A certain kind of misery

So I really like this idea of Camie's, so I'm copying it for a second.

I was talking to one of my coworkers yesterday about my imminent move to the land of perpetual ice and snow, which yes, Jer, turns out to be geographically identical to the state of having no money, and she's lived in a place with similar scads of snow, and said to me, in an attempt to prepare me for JUST HOW AWFUL that much snow is:

You've lived in NY and UT, but there's a certain kind of misery that comes...

Oh goodie, something to look forward to.

No, this is post is NOT the sum total of all my research on this topic.

So as part of my transition away from my job and back to my, ahem, natural state, which seems to be student life, you know, that period of time, which is temporary for most people, during which you have homework and no money, I have to get a new phone. Since November I've had a Treo, which, while it's really fun for that whole "I can check my work email from my bed" and "I can find the address of a restaurant from my car" thing, is kind of big and clunky and fake pretentious. ("Fake" pretentious instead of "real" pretentious because honestly, it's not that great.)

So - any recommendations? One of my former coworkers, who left the company a few months ago, got a pink flip phone when she left and had to turn in her Treo. She called it the "Anti-Treo," because it was as different from a Treo as anything she could find. :)

I'm thinking about the LG Chocolate - in baby blue. :) Mostly because I can get it from free with a 2-yr activation plan with Verizon, which is the service I currently have.

And since I'm heading back into that afore-mentioned state of having no money, a phone that costs free dollars sounds pretty good to me.

But I would love to hear your recommendations...or where I could go for good info (I've been to cnet.com). Or, you know, your rants on cell phones in general. :)

Take a listen.

OK, Jer, this is for you.

And for me. In 5-7 years.

And for Chris, in a few less than that.

Wordless Wednesday: Another reason I think San Diego is really cool

One Reason I Think San Diego is Really Cool - A (Very Short) Essay

One reason I think San Diego is really cool is because you might just get out of the car at the grocery store and see this:

The End.

So should I be honored...?

...that her biggest spit-up to date was when I was holding her?

Or should I just feel stupid that I was too lazy to get a burp cloth that time?

There's magic in the air...

...but only for a minute.

New life

I've had blogger's block for about a week now, which is not really that long, but the last time I remember feeling this way about blogging was right after President Hinckley died. I wanted so badly to write something profound, something meaningful, something significant, about his life, or what he meant to me, or how he impacted my life, and I couldn't get the words and thoughts to come together. I wanted to post this picture, my favorite picture of him, and to explain that it's my favorite, even though you can't even see his face, because what you can see is the love of the people for their beloved prophet, and their joy at being able to greet him. And because it's my dad's favorite picture of him for that same reason, and he sent it out to us after President Hinckley died, with some of his thoughts about him.

But I couldn't get the words to come together, and I didn't want to offer only a half-hearted post for something so important to me, even though I guess that's what I just did. :{

Well, my sister had her baby girl last weekend, and I'm feeling that same speechless kind of feeling! I am SO HAPPY that she's finally here, but I've been trying to figure out since she was born what I want to say to portray all that I feel about it, and I'm not sure I've figured it out yet...

I've seen pictures of her, and she is a CUTE little thing, with lots of hair, her momma's nose, and her daddy's toes. :) And I'm going to visit next week, for a week, and I'm really excited to BE there and to get to meet her and hold her and tell her I love her and see my sister and brother-in-law as parents!

And I've already had precious, precious conversations with My Sister The New Mom and My Brother-In-Law The New Dad about their baby, and about getting her here, and about what she means in each of our lives, and what we mean in hers. And she looks like both of them! I don't know why it surprises me, with each baby I see, when I see pieces of their mom and their dad in them, but it always does. It's humbling and beautiful to see how Heavenly Father took the physical characteristics of both parents, and mixed them, and came up with a new unique little person!

And my mom is there now, and I'm deep-down-to-my-core pleased and happy and satisfied that she gets to be there. She flew in about 6 hours after the baby was born, and I love LOVE LOVE that she is there - for my sister's sake, and for my niece's sake, and mostly for my mom's sake. Her kids, and consequently, their kids, are so important to her, and are the focus of so many of her actions and choices, and bring her so much joy, that it makes me profoundly happy to know that she is there and is so happy to be with her newest grandbaby.

And I was so THRILLED to hear that my niece was born that after I sobbed on the phone to My Sister The New Mom when she called to tell me the news I immediately stacked up and planned to return those 4 library books that I'd been renewing online again and again with the thought that I'd read the series again. It seems silly to me now, and it seemed a little silly to me then, that that was my big reaction to the news, but I needed to DO something right then - to have some kind of a fresh start, however small. It didn't seem worth it, with this new wonderful LIFE in the world, to let unnecessary and unimportant things clutter up my room or my life.

Happy Birthday, Baby Casey! I'm so glad you're here and part of our family!