Summer

This is an Australian band that I discovered through my music professor (the girl is his niece). Love their music, so mellow and sweet, perfect summer music. Look up Microwave Jenny on YouTube or Facebook!

Snippets from a Conversation between Old Men

Old Man 1: How long have you been retired?

Old Man 2: 23 years.

Old Man 1: You're 90 years old?

Old Man 2: You're 90, too!

Old Man 1: I'm 85!

And the best part of their conversation:

Old Man 2: Is Gary still alive?

The Quest

Yesterday at work I embarked on a quest. This was a quest worthy of Captain Ahab; I was chasing after . . . Moby Fly!! Dun dun dunnnnn.

Moby Fly was a sneaky little fly. He would zip around the Creamery, never landing, teasing me by flying into my face and then buzzing off so quickly that I couldn't keep track of him. I instantly took out a vendetta against Moby Fly.

For hours I stalked around the Creamery, fly swatter in hand, intent on getting that illusive fly. There were times when I came close, but that guy was just too fast. I knew that I had to wait him out--as a human, I didn't tire as quickly as that buzzing little fly. So, I sat in wait, knowing I would get that little guy eventually.

Then came the opportunity. It had been four hours since I had first seen Moby Fly. I caught a movement out of the corner of the eye. It was Moby. He buzzed past me, and then . . . finally . . . he came to rest on the wall. I sneaked up, swatter at the ready, determined that this is going to b the time that I best the fly. I raised my swatter and . . .

"YES!"

The only thing on the wall was a splatter of bug guts.

Captain Ahab has nuttin' on me.

To Everything . . . Turn, Turn, Turn

I missed my brother this morning. I was just thinking about something that had happened yesterday and my plans for the upcoming day and all of a sudden, I started to miss him. I missed that he was one of the few people in Provo that I didn't have to pretend to be something other than what I am--someone I could talk to about all my problems and feelings, and call when I wasn't feeling my best. He has always been able to understand me, and can tell, seemingly unconsciously, when I need a pick-me-up.

But for the next sixteen or so months, he is far away, in a different country, my only access to him a weekly e-mail, a few silly letters, and a phone call two times a year.

It's strange, don't you think, how quickly someone comes into our lives and how, just as quickly, they can leave it? Life is an endless merry-go-round of friends and family, getting on and getting off, with only one thing staying the same--you. Or maybe it is more like gears, how their teeth interconnect, but only for a short while. Life takes us all in new directions, and it's hard when we are separated from someone we have grown to love, depend upon, or are just familiar with. I know that I will sometimes be the one to leave; when I graduate this December, I'm leaving behind something that I feel has just barely become comfortable to me and going out into another new unknown.

I know my brother isn't out of my life for good, he is family after all and you can't really get rid of family (no matter how hard you try ;) ). But things change, fall apart and grow together, like the ebb and flow of the ocean. Or the turning of the gears.

Flour, Yeast, and Butter: $6.15

Homemade bread fresh out of the oven? Priceless

These Are Going to Date Me Someday . . .

Here are things that I remember from my childhood, things that someday will show how old I am:

Seeing Vanna White actually turn the letters on Wheel of Fortune, instead of just touching the screen (which she doesn't even need to do).

Watching Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and seeing how crayons are made during the "Picture Picture" segment.

Coloring with markers that would stain clothes, walls, skin, and carpet if they didn't stay on the paper.

Shining Time Station and the little conductor.

Having to leave town and drive for about 30 minutes to go some place to eat.

Going to Arctic Circle for fast food because it was the only fast food place in town.

Playing with homemade playdough and kitchen utensils.

Listening to "Mmmbop" by Hanson on my sister's Walkman/tapedeck.

Wearing cut off shorts and two shirts with the sleeves rolled up so you can see the color of the shirt underneath.

Being born in the 80s and growing up in the 90s--remembering the Y2K scare.

Having a civilization's textbook that said "East and West Germany will never be one again." (Or maybe that's dating my sixth grade textbook and not me.)

Having a television that was incased in wood and had knobs that you turned instead of buttons.

Going to Disneyland for my seventh birthday the year the Indiana Jones ride opened. There was no California Adventure and the 3-D movie starred Michael Jackson (I thought he was a woman, even back then).

Rolling the car windows down by hand.

Our first DVD was A Bug's Life that we got free with our new iMac. We didn't have a DVD player so we had to watch it on the computer.

Listening to Christmas albums on our record player (again, this actually ages my parents more than me).

Oregon Trail was the best computer game ever!

All we needed to be happy on a summer's day was some chalk, a blank driveway, a popsicle, and the sprinklers.

Riding our bikes to the grocery store and getting Shastas for 25 cents.

We only needed 7 channels, and even then we only watched 3.

The Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday.

TGIF on ABC every Friday!

We didn't need toys with batteries, just our imagination.

Speaking of toys: troll dolls, beanie babies, furbies (::shudder::), Barbie before she underwent breast reduction, legos, and care bears.

The first CD I bought myself was 98* Revelation. Man, I loved that CD.

I was just thinking about how different things were when I was little, but it seems to be such a short amount of time. What kinds of things are different from when you all were kids?