A Diamond in the Rough

Yes, I'm still inspired by this story.

The Blind Side

I watched it last night. I was touched. Inspired. Reminded. I could relate. At earlier points in my life. And today too. There are not words in the English language that appropriately express my gratitude and appreciation for the people who have loved me. The people who chose to love me. They weren't expected to, it wasn't in the contract. But they did, they do. They are genuinely good human beings. They see value in me. Brooke.

So. To Bobbi. Kathy. Larry. Susan. Dawn. John. I would like to simply say. Thank you. For loving me. For seeing a potential I don't see. For being my Mr. and Mrs. Tuohy's.

Movie Quote:
Sean Tuohy: We were wondering if you would like to become a part of this family.
Michael Oher: I kinda thought I already was.

Where else?

Last Thursday I woke up in the middle of the night unable to sleep. As I lay there thinking it came to me, "Why are you wasting this time just laying here awake?" With that, I showered, packed, and hit the road for Moab at 4am. It had been a week. A week of mental static, emotions, and even moments of hell. By now I was good. Happy, centered, balanced, and peaceful. Moab was just what I needed. It cleansed my soul. Moab to me is sacred. It does something for my soul that can't be described. It is spiritual. I am a better person after time spent immersed in Moab's magnificent beauty.

Impromptu and solo the trip was incredible. First on the agenda was hiking the entirety of the Devil's Garden loop on the North end of Arches National Park. A hike I have always wanted to do but have never completed. Being at the end of the park road it's usually the last one visited when all energy has been expended on hikes to other arches. I took this picture as I began the hike to illustrate my excitement and sheer joy at being where I was supposed to be that day.

I once proclaimed "Landscape Arch is my most favorite arch EVER." This trip I was reminded of its beauty and how very much I enjoy it as I spent two hours at its feet writing in my journal. The inspiration in such a place is indescribable. However, after admiring the beauty and magnitude of Delicate Arch for several hours later that day (and again the next day) I gained an earnest sense of its magnitude and splendor. I think Delicate Arch may be my most favorite place on Earth.

I spent two days hiking, thinking, pondering, enjoying, loving, and being. It was a very peaceful two days. Days in which I found more of myself, more of who I am becoming. Days in which I truly realized the beauty in my world, the beauty of the nature that surrounds me, the beauty of my soul, the beauty of simply being. I did what I wanted to do, I spent two days in my most favored natural sanctuary surrounded by only beauty and love. I did it.

These feet took me many places in two days. They took me far over land and even farther through the corridors of my own heart. The places they took me were motivating even more than before to accomplish my goals, to realize my dreams. They took me to places that encountered many lovely people. The people I always look forward to meeting in my travels. There are two who will not be forgotten. Geri and Shauna I'm happy to have encountered you on my Moab adventure.

I took the above photo because it gave me quite the chuckle. If you can't get to the parking lot from here I think you may have bigger problems than finding your car... This was at that part of the trip when I realized that it was vital for me to hit the road for Ogden or I would miss the Beach Party (the only reason for returning to Ogden before the end of the weekend). I started to get a little melancholy. I had just experienced a most wonderful time in Moab but still didn't want to leave. I didn't want to return to society and all of the inconsequential things it requires of me. I didn't want to say goodbye to the red rocks that seem to understand me and hold some singular capability to heal my heart and soul from anything.

Goodbye Moab. Thank you for being readily available for my impromptu trip. Thank you for sharing your magic and making one girl's world a better place. I'll see you again in just a few days...5 to be precise. Until then, stay cool.

The World Spins Madly On

Woke up and wished that I was dead
With an aching in my head
I lay motionless in bed
I thought of you and where you'd gone
And let the world spin madly on

Everything that I said I'd do
Like make the world brand new
And take the time for you
I just got lost and slept right through the dawn
And the world spins madly on

I let the day go by
I alway say goodbye
I watch the stars from my window sill
The whole world is moving and I"m standing still

Woke up and wished that I was dead
With an anching in my head
I lay motionless in bed
The night is here and the day is gone
And the world spins madly on

I thought of you and where you'd gone
And the world spins madly on.

-The Weepies


I love The Weepies. I love their sound, I love their lyrics, I love that no matter what kind of day it is The Weepies have a song to fit the soundtrack. Today is "blah". It's not bad, I'm not sad or mad; just blah. I've been really tired for several days now, that's not normal. I go to bed early, I can't figure it out. Hmmm, well the world spins madly on in spite of my blah so I will go to Ogden Pizzeria with friends for lunch and I will spin with it...that's my only option (and it's a good one).

All This Beauty...

All this beauty
You might have to close your eyes
And slowly open wide

All this beauty
We traveled all night
We drank the ocean dry
And watched the sunrise

You can ask about it
But nobody knows the way
No bread crumb trail
To follow through your days
It takes an axe sometimes
A feather
In the sunshine and bad weather
Its a matter
Of getting deeper in
Any way you can

All this beauty
You might have to close your eyes
And slowly open wide
All this beauty
We traveled all night
We drank the ocean dry
And watched the sunrise

I can see you're new, awake
Let me assure you friend
Every day is ice cream and chocolate cake
And what you make of it
Let me say
You get what you take from it
So be amazed
Never stop never stop never stop
You gotta be brave

Cause all this beauty
You might have to close your eyes
Slowly open wide
Watch the sunrise
And watch the sunrise
And watch the sunrise

-The Weepies

Days like today

On days like today I'm reminded that having patience is not one of my forte's. I'm aware, and I will get better at it. I will not yell at any customers and I will stop using swear words between every other normal word in my verbal communications today. Breathe deep and let go of the frustration.

