So true.

This article made my day--and made me want a dog even more. I still miss Abby a lot, but I think my family's ready to adopt a new family member. Hmmm, Dad?

Been a long time coming.

As Cub would say, holy freak. I don't know what I've done with my life since November 1, but I do know it's been busy. Biz-zay, also as Cub would say.

Where to start...so my life as I knew it at Hirschi Christensen has been turned completely upside down by the dissolution of the firm formerly known as Hirschi Christensen. Luckily, one of the partners opted to keep me instead of turning me out to the cold, cold world so I still have a job. So I work for the half of the firm that "stayed," and all the people who I had been working with since August "left." They are technically still sharing the office space with us until new digs can be found (first of the year?), but I no longer work for them and have new bosses and a new way of work life. Which hasn't been too bad. Extremely intense and stressful, but not bad. Which is good. At times, very good.

So the new firm is named Christensen Thornton, PLLC. I get to continue to work with some really great people (to see the attorneys I work for, go here. The ones I'm responsible for are Lisa, Steve Clayton, Brent, and Ben. And sometimes Matt T. when he's in), and I'm so so glad that AnDe (who goes with the other firm now) is still around the office. I miss sitting by her though. Although I do get to harass her every day around 2 pm when the checks need to be deposited. Woot. (j/k Ande.)(Not really.)

One of the best things to come out of the dissolution is an increase in marketing responsibilities pour moi. I designed the new logo, letterhead, and business cards. Fun stuff. I may post them here depending on how nice you are to me. So on top of all this firm switcheroo shenanigans was preparation for closing arguments for one of our biggest (if not the biggest?) trials. It sure has been a doozy. And I've only come in on the tail end of this case. I can't imagine how relieved everyone who's worked on it for the past 3 years or so is feeling. Anyway, so that's work in a nutshell. Definitely exciting and always something new to work on, which I love.

What else...I had my first Primary activity this last Saturday. It was pretty great. We called it the Primary Day of Service, and they wrote letters to the ward missionaries, cut out pictures from magazines for kids in orphanages, and then made handprint-painted aprons for their teachers for Christmas. Some (haha, some) of those kids just melt my heart, especially the little boy who came to me when it was over to help him put his coat on. I mean, really. Just this little guy. Too cute. So that's going good. I never expected to have a Primary calling--I've never even been a teacher before so to be in the presidency was a little intimidating at first, particularly because it's a family ward. Wait I lied. My calling was in Primary in my London ward. But that was only one little boy who was barely old enough to be in nursery. But still, that counts.

I saw The Fourth Kind. It makes Third Kind look like a Disney movie. Um. Yeah. I think everyone I went with was pretty traumatized afterward. Sorry for suggesting it, guys. I liked it though, even if I have to cling to the belief that it isn't real...it can't be. Because then I would never sleep again.

The end.

Oh and P.S. Star Trek out on DVD now! Weeee.

Complainer.

I'm pouting because fall is my favorite season and we had only about 3 1/2 days of real fall weather. How can I live somewhere that can go from beautiful fall colors and weather to frozen wasteland in one day. I give you the following as visual demonstration:





Now it takes me an extra 15 minutes in the morning to dig out my old-timey car (pictured here). I'm just not ready for the frozen wasteland that Utah becomes in the winter.

NOT ONLY THAT but I am also being subjected to the Yankees' presence once again in the World Series. Where's the Red Sox when you need 'em? Really though? Pout.

Love me some John Keats...and Italian leather.

I recently saw the movie Bright Star, which is based on the poet John Keats and his relationship with Fanny Brawne. Having been at one time absolutely Keats-mad and still a big fan (he IS the best of the Romantic poets, you know), I adored this movie. It was a bit traumatizing toward the end when Keats dies, the least reason not being the fact that the actor who played him is a dead ringer for someone I once cared for very intensely just a few years ago. But the film fit the tone of his poems, which I was glad for. And it was interesting to think about Hampstead Heath as being removed from London, since now it's more of a suburb than a separate village from Town. I highly recommend this movie as a break from the flighty English period dramas (cough Pride and Prejudice, et al) that we've been blessed with recently. The cinematography was beautiful and the acting very well done.

In other news, you'll all be happy to know that I finally found some knee-high boots for this fall. This picture is little but here they are:



Nice brown Italian leather with the cutest little buckles. Needless to say, I'm very excited for these.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

As a fan of both Jane Austen and zombies, this book was pretty much made for me. Here is one example of how amazing this book is. I'll give you the original scene from Pride and Prejudice, and then the same scene P&P&Z-style. The scene is at Rosings when Elizabeth and Lady Catherine meet and talk during dinner.


