That's just how I feel

If you live in Utah and watch the local news you've probably heard about "The List." Unless you watch the news on ksl 5 and Keith McCord happens to be anchoring, then I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about because you can't tear your eyes off Keith's dreamy mustache.
But if you watch the news on a mustache-free station, you must know what "The List" is. It's a list of names, phone numbers and addresses of alleged illegal immigrants living in Utah. It was sent to news stations and political leaders throughout Salt Lake City.

I don't usually have opinions about "important" stuff like this- ask me who should have won American Idol and I'll give you a detailed and intelligent response, but when it comes to immigration?
Shoulders get shrugged.

But as I read some of the comments about this story I started forming my own opinion, and my mind grapes began to ripen.
I've come to the conclusion that the majority of Utahns hate illegal immigrants and feel like they need to get kicked back to wherever they came from. They applaud and praise the people behind "The List" and think the law enforcement officials need to act fast in finding these aliens and encourage all other Utahns, if they are true Americans, to report anyone they think might be here illegally.

My opinion, just like the shape of my eyes and funny sounding last name, is definitely in the minority.

I know from experience how hard it is to come to this country legally. My husband is an immigrant (a legal one) and it took him over a year, and thousands of dollars to finally get his visa.
I also know several people with boat loads of money, clean backgrounds, and beautiful smiles who have tried over ten times to get visas, but get turned down each time, just because the visa interviewer wasn't in a good mood that day.
A lot of people say, we'll welcome you, just come here legally!
I don't think people realize just how difficult and expensive it is to come here legally.
You could save up your money for years and years and finally have enough for all the documents and paperwork, but then there's an interview process and most people get told no.
So if someone with great wealth can't even get into this country legally, how is someone with no worldly possessions at all supposed to get in?

THEY CAN'T!
It's IMPOSSIBLE!

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

What happened to that mentality? I guess liberty has an expiration date.

America no longer welcomes the poor. If they did, coming here legally would be free of charge.

Think back to when your ancestors came to this country. Were they wealthy diamond mine owners who wanted to come to America because they were so sick of living in their many castles and bored of riding their solid gold ponies?
Probably not.
They probably sold everything they owned to start their new life here in America.
The people who came here, your family who came here, just wanted a better life.
The same thing is happening today.
These immigrants just want a better life.
Who are we to say, too bad so sad, get lost!

If you were living in a country stricken with poverty and were watching your children starve to death wouldn't you do just about anything to try and make their lives better?
If you saw hope, freedom, success and happiness just over the fence wouldn't you want to hop it?
You know it's illegal, you know it's wrong, but it's the only way.
So, you just go. You take a risk for your family, and you go.
Does that make you a criminal?
When you read Les Miserables do you hate Jean Valjean for stealing that loaf of bread? Are you glad that he went to prison? He stole some bread to feed his family.
He ends up being the hero of the story, not the villain.

Yes, I know, it's against the law, it's illegal
But there are a lot of crazy laws out there that I don't think are such big deals and need to be changed.
Did you know in Alaska it's against the law to look at a moose from an airplane?
That's just ridiculous.
And so is not letting people come to America unless they pay their entire life savings to the government.

Frankly I'm flattered people are risking their lives and coming here illegally; it just shows what an awesome country this is.

I lied :(

If you read my posts from a third party source like google reader or silent stalker you can't see my comment link.
It reads:
For every comment received Mary plants a tree... in Farmville.

I think this has made my mom a bit worried that I'm spending precious time Farmvilling when I should be doing more important things, like watching Glenn Beck.

But being my facebook friend, she should know that I am NOT playing farmville.

My status never reads:

Oh no! Mary just found a little lost bull while picking apples in her orchard.

Or

Mary needs four more nails to finish building her slaughter house!

Or



Hooray! Mary just butchered her first baby calf.


So it was all a lie; I don't really plant a tree when I receive a comment. But people should know by now that most of this blog is a lie.
Like I'm really going to stop haunting my great-great grandkids if they just read my blog? It's going to take a lot more than that to get rid of me- like some ghost pie or something.

But really, I have nothing against Farmville, the only reason I haven't started playing it is because I know I would love it and instantly become addicted, and then what would happen to my World of Warcraft comrades?

Wabi Sabi

I used to be terrified of getting the death penalty. I mean, what am I supposed to order for my final meal? Sometimes I would lie awake at night, thinking of all the food I've had in my life, and realize that I've never had one dish worthy enough to hang out with me, partially digested, in my coffin.

UNTIL NOW!!!!

Now when I'm fighting with my husband and feel like hitting him over the head with a frying pan, I can actually do it and not just fantasize about doing it.

And I owe it all to Wabi Sabi, a new Japanese restaurant that just opened in Daybreak (South Jordan) Utah.

Holy cow this food is good!

Literally, HOLY COW- the beef is so good you'll start worshiping cows after your fist bite!

The sushi is insanely delicious as well. I bet the emperor of Japan himself doesn't eat food this good.

And I'm not just saying this because my brother owns this restaurant. I'm saying this IN SPITE of my brother owning this restaurant.
Remember that jerk who left a gift-wrapped pile of dog poop in my room?
Same guy.
He's a punk but he sure knows how to hire genius chef wizards.

All of the sauces, dressings and marinades are made from scratch. Really, they don't use any pre-made, bought-from-the-asian-section-of-walmart bottled stuff. This is unique and authentic miracle food we're talking about, exclusively at Wabi Sabi.

And don't forget to bring the kids. Studies have shown that trendy kids who eat sushi are more likely to become awesome when they grow up.




Another perk unique to Wabi Sabi is the sweet upstairs lounge area that can be reserved for large parties. Celebrate your birthday, your softball team's victory, or your softball team's defeat in style.
It's also a great place to host blog parties.
REALLY!
Let's have one there!

So come on down to 11274 Kestrel Rise Road Suite B South Jordan, UT, 84095

Tell them Mary sent you and get a free confused look from your waitress.

Christmas in July

I just beat my kids at Candy Land!
It's their own fault though. I warned them that when we get to Candy Land they better not just run around like mad eating everything in sight.
But do they listen?
Nope.


We moved to a new place last month, right across the street from an elementary school. The school serves free Summer lunch every weekday. Evan starts kindergarten next month and whenever I ask him if he's ready for school he says, "No, I don't want to go to school, I'm not hungry."







Z turned 27 last month. I laughed at him all day because he's so old now. But then I remembered that I'll be turning 27 this year too.
Dang it.



We went to see Toy Story 3 for his birthday. Holy wow, that movie is intense.
Evan couldn't really handle it, after that screaming monkey popped up on screen he didn't open his eyes again until the end credits rolled, and then right when he thought it was safe to look, EEK there's that monkey again.

I really enjoyed it though, except for the ending. I thought Andy should have saved the toys to give to his future kids. Instead he drops them into the ocean and they get captured by a scuba-diving dentist. And then Potato Head searches the entire ocean for them and makes sea creature friends along the way. I guess it wasn't a bad ending, I just feel like it's been done before.

Check.

Ever since I was a little girl I've always wanted to start a blog and then not post on it for the entire month of June.


It feels so good to have accomplished something I've been dreaming about for so long.

I have this other dream too, about this scary half TV half human creature roaming around my house and tending my kids. Well, I thought it was just a dream but then one day I heard Meici singing these songs:

So maybe it wasn't a dream.

Spooky right?

No more TV in this house. Nope, it's strictly video games and DVDs from now on.