tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-235605032024-03-14T01:23:22.370-06:00Spherical ChickensI have the answer, but it only works for spherical chickens in a vaccuum. (<a href="http://lizmuir.blogspot.com/2006/09/whats-spherical-chicken.html">?</a>)Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.comBlogger272125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-72671466379392236062009-01-20T07:26:00.001-07:002009-01-20T07:28:19.922-07:00On History and Time<p><span style="font-style: italic;">(Posted here for those who haven't made the change over to my </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://liz.ibusby.net">new blog</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> yet. Get on over there!)</span><br /></p><p>I've always had a special connection to Martin Luther King Day. Before you go thinking that I'm deep, it's because my birthday is January 17th and so this great civil rights leader often provides me with long weekend on my birthday. A pretty selfish way to look at this holiday.</p> <p>But this MLK Day, I was really thinking about the civil rights movement--probably because of tomorrow's inauguration. As a kid, I didn't really think much about the concept of racial equality. If anything, I thought people made too big a deal over it. From my view of the world, things like racial profiling and segregation were ancient history. Each time we studied American history in school (2nd, 5th, 8th, and 10th grades), we were certain to get through the civil rights movement, even if we ran out of time for Vietnam and the Berlin Wall (when our textbooks actually covered it). I found it hard to believe that any such thing as racism could exist. I guess growing up in Utah, I didn't have many opportunities to see it in action. Once, an out-of-state girl in middle school once tried to convince me that Mormons were racist because there weren't any black people in Utah. Having studied history, I knew in my 13-year-old mind that the lack of a substantial black population in Utah was mostly due to historical factors (being settled after slavery and the Northern migration) rather than active prejudice. Nonetheless, I was sure if there were more black people in Utah, they would be treated just as I treated my Asian and Indian friends in my honors classes--that is, just like everyone else.</p> <p>Racism and inequality seemed like such ancient history in my eyes, which made it hard to see the necessity of anti-discrimination laws and affirmative action programs. But I realized today that the civil rights movement was something that happened during my parent's lifetimes. Sure, they were four and five years old when Martin Luther King gave his <a title=""I Have a Dream"" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk" mce_href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk">famous speech</a>. (Aside: We watched this for FHE tonight. If all you know is the "I Have a Dream" segment, set aside twenty minutes tomorrow and watch the whole composition.) Closer to home, my dad had just graduated high school when President Kimball announced that <a title="Official Declaration 2" href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/od/2" mce_href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/od/2">the priesthood would be given to men of all races</a>. This is not ancient history; this is a real change within their lifetimes. It cannot be taken for granted because it has not been taken for granted.</p> <p>History is a strange thing. When does something stop being a current event and start being history? How long does it take for something to cross from the bounds of history into the fabric of what we are as human beings? How long until the idea of accepting other people regardless of appearance becomes second-nature, an unremarkable truth? I certainly don't know, but I don't think that the association Dr. King makes between social equality and the Second Coming is a coincidence. As I said <a title=""On Business, Politics, and Morality"" href="http://liz.ibusby.net/?p=267" mce_href="http://liz.ibusby.net/?p=267">earlier</a>, righteousness will bring these changes to pass, not legislation. But for now, I am proud to live in a country that has chosen to abide by such legislation and is moving one step closer to the time when we all will truly be judged by the content of our character. Congratulations to Barack Obama, and to all of us.</p>Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-14071340731829397762009-01-13T19:05:00.002-07:002009-01-13T19:05:46.915-07:00RelocationWell, it's not quite done, but it's done enough. Check out the new spiffy blog over <a href="liz.ibusby.net">here</a>.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-52111648211123529792009-01-06T14:31:00.005-07:002009-01-06T14:44:25.679-07:00Ode to GeorgeMy husband and I are a perfect combination when it comes to goals. I like to plan elaborate structures that will help me get stuff done. I am in love with Excel and the spreadsheet. George, not so much. However, I have no follow-through with my goals (see two posts down on <a href="http://lizmuir.blogspot.com/2008/12/2008-resolution-redux.html">2008 goals</a>). I tend to plan ways in which I could do and be everything I ever wanted to, and then promptly sit down and play video games or watch reruns of What Not to Wear and Good Eats.<br /><br />This is where George comes in. Although he couldn't plan his way out of a paper sack (at least by my standards), he doesn't really need to. When he wants to accomplish something, he simply does it. And it's done. I am shocked by the simpleness of this plan, but very often it has the audacity to work. I find this very attractive.<br /><br />Why do I bring this up? Well, George has already started to help me out with my <a href="http://lizmuir.blogspot.com/2009/01/ring-in-new-2009-goals.html">2009 resolutions</a>. You know how I mentioned that I might want to start a family blog this year? Well, on January 2nd, George spent all day researching hosting companies, picked a plan and domain name by dinner time, purchased them, and started installing blogging engines.<br /><br />Accomplishing a New Year's resolution by doing it--inconceivable!<br /><br />What this means is that over the next few days I'm going to be mucking around in WordPress and whatever dot net blogging engine George has decided on for the family blog. And shortly thereafter, this blog will be migrating and the new blog will be open as well. You can thank my amazing husband for this.