tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7158297173443546752024-03-13T03:26:07.328-07:00Nicnel SpeaksBut listening is optional...Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-89765835367988334582013-12-27T19:50:00.003-08:002013-12-27T19:50:44.912-08:00What? I have a blog?I just remembered I have a blog. Reading through the posts also reminded me how much I enjoyed writing in said blog. I might have to pick this back up...<br />
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A couple of huge life updates:<br />
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1. I got married! Remember how I said I really loved all my students in that last post? Well, there was one I loved a bit more than the others. Not while he was still my student, mind you! No dating until after graduation...barely. I'll admit there was quite a bit of flirting going on there towards the end of the year. Anyway, it's been 2 and 1/2 years now since I married Brian Owen, and I can't imagine my life without him! He's my best friend, and the cutest man alive!<br />
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2. I've moved. Twice. First to Santa Fe, NM a few months after the wedding. Brian had one year left to finish his BFA. Once that was done, we moved to Sarasota, FL for him to attend grad school at the FSU Asolo Conservatory. He's getting his MFA in Acting. And I couldn't be more proud. I loved living in Santa Fe, and adore living in Sarasota. Life is good.<br />
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That's my update in a nutshell. I'll try to make it more exciting in the future, but you'll have to live with this for now.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Actually, I'm not sure if anyone will be reading this... Do people still blog? </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hmm...</span><br />
<br />Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-32436730079092832022010-03-28T14:12:00.000-07:002010-03-28T15:02:43.677-07:00Home, home on the rangeAnd no, they're not kidding about the deer and the antelope. This winter I've seen more deer in town - right in front of my house, in fact - than I've seen out of town. One actually ran into my dad as he was driving to work just down the street. And there's been a little baby deer that likes to eat our bushes. He's so cute!<br /><br />It's been a few months now (okay, almost a year) since I wrote about moving and getting a new job. I think it's high time for an update! And for any of you who may have forgotten...<br /><br />I moved to Wyoming!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/S6_P_ZOYO8I/AAAAAAAAAOM/ysJwT_oLSI8/s1600/wyoming_ref_2001.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 227px; height: 177px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/S6_P_ZOYO8I/AAAAAAAAAOM/ysJwT_oLSI8/s200/wyoming_ref_2001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453806361778863042" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ah yes, lovely Wyoming. Some of you may sense some sarcasm in that remark, but let me assure you, it's completely sincere. I love being from and living in Wyoming. For one thing, there are so few of us (around 500,000) that it should be counted as a rare and unique pleasure to meet someone from this vast, though sparsely populated state. Sure, it may be a little windy - okay, more like "what's the point of a hairdo" windy - but that's all part of its charm. I believe it's one of the best-kept secrets of our nation. What a great place to be! Now if only there were more single, attractive, intelligent men...<br /><br />*clearing throat* Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, Wyoming. I moved here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/S6_QlHK5xmI/AAAAAAAAAOU/E8G9jLCY4zY/s1600/WWCClogo.gif"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 53px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/S6_QlHK5xmI/AAAAAAAAAOU/E8G9jLCY4zY/s200/WWCClogo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453807009767474786" border="0" /></a>I'm working at the best, most fulfilling job I've ever had! And, if you recall, I've had a <a href="http://nicnelspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/10/random-things-tag.html">number of jobs</a> to judge from. Let me list and discuss a few of the things I do for my job:<br /><br />1. Teach voice lessons. I am basically the vocal department at Western Wyoming Community College. Currently I have 28 students enrolled through the school. I'm not gonna lie - I was a bit apprehensive at first about teaching voice lessons. I'd done it a bit before, but nothing this intensive. Plus, my background is more in conducting and education than private vocal instruction. But, thank heavens, I love teaching voice! It's the best thing in the world when a student has a breakthrough and makes serious progress because of something I've said. And the days where they all have breakthroughs are a literal high for me!<br /><br />2. Teach choir classes. I have three groups - an SATB choir, a Women's choir, and a Men's <span style="font-style: italic;">a capella</span> group with 7 guys. The <span style="font-style: italic;">a capella</span> group has been around for a number of years, and I was pretty nervous to work with them. Not because I doubted my ability to direct them, but because I wasn't sure what my role was with them. They'd been pretty autonomous before, so I didn't really know what they expected of me. But we've found a good balance and they are so much fun to work with. I love it!!! They're all so talented too, which makes my job so much easier. And they keep me highly entertained, which is a nice bonus feature. As for the other groups, they only started gaining momentum in the last couple of years, and were pretty dinky before that. Fall semester I had 9 people in the SATB choir and that number doubled to 18 in the Spring! They're also incredibly talented and fun to work with. I gotta say, for only 18 people, they sound pretty phenomenal. Watch out <span style="font-style: italic;">GLEE</span>! And the Women's choir is blossoming too. I LOVE directing choirs!!!<br /><br />3. Teach music classes. I teach sections of Aural Theory, Written Theory, and Singing for the Actor. All of them are way fun for me to teach. Sometimes I wonder if I like teaching so much because I'm an attention hog and a social butterfly... It's possible, pig.<br /><br />4. Direct vocal music for theatre productions. This is one of the most fun things associated with my job. I LOVE musical theatre and being involved in it so heavily is super rewarding. I think part of what makes it so great is the high quality of the program here. I can't get enough of how much talent there is in our dinky little school! I feel so privileged to be here, I can't even tell you.<br /><br />That pretty much sums up my job duties. But so much is still left out! My absolute favorite thing about being here is the people. The faculty, community, and students are the BEST! I genuinely care for all my students - they are seriously talented, extraordinarily fun (though some might say "kooky"), and some of the most wonderful people I know! I'm probably a bit biased, but I just love them!!! And I can't say enough about the faculty. I've never known a faculty to be so invested in the lives of the students. They don't just teach these kids, they actually care about them. It's so refreshing to see after becoming a little jaded with the public school system. I'm definitely in the right place.<br /><br />Alright already, enough of the gushing! I get it.<br /><br />I LOVE MY JOB!!! And the fact that it's in Wyoming makes it even better.<br /><br />The only thing lacking (and I may have mentioned this previously) is the lack of social opportunity.<br /><br />But what do you think the summer's for? *nudge, wink*<br /><br />Speaking of summer, if anybody has a great idea for a summer job for me, please let me know. I'm on hunt...<span style="font-size:85%;">in more ways than one...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Whoa...that sounds ominous...</span>Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-18742289709516640832010-03-14T12:02:00.000-07:002010-03-14T12:34:25.329-07:00"You Threw Off My Groove"I've had some friends in the blogosphere complain to me about the lack of news coming from my blog lately. Peru is all fine and well, "but what's happening with you???" I get the hint.<br /><br />Just give me one more little indulgence and I'll get back to my life, okay?<br /><br />Peru Highlight #3 – <st1:place>Cusco</st1:place><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/S504cfVfLoI/AAAAAAAAAN0/io861Yaw-Is/s1600-h/100_1119.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 192px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/S504cfVfLoI/AAAAAAAAAN0/io861Yaw-Is/s320/100_1119.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448573186287283842" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal">I absolutely loved this town! It was so utterly charming - everything you'd expect from an up-and-coming international tourist destination, but with a certain degree of coziness. We toured through cathedrals and museums, ate at local restaurants, visited surrounding countryside complete with ancient Incan ruins, and really felt at home there. Such a gorgeous little town!<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I will admit that part of the likeable-ness of this town comes from it's name - Cusco. I mean, what's the first thing you think of when you hear that?</p><p class="MsoNormal">*Singing* "What's his name? CUSCOOO!"<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Right? Right. Granted, this town had its name long before somebody threw off the emperor's groove, but it's thanks to that movie that we've heard the word before. I'm pretty sure we mentioned that film just about every day we were in Peru. ...Twice...at least...</p><p class="MsoNormal">Seriously though, Cusco was a perfectly charming city in every way. Even in the "scary" parts of town, I never felt too threatened. Here are a couple of things I loved about Cusco:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/S505EZjWMnI/AAAAAAAAAN8/Jhp_qtwXIeo/s1600-h/100_2297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 253px; height: 189px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/S505EZjWMnI/AAAAAAAAAN8/Jhp_qtwXIeo/s320/100_2297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448573871929569906" border="0" /></a>Qorikancha - a huge Spanish cathedral built on top of the main Inca Temple. Cusco was the Incan capital, but when the Spanish came, they tore down almost every building and used the Incan foundations for all their cathedrals, homes, businesses, etc. The Qorikancha still has several walls intact and is a highly impressive building.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Plaza de Armas - I loved walking around and sitting in this main square. It was so gorgeous and filled with people at all times of the day. Ah, the ambiance.