Now STOP! Grammar Time!

Let’s talk about grammar, shall we?

I would like to say, before we begin, that I am not perfect and make mistakes even in my own writing. Also, I don’t follow all the rules of grammar because I think it makes for very boring writing and therefore very boring reading. So don’t judge.

Alright, that said:

Grammar is, actually, one of my favorite subjects.

“Why?” You may ask. Probably because I’m pretty good at it.

Again, you may ask “WHY??” Probably because I had an editor of a mother who treated me much like a document and edited every sentence that came out of my mouth. Ok, that might be a bit dramatic, but I do remember being corrected on what felt like everything. Some of my favorite examples:

Anyways is not a word

Often is pronounced off-en (this is a big one for her)

“Their” is not a suitable replacement for “his or her”

Sentences may not end in a preposition (i.e. Where are you at?)(also, why would you ever say that? The last word is completely unnecessary as well as incorrect)

The following are also not words: Ecscape, ecspecially, acrosst, athalete, ec cetera

Some linguists argue that words that are incorrect but commonly accepted (such as anyways) are actually acceptable in the language, because language is what people speak, not what the dictionary says. Others (myself included) argue that there is a certain way to introduce a word into a language, and modifying an already correct word into an incorrect word is not one of these ways.

So, who cares, right? Well, I do. And you should!! But, if you don’t, the fact of the matter is you probably won’t ever.

So why write about it? Because this is my blog and I have a voice that can be heard and you, as my reader, must listen by very virtue of the fact that you are still reading this!!

Also because I think these are funny:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/ie

And basically any others done by The Oatmeal.

Umm yeah, that’s all.

Chocolate Crepes, Pasta Salad, and an Olsen Twin

I'm sure that all my (0) followers are oh so worried about where I have been. After all, one of the last posts I wrote was about how I was sick. Well, I'm not sick anymore (though my persistent cough that has dubbed me as a chain smoker (which I am not) might say other wise); I've just been busy, finding a new job, finding a new place to live, finding flights for an adventure, sewing, watching How I Met Your Mother (which gets better after the first season, as Andrew will tell you), most of which I will be blogging about later, but it is too early to announce anything on the interwebs where anyone could see it all.

This post is for the amazing balsamic pasta salad that we made: 

And the even more amazing chocolate crepes I made (that's right: I! I, I, I made them!!! All by my lonesome):

And also for the maxi skirt that I made. Which you can't really see in this picture, but it is super cute, let me tell you.

I don't think Andrew knew he was living with an Olsen twin, but that's what I looked like when I went to the fabric store. For more fabric. To make more maxi skirts. To wear on my adventure (forthcoming).

The pasta salad came from this website: http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2010/01/balsamic-chicken-spinach-and-tomato-pasta-salad/

We didn't use the Newman's own salad dressing because we (Andrew) are food snobs. We used Lighthouse dressing, and yes, it was probably better because of it.

The crepes came from here: http://leitesculinaria.com/78947/recipes-tom-aikens-chocolate-crepes.html

They were a little interesting because I let the batter neither sit nor strain. As a result, we got lumpy crepes. So, either follow the recipe exactly (i.e. let it sit for an hour while you drool and your stomach growls, realize you don't have a fine mesh strainer, go get one, then strain the batter) or you can not follow it at all (i.e. don't stir in the eggs before you add the rest of the wet ingredients).

The maxi skirt tutorial came from here: http://elleapparel.blogspot.com/2011/09/maxi.html

It is quite easy, but I would recommend not rounding the hem like she does. It looks weird when you're done.

Okthat'sallloveyoubye

Nevada has Trees!

Andrew was pretty convinced that there are no trees in Nevada. Not ones that grow naturally, anyway.

The weather was so nice this weekend that we just had to get out of the house and prove him wrong. We hiked (tried to hike) to Lamoille Lake (pronounced luh-moy-ull lake) which is at the top of Lamoille Canyon (pronounce luh-moy-ull can-yun).

When we set out, we had dreams of swimming in Lamoille lake, but those died pretty quickly, you'll see why.

This is when we were all fresh, at the beginning of the hike. Before we new what we were in for. Look at those innocent smiles. So naive.

Andrew was like "Look at me, Ma! I go outside sometimes!" Though the pale skin on both of us would eventually reveal us for the hermits we are.

Then he was like "See ya!"

Then I was like "Look! A tree!! Treeeeeeee I love you tree."

And Andrew was like "Oh I love you too! Wait, tree? Treeeeeee!!"

Then we found this really cool spring bubbling up and I about froze my hand off feeling it.

And this is how much snow we had to deal with at the top. That is, it was EVERYWHERE. Annoying.  

       

At the beginning, we'd be hiking along and every once in a while we'd come to a patch of snow which was a little scary cause we were both wearing shorts and didn't want to fall in. At the top, there was no avoiding it. So we came up with the snow shoe stomp and I wish I could get the video from my iphone to upload to blogger so you could see it. Hence, I shall describe it:

When you are walking along in snow on a hill and you are terrified for your life or that you are going to go sliding down the slope and lose half the skin on your thighs to the evil snow monster, it is sometimes helpful to do the snow shoe stomp.

