Random Ramblings

Worm Boy

2012-01-24T19:34:00.002-07:00

The year was 2001, I had ventured into the world of online dating with little to no success. A man started e-mailing me through the dating site. He lived in Colorado and claimed to be a ski instructor. I was slightly interested. There wasn’t a picture with his profile on the dating site. I didn’t think it would matter, after all the possibility of meeting this man in real life was slim to none.

In the real world, my friend Shae and I decided on a whim to drive from Utah to Dallas, Texas to visit a friend. Our drive would take us through Colorado Springs. She had met someone on the dating site who lived in there and wanted to meet him. I decided to take the opportunity to meet my ski instructor friend.

Shae’s date showed up first. He was a nice looking man. Friendly. Polite. They seemed to hit it off well. Then my date showed up. He drove a beat up Suzuki something or other. He was quite a few inches shorter than I and his jeans were quite a few inches shorter than his legs. His large rimmed glasses rested on his apple like cheeks. To this day he is known as”the guy that looked like the worm coming out of the apple”. Shae, bless her heart, tried to hide her laughter, and was shaking her head “No”. I was mortified.

We walked into Applebee’s - a fitting place for dinner with worm boy – and sat down for dinner. Around this point, I was rudely abandoned by Shae and her date. Left to deal with the dating disaster on my own, I somehow made it through a dinner of less than appetizing conversation with a less than pleasing view across the table.

I tried to be polite. It worked too well. He wanted to spend more time with me before I left in the morning. I lied. I told him I needed to meet Shae. That she would be worried about me. He left. I never spoke to him again. I don’t remember his name. He is “worm boy” or “the guy that looked like the worm coming out of the apple”. The only good thing to come out of the meeting was the laughter Shae and I still share when we remember that meeting.

Thankfully the rest of the Texas trip turned out much better than my meeting with “worm boy”. I stayed out of the online dating pool for awhile afterwards. Occasionally, I will dip my toes back into the water. In the pool, I have met “GPS man” and “boat boy”. They were both terrible dates that I may share at another time.

I am dipping my toes back into that pool again with a lot of reservations and doubt. IF I meet someone, I hope it is not another Worm Boy, GPS Man, or Boat Boy. I will let you know.

I tripped...

2012-01-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

When Scott Pelley on the CBS Evening news said the captain of the sinking cruise ship used the excuse of "I tripped and fell into a lifeboat" or something like, I had to laugh. As excuses go that one has got to be the lamest. Couple the lame excuse with the conversation he had with the coast guard and I just nod my head. Some people. From now on when I do something really stupid I think I should use the excuse "I tripped and fell into a lifeboat."

I spent some time with my Grandma yesterday. Hit the Wal-mart, picked up some lunch, and helped her with a few things. I kind of miss being with Grandma and unfortunately I don't get up to see her as often as I should. I think the assisted living facility has been good for her. She seems to move around a little easier. Walks a little better. I am sure it is because she has to be more mobile. At meal times she has to walk down the hall, up the elevator, then down another hall. It is the same for most of the activities as well. I hate to say that when I was living with her, she spent way too much time in her chair. She seems happy and well for which I am very grateful.

I never thought I would say this but my foot has become accustomed to long ice water soaks. I barely flinch when my foot hits the water. Since I have been to the doctor, I no longer walk around like a crippled old woman. I am enjoying pain free feet for the first time in almost a year.

Have you ever read a book that is so poorly written that you question why the heck it was published? I am slogging through a book that has so many inconsistencies and character head hopping that I find myself going back to see if I missed something. For example: a conversation starts in the house, the dialogue, and character thoughts are continuous, then all of a sudden they are in the car. When did they leave the house and get into the car? Why didn't the conversation ever stop while they were getting settled into the car? Seriously, I re-read the page 3 times to find out what I missed. I didn't miss anything. I don't know while I am still reading the book. I suppose I am hoping the author will redeem herself. I am losing hope.

I suppose I should do something productive...Pinterest here I come.

Monday Mutterings

2012-01-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

I didn't ice my feet today. Bad girl. Warm feet.

I visited the website of one of the schools my son thinks he wants to attend. I was fine until I looked at the student housing section. I started to panic and logged off. I need more time. He in only a junior. I don't need to stress too much right now. Do not tell me otherwise. Please.

I am annoyed that news outlets and some stores are calling Martin Luther King Day MLK DAY. What is the reason? Is it easier to tweet, text, facebook MLK instead of Martin Luther King? Whatever it is, I think it is a little disrespectful. I wouldn't like people calling my birthday AHP day.

I am happy that is snowed today. We have a few inches and I love it. I'm sorry for you that don't enjoy the white stuff. It won't last long.

Since I work at home and it gets awfully quiet, I turn on the History Channel and listen. This morning they did a show about the Tuskegee Airmen. I am ashamed at how these men were treated after coming home from the war. They were hero's just the same as other pilots yet German prisoners of war were treated with more dignity and respect.

I bought a Shake Weight. It makes my body jiggle and my arms hurt. Maybe it will work. Right now my son is playing with it and looks a little like an uncoordinated chicken. I guess you have to be here for that to make sense - or just use your imagination.

I finished Janet Evanovich's "Wicked Appetite" today. It is a fun read. Not too serious. Her books are a great way to escape from reality and laugh a little. That is about as much as a review as I can give right now. My thoughts are a little random. Can you tell?

Will head off to bed now and read myself to sleep with a new book.

That's cold....

2012-01-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

As I write this, my foot is soaking in a bowl of ice water.

My foot. Aren't those toenails cute?

On Friday, I finally went to the foot doctor for my heel pain. Diagnosis: Plantar Fasciitis - Heelspur Syndrome.

The treatment: a cortisone shot that nearly sent me jumping out of the chair, soaking my foot in ice water for 20 minutes twice a day, massage, stretching, medication, and arch supports ($60 not cover by insurance by the way).

I've known about the Plantar Fasciitis for a long time but the Heelspur is new. Hopefully the treatment will work and I can walk without almost constant pain.

The rest of the weekend was pretty good. Dinner at Sizzler. I love their salad bar. A movie at home. Reading. Laundry. Cleaning the car. Relaxing. A little productivity and a little down time - all in good balance.

It's coming...

2012-01-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

My son is a junior in high school and before I know it he will - hopefully - be heading off to college. Mama is not financially prepared. The Dad probably thinks Mama should pay for everything not covered by financial aid or scholarships. Mama is still paying her own student loans and will be until she dies.

I am getting myself worked up and I know it isn't helpful but we just spent an hour online looking at scholarships and nothing stood out as something my son would apply for. We will keep looking and working on that angle. And I will try not to get too stressed out about it now. Luckily, the schools my son is interested in attending are some of the least expensive in the state but he would have to live away from home. Unless Mama become a helicopter and moves to wherever he goes to school. Mama is not doing that. Mama does know how to let go. Mama is not insane. Mama needs to stop referring to herself as Mama.

The point is, that it is coming. College is coming up fast. And while trying to get my son through school with decent grades, I also have to work on getting him prepared for what happens after high school. Parenting is exhausting.

Possibilities - Past and Future

2012-01-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

Every year I update my Possibilities List. It is a list of goals, dreams, places to visit, and things to do. Nothing has a concrete deadline, it is just my way of keeping track so they don't get completely lost in the day to day minutia of life.

As I was creating the 2012 version, there were a few items from the previous list that I realized were no longer relevant and some things that I was able to check off. A couple seem pretty significant, some not so much.

~ Getting a new car. It wasn't brand new but it was new to me. Checked off.

~Do something meaningful. Spending five months living with my Grandma was meaningful to me. I hope it was meaningful to Austin and my Grandma as well.

~Make a difference. Again this was accomplished at Grandma's. I hope that somehow I was able to make a difference in her life. I hope it was for the better.

~ New living room furniture. I did get a new sofa, but have added a TV and entertainment center to the updated list.

The 2012 version is a shorter list, not for what was crossed of but because of what I decided I no longer wanted. I really don't want to go to Mexico. The 2012 version carries a lot of the old, has some new, a few items will remain on the list forever as a reminder of what it important, and a few items may never get crossed off but there is always a possibility.

Have I Mentioned....

2011-12-31T23:13:00.000-07:00

How awesome my son is? I know I have but it bears repeating.

I have been struggling with a cold or flu bug all week. I am feeling better today but yesterday was the worst. No matter what I did, I ached. I did too much in the morning and by the time we got home, I had nothing left.   While I was blissfully, droolingly, comatose on the sofa my son scrubbed the bathrooms, cleaned the kitchen, and disinfected all the doorknobs and surfaces. True I asked him to do it and I paid him BUT he would have done it without the moolah so I thought I would show him my appreciation.

Tonight he is at a New Year's Eve party. This is our recent text convo:

Mom: Having fun?
Son: Lots of fun
Mom: Any alcohol or drugs? :) Just doing like the commercial says. LOL *
Son: There is none of that but good parenting.! :)
Mom: Thanks. Text me when you are on your way home. **
Son: K.
Mom: Love you!
Son: Love you, too!

* There is a commercial about how texting your child at parties or while out with friends can help reduce the use of drugs and alcohol.

** Not encouraging texting and driving.   He is not driving tonight and he knows use of his cell phone while driving will get both his license and phone taken away.

I am ready to go to bed but I know I won't be able to sleep until he gets home. Especially with all the crazies out there on the roads.

To another subject - Mcat will love this one - my BIL sent me this link today.   Once again I am impressed and thankful for our military. No matter where they need to go, what they need to do, or whether the folks at home agree with the politics or not, tour men and women in uniform do what is  asked. They and their families sacrifice so much for all of us and our country. No matter your politics these sacrifices should be respected. No-Laughing-at-the-Tomb-of-the-Unknown-Soldier.

Rest and Reading

2011-12-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

My son and I went to the library on Wednesday night where I checked out a bunch of Jude Deveraux books. I am so glad we went because I have come down with some horrible cold that has been running rampant throughout the family. The books have helped me to just sit and relax.

The Jude Deveraux books are part of her Edilean series. They are a fun read. The first book takes place in present day and the second takes place in 1766 and 1770. I am on the third which takes place in present day. It is the kind of series that if you pick up the 3rd book you won't be lost because you didn't read the first two. I like those. That way I don't have to remember who said or did what in the first book in order to understand the last. Make sense or is the cold causing me to ramble?

This morning before the DayQuil could wear off, my son and I ran around doing what I told him all week we would do: Hobby Lobby for him and the mall for me to use a gift card. It was quick and painless. And because he can drive, I was able to sleep on the way home since the DayQuil wore off.

Right now I am waiting for him to come home with some movies we rented online from the Redbox. I would like to finish my book but I think the cold is doing something to my ability to comprehend anything from one moment to the next.

If I could knock myself out for the next few days I totally would.

I hope everyone has a safe New Year's Eve tomorrow. I will be spending it curled up on the couch with some tissues and a book.

All wrapped up...

2011-12-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

The Christmas decorations are put away. The only sign left out that it was here is the bowl of chocolate in the middle of the table.

It is the first year that my decorations have come down before New Year's Day. This is a sign of how truly humbug and depressed I have been this holiday season. I tried. I really did. But no matter how much false cheer I tried to spread about, I could not and have not been able to shake the holiday blahs.

I could blame it on the lack of snow. We have had only a few days with some flurries but nothing that has stuck around for long. It was 45 degrees this afternoon. I don't do well when the season doesn't do what it is supposed to do. Yes, I could blame it on the weather but it is much deeper than the non-existent white stuff. It is a culmination of a year that has been too long and emotional.

A year from now, I hope to have a happier account of the Christmas Season. I hope the feelings of inadequacy and loneliness have made their way into the past. I hope I have enough Christmas cheer to keep the decorations up until the New Year. I hope there will be snow.

The Music of Christmas

2011-12-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight I have been searching for some of my favorite Christmas songs on YouTube. Part of my Christmas playlist is below. I couldn't figure out how to link you to my actual playlist on YouTube but you can find all of them there.

I hope you and your family have a safe and happy Christmas.

Christmas in Killarney - Anne Murray

It's Christmas Time - Rory and Joey (Just discovered this one the other day on CMT.)

Just A Kid - Kenny Chesney

Hard Candy Christmas - Dolly Parton (Not really a Christmas song but it's a good one.)

Thank God for Kids - Alabama (Also not really a Christmas song)

Where Are You Christmas - Faith Hill

Rusty Chevrolet - Do Yoopers (Reminds me of my good 'ole Blazer.)

Let It Be Christmas - Alan Jackson

Christmas Cookies - George Strait

Box of Rocks - The Song Trust (This one is a new holiday favorite. Watch the video below.)

Another year older...

2011-12-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 37th birthday. I woke up expecting to have a bad day. I was in a poor, pitiful, lonely me mood. My son didn't wish me a Happy Birthday as he left the house and I thought that must be an omen for the day. After getting out of the shower, I found a couple test messages from my sisters wishing me a Happy Birthday. Then Austin sent me a text from his friends "Happy Birthday Austin's Mommy!" My mood improved a little. On the drive to get my morning Coke, I saw a few snow flakes. The mood brightened a little more. A friend called and I was able to vent a few of my holiday/birthday frustrations and felt better. It started snowing! I felt a lot better. The snow did it. I was in a much better mood. I love snow on my birthday! The day ended on a positive note. My parents stopped by, a couple of friends came over, and we had a delicious birthday cake courtesy of Austin.

Now I am thinking about what I want to accomplish in the next year. Do I tackle a "38 by 38" list or a more realistic "40 by 40" and give myself 3 years to accomplish the "to dos"? Or do I forget a list and resolve to live the best life I can in the next year? I'm not sure.

All I really know is that I want to wake up expecting the best out of the day rather than the worst. Maybe that is the lesson I need to take away from the last year and whether or not I make a list, make "Expect the best" the number one to-do.

Fodder

2011-12-19T22:55:00.001-07:00

A thought entered my head that I should try for 200 blog posts by 2012. Almost as quickly, it flew out again. I'm not sure I have enough fodder in my wee brain to go from 183 to 200 in just a week and a half.

The fodder really is there but by the time I get around to writing it, the interest level for me has waned. If I am not interested than the few faithful blog friends I do have definetly won't be interested. But for the sake of being at least a little interesting, here is an example of the kinds of thoughts that rattle around in my brain.

I could live in a nudist colony if it weren't for all of the other people. So it would really only be a colony of one. Think of the benefits. Very little laundry. Clothing costs would be greatly reduced. I would probably keep myself in better shape since I would ALWAYS be looking at what is normally hidden. But darn the down side of it all- which is why I would be a colony of one - I don't want to see other people naked. I REALLY don't want to see other people naked. I REALLY DON'T want to see other people naked. Think of the activity list - naked croquet, let it all hang out barbeques, in the buff bingo, and instead of strip poker it would be dress poker. You lose and you have to PUT ON and item of clothing.

So maybe I couldn't live in a nudist colony but it sounds good on the days when the clothes are too tight and it sounds like a great idea when I am stripping off a layer because my personal thermostat doesn't have a "cool off" button. And it sounds like one hell of an idea when I am procrastinating laundry day.

* IF you are reading this an live in a nudist colony. Please excuse my ignorance as the ramblings of small town, sheltered, Utah girl.... ;)

Why?

2011-12-15T23:16:00.000-07:00

To put it mildly, some people are complete jackwagons! My former church, my sister's church, and the church where my friend's funeral was held a few years ago was vandalized early this morning. Idiots broke in and set fire to several different areas of the building. A fundraiser was to be held there tonight for a family of a cancer patient. The man, who lives by my sister, was diagnosed a few months ago with pancreatic cancer. The fundraiser still went on as planned, just moved to another church. Fundraiser aside, I do not understand why people do this sort of thing. Whether it be a church, a business, or a home. It makes no sense to me.

Mid-Week Ramblings

2011-12-14T22:56:00.000-07:00

This picture represents my eating habits the last few days. I just graze and graze and graze. Perhaps this should be posted on the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets. However, if looking in the mirror isn't enough of a deterrent I doubt a cow on the fridge will. Come to think of it the message it sends would be more, "I need steak!" and less "Close the damn door, fatty."

My friend who had the CAT scan a few weeks ago has Colitis - or an inflamed colon. Through the power of the Internet we discovered some great tips for what to eat and not to eat which means a low fiber - low residue diet. So far he is feeling a little better but sadly can't eat most of the foods he enjoys.

