CAPTAIN AWKWARD TEXT

Have you ever acted a certain way or done something that you think you should apologize for or just maybe clarify a bit. But when you do the other person questions your reasoning for it because they weren't offended or bothered in anyway and then you feel like you shouldn't have said anything at all or even given it a second thought. Then that makes you feel like if you were a super hero your name would be Captain Awkward Text. Yeah that's right...to make it even more complicated, I did it in a text message. Awesome.

I DO NOT EAT RED M&M'S

Here is the reason why:

1976, due to public controversy surrounding a particular red food coloring, red M&M'S® Chocolate Candies were removed from the traditional color mix.

1971, a Russian study linked cancer to Red No. 2, and consumerists in the U.S. stepped up pressure on the FDA to ban the dye.

1987, red was returned to the traditional M&M'S® color mix due to overwhelming request from consumers.

Sure, it's a different dye but I still don't trust em...epecially the Valentine's or Christmas bags. Yikes.

SPRUNG BROKE

Patrice, Steve, and I headed out on a roadtrip to LA for the Easter/Spring Break/whatever weekend.
2:20AM departure time from Provo. Arrive in Vegas to meet London Mike from Baltimore who was there for business. We slept from 7-9:30AM at the Palazzo room 9-833. Gorgeous. Woke up to swim and tour the hotel. Traveled on to Santa Ana, CA for little sister's Lacrosse game. Later that night it was off to West Hollywood to meet Dory for a party at Republic (happens every Friday and they're amazing).
Saturday we drove to Balboa Pier where we rode bikes at the beach, ate some cool treats, watched a bit of rugby, and ended the night with a bonfire.
Pacific Amphitheater was the setting for a sunny Easter service with live music and dance with my Biola U friend Peter. A quick stop for some ham with the fam and we were back on the road again to Utah while making stops at In n Out and Jack in the Box of course.
I'd give the trip a V for very, very, very entertaining.

EYE AM NOT SURE WHY

I've always been a pushover for boys with blue or light colored eyes. Only once...and it just happened this January...have I looked into the eyes of a dude with brown peeps and been taken back by how ridiculously good-looking they appeared to me. However, for some reason, the goggle tan line eyes are so hot right now. It all started with the shots from the 2007 Warren Miller's Playground film I saw like three times. I know...it seems strange.

SHOW OFF YOUR SHAMROCKS

It was St. Patrick's Day and what better way to celebrate than a night on the town with my girlfriends exploiting boys. So we set out on a mean green kissing scavenger hunt. These are just a few of the things we found on our list...

PHOTO FINISH

My hair has been less brown (I'll never admit to having blonde hair for some reason) for awhile and I'm a little tired of the upkeep so I decided to go back to brown. Here's my last photo with light and first with brown.

ROCKY CANYON

The weather was so nice yesterday I decided to go for a hike up Rock Canyon. It was just me and Beyonce (my ipod) headed up the trail. But I made it a solo journey after about two songs because I realized that when I'm out with nature I like to listen to and enjoy nature so the poder went off. Anyway, I started hiking up the trail even though it was totally covered in snow still. I went the farthest I can ever remember going up this canyon in all my times of trekking up it. After about 2 hours I realized I hate hiking. So I turned around and ran the whole way down. I really detest running in the rain because I don't like to get wet unless I want to, but I L-O-V-E running in the snow because it makes me feel like Rocky (I just forgot to punch my fist when I got to the parking lot).

I LIKE BIG AMOUNTS OF RANCH DRESSING AND I CANNOT LIE

I've decided it's time to admit it. I'm addicted to ranch dressing. And while it is a tasty habit, I'm not sure it's a totally healthy habit (out of 140 calories per serving, 130 are from fat). We had steak for dinner the other night and I noticed the steak sauce bottle was empty. What'd I do? Grabbed the ranch dressing. I like steak...I like ranch dressing...why not combine the two?! Gosh that sounds gross to me now. Too bad it's sooo delicious.

