Yes, I'm a slacker. It's been a month since I posted anything and I have a TON to post!
There are the pics and fun from my trip to Washington, DC. The details of the cold I got on the way home and the ensuing sinus infection (I know, this is the post everyone is waiting for). Then there's the post on Integrity (which I need to write in order to pass off that project in my Young Women Personal Progress). What else? Oh yeah! We gotta cover yesterday's news and see the pictures of the HUGE hole in the wall in Mom and Dad's bathroom after Dad "moved wrong" and plunged (what we think was) his shoulder into the wall.
There's lots to cover and I promise I will get to it. In fact, I'm still missing the post and pics from our Bake-A-Thon 2011 with my two cutie-pie nephews. See? Lots to get to. Just know that I'm working on it and hope this weekend allows for a little free time to catch up on everything.
6/17/11
5/17/11
Life Lessons
Life Lesson #1: Things ain't always easy
The last two weeks have been complete and utter chaos. So. Much. Going. On. Despite everything that has happened, the three constants are family, church, and friends. Life ain't always easy, but it's always worth it.
Life Lesson #2: There are some things you can't change
Like your age. Or your luck. Or sickness. Or death. Don't dwell on the things you can't change; dwell on the things you CAN change that will actually bring you more happiness. It's not easy. Of the things you can change, your attitude is the best place to start.
Life Lesson #3: Some things ain't fun, but you gotta do 'em anyway
Like having to find a way to talk about modesty and being lady-like in your young women's class without offending anyone, hurting any feelings, or making someone feel like they don't belong at church. Everyone belongs at church. If you don't know the expectations, you can't really do what you're expected. Teach the expectations. Then, love the people you teach them to whether the meet them or not.
Life Lesson #4: There will be winter, but spring always comes
The past two years I've battled a severe onset of winter blues. This year has been especially bad because as I type this it's stormy outside. Meh. As much as I love seeing the clouds over the mountains and skiffs of snow on the benches, it would be really nice to see some pretty colors budding on the trees and smell some pretty flowers. Winter may still exist, but eventually I know we will have spring. The Savior had a serious winter, and then a glorious spring three days later. Perhaps that's why our year is divided into quarters of three months .... Spring always comes.
Life Lesson #5: Sometimes they run ahead a little
Last night I learned that burying your 11-year-old nephew's dog (twice) that was hit and killed by a car in your skirt and Sunday shoes while it's drizzling rain is totally worth it. That makes no sense with the title of this life lesson, but let me explain. My niece, Erika, and I buried my nephew Ryan's dog, Rocky, last night after he ran into the street where an oncoming car hit and killed him while my 6-year-old nephew, Ben, watched it all happen. (The parents of the boys were supposed to be enjoying an anniversary dinner, darnit.) When I got to the house to help Erika bury Rocky, Ryan was in tears and very upset. We worked at getting the hole big enough and the boys pitched in on the shoveling. Ryan found a rock for a headstone and we buried Rocky. When the parents got home, it was suggested that we move Rocky to a better spot where the lawnmower wouldn't eat the headstone to bits. Yes, we buried the dog twice. But it was worth it. Totally worth it. After he was buried (the second time), Ryan was asked if he wanted to say anything. I'd asked him earlier (when we buried Rocky the first time), but he was crying too hard and couldn't say anything. He was still crying the second time he was asked, so my brother said something in Ryan's place. He said, "Rocky was a good dog. We loved him. The best thing about Rocky is that he was always ready to go. He'd run ahead a little and then turn around and wait for you to catch up." I pointed out to Ryan a little later that all Rocky had done was run ahead of him a little, but he was definitely waiting for Ryan to catch up. It convinced me even more that life goes on for every living thing after death. Whether there's one heaven for everything, or one heaven for every thing it doesn't matter. What we cared for and loved in this life, human or not, will be part of our heavenly existence in the next life. Heavenly Father loves us too much to keep Ryan and Rocky from being together again, whether it's daily visits for a walk or weekly visits for a serious game of catch. We will all have people and animals and lives we care about that run ahead of us a little. The important thing is that we will eventually catch up. And when we do, it will be a glorious, tear-filled, joyous reunion. And it will be worth every minute of waiting we have to do.
Lessons learned.
The last two weeks have been complete and utter chaos. So. Much. Going. On. Despite everything that has happened, the three constants are family, church, and friends. Life ain't always easy, but it's always worth it.
Life Lesson #2: There are some things you can't change
Like your age. Or your luck. Or sickness. Or death. Don't dwell on the things you can't change; dwell on the things you CAN change that will actually bring you more happiness. It's not easy. Of the things you can change, your attitude is the best place to start.
Life Lesson #3: Some things ain't fun, but you gotta do 'em anyway
Like having to find a way to talk about modesty and being lady-like in your young women's class without offending anyone, hurting any feelings, or making someone feel like they don't belong at church. Everyone belongs at church. If you don't know the expectations, you can't really do what you're expected. Teach the expectations. Then, love the people you teach them to whether the meet them or not.
Life Lesson #4: There will be winter, but spring always comes
The past two years I've battled a severe onset of winter blues. This year has been especially bad because as I type this it's stormy outside. Meh. As much as I love seeing the clouds over the mountains and skiffs of snow on the benches, it would be really nice to see some pretty colors budding on the trees and smell some pretty flowers. Winter may still exist, but eventually I know we will have spring. The Savior had a serious winter, and then a glorious spring three days later. Perhaps that's why our year is divided into quarters of three months .... Spring always comes.
Life Lesson #5: Sometimes they run ahead a little
Last night I learned that burying your 11-year-old nephew's dog (twice) that was hit and killed by a car in your skirt and Sunday shoes while it's drizzling rain is totally worth it. That makes no sense with the title of this life lesson, but let me explain. My niece, Erika, and I buried my nephew Ryan's dog, Rocky, last night after he ran into the street where an oncoming car hit and killed him while my 6-year-old nephew, Ben, watched it all happen. (The parents of the boys were supposed to be enjoying an anniversary dinner, darnit.) When I got to the house to help Erika bury Rocky, Ryan was in tears and very upset. We worked at getting the hole big enough and the boys pitched in on the shoveling. Ryan found a rock for a headstone and we buried Rocky. When the parents got home, it was suggested that we move Rocky to a better spot where the lawnmower wouldn't eat the headstone to bits. Yes, we buried the dog twice. But it was worth it. Totally worth it. After he was buried (the second time), Ryan was asked if he wanted to say anything. I'd asked him earlier (when we buried Rocky the first time), but he was crying too hard and couldn't say anything. He was still crying the second time he was asked, so my brother said something in Ryan's place. He said, "Rocky was a good dog. We loved him. The best thing about Rocky is that he was always ready to go. He'd run ahead a little and then turn around and wait for you to catch up." I pointed out to Ryan a little later that all Rocky had done was run ahead of him a little, but he was definitely waiting for Ryan to catch up. It convinced me even more that life goes on for every living thing after death. Whether there's one heaven for everything, or one heaven for every thing it doesn't matter. What we cared for and loved in this life, human or not, will be part of our heavenly existence in the next life. Heavenly Father loves us too much to keep Ryan and Rocky from being together again, whether it's daily visits for a walk or weekly visits for a serious game of catch. We will all have people and animals and lives we care about that run ahead of us a little. The important thing is that we will eventually catch up. And when we do, it will be a glorious, tear-filled, joyous reunion. And it will be worth every minute of waiting we have to do.
Lessons learned.
5/13/11
LDS with LDS
For a while now I've had a weird patch of skin on my left leg. It was achy and stiff and painful to press. The skin was tight and sort of itched occasionally. It was red and would sometimes swell (most recently to the size of a softball on the day before Mom's birthday after I stood on my feet for about 11 hours and baked four cakes ...). Basically, it was getting annoying and with my upcoming flight I was a tad worried it might be something that wouldn't be good to fly with. Last Sunday, after talking to my sister-in-law (who is an RN), Mom and I drove to the ER. Sixty dollars later: no diagnosis and a referral to the dermatologist with the explanation on the form as a "skin lesion." Ooh. Sounds lovely.
