The _______ Life of Brent and Erika

Please stop toying with me. My heart can't take it. Love, Erika

Dear Jojo- Yoga is typically very relaxing for me. It is less relaxing when you climb all over my head every time I'm in down dog. If you really want to participate, just do the poses. Thanks, Erika

Yesterday I mentioned that I'd made three shirts, but that none of them were worth showing off yet. This morning I woke up at 5:30 and couldn't go back to sleep because I was thinking about making my own clothing, so I decided to revisit the first shirt that I made and try to make it worth wearing, because in its current condition, the sleeves were really wonky and bunched up around the armpits, the neckline was too high for a v-neck, and the attempt at embellishment I'd placed to try to cover up the ugly place where the neck formed the V was...ugly. All this happened because I decided to just try to figure out how to construct a shirt without doing any research or having a pattern. I tried to use one of my own shirts as a pattern, but it's hard to know what to do with sleeves if you're not willing to deconstruct your pattern shirt... Anyhow, since then I found an old pattern my mom gave me for a polo shirt, altered it to fit me (turns out, people were smaller in th...

I made another shirt today. I've made three so far, and each one gets better, but I'm still not sure that I'm ready to post any of them here yet. In other creative news, I made my first xtranormal video today. It's a type-based video generator. It's kind of frustrating, but also kind of fun. This is based on an actual experience I had at the grocery store. Here it is!

I feel like I should start this by saying that this blog is not my journal, but occasionally I write something in my journal that I feel like it might be nice to share on this blog. This is one of those times. I'm going through the new Personal Progress program, and I've decided to earn my YW Recognition award by completing the whole program (not the toned-down leader version). I'm moving around and completing different value experiences, and I just finished one of the ones about faith. Here are some thoughts: Faith is at once an easy and difficult principle for me to comprehend and practice. Actually, the comprehending part is easy--the practicing part is harder. In a talk entitled " Shall He Find Faith on the Earth? " Joseph B. Wirthlin (whose messages I miss dearly) offers the following about faith: "Faith exists when absolute confidence in that which we cannot see combines with action that is in absolute conformity to the will of our Heavenly Father....

In case you don't read our comic (which you really should! You should also comment on it, so we know if people are enjoying it!), I thought I'd share this little bit of what's been happening in my life this week: Whenever we can't get the comic posted in time (it's usually my fault, but not always), I do a little comic like this. This is how I felt on Thursday morning. After lots of sleeping and watching Bones on Netflix (how did I not know this show was out there?), I think I'm finally kicking it. I think my antibodies are regrouping, and were bolstered by the surge of pharmaceutical help they received.

I am the third of five children, and for the first four years of my life it was just me and my two older brothers, who were quite the pair of buddies. As the youngest, and a girl, I was definitively excluded from many of their games and life experiences, though in my desperate need to be just like them, I didn't always recognize it. For example, whenever we used to play "house", my brother Justin played the dad, my brother Nicholas played the mom, and I always played the babysitter who watched their variety of adopted stuffed animal children while they went out on a date. These dates would last for hours, and I would dutifully watch all the children. I haven't actually asked them about this (and since one of them doesn't talk to me anymore, he's not likely to answer...), but I'm going to venture a guess and say that those "dates" had more to do with G.I. Joes and TMNT than they did with dinner and movie, and the whole time I thought I was playing...

This girl astounds me. Un moto di gioia- Mozart from Erika Hill on Vimeo . Your Daddy's Son- Flaherty from Erika Hill on Vimeo . Il mio bel foco- Marcello from Erika Hill on Vimeo .

Note to self: It is not a good idea to give yourself a haircut when you're under extreme stress. In other news, I have honest to goodness, not side-swept bangs again. Other than having them for about a week this summer (and quickly deciding to grow them out again), I haven't had bangs like this since I was a little girl. Or at least a teenager. If you haven't started reading our web-comic yet, you really should! There's the link -->. There's all sorts of scheming and plotting going on. Fun times. Let us know what you think!

You wouldn't know it by how infrequently I post sometimes, but I really like blogging. A lot. However, right now, I'm putting a lot of effort into Brent's website (we write the comics together, he draws them, I post them), teaching, and researching for my thesis, so for the time being my Halloween musings (believe me, they're musing) will just have to wait. Can I just said that Brent just said, "I'm Brent Hill, and I approve this wife," to me? He's awesome like that, even when he's sick.

