I can't believe it's New Year's already. We just watched the countdown in Times Square, so it's 2011 in New York. That was on the news, though. They are tape-delaying Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve for one hour (does that make sense to anyone?), so we'll get it at 11pm. Silly, silly. I caught about two minutes of Carson Daly talking with Bono and the Edge . . . of course I miss the good stuff! Geez!
This month has flown. It feels like yesterday that we had Thanksgiving, then the following weekend was the NFCP, then work and car drama. I could hardly believe it when Christmas Eve was here and now it's New Years. Good grief.
Well, Christmas was good. Busy, but good. Here's a slideshow of the highlights:
The kids had fun, I think. Benji's favorite toy was the slinky (not his, of course, though Lily was good to share with him). Dinner wasn't nearly as organized as it was at Thanksgiving, so there weren't any cranberries. I'm not sure if there was any pie or not, though there was some awesome cheesecake. We did the kids' Christmas in the morning, had dinner, then waited for a couple of hours and did the adult gifts. It was a nice day, though I think we forgot the line-up. Oh well.
Anyway, that was Christmas. We had to come back to SLC on Christmas night so I could deal with church stuff, then I worked on Monday at Riverton and Tuesday uptown, and Wednesday I got my tonsils out. Turns out we had more than $1,000 left in our flex-spending, which is use-it-or-lose-it by the end of the year. I'm not really regretting it, but it SUCKS. Swallowing is really painful, so I'm living on popsicles, pudding and percocet. I have no energy right now (it has taken me two hours to write this so far).
I wish they'd just and over NYRE to Ryan Seacrest. Poor Dick Clark has got to go back into cryofreeze. I do have to say that the New Kids are looking pretty good. They have aged well, though they could really use some new music. It's funny to see 30-40 year old guys singing "Step By Step."
Okay, I would like to post this before the new year. So here you go. And remember--I'm on drugs right now.
31 December 2010
11 December 2010
My Automobile is a Piece of Crap
Oh, Gigi. You have served me well.
I was driving to work yesterday, just as I have done every weekday for the past six months. 6:30 a.m. on I-15, 65mph. I had the music up pretty loud, so I don't remember hearing anything, but I noticed that the check engine light came on. Then the battery light came on. I coasted to the side of the freeway, which happened to be right at an exit. I called work to tell them I probably wasn't going to make it in today.
I called AAA (thanks again, Granny), and they sent a tow-truck out. He picked us up and took us back to the repair shop (which hadn't even opened yet). Luckily there was someone there, who took my information and told me they'd get to it sometime that day. About that time, Allen was getting off from his night shift, so he came to pick me up. Then we picked up Benji and came home. I did a bit of laundry and dishes and waited for them to call me. When they did, they told me they drained the oil out of the engine (there was only a pint of oil left, and it's supposed to hold four quarts), and they found bits of brass in the oil. That means that the ball bearings are totally chewed up, and basically the engine is now worthless. To replace Gigi's motor would cost more than the entire car is worth at this point, so she has been declared dead. She was seventeen years old.
I am sad. She has been a great car, and she was a great little commuter. When I went to clean her out, I tried to step back and take a look at her--she was in pretty rough shape. She had a lot of dings and dents, holes where the speakers should be, the totally non-functioning interior door handles that are barely hanging on, the sagging cloth on the ceiling, the frayed seatbelts and torn upholstery . . . yeah, she was a piece of crap. But she was my totally paid-for piece of crap, and she got me from point A to point B with 33+ mpg.
So, out of necessity (or so I tell myself), I decided I needed a to buy a car that day so I could get to work this morning. But I am a very poor negotiator. I hate confrontation and competition--I'll avoid it whenever I can. This is why I needed my brother Dave to come with me. He has a lot of experience buying cars ;o), and being a salesperson, he knows how to work the system. We test-drove a couple of cars, but from the beginning we were looking at the Suzuki GrandVitara. They had two models--one very basic red 2008 (stick-shift, which I don't mind) model with only 19,000 miles on it, and one suped-up silver 2006 with 65,000 miles. They both started at about the same price, and I was having a really hard time deciding between the two. We played the game for a little while, but the owner (the one the salesman had to go make our offer to) also played us (and I hate knowing that). He wanted to sell the silver one, since it had been on the lot longer. When we saw the actual numbers and the upgrades on the silver one added to the mark-up, I was definitely leaning toward the red. He decided that he couldn't give me a better deal on the red, and came a lot closer to my offer with the silver. So that's the one I purchased. Yes, I drove it off the lot that night, because I needed it to get to work (although when I got home, Allen couldn't find his badge and thus couldn't go to work, so I could have driven his car and taken more time with this enormous purchase . . . "That's what you'd call ironic."). I'm not sure I got the best deal possible, but I think I did pretty well; and that was 99% thanks to Dave. I was much more confident with him there and I'm sure they didn't take advantage of me nearly as much as they would have had I been alone.
So I got a pretty sweet rig. I have tried to take a picture, but it has been raining all day. So here's an image from our friend Google:
I think this is a newer model, but the body style is just about the same. Mine, however, has a sunroof, racks on top, leather seats, keyless entry, power everything, and ridiculous rims. Seriously. I'm afraid I'll come out to find my car on cinder blocks because someone has stolen them. I almost want to get factory wheels put back on and sell the rims just so they don't attract attention. Don't get me wrong, they look awesome, but they are totally unnecessary. Actually, the idea of this much of an upgrade is still mind-blowing to me, and I honestly can't believe I purchased a car, let alone a super-sweet ride like this.
I love driving it, but . . .
a) I feel like a sell-out: driving Gigi was almost a badge of honor, an in-your-face maneuver to a crappy economy. This car totally buys into the American attitude of excess.
b) I'm still reeling from having made such a huge purchase in one day. I don't need this much car, and I REALLY don't want to be making car payments for the rest of my life.
c) I don't feel like I deserve it. I wish I were at a point in my life where I could justify luxurious things, but I'm certainly not, and unfortunately, I sincerely doubt I ever would be able to justify it in my brain.
There is a clause in the contract that says I can bring it back within 14 days and we can forget the whole thing. It's tempting, and honestly, I should do it and get something more practical. It's not like this is a muscle car or a convertible--it's a small SUV with relatively low miles that really will last me for years (if I can manage to not destroy the engine). That's what I really wanted; the rest are just perks. I'm not 100% sure about Suzuki, but they have a 7 year/100,000 mile warranty that is still in effect and it has a good safety rating. It's big enough to haul stuff (another requirement, one which Gigi simply could not fulfill), it has cruise control and a fantastic cup-holder and bun warmers and a decent stereo, and I really like the leather seats so I don't have to deal with nasty upholstery. No, it doesn't have a DVD player, but if we need to we can get one installed. It has some quirks, but all-in-all it really is a great car. I'll probably end up keeping it, even though I shouldn't.
