I ♥ truck stops

I decided to take advantage of the long weekend and visit my parents this Labor Day Weekend. I took a little nap after work Friday and started home about 8:30 Friday night. After a couple of hours, I was needing to take a break and grab some chocolate, so I looked around for a truck stop and stopped at one. I've always loved truck stops, at least the nicer ones. Flying J, Travel Centers, etc, they all have a nice convenience store plus a whole bunch of wacky items for sale, I guess for those truckers and other travels that need something to break the monotony of their trip or for last minute gift purchases. My dad got one of my favorite Christmas decorations, a wreath that sings Christmas songs, at one of these stops.

I always like to take at least a couple of minutes to look around at all the wacky stuff they have, and all the cheap DVDs they have there. It's so much fun. And, if it's well lit, I feel really safe there.

P.S. I stopped by another one on the way home, a Pilot stop. I just love how there are always a good lot of people, and truckers looking for a part or something to buy here or there. I just love it for some reason.

Yay for Disney fonts

As you might be able to tell if you look at the title of the blog, I found a couple of sites that had Disney-related fonts. I found one for Waltograph (the cool 'D' you see in Disney all the time) as well as one called 'Started by a mouse' that looks like the old classic Disneyland sign. Then there's a Space Mountain one and a Haunted Mansion font. I've been playing with them.

Unfortunately, this site won't support those fonts, so I had to make an image of my title. I included the BYU 'Y' logo for the 'Y' in Disneycoug. It doesn't look exactly like I'd like, but I'll play around with it in the future (hopefully) and make it look really great.

Getting to see Becky

Here's another post about Las Vegas! One of the best things about the conference being in Las Vegas was that my best friend from high school, Becky Dominguez (Becky Tripp in high school) lives there. I don't really get to see her there, because usually when we visit home, we seem to go different weeks, just missing seeing each other. So I was excited to go visit her and figured we'd see each other about one night while I was there. Well, I ended up calling her Monday afternoon on my way out there. I meant to call earlier, but for some reason didn't. I told her I had an extra ticket to the Blue Man Group and she wanted to come. She picked me up at the airport. It was so much fun! Becky and I can not see each other for years and pick up where we left off. Some of my other friends from college I'm still friends with, but we don't seem to have the same relationship. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the fact that they all have kids, and I know that changes your perspective on things and what you talk about, but it's great that Becky and I can get along so great and there's no uncomfortable silences.

So besides Monday night, she told me she wanted to see Phantom at the Venetian, so we went Wednesday. I had conference activities Tuesday and Thursday nights, or else we probably would have hung out then (her husband is a chef at the Flamingo, so he didn't get home until 10 o'clock). I probably would have had fun anyways, but I really had fun with her around! I hope to get to go next year!


(You'd think I'd learn not to take pictures from this angle. Nice double chin! But you can see the cool ceiling of the Venetian)

I won an awesome prize!

At my User Conference in Las Vegas last week, the vendors held drawings for prizes. I put my card in for a Jawbone II, which is about the best bluetooth device out there. At the drawing, I won! I couldn't believe it. I was thinking of buying one with the new hands free law in effect, but luckily hadn't yet. I like it a lot!!! It has noise cancellation features which makes it work well in cars and other noisy environments!

Underwhelmed by Closing Ceremonies

I watched the Closing Ceremonies last night of the Beijing Olympics. I was pretty bored during it. I really wasn't impressed with the London part of it, and hope they are able to dazzle us in the Opening Ceremonies in 2012. That whole people on the memory tower. It was great to watch the US Men defeat Brazil in Volleyball. Coach McCutcheon (spelling), Ryan Millar, and the libero player all went to BYU, as did one of their assistant coaches. It was especially powerful due to the huge tragedy to McCutcheon's family earlier in the games (father in law stabbed to death, mother in law also stabbed but recovering).

My AWESOME room at the Venetian

And to think, this is the cheapest room you can get at the Venetian! Three TVs, a big king sized bed, a sunken living room area, a large bath tub and shower, with one of the TVs there (I watched most of my Olympics coverage there). It was so cool.

