The Perfect vs My Perfect

I was sitting somewhere last night and a thought struck me. It was a thought about the perfect and my perfect. Because those aren't the same.

Some years ago I had my perfect. It wasn't perfect for anyone else...I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't have been as happy with what what going on in my life (I mean hello? Who wants this?) but it was my version of perfect. I was so happy.

Fast forward a year or two and I had the perfect. It was picturesque. Doing above average in school, taking summer classes and working. Killing it in lacrosse. Return missionary boyfriend who I read conference talks with every week. Wonderful friends. Going to wedding showers and baby showers for those friends. It wasn't bad. I enjoyed myself and I was mostly happy with my life and friends and whatnot. But it wasn't my perfect. I thought it was what I wanted out of life and in some ways it was...but in the most important ways it was just the perfect and not my perfect.

My point is that the perfect, the ideal is not and could never be my perfect, my ideal. Mine is usually a much more difficult road than the perfect. 

And that is why I am strong.

Fostering Dogs - Mo the Chocolate Lab Mix

This beautiful, sweet thing's name is Mo. I'll explain why we changed it from Sunshine to Mo in a minute. She is a sweet heart. Mowgli, Mo, whatever you want to call her she is so sweet.

She is a year old, chocolate lab mix (greyhound? Look at the long face:)

As you can see in that last picture ALL OF HER RIBS, you might guess, the poor thing was starved. Probably abused too judging by her temperament and skiddish-ness. But she still LOVES humans. She's incredible.

We got her in August and we still have her. :) YAY! But for any of you in the Salt Lake area, she is up for adoption! Check out the Humane Society of Utah's dog adoption page and she is there. And Blue :(

**Update: Mo has a potential new owner we will meet on saturday**

Anyways, back to Mo. She came to us as starved, scraggly, Sunshine but that wouldn't do. While she is a ray of sunshine it just wasn't her name. We tried to be clever and come up with 'thin' or 'skinny' or 'bone' in another language since she was SO SKINNY. None of those sounded too good either. Lindsay had started calling her Mo on the ride back from the HSU just because it was what she thought of when she saw the dog. After a couple hours of debating and voting and not choosing a name Lindsay said let's just call her Mo. It fits and she will always need mo' food. So Mo it is. 

She is a great dog. So obedient and calm. She crosses her front paws when she lays down which just SLAYS me it is so adorable. 

And she inspired us to build a killer doghouse:

More on that later.

We love Mo so much. Even if she ends up with this potential family she will always be ours. 

Love you Mowgli. <3

William Carlos Williams

I want to write poetry like William Carlos Williams does:

The Red Wheelbarrow:

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

It will mean things and people will be baffled **shoutout to my 8th graders** by what it is.

I'm glad I have worked my life out thus far

First: There but for the grace of God go I.

Second. I am glad I have ambition and desires in life. I am thankful I wasn't married and having babies beginning before my second year of college. I am thankful I am the way I am.

Why 7 out of 10 of you should go adpot a dog from the local shelter in the next 6 months

Here are a bunch of links to things you can read to convince you to go adopt a dog from your local shelter:

http://news.distractify.com/geek/science/reasons-you-absolutely-need-a-dog-in-your-life/

• This one gives 20 reasons to get a dog
• Like:
• reduce allergies, eczema
• helps overcome PTSD
• aids with all sorts of conditions

http://news.distractify.com/avericlements/21-ways-that-dogs-show-you-they-love-you-more-than-anything-ever/

• This one explains the way dogs express their love for you
• Like:
• not eating the food off the counter
• when the leave a few inches of bed instead of taking the whole thing
• when they bring back the things you throw for them instead of leaving them across the yard

http://list25.com/25-reasons-why-you-should-consider-owning-a-dog/

• This one gives 25 reasons for owning a dog
• Like:
• fitness
• love and affection
• teaching responsibility
• teaching discipline

http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/features/health-benefits-of-pets

• And this one gives health reasons for having a dog

SO GO GET A DOG ALREADY!!

