go, go gadget.

I AM NOT A DISEASE!!!!

hi.
some neat stuff has happened
the past few days.

today, for example,
i modeled for the deseret news. again.
this time there was a real
photographer there, so don't be surprised if
you don't recognize me.
i bet i'll look a lot like heidi klum,
only i'll be wearing running clothes.
she made my stand in
a "stretching" position for probably
10 minutes. you'll see.

i finished the 5th harry potter movie last night.
i really don't know what i'm doing.
see what happens when you're not here?
also, we finished all our christmas decorating.
it looks so homey for the hollydays.

we're supposed to get another storm
on sunday, so i hope it doesn't
affect your flight. you have to come home.
and do you want to know the first thing
i'm going to do when i get to provo?
check the mailbox.
obv.

well, this may be our last blog letter.
let's do this again sometime.
can't wait to see you.

bi.

- taylor

p.s. you're worried about french desserts?
what about the american ones?
try caramel cream cheese brownies,
cinnamon chocolate chip cookies,
and pumpkin cheesecake?
all homemade.
yeah.

^^
pyramid.
i have a talent.

tirez, poussez, rien.

hey over there, tbc. (aka tuberculosis)

let's start off by reliving a moment.
"look! it's the eiffel tower!" -mom
"it looks like it's growing out of the top
of that building!" -dad
(we get closer and begin taking pictures.)
"stand together, girls, so i can take your picture." -dad
cue, GIANT BLIZZARD.

yes, you read correctly.
i think the storm bypassed utah
and came straight to paris.

but, i must say, it was a cool magic trick
the weather pulled off when it
made the eiffel tower disappear.

photo cred to Mark Olson

how about we relive another moment?
"can we drive up the champs-élysées?" - me
"okay, sure. we'll go on our way home." -dad
3 hours and 30 miles later, we made it home.
what took so long you may ask?
cue, HORRIBLE TRAFFIC.

but i didn't mind that much,
i slept through the whole thing.
as i have slept through
every car ride on this trip so far.

i don't know what it is,
but something about our rental car
puts me right to sleep.
or maybe it's just the french jazz music.
or all the french food i'm eating.
or the neck pillow someone in my family
was kind enough to bring along
for me to kidnap.
(kid.... nap. ha ha. get it?)

ready to relive another moment?
"les pâtisseries, sont-ils à moitié prix?" -mom
"we close at eight." -lady at the bakery
"oh yes, i know. but are they half price after seven?" -mom
"no." -lady at the bakery

apparently the internet lies.
and apparently, as i said earlier,
it is futile to try to speak in french.
they apparently don't understand.
and they apparently respond in english.

we had an interesting experience this evening
navigating the underground network of paris.
it wasn't as sketchy as it sounds.

well, i can smell the chocolate cake
and it's just about ready for us to eat.
add that to the list today along with
french toast, chocolate almond croissants,
crepes, and quiche.

but it's alright.
because, remember that 20 minutes of biking
i did earlier where i didn't even break a sweat?
i do.
totally justifies french toast, chocolate almond croissants,
crepes, quiche and chocolate cake.

well, the cake is calling.

love,
tos. (aka thoracic outlet syndrome)

p.s. i like how both of our posts focus on dessert.
it's clear where our priorities lie.
p.p.s. i'm glad you're no longer vegetarian.
now we can go to all those restaurants
you wouldn't visit anymore.
p.p.p.s there i go about food again.
priorities = clear.

more than words.

oh. hey.

1. russia. i know right??
did i call it or what?
(drew got his mission call.
st. petersburg, russia).

2. can you eat 2 pastries, a tart,
chocolate mousse and cream
puffs all on the same day?
apparently, yes.

3. oh the weather outside is frightful.
and the fire is so delightful.
really, though.
the fire is delightful, and the weather is frightful.
tis cold here. 12 degrees right now.

4. thanksgiving dinner was oh so great.
i sent a picture of me eating my first
bite of meat in 3 months to all our cool friends.
you didn't get it. obv.
but nbd. i'll post it here.


my mouth is full of turkey.
and yes, that is a new sweater.
i know you'll be asking me that later.

anyway, here are some headlines:

this morning i woke up at 6:30am
to help with a 5k up by lagoon.
it was the coldest experience of my life.
you think i'm kidding.
okay, maybe you don't.
but i'm telling you: BRRRRRRRR.

yesterday, i shoveled snow off of our deck.
having a large deck is great in the summer.
i'll kill it in the winter.
some photo evidence for you:


(i'm wearing the blue tights and skyline
shirt i told you about a couple days ago. obv.)


this is my backyard.
can the leaves not fall after the
ground is covered in snow?


apparently these green leaves think they can do
whatever they want. oh, and kipper says high.

i've been cooking like mad this week.
i think it's how i deal with being away from you.
and we have so much pumpkin pie at my house.
seriously. pie after pie after pie.
and you're the only one i want to share it with.

finally, i charged my phone and showered today.
both could have probably gone for
a little bit longer, but i think took it far enough.

also, i'd rather live here:


i'm not eating another bite
of pumpkin pie until you get home.
just kidding. that's such a lie.

