am i normal??

so, lately i've been remembering my favorite parts about growing up in a super liberal, cultural, crazy, smart area. in talking with my co-workers and friends, one of the biggest striking differences between there and utah, where i now reside, is that here, white people are a majority. okay, just kidding. really, one of the huge differences is the sex ed program that we endured and learned from in the great public school system in california.

one of the most traumatizing of those experiences (yes, more traumatizing than seeing a woman give birth, using bananas in inappropriate ways, and another story that i will tell in the future) was the wonderful musical gem called "Nightmare on Puberty Street." yes, you read that correctly. it was a musical. and it was called "Nightmare on Puberty Street." we were all forced to watch this tony-award winning (no, it didn't win a tony) musical in jr. high, and all sevies and eighth graders had to sit and watch it together. now, mind you, this was during the time where i had a crush on like 11 boys at a time and was writing them notes that said something along the lines of "do you like me? check yes or no" (apparently not much has changed). anyhoo, after this enlightening musical, i wanted nothing to do with any of the 11 boys as i was seriously terrified about what was going on in their heads (sounded like some scary stuff), and most importantly my own well-being.

topics covered during the two-day blush-fest included ones that i still feel silly and inappropriate talking about, but the most important subject and song that still resonates in my head today is one called "am i normal." this classic line ended up being a joke that we still use to this day (right, carissa??). upon googling it, i found out that even though the melody has become much more hip (it used to resemble something more like lion king--now it sounds more like a good version of eminem), the words and lyrics are still the same.

and now for a musical snack beyond any you've ever encountered: Normal (either click on this link, or on the player down below).

i'm yours....

no, really.

this kid (and his itchy nose) has stolen my heart.

xoxo

how NOT to score a wife 101

dear males,

if you intend on marrying someone, please do not mimic the following story that I had the "privilege" of experiencing. girls do not like tools. thanks!

xoxo

brookie*

___________________________

Once upon a time, there was a single girl that people set up on blind dates. People that would set her up on these blind dates did not think anything through. Either that or they didn't have a high opinion of her. She would be set up with boys because she was a single girl living in Utah, and people knew a single boy who lived in Utah, without any consideration for other important things. But that is beside the point.

This one particular instance, she was being set up on a blind date with a boy we'll call snowboarder. Snowboarder was, well, a snowboarder. He thought he was really cool and as the evening progressed, single girl slowly discovered that snowboarder wasn't in fact cool. When he first picked her up from her house, he seemed like a kind, attractive young man, but unfortunately his "true colors" were about to manifest themselves.

Upon seating themselves in the car (don't worry, he didn't open the door for her--something that she had come to expect after dating a boy for five months who opened her door for all five months....and then some), they decided upon eating at a Thai restaurant that neither had eaten at before. Both enjoyed good food, and decided to be adventurous. Conversation was small talk, as it should be within the first 10 minutes of meeting someone. It took a suddenly drastic turn.

As soon as they were seated at the quaint restaurant, snowboarder asked her what sort of things she likes to do for fun. After answering cordially, she returned the question, and snowboarded proceeded to talk about him self for the remainder of the time. It was soon discovered that he loved to do some very unique things, including "beating the *insert curse word that starts in "s" here* out of dudes" while fighting, and "kicking *insert "a" word here*" on the slopes. I'm surprised, er, SHE was surprised he didn't mention loving to talk about himself.....While he went on an on using his impressive vocabulary, the waitress returned to ask how their food was tasking. After a few deep, dramatic breaths, he turned to their adorable Thai waitress, and said to her something along the lines of "are you serious? can't you see we're talking here??" Thoroughly embarrassed, single girl apologized to the waitress, told her the food (and not the company) was exquisite, and thank you very much.

After a long conversation, it was finally time to leave, and single girl couldn't wait to be away from the company of snowboarder. When snowboarder passed her freeway exit, she questioned what he was doing, and he said they would be going on a romantic drive up Alpine Loop, as he was "feelin' it." Appalled, single girl asked snowboarder to get off at the next exit, and take her home. He obliged, and took her home. Wanting to just get away from the clutches of misery (okay, maybe a little dramatic), she escaped the car as quickly as possible, saying "Thanks," but snowboarder followed her to the door for a doorstep scene. Thinking he was going for a hug, she put her arms out, and his head suddenly dipped to her 5'1'' frame to try and give her a kiss. She shoved her face into his oblique and muttered a quick "thanks" while going inside as quickly as she could. Single girl went inside and told her roommates and parents all about the horrific date she had just experienced, when she received a text message from snowboarder saying "Thanks, I had such a great time. I can't wait until we go out again."

Needless to say, she did not respond to any of the proceeding texts or phone calls. Do you blame her?

how NOT to score a husband 101

Well, since quite a few of my posts have to do with my singledom, here's another to add to the list. Let's be honest, since I don't have pictures of family events, adorable chubby children with colossal bows that look like they could eat a small child, stories about funny school experiences, or stories about my job that I can tell (TRUST ME-if I could, I would....our office has some classic characters), I will talk about dating. Plus, my friend Liz's blind date stories inspired me to write some of my own. These have potential to be equally funny and awkward.

