a new tone

Sometimes I feel like I rant too much. Let's take a break from this ranting tone in my blog to talk about feel-good and squishy subjects, shall we?

I recently made a list of things I loved. It's not complete, but is listed on my facebook. For those of you who don't do the book of face (Carly, Melissa) it is re-posted here: A list, in no particular order, of awesome things in life:
Pandora Radio, the above youtube video (best!), Stuff, Things, Lawn Parties, A well-set table, Rock Band (but not the drums with the foot-thing), Chloe my dog, Disneyland, keyboard duster-spray, Dr. Horrible, a good book, a best friend, jamming out to ghetto 80's rock with a friend, summer nights, sno-cones, a well-made list and furniture shopping.

I'd like to talk about other things I love now...

I love puppies. I spent the better part of this weekend looking up who my ideal puppy-mate is a Newfie.
Isn't he CUTE? Look at his cute little face. and those feet! And, luckily for both of us, this dog is high on the two key traits I look for most in a dog. Not athleticism or sociability with other dogs... but ease of training and affection. That's what makes a good dog for me.


Speaking of, this dog looks like a ginormous version of my very own "visiting rights" dog, Chloe. Of all the things (THINGS, Not PEOPLE) I love in this life, Chloe may be #1. Above snocones even. Which is a huge deal. Because my love for snocones is huge. They give me joy I have a hard time explaining. Favorite flavors include Vanilla, Tiger's Blood and Pina Colada. And all of those are really good with the SNOWASIS cream.

In a snowcone-review blog I found (BEST. IDEA. EVER! Look for it next summer - I'll spend all season long doing nothing else) they described the Snowasis as follows: The texture of the shaven ice is down-right awe-inspiring. It’s just that good. Always the right ratio of syrup-to-ice (crucial to shave ice success), Snoasis is consistently good. Reminds me of that song “Time After Time.”

I'd also love to point-out that I love planning events. I love stores that sell paper. I love playing Lego Indiana Jones all afternoon. I love Chicago-style pizza from Papa Murphy's. I love my friends. I (newly, again) love listening to Broadway musicals. I love that I'm a nerd and you all accept it.

And I love that so many of my friends have found someone in their lives to make them happy (the number, for those of you counting, has gone up by 2 couples since last posting). Honestly, I am noting but thrilled.

Also, I love surprises. Hidden in here is a blatant quote from a musical I both love and adore. Chick-fil-a ice cream cone to the first person to spot it.

One little corner of the Earth

I live in a very... specialized corner of the earth. It's a place called Utah. A place where they sell a lot of green Jell-o. A place where people go out for ice cream instead of drinks. A place where there's nobody at a restaurant on Sunday afternoon. And a place where dating is flat-out ignored.

Other interesting (and actually researched) factoids about Utah
State Emblem: Beehive
State Dance: Square dance (explains 4th grade)
State Cooking Pot: Dutch Oven (makes you feel patriotic, no?)
State Flower: Sego lily
State Tree: Blue Spruce
State Fruit: Cherry
State Grass: Indian Rice Grass (anyone know what this is?)
- Lowest median age of any state in the country at 27.9 years of age.
- Highest persons per household in the country at 3.13
- Highest Literacy rate in the nation
- 7th lowest violent crime rates
- 3rd longest life expectancy
- One of the lowest heart disease and cancer rates
- Utah is the site of the nations first department store.
- Pioneer Day, July 24, commemorates the first permanent settlement of Utah on July 24, 1847, by Brigham Young and his Mormon pioneers. (happy birthday this week, Utah!)
- The people of Salt Lake City consume more Jell-O per capita than any other city in the United States.