Now . . . who wants a ride? (And what should I name her?)
I was driving to work yesterday, just as I have done every weekday for the past six months. 6:30 a.m. on I-15, 65mph. I had the music up pretty loud, so I don't remember hearing anything, but I noticed that the check engine light came on. Then the battery light came on. I coasted to the side of the freeway, which happened to be right at an exit. I called work to tell them I probably wasn't going to make it in today.
I called AAA (thanks again, Granny), and they sent a tow-truck out. He picked us up and took us back to the repair shop (which hadn't even opened yet). Luckily there was someone there, who took my information and told me they'd get to it sometime that day. About that time, Allen was getting off from his night shift, so he came to pick me up. Then we picked up Benji and came home. I did a bit of laundry and dishes and waited for them to call me. When they did, they told me they drained the oil out of the engine (there was only a pint of oil left, and it's supposed to hold four quarts), and they found bits of brass in the oil. That means that the ball bearings are totally chewed up, and basically the engine is now worthless. To replace Gigi's motor would cost more than the entire car is worth at this point, so she has been declared dead. She was seventeen years old.
I am sad. She has been a great car, and she was a great little commuter. When I went to clean her out, I tried to step back and take a look at her--she was in pretty rough shape. She had a lot of dings and dents, holes where the speakers should be, the totally non-functioning interior door handles that are barely hanging on, the sagging cloth on the ceiling, the frayed seatbelts and torn upholstery . . . yeah, she was a piece of crap. But she was my totally paid-for piece of crap, and she got me from point A to point B with 33+ mpg.
So, out of necessity (or so I tell myself), I decided I needed a to buy a car that day so I could get to work this morning. But I am a very poor negotiator. I hate confrontation and competition--I'll avoid it whenever I can. This is why I needed my brother Dave to come with me. He has a lot of experience buying cars ;o), and being a salesperson, he knows how to work the system. We test-drove a couple of cars, but from the beginning we were looking at the Suzuki GrandVitara. They had two models--one very basic red 2008 (stick-shift, which I don't mind) model with only 19,000 miles on it, and one suped-up silver 2006 with 65,000 miles. They both started at about the same price, and I was having a really hard time deciding between the two. We played the game for a little while, but the owner (the one the salesman had to go make our offer to) also played us (and I hate knowing that). He wanted to sell the silver one, since it had been on the lot longer. When we saw the actual numbers and the upgrades on the silver one added to the mark-up, I was definitely leaning toward the red. He decided that he couldn't give me a better deal on the red, and came a lot closer to my offer with the silver. So that's the one I purchased. Yes, I drove it off the lot that night, because I needed it to get to work (although when I got home, Allen couldn't find his badge and thus couldn't go to work, so I could have driven his car and taken more time with this enormous purchase . . . "That's what you'd call ironic."). I'm not sure I got the best deal possible, but I think I did pretty well; and that was 99% thanks to Dave. I was much more confident with him there and I'm sure they didn't take advantage of me nearly as much as they would have had I been alone.
So I got a pretty sweet rig. I have tried to take a picture, but it has been raining all day. So here's an image from our friend Google:
I think this is a newer model, but the body style is just about the same. Mine, however, has a sunroof, racks on top, leather seats, keyless entry, power everything, and ridiculous rims. Seriously. I'm afraid I'll come out to find my car on cinder blocks because someone has stolen them. I almost want to get factory wheels put back on and sell the rims just so they don't attract attention. Don't get me wrong, they look awesome, but they are totally unnecessary. Actually, the idea of this much of an upgrade is still mind-blowing to me, and I honestly can't believe I purchased a car, let alone a super-sweet ride like this.
I love driving it, but . . .
a) I feel like a sell-out: driving Gigi was almost a badge of honor, an in-your-face maneuver to a crappy economy. This car totally buys into the American attitude of excess.
b) I'm still reeling from having made such a huge purchase in one day. I don't need this much car, and I REALLY don't want to be making car payments for the rest of my life.
c) I don't feel like I deserve it. I wish I were at a point in my life where I could justify luxurious things, but I'm certainly not, and unfortunately, I sincerely doubt I ever would be able to justify it in my brain.
There is a clause in the contract that says I can bring it back within 14 days and we can forget the whole thing. It's tempting, and honestly, I should do it and get something more practical. It's not like this is a muscle car or a convertible--it's a small SUV with relatively low miles that really will last me for years (if I can manage to not destroy the engine). That's what I really wanted; the rest are just perks. I'm not 100% sure about Suzuki, but they have a 7 year/100,000 mile warranty that is still in effect and it has a good safety rating. It's big enough to haul stuff (another requirement, one which Gigi simply could not fulfill), it has cruise control and a fantastic cup-holder and bun warmers and a decent stereo, and I really like the leather seats so I don't have to deal with nasty upholstery. No, it doesn't have a DVD player, but if we need to we can get one installed. It has some quirks, but all-in-all it really is a great car. I'll probably end up keeping it, even though I shouldn't.
Now . . . who wants a ride? (And what should I name her?)
30 November 2010
Our Work has Come Asunder
Well, I think I'll do a Thanksgiving re-cap. We'll start with last Tuesday.
I have been floating to different facilities a lot lately. I don't mind; I like the variety, and I appreciate getting my hours, but it can be difficult sometimes too. Last Tuesday was pretty good, though at the end of the day I was told that we were in for "the worst storm in 20 years." There was a blizzard warning, which I have never heard of in Utah. My supervisor offered me a "snow day" (a day off) on Wednesday, which I took advantage of. I went home and started packing, thinking I could outrun the storm and make it to Logan that evening. Once I got myself and Benjamin packed and loaded in the car, it started to snow. We stopped at the McDonalds near the freeway for some chickie nuggets for the boy, and in that ten minutes between our apartment and I-15, visibility went down to almost nothing. It was some crazy snow and wind, and I drove about two miles before I realized how stupid it would be to drive during this thing when I didn't have to. So we turned around and came back. We left on Wednesday morning, and to my surprise, there was only about two inches of snow on the ground. Really? After all that? I was a little disappointed, to be honest. I was expecting a couple of feet. Oh well.
So on Wednesday, we went up and hung out. I don't remember what we did the rest of that day, though Rach, Wow & the diva brigade came that evening. Thursday was nice. We started cooking early, and we were almost ready by 1pm (it was closer to 2, but that's okay). I was put on potato duty. I'm not really sure why I decided to do all 20 lbs of potatoes, but I did. And my fingers haven't entirely recovered yet. Actually I didn't do all of it, but I washed and peeled and cut and boiled them. Mach mashed them so I could go take a shower.
Dinner was excellent as usual. Rebecca's yams were particularly excellent, and the rolls were super-fluffy. My friend Shannah Leigh was in town visiting her in-laws, and she came over to chat for a bit after dinner. It was good to see her; we were BFFs in High School, but we haven't been able to see much of each other since then. She is a superstar.
