Weapons Classes for Priesthood Brethren

my dad signed up for a series of weapons classes for the up-coming year. this was done through his elder's quorum and this is the list of subjects to be covered:

jan - concealed weapons training
feb - using laser sighting for your hand gun
mar - shoot gun home defense
apr - sniper rifle training
may - most effective kill points
june - .30 caliber air cooled machine gun training
jul - automatic weapons training (we have the opportunity to purchase 45 cal. Thompson hand held machine guns)
aug - dillon aero M134 6000 rounds per minute gatling gun training
sept - how to use and maintain 3.5 hand held anti personal rocket launcher
oct - hand held stinger missile training
nov - light armor training
dec - heavy armor training

it is concluded with this sentence "wimps and sissies are not allowed or welcome. our motto is "don't tread on me" or "blood, glory, and guts."

all i can say it that i am staying far, far away from wherever they hold these classes, someone is going to get hurt.

the woes of a pb & j

this past week all I wanted for lunch was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - a simple request that just couldn't be filled. why you ask? I will tell you

sunday night: we had no bread

monday night: the peanut butter had disappeared

tuesday night: I forgot to plan ahead and woke up too late wednesday to make the sandwich

wednesday night: finally, I made my pb & j for the next day, and then remembered that we were bringing lunch in on thursday (and I was not saying no to a kneader's turkey bacon avocado)

thursday night: I was already prepared to take my sandwich on friday

friday: I went home for lunch and made a grilled cheese sandwich because it was warm and I was cold

all I wanted was a simple pb & j, but the universe didn't seem to want me to have one. maybe I'll have better luck this week.

for Kali. . .

the conversation below was not one I got to experience first hand; it is just one I had the privilege of overhearing.

let's just say I'm fairly good at eavesdropping on the right conversations.

you know your conversation might be struggling if it goes a little something like this

boy: "so you drove down and then drove back?"
girl: "no I flew down and then flew back"
awkward pause
boy: "oh. . .so you, you flew down. . .and then flew back?"

skydiving pic

my sister may have done a little facebook stalking to find this gem of a skydiving picture to share. (I haven't been emailed some of the others I asked for.)

But, check out those suits, we were definitely diving in style!

fall colors

I think what I love most about fall is the changing of the leaves. I took these pictures of my neighbors trees the other day because the colors were so vibrant and beautiful especially
against the blue sky.

what did you do over the weekend?

above is a question I've heard many times in the past three days. it's fairly normal to hear coming out of a weekend, but my latest answer has been making heads turn and eyes go wide.


my answer has plainly been, I went skydiving! yes, this past weekend, I headed up to Ogden with 9 other friends and we jumped out of a plane from 12,500 feet. it was so much fun, it was unreal! I wasn't that nervous until we were about to jump because it hit me that it was real and the only way I was getting off that plane was to jump, but after about 30 seconds I was fine and so excited again. it also helped that I didn't have time to think, once the plane levels out, it's helmets and goggles on and then you file out in 5 second intervals. next I was floating, spinning, cartwheeling, flipping, and then the parachute came out and i was gently gliding to the ground (of course there was an instructor with me, I was just there for the ride).


it was exhilarating to say the least and I am so happy I did it.

we didn't get any air pictures because it was expensive and skydiving isn't the cheapest adventure around, but we got plenty on the ground so hopefully soon I'll post some because my neon pink and green suit was a site to see.

the vma's

so i'm a little behind, but i finally watched the MTV Video Music Awards and i want to share a few thoughts

seriously kanye? they obviously didn't ask for your opinion, and you just made yourself look like an idiot by giving it, i also agree with president obama's feelings on the subject. (beyonce did, however, have an a-m-azing video; but way to go taylor at 17!)

beyonce was awesome! both in performance and in giving taylor her time for spotlight. i'm just really liking her lately, her single ladies video rocks.

ok, lady gaga, what was with the blood spurting everywhere at the end of your performance; not to mention the 4 costume (definitely can't be called outfits) changes throughout the show. i do listen to the music, but she is a bit ca-razy.


also what was with the crazy fan trying to dance with jay-z and alicia keys at the end? i guess she got her 2 minutes of fame

weekend epiphanies

i learned/realized a few things this weekend that i thought i would share.

you know a guy doesn't understand the concept of frozen yogurt when his first comment while reading the flavor label is, "low calorie! what the hell?!" frozen yogurt is more of a girl thing, guys don't really care about the calories or fat content.