I ran out of reading material and turned to the Bible for my before bed reading. I had a marker in the middle of Matthew in the New Testament and went from there. It has been interesting and I must say I tend to sleep better. Either the words put me to sleep or God loves me and blesses me with a good night sleep for reading about Jesus. Believe it or not that was actually funny in my head.

I really need to get out of the house more often. I can count on one hand how many times I haven' t pulled my hair in a ponytail this month or put on more than a little mascara in the morning. Sweats and workout pants are almost all I wear these days. Maybe I should start working in the office again for a few days a week.

To end on a more positive note, a couple of the women in the Biggest Loser finale last night weighed only 5 or 10 pounds less than I do now and they look fabulous. It gives me hope that even in I can't lose all of the weight I want, if I continue to TRY, if I continue to work-out, and stop grazing then maybe I can look fabulous too. Losing the sweat pants would help.

Music Mash Up

2011-12-13T22:52:00.000-07:00

To share the holiday spirit I was going to give you a list of my favorite Christmas songs with maybe a clip or two from YouTube but I became distracted when I decided to look up this clip instead. My son told me about this a few weeks ago, then on Sunday on the way home from a family Christmas party, I tuned to a station I don't normally listen to and heard it for the first time. I love the way the two songs combine to make something beautiful. I hope it brings a smile to your face and a spring to your step. Enjoy.

Christmas Spirit = Found

2011-12-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

On Friday night my friend, John and I went to Temple Square in Salt Lake City to see the Christmas lights. It was one of my more enjoyable visits. Neither of us was in a hurry. We visited all of the buildings that were open to the public. We read about the temple. We read the plaques on statues. We spent a moment taking in the Christus statue. We stood in the cold and listened to the Nativity story. We talked about our religious views. We talked about nothing. It was fun. It was relaxing. It helped me find the Christmas spirit. The only thing missing was snow.

I can't take credit for the pictures. I found them on Google.

Grandpa's Clam Chowder

2011-12-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

To say the men in my family like to cook is an understatement. My Dad’s Dad loved cooking so much he wrote a cooking column in the early 70’s. My dad is addicted to the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. My youngest brother and my older brother both enjoy spending a little time in the kitchen. To clarify, my older brother enjoys grilling, breakfast, breakfast on the grill, and home-brewing beer, when he isn’t off ~~gallivanting~~ working - in mostly unfavorable parts of the world. My son loves to cook and even does the dishes. And to be fair, my sister is an amazing cook – when she has time.

I've been craving clam chowder and asked my dad to dig out his recipe for me. He made a photocopy of the recipe, wrote “Grandpa’s Clam Chowder “ across the top, and then gave me step by step instructions for making this really simple dish. He even recommended I come over for cooking lessons. I am pretty competent in the kitchen, but as my Dad thinks his Mabel is a bit ditzy he feels obligated to educate her at every opportunity.

This evening I finally got around to making “Grandpa’s Chowder” after calling Dad to make sure I was reading the recipe right. The photocopy was faint and hard to read. Again the offer of a cooking lesson came up. And again he was giving me step by step instructions which he followed up with, “Don’t do it like Dad says in his column. He never made it that way.” To back track a bit, my aunt gave me a copy of all of my Grandpa’s cooking columns when I was married. I read the column and they are different but get you to the same place.

Today was the perfect day for a good chowder or soup: a little snow falling, the windows steaming up from the chowder simmering on the stove, and homemade bread stolen from Grumpy’s Restaurant (Dad’s house) yesterday. I modified the amount of potatoes and clams to my own taste and the final result was wonderful.

Dad's Bread

Grandpa’s Clam Chowder – aka: New England Clam Chowder

¼ lb salt pork, cut into ¼ in dice or 4 to 5 slices of bacon; chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 cups cold water
4 cups potatoes cut into ¼ inch dice
2- 8oz cans chopped (or minced) clams (about 2 cups)
2 cups half and half or light cream
1/8 tsp thyme
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tbls soft butter
Paprika

On high heat, fry the diced pork in 2 quart sauce pan; stirring constantly for about 3 minutes until a thin film of fat covers the pan. Reduce heat. Stir in onion, cook together for five minutes longer. When the pork and onions turn a light golden brown, add 3 cups of water and diced potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer with pan half covered for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Add clams and their juices, the cream, and thyme. Heat almost to boiling – do not boil. Season with salt and pepper or Old Bay Seasoning. Stir in butter and sprinkle with paprika when serving.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2011-12-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

I just went out to check on the dog (who has finally decided being in his doghouse when it is wet out is not cruel and unusual punishment) and unplug the Christmas lights. To my delight there is a bit of snow making its way down and a couple of wet inches on the ground.

Maybe it has something to do with having a December birthday or maybe I am just crazy as most people would suggest but I really do love snow. I love how the world looks under a soft blanket of white. I love how the Christmas lights seem to shine brighter when it is snowy. I love making snow angels and playing in the snow. I love coming back inside to hot chocolate, fuzzy socks, and a good book. I also love that the winter wonderland only last a few months and then we are on to something new.

By the time I forget how much I love the snow, it is time for spring and my favorite flowers. In the meantime, I will do a little jig of delight when the snow falls, feel a little let down when the weather warms up in a few days and it is gone, then dance with delight again when the big snow storms hit and the white stays around for awhile.

As for the dog, I feel a little bad about him being out in the cold (his blanket is in the dryer getting all warm and toasty - I know it won't last long) but at least he has finally learned that his doghouse with the nice little carpeted mat and sides is shelter not punishment.

Heavy Thinking

2011-11-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

Watching Biggest Loser tonight had me in tears. I carefully hid those tears as I had company watching with me but there were tears. It was makeover week and the five contestants got all fancified and then saw their spouses/significant others. So it was a little emotional but that wasn't what brought the tears. No, it was the thought that I don't have that significant other to share my accomplishments. I don't have a partner supporting me through the struggles in life. I normally don't dwell on my single status, "It is what it is", but there are days when alone can get really lonely.

On the flip side, I don't know if I am ready for a relationship. I have been alone for so long that I don't know how I would fit someone else into my little world. I suppose when the person is right, the pieces will fit. At least that is what I tell myself.

Back to The Biggest Loser, it is at this point in the season where I start to feel really fat. I look at the ladies getting closer to my own weight and I start thinking, "Do I look like that?" I don't mean that in a rude way but honestly, I teeter-totter between the 190's and 200. Yes. I just announced my weight. And while I think these ladies look fabulous and I am so happy for their success, I look at every detail and it is a wake up call to me that I really need to work on myself. Then I hit the fridge because for some reason this show make me want to eat.

What I need is to have a plan. Something concrete to help me lose my weight. To help me feel better about me. A long time ago, I posted about "Project Me". PM got lost in the chaos of the last six months. I need to get back to that. Get back to making myself a priority. Hopefully I can make myself get there sooner rather than later.

Tonight, I will start by going to bed with the plan to take the dog for a long walk in the morning.

Worry, worry, worry

2011-11-28T01:00:00.001-07:00

Does it sound like I'm worried? I am. A good friend is having a CAT scan in the morning. He had a lump on his side and his doctor isn't sure what it is all about. My thoughts immediately go to the most horrible of things...CANCER. I am worried. I am hoping it is a simple thing. Something that can be cared for easily. I will try to focus on other things. I will try not to worry. I am lying. No matter how busy I keep myself I will still worry. After all, it is what I am good at.

Sunday in Pictures...

2011-11-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

Finished a Crochet Hook Caddy for my ex brother-in-laws niece.

Made a soap bag...

No-Bake Cookies....

Made these super easy and delicious oven-fried-pork-chops...

I can't take credit for the picture. It came from the link above.

Now we are watching one of our new favorite shows...

Once Upon A Time on ABC

Have a good evening!

Thankful Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for..

FAMILY...they are always there, no matter what.

MOM...for loving me unconditionally. Calling me often - even when it drives me a little nutty. Supporting me and pointing out the positives in my life when all I see are negatives.

DAD...for his unconditional love. Sharing his hobbies with me. Making me laugh. Letting me tease him and get away with it. Always putting his families need above his own.

SISTERS...for knowing me well enough to not have to ask, "What's wrong?" and letting me tell them everything that is.

BROTHERS...for being protective but not obnoxiously so. For demonstrating that there really are some decent men in the world.

FRIENDS...for laughing with, crying with, and simply being there.

MY SON...for everything. My world. My life. My heart. The best part of me.

A Global Thing

2011-11-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

Austin, Andrea, and I were watching an episode of "The Big Bang Theory" in which the gang was eating Thai food. Unanimously, we decided to order Chinese food. Using the laptop, which was made in China, we looked at the menu and called in the order on my cell phone - also made in China. The three of us piled into my car - made in Mexico, and drove to the strip mall where we parked in front of the Mexican Grocery store. We then walked to the Chinese restaurant. Leaving the restaurant, Andrea started speaking Spanish, while Austin answered in his best German. I will end this post with what little I remember from French class - Au Revoir.

The week begins...

2011-11-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

I had a pretty good weekend. Didn't do so much that I felt overwhelmed. Didn't do too little that I felt lazy. I was able to strike the perfect balance. Friday night was a birthday party for my nephew, Michael. He is seven. It was also his mom's birthday. Saturday I did some crafty stuff and then went to another birthday party. This one for my nephew, Trace. He's six. Saturday night I took my sister to see "Breaking Dawn, Part 1". She loves the Twilight movies. I don't really care for the acting, but she really wanted to go and she did have a birthday on Friday. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

On Sunday, I went to Lowe's and bought a new Christmas tree. Pre-lit. The idea of putting lights on my old tree was putting me in an anti-Christmasy mood. I went cheap. Only $88.

THEN....I spent the afternoon doing laundry, crocheting scarves, AND watching Tony Stewart win the NASCAR race AND the become the NASCAR champion for his third time. If you don't watch racing you may not understand how awesome his winning really is. Jo knows...

And now the week begins and I am so thankful it is only a three day work week. I spent all day today looking at spreadsheets and placing orders. Tomorrow will be more of the same. Probably Wednesday, too. I so look forward to turkey, ham, and all of the fixings on Thursday.

Tonight I should be going to the Cardio Pump class but I'm not. Just don't wanna. Instead, I'll run up and down the stairs a few times. Sounds like a good trade off.

Is it just me...

2011-11-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Or do the days feel like they are getting longer and longer.

Maybe I just have too much time on my hands. This morning before work, I started and experiment to see if the metal straws one can get at the gas station really do keep the drink colder longer. Really. WAY too much time on my hands.

The result: They are both the same. It's doesn't really make a difference. I still like my metal straw though.

My friend Maiken came over today and guided me through Pinterest. My cousin is right, "It's crack."

For dinner, I made my super easy Stir Fry. Brown the meat of your choice, add a bag of frozen stir fry veggies, and a sauce of your choice - I used Panda Express Kung Pao Sauce. Then I added some peanuts. I think it took all of 15 minutes.

I tried making a Rustic Peach Pie using the pie filling a canned earlier this fall. It didn't work so well. I ended up scraping it off the stone-ware, putting it in a small casserole dish and baked it that way. More of a mixed up Peach Cobbler.

If you stayed with me this long, then you deserve a little laugh. My son tried to shave his neck hair last night, he not only shaved the neck hair but about an inch of his hair in back, plus a funky little line about an inch higher than that. Yes, my son is 17. I tried getting picture last night - this is what happened:

I tried to sneak another but thought it would be rude and embarrassing. He tried to wear a hat all day at school, and tomorrow I will take him in for a haircut.

I am working on a menu for next week and am looking for easy meal ideas. If you have any ideas, please share.

This and That

2011-11-15T23:49:00.000-07:00

I started work again yesterday after my vacation and all I can say is" "Really People???" I really do not like the first couple of days back.

I signed into Pinterest tonight. Now I just need to figure out how to use it. I added two boards and two pins but the pins went on the wrong boards. I couldn't figure out how to move them to a different board, so I deleted the board. Please, please, please share with me how to use this thing.

My dog who hates wood floors, very carefully made his way from the back door to the rug in the living room, then back out again. I would say he "tip toes" but I am not sure dogs can do that. He looked a bit sheepish, unsure, and scared. As he walked from the kitchen, through the dining area, and into the living room, he kept as close to the wall as possible. When he made it to the rug, he still looked like he wasn't sure if he was safe. Silly dog! I don't know what it is about these wood floors that terrify him so.

I am addicted to Papa Murphy's Gourmet Chicken Garlic Pizza. I really could - and have - eaten the entire pizza myself. If I get it with a thin crust I can pretend it isn't bad for me.

Picture from Papa Murphy's website.

This is what I ate while watching The Biggest Loser. Yes... I really did do that. Not the whole thing though, I shared.

As you can see, my brain is still having trouble staying on one subject.

Too many thoughts....

2011-11-14T07:00:00.001-07:00

to just focus on one.

1 - I love Cap'n Crunch Berries. I feel like I kid when I eat them for breakfast with a glass of chocolate milk.

2 - I don't understand the whole "Occupy" protest. What the hell are they protesting? Everything? Nothing? So confused.

3- I am really tired of the whole Penn State / Sandusky scandal.

4 - I love "On Demand". I will be able to go to my exercise class at 8 pm and know I can catch up on the TV shows I missed the next day. I won't be able to use "Bones" as an excuse not to exercise.

5 - I have no idea how to "do" the whole relationship thing. I will probably be single for the rest of my life.

6 - I love watching "The Biggest Loser". I used to hate all reality television but my friend, John, got me hooked on it last season. Now I don't miss an episode. Another reason to love "On Demand".

7 - I eat unhealthy things while I watch The Biggest Loser, while telling myself that I should get up and exercise instead.

8 - I think I have lost the ability to focus on one thing. My mind goes in too many directions at one time.

9 - I used to be able to read a book in a day. Now it takes me almost a week because I fall asleep.

10 - If I could get a "re-do" on anything in my life. I would go back and get a degree in Secondary Education. Now, I already have too many student loans to pay off from going to a stupid school I will not name and a son who will be starting college (hopefully) in the next two years. Ergo, I can't afford more education for myself.

*** All images are from Google Images ***

Settling in...

2011-11-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

Now that the boxes are put away, the decorations are hung on the wall, and the furniture where it should be, we are finally starting to settle in.

I have been trying to get back into a walking routine. It should be easy as I have some really great walking paths close by. I also went to a Zumba class at the high school. They have 4 classes each week in the evenings. Two days are Zumba and I am not sure what they are doing the other two days but I intend to find out. I can't use distance as an excuse not to go as the high school is a block away. I could walk if I weren't a sissy afraid of walking alone at night.

Picture from a morning walk last week.

I haven't taken pictures of the new place but I did get some pictures of my new sofa. It is a tad shorter than most sofa's which is good because we don't have a ton of space. I am hoping to get the matching loveseat before the end of the year.

I am not a big fan of the pillows it came with. Maybe I can find some that match the quilt I throw over the back.

This is how it normally looks.

I ~~have~~ get to go back to work tomorrow. After 9 work days off, I really, really ~~don't~~ wanna. It will be good though to get back into a good routine. If you haven't noticed - I really like routine in my life. At least when it comes to work and exercise. For me, it makes the things I don't want to do a little easier to get through.

Now that things are settling down a bit, I hope to get back to blogging on a regular basis.

The last box...

2011-11-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

or almost last box, was put in the attic today. I have one of those attics with the fold down ladder, it is so cool (according to my nephew). Anyway, the last few boxes were put in the attic, stuff was hung on the walls and after a week of unpacking and organizing, the new place is starting to feel like home.

I need to do some rearranging in my bedroom (why does the bedroom get done last?) but that is about it. I may actually have ONE day of my nine days off of work where I am not unpacking, decorating, washing, or laundering.

While at the post office yesterday, getting my mail box key, I was treated to a dose of postal humor. I grew up in this town and the post office used to be right downtown. For some reason, I always think it was moved into the city office buildings. Nope. It was moved across the street from the hospital. The humor of this didn't hit me until I was talking to the postal worker behind the counter about my troubles finding the post office. With the barest hint of a smile, he said to me, "Now we're by the hospital. Makes a short trip if we have a troubled employee." Hilarious. At least to me.

Keeping this short but will post more about the move and new place soon.

On the Move

2011-10-30T21:41:00.000-06:00

So there are a lot of things happening around here. On Tuesday, I can start moving into my new townhouse. I have been gathering up all of the odds and ends of my life here at Grandma's and am getting excited to dig out the rest from the storage unit.

