my TV CHALLENGE

Apparently I have too much time on my hands because today I started to wonder why people I know and get along with so well don't like the same TV shows me.  This is true with my friend Karen.  She's a huge Lost fan and I couldn't care less about it.  I don't miss a single episode of 30 Rock and she can take it or leave it.

I decided to take some action by texting her and presenting this challenge:  we would each pick out a TV show for each other to watch.  We had to watch at least 5 consecutive episodes, preferably from the beginning of the series.  After we had completed our task, we'd report to each other and give feedback.  The ultimate goal is to see if we get hooked on our assigned show.

My pick for Karen:  USA's Psych.  

Karen's pick for me:  TNT's Leverage.  

We are both really excited.  I'm going to Netflix Leverage right away.

Before I tell you why I chose Psych, here is a little bit of background on the series for those of you who do not watch it.  First of all, it stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer and Dule Hill, Burton Guster "Gus" and thanks to IMDb, here is a good synopsis of the show:

"A novice sleuth (Roday) is hired by the police after he cons them into thinking he has psychic powers that help solve crimes. With this assistance of his reluctant best friend (Hill) the duo take on a series of complicated cases."

One of the main reasons why I like Psych is because it's not one of those Emmy winning or even nominating series that everyone loves.  Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with award winning shows, but sometimes you just have to root for the little guys.  

Another reason why I like it is because it's actors, directors, creators, writers, etc., don't take themselves too seriously.  Their show is what it is and they enjoy making it regardless of huge recognition.  I especially learned this while watching a few episodes with commentary.  Everyone was laughing and having a good time.

While Psych's story lines aren't nail biting and usually predictable, they are full of great one liners.

And, of course, I love that Shawn and Gus aren't afraid to show a little emotion.  This clip is one of many when they demonstrate their high pitched screaming abilities.

(Sorry for the poor video quality.)

So, there you have it - one of many reasons why I like Psych.  If any of you would like to join in our little challenge, feel free!  Remember, watch 5 episodes and then give me your feedback!

Confession Wednesday: Favorite Christmas Traditions

This is an easy confession for me.  All during my childhood years, my family and I would spent Christmas with my grandparents in Idaho Falls.  Every year, my grandma would put together a great Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve.  Besides my family, my grandma's sisters family came to the party too.  It wasn't a large crowd, but we still filled up the house.

The party always began in the basement.  We had hamloaf (like meatloaf only made with ground ham...it's hard to describe), sour cream potatoes, raspberry jello and little sandwiches.  The little sandwiches were always my favorite.  They weren't anything special, just a sandwich platter my grandpa ordered from a grocery store, but considering the fact that I only ever ate little sandwiches on Christmas Eve made them one of my favorite parts of Christmas.

After dinner, we all made our way  upstairs and had a Christmas program.  We sang songs, read from the Bible and my sister and I usually played a musical number on our violins.

Last, we did a fish pond.  This game is one that my grandpa put together.  He called it Grandma's Fish Pond.  He hung a sheet in front of a door frame and each of us took turns "fishing."  Our "fish" were always random, dollar store type things, but we all enjoyed it, even the adults.

At the end of the party, people went home and the kids went to bed trying so hard to fall asleep, but couldn't knowing Santa Claus was on his way.

As my grandparents aged, they were unable to host Christmas at their house.  So, my parents carried on the traditions at their house.  Things were never quite the same, but fortunately, I'll always have my memories of Christmas in Idaho Falls.

To this day, I insist on having little sandwiches every Christmas Eve.  No party is complete without them.

the CONFESSION

An innocent man is about to be executed.  Only a guilty man can save him.  Will the real killer step forward before it's too late?

Weeks ago, I entered a giveaway at my dear real-life friend Karen's blog.  The prize?  A hardcover copy of John Grisham's latest novel The Confession.  Like all blog giveaways, Karen provided her readers tons and ways to enter; however, I just entered once by posting the title of my favorite John Grisham book:  The Client.

After that, I didn't think too much of it.  I knew winning would be a long shot given I only entered once.

One evening, Karen sent me a text that said:  "Be sure to read my blog tomorrow."

The suspense was killing me. 

The next morning, I went to her blog and found out I was one of her giveaway winners.  Awesome.  My first giveaway win EVER!

