The Brobergs

SO domestic!

2011-08-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

I don't have any pictures to prove this to anyone, but I've been a busy little home-making bee lately. I'm not what you'd call "crafty" or "green" or "creative" or "super self-reliant" or "healthy" or even all that "productive" on a day-to-day basis, but I'm sort of tapping into that trend lately in a big way. Not for any idealistic reasons, but it's kind of my hobby and it makes me feel like I'm saving money. So, recently I've learned how to do the following hippy-dippy things:

Bake whole wheat basically anything. Nels and I challenged ourselves to go whole wheat/whole grain all the way. They say it's healthier 'n' stuff. This skill alone keeps me busy what with all the bread baking, pizza dough making, waffle waffling, pancake flipping, crepe cooking, tortilla rolling outing, pie crust fiddling (with, because it is much more finicky than the normal kind. Oh, and we have a rule about that by the way: no whole wheat crust at Thanksgiving or Christmas. That is where I draw the whole wheat line. I just do whole wheat for our turkey pot pies.) dinner roll...um... creating, etc. I have yet to make 100% bagels, pita, or corn bread (yes, there is such a thing!), but I have recipes all lined up ready to try, and I'm excited.
Crochet dish towels. I could already crochet so it was merely a matter of figuring out how to triple single double crochet stitch and quadruple double triple double single triple quadruple stitch (I made those names up, by the way). They've turned out pretty cool.
Made marvelous tomatillo salsa. I got the recipe from a neighbor who understands salsa on a deeper level. Basically, though, I got a list of ingredients and kind of added them as I went along and until I was satisfied with the taste. It was extremely chunky, tangy, cilantro-y, and fresh tasting.
I made healthy popsicles. I got a really fun recipe book called Ice Pop Joy for my birthday, and I pretty much love it. I'm not sure if jumping on this bandwagon really counts as hippy-dippy except for the fact that the author's children's names are something like Lotus Sunshine, Bodhi Ocean, and River Love, but I've got to say I'm currently addicted. Not only is it a very pretty book, but the recipes are designed to get nutrition into picky kids. I have a picky-eating kid and this book makes me feel like a good parent. That's all it took.
I made a flannel board with animals from "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?"
And finally, I've created a month-long rotating dinner menu in hopes that Calvin would start to see a pattern and eat real food on a regular basis. I made a google calendar that has all my dinners mapped out so I never have to wonder what's for dinner again. Plus, my grocery budget has become more predictable. And Sunday is (homemade) pizza night. I get lazy on Sundays and don't like cooking a big meal. I'm contrary that way for now.

Here's the projects I have lined up for the near future:

Make fruit leather. I have a surplus of apricots. (Thanks grandma and grandpa!) Did you know you can do the setting up/dehydrating part of this in your car? Pretty nifty.
Make dishwashing soap and laundry soap. Apparently this is easy and cheap as all get out. Plus instead of using a rinsing agent or fabric softener, just use vinegar. I tried the vinegar as a rinsing agent in the dishwasher and it worked great. You all probably knew all this, but I am still impressed with myself.

I'm also having a baby in about a month so I'll be freezing duplicates of my dinners so that I can avoid cooking for a while. All this I plan to do before my nesting impulse fades, an upside of my pregnancies. That and voluminous hair.

Books and Calvin

2011-04-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

I really appreciate blogs that suggest books for toddlers. So, for this post, I'm going to give a status report on Calvin's current book favorites.

Calvin is your average 20-month old. He likes his tiger, his milk, and being outside. But there are two things he insists on every day, and those two things are Winnie the Pooh and books.

The book thing makes me proud, but still being in the collection phase of our children's library, we end up reading a lot of the same books each day. Over and over and over and over. And over. That, of course, means we go to the library about once per week. Calvin loves it there, and it's only a little embarrassing when he goes to the "echo-y" part of the children's section and yells as loud as he can. I try to discourage that, but really, echoes are too much fun.

Now we get to the point: I've created a list of books that are categorized into six topics: Human world, animal world, shapes, alphabet, numbers, and behaviors. I've done such a silly thing because I want to give Calvin a variety of books to look at and it gives me a place to start from when I try to find good books. During my research, I've remembered several books that I had forgotten I loved when I was young, like Caps for Sale.

We had a book and tape version of this book with, as I recall, an awesome reader with sound effects. Calvin fell in love with this book at first sight and had me read it not once, not twice or thrice, but five times the day I brought it home. Yup, he liked it, too. My only complaint is the sound that the monkey's make in this book. They say "tsz" instead of "oo oo!" Not a huge deal, but kind of breaks the flow of the book when everything you know about monkey noises is challenged without any sort of explanation.

Calvin has mysterious taste at times. There are some books he refuses to even open. No way, no how. He doesn't usually like books with very furry, fluffy animals decked in ribbons. He's not a fan of pastels or flowers. This does not concern me, but there was a book that I could not understand for the life of me why he would not tolerate me opening the cover. It was brightly colored with simple shapes, a book called, When a Line Bends a Shape Begins.