I had to come back to SLC on Thursday, since I was on-call that night at Primary Children's. They called while I was on the road, so I drove right to the hospital. I was there for about three hours: not too bad. When I came back to my apartment, I decided I should just go to Target and wait in line. I knew there would be a lot of people who wanted the same TV I did, so I left about midnight (after having received a very special picture message from Dave . . .). There was a bit of a line already, but it wasn't bad when I got there. Luckily the people in line with me were friendly. We talked and joked and commiserated on how cold we were. Around 2:30am, it got really cold. One gal's father brought a propane flame heater, which was AWESOME. It made the cold bearable for the last hour or so. The fire only lasted for about 15 minutes, but man--so nice.
Around 3:30, everyone started getting excited and the line started building and squeezing together. It was kind-of exciting, and when the doors opened, it was a mad rush. If I hadn't run, I would have been trampled. Seriously. At least I got what I went in for (a 40" HDTV for $299!!), and I was out by 4:30am. I had to tie it into my trunk and I drove home really slowly. I unloaded and went back out to Best Buy. I got a bluRay player and some DVDs there. I came back, and it was about 6:30. I sat down for a couple of minutes and realized I was really tired, so I slept for a bit.
I drove back to Logan on Friday, and hung out with the fam for the rest of the day. Saturday was nice too. Most of everyone left early in the afternoon. Benji and I left a bit later, since I needed to be back for church on Sunday morning. When I got back, I realized I had Allen's keys. I was super-excited about that. So we went to church in the morning, and left on Sunday afternoon to drive back up to Logan. When the weather is good, it is normally an hour-and-a-half. It took about two hours on the way up, and closer to three on the way back. And, incidentally, we got a lot more snow out of the "winter storm" on Sunday than from the blizzard on Tuesday.
It was nice to have five days off in a row. It has been a long time since I have had that long off! It was kinda hard coming back to work, especially when I had to work at IMC on Monday. It was fun seeing my friends, but it's not easy jumping into something you haven't done in nine months. It was interesting. A lot of people said they hadn't seen me in a while; I don't think they even realized I had left. There are lots of people who work there, and I tried not to make it a big deal when I left. It's just funny. Even the anesthesiologist noticed that we hadn't worked together for a while. I told him he has just been very lucky for the past nine months. Anyway, it was a pretty good day. Then today, I worked at the main OR at Riverton. It was a pretty good day there too, but I am exhausted. I'm glad I actually get to work at my home unit tomorrow. I'm happy to float, and I'm glad I can be useful and that my services are appreciated elsewhere, but there's a reason why I choose to work where I do.
I have been floating to different facilities a lot lately. I don't mind; I like the variety, and I appreciate getting my hours, but it can be difficult sometimes too. Last Tuesday was pretty good, though at the end of the day I was told that we were in for "the worst storm in 20 years." There was a blizzard warning, which I have never heard of in Utah. My supervisor offered me a "snow day" (a day off) on Wednesday, which I took advantage of. I went home and started packing, thinking I could outrun the storm and make it to Logan that evening. Once I got myself and Benjamin packed and loaded in the car, it started to snow. We stopped at the McDonalds near the freeway for some chickie nuggets for the boy, and in that ten minutes between our apartment and I-15, visibility went down to almost nothing. It was some crazy snow and wind, and I drove about two miles before I realized how stupid it would be to drive during this thing when I didn't have to. So we turned around and came back. We left on Wednesday morning, and to my surprise, there was only about two inches of snow on the ground. Really? After all that? I was a little disappointed, to be honest. I was expecting a couple of feet. Oh well.
So on Wednesday, we went up and hung out. I don't remember what we did the rest of that day, though Rach, Wow & the diva brigade came that evening. Thursday was nice. We started cooking early, and we were almost ready by 1pm (it was closer to 2, but that's okay). I was put on potato duty. I'm not really sure why I decided to do all 20 lbs of potatoes, but I did. And my fingers haven't entirely recovered yet. Actually I didn't do all of it, but I washed and peeled and cut and boiled them. Mach mashed them so I could go take a shower.
Dinner was excellent as usual. Rebecca's yams were particularly excellent, and the rolls were super-fluffy. My friend Shannah Leigh was in town visiting her in-laws, and she came over to chat for a bit after dinner. It was good to see her; we were BFFs in High School, but we haven't been able to see much of each other since then. She is a superstar.
I had to come back to SLC on Thursday, since I was on-call that night at Primary Children's. They called while I was on the road, so I drove right to the hospital. I was there for about three hours: not too bad. When I came back to my apartment, I decided I should just go to Target and wait in line. I knew there would be a lot of people who wanted the same TV I did, so I left about midnight (after having received a very special picture message from Dave . . .). There was a bit of a line already, but it wasn't bad when I got there. Luckily the people in line with me were friendly. We talked and joked and commiserated on how cold we were. Around 2:30am, it got really cold. One gal's father brought a propane flame heater, which was AWESOME. It made the cold bearable for the last hour or so. The fire only lasted for about 15 minutes, but man--so nice.
Around 3:30, everyone started getting excited and the line started building and squeezing together. It was kind-of exciting, and when the doors opened, it was a mad rush. If I hadn't run, I would have been trampled. Seriously. At least I got what I went in for (a 40" HDTV for $299!!), and I was out by 4:30am. I had to tie it into my trunk and I drove home really slowly. I unloaded and went back out to Best Buy. I got a bluRay player and some DVDs there. I came back, and it was about 6:30. I sat down for a couple of minutes and realized I was really tired, so I slept for a bit.
I drove back to Logan on Friday, and hung out with the fam for the rest of the day. Saturday was nice too. Most of everyone left early in the afternoon. Benji and I left a bit later, since I needed to be back for church on Sunday morning. When I got back, I realized I had Allen's keys. I was super-excited about that. So we went to church in the morning, and left on Sunday afternoon to drive back up to Logan. When the weather is good, it is normally an hour-and-a-half. It took about two hours on the way up, and closer to three on the way back. And, incidentally, we got a lot more snow out of the "winter storm" on Sunday than from the blizzard on Tuesday.
It was nice to have five days off in a row. It has been a long time since I have had that long off! It was kinda hard coming back to work, especially when I had to work at IMC on Monday. It was fun seeing my friends, but it's not easy jumping into something you haven't done in nine months. It was interesting. A lot of people said they hadn't seen me in a while; I don't think they even realized I had left. There are lots of people who work there, and I tried not to make it a big deal when I left. It's just funny. Even the anesthesiologist noticed that we hadn't worked together for a while. I told him he has just been very lucky for the past nine months. Anyway, it was a pretty good day. Then today, I worked at the main OR at Riverton. It was a pretty good day there too, but I am exhausted. I'm glad I actually get to work at my home unit tomorrow. I'm happy to float, and I'm glad I can be useful and that my services are appreciated elsewhere, but there's a reason why I choose to work where I do.