In Utah (back to the point), dating is a sprint - not a marathon. Dating, as people say, is a time to get to know your potential spouse. In Utah You're not allowed to date until you're 16 and until after High School it's supposed to just be in groups. There are a lot of rules about dating (another blog, trust me), most of which are made-up and stupid. And I started noticing people telling me to "hurry up and get married" or making thinly-veiled old maid comments when I hit the ripe-old age of 23. TWENTY THREE YEARS OF AGE. (for those of you keeping track, this was 4 years ago.) And, yes, that gives a total of 7 possible years of dating between "yes, I can date" and "why are you still dating? you should have already gotten married!"

But the thing that has got me reeling this week is not that I'm old and had better get married before all the good ones are taken (if you are one of the few people who hasn't said this to me, I've already gotten the message -noted). I am most concerned about the fact that everyone I know who has been dating since January is now engaged. Ooh, and some people I know who have been dating since May are engaged. (do you think I'm talking about you? Well, if you're one of the five couples I know who have announced their engagement in the month of July than you're probably included.)

For the record, I don't have a problem with this. I think each and every one of these couples is darling and I honestly do wish them the very very best. I'll chalk this rant up to a modified song lyric from Mary Poppins "Though I adore couples getting married 2 months after they start dating individually, I believe that as a group, they're rather stupid."

SERIOUSLY GUYS! What happened to getting to know someone you date before you take that intense and life-long jump called "marriage"? I guess this is what we get when we, as a culture, just don't date (remnence from being told not to in all of high school?). I don't think we, as Utahns, know how to date. I think we just know how to be friends, and get married. And that's why everybody has a freakishly short dating time (because it's an awkward stage nobody knows how to deal with).

(and aren't you proud I didn't mention "just wanting to have sex and that is disguised as love" in this whole blog? I am...)

And now for everyone's favorite part of my blog: totaly un-related mini-rants!

I love hiking. It is fun and good exercise and the only time I get into the mountains (what with my never learning to ski). However, I get SO FREAKING DIRTY every time. Monday I went out to my car and saw these shoes in my back-seat. These GREY and BLUE shoes that look BROWN. And I thought to myself "self, you have GOTS to stop stepping in the river when you go hiking." And this is true. Not only did it INCREASE my dirtyness (exponentially) but also I came home with some UG-LY blisters. BOO.


I love dusting my keyboard. I do it about twice a week. It's so satisfying. Try it today!

Just Thinkin... OR Shakin the etch-a-sketch

Tell me if I'm mis-quoting here, but I believe it was a sketch on the Rocky and Bullwinkle show where they had 2 names for things. For example (totally made up): Tune in next time for the conclusion of Adventures in Russia OR (cue evil music)Death By Sputnik. At any rate (and I fully agree that I could be making stuff up with this one) I like this whole new "2 titles to things" on my blog thing.

What I don't like, however, was my last blog. It was a failure in the eyes of me and now I must blog about what is in my heart. And what is in my heart is that I think too much.

I do. I think too much. If you've been close friends with me (especially if you aren't a girl) or (especially) if you've dated me, you know this to be true. In fact, it might have ruined our relationship and for that... I can do nothing about.

And, in an effort to sleep more than last night, I offer you some random thoughts (complete with pictures).

DO YOU SEE THIS? This thing on on my chin which looks like maybe 2 freckles, or maybe I spilled some of my chocolate protien shake on myself? ("No" you say? You say this is a bad picture and you can't see what I'm ranting about? Well I promise, it's there. Look CLOSER!) It's actually a cut. Yes, last night in my fit of my neighbor's stupid back-porch light being on and shining THROUGH my drapes INTO my eyes I cut myself with my own fingernail. Now by this I learn 2 things: 1) clearly I'm more dangerous than anyone has given me credit for and 2) I need to buy blinds to use as well as drapes.

Also, I couldn't sleep last night. Apparently I can't turn my mind off. This is bad. It happened when I was trying to fall asleep last night. And then again when I randomly woke-up at 4am. Must try meditation or other to see if this helps (memo to self: read "Eat, Love, Pray" and memorize meditation chants. It's far more likely to do this than buy actual meditation chant-ish book.)

