The Post I'd Planned

Thanksgiving was eventful, to put it mildly. I had a lovely time at home, enjoyed seeing my brother for the first time in a long while, and loved being in California. It was when I had to come back to Texas that the fun started. As usual, I checked in to my flight the day before, so I just went up to the gate when I got to the airport. My flight was delayed. For 40 minutes. My time to catch the next plane in Phoenix was 45 minutes-we see the first problem. I asked the gate agent about the possibilities of me catching my flight. He said he didn't know, and asked me to come back in 5 minutes. I did so, and was then informed that I'd for sure miss my flight, and that they would book me on the next flight, which left at 7:45 instead of 4:10, and got me back to San Antonio at 11pm instead of 7pm. So much for grocery shopping and laundry before going back to work the next day. At least I have friends in Phoenix that might rescue me from 4 hours at the airport...so I did what any red blooded American girl would do with the prospect of seeing an old friend she may still be harboring a crush for-I went in the airport bathroom and primped.

Before our flight boarded, they announced that since the flight was full they would check our bags and waive the fee. I thought, I might as well check my bag. I might get to do something with Shelly or Ray in Phoenix, and it might be nice not to have the bag. The thought crossed my mind that I might want my running shoes from the bag, but I checked the bag anyhow. Got on the plane and flew to Phoenix. Got off the plane and tried to get in touch with Shelly. She already had plans, so I called Ray. He called me back and wanted to go for a run. I said I'd see what I could do to get my bag back-remember the running shoes? Shouldn't have checked the bag. I asked someone from the airlines about the possibilities of getting my bag and was told it was a lost cause. I went out and met Ray, proud of myself that I remembered what color his new car was, and laughing at the dynamics of our complicated, yet much appreciated, friendship. We caught up on the short drive to his apartment, and I consented to go for a jog with him wearing his old running shoes (which were sure to be too big).

I was right, his shoes were too big. I also borrowed sweat pants, a t-shirt, and a pair of socks. Even wearing two pairs of socks, his shoes were too big. Ray put on a long sleeved shirt and shorts, and I remembered how he used to push one sleeve up and leave the other down (funny the minuscule things one remembers). I pulled my hair back into a ponytail as we chatted before we left and broke my hair tie. Reason number two why I shouldn't have checked the bag-there were others in it. No worries, I tied it in a knot and made due. We took off on our jog and I realized some things never change. He kindly waited for me-it was dry and high in Phoenix compared to San Antonio, and I hadn't run in a week or so. Running allows time to chat, so we caught up. Interestingly, he was the first person to hear some family news because he asked about it-not the first person I'd planned on telling, but it was good to have a friend, as the news wasn't really good. We enjoyed the outdoors, and the hills (something else we don't have in San Antonio), and made it back in time to fix dinner and head back to the airport. He made dinner while we chatted some more, and put it in some easy to transport dishes. He handed me a fork and we headed back to the airport. We pulled up to the curb and started dinner, wondering out loud how long we'd be allowed to stay there. Technically he was there to drop me off, so we weren't parked. We ate and chatted and inched forward at a snail's pace, but it was enough to appease the man who was there controlling the traffic. We watched people-several Asian businessmen with practically no luggage (where were they going so late without luggage?), a lady who stopped her Lexus  in the second lane away from the curb and hopped out...headed for the terminal locking the car as she walked away. Eventually we finished dinner and I headed back to the terminal to await my flight back to Texas.

Our plane landed and I anxiously awaited my luggage. Which never showed up. Reason three I should never have checked it. Without going in to details (because it will just annoy me again), the airline's customer service left much to be desired, and I didn't get my bag back for two days. I was slightly stressed, as I wanted to be practicing for the performance, but was without my flute, which was in the bag I never should have checked. Eventually things worked themselves out. At least I have some stories to take away, and have been reminded again that I have good friends.

Merry Christmas!

I know this is a little late...but I hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas, as I did. I was lucky enough to start a couple of weeks early with a visit to St. Louis and the Gubler family. The boys are growing up so fast! We played, read, enjoyed each others company, and I got my Christmas wish of a little snow. Hopefully it didn't foul up the workings of the city too much-I'm told St. Louis doesn't usually get much snow. Cynthia threw me a late all black birthday party to mourn the end of a certain un-named decade in my life. I'm still waiting for the recipe for the delicious cake she baked!

I came back to SA for some work (and some time off since I caught a sniffle in the frozen north), and a week later mom and dad arrived. We had a good visit, though I was a little sick for it. Dad continued his reputation (hunting=camping with guns) by going on a doe hunt and seeing only bucks. For Christmas day, we cooked a turducken. In one word, it was delicious! I invited two friends who weren't going home for the holiday (both male), and we laughed that their presents included art, a sewing machine and cooking supplies, while I got a set of combination wrenches and a GPS. I guess mom and dad were tired of calls that went something like:

Me: Are you at home?

Them: Yes, we are.

Me: Can you go to the computer, please. I'm _____________, and I'm lost. I need to get to ______________. Can you please tell me how to get there from here?

My new back seat driver came equipped with the option for an Australian accent, which I happily accepted over Sponge Bob or Dora's voices (which I could have downloaded from the website). Though, thinking about it now, it might be good for me to set the language to Spanish for a while, as I'm venturing back to Central America in a couple of months. I've been accepted as a volunteer on a medical mission to Antigua. I'll spend two weeks translating for doctors, dentists and optometrists. While I'm looking forward to the experience, I believe my Spanish needs a little refreshing. It will be fun to explore the city again, serve the people, and spend some evenings with Random. I am looking forward anxiously to the Pan de Chocolate y Naranja from Dona Luisa. I remember eating lots of it many years ago. I'll have to dig through my memories to see if I still have the place mat with the map, so it will be easy to find.

It has been lovely to hear about what some of you are doing through Christmas letters, cards and emails. All the best in the New Year!

Not the post I'd planned...

