At least *WE* think we're hilarious

So I'm in Sammamish visiting my family right now and I've been having a great time.

In fact, I'm going to tell you a story.

My sister and I did this today while using the two upstairs computers, and I think we're hilarious.  If you don't get it, don't give up.  Read on, and maybe gain a little insight into our family's sense of humor ...

Several weeks ago, my friend Jorgen introduced our family to a British sitcom called The IT Crowd.  Mark and I had started our free month of Netflix and were looking for a new show to watch.  I've got to say ... we love it.  We're engineer types, so the environment and the humor REALLY click with us.  "Hello, IT, have you tried turning it off and turning it back on again? ... are you sure it's plugged in?"  Often times, I can watch things once and be satisfied.  I don't have to watch it again.  This show, though, I think I will actually buy on DVD so I can watch it repeatedly.

I told my sister about it and now I've got her into watching it.  Unfortunately, only seasons 1 and 4 are currently available on Netflix so it will be a while before I can get Marissa to finish off the whole series ...

A few fantastic scenes from the show are in the second episode where they have a NEW (and shiny!) EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM with an easy-to-remember number with a handy jingle ...

I can't embed the video, but here's a link so you can watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab8GtuPdrUQ

I think it's ridiculously hilarious.  In fact, I have the jingle memorized: 01189998819991197253.  When I sing it a few times, Carmen starts dancing around the house singing the "Nine nine nine!!!" part of the song.  That girl is going to get voice lessons and become a Broadway star some day.  Srsly.  Does your 22-month-old sing on pitch?

Later in the series, there's a social networking site called "FriendFace" (obviously Facebook) and there's a scene where the three main characters are sitting on their computers in the office FriendFacing each other instead of having real conversations.  You don't know what they're saying to each other, but they're laughing and saying things like, "Oh, that was SUCH a Moss comment!  Ha ha ha!"

***Anywho***


Does anyone read Snide Remarks?  I first heard of him when someone showed me his fake 'Titanic' screenplay.  This has since been followed up by a rejected 'Twilight' screenplay and a few other things.  He offered some interesting insights on gay marriage, and it got me thinking I'd like to read more of this guy so I added him to my RSS feed on Google Reader.  Now I've realized he also does movie reviews and has his own blog, which is all updated more often than just his "Snide Remarks" column.  Click, click, click, RSS, RSS, RSS, check, check, check!

Last week, he posted a Snide Remarks column mocking one of my favorite songs to work out to at the gym.

(Frankly, I never thought of this song as rap ... it's not, is it?  Isn't it hip hop or something?)
This song is my favorite part of Zumba.  HECK YES.  This song and Usher's "DJ's Got Us Falling In Love" are the greatest feel-good songs to work out to at the gym.  And it makes me feel like a total dork.  But I'm not in high school any more, so I can be a dork and love it, right?!  I also make Carmen rock out and dance with me in the car when these songs come on the radio.

PUT YO' HANDS UP.

Anyway.  So Eric Snider made fun of this song.
"This is perplexing and perhaps even frightening. Why wouldn't the club be able to handle him? Is he wired with explosives? ... What is it he plans to do that he thinks is going to test the club's limits? Is he accompanied by a troupe of circus lions? Is he currently on fire, or in imminent risk of being on fire?"

I don't know why this article had me in giggling fits, but it did.


Today, I was on the computer in the office and Marissa was on the computer in the hall.  Marissa and I were recently sharing our plans for the evening (she's going to someone's house for a game night; I'm staying home and making s'mores with Dad if it decides to stop raining) ... and then I got a notification on Facebook saying my sister had written on my wall.  Uhh, aren't we 10 feet away from each other?

This is what happened:

So maybe it makes a little more sense now, if you know of our love for The IT Crowd and Eric Snider.

I'm glad we're related.  I get the feeling most other people would think we're just weird ...

Man, that was just a little awkward ...