Pride and Prejudice, pp. 157-158

"Do you play and sing, Miss Bennet?"

"A little."

"Oh then--some time or other we shall be happy to hear you. Our instrument is a capital one, probably superior to--you shall try it some day. Do your sisters play and sing?"

"One of them does."

"Why did you not all learn? You ought all to have learned. The Miss Webbs all play, and their father has not so good an income as yours. Do you draw?"

"No, not at all."

"What, none of you?"

"Not one."

"That is very strange. But I suppose you had no opportunity. Your mother should have taken you to town every spring for the benefit of the masters."

"My mother would have no objection, but my father hates London."

"Has your governess left you?"

"We never had any governess."

"No governess! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without a governess! I never heard of such a thing. Your mother must have been quite a slave to your education."

Elizabeth could hardly help smiling as she assured her that had not been the case.


P&P&Z, pp. 126-127

"Mr. Collins tells me that you are schooled in the deadly arts, Miss Bennet."

"I am, though not to half the level of proficiency your Ladyship has attained."

"Oh! Then--some time or other I shall be happy to see you spar with one of my ninjas. Are your sisters likewise trained?"

"They are."

"I assume you were schooled in Japan?"

"No, your ladyship. In China."

"China? Are those monks still selling their clumsy kung fu to the English? I take it you mean Shaolin?"

"Yes, your ladyship; under Master Liu."

"Well, I suppose your had no opportunity. Had your father more means, he should have taken you to Kyoto."

"My mother would have no objection, but my father hates Japan."

"Have your ninjas left you?"

"We never had any ninjas."

"No ninjas! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without any ninjas! I never heard of such a thing. You mother must have been quite a slave to your safety."

Elizabeth could hardly help smiling as she assured her that had not been the case.




No ninjas, indeed.

thanks, life dilemmas.

I got an email today from an internship coordinator that I met with two and a half weeks ago. I got the internship. Somewhat prestigious--Church-wise, that is. And all around really awesome, handling primary sources from Church history and whatnot. Now I'm all confused about whether I should take this year, full-time, paid internship over the full-time, legal JOB I was offered last week.

I could really use some advice on this.

job offer! (!!!)

Well, I should say, offer...and acceptance! Woot. I am officially a legal secretary for a law firm in downtown Salt Lake. I really wanted it too, especially after meeting with them. My unemployment days are over! Celebration! You'll never see this many exclamation points in one blog post again! But I'm too excited to care! Yaaaaaaaayy. Oh law. I'll write a more detailed blog about everything later but right now I can only give general ideas. General idea: Happiness.

this is cool. in a "apply-to-your-life-NOW" kind of way.

I wrote an article today for this energy healer in Vancouver. Oftentimes I find these people too hippy-dippy, but something she ( Katrice Balmer ) says on her website really stuck out to me. Probably because it's applied to me for 98% of my life whenever I think of the future. Which is 99% of the time.

FEAR is simply:
False Expectations Appearing Real

Story of my life, Katrice. Story of my life.

the latest in doggy fashion.

SO here I am, just minding my own business and doing research on an article about why you should dress your dog (no, really: why?) and here pops up this article about dressing your dog like Sarah Palin. I love that someone even thought of it, let alone executed said thought.

topping the list of movies about Real Life that only serve to reinforce the fact that movies are nothing like real life:

my first literary crush.

Jane Eyre is hands down my favorite book--I read it every year. Thomas Hardy may be my favorite author, but there is something about Bronte's novel that keeps it at its lofty top o' the list. Not the least of which is the connection between the hero (antihero?), Mr. Rochester, and Jane. Among my many literary crushes (Holden Caulfield, Daniel Deronda, John Galt, etc) Rochester will always be the first. I think this is something that only English majors can understand, haha. But there you are.

The passage that stuck out to me this time around is when Rochester is just about to tell Jane he loves her. He says:

"Are you anything akin to me, do you think, Jane? Because I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you--especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel, and two hundred miles or so of and come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly."

desolation! horror! : a lunch tale.

Today I was craving a nourishing dejeuner dans le mode de la francais--an omelet. I quickly swooped upon the necessary ingredients in the fridge. Onions! Cheese! Sausage! Green pepper! All were assembled but one. The eggs. Frenetic was my search, unsuccessful was the result. No omelet was ever wanted more in that moment of my omelet wanting.

