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Ladies Night

So, my happy news for today is that I bought new pants... Now I can not look like a slop at my conference next week.

The girls were - as usual - an entirely different show this week.

Jordin – What can I say more? I love this girl. She’s awesome and her performance tonight was great :)

Sabrina – the song was boring, and her hair is atrocious. I understand natural curl, but do something with it…

Antonella – I am afraid I stand with the Frenchie supporters… if Frenchie had to leave, Antonella should too… of course with tonight’s performance maybe she’s trying to bow out gracefully.

Haley – If I was tone deaf, I might have still had issues with this song…..

Stephanie – I was sitting right here, but I was so bored I didn’t really even hear it. She looks very nice though.

Lakisha – I need her to smile…. But the girl can sing. There’s no disputing that one. Is it wrong if I want to buy her invisalign?

Gina – I actually liked this one better than the original. She’s the singer season 1 Nikki thought she was.

Melinda – She’s more OCD than I am… that’s points for her. The fact that she is freaking amazing is the bigger point giver…. Her song choice was awesome. If she doesn’t win, she will still make an album, and I will definitely still buy it.

it's about blasted time

So, first things first. I am super excited about the trip I FINALLY got to book today. I am going to Jacksonville to do some training with my counterpart, get some training from another group, and visit with my WFM team :D YAY!!! 10 days in Florida. The only sad part is that the friend I was hoping to meet there has a business trip taking him OUT of town that weekend. So, I am thinking Disney World is probably out, but does anyone know anything else that is fun to do is Jacksonville?

Ok then, here's my run down on AI tonight...

Beat Box – I really like listening to him, but I do not see him as the winner. A short dose is penty.

Sanjaya – Finally someone else is making fun of his hair, really, it’s about time.

Sundance – Sundance is growing on me. He’s actually slightly amusing. That is a plus

Chris – He just doesn’t do it for me.

Jared – sorry, I missed most of it. But he’s still pretty.

Brandon – Meh. I wasn’t all that impressed. I am pretty sure the whole song had only 4 notes in it.

Phil – painful, really really painful

Chris Sligh – I have only 2 problems with him this week The hair and the lisp… His performance was not all that bad.

There's no place like home....

It's been a lovely weekend, here in the frozen world I call home. It was -21 F when I was getting ready this morning... I will never be sure how you actually get ready to go outside knowing full well when you take your first outside breath your nostrils will freeze shut, but you do it anyway.

I officially have too much to do when I come home to just be here for 2 1/2 days...It's crazy beans. Friday night we had dinner with Kelly and Justin's family as well as Lynn and Lorna and Cordell.

Today I spent the afternoon with my sisters and nephew. That is always fun. I am pretty sure we played 1/2 of the board games in the closet.

For lunch, Mom and I went to the new place in town, "Timbers." It was actually pretty tasty. It's a steak house in the evening, but for lunch it's just burgers and sandwiches. I love a good French Dip :)

Oh, I've decided that I might be broken. I turned down an Angee Caramel. Who in their right mind turns down an Angee Caramel??? I may need serious help.

Wednesday night ladies

Gina – Unfortunately painful. I really liked her last week. This week between her and the backup singers it was less than great.

Alaina – ugh

Lakisha – she’s very talented as a singer. I did not love the pumpkin shirt she was wearing tonight… paint black triangles on her and call her Jack.

Melinda – Good things come in small packages. She’s freaking amazing

Antonella – Did not love the performance. I was in another room when she was singing and I was almost afraid to come back in. I did love her dress.

Jordin – I started out wondering… but she’s a cute girl, and I rather enjoyed it.

Stephanie – Interesting, really. I don’t know how I feel about it yet.

Leslie – Really? The same song as last night? However, I loved it till the weirdness at the end.

Haley – it was really really terrible. The notes were off and a bit painful really.

Sabrina – as much as I hate to say it… because the even the thought of it sounds cliché – I’ve heard better karaoke than this…

Tuesday night boys

Institute got cancelled because of snow... so I had to watch with the judges this week. Apparently I am not as in sync with Simon tonight as usual.


Phil – still creepy looking, but the performance was MUCH better than last week. Can we vote off the background singers?

Jared – mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm…. Who cares if he can sing?

AJ – I doubted when he started, as I am a pretty big Michael Buble fan, but he really pulled it off, and switched it up, just enough. I really liked it.

Sanjaya – the hat is not any better than the hair. It was not as terrible as the judges said, but it was meh.

Chris Sligh – I might be ok if I didn’t have to watch while he sang. It’s kind of a Justin Guarini thing.

Nick – I’d take that valentine.

Beat Box – The song itself does not lend to actually being sung. However, the performance was enjoyable.

Brandon – I did not love it. It was sweet enough, but a little off for me. And, WHAT was he wearing?

Chris Richardson – The head bobbing is distracting. Once again, the song was not really all that show casing… Jason Moraz can do that, Chris R can not. The scat was cool though.

Sundance Head – Ride Sally, ride… I appreciate that he didn’t try add the operatic influence, but I’m still iffy.

The Saga Continues

So, the hometeachers came over to help with the bathroom tonight... we got the cabinet and mirror hung, but the sink, while put together, still isn't really working. The underneath pipes aren't quite right, and for some reason, the brand new faucet still leaks... anyone? anyone? ideas???

