Life Is A Verb

I must tell you about a fantastic book I just finished reading: Life Is A Verb by Patti Digh.

Click on the cover for a link to Amazon. The subtitle of the book is: 37 Days To Wake Up, Be Mindful, And Life Intentionally. I loved the daily suggestions, actions, and things to be more aware of. So many of them applied to me. Digh's stories are entertaining and just plain funny. Just a few tidbits I liked:

• Use the fancy china. Being alive is the special occasion.
• Everyday at lunch ask yourself "Am I becoming someone I respect?" If the answer is no, you still have the rest of the day to change it to yes by the actions you take or don't take.
• Pick someone you see during the day and be an angel to them in some way. (Give a complement, feed a parking meter, go the extra mile.)

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” William James

Don't Kiss Me

In one week from today I will be running the Ogden Marathon. I'm really excited. But also a little nervous and apprehensive.

You see, marathon training is involved. It's time-consuming. Over the last seven months of training, my chicken legs have carried me hundreds of miles. To prove just how dedicated I've been to training for my second marathon, I've often given up one of the most important things to me: sleep.

No matter how much training I do, the fact is that running 26.2 miles is going to be hard. It just is. And I need every little advantage I can get in my quest for the finish line. One of the advantages I need is to be healthy.

Which is why, for the next week, I've adopted a No-Kissing Policy. I ain't gonna swap germs with nobody. No wife. No kids. No senior citizen who may try to sneak up on me for a smooch at work.

Let's face it: Any time you kiss a child who is in elementary school, you put yourself at risk for contracting swine flu, sore throat, malaria, or sudden temper tantrums for absolutely no reason.

After I cross that finish line, I'll be more than happy to pucker up for the family. But until then, you keep your germs and I'll keep mine.

When Ostriches Attack

Ostriches like to eat fingers. Seriously! Just ask my six year old.



On Saturday the family headed to Zion National Park. Our kids begged to stop and look at an ostrich farm along the way. We agreed, though we regretted that decision after the trauma that ensued.

We bought a little bag of food that spectators can throw through the fence for the ostriches to eat. The kids were ecstatic to have this opportunity. We quickly realized the folly of our purchase.

The children were as happy as could be, ostrich food was flying everywhere, smiles were pasted on everyone's faces, and life was magical. But then......

A loud shriek shattered the moment. Danica wailed in pain. She ran toward the car. Tears were streaming. The screaming continued. And continued. And.....continued.

Apparently, when little children nonchalantly grab the fence, their fingers look like delicious little Vienna Sausages. Suddenly ostriches aren't so interested in ostrich food. Human flesh seems much more appetizing.

Fortunately, no blood was spilled. No fingernails were lost. And we realized that it is incredibly difficult to appear sympathetic when you are laughing. The ostrich owner witnessed the brutality and brought Danica an ostrich feather. Miraculously this healed all pain she had been feeling prior.



For all of you who are brave enough to see how much ostriches love to eat humans, check out this highly funny video:

Hurricane Half Marathon 2010

Hurricane Half Marathon - 2 Hours & 8 Minutes!!

Our alarm went off at 4:45am (ouch!). After getting to bed late (thanks to NBA Playoffs) and getting 5 hours of sleep, I'd imagine this is what a serious hangover feels like. We were on the bus for the starting line at 5:40am.

The new course for the Hurricane Half started near Sand Hollow Reservoir. It was chilly as we waited for the race to start, but lots of friends were there which helped to distract from the shivering.


The race started at 6:30am. You could not have asked for a better day to run a race. The sky was clear and the temperature was perfect. I ran the first four miles with Mel. We had an incredible view of the sun rising over Sand Hollow. I was happy I brought my camera with me.


At mile 4, Mel and I paused for a quick self-portrait, gave each other a fist bump, then I headed out on my own.


Soon I arrived at the hardest hill I've ever run up. This beast has been nicknamed "Nemesis".


I slowed my pace and took a few short walk breaks but finally managed to get to the top. The hill is brutal and should be reserved as a punishment for convicts and creators of bad music from the 80's (Yes, Michael Bolton, I'm talking to you.)


