This morning I'd like to take a moment to draw your attention to some blogs that I've recently added to my sidebar.  And yes, you're welcome, because you are indeed now 15 minutes closer to the end of your workday. La Porte Rouge I know this sounds like a pretentious blog name, but I stumbled upon this photographer, and I've decided she's sort of the organic rustic King Midas of Photography. Everything that she touches turns to awesome. Also, she has this beautiful new black horse so thick in the chest you could take the worlds best nap by throwing your arms around his neck, locking your fingers, and falling asleep in his blackness.  Love. Alissa My Sister Although my sister has had a beautiful and regularly updated blog for years, I just got around to adding a sidebar, and thus haven't gotten to show it off for the attention that it deserves.  She is NOT, and I mean NOT your average mommy blogger, if the giant black widow spider on her background wasn'

And now, for the epic conclusion to Halloweens Gone By.  Though like an epic conclusion you may come upon in a soap opera, epic halloweens are never really over.  There's always more ghoulish encounters to look forward to.  In fact, I take it all back.  I've got a few more up my sleeve before the season ends, regardless of how my Halloween ramblings affect my readership.  (Sorry if my stream of consciousness style is bothering you this morning, that mocha was definitely NOT decaf.) I know I said my first Thriller was my favorite Halloween.  And it was. And so was my last Halloween, and probably the halloween 2 years before that.  I won't apologize. Let's say then, that Halloween 2009 wins the award for Most Original, Best Random Strangers, and Best Location. Let me set the scene for you.  I had already had a spookily cursed weekend of finishing my job at CWPT, moving out of my apartment by my selfsies, going to a Halloween party in Takoma Park the previous evening an

My former roommate Jordanian Blossom can attest to the fact that I have been known to hoard enough Count Chocula in our kitchen pantry to get me to Valentine's Day.  And that's eating AT LEAST one bowl a day.  A big bowl.

The best Halloween that I ever had was when I was a sophomore in High School, and it started at 6:45 in the morning. It was a dark and stormy morning.  94.9ZHT (remember that?) was giving away tickets to Thriller. I didn't know what it was, but it sounded fun, and I thought that awesome wonderful ass hat Jake would want to go with me. oh high school. Just being a drama nerd in high school is probably enough horror for one halloween, but I digress. So what do you know, I win!  I call Jake to see if he wants to go, and I specifically remember that he didn't want to go, and he decided right then he'd rather go to the lame party, whatever.  So I invited my mom. To this day, I am glad that Jake turned me down right away. My mom took me north, took me out for dinner, and bought me a scarf at the Gap in Trolley Square which is still one of my favorites.  We went to the show at Kingsbury Hall with absolutely no expectations at all, and were pleased to discover that 94.9 had got

The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that Elder Packer altered his speech as it will appear in perpetuity on the church's online version.  The most recent version changes the word "temptation" to "tendencies" and has removed the section about God's intent and whether or not people are born with same-sex tendencies.  The Trib reports that it is standard practice for speakers to slightly revise their talks before they are published. Regardless of your personal beliefs, this now more accurately portrays the previously stated views of the Church on homosexuality. While I wish it had never been said in the first place, I am grateful that the Church is revising the statement as it will appear in digital perpetuity.  I hope that proponents of gay rights will accept the gesture for what it is, and be happy that some of the dialogue that's gone on in the past week has perhaps aided the Church in insuring that Elder Packer's comments accurately depict the Chu

No one here should be shocked to learn that I am saddened by recent comments made in General Conference. I didn’t expect a terribly different message from the church, necessarily, I am not shocked by this position, and I respect the Church’s right to set its own guidelines for things like Temple Recommends, a process that I have for many years personally and respectfully chosen to opt out of. I have nothing but love and admiration for those who adhere to those guidelines, choose a faithful life, and who aspire to a life in continual communion with the church. That is a beautiful thing. Different from my thing, but absolutely beautiful. I respectfully take issue with the notion put forth by President Packer from his position of religious authority that he knows without a doubt that no one is born with homosexual tendencies, his reasoning being “Why would our Heavenly Father do that to anyone?” This reasoning seems to me to go against all the things that I know of God. It seems to me

I have mostly recovered from Kentucky, travelling, forgetting to eat for 4 days (no really. I lost 6 lbs.) and America's "going down in a glorious ball of flames" equestrian method, but in the meantime, it helps that my favorite Eventing blog is posting one stage of grief for every day of the week to help all us americans recover.  Today's?    Stage 3 - Bargaining Even in losing, I am having the best freaking time reading the commentary on this sport. I have an illness. 

This blog is hard to write because there is so much news to report about how the World Equestrian Games ended, and how that dramatic ending affected me as a horseman, an adult, and as wielder of my own future and interpreter of my past. After catapulting themselves from 7th place to 2nd place on the second day of competition, Team USA had big pressure on them, certainly. With Britain far ahead and the Canadians and Kiwis fractions of points behind the US, They had to be nearly perfect. Each of the 4 team horses has to jump about 15 jumps, 4 feet high, with poles that will fall with a soft rub of any hoof. That pole falls=4 points. And you have to go fast, or you get time faults too. The US's Boyd Martin went spectacularly clean, and finished both his cross country ride and stadium round without a single fault or time error, an extraordinary feat, and in his very first international event. We’re going to see more of that boy I think. Buck came out and had another rail do

THRILLS SPILLS and CHAMPIONS! day two was nothing short of totally extraordinary.  The US Eventing Team went from a 7th place overall finish in day one of dressage to being in position to clutch the SILVER medal!  As mentioned earlier, day 2 is when the horses are expected to cover about 5 miles of ground and jump about 25-30 natural obstacles as they go.  Refusing or running around the jumps results in penalties, as does a fall of the rider. A fall of the horse is grounds for immediate disqualification.  and yes, this does happen, and yes, it happened today.  there were some brilliant rides through some truly terrifying stuff.  I will post my favorite of these below.  Oh, and Great Britain is currently in first, and Canada right on our heels in third.  This is monumental for Canada by the way.  All of their riders went clear yesterday, having the rides of their lives, and i can't help but root for this 5 girl/1guy team of absolutely awesome people. Plus, Hawley Bennet of Canad

after a day of close travel calls, a la delayed flights, car trouble with my rental car, insane parking procedures, and hours of waiting in line for a shuttle, I made it to the park with literally only SECONDS to spare before the very first horse stepped out for the Grand Prix Dressage Freestyle.  ` it was extraoardinary. i have so much to say and so little time to say it, but i will tell you that FUEGO stole the show.  Viva Espana! he got the best cheers of the night from the crowd, i literally had tears, and despite the fact that he didn't place, he will be the horse that lives in the hearts of the audience forever.  seeing Ashley Holzer of Canada take the lead and celebrate with hugs, kisses and tears from her fellow canadians on my way to the portajohn. very often this moment is not about winning or even getting a medal, but about achieving your personal best score under pressure, and Ashley did that with extraordinary grace.  Canada is my new favorite neighbor. having