You can take the Bylund out of Omaha...

...But you can't take the chintzy and tight out of the Bylund!

No. seriously.

Over the past few months, I think I have gone to 3 seminars on how to "scrimp and save" during these lovely law school years (once at my ward, once at a work meeting, and once at a Law School Wives Association event). So, I have decided to really take it to heart. And I found out that it is actually a lot of fun to try to spend as little money as possible -- it's like a game! Plus, it makes me feel like I am fighting back against consumerism!

First of all, I learned how to cut coupons "appropriately" -- when to use them, where to use them, and which ones you should use. I have high hopes that our grocery bill can be under $100 a month! (I'll do an update next month.) I've also learned the wonders of Extra Care Bucks from CVS (Walgreens has a similar program). Some good blogs that help teach me tricks and motivate me are here, here, here and here. Check them out.

As far as entertainment goes, pretty much "dinner and a movie" is out for us. Ever. Instead, we play tennis a lot at a court down the street, go on walks and pick up free movies from RedBox. (RedBox sends out free rental codes via e-mail or text every Monday! You can sign up here.)

So basically, this is my new hobby. And it sure beats my old hobby (spending loads of money in Europe). Also, I have to have a new passion, since we all know what happened to BYU Football...

GPS: Friend or Foe?

My brother-in-law recently forwarded me this news story about someone whose GPS may or may not have attempted to kill him. A little help with photoshop helped me to recreate the moment:



http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/30/gps-sends-another-driver-onto-train-tracks-of-doom/

About the same time that he sent me the article (literally, to the hour), I was driving around Virginia, terrified that I was speeding/not yielding/going too slow/about to die, etc. I hate. hate. hate driving in the East, and refuse to do so unless I absolutely have to. Unfortuantely, this was one of those cases: I had to (well, I wanted to) go to the mall and Richard had to stay at the law school and do homework.

"Exit left in 400 yards," Elphie2 (our GPS, a TomTom) told me. As I exited, I noticed some police cars further down on the exit lane, with a couple of cars pulled over to the side. "Suckers," I thought as I tried to pass the police cars. Then, one of them told me (ME!) to pull over. I did so with confusion, as I knew that I had not been speeding.

Our dialogue went something like this:

Cop: "So, I pulled you over because you took an HOV exit."

Me: "I'm sorry! I'm new the area and my GPS told me to exit here, and she didn't even ask me if I wanted to avoid HOV lanes (pointing emphatically to Elphie2)"

Cop: "Sorry, it's the 30th of the month and we haven't yet met our quota for tickets, so we have to give you one anyway."

(Cop leaves)

Elphie2: "Ha ha ha! Gotcha!"

Me: "Grrrrrrrr."

Okay, the cop didn't actually say that. Neither did Elphie. But I knew that's what they were thinking.

Now, before you say it: I know I should have still been looking for HOV signs even with Elphie on. But I still contend that this is a prime example of GPS: Foe.

It must be said that Elphie has done well most of the time and kept me from getting lost, helped me find the nearest Wendy's and encouraged in life generally. But sometimes she just gets me into major trouble. Besides this incident, she once got me, Richard and Carma into a major traffic jam near the Lincoln Tunnel when she should have had us take an earlier exit.

So the question must be asked: Is your GPS a friend or foe?

Washington: The Mecca of Metropolitan Transit

...well, that may be going a little overboard, but seriously, the Washington DC Metrorail just may be the best system out there! Can I get an "aaaaa-men"?

Sure I've had my fair share of delays, rush-hour squishedness, and pacing back and forth waiting for a train to come, but that is most certainly to be occasionally expected of any big-city system. Coming from New York City, which may possible be the worst/dirtiest metro known to man, my spirit leaps for joy every time I walk into one of the DC stations.

I have, naturally, developed a Top 5 for why the Metrorail will forever have a special place in my heart:

(5) SmartTrip cards are plastic and can be read from inside your purse (or wallet, for those men out there), so you don't have to spend time fishing for that pesky paper card in front of the entrance.

(4) I get cell phone coverage while I am riding on the Metro. Apparently, Verizon (my provider) has a contract with them, so they have phone lines lining the cars/stations. (I recently learned this, after assuming for months that I would not have phone coverage.)

(3) They have electronic boards which list how long until next train comes. No more staring down the platform, wondering when you will see the light at the end of the tunnel (both proverbially and literally).

(2) The stations are clean, well-maintained and air-conditioned. 'Nough said.

(1) The huge, vaulted ceilings eliminates all claustrophobia you may have about the fact that you are hundreds of feet underground.

Also, yes this is a covert PR ploy to get friends and family to visit me in Washington DC. You know you want to ride this glorious system!!

Organization Heaven

Yesterday, work sent me to a Franklin Covey all-day seminar about time management training. To those of you who know me even a little, you know that this is Disneyland for me (not literally). I was so excited the night before our training that my conversation with Richard went something like this:





Me: I can't sleep! I'm so excited!!

