MSG-ed

Ok, So Zak and I have this thing where we talk about going to all of the hole-in-the-wall places in Provo. On Tuesday we decided to try out the "sketchy chinese restaurant" down the street from us. It is sandwiched between the world's oldest cheap motel and a tire shop. They had hung a big sign that said "Best Chinese Food in Provo," so of course Zak had to try it.

I had a huge headache that day and smells were bugging me. (I think I have brain cancer.) When we walked into the crumbling building I was almost knocked over by the aroma of molding walls and an old mysterious leak which I found to be running down the wall right next to our table. I felt like I was in the Dark Canyon Cabin again.

When our food came it smelled really good. There was a ton of it, and for really cheap too. We both got orange chicken, fried rice, and an egg roll. I don't usually like egg rolls, but this one was pretty good. The chicken was ok, but the more I ate the more of a stomach ache I got. It just looked and tasted really greasy to me.

If we ever eat there again we are getting take out. I don't know if its worth it though, really. I like Panda- its sanitary, its safe, and its Americanized.

Zak and I are both doing a blog on the experience and we are going to compare, so be sure to check his blog too.

New Information

Item 1:
Yesterday morning I found a note on my car. It said: "Park straighter in the stall, Thanks." Alright sir. They have obviously never tried to park a 1994 Crown Victoria. I am happy when I can park without hitting anyone or anything. They have probably never done a 15 point turn in their little Honda Accord. Bite me Honda! And The best part is, the spot that they were parked in isn't even theirs, its my neighbor's who is gone for the summer. OkOkok maybe I should just drive better, but I sure feel better after taking that one public.

Item 2: (ATTN Jaime, Jed, Mandi, and Paul)
The Freshman Basketball players have started signing in to Study Hall. This means that I make contact with humans for about 2 hours every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Its all very exciting. Yesterday, One of the players was doing a goofy dance to tease on of the other guys, then he turned to me and said, "Lamont was in a movie and he had to do that." I asked what movie it was and you will never never guess what he said... STOMP THE YARD. No joke. Now I MUST see it because he said that he was "one of the guys that did the stuff."

Not Funny

I have a gift. It is called: the gift of saying the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. For example: (one of the many examples I am accumulating...)

One Sunday evening at my In-Laws' house, we started talking about pets. Heidi was saying how she got paid $20 to take their childhood dog to be put to sleep. She was saying how she didn't think it would be hard, but ended up crying because it was so sad to see Woody go. I can totally understand, I love my pets too. It would be so crappy to have to send them to their death. BUT instead of saying this, I open my big fat trap and say "Gee didn't Kent have a job one time when he was the guy that euthanized the animals? Yeah he said they just shoved em all in a chamber and gassed em."

Great Tiffanie. I am so cold hearted. Sometimes my mouth gets going down the highway before my brain can even back out of the garage. I am so sorry!

Home Sweet Home- Work in Progess

Here are some pictures of our apartment. We are still working on it, but when we put up our curtains I just got so darn excited that I wanted to share my joy. The really fun part, however, was to see Zak get excited about the curtains.

Nieces and Nephews

My Wedding Day

Boring

I like my job, but lately all of the athletes have gone home for the summer. That leaves me with nothing to do. This is what I do all day at work.

8:05- Get to work. Because I am there before my boss I finish doing my makeup.

8:15-Read the news paper and cut out anything positive about BYU athletics. Lately the only thing about BYU has been the mop slinging incident involving a track star and a pedestrian (more on that another time.)

8:30- Write in my Journal. Boredom can give way to positive habits.

9:00- Read the blogs.

9:15- Chat online.

9:20- Paperwork

9:23- Read some stuff. Lately it has been Angels and Demons, but I am open to suggestions.

11:00- Watch online TV. Lost, the Office, according to Jim, or Ex-Wives Club (I'm not sure how I feel about this show. It is the kind of thing I study in my major and I don't know if I like their methods.)

12:00- Ask my boss if there is anything going on that I can help with.

12:01- Ask my boss's boss if there is anything going on that I can help with.

12:02- Read the blogs.

12:05- Write a blog.

12:20- Clean the office.

12:25- Eat lunch.

12:35- Read Stuff

2:00- Take a "lunch break." This is the most productive time of my day.

3:00- Get the mail. Everytime I walk down the stairs I count as workout time, so I don't get the mail on my way in from "lunch break." I go up to my desk, get the key, and walk back down the 3 flights of stairs to the mailbox. Then back up the stairs.

3:05- Read stuff

4:50- Clean office, close doors and turn off lights.

4:55- Play Solitaire in the dark.

5:00- Leave work.

