On to the next disaster...

I guess we only post when disaster strikes so who's ready for the next one?

I was on my way home from work on Wednesday when unbeknownst to me, the car in the next lane over had stopped, trying to be nice, and let a guy turn left through oncoming traffic. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary and continued driving straight until out of the corner of my eye I saw a car heading straight for my door. I tried to swerve out of the way but couldn't avoid the subsequent crunch.

I was hit.

I was terrified.

I couldn't believe this was even real.

I don't get in car accidents. I have a pretty good driving record and I was shocked that this had just happened.

We quickly pulled over to survey the damage. I hoped it wasn't bad but since I had to crawl out through the passenger side door I wasn't overly confident.

The police were quickly called and 45 minutes later they exchanged our information and declared the other guy at fault for not checking both lanes before turning through oncoming traffic. I was very relieved it wasn't my fault but at the same time felt bad that it happened at all.

My cute red Alero is now in the shop undergoing extensive reconstructive surgery while I am the lucky rental car driver of a 2012 Chevy Cruze. Driving it is so much fun and it makes my car feel like a piece of junk but I still look forward to getting her back once she's fixed up.

Now of course, pictures! Feast your eyes on this most recent disaster:

How to Spice Up Your Sunday Afternoon

Sometimes Your Kitchen Decides to Catch Fire.

Well, I don't know what else to say because without pictures we can't really do it justice, but suffice it to say our Sunday was anything but boring.

We got home from church and were looking forward to a relaxed afternoon waiting for the time to come when we'd roll on over to our friends' house to watch some sporting event that was supposed to have happened yesterday (water polo, I think). We realized we were too hungry to wait for the pizza we'd been promised by the aforementioned friends, so we decided to have a light snack. Now any of you that know both Danielle and me will know that our ideas on the definition of the term "light snack" are about as far apart as Orem and that big red spot on Jupiter. Danielle's mind goes to things like bananas, apples, yogurt. Healthy things... Safe things... My mind, on the other hand, sits ill-at-ease at the mere thought of knowingly and purposefully consuming anything a dietitian might actually recommend with a straight face. No, my mind jumps to things like hot pockets, Cheetos, and (sadly for our kitchen) home-fried donuts.

I swear I've done it before, and my mom can vouch for me. But alas, it would be the absence of my mother and her plethora of common sense which would prove my downfall.

Behold, the hubris of man.

Danielle gave me the go-ahead to fry up some donuts, so I began my preparation. I poured about an inch of vegetable oil in the bottom of a pot and turned on the heat. For reasons I can neither fathom nor recall I went into the bedroom. After no more than 90 seconds I returned to the kitchen and shouted words I'd hoped Danielle would never hear me utter:

"We're on fire."

The pot of oil had found a way to ignite and I was now facing 4-foot flames shooting out the top of our stove like a stray NASA rocket had suddenly remembered our oven owed it money. I remember Danielle shouting, "What do we do!?" Me, being the level-headed ex-Boy Scout that I am responded with a wise, "I HAVE NO IDEA!"

Uh...... fire + water = no fire, right?

Then my brain started running things. Grease fires don't mix well with water. "Shut up and do what I tell you," said the brain to the body. "Turn off the stove." So I reach behind the fire and flip the knob. "Stupid, but effective. Now remove it from the burner." A small shift of the pot to the relatively cool burner next to it and I was feeling good. But I still had a bonfire in my pot. "Now smother it. And no, your hands won't work." One seriously singed frying pan later and the worst was over, but the flames under the burners were still stubbornly trying to start the party up again like those drunks who refuse to leave your house after a party. Cue the brain, "Baking soda. And remember to thank your parents for making you get all those merit badges." Done and done. Now half a tiny box of baking soda won't put out much, but it'll apparently keep things "under control."

Just as I finish applying the baking soda a police officer walks in to assess the situation. Yes, he has a fire extinguisher, but he thinks it'd be more humiliating to the firefighters if he's able to blow it out. After a few failed attempts he decides to "let them have their fun."

Now here's a small interjection: Don't hesitate to call 911 in an emergency. But when you do, you should realize that every available responder from the appropriate team will be standing on your lawn twiddling their thumbs while the one guy with a fire extinguisher douses your kitchen in a foul-smelling powder.