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Marquesas Hotel - This hotel was fantastic! The rooms were all so original and well-maintained. The staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating, and the building itself was so historic with its cobblestone courtyards and original architecture. The breakfast was pretty good too!</p><p class="MsoNormal">Pacha Papa - YUM! What else can I say? This is not the first restaurant we ate at in Peru, but it was easily the best and most authentic. We had our first chicha morada here, as well as some incredibly delicious lomo saltado, some fried papas (4 different kinds), some alpaca steaks, and yummy hot green sauce. I couldn't get enough!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/S505YJ7g15I/AAAAAAAAAOE/9Exko8lVlnQ/s1600-h/100_2295.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 201px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/S505YJ7g15I/AAAAAAAAAOE/9Exko8lVlnQ/s320/100_2295.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448574211333347218" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Shopping - You can find anything in Cusco. There is so much to buy! If you can't find it at one store in the right color or fit, just walk to the next booth and you're good to go. I loved browsing the little stores. I probably did a bit too much of that...</p><p class="MsoNormal">So for anyone anticipating a trip to Cusco anytime in the future, whether near or not, be excited...be very excited. I loved every moment I was there!</p><p class="MsoNormal">Hooray for Cusco!<br /></p>Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-9143575023600479682010-01-03T17:48:00.000-08:002010-01-03T21:51:33.180-08:00Big BirdsPeru highlight #2:<br /><br />ANDEAN CONDORS!!!<br /><br />I don't know how many of you are aware, but these giant birds are so awesome! I've wanted to see one ever since I was a kid watching the Hayley Mills classic, "In Search of the Castaways." In this movie, they travel to the Andes mountains in search of their shipwrecked father and have all kinds of adventures. Here's the clip with the condor if any of you are unfamiliar with this Disney action masterpiece. (You only need to see about the first 3 minutes or so, but the rest is great too!)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XPPnGTAftwo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XPPnGTAftwo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XPPnGTAftwo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Is it any wonder I wanted to witness these winged marvels for myself? To see them, we had to travel to the deepest canyon in the world (in actual depth, not elevation) - Colca Canyon. The canyon itself is quite a sight to see. It's gorgeous, with Incan terraces everywhere. At the top, there's a great place to watch the condors, and there were sooooo many people there to do just that. We did this the day after my birthday, and I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do to celebrate.<br /><br />Andean Condors are the largest flying land bird. They have a wingspan of 9 to 10 feet! Yep, they're pretty huge... The young ones are brown, and the adults are black with red heads and a white ring of feathers around their necks. They live to be about 50 years old!<br /><br />Here's a video of the real thing. I give you the Andean Condor!<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxod6PLqIgizH8wnD7jDLL_ZHPLAeouk3SBKVAATsRH4ha4opRb4hQtZ3jKedKucyAFm99bsmOIAlX-Xr5ckw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br />As you can see, they were flying right over our heads! It was so amazing! We watched for about an hour, but I could easily have stayed much longer.<br /><br /><br /></object><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyYD631fkVK9fzx1IF8l9763g_6o1E97iYVRmulxGgbtAA40ZEw-Lrvck51FgtC2dxOx9FhpurxI-H8FSlzcw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />One childhood dream...check!Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-51854364400128086512009-12-06T15:28:00.000-08:002009-12-08T23:04:31.647-08:00I am a Champion!Ah, Peru. Land of llamas, mountains, condors, Incas, and coldness. What can I say about you?<br /><br />Well...a lot, actually.<br /><br />Probably too much. It's been a few months since Nathaniel and I got back from Peru, so I've had sufficient time to condense the experience into something bloggable...barely. We'll hit only the highlights here, and goodness knows there are enough of those! Pictures are worth a thousand words, so I'll let them do most of the talking.<br /><br />So, without further ado, here is the first of the Peru 2009 highlights...<br /><br />Highlight #1 - Lares Trail: 3-day Trek through the Andes to Machu Picchu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SxxTPm0OOgI/AAAAAAAAANM/SM9ei6PnvI0/s1600-h/DSC01112.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 177px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SxxTPm0OOgI/AAAAAAAAANM/SM9ei6PnvI0/s320/DSC01112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412292379775220226" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If I could have chosen one thing to last longer on our trip, it would have been this. You can visit cities all you want, but there's something special about getting out away from the tourist-trodden path. It's like you learn what makes up the heart of the country. And the heart of Peru is indescribably breathtaking/amazing/glorious/majestic/resilient/magnificent/stunning/wonderful.<br /><br />Allow me to describe what this trek was like. 'Trek' is an appropriate word for this adventure. It doesn't do it justice to call it merely a 'hike.' My friend Tanya and I prepped months in advance for this by hiking all around the Vegas valley every Monday. I was SO grateful we did that, because I think (or, rather, know) it really helped a lot.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SxxlC1ny-CI/AAAAAAAAANU/g0XaGAJ4ILY/s1600-h/DSC01126.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 172px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SxxlC1ny-CI/AAAAAAAAANU/g0XaGAJ4ILY/s320/DSC01126.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412311951620634658" border="0" /></a>We had the most awesome tour guide in the entire universe! His name was Isaac and he was a huge part of what made this so enjoyable. He called us "champions" the entire time and was super supportive, and hilarious to boot! This is him in the yellow shirt. Half of our group's jokes from this trip were inspired by Isaac's awesomeness. He was the best!<br /><br />We had originally planned on doing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. That's the really famous one that everyone and their dog goes on (and there were definitely a lot of dogs...everywhere in Peru). I read up on it online and everyone talked about how challenging it is and how you have to train months in advance to do the Inca Trail. Well, the permits for that trail were sold out by the time we decided to do a trek, so we signed up for the Lares Trek. We were eating lunch on the first day, and discovered that the Lares Trek is actually MORE difficult than the Inca Trail. Surprise! Yeah, thanks for that one Isaac... Apparently, the Inca Trail goes over only <span style="font-style: italic;">one </span>mountain pass, and on the Lares Trail, we <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/Sxxlge6RHFI/AAAAAAAAANc/bzJDeuH9y8Y/s1600-h/100_1183.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 197px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/Sxxlge6RHFI/AAAAAAAAANc/bzJDeuH9y8Y/s320/100_1183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412312460920167506" border="0" /></a>conquered <span style="font-style: italic;">three</span>! And all of them were well over 14,000 feet! Just to put it in perspective, the Grand Teton's peak is at just over 13,000 feet. And these were the passes! The peaks in the Andes were much higher than that. Talk about majestic...The Lares Trail also passes through some Incan villages. Here the people still farm, herd llamas and alpacas, and live in stone huts. It was absolutely eye-opening. These people have so little and are humble and meek, yet know how to take care of what they do have. What a valuable lesson for we who have possibly too much.<br /><br />A few other things about the Lares Trail:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SxxmDuSQ4dI/AAAAAAAAANk/u2Y0PTbreeA/s1600-h/DSC01138.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 168px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SxxmDuSQ4dI/AAAAAAAAANk/u2Y0PTbreeA/s320/DSC01138.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412313066342769106" border="0" /></a>- The food was INCREDIBLE!!! We had a few chefs that went with us and cooked gourmet meals on the trail. I don't know if it was because we were burning calories like crazy, but I don't think food has tasted so delicious to me as it did those few days. I'm salivating now just thinking about it...<br /><br />- I also don't think I have ever been colder in my life than nights spent on the Lares Trek. August in South America is the end of the dry season (which is just a nice way of saying 'winter'). It. Was. Cold. Understatement of the year. I thought I would be fine the first night. I put on layers and bundled up in my mummy bag...and froze...literally. (Okay, maybe not literally. I just wanted you to feel the coldness.) Good thing I was also exhausted. I managed to get a little sleep. I learned my lesson though. The next night I had on my long johns, sweats, three pairs of socks, t-shirt, long-sleeved t-shirt, windbreaker, polar fleece, alpaca wool sweater, scarf, hat, and mittens. Yeah, that was enough...barely...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SxxnSdu_F6I/AAAAAAAAANs/bwCG7A312rQ/s1600-h/100_1194.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 180px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SxxnSdu_F6I/AAAAAAAAANs/bwCG7A312rQ/s320/100_1194.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412314419109500834" border="0" /></a><br /><br />- I love the Andes. They are some of the most... (again, words fail me) ...mountains I've ever seen. It had been a dream of mine to visit the Andes ever since I was a kid watching "In Search of the Castaways" with Hayley Mills. Plus, I love Andes mints. Now that I've been there, I pray someday that I can go back and spend more time in them. It was a journey I'll never forget.<br /><br />(Cheesy, I know, but whatcha gonna do?)Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-67340054776107305052009-08-18T22:37:00.000-07:002009-08-18T22:44:06.600-07:00Before you ask...Yes...I do know how long it's been since I've posted something. My reasons are as follows:<br /><br />- moved from Vegas<br />- 2 weeks in Peru<br />- weekend in the Tetons<br />- painting rooms in house<br />- prepping for new job<br />- unpacking from the move<br /><br />I believe these reasons provide ample justification for my scanty (okay, nonexistent) blogging.<br /><br />This post is just to inform anyone out there that I am still alive and well. I'll be posting a few Peru blogs complete with photos, stories, and much more (maybe) soon. As soon as I get my computer back up and running...