I bought a brand spanking new sofa. I nixed the $59 delivery fee and will pick it up on Tuesday. This is the first sofa I have picked out and bought myself. When I was married my ex bought me a sofa and love seat for an anniversary gift. I liked them enough but was a little bugged that I didn't get to pick them out. My last sofa was a hand me down. I am almost as excited about the sofa as I am about the move.

To add yet another level of excitement to the upcoming week, I only have to work on Monday then I am off until the 14th. Almost two full weeks of paid vacation.  I am going to need it.

Not only am I moving, Grandma is moving as well. We have found an assisted living facility that I think she will really enjoy. It is very homey, she will have a suite with living room, kitchenette, full bathroom, and bedroom. She can take her own furniture and make it into her new "home".   The weekend has been busy with her picking out what she will be taking and me packing my own stuff.

If I don't post this week at least it won't be out of laziness.

Hope all of you have a great week.

Gnats

2011-10-30T00:49:00.000-06:00

Again my ability to think up creative titles astounds me. I have a little, teeny, tiny, flying dilemma. As the creative title suggests, it would be gnats.

How on earth do I get rid of them? I believe they are coming from the fern. I spray the leaves, soil, and little water catcher on the bottom at least once a week with a houseplant bug killer BUT THEY WON"T GO AWAY.

We re potted the fern in June, nearly killed it, and I have been babying it along. In the past month or so it has come out of its near death experience and Grandma wants me to take it with me. I do not want the gnats coming along for the ride. Will repotting again help? How about a new pot without the water catcher thingy on the bottom?

I apologize that after being MIA, I write this pitiful gnatty post. When life slows done a tad, hopefully, I will be able to come up with something more substantive.

Why I Almost Cried at Lowe's

2011-10-10T19:07:00.000-06:00

My Mom works at Lowe's and today I needed to drop something off to her. As I was walking down an aisle with her, I found these project aprons and had to buy one. I think it was just under $3 with $.60 going to support breast cancer research, etc.

But that isn't why I nearly cried. After I picked it up, my Mom told me about the lady that lives behind them. My parents don't know the couple that well but through the church grapevine, they found out that the wife has breast cancer and has recently had a double mastectomy. They have two small boys and have asked that not many people come visit because, at the time, they had not told their boys. If you look out my parents kitchen window, you can see into the neighbors back yard. My parents aren't nosy, so don't think they spy on their neighbors. Lately, they have noticed the small family in their backyard taking a lot pictures of the mom with her boys. The other day while my Dad was washing dishes her saw the husband shaving his wife's head. After hearing this my eyes welled up but I sucked it up. I was in Lowe's after all. Then my Mom told me that as my Dad was relating to story to her, he teared up. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen my Dad cry. If he cries, then I cry. So of course, my eyes welled up again but I managed not to break down in the middle of Lowe's.

I have been thinking about this family all day. I know that all I can do is pray for them and I ask all of you to include this family in your prayers tonight.

A Little Randomness on a Sunday Evening....

2011-10-09T20:56:00.000-06:00

I tried being lazy today and, for the most part, it worked. My heal isn't hurting very much which means I must have been off me feet enough to call it a lazy day. I need to make an appointment with a podiatrist but it keeps getting moved down the list of things to do. I did call the health insurance company to make sure I didn't need a referral and found one I would like to try but just haven't made the appointment.

Good news...Early last week, I looked at and fell in love with a little town home. AND they allow pets. On Wednesday, I received the call that, Yes, we did get the town home. I paid the deposit and signed the lease on Friday. We can start moving in on November 1st. It has taken a load off of my mind knowing that when the snow settles into the valley my son won't be driving 30 miles to school.

I have been snackish all day. I keep telling myself it is okay since I am a little PMS-ish. But I really know it isn't. I need to do what my mom is doing, she had had to make some simple dietary changes for a bladder issue that I can't seem to spell. She doesn't drink Coke anymore - she and I have that same addiction- now she drinks bottled or filtered water. And she doesn't each chocolate. Simple changes and she has lost some weight and is looking pretty good. While I am the biggest female in my immediate family. It makes me sad. But apparently not sad enough to make positive changes.

For some reason, when I sleep on my back, I have really weird dreams. Last night was no exception. At one point I yelled at someone who IRL (in real life) desperately deserves to be put in her place. Also, lately when I am sleeping deeply and having these random dreams - the last time I was a NASCAR driver who got lost trying to get to the race and drove the race car all around town. Anyway, whenever I get into the deep, back laying, random dream sleep, I am woken up in the middle of the night by the whistle that says "Grandma fell". It really doesn't say that but that is what it means. I stumble in half asleep, haul G-ma off the floor and into bed, then try and fail to get back into deep sleep mode.

Good night and I hope your week ahead is a great one.

Enjoying Fall...

2011-10-02T21:29:00.000-06:00

After spending Saturday canning peaches and peach pie filling, I needed a completely relaxed Sunday. Mixer Man and I decided to hike up to some hot springs. The parking lot at the trail head was completely packed. We drove in, couldn't find a place to park, and had to maneuver our way out again. It's a good thing he was driving. I would have hit a few cars with the truck and not completely by accident. We decided to ditch the hot springs idea and took a nice drive through the rest of the canyon.

Diamond Fork

The view from one of our stopping points.

We took a side road that neither of us knew, and found one of the prettiest places I have seen. We were the only people up there. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a good picture and when we went for a stroll down the dirt road, I left the phone in the truck. I don't have a good camera, so I have to use the camera on my phone.

We were up in the mountains for hours. It was the most relaxed and de-stressed I have been in a long, long time. Great views, great company, and great weather.

No pets...

2011-09-27T22:06:00.000-06:00

I have been looking for places to rent and of course everything I see says No pets. Not even outdoor pets. Now it looks like I am going to have to try and find a good home for my 3 year old Sheprador (part Australian Shepard/ part Labrador). I love my dog and really don't want to give him up. It makes me sad.

I know a lady with a farm and I may resort to asking her to take him on. But I feel bad asking her a favor when I haven't made much of an effort to stay in touch with her. But even if she can't take him she may know someone who can.

It just makes me so sad. I know I am not a great pet owner. We don't play as much as we should. But it breaks my heart to think how he would feel if I just leave him somewhere and never come back to get him. He loves us so much and I feel like I am failing him in someway if I give him away.

Not sure what to do....

It's back....

2011-09-26T19:18:00.000-06:00

The Cruiser is back and looking good as new. At the grocery store Austin discovered that he couldn't open the passenger side door from the inside. So, I will have to call the shop tomorrow on that but otherwise it feels wonderful to have my car back. It made me smile...

Other things that are making me smile today:

Mike and Molly Season Premiere

And a gift from my son just because, "You do everything for everyone and I thought you would like something."

"The pink matches your gun. I thought that was pretty cool." ~Austin

Wednesday Wrap-up

2011-09-21T21:49:00.000-06:00

The appropriate title should probably be Random Wednesday but Wrap-up looks better.

I haven't had much time this summer to work on projects. Although, to be honest I am usually far more interested in being outside during the summer so few inside projects get done anyway. BUT I did manage to crochet this Centennial Loop Rug. It is made with a brown and a blue, brown strip yarn. I originally thought I would make it for my bedroom. The one I will have when I move into my own place again. Instead, I gave it to my Mom for her bedroom.

Last week, I did this to my car by over-correcting and hitting a guard rail. No injuries. No other cars. No police repors. Just a little bad luck.

The damage is much worse than it looks. I called the collision repair shop today and the repair costs are just over $3,100 which is just a few hundred dollars less than what I paid for the car. Luckily, I opted for full coverage on the insurance. Unfortunately, I have a $500 deductible but it is better than paying the full cost of the repairs.

After picking my son up from school today we drove around looking for houses/duplexes for rent. We saw a couple but I only called on one. I left the man a message, and told him I didn't have the exact address because it was covered up. He called back and left me a curt message telling me to have the address when I call back. I didn't like his tone so I won't be calling him back. He can keep his stinking duplex.

Fall is here. I love the crispness in the air, the warm days, and cool nights...BUT I am restless. I am not sure why. Just antsy and feeling like I need to get out. Perhaps a drive in the canyon when the leaves really start changing color will help. For now, I have been taking Grandma for walks in her wheelchair. Anyone know how many calories are burned when pushing a wheelchair?

Bumps...

2011-09-13T21:54:00.000-06:00

What do you do when you hit a bump in the road? Do you change course? Stand still? Or plow over it?

As many of you know, for the last few years my soon-to-be seventeen year old son has been writing a book - rather a series of books. He is determined to become a published author and I am 100% behind him on this. When he hits a bump in the road to this dream, he just plows right over it. When the dog ate the memory stick he saved his book to, Austin just re-wrote all 150 pages. No problem.

A couple of months ago he sent his book to his step-mother's friend who is an editor for a publishing company. They publish LDS books, so they definitely won't be publishing his, but she was kind enough to offer her editing services and comments.   Today he received an e-mail from her. Overall she likes the story and has given him a lot of constructive criticism. Where I would probably curl up in a ball and take it as "I suck!" Austin says this, "I'm going to take her suggestions, make some changes and send it back to her." Then he eagerly reads through her notes and starts coming up with ideas to put her suggestions into action.

Homecoming is this coming weekend - on his birthday. He has had a crush on a girl in his class since the beginning of last school year. This year he asked her to the dance. He and his step-mom made an invitation. The wheres and whens included all of the info for the dance with a note that said, "You would make my birthday wish come true if you would go to homecoming with me." Or something like that. He had told her in a previous conversation that the dance was on his birthday. She already had a date for the dance and had to say no. He was a little down about it but instead of letting it get to him, he asked another friend.

I know he was disappointed but instead of letting it ruin Homecoming and his birthday he chose to move forward and adjust the plan.  I could learn from this kid.

When I run into a bump, my first instinct is to curl up and say "I can't do this." Then I usually go down a completely different path leading me further and further away from my dreams. I did this with school.  When I decided to go back to school, I wanted to be a teacher. I looked at the schedule I would have and how that would work with being a single mom, working full-time, and decided I couldn't do it. Instead I went to the University of Phoenix and pursued a business degree. I then compounded that mistake by getting an MBA also through the University of Phoenix. That's just one example of moving further away from what I really want in my life.

I let the bumps hinder and scare me instead of plowing forward.

From this point forward, I am going to plow through. I am not going to let myself curl up and say "I can't". I am going to learn from my son's example. I am going to attack the weight loss bump. The big one.

Wish me luck!

Resilience

2011-09-11T19:56:00.000-06:00

I wanted to write something about 9/11. Where I was, what I felt, that sort of thing. But as I was driving to the blessing of my cousin's twin girls. The word that came to mind was resilience. September 11, 2001 is a date that we will always remember. We will tell our grandchildren where we were when we heard about the attacks. We will take our moments of silence and we will grieve for those lost and the lives that were forever changed. We will continue to live with the loss of our sense of security and will always worry about when something like that will happen again.

We will also remember that life moves forward. As a country we move forward. As people we move forward. Time does not stop and we have the ability to recover. To move on and to live through tragedy. We are RESILIENT. Babies will be born. Children will grow. Love ones will be lost. Life moves on.

As I remember the tragic events of ten years ago, I am sad and grieve; but tomorrow I will move forward. I will carry in my heart the thousands of innocent people who were killed. And the thousands more who lost their loved ones. I will remember the blessings in my life, and try to be a better person than I was yesterday.

I am resilient. WE are resilient.

It's Shocking....

2011-09-09T16:28:00.000-06:00

After my last post, Holly and Jo both said, "You must explain." I imagined the ladies quizzically looking at the post thinking, "What the hell is she talking about?"

First, I'll show you the new hair color.

I know you really wanted to see a close up of my hair. Made your day, didn't it.

Every time I make a trip to the salon, I have my stylist, Nikki, give me high frequency scalp treatment. I am not sure exactly how it works but it basically gives my scalp a little shock. It isn't uncomfortable and she can adjust how strong it it. She combs a wand through my hair, across my scalp, and I try not to fall asleep. It is supposed to stimulate hair growth. So far my hair hasn't gotten a lot longer although it probably would if I went in more than every 6 weeks or so, but it has gotten a little bit thicker. I have a lot of little baby hairs all over. Whether or not I am seeing great results, it is the best 5-minute scalp massage ever.

Nikki has a couple of clients who have lost their hair or have thinning hair due to cancer treatments or other heath problems. Regular high-frequency treatments have helped them with their hair regrowth. Of course, unlike me, these ladies come in at least once a week.

Apparently, this is something that you can do to improve your skin also.

Since I am not doing a very good job of explaining, here is a LINK that might give you more insight - or just confuse you further.

Feeling a little....

2011-09-08T21:51:00.000-06:00

1 - Tired. Last week and the weekend seemed really really long. There was a lot to do to get ready for a family cookout. I was filling in for a co-worker. Had a couple of nights with little to no sleep. And well it was just busy. So far this week, I have no energy.

2 - Healthy. I took the dog for a walk this evening.

3 - Ready. For whatever is coming next. I hope it is good.

4 - Itchy. I had a high frequency treatment for my hair this week. It makes my head itch.

5 - Colorful. Before my high-frequency treatment, I has my hair colored. If I actually style my hair tomorrow, I will take a picture. It is blond, brown, and brown red which kind of looks purple. I like it.

Content didn't make the list. It is that elusive something that I really would like to find. Maybe someday. Maybe soon. Maybe five years from now. But I will get there.

Finally Friday

2011-09-02T22:14:00.000-06:00

I had a whole rambling thing about why work sucked this week but decided no one wants to hear about that. My brain is too mushed up to come up with anything more than little snippets of thoughts. Please enjoy the randomness for which this blog was named:

1 - One of my favorite bloggesr is Jo . She makes me laugh and no matter how long I am away from blogger, I will always read everyone of her past posts. If it weren't for Jo, I never would have met M-Cat at Culver's. M-Cat being another of my favorite bloggers.

2 - I've discovered that under stressful situations I become more assertive. I am better at articulating what I expect and defining what I will and will not do. Now if I can work that into the everyday, it would be a great thing.

3 - The new has been talking about an attack on a gay man outside of a gay club in Salt Lake. It ticks me off that he was attacked for minding his own business. No one should get beaten for any reason. The news keeps talking about it possibly being a "hate crime". I HATE the term hate crime. It implies that an attack on a minority is worse than an attack on a member of the majority. In my opinion anytime a person is a victim of a violent crime there is hate involved. Hate towards the person being attacked or hate at persons or circumstances that have no relation to the victim. Vicious beatings all come down to hate. Let's not say it is worse for one person that it would be for another.

4 - Conspiracy theorist drive me nuts. I am watching a show about Conspiracy theorist or "Truthers" theories about the attacks on 9/11.

5 - I think roses are like vampires in that they need blood to survive. I am scratched an poked from trying to tame Grandma's rose garden last night.

6 - I finally have my new laptop for work. I am even using it now. It is so nice to have working equipment.

7 - Speaking of laptops, my son needs his own. Our laptop is geriatric in technological terms. The battery heats up to within 10 degrees of the temperature of the sun. For his birthday he wants money to go to a laptop or iTunes gift cards.

8 - This month my son turns 17 on the 17th.

9 - I want to make the good fudge they sell at Cabela's.

10 - I am going to try and find some nummy fudge recipes.

Have a good weekend, friends!

Southern Utah Vacation Day Three In PIctures

2011-08-28T22:37:00.000-06:00

Before driving home we went for a small hike at the Red Cliffs Park.

If Austin does it, so do the girls.

There were some pretty big crawdads in there. We sent Austin in to try to catch one. FAIL!

This is not a place you want to be during a flash flood.

Reflection of the sky and Austin in one of the pools.

Me and my friend Robyn

I have only been home a week and I am ready to go back. Next time Robyn and I will hike The Narrows in Zions. I guess I better get in shape.

Southern Utah Vacation Day Two In PIctures

2011-08-28T22:27:00.000-06:00

Zions National Park

Hiking to the Emerald Pools

I forgot to grab the good camera, so these were taken on the cell phone.

I have no idea who those people are...I just like the tree.

Sis with her best friend (my friend's daughter) at the upper Emerald Pool. The stud without his shirt would be my son.

Took this while laying on my back with my feet cooling off in the pool.

A handsome kid on a rock.

Southern Utah Vacation Day One In PIctures

2011-08-28T22:16:00.000-06:00

Utah Territorial State House in Filmore.

