2009: A look at looks

As we wrap up 2009, here's a fun look at my show: TopTenREPORTS. It's basically a look at my hair. So feel free to give me your feedback. Which outfits, hair etc you liked or didn't like. :)

My Take on the Kindle DX and Other eBook Readers

I had it the Kindle DX in the office a couple of days ago to look over and its pretty sweet. I really liked the product but the price tag is what will stop many of us from purchasing right away (especially my friends still in college rt?). I admit, I really liked using it but ouch the price ($489.00) is just a little out of reach for some.

I attached my video review of the DX at the bottom so you can get a real look at it. Overall though, I think most of us would like it, especially those of us who had to make that hike up to BYU every day –ugh. If we only had the Kindle-it would have saved our backs from feeling sore so many times from a heavy backpack filled with books.

I do think that eventually eBook readers like the Kindle DX will take the place of text books. However, I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon. For those of you who don’t know what an eBook reader is, it’s a device that holds at least 1,500 books, magazines, newspapers and so on.

I read an interesting report from The Democratic Leadership Council regarding the Kindle. The report went into why we need to transition from heavy, sometimes out-dated textbooks to Amazon’s Kindle. The report gave many reasons to do this: eBook readers are relatively easy and cheap to update. Plus there are many health and environmental reasons as well. I encourage you to read A Kindle in Every Backpack –it may become the stepping stone to having an eBook reader instead of textbooks.

Eclipse: Fresh and Cool-Really?

I know another gum review but I can't help it-their so fun to do! I swear I'll write a real blog post soon. As for now-you can know if I really like this gum...

The Fresh and Cool Gum by Eclipse was very good when the taste first reached my palate.
I could smell and taste the gum before I even chewed into it (which was a good thing because a sometime “inconvenient” coworker tried to intervene my trying the gum).

The reason that I only gave this gum a 3.9 out of 5 was because I’ve been chewing it for at least twenty minutes and I’m ready to spit it out. So is it just another mint flavored gum? This is an average mint gum but if you expect a mild taste-think again.

It’s very powerful-it cleared my sinuses right up. I have to admit I’ve now spit out the gum and the mintyness still resonates in my mouth which is a good sign for those of us who like strongly flavored gum that lasts even after you’ve spit it out. In that regard it does live up to its name Fresh and Cool.

So this gum is great if you’re going out in a date. You’ll have fresh breath long after you spit out the gum. This is also great for when you eat at your favorite Italian restaurant. You want to eat that delicious garlic bread and not feel guilty about making your friends pass out afterwards- chew this gum.

But I have to say this gum isn’t nearly as savory as some. It just doesn’t stick out in my mind as a great flavored gum but it still does the job-if the job is giving you great breath and not a great mouth watering - chewing experience.

Mango Smoothie Downs the Competition

So some friends at work and I try out new gum all the time and then have to rate them. We try to be unique and this review I thought was really great about Extra's Mango Smoothie:

"The Wrigley’s Extra Fruit Sensations Mango Smoothie Gum really does have it all. Fruity gum isn’t usually my typical choice when running down the super market aisle. However, when I was given a piece of this Mango Smoothie by the wonderful Mr. Zabel I was pleasantly surprised. The minute you open up the package, the mango-strawberry aroma rises up pleasantly to my olfactory senses. The gum chewing experience got even better as I popped it into my mouth. Hmmmm. It was Gum Heaven!

Since the gum makers began to create fruity flavors beyond the typical spearmint, bubble gum, hot, and peppermint flavors I haven’t really branched out. Fruity to me is well fruity. But this Mango Smoothie Gum really does have it all. I give it a 5/5 rating. It’s beyond delicious it’s heavenly. The flavor lasted for a long time and the gum didn’t lose its form after chewing it for a long time.

If you’re looking for a smooth, relaxing bit of heaven for your mouth-try Mango Smoothie Extra Fruit Sensations Gum."

Pretty Funny. What's your favorite flavor of gum?

Softball Funnies and Lame Umpires

Our company has a softball team and I along with another co-worker are the el capitans. It’s so funny being on a work team. We’re not the best but we’re not the worst team in the league, but every game has offered some sort of hilarious act.

One of our first games, we had one of the more petite women I work with out in center field. It was a terrible game we were losing 30 min into the game by twenty. It was bad (r u rethink the whole “we’re not the best, but we’re not the worst statement now?).

Anyways- the other team hit a great beautiful pop fly right to this petite coworker. I was thinking this would be great because then we’d finally have 3 outs with her catch. She puts her mit up-ready to catch it and THUD! The ball bounced off her glove and hit her square in the forehead.

