Remember?

Remember in my last post how I said that something really exciting is happening, but I can't discuss it quite yet? Well, I can discuss it now! My BFF Amy's husband, Bob, flew me up to Boise for Amy's (and my) birthday. We had so much fun and she was truly surprised (there were tears)!! If only someone had a video of that moment...

Here we all are after dinner at Amy's favorite sushi restaurant.

I can't believe Christmas is already over. It didn't even feel like Christmas this year. With the remodeling of our kitchen, we couldn't put our 24 foot tree up. We went to Home Depot and bought a 3 foot tree and a few ornaments, which we set up in my mom's office, where we've all been living for the last three weeks because the rest of our house is trashed. But my brother flew into town for a week, which was awesome! We all had a good time together and enjoyed each other's company.

New Year's is only a few days away and guess what? I didn't make my goal of 52 books. By midnight of December 31 I will have read 47.5 books. The .5 is the book that I'm currently reading and I know that it won't be done by then.

What are your plans to ring in the New Year? I have been invited to all-you-can-eat sushi at a local restaurant that's just down the hill from me. Can you believe it's 2011?

Giggity

I haven't had a new post in foreva-eva! What is wrong with me? Could it be the fact that I'm finally busy at work...and my other work? Yes, it's winter, which means that my job at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Teams are picking up, as is my job at Knead A Massage. Living in a ski town means it gets really busy starting around Thanksgiving (when most of the resorts open). It also means tourists driving under the speed limit and causing a traffic jam (probably one of my biggest pet peeves). We only have four lane highways in Park City, so if you're trying to "pass" someone in the left lane, ya gotta go more than 45 (when the speed limit is 55). Congratulations, morons!



So, my parentals decided to remodel the house. Not entirely, mostly in the kitchen. So, we have green carpet. It's a forest green, but still. Who buys green carpet? My parents do! Anyway, they decided to put in hardwood floors throughout the entire upstairs, then remodel the entire kitchen. I'm pretty excited about the whole process because I've been helping my mom choose all of the details. From the type of wood and color for the floors, to the color of the cabinets in the kitchen, even down to the detailing of the knobs on the cabinet doors and drawers.



Right now, our kitchen is completely gutted. The hardwood floors are being brought up from SLC today, then they need to "adjust to the climate" for five days. They'll start the installation on Monday. Packing the entire house has been a HUGE pain in the ass, but it's all worth it!



On a side note, something really exciting is happening this weekend, but I can't discuss it on public websites, so you'll just have to wait until next week to hear about this awesome and amazing adventure...if I remember to write about it. I really gotta get back into this bloggin thing!


On another side note, I'm screwed on my one book a week resolution. It's not gonna happen. I'm way too far behind. It looks like I'll end up with 47 or 48 books for the year, four or five short of the goal. And you know what, I'm ok with that. I have made an amazing effort, and I'm happy with the results.




And my final side not is this. The Dexter Season 5 finale is on Sunday!! WOO WOO! Who has loved watching me play Lumen every week? I sure have! Yes, I am constantly compared to Julie Stiles. I guess we look alike or something...

Go Dexter!

It's Official

Whelp, it's official. I have failed my New Year's Resolution. I am three weeks behind on my books and looks like it will probably get to four very easily. With my second job at the massage studio, plus travelling to Colorado for work, I fell behind and don't think I'll be able to recover. It would take a lot, and if I try really hard and do nothing but read over Thanksgiving weekend, I might be able to come back, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

I think I did a really great job, considering what I was coming from last year. I hated reading and maybe read one or two books a year. This year, I am proud to say that I have read 45 books, and the year isn't quite over. To make my goal of 52 books in 52 weeks, I would have to read seven more books. Actually, after looking at my calendar, I think I could do it!

I take all of the above back. I don't know what happened. Did I miscalculate? I was never good at math...

New Adventures of Old Chelsea

I'm in need of a new adventure. This could be a vacation, or it could mean moving. I've been wanting to leave this godforsaken state for 8 years now, but can't seem to find a way out. And believe me, I've tried...real hard.

I had a really crazy dream last night. I was living in either Portland or Seattle (not sure which because I've never been to either place) in a really amazing apartment and, no big deal, I had a flying car. I think this dream has a lot of meaning for me at this point in my life. Not the flying car part, but the living in a new and exciting place part. I would love nothing more than to pack up my stuff and move to some random location, but that's impossible right now. I have too many bills, none of which can be put on hold while I figure out my life. Plus, I have a dog, and she's the best thing in my life, so she comes first. I know she would follow me wherever I go, not because she doesn't have a choice, but she's just as adventurous as I am, if not more.

Together, we can make this happen. All I need is a small donation of $100,000. Checks can be made out to Chelsea Steinbach, but I prefer cash.

Get Excited!

Taylor Swift's new album releases Monday, October 25!!

