I did love

. . . your responses to the Gratitude Journal post. Thank you, thank you, and also I love you.

I'm off to Denver tomorrow morning for a few days to participate in the Mountains and Plains booksellers trade show. The University of Utah Press is republishing CHARLOTTE'S ROSE, and so I'll be at the booth, doing a little promotion dance. I'll also be hanging out with Anne and Jenny from TKE, and it will be good times.

Truthfully, I'm so glad Charlotte gets a second chance. It's a book I'm really proud of, probably because it was just soooooo hard to write. Historical fiction is hard to write, you guys. YOU HAVE TO DO RESEARCH AND STUFF, which is v. exhausting for a lazy writer like me.

I'll be back on Monday. Enjoy the weekend.

Gratitude Journal

My son Geoff has been feeling kind of down lately, so I told him that as cheesy as it sounds, keeping a gratitude journal can be helpful, because the act of noticing the good things in your life helps rewire your outlook. So I bought him a notebook--a small one, though. And I told him I bought him a small one on purpose, because actually he doesn't have that much to be grateful for.

But whatever.

I'm a little down in the mouth, too, so I thought I'd start off my morning by listing a few of the things I'm grateful for. Thanks for indulging me.

1. Indians summers
2. Fresh peaches
3. Late roses
4. Neighbors who go to late night movies with us
5. Dogs
6. Even though the big one drools
7. The knowledge that there's always another good mystery to read
8. Warm days
9. My boys
10. Their father

Another Saturday!

Another column!

A phone thang

I noticed today that whenever the phone rings I start shouting I'LL GET IT! I'LL GET IT! I'LL GET IT! I immediately go into this crazy five-alarm-I'm-gonna-save-that-damn-house-from-burning-down-to-the-ground mode because you know how it is. That phone call is JUST SO IMPORTANT!

And besides I'm doing everyone a favor. I'm answering the phone so no one else in this house has to.

But here's the deal, which deal I just realized today when I nearly broke my neck getting to the phone whilst tripping over dogs and pillows. Here goes: I'm not doing anyone a favor because absolutely no one else who lives here bothers with the phone now. They're just all hey call me on my cell if you really want to chat.

Insight.

TV TV TV

Well, GAME ON is all I can say when it comes to Television Viewing right now. It's good to have TV friends back in the house.

In review--

Castle was okay. Obviously we all knew Kate wasn't going to die. We also knew Castle would declare his lurve. We probably also knew this would drive Kate to do a runner--which, okay. I get that a series thrives on sexual tension. I get that it's hard to make it last for SEASON AFTER SEASON AFTER SEASON. I get we're usually disappointed in the end when "it" happens (to wit: Sam and Diane, Maddie and David, Remington Steele and what's her name, Daphne and Niles).

Well, okay. Maybe not Daphne and Niles. Actually, I think we all had a hard time buying Daphne and Niles EVEN THOUGH I LOVED THEM BOTH.

But whatever. I'm starting to find Kate's inner wall thing kind of tedioso.

Didn't get to watch HAWAII 5-0, which is one of those shows where the actors bring more to the roles than the writing deserves. But whatever. The theme music is awesome. The scenery isn't half- bad.

Didn't get to watch any of the NCISs.

Did watch both Modern Family episodes last night and was not disappointed. (I'm waiting for it to turn into The Office, which I loved. Until I didn't.)

ALSO. Did watch Revenge by accident and oh people. I will be watching it again.

Tonight? I'll be turning into the Mentalist and Person of Interest starring that creepy guy from LOST and also the not creepy guy who played Jesus. Am popping the popcorn now.

Now there's a thought

So Ken and I always buy this knock-off Cetaphil product for skin-washing purposes, and right there on the front it says it's "non-comedogenic." WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN REAL LIFE? Because, of course, in that fake life I'm always having in my head, it means "this skin cleanser is NOT hilarious." Which is sad. You should have plenty of stuff lying around the bathroom that makes you laugh, right?

Fun with tunes

So my kids load up my iPod with stuff, and it's always fun to get little listening surprises because of it. Q loaded some James Brown on there, and I have fun predicting what the next line of a song will be, even if I've never heard it before. Like this morning, I heard this line:

I don't care about your past
I just want . . . .

HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! How do you think that line is gonna end?

That game

Anyway my parents, my brothers, our spouses and I got together for the game Saturday.

I know.

Sometime during the third quarter I finally said, "Well, the good news is that my neighbor is dead." This was met with a second big helping of stunned silence--the first helping, of course, being the epic implosion of the boys in blue. So I had to explain that while I loved this neighbor and still miss him, especially at Christmas when he dressed up like Santa Claus and delivered jolly gifts to everyone, he totally brought the crazy when it came to loving the Utes. And when they beat us, he let me have it. Over and over and over. So it was like getting beat up twice by the Utes.