Yesterday morning I went to the dermatologist. I was just hoping and praying it wasn't cancer. We'd already ruled out cellulitis and blood clots, so that was good. The doctor took one look at it and said, "You have a rare disease called Lipodermatosclerosis." Say what?! He briefly explained it and prescribed two meds: Prednisone (steroid) and Lasix (water pill) to be taken on alternating days for four weeks. Oh, and AmLactin, some lotion that works wonders on skin disorders, which we will look for at Costco tomorrow. Hoorah. Then, I get to go back and see him in four weeks to assess how things are coming along. He wasn't bad to look at, so going back isn't a problem. Plus, the look on his face when I told him I'd lost 230 pounds and that I was sure my previously extra hugeish size had probably caused the dang rare disease was priceless.
Anyway, I Googled the "rare disease" this morning and, boy howdy, some of the photos are just, well, nasty. He did say I have a mild case. Guess he wasn't kidding. Thank heavens Mom forced me to go when she did! I guess it can really cause some serious problems if you let it go. The description of the disease is: Lipodermatosclerosis (aka LDS) is a skin and connective tissue disease. It is a form of lower extremity panniculitis (or in other words, an inflammation of fat under the epidermis [aka skin]). Phew! Try explaining THAT to people. And it really is rare, according to the NIH (National Institute of Health). It occurs mostly in middle-aged and obese people. Well, I'm middle-aged (just in number, not in behavior) and I was super-morbidly obese 2 1/2 years ago (now I'm just regularly fat), so all of that combined is probably what caused the disease. How freakish is that?
I'd post pictures they showed online, but some of them really grossed me out and I don't want any of my one readers to lose their lunch. Besides, I want to eat Mexican food for lunch and I don't know if I could do it with those images floating around in my brain. Ick. The good news is the doctor thinks it can be reversed since I have a "mild case." The bad news is I have to take meds while I'm on vacation in DC, one of which is a water pill, so Shauna will have to stop every 30 minutes every other day so I can pee. The good news is that my sister-in-law said I'll probably lose a couple of pounds on the water pill. The bad news is it probably won't be the other 30 pounds I didn't lose after surgery. The good news is I don't have cellulitis, blood clots, or cancer. The bad news is I still can't wear shorts without making people vomit. Ah, such small prices to pay for all the good news, right? Yep. I think so.
Oh, and the title "LDS with LDS" ... I just thought it was funny that my "rare disease" has the same acronym as my faith. I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Lipodermatosclerosis. So I'm LDS with LDS. Booyah! That's got to mean I'm an extra faithful member or something doesn't it? Since I contracted a disease with the same acronym? Right? Rrrrrrrrrrrrrright.
Crazy lady signing off,
Katiedid It
Yesterday morning I went to the dermatologist. I was just hoping and praying it wasn't cancer. We'd already ruled out cellulitis and blood clots, so that was good. The doctor took one look at it and said, "You have a rare disease called Lipodermatosclerosis." Say what?! He briefly explained it and prescribed two meds: Prednisone (steroid) and Lasix (water pill) to be taken on alternating days for four weeks. Oh, and AmLactin, some lotion that works wonders on skin disorders, which we will look for at Costco tomorrow. Hoorah. Then, I get to go back and see him in four weeks to assess how things are coming along. He wasn't bad to look at, so going back isn't a problem. Plus, the look on his face when I told him I'd lost 230 pounds and that I was sure my previously extra hugeish size had probably caused the dang rare disease was priceless.
Anyway, I Googled the "rare disease" this morning and, boy howdy, some of the photos are just, well, nasty. He did say I have a mild case. Guess he wasn't kidding. Thank heavens Mom forced me to go when she did! I guess it can really cause some serious problems if you let it go. The description of the disease is: Lipodermatosclerosis (aka LDS) is a skin and connective tissue disease. It is a form of lower extremity panniculitis (or in other words, an inflammation of fat under the epidermis [aka skin]). Phew! Try explaining THAT to people. And it really is rare, according to the NIH (National Institute of Health). It occurs mostly in middle-aged and obese people. Well, I'm middle-aged (just in number, not in behavior) and I was super-morbidly obese 2 1/2 years ago (now I'm just regularly fat), so all of that combined is probably what caused the disease. How freakish is that?
I'd post pictures they showed online, but some of them really grossed me out and I don't want any of my one readers to lose their lunch. Besides, I want to eat Mexican food for lunch and I don't know if I could do it with those images floating around in my brain. Ick. The good news is the doctor thinks it can be reversed since I have a "mild case." The bad news is I have to take meds while I'm on vacation in DC, one of which is a water pill, so Shauna will have to stop every 30 minutes every other day so I can pee. The good news is that my sister-in-law said I'll probably lose a couple of pounds on the water pill. The bad news is it probably won't be the other 30 pounds I didn't lose after surgery. The good news is I don't have cellulitis, blood clots, or cancer. The bad news is I still can't wear shorts without making people vomit. Ah, such small prices to pay for all the good news, right? Yep. I think so.
Oh, and the title "LDS with LDS" ... I just thought it was funny that my "rare disease" has the same acronym as my faith. I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Lipodermatosclerosis. So I'm LDS with LDS. Booyah! That's got to mean I'm an extra faithful member or something doesn't it? Since I contracted a disease with the same acronym? Right? Rrrrrrrrrrrrrright.
Crazy lady signing off,
Katiedid It
5/2/11
7-0 and more
Mom turned 70 years old yesterday. Happy birthday, Mom!!!
In honor of the big occasion, (and since you're only 70 once) I fixed her three birthday cakes. The verdict is still out, but I'm pretty sure all three were a big hit. Mom's picks (in order of most-liked to least) were the Carrot Cake (recipe from Linda's mom, Elaine), then the Italian Cream Cake (courtesy of Pioneer Woman), and last the Chocolate Sheet Cake (also Pioneer Woman). I also altered the carrot cake recipe and made one with whole wheat pastry flour and brown sugar. Pretty tasty!!! The whole wheat cake did fall apart a bit, but Mom assured me it would taste just as good. Well, nothing tastes quite as good as it's better-looking counterpart, but it was still quite yummy.
Mom had lots of visitors and got some nice gifts. I love celebrating her birthday more than celebrating my own. Just wish we could have done something special to celebrate. Alas, I was 10 hours behind an oven. Guess I'll have to treat her to dinner and a movie at some point in the near future. How I love her!!! I'm positive that Heavenly Father knew we needed to be together in order for me to survive. That's why I was blessed to have her as my mother and my best friend. She just makes my world so much better. :)
AND to celebrate her 70th birthday the U.S. Military decided to make sure Osama bin Laden was annihilated. Bet she won't forget this birthday any time soon! The whole world celebrated on her special day! (Just wish it could have been a celebration for Mom and not because a terrorist was dead. But whatever.)
Washington DC is less than three weeks away. HOLY. COW. How does that happen? Just yesterday it was nearing the end of February and I had purchased my plane ticket and thought the months worth of waiting was going to wear me out. Now I'm freaking out because there's so much to do. And I'm leaving Mom. And Dad. AND THE DOG. How will Bear live without me?! Even better question: Will he remember me when I get back?! I think I need to get Mom hooked up on Skype so we can see each other to chat each night and she can hold Bear up to the screen so I can give him loves. (Bet you were excited to read that, huh Mom?) Yes, I'm pathetic. No need to tell me. I already know.
On the other hand, I'm WAY excited to spend time with Shauna Ba-Nonna and her little munchkin. She keeps reminding me she has a "sidekick" that will be 11 months old. As if teething, barf, poopy diapers, tears, and naps bother me. Ha! That madness doesn't even phase me. Been around too many kids for that to even be an issue.
Bonus! I'll be there over Memorial Day. That means I won't get to decorate graves with Mom. :( But it means I will be in historic places to celebrate what our veterans (including my Grandpa Karl Koyle) have done to preserve our freedoms and rights. You can't beat that. Only negative about the whole trip is that I have to take my freaking homework with me. Ah, school. The bane of my existence right now. If Shauna thinks an 11-month-old sidekick is bad, she ain't seen nothin' yet! At least her sidekick is fun and eventually sleeps. MY sidekick (aka: online school) NEVER sleeps and is RARELY fun. Meh.
My camera (Nikon D3000)
is making the journey with me. You can betchyer booty I'll be taking massive amounts of photos. Prepare yourselves to be overexposed (haha, good pun, Katie) when I do a post (or ten) about my trip. For now, I gotta go so I can start making a packing list and be sure I have enough luggage to get me home with the extreme quantity of souvenirs I plan to buy. Less than three weeks ... that's plenty of time, right?