The future is mine to mold

So, I'm sitting at work (Knead A Massage) and I noticed that I'm talking a lot to a customer who arrived a bit early and is waiting for her therapist to begin her massage. I think to myself, "I'm talking a lot. I'm almost talking too much...to the point where I'm just saying things that are on the brink of embarrassment." After the customer goes into her room for the massage, I realize that I've changed a lot in the last 3.5 years since graduating from college. Back then I was pretty shy. If I was in the same situation 5 years ago, I would have sat quietly behind my desk and not said a word. I would have provided the necessary customer service, but I wouldn't have gone above and beyond with a conversation. I've actually been pretty social with a lot of the customers, and even my coworkers at both of my jobs.

Lately, I've been feeling more eager to get to know people and understand where they come from and where they've been. I guess it's because I'm anxious to go someplace and find out who I am. I don't think I really know that yet. I'm already 25 and I don't know who I am? I think I have a pretty good grasp, but maybe I need something more. As I have written about numerous times on this blog, I need culture and travel and change. It will only make me a better person.

Starting right now, right this instant, I'm going to do my best to do something every day that scares me. That's the challenge, isn't it? Do something every day that scares you. Who actually does that? I don't think I know anyone who takes advantage of these life-altering opportunities. Do you? Have you become a better person because of it?

Another thing I'd like to do is not talk badly behind people's backs. I feel like I do it too often and it's not right. I would hate to know that people are talking about me. It will be difficult, so many of my friends are gossips, but it's something that I'm ashamed of, so I will make it happen.

Addition to Actor's List

I can't believe I forgot one of my favorite actors. I am officially adding James McAvoy to the list of awesome actors.

Clothes

Now that I'm working two jobs (three this weekend: dog sitting) I am making more money; money that I decided long ago would go towards bills. But there's another idea in the back of my mind. I want to spend all of that money on clothes. I'll go shopping every once in awhile, but not to buy large quantities of clothes, just a top or a dress or something. One item, max!

There are so many fun things out there, though. I can't get my mind off of them. What is with women and clothes? I never used to be this way, but I've become excited about fashion and keeping up with the styles of the seasons and the changing looks. I follow the celebrity styles and only wish I could pay for the designer clothes that they're all paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for. Just yesterday I was checking out Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's line, The Row. I was searching through the shirts and came across this cute one:

After thinking about how cute this would look on, I glanced over at the price, thinking that this thin piece of fabric couldn't be too pricey. Here's what I found:

Yes, you are reading it correctly. $275. For a t-shirt. Two-hundred and seventy-five dollars..

So, I shall be searching elsewhere.

A lot of the websites where I look for fashion tips have areas where you can "get the look for less". When they say "less" they mean over $100. Why are clothes so expensive? How am I supposed to keep up with fashion if I can't afford to buy anything fashionable?

New Job

I officially started my new job last night. I wasn't completely alone, but I did everything on my own. My schedule is Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, 5:30-close. Right now, we're open until 9pm, but in the winter the hours are extended to 10pm. It will be tough, but definitely worth the extra money.

Step one to paying of my credit cards: Complete!

New Blog

I decided to create a new blog about Park City restaurants. I will be rating new restaurants, as well as old favorites. The Park City Culinary Adventures blog can be followed here.

Today's post: Shoyu Sushi

What a week! And it's only Tuesday!

Last Wednesday, I was informed that I received the job that I applied for a week prior. This is a second job that I'm adding onto my plate so I can take care of some increasing bills. The job is at Knead A Massage in Park City doing front desk duties, and so far, so good. I'm in training which, in and of itself, is overwhelming. There are so many new things to learn and remember; a whole new system. Last night at training, I finally started to feel comfortable. I officially begin on my own next Monday. I will be adding 14 hours every week on top of my normal 40 hour work week at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association. Then, when winter hits, the office hours are longer at Knead A Massage, so I will add four more, making my total 58 hours of work each week.



I've already figured out that I can pay off one of my credit cards in three months, which is HUGE! Then the waterfall effect takes place. I start paying off another credit card and am done in three more months, and so forth. I'm a little nervous about the additional hours, but it seems to be a pretty laid back environment, and once I'm comfortable working on my own, I think it will go by smoothly. And my motivation is more than enough!

Oh, and did I mention I get free 30 minute massages anytime I want? Yeah! True!

Actors

I've been watching a lot of really great TV lately. I just finished The Sopranos for the 8th time through. I could literally start it from the beginning and watch it all over again...and do that every time it ends. I started Six Feet Under last night. This will be my 2nd time through. I'm excited about this because my mom has never seen it, so I'm making her watch it. We both love Dexter, so I thought I'd show her what a great actor Michael C. Hall is. Most of my favorite shows are on HBO or Showtime.

After watching all of these incredible shows, I decided to create a list of my favorite actors and actresses. Here are my lists as they stand right now (in no particular order):

While I'm at it, I might as well tell you my top 10 favorite movies of all time (after #1, no particular order):

1. The Goonies / Stand By Me
2. Almost Famous
3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
4. Dumb and Dumber
5. Psycho (1960)
6. American History X
7. Commando
8. Drop Dead Gorgeous
9. The Planet of the Apes (1968)
10. Gladiator

Resolution Finale

It's coming up on the end of the year (already!) and I realized I only have 16 books left to read to complete my New Year's Resolution of reading one book per week for a full year. I have spent tons of money on books this year (normally the money would have gone to DVD purchases) and I can happily tell you that the money was well spent!