Superstition

So I learned in my Anthropology of Religion class about superstition and why it is even a thing.

It isn't that it actually has a physical effect on the universe or whatever. Like throwing salt over your shoulder after you've spilt it doesn't change some force of nature from wreaking havoc on your being.

INSTEAD...the power in superstitions comes from the psychological changes it creates in a persons being. That person feels safer for throwing the salt over their shoulder and so they ARE safer.

When everything else is out of their control, the superstition gives them an explanation for WHY things happened. People can handle things better if they think they know WHY said thing happened.

Lindsay came home today and asked to see my ring **spoiler alert** **I'll get to that later**. I showed it to her and she asked if she could put it on. Then she quickly said, "wait, isn't that bad luck or something?"

I am going somewhere with this, I promise.

So the superstition is that maybe if someone else tries on your engagement/wedding ring, that brings bad luck upon the couple. I thought about that and thought about how it would be sort of a comforting thing.........STAY WITH ME. THIS WILL SOUND AWFUL BUT IT WAS AN EXPLANATION THAT MADE THE SUPERSTITION THING MAKE A LOTTA SENSE TO ME.

OK....so if something awful ever happened and Christopher and I were not together forever and a day for whatever reason, it would be a comforting thing to be able to look back and say, it is because I let Lindsay try my ring on. Like he dies of Ebola or something...the explanation that he was exposed to it and the virus did this that and the other would not be a good enough explanation. WHY was he the exposed one? **Thinks back to when I let someone try my ring on** That is why. It would be weirdly comforting.

Practically speaking, I know that it is ridiculous to find comfort in that. But THAT is the power of superstitions.

There is an anthropological piece by Evans-Pritchard (THERE IS A VIDEO THAT YOU CAN TAKE A GANDER AT) that tells how the Azande explain things like this.

Say a person stubs their toe on a path they've walked 10, 208 times without stubbing their toe. They claim it is witchcraft or magic that made them stub their toe that particular time. It is how the explain it. Or a granary collapses on a person and kills them when 203,734 people have sat under that same granary 120,421 times. Witchcraft. That is why that particular person was smooshed by the granary.

It is the same with superstitions. I might write more about this and like knocking on wood....

NOTE TO SELF: I did everything I could (knocked on wood) and so there was nothing else I could do to fix what happened. I can be ok with it...

Don't be in a hurry

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/06/dont-be-in-a-hurry?lang=eng

My Newfound Mission in Life

So I recently got on the Humane Society of Utah's website and saw my beautiful Blue listed again. What does that mean? It means that someone adopted her and after a month or so was unhappy with her and brought her back. I honest to goodness shed tears over that. At work. Luckily I was alone at the time.

That made me so unbelievably sad I almost couldn't even handle it. I was ready to go get in my car and pick her up right then despite the destruction she caused. I didn't even care because she needs someone who loves her and who knows her. Luckily I do not have myopia (shout out to my eighth graders who have that word on their vocabulary quiz today!) and I did not do that. I currently do not have the resources to provide a life for her that would make her (and me) happy. But I did decide to do something.

I have this dream of living on a huge piece of land with a garden and animals and basically homesteading like in Dr. Quinn. (HAHAHA). That kind of a life would be wonderful for dogs like Blue. So into that dream, I incorporated and made room for dogs like Blue and the elderly dogs at the Humane Society of Utah that will most likely die there because people don't generally want to adopt a dog with less than 3 years left on this earth.

I want to be a place where those doggies can die in a home with love and snuggles and love and a family and love. I want my kids to have the responsibility of taking care of an animal that (more or less) needs them. I want them to have the experience of death of a (furry) loved one and go through the loss and learn from it. Learn that when a family can be together forever, it includes your furry, feathery, four legged, winged, and tailed family members too. I want to be a home to the dogs who end up in the HS or shelter multiple times because people are irresponsible.

