Boom what?

A week or so ago, I was talking with the girls at work about a song that had come on the music system throughout the showroom and somehow the word "boombox" came out of my mouth. As soon as I said it, a quizzical stare came from my co-workers like I had said something completely foreign. They had no idea what I was talking about. I tried to describe it as, "You know, like in the movie, Say Anything, when Lloyd Dobbler holds up the boombox outside of Diane Court's window as he is trying to woo her playing Peter Gabriel's, "In Your Eyes"???. Again, blank stares. Come on, this was rated by Entertainment Weekly as one of the most romantic moments in film. And, I can't be that old! How do they not know this iconic movie? And what else were we supposed to play our beloved tapes on? So thanks to Google, we looked up what a boombox was - and found some pictures of a very large radio with a tape player and huge speakers - so we got that figured out. Although I still feel like I am 25, I started questioning how ancient I really am. I called Kristen at work to see if she knew what a boombox was. Phewww! She did. But, she has never seen Say Anything! Oh, the youth today!

I Want to Play Too!

Oh how I love answering numbered questions. I could do it all day. Buckle up...

1. What is your favorite lunch meat? Um, not ham! I'm a turkey girl all the way. As an aside, does anyone ever pick roast beef as their lunch meat of choice? And furthermore, how did Arby's decide to make a whole franchise based on roast beef? Who besides Julie ever eats there? That and Skippers will always be a mystery to me. BTW, lunch meat is a funny term.

2. Do you still have your tonsils? You bet I do! Although I eat so much ice cream, you wouldn't think so.

3. Would you bungee jump? No! I have height issues. The only way I would do it is if there was a tasty treat waiting for me to pick up as I was bouncing up and down.

4. What is your favorite cereal? Totally Cocoa Puffs. Not only are they tasty, but you get a refreshing bowl of chocolate milk when you're done. A close second are Reese's puffs because they're like eating candy for breakfast.

5. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Of course! I can't stand it when I forget to loosen the laces enough and they're difficult to put on. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well, Julie.

6. What is your favorite ice cream? It has to be Dreyer's Rocky Road. Like the mashed potatoes in While You Were Sleeping, it's so creamy! My all time favorite was Snelgrove's Burnt Almond Fudge, but it is no longer with us. RIP.

7. Red or pink? I've been on a pink kick lately.

8. What are you listening to right now? Just Fine by the legendary Mary J. Blige. Do I have some street cred now?

9. Favorite smells? My pool in the summer, fresh cut grass, markers and gasoline (don't judge me), and my own natural musk.

10. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Burnt Sienna. Just kidding! Nobody ever picks that color! I always liked cornflower blue. It's soothing, just like me. Ha!

11. What websites do you check every day? Oh dear, I'm going to sound really shallow. Gmail/Google reader, EW.com, MSN.com, Sltrib.com and People.com

12. What time is it right now? 9:58 P.M.

13. Do you ever turn your cell phone off? No way man. What if I get attacked at night?

And like Kristen, I am also stumped as to what we all have in common...my only guess is that we all have a severe shimmy? Do I win a prize for guessing correctly?

Kristen's 13 Things

I love this stuff. Here are my answers.

1. What is your favorite lunch meat? Agreed - the answer is always ham. Gimme a pig over a turkey any day.

2. Do you still have your tonsils? Yep!

3. Would you bungee jump? No. I was calm as a summer's morn going skydiving, but you don't get the falling sensation, AND you're strapped to someone else. Plus, wouldn't all the upside-down jostling at the end just make you sick?

4. What is your favorite cereal? All who know me well know I eat 2 heaping bowls of Special K with strawberries every day (I've cut back - it used to be 2.5 bowls). If I can't have that, I'm a Cheerios girl.

5. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Yes - you've got to untie them sometime, Julie - it might as well be when you take them off!

6. What is your favorite ice cream? Classic chocolate chip.

7. Red or pink? Pink - I don't think red looks good on me.

8. What are you listening to right now? "Sweet Dreams" by Beyonce.

9. Favorite smells? Chlorine in the summer, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, vanilla.

10. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Maybe a yellow because I try to keep a sunny outlook on life.

11. What websites do you check every day? NY Times, SL Trib, MSN, Entertainment Weekly, my Yahoo email, and this blog.

12. What time is it right now? 5:25 pm

13. Do you ever turn your cell phone off? No

Blog-iversary

This week marks a year since we started our little blog. We started off with individual posts about 100 things about each of us and took off from there. To start our next year of posts, I'm tagging Melinda and Kristen to find out a few more important tidbits . . . a lucky 13 items. As a bonus, does anyone know what we all have in common . . . besides the fact we are sisters and have the same last name? Cheers to another year of fun times together.

