYC. It was awesome and very cool and all that and more. There are pictures up at Facebook and maybe eventually here, IF David can figure out how to get the new computer to recognize that it has a hard-drive and wants to boot. Details.