Since the dawn of time, we have had friends over once a week to play Dungeons and Dragons.  I stopped playing after 3 or 4 years, but I still enjoy sitting on the couch doing my thing while listening to the guys play.  We make homemade pizza.  It's delicious.

For the past few years, we've been playing with a really awesome group of guys: Stu, Ray, and Trevor.  I love them.

Today, I made a trip to Costco for an eye exam and some grocery shopping.  When I came home, Ray greeted me as Mark pulls the first pizza out of the oven.

"Hey, Kamis, get out!"
I laughed and said, "Well, fine!" and turned to go.
He continued his sentence with, "We're having a sausage party!!"
I paused for a moment and cracked up even more.  "You know, Ray, that sounds really, really wrong!" ;)

These are the two thoughts that went through my head:
"Aw, man, he's right ... even the cats are male!"
and, "I wonder if he truly was only thinking about pizza?" (because sausage is his favorite topping, and Ray only eats the meat pizza we cook.)

When we make pizza at our house, we always make two pizzas.  One is all meat: sausage, pepperoni, and chicken.  The other is one I like a lot: chicken, pineapple, and pepperoni.  Back in the day, we used to experiment with things like onions, olives, and bell peppers, but I concluded it's too much effort to chop those things up and too many people aren't huge fans of the extras.  Now we cook everything up, put 'em in snack size plastic baggies, and stick 'em in the freezer.  That way I cook up a few months' worth of pizza ingredients at a time and assembling the pizzas is a breeze.

Anyway.

Sausage party.

*snerk*

Service

So we had a really cool Relief Society lesson in church yesterday. On the second Sundays of the month, we're studying the Gospel Principles manual (the same one Mark and I were using in our Sunday School class when we were ward missionaries) and our lesson was #28: Service.

http://lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-28-service?lang=eng

It was so fitting considering everything going on with Japan right now. When big disasters happen, the whole world (religious or not) kind of gets that charity chord struck in them. I'll just italicize random things from the lesson manual that might have something loosely to do with my train of thought. I love our church lesson manuals. *is a dork @_@; *

Service is helping others who need assistance. Christlike service grows out of genuine love for the Savior and of love and concern for those whom He gives us opportunities and direction to help. Love is more than a feeling; when we love others, we want to help them.

Our lesson opened with people sharing experiences in which they've received service from someone. Sister Kitchen, our Relief Society President (not to be confused with her sister-in-law, Sister Kitchen the wife of the bishop, who is Primary President ... AS IF THAT'S NOT CONFUSING) told us a story about a time shortly after she'd had her third child, and some new neighbors moved in across the street, and she got a knock on her door and some little boys came by and said, "Our mother told us to come over here and say we are going to take your laundry and do it and bring it back and we are not to take no for an answer." She was very thankful for this direct act of service. There followed a brief discussion on how sometimes we have to offer a specific service to someone instead of giving them an open-ended, "Let me know how I can help!"

Another woman in the class raised her hand and said something like, "Well, there are some things that I'm really particular about how things are done, like laundry. So if someone came over to my house and said they were going to do my laundry, I would be very uncomfortable and not want them to do it because it has to be done my way. Is there a polite way to say no when they don't want to take no for an answer?"

Two suggestions were: saying, "Thanks, I don't need someone to do my laundry, but you could {fill in the blank} if you want to." and saying, "Really, thanks for the thought, it means a lot to me, but please don't do it. It feels very good to know that someone cares about me and is thinking about me."

There are many ways to serve. We can help others economically, socially, physically, and spiritually. For example, we can share food or other articles with those who need them. We can help those in need by giving a generous fast offering. We can be a friend to a newcomer... Through the service of men and women and boys and girls, God’s work is done.

Then Sister Rea (from Brazil, I love her to death, and she was a ward missionary when we were, and when I first started coming back to Relief Society she was like, "Oh, where have you been? I haven't seen you in forever! And your little girl is ... almost two now?! WHAAAAT?!" and it was so cute.) spoke up and talked a bit about depression and service and Japan and stuff about overcoming depression. Joana (another woman Mark and I became acquainted with through our callings as ward missionaries ... and now I get to visit teach her!) then joined in and talked a little bit about depression versus clinical depression and how service can help alleviate both but sometimes depression is as incurable as cancer without medication.

