DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS

Let's say you were taking a vacation and as luck would have it...you're boat veers off its nautical path and becomes capsized. You swim to shore and find yourself on a desert island; this is your run-of-the-mill desert island. It's pretty, but the elements are extreme and you have to hunt and gather your food and build a lean-to out of branches and leaves.


















Assuming your iPod was in a water proof case and had a longer than life battery, and assuming certain items floated to shore in your wardrobe trunk, answer the following questions:

1. What song on you iPod would you listen to first?
2. What book would you be happy you had to read again and again?
3. What shoes would you dig through your trunk, find, and never take off?
4. What would you most dream about eating again?
5. What would your six word life story be at that moment?
6. What would you most regret not packing?
7. After you woke on the beach, water logged and disoriented, what would you do first?
8. Even though no one is with you; who would you pretend was with you?
9. Would you {be honest} ruin your tweezerman tweezers by straightening them out to use as a rudimentary fishing spear? Even if it meant your eyebrows would grow in all bushy and unruly?
10. What "stuck on a desert island" movie would you think about while you were there?

My answers:
1. The Police, Message in a Bottle
2. Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevski
3. These
4. These
5. "Why didn't I just go camping?"
6. More of this
7. Search frantically for comb. I hate how tangled my hair gets in salt water
8. I'd pretend Nate was with me. I'd probably even have pretend fights with him.
9. I'd wait to ruin my tweezers. Until I knew it was my only option. Bushy eyebrows would literally drive me insane.
10. Move Over Darling, starring Doris Day

PRETTY LITTLE SOFA

Nate and I will be adding this pretty sofa to our bedroom Tomorrow. But have no fear. We got it in a pretty gold which should look great with our blue walls and white trim. It's so comfortable and small enough not to dominate the room.

SPLIT PERSONALITIES IS AN EPIDEMIC

Yeah, you heard me right. I mean, I've been known to talk to myself {and answer, too}, and I'm pretty sure this cow here might qualify as having a dual personality. And now, the one great entity, Mother Nature, is proving to have quite the split herself.
I drove to work today in a BLIZZARD. The visibility was nil. And now. Just a few hours later...sunshine. I guess I'm in good company with Mother Nature and "blinky" the cow. Poor, poor cow.





















Can I ask why Farmer Joe looks so pleased with it all? Isn't it just another mouth to feed?

CLEMENTINE WELCOMES SEPHORA WITH OPEN ARMS

Subtitled: Where I've been known to spend 2-3 hours at a time.









Amie is often the barer of good news. She's been known to buy two of the same magazine, by mistake, and then gift me one. She knows all the benefits of Retin A and how it can and will make me look 10 years younger {and knows how to score prescription grade stuff at farmacias in Spain}. And she always reintroduces me to old classic novels and compels me to read them because they are just "so good."
And now, the grand finale of good news. The kind of news that causes a girl {like me} to scream out with gleeful expression, "yahoooooo".
Sephora is coming to SLC this year. And you thought I already had enough cheek stain. How naive.

DUFFY IS THE NEW WINEHOUSE

Duffy was pegged to be one of the great talents to flow out of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin. I downloaded her album and it's actually really great. She has that retro sound, similar to Amy Winehouse, but without all the scary beehive hair and wicked eyebrows. I recommend giving this Welsh beauty a listen.

GUESS WHO GOT A GREAT NEW JOB?

Yeah, you guessed it. More details later. But I will give a shout-out to my new compatriots: Nacho, Digger, Hammer, and Nana! It was and will continue to be a pleasure.

FAVORITE LOVE SONGS

Michelle had a post about her favorite love song. Which got me to thinking about my own favorite love songs. There are so so many. But here are a few I could listen to over and over.