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-56629082636506895632009-01-02T19:52:00.007-07:002009-01-02T21:26:33.540-07:00A Clarification on the Nature of BloggingAfter reading my 2009 goals, George pointed out that a blog post a day is unreasonable. I agree for a few reasons. First, how in the world could I come up with enough to write? No one likes junk blog posts, the ones that people put up just for the sake of filling a day on their blogging schedule. Once you start posting like that, people start ignoring your blog in their feed reader, no matter how interesting they think you are. I do not intent for my blog to go this way. Second, a good blog post takes longer than 15 minutes to write. Many of my favorite posts took about one and a half hours to write. Obviously I had more free time back then.<br /><br />So here's a clarification: when I say 15 minutes of writing on my blog, this doesn't necessarily mean I will finish a post each day. Just because blogging can be instant publication doesn't mean it should always be. Writing something good takes time, but you don't always have all the time at once. So I'm turning my blogging back into a revision-necessary form of writing. Blogging has always been a balance between quality and quantity: if you have a life outside of the web, you have a limited amount of resources to distribute between the two. Your blog with either be infrequent but meaningful, or full of daily, maybe hourly, posts linking to videos or commenting on the weather. Since I view my blog as a place to cull material for future essays, the former is more helpful to me.<br /><br />Take a look at this post: that is what 15 minutes of blogging looks like. Barely enough time for one coherent thought!Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-72550430859929213082009-01-01T08:31:00.005-07:002009-01-06T14:57:52.819-07:00Ring in the New: 2009 Goals<ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Start a new family blog.</span> Face it--I've certainly outgrown my domain name. Plus I would really like to get off free service and into some sort of implementation of something more customizable, like Wordpress on our own domain. I'm rather liking the title "Make Way for Geeklings" right now.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read at least 25 books.</span> I find myself a more interesting person when I'm reading. And while Google Reader and Google News have somewhat taken the place of actual books and newspapers, I feel more responsible by seeking out in-depth information in a book. So yes, you may gather that the majority of these will be non-fiction, although I rather should start reading some creative non-fiction again so I can be more familiar with my chosen genre.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Write for 15 minutes a day on my blog.</span> Or future blogs opened. This is both for writing purposes and for keeping in touch with family upon our August move to Seattle.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Complete 600 pages of journal writing.</span> Most of my published essays came from the 200 pages of journal writing we were assigned on my study abroad. I can't expect quite as big a ratio (100 pages/month) with real life in the way, but I'm going to shoot for the moon and go for half.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Complete an essay each month and submit it for publication.</span> Three writing goals may seem rather obsessive, but it seems I have basically three levels of writing going on, so I might as well distinguish them. I like the idea of basing my publication goals on essays out rather than publications completed. There's something to be said for getting yourself out there.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Run a half-marathon. </span> At some point during my pregnancy, I was delusional enough to commit to my husband that I would do this to get back into a shape other than round. With our afore mentioned <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3136650&camp=PPC%3A204319903">jogging-stroller-of-doom</a> (with speakers!), the three Busbys will be running (or riding in baby G's case) in the <a href="http://www.mammothmarathons.org/bl/bl.html">Bear Lake Half-Marathon</a> in June. Pray for my cardiovascular system.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Take more pictures.</span> Both George and I are slackers about recording our life, and though George doesn't care much about having tangible memories of the past, I know I'll want to have them later.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Complete scrapbooks for college and marriage, or throw away the box of ticket stubs, programs, ribbons, papers, etc.</span> Either I need to commit to doing this project or get rid of it. It's just not worth hauling to Seattle otherwise. I'm not sure which to do yet. Heh heh.</li></ol>Happy 2009! In celebration, I highly recommend you read the full version of Tennyson's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_Out,_Wild_Bells">Ring Out, Wild Bells</a>.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-21623930804987843932008-12-31T13:08:00.004-07:002008-12-31T18:02:24.227-07:002008 Resolution ReduxA review of last year's resolutions:<br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Write for at 15 minutes a day</span>. Well, so much for this. Between being pregnant and having a baby, I've been high on excuses for not writing. However, I started a new writing notebook last week in hopes of getting on track for next year.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Post on the blog more regularly. </span>Ha ha ha.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Read at least 25 books</span>. In terms of starting books, I probably came close. But finishing books is another matter.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Get published. </span>Yup. 3 times.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Apply to grad school. </span>As of 12:06 pm, FedEx is overnighting it to Seattle. So technically completed this year.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Find a job.</span> Well, I spent most of this year jobless (unless you count creating life as a job). My temp job in Seattle was alright, but not ideal. There probably won't be a job goal next year, unless I get into grad school and they let me teach little freshmen.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do 100% of my visiting teaching.</span> Still at 0%. I have an excuse for 3 months in Seattle where we never made it to the VT/HT lists, but I'm still battling my strange aversion to visiting teaching.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Keep in better touch with my family.</span> I'll say I did a pretty good job at this. This summer we used more than half of our minutes each month. Impressive for us, let me tell you.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure out how spices work. </span>I'm doing better at this, but it's an on going project.