Introducing SAPPY Saturday!!!!

Posted on May 12, 2012 by

One of my passions is easy listening music.  Yeah, I said it.  I’m THAT cool.

Anyway…I sometimes hear classic songs that make me remember days gone by.  This new category on The Vocal Sokol aims to share some of those classic memories and make you remember your own that go with these songs.

More than just music, these videos are a look behind the music.  A look into whatever decade these songs were made in.  We listen and watch these videos on a regular basis.  It’s really fun.  We laugh a lot and usually end up dancing around the computer monitor.

Here’s the premiere video.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  For me it makes me think of wandering around the perimeter of my Jr. High School Gym during an after school dance waiting for someone to ask me to dance.  The beat of this song always threw me off though.  I was never sure if it was a slow song or a fast song.  Leave me a comment and tell me your opinion.  Fast or slow?

If you didn’t enter our give away yesterday, please feel free to do so.  Free Cakebites from The Sweet Tooth Fairy are on the line.   You may as well win them.  Also…become a fan on facebook.  We’re trying to ramp up our fans over there.

 

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A Giveaway With Sweet Tooth Fairy Megan Faulkner Brown

Posted on May 11, 2012 by

The Sweet Tooth Fairy.  If you haven’t heard of her or better yet tasted her creations, you really ought to.  I met the Sweet Tooth Fairy when my friend Elise, The Cupcake Activist, brought me some cupcakes from her very first store.

Shortly after my first taste two years ago, I made the 45 minute drive to the store for another cupcake. I was lucky enough then to meet Megan as she came out of the kitchen. It was easy to see she was working hard baking up a storm.  Still, she took time to personally greet and get to know me.  After that, her tasty cupcakes became a target of obsession.

Yummy Cupcakes!

I was thrilled/terrified a few months later when her second store opened up near my home. I wasn’t sure I had will power to keep myself from visiting daily.  Since I am a writer and lover of cupcakes, my friend Elise requested that I review the new store for her cupcake blog. This gave me another chance to get to know Megan and grow an even more dangerous relationship to her treats.

She’s opened 8 more stores since then with more to come!  She’s made dozens television appearances including national appearances on QVC where her cake bites are the top selling food item!

If you’re not impressed yet, direct your attention to the fact that she was not only featured on Cupcake Wars, but WON the contest resulting in an unbelievable amount of national exposure for her and her stores.  Recently she’s been asked back to participate in a Cupcake War of Champions.

Megan is more than just cupcakes.  Before her time as a baker she was a Federal Employee for almost 10 Years working for Utah Congressman Chris Cannon and then Jason Chaffetz.  She’s a model of civic responsibility and highly encourages regular people to become involved in the political process.

Most importantly Megan is a wife to her husband Ethan and mother to four children all under the age of five.  Megan has worked hard over the last several years opening her stores, but still manages to keep her children close.  When she puts in long hours she’s been known to have kids there with her, even sleeping on air mattresses inside the store while she finishes preparing for the stores opening.

Megan is an inspiration to me of taking a dream, developing a talent and sharing it with the world.  More than just baking, she is known for her charity ambitions and is currently working with the Safe to Talk Foundation, It’s a school tip-line aiming to make schools safer by installing an system where anonymous texts can be sent by students to easily report dangerous or destructive behaviors by their peers with our fear of repercussion.

Megan is also one of the most humble successful women I have ever met.  I think she might not realize how famous she is and I certainly don’t think she realizes what a unique talent she has.  I attended a class she taught recently at the Breathing Space Blogger’s Retreat.  Meagan seemed like she felt underqualified as she taught the class and provided tips and tricks in the kitchen.  She acted as if she assumed we all knew what she knew and could do what she does like it was nothing special.  Let me tell you, what she has is a gift and it’s something special.

I am so glad to know Megan and count her as one of my friends.  If you don’t know her I invite you to check out her website or visit one of her stores.  My recommendation is the Strawberry Shortcake or the Dulce de Leche!

The Sweet Tooth Fairy has graciously offered a box of 2 dozen of her FAMOUS Cakebites to one of the readers of this post.  To enter this drawing, leave a comment ON THIS POST about why you want the Cakebites and one lucky winner will be selected from the list of commenters here ON THIS POST.  While you are at it, feel free to “like” The Vocal Sokol on facebook.  It won’t help you win the contest, but it WILL make sure you always recieve a notice of new post and new drawings you can win.