So, unlike many things in my life that I say I'm going to do and then stop after a few days, our one panel a day soap opera is still going! We've got the first five episodes up, and if you haven't been reading, you should--they just might make you giggle. Here's today's episode: Read them all here ! Click on an image to see it larger, and then you can just scroll through them! Also, you should know that when you have google's autofill option turned on, the first suggestion it gives when you type in "regrettably" is "regrettably pink room." I wouldn't choose pink as a room color either, but is this really that common a phrase?

Becoming "adults" has introduced Brent and me to many of the joys and pains that come with being an adult in this country. Joy: Satisfaction of working hard, and growing together. Pain: Junk mail. I hate junk mail because not only does it seem like a waste of money, resources, and trees (really, Discover card, I will CALL YOU if I want a card! Same goes for you American Express! And Chase bank!), but also because lately our junk mail seems to be advocating lifestyle changes that we're not on board with. For example, much of our junk mail seems to suggest that we don't travel enough. We should get the American Express card that gives us airline miles! Or Traveler's Advantage, that allows us to book mildly cheaper hotel rooms for monthly fee! It also suggests that we are stupid for not investing in life insurance that will pay off our mortgage if we die. But, worst of all, much of our junk mail seems to suggest that Brent should change his name, or gender. Brent goe...

Brent's website is up! Check it out! Also, I've got a link to it over yonder (on the right!), so you can check it every day to read each installment of our soap. Get excited people, we're making one of our many projects public!

I'm not at any place in my life where I feel like I need "features" or themes on my blog (maybe I'll get there someday?), but I've decided to introduce "Notes to self" as a way of writing down the random things I think to myself that I think you might enjoy. Like this one: Note to Self: It is not a good idea to try reenacting old hip hop dances while blow-drying your hair. Or this one: Note to Self: Laying on the couch and wrapping yourself in a Snuggie is not the most effective research methodology. One more: Note to Self: Holding cub scouts at your home every week is not the most effective way to introduce your dogs to children. This won't be any kind of daily thing, but I think it might be something regular. The idea of a short post that might make people laugh makes me happy. Feel free to leave your own notes in the comments!

As many of you know, Brent likes to draw. As many of you may not know, he also likes to write. Coincidentally, I also like to write. Together, we have started a few projects, and most of them are a little bit stalled (okay, we'll call them "in progress"), but this one seems to be taking off. We (okay, it's mostly Brent) are starting a one panel a day soap opera. Brent's website is under construction (I gave it to him for his birthday! Happy early birthday Brent!), and so once that's all up and beautiful it'll be posted daily, but here's a little taste of it. We'll let you know when the website's up and the show goes live! Or something...

It's hard to get back into blogging--I keep thinking of good ideas for posts, but then I think, "Wait! I haven't posted the pictures from my surgery! Or my brother's wedding! It's unacceptable to talk about something else!" So I was about to write way more, but then my crazy dog jumped on my hand because she was scared, and then it hurt, so mostly I'm sticking to things that require one hand. We use maracas because we're that authentic. Or insensitive. Or annoying. I don't remember if I posted these, but here's my brother coming home from his mission. In May. I feel like a lame-wad for not posting these sooner, but in all actuality, no one cares I'm late, right? On August 19 I had a cyst removed from my hand. We only have one picture of me in the bandages they put me in, taken by my cousin Kurt at Alex's Wedding: We called it my Mega Buster. Two weeks later, they took off the bandages. Please notice two things about this photo: 1. Not o...

here's my final documentary for the class i just finished. i'm not going to lie: i'm proud of it. doing this project made me want to make way more of these. gray-haired wonder from Erika Hill on Vimeo . enjoy!

still no capitalizing--i've started trying to bring my right hand back into the typing mix, but in addition to being slightly painful and inconvenient anyway, i managed to stick a large thorn up under the fingernail of my index finger while deadheading the roses today, so it's all a bit frustrating. anyhow... do you ever feel like doing everything and nothing at the same time? like you can envision your life going in so many different directions in ways big and small, and the thought of all your life's possible alluring paths--all good--is so paralyzing that instead you choose to do nothing? the more i move toward my own career and think about my future prospects in general, i'm starting to realize that it takes a lot of courage to limit your options, to choose one thing over another. i found the progressive pioneer blog today, and so much of the idea of the blog inspires me. what inspires me even more is that she found something she loved and was passionate about and h...

capitalization is too much work right now. lefties of the world, i salute you. one-handed people, i salute you even more. i had a cyst removed from my right hand on thursday, and i have to keep it iced, elevated, and in a sling until the 1st of september. i can't drive, i can't shower by myself, and i can't really type. i'm just a bit annoyed, but i have to keep reminding myself that i chose to have that cyst removed... so, on another day when i can type better, i'll talk about ALEX AND KELSIE'S WEDDING, but until then, i'm taking a break.

