The Indifference Curve

Anna and I have been toying with the idea quitting sugar. Tomorrow the journey begins...

I'll be honest, I've got a major sweet tooth. I consume a lot of sugar. Every day. And it's just a poor practice, so I'm going to change. I just ate a life-saver lollipop, some thin mints and a cadbury egg as my one last hurrah. Wish me luck. This is going to be tough...

-Princeton-

Working Man

Spencer's been out of town for work since Sunday. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to his return tonight. Sometimes it amazes me how much Rush lyrics help me understand my love and his life and outlook.

P.S. The wedding dress will work (with some major alterations) after all. Yay!

-RUSH-

Maybe I'm Crazy

My Bishop and I organized a team from our ward to run the Wasatch Back Relay in June. It's a race from Logan to Park City (that's 178 miles) and takes approximately 24 hours to complete. Yep.

-Gnarls Barkley-

Let It Go

A short list of recently discovered things that bother me:

-When people say 'Federal Express' instead of FedEx
-Shoving the inside cereal bag way down into the box so the box is bulging and no longer flat
-When the wedding dress shop promises you a dress in your size and then only gets one in that is 4 sizes too big and the dress has been discontinued and it's the only one left in existence

-Donovan Frankenreiter-

Quick

I know, I know. It's been forever since I've blogged. And I'm not here to say that I'm back. But I'm here to say hey. The giant wedding list is oh-so slowly, but ever-so surely getting checked off. We've got a place (Salt Lake Temple + Old Meeting House), a date (May 16th!), a time (late morning wedding, early evening reception), a dress (gorgeous), a photographer (only one of the most important things of the day!), 99% of the guest list and addresses(well, on my side), a honeymoon (still need to get work off...), and soon (Saturday), a florist. Phew. I don't even want to list off what remains to be done, because if I start thinking about it too much, I'll be in the car with my honey on my way to Vegas to get this all over with before you can say... Happy Easter.

So. I don't think I've mentioned this. But it's a slightly strange phenomenon for two people who are typically pretty conservative with their Benjamins. It's something that both Spencer and I have been experiencing and it's... kind of weird: an insatiable desire to spend money! Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration. And it's not just to spend, but more like to acquire. It's those last few weeks before everything will be shared and and we'll have to consult one another before spending certain quantities of moola. I feel that most of my spending that falls into this category has consisted of things I have either needed or wanted for a long time, or a slight upgrade to something that I might normally purchase. Here are a few examples:

1) My iMac has been so deathly slow lately I just can't take it anymore. So yesterday I bought 1 GB of RAM to help speed it up. This will be triple the current speed, so I'm pretty stoked for the possibilities. I could have bought the $100 version on the Apple Store, but I opted for MemorySuppliers.com where I got it for like one third of the price. Yess...

2) Swimsuits for the honeymoon. We are going to Hawaii, after all. I think I deserve some cute swimsuits. But were it not such an occasion, I would probably not be treating myself to them at such a store.

3) I've been pining after the trendy plastic Holga cameras for quite some time now. And yesterday I finally gave in and bought one. The only drawback is the cost of film and processing, but me, oh my, I cannot wait for it to arrive!

4) The deductible on my car insurance. Oh wait, this doesn't fall into either of those categories. Neither planned nor desired. And definitely not an upgrade. Just some punk who did $5000 of damage to my precious little car. :(

-Eddie From Ohio-

I'd Be Crazy Not to Follow...

To the man who has the heart of Colonel Brandon,
The understated genuineness of Edward,
The spontaneity of Willoughby,
The friendliness of Knightly,
The handsome mysteriousness of Darcy,
And has promised to endure whatever necessary to understand what all of this means...

Happy Birthday!

-Radiohead-

It's Good to Be In Love

Yesterday I sent out a little email announcing the engagement. One of my favorite responses came from my good ol' AP American History teacher, Mr. O'Rourke:

Sarah,

Of all of my former students I might trust your personal judgment the most so I won't worry about this marriage. I can tell from his picture that he is not only handsome, but also thoughtful, charming, intellectual, compassionate, good with children and kind to animals, not to mention also athletic, spiritual, and a great dancer! Good work hauling him in!

- Mr. O.

-Frou Frou-

Make A Plan

For a formal announcement, please send your address to sarah{dot}e{dot}madsen{at}gmail{dot}com.
-Saturday Looks Good to Me-

I Don't See What Anyone Can See In Anyone Else... But You

Fasten your seatbelts kids, this is a good one. (And maybe a little lengthy...)

For two weeks in January I was traveling for work. I spent a week in Vegas at CES, came home for a day, and then headed to San Francisco for a week at Macworld. I was a little tired of being on the road and decided to see if I could get my flight home from San Francisco changed from Saturday afternoon to Saturday morning or even Friday night. When I got on the phone with Delta, the people I spoke with obviously didn't speak english as a first language. Aside from the frustration , there was a fee involved in the switch, and then out of nowhere a sudden Saturday morning meeting came up and I had to be there for it. Saturday morning at 9am. After two weeks of straight work. And being on the road. And long hours. I was mad. Really, really mad. Little did I know, it was all part of a big plan.