I would also like you guys to help me. I don't care where you are or what your life is like. 7 times out of 10 you can and should get a dog. Check back for all the reasons why you should adopt a dog from the Humane Society or Shelter in your area and help me out with this dream of mine because as much as I would like to, I will never be able to be a home for all the dogs out there who need a family.



**I'll get to fostering kids later ;)**

Its kind of a hobby of mine

I really like to just chop all my hair off. Its the best feeling ever. It's kind of a hobby of mine really.

It's great to just put your hair in a pony tail and then chop that pony tail right off. Or a braid. Braids are fun to cut off too. Then you have a whole new hair style.


Then you can stand there and hold your unattached hair in your hand. Kinda creepy though.

 Notice the super cool ComiCon shirt

Then you can donate it to those in need or want of a wig. I love it.

Going from this:

To this:

It's fun. Try it. Be brave!

Pantene Beautiful Lengths
Locks of Love

The Truth About Triple Forward Helices - 3

This is great and all. I mean really. I don't regret it but holy cow. A LOT OF WORK. haha

 

 

Here are a bunch of pictures that document the healing and changing of the piercing (and also the growing out of my red hair...) It is August now and I did it in the beginning of April so that is (April, May, June, July, August halfway) 4.5ish months. Just halfway through the 8-12 month healing time. And let me tell you, when they say it will be 8-12 months before it is healed, they mean it will be 8-12 months before it is healed. I mean really. Really. Really. I heal pretty completely and quickly and this is still healing. Very much still healing.

The bottom one I would say is 87% healed. The middle one I have no clue since I have not changed that one...haha. The top one is maybe 49% healed. It gets the most irritated because it is the one getting caught in my hair and all that. So it has been slow going for that one. The middle one...well we will see...haha

Overall I do love it. But it is a lot of time before it can be really enjoyed.

Update: I have now changed them all at least once, some of them multiple times. I have horseshoe like rings in the top and bottom and I am letting the middle one heal some more with the new stud I put in last weekend. I am trying to figure out which style of earring I like so I bought this: It has a million things I have no need for....but there were plenty I can try out in my ear just to check out styles before I lay a lotta $$ down for some really high quality nice ones. So far I am enjoying trying them all out. 

Fostering Dogs - Blue the Cattle Dog

Ah, Blue. What a wonderful little ball of electricity. What a handful. What a monster.

She jumps up on people but not obnoxiously at all. It's like she is giving you a hug because she actually puts her little arms around you. I think she just wants to make it easier for you to pet her to be honest. It was adorable. She is like the perfect size too. Not a small dog but not a huge one that takes up a ton of space either. Perfect travel size!

If you sit on the ground with your legs out she makes herself quite at home there wanting to be pet and loved.

She looks so nice in these pictures. Not at all showing the psychotic nature underneath. She always has this smile too. AH the smile. So CUTE. I can't find a good picture of her with that smile. She found (or created) a spot in the backyard under the big pine tree that stays cool and that is where she spent much of her time here. Ah Blue...I love you. 

She was in heat when we first got her so she was superrrrr obnoxious. Like so annoying. And she has the worst bark I have ever heard in my life. It's a high pitched yap and I hated it. We all hated it. Luckily she isn't a very vocal dog. 

She is so curious. So so so curious and the way she manifests that is through digging and chewing. I will let my dad speak about this:

"Then she brought home a female dog, and this female dog was totally the opposite. I think we should have named her "Tasmanian Devil," but her name was Blue. She is a Blue Heeler, so she has all the attributes of a Blue Heeler. They herd cattle. It is a mistake to think they bite the heels of cattle. They are bred to herd cattle and they open their mouths, and hit with their teeth at the heels of the cattle to herd them. Blue has all of the psychological makeup required to engage in that hazardous occupation. 