On the very positive side, I finished putting the eliptical machine together. It's a harder work out than I was expecting. If it doesn't kill me first, it ought to be super helpful :)

Ok then.. it's past my bedtime....
So then... speed dating... It's kind of like Mardi Gras. I can say that I did it, but I don't have any compulsion to do it again soon. I can think of other ways to experience mass rejection. The rest of the evening was fine.

I am happy to report that I have made the necessary changes to reincorporate my favorite part of Sunday back into the schedule. Sunday afternoon naps. We have officially changed wards and now we meet at 9:00 am instead of 1:00 pm. Ironically, the Home Teachers from the last ward decided to come over last night. The superfanstic part about that is that they are coming back tonight to finish the plumbing in my bathroom and hang my mirror. The pro is that I will be able to brush my teeth in the bathroom again, the con is that now I won't have an excuse for not putting makeup on in the morning ;)

Oh yes, my other happy news is that because I am not in Truro this week, I get to go home and see my family this weekend - YAY!

+2.3 - 4.8 =-10= -32 total

Thursday and Friday, I finally got a couple of things done. I broke into my storage shed so I could replace the lock with one we actually have a key for. I also finally got to the post office and the bank, and the grocery store, and we worked on the bathroom a little more. Still no water, but the caulking is done and all the pipes are in the right place, one of them is just a little too long. I swear this is turning into the never ending project. My kitchen is also turning into a reoccuring nightmare. It's not so much the kitchen itself as the insurance company not feeling like they should have to cover it, even though that's why I pay them. Anyway, so the second claim has been filed and we'll see if this one gets any further than the first.

Friday night I went up to the institute for the kick off of their "Education Conference." I had a lovely meal with my friends and then there was a concert with a couple of local performers. The first girl is actually in my last ward. The second act was a group called Interstate Eye... maybe it's Interstate I... I'm not really sure. Anyway, they were pretty fun, but the accoustics in the multipurpose room were terrible, so I left early.

Today (Saturday) I went back up to the conference. The keynote speaker was Chad Lewis recently retired tight end from the Philadelphia Eagles. His talk was entitled, Go forward with faith. Then I went to the first workshop before leaving to meet some friends for lunch. I haven't seen Janice and Ty for over a year, so this was really nice. I need to find a reason to go to Phoenix. Of course I do have some time off I am supposed to be able to take...... It was a good day to catch up on what is going on in everyone's lives as they have moved away from working at The Verge where we all met. Of the 8 adults that were there, all of them previous coworkers, I am the only lifer. Anyway, good times.

Tonight is up for grabs. We're supposed to go speed dating. I have about 30 other things I need to get done, but if I had to guess... they won't get done anyway so we may as well go, eh?

I'll keep you posted ;)

Wednesday

So, today is kind of the continuation of a long week.... I feel a bit chaotic in general, but well, such is life. I still don't know if I am going to be in or out of town next week. I also still don't have a solid plan for when the plumbing in my bathroom sink will be done (though there will be progress made tomorrow). I am still fighting the insurance company on my kitchen repairs.

However, I did have a lovely dinner with James and Heather tonight. After which James got to play accountant and help me with my taxes (yay refund) and we watched American Idol. Because I was busy looking at numbers, I did not pay enough attention to chat individually about tonight's performances. Overall, I liked tonight much better than last night. A couple of the girls were really great. A couple of them, really need to go home. We'll see tomorrow, won't we :) I must admit, I did feel a little violated by the inappropriate touching in the last song...

Top 12 Males

My favorite part about taping American Idol is fast forwarding everything Ryan Seacrest has to say and not having my opinion tainted by the judges. My favorite part about blogging about AI is that I get to be completely critical of people I know nothing about. It saves me from taking out my frustration on people I actually know and care about, let’s call it… An outlet :)

Rudy – ENUNCIATE

Brandon – All right, nothing too spectacular, but fun to watch

Sundance – Off key opera?

Paul – I do appreciate the bare feet. I would have appreciated it more if he hit the notes.

Chris – Don’t sing a song that is going to get you compared to Bo… besides, there was entirely too much head shaking going on.

Nick – Get the man a taller microphone stand. Other than a couple of weird notes in his key change, I liked it.

Blake – Interesting… I’m not sure yet.

Sanjaya – I can’t get past the hair to listen to him sing. And, by definition, any song that has the line “I don’t want to bore you with this” is a risky proposition.

Sligh – My speech pathologist roommate has some exercises that can help with that…

Jared – I can watch him for a really long time…. Listening is not too bad either…not great, but well… mute is always an option

AJ – Paula was dancing, but I think she was just really trying to not have to listen too closely.

Phil – A bit scary, really…. Please lay off the close-ups


Overall, a bit disappointed tonight.

Cannon and Cabela's

This weekend I spent time with my mom and nephew. We went to see my grandparents and took Cannon to Cabela's which, if you're not familiar is like the mall for rednecks. It's a monstrous sporting goods store, covered all over with stuffed dead animals and such... it even has a shooting gallery and aquarium. He loved it :)





This is Daralee. She's from Brandon, Manitoba
We ate at this cafe, and, well... the food was ok, but nothing to brag about, and the service was TERRIBLE... I would suggest looking else where, given the chance.
We went to a piano bar that shall remain nameless until I remember what it is called. This is Jeremy (my boss) and Daralee
This is Eric and me :)
This is the lady that was playing when we got there. She was pretty good. You could tell she enjoyed performing. There were a couple of other players that cycled in and out, but she was there the whole time we were.
How cool is this fountain? There was a fire inside it... I thought it was awesome
These ones are just proof... I was on Bourbon Street :)


This is the creepy old man who thought he was 18 dancing along to all the rap songs that were being performed at The Cat's Meow. He was really really icky.

