Priorities

It's 1:01 a.m., my eyelids have turned into 10 pound weights but my fingers are light as a feather and won't stop typing. I have to be at work in seven hours. Ideally I'd like to be to the gym in four. But I have a feeling sleep and my better self will think otherwise. My life is crazy at the moment. Unfortunately most of that is my fault. Not all, just most.

Work, which once felt like a drought, has recently turned into a monsoon of pressing responsibilities. Poor baby, I know. Busy at work, welcome to the real world, right? Well busy or not, I'm still trying to remind myself that this IS the real world, not give Amy busy work so I can earn an A, kind of work. It's my reality I'm still not ready to face. Church obligations have increased. My conscience has been manipulating me. Sleep has become scare. A recent addiction to Gossip Girl has emerged in an unhealthy fashion. The gym and I are going through a rough break-up. And when I go out to eat at fancy restaurants I don't know how to order.

The proof:

The menu called it a "salad". Imagine my shock when a small plate with two tomato slices, two basil leaves, and three slices of mozzarella cheese turned into my hearty entree. Talk about a filler-up. "Excuse me, another basil leaf please?" Fear that another leaf would cost me the equivalent of 30 minutes of work, I bit my tongue and watched Laura chow down on this instead:

A true hearty meal:

I guess I'll never be one of Manhattan's elites.

XOXO

A

There's No Place Like Home

Six months ago, while watching General Conference here in Virginia, I saw thousands of people walking across Temple Square on their way to the Conference Center. I saw fall going to work on the Wasatch mountains. I saw views of the SLC valley, and although congested with millions of people, I could sense SLC was longing for me to be there. So, instead of having to endure another Conference weekend away from home, instead of making SLC mourn in my absence during Conference once again, and instead of me having to merely see SLC on TV while I desperately tried to swallow my feelings of being homesick, I decided to put myself, and SLC at ease. I was going home. And why not? Spotting a cheap airfare simply means it's meant to be, right?

Friday I spent the day in P-town at BYU. Yes, I may have been overly excited to see students all over campus. Yes, I may have gone to the library and done some "homework". Yes, I may have gone to a class with a friend so that we could play catch up. And yes, I may be a major nerd. But nerd aside, I loved every minute of being there. I don't know why the nerd in me didn't think to take any pictures of my Friday excursion's, but just imagine a whole lot of goodness that engulfed my day. Good friends, cupcake's from this cute new little bakery, J-Dawg's, craver's cookies, and Cafe Rio. Thank goodness it's my on month for sweets. Need I say more?

I spent all day Saturday listening/attending/being inspired by the words that were spoken at Conference by our wonderful leaders. Love them! Saturday night it was cousin {plus Lauren} time. Love them too! If they forgot how cool of a cousin I am, Saturday night was a great reminder for them. Kirk, {cute boy on the far left who is pretending to hate being stuck on the couch for a picture with us when he secretly loves every second of it and will cherish this picture forever and ever} just got his mission call to the Cape Coast, Ghana mission. Michael, we're still waiting on you to get those papers in...HURRY!!! We can't wait for you to get called to Butte, Montana! :)

Sunday morning we weren't quite as attentive to Conference as we would have liked to have been, but thank goodness itunes is so in tune {no pun intended} with Conference and already has every session ready to download for free!

My Mom, being the Super Mom that she is, is always coming up with something crafty to do. So, during Sunday morning's session, we made these:

And she also created this: http://mikejoycandrian.blogspot.com/
Yes, my Mom is now a blogger.

During the Sunday afternoon session, we did this:

{"listening" with our eyes closed of course}

And because the weather was so nice, naturally my Mom thought we needed another cousin picture where we all smile real big and look super excited about it because we just all love each other.

Sunday night I hung out with them:

{Don't pay any attention to the fact that I have the same outfit on in every picture, it doesn't necessarily mean I never changed my outfit}

This morning as I was rushing home from the DMV before I had to catch my flight, this song played on the radio...

...And I didn't want to leave.

Then, it was back to DC I go...

{Contemplating when I'll get to go home again. Next weekend for Easter would be nice}

Instead of taking a taxi or the bus home from the airport, I decided to walk.

Uh, sure, it maybe be a little walk, and the people at the airport may have looked at me slightly crazy when I asked how to get to the Mt. Vernon Trail by foot because I wanted to walk home, and none of them really knew, so apparently that was an odd question, and it may have been slightly overcast, and slightly humid, and slightly numbing to my shoulders to carry a 40+ lbs bag, but I just sat on a plane for 3.5 hours ok!

{My failed attempt to quickly capture me, my bag, and the Mt. Vernon Trail that runs along the GW Parkway before any cars or pedestrians could see me taking a picture of myself and feeling/looking like a dork}

And this is what I walked along until I reach my final destination.