not everyone understands basic car maintenance. we met a lady in the maverick parking lot who asked which type of oil she should use for her car. when asked why she was adding oil she said, "my check engine light came on yesterday morning so i'm filling it up with oil." when being told that adding oil wasn't always the answer, she replied, "well, i've never put oil in this thing." after many lessons from dad i just thought everyone knew to get the oil changed every 3000 miles, apparently not.

i want to blog, it's just i don't have much to say. usually, i'm full of stories and opinions but not as of recent. there just isn't much happening.


i will say that i miss my friend kali so so much and secretly hope that denver just won't work out so she'll come back to us; life just isn't the same without her.

i have finally made it to all the yogurt hot spots in provo/orem and i have an opinion.

my favorite is a tie between spoon me and yozone
next is hello yogurt
then red mango







and finally yoasis and fro-yo way at the bottom of the list

I bought a bike. this one right here.

I cannot wait until Thursday when I can pick it up and ride it because casual biking is my new favorite thing.

this is how you know you've made a difference in someone's life

i might be the reason this post was written

in case you ever participate in a food comparison. . .

last night i participated in a product comparison game (and i won--but we'll get to that later) and it was actually quite entertaining, but choosing the correct product isn't always easy

we compared name brands against store brands to see if we could tell a difference in the products

first was a gala apple against a fuji apple (not name brands, but still very similar products). this is the one i missed, last time i had a gala apple it tasted just like the fuji so there was no way i was getting that right

second was dr. pepper against mr. pibb--very similar but luckily i had just recently had some dr. pepper. dr. pepper also has more of a cherry taste to it

third we compared honey smacks cereal to western family golden wheat puffs--i got that one on pure luck, but the honey smacks were a little more flavorful

fourth was keebler peanut butter fudge sticks to western family peanut butter fudge sticks--the keebler peanut butter tasted like actual peanut butter, western family tasted like the strawberry wafer crackers, not peanut butter

fifth was charmin toilet paper compared to western family (don't worry, we just rubbed it under our noses to feel how soft it was) charmin is softer but not to an extreme. the pattern is what gave that one away, even with a quick swipe under the nose you can tell the difference between stripes and flowers

finally we tried 1% milk against 2% milk--the key to this is waiting a few seconds after you drink the milk to see how much of a film it leaves on your tongue. the 2% definitely left a thicker film

what did i win? not having to pay for any of the products. for anyone that missed an item they had to pay for it, or split the cost with someone else who missed it.

try it sometime, see if you can figure out the difference

big news!

so I have some big news. more news than I've had in a while.

I got a job! a real life job!

I was working for Canyon Park Management Company doing odd jobs and projects and last week they offered me a position and I took it. I've had other offers but they just didn't seem right and this one does. I am the administrative assistant and am learning very quickly that i will have a huge variety of tasks which is exactly what i like.

it feels very nice to have found a job, i feel like i'm making some progress again and i enjoy having more stability (another plus is getting rid of all the job emails i've been getting that have no relevance to what i enjoy or have the skills for)

once again, i'm taking a step toward being grown up, and even though i can't go lay out or play volleyball as much as i'd like, it's a good thing

cruise pictures

here are some pictures from my cruise i went on all too long ago, once again, it was a blast!

kayaking around catalina island

formal night

some more kayaking (i choose the most obvious pose for the picture)

dani and me walking around catalina

attack of the shower curtain

in my new apartment we had a shower curtain liner, why is this a big deal? i will tell you.

taking my first shower, everything was fine until the tub started getting smaller. it was strange, but i was tired so i didn't think too much of it until i was being sucked in to the shower curtain as it wrapped around me and clung to my skin--gross. it may have been the worst shower ever--being wrapped in a slimy shower curtain is not pleasant.

over the next few days i good pretty good at punching the shower curtain every time it got too close. however, it never learned its lesson and kept coming right back. well, i taught that shower curtain a lesson and bought a heavy-duty replacement that attaches to the wall. no more slimy hugs and tae bo in the shower for me.

cruisin'

last week i spent 4 wonderful days cruising off the pacific coast with my friends dani, jordan, and trevor. we started in san diego, spent a day on island, spent a few hours looking at ensenada (we weren't allowed off the boat due to swine flu), and spent two days out at sea. it was a very relaxing vacation even though the weather wasn't completely perfect ( i still got plenty of sun). it was so nice to not have anything planned for the day except dinner at 6:00 which wasn't even really required.

we ate late breakfasts, laid in the sun, ate more than we needed to ( i only gained 1 cruise pound though!), sang in piano bars, danced the nights away, ate tiny yogurt cones three times a day, and laughed a lot. it was just the vacation i needed.