I have been meaning to write a Thanksgiving post. My trip home was eventful in so many ways, but I can't seem to find the time to write everything I'd like to. In fact, it seems hard to find the time to do much right now. I love the holidays:)

I thought as I was checking the weather and putting on my snowflake earrings this morning about how I miss the seasons. Which got me wondering, do I really miss the seasons, or is my memory playing tricks on me? There were bitter (to a Californian) cold mornings at BYU when the thought of walking to my 7AM class through the cold filled me with dread. Nonetheless, I did so, enjoyed class, and lived to tell about it. Then again, there were beautiful, crisp mornings when I was the first one to walk through the freshly fallen snow on our block. I loved that. I guess I'll get a little taste of winter this weekend while in St. Louis. I'm happy to report it's supposed to snow one of the days when I'm there, and the high for my 4 day trip is 47 degrees. Brrrrrrr.

Airport plan

I've been hearing a lot lately about airport security. As I have booked two trips in the next month or so, I am not happy about the possibility of either being exposed to "safe" radiation (but not if you look at a Berkley study) and thinking about a TSA officer looking at me sans clothes, or being patted down extensively. I was patted down once before-I think I was flying from the east coast to the west. Their old non-invasive pat down made me uncomfortable-I can't imagine how violated I'd feel if subjected to the new one. Therefore, I have devised an airport plan. You may recall I was in Norway a few months ago. While there, I purchased this:

My plan is to wear the above item of clothing with my bathing suit underneath. If/when they choose to select me for the additional search, I will refuse both the radiation and pat down, unzip the onsie, strip to my togs and ask politely what more they need to see.

Goldilocks and the Lab Chairs

Goldilocks had been trapped in the Illumina lab and her office for several weeks. Finally, it was the day when she would return to her normal lab. She was a little worried. Once or twice when she was trapped, she walked by the lab and saw the big, bad post-doc sitting in her chair (okay, so he's not really big and bad, but it sounds better that way). Because Goldilocks was the only one who regularly pushes in her chair in the lab, she worried that her chair would get lost in the shuffle. When she arrived at the lab, no one else was there. She put on her lab coat, donned gloves and hopped into the chair in front of her work bench. "This chair slopes too much", she thought, and hopped down. She pushed that chair out of the way and tried the second chair. "The back of this chair is two low", thought Goldilocks and stood up again. Trying the third chair, she thought "This chair is just right" and proceeded to set up her PCR.

Between scoring another goal at soccer yesterday, winning a turkey at the turkey trot today, and finding her lab chair, Goldilocks figures it will be a pretty good week.

Birthday

Why didn't I know about this before?? There will be a Bear Valley trip for my next birthday!

X

Several good reasons...guess I have a couple more frogs to kiss before I find Prince Charming

Finally

I scored! I was near the goal, someone passed me the ball, and I tapped it right past the keeper into the net. And it felt just as good as I imagined it would. The only thing that could have made the game better would have been staying on my feet when I was going for my second goal of the game. Unfortunately, the goalie's leg got in my way and I ended up in the grass.

Good game, team red:)

Success!

My goal as of late with Gus has been to get him to eat from my hand. When we started out, he flew to the opposite side of the cage as soon as I put my hand in, usually making some unhappy squeaking.

 Next, he decided it might be okay to reach for food from his dish that I had balanced on my hand.

 Eventually, he decided he could sit on the bowl in my hand and eat.

 And now, he eats from my bare hand!

He occasionally decides to give a finger a try instead of his seed. This results in a firm scolding. Hopefully he'll learn what "Don't bite" means soon. Though he hasn't bitten me hard enough to draw blood again, it still hurts a bit. I'm happy to be making progress with my little guy. I think he's adorable.

The video is when he was deciding whether it was really a good idea to eat out of my hand. I think his little sideways back and forth dance is cute. Now he just comes right down and gives my hand a good stare down before he eats.

Next year

I'm thinking of carving a pumpkin next year...

Band Aids

I've been thinking a little about quick fixes versus getting to the root of the problem. While I was talking to my dad yesterday, he mentioned having scratched himself with a tree branch while working in the orchard. Due to his medications, his blood doesn't clot like it used to, and he ended up with blood on his arm and his shirt before he noticed. He found a band aid in his truck, and eventually stopped the bleeding. Band aids may be something he carries around now, to compensate for the changed clotting ability his blood has because of medication. In this case, a band aid was really what he needed. The root cause of bleeding may have been preventable, but was not unusual, and will probably be a re-occurring incident. Problem fixed.

San Antonio is now the 7th fattest city in the US. While that's an improvement (we were #3 last year), it's still not great. I heard a proposed solution on the radio this morning. At a YMCA on the south side of town, bicycles will be given away in order to encourage an active life style. Those who receive free bikes will have a 6 month check up to see if they've been using the bicycles. My guess is that the bikes will be taken with good intentions, but when city dwellers realize how terrible biking in San Antonio is, they will hide the bikes in a corner of their garage and give up. Within weeks. I say this because I tried to bike to work for several months. I certainly live within a reasonable biking distance, and had no problem with the physical effort, in fact, I enjoyed it. The problem was the lack of infrastructure for bikers. There are no bike lanes in most of the city, in fact there are few shoulders on the roads and practically no sidewalks once you leave neighborhoods and get onto main roads. San Antonio drivers are terrible to begin with. Add bikes and the equation becomes exponentially worse. Inexperienced bikers expect traffic to yield to them, drivers unused to and not expecting bikes are surprised and angry at the lack of courtesy shown by bikers, and because they are so exposed, bikers are at risk for injury or death. I can't remember how many people told me stories about bikers being hit and left by the side of the road before I gave up biking to work, but I decided my safety was more important than my desire to save on gas money and be fit. The bikes being given away are a sorry excuse for a band aid in an attempt to fix San Antonio's fat status. Lifestyle changes are needed. If the city powers that be want people to get out and be fit (bike, walk, etc.), San Antonio city structure should encourage that lifestyle. I know that changing city structure is more expensive than giving away a few bikes, I'm just saying I believe in approaching the problem from a broader view.