Although, I'm not excited to be back, because let's face it, vacations, family, friends, no work, good food, being lazy, using the excuse "but I'm on vacation" whenever asked to do anything, are all way more enticing than the reality of the "real world", working, and responsibility, it's always nice to be back home. To my "other" home that is.

{And this was the longest post I hope (and you hope) I'll never write again}

"Fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me twice. Shame on me!

I love April Fools Day. Not because of the jokes people play on each other (it's only 1:30 and I've already been "fooled" three or four times), not because it’s April 1st and April instantly makes me think it’s finally spring time, not because my birthday is now five months away, as opposed to six last month, not because the Tidal Basin currently has these surrounding it:

Not because April showers brings May flowers, although I do love May flowers, and the Mayflower for that matter, and not because it means General Conference is almost here. But the real reason for loving April Fools Day is because 19 years ago I received the best present ever, and it wasn’t even my birthday.

I had a terrible habit of sucking my thumb. My parent’s tried everything to get me to stop. They covered my thumb with band aids, put Vaseline on it, told me it would fall off if I didn’t stop, and I’m sure a plethora of other things to try to rid me of this nasty habit. They learned the hard/long way that the trick to getting me to stop sucking my thumb was to bribe me with a cat. It’s amazing what a kid will do (or in this case I will do) when a parent bribes their child to stop a particular behavior. So, naturally I stopped and got the sweetest little kitty EVER!!! I believe I started sucking my thumb right after I got him, but hey…

"Oh the thumb-suckers thumb
May look wrinkled and wet
And withered and white as the snow.
But the taste of a thumb
Is the sweetest taste yet
As only we thumb suckers know.”

My Dad hated this little guy. But I adored him more than anything that a 4 and a half year old could, even my thumb.

Happy Birthday Oreo, how I miss you so!

2:00:43

My heart was pounding, mind racing, and stomach churning, I was engulfed in a mixture of emotions; excitement/nervousness/anxiousness/with some slight thoughts of misery. I went to bed early, but woke up WAY too early too. There's nothing more annoying than waking up hours before you need to and not being able to fall back to sleep! My mind kept questioning whether or not I'd actually be able to run the entire 13.1 miles. As if my nightmares weren't enough to disprove my abilities, for an entire hour and a half before my alarm was supposed to go off, I laid in bed worrying myself sick.

By the time 6:30 rolled around, Andrea and I were already in the city, sitting in her car, waiting for the start of the race (yes, she's a trooper and woke up early on a Saturday morning to come cheer on her little sister). By 7 a.m. I think the sun was just coming up and the weather was a crisp 36 degrees. I was frozen for the first mile of my run and thawed out somewhere between mile 4 and 5. I thought mile 11 was never going to end, but my tired legs kept going, and eventually carried me across the finish line at 2:05:23...with adjusted time that meant I finished in two hours flat!

This picture doesn't do justice to the massive 8000 participants who ran in the National Marathon

I have a smile here (I'm on the left hand side in the black shorts), but does that smile last for 13 miles?

Yes, yes it does!
Two hours later! In my head I was sprinting my heart out to the finish line, somehow the video doesn't quite capture that.


Turning my chip in so I can get my actual time
There is nothing more attractive than a sweaty picture.

The end! Happy running day to us all!!!

"Nightmares"

I just woke up from a much needed three hour nap. Now that church has been moved from 1 p.m. to 9 a.m., sleeping in on Sunday's is no longer an option. Instead, I get to enjoy the beauty of Sunday naps once again.

However, today's nap was anything but beautiful. A three hour nap can definitely be considered a beautiful thing, but the whole part about waking up from a treacherous dream...the second of it's kind, not so beautiful.

I'm worried these dreams are trying to speak to me, and steer me away from something awful that might ensue. That, or I'm over dramatic and am thinking WAY too much about this half marathon that's coming up on Saturday. Let's be honest, at this point, I just want it to be over.

Explaining dreams is usually a difficult task, since most details don't make sense to anyone but yourself. So, without going into too many confusing details about my first "nightmare", the take home message was this: Liz (who I'm running the marathon with) backed out, causing many more "over dramatic" actions to take place. I remember waking up from the dream with my heart pounding because I was so mad, it was all too real.

Today's nightmare concluded with me not getting to run the race because I didn't pick up my bib and race chip in time. After running around like a basket case, trying to find the mysterious room where I would check in and get my bib, (which, for a majority of the dream was impossible to find) I got there too late. I would be running no half marathon.

I woke up slightly relieved, slightly annoyed, and slightly scared out of my witts for Saturday's race. But in all honesty I'm starting to get more excited. A half marathon really isn't that bad...and hey, at least it's not a full...at least not yet!

Bring It On

In 10 days I'm about to do something I said I'd never do. I'm convinced that that has become a major trend in my life, doing things I either say I'll never do, or that I don't want to do.

