Shameless Sister Promotion--Yea for Mrs. Potts!

I have been scouring the internet to find the video news show that my sister and her Spokane CYT friends did for their Beauty and Beast production. I wasn't having any luck and just had to hear from everyone at home who gushed about it--while I am stuck in Utah and not able to see the play, let alone see my little sis' sing about Belle and the Beast.

But today--voila! Here it is. So, if you love B&B like I do, or want to see an amazing 16-year-old sing her heart out on morning TV, please oblige yourself. I am so proud of her!

P.S. We moved this weekend, so I have lots of pictures (most of them frightening) and will share the tale of how we slept, literally, on princess and a pea matresses 8 feet high one night. All forthcoming...

My Birthday...surely the event you were celebrating on Sunday, right?

So my birthday post is a little delayed. Mostly I would like to lay blame on the fact that it fell on Mother Day's this year, so May 11th was a little uncoventional in its singularly honoring of me for existing. However, this is no way disparages the wonderful care and treatment I received from my spouse and the lovely phone calls and birthday musical tributes from friends and family members.

Big thank-you to all--it was a big deal to even remember.

I started the day like any other leisurely (restful...a day of rest, right?) Sunday, by sleeping in and waking up to find my husband doing something because of his unfortunately inability to sleep past nine like his wife. I hope this can be overcome by breeding, because I am not sure how psyched I am for children who for some reason *can't* sleep in.

Michael then made me homemade--meaning no Bisquick-- waffles. With homemade whipping cream and lots of delicious strawberries (thank you Costco). I ate them on my "special day" red plate, it is a tradition in our family and was a wedding present from my Nonna.

We then waffled around, I did some sewing, I received some people by phone (kind of like Edwardian vistors with cards, but in my pajamas instead.)Then we went to church, and I looked cute in new clothes, thanks to Mom-and-Dad B-day/going home/shopping bananza present. The shoes weren't new, but were fantastic nonetheless. I bought them as retail therapy instruments when Mike went back to Coeur d'Alene last spring to work and I was stuck at school in P-town. Don't judge me--they are amazing shoes.

Dinner was fresh shiskabobs. Dessert was homemade Creme Brulee (too lazy to put the accent mark, but I know its there). All made by husband. All delicous. Ate an astonishing amoung, considering the low expenditure of caloric energy on Sunday. Fabulous.

Read outside on the grass in the park. Ate some Ben and Jerry's chocolate PB ice cream, because I decided I hadn't had enough sugar. Smelled my beautiful flowers from my man (see, if you bug them enough about it, they will bring them to you...oh...what a surprise...thank you!). Opened up my present from hubbie, new hot pink running shoes (crap...now I have to keep on running... :-))....

Wonderful day. 23 is looking good so far.

In honor of my Dad's B-day

On this day, May 6th, I have chosen to honor the occasion of my father's birth by participating in a long-standing family tradition--I will comment on his life and quirks with healthy doses of sarcasm and exaggeration.

The Reasons why we are glad Paul Leonard was born...

1. Certain words in the English vernacular have been presevered and even seen a resurgence because of his careful use and preservation...don't "go nutty", stay away from something that sounds "sketchy", hurry up and "let's get humping", when we were "zoobies", and "it is possible...?"



2. Many natural resources, such as wood and certain metals, were conserved and rescued from almost certain death and destruction by his watchful eye and undying loyalty to the green movement, conservation efforts to combat global warming, and the "I am not a handyman, why don't we just buy it ?" mantra



3. Several utility and telecommunications companies have expressed gratitude for his tireless efforts to push the frontier of long-distance phone calls and vocal volume. Centuries from now, alien visitors might be priviliged to hear him berating a customer service representative in escalating tones while question her lineage and study of the English language



4. His new interest in triathalong training, although done with the quiet intensity of a Burmese monk (pre-Junta but post-The King and I), will provide inspiration for the chosen few who are informed of his rise to athletic tri-stardom. His dedication to a sport where one's main goal is to not die will provide much-needed humor in an election year where two soulless Demorats battle for the white house. In fact, we may be allowed to participate in an important training ritual for him, such as the one detailed in this video...



5. Spandex might never have lived up to its full potential without the marathon product testing sessions that he has put the synthetic fabric through, teenage volleyball players and San Franciscan hairdresses named Coco salute him...



6. He single-handedly supports the Pacific Northwest golf economy. The rest of the players on the links might appear legitimate, but their support of the game is a careful ruse for them to discover how one can spend so much time with "clubs" without resorting to physcial violence...



7. The Hayden Lake Chamber of Commerce was happy to induct the "North office" into its rank-and-file membership, along with including some of the site's amenities and luxuries in its brochure to lithe Starbucks-infused Californians looking to relocate. The Chamber is still investigating what commercial activities actually occur in the North Office, but are confident that the enterprise will enlarge the tax base, attract the high-tech industry and cure cancer.



8. The abudant wildlife flourishing in the glades of Timber Creek raise their beaks, antennaes, and amoeba limbs to thank him for his crusade against the man. His fight for their scurvy groundwater and gritty swamp habitat have protected the sanctity of the wilderness while ensuring an interference-free DirectTV signal for neigbhoring properties.



9. Rogers and Hammerstein, George Gershwin, Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John and John Barry all are grateful for his creative contributions to their works and his renewed energy and zen he brings to traditional song lyrics and melodies. Simply put, the classics wound not have gotten to where they are without some ad-libbing and rthymic and meter distortion to fit modern themes and archetypes of the musical experience. Softly, slowly...now we brush the tee-th...