Two of Us, The Beatles {performed at our wedding by Ryan and Holly}


Give a Little Bit, Super Tramp {also performed by Ryan and Holly as a surprise from Nate}


Annie's Song, John Denver {always will be one of my favorites}


She Believes in Me, The Great Kenny Rogers {so many times I listened to this on LP...best moment ever: when he says, "God our love is true"}


Last Goodbye, Jeff Buckley

Two, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals {this might be the new Nate and Tonia song}


I Love You, Climax Blues Band {one of my true favorites}

Thank you, Led Zeppelin {loved it since college}


Be Careful, Patti Griffin {my deepest apologies for the video. it was the best recording}


The Day Brings, Brad {just nice and easy}

GLADIATORS

I'm loving these Gladiator sandals by Matt Bernson.

PUTTING DEMI MOORE TO SHAME

If I was a rock star, I'd want a raspy voice like Bonnie Tyler's. It might be a toss up between Bonnie, Heart, and, Pat Benatar as to who is the most rockin' rock star.

BEG BORROW AND STEAL

Amie has a great post over at The Din. She talks about the book called "Not Quite What I Was Planning". I like the idea of writing my life story in just six words.

Amie's six words: "wakeup in control, retire in vice"
My six words: "i should not have eaten that!"

FAVORITE TUNE?

Do you have a favorite tune? I know it's hard. I try to name a favorite song or movie and I end up with a list a mile long. I want to put together a Clementine playlist based on a combination of songs you suggest so lets start making a collection.

I'll start the list with one of my favorites: Be Here Now, Mason Jennings

CAN I ADMIT SOMETHING?

I'll say this once and once only. And after I say it, I'll deny it ever happened. I'm always talking about all the indie rock I so dearly love; the music festivals we drive to in the winnebago. And then along comes Celine Dion. That's all I'm saying. After seeing her on Oprah today {Yeah, I TiVo Oprah. Don't judge} I might like to go to Vegas, visit Tim and Brandi, and see a little Dion. What could be more genius than a remake of this song.

CELEBRATING MOMENTS OF GENIUS

Occasionally I celebrate a moment of genius surrounded by hours, days, and months of complete stupidity. Have you ever wondered if you were right or left brain dominant? Because of your creativity you must be right brain dominant; or you just knew you were logical and must be left brain dominant? Now you can test yourself. Click here and determine which direction the dancer is spinning. If you see her spinning clockwise then you are more right brain'd. If you see it spinning counter-clockwise, you're dominant left. If you can switch the direction with concentration and focus...you are gifted and we should meet and talk about philosophy and math equations. I see it mostly spinning right, but I can switch it because I'm brilliant.






















Left Brain Functions
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

Right Brain Functions
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

WHAT WOULD JACKIE DO?

Kym gifted me this book and I love picking it up and reading it when I have a few extra minutes. Such great tidbits; I'm going to share it from time to time. I hope you find it as humorously wise as I do.

Page 174: "Perfect your stare-through glare. Nothing says "leave me be" like a stone-faced mug. No need to affect an angry or mean look, of course- Jackie's go-to-hell-gaze was ever so benign. By refusing to visually engage or acknowledge people, you are telling them to stay out of your orbit."

THE LESS YOU KNOW, THE BETTER

Image from Mrs. Maddog's Photostream.

