Gas Prices? Ridic!!

Wow. It's really shocking. I remember when I was 18 and I worked in Yosemite and we were driving through the Sierras and I saw a gas station in the mountains and the gas was $1.80. I was dumbfounded. I wanted to stop and take a picture because I was sure no one back home would believe that gas was so expensive anywhere... Man. If I could turn back time. If I could find a way.
So because of this I've done some thinking. I hate to break it to some of you, but if you don't live close enough that I can walk or ride my bike to your house, I don't think we can be friends anymore. It's been fun and you all mean a lot to me, but I don't see any other way. But I will let you know if any more apartments become available in my building so that EVERYONE I know can live with me. We could start a commune!!!

Some Inspirational Thoughts on Blonde on Blonde...

When I was 14 and my brother was getting ready to go on his mission, I hurried and made some trips to Radioshack to buy some blank 90 min cassette tapes so I could copy some of his cd's before he packed them all up and didn't want me to touch them. One of the tapes I made was Blonde on Blonde. This album has been a timeless masterpiece and a source of continual inspiration to me. It's the kind of album that I can listen to for years and years and never get sick of. I listen to it still, in fact, this morning. Unlike a lot of other albums I was into when I was 14, I don't just listen to this for nostalgic purposes. It still affects me. I don't claim to be any kind of Dylan expert, but to me his tone in this album has a sarcastic, bitter edge--like someone has who has been deeply wounded but is only passively able to admit it. There are lyrics in this album that have stuck with me for over 10 years since I first started listening to it. And just like old Mormon ladies and their fascination with James Christensen paintings, I keep discovering some new magical tidbit that I never noticed before and it inspires me. I'm going to remark on some of the album highlights for me.
First of all, Rainy Day Women #12 & 35... no offense Bob. I think you're a genius and this album is nearly flawless, but I almost always skip this song. For some reason it doesn't sit right with me. I allow myself one skip on every Bob Dylan album. Blood on the Tracks--Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts. New Morning--When Dogs Run Free. You get the picture. Anyway. Moving on...
Visions of Johanna--beautiful, beautiful song. Never in all my days on this earth will I get tired of this song. My favorite line that I've loved since high school is, "Inside the museum, infinity goes up on trial. Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while..." I love it. So deep. It speaks to me.
I Want You--Okay. The chorus of this song is, "I want you. I want you. I want you. So bad." I love it. Is there any other song that is more straight forward without being crude? I love it.
Temporary Like Achilles--"I'm trying to read your portrait but I'm helpless, like a rich man's child". I've known some rich men's children in my lifetime and it's true. They can be pretty helpless. This line has popped into my head on many occasions dealing with these people. (Love you though!!!)
Leopard Skin Pill-box Hat--"Well I see you got a new boyfriend, you know I've never seen him before, well I saw you makin' love to him, you forgot to close the garage door"... do I need to say more about this song??!!??
Most Likely You'll Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine--Okay, this is probably the most empowering song ever written, maybe after I Will Survive. In the chorus he says, "I'm gonna let you pass". I'm not totally sure what was going on in the story of this song, but it's kind of ambiguous who dumped who. But in my interpretation it's the kind of thing where you are the one who gets dumped or treated wrongly, but you still feel like you're coming out the victor. And although that may not be the case at all, you've told yourself that and you've done a pretty convincing job. It's kind of like reading "He's Just Not That Into You" and feeling awesome and empowered even when you've totally been rejected. This song has helped me through some pretty rough times.
4th Time Around--"I never took much. I never asked for your crutch. Now don't ask for mine." BOOM!!! That's a real eff-you if I ever heard one.
Huh. I just noticed a pattern. Unless my most inspirational line is in the chorus, it tends to be almost at the very end of the song. I wonder what that means. Sweet! I have a topic for my dissertation.
I hope you all enjoy this album as much as I do. Just don't tell me if you've never listened to it. That would be too embarrassing. Go borrow someone's cd and make a cassette tape and act like you've had it forev! Ha. jk. Does anyone else have any thoughts to add?

What I've Been Reading...

I thought I might share with you bloggers what I've been reading lately. Well, some of the things I've been reading. I have about 14 books next to my bed, all of which I dabble in occasionally. I've been reading a lot of psychology books. Have you ever heard of Csikszentmihalyi? He's fascinating. Here's an article that's a good overview: http://austega.com/education/articles/flow.htm
I read a book called Beyond Boredom and Anxiety. It 's about optimal experiences, or flow--where we do things that are not so easy that we're bored and not so difficult that we feel anxious (hence the name). It was great.

In a similar vein I've been reading some of Abraham Maslow's books. Similar to Csikszentmihalyi's flow, Maslow writes about "peak experiences". Most people know him for his Hierarchy of Needs. It's all related. In order to be a self-actualizing person you need to have your basic needs met. If you are driven by deficiency in life you won't have the power to go beyond that. Right now I'm reading Toward a Psychology of Being. Fascinating too. I got this book at the library and I'm wishing I would have just bought it. There's so many things I want to underline and notes I want to take. Here's a link that has a good overview and a lot of exerpts: http://www.psychedelic-library.org/maslow.htm
Maybe this isn't interesting to anyone, but I'm excited about it all and I thought I should share.

More Travelling ALONE!!

I also got to go to Vernal and Roosevelt for my job. I love it out there. I don't feel like I fit in because I don't drive a huge truck. In fact, I drove a Toyota Prius. Everyone out there must have thought I was a total sissy. One of my favorite places to go in Vernal is to the Vernal D.I.'s. Here is a picture of a seashell kitty that I wanted to buy, but not really. I thought I could share it with more people if I put it on my blog. Plus I'm getting a little crowded with creepy stuff in my apartment:










Here is the drive-in in Vernal. I hope to go there this summer. It looks really cool. The one in Roosevelt is cool too. It has a swingset in the front. I hope Melissa had a good 22nd!!

Travelling ALONE!!!

I have a job that allows me to travel around the great state of Utah ALL BY MYSELF!!! greatest thing ever.
Here is a picture of me at the Goose Necks State Park in San Juan County. It was windy that day, so I had to wear my hood.







This is what it looks like there:







And I drew a picture of it too:

Some Things I Made During General Conference...

I made this bag out of some flowery fabric I got at the D.I.'s and some other cute fabric. My friend Emilie taught me how to make it. CUTE!!!









And here is a belt I made out of an old sheet. No one showed me how to make these. Just common sense. It was really easy. And fun. I'll make you one for 10 bucks.








And I also made a super cute apron, but BLOGGER is having some technical difficulties with that picture, so I'll have to post it later. It's actually not totally finished, so maybe it's for the best anyway.