Lucky Lady

Joel and I have had QUITE the crazy past week! A lot of big moments and decisions were made and it just reminded me how blessed I am to have my little family. So since I haven't been in the mood to write anything... I just wanted to post a new favorite picture. I may have already posted it, but what the heck... I LOVE IT :)

My Fam:




Just another random moment at home....

Best Western Boredom

I'm on one of my many overnight stays that I have for my job. Since we only use our TV at home for DVDs, I tend to look forward to having the TV to keep me company in the hotel room.

I'm a nerd, so I spend most of my time flipping back and forth between CNN and the History Channel. And of course, whenever there is nothing on those channels, I try to find a movie. I honestly forget how weird it is to go back to watching TV all the time. I find it freeing that the only news I get is through the internet, my morning radio show, or through CNN updates on twitter.

I've been trying to keep up on the Joran Moron case as best as possible. The guy is an utter creep. On Nancy Grace tonight, they interviewed a friend who spent a couple months with him earlier this year in Aruba. His friend said the only time the Natalee Holloway case came up is when they were watching the movie. Joran was telling his friend what parts were true and which parts were false.

REALLY?!?!

How creepy and twisted is that? And this guy just sat there like that wasn't weird and horrible. If his confession is true, which is doubtful, then he went into a rage when the Peru girl saw a facebook message regarding Natalee. So awful!

I hope Natalee's family and Stephany's family get the justice and peace they deserve!

Design / Style / Persona ... whatever

Yes! I need one! ... After spicing up my blog a little, it made me think about style in general. Which, if you know me, you know I have no style. I typically hate trends and just wear whatever I think is cute.

After going brunette in Vegas, I tried to start a whole new style for myself - Vampire Glam. Basically I wanted lots of black, dark reds and deep purples. I found some heels, a scarf, a dress, and two shirts. AND THAT WAS IT! It was a horrible new wardrobe search! I couldn't find ANYTHING.

Since moving back to Utah, I have been in a major old-school pin up girl phase! I'm hoping to get this dress for my birthday from StopStaring! I love their clothes!



Adorable!! Right?!


Anyways, I'm in the need of cute, cheap style ideas. So please feel free to give them.
I figured I would put photos of some of my fave style gals too :)

Kate Beckinsale - She's Fabulous!






Dita Von Teese - I love how she does the old school style but brings an edge to it. I also like how daring she is! And... I'm a sucker for corsets :)







My friend Kelsey took this photo while we were doing a little Pin-up girl shoot.... and I thought it was cute.... Check out her photos! She's awesome!

Remembering what it is to be an Okie

I figured it's about time for a new post! I just really haven't felt very blog happy lately. I also remembered that I started this to document my life for myself... to look back and read when I'm having a bad day or am bored. I think I have tried to write with a public mindset rather than a personal which is silly considering only five people read it :)

So it's official... No more worrying about being PC ... It's me and that is what you will get from now on!


These past few weeks have been crazy busy! I went to MA for a week for training with my entire company. It was a little weird because I spend every day alone in my car. My office is the second bedroom in our house. And the most face-to-face time I get with my boss is when her status updates come up on my Facebook newsfeed. Needless to say, sometimes I forget I have co-workers. I honestly was dreading the week of having all the reps and managers from across the US in the same place at the same time. BUT it was surprisingly fun! I got paired to room with a rep from Delaware whom I had never met. She was amazing! So easy to talk to and down to earth! She definitely made the whole week much more fun. We went to meetings all day, much like school or camp, then went out for drinks every night! It was great to see my bosses loosen up a little and have fun! It was crazy to meet some of my "bosses" who I have been working with almost a year but have never met because their office is in Portland. Regardless, I actually had a fabulous time despite being super busy and tired.

Leaving MA ended up being a headache. I was supposed to fly to Atlanta and then on to OKC for one of my best friend's weddings! When I got to the airport, my flight was delayed so my only option was to sleep in the Atlanta airport and catch a flight to OKC Saturday morning.