He hated it. Could it be the disproportionate body builder? The confusing array of shapes? More than likely it is that scary clown peaking out from the edge. Granted, it was a little advanced for Calvin, but this kid likes to get encyclopedias and Ensigns off the shelf and leaf through those, no kidding. Whatever the problem is, I'm sure he'll be more interested later on. He couldn't stand Chicka Chicka Boom Boom for the longest time, and now he loves it. But it's probably because he knows some of his letters so the pictures aren't quite as boring. But I'll never figure out what makes him fall for a book immediately. These are some others he loved right off the bat:

These among others that he considers his favorites are brightly colored, with the exception of King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, The Napping House, and Bright and Early Thursday Evening. Hey, and those are all Don and Audrey Wood books, by the way. He is also very much attached to the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Moose a Muffin books.

Even with this variety, though, I am still amazed how quickly I memorize these books, which comes in handy when I am just too tired to read a book to him, and so I recite it half asleep while turning the pages. That, my friends, is talent.

Little Goofballs

2011-01-27T21:28:00.000-08:00

Aw, look: two sweetie-pie sisters. Peas in a pod. Here are a couple of down-to-earth gals that make birds suddenly appear and stars fall down from the sky.

Uh, oh, wait a second...

Hold up. What's happening?

Now this is just getting out of hand!

Okay, that's enough!

Sorry you had to witness that folks. It'll never happen again. Though I can't guarantee it.

Read Twenty-seven in 2011

2011-01-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

Confession time: I love New Year's resolutions. I make new year's resolutions several times per year. I also love the first week of the semester, new school supplies, and fresh baked cookies. All crazy things.

Therefore, what kind of little blog would this be if I didn't tell you a little about my resolutions? Answer: a super lame blog. However, to save me from the inevitable shame that comes from failing on your resolutions, I'll share just one. This one, I'm pretty sure, is going to be my kind of fun: read 27 books this year. I hear some people out there actually shoot for 52 or 100. I'm being slightly more practical. Oh, also, at least half of them have to be non-fiction. Here they are so far:

Founding Mothers, by Cokie Roberts

Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte

John Adams, by David McCullough

Brigham Young: American Moses, by Leonard J. Arrington

Look at me! So intellectual! I'm starting off strong, banking on my tendency to wimp-out. Regardless, here's to a book-rich year.

A Broberg Christmas

2010-12-25T11:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Christmas has already come and has its foot out the door! We had such a fun and very relaxed year, because we didn't travel. Somehow, a simple plane ride gets me so frazzled.

Nels and I didn't even have to go anywhere for the Broberg Christmas Eve Party. It was at our house: my first time hosting! I'm so grown up. Going for casual and awesomeness, it wasn't a meal, per se, but an appetizer and dessert food affair: mostly finger food. But slim pickings there were not! We had an apple cranberry tart, cheese and crackers, chips, hummus, crackers with two kinds of cheese, avocado tomato cheese bean dip, fruit shish kabobs with tangy fruit dip, souffles, veggie tray, *butternut cream cheese fondue, *homemade hot chocolate with *homemade cranberry almond white chocolate biscotti (a real winner, in my opinion), *cinnamon rolls, *mini cheesecakes, and *pumpkin chocolate chip bread. Oh, and water. With lemon. Needless to say, there was something for everyone, and no one left hungry.

All this and a partridge and a pear tree. Thanks everyone for your fancy dishes! It was quite the non-meal!

After we ate til our cheeks were like roses and our noses like cherries, we had a few musical numbers. All were lovely and notable and will be posted later, but here is one particular highlight we can't resist sharing:

Starring Kelly Echols, Jay Burton on guitar, and featuring a foam trumpet improvisation from Clement Burton, and a bit of scat singing from Calvin Broberg.

Merry Christmas, family and friends!

*dishes made by me!

Dear First Real Christmas Tree...

2010-12-17T20:54:00.000-08:00

I've dreamt of meeting you my whole life. I kept hearing from my friends, who had already experienced their first, that there was something magical when the real thing happened to them. They'd bundle up in scarves soft as fur and gloves knitted by their grandmothers. Christmas carols would start softly on their journey to the tree nursery or the tree farm or the tree forest, feeling kind of corny at first, but soon all nature would burst into song as if condoning the sacredness of meeting it. The air freshener. The trinket holder. The ribbon spindle. The shelter for fit and misfit toys.

And of course, there's the feeling when you meet the one. It is electric, I was told. Passion, hope, warmth, and love raging from its branches like Moses' burning bush.

Ah, then chopping it down, trimming the stray twigs, and tying it to the roof of your mom's squealing old minivan over a hot cup of cocoa is the very act of adoption. The tree has become family. Duly christened, it is driven back to your home; and as though you feel guilty for keeping it out in the cold waiting for you so long, you put it in the place of honor in your living room, warm and safe. Then you water it, decorate it with more carols and laughter. Christmas has officially come.

