I almost bought

this pair of Chaco's from Steep and Cheap. Then I thought about the 49 pairs of shoes sitting in my closet at home and talked myself out of it. I check Steep and Cheap throughout the day and am usually tempted by items that I really have no need for now or at any other time in my life. The other day I saw a dog pack to load on to a dog during hiking, etc. I decided that Powder would not be happy wearing a pack and decided not to purchase it. I have also seen ice picks, propane stoves, head lamps. I have been tempted to by all mentioned but have resisted. I am fascinated by the descriptions that Steep and Cheap has for the items and the comments that users leave reviewing the item that is up for sale. One reviewer was talking about how much their dog loved their pack. Seriously?

FALLING APART

The last two weekend have been amazing. I have always wanted to be a roadie/groupie. For some reason having a job has prevented me from fully realizing my dream. But, I was able to get away and pretend to be a roadie for the past two weekends. I went down to Phoenix, October 10-12th to visit my brother Jeff, and to see my favorite band. Then I went down to Las Vegas, October 17-19th to see my favorite band again.

My favorite band is Lifehouse. I have loved them since their first album was released back in 2000. I have now seen them six or seven times in concert. The past two concerts were outside which was amazing. Although some people may say their songs all sound the same, I beg to differ. I connect with their music. Certain songs are intricately woven in with memories of my life. I recently read "The Song Reader" which made me think about what the meaning of the songs that get stuck in my head truly is. Here are the lyrics to a few of my favorite Lifehouse songs maybe you can be my song readers and tell me what they mean.

Broken

The broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep tonight

Maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time

I am here still waiting though I still have my doubts

I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing

With a broken heart that's still beating

In the pain there is healing

In your name I find meaning

So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on

I'm barely holdin' on to you

The broken locks were a warning you got inside my head

I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead

I still see your reflection inside of my eyes

That are looking for a purpose, they're still looking for life

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing

With a broken heart that's still beating

In the pain is there is healing

In your name I find meaning

So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on

I'm barely holdin' on to you

I'm hangin' on another day

Just to see what you will throw my way

And I'm hangin' on to the words you say

You said that I will, will be ok

The broken lights on the freeway left me here alone

I may have lost my way now, having forgot my way home

You and Me

What day is it

And in what month

This clock never seemed so alive

I can't keep up

And I can't back down

I've been losing so much time

Cause it's you and me and all of the people

With nothing to do

Nothing to lose

And it's you and me and all of the people

And I don't know why

I can't keep my eyes off of you

All of the things that I want to say

Just aren't coming out right

I'm tripping inwards

You got my head spinning

I don't know where to go from here

Cause it's you and me and all of the people

With nothing to do

Nothing to prove

And it's you and me and all of the people

And I don't know why

I can't keep my eyes off of you

There's something about you now

I can't quite figure out

Everything she does is beautiful

Everything she does is right

You and me and all of the people
With nothing to do

Nothing to lose

And it's you and me and all of the people

And I don't know why

I can't keep my eyes off of you

You and me and all of the people

With nothing to do

Nothing to prove

And it's you and me and all of the people

And I don't know why

I can't keep my eyes off of you

What day is it

And in what month

This clock never seemed so alive

Hanging by a Moment

Desperate for changing

Starving for truth

I'm closer to where I started

Chasing after you I'm falling even more in love with you

Letting go of all I've held onto

I'm standing here until you make me move

I'm hanging by a moment here with you

Forgetting all I'm lacking

Completely incomplete

I'll take your invitation

You take all of me now...

I'm falling even more in love with you

Letting go of all I've held onto

I'm standing here until you make me move

I'm hanging by a moment here with you

I'm living for the only thing I know

I'm running and not quite sure where to go

And I don't know what I'm diving into

Just hanging by a moment here with you

There's nothing else to lose

There's nothing else to find

There's nothing in the world

That can change my mind

There is nothing else

There is nothing else

There is nothing else

Desperate for changing

Starving for truth

I'm closer to where

I started Chasing after you....

I'm falling even more in love with you

Letting go of all I've held onto

I'm standing here until you make me move

I'm hanging by a moment here with you

I'm living for the only thing I know

I'm running and not quite sure where to go

And I don't know what I'm diving into

Just hanging by a moment here with you

Just hanging by a moment (here with you)

Hanging by a moment (here with you)

Hanging by a moment here with you

IN MY SHOES

Confession: I love shoes.

I counted the number of shoes that are in my room today and discovered that I have 49 pairs. I have to justify this number a little bit by saying that there are a number of flip flops which really shouldn't count in the total but for the sake of accuracy I included them in the grand total. I also have to confess that I have more shoes stored at my parents' house. I obviously have a hard time letting go of shoes because they always fit. I have worn the same size since 6th or 7th grade and may have a few pair of shoes from back then. The real reason why I have a hard time letting go of shoes is because of the memories connected with them. I thought I would share a few of my favorite "shoe" memories.