Look at my adorable nephew. He is so cute. I had the wonderful pleasure of spending a weekend with my family over the 4th. As most of you know, I'm not all for giving people a play-by-play of my life on this blog. Sufficient to say, this little guy has been through a lot. Hell and back and, and he's only a little over a year. He has had more medical issues than most, but he is a fighter. He is a hero. He is just learning that he can't do things in the timeframe the other kids can sometimes, and it breaks my heart... but he fights. And for that, not only am I tearing up now, but he is the Sarah Timms Hero Of The Month! Also, he really liked the Bird Show at the zoo.

Speaking of the zoo! Also included in my weekend of fun (and still going on) were 2 of my Older Nephews (said the French way, to include the female nephews as well). What great kids. And so much fun. Who knew that a little effort guiding them to awesome as children could pay-off so much now?

Also, in follow-up to my Bachelorette comment from last time, Jesse is LAME! Did anyone else notice that when he was writing his proposal speech he mis-spelled "you're"? Yeah, he said "your." For all those who are reading this, you already know I suck at spelling but COME ON! Seriously?

And finally, I was serious about that new band. It's totally awesome. And let's all remember how good it feels to be before the curve when knowing about new awesome music... (pretty good, huh?) I say to you again : http://www.fundamentalelements.net

and this is the ending for today.

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ADDEDDUM: I in no way meant for my description of James M. Kelley to sound as if my hero-boy is... well... anything less than perfect. I updated my description of him. And I'd also like to add that James can do anything he sets his mind to do. The kid is on James time - and this may not the same timeframe as some of the other kids... but he'll get there on things he's not quite there yet on. And he is so smart (SO, REDICULOUSLY, SMART!). I just didn't want anyone getting the wrong impression.

Screw you, Nancy Regan OR Just say YES!

Some people may remember my last blog about modern medicine (*cough*useless*cough*). Today I'd like to take some of that comment back. Drugs are awesome.

And by drugs I am referring to "prescription or over the counter drugs taken appropriately." Just clearing that up so my brother doesn't only think I'm a drunk (from my last blog), but also high on drugs.

I am the kind of person who ebbs and wains on drugs. Often I'll feel a headache coming on and pop some Extra-strength Tylenol. However, there are other days when I'll be well-into pain, or a cold before I take something because I rationalize that I can deal with it. I'm sure this comes from my deep and compelling desire to be less like the pill-popping sister. I'm sure it also comes from my deep and stupid desire to do everything by myself. I'm also sure it's ridiculous because drugs can be really helpful.

Let's say you're down for the count with a cold. Seriously, your nose is red and torn-up from too much blowing and you can't talk without coughing. But, let's also say you have something you have to do at work, or a baby at home you have to watch that day (for all you avid readers who have children). We'll then you should pop a day-quil and get on with your day! Instantly you'll go from feeling like 20% of a person to at least 82% of a person. And I'm not sure how many of you are calculating that, but you're at least getting a B out of that day. I, for one, think a B is for Better.

Or let's say you're me this morning. As previously posted (in the same screw you medical profession entry) I have cysts places I don't want there to be cysts. And today, right before I couldn't walk because my legs were numb from pain, I popped some pills. FIXED. (and by "fixed" I mean "can now function without pending death and am not hunched-over like a grandma.")

Hooray for pills. Hooray for drugs. Screw you, Nancy Regan and your "just say no" campaign.
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Unrelated blog comment: How lame was the Bachelorette ending last night? Who chooses the guy with pink shoelaces over the perfect guy, so fun, so cute, such a good dad who lives in one of the world's greatest cities? SERIOUSLY? ... SERIOUSLY. DeAnna, may you be cursed for "making" me eat my weight in ice cream.

Second unrelated blog comment: I want everyone to check-out this awesome-pants new band. They are really good and you can hear some of their tunes on the website (before you run right out to Itunes and buy the whole CD to listen to track #7 (best)) http://www.fundamentalelements.net