OK. Those are the pics from the trip... the rest of the week went pretty well. Uneventful really, just work and airplane rides. It looks like I have a few more trips coming up, so that makes me happy. I'll let you know once they actually get booked ;)

Happy Single Awareness Day!

Well, I thought I'd better take a minute to let people know that NO, I was not in New Orleans when the tornados went through, nor was I in SLC when the crazy guy walked in to Trolley Square and started shooting people. I have been completely secluded in my little corner of Baton Rouge since Monday afternoon.

The trip here was fine. I ran into a bit of a delay in Houston, but my boss ran into a delay in Atlanta, so we actually got in about the same time. We spent Monday meeting people and going through an overview of the program we are here to learn about. Tuesday I spent the day in training and today I have just been trying to get caught up on my real job. It's been great really. I like being able to see the people I am working with, call me crazy.

Tonight Nita and Eric are taking us down to New Orleans. Technically Mardi Gras is not until next Tuesday, but the parades have been going for weeks, so we're going to at least get a little taste of the chaos that is the French Quarter. Fortunately, Eric is a pretty big guy, so we should be relatively safe. My goal for tonight is to take a few pictures, just so I have a bit of proof ;)

To be Continued...

Wal-Mart, friend or foe?

Is it just me, or is it impossible to go to Wal-Mart and spend less than $50? I went in last night needing spackle and stockings. Well, I found them all right, but I also found protein bars, hair stuff, excercise pants (which, btw are the smallest size I've boughten since Jr high, not that that is really saying much) oatmeal, yarn, as well as a few other things...

Ok, maybe I am just too much of an impulse shopper.

-1.2

Today I am recommending a new pizza place. It's called Nick-n-Willy's. It's SO good! We got the thin crust pizza. We got it with out pizza sauce, just a little olive oil. The toppings were fresh. There wasn't too much cheese or grease. It was an over all fantastic experience. AND you can take and bake, bake and take or have it delivered. What more can you ask for?

Hmmm, other than that, I've been pretty boring lately. Monica and I watched movies on Friday. We saw My Super Ex-girlfriend and The Illusionist. The first was LAME. The second was really good.

Today I spent the day painting the bathroom. Fun, eh? But it's gonna look super classy when it's all said and done... of course it won't be done until I get back from Baton Rouge, but, oh well. I am learning patience in many ways right now.

A bit of history

Last night was pretty cool. I was told I should go to institute, to make up for missing on Tuesday, and I am glad I did. There was a special program done where the Patriarch for the church, Elder Smith, and his wife spoke to us. Elder Smith is cool for a lot of reasons. First of all, he turned 100 years old in January. If I could be as lively and quick as he is at 100, I will gladly. Also, he is the great-great-grandson of Hyrum Smith. For those of you familiar with the LDS religion, that name will ring a bell. For those of you not, Hyrum's brother, Joseph Smith, Jr. is the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Hyrum played an instrumental role in the early days of the church and gave his life trying to save his brother.

Sister Smith spoke to us about family. It is, after all, a fundamental in our church. She also spoke to us about Lucy Mack Smith (mother of Joseph and Hyrum) and the amazing job she did raising this family and the support they gave to each other. She brought with her Lucy's foot stool and dinner bell.

Elder Smith spoke about the early days of the restoration and the process Joseph went through to receive the ancient record that was later translated to The Book of Mormon - much of which was actually new to me. At 100 years old, he was still able to bring this story to life and portray the very humanness of these men we revere. He did it not in a way to detract, but to add to my admiration of them. He brought with him the clothing that Hyrum was wearing the day he was killed. Also the watch that he had with him, and one that had been left at home.(It is referenced in some of the stories of the martyrdom.) He also brought the box that Hyrum had lent to Joseph to carry the ancient record in.

Anyway, besides learning about stuff I thought I knew already, it was just a good meeting.

Plus, I got to see Matt. He's been avoiding me lately ;) Apparently I've pushed him over the edge, because he's moving to NC next month... I mean, really, what is up with people moving to NC.... Ok, really he's moving for other reasons... and we wish him every luck in his endeavors!

During







So, Rebath came today and they finished the tub, shower, and covering the ugly blue walls. Chris came over and got the toilet put back into the floor. We started the vanity, but the pipes are weird, and there is nothing about the floor that is level, so we're having to play around a little to make it work. Anyway, since that is not getting done tonight, it will have to wait until Thursday. In the mean time, I am going to repaint the top walls.









Before






So I have decided to show you WHY I am redoing my bathroom... It's hideous.... that's all. It's been torn apart all day, but here are the before shots....

