Stupid Technology...

GRRRR... ok, so I have a pretty new digital camera. I took many beautiful pictures with it. I took the disk to walmart to print some of the beautiful pictures. The beautiful pictures printed off just fine. I went home to download the beautiful pictures onto my computer from the disk, but my computer wouldn't read the stupid disk. I re-grouped and got the cord to connect my computer to the pretty new digital camera. The pretty new digital camera asked if I was trying to connect to a PC, I said "yes", it went to a black screen that said "One Moment". It said "one moment" for about 45 "one moments". So, I got tired of waiting for "one moment" and I safely removed the mass storage device and called it a day.

The next day, I tried to put the stupid disk back into my computer and it read the disk fine. It downloaded all of the beautiful pictures. I went to look at them. 2/3 of the pictures could be viewed without any difficulty. The other 1/3 of the pictures just show a jpeg icon. All the properties are the same as the other 2/3, my computer just won't let me view the pictures. It pops up a box that says, "Could not open 'C:\Documents and Settings\Bill Boulter\My Documents\My Pictures\April 2009\Lindsays Camera Pictures 507.jpg' because an unknown or invalid JPEG marker type is found." Everyone I ask says they've never heard of that. The 1/3 pictures are deleted off the disk now (I don't know how) and I took it into the camera store and they reformated the disk so it is now blank. So, basically, I have these picture files on my computer now that are, in fact, picture files, they are just encripted or something so I can't look at them!!! I have tried looking at them in an internet explorer window, the desktop, kodak picture viewer, windows picture viewer and I can't figure it out.... HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD OF THIS?!?!?!?! HELP!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

Nothing...

Ok, so it's been FOREVER since I've been on here and really, I still don't have much to report. Life is treking right along. And my life is a pretty stable routine. Sunday's is church and family. Monday is work, single's ward FHE and 24. Tuesday is work and Biggest Loser. Wednesday is work and a local biggest loser then bowling with the girls from the ward. Thursday is work, Survivor and R.S. Presidency visits. Friday is work, and relax...yay! Saturday changes, but the best part is NO WORK!!! Actually I have something really exciting going on on this Friday, but I will wait to share that for later. And I am super excited for Easter. I don't know why, but I love Easter. And I must say that I think Easter has the best candy...even better than Halloween! Oh, and this Sunday, I have to talk in Sacrament meeting. All they said was something Easter appropriate... ummm, can we say BROAD!! So, any ideas or stories or quotes, etc. would be FABULOUS!!!

My Country Tis of Thee

I generally don't like to get into politics with people because I generally am not super opinionated about it, but I am very concerned about the future of our country and who the people leading it really are and what they're doing. I love this country and the freedoms that come with living here. I love the Constitution and believe people should read it regularly to remind them what we are not only fighting for, but what we are so blessed to have. I worry about so many of the changes people are trying to make and fear they will only take us down the wrong path.

However, I also believe there are many people out there who feel and think the same way I do. People who are not afraid to stand up for basic truths and principles that this country was founded on. My Mom brought this quote to my attention. I think it is profound in many ways, but especially because it was said right in the midst of the Great Depression. Anyway, here it is...I hope it inspires you to make your voice heard so that our country can rise past the current trials.

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." ~~~~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931

And not to drag this on forever, but here is another quote my sister-in-law found by Heber J. Grant:
"We again warn our people in America of the constantly increasing threat against our inspired Constitution and our free institutions set up under it. The same political tenets and philosophies that have brought war and terror in other parts of the world are at work amongst us in America. The proponents thereof are seeking to undermine our own form of government and to set up instead one of the forms of dictatorships now flourishing in other lands. . . .

. . . Communism and all other similar isms bear no relationship whatever to the United Order. They are merely the clumsy counterfeits which Satan always devises of the gospel plan. . . . Latter-day Saints cannot be true to their faith and lend aid, encouragement, or sympathy to any of these false philosophies. They will prove snares to their feet. I counsel you, I urge you, I plead with you, never, so far as you have voice or influence, permit any departure from the principles of government on which this nation was founded, or any disregard of the freedoms which, by the inspiration of God our Father, were written into the Constitution of the United States."

Overwhelmed!