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wake up early, and like it. </span>Right now I'm feeling pretty good about mornings, especially since Baby G started sleeping through the night. Running with our new jogging-stroller-of-doom is also helping mornings be a happier time. (Never thought I'd say that.)</li></ol>New resolutions tomorrow!Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-90115515452830325422008-12-15T10:45:00.006-07:002008-12-15T10:54:51.490-07:00Baby by Numbers: Brief Note of Shock<ul><li>8 - baby's record consecutive sleep hours, which happened on Saturday. (<a href="http://go.trixietracker.com/site/babynumbers/sleep?stats">8 hours, 14 minutes to be precise</a>.) I know I said that sleeping through the night would come sooner rather than later, but at 5 weeks? There must be something wrong with this baby he's so good. Maybe he's addicted to sleep? He's also sleeping almost 12 hours total at night. I am so spoiled. Poor second born child. He/she's doomed to hear stories about how great his/her older brother was for the rest of his/her life.</li><li>$14,613.31 - current total of doctor's bills for little G's birth.</li><li>$1,242 - current total we have to pay. Thank goodness for insurance, even the ridiculous student health plan with massive premiums. Of course, this is pending any more bills received.<br /></li></ul>Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-37143682523671072352008-12-01T16:55:00.007-07:002008-12-04T11:44:04.900-07:00Baby by Numbers: Post-Partum EditionLast week, Ben pointed out that I haven't updated my blog since the big day, so for those of you who don't know . . .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvWH5EEK1IxSkCF2rjMKywdT14bjOsQDaQfLabQb7TIwij6m2eC-xt2VJ5W5A1CvNdBI0QwzNJurR-T0m_JUsjVCaV2w3IyWli_bI_CxgyngBUWpM09U8HMgXXSGtu7Nr30I/s1600-h/IMG_1580.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvWH5EEK1IxSkCF2rjMKywdT14bjOsQDaQfLabQb7TIwij6m2eC-xt2VJ5W5A1CvNdBI0QwzNJurR-T0m_JUsjVCaV2w3IyWli_bI_CxgyngBUWpM09U8HMgXXSGtu7Nr30I/s200/IMG_1580.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276001122168364466" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li>11/7 - date George Edward Busby, Jr. was born. Yup. We went in for the non-stress test at 10:30 am on the 6th and the doctor suggested that we induce labor. Being the impatient people that George and I are, we were thrilled.</li><li>23 - hours after I was admitted, baby George arrived in the world. It's not as bad as it sounds, since they didn't induce contractions until evening, and with the epidural, I slept through most of it. However . . .<br /></li><li>2 - hours of pushing is not a fun experience. They say it goes faster for subsequent babies. But it was worth it because I have my baby now! He's a total cutie! (See above or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2223336&l=c2685&id=17801432">facebook</a> for evidence.) Overall, labor was not as bad as it had been hyped to be. (Though without an epidural, I think it would have been much worse.) I'm pretty sure I could do that again. Not for at least a year, but anyways.<br /></li><li>174 - number of diapers we have changed since then. How do I know this? Because of a wonderful little site called <a href="http://www.trixietracker.com/">Trixie Tracker</a>. Yes, at first glance it may seem a little obsessive to track your baby's every nap, diaper, and bottle, but it's a life saver. Keeping track of all these things has given me a bit of sanity and a project to do through this transition. It also helps me to understand baby G's patterns. For instance, if he falls asleep at 7:30 pm, I can check how much he's eaten today and accurately guess if he's down for the night or if he'll wake up for one more bottle. I feel a lot more in control just for having all these charts and stats. For more baby G stats, you can visit his site, <a href="http://go.trixietracker.com/site/babynumbers">Baby by Numbers</a>.</li><li>20.4 - ounces of formula consumed by little G per day on average. I was hoping to breastfeed, but the doctors put G on formula supplementation because of jaundice at the hospital, and he never learned how to suck properly. After 2 weeks of trying and being on the verge of an emotional breakdown, we decided to give up and go to bottle feeding. It's sort of disappointing, but on the other hand, it means big G can help with the feeding at night. :D<br /></li><li>14 - approximate number of hours baby G sleeps a day. About 10 of these are at night, which is great. Last night, he slept 7 hours straight and only woke up because I woke up anyway and wanted to feed him before I went back to sleep. Sleeping through the night will probably happen sooner rather than later. It's very considerate of him, though the lack of naps during the day makes it hard to accomplish other things, like . . .</li><li>29 - days until grad school applications are due at the <a href="http://depts.washington.edu/engl/">University of Washington</a>. Yup, I'm applying for next fall. I'm pretty anxious about getting in, which is a new sensation for me. When I was applying for undergrad, I knew I was a shoe-in for a full-ride at BYU, and only applied at other schools to satisfy my dad. It's weird to think about the prospect of getting rejected, though it really won't be the end of the world. I just think it would be nice to get my masters, and teaching freshman English is a good part-time job for a mom. :D But if not, I'm sure little G will keep my plenty busy.<br /></li></ul>Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-91234404433942718582008-11-05T14:14:00.002-07:002008-11-05T14:33:16.850-07:00Baby by Numbers: Late Edition<ul><li>{3, 4, 5} - days overdue I am, depending on if you calculate from the first due date we were told (Oct. 31), the due date on file at the OB (Nov. 1), or the date they gave us at the ultrasound (Nov. 2).</li><li>? - number of contractions I've felt. Every visit the OB asks me if I've felt any contractions and I say, "I dunno." Because really, it's difficult to tell the difference between your stomach tightening because your silly baby is using you as a punching bag or your lunch is thinking about making a return appearance; and your stomach tightening because it's practicing for when it has to get a baby out. I have nonetheless been reassured by everyone that when I'm in labor, I'll know it. Duh.<br /></li><li>0% - how much I like being overdue. <a href="http://samandcourtneymangum.blogspot.com">Courtney </a>was right when she posted the following on my facebook wall: "My sister once described being overdue as every day being your birthday, but no one remembering. I thought that described it pretty well." Amen and amen. The reason it sucks the most is that there is nothing I can do about it, and each day that goes by has a handy way of transforming the excitement we had about the birth of our son into frustration and annoyance. Don't worry; we'll still love him. I just spend a lot more time telling my baby to hurry it up.