This hill is insane. It's a mile long and feels like a vertical climb. Here's the elevation map from my watch. Even looking at this picture is painful:


But in mile 7 I got into a groove. I just put my head down and ran. I knew I was going faster than my normal race pace, but I felt so good that I didn't want to hold back. It was freakish. I was going fast but didn't feel exhausted or worn out like past races.

My last mile was the fastest and I ended feeling strong. My time for each mile was:
Mile 1: 9:47
Mile 2: 10:34
Mile 3: 10:07
Mile 4: 9:35
Mile 5: 9:50
Mile 6: 12:29 (My amigo Nemesis)
Mile 7: 10:09
Mile 8: 9:13
Mile 9: 9:12
Mile 10: 9:33
Mile 11: 8:35
Mile 12: 9:11
Mile 13: 8:25

I averaged 9:43 minutes per mile. This race was a whopping 12 minutes slower than my fastest Half, but I felt better after this race than any other. Being able to pick up the pace at the end gave me some much-needed confidence for the Ogden Marathon in 3 weeks. I could not have asked for a better outcome from the race.

Jackson did the 5k race, so now we all have another running shirt to add to our closets. It was a great week for running!


"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."
~ PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

Things That Make Me Happy

• Watching NBA playoffs late into the night and falling asleep with the TV on.

• Hearing my kids laugh when I tickle their arm pits.

• Breakfast (4 pieces of toast and hot chocolate. Everyday.)

• Playing catch, bikes, and basketball with the kids outside until it gets dark.

• When they turn the air conditioner on at church.

• Power naps. Give me 15 minutes when I get home from work and I’m good to go.

• Peanut butter cookies from Maverik.

• Rain.

• Hearing my kids play the piano.

• Fat veins in my feet which prove to me that I’m working hard with marathon training.

• When my wife whistles.

• Sleeping with the window opened and listening to the crickets.
  

• The familiarity of knowing that tomorrow will likely be remarkably similar to today which is remarkably similar to yesterday. Consistency is good.

• I can’t overemphasize how important it is to have peanut butter cookies on this list.

Words Of Advice From Maslow

A few years ago I got an email from Derek Sivers about Abraham Maslow's 8 Ways To Self-Actualize. I loved it. It has been hanging on the wall in my office ever since. I thought I'd share it with you.

1. Experience things fully, vividly, selflessly. Throw yourself into the experiencing of something: concentrate on it fully, let it totally absorb you.

2. Life is an ongoing process of choosing between safety (out of fear and need for defense) and risk (for the sake of progress and growth): Make the growth choice a dozen times a day.

3. Let the self emerge. Try to shut out the external clues as to what you should think, feel, say, and so on, and let your experience enable you to say what you truly feel.

4. When in doubt, be honest. If you look into yourself and are honest, you will also take responsibility. Taking responsibility is self-actualizing.

5. Listen to your own tastes. Be prepared to be unpopular.

6. Use your intelligence, work to do well the things you want to do, no matter how insignificant they seem to be.

7. Make peak experiencing more likely: get rid of illusions and false notions. Learn what you are good at and what your potentialities are not.

8. Find out who you are, what you are, what you like and don’t like, what is good and what is bad for you, where you are going, what your mission is. Opening yourself up to yourself in this way means identifying defenses – and then finding the courage to give them up.

This Is Disturbing

This is disturbing in so, so many ways. It's like when you pass a car wreck and you WANT to look away. You WANT to. But you just CAN'T.

Obviously, with more than 5 million views, others are equally intrigued (and likely disturbed) by this nice Asian boy singing "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston.

Enjoy. And I'm sorry.

Rules For Airplanes

Recently I've had the opportunity to spend some time on airplanes. This activity, in and of itself, is not an enjoyable experience. The idea of spending many hours breathing musty recycled air, cramped in a little seat, sitting next to people who are trespassing into my personal bubble, while speeding through the clouds miles above the earth - it's just not my idea of a good time.

But you know what makes flying worse? People. Every single little idiosyncracy of a person drives me CRAZY when I'm sitting on an airplane. So I have a few requests for fellow passengers next time I fly:

1) Please, please keep your yapper shut. There is nothing worse than a loud talker on an airplane. I DON'T want to hear about your Aunt Hazel. I DON'T want to hear about your dinner group last night. I DON'T want to hear about getting your carpet cleaned. And neither does anybody else sitting nine rows ahead or behind you who is hearing your conversation also. So zip it.

