Literary train of thought

How Democracies Die lead to The Plot Against America which lead to Brave New World which lead to The Feminine Mystique which lead to The Handmaid's Tale which lead to my current book The Bell Jar. Read by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Maggie Gyllenhaal!

Were you aware that the protagonist in The Bell Jar is five ten? 

I killed my demons at Ulta today

Get yourself a friend like Kristin. 

And also some nail polish like mine. $4.97

MC Escher, finding what you didn't come for, and my recent literary luck

Today was Alta's last day at the job we both moved to two years ago. We went to dinner and the BYU Museum of Art to celebrate her new job. In classic fashion, I ordered sweet potato fries and dessert because sometimes you just have to order exactly what you want to eat. We ate on the patio because it was the perfect spring evening. We talked about life and change and times of transition. We talked about feeling peace in the face of the unknown. I'm about to make a big life change and I feel so collected about it, just as Alta does about this life change. I have no idea exactly why I'm going to make this change other than that I have this overwhelming sense of peace and purpose that it's what I'm meant to do. 

The MC Escher exhibit was fantastic. But on the way out we stopped at this exhibit about refugees. It ended up being the real reason we were there. Dana Gluckstein's exhibit Dignity: Tribes in Transition was powerful and fragile and so personal. Alta began to cry. Touched by the humanity and the way we all work and struggle and find meaning. What else could she do? 

For information about the exhibit: click here

http://photokunst.com/photographer_detail.php?artist_id=21&collection_id=49&display=50

It's free and you will love it. 

I saw a painting I knew I needed for my bedroom, recently painted serenely gray. 

As we walked into the parking lot, the Carillon bells played Come Thou Fount and Alta began to cry again. Because it was all so assured and unassuming.I made her let me take a picture of the moment because a year from now things will be wonderful and at peace and she needs to remember today when that happens. 

Hair

Going lighter with the hair so wish me luck with that. 

Siri Fail

No Siri, I just want to listen to Janis Joplin

When in Rome

When you get a ridiculous pickup line, it's best to respond in kind. 

But seriously. With wit like that, HOW am I still single? 

Charming

Last night I went on a first date. It had been a rough day. Grandma in the ICU and grandpa at my house in excruciating pain. The nice young man asked me if I would need to reschedule and I told him no, I could use a little break and was looking forward to being charmed. 

I showed up 30 minutes late to dinner. Not that being late bothers me, but 30 minutes is a little much. He didn’t mind. It turned out that when I said I want to be charmed, he went and bought me flowers. But he said, “But not normal flowers because you can plant these, and then if I turn out to be a jerk you can smash them.”

So that's like perfect. 

1971

This is my favorite of my recent resolutions. There are a few great things about it. 

1- Hearing a song from a TV show or movie and realizing that they carefully curated music from the right year.

2 - Seeing a song that you love but have totally forgotten about. Today it was Maggie May by Rod Stewart.

3 - When someone asks about what year a song was released, knowing the answer. 

As I was talking to one of the emergency medicine doctors, he said he thought it would’ve been better if I chose to listen to the top rock songs from every year, because I’ve just been doing the top 20 songs in general. I think he has a good point because when I hit 1973, I don’t think I’m even going to hear Dream On by Aerosmith and somehow that just seems wrong to me. 

True Friendship

Universal truth

Today I acknowledged fully that sometimes when you feel like you are a sad fatty you just have to go back home, ditch the scrubs and Nikes and change into a dress and some put some pink lipstick on. 

And in the ultimate extra move, my shoes match my lipstic. 

BAM.