If you made it this far, congratulations and thank you for reading. Please lend me suggestions for making the work day go by more quickly.

Chalk Art 2007

Here is the finished product. Its not our best, but it turned out much better than I anticipated. Its 6 feet by 8 feet and the biggest one that we have ever attempted. It took us 12 hours to finish (way too long!) but we did it. Thanks to everyone that came to visit me! It was so much fun to see you all and to feel your support.

3 Mini Posts in 1

Yesterday I got a pair of sun glasses for $1.09 at Allen's the Creepy, WT Grocery Store by Our House. What at DEAL. I am winner for the day! Because of this wonderful find I am going to have to change the name of the place. So now I guess it is Allen's the WT Grocery Store by Our House With Cheap Sunglasses.

I made cookies yesterday for the first time since high school, and they were ok- a bit burned, but thats not really my fault because I think we have really efficient cookie sheets and an oven that over-heats itself.

I UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE HAVE BABIES AT BYU! Yesterday we were talking to someone about BYU Health Insurance and the maternity plan is GREAT. That is why people try to squeeze their first one in before leaving the school. I GET IT NOW. (No worries, friends, it will be a while still.)

Being Hard Core

Our Blanding/Moab Trip was fun. It was the first time I had ever been to Blanding, and I had a good time.

This is Zak being "hard core" in a cute little meadow. He is frolicking.

This is the creepy cabin that gives me nightmares. It was EXACTLY like the episode of LOST when Locke and Ben go to see Jacob. "Hheellpp mmmeee!! (Clang, clang, bang, crash!)"

Newly Weds

Random Thoughts on Being Married

Since Zak has forbidden me from posting my new favorite picture of him, I will just give you the visual. Ahem:

The day we got back from our honeymoon Zak stepped out of the shower and was wearing my little green towel dress. It is a towel that you wrap around yourself and it has straps so it hangs on your shoulders. It was quite the outfit.

Being married is fun. Its like one big long date. Zak is better at being a wife than I am. I will come home from work and the house will be clean and dinner will be sitting on the table waiting for me. I try to cook but I always seem to screw something up. For example on Saturday night I decided to make brownies. As I was getting the stuff out I was remembering the timeI forgot to put the eggs in the mix and thinking, "Brownies- I GOT this! I can totally make brownies." As I was mixing the stuff together (yes, it was from a box) It didn't look right. I dumped it in the pan and it didn't smear around right. Then I realized that I forgot the water (of all things. There are only 3 ingredients to add, how difficult should this be?) So I decided that it would mix faster if I just put the water in the pan with the rest of the goo. This did not work. Then I dumped the muddy water and the mound of goo back into the bowl and salvaged the browines. Problem solved. But who creates problems like that anyway? Just me.

The only thing that I have cooked without the use of a brownie mix or a toaster oven during my month of marriage is chicken enchiladas. They were ok, but not amazing. The chicken came from a can- does that count? I need easy recipes and lots of practice so I don't starve my new husband.

Eldon Mauray Payne

My grandpa passed away on Sunday, May 20th. He was almost 81 years old. My uncle made this site and I invite all of you to visit it when you get a chance. http://www.designsharp.com/mauray/

Here is most of my family. I say "most" because it is missing 14 people, but with a family that size, "most" is pretty darn good.

Elder Mason

This is my darling baby brother, Mason. He left on a mission about a month ago and I miss him. he will be serving the the Canada, Montreal, French Speaking Mission (after he is finished at the MTC). So enjoy a few pics of this adorable stud muffin. I miss him lots.

Weird Dreams

Lately I have been having some pretty strange dreams. I don't know if it is stress or what, but here are some of the strangest:

In one of my dreams my mom and I were driving to Canada in a snowstorm. we stopped at my ex boyfriend's house and he tried to hold my hand. I got really mad at him and told him that I was going to marry zak. My mom got in our car and started to drive away, but it was in really busy traffic so it was going really slowly and I jumped out to go and do something, but when I got back to the car all of the traffic including my car was gone. Then a strange guy came and said he knew where I could find my car and He took me to a receptionist's desk where they took me prisoner. Then I woke up.

In another dream, I was in my apartment and zak was with me. Then zak turned into a mean guy that I knew in high school and wouldn't let me leave my apartment.

Another night I dreamed that Zak and I were married and were living in a condo but half of the building of condos was part of the mental hospital. The hallways were blocked off with doors so the patients couldn't get out of their section of the building. One night, someone opened all of the doors so the patients could come out and eat any babies or kids in the building. Zak disappeared and left me to find away out of the building by myself. Then I woke up.