According to multiple tables that I've found online (the most trustworthy source of information, to be sure), the fifth anniversary of a marriage is supposed to be celebrated by giving each other gifts of wood. Brent and I planted roses this summer, so maybe that counts?

I wish I could get a picture of this, but I know that as soon as I move to get the camera, Chloe will move, and it will have been pointless. Last week, I washed a comforter, and I laid it over the tops of our two living room chairs in order to let it finish drying. I haven't gotten to taking it back to the guest room yet, and Chloe seems to be taking full advantage of it. She's laying on the comforter, suspended in the air hammock style. I keep waiting for the comforter to sink to the floor under her 17-pounds, but it seems to be holding up. It just sank. Chloe looks distressed. I need some children or something.

If you care, here's another documentary I've made this semester. This one was supposed to document an event, so I chose my friend's bridal shower. Enjoy! bridal shower from Erika Hill on Vimeo .

Dear Spider(s) that bit me on my knee and hip, Thanks, jerks. I really enjoy my allergic reactions to your bites. Especially the one underneath my clothes--good one! However, rumor has it that you still eat bugs that would otherwise be pesky to me, so I guess I'll entertain you enough to let you know what else is going on in my life. - Things have been so crazy that I haven't even talked about the fact that my brother is GETTING MARRIED! In three weeks! That's so crazy, and I'm very happy for him and Kelsie. - The semester is almost over--one research project and one documentary to go. I'm more excited for one than I am for the other, but both will be fine. - We ran out of money halfway through our rose garden (which is why we haven't really invited people over this July. Sorry friends, it's not that we hate you--it's that we never got to finish our outdoor party space. Oh, and also, I'm freaking busy). And also our dryer broke. It's good to be u...

The title of this post is from one of my favorite Switchfoot songs. Most of the song consists of them singing this line over and over again. There are times when we go through shadow in our lives, and I think that those of us not currently experiencing shadow in our lives aren't always good about comforting the way we might (what could I possibly say to the couple in our ward who recently lost a child? "Don't worry, hard things make you stronger?" That seems...heartless. I don't know them that well, so I ended up saying nothing, but I think about them all the time lately), and those of us wading through the shadow don't always find comfort in the same answers that we would readily give to others. Maybe that was a muddled paragraph, but the point is this: the shadow proves the sunshine. Darker periods in our lives help us realize the good things that we have, and can help us draw closer to "The Father of Lights" ( James 1:17 ) It's been a hard wee...

After much deliberation (okay, more like a tearful breakdown), I've decided to cut the vegetarian experiment short. I don't crave meat, and if I had a stockpile of trustworthy vegetarian recipes, and time to make said recipes, and time to do the dishes that making said recipes requires, I'd be all over it. The facts are these: I just found out that due to my own stupidity, I'm probably not going to be able to start my thesis research when my class starts, which means that the whole "before and after" thing isn't as authentic as it could be. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I leave at 7 in the morning and I get home at about 8:30 at night. I feel like all I ever do right now is school work, and I'm not even finding enough time to work so I'm making less money, which our budget really isn't comfortable with, but I guess that's okay? So anyway, I'm sort of a basket-case, and I decided that this is probably not the month to stop allowing myself to...

Our days seem long lately. No, that's not true. Our Tuesdays and Thursdays seem long lately. This is exacerbated when Brent does things like this: On Tuesday, Brent and his brother Mark drove down to Monroe to visit their sister Michelle. If you don't know where Monroe is, it's by Richfield. If you don't know where Richfield is...google it. It's pretty close to the middle of the state. Anyway, they drove down there and had a lovely time visiting, shopping, and rounding up some loose chickens. They ended up leaving Monroe later than they had anticipated, but they didn't think it was a big deal because I wasn't going to be home until about 8:30 anyway. I called Brent as I was leaving campus at about 8, and he said that they'd be leaving in about half an hour. Since Monroe is a little under two hours from our house, this should have put them back in Spanish Fork at about 10:30. I was a little worried, since we've already established that things like th...