When I got the book, I'll admit, I wasn't way excited to read it.  I had sort of lost interest in John Grisham  awhile ago when his novels stopped keeping my interest.  His early novels like A Time to Kill, Pelican Brief and The Client were exceptional.  But, as time went on his work began to bore me.  While they were well written, the plots didn't grab me.

With that in mind, when I started reading The Confession the bar was set pretty low.  I began reading, then read some more.  When I wasn't reading it, I wanted to be reading.  I couldn't wait for my daughter's nap time and bedtime because that meant I could read.  In a nutshell, I was hooked.  What a page turner!

I finished the novel in 3 days.  That may seem like a normal amount of time for some people, but I am a slow reader.  I always have been.  So finishing the book in just 3 days is a great indicator of how much I loved it.

There are three reasons why I loved this book so much:

First, the plot.  Nothing too complicated.  An innocent man is in jail.  Only a guilty man can save him.  Will the real killer step forward before it is too late.  Clean.  Cut.  Simple.

Second, the writing.  It was easy reading, but definitely not something written for "young readers."  Through the writing, I was able to connect with the characters.  I was able to picture them in my mind as I flipped from page to page.  They were described so well that (and this is totally true) when I wasn't reading I thought about the characters and wondered how they were doing.  And then I had to remind myself that they were not real people.

Another example of how alive this book was to me was when I was talking to my dad one day.  We were going over the latest headlines and whatnot.  Suddenly, I remembered this case I had heard about that was really interesting.  Just as I started to open my mouth, I caught myself and realized "the case" I was going to tell  him was all from the book.  I kept thinking all of this was real.  It was so weird to have to remind myself over and over again that it was only a book.

So, I told him about the book instead and told him he had to read it.  :)

Last, the language.  I'm not a huge fan of tons of language in books.  I don't like reading the "F" word over and over again like in The Devil Wears Prada.  I don't like novels that are too graphic like I heard The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is.  It ruins it for me.  Call me crazy.  The language was perfect and details about the crime are tame.  Definitely PG-13 material.

If any of you are interested in a good read, pick up The Confession and give it a try.  You won't be disappointed!

NEVER

"Never say never!"

-Good advice

I don't know where the saying "never say never" came from, but it really is good advice, especially if you don't want to look stupid for doing something you said you'd never do!

Here are two examples of when I never should've said never.

First, the mini van.  Everyone seems to have vans in Utah.  Wherever you go, there is always a plethora of vans on the road, in a driveway or in a parking lot.  Even my parents had a van.  Vans are everywhere!

When I got married, a little over five years ago, Dustin and I made the decision to never own a van.  We didn't like the look of the van, the stereotype that people that own vans have like a billion children and so forth.

Then, we bought Sammie, our Cocker Spaniel.

Then, we decided to keep Tod, the stray dog that wouldn't leave our porch and whose owners we could not find.

Then, our daughter Belle was born.

Throw in living hours away from both of our families; hence, a lot of time spent in the car just to visit family.

Combine all these things and the car we had just wasn't cutting it in terms of space and comfort.

So, we decided to look for a bigger car, keeping in mind we were NOT going to get a van.

Test drive after test drive after a dozen test drivers later, we finally agreed to check out a van.  As soon as I got into the car I KNEW it was the right vehicle for our family.   Not only did it have room for 7 people, it was so spacious.  All of our luggage would easily fit, the dogs would have plenty of room to lay down, and so much more.

We bought the van and have really been pleased with it ever since.  

Never say never!

Second, DVD players in cars.

You know how when you're not a parent you still seem to think you know what other parents should or should not be doing with their own children?  You see a mom letting her kid run around in a store and think, "My child will never do that!"  You walk around judging parents left and right as if you were the only person in the world that ever thought about discipline techniques.

Before my daughter was born, and whenever I was on the freeway or doing some city driving, I constantly saw cars that had DVDs in them.  In all my ignorance, I swore, when I had children, there would never be a DVD player in the car.  "My kids will be not be addicted to TV," I thought.  "I'll be able to entertain my children so much better than any old DVD player!"

Well, never, lasted less than 2 years.

After listening to Belle scream in the car for hours (i.e., 4 hour trip to WY Thanksgiving 2009 = 4 hours of screaming) and enduring other tantrums whether we were in the car for an hour or just 5 minutes, Dustin and I finally caved and got a portable DVD player.  We have a great setup.  I hold the main player with all the controls (because I have to have easy access to the rewind button when Belle decides she wants to watch the same clip over and over again) while the other screen is on the headrest of Dustin's seat - perfect for Belle to watch all of her fun movies.