in catalina we took a kayak tour of the shore line, took naps in the warm sand on the beach, and walked around to look at all the cute little shops. i also had the best blt ever (maybe i was just hungry, but it was so good). catalina is so cute, i totally recommend taking a little vacation there, i know i want to go back.

dani was chosen at the camera girl because she remembers to take pictures so i will put some up when i get them from her

as if getting my BYU diploma wasn't official enough, i went to graduation on friday, and three hours later, it was 100% official. the speakers were good, the dean was candid and charming, but the name reading was never-ending. it was cool to have my name read and walk across the stage, but waiting for 700 other kids to do the same thing takes a while. i suggest if you ever go to the marriott school convocation that you take a book (it's not the most polite thing i found out in my graduation packet, but it's about survival).

i did have some great friends come to support me and they even made this lovely sign for me so i'm skipping the job interviews and hitting the streets, i've already got my poster made

kristen's 1st pedi

so yesterday i got my very first pedicure. i know, 22, and just barely getting started on the pedicure thing, but it's probably a good thing because i'm addicted.

wow, it felt so great to take an hour off the feet, get a great calf/foot massage, fabulous looking and feeling feet, and a good polish job. (it was much better than my polish work--i usually hide my feet for a day to wait for the excess polish to rub off the skin--i don't do the best polish work on the block.)

i think the pedicure men were talking about me behind my back (well right in front of me, but of course i couldn't understand the language. i can't wait for nina to get back) because it was so obvious that i was a pedicure virgin and they had to tell me everything i needed to do which made their job a little harder than usual. however, they apparently loved the color i chose, and i have to say i agree; how can you go wrong with hot pink toes?

last week i played the piano at a Marriott school banquet as the background music. i quite enjoyed playing the event. it was a great excuse to play the piano for an hour and a half and it didn't matter if i missed a note or two because no one was really listening. interestingly, my pedal foot started to fall asleep near the end, but my fingers didn't get tired which was different than what i thought might happen.

now i'm thinking it would be fun to play at weddings or other events that need a little background music. so, if you know someone looking for some music for an event let them know. i love an excuse to play the piano

wunderbar

i just came across a new candybar, the wunderbar. the packaging claims it's "a peanut butter caramel experience!" how many candy bars will tell you that?

it was an experience with the mixture of flavors you don't normally expect. i didn't love it, i didn't hate it. definitely a better combination than the mishap dove had with its dark chocolate mint caramels.

(oh and yes, mom, i did sneak a taste of the candy bar on your desk)

today while working one of my many temp jobs, i was in charge of answering the phones.

~~at the beginning it was like getting a new cell phone ring--when the phone rings you don't realize that it's yours until it rings like 5 times and you've been looking around at everyone wondering why they haven't answered their phone yet.~~

so after scrambling to answer my first call with the new ring tone i asked, "can i transfer him (the man in my office) to your (the man calling) voicemail?" real professional, i know. that might rule out phone jobs for me now.

my sister recently found a shirt with a great definition of teamwork

teamwork: when everyone does what i say


i think i might need that t-shirt. . .

i spent last week in st. george, vegas, and zions. it was warm (i got a good start on my tan too). much better than the clouds and rain i came home to today. mr. sunshine won't you please come up north, and soon?

3.1415926535 8979323846 26433832795028841971 6939937510

now for all you mathematicians out there, you know that yesterday was pi day since it was March 14 or 3 14. well, let me tell you, i celebrated to the fullest. this is no longer a holiday for math teachers who want an excuse to have a party during class and not teach that day, it's a day for making lots of pies and going back to our math roots.

i began my celebration about 2:40 a.m. because according to my friend rob, who all of the sudden became an expert on the correct celebration rituals of pi day, decided that we needed to eat a pie at 3:14 A.M.! i don't even start Christmas morning that early. anyway we bought a whip cream--with a small smattering of coconut--pie at macey's (thank you for being open 24 hours). we each then ate a small piece of pie and patiently waited for 3:14 to roll around so we could recite the first 100 digits of pi, because according to rob's "pi day society" that is how you celebrate. we finished this part of the celebration by all sharing one last piece of pie that was passed around our circle.so yes, we had 10 of us chanting the first 100 digits of pi at 3:14 in the morning (i apologize to the apartment above us).

next i slept in until 12:30 because well, i was tired.

then, i began baking my pie for a friendly pie-baking competition held later in the evening. it was almost all my favorite things in one pie--oreos, chocolate chips, cheesecake, coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and pecans; yes, it was good. (thank you to some great neighbors with great recipes)

naturally, after that i went shopping since it was a holiday. i only say this because i had the best jean buying experience ever. i went to banana, walked straight to the classic straight leg jeans, tried them on and they fit perfectly so i bought them and got 40% off. all of this happened in a matter of 10 minutes. how great is that?!