Austin and my niece Sissy at the Territorial State House. Goofing off in the jail cell.

At Cedar Breaks National Monument

They look like brother and sister.

Focus on the adorable Sissy and beautiful scenery.

Sis trying to take a picture with her "brother". All weekend, she called me Mom and Austin her brother.

From the Cedar Breaks Visitor Center outlook.

Love my handsome boy.

Sis becoming a Cedar Breaks Junior Ranger.

Do you know the difference between a National Monument and a National Park?

It's a MIracle...

2011-08-26T22:52:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning and could see perfectly. I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and thought I was dreaming. It took about 10 minutes to realize I was wearing my contacts. No miracle. On the bathroom counter, my contact lens case was sitting open as if I were getting ready to take them out or had just put them in. I have no idea which one happened. I was exhausted when I went to bed and didn't get up at all during the night (that I know of). I could have started taking them out and forgotten what I was doing or I could have gotten up in the middle of the night and put them in for some reason. I also had a book next to me in bed and don't remember reading before I went to bed. Did I mention I was exhausted?

I blame it all on missing my morning caffeine fix yesterday. I tried drinking Caffeine Free Pepsi and pretending there was caffeine in it but it didn't work. By the time my son came home from school and brought me some black gold, it was too late, the day was not going to get better.

When I got in the car after water aerobics at about 9:30 last night, I thought of my friend Andrea and how I should invite her water aerobics with me. Then it hit me: I was supposed to pick her up at the airport at 7:30. I had a grundle of missed calls and a few messages from Andrea asking where I was. I quickly drove home, changed out of my swimsuit and headed to Salt Lake. By the time I got home I was falling asleep on my feet. The last think I remember was taking a shower before I went to bed. I really could have left my contacts in.

I was disappointed that I was not granted a Opthamalogical miracle and I am sure Andrea will never again ask me to pick her up from the airport but I've learned that I must keep a supply of Coke in the refrigerator.

The Scream Heard Around The World

2011-08-25T14:27:00.001-06:00

This morning was me. I am stranded without any Co Cola in the house. I still have not had my caffeine fix and am patiently waiting for my son to get home with my car.

He drives sooo slow...

I Said What??? Vol. 2

2011-08-24T18:25:00.000-06:00

In a conversation with my son and nephew about what we would do with a few extra thousand dollars:

"I would go to Vegas and do...crap I can't remember his name..."

Dead silence and jaw dropping from the two teenage boys.

"Richard Petty. I would do the Richard Petty Driving Experience."

If you don't know NASCAR. The Richard Petty Driving Experience gives the average Joe or Jane a chance to drive a NASCAR car at a NASCAR track. So it is a little more involved than that. You can do a ride along for a little over $100 or you can actually drive the car and the cost is between the $450 to $3500.

Word Verification

2011-08-24T00:32:00.000-06:00

I just posted a comment on another blog. I caught myself writing "chuckly" instead of "chuckle". I may have ended up leaving it as chuckles. The word verification was "rumpot". I take this as a sign to go to bed.

"Having stayed up late for work, Amy became a bit chuckly, as if she had tipped back the rumpot too may times."

Been gone...

2011-08-22T21:19:00.000-06:00

I have been away from blogger for a week or so and now I can't catch up on everything. I have a lot to write about but not tonight. I need to get the pictures off the camera and then I can blog about it all. But tonight just isn't the time. Hopefully it will happen before the week is out. But time gets away from me.

My son started his junior year of high school today. I think it is hitting me a little hard that my boy is becoming a man and will soon leave the nest. After he leaves there is no one else to focus my attention on. It will just be me. I don't know what I will do when it happens. I know worrying now when it is a couple of years down the road is pointless but I worry none the less. I don't want to be a mother who can't let her kid go. I need to focus on getting a life of my own so that when he ventures out into his, I am not left wondering "What the hell?".

This is all a little deeper than my brain wants to dive. So I will end this pointless post and be back soon with more upbeat news to share. Now I will go soak in the tub with my Sherrilyn Kenyon book and turn the brain off.

One is the loneliest number...

2011-08-16T17:10:00.000-06:00

This was going to post on Sunday but I got distracted but better late than never.

I had a weekend all to myself. This has not happened since May... before moving in with Grandma. I was a little excited. I could do anything I wanted. Right? Wrong... Turns out I am no longer used to being completely alone. I wanted to go fishing. No one to go with. I wanted to go shooting. Again, no one to go with. I wanted to go to a movie. Went by myself.

Austin wasn't going to come home until Monday but I went and picked him up on Sunday. I was tired of being alone. Grandma came home a few hours later and I was glad.

I did get something done over the weekend but mostly I was lazy.

My brother replaced the radiator fan assembly in my car. It took a little while to figure out exactly what the problem was. Then once we replaced the fan and fan motor it still wasn't working. We were both shaking our heads. Finally he went home to bed and came back Saturday morning. After a frustrating hour he finally gave up and we headed to the parts store to return a part we didn't need and get something he needed. While there I picked up a Haynes Manual for the PT Cruiser. Once home, Roger took a look in the book, fiddled with something, told me it was working and handed me a fuse. Yes. A fuse! When the fan motor blew it also blew a fuse but not the fan fuses. A different fuse. Sheesh. Now the car works great again.

While my brother worked on the car, I worked on my project: staining an outdoor swing. On Friday night, I had to scrub off the algae, old finish, and dirt with a scrub brush and bleach water. When I was finished I looked like I had gotten into a fight with a swamp monster. My legs were splattered with green goop. Saturday morning I was able to sand and put on the finish.

Prior to this, the swing looked the same as the fence.

Monday morning I showed the swing to Grandma. She was pleased to see her swing looking so nice. Today when my son and I returned from the store, she asked: "Did you paint the swing while I was gone?" It breaks my heart a little every time her memory lapses. I just gave her the same spiel I gave her yesterday when I showed it to her.

The weekend made me realize that I need to get used to be alone again. My son starts school on Monday and will be spending he majority of his time at his dad's or my sister's house since he is going to school about 30 miles away. Grandma will be going to my aunt's house for a week, if not longer. This gives me too much time on my hands. One really is the loneliest number...most of the time.

Yo! Crew Chief...

2011-08-10T21:31:00.000-06:00

Me thinks I need to take a wee little break from watching NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing. Case in point....

This is how the conversation went (or something like it):

Me: "Hey Mike. It's Amy. My car is overheating. I was driving on the freeway and it was just fine until I came up to stopped traffic. Then the temperature suddenly skyrocketed. I pulled to the side of the road and let it cool off. I drove the back roads the rest of the way and the temp stayed normal until I stopped or had to slow down a lot."

Mike: "Sounds like your electric fan isn't turning on. You can bring it in tomorrow. "

This is how it played out in my head:

"Come in Mike. This is the driver of the oh-one Chrysler. The water temp goes way up when she comes upon lapped (slower) traffic or catches up to the pack. She's good out in clean air though. What do you want me to do? Over"

"Driver. Sounds like a fan problem. Keep it out in clean air and avoid lapped traffic if you can. Pit road is closed so stay out and do the best you can. Over."

Need I say more? I am starting to think I need my own pit-crew.

I said what???

2011-08-09T21:15:00.000-06:00

Every now and then something comes out of my mouth that is not intended to be funny but sends my son into hysterics. He then repeats it to everyone who will listen, so before he gets a chance I thought I would do it for him. These gems were with in a two day period. Enjoy...

In the car on our Adventure Day: "We're going to have an adventure. I probably should have brought my gun."

At the Burger King drive thru: Me: "What do you call those little hash brown things?" Drive thru lady: "Um. Hash browns."

How embarrassing there was another one but it has completely slipped my mind. But I will leave you with this: Over heard at the supermarket, "I ran into your wife the other day." Followed by a grumpy older gentleman pushing his cart around the corner mumbling "The old bag."

Adventure Day

2011-08-06T18:20:00.000-06:00

I admit I stole the term Adventure Day from my cousin Cynthia at Creative Chaos but I couldn't think of anything more suitable as my son and I had an Adventure Day today.

I woke up determined that we were going to hike up to Timpanogos Cave (on the paved trail) and go on the cave tour. I was sure I could aside my claustrophobia and fears of being trapped in the cave by a catastrophic earthquake. I wanted to leave at nine but darn that National Geographic channel. Austin turned it on and we were both entranced as we watched Texans fight a plague of fire ants with flies. We ended up leaving at ten instead. We stopped at the gas station for water, Coke, and snacks then made our way to the canyon. The sign at the fee station read "4 hour wait for cave tours". We paid our $6 recreation fee and the attendant suggested we visit Crystal Springs if we did not want to wait for the cave tours. She handed me a map, our pass, and we were on our way.

I have never been to or heard of Crystal Springs so this was to be a true adventure. There was a bike race happening in the canyon and we dodged bikes as we made our way up the canyon. Windows down, sun roof open, and music playing.

We found our way to Crystal Springs and began our walk/hike along the paved trail and boardwalks. I was pleasantly surprised at what we found.

I think this is a Monkshood flower.

Thistle

Austin at the beginning of the trail.

Crystal Springs

The springs come out of the glacial rocks.

After leaving Crystal Springs, we took a decently maintained dirt/gravel road to Heber and Midway. The road comes out at Soldier Hollow which was a venue for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

View from the road to Heber/Midway. The reservoir in the picture is where Mixer Man and I went fishing on Friday. The road we took home is on the far side of the water, follows the shoreline and goes over the dam.

I hope all of you find a little adventure this weekend.

Terrible Morning...Beautiful Evening

2011-08-06T17:08:00.000-06:00

I can barely remember the last time I was as angry as I was on Friday morning. I won't go into it too much detail because it involves a lot of personal information. But there was yelling, tears, preventative measures and a line which my son finds absolutely hilarious. It went something like this, "Slow the hell down. You don't know how to speak English, and I can't understand a damn thing you are saying." I believe the gentleman was Indian. Not Native American Indian but India, Indian. I know this because I talk to them almost everyday at work....although this was not related to work.

Finally, I asked myself: "Is there anything else I can do about the problem right now?" The answer was "NO" and I resolved to put the crappy morning behind me and enjoy the rest of the day.

I repaired the caulking around the bath tub and bathroom counters. Then Mixer Man and I met up for an evening of fishing in the mountains. Few things relax me as much as the mountains, fishing, and Mixer Man. Even though he frustrates, annoys, and confuses the crap out of me most of the time, he has a relaxing presence. I will NEVER tell him this though.

Our fishing spot. Just a small section of a large reservoir.

Looking in the other direction. I love the reflection of the mountians on the water.

Mixer Man trying to free my line from a snag. I couldn't get a shot with his face. He hates the camera unless he is showing off an animal he just hunted or he is on his snowmobile.

My GIANT, two inch fish. I caught two of these. Austin says I am well on the way to solving world hunger. Mixer Man made sure he was holding it away from himself so that I would not get him on camera.

A couple stopped by our spot as we were getting ready to head out. As fishing people do, we exchanged our bad luck stories and started walking back to our cars. During the short walk, I learned that they are from Texas and are stationed here with the Air Force. They love NASCAR and fishing. The woman and I both have black and pink fishing poles and her husband and Mixer Man are huge Tony Stewart fans. They both have the die cast cars, jackets, etc. As we parted ways, Mixer Man thanked him for his service to our country and we wished each other a safe trip home. I regret that we didn't get their names or spend a few more minutes talking to them. I think this is a couple I would have liked to get to know better.

So while the day started out terribly, it ended beautifully. Watching the sun set on the water. Meeting interesting people. And of course fishing.

Picturesqe

2011-08-04T18:20:00.000-06:00

My blog title skills leave something to be desired but I couldn't think of anything else for today. I had one in mind for a Friday post but then remembered it was only Thursday.

Grandma left this afternoon to spent the weekend with her sister in Idaho. My uncle is heading to Montana and is dropping her off and picking her up on the way to and fro. I am kind of excited to have a free weekend. I have no idea what I will do with myself. Perhaps Austin and I will go for a hike or to a movie. Or do nothing.

Monday Austin and I took Grandma for a drive along the Alpine Loop. The Alpine Loop is a scenic byway that starts in American Fork canyon continues past Sundance (yes, the ski resort owned by Robert Redford), and ends in Provo. If you are ever in Utah I highly recommend taking this little side trip. The weather was cloudy, the camera was not ideal, and my child deleted most of the pictures he took but here are a few.

I used my sunglasses as a filter. Other than the little purple spots, I am rather pleased with it.

This is called "The Theatre in the Pines" and is not too far from Sundance. It is a shame that it doesn't seem to be in use anymore.

A little wild flower.

Austin took this picture from the parking lot at Sundance.

Places like this remind me how blessed I am to live in such a beautiful area.

Sunday night again...

2011-07-31T23:48:00.000-06:00

Which means Monday is a mere hour away. I know I should be sleeping soundly. But sleep eludes me lately. I am not under a lot of stress. I am not feeling particularly anxious. I just can't sleep. But oh well, I will take a nap mid afternoon tomorrow and all will be well.

My NASCAR pick for today's Brickyard 400 was Tony Stewart. I was worried when Austin and I came back from a trip to the store and saw that he was in about 29th position. Due to some pit stops and yellow flags he made it to 1st but alas, he did not have enough fuel and had to make a pit stop. He finished 6th which wasn't too bad for my points but I am still about 50 points from the leader in our little NASCAR points match. I chose Jimmie Johnson for next week and the man better not let me down.

The top 4 people in our little NASCAR points game are women. Mixer Man expressed his frustration that the "girls who know nothing about NASCAR" are winning. If we had been in a more private area when he expressed his opinion, I may have done some bodily harm to the dolt. As it was, I simply explained that I didn't know about the others but I DO watch the races and pay attention to who is doing well and not so well. I watch how the pit crews are doing. AND I pay attention to the driver's past performance at the track. I make informed decisions about my picks. I do not ask my boyfriend/husband/friend/coworker/post man who HE thinks I should pick. Mixer Man redeemed himself by telling me that he understood how I would be doing so well but not how certain other people were doing it. My answer "Her husband tells her who to pick."

Jo may be the only one who cares about my NASCAR talk...so moving on.

Saturday was an action packed day. We went to the grocery store then spent a couple of hours spreading mulch around the flower beds. The mulch being Nutri-mulch found at the IFA (Intermountain Farmers) and consisting of turkey compost. My son remarks that we spent the day spreading "turkey crap and stuff around the flowers".

While at the IFA, Austin found a Captain Jack rubber chicken toy for Indy. It WAS a very cute $13 toy that the dog enjoyed for about 12 hours. He would not let Austin take it away from him. He loving lay next to it and protectively covered it with his front paws when Austin tried to get near it. That night he dragged it into his kennel with him. Glaring at Austin if he dared try to take it. Come morning, the poor chicken had lost it's head, toes, and the end of his peg leg. The little bit of stuffing was strewn about the kennel. And I remembered why my dog does not get more toys.

In the morning we take the Rolling Wreck ~~Blazer~~ to my mechanic so I should try to fight off the insomnia and get to bed.

Have a great Monday!

Thursday Thoughts

2011-07-28T16:58:00.000-06:00

Oy! I am so frustrated. I spent a couple of hours (Yes! Hours!) writing a post on Tuesday about the Sawyer Brown concert Monday night. It was cute, it was witty, it was like reading a story. I even added a little youtube video. I hit the "Publish Post" button and saw the message that my post was published. I didn't check. I was pretty tired of the computer. Today I discovered that my post did not post at all. It was saved as a draft though. I opened it to edit for a post today, and only a small part of the post was there. I don't think I have the desire to try and re-write the whole damn thing. So, in summary, Sawyer Brown puts on a fun show. I went with Mixer Man. It rained..... A LOT! Show started an hour and a half late. It rained...A LOT! Lost my Drivers Licence on a trip to the bathroom. Good samaritan turned it in. IT RAINED. Fireworks accompanied the show, though not by the place holding the show. It was a holiday in Utah, every Tom, Dick, Harry and Betty Sue were doing fireworks. IT RAINED...ALOT. I didn't win a drawing for $100 to Ruth's Chris. IT RAINED. And Sawyer Brown is a lot of fun to watch...even in the rain.

I have been storing up my random thoughts this week. Have a peek:

1- I want to go skinny dipping. Find a very secluded lake, stream, river, horse trough, or puddle; strip down under the stars and let the water wash over me. If you hear a story in the news of whale siting in Utah, then you will know I have done this and the place was not secluded enough.

2- Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a recorder attached to my brain so that I could play back all of the random, wise, and stupid thoughts I have during the day. Since I often think of stories or have dreams that read like a novel, I could probably become a successful writer.

3 - I need to go shooting. My aim is terrible and…well, I just need to go shoot a piece of paper, a box, my computer, something non-living, my computer.

4 - I was pruning the rose bushes which made me to think of – well – roses. As flowers go they are pretty high maintenance, thorny, snobby, pretentious bitches. Sure they are beautiful and smell fantastic when they bloom but get too close and touch the stem just wrong and you’ll bleed. I would not want to be compared to a rose. I am neither high maintenance nor thorny. I am simple and friendly with a hidden wild side. More like a daisy or a non-poisonous wild flower. Yep. That is what I am.

5 -I have been reading, Julia’s Chocolates and The Last Time I Was Me by author Cathy Lamb. I love this ladies writing. She is funny, witty, sarcastic, and down to earth all while dealing with some pretty serious stuff. My take away is that no matter what life throws at you, you can always fight back, survive, and live on your own terms. Her stories include some random nakedness, quirky characters, wise women, and a little craziness. Her writing style reminds me of my bloggy friend Jo (except for the naked parts). Jo, you should read these books.

6 - My favorite quote this week:
“When you’re sad or depressed, you might as well get something done. Pretty soon, you’re not sad or depressed, and darned if things aren’t done.” - Aunt Lydia, Julia’s Chocolates

What the...?!?!

2011-07-22T23:41:00.002-06:00

WTF! WTH! Whatever you want to call it, it seems like there are some ~~crazy~~ interesting people / events out there.

A Utah woman got her nursing bra all twisted out of shape during her breast feeding (child nourishing/bonding) time while at a grocery store. In an amazing turn of events other customers complained because she was not covered up. Employee's asked the woman to either cover up or move to a more private place in the store. How dare they? How dare they make her feel that she is doing something bad by nourishing her child? Hopefully, y'all are catching the sarcasm here. I am all for breast feeding. Did it myself. And I am okay with breast feeding in a public place if you chose to do so. Personally, I would pump and have the bottle handy as I am not all that comfortable whipping out a breast in public. What I am not okay with is seeing a child sucking on a woman's boob on public. For hell's sake is it a crime to request that you cover yourself? Apparently this lady thought so. I get the fact the she wants to do this. I get the fact the she is proud of it. What I don't get is why she is in such a tizzy about being asked to cover up. Click here to link to the story.

Officers at the Utah County jail are unable to identify an inmate. A man in his mid to late 60's was arrested for trespassing in a parking garage used by police. He has been in jail for 3 weeks and refuses to tell police who he is. They have taken his fingerprints but have not found a match. Apparently he sits in his cell covered with a blanket. My take is that he is homeless and wants a place to crash.

Have you heard about the 51 year old actor Doug Hutchison (or Doug who?) and his 16 year old bride? No I did not stutter or fat finger that number: 16. Apparently this all went down with her parents consent. And surprise, surprise, according to Entertainment Tonight there is talk of a reality television show about the couple. I don't even want to imagine what the audience demographic would be for that show. Here is a link to the story at People.com.

Finally there i, what I like to call the outsourcing of our space program to the Russians. I am a little appalled by this. One witness said the landing of the last shuttle mission was like a funeral procession. Thousands of people at NASA have been let go, not to mention the impact to the industries that provide services, materials, parts, etc to the shuttle program. Let's not forget the generation of children growing up right now, looking up to the skies and thinking "I want to go there." What is going to happen to their dreams? What is NASA going to do next, IF anything, or are we giving this one up? It hurts my heart a little every time I see this on the news.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Me and Kids

2011-07-20T21:00:00.000-06:00

My mom says I have a way with kids. They seem to like me. I can get them to do things their parents can't or things they didn't even think they would want to do. And they love me!

Today I babysat my niece and nephew they are 7 and 6 years old. I've had a lot of yard work building up and decided I was going to have them help me. I am not above using child labor, bribery, and threats to get what I want out of the little munchkins. What I wanted today was to get a flowerbed weeded while I mowed the lawn. It's not a small flowerbed and it was carpeted with weeds. If you are wondering why I thought they would even go for the idea, I will share my secret. I observe, listen, and manipulate. This is how it went:

Last week the kids came over with my mom, while they were here they pulled a few weeds in the flowerbed mentioned above. I observed how they seemed to enjoy this little chore. When they were finished they proudly pointed out their work. I listened to the pride in their little voices. Today, I went in for the kill.

Me: "Guess what I need your help with today?"
Them: "What?"
Me: "There is a lot to do outside today and you guys did such a good job weeding the garden that I thought you could work on that while I mow the lawn. IF you do a good job and don't complain. We will go to the park for a picnic when we are all done."
Them: "Okay."

See how easy that was? I set them up with water to drink, lathered them up with sunscreen, and let them loose on the weeds. I checked frequently and told them to get in the shade when they got too hot or tired. To break up the monotony, I gave them each a ride on the mower.

The kids took the pictures. Doesn't that mower remind you of Lightening McQueen? The kids didn't think so either.

As the morning wore on, they started to lose their steam. They were still plugging away at those weeds but I could see that we needed to speed things up and add a little more ~~manipulation~~ motivation.

Them: "It sure it getting hot out here."
Me: "Are you drinking your water and taking breaks?'
Them: "Yes."
Me: "You know the park we are going to for our picnic has a pond that you can wade in and cool off."
Them: "YAY!" And they went back to work.

The little buggers pulled weeds for almost 2 hours. I was impressed. When almost all of the weeds were gone, I sent them in to clean up and cool off while I finished up and sprayed the Round Up.

We set about making lunch and the only bread we have is wheat. I don't buy white anymore. They both scrunched up their faces: "We don't like wheat bread." Me: "Well that is all we have so you're going to eat it whether you like it or not." The complaints stopped. I gave the kids the rules for the park. Yes, they earned a trip to the park and playing in the pond but I still wanted to make sure they ate all of their lunch. They needed to after working so hard. But rules are rules and this is me:

"If you don't eat all of your sandwich and the rest of your lunch, you won't get to play in the pond."

From past experience, they know I mean it. I have amazing follow through. I once told my son that if he didn't clean his room, I was going to throw all of his toys away. He didn't clean his room and I threw all the toys that were on the floor out of his room. While he lay on his bed crying, I shoved them all in the dryer. As the days went by and he did his chores and didn't argue he gradually got all of his toys back. I may not have thrown them away but I did take them away and he didn't figure it out until he started getting them back one by one.

Back to today, after we made lunch we headed to the park with Grandma. We found a nice shady spot and ate. The munchkins ate all their lunch: sandwich, chips, and jello cups. Then, without my even saying so, they patiently waited for Grandma to finish eating before we went over to the pond.

Before going to the pond, I gave them a time limit. When I said it was time to go home, there were no arguments. Nothing. Nada. I am so proud of my mad child wrangling skills.

This isn't a one time deal. I have used my awesome powers to get another nephew to wear socks with his tennis shoes, taught him not to ask for anything when we go to the store, and a slew of other things. He knows temper tantrums and tears are wasted on me.

I have to say that hanging with kids was actually a lot of fun. We got a lot of work done today, we played some, got a little bit of sun, and most important, we spent time together.

Monday Mashup

2011-07-11T22:04:00.000-06:00

This weekend I discovered that good things really do happen to nice people. While my friend and I were waiting in line to get into the amphitheater for the Kenny Chesney concert on Saturday, two ladies came over and asked if we had General Admission Lawn Seats. We said, "Yes" and they asked if we wanted reserved seats. Skeptic's that we were we hesitantly said yes. I was wondering what we would have to do to get these seats. All manner of crazy things crossed my mind. See our reluctance, they explained the situation. One of the ladies had won tickets but when she got them, they were not where she was promised. She told the folks who gave them to her, and they gave her better seats and told her to give the other tickets away. They said they chose us because we "look nice". I thought that was really sweet. Out of hundreds of people milling around they chose us because we "look nice". I wanted to call my sisters and ask them if they wanted my lawn seats but there was no way they could have made it to Salt Lake in time.


We would have been sitting up on the lawn in front of the trees.

Instead, this was the view from our new seats.

Andrea and I with the ladies who gave us the seats. I never did get their names.


Andrea and I in our better than the lawn - awesome seats.

For me, the greatest benefit of these seats - other then the view, was that I did not need to stand to see the show. I could see perfectly and still remain seated. I know, it's a concert and you should be up dancing around and what not but with my bronchitis, sitting was much better. We still had an awesome time.

Uncle Cracker

Billy Currington


Kenny Chesney. My battery was dying so the picture isn't as good as the others.

In other news, my old Chevy Blazer is not running right now. A blown head gasket or cracked head. I will be getting it fixed so the teenager has something to drive, BUT this morning I became the new owner of a 2001 PT Cruiser. It may not be new but it sure is new to me. A girl my mom works with was selling this and with my dad's help, I was able to buy it for $3,300 and drive it home.


My new car!!!

I am so excited to finally have a new to me car. I have been driving the Blazer for 10 years and it is certainly a "special" vehicle. My Dad's nickname for it is the "Rolling Wreck". I know inanimate objects so not have feelings but I feel bad for my blazer as it sits there waiting to be fixed and driven again. Hopefully, I can get it taken care of and my son will get at least a few more years out of it.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Friday File

2011-07-08T20:02:00.000-06:00

I know you are probably sick and tired of hearing about my being sick and tired so I'll just say the Nurse Practitioner says I have bronchitis and an ear infection. I have antibiotics and really good codeine laced cough syrup. I am feeling more random today than usual and am taking a page out of Jo's ~~book~~ blog and making a list.

1 - Austin and I went to save some spots for tomorrows AF City Steel Days parade. When we returned home, the dog was in the house with Grandma. The lawn care people came to spray the lawn and they needed to do something with the dog so Grandma brought him in. He ate all of her cheese puffs, slobbered all over her hand, and tried to pet her. I'm not sure how she felt about it. She rarely complains about anything, just kind of rolls with it.

2 - My son entered a drawing in the Steel Days Art Show. When we walk through it tomorrow I will take a picture to share. He is so good at not letting anything steal his thunder. If he wants to do something, he does it. He doesn't sit and worry about what people think. I admire him.

3 - I am terrible at setting long-term goals. I am great with short-term goals but can't seem to work with the long-term things. Any suggestions?

4 - Did I tell you that I never hear Grandma complain? I commented on this to her the other day and she said, "It doesn't do any good." I am trying to complain less.

5 - According to the scale at the doctors office, I have lost 10 pounds in the past two months. Hopefully I can keep up the good work.

6 - My new bras are not very comfortable. But then isn't "comfortable bra" an oxymoron?

7 - I'm going to see Kenny Chesney tomorrow night!

8 - I wonder if the "reporters" on Entertainment Tonight really give a rat's bum about what they talk about. We watch it every night but tonight I refused. I like Prince William and Princess Kate but I am tired of hearing about every second of their trip. I am tired of hearing speculation of who might play Casey Anthony in the movie. Just tired of Hollywood gossip in general.

9 - I am out of appropriate thoughts to share.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Because Mom Said To...

2011-07-07T19:20:00.000-06:00

I am going to the doctor tomorrow. I tried to get in today but the old fart is out of the office. I have to settle for the nurse practitioner tomorrow. Hopefully she will have a magic cure for what ails me but more likely she will tell me it is something that just needs to run its course and I will be out my $30 co-pay. I miss the $10 co-pay days.

Yesterday I bought some Sudafed and felt like a drug dealer buying cold medicine to make meth. Apparently you have to buy this stuff at the pharmacy counter where you fill out a form with you name, address, and birth date. Then they need to see a picture ID and get your drivers license number. I was preparing for a TSA pat down, but thankfully it didn't come down to that. Today it was back to the store for Robitussin for the cough. The Robitussin bottle agreed with my mom about the doctor. It said, "Stop use and ask a doctor if: cough lasts more than 7 days".
The good news is that I don't think whatever ails me is contagious. Grandma doesn't show any signs of my mystery cold/illness.

We have had some monsoonal moisture the last few days, which basically means humidity and thunderstorms. Nothing like the "haboob" Jo posted about in Arizona but more enjoyable.

I am crossing my fingers and toes that my cold and the rain will miraculously disappear before Saturday afternoon so that I can enjoy the Kenny Chesney concert without coughing, snorting, hacking, or becoming drenched.

I am going to rest on the couch for the rest of the evening and try not to lose a lung.

Really!?!?

2011-07-05T21:16:00.000-06:00

I say it way too much and it is becoming annoying but Really?!?! Casey Anthony NOT Guilty!!! I am having a hard time believing twelve jurors are really that stupid. Okay, I know that was rude but REALLY. Couldn't they have had a hung jury or something else that would have at least given the state the opportunity to file charges again if they get more evidence? At this point, she could confess and the states hand are tied. I am appalled.

I have a cold. Have had it for almost two weeks. I am considering a visit to the doctor because I think it might be turning into a sinus infection. My ears are so plugged up, everything sounds like I am underwater. I sound like a man when I try to talk. The back of my skull feels like it is in a vice whenever I cough, blow my nose or sneeze. And I know I don't feel good when I take a couple of sick days. I work from home, it seems kind of wussy to take a sick day when I can work in my PJ's and nap on the couch when I get a little to worn out.

The holiday weekend ended up being a little busy. Friday was my parents 40th anniversary and they invited me to go with them to Wendover, Nevada for a little daytime gambling. Saturday, I went grocery shopping and spent the rest of the day with my friend Andrea. We went to a movie, "Larry Crowne" - I recommend it. Then we went bra shopping. Lane Bryant is having a sale. Buy 2 get 2 free. Good news....I went down a bra size. Then we picked up some pizza and spent the evening with my Grandma. Then we did fireworks.

Word of advice. When you are doing aerial fireworks and you find what looks like a firework that didn't go off. DO NOT LIGHT IT! Yep, we had a dud in our firework pack but we also did some fountains. We picked up what we thought came out of fountain that didn't work. It turned out to be the aerial dud. We didn't find out until after it was lit and exploded. Yes we are responsible thirty something women.

On Sunday my sister had a cook out and there were more fireworks. On the fourth, my uncle invited Grandma and I to share in his family's festivities. More good food, family, and fireworks.

If I felt better it would have been a great weekend but I soldiered on and still had a good time.

Now we are watching the 48 Hours special about the Casey Anthony Not Guilty verdict. Really?!?! There has to be a special place in hell for people like her.

"Ogres have layers."

2011-06-30T20:25:00.000-06:00

This is one of my favorite clips from the Shrek movies. In a way I can relate. I have layers and my layers have layers and one day someone will be lucky enough to discover what all those layers are about.

HELP...

2011-06-29T22:49:00.002-06:00

I decided to change things up a little on the 'ole blog and now my header is all off kilter. Can anyone tell me how to fix this?

Fishing...finally

2011-06-27T20:26:00.000-06:00

Saturday night while I was at my great uncle's 75th birthday party, my sister and brother each sent me a text. Very similar. "Dad wants to know if you are going fishing with him tomorrow. You should call him."

There are very few things my Dad likes less than telephones. But I called him back and during the shortest conversation in history we planned to go fishing on Sunday.

I haven't been feeling well all weekend. A summer cold kind of thing that really just makes me tired but I packed up the gear and met Dad for a day on the pond. The spot we like the best is about an hour and a half drive and at about 9000 feet. We passed a lot of snow up in those mountains. Thankfully the road to our little pond was open and there was no snow in sight, except at the higher peaks. We donned our waders, hopped in our float tubes and sat out on the water for a few hours. The fishing was terrible. I had a couple nibbles and the one that I actually caught found it's way off the hook about 5 feet from my little tube.

Although the fishing was terrible. The day was not. While out in the tube, I let my line dangle in the water while I napped, or took in the gorgeous scenery. With the fishing so slow, I probably could have read a book. I normally keep one in the tackle box or the pocket on the tube but left it home this time.

I don't have pictures of the fishing but I do have some of the pond. Hopefully in a month or so, we can spend a weekend camping, 4 wheeling, and fishing up there.

Potter's Pond

Dad taking a picture of the pond.

Week in a nutshell...

2011-06-24T22:37:00.000-06:00

I have been meaning to post something all week to get rid of my Monday post but time just ran away on me. It seems I have been nothing but busy since moving. But being busy must be good for me because I have lost about 7 lbs. Not bad, eh?

