thoughts on thursday

• Flights to both Ireland and Spain are currently the same price as (or cheaper than) flights to Salt Lake. I'm considering going there for a visit this summer instead.
• We have started Operation: Use Everything Up. Does it seem like we have done this before? Yep. Several times. It is in my nature as a good Mormon girl from Utah to stockpile food and personal products. I was raised to buy things when they were on sale and save them until you need them. We now have a lot of stuff to use before we move. I am on a mission to use it all up. It would be best, however, not to run out too soon. Of course, after the move I will then have to go out and buy the stuff all over again. I do enjoy the feeling of using every last bit, squeezing out every drop, and scraping a container clean. I also like that feeling of throwing things away or sending them off to be recycled.
• I have this idea in my mind of who I am, the person that I am. Lately I am confronted, however, with the possibility that maybe that idea doesn't fit me anymore. I find this very confusing and difficult to reconcile. Dissonance is really the best word for it. I'm wondering what to do with this.
• While driving to Costco today, there were no cars on the road. None. It was very weird. As I was on a stretch of highway that is generally very crowded with cars coming from the bridge, I looked around and saw no cars traveling in my direction while the roads to the bridge were full of traffic. I thought maybe something was wrong. It made me very worried. I have never been so happy to be in traffic again when the cars finally showed up.
• I recently read a book called Half the Sky. It talks about the mistreatment of women throughout the world. Although it is quite graphic, I was fascinated by the experiences it shared of many women who have overcome unbelievable difficulties and pain and gone forward to make significant changes in the world around them. I am so blessed to live in a country where I have such freedom and opportunity and privilege as a woman. I take so many things for granted. There is so much more I should be doing.
• My blender is broken. This is a complete bummer, as I could really go for a smoothie right now. And, unfortunately, the blender I want is like $500. We may be smoothie-less for a while.