Lastly, a couple of people have apologized to me recently. One for an action he took which he thought offended me, and another for holding a grudge about something I said that, unbeknownst to me, hurt her feelings. The first instance hadn't really offended me, though I had thought the actions taken were inappropriate. While the second didn't remember what exactly I'd said, I'm sure she remembered how it made her feel. Holding on to those feelings were hurting her more, and asking forgiveness allowed her to start healing. Genuine apologies are more than a band aid. Yet these two instances made me wonder if there was anything I could have done to avoid the hurt completely. Was what I said to her unfeeling or thoughtless? I don't think anyone likes to find out they've hurt someone they care about, yet we do it often. Why is it so easy to offend and be offended?

Memories

Okay, maybe only one memory. Some people at work (myself included) are dressing up for Halloween today. To ruin the surprise, my costume is a ladybug. I have wings, and antennae, and red sequined shoes. I've been agonizing about what to wear in addition to the above mentioned accouterments. A black dress (which I don't have and haven't been able to shop for), a black shirt and pants, shorts, a skirt? This morning I finally settled on black leggings with my ballet skirt over them-not a look that I'm in love with normally, but it's Halloween, so everyone looks odd, right? However, I work in a lab, and while I'm in the lab doing lab work, I like to have pants on. Just in case. So I pulled my jeans on over the leggings (and fishnets), slipped on my shoes and headed off to work. I noticed that my jeans don't feel right. I feel a little pudgy, which is silly, since I'm skinny. I started wondering how I wore leggings under my pants for so many years at BYU when there wasn't enough time to change between dance class and whichever chemistry class was next. Maybe that's why most of my jeans from college are too big now.

Weather or not...

Really, Texas? It's the end of October. Isn't it about time for fall weather?

Weekend adventures

 I think my favorite thing about Texas (other than my friends, of course), is the amazing BBQ. They don't just BBQ things, they cover things in a rub and slow cook them in a smoker until they are mouth wateringly delicious. A friend of mine mentioned a few months back that he was going to build himself a smoker out of two ceramic pots. He generously shared with me all of the research he'd done, and I proceeded to build my own. Over conference weekend I smoked a chicken. Since that worked, I decided it was time to try a brisket...the holy grail of smoking. I asked a few friends for tips, bought a brisket and set my alarm for super early Saturday AM, as I knew a brisket could take upwards of 12 hours to smoke. Below is the smoker in all its glory. Unfortunately you can't see all of the smoke issuing from the cracks, but be assured, it's there.

The brisket was a success. I thought it was a little strong Saturday night, but the friends that came over to share it with me assured me it was quite tasty. For me, it was certainly better the day after. I will be repeating the project and trying to hone my rub making skills and experiment with different types of wood.

Gus has been making slow progress-he's not as scared of me as he was when I first got him, but he's still not ready to let me touch him. If I put his food dish in my hand and hold it in the cage for long enough, he'll make his way over and eat out of the dish. I did this on Sunday morning with the cage door open to accommodate my arm. When Gus decided he was done eating, instead of hopping on to the perch right next to him, he flew over my shoulder and landed in the middle of the living room. I decided that instead of traumatizing him by trying to catch him right away I'd let him roam a little, after all, he wasn't getting in to trouble. I laid on the floor so I could watch him and proceeded to go over my Sunday school lesson

He seemed to like the shelf under the table where his cage sits. He tried to eat the seed in the glass jars a couple of times. I couldn't get a picture of it this time, but I assure you it was quite cute. After wandering around in the kitchen and living room, he settled into a spot under the table, fluffed himself up, and prepared for a nap.This was when I decided it was time for him to go back in to his cage. I chased him around the apartment for a while, and finally succeeded in returning him to his proper place.

Copying Shelly

My friend Shelly has started a blog for letters she has written. While I don't intend to start another blog, I thought it was a great idea to send letters (especially commending businesses for things I appreciate), and am including my first below.

Dear Dairy Queen,
Often I want ice cream, but portion sizes are way too big for me to eat myself, let alone for my health. Thank you for the new mini size blizzard that gives me the chance to satisfy my craving for ice cream without overindulging.
Thanks,

Janelle Bentz

Welcome fall!

I love the "fall" weather that has come to San Antonio. It's still hot during the days, but not the scorching, sweltering heat we've had all summer, and it cools down considerably at night. Enough so that I can open my windows and enjoy the fresh air. I've seen people in sweat shirts (though I think it's still too hot). The only thing that bothers me is this:

That little pollen level thing is probably why I've started sneezing. I guess it's time to start loading up on antihistamines.

I want one!

Check this out!

...but where would I keep it?

New sofa

Well, after about a year of debating the issue, I bought myself a new sofa. The one I have was given to me by a friend when I first moved here-the sentimental value is infinite, but I want something a little more permanent since I am after all no longer a college student. I'm taking baby steps toward grown-up hood, this is the next one. It should arrive sometime in the next two weeks. If you know anyone who needs a couch, they can have my old one:)

Woes

I got my hair cut yesterday. After thinking about it for a while, and realizing that the last time I had it cut was when I donated it in February (or was it January?), I decided that it was time for a trim, and maybe some long layers. Nothing too dramatic, just a little shape and less split ends. Something that would grow out well, as I love my hair long and have been anxiously waiting for it to grow out. So after work I ventured to an un-named hair salon. I chatted with Desi about what I wanted-just a little shape, maybe a little shorter around my face for framing, long layers, I'm trying to grow it out, I wear it up to work, so not too short. I thought we had an understanding. More than an hour later, I left with a haircut I hate. It looks a little too much like a mullet for my taste. What were supposed to be long layers are way too short layers, and most of the front now falls out when I try to put my hair in a ponytail. The back poofs out, and I'm afraid of what will happen tomorrow when I do it curly-I'm envisioning an explosion. And I was so looking forward to cute trimmed hair with my new dress on Sunday. Now I have to figure out how to hide the mess until Tuesday, when I have an appointment with someone new to get this fixed. Unfortunately, that means going even shorter, and waiting even longer until I have long hair again. What a silly thing to be worried about, yet I almost cried yesterday when I got home.

