It's about time. . .

Well folks, it's about time for an update. Our most recent big news is that Jason and I moved from our cute little apartment in Provo to our cute not-so-little apartment in Orem. It's an increase in rent, but a decrease in commuting time to and from both of our jobs. I tried to get pictures of us moving, but Jason is a very task-oriented guy and didn't feel like letting me take his picture. So this is the best I could do:



He's cute isn't he? We're mostly settled into our new place. Since my parents just moved and got a lot of new furniture, we've been fortunate to inherit what they no longer need/want. So we still have a bookshelf, a hutch and a guest bed to move from their old house to our new one.

I finished up my internship at The Daily Herald. It was a great experience and I'm going to miss working there. For your enjoyment, here is what is likely my last "Skinny" column ever.

The Daily Herald

Little problems with age: I am 5-foot-2 and 95 pounds - barely.

And not only does my body type closely resemble that of my 12-year-old sister and her friends, but my cute little face makes it hard to pick me out of a crowd of freshmen - as in high school freshmen.

Now I realize this is all well and good, and I will be grateful for my youthful looks when I'm older, but when I am trying to make it in the adult world, looking like I should still be reading Seventeen magazine and worrying about who might ask me to Junior Prom is not a good thing.

Last summer, I went to the Cartel concert at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, where you had to be either 16 years old or with a parent or guardian to get in.

No problem, or so I thought, until I was the only one there who was stopped -- twice -- and asked for proof that I was old enough to be at the show without my mommy.

One guy even laughed at me and asked, after seeing my over-21 driver's license, "Now, you're not really going to try and buy alcohol with this, are you?"

Well, I wasn't going to try and buy a drink, but the point is, I could have if I wanted to.

And sadly, I get the feeling the bartender would have called over security and had me hauled out of the show for attempting to use a fake driver's license.

I could go on for days with stories like this; such as the one time my then 11-year-old sister's friend asked me in awe if I attended the local junior high school. When I told her no, that, in fact, I was a senior at Brigham Young University she laughed at me. Now, every time she sees me she calls me "Little Miss Junior High."

Sometimes I want to teach her a lesson and clock her in the face, but, frankly, she's twice my size and I don't stand a chance against her.

-- Jessie Evans

The Skinny

It was my turn to write the "Skinny" column for Wednesday's "Life and Style" section of The Daily Herald. I'd completely forgotten about it until the night before it was due (don't tell my editor!) so I had to quickly come up with something, and here it is:

Harry happens: I vowed I would not let it consume my life. I tried diligently to put it down and walk away, but I am too weak.

This confession is my first step to recovery. I will never let another Harry Potter book control my life -- which I feel safe saying, since I just finished the seventh and final installment of the Harry Potter series.

My sweet husband surprised me with "The Deathly Hallows" the day before my birthday. I casually picked it up and started into the first chapter, forgetting how addicting the works of J.K. Rowling can be.

With much difficulty, I attempted to put the book aside and go about my normal day-to-day tasks, but to no avail.

For the first time in our marriage -- of two whole months now -- we spent a Saturday in silence. Me, with my nose buried in a book, and Jason finally experiencing a day without me pestering him to stop playing "Warcraft."

When Saturday evening rolled around, I had made the journey with Harry through more than half the book and was not ready to stop, but by some unknown power from deep within, I was able to close the book for a few hours to enjoy a birthday outing with aforementioned husband, Jason, only to return and spend a few more hours alongside my favorite fictional friends battling the darker forces.

I finished the book on the afternoon of my birthday, while family members busied themselves with preparing my birthday dinner.

My husband was relieved to see me finally emerge from behind the book and promised me he would never again buy me a book on my birthday -- he'd much rather spend time with me instead.

I guess it's payback time. Jason just started reading "The Deathly Hallows."

I suppose I deserve it.

-- Jessie Evans

The Skinny

At work we take turns writing The Skinny column that runs in the Life and Style section every Wednesday. This week was my turn and here's a sneak peak at what I wrote!

The Skinny:

I am a newlywed. It’s fun, really. I love having someone that makes me laugh, someone I love being with and someone who always knows what to say to calm me down – I am what my mom calls “intense.” I love cooking for him and cleaning up after him. I enjoy decorating our apartment and talking about how energy efficient we are with our hybrid car and 13-dollar utility bill.

But don’t be deceived; newlywed bliss is not without its hardships. First of all, there’s the stack of duplicate/bulky/just plain unneeded wedding gifts to return. Our return pile is not nearly as cumbersome as others I’ve seen, but we still aren’t sure what to do with our 6 salad bowls, 4 cheese graters and 2 waffle irons.

Second: The whole legal name-change thing. There are Social Security, IRS 8822, United States Passport, United States Postal Service, and State Driver’s License forms that I need to drive around and pick up. Then I need to fill them out, provide a certified proof of marriage and return them to the right place. And then hope I didn’t mess up somewhere along the way. Such. A. Hassle. I could save myself and estimated thirteen hours and pay an online service – like www.missnowmrs.com – thirty dollars to do it all for me, but do I really want to submit such personal information to a Web site? I’ve got an identity to protect!

Third: Insurance. Luckily my hubby’s job provides full medical and dental coverage, but not without – you guessed it – yet another round of paperwork and signatures. The good news is, after this is all over I’ll be an expert on filling out paperwork. Not exactly a skill one can boast about on a resume, but I’ll take it.

And last, but certainly not least, the love of my life leaves the toilet seat up.

-- Jessie Evans