In honor of the big occasion, (and since you're only 70 once) I fixed her three birthday cakes. The verdict is still out, but I'm pretty sure all three were a big hit. Mom's picks (in order of most-liked to least) were the Carrot Cake (recipe from Linda's mom, Elaine), then the Italian Cream Cake (courtesy of Pioneer Woman), and last the Chocolate Sheet Cake (also Pioneer Woman). I also altered the carrot cake recipe and made one with whole wheat pastry flour and brown sugar. Pretty tasty!!! The whole wheat cake did fall apart a bit, but Mom assured me it would taste just as good. Well, nothing tastes quite as good as it's better-looking counterpart, but it was still quite yummy.
Mom had lots of visitors and got some nice gifts. I love celebrating her birthday more than celebrating my own. Just wish we could have done something special to celebrate. Alas, I was 10 hours behind an oven. Guess I'll have to treat her to dinner and a movie at some point in the near future. How I love her!!! I'm positive that Heavenly Father knew we needed to be together in order for me to survive. That's why I was blessed to have her as my mother and my best friend. She just makes my world so much better. :)
AND to celebrate her 70th birthday the U.S. Military decided to make sure Osama bin Laden was annihilated. Bet she won't forget this birthday any time soon! The whole world celebrated on her special day! (Just wish it could have been a celebration for Mom and not because a terrorist was dead. But whatever.)
Washington DC is less than three weeks away. HOLY. COW. How does that happen? Just yesterday it was nearing the end of February and I had purchased my plane ticket and thought the months worth of waiting was going to wear me out. Now I'm freaking out because there's so much to do. And I'm leaving Mom. And Dad. AND THE DOG. How will Bear live without me?! Even better question: Will he remember me when I get back?! I think I need to get Mom hooked up on Skype so we can see each other to chat each night and she can hold Bear up to the screen so I can give him loves. (Bet you were excited to read that, huh Mom?) Yes, I'm pathetic. No need to tell me. I already know.
On the other hand, I'm WAY excited to spend time with Shauna Ba-Nonna and her little munchkin. She keeps reminding me she has a "sidekick" that will be 11 months old. As if teething, barf, poopy diapers, tears, and naps bother me. Ha! That madness doesn't even phase me. Been around too many kids for that to even be an issue.
Bonus! I'll be there over Memorial Day. That means I won't get to decorate graves with Mom. :( But it means I will be in historic places to celebrate what our veterans (including my Grandpa Karl Koyle) have done to preserve our freedoms and rights. You can't beat that. Only negative about the whole trip is that I have to take my freaking homework with me. Ah, school. The bane of my existence right now. If Shauna thinks an 11-month-old sidekick is bad, she ain't seen nothin' yet! At least her sidekick is fun and eventually sleeps. MY sidekick (aka: online school) NEVER sleeps and is RARELY fun. Meh.
My camera (Nikon D3000)
4/11/11
Sister's Got A Blister
And it's a big un.
It's on the palm of my right hand.
And it developed over the weekend after our 2011 Bake-A-Thon.
I really wanna pop it. But I really don't want infection.
Battle wounds are a nuisance.
It's on the palm of my right hand.
And it developed over the weekend after our 2011 Bake-A-Thon.
I really wanna pop it. But I really don't want infection.
Battle wounds are a nuisance.
4/7/11
Give me some lovin'!
Today I had lunch with my BFF, Ashley. And with her two cutest-girls-in-the-world, Aubrey and Hailey. They are all so much fun! We exchanged birthday gifts, and I think I won because I scored lunch (thanks Ash!), a puzzle, (thanks, Hailey!), and a three-pack of bubbles (thanks, Aubrey!), two of which I gave away to a couple of cute girls sitting at the same table as me (i.e. Aubrey and Hailey). My bubbles are lime scented. I really wanted the orange ones (because orange is one of my most fave colors), but lime is just as good. :D And I was wearing a little bit of green, so it kinda went with the outfit (thanks, Mom, for buying me a new skirt and then giving me one of your cute black shirts to go with it!). Okay, this whole post just ran away from me.
The point was (is) that I have some of the best people in the world as friends. Seriously. Ashley is always so good to me. She calls me a hottie. She tells me boys are dumb for not being lined up out the door to ask me out. She has a way of making me feel special. We definitely knew each other before we came to earth; I'm sure of it. And even though I'm the worst (BEST!) aunt in the world to her kids (I give them loud toys) she doesn't hate me.
Linda makes me laugh. She takes weird pictures of my eyes. We discuss bread baking and talk food and health. We encourage each other, complain to each other, and generally have a chat fest on whatever topic is bugging us for the day. Today it was leis. Tomorrow it will be something else that means nothing to those on the outside.
Donna cracks me up. We read "Police Beat" from The Daily Universe (BYU's campus newspaper) on Wednesdays and make each other sick with laughter. We talk about family issues, kids, old age, style, and health. She doesn't hate me when I ditch her for lunch to eat at Brick Oven with Ashley. (Aww.) Plus, she's an awesome hugger when I'm okay with being hugged (i.e. bawling or really upset about something).
My friend, Leslie, is silly. She just told me she started a hiking group, but I thought she said hugging group and was very confused. We had a good laugh over that. Mainly because neither one of us are big huggers, and we're definitely NOT the touchy-feely type. My insides are still laughing over the visual of a hugging group. It's like AA only worse. Not that I've ever been to AA, but I just know a hugging group is worse.
My friend, Shauna, is taking me in for 10 days so I can experience DC and NYC. We've never not known each other, and even though we've had our moments (did we?), we are BFFs through and through. She makes me laugh. She makes me cry (like when she told me she was pregnant - oh man, I cried like a baby when nobody was looking). We talk music, gospel, shop, and everything else. We probably know each other too well. Our main goal in life was to get married and have kids and live close to each other so we could have Friday night parties like our parents did. Someday that's really gonna happen.
And then there's my mom ... well, what can I say about her? She's just the best. We're sister soulmates. I love her with my whole heart and then some. We don't have a "normal" mother-daughter relationship. We're just BFFs, and I'm not even sure when or how it happened. When I was little I wanted to be exactly like her. I wanted to teach school (until I realized it would include dealing with other people's children all day), write (working on it), understand and use proper English (getting there - some things take time), and generally just be as cool a person as she is. It's taken me 34 years to realize it's taken her nearly 70 years to be so cool. Man, I have a long way to go. And I know she won't even be mad at me for giving away her age. She's definitely my idol and I often think I'll never measure up, but then she reassures me I don't have to because we're different people. We laugh together, love together, eat together, share ideas (sometimes insane ones), enjoy books (oooh, the smell!), have the same paper fettish, and like to surprise each other (like the skirt from her and the movie "Friendly Persuasion" from me). But it's never about one-upping each other. Because we're cool like that. (I learned it all from her.)
Basically, I'll take all the lovin' I can get because the people who give it are totally awesome.
The point was (is) that I have some of the best people in the world as friends. Seriously. Ashley is always so good to me. She calls me a hottie. She tells me boys are dumb for not being lined up out the door to ask me out. She has a way of making me feel special. We definitely knew each other before we came to earth; I'm sure of it. And even though I'm the worst (BEST!) aunt in the world to her kids (I give them loud toys) she doesn't hate me.
Linda makes me laugh. She takes weird pictures of my eyes. We discuss bread baking and talk food and health. We encourage each other, complain to each other, and generally have a chat fest on whatever topic is bugging us for the day. Today it was leis. Tomorrow it will be something else that means nothing to those on the outside.
Donna cracks me up. We read "Police Beat" from The Daily Universe (BYU's campus newspaper) on Wednesdays and make each other sick with laughter. We talk about family issues, kids, old age, style, and health. She doesn't hate me when I ditch her for lunch to eat at Brick Oven with Ashley. (Aww.) Plus, she's an awesome hugger when I'm okay with being hugged (i.e. bawling or really upset about something).
My friend, Leslie, is silly. She just told me she started a hiking group, but I thought she said hugging group and was very confused. We had a good laugh over that. Mainly because neither one of us are big huggers, and we're definitely NOT the touchy-feely type. My insides are still laughing over the visual of a hugging group. It's like AA only worse. Not that I've ever been to AA, but I just know a hugging group is worse.