Richard: You are acting like this is Christmas Eve, or something.

Me: More like the night before the first day of school!



(Note: Yes, I was more excited for the first day of school than for Christmas morning. I am a nerd. Also, the photo is not me, but stolen off the first google hit for "first day of school.")

The workshop did not disappoint. We were all given free "starter kits" binders (which I immediately upgraded to the cute red binder and stationary, natch). The Franklin Covey system focuses on planning your life pyramid style: starting with your values, then goals, then weekly planning and finally daily planning (with each task given a A,B or C rating). We also focused on the different "roles" that we each held in our life and how to get the "big rocks" taken care of for each role (I could have sworn I have heard the same lecture in a young women's lesson...).

My favorite part of the day had to have been during our "goals and values" section where we introduced ourselves as if it were 10 years from now. I created an elaborate scenario for both me and my family/friends. For details on where you'll be in 10 years, contact me. As for me, I'll be living it up in Boston, 2 years in to my Ph.D. program, teaching university courses part time, doing PR volunteer work for a non-profit, and celebrating my 10 1/2 year anniversary... all with an undisclosed number of children.

Basically, the whole day was like an early birthday present that I got paid for -- thanks Kimpton! Oh, and don't think I didn't write "blog about Franklin Covey training" on my daily tasks for today (don't worry, it was a "B" not an "A").

SBA Update

Richard and I found out last night at exactly 9:59 p.m. (as we were about go to sleep... being the party-ers that we are) that Richard WON THE SBA ELECTION!!!

There was much happiness as we celebrated by eating the rest of Bethany's birthday brownies and a cup of cookies 'n cream ice-cream (our favorite dessert).

Three cheers for a more padded resume!

PS. Here is a photo that I made for Richie that he posted throughout the school.

Vote For Pedro... er, Richie!

As Richard is too busy to do anything that doesn't involve studying, it has fallen on my shoulders to create a strategic marketing campaign to get him elected to be a 1L Representative for the GMU SBA (Student Bar Association).

Whew, such responsibility!! I was originally going to follow in the footsteps of the McCain/Obama techniques and slander (libel? I always get those confused) his unsuspecting opponents, but alas, I did sign the PRSSA Code of Ethics which states that I will not participate in such behavior. So now it is on to other ideas.

Luckily, Richard has made alliances -- I'm glad The Office has taught us well -- with other people who are also running to be a 1L Representative (3 people get elected). One already made this fetching poster, below (and no, they did not ask my permission to include me in Richard's poster... probably put me in to appeal to the married demographic):




Click on the picture to enlarge it... believe me, it's worth it.




So now, I am trying to find a way to supplement this great work of art. Here are some of the things I came up with while writing the introduction to the blog:

*Maybe a poster based off of the law firm ads you see on the back of phone books?
*Free candy handed out in class... seriously, when has that ever not worked?
*Richard has thought of the slogan, "Pick Me, Number Three!" He figures, if everyone writes Richard as his third choice (he clearly isn't bothered by this), he will still get elected.

Anyway, ideas? Thoughts? Suggestions? Comments? Questions? Slander?

BYU Football (Part II)

So, after discussing the best ways for me to avoid heart attacks during BYU Football games (see below post), Richard and I came up with a plan that would involve putting off all our laundry until the last possible moment, and then me folding/putting away pretty much everything we own while watching the game.

I highly recommend this tactic. Richard loves it because -- let's face it -- he doesn't have to help with the laundry (and he doesn't have to feel guilty about not helping with the laundry), and I feel both somewhat distracted and productive during the game. The only problem was that I still didn't have enough clothes to last me the whole game. (Richard had to force me away from the darks until after halftime was over.) After pondering this problem economics-style, I was thinking of starting a side business, "Game Day Laundry," where (for a small fee) I will fold all your laundry every Saturday! A disclaimer is that if I don't get to your laundry during the BYU game, I probably won't do it. But the upside is that I will be offering a Friends & Family Discount.

So now on to the good stuff -- the UCLA game. As Carma so eloquently put it, this was no nail-biter game!! BYU totally and completely dominated UCLA (59 to 0!!). There was MUCH jubilation in our apartment as UCLA continued to fumble and we continued to block kicks and score touchdown after touchdown. UCLA was understandably not as thrilled as us. See below for a picture of their coach late in the fourth quarter, when they realized how bad this really was. (I almost felt sorry for him.)

Here are a couple of interesting statistics about the game (this is for you Greg, as Carma told me what your original prediction of the game was... grr):

*Max Hall (the QB) entered record books when tied the BYU record for passing touchdowns in a game

*UCLA suffered its worst defeat since 1929 when they lost to USC

It's a beautiful thing! Now, we are ranked #14 on the AP Poll and #11 on the USA Today poll (so close to the Top 10!) and will undoubtedly keep climbing our way up the charts. And I will be there to cheer them on... as long as I don't run out of laundry :)