Despite my frustration with having to stay in San Francisco, there was something very good about the situation because I was in fact, in San Francisco. It's a city that I love and one that brought back all kinds of good memories from my September visit there with Spencer. While we were there one of our favorite spots quickly became Dottie's True Blue Cafe - an adorable diner at 522 Jones Street whose food can only be described by the words huge, homemade, and delicious. We fell in love with the comfy vintage vibe and fantastic food even though we had to wait in line to experience it. Now that I was in San Francisco again, I thought it well to take advantage of its proximity. I ate there alone on Monday, then with a coworker on Friday, and she liked it so much that she suggested that we try to squeeze breakfast in there once more before our nine am meeting on Saturday. I agreed to meet her at 7:30 am in the lobby of our hotel.

That night and the following morning I thought of canceling on her and just sleeping in. But I couldn't get in touch with Spencer that night and some mysterious texts left me wondering if everything was ok for him in Salt Lake. I woke up early and kind of worried and decided to go ahead and meet my coworkers for breakfast. I love walking around big cities in the morning and Dottie's was a mere 15 minute stroll from the Marriott where we were staying. But my coworker suggested we take a cab, and thinking of the potential line we'd face at Dottie's and the fact that we had a meeting in just 90 minutes, I conceded.

When we pulled up to the restaurant we went inside to a crowded waiting area. There seemed to be about three parties ahead of us, but the waiter asked if we were "them." Confused, I asked my coworker if she had called ahead, and she said that she had. We were promptly seated. When we sat down I noticed a Diet Coke sitting on our table with a glass and ice, and thought it was strange that they didn't bus our table before seating us. As my coworkers dismissed themselves to the bathroom, I contemplated drinking the Coke, just because I knew that Spencer would appreciate the fact that I didn't let a Diet Coke go to waste.

I gazed out the window at the city waking up, and looked around at the other tables filling the cozy space. I sat with one leg tucked under, until someone smacked me on the butt to get my attention. Shocked, I turned around and it was Spencer! Double shock! For a moment I thought I had passed out and was dreaming - but it was him! And he was kneeling down next to the table. And he was holding a little box. With the most beautiful ring inside! I threw my arms around him and still in shock to even see him, listened as he asked me to marry him. I immediately said yes, and the rest is history. Except for the fact that I proudly announced our news to every stranger we came across in the next 24 hours. I mean, really. You only get to say "We just got engaged!" to strangers and have it be ok on one day. So I decided to take advantage of it. It was the surprise of a lifetime and I'm so excited to spend the rest of it with Spencer!
Just to connect the dots for everyone out there... the meeting was created by my coworkers to get me to stay in San Francisco. They were in on the whole thing and were worried I would fly home early. And the Diet Coke on the table was actually Spencer's. He had ordered it before he went around the corner out of sight before we came in. The reason I didn't hear from him the night before was because he was either on the plane or in the airport when I called. Spencer picked out my ring by himself, and any girl will agree that he did a fantastic job.The big day is set for May 16th, 2008. We're both really excited and can't wait to experience all of the things that life has to offer together. Maybe what I wrote in my journal that night sums it up best, "It was a marvelous, fantastic beginning. I can't wait for the rest!"(Just a note: Spencer proposed inside, not outside. One of the first strangers I told of our engagement took our picture and then told Spencer to kneel down and took this one)
-The Moldy Peaches-

my love waits there in san francisco

Spencer and I are getting married!! Full story to come (it's a good one, I think you'll want to come back for it...)-Frank Sinatra-

We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

Last week I was in Vegas all week for the Consumer Electronics Show. Today I arrived in San Francisco for Macworld.

The bad news?

All of our freight is still in Vegas.

Yep.

-Modest Mouse-

Too Much, Too Little, Too Late

360 days after I started my job...
I got business cards.

-Jellyfish-

The New Year

Wow. 2007. I don't think a year has passed so quickly in my entire 26 year history. It was a huge contrast to last year, where I was experiencing so much transition and constant change. But it's been an interesting invaluable year none the less. Here is my year in review:

Best Things 2007:
1. Spencer!
2. Got my first full-time, salaried, grown-up job
3. Moved into an adorable house in Salt Lake with great roommates!
4. Several weekend excursions helped me keep some form of sanity
5. Took a day off of work to attend the IKEA grand opening and then drive to Boise and back to see a Brandi Carlile concert (totally worth the 10 hours of driving!)

Not So Amazing Things 2007:
1. Just a lot of confusion
2. Michael Scott as a boss
3. Went into debt for the first time (for a car though, I think it's a pretty worthy reason)

Places I visited in 2007:
1. San Diego, CA
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Portland, OR
4. Los Angeles, CA
5. Boise, ID

Realizations of 2007:
1. You'll never work more hours than when you're not getting paid by the hour
2. Utah's a pretty good place to live. For now.
3. I am really terrible at making decisions. Especially big ones.
4. The best thing you can do as a young employee is get there early. And stay late.