I met this boy we'll call catering boy (a name affectionately given by my friends) at a nice event, exchanged numbers, and decided upon going out. Now, this should be something known by everyone: I despise talking on the phone more than anything. Talking on the phone makes me more nervous, more anxious, and more uncomfortable than a geeky computer nerd walking into a hip hop underground dance off. Phones and I don't get along. So, after a few text messages with catering boy, and a little "phone tag" (every time I call, I pray that the answering machine will pick up), we finally got a hold of each other. Both of us had just woken up from a nap , and spoke on the phone to figure out the details of the date. Towards the end of the very awkward phone conversation, we were wrapping things up, and amidst my sleepy and uncomfortable self, I ended the conversation in "Okay, love you! Bye!"

WHAT? WHO SAYS THAT??

After I realized the severity of what had just come out of my mouth, I suddenly hung up the phone and proceeded to somewhat have a laugh attack. I yelled down to my roommates, and told them the story among fits of laughter, and realized that my phone was lit up. I looked down at it (it was brand new, and I didn't really know how it worked yet), and realized that it had decided to call catering boy back. Upon further investigation, I realized that he had picked up the phone and was saying "Brook? Hello??" I clearly wasn't thinking clearly, and hung up so I didn't have to face him after confessing my love to him, AND having him hear me recount the embarrassing story to my roommates.

Funniest part: neither of us brought up what happened on the phone during the actual date. Awkward.

SLAP!

nope, the quote isn't from Dave Chappell...

it's from the Spanish New Moon (and here's how i feel about the non-Spanish New Moon).

The next two videos have brought me great joy the last two weeks as well....part of my great last two weeks.

If you've already seen these, I apologize, as I'm usually a late-comer to hilarious videos.

xoxo,

Brook, CHES (okay, I'm really gonna stop now)

When you wake up...WAKE UP!

WARNING: this is journal-entry-like, and may or may not contain some bragging.

now that you've been sufficiently warned, i will continue.

the last two (and a half) ish weeks have been a complete explosion of magnificence and my face may just fall off from smiling way way way too much. sadly enough, i can't post a some of the awesomeness on this public forum, as i'm not sure i want everyone to know yet, but i'll share a minor snippet of the moments:

1. i saw imogen heap in concert. let me tell you, she's just as (if not more) brilliant in person. i will dedicate a whole future post to my love for her, so no worries about that.

2. RSL won the Eastern Conference Finals (in over-over-over-over time). No I am not a fair weather fan. I've, as a matter of fact, been a fan since May. I also may or may not be a jumbo tron (big screen) regular, making an appearance in the last 7 or 8 games. No big deal.

3. I went home and went through the temple. Absolutely gorgeous experience. Fun to be home with my parents, fun to eat fresh seafood on San Francisco, fun to have 70 degree weather in November (but not fun to go back to Utah and 30 degree weather), and fun to have a good excuse to take pictures.

4. Real Salt Lake won the MLS CUPPPPP!!!!!! (in over-over-over-over time...AGAIN). I have included pictures below to prove my undying and unconditional love for the team (and more specifically, Kyle Beckerman--not to be confused with the over-paid diva, David Beckham). My only beef is now that Utah has a somewhat successful professional team, everyone has jumped onto the band wagon, and those that have been fans for the whole season (through thick and thin) have to suffer for over-crowded lines for signatures, and over-priced tickets. I, however, never lost faith.

5. BYU WON!!!!!! (in over time) Go cougs!

6. I got an ulcer from all of the over-time winning games.

7. I found out that I passed my CHES exam, and will now be signing all important things

(including this blog) as "Brook, CHES." Okay, that's ridiculous, but I'm really excited about

having passed with flying colors (even IF I didn't beat my boss' score and my other boss has no idea what a CHES is).

Now, if you know where the title of this blog post comes from, i will give you a big treat (no seriously, i will!). that song has become my anthem, because although the last few weeks have been INCREDIBLE, they haven't been without hardship or trial (but who wants to revel in those??). These instances have in fact been my "tender mercies" and what has kept me smiling and going (besides you all, of course).

Well, i guess that's all for now.

xoxo,

Brook, CHES (just kidding. kind of.)

Signs

(from here)

what more could you ask for??

now get out and do what you've been debating....

love someone more fully

go back to school

ask for forgiveness from someone you've wronged

go learn something: photography, dance, voice lessons, etc.

mormon.org

Within my job, and more importantly among my some of my favorite things to do, I learn about social media and how to utilize it for businesses, non profits, and spreading health information. To me it is quite fascinating and growing exponentially from day to day. New groups of people are taking up texting, facebook, blogs, and the internet in general. Most organizations, when trying to market their "product," attempt to get a celebrity to market whatever it is, whether it is getting flu shots (Utah Flu Fighters), or selling perfumes. Amongst all this learning and searching for good examples, etc., the one thing has impressed me the most is: the mormon.org Web site.

