Just Me and My Guitar

Self appointed unemployment has left me with a lot of free time and while the Internet could easily suck up all of it, I have been playing the guitar.  Now, I have not been playing very long, have never had a lesson, and am still a beginner, but I had to share this with my friends that will appreciate it!  

I have a long way to go and I think my fingers might fall off, but I am having a lot of fun learning new songs and chords everyday.  My brother also earns a gold star for not complaining when he has to listen to me mess up while playing the same song over and over again.

Speaking of guitar players, I am so stoked to see Eric Hutchinson in concert next Monday.  Love him...as should you all!  Click the link I posted to listen to a few of his songs.  Your welcome.  

Took A Big Job In The City

I stepped out of the hotel and joined the hoards of other New Yorkers on their way to work. I felt like it was a scene out of a movie. I dodged a few taxies and quickly jumped out of the cold into the trendy ad agency that I now work for. I could not ask for a better first day. The people are so nice/fun and it seems like a great company to work for. Who knew I would be this excited for my new job.

I spent the day getting to know the people and learning more about what I will be doing. After work, we went up with my client for drinks at some trendy New York hotel bar followed by an amazing dinner at some Mexican place off of Broadway and 64th.

I can't wait to meet Mabel Clay on Saturday and come back to New York again soon.

One Degree of Seperation!

I had the best flight ever to New York! My first class seat was perfect and as I was getting settled, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick sat down two seats in front of me. I instantly started freaking out and wanted to yell out, "Everybody Footloose," but realized the business men around me did not care and were not impressed. I snapped this picture with my phone before we took off while trying not to get caught.

What do Kevin and Kyra do on a 5.5 hour flight you ask? Well, Kyra read a script on her Mac while Kevin listened to music and did a crossword puzzle. Stars really are just like us. :)

I wished Dewey was there to show Kevin this sweet move:

Jealous That You Don't Live In Seattle?

Famous Friends 3

Danny....you know I heart you! :)  

The famous guy in this one is Alex Winter, from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure 

Macy Jane

The family (minus the Clays in New York, but they are next weekend) met up in Huntington Beach this weekend. It was so great to be in the warm sun weather while spending lots of time with Ike and Macy. I love Ike, but he tends to get all of the attention so Macy Jane, this post is to you with love from your Aunt Lindsay Jane.

Thanks for hanging out with me and telling me all your stories. Stay chubby and cute.

MIKA part 2

Just a few samples of the great concert! I love that you can hear the audience singing. That's my favorite part about concerts.

She's Here

Baby Mabel Clay.  How cute is she and not even a day old.  Now we just need to convince her to move closer to her Clay, Moore, and Lyman family. 

Best V-Day Ever

The day started out great....I'm an Aunt again! I am so excited to have Mabel Clay finally here and I am glad everything went well.

Next I needed to take care of a bunch of random things and for someone who has been surfing the internet as a profession, it was a full day.
-Look at townhome: love it, perfect number of rooms and bathrooms, great location, great price, someone turned in an app last night so I loose
-Get emissions test: I have Aggie plates and the two workers argued for a good 5 minutes about if the "A" was part of my plate number. I tried to help, but found it safer to stay out and let them figure it out, passed!
-Register car in WA: $152.25 later I can keep driving my car around, have to figure out how to put the front plate on since there is not a spot for it?
-Get WA license: why is there a significantly higher ratio of crazy to normal people at all DMV's? Normal people need a license also.
-Fax more stuff to real estate agent: the fax guy at Kinko's and I are now BFF's.
-Talk to new boss: me going to New York next Wed - Sat, flying first class both ways, get to meet Mabel before anyone else!

Tonight, I went to the MIKA concert (Add it to my list) and I LOVE, LOVE, HIM!!! I brought my brothers and friend Jen along too. MIKA put on a much better show then I could have ever imagined. We made some friends at the show, sang, danced, and had a great night. Everyone who left there felt happy and loved. I think every V-day should end with a great concert like the one from tonight. I took some video, but the sound quality blows (mental note, buy small video camera for self now that you have a job) and blogger sucks and will not let me paste the youtube link so sing a song or two of his while you look at these pictures instead.

I hope everyone else had as great of a V-Day as I did.  

Should Have Gone

If any of you know me, you know that I love live music and I also love live music from Brandi Carlile.  This past week there was a cruise that I would have loved to go on.  It was for music lovers like myself and included artists like John Mayer, Brandi Carlile, Colbie Caillat, Martin Sexton, and Brett Dennon just to name a few. I could not convince anyone to spend the money and go and knowing that I was about to be unemployed did not make me push it, but next year I AM GOING. I am sad that I missed it. Who does not want to go on a cruise and listen to amazing music along the way.

Here are a few videos I found online of what we all missed. The first is a new Brandi song I had never heard and the second video shows how amazing she is and how close we all could have been. Ladies (and you know who you are) next year we are going so start saving your pennies now!

My Super Tuesday

What a great day and they are right; good things come in 3’s.

