don't be jealous.

i just wanted to let you all know (the three of you that read this) that i am going to see this concert tonight.

and it is going to be amazing. but don't worry...i will let you know just how amazing it is right here...sometime this weekend...after i bask in the glory of the show.

i know you can't wait...and neither can i.

i'm stoked.

seriously, don't be jealous.

that's all.

random.

this is pretty sweet. thought i'd share.

random.

(i stole this from my fb...i laughed at myself, so i'm sharing it here.)

and so now, in no particular order (except for the fact that they are numbered), here are 25 fun filled facts about moi.

1. i secretly (although, now it is not a secret) wish that i had the skills to be in musical theater. i would have set out to make it on broadway. but, since i don't have the skills, i will just settle with being a patron of musical theater. i just really, really like musicals. maybe almost too much...if there is such a thing as liking musical theater too much...but i don't think there is.

2. my ultimate career goal is independent wealth. i realize this is not a "career," but i would make it one. i am just having a hard time figuring out where the wealth will come from. it certainly will not come from my social work job with the state.

3. in all reality my ultimate career goal is "stay-at-home" anything. who wouldn't want to stay at home and work. i'd wear pajamas everyday and only shower every couple of days and i would never wear make-up. but i wouldn't leave the house like that. jk. i would totally leave the house.

4. i love music. all kinds of music. and when i say all kinds, i mean all kinds. i just got done listening to opera--luciano pavarotti--and now i am listening to kiss. i have music from 78 genres on my itunes.

5. i'm a grammar snob. and a spelling snob. probably more of a spelling snob, though. i just have to say this...it's called spell check, people. and it's real, real easy to use. red, squiggly lines mean you are wrong. fix it. it really is not that hard.

6. i live with eight dudes. i used to live with ten dudes. the weird part is that it's not really that weird anymore. it might be time to move.

7. i hate moving more than anything in the world. one of the worst days of my entire life involved moving. and just to give you a glimpse into why it was the worst day ever, the day started with me finding that my car had been towed. awesome. i wanted to kill someone. worst. day. ever.

8. i've been driving my new car for almost a year and i still don't feel like it's my car. i am still mad at my old car. stupid car. died, like it was old or something.

9. i can remember names of random people but i can't memorize the lyrics of songs i listen to regularly to save my life. i'm guessing knowing someone's name isn't going to save my life, but i will know your name like we are bffs. sometimes i pretend that i don't know people's names because it's embarrassing that i can remember them...i think it might seem creepy.

10. i do know all the lyrics to two of the most amazing songs ever written: making love out of nothing at all by air supply and bohemian rhapsody by queen. see number 4.

11. even though i can't memorize lyrics, you can recite lyrics to me and i can tell you what song it is. i just can't retain that information in my brain. i also can't memorize movie quotes. but dish me a movie quote and i'll tell you what movie it is from.

12. i truly wish i would have been a teenager in the seventies. sometimes i really think i was born in the wrong decade. but then i'd be old now, so maybe it's okay that i was only just born in the seventies.

13. i have a weird, weird obsession with surfing. i've never been surfing. and chances are that i probably won't ever go surfing (i know--never say never), but i still have a strange obsession. not sure where it started, but i love it. and, just because, i think the funniest thing about surfing is that hawaii is considered it's own "country." you can be from the united states, from australia, from france or from hawaii. apparently, when it comes to surfing, hawaii is "better" than the mainland.

14. when i was little, my uncle told me i was from another planet and that i would grow a tail when i turned 12. i believed him for a long time. i tried to tell my nephew he was from another planet and he didn't believe me. i was such a stupid kid.

15. one time, when i was little, my friend called to see if i wanted to go play at her house. i went to ask my mom if i could go and got sidetracked. i never asked and i didn't go back to the phone. we didn't realize the phone was off the hook for a few hours. i still feel guilty that i left my friend hanging.

16. i can't stand to sleep with anything on my feet, including blankets and sheets. except when my feet are cold. but it doesn't take long for them to warm up. and as soon as they are warm, i uncover them.

17. i'm ridiculously ticklish. thanks to my mother. who is far more ticklish than i.

18. sometimes i think that my life has been boring, but then i have a memory flash and realize that my life has been pretty awesome...thanks to an awesome family and incredible friends. especially incredibly funny friends.

19. i have a pretty sketchy past. i mean, not the crazy-been-arrested-crack-dealer kind of sketchy way...just in the lots-of-life-experiences kind of sketchy way.

20. when i was in first grade, my older brother was in fourth. we would ride the bus together in the morning, but i would get out before him and so i would have to ride the bus home alone. i didn't like this, so i lied to my teacher (who was my aunt's best friend) and told her that my mom got a job as a checker at smith's and so i had to wait for my brother to get out of school so i wouldn't be alone at home. i totally got busted at parent teacher conferences. i was in first grade. making up ridiculous lies. man, if i would have gotten away with that...i would have lied a lot more. good thing i got busted.

