Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Fit and Fierce by February

(Alteration for you Amanda)

My sister and I have always been very different since we were small children. Let's begin with the physical aspect:

My sister is ridiculously tall, has straight hair, and her legs are soooo buff they were bigger than I was. Let's not forget that she stopped getting asked if she wanted children's menus at restaurants when she was 7. She didn't look old and wrinkly or anything, but I think she was taller than my mother when she was 7.

Me, on the other hand, I am shorter than average, had super curly hair, and my legs were commonly referred to as "chicken legs". I was consistently asked if I wanted a children's menus at restaurants until I was 16. And let's just add that I am still shorter than my mother.

My sister has always been the basketball star of every team that she played on. However, she can only play one song on the piano and that's because she memorized the finger numbers: 354 354 354 3212 135 2 1. I bet she could still play it to this day.

Oppositely, I was very good at keeping the bench warm for the good basketball players, but I can play a mean piano.

So my sister has a goal with a title: "Fit and Fierce by February". Her youngest child will be a year old by then and she wants to be in tip top physical condition by then. Now, I was thinking, that's a great goal! Maybe I should set a goal like that! Then I was thinking, hmm.... February? I don't think so. February will be right before I give birth and let's just say I will be tipping the scales by then. After my 30 seconds of considering that goal, I decided to throw it out.

How much more opposite can we get? Well, we both do have a love of Three's Company.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Just a Little Advice for you "Lazy and Lovin' It" People: I Can Make Your Life a Little Lazier

This past week, I have been swamped with finals and I have to admit that the phrases doing the dishes, wash your clothes, and eat food seem to no longer be part of my vocabulary. But this week, I have expanded my vocabulary and I am willing to share with you a few things that helped my busy life (or replace busy with lazy because these tips will help either way).

1. Haven't done the dishes in a week? Yep, I've been there before. Don't worry. Here are some new phrases for you to learn to make the next week you don't do dishes a little easier.
a. Paper plates and plastic utensils- Now, you can use these to prevent the dishes from piling up, or do what I do: start using them after the dishes are all gone.
b. Stop eating- not eating=no dishes!
c. When the time actually comes to washing your dishes, wash one side of the sink first, then the other instead of top to bottom. I find it helpful.
d. Air Fresheners.

2. Don't have time to shower? That's okay. I know a thing or two on how to make your freshness last just a day or two longer.
a. It's important NOT to do ANY housework whatsoever. Especially the dishes. Limiting these activities will decrease any chances of unwanted sweat and any transferred odors.
b. DEODORANT- feel free to apply liberally like up and down your arm instead of limiting it to the 4-square-inch area called the arm pit.
c. Baby wipes- your rear will stay super fresh after dropping the kids off at the pool that there is almost no need to shower in the first place! Then you can remove "itchy bum" from your vocabulary indefinitely.
d. When someone at work notices that your showers are becoming few and far between, feel free to use the excuse that your cold water pipes froze and you couldn't shower unless you wanted to burn to death (or vice versa). Warning: this excuse does not work if you live in Texas, Arizona, or California. It never really drops below 70 there, so that excuse is not believable.

3. Get hungry in the middle of the night or sick of going to the bathroom ever hour while you're sleeping? (This is mostly for your pregnant ladies out there)
a. Straws- I always get thirsty in the middle of the night but I do have trouble drinking from a glass while laying down. You see, when I use a straw, I can still lay down and therefore can go back to sleep faster.
b. Toast- toast is pretty much the only thing that I can eat without getting heartburn, but who wants to walk all the way down to the kitchen, get out bread, wait for it to be toasted, butter it, then go back to bed to eat it? Simple solution: bring the toaster into the bedroom, get a paper towel, knife, butter, and you got it! You can make a meal in bed!
c. Depends adult diapers don't really sound that appealing to me even though I am still tempted everyday to buy some. Just the thought of sleeping in my own... you know what, just makes me think of itchy bums. I remember my grandma had this really cool looking pot under her bed. I loved to look at it because I thought it was so pretty. Little did I know the real use for it until I woke up in the middle of the night to a little ruckus when she left her door open. I regret sneaking that peak, but let's just say, I never looked at that pot again. However, having a pee pot under your bed means that you don't have to walk all the way to the bathroom!

That's all the advice for now. However, if you feel that you are putting too much effort into something, shoot me a comment! I'll let you know an easier solution and help you add those new phrases to your vocabulary!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Bajio Restaurant Review



I have no special attachment or emotional bond to Bajio. The only time I crave it is when my good friend Maren and her husband come to town or when I talk to my old roommate whose husband is the manager of a Bajio in Boise area. Other than that, there is no family history story behind it or a special uniqueness that draws me to it, but I just finished my leftovers from last night and they were good, so I had to write a review.

Food Quality 7/10
Bajio is like the wannabe version of Chipotle. I don't like Chipotle because they have cilantro in all of their rice products and I usually LOVE rice, but I think the flavor of all their other stuff is good. The cilantro just keeps me away from it. John and I got a burrito platter and the burrito is a good size: about the size of my foot, but thicker. We shared it of course and still had left overs. The beef was juicy, but lacked a little bit of flavor. I really love refried beans and Mexican rice together. It was in the burrito, but there was more meat than the cheap stuff, which is good for getting full off the burrito. All together, I would say the food is satisfactory. I'd go there again. Oh, and their Chips have like no salt on them and if you eat tortilla chips like I do, just for the salty flavor, bring a salt shaker with you so you don't choke on the dry-flavorless chip.

Price 6/10
I think our burrito was 6 bucks and $1.50 for each side. I've seen better prices for similar products, so unfortunately, Bajio didn't excel in this category.