Not so with you, First Real Christmas Tree! I was a fool to trust in the fable of pine and humans sharing spaces. I want a clean floor, you want to wilt. I want right angles, you want to stoop. I want cheery ornaments, you want to drop and break them. I want to deck your branches with lights, you want to deck my arms with scratches. I want harmony and peace on earth, you want to do a face plant in the middle of my floor.

But then, is it I to blame perhaps? You sulked from the day I ripped you from the happy association of fellow trees. No matter how much we accommodated your lack of balance--due most likely to the weight of your emotional duress--you didn't stand straight and tall, but wilted under the artificial lighting. And then, making you embarrassingly front heavy, you lost any self-respect and literally lay down as a plea to be dragged out the back door.

So, should I feel bad for causing you suffering during this season of seasons, month of months, and day of days? After all, isn't it Christmas for one and all?

Well, no. You're just a tree.

Sincerely,

A fan

Go ahead and chuckle

2010-12-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

That's what I did anyway, chuckle. I'm finally succumbing to the pervasive blog theme: family, craftiness, cooking, and diapers: my life. That is the real reason I haven't posted on my blog for a year and a half. I haven't been busy saving the whales, writing a book, traveling, or anything crazy. I spent all that time coming to terms with my reality; which is, if we're going to be honest here, that running just isn't all that interesting. Especially when you don't do it.

I have it on good authority, however, that everyone will care about my day to day. I asked Calvin. He said something like, "Na na na shobee conack wachuna." I took that to mean "Of course they will, mom." He's a real sweetie.

So, here's my maiden voyage mommy blog post, which wouldn't be complete without a picture of a baby:

Yes. He is screaming at you.

Hope for the Future

2009-06-07T14:39:00.001-07:00

I'm a soon-to-be-parent with a husband in school. We don't have a lot of loose change around, so in preparation for our little one to be arriving in August, we are choosing our baby products as prudently as possible.
Except there is one extravagance that I really would rather have around for completely selfish reasons: a jogging stroller. I already have a travel system, so really, a jogging stroller is totally unnecessary. It's for rich people, right? Or at least not destitute-types like we will be for another school year.
But there's this thing called Freecycle, which is a lot like craigslist except there is no buying or selling. It's just giving. People just offer things that they want to get rid of and people pick them up. How lovely! And people, like me, who want something they can't spend money on just ask for things for nothing in return, like spoiled, bratty children. It's a win-win.
So I've been keeping my eye out for jogging stroller ads, but you have to be extremely quick in responding to the ads if you want to get stuff. Competition is fierce. And after a while of doing that and reaping no reward, I just flat out asked if anyone had a jogging stroller laying around that needed a home. Sure enough, there was! Hoo-ah! And I picked it up! Double Hoo-ah!
That leads me to my next tip:

Tip #5: Give yourself another reason to run

I won't be running in the coming months, but by golly, I'll be jonesing to go running with a child in tow by the time I can.

I am still running (ish)

2009-04-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

Mk, that was mostly a lie. About 3 percent was truth, so I'd call it a proverbial grey area cause I'm not rounding. I don't get up and work out a lot (*ahem* ever...), but it's okay because I have so many reasons not to. I'm basically off the hook. Right?

No, I'm not. And this leads me to my next tip, totally on the fly, but nonetheless full of little pearls of wisdom and awesomeness.

Tip 4: Repent!

I'm probably not going to up and run a 5K tomorrow, but since I got a big 'ol rush of energy a couple weeks ago, I decided to take my exercise routine up a notch. Meaning, I have to move around. I jogged out to my car in a parking lot yesterday, I'm considering that as counting, because now that I'm all out of the habit, that's a totally attainable level of activity. It was probably a full 30 seconds. Next time, I'll run circles around my car before I unlock it.

In all seriousness though, that rush of energy I got was so comforting. I thought I had permanently lost my zest for life and running, but if there is one thing that pregnancy has recently taught me, it's that even though you're not getting sick (like throwing up), you are still absolutely sick in your head. At least, that's the case with me. I was "touched". Luckily, the damage wasn't permanent.

But for all those fellow running-not-likers-who-wish-they-weren't, this also applies to nonpregnant people as well. May my shining example of change that has yet to occur be a beacon in this dark world of sleeping in and being all cozy in your pjs.

Music setting the mood

2009-02-28T11:13:00.000-08:00

Today and practically this whole week was a tough one, workout-wise. I actually ran farther than usual today, but that's because I chose a different route that took me to More South Provo by the train tracks. When I'm vehicle-less in those kind of sketchy areas, even in the middle of the day, I tend to run faster just so all the rapists don't think I'll be an easy target.

Just kidding mom and dad; there are no such thing as rapists in Provo.

Anywho, another reason I was able to run fast was because of good playlist choice. Which brings me to another tip.

Tip 3: Good Vibrations

The professional runner will tell you to pick something so upbeat and crazy 80's-ish, like the Theme from Rocky (which is actually 1976) or Huey Lewis and the News' That's the Power of Love (which is absotively posolutely, purely 80's). At least, if I was a professional runner, that's what I'd recommend. Those musics would work the slacker out of anyone.