:D,

taylor

p.s. HAPPY FRENCH THANKSGIVING!!

kitty kitty. kitty kitty cat.

dear teeber.

• 
  

happy thanksgiving!
(i know they don't celebrate thanksgiving in france,
but it doesn't mean i can't celebrate.)

this is my second year being away from home
for thanksgiving.
there's no place like home for the holidays.
except new york.
or france.
those beat home.

as does texting someone on thanksgiving.
or texting no one.
one year anniversary.
look how far i've come.

• 
  

so, enough of that.
i'm in france.
(in case you're clueless and didn't know by now.)
what a great opportunity to practice my french, right?
wrong.
everyone we try to talk to in french
responds in english.
how do they know?
are we really that obvious?

• 
  

remember how i said i wanted to move into versailles?
i changed my mind.

this is the new future residence:

château de pierrefonds

there may be room for you
if you want to move in with me.

but just maybe.

• 
  

last time i visited paris
i climbed the 374 steps to the top of notre dame.
in case you were wondering,
there are still 374 steps.
yes, i counted.
both times.

some things never change.
like how much i love you.
and how grateful i am for you.

• 
  

on a different, but not necessarily lighter, note,
i managed to whip out 7 postcards tonight.
why do so many missionaries exist?
seriously, ctn?

• 
  

well, i'm off to bed.
i know it's only the afternoon there.
leave me be.

love,
teeoh.

p.s. can i not eat 2 pastries, a tart,
chocolate mousse and cream puffs all on the same day?
p.p.s. RUSSIA?!?!?!?!?
p.p.p.s. i had airplane food. 'nuf said.
p². p².s. why are you so dang creative?
how am i supposed to even try to match up?

excusez-moi de vous deranger.

tay-

so, you're technically in sandy right now.
i'm in paris.
well, technically outside of paris.
but paris will suffice.

here are the headlines:
1. my body is thoroughly confused.
i would tell you what i had (or almost had)
for dinner last night,
but i don't know when last night was.
i've had very little sleep
and i haven't brushed my teeth in over 26 hours.
but at least i was in first class.

2. ben coburn is less than 50 miles away.
approximately.

3. i haven't exercised since friday.
new record? perhaps.
i bet you're proud.

4. versailles.
vee & dad picked up me & mom from the airport
and we went straight there.
it was freezing cold, but beautiful.
can we move in?

5. can pastries not?
it's bad here. real bad.
p90x is so far out the window, it's in provo.

6. you got mail.
jk.
this would maybe be a headline
if we could actually check the mail.

welp.
that's paris for you.
at least so far.
it's been a whole 9 hours of non-stop, tired fun.

that and the fact that we are staying
in the. cutest. place. ever.

say hi to slc for me.
or technically sandy i suppose.

mucho looove,
steve i. taylor jr. cutie pie olson s.

p.s. cin forget my corduroys?

p.p.s. ok, if you insist,
i'll go on a date with you.

this is gonna be a big one.

taylor-

so, you're in paris right now.
i'm in salt lake.
well, sandy if we're going to get technical.

here are the headlines:
1. i almost ate chicken last night.
pan-seared basil pesto chicken to be exact.
man, it looked good. and smelled good.
someone's got to cook while you're away.

2. the storm is rollin' in. it's gonna be a big one.
i say "the" storm, because that's what everyone
has been calling it. i don't think it yet
deserves that kind of a title, but...
you know how weathermen are.
think they know everything.

3. the family is gone today.
i'm all by my lonesome,
and man it is great.
running around in my bright blue tights
and over-sized skyline cross country shirt,
beltin' to whitney's christmas album.
doesn't get much better than this, i'll tell ya.
i'm sure you can picture it,
so there is no need to post a picture.

4. "ADVERTS WCA" keeps calling my house.
and the american diabetes association.
i just tell them this isn't the "burhos"
and that a "mersy" doesn't live here.
no one even has diabetes in my house!
ctn. seriously.

5. i watched the first harry potter last night.
what a tareet.
i miss the days when the characters were
actually at hogwarts and they hadn't
gone through puberty yet.
clint kept mentioning how
"emma watson really grew into her beauty."
blah, blah, blah.
not him too.

6. yesterday at the doctor's office,
i realized i hadn't shaved in a while.
weeks maybe.
embarrassing? no.
for him, maybe.
stuff like that doesn't even phase me anymore.
and you're in france.
good thing it doesn't phase you either.
and anyway, too bad for him.
if he can't fix my knee, that's what he gets.

well, that's about it for now.
it's supposed to be in the teens tomorrow.
it's gonna be awesome.

don't have too much fun without me.
jk. have as much fun as you want.
as long as you film it.

much love,
taylor brin handsome.

p.s. i like your cardigan.
cwn.

p.p.s. let's have a woman date when you get home.
ctn?! please.

p.p.p.s. let's work on our christmas mixed tape.

and months to go before i sleep.

hi everybody.

quick game:

"on this day in 2009"

on 13 november 2009,
we snapped this photo:



it's called, "yellow truck at gas station."
cool right?
wrong. so, so uncool.
quite possibly the most uncool picture ever taken,
which is saying something,
because i'll bet there are a lot
of uncool pictures out there.

we didn't post this picture to
to point out how lame we are, though.
it's to show you how far we've come.
every picture has a point,
and this one is no exception.

