Ramblings...

I find expression beautiful. In all its forms. I think anything that has the power to tell a story - to make you feel - is an amazing thing and I value each thing I find that touches me this way.

I went for a run tonight and on the playlist I made, the song "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles came on. I love this song, it has such emotion to it and is really beautiful in kind of a dark, sad way. I was reminded of an episode of So You Think You Can Dance, where Mia Michaels choreographed a contemporary piece to this song. The dance was about addiction with one partner being the addict and the other the addiction (drug, toxic boyfriend, any and all kinds); it was really amazing.

There are things in life that can bring us down, trap us, make us feel like this is how it'll always be - but there's always a way out. This song and dance is personal to me. I had a toxic, addicting relationship with someone who brought me down.

i live here on my knees
as i try to make you see
that you're everything i think i need
here on the ground

I was not my best self while with this guy. It was almost impossible to get out of it. I was so far gone and "in love" with this person, it took something huge for me to finally break it off. I put quotes around the being in love part, because it was not a good kind of love. I know I was in love with him, but it was the self-destructive Tristan&Yseult, spinning-in-circles-with-your-eyes-closed kind of love where it blinds you - you can't see what's happening around you - you can't see that you're about to fall. It's selfish and tornado-like, destroying all within its path.

the one thing that i still know
is that you're keeping me down

It's been six months since him. He was an addiction that was hard to break. I was broken for a little bit, but I'm whole again. And I never have to break like that again.

here i am and i stand so tall
i'm just the way i'm supposed to be

There are ways out. It's amazing to look back over an experience and see the 'you' then and the 'you' now. The only way I could have gotten through such a horrible time is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. What an amazing blessing that is! What an amazing power we have at our fingertips to help us through our darkest, saddest times.

There's beauty everywhere. A dance. Lyrics. A voice. A photograph. A smile. Love of family and friends.

Watch this video. It's beautiful. I hope it makes you feel something, too :)

A Night of Delicious Flavor

"Rally the horses, Jules. We're about to crack your case like an egg. And then we can make omelets with shallots.... and justice."

Yesterday was a day of firsts for many.

It was the first time I had ever been to J Dawgs. For those of you outside of Utah, J Dawgs is a hotdog place that is inexpensive and insanely delicious. They have this special sauce they put on the hotdogs that definitely makes the experience.

It was also the first time my roommates and some friends were going to experience the joy that is the television show PSYCH starring James Roday and Dule Hill. The show follows Shawn Spencer, a man with a photographic memory, and his best friend Burton "Gus" Guster as they pretend and convince all that Shawn is a psychic as they solve cases for the Santa Barbara Police Department. It's hilariously clever and one of the best shows on TV.

On a particular episode of Psych, Shawn and Gus encounter a food called "Fries Quatro Queso Dos Fritos." These are twice fried potatoes with a four cheese mixture inside, served with sour cream and bacon. These fries don't actually exist, but many psych fans have tried their hands at recreating them. Last night was my turn.

You start off getting small potatoes, cutting them in half and scooping out most of the insides, stuffing them with cheese and securing with toothpicks. You drop them in the fryer for ten minutes and take them out to cool. Then you bread or batter them (we used panko) and fry them again for only a minute. They sound horribly unhealthy, but they were soooo good.




My roommates, Ansley and Caroline were such good sports to help me. It definitely took all three of us to get it all together!

Here's how they turned out!









The party turned out pretty fun. Nobody had ever tried "Fries Quatro Queso Dos Fritos" before and they were a big hit. We also had other "psych" foods to make the first viewing experience awesome for all. Here's a picture of the spread!

The only thing missing from this picture is we also had double chocolate fudge brownies. Yeah, it was a pretty unhealthy night. But the grapes and pineapple helped balance it out, right? :)

The Birth of a Blog

Everyone's doing it. Peer pressure, I have finally succumbed to you!

Welcome to my blog! Choosing a blog name was a lot harder than I thought it would be...or maybe I am just less creative than I thought I was. I knew I wanted it to revolve around me being short, since it's usually the first thing anyone notices about me...then I found this quote:

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." - Tolkien

I've been called a hobbit by more than one person. One summer while living in Montana, a cute little old man came into the store every morning to buy a paper, coffee, and pastry. Every morning he'd say, "hello there hobbit, how are you today?"

Yeah, I'm short - I'll accept the name with pride. Hobbits are small, they like to have fun, and they sometimes have extraordinary adventures. I don't mind the comparison... All except the big, hairy feet. I DON'T have those.