Last Friday evening, Mixer Man and I went to Cabella's (so romantic) and I bought a new tackle box/bag. It might be a little too big for right now but I am sure I will manage to fill it up. It is even a bright orange, so as Mixer Man says, "We won't lose you." Now I just need to go fishing. Mixer Man might be available to go on Sunday but I am not holding my breath.

I wish it were pink!

It came with four of these...

Last Saturday, my friend Rachelle invited me to go to an outdoor concert that included about five local bands. Our favorite local band "Firehawk" was playing. They play a mix of their own stuff and cover songs. They are so much fun.


Bad photo...Firehawk

Another bad photo...this is me and Rachelle. I like the band so much I had to buy the tank top.

This was an outdoor family event and there were a few vendors around. Rachelle wanted to go look at a purse vendor. I don't know about where you are, but here we seen to have these big, blingy purses being sold everywhere. Normally, I don't see anything that interests me. I am not a new mother so don't want anything that could double as a diaper bag nor do I like a lot of the designs, BUT I found one that I really like...and it is pink...so I bought it.


My cute new purse. It has a little bling but I like it.

If you read my last post then you know how my Monday started. It ended a whole lot better. Grandma and I went to a baby shower for my cousin Megan. She is expecting twins and indicated on the invitation that she needed diapers. She got them. I don't think I have seen that many diapers outside of a Wal-Mart aisle.

On Tuesday, Austin and I went to the library for new cards and to check out a few books. I may have checked out too many but I have 4 weeks to keep them and I can usually read a book in about a day and a half. These are easy reads.

Thursday morning my boss called to tell me that our annual merit increases were approved and will start on July 1st. It isn't a lot but something is better than nothing.

This evening I went with Grandma, Mom, niece, and two nephews to a kids/ mini float parade. These floats were really cute and it was a nice way to relax. Afterwards we ate taco's on Grandma's deck. Not a bad evening.

Tomorrow will be another busy day, so it is off to the shower and then bed.

Have a great weekend!

@#$% Monday

2011-06-20T15:12:00.000-06:00

And that is how I felt this morning.

I started reading Debbie Macomber's "A Turn in the Road" last night before I went to bed. Then I started to fall asleep. I turned out the light and lay in the darkness for almost an hour and sleep would not come. This went on until 3 am. Back and forth - read, fall asleep, drop book, wake up, turn off the light, lay in the dark wide awake. Then do it all over again. At about 2:30 my leg started getting twitchy, so I finally took a Tylenol PM. Should have done it BEFORE I went to bed. But that would have made too much sense.

Finally, I fell asleep (finished the book) then ignored the alarm clock, and the house clock that starts playing music on the hour at 7 am. Woke up at 8:30 ish, already late to work. Went to take a shower and had a trickle of water. Checked the house and yard to make sure we hadn't broken a pipe. Called the city - there was some sort of water problem (really?!? Couldn't have guessed.)- and had water again at 10:00.

Not a very good start to the day and definitely not what I had planned to post. A better post later. I promise.

I'm Peeved...Well maybe not so much

2011-06-15T00:16:00.000-06:00

What get's you peeved? Here - in no particular order -are some of my pet peeves. Little, big, silly, weird. Here you have it, at least what I could think of today.

People who drive on I-15 through the Utah County construction zone like they are qualifying for an Indy car race. Slow down people!!! I have family and friends working on the Interstate reconstruction project everyday.
When the under-wire in my bra breaks through the casing. Seriously!?!? With all of the technology in the world today, why can't Victoria's Secret come up with a revolutionary fabric that keeps the under-wire from breaking through. For $50, I expect my bra to be Teflon tough.
When I set down my glasses and can't find them again. No, I am not scatter brained - at least not when it comes to this - it is because I am so BLIND without my glasses that I can't see where I set the darn things. My vision is about 20/800. Yep. What the average person can see at 800 feet, I can see at 20.
Going to Wal-mart. I'm serious about this one. I am not a super fan of Wal-mart. I prefer to buy my groceries at a locally owned grocery store because they actually have the produce I am looking for. And forget buying clothes at Wal-mart. It seems you either need to be in the Miley Cyrus or Betty White category to find anything at all worth wearing. Well, except for sportswear. I do buy my workout clothes there. They are cheap and with any luck I will need to buy smaller sizes sooner rather than later.
Finding out important news about loved ones on Facebook. I am talking about things like family illnesses, or that my best friend has a new boyfriend. Somethings are worth an actual conversation folks.
Wasting half an hour texting when a 5 minute conversation would have taken up less time and gotten the job handled much quicker.
My work computer constantly crashing while I am trying to work on a specific project. It only happens on that project.
The almost constant use of the word God on television. One of the reason I rarely watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition is because of all of the kids who constantly say, "Oh my G". Call me weird but it bugs me. I am from Utah and prefer "Gosh".
Television shows that purposely use the F-word just to bleep it out. I hate hearing the bleeping bleeps, so leave the bleep word out of the bleeping show, so that there is no bleepin' bleeping.
Not being able to come up with a number ten on my peeved list.

So...what gets you peeved?

In Your Face...

2011-06-12T23:13:00.002-06:00

I am not a big sports fan unless it involves stock cars circling an oval for 3 1/2 hours and 500 miles - then I love it. My Grandma, however; is a huge basketball fan. She loves her Utah Jazz and then she loves watching the NBA Finals even if her Jazz are not playing. So, we have been watching the Finals here and I have to say that I've really gotten into it. But then I am like that. The big games are the ones I like watching. The Superbowl. The NBA Finals. The University of Utah Utes vs. the BYU Cougars (Go Utes!). In these games - except the Utes vs. the Cougs- I cheer for the underdog, usually they are the ones who deserve it the most. I am not sure how much of an underdog the Dallas Mavericks are but Grandma and I were cheering for them to win. What do you know, they did it. The Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat. It was awesome. It was fun to watch. So there..In your face Miami.

Now to my favorite sport...NASCAR...I along with a group of friends have a NASCAR pool going where each week we pick who we think will win and then get points for where they placed at the end of the race. The better your driver does the more points you earn, the more points you earn the better your chances of winning the pot of cash at the end of the season. For the first time, the driver I picked for a race actually won. Sure, it was Jeff Gordon and I am really NOT a fan of Jeff Gordon but his stats at this track were too good for me not to pick him. So there...In your face sister's boyfriend who thinks I don't know how to pick a driver. I can't wait to pass him up in points. Oh and Mixer Man is eating my NASCAR points dust. It's awesome!

Enjoying the weather...

2011-06-08T20:57:00.000-06:00

I am loving the sunny weather we are having this week. On Monday and Tuesday afternoon while making the trip to Grandma's from the old house, I rolled all of the windows down, turned the radio up, sang along at the top of my lungs, and smiled. Yes, SMILED. It felt wonderful.

Yesterday morning Grandma and I went to the nursery and bought flowers. Some Dahlia's, Zinnia's, Marigolds, and a few other things I can't remember the name of. The day didn't quite turn out as I had planned and the flowers didn't get planted until this evening. But I was able to get them in before the gale force winds kicked up. Looks like I will be picking up little tree limbs in the yard tomorrow.

This is what the flower bed locked like this morning.

This is the after. We still need to fill in some spaces but it looks great.

I wanted Grandma to share in the fun of planting and set her up next to the barrel. The perfect height for her to plant.


This has nothing to do with planting flowers but it is our favorite treat these days. We are almost out!!!!

Stick a fork in me...

2011-06-05T21:52:00.000-06:00

Image found at Google Images

I'm done. Well almost. Pretty much EVERYTHING went into storage today except the curio cabinet and TV. There just wasn't enough room left in the moving truck, my blazer, my sister's mini-van, and Mixer Man's truck. Later this week when I go over to clean, I will haul those last items over.

FYI, Mixer Man is the new name I've given to my friend John P. Yeah. Haven't blogged about him before or at least I don't think so. He and I have been friends for about 3 years. Yes, that is friends as in not really dating. Not really doing much of anything. But he tends to be around when I need him. Like when I need to move, when I need to play hookey from work for an hour or two and he happens to have the day off, when I need to go buy a gun, or when I absolutely NEED to go fishing. Yeah, he is good for those things. He is one of those been married, bought the t-shirt, don't really want to go there again type of guys. But oh well. Friends are always nice to have.

I think I have a thing for bald guys. Not the "Nature made me bald and I am fighting it so I'll just comb over or neatly style the remaining hair I have left" bald but the "Nature took some of my hair so let's shave the rest off " and the "I'd rather bic than style" bald. Those last two show a level of confidence I find highly attractive. Mixer Man is in that category and my other John - John B. - or Tri Guy is as well.

Tri-Guy and I have been friends for about 12 years. I spent too many of those years thinking maybe he would think I was the right girl for him. Now I know better and am really okay with it. He bought the same t-shirt as Mixer Man, and is a confirmed bachelor. No messy relationships to mess up his single, free-wheelin' mojo. When our friendship first started, we were working together, so dating was a real no-no. Since then, he has moved all over the continent and back. He is a triathlete hence the name Tri-Guy. Mixer Man runs a cement mixer. See how creative I am.

Perhaps I should end this cycle of bald men named John. It hasn't really worked thus far. But again, having friends is nice. Tri-guy is always good for dinner if he happens to be in town and our schedules mesh, which is usually about twice a year. This pattern is so consistent, we have begun to call them our bi-annual meetings. Mixer Man is around a lot more and is good for manual labor and outdoor activities. I figure I probably won't have a long term relationship until after my son graduates high school, so friends are better anyway.

This post has kind of gotten away from me. I am sure it is a direct result of how exhausted I am this evening. Hope all of you have a great week.

The Sun is Finally Shining

2011-06-01T21:41:00.000-06:00

I snagged this image from Google Images.

The sun was out today, both literally and figuratively. It was a bright, sunny day outside after days of rainy weather. My mood is also bright and sunny. It is amazing what a good ~~breakdown~~ cry can do for ones mood. In my case the ~~breakdown~~ crying lasted about two and a half days. But I feel so much better. Letting my feelings fester is never a good thing. It makes my moods worse and the happenings in my life seem monumentally overwhelming.

After the ~~breakdown~~ crying, I finished reading a book my cousin recommended. It is called "The Gifts of Imperfection". I will write a post about it another day. But finishing it made me realize I need to re-read the entire thing. Life got in the way between the time I started and the time I finished so some of the guideposts have been forgotten. It is a great book and I can think of a certain blogger friend who I would love to send a copy.

Anyway, things are looking brighter. I am getting settled into my Grandma's house and as soon as I get completely moved out of the other house things will be even better. I look forward to planting flowers with her, spending some time relaxing in the deck, and getting to know her and possibly myself better.

I hope the sun continues to shine and my outlook can be just as sunny.

Change

2011-05-30T23:31:00.000-06:00

I am discovering that change and I do not get along very well. I wish I were one of those people who embrace change and see it as an opportunity for growth. I’m not or at least I rarely am.

When something changes at work, I roll with it. I may not be 100% on board but oh well. I make the best of it and get by.   But in my personal life I am less likely to do that. I am not sure why. Maybe it has to do with how much control I have over the change. At work I have little control. The bosses say there is going to be a change and it happens. In my personal life, I am the majority stakeholder and therefore have say in almost all of the changes going on around me. So why is it so hard for me to get on board with changes that I play a vital role in instigating?

My move to my Grandma’s house, while it is a good thing for her and in the long run for me, is causing me a lot of anxiety and doubt that I am doing the right thing.   I am 98% sure my anxiety and doubt are just part of the whole moving process. I really dislike moving. And I am 98% sure that once I am fully moved out of my house and all of my belonging are safely tucked away in a secure and clean storage facility a lot of my worries will become tucked away as well.

My son - bless his heart - is totally cool with everything.

“Are you okay with moving to Grandma’s house?” I ask.

“Sure. Why not? It’s not forever.” He says with a shrug and goes about his business.

Really?!?! How can he be so calm about moving? He is a teenager!!! Why is Mom such a basket case and the teenager is the rock? Does this feel like an alternate universe to you as well?

Taking a calming deep breath…

To be clear, I really do not have a problem with moving in with Grandma. She shouldn’t be left alone for long periods of time and I am the logical person to stay with her for a few months.   I work from home so I will be here almost all the time. My lease was about to expire. It all fits.

I spoke with a friend today who told me my feelings about the move had more to do with losing my privacy than anything else. In a way she makes sense. I haven’t lived with anyone but my son in probably 10 years. Except for the few months about 6 years ago while I was building a house.

Having her say that puts it into perspective. And I realize it’s not just me giving up my privacy and space. It is a big change for my Grandma also.   Since her mini-stroke in January, she has lost almost all of her privacy. Someone is with her or around her almost all the time. How hard would that be?

I still dislike change. I will still stress and be anxious and basket case for a week or so but I think I will be okay. I just need to get moved. Get into a routine. Breath deeply. And all will be okay. I think.

Sunday Snippits

2011-05-30T00:06:00.001-06:00

Did you know that Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day? It began in May 1868 as a way to honor the nations Civil War dead. On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan "declared in General Order No. 11 that:

The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit (http://www.history.com/topics/memorial-day-history)."

After World War I, observances were held to honor all those who died in all of the American Wars. In 1971, Congress officially declared the last Monday in May as Memorial Day. ~ All facts courtesy of the www.history.com~

My Grandma still calls it Decoration Day.

*****

This past year my son took a Social Dance class where they learned how to waltz, tango, cha-cha, and such (I don't remember all of them). At the end of the year they performed the waltz and cha-cha at a dance performance that included all of the different dance classes. The Social Dance class was huge and by far the best. My videography skills need work but here is a snippet of one of the dances.

*****
I am moving into my Grandmother's house temporarily. I do not need to be out of my house until the 15th of June but we are here now - at least for the nights. I will continue to go to the other house to pack and work. My bed will go into storage and while I like the bed here, I could not sleep that first night. Then I brought over my own pillows and have slept like a baby. Sometimes we just need something of our own.

My temporary bed. Neatly pulled down for a solo nights sleep. The pillows in the blue cases are mine. The blankets on the other half of the bed will still be under the pillows in the morning.

*****
I need help. My blog is dull, boring, bland, ick. I work from home so there is little to no social interaction. My son would get a complex if I wrote about him all the time. Any ideas on how to make my blog better? The suggestion box is open.

And it's Wednesday...again

2011-05-25T21:56:00.000-06:00

Time is flying past and it seems like nothing that needs doing is getting done. But then I review my mental to do list and find that while I feel like I am not doing anything, stuff is actually getting done. I've rented a storage unit, packed some boxes, and I am sure there are other things but I am too tired to remember.

My son got his driver's license yesterday. It was kind of a pain in the backside process, which it shouldn't have been, but now it is done. Tonight I let him take the ol' blazer to a school dance. I debated all day about it but realized it was time. Yet another step towards his becoming an adult. I never have to teach another kid to drive or worry about them taking their first solo drive. It is a good yet somewhat sad feeling.

I had house guest's for the past week. They went back home today which I am not sure is the best thing but it is what it is. What I really missed while they were here were my daily naps. I love a good mid-morning or afternoon power nap. You know the kind where you lay down, close your eyes then wake up 30 minutes later feeling re-energized. Anyway, while they were here there were no naps and I am really feeling it.

I would love to go to sleep now but I need to wait for the teenage driver to return safely.

Blah...Blah...Blah

2011-05-18T23:33:00.000-06:00

1 - I don't realize how many days have past since I have last logged into Blogger or Facebook until I try to catch up. Then I realize that I missed some interesting stuff. Not necessarily on Facebook but from my bloggy friends. I would say that I will try to do better but it probably won't happen.

2- Something happened to me the other day. Some would say it was a spiritual prompting or whatever. I ignored it and something bad happened. It would have happened anyway but I still should have paid attention. That night in my prayers, I told Him that I don't do subtle. Next time strike me with lightening, throw a tree limb at me, help me to feel like I am not a crazy person if I tell someone about it.

3 - Project Me is not going so well. I don't feel different, better, or happier. It sucks. I've been reading "The Gifts of Imperfection" but can't seem to make myself finish.

4 - I have a love/hate relationship with the Biggest Loser. It motivates and depresses me at the same time. Make sense?

5- I checked out the Biggest Loser Diet online. You know the one where they send food to your home. It costs over $100 a week. That doesn't work for me when I also have to buy food for a 16 year old boy. I guess I need to make my own diet food. BLECH!