..
..
..

anyway.
it's the weekend again.
doesn't it seem like the weekend was just a week ago?
yeah. to us too.

but really, time is going by quickly.
it's already the 13th of november 2010.
exactly 10 months ago, our friend ben left on his mission.
and in pretty much 6 months,
our brother and friend, thatcher, comes home.
and there is 1 month of school left.

on that note...
we've already filled our holiday schedules.
one of the scheduled activities will
clearly be remaking our
"baby, it's cold outside" music video.
that's obviously a christmas tradition.
we've also been compiling our christmas-break
reading lists; they're coming along nicely.

taylor b. is ever close to her vegetarian goal,
which means thanksgiving is fast approaching,
which means: PARIS.
that's where tay o. will be enjoying the holiday.
yes, yes. she knows.
the french don't celebrate thanksgiving.
so what? they don't make the rules.

speaking of rules,
it's about the time of year that we make more of them.
every once in a while,
we catch ourselves doing things that
should be against the rules.
but you know what they say,
"you break it, you buy it."

that should be a new rule.
it's a good one.

well, that's all for now.
much love and peace and joy
and rainbows and smiley faces
and unicorns and kittens,

---taylor & taylor.

crying/trying/drying out.

maybe this is the longest we've ever gone without posting,
maybe it's not.
we're not keeping track.

it's kinda, sorta, maybe summer for us at this point.

kinda: because taylor o. is still taking a few classes
at BYU for spring semester.

sorta: because utah hasn't invited summer to the party yet.

maybe: because summer isn't summer when we're not together,
and not with all of our friends.

that's right. we aren't living together.
taylor b. packed up and moved back to the big city last weekend.
taylor o. visited another city: paris.
just kidding. mexico city. but they're similar.
stupid volcano.

so what have we been up to lately?

well, taylor b. went to the train concert with ben.
probably the best concert she's ever been to.
pat crowd surfed, and invited some "fans" up on stage
to sing with him.
please. they didn't even know the lyrics,
and what was their reward? t-shirts.
and hugs from the band.
but no hard feelings.

obviously, taylor o. got a little sun in mexico with the fam.
and when we say a little sun, that is exactly what we mean.

school has been going well for t.o.
she hearts physical science.

taylor b. basically lives at work,
and she likes it.

we're excited for the summer to actually get started,
and for everyone to officially finish up with finals.
meanwhile we have friends all over the world:
london, jerusalem, tokyo, ecuador, ohio, albuquerque.
you name it.
pretty crazy.

we haven't seen each other in 2 weeks,
and we've been in the same state.
that is kinda, maybe, sorta a new record.
and we're all about new records,
and records in general.

"what are those for?" ---stanger.
"train." ---taylor b.
"no, those ones." ---stranger.
"the train concert." ---ben coburn.
(stranger lights up a cig).
"ohh. are there gonna be any good bands there?" ---stranger.

we love that---taylor & taylor.

tonight, i'm going to twitch.

all is well at the dollhouse these days.
the long weekend was really enjoyable for us,
so we hope you enjoyed yours too.

taylor b. soaked up some rays down south this weekend,
so that was pretty neat.




by these pictures, you wouldn't be able to really
tell that she was there.
but trust us when we say, "she really was."
and she got her brother a cool nike las vegas t shirt
for valentine's day.

but, uh-oh. she hasn't given it to him yet,
so hopefully he won't read today's post.
but we're not that worried about it,
because worrying is for warts.

another great thing that happened to her in vegas
was the ".99 cent only" store.



they don't have these puppies in utah, no sir.
but you can bet that hours were spend going up and down
every isle, finding just the best bargains imaginable.
6 tomatoes for $.99?
you'd better believe it.
and lot's of other great stuff too.

why people go to vegas to spend money in casinos
instead of this magical place, is a real mystery.
but then again, life is full of mysteries of sorts.
if you were to ask someone,
"hey, is life full of mysteries?"
they'd answer, "yes."

anyway, the weather was nice in st. george/las vegas.
mid-60s to 70s and sunshine all-day, everyday.
plus, taylor o. got to see a great young ambassador's
performance, and spend some quality
time with the fam here in salt lake.

tomorrow, #301 is footin' four tests.
economics (hahahahaha), song writing, human bio & one other.
we'll let you know about that last one when we remember
what class it is for.
time to get back to the real world.


"an odd trait of the jackalope is its ability to imitate the human voice."
--- another postcard.

we love that---taylor & taylor.

p.s. congrats to benjamin coburn.
call: paris, france.
departure: june, 2010.

[and to sean, his roommate, who also leaves for paris, france,
(a.k.a the provo mtc) on the exact same day this june!]

in their honor,
here is a fake eiffel tower:


french is the language of love.
ooh lah lah.
that's why taylor o. gets so many dates.