Okay, here's the tag . . . re-post with your own answers:

1. What is your favorite lunch meat? Always ham. My Subway sandwiches are easy - just ham and cheese . . . forget the veggies.

2. Do you still have your tonsils? I think so.

3. Would you bungee jump? No! . . . not even if I was strapped to "The Bachelor" in New Zealand.

4. What is your favorite cereal? I am not a big cereal eater . . . but when I do it's Crispix. I don't love the uber-sweet cereals.

5. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? - Nope; I try and get them off as fast as I can as I come in the door.

6. What is your favorite ice cream? Love the seasonal flavors . . . peppermint, pumpkin and my new discovery, Ben and Jerry's Cinnamon Bun ice cream . . . yummmy!

7. Red or pink? Pink

8. What are you listening to right now? My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson. I have a feeling I'm going to get sick of this one real fast. Oooh . . . it just switched to Hall and Oates . . . they never get old (that's right, Melinda . . . "She's a rich girl . . . ")

9. Favorite smells? The humid ocean air as we get off the plane in Hawaii, stepping into the Ben's Cookie store at the Gateway and getting a whiff of the fresh-baked goodies, and Aqua di Gio on just about anybody.

10. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Spring green . . . doesn't that sound so refreshing.

11. What websites do you check every day? Sugardoodle . . . I am addicted to seeing what's new. Good Things Utah and Studio 5 to see if there was anything good while I was at work. And, of course People and Entertainment Weekly for my TV Watch recaps . . . love them!

12. What time is it right now? 11:51 p

13. Do you ever turn your cell phone off? Never

This Is Why I Need Books On CD

It turns out that I end up spending a lot of time in my car these days alone with my thoughts. Which I know sounds fun, but wow, I'm random:

1. We have too many billboards in this state! Every time I travel to another land/state, I am always amazed how clutter free their freeways are, and then you come here, and there are billboards every 4.2 feet. What a mess! I mean honestly, how many customers are these things attracting? I was reading a bunch of them today, and they are ridiculous. Omniture had one indicating they were now hiring guys named Doug. I'm sure you're trying to be pithy and ironic Omniture, but now I'm just feeling bad about myself because I can't apply with your little company because I'm not a man and I'm not named Doug. Jerks. But my favorite of the day was a large license plate with the phrase "SD8ME." I almost got in an accident trying to interpret that little gem, and it turns out to mean...sedate me. WTF? Apparently some crazy dentist in Utah County thinks that offering to sedate me will increase his foot traffic. When instead, it prompted me to call the Popo and report said creepy dentist.


2. Have you ever driven somewhere and then not remembered your drive to get there? I got to work this morning and realized that I did not remember a good 10 minutes of my drive. Luckily, I'm apparently a real good driver when I'm asleep.

3. I hate all morning DJ's! And yes, I'm including you Jimmy Chunga! If I have to hear about his fake film career and how craft services work one more time, I honestly might need to be sedated by creepy Utah County dentist. Forever Strong was his crowning achievement, and not a day passes by that he doesn't talk about "the set," or "the crew" or "Gary Coleman." Brooke, if you would please resume your broadcasting career to put me out of my misery in the morning, I would appreciate it.

So if anyone has any good book on CD recommendations, I'll take them because I need to calm down!

Holding Out for a Hero = Best Song Ever?

The first five minutes on the treadmill are the absolute worst - and today was no exception. Then the pulsating rhythms of Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero" came on my iPod and all of a sudden I felt great! I started running faster and faster to keep up with the beat (I may have gotten a side ache but it was totally worth it). If that weren't enough, the visions of Kevin Bacon as Ren McCormick getting his shoe stuck in the tractor gear were enough to make the time fly. The song is six(!) minutes of bliss, has a full choir doing backing vocals, AND a drum beat that NEVER lets up!

Best song ever? Discuss!

Gratitude

In Young Women's, we had a lesson on how to have joy . . . NOW!. The girls had the challenge to start a Gratitude Journal and work on it during the past week, writing down five things each day that they were grateful for. We were excited to see that quite a few took the challenge and reported this week on the difference that it had made as they started looking for the positive in each day. It's a good exercise for anyone to try when you realize that what you have is enough and more.

"Both abundance and lack of abundance exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend. When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present ~ love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us happiness ~ the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth."
- President Thomas S. Monson

Dating Tips

I have been watching the Millionaire Matchmaker on one of my favorite stations, Bravo, and have gotten some "great" tips as to how to snag a man . . . pay attention . . .