So far, in the year 2010, I have read 36 books, which means there are only 16 weeks left in the year and I only have 16 books left to read. I have more than 16 books that I want to read, so I have to make a list of the most important ones. Here's the list:

1. The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium #2), by Stieg Larsson
2. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium #3), by Stieg Larsson
3. Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2), by Suzanne Collins
4. Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3), by Suzanne Collings
5. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
6. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
7. Atonement, by Ian McEwan
8. Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides
9. Desperation, by Stephen King
10. Everything's Eventual, by Stephen King
11. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver
12. Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella
13. The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson
14. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, by David Sedaris
15. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer

#16, I can't decide. I have a decent selection of books at home, but I just don't know what to end the year with. I've thought about ending with The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett, but I'm not entirely sure. I started that book about two years ago and only got about 50 pages in before giving up. Other options are:

• The Last American Man, by Elizabeth Gilbert (loved her writing in Eat, Pray, Love)
• Deception Point, by Dan Brown
• Digital Fortress, by Dan Brown
• Icy Sparks, by Gwyn Rubio
• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
• The Horse Whisperer, by Nicholas Evans
• Eragon, by Christopher Paulini

...just to name a few.

I'm also willing to purchase a book, since I have a ton on my list anyway, all of which can be viewed on my Goodreads account. Any suggestions?

Happy 9/02/10 Day!

Yes, it's true, the date is September 2, 2010...9/02/10. What a clever way to remember one of my favorite shows growing up, Beverly Hills 90210!

Apparently we should be celebrating by wearing our favorite character's clothes, but not sure how I'd go about getting those. And my favorite character was Dillon, so that would be awkward.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Is anyone else ridiculously excited for Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte??

I honestly think that this might be my favorite thing about fall. I also enjoy the Gingerbread Latte. I just love anything with coffee in it.

I have been trying to drink more tea though...just because coffee stains your teeth. Plus, green tea is supposed to boost your metabolism!...so says Fitness Magazine.

BB King, Al Green, and Buddy Guy

On Tuesday evening, I went to see BB King, Al Green, and Buddy Guy play at Deer Valley. This was my first blues concert and it was amazing! I bought the tickets for my mom for her birthday (which was yesterday).

The evening started out with Buddy Guy, who is hilarious and an amazing guitar player.

We had a pretty awesome seats, too!

To start out, the crowd was mostly sitting down. If you're from PC, you know that the crowd just needs to get a little boozed up before they can really go all out. Buddy got everyone excited by walking through the crowd.

This is probably one of the best pictures of the night. Buddy Guy in the sea of white. Only in Utah.

By the time Buddy got back to stage everyone was on their feet!

Next up: The Reverand Al Green!

Al's performance was amazing. He had backup singers and dancers. He played most of his famous songs, and what a great performer! He had everyone on their feet dancing!

Finally, at the end of the night, BB King!

BB is 84 years old and still touring around the world. He was wheeled up on the stage to a standing ovation and loud cheering. He sat down in his chair and strapped Lucille around his shoulders.

BB did a lot of talking and not a whole lot of singing, but when he played Lucille it sent chills down my spine. At 84 years old, BB King still has it!

Back to Work

It's my first week back to the office and things are starting to pick up in preparation for the 2010-11 season. I'm working on my clinic schedule, to be released on September 1, so I'm glad to be busy.

Over my break I went up to Boise to visit my good friends, Amy and Emily. We had such a great time! We went out to the Basque Festival. Every four years, the Basques hold a special festival called Jaialdi. The streets are filled with people having a great time with food, drinks, and dancing.

We also went tubing down the Boise River. Amy and I were in a 4-man raft with two other girls. We almost made it all the way down the river without flipping it over, but nope! We flipped it. Amy was nervouse because several people die each year on that river. All I could think was "Save the shoes!" We made it safely back into the raft and down the river.

After that, we went to a diner that was featured on Man vs. Food called Rockie's Diner. Amy and Emily's husbands, Bob and Michael, were going to do the challenge, but decided that they wanted to work up to it. They basically did half the challenge, which is basically a couple of pounds of hamburger meat, chili, hotdogs, and everything that goes on a burger. The challenge is double that meal, plus chili cheese fries, plus a milk shake.

Watch the Man vs. Wild episode here to see what this Rockies Diner challenge looks like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siA1hVOVn0w&feature=related

We sat at the same table that Adam Richman sat at. I don't know how. Maybe it was because we had a baby that needed a high chair?

