Gypsy

I think I found a new favorite show the other day. My big fat gypsy wedding. (Note: these are Irish Travelers not Romanians.) And before you judge me hear me out. First I'll argue the negatives...Yes it has little and adult women dancing skanky every once and a while, and there are boys grabbing girls and running off with them, but...the culture is insanely interesting. It is fun to step inside (or sit on my couch and watch) another culture for me. Especially one built up on so much tradition.

First, everyone or most everyone lives in a traveling trailer. They usually do not achieve higher then an eighth grade education and they marry at like 16. Woman don't work and clean the trailer all day, while the males usually work in labor jobs. The wedding dresses are extreme. It is as if an eight year old planned her dream wedding with the puffiest dress and a castle cake.

I think the social commentary on the show is what fasinates me the most. How they deal with the ignorance of others and the fact that they are ignorant themselves. In Mormon society I find we do the same...not the skankiness or trailers, but that we have traditional behavior and it is sometimes hard to accept other "normal" cultures. I personally feel that like them I am often leary of others stepping inside my culture and seeing the oddities and the fact we think honestly really weird and how much I know it. It is kind of nice to know that others have the same problem of balancing and loving what they believe to be a really nice "traditional" lifestyle that is outside the mainstream. I am proud of my background, and like them love participating in the weird traditions.

Also note Bryce hates this show.

Moving

I've decided I've had enough of Rexburg.

I know 26 is not old, but I feel old in this town. I walk into restaurants and if the average age is 20 I have this immediate feeling like I should leave. Mostly because pure feelings of disgruntled anger usually follow after an 18-year-old girl yells out something idiotic to catch another 18-year-old boys attention, and will follow by literally jumping him in a tackle of flirtation. I think I am over that. I think I was over that at 21. I am like a grouchy old man who married a grouchy old man (who is also over crazy teenagers).

With all of this pent up anger we came to the decision to move. We found a place in the large city of Idaho Falls (pop. 56,813) where there are a whopping two Super Walmarts. Rexburg doesn't even qualify for that large of a mega store.

I am excited to move on from Rexburg and college life. I know Bryce has a lot more schooling and we will still be "in school" for at least 3 more years but the thought of not having to live where I went to school will be nice.

The downside of moving will be the difficulty of finding new friends. Rexburg has a plethora of young married couples to befriend. It will be hard to leave the friends we have made here. But like us, I know eventually those we have become friends with will move on too. So here's to new adventures!

Macaroons

I have this dream that I can make delicious French Macaroons. So far it has been 2-0...with me on the losing side. Any bakery I go to the first thing I do is check for macaroons. It is the one thing I CRAVE but can't find anywhere in town. I braved the attempt to try again after looking at my cousins facebook pictures. She said to follow Martha Stewart and I wouldn't go wrong. CURSE you Martha. I thought you were supposed to make the difficult things easy for the everyday run-of-the-mill woman. They tasted awful and wouldn't come off the pan. I think it is maybe a mixture of the almonds, oven, and paper...or maybe it is just the cook.

I swear, I can make anything but cookies. It is as if God knew I shouldn't be eating them. I even tell people I hate cookies. Mostly because I can't make them myself and don't want to feel jealous of how they can succeed at something so simple.

Ah curses. I'll stick to bread.