My friend, Shauna, is taking me in for 10 days so I can experience DC and NYC. We've never not known each other, and even though we've had our moments (did we?), we are BFFs through and through. She makes me laugh. She makes me cry (like when she told me she was pregnant - oh man, I cried like a baby when nobody was looking). We talk music, gospel, shop, and everything else. We probably know each other too well. Our main goal in life was to get married and have kids and live close to each other so we could have Friday night parties like our parents did. Someday that's really gonna happen.
And then there's my mom ... well, what can I say about her? She's just the best. We're sister soulmates. I love her with my whole heart and then some. We don't have a "normal" mother-daughter relationship. We're just BFFs, and I'm not even sure when or how it happened. When I was little I wanted to be exactly like her. I wanted to teach school (until I realized it would include dealing with other people's children all day), write (working on it), understand and use proper English (getting there - some things take time), and generally just be as cool a person as she is. It's taken me 34 years to realize it's taken her nearly 70 years to be so cool. Man, I have a long way to go. And I know she won't even be mad at me for giving away her age. She's definitely my idol and I often think I'll never measure up, but then she reassures me I don't have to because we're different people. We laugh together, love together, eat together, share ideas (sometimes insane ones), enjoy books (oooh, the smell!), have the same paper fettish, and like to surprise each other (like the skirt from her and the movie "Friendly Persuasion" from me). But it's never about one-upping each other. Because we're cool like that. (I learned it all from her.)
Basically, I'll take all the lovin' I can get because the people who give it are totally awesome.
3/29/11
New Arrival!
No, not a baby.
My KitchenAid came today!!! I want SO much to spend the night baking away making cookies and bread and all sorts of other goodies. But alas, I must do my visiting teaching and homework. Sometimes I really hate being a responsible adult.
The truth is, I really want to go home and sleep and THEN do a bunch of baking. My throat started hurting on Saturday night (thank heavens for pellet ice at work!) and now my head is all fuzzy. Thank you, OTC Claritin, for not helping me one bit with allergies this year. Actually, it's probably a cold since David has had one for about a week now and he loves to cough on things. :D Yay for us. Guess it's time to start taking Vitamin C.
That reminds me. When I was little (around 4 or 5 maybe) Shauna and I found the Vitamin C bottle at her house in her parent's bathroom. (Remember this, Shauna?) Yeah, um, we ate the whole bottle between the two of us. All I remember after that is being sick in the middle of the night and puking up orange foam. Gross. Don't worry, I won't be doing that again any time soon. Besides, they make Vitamin C in other flavors now. Like lemon and lime. Not sure why I felt the need to expound on that.
Anyway ... I came to work without makeup on this morning. SCARE - Y. Lots of people looked at me funny. A few people asked if I was feeling okay. Yeah. I just look like death warmed over because I didn't put on my face. Thanks for asking. Thanks for wanting to know why I look more awful than I usually do. Whatever. The reason I didn't wear it (since I normally won't go out in public without it!) is that my right eye, for whatever stupid reason, would NOT curl OR hold mascara this morning. I tried two different curlers and four different mascaras. Ridiculous. Why can't someone invent a permanent "paint" for lashes that you can apply yourself again after they grow back in from falling out? There would be serious money in that people. That way, you'd always have "mascara" on and all you'd have to do is attempt to curl them or whatever it is you do with them. Total time saver. Just sayin'.
And now I can't even look down without my nose running all over the place. Time to start bonding with the Puffs Extra with lotion. That new arrival might as well have been a baby for as good as I feel right now ....
My KitchenAid came today!!! I want SO much to spend the night baking away making cookies and bread and all sorts of other goodies. But alas, I must do my visiting teaching and homework. Sometimes I really hate being a responsible adult.
The truth is, I really want to go home and sleep and THEN do a bunch of baking. My throat started hurting on Saturday night (thank heavens for pellet ice at work!) and now my head is all fuzzy. Thank you, OTC Claritin, for not helping me one bit with allergies this year. Actually, it's probably a cold since David has had one for about a week now and he loves to cough on things. :D Yay for us. Guess it's time to start taking Vitamin C.
That reminds me. When I was little (around 4 or 5 maybe) Shauna and I found the Vitamin C bottle at her house in her parent's bathroom. (Remember this, Shauna?) Yeah, um, we ate the whole bottle between the two of us. All I remember after that is being sick in the middle of the night and puking up orange foam. Gross. Don't worry, I won't be doing that again any time soon. Besides, they make Vitamin C in other flavors now. Like lemon and lime. Not sure why I felt the need to expound on that.
Anyway ... I came to work without makeup on this morning. SCARE - Y. Lots of people looked at me funny. A few people asked if I was feeling okay. Yeah. I just look like death warmed over because I didn't put on my face. Thanks for asking. Thanks for wanting to know why I look more awful than I usually do. Whatever. The reason I didn't wear it (since I normally won't go out in public without it!) is that my right eye, for whatever stupid reason, would NOT curl OR hold mascara this morning. I tried two different curlers and four different mascaras. Ridiculous. Why can't someone invent a permanent "paint" for lashes that you can apply yourself again after they grow back in from falling out? There would be serious money in that people. That way, you'd always have "mascara" on and all you'd have to do is attempt to curl them or whatever it is you do with them. Total time saver. Just sayin'.
And now I can't even look down without my nose running all over the place. Time to start bonding with the Puffs Extra with lotion. That new arrival might as well have been a baby for as good as I feel right now ....
3/25/11
K is for ...
K-een
I-deal
T-errific
C-lassy
H-andy
E-xcellent
N-ifty
A-wesome
I-ncredible
D-andy
And it's mine!!!
Well, next week it will be mine anyway. My friend, Linda, is always sharing delicious recipes with me. Her most recent one was for homemade wheat bread sweetened with honey. She made me a loaf and brought it in to work today. It is heaven! I'm so excited to take it home and share it with Mom and Dad. The texture is so not wheat bread. It's soft and chewy, but has no grainy feel to it. Plus, there's not much of a bread "taste", unlike some wheat breads where all you can taste is the wheat.
She shared the recipe with me a couple of days ago. They ground their own wheat for the bread. Very homemaker-ish, eh? Yeah, well, Mom bought a wheat grinder a while back and we haven't really used it. And we have like a bazillion pounds of wheat of all kinds of varieties in our food storage. What better way to use it and learn how to grind the wheat at the same time?
What prompted the KitchenAid purchase then? Well, the recipe said to use a bread machine with a dough hook. Uh, yeah. Don't have one of those. Well, I do. Kind of. I have a hand mixer that has served me well for years. It has a dough hook, but not one that could manage making actual wheat bread. I've been pricing KitchenAid's for almost a year now. I found this exact one for a steal (like highway robbery) on (where else?) Amazon. And with my good ol' Prime Membership I could put it on my Amazon card and not pay interest for six months. So I did it. And now Mom and I (yes, Mom, you) are going to learn to make homemade whole wheat bread after we learn how to grind our massive amounts of wheat. Fun, huh? I'm so excited about it! And I hope we don't end up baking bricks instead of loaves because then maybe we could share loaves with others like Linda shared with me.
The "rationalizer" and "justifier" in me also noted last night that learning to grind wheat and bake bread would definitely qualify for some sort of Young Women's project in my Personal Progress. Sweet! Heck, I might earn that medallion after all.
I-deal
T-errific
C-lassy
H-andy
E-xcellent
N-ifty
A-wesome
I-ncredible
D-andy
And it's mine!!!
 | |
| KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer, White |
She shared the recipe with me a couple of days ago. They ground their own wheat for the bread. Very homemaker-ish, eh? Yeah, well, Mom bought a wheat grinder a while back and we haven't really used it. And we have like a bazillion pounds of wheat of all kinds of varieties in our food storage. What better way to use it and learn how to grind the wheat at the same time?
What prompted the KitchenAid purchase then? Well, the recipe said to use a bread machine with a dough hook. Uh, yeah. Don't have one of those. Well, I do. Kind of. I have a hand mixer that has served me well for years. It has a dough hook, but not one that could manage making actual wheat bread. I've been pricing KitchenAid's for almost a year now. I found this exact one for a steal (like highway robbery) on (where else?) Amazon. And with my good ol' Prime Membership I could put it on my Amazon card and not pay interest for six months. So I did it. And now Mom and I (yes, Mom, you) are going to learn to make homemade whole wheat bread after we learn how to grind our massive amounts of wheat. Fun, huh? I'm so excited about it! And I hope we don't end up baking bricks instead of loaves because then maybe we could share loaves with others like Linda shared with me.
