misc...

We've had strange weather this February. I swear it's felt like (early) spring nearly half the time.

But then, after a beautiful and sun-shiny day, we get hit with cold winter winds and snow.

Whatever. It's winter in south-east Idaho. Expect the unexpected...

Anyway, we've got pretty crazy-looking icicles on our back porch handrail. See for yourself...

cuh-razy

...not to mention dangerous?

And...I did something when I went home for Brent's homecoming. An act of service for my mother, more than anything. It may not be a big deal for most of you people, but it was major for me.

Look what I made:

That recipes says "Karin's Banana Bread"
and those are very ripe bananas by the bowl.

YES! I made banana bread! All by myself! It was disgusting, and I may have gagged once or twice during the process...

Peeling the over-ripe, smelly, squishy fruit...

About to throw all the stinky peels away...

Adding the smooshed bananas.

I still can't make myself eat them. But...baby steps.

I really must love my momma SO MUCH.

Oh wait...I do!

fun with missykins...

I have Fridays off. Three-day weekends totally make the work week go by much faster; plus, Friday is a good time to take care of errands and stuff.

Yesterday instead of running all the errands I thought about running, I went to lunch with my dear friend Missy(kins)! I was about to finish up my visit-teaching (down to the wire!) when I got a text from Missy asking, "Are you free for a lunch date?" HECK YEAH, I was! So I totally went with it. I finished up my VTing, ran a few errands, and met up with Missy at TGI Friday's. We partook of some delicious burgers (hooray for red meat!) and then decided we hadn't gotten enough of each other, so we chilled at my place for a couple more hours.

Yeah...I really like this girl. Missy and I became friends shortly after she moved into the IF 1st branch a couple of years ago. Then she went off and got married (to a splendid guy, of course!). She even asked me to be her Maid of Honor. :)

Ginakins and Missykins...

So...it was totally great catching up with my cute friend Missy. I love that even though she's married and lives on the opposite side of town and we don't get to chill very often, it really seems like nothing has changed. We still talked as openly as ever and goofed off in the traditional Gina/Missy fashion.

It. Was. Awesome.

Me and Missy at my place...

The truth about our friendship...

Thanks for the stupendous afternoon, Missy! I heart you!

remember when...

Back before I could drive, I used to love the car ride at Lagoon. You know, the one where you drive around the track and...that's about it? I can't remember the name of that ride for the life of me...something about raceway? Anyway, there really wasn't much to it; each person in his own individual car, "driving" (somewhat slowly, as I recall) around a track--a track you were stuck on. You couldn't get off the track if you tried. I'm quite certain you didn't really have to even steer.

Why did I love that ride so much? Was my imagination so great that I pictured an adult version of me, driving myself to some amazing destination like...Lagoon?

Probably so...

Anyway, there is a point to this post.

Here it comes...

Driving anywhere within my neighborhood, I feel like I'm back on the driving tracks at Lagoon. The city of Ammon ain't keen on plowing our roads, and there are grooves cut into the snow/ice from car tires.

I don't love it.

True, I have actual control of my real-life car; I can pull out of the tracks if I so choose. But if I do that, I actually am afraid of LOSING control of my car, careening over the bumpy ice and crashing into a mailbox or a parked car or something.

I'm really looking forward to Spring...

boat sick on dry land...

I discovered (roughly 5 years ago) that I don't really do boats well. I went on a Kenai Fjord Tour while vacationing in Alaska. It was an 8 hour tour, and I got sick over the side of the boat approximately 2 hours into it.

Ah, memories...

(It really was one of the coolest things
I've ever done, just so you know.)

Now to tie the title of the post to the point of the post...

Last night I watched White Squall with my roommates. And I felt boat sick while sitting in the recliner.

Yes, the visual effects (or whatever you call them) made me, once again, write off ships and sea travel altogether. And this was before the climax of the movie when people died. (If you've never seen it, calm down; I didn't tell you which people die.)

It was a good movie though. Sad...very sad. But it made me think. (I totally didn't think that this would be a thinkin' movie, but it turns out I thought wrong...)

Having said that--the part about it being good--I don't think I'll watch it again. I don't like feeling boat sick-even from the safety of my own living room...

answers to the season's problems...

I've sure caught myself a lot of colds this past...month. Seriously. I had an uber sore throat the week Brent came home from his mish. The sore throat was a prelude to a cold.

It eventually went away, as colds always do.

I was feeling the perks of a healthier immune system. For about a week (give or take a couple of days).

Then last Friday--WHAMMO! I developed a big, fat cough. This big, fat cough was a prelude to a cold. (Wait a minute...didn't I just get over this bug?!)

Anyhoo, this silly post is mostly to say "Cheers to Puffs Plus!" It really is the superior facial tissue. At work we have the cheapo facial tissue; if I forget to take Puffs, I use "Cheapo" because the alternative is disgusting. However, after only a few uses, my already tender nose almost caught fire.