(Try listening to that 44 seconds of video 10 times in a row.  Fun stuff!)

So, from now on, I'm going to withhold saying never as often as I can.  I can't say I'll never say never again, but you never know.  :)

Thoughts?

oh, TLC!

"I thought you'd be some place were U.S. law can't touch you like Bali or Utah."

-Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock

Have we all heard about TLC's latest show Sister Wives?  I suppose having shows about little people and incredibly fertile families (19 kids, seriously?) got boring, so they had to throw in a show about polygamists to keep the public's interest.

While I've only see bits and pieces of Sister Wives, I will say the show really bothers me.  For one, I am a LDS (Mormon) and one of the greatest misconceptions about the LDS church is that we all practice polygamy.  Granted, that was the case many years ago, but as of 1890 the practice ceased and it has been that way ever since.

The other reason Sister Wives bothers me is because it takes place in Utah.  I was born and raised and currently live in Utah.  So, now this show, in my opinion, sheds a bad light on Utah.  I mean, these people are clearly violating civil law, and yet here they are, going about their daily routines on camera as if it is all normal and legal.  Oh, and let's throw in a paycheck while we're at it.

Apparently, there has been some talk about an investigation, but in terms of Kody and his four wives ever being prosecuted for breaking the law is highly unlikely. This is especially true when you consider that the children don't appear to be abused, specifically sexual abuse, which is too often the case with other polygamist families.

As for me, when it comes to this Kody guy, he's wrapping this lifestyle up in a nice little package labeled religion when all it really boils down to is having his cake and eating it too.

In the end, so long as viewers know that this lifestyle is not the norm in Utah and that the LDS church does not practice polygamy, I'm happy!

Thoughts?

Confession Wednesday: THINGS I DO LIKE

It's time to get back into the swing of things.  Here's my confession for the week, K-Lo!

Dr. Pepper

Listening to music while thinking

Wearing jeans

Writing in journals

harpies

iTunes gift cards

iPod

Christmas trees

Hanging out in my PJs

30 Rock - the best TV show EVER!

Blankets

Dustin's attempts at surprising me

The sound of Belle's voice when she says "Mama!"

Long, but not too long, car rides

Reminiscing with my brothers

Looking through old photo albums

Bejeweled
Texting

So, ANYWAY....

My life has changed somewhat drastically since my last post.  At that time, we were living in Idaho Falls, ID and our house was on the market and had been since February.  Our plan was to move to Utah so we could be closer to our families.

Here are a few more details:

• 7/22:  Realtor called to schedule a showing
• 7/23:  Same realtor called to schedule another showing with same clients
• 7/24:  Two realtors called to schedule two separate showings
• 7/27:  Received offer on house and immediately countered
• 7/28:  Received a counter to my counter.  Didn't budge on our counter knowing full well the buyers could walk, but took the change anyway
• A few hours later on 7/28:  Buyers agreed to my original counter.
• 7/29:  Buyers asked if we could be out of the house in two weeks.  We said yes.
• 8/16:  The official date to close on the house.

In those two weeks, my husband and I managed to move the majority of our belongings to Utah and he found a new place to work; however, he still had a lot of things to do at his current job before he could quit, so he stayed in Idaho Falls until August 27 while my daughter and I went to Wyoming to stay with my in-laws.

On August 16, we closed on the house.  We immediately booked it to Utah to find a new place to live.  Our plan was to find a temporary rental until we figured out where we wanted to buy a house.

After three weeks of being apart, my little family was altogether again under the same roof on August 28.  Dustin started his new job the Tuesday after Labor Day and we all started to settle.

Fast forward one week.....

Dustin got a new job opportunity 70 minutes away from our house.  The job was too good to pass up:  amazing benefits, great opportunity to advance or "move up the ladder," overall, a tons better job than his current.

Fast forward two weeks....

We found a NEW place to live just one month after moving to Utah.  By moving, it cut Dustin's commute over in-half AND we were much closer to my family.  A better job, a better location, better everything.

In other words:  August = Idaho and Wyoming, September = Utah #1, October = Utah #2, November = Utah #2.

I think we'll stay put for awhile....

Assuming I still have any readers, what have you all been up to??