</li><li>2 - number of weeks I've been totally finished with my projects-to-do-before-baby list. I am somewhat bored out of my mind, but I don't want to start anything because I know it'll be left half-done for months if baby comes. My mother-in-law claims that the baby won't come until I'm half-way through a project though, so . . .</li><li>2 - number of hats I've knitted in that time period, and . . .</li><li>452 - number of stitches per row in the <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATThenry.html">very masculine scarf</a> I'm making for my soon-to-be missionary brother-in-law. Come on baby, you know you want to interrupt that.<br /></li><li>7 - days before election day that I voted because baby was supposed to be here by now. Though I eventually decided to vote for McCain, it was a hard choice. Not for good reasons though. I really didn't feel like either candidate was someone I wanted to lead the country, but oh well. I'm excited for Obama and hope that his actions can catch up with his amazing grasp of rhetoric. But they probably won't because, as George pointed out, "No matter who wins, the country is still being run by politicians." On the other hand, good rhetoric means people won't care as much that they aren't getting what they were promised, so maybe that's not so bad.<br /></li><li>3rd - man named George Edward Busby that our baby will be. Yup, after all that deliberation, we've come back to the easiest choice as the most likely one (ever since George bailed out on Luke for no apparent reason). George would probably like me to make it clear that the baby is being named after his grandfather and not him. Whatever. I'm kinda disappointed with the un-creativity of the name--I feel kinda gyped out of the chance to name my own baby. At least I can hold this over George's head and name the next boy Luke Tennyson. Ha ha.</li></ul>Well, that's pretty much all. Hopefully the next post will have baby pictures rather than more griping.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-19866205294820594312008-10-30T15:09:00.004-06:002008-10-30T15:12:19.650-06:00Publication #3Not available for reading online, but as you can see in the <a href="http://irreantum.mormonletters.org/">table of contents</a>, a critical essay I wrote on Chaim Potok and Mormon literature is being published in the upcoming issue of Irreantum, the journal of the Association for Mormon Letters. I'm really excited about this, especially since I now have a nicely edited piece of critical writing to use on my graduate school application.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this is the last of my currently lined-up publications, so I guess I better get to work on some more essays! That is, after the baby comes and I recover and find something to force me to write instead of just waste time . . . .Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-70744293639141412382008-10-28T10:57:00.004-06:002008-10-28T11:03:19.167-06:00Family Portrait, 39 weeks, Medium: Pumpkin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadqjemFbcOsSxov99Cvulj2NfmxAlTVIVDwLE_-x9gEEkasfXt39zKZUvjQboG2ARy1MgnZuu2PpmpLTPQ5VfcytWe-KiaTOgZpgkDSwsVWRDxFkp9Ogz8FMIkpl5EdlcVP8/s1600-h/halloween+010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadqjemFbcOsSxov99Cvulj2NfmxAlTVIVDwLE_-x9gEEkasfXt39zKZUvjQboG2ARy1MgnZuu2PpmpLTPQ5VfcytWe-KiaTOgZpgkDSwsVWRDxFkp9Ogz8FMIkpl5EdlcVP8/s200/halloween+010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262250615157437538" border="0" /></a>A perfect likeness, except my belly doesn't glow so much.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-53566421771359077902008-10-27T10:15:00.005-06:002008-10-27T10:33:53.393-06:00FunctionalitySince my transition from full-time student to full-time stay-at-home almost-mom, I've become obsessed with creating functionality in my home. My previous roommates will think I was already like this, but they don't know the extent things have gotten to at this point. A few of my functional innovations (which you may want to try for yourself):<br /><ul><li>Physical "In," "Pending," and "Out" boxes - One thing that used to drive me crazy at home was the piles of paper sitting around in various places. Now whenever I check the mail, receive coupons, receipts, invitations, or find a cool article to read later, I make sure it isn't urgent and then stick it in the inbox. Anything I need to file or mail goes in the outbox. Pending is for projects I'm not doing right now or things I have to wait for a response on. On Mondays, I go through and deal with everything in all three at once, as well as updating our financial information on Quicken. This may sound like the most basic organizing technique, but do you actually have one?</li><li>Date idea folder - Speaking of the outbox, it also contains the date idea folder where I stash any fliers about local events.<br /></li><li>Pantry checklist - I've created a list of all the food and non-food items we need to buy on a regular basis organized by area, stuck it in a sheet protector, and placed a dry erase marker next to it. It's like the old "pad on the fridge" shopping list approach, except that when I go to make my list, I can quickly go over the list to make sure I'm not missing anything that's just about to run out. Plus I like having a list of all the stuff we need to live.</li><li>Cord organization - The plague of modern technology is a little thing called cords. Every device you have comes with a whole plethora of cables, most of which you won't use frequently but which you have to keep somewhere just in case you ever want to plug your digital camera into the TV. Solution: wrap cords with elastic to prevent tangling, then sort according to what they input into. I have three boxes: power cords, USB cords, and A/V cords. The A/V cords are by the TV, where we might actually remember to use them.</li></ul>And that's just the more creative stuff. I don't know how a household would really survive without a dedicated homemaker. The more I stay at home, the more necessary I think it is to do so. Sure, I kept on my feet pretty well as a student, but there was always a little chaos in the areas of keeping myself running. With one person per household dedicated to do these tasks full-time, the rest of your life becomes completely free. Anyway, I like it, even if I don't particularly like housework.<br /><br />And no, I haven't had the baby yet.