Examples:
I said I'd never go to BYU-Idaho, but somehow managed to spend two of my undergraduate years there.
Told myself I'd never purchase an American made car...I drive a Focus.
I said I'd never graduate from college...lo and behold, I have a diploma, with a BS in Health Science.
I said I'd never move to the east coast, "it's just not my style." I'm now a month and a half shy from having lived in DC for an entire year!
I said I'd never miss Utah...OK, so I miss PARTS of Utah!
Every day I say I don't want to go back to work...I rather be a beach bum. Yet sure enough, I find myself at my desk every morning with no beach in sight.
I said I'd never run a half marathon. Quite frankly I see no enjoyment in running 13.1 miles. Yet, in 10 days I'll be doing just that, running a half marathon.
I told myself I'd never be able to run 11 miles after work today. I ran 13. And it was purely unintentional.

Am I completely sore and feeling like an old lady right now? Yes and yes!
Gee, I can't wait for next Saturday.
Running a half marathon has never sounded so...blah would be the first word to describe it, followed by exciting, thrilling, brutal, painful, long, tedious, and fun all at once.

I guess the moral of the story is this: never believe me when I tell you I'll never do something. It appears that I'm pretty much a liar when it comes to, "I'll never" statements.

Efficiency

I complain about public transportation. I don't like it. In fact, I slightly despise placing my dependency on someone else to get me from point A to point B. Some say public transportation is convenient, I'd like to call their bluff on that. I live five minutes from DC, yet it still takes me a good 45 minutes to get into the city. Please tell me where the "convenience" is in that?

I hate being sucked into the awkward silence of the morning commute. On the other hand, I hate overhearing a strangers conversation on my way home, unless it's an interesting one, and that's rarely the case. I hate when it's not on time. I hate when I'm not on time and miss the bus/metro. But I hate even more that I'm so good at knowing the exact minute I need to walk out of work to catch the metro at the exact moment it's arriving. I just hate being so good some days, making my commute nearly flawless. It's inevitable that that's not supposed to happen with public transportation.

I hate being crammed into the metro. I hate when people won't make room for me. I hate that people have such a fear of their personal space being violated. I hate when people push and shove to get to the front of the line. And I really hate that I have to revolve my time around the metro, instead of the metro revolving it's time around me.

On the bright side, because there's always a bright side, I do love having a personal chauffeur. I love that a majority of the time I can blame being late to work on something other than myself. I love that after a long day of work, I can close my eyes and not worry about paying attention to the road. I love that most mornings I can ride into work with friends. But most of all, I love that it allows for efficiency such as this:

Most days I am the awkward silence who becomes oblivious to everything around me, and that's just the way I like it while I'm doing something I simply hate.

The Update

You may recall last weeks visit to the doctor...foot in fact wasn't broken/fractured, and my working out was all wrong. Well, today's visit put all of my curious questions at ease.

Most doctors tell me I'm a hypochondriac with all of my questions. I beg to differ.
Me: "Make sure you check for diabetes...most of my Mom's side of the family has it."
"It might be a good idea to do a RBC, I've been known to have anemia."
"Could you also check my TSH and T4 levels? I think I might have hypothyroidism, my body seems to be doing funny things lately."
"And while you're at it could you also check my WBC to make sure I'm free of any diseases, my platelets, monocytes, neutrophils, protein, and lipids, creatinine/serum, chloride, calcium, and hemoglobin levels as well? I want to make sure my kidney's and liver are functioning properly. "
Doctor: "Is there anything else you'd like me to check, although I think that about covers it?"
Me: {I've been tempted to say, "Yes, in fact, could you actually just give me a full body CT scan, just to make sure I don't have any tumors, broken bones, or blood clots anywhere? You know, just to be sure?" But I usually bite my tongue and say, with an uncertain grin on my face} "No, that's all for now, thank you." I may be stubborn, but I rather have everything checked in one visit, instead of multiple.
Doctor: {Gives me a quirky smile, and proceeds with the exam.}

Well, today's visit attested to the fact that I'm indeed 100% healthy. My doctor turned and looked at me, after going through my lab results and said, "I'm the last person you need to be seeing right now. You're WBC is far lower than needs be. You're more than 100% healthy, and everything else is in perfect range." I don't have diabetes, no sign of anemia, and my thyroid levels couldn't be more on target of being in the healthy range. The last doctor couldn't figure out which prescription I needed to be on because (he claimed) my levels were never steady. Go figure!

As for the working out: Today's "theory" (which I still believe wholeheartedly changes on a daily basis) says that INTENSE interval training is the best way to go. My doctor suggested running at an easy pace for a few minutes, then upping the speed to as fast as I could go for about 30-60 seconds, leaving me as out of breath as I could possibly be, returning to a steady and slow pace for a minute or two, and then repeating the cycle for about 20 minutes. I followed doctor's orders tonight at the gym. We'll see if any results follow. I could get into more nitty gritty details, but I'll spear you all from anymore health talk...how boring, right? Or in my eyes, totally fascinating. We all have a nerd in us somewhere! :)

Oh, and don't forget, eat more of these:


Not these:

I was also told I need to start eating all organic from here on out. I think my life just transitioned from expensive to out of control in a matter of seconds!

