My flip flops are about two sizes too big for me. Every time I look down at them, I feel like a clown that is flip flopping around in fashionable clown summer wear. I have no idea why I bought shoes that are way too big. It is possible that my feet have shrunk in the last few years, but it is much more likely that I had to have these comfy Teva flip flops, and this size was the only one close. I think that somewhere lurking inside of me there is still a 6-year-old who has to have things. How annoying.

My boss called this morning to say that she wouldn't be coming in. She assumed that I had heard the news, but because we got home from Salt Lake City in the evening and then decided to watch a movie, I was shocked to find out that 3 UW students died violently sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning. One of the students was her daughter's friend. It's horrible to hear about something like this.

There are very few details at this point, but the local news is stressing that the community is not in any immediate danger. That stuck out to me, because it's rare to find a town that does not experience this kind of thing often enough to just be used to it in some ways. Most communities cannot make the claim that they are still safe, because some other horrible thing is most likely going to happen again soon. But I don't think Laramie has seen much violence since Matthew Shepard died several years back.

In any case, I am keeping my eyes peeled for more details, and my prayers go out to the families and friends of these young people. I can't help but wonder what was going through their minds, or what plans they had that were cut short- even just plans to sleep in, or to go on a vacation, or talk to their parents. Everything is so fragile.

I feel a little shifty and Enron-esque when one of the things on my work to-do list is "shred documents". But I guess everyone shreds documents, it's the content of the shredded documents that matters.

My husband is totally the best. Last Friday he finished his first real college teaching experience, and concurrently ended four weeks of long hours of preparation, late nights and early mornings. So on Monday night, to show his appreciation of my having taken over most of the housework, he made me pasta. From scratch. I came home from work to find flour everywhere, the radio blaring, and my husband trying to mash down the sides of little raviolis with a fork. He says he'll never try that again and I don't blame him. It looked pretty tedious. But it was delicious, and I definitely loved the surprise. Some guys expect their wives to do all of the housework, but my husband not only helps with it, he also makes sure to thank me when he can't help because he's busy shaping young minds. Sorry ladies, I got him first.

With more free time on our hands, we've also been able to just hang out with each other. We went miniature golfing, and saw a play last night. Tomorrow is Mike's birthday, and we'll be in Denver for that. Then it's on to Salt Lake City for the weekend for my job. And we get to go to Park City on Saturday, as in, the place where the Sundance Film Festival is held every year!! I begin to salivate every time I think of it. I really hope they have some cheesy Sundance souvenirs, because really my life will not be complete until I have a keychain or some sort of trinket to show that I have been in the place in which the festival resides. No, I didn't go to the actual event, but I do have this lovely snow globe with the word "Sundance" written on it to commemorate the occasion.

I had two years to go to the Tribeca Film Festival, and I didn't end up going either time. I'm an idiot. Being the movie nerd that I am, I think I would eat up the whole film festival atmosphere. The kinds of movies that are shown, the demographic that shows interest in the festival, it all seems really enjoyable. One of these days I will get myself to Sundance or Tribeca or some other equally cool movie mecca. Maybe we will be living on the East Coast again in the not-so-distant future.

Today's lessons: my husband is fantastic and I need to watch more movies.

Men with a strong cologne smell should only live in Florida.