Saturday Seething (part 32 of a 444 part series)

High School Never Ends

Maybe it's the YSA stage of life.
Maybe it's the same for everyone.
Maybe it's just me.

My new singles ward feels very much like I'm back in high school even though the average age in the ward is mid to late 20s. There are the popular girls, the jocks, the goths that sit in the corner, the dorky but funny guys that we all love/tolerate, and drama drama drama. Seriously, I feel like I'm in
an unfunny version of a John Hughes movie!!

Why do I care?!
I thought that I didn't!!

I bugs me how society always segments itself (some call it Cliques) into insiders and social outsiders. How do we become insiders? Why are we outsiders? Does everyone feel like an outsider?

It reminds me of Bachelor Pad last summer- the house ended up divided into groups of insiders vs. outsiders and the insiders dominated the competition. I wonder if the same thing will happen this season.

I probably should have been a sociologist- I find human nature fascinating!!

Happy Saturday!!! You're all insiders to me :)

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Happy Pioneer Day 2011!!!

We celebrated the 24th of July (AKA: Pioneer Day) today. We started the day at a neighborhood breakfast then went to Liberty Park to watch the Days of '47 Parade. We were able to park the car in Lesley's old employer's driveway and they joined us to watch the floats.
Happily, the weather was only in the 80s and overcast so it wasn't sweltering and we didn't bake in the sun.
Happy Pioneer Day!!!!!!!

I feel the need ...

... the need to blog.

It could be boredom or a longing need to communicate into the void, but I have a desire to blog today even though I have nothing important to write about. (who am I kidding, I never have anything "important" to write about!!!)
I saw the new Woody Allen film "Midnight in Paris" and I really enjoyed it. The art cameos got to be a little over the top (hello Adrian Brody as Dali) but the overall message of the film really touched me. The message is that nostalgia for the past, along with being dissatisfied with the present, is part of the human experience, no matter what our present is.
Long story short, our 2010 protagonist longs for the days of the Roaring 20s in Paris and he magically gets transported back there nightly at midnight. While there, he meets a girl who longs for La Belle Epoch (the beautiful age) of the late 19th Century Paris. They, in turn, get transported back to that time and while there they meet Toulouse Lautrec and his friends who long for the time of the Renaissance. It's a never ending cycle of never appreciating the present.
I believe the phrase "the grass is always greener on the other side of the street" fits this situation rather well.
Maybe this human desire for the past is why some people struggle with contemporary art- because it is from our present and therefore we are dissatisfied with it. Being an art historian, the past captivates my interest and imagination. I adore contemporary art at the same time but perhaps we value art from ages past because the past can never change, it is stable and constant.
These are just some ramblings of a girl who is looking for contentment (or satisfaction) in a rather uneventful life. My wish and hope is to find joy in the journey of life and feel valued or find value in everyday tasks. I need to look towards the future and appreciate the gift that is the present.

Saturday Seething (part 31 of a 444 part series)

This week's rant is brought to you from the checkout line at Walmart. Apparently it is totally for a Walmart cashier to close the line at anytime even if there is still a long line waiting to be checked out. I have had the line "close" when I was only 1 cart away not once, but twice tonight- I wish I was kidding. Both lines where incredibly long so basically I've had to start all over 3 times. The current line is stopped b/c the customer needs translation. OMGosh- the first line that closed on me just reopened but now the line is as long as the one I'm in- ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why do I have more than 20 items so I can't get in the "express" lines? Oh ya, I'm in charge of mingles in my YSA ward and we have zero budget so I'm stuck buying 200 paper plates, cups, and napkins. Except the utensils only come in packets of 50 so I have a cart full of cheap quality foam that is just going to be thrown away to fill up a landfill for the next 100 years.
I have now been waiting to be checked out for 30 minutes. I hate Walmart.

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Saturday Seething (part 30 of a 444 part series) Thursday Edition

I really don't get why people order their food to-go, then eat it at the restaurant anyway.
This drove me MAD when I was working at Eat-A-Burger. At EAB, if you were staying, your food came on a tray with napkins and mints but if you asked for your food to go then it would come in a bag with napkins. I cannot tell you how many people would order to-go, but then dine-in. It wasn't like it was a mistake or they changed their mind- people would do it over and over on purpose. What?!!!
So the other day, I went to Cafe Rio for a pork taco and the 3 people before me and 2 people after me in line all asked for their food to go, yet all of them stayed to eat at the restaurant. Why?!!!
I guess the argument can be made that they only want to eat a little and take the remaining home but Rio has the lids and to-go supplies by the napkins and utensils so people could get it themselves.
At EAB the to-go yet dine-in eaters would make such a mess of the tables which only gave me more to clean up; it drove me nuts and I still get worked up about it 2 years later. It's the same kind of anger I get when I see people that litter and yet drive hybrid cars.
Go Figure!
Happy Thursday (the work week is almost over!!!!)

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America the Beautiful- Happy Independence Day

Here is a photo of my gorgeous mother and myself at the neighborhood breakfast this morning. I love this holiday and I love this annual breakfast. The kids were in a bike parade, all of them on two wheels (Jack on a glider bike) and played games. Even though the sky was overcast, it was a lovely day and I'd give this 4th of July a 9.5 out of 10!!!
God Bless America