It will grow out.

Eventually.

Meanwhile...here's the proof I should have known, for your viewing pleasure.

Dance!

Love this...a friend posted it on his Facebook. Obviously, a friend I used to dance with-I think all of us were at one time or another caught dancing on campus between classes or "fidgeting" in a class as we reviewed something we were learning.

News

I had written a lovely post with a video of Gus singing along with my music, but the video won't upload. The long and short of it was that I've discovered he really likes music (especially country), and will sing along when it's on-he also jumps from perch to perch. I think it's pretty cute.

Also, not connected, I was doing some laundry on Saturday and discovered my dryer wasn't really working right. I hung up my clothes and thought I'd investigate when I had the time. Today I did a little looking, and found a bird's nest in the outlet for my dryer vent. Too bad it's on the outside of my second floor apartment with no way for me to remove it. I called the apartment office, and they are sending out someone with a ladder to investigate. I hope there aren't babies...if that's the case, I'll be hanging my clothes until they molt and leave the nest!

I've been on a couple of dates with the same person in the past couple of weeks. It's been almost a year since that happened last, and while I don't know that this is really going anywhere, I have to say it's nice to be taken out, and I'm grateful for men who are men. They ask for a date, plan something, and come pick me up at my place of residence. They open my door, ask me questions about myself and are genuinely interested in getting to know me. I hope I make them feel as comfortable and important as they make me feel.

Lastly, what a beautiful CES fireside last night. Elder Scott bore pure testimony of the reality of God's plan of salvation for us, and the importance of marriage in that plan. I loved every minute of it!

Names

So in spite of some good suggestions, I'm leaning toward Gus...short for Gustav, but who will ever call him that anyhow? I don't know why I like it, but so does my brother and a friend at work, so barring an amazing name that I haven't thought of yet, Gus it is. :)

My New Addition

I've been wanting a pet for a while. A dog in a small apartment seemed cruel, both for me and the dog, and I don't like cats. I thought about a hedgehog for a while-they are adorable! Unfortunately, they are illegal in several states, and as they have a long lifespan, and since I don't think I'll stay in Texas forever, I thought it wise to pursue a pet that wouldn't have legal problems. So today I added a Fisher's lovebird to my apartment.



I borrowed cages from a friend-a small one for transport, and a larger one what I'll move him to when he's calmed down a little. Meanwhile I'm shopping for cages and waiting for the bird show at the end of September. I'm told it will be a great place to find a nice cage.



While telling the sex is difficult, I think I have a boy, so now the naming saga begins. I'm not good at naming things, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. So far, he's pretty quiet. I expect that's because moving today gave him quite a shock. He squawked a little when I caught him to clip his wings, and I gave up after one wing...he drew blood twice biting me. Looks like I have my work cut out for me...Bird-2, Janelle-1.



I'm thinking about clipping the other wing tomorrow; or maybe I'll give him a little more time to get used to me. If he decides I'm not really a threat, maybe he won't bite so hard!

Score!!

After I don't know how many years of playing soccer (for teams and pick-up), I finally scored a goal last night!! Just wanted to share the good news.

Happenings

So I know I have tons more to write about my vacation, but life seems to get in the way. I started this post thinking of a few of things to post, and now I can only remember two.

First, I heard the best song lyrics today..."Hey there cutes put on your dancin' boots and come dance with me" Made me wish I had the opportunity to use it :0)

My second observation is a little more long winded. I've been reading Jane Eyre for a book club some friends started. Having read the book ages ago, I contested the choice, but was out voted and promised I could pick the next book. I've been trying to decide whether to pick a dorky science book I know I'd love, or try to find something that everyone might like. Probably the latter will end up happening. Don't be shy about commenting if you have a recommendation! I'm always looking for a good book.

The other day when I was reading, though, I was surprised to find a passage I liked! I'm putting it here for the benefit of anyone who thinks like I do, or to start an animated conversation between the two people who actually comment on my posts.

To set the scene, there are some visitors at a house, and they are entertaining one another. One of the ladies is sitting at the piano and pontificating as she plays. The following are her observations:

"Of, I am so sick of the young men of the present day! Poor, puny things, not fit to stir a step beyond papa's park gates: nor to go even so far without mamma's permission and guardianship! Creatures so absorbed in care about their pretty faces and their white hands, and their small feet; as if a man had anything to do with beauty! As if loveliness were not the special prerogative of a woman-her legitimate appanage and heritage! I grant an ugly woman is a blot on the fair face of creation; but as to the gentlemen, let them be solicitous to posses only strength and valor: let their motto be-hunt, shoot and fight: the rest is not worth a fillip. Such should be my device, were I a man.

"Whenever I marry I am resolved my husband shall not be a rival, but a foil to me. I will suffer no competitor near the throne: I shall exact an undivided homage; his devotion shall not be shared between me and the shape he sees in his mirror."

Interesting thoughts about gender roles...

Inception

I finally saw Inception last night. I really liked it, I found it interesting and complex and full of action. I may need to see it again to understand fully. Amazing what comes out of people's imagination.

My favorite conversation went something like this (to set the scene, there are several people in someone's dream...when the dreamer realizes there are others sharing his dream his subconscious [i.e. the other people in the dream who are neither the dreamer nor the sharers] start looking around for the imposters. Arthur and Ariadne are imposters trying to look inconspicuous.):

Arthur: Quick, give me a kiss!
(they kiss)
Ariadne: They're still looking at us.
Arthur: Yeah, it was worth a shot.

I'd like to try it some time...

Worst day

So I may be over-reacting, but I think today might have been the worst day ever...even worse than when I broke my collar bone, and possibly worse than the day I had to leave Australia. From getting scolded by the mail man (it's _my_ mail, why can't I take it...I don't want to wait a half hour for you to finish, I intend to be gone by then), to the worst Mexican food ever for lunch (yes, even worse than what I had in Brisbane), to my cherries falling out of the truck when I opened the door to get my groceries, all-in-all, it was a pretty frustrating day for me.