Phewwww that was a tangent. But I know Joana feels very strongly about chemical depression (as do I, for obvious reasons) and raising everyone's awareness that, yes, sometimes people can feel despondent despite not having something bad happening in their lives. We have all had trying experiences where we feel sad and want to try to be empathetic towards those who are struggling. At the same time, if we ARE experiencing chemical depression and there isn't really a "source" we can address, it's good to seek out help! And you know what? Simply reaching out and being friends with people helps with depression! (Dang, you know how much I wish I had a friend I could call while I was so depressed in 2009? No WAY am I going to bring that up in Relief Society, though. Keep things positive!!!  Anywho.)

There were some things I really wanted to add to the discussion and had the ability to bring up.

Throughout our lives all of us depend on others for help. When we were infants, our parents fed, clothed, and cared for us. Without this care we would have died. When we grew up, other people taught us skills and attitudes. Many of us have needed nursing care during illness or money in a financial crisis. Some of us ask God to bless suffering people and then do nothing for them. We must remember that God works through us.

First, I wanted to talk a little bit about meaningful service. It's very good and necessary to offer service when it's needed, and other times it's good to know that you need to hang back and all you can do is offer prayers for the safety and well-being of others. If someone is sick, you can bring them chicken soup. If they have a sickness they just need to endure through and they already have someone bringing them chicken soup, then pray for them. If they are trying to make a major life decision, pray for them to receive the inspiration they need and pray for those they need to work with to make things turn out in the best way. Pray for the Lord's blessings and good luck.

When we help one another, we serve God. King Benjamin, a great king in Book of Mormon times, taught his people this principle by the way he lived. He served them all his life, earning his own living instead of being supported by the people. In an inspired sermon he explained why he loved service, saying:

“When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. …

“And if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?” (Mosiah 2:17–18)...

When we serve others we gain important blessings. Through service we increase our ability to love. We become less selfish. As we think of the problems of others, our own problems seem less serious. We must serve others to gain eternal life. God has said that those who live with Him must love and serve His children (see Matthew 25:34–40).



Someone also brought up the opportunities we have to serve in our own homes - when we do things for our spouses and our children, that's exactly what we're doing: service.

We can serve members of our families. Husbands and wives should be aware of each other’s needs. Parents should serve their children not only by feeding and clothing them but also by teaching and by playing and working with them. Children can serve by helping with household chores and by helping brothers and sisters.

Husbands and wives serve and help each other. They can help each other take care of the children, and they can support one another in their individual interests and pursuits. A mother and father may sacrifice to send a child on a mission. An older boy may comfort a little sister who is afraid of the dark or help her learn to read. Our prophets have told us that a family is the most important unit in society. We must serve our families well (see Mosiah 4:14–15).

A woman brought up that there is a time and a season for everything ... we shouldn't feel guilty if we are the mother of a young child and we are very busy in our home taking care of them and can't "go out and serve" like someone who has more time and hands. I really appreciated her comment because I was about to say something similar. :) Often times we make ourselves feel guilty for no reason because we think we can or should be doing more or better when we're really doing just fine. We're doing all we can, and that's good enough!!

At the end of the class, I raised my hand because I wanted to share my gratitude for friendship, which I think is a great kind of service. We naturally serve our friends. I talked about the Hurds, who have a 2-week-old baby. We want to be together and help each other and serve each other, but the first few weeks of a baby's life are hard for everyone. Sometimes the Hurds can come over, sometimes Katie doesn't feel up to it, but I hope that at least she feels like we care about her and she knows we're here for emotional support if she ever needs it. If she's not feeling up for visiting, that's totally fine with us, but if she is up for visiting, then we are here for her. And that's what matters most to me - knowing that someone cares and would be there for me if I want it.


