That's a Lot of Heavy Metal.

Today I woke up and did my hair first thing (see? I can do my hair more than two days in a row. ;p), then I ran down to Farmington to get my food handlers permit so's I can be that much more useful at the concessions booth (they're required to have at least one person in the tent at all times who has one, so my not having one yet wasn't that big a deal. But now I have one, so all's well), and then I did some enumerating (two hours last week, two hours so far this week, and already I'm nearly finished again . . . *sigh*), and then I went on a walk and took one of the dogs. Tada! I only spent one or two hours today doing something unproductive, namely watching t.v. and chilling outside for a while, watching Kyle sell our p.o.j. Lumina. Yay! Admittedly, this relatively productive day didn't really get started until around noon . . . ;)

Speaking of selling cars . . . we've sold our ages-old Mormon Assault Vehicle, aka the 15-seat Ford Club Van, and today we also unloaded the Lumina. Next up is Sammy's Oldsmobile Ciera, and then the Chevy Silverado. Dang. That's a lot of vehicular turnover goin' on. We've got a new truck lined up already to be Dad's new toy (a GMC Duramax), which will be able to haul more and better than the Silverado, so the Big Boys can go on their next Big Toys (ATV) tour without worrying about the transmission, which apparently has gotten all messed up on our current truck because it just wasn't strong enough for what we used it for. It'll also have a bigger back seat. Thing is, the new truck will be off-limits to . . . well, pretty much everybody, I guess, except Dad, who won't be driving it much while he's off in Iraq . . . so it'll just wait here for him for a while. :P

Meanwhile, Kyle plans to buy a Chevy Blazer with the money from the Oldsmobile, which he can then modify and mess with to his heart's content. So we're selling four vehicles and replacing them with two, leaving the family with a total of . . . uh, four? (Impala, Geo Metro, Duramax and Blazer[?]. Yep, four.) Oh, and I guess we still have Sammy's other old car, the Ford Contour, still chillin' in the Red Neck side of the yard . . . we're waiting on Sammy to get the title to us for that thing. Apparently it got lost along the way somewhere, so he has to be the one to get a new one before we can sell that one, as well. Or save it for when Meagan learns to drive . . . *shrug.*

It'll be kinda weird, actually, having only three cars in the driveway and none on the street in front of the house (the Duramax might chill in the side yard where the van used to live . . .). I'm so used to having a million cars sprawled every-which-way all over our property, and most of them in use, too. But with Caryn and Bethany both down in SLC at the UofU without cars (Caryn and Sammy have a new one to share), we don't have quite the overload of drivers that we used to. It's just me, Mom, and Kyle. And Meagan in a year or so . . . and Becci two years after that . . . at which point I guess we'll buy another cheap car or two again. Goodness. Hopefully by then I'll have either bought the Geo, or handed it down to one of the girls because I've bought something better. Which would be contingent on me finding a steady job . . .

Dang. That's nine cars that we either own, have recently sold, or will own shortly. That's ridiculous. (All the picture links are random ones I found online to help those like me who can't tell one car apart from another unless it's one I've personally driven. They look more or less like the ones in our driveway, except for the to-be-purchased ones, for which I don't know the color.)

Is it any wonder I kept juggling cars in college? Which, if we get into that, would have to bring in the other Lumina (which Michael and Shantel now own) and the Malibu, which was intended to be officially mine upon graduation, but then I had to go and total it . . . *sob/sigh* Poor Shiv . . .

Which takes our car count to eleven. And that's only stretching it back about two years. Take it another year or so back from that and you get another Lumina and another Malibu (making thirteen) that met their ends at Michael and Caryn's hands, respectively. This is turning into a sad story . . . ;P

Long dead metal friends aside, though, to recap: we're selling five cars (counting the Contour) and buying two, for a final total of four. Sheesh.

And the Geo's mine. Mineminemine. And I won't crash it. Promise. ;D But I do need to fix that durn AC . . .