My sister-in-law, Holly, tagged me to share tidbits about me.
A-Attached or single? Married to Mr. Rad
B-Best friend? I have many. My mom, Nate, Kym, Amie…Isn’t every friend the best?
C-Cake or pie? Pie. I served pie and ice cream at my wedding. I especially like fruit pies.
D-Day of choice? Friday night and Saturday. Because it’s still far away from work. I hate work these days.
E-Essential item? cell phone, laptop, google, my mind, my husband
F-Favorite color? Lately? The blue sky. I love the colors you find in nature. (plus pink)
G-Gummy bears or worms? Not a big gummy fan. In fact, I’m trying not to eat lots of candy anymore. Steel cut oats anyone?
H-Hometown? Providence, Utah
I-Favorite indulgence? Facials and massages.
J-January or July? July because it boasts lots of family birthdays (including mine) and independence day.
K-Kids? None yet. But when we have then, we’ll call the girl Clementine and the boy Henry (and call him Hank. Nate and I love the name Hank).
L-Life isn't complete without? Faith, hope, family, friends, laughter, and writing.
M-Marriage date? August 27, 2005
N-Number of brothers and sisters? 1 sister, three brothers (plus, my in-laws who I love!)
O-Oranges or apples? Both. All fruit. I love fruit and will eat it every chance I get. I do eat more apples than oranges; there is usually an apple in my purse.
P-Phobia and fears? Heights, sharks, drowning, strange men, being followed, trying anything new.
Q-Quote? “My life closed twice before its close, it yet remains to see, if immortality unveil a third event to me. So huge, so hopeless to conceive as these that twice befell. Parting is all we know of heaven and all we need of hell.” – Emily Dickinson, Parting
R-Reason to smile? Nature, writing, learning, music, friends, family, babies.
S-Season of choice? Honestly…all of them. I love four distinct seasons. The biting cold of winter, the soul warming of spring, the long days of summer and the barely-there chill of autumn. Love them all.
T-Tag three people: Amie, Courtney, Grandma B, (Bonus 4th person - my mom so she'll actually get her first post up).
U- Unknown fact about me? Read here.
V-Vegetable? Yes, please! I’ll eat anything except maybe ochre.
W-Worst habit? Listening to the voice in my head. Also known as Gladys.
X-X-ray or ultrasound? Well, I’ve had many more x-rays than ultra sounds. My patient file at the Budge Clinic in Logan looks like an encyclopedia
Y-Your favorite food? Chips-n-salsa
Z-Zodiac sign? Cancer. Which, when I was young, I thought was just plain bad luck. I thought it meant that I had cancer.

A DILEMMA CALLED GARBAGE

Subtitle: What's so Great about Red Robin Anyway?






















I've got this strange gravitational pull to my garbage cans. See here and here.
Recycling. It includes a dedication to sifting through your waste and picking out plastics numbered 1-7. It requires that you select certain types of paper, rinse out your tin cans, and get very familiar with the different grades of cardboard.
So Nate and I have been focused on recycling for a year now. Every week we drag two cans to the alley. One is emptied by the regular BFI and the other is emptied by a recycling company. It's integral to know that if you have non-recyclable items in your recycling can, it will not be emptied. Rules are rules.
Since Nate was gone, I was on garbage duty this week. Both cans were dragged out Tuesday night. All the neighbor's cans are lined up on the right side of the alley so the truck can get them easily. The neighbors directly across the alley brought their cans out and placed them next to ours.
When I got home from work Wednesday night, I dragged the regular garbage can back into our garage but when I went to get the recycling can I noticed it hadn't been emptied. And then I realized that the garbage inside wasn't recyclable garbage and, in fact, was a bunch of take out bags from Red Robin. I've been home alone. And working late. But I certainly did not eat what looked like 20 pounds of Red Robin take out and then negligently toss all the waste into the recycling can. It then occurred to me that our neighbors took our empty recycle can and left us their gross, non-recycled Red Robin pig-out can.
So here is the dilemma. Do I just take their can as my own? If I do, it means I'll be fishing their garbage out and putting it in the regular garbage can {since left over RR scraps aren't considered recyclable items}. OR, do I go to the neighbor's house, knock on the door, and ask them to give me back my empty recycling can and give them back their Red Robin tribute can? I don't want to dig through their garbage, but I also don't want to be the crazy garbage neighbor.
Can't my neighbors just have integrity and learn to recycle and leave my garbage cans be? And who are they to eat so much Red Robin. I mean, really?

SURVEY SAYS

This is my 12 year old niece Abby. She called me today to ask if I'd pose this survey question on my blog for an assignment she is doing in school. Of course! So I'm hoping you'll participate and leave your answer in the form of a comment. All for the sake of education!
















How many bones have you broken in your life?

Just leave a comment that includes your first name and the number. Feel free to answer for spouses and/or children.

Tonia = 10 bones. My parents actually had me tested for brittle bones. Test results came back negative which can only mean one thing. I'm a klutz.

Bone Summary: arm, arm, arm, arm, arm, foot, thumb, wrist, nose, tail bone (I'm sure there are more but I cannot remember.

LAME!

