Country music and drybeds

I'm not a big fan of country music, but I am in the summer.

I think it's because of what this article on medicinenet.com says:

"The memories and emotions that people associate with familiar songs can be traced to the medial prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain where the wiring for memories and thoughts about music appears to be linked, a new study says."

When I went to pick up my parents from the airport yesterday, my medial prefrontal cortex was going nuts.

Someone (ahem, Becky?) had left the radio on a country music station, and this time I let it stay. It always makes me feel nostalgic to get an earful of Garth Brooks or Tim McGraw when it's warm outside. I think it's because I only listened to country music when I was with my friends, and I was only with my friends much if it was summer.

Country music reminds me of Laura's Toyota Corolla and Sno Cones,
of Craigo's and rock shows. It reminds me of teaching friends to drive stick shift and going to Disneyland. Country music means it's time to float the drybed and check the Playmill schedule before it's too late. It was in the summer that I first met my future in-laws and fell in love with Idaho's sunsets. Summers are wonderful.

I think my favorite part of summer, though, was anticipating fall.

I loved going to football games and back-to-school shopping. I loved getting a new locker and going to cross country practice.

Maybe it's the future that's makes the present that much better.

Alert: New blog in the family

So, I have this predicament.

See up there in the url of this page? It says "breannabennett.blogspot.com." But I'm Breanna OLAVESON now, so I kind of have a problem on my hands.

Solution: this blog. I know you all love my *sparse* commentaries on life's oddities, but you've gotta have that super-cute journal-type family blog, you know? So, at least for now, I'm keeping both blogs.

But to make the transition a little smoother, I'll put a little teaser of our new blog's first post here. If you want to keep reading, come on over! Add it to your reader, your blog list — whatever you've gotta do. We'd love to see you!

So, without further ado:

-----------------------------------------------

This month, we:
1. Got married! (pictures still pending. See this post for links to awesome pictures)
2. Honeymooned in Vegas

3. Hung out with some cool characters while we were there,


















4. Made a blue friend,

(three, actually)

5. And ... click here

Help!

I need your help! Since my life took a fantastic turn a couple weeks ago, I've had to learn ALL SORTS of things I never needed to know before. For example:

1. Striking a balance between girly and boring. When I was single, my room was girl EVERYTHING and that was completely acceptable. But Ryan wasn't thrilled about sleeping under a flower-print comforter, and I wasn't crazy about making him. It took a while, but we finally decided on with this bedding from Target which I think we both like.

2. Cooking for two. I can cook for one, and I can cook for six, but two is just hard. I'm sure Ryan's getting tired of my "Are you still hungry? Are you getting too full? Is this too much? Did I not make enough?" but he's patient. And he's only gotten up and cook himself another quesadilla once.

3. Cooking IN GENERAL. This is where you come in. I can find my way around free font Web sites and online magazines, but when it comes to finding good cooking blogs/Web sites, I'm hopeless.

What are your suggestions? What are your favorite food blogs? I need to know!

Have you missed me?

I know I haven't blogged in what seems like weeks, and that's probably because it's been a few weeks, but I have an excuse.

No internet.

Did you know apartments even CAME without internet these days? Apparently when you're married they expect you to pay for every little thing. But you know what? It's wonderful. We bought couches the other day. (And they're ADORABLE. But not here yet. Don't worry, I'll post pictures when they get here.)

I know that to be a good little newlywed blogger I need to get on the ball and post a million pictures of our adorable wedding, but luckily I have a wonderful family (old and new ... and both!) that already threw some out into cyberspace. Check them out here (sorry, it's a private blog) and here (at my wicked-talented sister-in-law's blog) and here (see post "My Cousins Got Married." McKenzie is hilarious).

Someday, when we earn enough money for Internet, I'll post pictures and everything. For now, my random ramblings will have to suffice.

I LOVE BEING MARRIED!

When you marry in June ...

Did you really think I'd let the opportunity pass?

I watched this movie over and over (and over and over) when I was younger. My family can attest. My nine-year-old heart went pitter-patter for some of those brothers, and I think I decided I'd get married in June sometime between the barn-raising and spring, spring, spring.

Don't they look so happy to be getting married in June? It's perfect. I don't plan on dancing around my room in my underwear next Saturday, but I may have to consider it. They do appear to be enjoying themselves.

P.S. I'm sorry that the dialogue is in Spanish. I thought it was really annoying until I heard the random "Dorcus!" and it cracked me up. But at least the song is in the original English.

Tuesdays just got better

I've never had a good relationship with Tuesdays. I think it started in high school when I had piano lessons Tuesday mornings at 6:15 a.m. — yes, you read that right. 6:15 IN THE MORNING. It was especially disgusting in January.

Have you ever noticed what a "nothing" day Tuesday is? It's not Monday, so it doesn't have the whole "fresh start" thing going for it. It's not the middle marker like Wednesday, it doesn't have good TV and it's not the weekend. It's just a nothing day.

But yesterday, well, it was a really, really good day.

I had an interview with my bishop, and I got my recommend. So now I can go here:



with him

in 24 days.

Maybe Tuesdays aren't so bad after all.

Have you seen this?

I fell in love with Jon Schmidt when I was in high school. I can still put my fingers on auto-pilot and play a recognizable (though by no means beautiful) Waterfall. But now, the whole world is getting a taste of this delicious red-headed composer — this video has had almost 900,000 views in the month since Jon posted it.

Taylor Swift never sounded better.