-1.8

So it's been kind of a random weekend. Friday night we tried out the little place up the road called "Cafe Med." It was tasty. I haven't had a gyro or souvlaki for a long time, so that was fun. I also went and got all of the stuff to finish off my bathroom. I am so excited for Tuesday I can hardly stand it. My friend, Chris, is going to come over and help me do everything that ReBath doesn't do. I'll try to remember to take before and after pics. I just hope it turns out as nice as it looks in my head. Saturday was pretty quiet, ran some errands but stayed in trying to minimalize a cold I can feel developing in my head.
Today we came home from church and found the Salt Lake City Crime Scene Investigation unit parked outside our condo complex putting rather large bags into the back of the SUV. They must have just finished whatever they were doing when we pulled in because we went out to peek at them after we changed from church, but they were all gone. Whatever it was must not have been all that important. I am watching the news right now and we didn't make it.
We got invited to a Superbowl party... it was superlame. We only ended up staying for about an hour. I came home and made soup, yep, soup. Chicken soup has a way of fixing everything I say, so if you need some, feel free to come visit.

What a fantastic day!

Today was just a good day. I am not sure if it was because of things going super well, or if I just had such a low expectation that when it went normal, the good was intensified. I spent most of the day on the phone, which, is, well, what I do... but today I did the majority of my employee appraisals at work. I DREAD this process, so I was just kind of prepared... but they actually went very positively. At least, I think they did. You can ask my team to see how they really went. I also got asked to take a trip to Baton Rouge in a couple of weeks. YAY!!! I love business travel. I do not love the thought of being at the airport for a 530 AM flight, but, well, traffic should be good ;) and I will still be home in time to go to Dingle for the weekend... I think. I haven't quite worked out how I am going to fit my Saturday meeting onto Friday after I get back instead.
Anyway... tonight was bowling. I ended up with a 113 and a 92. For me, not tooooo shabby. I ran some errands before hand and found a CTR ring, that I like a lot, and I got it a size and a half smaller than my last one, I am starting to wonder if my hands are the only place I am getting smaller, but, well... patience I say, patience. I also got new black shoes... I think I may have a problem... Here's today's question - How many pairs of shoes does a girl have to own before it's considered "too much?"

Soap Box

I live in Salt Lake City. Our license plates actually say "Greatest Snow on Earth." Why, why then, does an inch of snow over night mean the only thing on the radio in the morning is reports of accidents and slide offs on the roadways???

Slow down, people. You've lived here long enough to know that under the snow is just enough water to make ice. No where you are going is important enough to die over, and if you run off the road, you're gonna be late anyway... seriously, think this thru... leave 5 minutes early and just let the rest of us get where we need to be, too.

OK, that is my soap box. On a happier note, I am getting my bathroom remodeled next Tuesday! YAY!!!! No more 70s blue tile!!!

-.8

Sorry about the lack of posts... not a whole lot going on... I spent the weekend working... and well... hmmm... oh, I saw Lady in the Water - which I liked a lot, but should probably watch again when I am not supposed to be doing something else; and Invinsible - which left me feeling like life is good... I highly suggest it. Everybody needs a little "life is good" once in a while.

No update on the kitchen or the bathroom... gotta love being at the mercy of other people's schedules.

midweek

It's been a pretty quiet week. Monday I pretended to clean my room, but for some reason more and more stuff seems to be finding its way in there... I have GOT to break into my storage unit soon.

Tuesday was institute. It was an interesting class, a mix of parenting, chastity, and boys you need to get on the ball... over all a pretty positive lesson.

Wednesday was fantastic. I took a half day off work and went home and did what I actually enjoy doing, which is make dinner. I made rolls and experimented with a vegetarian lasagna. I was pleasantly suprised with the outcome, and unless my friends are liars, I was not the only one. We had about 11 people at dinner last night and it was super enjoyable. I miss living close to the people I like. I did force them to watch American Idol with me, but well, that's just how I am.

Nicknames from last night are Pretty Boy - ok, really that boy was beautiful - and Punky Brewster, it's a bit of a stretch, but come on, she had a dream catcher in her hair.

-2

So, it's been a pretty decent weekend. Friday night Monica and I went to the 25-30 dance the institute was holding downtown. I must admit I had pretty low expectations. Dances aren't really my thing, but it was an excuse to get out of the house. The DJ was not fantastic, but he managed to get thru the night with out playing too many slow songs, and believe it or not I actually got asked to dance. Yes, really ME... go figure! And more than once - I am pretty sure this is some kind of record for me. Anyway, I ran into a couple of friends there I hadn't seen for a while - so that was fun, too.

Saturday was great :) I slept til noon... I know, but I was tired. Then we went to WW, and then I went down to see my grandparents. My grandmother has finally come to realize she has WAY too much stuff and now is trying to start getting rid of it. I left with 3 of the most beautiful tablecloths I have ever seen. No really, I am going to put them out, but no one will ever be allowed to eat on them. As well as bags full of the pillow cloths and doilies she has crotcheted over her life. I am not actually sure what you do with doilies these days... but I have some.

Then I came home and went to dinner with Monica and Becca. We decided to go somewhere we hadn't been before, so we went to Tres Hombres. It was pretty tasty, but not absolutely amazing. There was a trubador there though, and he was well worth listening to.

Today is Sunday. I suppose I ought to get out of bed and get ready for church. I think I'll make a roast for dinner... doesn't that sound like a very traditional thing to do?

