Katya Ona Takaya

So remember the past two years how Obama's campaign slogan was "Change."  He wanted everyone to think that it meant that he would help change the United States, to make it a better place, to bring it back up to where it used to be.  Obviously, since he is now president elect, people bought into his ideas.  But, as he has been in the news, sharing his many ideas and the plans he has for when he moves into office, I have come to agree with his slogan of "Change."  He does want change.  He wants the freedom to change his mind.  He has already stated that the economy is going to get worse before it gets better and that it was going to take a long time...no brainer.  But I thought he was going to fix it as soon as he came in.  Hmm.  He was going to raise taxes for the rich, give to the poor, the whole Robin Hood thing.  Now he is saying that he won't mess with the tax thing until 2011, the year Bush's plan ends.  Hmm.  What other changes does he have in mind?

I am going to say it in the beginning, so when it happens, y'all will be able to remember that I called it.  Obama won the election.  It is a great time in America because the general public voted for an African American to be our president.  He is very charismatic and likable.  Although I did not appreciate the general media because they are completely biased and were the whole time Obama had been in the news.  I feel that Obama represents the "popular kid" at school and  McCain was the "nerd."  Everyone is attracted to the popular, cool kid and doesn't care what the other kid has to say.  My prediction for Obama's presidency is that the economy will turn around, as it always does.  It won't be anything he does, it is just how the cycle goes.  There have been multiple times where the economy has been similar, yet we have always been able to get out.  It is no ones fault but our own.  People spent money they didn't have on things they didn't need and couldn't afford.  So when the economy goes back up, people are going to contribute it to Obama, when it wasn't him at all.  And he plans on taxing corporations.  You think that is going to help the economy and the average Joe?  I don't think so.  If corporations get taxed heavier, they will send more jobs elsewhere, therefore eliminating jobs in the U.S.  And when they have to pay more for taxes, you know that extra cost will be placed on the consumer.  Also, the War in Iraq is not very popular as most people know.  But, it is getting better and has been better than before because it hasn't been on the news.  The news won't talk about it at all if it is going well.  So if the troops come home during Obama's presidency, it isn't because of his foreign policy.  It will have been because they were ready to come home.  So there is my soapbox.

August: To briefly continue from vacation, we made it to Provo and stayed with the Hopkinsons.  Little Kevin is not so little now.  Kevin and my little brother are best friends and took part in the Sensuous Sandwich contest.  If you can eat a 24" sub in less than 30 minutes (I think) you get your picture on the wall and a T-shirt.  Kevin has done it multiple times, this particular instance was about 5 minutes, his best being 4.  Josh ate his in 15 and neither of them looked good.  Then there was my actual graduation.  Elder Richard G. Scott spoke and it was a very good talk.  The best part was when he said that everyone has problems so no one wants to hear about yours.  It was awesome.  Another exciting thing was my graduation gift from my parents, a hammered silver bracelet from James Avery.  

My goodness.  I have not had time to write anything for a while.  My graduation was August 14 and 15, so my family thought it would be fun to make a vacation out of it.  Ryan, Michael, and I drove up to Four Corners to meet up with my mom, dad, Josh, and Karl (one of my best friends).  The only person we were missing was Christopher.  :(  We ran into three huge storms.  We saw a lot of hippies in Flagstaff, but the weather was very nice.  I didn't sweat when I got out of the car at the gas station.  Anyways, we drove to Four Corners, where Ryan had dreamed of playing the classic elementary school game of Four Square.  He pumped up our yellow playground ball just for the occasion.  The stupid thing is that it costs $3 per person in each car to go see the granite slab.  Ridiculous.  And I had to use a port-o-potty.  I hate them.  They smell and I always feel like it's going to tilt backwards and I will get poo all over me.  After Four Square, we packed up the ball and left for our hotel in Cortez, Colorado.  It was nice, except for the cloudy green pool filled with little children.  It was past dinner time, so we were all starving.  $40 worth of pizza later, satisfaction set in.  We all layed down and watched the Olympics (which should have its own section).  The next morning was Sunday, so we went to sacrament meeting at the local church there.  After church we went to Mesa Verde, a park showcasing cliff dwellings.  It was pretty cool and fun to be with family.  I just can't imagine laying on thin mats on rock floors and wearing loin cloths.  Ryan and Karl, however, agreed that loin cloths are the way to go.  We went on a tour of the largest cliff dwelling and the guide talked about balance and nature, and other hippie ideas.  The key word for this trip is "hippy" because there were a lot of them.  At the end of the tour, we had to climb up some homemade ladders.  On one of the tours there is a 30' ladder, but I told my dad I wouldn't climb it.  That's why we didn't go on that tour.  