The LDS church has taken up twitter, facebook, Web sites, youtube, etc. and within all of this social marketing and social media, no celebrities are involved in "promoting" the "product." What they have instead, are ordinary people's true stories of conversion. Each one is thoroughly touching, and attests to different facets of the gospel and invaluable principles in which I believe. Go check it out...

psychological anatomy

"never grow a wishbone

where your backbone ought to be"

-cynthia paddleford

This has recently become what I live by. I find myself often wishing I had said something to someone to express the way I really felt. I find myself wishing that I had had the guts to go somewhere, to do something, and more importantly to give someone a chance. I have now decided to grow a backbone (although there's really no such thing--it's lots of bones that make up a back, but that's just a formality).

(picture taken of dearest hannah in ecuador)

can i get an amen?

"There is a sacredness in tears.

They are not the mark of weakness, but of power.

They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues.

They are messengers of overwhelming grief…

and unspeakable love."

-Washington Irving

picture from le love

Vivianita

Mamita,

You are absolutely incredible. Thanks for being an example of virtue, integrity, honesty, beauty, love, for encouraging me in my ridiculous persuits, for taking me seriously when sometimes no one else does, for teaching me how to attempt to be crafty (you're way better than i am!!), for always teaching me to study, to read, to love to learn, to love the gospel, and to love others. Today, I am celebrating your life, as you have almost been taken from me one too many times. Love you tons. Happy bday.

xoxo

Brookie Baby, Pumpkin, Sweetie (all names my mother affectionately calls me)

ps. picture line up: my mom sends me love notes via pictues, the second one is not my mother, but me with an amazing quilt she made me for my 21st!!, and the last clip is about the women in our lives. i loveeeee it.

Which one of these is not like the others?

all of these are paint....on body parts....

let's see if you can find the one that is unprofessional (shouldn't be too hard)

ps. i LOVE real salt lake!!

pps. pictures from here and here

Lean like a chola

Halloween has come and gone this year, and I am in complete and utter shock that it is already November.

Anyway, after a week of being sick, I was more than excited to get out and do something fun once my fever had subsided. I figured that since I mark "white" and "hispanic" on all federal forms and previous college applications, that I would go back to my roots for halloween (okay, just for clarification, they don't dress like this in Chile..it's mostly a Mexican tradition). Ladies and gentlemen, I present you the whitest chola you've ever met, and a little musical snack to go along with it:

home <3

i'm loving the little "project" that is asking people to submit

what home is to them....

i posted the post card that i think describes me perfectly.

home.........................(for me (now i'm sounding like randy jackson))

-changes every year

-is not defined by any possessions, as each one is completely temporary

-will always remind me of these beauties:

love these souls...

"You don't have a Soul. You are a Soul. You have a body."

-C. S. Lewis

some pictures are from my travels...some pictures are of family members.

either way, they're all beautiful and i love them to death.

xoxo

dear hope,

(image via michael totten...apparently these two words are incongruously seen all over the tel aviv)

dear hope,

i have frequently thought about you. i can often feel you at fleeting moments of my life, and can't help but think that you are so misunderstood. yet, you are always there for me when no other emotion can comfort me. you are the last thing i want to lose, nonetheless through your reputation of being someone who "has the deep eyes of someone well aquatinted sorrow, [and] the luminosity of recently being wet with tears," are the last i want to get to know. this beautiful story to me, describes you more than adequately. thank you for all you do.

lovingly,

brookie*

bucket list:

....someday when i don't have to work and i have money saved up.

1. go to every ballpark in the nation in one summer.

2. go to the kentucky derby and wear huge hats and a summer dress.

3. greece, thailand, spain, prague, fiji. need i say more?

4. see fireworks at the nation's capital.

5. see mount rushmore.

6. dip a foot (or two) in each great lake and the mississippi.

7. dress up in ridiculous 80's prom dresses and go to a non-80's formal event. oh wait, i already did that....

"vampires might live forever...

....but this offer (<--that's a link) wont."

WOW.

here's another gem from the product description: you have to shake it (<--that's a link too) to represent the "blending of the human and vampire worlds." what if i don't want it to blend? what if i just want to become a vampire, and just "hold on tight spider money" for the rest of my life?? ...but seriously

bring it, vampires, bring it.

please understand how ridiculous i felt while capturing this picture.

another "how to" post

following some of my other how to posts, i've decided to post another--

how to get a whole entire row to yourself on a southwest flight:

preface: we all know how southwest works, but in case you don't, here's how it goes. everyone gets a letter and a number. i have no idea how either work, but i always seem to get the last letter possible and the last number possible. then, you board according to letter and number, and you get to choose where you sit. usually, couples will sit with one in the aisle and one at the window with all of their very important carry-ons in between them, which, naturally, means "we don't want you sitting here."

and now on to the how to:

1. become ill (i, for example, i had sinusitis, two ear infections, and h1n1).