Oh, Old Neighbor. I wish with all my heart you still lived around the corner from me. But okay. I'm so so happy you weren't in church yesterday.

Well, lookee here!

Another column!

So far

It's only 8:10 in the morning but so far it has been an awesome day. I offer this list as evidence.

1. The moon made the pond in Liberty Park all sparkly
2. It was good times on our morning walk
3. I still have fresh peaches to eat
4. I stopped and viewed gardens belonging to Heather, Maja, Gisela and AnnMarie
5. A partial rainbow showed up over the west desert just for the hell of it
6. I am already on my second Dr. Pepper

It'll probably all go down hill from here as life often does. BUT! Wow. What a beautiful day!

Sales clerks who intimidate

My mother told a funny story over lunch today about how she went to a yarn store recently to buy a stitch counter. She knew what she wanted, but she allowed the clerk to talk her into one she didn't want. So she waited until a day when he wasn't working so she could return it, because dude. She was kind of afraid of him and his forceful opinions about stitch counters.

My sister-in-law and I grabbed the table edges and GASPED because we have both been there--intimidated, nay BULLIED by sales clerks.

How can this be? Grownup, independent women cowed by clerks. Who knew?

Celebrity Peaches

Well, the peaches are on, and you know how much I LOVE fresh peaches. Or maybe you don't. But I do! So so so so much.

About the only person in the entire world who likes peaches as much as I do is my funny friend Sally, who went looking for peaches at the Bountiful Farmers' Market the other day. She met a vendor there who told her his peaches were so good that actual celebrities buy them.

Which celebrities, Sally asked him. She was hoping the answer would be "Jude Law." But it turned out the answer was "President Monson."

Okay. This story made me laugh.

Another Item to Add to the List

Now that I'm old, I have a list called "Behaviors to Avoid When I Get Even Older." I added another item yesterday.

I was taking Zora to the vet to get groomed (she looks like a poodle now btw--a big massive mutant poodle capable of invading Earth's major cities in a 50's Japanese horror movie) when I saw an elderly man standing on the street corner with his wife, flossing his teeth.

Okay. I am a MAJOR fan of excellent oral hygiene. Oral hygiene for all, I say! It's sort of a rallying cry for me--so much so that for years the only thing our parrot said whenever one of our boys walked through the kitchen was DID YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH YET? But flossing in public is a big old NICHT.

Even if it's sweet the way you and your wife were standing there together on the street corner, being 85 years old.

Speaking of TV . . .

Son and I just had a Modern Family moment. Remember that episode where Claire goes nuts because Phil listens to everybody's suggestions (wedge salad! The Book Thief!) except for Claire's who also recommended wedge salad! The Book Thief!?

Well . . .

Son just called to say HE recommended Castle to me a long, long, long time ago, but perhaps I didn't pay attention until Mystery girl recommended it. And OF COURSE I would listen to Mystery Girl before I listened to him, because that's how families are--engaged in all kinds of non-listening.

Dear Son, I listen to you. Example: when it comes to shortcut advice, I listen to you. Not your father.

Case closed.

TV watching

Last week Lisa B. posted a nice bit about her TV watching regimen over at HTMS, and I now feel inspired to do the same. With the approaching TWILIGHT OF THE GODS WHEREIN EVERYBODY INCLUDING THOR AND ODIN DIE (otherwise known as the winter months), I need something to look forward to. Like programs! Here goes.

Monday: Thanks to Mystery Girl, I now watch Castle regularly and I like it. And then when it's fall I watch football until I kind of slump over in my seat and drool. Yay for slumping and drooling!

Tuesday: While I don't LOVE these shows, I watch the NCISs. I like the real one better than the fake L.A. one, but whatever. And then it's all about The Good Wife, which SADLY is moving to Sunday night. Dear Good Wife, first you leave your low-down cheating husband (who, nonetheless, is kind of sexy) and then you leave your Tuesday night slot. I can't take it. This will seriously interfere with my Sunday night football-related slumping and drooling. And no. I don't do DVR.

Wednesday: Modern Family. Love it so much. Especially Gloria. I hope the show stays good. Sometimes shows you love enough to marry don't stay good, I've noticed. And then you have to get a divorce.

Thursday: Really a great night, right? Among other things I watch Community, a little Parks and Recreation, some 30 Rock and The Mentalist because Ken likes it. I don't know how they're going to move forward with THAT one, however, as Jane pretty much gunned down Red John in a food court in last season's finale, thereby ruining lunch for a lot of innocent people.

Friday: Well. By Friday I don't watch TV unless there's a game on.

Saturday and Sunday: Guess what I'm doing.

Okay. I feel like I have something to look forward to, which is awesome. Thanks for listening.

