Back in the Saddle

I know I've been gone for such a long time! So many things to update for my small, but wonderful, readership.

My morning sickness seems to be coming under control. When I saw control, I mean that I'm not constantly poised over a toilet or garbage can. Our due date is set for the end of June and apparently Baby F is the size of a lemon. Exciting stuff.

Now that I'm able to function again, I realize that I've got some serious Christmas prep to do. This year we've tried to find ways to help other people have a nicer holiday. It's been a really great experience and I hope the kids enjoy what they get! I really like the idea of continuing this little tradition even as we have our kids. Like babies need tons of toys? One little girl only wanted some smelly lotion and bath gel for Christmas along with a dress for church. If I could get the my fam and the in-laws on board, I'd try to scrap the stressful gift exchanging and have us all do a really nice Sub-for-Santa. I doubt that will ever happen though.

Now, for some really exciting news. Today is Aaron's last day of school! HOORAY! I am so proud of him for being dedicated and committed to this goal. We are going to go have a big party in Salt Lake this weekend to celebrate! He is also turning the big 2-5 tomorrow. Yes, I married a young gun...Hopefully that means we'll die around the same time.

I'm it!

This is my first time ever being tagged. Thanks Nollie!


Jobs I've Had:

• I was an extra in several seminary videos. A great way to make money when you aren’t 16. Look for me in the Book of Mormon series…It’s like Where’s Waldo.
• Storehouse Markets- I was the queen bee there during high school. I worked my way up from a lowly stalker to customer services by my senior year.
• I’ve also done my share of retail work. Kids R Us and Maurice’s were fine. The worst was holiday time at Bath and Body works when I just come home from my mission. Now I work with troubled teens…Saving the world one GED at a time

Jobs I'd Like to Have Someday:

• Play therapist
• Celebutant

Movie's I've Watched Over and Over:

• Lord of the Rings
• The Chipmunk Adventure
• Akeelah and the Bee

Some Favorite Books as of Late:

• Baby Name Wizard
• Pride and Prejudice
• Mocha Manual

Favorite Things to Do:

• Sleep through the night
• Talk to people I love
• Swim
• See a good play or concert
• Be alone in bed with a book and soothing music

Places I've lived:

• San Antonio, TX
• Provo, UT
• Orem, UT
• Logan, UT
• Various cities in Northern CA

Favorite things to eat:

• Whatever will stay down…TMI

Places I'd rather be:

• Getting a pedicure and a massage
• Traveling throughout Europe
• On a cruise
• At home in bed

Words I Love the Sound of:

• Precarious
• Quagmire

Who I'm Tagging:

• Gomefry
• Heidi
• Kim
• Nancy

Just call me Norma Rae

I really, really want the writers to get a fair deal out of this. The residuals they get from DVDs are already grossly unfair - $0.04 per $20 DVD - and they've been stuck with that rate since the days of VHS. (And as I understand it, even that VHS rate was based on a formula the studios adapted from the days of audio recordings.) Part of the reason the WGA's cut is so small is because of estimated manufacturing/overhead costs for sales of home videos back in the 80s, which was when the guild agreed to the formula. Given that these costs have dropped dramatically over the years and are practically nonexistent for iTunes downloads and other "electronic sell-through", it's just patently absurd to think that the WGA shouldn't be compensated much more generously than that. And some of the other "new media" scenarios are mindblowing, too. That the AMPTP says an entire show, streamed on the internet without any advertising, can be considered "promotional" and thus not subject to a writer's demand for residual pay, or compensation at all in the case of webisodes, is bald-faced greed, IMO.

Residuals are how writers stay afloat during the times when they’re out of work. Writing, like acting, is a very volatile industry. You might make a decent amount of money off of each job, but there’s not always another job after that. There’s a lot of uncertainty. Besides that, it’s simply the way the pay structure has been structured. A lot of people criticize the pay structure (since most people don’t get residuals from their jobs), but that’s kind of irrelevant, since the studios aren’t talking about overhauling the pay structure to provide greater upfront payments. They’re trying to CIRCUMVENT the pay structure with new media. That’s the rip-off. It’d be like if you worked on commission and one day your boss decided you didn’t get commissions on “certain” sales, and those “certain” sales were becoming increasingly more common and might same day be the norm.