10. In all seriousness, I can't tell you how glad I am that my Dad was born 48 years ago today and that he has lived his life to be the kind of hilarious, strong, spiritual, fun-loving, intelligent husband, father and friend that so many love and appreciate today. I love his quirks and I can only hope to follow the example of one who can see the humor in just about everything while being a leader in his family and community. Love you lots Papa G!

The Mormon View

Check this out. This article, written by a witty LDS reporter for Vanity Fair, The Mormon View, is a "great overview of what Mormon’s believe, Reader’s Digest Style. If you are ever asked as a member of the church for tips on polygamy or how we Mormon gals get our bangs to puff so high, (I think this photo speaks for itself) this is the post for you. " I loved it, especially since Mormons aren't really known for their sense of humor generally, kind of like CPAs. Don't even get me started on Mormon CPAs.

In other good news--Mike and I will be moving--about a quarter mile away to our old south campus neighborhood. We are going to manage a small female apartment complex (saying female like that makes it sound like a monkey exhibit...but oh well) starting in a few weeks.

Also--Mike got into the Business/Finance undegraduate program. It is very competitive and he starts this spring and should graduate next April. Bring it on capital budgeting, tempt me income statements, and blow me away cashflow analyses!

The other piece of resounding good news, tied together with the previous two, is that we are going home to Coeur d'Alene this summer! Yahoo for Idaho (the pretty part). We, hopefully, will spend about six weeks at home, working, playing, interning, sunning, swimming, family bond-ing, etc. It will be great to have my little brother home and to spend such quality time the family, maybe one of the last times we will have the chance. Topping the summer off as a bridesmaid for one of my best friend's weddings, I think summer 2008 will be fabulous.

Church Dates

I like reading Slate, especially the health section, which always has a nice roundup of health and science news from around the world (the kind of stuff from Universities and journals that I used to write and research). Although the articles are predictably slanted toward those who will either be voting for Hillary or Obama this November--it is a bit difficult to inject bias in a science article, not impossible, just more difficult.

I found this release interesting. It tells of a meta-study about how church attendance is the one significant variable in a group of churchy/spiritual variables that correlates with low infidelity among couples.

Shocker--going to church together as a couple (any church mind you, this isn't a BYU study or something) makes people not want to cheat on each other? Who knew?

I guess the sad part of it is that the other variables, which included a belief in God, prayer, etc., didn't correlate. I guess this could be fodder for the "faith without works is dead," lesson. It is great if you have a relationship with God and do tai-chi on the deck or feel in touch with the universe or whatever, but when push comes to shove, if you aren't making that trek to church with your spouse, your marriage isn't as protected as it could be.

Good news, I guess, for those who make it a priority to attend regularly, despite being distracted by a mass of children in a young family ward--children who pull on curtains, run laps around the pews, and eat enough snacks to rival a group of teenage boys playing Halo.

So, yeah for church dates. (like this one below...our Easter Sunday church date)

A visit from the take home chef

Fact: Kitchens have killed more people than the Iraq war.... Okay, maybe I exaggerate. We did however experience the destructive power of our broiler as Brittany graciously made cookies for her visiting teachees the other day. We were made an example of by every women's fantasy, Curtis Stone A.K.A. the take home cheff, as he pointed out the great dangers of the broiler...

Why I might be able to vote for McCain

I have to admit, I haven't been that jazzed about the Republican nominee so far. I'm not that impressed with his work experience (non-existent), his personal life (a divorce and a youthful daliance with a stripper), and his age (the man is at death's door...no offense to my spry grandparents who are also in their 70s, but also choose to stick to golf and tennis and not Iraq-Iran foreign policy.

However, I was pleasantly suprised by the tough stance he has taken on the-sub prime mortgage crisis, advising the Dems to calm down about throwing money to people who have proven their inability to make wise fiscal decisions when overcome by large dollar signs. I don't want to sound harsh on people who are probably feeling a big sting right now, they might be losing their jobs, their companies or their homes, but the government surely didn't make this problem (that is right--you can't blame the "man" for everything) and I am not so sure the government needs to fix it by throwing money at it.

As McCain summed up, “Some Americans bought homes they couldn’t afford, betting that rising prices would make it easier to refinance later at more affordable rates,” he said. Later he added that “any assistance must be temporary and must not reward people who were irresponsible at the expense of those who weren’t.”

The lenders definitely have some blame, they bought and sold those mortgages without thinking that maybe, just maybe something SUB-prime, might be a bargain deal because it has a unreliable cash flow and just maybe, won't actually materialize into any form of currency. Poo on you for speculating on mortgages taken out under risky terms and inflated values.

But poo on homeowners who buy big-A houses that they can't afford, trying to refinance or even take out the entire loan their bank is willing to offer them. It isn't a bank's job to decide what you can and can't afford really, who is the one in debt? Who is the one who needs to pay attention because they have a $500,000 or $800,000 cloud following them around and have no one to blame but themselves? Yeah, real estate values have risen astronomically in California, in Florida, in tons of hot pockets all over the country--but you didn't think it would always be that way, surely?

Did anyone take an economics class ever? Really people! Everything is in cycles, use caution and moderation. You don't buy the biggest McMansion the bank is willing to give you if you can't afford it under normal market conditions. How could you make the biggest spending decision of your life, gambling that the market would catch up to you time to make your payments?

So, that is my rant about this. It is unfortunate that it will have ripple effects on the rest of the economy. Whether we will go into recession, I am not so doomsday as finanical reporters with beats due and nothing else to write about-- I think we will be fine overall. And look, there is always a silver lining to cycles, crazy house prices will start to come down, because shock, the market isn't willing to pay $999,999 for a 2 bedroom, one bath 1,300 s. ft house in Socal...it just won't. So, some people will be able to buy houses now that haven't been able to in the past few years. I can only hope that prices level out long enough for the boy and me to afford a house someday!