Hello 2009!

New year, new goals:

run at least one full and two half marathons

leave the country at least once (an Asian country preferably)

begin grad school

successfully visit the Grand Canyon during daylight hours and an open front entrance rangers post

acquire zero overdraft fees

Quiz Time

I'm a little embarrassed to include these quiz's on the blog, I mean my blog is a place for valuable and resourceful information meant to uplift and inspire the masses. HOWEVER, months ago Shelley Watts actually emailed one to me (it was almost shocking, I don't I had received one for probably seven or eight years) and I promised her I would fill it out in due time, she keeps me young. Well, due is the time. Here you go Shelley (sorry everyone else) and as a little bonus treat I'm filling out Meagan soon-to-be-Flake's quiz too (sorry everyone again).

SHELLEY'S:

4 places that I go to over and over:
1) Safeway
2) The Red Box machine at Walgreen's

3) 24 Hour Fitness on 32nd and Camelback

4) Phoenix Mountains Park

4 of my favorite places to eat:
1) Thai Basil
2) Pita Jungle
3) 7-11 (nachos and Coke Zero anyone?)
4) and if I were in Hawaii I'd go for some Food For Thought and/or Haleiwa Eats

4 places I would rather be right now:
1) Hawaii
2) Skiing
3) The Grand Canyon
4) Thai Basil

MEAGAN'S:

This one was originally "My 8 Favorite..." And that's just a little overwhelming so I'm shortening it to my Favorite 3. Thanks for understanding.

3 Fave TV shows: This one's tough, I enjoy an occasional show but don't have any regulars. Some that I don't change the channel on are:
1: Family Guy
2: Late Night with Conan O'brien
3: Wheel of Fortune (because I'm secretly 80)

3 Favorite Restaurants Ever:
1. VietThai (Hole in the wall Kaneohe restaurant that serves the best pho I've ever had)
2. Haleiwa Eats (It's just a Thai treasure in Hawaii. A BYUH student chiche, but such a good one)
3. Riverview Restaurant (I had my best ever meal out here. It's in Troutdale. Holler)

3 Things to Look Forward to:

1. Going home for Christmas. i.e. family, skiing, snow (hopefully), food, friends, warm house, big bed.

2. Getting a job that I enjoy

3. Kaitlyn getting her mission call
and a bonus: Grad school hopefully at Northern Arizona University

3 Things I Love about Winter:

1. Christmas

2. Skiing- mostly downhill, but I have got to get a move on with my cross country 2010 Olympics training.

3. Christmas music.

3 Things on my wish list:

1. A Job not at a gym

2. A white Christmas

3. Winning millions from the Publisher's Clearing House

Official Latter-day Saint

I am officially Mormon as of today. I may be in my mid-twenties and born into the religion but it wasn't until this evening I felt that I truly belonged after attending and semi-hosting my first ever Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Pictures to come, but for now you'll just have to imagine the luxurious red woolen sweater I picked up at the D.I. store this afternoon. Imagine the central feature is a bedazzled Christmas tree with teddy bears and gifts sitting under it. Attached to each little gift/teddy is a quaint bow. Additionally, as if that isn't enough, there are little embroidered stars, hearts, glitter puffs, and jewels. It's a sweater you won't soon forget and I won't soon part with. It's a keeper that I'm sure has family heirloom potential. Time will tell.

I want a job in the airlines.

Baby care tips of the day

I totally pirated this from a friend of a friend who took it from http://listoftheday.blogspot.com/ Good thing it's hilarious. My favorite is "Feeding Baby". Check out the "list" blog and find yourself hooked. Cheers.

splinter

I looked down at the palms of my hands this afternoon wondering if I had removed the several splinters I somehow obtained, realizing however, that I only dreamed of having them I wondered, "Why this one? What could it mean?" I rarely remember my dreams.

STOMP it out

Forget krumping, popping and locking, there's a new street dance on the block: the tranny stomp.

I went out the other night with my roommates (me going out, weird I know) to what Kolin described as the freshest club in town. He claimed it played the best music and everyone was there to dance, have fun and be free, or something like that. Oh, and the club was called Ohm, as in peace and meditation. I was hesitant but agreed to go, it sounded like an alright place after all.

We pulled up to the spot and found a small crowd of decent looking 20-somethings gathered in front, a fair sign. Confused after not finding a sign reading "Ohm" however, I turned to Kolin and asked if we were at the right place. We definitely were, and to avoid making a short story long it turned out Ohm was actually Homme as in man in French. Yep, it was a gay club. Kolin swore he had no idea, as if the multiple rainbow flags proudly hung in every window weren't a clue.

