Ok, I'll finally spill ...

So, lately I have been constantly bugged to tell a little about myself. Basically all I share is the basics ... my job, my love for cryptograms and my goal of running a half marathon that keeps getting pushed off for a later date. So today, I thought "why not fill out a questionnaire to give people a different take at me." So basically, here are 20 questions about me.

1. Tell me something obvious about you. I am have extreme anxiety. I stress out about little things.

2. Tell me something about you that many don't know. I am an avid journal keeper. My grandma has been my greatest example and writes in hers everyday. I don't do that well, but I write every week. I haven't missed a week in years.

3. What is your biggest fear? Mice.

4. Do you normally go the safe route or take the short cut? Definitely the safe route. I would rather spend an extra hour being safe, rather than sorry.

5. Name one thing you want that you can't buy with money. Love!

6. What is your most treasured possession? My journal

7. What is the one thing you hate most about yourself that you do often? Stress!

8. Tell me something about your schooling that most people don't know. Somedays I wish I would have majored in print journalism.

9. What is your favorite pastime? Dance parties in the kitchen!

10. What is your favorite lie to tell? I never lie.

11. Name something you've done once that you can't wait to do again.

12. Are you the jealous type? Yup.

13. What is the one person, place or thing you can't say no to? My husband.

14. What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you? Too many to count. I do love when people bring me Dr. Pepper.

15. If you could do something crazy right now, what would it be? Ride in a hot air balloon.

16. When was the last time you cried? A few weeks ago.

17. When was the last time you felt so good that nothing else mattered? My wedding day.

18. Do you feel comfortable in public with no shirt on? Definitely not.

19. If you could go on any trip, where would it be? Disneyland!

20. Is your husband romantic? NOPE.

Cryptogram Crazy!

So I have a latest obsession. I don't know if I am just a complete nerd or if it is because I have a lot of time on my hand because Dillon works so often. I have become addicted to cryptograms.

A cryptogram is a puzzle where you are given letters that represent other letters. You have to figure out what the letters represent. I absolutely love it. It takes a lot of thinking and the use of grammar rules to solve the puzzles.

My obsession started during our morning break at work. At 10:45 every morning, all my coworkers and I get together and solve two cryptograms. With anywhere from five to 15 of us, we can usually solve them fairly quick. I enjoyed it so much that on nights Dillon would work late, I would do cryptograms. I can sit down and do dozens for hours. One night I thought I would need a help group to help me become productive once again with my life. It's what I do now to pass the time as I have no homework. I have turned into a complete nerd since I graduated from college. I need a new hobby. I've become lame. Extremely lame.

Dancing Queen

The State Drill Team competition was yesterday so we spent out Saturday watching my cute little sister Darci dance. Watching hours and hours of dances made for a long day but in the end it was all worth it. Bear River took 4th in state which was awesome. They beat both Morgan and Juan Diego who beat Bear River in their Region competition. The girls were sharp, on the beat and were all together. They had three dances: military, dance (basically a jazz) and kick. My favorite dance was their jazz routine. It was super fast, cute and they had fun costumes on.

One of my favorite things is to watch Darci dance. She has such long legs and has such fun facial expressions. I've always enjoyed watching her and I get to be such a proud big sister. I must admit though that even though I am just an older sister, at competitions I get nervous before they perform. Drill team is an intense competition with so many factors in place. Military scares me the most because if one girl falls out of her headstands, the game is over. They are done.

I think one of the many reasons I love watching Darci dance is because I remember when I lived in Panguitch and I did cheer. I enjoyed dancing and cheering, even though we were few in numbers. For me though, I didn't necessarily love the performing. I loved learning a dance. It was such a rewarding feeling to learn the counts and the moves. It was rewarding when you finally got a dance memorized well. Dancing does more than just provide a little athletic ability. I think it is an expression. It is a way to let out your emotions through movement. It is a mixture of all: the good and the bad.

Ready, Set, GO!

So it is official, I have eleven weeks until the day that is threatening to kill me. It is the day when I see what preparation can really do for you. It is the day I conquer a half marathon. Now, for all those who don't know, I have never been much of a runner. I don't mind a little jog here and there but to run a little more than 13 miles has never sounded enjoyable to me, much less be something I would pay money to do. But I am doing it and I wonder if I have lost my mind.

The training for the half marathon, which takes place in April, starts tomorrow. I started a week ago and followed my training schedule, just to make sure it didn't kill me. It didn't, but I think by the end of the eleven weeks it just might. My training schedule is neat because I do not run each day based on miles and I am not required to run 5 days a week. I have two days off a week for my body to relax, I have two days of 30-45 minutes of cardio exercise. These days I will do my spinning classes or work with my personal trainer. Two days are spent running but you run for a certain amount of time, not miles. So this week I had to run anywhere from 15-30 minutes a day. I would run between 25-30 because that is what I am use to. However, on Saturday, you do run based on distance. This past Saturday was 3 miles, which wasn't bad but at the pace I was going, it completely kicked my butt.