Customer Service 7/10
I can't really think of things that they did or didn't do to make my visit more enjoyable. One young man that worked there was just glowing because it looked like he really enjoyed being there and he could make any customer's face light up. The white girls that worked there appeared that they wanted to just go home and NCMO with an unfortunate boy from their ward. One girl never even made eye contact with me when we paid for our meal! Aside from the two grumpy college girls, it was pretty good. They expect you to throw away your trash when you're done instead of leaving it on the table. Oh, and the tables don't look like the get cleaned often, but overall, it was okay. (The happy guy boost the score one point)

Cleanliness 7/10
No major flaws. The tables are the only thing I can think of that weren't to my high standards. The food area looked pretty clean, and I didn't get any food poisoning yet, so I assume all the workers wash their hands after visiting the john.

Atmosphere 9/10
Love the set up, decorations, lighting. It's a good place to bring the family or a bunch of roommates, or a date. Plenty of seating and it definitely has that I'm-an-American-restaurant-trying-to-be-Mexican feel to it. Perfect place for a date night and good temperature. I hate being cold in restaurants or having to wear my winter coat inside while eating a pipin' hot burrito. It was good.

My final word: I'll go again. Not somewhere I would take my food critic of a sister there if I wanted to show her what "real" good tastin' food is. I just like the lax atmosphere. Oh, and they have Horchatas there which are my favorite thing ever, but I've never had one there. They must be good. I mean, how could a Horchata taste bad?

Saturday, December 4, 2010

"There's No Cabinet I Can't Reach"

My sister and I usually argue about one thing: Which is better, being tall or short? Now, for those of you who don't know, I'm 5'1" and my sister is 5'11"ish (or 6'2" according to her high school basketball roster). That's nearly a foot difference. We do come from the same parents, but I was lucky enough to get the good height genes. I guess it's about time that I let let everyone know that being shorter is just better.

Okay, I will give tall people some credit. A lot of super models are tall and if you are a tall balding man (or woman) nobody can see your bald spot. I'm sure there must be one or two other advantages to being tall, but frankly, I just can't think of the right now.

Let's do this debate in a nice civilized manner to satisfy both sides of the argument. While arguing the tall person's side, I will pretend to be my outrageously tall sister while adding my rebuttal. Similarly, to fight for the short advantages, I will give my point of view with my sister as the "defense attorney".

Amanda: "There's no cabinet that I can't reach."
Rebuttal: Step stools add a nice touch of furniture to the kitchen and allow for easy reach without extending to the "tip-toes" or feeling around the tall shelves blindly while becoming entangled in a spider web.

Simple as that.

Amanda: Tall people don't have to ask for help at the grocery store to get food down from the top shelf. Independence!
Rebuttal: First of all, all the good stuff is at eye level for the average human, and second, what's wrong with asking for a little help? Allow someone to serve you. Heck, if there's nobody around, what's wrong with a little climbing adventure?

Amanda: It's all about basketball. People who play in the key get more points and more recognition.
Rebuttal: Of course they get more points! They're only 3 feet away from the basket! But who is the person that passes it to them? The short guard. We rule the game. Determining winning or loosing is all about the point guard. May I just ask one question? Does the crowd cheer louder with a silly lay up by the center or the three-pointer by the shooting guard? I rest my case.

Now for the real benefits. Now, I have to admit, I don't have much time to list the hundreds of reasons why, so we're just going to have to settle for a few just for now. Upon e-mail request, I can send a full list of short benefits.

Me: Short people can be comfortable anywhere. Air plane? Why need more comfort than sitting in coach? 12 hour car drive? Heck, I'll sit in the middle the whole way! Sleep on your friend's love seat? I'll only wake up to an alarm clock.
Defense attorney: No comment.

Just screams comfort to me!

Me: It's not very common that you see a short guy with a taller girl. The only exception is the lovely couple that my brother and sister in-law make. Therefore, short girls get all the guys: short or tall. I married now and am very happy with my choice because I had one.
Defense attorney: No comment.

Me: We, the short people of America, don't grow out of our clothes quickly. It saves money and allows us to buy quality clothes, not a large quantity of sizes. Just think all the money that we save from clothes shopping. That money can be used to donate to the poor. I guess tall people could donate to the poor to, but then they would all have to shave their legs everyday and have an awkward belly tan.
Defense attorney: No comment.

Can some say nerd?

I could go on for days. But just to not make every tall person in the world go to bed crying tonight, I'll stop there.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

What? A Whole Week Without an Opinion on Something?

My sister is right; I have gone an entire week without having some dumb opinion about something. I even thought about that as I was walking a half mile to my car after my classes were over. Let's face it; I'm in a bad mood right now. I took the worst molecular bio test today, and I just haven't been happy since. You know what I do when I am in a bad mood? I complain about EVERYTHING. I hate it when people complain, so I usually keep it to myself, but today, just for the heck of it, why don't I just let everyone know what really bugs me.

How about a numbered list for easy reading and eye breaks:

1. Okay, on facebook, please stop updating your status multiple times each day. Do you really think that people want to know what you are doing every time you change your activity or what kind of mood you are currently in? No. Nobody really cares. There is only one person that I have as a friend that actually post funny/interesting status updates frequently and if you're not him, just please stop.
By the way, he has the same name as my husband, so if you don't have the same name, I am not talking about your interesting updates.

Oh, and on top of your facebook updates, please stop talking to inanimate objects or telling your sickness to go away. Saying things like "Snow, I don't want you to come today. Please snow when..." or "Sniffles, why do you keep coming back. I thought I got rid of you". Just stop it. It's not even cute.