Strike on Strikers!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

You Are Cameo

You are understanding and very empathetic. You don't tend to have acquaintances. Everyone is your friend. And all of your friends tend to be friends. You have a knack for bringing very different people together.

What Color Orange Are You?

I didn't even know this was a color.

TGIF

This week at mutual I was asked by the Deacon advisor if I could help him with the lesson on Sunday. He asked if I could talk for three minutes about how the Lord has blessed me this week. I swallowed a guffaw. Didn't he know who he was talking to? Unbeknownst to him, I had already declared the week a failure and thought of saying snarky things like, "The Lord has blessed me with a memory foam pillow and sugar free coca." Those are things that I'm grateful for, but I doubt what he's looking for in an "experience". Despite my reservations, I agreed.

Flash with me two days later and I have several experiences that I could share. My only problem now is how to share some pretty special things with a rowdy group of adolescents. I doubt I'll talk for my allotted time, but I'm glad that he asked me to help him. It's actually just another way that the Lord has blessed me. I'll share a few more with you...don't worry I'll quite waxing sentimental in a few sentences.


Gomefry is such a great person I'm
blessed to be loved by
him.


My co-workers, while
we are a raucous bunch, they are some of the most supportive people I know.


Prayers have been answered in a
way I had given up praying for.


Spending time with 3 great YW
and 1 AMAZING advisor/friend. We were blazing trails and cutting corn!


Hopfully I'll be able to keep up with my goal of writing once a week. I have the time thanks to job #2. I actually like thinking about a topic and then writing. I'm a dreadful journal keeper, but I might just stick with this.

Working for the Weekend

I’m just sitting at job #2 and realizing that I am LONG overdue for an update. The masses are just clamoring to know what is going on in my ever-impressive life.

The past month has been really busy; I’ve started working at a local non-profit three nights a week. I just sit here for a few hours and make sure the building is secure before I leave. Not mentally or physically taxing. Why pick up an extra job? A few reasons:

1. Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat. Gomefry and I have committed to doing Sub-for-Santa and I will not have disappoint children at Christmas on my conscience.
2. We are trying to pay down some debt faster. Necessary, but not exciting.
3. We are contemplating adding to our small, but sensational family. So some ready money is our ticket to secret society of Parents

We’ve decided to stick around the area for another 18 months. Hopefully we’ll have all our ducks in a row before we head to graduate school.

You may notice the new widget to the side. That is a new site I’ve stumbled across. It’s fantastic. Lately I’ve been really concerned about raising children in a multicultural world. Most of the contributors are in multicultural families. They are adoptees, adoptive parents, or involved in interracial relationships. The posts have really resonated with me. Either because I’ve had similar experiences or they have given voice to feelings I’ve had.

I don’t want to sound like I’m wallowing in painful memories. As we contemplate adding to our family, I have a big desire to help my children love and be proud of who they are.

Decision 2007: Bloodsuckers vs. Mongrol dogs

Who knew that vampires would be the key to connecting with the Young Women at church? For the past year I have been working with the girls ages 14-16. The area I live in has lower SES status and many of the girls come from divorced families. They are wonderful people with great talent and loads of potential. My struggle has been finding ways to make them want to come to Church and participate in our weekly activities. I've called, sent emails, knocked on doors during Sunday School, you name it...I've tried it.

Last month Gomefry, Nine,her kids, and I went to visit family in Arizona. It was a great trip and I'm glad to have been welcomed so warmly...but that will have to wait for another post. ANYWAY, I needed something to read for the 20 hour car ride so I thought I'd give the Twilight series a whirl and see what the fuss was about. The books are entertaining, I can see why they appeal to teenage girls. My 16 year-old heart would have been all a flutter for Edward and Jacob too. I think the heroine, Bella, is pretty weak.