Right now, I'm in a production class. We made poetic documentaries to get a feel for the cameras and the editing program. Here's my project: Practice from Erika Hill on Vimeo . So I used a few filters (by "a few," I mean, "enough to send you into shock"), so I think I've got that part of Final Cut Pro down...I'm not pretending this is anything professional. It's just...practice. Special thanks to Kacee for lending me her hands, and to my parents for lending me their piano.

I should be working now instead of blogging, so this is going to be short. Here are some things I notice about being a vegetarian: 1. I do not miss meat (ask me this when we drive by a Texas Roadhouse...you might get a different answer). 2. Goodbye convenience food! So far, the hardest thing about being vegetarian is that all of my really easy go-to recipes happen to have meat in them. I'm really having to plan ahead now, which is great because I'm sick of eating the same stuff every day, but I had a bit of a panic when I found myself at 9:00 in the morning on a Fast Sunday saying, "What on earth are we going to eat today??" I know I only had to think about one meal, but we've got 1:00 church, which means that when we get home, I WANT TO EAT. I usually do a crock pot meal on such Sundays, but all of my crock pot recipes require meat. I did some internet searches, and I've got a message for the vegetarian community: THERE HAS TO BE MORE WE CAN COOK IN THE SLOW ...

So yesterday was the first day of my stint as a Lacto-Ovo-Tempo Vegetarian (I eat dairy, eggs, and it's temporary). And man, I feel completely weird and different! Just kidding. I feel exactly the same. It's completely normal for me to go without meat for breakfast (usually something small in the grains/dairy family) and lunch (usually a pb&j or cucumber sandwich and a fruit of some sort), and it wasn't really a stretch to make vegetarian chili for dinner instead of something else. I've never made chili before, so that's something! I used this recipe , and it was pretty good. I used Italian-style diced tomatoes and only had Italian seasoning instead of straight oregano, so it was a little bit too Italiany--still good, but not as spicy as I'd like (that also might have to do with the fact that I didn't think I would use enough pickled jalepeno to justify buying a whole jar...while looking for it, I did notice what a great variety of pickled things my groc...

I keep not making time to blog. I also keep half composing blog posts in my head, and then I forget to post them. Here's the bits: - Both of our brothers are home from their missions. Both have stayed at our house this week, marking the first time any adult has slept in our guest room (my niece and nephew stayed there when their sister was born, and that was 18 months ago. I have hardly seen them since then, which is sad.) - Spring term ended, summer term started. I'm taking a video production class, so expect me to be posting some short documentary sort of things on here. On a note that will seem random to you but is completely related to me, I'm looking for someone who would be willing to allow me to (tastefully) film them bathing and dressing their baby. Any suggestions? I'm willing to travel up to two hours... - Brent loves being out of school. I love that he does more house work. We have both decided that the best lifestyle is not working. Just kidding. Sort of. - ...

1: Years I've been In Graduate School 2: Consecutive birthdays that Brent has given me a zombie-themed present 3: Countries I've lived in 4: My graduate school GPA 5: Years I've been in love with Brent 6: Languages in which I can count to ten 7: Schools I've attended 8: Ingredients on the perfect Subway sandwich 9: Cities I've lived in 10: Different temples I've attended 11: Careers I have ever considered/desired 12: Curtains I've hung in my house 13: Courses I've taught at BYU 14: Ingredients in my favorite gummy bears (Haribo) 15: Fish I've purchased (and had die). 16: Number of guys I've been on dates with 17: Years since I was baptized 18: Years I've known how to play the piano 19: Months I've been a homeowner 20: Papers I've written during spring term 21: Approximate number of items from Ikea in our house. 22: Approximately the number of times I've eaten at La Dolce Vita 23: Blogs on my blogroll 24: Skittles I can fit in my...

Sorry it's been so long. Between my brother coming home from his mission, Brent getting out of school, and a very large term paper, I haven't found much time for blogging. Birthday post tomorrow!

