Hungry?

I just finished reading a really interesting book - The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins. It was recommended by my BFF Stephenie Meyer (okay, so Stephenie Meyer doesn't actually know who I am--I wish! Then I could tell her to FINISH Midnight Sun...anyway, she recommended this book on her website site, so I decided to read it). It is really good! Think back to high school english...did you ever read the short stories, The Most Dangerous Game or The Lottery? The book is kind of a cross between the two. Let me know what you think if you read it!

2 down...68 to go

Poor Ry. Long gone are the days of sleeping in until 5:15 am. He started his Trauma rotation yesterday, and that means the next 10 weeks are going to be a little crazy!!! He now is getting up every morning 3:45 am. Yikes...that is 5 hours earlier than me. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if he got off at 1:45 pm...you know, a typical 8 hour day...but since it normally isn't until 7 or 8 pm (or even later), it makes for a rough rotation. Well, only 68 days to go...but who's counting :)

Just a Dream

This isn't new...but I just recently heard it. It is pretty good!!! Carrie sang it on the CMA awards last night.

give THANKS

For the last 10 weeks, Ry has been working at the VA hospital. This rotation is great in terms of his schedule - for the most part, his weekends are free! :) And in free, I mean free in the Ortho world...Ry would say, "Working a few hours Saturday and Sunday morning is practically not working, therefore it's a day off!" Yeah, I don't get it either...surgeons live in this warped world if you ask me...anyway...

Because he had some "days off" Ry's mom came for a visit as well, which was a treat for us!!! It was a great weekend, 2 movies (Nights of Rodanthe - 3 thumbs down!; Eagle Eye - 3 thumbs UP), dinner at Margot's and PF Chang's, shopping, and a fantastic craft project :)

Here are some of our fun supplies!

It may look like he is thinking, "Why is Heather making me do this?"

But he actually loves my projects!

Fall Back

Last weekend Ryan's dad and grandma came for a visit. The weather was perfect, and it was just the right time to see the beautiful fall leaves. We took most of these pictures along the Natchez Trace Parkway Sunday afternoon. It is always lots of fun to have family out. Thanks for a great weekend!

We took this on our Riverwalk Walk!

Beaumont, Texas

Ryan and I spent a quick weekend in Texas visitng my brother and his family. They have a beautiful home and 6 awesome kids, plus a new puppy and a cat! During the 30 hours we were there (way too short btw) we had a birthday, a swim meet, 2 soccer games, and dinner at Tokyo's at 10:00pm (ironically we were the only party with kids! :). Thanks for a great weekend! Love you!

Great new tunes!!!

Love These Gals!

If Obama Wins...

Our Tax System Explained in Beer!
By: David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. Professor of Economics
University of Georgia

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill
for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way
we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite
happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw
them a curve.
'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going
to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.'
Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our
taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would
still drink for free.
But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How
could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would
get his 'fair share?'

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they
subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man
and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his
beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to
reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he
proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing
(100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 ( 22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first
four continued to drink for free. But once outside the
restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20,' declared the sixth
man. He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!'
'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved
a dollar, too.
It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!!'
'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get
$10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the
breaks!'
'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We
didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!!!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next
night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine
sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to
pay the bill, they discovered something important.
They didn't have enough money between all of them for even
half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college
professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay
the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction.
Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they
just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start
drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat
friendlier.

Sadly, we're back

I have to admit, coming home from Switzerland was depressing. We were so not ready to leave. We had such an amazing week!

We flew into Munich and toured the city for 2 days, visiting the Dachau concentration camp, English Garden, Deutsches Museum, and the fun downtown area. Also went to the famous beer hall, Hofbrauhaus...kind of made me wish I drank...it looked so fun :) Then we picked up a car and drove to the Nueschwanstein castle (the "Disneyland castle"). It was awesome (cloudy/rainy, but what an you do). Toured the Hohenschwangau and Linderholf castle as well. Saw the cutest white church and a fun town named Oberammergau. Stayed the night in Reutte, Austria, right across the border.

Then off we drove to Switzerland...we headed to the Berner Oberland, Interlaken, Swiss Alps area for an amazing 3 days. Hiked in the Alps, rode trams and trains, went to the top of the Schilthorn, ate CHEESE, potatoes, CHEESE, bread, CHEESE, and chocolates. We stayed in the adorable town of Muerren. Saw lots of cows (with their cow bells on!) while hiking. Absolutely HATED leaving. I want to move to Switzerland so bad!!! Took the train through Luzern and toured around for a few hours and then flew home through Zurich.

We packed a lot into 8 days, but it was awesome!!!!

