The World is Awesome

Exhibit A.

The world is awesome. And random. And strange. A couple years ago, I saw this red grocery cart resting upside down in a large bush. So I snapped a picture to remember the randomness/awesomeness by.

Exhibit B: one night I came home from an awkward date (as most dates with me are wont to be) and found that two of my friends had left a trail of funny notes throughout my apartment, finally leading up to my bed, where I found this:

King Peter kicks Prince Philip's butt.

Translation: Moral of the Story. Never leave Katie and Cassie alone with nothing to do on a Friday night.

Unexpected + somewhat ridiculous = awesome!

For more awesome things, follow the 1000 Awesome Things blog.

Toni and the Machines

I have a car. His name is Apollo because he is gold and Apollo is the Greek god of light. We make a handsome couple, if I do say so myself.


Apollo was my college graduation gift. I couldn't get a man, so I got a car instead! Do you know what I love most about Apollo? He isn't under the influence of SkyNet. For those of you unfamiliar with the world of "De Terminator," SkyNet is the evil-robot-run force of evil robots of Arnold Schwarzenegger-sized fame. And my father's car is, unfortunately, a SkyNet machine. You see, my father asked me to drive his Honda Pilot (named Vladimir) through southern Utah, but the car ran so smoothly that I hardly felt like I was driving. I barely had to touch the pedals to get them to respond. I barely had to hold the steering wheel. Vlad was driving, not me. I like to be in control of a machine with that much power--lest it decide to kill me and take over the world.

Thank goodness for anti-SkyNet Apollo! He does not drive smoothly. I have to really press those pedals down. And my hands are always 10 and 2 on that steering wheel. Driving Apollo is a lot like riding a horse because I have to pay attention to what he's telling me all the time. And I appreciate that. I just have to be careful not to get too much in tune with this machine. I could end up part human/part machine, like Darth Vader. Which would be disastrous. But I'll take the Empire over SkyNet any day.

The Search for My Muchness: Heaven is feline. I've been house-sitting a pair of kittens this week, and not even Disneyland made me this happy! I suppose that's why I'm Toni the Tiger.

Gunpowder and Books

Zap! Pop! Bang!

You knew that was coming.

Ah, the sweet sound of independence. I love celebrating freedom with gunpowder! I also love that the freedom of religion allows all us out here in Utah to celebrate the Fourth on Saturday night so we can spend our Sabbath thinking thoughts that ascend much higher than any firework ever could. P.S. Have you read the Constitution lately? I carry a pocket-sized copy in my purse. If I ever get into trouble, I will know my rights.

I also read an amazing (and appropriately patriotic) book this weekend: Freshman for President by Ally Condie. I met Ally last month at the writing conference, and I remembered that I got a copy of this book in one of my undergrad classes at BYU. It's about a boy in high school named Milo who decides to run for President of the United States, knowing full well that he cannot win much less take office (one has to be 35 to assume the presidency). He wants to take a journey, to do something, to figure out who he really is. On top of that, he is concerned about the political situation as far as teenagers are concerned. Teens don't have a voice until they are eighteen (and they often don't care by that point), but that leaves them without representation for eighteen years. So Milo aims to change that. The book was one heck of a journey, and I definitely shed a tear at the end. In a good way.

Anyhow, I'll shut up now so you can enjoy Independence Day. I hope you hum this song as you go about your day:

From the halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli
We will fight our nation's battles
On the land as on the sea
We are first to fight for freedom
We will keep our honor clean
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.

It's one of my favorites. Long live America!

Update from the Search for My Muchness:
After years of being terrified of water, I suddenly want to go boating this summer. I have never been more surprised to learn something about myself!