Ok, so I had a pretty big surprise this last week. Last Sunday, the Executive Clerk from my ward called and asked if I could meet with the Bishop that day before church, but since I was in Provo, I wouldn't be able to meet that day, so I set up an appointment for later in the week. Well, then like two hours later, I got a call from my Bishop! He wanted to talk to me and also asked if I could meet with him that day, so again, I explained that I was in Provo, but if he wanted to talk over the phone, then that was fine. He said that he probably needed to talk to me in person and so he would just wait until Tuesday for the appointment that I set up with the Exec. Clerk.

Ok, so after that, I was thinking, "What in the world could be so urgent??? I mean, I already have a calling and to my knowledge, I haven't done anything wrong....." So, I kept thinking and stewing over it. Well, on Monday, I saw one of my friends from the ward and asked him if there were any major changes in the ward that happened on Sunday and he said that the old R.S. Presidency was released. Instantly, I'm sure I looked like a deer in headlights because that is just crazy... I mean, yes, I am one of the more outgoing active girls in the ward, but still...that's just crazy talk! Then my friend must have seen the terror in my eyes because he said not to worry because they put in the new Presidency that same day. Pfeeew! But then I was back at square 1....no clue...

So, Tuesday came around and I went into meet with the Bishop, completely clueless. And what do you think he said?!?!....well, I will tell you! "As you may know, we just released our previous RS Presidency and called a new presidency last week except for one calling...." (I'm thinking, "WHAT?!?! That's not what Kade (my friend) said...he said they were all called....") "and we would like to extend the calling of 2nd counselor over Enrichment to you." Holy Crap! I am so clueless.... So, any help/advice/ideas, etc...would be VERY much appreciated. I don't have a clue what I'm doing and I'm sure I'll totally botch it up at some point in time! Sometimes I really wonder what the Lord is thinking and how hard he has to be laughing because this is just nuts! So, I'm sure there will be more posts to come about how I made a fool of myself in some form or fashion!

Addicted!

Hi, my name is Lindsay and I am addicted to the Twilight Series. (All together now..."Hello Lindsay") I know, I know you love the books too, but I mean I have a problem. I went on a road trip up to Provo last weekend and I wanted to get a book on CD for the drive. I looked all over and the one I kept coming back to is Twilight. (Yes, I already read all four books last summer in like a week). But I don't care! I just wanted to experience the world of Edward again...maybe because it is so much more exciting than my own life, who knows! So, I bought Twilight on CD and listened to it all the way up to Provo and all the way back. But the book is longer than that drive so for the past week I've had it in my car on the way to anywhere I go! And I have found myself actually driving slower because I want to listen to even just one extra minute. Or I get excited when I miss a light and have to wait for it to turn green again. I am a sick, sick person!

But now, I have come to the end of Twilight, yet again, and of course I am left wanting MORE! UGH!!! So, I have quite the predicament...do I buy New Moon on CD too and keep the spirit of Twilight alive within the confines of my car? or do I bite (no pun intended) the bullet and buy the books? (The first time I read them, I just borrowed them) But I have a feeling that this time, still won't be the last time I dive into the world of Edward. I guess if this is one of the most difficult decisions I have to make today, I am doing pretty good.

R.O.U.S.'s

Ok, so as I've mentioned before, we have a Chinese foreign exchange student living with us and the other day we were talking about all the classic movies we used to watch repeatedly as kids and the two that came up with the most vigor were Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Princess Bride. Well, it also surfaced that even though we, as kids, watched those two movies more times than any one person could count, my dad had NEVER seen them! Blasphemy! I know! And obviously Sylvia (FES) hadn't ever seen them either, so we decided to watch the Princess Bride first. Well, it gets to the part about the Fire Swamp and the R.O.U.S.'s attack and Sylvia is hiding under a blanket scared (she's 16...I don't get it.) Anyway, it made me start thinking about how odd it was that she was afraid...not because she is 16 and afraid of fake rodents of unusual size, but because when I lived in China there really were R.O.U.S.'s!!! Ok, they weren't the size of large dogs, but the were the size of large cats.

Well, then, that week I wrote Kelli, (my sister on a mission) and told her how we watched Princess Bride. And she responded with a story about how there are R.O.U.S.'s in Louisiana called neutra-rats. And I thought, "how many places could these creatures possibly inhabit?" Well, I really didn't spend much time past that thinking about it....until today!! I have an old roommate, Jenny, who I keep in contact with through blogs (imagine that!) And I read the FUNNIEST post on her blog today about how they had a mutant squirrel living in their attic. (If you have time, you should read it...the link is further down on the right under Scot and Jenny...funny stuff) Anyway, so I was wondering if the concept of R.O.U.S.'s is more common than I thought. So, please, if you have had an experience with a R.O.U.S of any kind, share your tale here! (that is assuming anyone actually reads this...)

