kickin' it in the 84103

Update (cue Unsolved Mysteries creepy music)

2011-11-04T13:48:00.005-06:00

On a totally unrelated first note, Why did my parents let me watch this show when I was 5?

But that's not what this post is about. I'm a horrible blogger and I probably won't get any better. But since maybe one day there will be a huge fire or earthquake and I'll lose all my journals, I try to keep the ol' blog semi-informed about what's going on.

First off - I am loving life right now! I work with these clowns everyday and love every bit of it. After my first job at the Orem Owlz (hoo hoo) I had it in my mind that all work was bad. But now I know that it's important to stick with it and work to get the job you love. I'm fortunate to have found the right career for me.

Secondly - I live at home with these fat cats.

Just kidding. I do NOT live with Sarah and Todd, though I did get to see them one time at a Costco book signing. But seriously, I do live at home with my parents (living the dream!) but I hope that will change soon. Just saving some $$. Living at home gets a bad wrap, but I've always gotten along with my parents so it's not too bad. Still, moving out is definitely on the to-do list for the next 4 months.

Also, I was driving today, when the song, Another One Bites the Dust, came on. That made me think of high school.

See, I've always been kind of particular about some things. My foods can't touch each other on my plate when I'm eating. I don't like Tacos. I hate pepper. Okay, so back to high school. Everyday on the way to school, I would listen to the same four songs. I'd start out with Another One Bites the Dust, then switch mid-song to the Growing Pains Theme Song (which looking back is a really, really strange choice). I capped my routine off with Cautioners, by Jimmy Eat World, and then the Authority Song by Jimmy Eat World. I wanted to have a set of songs I'd always associate with high school, that hearing them would take me back to being 14 years old. I'm glad I did that.

Okay, the end.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-06T07:34:00.006-06:00

Mother's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I like it better than Thanksgiving, and I'm being totally serious.

I think it's because I have some AWESOME women to look up to in my family.

This is my maternal grandma, Sydney Bond. She was without a doubt the kindest person I know. Every week without fail when I was growing up, she and my grandpa would call to check in and see how my life was going. Though she lived in California, I never felt like she was that far away. She knew about my soccer games, piano recitals and spelling tests. Every call, she would always ask about my best friend, who until third grade she called, "Tiffany."

Before I came to visit, she would always ask me what foods I liked, and then make sure her house was stocked with goodies. She never made anything before asking if other people would like some too. She made great dinners and amazing cookies. Like me, she liked to stay up late watching movies, doing word searches, or just talking. I remember countless late night conversations in her kitchen where she'd give me advice on everything from boys to school and life lessons in general.

She was never too busy to listen to me ramble about the details of my life. As insignificant as they were, because they were important to me, it was important to her.

Without fail, until right up before she died, she could and would recite the University of Redlands "Och Tamale" chant:
Och Tamale gazolly gazump
Dayump dayadee yahoo
Ink damink dayadee gazink
Dayump, deray, yahoo
Wing wang trickey trackey poo foo
Joozy woozy skizzle wazzle
Wang tang orkey porkey dominorky
Redlands! — Rah, Rah, Redlands!

I never heard her raise her voice. Not once. She was incredibly patient (which if you know my grandpa is a very, very good thing). She was incredibly tolerant of other people and ideas. I remember watching the 2008 presidential debates with her in the hospital, and I was surprised at how open she was to different things each candidate would say.

Grandma was a classy lady. I remember going to my friends grandparents houses, and thinking they were all so tacky. Not Sydney Bond's home. Her house in Palos Verdes always to me looked ready for the pages of Architectural Digest. She had an appreciation for the finer things in life. I think I get my love for shopping from her. As you can tell from the picture, she was quite a dish. She would always say that that once you get a new shirt, you just have to get a new skirt, shoes and accessories. And of course as her only granddaughter, who was I to stop a shopping spree?

She passed away two years ago, and there are days when I really miss her. I miss knowing she was always there for me, no matter what. In so many ways, she's shown me what it means to be a woman and mother.

Then there's my mom. I love this picture because I mean, come on. Wasn't she an adorable baby?

If you know Sue "Suze" Chrystler, "the agitated one," and really know her, you'll agree with me when I say she is hilarious. She's got impeccable timing and incredibly quick wit. She's taught me how to face life with a smile on my face.

For my whole life, and even before I was born she was a first grade teacher. She's always stressed the importance of education. I remember being little when she would read Boxcar Children and Nancy Drew books to me. As I got older, she would have me read a chapter here and there. Going to library was a weekly experience, at least. Even in high school, if I need somebody to quiz me on Biology, History or Math, there she was. Recently, she pushed me to finish my college classes, even though I didn't really want to. She even offered to bribe to finish my internship. Don't worry -- I didn't accept her $80 academic "blood money." :)

As an only child, she was there to make sure I didn't feel lonely or bored. During the summer, she'd plan fun vacations and day trips for us to take. Now that I'm older, she never turns down an afternoon shopping or trip to Park City for lunch. She's always ready for an adventure, like the one day we drove 16 hours to Martin's Cove just to walk around for 30 minutes.

My mom is my rock, in so many ways. When I was 8, my dad was in a coma and his doctors say he came within minutes of dying. I don't ever remember her acting scared or unsure around me. Because all I saw from her was a brave face, I knew it would be okay and my dad would survive.

Whenever we drive anywhere, she always lets me pick the music, and always endures my "Mom, who sings this?" quiz game.

My mom is determined. If she sets her mind to something, she'll do it, and do it well. Since January 2010, the woman hasn't had cheese, sugar or white grains. She's on a pretty strict diet/exercise regimen, and she looks amazing. Most mornings, she's up at 4 AM, so she can fit in an hour of cardio before work. Part of the reason she gets up that early is so she can watch the show I produce in its entirety at 6. Though I tell her she doesn't need to, I know one of the reasons she watches because she cares about me. She was the type of mom who never missed any of my games or events (except for one the day of the "HUGE FIGHT of 2006" which I fully accept blame for as a bratty teenager).

When I think of Mother's day, I'm happy that I have Sydney and Sue on my team. Both are the kind of women and Mothers I someday hope to be. In the meantime, I'm glad I have their examples to learn from.

Who Would've Thought?

2010-12-22T17:52:00.004-07:00

Growing up, I though the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was just for Molly Mormon and Peter Priesthood. I liked a few of their songs, but people who listened to them a lot were just weird.

In high school, my choir sang "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho." Around the same time, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang the same song for a broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word (MATSW). My mom took me, and I had a good time. It wasn't anything spectacular, but I was surprised the choir would pick a song like that to sing. Before that, I thought they were all hymns.

A few months later, I found out the choir was having the 4000th broadcast of MATSW. I knew it would be a good show, and that there would be lots of "dignitaries" there. I got my friends to go with me, and we had a great time.

That Christmas, Brittany and I waited for quite a long time in a freezing cold standby line to see the Christmas concert with Sissel. We got in, and to this day, that particular concert is my favorite of the five Christmas concerts I've seen. Nobody can hit the high note at the end of "Angels from the Realms of Glory," like Sissel.

In 2007, I got tickets to the choir's Pioneer Day concert. At all the previous concerts, I'd just enjoyed the music, and liked watching the choir as a whole. At that concert, though, I noticed one singer who seemed to really enjoy what she was doing. Because of how happy she looked, I decided that maybe the choir wasn't just for holidays and Sundays -- that maybe they were good enough to listen to on weekdays too.

Call me lame, but over the next three and a half years, I took every chance I got to go MATSW or any sort of concert with the choir. Sophomore year, I lived with some really great roommates who also loved the choir. Together, we made nicknames for some of our favorite members (the ones shown a lot on tv) and that way, we could say, "hey, look at the Queen!" or "whoa, Dr. Walker's hair is wild today!" Our little inside nicknames made the choir more fun.

In 2009, I lived with Sarah Christensen. She's one of the only people I know who can listen to the choir on repeat -- for hours. Her current favorite is "Brother James' Air."

One of my favorite moments involving the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is the afternoon my Grandma died. I was at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake doing a live shot with Robert Walz. I turned my cell phone on silent, so I wouldn't have a phone ringing on live TV. When I turned my phone back on, I saw four missed calls from my dad, and I knew what had happened. On my drive back to Provo, I wasn't feeling like listening to particularly roudy music since my Grandma died, and so I listened to my Mormon Tabernacle Choir playlist. Because it was on shuffle, I had no idea what song was going to come on. I know I've blogged about it before, but the choir's song, "Let Peace then Still the Strife," was the first song to play.

Let peace then still the strife,
The loneliness and grief,
Come heal the piercing silence of passing.
And sweet familiar strains,
The voices lost in death,
Arise in songs of hope everlasting.
Then let the voices roll
As waves upon the sea;
Come forth and break upon us, refreshing.

And barren coves be filled -
O'er flow with reverie!
Let mem'ry sable as Gilead's caressing.
And though the balm be spread,
Let tender rifts remain
That breaking hearts not yield to forgetting.
For hearts rent wide at death,
Unfolded to our dead,
Hear singing from beyond sunlight's setting.

Then sing, beloved ones,
Reach o'er the summer sea.
Pour forth thy boundless love for us living!
Sweep into ev'ry soul,
Make music of our tears,
Turn all our songs to joy and thanksgiving!
And when we silent pass,
From far across the sea
Let praises ring for life's wond'rous blessing.

Then sing ye living souls!
Sing generations past,
Swell high the tide of life, us refreshing!
Sing forth as with one voice,
Bear silent grief away,
Resound with peace and hope everlasting!
And all who wait and sing,
Sing on from earth and heav'n
And make our crossing forth joyful passing!

On that drive, listening to that particular song, I knew everything would be alright. I knew my Grandma was in a better place, and I knew that the Plan of Salvation was real.

Okay -- now to the real point of the story. As you can see, I've had an admiration for the choir for a few years now. Remember how I mentioned that one choir member that looked like she was having a good time? Sarah Christensen's mom knows her, and so today, I got to have lunch with that choir member, Sarah, Sarah's sister Abby and their mom.

We got to ask her all sorts of questions: What's your favorite song? How do you like the dresses? What was it like to sing with David Archuleta? Was it hard to get into the choir? Tell us about going on Tour? Do you like the Tabernacle or Conference Center better?

During the whole lunch, I felt like I was dreaming. Here I was -- eating lunch with a woman I'd seen on TV for years, and there she was, chilling out and answering whatever questions we threw her way. It truly was a "who would've thought" moment.

Sarah asked her why she always looks so happy when she sings. She told us that because of her calling as a musical missionary (that's the calling given to all choir members) she feels like she needs to tell people that Christ lives. She said that the fact that the Atonement is real is reason enough for people to live, and that she wants to share that message through song. That's why she says she always tries to look happy is because she wants people to see that there are things in the world to be happy about.

Getting to talk with her was really a once in a lifetime experience. Some people get star-struck when they see people like Jennifer Aniston (and I would too), but it was really cool to meet and talk with this woman.

And so there you go, that's the end of my mostly-for-me-journal-post about my lunch today.

The End.

The Conviction of Brian David Mitchell from a Field Producer's Point of View

2010-12-11T08:57:00.004-07:00

Friday, I was able to be at the Federal Courthouse when Brian David Mitchell was found guilty of kidnapping and raping Elizabeth Smart. In the post below, I wrote about how I've always felt connected to the case, so I'm not going to go much into that here.

When it became apparent a verdict was nearing, I told Don and Jen, my bosses that I would be more than happy (that's an understatement) to come in and work as needed when the verdict was reached. At about 10:30, Don called me and told me to get to the station ASAP. Ten minutes later, I arrived, and was sent down to the courthouse a block away.

When I got there, I got a call to find Brian Mullahy, and get him on air immediately. Brian was in a closed courtroom, and there was no way for me to get to him. I found Dan Rascon, and within 5 minutes, Dan was live, and didn't go off until about 3:00.

At about 10:50, the jury read their decision in court: guilty on both counts. I wish I could describe how I felt when I heard that. It wasn't so much happiness, but a feeling of closure. More on that in the post below.

I didn't have a lot of time to think, because I went inside with Emily Florez to interview the 12 jurors in the jury room and then relay information to the team going live outside.

Meanwhile, during one of my trips from the second story jury room to the media pool outside, I almost ran into Elizabeth's sister, Mary Katherine. I'm not sure what she was doing outside the jury room, but just seeing the look on her face made me want to hug her. She looked so peaceful, and so happy. That one little candid moment is one I'll never forget.

Anyhow, interviewing the 12 jurors was an experience in itself. For my own personal record, I'm going to describe my take on all the jurors. You can skip this part if you'd like.

Juror 1: A lady in her mid-forties. She seemed to be almost like the cool aunt of the group, and like a surrogate mother to juror number 2. She didn't talk a lot, but she seemed very logical.

Juror 2: A woman in her early twenties. She was definitely LDS, and said the turning point of the case for her was when Elizabeth testified about how Brian David Mitchell took away her agency. I felt connected to this juror, in that that quite was a poignant moment in the trial for me too. She also said that for her, there was life before the trial, and there is life after the trial. She says for her, being on the jury changed her forever.

Juror 3: A woman in her late forties. She was very emotional, and seemed to want to emphasize the fact that the jury was very cohesive and didn't fight at all during the proceedings.

Juror 4: A man in his thirties. Wanted to thank everybody for their professionalism.

Juror 5: A woman in her fifties. She didn't talk much, except for to agree with what the others were saying. She never crossed her legs, very Queen Clarisse-like in her posture.

Juror 6: A man in his twenties. At first he was wringing his hands, but then settled into the interview quite nicely. He emphasized that he was able to find Brian David Mitchell guilty because the defense didn't meet the burden of proof to prove BDM legally insane. Time and time again, he spoke about how the legal definition of insanity helped him reach the verdict.

Juror 7: A man in his fifties. He was probably the most articulate of the group. I got to know him well, because he came to channel 2 for a live interview, and I gave him a tour of the station. Very logical in his thought, and seemed to care a lot for the well-being of Elizabeth Smart.

Juror 8: A man in his forties. He had a New York accent and didn't say much. When asked what he was going to do now that the trial is over, he answered "go watch a bunch of Law and Order." We all laughed.

Juror 9: A man in his forties. I don't remember much about him.

Juror 10: A man in his late thirties. Don't remember him much either.

Juror 11: A woman in her fifties or sixties. Didn't say a single word the entire time.

Juror 12: A man in his seventies. The character of the group. He was quite funny, but you could tell he took the assignment seriously.

Juror 14 (alternate): A man in his forties. Off camera, he told us that when Elizabeth was found, he was at the gym. He looked at the TV, and thought, "wow, that would be an interesting jury to be on." He moved machines, and didn't see anything after that. Talk about coincidence. Because he's an alternate, he wasn't allowed to vote on the verdict, and he compared that to training for the Super Bowl, but getting benched. He told us that Juror 13's mom died during the trial, and that 13 chose not to go to the funeral, in order to stay at the trial. Wow.

Anyhow, after the jury interviews, Emily and I went outside to wait for the Smart family to make a statement. All along, I was under the impression that only Ed and Lois would speak. I was wrong. Elizabeth talked to the media too. Here's a video of what she said. She starts talking at 1:26, but before that, you can get an idea of the chaos outside the courthouse.