Blue Man Group rocks!!!

I'm going to write more later and show pictures of my work conference in Las Vegas, which included getting to see the Blue Man Group, Phantom (of the Opera), a gondola ride, walking the Strip, and winning a Jawbone bluetooth device (about the best bluetooth device you can get), but first, I have to talk about that first show - the Blue Man Group! It was just awesome!

OK, this conference for Accela is a yearly conference and last year we had the conference in Anaheim and they were able to get us discount tickets to Disneyland. So I sent an email asking if there were any discount tickets to the shows at the Venetian (where the conference was this year). They told me they could provide me with free tickets to the Blue Man Group. So I got my tickets for Monday at 7. My plane got in at about 5. I called my best friend from high school, Becky, who lives in Las Vegas, to see if she wanted to come. She did and she picked me up from the airport. After we checked in (wait until you see the pictures of the room), we went down to the theater and got our tickets. The show is just amazing. It's great how they get the whole audience involved. The music rocks, the drumming is amazing. I want some pvc pipe drums!!! It's so difficult to describe the show, but it was one of the greatest things I've ever seen!!!!

Here are my pictures with all three of the Blue Men!

Funny how some things get to you

It really is funny how some things get to you. I heard about the Olympic weightlifter who had a horrific looking injury - he dislocated his elbow, which means that his elbow went the wrong way when he was trying to lift a weight. It looks horrible (I cut that part out of the picture) and I imagine it doesn't feel particularly great either (from the look of pain on the pictures I saw, it looked like it was excruciating). Still, it's just a dislocation, and they were able to put it back in its proper location. He's probably done with weightlifting for the year, but he'll be OK. But when I looked at this picture, I got really sad. In this picture the wrestler looks kind of like my brother. He doesn't in other photos, but he does in this one, and it got to me seeing this man in pain. Maybe it just helps personalize it when I see it, imagining if it was my brother in such pain. I'm glad (and hopeful) he doesn't have to endure any pain like this. I'm really glad to know this man will be alright. If I remember, I'll post a photo of my brother so you can see how similar they look in this photo. (Edit: You can see the photo below. My cute little brother. Oh well, it's a good thing he doesn't do anything dangerous for a living like weightlifting. I mean, he's only in law enforcement. Yikes!)

I'm also amazed at our amazing bodies. Even something as horrific as this looks like can be easily recovered from in just a short amount of time. It looked like his arm was broken, but it's just dislocated. I'm so greatful for the amazing healing abilities the Lord has given us.

Finally done with Breaking Dawn

So, the fourth book in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, came out August 2. Unfortunately, I've had recovery from camp plus the Olympics to contend with my time in reading it. But I finally finished it earlier today. So here's my thoughts on the book. Obviously, a spoiler if you haven't read the book yet.

Those who read my post a couple of weeks ago (and now I know there are at least two readers - thanks Shannon and Kelly) know that I thought 'Team Jacob' was going to win. Well, it looks like they both ended up winning. I really don't know why they went with that angle, as it really was no competition in the book. Stephanie did a good job of making us feel Bella's point of view. I wonder is she thought of somehow getting them together.

I was glad to see Bella remain herself after her transformation, which is one of the reason's I was worried about her with Edward - I wasn't sure that she was going to love him still after the transformation as so much of what she liked about him seemed to be related to the fact he was a vampire, whereas what she felt for Jacob was because he was Jacob. But I didn't feel too disappointed at her decision.

I really liked reading part of the story from Jacob's point of view. He's my favorite character (weird, because I almost always like the main character the best - Luke, Simba, Harry, Frodo and Aragon (although Legolas - thumpa thumpa thumpa goes my human heart)), and it was great to get into his head.

It wrapped up a little too nicely, but I really don't care about that. I like happy endings.

I'll edit this as I think of anything else I want to talk about.