Laugh for the Day!

You are on the bus when you suddenly realize ... you need to fart.

The music is really loud, so you time your gas passing with the beat. After a couple of songs, you start to feel better as you approach your stop. As you are leaving the bus, people are really staring you down, and that's when you realize, you have been listening to your ipod.

What can you say to that?!?!

Today has been a very interesting day. Well, I guess that would be one way you could put it. Over the past few months there have been some murky areas as far as job security goes with my company. When I started working here in September there were 21 full-time salary or hourly employees. Since then, 12 people have been laid off, one person has quit and there have been two pay cuts, I was only included in one of those pay cuts (the one that happened today when they laid off three more people and EVERYONE took a pay cut). Fortunately, mine was the lowest of everyone, which I guess makes sense because I am one of the people making the very least. So, on one hand there is a lot of irritation and anxiety going around in the office today, but I guess there is also a lot for me to be grateful for. I mean, I still have a job, and a large reason for that is because I'm on the bottom of the pay totem poll, plus, I took a very small pay cut, compared to many others who are being cut thousands of dollars.

I guess my main frustration comes from feeling like I wasn't being paid what I'm worth in the first place and then when the CEO came to talk to me to tell me I need to take "x" amount of a pay cut, he then asked me, "is that ok?".... What can you say to that? "Oh, gee, I'm super duper excited to take it for the team!" So, I just looked at him like that was the dumbest question of all time. And he just waited there for me to respond. I guess he didn't get that no answer was an answer. So finally, I said, "Does it matter? I mean, I'm getting the cut either way, right?" And that's basically what it came down to. And he was just trying to be the "I care about you" boss, but didn't realize that I would answer honestly. But that is a whole different story. So for now, I am bummed that there was any pay cut at all, but I am even more grateful that I had a very minimal cut and that I have a job at all right now.

Looking Up!

Ok, so most of the time (especially lately) my life has been a bit of the "day in, day out" routine. I mean the most that would distinguish one day from the next would be which tv show was on that night. But recently I made a friend who is very motivational. Have you ever met someone and thought, "I can't wait to really get to know this person!" And you know there is something more to them? (ok, that sounds really corny, but hopefully you know what I mean.) Anyway, that's how this person has turned out to be. And it is a breath of fresh air. I started to feel like most of the people in St. George were walking clones, but it's nice to know there is still diversity out there (even in St. George). So, even if it is just something small, like meeting a new friend, it is good to have something that makes life a little more exciting and I must say that things are looking up!

New Year's Resolution Rant and Rave...

Ok, so I've never understood the point of a New Year's Resolution. I don't mean to offend anyone who lives by them, but honestly I don't know why someone needs to wait for the beginning of a new year to set a goal. Seriously, what happens that makes January 1st so much more motivating than a day like July 18th or October 2nd, or any other day for that matter? At least in my experience, there isn't anything that changes with a new year except my age; I still go to work, school, church, etc. the same as before.... And I guess I just think they are kind of pointless because everyone sets them and then does it for a little bit and then it fizzles out, but it's almost like if you make a New Year's Resolution and then quit, it's ok because "everyone" does it and it's become a joke almost. Ok, I know this is totally pointless, and very ramblish, but it was just something I was thinking about. I guess I need to just talk to someone who really believes in them to try to see their view. But really, I think it would be cool if there were days about every 6-8 weeks that were more motivational than any other day by some freak act of nature. Maybe that's why people invented holidays. Ok, I need to shut up....rambling queen, that's me.

The Host

Ok, so this last weekend I had a couple days off of work and so I finally got to snuggle up with the book I've been dying to read, "The Host" by Stephanie Meyer. (Yes, the same author of the Twilight Series.) And I have to be honest, it took me a long time to really get into the book. I mean, it was interesting enough, but kind of like, "Ok, when are you going to give me the good juicy stuff?!?!" Well, I'm so glad I didn't quit reading because I LOVED the end! Seriously, the last 3 or 4 chapters make the whole rest of the book worth it, plus they make the rest of the book fit into place better. So, I would recommend it to others and I would tell you to just hang in there and keep reading. It's worth it...promise.