2. sit right in between one of those couples that are being rude.

3. start coughing incessantly (blowing your nose also helps with dramatic effect) and murmur things to yourself about swine flu, pandemic influenza, and h1n1.

4. take forever to figure out where you're going to leave that dirty tissue you just used (look in the seat pocket in front of you, put it on your lap, etc.).

5. watch the people sitting next to you drop like flies*.

epilogue: the greatest thing about this tactic (especially if you really were sick like myself) is that once the airplane has taken off and people don't move seats anymore, you can stretch out and get the whole row to yourself. sleep, the #1 best medicine, becomes your companion, and the flight is much more enjoyable.

happy flying!

*please keep in mind this was not a selfish act on my part, but i was acting selflessly. i did not want others to get sick, and i did not want others to have to experience my very ornery temperament after traveling for 40 hours straight...(chile to lima to el salvador to LA to two flights being canceled in LA to finally SLC)

full body touching non-cuddling

i'm going to take a quick break from re-capping the last two-three months hilarious happenings by just stating that these days, all a single girl can ask for is full body touching non-cuddling.

here's how it goes:

1. subject f(emale) and subject m(ale) like each other.

2. subject f thinks that girls shouldn't do all of the work.

3. subject m thinks that guys shouldn't do all of the work.

4. during the day and any group activities a whole lot of hugging and random "behind the elbow" touching...apparently that's a subconscious indicator of attraction

5. then all of a sudden subject f and subject m find themselves in a situation where more than just the during-the-day-and-group activities can occur (although they, at first, still attend group activities....just go to ones where the rest of the group isn't paying attention, ie. movies, walking somewhere during the night, etc.)

6. then, because both subjects feel that it is the other person's responsibility to take charge, absolutely nothing occurs but what i like to call full body touching non-cuddling, or FBTNC for short. this can be described as one complete side of subject f touching the complete side of subject m with some serious electric currents running through the points of contact (again, this goes all the way down from shoulder to ankle), BUTTTT there is no intermingling of subjects occurring. no intertwining arms. no arm behind the head. no hand holding. nothing. whatsoever.

now, i've found myself in this situation several times, and have found others to be in the same position on more than one occasion and think that this needs to be remedied, without subject f having to do all of the work. which, in turn, is the whole basis of the problem.

oh well. the life of a single girl never stops being comical.

picture show...

well, if you want a summary of our trip, you can read the previous post.

this one will just contain two things--slide shows of ecuador and the galapagos. if you wanna watch them in better quality, click on the vids to take you to the youtube page.

xoxo

Ecuador!!

and now the moment i know you've all been waiting for:

a quick ecuador recapitulation.

it was, to say the least, amazing, and i am highly considering going with southern cross humanitarian to peru! everyone on the trip was so individual and beautiful in their own way. ecuador was so different than any other country i've been to. i absolutely fell in love with the natives, the weather, the little kids that we tortured with fluoride (they were absolutely ADORABLE!), the old women and men that spoke mostly quichua (wow! church was interesting to attend, and speaking with the moms telling them their kids couldn't eat or drink for 30 minutes was more difficult than i would have thought!), and the traditional clothing. everything was beautiful.

here is the summary written by our fearless leader, cameron:

Ecuador Expedition! by Cameron Smyres - Expedition Leader Arriving in Otavalo, we worked alongside Charity Anywhere and helped serve 1200 people providing medical and dental services. Many people from surrounding communities came to have teeth pulled, have their teeth treated with fluoride and have surgical removal of various skin disorders. Our group distributed donated items during dental clinics on teeth care, emphasizing the proper use of multivitamins and the basic hygiene kits we brought. We also had many donations of clothing and other basic items we were able to provide. Another facet of the initial service was to help build a home for an elderly woman in a nearby community and work in an orphanage in Quito run by the Davis Foundation which takes care of over 130 children. We scraped and painted two buildings that truly need it! While in Quito, we visited the Equator and tried our hands at balancing raw eggs on a nail. Interesting the things you can do on the center line at the middle of the world. Also, we watched the water drain different directions in buckets set on each side of the center line. When we headed out to the Galapagos we were set for a treat. On the island of Santa Cruz the group spent time enjoying the great climate and atmosphere of the Galapagos Islands. The first day was spent at Tortuga Bay hiking around to see the volcano and swim at the beach. The next day was the Tour to the Floreana where the group hiked and viewed caves and turtles. That afternoon was snorkeling with the sharks in the area where the sharks rest. The next day, on the Bay Tour the group visited the Sea Lion area and swam within feet of the playful groups of sea lions and swam into the center of large schools of fish. Our whole expedition fell in love with the beauty of Ecuador - the land and especially the people.

Video with pictures soon to come....be excited

WOOOOO

(gosh i miss ecuador! this is from otavalo's market...)

i absolutely love fresh fruit, local clothing/artisan crafts, and fresh veggies....

and NOWWWWW slc's farmer's market is now going to be on tuesdays too!!

check it out

also, i got to see a free screening of 500 days of summer in sandy, which was FABULOUS.

i'm in love...and will talk about it, and my thoughts on love at a later time.

one more thing. how cool are these buildings??

romantical

how cute is this commercial?

i'm in love.....