Now any of you who know about my last MA trip, knows that I had to spend the night on a cot in an Ohio airport due to bad weather and almost missed my dad's visit to SLC.

I already had missed her rehearsal dinners due to work and the idea of missing her wedding had me in a total panic! Finally I found one seat on a flight through MN that landed in Tulsa just before midnight. I TOOK IT! I called my parents as I boarded to let them know the plan. Joel was flying from SLC and we were supposed to meet in the OKC airport so I also texted him to let him know I'd be landing in Tulsa.

My hero of a daddy drove to Tulsa and was there waiting when I landed! He drove me all the way back to Edmond and let me sleep the drive since it was almost 4am MA time (which is the time zone I was used to). I was SO happy to be home!



Jenny's wedding was absolutely beautiful! Some of Matt's friends and fam came all the way from the UK to be there. She had a beautiful dress with a kind of lace detailing. The ceremony was on the steps of the reception hall which I thought was a fun and wonderful idea! I love outdoor weddings! :) Matt had asked Joel months ago to perform a piano version of "Oklahoma Girl" by Eli Young Band at their reception. He did a WONDERFUL job and even changed some of the words to reflect Jenny and Matt's relationship! The speakers in the facility were pretty crappy but it still turned out great!



Unfortunately, Jenny was feeling sick during her big day so I didn't get much time with her before she left back to England. So... I had a blast with all my other OK friends instead! It was SO good to be back around friends that I have a "history" with! That has been big with me lately. Remembering to value those friends who have seen you through all your awkward years, defining moments, and screw ups.

These are those friends.....



It was also the first time I saw my college roommate since Christmas 2008. She is the same loving, light hearted, passionate person I always respected and adored!




It was an overall fabulous night of reconnecting with some of the people who matter to me most in the world! After the wedding a few of us and are significant others went over to a friends house. It was a fun drunk conversation fest and I adored every minute!

Can't wait to come back in town for another fave friend's wedding in July! Counting down the days...

"We're gonna Rock, we're gonna Roll, we're gonna Bop, we're gonna Bowl"

Yes, that is a reference to Grease 2... deal with it.

So this past weekend was one of the best weekends we've had in a while! Saturday Joel and I met up with Ryan and Jessie so we could finally meet Jessie's little girl. Jaylinne is ADORABLE! She loves Disney Princesses and Beyonce's "Single Ladies"... she was a hoot! We all went to Chuck E Cheese for lunch and I think Joel and I had more fun playing the games then she did. We are kind of both Skeeball fanatics and ended up spending most of the tokens trying to keep our spots at our skeeball games. It was so much fun and a great way to get to know Jessie's daughter!



That night, Joel and I had Charlie and Carly come over for some food and bowling! We had chinese delivered while we prepartied at our house. There is a bowling alley only a couple blocks from our house so our plan was just to walk there.... but it was POURING rain. Our neighbor and some friends were leaving to go to the bar so they luckily drove us to the bowling alley. Usually bowling ends up being pretty expensive between shoe rental and lane rental.... but this alley was only $9 for three games and shoes! We spent the next few hours bowling and enjoying a couple pitchers of beer. Somehow I managed to win all three games... not sure how that happened :)




By the end of the night, it had finally quit raining so we all walked back to our house and hung out for another hour or so. One of the most fun nights we've had in a while :)

On a side note, poor little Cleo hurt her paw. We can't figure out what is wrong with it but think it got hurt when she kicked out the drain stopper during her bath. Poor little thing is just limping around everywhere. She had to miss her puppy school graduation due to the injury... SAD! If she's not better by tomorrow night, we're taking her to the vet.

"The Spirit of this City will not be Defeated"

You can't be Oklahoman without April 19th being dear to your heart. Today marked the 15 anniversary of the bombing at the Oklahoma City Murrah Federal Building.

