Friday's Fabulous Find

I was talking to a friend of mine last week and she was telling about this tradition her and some of her friends started where every Friday they go to a new place. They all carpool together to work and each day they would pass all of these places that they realized they have never been or and some they had never even heard of. Each day they would say something along the lines of "we should go there sometime" or "I want to try that one day" or "That looks like a cool place, I wonder what they sell?".

They finally got tired of just wanting and dreaming about visiting these places and they decided to do something about it. And what they decided was that every Friday after work before they went home they would go to one of these stores that they have seen and try it out. They have done this for about a month and loved it. They have found some interesting places, some weird places, and some really cool places that are on their list to visit again.

I really liked this idea of trying out new stores and new places. Like them I have seen stores around that I have always wanted to try out. You never what you are going to find in them. They could be a dump but they could also be a treasure. Plus, there are some really cool places that I have heard about that I have always wanted to try as well. Therefore, I decided that it was about time that I start trying them out. If I want to know what is in these places and what they are like them I have to actually go to them. I decided that I would start going to a new place each week and just see how it goes. I figured that I don't actually have to spend a lot of time in each place, I just have to go and get the feel of it. Then if I like it it can be added to my list of places to return to. I also decided that the day I would go would be Friday. It seems to work best with the work schedule.

Last Friday was my first Friday visit and it went quite well if I do say so myself. I have chosen to go to a place that I had heard a lot about but had never been. and on the plus side, I even knew where it was. I choose to go to The Blue Plate Diner.

Located: 21 South 21 East in Salt Lake
Open: 7am to 10pm
Food: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
*They have Vegan and Vegetarian as well
Prices: Decent

Now, the parking is not great, practically non existent, and the place can be crowded, but it more then makes up for it. This is a place that I truly enjoyed and will go to again. The atmosphere is classic old school diner. It reminds me of Luke's Diner in Gilmore Girls. It is loud, in a good way, cozy, filled with local art, music in the air, patio seating, and above all great food at decent prices. They serve Breakfast all day long and then Lunch and Dinner starting at 11am. The waitress are nice and the service is pretty quick.

Since it was my first time there I decided to order Breakfast and went with The Utah Omelet. It was filled with ham, peppers, onions, and cheese. It came with the omelet, toast, and hash fries which were amazingly good. And yes, I did eat it all.

The Blue Plate Diner is a place that I am looking forward to visiting again. It exceeded my expectations and left me wanting more. All in all, I would say that my first Friday Find was a fabulous one and I can't wait to find some more.

An Oddity

Apparently I am quite odd. Now, I have been told that I am odd/weird throughout my life. Quite a few times actually. And the older I get the more I realize that it is true. It seems I just keep finding things out that make me weird or odd. Basically, they just make me plan different then normal people.

Some of the things that are "weird" about me are the following:
*I only had 3 wisdom teeth
*I woke up in the middle of surgery when under anesthesia
*Every time I sneeze I bite my tongue
*I have 4 root canals in my teeth instead of 3
*I have been told that I look and act like a cartoon when I teach
*More then one person has told me that I come with my own soundtrack
*The doctors can never find my blood pressure and tend to ask me if I'm dead
*I don't like chocolate. Not in any form
*I run and jump on my toes
*I honestly don't know my right and left (I blame this one on teaching dance)
*I am allergic to certain metals and therefore have to be careful with necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings and even glasses or I get weird funny rashes wherever the metal touches my skin

And that list is just a few of them. I am sure that all of you who know me can come up with many more. I am starting to think that there are not a lot of people like me in this world. I am also starting to think that that is a good thing. I don't think there should be a lot of people like me running around. Can you imagine what the world would be like then? Crazy...

Anyways, the most recent time that I was considered odd or weird was yesterday when I went to the eye doctor. Now, I already knew that my eyes were different then normal. I was already told that they were odd the last time I went to the eye doctor which was three years ago. But yesterday just confirmed it.

I went to the eye doctor because I want a new pair of glasses and I wanted to talk to them about contacts. I have had contacts before but they had started to really bug my eyes and I haven't worn them in about two years. So I wanted to talk to them and see what they thought or if they had any ideas on what to do to solve the problem. Upon going in I already knew that my prescription had changed. I mean, you know when you can't really see, or see all that well anyway. So I knew I needed a new one. Now, most people are at the eye doctor for about 40 mins, maybe an hour if you have to get your eyes dilated. I was there for over 2. Yes, 2 hours and 15 mins is how long I spent at the eye doctor yesterday. You might be wondering just what it was that they did while I was there. Well, let me tell you...

