Gluten is not for me

September of 2012 I made a huge decision...actually my body made the decision my mind fell in line...a year and a half later. 

Gluten is found in everything from bread to chips.  Here is a short synopsis of gluten.  Gluten is a protein composite found in wheat, barley and rye.  Gluten is what helps bread rise, and make bread, bread. Crackers, bread, muffins, bagels (yes bagels), pop tarts (biggest bummer), pizza, noodles, cake, cookies, candy, seasonings, gravy, and more all contain the dread gluten.

Around a year and a half ago I started getting really bad heart burn, stomach aches, and overall indigestion.  Not knowing why, I just continued on the the road I was headed. After I started dating, and going on dates and getting sick, we decided to figure out what was making me sick. After cutting things out of my diet and adding things back in, gluten was the factor. 

While still getting used to a gluten free diet I consumed a deep fried sushi roll.  After going a week without any problems, this bite sized amount of gluteney goodness landed me with a terrible stomach ache and many minutes visiting the ladies room, (point being I was sick). The best way to describe the pain that eating gluten causes is like having a monster living in your gi using it as a jungle gym. 

Someone asked me if I was devastated after finding out gluten was making me sick, I was like "yeah, because my whole life revolves around products containing gluten." The opposite is true, I am more conscious of what I eat, and have less gastro intestinal problems. Before going gluten free, each meal consumed was consumed with trepidation.  I mean it does suck that scones, chicken fried steak, and biscuits and gravy are off the table (pun intended), but it's not the end of the world. If I ever live in the south though, I'll probably starve. 

I always thought that food allergies were somewhat a figment of the imagination. However, the problems that gluten has created made food allergies a huge reality and all too true.  Gluten free is not a life choice I would ever choose, it makes eating difficult to say the least. Difficult not only for me, but for family and friends as well.  My diet change has definitely affected those around me. Whether it is going to dinner at a friends house or out to eat.   Gluten is everywhere. For breakfast one morning we went to a restaurant that was famous for scones. Which sucks, when you are the only one in the restaurant that can't eat the prize winning dish. It is just something you have to work around. I can't say that there is anything containing gluten that is worth eating.  Luckily as people become more aware there are more food choices. Stores carry a wide variety of gluten free noodles, cookies, bread, and even spices and gravy's, even restaurants are carrying a gluten free menu.  

Josh and I joke that we complete each other because he is lactose intolerant and I can't have gluten.  We also joke that for the same reasons we can never eat anything. 

This blog of mine

That's me on the cow, I love cows, definitely my favorite animal.

I started this blog as a would be journal.  A journal that I didn't have to worry about losing, or burning, or being torn up by chickens and dogs.  I mean I have to remember the password, which can be a challenge. I was reading some earlier posts, and I know you must be wondering what I'm thinking, "how does one person be so witty?" Sometimes I wonder if it is natural or a product of my raising, probably both.
This blog is a bit of a journal but mostly a product of my thoughts.  Sometimes I wonder who my audience is, because what I write is somewhat censored, I mean it could be friends, relatives, friends of relatives or Oreo eating basement blog stalkers. I'm sorry if I outed you, keep reading if you wish. I think I will include some life stories just so you have an insight into who "That's our Jorge" really is. I've read the first couple of posts that I wrote when I was just a college baby, and look at me now about to graduate. Rambling, a favorite past time. The point, I'm still figuring out who I am, and I grow everyday.

Nude pants and knee cleavage

If Logan/Utah  wasn't seasonally challenged, we would  be seeing the ending days of nude pants and the beginning of knee cleavage.

Party 

Holey pants in the winter is awful to say the least. If it is snowing snows blows in the holes, if it is windy, wind blows in the holes, if it's just plain cold, cold gets in the holes. Not much can make winter worse than holey pants.  If you can make  it through winter with no holes, you can do a small victory dance, which will probably lead you to your first hole of the season.  That's okay, because you made it an entire season of no holes, so please celebrate.
Unfortunately I don't have any nude pants.  I confuse people enough on a daily basis, I can't throw nude pants in there. But I mean seriously have you ever been at the store when you see a cashier with nude pants, and you do a double take. Stores that require khaki like pants and blue shirts are notorious for this.  It is truly disconcerting.

This will probably lead to holes

Every party has or should have a pinata 

If you have a pinata you must break it

Knee cleavage

Ah yes the knee cleavage.  I think regular cleavage is overrated, the knees are where its at. Knee cleavage means summer, and summer means warm weather. All of a sudden those holes aren't so bad.

Horse riding sometimes leads to holey pants 

Stop

Summer jeans!!