The "rationalizer" and "justifier" in me also noted last night that learning to grind wheat and bake bread would definitely qualify for some sort of Young Women's project in my Personal Progress. Sweet! Heck, I might earn that medallion after all.
3/21/11
Confession Time
The first counselor in our Bishopric came to visit on Saturday and extended a calling to me as the second counselor in our ward Young Women Presidency. I confess, my stomach hit the floor and I felt like puking. Callings usually aren't that scary, but this one, well, this one does more than scare me.
Confession: I hated going to Young Women's when I was a young girl. Ages 12-18 are awkward anyway, but Young Women's was a whole different ball of wax. Don't get me wrong ~ I loved attending church and hearing testimonies of others my age. But that was about the extent of it.
I didn't enjoy the activities every week, got tired of the gossip and girl talk, and looked forward to Relief Society from the time I was about 14. Why was it so awful? Ummmmmm.
Confession: The one and only year I went to girl's camp I was puked on in the middle of the night. We'd had chicken and biscuits (which I still can't eat) the night before and the girl on the bunk above me got sick. My hair was totally matted down in vomit, my pillow and sleeping bag were covered, and some of it even got into my bag of "treats." Bad, right? It gets worse. The only showers we had were cold showers ~ EXCEPT for the showers in the leaders cabin. They were warm. The leaders said I needed to shower in the girl's showers. Well, I refused to wash puke out of my hair in cold water. Had I needed a quick "spit bath" the cold water would have sufficed. No way was I washing a full head of thick and uber long hair in freezing cold mountain water. So, I left it in all day. The smell got so bad the leaders finally offered up their showers to wash my hair so the camp didn't have to smell me anymore. The worst part was having other girls tease me about being a "whimp" for not washing my hair in the freezing cold water (and by freezing, I really mean freezing ~ I still get chills just thinking about how cold that water was). I was also referred to as "The girl that got puked on", so that was especially fun. (We had just moved about six months prior to girl's camp, so I didn't know anyone except the girls in my ward.) Call me ridiculous, but that was a terrible experience. I never went back to girl's camp. And I still don't look forward to it now, even as a leader. Dirt and I are NOT friends.
To add to that, I worked really hard to receive my Young Womanhood medallion. For my last project, I did something based on the value of knowledge. It had something to do with music, but was a stretch from my normal play the piano or violin. I had my interview with the bishop (a new bishop, by the way) and he said everything looked great. My mom signed off on everything saying I did what I said I did to complete the project and the bishop said to get the Young Women President's signature and the medallion was mine. I met with the president. She refused to sign my book saying that my final project was "too easy." I spent over the minimum number of hours on it and did all that was required, but because it had something to do with music and I was "musically inclined" she determined that the project wasn't difficult enough for me. She didn't take into consideration the fact that I was the ONLY young woman in our Laurel class who attended school AND worked a more than part-time job at my dad's dry cleaning business. Whatever. I came home, threw the Personal Progress book in the garbage can and never looked back. The following week at church I went into Relief Society with my mom. That was the end of attending Young Women for me!
Stupid? Maybe. Childish? Maybe. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. I was so happy to be out of that program. It was a HUGE relief to be with adult women that didn't gossip and could care less who was dating who or whatever it was the young women talked about. But, here I am again! Mom said maybe I've been called now because some of the girls in Young Women feel much the same way I did. Maybe I'm there to help them learn from their experience and get something positive out of it. Or to help them see that things eventually get better and not to worry so much about right now. And maybe it's so I can finally "earn" that medallion and wear it proudly around my neck. Maybe. I don't know why the Lord calls us when and where He does. I just know we have to do our best, work hard, and take with us what we've learned from the experience. The girls in our ward will end up teaching me more than I can ever teach them. And I know they are excited to have me spend time with them every Sunday and during the week. They've already told me so, and that makes me think maybe things won't be as bad as they were when I was a young Beehive.
Confession: I'm still extremely nervous about this calling. And every time I think about it I still feel like puking.
Confession: I hated going to Young Women's when I was a young girl. Ages 12-18 are awkward anyway, but Young Women's was a whole different ball of wax. Don't get me wrong ~ I loved attending church and hearing testimonies of others my age. But that was about the extent of it.
I didn't enjoy the activities every week, got tired of the gossip and girl talk, and looked forward to Relief Society from the time I was about 14. Why was it so awful? Ummmmmm.
Confession: The one and only year I went to girl's camp I was puked on in the middle of the night. We'd had chicken and biscuits (which I still can't eat) the night before and the girl on the bunk above me got sick. My hair was totally matted down in vomit, my pillow and sleeping bag were covered, and some of it even got into my bag of "treats." Bad, right? It gets worse. The only showers we had were cold showers ~ EXCEPT for the showers in the leaders cabin. They were warm. The leaders said I needed to shower in the girl's showers. Well, I refused to wash puke out of my hair in cold water. Had I needed a quick "spit bath" the cold water would have sufficed. No way was I washing a full head of thick and uber long hair in freezing cold mountain water. So, I left it in all day. The smell got so bad the leaders finally offered up their showers to wash my hair so the camp didn't have to smell me anymore. The worst part was having other girls tease me about being a "whimp" for not washing my hair in the freezing cold water (and by freezing, I really mean freezing ~ I still get chills just thinking about how cold that water was). I was also referred to as "The girl that got puked on", so that was especially fun. (We had just moved about six months prior to girl's camp, so I didn't know anyone except the girls in my ward.) Call me ridiculous, but that was a terrible experience. I never went back to girl's camp. And I still don't look forward to it now, even as a leader. Dirt and I are NOT friends.
To add to that, I worked really hard to receive my Young Womanhood medallion. For my last project, I did something based on the value of knowledge. It had something to do with music, but was a stretch from my normal play the piano or violin. I had my interview with the bishop (a new bishop, by the way) and he said everything looked great. My mom signed off on everything saying I did what I said I did to complete the project and the bishop said to get the Young Women President's signature and the medallion was mine. I met with the president. She refused to sign my book saying that my final project was "too easy." I spent over the minimum number of hours on it and did all that was required, but because it had something to do with music and I was "musically inclined" she determined that the project wasn't difficult enough for me. She didn't take into consideration the fact that I was the ONLY young woman in our Laurel class who attended school AND worked a more than part-time job at my dad's dry cleaning business. Whatever. I came home, threw the Personal Progress book in the garbage can and never looked back. The following week at church I went into Relief Society with my mom. That was the end of attending Young Women for me!
Stupid? Maybe. Childish? Maybe. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. I was so happy to be out of that program. It was a HUGE relief to be with adult women that didn't gossip and could care less who was dating who or whatever it was the young women talked about. But, here I am again! Mom said maybe I've been called now because some of the girls in Young Women feel much the same way I did. Maybe I'm there to help them learn from their experience and get something positive out of it. Or to help them see that things eventually get better and not to worry so much about right now. And maybe it's so I can finally "earn" that medallion and wear it proudly around my neck. Maybe. I don't know why the Lord calls us when and where He does. I just know we have to do our best, work hard, and take with us what we've learned from the experience. The girls in our ward will end up teaching me more than I can ever teach them. And I know they are excited to have me spend time with them every Sunday and during the week. They've already told me so, and that makes me think maybe things won't be as bad as they were when I was a young Beehive.
Confession: I'm still extremely nervous about this calling. And every time I think about it I still feel like puking.
3/18/11
Is it too early to start a count down?
Not for the New Year. For May. Is it too early?
That's really only two months away. That's not too far, right? Will time go by more slowly if I start counting down days? Like watching water boil?
I'm headed to DC in May. SO excited. Among other feelings. There's a little trepidation. Not enough to keep me from going, but still some exists.
Reasons? Well, one is that I have a layover in Chicago. A naive white girl from small town America in Chicago alone. Hm. Just makes me think a bit. Luckily, I don't have to leave the airport. My longest layover is only about 90 minutes, and that's on the way home when (I hope) I'm dead tired and can't do anything more than walk from one gate to another.