It first started with a bunch of questions about how my eyes have been and if I had noticed any changes. I proceed to tell the doc that my eyes have always burned a bit and that I knew my left eye had gotten worse. He then asked if I had ever had any drops to treat the burning thing and I said no. (this is when he first starts to think I'm weird because most people just don't live with burning eyes)After questions we went about finding the correct prescription for my eyes. We started with the right one, which was good since I knew that it hadn't changed much. So I covered up my left eye and then proceed to tell him what letters I could see. They wre a little blury so he changed some slides and asked the dreaded questions of "1 or 2", "3 or 4" and so forth until I could see clearly. That was the easy eye.

Next we of course did the left eye because nobody ever just likes to see out of one. I proceed to cover up my right eye and looked at the wall for the letters. I just started laughing. For you see, I couldn't even tell that there were letters there. All I saw was some white fuzzy board. The doctor then went up a size int he letters but I just continued laughing because I still couldn't see them. He went up another size and all I could see was a black fuzzy line. I still couldn't even tell that they were separate letters. He went up one more size and they sort of started to take shape but I still couldn't make out what they were. At this pint he starts laughing. He then looks at me and say "you really are blind aren't you." I just sat and stared at him.

Instead of trying to keep making the letters bigger until I could see them he decides to start switching the lenses around on the machine. It gets a little clearer and then he proceeds to ask the "1 or 2" questions again and I swear that half of those lens are the same. On this eye I went through 22 different lenses. Just imagine being me and sitting there with him flipping the lens back and forth asking "15 or 16, now 17 or 18" and so forth. I honestly didn't know that they had that many lenses they could go through. Anyway, we finally found some lenses that I could see the letters through and actually tell him what they were. He then uncovered my other eye and let me tell you, it is amazing how much you realize you can't see when you realize what you are supposed to be seeing. It is nice to be able to see the details. The doctor then wrote down my prescription. At this point I am thinking that I might just get out of there in the 40 mins. I should have known better.

As I am waiting for my prescription he starts to make that umm sound that doctors make when they are thinking. The one that usually means that they are thinking something is wrong with you. Just for the record, I don't like that sound. He then starts asking me questions about eye diseases and if my family has a history of them. He mentions about five, non of which I have any clue as to what they are. He figures that if I have never heard of them then I probably don't have any, but he wants to check and make sure. This is when I groan because I know whats coming...tests that involve bright lights shining into my eyes that I am sure make my eyesight worse.

Test 1: Follow the bright light he shines in the dark. You know the one where he turns off the lights, sits in front of you and shines a bright yellow light into your eyes and then starts to move it around and asks you to follow it with just your eyes and specifically tells you not to move your head. Just to let you know, I passed.

Test 2: Look all directions while he shines a light in your eyes. This would be the one where he gets really close with the same bright light still shining directly into your eyes. He then asks you to look up, look down, look to the left, look up and left, look down and left, look to the right, look up and right, look down and right. He does this first with the light shining in one eye and then the other so you get to do the whole look a direction thing twice. Now if you remember what I wrote above you can imagine why this test took some major thinking on my part. Left and right just aren't my strong points. However, I passed this one as well.

Test 3: Count the Fingers. This is the one without a light in your eyes. The one where they hold up both of there hands in front of you but outside your straight vision line. They then have you cover up one eye ask you to look straight ahead and tell them how many fingers they are holding up. Then they switch eyes. I passed this too.

At this point he decides that he wants to get a scan of my eyes to see if they are even. When you wear contact for years you eyes start to shape to them. So when you stop wearing them your eyes can still have ridges and groves in them made by the contacts. With this you can get what they call crones disease. This is when your cornea starts to form a peak in the middle and thin our around the edges. It can lead to blurry eyesight and blindness. This is also the time when he decides that he wants to bring in another doctor and get his opinion as well. So another doctor comes in and takes a look at my chart and my prescription and agrees that I should get my eyes scanned. So they both take me down through the hallways to a dark room.

