So I have this song on repeat - what of it?? :)

Okay, I know there are anti- Miley fans out there. Not to mention anti-Jo bros fans. :) And maybe I might need to feel silly, but - I kind of love this song! It's my boss's fault, actually. You can blame him. But only if you know who he is. :)

And yes, you're allowed to laugh at the fact they included the names above the lyrics...I know I did. :) It didn't stop me from playing this song over and over again, though. Also, I think if you get addicted, I deserve to know about it. And...uhm....* nervous laugh * ...I auh...I...well, nevermind. I'll keep my Disney hopes and dreams to myself. ;)

[Miley:]
A word's, just a word
'til you mean what you say

[Nick:]
And love, isn't love
'til you give it away

[Miley:]
We've all gotta give

[Nick:]
Yeah,something to give

[Miley & Nick:]
To make a change

[Chorus:]
Send it on
On and on
Just one hand can heal another
Be a part
Reach a heart
Just one spark starts a fire
With one little action the chain reaction
Will never stop
Make it strong
Shine a light and send it on

[Demi & Joe:]
Just Smile
(Just Smile)
And the world
(And the world)
Will smile
along with you..

[Joe:]
That small act of love
Thats meant for one

[Demi & Joe:]
Will become two

[Miley:]
If we take the chances..

[Nick:]
That change circumstances

[Nick & Miley]
Imagine all we can do

[All}
If we

[Chrous:]
Send it on
On and on
Just one hand can heal another
Be a part
Reach a heart
Just one spark starts a fire
With one little action the chain reaction
Will never stop
Make it strong
Shine a light and send it on (oh send it on)

Send it on..

[Miley:]
There's power in all of the choices we make

[Demi & Joe:]
So I'm starting now there's not a moment to wait

[Selena:]
A word's, just a word
'til you mean what you say

[Selena & Kevin:]
And love, isn't love
'til you give it away

[All:]
Send it on
(Send it on)
On and on
(on and on)
Just one hand can heal another
Be a part
(be a part)
Reach a heart

Just one spark starts a fire
With one little action the chain reaction
Will never stop
Make it strong
Shine a light and
Send it on

On and on
Just one hand can heal another
Be a part
Reach a heart
Just one spark starts a fire
With one little action the chain reaction
Will help it start
Make it strong
Shine a light and send it on

[Demi:]
Shine a light and send it on..

[All:]
Shine a light and send it on..

If you don't want your child to have an espresso or a puppy, don't take them here...

So, there was this time I went to Washington. And by "this time" I mean in August. At the end. But not the very end. I should have written about this blessed event pretty soon after coming home so you'd get all the hilarious details...but...I didn't. Yeah, that's the only excuse I have for my abysmal behavior. :)

I did, however, learn some valuable life lessons from this road trip.
I will now proceed to enlighten you:

1. It is entirely possible to get pulled over, multiple times, in one night, and never get a ticket. This, of course, happens only when someone else, not me, is driving. :) Carla has gifts beyond my vocabulary's ability to express.
   
2. I hate driving all night long. Which is why Carla pretty much did most of the driving back.
3. The grounds-men at the Seattle Temple are very kind, indeed. Also, one should probably check the temple schedule to make sure it's open before going. Good thing we just drove there to take pictures. :)
   
4. I wish to live in Gig Harbor, or a little town like it on the water someday. In a house with a balcony that wraps around the back...but this has to face the water. Also, I will need to marry a sailor who has a sailboat and promises to take me out on it at least once a...month. Also, I'll need to buy a gnome for the front yard. Yeah. That'll do.
   
5. Pine Trees are the best of all the trees. Thus, Washington wins for having the most I've seen in a very long time. * happy sigh *
   
6. I wish I could ride the ferry to and from work every day. No, I really do. It's way better than a bus, cheaper than car payement + gas + car insurance, and I can read, sleep, listen to music, or stand out on the deck and get wind-blown. :) All my choice.
   
7. If I lived next to Pike Place Market, I'm not sure if I would save money or spend it all there...and I'd spend it on vegetables, fish, and flowers. Yep. You'd do the same thing...check out those flowers! $5?! $3?! Yes, thank you. Someday I'll learn how to say "thank you" to you in your own language. First I have to figure out what it is, though...
   
8. I sort of wish I had dreds and read random novels/political reform books as I sat by my booth on the sidewalk, selling my expensive, yet beautiful-and-I'll-make-you-think-it's-worth-every-penny art to passers-by.
   
9. I never had this experience, but I kept looking for the crazy homeless lady with the tray of brownies. She chased my brother down when he went to Seattle a while ago, and I really wanted to give her a piece of my mind. Also, I would not buy a brownie from her.
10. I found the most perfect pillow in Gig Harbor. Peruse picture collage for the answer. The winner gets knowledge.
11. Avoid at all costs the small French boy playing chess in the Pacific Science Center. He's very serious about his game, and has no patience for silly older girls getting in his way.
    