6 - DIET is my least favorite 4 letter word.

7 - I am really blessed to have such a great son. Austin is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Even if he is somewhat responsible in a round about way for the extra weight I've been carrying around for the last 16 years.

8- Anxiety and worry are my constant companions these days. I am anxious about moving in a few weeks and everything that entails. I am worried about my uncle who has been in the hospital for the last week. It doesn't look good.

9 - My feet are really cold so I should probably go to bed. I love having cold feet in bed. I know weird. But when my feet are too warm, I can't sleep.

10 - If you made it this far in my blah post. Congratulations! I hope you have a great Thursday. I am going to bed and will pray that I feel better tomorrow morning.

Day at the Museum

2011-05-09T23:13:00.002-06:00

One of my "Project Me" goals is to get out and do what I want to do - without talking myself out of it. I'm not sure why but Thursday I spent sometime online looking up local museums. I made a list and planned to visit a couple of Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP) museum. Friday morning and early afternoon was busier than anticipated and then I needed to make a trip to Lehi. But I still wanted to visit a museum. Lehi has a pretty good natural history museum that I thought my 5 year old nephew would love. I called my sister and offered to take her son for the day. Of course she said "Yes" and he and I were on our way.

After a long drive to Lehi, courtesy of I-15 construction, and a quick errand we found our way to the John Hutchings Natural History Museum. The last time I visited the museum was on an elementary school field trip so I wasn't sure what to expect. The museum exceeded my expectations.

Tracer in front of the museum

In 1955, John Hutchings and his wife, Eunice, donated their collections of rocks, minerals, fossils, shells, stuffed birds, eggs, Native American artifacts, pioneer items, Wild West guns and other memorabilia to the non-profit Museum corporation to be held in trust for the people of Lehi (Hutchings Museum Pamphlet). The collection continues to grow as others have donated their collections.

The museum is very inviting and kid friendly and well worth the price of admission - $4 for adults and $3 for children. There are thirteen different displays so there is a little but of something for everyone. Having an inquisitive five year old with me made the trip fun. Even though I probably missed about 40 percent of the items on display, his wonder and excitement were contagious.


Checking out the Caterpillars in the Butterfly and Insect Hall.

Signs showing a hand print means the exhibit is "Hands On" - allowing the kids to touch items on display. In the Bug Hall magnifying glasses are available to help the kids see all the icky bug details.

Petting an Armadillo shell as we walk into the Bird and Egg Room

Comparing his hand to an Allisaurus Claw in the Fossil and Shell Room.

Little Paleontologist

Trace loves dinosaurs and wants to be a Paleontologist so this exhibit was perfect for him. This activity display was finished the day before our visit and Trace was the first kid to try it out.


With a Camarasaurus bone.


In the Pioneer Room. He wouldn't go in the cave because there was not a "Hands On" sign.

Grinding corn (above) and tapping out a beat on a drum (below) in the Native American Room.

In the Wild West Room, I met an interesting man who was looking at the Porter Rockwell* exhibit. I took a picture of him next to the exhibit and will mail it to him but did not get his permission to post. The man studies all things Porter Rockwell related and owns the brand Porter Rockwell used for branding his horses. In a twenty minute conversation, I learned quite a bit about Porter Rockwell, more than what was depicted in the display.

I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I have been to larger, more expensive, and fancier museums but this one is high on my list of favorites. I would love to visit again. To the readers in Utah, I highly recommend taking the kids. You can find directions and more information at HERE.

As we were leaving Trace exclaimed "This is the best day ever!"

* Porter Rockwell is a colorful and controversial character in the history of the West and the LDS church. He was characterized as a gun-man and religious zealot. He was reputed to be the Mormon "Destroying Angel". He was a lawman and bodyguard to Brigham Young. He operated the "Hot Springs Brewery Hotel" (http://porterrockwellutah.com/). He is a legend in LDS history and the history of the West.

Priceless

2011-05-07T16:34:00.001-06:00

Corsage: $16.00
Dinner: $40.00
Wearing Grandpa's thirty year old tuxedo to prom: Priceless

"BZZZZ"

2011-05-05T00:27:00.000-06:00

Said the big, black fly before I swatted it out the of the air -mid flight -with my ninja fly-swatter skills. Yep. I did that. Pretty proud of it.

The title really should have been "Thursday Tidbits" since my mind is scattered all of the place.

I am really glad the President chose not to release the postmortem pictures of Osama Bin Laden. If the families who lost loved ones during the September 11 attacks would like to see them than the Pres. should make exceptions for them but they do not need to be released to the masses. Many say it is proof that he is dead. Really?!? In the digital age a picture can be manipulated to be almost anything you want it to be. Where is the proof in that.

I have discovered that one of my favorite statements/questions is "Really!?!"

SPF 70 sunscreen applied several time throughout the afternoon on Wednesday did not prevent my poor shoulders from getting a sunburn.

As my doctor was squishing the life out of "the girls" yesterday looking for lumps, he mentioned that there are some folks questioning the scientific validity of self-breast exams. Before I could spout off a sarcastic comment, he filled the void with "I didn't think science has a lot to do with self-exams anyway but it doesn't mean they aren't important." So ladies, scientist may not think they are valuable but we have to make sure we look out for ourselves. Bottom line: Self check.

For dinner last night, we made delicious Barbecue Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps courtesy of Rachel Ray and the Food Network website. Check them out if you are a fan of lettuce wraps but don't expect them to taste like PF Changs.

I finally got sick of Internet Explorer and downloaded Mozzila Firefox. Now I can actually read everyone's blogs without getting some funky IE error which then closes my browser. Delightful.

A friend called me today to get my weekly NASCAR driver pick, he always starts the conversation with "Hey Sugar Lips" which never fails to make me smile.

And that is all. Have a great Thursday everyone.

Yummy Buffalo Wings

2011-05-03T21:24:00.000-06:00

My favorite menu item at Chili's is the Boneless Buffalo Wings. There are days when I just crave them but rarely do I treat myself. Today I found a copy-cat recipe for these delicious spicy boneless wings HERE.

I modified the recipe a titch - replaced the hot sauce with KC Masterpiece Buffalo Marinade - and I think they tasted pretty darn similar to the original. I found that after frying all the chicken pieces and tossing them in the buffalo sauce, the chicken cooled a little too much for my taste, so next time I think I will throw them in a hot oven for a few minutes to keep them warm and help bake in the flavor of the sauce.

The finished project.
I left the Buffalo Sauce off a few of them and even those were delicious.

The finished product received kudo's from my sisters, a brother-in-law, and friend. My son wasn't a huge fan of the Buffalo Sauce but really enjoy the one's without. This is definitely one to add to the meal rotation.

I have to admit the ideal time for trying a new non-diet recipe is not the day I realized that it only took two months to gain back the ten pounds I lost during the previous six. However, these were worth it. I had mine on a salad so that should also count for something. Right?

Tomorrow's new recipe will be Rachel Ray's Lettuce Wraps. I'll let you know how they turn out.

Self Guilt? Not today...

2011-04-29T14:30:00.000-06:00

I took this week off of work hoping that I would accomplish something. I had plans for spring cleaning; wall washing, the whole nine yards, thinking that if I did those things now I wouldn't need to worry about them when I move out in June. It's Friday and I have accomplished nothing. I barely put the laundry away from last weekend. I know I should feel guilty.  It is in my genes. My Mom is the Queen of getting things done and piling on the self guilt when she hasn't accomplished what she set out to do. But somehow I can't find the guilt in spending a week doing very little which had been important or productive. I've been lazy and I have kind of enjoyed it.   Monday I went to my Grandma's house. Tuesday I went for a four-wheeler ride. Wednesday I went golfing for nine holes. Thursday I helped watch my sisters kids. And today, I have done a whole lot of nothin'.   I also visited the library but I can't recall what day. Read two books. Sort of read another in little bits and pieces here and there. Of course, this one is the important one but it will be finished shortly.

I scheduled my son's driving test so hopefully after May 9th he can legally drive without his Mom in the car. Apparently she is extremely annoying to drive with and has a permanent leg cramp from thinking she can slow down the car if she presses hard enough on the passenger side floor. Speaking of the Boy, he has been invited to yet another prom -   I guess I forgot to post about the first one - and since he listens so well to the teachings of his mother he had to say yes. (I told him he should always say "Yes" when a girl asks him out, unless it coincides with other plans, in which case he needs to make a date for another night, OR if he has a girlfriend.) But when did the girls start inviting the boys to the prom? At this point it is looking to be more cost effective to just buy the dang tux.

My sister will be here soon to take me over to my parents so that I can borrow my mom's car for some teenage driving experience. He will be using her car for his road test since mine is an embarrassment to mankind and I really don't want it to breakdown on the poor kid while he is taking the test.   So this weekend he gets to get "comfortable" in a decent car.

Hope all of you have an enjoyable and safe weekend.

Notes from the past...

2011-04-26T18:13:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I found treasure. It was disguised in a small red and white box simply labeled "books". Inside were 5 small notebooks. Seemingly innocuous enough that many people may have set them aside. Instead, I asked my Grandma, "What are these?" Her answer was simple enough, "They belonged to Les. He liked to write things down in them." These 5 small notebooks were a link to my Grandpa who passed away in 1993.

Reverently, I picked one out and opened it to the first page. On the back of the cover was written "Live. Live." Those two words brought tears to my eyes. More followed as I realized that some of these were written in the last few years of his life while he was battling cancer. I didn't know what to expect but I continued turning pages one by one in each notebook. These weren't filled with his thoughts or fears, instead I found to-do lists, lists of old country music songs, song lyrics, a few random thoughts, memo's to himself, notations about the time of the sunrise and sunset, drawings, calculations, and scripture references. I asked my Grandma about the last and she told me that he always read the scriptures, long before he started going to church and they were sealed in the LDS Temple in Salt Lake City.

I was lucky to know my Grandpa during the first 18 years of my life. I am lucky to have memories of him and I am lucky that I have a large extended family who shares their childhood stories. Yet the treasure I found yesterday made me feel closer to the man than I have since before he passed away. From his own day-to-day notes to himself I learned more about his sense of responsibility in the form his to-do lists, his love for his family, his love for the scriptures, and his love for music. Many of these I already knew based solely on my memories. But seeing these things in his own hand writing was something else entirely. As I looked at his lists of songs, I felt a kinship with him because I love many of the same old country songs as he did. His love of the scriptures is something I had never known about before. From his notes it was clear that he didn't just read the scriptures, he KNEW them, he thought about them and absorbed their meaning. They weren't just words to him.

I am so thankful to my Grandma for having the foresight to keep these small little treasures. I am sure when he wrote down these little things, he had no idea what they would mean to a granddaughter who found them years later. For a time yesterday, I felt as though I were closer to the him than ever. My last memory of him is no longer his prophetic words instructing me not to get married at age 18 - which I did anyway. My last memory happened yesterday as I read these notebooks and the words "Take the ribbon from your hair, shake it loose and let it fall" and sang along.

Joy Ride

2011-04-17T18:47:00.000-06:00

One of the many great things about where I live is my proximity to the mountains. From my house I can walk up the canyon road and in just a few minutes be surrounded by nature or I can hop on the four-wheeler and quickly be on the many trails and roads in the foothills; I don't even have to load it onto a trailer and drive there...I just ride from the house. This is exactly what a friend and I did a couple of days ago.

The weather has been iffy here lately: one day it is a beautiful, warm spring day and the next we wake up to snow. On one of the beautiful days we headed out about 4 in the afternoon and spent several hours riding the trails. Although, we were never more than 5 miles from home as the crow flies, we traveled a distance of about 20 miles. During one of our rare stops, I laid out along the seat, resting my head on the pack behind the seat and my legs stretched over the little dashboard. I closed my eyes and simply listened to the quiet. I could have stayed like that for hours. Instead we headed back out on the trails, exploring every single off shoot until it ended or met with another. We saw deer, squirrels, rabbits, and not another soul. It was a perfect day to visit nature. I even managed to take a few pictures with my phone. Ignore my poor photography skills, please.

An old mine shaft

My little town

View from one of our stops

Living the Present

2011-04-11T21:41:00.000-06:00

I love walking with my friend, Rachelle. Not only does my body feel better afterwards but more often than not so does my spirit. We talk about our day, kids, family, work whatever but we also talk about the deeper stuff. Both of us suffer from the negative self-talk, feeling inadequate, frustrated, etc. You name it. So instead of feeling like I need to put on a perfect face and act as though life is fine and dandy, I can share with her my imperfections and she can share hers with me. In the process of sharing these things, I almost always feel less. Less frustrated. Less depressed. Less helpless. Less at a loss as to what to do with my world. Today was no exception.

I had one of those “Ah Ha” moments where you say something insightful without even realizing it. We were talking about a book I am reading which then turned into a small talk about whether or not acceptance of a situation means settling. I don’t think it does. I think accepting where you are in life simply means that you know this is where you are now but not necessarily where you will be in the future but you allow yourself to enjoy and live in the moment. This is not something that I do. Instead I see how I want something to be in my future and when something changes the image I have created, I desperately miss what hasn’t even happened. Now this is where the insightful words come in – I am sure this is not exactly how I said it but the meaning is the same: We are too worried about what we may miss in the future that it holds us back from living and enjoying the present.

As one of my Project Me goals, I am going to live and enjoy the present. The future is still out there but it hasn’t yet been defined. I will accept my present life and enjoy the moments that are now, while keeping an open mind about the future. I hope whoever is reading this does or will do the same.

Productivity is exhausting

2011-04-08T19:35:00.001-06:00

Wednesday night after my Procrastination post I made a list of everything I needed to get done on Thursday. I made it through the majority of the list. Adding my backlog (really not as bad as I make it sound) and an unusually busy workday, I spent about 10 hours siting at the computer in my home office. I wanted to be productive but not necessarily that productive yet I still managed to complete the few home related tasks on the list as well. Yay Me!

Today was an equally productive day. A few morning meetings, a report to create, lunch, and an afternoon meeting with more report work. Phew. Not done yet though. Lunch was with my Mom, one of my sisters, and sister-in-law to celebrate my Mom's 60th birthday. Seriously, she does not look 60. Then there were a few errands, a stop at the tux place for my son to pick up and try on his tux, the grocery store, a pick up for the corsage, a 30 mile round trip to take the son to his dad's then home to more work in the home office. Productivity is exhausting.

Procrastination

2011-04-06T21:20:00.000-06:00

I am finally ready to admit it...I am a procrastinator. I even procrastinate my plan to stop procrastinating. Today I told myself that tomorrow I would stop procrastinating and do everything that has been piling up. Why not do it today? No good reason. Just didn't want to. See procrastination. And I need to stop typing procrastination because the more I do the more it just look like a really weird word. However, tomorrow I will do better than I did today, I even plan to write a list of things to do but it is kind of late so maybe I should do that tomorrow as well.

I saw this quote the other day: "Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm." Perhaps lack of enthusiasm accounts for not only my depression but also my procrastination. Really, I don't procrastinate the things I want to do, only the things I have to do. Okay...That's a lie. There are things I want to do that I still procrastinate. I have a whole list. Maybe someday I will share that list. I know I have mentioned the list before but haven't gotten around to posting it.

Maybe tomorrow, I stop procrastinating and even blog about my success. But maybe I'll wait until Friday. We'll see how enthusiastic I am about it.

Project Me

2011-03-24T12:52:00.001-06:00

This year I have been working on “Project Me”. The objective of Project Me is to bring joy, hope, love, and self confidence back into my life. And it all starts with ME. It is a project I can’t map out with time-lines and due dates which makes it harder to realize the milestones and see the successes. There a roadblock to the project and ironically it is me. I am my own worst enemy in trying to find the better me within. Negative self-talk and doubt all work to clutter my mind and cast out the positive. It is constant and tiresome war but there are some battles where the good me is making some headway.

Last night I remembered that “Project Me” isn’t a solo project. I need supportive friends and family to help me win the battles. Needing to reach out to someone, I called my friend, Andrea. Even though it was late – almost 11 – she and I spoke for over an hour. She asked about my weight loss and I responded that it wasn’t where I wanted to be but that I had lost a few pounds. The loving person she is reminded me that any success large or small is a success and should not be followed up with “it is not good enough”. As I was lamenting over a particular jack-wagon who has decided not to return my phone calls and treat me like I don’t exist, she kindly reminded me that it is not my fault if he chooses to be that way. I should not take blame and allow him to make feel like less of a person. Can you see why I called her? It is support like this that will help Project Me succeed.