I took this test and apparently I write at a high school level. I'm using bigger words from now on because I can't have that! Can I? Thanks Cara Dee!

Movie Reviews

OMG! FULL STOP!

She's real. And her waist is only 15". Do me a favor, look at a yard stick and notice how freaking short 15" is and then realize that it's the full circumferences of her waist. Then, let's talk about how her internal organs must be squeezed in between her hip bones. MORTIFYING.

I LOVE FLIP BOOKS

I like the ones people make with little notebooks. And now it looks like I could take a digital video clip and make a flip book of one of my favorite moments {:10-:30 seconds} at flipclips.com. I love the idea of giving a pretty little palm sized flip book as a gift. Just $9.00!

WHAT SEPARATES ME FROM HILARY DUFF

Well, I guess there's a lot. But these snakeskin Jimmy Choo wegdes are a good place to start.

OH MY

Thanks to Black Eiffel for finding and sharing these photos. Romantically Parisian. Before I got married I always daydreamed of bridals that looked like this. When it came down to it, I knew I'd never be able to pull it off so I didn't do bridals at all. I'll just pretend these are of me.

HOORAY FOR MOM!

Today is my Mom's birthday. I drove to Ogden with Ryan, Ruth and Hugo and we met my Dad, Mom, Andrew, LaShel, and Adelia for lunch. After a long week, being with my family was a great recharge. And spending time with my Mom on her birthday was an extra treat; she is wonderful.
This is what it looks like when two best friends get to spend the afternoon together. Love you mom!
















Oh, and we also kissed these four cheeks all afternoon.





















Hugo

















Adelia

KIPU FALLS: A STORY OF GIVE AND TAKE

Our third day in Kaua'i Nate and I took the rental car out for a drive. The air was, well, perfect; with the windows down I got the occasional wiff of an exotic flower as we sped along highway 51. A few miles before Lihue we pulled off on Kipu road where a lovely treat lay hidden among the trees of privately owned land. Kipu Falls {thank you for recommending it friends}!!
Kipu Falls is this pretty little waterfall that also boasts a keen rope swing. Getting to the rope swing requires you cross the upper falls which basically goes something like this. Test the current of the water. Yup, it's pretty fast and could drag you down and take you over the falls effortlessly. Rocks? Slippery! But somehow, using teamwork, we crossed and both took a turn on the swing. It's a pleasant 20ft drop to a nice sized lagoon that feeds the river. In the lagoon you swim back to the rocks, climb up the ladder and go again. That was the plan until I decided that we needed to document this moment on film. Waterproof film.
While Nate was taking a second turn I decided to go back across the upper falls and retrieve my water proof disposable camera. A local directed me to a point in the river that was a little more narrow. He then just looked at me from his safe side and said, "just jump toward this side". Without thinking I jumped, reached for the rocks on the bank, missed, and felt the current take me. Down toward the waterfall and impending doom. At the last moment I grabbed a rock and clung to it like it was something soft and warm. It was neither.
Well, this near death experience kind of freaked me out and I became pretty scared to go back across to the rope swing and Nate. But, I swallowed my paranoia and tried to cross. Each time the current would grab my leg or arm and pull me toward the edge.
Now here's where you need to pay attention because it explains the title of this post. I wedged my right foot between two slippery rocks buried deep under the cold current and brazenly took a step with my left. The current grabbed me, flipped me around and for a brief moment I thought I was a goner. In a mad scramble I reached for anything and finally caught another rock - with the big toe of my left foot. Like pulling off a band aid my toenail came off painful and quick. I howled.
Finally, Nate noticed my struggle and came to help me safely across where we each had another swing all documented on film {currently being developed}.
So, to summarize, Kipu Falls gave me one of my favorite memories in Kaua'i with Nate. And I gave Kipu Falls my toe nail.
*It's important to know that just before we went to Kipu we heard that someone had jumped off the waterfall the week before, and died. So I was extra scared of the waterfall part.

The upper falls of Kipu Falls.














The swing at Kipu Falls. Unauthentically, this photo is not us.