Michael, Ryan, and I went to the John Mayer concert on Wednesday June 30.  We had decent seats, although Ryan probably would have enjoyed being front row (just to be closer to his, dare I say, man crush).  I don't know, John Mayer does have his good days.  Anyways, we got to the amphitheater just as the the first act was finishing.  I think his name was Brett Dennan, who started at 7:00.  Colbie Caillat went on at 7:50.  She did a really good job and I like the sound of her voice.  It's relaxed and earthy, if that makes sense...but probably not.  And I'm not going to lie, I was pretty jealous that she was wearing a tank top and I wasn't.  It was HOT.  Enough said.  John Mayer was supposed to come on at 9:00.  Ryan and I both commented that we had never seen such long breaks in between acts.  At about 9:03, he came out in all his glory.  The lights went low and every girl was screaming like crazy...especially the girl right behind us.  A guy came out, put a guitar over his shoulder, and started to sing.  I was really confused for a few minutes as I tried to figure out who was singing.  Here is the description of the person who was on stage: shaved head, baggy black tank top, black cut off pants, and tennis shoes with the biggest tongue I had ever seen.  Well, it was in fact John.  I was expecting at least a t-shirt and jeans.  I decided later he was probably just trying to keep things interesting while on tour.  Dressed up or not, he was awesome.  He played "Say," which I really like.  He wrote it for "The Bucket List," a really good movie that made me cry, cry, cry.  John also played a new single (which features Herbie Hancock) called "Stitched Up."  It's a fun song and sure to get your toes tappin!  Ha.  But really, you should check it out on itunes.  Then, as if the concert wasn't enough, there was a potential for two fights to break out.  Both involved people standing while everyone else was sitting, making it hard to see the stage.  

I am no stranger to the nursery program.  Ryan and I were nursery leaders in our ward in Provo for 6 months.  It was not uncommon for us to be the only adults in there with about ten kids.  But these were no ordinary children; they were first borns of BYU parents.  If you don't know what that means, I will explain.  One little girl would point and make an "oo-oo" sound, much like that of a monkey, indicating that she in fact wanted that particular toy.  One little boy would stand in the middle of the room, mouth partially open, with drool dribbling down his chin, and eventually onto his clothes.  We were warned when we first came into the nursery that he ate crayons, so he only got one during coloring time.  One day he was using a purple crayon, and the next thing I knew, he was drooling purple.  I wiped his face off with a paper towel and noticed chunks of crayon on his tongue.  I told him to open his mouth and I wiped off what I could.  There was another little boy who had a complete change in attitude when he came back from Christmas break.  He was a fairly mild mannered boy who turned into a terror.  He was taking toys from other kids, bashing their heads into the Fisher-Price play house, and hitting.  At one point I took him out of the room, sat him in my lap, and crossed my arms over him so that he couldn't move.  He wasn't too happy.  I tried to tell him that he wasn't being nice, blah blah blah.  Then Ryan popped his head out of the door and said, "It sure is fun in here without Isaac."  At the end of nursery that day, Isaac was the last one waiting for his parents.  Ryan then found it appropriate to say, "Isaac, do your parents not love you anymore?  Is that why they haven't come and picked you up?"  I'm pretty sure Isaac didn't know what was going on, so he should still grow up and be fine.  If anything, maybe he needed a little tough love now and then.