Can't Get Enough

Last night I had good intentions of going to a party dressed something like this:

But a change of plans landed me here,


With...

(Gheorghe Muresan, former Bullets and Nets player)

And them...

(I {heart} secret service agents/snipers)

Because of Him!

(Obama, cheering on his Chicago Bulls)

The Bittersweet

I'm a pretty stubborn person, that's no shocker to anyone who really knows me. But am I really so stubborn that I've been blinded by the most shocking news ever?

Today while sitting in the doctor's office, I learned the most interesting thing about myself. After six plus years of being a workout addict (simply meaning I don't like missing a day, but not that I obsessed with being at the gym for hours on end, although, if I had hours on end (whatever that really means) I wouldn't complain) I've been working out wrong! Is that really possible? Of all people, I should not be the one that's told I've been working out wrong.

First of all, I studied health in school, and exercise/physical fitness/HEALTH knowledge was all involved!
Secondly, I'm a certified aerobics instructor, and clearly I had to learn the proper way to help others work out, meaning I should be following the same guidelines myself. On a side note, I got the highest score on the final examine in that class!
Third, I went to fat camp...enough said!
Fourth...well, there is no fourth, but come on, really? I've. Been. Working. Out. Wrong. For. Six. Years?!?!

I've tried to reason with myself how this is actually possible. Here are my conclusions:

1. Only recently the way I work out has changed. So really it hasn't been SIX years, just one or two that I've been doing everything "wrong".
2. This new doctor of mine is crazy and is just trying to make more money off of me by feeding me bogus lies.
3. Health and health theories are continually being challenged, so in actuality no one really knows the real truth about health/fitness/exercise. What's good for you today is bad tomorrow.
4. Since when did medical school have a course on personal training?
   

Although I'm questioning the doctor's diagnosis (what's new? I once told the doctor that, although my arm was fractured in three places, the need to put me in a cast that extended past my elbow was completely unnecessary), I actually think he may have some relevant truth to share with me. Stay tuned in to next weeks follow-up on what I've been doing wrong all these years. Four weeks before my half marathon, and I've been working out wrong! Lovely, just lovely! Let my errors be a lesson for us all.

Oh, and did I mention that what I thought was me running on a fractured foot (the actual reason for me going to the doctor in the first place), was just me running in the wrong shoes, wrong size, with the wrong support! Anything else I'm doing wrong any of you would like to inform me of?

It must be Monday

Everything screamed Monday today.
I slept horrible yet couldn't wake up. I didn't shower. I ran around like a crazy women trying to leave the house. Work was work. Had good intentions of going on a nice but freezing run through the city as soon as 5 o' clock rolled around. And then it hit me...2 P.M., body started aching, head started pounding, stomach started gurgling, restroom breaks became more frequent, and I couldn't help but think "I just want to be ok today!"

I was slightly worried about the metro/bus ride home and contemplated taking a taxi. But of course, my inner self had to remind me of my famous words that I repeated over and over again in my yucky feeling head, I don't get sick!!! So I toughened up and metroed away. I ran through different scenarios of what I would do if the nasty happened while trapped on the metro with hundreds of strangers.

• Would I just bend over and let it all come out, then quickly exit as soon as I got to the Pentagon? Leaving everyone behind in my lunch? Come on, this is DC, I'm more classy than that.
• Would I open up my bag of running clothes, and later thank the creator of the washing machine for such a wonderful and ever needed appliance?
• Or would I toughen up like I ought to and wait until I got home...only 20 more minutes, I was almost there! YES...toughen up future secret service agent/FBI investigator.

Timing for leaving work, to catching the metro, to switching lines, to getting on the bus, and arriving safely at home couldn't have been more impeccable. Whew, I made it...and I couldn't have been happier/miserable in all my life, can't you tell?

Sweatpants, two shirts and a sweatshirt, two blankets, slippers, my bed, a bottle of Gatorade, and a restroom just around the corner. I wouldn't say I'm "sick"...I'm just not feeling quite myself. Today was such a Monday. Please don't be on repeat tomorrow.

View of the Inauguration

I wish I could take credit for putting this together. But I know nothing about video editing, so I shouldn't, but, I will...at least partial! After all, I'm in numerous pictures, my shoulder served as makeshift tripod (keep in mind if/when the camera is shaking, it's not my doing), and I had to endure endless nights of hearing the same three minutes of Obama's speech and the lyrics to John Lennon's Imagine, over and over and over again. So, I deserve at least partial credit, right?

Courtesy of Andrea (and Amy) Candrian.

The Unflattering

There are a few questions in life I never like to be asked: Are you dating anyone? No, and you really don't have to ask me that every time I see you. The answer never changes. How is a girl like you still single? Easy, I don't date. So, who do you have your eye on these days? No one, which makes the whole not dating thing really easy. Does this make me look fat? Yes, but I know you want me to tell you no, so NO! Thanks for forcing me to lie. Is that your natural hair color? YES! You really think I would purposely dye my hair this color? Ok, you get the idea.

