Welcome to Blog Post #100!
I've realized lately (again) that I have this terrible habit of avoiding the things I really want to do in favor of doing really boring, tedious things. By the end of the day I often wish I could go back and redo the last several hours so that my day could be fulfilling instead of wasteful.
I want to write a book. Well, to be more accurate, I want to write a lot of books, but since I've yet to even finish a single first draft my goals are a little more narrow at the moment. Every single day--seriously, every day--I think, "I should work on my book, or a book, or a short story, or any kind of creative writing." I think that, and then instead I look at various social medias and the zillion links I find there. For hours. Hours that could be spent writing. It's awkward to even admit that, but that is what much of my day looks like on a pretty constant basis. Not so great for an aspiring author.
This blog falls under the same kind of thing. I enjoy blogging and want to be consistent with it, but every time I think, "hey, I should write a post," I decide to do something else much less entertaining instead. Lately it's been the same with books I want to read, movies I want to watch, activities I want to do. And the silly thing is I waste all this time watching and reading about other people's lives, people I admire and want to imitate, and I wonder how I can be like them. And one thing I'm pretty sure all those people don't do is waste all their time doing things they don't even enjoy.
So, in keeping with the spirit of the new year, I've made a goal. Just one. I know a lot of people aren't fans of New Year's resolutions, but I say any attempt to better yourself is worth trying (even if you could technically start any day of the year). My goal has actually been in place for a month or so, but since I haven't been following through with it I am starting fresh.
I work part time, usually three days a week. On each of those three days I work about six hours, which means a lot of free time even with work. It also means I have four other days where what I spend my time doing is entirely up to me. So my goal, my one major goal, is that I write for at least an hour each day that I don't work, and to write anything at all---even just one word---on the days I do work. Mostly this should be on books, but short stories, new ideas, blog posts, or any other kind of writing that I choose to do counts as well. I'm hoping to do a lot more than an hour, but....small steps. I'm hoping that with this goal I can get to my major goal for this year (so I guess I have more than one? Ehhh...they combine. ONE GIANT WRITING GOAL!) which is to finish two complete first drafts. Totally doable!
Admitting that I'm failing (currently) at the one thing I've always wanted to do is awful. Thinking about the fact that I've never finished anything I've worked on is not encouraging. I want to get to that finished first draft, I want to put in the work to make this life-dream of mine come true. One draft, then a revision. Then a dozen more revisions, and then a book. One book. If I can get there because of what I'm trying to do this year, it will be worth it. If I don't get there, it will still be worth it because I'd be doing something I enjoy, something that makes me excited instead of glassy-eyed.
So to myself, and to anyone else who needs it, I say: Stop wasting time. Spend it doing the things that make you happy and fulfilled. Get off of Facebook and Twitter. You don't need to know about the 9 New Ways To Use Cauliflower. You don't even like cauliflower that much. You don't need to check out 13 Movie Mistakes You Never Noticed. Stop that, stop right now. Hands off the mouse.
Step away. Cook. Hike. Run. Play. Read. Write. Then keep writing.
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
The Announcement
There is an announcement I must make, and it has nothing to do with babies. So don't freak out.
Joe's parents have been given a delightful opportunity to move to the east coast (!) so Joe's dad can work at the University of Connecticut and they will have a lovely house in a beautiful area and there will be so many TREES and I am a little bit jealous of that. It will be a change to get used to since Joe and I see them quite frequently here. We're sad to see them go but how exciting for them! Connecticut!
A side result of them moving is that they will be leaving the house in which they currently live. Since they plan on moving back west after retirement, they are not necessarily looking to sell their house and so...
Yep. We've collectively decided that the best option for everyone would be for Joe and I to take over their house in Springville for the next several years, which is very generous of them and a great opportunity for us. It's pretty exciting in almost every aspect.
The sad part, of course, is that we'll be moving out of our current little blue house, which we both adore to pieces. We've worked really hard to infuse this tiny house with the Essence of Us and the timing is both sad and satisfactory. We've just finished updating the very last room that didn't feel like "us" but we will also be officially out of the house on exactly our two year Housiversary. That has a certain poetic rightness to it, don't you think?
We have permission to paint and decorate, so we will have a new adventure in making the house that Joe lived in during high school and college into the house that Joe and Tara live in together. Weird, and fun! We will find the Essence of Us wherever we go.
The happy part in the blue house saga is that it's staying in the family. My brother (and favorite sibling) Spencer will be moving in, which is really relieving for me because I know he loves this house almost as much as I do (maybe as much? ...Maybe more??) and he will take great care of it. He loves to garden and I have great hopes that he will do lovely things with the garden and yard, much better things than Joe and I (who are not always on top of yard work) have been able to do. This makes leaving the little blue house so much easier! Spencer will be closer and I'll be able to see the house again often (haha. That sounds so silly. I just love this house!)
Anyway that's the announcement. We're moving out at the end of this month, so only a couple more weeks to go! I am eventually going to clean the whole house and take pictures of every room as they are now. It's fun (for me, at least) to see how it's all come together since we moved in two years ago. Hopefully we'll have as much fun with the rest of the places we call home in the future. :)
Joe's parents have been given a delightful opportunity to move to the east coast (!) so Joe's dad can work at the University of Connecticut and they will have a lovely house in a beautiful area and there will be so many TREES and I am a little bit jealous of that. It will be a change to get used to since Joe and I see them quite frequently here. We're sad to see them go but how exciting for them! Connecticut!
A side result of them moving is that they will be leaving the house in which they currently live. Since they plan on moving back west after retirement, they are not necessarily looking to sell their house and so...
We're moving!
The sad part, of course, is that we'll be moving out of our current little blue house, which we both adore to pieces. We've worked really hard to infuse this tiny house with the Essence of Us and the timing is both sad and satisfactory. We've just finished updating the very last room that didn't feel like "us" but we will also be officially out of the house on exactly our two year Housiversary. That has a certain poetic rightness to it, don't you think?