<br /><br />Thank you. That is all.Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-87920667275772771462009-06-26T14:46:00.000-07:002009-06-26T15:06:50.991-07:00I Need a TopicWow - I can't believe it's been almost a whole month since I've written anything. It doesn't seem like I've done anything lately that's worth writing about in my blog for the whole world to see. I just can't think of anything that's blog-worthy.<br /><br />For example, should I write about the few days I spent at home organizing and cleaning in preparation for the big move? Camille and I made a two-day marathon out of the whole thing, and man, we have a lot of stuff.<br /><br />Or should I write about the trip to Lake Powell with friends? Do people even care that I tried water-skiing for the first time and never quite made it? Or what about camping on the beach and the insane wind storms we got to experience? Of course, it was way fun and might make for a good blog, but who can say?<br /><br />Maybe I should write about helping out with the play this year, "The Wizard of Oz." Kate and I are manning the spotlights for it and having a good time cracking jokes over the headset. Plus we get to see good friends every night! Is that even interesting?<br /><br />How about this little tidbit? I finished the Yellowstone video after months of grueling labor. Our preview party was great and everyone really loved it! I was so happy with the final result, but do any of my blog readers really care?<br /><br />Perhaps some people may be interested in how I spend my days, now that I'm living the life of the unemployed... I have to make to-do lists every morning just so I can actually get things done. It's amazing how time really flies when you don't have a job to go to every morning. I just don't know if that stuff is blog-able!<br /><br />Would it be interesting to read about how I'm preparing for my Peru trip? About how I've been hiking every Monday with Tanya to train for the Lares Trail? About how I've been exercising every day on top of that, but still haven't lost any weight!?! About how I spent a fortune at REI just to get everything I need to go down there and spend more money?<br /><br />Should I write about how I'm already starting to feel phased out? How, with about a month left to go in Las Vegas, I feel like the time is just slipping away until The Big Move? How people around me (and me too, actually) are already moving on with their lives and starting to break ties? How that makes me a little sad?<br /><br />Nah... <br /><br />I just can't think of anything to write about. Hopefully I'll get over this writer's block soon, but I make no promises...Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-9326361763781069892009-05-14T13:07:00.000-07:002009-05-14T15:05:20.082-07:00The End of An Era<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgyQzprphPI/AAAAAAAAAL0/jfdsrVq70Ag/s1600-h/Reflection+Bay+9_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgyQzprphPI/AAAAAAAAAL0/jfdsrVq70Ag/s320/Reflection+Bay+9_small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335798875563853042" border="0" /></a>That is, if you call 3.75 years an 'era.'<br /><br />It has seemed a bit like one to me, however, since I started working for a wonderful little company called Las Vegas Golf Adventures. I thought this, being my penultimate day working here, would be the perfect time to document what I've learned since that September day oh so long ago.<br /><br />So here it is - my list of Lessons Learned at Golf Adventures!<br />(I'm incorporating some of my favorite photos of golf courses that we book. Enjoy!)<br /><br />1. Golf is expensive. Seriously. If you want to golf at a really nice course in Vegas, be prepared to pay anywhere from $150 to $550 for 18 holes. No, I'm not kidding. Yes, people actually do pay that much. No, I don't remember their credit card numbers.<br /><br />2. Golf is confusing. There are rules upon rules for this game. Of course, working in an office didn't teach me much about these rules. I only went golfing once the whole time I worked here, and I'm pretty sure that rules didn't come into play too often that day. Writing articles about golf courses did teach me some of the 'golf lexicon' however. I now know the golf-related meanings to words like bunker, mulligan, tee box, marker, pin, fairway, green, rough, overseed, aerify, 'at the turn,' and many many more...that I will never use again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgyQ-u7FPuI/AAAAAAAAAL8/VFF-anYA0gU/s1600-h/Thundering+Waters2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 211px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgyQ-u7FPuI/AAAAAAAAAL8/VFF-anYA0gU/s320/Thundering+Waters2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335799065949322978" border="0" /></a>3. How to use the number pad. You know it - those extra keys on the right side of your keyboard. I never used that before working here, and it took some doing, but now my fingers just slide over those little numbers. New skill learned...check.<br /><br />4. How credit cards work. I realize that this is probably common knowledge to most educated people, but did you know that credit card companies make their money by applying a fee to companies that charge them? That's why some places only take certain types of credit cards - because for every time they swipe it, they're charged a percentage of the total. American Express is the highest percentage and Visa/Mastercard is the lowest. Also, Visas always start with the number 4, Mastercards are 5, Amex is 3, and Discover is 6. Never knew that before...<br /><br />5. Internet Marketing is extremely complex. It involves all kinds of strategies, partnerships, methods, and lots and lots of money. And I don't know anything about it. Still.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgyRXkAYuhI/AAAAAAAAAME/kwrX7XLdpOI/s1600-h/cabonick2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 277px; height: 206px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgyRXkAYuhI/AAAAAAAAAME/kwrX7XLdpOI/s320/cabonick2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335799492515510802" border="0" /></a>6. Business travel is not as fun as it sounds.<br /><br />7. If you're not actually busy, just try looking busy. That's good enough.<br /><br />8. Sometimes it's really hard to look busy...<br /><br />9. The internet is a veritable cornucopia of amazing and time-consuming (some might say 'time-wasting') things.<br /><br />10. You can Google anything.<br /><br />11. List-making is addictive. I don't think I'll ever be able to kick the habit. I've made more lists, made more schedules, planned more trips, and researched more things on this computer than I ever have on my home one. Times ten.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgyRsRB2sFI/AAAAAAAAAMM/HOruWd75fWk/s1600-h/I-SunRidge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 159px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgyRsRB2sFI/AAAAAAAAAMM/HOruWd75fWk/s320/I-SunRidge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335799848198647890" border="0" /></a>12. Men like cold.<br /><br />13. Always take a jacket with you to work. Even if it's pushing 110 outside.<br /><br />14. Even though golf is boring to watch, it's fun to play. Golf courses are really beautiful! They're quiet, serene, and highly manicured - at least, the expensive ones are... I enjoy being out on the golf course, even if I'm not playing (or maybe especially if I'm not playing).<br /><br />15. There is such a thing as macro-management. This, of course, is the opposite of micro-management. It occurs when you are given free reign to do pretty much whatever you want, and as long as the necessary work gets done, you're good to go. I totally lucked out with this job.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgyUCXyDjbI/AAAAAAAAAMc/VBJHwDJq3Wk/s1600-h/I-Sedona.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 164px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgyUCXyDjbI/AAAAAAAAAMc/VBJHwDJq3Wk/s320/I-Sedona.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335802426991807922" border="0" /></a>And, though there's oodles more, I think I'll leave it at that. Anytime I would describe my job to friends, family, or anyone, they always said the same thing: You totally lucked out with that job. And I'd have to say that I'm inclined to agree. I've never worked in a more relaxed environment with cooler bosses than here. I don't think they read my blog (or know that I have one), but just in case...<br /><br />Jeff, Scott, Alex, JR - thanks guys for providing me with a great job, a great environment, and great opportunities for growth! I wish you all the best!<br /><br />Alright...who wants to golf?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgySSAun9VI/AAAAAAAAAMU/6iQ8Wyxpw58/s1600-h/Rhodes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 303px; height: 277px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgySSAun9VI/AAAAAAAAAMU/6iQ8Wyxpw58/s320/Rhodes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335800496658052434" border="0" /></a><br />In case anyone is interested, the photos are as follows:<br />- Reflection Bay in Lake Las Vegas, NV<br />- Thundering Waters in Niagara Falls, Canada<br />- Cabo Del Sol Ocean Course in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico<br />- Sunridge Canyon in Scottsdale, Arizona<br />- Sedona Golf Club in Sedona, Arizona<br />- Rhodes Ranch in Las Vegas, NVNicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-16346648577488237472009-05-06T12:24:00.000-07:002009-05-06T13:43:34.378-07:00Happy Birthday to ME!!!I know the big day's not until August, but I have to do a little early celebrating.<br /><br />You see, this year I will turn the big 3-0. I know what you're thinking, and I agree - I <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> look way younger than that. I could probably pass for 26 or something. In fact, my <a href="http://www.realage.com/homepage.aspx">RealAge</a> test says I'm only 24!<br /><br />So, if anybody asks, I give you permission to fudge the numbers a little.<br /><br />Anywho, I decided long ago that I needed to do something incredible for this momentous occasion. I've been tossing around a few ideas: skydiving, parasailing, scuba diving, etc. But as we all know, my true passion is for travel, so...<br /><br />I'M GOING TO PERU!!!<br /><br />I BOOKED MY FLIGHT TODAY!!!<br /><br />Yep, that's right! Land of the llamas, here I come! But wait! That's not all...<br /><br />I'm going to hike the 3-day Lares Trail to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machu_picchu">Machu Picchu</a>!* I'll also visit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cusco">Cusco</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_valley">Sacred Valley</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ollantaytambo">Ollantaytambo</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_titicaca">Lake Titicaca</a> with the floating reed islands, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arequipa">Arequipa</a>, Lima, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colca_Canyon">Colca Canyon</a>, to name a few.