20 November 2010
The Good and Bad Times
Okay, so we just got back from watching "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One" and I'm honestly not too sure how I feel about it. I LOVE THE BOOK. DH is my favorite of all the books; to me, it is perfect. The journey, the conflicted emotions, weaving all the stories together in sublime culmination. The movie does capture the essence of the story, but it leaves out so many of the exquisite details, I can't help but be a little disappointed. I guess I expected it to be more personal, because of how I feel about the story, of how much I love it, and how intimately connected I feel to the characters. I can't imagine trying to turn such a beloved story into an epic film franchise, attempting to remain faithful to the story and trying to move it along in a Hollywood-type atmosphere. I'm sure it was difficult, and I'm just not a huge fan of David Yates (the director of movies 5, 6, 7.1 and 7.2). I don't love the shaky camera, which was made all the worse because we watched it from the second row of an IMAX theater. Blah, blah, blah. Here's a list of pros and cons, that is, things I liked and things I wasn't so fond of.
Pro: Cast. I love the cast, and I feel like I know them. I have been on this journey with them for the past 8 years.
Con: Director. He's okay, but I don't love his style. The 4th movie (Goblet of Fire) is my favorite, and I think it is mostly because of the director. The shaggy hair and hot Cedric Diggory didn't hurt either. ;o)
Pro: Overall faithfulness to the story. It gets the main points right, and you do feel the helplessness and the difficulty and gravity of the situations they find themselves in.
Con: Skipping some of the details. There are some things that are just easier to leave out, I'm sure. But to me, it detracts from the perfection of the story.
Pro: Harry and Hermione's relationship. I love the dancing scene. It made me a little uncomfortable, because it's nowhere to be found in the novel, but it shows them finding a few precious moments of joy in such a difficult time.
Con: Harry and Hermione's relationship. The infamous (and totally unnecessary) nude scene was just weird. Yes, it was imaginary, designed to torture Ron, but still . . . I just didn't like it. After Ron destroys the horcrux in the book, Harry explains that he loves Hermione as a sister, quelling any speculation of their being 'together.' I can see why the director would leave that out, in order to keep the audience speculating. It's unfortunate that the only time we see or hear of Ginny is in the first fifteen minutes of the movie. In the book, Harry spends a fair amount of time thinking about her, because she's the one he loves that way.
Pro: the tale of the Three Brothers animation. It didn't seem to fit at first, but I like the way it explained the Hallows.
Cons: Harry's invisibility cloak is nowhere to be seen in this movie, and it's a pretty important key to the story.
Here are some things I would have done: made Xenophilius Lovegood more eccentric. He was a little too sedate for my taste, and we never got to see the headdress or the erumpent horn or Luna's room, etc. I would have made Rufus Scrimgeour more lion-like--longer hair, a bit of a beard, more powerful and imposing. He was a little wimpy, and the scene with Dumbledore's will was far too civil. I would have spent a little more time in the planning stages of the journey, with Bill and Fleur's wedding, Harry's coming-of-age birthday, his relationship with Ginny, etc. It's hard to say which parts I would be able to cut out/add in were I the director, because I feel like every part of the beginning is necessary to understand the end. I would have made Voldemort more intimidating, showing his anger and cruelty in the visions Harry sees, and although I liked most of the scene at Godric's Hollow, I was disappointed that we didn't see how very close Harry was to being caught by the Dark Lord himself.
There are other things I would rather they included, but God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. I'll grow to love it, I'm sure.
Pro: Cast. I love the cast, and I feel like I know them. I have been on this journey with them for the past 8 years.
Con: Director. He's okay, but I don't love his style. The 4th movie (Goblet of Fire) is my favorite, and I think it is mostly because of the director. The shaggy hair and hot Cedric Diggory didn't hurt either. ;o)
Pro: Overall faithfulness to the story. It gets the main points right, and you do feel the helplessness and the difficulty and gravity of the situations they find themselves in.
Con: Skipping some of the details. There are some things that are just easier to leave out, I'm sure. But to me, it detracts from the perfection of the story.
Pro: Harry and Hermione's relationship. I love the dancing scene. It made me a little uncomfortable, because it's nowhere to be found in the novel, but it shows them finding a few precious moments of joy in such a difficult time.
Con: Harry and Hermione's relationship. The infamous (and totally unnecessary) nude scene was just weird. Yes, it was imaginary, designed to torture Ron, but still . . . I just didn't like it. After Ron destroys the horcrux in the book, Harry explains that he loves Hermione as a sister, quelling any speculation of their being 'together.' I can see why the director would leave that out, in order to keep the audience speculating. It's unfortunate that the only time we see or hear of Ginny is in the first fifteen minutes of the movie. In the book, Harry spends a fair amount of time thinking about her, because she's the one he loves that way.
Pro: the tale of the Three Brothers animation. It didn't seem to fit at first, but I like the way it explained the Hallows.
Cons: Harry's invisibility cloak is nowhere to be seen in this movie, and it's a pretty important key to the story.
Here are some things I would have done: made Xenophilius Lovegood more eccentric. He was a little too sedate for my taste, and we never got to see the headdress or the erumpent horn or Luna's room, etc. I would have made Rufus Scrimgeour more lion-like--longer hair, a bit of a beard, more powerful and imposing. He was a little wimpy, and the scene with Dumbledore's will was far too civil. I would have spent a little more time in the planning stages of the journey, with Bill and Fleur's wedding, Harry's coming-of-age birthday, his relationship with Ginny, etc. It's hard to say which parts I would be able to cut out/add in were I the director, because I feel like every part of the beginning is necessary to understand the end. I would have made Voldemort more intimidating, showing his anger and cruelty in the visions Harry sees, and although I liked most of the scene at Godric's Hollow, I was disappointed that we didn't see how very close Harry was to being caught by the Dark Lord himself.
There are other things I would rather they included, but God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. I'll grow to love it, I'm sure.
14 November 2010
Random Thoughts
I don't know why I thought I could write every day. I have grand plans, but they rarely come to fruition . . . more evidence of my flakiness, I suppose.
I made a green bean casserole for dinner tonight. It wasn't too bad, and--wonder of wonders--Benji ate it. Two bowls worth! It probably helps that he didn't eat dinner at all last night (not from our lack of trying, believe me), but it still puts a little warm in my heart.
I went to the choir practice again tonight. We were a bit greater in number, which was helpful. I think I'll try out for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir again next year . . . though I have a fair amount of work to do before I can get to that point.
I need to go to bed. I just finished watching the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize honoring Tina Fey. Too funny. She really is brilliant. Jimmy Fallon did a Bono-impression tribute, "Beautiful Fey." Hilarious.
Sorry, this is just some random thoughts. I hope there will be something deeper for you tomorrow.