Concerts I attended in 2007:
1. Snow Patrol, The Great SaltAir, Magna, UT
2. Damien Rice, McKay Events Center, Orem, UT
3. Brandi Carlile, The Big Easy, Boise, ID
4. Regina Spektor, In The Venue, Salt Lake City, UT
5. Sondre Lerche, Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR

Things I checked off my list in 2007:
1. Get a job, a real one
2. Keep up my personal history
3. Stay fit

-Death Cab For Cutie-

20 Years of Snow

Trying to catch up. It's barely winter and we're moving into our fifth storm of the season... Here are a few photos from the first, when shoveling was still fun and snow seemed a little more enchanting. {1 Dec 2007}-Regina Spektor-

I'm Actual

Do you ever have those moments when you read something and think, "Wow, that's really interesting," or "That's so profound; I need to remember that," or "Man, I wish my life was like that." And then you realize that you were actually the one who wrote what you are reading? In that moment of realization, it's like this massive fissure starts to form between 'you' and 'former-you' and you can see yourself waving, arms flailing to be rescued, as the gorge deepens and the camera pulls away from image of 'former-you' so quickly that you just become a single pixel in the grand landscape now before your eyes. And then sometimes you're thankful for the seemingly solid ground upon which you now find yourself. And maybe for a moment you get a glimpse of your life as a journey of becoming, and realize that in the tiniest of pixels in your life, you became.

Or maybe it's just me.

-The Format-

After All

I like to make yearly goals around the time of my birthday rather than at New Years time. It just makes more sense for me. I did it last year, and have to be accountable for my progress (or lack thereof. Here are my goals from last year.

1. Run five races (I ran two)
2. Run a half-marathon (included in the five races) (I tried several times, but it never happened...)
3. Get a "real" job (done!)
4. Save ten percent of my income (please...10% was a wimpy goal)
5. Drink no soda (I did pretty well, but can't say I had a 100% soda free year)
6. Travel to at least one place I've never visited (Hmm... I can't think of anywhere. Sad. Have I officially arrived at adulthood?)
7. Read more books (done and doing! I'm in the middle of ten or so right now...)

This year my goals are similar, but still important.

1. Run a half-marathon
2. Run a 5K
3. Run a 10K
4. Make a quilt (finish the one I started)
5. Knit a new something...
6. Read at least one book each month (that may not sound like much, but life gets so busy!)
7. Finish a Blurb book
8. Save money
9. Take a class for fun
10. Travel to somewhere I've never been

-Sondre Lerche-

The Dangling Conversation

A few weeks back Anna tagged me to reveal six things about myself. I was hesitant to do so a)because I feel like there's not a lot that's interesting that people don't know about me that they might want to and b)because I was lazy. But I've finally gotten around to it. Here goes:

1. I spend a lot of time planning but I like to live spontaneously. Ideally there are lots of known options, but a choice is made with just enough time to get excited but not so much that the build-up becomes overkill.

2. I'm pretty sure everyone I've ever lived with has called me Sarita except for my family.

3. When I was seven all I wanted for Christmas were tools. I remember being so delighted with my little toolbox, hammer, screwdrivers, etc. I counted every nail and claimed that I had gotten more presents than anyone else or ever before. I still dream of being like one of those girls on HGTV that restores fantastic old houses, tool-belt and all.

4. I try desperately to make up words in Boggle almost every time I play. Later I usually find out at least a few of them really are words. (I knew it.)

5. My favorite way to sit at the computer is with my shoes off and my legs crossed. Or sometimes with one leg tucked and the other knee up and foot resting on the chair. Sometimes it's a little embarrassing when someone walks into my office and I am sitting like this.

6. I've recently started listening to audio books on my way to and from work each day. Today I couldn't figure out why the book I was listening to was just not making sense, until I realized after about five tracks that my stereo was on RANDOM. Oops.

-Simon & Garfunkel-

Poster Girl

More poster love. For Like Ever available at village for $35. {a new take on the "Families Are Forever" cross-stitches of the past} Manhattan print available December 1 from ORK for $25. {even cooler because I lived there}

-Backstreet Boys- yikes

Confirmation

Remember back in January when I started my job and I was convinced that I worked for Michael Scott? Well it's been confirmed on more than one occasion, like when we've taken clients and prospective employees out to lunch at Denny's. But the announcement of our company Holiday party at.... Applebees has been the crowning jewel of the most Office-like experience of my life. I can only hope. Too bad I'll be out of town for the Megster's wedding. I might have won a Dundie.

-Manhattan Transfer-

River

Last year at this time this was pretty much all I listened to. Ah, sweet, crisp memories of lovely Belgium.

Something about this time of year just makes me want to curl up on the futon with hot cocoa and orange rolls every night in a pile of fleece and down. Or skate away on a river.

-Sarah McLachlan-