<br /><br />I am ecstatic!<br /><br />Don't worry, of course I'm not going alone. I've got a few friends/family coming with me. But there's still lots of room for any additions! So...<br /><br />Who wants to come???<br /><br />I'm taking applications now. Here are a few pictures to entice you:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgHyYiFXaiI/AAAAAAAAALA/yf_dxSPNTOA/s1600-h/lperumachu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 203px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgHyYiFXaiI/AAAAAAAAALA/yf_dxSPNTOA/s320/lperumachu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332809937063471650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgHyZDoNzKI/AAAAAAAAALg/rMRbqrh7SFk/s1600-h/lperucolca.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgHyZDoNzKI/AAAAAAAAALg/rMRbqrh7SFk/s320/lperucolca.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332809946068012194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgHyY1MWtVI/AAAAAAAAALY/A673vcQFU_M/s1600-h/lperuollan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 128px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgHyY1MWtVI/AAAAAAAAALY/A673vcQFU_M/s320/lperuollan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332809942193059154" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgHyY01-cPI/AAAAAAAAALQ/X7vb7UN7UA0/s1600-h/LakeT.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 121px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgHyY01-cPI/AAAAAAAAALQ/X7vb7UN7UA0/s320/LakeT.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332809942099194098" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgHyYhMgwTI/AAAAAAAAALI/NYr-vfqhDw8/s1600-h/lperuarequipa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SgHyYhMgwTI/AAAAAAAAALI/NYr-vfqhDw8/s320/lperuarequipa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332809936825008434" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*Lest you think this trail actually goes to Machu Picchu, let me set you straight. They say it goes there, but that's because you catch a train there at the end of the hike. The only trail that goes directly to Machu Picchu is the Inca Trail, and all the permits are gone for that one. Oh well, we'll still get to hike around in the Andes mountains! And see wild llamas!!!</span>Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-37026387460392872442009-05-01T15:41:00.000-07:002009-05-01T15:59:05.830-07:00Senioritis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/Sft-hVVvH_I/AAAAAAAAAK4/ceLyGL0QRDc/s1600-h/senioritis.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/Sft-hVVvH_I/AAAAAAAAAK4/ceLyGL0QRDc/s200/senioritis.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330993695052210162" border="0" /></a><br />I haven't had this feeling for years. You remember it, don"t you? The queasy feeling of impatient anticipation preceding every summer vacation since you were old enough for school? Remember how that feeling intensified every year until you hit the big one - 12th grade? Those last few weeks of school were a joke. The only things I remember about the very end of my Senior year in High School were the pranks, skipping class a lot (because we weren't doing anything anyway), and graduation. And how those last two weeks dragged on and on and on and on...<br /><br />I'm in full-reminiscence mode now. Monday starts my official last two weeks at my current job, and then...SUMMER BREAK BABY!!! It's been a long four years since my last summer break, and I plan to make up for all that lost time. I have trips planned to Lake Powell, San Francisco, and Peru! I have projects galore! I have so much playing, sleeping in, and socializing to do, I'm not sure I can fit it all into one summer!<br /><br />Of course, what this means is that I'm absolutely worthless at work. And hardly motivated. Not intentionally, of course, but my mind keeps wandering to afternoons by the pool, evenings spent with friends, souvenirs in Chinatown, and the llamas of Machu Picchu.<br /><br />I've definitely got a bad case of Senioritis, and I don't think there's a remedy. I just need to pull through these last two weeks...Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-88662501206531513362009-04-21T14:47:00.000-07:002009-04-21T15:35:32.978-07:00When it rains...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/Se5J7nJYxHI/AAAAAAAAAKw/QHc5E3-rxXc/s1600-h/silver-lining2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 169px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/Se5J7nJYxHI/AAAAAAAAAKw/QHc5E3-rxXc/s200/silver-lining2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327276697695339634" border="0" /></a><br />...it definitely pours. But - to complete the idiom with another idiom - in every cloud there is a silver lining. Boy, if I haven't learned this lately.<br /><br />Okay, so my favorite saying over the last 3 weeks is that my life is like a country song: I was sick, my dog died, and I lost my job. All I need now is a pickup truck so it can break down and a boyfriend so he can dump me! (I find that facing things with humor really eases the tension, baby.)<br /><br />All of this obviously needs a little explanation, so let me see if I can do a quick recap for you...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">March 12-15</span>: Went to Seattle for business trip. Family came too. Played with family on down time. Stood in a booth at a golf show for three days. Ate Nando's chicken. Went on Underground Tour. Went to ballet. Played Settlers of Cattan in SEA-TAC Airport. Lost.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">March 18-22</span>: Went to Disneyland for 3 days with family. Loved every minute of it. Sat in the front on Splash Mountain. Got soaked. Ate a corn dog, Dole Whip, 3 churros, and Blue Bayou. Won 3 beavers. Used single rider pass again and again and again and again... Hated to leave.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">March 23</span>: Had inexplicable hives on arms. Itchy arms all week.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">March 26-31</span>: Hives spread to entire body. Had to take cold baking soda bath. Completely miserable and whiny. Just ask the roommates.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">March 31</span>: Sugar, beloved family dog, dies. Almost 14 years old. Had a ruptured disc. Couldn't walk. Had to be put down. We love and miss her.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April 1-3</span>: Hives under control. On constant Benadryl. Sudden unexplained dizziness, nausea, and fatigue on Thursday afternoon. Stayed home Friday. Sent in job application for Western Wyoming Community College - Vocal music position. Wondered if I really wanted that job. Slept.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April 4-5</span>: Most needed and timely General Conference ever.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April 6</span>: Laid off from job due to downsizing (in a company of 5 people). Still working through May 15th - one silver lining. Pondered the irony of already having applied for another job. Silver lining number two. Called everybody and reveled in the shock of it all.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April 9</span>: Set up appointment for interview at WWCC. Only 5 days away. Couldn't help thinking how quickly everything was happening.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April 11-16</span>: Great time at home with sister and parents sewing, watching movies, playing Yahtzee. Love being at home. Hives finally disappear...for now.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April 14</span>: Interview day. Goes well. Feel a good vibe. Wonder if I can actually move back home...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April 17</span>: Get the call. Got the job. Felt so good about it. Accepted it. Continue to feel shocked - and completely blessed.<br /><br />I think that's it in a nutshell! A very very small nutshell. My life has significantly changed in the course of two small weeks. Yes, it can happen to anyone. I am here to testify.<br /><br />But with all this radical change has also come the best feeling of peace and acceptance, and I know that's not coming from me. It feels like it should be a trial, and yet, isn't one. This is what Heavenly guidance looks and feels like, and no doubt about it. And I couldn't be more grateful.<br /><br />Thanks to everyone who has been there to support me through these last few rough weeks! I love you all!<br /><br />And thanks in advance to everyone who's going to help me make the most of my last few months here in Vegas before moving to windy, wintery, lovely Wyoming. It's party time people!!!Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-48318277924363782132009-04-08T15:24:00.000-07:002009-04-09T11:56:30.266-07:00I'm in the army now!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/Sd0rAgxxPTI/AAAAAAAAAKI/0YHtmdBr-PM/s1600-h/Robert_Jordans_Wheel_of_Time-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 186px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/Sd0rAgxxPTI/AAAAAAAAAKI/0YHtmdBr-PM/s200/Robert_Jordans_Wheel_of_Time-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322457622420471090" border="0" /></a><br />Hello!!! Time for me to recover from my long absence with a quick blog...<br /><br />So, I don't know if anyone knows this, but I absolutely love reading! (Duh!) And easily my favorite genre is fantasy...with a little sci-fi thrown in to make things interesting. We're talking LOTR, Dune, Shannara, Ender, and many, many more.<br /><br />But perhaps one of my favorite series is "The Wheel of Time" by Robert Jordan. I love the world, the characters, the conflicts...basically everything about this series. Yes, some of these 11 books tend to drag on (5-10 anybody?), but it's all part of a cohesive and extremely complicated story.<br /><br />My admiration for everything WoT-related was jolted back in 2007 when I read that the Creator (heh, heh) of this series, Robert Jordan himself, had passed away while working on the final book. Fans the world over mourned for the man, but also for the death of an incomplete series until, thankfully, a new writer was commissioned to write the concluding book (which will now be <a href="http://www.dragonmount.com/News/?p=483">3 books</a>). His name is Brandon Sanderson and he's gallantly stepped into Mr. Jordan's shoes and is doing his utmost to stay true to the world of the story, for which I commend him highly.<br /><br />Anyway, he's created some cool opportunities for fans of the series, which I have gladly taken part in! As in all good fantasy, there's a great conflict between good and evil in this series which has led to many an exciting battle scene. In order to do battle scenes, you need armies, and Mr. Sanderson (or should I say "Bro. Sanderson" - yes, he's Mormon too!) has come up with an interesting way of creating one of these armies for the last book. He's gone through a charity called Heifer International, which nobly helps fight hunger across the world, to organize fans to donate. Whoever <a href="http://www.brandonsanderson.com/blog/775/Last-Week-for-the-WoT-Fundraiser">donates</a> to this general fund joins the army that will be featured in the final book! He says it's not going to be obvious to the readers who this army is (there will be a lot of them in the Last Battle) unless you're looking for it, but by donating, you're effectively going to be immortalized in print - in fantasy!