My Grandma Tawney passed away two years ago today. My Grandpa Tawney soon followed a day and a half later. I was really close with the both of them and I still think about them all the time. Grandpa was born July 1933 in Virginia. His family were the caretakers of a lake resort in the mountains (you might know it as the place they filmed Dirty Dancing). My Great-Grandpa died, leaving my Great-Grandma and the kids. Since my grandpa was too young to work, his mom sent him to live with his aunt and uncle. He called his aunt and uncle mom and dad. Grandma was born October 1933, also in Virginia. Her family life was also a little interesting as her mom died and her dad remarried. Grandma and Grandpa met in high school. He was the cute football jock and she was the quiet girl. Grandma liked him but thought nothing of it. They became high school sweethearts and were married (he had graduated and she was still in high school). Different times. My Grandpa joined the military and they had three children, my mom being in the middle.
My Grandma was the best cook ever and she passed it down to my mom. She always made sure there was gravy at every meal, just for me. A sample meal time would be fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, salad, vegetables, and fruit. She never measured anything. I get my love of cheesecake from her. If my mom told me I couldn't have a piece of cheesecake, Grandma would tell me to get one as well as one for her. She was always properly dressed and had a beautiful traditional home. She always said that when she died she wanted her hair colored and styled and her makeup done. She constantly talked about dying and her spot on the hill, which I hated, and would yell at her (nicely) to stop talking about it. While Ryan and I were dating, I was talking to my mom on the phone and in the background I heard Grandma yell "Has he kissed her yet? Is he gay?" Oh Grandma.

The title might sound a little riske, but it is purely innocent...well, mostly. It all started when we lived in Provo. Ryan and I were asleep one night, as usual, until I slowly woke up to a "clink" sound. I rolled over towards the center of the bed and felt around; what I found was the shell filled glass vase from Ryan's nightstand. The flowers that were usually in the vase were placed seemingly carefully on the bench at the foot of the bed. I was too tired to deal with it then, so I moved the vase to the floor and went back to sleep. The next day I told Ryan all about it, all about him putting the vase in the middle of the bed and the flower on the bench. He claims that I did it however; that I either reached across him in the middle of the night or walked around to the other side of the bed. Both are ridiculous. We have argued about it ever since.
The next time something weird happened was here in Mesa. We have a collage of decorative metal pieces over our bed that make up a kind of faux headboard. One of the pieces is a picture frame that hangs right over Ryan's side of the bed. I couldn't sleep one night so I went into the living room to watch TV. When I came back into the bedroom, the frame was placed on my pillow. You might think that Ryan bumped it and then sleepily put in on my pillow, but it was just too perfect. Once again, he tries to blame it on me, but I wasn't even in the room.
The third "bump in the night" does involve me, and only me. I put on my pajamas and went to bed. Fine. When I woke up in the morning, I had an itch on my leg, so I scratched it. It felt funny and then I looked down under the sheets. I wasn't wearing my shorts! I tried to remember if I woke up during the night and took them off...but no. I didn't do anything, except for take off my shorts and I don't know why. I found them laying next to the bed in front of my nightstand. I don't know.

I have recently deemed Tuesday night to be Game Night. When we were at BYU, we had game nights with the neighbors. One couple, Matt and Doreen (who were awesome) introduced us to the card game Nerts. There were times we had 5 or more couples playing the game, cards going everywhere, people yelling, arms flailing. Anyways, for the past two Tuesdays, Ryan, my brother Michael, and I have been playing Nerts. Ryan normally hates to play with me because I usually beat him. It's a really fun game that doesn't require too much logic (which, when I was in high school, my dad informed me that I had no logic). Afterwards, I built a house of cards and it stayed up. It was made from the whole deck!