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-35528412262777723312008-10-17T14:58:00.005-06:002008-10-17T15:21:27.166-06:00Yatta!Many people expressed doubts that it could be done in time, but I have yet to go into labor and here it is: the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer05/PATTwildstripes.html">Wild Stripes</a> baby blanket in all its glory!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf84U7zLYI3zsDlbUVXyaC9BIBhuYPxJ0n3n4LLAQ6C-DPlDhukvurVzgtqEOJAFHJZRCdRigb_czm9PhI35XOM0V3dEMiPERYK1qpvVSAB4FzDfAvPQCYNahTzGXomq1IQcc/s1600-h/Baby+Room+004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf84U7zLYI3zsDlbUVXyaC9BIBhuYPxJ0n3n4LLAQ6C-DPlDhukvurVzgtqEOJAFHJZRCdRigb_czm9PhI35XOM0V3dEMiPERYK1qpvVSAB4FzDfAvPQCYNahTzGXomq1IQcc/s200/Baby+Room+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258234801001400578" border="0" /></a><br />Doing the hand sewing and embroidery was definitely the most difficult part. Now I know why people (women) invented quilting frames. I'm still unsatisfied with the bagginess of some parts of the backing, but since it's my first time I'm cutting myself a break.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2Lx4fWLL-QqwznLn7mB6JtyK9xNPcuwmPJ2LIlh3TvnAEsUNjQ4hpDgONuhsJDSbY1diYFQmv3Rx1hdJOhGHNmJc3rtlrInz_m_xO6zoQBUgm_zPNiESe2b6NGJpAJU-uY4/s1600-h/Baby+Room+005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2Lx4fWLL-QqwznLn7mB6JtyK9xNPcuwmPJ2LIlh3TvnAEsUNjQ4hpDgONuhsJDSbY1diYFQmv3Rx1hdJOhGHNmJc3rtlrInz_m_xO6zoQBUgm_zPNiESe2b6NGJpAJU-uY4/s200/Baby+Room+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258235354977144210" border="0" /></a>I think the colors go pretty well with the baby bumpers my mom bought. So cute and so not pastel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpmcbAVddKGLB7hTQ7xruERDu_5T8b4Etwo2YToq_KECBhZEFDd2bhvF4jAUd4Dz2Tyh8FpPeUeUwiYbpfUsYhG_MoZHv8JAPuWQDbSLb57yAaH8jbSLy433gOvVTMzC9rio/s1600-h/Baby+Room+006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpmcbAVddKGLB7hTQ7xruERDu_5T8b4Etwo2YToq_KECBhZEFDd2bhvF4jAUd4Dz2Tyh8FpPeUeUwiYbpfUsYhG_MoZHv8JAPuWQDbSLb57yAaH8jbSLy433gOvVTMzC9rio/s200/Baby+Room+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258234791902526434" border="0" /></a>Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-27182870639893964252008-10-10T07:50:00.002-06:002008-10-10T07:56:20.199-06:00Publication #2<a href="http://segullah.org/current.html"><img src="http://segullah.org/images/currentcover.jpg" alt="the current issue of Segullah" /></a><br /><br />Check me out! This essay is available online and it's my favorite of my honors thesis. Plus the editing done by Segullah is awesome.<br /><br />If you haven't heard of Segullah, it's a Mormon women's literary magazine. How's that for a specialized market? But really, it's a high quality publication; the print edition they sent to me is great. Someone should buy me a subscription for Christmas.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-75014954168945042802008-10-09T14:17:00.003-06:002008-10-09T14:29:08.503-06:00Obsessive Compulsive M&M EatingAn excellent post on <a href="http://lightrefreshmentsserved.com/2008/10/09/selective-ocd">OCD M&M eating disease</a> on <a href="http://lightrefreshmentsserved.com/">Light Refreshments Served</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>Here’s what always happens when I tear into the bag: <p>1. I count the M&Ms. There are usually 21. Sometimes there are 20; occasionally there are 22. I give myself a mental high-five when I get 22, as if it were some kind of bonus or something.</p> <p>2. I separate the M&Ms according to color.</p> <p>3. I arrange the M&Ms in patterns, depending on what color combinations I end up with. If I have relatively equal numbers of the different colors, for example, I’ll probably do one line of each. If I have some colors with lots of candies and some with few, I’ll make flowers with the scarcer colors as the centers and the more plentiful ones as the petals.</p> <p>4. Each time I eat an M&M, I rearrange the patterns to restore the symmetry or the artistry or whatever governing principle I have selected for arranging them in the first place.</p> <p>5. As for the M&M that goes into my mouth, I generally prop it upright between my front top and bottom teeth, apply just enough pressure to split the colorful candy shell in half, and then let the exposed chocolate surface fall onto my tongue. Alternatively, sometimes I dissolve the candy in my mouth until the shell is all gone and I have just that tiny drop of pure chocolate left.</p></blockquote><p></p><br />Um, I do all those things except the counting, although I now realize this seems like an excellent idea. If only I weren't in such a hurry for chocolate when I open the package! Also, I don't do flowers; if I have too few of a color, I usually create multi-color pyramids and eat the extras that don’t conform to the pattern. Also, I like to lick the rim of the candy shell until I get to the chocolate and then pry both halves off.<br /><br />Further to this: is anyone else annoyed by the lack of purple M&Ms? They totally promised them in that "new color" contest a few years back and I still don't have them. :( It’s almost as bad as the lack of blue Skittles. Why can’t these candy makers cater to my OCD desires for rainbow colored candy?<br /><br />(Light Refreshments Served is an interesting blog, BTW. I highly encourage visiting and subscribing to their RSS.)Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-81392343312791629112008-09-18T10:37:00.012-06:002008-09-18T11:56:03.930-06:00On Business, Politics, and Morality<blockquote>"Not one suggested I should simply hire honest people."<br />- A man in Sunday School on preparing to teach a seminar on reducing business fraud and risk</blockquote><br />If you haven't read/heard/seen the recent chaos in the Wall Street economy, I highly suggest <a href="http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/diamond-and-kashyap-on-the-recent-financial-upheavals/">this essay</a> on the <a href="http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/">Freakonomics</a> blog (incidentally one of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0061234001/ref=s9_asin_title_1-1966_g1/104-4331718-0579906?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=111R6V4YNCKB64ENJ6XP&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240701&pf_rd_i=507846&nyt-blog-20">most interesting books</a> I've read and one of the <a href="http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/">most interesting blogs</a> I follow). But as Doug Wright said today on his <a href="http://www.ksl.com/?nid=399">show</a>, the basics of this economic crunch come down to this: people have spent the past decade or two buying more than they can really afford, on the level of individuals and businesses and multi-trillion dollar organizations.