Oh, and gals, we know that you have the best husbands ever, but trust me, every girl thinks that her husband is the best. We don't need to hear the details. And you know what? When I read about your husband doing the dishes for you or making you dinner, sometimes I just think, does he only do it once a month when you post it on your status? Guys, this applies to you too. We know your fiance's the best, but if you didn't think she was, I don't think you would marry her. I think it's just a given you should keep to yourself.

2. Pick up your feet when you walk.

3. Stop asking me about government in China and the relationship with Hong Kong and Taiwan. Just because I've been there, doesn't mean I read about it in my spare time. Geeze. I went to Taiwan to be a missionary to teach about Jesus, not government, and I go to Hong Kong to visit family and shop, not to participate in political protest.

4. And Women, when you are only 3 or 4 weeks pregnant, you are NOT showing. Don't be sticking your belly out and posting pictures. You've just been taking the "eating for two" a little too seriously when in fact you're just eating for yourself and something the size of an amoeba.

5. Drive Safe? Drive Safe?! Come on, get your adverbs correct. It's Drive SafeLY!

6. Just a heads up if you ever come to my house for dinner or something, don't do my dishes after dinner, or even worse before dinner! It makes me feel like a worthless dirty slob. The only people who can do my dishes are me, John, and my mom. Oh, and my sister if she ever comes visit.

7. Insanity pleas. Only once in a while are they legit. However, Elizabeth Smart's kidnapper should be held responsible for her 9 months of kidnap and DAILY RAPE! He claims that they were married? Practicing polygyny? No means no man, even if you're married. And if it took me just singing a few church songs in court to make the jury think that I'm insane and will let me off the hook, bring it on! Pass the hymn book my way!

Bottom line, he needs to go to prison.

8. If you live in like the 99% of student housing that boarders campus, STOP DRIVING TO SCHOOL! You're taking my parking spots. Now, I use to be that spoiled little brat that use to drive to school when I lived walking distance away. You know what? I wished someone gave me a slap in the face and told me to stop it. I'm here to give you that verbal tongue lashing you deserve: the verbal slap in the face! Now that I live an hour walk away from school, I need to drive and when you little single students (or married student, but they usually live farther away) that live across the street from campus take my parking spots, I get mad. Anyway, it takes longer to warm up your car that it does to just walk to campus.

I think that is enough negativity for now. I feel a little better now getting that off my chest. Maybe half of these things won't bug me tomorrow when I'm in a good mood, but I just wanted to let you know what's running though my mind when I'm in a bad mood. Now I think it's time for me to read a little Christmas Ensign and eat a clementine to boost up my spirit.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The One Day Only Blog! Butterhorn Rolls

Butter is what makes rolls taste the best and the design of the roll matters. Butterhorn (or what I previously though were butthorn) rolls allows for the maximum amount of butter. Here is a picture by picture instruction of how to make them. Warning, because I am not a p-r-o-fessional yet, this blog will only be up today so that the real cooks won't judge me for my lack of perfection.

Step 1

Let dough rise.


Split the dough in half, let it rise another 15 mins.


Roll it out into at 12 inch circle and butter it like crazy!


Using a pizza cutter, make 12 evenly cut pieces.


Starting from the bigger side, roll toward the little side.


Keep rolling.


Make all of them look like this...


And line them up like this. The books says put them 2 inches apart, but I like to put them together so they cook together. Do it my way. It's better.

Let them rise an additional 30 mins on the pan.

Cook at 375 for 13 mins and butter the top when you're done!

Peace.

Monday, November 22, 2010

It's all about Low Expectations

I have figured out the secret of how to make everything in life seem wonderful! Now that I have figured it out, I had to share it with everyone. I'll tell you the secret, then give you some examples so you will know how great this secret really works.

It's all about low expectations. Before watching a movie, going to a new restaurant, or buying something new, just think that it will turn out horribly and you will be pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Here at the examples and my testimonial of this theory.

Example #1

One of my favorite actresses is Kristen Bell and only because she was a crime fighting teen in her 3-season-series Veronica Mars. She had a movie come out called When in Rome that I absolutely had to see because she was in it. I thought it would be the best chick flick ever, but then after I watched it, it only turned out okay. I would love to watch it again if someone else rented or owned it, but wouldn't go out in the 20 degree weather to get it from red box.

Kristen Bell then came out with a new movie called You Again. Of course I had to see it because she is in it, but considering that it went from the expensive theater to the cheap theater within a month, I just assumed that it would be pretty lame, but again, I had to see it. BEST movie I've seen all year. You know why? Because it really was good and my expectations were so low.

Example #2

LOVE Sandra Bullock. Heard her movie All About Steve was one of the biggest waste of money ever. Heck, Sandy even got an award for worst actress for it. Well, we bought it edited (even though it is only rated PG) because it was on super sale. I LOVED IT! Great storyline, amazing actors, and even a good moral at the end of the movie. Gotta recommend it to everyone, but when you do watch it, don't think of my recommendation. Just think that it will be the biggest waste of your hour-and-a-half and you will come out lovin' it!

Example #3

I thought that I could wear my regular clothes throughout my whole pregnancy, but when my button-up shirts exploded and my t-shirts became belly-shirts, it was time to buy some maternity clothes. For some reason, Rexburg doesn't have any maternity clothes anywhere I looked, so I went online. Now, I didn't want to spend 500 bucks on a few maternity items, so I went to Walmart.com. Their dresses and shirts were ridiculously cheap and some of the reviews just bashed on how horrible the clothing was. Again, I had very low expectations.

A week later, the clothes came in the mail. You know what? LOVE them! Even the cheap see-through dress seemed fashionable and comfortable. And it's all due to having low expectations.