1. I signed on the dotted line and as of March 10th (at the latest) I will no longer be a homeowner. It’s a little sad seeing my first house go. I really like the house and have some great memories there, but alas it is time to say goodbye.

2. I am no longer unemployed. I received an excepted a position at Publicis with their BOS group. The BOS group is the branding side on the T-Mobile account. I have decided being unemployed is overrated when you don’t have anyone to be unemployed with you during the day. I start next week and am excited to see where this opportunity takes me.

3. My **Christmas Miracle took a great turn today. It is still not happening as fast as I would like (hence Christmas is over), but the “move” today made me laugh. I am just sad I was not there to enjoy it first hand.

**My Christmas Miracle is the most un-Christ like thing I have ever wanted and I am not ready to share it with the world wide web as I don’t know if some of the “Pageant” members read my blog.

Famous Friends 2

I found even more famous friends!

Hooked on Phonics

D because I heart you and promised this list months ago, I dedicate this post to you. After writing this I realize that I like reading “girly” books, but lets be honest, I know you love a good girly book every now and again too.

But Inside I’m Screaming
This is a story about a successful businesswoman that has a breakdown and is put in a mental institution. Going in, she thought she did not belong and was better then the other patients, but as the story progresses, she realizes what she can learn from them. I liked this book because it made me realize there is some meaning behind my madness.




Life of Pi
This is a story about a boy and his family traveling on a boat. There is a accident and he is the only survivor. He travels the rest of the way on a boat with a tiger, zebra, and a few other animals. I know it sounds weird, but really liked it. It took me a good 100 pages to get into it, but once I finished it I had to read it again because my entire perspective on the story changed.


A Thousand Splendid Suns
Both born in Afghanistan a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are brought together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them -- in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul -- they form a bond that will ultimately alter the course of their lives and the lives of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival. I cried in the end and loved this book. I really think you will like it.

Twilight Series
Eclipse. Twilight and New Moon are the three books in the series…thus far and they are even making a Twilight movie! These are young adult stories so don’t expect anything super deep or earth shattering. Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife — between desire and danger. These really are “girly” book in that a lot of the story revolves around the Edward and Bella relationship, but you may still like it.

The Giver
Please tell me you have already read this. If not, start here! This is a very quick read and schools usually have 5th graders read it, but I love it. Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.



Time Travelers Wife
This is not a cheese get in a time machine and travel story. The book starts out from the woman’s perspective who meets and interacts with a man who is time traveling. As the book moves on, the two meet in real “time” and the book ends from his perspective as he is visiting her when she was little girl. The story is great, but the writing style is what I loved. It takes some getting use to as the author jumps all over time, but it was refreshing to read something different.





Where the Red Fern Grows
This is an old school classic so no recap because we all know the story, but I love it. I read it every year and it makes me cry every time.










Pay It Forward
They made a movie out of this book, but I loved the book so much I refused to see it. It is a great story about a boy who believes in doing something nice for 3 people, and those 3 people doing something nice for 3 people and so on. It is a quick, but great read.








My Sisters Keeper
I really like all of Jodi Picoult’s books, but this was the first one of hers that I read. The one sister is born with MS so the parents have another kid for donor purposes. The two sisters love each other, but the one sisters decides she has had enough and does not want to be a donor any more. I really liked this story because I could see both sides of the story.








The Count of Monte Cristo
I am sure you saw the movie, but read the book. It is SOOO much better.













Les Miserables
I read the unabridged version, but would recommend the abridged version. There were a few parts that I had a hard time making through with my ADD. The play and movie still only cover portions of this amazing story of love, kindness, and faith in God.








The Notebook
This is a super cheesy girly love story, but I am a girl so I love it! This is my favorite quote from the book, “I am nothing special of this I am sure. I am just a common man with common thoughts. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, that has always been enough.” It is a love story about two people who were meant to be together in this life and the next.







To Draw Closer to God
I normally get board with church books, but this was a great one. It is a bung of Elder Eyering’s talk put into a book. I recommend it to everyone.










The Bourne Series
The movies were great and who does not like watching Matt Damon, but you should really read the books. Like most movie/books, the books are very different and much better then the movies. These are good “guy” books.
Memory Keepers Daughter
Another amazing book. A father is delivering his twin children when he realizes one is born with down syndrome. Not knowing much about it, he tells his wife the one baby died and gives it to the nurse to take to a home only she falls in love with the little girl and raises her as her own.





Everyone Worth Knowing
You will not like this book because it is too girl and deals with pop culture, but there are a few “soft porn” parts so maybe you should read it! The story is about a girl living the high life in New York who becomes entangled in the Hollywood life, but in the end realizes what she really wants out of life. It’s a good “chick lit” book.







The Road
This sad story is about a little boy and his grandpa traveling though the world after a nuclear holocaust. Not many people lived and survival is a hard day to day thing. It was interesting to read the authors take on how he saw society banding against one another in such a time of crisis. Makes a kid think.







My Point….and I do Have One
You know I think Ellen Degeneres is the funniest person ever and this is a great book. Some very funny material.