1. Wear a push-up bra
2. Show some leg
3. Show some cleavage . . . but not too much
4. Since guys love young girls, don't tell them your age until the 3rd date . . . make them get to know you first.

The new season has just begun . . . so I'm sure there will be more little gems along the way.

You DO Bring Me Flowers Anymore

Have we mentioned how sweet our dad is? If not, then prepare to be amazed. We were scattered all over on Valentine's Day, so dad wanted to make sure that we had a proper Valentine's Day celebration. So tonight, he took us out to dinner, and when we got back to the house, he had gotten each of us these beautiful bouquets of flowers. Not only that, but he bought special vases for them, and had even hand arranged them himself! What other man would even think to do that? Aren't they pretty? (I meant the flowers not us, ha!)

Thanks for making our day so nice dad. Our future husbands have a lot to live up to!

I'd Like to See YOU in a Windstorm

I was watching the news at the gym today, and that manstud Roland Steadman was doing the weather. Every time I see him I find myself consumed by the thought that I just want to muss his hair. Just give it a good rub and see what it looks like. Is it hard to the touch? How much lacquer is applied to give it that sheen? 

That of course got me thinking about other TV personalities whose hair I would like to muss. First on my list is Keith McCord. Who does he think he's fooling? We know you're bald! I remember the days when you WERE bald on the newscast. Then one day you had a full head of hair a slightly different shade than your mustache. I wasn't born yesterday, Keith McCord. I just want you to man up and admit it.

My final submission is Carole Mikita. I applaud you for being a "mature" woman who's managed to keep her job in a cutthroat industry - but Carole, let's try a new hairstyle! I just want to give it a couple shakes and see what happens - it'll be fun!

Jillian for the next Bachelorette!

I don't know many more of the "most dramatic rose ceremonies". I am spent and have been on the edge of my seat through the two-hour Bachelor and cannot believe that he cut Jillian?!?!. I had pegged Jillian to win the whole thing and couldn't imagine that he would send her home . . . but he did. I will never get over how the guys want the girls to actually say that they are in love with them, before they will decide if they keep them, because, hey, they don't want to be rejected. Yeah, who does. Jillian was great . . . she was over 25 (a novelty on this show) and actually had a life of her own and was very put together. I totally look forward to Monday nights . . . the two hours go way too fast. And if the teasers are on point, there is a lot more fun to come . . . I can't wait!

My Favorite Mormonads

I was thinking the other about Mormonads - they were my favorite part of the church's New Era magazine every month. I got the sets of Mormonads from the Distribution Center and had a big frame in my room that I would use to rotate which one was displayed. Here are some of my faves from the good old days - some of them look pretty dated, but the messages are still right on:

"Rise above the blues"
"You are never alone"

"Reflect on eternity" - I used to think the groom was so cute.
"When you can't stand it, kneel"
"Gossip: Don't pass it on"
"Take out the trash"
"Make room for everyone"
"There is a way out"

What are some of your favorites?

Valentines - Part II

The day just continued with some fun little surprises. A neighbor boy came over and brought me a little valentine with some suckers. I got a fun card in the mail from my cute Dad. And a surprise was waiting on my porch tonight that was filled with chocolate-covered strawberries and had some very complimentary things to say about me. So nice!

Quite a few single friends affectionately refer to Valentine's Day as "Single Awareness Day" - or "SAD" for an acronym. I have never liked that term. I am painfully aware that I am single and don't need a holiday designed around showing affection for couples to make that any more clear. And there are those who feel that they don't need a commercialized holiday to show their feelings for each other. However you feel, to me Valentine's has always been a nice day to show our love and appreciation to each other . . . and I am grateful to those who are a part of my life!

Valentine Secret Pal

I love getting fun packages in the mail . . . look at this one that I got for Valentine's. The classic Cutting Edge (toe pick, anyone) sent to me from a Secret Pal. Thank you!!!

This brings back fun childhood Valentine memories. Each year we would draw names in our family and get a name of someone that we would do secret service for the 7 days prior to Valentine's Day. We would try to secretly make someone's bed or leave a note for them in their room. I remember that Brian always did elaborate things for his people. One year he had Dad and got up early to make a yummy portable breakfast for Dad. I think it even included scrambled eggs! Brian got everything situated in Dad's car, so that when Dad left for work (which was always very early), he would have breakfast ready to go. One year Dad had me and one day I got a great pair of socks that had a secret pocket in them. I remember when Mom had Brent, who loved and still loves a good bowl of popcorn. She would have nice bowl for him as an afterschool treat ready for him when he got home. It was always fun to see what each person got each day and even better to come up with special ways to surprise each other during that week.