On Sunday, Amy, Bob, and I went to see Eclipse...no big deal. These films are getting so much better. Twilight was horrible. New Moon was slighly boring. Eclipse is finally exciting, and not awkward acting, which is a huge step up from Twilight. That evening I was able to be a part of Sunday Night Dinner at the Alvord household. I felt so special! I always know I'm going to eat well when I'm with the Alvords!

Monday was a day of relaxing while everyone was at work. I flew home that evening.

And then I had two weeks off of work. Guess what I did? NOTHING! I had a movie marathon and watched 20+ movies. I slept in every day and took mid-afternoon naps. It was exactly what I needed.

So, back at work and still haven't uploaded my pictures from Boise. That will be on my to do list for this weekend. Check back for pics!

VACATION!!

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Teams won a total of 21 medals at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, a new record. As a thank you for all the hard work we all put towards the Olympics and it's success, the CEO decided to close the office for the first two weeks of August!

What will I do for two weeks you ask? Well, this first weekend, I will be venturing to Boise to visit these two losers:

Amy Alvord Shaw and Emily Alvord LaRacco. My sistas from anotha mista. Is that a real saying? Maybe I just made it up.

While I'm up there, I will be hanging out at the Basque Festival and catching up with my second family, The Alvords. I believe there are plans to go see Eclipse, perhaps tube down the river? Ya never know what to expect when us crazy kids get together.

More importantly, I am SOOOOOOO EXCITED to finally meet Emily's little munchkin, Olivia!

Olivia was born in November 2009, but Amy had to go and get married in October, so I spent all of my vacation up in Boise for pre-wedding and wedding events. I apologize, Emily.

We should have a BBQ at your new house! I'm inviting myself over. And bringing margaritas!

That about sums up my vacation, even though I come home on Monday. I have two weeks of nothing to do. I'm pretty excited about it. I will be watching Shark Week all next week, and then I'll probably have movie marathons for the rest of the time. Maybe take a few hikes. Who knows? Who knows.

Salt

Last night at about 7:30pm in the middle of summer and no air conditioning in the house the power decided to go out. I went for a walk in the cool mountain air and returned home. Still no power. We decided that if the powere wasn't on by 9:15, we were going to go to a movie. Whelp, 9:15 arrived and still not power. We left for the theater, which is always cold, not matter what time of year. We sit down and the movie began.

First, I just want to say that I was never a huge Angelina Jolie fan. Now I am. She kicked ass in this entire movie! I had one of those moments where I got so excited that I almost cried. It takes a lot for me to feel this way.

The only thing that I didn't like about it was that Evelyn Salt could very easily be compared to Jason Bourne, which is another movie where I get so excited that I almost cry. In fact, the very ending of the movie could be compared to the ending of The Bourne Ultimatum, where Jason Bourne gets shot and falls out the window into the river below. Then the amazing tunes of Moby play and Jason Bourne swims away. Queue the ending of Salt.

So, I highly recommend this movie if you're craving a really awesome action/adventure flick.

Amazing

Lately

I have been having a hard time sitting down and reading. I always read before I go to bed, but have only been able to get in a chapter or two, which is making it impossible to finish this book.

Don't get me wrong, I'm loving every word of it, but I have recently started watching The Office....and I can't get enough of it. I have fallen in love with Jim Halpert and his crazy facial expressions.

I can't wait to see what happens with him and Pam.

I know that he proposes, they get married, and have a baby.

I have recently taken up trail running. I've been meaning to take a video of me running down this mountain with my dog in front of me. We have so much fun! I never thought I would be caught dead saying that running is fun, but trail running is such a great way to exercise. I'm in the beautiful Rocky Mountains chasing my dog down a really awesome trail through green trees. I am slightly afraid that I'm going to trip on something and roll down the mountain, but other than that, it's GREAT!

I did make a mistake last Saturday. I went on a pretty intense two hour hike...but the mistake was that I went at 1pm. By that time it had to have been about 90 degrees in Park City. I specifically remember about half way through the hike, saying outloud, "Wow, it's hot today!" I should have turned around at that point, but ended up going for another hour or so. By the time I got home, I had an excrutiating headache, and water and Advil weren't helping. I ended up vomiting, and I wouldn't be suprised if it was heat exhaustion. I don't think I'll go hiking in the middle of the day like that again. It was fun while it lasted.

Last night I went out to dinner with my friend, Whitney. She's actually my brother's best friend, but she has become a very good family friend over the years. She is currently living in Boston, but was home visiting family for a few weeks. We went to the Wasatch Brewery up on Main Street. She had tried a really great beer a few weeks earlier and told me how amazing it was, so I had to try it. It was probably the most amazing beer I've ever had. It's called Wasatch Jalapeno Cream Ale. Only Wasatch Brewery would come up with a jalapeno beer. It was DELICIOUS! You can taste the jalapeno as soon as the beer enters your mouth, and then as it's going down your throat, you get a little bit of a kick, and then....beer. It's amazing. I highly recommend this beer!

I'm planning on trail running this evening, so hopefully I'll remember my camera so I can take a video running down the mountain behind Babs. Hopefully I won't eat shit on the way....although it would make for a great video!