I feel awesome for a ridiculous reason, but I think that Brent is getting sick of me saying that I'm awesome, so I guess I just want to tell the Blogosphere! Last night, I had planned to make Sloppy Joes. So, I sauteed the green peppers, and I was part way through browning the turkey (what, you don't use ground turkey in Sloppy Joes? Weirdo.) when I looked in my cabinet and lo and behold: no Sloppy Joe seasoning. So, what to do? The answer is NOT to run to the store. The answer, of course, is to make it up. This might not be very impressive to some of you, who are probably the most amazing cooks ever, but it's a little bit of a big deal for me. I'm a good cook if I have a recipe, but I'm not always the most adventurous, and so making up my own seasoning for something that I'm accustomed to having taste a certain way through pre-blended seasoning packets was a big deal. This is what happened the last time I tried to step out of my culinary comfort zone and do som...

Two days ago, I saw a bright orange P.T. Cruiser on the freeway. With purple flame decals. Driven by two old ladies. Two words: ugly, and awesome! In other thoughts, I've decided to start posting some of the journals I'm writing for my documentary history class on my media blog. It's kind of a pain, because copying and pasting from word brings all kinds of weirdo HTML with it. It's probably a waste of time, since no one really wants to read them, but if you've ever wondered what I think about Nanook of the North, you can read it here .

This is not a post about my actual sister, who is amazing in all sorts of ways and who sang in a concert at the Assembly Hall on Wednesday. Kacee, you looked beautiful and sounded wonderful. I'm excited to get to that audio documentary about you. This is a post about another post that I just read on my friend Brecken's blog that I think is fabulous. If you're not reading Brecken's blog, you probably should--it's great. She is all sorts of midwestern sensible while living in New York City, she's smart and funny and she takes great pictures. Anyway, she recently wrote a post that I just simply want to say, "Amen!" to. You should read it here . There are many times when people get a little jaw-dropped when I tell them that Brent and I don't fight. Seriously, we don't. We occasionally get frustrated with each other, sometimes we don't communicate well, but we just don't see that fighting does anybody any good. Life is hard enough without in...

Some things I've been thinking about: The other day I was reading in Matthew, and the Savior gives a parable wherein a few people are hired to work for a penny a day (apparently these are good wages...?) by the Lord of a vineyard, and so they go to work. Throughout the day, the Lord of the vineyard keeps sending in more laborers, until the very end. At the end of the day, the Lord of the vineyard pays everyone the same. Those who had been working since the morning found this unfair--they had worked more than twice as long as some of the other workers! Why weren't they getting paid more? The Lord gently reminds them that they are getting paid what they were promised. Why should they complain? It doesn't matter when someone chooses to repent. I'm even going to go out on a limb and say that deathbed repentance--if sincere--also counts. And those who have been laborers all along--perhaps those who have had access to the truth all their lives--should be reminded that this la...

Last night, I had a dream that we all wanted tattoos given by octopuses (octopi?). When I woke up, I thought, "That was strange, but at least it makes some sort of sense...after all, they do have ink." I'm trying to decide which part of this trajectory was more strange. The fact that octopuses were doling out desirable tattoos, or the fact that some part of me thought it made logical sense. To be fair to my subconscious, the idea of an octopus tattoo was only desirable if it came from an octopus that looked like this: So I'm not likely to get any body art done anytime soon (okay. ever. I will never get a tattoo.), but should I one day walk by you with a distinctive sucker-like pattern on the palm of my hand, you'll know why.

So in case you missed it (I know that at least one person read it!) I'm planning on going meatless in July. Not permanently, just for July. I'm doing this (much to the chagrin (or maybe just eye-rolling) of my mother) for a few reasons: 1. Something bizarre within me thinks it will be fun. I think it's the same desire that makes me want to have children without medication (okay, it's a different desire, but the reasoning is slightly the same): I want to prove to myself that I can do it. People have had babies without medication for centuries; I am as strong as they are. People have probably also been vegetarians for centuries; I am as disciplined as they are. Vegetarianism has always been a little bit exciting to me, maybe because it seems a little counter-cultural without actually doing anyone any harm (other than some meat/poultry farmers, but let's face it: when a sandwich like the KFC Double Down can even EXIST in this country, my going meatless isn't puttin...