21. in third grade i got glasses but i was embarrassed, so i would wear them when i left my house and i took them off on the bus. i would put them back on after school, on the bus ride home. i totally got busted at parent teacher conferences. i had to wear them to the conference because i was with my mom and my teacher thought i got them that day. my mom wasn't real excited that i hadn't been wearing them. (btw--that parent teacher conference was the same day that the challenger shuttle exploded.)

22. i hated parent teacher conferences in elementary school.

23. i like to laugh. and i like to laugh a lot. but sometimes i am embarrassed because i know my laugh is loud and maybe a little annoying. but i still laugh, so i'm not too worried about it.

24. i used to think my mom was so weird because she only listened to talk radio. i am turning into my mother. i listen to talk radio all the time.

25. it took me way longer to write this list than i thought it would. i didn't want to repeat anything on my one hundred list on my blog, but i think that i may have. oh well.

phew. i'm glad that is over.

and this is why i love it.

i've loved dance since i was a wee-little one of about five or six. my mom put me and my sisters in a dance class and i loved going. i still remember some of the dances (especially our patriotic number to neil diamond's coming to america...with pom-poms, of course). my parents have some stellar pictures of us in our costumes, thankfully. i didn't continue to dance formally after elementary school (minus that year or so in middle school). but, my sisters and i would make up routines on our back porch to paula abdul and salt'n'pepa songs (thanks for the tapes, kris). we used lots and lots of jazz hands (laurie might be laughing-uncontrollably-right now...she is the one that used to make fun of my jazz hands). later, we branched out and made up skating routines on our roller skates. so, you see, i've always had an appreciation.

i spent many june evenings in the logan high auditorium, watching my sisters, and then later, just the one sister (a fine dancer, she was/is). several saturday mornings were spent at dance competitions. and then there were half-time performances and performances at the fireworks. and i liked going and watching. maybe not so much the competitions, but still...i love watching dance.

and that is why my favorite tv show is so you think you can dance. despite my lack of blogging about it this summer, this is the best season by far...for reals. and this week's performance by melissa and ade shot to the top of the best sytycd performances ever. and i was moved.

and i know that this is just a dance routine, but the grace and strength that the dancers display in this piece remind me of my aunt mary...enjoy, and be moved.

i was moved enough that i felt like i needed to dedicate this to my aunt mary. she is an angel on earth, fighting cancer with such grace and strength. she is an inspiration to me and to the rest of my family and to everyone that knows her. i love you, aunt mary...you are in my thoughts and prayers every hour of every day. thank you for showing us and teaching us all how to be graceful fighters. we love you, we love you, we love you!

random.

this is my niece, lillie. she is hysterical. my favorite thing that she says is "why?" only because it's not annoying. i think she says it cause her brothers say it. and even better than the question is when you say please to her, like you are begging...she thinks that is the funniest thing ever. can't help but want to squish this one...she is adorable, super cuddly and super funny. yes, she is soooo funny.

turn up the radio.

a couple of christmases ago, my sister and brother-in-law gave me a car stereo. at the time, i had a car that was falling to pieces, so i didn't want to invest the time and energy installing that stereo into that car. so, at the time, i put the stereo into storage and completely forgot about it. a few weeks ago, i was reminded that i had it. i wasn't sure if i even cared enough to get it installed, but in the last couple of months, via sara, i've acquired a friend that is handy with cars and the likes...and the likes includes the ability to install car stereos. and so, today, because he is amazingly nice, said friend installed my stereo. and i'm pretty psyched about it.

this is the stock stereo that my lovely ford came with...blah, right?



i've never really thought about how it all goes together, but this is said friend pulling it all apart. pretty interesting, really.



luckily, he really does know how to install car stereos, otherwise, i would have been left with this gaping hole. well, probably not...i'm sure his dad, who was present during the installation, would have fixed it. hahaha.



my friend, sara, is on vacation in thailand and so i have been babysitting her child, roo. he hung out with us while said friend installed the stereo. he was pretty bored...can you tell? jk. he wasn't, really. he's pretty funny. gotta love roo-roo.



and this was the finished product. pretty pimpin'. i haven't fully tested it, but it is already way better than the stock stereo...obviously. there is one annoying thing about it and i haven't figured out why it does it, but i will...trust me, i will. and if i can't, said friend is probably fully capable of figuring it out.

it's good to have friends that are capable of doing tasks/projects that you are not. yes, this said friend is a keeper.

that's all.

lately.