From 09132008 - Germany Switzerland

E2 Shoes (aka Europe 2 Shoes)

Yep, I bought new shoes for our trip next week :) and not Keens, can you believe it? They're Merrells. We're headed to Germany and Switzerland, and I really needed more of a hiking shoe for Switzerland since we'll be spending 3 days hiking in the Alps. We can't wait to go! Stay tuned for pictures when we get back.

(E2 shoes = well, 2 years ago Ry and I went Italy. It was our first trip to Europe together...of course we bought new shoes :) which became known as our Italy shoes or Italy Keens. Now that we bought new shoes for this trip, it was kind of mouth full to say Germany/Switzerland Shoes, so we've decided to call them our E2 shoes. I know, I know, we're dorks!)

Infidel

This was a really interesting book...it is the true story of Harisi Ali. She was raised in a strict Muslim family and because she was female, had no voice, no opinion, no say in what happened in her life...which included beatings, female mutilation, and an arranged marriage. (Seriously, so glad I wasn't born Muslim!) She defied her family, her religion, and her culture, and escaped this way of life. To all my feminists out there...you actually may NOT want to read this. It will make you so mad (and hate men even more :) Seriously though, fascinating book!

Fun Weekend in Chicago

Recently Ry and I were in Chicago, where we met up with our good friend Brettman for the weekend. Ryan had an Ortho Conference, so since he was going, you know I had to go too! We stayed at the Intercontinental, right on Michigan Ave. Great location! We had a fun 3 days of seeing the sights. Our favorite part of the trip was a Food Tasting/Walking Tour by Chicago Food Planet (http://www.chicagofoodplanet.com/). If you're ever in Chicago, don't miss it!

Sears Tower

Brett and Ry

Oak Street Beach

Where I want to live (Gold Coast) if we ever move to Chicago!!!

My new obsession...the only place I'll ever buy spices again!

Seriously...start blogging

So, I took a little break from blogging, and not because I was obsessed with reading Breaking Dawn (okay, so I read it twice :) but because I started reading a blog called SersiouslySoBlessed. I am sure most of you have heard about it. It is so funny, but totally makes fun of the world of blogging and the Mormon culture (and let's be honest, the Mormon culture is totally worthy of some sarcasm). I went online to read it, thinking I would laugh with her at all the funny things she points out about "other" people, only to realize I totally was one of the people she was making fun of. CRAP! So I had to take a break from blogging (and for awhile considered even stopping all together). I have decided though, (after my good friend Quinn reminded me how much she loves to keep up with friends through their blog) that I’ll keep bloggin. So if you want to hear about Ryan and my vacations, books I’ve read or movies I’ve scene, stay tuned!

Done

Amazing! Loved it! (16 hours to read)

New Favorite Song too

And while I'm on new favorites, here is my new favorite song.

Taylor Swift - Picture to Burn

Have you seen...

Penelope?
This is my new favorite movie. I just saw it the other night and thought it was so cute!

This is such a great scene. (I am a sucker for romance!) It is at the very end, so if you haven't seen it and plan to, Don't Watch.



Also, the DVD has a spotlight on Twilight the movie if you're interested (and it doesn't include the swear word :).

SLR Camera Debut

Okay, so I know I've said that Ry rarely gets 2 days in a row off, and that is true (he has gone 6 weeks straight without a day off before), but he actually had 2 weekends in a row off!!! The first weekend he went fishing - see below - and his 2nd weekend off we went to Asheville, North Carolina to visit the Biltmore Mansion. It was very impressive. The Biltmore is the largest privately owned home in the US. and was built by George Vanderbilt. For the small fee of $50 each, we toured the impressive home and beautiful grouds. We both really enjoyed it and had a great day!!!

On the way home, we drove through the Great Smokey Mountains. It was beautiful.

(Ry bought a new SLR camera - a Canon Rebel XTi - this was our first time using it. Here are the rest of the pictures. Great job babe!!!)

Deep Sea Fishing

Ry went on a "boy's weekend" to Florida last week. Here is what he had to say about it...

I had the chance to go deep sea fishing in Florida last weekend with some guys from work. We drove from Nashville to Destin, FL, where one of the guys has a beach house. We then took a charter out about 45 miles off the gulf coast and fished for a few hours. We were fishing in 350 feet of water and caught 36 fish between 6 guys. We caught grouper, amberjack, red snapper and scamps. Our biggest fish were about 35 lbs. We ended up with about 100 lbs in filets and had a great time! Enjoy the pictures

Of course, what I see is...defenseless animals fighting for their life, barbarically hung by their lip from a hook, and paraded on hooks by their eye balls at the end of the day to show man's dominance. This might have to be a hobby Ry enjoys without me :)

Do you like Ry's fishing hat??? It was new for the trip - a "Congrats, You're a Chief!!" gift. You know, the Hartman's can't travel without buying something new for the trip! Below are some more pictures of his fun weekend. Double click on the slideshow to see the pictures bigger.