<br /><br />So naturally, I signed myself up! That's right, I'm going to be fighting the Dark One in Tarmon Gai'don!<br /><br />I bet you all wish you were as cool as me.Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-30822595054167495522009-02-26T12:01:00.000-08:002009-02-26T12:20:53.294-08:00You're So Vain...A few weeks ago, I decided to take the plunge and become an official Nevada resident. I've lived here for about 4 years, but up until now I've been relying on my good old Florida driver's license to get by. It's been good to me, but it's days of CDL glory are long past. <br /><br />So, on Valentine's Day I got up and ready and to the DMV just as it opened. The whole process took only 20 minutes and I was thrilled! Plus, I made sure to look extra cute that morning for the photo.<br /><br />I have a long and distinguished history of always looking great for my driver's license photos. From Wyoming to Utah to Florida, I've somehow managed to get a nice picture that I gladly display upon any request for photo ID. That is, until now...<br /><br />I just got my Nevada license a couple of days ago and it. is. awful. I look partially-stoned, chipmunk-cheeked, lazy-eyed, and over-rouged. Ugh! It's embarrassing... really...<br /><br />But that's not even the worst part! I've always been told that I'm pretty photogenic, so I was expecting something that followed along the usual trend. But when I opened that envelope and took my first gander, I was instantly depressed. The same feeling comes back every time I glance at it to see if it really is that bad (and yes, it is). I was in a bad mood from that moment on, and, I admit, rather shocked about the effect it had on me. <br /><br />Come on now. Am I really THAT vain that I'm depressed by one bad photo on a driver's license (which are characteristically known for displaying bad photos in the first place)??? Up until this week, I would have said no way. <br /><br />But I guess now I know better. Talk about a reality check!<br /><br />Anyone else have bad photos? Or vanity issues? Maybe we can commiserate.Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-19161181169427777962009-02-18T12:21:00.000-08:002009-02-18T12:50:33.091-08:00January Adventures - Part III<span style="font-style: italic;">January Adventures Part III brings us to the end of a very eventful month. In this final installment, Nicole plays host to her sister Camille in a whirlwind weekend of fun in Las Vegas. The girls' activities include going to the Temple, movies, and shopping up a storm! It all ends with a slam-bang finish with a birthday celebration and country dancing. The adventures continue!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SZxzg-bocbI/AAAAAAAAAJg/AuVUxnIzJHw/s1600-h/Amber%27s+B-day2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 205px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SZxzg-bocbI/AAAAAAAAAJg/AuVUxnIzJHw/s320/Amber%27s+B-day2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304241471487504818" border="0" /></a>So, this might not qualify as an adventure in the true sense of the word, but Camille and I are two fun chickies and love getting together. Every time we do, the fun abounds! Plus we're stinkin' cute. I mean, just look at this photo. Don't we simply scream fun? Yeah, that's what I thought...<br /><br />Anyway, not much to elaborate on here. We went to the movie "Inkheart" and enjoyed it. We also went to the Temple, and shopping for something very exciting which I can't write about until next January. No...it's not marriage-related, so don't ask! If you really want to know I'll tell you, but you have to ask me. I also accept bribes...<br /><br />No, the real adventure was celebrating Amber's birthday. We always try to do fun things for birthdays (Amber and Kate took me to see the "Tournament of Kings" dinner show at the Excalibur!) and all Amber really wanted was to go to Stoney's for country dancing with all her friends. We had a nice dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe in the Palazzo first and then danced the night away at Stoney's. What a blast!!!<br /><br />Possibly the best part of the night was that I got to wear my cowboy boots! They're hand-me-downs from my mom because they're a bit too small for her now, but I love them. Vintage 70's baby! Good stuff!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SZxzhtx21CI/AAAAAAAAAJo/i2qtYTkre88/s1600-h/Volleyball+cake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 215px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SZxzhtx21CI/AAAAAAAAAJo/i2qtYTkre88/s320/Volleyball+cake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304241484197188642" border="0" /></a>Another little highlight was the awesome volleyball cake I made Amber for her birthday. It turned out great! Amber's reaction was the best! She was talking on the phone and just started laughing as soon as she saw it - wish I would've taken a picture. Oh well... These will have to do.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SZxz6HAFA6I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/1KMElpQVZ7w/s1600-h/Volleyball+cake2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 191px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SZxz6HAFA6I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/1KMElpQVZ7w/s320/Volleyball+cake2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304241903284585378" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The Birthday Girl!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SZxz6JiAa_I/AAAAAAAAAKA/WxRbBmcsLA0/s1600-h/Volleyball+cake3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SZxz6JiAa_I/AAAAAAAAAKA/WxRbBmcsLA0/s320/Volleyball+cake3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304241903963761650" border="0" /></a>Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-26694290442532189632009-01-29T16:26:00.001-08:002009-01-29T16:34:32.576-08:00January Adventures - Part II<span style="font-style: italic;">Next on Part II of January Adventures, join Nicole, Amber, Jason, Ryan, Tanya, and Amy as they traverse the wilds of the Nevada desert searching for the ever-elusive natural hot springs...in the dark! Will they find success, or will they spend an eternity wandering off trails, climbing solid rock walls, and discovering the innate ability of sand to enter their seemingly well-made sneakers?</span><br /><br />That's right, folks. Rocks and sand in shoes. Never a good idea. And there for a little while, we wondered if this hike was a good idea. None of us had ever been to these hot springs just south of the Hoover Dam, and we didn't get started on the trail until 8:30pm. But no one can ever call us wimps, because we did it and lived to tell the tale! Granted, we didn't get back to the car until almost 2am, but that's beside the point... Look at us in this "before" photo. We look so hopeful and innocent. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SYJJYjv40hI/AAAAAAAAAJY/DzmrRUNWWLM/s1600-h/hot+springs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 165px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SYJJYjv40hI/AAAAAAAAAJY/DzmrRUNWWLM/s320/hot+springs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296876798002909714" border="0" /></a><br />After hiking for about 45 minutes, we came to a large body of water (which was not the hot springs...or Lake Mead, for that matter) and decided we'd better find the correct trail. So Amber and Ryan promptly started to climb <span style="font-style: italic;">over</span> a mountain. What choice had we but to follow? After careening down the other side of the mountain over the piles of loose gravel, we found some people sleeping in tents who kindly gave us the correct directions, and finally (after getting lost yet again) we came to the hot springs. Boy, that was a pleasant sight! And soak! They were really cool (I mean, hot...) - right in the middle of a narrow wash. We lit some candles and relaxed for a bit.<br /><br />When it was time to head out, we climbed over some rocks and followed the trail back to our car...kind of. We lost the trail a few times and were just seeming to be on the right path, when suddenly a huge wall of rock loomed before us. Using our newly-regenerated muscles, we scrambled up and started moving along again, when what should appear? An even larger, more-impenetrable wall of rock. Ryan was the only one to attempt this obstacle - the rest of our group had to go back and find another way. What was the other way, you might ask? To climb up a <span style="font-style: italic;">different</span> wall of rock, of course. Needless to say, by now we realized that there was no possible way that this was the actual trail. At that point we just gave up altogether and wandered in what we knew was the right direction. Thank you, o North Star!<br /><br />Perhaps the most hilarious moment in this escapade came when we finally reached the highway and our car was nowhere to be seen. I can just imagine it in my head like a movie: we reach the highway and six heads look up the hill to the right, then back down the hill to the left, then at each other with perplexed expressions. "Which way is it," we're all wondering. Amber courageously volunteered to jog down the hill to the closest mile marker, and I can only imagine what the passing cars were thinking at the mysterious appearance of this random Navajo girl jogging down the highway at 1:30 in the morning. Much to our joy, we weren't far from our car - just another 100 yards down the hill.<br /><br />Even with all of my (slight) exaggerations, the hike was definitely a blast! This adventure was a great way to open 2009, but hopefully it's not a portent for things to come or I'm going to need some serious flashlights this year. And maybe a compass...Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-16586490140413716292009-01-29T15:01:00.000-08:002009-01-29T16:26:03.210-08:00January Adventures - Part II know what you're thinking... "You had adventures in January? But the New Year has just begun!" Or maybe it's more like... "Finally! It's taken you long enough to get around to posting. What's wrong with you? You have all this free time now, the least you could do is maintain a blog!"<br /><br />Okay, so maybe that's just me talking. In any case, here I am, ready to regale you with tales of excitement and adventure in this cold first month of 2009! Get ready to laugh, sigh, and yes, even cry as together we peruse this narrative of bold adventure, thrilling suspense, and daring deeds!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Our first tale takes us to the snowy climes of Brian Head Resort, where Nicole and 15 of her closest friends while away the short, cold days with hours of doing absolutely nothing. And eating.