Our little Cubby's growing up.

Clarence proposed to Cub last night and she said yes! [We were a little skeptical she would, to be honest ;) ]

Her ring is gorgeous, and we're all really happy for them. Getting to this point has definitely been somewhat of a journey for them, but it's the right time for them, I think. Here are some pics of the [gorgeous] ring:





I don't want to steal any of her thunder, but you should know they're planning on August in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, so plan accordingly. I'm sure Cub'll keep you posted...loves!

Farewell, Friend.

J.D. Salinger died today.

What did Catcher in the Rye mean to you?

Nausea: Jean Paul Sartre.

"I jump up: it would be much better if I could only stop thinking. Thoughts are the dullest things. Duller than flesh. They stretch out and there's no end to them and they leave a funny taste in the mouth. Then there are words, inside the thoughts, unfinished words, a sketchy sentence which constantly returns: 'I have to fi. . . I ex. . . Dead . . . M. de Roll is dead . . . I am not ... I ex. . .' It goes, it goes . . . and there's no end to it. It's worse than the rest because I feel responsible and have complicity in it. For example, this sort of painful rumination: I exist, I am the one who keeps it up. I. The body lives by itself once it has begun. But though I am the one who continues it, unrolls it. I exist. How serpentine is this feeling of existing, I unwind it, slowly. ... If I could keep myself from thinking! I try, and succeed: my head seems to fill with smoke . . . and then it starts again: 'Smoke . . . not to think . . . don't want to think ... I think I don't want to think. I mustn't think that I don't want to think. Because that's still a thought.' Will there never be an end to it? My thought is me: that's why I can't stop. I exist because I think . . . and I can't stop myself from thinking. At this very moment, it's frightful, if I exist, it is because I am horrified at existing. I am the one who pulls myself from the nothingness to which I aspire: the hatred, the disgust of existing, there are as many ways to make myself exist, to thrust myself into existence. Thoughts are born at the back of me, like sudden giddiness, I feel them being born behind my head ... if I yield, they're going to come round in front of me, between my eyes, and I always yield, the thought grows and grows and there it is, immense, filling me completely and renewing my existence."

Here's what we're gonna do.

The way I see it, I have the following three (3) options for 2010.

1. Buy a Skycar.

2. Spend time at Hagia Sophia.

3. Learn Italian. In Italy.

So we'll see. Moving to London is also an option to throw out there.

Other ideas?

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.