<br /><br />And they have been allowed to do it because everyone has banked on things going exactly right, the economy continuing to expand and grow at rates ridiculous enough to cover their unwise investment today. It's become the mindset of our country that it's better to borrow the equivalent of a year's salary to lease a new luxury car now than to spend a few months or years saving in order to own a used car flat out. The kinds of decisions business owners are encouraged to make are the same ones we panic to see children with no financial education making in their own lives: spending the Christmas bonus in November before you actually have it, treating credit cards like free money, and having absolutely no long-term plan for what to do if they were in an accident or lost a job.<br /><br />I admit to being one of the last people who should write an essay having anything to do with business. I received the lowest passing score on my IB Business test, I took no business classes in college, and I don't pretend to understand why some stocks rise and some fall, excepting the obvious bad products and frauds. What I do know about business comes from growing up in a house where money was tight. In our home, we didn't eat out even once a week, much less the rumored <a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ann_cooper_talks_school_lunches.html">1-in-4 meals that school aged children consume</a> at fast food restaurants. I certainly didn't grow up in poverty, as the fact that I was able to attend college attests, but as a child I certainly felt deprived because my parents were frugal in a spending-mad world. I didn't understand why I should have a hamburger with communal drink and fries rather than the shiny Happy Meal with the cool toys.<br /><br />But it seems that my upbringing has given me a better education in business finance than much of Wall Street. When I have an excess, I don't go blow it on some new gadget or, worse, commit it to a monthly payment which I won't be able to make on my regular income. I avoid risky deals except with expendable income I can afford to lose. (This is mostly theoretical--as a young married couple in grad school about to have a baby, expendable income isn't something we have lying around, but that's my future investment strategy regardless.) And most importantly, I know to avoid debt except for reasonable investments in education and a home (which I expect to actually pay off someday, thank you very much).<br /><br />This last point is interesting, because one of the places I learned this principle is perhaps the least likely business school in the world: the pews of my local church. Have not the prophets been <a href="http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7417-1-4006-1,00.html">warning us for years</a> <a href="http://www.providentliving.org/ff/pdf/WE_FamilyFinancesGuide_International_04007_000.pdf">against the very thing</a> which caused this credit crunch? It's not all that recent; this quote from 1979 seems like it could have been written today:<br /><span class="featurestext"><blockquote>Those who structure their standard of living to allow a little surplus, control their circumstances. Those who spend a little more than they earn are controlled by their circumstances. They are in bondage (<span class="featurestext">President N. Eldon Tanner, </span>"<a href="http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=3880615b01a6b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1" class="articlelink">Constancy Amid Change,</a>" <i>Ensign</i>, Nov. 1979, 81). </blockquote>Yet one of the classic ironies of Mormondom is that Utah has one of, if not <a href="http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600103927,00.html">the highest rate of bankruptcy in the nation</a>. Even in the land of "Zion," it appears that we are unable to listen to the voice of the prophets. If we had, we would not be in the position that we find ourselves waking up to this week.<br /><br />And the more I think about it, the more I see obedience to gospel laws as the key to solving all the major problems of our society. Corrupt CEOs and businesses with no foundation could be elimated and thousands of those without jobs or without satisfactory jobs could be rescued if we could only live according to <a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/jacob/2/17-19#17">Jacob 2:17-19</a>. Problems with our education system could largely be solved by parental involvement and children who truly <a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/88/78-80#78">valued education</a>. Obviously, crime could be abolished as in <a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/4_ne/1/10-18#10">Fourth Nephi</a> with charity, trust, and righteousness.<br /><br />I see not much difference between the two men running for president other than which bandaid they choose to stick on the problem, because the only true way to solve the problem is the change the people. And the only way to change the people is through following the commandments that God has given us:<br /></span><blockquote>True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior (President Boyd K. Packer, “<a href="http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=a501d9cbdb01c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1">Do Not Fear</a>,” <em></em><em>Ensign,</em> May 2004, 79).</blockquote>A moral people is the true solution to almost every issue on the presidential platforms, and unfortunately, it's one of the few things that neither of them would dare have the courage to campaign on. I probably sound a lot more dogmatic than I mean to: in reality, this is no fault of Obama or McCain. The only true solution is one that no one can campaign on because it cannot be effected by a government. Righteousness cannot be mandated upon those who are unwilling. A Zion society cannot be legislated, it must be chosen. When Zion is achieved, politics is superfluous. But without righteousness, politics will always be the least effective solution to our problems.<br /><br />And because of this, sitting at home lately watching and listening and reading the news, I begin to feel like <a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/morm/6/16-22#16">Mormon lamenting his fallen people</a>:<br /><blockquote>O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you!</blockquote>Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-10982011999428972472008-09-11T08:19:00.003-06:002008-09-11T08:33:29.441-06:00Cravings<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://personal.lse.ac.uk/kallinik/NEW/books.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://personal.lse.ac.uk/kallinik/NEW/books.