Holy Colee!

Ramiele – the backup singers were better, maybe just louder, than she was…. She did look good though. The judges’ comments leave me wondering – is everyone getting to claim a sick day this year?

Jason Castro – I have no idea what that song was, but I could listen to it for a long time. It was cool to see him little, with out the dreads

Syesha – the baby cry isn’t winning me over, but her vocals might be.

What the devil is Paula wearing?

Chikezie – I am not sure how I feel about this one yet… there are a couple of notes that seem a little off, but I still kind of liked it

Brooke White – I have to dislike her on principle… she can play by ear

Michael Johns – He has my same birth year :) Which just means he's old. I am really enjoying his performances.

Carly Smithson– One of my very favorite songs.. I know I am not normal…She did it a lot like the original (except for the lyrics that were wrong), which works for me. The end was strange.

David Archuleta – he sounded older than 17 tonight, I have never heard that song before, the lyrics were timely.

Kristy Lee Cook – Quite possibly the most overplayed song in America. I am as patriotic as the next guy, but really? But if you are going to sing it, at least sing the right notes

David Cook – oh my… I actually MUCH prefer this version to the original… If Creed is looking for a new lead singer, they don’t have to look far.

Happy Easter!
I had a lovely weekend, at home, with the fam. It's been a long time since I went home for only a weekend, and I remember why now - TOO much to do in not enough time.
For Easter this year, the Easter Bunny had my truck detailed. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Since I had a teriyaki explosion in there the other day ;) I am worse than any amount of kids....

So, all joking aside, I love Easter. All of Christendom unites to honor the most sacred event in history. I want to join in this occasion and declare to you - that He lives. The tomb was empty. He lived for us, providing the perfect example of charity and love. He gave his life on the cross and just as assuredly, He took it up again and He lives again. By doing this, He made it possible for us to also live again and to return to our heavenly home. May we live worthy of this reward, is my prayer... and so, I repeat - HAPPY EASTER!

Rules:
1 - Identify 7 random or weird things about you.
2 - Tag 7 people.
3 - Let them know they've been tagged.

Thanks Brooke :P

1 - I was 28 years old before I got my first kiss.
2 - I have a sister who is 24 years younger than me - to the day.
3 - I own a home entertainment system. Which is still in the box 6 months after I purchased it.
4 - My current roommate was my next door neighbor (define next door, in Dingle) when I was growin up.
5 - My top ten sites includes USCSIS.gov... I am anxiously awaiting a status update on my I-129F, petition for alien fiance...right now they are 7 months out and I am pouting :(...
6 - I am only 29 years old, but I have been with the same company for over 10 years.
7 - I just got back from my first trip to Hawaii - and I REALLY want to go back!


I have yet to determine who I will tag

So, I spent the last week in Baton Rouge Louisianna. WHAT A WEEK! I think I was still asleep when I got to the airport on Tuesday morning, well, I know I was, but we'll get to that later... Lisa and I spent 16 hours a day for 4 days in the center meeting with EVERYONE who we could. It was such a pain in the ... bum. But it will all be worth it if we can make it do what we want it to. Cross your fingers.
When I got back to SLC, I realized that I really WAS asleep when I got to the airport. How can I prove it? I completely forgot to write down where I parked. I had the general area - because I always park in the same area, but I had no idea inside that area.... The parking attendant saved me after about 10 minutes of wandering - and she drove me up and down the lanes until we found Bailene.
The good part was that, at least I wasn't wandering up and down the aisles with my luggage, cuz, well, it was still in Denver. See how I put a positive spin on the fact that my luggage was lost? ;) Honestly, I travel enough - not a lot - but enough - that I should expect to have lost my luggage before now. And, at least I was home where my real toothbrush was already waiting for me :)

Today was a good day. I feel like I am actually making progress on the things that have been piling up on my to do list. Of course, I am only here for a week, but then it is just an easter weekend at home. I gotsta go home and show off the pictures.... which, by the way, there are about 150.... which means, I am NOT putting them all on the blog. Sorry... I haven't quite figured out how to pick which ones, so... until then, I guess you'll just have to come visit :-P