Yesterday I was asked a question that I've never been asked before, and I hope to never be asked again…at least not for a long long long, and appropriate time.

I was sitting on the bus on my way home from work when a peculiar looking woman got on. There was a vacant seat to my left, and although I would have preferred to leave it that way, she sat down next to me. There was a strange smell emanating from her, and it was all I could do to offer this homely looking woman a friendly smile. She leaned over to me and started talking. We talked weather, global warming, South Carolina, and the beach. When it was time for her to get off, she leaned over to say 'bye', but quickly noticed that I was exiting at the same stop, so we kept talking. Once we were both off the bus, she took one look at me, and while looking at my stomach asked, "Are you pregnant?" Shocked by the comment, and baffled by her sincerity, I laughed when I replied, while patting my stomach, "I'd be in big trouble if I was pregnant." She gave me a strange look, turned, and walked the other way.

Granted, I had a thick sweater and scarf on under my dress coat, but still, the audacity of someone to ask such a question was a bit shocking. As soon as I got home, I immediately headed straight for my mirror. My side-profile needed to be examined. I didn't think I looked pregnant...at all! But like I said, the woman was peculiar. Perhaps all those hours spent at the gym aren't doing much for me after all. And clearly a month of no sugar hasn't helped out my figure either. How encouraging.

(↑ Not how I look)

Dear Economy

You've been having it rough these days, haven't you? Companies failing, jobs lost, and frugality a must. Recessions can be a beast. They're telling me to save my pennies for a rainy day. Even when everyday seems to be rainy, they say 'keep saving', there's a monsoon on the horizon. Great, I'll save my pretty pennies for the potential disaster that everyone keeps warning me about. But first, allow me to do my part and help you out where I can. I don't mind one bit. In fact, I'd gladly help you out everyday of the week if I could. But I don't want you to become too reliant on me. We would both be in some serious trouble if that happened. For now, you just continue to mark down the prices on all of your goodies, and I'll continue to whisk them right out of your stores and into a better and truly cared for home. You say recession, I say great! If stimulating the economy is my mission for the next few months, consider the mission accepted.

Banana Republic, you've won me over tonight, and for that I say, 'Thank you!'. You're bright orange sign in the window with the letters SALE printed crisp and clear were too much for me to resist.

Green polka dotted blouse regularly $69.99, all mine for a lovely $13.99, yes please!
Blue and white stripped dress regularly $110, ringing up at $38.49, too cute to resist!
Black military sweater regularly $198, only $26.59, ok if I must, I'll have that too!


Georgetown, I fell in love with you all over again tonight. Let's face it, recessions aren't all that bad after all. If struggling stores means dressing great for me, well, we should have thought about this concept a long time ago!


Yours truly,
Stimulus Package

Oh Snuggie

I was at the gym when I saw this for the first time.

I burst out in laughter and instantly thought, wow, I have to buy that! So, that I did. I knew it would make the perfect Christmas present for my dear sister who always claims to be cold. And even better when I visited www.getsnuggie.com and found out I could get two for the price of one? What a deal! Now her husband wouldn't have to feel left out, and they can be matchy matchy, while staying cosy cosy in their new Snuggies. While Brittany was opening her LATE Christmas present (beware, if you order a Snuggie, it may take months to arrive due to "popular demand") I made sure she watched the infomercial. I wanted to make sure she would truly enjoy all that the Snuggie has to offer and then some.

I had to make sure it was suitable for reading before I gave it away.
It is!

I think that slight grin on her face speaks louder than any words of gratitude!
You know she's loving it!


It's true, it really can be worn anywhere, even the presidential inauguration!
There's nothing that says class, quite like wearing a Snuggie at the Capitol.

Thanks Snuggie for keeping me warm!
I owe you one.

The Inauguration's in Town

D.C., a city that I like to think of as always being classy, turned slightly trashy today. But I've attested to the fact that I can handle the craziness, as long as I turn a bit crazy myself. I may or may not have told people to get out of my way, done a little pushing and shoving, and (like Obama) I proved that "Yes, I can" and I did fit onto the metro when I was told there was no more room. And, perhaps I made my way through a crowd of Obama's homeboys, showing them who's boss. Don't think you can push me around a city that's been mine for the last nine months, and only yours for a day or two. Wow, just the mere thought of today is making me flustered all over again, and I just calmed myself down. That's all I'll say about that. I'm totally fit for the FBI or secret service...today boosted my self-esteem in that regard.