Sometimes I think people are guilty of over thinking situations, and over reacting.  I would know, I do it a lot.
In case you are wondering, the thing on my mind as of early is the Dove™ sketch artist commercial.
Their point was to improve woman's self image.  The result, if you ask the right people, was demeaning woman, by leading them to believe that they have to fit a specific Hollywood image. That image, thin, fair, and beautiful. And normally I would jump on this feminist bandwagon, perhaps I'm not jumping on board because I fit that description. Well I fit it to a nearly imperfect T!
 Honestly I do get tired of hearing about the "beautiful" stereotype.  That stereotype from what I understand, and have heard from many women over the years, is you have to be thin, in shape (but not too muscly), perfect hair, perfect features, not too many freckles, blond, tall (but not too tall), long legs, big breasts small waist, tan but not orange, perfect teeth, pretty much overall in proportion, smart but not too smart, successful but humble, contacts not glasses, straight hair, perfect makeup, perfect clothes, perfect smile, perfect laugh, you must be Perfect. You must be PERFECT and BEAUTIFUL. Cause that makes sense.
As every feminist does I would of course love to blame a man for creating this impossible image.  This is a mans world so he had to have created this definition of beauty. However every guy I have ever met doesn't want this super skinny, can't walk up a flight of stairs without stopping midway to catch their breath, big breasted small waist-ed, fall over because you are not proportional, bronzed, bright eyed, glowing smile, perfect sighted being.  I mean lets be honest, of course this type of man exists.

Umm yeah I went there

A lot of our image of beauty, perhaps all of it comes from the media, and of course the media is right. Why can't we embrace our inner beauty, and let it shine through? I am goofy, I'm immature, I'm smart, opinionated, I have blond hair and blue eyes, I'm a size eight, I've run a marathon, I have scars, I'm pink in the winter and red in the summer, I snort when I laugh, my big toes aren't identical, my teeth aren't as straight as my hair, and if I wear makeup it covers my beauty and other "imperfections".  But I'm okay with this, I'm okay with me. I'm the product of two entirely different people, and I think God did a damn good job of putting my genes together. My family thinks I'm gorgeous, my boyfriend thinks I'm beautiful, and my friends think I'm sublime, which is good because I think they are superb.
In a world that is so diverse who has the authority to define beautiful?
Honestly I think the advertisement reached its goal of making women take a good look at themselves and see how they truly view themselves and how they should be viewing themselves.  If we are told everyday what beautiful is according to those around us, how on Gods green earth are we supposed to look in the mirror and see beauty? We all need to see ourselves in a positive light.

Pete is beautiful, if someone called me a cow, I'd probably take it is a compliment  though

If one thing comes from this post it is that all of us realize the beauty around us.  People are not dogs, wales, pigs, heifers, hippos, elephants. People are people.  I mean you can point out to someone they they are fat, because it's not like they haven't already figured that out.  Men are beautiful, women are beautiful, but cows (the actual animal) are perhaps the most beautiful.  Embrace your imperfections, embrace your beauty, embrace yourself...

My beautiful brother

Larry boy is beautiful 

I think this is quite honestly the most beautiful picture

sometimes I forget how cloths are supposed to go on

I fail at the hipster style, but sometimes I try

and I also went here

Oh yes me as a brunette with a Utah bump

I should probably stay in this century 

I'm awesome.  What else can I say?

This could actually be me

More hair than head

If I wore glasses these would be mine 

We hike and we look good doing it

I can write in the space between these two pictures, which I think is pretty cool. 

Long Distance makes for long lasting memories

Another dreaded sappy blog about the long distance relationship.
I think some hearts are meant to find each other, souls are meant to be reunited. Whether it is from birth in the case of my siblings and parents, or finding the one person, from words of the infamous Sid from Ice Age, "completes you."
Sometimes I think we are hilarious, and our texts make me laugh days after, so I lock them, only to update the blog and delete them to make space.
Me "Are you ready to play?"
Him "Play what?"
"Nothing I was just making conversation."
"Or if we went to bed earlier we could wake up earlier and play then. 10?"
"Nine?"
"What are you 80?"
"85 which is why it should be 8:30."

Living in different cities means having to leave, which means having to say goodbye.  I hate goodbyes, I'm still terrible at them. They usually include not wanting to leave and never letting go.

Me "I will see you in a couple of weeks."
Him "What? You left already?"
"I hate goodbyes. But I left something on your doorstep. Okay pumpkin?"
"No, not okay."
I was standing on his doorstep. If I would have left, I would have been in copious amounts of trouble.


After goodbyes comes withdrawals. They do hit hard.

Him "On my own pretending you're beside me.  All alone I walk the streets till morning."
Me "You are so dramatic."
"Going through withdrawals it isn't pretty."
"It never is, unless its me, then it is beautiful."


Completing quotes from Cool Running's is something that has happened.
Him "Wait coach we aren't sledding yet."
Me "Oh yes we are!"
"Come here come here I love you come here."

Also quotes from Princess Bride

Me "I do not think that word means what you think it means."
Him "Did you watch princess bride?"
"No, why?"
"That is what that quote is from."
"Inconceivable"

Sometimes we get lonely and miss each other terribly.
Me "You should smile."
Him "Can't smiler is busted."
"Even if I tick tick tickle you?"
"Come home."

This is how I feel a lot of the time.

"Josh, sometimes I get jealous of the couples walking around campus holding hands and then, I figure their hands are probably freezing."

