OFF I GO...

Salt Lake To Phoenix

Phoenix to Charlotte

Charlotte to San Juan

I love music & npr

While you may not agree with the unbiasness of the news coverage of NPR...

there is NO DENYING they have AWESOME coverage of the musical world!

a day well spent in Chubbuck Idaho

I went up to Chubbuck, ID today.  

(You can read about my previous adventures to and from Chubbuck here)

I didn't have a "special" reason for going...although I think that my friend Cali is definitely reason enough to make the drive...so I DID have a special reason.

And while Chubbuck may not sound like a happen place, it was definitely a day well spent

See for your self.

While driving I got a bloody nose. (Why I live in a cold, dry climate...I do not know)  My napkin supply had been depleted.  I was so close to Cali's I couldn't bring myself to pull over and take car of the situation.  So I grab a tampon from the jockey box...problem solved.  I can only imagine what the other drivers on the road thought.  But it is the best plug for a bloody nose if there ever was one.

We then had lunch Gilmore Girls style...fries from 5 Guys, chips & salsa form Chili's and Panda Express...

And of course we had to have dessert. Courtesy of Nielsen's Frozen Custard in Bountiful.



To make up for the gluttony of lunch we took a 3+ mile walk...and a photo...the photo was more for posterity than burning calories.


And to top it all off we were presented with this...


A day like today reminds me how much my Heavenly Father loves me.

Never Fear...Perfection Isn't Here!

 Matthew 5:48-

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.  

That scripture has always seemed a bit daunting to me.  And from conversations with others, I gather it is a bit daunting to them as well.  The concept of perfection is like the concept of eternity...one that my imperfect and finite mind is unable to wrap itself around.  I've always comforted myself with the thought that I don't have to be perfect in this life...but then I think, "Well Christ was perfect in this life...maybe it is an end game that I must reach in this life?" Then I freak out and feel so defeated because to me achieving perfection is like scaling Everest with nothing but my bare hands...possible (maybe) but not at ALL probable.

Well my friends...tonight I am breathing a (congested) sign of relief that can maybe be heard round the world and it is all thanks to Greek translation.  (Loves those Greeks...their noses, architecture, food, translations.)  The footnote for the word perfect in the scripture caught my eye...

GR complete, finished, fully developed

PEOPLE!!!!  DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS MEANS?! There is not even a small chance that I can be perfect in this life.  I will not be complete, finished or fully developed until the next life!

Now I know, I can't stop trying, but there is no reason to be down trodden by every mistake I make...which is good because they occur daily...this necessary and desired perfection will happen...just not in my mortal lifetime.  I can (and will need to) continue to use the atonement right up until my last mortal breath.  And if that breath happens before I can use it a final time...I will still have time to keep working.

Maybe this is nothing new to many of you, but as I mentioned previously, perfection was always such an overwhelming thought to me.  Of course by the time I do shed this mortal coil I hope I am a million times closer to perfection than I am right at this moment.  And in the meantime I am not looking for a loophole to "eat, drink and be merry".  With an attitude such as that one, in this life or the next perfection would not be possible.  It is all about the desire of my heart and my desire is to live with my Father in Heaven again someday and be made perfect.  It just feels nice to not be climbing up Everest with nothing except my bare hands.

Small & Simple Every Time

For the last week I've been fighting a cold/sinus infection/something that is making me tired and giving me a horrible cough.  I stayed home from work today and slept for half the day.  Later in the evening I did venture out so as to keep from going stir crazy and to purchase a humidifier at the strong suggestion of my mother.  And seeing as how she is my mom, and the smartest person I know, I decided to heed her suggestion.  Incidentally the humidifier is working as evidenced by the condensation on my windows.  I could dance around my room naked with my curtains open and I don't think my neighbors could see.  But I digress.

disclaimer:  this is NOT the display at Smith's Marketplace.
It was much, Much, MUCH BIGGER....SOOOOO BIG.

As I walked through Smith's Marketplace searching for a humidifier and mouse traps (no evidence of mice yet just being prepared...Unfortunately the terrible, horrible no good very bad raccoons remain) I came across a sight that brought a grin to my face...which was quite a feat considering I am pretty sure I look like death warmed over and feel even worse...a HUGE display of duct tape...and not just regular grey duct tape...but many,  many colors and designs...candy cane stripes and tie-dye and bright neon colors!  It was so beautiful.  It made my day.  Had I felt better I would have stayed and meticulously gone over each color and design a chosen a few, but I am so exhausted from not sleeping well that my ear to ear grin wore me out.

Driving home I chuckled to myself as I smiled with delight at the two blue lit trees on the corner of South Temple and State...duct tape, blue lights, a Santa hat hanging on my front door in stead of a wreath...all these things fill me with joy.  Such small and simple things, but such a overwhelming feeling of simple "glad-to-be-alive-ness". 

P.S.  I am definitely going back to have a better look at the duct tape display.