Second reason: I haven't flown since like 2007. So what, right? Yeah, well, since 2007 I've also lost 230 pounds. There is still this huge fear that I'll have to ask for a seat belt extension. Or that I'll "bother" the person next to me. I'm flying Southwest. They do not have large seats. It's just a little bit scary.
Third reason: Staying with friends is great! Only, I don't want to overstay my welcome. Hopefully, I won't drive Shauna batty and get kicked out before it's time to go home. It would be a real drag not to spend as much time with her as possible.
Fourth reason: My parents and Bear. Need I say more? I'm gonna miss the three of them more than I could ever say. What if they forget me while I'm gone? Or realize how much they love not having me around? Sad. Too depressing to think about.
Fifth reason: I can't think of one right now, but I'm sure it exists.
On a much more different, but just as happy, note I bought a new (to me) car. Instead of driving this little baby (which I have LOVED)
I now drive this sweet ride:
Yes, I know it's the "same" car. But it's not. Really, it's not. And as much as I loved the old Honda, I love the new Honda just as much. Maybe more. (Could I actually love a car more? Hm.) Anyway, I really like the tinted windows, the color, the leather interior, heated seats, sunroof, and overall ride. (You just can't beat a Honda, and I don't care what anyone says otherwise.) It's a sporty little go-getter and the two days I've had it have been heaven.
Too bad I don't have the vacation time to drive to DC ....
That's really only two months away. That's not too far, right? Will time go by more slowly if I start counting down days? Like watching water boil?
I'm headed to DC in May. SO excited. Among other feelings. There's a little trepidation. Not enough to keep me from going, but still some exists.
Reasons? Well, one is that I have a layover in Chicago. A naive white girl from small town America in Chicago alone. Hm. Just makes me think a bit. Luckily, I don't have to leave the airport. My longest layover is only about 90 minutes, and that's on the way home when (I hope) I'm dead tired and can't do anything more than walk from one gate to another.
Second reason: I haven't flown since like 2007. So what, right? Yeah, well, since 2007 I've also lost 230 pounds. There is still this huge fear that I'll have to ask for a seat belt extension. Or that I'll "bother" the person next to me. I'm flying Southwest. They do not have large seats. It's just a little bit scary.
Third reason: Staying with friends is great! Only, I don't want to overstay my welcome. Hopefully, I won't drive Shauna batty and get kicked out before it's time to go home. It would be a real drag not to spend as much time with her as possible.
Fourth reason: My parents and Bear. Need I say more? I'm gonna miss the three of them more than I could ever say. What if they forget me while I'm gone? Or realize how much they love not having me around? Sad. Too depressing to think about.
Fifth reason: I can't think of one right now, but I'm sure it exists.
On a much more different, but just as happy, note I bought a new (to me) car. Instead of driving this little baby (which I have LOVED)
 |
| Not a photo from the dealer .... |
Yes, I know it's the "same" car. But it's not. Really, it's not. And as much as I loved the old Honda, I love the new Honda just as much. Maybe more. (Could I actually love a car more? Hm.) Anyway, I really like the tinted windows, the color, the leather interior, heated seats, sunroof, and overall ride. (You just can't beat a Honda, and I don't care what anyone says otherwise.) It's a sporty little go-getter and the two days I've had it have been heaven.
Too bad I don't have the vacation time to drive to DC ....
3/11/11
Call me Gumby
I said something to a "younger" person the other day about feeling like Gumby. They looked at me like I was crazy. Gumby wasn't that long ago, was it? I don't really remember anything about it, but at least I know what it (he) is. As a reference for those who don't know what I'm talking about, this is Gumby:
The point is that you can pull him in whatever direction you want. He stretches to impossible limits without flinching. And that is how I feel.
My new job is great. I really like it. It's interesting to see a different end of the donation process. I like working on my own and doing my own thing. The music can blare from my speakers and nobody cares. People actually stop by and stay to talk for a minute every once in a while. I have a nice view of campus through a big window. That means I have a lot of sunshine - huge plus!
The reason I feel like Gumby? Well, transition begets more transition. My jobs were split between two people, so I have to train two people. That means my head is barely floating above water on my new job while I train others to do my former job. I knew it was coming, but I didn't know how much it was going to take out of me! Luckily for me, they are both fast learners. It will be nice once everyone is settled again. Maybe then I can stop being Gumby and actually do some seriously needed organizing of my new job. Now, if I could just figure out a way to chat with Linda more everything would be perfect!
Random tidbit of the day: I quite like a watermelon flavored Jolly Rancher sucker now and then.
Random questions of the day: Why do people hear warnings about a tsunami, hurricane, tornado, or tidal wave and not heed them? Do they really think they can outrun, outlast, or outwhit mother nature?
Fact: I despise Daylight Saving Time. And it's not "savings", it's saving. For real. It's coming around again this weekend and I'm so annoyed about losing that hour for the next eight (yes, folks, count 'em) months. Arizona and Hawaii are the two smartest states in the Union.
I'm ready for a nap. Or a long weekend. Or both. Or just no homework. I could handle that.
My new job is great. I really like it. It's interesting to see a different end of the donation process. I like working on my own and doing my own thing. The music can blare from my speakers and nobody cares. People actually stop by and stay to talk for a minute every once in a while. I have a nice view of campus through a big window. That means I have a lot of sunshine - huge plus!
The reason I feel like Gumby? Well, transition begets more transition. My jobs were split between two people, so I have to train two people. That means my head is barely floating above water on my new job while I train others to do my former job. I knew it was coming, but I didn't know how much it was going to take out of me! Luckily for me, they are both fast learners. It will be nice once everyone is settled again. Maybe then I can stop being Gumby and actually do some seriously needed organizing of my new job. Now, if I could just figure out a way to chat with Linda more everything would be perfect!
Random tidbit of the day: I quite like a watermelon flavored Jolly Rancher sucker now and then.
Random questions of the day: Why do people hear warnings about a tsunami, hurricane, tornado, or tidal wave and not heed them? Do they really think they can outrun, outlast, or outwhit mother nature?
Fact: I despise Daylight Saving Time. And it's not "savings", it's saving. For real. It's coming around again this weekend and I'm so annoyed about losing that hour for the next eight (yes, folks, count 'em) months. Arizona and Hawaii are the two smartest states in the Union.
I'm ready for a nap. Or a long weekend. Or both. Or just no homework. I could handle that.
3/4/11
Honor
There has been a lot of talk lately about Brandon Davies. He is a BYU basketball player that was dismissed/suspended from the team because he violated BYU's Honor Code. The big question has been what did he do to deserve the dismissal? My question in reply: Does it really matter what he did?
I don't know the situation, so I can't comment on Brandon's actions, but this is what I feel. Honor is tied directly to integrity. Integrity is doing what you know to be right even when nobody is watching (in other words, even when it's not necessary to prove you did what was right). Whatever Brandon did, he lost his honor. He signed a contract (a "code"); he promised his coaches, his teammates, and his friends that he would abide by that contract. He promised to abide by certain rules, but he didn't keep his end of the contract.
Because of his actions he must now face the consequences. Unfortunately, so must his coaches and teammates. He left behind him a morally deflated group of individuals who thought more of him and expected more of him than he gave. He literally gave up his honor for something of less value. Was it worth it?
The whole thing has made me think about my life and my choices. Have I ever given up my honor for something of less value? Have I ever traded in my integrity for far less than it was worth? Have I ever been so selfish as to minimize others by choosing something that was easy or fun or exciting or different? If so, I better start repenting now because as far as I'm concerned throwing your honor out the window is like saying you know more than God. And I don't care who you are, you don't know more than the God that created you.
The honorable thing would have been to walk away from whatever temptation was in the way. The honorable thing would have been to hold your values, your morals as one of the most important things you own. For Brandon's sake, and the sake of his friends and all those he has disappointed, I hope he learns quickly what it means to be a man of honor.
And next time, if there is a next time, just stick with what you know is right regardless of what is being thrown in your face. After all, you can take your honor with you to the next life. If you don't have your honor to take with you what have you really got?
I don't know the situation, so I can't comment on Brandon's actions, but this is what I feel. Honor is tied directly to integrity. Integrity is doing what you know to be right even when nobody is watching (in other words, even when it's not necessary to prove you did what was right). Whatever Brandon did, he lost his honor. He signed a contract (a "code"); he promised his coaches, his teammates, and his friends that he would abide by that contract. He promised to abide by certain rules, but he didn't keep his end of the contract.
