"Maritally Challenged" Conference

Two weeks ago, on singles' awareness day weekend, a bunch of friends and I attended the multi-state singles' conference. Years ago, we attempted this feat and were surrounded by white hair and walking canes (only a slight exaggeration...;o) This year, however, there were 1200 people, many who looked like our age range of 31-50, and it was really good. We particularly enjoyed the keynote speakers. Chieko Okasaki was fabulous with her talk "Being Enough". I had just finished that book (again) and enjoyed hearing her sense of humor. I also enjoyed Kristen Oaks - who didn't get married until her mid 50's (to Elder Oaks no less). She surely had stories to tell and had us in stitches on a few. We enjoyed a few nights of karoke and cheering people on - wasn't like with a bunch of drunks in a bar, but it was fun enough!

My favorite speakers were the Barnes' brothers (I think that was their name). They spoke about their adventures leading up to and swimming the English Channel together. One made it the 25+ hours, but the other did not (of course they didn't tell the first when his brother quit.) The following year, he tried again, this time with his brother on the boat supporting him. At one point, when the currents were such that he was swimming 'in place' for a few hours, the supporting brother jumped in and swam in tandem to help him out through the rough patch until he was actually moving with the current again. It was very touching.

We had a good time (don't tell anyone!!!!!)

Flannel Sheets

I am a person who loves climbing into bed at night. I get excited when that time comes that I have nothing left to do but climb in bed, watch the news (or something more entertaining for a bit) and drift off to sleep in my cool cotton sheets. Not those expensive, thick, 1,000,000 thread count kind - but the cheapie 250 thread count that stay nice and cool - so that when you move your foot into a new position, it encounters that untouched cool spot of the sheets. Aaaahhhh, the pleasures of life.

Winter. I'm pretty cheap when it comes to heating my house, because it's just me and I'm rarely home. And I like to save up my hard-earned cash for summer air conditioning to keep my house as cool as I can possibly afford. So, it's pretty cold at my house in the winter - ask anyone who stops by to visit and automatically grabs a blanket and flips the fireplace on. There is a sadness around December, though, that comes when I finally give in to switching to my good ol' flannel sheets. They're not as slick, soft, nor satisfying, but they do keep me warm. I'm not sure what' different about them this year, though. Maybe after 6 winters, they're finally losing their flannel-roughness and have become much more enjoyable.

I still get gitty when it's time to get into my comfy bed and end the day once and for all. I'd rather be in my own bed than any other in the world!

Ode to Oatmeal

Oatmeal. What a strange food. I have been trying to eat better, exercise more, etc (it's January...of course) and the one food I'm trying to learn to like this year is OATMEAL. It's just gross. The texture, the smell, the thought of it. Add water - yuck. Add milk...yuck. Maple flavor, cinnamon flavor, extra fiber, no sugar...it just doesn't matter. It's just yucky. Until last week. I'm not sure what happened - I was not struck by lightening, nor was hit in the head with a bat. One morning, I just decided that it wasn't that bad - the Walmart Sugar Free maple and brown sugar - if I add more water than it says so it's kind of soupy versus gloppy, it's not so bad after all. Oatmeal. Attention deprived for 37 years. Here's to you, little oats.

Side note:
Age 33 - began liking yogurt
Age 34 - began eating meat at a restaurant
Age 35 - began liking turkey bacon over the real stuff
Age 36 - beginning to cease emulsiphying my salsa
Age 37 - OATMEAL