I'm surprised he answers half the questions I ask him.

Me "What comes to mind if I say Romanian dead lifters?"
Him "Short pale weight lifters.

Me "Can we raise guinea pigs and dip their feet in paint and sell their adorable prints for all the money?"
Him "Si."
"Okay cool we will have to invest in leather gloves.  Guinea pigs are biters."

We do play all the love games.

Him "I love you more than you love stickers."
Me "That's a pretty bold statement."
"and I mean it too."

Him "Are you sending me love notes?"
Me "I don't know what you're talkin bout boy."
"uh huh sure"
"Who me couldn't be, does it have a reference to Iowa?"
"aye"
"Nope wasn't me."
"Must have been."
"Does it have a cheesy pick up line?"
"The cheesiest."
"Man I'm a good guesser!"


Me "I love you."
Him "I love you more."
"I love you the most."
"No way."
"Did you mean to write Norway?"
"um don't think so."

Sometimes we have arguments and hang up on each other, and other times we miss the calls.


Him "I tried to call you and your phone went to straight to voice mail."
Me "I turned it off because it was acting like a hormonal teenager."
"Oh?"
"Indeed it kept killing Edwardo."
"Who?"
"Edwardo, my hill climb racer."
"Ah!"

Sometimes he disappoints me.

Me "Do you want to tell me something? When you were eleven you didn't get a Hogwarts acceptance letter? That was single handedly the most defining moment of my life.  Are you a...a muggle??"
Him "I   I am."

Sometimes I surprise him.


Me "Can't do anything from Logan he says. Did you get flicked on the ear?"
Him "Dangit yes."

Luckily we do get to spend time together, so we do have a few inside jokes, mainly this one.


Him "Peas and cheese."
Me "I will throw up on you."
"Dito."

Breaks from school are always exciting and we just can't hide it.

Me "Umm so its basically spring break I'm going to tip you back."
Him "Tip me back?"
"Like a movable seat or a beer bottle. Its endearing just roll with it."


A lot of the time we have to tell each other about our day through text, and everything gets lost in translation.

Me "My face is so refreshed"
Him "Did you wash it with fast orange mechanic soap?"


Him "Just made a cart."
Me "Was it magical?"
"Indeed."
"It wont let me download the picture, but I'm imagining a cart that can be pulled by two people.  Rather large wooden tires, the cart is about four by four made out of pine. Just perfect for transferring part of your life up a mountain with your best friend or indentured servant.  Am I close?
"Not really no."

This long distance thing can be frustrating. Luckily I've had him by my side through all the mishap and drama. When I'm crying on his shoulder he still tells me how lucky he is.

Bruised but not Broken

The past couple months have been an uphill climb, on the plus side my calf muscles are outstanding. I'll start with an indirect quote "God gives those that are strong the hardest challenges because they can handle it." Life doesn't break us unless we let it, it makes us stronger.  When the next tragedy, accident, misfortune

comes along, we can say "Is that all you got?" (Don't do that. God will give your dad a bone infection, multiple deaths, a car accident, and minor surgery.)

First, my Grandma was diagnosed with cancer, and I was told she probably wouldn't be coming home again. I came home for the first weekend she was in the hospital and my brother and I sat on her bed listening to stories and exchanging plans. After a couple of hours I was in a hurry to leave and get my car from the mechanic.  At the time the severity of the disease hadn't hit me, and I imagined the next weekend I would be visiting her at home.  I wish I could live that day over again.  My grandma regressed, it seemed to happen so slow, but looking back, it progressed rather quickly. Almost everything beats holding the hand of someone you love through gloved hands and kissing them through a mask. Not to mention when you hug them they withdraw in pain. My Grandma passed away on a Saturday. I was driving when I found out, and half of me was expecting her to go any day, the other half was holding onto the hope of a miracle. After finding out I didn't make it a block before I had to pull over and let everything go.  It has taken a long time to see that her leaving was a miracle. My Grandma and Grandpa are together again, and I know she is happy with him and not in pain.
Second, my Grandma's passing was a miracle because she was in the car with my mom when it rolled. After my grandma's viewing, Josh and I left for Provo a little while after my parents left.  On the way home we saw around ten cop cars, and the events that unraveled never entered my mind. I got a phone call from my brother telling us to go to the Payson hospital, and then I got a phone call from my aunt telling us to go to the Payson hospital. So to the Payson Hospital we went. My mom was in an awful roll over accident, that totaled the car. When we got to the hospital her blood pressure was dropping, and she was flown to the Provo hospital where they could better handle the situation. She had a deep laceration to her head requiring 24 staples.  This accounted for the low blood pressure. She had orthopedic surgery for a broken right leg, and a boot on her broken left leg.  She also had three broken ribs, and broken vertebra.  It is a miracle she is alive, and it is a miracle she is not in worse condition. In a couple weeks she will be home.  Until then she is receiving all the visitors. I am so thankful.
When tragedies strike, it can be a humbling experience. So many people have been so willing to help, and give support.

The front...could be worse

How to make a Toyota into a Volkswagen.