After taking down my name and birth date (I guess I should expect a card?), the 3 fire engines, 2 ambulances, 1 cop car and 1 fire brigade jeep all found somewhere else to be.

Sometimes, I guess bad things happen to good kitchens.

The moral of this story is this: If you're looking for a great way to make quick friends with your neighbors, light something on fire. Not a lot on fire, just a little on fire. We were able to meet our neighbors that live downstairs and watch a movie with them while the noxious fumes found their way out of our home. Now our only predicament is what kind of treat to make them as thanks for letting us sit in their living room for 3 hours. My vote? A giant bowl of ice cubes. Those are safe, right?

Update: Pictures

This is what our stove looks like right now.

This is what our pot looks like right now
This is what our blinds look like right now.
This is what our cupboards look like right now.
Our lawn looks pretty much like this but without the firemen.

Lame Humanities Assignment

I really am planning on blogging sometime in the future but for now I just want to share how lame our Humanities assignment is. Every week we have to write a quick 150-300 word essay about a question that we choose out of 3 options. Usually all the options seem ridiculous but I'm able to at least make some stuff up. This assignment however has gotten on my nerves and taken way more time than I want to admit. Who wants to answer one of these? They're all dumb in my opinion:

1. More and more classical music is being interfused with pop music. For instance, Grammy award winner, Alicia Keys' chart-topping single “Fallin” begins with Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” then progresses to a hip-hop R&B melody. How do songs like “Fallin” demonstrate the versatility and resilience of classical music? What impact, in terms of music education, do you think pop artists like Alicia Keys will have on your generation and future generations?

Websites:
MTV: Alicia Keys
http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/keys_alicia/artist.jhtml Go to: News
Click: “Alicia Keys Channels Beethoven’s Spirit at Vienna Show” 10.14.2002

Experience a concert of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” at the Sidney Opera House
http://www.oznet.com.au/opera/

2. Music not only effects our moods and behaviors, but it also influences are thoughts and perceptions. For example, an artist painting with soft classical music produces work very different than an artist painting to heavy metal. Perform an activity, whether it is sketching, writing, or even roller-blading, to various types of music. Describe the impact each music genre has on your performance. Then study the music played in shopping malls, elevators or even commercials. Why do you think certain music is played at certain times of the day, and in certain places? How do you think you can apply what you’ve learned about the power of music to your daily life, like in writing a short story for your English class?

Websites:
20th WCP: Music, Emotion, and Language: Using Music to Communicate
http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Aest/AestWort.htm

Nordic Journal of Music Therapy
http://www.hisf.no/njmt/artikkelvink102.html

Mozart Effect: Research
http://parenting-baby.com/Parenting-Baby-Music-Research/Music-Research.html

3. “All classical music is good for fingering and speed and building your skills, but… I gravitated toward Chopin. His preludes! He has these songs that are so deep and have so much passion you say, 'What was he possibly thinking? What was he feeling?'" -Alicia Keys

What distinguished Chopin from other composers of his time? Explain how his music effects you, what emotions does it invoke? Is Chopin’s music passionate? If so, what makes it so? Chopin’s music permeates throughout Roman Polanski’s Oscar winning film, The Pianist, how do you think his music contributes to the story?

Websites:
Read Chopin’s brief history while hearing excerpts of his music at:
www.ipl.org/exhibit/mushist/rom/chopin.htm

Read about The Pianist at:
www.thepianistmovie.com

Well there's the excitement going on in our life right now. Obviously you should be jealous.

The Bi-Annual Husband Post

Well folks, it's that time of decade again; the time where birds hush their warbly tune, dogs and cats go out for drinks together, and planets align causing the Provo River to rise imperceptibly.

Yup. Time for a husband post.

I've been very blessed in my lifetime. Blessings of friends, family, opportunity, health. All the biggies. I've especially been blessed with an amazing wife. Why is she so amazing, you may ask? Well let me give you a few reasons.

1) She married me. That's not just fortunate for all parties involved, it also proves she has impeccable taste.

2) She looks beautiful all the time. No, seriously. I'm typing this in bed with her asleep next to me, and ya know what? She's freaking gorgeous. You know what's even cooler than a beautiful wife sleeping next to you? Knowing she's going to look JUST AS GORGEOUS in the morning. How does that even work? Physically, it shouldn't be possible. If you get a chance to listen to the Bruno Mars song "Just the Way You Are" it pretty much sums up what it's like being married to Danielle (plus it's pretty catchy).