These are a pair of Dr. Martens. Whenever I think of Dr. Martens I think of Junior High and High School. I have a vivid memory of wearing a pair of Dr. Martens to Junior High with tube socks and Umbro shorts. Shocking but true. These shoes are heavy too. Each one honestly probably weighs at least 2 pounds.

These are my Italian shoes and definitely my favorite. I got these shoes in a little town called Treviso outside of Venice, Italy. My luggage was lost on my way to Italy so I had a perfect excuse to buy some shoes. I ended up walking all over Rome in these shoes, literally all over Rome. We met some Rome natives for dinner and walked from our Hotel near the main train station past the Spanish steps to Piazza del Popolo and Pizza Re. The Pizza was worth the walk by the way.

These are a pair of Diesels I bought before my trip to England, Scotland, and France in 2007. The most memorable moment in these shoes came on my first day in London. We went from the Gatwick Airport right to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, The National Gallery, and Piccadilly Circus. We were on the tube on our way to Harrods. We got off at our stop and I had been feeling kind of sick since the National Gallery. Well rubbish bins are apparently scarce in London and I ended up loosing it in the hallway of the tube station. At least I kept my shoes clean.

These are my running shoes. I have been trying to wear them at least three days a week. I am up to five miles.

These are the shoes I wore in Las Vegas when Amy and I went to see Celine Dion in concert. We walked all over the mall at Caesar's Palace. Then we went to the concert and I ended up slipping off my shoes because they kind of hurt. Well my feet apparently got a little swollen during the concert. I slipped them back on and literally limped back to the car. Amy was also wearing a pair of heels, cute red Steve Maddens. Amy thinks that people probably thought we were drunk as we limped back to her car and I think she is right.

These are my most comfortable pair of flip flops. I was wearing them near Paw Paw, West Virginia this summer when I got caught in a rainstorm. Seriously the rain had more pressure than my shower head. Well I ended up running half a mile back to the car. My shoes were soaked and so was I. I have pictures from this incident but I'm not willing to share those.

These are my lawn mowing shoes. My best lawn mowing story occurred on July 24th. I started mowing my parent's lawn first thing in the morning. For some reason it seemed like part way through mowing the mower stopped propelling itself. I literally had to push the mower. Imagine me lunging across the lawn, not a pretty sight. So I stopped and decided to mow the lawn at my apartment and bring that mower up to finish my parent's lawn. Well I start mowing my lawn and one of the wheels falls off. I had a little melt down but handy girl that I am I grabbed the Anne's girly tool set and fixed the wheel myself. I also finished the other lawn.

These are the shoes I wore when I hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim three years ago. As you can see I have not worn them since. I cleaned them off and never got the shoelaces back in.

These are my Chacos. They have been on many adventures. I wore them in the pyramids in Giza, in Hezekiah's tunnel in Jerusalem, and in the ruins in Petra.

These are the boots that I shovel my driveway and sidewalks in. I'm trying to get excited about wearing them again but I'm just not there yet. But, I can't wait to put on my snowboarding and ski boots.

[rez-uh-loot]

Definition:
"Firmly resolved or determined; set in purpose or opinion. Characterized by firmness and determination, as the temper, spirit, actions, etc."

I have been feeling rather resolute recently. For some reason the word resolute reminds me of the Jack Johnson song "Good People." Here are some of the lyrics:

Where’d all the good people go?
They got this and that with a rattle a tat
Testing one, two man whatcha gonna do
Bad news misused give me some truth
You got too much to lose
Whose side are we on today, anyway
Okay, whatever you say
Wrong or resolute but in the mood to obey
Station to station desensitizing the nation
where'd all the good people go
Going, going, gone.

I honestly have no idea what most of Jack Johnson’s lyrics mean but they are catchy and I end up singing along. I had no idea until I looked up these Lyrics that apparently I sing my own made up words. Anyway, I have been feeling rather resolute lately.

I’m not one to make New Years Resolution. To be honest I get really irritated when I am at the gym in January and it is hard to find a machine because people have made the resolution to get in shape. I keep in mind that I just have to hold out till February because by then there will be plenty of machines to go around.

I don’t think New Years Resolutions work because people try to change so many aspects of their lives all at once. I have decided to make monthly resolutions instead. I think it is much easier to resolve to do 2-3 things for a month than for an entire year. If I don’t like what I have been doing I can stop doing it the next month.

August
One treat a day
No carbonation

September
Drink more water
Work out 3 days a week
Weekly temple trip

I do have resolutions for October. I've gone back to one treat a day and no carbonation. Now that you have all read this you can try to tempt me with a little more of another treat, tempt away because I am feeling rather resolute.