I love how she talks about being an advocate. By speaking out about the horrific things she endured, she becomes a victorious face for other abuse victims to identify with and draw strength from. In her testimony given in court, Elizabeth talked about finding the will to survive; and that's exactly what she is: a survivor. As her mom Lois says in the video, outside the courthouse Friday, Elizabeth truly did glow.

To see this family that's been waiting nearly 8 years for justice finally get it was an amazing thing to witness. Throughout the entire trial, Elizabeth showed such amazing decorum and strength. Some of the most intimate details of her life were made public and broadcast to the entire world, yet she continued to attend court each day. What an amazing example of facing a trial head-on, beating it, and then living to strengthen others.

It's Real

2010-12-11T08:00:00.009-07:00

As a 14-year-old, I had a lot of plans for how my life would turn out. At 22, I would be married, living in Edgemont, and I was going to be a teacher. I was going to be a graduate of BYU, and life was going to be perfect. For the high school freshman version of Katie Chrystler, that sounded like perfection; the “reality” I dreamed of.

On March 12, 2003, the day Elizabeth Smart was found, I think it’s fair to say the entire nation, and especially state of Utah was shocked and amazed. I remember turning on the TV that whole night, and all the news stations stayed live from about 3 that afternoon until well after their 10pm newscasts were over. It was just such a big story, and one that the whole state was so personally invested in.

Outside the police station, reporters asked Elizabeth's dad Ed how it was to have his daughter back. That day, his words expressed what a lot of us were feeling. He threw his arms in the air and exclaimed, "It's real!"

I was basically in the same stage of life as Elizabeth when she was kidnapped. We were both finishing up our 8th grade years at school, we’re both LDS, and we both lived along the Wasatch Front. Though I had never met her, when she was taken, I felt a responsibility to be extra-diligent in looking for her.

Brittany Herdman and I would go on bike rides during the summer of 2002, not specifically looking for her, but we would watch cars as they passed us, in the hopes of seeing Elizabeth in the backseat, and we would keep an eye out for her as we rode up Provo Canyon. We wanted to help find her any way we could.

When she was found, I was amazed, even though I never really thought she was dead. Call it naivety, but I just always believed that one day she would be home again.

Nearly eight years later, on December 10, 2010, Elizabeth’s kidnapper and rapist, Brian David Mitchell’s was found guilty. Again, all the news channels in Utah went live from 11am through most of the afternoon. Outside the federal courthouse, Ed spoke to reporters as he had many times since his daughter’s kidnapping and homecoming. When asked about his emotions, he echoed his statement from 2003, by proclaiming, "It's real!" in the same tone of voice as he had done so many years earlier.

For me at least, Ed’s "It's real" echoed the sentiment I experienced simultaneously outside the courthouse.

In the eight years since she returned to her family, my reality has shifted from the dreams I had as a 14-year-old.

Instead of being married, I’m single. Instead of living in the neighborhood behind Day’s Market, I live in the Avenues in Salt Lake. Instead of being a teacher, I’m a journalist.

Yesterday it hit me. Just as Elizabeth’s return and the conviction of Brian David Mitchell are the “reality” for the Smart family, my life is my “reality.”

The Smart’s “It’s real” moment came as they finally got justice. For me, the “It’s real” moment came as a took a second to stop and think about what my life has become.

I work a job that I truly love, and one that I know I was guided to. I can’t imagine any other career that would suit me so well. As a producer, I get to write, explore the state in which I live, and provide information that I believe will enrich and educate viewers.

I don’t think it would necessarily take a situation of the magnitude of Elizabeth Smart’s return and her captor’s conviction to make me see and feel what I did yesterday, but with it as a backdrop, I realized that everybody has “it’s real” moments; when we’re able to stop and reflect on the unexpected twists and turns that have made us who we are.

Those who know me know I’m a fan of the Tabernacle Choir. As I was driving home last night, I was in a very reflective mood, as I reviewed all that’s happened to me in the past eight years. I was listening to the choir's song “Let Peace Then Still the Strife.”

Though the song is meant to comfort loved ones in the wake of death, some of the song’s lyrics were especially poignant to me. They sang the words, “let mem’ry salve as Gilead’s caressing. And though the balm be spread, let tender rifts remain, that breaking hearts not yield to forgetting…”

Not that my heart was breaking, but for me at least, my memories really are the balm of Gilead in my life. I have such an amazing life, and there are so many truly wonderful people in it.

Continuing with the lyrics, the final two verses sing the praises I feel for my reality:

Then sing, beloved ones,
Reach o'er the summer sea.
Pour forth thy boundless love for us living!
Sweep into ev'ry soul,
Make music of our tears,
Turn all our songs to joy and thanksgiving!
And when we silent pass,
From far across the sea
Let praises ring for life's wond'rous blessing.

Then sing ye living souls!
Sing generations past,
Swell high the tide of life, us refreshing!
Sing forth as with one voice,
Bear silent grief away,
Resound with peace and hope everlasting!
And all who wait and sing,
Sing on from earth and heav'n
And make our crossing forth joyful passing!

My reality includes my career, friends, family and faith. Without one of those four elements, my life would not be what it is today. Though my “it’s real” moment at first just seemed to revolve around my career, as I’ve had a chance to step back and think things through, the feelings I felt yesterday also extend to my entire reality. Though things haven’t turned out as I dreamed they would, I believe they’ve been and will be better. Yesterday, I realized what a truly insurmountable debt of gratitude I owe to my Heavenly Father, the Author of my reality.

Just as I know that He blessed me with all the things I love in life, I realized that he also blessed the Smart family, and for that matter, the entire human race with the things that matter in their reality. It was a very peaceful and humbling thing for me to see that God truly has played such a crucial part in shaping my life and the lives of those around me.

For me, I can echo the words of Ed Smart. In my life, not only do I know that “It’s real,” but I can bear testimony that “He’s real” and that he truly guides my life.

Holiday Favorites

2010-12-08T02:25:00.004-07:00

If you know me, you know I'm not really big into holidays. Call me a grinch, but I really just like regular days much better. Except the 4th of July. That's my favorite holiday. But I do like the Christmas season. Because I don't have babies or a husband, this blog isn't about them, but about me. So, here are my favorite parts of Christmas.

The Movies

1. Jumanji. Hear me out on this one. I know this isn't a Christmas movie to most people, but to me it is. Remember how at the end they're all at a Christmas party and Alan is dressed up like Santa and then the kids come to the party with their parents? I always loved that part. Especially when the parents talk about going to Canada and Bonnie Hunt and Robin Williams scream "NOOOOO!" in unison. And I love that whole movie. That's why Jumanji is my must-watch in December.

2. Home Alone. If you've seen this movie, 'nuf said. If not, go watch it now. Sidestory though, my mom didn't want me to watch this until I was 12. She didn't like how the mom was so mean to Kevin and how Kevin talked back to her. Guess what -- I still watched it anyway.

3. The Holiday. I've written before about why I love this movie so much, so I think that's enough.

The Food

1. Cranberries. My dad makes awesome cranberries. Not from a can, but he'll take a bag of cranberries, boil them, throw in some nutmeg and voila! They're amazing.

2. Christmas Casserole. Okay, I'll admit, any other day of the year this would be sick dog nasty. It's eggs, bread, mushrooms and sausage all thrown together. But something about Christmas morning makes it taste so good!

Traditions

1. Reading "Material World." A group of photographers traveled around the world, and had families from dozens of countries pose outside their home will all their posessions. Seeing the families in Germany, England, Japan, Kuwait and USA, and then comparing them to Ethiopia, Mali and Guatemala really puts things into perspective to me. My grandparents got this book as a gift when I was about 8, and every Christmas Eve since then, I like to sit down and read it.

2. Going to California. Of my 22 Christmas days so far, 16 of them have been spent at 2343 Sunnyside Ridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes, California. My mom's parents used to live there, and when all my classmates were singing "White Christmas" I was thinking "California Christmas." To me, it's just not the same not being in California. The fact that I won't be there this year really bums me out. My grandma would always set out m&m's, reeses, hersey's kisses, cookies, nuts (she hid the almond roca but I knew where to find it), and so many other good treats. As a little kid, I remember getting a running start down their long hallway, first going over green shag carpet, and then over black marble (gotta love 1970's decorators) to the living room and Christmas tree. It's my not-so-secret dream to one day buy that house back, or break-in and order its new owners out. Either way. Jk.

3. Music and the Spoken Word/First Presidency Christmas Devotional/Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. Okay, I like Music and the Spoken Word the whole year long, but during December, the songs are all Christmas-y. During this year's devotional, did anybody else tear up a little big during President Monson's talk? I loved how the story he told was so simple, yet really encapsulated (is that even a word) what Christmas is truly about.

So there you go. This year, I'll be working on Christmas. But I am so excited for it! More details about that to follow.

Thanksgiving "feast"

2010-11-26T08:14:00.004-07:00

Be careful what you wish for, because it just might come true. That's the lesson I learned this Thanksgiving. I've been outspoken for a while about my lackluster feelings about Thanksgiving. Yes, I like what the holiday stands for, but I really don't like the food all that much. And when you're trying to shed some lbs, it's kind of like self-sabotoge sitting down to dinner.

Wednesday after work, I had a really sore throat. I took a nap, and had a dream I was swallowing sharp shards of a plastic toothbrush. When I woke up, that's exactly how my throat felt. I tried to get better, but Thanksgiving morning, I had a fever and a splitting headache. The whole day, I stayed in bed with some cough drops, coke, excedrin, and the only food I could handle: a banana. I did get to watch some movies on netflix, so the day wasn't a total waste.

Now, I'm actually looking forward to feeling better so maybe I can have some yams or something. So lesson learned: don't whine about Thanksgiving, because if you do, the sickness Gods will kick you to the curb.

The Blizzard That Wasn't?

2010-11-24T12:07:00.003-07:00

When I used to work at ABC 4, I got used to a catchphrase Marti Skold would say: "what you get depends on where you are."

It's a saying that I think bears repeating after the storm some in the KUTV newsroom dubbed "snowmageddon 2010."

Just like predicted, the front whipped into Southern Idaho early yesterday afternoon. Conditions deteriorated to the point that I-15 was shut down from Idaho Falls to the Montana border. When the storm came into Utah, it created big snowdrifts in Logan, and whiteout conditions from Tremonton to Point of the Mountain.

But, unlike many meteorologists predicted, Utah County didn't get much of anything. The weather inbox at work got a swarm of nasty emails, ragging us for covering the storm so heavily, encouraging people to stay off the road, and telling families to review their emergency supplies.

The LDS church let employees go early, school districts cancelled extra-curricular activities, and colleges cancelled classes. At 6:00pm last night, UDOT reported that I-15 was experiencing a volume of cars similar to what's normal at 5:00am. There's no way of proving this, but maybe the storm seemed anti-climatic because people had watched the news, and heeded the warnings.

Had there been as many cars on the road during the evening commute, who's to say there wouldn't have been more slide-offs (there were close to 200 as is) or possibly even fatalities. Some say coverage of the storm was "over-hyped," but to me, it was all the media attention that saved lives.

Additionally, "blizzard" doesn't mean copious amounts of snow. It means a combination of high winds, cold temperatures and snow. The wind speed last night was measured in various locations at above 50mph. Temperatures Thanksgiving morning are expected to be below zero in many locations statewide, something practically unheard of in November. And, there was up to a foot of snow associated with this storm in some areas.

"Blizzard warnings" encourage people to be ready for these conditions. All three were seen in a significant portion of the Salt Lake TV market, which stretches from Eastern Nevada to Southern Idaho, all the way to Western Wyoming and down to Northern Arizona. It's the geographically largest TV market in the nation, which is also why sometimes meteorologists may not include each specific area in their forecast; because there's simply too many cities and not enough time.

True, Utah County didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but a much larger portion of the market population-wise got slammed. I have to wonder, if we didn't dedicate the time and resources to forecasting storms, would we still have gotten the same amount of hate mail? The answer is yes. When it comes to weather, the saying is true: damned if you do, damned if you don't.

For me, it comes down to what you believe the role of newsmedia is. Some people say journalists should only report on things that have happened and are certain. Others say media outlets should inform people on what is developing, and issues posing problems in the community. If you want journalists who subscribe to the first view, then by all means, coverage of this storm was not acceptable. However, I think most people in the news business try to to follow the second set of ideals. That's why coverage of storms, and even other events can sometimes seem over-exaggerated.

Okay. I'm off my high horse now. I just wanted to get that out. Few things at work are more frustrating then seeing somebody who does a good job get vicious hate mail.

Happy Thanksgiving.

The End.

My Thanksgiving

2010-11-20T12:46:00.017-07:00

Besides being the title of a really good Don Henley song, the title of this post goes along with what I've been thinking lately: how blessed I am. Since I probably won't have time to blog this on Thursday (when it's actually Thanksgiving) I decided to post this now.

1. I am so thankful for a job that I love. Even though the hours are less-than-ideal (11:30pm-8:00am) I can honestly say I enjoy going to work. This past week with two breaking news stories, it was really cool to see the whole morning team pull together and get things done. I really like being a producer, and I love the station I work for.

Don't mind our outfits. These are the producers I work with decked out for halloween. Brooke's a snowboarder, I'm supposed to be Betty White, and Jenn's a hippie.

These are the anchors I work with. I grew up watching some of these people, so it's still a little weird that I work with them, but they are some cool people. And I also like all the other behind the scenes people, but I don't happen to have a picture of them on hand. Sorry.

2. My amazing friends, but especially Brittany Mangelson.

Don't know if you've heard of her before, but you should probably make getting to know her a priority. She's hilarious, a great listener, a great writer (read her blog) and oh, just one little thing, she's an awesome mom to twin girls.

We've been best friends since about halfway through first grade, when-- true story: I got over hating her black jeans and she got over that I was her favorite teachers daughter, meaning she wouldn't ever be the favorite. We had sleepovers at each other's house 95% of the friday nights between ages 6-18, and when we got in high school, we were basically like sisters ("hallie, we're like twins" hence this next gem).

3. My amazing parents. Gary and Sue Chrystler are two of the most amazing people I know. Being an only child I think my relationship with my parents is different that a lot of kids have with their parents, but I wouldn't change my family for anything.

Taken at a totally inappropriate moment, this lovely photo of my dad and I is one of my favorites. My mom was cringing, and telling me to put the camera down. After we took the picture, an usher at the conference center kindly (or not) reminded us that photography is not allowed.

4. In the same vein, I have some awesome grandparents. I never really got to know my dad's parents, but I grew up talking with my mom's parents bi-weekly at least. They always remembered the dumb things in my life, like that I had a spelling test, my soccer games, and knew my friends names, and were always sure to ask how everything was going. They were married for almost 56 years when my grandma died, and I think they have probably the best marriage I ever saw, one that I hope to emulate.

5. My testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but more specifically the knowledge that I have a loving Heavenly Father. In times when things get rough, that's something I can always rely on. Even though I've had some doubts about the church in my life, and I may not always agree with the church's stance on certain issues, I really can't deny the fact that I know the gospel is true, and I'm grateful for the foundation it provides in my life.

So there you have it, just a list of a few things I've been thinking about lately that make me happy to be me. By the way, I really hate thanksgiving as a holiday. Cook all morning, stuff your face until you feel sick and then spend hours cleaning the kitchen? Not so much. I'm a 4th of July girl all the way. Fireworks, hot dogs, parades and 90 degree weather for me, thanks.

