Thanksgiving

Due to not being invited to anyone's house, we decided to have our own Thanksgiving. I was stubborn for quite awhile in claiming that I would NOT make it. The plan was just to go out to eat. However, I could see from Jeremy's sad pleading eyes that really he wanted the full blown meal. Just kidding. His eyes weren't that sad. But I could tell that secretly he wanted me to remove the neck, liver, lungs and heart from a dead plucked bird and place it in the oven for hours on end, and possibly even make some other food to eat as we devoured the poor creature. When I succumbed to his silent yearnings, he brainstormed the other food items he desired to consume. Off we went to the store, followed by Jeremy's promises to help me cook the meal. I didn't believe he really would--but he did and did a wonderful job on roasting our bird friend!

We entered Smiths with the plan to only buy a tiny bird. We found a lovely boneless turkey roast for $12...but sitting right next to it was a 14-pound turkey for $6. With the full realization that turkey sandwich leftovers are the best part, we picked the latter.

My mom sent me cookies.

It was fun. We really enjoyed running alone the shoreline trail in the morning (translation: I was really happy I managed to get Jeremy to run on yet another holiday with me). We didn't put the turkey in until 1:00--at which point my family in Moscow was already eating. But it worked out for us. Candlelit with a centerpiece and all. I am very glad we finally had a holiday by ourselves that we actually did something for. Sooner or later we're going to have to officially think of ourselves as a "real" family, and this was a good place to start. Another couple joined us for pie later on.

The next day I got to ride in the buggy for the first time! I was impressed that it didn't officially break this time. I picked the right day to come :) I got to go on a lovely mountain bike ride on the trails as well, beat the heck out of a tree rather than a puppy, and even drove the buggy myself. I was super proud of myself for not stalling it because I CAN'T DRIVE A STICK!!! I got to play with a puppy. I like dogs. A lot. Although this dog was frankly the most boring puppy I had ever met in my life, and I will not be buying a dachshund. Even though I called our apartment owners to try to talk them into letting me have a puppy last week. And even though I asked Jeremy if we could move over Christmas into an apartment that WOULD let us have one...going so far as to look at specific apartments. It would have to be a good dog to be worth it, not a tiny boring wimpy dog. Either way, Jere said no and so did the owners.

So that was a fun learning experience. I had another fun learning experience last night when I learned that I should not donate blood at work. Or maybe ever...but that's okay. It was good to try it once. It's actually a rather cool process. I should have picked a blood drive with a t-shirt though, just for proof in case I never give it another chance. I also learned that I will NOT be going to grad school next year. Bummer. I'll figure something else out. Maybe I'll work. What an idea!

Second Outing at 5 Mile Pass

Today we took out second outing with the Ninja 750 powered buggy. Not so much drama this time which is good. The new axle and shocks worked really smoothly.

Sam and Michelle taking off:


The buggy:

From Buggy Build 2.0

From Buggy Build 2.0

Jeremy

-the 720p videos will be up shortly as well. You can see the HD cam mounted on the rear roll bar.

Satisfy the Craving

Today I made "Better than Sex" cake even better.
PROOF:

Betty Crocker titles their website's recipe "Better Than Almost Anything Cake." Maybe they don't agree with the standard viewpoint...makes me think they've probably never tried it. It was AMAZING. So rich I couldn't even finish my piece. Crazy! Typically the cake starts with a box cake, but instead I used my best-ever made-from-scratch chocolate cake recipe and topped it with homemade hot fudge sauce rather than the canned stuff. Yum yum yum. If you live nearby, we still have plenty. Stop by for a piece. We're willing to spread the love ;)

Also, I wanted to mention that it's been quite beautiful here lately and I'm loving it. I hope winter never comes. I could die happy going through the rest of my life and never seeing snow again, I think. Speaking of dying, I wanted to mention that I love cemeteries. Love them. I've been thinking about that lately. The Provo cemetery is one of my favorite places to run, but I hadn't been there in a long time because you can't go there at night (I guess I should specify that I only like cemeteries during the DAY--they creep me out in the dark because I am one of the most paranoid and easily scared people you will ever meet) and recently it's been dark by the time we've been getting up to go running in the morning. However, I got the chance again one afternoon a week ago or so and remembered my previous sentiments.