And this dog, bless her heart, is eager to please. Disciplining her was simple, you just had to indicate you weren't happy, and it about killed the poor animal. But she is so full of energy that she couldn't help but drag the mulch bag out into of the middle of the lawn and reduce it to shreds. She also has engaged in a major excavation project to find out exactly how the sprinkler system is put together. She clearly questioned whether we really needed a valve at the location she found it. She also wondered what the valve tasted like? When she found out we don't like that behavior, she was so apologetic. I could not bring myself to do anything, other than by the voice to say, What are you doing!?! She responded to the tone of voice and she fell onto her back, as if to cry: 'You have to love me still! Please, you have to love me still'"

All that is true. 100% true. She's a curious, energetic archaeologist in the making. And she's so eager to please. That was good. And she's so receptive to discipline, which is necessary because her antics often require discipline. She is a puppy and comes with all her puppy ways. She is queen of the love bite or love chew. 

Perhaps the best thing about her, besides all of this:

is the fact that she did not run away. Not once. In fact we let her off the leash and she would walk with us and it was so great. Like having Rocket with us again. Ah Blue, what a gem! We miss you Blueberry. 

This adorable pup is Mo:

We will talk about her next time.

Fostering Dogs - Buddy the Australian Shepherd Mix

I decided to foster dogs starting this summer and it has been the greatest thing ever. Seriously. I cannot even explain how awesome dogs are. They are super cool.

I am doing it through the Humane Society of Utah in Murray. They like to foster out the dogs sick with kennel cough, or who are depressed and need some love, or who are recovering from surgery and that.

My first guy was this adorable Australian Shepherd mix - His name is Buddy. He was about 2 or three years old but was just a HUGE puppy. Just a ginormus puppy at heart. He played like a puppy and acted like a puppy and oh man he was adorable and just slayed my with those eyebrows. AAHHHHH

These first ones are

 on the way home from the humane society the first day. He was a little scraggly and his nosey was all yuck from the kennel cough.

Here he is meeting the bird, Tinkerbell. He was OBSESSED with her. He would sit like that for hours just staring at her.

He loved it under the deck. GAH HE IS SO CUTE

He is such a beautiful animal. 

He's great for some lazy cuddles. 

I was (only mostly) obsessed with this animal. He was so great. He was so stubborn and got into some trouble (trying to eat the mouse, Winston) *cough, cough*. But he had a great heart. He tried to be obedient but he was so stubborn it didn't fly sometimes. 

Also, he ran away. A lot. Any chance he got. And it wasn't a sauntering, exploring, meandering down the street kind of a run away. It was bat-outta-hell run away. It was terrible. We had to mobilize troops on foot and in vehicles within seconds or he was gone. We chased him quite a ways a few times. The morning he was adopted, he got out and took off like there was no tomorrow (and there was no tomorrow...not with us at least....) but we got him back and had to bathe him cause he was so filthy from the scrub oak and shrubbery he ran through to escape. STUPID ANIMAL. UGH WHAT AN IDIOT. But we love him dearly and hope he loves his new home. 

We are now on our second dog, Blue: 

Her story will come up shortly. Check back!

Happy with Life

Ya know, it's been about 1000 years. Approximately.


Sorry ABOUT THAT.

Anyways I just want to say I am happy with my life. I really am. I have two credits of Rock and Roll I just finished and I graduate from the University of Wyoming. I can say bye to it and this post right here can be true and it just blows my mind.

I have grown so much.


I've found happiness. Or happiness has found me. I had some happiness before, I've always had happiness. But now it's here to stay. and I am deja vu-ing right now....................

Sayings I Love

Still waters run deep.


Quiet people have the loudest minds. -stephen hawking


An empty drum makes the most noise.


Men have birthdays; man does not.


Not just a hat rack.


Quit mixing apples with assholes.


Red hair, don't care.


A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way. -mark twain


If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side


You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.


Calladita te ves mas bonito.


Hijo de tigre, pintito.











If you don't see the power in these, look closer.

