Day 3: Memories about your doctor, dentist, or a hospital

I had a huge crush on my pediatrician when I was younger. He's not so sexy now, but I swear he was 20 years ago. Or maybe I just liked him because he was always giving me drugs.

Dr. Jed VanDenBerghe

This one time, I had to get a shot of antibiotics in my butt. The stupid nurse hit my nerve and I could not sit down for 2 days, literally.


Another time, my 8th grade Spanish teacher thought I had chicken pox, so she sent me home from school. I was so pissed because I liked school and I didn't want to miss out. Turns out I had Pityriasis Rosea. Pretty cool name, huh? It's basically a benign rash. I was so excited to have it just because the name was cool, and because I got to tell my Spanish teacher she was wrong.


I got my wisdom teeth out when I was a sophomore. I knew my oral surgeon's son because he was friends with my friend's cousin. Apparently when I woke up and the anesthesia was wearing off, I told my oral surgeon that his son was so hot and I was in love with him.


I got food poisoning from Chili's Triple Dipper appetizer sampler one time. I know the Southwest Egg Rolls were one of my choices because I was throwing up corn for hours. After 12 hours of never-ending expulsions from both ends, Joe finally took me to the ER. They pumped me full of fluids and anti-nausea medication. Chili's claimed no responsibility because they said it takes 12 hours for food poisoning to kick in, but I know that's where I got it. I have to admit I still eat there.

Day 2: Coping with brothers and sisters

I have three siblings, and I love them all so much. Sometimes TOO much.

Cayden is the baby of our family. He turns 14 this summer. We're 14 years apart and people always think we must have different parents, but we don't. He was just a surprise. I remember exactly what I was doing when my mom told us she was having another baby -- my brother, Tyson, and I were playing Super Mario on the Nintendo and eating our cereal from Santa during Christmas Break. Since he's so young, he's the only one who stills lives at home, which must really suck.

Cayden Hyde Hepworth
August 22, 1997

My beautiful sister, Devyn, is almost 21. I can't wait for her to final be legal! We're planning her 21st birthday party in Vegas this fall. She is almost done with her bachelor's degree and will be going to grad school to study Occupational Therapy. She's also an amazing artist and a singer. I'm so proud of her for all her accomplishments! She has been living with me and Joe for the past few months. It's crowded in our small apartment, but I love having her here.

Devyn Janet Hepworth
November 7, 1990

Second after me comes Tyson, my 24-year-old brother. I don't really know what he's up to these days because we have lots of conflict and haven't spoken to each other in a year. He tends to make bad choices in life and gets mad when I call him out on his shit and expect more from him. I hope he's doing well. I was sad that we couldn't hang out together on his birthday a few days ago. I love and miss you, Tys.

Tyson James Hepworth
April 10, 1987

Sibling pics:

Tyson & Trisha
1998

Tyson, Devyn, and Trisha
Easter 1993

Cayden & Tyson
1999 or 2000?

Trisha & Devyn
Fall 2006

Cayden & Devyn
2008

Joe, Trisha, Devyn, Tyson & Cayden
Spring 2009

Cayden (the ringbearer) & Trisha (the bride)
October 10, 2009

Cayden, Trisha, Devyn & Tyson
October 10, 2009

Day 1: The worst food I ever ate

The worst food I ever ate was a kumquat. Have you ever had one of these things? They are so disgusting. They look so pretty, like tiny oranges, but it's all a facade to trick you into eating them. The one I ate was served for dessert at a Chinese restaurant in New York City. Why couldn't they just give me a damn fortune cookie? I remember that it tasted sweet, sour, and bitter all at the same time. It reminded me of Pulparindo, that Mexican candy that is made from tamarind, which is also disgusting. My mouth is puckering up just thinking about it, and it was over 10 years ago! I thought the kumquat had gone bad, but my grandma swore it was supposed to taste like that. Wikipedia says, "The peel has a sweet flavor but the fruit has a sour center," so I guess it WAS supposed to taste that way, but it was foul. Wikipedia also says, "The fruit can be eaten raw but is mainly used to make marmalade and jelly." There is a reason people don't eat it raw. Cause it's nasty. It needs all that sugar to make it edible.

30 Day Blog Challenge

This seems to be the new craze among bloggers. It sounds fun, so I researched some writing topics. All the ones I found were totally lame:

• 15 random facts about you
• your favorite movies
• a song you like and why
• etc.

so I'm making up my own topics! Stay tuned for some interesting posts...

Oh, the things Little Sisters say

I first started volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah in 2009. My first little sister, Alexis, and I were perfectly matched. We had a fun-filled year of drinking coffee, watching hockey fights, cooking, and sharing music recommendations. She was just a normal teenage girl with normal teenage interests, attitudes, and problems. Our official match ended when she moved to Arizona with her dad last year, but we're still in touch.