Books to Movies

Whenever a movie comes to the big screens, the first thing I do is check to see if it's based on a book. If it is, I will take the time to read the book before seeing it in the theater. I cannot believe how many movies are completely destroying the book. Just to name a few that I've read recently, My Sister's Keeper and Dear John.

Usually, most of the movie is accurate. I understand that they have to take out some of the details in order for it to fit into an hour and a half period. However, when they completely change the ending of the story, that's when it hurts.

SPOILER ALERT

In the book, My Sister's Keeper, Kate has cancer and is fighting her parents in court for property of her own body so she won't have to go through anymore tests. In the end, Kate ends up winning the case. There's a car accident that her sister, Anna, is involved in. She's close to death, but then Kate dies and is able to donate her organs to Anna, who survives the accident. In the movie, Kate beats the cancer and Anna ends up dying in the car accident.

In the book, Dear John, Savannah ends up marrying another man and breaks John's heart when he comes back from the Middle East. Of course, this other man, Savannah's best friend from growing up, now has cancer. He survives and John ends up alone, watching Savannah and her husband from a distance in the woods (creepy?). In the movie, Savannah's husband dies of cancer and John wins Savannah.

I don't get it. Why would you completely change the entire ending of the story when the original ending was amazing in itself? Who has the answer to this? Anyone?

Utah

I have to get out of Utah as soon as possible! I hate being here. I hate the people. I hate the government. I hate everything about it, with the exception that this is my home and my close friends and family live here. Other than that, I just don't care. I have to get out. Someone give me money so I can afford to move.

New Goal

As you know, my 2010 New Year's Resolution is to read a book a week. So far so good! I have downed 28 books in 28 weeks. Go me! So, since I have become a reading fiend, I decided that I will read all of the books on The Pulitzer Prize list. Basically I will be pulling a Kali J.! Kali is in the process of reading all of the Newbery Prize winning books.

No time limit is needed. I would just like to get through the list. I have only read about 5 books on the list, so I have a long way to go! Oooh! Maybe I'll switch off, a Newbery then a Pulitzer. That could be neat.

Bucket List

I started creating my "to do before I die" list a few years back. Let's make it official. Here's my bucket list:

1. Travel to every continent in the world
2. Backpack through Europe
3. Be successful
4. Make a family
5. Figure out what the point of life is
6. Get more into astronomy -- possibly travel to the moon??
7. Ski the Swiss Alps
8. Join the Peace Corps
9. Volunteer in Africa
10. Attend a Summer Olympic Games
11. Invent something
12. Learn as much as possible
13. Live in a foreign country for at least a year
14. Play the banjo (in West Virginia)
15. Safari through Kenya
16. Flying sharks off the coast of South Africa
17. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
18. Walk through the Louvre
19. Moped through Rome
20. Drink wine in Tuscany
21. Coffee in the south of France
22. Trek across the Himalayas
23. Wear ushanka in Moscow
24. Surf Australian beaches
25. Oktoberfest in Munich
26. Hike Machu Picchu
27. Fall foliage in New England
28. Neuschwanstein Castle
29. Stone Forest in Yunnan
30. Travel to:

• Alaska, Seattle, Portland, San Antonio, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinatti, Philadelphia, Nashville, Louisville, New Orleans, the deep south, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, Raleigh, Portland (ME), Newport (RI), Lake Placid, Niagara Falls, Nantucket, Boston
• Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto
• Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallerta, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicarague, Costa Rica, Panama
• Valencia, Rio de Janiero, Peru, Chile, Argentina
• Moracco, Egypt, Madagascar, South Africa
• Norway, Finland, Iceland, England, Ireland, Denmark, Netherlands, Brussels, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Ukraine, Serbia
• Turkey, India, Vietnam, Israel, Moscow, Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia
• Philippines, Australia, New Zealand
• Fiji, Jamaica, Bahamas

This is only the beginning...

Living Abroad

My mom and I have been seriously talking about moving to Euorpe, so I have been doing the research. We originally wanted to move to Stockholm because we have family there and we fell in love with the country when we visited. But when we called my brother, he decided that he'd rather live in southern Europe, since northern Euorpe has such a short amount of light in the winter. We agreed to it, so we are now looking in Spain and Italy.

My brother doesn't really want to move to Europe because he doesn't think he would be able to find a job in his career, film making. My dad doesn't want to move to Europe because there's nothing for him there and he's so close to retirement that he'd rather stay in the U.S.

I'm hoping I can find something that will change their minds. Who wouldn't want to live in Barcelona, or Marseille, or Rome?

IDEA: Matt (my brother) could get a job filming fashion week in Milan.

First Tat

I've been wanting to get a tattoo since I was 18 and I'm definitely ready for it, but I'm having the hardest time figuring out what I want to get. I don't want anything stupid and cheesy. It has to mean something to me, and has to be something I won't regret when I'm 70.