2) Is a little pre-flight deodorant too much to ask?

3) You know the arm rest? Well - don't cross it. Or you might pull back a bloody stump. Alright, maybe that's a bit too harsh. I just don't want to feel your arm hair rubbing against my arm hair. Okay?

4) No loud snoring. Or I'll swat your Adam's Apple with a spoon.

Kangaroos Are Funny (And Mean)

I came across the funniest story on Runners World Daily. Apparently a runner in Australia was knocked unconscious by a grumpy Kangaroo. It is a sobering mental image. The following video must be a taste of what the runner former runner likely experienced.

This short clip made me bawl. I was sobbing with laughter. Mel actually got out of bed to come and see why I was laughing hysterically. I haven't laughed this hard, to the point of hyperventilating, since I watched The Money Pit for the first time when the bathtub crashed through the floor.

Note to self: Avoid kangaroos while running.

No Cat Policy

Mel and I have been very clear with the children: NO CATS. Never. Ever. Ever. I have no apologies about my disdain of cats.

Unfortunately over the last few weeks we have been put into a position of enforcing the strict No-Cat-Policy.

Over the last month, a mystery cat has been hanging out in our yard WAY too often. The cat's name is Kiwi. You can ask every single kid in the neighborhood. They don't know how the cat got it's name. But there is absolutely no doubt: they all know his (or her?) name is Kiwi.

One day I caught Kylee trying to lure Kiwi into our house by sprinkling grass from the porch through our front door. "Sorry honey, we have a No-Cat-Policy at our house."

Another day I caught Danica feeding Kiwi some bread. With a panicked tone in my voice I said "No - don't feed the cat! It will never leave! And we have a No-Cat-Policy at our house."

That night it was starting to get dark and we told the kids to come inside and get ready for bed. Danica had a complete and utter melt down. She started sobbing uncontrollably. We asked what was wrong. After a minute she was able to say through her wimpering that she was sad because Kiwi didn't have a place to stay and it was cold and dark outside.

This was the ultimate gauntlet - the true and supreme test. Putting aside the possibility that Danica would consider her parents grumpy ogres for the rest of her life, we stood strong on the No-Cat-Policy.

Kiwi is still in our yard WAY too often begging to be adopted. Sadly, Kiwi has not received the memo about our No-Cat-Policy.

Why I Hate Airplanes

On our recent trip to Hawaii, we had the opportunity to spend one day in Portland, Oregon, courtesy of Delta Airlines.

Normally, Portland would be great. It's a beautiful city! But when you are supposed to be in Hawaii, Portland isn't so cool.

I HATE airplanes. I hate them. They scare me. So as we were flying from Portland to Honolulu, I was already jittery and anxious. But then after a half hour in the air it felt like the plane was spinning around. I saw the sunset out our window, but minutes before I could see it out the window of the other side of the plane.


I got even more jittery. In a panicked voice I said to Mel "We are turning around. We are turning around!" She tried to calm my fears and basically said to chill out.

Five minutes later the pilot came over the intercom and said that one of the two hydraulic engines went out so we were returning to Portland. I became a nervous, quivering ball of panic. My heart felt like it was going to pump out of my ribcage.

But what REALLY freaked me out is what we saw as we approached the airport. I saw a line of firetrucks speeding down the road. As we finally reached the runway we saw that it was lined with firetrucks and ambulances. Ugh.

After waiting for a while in the terminal, they said they didn't have the part they needed. So they were going to fly it in from Minneapolis, Minnesota!!! That would take a few hours, then the repair would take a few hours, so they thought we'd be departing by 1:00 am (6 hours later). But Delta was compassionate enough to give everyone a $7 meal voucher.

FYI: $7 in an airport will buy a bottle of Coke.

But wait....it gets better!!! We were exhausted and tried to get a little sleep on an airport bench as all the other happy passengers walked by.


4 (FOUR!!!!) hours later they cancelled the flight and told us they would try to reschedule for the next day. We waited in another ridiculously long line to get a hotel voucher. Mel could hardly contain her excitement.

So this is how our 7-day vacation in Hawaii turned into a 1-day in Portland / 6-day Hawaii vacation. It will be a long time before I get on another airplane. Or go to Portland.

