One for the books

For a few weeks now, Warren and I have wanted to try sushi. In case you didn't know it, Calgary is home to many ethnic groups. Canada as a whole, really... so you see a lot more foods from different cultures. Warren loves Chinese, and I am quite fond of Japanese- but neither one of us had ever had sushi, mostly because of it's reputation. Just so you know, I haven't had fish, in... maybe 15 years? I think I had a tuna sandwich once when I was a teenager because there was nothing else to eat and I was home alone... but that was it. I remember going fishing a lot with my dad- and this one time he caught a salmon and put it in his smoker. I remember liking that a lot.. granted it was fully cooked and full of smokey flavor to cover up the fishy taste, and I was 6 years old. Blech. I'm just not a fan of it. It's not so much the actual taste that I don't like, it's the smell. My parents were big into crab when I was young... ugh, I remember having to spend the night at friends' houses when they cooked crab.
Not only that, but at the grocery stores... why do they have tanks of live fish swimming around, and fish with their eyes and skin still attached, just laying around waiting for a home to go home to? It's not like you see a dead cow up there, hanging with everything still attached- so can you blame me for not wanting to eat something so life-like?
But, I sucked it up. I really wanted to try sushi. I had seaweed once before, and I remember not hating it. I mean, it wasn't very appetizing but it wasn't horrible- and I figured I would like sushi, at least enough to eat it once. When we got there, and looked at the menu... I chickened out and knew I couldn't do it. I'm sure it's all mental, but my brain knows me well. We ordered fish-less things such as cucumber rolls, avocado rolls and veggie rolls. When it came... I got nervous. Have you tried using chop sticks before? That is a skill that you are born with my friends. Warren went first, and I could tell by his hesitation that this was going to be disastrous. He tried to fake it though, and tell me it wasn't bad. He said by the end however, he didn't notice the salty seaweed taste. I went next, and I picked it up... smelled it... and put it down on the plate. Everyone started making fun of me (like usual) because they knew I wouldn't like it. I tried again, and I bit into it... taking as small of a bite as possible... unforunately I got nothing but a chunk of seaweed and chased it down with a ton of water and a piece of ginger.
Long story short, it didn't go well. I tried really hard because I wanted to like it. I like the idea of it- I think I'd love it if it had fried chicken in it... or dessert sushi, like from Gilmore Girls. And maybe nix the seaweed. That was the nasty part. The rest I didn't mind, especially with all the sauces they had. I tore off the seaweed and ate the insides, but I couldn't get the taste out- and I ended up just eating the chocolate pretzel sticks they gave us. Everyone of course, made fun of me. I actually started crying later after we got home because Graham kept making comments like "gee Kels, you're making it really easy for people to spot the American in here"... and laughing at me. It hurt a lot, but I guess it's an experience, right? Anyways, we took pictures to remember it by- so here ya go. Some are blurry, so just look past it.

In his face, you really can see his uncertainty

 Looks can be deceiving- my mouth is full and I'm smiling... but I'm gagging on the inside- And Graham anxiously awaiting my reaction... punk.

 

As you can see here, I'm having issues with my chop sticks

 Not gonna lie, it looks so pretty. And yes, that's Mayo drizzled on top...

 I gave up on using both sticks.. and stabbed it instead... this is also as far as I got with this piece

 And this is what happened afterward when I tried to just eat the insides

And in case you weren't grossed out enough already... I had throw this picture in just for kicks.

Did I have fun? Yes. Did I try something new? Yes. Was it successful? Not entirely. I might try it again one day, and like I said, I like the idea of it. Maybe I should try to create my own kind of sushi.

Tagged?

I think Heather tagged me in her post, so I guess I must re-post it!

1. What is your ALL time favorite song and why? That's hard to answer because I like so many genres. I currently am in love with "My Kind Of Perfect" by David Archuleta.

2. What was the most memorable part of your wedding day and or first date if you are not married yet? The stress of it all is what I remember most. I remember other things, but I remember having more anxiety attacks than I ever imagined possible on that day.

3. What do you want to be when you grow up? I'm very ambitious, but with a heavy side of 'second guessing myself' so I get scared. I used to want to be an orthodontist, but I've now think maybe cosmetology or a caterer or some sort is where my ambitions lie now.

4. Why do you blog? I like to share my life with friends- and it brings me a lot of joy seeing others interested in what I'm up to. It's a good way to stay connected with others.