anyway, we had our pie-competition and after a lot of deliberation, the judging was inconclusive. the spokes-judge gave the best pie award to a very-berry pie, but the others said they voted for my chocolate, oreo, coconut, cheesecake goodness which was obviously the better choice.

either way, i definitely celebrated the day to the fullest; totally taking pi day to a whole new level

for those of you who have forgotten about pi, here is a nice little definition: Pi is a name given to the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter. That means, for any circle, you can divide the circumference (the distance around the circle) by the diameter and always get exactly the same number. It doesn't matter how big or small the circle is, Pi remains the same. Pi is often written using the symbol and is pronounced "pie", just like the dessert.

so yesterday i decided to make a sandwich for lunch; i got the bread broiling so it would be warmly toasted, the balsamic vinegar mixed with the lettuce, and was just about to slice the avocado when the knife slipped and i stabbed my hand instead.

immediately, i started running my hand under cold water when i felt the all too common feeling (for me at least) of my stomach getting queasy, knees getting weak, and light-headedness coming on. i quickly dropped to my knees with my hand still sticking up under the water and literally started talking to myself. "kristen, this is ridiculous, you are not going to pass out from a little cut." i then sat down, put my head between my knees, and took deep breaths because i started feeling worse. "really, kristen, this is not something people pass out about." i mean it was a tiny tiny cut, like a paper cut and i don't even think i saw any blood.

luckily, i was able to talk myself out of passing out (7 minutes later), but i could not help but laugh at myself because i almost did pass out and all over a small knife cut. i have serious issues with sharp things going through my skin and my defense mechanism is to pass out--it's not a good thing especially when i know it's going to happen. last time i passed out i told the lady taking a blood sample that i should probably lay down because i was going to pass out--she didn't quite believe me, but sure enough as soon as i laid down i was out. it's like a 6th sense i have

i think i did some nerve damage with the knife though because two of my fingers were in a lot of pain yesterday and they are sore today; however, it was a small victory for me because i didn't actually pass out to get out of the pain.

oh and as far as the bread goes, it was black. i turned to chips and salsa because my desire for a sandwich had disappeared--there was no way i was using a sharp knife for the rest of the day.

so besides being the neighborhood's most educated babysitter lately, here are a few pics of what else i've been up to--my trial as an interior decorator in st. george.


this is the house my dad has recently finished in the Ledges Golf Course Community of St. George, Utah

going to the highest bidder

recently I've had the chance to look at several wedding rings and I've found the one. not for now, but for whenever that someone special comes along. it is a michael b. 3 sided princess ring I'm quite convinced that this is the one and my mind won't change which is fortunate because it will make the ring part easy, however, it's a little unfortunate because it also comes with a pretty price tag. I don't even know the full price of the real michael b. but the setting alone is a mere $4500 and that 2 carat radiant cut diamond can't be cheap.

now, I have been looking for substitutes and so far I've found one for only $15,000. at this point I may have to marry for money, not love. but isn't it pretty?

the lunch date

last night i came to the conclusion that i really like the lunch date. it's low stress, casual, and it doesn't have to last for 6 hours like evening dates around here can. evening dates are great, but i just think the lunch date is too often overlooked. some of my lunch dates have been the best i've had. they are just easier, so i would say throw one or two into the mix to keep things interesting.

i thought i'd post an update on the job hunt--i still don't have one. so far my tactic of having the perfect job fall right into my lap hasn't worked. it almost did, but then they decided that i didn't have enough of a technical background (i haven't quite figured out what they meant by that, but i wasn't thrilled by the email-telemarketing job i was offered instead).

my goal for this coming week--send out some resumes.

congrats to me

it's been about a month, but I would like to give myself a little pat on the back because I am now a college grad! I did the college thing for 3 1/2 years and then walked away with a degree in marketing from the Marriott School.

now you might ask, "What are you doing with you life?" and I would say, "that is a good question, because I have no idea." unfortunately for me, I graduated at one of the worst times in our economy. companies are firing, not exactly hiring. all the advice from my professors was to go to grad school. but, I wasn't really planning for that and missed the deadlines--next year I guess. I'm not extremely worried, things will turn around. so until I get things figured out, I'm a college grad, living at home, with the world at my feet.

blog backgrounds

i really do love www.thecutestblogontheblock.com. all the backgrounds are so fun; it can really spice up your life (and your blog). and how cute is my valentine's day background? i was just really happy to find it if you couldn't tell.