AI the first week

My favorite part of American Idol is giving the contestants nick names... I must admit many of them are too easy, but I only do it to the ones who actually make it. So far, there is Crack Baby, who needs braces, and the McPhee Wannabee, who needs a hair stylist. I am going to call the brother and sister from Seattle the Gellers.

And no... I did not know the guy from Midvale or why they let him go the whole song.

Overall, the auditions have not failed to entertain. But I ask the same question I ask every year... where do they find this many people willing to make fools of themselves?

It begins

Tonight is the premiere of what might be the only reality show I actually enjoy. Oh yes, that's right - it's time.... AMERICAN IDOL! And I am super pumped because my friend Dav is going to end up here on an overnight for work, so we can kick off the season right :) (Assuming he ends up on the trip he thought he would today) YAY!!!

I am going to put a plug in for the Albertson's on 33rd S and 9th E. Yes, it's almost as ghetto as the Ream's on state, but the customer service is excellent. All I did was mention that I picked up the last box of the sale item I had gone in for, and they offered a rain check - saying that apparently the ware house is out of them as well. I had tried a couple of other Albertson's and they didn't even have a space where the product was supposed to be.... what is this product you ask.... Well, I'll tell you. They are called "Quaker Granola Bites." Not only are they very tasty, but they are only a 2 point snack :) I am ALL about that. The chocolate ones are my favorite, but the cinnamon are also very enjoyable. I'd put a picture up, but apparently it is a pretty new product, it is not on any of the quaker webpages.

Yes I recognize that I am a geek... you either love me or hate me already, either way, you should be used to it ;)

Ok, so really, that's about it from here... I am going to start the insurance quest today and hopefully find out how much of my kitchen will be covered...

Today's chapter ends





The plumber just left. He was here for less than 15 minutes. The pipe had burst a solder joint. He replaced the pipe and the joint and said to make sure to leave the fans on to dry out the walls. There appear to be no other leaks except the one that has now caused a very large hole in my kitchen ceiling.

I learned a lot today. I learned where my water valves are (mine, as well as the entire building) I learned that my upstairs neighbor does not actually live in her house, but she will be renting it out next month. I learned what pipes sound like when they break open. I learned that even though people aren't close to you, they will still do everything they can to help you out when you call.... okay, maybe not all people, but my people are amazing! so they do. I learned about the pros and cons of insulation, and the lack there of. I learned that home warranties cover pipes, but the rest of the damage is going to have to be an insurance claim....(which I am sure you will hear about)

I also know this could have been much worse. It could have happened when no one was home or in the middle of the night. It could have burst in more than one room. It could have done a lot of things, but it didn't. I just had one bad pipe that popped open and other than the carpet (which is drying) the walls which SHOULD dry, and the ceiling that can be replaced..... nothing else is ruined, the living room and bedrooms are fine, and I am a better prepared home owner for the next drama that happens.


OK... So I think I am going to find something for dinner and pop in a movie. I am pretty sure we'll still be able to hear it over the fans ;)

Happy Sunday!

The next day

So, after spending yesterday with no water in the kitchen... today I have water everywhere. At 9:00 this morning the pipe above my kitchen burst. I still had no idea where to shut it off, so I ran around trying to find a neighbor who would open the door, but either everyone was gone, or sleeping. SO I called my family who called my other family and who happens to be a carpet cleaner/restoration company. And my friend who happens to be my brilliant realtor. Who helped me call the home warranty peeps who are supposed to call me back in the next little bit and get someone here today to fix the issue. I did finally remember where my shut off valve is. So at least the water quit running.

Jeff came down with his boys and cleaned up the most of it. The carpets are not sopping anymore; and he left fans to dry it out over the next few days, and to help dry the walls out - as I can now see every tape line in my kitchen.

As I am typing this, my upstairs neighbor has just come down to see if we have water. She doesn't... maybe the water I shut off is the water for the whole building, not just me... either way, they aren't getting it back until this leak is fixed. Her mom's boyfriend is a plumber, so maybe she'll have more luck than I at getting someone here.

-2.4

So... last night Robin, Brad, and I went shopping for bowling shirts. We had absolutely no luck. It was still fun, but I must admit we didn't really find anything. Does anyone know where we can get a stellar deal on bowling shirts??? After the shopping we went to dinner and found a movie... We watched the DaVinci Code. I don't know how I felt about it yet. It was a good movie - I LOVE Tom Hanks. The plot was interesting and there were just enough a twists to be fun to watch, however.... I had the conclusion figured out about 15 minutes into the show. Anyway, worth the watch, but I guess I am not sure what all the hype was over. There are some pretty interesting religious points in the show, but if you are really letting your belief in a higher being be influenced by Hollywood.... well.... there are better places for information about EVERYTHING, not just religion, than Hollywood ;)

I woke up late this morning, went to the kitchen to rinse the dishes in the sink, low and behold... no water. I checked the bathroom, water. I checked the washer, water. Checked the dishwasher, no water. This is my first home owner major trauma. I have no landlord to call, and the HOA peeps won't call me back to tell me where my pipes are to even have a chance at looking to see where the pipe issue might be. I'd love the chance to examine the heck out of it, if I knew where"it" was.

UGH, UGH, UGH...