...also love the song (falling in love at a coffee shop)

blooming

while in ecuador and chile, i was uncharacteristically given flowers on several different occasions. i received 6 different ones in a matter of three weeks, and i loved each and every one for what it looked like, smelled like, and most importantly who gave it to me. i had one from otavalo's mayor's wife, one from a very dear person in my group, one from my beautiful grandma, and several others....

although, each and every time i received one, i couldn't help but think of this quote, which has been my anthem for quite some time:

"and the day came

when the risk to remain

tight in a bud was more painful than

the risk to blossom" -anais nin

here are some of my favorites from the trip.....

all i can say is:

i. can't. wait.

also...i'm sad these aren't anywhere near utah

walking in the spiderwebs

i remember the exact day my 10 year-old self heard what i like to call liquid luck. okay not really, but i just watched harry potter so that was on my mind. back on topic...when i heard the most lyrically gifted, most unique, and amazing sounds of gwen stefani and her no doubt crew, i was in love. i was just learning about the "so many different people" they strummed about. i was "in love" with a boy in my class that broke my heart and "don't speak" was my anthem. i couldn't WAIT until i was old enough to have my own cell phone and make "spiderwebs" my answering machine, and then when i turned 16 so i could sing "just a girl." my best friend's older brother introduced me to them (and a million other bands that have been my favorites at one time or another), and i've never looked back. in fact, i've even been gwen stefani for halloween because i love her (and no doubt) that much, and did "don't speak" for a talent show with my dad. yes, i am a SUPERFAN.

so, naturally, i've always wanted to go to one of their concerts, but i wasn't ever old enough, or they never came to the city i was residing in, or their band broke up (i cried when i heard. no joke). when i heard no doubt was coming to utah, i jumped at the opportunity to see my idols LIVE, and let me tell you--they did not disappoint. they played ALL of the classics, did an amazing encore, and we even sang happy birthday to kingston.

here are just some visual (gwen's close-ups taken by my friend allister) and audio snacks from the concert. enjoy them, as i am right now re-living the most amazing experience of my life (okay that may be an exaggeration, but it's pretty high up there). the only thing that could have made it better was to be with my best friend, carissa (it's my life is one of the videos..just for you!), and her brother.

not-so-lonesome george

one of the highlights of the trip to the galapagos, was seeing lonesome george, and more importantly seeing him in the act of reproduction for the second time ever in his whole entire life! not that seeing that itself was any bit exciting, because to be totally honest it was a little awkward for him (he kept looking over at us!) and for us, but it was history in the making.

apparently this 70-90 year old turtle (estimated to live about 400 years) is the last of its species, and scientists have been attempting for a while to get this picky reptile to mate, with no avail. however, last year, he tried to mate with infertile eggs coming of it. they gave georgey some new mates, and we WITNESSED the action! from that date's happenings, the lady turtle has five new healthy eggs that she had laid, and i was beyond excited. if george has a child from this, as some in our group have concurred, it is due to his cheering section!

here he is (with the second "mate" jealous in the background). go get 'em!

23? WHAT??

well, i guess i'll work my way forwards from what you've all missed out on, because i know you all care so deeply....

turning 23 was a little depressing, but very fabulous.

let's start on why it's so depressing (i'm a firm believer in bad news first, good news second):

* i had someone tell me "you're 23 and not married! wow, you must feel really bad." that wasn't quite the pick-me-up i was looking for, but whatever. i actually didn't feel bad about not being married, until they said that.

* i had to work. lame, i know, because millions of people have worked on their birthday, BUT there were two people at the office that day, and one was me.

* nothing cool comes with turning 23. i can already smoke, drink, drive, date, get my own insurance, have a job, get a tattoo.

now on why it was so great:

* i had a tennis/golf themed combined birthday party with my roomies, and SO many great friends i haven't seen forever came, which meant the WORLD to me.

* i got to go home the weekend before and see my two bffs: mom and dad.

* my mom gave me the cutest presents ever (maybe in an effort to domesticate me?? haha...). and yes, she MADE the apron. very talented woman, she is.

here are pictures from the glorious event, and the gorge apron and silicone cupcake cups:

the asian invasion

.....at it's finest.

keep in mind these two did NOT know each other and did not speak the same language.

also, try to remember that this is a teenager traveling by himself, wearing super tight skinny jeans, with black nails, and long flowing locks. needless to say, he was very unhappy for the duration of the 1.5 hour flight.