Elizabeth Smart

2010-11-12T20:18:00.004-07:00

I get the opportunity to do some amazing things with my job. I've been through the temple (before it was dedicated) with Elder Ballard, I've flown on an F-16 refueling mission, I've interviewed Marie Osmond, Quentin L. Cook, and countless other amazing people. But earlier this week, I got the chance to something that for me at least overshadows those previous experiences.

Rewind to June 5, 2002.

I was in California, on vacation with my family. I remember watching the news in Los Angeles, and the anchors talking about a kidnapping in Salt Lake City. Although I was interested, I didn't pay much attention at the time, because I assumed she would be found by the time my family returned to Utah in a few days. Nope. When we got back to Utah, Elizabeth Smart was all over the news, and I was captivated by the story.

If you lived in Utah at the time, you know what I'm talking about. Her "missing" posters were everywhere: on car windows, on billboards throughout the state, and featured in countless storefront displays. To me, as a 13-year-old, it seemed as if the state was coming together to help find Elizabeth. Call it childlike optimism, but I was sure she was still alive. How could she not be found with everybody searching for her?

During the first few months she was gone, I felt so connected to the story. She's LDS like I am, we were in the same grade, and we come from similar backgrounds. In my mind, I realized that it could have just as easily have been me that was kidnapped. I religiously watched the news each night, to get the latest details, and my journal entries from that summer contain the latest details in the investigation, and my reaction to what was going on.

But as the case stretched on into the fall, I remember seeing her story slowly fading from the front page of the newspaper and lead story of the newscasts. For me, as was the same for many people, life kept going. I was a busy 9th grader, who had a very demanding social life (insert eye roll). Even though I never thought Elizabeth was dead, finding her was not on my priority list, or even on my radar. I thought that if searchers had failed, then she probably wasn't ever going to come home. I moved on.

Then, after school on March 12, 2003, Brittany Herdman, Jessie George and I were getting off the school bus. I remember Brittany's sister Kelsey running out of their house, and she told us that Elizabeth had been found. We practically mowed her over to get to the TV. For the rest of the night, I was glued to the news (Channel 2 for anybody who cares). I couldn't believe that after 9 months, she really was back with her family.

In the nearly 8 years since her return, I've vigorously followed the trials of her "alleged" (yes this is my personal blog so I can say "alleged" with tongue-in-cheek quotation marks) kidnappers.

Okay, that brings me back to the point of this post. On Wednesday, I got the opportunity to hear Elizabeth testify against Brian David Mitchell. I had read the transcripts of the first two days of her testimony, and from those, I knew some of the horrific details about what happened to her during those 9 months. When the chance presented itself for me to go to court, I wasn't sure if I wanted to. Yes, I had been following her story since day one, but could I really handle going, hearing her testify?

When I walked into the courthouse, I was surrounded by reporters I'd grown up reading and watching. Though I haven't felt like a little kid playing pretend when I'm at work for a few years now, being in the media room during the trial did make me feel a little bit like an imposter. Those reporters had actually covered her story, whereas I had just followed it from my living room. That was an odd moment.

When Elizabeth took the stand, I wasn't sure what to expect. In the transcripts, the reporter didn't put things like "insert crying" or "pause for crying" so I didn't think she cried on the stand, but I wasn't sure how strong she would actually be. The morning started with prosecutor Felice Viti continuing to question Elizabeth. Though the things he asked her weren't as difficult or graphic as they had been in days one and two of her testimony, she still had to talk about some really rough things.

I listened in amazement as Elizabeth testified. Instead the normal "victim" portrayed on TV crime shows, she showed true strength. You could literally hear conviction and purpose in her voice. At one point the prosector asked Elizabeth what she thought about Brian David Mitchell being a hypocrite. Up to that point, her answers had been mostly "yes" or "no" with brief explanations when necessary. However, to the question about Mitchell's hypocrisy, Elizabeth gave, in my opinion, one of the most compelling speeches I've ever heard.

Viti: During your nine months of observations of the defendant did you have an opinion as to whether he was hypocritical?

Smart: Yes.

Viti: And what was your opinion?

Smart: That he was very hypocritical.

Viti: What do you base that on?

Smart: Well nine months of living with him and seeing him proclaim that he was God’s servant and he had been called to do God’s work and everything that he did to me and to my family is something I know God would never tell someone to do. God would never tell someone to kidnap a young girl from her family’s home in the middle of the night from her bed that she shared with her sister, from her sister’s side and give her no free agency and continue to rape her and sexually abuse her and give her no free agency to choose what she did. I know that God loves each of his children and that we have our free agency and that’s why we are here. It is for us to choose what we do in our lives, and I never had that free agency in those nine months I was with him. I know he was not called of God because God would never do something like that.

In the media room, when she was saying that, you could hear all the reporters struggling to transcribe word for word what she said. After she finished answering, you heard a couple reporters say "whoa." It was just so powerful.

Obviously I have no idea, nor can I even begin to comprehend the hell she went through during her quote "nine months of hell" as she described in in court. At the time she was found, as a 14 year old, I was so quick to say what I would do in her circumstance. I wouldn't have let him take me, I would've tried to run, of course I would testify... etc. How childish I was! Hearing the absolutely despicable story of what happened to her during her captivity, I can't even imagine how she survived physically, but more important mentally.

Another poignant quote during the trial came during day one of her testimony, when she talked about making a conscious decision to survive and make it through. As a 21 year old (and hopefully wiser) person than I was at age 14, I can now see how truly remarkable she is. To be able to summon that kind of strength and fortitude at such a young age is truly nothing short of amazing.

Her willingness to testify with such heartbreakingly candid details in court is also inspiring. From such horrendous circumstances, she's made a complete turnaround. To me, it seems she's made a 180 degree turn from the unspeakable life she was forced to live with Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee to the life she's chose to live now, as an LDS missionary.

Elizabeth's story truly is one of survival. I hate to use the term "hero," but I can't think of any other term adequate to describe how I feel about the example she is to other victims of sexual abuse, and to people in general who hear her story. To be involved with it as a member of the media is perhaps one of the most humbling and awe-inspiring experiences of my career so far.

I caved...

2010-10-21T03:00:00.001-06:00

and got an iphone 4. She is named Bridget. The end.

RIP, Breaking News

2010-10-18T07:56:00.005-06:00

BREAKING NEWS, 2007-2010

BREAKING NEWS passed away October 18th, 2010, following a really hard night after getting drenched by a water bottle left open in a purse. BREAKING NEWS put up a good fight, and even survived one exploratory surgery, but didn't make it through a second effort to recharge her battery.

BREAKING NEWS was born in 2007, and was purchased from Costco by Katelyn Chrystler during her sophomore year of college. BREAKING NEWS accompanied Katie on many freezing scooter rides in Winter 2007 from Wyview to campus. In 2008, BREAKING NEWS kept Katie company on her near daily commutes to Salt Lake as a Good Things Utah intern and ABC 4 employee. 2009 was an especially trying year for BREAKING NEWS. In January, BREAKING NEWS lost her entire library in what became known as the catastrophic crash. BREAKING NEWS helped Katie train for her first and second half marathons, and faithfully blared such favorites as "Thunderstruck," "Mississippi Queen," and "Groove is in the Heart," to help Katie cross the finish line. In a rare feat of strength, BREAKING NEWS survived being thrown from Katie's pocket during a 40mph ride on State Street, and was still faithfully playing when Katie darted out into the road to save her.

BREAKING NEWS was with Katie when she switched from ABC 4 to KUTV, when she moved from Castle Heights to the Upper Avenues, with her when her Grandma died, during a rough breakup, and on the drive when she first met Sophie and Lilly Mangelson. BREAKING NEWS went with Katie and Sarah Christensen on their epic road trip in March 2009, when she went with Rachel and Liz to see the Bonnie Hunt Show, and was there when she graduated BYU.

BREAKING NEWS is survived by a very heartbroken owner who doesn't want to buy a new ipod because seriously touches and nanos are so lame but classics have way to much storage space, seven epic running playlists, three chill-out mixes, and a pretty awesome collection of bizarre and irreplaceable songs.

In lieu of flowers, please protect your own ipods, so what happened to BREAKING NEWS won't happen to your ipod.

Thoughts at the gym

2010-09-23T10:12:00.002-06:00

Wow, I'm not sure I like that monitor graphic... it's spelled "foliage," not "foilage," I should've fixed that when I noticed it was wrong at six... This is a really long commercial break... I wish my headphones were longer... this machine is a lot harder than the one upstairs... I wonder if this one is broken because it really is a lot harder... that mobile health machine looks like the trailer the fire department used to bring to provost... I really like Katy Perry songs even if they are a little pg-13... that's a really flattering dress... I feel bad that ABC 4 has to do so many hours of news and cut-ins on top of that... WAIT! Is that Tina Fey on the Today Show? Oh, okay, it's just a tease... this machine really is a lot harder, no joke... I'm sweating a lot. Gross... Wow. The girl on the eliptical looks like she's doing a full-body dry heave. I wonder if anybody ever showed her how to use one of those... speaking of full body dry heaves, maybe I'll watch Seinfeld when I get out of here... that guy has some interesting tattoos... Mom is right, this machine doesn't hurt my knees as bad as running does... I wonder how many calories I'll burn today... Okay, now Tina Fey is on... (about lady using machine) you really look like a mom in that outfit... maybe this would make an interesting blog post, doubt it, but what else do I have to say.......

What I've been up to

2010-09-06T22:20:00.006-06:00

After taking the summer off, I decided it was probably time to update the old blog.

In August, I quit ABC 4 and got hired at channel 2 to produce the 7-8am show. Even though I felt like a Benedict Arnold for leaving 4, I knew it was something I had to do. BEST. DECISION. EVER. Not that I didn't love ABC 4 (the people there are awesome) but I just felt like I wasn't really progressing as a producer, and that because I started there as an intern I would kind of always have that label attached to me.

Anyway, I've been at 2 for about a month, and I love it! I'll sound like a cheeser: but most days it's just as fun to work there as it is to watch on TV. Sidenote: when I was a little kid -- we're talking three years old -- I remember waking up and my parents watching channel 2 in the morning. We'd have it on when we ate breakfast and I just got used to having Ron, Mary and Sterling be part of my morning routine.

Fast forward to August 1999. I was a 10 year old home alone watching tv. A tornado struck Salt Lake City, and I remember seeing this live.

And then in 2007, when I decided to actually be brave and pursue my dream of becoming a journalist, I harbored a secret wish to someday work at channel 2. After all, 2 was the station that I'd grown up watching. (Brittany Herdman and I used to have arguments about which was better, KSL or KUTV. We finally decided to agree to disagree and like channel 3.5).

In 2008, I went to President Hinckley's funeral and saw Ron Bird there. Can you say total dork?

Then, when I got my job at ABC 4, I put channel 2 on the back burner. I guess now, the rest is history, but I know my three year old self would be glad about what I'm doing.

In other news: Lilly and Sophie Mangelson are here! I haven't seen them as much as I would like to, but I definitely think they are adorable! Both Brittany and Josh are awesome parents. I stole this picture from Brittany's facebook, but she'll forgive me.

Then, the other big news of the summer is that my grandpa eloped in Las Vegas. Ha Ha. His new wife is actually pretty cool, and they're having fun traveling (Boise, Seattle, LA, NYC, Florida, Argentina) so I'm happy for him.

And with that, I guess I'm pretty much caught up.

A wake-up call

2010-05-24T16:11:00.002-06:00

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - A television news video photographer was hit and injured in an auto-pedestrian crash on I-80 Monday afternoon.

The crash happened on I-80 West Bound at 2300 East.

Utah Highway Patrol and UDOT officials confirmed that the victim is a photographer from KSL Television.

The name of the photographer was not yet released.

Troopers say a vehicle crashed into the man, pinning him between another vehicle and a concrete barrier.

The crash destroyed the victim's video camera and tripod.

Officials told ABC 4 News that the victim was transported to a hospital in very serious condition.

Wow. Even though I don't work for KSL, my heart goes out to this photographer, and everyone who works at the station. I think of the people on the assignment desk, who probably told this photog to get to the scene ASAP and the producers who insisted that the video get back to the station fast. I imagine had I been the producer who planned on this video for my show. How would I feel?

It's something I think I take for granted as a producer who sits in the station 95% percent of the time. News is a dangerous job. For the sake of the story, I demand that photographers and reporters set up on scene outside a SWAT situation. When there's a bad traffic accident or inclement weather (like there was today) we order them to go get live from the side of I-15. Though it's protocol at ABC 4 that reporters and photogs wear reflective vests when they go live from the freeway, those vests don't protect them from distracted drivers traveling 75 miles down the interstate.

This, like the title, is just a wakeup call to me as a producer. Though it's important to get the good story, have the live shot, people and safety need to come first.

These are a few of my favorite things.

2010-05-15T14:51:00.003-06:00

I work with some of the girls on Good Things Utah, and over the past week, they've been giving away their "favorite things" to viewers. So, without further delay, here are the things that I like best right now.

1. The Ting Tings. I bought "Shut up and let me go" about six months ago from itunes, and just completed my album a few weeks ago. Can I say I love this band? They are very fun, and good music to drive around with the windows down. I like "Great DJ" and "Impacilla Carpisung" and "Traffic Light" the best.

2. 30 Rock. I don't think I've ever seen a show that matches my humor so well. I laugh at probably 95% of the jokes. And it's not super-trendy, which if you know me also is a big plus. I hate watching what everyone else does.

3. Target. I went there a few nights ago, and though I dropped more money than I wanted to, I bought 2 dresses, 4 shirts and a cardigan for honestly not too much $$. So my summer 2010 wardrobe is pretty much set. Plus, they're building a target in SLC, finally. It's at like 300 West and 10th South. I'm so stoked! No more trips to Sandy or Centerville!

4. Orange Sapphire from Bath & Body Works. Smells summery without being too overpowering or sweet. It's really fresh too. Have it in my car and on my desk at work.

5. Roasted Honey Chicken from Lean Cuisine. It's 280 Calories and 4 grams of Fat and sooo good! I like it cause it's a light but fills me up. I've got a few in the fridge at home and some at work.

6. Anything Catherine O'Hara from her SCTV era. Youtube her. I like Lola Heatherton's Love Spirit Christmas Special or Steve and Eydie the best. True comedy.

7. This may be controversial, but dooce.com. Heather Armstrong is such a good writer. I don't agree with all her views (especially on the LDS church) but let's face it folks. She's hilarious.

Thoughts on the death of Ethan Stacy

2010-05-14T11:06:00.004-06:00

It's fairly strange to call myself a "journalist," but in the year and a half I've worked for ABC 4, very few stories have stuck with me the way the Ethan Stacy murder case has. Maybe it's because I first heard he was missing over the police scanner late Monday night, or maybe it's because of the horrific details of his death, but this story has really shaken me. It could also be because when I see his picture, I see an innocent little kid who is getting ready to start school in the fall, a boy who's learning to ride a bike, a kid who hasn't even lost his first tooth. All the milestones that come with turning five and six, and the years after, he'll never get to experience.

As a matter of fact, in recent memory, the only two other stories that I can recall that have really stuck with me, and impacted my personal life are those of Hser Nay Moo and Elizabeth Smart.