Saturday was awesome. (I am running out of words.) We rented a car and drove up the east side of the island to the temple. I did not realize how small it is inside. The outside is all done on such a grand scale, but the inside it is beautiful and simple. And COLD- for real, it was the first time this week I wished I'd had a jacket. ;-) After the temple Mom and I continued our journey up to the north shore. It was all things we've seen before this week, but this time we got to do it all on our own time. The surfers were out in full force, too, so we watched them for a while before deciding to complete our loop. We stopped at DOLE again, this time just for lunch.
Upon returning to Waikiki we dropped off the car and stopped to fill our pineapples. OH yes - the pineapples- so there is a place just a block down from our hotel that if you buy the souvenir pineapple cup, they will refill it for you - for free - forever. Needless to say, we've been carrying these silly pineapple cups around all week ;) The good part is that once they get home, they are also banks. I am always looking for something to put change in ;) We got the last of our shopping done, including a new bag. The real pineapples we picked up at dole are just too big - so we needed something to put them in that we could put other things in, too. I think we're finally good to go on getting everything to the plane... maybe.
Today we are taking the day completely chilled. We have to be out of the hotel at 11, but we don't leave until 7, so we're going to hang out on the beach and see if I can't find a little bit of sun. Last night was the first night I had actually put my feet in the ocean. Maybe today I'll find an excuse for the new swimsuit I bought.

Thursday was freaking awesome. We woke up with an easy breezy morning. We went down to the beach for a little bit, and then met up with our group as we all headed up to the Polynesian Cultural Center. For those of you not familiar with the concept of the PCC, you can totally check it out online. But the basic idea is that 6 of the main islands in Polynesia are represented by individual villages. You can walk from village to village and learn about the culture and traditions of the island. We leaned about how to make coconut milk in Samao, we learned about drums and dancing and hula and maori greetings and way too much else to keep going. Apparently though, Samoan's pride themselves on their humor - because that guy just kept milking it.
After visiting the villages we went to a luau, which was - wow. We got to see them take the pig out of the imu (the underground fire pit that they cook in). The show with the luau was great. The host was a student from BYU-Hawaii. We were told that 70% of the employees of the center are students. You'd never guess by the level of professionalism that they show. Mom and I decided our experience wouldn't be complete with out a drink in a pineapple, so we indulged. It was totally worth it.
The night show - now THAT was a sight. I giggled a little, because it has a definite twinge of pageant. We mormons, we love our pageants. BUT, it was only pageanty for a little while and then it was just phenomenal. The fire dancers stole the show, but the whole thing was just great.

Today Mom and I took a tour up to the Dole Plantation and around the North Shore. The tour was great. We got to learn all about how pineapples grow - which is still a completely manual process - they are planted and harvested by hand. UGH. Did you know pineapples grow in plants - NOT trees, and that each plant only has 2 seasons before it has to be replanted?
Cousin Aaron (everyone is family here)was our tour guide. He taught us how to pronounce Hawaiian words and about where everything is on the island and he gave us a history lesson about why the Hawaiian flag contains the Union Jack.
He took us to eat at shrimp truck on the side of the road. Seriously. Apparently there is a huge amount of freshwater shrimp and prawns that are grown and exported from the area. It was rather tasty, even for a girl who doesn't really like shrimp.
When we got back to the hotel, we went and made arrangements for our rental car tomorrow.
Tonight was our Award dinner. We went to a place called Tiki's grill and bar. The food was tasty and the bar was open ;) Ok, most of you know that last part doesn't really mean anything to me, except that I have discovered the Lava Flow. Basically it is a pina colada with strawberries. So, take out the alcohol and you now have my second favorite drink. Mmmmmm
Ok, I still have 2 days of this paradise left, but I am already at a loss of how I am going to get everything home..... wish me luck!

OH MY GOODNESS! I have never been to a more beautiful place in all my days. I am sorry there are no pictures yet, but as soon as I find the cord, I'll move them over.

