try using the word of the day.

many of you may know this already, but i am a closet nerd. i like things like proper grammar and puncuation. and spelling, especially spelling.

and i like to learn. i like to learn all kinds of things. i like to learn things like how to take a kid down at work and new words. i especially like new words. i don't really use all the new words that i learn (people at my work might not appreciate my extensive vocabulary--but that is for another post). regardless, i like to know lots of words, whether i use them or not.

this leads me to the subject of this post. here i am at work. it's about 3:30 in the am. at about 2:30, i get a special email from merriam-webster. it's the word of the day. and i about died laughing at today's word, so i had to share it and i challenge all of you to use it in a sentence today.

the word for today is hemidemisemiquaver (hem-ih-dem-ih-SEM-ih-kway-ver). it is a noun. and it is a musical note with the time value of 1/64 of a whole note: a sixty-fourth note.

i love it.

use it.

that's all.

please leave comments.

mostly i blog because i like to share my views about useless things, like gum and slurpees and soccer. and i like that you all read about my useless views. but i wish that i knew exactly who was reading. so, please leave comments. thanks.

i'm thirty.

i know, it's been awhile since i have blogged, but i sort of had a brain-cramp. i sometimes feel like i could blog about everything and then my brain cramps up thinking about everything i could blog about. so, i took a break. now i am back, ready to blog away.

well, i had a birthday a couple of weeks ago. it was a big one. the big three-oh. i know. it's not that old, but i'm not in my twenties anymore. i didn't write about the day sooner because i had to come to grips with it. i know, a little dramatic, but what can i say? i'm dramatic. hahaha.

it was a good day. i helped my grandma with yard work and did some straightening up around the house. then i went to dinner with some friends at my, aforementioned, favorite restaurant, cafe sabor.

i hate getting sung to in public, especially at restaurants. especially restaurants where they make you put on stupid hats. i didn't want to be sung to, but i wanted the dessert, so adriane--being the good friend that she is--offered to be sung to so we could have dessert.

even better than a meal at my favorite restaurant, were the awesome cards that my family sent to me. they crack me up. but this year, my mom won--hands down, no questions asked. and just to prove it, here is the card she sent. oh man, i love my mom...even more after this card.


and because i love cards so much, here are a few of my favorites (not necessarily from this year, but that's okay).

this was from adriane.

sara homemade me a card.

this card is so appropriate for these guys.

and julie gave me this one.

laur and bren, again.

so, that was my birthday (plus some laughter). it was a good day. and i'm okay with being 30. at least i had graduated from college before i turned thirty, barely. but i did.

that's all.

i heart orbit gum.

i am quite fond of orbit gum. i have been for sometime now. i like the cute little packages and the plethora of flavors. and when i say plethora, i mean plethora. in recent weeks, i have collected all the many flavors and have decided to share with you my feelings about some of them.

i know, i have way too much time on my hands. but at least you are entertained.

first, this is an orbit commercial. they are usually wacky and zany, sometimes funny. this isn't my favorite, but it does the trick. enjoy.


this is mint mojito. i would say that it is the newest member of the orbit family. it has a very refreshing flavor, without being over powering. i found it to be pleasant. although, i felt like the flavor "died." i know that flavor in gum "dies," but i felt like this flavor actually "died" and began to taste like something rotting. good for a quick chew.

i'm not a fan of raspberry mint. i think that i am not a huge fan of mixing fruit with mint. or maybe i am just not a fan of raspberries with mint. it was okay, but not good for some "refreshment." this is best used as a treat. its better for you, too. less calories and all that. just an idea.

bubblemint is my second favorite of the orbit family. i can't even tell you how much joy the bubblemint brings to my mouth. it is sweet and succulent, but refreshing at the same time. the bubble gum part of the gum helps bring out the child in you, while the minty freshness reminds you that you are an adult. good, good stuff.

cinnamint is by far my favorite orbit gum. now, it may not be my favorite gum right this minute, but an explanation of that will come later. i heart the cinnamint most because it is the perfect blend of spicy cinnamon and minty freshness. that is all i have to say about that. perfection.

but alas, this is my favorite gum right now, this minute. i know, not orbit...but sometimes we have to branch out. i cannot tell you how yummy and refreshing and what a tropical treat it is. i know, the idea of "cool colada" gum is somewhat repulsive, but i had to try it and i heart it tremendously. it is delicious. 'nuff said.

so, happy chewing.
that's all.

i heart soccer.

i've always been a fan of soccer. it started back in my youth. i grew up with these boys and they all played soccer. and they were good, and maybe they still are good. i only ever saw derek play, though. he was really good. who knows, maybe he still is.

i also played on a youth soccer league team. although my own personal soccer career came to a screeching halt due to an ankle fracture, my appreciation and love for the sport continued to grow.