It's strange how vivid the memory is of where I was when this tragedy took place. I was sick and home from school that day. I was sad to be sick that day because our 5th grade class was supposed to take a field trip to Oklahoma City to see some sort of concert. I was laying on the living room couch half asleep when I heard a loud bang. I immediately thought someone had kicked in our front door and was getting ready to burglarize our house. I laid completely still and quiet for a good five minutes until I finally had the courage to look over the edge of the couch at the front door. I remember being so surprised that the front door was untouched. My mom immediately got word to me about the bombing and I watched the situation unfold on the TV.



At 9:02 a.m., a Ryder truck with excess of 4,800 pounds of of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, nitromethane, and diesel fuel mixture detonated in front of the nine-story Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Timothy McVeigh planned the attack to take place on April 19 to coincide with the anniversary of the Waco Siege.



168 people lost their lives that morning and one third of the building was destroyed. The victims included 19 children under the age of 6 and injured more than 680 people. The explosion created a 30-foot wide crater and over 324 buildings within a sixteen-block radius were destroyed or damaged. Secondary explosions from the 86 cars around the site soon followed the initial blast.


Over 12,000 people volunteered and assisted in the relief and rescue operations. The next few days, I remember joining my family at our church which was only a few blocks from the site. I helped pass out food to all of the firefighters, police officers and volunteers. I remember the mood of the room and the kindness of the volunteers. And I remember the sadness in the rescuers' eyes. One of the weird things that has stuck with me the longest was about the canine units. I remember being told that the dogs were getting depressed at how few people were being found alive. They started burying volunteers and letting the dogs find them to raise the dogs' morale. That has always been a touching and sobering example of the days following the bombing. It also has stood in my memory as an example of human perseverance, love, and selflessness.

On May 23 at 7:02 a.m., the Murrah Federal building was finally demolished. The final three bodies of victims were recovered after the demolition. That morning, my family went downtown to watch the building come to its resting place. I sat in the dark street doing homework with a flashlight as we waited for the moment to come. I remember the tears and the silence around me as the last bit of evidence fell to the ground.




Exactly five years after the bombing, the Memorial was officially opened. The memorial contains a reflecting pool settled between two large gates. The first gate says the time 9:01 and the other gate is inscribed with 9:03 The reflecting pool represents 9:02 and the exact moment of the blast. Next to the reflecting pool is a "field of symbolic bronze and stone chairs—one for each person lost, arranged according to what floor of the building they were on. The chairs represent the empty chairs at the dinner tables of the victims' families. The seats of the children killed are smaller than those of the adults lost."




Also at the memorial is a 90-year-old American elm known as the Survival Tree. It now stands on the highest point of the memorial and is surrounded by granite that reads, "The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us."




A small part of the building's original foundation was left intact which holds a note from one of the rescue teams: "We search for the truth, we seek justice. We seek justice. The courts require it, the victims cry for it, God demands it!"




To this day, the 1995 bombing remains the most lethal single act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. It was estimated that a third of Oklahoma's population knew someone who was directly affected by it.



Finally, here are the words inscribed on the gates:

We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.


I borrowed many of these photos from the memorial's website. If you haven't had a chance to visit it yet in person, you should! If not, at least go to their website.





Once again, my thoughts and prayers have gone out today to all of those affected by the Oklahoma City bombing.

Whisper of a Thrill

Here is the video the radio shot the night of Deanna's party... kinda fun right? :)

Video

ALSO... My friend Amanda bought me an OU snuggie for Christmas and I couldn't remember whether I shared it yet or not.



Tonight I am watching Meet Joe Black for about the hundredth time... so I just had to share one of my all time favorite movie quote sequence:


I want you to get swept away out there.

I want you to levitate.
I want you to sing with rapture and dance like a dervish.

Be deliriously happy, or at least leave yourself open to be.

Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. If you don't start with that, what are you going to end up with? Fall head over heels. I say find someone you can love like crazy and who'll love you the same way back. And how do you find him? Forget your head and listen to your heart. I'm not hearing any heart. Run the risk, if you get hurt, you'll come back. Because, the truth is there is no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love - well, you haven't lived a life at all. You have to try. Because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived.

Stay open. Who knows? Lightning could strike.


Never settle for less than that :)

Two Years since Tying the Knot

Last weekend we celebrated our 2nd Anniversary! Two Years! Crazy! It flew by! Joel and I have an anniversary tradition where we write down our favorite moments from the year and the memories we have. It's really fun since we both tend to have different moments that stick out to us. It's also entertaining to remember everything we have done over the past year and the places we've been.

I took off work on Friday the 1st and drove to Vegas Thursday with Joel and the rest of the band. When we got into town, we went to our normal place - The Double Down Saloon!




It is a Vegas tradition to always stop there first and get shots of Ass Juice. Ass Juice?! Yes, I know. It is actually quite tasty. Rumor has it that every night at close the bar takes whatever is left over from each of their liquor bottles and dumps it into a huge bin. I personally think that is a load of crock. It tastes like kool-aid with 151 or vodka or both.




We spent Thursday night celebrating Jess' (our friend and old roommate) birthday at one of her favorite Mexican places. The boys had to be in CA early Friday so they dropped me off at my favorite Vegas mall (Town Square) to wait for Jess to pick me up after work. I bought this adorable little top at Guess! It's very old-school pin-up girl so it might be my new favorite shirt!




When Jess and I got to Fullerton, we topped in downtown Fullerton to kill sometime before the boys show. There were SO many fun vintage shops! I could have shopped there ALL day! Lots of stores selling old vintage furniture, clothing and accessories! There was this one store that had all sorts of pin up girl dresses by Stop Staring! You can check them out here.

I was in love with a couple of them but they were too expensive :( Maybe one day!






Friday night we went to Deanna's Dirty Thirty where Broke City was playing!





I was going on only a few hours of sleep but even a couple 5-hour Energy drinks couldn't liven me up. It was a good night and it sucked that I was still exhausted. Deanna had the radio guys from 98.7 there and a photographer!




She definitely knows how to throw a birthday party! She had the cutest cupcakes too! It's too bad I don't like cupcakes because I bet these were tasty!






Deanna and Mark have the sweetest family and always let us crash at Deanna's dads BEAUTIFUL house in Yorba Linda!

Saturday we got up and went to C&O's in Marina Del Rey. It the restaurant Joel and I went to right before he proposed in 2007.




It has the BEST food! We met up with Matt who is one of the guys' friends and recorded their last album.




Ryan's brother's family also joined us! It was great seeing the Sanders clan! They just recently moved to CA from UT. This is little Wil... he is a hoot!




I wasn't able to get very many pics of Elle but she is also adorable.





When we first moved back to UT from Vegas, the Sanders let us live in their basement apartment for free until we saved enough money to buy a house. We are SOOO grateful for them! I don't know what we would do without them in our lives! They are always so kind to Joel and I :) When we lived with them, Elle would always run around in a Spiderman costume and try to be sleuth-like. Adorable!

After lunch, we walked to the pier where Joel proposed to me and took some photos! It was awesome to be back in the same spot. Who would have thought we would have come so far after meeting at a concert in 2006 for three hours. Crazy how life turns out!


2007


2010



After the pier, we drove to the Dodgers stadium to catch the Dodgers/Angels game. The radio guys from the night before were nice enough to give us six free tickets to the game. Unfortunately, by the time we got there it was already the last inning. Oh well.




That night we drove to Huntington Beach where Broke City played a show at Perqs. It was a fun night!




Orange Blossom Special opened for the guys and it was fun to see them after hearing so much about them. Sunday we drove back to Utah... stopping at Panera in Vegas on the way. I go through Panera withdrawl like no other :)

Overall it was a very eventful and fun weekend! I drank six 5-hour Energy drinks over the course of the weekend but was still exhausted the whole time somehow. Can't wait to see how we celebrate next year!