Another hurdle in the Project is boredom. I am just plain bored and with boredom comes self-doubt and with self-doubt comes every other negative thought. I’ve been trying to battle the boredom by reading, blogging, and finding random things to do around the house but it isn’t quite enough. Eventually, I need to find something I am passionate about where I can use up my bored energy.

I have a list of things I want to do and goals I want to achieve that I need to dust off and organize into a workable list yet something holds me back. I think it is fear of failure. Maybe after I write this, I will pull it out and try to put the fear aside.

I know my posts lately tend to lean toward the more depressed side and I am trying not to bring anyone down. But I find this to be a good outlet to express these thoughts and put my words into action. Hopefully, there will be more posts about the progress and success of “Project Me.”

Dating....

2011-03-23T13:42:00.000-06:00

I don’t date. Even the idea of a free meal or a night out isn’t enough to lure me back into the dating world. Sure, I want a companion in my life but I don’t want to kiss a zillion frogs to find the one that MIGHT be a prince. In my experience dating requires too much effort with results that are hardly worth the extra thirty minutes spent to look your best.

Many, many people try – some succeed – to meet people though online dating. I have tried and failed. Then tried and failed again. I don’t know if it is me not putting enough effort into it or if it is the lack of men on the sites who show an interest in me. Either way my experiences in that arena have been less than stellar. Some have been quite memorable if only because years later I can laugh at the experience but more on that later.

I find online dating similar to shopping at the grocery store. Everyone puts their face and nickname on a label facing the aisle, their “About me:” information faces the back wall. Inside the can is the real person, their personality, hopes, dreams, family life, and so on. Potential mates wander the aisles looking at the labels – some pretty, some plain, some scary. If you’re lucky one will stop and take a longer look. Even luckier, they will take the can off the shelf and read the back label. Some will even go so far as to put the can in the cart. The potential mate takes a little bit of time to familiarize themselves with the cans in their cart, slowly weeding out those that are less appealing. Eventually, they may take one or two to the checkout counter – actually requesting a date. From there they open the can to find the prize inside. The problem is that most people never go beyond looking at the picture on the label.

It may never happen for me but I would rather meet someone in a more organic way, through friends or family, or that someone you know but have never really gotten to know well. After that, I want to get to know them, become friends, then potentially more. I don’t want to be looking through the internet dating supermarket. Is that so wrong? Am I old-fashioned in thinking people can still meet in the real world instead of online? Either way, I just can’t bring myself to once again label the can and put myself on the shelf.

If you’ve stayed this long you deserve a tale from my online dating hall of shame. This one is about GPS guy. GPS guy wasn’t too bad too look at; he even had a decent personality the few time we chatted on the phone or through e-mail. When he picked me up for the date he was excited. Not about me though - about being able to look for Geo-Caches all around my community. He spent some time on the computer looking for stashes, then programmed the good ‘ole GPS to tell him where to find these treasures. Always willing to try something new, I went along on this little adventure.

The first was across the street at the city building in a little monument. We couldn’t find it. Shucks. The second was at the cemetery. That’s right. The cemetery. My sense of adventure began to wane at the thought of people putting these caches in a cemetery. Hardly the proper place. The next one was in a neighborhood that I used to live in and knew well. My mistake was thinking I could give him the directions instead of relying on Ms. GPS. When I said turn right, Ms. GPS said, “In one mile, turn right.” To which I replied, “The next right turn is up over the mountain and down the other side” but hey, what do I know. I only live here. After a mile, and realizing Ms. Snooty –GPS was wrong he finally turned around. Keeping my mouth shut, we found the next cache site and spent several wasted minutes looking for nothing. It wasn’t there. The next site required following a dirt road up the mountain and hiking a little ways. Again I knew the exact place, but decided to keep my mouth shut. As we left the truck and began our little hike, I made yet another mistake. I began telling him how I would ride up there on my four-wheeler and once got stuck. He then proceeded to tell me all about how ATV riders ruin the terrain by littering and not following designated trails, and on and on and on. As he is ranting about the evil ATV riders, he was thrashing through a stand of scrub oak, pulling out branches, tossing them aside, and generally making a mess of the area. Finally, he found the cache, a small black plastic toolbox (litter, in my opinion) filled with nothing remotely interesting (a band-aid, notebook, action figure - litter in a box). My ATV riding brain was thinking, “Pot? Kettle?” I made less of an impact on my little four-wheeler.

After that the date was pretty much over. I didn't even get a free meal out of the deal. Needless to say, I never saw GPS guy/ATV hater again.

Peace?

2011-03-19T19:10:00.001-06:00

Today my normally peaceful house has been overrun by various nieces and nephews. My nieces called to ask if they could come over and make muffins - my sister's oven is not working. When my sister brought them over she conveniently left my 5 year old nephew. After muffins were made and eaten they then drew pictures and painted. After several hours, I took them home and came back for a few short hours of peace. The peace was again disrupted when my brother pulled in with his two boys. They get to spend the night with Aunt Amy and Cousin Austin, while their parents enjoy a kid free evening. So far, so good. They are watching a movie with my son down stairs while I enjoy a little bit of quiet upstairs.

There are days when the quiet in my house is so overwhelming that I have to turn the television on just to hear something other than my own thoughts, yet how quickly I miss that quiet when the house is full of kids demanding attention. I do love having the kids around. I am glad that they want to come and visit us. It is nice to be the aunt they enjoy spending time with. But it is also nice that I get to send them home again.

So for tonight there is little peace and quiet to be had in my house but come tomorrow morning, silence will reign again. I am still not sure which one I like best.

I...

2011-03-15T16:34:00.001-06:00

I was trying to come up with something to blog about other than my intense dislike for a certain person. It is definitely unhealthy and I need to do what my son often says, "Cry a river, build a bridge, and get over it!" So instead of ranting about her and giving her too much of my time, I stole this idea from here.

I am… standing on the edge of something but don’t know what it is or how to get over, under, or around it.

I want… to feel wonderful and happy.

I have… too much time on my hands.

I wish… I were in love.

I know…that I need to get out more.

I hate…being hurt.

I hear…not so nice self talk.

I crave… hugs.

I search… for the me that I once was.

I always… think too much and do too little.

I usually…drive to the gas station every morning and get a Coke.

I miss…passion.

I love… my son.

I never…date.

I rarely…feel truly happy.

I cry… too often.

I lose…pens

I should…be kinder to myself.

I worry…about the future.

I dream…about losing people and finding them again...yes, I really do that.

I was…going to have a better day today.

I need… to lose weight.

I can…learn to love myself.

Ticking Clock

2011-03-14T22:30:00.000-06:00

My son is taking a child development class this semester and over the weekend he brought home a “Real Baby”. It is a doll the acts somewhat like a real baby. It cries to be fed, burped, changed, or held. There are sensors on the baby’s body that react to a bracelet the student wears and then the baby records how long it took to be picked up after it started to cry, how hard the student patted its back to be burped, and whether or not the head was supported correctly. It comes with a bottle which also has a sensor so the baby can read how often it is fed. There are two diapers, also with sensors, and he had to make sure he was alternating between the two when he changed the diapers. The baby coo’s, laughs, and sighs but she mainly cries.

It was my son’s weekend to stay at his dad’s house so I missed out on all the baby “fun”. But last night while the baby was here at our house, I could hear it cry a little during the night and that sweet, little, realistic cry tugged at something I have suppressed for years – the little clock ticking away at my baby making time.

The ticking is actually very faint and has slowed – somewhat like an old clock right before the battery dies – but it is still there (I am only 36 after all). It makes me wonder what I may have missed in my life by only having one child, by not getting remarried, or having a “traditional” family. I look at pregnant women and feel a little jealousy because it is likely that I will never experience that again. Then I look at my son – my sixteen year old son- and think, if I were to get married and have another child my son would be an adult and I would have a baby. I know people do it all the time but I don’t think it is really my style.

So I listen to my clock tick and feel a little tug in my belly when I hear a baby cry or laugh but instead of looking back on what might have been, I try to look forward to what could be. God willing, there will be babies in my future – grandbabies. And when that time comes – hopefully at least 6 or 7 years down the road – I will take all the extra love stored up inside and pour it out on them. In the meantime, I will enjoy my son and the blessing that he is and knowing each day with him is a gift.

Is there someone...

2011-02-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

Is there someone you know who you just don't like? I hate to admit it, but there is a woman I know who I just do not like. I have tried to "get over it" but I can't seem to get past it. She has no impact on my day to day life but whenever I see her or hear her name I cringe. Whenever I see her I say and do all the polite and correct niceties but I feel like hundreds of little bugs are crawling all over my skin. How sad is that?

Really, I don't spend a lot of time dwelling on disliking this person but I sure wouldn't mind if she moved far, far away. So I ask, is there someone in your life who you have taken a serious dislike to?

Passed Over

2011-02-18T00:14:00.000-07:00

As a rule, I don't blog about work stuff but this week has sort of sucked so I thought I would share. There is a huge upside to my job: I get to work from home. So I can be a stay at home mom and work full time. Okay being a stay at home mom isn't as cool with a 16 year old as it would have been when he was six but it is still a huge blessing. Sometimes working at home can be a little boring because the social aspect isn't there but my job is pretty solitary anyway. When I was driving to the office everyday, I rarely spoke with anyone because I was the only person in the building who does what I do and my boss is halfway across the country.

The down side to my job: No matter how much effort I put into being the best I can be at my job, mentoring and training my fellow employees, accepting any new challenge that comes my way, and taking the time to train myself on whatever it is I don't know - I have not been able to get bumped up into the next pay grade. My former boss tried to get HR to bump be up - FAIL. My current boss has tried - FAIL. So a couple of weeks ago when an employee in my group left the company, a spot opened up in the higher pay grade. At the encouragement of my boss, I applied. Same job, same responsibilities, higher pay. Sounds great. I aced my interview. I have all of the qualifications. But when it came right down to it, I was passed over.

I have to admit, the woman who was offered the position is more qualified and deserves it for the additional amount of work she does beyond what our job descriptions entail. While I am upset at being passed over, I am proud of myself for trying. Maybe the next one will be mine.

Fishing Daydreams

2011-02-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind. ~Washington Irving

2003 - Provo River

I do not mind winter..really. It is only temporary after all. By the time I am sick and tired of the cold and wet, the weather changes and the tulips start popping up.

The downfall of winter...I don't fish in the winter. I could go ice-fishing if I had the appropriate gear but I don't. I know there are places to fish but cold and water together make it unappealing. Instead, I daydream about fishing. More specifically - fly-fishing.

About 7 years ago I took a fly-fishing class that included an evening of guided fishing on the Provo River. Not a bad deal for fifty bucks. Since then I have been hooked...at least on the idea anyway. I haven't really done much since then. I fish all through the spring, summer, and fall but it is with my regular rod and reel. During this time, my fishing gear is always in the back of my car. Ready to go at a moments notice.

This year the fly-rod is going to be packed in with everything else. I have stripped the line off the reel, cleaned it, and hung it up (This helps get the "memory" out of the line making it easier to cast). My reel has been cleaned. My dad and I have tied a few flies. Now I just need to wait for the weather to warm up enough that I am comfortable near the water. Until then, I will continue to daydream. Make sure my gear is ready. Read up on the nuances of fly-fishing: casting, reading the water, and a little Entomology. I'll spend a little time tying flies and pouring over fishing magazines with my dad.

I don't catch many fish. It isn't even why I go. I go for the quiet. The relaxation. For me it is a time of calm. My anxiety flees as soon as my line hits the water and for that short amount of time, I am at peace. Until I get out there again I will daydream of fishing and hope some of that peace seeps through the cold and gloom to warm up my day.

A Country Heart

2010-11-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

I love country music! Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Reba, George Strait, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Chris Ledoux - I love it all. The more country twang the better. Add banjo, fiddle, and steel guitar and I love it even more.

I am sure part of my love of country comes from my family. Grandpa played guitar (and a few more instruments I'm sure) and Grandma played the banjo. A couple of my uncles play and one still performs with his band. I remember riding in the car with Grandma and Grandpa to family reunions listening to scratchy recordings of some really old time country singers. I think Grandpa recorded them by holding his cassette recorder to the record player. As kids we would go to my grandparents house at least once a week and sometimes we would watch "Hee Haw" with them. On the ride home, my mom always had the radio tuned to a country station, I would close my eyes and just listen.

I write this post because last night was the CMA awards. One of my favorite singer's these days is Miranda Lambert. She was nominated for 9 awards and won 3. She also had the honor of singing "Coal Miner's Daughter" with Sheryl Crow and one of my all time favorite country ladies, Loretta Lynn. I missed it on the show because I had to work but caught the clip on You Tube. I am so sentimental, I became a little choked up.

Overall, I really enjoyed the show. Brad Paisley made an excellent host and won "Entertainer of the Year". George Strait performed, still sounding great, and looking good. The Zac Brown Band performed my current favorite song "As She's Walking Away" with Alan Jackson. Miranda got a little crazy with "That's The Way That The World Goes Round". I can say that 'cause even her fiancee Blake Shelton did the finger circle by his head when the camera was on him during her performance. Little Jimmy Dickins made an appearance in snorkeling gear as the Nashville flood warning system.

I am one lady who will always be a country girl at heart and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Cha-ching!

2010-11-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

When I dropped off the red and white hat pictured in my previous post, the lady order 5 more hats and a scarf. Kids, we are halfway to getting a Wii for Christmas.

Project Pictures

2010-11-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

I am always saying that I will post pictures later. Well, friends, here are some pictures. Finally.

These are some of the projects I have made lately. Excuse the bad photography skills

I made these afghans for two of my nieces.

All of them now have one.

I made the green slouchy beanie for my son to wear to football games, etc. The green and white are his school colors. A woman from church saw him wearing it and wanted one made for her - only a little more feminine. She is a teacher and wanted the burgundy and white to match her school colors.

(The dates on the pictures are wrong. Someone messed up the date on his camera.)

This is the first ever sweater I made but have yet to wear. My sister is modeling it because she is smaller and it looks better on her. She isn't getting it though!

Towel toppers for the holiday towels I have had in a box for two years.

I love the colors in this scarf.

I have made more hats in different styles but haven't taken pictures of them yet. The burgundy and white hat is being dropped off this evening in exchange for some money. Yep. I actually sold it to her instead of my usual "Sure, I can make you one", the transaction was made by Austin, "My mom will make you one for 15 bucks." Or something like that. SOLD!

No Soliciting

2010-11-09T01:20:00.000-07:00

Two guys rang my doorbell this evening while I was in the office working. My son answered the door and since it was snowing outside, he let them in out of the cold.

Who were these men? Door to door salesmen trying to sell me a home security system.

During their spiel they tried to convince me that one of my neighbors had a break in recently and there were four other home break-in’s in my neighborhood in the past few weeks. I live in a cul-de-sac and haven’t heard a thing about this.

I politely refused their services before telling them I had work to do and they needed to leave. I ushered them out of the door, turning the deadbolt as soon as it closed. Then gave me son the “you know better” lecture about letting them in the house, ending with “I don’t care if it’s a freaking blizzard they can darn well freeze to death before you let anyone like that in the house!!”

The truth is these guys freaked me out. I didn’t appreciate them trying to scare me into signing up for a security system. I can’t help but feel like they were casing the joint to see if we were an easy target for a break-in. My mind instantly went to the scenario where they or someone they hire break into my house in order to scare me into getting a security system. I was even afraid of leaving my house to run to the store in case they were waiting for an opening. This led to further home invasion scenario’s running through my mind. I then felt vulnerable seeing as the only “man” in the house is a sixteen year old.

To top off the scary thoughts, the ten o’clock news carried a story about a man who shot and killed a nineteen year old who was attempting to break into his house. It doesn’t look like any charges will be filed against him because he actually caught the kid trying to break the lock on the door.

I don’t like feeling vulnerable. I don’t like people trying to make me feel as though I am in danger. In fact it really, really ticks me off. So tonight, the porch light is on. The gun is loaded but in a safe place. And even though I am single and relatively alone, I still have a way to defend myself. It isn’t a false sense of security but the knowledge that an intruder may have to face the barrel of a loaded .357 will definitely help me sleep a little better tonight. Of course the dog in the back yard helps too.

Tomorrow, I am getting a “no soliciting” sign.

Oh, please keep any anti-gun ownership comments to yourself. I get it. Some people don't like them. I do.