So, I've been looking into a few things. First off, I'm Swedish. My great grandmother was a survivor of the Titanic, and I'm very proud of that. I was lucky enough to visit my family in Sweden 10 years ago. We had the amazing opportunity to head north towards Norway and saw some really amazing viking rock art:

So, I was thinking about getting a viking symbol like these:

Another thing I'm indecisive about is the location of the tattoo. I have a few areas that I like: my back right shoulder, my right/left side on my ribs, or the outside of my ankle. My first choice is the right/left side on my ribs, but I'd prefer that tattoo to be rather large. I just don't know!

Do any of you have tattoos? If so, what and where is it?

Writing....

I wish I had something interesting to tell everyone....but I don't. I guess I could talk about future events. Tomorrow, my good buddy Nicco, his mom, and sister are coming to town. I'm pretty excited. They're kind of my favorite people to hang out with.

A week from Saturday, my brosef comes home for a whole week. We have nothing planned as of yet, so hopefully we'll come up with something soon. We'll probably head over to Main for the annual Park City Parade on the 4th, but who knows what else....perhaps the free concert and fireworks at The Canyons on the 3rd? Park City is pretty amazing this time of year. TONS of stuff to do. Free concerts at Deer Valley every Wednesday? Yes, please!

Oh, about 10 minutes ago I became best friends with Louie Vito. He stopped by my desk to say hi and to check out my Coach of the Month poster (a collection of '70s and '80s headshots of ski coaches which I pick out every month). Anyway, Louie and I are now BFFs!

Alone

I realized about a week or two ago that no one reads my blog. I'm pretty sure I write the blog and then I'm the only one who goes back and reads it.

Awesome.

Me: So....hey Chels! What up?

Me: Not much, how are you?

Me: Pretty swell. Just hangin' out, bein' awesome.

Me: Cool, me too.

Design

I am so anxious to have my own house. I have started thinking about color schemes and decorating ideas. So far, here's what I've come up with.

This is essentially what my future living room will look like:

It's just a start, but I know what I'm looking for!

Feeling Good

Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by you know how I feel

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom on the tree you know how I feel

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know
Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean

And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me

Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel

More & More Books!

I have become a readaholic (thanks to my friend Nancye). Whenever I'm having a conversation, I find myself discussing the books I've read this year, and making sure people suggest books in return.

There are so many books out there that I want to read. The list is endless.

But I'm looking for MORE!

Please send me the titles of some of your favorite books. I'm dying to add them to my "to-read" list on Goodreads! Or, if you have a Goodreads profile, friend me immediately. And if you don't have a Goodreads profile, get one now. It's such a great way to find book reviews, see what your friends are reading, and what they like!

On a side note, I'm going to start hitting the yard sales and searching for accessories for my future house. Can't wait!!

New York City 2010

Grandma was looking down on Matt and I as we enjoyed a long weekend in New York together over Memorial Day weekend.


Thursday, May 27


My flight departed SLC at 8:30am and arrived at JFK at 5:08pm. I took the subway to Columbus Circle, where I met Matt and we went out to dinner.


We took it easy the first night, heading back to Matt's apartment in Brooklyn, where we settled down with a bottle of Jack and Kacy, Matt's roomie.


We went to bed early so we could get up and start my vacation in New York City.



Friday, May 28


First stop: The Museum of Natural History.


Here's Matt standing next next to a planet where you can go inside for movies. This was the space center.


Matt and I spent hours inside this museum. There's so much to see. I highly recommend it to everyone who visits New York.



Friday was a museum day. After the Museum of Natural History, we walked across beautiful, green Central Park and went to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). On Friday's, the MoMA is free from 4-8pm.


Apart from all of the amazing artwork (Picasso, Matisse, Warhol), there was this crazy exhibit that had been in town for several months. Have you ever seen the movie, The Ring? I like to compare this exhibit to the video that kills you in seven days. There were pictures, videos, and nude humans all over the 6th floor.


There was a video of a group of naked people laying face down in a grassy field humping the ground simultaneously. There was a video of a woman caressing her breasts up and holding them up to the sky. There was a video of a woman cutting her stomach.


Then there were the live nudes. I walked around the corner to see a woman sitting on a bike seat that was mounted halfway up the wall and staring at people in the audience. She was nude. I walk around the next corner and there is a man laying on a table with a science class skeleton on top of him and staring at the people. He was nude. I go around the corner and there are two men standing about a foot apart from each other while people walked through them. They were nude.


Then you go down to the second floor and see the artist sitting in a chair, staring at someone sitting in another chair across from her.


Weird. You just don't see that here in Utah. Check out more on the exhibit here.


After our museum day, we met up with Kacy and went to dinner at a really good pizza place. We enjoyed delicious pizza and beer. We took the subway downtown to Tribeca and had a drink at the Tribeca Tavern, then headed back to the apartment to hang out with our buddy Jack.


Saturday, May 29



We stopped by the Freedom Tower, which doesn't look much bigger than last year.