If you see me tomorrow, I may need a hug. Or several.

Change

After two weeks off, I've come back to live as it was. Monday was soccer, Tuesday I went to the temple, Wednesday was soccer again, and the list continues so that as I look at the weeks ahead I realize that my weekends for the next month are already planned. I might get a free night next Wednesday only because my Bible study class is on break for a couple of weeks. Don't get me wrong, I like to be busy-it keeps me distracted (mostly) from the things I'm unhappy about in life but can't change at this moment.

I took some time last night after soccer to chat with a friend I haven't seen in some time. We talked about some of those things, and as I reflected on our game (and the friends I've made playing and my gratitude for them, and the changes that may happen before next season arrives), and thought about the things we were discussing, I came to a realization that wasn't really surprising, or new.

While there are some things in my life I really want to change, there are other things I would like to keep the same. Now, this may seem intuitive, but here's the problem. Changing the biggest thing I want to change in my life right now would cause several other changes that I see as undesirable. Because of that, in spite of my desire for a change, I'm afraid of it too. This realization makes me wonder if my attempts to change this aspect of my life have, in fact, been half-hearted. I have been making attempts, but have had little success. This lack of success could be a product of many things I have no control over, but what if it is also a product of my fear?

Does anyone know why we are so afraid of change, even when we think it will be a good thing?

Norway, post 2

First, here's some proof that I did go wading in the fjord...smiling through my chattering teeth. How many people actually get the chance to stick their toes in such beautiful water?



Jared is here having a Cinderella moment and communing with Norwegian wild life. I love the look on his face!


This is along the river in Trondheim. I thought the buildings on stilts were picturesque and quaint. The water was perfect for good reflections that morning.


This is in front of the church building in Oslo. Lucky for us, there were people there who could translate the service-otherwise it would have been a long three hours!


And, a delicious Belgian waffle to end this post. I wish I knew how they got the sugary, crusty outside and the fluffy sweet middle all in the same waffle. We could smell them from 1/2 a block away, and decided that no matter what they were when we got to them we would buy one. Needless to say, they smelled amazing, and tasted just as good.

Norway, post 1

This is just a post to show off some pictures...the first is the fjord in Trondheim. We took a little drive to have a BBQ and do some swimming here with Mari, Nikolai and some of their friends. Jared actually got in and swam around a bit. I waded in until my teeth were chattering, which meant I only got knee deep.




Our second stop was a town called Fredrikstad. Jared's great-great grandfather came from Fredrikstad to America, so it was a must see, even though there's not a lot there. Pictured below is the menu from where we had dinner. We stared at them until the waiter came. We asked him if he spoke English, and when he said yes we asked if he could translate for us. He had something better...menus in English!




We visited the Cultural Museum in Oslo, where we saw lots of old buildings. I love the way the wood weathers, and the grass on the roof. We were told it's for insulation. There are actually some places (where my friend Mari's family has a cabin) where it is mandated by law that you put grass on your roof. In their case, it's because they are near a national park, and the park service wants the valley below to look natural.




Outside the Viking Ship museum there was a man selling reindeer burgers. We decided they were worth a try...they weren't very good :( I should have opted for another Belgian waffle for lunch!



So there's just a taste of Norway. I'll keep posting as I go through my pictures, and get the film developed from my SLR.

So far...

Trip highlights so far...
-Burgers at Dave's place in New York-where I finally met my travel buddy...turns out we get along just fine :)
-Carrying luggage all over London while switching airports
-Learning that my limited Norwegian is sufficient...I can greet people and ask them if they speak English. So far everyone has said yes
-Belgian waffles at the Viking ship museum
-Leftsa at the Norwegian culture museum
-Watching the folk dancers at the culture museum
-European chocolate in so many forms
-Seeing old friends and catching up
-Swimming (read wading) in Trondheim's fjord. It was so cold my teeth were chattering by the time I was in up to my knees!
-Trying lots of things at the food festival here in Trondheim

There is lots more, and we have some fun things planned...eventually I'll post pictures, but not until I get home...meanwhile I hope this is sufficient.

Funny

I had some people over last night...a lot of people, whom I fed. Happily. I love to cook. We then had a lovely gospel discussion about things like charity, purity and the Sacrament, and they fed me with their knowledge and insight. I thought it was a fair trade. None of this is the point of this post, however. The point was for me to relate a funny side conversation that took place in the kitchen between me and an undisclosed male friend who was helping me clean up after dinner.

To set the stage, there was a giant bowl of applesauce with a serving spoon in it on the counter. Well, the bowl was giant, but there was barely any applesauce left. The conversation went something like this:
Him: Do you think there's enough applesauce left to save?
Me: No, I'll just eat it so we don't have to worry about it...that spoon won't fit in my mouth-can you give me a small spoon? (I think he thought I said something about being a small spoon)
Him: You want to be the big spoon?
Me: (Getting the spoon myself because I'm just as close to the silverware drawer as he is, and smiling because at this point I'm in on the joke too) No, I like to be the small spoon.
Him: You are what you eat...with?

It made me laugh. Maybe no one else will think it's funny, but at least I'll get a laugh every time I re-read this blog.

Irony

Some friends and I were talking about books the other day. I mentioned that another group of friends had invited me to participate in a book club, and that I am not enjoying the book which was chosen. As they asked me why and I enumerated my distaste for the characters in the book and their behavior, then had to laugh at the fact that I was complaining about the main character because I think she complains too much. I don't know if I'll make it through the book before the designated time. We've had it about a month (maybe only three weeks), and I'm on page 15. It's not a short book. Maybe I'll just watch the movie:)

Patriotic

The older I get, the more patriotic I feel when July fourth rolls around. I don't know if it's because I'm getting old enough to really appreciate what I have, or if it has to do with the growing amount of time I've been able to spend outside our country. Traveling really makes clearer the blessings we have as Americans.