</span><br /><br />We stayed in my boss' cabin next to the ski resort and had an amazingly good time. This was the 2nd annual Brian Head trip and this year we decided to try something new - tubing! Last year we had a few slightly successful runs down a hill we found at random. That was interesting and extremely tiring because the snow was easily hip-deep. This year there wasn't quite as much snow, but we opted for the resort's tubing hill. It was really great! I always ended up going way faster than I wanted and actually ran into the barrier at the bottom a few times, which you're really not supposed to do. I'm such a rebel, I know. Probably the greatest thing about it was the tow rope that pulled you straight to the top. No work, just play - it was a fantastic weekend!<br /><br />While we were there, we also spent some quality time playing games. We played golf (with cards), scum, Harry Potter Clue, LOTR Trivial Pursuit, Whoonu, scum, Office DVD Trivia, Singstar, and even started a 1500-piece puzzle! But we didn't finish it...oh well. Camille and I also taught a few select individuals (i.e. the people who were interested) how to play 4-handed pinochle. It was great and they caught on pretty quickly. It's a difficult game but they made Camille and I proud!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SYJHdvsgQgI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/VgRvSphBHRc/s1600-h/cabin3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SYJHdvsgQgI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/VgRvSphBHRc/s320/cabin3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296874688086032898" border="0" /></a><br />All in all, the weekend was a great way to prolong the holidays and have some good bonding time. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SYJHdbcEQyI/AAAAAAAAAJA/ygsCR1mVe80/s1600-h/cabin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SYJHdbcEQyI/AAAAAAAAAJA/ygsCR1mVe80/s320/cabin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296874682648380194" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Here are the girls...and Adam.<br /></div>Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-46394193357312492982009-01-14T10:33:00.000-08:002009-01-14T11:07:56.071-08:00Hello 2009!Well, now that it's been over a month since the last post, I guess I'll revive my blogging hobby. A few updates are in order...<br /><br />I spent a wonderful week-long Christmas holiday in good ol' Green River, Wyoming. There really is no other place I would rather be for the holidays than home with my family. We had such a great time - as always! It was incredibly relaxing (perhaps a bit too much) and I think I left the house a total of 3 times the entire week: once for church, once to look at the luminaries on Christmas Eve, and once to go to Taco Time (which exists only in two locations very far from me in Las Vegas). My activities consisted of these:<br /><br />- watching movies<br />- eating Christmas goodies<br />- playing Rock Band 2<br />- watching my brother play a crazy Japanese game on his PS 2<br />- crocheting<br />- eating Christmas goodies<br />- playing games including Yahtzee, pinochle, The Farming Game, ratscrew, Disney Scene-It, golf (with cards), and Whoonu.<br />- reading a book<br />- eating Christmas goodies<br />- playing (sort of) the guitar<br />- a short (too short) spurt of Mario Cart on the 64<br />- eating home-cooked meals<br /><br />So, as you can see, it was a very relaxing, sugar-filled holiday. Which brings me to my next subject - New Year's Resolutions! No, really, I probably gained 5 pounds in that one week. Oh well, it was worth every sugary, chocolatey, ice creamy bite!<br /><br />In all seriousness though, I am making a few small changes that I think will help with the extra insulation I gained this winter. I've started planning my meals every week and it's actually been a cool experience. I make sure to plan things in there that I actually eat, like cold cereal... :) It's cool to know exactly what to shop for and have a plan set up. I'm such a plan-oriented person that I'm surprised it's taken me this long to get going on the meal-planning thing, but better late than never, I guess.<br /><br />Another cool thing I've discovered is <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/">SparkPeople.com</a>. It's a free site designed to help you change bad habits to good ones. My favorite tools on it are the Nutrition Tracker and the Fitness Tracker. Plus there's tons of good articles, blogs, forums, and other materials to keep you motivated. It will even design a menu and fitness plan for you based on whatever information you enter. It's an all-in-one health plan! (Wow, this is pretty good - I really should be in Marketing or something... Oh wait... I am... <span style="font-size:78%;">yay golf...</span>)<br /><br />I've also started getting lots more sleep and resumed my morning walk/jog. It's amazing how much better I feel when I exercise! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants more energy, not to mention stronger muscles and added flexibility. Even in one week I've seen improvements! I'll be doing the splits before you know it! Watch out Kerri Struggs!<br /><br />Of course, the true test of making resolutions is in the keeping of them. I have the best of intentions, as do we all, and then Easter comes around... Those little Cadbury Mini-Eggs get the best of me every year - not to mention those delectable Peeps! But I say "bring it on!" Me and my action plan will be waiting.Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-56453617380485163052008-12-12T14:12:00.001-08:002008-12-12T14:28:06.264-08:00Performances...I've had a few requests for concert dates and times, so here they are:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">North Stake Center Choir and Orchestra Christmas Concert</span><br />Saturday, Dec. 13th and Sunday, Dec. 14th<br />7:00pm<br />North Las Vegas Stake Center at Azure and Goldfield (Centennial and Commerce)<br /><br />This concert is going to be so awesome! The orchestra just keeps getting better and better every time they play, and this is no exception. We even have a bell choir! I'm singing a big solo too... the 4 Recitatives for Soprano from Handel's <span style="font-style: italic;">Messiah</span>. This is my first solo with an orchestra and I'm way excited for it! We've been working so hard on this music (since before Halloween, as previously mentioned) and it's going to be a really great way to kick off the holiday season.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Forgotten Carols starring Michael McLean</span><br />Monday, Dec. 15th<br />7:30pm (?)<br />Cashman Center in North Las Vegas<br /><br />I directed the choir for this one and will be singing with them for this concert. I started rehearsals before Halloween for this also, and I have so many friends who have turned out to sing in this choir - it's been just great! All our hard work will be paid off on Monday. If you want to go but still don't have tickets, I recommend getting them ASAP as I've heard they might already be sold out. You can get them <a href="http://deseretbook.com/tickets/areas?show=379">here</a>. This is a great show too, and definitely not as cheesy as all those retro Mormon-pop songs by Michael McLean. Also a great family night activity!<br /><br />The other "concert" will actually be my ward Christmas program, which I think is the most stressful one of all... I've put lots of work (and worry) into it, so I hope it comes off as intended. I think this is more stressful partly because my family will be there and some of them have quite discerning musical tastes. I'm sure they'll love it if I'm involved, though... They're just awesome like that! I'm really glad they're coming all this way to support me in these performances! It makes me feel important and loved - thanks family! <br /><br />Merry Christmas to everyone!Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-36647357720780159902008-11-21T15:14:00.000-08:002008-11-21T16:04:42.569-08:00Stop the Holiday Madness!The other night I was catching up with Nancy Porter, a talented musician and friend, and we were talking about making it through the holidays. She mentioned to me that she classifies people in two categories when it comes to the Christmas season: people who go to things and people who are in things. Those "things" I'm referring to are the many cultural events that surround this season and, for many, help to define it. <br /><br />The people who go to things have a virtual smorgasbord of options when it comes to holiday entertainment. They are those who can say "Let's go to this concert on Friday," or "Hey, why don't we check out that performance?" Then they happily attend said event where they listen to great holiday music and have the chance to really soak in the season and infuse themselves with the Christmas spirit.<br /><br />The people who are in things have quite a different holiday experience. Their holiday season usually starts around October. What? October, you say? Yes, because none of those wonderful Christmas programs would be quite so wonderful without hours, nay, even months of rehearsal. So while everyone else is gearing up for Halloween, here we are (yes, I fall into this latter category) pounding away at notes for another jazzed-up rendition of "Jingle Bells." <br /><br />I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this, necessarily. We love the holidays just as much as the "go to things" people do. It's just more of a love/dread situation...<br /><br />What's more, people who are in things tend to be "in" a lot of things. I don't know exactly how this happens. I'm fairly certain that every year we all resolve to say "no" to at least five invitations/requests to perform. But somehow we always end up doing more than we intend to. I feel completely authorized to speak in behalf of all of us "in thing-ers" on this point. Whether it be because of our love for performing, a desire to share our talents, adoration of all things Christmas, or need for some serious ego-enhancement, I can't say. My suspicion is that all of these play a factor. Add in the fact that all musicians are at least a little crazy, and you've got a recipe for holiday exhaustion.<br /><br />For my part this holiday season, I'm only participating in 4 Christmas concerts (all on the same weekend). This is actually a huge step back for me, compared to my college days. I'm only in charge of directing 2 choirs and only singing 1 solo, 1 small group number, and accompanying 1 song. This is light work, trust me! In fact, I may even be able to go see a few concerts myself this holiday season! What a novel idea...<br /><br />As much as I talk about being busy, I really do love this time of year. And I love to attend, but I'd so much rather perform in these myriads of holiday celebrations. Yes, I've resigned myself to Christmas in October. And hey, I usually do get at least a few days before Christmas to relax and soak it all in before we have to start rehearsing Easter music...Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-54037903926441238292008-11-18T13:52:00.000-08:002008-11-18T13:53:19.996-08:00I'm Chinese Checkers...<table width=350 align=center border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2><tr><td bgcolor="#EEEEEE" align=center><br /><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style='color:black; font-size: 14pt;'><br /><strong>You Are Chinese Checkers</strong><br /></font></td></tr><br /><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><br /><center><img src="http://www.blogthingsimages.com/whatboardgameareyouquiz/chinesecheckers.jpg" height="100" width="100"></center><br /><font color="#000000"><br />You live a hyper, fast paced life. You rarely ever slow down.<br /><br />You are good at juggling many things at once. You are the ultimate multi-tasker.<br /><br /><br /><br />You enjoy being in a group - in fact the bigger the group, the better.<br /><br />You are an enthusiastic competitor, and you can be a little ruthless when you play games.<br /></font></td></tr></table><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/whatboardgameareyouquiz/">What Board Game Are You?</a></div>Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-66200872343998304452008-11-14T13:32:00.000-08:002008-11-14T13:54:41.450-08:00Lucky Annie...So I was driving home from work the other day, and one of my favorite songs came on. I'm not typically a big fan of John Denver, but <span style="font-style: italic;">Annie's Song</span> gets me every time. This seriously has to be THE most romantic song ever written! I mean, look at these lyrics:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">You fill up my senses </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> like a night in the forest </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> like the mountains in springtime, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> like a walk in the rain </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> like a storm in the desert, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> like a sleepy blue ocean </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> you fill up my senses, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> come fill me again. </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Come let me love you, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> let me give my life to you </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> let me drown in your laughter, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> let me die in your arms </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> let me lay down beside you, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> let me always be with you </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> come let me love you, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> come love me again. </span><br /><br />Seriously. What girl alive is impervious to this? What powerful imagery - mountains in springtime, storms in the desert, rain, forest, ocean... Just imagining these things is enough to fill up <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> senses to overflowing! And the second verse - wow. What more is there to say?<br /><br />Nope, can't think of anything. Love this song!!!<br /><br />What are some of your favorite love songs?Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-83136244182546780042008-11-10T14:34:00.000-08:002008-11-10T15:00:18.285-08:00Halloween Time = Fun!What is possibly the least scariest place you can think of to visit on Halloween? If you said "Disneyland," I'm with you. Which is why I went there with a bunch of ward friends for this spookiest of holidays. We had such a great time!<br /><br />Rather than bore you with all the nitty-gritty details, I'll just comment on some of the photos I took. So, in no particular order, here they are:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4MvVMI9I/AAAAAAAAAII/PpzkEQo2cp0/s1600-h/Disney4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4MvVMI9I/AAAAAAAAAII/PpzkEQo2cp0/s320/Disney4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267162293213078482" border="0" /></a><br />Here's me, Shane Horlacher, and Adam Schmidt at the entrance to California Adventures. It was decorated SO cute - with little candy corns everywhere!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4u2MkY6I/AAAAAAAAAIw/puWK17DaHjA/s1600-h/Disney18.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4u2MkY6I/AAAAAAAAAIw/puWK17DaHjA/s320/Disney18.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267162879171519394" border="0" /></a><br />Tradition dictates that we take crazy hat photos while at any Disney theme park. Here is some of this year's selection. I totally pull off the pirate look, I know...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4uYyFOFI/AAAAAAAAAIo/Opnx5c6YbxE/s1600-h/Disney15.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4uYyFOFI/AAAAAAAAAIo/Opnx5c6YbxE/s320/Disney15.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267162871275796562" border="0" /></a><br />Two more fellow swash-bucklers, Adam and Parker. Pirates? I dunno... For some reason I'm getting an Aunt Jemima vibe from these two...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4tlQSveI/AAAAAAAAAIg/j3Bq5DDAkMA/s1600-h/Disney11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4tlQSveI/AAAAAAAAAIg/j3Bq5DDAkMA/s320/Disney11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267162857443868130" border="0" /></a><br />And here we have Ryan, the Mad Hatter. He's currently pondering the age-old question, "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4tRWCFlI/AAAAAAAAAIY/e6cRUt_R_2Y/s1600-h/Disney9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4tRWCFlI/AAAAAAAAAIY/e6cRUt_R_2Y/s320/Disney9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267162852099233362" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, that would be our lovely group on the back row of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Tower of Terror</span> trying to do mirror-image YMCAs. The fun is limitless at Disneyland, folks.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4s39SlfI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/habJHWnaJEY/s1600-h/Disney8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4s39SlfI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/habJHWnaJEY/s320/Disney8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267162845284570610" border="0" /></a><br />This is us trying to do our most "terrified" faces before taking the elevator ride at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Tower of Terror</span>. I don't know what directions Adam got for this though...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4MBqwSeI/AAAAAAAAAIA/zu7iMFs87lE/s1600-h/Disney3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4MBqwSeI/AAAAAAAAAIA/zu7iMFs87lE/s320/Disney3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267162280955496930" border="0" /></a><br />The "California" was spelled in candy corns! So cute!!!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4L4hf2TI/AAAAAAAAAH4/bSXujw6IG7c/s1600-h/Disney2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4L4hf2TI/AAAAAAAAAH4/bSXujw6IG7c/s320/Disney2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267162278500751666" border="0" /></a><br />Me, Shane, and Adam on Splash Mountain. For some reason, I didn't get wet at all...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4LuDBblI/AAAAAAAAAHw/7m_z7ewDJSs/s1600-h/Disney.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4LuDBblI/AAAAAAAAAHw/7m_z7ewDJSs/s320/Disney.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267162275688574546" border="0" /></a><br />Here's the lovely Stephanie Gourley in front of the Halloween-Time decorations on Main Street in Disneyland. It seriously was adorable.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4K7goJzI/AAAAAAAAAHo/8rj6pyacB3o/s1600-h/Disney6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRi4K7goJzI/AAAAAAAAAHo/8rj6pyacB3o/s320/Disney6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267162262122538802" border="0" /></a><br />Here's our entire group of "bugs" at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Bug's Life</span> show. This was such a great trip with great people! It's going to be hard to top this one!<br /></div>Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-15708072530919081382008-11-07T12:30:00.000-08:002008-11-07T14:04:40.751-08:00I'll Be Lovin' You...Monday morning dawned bright and clear. Here it was - the day we'd all been waiting for since we were preteens. We had to hang tough to get here, but it was worth it. When I was 12 or 13, I never thought this day would come. And I especially didn't EVER imagine I would be 29 when it finally did. But step by step, things worked out just right. That day I just kept thinking "Tonight, tonight!" We made sure we had all the right stuff, and we really looked like cover girls by the time we were ready! It just about blew our minds!<br /><br />Okay, was that hint subtle enough? If not, maybe this will help...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRSqDb_8UyI/AAAAAAAAAHA/k9gdkHjGHUI/s1600-h/164935__new_kids_l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRSqDb_8UyI/AAAAAAAAAHA/k9gdkHjGHUI/s320/164935__new_kids_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266020840335233826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Get the picture now? That's right, ladies and gentlemen, we went to see (drumroll please) </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">New Kids On The Block!!!</span><br /><br />I know, I could hardly believe it either. It was almost surreal...in a <span style="font-style: italic;">B</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">ack To The Future</span> sort of way.<br /><br />It was actually Karena and Krystal that got Camille and I interested in the New Kids in the first place, so how appropriate was it that we were going with them?! It was technically a surprise 30th birthday present for Krystal. She was the most hard-core fan I've ever seen! Good times!</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRSsYi5b_MI/AAAAAAAAAHI/-7ITlVxAX5g/s1600-h/AZ3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRSsYi5b_MI/AAAAAAAAAHI/-7ITlVxAX5g/s320/AZ3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266023401987505346" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />So, we decided that we needed to go all-out for this concert. "All-out" includes making t-shirts complete with </span><span style="font-size:100%;">New Kids photos, glitter puff paint, beaded sleeves/hems, 80's jewelry, etc. At first Camille was quite embarrassed to be seen in her amazingly cute concert get-up, but as the pre-concert festivities wore on and we were complimented again and again, she finally came around. Yes, our homemade concert attire was the toast of the town (I particularly</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> loved my star-belt!). I'd even go so far as to say that we were everybody's favorite girls! Okay, okay, I'll stop with the random song-title blog distribution.