BE THOU AN EXAMPLE

So my talk in church three weeks ago was about perfecting the saints...I spoke about sharing your testimony through the words you speak, the example you set, and the way you live your life. Going to Ireland was such a fun holiday for me and Jenny because we met so many amazing people from all over the world (So 2 mormon girls walk into a pub...). The people all around us offered us drinks all night and when I said I'd take pineapple juice over guinness it got most asking questions. My friend Marc sent me this note:

'deanna your a sweet lovely lass. ive just got back from our weekly works get together and ive been talking to all the boys about our trip.its funny because i told everyone about you being a mormen the other day and today kirean who by the way is one of the more inquisitive members of the group took it upon himself to google it. So picture this a bunch of lads all the way from england sat around talking about your religion. bearing in mind on an average day the conversation dont get past more than motors sports and women. Suddenly we find ourselves deep in a converstion about the usa, deanna, salt lake city and mormen life. . so please be proud that even though you sit all those miles away from us you managed to keep a bunch of lads talking for a good while. least you know we think of you.'

Jenny and I didn't do anything but be ourselves. And I guess that's good enough most of the time. It just makes me realize that people are watching all the time and I need to be all that I can be...always. (Read this funny story about my little nephew saying "what the hell!")It's great to share what we believe and who we are. Life is sweet. Love you all.

SUPERPIPE THAT HO!

World Superpipe Championship event Park City, UT highlights:
rock star parking spots in the parking lot, sharing snow pants, hiking up to the event, free cliff bars and gooey squares, photos with athletes, playing human snowboards, friends skiing with beer, snowball wars on innocent bystanders just wanting to get down the mountain, and making the Park City Mountain Resort picture of the day (see previous post).
xoxoxo

WE'RE PRETTY PHOTOGENIC

What would you do to get your photo taken?
Click here to see what I did.
xoxoxo

HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGY...

...at the Watson house? Two nights ago the moms told me she started receiving calls nonstop from 7pm to around 11:30pm about an ad on KSL.com for three dogs for sale that somehow had her number listed as reference. Ohmigosh this got me laughing. So the next day, I did my duty as her daughter and had other people call about the dogs at her home and work. AMAZING! I answered a few calls at the house, but the best was when Jenny Baum answered one and said, "Oh you're calling about the dog? Well, it died! Ok Thanks."
I think this prank was even better than the time my brother Jeff and I changed her AOL profile status to 'seperated and lonely' since my dad was away working at various airports and a few days later she comes up and says to me, "I don't know why but men keep sending me dirty emails with their photos saying they want to meet me." Oh God bless the cello man. Or the time we changed her profile pic to a photo of Beyonce and it took her a month to figure out how to change it back. Love you moms.
xoxoxo

WEATHER I'M READY OR NOT...

That's not a type-o above. People keep telling me the weather wants to turn to Spring so bad, but I feel like we have a few storms left. Plus I'm not ready for my bathing suit...I still have my winter coat on. Gosh. So I need your help. Next time you see me with that third piece of pizza in my mouth, tell me to be a lady and put it down. Then take me for a run. I beg you.
xoxoxo

RING-AROUND-THE-ROSY

I received a few flowers this month and I love them! They look and smell so pretty. The only problem I have is I appreciate them so much that I can't bear to throw them away. So I usually keep flowers until they are dry and moldy and most likely hazardous to my and those around me's health (those around me's??? that's gotta be correct because it sounds so good). Eventually someone else throws them out because they're tired of finding dead petals on the floor and can't stand the hideous smell the flowers are now emitting.
So I offer the alternative of digital cameras and laptops if you want to buy me things. Which leads to my next point...not enough people buy me things.
xoxoxo

HEAR YE, HEAR YE

The sound on my computer has been broken for the last week or so and it has made me really appreciate my sense of hearing. If I couldn't hear I would have missed out on hearing the free donut chant and dance my nephews and niece did after I gave them their Krispy Kreme valentines (check em out here),


our roommate Danny Wilson play at an amazing birthday party with his band Moneypenny,



mingling with new friends and mixed tapes and masterpieces up in the Cottonwood Heights,



Walking into the airport at the same speed as the guy next to me who was on the moving sidewalk while the Bryan Adams song Everything I Do, I Do it For You was playing elevator style wondering if this meant he was my soulmate. Then realizing that whole scenerio was ridiculously disgusting.