I took my parents to a rodeo in Bulverde, TX last night. They were celebrating the fourth on the third, so there was a patriotic theme. My favorite part was the singing of The Star Spangled Banner. I don't know who started the singing (someone official, as it's something they usually do before a rodeo), but the entire crowd (myself included) started singing along. It was a moment of unity for everyone in the stands, in spite of our differences, to recognize and appreciate how truly blessed we are. There was a reading-I'm including the text below though I'm not sure who wrote it. The website I found attributes it to John Mitchum. What they played sounded like John Wayne. A moment in my life for cowboy poetry that can only be rivaled by a recitation of "I Love a Sunburnt Country" somewhere on a ranch outside of Gladstone, Queensland.

AMERICA, WHY I LOVE HER

You ask me Why I Love Her?
Well, give me time and I'll explain.
Have you seen a Kansas sunset
Or an Arizona rain?
Have you drifted on a bayou
Down Louisiana way?
Have you watched a cold fog drifting
Over San Francisco Bay?
Have you heard a bobwhite calling
In the Carolina pines,

Or heard the bellow of a diesel
At the Appalachia mines?
Does the call of Niagara thrill you
When you hear her waters roar?
Do you look with awe and wonder
At her Massachusetts shore,
Where men who braved a hard new world
First stepped on Plymouth's rock?
And do you think of them when you stroll
Along a New York City dock?
Have you seen a snowflake drifting
In the Rockies, way up high?

Have you seen the sun come blazing down
From a bright Nevada sky?
Do you hail to the Columbia
As she rushes to the sea,
Or bow your head at Gettysburg
At our struggle to be free?
Have you seen the mighty Tetons?
Have you watched an eagle soar?
Have you seen the Mississippi
Roll along Missouri's shore?

Have you felt a chill at Michigan
When on a winter's day
Her waters rage along the shore
In thunderous display?
Does the word "Aloha" make you warm?
Do you stare in disbelief
When you see the surf
Come roaring in at Waimea Reef?
From Alaska's cold to the Everglades,

From the Rio Grande to Maine,
My heart cries out, my pulse runs fast
At the might of her domain.
You ask me Why I Love Her?
I've a million reasons why:
My Beautiful America,
Beneath God's wide, wide sky.

~ John Mitchum ~

So there you have it. Plenty of reasons to love our great country.

Dear Charlie,

When you showed up on Sunday morning, I figured it was because you saw me walking around most of Saturday in high heels...or maybe it had something to do with going Salsa dancing. While I admit, going shopping in heels wasn't the best idea, I didn't expect these consequences. You don't usually bother me unless I do something really silly, like running in heels. If your presence is due to dancing, then it was probably worth my while, because a good night of dancing will make up for almost anything.

I put up with you all day Sunday, and hoped you'd be gone when I woke up this morning. Unfortunately, you are still around. I stopped for bananas on the way to work, knowing how they are usually your cue to hit the road. I have now eaten two, yet you persist in forcing your presence on me. Please take a hint-you are not wanted. If you stick around for my soccer game tonight, I will be quite unhappy. You tend to make soccer a lot less enjoyable. Should you choose to stay until I get home tonight, I will be forced to take drastic measures and call Ben.

Thank you,

Janelle

Dreams

I seldom remember my dreams, but occasionally there are snippets. Last night I dreamt about a black Mustang-I don't know exactly what year 2007? Something newish. It needed a proper paint job-only the hood and trunk had a clear coat. The rest of the car was that matte color that makes me think it's only primed and not really painted.

Night before last I dreamt about a Delorean. Really. I can only think it was brought on by the fact that I got an email from the Boerne park and rec office saying they're showing Back to the Future in the park this weekend.

I don't know why the car dreams, nor do I remember much about the dreams other than the cars. Maybe it's because a friend of mine has been making fun of Hal. My sub-conscious is coming up with new car options?

California and Utah Trip

Finally, I'm writing about my trip home and to UT a few weeks ago. It seems like it's been so long, when really it's been about two weeks. It was lovely to get out of the Texas heat and enjoy some of the places where I really feel at home. I spent a couple of days in California. Most importantly, I got to see family...below is my mom with our dog, Zeke.



I miss family being close. I have such a good family; it's hard to be so far from them. I visited my Grandma Eunice, and chatted with Grandma Gigi (who lives with my parents). There were plenty of people to see, and while time was too short, I enjoyed the time I spent with all of them. I also enjoyed the fruits of dad's labor in the garden, pictured below.



Cherries have always been one of my favorites, and you can't beat fresh off the tree!

I confess, going home also brings the welcome opportunity to visit my car...



I can hardly wait to be somewhere I feel comfortable bringing her-I don't know what it is, but I feel so comfortable behind the wheel of the Mustang. It's so fun to drive! I also took the opportunity to drive dad's Cobra and his new Jeep. The Jeep is interesting...the steering wanders a lot and it's a pretty bumpy ride, but nothing beats knowing my dad has a(nother) project to keep him busy in retirement. It sounds like he's really enjoying the tinkering.

Next stop was Utah, for some time with my old college roommates. I had to see Cynthia and Tim's new addition (who is adorable!), and make sure Peter knows who I am. We spent time playing ball, reading and dancing. Peter makes a stage out of the hearth-below we are posing at the end of the song.



I had to take advantage of being in the mountains, so we went for a hike and a picnic. Cynthia made Avanti sandwiches (delicious), and we headed up the canyon for the morning. Peter was very good at holding my hand to make sure I didn't get lost on the hike.



Actually, he more held a finger or two. Each night, Cynthia and Tim ask Peter what he's going to dream about. His answer when I was there was "Mommy, and daddy, and Sam, and Janelle." Cynthia told me the trend has continued, and Peter still tells them he's going to dream about me. Not only do they have a cute boy, they have a smart one too! It's nice to be the girl of someone's dreams!

Grumpy

I got my first ever ticket yesterday. I was following a friend not paying attention to the speed limit (naively assuming she would be). We both got pulled over. The cop asked about my address, and I've just finished changing it online. My postulate that Texas is stupid has again been verified as I have to pay to change my address. Why? I never had to pay in Utah. Besides that, I had to extricate a roach from my apartment last night. Harumph!!

I want one...