The YW activity when I returned was homemade ice cream night. The girls each brought their favorite topping while I provided the frozen goodness. Well one of the girls was checking out our book collection and suddenly I heard, "I love Twilight!!!" This led to giggly discussion about the characters and moral dilemma's they face. It was an entertaining evening. The next Sunday I had girls so excited to talk to me and wonder what our next activity would be and if I had heard the latest news about whatever or whoever. Hopefully they keep this momentum going and we can continue to connect.

Another blast from the past

My first crush was on Michael Jackson. I was five. I had the glove, the moves, and a poster. My parents, needless to say, were nervous. This video is pretty rad. All felons should be allowed to practice iconic dances in their rec time.

Say Hello To Your Friends...

Which Member of The Baby-Sitters Club Are You?


I just stumbled across a website devoted to my favorite book series as a child! The Baby-Sitter's Club. I had books 1-80 and several super specials. I'm pleased to see that I am most like my favorite sitter, Dawn. The swim suit she is wearing was my favorite as a kid!

Ode to Sporty Spice

This post isn't really about my secret affinity for the Spice Girls. Even though I admit to watching Spice World more than once. DON'T JUDGE ME!

Well, I've been tracking my food for a week now. I think I've done pretty well with those goals and was even able to salvage yesterday's goal after an Einstein's soup and bagel run. I'm a sucker for some broccoli cheese soup and an asiago bagel.

Now I've come to the part where I need to get back on the exercise bandwagon. Athletic definitely is not a word I would use to describe myself, but I have aspirations. Last fall Gomefry and I ran a 5k with my coworkers and friends. My goal was to run the majority of the time. We trained, or I should say, I trained and Gomefry ran at my slowpoke pace. Jah-Jah teased me mercilessly about the fact that I had to train to run 3 miles and he can wake up one morning and decide to do a 10k. My ego is going to attribute his accomplishment to being fifteen.

After the 5k I stopped running and, consequently, losing weight. Now I'm starting from scratch again and kicking myself for not sticking with the program. I have dreams of being a triathlete, or just one of those sporty women who look cute at the gym. Both sound fantastic. So now I'm going to start my whole running (jog/walk) regime and maybe work towards a 10k or a triathlon in the spring. Maybe when I'm the big 4-0 I'll be in shape enough to do the eco-challenge.

New Look

I'm experimenting with new templates. Hopfully I'll be able to find and publish one I like! Enjoy the fruits of a productive day in the office.

50 Nifty United States

Just for fun you can now see what states I have not had the pleasure of visiting. I definately have some work to do.

http://douweosinga.com/projects/visitedstates

Weightloss Warriors

It's definitely time for me to hop on the wagon...again. I've been less than vigilant with my blogging. Honestly, that's not the only area in my life I need to improve with. About a year ago I began a journey to reach, what the BMI says, is my ideal weight range. Gomefry said he was up to the challenge too and together we lost about 45 pounds. Eating became a game. We tracked, measured, and calorie counted like it was nobodies business. We ran a 5k together. Life was good.

Flash forward to a year later.

I've gained back 13 of the 30 pounds I lost and still have another 30 to lose to hit "healthy" on the BMI. So I'm going to renew my efforts and continue my journey. My co-workers are all in various stages of weight loss, which makes work often a weight loss think tank. Getting back in the habit of logging all of my food on Spark People will take awhile, but I'm sure I can be successful once again.

Theme Park Fashion

This past weekend my wife and I attended an amusement park. In attending this park, I got to thinking what life lessons I could learn from this experience that I could pass onto others who did not have the opportunity to experience the same excitement as I. I desperately wanted to write something down that could have an astounding effect on people. However, I noticed that there were not any great moments that I could find such a lesson. Therefore, instead of such an epic, I decided that I would list things that I did learn that could make a mild impression on people given the chance, and perhaps, give mild lessons in fashion and plain common sense.

