christmas music, the playlist, the past, and starting over

seriously. christmas music? already? i was in a popular clothing store yesterday that i won't name, but starts with 'forever' and ends with '21', and there was christmas music playing. i know better than most that christmas here is different than in a lot of other places. it's tough to get in the mood when it's 80 degrees and the christmas lights are strung on palm trees. but does that really mean we need to start listening to the music at the beginning of november? is that really going to help?

*****

there's a new playlist up. sorry this one took soooooo long. i've been enjoying it for over a month now, but have been too busy, sick, inaccessible (insert other excuses here) to update. the first song is my new theme song, but the whole playlist is pretty awesome.

*****

so, the past is a funny thing. it's pretty good at finding it's way into the present. sneaky little bugger.

most of the time a present visit from the past wreaks havoc and leaves destruction in it's wake. over the last couple of weeks however, i have had three 'visits' which have been both surprising, and pleasing.

the first would be the return of an old(ish) friend who, i suspect, keeps hoping for a cameo/reintroduction here. i can assure both you and him that in a couple of weeks, when there accompanying photos, a proper reintroduction will be made.

the second was an even older friend, who i lost when he was forced to choose between his bride-to-be, and me. just for the record, i wasn't the one issuing the ultimatum, but as self-inflated as my ego is, i think the choice was and is obvious. that being said, it seems enough time may have passed, and he recently made contact. i have often wondered about and prayed for this friend, and couldn't be more excited to hear that he is doing well, straight from the horses mouth. i've also never been so glad to have been wrong about something.

the last appeals to my sick and twisted side. i learned yesterday that an ex from a couple years ago (the one that ripped my heart out, caused me to lose 10 pounds and spend months crying, whose name starts with jer and ends with emy) is still single. what is so gratifying about this news is that the last time i heard (over a year and a half ago), he was engaged. i know it's evil, but the fact that he didn't 'beat' me, that there is still one ex there who hasn't started a happy little family, and that it's him, just makes me think 'HA!! there IS justice in the world!'

*****

big, exciting, wonderful news! i found a place to live. not just a place to live, actually, but a place i feel great and peaceful and excited about! after months of misery, i feel like a burden has been lifted. i'll be moving this week ( i know, it's been crazy!) about a mile from where i currently live. and though i'll be adjusting to a smaller space (i've been completely spoiled by this house) i'll have my own bathroom, be saving a good deal in rent, and most importantly, be living in a place with really nice girls and no alcohol, or...other stuff. starting over is a wonderful wonderful thing.

excite me already!

roughly two weeks ago marked the one year anniversary of my move to california.

here are some of the standout moments in no particular order:

1. been through one job and started a second
2. been through two homes and am looking for the third
3. been through one ward calling, and now hold a second
4. had 8 friends come to visit from out of state (most of whom didn't actually come to visit me)
5. been in one 'serious' relationship
6. lost my only pet
7. visited utah three times
8. visited virginia twice
9. visited portland twice
10. bought a bicycle for the first time (ever)
11. met cal ripken
12. saw joshua radin live for the first time (the second time will be in december!)
13. rode a segway
14. played a building
15. attended a wedding (thank heavens, only one)
16. attended a baptism
17. had a sleepover
18. chopped my hair
17. checked the following items off my 'hot list':
-Grauman's Chinese Theater
-House of Blues
-Kodak Theater
-Walk of Fame
-Hollywood Sign
-Aquarium of the Pacific
-The Getty Museum
-The Getty Villa
-Autry National Center
-Griffiths Observatory
-Mission San Juan Capistrano
-Knott's Berry Farm
-Six Flags Magic Mountain
-Anaheim Angels
-Anaheim Ducks
-Breeder's Cup
-Pageant of the Masters
-Sawdust Festival
-San Diego Wild Animal Park
-Zions National Park (twice)
-Arches National Park
-Canyonlands National Park

so, it's been a busy year. a great year. a year full of challenges and triumphs. a year full of miracles and blessings. in my next year of life in california, i hope for more of the same (though i could handle a slight decrease in the challenges), and maybe the addition of just one thing that i can be insanely excited about and energized by...for more than a couple weeks or months. in the meantime, i remain conscious of and grateful for the gifts this year has presented.

p.s. men suck

behind...again

seriously, where is the time going? at the moment, i'm sitting in a hotel room in san diego coloring my hair. multi-tasking has always been a strong suit of mine.

i'm here for my first trade show with the new company. blech on trade shows. but pretty dang cool that i get to be around people all day who are crazy about animals like i am crazy about animals. on the show floor today were a couple of snow white great pyrenese, an oversized black rabbit of some sort, and a multitude of pet and veterinary related products. it's making my recent acceptance that another dog might be in my future (not immediate, but forseeable), seem a little more imminent.

though of course, there is always the housing situation to be dealt with. said housing situation has varied from barely tolerable to outright hell since i moved in in february. after months of drunk strangers (guests of my roommates) making life intolerable in multitudinous ways, i am finally getting out! i have no idea where i am going yet (though i plan to stay in huntington), but i don't care. thanks to my prayers and those of others, i have finally found a replacement, and have a couple weeks to figure it out. :) that little smiley face says a lot. the fact that i would actually be excited about moving (my least favorite thing on the planet) says much about how bad it has been.