As we got older, Mom still would give us special Valentine's. I still have mine somewhere. A cardboard heart pocket stitched together with yarn, cut with special scissors and embellished with stickers. It would contain treats and love notes from her that she re-filled each year.

Cute Dad is carrying on the Valentine traditions. This morning I was greeted to a special song on the phone. And he usually finds someway to get us a bouquet of flowers. We definitely know how much we are loved! And we love our cute family!

Old Friends are New Friends

Recently I decided to visit an old friend from my childhood - the Jell-O Pudding Cup.  We've had a sweet reunion, as I've rediscovered how much I enjoy spending time together.  I get the sugar-free version that clocks in at a mere 60 calories, and I'm telling you, people, you wouldn't even know the difference.  I've been enjoying this little treat as an after-dinner snack on several occasions. Maybe it's time for you to revisit an old friend from your past?

I Heart the Duggar Family

I have a new addiction on TLC . . . the Duggar Family. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar live in Arkansas and this show follows their lives with their 18 . . . yes 18! children.

I had been enjoying watching Jon and Kate Plus 8 and their series which follows their 8 kids, but lately, it seems like to me that there is more and more time spent yelling at each other as they deal with the stress of moving, a new house and new surroundings.

In contrast, the Duggars, while a family even larger, manage to home school, do chores around the house as well as all of their activities together happily. The parents limit their access to the internet and to TV, which makes them learn to get along with each other. The parents are happy and you can tell that they adore each other, the kids seem well-adjusted and learn a lot through their experience as a large family. I am fascinated as I watch them grocery shop, how they buy clothes, how their house is organized (think of the laundry!) and how the older kids learn to help the younger kids.

My favorite little kid is Josiah (on the left). The camera crew poses questions to the family throughout each show and Josiah always has funny insightful comments. It's a fun show!

Jail Bird

So, a week or so ago, I got a call at my office that someone I knew was putting me in jail . . . for Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Apparently the MDA puts people in a "jail" at a local place and you have to stay there until you raise a specified amount of money from your friends and family to get you released.

I asked the woman on the phone, "Who told you to call me?"

The woman on the phone replied, "I can't tell you. But, if you come down to _____ restaurant where the "jail is", you will find out"

I said, "No one I know would do this to me. What are you looking for . . . money?" (My disclaimer . . . I would happily give money to a good cause to people I know . . . but don't throw me in jail to get it)

Phone woman, "The donations are tax deductible."

I said, "You aren't going to tell me who told you to call me? I'm not going to donate from a cold call from a random person."

Phone woman, "We can't reveal the names of the people who put you in jail if you don't participate. We don't want you to be mad at them. Do you have anyone else that you can refer to us that we could put in jail instead of you?"

Me . . . "I wouldn't do this to anyone I know"

Phone woman, "How do you think I feel?!?" Click.

Nighttime is the Right Time!

I have always loved staying up late. When we were younger, our dad would go to bed at a perfectly reasonable hour, and we would stay up late and hang out with mom. Which meant that we were really tired in the morning, while our dad was happy as a lark. When Kristen was really little, she would put off going to bed as long as possible, and could be heard singing along to the Late Show theme from her crib! Because for us, it turns out that nighttime is the right time to get stuff done.

It is apparently a Bird family trait that we will stay up to the wee hours of the night doing any number of things, like my favorite--puttering! Julie does a lot of entertaining, and will routinely stay up until 3:00 the night before cooking, cleaning and making sure everything gets knocked out so there are no surprises the day of her party. And then she'll be up just as late the next night cleaning up. Both Kristen and I can't just come home after being out and go to bed--we have to unwind! Most weekend nights after coming home late, Kristen will head up to her secret lounge and unwind for another couple of hours.

And I am completely ridiculous because I will routinely be up until 12:30 or 1:00 on a school night, just puttering! Which is weird because I love to sleep and am a really good sleeper. But once the sun goes down, even the most mundane tasks sound so exciting! Last Saturday, I got home around 1:00 and wasn't tired, so I made my cookies for the ward dinner, did the dishes and cleaned my entire kitchen. I still wasn't tired after that, so I got current on my blogs until 4:00! Which is about the time Heather Bunting was getting up to go work out. Which may be why these Birds will never get the worm.

My Thoughts in Pictures

Sometimes all it takes is a new roommate moving in to realize it might be time to invest in a larger loofah.











And when you can clearly see the print of your rear end in your chair, that might mean you need to get off it a little more.