Any tissue that ain't Puffs Plus might as well be sandpaper.

A nose in need deserves Puffs Plus indeed.
(truer words have never been spoken)

And...without going into detail, I just want to give a shout-out to Mucinex as well.

la.dee.dah...

I'm bored.

That's what happens to my life when winter hits.

I'm sure it's partially my own fault--but I just don't thrive on playing in the cold and all that winter...ness. bah...

LAST WEEK:
Brent's "homecoming" was this past Sunday. His talk was pretty awesome, I'll have you know. kudos, brent. I spent the whole of the weekend with my family. And it was rad. Brent and I made chicken fajitas yum! and then Brent made me try Guarana Jesus. the "J" is pronounced like the /zs/ in "Zsa Zsa." all portugese-like.

Brent pounding come "Jesus Juice"

There used to be a couple of pictures of me with said beverage in hand...but Brent and I aren't quite sure where they ran off to. Curious. Anyway, it tastes like liquid bubble gum. Very sweet and not very delicious. sorry, b, it's just not my thang...

I totally sucked at taking pix of the "festivities" of the "homecoming." woopsie Fortunately, Amy took a picture of her boys --my nephews, thank you very much-- beforehand, looking all dapper and GQ in their church clothes.

Action Jackson and Sethington

THIS WEEK:
Nuttin'. At. All.

I'll try to come up with something clever to post about real soon. think, think, think...

Over. And. Out.

the haggis...

This post has kind of been a long-time coming. I've known I'd blog about it ever since I knew I'd be tasting haggis. And I totally wanted to post it earlier, but I've been having issues uploading videos onto blogspot from my computer. Meh...

I hope I haven't built the suspense too much for any of you who care to watch what is about to unfold. It's really nothing special. Except for the part where I eat haggis. (It is a big deal, okay?!)

Bon appetit!

Me & Lisa dishing up the haggis.



Will I, or won't I...?!

Okay, so I totally realize now that I shouldn't have looked up what, exactly, haggis is before I ate it. (Basically it's the Scottish equivalent of a hot dog, but sheep-style. Minus the hoof.) I don't know if you picked up on it, but I totally gagged twice before I even managed to get the fork to my mouth. Then there was at least one more gag whilst the haggis was in my mouth. Can somebody tell me, please, how you can't think of what haggis is when it's rolling 'round in your gullet?

Anyway...I did it. I ate a bite of haggis. And now I'm forever done with it. Seriously, it wasn't bad, but why would I eat it again? I feel quite certain that it's the nastiest thing I've ever put in or near my mouth. And I feel equally as certain that it's the nastiest thing that ever will go in or near my mouth.

Done and...done.

Oh yeah...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, VANCE!

nightmare revisited...

I heard the craziest story on the radio as I was getting ready for work this morning.

Seriously.

Quite a freaky story.

Some fellow goes sky diving for the first time on Saturday. As a first-timer, you have to go tandem. Shortly after the chute opens, the guy realizes his jump-master isn't responding. At all.

Turns out his jump-master is...wait for it...dead.

Seriously.

I told you it was crazy.

The story gets better, though. Although the jump-master is a goner (rest in peace), this rookie sky diver somehow lands without dying himself and he tries to revive the jump-master.

This story freaks me out of my gourd because I went sky diving in September 2006 and I had bad dreams before I went. (Nightmares about my chute not opening.) My experience was, in a word, awesome...but since diving, I've felt that I cheated death and I've decided I don't want to tempt fate again.

This story has just strengthened my resolve, thanks...

it took me back...

I heart Scotland and all things Scottish. (Well...most things Scottish, at least.)

Anyhoo, for an early birthday present, Lisa took me to a Robert Burns Memorial Supper here in Idaho Falls.

There was dinner (which included a taste of haggis--but that deserves its very own post!), Celtic dancers, Celtic harp, and Henry's Fork Pipes and Drums! (Yes, I really do enjoy the bagpipes.) Oh yeah, plus Robbie Burns poetry reading. I really get a kick out of Burns' poetry; somehow I didn't think the kind of humor he used was around during the 18th century.

So...here are a few pix & flix of the evening...

We actually got there too late for the Entrance of the Haggis...
which is a bummer because it's supposed to be a big deal.

Me and Lisa
(Thanks again for the wonderful b-day gifty!)

Look at all those kilts!
*sheepish smile*

So I'll post more about haggis when I can. (You should be excited for that post, you should!)

i like this kind of snow...

ya know...the kind that's made out of paper. even better, the kind that's made out of virtual paper. so there's no clean-up, see!

my friend coretta told me about this cool website, and i think it's stellar. of course, she's got a 4 year old daughter. it's probably more appropriate for a 4 year old. but i don't really care. it's a good time and i made virtual beauty, friends!

snow star

in honor of st. valentine

intricate

simplicity

you should totally try it out; but i warn you, it can be addicting!