Then, Matt and I headed over to Battery Park hoping to see some fighter jets circling the Statue of Liberty as their turnaround from the Fleet Week parade taking place on Long Island. We didn't see any. Instead, we had an amazing view of the Statue, boats, and millions of people trying to get on fairies.

After sitting there for an hour, we got back on the subway and headed back to Brooklyn. We went to the Transit Museum, which was surprisingly awesome! Where else can you take pictures of yourself driving a bus?

After taking many pictures as ticket takers, money counters on the money train, and passengers on the 1920s subways, we headed to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory right under the Brooklyn Bridge. I enjoyed a waffle cone filled with butter pecan and strawberry ice cream. It was delicious!

We hopped back on the subway and went back to Manhattan to meet up with Kacy at H&M, where I have to visit everytime I go to NYC (still none in Utah). We went out to dinner at a really delicious Chinese restaurant in the East Village. Then, headed back to the apartment to meet up with Jack.

Once we got back to the apartment, we heard that Matt's neighbors were having a party. Matt always complains about these neighbors. There are two different groups of Latinos who have huge parties in Matt's backyard, which is an area with several buildings enclosed around it, making the DJ sized speakers and volume penetrate off the brick. The building literaly shakes.

We waited up for Matt's BFF, Whitney, to drive in from Boston. Then Matt made me watch Adventures in Babysitting, which is ok since it's one of my favorite movies of all time.

Sunday, May 30

Today is Matt's birthday! For his present, I bought him Yankee tickets. The Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 7-3. It was a really great game, and such a beautiful stadium! I hate to say it, but after going to a game and experience in the embiance of a Major League Baseball game, especially at Yankee Stadium, if I ever move to New York, I think I'd have to become a Yankee fan.

After the game, we met up with Kacy, Darryl, and Whitney for Matt's birthday dinner at Cafe con Leche. It's a mix of Spanish and Cuban. Once again, it was delicious!

Then we headed back to the East Village to go to a speakeasy. It was so exciting! You go into this hot dog restaurant and there's a phone booth. You go into the phone booth, pick up the phone and talkwith someone in the speakeasy. You have to give them the secret code to get in. We only stayed for one drink because it was so expensive, but when we left, all the faces of the people eating hot dogs were very confused after seeing five people come out of a tiny phone booth.

We went to a cheaper bar where we met up with another one of Matt's friends, David. Then, after a few drinks there, we all headed back to the apartment for more drinks and snacks.

Monday, May 31

My last day in New York, we all went to a street fair on Madison Ave. These street fairs are crazy! There are tons of people (as usual) and vendors on every inch of the 15 blocks. I bought some earrings, but it was so ridiculously hot and humid, that I couldn't stand being in the heat any longer. I ate some delicious pad thai, and munched on some of my Matt's gyro.


We headed back to the apartment to pack. Matt was on the same flight home with me, so we said goodbye to Kacy, Darryl, and Whitney (who had to drive back to Boston) and left for the airport. We ended up sitting on the plane for 2 hours and 45 minutes. The new law requires pilot's to return to the gate after 3 hours of being idol on a plane. We barely made it. We landed in SLC a little after 12:30am.

Dorothy June Cherry

7/19/1926 ~ 5/26/2010

Our beloved mother, grandmother, sister and aunt ended this life's journey on Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Born to Hans and Bertha Christensen, Dorothy's journey began in Chicago, Illinois on July 19, 1926. Growing up during the Great Depression, her family struggled through the hard times. Dorothy attended Art School where her artistic talents began to flourish. After high school she volunteered helping at the USO for World War II Veterans. It was there that she met her sweetheart George, a Sergeant in the army. They fell in love doing the jitterbug and big band swing. Little did Dorothy know that George was a jazz musician and music became a big part of their romance and life together. They married in 1946 and their next crossroad took them to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1949.

As Dorothy and George's journey moved through the 50's and 60's, they enjoyed raising their son Paul and daughter Jan. Dorothy also continued to develop her artistic skills doing beautiful landscapes and portraits. In the late 70's their children moved West. Dorothy retired with George and took the next path in her journey that lead them to Salt Lake City to be closer to their family.

During the 80's and 90's they enjoyed watching their grandchildren grow and kept young by dancing to Big Band music. Widowed in 2000, Dorothy began to travel. Her longest and most meaningful journey was to trace her roots back to Sweden. Dorothy was the daughter of a Titanic survivor and had kept in touch with cousins in Sweden. It was during that visit that she learned the real story that her mother could never share. She discovered that her mother's journey paralleled the story depicted in the 1997 movie. Dorothy was featured when the Titanic exhibit came through Salt Lake City.

The next segment of her journey was filled with her love of reading, art, family and playing cards with her friends at Preston Place. Dorothy was a life long Christian and member of Prince of Peace Ev. Lutheran Church. Her faith and family sustained her through all of her life's journey. Dorothy Cherry was a kind, giving and gentle soul to all who knew her. She has now begun her eternal journey with her Savior Jesus Christ.