We have permission to paint and decorate, so we will have a new adventure in making the house that Joe lived in during high school and college into the house that Joe and Tara live in together. Weird, and fun! We will find the Essence of Us wherever we go.
The happy part in the blue house saga is that it's staying in the family. My brother (and favorite sibling) Spencer will be moving in, which is really relieving for me because I know he loves this house almost as much as I do (maybe as much? ...Maybe more??) and he will take great care of it. He loves to garden and I have great hopes that he will do lovely things with the garden and yard, much better things than Joe and I (who are not always on top of yard work) have been able to do. This makes leaving the little blue house so much easier! Spencer will be closer and I'll be able to see the house again often (haha. That sounds so silly. I just love this house!)
Anyway that's the announcement. We're moving out at the end of this month, so only a couple more weeks to go! I am eventually going to clean the whole house and take pictures of every room as they are now. It's fun (for me, at least) to see how it's all come together since we moved in two years ago. Hopefully we'll have as much fun with the rest of the places we call home in the future. :)
Thursday, August 21, 2014
The Ramble to End All Rambles
I used to be a somewhat introspective blogger, didn't I? I just read through a lot of the older posts and their stream of consciousness ramblings and wondered why I seem to only write about dogs and house things anymore.
It's possibly because I don't ever leave my house? Haha. Really though. I sit at this computer A LOT.
So today I'm going to write a post that has nothing to do with dogs or houses. I can do it!
Yesterday I dropped my phone. This isn't anything new; historically, I have been absolutely awful at keeping my phones in good shape. But yesterday was the first time in the history of Tara phone-dom that I cracked a screen. It's kind of cool looking, though, because for some reason it cracked in a way that left three almost identical arcs over the buttons at the bottom of the phone when they're lit up. I realize that doesn't make any sense, but just trust me--it was a pretty cool looking coincidence. Even if it does mean my phone screen is cracked. Sigh.
I'd probably be more distressed about this if I hadn't already been planning on buying a new phone soon. I'm trying to lose 32 pounds (never mind how arbitrarily specific that sounds) and a new phone is my reward for losing the first twelve. (I've lost ten already, so 2 more until a new phone! ah!) I know weight loss isn't the important thing in being fit and healthy, it's just a general guideline for me that keeps me exercising and eating well. So far it's been really helpful :)
One of my besties, Melanie, is in town from Wisconsin for the rest of the month! This is super exciting as she's had a baby and I'll get to meet him for the first time.
Probably the biggest non-house, non-dog thing that I've been working on is trying to become an actual writer. I know I've mentioned doing that for years, but this year it's feeling like I'm really working to make it happen. I've almost finished the first draft of an actual novel--a whole, entire novel--which I have never done before. I have also started about 6 other stories and I have some good ideas stewing that I want to sit on for a while before tackling them. I adore writing, but it is so hard to do it consistently. Authors have forever said that the thing to do to become a writer is just write, and it's harder than it sounds! It's almost always a matter of sitting down and writing even when you're uninspired, or don't want to, or don't feel like it, and the words that come out are absolutely terrible. But then you go back, and fix them, and change them, and rearrange them and suddenly you get a paragraph that makes your heart smile. Sometimes I get goosebumps when I make a sentence that conveys exactly what I mean. It feels so weird to say that, because they are just words that I wrote down from my brain. But whatever, it's a cool thing. I'm so determined to make this happen (my being a writer, that is) and to someday, one day, publish a book I've written. I know I can do it. I just have to break through my natural habit of laziness and make sure I put in the time.
It rained this morning and I had an appointment, so I LEFT THE HOUSE and it was amazing. The mountains look so mysterious and imposing when they're misty and shrouded in the pre-sunrise shadows.
Here's a thing: one part I miss about working outside the house is seeing clouds all the time. This sounds ridiculous, because obviously my house has windows and, yes, even doors. I could easily look out at the sky or possibly (gasp) even go into the backyard and see clouds there. But I think it was sort of coming upon the big, fluffy clouds by surprise that I enjoyed. I would be going about some menial task...like driving...and suddenly, I'd notice them. And they would be white and happy and such a pretty addition to the sky and driving wouldn't be so tedious anymore.
It's kind of funny how hurtling over very hard ground at 70 mph in a metal box has become tedious.
Welp, I wanted to be rambly and I feel like I nailed it. I have more exciting updates to share but those will just have to wait their turn. Suspense!
It's possibly because I don't ever leave my house? Haha. Really though. I sit at this computer A LOT.
So today I'm going to write a post that has nothing to do with dogs or houses. I can do it!
Yesterday I dropped my phone. This isn't anything new; historically, I have been absolutely awful at keeping my phones in good shape. But yesterday was the first time in the history of Tara phone-dom that I cracked a screen. It's kind of cool looking, though, because for some reason it cracked in a way that left three almost identical arcs over the buttons at the bottom of the phone when they're lit up. I realize that doesn't make any sense, but just trust me--it was a pretty cool looking coincidence. Even if it does mean my phone screen is cracked. Sigh.
 |
| Pure artistry. |
One of my besties, Melanie, is in town from Wisconsin for the rest of the month! This is super exciting as she's had a baby and I'll get to meet him for the first time.
 |
| I took this picture of my fake Ikea plant while taking pictures of my phone because I found this never-used setting and wanted to use it. Adding here for visual interest, not out of any pretense of relevance. |
It rained this morning and I had an appointment, so I LEFT THE HOUSE and it was amazing. The mountains look so mysterious and imposing when they're misty and shrouded in the pre-sunrise shadows.
Here's a thing: one part I miss about working outside the house is seeing clouds all the time. This sounds ridiculous, because obviously my house has windows and, yes, even doors. I could easily look out at the sky or possibly (gasp) even go into the backyard and see clouds there. But I think it was sort of coming upon the big, fluffy clouds by surprise that I enjoyed. I would be going about some menial task...like driving...and suddenly, I'd notice them. And they would be white and happy and such a pretty addition to the sky and driving wouldn't be so tedious anymore.
It's kind of funny how hurtling over very hard ground at 70 mph in a metal box has become tedious.
