Salsa Dance Lessons

Well, the Year of Movement is progressing well...tonight, we began SALSA dance lessons! So much fun! Randy and I are taking the lessons with two other couples I know from work. Somerford Place is generously allowing us to use their activities room for our lessons. I met our teacher, Gabi, when DeAnn and I went to the Starline in November. He makes the moves look so easy and he teaches so patiently. I am working on channeling my inner Latina and sashaying my hips in time to the music.

Training for Bay to Breakers

I am on board with training for the Bay to Breakers 10k. My goal is to finish the race before they close the race. If I can do that, I'll feel like I accomplished something as I am not a runner or a jogger. Yesterday I jogged for 30 minutes straight, going over just 2 miles. I know that's a slow jog, but for a girl who doesn't jog and who's body prefers not to move like that, it's quite the accomplishment! This next week I start with 35 minutes of walking/running. I forgot I had the choice at this point to walk for part of it! I was under the impression I just needed to jog the whole time, which was probably a good thing for me. I'm going to try and do the whole 35 minutes jogging. We'll see. The bottom part of my calves kills me after a while, so we'll see what I can do. Maddie signed up to do the half Boston marathon yesterday! Whoo hoo! And J Wo asked me to send her my training schedule, so we could do some local races. I'm just inspiring people left and right lol!

Getting to the MTC On Time

Elder Ames in SLC




















Elder Ames & Dad at airport
















Elder Ames & Mom at airport



























Elder Ames outside the MTC, ready to go in!


Elder Connor Ames reported to the MTC to begin his mission to Lansing, MI at the duly appointed time, but with last minute change of plans. Dad was the designated parental unit assigned to drop off Elder Ames to the MTC on January 20, but due to an onset of acute pain cause by a kidney stone, the anticipated 6:30 Monday morning flight was hastily canceled and Elder Ames spent his morning in the Emergency Room at Saint Agnes Hospital.

After receiving a shot of morphine to dull the pain, Dad was taken home and put to bed and Mom jumped on the internet to determine what last minute flight could be obtained to get her and Elder Ames to Utah in record speed.

A second set of tickets were purchased for a 6:30 a.m. Tuesday flight and after waking, and finding no one in pain, Dad drove the travelers to the airport for the Utah flight.

Tuesday afternoon found the two in Mr. Mac seeking to obtain a winter boot that would be warm, yet stylish enough to wear with a suit. Boot obtained! The rest of the day was spent picking up last minute odds and ends as they drove around all the miscellaneous road hazards from multiple construction areas in downtown SLC. The evening ended with dinner at a Brazillian steakhouse where Elder Ames could eat his fill of many different kinds of meat.

The next morning's breakfast continued the beef theme with t-bone steak and eggs at Ihop. The duo traveled to Provo in a very large (is there any other kind?) Suburban, missing only one highway exchange and arrived in time to visit University Mall and Mr. Mac's to obtain, yet another, last minute needed item.

A drive by of the MTC took place and upon finding the location quite easily, the twosome headed to Zapada's for soup and sandwich. Finally, the drop off time arrived! Down the long driveway to the MTC the Suburban flew, skidding to a stop alongside the curb under the direction of multiple Elders. Elder Ames was greeted by enthusiastic Elders who helped with getting his luggage out of the back of the 'burb. Mom snapped a couple of pics for Facebook and blogging purposes, a hug was exchange (with Mom pointing out her dry eyes) and Elder Ames was whisked off by his fellow compatriots. Task completed Mom drove off recognizing for the first time in 23 years there would be no children waiting for her arrival when she got home and gave a small satisfied sigh.

2010 Goal - The Year of Movement

I'm not big on setting New Year's resolutions. I prefer to make goals throughout the year and not focus everything on just one time of the year. Plus, it seems like New Year's resolutions are just made to break and what's the point of that?

One of the things I like to do is have a theme for a year. Last year was The Year of the Book. I had a goal to read 50 books during the year, which I surpased rather quickly and changed it to 100 books and then ended up reading 164! The year before was the Year of the Woman and I spent time doing "womanly" things.

This year will be the Year of Movement. I'm kinda feeling like I was sitting in one place (the couch) a lot last year due to all my reading :), so this year I want to move. My first goal is to participate in the Bay to Breakers 10k with Tiff. I've registered for the race and I will be in the third week of the training program beginning this week. The race takes place mid-May, so I should have a lot of movement for the first five months of the year. Tiff wants to do a half marathon later in the year. I'm not sure about that, but I'm keeping an open mind.

The second goal is to take salsa dance lessons with Randy. I have a teacher and friends that are willing to do it with us, now I need to call the teacher and set up the date.

Playing with our Wii at least twice a week is my third goal.

Golfing more frequently will be my fourth goal. I'd like to play a game at least once a week and hit balls once. Last year, because of the wedding, I didn't get to go out as much. Randy has started playing, so I'll have Tiff and Ran to play with.

My job will feel the affects of The Year of Movement. I'm going to do much more traveling than I've ever done before. I've scheduled myself to work at the Central Coast at least twice a month and I will be working in Visalia, Porterville and Hanford on a frequent basis.