...the church! Not like you were really in suspense about the matter. I do find it hilarious that "cleaning the church" seems like a plausible explanation for that random assortment. I'm doing the last of my grading for last semester. I finished my 12 (well, it ended up being 14) page paper this morning. New classes start tomorrow! I'm not teaching this term, which is nice. However, I'm taking two classes and it's spring term so the workload will be like four classes. I'm nervous and excited. This time next year I'll (hopefully) be getting ready to defend my thesis! In sad news, the Chadder's in Provo just closed, which makes me sad, because I used to like to get their "Meatless Wonder". Imagine a great hamburger with cucumber slices instead of the meat patty. It's surprisingly refreshing! It gave me hope of fast food when I go meatless in July!

Today I put on a jacket that I haven't worn in a while. Here's what I found in the pocket: 1. A pink paperclip 2. Some strangely hard piece of rolled up packing tape 3. A gum wrapper 4. One piece of Cookie Crisp cereal. So, what was I doing the last time I wore this jacket? I think this calls for a poll! A. Cleaning out the junk drawer B. Cleaning the church C. Assembling the pieces of a trap, possibly for a dog. Or maybe a gerbil. Also, the last time I ate Cookie Crisp, the mascots looked like this: Since then they first decriminalized the dog (which made the cereal less appealing, which is why I sort of feel like they should do the same to marijuana. Just saying), and then they changed him into a wolf, which makes no sense to me; a wolf doesn't want Cookie Crisp unless by "cookie" we mean "raw elk meat". A wolf would probably take Raw Elk Meat Crisp (patent pending) over Cookie Crisp any day. If you, like me, are interested in mutations of the Cookie C...

I figure that if people can post movies of their kids, I can post one of my dogs. Enjoy (or don't. Whatever. It's kind of boring.).

Well, I don't know if it's really a month of firsts. Here are three firsts this month though: 1. We've started our first landscaping project on our own. We did the garden last year, but let's be honest: my dad did about 85% of that work. This time, we're going it alone (though my dad did lend us some landscaping fabric and his sod cutter, which has not broken yet, Dad). We're doing a rose garden in the backyard along the back of the fence, and we're painting the fence white. I'll post pictures periodically so you can see the transformation. 2. I cleaned out a clogged drain for the first time. As in, screwdriver meets clump of hair cleaned out. Ick. Ick, ick, ick. Those sorts of things (particularly involving hair) usually make me puke, but since I've been doing that anyway lately (well, just the once. It's not recurring.), I figured, what the heck? 3. For the first time in my life, I constantly find myself distracted from homework by housework. A...

I promise that I don't only post on my blog to get sympathy. In an ideal world I'd have thoughtful and/or amusing anecdotes to share with you about twice weekly, but lately there doesn't seem to be that much amusing in our lives. Last night at about midnight, I threw up everything I ate yesterday. No warning. I felt fine all day. We laid down in bed to read some Jesus the Christ (which simultaneously educates me, uplifts me, and makes me sleepy), and I felt a pain in my abdomen. I think, "Appendicitis? Unlikely. Ovarian cyst? Maybe. Early cramps? Probably." The pain travels up to include my stomach, and I think, "Gas pains?" Just a hop skip and a jump later, I'm experiencing spinach salad and enchiladas (lunch and dinner, respectively) in the worst way imaginable. It goes on for about 10 minutes. I start shivering, put on a warm nightgown, lay back down, and wait for an hour and a half to finally get to sleep (no, I'm not pregnant, but thanks for...

I'm currently doing research for my film theory paper, and here are some quotes that I find quite compelling in their discussion of what art is for (both are in Andre Bazin's "The Ontology of the Photographic Image" from What is Cinema? ) If the plastic arts were put under psychoanalysis, the practice of embalming the dead might turn out to be a fundamental factor in their creation. The process might reveal that the origin of painting and sculpture there lies a mummy complex. The religion of ancient Egypt, aimed against death, saw survival as depending on the continued existence of the corporeal body. Thus, by providing a defense against the passage of time it satisfied a basic psychological need in man, for death is but the victory of time. The aesthetic qualities of photography are to be sought in its power to lay bare the realities.[...] Only the impassive lens, stripping its object of all those ways of seeing it, those piled-up preconceptions, that spiritual ...

