Tempted by the fruit of another

Dear food,

I thought we were doing so great.

We didn't have to sneak around anymore.

But every time life is good you turn on me.

Its like I don't know you anymore.

You don't comfort me anymore.

You push me away.

You cause me pain.

STOP!

Stop tempting me with your mouth watering aromas.

Stop being so interesting and foreign.

You are not good for me.

I need to reevaluate our relationship.

I may not be able to rid you from my life for good,

But things will never be the same between us.

GOODBYE!

Take your spices, fried food, and tomatoes.

I will replace you.

You have burned me for the last time.

Goodbye my tempter.

Goodbye my secret lover.

Today I choose love and turn from pain.

From,

Rena's Stomach

"You are just like your mother"

"You are just like your mother" Spencer said after a day with my folks.


"Thanks" I repied.


This goofey fun loving liberal woman who gave me life (and a fun one too) never looses her humor and heart. Forget 'Mothers day', there should me 'Rhonda Rupe Day'.





When I grow up I want to be just like her. Except taller and black lol.






I feel like I should write more. But the truth is nothing iis really going on. Christmas came and went (yay). Spencer and I were both spoiled. Spencer got a Mountain Bike, Fly Rod, Ipod, etc. I got a Jewelry Box, Tickets to see Avenue Q, Snow Gloves, 4 Computer Games, etc. Christmas Eve we played Beatles RockBand and stayed over at Paul and Audrey's House.

New Years Eve was the worst day at work I have ever experienced. People were so rude. I got cursed at by 3 complete strangers, You might be wondering what I did to deserve it, well one guy was angry he could not be upgraded to a suite for free, one guy thought he booked a ski package and deserved free passes when he was paying $56 (the ski passes are $58 each and the package is about $203 a night. So for those of you who dont travel often and search online for the cheapest rate and expect to be rewarded for it..... I have a message to you:

To those who book on Priceline, Hotwire, or Expedia and are paying $40 for a room.

No you can not have a free breakfast.

No you can not have free parking.

You will get the room you are assigned, go ahead and complain.

We dont face the Temple, so if you want a view go stand outside.

Guess what! If we sell out I will kick you out first!

New Years Eve is a busy day for hotels, if you stay here dont complain about noise, its f*@#ing New Years Eve... it will be loud EVERYWHERE.

Happy Traveling you cheap scum.

Thanks for bearing with me while I rant. Its been a hard week. I am so excited for all of the adventures this Spring/Summer I cant wait until the snow melts.

Ok I have to get back to work.

The Mountain Bike

Spencer received an early Christmas present last week. An awesome Gary Fischer mountain bike with front shocks and 29" wheels. Lets all look at it with envy.

I woke up still in a deep sleep

Are you leading your life? or letting life lead you?

I want to say I have control of my life, but I am not naive.

I like most Americans stand around like a fawn in headlights waiting for powerful men in suits to pull us out of the way. We starve if commercials dont tell us what to eat. Would we even be attractive to the same people if our world didnt tell us every minute what is attractive?

Today is thanksgiving. Soon it will be Christmas. All this fake holiday cheer and "must have" advertisments always put me in a funk. Dont put me in the Ba-hum-bug catagory just yet. I like many things about the holidays, I just hate the way this country gets around the holidays. Do your kids really need more toys that will go un-played with shoved under their bed where they will be forgotten. Ok.... I am trying not to be bitter..... breathe..... happy thoughts.....ok better.

Family. Isn't that what the holidays are all about? I always wished my family would get together on thanksgiving and Christmas, but my mother had to work and weylin is not a fan of big family celebrations. My family would be great on the holidays: drinking wine and liquors, cracking jokes, discussing politics, eating Italian food. You know how a family should be.

Lately family has meant watching what you say so you don't offend anyone, feeling like an outsider, searching for subjects to relate to, not disclosing any information about my personal life because nobody approves. I don't think that is how a person should feel around family. Granted it cant last like this forever. One day, when the mood is right, I will drop the bomb. I will stand up and say,

"Hey. I am never gonna change. So learn to love me like this. No I am not the same religion as you, but who gives a shit about that. We are family. That means you are stuck we me, as I am stuck with you. I don't feel the need to change you or preach my beliefs to you. All I ask is that you do the same. Don't be offended if I don't think you know all the answers and belong to the one true religion. I don't even believe there is a one true religion. That's right, I admit I don't know the answers. And I LOVE IT. I love not knowing. It allows my mind to be open to everything. So, stop walking on eggshells around me cause I am not going to around you. I choose to live a different lifestyle than you, like most of the world. So unless you plan on living in a cave and never venturing out into society, you need to learn to live with me."

I hope that wasn't too harsh. I love my whole family, but I need to feel some acceptance or I might always hate the holidays.