Running through me head were these thoughts: Dang it-now we have to keep playing in this crappy inning (first thought); Oh crap is she OK???? (2nd thought-is that bad that I first think of winning?-just goes to show how competitive I am and that I hate to lose!)

I’m playing second base, so I start running towards her when I hear the ump yelling “That’s Game.” What?-we’re in the middle of a play. Everyone on the field is confused-we want to see if she’s ok but we still need to finish the play. No one understood why he called the game. The ball was still in play, and the man who hit the ball was still running around the bases. Everyone is confused but basically the ump decided that our injured player was enough to call the game in the middle of a play and decided then and there to in-act the slaughter rule (I told you the score was definitely not in our favor).

So this poor co-worker is dazed, running around looking for the ball as she tries not to cry still in an effort to help the team get an out. But the dumb ump called the game-but heck she can’t hear him out in the outfield-plus she just got knocked in the head-I mean jeez ump give us a break!

It’s was so funny. The poor co-worker had a huge goose bump on her head and got a black eye from it. I have no doubt that this hilarious softball moment will be talked about for a long time at work.

California Vacation

There is nothing better than a vacation is there? I recently went to Southern California with family. It was our last hurrah before my brother Jay leaves for Fortelaza, Brazil. We did the typical trip of visiting all the theme parks and spending a day at Newport Beach. There is just something about California that I love. I hope that in the next 10 years I find my way there. I would love to live there and experience the California living.

We like to pose...My mom wanted this to be the best picture. I think we talked about what we would do for a half an hour. She wanted it to be perfect.
Nothing better than spending a day at the happiest place on earth.
I've been to Sea World a lot in the past 2 years. I made everyone do this park in 1/2 a day. You can only look at Penquins for so long...But of course the whales get all the attention anyway.
I love Lucy! It was great to see my idol as not my idol but hey I can't help it. My fav episode is when they eat all the chocolate in the factory. LOL
3D Glasses-so sexy right?

F is For Foust. Its one of the best letters in the alphabet.
I only got this pic because a coworker of mine likes him. He kinda smelled funny-not the coworker but Beetle Juice. Anyways it was a fun vaca and it was great to get out of town for a week.

Remembering BYU

It’s been just over a year since I graduated from BYU. I wish I was still there. So to commemorate my time at BYU, I’ve made a list of just some the good times that I had during my four years of living in Provo, Utah.

Tennis Games-Made a lot of friends playing tennis with Squires. Did I mention we are women’s doubles intramural champions?

Nicmo Prank: Sophomore year. Boys wanting + Girls with water balloons at Kiwanis Park=Getting chased around Provo at 3 a.m….great prank.

True Blue Football: There is nothing better than rolling around in blue foam commemorating Homecoming Week.

Hiking the Y: I hiked the Y several times. I’ve done it in the middle of the night and in the middle of the day. Great hike to show you’re a real cougar.

Liberty Square Polar Bear: Ok we made this up when I lived there. Here’s how it works: Make snow angels outside in the well you know snow, and then run and jump into the pool (it’s in an icky bubble thing). We were frozen but the video we have from this is excellent.

Shaving Cream War: Let’s just say spectacular time.

Reporting Live From BYU: Reporting, anchoring, weather, executive producing was a blast. Living in the Brimhall building while working on stories from that lady who won prizes on Price is Right wearing a BYU shirt, to a dog that saved its family, to how firefighters save lives, and of course Miley Cyrus coming to Stadium of Fire.

Tuna/Cat Food Prank: 40 cans of tuna and cat food +FHE bro’s weren’t home + we had a key to their apt. Their apt stank so bad! This started a semester long prank war.

Park City Concerts: Nothing better than going to a concert in the middle of winter outside and drinking hot chocolate in the greatest ski city in the US.

Campouts: Gosh too many memories of these even to start listing. Bonfires, waking up at 4 a.m. to hike, rafting the Colorado River, and playing games in the tent are priceless.

Squaw Peak: Need I say more?

Utah Lake: Holds many memories from having fires on the beach to making Jen paddle me everywhere in our canoe on the lake.

Floating the Provo River: I swear no matter what time of year you go the river is always freezing. Fav memory from doing this is when Mark went under the bridge-a current took him under and ripped all of his clothing and popped his tube. He was so not happy. Ok one more for this-we took Megan’s truck up and we tried to put 5 tubes in the back. Obviously we can’t pack very well because the tubes kept flying out.

There are so many more but these are what comes to mind right now. Everyone should live in Provo for some serious good ole fashion BYU fun!