Two Sundays ago Bro.McKay called 20 minutes before we were going to leave for church and asked if we could come meet with him.  Of course my heart was racing as I knew it was most likely something concerning a calling.  We have been in the ward for a couple months over a year and we have been called to work with Jessie and to be Webelos leaders.  On the way to church, Ryan was trying to temper the water by mentioning the worst possible callings so I wouldn't cry in the meeting (Relief Society teacher, Primary president, etc...).  After a few minutes chatting, Bro.McKay finally said it.  "We would like to congratulate you two for the work you have done with Webelos and give you the new calling of Cubmasters."  My first reaction was to say "Holy Cow!" since "Holy Crap" probably wouldn't be that appropriate in such a setting.  I am 21 years old and am destined to be in Scouts for my whole life.  So now Ryan and I are the Cubmasters, and will continue to pull double duty as Webelos leaders until someone else is found.

Yesterday was Independence Day, the 4th of July.  Our holiday started very early, about 6:10 for me and 6:30 for Ryan.  We had to be at the Dobson Ward 4th of July Breakfast at 6:45 so that Ryan and three others could pull in one more practice as a Barbershop Quartet.  That's right.  Our ward parties are always huge undertakings and can get a little crazy sometimes.  When we got there, my brother Michael and I got roped in to helping with balloons and strings.  The party started at 7:00 with a flag ceremony starring the cadets from Luke Air Force Base and the singing of the National Anthem.  The music for the song sounded like it was coming from one of those little keyboards we used to play with when we were kids.  The ones that had the one song where you could just push a button and it would play, and you would pretend like you were playing it.  Anyways, we sang, listened to some policemen, firemen, and a man who gave a speech.  I don't know who he was, but he was kind of monotone.  I was sitting next to my little friend Truman who turned to me and whispered, "He sounds like he HAS to give the speech."  There's a lesson for all of us...when we are asked to do something, lets act like we get to do it, not that we so painstakingly have to do it.  After the speech, the main guest of honor, Sheriff Joe, said a little something.  Apparently, the lady in charge has been trying to get him to come to our little ward party for years.  He came last year, and obviously this year as well.  Last year he spoke for literally 60 seconds and then left.  Needless to say, Ryan and I were not impressed.  However, this year he talked for a few minutes, and it was good.  He redeemed himself, especially because he and his wife (who is being covered up by a balloon in the picture) stayed for the whole thing.  The final act to go on before breakfast was the Dobson Ranch Barbershop Quartet, as they were so falsely called.  Let me go back a couple of Sundays.  We sat down for Sacrament Meeting and read through the program.  There was a flyer inside advertising for the 4th of July Breakfast.  On it was a list of people who would be appearing, and the Dobson Ranch Barbershop Quartet was one of them.  I turned to Ryan and said that I didn't know there was a quartet in Dobson Ranch.  Then after church, Ryan explained that he was asked, "Do you sing?," then responded with a "Yes" and was told that he would be in the quartet.  Three other guys in the ward were asked the same thing, and ta-da, the group was formed.  They practiced for three hours total, wore paper vests and styrofoam hats as costumes.  They did a good job.  (Their order in the picture is Chris, Travis, Ryan, and James.  James is partially covered with the streamers.)  Later that night we went to see Hancock; it was pretty good.  Then we drove around to see the fireworks that were going on all over the valley.  I love fireworks.

So yes, I was in band.  I played the trumpet from 7th grade through the end of high school. My school's band program was awesome in the fact that we won 1st in everything and went to state every year.  Last night was the Southwest Corp Connection at Glendale Community College which features some of the best Drum and Bugle Corps.  This already sounds nerdy and I'm not even finished yet.  Anyways, it was great.  Out of the 3 major competitors, I liked the Phantom Regiment the best (the people in white).  Watching the performances made me miss band, but only for a little bit.  What I don't miss, however, are the uniforms that magically turn everyone into men.  The actual uniform itself erases the appearance of a women, and then you also have to tuck all of your hair underneath the hat.  Not cute.  And then the shoes are really uncomfortable because they have a rolled heel that is supposed to help you march better.  They have a striking resemblance to nurse shoes...or some other kind of shoes.  After you have the uniform on, there is no doubt that if you are living in a place like Texas, or Arizona, that you are sweating like crazy.  Oh it gets so hot in those things.  Finally, playing the instruments is fun and all, until you come to the end of a dramatic song and have to sharply angle your horn up to the crowd.  There is a very good chance that your spit will come flowing through the pipes right back at you, so you have to be prepared and time it right.  It's disgusting, I know, but it's a fact of life that many band people have to deal with.