Me and Peter Pan

Or is it Peter Pan and I? There are times I feel just like a teenager, and like it that way. I found myself tapping along to David Archuleta's new song in the car today. And then I downloaded it on Itunes for further enjoyment . . . and am "rocking" out to it as I type. I love the fluffy, bubble gum Top 40 pop songs. Always have, always will. Kristen and Brent are deep with their wide and varied music choices, not me. Kristen says that my taste in music is pretty easy to figure out. That and my love of romantic/comedy and ABC Family movies.

We Birds have a "gift" for pop culture knowledge. My mind is filled with useless details that I glean from the weekly celebrity rags that I love getting in the mail each week. And I'm the youth leader who buys and brings these teen mags along to girls camp and other times when we are in the car together so we can do the quizzes and look at the posters. I like to call it bonding.

I still think that I should have three months off for summer break. And I remember how it was so much fun (and easier) to talk to the boys at recess at the spider on the playground.

But now, I've got to log off and start paying the bills like an adult . . . wishful thinking, I guess.

My Alter Egos

Occasionally I google myself to see what I've got going on. Sometimes I learn stuff about myself, too. Imagine my surprise when I found this:

"Killer" Chick, Kristen Bird is the new hot babe of the Year for 2008 with Killer Motorsports. Book her for your next magazine ad, event, etc.

You better book early, folks. All the good dates are gonna go fast.

In other Kristen Bird news, I've also apparently gotten married!!!!! But before you extend your congratulations, please look at the picture:
This appeared in some college newspaper. I quote:
Before getting married this summer, sophomore Kristen Bird and her husband James dated for almost two years.

Even though her husband is not a student, Kristen says that he has been encouraging and supportive the entire time.

What they didn't say in the article, is that if any dragons had happened upon my dream wedding, my James would have whipped out his trusty sword and slayed the beast.

I don't know about you, but I'm really excited to FINALLY have something to share when people ask me "what's new?"

Does Anyone Really Like to Ice Skate?

Last night for FHE, our ward pulled the annual trick of going ice skating. Which of course means that I took the night off to watch the Bachelor! I have been in a Singles' ward long enough to know that every year, ice skating is planned for an activity, and every year, 3 people show up. And they are the people who can do triple axels, and enjoy wearing those sparkly outfits. I have been in on planning meetings where people will excitedly plan to go ice skating, saying how fun it will be to skate around and then get hot chocolate, and then not even those people show up!

Last year, in an effort to try to enjoy this sport a little more, I took an ice skating class. While I had great visions of doing spins, lutz' and maybe even the splits, the sad reality was that I barely learned how to do a figure eight with one foot, and my parting gift was a huge bruise on a highly padded and soft area, if you know what I mean. And to add insult to injury, we were given report cards at the end! I won't tell you what grade I got, but needless to say, if it had been a college course, I would have had to retake it.

So my question to you is, who actually enjoys ice skating? Because I have yet to meet one person who does!

Open Memo to all Office Workers

Mastering office technology can be tricky. Like the time at my first job when I broke the copier, panicked, and crept away…then later agreed with the secretary trying to fix it that I hated when people did that. However, I was 16, and have since learned my lesson. Many of you, on the other hand, have yet to master something less complicated than a copier: the “interoffice” envelope. Consider these helpful hints:

1. Cross out the name in the line above, and fill in the new recipient on the FRONT of the envelope. I beg of you, only start using the back when the front is completely full!
2. I know you want the contents of your envelope to be as secure as possible. However, please remember these envelopes are designed for multiple uses. Rather than taping the flap completely shut, try using the string closure provided on the envelope. It is more than adequate.

Thank you in advance for doing your part. Those with anal-retentive tendencies (like me) appreciate it!

I Thought Those Went Out with the 80's

Among many of the "fabulous" trends of the 80's . . .Units, jelly shoes, fluorescent . . . one that I thought should never make a come back are the beloved leggings (and stirrup pants with a nice huarache shoe fall in this category too). I've been noticing at church that more and more ladies are wearing leggings under their dresses, and personally, it drives me crazy. More times than not it seems like the dresses or skirts are way too short and the leggings/tights are added so that the women are covered up. If the dress is modest enough to wear alone, then skip the leggings. Are they cold? Did they not want to shave their legs? What's the deal? I realize that this may be one of the latest fashions, but is it church appropriate? I doubt I would see the women leaders of the church pairing leggings with their dresses. I feel the same way about wearing flip flops to church - far too casual for the occasion. Let's step it up - considering our purpose in going to church.

Yummm!

My favorite Valentine hearts . . .with the volume turned up . . . dipped in chocolate.
I'm totally trying these!