Rollercoasters

i dislike rollercoasters. i was the girl who got dragged onto the ride screaming while my dad said, "Stop being a boob."

i don't like waiting in line watching the cart whip into and out of the loading station, hearing screams from the tracks and seeing everyone's hair messed up and their knees weak as they get off at the end of the ride. i despise the anticipation of the climb before the first drop and the feeling of topping the edge before heading down...watching the cars in front careening toward the ground and feeling them pull me into the same descent. i don't enjoy my stomach shooting up into my throat and the not being able to slow down no matter how hard i grip the car or the harness around me. Shooting along completely out of my control with no clue as to what is coming next (drops, corners, loops, twists) feels terrifying to me.

Perhaps if i enjoyed rollercoasters a bit more, i would enjoy life a bit more too.

How do you measure a year in a life?

February 1st marks our one year mark of moving to Pocatello. I have been commuting up to Rexburg for a whole year. That averages to about 720 hours commuting this past year. In other words:

30 days of travel time. ONE WHOLE MONTH of my year was spent commuting. WoW! Interesting. So I started tallying. Here are some figures that "measure" our last year.

11 books read out loud

5 new addictions*

2 moves

49 nights apart

1 promotion

20 blog posts (including this one)

10 trips**

0 pregnancies

3 callings

44 school credits

9 rooms redecorated (not all of them were in my house)

3 dead goldfish

1 live goldfish

8 new pairs of shoes

48 trips to Taco Bell

6 neighborhood parties

1 surgery


*Jake: Katy Perry, grilling. Me: Glee, gardening. Both of us: our iPhones.
**Vegas x3, Texas, Seattle, SLC x3, camping x2



1 regret: I didn't count (or write down) the books that I have read. I plan on rectifying that in this coming year.

This isn't a real post...

...this is just me wanting to share something with you that makes me happy. Shel Silverstein's poetry. Did you know that he published a new book of poems in 2011 called "Every Thing On It"? I got a copy from Jacob for Christmas. I feel like this book is naughtier than ever! But it's also a lot more open and serious than ever too...in a Silverstein sort of way. Some of my favorites I can't share because they just don't make sense without the images, but I encourage all of you to buy and enjoy this book. Here is a taste:

"School"

Rain and hail,
Cold and snow
Are good excuses not to go.

"Happy Ending?"

There are no happy endings.
Endings are the saddest part,
So just give me a happy middle
And a very happy start.

"The Game"

I'm glad you came.
Let's play a game
Called Crook and Police Dog Rover.
I bite your eye,
And now you die,
And now the game is over.

"Don't Change On My Account"

If you're sloppy, that's just fine.
If you're moody, I won't mind.
If you're fat, that's fine with me.
If you're skinny, let it be.
If you're bossy, that's all right.
If you're nasty, I won't fight.
If you're rough, well that's just you.
If you're mean, that's all right too.
Whatever you are is all okay.
I don't like you anyway.

"Liar, Liar"

"Liar, liar, your pants are on fire,
Your nose is as long as a telephone wire."
That's what they told me when I was a tot,
But now I am older,
My nose ain't no longer,
My pants ain't no hotter...
And I still lie a lot.

and my favorite...

"Underface"

Underneath my outside face
There's a face that none can see.
A little less smiley,
A little less sure,
But a whole lot more like me.

He opens the book with the following poem which, to me, defines him as an author. What a legacy. Thank you, Shel, for your brilliance.


"Years From Now"

Although I cannot see your face
As you flip these poems awhile,
Somewhere from some far-off place
I hear you laughing--and I smile.