SO much for that

So, today I got a call from a friend who needed to haul her new elyptical machine home. Traffic was terrible, but it was fine and we waited at Sears for the machine for a bit, they loaded it up and we headed for her home. This box was heavy, and we're 2 pretty weak girls. Luckily there were 2 more girls at the house when we got there. So we got the blasted thing into the living room and cut the box open, and guess what we find --- oh yeah, not an elyptical machine at all. Instead they sent us home with a treadmill. OOops. Anyway, I left her to sort it out with the store. I am a pretty helpful person, but I had errands to run that have been waiting for way too long. If I hear the rest of the story, I'll keep you posted.
Sooooo, Monica and I started WW yesterday. YAY! I love having someone to do stuff with, especially this.
Last night we went to a movie party. It's a small world. My friend Charity, from Logan, was at the party. Apparently, she knows my friends Brett and Brian. Anyway, it was a lovely party until the last gal showed up. Something about her turned the rest of the gals at the party into very loud and annoying people. Oh well. We didn't stay long after that, but it was still fun to see people again. Moving wards shouldn't make it so hard to see your friends, but it does seem to.

So, the question for the day is, When did it become OK to wear fishnet stockings to church?

Bombay House

There is a tasty little spot just off of I80 and 215 called the Bombay House - MMMMMMMMM we tried the chicken curry and the coconut kurma... I highly suggest either of them.

Happy Friday

So, my pretty new ball got christened last night. She had kind of a rough start, but for having more than every other ball hit the gutter in the first 5 frames, I ended up with a 96, which for me, is pretty respectable. The only thing I am sad about is that she is already dirty ;) Ok, not really sad.

It snowed here in SLC yesterday. My house got about 3 inches, which doesn't sound like much, but it sure made for a pretty day to stare out the window. Today it is kind of trying to snow, but it's not really putting enough of an effort in to do any good.

I also met with the ReBath people last night. I got the tub and walls sorted out, now I just need to find a solution to the sink and mirror. Maybe it's time for Nicole to become a carpenter/plumber.

Wow... the more I type the more you are starting to realize it's better when I don't blog everyday...
Ok.. I'll stop.

transitional statements needed

It's snowing today. While I do not treasure the thought of driving on the roads with people who still haven't figured out that snow means to slow down, I am pleased as punch that the snow may clean some of the junk out of the air here. I don't love snow, but I do love breathing.

Well, Christmas is officially over. I took the tree down Tuesday night and once I find someone to break into my storage shed, I will get it all put away. It is reminding me that I didn't really decorate much before we put it up. My living room needs help. It has been a very quiet start to the new year (knock on wood.) Work is finally getting caught up and I am excited to see my bowling friends again. If all goes as planned, my ball will be ready to use tonight! It's so pretty... I'll have to post a pic once I get it back. I know you can hardly wait.

Oh, does anyone know a good company to go thru for a bathroom remodel? I have someone coming over tonight to take a look, but would like to get a second opinion... anyone, anyone?

pics from home

So these are pics from my trip home... kind of random, but well... it's me, so yeah... These first ones are from New Year's. My uncle Evan and his grandbaby Chet.



We look like big partiers, don't we?
Riley, Karlie and Cannon with Cannon's new race track


Sideways, but Cannon and Riley.

Christmas :) Cannon, Daniel, Mom





Me and Tylyn, working on her puzzle while her dad put in my mom's new kitchen countertop and sink.

Happy New Year!

Like everyone else, it seems, I can hardly believe it is time to start another year. Depending on how I think about it, 2006 was either the longest or shortest year ever. There were some pretty big changes made, but there was also a lot of things that fortunately stayed the same. Either way, I am super excited about 2007. I've set my goals and I am actually committed to them, which is different than normal ;) I'll admit it...
I heard a quote in church yesterday (and you must remember where I have been this week) that said, "The past should be a guide post, not a hitching post." He was not actually talking about goals, but it is how I chose to interpret it. Not everything I did in 2006 is something I want to take with me into 2007, so here is a perfect opportunity to let it go. Yay for fresh starts! and Yay for moving towards good things!

Mother Nature

I am a little frustrated with mother nature this week. She's making it impossible for me to just kick back on my "vacation." The weird part is, it's not even what she is doing in my part of the world, which is snowing.... lots and lots of snowing.... but that super lame earthquake in asia is making work a drama instead of a lovely quiet week like it should have been ;) OK. I am done whining. Life is good, really. The snow, while I do not like driving in it, is very pretty and much needed and it keeps it relatively warm. I think today we spent the whole day above 0F!

Cannon is staying with us this week, too. This makes me happy. He is a 7 yr old stinker, but he's keeps things interesting around the house. Mom and I tend to be a little quiet when we are left to ourselves. Today while I was at work, they spent the day sledding in the slush. Everyone is soaked to the bone.

Tomorrow is another day!

Merry Christmas!

Well, maybe it's not for another hour or so, but that can be easily overlooked. Merry Christmas!!!! We actually had our Christmas today, because Christmas Eve is when my brother and nephew come to visit. They got here just in time to hurry and get the small one ready so we could go to church. The service today was the choir program (yay) which I didn't participate in because I was staying home to wait for the boys, but that's ok. Cannon and I watched and listened. After lunch we came home and had a lovely dinner, which I am pretty sure we could not eat fast enough to make the small one happy. He really wanted to dig into the presents. When we finally finished he went a little crazy. It's funny to see him get so excited about the most random things and everything is "EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED!" even though only about half of the gifts will even get played with until February ;) Once again the farm animals win the most used in the first day award. They are always a hit with him, but I am pretty sure he has just about everyone imaginable at this point. Except, I am told he does not yet have an emu, which is apparently a farm animal, since the man down the street has one roaming in his field.