We got to Hawaii yesterday. Our flights were mostly boring, which if you ask me, is the way flights SHOULD be. We only got lost once in LAX. There really should be more signs in a place that big. We landed in Honolulu and, of course we couldn't find our shuttle representative. Luckily, I am getting better at asking for help - AND I remembered to bring the super handy travel info that was provided by the agency.
Our driver was actually really cool. He filled us in on where stuff was on our way to the hotel and apparently he is freakishly athletic, as he can do the Diamond Head trail from the park and back in just over an hour. The hotel is lovely. The lobbies are very open. The weather has been perfect. It is humid (compared to SLC, everything is humid), but it's only been about 83-85 degrees. Our rooms were not quite ready, as we got here right around noon, so we wandered over to the first ABC store we found and got a bite for lunch. It's true what they say, "Milk is like,$5 a gallon." Fortunately, we were not there for milk.
After we were able to check in, we left everything in the room and went across the street to the beach. Holy people, Batman. I can only imagine what it looks like during the busy season. It was great people-watching, though. Between then and the ocean, I could be content for a very long time. The beach near the hotel is lovely white sand, which of course, they bring in from somewhere else. There is no real sand in Waikiki. The waves are ever present, but not very big. That night we wandered with some of the Truro group and went to Chili's for dinner and then came back to our first "mandatory meeting," the cocktail party. It was fun to put a few more names and voices with a face.
This morning was our second meeting. It really was a business meeting, and, thanks to Leah, it lasted exactly one hour. She actually got Jeremy to stop talking ;) After that, we had arranged to go to the swap meet, but we decided it was just a lot of sunny hot shopping, and the deals were just as good, if not better at The International Market, which is just a few blocks from the hotel. Soooo, instead we went to Punchbowl Memorial Park. It is a military cemetary, very much like Arlington - except with out all the white crosses. It is the burial site of military service men and women from 3 wars (WW2, Korea, and Veitnam). It was very humbling.
From there we continued on a drive up to Pali Point, from which you can see some of the most amazing scenery I have ever witnessed. Then we (not we so much as Leah - we just kind of rode along) up to the east side of the island. We followed the highway up to Lai'e. We stopped at the LDS temple for a few minutes and then continued up to the north shore. We stopped at Turtle Bay and Sunset Beach. The surfers at Sunset Beach were fun to watch. Crazy people, but fun to watch. There are big signs all over the beach warning of unsafe swimming conditions - completely ignored. Also, I know I am a bit of a geek, but it was cool to see the different sand on each beach. They are probably not more than a mile apart, but the sand on each spot is completely different - different texture, different color, different whatever else sand can be. I saved a bit from each, so come over, I'll show you what I mean.
After Sunset Beach we continued the circle and came back down the western side of the island. Again, completely different. This is where the agricultural part of the island is. Friday, Mom and I will go back up. We've booked a tour that will include the DOLE plantation as well as some more sightseeing along the north shore.
Tonight, after dinner, we went shopping at The International Market.... I am not sure what international means, except it felt like we were in Cancun again, with every vendor trying to get you into their shop and give you "good price" on what they are selling - which is exactly what the store next door is selling, too. It was fun though. We got all kinds of goodies :)
We got home a couple of hours ago, and I broke down and finally checked my work email. I made it 2 days. I am feeling pretty good about it ;-)

I know you are going to be disappointed, but I won't be sharing my insight;) about American Idol this week. I am NOT disappointed, because instead of watching the snow fall outside my window, this week I will be listening to the waves crash on Waikiki beach. I promise to take lots of pictures.... maybe if I say it out loud it might actually happen. We leave very early Tuesday morning and will be back on Monday.

After this last week at work, I am hoping this will be a much needed respite... I have my doubts, since work is coming with me, but hey - Here's hoping ;)

I figured tonight I'd actually include all of the contestants. No idea why I missed David last night, but I completely forgot to watch him and I am not interested enough to go through the tape to find him again.

Carly Smithson – hmm, I didn’t notice the accent last week. The song felt a little disconnected. It was alright, but I don’t love her like Simon does.

Syesha – I officially like this girl. I have never heard that song before, but I think she did it well. I think the judges are lame.

Brooke White – I don’t know if I like her on the guitar or not, but I did enjoy the song. The ending was weird.

Ramiele Malubay – The vocal was ok. The performance was boring

Kristy Lee Cook – She was alright. Nothing to complain about really, but nothing to shout about either.

Angela Overmeyer – She’s 23? I can almost see it when her hair is down… It sounded like she was about ready to cough the whole time. I am not actually sure she hit any of the notes.

Alaina Whitaker – ouch. I kept thinking it would get better. It never did.

Oooh – the movie preview for 10,000 BC. I saw the trailer at another movie – I wanna see it. If anyone needs a movie buddy- holler

Alexandrea Lushington – Wearing shorts in February? It’s like salt in the wound. The song was boring when Chicago sang it, it was even more boring tonight.