then in high school, we were friends with all the boys who played soccer. so we went to the games. we would take our blankets and our sunflower seeds and we cheered our team all the way to the state game. we didn't win. but we had fun. good high school memories.

so, yeah. i like soccer...a lot.

so when the salt lake real came to town, i was there...with these guys. and i have been to quite a few games since. not all of them with these guys, but most. we always have a good time.

this was the first game i went to this year. it was a double header. kansas city wizards and the fiji national team. we weren't going to go because it was raining/snowing. we didn't want to sit in the rain/snow. but we decided to go anyway.

i should have known it was going to be a weird night...especially when he gave me this look. this is derek. he's a bit crazy, but i have to admit, i dig the kid.

and then there was this look. now, beyond the look are the blue, blue skies. they are very deceiving. it wasn't warm, by any means. did i mention that i wore flip flops to this game? i love flip flops, but just not this much. anyway, deceiving blue skies.

this is leonardo the lion. i like to call him leo. i don't really care for mascots. i only took note of this because that kid is awkwardly big for leo to be carrying across the field. creepy. a little. maybe a lot. i don't really care for mascots because they can be creepy like this.

this is the fiji national team. i am sure that they were not excited to be in utah. seeing as how it was snowing in april. did i mention that i wore flip flops? it was quite cold. very, very cold. btw, they are hot. and way more built than their american opponents. i know. i have a thing for polys. let's not talk about it. but i do.

this is our own real salt lake (mostly the second string--most of the first string played against the kansas wizards). i like them. what more can i say? not much. oh, except i love that the little kids escort the players onto the field and that they hold hands and everything. it's really sweet. and i like that there is this national anthem production before every game. okay, that's all i have to say about that.

this is blake. he is the middle child. derek's the youngest and, obviously, matt is the oldest. blake is funny. mostly in a strange way. okay, jk. i like blake. i like them all, actually. this is when it started to get really cold. did i mention that i wore flip flops? i did. my brown ones. they broke today. i love flip flops. even when they break. i will go get more tomorrow. the best part about this picture is derek's creepy eye. i have a picture with blake's creepy eye, but it wasn't from this game, so i didn't include it. another time.

this is matt. matt has had that patch of facial hair for as long as i can remember. my dad has tried to get him to shave it off for years. and there it still is. matt is important. that is why he wears the bluetooth device. no, he wasn't wearing earmuffs. just his phone. he was on that for a good portion of the game. sometimes i thought he was talking to us. he wasn't. he is important. i like matt. one time, we were listening to general conference and they were talking about following examples and learning from other's mistakes...then matt made the brilliant observation that there were people who could just follow the example and then there were people who had to be the example of what not to do. he claimed that we were those people and thus, we were off the hook. we had a duty to fulfill. matt's pretty cool.

i think it must be genetic. like a genetic disorder. i mean, three out of three pictures with this "look." and then the creepy eye. that is the only explanation.

ahh...jeff. dirty jeff. look how trashed dirty jeff was. he was. trashed. but not trashy. dirty jeff is classy. wait, that is an oxymoron. love jeff. good memories of jeff. did i mention that i wore flip flops? jeff brought blankets. i love jeff. even though they were dirty blankets. i wore flip flops and it was cold and he brought blankets.

that there is peter p. in the green. m. peebley is to the right of peter p. unidentified individuals to the left and the right of peter p. and m. peebley. i love the boys from brigham. how can you not? you can't. not love them, that is.

just how cold was it, you ask? it snowed. that's how cold. and they had to get the orange ball out. in april. what? i know. crazy. did i mention that i wore flip flops? i bet the fiji team was not happy about playing in utah. not only was it cold, but they lost. poor fiji. they were hot.
more snow. more orange ball. i heart soccer.

oh, so pretty. except for the fact that it was april and i was wearing flip flops.

and the funniest part of the night...matt was trying to stay dry and, in turn, warm...but the hood was on his butt. and his head was through the arm hole. oh, i love matt.

so, yeah. good times. flip flops and all. and we went to crown burger after. it made up for the cold feet. okay, not really. but i sure do enjoy a crown burger every now and again.

my new "celebrity" crush.

so, i have a new celebrity crush. well, let me clarify...i actually have a crush on mark sloan. not this actor. i don't even know his real name. i just got done watching the new grey's episode and i am in love with dr. sloan. mcdreamy is killing me. he seems a little whiny these days, and i'm over it.
so, this is my new crush.
enjoy.

on the road.

lately, i have been taking my camera with me everywhere i go (if you couldn't tell). for a lot of years, i didn't really bother with documenting my life in pictures, and i kind of regret that. so i have a new goal of documenting as much of my life as possible. this means that i can take pictures wherever, whenever...including the drive through sardine canyon into the valley. i love this drive. i think that sardine canyon is absolutely beautiful, even when it is snowing in may.