There was actually a good mix of people, the music was something new and there were a few precious treasures on the dance floor. At the beginning of the night we spotted a broad-shouldered babe at the bar, the true definition of a hot tranny mess. I'm talking off-centered 80% off clearance Halloween wig from Wal-mart, bifocal glasses, potbelly, smeared makeup, the works. She stuck to one corner and danced her signature three steps forward, three steps back for an hour or so. Then like a flash she darted from the club. Luckily however, a new tranny entered the scene and stomped her way into our lives. Especially Kolins, perhaps because she was his tranny doppleganger. Stompy ungracefully made her way to our circle, hoping to dance with us, so we let her and boy, did she stomp. Pounding those big feet of hers to the floor as if killing a giant cockroach. Subtle moves that we all caught on to. I would sure feel bad if she were actually a woman.

Meanwhile Tranny #1 made her second appearance of the night, only this time she changed from her slinky black number into a pair of white capri pants and shoes with straps up to the knees. Same wig, same bifocals, same potbelly, same tragic mess. Sadly she was still alone and in the corner. We thought she came up with a new dance move but turned out the constant wall lean and toe touch was just her adjusting the shoes and straps.

We had a fun evening dancing but more than anything it was a people watching feast.

Note to self: if we ever go back to Ohm/Homme do not wear flannel shirt. Lesbians will constantly confuse you for one of them.

out with the old...

I kind of quit my job. I have had some bad jobs in my life but managed to love just about all of them, but I just couldn't manage to love 24 Hour Fitness. I'm once again jobless; free and happy, but jobless nonetheless. Oh, I also might've pulled the ol' "family emergency" trick to get out. Oops.

I planned to ask all of you the best way to quit but lying and turning off my phone was way too easy and I was much too antsy to wait another moment. Anyway, where should I work this month? I've always wanted to work at a restaurant or an ice cream shop- maybe I'll try one of the two. It sure is nice using my university degree.

On another note I finally made my way over to Squaw Peak this afternoon. I had heard that it was a nice easy stroll but I think there must be a few different trails in the same Phoenix Mountains area because I actually ended up hiking the steep trail to the actual peak. The views were great, the weather was perfect and the trail is only a couple miles from my house. Can't I just hike for a living?

Vagabond Dreams

Remind me again why I don't live in Fiji.

I think that maybe one day I will.

Home Sweet Home

A few of you have asked about my living sitch. Here's the house complete with a small orange tree in the front and a quaint fireplace in the back. I have loved it so far, we have nice neighbors. One, an older lady, Olive, even left cookies on our doorstep the other day. I guess our house would be considered a condo. luckily though the complex, Williamsburg Square, comes with an authentic neighborhood feel; one that's really quite different from most everything else in the Phoenix area. We live across the street from a restaurant/gelateria/grocery market called La Grande Orange, AKA a paradise for the urban elite. LGO has a good vibe and good food (priced for their main customer unfortunately), and the gelato is succulent. There's also several other hipster hot spots in the area but we're not too far from the real world either.
LGO reviews: http://phoenix.citysearch.com/review/36557999


*
These pics were taken with terrible light. I'll make sure and post some updates soon.

*Our back door is straight from Leave it to Beaver. I have high hopes that one day I'll be busy out back and June Cleaver will shout from the kitchen, "The pie is ready," I'll then turn around to find it ready and steaming on the half door.

A Plea

I need to travel. Will someone please sponsor me for a visit to Iceland? Please? Everything about the place seems beautiful, it has held my number one most desired destination to visit for years and years now, and even though I abstain from consuming flesh I would most certainly love to eat one of Iceland's national dishes, smoked puffin. I know, they are kind of cute but according to my favorite TV show host, Andrew Zimmern, and the nation of Iceland, they're also delicious with a slice of melon.

And I haven't even mentioned the vikings yet.

I'm not picky, anyone can sponsor this trip, I'll give you the photos when I get back. Or would like to travel with me? Your choice.

As a side note, NPR is my new obsession, I've decided that it would tough to live without.

A Longing for Açaí

Why hasn't the mainland U.S. caught the acai berry craze yet? I've actually received all sorts of spam e-mails lately reporting that Oprah drinks an acai body flush; truthfully though, I try not to look too deeply into Oprah's digestive habits, but if the big O knows about it, surely the world she seems to rule knows too. Rather than in juice form Hawaii has adopted and so perfectly fanangled the acai berry into sweet frozen smoothie perfection that is eaten from a bowl with a spoon. This (almost) famed antioxidant-packed acai bowl perfectly topped off with granola and bananas has deservedly secured a spot near the top of my "Things I Miss Most About Hawaii" list. Research this little Amazonian berry for yourself and prepare to be awed.

Phoenix

I live in Phoenix. I work at 24 Hour Fitness (I know right, gross). In honor of my move to this desert valley I've decided to immortalize my awesome new life and awesome new job by so appropriately getting a tattoo of a phoenix, the bird.