Welp, I wanted to be rambly and I feel like I nailed it. I have more exciting updates to share but those will just have to wait their turn. Suspense!
Friday, July 25, 2014
Birthday and Sundry!
On Tuesday Joe turned
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| !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (30 exclamation marks) |
Yep. 30. He so old.
I am ashamed to say that I didn't take any pictures of the things we did. Much of the day was pretty uneventful, so I'll use that as my excuse. He went to work in the morning, and as soon as he left I jumped up to work all day on his super duper present so that it would be a surprise. Want to see it? Want to??
Tah-dah! Okay, I know it doesn't look like much. This is one of those moments where I regret not having taken a before picture. But this is the interior of the "shanty," as we fondly call the garage/shed building in our back/side yard. And it was a devastating mess. The tools on the pegboard were in a giant, horrific pile on the workbench, mixed in with trash and spare wood and sawdust and other scraps. It was scary. So with the help of my lovely mother, I cleaned it all out, built a shelf for the workbench, installed the peg board and organized all the craziness into a delightful tool area. It took a loooong time but I think he likes it. I know I do. Such pride.
....sometimes, I just walk out there and gaze upon it.
Sigh. So beautiful.
When he came home from work my brother was here with those giant balloons. Together we walked him out to the shanty (which my brother had sneakily decorated with a GIGANTIC red bow moments before) and revealed the work area. Joe was duly impressed. Then the three of us left to dinner at Happy Sumo with his parents and mine (which was basically his birthday party, and which I documented not a whit) and the parents gave Joe their gifts. Mom's included some additions to my tool-y land present:
Joe loves pink.
Just kidding. It was the only color left. But...he also is okay with pink.
After dinner Spencer came back home with us to plaaayyy... THIS.
Which was Spencer's present to Joe. It's a Star Wars roll playing adventure! I probably shouldn't even show you this for fear of discovery. But there it is....WE ARE NERDS. Yes, even Joe. I'm sure this is a staggering revelation (ha...ha........) He loves Star Wars and we have already spent over 6 hours playing this game. We both love it. Good job, Spencer.
We spent the entire evening/night on his birth date playing that game until waaaayyy too late for a group of working folk, and that was that! We were going to have a celebration with friends but we might end up being too lazy (?? to have fun? Yeah...) I think he enjoyed himself that day and he is, of course, entirely unfazed by his unbelievable oldness.
In other more minor news, I have some updated pictures from around the house. Cause it's been SO LONG since the last ones. Mwahaha.
Here's my lovely office again. I guess I just like to show it off.
But I hid the cords under my desk (yay!) and we moved the ottoman from the living room in here (under the window) becauuuuuse....
New tables!
We moved the rug out of there, which is a weird change. I didn't like it with the tables for some reason. I don't really like having just plain wood floors either, but it was bugging me so much to have the rug so I'll just have to deal with it...somehow. (dramatic voice)
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| The dogs approve. Or they don't care. I'm gonna go with the latter. |
It's getting to the point where we've changed things up in this room so much that I can't tell if we're making it better or worse. But I love the tables, and I love the floor, and everything else I also love. So I guess we're doing okay. :)
Monday, March 10, 2014
Recentnesses
Update in five lines because it's late and I should be in bed...
1.We went to NYC, Scotland and Ireland. Dreamy!
2. I bought and built (with Joe's help) a new, wonderful, beautiful computer.
3. The coffee table has been replaced by a $15 KSL find, refinished to loveliness (in my opinion of course.) Also we have a new back door that's actually a door thanks to Handy Husband.
4. My job is still jealousy-inducing fantastic. Joe got a raise so we're sporting happy faces.
5. I'm attempting to do this green cleaning business. Updates to come?
I'll expound later, most likely.....eventually....
Something about Spring and sunshine and not wearing sweatshirts every day makes things like blogging seem more appealing. Also house projects, of which we have many! So here's to future posts that aren't decades away.
1.We went to NYC, Scotland and Ireland. Dreamy!
2. I bought and built (with Joe's help) a new, wonderful, beautiful computer.
3. The coffee table has been replaced by a $15 KSL find, refinished to loveliness (in my opinion of course.) Also we have a new back door that's actually a door thanks to Handy Husband.
4. My job is still jealousy-inducing fantastic. Joe got a raise so we're sporting happy faces.
5. I'm attempting to do this green cleaning business. Updates to come?
I'll expound later, most likely.....eventually....
Something about Spring and sunshine and not wearing sweatshirts every day makes things like blogging seem more appealing. Also house projects, of which we have many! So here's to future posts that aren't decades away.
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| I AM THE LAMB OF SPRING! WATCH ME SPRING! |
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
This Is A Post
Well, I think we can all fairly say that I have not done well with keeping up in the blog post department. I just have not been inspired to write lately, and I have to admit that the usual feelings of guilt and failure that often come when I consider my neglected blog have been strangely absent during these last months of non-blogdom. Which I actually think has been sort of good, because it means that I'm writing this right now because I want to, and not because I feel like I owe it to my blog to be a more conscientious master. I just feel like making words appear on the internets, and here they are.
While I have been a miserable blog host, I do like to think that I have been successful in other ways. For example:
In July, Joe had a birthday. I remembered this birthday, I gave him a present for it (I'm pretty sure), and he managed to add another year to his number count of time on this earth. In related news, he's 30 next year. Just thought I'd share that, I know he'd really love me to point it out. :)
In August, nothing remarkable happened. I guess we can pretend like Joe and I remembered that we started dating in August 2 years ago, but we didn't think of that. At least I didn't, until just now. While trying to think of something that happened in August.
In September, my mom had a birthday. I remembered it and gave her something that was probably less awesome than what my brother gave her. He has a ninja-type ability to bemoan his lack of present ideas (for anything--Christmas, birthdays, random other gift giving occasions) and then suddenly, when said "lame" present is opened, it's amazing and perfectly suited to whomever it was gifted. But the good news is, despite Spencer constantly showing me up in the world of gift giving, I think my mom still likes me and will continue to acknowledge me as her child. Success.