Anyway, after the boys left, we went down to Kelly and Justin's to play games and try and keep the kids awake so they maybe will sleep past 2 am. I am pretty sure it won't work, but since a couple of them seem to be coming down with a little bit of a bug, they have a better shot of sleeping than most years :S I am going to bed now. Oddly, I get to sleep in on Christmas. With no kids at home, we get to sleep in as long as we want.... or at least until the phone rings with kids on the other end so excited they can't wait to tell us what Santa brought them.

It totally worked

Thank you People in NC. And right back at ya! I did have a lovely drive yesterday (and since it is snowing today, I am feeling even better about my choice of yesterday). I stopped in Logan for lunch with Trista and Shar, and got to meet Shar's new baby. His name is Demitri (or Darnell if you choose to side with Trista). He is beautiful :) Go figure, eh? But really. All that black hair :) I'll load a picture once I get back to a computer with a connection better than 26.4k. When I got home, my mom was super excited :) It was great. Last night Kelly and Justin came up and put in mom's Christmas present, which is a new kitchen counter top and sink. It's going to be a project for a couple of days more, but they got a good start on it, anyway. It's going to be fantastic.

Ok... I gotta jet. It's time for aerobics at the church house :)

Shhhh! Don't tell my mom!

I get to come home a day early!!!!! Don't tell my mom, it's a surprise. I've known since most of yesterday, but I haven't told her yet. I'm telling you now because she's already at work. So unless you tell her - she won't find out until I am already home. I am stopping in Logan to visit some friends, but I should still be home about the same time mom get's off work :) YAY!! If I had my way about it, I would be gone already. That just seemed mean to the people I would have had to wake up when I got to Logan. If I wait one more hour I can meet them at a reasonable time for lunch.... so I am trying to be patient. It's harder than it seems like it should be.

I want to go home

It is driving me crazy to have to be at work this week. All I can do is plot how to get out of town earlier than I have planned. I am going home for the holidays. I still have to work, but I am only working half days, and assuming they don't get tired of me, I will be doing it from the Bear Lake County Library. I like working from the library. The ladies there are super nice, and it's pleasant to have people around to listen to while I work, even if I don't talk much. I feel bad sometimes when I have to take calls there, because, well, it IS a library, but so far, so good :)

I want to go home!!!!!




Last night I went to visit my friend Amber and her new baby Nathan. She is fantastic, and he is beautiful. I am not baby hungry ( I am too selfish to be responsible for another life, I recognize this), but I do love to borrow them for awhile. He was so good. He just slept on my chest for almost 3 hours, skipped his feeding time and went on sleeping. I loved it. With my luck, if I ever get to have kids, I will be given nonsnuggle babies, but maybe just maybe ;)

Today is the official first day of office Christmas treats. I have decided to rebel, and I am not baking until after the holidays. Chocolate seems to be the topping of choice this holiday. Even on things I don't eat plain, like pretzels, put a little chocolate on it and suddenly, they're amazing. Put it on something I already love, like popcorn, and I will be yours forever. Ok, maybe that's a little dramatic, but you get the picture.

Oh, I still don't know when I am leaving for the holidays. It's getting a little frustrating. I am so excited that I have actually almost finished packing and it is all taking up space in my living room, just waiting. It's only Tuesday.

Tonight I am having dinner with my friends James and Heather (yay). Hopefully if I stay busy, I will be less anxious :D
Yesterday ended up being a very productive day. I am officially done with my Christmas shopping and it's all wrapped up and ready to go. My tree is very pretty with packages underneath it, even if none of them are for me ;)

We went to a dinner party last night. It was very nice and the girls had obviously spent a lot of time making sure everything was perfect.

I love the holiday season. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the music. Today was my ward's choir program at church. I joined the choir last week on a whim, but what it meant is that I got to sing in the program today. We sang some of my favorites, including The First Noel/Pachelbel's Canon. I left the meeting feeling completely ready for Christmas.

Tonight, just to be sure, I am watching the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. I figure since I can't be home for my family Christmas party, I'll have a little one of my own :)

Windows, Dav, and things to do

What a good week it has been. I got moved into a room with windows at work. It was a little sad being the only one left in the big room, so this smaller room is very cozy, and now I can watch the snow fall. At least I'll know what I am headed out for at the end of the day.

Dav came to visit on Wednesday. It was great, we spent the evening downtown looking at Christmas lights and doing a little shopping. It was a lovely night. It rained the whole time we were walking, but it was a warm(ish) rain, and a light jacket night. He spent the night on the couch and Thursday we did a little more shopping, ran an errand, watched a movie and then took him up to his folks' house. His parents are some of my very favorite people.

Unfortunately, I had to work on Friday... but hey, I've got that window ;) Today I have GOT to finish my Christmas shopping. It's embarrassing to still have so much to do. We've been invited to a little party tonight, to which we've been asked to "dress for the occasion." It sounds like a lovely way to spend a Saturday night!