I remember watching the news on the evening when Hser Nay Moo went missing. I couldn't force myself to leave the TV all through the night. I watched the ABC 4 News cut-ins, and followed the story from when she was first reported missing to when they found her body in neighbor's apartment.

During the nine months Elizabeth Smart was missing, I monitored her case more closely than most other kids my age. I still remember the day she was found. Brittany Herdman, Jessie George and I were getting off the bus, coming home from school our freshman year of high school. We went to Brittany's house, and turned on the TV. The news was on, and they were reporting that Elizabeth had just been found. Both Brittany and Jessie wouldn't stop talking, but for me, I was fascinated. I wondered, how was she found? What condition was she it? Who took her? What's next in the case? In the seven years since the arrests of Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, I've followed their competency hearings and all other court proceedings. On my first day as an intern at ABC 4, I was sent to a Mitchell hearing solo, and as I walked through the doors of the Federal Courthouse, it hit me, I was a member of the media. I was responsible for gathering information, and reporting on another chapter in the Elizabeth Smart story. It was a somber feeling I'll never forget, and one I've had rarely since then.

However, a detail that differentiates Ethan's death from the murder of Hser Nay Moo and the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart is that neither of them were hurt by their parents. The prime suspects, and only suspects as far as I know are Ethan's mother, Stephanie Sloop, and his step-father, Nathan Sloop. Though we live in America and people are innocent until proven guilty, it's hard for me to separate emotion from the facts I'm privy to as a member of the media. The details outlined in the probable cause statements are absolutely detestable.

To think that a mother could do the things police accuse Stephanie of doing, and letting happen to her son seem unimaginable to me. Though I'm not a mother, and can only speculate on the magnitude and scope of a mother's love, I do know how I feel about my friends and family. It would be impossible for me to stand by and let what happened to Ethan happen to them.

However, I don't know what was happening to Stephanie. Was Nathan beating her too? I've never been a victim of abuse, so I can't fully comprehend what may have been going on in her life. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but with the magnitude of abuse police say Stephanie committed, I'm having a difficult time trying to stay impartial about her.

Anyway, moving on. The outpouring of community support for Ethan gives me faith in humanity. People who don't even know Ethan, like me, are using the awful situation that is his death to re-think things in their lives. It's a wake up call, I think, for people who may take their families for granted. During the press conference, the attorney shared a story about a lady in Bountiful who offered her burial plot for Ethan. Comments posted on abc4.com also show just a little bit of the hold this four year-old boy's death have had on Utah.

For me personally, it's interesting to see how I am reacting to this story. Anybody who knows me knows that I cry maybe 10 times a year, tops. I'm not outwardly emotional. I haven't cried over this case, but because of my involvement with it, from beginning until now, I'm curious to see how I handle this emotionally. I do know, however, that it feels good to talk about it with co-workers, and to write this post.

Unique Talents

2010-05-12T07:06:00.002-06:00

There are lots of people in the world who are amazing pianists. Lots of people can dance and sing. Others can act. Some are really good a sports. But me, I've got a few other skills up my sleeve.

1. I can "rap" (I use the term loosely) the entire lyrics of Will Smith's "Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It." Yeah, that's a skill I've had since I was probably 11.

2. I can bend my thumbs back far enough so they touch my forearm.

3. I can do a pretty wicked Kermit the Frog impression.

And honestly, with a skill set like that to work with, I've got it made in the shade.

So I just realized....

2010-05-02T16:26:00.003-06:00

...that I LOVE 30 Rock. My job/life is kind of like Liz Lemon's. And that's all I think I should say along those lines.

...that I really want to get a dog. Not happening soon, because I don't live in a place where I can have a dog, but maybe in a year or six months Fido or Fluffy will join my family (which currently consists of me, my car and my scooter).

...that I probably could never get sick of French toast. And snow cones. And frosted mini-spooners.

...that if Michelle Obama ever has a yard sale, I will buy her clothes so fast she won't know what hit her.

...that I'm seriously ready for June. Better weather and a weeklong trip to California? Count me in.

...that I think I will be getting an iphone within the next month or so.

...that I really do like my job. The hours are not really great (11pm-7am) but that I work with great people and to be a producer in the SLC market even though I'm still in college is cool.

So I was supposed to be graduating...

2010-04-18T19:14:00.002-06:00

... but instead I'll be done in August.

So on this, the week I was supposed to say goodbye to BYU, instead, I'll look back at the last 4 years of school. I really have been lucky to have a major that I never dreaded going to class. My generals-taking experience was pretty good too. So without delay, here are my favorite classes I took at BYU, in no particular order.

1. MFHD 333 -- Adolescent Development with Dr. Walker. So I took this class as a second-semester freshman. What was I thinking? It had tons of reading, statistics and data analyzing, and everyone else in the class was either a MFHD or Sociology major. On the first day, Dr. Walker pretty much said, "If you haven't taken the pre-requisites (which I hadn't) and aren't in the major, I strongly suggest you re-think taking this class, because the material will be way over your head." I thought about dropping the class, but I knew I would never re-enroll, cause I was never going to be major or take the pre-reqs, so I decided to stick with it. I did all the readings, and I labored like a fool over all the papers. It was worth it when I got a 99%, the highest in the class on the final paper. That was the hardest I ever worked for a grade, and then it all went downhill from there. Jk. Sort of.

2. French 217 -- So I know you're all thinking, wait, does Fro know French? The answer is no. But I do know how to read an English subtitle. French 217 is French and Italian Cinema. Loved this class. It was two days a week, three hours long. The first hour was a lecture, and the second hour we watched a film. It was pretty much a great way to relax, eat candy, and get credit for it. But I also learned a lot about film from this class. I learned to appreciate fine films, and to at least have a launching point to understand international cinema. Also, I was able to release some of my "emotional constipation" during this class. During the movie, "Cinema Paradiso," I was bawling. I thought all my classmates would be too, because come on, it's a way emotional movie. our professor, Daryl Lee turned on the lights after the movie, and to my surprise, I was the only idiot with mascara streaks running down my checks. So, I wiped my face off, went home, and bought the movie on Amazon.com.

3. English 150 -- My professor for this class was Mary Lee, Daryl's wife. Though the title for the course was "writing and rhetoric," I really learned more about how to craft and argument and how to appreciate other people's points of view. Anybody who knows me knows I'm a little more left-leaning than the average Mormon. In this class, we discussed politics, and argued about why we felt the way we do. Though I didn't agree with many of my classmates opinions, I learned to appreciate our differences. And the mischievous side of me learned how to use rhetoric to convince them that my opinions are right. Mary taught us stuff, but it was always more like a "community of learners" (thanks Ford White) kind of class.

4. Rel C 342 -- This was I think, if I'm not getting my numbers mixed up, Church History from 1845-1900. Susan Easton Black is an amazing professor, and honestly, one of the only religion professors at BYU that I felt like was trying to teach me and not judge my testimony. The subject matter was so absolutely fascinating that my notebook from that class, all 180 pages are full of lecture notes. I didn't take my notes in bullet points like I normally do, but instead, I wrote them like sentences, so I could remember all the stories. I made little acronyms for each figure, like PPP, HCK, BY, ERS, GAS.... for all the church figures. I love learning about the Utah war, the persecution of polygamous saints by the government before the 1891 manifesto, and about the growth of the Salt Lake Valley. I'll always remember James Buchanan's platform when he ran for president: abolishing the twin relics of barbarism, polygamy and slavery.

5. Rel C 333 -- Living Prophets with Lloyd Newell. The man would tell the funniest stories everyday. Some of my favorite punch lines were, "now don't anybody leave here and go tell stories about President Hinckley and a burrito," and "UVFC." Plus, Sarah Christensen and I were in this class together, 'nuff said.

6. Comms 326 -- I'm in this class now, with Carole Mikita as my professor. It's broadcast performance. When I enrolled, I honestly didn't have very high expectations. Not because Carole's not a good journalist, on the opposite, I thought she was so good she wouldn't have time to devote to making the class quality. But after the first week, I learned that Carole brings the same dedication to being a teacher that she does to being a reporter. Each week, we get hands-on experience doing live shots, reporting and anchoring. She gives immediate feedback, rather than waiting like many professors do, so we can have what we need to improve on fresh in our minds. She really cares about each student in the class, and doesn't just teach to the level of the highest-performing students. The way she interacts with the last-semester in college kids is different than the ones just barely taking the broadcast prerequisites, and that takes time to adapt critique and teaching style. She's shown me what a broadcast professor should be like.

So there you have it, a list of my best BYU classes. I've got 4 more to go before I can wave goodbye to college. Peace out.

Why I love Nancy Meyers

2010-03-29T06:37:00.003-06:00

I have never met a movie Nancy Meyers has written that I didn't like.

Examples:
1. The Holiday
2. Parent Trap
3. Father of the Bride II
4. Father of the Bride

She directed The Holiday and Parent Trap, and seriously, when I picture my dream life, it kind of looks like those movies do. The lighting and cinematography in Parent Trap is excellent. I love the setting, the costumes, everything about that movie (yes I'm dissecting a Disney movie) is excellent. The casting (RIP Natasha Richardson) is just as I would have done. Dennis Quaid (he had a nice career) and Lindsay Lohan (she was a cute kid) were absolutely perfect in their roles. And who wouldn't want to live in a flat in London, go to Herrods and walk with Grandfather in the park? Then there's the California set. The house in Napa is absolutely beautiful. I love the way the whole set is decorated. Vacation house please?

The Holiday: okay, I'll admit I had my doubts about this movie. Despite a pretty rock-solid cast (Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black) I thought it was going to be some wamby-pamby romantic comedy. But what I like about the movie is how almost everyone (well girls at least) can relate to either character. Sometimes when I've seen it, I'm Iris, and other times I feel more like Amanda. And even in those in-between times when I feel like neither, I still love the stories and can emphasize with what they are going through. When Iris takes Arthur to the event honoring him for all his work, and he walks in and the place goes crazy, I'll admit, I cry. For me, that's a big deal. And then don't even get me started on the soundtrack. It's got some great Christmas songs, mixed in with some 70's music and Aretha Franklin. So even though it's a hodge-podge of different genres, I could listen to it anytime. Which I think I will go do now.

And just to briefly mention Father of the Bride, both have made me cry: the first one when Annie and George play basketball and the second when the family moves out of their house. The end.

Thoughts I've been thinking

2010-03-21T01:21:00.006-06:00

I love it when songs fit you like a glove. I mean, when you listen to them, and even just the sound of them seems so compatible with your life, almost like you wrote it yourself. For me, write now those songs are "Fill Me Up," by Shawn Colvin and "Daydream Believer," by The Monkees.

Don't diss the Duggars. I don't know why I like their family so much, maybe it's cause they've got so many kids, and I always secretly wanted to be part of a big family. But some girl at BYU called them "weird offshoot mormon polygamists" and that their dad was a big creeper. Folks, the gloves were about to come off. Even writing this I feel stupid for liking them so much, but maybe we'll just say I like the Duggars as much as most people like the Office.

'Cause I'm A Night Owl, Honey....

2010-03-21T01:09:00.002-06:00

If you know what song the title of this post is from, let's be bff's, okay?

Besides my obscure song references, here's what I've been up to.

1. I now produce the 5AM hour of Good Morning Utah, which means I work from 11pm-7am Monday through Friday. I sleep all day and work all night. Crazy. If you know me, you know I've never really had trouble sleeping, but with this job, I can pretty much fall asleep mid-sentence. Today I got my hair done, and almost fell asleep like 12 times. Not. Good.

2. Still hosting BYU Weekly. It's great to have an on-air job that doesn't require a massive time commitment, but also lets me keep improving.

3. I'm moving this week from my beloved apartment to one that I'll share with another overnight news producer. Excited to have a roommate, wi-fi and cable, but I will miss my beautiful view of the Key Bank Building and Brigham Young's grave. I won't miss my downstairs neighbor playing FDR biography tapes at insanely loud volumes at wacky times of the day and night, and his attraction to bizarre programming on NPR. I will miss my neighbor that is always nice to me when I see her smoking in the parking lot. I wish I could've gotten to know her better.

4. I met my grandpa's girlfriend/friend/who-knows-what today, and she is very nice and I am happy for them. Kind of funny when your 80 year old grandpa has a better dating life than you, though.

5. My mom and I both went and got our hair done. Amazing how much better it makes you feel to be just a little bit vain. But just sayin', my hair looks pretty good. No more brown roots and split ends for me, kids.

Resolved

2010-01-04T02:15:00.000-07:00

I'm not really one for making new year's resolutions. I had a good lesson today at church, the teacher talked about how goals are meaningless until they've got some real meaning and motivation behind them.

Last April, I ran the Salt Lake City 1/2 Marathon, and it was my best example of goal-setting. I had reasons to run, and so when I didn't want to go to the gym, there was that little something pushing me out the door. Then, I also ran the Provo Canyon half in August. I didn't have any motivation besides wanting to run a second race, and so I didn't go the gym as much, and my lack of preparation showed in my shoddy finish time.

So since then, I've been really wary of making "empty" goals. This year though, I have two goals that I am going to work on. Mind you, they're pretty basic.

1. Go to church every Sunday (excepting sickness and vacation)

Working weekends last year made it really easy for me to rationalize just going to Sacrament Meeting on Sunday and skipping the rest of my meetings. But now, I don't work Sundays, and it's hard to get back in to the routine of 3 hour church. I've been going, but my mind and heart really aren't in it. So my goal is to go, and to be an active participant.

2. Go to FHE regularly.

This is another one I rationalized my way out of during my time at BYU. But now, I'm living on my own, and if I don't go, more often than not, I wind up just sitting at home watching a movie or reading.

So as you can see for me, my 2010 goals are all about going back to the basics.

Phew..

2010-01-04T02:14:00.001-07:00

I've been gone for a while, but I had an excuse. I promise.

Last week at work, I clocked in an amazing 59 hours. As my boss says, I got just a little to much "novertime."

The week before I think I got somthing like 50 hours, and the week before it was like 55.

This week, it should be around 40, so we're back to normal... right? Nope. That little thing I like to call school is back in session.

To graduate in April like I've always planned on, I'm going to be taking 18 credits. However, 4 of those are "internship" hours. That's right folks, I still haven't completed my intership, even though I work full time as a Producer in the 31st market.

Besides my "internship," I'm in Physical Science, Biology, D&C, and 2 Comms classes. I kept my science to the end which probably was a stupid thing to do. So it'll be me and the Freshman rockin' at the SL Center.

And then there's the job I do for fun, my work with BYU Weekly. That's only like 4 hours max a week, so it should be cool.

It's going to be a wild 16 weeks my friends.

But you know what? I'm actually pretty stoked. I hate being bored, and I doubt that will happen this semester. It will be pretty cool to graduate on April 22nd and 23rd, and get my degree in 4 years and graduate with a full-time job doing what I love.

On a semi-unrelated note, because I now work overnights, I have discovered my love for Pandora. It's what keeps me going at 3AM. My favorite station is Three Dog Night Radio. It comes up with Beatles, Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf, and the Eagles. Music that keeps me awake, but not too wild or rambunctious (sp)?

My Childhood in a Soundtrack

2009-11-16T23:21:00.005-07:00

Tonight, as I was using my computer and listening to my itunes, the song "Footloose," from the movie by the same title came on.