Phone Addict

Well I finally saw it today...

I've always been told stories about people at the gym talking on the phone. And today I was finally a witness to it. Whenever I get to the gym, I always check the girls gym first to see how crowded it is. When I checked the girls gym this time, it was rather crowded and I noticed a woman talking on her cell phone while sitting on a leg machine. I went ahead and did cardio and then moseyed back to the girls gym. The woman was STILL sitting on the machine and talking on the phone. As I was finishing my workout, a woman finally walked over to the woman and goes "Are you about done yet?" I fought the urge to clap or laugh out loud. The woman seemed stunned that someone would even say something to her and replied, "yeah I just have a few left" ... really ...

She ended up doing about ten reps and got off the machine. She then proceeded to sit on another machine and text for about 5 minutes.

One question...

WHY ARE YOU AT THE GYM IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO SIT ON THE PHONE AND TAKE UP SPACE?! No one cares about your husband's promotion, we DO care that you used a leg machine as a bench for an hour!

Annoyed.

Spring Fever

It's been quite a while since I've blogged... so I appologize. I feel like I haven't had much to write about to be honest. I do the same things over and over and over....

Go to work
Play with my puppy
Dinner and Movie with my husband
Occasional Bar or Show
Hangout with Friends
on and on and on....

Wonderful.... but also Wonderfully similar day after day.

I tend to get cabin fever quite often (which I assume started back when we had to move every semester in college). Also any sort of rainy weather puts me in a bad mood. ESPECIALLY on weekends. So.. MORE THAN ANYTHING I am looking forward to Spring! Bring on the warm weather, the return of birds, grass and leaves growing, sitting on patios, going to the park, wearing tank tops and not feeling stupid (let's be honest, I wear tank tops ALL YEAR), etc.

I'm also looking forward to change.

We're going to California for our two year anniversary in a couple weeks. Then Vegas on the 16th and Oklahoma in May/July. Been craving a vacation... so the countdown begins.... 3 weeks til CA.

On a side note, Cleo has completed her second day of Puppy Class. She can now sit and maintain eye contact on command. We're working on loose leash walking and she is doing somewhat well. I am hoping that we will be able to teach her to sit on her back legs on command. She does it quite often on her own and looks just like a baby bear. Too cute. Makes me happy that the first thing people say to me when they see her is that she looks like an Ewok. Yay! Just like I've been wanting for four years or so. haha!





Ignore the creepy eyes. I'm not sure why my phone makes her eyes into green lasers.

Sunday's Livestream Lounge

So every Sunday, the band comes over and has a jam session/practice in our basement. They stream it live for anyone who wants to watch at www.livestream.com/brokecity.

Since our house is still in boxes, I take these opportunities to try out new recipes on the boys. The first week, I made my normal queso and it was amazing as usual. The second week, I decided to try two new recipes my mom had.... I made Frito Bean Salad and 7-Layer Dip. Everyone raved about how yummy they were for over a week and they were quickly eaten. First attempt = Success! :)

Last week I chose to make home-made Pizza Rolls. I looked up several recipes and finally just decided on my own creation that I made up as I went. It was awesome! They loved them and Joel has told me every day since then how amazing they were. I figured I would post the recipe just in case anyone else wants to try this EASY EASY EASY recipe .... like Hannah? ;)

Pizza Rolls
- By M.J.P.