Now just remember, love life a little more, and expect less. You'll never feel like you didn't get your money's worth ever again!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Sammy's Restaurant Review

There's a new restaurant here that John and I just went to and I had to write a review now because it was good for a college town place. It's called Sammy's and I think their motto has to do with "famous pie shakes" or something like that. It started in Provo and now moved up here. Just for that reason, I assume some BYU student started it, but I have no idea. Hope you enjoy the review!

Food Quality 8.5/10
So close to getting a 9, which is near perfect. It went down .5 because the fries were horrid. Here's a run down of what I got.
Fries: I don't know if they wanted them to be bi-polar (if you can describe fries that way) or what, but they had fat slices, skinny fries, and rotten ones. We didn't eat the rotten ones, which still had the skin on them, the fat ones weren't cooked all the way through, and the skinny ones were crunchy. They appeared to have some seasoning salt on them, but looks can be deceiving considering I couldn't taste the paprika, salt, pepper, celery salt, and whatever else is suposta be in seasoning salt. We added a little more salt and drenched them in Cats-up to make them enjoyable.
Burger: I don't remember what the burger was called. I think it was sammy's big butt burger or something. It had meat, some sauce, thin slice of pineapple, provolone cheese, and the rest of the normal toppings on a burger. DELICIOUS! Lot of flavor, the bun was toasted, the meat was cooked to perfection, the veggies looked fresh, and it was just good. Tons of flavor in every bite!
Shakes: This is how they make the shakes: fill the cup half-way with ice cream and then add a real piece of pie and mix it in the shake mixer. We got a raspberry cheesecake and an Oreo cream. Both had the perfect amount of sugar and tasted amazing.

Price 9/10
Great deal especially on Tuesday! Every Tuesday is buy one shake, get the 2nd one FREE! Our burger was $5.50, well worth it, and the shakes plus a side of fires were an additional 5 bucks. Our bill was $11.50 plus tax, but that's not all. Thanks to the buy one, get one free Tuesday, and my amazing coupon text messages, we got a free pie shake and a free fountain drink! Did I tell you John and I usually only order one meal and share it. This place, we left full, but not uncomfortably full, and only took our shakes home as left overs. For everything we got and for the price, we will definitely go there again, but probably only on Tuesdays.
Oh, and the cheap theaters are right down the street, so if you need a good date, make it for Tuesday, get a free shake, and get $2 Tuesdays at the theater! 8 bucks for a date total! Worth the money. That's where we'll be next week!

Customer Service 3/10
Horrid! When we got there, there were about 3 couples there and 1 girls apartment of people already eating; not a lot of people=not busy. In line there were 3 orders ahead of us and we were #4. There were only TWO people working there and it took a little more than 10 mins to get our food, The lady making our shakes seemed to be taking her precious time and the lady cooking in the back was walking around at a leisurely pace. Plus, I don't think the cook knew how to mult-task and she only made one order at a time because it took a while.

Cleanliness 5/10
I couldn't see my reflection when I sat at the bar. I mean, it wasn't dirty or anything, but it didn't sparkle in my mind. I could see back into the kitchen and the grill area had little burnt pieces of food that appeared to have been on there for several days. It's definitely no In-N-Out kitchen.

Atmosphere 7/10
It really screams out "come visit college kids". Right when you walk in, there is a huge U-shaped bar that most people seemed to like. It was raised up with stools so you can watch the workers move around in the middle. The walls have a few decorations, but could use a little more. Then there is another room that you can go into and their idea of tables were slanted desks that I had in 2nd grade. Hated them. The feel of it was like being in elementary school again which I'm sure the 50% el ed majors at BYUI love. Then there is a stage for singing stuff. That saved it so that it looked at least a little hip. Other than that, neat place to hang out on a date, but not a place I would bring my family or have a 10-year-old's birthday party.

Overall, I'm going to go again on Tuesdays. Great price, and the food is D-lish! (minus the fries). I'd recommend it to anyone craving a burger. Now, put Sammy's burgers together with McDonald's fries, and you've a company that will monopolize.

RESPECT: Show some

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/11/15/teacher-suspended-kicking-student-anti-gay-speech/

Read that first. Or read my summary.

A teacher was suspended a day without pay because he kicked a student out of class because he told his classmates that he didn't accept gays. That's the summary.

One thing that I can't tolerate is put downs especially in high school. Granted, this article might just come at a bad time since the reason that the teacher was suspended without pay is because they said that the students can say whatever he wants because of "free speech". Yesterday, I was just complaining about how I think free speech can go a little too far with the whole "I (heart) boobies" bracelet in school.

To top all of that off, I watch last weeks episode of Glee yesterday and it was about Kurt, the homosexual kid, being bullied around just because he is gay. I wanted to cry for him. Do you even know how many homosexual kids commit suicide each year? How would you like to be the last kid to make fun of him before he was found hanging from his ceiling or floating face up in the school swimming pool? Feel pretty bad eh? And those things can't be taken back.

Going back to the free speech thing, if any white kid called a lonely black kid a "nigger" I'm sure he would have been kick out of class in a heartbeat and nothing would be said after that.

Just show some respect for people. Come on. Some high school kids need a slap in the face. You don't have to like everyone, but at least be respectful of who they are.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Sue the school district for personal income or because it's the right thing to do?

Sometimes I am just completely outraged at the reasons why school districts are being sued. Now, some I totally understand. For example when the father of that one girl sued over having the words "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Good for them, fighting for what they believe in.