A Train to Potevka
A Train to Potevka is a story about a real spy during the cold war. The story takes place as the Soviet Union is beginning to crumble. The author, Mike Ramsdell, is on an undercover mission in Siberia to extract a Russian criminal. Posed as a German oil investor, his cover gets blown and he’s forced to flee to a safe house in the small city of Potevka — a slow, long train ride from his current location.





There are a few other books like Dan Brown’s books, The Kite Runner and the Historian, but we have already talked about these so I left them off the list.

Maybe next, I will post the 30+ books I have on my self (or in a box) on my list to read.

Your welcome!

No Job = Phone Bill

My lovely self appointed gift of unemployment came with a bonus back, having to pay for my own cell phone. I did a lot of Internet research, asked my friends for their opinion, and ended up choosing t-mobile. They have by far the best priced packages and having their headquarters about 6 miles down the road assured me their coverage would be adequate. It went a little something like this:

Opening Scene:
Issaquah T-Mobile store, trendy atmosphere, trying to feel like a "Mac" store
Characters:
Jason - Mid to late 20's, average to moderately good looking, single, just trying to pay the bills
Me - Mid to late 20's, lots of adult acne, very single, going crazy because I have not "talked" to a single person all day

Jason: Can I help you with something today?
Me: Ya, I need a cell phone. I don't need it to send email, play music, or cook me dinner. I just need a phone this can make and take calls with ease. Oh, and I don't want it to have an antenna. I tend to break them off when I chuck it in my purse and I don't want to look silly like my friend Em. (Em, you know I love you but the extended antenna has to go!) One other thing, I like a phone that flips closed. I don't want to accidentally call my mom when I am wooing all the men.
Jason: Wow, ok...it sounds like you have a pretty good idea about what you want and so you know, we don't sell any phones with antennas. Our flip phones are over here.
Me: I actually found the phone I want online, but I needed to come in and hold it to see if my chubby fingers can work the buttons and if it makes my face look fat. (By this point Jason is laughing. Not so much with me, but at me.)
Jason: Have you looked into our phone plans?
Me: Well, I have no idea how many minutes I need because my current phone is through work. I'm really not a phone person. I was thinking your lowest plan that includes unlimited calls to your top 5 friends would work. Question though, what if I don't really have 5 people I call that often? Can I change my top 5? I mean, say I breakup with my future boyfriend or I have a falling out with a friend because girls are crazy. What are my options?
Jason: You can change you top 5 once a month, but you can't have any 800 or 900 numbers in your top 5.  Maybe you should not breakup with your future boyfriend. I am sure he was just having a hard couple of days at work.
Me: You may have a point about the future boyfriend. I'll keep that in mind, but that is too bad I can't have my favorite phone sex number in my top 5.  Now I really am down to 4 friends.  

Thanks T-Mo. (that's what the locals call it) Thanks for dealing with my craziness but more then that, thanks for your phenomenal customer service. My phone had a mail in rebate and they filled out the form, put all of the rebate items in an envelope, and addressed it.

Balance in Life

There's an old episode of Sex and the City playing on my TV while I am reading my friends blog about Gordon B Hinckley.

Gordon B Hinckley

I was sitting with a group of good friends watching TV when the news broke through indicating the Prophet had passed away. We all stopped and were quit and quickly started calling and texting family members to pass on the news. My initial reaction was peace. He was old and had accomplished amazing things. He missed his wife and while he would never admit it, I am sure he was ready to take a really long nap. Like so many, I too feel like he was "my" Prophet in that I have grown the most in the gospel while he was the Prophet.


There have been many great videos put together and even some funny posts about his passing, but my post to him is private and only between the two of us. Thank you President Hinckley for your never-ending love and service.

Things That Bug

Disclaimer: This post is not meant to offend, is not directed to any one person, and is the opinion of the author.

Now that I have moved, I spend a lot of time (and when I say a lot of time, I mean all day) online and have found a few things that drive me crazy:

1. Blog Music - To all of you with music players on your blog, please top. I like to listen to my own music while reading your blog and the "remix" of our music does not work.

2. F-Book - Ya, Facebook gets you hooked and wastes hours of your time. I quickly became obsessed with finding all my "friends" and now kind of regret it. It is stirring up some memories from events in the past that I would like to keep in the past. Not only do I have pressure to update my blog, but now Facebook as well. I also feel like some people use it as a way to show off and one up each other and that is NOT a game I play.

3. Blogger - Why must you contently not work right? Sometimes I can upload pictures, other times I need 3 hours to do so. Sometimes your spell checker work, other times you will not even let me copy and past your text to another program to check my spelling.

4. Blog Slackers – You know who you are. I update my blog a few times a week. So should you. Some of you must have set a new years resolution to blog more and it is showing, but others are still way behind and the excuse of not having anything to blog about does not cut it. What are you doing? What are you feeling? What’s on your mind? There are crazy people all around, pay attention and blog about them (extra points if you can get a picture of them). What childhood events are you trying to get over? What advice to you have for Britney Spears?

I don’t mean for this to be a Debbie Downer post, but just something I needed to get off my chest.