Kady Malloy – The song lacked a melody. When there were words she sang them well, but there weren’t many.

Asia’h Epperson – It started off poor, got worse, ended. Celine and Whitney – should both be avoided at all costs.

Is it just me or did a lot of people choose songs that are not actually songs?

Tonight I am choosing to watch with out the judge’s commentary….I might be too much of a cheapskate for tivo – but I know how to work my vcr

Michael Johns – Tennis makes you a jock? I liked him better last week than this week.

Jason Castro – He’s pretty. He’d be prettier with out the dreads. Interesting song, couple of weird notes.

Luke Menard – Queen, really???

Robert Carrico – I still want him to shave. Tonight was better than last week.

Danny Noriega – oooh, also much better this week than last week. Now, I love Karen Carpenter far to much to say he did a great job, but I didn’t have to tune him out.

David Hernandez – huh…well this is a good place to comment on how cool the band is. I am not a musician, but seriously, the band has to play all of these songs every week – flawlessly, so that they don’t distract from the singers. That’s freaking amazing

Jason Yeager – I might have been watching this show too much. I actually heard the words “cruise singer” in my head as he was singing.

Chikeze – I actually think I may like him… His vocal is really good – but his songs are just strange. Clothing was slightly less odd this week. Are the two color shirts back in or was he trying to flashback? No really, I’m asking….

David Cook – of the 2 rockers, he’s the better singer. His hair reminds me of my little brother’s when he needs a hair cut.


Ok, so I found something else that makes watching America Idol even better – They are called Munchies. They are like what would result if a rolo and a kit-kat had children, except it’s made by Nestle. Mmmm is all I can really say.

Well - it's done! The petition for John's visa has been filed. Hooray!!!! Now instead of waiting to wait, we are just waiting :) Hey, it's a step in the right direction :)

Ok, so I had Enrichment tonight and instead of watching AI, I spent the evening learning 20 new recipes for a basic white sauce, and painting pots to put in my kitchen window. But, I caught the last 2, so, um…. yeah

Syesha Mercado – That girl can wail. She’s very pretty. It’s the first time I’ve seen her, but I like her already.

Carly Smithson – She made the song almost bearable. I’ve not heard a version of it that I actually enjoy. If she makes it through, and I kind of think she will, I’ll decide.

From the synopsis I learned that Joanne was painful; Amanda is scary; Amy was flat and boring; Brooke and Alexandrea were both pleasant; Kady had some pitch issues; Asia’h and Ramiele…. seriously what’s with the names this year


Oh - and - it's here! it's here! it's finally here. John's letter came and now we can FINALLY GET THIS APPLICATION SUBMITTED!!!

I realized after typing this up that I seem to have a lot of opionions on hair... kind of ironic coming from a girl who puts her hair in the same twist every day because she has no idea what to do with it but doesn't want to cut it off.....

I am thinking I should send Randy a thesaurus…. Do you think he would be able to find words that mean the same thing as dawg, dude, and yo yo yo?

Dave Hernandez – What the crap was he wearing? His song was ok, but nothing special or unique

Chikezie – ouch, the beginning of his song was just painful. I am not sure it actually got better. His suit was atrocious

David Cook – Was he singing? I honestly couldn’t tell until he hit the chorus. His hair bugs. It’s like the updated version of a comb over.

Jason Yeager – Mark McGrath hair went out with Sugar Ray. For a crooner, I found it enjoyable. He kind of has Osmond teeth… don't laugh, you know exactly what I mean.

Robbie Carrico – Beau Byce wannabe? The vocal was ok, but there was nothing original about the vocal or arrangement. I really need him to shave.

David Archuleta – I kind of think I went to class with his brother, maybe it was a cousin. It was better than the original, but I didn’t love the original. There were a couple of pitch issues, but he’s likeable, it will get him far.

Is Paula being extra cheesy tonight or is it just me?

Danny Noriega – this year’s look is better than last year, he still needs a haircut. When singing Elvis, make sure it is different enough not to be compared to the original. He was the King for a reason.

Luke Menard – I like his speaking voice better than his singing voice. He also made it official, the stylists this year need to be replaced.