{and in case you're wondering...this man moved from the aisle to the middle seat to take pictures out the window, and nail the kid in the head with his elbows the whole entire time}

dear last two months,

dear life,

man, have you flown by, or what? so much has happened since the last post, and some highlights, in case you've forgotten, are:

*you turned 23

*no doubt concert

*lots of rain in june

*dinosaur museum

*an obsession with Real Salt Lake

*rodeos

*movie nights and laser tagging

*ecuador

*a quadrillion bug bites

*chile

*lots more things i can't remember....

but honestly, you've treated me beyond well recently. thanks, life.

lovingly,

brook

it's official

i got my ticket to go to ecuador in july to work with these little guys:

and then take a 4 day mini cruise on a yacht to swim with these:

and check out these boobies (i just love that that's what they're called):

and then slink down to chile to see them:

i can NOT wait!

i do have a request from you, though. the organization i'm going through has a partnership with Albertson's, and for every Albertson's preferred card # (or phone number that goes with it if you don't have the preferred card number) that I turn in, I get $10 off of my trip! so, if you have one that you can send my way (it costs nothing to you, and you're donating to a good cause!!) would be very helpful. go ahead and email me your info: brookdorff {at} gmail {dot} com.

ps. cupertino made it famous again....gotta love my home town.

Princess Scratch

jaja...(that is like "haha" in español, which means spanish in spanish)

anyhoo, my dad is awesome. the following were three stati on the book in one day:

"is laughing because a friend accidentally sent him a love note via text message intended for someone else..." (the best part, is he received this aforementioned message during early-morning seminary while my mom was teaching and started to uncontrollably giggle...the text message from a MAN friend called the recipient of the text princess. oh dear....) 

"is hoping Dan Hesse (the CEO of Sprint) has forgiven him for scratching the screen on his Pre last week." (at least the Sprint team lovingly dubbed him "Scratch" after that)

"is laughing because last week he went to Ted's Grill in Kansas and when it was time to pay he took the one that said "Ted's Copy" thinking it was clever of them to put my name on there. When I got the credit card bill they charged me an extra dollar. I'm not laughing anymore." 

i am now going to start calling my dad princess scratch. 

and well, since i'm talking about him, i'm going to put some pretty awesome pics up of the only man in my life. he is pretty awesome.

dig(g)

well recently i've discovered that i'm not actually a hunter gatherer, but more of a digging sort. no no no, silly, not like an agrarian communist type. like, i like digging.

for example:

i ALWAYS dig up the chunks in ice cream. like i always find the cookie dough chunks, or the peanut butter mini cups, or whatever other deliciousness presents itself in chunk form, preferably in ice cream.

another example:

i ALWAYS dig up the most frosted frosted mini wheats, and MAN are they frosty! i have on occasion found one entirely frosted on both sides. i even found a double mini wheat double frosted. that was the best day of my life to date. i don't even know if a wedding would top that. you know what, to prove this, i am going to start taking pics of the mutantly covered mini wheats. done and done.

another digging example:

i love digging my elbows into people who irritate me. i have freakishly pointy elbows, so don't bother me, or try to get a rebound while i am.

example:

i dig cute boys.

another:

i like digging up information on people, usually via googling their names. okay that's not really digging stuff up, because that would be somewhat disturbing.

i am a gold digger. there, i said it. jk! i'm really not.

i also like digging things, and i really dig this song about digg (i've mentioned her before on here. she's my absolute favorite and someday she'll make it big. plus, she likes macs!):

what i'm attempting to get back into:

yeah i know blah blah blah don't end a sentence in a preposition. but it technically wasn't a sentense. so take that!

okay, anyway, i'm trying to get back into dancing! i've missed it. it sustained me through my childhood. it sustained me through high school. it kept me sane/happy/excited through college. and i have not danced for about a year now. needless to say, it is driving me INSANE. so, i'm going to start going to a little hip hop group get together thing on saturdays, and maybe even join a dance studio. know any good utah ones?? cuz i certainly don't. 

for now, i'll leave you with my favorite dances from SYTYCD, and america's best dance crew:

inspirational:

AMAZINGGGG

start watching the next vid @ 4:20--

America's Best Dance Crew (Season 3) - MTV Shows

start watching this one at 15:15 to see my faves again....(and the girl that does head spins for like 2 minutes at the end has 2 kids. AND she's putting her glasses on while she's doing it!! totally rad!)

America's Best Dance Crew (Season 3) - MTV Shows

cloudiness

it is sometimes hard to understand why we must go through things in our lives. some situations that may seem impossible for me to face, are not difficult to others. others seem to have to endure trials that wouldn't effect me as deeply as it effects them. we always have to remember, that we have no idea what is going on in their lives, nor do they in ours so as to remain as conscious of others as possible.

i have often thought about why certain things happen to me, and about timeliness, and about a million other things. what is it that i have to learn from whatever is happening to me. how can this help someone else? it always seems to me, through what i hear from other people, that often when it rains, it pours. but we must also always remember..... "every cloud we see doesn't [always] result in rain..." {quote from elder cook and photo from macuha.com}

are you for REALS??