I'm not really a die-hard sports fan, in fact, I seldom watch sports unless I have the opportunity to be there in person. That being said, if I were to head to a big game somewhere, I think I'd want one of these to wear-minus the hood.

No pictures :(

Well...since Blogger still won't let me upload pictures the UT/CA trip post is still waiting.

Meanwhile, victory still tastes good. Team red had a 1-0 victory against dark green tonight. It felt good to be on the field and feel like I was really in the game. I stood in front of a shot to block it and didn't feel a thing. After three years I finally feel like I'm getting a little of my ability back. Too bad winter league seems to fall apart each year, it would be a great way to stay in shape!

Musing

There have been a few things on my mind lately, life has been busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Softball season ended with a bang...our last game was last night. Unfortunately, we didn't win, but third place is pretty respectable considering we lost all but one of our season games. Soccer continues to be fun-we played one of the best teams in the league Monday, and while we lost, I still felt good about the game. I stood up one of their better players a couple of times, and I heard the team talking about keeping a team mate of mine out of the goal because he's dangerous. Passing on the compliment was a pleasure.

My plans for Europe continue to develop. All of the plane tickets have been purchased, which means the money hemorrhage can slow down a bit. I know the trip will be totally worth the cost, and I'm getting more and more excited. It's just over a month until I leave. My how time flies!

After telling my Europe plans to Cynthia, she called me crazy. At this point, I'm inclined to agree with her. She kindly passed on the fact that there's a huge tap workshop here in San Antonio from July 22nd to the 25th. My flight to New York (which is the beginning of Europe) leaves at 6:20AM the 23rd, but after looking at the workshops being offered, I signed up for one the evening of the 22nd. The workshop is called "Drum to Dance/Dance to Drum" and is labeled intermediate/advanced level. Guess I'd better start practicing up-I'm not sure I can do a pull back anymore. I hope I haven't just thrown myself into the deep end of a pool-I struggled some with tap at BYU when Gary taught the 500 class (if you don't know what the 500 class is, we called it "Quantum clog" because it's a graduate level step dance class-Irish, clogging, tap and French-Canadian).

Lastly, I think my clothes are growing in my closet at night. I put on a pair of dress pants that I bought while I was in Australia and they seem really big...and my belt seems too big too. This is a problem because I really like these pants, and have two pairs. I guess I should have bought the size 8.

Running...

I let a friend talk me into running a 5K with her this morning. I know what you're thinking (if you know me) "You, run a 5K? But you hate running." You're right, but I wanted to support Jessie-she's training for a marathon. Something I have never wanted to do, but I'm happy to encourage.

This is us before the race:


Notice my lovely round, palindromic number. One of the other runners told me it was a heavenly number. It didn't turn out to be lucky...we got stuck behind the walkers at the beginning and spent a lot of time trying to pass them. Once we were able to set the pace we wanted to things went pretty smoothly.

I won't tell you how long it took us to finish...Jessie might. I was happy to be out in a park with lots of trees. We spotted a couple of deer somewhere along the trail. It was not as humid as it could have been, and pretty cool considering it's June and we live in Texas. There were even still some wild flowers out!

We were both happy that I had some Gatorade left over from softball.



Happy training, Jessie. Best of luck in November.

Victory is sweet

I wrote before about a good/bad day. Softball, soccer, friends, and trying to make the best of losing. This morning, I am still reeling from the fact that team Chaos (my softball team) won our third play-off game (after an unexpected win of our second game). It was a close one-both teams were ahead at times, and for an inning or so we were tied. I'm not sure that as designated hitter and catcher I did much good, but somehow we managed to hold them in the bottom of the last inning for an 8-5 victory. Not only does this mean we aren't eliminated from the play-offs, it means that the worst we can do is third! A team with a 1-9 record in third...




I'm not sure how I contained my dance of joy until I got home, but I did. Victory is sweet. It tastes like endorphins. I can still taste it this morning-there may yet be more dancing.

Careful what you wish for...

http://www.arcamax.com/rubes/s-742247-480568

Lately

I was planning on posting about my trip to CA and UT, but this will be shorter and easier. I'll write about the trip when I have the pictures from Cynthia:)

We had a soccer game last night against team mint...one of the toughest teams in our league. By sheer skill, we had the game tied 2-2 at one point. While they ended up winning 5-2, it felt pretty good to know that we could score on them, and hold their offense for a while. I talked to one of their players this morning, and she said it was legit-they weren't trying to keep the score low in order to avoid the "if you're up 3 points you get to field an extra player" rule.

After getting home and having a shower, a huge storm blew in to San Antonio. My lights flickered then went out. I lit a couple of candles, found my camping lantern, and sat down with the book I was reading. I watched the lightening and the cars that couldn't get in the gates...lined up on the street until someone decided to do something about the situation. There were things blowing by like when Dorothy is caught in the twister in The Wizard of Oz, and my plants were dancing wildly. At one point, the lid blew off of a BBQ someone left out and ash went flying everywhere. I enjoyed watching. The power came back on just in time for me to go to bed. It was a good night.

Memories

I did first aid and CPR training with the Red Cross this week. I had to laugh when they pulled out a stack of the grey blankets for us to use. They brought back memories...when I was a senior in high school, I went with a group to Mexico during spring break. We were camping, and happened to be there during a really big storm. When out campsite started flooding, we decided it was time to go home. Pushing the vans we came in up a muddy hill was no small feat. As we drove toward the border, someone got on a cell phone and arranged for us to stay at a church in San Diego that night. When we got closer, we found out that the police had appropriated the church as their base for a "situation" that was taking place across the street. The pastor at the church had called the Red Cross, and declared us refugees for the night. We were directed to an elementary school in El Cajon where we spent the night. On squeaky cots. With those itchy grey blankets to keep us warm.

Good memories. Probably no one reading this knew me then. Still good memories.

???

I don't know what I did, but I lost my layout...and my cute backgrounds. Oh well.

Confession

Texas might be growing on me. The wildflowers this spring were amazing, and I have some good friends here. That being said, I still miss mountains and seasons.