Ingredients:
2 Pkgs of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1 Jar of Ragu Margherita Pasta Sauce
1 Regular pkg of Pepperonis
1 bag of shredded Pizza Cheese

Directions:

• Preheat Oven to 350 and lightly spray a cookie sheet with Pam.
• Chop a few Pepperonis. (Enough to fill 1/4 Cup)
• Mix half the jar of Pasta sauce with 3/4 Cup of Cheese and 1/4 Cup of Chopped Pepperonis.
• Roll out the each triangle dough piece and spoon on some of the Pasta sauce mix. (Make sure to leave the base side of the triangle and tip sauce free in order for it to stick to itself when rolled). Then place one and a half pepperonis on the thick part of the triangle. Cover the pepperonis with a small helping of cheese. Roll the dough triangle up into a normal crescent roll shape and place on cookie sheet.
• Bake 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown. After baking, cut each crescent pizza roll into 2 or 3 bites and serve! Great with Ranch ;)

Lame Recipe right?? BUT TASTES AMAZING! I paired them with a veggie tray to offset the taste since they are so rich.

I think this coming week I am going to make Hello Dolly Squares and Ugly Dip... I will let you know how it goes. If anyone has any appetizer recipes, PLEASE send them my way! I am running out of recipes!

Viva la Mexican!

Since moving to Utah, I have been on a never ending search to find AMAZING mexican food. It has been one failure after another. I am used to going to mexican restaurants, sitting down, and immediately being served:
Chips
Salsa
Tortillas
Relish
and... QUESO!

No such luck in Utah! Most mexican places don't even have Queso on the menu. Such a shame!

Well I have found three promising restaurants in the past month in reverse order...

3. Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill
When Jess came to stay with us from Vegas, she insisted on eating here as it is one of her favorite Utah restaurants. And I have to say, it was amazing. It was the best Mexican I had tried thus far. Not only did they serve queso, but it was delicious. HOWEVER, you really can't call this a mexican restaurant even though they serve some mexican food. It's basically a MUCH BETTER version of Chili's.

2. The Red Iguana -

"Home Of Killer Mexican Food"

Yes, that is their slogan. This place is Legen... wait for it .... dary! It always has a line out the door and is probably the most talked about mexican food in Salt Lake. I ate there today for the first time and although it was a great meal, it still doesn't come close to Oklahoma mexican. The Queso was delicious but tasted similar to the kind I make with Velveeta and Rotel. After all the hype, I was disappointed but will probably eat there a lot due to its newly appointed status as the "Second Best Mexican Food in Utah." If you're ever in Salt Lake, it is a must visit! It's a little hole in the wall and is a fun vibey place. It has won more awards then any other mexican restaurant in the state. I may be a little harsh on this place but let's face it... I'm a mexican food snob.

1. El Chihuahua
We found this place about two weeks ago when a girlfriend had her birthday dinner here. The vibe is much like Chelino's in Bricktown... only smaller. I have only tried their quesadillas but they are the best dang quesadillas this side of the mountain! AND they have this fabulous drink called the Death Star. It's served in a glass reminiscent of Hawaiian Don days. So far this is the best place in Utah! But don't worry I will continue my search because even this place is disappointing when compared to Ted's or Poblano's!

Utah Uncovered ...

So I've been thinking of writing this for a while and finally decided to get around to it.

Since moving to Utah in 2007, there are lots of things I have noticed about Utahns that seem weird, annoying, or silly. I know an outsider to Oklahoma could probably write the same thing.... So here is my list....

1. The wrath of the Inversion

Every so often, the inversion rears its ugly head. Most of Utah is in a valley between two mountains. Pollution from California and Nevada rolls into our state and basically gets stuck. It basically looks like heavy fog but smells nasty. In December, we had three cities in the top 5 "Worst Air Quality Cities" in the US. It makes people sick and really screws with my asthma. But regardless, it seems to be blamed for every bad mood... i.e.- "I'm just having a really shitty day, it must be the inversion."


2. This is my Little Stick Family

Without a doubt, most families have stickers on the back of their SUV, mini-van, mom-mobile that have a stick figure representing each family member. Many even have pet stick figures too. About 50% of them have the names of each member under each stick figure. The stick figures get really creative and often represent the favorite hobby of each family member. For example, the mom may have a shopping bag, the son may have a soccer ball and the daughter may look like a ballerina. If you've seen the most recent season of Dexter, you would rip those stickers off ASAP! Trinity is crazy! ;) Here is my favorite family sticker from another annoyed driver...




