Dude! Way to go!

Okay, coming home tonight, this guy caught my attention. As you can see, unlike most bikers I see during rush hour wearing spandex shorts, he is in a shirt and tie. I've seen him once before a few months ago, similarly attired, riding his bike on Highway 89.

My guess is that he works downtown and the white tie makes me wonder if he may work at the temple.

I think he's inspirational. He is "greener" by biking to and from work and he is definitely on his way to a healthier lifestyle by getting his exercise. Did I mention that it was 92-degrees outside when I saw him? He's my hero. Go, dude, go!

Feelin' out of sync ...

Everyday for the last little while this construction security guard would wish me a good morning when I cross the street. I skirted around him once, but he watched for me and walked over to where I was going and said hello. He wasn't there today when I crossed the street and it's making me feel so out of sync ... weird, huh?

Finish the sentences ...

My ex is ... long forgotten. Maybe I should ... get back to work. I love ... days off. People would say that I ... am stuck in the 80s. I don't understand why ... I can't find a sugar daddy. When I wake up in the morning ... I want to go back to bed. I lost my ... turquoise earring the other day. Life is full of ... surprises. My past is ... behind me. On to the future ... I get annoyed by ... rude people. Parties are ... great as long as I don't have to plan it. I wish life was not ... so mundane, most of the time. Dogs are ... slobbery. Cats are ... the worst aggrivator of my allergies. Tomorrow is ... another day. I have a low tolerance ... for incompetence. If I had a million dollars ... I don't think it'll be enough to pay for all the fun things I want to buy and do ... so I guess, I'll re-invest so it'll make more money. I'm totally terrified ... of ugly disgusting hairy smelly men. My significant other is ... MIA in the war in heaven. My hopes for the future is ... to be deliriously, Julie Andrews twirling and singing in the hills, happy ... oh, and world peace.

Oh my ...

I got this from the Church Office Building cafetaria today when I met Julie and Janeen for lunch. I think better eat this at home where I can have some privacy ...

Here we are, the ones that you love ...

Went to see Air Supply in concert last night with Pinky, Chun Hee and Dave. Another gorgeous summer night to enjoy some music. Pinky and I showed up a bit too early, but that's okay because we ended up getting a great spot on the lawn. Played some Scrabble before the concert stated. One guess who won? That's right, the reigning Scrabble champion with her lucky Scrabble socks! Not the greatest picture since I was scrunched down so the socks and board can get into the picture. Oh, well ... not trying to look like a model ... just capturing the moment of victory.

My camera battery died and my cell phone camera is pretty useless at taking long-distance pictures. So, I'm relying on Pinky for these pictures. The opening act was forgettable and so on to the highlights from the concert:

• 
  
  Half dozen hoochie mommas sat in front of us. They were drunk and provided us with quite a bit of entertainment.

• 
  
  Russell Hitchcock can still sing, Graham Russell, however ... there were a couple of sour notes that got me cringing.
• 
  
  Russell Hitchcock's giant, sparkly, bejeweled belt buckle.
• 
  
  The Russells came down and walked through the crowd as they sang, "Here I am" -- touched, hugged and took photos with the fans as a body guard escorted them through the crowd. It was HILARIOUS! As Pinky said, "Talk about reliving their youth!"

• 
  
  Yup, we stood in line to get autographs after the concert. We laughed when we overheard a woman behind us say to someone over the phone, "That was the best concert I've EVER been to." Okay, then ...
• 
  
  They allowed people to go behind the table between the two Russells for pictures for a while, but a group in front of us got a bit too aggressive and ruined it for the rest of us. By the time we got up to the tables, Graham Russell was ornery. Up close and next to the two old geezers (Russells), the rest of the band are WAY CUTE! Sorry, no picture of them ...

Mermaids and Whales

My friend, Julie, sent this to me and I liked it so much I thought I'd share it here:

Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:

"THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?"

A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did ot match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of psychoanalysts due to identity crisis ... Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them. Therefore they do not have kids either. Not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me; I'd rather be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my grandkids, a good dinner with my husband and a coffee/lunch with my friends. With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, Good gosh, look how smart I am.