Lesson 1:
The hotter the climate the fewer clothes people tend to wear. This may seem obvious, but it seems there are still people out there that do not understand the fashion rules that come along with less clothing…if you are on the heavier side that does not give you the right to still flaunt “everything that your mama gave you”. This means don’t wear shorts that will reveal the canal of life, and tank tops that will show the unsupported girls.

Lesson 2:
Ladies, please, please wear a bra; especially when there is a risk that you could be getting wet from the bumper boats. And if there is some great reason that you can’t abide by this rule don’t wear white shirts, tank tops, or halter tops. This is an amusement park; we don’t want to confuse all the babies out there wanting their hourly feedings.

Lesson 3:
Teenagers, just because you try to dress “hard” does not give you guys the excuse to be rude to older people. I can not stand bratty kids. When the workers give you a warning not to rev your go-kart engine do not keep pushing their tolerance.

Lesson 4:
The ticket prizes from the arcade games are not worth the time and money. Honestly, for a small stuffed animal it was like 200 tickets. Think about it, how much money did it cost you to get that many tickets? Close to $5.00…save your money and buy the same thing from the dollar store.

Lesson 5:
Just because it is hot as hell outside does not allow you to skip looking at your self in the mirror before you go to the park. Honestly, make sure your clothes match, your hair is done (visors do not excuse the styling of your hair), perhaps even put on makeup. Because, heaven forbid you run into the love of your life and you look like you had just been picking up the dog mess in the yard.

And gentlemen, these same rules go for you. No one wants to be squirting you in the bumper boats and see your little soldier. And if you have man boobs, please don’t wear a loose tank top that allows the world to see your world.

Inner Goddess

This picture of Roo channeling her Inner Goddess got me thinking about Reviving Ophelia again. Obviously, Roo is pictured here as her glorious summer self. Not worried about the pairing of a bathing suit with cowboy boots. This is because Roo has a personality with opinions, needs and preferences that aren't dictated to her by society yet. She is a whole entity. Untarnished or influenced (except perhaps by practicality and weather).

I should obviously stem the tide of psychoanalytical-feminist reading that I've been doing lately but not till I finish Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters. While I'm still on this rant let me ask - Just what happens to these vibrant, unabashed girls come puberty? And don't tell me it's hormones because although I do agree there's some chemical wackiness going on starting with age eleven, there's also a load of cultural and societal messages that are smacking us females as well. That's where I enjoy placing most of the blame. It may well be a slew of other factors that cause adolescent girls to transform themselves into Quasi-Stepford Robots but for the time being I am content to blame the media. Turn off your t.v. people! Before your daughters are stolen away.

And so this post: to commemorate all of the self assured, capable, loud, adventurous gals ( including myself) out there who died and will die with the onslaught that is puberty. May you and your tangled pony tails rest in peace, you are missed. Note - see Meg's post for a more educated and less dramatic argument on this topic.

With Magic Soakin' My Spine...

Thank goodness for the likes of that yummy Brandon Flowers. As I was running this morning, pounding along to Read My Mind, it occurred to me that I should blog about those fleeting times in life when you feel tingly from the sheer magic of a moment. Disclaimer: before you continue reading, this post is NOT about Disney or anything Disney related. That would be gross.

I spent about a mile thinking about the times in my life that I have felt giddy with possibility, or electric from sensory overload or just that I couldn't take in the brilliance that is life.



Gooooooooooo. I know.



I'll stop the schlep and just give you my list.

As an after thought, any song that distracts you from the agony of physical exertion for an entire mile is a keeper. Which is why I have that song on my ipod in the first place. *Insert smugness here*

Heiderhead's Top Life Moments.....for now ( c'mon, I'm only 27 and plan to do something besides watch t.v. between now and when they take me off the life support)

1. First Kiss - This is a rather obvious cliche. But, actually, when you think about it most first kisses are disgusting and anxiety ridden. Mine was hot! and completely perfect. It was unexpected yet desired, a little nervous but liberating and backed by 100% genuine emotion. Kissing at it's best.