First edit: 2:14 PM: I have to admit I didn't get at first that Jacob had imprinted on Renesmee at the end of book 2. I remember thinking that it sounded familiar when he said the world didn't revolve around the sun anymore, it revolved around her, but it didn't click. I'm glad it didn't, because when I realized it later (before Bella did) it was really exciting to me, and I don't think it would have been if I realized it earlier. Looking back, it was so obvious, but then again I was trying to read it very fast.

Second: 4:15 PM: I forgot to mention that I wasn't too happy that the BYU alum author had Bella's first meal be a cougar. OK, it was a mountain lion in the book, but the same thing. If I ever get to ask her something, I'll ask her why she did that (although I imagine it never crossed her mind).

I love the swimming!

I've been really enjoying watching the swimming this week at the Olympics. Hmmm, I wonder why? Although, come on, Michael, pull the pants up a little bit. I want to leave something up to the imagination before we get married (just kidding, you're a little young for me - I'm a Cougar, not a cougar). Seriously, though, it's so fun to see the Americans dominating, and unbelievable what Michael Phelps could possibly do. And man, the boy can eat! That 4x100 relay was just one of the most amazing sports events ever! I think my other favorite swimmer is Matt Grevers.

Float like a butterfly....dang, I got stung by a bee

I was over at my friend Joan's for a little par-tay, when I stepped from the table onto my shoe. Well, evidently a bee or yellow jacket decided it wanted to land on my shoe when it wasn't exactly on my foot (they were slip on shoes) and next thing I knew, it felt like I stepped on a piece of glass. But then I knew from the movement that it must have been a sting, and sure enough I saw the little bugger flying away. I don't think it was a honeybee, because I couldn't find the stinger in my foot. But it still stings a few hours later.

I can't believe it. I hadn't been stung since I was like six or seven. Stupid bug! So if you see me limping around a bit, that's why.

"I like your foot!"

The Olympics!

OK, you have to press play before you can really begin reading this - some mood music, if you will. And this video will remind you of Beijing, as it was from the LA games with all of their smog.

I really enjoy the Olympics. Every time it comes up, even if I don't think I'm going to be engrossed in watching it, I wind up becoming so. This year it's in China, which I'm not particularly fond of with their Communism and repression of people's rights, but I do think it will be great to view more about the country and to watch all the different sports that I normally don't get to see. Like archery, equestrian, and where they kayak down the river.

I always get a little bummed when swimming ends and they move onto diving and track & field. I enjoy swimming a lot, and there's something graceful about people moving through the water.

And I love to hear the national anthemn when we win all of our gold medals!

USA! USA! USA!

A little mixed up

Don't you love when you have two thoughts in your head and when you say it, it merges into one? I went over to borrow a post-it note from one of my workers, and was thinking 'Sorry to bother you' and 'don't mind me' when I reached over to grab the note, but what came out was "Don't bother me."

Haha, I love how our minds (don't) work sometimes!

Girl's Camp

Last week I was at our Young Women camp in Treasure Mountain (in Sierraville). It's such a great experience to be away from phones, Internets, TV, and just have some fun with 200 of your best friends.



There were a ton of mosquitos. I got to work in the craft shack again this year. It's a lot of fun, but I do miss being down with the girls. They all stay at lower camp, while most of the stake staff is up at upper camp. I really get to know the girls a lot when I'm in a unit, especially when we had our third year hikes. It was also weird this year because I didn't have any fellow 30-somethings with me at camp like I did last year.

I just really enjoy my time at camp. It's so great to be with so many who share my beliefs and where we can just be ourselves.

It is a little sad each year when another group of Young Women are there for their last year. This year, the girls there for the last year were the girls I first went to camp with as a third year tent leader. They went on the hike with me, and then most of them ended up being youth camp leaders for the third year hike the next time I did that year, so I really got to know them. I'm going to miss Leslie and Jill (already left for school before camp, so I didn't get to see them), Allyx, Marie, Kristen, and of course Allison. But every year, I find more girls that are just so much fun to be around. It's the great circle of life (don't worry, I won't break out in song - although I want to!).

Anyway, if you want to check out my pictures, I've uploaded them to my flickr account.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/byukirty/sets/72157606508894339/