Now, if you know anything about my Dad, you know that he used to have a silver Mazda Miata in the early 90's that I thought was pretty cool. I remember driving around Provo, blasting the stereo as loud as it would go, and I though I was a big deal. My dad would always let me pick what we listened to from his cassette collection (that's right, I did say cassettes).

As a person, I've always been really good at memorizing things, especially songs. Even now, I can sing the songs, word-for-word, that were on his cassettes. So now, without further delay, here is the soundtrack of my childhood:

1. Like I mentioned before, the Footloose Soundtrack. I thought this tape was especially cool, because to me it sounded more modern and rock-ish than the rest of his collection. My favorite songs were "Footloose," "Holding Out for a Hero," "I'm Free," and "Never."

2. My next favorite tape on the 1990 Gary Chrystler playlist was "Oak Ridge Boys, Greatest Hits 2." I know the music on this tape is tacky, hideous and not something to openly own listening to. But I did. And I still do. I love this album. "Elvira" will probably always be on my top 50 favorite list.

3. My dad also owned "The Top Ten Hits," by Elvis Presley. My favorite song was "Return to Sender," but my parents tell me the first song I learned all the words to was "Are You Lonesome Tonight."

So in reviewing that list, I can see a lot of the reasons for the music I like today. I've decided that when I am a parent, I am going to let my kdis rifle through my i-pod and pick out music to listen to. That way, when they are older and need a quick pick me up, they can turn to songs they heard when they were little to have a surge of good memories. I know that's what Elvis, Footloose and Oak Ridge Boys do for me.

Lessons Cecil and Julie taught me

2009-11-14T10:53:00.002-07:00

I went to the BYU Basketball game last night.

It's the first that I've been to since being a Cougar. (Pathetic, I know). It's just that none of my BYU buddies really like sports so they never got all-sports passes.

Anyhow, the seats I got were two rows behind Cecil O. Samuelson and Julie B. Beck. As I watched the game, neither one of them boo-ed, even when a call was obviously questionable.

Of course, I didn't expect Cecil or Julie to yell at the ref, but it was nice to see them being so classy.

Also, Julie knows all the words to the fight song. Woo.

Ugly {Furniture} Ball

2009-11-04T19:25:00.002-07:00

When I was in elementary school, members of the lovely Provost Elementary school faculty taught us the song, "Ugly Bug Ball."

In that song, the lyrics go:

Come on let's crawl
gotta crawl, gotta crawl
to the ugly bug ball
to the ball, to the ball
and a happy time we'll have there
one and all at the ugly bug ball.

Lately I feel a little bit like I'm living in a ugly crawl, except for it's not bugs, but furniture. In the past month, I have probably seen 50 or so trucks filled to the brim with secondhand 1970's velvet couches, orange shag rugs, stained chairs and scratched kitchen tables. I wanted to take a picture to post on my blog, but I like to be a safe driver and not snap pictures zooming down I-15.

I wonder, are people being better with their fall cleaning? Is the furniture coming home from DI because the economy is so bad, or is it a sign that people are feeling more confidence economically, so Grandma's furniture is finally getting the boot? Maybe so many people are staying home instead of going out, that they are just wearing down furniture much faster than they used to.

The point is, I don't know.

But if you're ever driving with me, stay on the lookout for shoddy furniture.

Why I love my mom

2009-11-01T21:59:00.001-07:00

"For all you're paying to go to that place, they should be able to use markers you can read. I'm serious. What kind of markers does that professor use? I'm going to go out and buy him a box and say, 'Merry Christmas Mr. Professor now people can see what you're writing.' I'm a teacher. I know that marker color makes all the difference." - Suze

Another Shout Out

2009-10-30T10:54:00.003-06:00

Brittany Mangelson rocks.

That is all.

It's days like today that I love

2009-10-29T23:21:00.002-06:00

I started out my morning by doing a whole lot of nothing. Not too productive, but it was nice to lounge around the house.

I went to school at the Salt Lake Center, and got really thirsty. And no, for all you Seinfeld fans out there, I hadn't been eating any pretzels. I went to the library to ask for change for a $20, and I got 3 $5's, 4 $1's and a Canadian dollar. I don't think the librarian realized her mistake, but I was actually pretty stoked. How did Canadian currency make it's way to the SLC center? Anyway, it's mine now and it's going in my wallet, right next to my shekel.

Class got out early, so what did I do? I hit up Costco. Bad idea when you're alone, bored and hungry. I could probably have dropped $300, easy. Instead, my bill came to about $60. Some of my purchases, I'll admit, were impulse buys, but who could resist Odwalla juice called "Red Rhapsody?" At least I didn't by the 24 pack of San Pelligrino Aranciata.

Now, I'm getting ready for a nice, long, 8 hours of sleep. It's going to be a great Friday. I can feel it.

So I'm producing Good Things Utah tomorrow..

2009-10-11T20:00:00.003-06:00

.. wish me luck.

Changes

2009-10-10T19:14:00.003-06:00

Times, my friends, are changing.

On Friday, my friend Jamie is coming back from her 18 month LDS mission to Brazil. I am beyond excited to see her. I wonder if she'll be an "up-talker."

Then, in November, my pal Sarah is going to Fort Lauderdale Florida to serve a mission. Sarah and Jamie are sisters, and so, not to discount their service, but it feels a little like I'm just exchanging one for the other.

Tonight I went searching for health insurance. I can't stay under my family's coverage, so as a 20-something who knows pretty much nada about health insurance, the whole scenario is a bit daunting.

Because I'm a Full Time Employee at ABC 4 now, I get benefits. Deciding which programs to enroll in, and how much coverage to choose is something that I've never had to do before. Sorry, but BYU Weekly doesn't offer disability or life insurance.

But on the lighter side, I have been rocking some pretty awesome tunes lately:

1. Beautiful Stranger -- Madonna

2. Die (or live) Another Day -- Madonna (inside joke for everyone who knows George Bayles)

3. Sorry -- Madonna (I guess I'm just on a Madonna kick or something)

4. Oklahoma -- Bishop Allen

5. Walk on the Wild Side -- Lou Reed

6. Viva La Vida -- Coldplay

7. Elvira -- Oak Ridge Boys (I think they're lipsynching on the link)

By the way, this song alone is probably my "most heard" song in my whole life. I remember driving around Provo with my dad when I was little and blasting this song. Yes, the Chrystler family likes some pretty strange music.

8. Colossal Youth -- Moonpools and Caterpillars

The End.

World's Best Weekend

2009-10-08T17:58:00.002-06:00

I went to 3, count 'em 3 sessions of General Conference this past weekend.

Saturday morning I went with my friend Maren who had an extra ticket. No certain talks really stood out for me, instead, the whole session was good. It wasn't one where I was looking at my watch, waiting to get out. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir (MTC) was at their best, or at least in sounded that way to me. They sang "Come, Come Ye Saints," which is one of my top 5 favorite hymns. During my 1/2 marathons, when I am a mile out from the end, I play that song, and then the theme from the 2002 Olympics to propel me over the finish line.

Tangent: In the SLC 1/2 last april, for the first 9 miles, I was sailing. That's right. Sailing. But then I hit Liberty Park, and I was all of a sudden tired. I kept on going, but then when I got to State Street, I hit a big time wall. I'd never noticed before, but there is an incline on State Street. I was tempted to stop running and just walk up the hill, but then I saw the State Capitol in the distance, and I thought of my pioneer ancestors. I realized that if they could pull a handcart through the mountains, then I could quite easily run for four blocks. I played "Come, Come Ye Saints" on my ipod, and that was enough to keep me going.

So, to hear it in conference was amazing. It wasn't as polished as the version I have on my ipod, but it was more real, and emotional, especially the shot one of the cameramen got of the lady crying at the end. Excellent, my friends. The song was excellent.

Sunday Morning, I helped Emily Florez shoot a story for the Daily News. Having a media pass at the conference center opens up all sorts of doors. It was great. Though I couldn't really pay attention during the session, I got to see some great things, and notice aspects of conference I normally wouldn't if I was so tuned in to taking my notes. During Elder Nelson's talk, I got to go film from a loft above the MTC. It was another perspective completely to see what the conference center looks like from behind the pulpit. It was also nice that the church provided the media with some snacks. It was kind of funny to be sitting in the conference center, eating jelly bellies, m&m's and cashews while listening to the prophet speak.

Saturday Afternoon though, was my favorite. I wasn't filming, but I still had my media pass. I had decided to just watch the session from the media room, but when I saw an empty seat at about 1:45, I asked an usher if I could sit in it. She said yes. So, I landed in a pretty premo seat. Elder Holland's talk was absolutely awe-inspiring. As he testified of the Book of Mormon, it was interesting to look at the people's faces around me. The audience looked a little shocked, but definitely supportive of how Elder Holland presented his message. My favorite talk though, was Elder Brent H. Nielson's, entitled, " A Call to the Rising Generation."

This conference was just what I needed. It was honestly the first time that I've been listening to a speaker speak, and received counsel not from what he was saying, but what I was feeling.

And then after the sessions were over, I went to my parents house, and my mom had made chicken curry. What a great weekend.

Names

2009-10-08T17:35:00.002-06:00

I don't think about wedding colors, what my dream wedding dress will look like, what frocks my bridesmaids will wear, but the one thing I do think about, and have always thought about is baby names.

When I was 11 or 12, I was absolutely adamant on having a daughter that I would name Lauren Marie. It was a certainty. There was a baby up in the pre-mortal existence that was mine and going to be called Lauren Marie. I also loved the names Adrienne and Annie. For boys, I've never had names that I absolutely LOVE, but I liked Benjamin and James.

Now, as I have thought about it, I have a new list. The names I like now mean something to me, and are modeled after people that I would want my children to emulate.

Girls:

1. Ruth Mae

This is for Ruth May Fox, a former Young Women's General President. She crossed the plains, have 12 children, and wrote the hymn "Carry On," in the LDS hymnbook. I want that hymn to be something that my children model in their lives, especially the "stalwart and brave we stand," part.

2. Olivia Elaine

I have always liked the name Olivia, even before it became so popular. Just had to get that out of the way. Last year, I went through a Law and Order: SVU phase, and I also liked the strong main character Olivia. I realize this name is much more superficial then the first, but oh well. Elaine is after Elaine S. Dalton, the current Young Women's General President, who is so optimistic and loving. Also, in a TV way, it's after Elaine on Seinfeld. I like how Jerry sometimes calls Elaine "Laney."

3. Sydney Anne

Again, I've always liked the name Anne. It's the middle name of two of my aunts, and I think Annie is a cute name. Sydney is after my mom's mom, the most caring and altruistic person I know. In my 20 years of knowing my grandma, I never once heard her yell, or even raise her voice. Sure, she got frustrated, but she never exploded. She was completely controlled and governed with love, rather than rules and shouting.

Boys:

1. Gabriel James

I like the name Gabe. I like the name James. Both biblical. James 3 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, and James 1:5-6 inspired Joseph Smith to pray. That's my reason for liking these names.

2. Cooper Jonah

This name I think just sounds suave. He would definitely be nicknamed "Coop."

So those are my 5 favorite names right now. I like them all because I think they wouldn't set my children in certain roles. Names like Mary I think kind of set a girl up to be meek and mild, although I do know one Mary who is none of those things.

I also like those names because they are fairly common. I always feel bad for the "Kaylinzey" or the "Stephaniquanda" my mom has on her class roles. I don't want my kids to have to prove their normalcy despite their names, I want them to show their uniqueness from their names.

I'm a loser..

2009-09-20T22:53:00.003-06:00

but I am excited beyond works for the fall shows to come out this week.

M/T/W a three night DWTS (Dancing With The Stars) premier, and then on Friday: MEDIUM!

Maybe it's totally lame-o for me to feel as happy as I do, but there's nothing better than coming home exhausted from school and work and watching celebrities make fools of themselves on the dance floor.

This season: Donny Osmond, Aaron Carter, Melissa Joan Hart, Debi Mazar and Ashley Hamilton.

I'm grateful for one star of Beethoven's 2nd, but two? I think I'm in heaven. Once Brittany and I even found the house where Regina lived. Totally by coincidence, but we both recognized it. It's in LA just blocks away from the Temple.

Jane Anne Neville does the best impersonation of Regina. Hands down.

By the way, the Wilheim scream in the 2nd Beethoven is superb, but here's a sampling of other favorites (Best part is from 2:14-2:22).

Another thought on my mind if we're wandering down the path of Beethoven's 2nd, is the movie Blank Check. It's pretty much a classic in my book. That's because I've got s-t-y-l-e.

Since when has "Doug" had a live show? This seems right up my alley. Nobody better to see it with than Brittany, Sarah, Jamie and Rachel. I would probably die from laughing. I liked pre-disney Doug best.

This link made me cry I was laughing so hard.

From these links, I think it's pretty much a miracle I survived so far. What were child entertainment execs thinking in the 90's?

I remember racing home from church (yes I watched Nick on Sundays) to watch Doug and then eat Macaroni and Cheese. We're taking ritual folks. I did not miss my Doug on Sunday.

On that note, I am going to bed.

kickin' it in the 84103

2009-09-16T21:04:00.001-06:00

It's been a long time since an update.
I apologize.

I moved from the 84604 to the 84103 and I pretty much am in love.From my living room window (yes I said "my" and not from "mom and dad's") I can see the Key Bank tower and the Joseph Smith Building. From my kitchen, if you crane your neck just right, you can catch a glimpse of one of the spires of the Salt Lake Temple. Did I mention I love my apartment?

Even my downstairs neighbor, who has a congo drum and tamborine party along with stimulating (and loud) discussion on mystic and mythical lesbian plays (who knew there was such a thing) is pretty sweet.

I still need to get cable and internet, but my house is pretty much rockin'. As are scooter rides around Salt Lake. Sorry Provo friends, but Salt Lake's scooter rides are much better.

Peace.

( I accidentally posted this on my "professional" blog for Comms 239. Oops.)

September is bland

2009-09-04T13:10:00.002-06:00

I'm all moved into my new apartment. Woo!

My upstairs neighbor has a coughing problem. I bet he's one of those "sensitive folks" that has problems with the hazy weather that's "on tap." (If you understand why those phrases are in quotes, then you pretty much rock).

Honestly, until November, I feel like September and October really have nothing much going for them. It's getting colder, which I don't really like. The only big deal is UEA, which isn't such a great thing unless you attend public school or have a family that likes to go to Disneyland.

Speaking of UEA Disney trips, one of my friends saw Bruce Lindsay there.

"Halloween is cool." (name that movie). But unless you go trick-or-treating, it's just pumpkins and ghosts and Alan Thicke (another name that movie).

In October, I look forward to seeing the Halloweentown movie series on Disney and I like Hocus Pocus. Bette Midler's finest work in my eyes. Saying "Kalabar's Revenge" just made me laugh outloud. Kalabar? Seriously?

But come November, it's socially acceptable to get excited for Christmas, there's Thanksgiving break (which is good because even though I don't like thanksgiving eating itself, I do like the time off from school).

December is good because of Christmas and the Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Concert. And the lights on Temple Square which technically come on the day after thanksgiving aka my birthday but they're a good thing in December too.

Also on my radar, some pretty awesome episodes of 18, soon to be 19 kids and counting on TLC. the duggars announced this week that Michelle is expecting her 19th child. Is it bad that I hope she goes for 20?

If I ever met the Duggars, I would probably die of excitement.

It's the first day of school tomorrow..

