Holy Colee!

I have decided that I probably should not be allowed to read. I get a little too wrapped up in a good story, I forget to sleep, and my mood is completely overtaken by what I am reading. I just finished reading a trilogy of books recommended by a friend. Each book took just less than a day, but I almost couldn't stand to put it down long enough to work or sleep. The books were a little intense, and my mom kept telling me I was moody - but honestly, I blame the books. People were dying or almost dying and they were always in some kind of danger and.... yeah, anyway. Now, I have been done with the books for 3 days and still I can't get the people out of my head. What happened after the books ended, did they get married, did anyone else get hurt, what happened with the Vulturi??? ugh
Anyway, if you want a good story, the books are called Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. They are written by Stephanie Meyer. They won't take you long to read, but if you pick up one, you may as well pick up all 3. The 2nd book was by far my least favorite, but only because it made me so sad I could physically feel the pain she was in.... I really am a geek. I freely admit it.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. I have no resolutions to make - I am open to suggestions :)

For lack of originality, I am posting the letter that I sent with my Christmas cards this year.... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

While it seems like a billion things have changed this year, I must admit I am struggling to think about what to put in this letter. I am still working with Convergys and I am still in Salt Lake. I have been a home owner for a year now. That has been a little bit crazy. Last January when it was SOOOO cold, my kitchen pipes burst. I learned a couple of very valuable lessons, like where the water shut off valve is, AND that family and friends are awesome. I made a couple of tear filled phone calls and in a few hours, Jeff and his boys were here to rescue my carpets. Another couple of calls and I found out how to use my home warranty to get a plumber here – on a Sunday afternoon emergency. The end result was a new kitchen remodel with the majority of the cost being paid by the insurance. Talk about a blessing in disguise. I also had my bathroom remodeled – that one I had planned ;) If you are ever hanging around in Salt Lake, come on over. It’s been almost a year, but I still like showing it off :)
Cannon turned 8 this year. Can you believe it? He was baptized in May. He asked yours truly to give a talk on baptism, and Aunt Janet to speak on the Holy Ghost. It was a very special day and now a very special memory. In July Mom had surgery and came down to my house to recover (or at least hang out with me until she could go back to work.) It turned out to be the most perfect thing that could have happened. A couple of days into her recuperation, she ended up taking me to the emergency room where I was diagnosed with kidney stones, which resulted in me having surgery 2 days later. If mom had not been around, I would have been alone. And you know me, I am stubborn. I would have never actually gone to the emergency room on my own.
Work let me travel again this year. I got to visit our sites in Cincinnati, Houston, Laredo, and Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge trip was great because it coincided with Mardi Gras, and we managed to take a night trip down to New Orleans. Eric, our friend/ tour guide, tried to tell us what it was like before Katrina. It was interesting to see the after effects and to see the city trying to come back to life. I also got to spend 10 days in Jacksonville, FL. I was there over a weekend so I got to visit St Augustine (the countries oldest continuously inhabited settlement) and The Kennedy Space Center. The best part of Jacksonville was actually getting to spend time with my coworker/friend Curtis and his super cute wife Amy and getting to meet my friend Brian and his wife Liz and adorable daughter, who I had heard so much about for 3 years now :)
I had 2 favorite parts of the year. One was 3 weeks right in the middle when the guy I’ve been talking to online came to Salt Lake. His name is John. He is from Manchester England. We had a fabulous time. I made sure he saw all the typical Salt Lake attractions, and then we spent a week in Dingle as well. It must have gone well; he thinks he wants to come back and stay on a little more permanent basis. We’re working on that.
The other favorite part was my trip to Cancun. It was freaking fabulous! Mom and I got to leave the country, spend some time in the sun and just enjoy an all expenses paid trip paid for NOT by us :) Thanks Convergys! It was really great; and spending a week away from a cell phone or internet connection and spending it WITH the person I would have wanted to call and tell all about everything anyway – what could be better?
The year has been far from smooth, but it has been filled with blessings and even more with learning to recognize them. I think the greatest thing I have learned this year is just how much my Heavenly Father loves me. While this year has seen more than its share of difficulties, it has also seen more than its share of joys. The trials and sorrows that have been experienced this year have been life altering, but I have never even had time to doubt that He is aware of me, before I turn and He has blessed me again.

Merry Christmas, Loved ones!

So, last night I met the lady I want to be when I am middleold. Her name is Kathryn. She is a coworker of my roommate. She doesn't know me from Eve, but we went to a Christmas party at her house last night and it was just... comfortable. She was so happy to see us, even though she'd never even met me before. She was happy, laid back, excited about what was going on all at the same time. Plus she made some pretty stellar fudge. Even though we were only there for a short time, I have no reason to think she didn't mean it when she said she would love for us to come back... Anyway, there is your random thought for today.

Ok, so I have been so bogged down in work the last week, I haven't even had time to think, let alone type something that didn't have to do with staffing, so when I came across this email, I had an epiphany. I will post it for you to read - then I don't have to type or think, and I can still blog:D

Summary of My Year on the Computer!


I must send my thanks to whoever sent me the email about rat poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet towel with every envelope that needs sealing.

Also, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time.

I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000.00 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special email program.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's novena has granted my every wish.

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

Thanks to you, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an email to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer can buy gasoline without taking a man along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put, 'Under God' on their cans.

I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

And thanks for letting me know I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face... disfiguring me for life.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore and Uzbekistan

I no longer have any sneakers - but that will change once I receive my free replacement pair from Nike.

I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.

Thanks to you, I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.

Thank you too for all the endless advice Andy Rooney has given us. I can live a better life now because he's told us how to fix everything.

And thanks to your great advice, I can't ever pick up $5.00 in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.

Oh, and don't forget this one either!

I can no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain gas companies!

If you don't send this email to at least 47,000 people in the next 47 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:47 p.m. this afternoon and the fleas from 47 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's Cousin's beautician.

Have a wonderful day... AND a scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain and sexual activity read their email with their hand on the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.