My stomach was not taking no for an answer so I scoured the shelves for an alternative. Knowing that no substitute could ever take that place of the omelet I had imagined, my hope was dim. In a small corner of the fridge I spied a small container of last night's chicken and broccoli casserole.

Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

I am not a leftovers person, but c and b casserole is one leftover I do allow past my fractious and persnickety gullet. The day wasn't completely frabjous when I realized there were only a few bites in the container, and most of it rice. But my belly offered no complaints afterward so all seems well.*

*The above was written in response to nerves upon applying for a PAID editorial internship and the incumbent's wish to stop thinking about what might happen thankyouverymuch.

best. movie. ever.

Solarbabies: Orphan rollerskaters follow a magical sphere to freedom from fascist police of the future.



I'll have whatever the man on the far left is having.


I don't know which is better: the movie itself, or this article, which makes the case for how "Alan Johnson's audacious—and criminally misunderstood—futuristic science fiction tale offers a compelling subtext on the nature of the human soul and the duality of man."

O RLY?
I don't know how I find this stuff. It just finds me.

pretty things.

Top: Sarah W. with DwellStudio Draper Stripe + Hier apparel skirt.
Bottom: Samantha M. with DwellStudio Thicket + Oscar de la Renta shoes.

Any bright color + gray always gets me a little verklempt. Currently I'm all about oranges. And all shades of green. Heaven help my need to design something soon.

For my gaming friends.

'Warcraft' Sequel Lets Gamers Play A Character Playing 'Warcraft'


I heart The Onion.

Boston, part deux.

Thursday: We drove to Cambridge ( I don't recommend driving in Boston, FYI), and walked around the Harvard campus awhile. We mostly stuck to the oldest parts; we saw the statue of John Harvard and figured out its three lies, got Cub a Harvard shirt, and ate a little pastry at Au bon pain at Harvard Square. From there we drove to Lexington and Concord, where the first official actions of the Revolutionary War took place. Sights include Buckman Tavern, where Samuel Adams and John Hancock were staying when Paul Revere made his ride to warn them about the British, and the Old North Bridge, where the "shot heard around the world" was fired. I love early American history, so it was really cool to actually be there. We also saw the Old Manse, where Emerson lived and wrote. We stopped at Thoreau's Walden Pond on the way out--it was really peaceful. We didn't get the chance to walk around much because it was pouring rain, but I still got some good pictures. Oh, on the way to Lex/Con we saw the Boston temple. Built on a hill, like its brothers.


The statue of John Harvard. With a child, apparently.


JD class of 2013?


A quote on one of the campus buildings. Psalms, I think.


Boston Temple.


Buckman Tavern.




I can't remember the name of this house, but it was the only house that Nathaniel Hawthorne ever owned, and Louisa May Alcott (Little Women) lived here.


The Old North Bridge.


Walden Pond.




Friday: We did absolutely nothing. Seriously. Today was the last day of my mom's CPM exam, so we waited until she was done and then went to dinner and a movie. She needed to relax. :)

Saturday: Our last day in Boston we walked the Freedom Trail from Boston Common to the North End (Old North Church). It wasn't that long of a walk, about 2.5 miles winding through the city. The Trail marks all the old important places of the Revolutionary War, such as Paul Revere's house, old meeting halls, the Old North Church (of "One if by land, two if by sea" fame), and so on. We also made it over to Charlestown and checked out Bunker Hill and the Navy yard where Old Ironsides is. It was a good day of history and seeing old parts of Boston.


Massachusetts Hall.


The Old Burying Ground. Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and other revolutionary leaders are buried here.


A statue of Paul Revere outside the Old North Church.


The church itself.

All in all, it was a good trip. I love the east coast and it's always a joy to go back.

Boston.

I'm in the least bloggy mood of all time today, but I finally have an hour to spare so I thought I'd share a little of my trip to Boston. Love that city, no joke. Here is what we did each day (this blog is going to be more picture-y rather than prose-y, sorry):

Sunday: Flew into Boston/Logan International around 8 p.m., mom picked us up (she was on business and flew ahead of us), got to our hotel, crashed into bed.

Monday: My favorite day of all! Derek, dad, and I drove to Salem in the morning. It's only about 20 minutes north of Boston. This is the place of the notorious 17th-century witch trials. It also has importance to the literary minded as the inspiration of many of Nathaniel Hawthorne's (one of my faves) works.

My new pirate friend from Salem.