Then there was one case a few weeks ago where a father sued the school district for teaching about slavery because he had a little black daughter that was teased after learning about it. When I first read about the story, I thought it was ridiculous that he would sue the school district for teaching about something that is a huge part of US history. Then, i read another article that said he didn't like that they read from a book that kept saying the "n" word. I started loosening up after that and now I need to hear more about the case. Slavery is a real thing that happened and a part of history, but I can see why the father would actually be upset and sue.
Here's one of the articles in case you are interested.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/11/10/School-district-sued-over-slavery-book/UPI-80701289436986/

But then there are other cases where I just think, are parents really suing the school over this because they think it's right or because they're unemployed and need some money? No really, some cases I just don't understand. This is the latest one that really think is dumb.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/11/15/pennsylvania-school-sued-banning-boobies-bracelets/?test=latestnews

Here's the story from my side. Some kids have been wearing one of those cheap rubber bracelets that allow people to "express themselves". Bull. Yeah, so Lance Armstrong had a cool idea with his "Livestrong" bracelets to raise money for cancer and it really did have a good meaning behind the bracelet. But I think this rubber bracelet thing has gone too far. Two middle school students in PA were sentenced to in school suspension for wearing "I (heart) boobies" bracelet to school. Now the school district is being sued for violating their first amendment right to free speech.

Now, what do I think about that?

That's absurd! Next thing you know, all the students will be wearing racial slurs on their t-shirts because it's "free speech". Heck, let's add pornographic shirts to the list and call it "Love the human body: a beautiful creation". But you know what? Those kids need their free speech! Bologna! The only reason to make this even close to being okay is because these bracelets are for a non-profit organization that is to help fight breast cancer. Now, there's another problem there. Why couldn't they think of another phrase? "Let's fight breast cancer together" maybe or anything else. I'll tell you what. If you ask any middle school or high school male what "I (heart) boobies" means, I doubt fighting breast cancer is the first thing that will come out of their mouth. I would spell out what I think the obvious would be, but I think you get the idea.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Why are McDonald's Fries The Bomb Dot Com?

There should be no doubt in anyone's mind about which fast food place makes the best french of freedom fries. It's McDonald's. I'm sure you're even craving a super sized serving of McDonald's french fries right now. Here's a picture to justify your drooling.



Oh yeah. That's what I'm talking about.

Why are these french fries so delicious? Could it be that they are always cooked to perfection? They stay the perfect temperature throughout the visit to McDonald's? Is it the unique seasoning that on McDonald's uses to satisfy taste buds? Why yes. All of these are the reasons why you should go out and get McDonald's fries right now. Don't wait! You NEED them!

Let's just talk seasoning now. OH! Just the thought of it gets me excited. You see, McDonald's uses a beef bullion seasoning on their fries to give them that addicting taste. Word all the street was that when McDonald's started doing this, all the vegan people rebelled. Beef BULLION! Now, I don't really know what makes beef bullion. For all I know, it's large slabs of meat put through a shredder, dried, and served in cubes. Maybe I should ask my sister. She knows EVERYTHING about food. But all I want to do now, is beg those of you who are against the beef bullion fries to stop complaining. I know it's against your Vegan Rules, but just think of us who need the fries to survive. I heard Burger King fries are pretty good.

Now, go out and buy some McDonald's fries. You know you want them and you will feel SOOOOOO good after eating them.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

So Close, but Such a Bad Liar


This blog is totally serious and not meant to be funny. Sorry if that disappoints you.

When John works in Idaho Falls on the occasional Saturday, I like to go with him and just spend the day reading books in Barns and Noble. Now, I think it is dishonest to just sit and read books in a book store without paying. That's what a library is for. I justify it by saying everyone else does it and every time I do need a book, I always get it from Barns and Noble even if it cost more money.

I just finished a book there about the Scott Peterson trail. For those of you who are completely unaware, he was convicted of the murder of his wife Laci Peterson and his unborn son Connor Peterson who went missing December 24, 2002. Laci was 7 1/2 months pregnant with their first child. Scott says that on Christmas eve, he left at around 9:30 in the morning to go fishing for the day. When he got home, he noticed that the dog was still on her leash and the back door unlocked. He grabbed something to eat, showered, washed his clothes, then noticed that his wife wasn't home. They were going to go to dinner at Laci's parents' house and called to see if she was there. From there, they called the police and it became a nation wide missing persons case.

The picture above was one that was plastered all over the TV in hopes of finding Laci. I wish I could give more information about her and her family, but I think you get the idea enough for me to explain my confusing about the trial.

Her body and the body of her fetus was found four months later in the same marina that Scott Peterson went fishing the day that she disappeared. It was undetermined if the fetus was born alive or not, but it was believed that he was sheltered for a long period of time (in the mom's womb) before he was exposed to the elements. Laci's body was found headless, armless, and cut off at the legs below the knees but with the tibia and fibula exposed.

And now here comes the confusing part. It's at least confusing to me. I don't know how he got convicted of murder when I feel that all the evidence was circumstantial. Well, now that I read the book I understand a little bit why. The only forensic evidence that they had was a strand of what they believe to be a strand of Laci's hair that was found in a pair of pliers in Scott's boat. There was both a witness that said Laci was in Scott's workshop 1 or 2 days before she went missing and an expert that said that 1/9 women in the Modesto area could have been the owner of that hair found in the pliers.

Couldn't the defense use that as enough to put reasonable doubt into the mind of the jurors? Well, not until you know how big of a liar Scott Peterson really is.