Our Trip To Hawaii

Almost two years ago our friends Darin and Shelly asked if we wanted to go to Oahu and stay in their time share with them. We were also joined by friends Josh and Jess and we had a blast. So here are a few of the highlights from our trip to......


The trip started a bit rough. We had a layover in Portland before heading to Hawaii. This is the view from inside our plane. The problem is that we weren't supposed to be seeing the sunset from our side of the plane. The sunset was on the other side of the plane.

So why exactly do we have a picture of the sunset? Well, because we got this view as we were flying BACK to Portland after the plane started having technical difficulties. I'll tell you the whole story in a few days, but the short version: instead of spending seven days in Hawaii, we spent one day in Portland and six days in Hawaii.


Here is the gaggle of Utahns who eventually found our way to Hawaii (Josh, Jess, Darin, Shelly, Mel, and me). I made a concerted effort to make a cheesy "hang loose" sign whenever a camera was around. This picture was before we played in the ocean I got lots of sand in my swimsuit and drank at least two gallons of the ocean.


One of my favorite activities was hiking to the top of Diamond Head, an extinct volcano. We had an amazing view of Honolulu. But it was very, very windy at the top. It's a good thing I don't wear a toupee - it would have been long gone.


This is the same face I make when I ask Mel if I have a piece of broccoli caught in my teeth:


We took a catamaran boat ride around Honolulu. There were a bunch of spinner dolphins that would leap into the sky and do their thing. I am certain they would not have had this much energy if they had taken Dramamine like we did before the boat trip. Just thinking about Dramamine makes me start snoring.


Here's our view from the boat. I ate some absolutely delicious pulled pork for lunch right before our boat ride. We figured that we would probably get sea sick and upchuck, so we wanted to make sure we ate something that would taste as good coming up as it did going down. Miraculously nobody tossed their cookies. Too bad for me. I was looking forward to tasting that pulled pork again.


Toward the end of the trip, us boys had obviously spent too much time together. We jumped at the opportunity to re-enact this memorable scene from Titanic:


A trip to Oahu wouldn't be complete without a visit to Pearl Harbor. It was quite an experience to see oil still bubbling to the top of the water from the sunk USS Arizona. I was mesmerized by the flag flying above the memorial. I wanted to get a hard-hitting black & white shot of the sun shining through the flag. It took a few tries but I finally got what I was looking for:


The other requirement to go to Hawaii is that you need to go to a luau. Mission accomplished. These guys who spin flaming sticks made me nervous. I was worried that at any moment they would make a false move and their hair would become an instant bonfire.


Since returning from Hawaii, I've tried to be a better person. I've tried to keep the commandments. I've tried to do better at following God. Because I am positive that there will be a Matsumoto's on every corner in heaven.

Matsumoto's has the best shaved ice ever bestowed to man. It was worth waiting in the long line to get my hands on this divine goodness.


We only saw one major rain storm during our trip. It just happened to begin in the middle of our hike to Wiamea Falls. We tried staying dry under some trees, to no avail. It was the kind of downpour where you think "Are you KIDDING me?!?" But the view at the end was worth the drenching.


A side feature of Wiamea Falls was an abundance of peacocks. Darin started taunting one of them, and I prayed with every fiber of my being that the peacock would reach down and snap his fingernail off. Now THAT would have been funny (aside from the blood, gore, and crying like a schoolgirl.)


The sunsets each night were almost beyond description. It was such an awesome experience to see a postcard happening right before our eyes.


We made the customary stop at the Dole pineapple plantation. If you ever questioned how much I love pineapple, behold this picture. I look like a proud father with his newborn child (who happens to be acidic with a sharp green stem).


On our way to the Polynesian Cultural Center, we stopped at the LDS temple. I love this picture of Mel. She looks so happy. (Or is that jet lag?)


On our final night in Hawaii we headed to the beach to see one last sunset. I fell in love with this little pond of water next to the ocean where you could see a reflection of the sky. This was one of those rare moments as a photographer when you know you are seeing something special and I wanted it to never end.


Our trip to Hawaii was an experience I will never forget. Mel and I had so much fun spending time with friends and with each other. I'm thankful that our travels were safe and that nobody lost any fingernails to angry peacocks. (To see a few more of our pictures click HERE.)