As I had mentioned earlier, I went with my mom to her book club while I was home.  It was my mom's turn to review a book she had read and the one she chose really struck me.  It was called "My South: A People, A Place, A World All Its Own" by Robert St. John and Bryan Curtis.  It is a collection of poems from people all over the South explaining their South.  I come from a southern heritage, as my mom's family has been in Virginia since forever.  As my mom was reading some excerpts from the book, I couldn't help but get teary-eyed as I thought of my grandparents.  They both passed away July 2006.  They both meant so much to me as did the words my mom was reading about the South.  When my mom was finished, she, along with almost half of the other ladies there shared memories of growing up in the South.  I decided to also come up with my own tribute which I will include later.

I went home to my beloved Texas this past week for Celeste's wedding.  I always love going home, there is just something about Texas that I can't get over.  This trip was a little bittersweet however, because I would be gone for our anniversary.  It was on Wednesday the 18th, the mark of three years of marriage bliss.  Ryan had no problem telling people that we were going through a trial separation.  That crazy kook.  I was pretty much my mom's shadow, following her wherever she went.  We did some fun things like go out to lunch with my dad, help Mindy pick out paint colors, buy a washer, and of course go shopping.  Now that she doesn't work anymore, she has no problem shopping more; my dad doesn't quite understand it.  On Tuesday night we went to Celeste's bridal shower, and on Wednesday we went to my mom's book club.  Ryan surprised me by flying in on Friday.  Apparently everyone in my family knew and had been trying to keep it quiet, which is hard for a bunch of loud Texans.  Friday was our usual Texas Pride trip.  It is one of the two best BBQ places around.  Just imagine eating meat on wax paper, sides in styrofoam cups, 99 cent loaves of bread, bins of pickles, and picnic tables, and that is the glamorous Texas Pride.  That same night they were having a live band and fish fry so we went back and watched for a little while.  Saturday morning was Celeste's sealing and she looked beautiful.  Her little niece kept saying, "Celeste, you look like a princess."  Between the wedding and reception we picked up Josh from Youth Conference and I was able to talk to Mr. Wilson.  He was my band teacher in middle and high school and was also in the bishopric in a ward in our stake.  We then went to Bracken Cafe where they make delicious 1/2 pound burgers and frito pie, among other things.  Sunday morning we went to church and it seemed to drag on forever.  The chorister and organist looked like they were going to get into a fight, the youth speaker had the most monotone voice in which she explained that she was excited to be giving a talk, and the music and congregation sounded like a funeral session.  But it was all worth it to go home to some homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, salad, and homemade biscuits.  Food is definitely a big part of my family's life.     

On Tuesday, April 29 we were given 4 tickets to the Diamondbacks vs. the Astros baseball game. But these tickets weren't just any tickets, they were section 120, row 29, seats 10-13! Behind the home plate! They were great seats, three fly balls came practically to us, and we got free Diamondback towels (I don't know what I will do with them, but they were free). The interesting thing about the game was that it was the same night and time as the Spurs vs. Suns game. About the same time as the end of the 9th inning was the last 13 minutes of the basketball game (which they were showing on some TVs by the concession stands). I split my time going back and forth to see both games. There was a group of about 50 people at the one TV I was at, all of which were Suns fans. I was the only one there cheering for the Spurs, trying all the while to not get beat up. There were 2 cops that came over to "make sure the crowd stayed contained" and noticed that I was a Spurs fan. It was funny. Anyways, the Spurs ended up winning and moving on to round 2. It just proves that even though the Suns add Shaq to their team to try to beat the Spurs, they still can't do it. Better luck next year. And to all of those people who booed me for wearing my Spurs shirt, HA! I'll have to write about team loyalty at another time.