Colton Berry – He’s right, her looks like Ellen. Fortunately, he doesn’t sound like her. Well, that’s not fair, I’ve never heard Ellen try to sing, and I do rather enjoy her show… sorry back to Colton…Again with the Elvis songs. I will revert to, he was the King for a reason.

Garret Haley – His hair is far too big for his head. He is the first person I actually had to stop listening to.

Jason Castro – He was definitely enjoying himself – or faking it well. Quite possibly my favorite performance of the night.

Michael Johns – There were a couple of pitch issues, but I still really enjoyed it. The scarf was a bit odd, but I tuned it out; I am getting good at tuning things out.

So, apparently it has been written in the stars that I am only to visit the city of Cincinnati in the winter. I realized that this is my 3rd time to the city, and it is always the Feb/early March time frame. This year I am here for a team meetings. We are 2 days in, and it has been going very well. I have learned a lot of new things and it is exciting to see the directions for the new year. Our exec VP even came in and went through his goals for this year. I must admit the "after hours" activities are almost as informative as the actual meetings. I miss having the people I work with in the same area. It is not only informational, but enjoyable to spend time with people who understand what you do all day ;) at least once in a while ;) Other times it is nice to just walk away and leave it in the office. Tomorrow I get to give my presentation... hopefully I can stay awake through it... It's almost 1:30 and I am having a rough time actually sleeping (hence the blog entry)
Tonight we went to Dave and Buster's and I learned how to play shuffle board. Well, let's say that I played... "learned how to play," might be pushing it. If we were picking teams, I'd probably still be the last one you would want to call on :P I also discovered that I still like to play arcade games. I'm not willing to waste my own money on them - but if someone else is payin', I say WHY NOT?

Ok, I should probably try that sleep thing again. Wish me luck!

I finally did something worth writing about!!!
So tonight, Monica and I decided we wanted to go to the sold out Mika concert. Well, depending on where you looked for tickets, about half the places said it was sold out. We got home around 4 and decided we would run to the SmithTix that was closest to the Venue and see if we could still get tickets there. The line was SOOO long, and the cashier was SOOOO slow. When we get there we realize they do have tickets, but it's cash only. So we went through the check out, bought our gum and tried to get cash back. There is a huge sign that says to limit cash back to $20, but we need 4 tickets, and they are $30 a piece, so we conveniently ignored the sign. The self help cashier lady was NOT pleased with us. We won the battle, she gave us our cash, and we finally got our tickets from the other super slow cashier.
So, we drive back to the Venue (yes, this is the name of a place, not just the venue as in the location of the concert). Monica drops me off to go find a place in line. The concert is general admission and we were determined to get fabulous seats (I use the term "seats" loosely). When I finally figure out which end of the line is the end I am supposed to be in, it turned out there were only about 50 people in front of us. Not bad when you know they sold 1500 tickets. So, we waited. The concert was supposed to start at 7, with doors opening at 6. We figured we were good. We had coats and gloves, and it was a rather mild day for Salt Lake City in February. 6 o'clock came and went. We were still standing, now in the dark, and getting colder. 7 o'clock came and went. We were still standing, now very much frozen. Sometime, ask me to tell you about the amusement we got from the people we were standing near in line.
7:30- they finally start letting us in the door. Yes, you did the math correctly. We waited outside in the cold for 3 hours. Apparently, Mika's production was stuck in Wyoming, along with the opening band. Instead of cancelling the concert, they decided to rent some equipment and do an accoustic show. They offered everyone a chance to get their money back - I don't think anyone took it, or if you still wanted to come to the show, you just got $10 back instead. ANYWAY... 9:00, they finally start the show. Our place in line had scored us the seats we desired, the venue is general admission - STANDING ROOM ONLY. 1500 people crammed so tightly into a room that when a person moved, the whole room swayed. We managed to go through the 21 and older area and score a spot on the catwalk that overlooks the room and stage. We were probably 30-40 feet away. It was totally worth all the drama.
Mika was AWESOME. The songs all sounded a little different than we're used to, but truth be told, I think they were even better live and accoustic, which is not something most musicians can pull off these days. The crowd was so loud (speaking of the crowd, remind me sometime to tell you about the guy I ended up standing next too... very very very drunk, completely amusing). I honestly don't think it would have been any better if the production equipment had showed up. He mentioned a couple of times that he had thought it was going to be a disaster. He also promised to come back to SLC again. If the crowd was that excited, and most of them had been standing outside in the cold for over 2 hours, they deserve a show where they can get in without the dramatics ;) The band was great; the drummer was awesome; the guitarist was amusing; the bongo dude was random; and the bassist,well, he played the bass. I haven't been to a concert in far too long. I am going to have to figure out a remedy to that ;)
If I can figure out how to get pictures from my new blackberry to my computer, I'll post them...Oh yes, I have a new phone. It's pretty, but that's a story for another day.