Why must they make it so difficult?

Some friends and I are going to see Air Supply in concert this Friday and it fell upon me to get the tickets ... no problem, happy to do it, but who knew getting these tickets would be so difficult. I called to ask SmithsTix the best way to get the tickets and avoid the many "service charges" and was told that going to the venue the day of the concert would be the way to go. Well, I don't want to take a chance that it may sell out. The next option according to her was to go to a SmithsTix ticket outlet get the tickets there for a $4 service charge. Okay, that sounds reasonable, so today I go to one of these ticket outlets at a Smith's grocery store and guess what? They don't take credit cards (only cash or debit cards, which I didn't have at the time). UGH! I ended up buying the ticket using the last option, which is online/phone. Did all I had to and looked at the total due and I thought that they had miscalculated because they're charging an extra $24 to the five $20 tickets and only showing $4 for fees, so I called them. Turns out they charge an additional $20 for "service fee" and the $4 is for "handling". What in the ...? I just want to punch them out! Good thing I had Air Supply playing on the background on my computer and that calmed me down a bit ...

"Lost in love and I don't know much / Was I thinking aloud and fell out of touch? / But I'm back on my feet and eager to be what you wanted ..."

It is what it is ...

In today's Salt Lake Tribune:

Dear Carolyn,

Tomorrow night I'm going to see a few friends I haven't seen in a while. They're all married; I'm single. All of the wives are pregnant; I'm not. They're all making a lot of money and have successful careers. I'm not and don't. I've also been struggling to find a good job in a new field and have been battling serious depression.

What do I say when they ask how I'm doing? I know I can just say, "Good," and smile, but I'm worried I'm going to start crying because I feel so inferior to all of them. I could also just not go, but I do want to see a few of the people; they have been good friends in the past, and I don't want to get even more isolated than I am now.

How can I get through this? One of the people in the group is my ex-boyfriend, who I think is still angry that I didn't come to his wedding because I canceled at the last minute. I think I actually need a script so I don't act like a freak.

New York

Dear New York,

No, no, no, scripted things always sound scripted. (As in, freaky.)

The tough part about gatherings like this is that they're just a snapshot. Life is a long, changeable, unpredictable thing, and the facts in place on any given day can say only so much about the whole.

You do make a good case that you'll look very different from the rest of the crowd in this particular snapshot. But I can also make a case that some of the pregnant women will feel uncomfortably huge, and some of the people with great careers may themselves be in your starting-over position a year from now. Someone else in this group might be battling depression, too, wondering why having "everything" doesn't feel like much at all.

Yes, sure, someone there might be a jerk to you, or ask you all the wrong questions, or respond in all the wrong ways. Still, there's nothing wrong with seeing yourself as someone they can identify with: You're single, you're trying a new career path at a difficult time, you're battling a health problem, and things are uncertain. That's not freaky, that's life.

Really? You're going to make me guess?

Even worse than not recognizing the voice, I got a text message in Indonesian today from a NY number I don't recogize. When I asked who it was, her reply was, "Do u remeber ur longlost forgoten sister!" Are you serious? SO ANNOYING! Just give me you name!

Blessed, honored pioneers!

Pioneer Day, celebrated on July 24th, is a state holiday in Utah. It is to honor the Mormon pioneers who settled this land and their sacrifices to make this desert bloom like a rose. There are parades, community breakfasts and BBQs and fireworks display throughout the state in celebration. In order to avoid the crowds, I opted not to attend the parade or the firework display and spent the evening at the Dauds with my Indonesian friends for a dinner party.

I am grateful for those Mormon pioneers who gave so much to build up this beautiful state. I would also like to acknowledge the modern day pioneers in my life. My parents were pioneers when they joined the LDS church in Indonesia in 1974. All present at the dinner tonight are pioneers when we emigrated to the US to seek a better life and to enjoy the freedom to worship as we see fit.

Tons of good food tonight. Tofu, chicken, fish, beef, green bean dishes, vegetable soup, grilled zucchinis fresh from the garden, sweet corn, refreshing cucumbers, cakes, banana bread, ice cream and sherbet filled our bellies.

What a great way to celebrate the day!