He stuck to the same story about the events that happened that day. He only changed a few details here and there, but I think everyone is guilty of that. It was his relationship with his mistress Amber Frey that made everything just a little to freaky to make his wife's disappearance weird. 14 days before his wife went missing, Scott told Amber that he had "lost" his wife and that that Christmas would be the first without her. Wow, then she goes missing? Here's the disgusting part. While his wife was missing (assuming he didn't murder her), he called Amber constantly as if nothing was wrong and even talked to her New Years Eve during his missing wife's candlelight vigil! Who the heck would have the audacity to do something like that!

His reason for not spending the holidays with Amber was because he was in Europe. He would call Amber from Modesto and make up elaborate stories about how he was at the Eiffel Tower during New Years Eve, when in fact he was at the Candle light vigil for his wife.

There were other small things that he did to cause me to believe that he did it. Little things that are too closely related to her death than could just stand alone as coincidences. Oh, and when the caught him, he died his hair, grew a goatee, had $14,000+ in his car, tons of clothes, shoes, and stuff to camp with to last months. Hmm, that much to be driving around with on the day that they find your wife's body? A little iffy to me.

I could go on and on forever and ever about this case, but I think this might be getting too long already. My conclusion is, I think he did it, but just because of the phone calls that he made between Amber Frey and other lies that he told. But based on solely forensic evidence, well, there is none. Other than that, I think my conviction is just because of how I feel emotionally about him, the disgust for his lies, rather than if I really feel he did based on facts. That would have been a tough jury to be on.

Scott Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder of his wife and second-degree murder of his unborn son. He is now on death row set to die by lethal injection.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Swore I Would Marry Him, but What was I Thinking?

He could sing, had straight teeth, and made tons of money. No wonder every girl in the world had a crush on Lance Bass. When I was in Junior High, I swore that Lance Bass would see me at a concert, say, "wow she's cute", propose to me on the spot, then we would get married and have adorable children. My crush on him was so strong that I even dreamed about him taking me to the movies and having our knuckles touch while we shared popcorn. Actually, my first N Sync crush was Justin Timberlake which I totally regret and will deny if you ever ask me in person. Now, Lance on the other hand was humble (I say humble because he was a horrible dancer) and liked the color red. He was totally at the top of my list the entire time. But looking back on my love for Lance, I just can't help but think, "What on earth was I thinking?"

This is how I always remembered my favorite N Syncer.



Innocent eh?

Let's just say that he has changed a bit...



So he's gay. No problem. That's not why I regret my childhood crush on him. I just can't believed I wasted all that time recording every single N Sync TV appearance. You see, it's not like today where we have digital recording. I grew up in the days when if we wanted to record something from the TV, we used a good ol' video tape. It looks like a little black rectangular box that would record images on a small film strip (just for you all born after 1990). Man, it was a pain, but it was worth the 5 min interview of N Sync on Oprah. But why did I do this? Was I the only person? Are there still crazy teens out there that would do obsessive stuff like that?

YEAH! Unfortunately there are teens that are much more obsessive. Poor souls. All I can say is, see a Psychologist. And the sooner the better. That is actually the purpose of this blog. Just take my advice.

Now about him being gay, I was a little disappointed when I found out. I think he "came out of the closet" right before I went on a mission, but I think I didn't find out until I got home. Now, being a member of the LDS church, many people who are not members of the church sometimes get the idea that we are intolerant of those who are homosexual. There are some that are, and that's their problem. I don't understand why. People that are homosexual doesn't make them a disease. It's not contagious. I feel that I am tolerant and don't see a gay person as different. And just because I don't believe in gay marriage doesn't me that I don't think a gay person shouldn't try to enjoy life. I do not encourage homosexual behavior, but if you are gay, I'll support you. And secretly, if you are guy that's gay, start hitting on Lance Bass and ask him out to dinner. Then invite me along so I can get that picture with him I've always wanted and deserve.

For those of you who are wondering, my husband is WAY better looking than Lance Bass.

If you want more information on my former love, check out wikipedia. That's where I get all my information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Bass

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Pickett's Bambino Restaurant Review


I get coupon texts to my phone, which I recommend for anyone. Yesterday's text was for Pickett's Bambino, a fast food (it has a drive through) restaurant in Rexburg. We decided to try it out and here's what I think.

First, a little background. Pickett's Bambino was started in 2007 and there are currently only three locations: Rigby, Idaho Falls, and Rexburg. It started nearly 30 years ago when the Pickett family moved from Venezuela to Rigby and opened up a pizza restaurant. They sold Bambinos there, it was a hit, youngest son started Bambino restaurant, and now makes big bucks.

Here's the review:

Food Quality 5/10
Definitely isn't something I would crave. If you've never seen a Bambino before, it's kinda like a hot pocket. Here's a picture I found online which is pretty much what we ordered minus the drink.

The fries were well seasoned with some sort of seasoning I've never tasted before, but they had a very interesting crunchy-hollow taste. I didn't like that they were crunchy or hallow, but I loved the seasoning. Now, put that seasoning on delicious, fluffy McDonald's fries, and I'll be eating there every day!
The Bambino was not like the Hot Pocket I expected. John and I each ordered a pepperoni Bambino. It was a 5-inch diameter circle and when it came to us fresh, it was about an inch thick! I was super excited thinking that my first bite would be full of cheese and pepperoni, but I was a bit disappointed when my first bite deflated the entire thing from one-inch high to maybe one-centimeter. I don't really remember there being any pizza sauce in there, but there must have been; they advertise it that way. They did have the perfect amount of cheese, and a good amount of pepperoni, or at least I think it was pepperoni. It was round and red like most pepperoni, but had a silky-slimy-plastic taste to it. Definitely low-quality. It did fill me up, but that doesn't take a lot.