3. "Aggro" ... Everyone gets "Aggro"

Come on people! It's not Aggro, it's aggressive! Someone can not be aggro... they can be acting aggressive! If someone is having a bad day, let's say that! Calling them aggro is just going to annoy me and make you sound like a California wannabe. Get over it... PLEASE!


4. "Ornery"

Growing up in Oklahoma, "ornery" was a common term amongst my friends and family. HOWEVER, in Oklahoma it meant a playful or mischievous manner of acting. It was a playful or somewhat positive term. For example, if my husband was being silly, I would say he is being ornery. In Utah, it is a NEGATIVE term in all aspects. The other descriptive word most frequently associated with ornery is BITCHY. This has been a weird adjustment for me. I often find myself saying someone is ornery... and then having to say ... "Oklahoma ornery!" I would prefer if you think someone it bitchy to just say, "They're bitchy!" I understand it's a regional thing though so I try to keep that opinion to myself.




5. Sloughing

So the first time I came to visit Joel, I attended his family's Christmas. During dinner his siblings had a long conversation about one of our nieces who had been sloughing at school. I was really taken back and had a hard time not choking on my food. I had only ever heard the term "sloughing" in health class as a description of what happens during a female's period. I was so confused and wondering why they would be discussing the girl's reproductive system so openly. Only after we had left the family function was I able to ask Joel about it. Turns out that the term refers to ditching school. He had never heard of it used in other terms and was surprised I did not know the term. I explained that we called it "ditching" or "skipping" in Oklahoma. I feel better about my shock at the discussion after looking up the definition on theFreeDictionary.com:

slough (sluf)
1. necrotic tissue in the process of separating from viable portions of the body.
2. to shed or cast off.

Can I get a BOOYA up in here?? :)


6. Utah Roadblocks

Joel told me about this phenomenon before I moved but I did not fully understand until after living here about a year. Basically, cars tend to drive below the speed limit and even with each other so others can not pass. This never seems to be purposeful but is a problem nonetheless! It happens ALL the time. All four lanes on the highway will have cars driving the same speed and just close enough to each other that you can't pass them. ANNOYING!

The fact that this phenomenon is actually in the Urban Dictionary makes me MORE than happy :)

Utah Roadblock:
When you and your friends take up one whole side of the road with one car per lane going as far under the speed limit as you think you can get away with


7. Us vs. Them Mentality

After living in Vegas for a year, I am a little more used to this mentality. Only in Vegas, it is a POSITIVE mentality. All the businesses fight for the locals attention. And the locals are fed up with the tourists other than for economical reasons. So, places have amazing deals trying to get the locals attention. For example, most places are twenty-four hours and have something called "Reverse Happy Hour." Basically, this is a the time after 10:00pm where everything is half price. Since there is no last call in Vegas, you can go to the bar at 10pm and stay however long you want. Reverse Happy Hour consists of all food and drinks half price... which means, you can have a steak dinner and drink all night for about $25! Its amazing! AMAZING Steak dinners for $12 and Martinis for $3! It's the way to live!

In Utah, it's a little different. The "Us vs. Them" mentality is centered around religion. The Mormons vs. the Non-Mormons. After living here, I can see why it is so distinct. Everyone who is non-LDS seems to try to prove that in all aspects of their lives and vice versa. When I first moved here, I got stared down ALL THE TIME! After getting super annoyed at having people stare and whisper about me all the time, I finally asked Joel why it was. He gave an explanation that I didn't understand then but now rings SO TRUE! He said people stare because I'm like a hybrid. I have the appearance of a good little Mormon girl but I wear risque clothing so people are confused. It is the truth. Since LDS females abide by a strict dress code of cap sleeves and bottoms below the knees, I broke their dress code with tank tops and jean skirts.