Sorry for my depressing angry rant... maybe this will cheer you up:

Remember Remember the 10'th of January

I was reminiscing about my first few months after I moved to Utah. My first real winter, my first battle with the snow.... and the snow won. The following something I wrote January 10th 2008. I cant believe its been almost 2 years since I stared deep into the cold dark eyes of death.
_______________________________________________________________
Last night... I went snow shoeing... I didn't even know what that meant until I was up on a mountain in 4 feet of snow and it was still snowing. My comical adventure begins with a boy, we are friends and went to the same Singles Ward, he saw me yesterday and said" are you coming snowshoeing?" I responded, "heck no... I've seen this movie the black person dies first." he laughed and said "well I will be here at 6:30 and you are going". So at about 6 O'clock my roommate Katie got home. I was in a sweater and jeans... she asked where I was going and I told her... she proceeded to laugh and tell me it was gonna be like 15 degrees and I was gonna Die if I don't layer up.
The conversation went like this.
K- do you have snow pants?
R-no
K-do you have sweat pants?
R-no
K-do you have long johns?
R-no
K-well other than jeans what do you have?
R-I have yoga pants!
K-*laughs* put those over your jeans. Do you have waterproof gloves?
R-no. I have cheap 99 cent gloves I picked up in line at Smith's.
K-*laughs* This is gonna be fun.
She put me in jeans, yoga pants, and pajama pants. I put on a long sleeve shirt, then a t-shirt, then a hoodie, then borrowed a jacket from my roommate Rachel. Well after gaining 5 dress sizes Craig walked in the door. "Are you ready Hollywood?"
Outside there was much commotion as young adults were grouping together. We hopped in the back of an SUV filled with strangers and headed to the mountain. I have never been on a mountain before, nor did I understand the concept that the temp drops real low at night..... real low! "What have I gotten myself into?"
I followed the crowd like a lost puppy, they were getting two of these strange metal things from a truck, maybe I should too. I grabbed a pair of snow shoes and stood there like an idiot staring at the crazy contraptions. "how do these things work?" I said getting my foot caught. Steve remembered me from our ward came up to me and said "Hey Hollywood, I will help" Steve to the rescue (apparently my ward thought Hollywood was a cute nickname). Once the snow shoes were on it was time for the adventure to begin (although getting dressed was an adventure already). People started wondering up the mountain and I didn't want to be in the back (that's where you die) so I jumped in line. After about 10 minutes I asked "is the whole thing up hill" someone ahead laughed and said "Is that Hollywood?" I went on for about 15 more minutes before my frost bitten fingers and lungs got the best of me. I got off the trail and leaned against a tree. "don't worry about me I will wait for the end of the line and jump in." Well the end of the line came and the last person said there was another group about 40 feet away and they would be coming up in a couple of minutes. I was not ready to go on, so I waited, alone, in the forest, without a flashlight, and it was snowing .... 10 minutes went by and I didn't see a single person... "this is how I die" I said aloud to myself "this is is. I can see the headlines, Hollywood girl found frozen to death in Big Cottonwood Canyon." I got back on the trail and begun back up. thinking "Wheres Craig who invited me? He should he be worried." I made it to where the trail of trekked through snow split.... the right went straight up the mountain... and the left went along a scary ridge. I could not tell which way the group went and I was too far to see lights or hear voices. "I am gonna die". I went left... imagining myself falling down and rolling into a snowball like a cartoon. Then up ahead I saw it... a flicker of a flashlight....YAY!!! People!!!! I hurried to the top and found the group. Some one said.... "hey Hollywood you made it. I thought you turned around."
"No, I just got ditched and almost died alone on a fricken mountain"

life or something like it

What is the purpose of life other than to simply live.

I once felt very motivated and determined to read Anna Karenina, only 1224 pages. And I admit I did not finish the book, I got frustrated with all the Russian phrases and words I had to look up in order to understand what was going on. However.... the first sentence in the book impacted my life. It was almost 2 years ago when I read it and I stilll think about it on occasion.

"All happy families are alike; all unhappy families are unhappy in their own way."

Lets discuss this.

My perfect spot

Requirements for my perfect home....

(in the U.S. that is, otherwise I would say Spain, Brazil, Italy, almost anywhere else)

Near a body of water - a river, a nice lake, or the ocean.

Absolutely NO suburbs.... I cant stand houses that all look the same and are built less than 20 feet apart.... yuck.

An amazing Fall/Autumn.... I love fall clothes and fall holidays..... I want colorful leaves as long as I can get them. A location that promotes an active lifestyle... with running/biking trails, lots or parks, and more outdoor activities than indoor.

A main street with a great feel, locally owned shops, bakeries, cafes, book stores, brew pubs. Places that you can become true friends with the people behind the counter, and are always greeted with a "Good Morning Rena. Hows the family?" Local art. Music, sculpture, theater.... I want to feel the creativity of the community everywhere I turn.


Great local eateries. Good Food... Better Service!


Amazing Fishing Spots!!! So Spencer can feel like Brad Pitt in 'A River Runs Through It'


A place where education is important. People take pride in there school system and get involved as a community. I would like to have a decent college near by... university or community.

A VERY picturesque environment. Whether its red rock, mountains, the coast, waterfalls, or canyons... I want to be humbled every time I step outside... I want to sit on my front porch and bask in the glory that is mother nature. I want to feel small. I want to have an "oohh aaww" moment every day.

So what do you think? Is this too much to ask for? Did a city come to mind? Where should I live? Where is my perfect spot?