I made a green bean casserole for dinner tonight. It wasn't too bad, and--wonder of wonders--Benji ate it. Two bowls worth! It probably helps that he didn't eat dinner at all last night (not from our lack of trying, believe me), but it still puts a little warm in my heart.
I went to the choir practice again tonight. We were a bit greater in number, which was helpful. I think I'll try out for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir again next year . . . though I have a fair amount of work to do before I can get to that point.
I need to go to bed. I just finished watching the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize honoring Tina Fey. Too funny. She really is brilliant. Jimmy Fallon did a Bono-impression tribute, "Beautiful Fey." Hilarious.
Sorry, this is just some random thoughts. I hope there will be something deeper for you tomorrow.
11 November 2010
A Matter of Trust
I need to vent a little.
Today was pretty good. At work, we only had one room going, with seven cases (and four surgeons). Not a huge deal; everything went pretty smoothly. But then we got the call. The dreaded call from Travis, our instrument czar from Central Processing. They were missing a pair of scissors. Awesome.
We thought we had a solution to this dilemma, painful though it is: we label our garbage bags, and if something goes missing, we know which bag we need to go through to find it. We lost the scissors today, but they couldn't tell me which case it was on. He called in the early afternoon, when we were very busy, so we told him it would have to wait until we were done.
Okay, okay. It was my fault they were accidentally chucked (actually, I'll blame it on the resident, but even so . . .), but I hardly sat down all day. I was scrubbed in for hours, plus we had to do seven turn-overs, then I had to check 17 case carts for tomorrow . . . I worked hard today. And Travis calls to tell me I have to dig through the garbage. I was pissed. It was agreed upon that I would do it if I had to, but they couldn't even tell me which bag it was, so I had to dig through five different bags of trash to find them. The thing that really pisses me off is that I am POSITIVE the CP staff has spent at least three hours on the internet: youTube, e-mail, whatever. They spend so much time online, it's ridiculous. And they couldn't dig through the garbage for me (it took me 10 minutes). It probably wouldn't bother me so much if the nursing staff had internet access. Our manager took it away from us, which, to me, shows a complete lack of trust. That is one of our core values as a company: "We trust each other." Except, in our case, we can't be trusted to check our e-mail or log into Pandora. I had internet access at IMC (everyone did), and it was so nice. Yes, some people abused it (like the CP staff at Riverton does), but we worked hard, too. No one could say that I didn't work hard today, and honestly I'd have to try hard to abuse it, because I'm so rarely in front of a computer. It's silly, but it just doesn't seem fair to me.
I brought my laptop a couple of weeks ago, because I knew it was going to be a short day and I had some things I needed to do for work that I couldn't do on the company computers. I had lappy out at the desk, and my boss came by and saw it and freaked out. Seriously? What is the big deal? If they are so concerned about facebook HIPAA violations, why don't they just block that site? They have plenty of other sites blocked, so it's not like it's impossible. And it wouldn't cost my boss a penny to give us internet access; it's just an act of total control and distrust of her staff. Ever since then, I have been very uncomfortable around her; I always feel like she's waiting for me to do something wrong, to find an excuse to get rid of me. I apologized, and explained to her that I needed my laptop for work-related activities, and she calmed down, but really? Was that necessary? Staff at IMC brought their laptops all the time. They could check their e-mail without being yelled at. And they work their butts off for 95% of their shifts. I know I'm idealizing IMC in that way, despite all the reasons why I left. And I do love working at Riverton--I actually enjoy going to work, I like my co-workers (usually), and it's a nice, calm place to be (even if I try to avoid my boss).
Okay, that's out of my system. I need to be more grateful, especially since Thanksgiving is coming (in only 2 weeks? Holycow turkey!). I'll try to write three things I'm thankful for every day.
1. Tomorrow is Friday, and I just might hit overtime. Nice! I get to keep all my PTO for this pay period!
2. Harry Potter comes out next week! It has been a long wait, and I know it will knock my socks off. Uh, anybody want to babysit?
3. You can see the carpet in my living room. It's in desperate need of a vacuum, and there are socks strewn about, but I have definitely come home to worse.
Here's a bonus nugget for you:
"When you wish upon a falling star your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the earth that will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor." -- despair. com
Today was pretty good. At work, we only had one room going, with seven cases (and four surgeons). Not a huge deal; everything went pretty smoothly. But then we got the call. The dreaded call from Travis, our instrument czar from Central Processing. They were missing a pair of scissors. Awesome.
We thought we had a solution to this dilemma, painful though it is: we label our garbage bags, and if something goes missing, we know which bag we need to go through to find it. We lost the scissors today, but they couldn't tell me which case it was on. He called in the early afternoon, when we were very busy, so we told him it would have to wait until we were done.
Okay, okay. It was my fault they were accidentally chucked (actually, I'll blame it on the resident, but even so . . .), but I hardly sat down all day. I was scrubbed in for hours, plus we had to do seven turn-overs, then I had to check 17 case carts for tomorrow . . . I worked hard today. And Travis calls to tell me I have to dig through the garbage. I was pissed. It was agreed upon that I would do it if I had to, but they couldn't even tell me which bag it was, so I had to dig through five different bags of trash to find them. The thing that really pisses me off is that I am POSITIVE the CP staff has spent at least three hours on the internet: youTube, e-mail, whatever. They spend so much time online, it's ridiculous. And they couldn't dig through the garbage for me (it took me 10 minutes). It probably wouldn't bother me so much if the nursing staff had internet access. Our manager took it away from us, which, to me, shows a complete lack of trust. That is one of our core values as a company: "We trust each other." Except, in our case, we can't be trusted to check our e-mail or log into Pandora. I had internet access at IMC (everyone did), and it was so nice. Yes, some people abused it (like the CP staff at Riverton does), but we worked hard, too. No one could say that I didn't work hard today, and honestly I'd have to try hard to abuse it, because I'm so rarely in front of a computer. It's silly, but it just doesn't seem fair to me.
I brought my laptop a couple of weeks ago, because I knew it was going to be a short day and I had some things I needed to do for work that I couldn't do on the company computers. I had lappy out at the desk, and my boss came by and saw it and freaked out. Seriously? What is the big deal? If they are so concerned about facebook HIPAA violations, why don't they just block that site? They have plenty of other sites blocked, so it's not like it's impossible. And it wouldn't cost my boss a penny to give us internet access; it's just an act of total control and distrust of her staff. Ever since then, I have been very uncomfortable around her; I always feel like she's waiting for me to do something wrong, to find an excuse to get rid of me. I apologized, and explained to her that I needed my laptop for work-related activities, and she calmed down, but really? Was that necessary? Staff at IMC brought their laptops all the time. They could check their e-mail without being yelled at. And they work their butts off for 95% of their shifts. I know I'm idealizing IMC in that way, despite all the reasons why I left. And I do love working at Riverton--I actually enjoy going to work, I like my co-workers (usually), and it's a nice, calm place to be (even if I try to avoid my boss).