2009-08-30T21:33:00.003-06:00

.. and I don't want to go. Let's just skip senior year and graduate now. Thanks.

Love,

Katie.

Senator Ted Kennedy, 1932-2009

2009-08-26T23:33:00.004-06:00

Today's been a pretty interesting day.

It started out with me stumbling half-awake into the kitchen this morning and seeing a Ted Kennedy Obit story on the news.

If you know my dad, you know he's a pretty big JFK fan. I think it's because he really has an emotional tie to the day JFK died, where he was when he heard, and all the americana tied into "Camelot."

Some of that has rubbed off on me, to say the least, so I know probably more than I should about the Kennedy clan. This morning, when I found out Ted died, I was a bit sad, but also glad that he isn't suffering anymore because I can only imagine that having a brain tumor isn't fun.

Then, as I was driving to work, I turned to KSL radio to listen to a traffic update. They played President Obama's statement. One part he said really got to me.

"His fight has given -- and we were denied that when his brothers John and Robert were taken from us-- the blessing of time to say thank you and goodbye."

During that sentence, I'll admit, I almost teared up. I really don't know why. Maybe it's because Caroline Kennedy and I have the same birthday, but I really do admire the work Ted Kennedy has done for America.

Even though behind closed doors he may have been a hardcore republican-hater, I like to focus on his public appearance of accepting partisan differences, and working with folks on the opposite side of the aisle, like Orrin Hatch, to get things done. Even in his life of unimaginable wealth, he cared and worked hard as an advocate to bring a better quality of life to struggling americans.

I also like his courage and grit. When he returned to the Senate last year after brain surgery, I was amazed. This is what politics should really be about: serving your consituents and keeping commitments.

Also, in the face of JFK and RFK's assassinations, it would have been easy, and understandable, for him to resign from politics and live a private life. But he didn't. Instead, he honored his family's legacy, acting as patriarch for the next 40+ years.

I also think of him during JFK and RFK's funeral, next to Jackie and Ethel. I think of how daunting it must have been to Ted Kennedy, then in his thirties to assume the "father" status for John and Robert's combined 13 children, and to be a support to wives grieving over the lost of their husbands.

Though I don't desire to assume his personal standards, and I don't think I understand or condone his motives during the Chappaquiddick incident, I do think with his passing, America has lost one of it's most faithful and best public servants.

It's official...

2009-08-24T20:37:00.004-06:00

I'm leaving Provo on Friday.

I've lived in the 84604 and 84602 for my whole life. I think this blog will need a name change.

I'm not straying too far, my new zipcode is 84103. For those of you who don't have Utah zipcodes memorized, that's in Salt Lake City. Woo!

Living in SLC is something I've always wanted to do, and now that it's four days away, honestly, I'm kind of freaking out. I've lived on my own before, but never in a different city. That makes me sound like such a big baby, I mean, people move away from their parents all time when they are 18 to go to college, but for me, it's my first move and only an hour away. But, this apartment is all mine. I pay the utilities. I pay the cable. I pay for internet.

A new and exciting adventure definitely. I'll post pics once I'm all moved in.

Anyhow, on the eve of my move, I'm thinking about all the things I'll miss.

1. I love watching House Hunters and Property Virgins with my mom. Seriously. If you've never watched a TV show with Sue Chrystler, don't miss out. It's a riot.

2. Visiting my aunt, uncle and cousins every Monday in Mapleton. They are also some pretty cool cats.

3. My dog Indy.

4. Church with my dad. Not that I ever find church boring, but when it is, my dad always makes some good commentary or says something to help me get interested, or at least not fall asleep.

5. Having my grandpa always say goodbye when I leave. It's nice to know he'll be around when I come back from school and work. I'll also miss his republican rants.

6. Free food.

But, don't think I'm regretting my decision to move. I like living at home, but for another year of school, pshaw. That would just not work. I'm lucky to have all but 2 classes that I can take at BYU SLC, a job in SLC, and a BYU job that can be mostly done online or over the phone.

Plus, Christmas in Salt Lake living a block from temple square. Can you say I'll see a whole lot of those lights?

Here's what I'm excited for:

1. Like I said, Christmas on Temple Square.

2. Being able to see Brigham Young's grave from my apartment (I'm only slightly exaggerating on that one, but his grave is on my block).

3. Taking some pretty sweet awesome scooter rides this fall.

4. Au Naturale.

5. My thursday night ritual (ask if you care).

6. Going to the Salt Lake Library.

7. My favorite deli in the Avenues. I think it's called Cucina. They have some bomb awesome Chicken Cordon Bleu that kind of whips BYU's version.

8. Some new running routes that will undoubtedly be more interesting that what I've got to choose from here in provo.

9. Getting to live in a big-ish city before I really have to grow up and set down roots.

10. Institute at the U.

So, as you can see after this lengthy blog post, I've got a lot to look forward to, but I'm leaving a lot behind. But hey, like my mom says, Provo's only an hour away, and like I drive, I can make it in 42 minutes.

Peace.

PS-- Can someone teach me how to make pictures not so retarded?

18 Kids and Counting

2009-08-18T00:14:00.006-06:00

I've got an admission to make:

I've been watching Duggars since "14 Children and Pregnant Again."

Maybe it's just because the Duggars have 18 times more children than are in my family, but I seriously count their current show, "18 Children and Counting," as a favorite. It's interesting to watch a family SO different from mine.

Anyhow, Michelle Duggar has a blog now. Maybe it's because it's after midnight and I'm just a little prone to over-amusement, but oh well. Hence, http://blogs.discovery.com/tlc-michelle-duggar-blog/.

Enjoy.

My ABC 4 Shout Out

2009-08-17T21:00:00.002-06:00

On Saturday, I was at work, just coming back from logging a tape. As I made my way back to write a story on Soldiers deploying to Afghanistan, Brent Hunsaker stopped me and asked, point blank, what I thought about Michael Vick.

I honestly haven't spent nights awake thinking about it, but I think that if somebody goes to jail, serves their time, then once they are out, they should have the same rights as they did before they went to jail (yes, with sex offenders I think there should be an exception).

Hence, my answer to Brent: http://www.abc4.com/content/news/blogs/story/Brent-Hunsaker-I-agree-Michael-Vick-deserves/0H4ZDE12o0uAdzAoO9GicQ.cspx.

If Vick was a insurance salesman, we wouldn't even know, much less care about his dog-fighting arrest. It's only hyped up because of his job playing football. Sure, athletes and actors live a public life, and that comes with the job, but I don't think that aspect of the job, in itself, means Vick shouldn't be allowed back on the field.

Just because he's a public figure doesn't mean he's given any special legal status; therefore, I think he shouldn't be banned from going to his job, just like other people to whom the law applies.

That being said, because he's a public figure and takes home what I can only imagine is a pretty hefty paycheck, a very good PR move would be to begin a foundation for abused animals or to donate a large chunk of change to the ASPCA.

Two thoughts

2009-08-15T22:09:00.002-06:00

1. I am at work and have been listening to 8 police scanners blare simultaneously. My mind is going to explode any second.

2. Is it bad that I know so much random trivia? Last night, I was on a hike and somebody said "we should call S.O.S. or something," and someone else responded, "what is the story behind S.O.S?"

I couldn't help but blurting out a 3 minute shpiel (sp?) on how when Titanic sunk on the night of April 14th/15th 1912, the telegraph operators of the day generally used a the "CQD" distress signal, however; that night, they decided to try a new signal, S.O.S. Of course, by using the new signal, the operators hoped ships would be more prone to respond, and respond quickly. But unfortunately for the ship and its passengers, the nearest ship was about 4 hours away.

Everybody looked at me and then went silent. Maybe I will share my random trivia just with myself.

Thoughts?

Old People

2009-08-01T20:01:00.002-06:00

I live at home.

So does my Grandpa.

He calls me on the phone sometimes.

Tonight he said, "Katie, your folks want to know what time you'll be getting home."

I thought, why is that old people always say "folks?" Maybe your grandparents don't, but mine have ALWAYS, from the beginning of time referred to parents as folks. When I think of folks, I think of yolks, and then I think of eggs.

I don't associate my parents with eggs.

I also have begun the house hunting (or should I say apartment hunting) process in SLC. Whenever I go into a place, I feel like Suzanne Whang should be narrating:

"Today, Katie and her parents, who she's taking along for moral support are seeing a one bedroom apartment in downtown Salt Lake City. It's a ten minute commute to work, in her price range, has 650 square feet and is move-in ready. But will this downtown bachelorette pad be as good inside as it is on the outside. See when we come back."

Honestly, looking for apartments that I will live in, ALL BY MYSELF, in the big city is a little shocking. I'm really excited, but at the same time I honestly don't feel old enough to have my own place, where I alone pay the rent, the utilities, it's my furniture and my things.

Tally ho.

Olivia Newton-John never ceases to amaze me

2009-07-27T20:20:00.004-06:00

If you want a good laugh, and I mean good, watch this video, especially at 1:50, 3:11 and then at 3:22 was that a failed moonwalk attempt?

That is all.

PS- And, notice at :12 what she yells to the audience. Makes this video ten times better. And the "how are you?" at :16 sounds like Celine Dion. My new favorite youtube video.

UPDATE

2009-07-16T10:42:00.003-06:00

When I typed the title, I heard Robert Stack's Unsolved Mysteries voice saying "Update."

I pretty much loved that show when I was little. Even with the spooky music, the awful re-enactments, and the fake phone in center, I was captivated by Unsolved Mysteries. Please Lifetime, bring it back.

Anyhow, when it comes to actual updates, I'm just feeling like one is neccessary for this blog.

I'm still working in SLC at ABC as an AP PT. My Yaris gets good MPG so that saves me $$.

I also got offered a position at BYU Weekly as a Producer/Host, so that's exciting. That means during the school year, I'll be taking classes, and working two jobs I don't think I could live without. Have I mentioned on this blog how good it is to get paid to do things you love?

I'm living at home (insert the fake smile and phony comment about how it must be so nice to live at home, save money, get free food and free laundry) and I plan to move out come January. Hopefully by then I will have enough money saved up to either move to Salt Lake City or to live in a fairly decent apartment south of campus.

Then, come April 2010, I'll be done with BYU. Wow. That really makes me feel old. Honestly it just seemed like yesterday I was at this place:

But anyhow, that's what's up with me.

PS- Ottavio's on Center Street in Provo is closing. For good. I'm going tonight to give it a farewell. It's been around for 11 years, and so it's kind of a bummer.

Not too proud to admit..

2009-07-08T01:18:00.002-06:00

that I actually almost cried during Michael Jackson's memorial.

Yep, "We are the World" pretty much got me. Thankfully, I was running on a treadmill at the gym during the song, so I realized that if I did tear up, it would just look like sweat. Which begs the question: Which is worse, excessive sweat or almost crying like an idiot over MJ's funeral?

Anyhow, if you didn't waste 2 hours of your life on the event, I'll tell you that John Mayer was pretty good, Jennifer Hudson rocked, and so did Jermaine Jackson's rendition of "Smile." I also thought Brooke Shields was the best speaker.

To cut or not to cut?

2009-06-26T18:56:00.002-06:00

My friends, that is the question.

Right now, I've got shoulder length hair. Should I grow it out or cut it again?

I'm leaning towards letting it grow a bit and then get some sort of "wooshy" Karen Carlson meets Amanda Butterfield type layers.

Of course, as I've never had this hairstyle before, now, more than ever, comments would be greatly appreciated.

I don't mean any offense, but...

2009-06-21T22:43:00.002-06:00

98% of Carriage Cove residents drive like morons. After 17 years of living next to this mecca for college-age bad drivers, I am certified, and I daresay justified in making this observation.

Good night, and I'll see you soon. That is, unless a Carriage Cove resident rams over your face with her Nissan Altima.

Commercial Love

2009-06-18T09:56:00.002-06:00

My future (and sort of current) career relies on Advertising. Thus, I tip my hat to all those creative folks in the advertising program at BYU.

For me, a girl who lacks that kind of creativity, I like commercials that have snappy jingles that I remember years after they stop airing. Here's a few, and if you'd like to sing along, join right in.

1. "We're the Flinstones Kids, 10 million strong, and growing..."

2. "The best part of waking up is Folgiers in your cup..."

3. "Put the pieces into the slot, make the right selection but be quick you're racing the clock, pop goes perfection..."

4. "Double double your refreshment. Double double your delightment. Oh no single gum ever freshens your mouth like double mint double mint go on and double mint double mint double mint gum..."

5. "I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys R' Us kid..."

I think the last two stopped airing probably around 1992, yet, 17 years later, I remember them. I was 3 or 4 when I saw the ads, but I still have them somewhere ingrained in my mind. That's what I call a good ad. I also remember throwing a tantrum because I wanted to take Flintstones Vitamins when I was younger, but my mom would never let me, because she thought they weren't very good.

Boo hoo.

And, just for your viewing enjoyment, I practically had a heart attack when I saw this commercial. Another thing my mom wouldn't let me get.

And, my ALL TIME FAVORITE commercial.

Enjoy.

Things I think

2009-06-16T22:28:00.004-06:00

Nothing interesting to report, but I'll give you, my deserving readers a glimpse into thoughts that ran through my head today.

1. It's great to be $531 in debt, and all just for stupid car and scooter service. This growing up stuff really stinks big time.

2. Folks, I preface this next one with this: I don't care what you wear. A tube top and hot pants? If that floats your boat, go ahead. But if you're a BYU student who's signed the Honor Code, woman up and follow it.

3. I really like Harry Potter.

4. I don't really like having Monday and Tuesday as my weekend.

5. This half-marathon business is going to kick my trash.

6. Sometimes I wish Oranges were in season all year long.

7. When I get older I will drive a Subaru Outback.

8. Sometimes people show off at the gym, like the boy who picks the treadmill next to me and as I'm trotting along at 5.8 miles per hour, clips around at 10.5 miles per hour. He goes for about 2 minutes and gets off. Impressive? Not so much.

9. I need new running shoes.

10. Martin Bashir's pimp suit with purple stripe tie is a bit too much, especially in HD.

11. People who read are hot.

Meet Brittany Mangelson, the celebrity

2009-06-09T21:34:00.005-06:00

I am officially best friends with a superstar.

In addition to her countless quotes in the Timpview Thunderbolt, and her performances with the Timpview High School Dance Company, Brittany has added a new line to her resume: Good Things Utah performer.

She's got the video on her blog, and because she's so famous, I bet you've all seen it countless times, but I would like to give you a behind-the-scenes look into the life of 1122 E. 460 S.'s most-known resident (she doesn't live there now, but I'm not exactly sure what her current address is).

Here's a visual look back:

This was in 4th grade. Look at that geeky girl in the red rain coat. Even back then she wasn't afraid to go slummin'.

No, I promise Brittany didn't dress this way everyday. She was performing in a small play called "The Nerds."

Oh, Centennial. Brittany shined in Concert Choir, outshining the rest of the cast of "Once on this Island." And, she was a great TA for Mrs. Cox. Kill any plants? No way, not Brittany.

Brittany has always had an excellent sense of humor. That's why when she performs, she can take anything, any I mean anything. When she's on stage in the pirate dance and doesn't want to do a scorpion, by gosh, she won't do one. Instead, she'll support the rest of the dancers by watching. When she first saw this sign, (that says do not feed the birds) she said, "Oh boy, Julie Andrews wouldn't like that."

