Picture of the Day

Elder McKee (right) and his new companion, Buffalo, NY.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

My beautiful roommate Karem got engaged last night!  The [very] luck man, JT Ryker popped the question in a helicopter as it flew over the Salt Lake Temple.  Karem, overwhelmed by the view, didn't quite realize what was going on- but when she came to, the answer was Yes!  Of course!  Congrats to both of you, I'm so excited!

You Know You Need to Start Acting Your Age When...

... all of your friends are thinking about what clubs/ parties to go to on a Friday night, and YOU are surfing MarthaStewart.com for scrumptious recipes [insert rocking chair, six children, frumpy mom hair-cut here].

Carrot and Coriander... Minus the Coriander...

I made carrot and coriander soup tonight.  Except right as I was finishing up I realized that I didn't have coriander which, considering the nature of the proposed soup, was not a good thing.  So I made a mad dash around the apartment complex asking after coriander and spent far too much time explaining what coriander actually was before giving up on this sorry bunch of American Little- Ceasars eating scallywags.

The soup was delish, but not as good as my mother's.  Which is usually how the story goes.

Those Lads of Mine!

Moment if sisterly pride!  Get ready for it!

Above is the talented Connor T. McKee, somersaulting through the air while diving at the Freibad in Oberursel, Germany.  Yes, that's right.  While the Utah air gets chilly it looks as though summer is staying in Germany for a few more weeks!  Am I jealous?  Well, what do you think?

Meanwhile, Logan made the soccer team and spends all of his time swanning around Europe playing other international and private schools.  it's all very fancy.  And he is a stud.  The end.

Alastair is my lovely missionary and he is doing so well in Buffalo.  His new companion is a greenie, so he is training him and helping his with his spanish.  It's flying by, and he'll be home soon!

Glee

Here's where I tell you that there is a lot of crap of TV.  But you already knew this.  So I don't really need to go on about it.

But every once in a while something magical comes along that seriously impresses.  Glee is one of those shows.  It's fresh, it's different, it's never been done on TV before: it's hilarious.  Every member of the cast has incredible talent and comic skill.  There is a moral heart of the show, which I think is something the entertainment industry is lacking of late, and a feel-good, positive energy drives the plot.  I watch it, but don't even own a television!  Which is to say: I approve.

Turned Over a New [Basil] Leaf

Alright, food junkies.  While in the airport this summer I picked up a copy of the Julie & Julia Project by Julie Powell.  While I found some of the backstories to be a little irrelevant I have to be honest about what really counted:  the FOOD.  Read this book if you need to be inspired to do something more than just the daily habits of life.  Also read it if, like myself, your kitchen needs a shake up (regardless of how cute your oven mitts and utensils are).  

I decided, at 9pm last night, to take a leaf out of Powell's book and for once in my life follow a recipe [insert video clip of my mother rolling her eyes here.  She hate's when I don't follow a recipe.  Even though she comes along with her little fork when I'm done...].  Anna and I ran to the supermarket and grabbed the basics for tomato and basil soup.

At 10.30pm ish, my first soup ever was created.  It was a tiny bit acidic, but nonetheless, breathtaking.

And so, the joy of cooking has stirred my soul once more.  I don't think I've been this excited to cook since that cookie phase I went through in middle school when I baked, honestly, all the time.

Tonight, I will try my hand at carrot and coriander soup.  The "pros" of soups: inexpensive, not so calorie slash fattie ridden, fun to make and experiment with.  Even though I am promising to follow recipes.

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-fresh-tomato-and-basil-soup

Thank You Erika!

Many thanks to my good friend and neighbor Erika, for recommending a funny new website: peopleofwalmart.com. Enjoy.

Fall Cravings

A mustard colored scarf. Feel free to buy me one and send it to me. No hard core wool- think pashmina. That'd be great, thanks.

Picture of the Day

FYE (For Your Entertainment)

Swimming just isn't worth it like this...

Hi readers. Apologies for abandoning you all- I know you have all been itching to hear about me me me. Of course I am joking, but as is the case you shall hea all about it!

Life has been rather hectic since coming back to Provo. How many people thought I could utter my distaste for school? Well, it happened: I am officially perturbed with the fact that I must continue with this charade. Of course you all know that really, deep, deep down, I love it all. But for now, today, I just despise the fact that I must pull myself from my comfortable bed (thank you memory foam) and haul myself to a physical science class. Why, may I ask all american educators, must I (an English and Editing major looking to go into publishing) take a physical science class? What must I care about gravity other than the fact that my feet remain planted on the ground?

Physical science just isn't working out for me, you guys. There might have been a "plus" in the fact that it is typically a "man" class- meaning that unlike my english classes which are full of girls and married men (seriously tragic) there was a shred of hope that I could get a couple of dates out of science. However, being a core class, I quickly found myself helplessly surrounded by freshmen. NOT the way to go for a 21 yr old in Provo. Secondly; I'm just not capable of understanding physics. We have interactive clicker quizzes in class and the number of people who click on certain answers shows up on the screen. There is always one person who clicks "E" or "C". That ONE person, that one sad individual who never clicks the right answer- that's me. Every time.

Meanwhile, the weather is getting chillier. My roommate seems to be incredibly warmblooded these days- and as such we had our window wide open last night. I had my winter duvets on, frozen, while Anna only had ONE blanket! HOW?!

Speaking of Anna: I love her. This is our 3rd year rooming together! On saturday we took a quick trip to Park City. It was nice to be out of Provo- and to use Anna's newfound freedom on wheels.

My new calling in church is on the Publicity Committee. I think that will be good fun- and a great opportunity to flex my editing skillz. I spelled skillz with a "z" because it makes me feel like my chosen field is hip slash cooler than it is. Editing, however geeky you may think it to be, is one of my favourite releases. I have had a few people hand me papers and manuscripts to edit this past week and let me tell you- there's something about clicking open my red pen that just gets me excited! Editing is like justified scalding- a legitimate excuse to be incredibly mean without the hurt feelings. I LOVE IT.

On another note, I am sorely ashamed that I have no new pictures to show you concerning my life- I have been so consumed in things that I can't really name (which means I know I've been busy but with what? The answer escapes me...) but here are some funnies from the good old internet (which began in 1991, FYI). See, I learn stuff.

Today I'm Homesick

This is where I want to be. Instead, I am ploughing through hundreds of emails, while trying to read for my Lit. class, worrying about Physical Science (more about that later) and feeling guitly about not blogging in a while. PLUS I have homework to look forward to.