Check out this link: http://www.rankmytattoos.com/picture-gallery/mythical-tattoo/phoenix-tattoo/

A second ago my quasi-roommate Kolin suggested that the tattoo include a small burning "Oregon" and rising up from the flames will appear the born again phoenix.

Any other suggestions?

Don't worry Mom, I'm not really getting this tattoo. But maybe.

Horse Girl

Everyone knows a Horse Girl. She's the one who obsessed over horses since kindergarten and made sure all the way through high school to tie horses into every class project. Horse t-shirts, horse notebooks, horse figurines, you name it, if a horse was involved Horse Girl was too. Horse Girls are a unique breed who in my opinion make this world a more interesting place.

Every now and then I receive a voicemail message that makes my day. Yesterday was my birthday and Alisha won with the most pleasant message- though Dallin singing into the phone and running around the house while everyone chased him to keep up wasn't bad! Leeshy and I have for many years pondered over, researched and studied the characteristics of the Horse Girl; so in thinking like a true Horse Girl she left me this message:

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Matty, happy birthday to you. Yay. I hope you're doing something exciting and wonderful today like riding a horse, or reading a horse book, or renting a horse dvd like that one 'Horseland' I belive it was called, or taking pictures of horses, or going to a weird Chinese restaurant and eating horse, or just having an all around horsey happy birthday. Give me a call, buh-bye."

What a friend.

Happy Birthday Kristy!

Que la cumples FELIZ hermanita!

The Golden Arches

As I began to explain a couple posts ago from SLC I ventured south to Arches National Park before heading to Phoenix. I arrived in time to hit one short canyon trail called Park Avenue. It was just before dusk and the low-lying sun set the red canyon walls and prehistoric rock formations on fire.

I hurried to leave the canyon in hopes of finding a free Bureau of Land Management campground. No luck. Thus I ended up sleeping in my car at a rest stop 10 miles outside of Moab along with a gaggle of weary truckers who constantly came and went. They don't call it a rest stop for no reason, I just took it literally and managed to rest until about 4:30 a.m. when I couldn't fight the cold any longer. I fired up the car, cranked the heat, left for the park and made my way to the Delicate Arch trail head, you know, the famous arch from the Utah license plate. Despite my night blindness I hobbled by flashlight the two or so miles in the dark to a bluff overlooking Delicate and the sunrise. There I waited about an hour for the sun to makes its appearance, took photos of the vista, meditated, tested the echo and ate a granola bar.

As the sun slowly peaked above the horizon I journeyed from the bluff to the cliff where Delicate stands. Suddenly my solitude was disrupted as I saw a hooded man with expensive-looking camera equipment stop directly in front of the arch. How he beat me I wish I knew. It was then that I quieted down and refrained from entertaining myself with the echo, oops. The park suggests visiting Delicate Arch at sunset, the light is supposed to be best then for picture taking, but I think I did alright with my early morning visit. The arch was glowing from the inside out and the photos are some of my best.

Meanwhile Hooded Man spoke. "I do not know vhat I vas thinking, but I expect sahmthing so different." Who would've guessed he was German? Certainly not I. "I'm tie-ud of stone, I have visit so many park and see nossing but stone" he loudly and disappointedly exclaimed. Why is it that the Germans speak so loudly? The views and peace that I had enjoyed quickly vanished as the loud German continued to aggressively and loudly chat me up for 45 minutes or so, turns out he worked in Portland for a year, "the food vas gut but the city is so small comped to Hamburg." The next stop on his American Southwest National Parks Tour 2008 was the Grand Canyon, but don't worry I was a courteous American and warned him that he would probably run into a few more stones down there.

My day didn't stop at Delicate, I managed to see just about every labeled arch in the park and had an incredible full day.

TOMS Shoes

"For every pair purchased, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One."

My friend and old roommate, Teddy Davis introduced me to TOMS Shoes. One purpose of the Blog is to talk about things I like and want to promote, TOMS Shoes is well deserving of a little publicity. The quote above comes directly from the video that plays on their main page at http://www.tomsshoes.com/
check it out for yourself. The company, started by one man just a few years uses a simple and incredibly generous idea that has caught on fairly quickly around the country. The shoes themselves are simple and trendy slip-ons that Teddyboy tells me are quite popular in Argentina, where he served his mission. As far as donations go, frequent "shoe drops" are made in underdeveloped parts of the world, mostly in South and Central America and Africa. In addition to the TOMS website, YouTube has several videos that'll make you cry a little.

Some students at BYU-Hawaii have set up a deal with TOMS that will benefit not only benefit needy children but also BYUH. The shoes are available on the website, take a look and buy some. By using the promo code: HAWAII you'll get $5 off your purchase plus free shipping. Cool shoes, a sweet offer and a good deed all at once. Just try and beat that deal.

Happy Birthday Mom!