However, the reluctant runner, such is my current self, will tell you to pick a playlist that is approximately .5-2 mood levels above your current mood level. Meaning, when you just wake up in the morning, do not pick Enya to work out to unless it's something scary like Tempus Vernum, if fear is the type of thing that gets you going. But, as a rule, I steer clear of Enya while working out: it's counter-productive.

But if you are super reluctant, try only half a mood level up like Sir Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. I find this a good song if I'd rather be doing anything than running. This song helps me imagine a more perfect world where I'd be skipping down the lane of Munchkinland or through a field of poppies. I call this the "Hippy-brain Effect".

You can get a similar effect from listening to Bob Marley: the man who makes white people wish they were black. My personal favorite is No Woman, No Cry. And may I strongly request you only listen to the live version. If you don't, you will not enjoy it. But because reggae is a little way too different from Elton John to be put in the same category, listening to Bob Marley puts your brain in a sub-category of hippy-brain. Since the songs were the background for a movement of people and are slightly depressing (at least for me, because I'm not black), I have termed these as "Martyr Hippy-brain effect" songs.

Half a mood level is pretty easy, but one or two mood levels above your current mood level is a bit of a cloudy area, especially since I made up the whole mood level thing on the spot. One would be Hotel California by the Eagles, and I guess two mood levels would be around Ob-la-di Ob-la-da by the Beatles.

And within these mood levels are varying exercise mood spheres: such as angry, sad, or cabin fever. It would be super prepared to have lists of songs handy for the the varying levels and spheres within each level, (like AC/DC or Guns N Roses for an angry run) but that would also be a little crazy. Please be safe while creating these "reluctant worker-outer" playlists.

Here's a good book

2009-02-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

If you're into exercising without leaving the comfort of your bedroom, I totally recommend this book. At first look, you think it's an ordinary exercising book full of hopes and dreams only to be shattered by sheer lack of will power. But it is so much more than that. This book makes you feel very guilty, because it is so easy, doesn't necessarily require shoes, and has the ability to mix it up so often, you shouldn't ever be bored with it.

It promises the loyal reader will sculpt their body in 6 weeks. Well, not that I really know, seeing as I haven't stuck with it til the end, but that is not true. What it does is sculpt "problem areas" in 6 weeks: stomach and waist, legs and lower body, 'tox and hips, and arms and upper body. It has warm-up, cardio, muscular, and cool-down workouts for each week and each area. It goes from semi-intense workouts:

To super-ultra-oober intense workouts:

Some of the first workouts make one feel a little silly, like balancing on one leg for instance. One might laugh to themselves, "Ha, easiest workout ever. So dumb." But then one feels the burn.

This leads me to tip #2!

Tip 2: Call a Muscle Day

I actually did run this morning, but it was shorter than usual because I didn't have a route picked out, and I got too indecisive. So I went home. Instead of going into a relapse of non-exercise, because now my readers depend on my exercise (sort of), I called a Muscle Day, which means you do crunches, leg lifts, yoga, or even just think working-out thoughts, if that's an improvement.

Personally, I use this book because it ensures that I don't have to think, except counting. And, if I call muscle days regularly, I will improve and become sculpted.

It Snew

2009-02-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

The weather was bad, but I went anyway! This blog is working already. Although, I didn't run a lot today. My OB was all for me running, in fact he strongly encouraged me, but I still feel like taking it super easy for a few weeks by doing a walk/run. Which brings me to my first tip for non-runners:

Tip 1: Be okay with walking

Jenn, my sister, is the person who first inspired me to run. She said she liked running and was training for a marathon, and I thought she was crazy. But it was too late; as soon as she said those few words, it was on. This is because I have a very competitive streak that I'm pretty good at ignoring unless I'm playing board games or, in this case, a sibling unconsciously challenges me.

We made up a running schedule, and of course, I couldn't keep up with it. Going from 0-26 miles is a little hard, believe it or not. I lost interest, and didn't run unless I was super bored or something.

Then, last summer, I discovered that the pressure and expectations I was holding myself to were not working for me. So, I lowered them. I told myself, as long as you get outside and are moving, you're good. You can run if you'd like, but no pressure. Just move. And that worked for me, I started wanting to run.

Furthermore, if you like walking better, ladies, it's actually better for your knees and other joints. Take advantage of that. However, if you're a guy, you should feel guilty. Only kidding.

You're at the right place

2009-02-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

I changed things around a bit, as you can see. In fact, this blog is no longer just about me, which is boring, but about one aspect of me. I ran a lot last summer quite begrudgingly. I hated it, but I really, desperately wanted to like it, because I thought it would make me cool. After weeks of pretending and tricking myself into running, I started to like it. Then I started to crave it. Then I quit, because I was really too busy. I swear.

But I think it was all part of the plan, because when I found out I was pregnant during the winter I missed it: that's huge for me. Now, I have started again, and it's like visiting an old friend.