The Truth About Triple Forward Helices - 2

If you missed The Truth About Triple Forward Helices - 1 <-- There it is
So day one was a breeze. Second hole hurt like the dickens and it got hot, but mostly it was fine. Ya know...

Day 2

...Aiya. Not fun. Hurts. Sore. I mean, you just put three holes through your ear. Sheesh. You can't smile. It hurts too bad. Smiling smooshes it all up and OUCH. Still not much you can't handle. It's freaking swollen and yucky but still...it's just been over a day. Just don't lay on it cause that is bad. Also make sure you are cleaning it. Clean it good, but not too much.

Day 3...

Day 3 I thought it was infected or going to get infected. I got paranoid. My ear was red and I thought I was seeing that streaky thing that happens when you get a really bad infection and it moves into the blood stream. Also it is hotter than you remember it being yesterday...Seriously paranoid. What if I go septic and die? That would teach me for making poor decisions, wouldn't it? Holy crap. I am going to die.

Spend like 7 hours Googling "infected piercing", "piercing infection", "triple forward helix infected" "get rid of piercing infection" and all sorts of combinations of those words. You read that you should not use Neosporin even though you think that's crap cause that junk works on everything. You read not to use rubbing alcohol cause it's too harsh. Well what can I do to make it not kill me?! Salt soak! That seems to be the key. Salt soak!

So there I go, doing salt soaks every day with warm water to make sure I am not getting an infection. I want to smile. I can't smile still cause it hurts.

Keep going with The Truth About Triple Forward Helices - 3

The Truth About Triple Forward Helices - 1

Alright you trendy folks who are wanting the triple forward helix piercing. Listen up so you know what you are getting yourself into.

I'll break it down for you so you can make an informed decision about this (major) piercing.

Day 1: 
I don't know about you guys but I wasn't thinking too hard about this whole thing. I had decided like the week before that I wanted it. I knew it was not the most responsible decision, but I also realized that I have never made an irresponsible decision in my life and that my young years were runnin' out. So I decided to do it and then I did it. Not much thought in between.

So I get there and say to the tattooed & pierced lady with purple asymmetrical hair, half leopard printed, "I want the triple forward helix." There we have it. She said she didn't know if she had the supplies and she would check. Again, not thinking about what I was actually getting into. Just wanted it. That was all. There we go. HA! I feel like my sister Lindsay.

So she got the stuff and told me to come on back. Still not thinking about it. I sat in the chair and looked away so my ear was facing her. She cleaned it, marked it with a pen, gave me a mirror and asked if that was good. I said yes and she got started.

When she was about to stab me through she would say, take a deep breath in. I would take that deep breath in and then she would stab me through. The first one was not bad at all. Just like my other piercings, a pinch and then it was ok. It would get hot but ya know, its all good. I thought, "Yeah man, this is cool. Not too bad."

So then, she got the second one ready, told me to breath then stabbed me through. This time it hurt. It hurt a whole ton. Worst thing ever. So bad. At that point I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to get the third one. I wanted to quit. I got all sweaty and blehhhhh. Ew. Sweaty and hot and gross. HA! So fun. So fun!

Anyways, then they did the third one and it was as bad as the first. AKA fine. Didn't hurt. Then she started soaking up the blood in my ear. Awesome. Lots of blood in and around my ear. Awesome.

She said, "______ will tell you about aftercare." No idea what his name was but he mumbled about showering and cleaning and don't touch, salt soak with the stuff they gave me. 8 weeks before I can change them and 8-12 months before they heal totally. Blah blah.

So then I went and paid for the piercing and walked out. This is what it looked like right after:

It felt fine. I mean really hot and swelling but what the heck did you expect after putting 3 holes in your ear in the same place...AIYA!

So I got home a few hours later and cleaned it up:

Didn't seem like anything I couldn't handle. I knew day 2 would be reallllllyyyy fun.

Check out The Truth About Triple Forward Helices - 2