Aaaaahh!

I cut all my hair off!

Okay, not all of it. But more than I have up to this point. the front isn't too much shorter than I've had it before, but the back g

ets as short as 1 1/2 inches or so. It feels quite nice, I must say, having my hair off my neck and shoulders without having to wear it up all the time. And driving with the windows down (thanks to that ever-so-useless AC) will be much less of a hassle.

See?

Cute, huh?

That's the basic wash-and-wear look. I'll probably add mousse more often than not to give it some body and fluff.

And occasionally I can even go the gel-and-spikes route, and get this:

Which, IMO, is pretty dang cute, too. Who'd'a thunk I could pull of spikes so cutely? ;)

Aw, ain't I adorable?

Summertime

You know what's annoying? My left arm is more tan than my right. :P It's from driving long distances with the sun to my left the whole time, and the windows down because the little red Gutless's AC doesn't work. I don't get super tan to begin with, but my left arm has managed to get noticeably darker. Meanie. Maybe I need to go on my walks with one sleeve on, to give the other arm a fighting chance . . . ;)

So, a recap of the last week, since I've been a slacker:

Natalia's bridal shower was nice and successful and well-attended, and I was in charge! I guess I'm getting better at this party planning thing. ;) I made about a hundred crepes using Emily's family's crepe maker, which is definitely a kitchen tool I plan to own someday. :D

And the only thing I left in Provo this time was my unopened jar of Nutella. Oops. ;)

Friday and Saturday I worked at Madsen's Fun Foods booth at Clinton's Heritage Days. We sold funnel cakes. I'll be working with them again in a few weeks at the Davis County Fair. I like working with them--it's a fairly easy gig, takes up only the occasional weekend during the summer, and is my only real source of income right now. (The whole census thing is pretty questionable at this point. I don't think the job will be around any more after this week. :P) I did send in a resume the other day, though, for an editing position with a health foods company, or some such, that I found online . . . *fingers crossed.* Hmm, maybe jobs will be a touch easier to find once summer's over and people start heading back to school . . .

And in the meantime, I'm walking, helping Mom get projects ready for Girls' Camp, nagging Meagan about getting her summer homework packets done . . . stuff like that. And listening to even more awesome radio dramas and audiobooks. :) And pondering cutting my hair . . . Now that the idea's in my head, it's getting really tempting. ;) Especially since it's actually hot these days . . . height of summer, and all. :)

All Pretty-fied

Can't excuse my last few days' lack of posts with anything other than distraction--I got all wrapped up in a book and stopped taking time out to write. Tsk, tsk.

Anywho, we got our house and yard all prettied up for Caryn's second, Utah reception/open house, which took quite a bit of time and effort over the past few days. I even got my room all tidied up, even though no one from the party saw it. Now it's all nice because I actually have floor and desk space, and everything actually looks clean. :) Huzzah! Also the yard is all purty, with weeds pulled and a new layer of wood chips lain around all the plants and a new lattice and planter box separating the pretty side of the yard from the "red neck" side (a disused old car and trailer, a home-made "not-a-shed," weeds as tall as me . . . ;) ).

Speaking of red necks . . . so, the first reception was all traditional, with the bouquet toss and the cake cutting and the dancing and all the cuteness. This one, two weeks later and getting more extended family than friends on the guest list, was way more casual. We just sat and ate and chatted, let the dogs into the yard with us, let the kids play on the trampoline . . . a bunch of us even ended up playing card games around one of the tables while Caryn wandered around getting pictures with everyone. It was way laid back, which I liked. I really enjoyed both receptions--the city and the country one, as my mom put it. :)

On another topic entirely (though it was suggested during the party), Caryn and some of her friends suggested that I cut my hair all short and try out the a-line/"pixie cut" look--longer in front and short and spiky in the back. You know, all emo-like or just sorta shaggy. (No coloring, though. Too much trouble.) Would that just be totally insane? It might be entertaining to try . . . and my hair grows all sorts of fast, anyway . . . ;) I've never tried anything shorter than a bob . . . *ponders.*