Price 8/10
Actually for the deal that we got, I would have given it a 9/10, but not for normal price. My text was 50% off the pepperoni Bambino which made it 99 cents instead of $1.99. John and I ordered two and a side of fries for $1.49. Total, I think our bill was a little under 4 bucks. Pretty good for feeding two. John and I eat like worms though, so it filled us up, but most people that are average or above average height and weight might need two each to satisfy any hunger craving. Overall, since we had the discount, I think we might go again just because the price was good, but I don't think we'll go there again unless we get a discount.

Customer Service 9/10
Nobody was there, so it was pretty easy for them to serve us with no problem. We went at 8:30 and I think they close at 9:00 on the weekdays. We went in and ordered food, then they brought it to us. Pretty good deal. I don't know if they do that when it is busy, but I didn't have to worry about missing them calling my number or having to stand around waiting for the food to be done. Plus, the food is made fresh and came out within minutes of us ordering. Oh, and they were nice.

Cleanliness 8/10
Still pretty new, so no major grime anywhere. I couldn't see back into the kitchen, but the front area looked pretty clean. There was even a lady cleaning the windows and everything while we were there. There was a table with tons of napkins on the floor that were never cleaned up and I never saw anyone wipe down the tables, but all together, it was pretty clean.

Atmosphere 10/10
This is the first 10/10 I've ever given. Loved it there. Everyone that worked there seemed nice (I only saw one person), it is decorated perfectly for families, dates, tons of roommates to go, or anyone! The tables are not too close together so you don't have to worry about people with bigly blessed butts to rub up against your arm while you are eating. And there are windows all around the sitting area so you can watch people walking in the freezing weather while you are sitting inside "chillaxin' with your home-dawgs". Loved it.

All together, I wouldn't say never go there. It's okay to try once, but if you don't go, you won't be missing out on great tasting food. But it's a cute little place to eat. Yeah, you can try it. I will when I get another coupon!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Why Can't We Be Like China?

There are three types of people that need to be executed on the spot: serial killers, women beaters, and child molesters. I just couldn't even imagine going though the suffering, constant fear, and pain that their victims had to go through. This is what I don't understand: If someone is convicted of a crime and put on death row, then why does it take years to execute them? Oh! And why does it cost way more money for execution than it does to keep them prison? Beats me. Let's see an example of a famous serial killer in America.

Ted Bundy: I think the most famous of all. Before his execution, he confessed to killing over 30 women between the ages of 15 and 25, but it is believed that he could have be responsible for over 100 murders. Actually, I think he was only convicted of two murders in Florida before he was signed up for lethal injection. I'll have to look that up, but he killed way more than that. Now here's the thing:
He was put on death row in 1980 and wasn't executed until 9 years later in 1989.
Why the wait?
Some say they wanted to keep him alive so that he would slowly reveal where all the bodies were that he killed. Well, we all know that would take forever and why would he want to stay alive in prison forever? I'd say send me to heaven (or hell).

I don't want to give too many examples because it's somewhat depressing and I don't want to expose anyone to too many murder stories in one sitting. (But just wait until my blog about OJ Simpson)

Now, let's look at how China does it:
Yang Xin Hai: Confessed to 65 murders and 23 rapes within a 4 year time period.
Arrested: November 3, 2003
Convicted: February 1, 2004
Executed: February 14, 2004
Notice that there is less than 4 months between his capture and his execution. Much shorter than America does it.

Now hold on. You need to see my view first on the death penalty. I don't believe that everyone needs to be killed within minutes of being convicted of "heinous crime". In fact, I think very few people should be. Sometimes the pulling the "insanity" card in court is a big joke, but sometimes it's legit. Then there are some people that are put behind bars that really didn't commit the crime. For example, the famous Ronald Cotton who was accused and convicted in court of the rape of two women. 11 years later, with DNA testing, he was set free because he didn't do it. People kill in self defense or any other reason. Then there are people that just grew up in a life where there were pimped out starting when they were 4 and they were just messed up after that. I'm not trying to justify people's wrongdoings, but not everyone needs to be put to death. Just free housing in jail. You see my point though?
Hopefully you do, because I don't want to talk about it anymore.

But my point was, if they're on death row, and they obviously did it, just speed up the process like they do in China.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Mentally Insane or Looking for a Hobby?

I LOVE reading the news. I check the news more often than I drink water. There are three stories this past week that really made me think about how mentally unstable some people really are. I have to warn you, if you scare easily at the thought that someone died, don't read these, but they're so interesting that it's worth having nightmares for a few night in a row. It's just bizarre.

Here's story #1.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/10/21/police-calif-woman-drove-mummified-homeless-body-months/

Let me highlight some key points.
This lady let a homeless lady sleep in her car at night (very generous of her), but then one day she found her dead.
Now right there, I would call the police and just say that there was a dead person in my car. Way better than what she did next.
She drove around with a DEAD body for 3-10 months. The body was partially mummified and they could not determine exactly how long she was dead. She said she was too afraid to call the police.

Problem with this woman? I'd say so.
Here are the red flags. She did nothing to remove the dead body in the car, drove around with it for months, then she didn't even know how long the homeless person was dead! My opinion? Give her a break. She's didn't kill her.

Verdict: Mentally Insane, not a new hobby.

Story #2
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/10/28/baby-killed-interrupting-moms-facebook-time/?test=latestnews
In a nut shell, this mother was playing farmville on facebook (and probably for days straight without sleep) while her small child kept crying. What does she do? Shakes the baby, takes a smoke, then shakes it til it's dead. Her own kid! Gee golly. How obsessed can one be? Her fault. Put her in jail. Otherwise, lets just say...

