for blue skies

To celebrate my most amazing anniversary present, which came in the the kind of envelope I would like more gifts to come in, here is a little music meme for you all:

1. Put Your iTunes/music player/cd player/radio on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT!!! After you've answered all of the questions, tag three other people to do the meme themselves!

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?

Cry Me A River, Justin Timberlake

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?

Lonely Day, Phantom Planet

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

Crazy, New Moon (uh, really? I thought I'd outgrown that attraction.)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

In The Waiting Line, Zero 7 (accurate in more ways than I can describe)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?

Give A Little, Colors

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?

Money, Money, Money, ABBA

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, U2 (Really? That's what you guys think of me? That I'm directionless? Thanks a lot.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?

Can't Stop Now, Keane

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FREQUENTLY?

Again I Go Unnoticed, Dashboard Confessional

WHAT IS 2+2?

's Wonderful, Ella Fitzgerald

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

I Shall Believe, Sheryl Crow

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

On My Mind, Kalai

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

What Am I To You?, Norah Jones

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

I'll Take it From Here, Jonatha Brooke

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Start Again, Catie Curtis

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

Dilemma, Nelly

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

Takes So Long, The Weepies (Seriously, it DID take a long time to get to the wedding.)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

I'll Be Back, Shawn Colvin (Well, if you say so.)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

Sleep Better, Pete Yorn

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

Tea and Sympathy, Jars of Clay

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

Lucky, Secondhand Jive

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?

For Blue Skies, Strays Don't Sleep

And now it's your turn!

This one time I tried tagging Megan and Miss L, but that didn't go over very well. Rejected in my own comments section. Oh, the horror.

So, my new tag list is Allison, Sarah, Janssen, and Housewife. Come on, you guys. Don't fail me.

Also, I'd just like to publicly offer my good wishes to Amiga Tags and Scrumptious Cupcakes--both making huge life changes tomorrow. To you I say, "I Shall Believe." Tackle the world, ladies.

doing like the locals do

My parents are in Indiana this week visiting my brother. They arrived this afternoon, and after checking into their motel (my mom calls all hotels "motels" regardless of their level of luxury or status) they immediately set out to see just what kind of "uniquely Indiana" things they could experience. After some time boutique shopping at Walmart they decided to try a local eatery called Olive Garden for dinner. I think later, just so they don't miss anything, they might venture to the movie theater, Home Depot or Burger King. Some people just know how to live it up.

from that moment

730 days. 30,080 miles. 6,397 "cheery" tomatoes. 3,251 photos. 63 trips to Costco. 14 dinner parties. 9 jobs. 6 bites of sea urchen. 4 kittens. 2 people. 1 love.

Happy Anniversary, Love. I'd still choose you over meatloaf.

this is what 12 hours old looks like

Miss L gave me permission to share, so allow me to introduce to you the newest addition to Zoo Peters—Miss Q.

five hundrend twenty five thousand six hundred minutes

One year ago today I got up early, got dressed, ate the pancakes my brother made, drove 45 minutes into Lawrence, and started my new job. I had been in Kansas less than 24 hours, was a little bit exhausted after our 20 hour drive from Utah, and was nervous to meet these new people who I would spend so much of each day with. That first day I brought a polka-dot take-out container from American Crafts that Richard had filled with Hershey’s Hugs and given us as a going-away gift. I thought it would be a nice gesture to my coworkers as they came to say hello if I offered them some candy. When I walked in the door that first morning my two supervisors were standing in the entrance to greet me and one of them took one look at me and said, “Oh, look at that—she’s brought her lunch.” Only she said it in a “well, look what the little county bumpkin has dragged in!” kind of way that embarrassed me and caused me to not really offer those candies to my new coworkers. It sat on my desk for a while, but eventually I put it away because looking at it made me feel different and somehow naïve and quite a bit like I didn’t fit in. I still have that container in my desk drawer, and it still has some of those Hershey’s Hugs in it.

It comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me that the last year has not been a bed of roses at my job. I certainly don’t love what I do, but most days I don’t hate it too much. I understand my responsibility to provide for my family and I’m just doing it in the only way I know how—by getting up every day, getting dressed, eating something my dad makes me, and driving 45 minutes into Lawrence. Somebody and I have spent many evenings (and occasionally mornings) with me in tears pleading with him to not make me go back. And every time we have that conversation he tells me, because he apparently likes me more than he likes food and shelter, that I don’t have to go back. And yet every day I get up, get dressed…well, you know the rest. The truth is, while there are many (Many. Many.) reasons why I will never love this job the way I did my last job, there are at least eight (sometimes more) reasons that make being here bearable—fun, even, sometimes. I work with great people. I feel like I belong. I feel trusted, respected, accepted, and cared for. I feel like I would actually be missed if (when?) I leave.

Today, in honor of my hard-fought anniversary, I went to lunch with some of my favorite co-workers. Ah. The sweet joy of all having the exact same grievances. Anyway, pretty much on our way out of the door a coworker pointed this out to me.

Oh, Cowboy. What have you gone and done? That tire was totally flat. And then do you know what happened? One of my coworkers just followed me out to the car, removed the jack from my trunk, and proceeded to remove that sad tire WHILE I WENT TO LUNCH (where we laughed and chatted and someone on my team paid for my lunch). I know. Awesome. Josh is awesome. Someone else gave me a ride to a tire repair place where they pulled this tiny toothpick out of my tire and patched it up. And then Josh put the tire back on. Everywhere I turned there were FRIENDS willing to help.

One year makes a huge difference. Perhaps it’s time to take that container of treats back out and try again.

coming up with 8 things is harder than you think

8 Things

8 things I am passionate about:
1) My family
2) My religion
3) Good food
4) Enjoying the journey
5) Knowing who I am (in the larger picture)
6) Planning ahead
7) Photography
8) Organization

8 books I have read and enjoyed:
1) The Wednesday Wars, by Gary Schmidt
2) The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield
3) Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson
4) Eat Cake, by Jeanne Ray
5) The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
6) The Lord of the Rings trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
7) Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
8) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, by Ann Brashares

8 words/phrases I say often:
1) Shut right up!
2) Not so much.
3) I'm tired.
4) I need a different job.
5) I have a headache.
6) What should I wear?
7) I love you.
8) But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time.

8 things I want do to before I die (in no particular order):
1) Travel through Europe with Somebody
2) Have a child
3) Go on a cruise
4) Own a home
5) Visit Australia, Ireland, England, and Japan
6) Take a real vacation (a trip with no schedule, agenda, or responsibilities)
7) Make a difference
8) Speak Chinese fluently

8 Things I learned this past year:
1) Enjoying home life is SO much more important than enjoying work life
2) You don't have to talk every day (or month) to still feel close to and supported by your friends
3) I get bored very easily
4) I married the most patient man alive
5) It is easy to get used to someone else doing the laundry, making breakfast, and cleaning
6) Having no debt feels wonderful
7) Wearing a ponytail every day is easy
8) I am a master at wasting time online

8 Things I miss:
1) Utah mountains
2) College friends
3) A six minute commute
4) Being able to get by on only a few hours of sleep
5) My Utah sister and her family
6) Pleasant, cool evenings
7) Having a distinct summer
8) Staff shirts (I never thought I would say that, but it was kind of nice to not have to decide what to wear each day.)

8 things I currently want/need:
1) A scholarship to culinary school
2) A new car (hopefully a RAV4)
3) An elliptical trainer
4) A Mac
5) More time
6) A fancy camera
7) A full-time job for Somebody
8) A swimming pool in the backyard

8 items I could not live without (or at least wouldn’t want to):
1) Rubber gloves for cleaning
2) A car
3) Foam pillow
4) Towels
5) Lotion
6) Sunrise alarm clock
7) Sharp knives
8) Sunglasses