For whom the phone rings

18 October 2010, 6:32 pm by Giggles
Categories: Science & Tech

It better not ring for me.

I hate the phone. Hate. I’ve long said I will be having a serious talk with Alexander Graham Bell when I die for inventing the foul thing.

Phones are extremely rude. When someone calls me they force me to be on their schedule. They interrupt whatever it is I am doing so that I can quickly respond to their need whether it fits with what I am doing or not. And then if they leave a message, they force me to be equally rude by calling back. I have no idea what is happening on the other side of the phone when I call. And I have no idea what is waiting me if I answer when someone else calls. That’s a whole lot of unknowns.

Note I said, “if I answer.” Because generally I don’t and won’t. I am not a slave to the phone. I refuse to be. Which is why my phone is frequently off or not within range of my hearing, or I just plain old push ignore when it rings.

For me, phones are for family (and thank goodness for caller ID so I know it’s them) and absolute dire emergencies (which 99% of the time are about family so I’d answer anyway since it’s on the caller ID). Everything else pretty much gets ignored.

The best way to contact me? Send me an email. It won’t interrupt me. I can respond when I have time to actually think about your questions. And I don’t have to interrupt you to reply. My email is open enough during the day that I respond rather quickly. And, I’m more likely to respond to an email than I ever am to a phone call.

It’s not just that I’m avoiding talking to people. I’m just fine having a face-to-face conversation with someone. I’d much rather go to someone’s house and talk to them than call them on the phone or have them call me. But a phone call is not face-to-face, it’s not even close.

Two real good articles about the evils and death of the phone.

6 Shared thoughts

What matters

17 October 2010, 5:08 pm by Giggles
Categories: Family, Gospel, Musings

We got back from my grandpa’s funeral this morning. It has been a strange week. I am very grateful to Brett for constantly asking me how I’m feeling and letting me feel what I need to feel, whatever those feelings are. Most of those feelings are not for public consumption. But there is one that has come up quite a bit this past week. I’ve found myself asking, “What’s the point?” at several different times.

I know that this life is not all there is. I know that when we die that’s not the end and all is not lost. There is a definite point to this life and what we do really matters. So I haven’t been wondering, “What’s the point? We’re all going to die anyway.” But rather along the lines of, “I have such limited time, what’s the point of this thing in the eternal scheme of things?”

If our lives are so short, am I really making good use of the little time I have? How will what I’m doing now affect me eternally? And if it won’t make a difference, why bother?

I’ve been sorting through my life and my actions and trying to figure out what really matters, and then looking at if I am spending my time on those things that matter. It’s been interesting to see what side of the line some things have fallen. Taking care of our family and home, making it strong and sure and stable, has definitely mattered. Some of the other things that outwardly seem so important have suddenly felt rather hollow.

I want to spend more time on the things that matter.

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Random Sampler of Happy Things

12 October 2010, 7:52 pm by Giggles
Categories: Books, Gospel, Happy Things

Peanuts

General Conference on the 2nd and 3rd was amazing. I love hearing the prophetic counsel we need in our time. Every talk was wonderful. I finished reading the April talks again about two weeks before this session. I really enjoy reviewing it like that. I also pick three or four things I’d like to learn about each Conference. They are addressed every time, and generally during the Saturday sessions too. I’m glad it was always important growing up that we watch all of the sessions.

I love watching the hawks soaring in the sky. They make it look so graceful and easy to just float with the wind. It’s absolutely lovely. It’s relaxing to watch them just hang there like magic.

I take the bus home at the same time every Monday and Wednesday. And while it is still the bus, there are a few good things about it. For one, this bus driver is always on time within a few minutes. And I really appreciate that. Friday afternoon when I was coming home the bus runs every twenty minutes. Turns out the bus I was on was not ten minutes late, but thirty minutes late. The bus behind us was between 10 and 15 minutes late. We played leap frog the whole way. Now that’s just wrong. So this bus driver is on time. And at the end of a long day that’s super important. Also, for some reason, the bus isn’t super full. Which means it’s more relaxing. And he’s friendly. When I get off at the park-and-ride he and I exchange pleasantries until the next time. It would be nice if all the bus drivers were like him.