Okay, that's out of my system. I need to be more grateful, especially since Thanksgiving is coming (in only 2 weeks? Holy
1. Tomorrow is Friday, and I just might hit overtime. Nice! I get to keep all my PTO for this pay period!
2. Harry Potter comes out next week! It has been a long wait, and I know it will knock my socks off. Uh, anybody want to babysit?
3. You can see the carpet in my living room. It's in desperate need of a vacuum, and there are socks strewn about, but I have definitely come home to worse.
Here's a bonus nugget for you:
"When you wish upon a falling star your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the earth that will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor." -- despair. com
10 November 2010
Check My Vital Signs
I went to the "Sim Lab" (simulation) today: where there is a robotic patient who goes through some variation of a code blue. It was a little unnerving. In a real code-blue (i.e. cardiac and/or respiratory arrest), my job is to protect my sterile field. Seriously. During a code, there are usually tons of people in the room, so I need to make sure all of my stuff stays sterile. In my BLS training, I have learned to oxygenate, use an AED, give compressions, etc. But in the codes I have seen, I stay in the back and observe. In the Sim Lab, I had to participate. I was the "First Responder," which meant that I had to go in and see what was wrong with the patient. When I walked in, the patient seemed okay. She was wheezing a little, but her vital signs were fine. Then things started to go bad. I called for help, and the rest of the group (made up of RNs, NPs and one other scrub tech) came in. Before they got there, I had to grab a bag & mask from the crash cart, though I'm pretty sure I uttered a four-letter word trying to find it. I hooked it up to the oxygen and started to bag her. I knew it was just a simulation, but it still got to me. I almost started crying. Thankfully I got over it fairly quickly.
During the second scenario, I was assigned to do compressions. I came in and the NP who was the code leader told me to start compressions. But I didn't. I was watching the monitor, and it looked like the patient had a heart rhythm and a pulse of 120. I didn't understand why I would need to do compressions if there was a pulse. Another nurse tried to hook up the AED, but on that monitor, all it showed was noise. After the second time she told me to start compressions, I did. The monitors showed nothing, so I couldn't even tell if I was doing any good. In the debriefing, they asked why it took so long to begin compressions. I told them it was because I didn't understand what was happening. I heard the term "P.E.A." thrown around, and only afterward did I find out that it means "Pulseless Electrical Activity," which means that you'll see stuff on the monitor (that's what electrodes do--they track the electrical activity of the heart, which usually corresponds to the heart beat), but the blood is not circulating effectively. That's why she needed compressions.
So . . . here are the "pearls" I gleaned from this experience. I need to speak up. If I don't understand something, I need to ask. In a real code, when emotions run high and there is an actual life on the line, and I still hadn't started compressions, I would have been yelled at (she was very calm and quiet when the NP told me to start). And that's okay--people are used to it. I need to listen to what the Code Leader says. They know more than I do, and in the end they are responsible for what happens. I also learned that you need to trust your instincts. Especially with kids. You just never know what's going to happen, and if they go bad, it happens fast. I'm also glad that I work in a very high-acuity environment. There are at least two doctors and a nurse on-hand in surgery, and I'm definitely the low-man-on-the-totem-pole, so I'm not expected to make big decisions or be in charge of anything important. And I like it that way.
During the second scenario, I was assigned to do compressions. I came in and the NP who was the code leader told me to start compressions. But I didn't. I was watching the monitor, and it looked like the patient had a heart rhythm and a pulse of 120. I didn't understand why I would need to do compressions if there was a pulse. Another nurse tried to hook up the AED, but on that monitor, all it showed was noise. After the second time she told me to start compressions, I did. The monitors showed nothing, so I couldn't even tell if I was doing any good. In the debriefing, they asked why it took so long to begin compressions. I told them it was because I didn't understand what was happening. I heard the term "P.E.A." thrown around, and only afterward did I find out that it means "Pulseless Electrical Activity," which means that you'll see stuff on the monitor (that's what electrodes do--they track the electrical activity of the heart, which usually corresponds to the heart beat), but the blood is not circulating effectively. That's why she needed compressions.
So . . . here are the "pearls" I gleaned from this experience. I need to speak up. If I don't understand something, I need to ask. In a real code, when emotions run high and there is an actual life on the line, and I still hadn't started compressions, I would have been yelled at (she was very calm and quiet when the NP told me to start). And that's okay--people are used to it. I need to listen to what the Code Leader says. They know more than I do, and in the end they are responsible for what happens. I also learned that you need to trust your instincts. Especially with kids. You just never know what's going to happen, and if they go bad, it happens fast. I'm also glad that I work in a very high-acuity environment. There are at least two doctors and a nurse on-hand in surgery, and I'm definitely the low-man-on-the-totem-pole, so I'm not expected to make big decisions or be in charge of anything important. And I like it that way.
08 November 2010
The Weather Outside is Frightful
Yesterday, it was literally 70 degrees. It was lovely. Even this morning was pretty balmy, in the upper 50's. Now? Rain/snow and 36 degrees. *sigh* I guess winter had to hit at some point, but why does it have to be so sudden? Why can't we ease into it, instead of teasing us with sweater weather, then throwing the 'you-should-have-brought-your-parka' weather at us? I guess that's what I get for living in Utah.
I went to a Stake Choir practice last night, and I realized how much I miss singing. Yes, I do plenty of singing with the kids in church, but actual singing of parts with an accompanist . . . being able to sing alto without feeling guilty . . . not having to be the one conducting . . . it was lovely. We are doing some kind of Christmas program/fireside type deal, and it will be nice. It was kinda funny; there were probably 5-6 people there under the age of 40; the rest qualify for Medicare. Seriously. But I was quite impressed at how well we sounded! I could hear all the parts (the men:women ratio was actually quite favorable!), there weren't any real strugglers (i.e., people who participate but who can't carry a tune to save their lives), and even the accompanist (who had to be at least 70) was rockin'. It's so nice to have other people around who know how to play and sing better than you do. I'd say I'm a mediocre musician, but often times that's more than anybody else in the vicinity. Not so with the senior citizens. I quite enjoyed it, so I think I'll try to be back for the practices, though that means no more Sunday naps, if I'm going to try to get the boy into bed by 7pm. It worked this Sunday because of Daylight Savings. We'll see if I can swing it again.
We could not make a decision about dinner tonight, so we went to the Chinese Gourmet near our house. Here are our fortunes:
Mine: "You will always be surrounded by true friends." Awwww.
Allen's: "You will soon be crossing desert sands for a fun vacation." Oh, really? Here's hoping!
Benji's: "You will be singled out for a special promotion within the month." Nice.
The best fortune Allen ever got was this one from the Dragon Diner:
Yep.