In my latest dream, I was with my family at a Sea World show and we were chosen to do a suicide demonstration for the crowd. First I put my family in a cereal box and then I got in with them and the sea world people threw us in the pool. A giant bronze cougar was swimming around chasing our cereal box trying to eat us. Half way through the show we decided that we didn't want to die anymore, so a giant Coca Cola polar bear came and saved us. The I woke up.

AM I A PSYCHO?! Proly. Can't I have normal happy dreams?

PS only 81 days!

Being Engaged

Soo guess what.... I'm engaged! It became official at 9:51pm on Saturday, December 23, 2006. (Zak's watched stopped) We went on a nice date in Park City where we went ice skating (just like our first date) and out to dinner. After dinner we drove up around Deer Valley and got to a place in the road where you could look out over Park City. We danced in the street to some good old Ben Folds, and the next thing I knew, I was holding 2 dozen red roses and he was down on one knee.

When I got home to tell my family they were all sitting on one couch watching Father of the Bride at the part when Annie tells her family that she is engaged. (Haha very funny family.) They, apparently knew what Zak had been planning.

Wedding plans have been ok so far, with a few... kinks, but everything will come together. We have the Bountiful Temple at 10:00am, and our reception will be at Market Street Grill at Cottonwood. Its fun because the manager at Cottonwood let me have input on what color of flowers will be planted on the patio and one of the chefs is excited to cater for it and has said that he will do pretty much anything we ask for.

Thanks for all of your help and support so far! It is much appreciated. Only 106 more days!

Barf: Good day and Bad day

I just spent all day on Sunday worshipping the porcelain bowl. I lost 10 pounds in one day (in fluids of course, but STILL!) Death seemed like a really good option. I HATE being sick!! The end.

Anyway... I'm getting better and getting ready for finals. Thats about all the news from me for now. The football game was SO GREAT! That was fun. And trying to sing the Messiah was cool too. I will have to practice so I actually know it next time.

Here's Johny...!!!!!

Trick or Treat?

So, Zak told me today that he has been trick-or-treating every year of his life so far. That's a lot of years and a lot of candy. It made me think about my own short Trick-or-Treating career. I was not allowed to go beg for candy when I turned 13, and it was a fight to go when I was twelve years old. I was invited to stay home and hand out candy to all of my friends. (woe is me)

I would hide behind the door while my dad lectured all of the teenage guys that would come trick-or-treating without costumes. He would tell them to come back when they were "dressed properly." They usually came back about a minute later with some face paint and messy hair.

A few years later it wasn't so bad to skip the candy and go to parties. I had a friend that always had a great Halloween Party.

Now I am the ultimate of lame on Halloween. I am sitting at work blogging while the rest of the world is collecting and sorting candy. I crimped my hair so it is all poofy, and if anyone asks what I am supposed to be I tell them that I am Tiffany (the redheaded 80s rock star, "I think we're alone now...").

Vanilla

The chocolate episode ends on SUNDAY! I am so excited, only two more days.

When Wendy's introduced the Vanilla Frosty, I felt betrayed. Why would they even consider inventing a frosty that was something other than chocolate?! To me, Frosty=Chocolate and is not to be followed by the question "What flavor?" Today I wanted a treat in between classes so I ran to Wendy's for a frosty thinking that I would cave in and try vanilla. Don't get me wrong, I really like vanilla ice cream, and the frosty was ok, but I couldn't hold back my disappointment.

(Yes this is really the most exciting thing that is going on in my life. I apologize for not having more interesting stories to share. I guess I did have a dream where I was hanging out with the football team and Mia got taken by The Others, but that's about it.)

Chocolate Fast

It is day 15 of my separation from my favorite substance on earth. Zak talked me into being chocolate free for one month. We are also not eating fast food and carbonation. I don't know if I am going to make it. Everywhere I go there is chocolate. The first day of class, my professer passed around a bag of snickers. I went home to Draper for dinner and there was a pan of warm brownies waiting for me. I went back to my apartment later that night and there was another pan of chewy, yummy brownies along with a plate of chocolate chip cookies (with the big milk chocolate chips). Last night at midnight, my roommate decided that she needed ice cream and that I needed to go with her. When we got there we had the choice between chocolate or strawberry. The textbook for my adult development class compared aging to different types of CHOCOLATE. I went to class today and I sat through 20 minutes of my professer talking about how chocolate can be good for you because it is high in antioxidents and how some people believe that eating chocolate can slow the aging process.

I have a problem. I know. But thinking that I can't eat chocolate makes me want it even more. I have been compensating by eating peanut butter and sugary candy that I didn't used to eat. I think the plan is backfiring.