Just as I predicted, the tourists did NOT know how to handle today the way they should have. Surprisingly there were no big problems that caught the media's attention. Despite the fact that someone got pushed onto the tracks of the metro just as it was approaching, the police officer's and security guards may not have been as keen on directing people as they should have, or the people who actually had tickets didn't actually get let in to the inauguration...but those are only minor problems, right? I guess with over 2 million people in town, those really were minor problems. No fights broke out, no real hatred swept through people's character, and no one (except my family and a few others) were too sad to see Bush's office be taken away by our first African-American president. To the former President Bush, I'll miss you being in D.C. working a block away from me, but President Obama, I'm happy to call you my new President. Michelle, I'm just around the corner from you if you ever need to go on a shopping spree during your lunch break!

This day of "history" is definitely one I will never forget. Being able to witness the swearing in of our new President and Vice President firsthand was truly remarkable. Being amongst the largest crowd that D.C. has ever seen was unreal. I feel luckily that my family landed seating tickets to the inauguration. To be able to see something that years ago was deemed impossible, to the reality of the change we all witnessed today, was something that will have a lasting effect on me forever. The overall inauguration was well done, the prayers unique, and Obama's speech powerful. The phrase that really struck me on the future we hope to achieve was this, "To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist." One day world peace will engulf our universe, but I'm afraid it's one day that's not just around the corner.

America is truly a remarkable nation, willing to extend a helping hand to those who will only reach out and grab on. Although there are many Bush haters out there, I feel lucky to be a part of the most successful and powerful initiation in history that was started by George W. Bush, PEPFAR (The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief). If you don't know anything about this initiative, allow me to offer you some educational material. This is a prime example of Americans extending that helping hand to those who are truly in need, and countries accepting that help, and grabbing on with both hands. We're a country of change, we're a country of success, and we're a country that can withstand tough times, while continuing to help those around us. "God bless America, my home sweet home."

It's been fun being a part of this big day. It was fun seeing the entire national mall packed with excited Americans. It's been fun being in a congested District. It was fun to participate in a party held for the Utah delegates in the Senate building. It was entertaining to ride an overly crowded Metro. It was fun to push my way through the city. But it's been fun to be back home in my own house, safe and sound. A friend and I were discussing today's events and I think we came to an unspoken recommendation for the next inauguration...complimentary food would be nice! And next time, remember that we're at an inauguration, not a pep rally, and the constant chanting of "Obama, Obama, Obama..." really wasn't necessary. Like I said, D.C. lost some of it's class today, but it's still "home" for the time being.

Dear Life

Where have you gone? I've been missing you lately. And with each passing day, I long for your return. What happened to us? Did you decide to run away because there's something I must learn, and with you by my side the lesson can't be found? Well, patience and I are becoming quite the pair, but not in the same way that you and were. I'm better with you, I need you by my side. It's like the moment the sun went down, and the air became crisp, you vanished too. The cold breeze isn't doing much to warm my spirits these days, I can barely stand to take in what once used to be your fresh air, it's so cold and hard, and it hurts. But I know you'll return, and with you will come a brighter tomorrow.

My thoughts haven't been clear since you left. It's like we've become two separate worlds, and its left us galaxies apart. One day our worlds will collide again, and our impact will bring me the thing I've been missing. I wish I knew what that thing is, I hate surprises, but I don't. I know you know, and I know you're just teaching me a lesson, one that I must learn. Keeping that in the back of my mind makes things a little more bearable. But I'm getting lonely, and I wish you'd hurry up. Patience and I can only hold on for so long, I'm too weak without you. I never thought I'd confess that, but it's true. I'm stubborn you know? Of course you do. Maybe that's why you left in the first place? But here I am, confessing that things aren't the same with you gone. I'm anxiously awaiting your return. Don't be long. I miss you.

Until we meet again,
Scattered and confused

The Unspoken Rules

The world is full of unspoken rules:
Never trust a man who wears a bow tie.
Don't wear clothes that are too small for you.
Always tell someone if they have food in their teeth.
Always put the toilet seat down when you're finished.
Never begin telling someone something, then quickly reply, "nevermind".
etc. etc. etc.
As I was riding the metro into work this morning my thoughts started running, then those thoughts caused even more thoughts, which then caused me to think to myself (I know, way too much thinking for one morning), is this really what I think about when I have nothing to think about? David O’McKay once said, “What you think about when you don't have to think, shows what you really are.” So, I must be a future philosopher in the making, right?
I'm adding my own unspoken rules to the worlds.
Unspoken rule number 1- No matter how long, short, tedious, or grandiose your week has been, it’s Friday, you must be happy.
Rule number 2- Red-heads should never wear pink, red, or orange. It doesn’t matter how red your hair is or how auburn it is, if you consider yourself a redhead, don’t wear ANY of these colors. You may think it looks fine on you, but I assure you, it does not.
I feel bad for people who don’t understand this concept, really I do. I saw a woman on the metro this morning who clearly had dyed her hair red. Error number one. Then, as a natural brunette, who I’m sure is used to wearing any color she wants, has a red sweater on. Error number two. If you want to dye your hair red, than you must also follow this unspoken rule. Otherwise, stick to being all natural.
Rule number 3- When standing on an escalator, in D.C., at the mall, or in the airport, the right side is always designated as the standing only side, not the left! I sure hope people abide by this rule come this crazy weekend in D.C

That's all for now...future unspoken rules to come.