12. Even though the guy taking our picture at the top of the space needle was most definitely wearing makeup and a clip-in hairbow, he took a very nice picture of us. And even though it was nice, I didn't buy it. Getting a picture of myself should never cost more than my jeans + my jacket + my shirt + my shoes.
    
13. I still regret not buying the dark chocolate pasta from Pike Place. No, really. That's a real thing.
    
14. I'd like to sing a thank you song to the person who decided there should never be an age-limit on merry-go-rounds. Best $2 I've ever spent. :)
15. Life vests work when you wear them. (Please see picture evidence above.)
16. Seagulls are just as annoying in Washington as they are in Utah. Although I do give these ones credit for living next to the Ocean.
    
17. Patrick Dempsey is a dreamy mcdreamy. Even in cardboard cut-out form. If he'd been for sale in that form, I would have bought him and carted him around with me the entire day. It would mean that much to me. (And yes I know Greys is filmed mostly in L.A.)
    
18. But the helicopter pad from episode...I have no idea...is definitely just across from the Space Needle. Yep. We asked. And by "we," I mean I whispered it to Aubs in the elevator as we saw it on the way down, and she asked the question out loud to the...do we call him a tour guide if he was only on the elevator and it doesn't really require a tour?....yeah, him. And he confirmed. Thank you, Aubs.
19. I believe art sculptures left in the middle of public parks should be played on.
    
20. Great wisdom can be found in coffee shops. "Where's the nearest gelato shop?" "What should I do with this random child?" And so on and so forth..

I could go on, but since you're already splitting at the seams from laughter, I'll let you finish your ab workout for the day on your own. Go forth in greater wisdom now you have partaken of a bit of my world.

Sincerely,
Dee

Bliss

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around and shouting that he has been robbed. The fact of the matter is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey – delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

This past summer season has been different than I ever expected it would be. Things I never imagined would be a part of my life have been exploding everywhere. (Or so it seems.) But the thing I'm discovering now is that I have a choice in how I deal with events of life. I'm working on it. I think I've actually wasted a fair amount of time in my life running around shouting . In all reality, I know I haven't been robbed. In fact, quite the contrary. There are hard times, and there are good times. This not the first time I've read these words, but it's invigorating to me to hear them every time. A reminder that life is a kind of work for everyone, not just a select few. "The trick is..." that's the kicker. To thank the Lord for letting me have every part of the ride. Soak in every second of bliss, for it is not normal; not in this life, anyway. :) But there are moments; there is beauty and there are miracles. But we usually see and experience them after the work.

“We must live the gospel in such a way that we will have the Spirit to ever be with us. If we live worthily, the Spirit will always be with us. We can then teach by the Spirit. … The reason we pray, study the scriptures, have good friends, and live the gospel through obedience to the commandments is so that when—not if, but when—the trials come, we are ready” -Robert D. Hales

The point is to work and keep going and keep being grateful every step of the way, no matter what. The beautiful vistas are there. Things are looking up. But only because of the work involved when they're "looking down." If you will. Prayer, the scriptures, and incredibly good friends have been my strongholds when, if I had been left to myself, I might have crumbled. Heavenly Father looks out for us; I know He does. I'm determined to show Him I know He's there watching over me. I owe everything to Him, and to the help He gives me every day. And that includes the people He gives me. (You know who you are.) I wouldn't call this period of my life as one full of bliss...but I would say without a moment's hesitation that it has been one of blessings. That means I can keep going toward the moments of bliss I know are up ahead there somewhere.

Eh. I'd apologize for this post turning into something we'd talk about on Sunday, but...I'm not sorry. :)

Time keeps running away from me lately, and my internet at home has been out for days and days now. As soon as that comes back up, I have loads of pictures and stories. But until then...try not to keel over because I actually posted. :)

Clarity

My friend Cali posted this on her blog and promised it was worthwhile. I almost didn't watch it. But really - take the next 6:44 to make the rest of your day that much better.

At least we can laugh about it. :)

Someday I'll get around to posting stuff on my life, but until then, I had to at least share the thing today that made me laugh.

Random Thoughts:

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can’t wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that’s not only better, but also more directly involves me.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what was going on when I first saw it.

I think everyone has a movie that they love so much; it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front.

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories

Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from; this shouldn't be a problem....

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren’t watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA. No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don’t win, they are executed.

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Darnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

When I meet someone new, I'm terrified of mentioning something they haven’t already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I bet everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the heck do I respond to that?

It really bugs me when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

I wonder if cops ever get annoyed at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There’s nothing like being made to feel like a fatty before dinner.