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Books. Where have all the good ones gone?<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.pimpthatsnack.com/project.php?projectID=343"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.pimpthatsnack.com/images/projects/rubikcake/pts_cube_13.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Rubix Cube: The Cake. 'Nuff said.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall08/PATTopart.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall08/images/opartALT.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Now that's a baby blanket I can handle being seen with<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.byu.edu/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://home.byu.edu/webapp/home/images/homeBanner.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>My brain still hasn't figured out that I'm not going to class this semester. I miss classes.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall08/PATTcamden.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall08/images/camdenBEAUTY.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Technically complies with my recent decision to buy more vests, but allows me to wear as a sweater, though I'm not particularly fond of the bobbles on the front<br /></div>Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-84766519182879344622008-08-30T07:24:00.004-06:002008-08-30T07:29:07.443-06:00DisturbingEvery night for the past week, my dreams have ended with me having to kill someone. Not in a war or anything. Usually some serial killer or burglar who I know will kill everyone else if I don't handle them first. Often, they've killed off people I know right before. I have no weapons, so I usually end up strangling them, bashing their head on something, or drowning them (most recently). It's slow and scary and methodical and drawn out. Often times I half wake-up but force the dream to continue because I know it's so important for them to be gone and I need closure.<br /><br />I don't think we need an expert in dream interpretation to say that this is a little disturbing. Thoughts on what this could mean about my psyche?Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-80684287925130436602008-08-28T14:28:00.005-06:002008-08-28T14:52:38.865-06:00Baby By Numbers: Distance and Pain<ul><li>1.3 - miles between our new apartment in Springville and George's family's house. This is nice because we can hop over there when we need things, and when the baby comes they will be close by to help, but bad because . . .</li><li>8 - miles between our apartment and campus. Yeah, the commute is going to suck, and I confess to being a bit worried about what will happen when I go into labor and have to call George back from campus. :( Ah well.<br /></li><li>2 - Extra Strength Tylenol I have taken today. On Saturday my back started hurting like the devil. The kind of feeling like you've been hunched over too long, only much worse. Ever since, I've been trying to decide which is worse, popping pills or dealing with the pain. Did I mention that both George and I are anti-medication? This doesn't mean I don't want an epidural or anything, just that we don't like taking medicine for everyday pain.<br /></li><li>770 - dollars we spent on dental work for George yesterday: 2 wisdom teeth pulled, 4 cavities filled. About the same time my back pain hit, George's teeth started hurting; I eventually convinced him we had to do something about it, despite not having dental coverage. Hurray for the Discounted Service Plan from BYU--I'm sure it could have cost a lot more. And the dentist we went to had the coolest office I've ever seen: massage chairs and free food! Pregnant lady paradise! But let me tell you, it's not been fun having a pregnant lady with back pain and her husband hopped up on painkillers in the same house. Nobody wants to be responsible. Everyone wants to guilt trip the other person into figuring out what to make for dinner. But to be fair, George has been really great about it. He's actually healing well (meaning no longer on prescription pain meds) and pushing me to keep doing things through the pain, which has helped. Now he's talking about having the wisdom teeth made into earrings for me. (Think again, silly brain.)</li><li>4 - pounds I gained over the three weeks between my prenatal appointments. No wonder my back is hurting. And all my maternity clothes aren't fitting any more either. I take comfort in the fact that I still weigh about 15 pounds less than I did when I graduated from high school, so obviously my body can handle it. It's just the distribution that's awkward.</li><li>4 - first names we've narrowed down to. Luke and Lucas are tied for first (I'm still not convinced about Lucus), with Adam and Quincy as runners-up. As for middle names, who knows.<br /></li><li>1 - years George and I will have been married as of Saturday! Come to think of it, George also had dental work the Wednesday before we got married. This better not become a tradition. Anyway, we're headed up to Logan for the weekend to celebrate, to check out the trail for the Top of Utah Marathon George will be running in September, and to get a Bear Lake Raspberry shake that I've been craving all summer.</li><li>9 - weeks left until my due date! Wow, things are going fast.<br /></li></ul>Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-35390898087518951232008-08-23T12:58:00.003-06:002008-08-23T13:02:15.929-06:00The Coolest Page on the Web Ever<a href="http://catalog.lib.byu.edu/uhtbin/ilink">Go here and search for me.</a><br /><br />Now if only they would catalog it so I could coerce people into checking it out.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-76211737816853036332008-07-25T17:08:00.003-06:002008-07-25T17:17:16.418-06:00An Argument against Moral RelativismI'd like to say I've always held that moral relativism is an illusion, but I can't quite be certain about that--there may have been some places in high school that I succumbed to the pressure of liberal peers all participating in Model United Nations. However, somewhere between all the reading of C.S. Lewis and growing up, I've come to believe that so-called moral relativists are mostly in denial. They fixate on an aspect of morality that most people have known about since biblical times and claim that it's new and enlightened, while those who practiced it in the past were hypocritical.<br /><br />I bring up this topic because of a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121694247343482821.