i find myself saying the title of this blog post a lot in a variety of different situations. often times to ridiculous drivers who are going too slow, too fast, or just driving too idiotically. this also comes out in casual conversation when girls speak of desperately wanting to get married, when i hear of ex-boyfriends asking out some of my best friends (and them saying yes), when horrible people make it far in reality show competitions (mostly just american idol), when i offer people help and they say no and then get on a cell phone call and complain about how nobody helped them right in front of me, when i see how much i saved at harmons, when i get reminded to wash my hands, when cha cha's texting service goes crazy and sends me a GILLION texts in 20 minutes, when people inform me of "how old" i'm turning and "why aren't you married yet???!!!?!??!!," when my fruit goes hairy before i can eat it, when it snows during spring, when i accidentally schedule myself to be in 3 different places on the same day at the same time, and when michael scott talks. speaking of michael scott, here's a great video clip most of you have probably already seen:

man vocabulary

i have recently come across or created some very key words having to do with men. they are as follows:

*moobs: man boobs. self-explanatory.

*mantourage: this dates back to all pre-pubescent women, when they could not go anywhere by themselves. see entourage or clique. women were seen flocking to the restroom with other women and going to social events with at least two other friends. most women who experienced an phenomena similar to the male version, the mantourage, even had their own language, which many men are seeming to create in these groups. these words and phrases include those such as "dude" and "commitment-phob." many have started to study the entourage or clique to understand the strange occurrence. 

*manrichment: another word relating to woman-like behavior where men attempt to replicate the women's version, enrichment. men have been spotted during manrichment events doing things such as weight-lifting, alphabet-burping, and other similar testosterone-filled events. 

if you or anyone you know have experienced any of these strange happenings, please report immediately.

lessons on how to make your neighbors unhappy:

1. play music as loudly as possible (please don't forget the booming bass) at ridiculous hours of the day (preferably somewhere between 2 and 7 am).

2. get totally wasted and go on your back porch, which is way too close to your other neighbors' back porches, and vomit and scream obscenities.

3. after completing step #2, start climbing the fake rock wall behind your porch that leads to a house higher up on the hill. 

4. go outside and have everyone start their trucks at the exact same time to see whose is the loudest (this again is best when done between 2 and 7 am).

5. after completing step #4, start revving your engines to see whose is the loudest.

6. leave all beer cans, cigarette butts, red cups, and other party essentials on your little piece of 6 by 6 grass in front of your house that you share with your neighbors. 

7. send jehovah's witnesses their way.

8. park behind their garage/driveway. this is most effective when parking on the street is illegal altogether.

well hello there

hi.

so this is a quickie update since i've been virtually MIA (pun intended).

1. my work is taking over my life. imagine me and my life being water, and any other additions as food coloring. so lets say that exercise is red food coloring. eating is blue food coloring. makes for a gorgeous purple. and church and other wonderful things are just purple, so it's still a gorgeous purple. and THEN you add green and yellow to the mix and all of a sudden it's poop brown. well that's what work's done to me recently. try responding to THIS beast of a grant and see how sane you remain.

1.1. on a side note, a lot of people ask me what it is i EXACTLY do, and i don't even bother to explain because it's really quite confusing. well here's a wonderful video that explains it pretty well (it's short i promise).

2. i'm going to....*drum roll please*....ECUADOR!! remember how i was going to go to peru for a whole semester after graduating? (if you've forgotten, there are several posts here, here, and here). well, i'm going to ecuador through the same organization on an expedition the first to weeks in july with my roomie. it is going to be wonderful as we'll be working with orphans and drop-in centers. on top of service, we get to do a little trip to the middle of the world (the equator, where you can supposedly balance an egg--i'll take a picture to prove it) and we'll get to slink over to the galapagos islands. you have no idea how excited i am.

3. my favorite parents came out for conference. i love and miss them dearly. pictures coming soon (don't worry mom, i wont post those pictures i promised i would never show anyone ever).

3.1. how awesome was conference?? i loved every single second of it.

well kids, that's about it. i must go work on my grant some more.....

evidence:

i have recently (okay maybe for a year now) have had a strong desire to become a photographer.

i am obsessed with photography (especially the wedding kind--weird, i know, but i love to observe people on one of their happiest days ever!).

i want to take great pictures.

i want to buy an expensive camera.

i want to travel the world taking pictures of beautiful and unique things.

i think people are beautiful.

i think nature is beautiful.

and i think i'm signing up for a community class on photography.

you may be asking, "where did this come from?" to this i respond, "who knows," but i've recently remembered that my dad's room was a dark room when he was a teenager, and my mom takes some stellar pictures. maybe it runs in the fam?

now, after all of that, here is the evidence that leads me to believe i wouldn't be a horrible photographer (yes, i took them all, and no, there was hardly no fiddling; i only edit/adjust pictures i'm in or other people are in that i think could look a little tanner, and could have a little clearer/less greasier skin):

i'm kind of a big deal

okay, well not really, but i've had some fun lately. now, just to preface, this is not a bragging session, but rather a "i got to take some things off of my bucket list" session.