For those who don't think running is cool, don't lose interest! I promise I'll be talking about a variety of subjects that cross my mind after my morning run, as my mind tends to wander. But running seems to put my thoughts in context, so keep reading!

PS, legs in the picture? Yeah, those aren't mine.

Hey, News!

2009-01-25T16:39:00.000-08:00

So I had carrots at church today. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the news I am about to relate (10 points to the person who knows where I stole that sentence). I was thinking of waiting till February to be officially "out" but, you know, the carrots gave everything away at church today. Plus, most of you guys who read my blog and Nels have known for awhile.
No, it's not a stomach disorder, it's a baby!
In a nutshell on pregnancy thus far: no, I'm not sick, I don't have a gender preference, and yes, I have names picked out. I'm forming relationships with these names, so hopefully Nels is okay with them by the time we have the kid. I'm still in a flexible stage; I haven't started calling my belly nicknames or anything. He's got time to veto.
I've had it pretty easy, but the toughest part is coming up with various ways to say, "I'm pregnant". Here is a list, granted a very short one:

Having a baby
I'm going to be a mom
Nels is going to be a dad
Bun in the oven
Producing offspring
Got a thing in there
Getting fatter, but with an eternal purpose
I love cheese so much right now, and salty meats
I cried in Home Alone (but nobody saw)
Laundry smells delicious
and just because I'm all of a sudden a little bit unreasonable, doesn't mean you can laugh at me

Good list? I'd like to hear more, because I find this one a little weak still.
Also some news of less exciting note, we moved! Two blocks away from where we were before. This of course is not the exciting news yet. That would be, that we got a washer and dryer! Two new members of the family. I'll include a family picture soon, but it'll be hard to get the car-members of the family with the laundry appliance members of the family. Maybe I'll photo shop them in.
I did laundry all day yesterday without leaving my apartment. Pure bliss. You ladies know what I'm talking about. And we got the pair for $50. I'm hoping the novelty stays with me for at least another month, but I can already feel it slipping...
That pretty much covers all the big stuff. It's definitely happenin' at the Brobergs.

It's Just Wrong!

2008-11-21T13:16:00.001-08:00

So Nels has been having some temptation problems lately, and it's gotten out of hand. Since Nels doesn't read my blog, I'm pretty sure he won't disapprove of me publishing the details. I've had to approach our relationship in a whole new way, which is sad, because I don't like being a killjoy. But as I've told him, I think our children should grow up to be disciplined, and if he's unwilling to set a good example right now, it won't be any easier later on. He whines, but still, I firmly tell him, "No Christmas music until after Thanksgiving!"
He's gotten progressively demanding about it. Script from last evening while I was doing some homework:

Nels: Hey, can we listen to some music?
Robin: Sure, I'm just working on code shizzle that doesn't take a lot of concentration.
Nels: Okay... Christmas music?
Robin: No, Nels, no!
Nels: (whiny) How come?
Robin: Because! No Christmas music until after Thanksgiving! It's immoral! It's sinful!
Nels: Whatever! You listened to Christmas music all last week.
Robin: ...

And so I had. But I was, as they say, "testing" it (it worked). I've since changed, though, and decided to lead others to salvation.
It's been a struggle, though. Nels recently purchased "A Muppet's Christmas Carol". The yearning for yuletide Muppetry has exponentially increased. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about. It's a common feeling.

Big Ol' Update

2008-11-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

So, it's almost Thanksgiving (a week and two days, but who's keeping track?). That means I'm almost done with skewl. That means whoopee.
On the job front, my current news is bitter-sweet. I got an internship at the Salt Lake Magazine! I get to do what I went to college for (podcasting, videos, blogging, Web stuff). The really hilarious part is that I get to do it for free for a while. Ha ha.
Nels is doing well in school. He's also doing well with his computer repair business. I'm just so proud.
So that's it, except this entry I am including a excerpt from my journal today, just because I update that thing (my journal) more than this thing (my blog). So here goes:

My book report was due today. Do you want to know what book it was on? Of course, you do. The book was "Jack the Ripper: Media, History, and Culture". Yes indeed. I now officially have an uncanny knowledge of the murders/rapes/disembowelments of 1888. Or so my audience — my Communications Media and Religion class — now supposes. Because, really, I didn't read the book all the way.
Yet I conducted a 10 minute speech on the text without pausing for breath. I even made people laugh quite raucously. I count that as a success because I often make people laugh, or try to. I think people find me ironic. Because people look at me and think I'm so darn sweet. I'm also quiet, so then they think I'm so darn sweet again. Then they hear me talk on a given topic, then they think I am smart or so darn sweet again. So when I actually am free to express my ideas in my delicate way of saying things, they can't help but think I'm hilarious ... and so darn sweet. This is a tested and tried theory, by the way. I have actually conversed with people who said, "I used to think you were so sweet." I'm not really sure what to get from that.
Anyway, irony is America's form of humor. It is THE humor. Every funny thing is based on something that does happen in contrast what you'd expect to happen. Oh my, just look at my bad, philosophical self!
But really, I still do have an uncanny knowledge of Jack the Ripper. I should dye my hair black and wear a dog collar. In other words, I should become all dark and morbid, because now I know something sick and twisted, thus it has become a part of my identity. So there.
The editor of the book is a funny lady it turns out. She is a study-er of morbid Victorian things. She doesn't look weird, but hey, one doesn't have to look weird to study weird things, though you'd definitely expect it. It's like those crazy kids in high school that write their own elvish languages. You just gotta look at them and think: Why did you spend all your time doing that? Really, I want to know. Are you a psycho or something?
Actually, I don' t think the editor lady would be a psycho. The more likely of the two would be the high school student. I tried to enlist one such person to write a language just for me and call it the Robin language. I guess he didn't really see the point because I wasn't hot enough (key word, "wasn't"). I considered dating him just so he would write a language for me because once he got to know me really well, he'd see that my personality was ample reason to spend time doing that. It's odd to find out what really makes you compromise your morals. That was an especially rude awakening for me.