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">very interesting review</a> of <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman: The Dark Knight</span> that I just read in the Wall Street Journal. Quotage:<br /><p class="times"></p><blockquote><p class="times">Leftists frequently complain that right-wing morality is simplistic. Morality is relative, they say; nuanced, complex. They're wrong, of course, even on their own terms.</p> <p class="times">Left and right, all Americans know that freedom is better than slavery, that love is better than hate, kindness better than cruelty, tolerance better than bigotry. We don't always know how we know these things, and yet mysteriously we know them nonetheless.</p> <p class="times">The true complexity arises when we must defend these values in a world that does not universally embrace them -- when we reach the place where we must be intolerant in order to defend tolerance, or unkind in order to defend kindness, or hateful in order to defend what we love.</p></blockquote><p class="times"></p>I can't vouch for the accuracy of their analysis of the film, but the moral argument rings true to me.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-49529397196263089172008-07-21T18:08:00.005-06:002008-07-21T18:25:46.182-06:00Baby by Numbers: Beginning of the End<ul><li>2/3 - of the way through my pregnancy on Friday. Third trimester, here we come!</li><li>1/3 - done with baby Busby's <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/PATTwildstripes.html">Wild Stripes</a> blanket. And George thought it wouldn't get done in time. I had my doubts about the color substitution, but it looks really nice so far.</li><li>62 - number of miles I've biked over the past month accompanying George on his long marathon training runs on Saturdays. Don't worry, there's not a lot of physical exertion involved in keeping up with a runner, even an awesome one like my hubby. However, I wish I had some exercise pants with more support for my enlarging maternal tummy. After 3 hours of bumping up and down, little Wilson is very angry.</li><li>6 - names for baby Busby we brainstormed last week running that start with the letter J: Jack, Jacob, James, Jonathan, Joseph, Jonas. In methodical Busby fashion, we decided it would be most efficient to simply work our way through the alphabet for names we might actually feel comfortable calling our baby. It's very strange to face the prospect of coming up with permanent identification for another human being. Other popular letters include C (Caleb, Christian, Conner, Clayton), G (George, Grant, Gregory, Gabriel), and S (Samuel, Stephen, Saul). Please regard all information as to Wilson's actual name as a rumor pending further confirmation in 3 months. :D</li><li>2 - times I threw up Saturday. Probably because I ate an entire container of movie popcorn, followed by several Oreos, and an apple. Dang baby won't let me get away with eating junk.</li><li>1 - cute knitted baby hat a lady in the ward gave to us at the Friday night game night. I love it so much. It made me realize that I'm happy to be having a winter baby. Bundled up babies are so adorable.</li><li>4 - days left on my temp job and George's internship. Wow, our time in Washington has flown. I'm really excited to go home. Our corporate housing feels like a hotel, right down to the lack of overhead lighting in the living area. (What makes people think that sporadic lamps will be enough? It never works.)</li><li>1:58 - length of our flight back to Utah. Hopefully I won't feel too sick.</li></ul>Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-4779750711150473502008-06-28T18:03:00.002-06:002008-06-28T18:06:45.473-06:00Understanding WashingtonIn most states, weather advisories are issued when there's going to be heavy rain.<br /><br />Today in Redmond, there's a <a href="http://weather.weatherbug.com/WA/Redmond-weather/severe-weather/local-alerts.html?zcode=z6070">non-precipitation advisory</a> in effect. Good to know it's not going to rain until Sunday afternoon.<br /><br />That, my friends, is Washington.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-58393593834938961752008-06-26T18:53:00.002-06:002008-06-26T19:04:30.733-06:00Temporary NameSo I got sick of referring to baby as Baby; therefore I've given it, er, him, a temporary name: <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7004151600197854321&q=men+in+black+edgar&ei=ZDxkSIKNO4GgqQP3zuyTAw">Eggar</a> Albert Wilson Busby. I call him Wilson, ala <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162222/">Cast Away</a>: he looks like a volleyball under my shirt and I feel slightly crazy talking to/about him.<br /><br />Cute little Wilson.<br /><br />And my yarn for the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer05/PATTwildstripes.html">Wild Stripes</a> blanket arrived today! Yay for having something to do on the bus that won't make me sick.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23560503.post-8244788334692882132008-06-19T16:09:00.004-06:002008-11-13T04:45:08.387-07:00The Answer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv0hLdea5XXAB1y9FhzVEk5qxF34Kd2C5bnif_EvOLZTAMJ4IoyDcFjOX39BEO1rKFvEnWE51uI9u-P6sr1M_pP-J7fvYWKXY60yA449i4n868jKs3SXkrFf2Pt4AQElMOjU/s1600-h/ultrasound3-profileclose.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213718485449805266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv0hLdea5XXAB1y9FhzVEk5qxF34Kd2C5bnif_EvOLZTAMJ4IoyDcFjOX39BEO1rKFvEnWE51uI9u-P6sr1M_pP-J7fvYWKXY60yA449i4n868jKs3SXkrFf2Pt4AQElMOjU/s320/ultrasound3-profileclose.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aqTINDtse6Td8Z13X6c2-zw4h4Ga_OFMV4aY_LiFGyhHsSoDlsF62mKuVE2gsk4b5uC8XRYXyZmR6srWR_zra29SgYhfe183tKfxv4PptEFQ8pvgjPPHS178m9OnXL1tKhc/s1600-h/ultrasound5-spine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213718487573701458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aqTINDtse6Td8Z13X6c2-zw4h4Ga_OFMV4aY_LiFGyhHsSoDlsF62mKuVE2gsk4b5uC8XRYXyZmR6srWR_zra29SgYhfe183tKfxv4PptEFQ8pvgjPPHS178m9OnXL1tKhc/s320/ultrasound5-spine.jpg" border="0" /></a> Even though that last one may look like a dinosaur, the doctors have assured me that it's definitely a baby . . . a baby boy! Wow, my commenters are so smart, or lucky. Any of you want to buy some lottery tickets for me? Anyway, George and I are both really happy and excited.<br /><br />Now on to the name game. You're welcome to offer suggestions, which I will probably ignore. George's dad says if he's born on Oct 27th, we have to name him after George's grandfather (also George Edward Busby), but George isn't really sure. I personally am fond of the name we found reading the D&C that morning: <a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/75/35#35">Ruggles</a>. Draco is also a good possibility if he has his father's hair. Or Earnest?<br /><br />No, really, we're looking for something normal.Liz Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08505062751148555335noreply@blogger.com7