The winner will be randomly selected from the list of commenters and notified next Thursday (May 17).  So be sure to enter before then.  The winner will receive a box shipped directly from Sweet Tooth Fairy headquarters.  Best of luck—Happy Cakebiting!

Posted in INSPIRING PEOPLE | Tagged , , , , , | 51 Comments

Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should

Posted on May 9, 2012 by

Don't forget to take time to chillax and watch the sunset once in a while. Remember to take the time to enjoy your life and your family. It's not all about connecting the dots.

I’ve been living my life for the last six weeks like I was the pen in some manic dot-to-dot work sheet.  As soon as I get one dot connected, it’s immediately time to move to the next.  This is NOT the way I want to live.

Living life in a hurry forces you to skip all the little moments that make it all more worthwhile.

All the things I’ve been doing have been important to me and have been good things to be involved in doing.  There have just been too many of them.  My brain is too full.  I’m yelling too much as we hurry out the door and I keep forgetting things.

The straw that broke the camel’s back happened yesterday when I found myself zooming across town to retrieve my daughter’s hair accessory I’d forgotten for her dance class picture.  I had thought about grabbing it earlier in the afternoon, but didn’t because I was frantically busy preparing for my next items on the schedule.

When I got to the photo shoot and realized my daughter was the only one there without it, I jumped back in the van threw my four-year-old back in and raced across town.  I was not a sane person at this point or a good driver.  I did realize that it simply wasn’t worth it, but I felt absolutely compelled to connect these dots.

I returned to the studio with hair accessory in hand just as they were wrapping up the group photos.  I think she might have been wearing it in the last 3 of 30 photos.

I felt like an idiot for forgetting it and even more like an idiot for my mad dash across town.  I wish I could tell you this was the only time this has happened in the last six weeks, but it isn’t.

I am just really glad that I don’t have an infant right now.  Otherwise I might end up being the person who unknowingly left the child in the hot car after being so busy or absent minded.  I always wondered how this happened.  How could anyone forget their baby?  I think life just taught me how it was possible.  When you’re busy, busy, busy, bad things can happen.

Here’s the solution portion.  I met Dani Lassiter this week for the first time.  If you don’t know her, she is the organizer and producer of events like, The Goldilocks Bike Ride, Oh Sweet Sadie Art and Gift Show, TriathaMOM and various other amazing things to do.  She’s my hero.  I think I might have a big girl crush on her.

I overheard her talking to one of the organizers of Breathing Space Blogger Retreat held last weekend at Daybreak.  I listened as she apologized for pulling out of the Breathing Space Retreat.  She explained that she had a realization that she would be too busy and too overscheduled to accomplish this task.  She left the others to finish up and put on the event.  And the rest of the organizers did a great job without her.

Have you ever felt like you were the only one who could do a certain job?  Or, that you HAD to do something because you said you would and people were counting on you?  It’s okay to change your mind.  That’s what I learned from over hearing this conversation.

I can think of about 15 things I have planned or participated in over the last week where I should have said.  Hey…I’m too busy, I can’t do this.  And the rest world probably would have managed fine without me.

I hope this makes you think about what you’re doing if you’re overscheduled and gives you permission to bow out if it’s too much for you to do, or too much for your family to live through.  We don’t have to live like this.  We do have a choice. Don’t be like me putting lives in danger over a dance class hair accessory.  It simply isn’t worth it.

Please excuse any typos you’ve seen in this post.  I’ve been busy.

Posted in THOUGHTS ON HAPPINESS, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

So You Think Yoga Is For Wimps?

Posted on May 7, 2012 by

At the Breathe Yoga Studio taking an intimate yoga class with five students.

I had the opportunity to take a Yoga class at a ladies only retreat I attended called Breathing Space.  The whole weekend was really wonderful.  Full of Pleasant Events I’m dying to tell you all about.  First on my list to share with you was the Yoga Class at Breathe, a Yoga Studio in SoDa Row in Daybreak.