PRAY FOR SNOW

What could a better day at work include besides sweet pow falling, snowboarding, and then a free lunch?! And I was getting paid for it all.
Makes me want to board more.
I'm ashamed to say I didn't make it up on the slopes once last season and this was my first time this year. Time for some make up work to the snow gods. Pray for a long season.
xoxoxo

INSIDE THOUGHTS

As I was going through the airport security today dropping a student off for work, the TSA guy took my passport, looked at the photo, stamped my escort pass, and made the comment "I liked you better as a brunette." To which I quickly took my passport back and replied, "I liked you better when you kept your opinion to yourself."
Who says that?!
It's like a cop pulling someone over on the road, looking at their license, and saying "Gee, this says you weigh 115 pounds but we both know that's not accurate now, is it."
Sometimes inside thoughts are meant to stay inside.

I HAVE A HEART ON...

I saw this Saturn commercial and it made me rethink the awesome things in life. Way to go on a rockin commerical. Here are my favorite things of the week:

My twin nephews had a 4 year old transformer birthday party. When I asked them whose party it was they both replied "ours" instead of "mine".


A little ironic to me...there was a 100 year old man working the express lane at Target.


My friend Shane hates Valentine's Day. After being told to buck up and be a good sport about it while at work, he disappeears for a few minutes to the back stock room, then returns pointing to a heart-shaped paper cut out taped to his shirt exclaiming, "I HAVE A HEART ON!" for everyone in the store to hear. GO ahead and say that phrase outloud to yourself if you didn't understand that laugh already.


Teaching my niece how to make fish faces and then asking for fish tacos from the cafe at an aquarium.




Witnessing the difference in cookies baked in the oven of friendship vs cookies baked in the oven of competition and contention. Aww geez this batch sucked. Jenny Baum & Deandra:1, Dads:0, cookie dough:2

WELCOME TO PROVO

After borrowing a car from his local neighborhood player, my friend Sean (straight from Maine) and I went out on a scavenger hunt to celebrate his first trip to the Provo/Orem area.

The first timer and I headed down State Street and directly to Krispy Kreme where he witnessed the awe of the donut conveyer belt. Being very careful not to get glaze in his moustache, he quickly munched on 2 free samples of the original glazed and 2 variety donuts and washed it down with a chug of 2%. The hungry fella curbed his sweet tooth all day just for this pit stop. While at the Krispy Kreme, we snapped some photos on our scavenger hunt list: with a b-day girl, eating a donut, and with a BYU student.

Getting onto the University Parkway and later Avenue, we continued our tour of Provo by passing the University and Provo Towne Centre malls, Movies 8 (home of 50 cent Tuesdays), the Provo temple, Rocky Canyon and it's park, the MTC (not empty sea), the BYU, UVSC, Wal-mart on Sandhill Road (perfect for late night student flirting), Neilson's Grove (where we rode the giant swing), Trafalga (ghetto putt putt), Geneva Steel (plug your nose), and the list/excitement goes on...

Our last stop was the Watson boarding house for some soup, a few more donuts, roommate time, and a movie.
Welcome to Provo Sean.