Even though it's The Year of Movement, I'll still be reading as much as I can. I think reading keeps me sane and gives me a fantasyland to live in.

So those are my goals, so far, for the year. I'll keep you posted as how I'm moving.

Goal Met and Exceeded

I began my 165th book for the year today, passing my goal of reading 100 books in 2009. I thought 100 would be a challenge, but as I kept reading found I could do about 1000 pages a week. I know the books I have chosen to read are not Pulitzer prize winners, but they are very entertaining and that's the whole point of reading. To be entertained, taken away to a new world, time or people makes reading enjoyable. If a person tells me they don't like to read, I always reply that they haven't found the right book yet. The right book can transport a person and they do so much, much better than TV or movies, which become what someone else has created for you to view. An author can create a world that you fill in with your own colors, emotions and experiences. All of who you are contribute to the story, because all of your experiences color how you interpret life.

The majority of what I've read this year has been paranormal romance, as most of you know. I like that genre because, typically, the female character is strong and independent. She can rely on herself to save herself, which I really like. It's so different than the romances from the 70s and 80s where the female has to rely upon the male to save her. However, the male is an important component to the books, hence the word romance in Paranormal Romance. The male lead brings his strength, but also his weakness and together the two characters are stronger than they were by themselves. I like that bit the best. Strength in the relationship and how we can be better together by bringing all of our strengths and weaknesses together and become even better people.

I love that through the books, by talking about them and sharing them, I've developed new friendships and strengthened old friendships. Books give you people and worlds to talk about and talking brings people closer.

Some favorite authors this year:
Karen Chance - Great female character
Jennifer Crusie - outstanding, quirky female leads and the men that love them
Christina Dodd - PR and CR. Darkness Chosen was a fave PR series
Jeaniene Frost - My second PR series. Absolutely love this series! Cat + Bones = yum!
Diana Gabaldon - The Outlander Series has been around for a while, but she just published another book in the series. I'll probably start it after the series I just started. Jamie and Claire are the best!
Rachel Gibson - CR and very fun
Charlaine Harris - My first PR series and the first books I read in 2009. Great series - Sookie Stackhouse and it's a show on HBO, but be forewarned, it's very explicit on TV. Not so much in the books.
Linda Howard - CR/thriller. I have been listening to her mainly on CD as I'm driving for work. Very good characters and relationships.
Larissa Ione - Have only read one of her series - the incubus brothers and liked it very much
Angela Knight - Great future PR type series - Time Hunters
Kathy Love - fun vamp series
Katie MacAlister - oh Katie! She has a few series: Aisling Grey, contemporary and Dark Ones. The first Dark One I read, I just laughed at some of the lines as they were so ridiculous! But, by the time I got to the end of the book, I cared enough about the characters that I bought the second one, so I could find out what happened to the people. That's what's writing is all about - causing your reader to grow attached to the characters and having them wanting more. Her books are always a fun read.
Richelle Mead - Dark Swan series is great. She has a Georgina Kincaid series that I would like to try and she as a YA series, Vampire Academy that is very good.
Stephanie Meyer - I didn't read it this year, but honorable mention goes to Stephanie for Edward, Bella and, sigh, Jacob. (Thank you Tyler for bulking up to bring Jacob to life for us!)
Karen Marie Moning - Highlander series - just found this series (thank you Christy!) and yum! She has a Fever series that I just started today.
Rick Riordan - Youth series. I've only read The Lightning Thief, but I'm looking forward to finishing the series.
Lynsay Sands - A whole fam bam of vamps, but with a twist. Love the Atlantis and nanobots concept!
Gena Showalter - Lots of different series to love. Alien Huntress, Atlantis, Lords of the Underworld - yummy men!
Christine Warren - I started with Novel of the Others, thinking I was getting one of her Cin Craven books, but it was great anyway! Big Bad Wolf was the bomb!

A list of faves for the year. I'm excited to see what 2010 brings.

A Favorite on My List

Jennifer Crusie, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

1. Sassy, irreverent, curvy, smart, witty, can-hold-her own, but could use some help, female characters
2. Smart, handsome, becomes-amazed-by-the-woman male characters
3. People, places or situations that are a bit quirky
4. A wonderful cadence to her writing that just gets me giddy reading it
5. A way of connecting the reader to the character that makes me totally "get" her characters
6. Strong female leads in all the books
7. Has written lots of books for me to read (I guess you can read them too)
8. The Dempsey family
9. She gets him in the end and he finally, and irrevocably, he gets her in the end
10. Tells a wonderful story, time after time.

If you haven't had the opportunity to read Jennifer Crusie, please, with all haste, get thee to a bookstore and pick up one of her books. You'll be glad you did :)

Counting Down Until Christmas

Just finished wrapping the rest of the gifts. Made a huge Christmas play list for the iPod. One more day of work, then home with the family. Madison & Dan coming home on Christmas Day. Five family Christmases to do before the season is over.

Merry Christmas!