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Before the concert, we got a hot tip to go around to the back of the arena and maybe we'd be able to see a New Kid or two. We got lucky! Jonathan Knight (!) came out and waved to us! He was pretty aloof, and only waved after Krystal shouted "I've waited 18 years to see you!" at the top of her lungs. Who wouldn't have pity on that? We also got a few waves and blown kisses from Natasha Bedingfield, who opened the show. I have to say, I was quite impressed with her performance! I don't care much for her songs on the radio, but hearing her live was a different story. She's a great performer and singer. Plus, she seemed like a decent person, which always helps...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRS37UJyCEI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/R8noOxF1RMA/s1600-h/AZ5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRS37UJyCEI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/R8noOxF1RMA/s320/AZ5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266036093952854082" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">I didn't quite know what to expect from the New Kids. Most of them are 39 or so and not exactly the young heart-throbs they once were. But I was very pleasantly surprised! The vocals sounded better than when they were young and they did all of their old songs. That little Joey MacIntyre (who happens to be older than I am) has got some chords! Not quite the range he used to have, but it's okay - he was so little back in the day!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">It was such a great blast from the past! Some of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ5eZSa7URA">old dance moves</a> were included and everything! I was especially surprised when Jordan Knight (</span><span style="font-size:100%;">my favorite New Kid) broke out an exact replica (only with better hair) of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rjJa3nspZw">this little number</a>. Careful ladies, don't let your hubbies or children catch you watching (and drooling over) this or you may have some explaining to do - it's a little scandalous...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRS4NGltCBI/AAAAAAAAAHY/3vum4POXb3k/s1600-h/AZ4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 195px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRS4NGltCBI/AAAAAAAAAHY/3vum4POXb3k/s320/AZ4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266036399549515794" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />We did our homework before the concert, of course. We spent three days listening to the songs and watching the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmz8ygxruoc">old music videos</a>. I couldn't believe how quickly it all came back to me!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">The audience was SO crazy! It was full of 30-something women screaming their lungs out. Absolutely nuts! Okay, I admit...I couldn't talk properly for a few days afterward myself. But it was so much fun! I think the SLC concert is next weekend, so if you don't have tickets already, I recommend it. Maybe you can be Jordan's next Valentine Girl!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRS4cmehbAI/AAAAAAAAAHg/N-E1TRovdOQ/s1600-h/AZ2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 199px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRS4cmehbAI/AAAAAAAAAHg/N-E1TRovdOQ/s320/AZ2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266036665807367170" border="0" /></a></span>Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-17421131057290306002008-11-07T11:37:00.000-08:002008-11-07T12:27:01.188-08:00Girl's Weekend!Why is it that I only manage to write about things that happened at least a month earlier? Oh well, something is better than nothing, I guess. And besides, this post is sure to be at least slightly entertaining to women between the ages of 25-35. Wait for it...<br /><br />The summer after my sophomore year in high school, I left with my two cousins, Karena and Krystal, and my sister Camille for the greatest girls trip ever. We spent two weeks visiting our great-uncle Dale and his wife Sheri in gorgeous Kailua, Hawaii. We had the most amazing time! We saw all the sights as Sheri drove us around the island of Oahu in their convertible. We were and still are good friends and did a lot of growing up together, so this trip just upped our girl-bond!<br /><br />Well, it's been several years now and we were due for another girl's trip. It all happened because of a certain performing group that is in the midst of a reunion tour this year. More on that later...<br /><br />So, the first thing we did when we got to Phoenix (where Karena lives) was to go to the Arizona State Fair. I love Fairs! This one was particularly huge. We saw lots of fun stuff: the 4-H displays; a petting zoo with zebras, camels, goats, llamas, cebus, and some highly entertaining piglets; the Banana Derby - a race where monkeys ride on dogs' backs wearing cute jockey uniforms; some huge grizzly bears doing a show; quilts, quilts, and more quilts; Garlic Mashed Potatoes on a Stick (someone please explain to me how that works...); lots of bunnies, cows, and goats; a very talented charicature artist; and a crash-up derby where we totally felt like white trash - but it was fun!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRSf0366VPI/AAAAAAAAAGo/ZigmTcwZq8c/s1600-h/AZ7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 180px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRSf0366VPI/AAAAAAAAAGo/ZigmTcwZq8c/s200/AZ7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266009595016008946" border="0" /></a><br />Let me name a few highlights... Trying our very first deep-fried Snickers bar was definitely a memorable experience. They're highly overrated, if you ask me. Although the meltiness on the inside is pretty good... Another highlight was going through the Fun House. Imagine, if you will, four women in their late 20's/early 30's laughing hysterically as they maneuver their way through a series of obstacles meant for a much smaller clientele. Can you see why this was a highlight? In this photo, Krystal is seen emerging from the Fun House exit, which conveniently looks like a men's restroom. Indeed, a picture is worth a thousand words...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRShaY_f2EI/AAAAAAAAAGw/1r_JRk2_2NU/s1600-h/AZ6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 220px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRShaY_f2EI/AAAAAAAAAGw/1r_JRk2_2NU/s200/AZ6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266011339060402242" border="0" /></a><br />Another great highlight was when we pooled our money ($2) to play a rousing game of Skeeball. We each got to throw 2 balls. Krystal went first and did great! I went and did awful (such is my luck with anything ball-related). Camille did fine too, and then it was Karena's turn. Krystal had just finished talking her up - saying how great she was at Skeeball. We were on the end next to another booth, and wouldn't you know it, Karena threw that ball right off the track and between the booths! We all started laughing hysterically (again) and didn't end up winning anything. All Skeeball concentration was shot after that! Oh, the memories...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRSjhdnZkuI/AAAAAAAAAG4/GQclaVj4e88/s1600-h/AZ.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 195px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SRSjhdnZkuI/AAAAAAAAAG4/GQclaVj4e88/s320/AZ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266013659583845090" border="0" /></a><br />The next day we went to church (Spanish speaking - don't ask...), visited the Temple, had a BBQ at our uncle David's house, and walked through the Arizona desert. It was a great day! Here's us in front of the Mesa Temple. The weather in Arizona was absolutely beautiful! <br /><br />This entry was longer than originally planned, so I think I'm going to split this into two. I don't know why, but I just have this idea in my head that blog posts are supposed to be somewhat shorter than a small novel, so I will continue this trip in the next post. <br /><br />Logical or not? I dunno. Don't judge me.Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715829717344354675.post-29393364286446680062008-10-29T14:30:00.000-07:002008-10-29T15:06:28.768-07:00I promise I didn't cry...About three weeks ago, I went up to Salt Lake City for my dear friend Kate's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful! Camille, Amber, and I met up with Tanya, Stephanie, and Aubrey and Parker Dixon at the wedding dinner and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! The food and was amazing, the ambiance was amazing, and most of all, it was to celebrate our amazing friends - Kate and RJ. The next day Amber and I hurried to Kate's house to assist in the make-up procedure. She looked so gorgeous and excited...only a little nervous.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SQjbN3Wd8jI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/fE4v9uGifP8/s1600-h/Wedding4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 182px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SQjbN3Wd8jI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/fE4v9uGifP8/s320/Wedding4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262697195825394226" border="0" /></a><br />Kate and RJ were married in the Salt Lake City Temple. The sealing was so beautiful and I felt privileged to have been invited. After the ceremony, we waited outside the Temple for them to come out and it was windy and cold. I definitely was not prepared for the October weather in Utah! I felt kind of stupid for not remembering that it gets cold there...<br /><br />The reception that night was so elegant. They had it at this little indoor greenhouse and it was really beautiful. My parents came down from Wyoming. My mom, Kate, and I spent 3 days together at Disneyland, so they bonded! It was nice to see my family and to have friends gathered there too. Once of the highlights was seeing the Forsyth family. Bro. Forsyth used to be in our very own North Star Ward Bishopric and I just love their family!<br /><br />Overall, it was a great time! The next day I left for Arizona...more on that later. Here's a few more pics:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SQjb-dy1G2I/AAAAAAAAAGY/AU1X0o-UotE/s1600-h/Wedding3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SQjb-dy1G2I/AAAAAAAAAGY/AU1X0o-UotE/s320/Wedding3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262698030778620770" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SQjb_vgH-DI/AAAAAAAAAGg/ELkXJgyzWMU/s1600-h/Wedding2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xkqfz68xP1o/SQjb_vgH-DI/AAAAAAAAAGg/ELkXJgyzWMU/s320/Wedding2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262698052711872562" border="0" /></a>Nicnelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07720830352710110628noreply@blogger.com4