PASTA, PASSION, & PISTOLS

Saturday night, I was sent an invitation from my buddy Dan to attend a murder mystery dinner party hosted by our old friends Joe and Brenna Kennedy. Never done one of these before.
Here's the plot: Guiseppe(Pepi)Roni served up a mean plate of pasta until someone did him in. Now there's big trouble in Little Italy because 4 days ago he was found murdered in the kitchen of his renowned New York City eatery, La Sperenza. Pepi had been shot in the back with his own pistol. We gathered together to pay our respects and eat a feast of Italian food in his honor.

We were all instructed to dress up and play the roles of the devious suspects:

Rocco Scarfazzi: Pepi's twin brother, a tough-talking no-nonsense Italian business man. In addition to his vineyards and real estate holdings, it is rumored Rocco is in the 'laundering' business. He had no love for his brother Pepi but his reasons are his own ... capische?
Tara Misu: Rocco's vivacious young fiancé. She was just an upstairs maid in Rocco's villa until she swept him off his feet. Now Tara keeps a smile on his face and a firm grip on Rocco's assets. Tara is dressed to kill. She knows the effect she has on men and flaunts her charms shamelessly.


Mama Rosa: Pepi's grieving widow. For 25 years, Mama Rosa cooked the pasta while Pepi greeted La Sperenza's dinner guests. In all the years they were married, not once did they argue. Had something finally boiled over in Rosa's kitchen?
Marco Roni: Pepi and Mama Rosa's only son, Marco was expected to take over the restaurant after his parents retired. Marco hates waiting tables. His goal is to play on a World Cup soccer team but his papa has been keeping him permanently on the bench.

Bo Jalais: Cousin of a cousin of Rocco's, Bo manages the Scarfazzi vineyards. Bo comes from a long line of French wine-makers and no one knows 'ze' grape like Bo. An important man in the Scarfazzi organization .... what could Bo possibly have to whine about.
Angel Roni: Pepi and Rosa's beautiful daughter. It was Pepi's dream that his 'Angel' would marry a good Italian boy, have children and carry on the family traditions. Angel has a few fantasies of her own though and one of them is that hunk, Bo jalais. Mama-mia!

Father Al Fredo: An Italian priest and long-time family friend of the Roni's and the Scarfazzi's. The good priest has heard their confessions and knows their sins.
Clair Voyant: Rosa's best friend and astrology advisor. Clair's talents include an ability to communicate with the spirit world and see into the future.

Who done it? I cannot tell you. But I will say it was a blast to play. My character was Tara Misu. I had an affair with my fiance's twin brother, a rendevous with Bo at the restaurant, and an alibi the night of the murder with an old boyfriend. Everyone at the table said I was the perfect person to play that part...didn't know if I should say thank you or question them on the role of the flousy. Everyone's a suspect when murder is on the menu.

MY PERFECT BOYS

In honor of Valentine's Day, LOVE, and all that shiz...

BOYS: Take notes from these dudes
GIRLS: Find these guys and don't ever let them go

AVOID THE CLAP

Brian, an old country dancing friend, invited me to go with him to Kingsbury Hall last night to enjoy an evening of Riverdance. It was a spectacular show filled with a live band, singers, flamenco soloist, tappers, drummers, russian ballet dancers, and of course the riverdancers.


While performers were on stage, they would start clapping encouraging the audience to clap along. Great...that's fun...get involved in the show and feel the energy. Most of the old people would continue to clap for the entire piece even after the majority of the audience and performers have stopped and they would start clapping in the middle of a performance. Now I know sometimes there is a break after a person is dancing and doing something extraordinary so the audience can clap, but these people were going crazy and clapping so much that they were ruining the purpose of listening to the stomps on the floor of the dance (that sound is what makes you realize they are moving so incredibly fast). Or some audience members were clapping during the solo making it so I couldn't hear the jamming. HELLO--you're kind of ruining the show. There is a time to clap and a time to listen. Please be wise in choosing when is the appropriate time for each.
xoxoxo
PS this show made me miss Ireland. sigh.