An amusing list

Contrary to popular belief, couples and families do not have a copyright on holiday cheer. We asked, "What do you think are the biggest benefits of being happily single during the holidays?" Besides "getting to kiss anyone or everyone under the mistletoe," (a pretty big plus, anyone would have to admit) here are a few more singles-only holiday perks:

~No arguments in the car about who said something stupid to whom at the family party.

~Not having to wake up at some ungodly hour to open gifts and pretend I'm surprised or elated.

~Decorating the tree in green, pink and purple bows if I feel like it... or not at all.

~Not having to coordinate everything with a lazy husband who made us late everywhere we went, then just fell asleep on the couch wherever we were.

~I can go shopping and completely avoid Home Depot and the golf store. Plus, I can hit every store I want without hearing the whine, "Do we have to go in here?"

~Spending less money and anxiety on trying to find that "perfect gift." I can buy myself something instead.

~Because I'm single, I still get as many presents from my mom as I did when I was a kid. As soon as I have kids, I'll get an ugly sweater and slippers from her, and nothing else. I know, because I've seen it happen to my older sister!

~More time to spend with my family and friends, and less stress trying to juggle multiple families and expectations. I can spend however much I want, have dinner wherever I want and spend Christmas wherever I want, rather than spending time with people out of obligation.

~I don't have to watch the Christmas football games. Instead I can sit down with a mug of cocoa and watch the "What Not to Wear" marathon all afternoon.

~I have more energy and time to put into doing good in the community. Last Christmas morning, I volunteered to serve food at a local restaurant that put on a huge spread for homeless people in town. It made me so grateful for everything that I have in life — which is a lot.

Another use


Duct Tape is like the force. There is a light side and a dark side and it holds the universe together.

I have no idea who this child is, but she doesn't look like she put up too much of a fight while daddy taped her up. I do appreciate that he put the duck up there with her.

Live the Dream

I was driving around town today with no true purpose, and I ended up behind a City Cab. I laughed to myself when I ready the sign on the back of the van. Live the Dream, Now Hiring." I know there is at least one of you that is going to tell me that driving a cab in Salt Lake really is "The Dream," but I can't help but think, what a sad dream that really is.

I didn't really accomplish much today, but I did go visit my grandparents. I lucked out and my cousin, Tim, was there visiting from Colorado. I also got about half of my Christmas shopping... I remember now why I try to do that before Thanksgiving.

Hypocrisy

Well, I guess I am a hypocrite, after all. What other explanation is there for me having such a hard time believing the silly love stories when people fall in love at first site, but I have no problem believing that Clarice would risk her life to go looking for Rudolph after meeting him only one time at reindeer practice?

Naps

Yesterday, I took a nap. I woke up feeling better than I had from a week of odd night's sleeps.
I think naps are an interesting phenomenon. When we are little we are forced to take naps. They always come at the worst time of the day, when we're in the middle of playing. When kids get a little cranky, the suggestion to fix it is a nap. We're sent to our beds until we can come back and be nice.

As we grow up, however, naps become a luxury. They're a treat for a Sunday afternoon, or after a big holiday meal. When adults get cranky, the suggestion is an anti anxiety pill or a brisk walk around the building. I think we should insitigate adult nap time. How many of today's conflicts could be resolved if we would just walk away from the table, take a nap, and come back with a cool, refreshed head.

Ok... now I am just rambling - oh wait...

Random Photo



These are my girls. Curious George came to the library:) I don't know anything else about this photo except that it makes me feel happy:)

My Family




We took photos on Thanksgiving... other than Daniel really needing a haircut... Look how cute we are!



This is my mom :) Incase you missed it somehow....

I know I know

So, if anything had happened between my last entry and now, I promise I would have posted.... As is, I've spent the last week camped out at home trying to minimize this cold I am catching.

This weekend has been pretty good though. Friday night we went out to dinner with some new friends. We went to a pub called MacCools. Traditional Irish fare be had, I was very happy with my American Prime Rib. I am a red meat fan. The horseradish sauce left a little to be desired, or at least a little more horseradish and a little less sour cream, but the service was good and the company was fantastic. After dinner we went back to Becca's and played games and had cocoa. I haven't laughed that hard in so long I can not remember. I needed it, really. We then went to look at Christmas lights, at 1100pm, in a car with no gas.... While there were not many lights on that late, we did get manage to get quite nauseated on the rollercoaster also known as Avenue I.

Yesterday I went shopping as I have decided it is far past time I should be done with Christmas, but am having trouble getting into the right spirit of it all this year. Anyway, as I didn't have anything else to do but hang out at wal-mart on a Saturday night, I decided it would be a good time to get my oil changed (4 months after the "next change due date" in my window). The very nice guy at the service desk said it would be about 45 minutes. 2 hours later I walked out. UGH. However, I went to visit Bethany and VeAnn and got caught up on my "The Office" episodes.

Today, Brad invited us to go to a Break-the-Fast potluck dinner. It was great fun! It was a group of people we'd never really met before, so it was a good night to just visit and get to know new peeps. Good times I say!

Well, really, that's about it. So, just for giggles, here are the pics I stole from Dav from my HouseWarming party. See how you missed out?!




Brian, RC, and Chris


Me and VeAnn :)


Ryan and Alyssa (Feb 9th!)


MadGab :)


Brett and Becca


Barry and Jake


Brad :)

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