Scenes from my future life at work

My co-worker sent this to me today. It's her last day of work, and she was so kind to impart her wisdom upon me.

Found Here

I'm glad I too can learn the secrets to this magic.

50!

Actually 52.6 to exact. That's the amount of weight I've lost since moving back to Seattle!

I don't like to talk about my weight much because it's always been a sensitive subject for me, but this is such huge milestone for myself! I've been doing Weight Watchers off and on for the last year or so, and somehow things just clicked. At the meeting last night I was awarded with my little 50 lbs medal, and it was such a big deal! Well, to me anyways. I haven't been at this weight since  I was competitively playing basketball and volleyball. And that was my freshman year of high school.

In a way it's a bit shocking.
But it's a good shock.
But a shock all the same. Probably because I never thought I could ever do it.

I still have a ways to go, but anything feels possible at this point!

Hurah!

Happiness

Do you ever have weeks where you're in the duldrums? I feel like the past couple of weeks have been like that. Not absolutely terrible, but having some not so nice elements to them as well. Maybe it's the weather? It has been quite rainy, but I like that. Otherwise why would I have moved back to Seattle? I digress.

Even though life hasn't been exactly like I would like it to be, there are always rays of sunlight amidst the cloudy days. I have much to be thankful for, and so much to be happy about. And I've decided to list each week 10 things that make me happy. (Perhaps this is just what I need to step up my blogging again).

Here goes nothing! :

1. Hitting all green lights on my way to work in the morning.
2. Mist in the valley--so gorgeous!
3. Friends coming into town for the weekend.
4. Eating the most amazing Taiwanese food (including mango bingshas!!!!) with said friends
5. Late night runs to Seattle to see the Troll and the view from Kerry Park
6. Water. Ice cold.
7. My mom. And her love to be a matchmaker. :)
8. Night walks with my mom when the moons out and it's deliciously cold out.
9. Hot Tamales. The candy. Not the food.
10. Cheesy Korean dramas and other such love stories. (I've seen far too many. I really should be embarrassed, but for some reason I'm not.)

What are the things that have made you happy this week?

P.S. And Anderson Cooper sticking up for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christians!

Citi jako podzim...

It truly feels like fall in Seattle. The temperatures have dropped, there's a delicious crispness in the air, and the leaves are starting to turn. And the rain has returned. But what is Seattle without rain, really?

Autumn has always been my favorite season. Always. Ask anyone. I loved experiencing a true East Coast fall last year, and the gorgeous falls in the Czech Republic. There's something utterly romantic about tree lined paths with leaves all around. Love.

Anyways, I've heard this song a few times before, but I feel like it captures the season (which apparently the artist does not agree).

Please enjoy!

Blowing my mind at the moment...

Many of you know that I finally got a job after being jobless the majority of the summer. It's so wonderful to be employed! Yes, I did have a summer off, but there is a definite difference between having a summer off and knowing you'll have something in the fall, and having the future be a blank.

Anyhow, the company I now work for is pretty awesome. I'm learning all kinds of things about power plants and how electricity is dispersed. Never thought I'd be interested in something quite like this, but it's refreshing. I've always enjoyed science, but my strengths always lay in the arts and humanities.

I've been doing some data entry, and some other tasks that don't require too much brain power. I've been listening to varying conference talks and NPR broadcasts interspersed with Pandora and Last.fm. Today I'm listening to Bon Iver. I LOVE Bon Iver. Unfortunately I haven't had much chance to checkout the new album.

Umm...it's AMAZING! And blowing my mind. Especially this one:




At least for now.

Hope you all are having a fabulous week. It's hump day you know. Only two more days until the weekend!

I remember

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It's hard for me to beleive that ten years have already gone by.

 I still remember September 11, 2001 like it was yesterday.

It was the first full week of school in the little ol' town of Provo, UT. I was still asleep when everything happened. I had no idea anything had happened until I turned on my computer and looked at the news feed, and saw an image like the one above. I honestly thought it was a joke. Who would fly a plane into a building? Then as I read further, the seriousness of what happened sank in. I remember telling my roommate, Shannon, to check it out.

Then my friend Rose popped up on my IM. She was a new freshman at NYU, and was in New York at the time. She was trying to reach anyone in her family to let them know that she was ok. She could see the whole thing from her dorm room, a safe distance uptown. Cell reception and phone lines were shot. I was going to call her parents in Washington or try to reach her brother in Provo, but luckily that brother logged on to IM, and Rose was able to talk to him herself.

It was a Tuesday, and the campus had been geared up for the welcome devotional. Obviously that all changed. Instead the devotional addressed terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and we had a moment of silence for those who died.

From that moment on, life was never the same. It's one of those memories that I will never forget.

Last night, I decided to watch some of the news from that day in 2001. The Today Show on NBC caught most of it live, and the images are still horrific. Watching the second plane fly into the second tower, I choked up. I can't think of that image without tears coming to my eyes.

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The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has teamed up with Tom Brokaw for a very special musical performance remembering those who lost their lives that day, and showing how others have risen above the horrible tragedy. If you have the chance, please take a chance to view it. For more information, go here.

I will always remember Sept. 11, 2001.

"You are my sunshine..."

Color. Whimsy. Excellent message. James McAvoy. Penelope has it all.

What are my favorite scenes, you ask? I really do have several, but my top three are:
1. When Penelope tries to discover Max's instrument.
2. When she finally leaves her house and happens upon a fair. I LOVE the bubbles.
3. The epic kiss at the end. Greatness.

About this time every year I have an urge to watch this wonderful film. Maybe it's because it's set in the fall. Maybe because it features Sigur Ros, which is one of the bands I love listening to at this time. Wait. I know that's why.

Autumn is my favorite.

I love stomping through piles of crunchy leaves, bon fires, sweaters and layers, and the smell of all the goodness. Apple orchards, and pumpkins and corn mazes. I'm getting SO excited for all the possibilities.

Here's to great films, and the best season of them all--AUTUMN!