a couple of weeks ago, i joined the local institute choir because i heard they were singing in general conference. well, i found out that they would be singing in the CES Fireside before that, and was excited at the opportunity to sing there! needless to say it was marvelous, and "prayer is the soul's sincere desire" is now my favorite hymn due to the last four verses we never sing.

if you didn't get a chance to catch that, you can watch the broadcast here. there are quite a few times you can spot me, but in case you don't wanna watch it, i've included some still shots because i'm that vein. actually, i look funny, but hey, i got some camera time! my friend alex told me i'm a great "ooh-er." if you don't wanna watch it for me, here are several more reasons to watch it:

1. elder hales gives an excellent talk

2. prayer is the soul's sincere desire is gorgeous (starts at 7:30ish)

3. this guy (need i say more??):

well, not only did i get to be on tv for the CES fireside, but i have been on radio disney also lately. as soon as i get that clip, i'll let you know.

lastly, i got to meet carlos boozer today. this could very well be the worst picture of me ever for all time and eternity (not to mention it's my bad side!!) but who cares?? carlos' arm is around me and that's all that matters. he came for a fundraiser that was done by a local elementary school to fund one program i'm over (open airways--it's for children with asthma aged 8-11). they raised the most money, and therefore got carlos boozer at their school! (ps if you know of a school that would want to participate next year, let me know!!)

well, here are some precious pictures from the glorious event. the kids were hilarious and the girls couldn't stop giggling (and quite frankly neither could i, haha). enjoy:

anyone lose a placenta?

because they've found a couple in illinois in the sewage system. i mean, you expect to find suspicious looking things in the sewage, but never a COUPLE of placentas. especially since several cultures consider the placenta to be sacred. as a matter of fact, it's usually buried for purposes such as:

• so the mother's spirit doesn't haunt the child (bolivia)--the ghost of vivi past....yikes!
• so the daughter born (if it's a daughter) can be a good clam digger (british columbia)--THAT'S why i stink at clam digging!
• to ensure health of the baby and mother (costa rica)--duh mom, that's why we're sick all the time. maybe my appendix had beef with my placenta. speaking of, would it be MY placenta, or my MOM'S placenta? i mean, she produced it, but it was attached to me....hmmm...the mysteries of life.
• to show relationship between humans and the earth (maori and navajo)--although this could be done much easier by just attending yoga at 24 hour fitness
• to promote devoutness in the child's life (turkey)--shoot i'm in big trouble

some even thought it held magical powers:

• egyptians apparently stuck the pharoh's placenta on a stick and took it to war. that's just sick and probably horribly smelly.

and some eat their placentas. now that is just gross!

(quick quiz! what am i thinking? wrong! i'm thinking about how skin is the largest organ on the body. name where that came from!)

okay, well, anyways, i just wanted to let you know if you've lost your (don't ask me if by "your" i mean the one that was attached to you when you were born, or the placenta's you've birthed) placenta, i've found it! just make sure when you go look for it, you don't let your children swim in the sewage....

dear big tobacco,

i hope you rot where you belong.

don't pay out utah's legislatures and governor, it's wrong.

don't steal the $$ that was allocated to be for tobacco prevention and control programs in utah. that's wrong.

don't try to coerce rep. bigelow into supporting HB 444 (well, you already have, but i hope it doesn't pass). it's wrong.

there are endless quotes from your companies and executives that tell us how evil and conniving you are. remember when the t. j. reynolds tobacco company executive said {and please excuse my french}

"we don't smoke that s%#t. we just sell it. we reserve the right to smoke for the young, the poor, the black, and the stupid."

now, i know that should set off some alarms for some, but it still doesn't for others (like our idiot legislatures).

leave us alone. don't buy out our legislators just because our tobacco campaign is actually working here in utah. 

you better watch your back (where the xray can see what's in your heart and lungs),

brook

_____________

now on another note for all you readers out there. please do all you can to stop them! we have one week left to stop them from passing the bill.

visit: stopthechop.com

or, you can just email blast bigelow (the idiot rep. that's sponsoring the bill) and call him at home: ronbigelow@utah.gov, 801.968.4188. pretty much the message is this one: that we NEED the tobacco prevention and control program here in utah, and that is has evidence to back that it's working. that people trying to quit, or that have had their lives ruined by tobacco deserve this right. that it is their moral obligation to use the $$ that was supposed to be used for tobacco in the tobacco department. 

let me know if you have any questions. 

devastation

i remember being completely crushed when i realized that to be a radio city rockette, you had to be between 5'6'' and 5'7''.

i remember having my heart broken when a boy i loved in yochien didn't like me because i didn't know how to use chop sticks yet, and i ate lunch with a fork.

i remember one time i was asked to make a salad in japan (i was somewhere around 5 or 6) by my mamita. i was supposed to put a hard-boiled egg in the salad, and when i cracked the egg, it was definitely not hard boiled. my uncle (david) and mom laughed at me for a good half-hour, which of course made me cry more.

i remember lots of other things too...someday i'll divulge.