FUNNY BOY

To end my Sundance experience I went to a Best of Fest film in SLC Monday (thanks again Jimmy for the tickets), finally hung out with Sean at the Porcupine (weed smell and Ebay lessons included for free), and went to a comedy show at Wiseguys in West Valley where my new friend Brian from the newfrontier performed a bit. Check out his stuff at homelesscomic.com.

The headliner of the comedy show that night was Jeff Dye, a ridiculously good looking seacocks fan from Seattle, WA. Listen to him...he's funny and stuff. We searched fields for clovers, sipped Starbucks, shopped for manly hair product, and celebrated black history month/Kwanzaa with black movie night together.
In between the fun, I went with Brady to Shoots for Chinese burritos (good gosh those are delicious) and my second round of PS I Love You. Made me miss Ireland, but I've received news that some English lads might come visit soon.
The point of this blog...I'm not sure...I just had a good week. Click on the links and listen to the funny boys.
xoxoxo

WE THANK THEE, O GOD, FOR A PROPHET

Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away last night at age 97. I received the news through several text messages while at work.
President Hinckley was the man! click here to read all the amazing things he accomplished in his many years on this earth. If I could do like 8.9% of all of his accomplishments, I'd be the raddest girl you knew. He was incredible. I was able to attend the Draper Temple groundbreaking ceremony in 2006 with my black girlfriend Michelle, Pres. Hinckley, and the Twelve and it was an experience I'll never forget.

We thank thee, O God, for a Prophet
To guide us in these latter days;
We thank thee for sending the Gospel
To lighten our minds with its rays.

On a side note, if I die soon I want the songs If I Ever Leave This World Alive by Flogging Molly and Baby Blue by George Strait played at my funeral. I also don't want everybody to be sitting around crying. Sure, put up an open mic and everybody can say good things about me...if you can't think of any go ahead and make some up. Then throw in some greased pig wrestling and pizza or something. And put together a slideshow because I have lots of photos from this world, that's for sure.
xoxoxo

SECOND DATES

.......Next few days.......

(Thurs & Fri Jan 24-25, 2008)

I had a date with a bottle of Nyquil and bag of cough drops Thursday. It went so well, I decided to try it again Friday night. But Friday I did rise from my bed and travel to Park City to meet Jimmy Hu at the Filmmaker Lounge (director guy in photo from Day2) to get tickets to a film coming up on Monday. I was also supposed to meet my new friend Sean(from the Broken film Day1) but he called and couldn't make it up. Jimmy took me into the New Frontier Lounge where I was in awe of the technology genious around me. I made a friend at the information desk and Jimmy bought me a hot cup of herbal tea because I sounded like Marge Simpson's sisters Patty & Thelma. He was sick also from "too much partying" and the cold, cold Park City air. So we called it a night. Don't remember much else.

FESTIVALING ON

As mentioned from the Sunday story, Jenny and I scored red carpet tickets from director Al Massad to see his film Recycle, so we headed up to Park City again. I grabbed some cold medicine on the way because I was feeling a little under the weather...nothing bad just a little congested.
We park and walk like 3 blocks to the theater, not realizing there was a shuttle or a parking lot at the local Albertson's grocery store nearby. Don't worry we stopped halfway between the theater and our spot at the local 7-11 to warm up under the hand dryer in the restroom.

HOW ANYONE CAN LIVE IN PARK CITY AND NOT DIE FROM THE FREEZING TEMPS IS A MYSTERY TO ME.




Upon entering the theater we were seated with the director's entourage. Pretty sweet. The film was grand. Go here to read about it. After giving our director friend a hug and high-5, we braved the cold on our walk past our car to Main Street. Good gosh it must have been like 2 degrees F. Jenny and I stalled until Patrice showed up and then we met our 3 friends from Sunday that we met in the Director's Lounge at Irie for some Cajun dinner. Nice boys from Biola University in LA. The conversation was spicy and the food was never dull. After promising maybe a midnight movie this weekend or breakfast before they go back to LA, we girls headed home to Provo...a drive that is becomingly beautifully routine it seems.