My new Little, Alivia, is a different story. I think BBBSU gave me the hardest kid they have because I'm now an "experienced" Big, or because I'm a social worker, or maybe just because I'm a sucker. I won't spout her personal life all over the internet, but suffice it to say, she is quite a challenge and she needs a lot of help.

Despite the difficult times with Liv, there have been some darn fun and hilarious moments. Here are a select few:

• In the movie "Little Fockers," there is the briefest moment in which they show Greg's mom holding a ball gag while on the set of her sex advice show. Liv says loudly and proudly, "I know what that is! It's a sex toy for lesbians!"

• Joe has been doing some work on the ceiling in our living room. Liv asked about it the first time she came to my house. The first thing she did when she came over the following weekend was look straight up at the ceiling to check Joe's progress. She exclaimed in a bratty voice, as if she knew all along what she would find, "Well....looks the same....except....two write stripes of....clay." I wish I could get away with saying that to Joe with the same amount of attitude!

• While driving around town one day, we were getting some unwanted attention from the guys in the car next to us. Liv was grossed-out yet enthralled. I told her, "Don't worry about them -- guys are weird and do stuff like that all the time," to which she replied, "Yeah especially to girls with big tits. No offense."

Here's a pic of our team for the annual Bowl for Kids Sake fundraiser event. Left to right: Joe, Trisha, Alivia, Kyle, and Devyn.

Podcasts

Podcasts are so great! Hopefully by 2011 you all know what a podcast is, but if not, it's basically a digital media file -- could be a story, music, radio show, talk show, whatever -- that is downloaded to your mp3 player for on-the-go enjoyment. There are thousands of podcasts available to satiate all your listening desires. If you've never checked them out, I highly recommend it. Here are some of my favorites and suggestions in no particular order:

This American Life
Most weeks This American Life is the most popular podcast in the country, with more than a half million people downloading each episode. It has won all of the major broadcasting awards. There’s a theme to each episode, and a variety of stories on that theme. It’s mostly true stories of everyday people, though not always. There’s lots more to the show, but it’s sort of hard to describe.


Planet Money Money makes the world go around, faster and faster every day. On NPR's Planet Money, you'll meet high rollers, brainy economists and regular folks -- all trying to make sense of our rapidly changing global economy.


Savage LoveCast The intro tune sings, "When you're stuck in a relationship quandary or you're looking for sexual harmony...There's nothing you can't ask on the Savage LoveCast," and they are NOT kidding about that. This is a call-in advice show with Dan Savage, American author, media pundit, and popular sex columnist. Dan's hostility towards social and cultural conservatism is my favorite part. Warning: explicit content


All Songs Considered brings you an eclectic mix of fresh music by emerging and breakout bands and musical icons. You'll inevitably find some new favorites!


StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of their lives. They aim to remind one another of our shared humanity, strengthen and build the connections between people, teach the value of listening, and weave into the fabric of our culture the understanding that every life matters. This podcast is always less than 10 minutes so it's perfect for short drives.


Science Friday is a weekly discussion of the latest news in science, technology, health, and the environment hosted by Ira Flatow. Ira interviews scientists, authors, and policymakers, and listeners can call in and ask questions as well.

Cheese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have the greatest husband, hands down. He gives the BEST presents. On Christmas Eve, he took me to a fancy gourmet import grocery store in Draper, Pirate O's, to pick out any kind of cheese I wanted. I LOVE cheese! It was a fantasy world full of cheese!!! You have got to check this store out. Besides cheese, they had a whole wall full of hot sauce, and tons of other crazy, yummy, imported stuff. Here is what I chose:

Apple and Walnut Smoked Promontory by Beehive Cheese Company -- Bronze Medal World Cheese Awards in the Canary Islands 2009. 3rd Place, Smoked Cheese. American Cheese Society Annual Competition 2008.

Barely Buzzed by Beehive Cheese Company -- This is a full bodied cheese with a nutty flavor and smooth texture. The cheese is hand rubbed with a Turkish grind of Colorado Legacy Coffee Company's "Beehive Blend". The blend consists of a mix of South American, Central American, and Indonesian beans roasted to different styles. French Superior Lavendar buds are ground with the coffee and the mixture is diluted with oil to suspend the dry ingredients in the rub. The rub imparts notes of butterscotch and caramel which are prevalent near the rind, but find their way to the center of the cheese. The cheese is aged on Utah Blue Spruce aging racks in our humidity controlled caves, and moved to different temperature during the aging process to develop texture and flavor. Awards: 1^st Place, Flavored Cheddar American Cheese Society Annual Competition 2007, 2008 and 2009.