In October, we celebrated living in this house of ours for a year. Our celebration went something like this:
Me (on skype): Husband! We moved into our house a year ago!
Joe (also on skype, because he was at work): Yay!
We also successfully dressed up for Halloween, and both of our costumes were decided before the day of! I know! Joe was Tobias Funke of Arrested Development, and he ordered a blue body suit on Amazon. That takes some ahead-of-time thinking, you know? I was impressed. As for me, I dressed as Merida from Brave, which makes this the first Halloween in probably three years that I wore a costume that anyone recognized. I must admit that it was very strange indeed to have people come up to me (at our church party) and say "you're the girl from Brave!" without any hesitation or eyebrows raised in confusion. No one asked "who are you?" only to respond with a trailing off "oh....." when I answered that I was actually Kaylee from Firefly and I know it's hard to tell but it would be more obvious if I wasn'twearinggreenpantsfromthethriftstoremen'ssectionandohnevermindIcanseeIlostyouat"Kaylee". Never fear, though, next year I'll be back to the land of costume obscurity. I've got ideas already. (Who is this prepared person whose body I inhabit? Confused.)
November was, for me, the most interesting/successful month this year. Not only because it contains my almost-favorite holiday (...that's Thanksgiving...) but because a few days before November started I heard about National Novel Writing Month, referred to by those in the know as "NaNoWriMo." And despite not having prepared at all, and barely having any semblance of story, I decided I was going to try it. And it. was. HARD.
The goal is to write 50,000 words of a novel between Nov 1 and Dec 1. No problem, I thought. If nothing else I can just jot down a couple thousand words of garbage writing and call it a day (month). Not so. I was surprisingly dedicated to writing down quality stuff, while at the same time not focusing too much on what I wrote. Speed and solid writing, that was my vision for November. I wrote every single day (except for a couple around Thanksgiving) for at least an hour, but usually more like three or four. And on November 30th I typed my 50,035th word and "won" NaNoWriMo. (You win if you pass 50,000 words. There were 42,000ish winners this year). I discovered that I actually do like writing, even when I have to do it all the time. I realized that I can write a novel-length amount of stuff and still find that story interesting. I learned that how you write a story can take a boring idea and make it compelling. And, probably most importantly, I know for sure now that I can be a writer, if I put in the time. So that's what I plan on doing.
And for those who are curious, my NaNo story is not yet finished, nor am I finished with it. I'll be writing it until it's done....probably another 50,000 words away. :)
(And Thanksgiving was a wonderful week spent up in Idaho with my Aunt and Uncle and my awesome cousins. We also saw Frozen which I highly recommend.)
And now it is December, which has been treating both me and my handsome hubby splendidly so far. We completed another project in the house -- putting up shelves around our wall-mounted t.v. -- and we've been enjoying the warm glow of the light on our cute little Christmas tree. I have purchased gifts for several people, and it's not even Christmas week. Small victories, I tell you.
And now I have blogged. Watch out, all. I'm unstoppable!
Except I'm going to stop this post. Right now.
While I have been a miserable blog host, I do like to think that I have been successful in other ways. For example:
In July, Joe had a birthday. I remembered this birthday, I gave him a present for it (I'm pretty sure), and he managed to add another year to his number count of time on this earth. In related news, he's 30 next year. Just thought I'd share that, I know he'd really love me to point it out. :)
In August, nothing remarkable happened. I guess we can pretend like Joe and I remembered that we started dating in August 2 years ago, but we didn't think of that. At least I didn't, until just now. While trying to think of something that happened in August.
In September, my mom had a birthday. I remembered it and gave her something that was probably less awesome than what my brother gave her. He has a ninja-type ability to bemoan his lack of present ideas (for anything--Christmas, birthdays, random other gift giving occasions) and then suddenly, when said "lame" present is opened, it's amazing and perfectly suited to whomever it was gifted. But the good news is, despite Spencer constantly showing me up in the world of gift giving, I think my mom still likes me and will continue to acknowledge me as her child. Success.
In October, we celebrated living in this house of ours for a year. Our celebration went something like this:
Me (on skype): Husband! We moved into our house a year ago!
Joe (also on skype, because he was at work): Yay!
We also successfully dressed up for Halloween, and both of our costumes were decided before the day of! I know! Joe was Tobias Funke of Arrested Development, and he ordered a blue body suit on Amazon. That takes some ahead-of-time thinking, you know? I was impressed. As for me, I dressed as Merida from Brave, which makes this the first Halloween in probably three years that I wore a costume that anyone recognized. I must admit that it was very strange indeed to have people come up to me (at our church party) and say "you're the girl from Brave!" without any hesitation or eyebrows raised in confusion. No one asked "who are you?" only to respond with a trailing off "oh....." when I answered that I was actually Kaylee from Firefly and I know it's hard to tell but it would be more obvious if I wasn'twearinggreenpantsfromthethriftstoremen'ssectionandohnevermindIcanseeIlostyouat"Kaylee". Never fear, though, next year I'll be back to the land of costume obscurity. I've got ideas already. (Who is this prepared person whose body I inhabit? Confused.)
November was, for me, the most interesting/successful month this year. Not only because it contains my almost-favorite holiday (...that's Thanksgiving...) but because a few days before November started I heard about National Novel Writing Month, referred to by those in the know as "NaNoWriMo." And despite not having prepared at all, and barely having any semblance of story, I decided I was going to try it. And it. was. HARD.
The goal is to write 50,000 words of a novel between Nov 1 and Dec 1. No problem, I thought. If nothing else I can just jot down a couple thousand words of garbage writing and call it a day (month). Not so. I was surprisingly dedicated to writing down quality stuff, while at the same time not focusing too much on what I wrote. Speed and solid writing, that was my vision for November. I wrote every single day (except for a couple around Thanksgiving) for at least an hour, but usually more like three or four. And on November 30th I typed my 50,035th word and "won" NaNoWriMo. (You win if you pass 50,000 words. There were 42,000ish winners this year). I discovered that I actually do like writing, even when I have to do it all the time. I realized that I can write a novel-length amount of stuff and still find that story interesting. I learned that how you write a story can take a boring idea and make it compelling. And, probably most importantly, I know for sure now that I can be a writer, if I put in the time. So that's what I plan on doing.
