12.11.2012

Grandma's tree and a neverending book marathon

I'm alone in the house this morning, trying to think of every excuse not to go to the gym before work. The excuses are working, especially since ice on the roads is more than an inch thick. I'm lounging in front of the sheer white curtain over the wintry landscape of our backyard. It makes the cold look fragile. A thin dusting of snow covers every railing, every frozen rose and tip of grass. The curtain even softens the darkest branches to a light grey.

Next to me is Grandma Joy's artificial Christmas tree that we decorated with some of her gold and cream-colored ornaments, along with some of our own decorations, including a pair of moose holding up a sign that says "Lake Tahoe." We bought it almost a year ago on our "honeymoon." Because I grew up 30 minutes from Lake Tahoe, I consider it more of a weekend getaway. Sometimes, I look at the tree and think about it in Dalton's grandma's house, and feel honored that we get to keep it and remember her like she is one beautiful Christmas decoration pointing to the sky. Astonishingly, there are 20-30 gifts under the tree wrapped in a green paper with cardinals, a pattern of snowmen, or plopped in shiny bags. From the look of it, we could actually afford a nice Christmas. I think I've watched almost every classic Christmas movie this past weekend, I even watched The Year Without a Santa Clause last night so I could sing the Heat Miser and Snow Miser songs.

Dalton left for the day an hour ago, and since it's finals week and a work day, I won't see him again until he pulls into the garage just before he's ready to crash into his pillow. Luckily, we have a good habbit of always eating dinner together, even if that isn't until 10 p.m., so we can catch up on what we weren't texting each other about. If anyone ever thought life gets less hectic when you graduate, I'm sorry you were fooled. I guarantee it will stay hectic if you have someone else to care and worry about all day. It is nice, though, to get two mornings a week that I get to catch up on me--whether "me" means doing laundry, dusting, scrubbing the counters or reading. I finally got a Pleasant Grove library card. I have a goal to get through the 100 books to read before you die list in the next 2 years. I've read nearly 20 of them already so I have a head start. The current book I'm reading is Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler.

 
I'm only 60 pages into it, but so far I'm enjoying it. I love any books where the characters are so multi-dimensional, you wonder when the dimensions will ever stop. Their complexity is enough to keep my entertained for hours. Dalton likes books, he just doens't like reading them. That's where I come in. I read about 150 pages on the way to Reno, but I think he got tired of the book and wished Dan Brown was in the car reading ot him. We have very different taste in just about ... everything. He thinks I listen to hipster music, I think he listens to whiny-teenage-boy music. However, there is also a genre or type we can agree on in most topics. That's the best part about us, though, we will always stay independently ourselves, but work so darn well together.

Books at bat are: 1.) The Lazarus Project  2.) Cranford and 3.) Cold Comfort Farm



12.06.2012

I suck at blog post titles

One Cougar semester down for Dalton, 99 to go. OK, not really, but it feels that way.
Of course, he pulls A's out of his pockets every time, and that is one of the more selfish reasons why I married him.

So guys, remember how I said we would be taking a little trip the day after Christmas? Well, it turns out Christmas is practically sitting on my lap, which means boarding a plain to Santiago, Chile, is also sitting in my lap. You know, it's summer down there? Does that mean I have to buy/wear a swimsuit? My skin is practically neon underneath indoor lighting, I can only imagine how horrifying it will look on a public beach with dark-skinned people. Bloogablaga. Can't even think about it. Some hippy can punch me later for fake-and-baking, but it's for the Chilean people's well being that I'm doing it.

And did I tell you? My job is way better than yours. Sure, I've completely lost touch with the writer in me, well, almost. I'm sure some people may frown at this, but don't worry, that part of me is making a comeback. Anyway, the perks of my job are as follows: I still get to design things, including fliers and making the monthly newsletter. I get to edit students' resumes, which we all know gets me all fired up to change the world--I might even get to start teaching resume-building, but I don't want to speak too soon. I feel partially like an elementary school teacher because I get to do mild crafting with butcher paper, ribbon and glitter.


To set the record straight, this is a Frankenmummy.


To top it all off, I get massaged regularly--even at my desk when students come to ask questions they'll perform some sort of magic on my traps.

Dalton really likes money, so I guess it's good that he decided to major in finance instead of accounting. He told me he does not want to watch other people spend money and record, HE wants to spend the money. His money-lovin' is also apparent in how much he enjoys working at Security Services Federal Credit Union. It's a long name, but I think it's a cool place because they pay for our gym memberships. Luckily, my father is always available to yack Dalton's ear off about bonds, the S&P 500, buying Gold, shareholders, etc., etc., etc. No offense, Dad.

Perhaps, the most exciting piece of news in the last week was sending our studly brother Cole Jacob Bennett out into the mission field for the LDS church. All I know is he almost decked a "nerdy" kid in the MTC. Sounds like a great beginning. We are so proud of him, seriously. He is such an amazing person--so caring, loyal and creative--he can do so many things and I truly hope he recognizes his potential while in Everett, Washington (Twilight country).

I've definitely had Christmas on the mind 24/7 lately. I have an egg casserole to make for a Christmas brunch, 4 items to find for gift exchange parties, treats to make for neighbors and our Sunday school kids, work parties, family parties and so on. You know how it is. I'm thrilled I get to spend Christmas with Dalton's family. Usually, I'd be upset I wasn't with my own family, but after traveling to Reno for Thanksgiving, I don't want to make the trip again, and frankly, Utah gets way more into the season. While driving from Lindon into Pleasant Grove I am greeted into my little city with huge lights on a roof spelling "Seasons Greetings from Pleasant Grove City." The main streets are lined with trees lit up to look like cotton candy.

And with all of that, I will leave you with the following moment I captured of Dalton, and a warning that I may be writing again sooner than anyone imagined.