I have heard people talking about yoga classes and the crazy postures they try to get themselves into.  I’ve also heard people talk about how difficult yoga can be.  This seemed odd, especially since the Wii Fit always complements my yoga performances even though I have no real experience.  Since practicing yoga is #208 on the list, I decided to check it out and have real yoga instructor instead of an electronic one who loves everything I do.

Now that I have actually done yoga I must say that I stand corrected, and my Wii must be full of crap!

First, crazy positions.  For the most part, the positions weren’t all that crazy, but they did require a surprising amount of strength and balance to maintain.  I’ve been taking a weight lifting class twice a week for the last year.  I thought that would give me plenty of strength.  I was wrong though.  I felt like I had the minimum amount of strength it required to hold the postures without falling over.  The reality is I did fall over. A lot.

Performing a nice yoga stretch. Interesting angle for a photo, yes?

 

Second, difficulty.  Now I see what they were talking about.  Yes, Yoga is difficult.  It’s difficult to stand and balance.  It’s not so bad for 15 or 20 minutes, but an hour’s worth of yoga positions will take it out of you.  I admit I started really watching the clock after about 30 minutes.

One position called Crane Pose proved I was a yoga novice.  It was tremendously difficult.  I thought the instructor was crazy if she thought the rest of us could do this.  Just as this crossed my thoughts, I saw the toes of the other class members start to rise into the air.

Here's the Crane Pose. If you can do this I'll give you a dollar.

I desperately scrambled to accomplish the pose, but was NOT successful.  The instructor gave me a foam block to rest my head on.  After receiving the cheat, I was able to perform this pose for about 2 seconds.  Now, a day and a half later my shoulders are SO SORE.  I can only guess it’s from the pressure I put on my shoulders during my many attempts to “Crane” myself.

Speaking of soreness, my whole body is sore today!  I didn’t see this coming.  I am a fairly active person and I didn’t think a bunch of slow stretching would be hard on me, but it was.

The last part of the class was my favorite.  Relaxation.  I had a Hypnobirth with my second child and because of that, I got really good at relaxation techniques. As the instructor talked us through the relaxation, I very quickly reverted back to my hypno-relaxations. It felt VERY good.

Lying on the floor with our eyes closed, the instructor misted us with an essential oil fragrance as she softly spoke. I really thought I was in heaven.  All the effort of the strenuous class was worth it for what I am claiming was the five most relaxing minutes of my life.  It was incredible.  I’d do it all again just for that.  I want to go to there again.  It was SOOOOOO nice!

On of the ladies in the class brought this happy baby boy who cooed and play and made the most delightful baby noises until he gave into the calming influences of the yoga happening all around him.

I’m glad I tried Yoga.  Even though it was difficult and I felt a little awkward, I can see how people get addicted to it.  My body felt so good the rest of the day.  I felt like I moved so fluidly all day.  I felt very bendy and good.

If you get a chance to try yoga, say YES!

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Steve Sokol–The Wikipedia Page

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

This is intended to the Steve Sokol Wikipedia page.  He’s my husband and is mentioned a lot in these posts, so he deserves his own reference page, even if it’s not actually on Wikipedia. Now, whenever he is discussed there will be a page to link to.

Sokol with his wife and daughters at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park.

Steve Sokol (born 1976) is a husband, father, CPA, CIA, CFE, cyclist, racquetballer, skier and golfer.   He is known for his love for his wife and daughters and excitement for outdoor family recreating.  Also admired for his professional abilities to manage tasks in an orderly and on-time manner.

Early Life Sokol was gifted from an early age with determination and tenacity.  He spent most of early pre-teen years through high school and college skiing with his friend Ben.  Despite his innate abilities to be careful still managed to set his neighbors bush and nearly the whole house on fire while setting off fireworks with Ben.

Career Sokol graduated from BYU with a Masters in Accounting.  He then moved to Southern California and took a job with public accounting firm Ernst and Young which he LOVED.  Upon meeting what would be his woman, moved back to Utah and took what turned out to be a disappointing job with Zions Bank.   Fortunately several years later he began working with Intermountain Healthcare which turned out to be a very satisfying career move.

Personal Life Steve met his wife Kristin through an on-line dating site early in 2004.  Sokol was then living in California while his future wife lived in Utah.  The two corresponded via e-mail and phone calls for several weeks before they met in person.  Sokol planned an unbelievably romantic first date in Santa Monica, CA which is where his future wife Kristin fell head-over-heels in love with him.