i know i have talked about my love of music before, but it's an ever evolving love (so i will probably always talk about it). and i probably love music so much because it is ever evolving. the thing that i am most aware of right now, regarding music is that it truly can change your mood. for awhile now, i have been listening to country music, which is probably my most favorite. there is a song that plays a lot on country radio that makes me smile. i hear the first few notes and i have to smile. the tune and beat of the song are so cheerful to me, but the message of the song is what i love the most about it. here it is for your listening pleasure:

for me, the message is that we shouldn't take everything so seriously. "this, too, shall pass" comes to mind when i hear this song, but that may just be me. also, take it day by day. live for the now. i guess you can interpret the song how you'd like, but this is what i think when i hear it...and in turn, my mood changes. life is hard, but do-able. so be happy. and seriously, people really are crazy.

well, the other night on my way home from work, i heard a song that i've heard plenty of times before, but this time i actually listened to the words and i was moved. the message is similar to the above message, but maybe not so happy-go-lucky. here it is:

so, that's what i've been thinking.
just thought i'd share.
that's all.

i can cook.

sometimes i get a little crazy and want to try recipes that are a little more difficult or somewhat over the top. when i found this recipe, i knew it was a stretch, but it didn't seem overly ambitious. i decided to try it out with my friend, sara, hoping that it would turn out alright. i cannot explain to you in words how freaking amazing it actually turned out. so much so, i made it for my dinner group. and trust, the pizza part was delicious, but if you only take one thing away from this post, please-please-please make the basil vinaigrette. it is from heaven. i promise.

this is sara, enjoying the pizza

grilled pizza with hot sausage, grilled peppers and onions and oregano ricotta
(courtesy bobby flay)

prep time: 35 minutes
cook time: 40 minutes
serves: 4

½ pound italian hot sausage
1 large red onion, cut into ¼-inch thick slices
2 large yellow peppers, cored, seeded and quartered
2 large red peppers, cored, seeded and quartered
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 recipe favorite pizza dough, rolled into four 6-inch rounds
½ pound grated fontina cheese (i used gruyere because i couldn't find the fontina the first time i made it, but i did find some fontina at macey's the second time...for those of you where i live.)
1 cup sheep’s milk ricotta (obviously, if i can't find fontina, i'm not gonna find sheep's milk ricotta...so i just used regular ricotta. i'm not sure what the difference would be anyway.)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
basil vinaigrette

grill the sausage on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes per side. brush onions and peppers with the oil and season with salt and pepper. grill the onions and peppers until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. remove the sausage from the grill and slice into ¼-inch thick slices. remove the onions, separate into rings and roughly chop. remove the peppers and slice into ⅛-inch thick slices.

heat grill to high. brush dough with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until gold brown. turn over and grill for 1 to 2 minutes. remove from the grill and place on a flat surface.

divide the fontina cheese among the four pizza rounds. divide the sausage, onions and peppers over the cheese. place the pizza on the grill, close the cover and grill until the cheese has melted, about 3 to 4 minutes. to finish in the over, preheat the oven to 450°. place the pizza on sheet pans and bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 to 10 minutes.

mix together the ricotta, extra-virgin olive oil, and oregano in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. remove the pizzas from the oven/grill and drizzle with basil vinaigrette. top with dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture and let rest for 5 minutes. slice and serve.

we used a makeshift pizza dough, so our rounds were waaaay smaller than they were supposed to be...so, they look overloaded, but they are not...just small.

basil vinaigrette

½ cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup olive oil

combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

this is the tasty goodness that is basil vinaigrette. i'm not kidding when i say that it is amazingly delicious.

grilled chicken salad


because we had some dressing leftover, we decided to make salads the next night...to die for. they were very plain with just lettuce, tomatoes, some feta, a few sunflower seeds and the dressing...but it was straight restaurant quality.

i am.

i am: so over being at work today.

i feel: like i have lots of stuff to do, but i really don't. i don't really have anything to do at all.

i need: to take advantage of the fact that i have so much time on my hands.

i love: spending time with my niece and nephews.

i want: to stop yawning. i'm not tired...just super bored.

i am: ready to go home. i know i mentioned it, but seriously, i'm so over being at work.

my mommy.

so, this is what i meant to post for mother's day...so very long ago. better late than never.

this is my mom...

...and i love her more than words. and i'm glad that she is my mommy. she is super talented (beyond words talented, to be honest). she is fun to tease (because she is super gullible). she was always there when we needed her...nothing like having a stay-at-home mom (thanks dad, for making that happen). she is deathly ticklish. she never goes anywhere without lipstick. she never takes sides (which can be extremely frustrating). she always listens and gives stellar advice. she introduced me to talk radio (which i love). she dislikes yardwork as much as i do. and she always told us to go outside and play...but to not get dirty (that's my favorite).

thanks, mommy, for being such an awesome mom. i love you.

ps. again, sorry that it took me so long to post this.