Dorothy is survived by her brother Arthur Christensen (Thomaston, CT), her daughter Jan (Larry), Park City, UT, grandson Matthew Steinbach (New York City, NY), granddaughter Chelsea Steinbach (Park City, UT), granddaughter Rachel Cherry (San Luis Obispo, CA), numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Preceded in death by George and son, Paul. A Celebration of Dorothy's Journey Through Life will be held at Prince of Peace Ev. Lutheran Church, 1441 West Tamarack Road (1 block North of 4700 South) on Wednesday, June 2 at Noon. One hour prior to the service there will be a viewing. A luncheon will follow the service. Then Dorothy will join George at the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery at Camp Williams with a gravesite service. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made to Prince of Peace Lutheran School or the Utah Kidney Foundation.

Religion & God

Since my reading adventure began, I have read several books taking place in different areas of the world, all different religious affiliations, and beliefs in who god is and what his teachings are. I began wondering, what if all of these gods from all of these relgions are the same God?

Christian
Who is God, according to The Bible: There is only one God. God is "the Supreme Being; the Creator and Ruler of all that is; the Self-existent one who is perfect in power, goodness, and wisdom." God made the heavens and the earth, created man "in His own image". He is the one we pray to in times of need, in times of thanks, in times of remorse, repent to, and praise in happiness.
Prophet: Jesus, who God sent down to earth to preach His word. Turned water to wine, healed the sick, etc.
Life and Salvation: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” -John 3:16
Afterlife: Continued existence of the soul in Heaven/Hell.

Islam
Who is God, according to The Qur'an: There is only one God, Allah, which simply means the (al) God (Ilah), deriving form the Hebrew word for God, Elohim. Allah created man using a clot of blood.
Prophet: Muhammed, the last and greatest messengers of God. Not divine.
Life and Salvation: Live life to please Allah so that you may live eternity in Paradise.
Afterlife: Continued existence of the soul in Paradise/Jahannam.

(Chart comparing Christianity and Islam: http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/christianity_islam.htm)

Hindu
Who is God, according to Vedas/Shruti/Bhagavad Gita/Ramayan: Aspects of the supreme Brahman, avatars of supreme being, or devas.
Prophet: No prophets, just devotion to gods and goddesses: Brahman (god-creator) and his 300,000 reincarneted beings, Vishnu (god-preserver), Shiva (god-destroyer), Saraswati (godess of knowledge), Lakshmi (godess of wealth), Parvati & Shakti (godesses of power).
Life and Salvation: Salvation by works and many reincarnations; Karma's good or bad deeds will determine your chosen afterlife; Meditation.
Afterlife: Samsara, or the cycle of rebirth and death. Good deeds will lead to Svargam (heaven), bad deeds will lead to Narakam (hell), or reincarnation. Good deeds provide you to move to higher sun-filled worlds of reincarnation. Bad deeds will lead to lower worlds and consequence.




Buddhism
Who is God, according to Tipitaka or Sutras: No Supreme Creator, rather Buddha or the Enlightened One. Be thy own refuge.
Prophet: Siddhartha
Life and Salvation: Meditation will lead to Vipassana, or seeing through the mode of impermanence (Side Note: The book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert has a very interesting description of Vipassana).
Afterlife: Samsara, or the cycle of rebirth and death.

The Buddha said of death:

Life is a journey.
Death is a return to earth.
The universe is like an inn.
The passing years are like dust.

Regard this phantom world
As a star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,
A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
A flickering lamp - a phantom - and a dream.

In Buddhism, there is either reincarnation or Nirvana. Reincarnation is not from one human body to another, but could be to a lower level of being depending on your previous life and how you lived it. Reincarnation is suffering until you reach Nirvana, which can only be achieved by Buddhas:

"It is recognized that there is nothing but what is seen of the mind itself; where, recognizing the nature of the self-mind, one no longer cherishes the dualisms of discrimination; where there is no more thirst nor grasping; where there is no more attachment to external things." -Surangama

(Chart comparing Christianity and Buddhism: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Buddhism_vs_Christianity)



Judaism
Who is God, according to the Tanakh/Torah (or Old Testament of The Bible): There is only one God, Yahweh, or Adonai. Same ideology as Christian God.
Prophet: Abraham, Moses, Miriam, Isaiah, Samuel, Ezekiel, Malachi, Job.
Life and Salvation: Believe in God and perform good deeds throughout life to go to the Garden of Eden (Heaven) or Gehinnom (Hell).
Afterlife: Divine revelation and forgiveness in Heaven, or possibly reincarnation, Gehenna, or no aflterlife at all.

(Chart comparing Christianity and Judaism: http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/christianity_judaism.htm)

Interesting chart showing the religious percentage around the world.

SIDE NOTE: Mormanism vs. Mainstream Christianity: http://www.religionfacts.com/mormonism/comparison.htm

Just another comparison that shows the differences between the two. I'd say they are just as different as comparing Christianity with all of the above religions.

Jews for Jesus posted this really great chart outlining the differences of Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity. It's pretty cool to see them all side-by-side: http://jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/10_4/chart