Um ... so that's my thought for today. Amen.

Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami relief efforts

"When baked potatoes and pudding and milk are needed, prayer will not supply their place."
—Brigham Young

Please donate what you can to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts in Japan.
American Red Cross donation page
(Sorry I don't have a fancy-pants image to display.)

I took a personal finance class at BYU from Brother Bryan Sudweeks, and I can't remember his exact words but in his class he emphasized the importance of giving, even when we feel we don't have much to give.  If we don't give now when we have little (as students) it won't really be much easier to give when we have more money.  As you earn more money, your lifestyle tends to change to match your affluence level.  We can always find room to give; there are always those out there who are less fortunate than we are.

As an added bonus, charitable donations are tax-deductible.  It's supposedly the government's way of trying to encourage us to help others out more without directly giving the population a "charity tax".

(Wouldn't it be cool if instead of medicare, medicaid, and social security, that money went to local charities that would then provide the medicare, medicaid, and social security benefits to the people?  I wonder if that would be more efficient than the government's current system ... then instead of taxing us and giving the money to charity, they could lower our taxes, offer generous charitable donation tax deductions, and then we wouldn't all feel compelled and Robin Hooded into giving money to the poor via taxes.  I wonder if it would work?  And if it doesn't, we should be allowed to scrap that idea and vote it out and vote in a new system.  WHAT IS DEMOCRACY FOR WITH THIS CRAZY HUGE BLOATED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF OURS.)

Uhm, anyway, guess what's been on my mind lately!  Darn this finance brain that loves analyzing economics and the government tax system!!!

Again.  Please donate.  (it's our duty to provide relief to those in need - not the government's! DO IT.)

Because I have been given much, I too must give
Because of Thy great bounty, Lord, each day I live
I shall divide my gifts from Thee with every brother that I see
Who has the need of help from me
Because I have been blessed by Thy great love, dear Lord,
I'll share Thy love again according to thy word
I shall give love to those in need; I'll show that love by word AND DEED
Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.-Grace Noll Crowell

And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.
-Mosiah 4:16

I love that personality

Yesterday, we helped Jorgen and Nicki move a whole bunch of stuff around Jorgen's apartment.

Jorgen is a packrat.  It's amazing he can fit that much stuff in his apartment.  No, wait, it's not ... his place is a HUGE MESS!!  (It reminds me of last year after Grandpa died when we started cleaning out the house ... and filled a driveway-sized dumpster full of crap.)  Anyway.  It was still fun.

We stayed for dinner and Nicki made meat for tacos, chili, and brownies.  We let Carmen have her first lick of brownie batter.  Oh, and Nicki did her hair.

I don't know why Nicki used a mixer, but hey!  They were still tasty and I'm not complaining!


AND HOLY CRAP WHEN DID MY KID BECOME AN ALMOST TWO YEAR OLD?!

Check it out:

Today:

March 2010 (last time I took a hippo picture):

 She couldn't even crawl then!!

Jeez.  I know it's not Carmen's birthday yet, but ... wasn't this day just yesterday?


I needs me another one.  ((After Christmas.))

Re-reading the Eternal Marriage student manual from RelC 234

Yesterday, I pulled out my "Eternal Marriage" textbook from a class I took at BYU several years ago.  It's full of teachings from our latter-day prophets about different aspects of marriage - from communication, to finances, abuse, education, parenthood, priorities, trust, unity, women's and men's divine roles and responsibilities ...

I'm thankful my marriage is good.  I'm thankful most of my friends' marriages are good.  And they're made better when people live by these Gospel-inspired principles - even when the couple doesn't happen to be Mormon.  Unselfishness in marriage?  Duh.  Kids get along better when there's a parent at home to listen and help?  Life is less stressful when you responsibly manage your finances and live within your means?

Really, we need prophetic counsel to get this through our heads?  It's not obvious and self-explanatory?  Really?  Apparently we really do.  There are so many voices in the world pulling us in different directions and it's easy to get confused when sifting through all of the information.