Dance Dance Dance

Okay, so I'm not a TV junkie, I promise (maybe a movie junkie, but not a TV junkie) but I have to admit I have been watching, So You Think You Can Dance this season. I have never watched it before, but I'm liking it. Not obsessed and feel the need to vote or anything, but I DVR the episodes and watch them when I have some time. (As a friend once said to me, "DVR will change your life" :) Anywho, I have a couple of favorites.

Joshua and Katie - these 2 are my favorite! I have loved every dance of theirs. I think he might win it! For being a hip hop dancer and no formal training, he is unbelievable!!! I LOVED their hip hop dance routine to Jordan Sparks' No Air.

And I really like Chelsie and Mark too. (I think she might be Mormon!) From the little clips they show, I always think, "Oh boy, I don't know if they are going to do very well" but they always do! Wednesday nights performace of Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love was AWESOME!!!

Quick Update

Well, it has been way too long since I posted a blog. My excuse...Girl's Camp :) I am the Girls Camp Stake Secretary (don't ask me how/why...I can't wear my swimsuits to camp and I probably listen to music their parents tell them to turn off :) Anyway, it starts on June 30, so we've had lots to get done. It has actually been quite fun - Liz Rich is the leader, and Sara Bateman and Kelly Rowe are her counselors. Most of our meetings are spent on the floor laughing. We are even planning a skit called "Camp Idol".

Other updates - you know...MOVIES :) (cuz I love movies)

We've recently seen:
Get Smart - super funny; definitely recommend it!
Indiana Jones - actually kind of dumb; aliens & spaceships, please! not a lot of plot, mostly special effects.
BabyMama - also very funny! Go see it!
Iron Man - for a super hero movie, pretty good. Way better than the last Spider Man movie
What Happens in Vegas - Loved it. LOVED Ashton in a tux!!!
The Great Debates (DVD) - SUPER GOOD! I didn't hear a lot about this movie when it was in the theaters, but it was way good. Definitely recommend it!!! Netflix it for sure.

My next book - Love the One Your With by Emily Giffin. Come July, I am re-reading the Twilight series in preparation for Aug 2...anyone else gone to the bookstore and read the 1st chapter of Breaking Dawn? (It is in the special edition version of Eclipse.) Okay, so I am a Twilight/Edward junkie...wedding is on people!!!

The Host

So who's read The Host? I finished it Sunday night (around 1:30 am) after reading most of the day. I know a lot of you have bought it considering it is #1 on the NY Times list. :) ($14 at Costco) Overall, definitely liked Twilight better, however, I was pretty engrossed in it. Stephanie draws me in and gets me hooked more than most books! It took longer with The Host though. With Twilight, by page 18, (first mention of Edward :) I couldn't put it down. (And I couldn't get through New Moon fast enough - waiting for Edward to come back!!!) With The Host, after I read the first chapter, I was like "What the???" I didn't get it! After the first 60 or 70 pages though, I was pretty engrossed. So, I thought it was very entertaining and a good story. I don't like Sci Fi, but I did like the book. I think she is a very talented writer...

Spoiler Alert

Here is my hang up - Wanda and Jared. Was it just me or did you sort of want them to end up together??? I know, I know, Jared couldn't/shouldn't love Wanda because he loves Mel (and Wanda is in Mel's body!). So, Jared could never really love Wanda that way, but I don't see Wanda loving Ian as strongly as she loved Jared. In this crazy "Love Square" I think everyone ended up with who they "should" be with, so it was this "happy ending", but was it really?

What do you think?

Costa Rica Slide Show

Hey, so I just figured out how to add a slide show to my blog (Thanks Kristi!). Here are all our pictures from Costa Rica.

Costa Rica!!!

Ryan and I just got back from an amazing week in Costa Rica! We had a blast. The first part of the week we stayed in Manuel Antonio. We hiked in the rainforest, saw lots of monkeys, boogy boarded and jet skied in the ocean, and took a canopy tour through the trees. It was awesome! Then we went up north to Tamarindo and stayed in this tiny hotel (10 guests total and 30 staff) called Los Altos de Eros. We relaxed by the pool, sat on the beach, got massages and dinner at sunset. We were totally spoiled and loved every minute of it :) If you like to travel, Costa Rica is an great place to visit!!!

(If course my pictures go in the opposite order, so the first one is Los Altos)