Check Us Out!

2008-10-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

Jenn, Lisa, and I went to the General Relief Society session last Saturday. We got there a couple hours early to do some "shopping" (looking at things with desire), and luckily I brought my camera, which inevitably led to some good, old-fashioned, sisterly bonding. I'll show you what I mean.

Here's what I call, the "En la coche" series:

There's Lisa, giving eyes to the camera.

There's me, doing the doe-eyed stare.
Oh, Jenn! You vixen, you!

This is the part where we found some flowers and thought they made a good backdrop:

Her heart says, "I am one with nature," but her head says, "Get the bugs off of me!"

I couldn't have been cuter if I were made of puppies.

(singing) Oh, what you do to me! (end of singing)

Oh, and we did go to the R.S. session. That was fun, too.

Something Neat

2008-08-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

So, one of my big goal-things that I want to accomplish in this life is to learn seven languages. I don't know why seven. Seems like a nice number. Since I'm pretty, pretty far away from that goal (I am fluent in one language) and I'm almost done with school (one more year), I thought I'd take advantage of my current resources and do my utmost for the time being.

So, I decided to read el Libro de Mormon en Espanol. I took about two and a half years in high school, so I know the basics. I'm just trying to expand my vocab and enlighten myself spiritually at the same time: multitasking! It's a groovy idea because I just open two tabs on the Internet and switch back between the two: English and Spanish. I just hope scriptural Spanish is not so very different than regular Spanish ... oh well.

Anyway, it's totally fun and interesting. There are several ways to say "And it came to pass" in Spanish. Neat. It's coming a lot easier than I thought, too. Once I'm done, maybe I'll do Italian, or French, or German. They don't have Russian yet, which is lame-sauce because I took a semester of Russian. That would've been the bomb dot com. With all of those, that's only five. But I'd say that's an ambitious start, and now that I've told everyone, I have to do it. Woot.

I really should call this. "The Things We Did This Month"

2008-08-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a slacker. Mostly, though, my camera is still lent out and what is a post without pictures? Here's the latest scoop for me and Nels:

Nels' parents gave us their car yesterday! It was so generous of them, and now we officially have our own car. We are moving up!

Nels has been taking Physics, and is devoting most of his current life to it. He's also doing well with his side business/hobby. He put up a computer repair website last year for an entrepreneurial class, and he's been raking in a lot of business. It's also something that he likes to do in his spare time... within reason. He wasn't really doing much with it until this month actually. People would call him up all the time, and instead of charging them to fix it, he'd just tell them how to do it, no charge. That hasn't worked lately, so he's been busy fixing people's computers.

I recently turned 21. That's pretty exciting. Nels got me Toy Story and a piano book. He also took me out to lunch. On Sunday, when we went to visit mom and dad Broberg, they had a cake and presents waiting for me! It was a surprise birthday celebration! I was so amazed. Emily, Jay, Clement, Kate, and Kelly were there, too. Kate and Kelly got us a bottle of genuine Bear Lake Raspberry Days raspberry syrup. Mom and dad Broberg got me The Incredibles and Ice Age 2. My secret's out: I have an unreasonable obsession with kid's movies.

Also of note, I got a "promotion". It was at BYU, so it's not like I'm climbing any sort of corporate ladder, but they are eventually going to hire a professional multimedia person at the Daily Universe. Until then, they're letting me take over that role as a student. I get 50 cents more per hour, power over my peers, and a pat on the back. Yay!