On days like today I'm reminded that there is a vast and exciting future waiting for me. Places like Alaska, Ethiopia, New Zealand, and Nepal are anxiously awaiting my travels. Be patient I tell them (oh the irony) I am coming. I remember there is a world full of people out there that I will have opportunities to encounter and learn from in my travels.

On days like today I consider a solo trip to my most treasured place on earth; Moab. I think about loading the Jeep with essential provisions and communing with nature in my most beloved sanctuary. Unaccompanied by anyone or anything except beauty and love. Maybe I've more than considered it...

On days like today when everything seems uncertain there is one thing that I know...for certain. I am loved. With that, days like today are less frightening.

Rules to Road Tripping with Brooke & Jaymee

In sharing experiences from our awesome lives and recent adventurous road trip travels we have received some very common feedback from our audiences: people want in on the epic amounts of fun. We're flattered that you want to spend your time with us doing the cool things we do but you must know that these trips are not for the meek or the faint of heart. Road tripping with Brooke and Jaymee is the real deal, the big shebang, the full Monty.

Here are a few things you should know before you go:

1.) There WILL be an announcement made when the road trip officially starts, you will not be left questioning whether the trip has begun.

2.) You are expected to be completely packed and ready the night before departure.

3.) You will be lynched if you forget any of the essentials (bike pump, cereal bowls, hiking shoes, iPod speakers, National Parks Annual Pass, craft supplies, pipe cutters, oreo cookies).

4.) By joining the trip you are obligated to one of the following depending upon your skill level: working as a cinematographer for our wilderness safety production team OR guest starring in a segment of our show "Brooke & Jaymee VS the Wild". Remember, you will be invited to fill your proper roll on the team please do not ask or suggest where you believe you would best fit, leave this to the professionals.

5.) You will be expected to go with the flow. There is no pissing, moaning or whining allowed outside the hours of 3am to 4am. We set these hours because we frankly don't give a damn if you've got something to whine about, we're busy having way too much fun to care and if you're not having fun...well, you're with the wrong crowd.

6.) Going with the flow can consist of many things outside the box which may include but is not limited to: driving around a very scary polygamist town for approximately one and a half hours and being asked to ride your bike around the town for filming purposes, taking pictures with giant weiners outside of restaurants, interacting positively with endless numbers of people in random places...you may be requested to add some of these people as friends on Facebook, sticking it out until the bitter end if you can't find a remote hike that you've been looking for, filming footage out the sunroof of the car with no concern for how your beauty may be affected in the process, driving a sedan through a stream off-road style, performing voice-overs for stuffed animals in the Visitor's Center of every National Park, wearing Junior Park Ranger uniforms, etc.

7.) It should be understood that said road trip completion times may vary based upon many factors. We may return home with just enough time to shower and arrive to work on time Monday morning. Other times we may return as early as 8pm Sunday evening. Return time is not (absolutely not) something that can be planned in advance. When registering for a trip with Brooke and Jaymee one must assume that Sunday will be an all-nighter drive back to Ogden arriving simply in time for work on Monday morning. No fun will be cut short here, we can sleep when we're dead.

8.) And finally the cardinal rule of road tripping with Brooke and Jaymee are the dedicated food stops. Any road trip in the southward direction of Ogden with require (absolutely no questions asked) a patronage to Kranky Franks. These visits must include: tormenting of the famale employee who works there and hates us...I think she hates most things about being alive really, sitting in the window while eating your weiner and laughing at the sorry suckers sitting at the stop light in front of the restaurant. Any visit to Moab, regardless of the lenth of stay, requires, at mimum, three visits to Milt's Stop & Eat.

If, after reading the above commitments, you feel that you can fulfill the expectations of a road trip with Brooke and Jaymee please feel free to contact us and set up a consultation interview.

Keep it real.

Spring...

...has sprung. Probably since forever man has tried tell Spring when she should arrive. Some dude created that silly Groundhog day and all of its superstitions. There's also that day marked on every calendar when someone else attempted to tell her when to show her pretty little face. First Day of Spring...like we know something she doesn't.

For me it has always been the same. There is that one day, usually in April, when I wake up and feel great, maybe even fantastic. I get ready for work and leave the house a few minutes early. I walk outside and the temperature warms me to my core and I smile. I smile to welcome her back into my life. There is an all-emcompassing feeling of warmth, of contentment, of being precisely where I am supposed to be at this moment in time.

One of the things I most appreciate about spring, aside from the obvious warm temperatures and abundance of cycling, is the true "rebirth" it always seems to be for my soul. Every year when spring truly arrives and I get that feeling that I have today I also experience a commitment and strong motivation to better myself in various ways. Usually it involves altering my lifestyle back to more healthful ways...no more Junior Mints and Coca Cola for breakfast, I promise.

One more thing that happens in a good but quite overpowering way is the need to see the world. If you know this little wanderlust then you understand I'm always exploring and adventuring but this time of year, on this day of Spring excitement and anticipation there are a couple of places that my little heart longs to visit. Today I'm thinking about Alaska, New Zealand, Nepal, Ethiopia, and Patagonia. With an evaluation of my travel goals just last week I discovered that I am getting so very close to accomplishing Phase 1 of the goal! Then it will be on to Phase 2 and before I know it I'll be out there seeing those exotic places I have long dreamed of.