2. Leaving the U.S. - not an isolated magic moment, true, however, every time I pass through customs and onto foreign soil and I am bombarded with the thought that anything could happen. As if I had stepped onto the moon and gravity had ceased to exist. All the rules have changed. People look at you and you no longer are sure of what they see. Sometimes gibberish flows out of their mouths and you realize that they are in a completely different place that you have no idea about....so much going on. Your senses are heightened. And rightly so, as you hope to smell, hear, taste, see or feel something completely foreign. Come to think of it, I feel this way every time I go to an airport. I love it there. Anybody need a ride? Call me.



3. When my first niece was born - I've never been a 'screaming uterus', term invented by Aurelius to describe the noise most women make at the sight of a baby. In fact, I've always felt a bit traitorous to the female stereotype in that respect. Until Lu came. Then it all became clear- Why this birth and baby thing is so important. The sheer science involved boggles me. The natural intelligence of the human body is astounding people. She was the first baby that I was permitted to have a relationship from the get go and boy was she amazing. Especially up close. She still is, but that first moment when I was able to touch and hear and see what we as humans are capable of was brilliant.



4- Running - I run regularly but it never ceases to be a great moment. Partly because I'm high on endorphins and partly because I loathed and avoided it for so long. In the past running was NOT something I could do. In junior high I awaited the day we would run the mile in P.E. with a vicious dread. I remember crying to Joey about it and praying to God that He would help me to face that track stretching endlessly out in the hot sun. Three days before the run I would start to taste blood in the back of my throat. Yeah. I'm serious when I say I say I didn't like to run m'friends. Oh how times have changed. And that gives me a Soaked Spine feeling - knowing that I can change. Now every time I go out for a run I get that gritty capable feeling.



Mmmmmm, this is the good beginnings of a List. I love a good list. But I'm suddenly motivated to stop blogging and go out!

What A Croc!

Lately, I have noticed that there are still alot of people still wearing those shoes that look like something that came out of a clown's wardrobe. You know what shoes I am refering to; the rubber clog-looking things that come in all the bright colors. I do not understand the fad behind these ugly monstrosities. As I walk around town I am astonished of how many young adults where these shoes. People wear these shoes like they are the poo; like they own the world. One question I have is since when is wearing shoes that senior citizens wear a hot fashion statement? And since when is wearing bright color rubber rain boots okay to wear as business casual? These rubbers have got to go!

Big T and the Ladies

This is my first attempt at blogging. I've participated in message boards but blogging just seems like an entirely different animal. My coworker, Heidi, helped me name this place. Apparently the phrase, " Just sayin" is very much apart of my vernacular. I don't know whether or not I should be embarrassed about that fact.

Tonight I am listening to my girls. The Indigo Girls, Alison Krauss, and Carole King. Their music is healing to me. Listening to melodies immediatley relaxes me. Their lyrics can make me cry. My entire sophmore year of college seems to be dominated by memories of one particular Alison Krauss album. Good stuff. This whole album is great. Depressing, but great. Almost every song is about lost love. Don't get me wrong, love hasn't done me wrong in a long time, it's the very familiar feelings of disappointment, regret, and inadequacy that I identify with lately.

Someone commented today that they were suprised by how outgoing I was. The truth is that I was extremely nervous and my nerves usually translate into increased language speed and laughter. Apparently that's pretty charming, which was nice to hear. I've been so critical of myself lately. Nothing is off limits. I catalouge all of my faults in comparison to what or, more importantly , who I feel I should be. From skinny friends to very expirenced co-workers. Then I feel guilty for focusing too much on myself and think about all the pain in the world that is greater than mine. I want to feel better, to help other people. I want to feel like I can take a seat with the grown-ups and not be stuck at the kids table. How do I do that? I don't know how to take more control over my own life. I'm just stuck.