Kristin and Steve after 7 years of marriage.

The pair continued to communicate and visit each other but quickly decided that the long distance relationship was too hard.  They got married just 6 months and one day after meeting.  Luckily neither one turned out to be psycho.  They don’t recommend rushing into marriage, but say that it happened to work out for them (whew).

Just 15 months after their wedding their first child was born.  This proved to be a rough event in their lives.  Injury, illness, weight gain, and depression took hold in the life of his wife.  Sokol, being the incredible person his is, managed to help and direct his wife to find and apply good coping techniques, medical intervention and support which helped her to overcome the challenges related to being a new mom.  Six years later, the family, including his wife is thriving and has never been happier.

Authors Note  I think Steve is the greatest man that has ever lived.  He has given me everything.  I often say that he is the wind beneath my wings and the money behind my debit card.  He’s been the momentum behind anything awesome I’ve done in the last 8 years.  Here are the best words I can use to describe Steve: kind, adventurous, ambitious, careful, discrete, and knowledgeable.

I have always been a happy person, but I never knew straight up joy until I met Steve.  I can’t believe I’ve only known him for 8 years.  It seems like we have enjoyed a lifetime of love and happiness.  He won’t fight with me.  It’s almost impossible to be mad at him.  What can I say?…We’re lovers, not fighters.   Together we’ve enjoyed nearly 8 years of hand holding and countless bowls of ice cream on the couch after the kids go to bed (shh don’t tell them).

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So I’m Not A Dreamer

Posted on May 2, 2012 by

Here's me and some of my closest friends, the friends I made my first year in college. We met up for a reunion tour of good old Snow College.

It’s true.  I’ve never been a dreamer. I’ve always been a practical person.  Since I was a child making decisions has been a long process. I always thought a long way off into the future and thought, “how will this affect me?”

When I was a child while others were developing talents like playing the piano or singing like an angel, being academically gifted or learning back handsprings, my only talent was practicality.   As a child practicality isn’t a “fun” talent or one that you can really perform.  As an adult, I’ve really come to appreciate it.

With that background, I’ll share this article I recently read in the Wall Street Journal.  I know I sound really smart when I say I read stuff in the Wall Street Journal.  I’m actually NOT smart enough to enjoy reading the WSJ on a regular basis, but…I WAS smart enough to pick a man who DOES.  He makes recommendations about specific articles he thinks I’d enjoy. I read those and sound smart talking about them. How’s that for practicality?

This article is themed around graduation.  It’s that time of year.  The article is 10 Things Your Commencement Speaker Won’t Tell You.

I thought the whole article was brilliant.  Now, I am not a dreamer.  This article might just kill your dreams, so know that before you begin reading.  But, if you want a practical, real, happy life, the following the advice might go a long way to leading you down that path. Click now to read (it’s quick).

Here’s my favorite parts. (I skipped the paragraphs that didn’t speak to me)

1.  Friendship and human contact IS important.  I sure hope this is true, because I’m fairly certain I came pretty close to failing most of my hard classes my first two years in college. But…I had a LOT of FUN.  I always thought that should count for something.  The people I spent my first two years in college with are STILL some of my dearest friends.

Here we are all grown up. What happened 15 years ago feels more like 15 weeks ago.

In the long run, I still graduated from college despite my terrible grades the first two years.  I don’t spend a lot of time these days regretting my bad grades.  I do however spend a lot of time on the phone with my dear friends.

2.  Authoring this blog has been an adventure in frustration, self-doubt, failure and some success. It’s nice to know that failure and frustration is a part of life and in the end a part of success.  It gives me a reason to keep writing even if I’m fairly certain that my only regular readers are my mom and Aunt Tammy.

4.  I told you earlier that I was a practical person from a very early age.   I identified my weaknesses as a child and always looked for a person smarter than me with opposite strengths.  Enter Steve Sokol.  My life has been a breeze ever since I met him. I highly recommend this to anyone seeking a person to marry.

5.  What?  Just enjoy yourself a bit more?  Yeah, I can get behind that.

7.  Parents coddling their kids well into their mid-20’s or 30’s is a bad idea.  It doesn’t make for strong adults.  Kids should fly to coop as soon as they are able.  It’s what nature intended.