UNIVERSAL APPEAL

So I have to say, I LOVE my wedding ring. I loved it the day I found it in my InStyle magazine and I love it still today. It fits. It's feminine. It's unusual. It has rose gold {my favorite precious metal} and one tiny pink diamond {rad!}.
I always get compliments on it, especially from men. It's a real man-eye catcher I suppose. A few days ago I decided to give it a good cleaning and since then I get stopped in the hallway with people asking me if they can get a better look.
This ring has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning is the memory of marrying Nate that overly hot day in August; so fun! The middle represents all the years I get to love him on earth and beyond. The end is the idea that someday, as an heirloom, it might grace the hand of my daughter or granddaughter.
Dear SimonG,
You really outdid yourself.
Love, Tonia

WHAT DOES HE WHISPER?

I love, loved this movie. The last scene was the perfect sad ending. I have my own ideas about what he whispers in her ear but I'd love to hear what you think. Was it something like, "hang in there kid", or "I'll never forget how you made me smile".

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Nate and I have called the blue cottage "home" for a year now. A YEAR! It seems the older I get the faster time goes by.


















It's hard to believe that just a year ago we were living in the basement of our good friend Mike. We took to his futon like love at first site and slept on the blow up mattress {lovingly referred to as "the taco"} for two months straight.
Since moving into the blue cottage we've celebrated Nate's 31st birthday, my 36th, and our second anniversary. We bought our first fake Christmas tree and basted our first Thanksgiving turkey. We've also fried up fish we caught in the lake and taken a canoe out for a paddle. We did landscaping in our back yard thanks to the helping hands of my parents, and witnessed my miraculous professional break-up with the office bully. We built our first snowman, had our first-ever snow day, and celebrated with a teeny weeny snowball fight.
There's lots of little details and memories we've made here and the blue cottage really feels like a part of the family now. Whenever anyone asks me if we have children yet, I always want to explain that the blue cottage is like our child. We worry about it, spend lots of money and time on it, make plans for its future, and we miss it when we're away for a long time. The only thing we don't have to worry about is how to pay for its college education.
Here's to the Blue Cottage. Now, even when we move, this house will forever be referred to as "The Congers' Old Place". We've officially left our mark!

YOU KNOW THAT GIRL?

The girl everyone likes? The one who has inside jokes with half the world? She's funny and witty and just the right combination of silly and soulful? You must know Cara Dee! Her comments on my blog make me giggle. Her posts make me giggle. The way she and her husband seem to goof off together and have fun like you do with your BFF from high school.
Cara Dee, I'm not sure I knew funny before I knew {virtually} you. Thanks for sharing your prank. It really makes our "let's fill Jaimi's office up with balloons while she's in Thailand" prank a little blahzay!

NAPALI COAST WITH NATE

This day in Kaua'i was supposed to be all about the sunshine and seeing a gazillion whales breech and eat out of our hands. What it ended up being was a rainy day on the wild ocean. We saw a few whales spouting water and slap the surface of the water with their tales. Because it was too murky to snorkel we were privy to a nice tour down the Napali Coastline. It was beautiful. Someday I'll go back there and kayak {can't do it in the winter} and camp along the beach.






















































































If you squint, you can see the whale in the center of the screen with water shooting out of it's blow hole!

CUTE LITTLE FROCK

Had I seen this dress before Kaua'i it would have been mine. Since we experienced a splendid blizzard last night, I think a cute dress like this would not be practical for several more months.

SOMETHING TO ADD TO THE LIST

I guess one good thing about being sick and staying home all weekend curled up in front of the TV is that I get to learn about things like the ICEHOTEL. Buried 200 kilometers North of the Arctic Circle in Sweden is a fascinating winter wonder made from ice taken from the river Torne. It's built new every year and then melts in the spring - back into the river again.
This hotel has a bar, a church, themed suites, all made from ice. Everything {including the furniture and excluding the water closet} is made from ice. And during the day you can enjoy cool activities like ice fishing, snowmobile safaris, and dog sledding.
I told Nate this was something we needed to add to our "things to do" list.