Where I've Been

2008-06-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Just when I thought the summer would drive me crazy with not as much to do, I go and get myself another job. This makes three.
I currently work the web desk at the Daily Universe, BYU's newspaper; I edit a podcast for babiesandmoms.com; and my new job is a copy editor for the Daily Herald, Provo's local newspaper. All of these jobs are necessary for me, and I like them a lot, although Nels needs to be reminded of that. He tries to tell me to take a break once in a while, but I'm a glutton for punishment.
I am so grateful to be busy and to have jobs that I went to school to get, but, diving in head first, I forgot that I had a lot of non-scholastic goals for myself this summer. I especially wanted to read a lot. I suppose I can't complain: I read the news everyday a day before everyone else. I get a weird sense of satisfaction from that (reading the news and being a day ahead).
I have been doing some things that I set out to do, namely, a podcast! I am an official podcaster, and for all those old fogies out there (just kidding, I didn't know what they were till a semester ago), podcasters are to radio hosts, as blogs are to journalists. In other words, they're professional- or amateur-produced audio files. You download them on to iTunes. They've got a podcast for about everything, but I chose to do mine on movie reviews. I co-host it with a co-worker at the Daily Universe. We had several classes together, and he is a podcast junkie. I listen to a few; I'm not fully involved in it. I don't even listen to my own. I hate hearing my own voice, and I tend to run away from it.
Anyway, we're still working through technical difficulties, but if you're interested, go to: newsnet.byu.edu.
Underneath the menu there are three columns. Our podcast is on the right column, and it's called The Movie Vault. Please don't call me up and laugh at me. I'm still new at this!

One Year

2008-05-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

Nels and I have made it to one year on Saturday. We talked about it and decided we will try for two years. But that was over an incredibly scrumptious surprise meal that I made him, so perhaps he was feeling a bit swayed. I made salmon (first time!) strawberry-almond salad, pasta, and an apple-spice cake. I also lit candles to top it all off. All in all, I felt like such a good wife that day, that the only lame thing that could throw off my groove was a really bad cold, which showed symptoms the day of.
Strangely enough, that was exactly how Valentines had been. I was fine and dandy, but on Valentines I caught something really, really bad, that we didn't do anything that day. (We had observed it the weekend before, though, so we were covered.) Anyway, I seem to be getting sick only on romantic holidays lately... sketchy.
Anyway, thoughts on being married for one year? Time really flew. It didn't seem hard at all. We pretty much like each other. The lucky thing is that everyday reminds us of that. Even when we were new newly weds (meaning 6 months or less), we didn't have a difficult "adjustment." It felt natural and normal. I think that's a good sign for us, regardless of how sick I get on our anniversary.

Just an Update

2008-05-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

So Nels and I went to Las Vegas last week for four days. We were tired from being around all the Mormons in Provo, so we went all out in Sin City. We rode some crazy rides at the top of the Stratosphere and we went to a show... a magic show. We also ate at a buffet, and thus completed the ultimate Vegas experience. Four days in Vegas is just enough time to do everything.
We even had time to get mocked by a mob of Chinese tourists. But that was kind of on the fly. Nels and I were the only two people on a ride that hangs off the top of the Stratosphere. It wasn't all that scary, but I got Nels to yell his lungs out anyway. It made it a bit more exciting, especially for the large group of people watching us and taking our picture from the observation deck. When we got off the ride and back inside the building, we were greeted by no less than 20 Chinese tourists that didn't speak a lick of English. They just stood in front of us and laughed their heads off while pointing. No explanation, just loud, boisterous laughter. I wasn't in good enough humor to take a bow; I was actually a little distraught by it. Looking back it though, it was pretty hilarious.
We got back more or less refreshed. I could face campus and the Daily Universe without grimacing once again. I even picked up my guitar, and I am trying to learn how to play "Sound of Silence" by Paul Simon. My friend Anna and I used to sing the song together, and I fell in love the Simon and Garfunkel team. So that's good news. I, in my twenties, am finally figuring out what music I love. Luckily, it's the Beatles and 60's rock and all that jazz (or rock, really). I'm quite relieved to find that out, especially since a lot of it can sound good on just a guitar.
Other than that, not a lot to report. We had a couple over for dinner, the Koelings from our ward. Dinner didn't even taste bad. Bonus!

The New Broberg

2008-04-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

Meet the van. This is our car for the summer. A family in our ward is going out of town for the summer and they asked us to baby-sit this car for them: quite generous. Nels and I were so excited we jumped in and took it all the way to the grocery store in North Provo (which is way too far for walking).
We had so much fun filling up our own car full of groceries that we actually went to another store in the same evening. It was practically the most romantic thing that's ever happened to me.
It didn't quite sink in until this morning that this car was our new baby (granted, a big and unfancy baby) and was sticking around for awhile.
To celebrate today, we gave rides to a couple in our ward and picked up Jenn and Lisa for our cousin dinner. It made us feel a little uncomfortable riding around in a large vehicle, just the two of us.
This is our latest family portrait, minus Nels.
On a serious note: living without a car has not been as terrible as most might think, in fact, I'm going to miss it a lot! I think we actually save a lot more trouble than we caused by not having a car. The money factor alone is a good reason to go without. Most of all, I'll just miss doing things the adventurous way and planning tons of details out.
Friday nights are a blast because we have to figure out the best possible way to catch a bus to a certain location with the least amount of walking distance, and fit all of our excitement in a certain time frame because we can't miss our bus to get home. It's really living on the edge. (Maybe I can convince Nels to do it every once in a while, for old time's sake.) I also feel like a have an altered perspective on my definition of "bare necessities".
WARNING! ROBIN SOAPBOX SUBJECT: When we decided to put off having a car, it wasn't a huge deal, but I've talked to people who say things like, "I could never live without a car," "I would never ride the bus," or "I'm too lazy to walk." First of all, you do what you've gotta do. Second, why waste so many resources that come free... like your legs, for instance. Third, you miss most of life by cutting out experiences without any thought. Maybe riding the bus isn't much of a thrill, but it's still an experience (those who have tried it know what I'm talking about). My philosophy is to try a variety of things, be around a variety of people, and have a good attitude about it. Living is fun, especially when you live adventurously. Okay, I'm done.
With all that said, it's been fun, but I'm glad to have a car.
This is just a random car parked in our driveway. It's owned by an old guy that rents out a garage space. I just thought you'd like to see it. It's a VW bug with a crazy hood.
What a beaut.