White Stilton with Apricot and Mango by Clawson Cheese Company -- A slightly sweet Mango flavour bursts through the White Stilton® with a hint of Ginger to warm the taste buds.

Australian Chilli Cream Cheese by Moondarra --Moondarra is an indigenous Koori word and the name of a rich, lush pastoral region of Gippsland - Australia, renowned for the quality and variety of its dairy products. And like our namesake, Moondarra Cheese is also widely acclaimed for the high quality, innovative and unique range of flavoured cheese we produce.

Queso de oveja al romero = sheep cheese with rosemary. So unique I can't even find info about it!

Thanks for being so thoughtful, babe! Love ya!

Maintain Don't Gain

My health insurance is pretty cool. They have lots of ideas and incentives to keep employees healthy. This holiday season is the "Maintain Don't Gain" Challenge. We all know that one is more likely to accomplish his or her goals when they are shared with other people, so why not share my goals with the whole damn world? I figured some of you might want to do the challenge, too.

It's pretty easy. Basically you choose one goal from each category (nutrition, sleep, mental health, physical activity) to work on throughout December. Click here for the details and a tracking sheet. I figure if I can accomplish all 4 of these goals, not only will I maintain my weight, but I'll probably feel pretty great by the time the new year rolls around! Here are my goals:

Nutrition -- keep a food journal at least five days each week

Sleep -- keep a consistent sleep schedule (10pm to 6am) on weekdays

Mental health -- read one section of "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" at least five days each week

Physical activity -- go to the gym at least twice each week (spin class on Tuesdays plus one workout on the weekend)

I'll be back to let you all know how I'm doing!

Beer School

We went to our third "Beer School" a few weeks ago. Desert Edge Brewery hosts this event the first Thursday of every month. It is SUCH a great experience! Even if you aren't an avid beer drinker, you will learn a lot about what you like and don't like in beer, and the food is amazing!

First, you get a tour of the brewery with the Brew Master, Chris. He shows you the whole beer-making process and teaches you random tidbits about all types of beer. For examples, ales taste fruity while lagers taste crisp. Then, it's onto tasting all 8 beers they have on tap. Their beers change every few weeks, so Beer School is always a new adventure. You learn the correct way to pour, taste, and enjoy your beer. The beers are paired with a special 4-course meal that is never on their menu because it is made especially for Beer School. Most of the courses even contain beer!

Beer School is so popular that it is sold out many months in advance. We make it a point to book all 16 seats one month each year so we can share the night with our friends. We were excited to have some old and new friends join us this year!

Course 1
Quinoa and arugula salad with coriander hefeweizen topped with yams, feta, and red onion
Paired with: Munich Lager and Happy Valley Hefeweizen

Course 2
Smoked Gouda, white cheddar, and gold potato British Mild soup
Paired with: Centennial Steamer and Pub Pilsner

Course 3
Grilled salmon with creamy polenta and vegetable caponeta
Paired with: British Mild and Utah Pale Ale
Kinda forgot to take a pic. Whoops. It was super good, though!

Course 4
Stout-braised bratwurst with potatoes and kale*
Paired with: Latter-Day Stout and Espresso Stout

*Usually the 4th course is a dessert, but the chef told us that people like eating dessert more than he likes making it, so we got bratwurst. It was a little weird, but we were too drunk to care at that point.

From left to right: Mindy's friend, Chris Hass (the Brew Master), Rebecca, Lew, Jordan, Kirtley

Me and Joe (and Dave)

I have to supervise him at all times or else things get weird

Amanda and Dave

Mindy and her crew

Leftover beer -- alcohol abuse!!

We're tentatively planning to attend next December, so let me know if you want to go!

Reading

I'd like to think of myself as a moderately-avid reader and a somewhat-educated person, but this stupid Facebook quiz made me think otherwise. Apparently The BBC believes most people have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here. I have read 18 of them. Does that mean I'm three-times smarter than the average person? Many more were already on my "to read" list -- that makes me feel a little better. I guess I have to admit that my "read" list contains more of Oprah's books than it does classics. So I'm making a New Year's Resolution to read 12 classics in 2011. I figure if I meet my goal, I can justify the tattoo I've been wanting of a stack of books for myself next Christmas.

Key:
Read
Already on my "to read" list
On my "to read" list now!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6 The Bible - Various Authors & Editors

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk

18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

21 Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34 Emma -Jane Austen

35 Persuasion - Jane Austen

36 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52 Dune - Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72 Dracula - Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses - James Joyce

76 The Inferno - Dante

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal - Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession - AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo