30 X 30: Road Trip

I finally took one off my list, the Road Trip!

1) Have my hair professionally dyed a dark auburn.

2) Go on a 'real' date with Jeff once a month, no family members invited.

3) Blog once a month.

4) Update my wardrobe with at least 5 fun and totally non-essential items.

5) Lose 20 lbs, feel more fit.

6) Take a road trip.

7) Organize the garage and all our tools.

8) Re-vamp the office. It needs an overhaul.

9) "Grow up" our decorating style a little.

10) Paint the hallway and stairwell.

11) Frame the dried flowers from our wedding.

12) Print the disposable camera pictures from our wedding.

13) Make a window treatment for the kitchen window.

14) Complete 5 crafts from the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts.

15) Find at least 5 go-to recipes from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cook Book."

16) Take better pictures with my Nikon.

17) Write, record, memorialize my grandparents history.

18) Sew something.

19) Decide if I'm going back to school and for what.

20) Stop drinking caffeinated soda.

21) Tithes.

22) Pray more.

23) Go to the temple once a quarter (4 times a year)

24) Read the Book of Mormon again.

25) Get preggo.

26) If preggo, decorate the cutest nursery ever!

27) Read 6 books.

28) Reduce our monthly expenses by 10%

29) Learn how to play my favorite piano song from the Sense and Sensibility movie.

30) Take a trip with just Jeff and I for our 30th birthdays.

A couple weeks ago 'the girls' (meaning Heather, Lora, Sage & Jade, as always) and I went on a little day long road trip to Rhyolite, NV.

Like the dork that I am, I did a little research so that I could be the 'tour guide' for the day. The research simply went on notecards in my back pocket. (Don't worry, I wont bore you with the history lessons here on the blog). Rhyolite is just a couple hours outside of Vegas and makes for a great day trip.

We started the fun at the candy shop in Beatty, NV while eating Subway for lunch. After the candy shop we took the 11 mile trek out of town and walked around Rhyolite. On the road we shared our mounds of yummy candy goodness.

It was interesting to see a town that was all but washed away. Even though it may be the most popular "ghost town" in Nevada, it wasn't scary at all, mostly just sadly interesting. I couldn't help of think of Las Vegas and our own recent boom and bust cycle, our own empty and abandoned buildings.

We ended the day by stoping in Pharump on the way home and having dinner with the grandparents. It was by all accounts a very lovely day. Their were no boys, no complaining, no work, no nonsense. We girls just had a wonderful day together and I loved it!

2010 EOY MIX

Every year Jeff makes an end of the year music mix with all of his favorite new music from the year. He burns a bunch of disks and gives them out with Christmas presents for friends and family. Here is his list this year written by Jeff for facebook:

1. Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap. Not a secret to many people. It was the song of the weekend when I visited my sister up in California. We saw a "white boy reggae" singer groovin' and singing along. I too love to sing and groove along. You may remember the song from 500 Days of Summer. Good movie.

2. My Own Sinking Ship by Good Old War. Trying to get all of my California trips out as soon as possible I guess. These guys were so fun in concert if you don't believe me just ask the two guys standing in front of us at the show.

3. Violent Dreams by Jump, Little Children. The California trip is done but Becky's hand is quite evident. I ran into the house to grab a CD to play in the new stereo the wife got me last Christmas and it was a 90's playlist made by my sister. This is the third or fourth track and it was my favorite reintroduction on the disc. It was my favorite song of the year that was not made this year. I have to turn it up and sing along. I am finding it hard to type right now as the song is playing. The title track for the CD (kind of) I love the lyric "She's hanging by a needle and a thread" "All my waking hours just to see you live through this sleepless night" Beautiful song. Hits home as it seems I am never sleeping.

4. Excuses by Morning Benders. If you download one song from my mix that was made this year, this should be that song. It has the feel of the song you think you've heard before. Amber asked me if it was an old song or if someone was covering an old song when she heard it. "I put no one else above us, we'll still be best friends when it all turns to dust" Good song. Classic melody.

5. After the Storm by Mumford & Sons. Beautiful heartfelt lyrics that made me cry the first time I heard this song. Persevere! One of my favorite albums of the year. Good band.

6. Breakneck Speed by Tokyo Police Club. I have been a fan of Tokyo Police club since I first heard their first EP. Perfect example of a band evolving and still very much rocking. Head bobbing fun and dancing is what inevitably comes from this song. Good to be back indeed.

7. Bloodbuzz Ohio by The National. Not sure how this song slipped past the Twilight people. The Baritone voice doesn't hurt. The song is the best from their new album which is all pretty good. And the first of two songs back to back about a dude taking his shirt off. Take from that what you will.

8. Lewis Takes His Shirt Off by Owen Pallett. As if it could be any other song about a dude taking off his shirt and preparing to defeat the being oppressing his people. You thought Colin Meloy could write a good story in a record, check out Heartland.