As I was running, I kept thinking to myself, "Why in the heck have I volunteered to do this?" And I kept coming back to the same answer, because I want to prove to myself that I can do it. I wan to say that I ran a half marathon. I want to be in good shape and I want the satisfaction of completing something that requires so much preparation. This is going to be something I will remember the rest of my life. I want to be in the best shape possible for this event. I want to prove to myself and others that I can do this. And who knows, maybe if I enjoy this race, I'll do the Ragnar from Logan to Park City ... but as for now, I am taking it one race at a time.

A Thing Called Laziness

There is a state of being I didn't know existed. It is a feeling that is new to me and that I have come to fully appreciate. This is the state of laziness. All throughout high school and particularly college I would kill myself running this way and that. I would overload my work schedule, study for hours, participate in a plethora of extra-curricular activities and then throw a little sleep and a few meals in here and there when possible.

Now all that has changed. I don't have homework to do anymore. I can clean and not feel like I am in a huge rush. I can make cookies. I can even sit and watch an episode of "The Office" or "Modern Family" (sometimes even two) and not feel guilty. Somedays I stay in my favorite pair of sweat pants all day without batting an eye. This is my laziness finally catching up with me. Currently my workload only consists of a full time job, my calling as a young women leader and a member of my ward Sockhop committee. I have never had so much time to myself before and I am loving it.

For the past year, my Saturday's were usually consumed by Newscast. I would wake up early (early for a college student who had just gone to be at 3) and capture video, write a story and edit a package. I would be done early afternoon, spend a few hours doing homework, clean my bedroom that I had neglected all week and socialize. Sundays were extremely busy as I would have church, usually finish the rest of my homework and then head to work. Bam, my weekend would then be over. I hated it. I hated not ever having any time to myself. I never read a book for enjoyment for four years. I would feel guilty if I did. My only playtime was with my friends at night. I lived by my dayplanner. I scheduled minute by minute in that book and now, it contains just a few entries and a few phone numbers.

I have missed being so busy at times because I haven't known what to do with my time. I have watched all the episodes of "Modern Family" on Hulu and I read "Wicked." I read two newspapers everyday, well days when Dillon brings them home, and I have time to go to the gym.

Being lazy is a wonderful feeling. I love having things to do, especially having a full time job, but I particularly love the feeling that I can do what I want without worrying that there is something more important. Laziness is a wonderful blessing right now, along with my sweat pants.

I'm back, after quite a break.

A crazy semester filled with Newscast, TopTenREVIEWS and the Statesman. A wedding, Honeymoon, graduation, new job, new town, new ward, Christmas, New Years and the list goes on and on. This has been my last little while and hence, why I have not blogged in such a long time. No, I have no reason for this long delay, and it is ridiculous. I want to be a serious blogger, I mean come on, I writeup to 5,000 words somedays at work. I just haven't had the time. School took it out of me throughout the fall and well, a wedding was a pretty top priority forme but now I am getting back into the groove.

Here is a pick of me and my newscast class.

We spent A LOT of time together.

So here is the update of my life these past few months ...

1. I married a fabulous man - Dillon Erickson - who keeps me laughing. He has the crazy passion with reading and currently has five books next to him on our bed. He is reading all of them at once. He makes me laugh when he reads a chapter from one, puts it back, picks up another, reads a chapter from it, and starts the cycle all over again. What a goober.

2. I am now working full time at TopTenREVIEWS in American Fork. I love my job and I love the people I work with. I am a consumer electronics reviewer and my main focus is maintenance for electronics. Great job. I am blessed.

3. Dillon and I are living in Orem and Dillon is attending UVU studying political science. I know

he misses USU, which I do too, but I think it is growing on him.

4. I am a college graduate, which

makes me smart. Just kidding. But on a serious note, I did graduate with my broadcast journalism degree and a minor in political science. All my hard work finally paid off and I am working hard. Life is great.

5. Dillon and I went to Disneyland for our honeymoon. I know I was there just a few months ago, but that shows my true love for the park. I love the rides, I love the atmosphere, I love the fireworks and the funnel cakes. Dillon and I had an absolute blast there and I think it really is the greatest place to spend your honeymoon.

So as you can see from my BRIEF synopsis, life is good. There has been a lot that has taken place these past few months, too much actually to catch up on, but from now on, I'll do better. It's my goal and since I don't have schoolwork to do, I think it is something I certainly can accomplish.