Let me know what you think. I might play with the idea for a while . . . which, come to think of it . . . I'll probably want to wait until *after* August to experiment, just in case I look ridiculous . . . wouldn't want to spoil any bride's maids photos. ;)

But who knows? It might even be cute. I dunno. I tend to take others' opinions and suggestions on matters of fashion, and what styles (clothes, hair, makeup) will or will not work for me in particular. Gets me out of my box now and again. ;) And after all, the hair grows back . . . (of course, the biggest problem with a hairstyle like that is that I'd actually have to *do* it in the mornings . . . ;) )

Dueling Wands

Went on a date today--mini-golfing with my date and his brother and the brother's girlfriend at Cherry Hill. I won! Go figure. :) We ate dinner at Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que, which was quite delicious, then went and found some fireworks to watch. It was fun.

Afterwards I got to watch some silly young men shoot (relatively harmless) fireworks at each other. It was pretty funny. They shot colored balls of light at each other from what was essentially long, tube-like wands. :) I don't know if they would've appreciated the Harry Potter reference, but that's okay, I only just came up with it. ;) Of course, unlike Rowling's wizards, and more in the style of medieval knights, these guys had plastic shields taped over their left arms, just in case.

Also, all parties remain alive and nothing got scorched, so all is well with the world. ;)

Add in some laundry and dishes, and my Grandparents coming up to help Mom with some yard work (in preparation for Caryn's Utah reception), and you have my day. It was a good one. :)

Spud Racer!

First, a recap of the last couple days: I went down to Provo--again with less-than-reliable internet service (but they've fixed it now, huzzah!)--and we saw the premieres of Eclipse and The Last Airbender. I liked them both. I think the actors/director/special effects crew and everybody are getting better with each Twilight film they make. The plot flowed better and was more interesting, Bella didn't stutter nearly as much, and they actually had some lines that were funny on purpose, as opposed to just being hilariously bad. ;) And Jasper played Sokka, which was not as odd as I thought it would be. Of course, Sokka didn't play the same comic relief role that he did in the tv series, so it wasn't as much of a stretch for the actor as it could've been, I guess. :P Though I had been looking forward to seeing Jasper acting silly . . . Ah, well. At least in Eclipse he actually had a few lines. Turns out he even had a Southern accent. Who knew? ;)

I came home this afternoon so I could be here for my ward's "Spudwood Derby," in which we all carved potatoes and put pinewood derby wheels on them and raced them down the track. Here are some pictures of my lovely racer, Geraldine:

I can't say I put an awful lot of effort into her--I just shaved the potato into a vaguely sedan shape, and went from there. I hadn't brought anything specific to decorate the car with, so I took my owl keychain apart to make a driver and steering wheel, then dug around in my purse for other ideas . . . and ended up sticking a pair of Chlorotab alergy pills in for bug-eye looking headlights. :) Kinda cute, don't you think? Notice, the sleeping owl is facing backwards. No drowsy driving, kids! ;)

Anyway, for a random, thrown-together car, Geraldine actually did pretty well in the tournament. She beat all comers, right down to the final match. It was Geraldine vs. Spud the Stud. Me vs. Brother Ropelato, our 2nd Councilor in the bishopric. Relief Society vs. Priesthood. Girls vs. boys. ;)

And guess who won? That's right, Geraldine! :D

(One of the guys got video of it, which I'll have to get from him in the next few days or so and put it up on here. :) )

Admittedly, when Bro. Ropelato (hope I'm spelling that right . . .) realigned his wheels and we had a rematch, his car beat mine. But that's okay. I'm still taking the win. ;) It was all very exciting.

Also, yes, I went on a walk today. Huzzah. :)