Sarah: I long to be crafty

So, Sarah, what do you do while you're supposed to be working? Well, among other things, I surf the interweb looking for ways I wish I could be spending my time. I want to be able to come home every night and craft. Well, maybe not every night. But there's so much cool stuff that other people do! Look at stuff I've found:
wee wonderfuls
Thimble
my paper crane
edge of urge
not Martha
get crafty
Going Domestic
Ok, so some aren't strictly crafts, and some you've seen before. But it was so fun! I want to craft. Right. Now.
In other news, Lisa's been out of town, and I miss her! Who am I supposed to call with questions about html or bring to silly movies, or just hang out with?! I like her. Come home, Lisa!

UPDATE: Oh, and urbanSPY.

Sarah: Can you dig it?

I have again been surfing the internet during work hours. Oh, the shame. But how can I help it when there are sites like Digs Magazine (via Thimble)? I've spent most of the time in the Lounge category, where they discuss home improvement and decorating, but there are also ideas for entertaining, chilling out, and eating. New articles are added twice a week, and it's free! This is the perfect magazine for me. Crafty and do-it-yourself ideas presented in one of my favorite mediums, and with new articles, I'll never run out of stuff to read! I love the interweb. I really do.

Lisa: Los Angeles, installment 1

As Sarah mentioned, I was out of town last weekend with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square on a tour to the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Los Angeles.

We arrived at the L.A. airport on Thursday afternoon, and a small group of us rented a car and drove around L.A. instead of riding a bus to the hotel and sitting around in the lobby until our rooms were ready. We are such rebels. Anyway, we ate at California Pizza Kitchen (hey, it's a chain, but it has California in its name!),

walked around Venice Beach, and stopped for a bathroom break at the LDS temple.

One of the ladies with us wanted to go to a double reed store to buy a new oboe, and while she was in there I got a photo of the Hollywood sign.

Silly, I know, but I felt it lent a sense of closure to our unsuccessful quest last May. We finally made it to the Marriott for dinner, and then headed up to our rooms. This was the view outside our window!

Tune in soon for the next REALLY EXCITING installment...

Lisa: Mmm. Brains.

Today's mimi quote that made me laugh out loud in the library:

harry: Organ meats are the new black.
smartypantsmimi: I like it when they're called VARIETY MEATS.
harry: Wow! Such variety!
smartypantsmimi: By the way: babies aren't supposed to eat brains. No brains until you are three years old.
smartypantsmimi: (This was in an actual infant-care book.)
harry: So sad for babies! They are crying and pointing at your delicious plate of brains.
smartypantsmimi: Sorry, kid. No brains for you.

I'm sure our future children (who will undoubtedly inherit my zombie tendencies) will be sorry to hear this.

Lisa: Los Angeles, installment 2

Our second day on tour, Friday, we had a bit of time before we had to get on the bus to head down to San Diego. My roommate and I decided to walk over to the Los Angeles Public Library, which was only a few blocks from our hotel.

The gardens outside are full of symbolic statues, fountains, and other decorative elements, including stair risers with letters from different languages cut in brass, copper, and steel. When you enter the library, you can't see any books at all--just long hallways. It's the opposite of the new Main Library of the Salt Lake City Public Library System, which feels so open and modern. Of course, I had to check out the kids' section. Just outside the children's area is a huge, echoey rotunda with painted mosaics on the walls

and ceiling, and a giant chandelier.

The children's area itself feels old, full of dark wood paneling and shelves, with glass-fronted display cases.

The story area

and a reading nook next to it feel more modern,

and sort of form a hallway into the ENORMOUS picture book room

with a puppet theater at one end.

On our way out of the library, we stopped at the gift shop. They had tons of cute things, and I ended up buying these finger puppets that I thought would be perfect for storytime.

Anyway, the rest of the day involved driving to San Diego State University for a rehearsal, dinner, and a concert, and then driving back to L.A. I finished the only book I brought, Wind on the Moon, on the way down there, so I stopped at the University bookstore and picked up The Secret Life of Bees to read on the way back. I liked them both.

One more day's adventures to tell. Seriously, it will be LIKE YOU WERE THERE.

Sarah: Words for Reading

The email subject "ViagRa4:pEniS" seems needlessly specific. I like to think of it as a form of concise instruction.

Sarah: Leave a message and I'll call you back

My favorite voicemail of the weekend:
Hi. It's me. I just woke up and I'm going to Burger King to get some french toast sticks. I'll be back in eight minutes. Call me later. Bye.

Second place for most entertaining message:
Yo yo, it's *****. How are ya? Calling to tell you that we have no meeting tonight so... don't go, basically. If you have any questions, you can always give me a call. Not that I expect that there would be a lot of inquiries to be made... But you know, whatever. Give me a call if you do have them. So, no meeting, that's all, um, good work, and I'll talk to you later.