Non-LDS members more often then not have visible tattoos, crazy hair colors or facial hair for males. Salt Lake is the more liberal area so I see fewer kids, a lot of tattoos, and a lot of crazy styles and hair-do's. When I worked in Utah County, it was completely different. A lot of cap sleeves, non-working females, and wholesome appearances. When I went to Target in Utah County on my lunch breaks, I used to get stared down (due to what I believe was because I had no child and was in work attire). It makes you want to scream profanities or constantly have a beer in your hand! Which brings me to my next point...

8. You're 22 and not married?

OMG! Your eggs are practically dried up by now! In LDS culture, the men go on a mission for two years at the age of 19. They return at 21 and start college and look for a mate. Return missionaries are on the prowl and every lady hopes to snag one. They get married YOUNG and FAST! Women are not allowed to go on mission until 21. Most women do not go on missions though due to marrying before the age. This was hard for me. 24 and unmarried with no kids?! People were concerned. Even now I get the pressure for starting a family. I was not used to this at all. I was used to a society where people get married between 23 and 28, start having kids 28 to 32 and it's okay.

In Utah, it is common to be married young. Most single girls at bars are 23 to 27 with at least one child. It's a sad reality. So many divorced and single mothers. Utah also is sort of anti-birth control. To get married in the temple, you have to be sexually pure. Birth control is not taught in public schools like it is in Oklahoma. Sex out of marriage is not only looked down upon, it is ruining your chances of a marriage being "officiated" by God. This is probably why the Utah Planned Parenthoods are like going to the DMV. AND... why so many couples are married after three weeks of dating. There is an ongoing joke that Mormon couples get married just so they can have sex.

9. State Liquor Stores

That's right. There are no such things as privately run Liquor stores. All liquor stores are state run and overseen. They have very strict guidelines and hours of business. There is generally at least one undercover cop at each liquor store and it is similar to Oklahoma in that liquor is only available here. After living in Vegas where you can buy Liquor at Walmart 24 hours a day, Utah is a rude awakening.

The first year I lived here, there was also a "membership fee" at all bars. Basically in order to enter a facility that serves alcohol, you have to pay for a temporary membership. It sucked. You pay $4-$10 to get into ANY and ALL bars. Then pay for drinks or the band fee or whatever. It sucked. It has been removed over the past few years due to a negative response for tourism purposes. Either way, State run liquor stores sucks.

10. Wait, what is the law now?

The LDS church is a gold mine. Inevitably, their laws rule the state. It is a sad reality. For instance, a very well-known and profitable bar was shut down by the church. Why? They claimed they needed a parking lot. Come on! They leveled it several months ago but have yet to actually place anything of importance there. Furthermore, they are a tightly run business. Doctrine changes are based on political pressure and then deemed from God. They own almost everything, including major news outlets. LDS Temples are like Starbucks, there is one on every corner. Literally! As an example, it would be like each neighborhood (which they don't have in Utah) having at least two LDS churches.

Coming from Oklahoma, we have churches on every corner but it is due to the various denominations. In Utah County, you are pressed to find a non-LDS church.... anywhere! In Salt Lake, we located a Church of Scientology, a Catholic Church for immagrants and two non-denominational churches. Imagine.... that is the equivalent of having all Mormon churches except for three from Guthrie down to Norman. Sad but valid example of their political and financial influence in the state. I would get into the travesty of their great prophet murdering Indians and Settlers in the Mountain Meadows massacre and how that is offensive for someone from Oklahoma who tries to revel in and respect the indian heritage of the "Land of the Red People".... but I will save that for another blog. I will leave you with a simple interesting fact. After they led an "attack" on civilians and indians at Mountain Meadows, they created a small monument in its honor. In the past five years, they reconstructed a monument to honor and pay tribute to the horrific event. When they broke ground, they accidently broke into one of the mass graves of the murdered. Don't expect it to be talked about in Utah, it won't be. Instead, watch the History Channel, and they will lay out the entire event :)

END RANT.

Crazy week winding down...

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