9. Generator (First Floor) by Freelance Whales. I love the way this song builds into something you never want to end. Kinda like a musical version of your proudest piece of Lego artwork.

10. I Can Change by LCD Soundsystem. I like the beat of this song and his dramatic singing. I went to the concert that Vegas couldn't give away tickets for. "Love is a curse shoved in a hearse," Cool song.

11. Citizen by Broken Bells. James Mercer has one of those voices and everything Danger Mouse touches turns to gold. Including this album and song.

12. What Part of Forever (Remix) by Cee Lo Green. Speaking of Danger Mouse collaborators. Cee Lo had a couple great songs this year including the one called "That song Gweneth Paltrow sang on Glee".

13. It Will All End In Tears by The Drums. Very Joy Division meets The Cure. I like the chorus for this song."Your eyes are always saying goodbye". Nice.

14. Nothing Like You by Frightened Rabbit. After having the title track on 2008 and coming just short of making 2009's playlist Frightened Rabbit is back. His voice is intoxicating. They were good live even though Amber and I were both tired (thanks beauty bar) We both had a good time and enjoyed the set despite it's many technical difficulties.

15. Bullet by Steel Train. Careful! This song will hit your brain like a bullet and you won't be able to get it out. "As long as you're here, together we can die alone" With all of its ooos and ahhhs it is catchy as an h, an e and a couple hockey sticks.

16. Goodnight Moon by Go Radio. If you are going to name a song after one of the most iconic children’s books it better be a good frackin' song. It is a good frackin' song. Perhaps the most emo of all of my entries, but it is soooo cute.

17. Barles + James by Band of Horses. Alright, I know that isn't the real name of the song, but that is what I call it and this is my mix. "The door stood as if it was standing guard, of a dozen 'chickmunks' in the backyard" Great imagery. Fantastic song from the soul.

18. Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. You have heard this song if you still watch commercials. I liked it best when they sang it live. Very friendly and cool all the way to their Bob Marley campfire sing-along (minus the campfire). Again, severely under attended by my fellow Las Vegans.

CHECK THEM OUT!!!!!!!!!!

Wait UP!

So it's only the middle of January and I feel like I'm already behind. I think of all the things I need to do and I get so overwhelmed that I don't know how to start. Somehow,I must already be behind.

I've been trying to think of the things that I HAVE to do, the things that I SHOULD do, and all those many things I WANT to do, to organize myself and not get overwhelmed. Again, I don't know how working moms do it? So here is my basic list:

HAVE TO: Work, work overtime, clean, wash, make healthy meals, pay the bills, run errands, church callings (including talking this last Sunday at church- I could make 5 other posts that describe how much I truly HATE speaking in church, but that can be another day). This list doesn't seam all that long, but in reality this stuff takes up 90% of my time, makes me exhausted enough that I don't know if I can get up the strength to go on to other items below.

SHOULD DO: Work out for an hour a day, read more, research fertility treatments, research adoption, volunteer, visit with family, date my husband, help Jeff with his "new" job, get a hair cut, wake up earlier so I look presentable everyday, have a pedicure, have family home evening every Monday, make weekly meal plans, clean the grout in the kitchen, etc.

WANT TO: Basically everything on my 30x30 list and I think I've added like 5 more things to that list since I created it in November (fix the plaster on the stairs, paint strips in the downstairs bathroom, make a new ottoman/coffeetable, granite for the kitchen, new 'grown up' dishes). I also want to just sit on my couch and watch TV or a movie. I want to update my Ipod, I want to update and fix our whole house, I want a dog, I want, I want, I want. Basically this list never ends.

And when I sit and think of all this stuff I have to do, I should be doing, and that I want, I am still overwhelmed. I guess this is part of being an adult. I guess the worry and sleepless nights and feeling inadequate are just part of life. But you know what? I'm done. I am DONE with it! Fini! Geschehen!

Every year I make a mantra for the year, kind of my own small way of doing a resolution. Last year I consistently tried to console myself with the mantra of "Lighten' Up" because I am always so worried and serious. It did help, sometimes. When I was being taken over by "stuff" to let myself know it wasn't the end and I should just get over it. I even lightened my hair as a physical reminder to be more care free. This year I was thinking that I may need to make a mantra like "Make it Simple," or something else consoling, but in the end I decided to just . . .

FIND JOY!

I NEED TO do what makes me happy and stop worrying about all this "stuff". I don't need to worry if I am always on target, always my best self, I should just be myself. I think if I just follow my passions and desire that I will be a more interesting and better person.

So many times my natural man, or the man of the world, takes over my body and mind. But if I can just be true to me and, for instance, read a geology book if I want and not worry that it's the most important of books, or the best use of my time, but just because I think it is interesting and enjoy doing it. If I take a cooking class because I think it sounds like fun and not because I am ashamed that I am not as a good of a cook as so and so. This is my goal. Find what brings me joy.