Verdict: New Hobby

Story #3
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/10/26/police-pa-mom-killed-newborns-kept-bones/
A woman secretly had seven children without anyone knowing. I don't know how on earth that could happen since I get so moody during pregnancy; everyone knows. Her husband and daughter go snooping in her closet and find the bones from 5 different kids. 4 of them were born alive and the other was thought to be stillborn. Who knows how long these bodies have been there? Long enough to be bones. And who wants to sleep with their dead infants in their closets?

There is seriously a major problem with the woman. But, maybe she needs a break. She must have some wires crossed in her brain, or she's missing half of it. Otherwise, I think it's safe to conclude:

Verdict: Mentally Insane

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

5 Buck Pizza Restaurant Review

John and I have a goal to go to every restaurant in Rexburg before we move out. That will be pretty easy since most places are super cheap and we only have twentyish restaurants left to visit in the next two years.

A new super cheap eatery opened up just a few weeks ago called 5 Buck Pizza. It's just as it sounds. They have 5 or 6 different pizzas that are 5 bucks. Since I've been here in Rexburg, everyone buys the $5 Hot and Ready Pizzas from Little Caesars and they do really well because, let's face it, college kids want more quantity with their five bucks than quality. After years of consuming Little Caesars pizza, it was time to move on for me. I dislike their pizzas, but breadsticks are good enough to live off of.

So, here's the review for 5 Buck Pizza located on Main Street.

Food Quality 5/10
It taste like a homemade pizza that I make. The crust had too much flour on it and had no extra seasoning. The sauce was also unseasoned, but tasted like any pizza sauce. I don't think they used real cheese and it was obvious. The top off the pizza was greasier than my face was in high school, but had fewer pepperonis. Maybe an average of 3 pepperoni pieces per slice. Normal, healthy people would probably soak up this excess grease with a sponge or several paper towels, but I just ate it.

Price 8/10
It was 5 bucks for a 14 inch. What more is there to say. Only, here is what I don't understand...

Notice that the Pizza logo says "All Toppings Free". Well, if the toppings are free, why does it cost more for pepperoni, sausage, and pineapple? That doesn't sound like free toppings.

Customer Service 9/10
They were nice, fast, and didn't pick their nose. Pretty good to me.

Cleanliness 6/10
You can watch them make the pizza. The area that they used to make the pizza looked clean, however, they did not wear gloves to put the toppings on. I even saw one girl handle the cash, then make a pizza. Of course, some of the germs are killed in the oven, but still doesn't cut it for me.

Atmosphere 6/10
They tried to make it a sports theme. The walls were decorated, but here's the thing. We are BYU-IDAHO students. Yet, all their sports stuff was from BYU Provo. Don't they understand that we always back talk BYU Provo? Why on earth paint the walls with autograph pictures from players that don't even play pro? Pathetic if you ask me.

Overall, I'd go there again. I wouldn't take my parents there for a gourmet meal, but I will go when I only have 5 bucks left in my budget and I'm too lazy to open a can of tuna.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Wow! That's a Step Up!

My husband works as a banker at Chase bank. He grabs people that come into the bank, has them sit down at his desk, then helps them get the goods. He just got moved to a new branch and there is a wide variety of people that come in. Some without shoes, teeth, or a hair brush; but most of them seem pretty normal.

Several times, while making small talk, the subject comes up about John just moving here from California. And do you know what the response is! "Wow! That's a step up!" What? What's a step up because I know you're not talking about Idaho being a step up from California. Now, I live in Idaho and I really like it here. It's my home now and heck, even my drivers license and my voting registration is in Idaho. But NOBODY insults MY homeland. These past few days after fuming about this comment, I've been trying to come up with ways to respond to these people. Don't worry. I even have the entire conversation in my head and I am willing to type the whole thing out just for you! (John will be my voice, and Farmer Fred is the Idahoan)

(Bank Conversation into the small talk)

Farmer Fred: So, John you from around these parts?

John: No, I just moved here from California.

Farmer Fred: Wow! That's a step up!

John: Yeah, well, of course it's a step up if you like no fresh fruit, no museums, no historical attractions, no cultural diversity, restaurants that serve rubber food, fewer educated people, slow pace, the smell of poop, stagnant economy, lack of professional jobs, and no Disneyland. Then, yes, it is a step up.

Farmer Fred: Yep.

Don't forget, I love Idaho, but don't be baggin' on my homeland.
So, some may think that there is too much pride in California. However, what they call Pride, I call UNITY.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Blogging Obsessive? Yep.

My sister and I are going through this crazy blogging stage in our lives. Let me explain:

When I was younger and I heard about people having blogs and writing about their lives online, I always thought that it was dumb. I mean, who really wants and online journal for everyone to read? And even more importantly, who thinks that people actually are interested? I never wanted anyone to read my "Dear Diary, Austin Larmer breathed on me today; he's so cute" entries. So why make it public for the entire world to see and and give them leverage to make fun of you? (I still to this day get teased about having a crush on Austin Larmer for a day which ended quickly when my brother and sister harassed me about it. Yet, 20 years later, my family still giggles about it.) Now, here's the part where I am going crazy. Most days, I just walk around town and do my normal things and I constantly think, "I need to blog about that!" This occurs a handful of times each day. But every time, I think, who would even care? Nobody, except for my sister Amanda who would read it even if she didn't care, then call me and laugh at me about it.

Eye Break

However, that didn't stop me from starting the "observations about nothing" blog. If you don't read it, I don't care. Sometimes I just want to write about stuff, but I definitely don't want to clog up our nice family blog with boring entries such as "A Really Big House". And that's where observations about nothing comes in.

Here, this is for you Amanda.