She has very long limbs. Those come in handy when you're on shows like Good Things Utah.

And, last but not least, Brittany has great taste in decor. This lamp means a whole lot to her.

So, if you want to get in touch with her, let me know. She's signing autographs on Thursday at BRASC from 11-3, and then will be making a public appearance at Wal-Mart (not in Provo) but in Logan Friday night.

"Will I see you in September?"

2009-06-04T08:35:00.001-06:00

That's a line from a great oldie that I grew up listening to.

But also, it applies to my favorite TV show, Medium.

As a senior, I enrolled in Mass Media with my bff's Debo and Brittany. We loved that class. One day, instead of actually learning, our teacher showed us an episode of Medium. I think we were supposed to be looking for product placement.

The bell rung when the show had about five minutes left. Instead of leaving to go into the halls and pretend to socialize, we three stayed glued to our chairs.

BH and I talked about how interesting the show was, but we didn't actually ever seek it out.

Then, my freshman year in Helaman Halls, my room was one of the few that had a TV. One night, Rachel was gone and my homework was all done, so I flipped on the TV to see what was on. As fate would have it, the season 3 premiere of Medium was on. I watched, and fell in love.

Pretty soon, I got Rachel hooked. Then, our friend Liz started coming over. Our floor neighbors, Tati and Lauren soon joined the party. By the end of the school year, we had 5 or more girls crowded around a 13-inch tv screen.

After one episode that was particularly creepy, we were all a little jumpy. Rachel and I played a joke on Tati and Lauren. Rachel went over to talk to them in their room, and I threw my lacrosse ball at their window from outside. Rachie said they screamed and dived off their chairs and onto the floor. Good times.

Season 3 was packed with good episodes. The one where Ariel and Allison have the same dream. The one where Allison goes back in time to solve a case. The one where Allison re-lives the same day over and over, the one where there's a shooting at Joe's office, and of course the 3-parter season finale where Allison's dreams get outed and she says "you can thank me later." as the show dimmed to black. Amazing.

Then, with the writers strike, season 4 (the Anjelica Huston season) we only got a mere 16 episodes. I honestly felt like they all were okay, but just a bridge to get the series back on track.

Season 5 was the best, by far. There was a lot less pg-13 content, and excellent writing. In season 4 and 3, I could usually figure out the plot by at least 9:41. But in season 5, I was kept guessing usually until the last second.

With our Season 5 watching parties, Rachel, Liz and I viewed Medium from my Grandpa's theater room. From a 13-inch screen in 2007 to a 10 by 8 foot screen, we've really moved up (just like the Jeffersons, but not to a de-luxe apartment in the sky, instead to a big screen in the basement).

The drama of course, came when NBC first said they were renewing the series, only to drop it. CBS who actually produces the show picked it up, and ordered, for the first time since season 2, a full 22 episodes. Instead of waiting until January for Medium to start again, now we only have to wait until September.

The season 5 finale aired on Monday night, and it was probably in my top 5 Medium episodes ever, which I will now list because I am at work for the next three hours with nothing to do.

1. "Be Kind, Rewind" (season 3): Allison relives the same day multiple times and with each new day, gets closer to solving a crime.

2. "Bring me the Head of Oswaldo Castillo" (season 5): The finale, where Allison has a dream that a drug cartel hitman kills her family. The song "soulmate" plays through different parts of the episode, and we find out Allison has a brain tumor. She dreams that if she gets surgery, she'll stop having her visions, so she has to decide whether to postpone her operation to keep dreaming so she can find the hitman, or get the surgery and save her life. I hate to bring spoilers, so if you don't want to find out, don't keep reading.

Allison decides to wait on her surgery, she finds out an FBI agent is in on it all, and outs him. She ends up saving her families life, but having a stoke before her surgery and going into a coma. The season ends with a flashback of Allison's dreams from the last season, and the final shot is Allison in a coma. The fade to black with a "to be continued" is much easier to take knowing I only have to wait three months.

3. "We had a Dream" (season 3): this is the scary episode that I mentioned previously. It was really good, and also featured Allison (Patricia Arquette) screaming, which is always good comedic relief.

4. "The Song Remains the Same" (season 2): This is the episode I saw in school, and so of course I had to include it. "I will survive" by Gloria Gaynor ran through this show.

5. "The Man in the Mirror" (Season 5): This one features an excellent acting job by Jeffrey Tambor who has to pretend to be Allison. Patricia Arquette does a good job pretending to play Jeffrey's character. The last part in the hospital shows the comedic chops of Medium's excellent writers. I was laughing for the last five minutes, which is not an emotion that usually accompanies Medium.

5. (tie) "The one behind the wheel" (Season 3): Allison is possessed by another woman, and so Joe has to work to solve most of this crime, along with lady who is now living in Allison's body. This episodes uses "Like a Star" by Corrine Bailey Rae.

So I know this really, really lengthy post has pretty much destroyed any coolness points I may have gained, but if you know me, you know I tend to obsess over things and learn as much as I can about them. Then of course, I love to share how I feel. So, if you're still reading, I appreciate it. Peace. I'm off to watch re-runs (when I get off work of course. ) JK.

My take on plastic surgery

2009-06-04T08:03:00.002-06:00

I've been thinking about cosmetic operations lately.

I know, it's a weird topic for a 20 year-old who feels confident with her body.

But, in my line of work, appearance does mean a lot, and so of course I wonder what the people I work with have had done.

Some people in the Salt Lake market have obviously had multiple procedures. How has it advanced their careers? Do they feel okay about their decision to go under the knife when the lights are lowered and the cameras are off?

Here's my thoughts on plastic surgery:

1. I will never get breast augmentation.

2. Face lifts are more okay. But, I would only get one if pressured to by management, or if I personally felt like I needed one (and when I say need, I mean NEED) and could afford it without compromising my kids' education or other priorities.

3. Tummy tucks. Not for me, but for people who've lost copious amounts of weight, I think they're a lifesaver. Definitely something I approve of.

4. Eyelid lift. This is actually the only procedure that I could actually see (no pun intended) myself getting. In my family, saggy baggy eyelids are actually quite common. Not in the near future, but maybe at like 30 I would go under the knife for this one if I could afford it.

5. Lip injections. Absolutely not. I think everybody who gets this surgery ends up looking like a Charo wannabe. Not desirable in Katie's book.

BUT in most circumstances, I think cosmetic surgery requires at least six months of consideration. For an eyelid lift, I don't think it necessarily applies, but for anything more major, definitely.

My letter to Steve Jobs

2009-06-04T07:47:00.003-06:00

Dear Apple,

As the owner of more than my fair share of ipods in my day, I feel qualified to make an assessment about your product's quality.

My first ipod, a silver ipod mini lasted me for about a year and a half. It didn't have a name, and I remember filling it up quite quickly (after all it only had room for 1000 songs on it).

Next, came a white ipod named Alexis. She was a good ipod for the first few months of her life, but then started getting really tempermental and I would have to reset her every time I turned her on. Not my cup of tea.

After Alexis met her death, I got Kubrikah. We got along fine until the great ipod crash of 2009 when I lost all my music and playlists. For me, those lists were compiled in some of the best and worst moments of my life, and so when the crash happenened, it was like losing my journal almost. I didn't get rid of Kubrikah after the tragedy, but instead renamed her BREAKING NEWS.

Now, me and BREAKING NEWS have gotten along swimmingly. Last friday, I was on my scoot-scoot listening to "Groove is in the Heart" when I felt my ipod fly out of my pocket. I turned in time to watch BREAKING NEWS skid across State Street and come to a stop in the middle of the intersection. As soon as I could, I pulled over and ran back to the intersection.

With panic that I can only imagine being close to what a parent feels when watching their child run in front of a car, I watched as dozens of cars had near misses with hitting my precious BREAKING NEWS.

Finally, at a break in traffic, I dashed into the intersection, retrieved my friend, and ran back to my scooter. With a prayer in my heart, I plugged my head phones back into BREAKING NEWS and felt my spirit soar when I heart BREAKING NEWS play on "grooove is in the heart..."

So Steve, I can see that product quality is improving. Not many gadgets could survive being thrown from a scooter at 25 miles an hour, but my ipod did.

Keep 'em comin Steve, keep 'em comin.

BB MAK

2009-05-26T14:15:00.002-06:00

So I'm watching Even Stevens today, and of course, BB Mak are the guests. Oh, I miss 2001.

13.1 again?

2009-05-22T19:13:00.004-06:00

What do this:

and this have in common?

Well I'll tell you. Sisterhood came out on the 8/8/08, and this year, on 8/8/09, I'll probably look like the girl in the left of the other picture.

It's official.

I'm committing.

I'm going to run another 13.1 mile badboy.

I ran the Salt Lake Half in April, only in the 40-45 age group. Funny story about how that worked out. I definitely didn't win, even racing in the same category as women old enough to be either my mom or a very advanced older sister.

Actually, I got passed in Sugarhouse by a man who looked probably 70. Kudos to him.

But for this one, I think it's mostly downhill, and honestly, I think I'll be able to beat my time of 2:14:45. I'm aiming for 2:10.

So of course, you have to start training early for these things. Well, maybe you don't, but I do. Since the last half, I've been pretty lazy. This week I've started running again, and I feel good.

But it's also a little depressing to realize that a month and half ago, 8 miles in one gym run was actually not too bad, and today, I was sucking air trying to make it to 3. I blame it on allergies.

So here's hoping things go well and I can say (combined) that I ran a marathon in 2009.

My Ultimate "who-would've-thought-moment."

2009-05-20T21:24:00.003-06:00

Today, I had one of those once in a lifetime opportunities that makes me remember why I love being a journalist.

I went to the Oquirrh (thanks Mr. Johnson) Mountain temple open house media day.

I have dozens of stories to tell, which if you're just dying of curiosity ask and I'll go further, but I'm just going to highlight the best part.

Now, because I'm not endowed, I don't know everything that happens in temples. I do know that they are sacred places. I look forward to the day when I will be able to receive my endowment and make covenants.

Anyhow, part of the open house was a tour of the temple. In my tour group was ABC 4's News Director and Assignment Manager, Carole Mikita, Sam Penrod and Duane Cardall. The best part was who led our tour. I expected maybe a Seventy, but instead we were taken through the temple by Elder M. Russell Ballard. A-maz-ing.

For a starry-eyed 20 year-old, it was almost too much for me. As we were walking through the temple, I kept on thinking, 'is this really my life?' 'Am I really here?' 'Why me?'

But in all seriousness, I can't believe that I've actually found a profession that suits me so well. I know every day of work won't be like today, but when stories get bland or monotonous, I just need to think about days like today to keep me excited about my career.

In these "economic tough times," I am really so lucky to have not one, not two, but three jobs that I actually like going to. I've said this on my blog before, but it really is something I am grateful for and extremely blessed by having these opportunities.

Thank Heaven for Natasha and Daniel

2009-05-20T21:19:00.003-06:00

I was stuck in traffic today on 10400 South heading West (not that it matters), and "I gotta get through this," came on my ipod.

In my head I thought, 'thank goodness for the Bedingfield siblings.'

Why, without them we never would have heard:

"I gotta get through this, I gotta get through this"

"I gotta pocket, gotta pocket full of sunshine"

(Boy, their parents must have really loved the word "gotta")

Bridget running with Eric would have had to have been accompanied by another song than "Unwritten," and we wouldn't have had an excuse to change the station when "If you're not the one," came on.

For those reasons, I am glad the Bedingfield parents got together so that we can hear their offspring warble wonderful words.

Why I love ipods

2009-05-18T10:22:00.004-06:00

This morning, getting ready, my ipod, BREAKING NEWS, (the artist formerly known as Kubrikah before the great ipod crash of 2009), was on shuffle. Here's the list that came on:

1. "Do it Again," by the Beach Boys

2. "Do-Re-Mi," from the Sound of Music

3. "Simple Gifts," by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

4. "Hot N'Cold," by Basement Jaxx

5. "The Glory of Love," by Peter Cetera

6. "Oom-Pah-Pah" from Oliver

7. "Take a Letter, Maria" by R.B. Greaves

8. "Crazy (the stop remix)," by Britney Spears

9. "I've Climbed a Mountain," from 2002 Centennial Choir CD

10. "She Works Hard for the Money," by Donna Summer

11. The Laverne and Shirley Theme Song

First of all, what a random mix. Second of all, I'm not ashamed to say I know every word to those songs. And then I wonder, does anybody have "I've Climbed a Mountain" on their ipod?

A shout out to Brittany Mangelson: does anybody know the lyrics to "I Fell off the Mountain?"

We were tigers at the mall

We had too much fun at bath and body

Your as soft as a baby's bottom

Patrick we miss you!

I'm glad darloony's back!

Danza Danza buried alive

We're stayin' alive pick a card

Bubbles, bubbles everywhere!

We went to the moon in 1969

We went to the moon in 19.. 69!

We fell off the mountain, fell off the mountain

We fell off the mountain to the bottom of the hill.

We fell in the dirt and it really hurt

We fell in the mud, my carrot said "bud"

We fell in the dirt and then it hurt

We fell off the mountain

And it was so hilarious!

My boosum's burning. Gwendolyn NO!

Lodjarodgaroo is now a LOR!

The copy lady is Lauren's mom.

Yahtzee! Yahtzee! One very small cone.

Curtains, curtains, to you.

We fell off the mountain fell off the mountain

We told Covey that his lessons stunk

We felt really bad and fun we said we had

We apologized and he said it's okay, it's alright.

We fell of the Mountain.

Surprisingly, that was my last song I ever co-wrote.

Destiny's Children are a bunch of hypocrites

2009-05-17T21:21:00.007-06:00

So for your reading pleasure (sing along in your head):

I give you the lyrics to your favorite and mine, "Bills, Bills, Bills."

At first we started out real cool,(cool)

Taking me places i ain't never been
But now your getting comfortable
Ain't doing those things that you did no more
Your slowly makin me pay for things
Your money should be handling

And now you ask to use my car (car)
Drive it all day and don't fill up the tank
And you have the audacity
To even come and step to me
And ask to hold some money from me
Until you get your check next week

You triflin',good for nothing type of brother
Silly me,why haven't I found another
A baller, when times get hard he's the one to help me out
insted of, a scrub like you who don't know what a man's about

can you pay my bills
can you pay my telephone bills
can you pay my automo'bills
then maybe we can chill
I don't think you do
so you and me are through

Now, compare those to the words of "Independent Woman, pt. 1"

Question: Tell me what you think about Me

I buy my own diamonds and I buy my Own rings
only ring your celly when I'm feellin' lonely
when it's all over Please get up and leave
Question: Tell Me how you feel about this
try to Control me boy you get dismissed
pay my Own fun, oh I pay my own bills
always 50/50 in relationships
Bridge:/
The shoes on my feet
I've bought it
The clothes I'm wearing
I've bought it
The rock I'm rockin
I've bought it
'Cause I depend on me
If I wanted the watch you're wearin'
I'll buy it
The house I live in
I've bought it
The car I'm driving
I've bought it
I depend on me
(I depend on me)

Does this seem a little bit like a complete turn of opinion to anybody but me? I noticed this little inconsistency last night driving around WVC (West Valley City), and here's the explanation I came up with. Ya see, in "Bills, Bills, Bills," they had those two girls that nobody know their names and they ended up actually getting the boot. Well, they were both needy and demanded that Beyonce and Co. sing about needing to be taken care of. Well, after that single came out and everyone thought that Destiny's Child were just a bunch of gold digga's, they kicked them out, added Michelle and went to work on the song that would redeem their image as self-sufficient sistas, "Independent Woman pt. 1."