And for those who are curious, my NaNo story is not yet finished, nor am I finished with it. I'll be writing it until it's done....probably another 50,000 words away. :)
(And Thanksgiving was a wonderful week spent up in Idaho with my Aunt and Uncle and my awesome cousins. We also saw Frozen which I highly recommend.)
And now it is December, which has been treating both me and my handsome hubby splendidly so far. We completed another project in the house -- putting up shelves around our wall-mounted t.v. -- and we've been enjoying the warm glow of the light on our cute little Christmas tree. I have purchased gifts for several people, and it's not even Christmas week. Small victories, I tell you.
And now I have blogged. Watch out, all. I'm unstoppable!
Except I'm going to stop this post. Right now.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Hi-Ho Kevin, Away!
Alright, it's about time I tell you about this great adventure we had when our awesome friends Geremy and Madeleine invited us to go on a day trip to Antelope Island. Have you heard of Antelope Island? I hadn't, but apparently a lot of people, especially outside of Utah, know about this place and even have it as a box to check on their list of adventures to do here. Huh.
It began as a kind of worrisome thing, since the projected temperatures for that day were over 100 degrees, aka human-puddle hot. But as we drove across the barren salty flats on a bridge straight out of a sci-fi western (it probably exists), complete with bleached bones, the temperatures were at a comforting 92 degrees and that eased our minds. The plan was to go out on an hour-long horseback ride, enjoy a picnic, and call it a day. So we came to terms with the fact that we'd probably be baked crispy and eaten alive (apparently a LOT of people have trouble with the bugs over there, as seen in reviews) and we tromped over to the barn land where the horses seemed to be.
This turned out to be completely fun. Probably the most fun I've had in a long time, even though when you break it down it was really just me sitting on a horse for an hour. But I have to tell you, the grin never left my face.
Oh, and here's some buffalo we saw driving in.
And this rather mangy looking coyote.
Ok, back to horses. My horse was majestically named Kevin. Say hi, Kevin!
Kevin and I immediately became the best of friends. He stood perfectly still for me so I would not fall off the other side of him whilst trying to mount, and he even let me use saddlebags to hold all my water bottles, sunscreen, and camera. All the essentials of a true horsewoman ... cowgirl ... professional leisurely horse rider.
Joe got the horse everyone secretly wanted to ride. His name was Joe. The horse, not Joe. Although obviously Joe's name is Joe too. Joe was huge, tall, and beautiful. His mane stayed on one side of his neck, very properly. Don't be fooled by his look of disdain in this picture. He was a very nice Joe horse. Well, I guess he might have been a bit disdainful too, if we knew what he was thinking. I'm sure he knows he's the prettiest horse at the party.
Madeleine's horse was named Numbers, which was apparently a reference to the brand he has on his shoulder area (a lot less silly reason than the name sounded, right? I was expecting a cute story, and instead heard about his seared flesh. Ho hum). Geremy got a dappled grey (not really. I just like to say "dappled grey" for some reason. But it was dappled) named Scout.
Alright. Picture overload, ahoy!
The ride was free-range, more or less, meaning that the horses didn't just train in on each other's back ends the whole time. We could roam around each other, walk side by side, speed up, slow down. Whatever we wanted that didn't get us thrown off. These horses are apparently used a lot by the LDS church in their historical movies, so they were super well trained and actually responded to us kicking and pulling the reins.
We were first taken nearish the lake to see a giant herd of buffalo that were just hanging out there. Our guide helpfully pointed out the ones that were trying to mate, and some goofy-looking ones trying to cool off by rolling around in the dust.
It was pretty cool to see that many buffalo (I think they're technically bison but let's be real here, buffalo is much more fun to type. And to say). At some point I apparently got a smudge right in the center of my lens so I apologize for the murky cloud in the middle of my picture.
Couples shots!
We took a break at a the water hole. Numbers was completely absurd. The other horses lapped up the water in a very dignified, horsey way, while Numbers dunked his entire face in and blew bubbles.
We then headed back to the barn.
If you too want to have a blast roaming around Antelope Island on the back of a potentially willful animal, we went through these guys. Our hour ride cost $50 per person, which seems pretty reasonable to me. Do it!
We were famished after horsing around, so we decided the lunching time was at hand. We'd actually brought a picnic lunch of sorts, but Madeleine suggested this bison burger joint that is on the island itself, so we went there. Burgers sounded better than soggy PB&J, weirdly enough. I didn't take pictures, because the place honestly looked a bit like a glorified rest stop, but the burgers were large and delicious.
After that it was so stinkin' hot that we decided to forgo any further sightseeing (despite my desperate wish to see a porcupine) and went to our friends apartment for some decompression time.
That was our adventure! It was so much fun, and not even that hot (on the horses. In full disclosure it was extremely toasty once we started walking around on foot after) and I didn't notice a single bug the entire time. We did apply the bug spray generously, though, so maybe it was just quality spray. I have to say I would definitely do this again.
It began as a kind of worrisome thing, since the projected temperatures for that day were over 100 degrees, aka human-puddle hot. But as we drove across the barren salty flats on a bridge straight out of a sci-fi western (it probably exists), complete with bleached bones, the temperatures were at a comforting 92 degrees and that eased our minds. The plan was to go out on an hour-long horseback ride, enjoy a picnic, and call it a day. So we came to terms with the fact that we'd probably be baked crispy and eaten alive (apparently a LOT of people have trouble with the bugs over there, as seen in reviews) and we tromped over to the barn land where the horses seemed to be.
This turned out to be completely fun. Probably the most fun I've had in a long time, even though when you break it down it was really just me sitting on a horse for an hour. But I have to tell you, the grin never left my face.
Oh, and here's some buffalo we saw driving in.
 |
| Insert prairie appropriate song here. |
And this rather mangy looking coyote.