And The Winner Is.....

Life has been NUTZ since returning from Hawaii (sweet pictures coming soon), hence the late announcement on the contest winner. I'd like to blame my fatigue on jet lag. But in actuality, the likely cause is staying up too late to watch Jazz games.

But I digress.

And the winner (verified by my six year old who drew the name) of the three autographed CDs and a scrumptious box of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts is.....

TONYA! Congrats! If I ever had a cat (which will be, um, never), I would certainly teach him to give you a high five.

Free Giveaway!!!

Tomorrow we are heading to Hawaii for a week. I will raise my right arm to the square and vow to eat a ridiculous amount of macadamia nuts and pineapple. I have done something wrong if I don't go to bed sick every night.

So while I'm gone, I'd like to offer a free music giveaway. Up for grabs: An autographed copy of the piano CDs "Believe", "You Will Soar", and "Witness". AND....I'll throw in a box of authentic Hawaii macadamia nuts!!!

So how do you win? Post a comment saying what was your favorite vacation. Every comment gives you an entry into the drawing which will be held on March 15th. I hope you like macadamia nuts as much as I do!

101 Things

1. I desperately want to go to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.
2. I have a rock collection.
3. I hate airplanes.
4. My kids have complained that I take too many pictures of them.
5. My library card is used often. I’m usually reading 3-4 books at any given time.
6. My heart is broken every year by the Utah Jazz.
7. I’ve met George Bush (the old one) and Gordon B. Hinckley.
8. Our shih tzu is morbidly obese.
9. Almost all politicians make my blood boil.
10. Church makes me sleepy.
11. I enjoy Letterman, Survivor, and The Office.
12. I am proud of being frugal and thrifty.
13. I’ve never met a kind of candy I didn’t like.
14. Except for the color, my hair resembles a Chia Pet.
15. My car traps odors. You can smell a Big Mac for a week.
16. I have a sweet tooth that would put Willy Wonka to shame.
17. I have never seen any Star Wars, Rocky, or Harry Potter movies.
18. I think the name “Herb” is funny. I wouldn’t mind having that as my nickname.
19. The scent of seafood makes me want to upchuck.
20. While I respect their abilities, I don’t enjoy music by Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Pat Benetar, Gloria Estefan, or Santana.
21. Dentists were created by the devil.
22. I have no doubt that I could eat my weight in pumpkin pie.
23. We bought three planter boxes and planted basil and cilantro.
24. I would love to be the director of a Gospel choir in the Deep South. Not that I can sing. Nor have I ever directed a choir.
25. Once I sprained my ankle and instinctively said words I shouldn’t have said in front of people I shouldn’t have said them.
26. Is it a requirement for figure skaters to wear sequins? How depressing. If I’m ever having a bad day at work, I will remind myself “At least you don’t have to wear sequins.”
27. Sometimes life seems like a quest to feel needed and appreciated.
28. I wish my car had sirens I could turn on when someone is driving really slow in the fast lane.
29. My children can recite lines from Napoleon Dynamite.
30. I can recite lines from Napoleon Dynamite.
31. One of my biggest fears is getting old.
32. I married a patient, forgiving, selfless, compassionate person.
33. I have a firm belief that Cream of Mushroom Soup is over-used in the culinary world which is a shame because it’s pretty yucky.
34. I haven’t ever tried alcohol, cigarettes, or heroin.
35. I am very picky when it comes to buying shoes.
36. I have never, and will never own a cat.
37. I like to listen to ESPN Radio on my way to work.
38. I can be bribed to do anything with cupcakes.
39. My wife often forgets to change the lint trap on the clothes dryer. So when I change it, it looks like a kitchen rug.
40. OneRepublic makes some incredible music.
41. I take a daily multi-vitamin, Glucosamine, a baby Aspirin, and fish oil capsules.
42. I’m trying to be like Jesus. Sometimes the closest I get is owning a pair of sandles.
43. Now that I have run a marathon, I believe I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.
44. I am stubborn.
45. When I was younger, my brother and I would sneak out of the house at night, ride our bikes to the grocery store, and buy ice cream.
46. I get predictably grumpy when I am tired.
47. The temperature in my office varies between Sauna and Meat Locker. I prefer Meat Locker.