I think I like them so much mainly because my father does. I remember walking through a particularly beautiful one once--full of chirping birds and nests full of eggs and flowers and trees and sunlight--and having him tell me how peaceful he feels they are. I totally agree. It's a sad peaceful feeling, but comforting nonetheless. Knowing that they are happy now. That they have gone on to a better place. I especially love when there are interesting tombstones, or when there are pictures of loved ones or temples on the carefully carved granite. I just think that they're beautiful... And while they might be sad for some, they provide a way of connecting and remembering those that have passed on. My father always said he wanted to be buried in a sack and have a tree planted on his head. I think that would be nice. I would like to become a part of the earth again someday. I think it's ridiculous that we try to preserve our dead useless bodies for so long. If they're not helping anyone (organ transplants, cadavers, etc) they might as well become part of the living entity that we live within once more. The only reason tombstones are good is to serve as a memorial for those of us that are still here. But if you really think about it, couldn't nature do the same so much better?

Jeremy and I have realized that we are both looking forward to moving on to the next stage of our lives. For him, that should be Medical School. For me, who knows what is in store? I am applying for grad school, but med school takes precedence. So maybe my sought-after degree. Maybe a job. Certainly a dog. I would love to also have a cat. With luck, possibly even two bedrooms.

Also, I like songs with "happy chords." I suggest you all go listen to Michael Franti & Spearhead sing "Say Hey."

Five Mile Pass, UT Buggy Test Ride

First Interview

I just bought a plane ticket to go to St. Louis for an interview on Nov 3 at Washington University Medical School. Cool. Its my first (of hopefully many) interviews to get into med school. May it prove fruitful.

Jeremy

Why Baby Humans Make the Worst Pets

• Baby humans are not very furry.
  
  
• They cry, and their cries are not as cute or pleasant as those of other mammals.
  
  
• Every other pet you can simply go out and buy. You have lots of options to choose from. To get a baby human, you have to GROW it yourself. In fact, it takes two people to initiate growth of a baby human. You have to wait nine months until it is done growing. During that time they like to punch and claw at your insides. You even have to pay someone to supervise getting the baby human out of your body. Apparently it hurts. You only get one choice of which one is yours. It tends to look like you. If you're ugly, this might be a problem.
  
  
• If you don't want to grow your own baby human, it is very expensive. Lots of people and lots of laws get involved.
  
  
• Baby humans take several years to learn to go to the bathroom in the correct manner. Puppies and kittens and even rats can be taught in a matter of weeks. Baby humans require a sack strapped to their private parts, so they can poop and pee it it and get it smeared all over themselves only to have you clean it up, throw away the sack, and put a new one on.
  
  
• Baby humans require clothing. Usually.
  
  
• Baby humans require expensive protective equipment, such as car seats and strollers rather than leashes. Some people choose to leash up baby humans, but it is necessary that they first must be able to walk. This business of learning to walk can take a baby human up to a year.
  
  
• Baby human beds tend to be more expensive than dog beds, and take up less space. Also, baby humans cannot get into their bed by themselves.
  
  
• You cannot leave a baby human at home alone.
  
  
• Baby humans do not sleep through the night. Therefore, when you have one, neither do you.
  
  
• Baby humans cannot automatically swim. Or breathe underwater.
  
  
• Baby humans are picky about food. At first they like to suck it out of you. Later they like to make a mess when you feed it to them. If they don't like it, they won't eat it. They are not okay with eating the same thing every day.
  
  
• The better-behaved your baby human is, the better a person people think you are. This can be very stressful if you have a misbehaving baby human.
  

I want a puppy.

Video of Buggy