Ok, back to horses. My horse was majestically named Kevin. Say hi, Kevin!
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| Kevin is not amused. |
Joe got the horse everyone secretly wanted to ride. His name was Joe. The horse, not Joe. Although obviously Joe's name is Joe too. Joe was huge, tall, and beautiful. His mane stayed on one side of his neck, very properly. Don't be fooled by his look of disdain in this picture. He was a very nice Joe horse. Well, I guess he might have been a bit disdainful too, if we knew what he was thinking. I'm sure he knows he's the prettiest horse at the party.
 |
| Joe squared. |
 |
| This be Scout. |
Alright. Picture overload, ahoy!
We were first taken nearish the lake to see a giant herd of buffalo that were just hanging out there. Our guide helpfully pointed out the ones that were trying to mate, and some goofy-looking ones trying to cool off by rolling around in the dust.
It was pretty cool to see that many buffalo (I think they're technically bison but let's be real here, buffalo is much more fun to type. And to say). At some point I apparently got a smudge right in the center of my lens so I apologize for the murky cloud in the middle of my picture.
 |
| Every picture I took of Joe looked good. Look at him! So savvy! |
 |
| The group |
 |
| Maddy was kind enough to lend me her sunnies. They are strange upon my face, but I was really glad for them in the blinding sun. |
We took a break at a the water hole. Numbers was completely absurd. The other horses lapped up the water in a very dignified, horsey way, while Numbers dunked his entire face in and blew bubbles.
We then headed back to the barn.
 |
| One last shot of some Joe riding Joe action. |
We were famished after horsing around, so we decided the lunching time was at hand. We'd actually brought a picnic lunch of sorts, but Madeleine suggested this bison burger joint that is on the island itself, so we went there. Burgers sounded better than soggy PB&J, weirdly enough. I didn't take pictures, because the place honestly looked a bit like a glorified rest stop, but the burgers were large and delicious.
After that it was so stinkin' hot that we decided to forgo any further sightseeing (despite my desperate wish to see a porcupine) and went to our friends apartment for some decompression time.
That was our adventure! It was so much fun, and not even that hot (on the horses. In full disclosure it was extremely toasty once we started walking around on foot after) and I didn't notice a single bug the entire time. We did apply the bug spray generously, though, so maybe it was just quality spray. I have to say I would definitely do this again.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Suggestions of a Yard Sale Newbie
Last Saturday we had our first ever yard sale, which was obviously pretty exciting. It went pretty well, but I guess I must have been a bit optimistic about the amount of stuff one can sell and the number of people who want to buy stuff. Turns out, no one who comes really buys anything, and you sell almost nothing, especially if most of your stuff is over five dollars. Darn! However, I probably would have still done it even if I'd known. I always enjoy yard sales and I strangely had fun doing my own, despite my deluded expectations ;)
Here was our valiant attempt:
My friend Melanie is moving to Wisconsin next month, so she came too and sold a loooot of her own things. It helped having her there. Without her stuff our sale would have looked pretty sad. Kinda like it does in the photo above. (That's just our side of the sale.)
This is hers:
Anyway, if I ever have a yard sale again (it will happen, I mildly hoard) I will definitely be doing some things differently and I think these things would help me have more success.
More Signs. We (okay, I) made some awesome signs. I'm not even joking. You want to hire me to make your yard sale signs. They were that good. But we only put them on the corner right next to our house and on one other spot on the opposite side of the road from the drivers who would be facing it. Does that make sense? It was on the left side of the road, if you were a driver. So that was silly. I would definitely be a little more ambitious and put signs on major intersections even if they were several blocks away from our house. Dedicated yard-salers will see these and come no matter the distance.
Make Things Look Crowded. This sounds strange and kind of devious, but nonetheless I'm pretty sure I would smoosh all my stuff together in a way that looks really clustery. Toward the end of our sale, when things had seriously slowed down and it was only noon, Melanie's husband Kevin went out on the street to look at our display, and when he came running back he said this: "No wonder no one's coming, it looks like we have nothing left." The truth was we had almost everything left, we just set it up badly. I'd use more tables, put things in rows, line things up so they can be seen easily from the street, anything to show the "drive-by glancer" type that there is in fact a lot of stuff and they should probably come buy it immediately.
Price Things Crazy Low. People expect to be shocked and amazed at what they can get for pennies at a yard sale. I failed at this because, truthfully, I didn't care if my stuff sold or not. I am abnormally attached to my stuff, and secretly hoped that no one would want the things so I would have a reason to keep them for myself. So in reality, I wouldn't price things lower unless I really wanted/needed to get rid of stuff. Melanie, for example, is moving, so she really wanted to get rid of as many of her things as possible. And she did. She was selling stuff for way lower than necessary, and she and Kevin ended up making more money than we did. So my point is, if you want stuff to sell, make it ridiculously cheap. And if you REALLY want to get rid of stuff, pile it in a box that says "Free." It'll disappear, like magic.
Start Early and Settle In. We are lazy people who like to sleep in. So we started at 9. Even with that "late" start time we still got up at 7 and were working non-stop to set things up right until the last minute. Still, even with all the work and knowing I'd have a sleepless morning, I would start closer to 7. Our busiest time was for sure 8:30-9:30. Yes, half of our busiest time was before our sale had even officially begun. See what I mean? It's like people want to just buy cheap stuff and then get on with their day. Unthinkable.
That being said, I would also set a start time, and no end time. Well, maybe an end time like 6 pm. That's right. I would just set up and sit there as long as it takes, like it's my day job. If I really wanted to sell things, I would wait until there were literally no more people coming. That way, you might end at 2 (like we did), but you might have a random stream of people who thought 4 pm would be the perfect time to find that creepy ceramic bunny they never knew they wanted.
I might also sell lemonade for a couple quarters or something, cause we went to look at some yard sales recently and I will tell you I never wanted to buy something so much at a yard sale as that .25 lemonade.
There were some things that I think we did well, though:
For one, Joe put up a KSL ad, which I think probably brought in quite a few people. He made sure ours stuck out and was funny and welcoming, because there were SO MANY ads that even within 40 minutes ours had disappeared from the front page.