9.  I have been living my life for the last three weeks in a REALLY high stress way.  I don’t like it but it’s easy to do if you’re not conscious of it.  In the end, none of my high stress items mean anything if I get hit by a bus tomorrow.  Today I slowed things down.  I played cats with my four-year-old in the front yard for a half hour.  I believe she would remember that for a long time if I got hit by a bus tomorrow.  It’s moments that matter most.

10.  This is my favorite paragraph.  Maybe it’s because my talents have never been all that extraordinary when compared to the talents of some of my friends.  But as a person, I think I’ve put in a pretty SOLID performance.  Being great IS over-rated.  Too much pressure.  Shoot for solid.

So there you have it.  It’s not magic and rainbows, but it’s a good way to live.

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All She Wants To Do Is Dance, Dance, Dance

Posted on April 30, 2012 by

Steve Sokol is a lucky man.  Also, he is a good man.  See, for the last couple years I have been itching to go dancing.  Dancing like I used to go dancing when I was a single gal.

Except this time with no awkwardness during slow songs because I would be going with someone who was obligated to dance with me and I wouldn’t have to stand around looking desperate or pretend I was super thirsty and frequent the drinking fountain.

Steve WOULD go dancing with me, but not because it’s what HE would want to do.  He’s just a good sport and likes to make me happy, so he’d do it. Yes, I know how incredibly lucky I am.  And yes, I do sometimes take it for granted.

Anyway…I have tried to make this go dancing thing happen several times in the last year, but something always comes up.  Usually one of my kids gets sick or I get sick or some other un-fun thing.  Secretly, Steve has been greatly relieved. Shaking it in front of a whole bunch of people somehow isn’t his first choice of things to do on a Friday night.

Well…the Universe gave me a chance to dance this last weekend, and I took it!  Lucky for Steve it happened when he WASN’T with me.

The SNAP conference I attended last weekend provided me with SO many great opportunities, one of which was to boogie the night away at the close of the conference.  I knew there would be dancing, but I was so tired at the end of the weekend and I SO missed my husband and daughters that I planned to leave as soon as the closing session ended, but when the music started pumping, my feet started tapping and my head started to bob and I couldn’t stop myself from moving towards the dance floor.

It felt great to be a 33-year-old married lady and mother of two dancing my face off with a bunch of other ladies just like me.

There was loud music and lights and we tore up the dance floor.  Have you ever heard the phrase, “Dance like nobody is watching?”  That’s what it felt like.  It was just really fun.

Yes, I am aware I look a little silly in these pictures, but I would happily trade a little bit of post embarrassment for the fun I had that night.  It was seriously a blast.

I highly recommend every lady-mama out there go out dancing again, no matter how long it’s been.  I was lucky enough to have this dance party fall in my lap, but it’s not hard to find a place to dance these days.

Butter up your honey and make him take you.

Me and Amber, one of the new friends I made at the SNAP conference.

Or…call up one of your old college roomies or a friend from high school and make it a double date.  Between clubs, Country dancing, Latin dancing and Social dancing there are plenty of places available for you to shake it.  And shake it you must!

We had a great time dancing! You really should try this.

Drop me a line after and tell me how great it was.  Better yet, post a pic onto facebook and see if you can convince one of your friends to go with you next time.

Posted in PLEASANT EVENTS | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Inspirational Immigrants

Posted on April 27, 2012 by

I am the product of immigration.  Sometimes I think back about my family more than six or seven generations ago and think about what their lives were like in Denmark and England in the early 1800’s.

I remember being  a 19-year-old and a student at Snow College.  It hit me one day that my life was great because of my ancestors struggle to immigrate to America.  I remember feeling so lucky that day that I was getting an education and pursuing my dreams.

Even though I was never the greatest student I can remember remarking at how easy it was for me to receive an education and get trained to do anything I wanted.  I remember so clearly feeling moved to tears over the sacrifice of my ancestors in leaving their homes and immigrating to America.