M.I.A.

I've been M.I.A. for the past month, so naturally I should have a plethora of updates for my betrayed blog and "readers". Rest assured, I have just that, a plethora of updates. Sit back, relax, hot cocoa in hand, and soak in what I like to call, "the good life".

Arriving home on Christmas Eve to a snow covered valley, granted me one of my Christmas wishes, a white Christmas! And with the continuation of snow fall that occurred over the next few days, I couldn't have been happier. I thought the snow on the ground, being in the comfort of my own home, and being surrounded by all my childhood Christmas memorabilia would make me feel like it was actually Christmas, that wasn't quite the feeling the atmosphere left me with. Christmas was quiet with just Andrea and I at home. I felt like we were being spoiled for our birthday's, instead of for Christmas. No complaints there, but I definitely missed having my whole family together for the holidays.

I adventured to the slopes on cross country ski's for the first time, good work out, beautiful weather, and fun to be back on the slopes, but at the end of the day I wish I had a board strapped to my feet instead of two ski's and poles in hand. The Sunday after Christmas my whole family was together at last. My amazing Dad got to speak in church. That was the first time in who knows how many years, that the entire family was together in our home ward and got to hear my Dad speak. He did a great job like always, and it was just another testament that I have the greatest family EVER! I still don't know what I did to get so lucky to have them? That night my dearest Mother decided to throw a Candrian style "Open House" and invited family, friends, and neighbors over for a little, after Christmas party. It's always fun to have a bunch of people come over to your house, especially people you care to see. And in this case, I cared to see everyone that stopped by. My good friends Cath, Steph, her husband Ben, and Liz came over, and I think it's safe to say we were the loudest ones there! No surprise, we're usually the loudest people wherever we go, that's part of what makes us so great! Love those girls!

Another highlight of my trip home were the daily lunch dates with good friends I hadn't seen in awhile. There's nothing better than eating good food, hanging out with good friends, and chatting away like we'd never spent months or years apart. I commented to some of my friends that "going to lunch" seems like such a "grown-up" thing to do. Seeing that one of the friends I said this to is pregnant, I guess it's safe to say we've definitely transitioned into that part of life, or at least the "growing up" stage of it. For New Years I spent the night party hopping with Erin in SLC. I don't know what it is about hanging out at big parties with hundreds of strangers, but I much rather people watch, than engage in meaningless conversations with people I probably won't ever see again. I definitely used the excuse of living on the east coast to my advantage that night, so how I managed to have some stranger help me ring in the new year the right way is still a perplexing thought. I still can't believe 2008 has vanished away, where has Christmas gone, even more, how have the last 12 months already disappeared?

The rest of my week at home was spent relaxing, shopping, and hanging out with even more friends than I originally thought I'd see while I was home. I think that's what made my entire trip so great. Being able to see friends I literally haven't seen in years, reminded me that life isn't half bad on the west side! A friend of mine and I adventured down to Provo to watch the BYU vs. Wake Forest game on Saturday night...let's just say that being back in Provo was definitely better than the final score. It was still fun regardless, and like expected, made me miss being back at BYU. I dreaded the approach of Sunday, and although it was a great day, in the sense that I got to see even more friends again, like Erin, Lauren, and Liz, I didn't want to face the fact that when I woke up the next day, I'd be back in D.C., back at work, and back to the real world. I'll admit it, there were tears that night before I headed to the airport to fly back "home", and not just from my Mom's eyes. I didn't expect my trip to be so rewarding, in more ways than one, but it was, and I loved every minute of being home. Now, if I could only figure out how to get paid to do that all year round, life would be even more blissful than it already is. But, alas, I'll have to settle with having rock star status every time I go home. It makes it that much more enjoyable, right?

Note to self: Get adequate sleep the nights leading up to a red eye. Three Advil P.M. doesn't always ensure you a good night's sleep, especially on a plane. Then coming straight to work from the airport with about 10 total hours of sleep in me over the past three days, makes for a very long work week. But it's Friday, and I've managed to last an entire week! It's a New Years miracle!!! I think this weekend will be spent in hibernation mode.

Where Are You Christmas?