We also priced eeeeverything the night before, when we were still awake and happy. This made things so much easier the next day as we didn't have to decide on the spot how much we were willing to sell things for (although we did do some negotiating, as I think every yard saler should).
And we were selling radios and TVs, so Joe was brilliant and brought out an extension cord so we could blast the radio and play a movie on our TV, and anyone who wanted could test the electronics before they bought them. It was smart--ALL of our electronics sold--and it made our yard sale fun, because there was music and the Last Unicorn.
Anyway, it was fun and a good experience generally, and we did make a good chunk of extra cash. I still have a few big items left that I'm planning on selling individually on KSL. Like this desk!
And this dresser:
Those may or may not be two of the things I slightly overpriced due to my weird extreme attachment to things. But nevertheless I am actually selling them, so I guess if any wandering reader is dying to buy one or both, you definitely may! The dresser is 30 and the little desk is 20. For now :)
Perhaps these nuggets of wisdom will help one of you out in your yard sale adventures! Otherwise, I'm really impressed with you for reading a whole post about someone selling their unwanted junk, haha. Thanks!
Here was our valiant attempt:
My friend Melanie is moving to Wisconsin next month, so she came too and sold a loooot of her own things. It helped having her there. Without her stuff our sale would have looked pretty sad. Kinda like it does in the photo above. (That's just our side of the sale.)
This is hers:
-001.jpg) |
| Note that she actually has people looking at her stuff. They were very dedicated salespeople! |
More Signs. We (okay, I) made some awesome signs. I'm not even joking. You want to hire me to make your yard sale signs. They were that good. But we only put them on the corner right next to our house and on one other spot on the opposite side of the road from the drivers who would be facing it. Does that make sense? It was on the left side of the road, if you were a driver. So that was silly. I would definitely be a little more ambitious and put signs on major intersections even if they were several blocks away from our house. Dedicated yard-salers will see these and come no matter the distance.
Make Things Look Crowded. This sounds strange and kind of devious, but nonetheless I'm pretty sure I would smoosh all my stuff together in a way that looks really clustery. Toward the end of our sale, when things had seriously slowed down and it was only noon, Melanie's husband Kevin went out on the street to look at our display, and when he came running back he said this: "No wonder no one's coming, it looks like we have nothing left." The truth was we had almost everything left, we just set it up badly. I'd use more tables, put things in rows, line things up so they can be seen easily from the street, anything to show the "drive-by glancer" type that there is in fact a lot of stuff and they should probably come buy it immediately.
Price Things Crazy Low. People expect to be shocked and amazed at what they can get for pennies at a yard sale. I failed at this because, truthfully, I didn't care if my stuff sold or not. I am abnormally attached to my stuff, and secretly hoped that no one would want the things so I would have a reason to keep them for myself. So in reality, I wouldn't price things lower unless I really wanted/needed to get rid of stuff. Melanie, for example, is moving, so she really wanted to get rid of as many of her things as possible. And she did. She was selling stuff for way lower than necessary, and she and Kevin ended up making more money than we did. So my point is, if you want stuff to sell, make it ridiculously cheap. And if you REALLY want to get rid of stuff, pile it in a box that says "Free." It'll disappear, like magic.
Start Early and Settle In. We are lazy people who like to sleep in. So we started at 9. Even with that "late" start time we still got up at 7 and were working non-stop to set things up right until the last minute. Still, even with all the work and knowing I'd have a sleepless morning, I would start closer to 7. Our busiest time was for sure 8:30-9:30. Yes, half of our busiest time was before our sale had even officially begun. See what I mean? It's like people want to just buy cheap stuff and then get on with their day. Unthinkable.
That being said, I would also set a start time, and no end time. Well, maybe an end time like 6 pm. That's right. I would just set up and sit there as long as it takes, like it's my day job. If I really wanted to sell things, I would wait until there were literally no more people coming. That way, you might end at 2 (like we did), but you might have a random stream of people who thought 4 pm would be the perfect time to find that creepy ceramic bunny they never knew they wanted.
I might also sell lemonade for a couple quarters or something, cause we went to look at some yard sales recently and I will tell you I never wanted to buy something so much at a yard sale as that .25 lemonade.
There were some things that I think we did well, though:
For one, Joe put up a KSL ad, which I think probably brought in quite a few people. He made sure ours stuck out and was funny and welcoming, because there were SO MANY ads that even within 40 minutes ours had disappeared from the front page.
We also priced eeeeverything the night before, when we were still awake and happy. This made things so much easier the next day as we didn't have to decide on the spot how much we were willing to sell things for (although we did do some negotiating, as I think every yard saler should).
And we were selling radios and TVs, so Joe was brilliant and brought out an extension cord so we could blast the radio and play a movie on our TV, and anyone who wanted could test the electronics before they bought them. It was smart--ALL of our electronics sold--and it made our yard sale fun, because there was music and the Last Unicorn.
Anyway, it was fun and a good experience generally, and we did make a good chunk of extra cash. I still have a few big items left that I'm planning on selling individually on KSL. Like this desk!
 |
| Handpainted by my own dear mother, it is a cute little child's desk that any young girl would love to have at her disposal! |
 |
| Hand-stenciled by mom, and is a total flashback into my 10-year old room. |
I have an adult-sized desk as well, and a jewelry box. Oh, and a ton of books by Mary Higgins Clark, John Grisham, and Agatha Christie. Just in case you really want some of my stuff. Let me know.
Perhaps these nuggets of wisdom will help one of you out in your yard sale adventures! Otherwise, I'm really impressed with you for reading a whole post about someone selling their unwanted junk, haha. Thanks!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Bleeeeeuurrghhnn! (Bagpipe Noise)
There is one weekend during the summer that I approach with as much anticipation as Christmas. It is filled with the blaring drone of bagpipes and the alarming flapping of kilts in the breeze. There is homemade root beer, there are delicious fish and chips made by the most awesome Scottish couple ever ("And haeow many would ya like, darlin'?") (Scottish accents are hard to type). And, most importantly, there are the Wicked Tinkers.