Gardening

2008-03-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

Now that the cold weather is on its way out, I decided to plant my own garden. I am a bit more than excited about it. I've tried growing flowers a couple times, but they have either 1) been mistaken for weeds by family members, 2) been covered by a wheelbarrow full of dirt, or 3) just not grown because of the wrong time, wrong season, or wrong state. Who really knows? So, I cleared a huge 2.5 x 6 ft. area from weeds (and I think some chives from the previous gardeners). As you can see, our neighbor's cat, John Wayne, was feeling lonely. He kept me company the entire time. I weeded around him, but like the heroic dude that his namesake is, John Wayne would wake up from his nap and move over to another part of the lot. There was a lovely, unused lawn not more than a couple feet away with an equal amount of sunlight, but I guess I had to learn how to share.
I kept waiting for him to get up and help, but he was having too much fun watching me dig. I'll keep you updated on the progress, that is if they actually germinate. That will be a miracle in itself. I am planting basil, oregano, cilantro, chives, spinach, and broccoli, and, according to my research, they are the most easily grown herbs and vegetables, so I guess we'll see. Cross your fingers.

New York!

2008-03-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

New York was awesome. There are way too many things to see in any given direction that you end up tripping on your own feet and looking a little silly... or maybe that was just me.

This was the St. Patrick's Day Parade, pre-happy hour. You can't really tell at this point, but it was so crowded, people were literally pushing each other to walk a single step. I think I got claustrophobic.

Brooklyn Bridge from the pier. Though being surrounded by huge buildings in awe-inspiring, it was very relaxing getting away from them and looking out on the water.

Another pier shot.

Pier shot looking at the city. Here's some trivia for you (thanks to Tyler S.):
Do you know why pigeons can live and thrive in large cities without a lot of trees?
Because before buildings were invented, pigeons used to live in sides of cliffs, and since huge buildings resemble cliffs and have plenty of little spaces for pigeons it's perfect for them.

Here's Becky, one of the girls I went with, and me at Times square. You can't really see the square but if you look closely you'll see Nike symbols in our pupils. Just kidding.

Here it all is. This is the place I did the most tripping. We met some very friendly drunk people. I also found out that Legally Blonde is now a musical, I really wanted to see it, but we ran out of time.

Here is Valerie, also a girl I traveled with. We're looking pretty good in our Hershey's "Factory Worker" hats. I guess that is some kind of honor in New York.

I nearly died laughing when we came across this kid playing for pennies on a street corner. We were also a little concerned, but then his mom showed up. Or maybe it was his manager, not really sure which. He was pretty good though.

Another parade shot.

I'm in the Know

2008-03-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a journalism conference in New York on Tuesday. I went to several new media sessions, and I got the blogging bug! This will just be my personal blog to keep you all informed about Nels and me, but I plan to start a couple with my fellow students that went with me and caught the very same bug. Apparently, it's quite contagious.
Because we don't have babies and we don't live in a foreign country, I may be at lost for words most of the time, but primarily I'll be keeping everyone up to date on the little projects Nels and I have going.
I just finished my website: robin.axspace.com. I did it in raw HTML and CSS! It was pretty much self-taught, although I did get one of my professors to check the code.
I also am in the middle of writing my own cooking reference book for a class. Since I'm still very much a beginner at cooking, it will have things like how to cook meat and seafood in various ways: stir frying, braising, steaming, etc. Also, it will have the functions of ingredients, such as the difference between flours, what baking soda does, that kind of thing. It will also have the seasons of fruit and vegetables with a little info on each one. I'm pretty excited about that project.
In the summer I'll be starting my own podcast program for the Daily Universe. I think I'll mostly be doing arts and culture subjects, but it should be just wonderful. That's my best guess. I'll keep everyone updated.
As most of you know, I also I'm learning how to bake. I'm going through my baking book that mom got me, one recipe at a time. Most of them turned out awesome, knock on wood, but our favorite recipe is the bagel recipe. Quite scrumptious and surprisingly easy. I personally get very nervous around yeast, as it tends to die on me.
Well, that should be enough for now. I just finished writing a 12-pager for a class, I think my fingers are stuck in typing mode.