With this cast of American Idols, I approached this night with some trepidation. I love the Beatles, and I love good Beatles covers, and the thought of Tim Urban slaughtering anything penned by Lennon/McCartney made me want to cringe. All things considered, it was probably the best American Idol episode of the season (which isn't necessarily saying much, but we'll take it!). Here are my semi-live reactions. Enjoy! Aaron Kelly: A Long and Winding Song. Hi Aaron Kelly. This is the third week where you've taken a song done by previous Idol winners or front runners where they had a real Idol "moment", and done it badly. You cannot take on David Cook's "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing," you REALLY can't take on Kris Allen's "Ain't No Sunshine", and comparing you to David Archuleta on "The Long and Winding Road" is like trying to butter your toast with rusty nails. Kara's right: stop doing the same thing over and over, esp...

So I had the hysterosalpingogram on Friday (for those of you too lazy to google, it's a test where they inject dye into the uterus to see if everything is normally shaped and open), which was, as you can probably imagine, quite uncomfortable, but I survived. I had a nurse who kept giving me half of my instructions, and then leaving before I really knew what she was talking about (she told me all the instructions for disrobing, sent me into the exam room, but didn't give me a gown...I figured I'd wait to disrobe until I had something to put on. Later, she brought a stool and set it next to the table and told me to watch my head, but she didn't actually say how/when I should get on the table...), and the room full of guys on various computer monitors was not my favorite, but I figure that if a little discomfort can help me have a baby, it'll all be worth it. Right? Right? Everything's normal. Which is what every test inevitably shows, and while it's great to n...

I guess Utah's April Fools' prank is of the, "Guess what, it's really still winter!" variety. We woke up to 2 inches of snow, and it's not melting fast enough. To me, getting warm enough to wear shorts and then snowing again seems more cruel than just never warming up, particularly to my daffodils, who are already competing with a neighboring bush and who are now droopy droopy with snow.

I don't know when it happened that I started crying whenever someone says "mother" or "daughter" or "parents", particularly in direct address, but as I watched the Young Womens broadcast alone at home this morning, I realized that I'm there. Hysterosalpingogram on Friday. We'll see where we go from there.

I keep meaning to blog, because I love it when people frequently update their blogs, particularly when they have cool things to say. I haven't blogged lately because I haven't felt like I have cool things to say; or, rather, I might have cool things to say, but each item will take a bit of thought, and I've been thinking about so many other things that I haven't been able to focus my attention here. Here are the high points since the last post (which, for multiple reasons, I am anxious to have move down the page...): Brent has not yet quit his job. This is a major accomplishment. Wish him well. Brent's sister Michelle had a birthday yesterday! His family all went to the Cheesecake Factory while I stayed home and took a Film Theory test. Though I generally enjoy writing 10 pages about auteur theory, ethnocentrism, anti-realists, and Foo Fighters music videos, I think he got the better end of the deal. Though he did bring me back some cheesecake, which was rich and y...

What keeps you up at night, or gets you up really early in the morning? Cancelled insurance. That's what gets me up. At 5:00 Monday morning. Last week, we got a notice from our Homeowner's Insurance company that our policy was being cancelled because our mortgage company didn't ever send them a payment, even though we sent the bill exactly where they told us to. I couldn't deal with it last week because I had no phone, and Brent always got home from work after customer service business hours. I kept trying to get back to sleep, telling myself that I would deal with it at a more reasonable hour. Finally, I decided that since 5:45 here meant 7:45 in Eastern time, I was going to call. Here's what I learned: Liberty Mutual is staffed by nice people, and they have nice hold music. JP Morgan Chase is staffed by unhelpful liars who have hold music that makes me feel like I'm trapped in a really bad 80's sports movie. It was like Rocky, but much more annoying (coinc...

I am so upset at last night's results that I'm almost tempted to stop watching the show, because you've voted off three of the most interesting contestants in favor of Pixie Hollow girl and Tim "I have nice abs but can't sing" Urban. I have no hope in the future of our nation.

Hi friends. My phone died. I had it sitting on the counter while doing dishes, and when I saw it sitting in a puddle of water I picked it up and wiped it off, but I didn't realize that some water had seeped into the circuitry, and now it won't turn on or do anything. So, I'll most likely be getting a new phone in the next few days. Since cell phones have, by and large, replaced memory in this country, chances are that I don't have your phone number memorized unless you're married to me. If you would like me to have it, send me an email, a facebook message, or whatever makes you feel most comfortable.