Anywho.  Lately I've been better about studying my scriptures and praying and trying to figure out what the Lord wants me to be and do.  It's brought me, personally, a lot of peace.  It's also made me realize that there are plenty of greedy and selfish feelings I have that I need to let go of.  When I get caught up in worldly philosophies, I start getting wrapped up in myself and it makes me miserable.


Anyway.  I don't know where I'm going with any of those thoughts.  I need the Gospel in my life.  Although I've technically been "active" my whole life (I've always gone to church, fulfilled my responsibilities in my callings, been temple worthy, etc) there have been times when I've said to myself, "I can live a good life and be a happy person without having to do all of this Gospel studying stuff ..." and have fallen short on studying my scriptures daily and praying and truly relying on the Lord.  I've been prideful.  I've lost my humility and teachability because I know I'm always right and I know the right thing to do. ;)  You lose that spirituality and that peace a little bit at a time.  You don't realize it's missing, until one day you have an epiphany and the Spirit comes back and it's like a breath of fresh air and you go, "Oh, wow, suddenly I can breathe again.  I didn't know I was holding my breath and about to faint!"

It was better than New Moon!

Mark and I love to mock Twilight.  Once upon a time (can't remember when), a friend (can't remember who) lent me the Twilight books.  I read them and summarized them for Mark.  My retelling was much more interesting than the books were.  I've never been a big romance fan.  Eh.

So then the movies came out.  I considered actually watching the first movie in the movie theater (maybe on opening day or opening weekend?!) just so I could watch the Twi-hards (Twilight fangirls? what should I call them?) because I figured they would probably be more entertaining than the movie itself.  Unfortunately, I never quite got around to that.  C'est la vie.

We used our free Blockbuster rentals to watch the first two movies.  Last night, we Netflixed the third movie.

The second movie was so bad (or mediocre) that Mark and I came up with a new backhanded compliment for bad movies: "Hey, it was better than New Moon!"  We like the idea of, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." and figure this is a GREAT way to put that into practice. ;)

What did we think of Eclipse?

It was better than New Moon.
 
Of course!


After watching the movie, I went on IMDB just to see how bad the rest of the world actually thinks the Twilight series is.  It looks like the movies score 5.5 stars, 4.5 stars, and 4.8 stars respectively.  Phew, the world has not lost its sense!

My favorite review is the one in which the reviewer reflects on acting skills:
So surely this movie has some redeeming features? Perhaps the acting? Wrong. Stewart's (Bella), emotions range from mildly irritated to slightly concerned whilst trying to maintain an air of vulnerability that irritates instead of earning sympathy. For Pattinson (Edward), it's all about just looking pretty and his acting skills are reduced to nothing more bowing his head slightly so that he always appears to be gazing upwards in an attempt at looking intense. As for Lautner (Jabob), well we all know he can't act so he is reduced to a shameless and topless eye-candy prop.

The comment about Edward's appearing "to be gazing upwards" reminds me of Joey from Friends, where he talks about when he's acting in his soap operas and can't remember his lines he gazes off into the distance and tries to have a serious look on his face.  IT'S AWESOME.  So now I'm picturing Edward taking acting lessons from Joey on Friends and drawing up a continuum to categorize all of Kristen Stewart's emotions as somewhere between "mildly irritated" and "slightly concerned."  No, really.


And I have no idea where this actually originated, but I love going back and reading this every so often:
http://shaunlaurasmith.blogspot.com/2009/03/twilight-in-three-minutes.html



Disclaimer: I don't hate Twilight.  I mean, it would be masochistic of me to read all of the books if it was that painful.  They're not the best books ever (they're not even that good) but they were entertaining.  Some day the books (and the movies) will be a forgotten footnote in history.  Other fantasy book series, like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings or The Hunger Games have actual timeless themes that will probably have people still reading the books 100 years from now.  Stephanie Meyer, I love you and all, but not all books are going to become classics.  I'm glad your series found a niche.