Because of his actions he must now face the consequences. Unfortunately, so must his coaches and teammates. He left behind him a morally deflated group of individuals who thought more of him and expected more of him than he gave. He literally gave up his honor for something of less value. Was it worth it?
The whole thing has made me think about my life and my choices. Have I ever given up my honor for something of less value? Have I ever traded in my integrity for far less than it was worth? Have I ever been so selfish as to minimize others by choosing something that was easy or fun or exciting or different? If so, I better start repenting now because as far as I'm concerned throwing your honor out the window is like saying you know more than God. And I don't care who you are, you don't know more than the God that created you.
The honorable thing would have been to walk away from whatever temptation was in the way. The honorable thing would have been to hold your values, your morals as one of the most important things you own. For Brandon's sake, and the sake of his friends and all those he has disappointed, I hope he learns quickly what it means to be a man of honor.
And next time, if there is a next time, just stick with what you know is right regardless of what is being thrown in your face. After all, you can take your honor with you to the next life. If you don't have your honor to take with you what have you really got?
2/22/11
Good things come to those who wait
Yes indeed. Good things come to those who wait.
I have blogged before about my love affair with Netflix. For a little more than $10 a month I can watch TV and movies and all sorts of fun stuff. It's definitely worth the price and keeps me entertained when I need a good veg-out.
Well, Amazon announced a little good news today. If you have a Prime Membership you can now watch TV and movies for absolutely free. Hooray! As a number cruncher, I figured out the "monthly" fee for a Prime Membership is $6.59. That's cheaper than Netflix. Not that I'll give up my Netflix account because, well, I'm still in love with that.
But how great is it that Amazon offers free stuff? I've downloaded TV series from them before (mostly "The Office"), but haven't figured out how to burn those to DVD for home viewing. Along with unlimited TV and movies, you can stream to an internet capable TV. Yes! I knew that was a good investment.
Glad I hung in there! One more reason to renew that Prime Membership. Love it!
I have blogged before about my love affair with Netflix. For a little more than $10 a month I can watch TV and movies and all sorts of fun stuff. It's definitely worth the price and keeps me entertained when I need a good veg-out.
Well, Amazon announced a little good news today. If you have a Prime Membership you can now watch TV and movies for absolutely free. Hooray! As a number cruncher, I figured out the "monthly" fee for a Prime Membership is $6.59. That's cheaper than Netflix. Not that I'll give up my Netflix account because, well, I'm still in love with that.
But how great is it that Amazon offers free stuff? I've downloaded TV series from them before (mostly "The Office"), but haven't figured out how to burn those to DVD for home viewing. Along with unlimited TV and movies, you can stream to an internet capable TV. Yes! I knew that was a good investment.
Glad I hung in there! One more reason to renew that Prime Membership. Love it!
2/11/11
Overflow is brain on my
What I really meant to say is my brain is on overflow. Too. Much. Stuff!!!
I've been training for my new job this week. It will not be an easy thing. Change is always difficult, but this transition might be more stressful than I thought. First of all, nobody has been hired to replace me which means training is going to go on a lot longer than just two weeks. Since I'm not leaving the company (or the building) that's not such a big deal. EXCEPT I still have no clue what's going on with my new job. Sure, information has been spoken and written down. That doesn't mean much right now.
On the upside, my job was posted. Bonus! Hopefully, we will get a good candidate pool and find someone who can do a good job and like what they do. It will be good to flush all of that information out of my head so I can actually retain some of the new stuff. That would be good. That would be REALLY good.
Perhaps a marathon of movies or TV series can help alleviate the overflow. Or maybe just eating extreme amounts of delicious and gooey caramel popcorn (homemade, of course), sweet potato fries from Guru's, and frozen yogurt from Maverik. That combination makes everything better, doesn't it?
I've been training for my new job this week. It will not be an easy thing. Change is always difficult, but this transition might be more stressful than I thought. First of all, nobody has been hired to replace me which means training is going to go on a lot longer than just two weeks. Since I'm not leaving the company (or the building) that's not such a big deal. EXCEPT I still have no clue what's going on with my new job. Sure, information has been spoken and written down. That doesn't mean much right now.
On the upside, my job was posted. Bonus! Hopefully, we will get a good candidate pool and find someone who can do a good job and like what they do. It will be good to flush all of that information out of my head so I can actually retain some of the new stuff. That would be good. That would be REALLY good.
Perhaps a marathon of movies or TV series can help alleviate the overflow. Or maybe just eating extreme amounts of delicious and gooey caramel popcorn (homemade, of course), sweet potato fries from Guru's, and frozen yogurt from Maverik. That combination makes everything better, doesn't it?
2/9/11
Black leather, baby!
It should be illegal for me to shop at big box stores. They always have such great deals that you can't pass up because it would be stupid. That's right - stupid. You can't NOT spend $20 on something you would use that would cost you $40 somewhere else. It would be insane to pass up something like that. Am I right? You betcha.
Well, I got caught in the grips of big box last night. I found a Kenneth Cole leather jacket for the unbelievably incredible price of $29.71 (plus tax, of course - thank you government). For that price you have to try the dang thing on. And then it fits. And then you have to buy. But you also have to call your mom and ask if she wants one, too. (Yes, you HAVE to do that.) So I did and we both ended up with a nice leather jacket.
Mom told Dad it was his Valentine's Day gift to her. Great rationale, Mom! See, this is one reason a husband would be useful. I don't have an excuse! Other than really liking the jacket and convincing myself I couldn't live without it.
Mine is black and Mom's is a really pretty burgundy. They're different styles, too, so that's a bonus. Now we can go out in public together and not look matchy-matchish, which is SO annoying even if you are both the coolest people on the planet.
I'm happy with the jacket, but not so happy that the big box sucks me in. Go black leather jacket! Boo big box!!!
Well, I got caught in the grips of big box last night. I found a Kenneth Cole leather jacket for the unbelievably incredible price of $29.71 (plus tax, of course - thank you government). For that price you have to try the dang thing on. And then it fits. And then you have to buy. But you also have to call your mom and ask if she wants one, too. (Yes, you HAVE to do that.) So I did and we both ended up with a nice leather jacket.
Mom told Dad it was his Valentine's Day gift to her. Great rationale, Mom! See, this is one reason a husband would be useful. I don't have an excuse! Other than really liking the jacket and convincing myself I couldn't live without it.
Mine is black and Mom's is a really pretty burgundy. They're different styles, too, so that's a bonus. Now we can go out in public together and not look matchy-matchish, which is SO annoying even if you are both the coolest people on the planet.
I'm happy with the jacket, but not so happy that the big box sucks me in. Go black leather jacket! Boo big box!!!
2/3/11
What kind of person makes their mother cry?
That's right, people. I'm a terrible person.
The other day, I called home to ask Mom a question. I knew she probably wasn't home because she was helping my niece with some car-related issues. But I called on the off chance that she would still be home and could answer my questions. The phone went to voice mail and, instead of leaving a message, I hung up. Did I think anything else about it? No. Not even for a minute.
At five, when I got off work, I called Mom to see how things were going and do my regular check-in. When I asked how she was she said, "Fine, now that I'm done crying." That concerned me, obviously, because I love my mom to pieces. I didn't want her crying over anything! Then, she proceeded to tell me the reason she was crying: I called and she wasn't home, so that means she wasn't there for me when I needed her, which made her cry.
Holy crap. I suck.
What kind of person makes their mother cry? Even accidentally? A horrible, horrible person. A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad person. Since then, I think I may have redeemed myself. Maybe. Or not. I tried to please her this week. Personally, professionally, all around tried to please her. Basically, it was an effort to prove that I didn't really suck as much as I felt like I did for making her cry.
Does this mean I lose the daughter of the year award? Because, seriously, I was on my way to winning until this happened.
The other day, I called home to ask Mom a question. I knew she probably wasn't home because she was helping my niece with some car-related issues. But I called on the off chance that she would still be home and could answer my questions. The phone went to voice mail and, instead of leaving a message, I hung up. Did I think anything else about it? No. Not even for a minute.