Dad checking out the creepy old hanging tree. The "witches" weren't burned, but hanged.

Touristy but still informational.

This house was built by one of the first Puritan settlers in 1630-ish.

Old Salem Graveyard.

The house that inspired Hawthorne's book of the same name.

Cool colonial home.

After Salem we drove further north to Ipswich. This place to me is the real New England, and I can't wait to make a return visit in the fall. We ate lunch at the Clam Box, which was really delicious. I had the fried clam mini plate--you'd never know it was the mini by how huge it actually is. Totally non-greasy and the freshest seafood ever. Ipswich is OLD--the oldest house was built in 1633. The amazing thing to me is that people still live in these houses. Talk about history.


My fried clam lunch.

The Clam Box.

A view of Boston from one of the bridges.

Tuesday: After breakfast we took a shuttle to the "T" station and rode into the city. We walked down Beacon Hill, which is the oldest (not counting the North End) and richest part of Boston, and ended up at the Public Garden, where the famous swan boats are. The park was really nice and relatively transient free.


Swan boat at the Public Garden.

From the park we walked a short distance to Copley Square, which is probably my second-favorite place of the trip. The place has Trinity Church, Boston Public Library (which strongly resembles a mini version of the Library of Congress), a farmer's market, and more. Luckily we went on a nice day and could wander around at our leisure.


Dad and Derek looking up our family name in the social science reading room of the library.

From Copley we got back on the T and went two stops west to Kenmore, where Fenway Park is. It's also near Boston University. (Wishful-yet-hinting cough.) The game wasn't to start until 7:00, but my dad is one of those types that likes to arrive at a game fourteen hours before, to "check everything out." Haha...he was cute though. We took a tour of the park, which was awesome because of all that history involved. It's the oldest working baseball park in the US, built in 1912. Love me some Red Sox. We got to sit on top of the Green Monster for a while, then down in the original wood bleacher seats.


Looking towards home plate from the Green Monster.

The game begins!

We ate so much that day. I don't even want to think about it.

Wednesday: Since the weather was supposed to be in the 90s, we decided to make this day our Cape Cod excursion. Derek, dad, and I set out first for Plymouth, the site of Plymouth Rock, Mayflower II, and Plymouth Plantation. Thanks, pilgrims! At the plantation I bought this awesome hand-sketched recipe book filled with local recipes and flavors. I've yet to use it, but there's a clam chowder recipe in there that's just dying to be made. Not to mention the double blueberry pie.


Cute Derek trying to wake up.

Me and Bud at Plimoth Plantation. (Weird spelling is theirs, not mine.)

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this house, which is for sale. In my mind I've already bought it and live in it.

Beautiful Cape Cod.

Mayflower II.

From Plymouth, we drove 60 miles further east/northeast to the very tip of Cape Cod, called Provincetown. Look at map of Massachusetts sometime, and look at Cape Cod. We stood on the very end of that hook! It was such a beautiful day, and we were lucky to get there at early evening.


Derek's crabby friend.





Ok, that's all I have time for right now, but I'll put up the next three days of the trip later. Loves.

I am a goal-achieving machine!

Today I created a new vision board, made necessary by the fact that I conquered everything on my old one. I am awesome like that. I love my new board and everything it represents. Right now I am basically loving life. My family and I went camping for Memorial Day weekend. We hit up Smith and Morehouse in the Uintas, our favorite place to go. It was so beautiful and green, and the river was crazy overflowing. We caught 23 fish in one day (8 of those supplied by me, thank you), ate a ton of delicious food (Dutch oven!), mountain biked our legs off, and had fun scavenging for firewood while not getting eaten by bears. Well, Derek and I did that last one, anyway. He's such a stud and I love him! He is the cutest little brother ever. And a freaking genius.

So this weekend (probably Saturday morning) I'm going hiking and anyone who wants to come is welcome. Just let me know. My phone is still on the fritz a bit, but I'll try to text you back if you go that route.

The Studs Terkel of Zombie Journalism?

Last night I finished the book I've been reading--World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. The format was a little unexpected, but once I got into it I absolutely loved it. The book is a series of "interviews" with survivors of humanity's war with the living dead, and the multiple stories and perspectives from which the entire whole is made up of makes the book really intriguing, literate, and well rounded.

The author is the same man who wrote the Zombie Survival Guide; I haven't read it, but I think it's cool the author has this little niche carved out. That's the kind of thing you have to do in order to get published, you know?