Tonight, I miss my superbowl friends. I have never really been much of a football follower. I know enough about the game to enjoy it, but I don't pick a team or follow certain players. I do however, enjoy a good superbowl party. The superbowl is not about football for me. Superbowl means going over to Janice's house where random work friends get together and bring their favorite treats. Kids run chaotically in the bedrooms and the guys sit in the living room watching the game. The ladies congregate behind and chat and eat. Superbowl is an excuse to make that dip you've been wanting to try but never have a reason to make. Superbowl is about talking through the game and being quiet during the commercials. Superbowl is about hanging out with people and having a good time.

Tonight, I miss my superbowl friends.

This week the world lost an amazing man. While I did not ever meet him personally, he has been my prophet and leader for over a decade. He was a remarkable man. His testimony was ever born. His smile was infectious and his love could not be missed. A poem was shared with me earlier this week that I think I will post here. (Thanks Brooke)

Prophetic Passing

I imagine he's running to Marjorie now,
Yes, running, not waving his cane.
I see him embracing his father and mother
While they keep repeating his name.

I see him now meeting his forebears,
Brother Brigham and Joseph are there.
Sweet reunion of prophets, united by service
That only such noble men share.

I see him embraced by the Savior
While Father says, "Good and well done.
So faithful in stalwart endurance, I welcome
My noble, most excellent son."

I then hear the ripples of laughter
As he says the reception's just fine,
But he hopes that he'll get an assignment or two
Since there's no need to waste any time.

I can hear his clear voice in the stillness
At the close of this sweet Sabbath day,
Have faith and move forward, there's work to be done.
President Hinckley would want it that way.

Anna M. Molgard
January 27, 2008

I went with my mom and Cannon to the Jazz/Spurs game on Monday night. We had a great time! And we won, which was, I must admit, kind of unexpected. (Notice how I say we, like I am part of the team ;) ) It was Cannon's first ball game as well as his first trip on Trax. We decided we have GOT to get him out of town more.

When we got home from the game we were pleasantly surprised with a barrage of hearts and confetti and treats on our doorstep. We were the "victims" of a heart attack. It was fun. I should probably take them down, but I like coming home to it, so I've left the hardier ones on the door ;)

Mom and Cannon have gone home now. It's pretty quiet around my home. They could have stayed a few more days and I wouldn't have felt too bad. Stupid school and work ;) Of course, I had to work both days they were here, so I probably wasn't much fun anyway.

Life is good.

So, I am a little slow, but if you haven't yet seen Enchanted - I recommend it with out reservation. It is cute. That's really all there is to it. You'll sing along with the songs you've never heard before, and then they will be stuck in your head. If it weren't such a cute movie on it's on, the cast is great. I love Susan Sarandon and McDreamy, well, enough said. It's well worth the night out. If you don't believe me, well, come on over when it comes out on video, it will shortly there after be a part of my collection :) Thanks Matt for the movie suggestion:)

This weekend my mom and Cannon are spending time with me in "the big city." We went to see the grandparents today and on Monday night we're going to the Jazz/Spurs game. Go Jazz!

Work is going well. I finally got my vacant positions filled and we're ready to get organized. I am excited!

Mmmmm, I think that's all. It's pretty quiet here :)

I am sitting here tonight, remembering vividly why I wasn't going to keep watching the auditions. It's seriously painful. However, I did appreciate it when Paula started to sign the Brother's Forever song.
On a MUCH happier note, I booked my flight to Hawaii yesterday- yes, really- I am going to Hawaii! I have been invited to go on the sales trip with work. I was hoping that someone from my team would be able to qualify, but it didn't really happen. I'm kind of disappointed, but it has definitely given me a new challenge for finding something that they will think is rewarding.

I'm open to ideas.