It's December 14th and Christmas is 11 days away.
I have almost all of my Christmas shopping done.
Christmas trees, lights, and decor have replaced the fall scenery.
People are slowly vacating the D.C. area to go home for the Holiday's.
Christmas parties are replacing every day work.
We had our Christmas program at church today.
I'm listening to Christmas music at this very moment to get me in the "Christmas spirit."
But, like the word's of Faith Hill's "Where Are You Christmas", I'm wondering that very thing? Where are you Christmas? Why is everything around me screaming Christmas, but me? Perhaps it's the fact that just last week we had 60 degree weather, and tomorrow it's supposed to be 65 degrees. Not that I'm complaining, I hate cold weather, and despite the sporadic warm days we're having here, it's been plenty cold enough. But, it just doesn't seem like Christmas time without a white blanket covering the earth. So, for the first time in my life, I'm actually dreaming of a white Christmas. I hate to admit this, but I'm in need of a good snow storm.
This is what I expect to see when I go home on Christmas Eve. Salt Lake City, and my lovely Wasatch mountains covered in snow. Then, I think I'll finally feel like Christmas is here!

Tis the Season

Some of you (whomever you are) will actually receive a tangible Candrian family Christmas card, others of you...probably not. Andrea (my sister, roommate, and partner in crime, pictured in the strawberry (according to J.Crew) colored dress) landed the lucky job of writing this year's letter. So, natrually she wrote it news reporter style. Enjoy! My family is amazing, it's true.

The Candrians Go to Washington

WASHINGTON, DC – It would seem that fate and the East Coast would collide in 2008, bringing together, once again, all the children of Mike and Joy Candrian.

You may recall, Brittany was the first to make the move to Washington, D.C., back in 2005. Rob and Lorena followed close behind in 2006. And this year, Andrea and Amy caught Potomac fever too.

First, an update on Rob and Lorena: they are busy preparing for a big move overseas. This next summer they’ll pack up their belongings and head to Stockholm, Sweden, where the State Department has given Rob his first assignment. They’re both busy learning the Swedish language and keeping in shape. Much of Lorena’s spare time in 2008 was spent bike racing. You can check out one of her races on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyo2UeCRYFE. Rob couldn’t let Lorena have all the fun staying fit, so he trained and did his first triathlon. Sorry, no video available.

Brittany and Brian are still living in Richmond, VA, just a few hours south of D.C. Brittany landed a job in Congressman Eric Cantor’s (R-VA) district office in Richmond. She occasionally gets to head back to her old turf in D.C. for training on Capitol Hill. She couldn’t be happier. Meanwhile, her husband Brian is busy pulling teeth. He has a year and a half left to go in dental school at VCU before we can officially call him Dr. Richman. Anyone need a root canal? Brian needs some practice. "I am not moving to Idaho," Brittany said of where she and Brian are moving once Brian graduates.

As for Andrea, she’s slightly regretting her move to D.C., now that the weather has gotten bitterly cold. She ditched her CBS reporting gig in sunny Florida this spring to pursue a press job on Capitol Hill. She now works for Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT) as his Deputy Press Secretary. All you Utahans can rest assured that Senator Bennett will be getting only the best news coverage on how your tax dollars are wisely being spent.

Amy graduated from Brigham Young University in April. She didn’t want to be the only Candrian kid left back west, so she too headed to D.C. She interned with the American Diabetes Association this summer. That led to a full-time job at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), where she now works as a program assistant in the office of HIV/AIDS. She’ll be headed to Africa sometime in 2009 for a business trip. Amy has discovered that post-college life, aka growing up, is slightly overrated.

“Do I want to stay on the East Coast?” Amy questioned. “Nope. I’ve lived in California, and that’s the funnest place I’ve ever been.”

Mike and Joy wouldn’t mind it if their youngest moved closer to home. They, of course, aren’t really enjoying life as empty nesters as much as they thought they would. In 2008 they made four trips to D.C. to visit their children. While it’s not likely they’ll be moving there anytime soon, they’re realizing their West Coast blood is running a little thin these days.

“I miss my kids,” Mike and Joy are constantly heard saying. Joy is spending her lonely hours perfecting her oil painting skills and working for an architecture firm. Meanwhile, Mike continues working for the church, keeping up on the latest novels, and jogging on a broken foot.

If you’d like to join the Candrians, and millions of other Americans, at the Inauguration in January, give any one of them a call. They’ll be sure to give you a good rate on a place to stay.

Who knows where the Candrians will be a year from now? They’ll keep you posted. For now, they wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best in 2009.

It's the simple things

It was months ago, I was lying in bed, tossing and turning, longing to fall asleep. My phone started vibrating. Who could possibly be calling me at 12:30 in the morning? I picked up my phone, only to see the words "restricted" printed clearly across the screen. Naturally I set my phone back down, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next morning, I picked up my phone and listened to the voice-mail left by, Mr. "restricted". If there's one way to make a girls morning, it's by serenading her, and my voice-mail did just that. Whomever it was that left me such a pleasant surprise, thank you! Months later, I'm still thanking you. To be precise, every 20 days I thank you when my phone prompts me to delete or re-save my messages. Consider that message re-saved for 20 more days when I'll get to listen to some boy (who is still a mystery to me) serenade me with the words to "When You Say Nothing at All" once again, before the message is saved yet again. The song may be totally cheesy but it makes me happy every time I listen to it, and as of lately I'm slightly obsessed. It's the small and simple things that make my day!