Friday morning I walked out to go to campus and took a wonderful cool breath in and told Brett, “Now, this is weather.” We’ve finally cooled off. The temperature at night now is lower than we set the house. Which is great. It makes sleeping a lot better. It means the days are a lot cooler too. The morning runs are much more comfortable and practically call for me. I’m loving the weather.

I got a package in the mail with magic sparkly stars all over it. And inside, were two books that move me that much closer to completing my collection. I now have both sets (children and adult covers) of paper back British versions. Isn’t this shelf just awesome! Thanks Book Guardian for getting the British book 7s to me.

And then, of course, there is this, which has to be the best thing I have seen all week. Absolutely awesome!!

7 Shared thoughts

We’ll miss you

10 October 2010, 9:45 am by Giggles
Categories: Family

Thank you for being such an amazing example and Grandpa. I will never forget your testimony and spirit. I’m so glad Brett got to meet you and you were able to come to our wedding.

Grandpa Fred Nuttall Giles
13 December 1913 – 10 October 2010

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I am not just a pair of breasts

7 October 2010, 10:51 am by Giggles
Categories: Featured, Health

I am skin. I am bones. I am eyes. I am lungs. I am brains. I am blood. I am ovaries. I am a uterus. And I am a colon.

Those are the cancers that have touched my life. Those are the cancers that have hurt the ones I love. Some have even taken those I love.

Last year on Facebook someone somewhere thought it would be real cute to have women post the color of their bra as their status as a way to raise awareness about breast cancer. Apparently enough people did it that some news stations picked it up. (However, nobody asks people to post the color of their underpants for colon cancer awareness.)

This year someone decided women should post where they put their bag when they get home by stating they like it on the couch, on the kitchen table, in the hallway, etc. Apparently innuendos cure cancer. Because who are they kidding, that’s all about sex, just like breasts are. If the colon was sexier there would be more races to raise funds to cure it too.

I don’t want just one type of cancer cured. I want ALL cancers cured. I want every oncologist to be out of work.

If you want to fight cancer, a Facebook status isn’t going to do it. Actions will. Here are two suggested actions:

Fight cancer in all of its forms, sexy or otherwise.

4 Shared thoughts

Onze Anos

6 October 2010, 1:46 pm by Giggles
Categories: Gospel, Happy Things, Life

Hoje faz onze anos que eu fue na missao. Que benção aqueles dezoito meses são em minha vida. Ainda hoje  minha vida é influenciado pelo meu serviço missionãrio.

Today marks 11 years since I went on a mission. What a blessing those 18 months are in my life. My life is still influenced today by my missionary service.

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This week is declared over

1 October 2010, 9:02 pm by Giggles
Categories: Venting

Monday night I was dicing the tomato for tacos and sliced the very tip of my finger. There wasn’t a whole lot of blood and by Wednesday it didn’t hurt to bump it any more. Slicing fingers isn’t that smart.

Then tonight I knocked my water bottle over onto my netbook. It’s still working. I have it set up like a tent so the water will all dry out. It looks like it’ll be okay, but still stupid.

Then, less than an hour later, I burnt the same sliced finger on the edge of the frying pan. No blister, but a slight red mark. Stupid.

Less than an hour after that I was pulling tator tots out of the freezer (because Brett’s been asking for tator tot casserole) and knocked a glass with canned peach juice in it off the counter. It bounced twice splashing only juice everywhere. On the third bounce it broke, spreading glass everywhere.

Monday and Friday not so cool this week for me. And my week wasn’t even the worst I know of.

I’m calling this week over. I’m done with it. 🙁

We’ll start again tomorrow with General Conference.

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