Remembering

Actually, I've been trying hard not to watch/read anything about 9/11 because after all these years I still find the images and stories far too searing. However, I didn't feel like I could just give the subject a miss in my column this week. So here's what I wrote.

The paper decided to throw it up online early in order not to inundate readers with too many 9/11 stories all at once. So here we go.

The column.

Jupiter in the sky with diamonds

This morning as Kathy and I were walking up South Temple (in the dark), we passed our friend Dave walking his dog Molly. Dave pointed at the sky and said, "Look! It's Jupiter!" And there it was--hanging like a fat star on the inky horizon. So the three of us (and also Molly) stood and marveled for a moment in silence.

I don't know why things like this touch me so, but they do--to think you can stand on a city sidewalk and see another planet shining! It makes you feel like a part of something bigger.

Ten Things I Hate to Do

1. Go to Costco.
2. Go to Costco.
3. Go to Costco.
4. Go to Costco.
5. Go to Costco.
6. Go to Costco.
7. Go to Costco.
8. Go to Costco.
9. Go to Costco.
10.Go to Costco.

Obviously, I went to Costco today. Hopefully Q. appreciates that six-pack of soy milk I bought for him . . .

Anxiety Dream #1011

So last night I dreamed I was sitting in Sacrament meeting, listening to one of my kids (it wasn't clear which one) (also, he was young again) give a talk I'd written out for him. Halfway through the talk, my kid says from the pulpit, "Mom, I can't read your handwriting any more."

At that point I stand up and explain to the congregation what I'd written--something about how I'd been a cheerleader once, because don't you know that's relevant spiritual information. And then, since I had the floor, I decided to tell a little joke.

Only no one laughed.

And even though I have been awake for nearly two hours now, I am still mortified for having bombed at church.

Labor Day Activity!

Early this morning Ken, Q, and I hiked up to Doughnut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was a nice hike--v. refreshing and lovely. But mostly it made me want to spend the rest of the day . . . eating doughnuts.

So that's what I have on my Labor Day agenda.

Hope your holiday is a pleasant one.

Oops

Let's try it again, shall we?

Column!

Column!

Wow. I've just been a big ole blogging fool today. But I want to get this up before I give myself over to the Labor Day Festivities.

As if.

Have a good weekend, guys.

Why I Don't Delete My FB Account

Sometimes I think about deleting my FB account so I won't get sucked into the ether vortex any more than I already do. But frankly I like to stalk my children there, and sometimes I am rewarded for my efforts. To wit: a former neighbor--very lovely man with unfortunate taste in teams--posted that he was happy about the U's victory last night. Well! Low and behold! Look what he let himself in for!

Geoff Cannon ‎27-10 against an FCS team is grounds for a nice game these days? I thought the U was a Pac 12 team?
16 hours ago · Unlike · 2 people

Alec Cannon I thought Utah's fake punt while up 24-0 against an FCS team was really well executed.
14 hours ago · Unlike · 1 person

Dylan Cannon Hey, Utah did what only 3 FCS teams did last year! Give them some credit. And, Ted, I'll take the Phil Dunphy quote, so I give thumbs down to Utah but thumbs up to you
7 hours ago · Unlike · 2 people

Geoff Cannon Face it, Holt. You'll be taking abuse for Cannons all. day. long.
6 hours ago · Unlike · 2 people

Ann Cannon I'd like to point out I'M the one who made the above comment. I didn't realize I was on Geoff's fb account. Although I think I'll push the like button on my own brilliant comment.
6 hours ago · Unlike · 2 people

Ann Cannon Yeah. I meant FROM Cannons.
5 hours ago · Unlike · 2 people

(Name of neighbor redacted to protect his privacy and also to shield him from the consequences of the above-mentioned unfortunate tastes): I should have known I was opening up a can of Cannons with my comment. You're all just racist...or Uteist...I can't figure out which one. I, on the other hand don't see color, just BCS bowl wins and championships after 1984.
4 hours ago · Like

Alec Cannon I sometimes forget about those BCS wins. They get lost in all of those 3rd and 4th place finishes in the MWC. But I am sure you'll get tons of PAC-12 championships.
4 hours ago · Like

Alec Cannon Because Air Force and New Mexico aren't in the PAC-12 to beat you guys.
3 hours ago · Like · 1 person

Everyone Sing

Happy Birthday to Queen Donna.

Whenever I start thinking the internet has ruined civilization as we know it, I remember Donna and how we would have never met without it.

Thank you, Al Gore.

A food post

So Sara Z and I met today for a work meeting at a little chez on First. But instead of working she drank coffee and I drank Dr. Pepper. Then we talked about the chocolate covered Oreos (in milk or dark!) at Hatch's on Eighth. And then, because we were tired from all that talking about Oreos, we decided to call it a day and take naps, so she drove to her house and I drove to mine where I had a nap.

But not until I went to Hatch's and ate Oreos first.