On April 19, we spent the day with Josh and Jade. We first started out by going to Vincent's in Phoenix. Vincent is a French chef who owns his own restaurant; the restaurant hosts a "mini fair" that includes food and different vendors selling things like jewelry and homemade jam. Because we can't get together without eating a ton of food, we went there for lunch. Jade and I got pizzas that Vincent made himself in a brick oven. I got the Caesar Chicken Pizza and it was absolutely delicious. It was so good that I craved it for the week after and had to make it at home. Now it won't taste quite the same as if Vincent made it in his brick oven, but here's how I made it...

Caesar Chicken Pizza
1 Pizza Crust (Store-Bought or Package)
Chicken Breast
Fresh Thyme
Mozzarella Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Romaine Lettuce
Croutons
Caesar Dressing (Homemade or Store-Bought, I like the new Kraft Caesar Dressing)

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cut the chicken breats into bite-sized pieces and cook in a pan with some olive oil or in a George Foreman grill. Put some of the mozzarella cheese on the prepared pizza crust, then top with cooked chicken and fresh thyme. Add more mozzarella cheese and bake according to the pizza crust directions. While the pizza is cooking, make a caesar salad with the romaine lettuce, croutons, and dressing. When the pizza is finished cooking, top with the salad, cut into slices, and serve.

Ryan and Josh got BBQ that was also absolutely delicious. It was tender and the side of potatoes were smothered in cream. Everything tastes better with cream. All the food was so good. After we were finished stuffing our faces, we went antiquing! I love going to antique stores. I was really excited, however, because one of the stores had old doors, windows, banisters, trim, corbels, and tin ceiling tiles. It may sound like trash, but to me it's treasure.
As if that wasn't enough for one day we still had to go see some million dollar homes that Josh's dad built. The first house was about 5-6 million dollars and was amazing. The kitchen was my favorite part as the island was about the size of my own kitchen. Just the island! The refrigerator and freezer were disguised as furniture and the stove had something like 8 burners. And that's not even everything. The second house cost about half as much as the first and was also beautiful. Then we saw Josh's parent's new house and all of its English Cottagish glory.

By that time it was conveniently dinner time. One of Ryan's most favorite places to go is Costa Vida and it happened to be down the road from where we were. And we couldn't finish the day off without homemade ice cream (compliments of Josh and Jade's new Kitchenaid ice cream attachment) and a movie. So the ice cream was a little on the soupy side, but like I said before, everything is better with cream.

I was organizing my house this week, as I have done every week it seems, and came across something full of memories. Our first apartment as newlyweds was appropriately called Harmony Square and was located right across the street from the BYU Girl's Soccer Field and directly down the street from Brick Oven (or as my mom remembers it, Heaps of Pizza). We celebrated my 19th birthday a few months after we moved in and invited my old roommates, friends from The Glenwood, Ryan's old roommates, and his old mission buddies. All of those people crowded into our little 700 square feet apartment and were having an awesome time when an unrecognizable head popped through our open front door. He happened to be the neighbor directly under us and explained that his wife was a 3rd grade teacher and was exhausted. He asked if we would be quiet so as not to disturb her. Can I just mention that it was 6:00 p.m., it was my birthday, and that his wife should stop complaining. If she couldn't handle one day of 3rd graders, someone obviously chose the wrong profession.

So my friend Julie has been telling me lately that I should start a blog. Tonight during Book Club I found out I was one of two people who didn't have one. I decided to follow the trend and here I am.
As exciting as Book Club was, I was really excited for the return of The Office. However awkward the episode, it still held up to its good name. Thursday nights are now back to normal and I can look forward to seeing John Krasinski on the small screen. It's not like he's extremely hot or anything, but there is just something about him.
My sister-in-law Kim gave me an "I Love Jim" magnetic note pad for Christmas. As she handed me the wrapped gift she said "You need this."
I love Ryan. He understands my non-obsessive obsession.