This has bugged me since the beginning of the "Millennium."

2009-05-14T08:56:00.003-06:00

So picture this:

November 21, 2000. 7th grade Katie rushes to Circuit City (R.I.P) to snag Black and Blue, the newest CD from BSB off the store shelves.

On the way home, in her mom's ultra-cool 1999 green Subaru Forester, she rips the plastic and pulls the stickers off the CD case. Popping the disc into the CD player, Katie's heart thrills with the the phone ring at the beginning of the first song, "The Call."

Then, without warning, a moronic girl with a sing-song voice, saying "helloooo?" fills the car speakers. Plugging her ears, she wonders, why couldn't they have gotten a more intelligent and easy-on-the-ears voice to say "hello?"and "where are you?"

And on the topic of BSB, did anyone have a crush on Howie? There were of course thousands of girls who swooned over Brian, hoards of preteens who had Nick Carter's pretty boy mug posted on their wall, the girls who wanted it to be good so they got themselves a bad boy like AJ (pun intended) and the people like me who though Kevin was under-rated and rallied for him. But did anybody actually like Howie? I mean, what parts did he even sing? As a pretty devoted fan, I can answer that I sure don't know.

Another random BSB fact, I still remember something I learned from their Behind the Music episode. Brian's first words to his wife were about the fact that she didn't shave her knees. Now, whenever I shave my own knees, with fondness, I remember my boys from BSB.

Also on the topic, in the song, "I Want it That Way"there is some killer harmony going on. Brittany Herdman Mangelson and I used to sing both parts. I was a little tone-deaf in those days and we practiced that part for what seemed like hours so I could learn my part. That is all.

The house I live in

2009-05-07T09:02:00.008-06:00

One of my secret fetishes is real estate. I love looking on realtor.com at houses all over the country. I'm not a big HGTV-watcher, but "House Hunters" with Suzanne WHHHang is definitely a favorite of mine.

My future house will vary from my parents house in these ways:

1. It will not be spotless. I think it kind of intimidates people to walk into a house that doesn't have a crumb on the table, a coat on the chair or a backpack on the floor. I'm not saying my house will be a pigsty (if you've seen my room you would say yeah right) but it will be less neat and clean than my parents home.

2. During waking hours, there will be music playing 70% of the time. It doesn't matter if it's Elvis, OakRidge Boys, Jewel, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Celine Dion, AC/DC-- there will always be some sort of music. I want my kids to be musical and to enjoy listening to good bands, singers and musicians. Of course, I do value the "be" of "be still," so if my family totally hates this idea, I will compromise.

3. I'll have an open fridge policy. I want my house to be the neighborhood hangout. During the summer, if there's a kid who wants a popsicle, I say, come on in and grab an otter pop.

4. No wallpaper allowed.

5. No tacky carpet allowed.

6. If my kids are responsible, I will let them have as many pets as they can care for. I will definitely have a dog, or maybe even two, and if they want a cat, that's cool too. I don't really like birds, so that's a no-go, but I'm down with rats, hamsters, fish, ferretts, guinea pigs, and many other mammals.

Here are pictures of some houses I like.

I also really want to stay in Utah, preferably in the Salt Lake area. Here's a list of acceptable locations. University area, 9th & 9th, Sugarhouse, Federal Heights, the Avenues, Olympus Cove, Holladay, Murray, Draper, Sandy, Midvale, Daybreak, South Jordan, Herriman (I guess), Saratoga Springs, Lehi (it's getting better), PG, AF, Orem or Provo. I would also consider Bountiful, Layton or Farmington. But, given the choice I prefer the east side of SLC.

I'm back!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-07T08:29:00.005-06:00

Well, two months later, I will blog again!

After finishing my worst-GPA-ever semester, I am finally able to heave a sigh of relief from school.

But, now, work is how I will spend my summer. I feel so fortunate to have not one, not two, but three jobs that I absolutely love. None of my bosses know about this blog, so don't think I'm some brown-noser when I say this, but I absolutely love my jobs!

First, I work as an AP (associate producer) at KTVX or ABC 4 in Salt Lake. Basically, AP's write what anchors say. For example, yesterday I wrote about Christopher Jeppson pleading no contest in the Kiplyn Davis case. Here's how a script looks in the teleprompter.

((ROSS))
CHRISTOPHER JEPPSON.. THE MAN POLICE SAY PLAYED A PART IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF KIPLYN DAVIS ACCEPTED A DEAL IN THE PAST HOUR.. HE PLEADED NO CONTEST TO ONE CHARGE OF OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.

((TAKE VO))
THE CHARGE COMES WITH ZERO TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON.. JEPPSON WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT FOR TIME SERVED.
KIPLYN'S FAMILY ATTENDED COURT TODAY.. THEY SAY THE DEAL.. WHILE BITTERSWEET DOES GIVE THEIR DAUGHTER SOME JUSTICE.
((TAKE SOT))
"some measure of closure, but nothing comes close to any final closure"
((TAKE VO))
PROSECUTORS SAY HAVING JEPPSON'S CASE OUT OF THE WAY WILL LET THEM SPEND MORE TIME FOCUSING ON TIMMY OLSON.. THE MAN WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE BURIED KIPLYN'S BODY.

Second, I work as a reporter/anchor for BYU Weekly, a news magazine show that airs on BYU-TV and KBYU. That's a fun job because instead of sitting behind a computer all day, I get to go out and meet with people and see things firsthand.

Third, I work as Assignment Editor in BYU's newsroom. This means I look for stories to assign to reporters, help them write scripts, assist in the editing process, and do general tasks that help the show air every weekday at noon.

I commute to SLC almost everyday, and in the process of those trips, I do a lot of thinking. With such a high unemployment rate, I am really so blessed (seriously haha) to have three jobs. I know I sometimes complain about it, but I know I'll never have to go hungry, I'll always have enough gas in my car, I'll never go to bed without a blanket, walk through the snow or on searing hot pavement without shoes, and I'll always have enough to make ends meet.

At ABC 4, one of my co-workers has a son on a mission in Argentina. She told me that she sent him a box of spices and food mix. It cost her $40 to ship the boxes. Her son was glad to have the food, but was shocked at how much she spent to ship the package to him. He told her a story about a family he's teaching who bought their children a blanket. Instead of just running down to Bed, Bath and Beyond, paying $15 and then going home, this family will spent the next 5 years paying off this blanket. A blanket! Wow.

more on parents....

2009-03-04T14:17:00.002-07:00

As I've spent more time around parents of teenagers lately, I've come to think of something interesting:

Kids really are copies of their parents; their habits, likes and dislikes, looks and beliefs.

I know a lot of things I enjoy come from my family. I like the Jazz because my family does. I like the band Chicago because my mom does. I go to church and have a testimony because my parents took me to church as a kid and encouraged me to gain a testimony.. etc.

But there are things my parents do, things they say and think that I don't agree with. My dad is a Sean Hannity republican. I'm not. My mom thinks makeup is a waste of time and hates shopping. I'm the opposite. But.. despite our differences, my parents always fostered being open-minded.

Moral of the story is this: Kids are what they are largely because of how they are raised. Nature versus nurture aside (both play a role in who somebody is), I think parents can really choose a lot of what their kids become by how they act. I'm not saying parents with a terror-child are bad people, that's where nature comes in, some kids, like me, just do things because they do, not because that's what they were taught.

Because of this realization, I've decided to try and be the kind of person I want my kids to be. I want my kids to go to church; therefore, I need to go. I want my kids to play sports and like doing things, so it really isn't right for me to eat potato chips and watch Growing Pains 24/7. I do know some things I will do differently than my parents did, but for the most part, I will do things how they did, because I like myself. The end of my self-righteous rant.

Sporadic?

2009-03-04T13:42:00.002-07:00

So I've come to realize that I really don't do a very good job at keeping this thing current. But I guess probably only 1 or 2 people see it, so boo.

I went to court with my Dad today in Spanish Fork. For those of you who don't have the priviledge of knowing my Dad, he is one of my greatest examples.

Even when I was little, I always wanted to be just like him. One time my family was discussing what to do, and I wanted to be in on the conversation. My mom asked me what I thought, and I said, "what's our opinion Dad?"

My dad had a liver transplant in 1997, and the doctors said that when he got his liver, he was within 4 hours of dying. Because of that, recovery was really hard for him. He was in a coma for a few days before his transplant, and in the hospital for about a month total. He had to learn to walk again and also how to talk and write. Being a laywer, a job which requires a high deal of linguistic proficiency, I am constantly in awe of how he has risen to the challenge of re-learning it all.

He also refs basketball in his spare time, and so learning to run and walk again was really crucial to him. Before his transplant, he only reffed for girls varsity, and now, he's gone a step up in the reffing world, doing boys varsity (which I hate to offend anyone but requires faster running than girls bball does).

He is also really funny. People who don't know him might think he's shy or doesn't have a personality, but he's one of those people who only warms up after you know him for like 2 years.

One time, me and my friends were having a huge sleepover at my house, and he walked in and plopped a box of scones down on the counter without saying anything and then went upstairs. To me, this was totally normal, but to alot of my friends, it was really weird. That's just my dad.

As I get older, I think I'm becoming pretty much a 55% mix of my dad, 35% of my mom, and 10% of myself mix. Like my dad, I'm becoming more quiet and content to observe. I think I warm up faster than he does, although some people tell me they think I'm sullen when they first meet me. How wrong they are (I hope!). I'm like my mom because I enjoy getting out and doing things rather than spending all my time at home. My mom and I love going on silly and stupid adventures, like to the creepy Daughters of the Utah Rioneer museum, or to the Park City Outlets.

I guess, moral of this blog is that I'm glad I'm getting older, because I'm seeing my parents more as people and not just as old wise sages who tell me what I can and can't do. I hope I can really emulate them as I get older.

I'm back!

2009-02-20T00:49:00.005-07:00

So to the 3 of you that actually read by blog (that's even a high estimate), I would like to apologize for my absence. I promise it will never happen again (boy does that feel like a truancy note).

Those of you who know me know I work in the news business. Life in the newsroom is something I feel like I've become addicted to. For me, there's no other place that I get so excited or feel so alive. I love that I've found something to do with the rest of my life that honestly makes me happy to wake up at 6:00 every morning to get to Salt Lake by 9:00.

In the newsroom, you have dozens of people, each with different life philosophies, different religions and different political views. Over the past three months that I've worked in a real newsroom (sorry BYU), I've come to realize and appreciate diversity in a way I never did before.
Perhaps the issue that opened my eyes to this diversity is the happenings with gay rights and Prop 8.

In Utah, something called the Common Ground Initiative was introduced to the legislature this year. Yesterday, the last bill failed. Was this a surprise? No. But was I disappointed? Yes.

Let me take this chance to say that I am not for gay marriage. I am for equal rights. I think that there should be something like "gay union," that gives gay couples all the same legal rights as a straight couple.

I don't care whether homosexuality comes from biology or choice, I think that everybody should have the same basic rights.

House Bill 288 (I hope that's the right number) was aimed at gay adoption rights. Let me pose a scenario: You and your spouse have three kids. You have no sibling and your spouse has one gay brother who lives with his partner. Did you know that Utah law doesn't let parents will their children to the gay brother (gay people can't adopt); rather, the current law mandates that in such a case, kids are farmed out to foster care.

This bill didn't pass, and to me, that's sad. I know if I was a kid, I'd rather live with my two uncles than with some stranger, but I guess Utah lawmakers didn't see it that way.

I think life in the newsroom hasn't really changed my views, because I've always been more moderate than most of my friends, but I think one of the things I've gained is the knowledge and self-awareness to back up what I believe with actual facts and stories.

So, for 2009, no additional gay rights are coming to Utah, but here's hoping for 2010.

Blog Templates

2009-02-06T14:12:00.001-07:00

I think I look like a twelve year old teeny bopper with this background, but it's the only one I semi-like. Woo.

"Repeat to yourself this is just a show, you should really just relax"

2009-02-06T14:01:00.003-07:00

I have a good friend who we'll call J Christensen. No, how about Jamie C? (Name that movie and I'll be proud).

Anyway, before she left to go serve a mission in Brazil, she introduced me to the wonder that is Mystery Science Theater 3000, or MST3K as those who are in the know call it.

Whenever I feel really out of it, or just need a good pick me up, I will watch Joel and the 'bots. My all time favorite episode is Master Ninja I. That Timothy Van Patten is a dime a dozen.

Because I'm absolutely inept at posting video, here's a link in case you want to see the magic in action.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=master+ninja+mst3k&hl=en&emb=0&aq=1&oq=master+ninja#

Food

2009-02-06T13:45:00.002-07:00

People who know me well know that I hate variety in the things I eat. I guess that's why I hate Chuck-A-Rama so much (ba dum ching).

Here's my complete menu of foods I eat, not all everyday, but I pick one from the list and go.

Breakfast:
1. Costco fiber muffin (the lady gave out samples a few weeks ago, and they're really healthy and taste great but I don't remember the brand)
2. Honey Bunches of Oats (in the blue box)
3. Skim Milk
4. Orange Juice

Lunch:
1. Progresso 50% Reduced Sodium Minestrone (it tastes sooo much better than the regular kind)
2. 2 Reduced Fat Oreos (also better than the regular kind)
3. Wheat Thins
4. An Orange
5. Lean Cuisine Margarita Pizza (I love how olive oil is the sauce and not tomato sauce)
6. Edamame
7. And on Sundays only, I'll have a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. I only eat extra sharp tillamook cheese. And then, when it's all done, I dip it in vinegar. I know this is gross. But to me it tastes like Heaven.

Dinner
- Usually what I didn't have for lunch, but if I'm feeling wild, I'll have some Salmon. Here's how I make it.

Take lime juice, brown sugar, some honey and craisins and mix into a sauce. Defrost the Salmon (mine is frozen from Costco), and put both together in a frying pan. The salmon cooks in the mix, and when you eat it, it tastes so great. I'm thinking of adding nuts to the mix.

Snacks:
1. A red pepper, sliced
2. Wal-Mart Honey Pretzels
3. Bananas

That's about it.

Troop Bevuurrly Hills

2009-02-04T23:37:00.005-07:00

This is my first post, so I am going to kick it off with one of my favorite movies: Troop Beverly Hills.

I discovered this movie when I was little and it was on Disney Channel, and when I was a freshman in college, my roommate loved it just as much, if not more than I did.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"Patches.. we don't need no stinkin' patches!"

"...must be a real hot listing" (because Shelley Long makes a funny face when she says it)

"Not until we sing Kumbayah!"

"Attention K-Mart shoppers! Blue light special on aisle 13: cookies."

"This is special."

"Emily stop! Stop! Will you stop?"

"He permed me!"

It's probably my favorite movie from the 1980's. Nothing better than a bunch of campfire girls on a quest to outsell the Culver City Redfeathers.

And along the lines of Shelley Long movies, I also love the 1995 version of Freaky Friday. Too bad they don't have it on DVD, because I would buy dozens of copies and give them out as Christmas presents.