So last night was also the annual Chasms concert at Copper Hills. Clarence's band played of course, and as always they did really well. They get better and better with each show they play. This time they added some sweet synth provided by Clarence's older brother Curt. Luckily we didn't have to stay through the remaining bands' attempts at punk rock. After dropping off all the equipment at the guys' house, we ate at the ever-tasty Taste of Punjab (tandoori chicken, yum!). I had such a good time and it was nice to get out of the house for a while and do something normal. This past week has been pretty crazy between the funeral and getting back into the work groove. I'm trying but it's been hard going.

Last but not least, I would like to give my stamp of approval for the casting choice for Spock in the latest Star Trek. I love me some brown eyes. ;)

Spring showers.

I like warm weather just as much as the next person, but I have absolutely loved the past two or three days of rainy weather. Why? Because the sky is so beautiful afterwards, and the world is so green and fresh. I love being able to live in a state that has four distinct seasons. It makes waking up each day new and exciting!

I thought it was interesting, anyway...

Star Trek trivia and facts

The classic line "Beam me up, Scotty" was never actually delivered. The phrase comes from the command Captain Kirk gives to his transporter chief when he wanted to return to the ship. The closest he came to saying it was "Scotty, beam us up" in the original series.

The line "to boldly go where no man has gone before" was taken almost verbatim from a White House booklet on space issued after the Sputnik flight in 1957. It's also the world's best-known example of a split infinitive - to be grammatically correct it should say "to go boldly".

The flip open communicator that crew used to talk to the Enterprise has been credited as an early design model for the mobile phone. A real-life version of the hand-held phaser that went from stun to kill - hence the "phasers on stun" order - is said to be being developed by the US military..

Preparing for the role of Spock, actor Zachary Quinto shaved his eyebrows and dyed his hair - then admitted he felt like "a nerd".

A study found that children learn more about science from Star Trek than from any other source. :]

Some of the ashes of both Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and James Doohan, who played chief engineer "Scotty" have since been blasted into space aboard NASA rockets.

Captain James T. Kirk's middle name is Tiberius.

Joan Collins had a role in 1967 episode The City On The Edge Of Forever in which the crew time-travel back to Earth.

She played a social worker who Kirk falls in love with - but has to let die. If he didn't she would change history... and Hitler would win World War 2.

Gene Roddenberry's wife Majel Barrett was the voice of the ship's computer.

She recorded for the new film before her death last year.

To watch all 726 episodes, including spin-offs and 11 films back-to-back would take three weeks.

Bourne star Matt Damon turned down the role of Captain James T Kirk in the new Star Trek film. (Which is a good thing, in my opinion!)

British comedy actor Simon Pegg took lessons from his Scottish wife Maureen McCann to help him with the accent for his part as "Scotty".

The original Sixties Star Trek series was pulled after three years and 79 episodes on US TV because of low ratings. But the reruns became so popular it won a cult following and is now broadcast in more than 100 countries across the world and on over 120 TV stations in America alone. (Ha.)

Tv bosses at first rejected Leonard Nimoy's Spock character, fearing his "satanic" pointed ears would upset some viewers.

Nimoy revealed that Barack Obama gave him the Vulcan greeting gesture when the two met last year.

Nichelle Nichols, who played communications officer Lt Uhura, was one of the first black women to take a key role in a TV series. Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison cited the character as her inspiration for wanting to go into space.

A kiss between Kirk and Uhura in 1968 was hailed as the first inter-racial kiss on US TV. The episode was later banned in Britain - not because of the kiss, but because censors claimed it was too sadistic as it showed the crew being taunted by aliens.

Zachary Quinto, who plays Leonard Nimoy's character Spock, had an awkward first meeting with the legendary star in a lift. After a silent journey, the doors opened and Nimoy turned to Quinto and said: "You have no idea what you're in for."Leonard Nimoy is in it but not me. I thought, 'What a decision to make'

An Emotional Day.

Yesterday I graduated from college and moved home. Of course I cried a little, but I'm also feeling an immense sense of relief to have it all done. The best part was getting to walk with Kristin!



But I also had a really hard day yesterday because we had to put down Abby, our golden retriever. We had her for eight (?) years and she was very much a part of our family. She'd been feeling really sick lately, and when my parents took her to the vet he said that Abs had stomach cancer. I know it was the humane thing to do to put her to sleep, but that doesn't make me any less sad about it. She was the most obedient and loving dog ever. I miss her so much!

Christian Louboutin.

I've never come so close to dropping $600 on shoes.