Test 4: Topographical Map. Yes, I am talking about a map that shows the different types of elevation and crevasses in a terrain. Apparently they can make one of these maps of your eyes. They take you into a room with a computer and scanner. This is not your normal scanner. It has one of those places for you to put your chin on and a place to press your forehead against. Then they rotate a huge circle thing towards your face. On this circle there is a spot where there is about a one inch long and 1/2 inch wide slit with a bright blue light shining through it of course. As they move it closer to your face they watch on the computer screen as to where they need to locate it. Once the computer decided it is in place the light gets brighter and you have to blink really fast three times and then hold completely still with your eyes open as wide as you can. As you do this the circle thing rotates and scans your eye. It then transfers the information to the computer and makes the topographical map of your eye. They then proceed to scan the other eye. Now, doctor decided that he wanted to have his resident came and do the scan to get experience with it. I guess they don't scan peoples eyes all that often. Lucky me right. So the resident comes in and is trying to get the scanner into place to scan my left eye. In doing do he almost hits me in the face twice. He eventually gets it into place and proceeds to take the scan. They then print out the scans and show you the maps. They are actually pretty cool to look at and see all of the different levels of your eyes. And guess what, it turns out that my eyes are completely smooth and even all around. It also turns out that my eyes are shaped like footballs instead of golf balls, but I already knew this. They told me that at the last eye doctor appointment. But is was cool to see it on the scans compared to regular eyes. (I don't know if you are counting, but I have now had three people look at my eyes)

I will have you know that I almost got out of the next two tests. At this point they had decided that my eyes were ok and that I didn't have any major diseases. Then one doc proceeds to ask the other if he dilated my eyes. He told him no, because I had had then dilated the last time I was there and they usually only do it every other time you go. The first doc decides that they should dilate them anyway so they can look at the nerves. Apparently my eyes are really cool to look at. So that leads us to...

Test #5: Eye Pressure. This is the one where they put yellow die into your eyes. Then they turn off the lights and have you stick your chin in some contraption that then shines a bright blue light into your eyes. The light that you can actually feel the pressure with as they move it closer to your eye. And guess what, I passed this test too. Apparently my eyes have a very healthy eye pressure. Who knew?

Test #6: Dilation of the eyes. OK, really it is so they can test your nerves, but they have to dilate your eyes in order to do it. SO they put the drops in and wait a while for your pupils to grow all big and large so that they can then turn off the lights and look deep into your soul....OK, maybe they just look into your eyeball, but still, it feels like they look into your soul. Especially since they all stare at my eyes for what seems like an eternity. And then after the first guy is done, the second one gets to take a look as well. It is oh so much fun. And I passed this one too. All of my nerves are healthy and well.

And passing all of these tests is apparently what makes me an oddity. For you see, I am pretty blind. I really can not see anything clearly without glasses/contacts passed 6 inches in front of my face. Plus my eyes are shaped like footballs. Therefore the doctors always figure that I should have something wrong with them. They think I should have some disease or disfigurement or something, but I don't. All in all my eyes are perfectly healthy. They really have no reason for why I cannot see.

So, at the end of the day the conclusion is that my eyesight sucks, my eyes will probably always burn and be shaped like footballs, but they are healthy and well. Second conclusion is that I can never wear soft contacts (they will not stay on my eyes and they can't make them that strong), hard contacts will always cause me grief, and lasic might never fix anything. I guess that means I am stuck with glasses. Oh well, at least they make cute ones.

What really made me laugh the most though was when I told all of this to my mom she told me that they should just take pictures of my eyes and put me in a book. Which I guess is true since every time I go to the eye doctor they all come and look into my eyes. Maybe one day I sill suggest this to the doctor. Then maybe I could have a trip there that only lasts 40 min. One can only hope.

God vs. Science

I received the following account in an email today and thought that I would share it with you. It made me smile and it also made me think. After reading it I realized that I would not have known how to respond to the professor and his questions. I am pretty sure that I would be like the first student he talks to. It made me realize that one not only needs to know what they believe, but why they believe in it and what it truly means to them. Remember that God is good and that he can be in your life if you let him.


"In hopes that all our college students are able to discern this well! Let me explain the problem science has with religion.'

The atheist professor of Philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of His new students to stand

'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'
'Yes sir,' the student says.
'So you believe in God?'
'Absolutely. '
'Is God good?'
'Sure! God's good.'
'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'
'Yes'
'Are you good or evil?'
'The Bible says I'm evil.'