5. What is your favorite attribute about yourself and why? I'm not very naive, and I tell it how it is. I think it makes me a very down to earth person and a person that others can easily relate to.


6. What's on your Christmas list this year? I have many things that I'd like to receive, but I think knowing my family is happy and healthy is what I'd like to hear/have most. It seems very cliche, but it brings a lot more joy than shoes do... but I do love shoes!

7. What is your "signature drink"? Maybe grape juice? I looooove grape juice!

I tag: Lindsey Lyman, Shelayna, and Rebecca Mann

Some people

...Complain too much. As I'm scanning my news feed, I can't help but put two and two together that it's snowing and blizzarding down south. Could someone else please complain about the weather, because that's not an original or interesting thought in the least. Now, I know that I definitely have no room talk, but at least I can admit it. In fact, I'm complaining right now about how much I hate complainers. I get that when it dumps a lot of snow, it's at best a good conversation starter, but must the entire world get thrown off? It's winter people, you live in the Rocky Mountains... it's snows there. Get over it. Maybe you should change your attitude and think "oh yay it's snowing, how grateful I am to live in a place that enjoys all 4 seasons of the year" or better yet, be grateful for the Person who created that snow storm's ability to produce snow. Now if you are more of a theorist rather than a creationist, then think how awesome it is that the Earth can do such marvelous things. And also, be thankful that you have snow plows to plow your roads- a luxury that not all people enjoy. Maybe be thankful that it's not -22 degrees Fahrenheit outside right now where you live... and that's NOT calculating the wind chill. We have frost on the inside of our windows...

And last but certainly not least... Be grateful that you don't have to plug your car in when it's not running...

Okay, now that I'm done venting, look at how cute these cats are. I'm not a cat person, but I'm thinking of adopting a little baby kitten.

They don't like getting their pictures taken... but don't you wish you had a fluffy cuddle bunny like these? Oh, and I guess I should add, sorry if I offended anyone with my ranting. ;) And does anyone have any tips for a first time kitty owner?

Ice Ice Baby!

Yay snow! Every year, I whine and complain about the change in seasons. I really hate the cold because I most definitely prefer the warmth of summer. This is the first snow fall of the season, and it actually made me feel happy inside, which surprised me. It's so pretty, and bonus- the snow makes the road quiet so in the wee hours of the mornings so the cars don't wake me up! It's awesome! What's not awesome though, is really how cold it is. Maybe it's just me, and the fact that I didn't grow up using the metric system but -14C seems extremely colder than 7F. The windchill makes it feel like -21C. BAH! It's okay, because this year, unlike last winter, I now have a big giant window to look out, and my own heaters and access to said heaters. Stupid basement apartment.

In other news, today is the last day of my mom's chemo and radiation treatments. It went quickly it seems, but it was rough. The radiation definitely took a tole on her, and I felt so bad because there was nothing I could do. She gets a rest for a about 10 days and then they will re-test. Cross your fingers that all the cancer is gone!

Last night we had our Young Women's in Excellence- the girls did so well, I was seriously impressed! I only got a couple pictures...

In the first picture, a group of girls did the "Thriller" dance... so that's why they look like zombies. And in the second picture, is Sarah who saved up all her money to buy that guitar two weeks ago, and has since learned to play a song! I can't even hold a guitar correctly, so props to her! And, because I'm still in awe over this picture, I'm posting it again. You can click the link here to view the recipes and to see my foodie blog!

Is it wrong to be so proud of myself? Oh, I have to mention also that I made that cupcake stand! Thanks Annie's Eats!
So I have to tell you a story. The story of yesterday. Yesterday, I was in charge of making those delicious baked goods, and I was so excited. It seems like it was a Herculean task, but really it wasn't. I paced myself, and did a lot of prep work so that I wouldn't be rushed. Truly, everything would have gone smoothly had I not messed up. Delaine was coming to pick me up around 6:30, to help me transport it all to the church. I started to panic about 6:05 when my 2nd batch of chocolate frosting wouldn't come together. It stayed the consistency of cake batter. I started crying hysterically and hyperventilating... Warren freaked. I look back and laugh, because really I had no need to panic. Delaine wouldn't be mad, and the treats weren't going to be served until the end, so I had lots of time. I started the frosting over, but made a small mistake, which I realized before I added any of the ingredients. I had doubled everything, except the butter, which is why it didn't thicken! I felt like an idiot, but we came up with a plan. We would take everything to the church, and finish making it in the kitchen. But, on our way to the church we've had to stop at Sobey's to get more butter. So we packed up Delaine's car with my mixer, two open pots of chocolate, a box of unfrosted cupcakes, along with all the utensils to make everything. As we were driving to the church, with the butter, some DUMB HEAD next to us (remember the roads are covered in ice and layers of snow) is merging into our lane right next to us with no blinker, and acting as if he's not really meaning to come in our lane, he just can't pick a lane to stay in... we pass him, and discover he's talking on his cell phone. Really? On these roads, you dare to pick up your phone? I seriously wanted to jump out of the car and pound on his window.
Anyways, that's all. Happy hump day!

To the temple

On Friday night, I got to go here for a youth temple trip.

Is this not the coolest lookin' temple you've ever seen? I thought it was pretty unique. This baby is a maze inside. Not to mention, super old. This is where Warren's grandpa Fairbanks was baptized because they didn't have founts anywhere else. Neato mosquito! I wish I could show you the inside, but... oh well. Let's just say, it was very old and nothing similar to the Boise Temple, or any other temple that I've been in. It was interesting having to travel 2 1/2 hours to go to the temple. I've always lived in a city where the temple was just down the street. I went ahead and looked up interesting facts about this temple, since it's so historic and is a special part of Warren's family history.

Original announcement was made June 27, 1913 by Joseph F. Smith.

Dedicated in August 1923 by Heber J. Grant. (that was the year my grandma was born.)

The Cardston Alberta Temple is a historic Alberta landmark that stands on elevated ground in the center of Cardston. Founded by Mormon settlers in 1887, the small community lies just 15 miles north of the U.S.-Canada border on southern Alberta's fertile plains. Outside the gates of the temple, a public visitors center (operated in the summer) offers several displays including construction photographs dating to the early 1900s.

Temple Facts:

• The Cardston Alberta Temple was the first temple built in Canada.

• The Cardston Alberta Temple was the first temple built outside of the United States.

• The Cardston Alberta Temple was the first temple whose design was put out to bid to prominent architects. Until that time, all temples had been designed under the direct supervision of Joseph Smith or Brigham Young.

• The Cardston Alberta Temple was was the first temple designed without a priesthood assembly room, demonstrating a transition away from the multi-purpose use of temples.

• The Cardston Alberta Temple was originally named the Alberta Temple.

• The design of the Cardston Alberta Temple served as the basic pattern for the Laie Hawaii Temple, which was completed four years before the Cardston temple was dedicated.

• The Cardston Alberta Temple is one of three temples built with no towers or spires. (The others are the Laie Hawaii Temple and the Mesa Arizona Temple.)

• Delayed in part by World War I, construction of the Cardston Alberta Temple lasted for 10 years. The last two years of construction were needed just to furnish the temple and prepare it for use; public tours were offered to visitors during this time.

• The Cardston Alberta Temple features beautiful hand-painted murals and rare hardwoods on the walls of its its progressive-style ordinance rooms: Creation Room, Garden Room, World Room, Terrestrial Room, and Celestial Room (no murals).

• The Cardston Alberta Temple is one of only six temples where patrons progress through four ordinance rooms before passing into the Celestial Room. (The other five temples are the Manti Utah Temple, the Salt Lake Temple, the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, the Los Angeles California Temple, and the Nauvoo Illinois Temple.)

• In 1962, an addition to the Cardston Alberta Temple was dedicated by President Hugh B. Brown, who resided in Alberta for many years after his family moved there when he was sixteen years old.

• In May 1988, the Cardston Alberta Temple was closed for three years of renovation work, which included modernization of its electrical and mechanical systems, addition of an entryway to the front of the building, and complete refurbishment of its interior—done with painstaking attention to detail to keep the temple true to its original decorating and design.

• On September 16, 1995, the government named the Cardston Alberta Temple a Canadian Historic Site. The commemorative plaque recognizes the temple as "the first consciously modern building in the province of Alberta."

Kind of interesting, I thought. It's neat to go to places that have such historic importance. Everyone should come to Canada to check it out! ;)

Source: www.lds.org

Fake it until you make it

I'm having an enormous problem today. Ya know how there are just some people you can't get along with? Or rather, people you just can't seem to please? I'm totally going through this. As you now, I was called into the YW's program this summer. I've been in there for a few months, and even to this day, I'm not really feelin' the love. I don't think I should come home Tuesday nights with red, wet eyes because I barely made it to the car before bursting into tears. I can't figure out why I'm not liked by the other leaders. I know I'm young, but is that a reason to treat me differently? My problem is mainly with a particular leader, unfortunately she is the one I work with in the Mia Maids.

As I was writing down all the things she's done to me and how each of those actions made me feel (I wasn't going to post it, I was just brainstorming as per Warren, who thought if I wrote my problems down I might be able to reevaluate the situation and come up with a solution on my own- well it worked) I realized that maybe I should change my attitude. And, to be fair, I'm not the one with the attitude problem, clearly- it is this fellow leader of mine. So, thankfully this leader isn't on Facebook or blogger... or anything like that, so I feel like I can say things on here. And if she reads it... who cares.

Dear (insert name here),
I feel like I've done something to offend you, or for some reason you don't like me. I've been trying really hard to talk to you and make it less uncomfortable for myself, but it seems as though you'd rather I not be around. I've been offering many services to you to help you out in all your planning and projects, but you've rejected everything. I've tried talking to you about things, and you've interrupted me and started new conversations with the person on your left. I've complemented you and I've backed you up when you were feeling really upset. I've done everything I know to do in order to get a positive and nicer reaction out of you. I come home every Tuesday night, barely making it to the car before bursting into tears. We recently attended a games night with you and another couple, and to say it was extremely uncomfortable is an understatement. You didn't speak one word to me the entire night. The only interaction we had is when you would stare at me, and I would look up and notice your eyes piercing into me. I don't get you. I don't understand why you are so cold towards me, and what I did to offend you, but I'd really like you to stop acting like a brat. I shouldn't be feeling this way- we are adults now, this game of intimidation is childish and I wont tolerate it anymore. I'm no longer going to go out of my way to talk to you, or offer to help you with anything. I simply am going to go about my business in becoming friends with the girls, and you can sit there alone and wish you had someone there to listen to you talk about yourself. Oh, and no matter how awful you treat me, no matter how unwanted and unimportant you make me feel, I'm going to fake it until I make it. Even if that means that every Tuesday night at 8:35pm, I get in my car and cry the whole way home, and even if Sunday's are the most painful days to roll out of bed to go to church and see your sweet smiling face (note the sarcasm) I'm going to do it, and I'm going to suck it up and I'm going to be nice and pleasant to everyone else, and you can just... do whatever it is you do. Your condescending demeanor can hurt me all it wants, but it wont stop me. I hope you have a horrible day.
Many handshakes,
Kelsey

Does anyone know how to deal with people like this? Any advice as to what I should do?

"I'm gonna be the new whaaaatt?"

Yesterday at church, was weird. I got a third, yes a third, calling.

It was loud in the chapel when Bro Sherwood comes up to me... the only three words I heard were Stake Girls Camp Director. Um, what? I went throughout the whole day thinking about how I was going to find a way to get out of this... I got home and Warren assured me that if I were to be given a stake leadership position, a member of the stake presidency would ask. So, actually, I don't know what my third calling is... all I know is that it has something to do with girls camp. Do you hear me talking about girls camp? No. That's because I hated it. I have no good memories from it. Plus, there is a whole slew of foreign animals in these parts of the woods.

Anyways. The plans are set for our Ugly Sweater Soiree... I'm getting excited for it! I'm thinking of making a jalapeno popper dip served with baguettes or veggies. For YW In Excellence next week, I'm making chocolate cupcakes, with this new frosting I found, and I'm thinking of shaving some chocolate over the tops. I'm also going to do raspberry cheesecake cupcakes. Just thinking about it makes me hungry! Does anyone know where to get really ugly sweaters? I need some good input- we've got to have epic ugly sweaters. I'm determined. ;)

To fit in, or to not fit in?

I don't know how I feel about LuLuLemon. I know most of you in the States have probably never heard of LuLuLemon before... let me show you what it is.

Athletic clothes. Not just athletic clothes, but freakin' expensive athletic clothes that everyone and their mom wears- not just when working out, some people make it their outfit for the day. It pretty much drives me insane. I personally, feel a little uncomfortable when I'm standing behind someone in line at the grocery store, who is wearing the most revealing work out pants in the world. It makes me want to lean over to said person, and quote my favorite TV show, and recall "it must be jelly, 'cuz jam don't shake like that." I don't need to see your cute behind in those stretchy, wafer thin pants, and your adorable La Senza undies- and I also don't need to know that you have money enough to buy those particular work out clothes- I'm thoroughly not impressed. I would be more impressed, if you used that money to purchase something more awesome (which would be practically anything) or used it to pay off your credit card debt, which I'm sure you occurred when you purchased those silly pants.
Would you like to know how expensive this stuff is?
That shirt: $58
Those pants: $108
The shorts: $86

So now, the pro's of this silly corporation. The clothes are cute. I'll give it that. Plus, everyone wears it. Regardless of the fact that you get them all sweaty and gross from working out, people still wear them, constantly. I admit, that I'm a bit of a fashion follower, I like to dress somewhat up to date and I enjoy reading fashion magazines. However, LuLuLemon is purely a Canadian thing. People in other parts of the world, dress in nasty gym shorts and old t-shirts when they go for a jog. So I feel silly showing up for aerobics (not that I do it all that often because it's soooooooooo early in the morning- haha, 9:30am) in my gym shorts and a t-shirt. Is it wrong to want to fit in with the rest of the group? Or is it better to not succumb to the worldly fashion? It's a fairly obvious answer, but it does give some good food for thought. After all, the clothes are cute, and you never know who'll you'll run into when you're out for a jog (pun intended).

Anyways, that's all I had to stay about that. Let me know what you think, would you buy those clothes, or wouldn't you?

New Favorite!

I have a new favorite blog- it's called Petals and Posh. Here are some of the things you can purchase from this site:

You should click the link above and check out her new site! She does custom orders, and everything is really affordable!

Umm, no thanks

Today's rant it brought to you by Facebook- the thing that is both a blessing and a curse. Please read and give me your feedback.

Back in high school, I had this friend, we will call him Frank. Frank wasn't really well liked. He had a 'bad boy' attitude and he liked to tell people about all the bad things he was doing. He liked to back talk to his teachers and get suspended. He also was a member of the church, and regularly attended seminary- he happened to be in my class. He was always very nice to me, and so a friendship developed.
I sort of felt bad for him, because I knew he didn't have many friends and that he had a lot of struggles- all I tried to do was be nice and friendly and try to help support him and help him stay active in the church. I didn't go out of my way, because I only saw him once a day during seminary. Every now and then he would make a comment or try to make some sort of gesture that suggested that he had a crush on me. I ignored it, and let it be known that I wasn't interested. One day our sophomore year, he disappeared. I just figured he had moved or something. I saw him a couple of times after that, but for the most part he had fallen off the Earth.
A few months ago, Frank joined Facebook, and landed a spot on my 'suggested friends' list. I added him as a friend, and we chatted a few times. Frank is still the same person I knew him to be. A bad boy who tries to be good, but can't seem to stay on the right path. He even landed in jail for a little while during high school, which explained the random disappearance.
Earlier today, Frank was online and sent me an invitation to chat with him. Sometimes I have a hard time talking to him because he is always complaining about everything. He's always has a problem and likes to talk about them, he asks for advice, but always seems to have a reason why it wont work or how it's not helpful. It bugs me a lot. It takes a lot of time and energy to talk to Frank. Long story short, Frank decides to declare his undying love for me. Dispite the fact that I haven't seen him in over 6 years, and I am MARRIED. If I wasn't interested in high school, there is no way I would be interested now. I was really upset because I was just trying to be nice and friendly. Everyone deserves a friend, right? It makes me even more upset because I don't know how I sent the wrong messages. I'm not very personable to him, because unfortunately this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Frank is very predictable, you see. A couple words here and there, and I can tell where it's headed. To say that I am 'cold', is an understatement. Most of my answers are yes and no, and I never share more than a few words or sentences. How got he the impression that I would accept any sort of gesture, or even return his 'affectionate' words, is beyond me.

So my question is... do you stop being nice to people in fear that your kindness is misinterpreted? And how do you rectify the situation? Better yet... I hear a lot of my YW tell stories about this all time. They are just nice to someone (usually a boy) and somehow the boy gets the wrong impression- what do you tell them to do? How to you even deal with it? Has this ever happened to you? What did you do in that situation? Please let me know, because I'm dying to come up with a solution to this epidemic.