for a really long time, i was confused about the area that is called dry lake. there really was never any water there, except for at certain time of the year, so the fact that they called it a lake made no sense to me. and this always made me wonder about the fact that there was a farm out there, especially when there was water in the "lake." i kind of get it now, but it still can cause some puzzlement.

one of my most favorite views in all the world (or in as much of the world as i have seen) is when you come around the last bend in sardine canyon, as you come down into the valley. i love cache valley. i think it is absolutely beautiful and sometimes that view of the whole valley takes my breath away.

when julie and i were driving back from boston, the anticipation of actually being back in utah hit us as we merged from i-84 onto i-15 in ogden. the drive from that point and through the canyon was agonizing...and when we came around that bend and saw the valley, seriously (and don't make fun), we were both a little emotional. i mean, besides the fact that we had been in a car for three days, we were both ecstatic to be back in the valley. and, just to make it that much more cheesy...we did have john denver's "take me home, country roads" playing as we came around that bend.

and even though i am not fond of hyrum, i do love the way that the east mountains and foothills look from the highway at that end of the valley.

and this is just for fun. it's a pretty cool picture. at least i think so.

there will be plenty more driving pictures to come. don't worry. i have more favorite views and drives. i love to drive. thanks to my dad. i will share them with you, as they occur.

because we all need a good laugh.

when i work graveyard shifts, i have lots and lots of time to dink around on the computer. and sometimes i get carried away on youtube. these are a few of my favorites. well, for today.


this is by far, my most favorite...it has been for awhile now. she is hilarious.


if you aren't laughing, there is something wrong with you.


four times the fun.


if i could be so easily entertained.


especially this easily entertained.

your guess is as good as mine.

i think that adriane and i are funny. especially when it comes to cameras and pictures. now, i don't take as many pictures of myself as adriane takes of herself, but i have my share. but even better than the individual pictures, are the pictures of us together. i look like a moron. adriane looks like she is trying to get away with something. we are funny. 'nuff said.

my nephew is a pimp.

this is one of my best friends, sara, and my nephew, jesse. we were at my graduation dinner (at my favorite restaurant, cafe sabor). sara and jesse were seated next to each other, so i figured it was an excellent photo op. they were just sidled up next to each other and all of a sudden, jesse had to swing his arm up around sara's neck. it was hysterical. probably not to you, but it was too me. and take note of the "i'm the man" look on his face. i can't help but adore this kid, that is for sure.

and after the dinner, we went to sara's work--kutting edge--so she could give "the man" a faux-hawk. it's pretty stylin' for sure. and notice, he is still a pimp, with his arm around the girl.

oh, how i seriously adore him.

i'm an alumnus.

oh, how sweet it is to be an alumnus of such a fine establishment. it's not the best school in the west, but i do believe i got my money's worth. i could have studied harder and i could have gone to class more, but they gave me a degree, all the same. i guess, after twelve years, they figured it was about time. not that i was enrolled at the school all twelve years, but they were ready to be done with me, and i them.

so, i am proud to be an aggie. i always will be. and i'll be honest, i'm a true aggie, to boot. don't remember his name. he wasn't even a student at usu...he was from slc. he and his friends wanted to come to usu to become true aggies (i don't know if you can be a true aggie without being a student--but i was a student). how could we deny them this wish? we didn't. i love usu. we have excellent traditions. traditions that people around the state desire to participate in.

now, this is me after the trek across campus. did i mention that it snowed that day? yes, it snowed on my graduation day, may 5th. it snowed in may. seriously, only in logan, utah. during the entire trek across campus, looking around at the rest of the graduates, i couldn't help but wonder...who came up with this outfit? i mean the gown is one thing, but the cap? i guess after years of working and studying and learning, we have to be humbled by wearing these ridiculous outfits.

can you tell how excited i was? i was. very. i couldn't believe that it was actually happening. the best part about the actual graduation was that i got to sit by my friend, riley. he is the most random american that i know. i couldn't stop laughing the entire time. i loved it. but, the girl sitting on the other side of me was one of the most annoying students in my major. she was a huge teacher's pet. the kind that make you want to vomit. or gag. or just throw stuff. (she is in this picture, on the left.) she wasn't as bad as the girl who used to eat lunch during class, though. i mean, full-on lunch. and it was a small room and it was a full class. she would eat carrot sticks almost everyday. during class. i ended up meeting her a couple of semesters after that, and it turns out she was a bit of a drunk, so it was good to know that she was getting nourishment, besides beer.

and because bubba knows all the right people and is on the board of trustees, he got to had me my diploma. i'm not gonna lie, that was pretty cool. now, that folder had a special note stating that participating in the graduation ceremonies didn't guarantee graduation. and there were comments highlighted in red about changing your address. apparently, a lot of people try to do that, otherwise it wouldn't have been in red. at least, that is what riley and i decided.

yep. i'm an alumnus. a graduate. of utah state university. pretty cool, for me at least. and it's about time. but, now what?