DEAL OR NO DEAL

.......End of part 2...Intermission...End of intermission...PART 3........

Day 3 (Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008)
That's right, Jenny, Dane, and I decided to recover from Day 2 of Sundance festivaling by taking Monday off and came back up on Tuesday night with the hopes of getting into a party for the movie The Deal. Only problem was we couldn't make in the door. Our friend Keith Fox tried his best. But, alas, tonight was a bust. All we got was some sticky gum and hot chocolate on Main Street then we headed to Albertson's to drown our sorrows in some gatorade, deli wraps, and gummy worms. Sorry no big stories today.

PARIS HILTON & THE SUNDANCE KIDS

......Part two........
DAY 2 (Sunday, Jan 20, 2008)
After accepting my new calling to the party class at church Jenny, Hannah, and I decided strolling along Main Street would be a great roommate sabbath activity. Little did we know what the night held for us...

We arrived at the Director's Lodge and I suggested we go in. The security was real tight--
security thug: do you have a badge?
me: no
thug: uh...ok go in, I guess
but we managed to make it in just in time for wine and mini hors d'oeuvres (which meant water and raisinettes from a bowl for us Mormon girls). Met a few directors and film students who we will rendezvous with in later blogging.


We leave and continue on our journey up Main running into a crazy space cadet man who interviewed us about buying real estate (www.wellcomemat.com look for us on the site maybe), free cucmber water at an art gallery, an australian with a fuzzy pink shirt and amazing eyes looking for a cheeky drink, chocolate bananas on sticks, a celeb or two, free gorgeous watches, one of our director friends Al Massad who gave us red carpet tickets to his film premiere Recycle on Wednesday...then our friend Dane.



Dane had been waiting with fellow fans for Paris to come out of Fred Segal. I was just interested in warming my hands and feet. So we walked around the Green Room. While I was standing around an outside heater some guys come walking out of a private party saying "Keith Fox is leaving so there is no point in trying to get in to the party anymore folks." I chime in and tell Keith I love him. He responds with a thank you. My friend go inside to use the bathroom and we run into the same gentlemen leaving the party with Keith. I say, "Keith, we meet again. And those are ridiculous gloves you're wearing." He shows them to me and describes how they help him climb things like spiderman... Then one of his friends mentions something about Modesto, CA. How many people know about Modesto?! So I jump into the conversation. Before I know it the guys are walking away and inviting us to go to Erik's party with them. I shrug my shoulders and we pile into a club wagon musical taxi full of christmas lights, glowing lips, a disco ball, and a driver ready to play any song we requested. Later in the night we requested the same musical taxi and discovered there was karaoke and fun masks in there too.


So we play at Erik's and dance up a storm there making new friends, eating pizza, and taking more photos. Thank you Erik.



We leave with our friends to their condo they are renting for $15,000 for 5 days at Deer Valley. Eat some pizza, get ready for the next party, sit by the fire...it's all pretty relaxing.



Dane and I go on a mission to move our cars so they don't get towed at 2am...lame parking enforcement...and make it back as our crew is loading the musical taxi again to head to the Green Door Mansion for a party where we hung with Paris Hilton, grabbed some free designer Chip & pepper denim, played some indoor basketball, rapped with Cisco Adler and danced on the table until 5am because we were snowed in and no taxis could come up to take us home.
Our Hollywood friends blogged about us and posted a picture with Dane and Paris here...hooray for the local Mormons...only sober people at 5am and still partying.
Barely making it back to the condo and to our cars covered in snow we realized there was no way we could make it out until the roads had been plowed. So we stuck around and I borrowed some socks so I could sleep for about an hour and a half before braving the roads back to Provo. Wake me up because I must be dreaming...how in the world did that night ever happen?!
Read up on Dane's version of the night on his blog also.