48. When I die, I don’t want to have a funeral. I want everyone to have a party and have fun and laugh and eat lots of junk food. And possibly hire a stand-up comedian for one of the speakers.
49. I learned from experience that my car isn’t built to drive up snow-covered hills.
50. I kind of like the Buttered Popcorn flavored Jelly Belly Beans.
51. I think my wife Melanie is a babe.
52. With my life, I am much more interested in quality than quantity.
53. A mouse lost it’s life in my desk drawer at work. It was grrrrrrross.
54. I like to surround myself with people who have a good sense of humor and don’t take things too seriously.
55. I feel guilty when I drink regular soda instead of diet.
56. I have never broken a bone.
57. My brother and sister are ambitious.
58. I wish I could play the cello. I’d listen to myself all day and never leave the house.
59. I wish I could make rolls as good as elementary school cafeterias.
60. I have LOTS of female in-laws that live close by. There is nothing worse than hearing about certain times of the month.
61. I am an eternal optimist.
62. I once got my mouth washed out with soap for calling my brother stupid.
63. I’m sorry I called you stupid. You are much, much smarter than me.
64. Note to self: Ivory Soap doesn’t taste nearly as good as it smells.
65. I am a photography nerd.
66. Among the phone numbers I have saved in my phone: Domino’s Pizza, Café Rio, and the Piano Gallery.
67. My chemistry teacher in high school drank more Mountain Dew than should be legal for a human being to consume.
68. The people I work with are very, very smart.
69. Kids + pouring a gallon of milk on cereal = recipe for disaster.
70. Mel wishes I didn’t buy some of my clothes at the DI.
71. A rain storm is the best smell in the whole world.
72. I admire people who are humble, thankful, giving, and appreciative.
73. Banana bread, pumpkin pie shakes, and toffee are scrumptious.
74. I am positive that I was a first grade teacher in my past life. I LOVE going to help at the elementary school.
75. Our dog likes to tip over garbage cans and make a big mess of the garbage. He is lucky to be alive.
76. Sleep apnea makes me stop breathing a couple hundred times a night so I’ve slept with a CPAP for seven years. I loathe my CPAP.
77. Anyone with sleep apnea needs their spouse to make baked goods including cake and pie at least once per week.
78. As a kid, I liked Alf, Silver Spoons, The Wonder Years, Mr. Belvedere, Small Wonder, and Charles In Charge.
79. I survived two winters in Wyoming. (I’ll pause a moment and let you finish your applause.)
80. In my high school anatomy class we dissected a cat. A cat!
81. Running is contagious.
82. I nearly needed a clean pair of britches a few years ago during a particularly bumpy flight into St. George. If friends weren’t with me, I would have kissed the ground when we finally landed.
83. Without my contacts in, I am as blind as an NBA referee.
84. It bothers me when my girls listen to music from Mama Mia. This is the reason ear plugs were invented.
85. I have an in-law who likes to use the phrase “Quite frankly…” to begin many sentences. Quite frankly, it always brings a smile to my face.
86. My sassy and funny sister-in-law Rachel uses the phrase “Y’ain’t” which is always very funny. I’m going to try to use that in my vocabulary more often. “Kids – y’ain’t gonna get none of my Mike & Ike’s so stop asking!”
87. Why don’t children understand the concept of sleeping in?
88. My wife thrives on telling me gross things that she does while working as a nurse at the hospital.
89. I wouldn’t mind being Nacho Libre.
90. I eat four pieces of toast for breakfast on my way to work.
91. My knees often don’t cooperate.
92. Maybe it’s because I eat four pieces of toast everyday for breakfast.
93. I don’t understand the appeal of CSI, vampire movies, or Red Lobster.
94. Beagles have a loud, and very funny bark.
95. My memory leaves a lot to be desired.
96. Sometimes I have a problem with laughing during the prayer.
97. Getting a root canal is the next closest thing to being struck by lightning.
98. Mel’s family is so tight-knit that they sometimes discuss their bowel movements with each other.
99. I firmly believe that figure skating would be so much more enjoyable to watch if everyone wasn’t wearing sequins.
100. Honestly, what is the budget for sequins for the Winter Olympics? Every business has slow times and busy times. This is a busy time for sequin-makers.
101. I think if I let my hair grow out, it would look like I French-kissed a light socket.