Ever since then (1998) I have been pro-immigration. I know there is a lot of hoopla and what I consider racism surrounding the topic of immigration now, but I still feel like America is the home of the Brave.  It’s where brave people WANT to congregate.  There is a reason that America is the greatest nation on earth.  It’s because we have assembled a country full of brave people which we can credit a lot to immigration.  It’s the pursuit of a better life.

It’s a shame that our standards, laws and procedures for immigration are so convoluted and difficult.  It’s too bad that we keep out the bravest, most honest people who would like to come to our country legally instead allowing only the desperate to cross the borders under cover.

I think it’s wrong.  I think it’s the wrong thing to do.  I’m not offering any solutions here today.  I only wanted to tell you that I think immigrants are fantastic.  I think they’re INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE.

I am not naive to some of the serious problems caused because of our illegal immigration problems. I know there is a population of illegal people here who are bad criminal people. But they are NOT the majority.

What people fail to realize is how much each of us individually benefits from having them here. The majority of illegal people are amongst the hardest working people in our society.  My husband shared the most enlightening article with me.  I think everyone needs to read it before they form their lasting loud-mouthed impression of our immigrants.

I know that this post will probably cause a firestorm if some of my facebook friends find this post, they’ll probably give me their tired argument about how they’re breaking the law, are criminals, and leave some other remarks that I will consider racist.  But I think that will be worth it if I can get a few dozen people to read this article and consider its viewpoint.

I’ll also share this.  I have LOVED working with a group of immigrants for the last three years.  I have admired their work ethic and bravery.  I have and will continue to do anything I can to support them with the things they need to make it through their first few years in America.  I am especially interested in supporting their children who have no voice or choice about where they live or what their legal status is.

I know that my ancestors had people who helped and supported them. I think in just a generation or two the children of our new immigrants will look back at their parents and grandparents and marvel at their self-sacrifice as they live their suburban lives, pay taxes and educate the rising generation which will be the workforce that supports our economy during my retirement.

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Checking Off Rockin’ Resolutions–With Dick Clark and SNAP!

Posted on April 25, 2012 by

He had me at $25,000 Pyramid. I've always been faithful to Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve. Mr. Clark will be missed. The good news is Ryan Seacrest is adoreable!

I know it’s not January, but I’m still talking about resolutions.  I am one of those “resolution people”.  It’s one of the only ways I get things done.  I LOVE New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (R.I.P Dick Clark) because it motivates me to do stuff, i.e. I don’t want to feel like an idiot on the last night of the year because I haven’t done anything and wasted an entire year.

What I REALLY love is New Year’s Day.  For the past several years Steve and I have sat down together on New Year’s Day and thought of some things we wanted to do during the year.  Because I am motivated by guilt, my goals are usually related to things I am feeling guilty for not doing.  I have actually had good success resolving guilt and shame issues through resolutions.

For the last several years most of our goals were related to physical challenges, races, climbs and other physical bench marks.  We’ve enjoyed all the activities we’ve participated in related to these goals. This year, although I try to be committed to fitness my goals, the resolutions were not centered around fitness.

I’ve been trying to convince myself that I CAN survive in the professional world.  I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for the last 7 years and will be for at least another decade.  One of the reasons I’ve taken on this blog is to avoid having to learn a whole new skill set when my kids no longer need me at home.  I hope it will help me maintain some useful professional skills.

One of the things on my resolution list this is was to attend a professional conference.  I hoped to learn some new skills and get some new ideas that might help me be a better and more interesting writer/blogger.

It’s funny how the Universe always provides when you’re making good faith efforts in that direction.  Shortly after I made this a goal I learned that my friend Tauni was hosting a conference this year.  When I expressed interest in it, she asked me to volunteer at the event, meaning I could attend FOR FREE!!!!

Shortly after, my friend Miki contacted me about attending another event for bloggers call Breathing Spaces Retreat.  Yes please!

I attended Tauni’s conference, SNAP, last weekend and it was FATABULOUS!  I can’t believe how much I learned, how many contacts I made and how much fun I had.

One of the best classes I attended was one where Brooke Walker spoke on a panel. She is delightful, intelegent and super nice!

My volunteering job required I take live notes for several classes which are now posted on the SNAP blog.

Since it was a DIY blogging conference there were a lot of creative women and creative projects.  These boots were my favorite thing.

So CUTE!