It's a good kind of crazy to be

I called my best friend for her birthday on Wednesday. As she was crazy busy all day, I didn't really get to talk to her until the next day. She had a great birthday-her husband spoiled her, and I was happy to hear about it. When she asked how I've been, I started telling her about life in Texas. It's been over 90 degrees already...I got hit on by a body builder at the mailbox at my apartment complex...I'm playing both soccer and softball with a work league (which I love, in spite of the fact that we've lost all of our games up to this point-having good people on the team makes it fun)...some people that I went to church with as a kid want to set me up with someone who lives 1,700+ miles from San Antonio...I'm planning a trip to Europe with a friend of a friend I've never met; the list goes on. She was laughing about some things, but mostly thought I was crazy for planning a trip to Europe, first alone, and still when she found out I was going with a travel buddy. Whom I've never met. But who sounds nice enough over the phone. I trust the mutual friend that suggested we hook up to take this trip together (thanks Dave).

I'm super excited about everything, and I think that if I'm crazy, it's a good kind of crazy to be. My passport expires next year, and I'd like to add some stamps before that happens!

A good bad day

I know yesterday was probably rough for some of my friends. Not in a really bad things happening way, just in a I didn't expect this type way. A couple of the best players on our soccer team transferred themselves to different teams. I don't know if it's the type of thing that is causing hurt feelings (my feelings certainly aren't hurt, but I don't know about the rest of the team), but it made soccer a lot different than it has been for the last two seasons. We lost our game yesterday 0-1, with a goal that I think was mostly luck on their end, and because we have trouble finishing. There were some good shots, but they had a good goalie.

Half of my soccer team is also on my softball team (okay, maybe not half, but a good majority). We had a double header yesterday as well. The soccer team showed up for the first game, which we lost. To the best team in the league. They totally stack this team. I don't know how it's fun for them to come out and play with people who can't even give them a run for their money, but that's just me. I like to have a close, hard-fought game. The soccer players left the rest of the team to the second game a man down. We got run ruled. Bummer.

However...

I hit a double in the first game. I think it's the first time I've hit a ball out of the infield (even if it did roll out). Right past the first baseman, into a gap. Don't ask me how I did this, since I'm right handed and for all intents and purposes should always hit the ball toward third base as I'm not skilled enough to pull the ball the other way. Nonetheless, it made me feel pretty good. On top of that, after missing an easy throw in the first inning, I made a couple of outs playing second base, and even caught a pop up that I thought I was going to miss. It was one of those moments when you close your eyes and pray that the ball finds your glove. It did this time. In spite of the loss, I felt pretty good about the game, and headed over to the soccer field.

Our coach has put me in front a lot this season (all two games of it), and I think it's kind of fun. Playing defense is great, I love it, but even the potential to score is exciting. It was a hard fought game, and I felt like I was keeping up with the pace. I think I still need a little coaching about where to be when I'm playing forward, but I also think I'm starting to get the hang of it. So in spite of losses, I had a good day.

Reasons

I need to stop leaving my door open. You may recall the moth incident. Today, I found a cricket in my bedroom. Good thing I'm not afraid of insects!

But the weather at night has been so beautiful.

Why I can't go to book stores

I set out this morning on a variety of errands. Costco to develop my pictures (which I'll post later), to Eddie Bauer to buy a birthday gift for my brother, to the grocery store, and to Borders to buy a travel guide to Norway. When I got there, I was greeted by the usual display of books...the buy one get one 50% off, the staff picks, etc. I love books, and was easily sucked in to the deals. If I bought $30 worth of books, I could get a voucher for a free book in two weeks time (assuming I bought $30 worth of books at that time too). Buying $30 worth of books will never be a problem for me. In addition to walking out with the Lonely Planet book I came for, I also took home an Asian cook book, a dessert cook book, Into Thin Air, A Walk in the Woods and Coffee, Tea or Me?. I hope the last is as amusing as it seems. Looks like I'll be busy for the next few weeks. If you're in the area and looking for dessert, there will probably be an experiment on the stove at my place. And when that wears off, I can just head back for my free book (and whatever else catches my eye)!

Failure means I'm learning, right?

Two posts on the same day?? I know, it's a bit out of the ordinary, but I thought I'd share so you'd all know that there is something out there that I can't do (yet).

When I moved into my apartment, my brother asked what he could get me for a house warming gift...I didn't know. Eventually, he sent me a cheese making kit-something we'd talked about, but I'd never gotten around to trying.

I immediately called a friend to figure out where I could get some good milk, and headed out the next day for a gallon of milk. Matthew said the mozzarella was good, and easy, and I love to make pizza here at home, so that was what I decided to try. I got out everything I'd need, and started making a mess of my kitchen.


Here's the milk cooking...

Eventually, you get to a point where the milk should separate-curds and whey. This looked to me like the picture in my recipe book, so I headed on to the next step.

This is where I ran into trouble. I put the curds back on the stove and pushed them around with my spoon. At this point, I was supposed to drain off the whey and pull the curds like taffy.


There was no getting the curds out with a slotted spoon, so I resorted to a colander. It was not until I poured the whey I didn't use for bread down the drain that I discovered just how many curds I really lost...but that's neither here nor there. At this point, the curds are supposed to be in a state where they can be pulled like taffy. There was no pulling. They fell apart in my hands. Naturally, I called Matthew to try to figure out where I'd gone wrong. With some encouragement from him, I walked across the street for another gallon of milk and tried again.

As you can see, the result was not much better. I can handle not getting it right once, but twice was pushing it! This seemed a little more like cheese, but still not right, and it tasted pretty bad.

It's been a couple of weeks now, and I spent some time reading up on other methods of making mozzarella. I thought I had a handle on things, so I bought another gallon of milk so I could try again. Today was the day for trying, but the cheese gods were not kind to me. Below is today's result-not any better than the first two.
While I haven't completely given up the idea of making my own cheese, I think the next attempt will have to be when I'm in the same city as Matthew so he can give me some pointers about where I'm going wrong.