but, truth be told, it's been the only bad thing in my life, and for that i'm grateful. the rest of my utah trip was amazing. i attended my first general conference session ever (thanks to my cousin mel, and my cousin jan for giving me the tivket mel had offered her).


corey played hookey and we hit the alpine loop for a taste of fall.

i spent time with cousin katie (and mel)


went to hogle zoo with my friend and former co-worker charity.


visited friends heidi and dave, who i haven't seen since their move to utah years ago! the visit was an invite i issued to myself, that went like this:

ring. ring.

dave: hello?
me: hey dave, it's tara
dave: hey tara!
me: what are you guys up to?
dave: heidi is at costco and i'm just hanging out
me: do you have wireless internet?
dave: we do:)
me: can i come over?
dave: yep!


met cousin laurie's new baby laynie and played with zach and parker.


attended the 'legend of sleepy hollow' with corey, jill, and long time friend emilie, to watch her husband pat pursue his love of acting.


talked melanie and friends into visiting a haunted house with me.


met cousin jan (with aunt shannon) for a delicious meal.


played laser tag and arcade games, and raced go karts with cousin pam and her new husband ben.


headed southeast to arches national park (another stamp in the national parks passport) where i hiked (yes, I hiked!) up to delicate arch.


left arches just in time to hit canyonlands national park (one more stamp) for an incredible sunset.


got dumped on by a surpise snowstorm in scary scary mountain passes in southern utah Trust me, this pic doesn't do it justice).


and finished off the trip by meeting corey and jill at zions national park (already HAD that stamp!)


needless to say, it was an AMAZING trip.

much more goodness has happened since my return, but that will have to wait for another post!

i knew it!

United States of Tara is the new Showtime comedy from Diablo Cody, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Juno.

Tara stars Toni Collette as a married woman with multiple personalities. John Corbett plays her husband, and the show has been described as "a sort of Weeds meets Sybil or The Three Faces of Eve." Hmm.

The premise came from the mind of Steven Spielberg, and it's scheduled to premiere in 2009. While I'm not too keen on Spielberg's idea, I'm hoping the Collette-Cody combo will make it work.

-Pop Candy

so while i'm not particularly interested in the show, and the multiple personality thing is a little off putting, i will say this, i always knew jon corbett was destined for tara.

update

has it really been 20 odd days since my last post?! well friends,time for an update! i'm probably going to do this in pieces, so bear with me.

first and foremost, i am employed again--or will be come monday. it's both a blessing and a miracle, and i couldn't be more grateful. when i found out in june? july? i would be laid off, i immediately began my job search, and the results were of some concern. there simply weren't very many opportunities. though i diligently sent my resume off whenever one would pop up, and began networking like never before, mostly i just prayed:) i also began getting my financial house in better order to prepare for the possibility of being out of work for an indefinite amount of time.

imagine my surprise and pleasure at receiving a phone call for an interview on my first official day of joblessness. the company was one i had applied at nearly two months prior, and to have that one phone call turn into a job offer within two weeks, was beyond my wildest imaginings. perhaps now you understand my gratitude.

i'll be doing events for a pet insurance company. don't laugh. alright, if you must. but truth be told, it's a pretty good fit for me. i am one of those crazy pet owners who would sell my car to pay for doggy chemo if needed, so for the first time in my career, i actually feel like i will be working for a company who not only better aligns with my own interests, but also makes a difference in people's lives. okay, stop laughing now.

i'll be honest, it's not my ideal job. though still in my industry, the bulk of my days will be spent coordinating the company's trade show presence throughout the country. in my mind, trade shows are the red-headed step child of event planning. but i also can't deny what a natural fit the company seems to be, and the warm fuzzies i got from the people there. and mostly, i just feel so fortunate that in this economy and in my industry, i was able to find a job so quickly. particularly as i was informed that 1) the company had already been through a round of interviews a month prior, but they did not find what they were looking for, 2) they received literally hundreds of resumes, some with a great deal more experience than me, and 3) the raised their salary level nearly 20k for me. if that is not a miracle, i don't know what is.

immediately upon accepting the offer, i made a very spur of the moment decision to take a road trip. i called jae in cedar city to ask her about hosting a house guest for a couple nights, and upon her acceptance, i started packing on got in my car.

about 6 hours later i arrived to find the door unlocked, and the air mattress blown up. i promptly crashed (as it was 3am) and the next morning awoke to three sweet faces.

virginia, calli, and deseret are jae and brady's adorable triplets, and i have to admit, not what i was expecting. for one thing, i expected noise, and these girls are the quietest shyest little ones i have ever met!



jae did a great job of recapping our time together here, but i will say that it was a fantastic way to start the trip. given that the last time we were in the same room together was at her wedding, there have been many changes since then! it was so nice to have an opportunity to spend time together, and of course, getting another stamp in my national parks passport was a nice bonus:)

cedar breaks national monument
(my friend accused me of having the same smile in every photo, so i tried something different here)

after bidding farewell to jae and the fam, i headed north to salt lake, not sure how long i would be there or what that time would hold. so completely out of character for me!

okay i'm tired. more later:) but there are tons and tons of pics here that you can start checking out!