At five, when I got off work, I called Mom to see how things were going and do my regular check-in. When I asked how she was she said, "Fine, now that I'm done crying." That concerned me, obviously, because I love my mom to pieces. I didn't want her crying over anything! Then, she proceeded to tell me the reason she was crying: I called and she wasn't home, so that means she wasn't there for me when I needed her, which made her cry.
Holy crap. I suck.
What kind of person makes their mother cry? Even accidentally? A horrible, horrible person. A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad person. Since then, I think I may have redeemed myself. Maybe. Or not. I tried to please her this week. Personally, professionally, all around tried to please her. Basically, it was an effort to prove that I didn't really suck as much as I felt like I did for making her cry.
Does this mean I lose the daughter of the year award? Because, seriously, I was on my way to winning until this happened.
1/31/11
One down, eleven to go
Holy Toledo! Where did January go? What an incredibly quick month it has been. Like a flash. If you blinked you missed it. Oy. It's scary that time goes so fast. When I was a kid, one DAY was an eternity. But having a whole month disappear before I even realized it was here is kind of scary. I mean, where - WHERE - does that time go?
Does it float into outer space and stay there? Does it really go as fast as we think it does? Or is it all perception? This whole thing really fascinates me. No question that God is in charge, so it doesn't really matter in the long term. But it really makes me feel crazy thinking that the time went so fast and I don't know what happened to it.
In accordance with making time pass faster, Mom and I are having movie night tonight. That should easily blow at least four hours down the tubes. Might as well send January out with a bang, huh? Before you know it, we'll be stressing about what to buy for Christmas.
Does it float into outer space and stay there? Does it really go as fast as we think it does? Or is it all perception? This whole thing really fascinates me. No question that God is in charge, so it doesn't really matter in the long term. But it really makes me feel crazy thinking that the time went so fast and I don't know what happened to it.
In accordance with making time pass faster, Mom and I are having movie night tonight. That should easily blow at least four hours down the tubes. Might as well send January out with a bang, huh? Before you know it, we'll be stressing about what to buy for Christmas.
1/28/11
Pressure
There are always pressures during finals week, but this weekend is exceptionally pressure-filled. My interests now, career-wise, are to write and edit. And, well, without saying too much (because I can't at this point), I have some real career boosting opportunities on the horizon. Those opportunities make for a pressure-filled weekend. Ack! Grrr! Rawr! *Sniff*
That means a LOT of writing this weekend. Two freaking huge assignments, and professional writing for a chance at some "opportunities" that will really be good for me - that's what is on my schedule. Everyone cross your fingers and shoot up a prayer (or two). When I know (and can share) more, I will.
Sounds like fun, eh? Yep. Definitely my idea of a fantastic weekend. Dang. I really wanted to veg out and watch Secretariat or go shopping or something. Guess I could do all of that as a reward if those opportunities pan out after all my hard work this weekend. I like rewards!
That means a LOT of writing this weekend. Two freaking huge assignments, and professional writing for a chance at some "opportunities" that will really be good for me - that's what is on my schedule. Everyone cross your fingers and shoot up a prayer (or two). When I know (and can share) more, I will.
Sounds like fun, eh? Yep. Definitely my idea of a fantastic weekend. Dang. I really wanted to veg out and watch Secretariat or go shopping or something. Guess I could do all of that as a reward if those opportunities pan out after all my hard work this weekend. I like rewards!
1/19/11
Moo-lah
Basically, I have everything I need and most of what I want (besides several million dollars ... all things in time, right?).
So it's not easy to "gift" me something I don't already have. That's where Mom found herself on my birthday. What in the heck could she give me that I didn't already have?
She pulled through!
The thing about Mom? She's SO creative. (Sometimes it bugs me, but only because I'm jealous. Sh. Don't tell her I said that.) This year was no exception.
Let me preface that by saying I was NOT happy about having a birthday this year. Sometimes I hit a "rut" and wish people would just let the day pass without causing a scene, demanding celebration, or even remembering me. Yeah, it was one of those birthdays for me. Stupid and selfish. I know. Whatever.
Anyway, Mom wrote a cute poem for me about our life adventures and the places we've visited and things we've done together. She wrote about my BFF, Shauna, and all the fun times we had growing up "through the fence" from each other. And then, Mom and Dad gave me Moo-lah (aka "seed money") towards a trip to NYC/DC to see Shauna.
Can I get a "Woot! Woot!"? Oh yeah. I'm excited! There are lots of things to do and see in NYC and DC. I've been there before, but not with a "local", so this will be a different travel experience for me. (Plus, I'm not one to invite myself to stay with someone, so I'm sure Shauna was real happy about that news.)
The only drawback? I realized as I was kissing Bear (my four-legged BFF) this morning before I left for work that he can't come with me. Sad!!! I'm not sure how long I can survive without him. And he's not one to talk on the phone, so it's not like I can call him and have a conversation with him and know he's okay. My heart breaks thinking about it. :o( At least with Mom I can call every day and chat with her and know by the sound of her voice how things are going. :o)
I'm aiming for April or May on the travel front. Shauna and I will chat this weekend and hopefully nail down more specifics. How fun! It's been quite a while since I took a "real" trip and actually used vacation time for a vacation. Fun, fun, fun! And all thanks to Mom and Dad. It sorta makes up for not wanting to celebrate this year's birthday. Sorta.
So it's not easy to "gift" me something I don't already have. That's where Mom found herself on my birthday. What in the heck could she give me that I didn't already have?
She pulled through!
The thing about Mom? She's SO creative. (Sometimes it bugs me, but only because I'm jealous. Sh. Don't tell her I said that.) This year was no exception.
Let me preface that by saying I was NOT happy about having a birthday this year. Sometimes I hit a "rut" and wish people would just let the day pass without causing a scene, demanding celebration, or even remembering me. Yeah, it was one of those birthdays for me. Stupid and selfish. I know. Whatever.
Anyway, Mom wrote a cute poem for me about our life adventures and the places we've visited and things we've done together. She wrote about my BFF, Shauna, and all the fun times we had growing up "through the fence" from each other. And then, Mom and Dad gave me Moo-lah (aka "seed money") towards a trip to NYC/DC to see Shauna.
Can I get a "Woot! Woot!"? Oh yeah. I'm excited! There are lots of things to do and see in NYC and DC. I've been there before, but not with a "local", so this will be a different travel experience for me. (Plus, I'm not one to invite myself to stay with someone, so I'm sure Shauna was real happy about that news.)
The only drawback? I realized as I was kissing Bear (my four-legged BFF) this morning before I left for work that he can't come with me. Sad!!! I'm not sure how long I can survive without him. And he's not one to talk on the phone, so it's not like I can call him and have a conversation with him and know he's okay. My heart breaks thinking about it. :o( At least with Mom I can call every day and chat with her and know by the sound of her voice how things are going. :o)
I'm aiming for April or May on the travel front. Shauna and I will chat this weekend and hopefully nail down more specifics. How fun! It's been quite a while since I took a "real" trip and actually used vacation time for a vacation. Fun, fun, fun! And all thanks to Mom and Dad. It sorta makes up for not wanting to celebrate this year's birthday. Sorta.
12/31/10
3 ... 2 ... 1 ...
Happy New Year! And may 2011 be the best year yet.
Honestly, 2010 was just an okay year. I passed my second math class and an IT class with A's. I saw my BFF's little boy for the first time - and he was freakishly tall!!! I earned an Associate's degree in Communications (and will have the actual certificate very soon). I maintained a 230 pound weight loss. That's about it. Can't think of much else that happened.
Since I'm not one for resolutions, let's just say that good things will happen in 2011. For instance, I'm going to get a new iPhone and so will my mom (whether she really believes that or not). I will still subscribe to Netflix. We will get Direct TV instead of Comcast (hallelujah!). Who knows what other good things will happen?
Happy New Year!
Honestly, 2010 was just an okay year. I passed my second math class and an IT class with A's. I saw my BFF's little boy for the first time - and he was freakishly tall!!! I earned an Associate's degree in Communications (and will have the actual certificate very soon). I maintained a 230 pound weight loss. That's about it. Can't think of much else that happened.
Since I'm not one for resolutions, let's just say that good things will happen in 2011. For instance, I'm going to get a new iPhone and so will my mom (whether she really believes that or not). I will still subscribe to Netflix. We will get Direct TV instead of Comcast (hallelujah!). Who knows what other good things will happen?
Happy New Year!
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