1. Throw caution to the wind

2. Take big steps

3. Dig your heels in

4. Let the rest (read: giant arm swings) come naturally

We never made it to the lake. We didn't even make it to the lower, Dollar lakes.

I was super cute the whole time, let me tell you. Not annoying at all. Nope

Ummm Nevada is pretty? Sure.

Aaargh, Maties! I Be Sick!

Ahoy there ye landlubbers! What ye be starin' at?? This ol' pirate has come down with the scurvy now, and it don't be lookin' good. We've sailed into the eye of the storm but there's more yet, you bet yer beer-swaggling boots! 'Tis another fortnight and a half till be we spottin' land.

Avast! This here neglected piece of black magic (blog) has been givin' me the grog and right smartly so. We be swabbin' the decks from sun up till sun down and be gettin' nowhere I say! Though we be singin' the shanty to keep the spirits up and away, never you fear.

Aye, this storm's a long one, but she be blowin' herself out soon enough. When we get through, we'll take count of the losses and set course for treasure island to build up our stores! No man left behind! ARRRR!!

More Festivities of the Nuptial Variety

So Andrew's sister got married this last weekend.
It really was a beautiful wedding. And I had a ton of fun!
But I'm still tired and I'm pretty sure I left my pinky toes back on the dance floor.

As any good (or bad)(or just any) blogger knows, you have to constantly be thinking about what you are going to write about next.

Well, I had some good ideas, let me tell you. We had plenty of stuff going on, the wedding being the big one, and I was going to take pictures and form some witty rhetoric in my head to go with them, and come up with an even wittier title (ok, I came up with it before-hand and I couldn't resist using it anyway). I even had a plan to put them all together and post them. Yep, that's how good I am.

Too bad plans don't usually go as ... well, as planned.
Maybe I will get the pictures off of facebook (once they go up) and show you all the things that happened last weekend. I guess without pictures, you'll never believe me.

Wasting Time

I seem to be really good at consistently posting like every other week.

I get really motivated for a whole week and I have to tell you absolutely everything and my life is so interesting and important and I'm super witty... and then it all just stops.

I know what you're going to say: "Oh you just have a bit of writer's block."
What a super lame excuse.
Here's my better excuse:
As you may have heard, I am, in fact, Superwoman. With a capital S. I spend my days at work doing the Gold Mine thing, but then, at night, I suit up in some latex/spandex/other kind of -ex and fly (does Superwoman fly?) around the country and save people. Gentlemen in turmoil, to be exact. Don't worry though, as soon as those gentlemen start to gaze deeply into my eyes, I say my goodbyes; wouldn't want to go making the husband jealous.
In my spare time, I experiment in the lab. I'm attempting to create a new stretchy -ex material to make my suit out of. You see, sometimes the super suit gets very uncomfortable and rides up in the most awkward places, I'm sure I don't need to share the details. Anyway, I can tell that I'm really close to a breakthrough. Just a few more hours in the lab, I'm sure.
So now you can see why I simply don't have time to blog, sometimes. Or be funny, or witty, or sarcastic, or lame.

Ok, now here's my real excuse for lack-o-blogging lately:
Andrew showed me minecraft.
For those of you with experience with minecraft, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. For those of you without experience, know this: only start playing minecraft if you desperately need to fill like 10 hours a day. Or so. Roughly. Not that I have ever spent that much time in a day on it. I mean, why would you even think that? That is really one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. Pfft. Jeez.

Teh Weddings

Ahhh wedding season. Don't you just love it? 

Want to know my favorite thing? I don't have to plan any of it any more, ever again.

Sometimes I fool myself into thinking that that would be a fun thing to do, plan weddings, like professionally or something. But then I remember how stressful it is and how some (most) (ok, let's be honest, all) women turn into bride-zilla and I really wouldn't be able to handle that. You know what I mean? Even me, mild mannered, laid back me, had to have everything just perfect for my wedding. It's amazing how much a girl can freak out about colors or something stupid like that.

This last weekend my (newly acquired) bro-in-law married my (even newly-er acquired) sis-in-law.

Side note: It looks like Cami is being beamed up by Scotty, but that is, in fact, just a light post.

And you know what I've been thinking all week?

"Those lucky ducks! They get to sit around and do absolutely whatever they want alllll week, while I'm stuck here in Elko, in the rain, getting up at 4:30 every morning."

The wedding was super fun. We got to hang out with in-laws. I am lucky to have some pretty amazing in-laws and I love them. No joke :)

Going along with the Best Part thing, I loved the reception cause I just got to sit there and eat the whole time. And goof off with the nephews

i.e. take scary-ghost-mouth pictures

and play on iphones.

Just look at those two stud muffins in their aqua neck apparel.

These two, my niece and nephew, were pretty much throwin down the awesomest dance moves all night.

These guys were bustin a pretty good move, too

They day we drove home from Vegas, there was the prettiest sunset.

Seriously, these pictures do not do it justice.