3) She's going to be a fantastic mom. She just is. She loves kids and is great with them. They kind of flock to her during our calling in nursery. They might just be flocking away from me, but I like to think they're flocking to her. Flock flock flock. That's a weird word.

And number 4) She puts up with me. Here's where the REAL purpose of this post comes into play. I've been known to talk her ear off about this, that, or the other thing in which she has zero interest. Usually it's something technological like a new smartphone, laptop, router firmware, or something of that geeky sort. But this time....

This time....

Ok, it's still something technological. But I've worn out my "Wearying Husband Credits" for the month (That's the currency in which I measure my wife's patience for listening to a particular topic. I call them "Glazies" for the look she gets in her eyes). Now because I've worn out my Glazies for the month (and possibly the entire Q1 of 2011), you get to hear about my latest technological obsession.

The Nook Color

Da daaaaa...

Ok, I'm not a super "booky" person. I have to confess that in a given year I'll probably read 2-3 fiction books and 4-5 nonfiction on a GREAT year. This new obsession of mine is only marginally associated with reading books. It really has much more to do with the "Gee Whiz"-ical expression that creeps across my face at every new advancement in technology.

What it is: The Nook Color is the latest e-reader from Barnes & Noble. It's designed primarily to purchase and consume books, magazines, & newspapers, but has the added bonus of a full-color LCD screen, WiFi connectivity to the internet, a music/movie player, and expandable memory.

Why I want it: To hack it and make it more awesome.

It's simple: Everyone drools over the iPad, which is certainly a drool-worthy device, but it's completely and hopelessly out of my price-range at $499 for the most basic model. What the Nook Color offers is a slightly less polished experience for half that price. With a seemingly minor hack it can be unlocked into a full-fledged android tablet to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Tab which rings in at around the $500-600 mark.

To sum up some of the most important points:

- The screen is a 7" 1024x600 IPS Capacitive Touchscreen Display that displays 169 pixels per inch. That's a decent step above the pixel density of the iPad at 132 ppi.

- It's got the same 800 MHz processors as the Droid 2 & Droid X smartphones

- The 4000 mAh battery can provide up to 8 hours of constant use on a single charge.

- It can read & possibly even edit Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, & PowerPoint), and can play back an impressive array of video & audio formats.

But honestly, the biggest reason I want it is because I am honestly, obviously, notably, notoriously, and unapologetically a gigantic nerd who loves toys. There are hundreds of things it can do that would actually make life easier by streamlining things with school and work, but my biggest reason for wanting this thing is because it's awesome.

Well, I've started saving my pennies. One day she will be mine, but until that day comes I have to yearn from afar.

Thanks for listening.

Missing camera and other excuses...

Well I apologize for the lack of posts. My camera is currently MIA and of course we can't find the adapter for Jesse's camera that would let us download the pictures from his. It's quite the predicament if you ask me. And a post with no pictures is not near as exciting which is why I haven't posted. I'm pretty sure we've had fun this break but I guess we won't know for sure until we can get our pictures onto the laptop!

Side note: You all should try my new favorite snack, avocado with Worcestershire sauce. I can't get enough of it!

Noteworthy

Today marks the 3 year anniversary since Jesse asked me to be his wife.

Has it really been 3 years? I can hardly believe how quickly time flies by.

I am so grateful I said yes. It has been a great journey that I wouldn't want to spend with anyone else!

Our nephew Drew

On Saturday Dec 4th we went to Temple Square with Jesse's family. We went to lunch with Jesse's parents up in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in honor of his birthday which was a lot of fun! And then our niece Abbie was singing in a choir up there so we got to listen to them sing, which was amazing. Jesse's sweet mom broke her ankle so she has a scooter to get around. The carpet wasn't the easiest thing to move around on though so she just put her legs up and let Jesse and his dad push her. It made me laugh!

While we were waiting for the 2nd choir concert to start we were holding our nephew Drew and to keep him entertained we decided to take pictures. Little did we know that it would entertain us even more! That kid is a crack up! He would totally do anything we said.

His kissy face was one of our favorites!

Oh boy do we love our nieces and nephews!