It is Thanksgiving Point's Scottish Festival. And it is amazing.
Perhaps you do not know that I am a Scotophile. I love Scotland. I want to go there. I want to live there. I love the castles and the moors, the overcast skies and the green, green land. I love the accent and the redheads (and the non-redheads too!). I love the cottages and the COWS, oh the cows! The cutest cows on this planet! Look up highland cows. They'll be your new favorite animal. I love the food! Ok, that's kind of a joke. Haggis tastes like hamburger, if your hamburger has gritty pieces of animal organs in it. It's really not bad. But it's really not good either. And I don't know of other Scottish food, to be honest, (pretty sure the English have a solid claim to fish and chips) so I can't give a fair review. I love bagpipe music and the silly old games (caber tossing, for example) and the myths and history. You get it, I think. I love Scotland.
So you'll understand why I love this festival which by most standards might be considered dull and repetitive, as it's very similar from year to year. It doesn't matter. I love it every. single. time.
If you are unfamiliar with the festival, its main attractions are these:
Strength and agility athletic tests for the menfolk, of course. I almost never get the chance to watch these for some reason :(
Booths for many clans where you can learn about their history and find out if you are a descendant.
Booths and booths of stuff to buy! Jewelry, kilts, knives and swords, and ever so much more.
Bagpipe competitions by groups from around Utah (maybe even further? Have not investigated).
Stage performances of Irish dances, Celtic inspired bands and THE WICKED TINKERS
A pavilion full of foods to eat. Fish and chips, turkey legs, non-cultural food and, naturally, haggis. Yum!
There are also the opening ceremonies, which involve bagpipes and marching clans introducing themselves and their motto. There are also closing ceremonies which I've never witnessed but I bet they're similar.
This year Joe and I took the beasties and had a good time parading about while people commented about how huge Magnus is. We started with the opening ceremonies.
After that was over we spent a while walking around the booths and enjoying the general ambiance.
And I bought a ring from these guys. Just one of the many awesome booths with stuff for sale crammed on every surface. It's hectic and crowded and I love it. I always wonder how much of their stuff gets pocketed though. Hmm.
We had a delicious lunch of fish and chips, as is tradition. Sadly I did not get to see/talk to the awesome Scottish woman because I had dog duty, but Joe said she was there and that he was called "darlin'," so that'll do for me.
After lunch we had but minutes to get to the Wicked Tinkers show. They say that they play "tribal Scottish music" which is really the best way I can think of to describe it. Bagpipe, drums, and a didgeridoo. It's wonderful.
It was a successful year of Scottish festivaling. If you are also a lover of all things Scottish, I highly recommend it. It's usually in the first week or two of June. There's also a Payson one that hasn't happened yet. Count me in! Cue music:
It is Thanksgiving Point's Scottish Festival. And it is amazing.
Perhaps you do not know that I am a Scotophile. I love Scotland. I want to go there. I want to live there. I love the castles and the moors, the overcast skies and the green, green land. I love the accent and the redheads (and the non-redheads too!). I love the cottages and the COWS, oh the cows! The cutest cows on this planet! Look up highland cows. They'll be your new favorite animal. I love the food! Ok, that's kind of a joke. Haggis tastes like hamburger, if your hamburger has gritty pieces of animal organs in it. It's really not bad. But it's really not good either. And I don't know of other Scottish food, to be honest, (pretty sure the English have a solid claim to fish and chips) so I can't give a fair review. I love bagpipe music and the silly old games (caber tossing, for example) and the myths and history. You get it, I think. I love Scotland.
So you'll understand why I love this festival which by most standards might be considered dull and repetitive, as it's very similar from year to year. It doesn't matter. I love it every. single. time.
If you are unfamiliar with the festival, its main attractions are these:
Strength and agility athletic tests for the menfolk, of course. I almost never get the chance to watch these for some reason :(
Booths for many clans where you can learn about their history and find out if you are a descendant.
Booths and booths of stuff to buy! Jewelry, kilts, knives and swords, and ever so much more.
Bagpipe competitions by groups from around Utah (maybe even further? Have not investigated).
Stage performances of Irish dances, Celtic inspired bands and THE WICKED TINKERS
A pavilion full of foods to eat. Fish and chips, turkey legs, non-cultural food and, naturally, haggis. Yum!
There are also the opening ceremonies, which involve bagpipes and marching clans introducing themselves and their motto. There are also closing ceremonies which I've never witnessed but I bet they're similar.
This year Joe and I took the beasties and had a good time parading about while people commented about how huge Magnus is. We started with the opening ceremonies.
 |
| A marching clan |
 |
| We met up with my cousin Kelsey, her husby Harrison, and their beasts. Pilot is an Irish Wolfhound, so applicable! |
 |
| Magnus enjoying a spot of shade |
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| Clan MacGregor! Represent! |
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| Magnus was a big hit at the festival. He loved it. Had to take a picture of the cute little fairy! |
We had a delicious lunch of fish and chips, as is tradition. Sadly I did not get to see/talk to the awesome Scottish woman because I had dog duty, but Joe said she was there and that he was called "darlin'," so that'll do for me.
After lunch we had but minutes to get to the Wicked Tinkers show. They say that they play "tribal Scottish music" which is really the best way I can think of to describe it. Bagpipe, drums, and a didgeridoo. It's wonderful.
 |
| The blond man on the right is my fayvorit. His hair blows in the breeze. And as Joe found out last year during a very windy Scottish fest, so does his kilt. |
A sampling:
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| New drummer. They sometimes walk through the crowds as they play and it's awesome. |
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| The Wicked Tinkers! |
And then Joe made my day by taking a picture of me with them! And I'm even standing next to Luxurious Blond-haired Man! (I should really figure out his name.)
It was a successful year of Scottish festivaling. If you are also a lover of all things Scottish, I highly recommend it. It's usually in the first week or two of June. There's also a Payson one that hasn't happened yet. Count me in! Cue music:
"I just can't get enough! I just can't get enough!"
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