They are re-purposed worn out black boots covered with this patterned Duct Tape!  Aren’t they awesome.  They were made my this lovely lady.

The conference was really just what I needed to gain more confidence and be a little better at this blogging thing.  I’m so glad it was on my resolution list otherwise I know I NEVER would have done it.

Do you have a list of goals for the year?  Take this opportunity to review your list and see how you’re doing.  If you don’t have a specific list, it really isn’t too late to make one.   Think about what you worry about in your mind.  Make a plan that helps alleviate some things you’re worried about or wish you could do.

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How To Be A Good Citizen–It Involves Snack Foods

Posted on April 23, 2012 by

Every Monday I post a “Pleasant Event” that I’ve enjoyed doing during the week. This week, in the end I’m not sure I really “enjoyed” this experience because it was really long and incredibly boring. But…I did it so I am going to report it to you anyway because it still counts.

This was number 88 on the list. This might not sound like all that much fun, but it is important that regular people attend government meetings at least occasionally. Otherwise we leave all the decision making up to nut jobs and ego maniacs.

Now, I probably could have selected an easier, less time consuming meeting to attend, but I decided for this blog I would GO BIG. So…I was nominated by my neighbors to be our delegate and to attend the Republican County Convention. The convention is where the decision is made as to which candidates will be the ballot for the general population this fall. Jealous much? I’m pretty much sexy and I know it.

Prior to the convention day, I must admit I did enjoy watching the candidates work (hard) to convince me to vote their way. They carefully listened to what I had to say. I grew up as the youngest child with five older brothers. No one ever listened or cared what I said, so this was a real treat.

On convention day, I was eager to vote. I thought I would march right in there and cast my ballot. Little did I know that I was in for the A to Z of electoral processes. It’s an all-day meeting. I knew that beforehand, but until you actually experience being at an all-day political convention, you won’t realize how long the meeting lasts. Plan on being there for the rest of your life.

I was irritated at how many meeting delays there were when crazy cat-ladies and pot-stirring weirdo’s tried to oppose everything under the sun. There were 1500 delegates there and there had to be a majority vote to do anything. The ridiculous delays and incessant voting about ridiculous procedural nuances put us an hour behind schedule.

And then there were the audio problems.

You can see from the size of this group that it was a large room with reverberation issues. The masses seemed very displeased and had no problem airing their grievances. It actually felt a lot like Festivus. I thought I might die at this point. This was already supposed to be an all-day meeting. I really didn’t want it to turn into a weekend deal thanks to all the political crazies who somehow got nominated and elected to this position.

Next time you are invited to attend your neighborhood caucus meeting, please go. Take your well-put-together thought processes and elect a SANE person to represent your neighborhood.

I got really bored adoring all the speeches and lame updates from the Republican party. Instead of listening I decided to chase down high-profile politicians and get them to pose with me for a picture. I had good success doing this.

Me and Utah's Governor Gary Herbert.

Here's me and my old buddy Orrin Hatch. I think he looks as bored as I felt in the photo

And then I found Utah Congressman darling Jason Chaffetz.

Here's me and Salt Lake County Candidate Mike Winder. I usually don't give political opinion on my blog, but if you live on the west side, you'd be CRAZY not to vote for him.

After Star Tour 2012 I came back to my crew which consisted of my old buddy Chip and my sister-in-law Tammy. They did a good job of keeping me there. I think I did a good job of entertaining them mainly with inappropriate comments.

I enjoyed the company I kept almost as much as the food I ate. I know using food for entertainment goes against everything I learned at Weight Watchers, but honestly, I wasn’t sure how long I would be there. It seemed like a life sentence at the time and all I had was food to live for.

Chip bought these Nachos for us to share since I mentioned I was craving 7-11 Nachos.

Delicious!

We did the best we could and got these from the on-site concession stand. There were no Jalapenos, but I have to say they were pretty good. We also ate a bunch of candy provided by the candidates. It wasn’t worth it. We felt like crap afterward.

After what seemed like many hours, because it was many hours, we had finally elected several candidates to be on the ballot this fall. So you’re welcome. As a surprise bonus most the candidates I preferred won their races.

If you try number 88 on the list, I’d pick a regular City Council meeting or something you could leave when you got bored. Just a thought.

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