The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible! He considers for a Moment.
'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and You can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'

'Yes sir, I would.'
'So you're good...!'
'I wouldn't say that.'
'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does He? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?'

The student remains silent. 'No, you can't, can you?? the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. 'Let's start again, young fella.. Is God good?'

'Er..yes,' the student says.
'Is Satan good?'
The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.'
'Then where does Satan come from?'
The student falters. 'From God'
'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there Evil in this world?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'
'Yes'
'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created Everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'

Again, the student has no answer.

'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'

The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.'

'So who created them?'

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto
another student.. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'

The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to Identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'
'No sir. I've never seen Him.'
'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'
'No, sir, I have not.'
'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelled your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, Or, God for that matter?'
'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'
'Yet you still believe in him?'
'Yes'
'According to the rules of empirical,testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, Son?'
'Nothing,' the student replies. 'I only have my faith.'
'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat?'

' Yes.'
'And is there such a thing as cold?'
'Yes, son, there's cold too.'
'No sir, there isn't.'

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit down to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy.Absolute zero (-458 F)is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'
'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'

'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'

'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'

'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.'

'Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'

'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process,young man, yes, of course I do.'

'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. 'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.'

The student looks around the room. 'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter. 'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelled the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.'

'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I guess you'll have to take them on faith..'

'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?'

Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'

To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'

The professor sat down.

PS: The student was Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein wrote a book titled "God vs Science" in 1921

Something That Moves Me

Music has always had a special way of moving me. It is something that I have always felt a part of and something that my soul has always understood. Music is also something that I have enjoyed and been a part of in a variety of ways. I grew up listening to all types of music and singing and dancing a long to it throughout the house, the car, and the town. Dance and choir were consents in my life when nothing else was. I guess you could say that it has always been music that has saved me. Music has a way of helping me escape, heal, and a way of lifting me up onto higher ground. Music has a power to influence, and I for one, am grateful or the good.

This video is something I came across on a friends blog, and needless to say I thought it it was beautiful. Like I said, both music and dance have always had a special place in my heart. So when the two combine so perfectly and in a unique way it not only moves me, but it also moves my soul.



Thought of You - by Ryan Woodward

Look Where We Are Now

IPod are great for many things. Playing music, working out, watching movies...pretty much they are there for your entertainment. And if you couldn't find enough to do with them before, here is one more thing you can do. Let them show you where you are in life right now and predict your future life with music. I hope you like the songs on your IPod.

1. Put your iPod or any music player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Copy and paste, then send this to all the friends you think might enjoy it!


*What is your motto? Out of the Dark
I like that one. Moving into the light is a great way to go.
*What do your friends think of you? I Will Always Return
How Nice!
*What do you think about very often? Standing Outside the Fire
Mmmm....This could be deep.
*What does math mean to you? Hollywood
That pretty much sums it up..forget math and go to Hollywood
*What do you think of the person you like? Saturday in The Park
I would love to spend a Saturday in the park with the guy I like
*What do your parents think of you? You Can't Hurray Love
I guess this is fitting
*What will you dance to at your wedding? O'Come All Ye Faithful
haha..you better all come and dance
*What will they play at your funeral? Lovely Ladies
DO I die with other ladies?
*What is your hobby/interest? Destruction of The Grotto
Ahhh
*What is your biggest secret? SOS
It's true. My biggest secrets are always when I'm in trouble
*What do you think of your friends? Fairy Tale/Going Home
It's true as well. Hanging out with my friends is like a fairy tale and like going home
*What is one thing you regret? It Could Happen Again
Dang...I sure don't want it to
*How will you die? Way Back Into Love
Well, at least I know I'll be loved
*What's your biggest secret? Into Ya
hmmm....
*What makes you laugh? Sweetly Sleeps
Dreams do make me laugh
*What makes you cry? The Chronicles of Life and Death
I think I will leave it at that
*Will you ever get married? Get Ready
I am taking that as a yes
*What scares you the most? In Repair
Being broken and needed a repair is a scary thought
*Does anyone like you? Just Like Heaven
Smiles
*If you could go back in time, what would you change? Where the Story Ends
I hope it is just beginning
*What hurts right now? Track 02
Um...running track 2 can be painful
*What will you put as the title? Look Where We Are Now
Fitting.