I went to a Stake Choir practice last night, and I realized how much I miss singing. Yes, I do plenty of singing with the kids in church, but actual singing of parts with an accompanist . . . being able to sing alto without feeling guilty . . . not having to be the one conducting . . . it was lovely. We are doing some kind of Christmas program/fireside type deal, and it will be nice. It was kinda funny; there were probably 5-6 people there under the age of 40; the rest qualify for Medicare. Seriously. But I was quite impressed at how well we sounded! I could hear all the parts (the men:women ratio was actually quite favorable!), there weren't any real strugglers (i.e., people who participate but who can't carry a tune to save their lives), and even the accompanist (who had to be at least 70) was rockin'. It's so nice to have other people around who know how to play and sing better than you do. I'd say I'm a mediocre musician, but often times that's more than anybody else in the vicinity. Not so with the senior citizens. I quite enjoyed it, so I think I'll try to be back for the practices, though that means no more Sunday naps, if I'm going to try to get the boy into bed by 7pm. It worked this Sunday because of Daylight Savings. We'll see if I can swing it again.
We could not make a decision about dinner tonight, so we went to the Chinese Gourmet near our house. Here are our fortunes:
Mine: "You will always be surrounded by true friends." Awwww.
Allen's: "You will soon be crossing desert sands for a fun vacation." Oh, really? Here's hoping!
Benji's: "You will be singled out for a special promotion within the month." Nice.
The best fortune Allen ever got was this one from the Dragon Diner:
Yep.
07 November 2010
Double, Double Toil and Trouble
So much for blogging every day. I didn't even make it a full week. Oh well.
I can't think of much to write about right now, so I'll just talk about Harry Potter. I'm so flippin' excited! Only 13 days until Deathly Hallows part 1 comes out! I was thinking about going to a midnight showing, but I have to work the next day. I'll probably go after work on Friday, since the hospital is so close to The District, which has a fantastic movie theater.
Okay, in looking for a picture of the District (not a very good one, sorry), I discovered that there will be some pretty big to-do's in celebration of the movie. I might have to go on Thursday night after all!
Anyway, I love the Harry Potter. I honestly hadn't heard anything about the story until I was a missionary in Belgium. My companion and I were speaking with a lady in her home, when she asked if I had read any of the books (there were four at the time). My companion had read them, and she told me I needed to read them as well. So I added them to my list of books to read . . . hmm, I wonder where that little notebook has gone. I also made a list of places to go and movies to see in that wee pad of paper. That would be nice to know.
So, when I returned (in January 2002--man, I'm getting old!), I believe the movie had just come out the previous November. I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie, so I borrowed them from someone; I can't remember who, though it was probably Shannah Leigh. I COULD NOT PUT THEM DOWN. I'll admit that I can get a little obsessive with good books--I'll stay up all night reading. But that doesn't happen very often. Most books I can spread out over a longer period of time. Not Harry. I read the first book in one sitting, and I'm pretty sure I had finished the first three within that same week. I'm not sure why, but somehow I didn't read #4 (Goblet of Fire) until sometime in 2003. The only reason I remember that is because I was living in a basement in Murray (a couple of miles from where I'm living now), and that is when I went to a Dave Matthew's Band concert (yes, by myself). I went to USANA Amphitheater early, since I didn't already have a ticket, and I figured I'd be waiting in line so I brought Harry with me. I ended up getting a front-row seat for $50 . . . I was pretty shocked, but I guess it can happen when you go solo. The concert was great, but I had left the book (also borrowed from Shannah Leigh) under my seat, and when I got home, I realized someone had spilled an entire cup of beer on it. Awesome.
I purchased the rest of the books on the days they were released, and read them all within the same week. Yeah, I guess I do obsess about Harry a little bit, but they are just so well written that you feel like you are a part of the story. I honestly feel like Harry, Ron and Hermione are dear friends to me, and it's a sweet reunion to read the books again and again. I have probably been through the series 3 or 4 times over, and I have read the last three books 5 or 6 times. I don't know many people personally who have read them as many times as I have, but considering how popular they are all around the world, I know I'm not alone. I know there are some who think that it's weird and evil because it deals with magic. Yes, it does revel in magic, but really it's about love--how love can overcome all things, even the most evil creatures. There is so much to learn about friendship and charity and family, and it's all woven into this beautiful world of make-believe. I know it's just a story, and I know I will never understand real magic, if there is such a thing. But I understand Harry, and his unselfish journey to save the world from the darkest wizard.
If you haven't read the books, I suggest you do. There are elements of darkness, but you cannot appreciate the light without them. Goodness, kindness, friendship and love triumph in the end, and it just fills my little heart with happiness.
Of course, the books are better than the movies, but the visual elements have their place as well. They have all been very well done, and I love that the cast has remained the same the entire time . . . except for the first Dumbledore, who passed away after the second movie was completed. I love watching the young actors and actresses grow up before my eyes. I love seeing how different directors interpret the screenplays. I love having movie marathons, playing them all back-to-back. I'm usually doing other things at the same time, since I have seen them so often, but it's just a part of me. Harry has worked his way into my soul. Other characters from other books are there as well, but none are as firmly entrenched.
This is a picture of the trio while making the Sorcerer's Stone (the first movie):
This one is from 2007, just before Order of the Phoenix came out (#5):
And here they are while filming Deathly Hallows (#7, coming out on November 19):
I can't think of much to write about right now, so I'll just talk about Harry Potter. I'm so flippin' excited! Only 13 days until Deathly Hallows part 1 comes out! I was thinking about going to a midnight showing, but I have to work the next day. I'll probably go after work on Friday, since the hospital is so close to The District, which has a fantastic movie theater.
 |
| Megaplex 20 @ The District in South Jordan, UT |
Anyway, I love the Harry Potter. I honestly hadn't heard anything about the story until I was a missionary in Belgium. My companion and I were speaking with a lady in her home, when she asked if I had read any of the books (there were four at the time). My companion had read them, and she told me I needed to read them as well. So I added them to my list of books to read . . . hmm, I wonder where that little notebook has gone. I also made a list of places to go and movies to see in that wee pad of paper. That would be nice to know.
So, when I returned (in January 2002--man, I'm getting old!), I believe the movie had just come out the previous November. I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie, so I borrowed them from someone; I can't remember who, though it was probably Shannah Leigh. I COULD NOT PUT THEM DOWN. I'll admit that I can get a little obsessive with good books--I'll stay up all night reading. But that doesn't happen very often. Most books I can spread out over a longer period of time. Not Harry. I read the first book in one sitting, and I'm pretty sure I had finished the first three within that same week. I'm not sure why, but somehow I didn't read #4 (Goblet of Fire) until sometime in 2003. The only reason I remember that is because I was living in a basement in Murray (a couple of miles from where I'm living now), and that is when I went to a Dave Matthew's Band concert (yes, by myself). I went to USANA Amphitheater early, since I didn't already have a ticket, and I figured I'd be waiting in line so I brought Harry with me. I ended up getting a front-row seat for $50 . . . I was pretty shocked, but I guess it can happen when you go solo. The concert was great, but I had left the book (also borrowed from Shannah Leigh) under my seat, and when I got home, I realized someone had spilled an entire cup of beer on it. Awesome.
I purchased the rest of the books on the days they were released, and read them all within the same week. Yeah, I guess I do obsess about Harry a little bit, but they are just so well written that you feel like you are a part of the story. I honestly feel like Harry, Ron and Hermione are dear friends to me, and it's a sweet reunion to read the books again and again. I have probably been through the series 3 or 4 times over, and I have read the last three books 5 or 6 times. I don't know many people personally who have read them as many times as I have, but considering how popular they are all around the world, I know I'm not alone. I know there are some who think that it's weird and evil because it deals with magic. Yes, it does revel in magic, but really it's about love--how love can overcome all things, even the most evil creatures. There is so much to learn about friendship and charity and family, and it's all woven into this beautiful world of make-believe. I know it's just a story, and I know I will never understand real magic, if there is such a thing. But I understand Harry, and his unselfish journey to save the world from the darkest wizard.
If you haven't read the books, I suggest you do. There are elements of darkness, but you cannot appreciate the light without them. Goodness, kindness, friendship and love triumph in the end, and it just fills my little heart with happiness.
Of course, the books are better than the movies, but the visual elements have their place as well. They have all been very well done, and I love that the cast has remained the same the entire time . . . except for the first Dumbledore, who passed away after the second movie was completed. I love watching the young actors and actresses grow up before my eyes. I love seeing how different directors interpret the screenplays. I love having movie marathons, playing them all back-to-back. I'm usually doing other things at the same time, since I have seen them so often, but it's just a part of me. Harry has worked his way into my soul. Other characters from other books are there as well, but none are as firmly entrenched.
This is a picture of the trio while making the Sorcerer's Stone (the first movie):
 |
| They were so young! |
And here they are while filming Deathly Hallows (#7, coming out on November 19):
 |
| Holding hands, getting ready to apparate. |
That's not a very happy picture, but they it shows how they have grown-up together. I expect we'll see happier pics when they walk the red carpet.
Okay, that's enough. Only 12 more days.
04 November 2010
Heaven Isn't Too Far Away
Yet another reason to love Super Target:
This is definitely a pain-au-chocolat. I was checking out the Bakery @ Super Target (which I hardly ever do) when I found these babies. I was so excited! These are found everywhere in France, but good ones are pretty difficult to find in the states. And they are good, too! Oh, quel bonheur !
This is definitely a pain-au-chocolat. I was checking out the Bakery @ Super Target (which I hardly ever do) when I found these babies. I was so excited! These are found everywhere in France, but good ones are pretty difficult to find in the states. And they are good, too! Oh, quel bonheur !
03 November 2010
We Need Love and Peace
Man, I need to start my blogging earlier! I've gotta sleep.
I did just want to put in my two cents for the election: T.H.I.O. (Thank Heavens It's Over.) I think it's interesting for a while, but all of the politicking gets so ugly that I can't stand it. I haven't even listened to the radio in the past two months because of all the ads.
I think the most interesting (and obnoxious) race in Utah was for the second congressional district seat. Utah is a very RED state, with both senators, and two of three congressman from the GOP. Salt Lake county tends to be a bit more liberal, which I can appreciate, although I refuse to align myself with any political party. Even so, Congressman Matheson (a democrat) has been a representative for the past 10 years, and he has done fairly well. I like him. His main challenger during this election was Morgan Philpot, a representative in the Utah State House of Representatives. I was intrigued by Philpot at first, because he made it sound like he would bring new energy and ideas, etc., etc. Then his ads started coming out attacking Matheson. And SO MANY SIGNS on roads, overpasses, everywhere saying "Matheson = Pelosi" and "Philpot = Patriots," and "Go Philpot! We the People support you!" The sheer number of signs seriously pissed me off. Even so, I think the Matheson = Pelosi signs were the worst; how can you say that one democratic congressman from Utah is even close to being a Nancy Pelosi? Matheson has not always voted along party lines; I think he actually tries to represent Utahns, because he knows he will not be re-elected if he doesn't. Even so, Philpot's campaign was at least 75% negative, which drives me batty. I only recall one "negative" television ad from Matheson's campaign, pointing out that Philpot missed more than 200 votes as a state representative (just not even showing up for the vote), then moved out-of-state while keeping his title and his state benefits. That was the game-changer for me. If Philpot felt he could get away with that kind of behavior in the State Legislature, how could we possibly trust him when he's on the other side of the country? I'm just glad it's done and the Philpot signs are disappearing (finally). Let's just move on, shall we?
I did like Peter Corroon's concession speech. He ran for Governor, and lost by a considerable margin to the incumbent. But when he gave his speech, he said something to the effect of, "We are all winners. We have elected Governor Herbert, who is a good man, and who spends every minute of the day working for the good of the state of Utah. I give him my whole-hearted support." That was very classy to me. I wish all of the losers could come out with their heads held high like that.
I think I hate it so much because of all the conflict. I hate confrontation and competition, even when it's not me doing the competing. Can't we all just get along? And can we please have a moment's peace before the pundits start zoning in on 2012?
I did just want to put in my two cents for the election: T.H.I.O. (Thank Heavens It's Over.) I think it's interesting for a while, but all of the politicking gets so ugly that I can't stand it. I haven't even listened to the radio in the past two months because of all the ads.
I think the most interesting (and obnoxious) race in Utah was for the second congressional district seat. Utah is a very RED state, with both senators, and two of three congressman from the GOP. Salt Lake county tends to be a bit more liberal, which I can appreciate, although I refuse to align myself with any political party. Even so, Congressman Matheson (a democrat) has been a representative for the past 10 years, and he has done fairly well. I like him. His main challenger during this election was Morgan Philpot, a representative in the Utah State House of Representatives. I was intrigued by Philpot at first, because he made it sound like he would bring new energy and ideas, etc., etc. Then his ads started coming out attacking Matheson. And SO MANY SIGNS on roads, overpasses, everywhere saying "Matheson = Pelosi" and "Philpot = Patriots," and "Go Philpot! We the People support you!" The sheer number of signs seriously pissed me off. Even so, I think the Matheson = Pelosi signs were the worst; how can you say that one democratic congressman from Utah is even close to being a Nancy Pelosi? Matheson has not always voted along party lines; I think he actually tries to represent Utahns, because he knows he will not be re-elected if he doesn't. Even so, Philpot's campaign was at least 75% negative, which drives me batty. I only recall one "negative" television ad from Matheson's campaign, pointing out that Philpot missed more than 200 votes as a state representative (just not even showing up for the vote), then moved out-of-state while keeping his title and his state benefits. That was the game-changer for me. If Philpot felt he could get away with that kind of behavior in the State Legislature, how could we possibly trust him when he's on the other side of the country? I'm just glad it's done and the Philpot signs are disappearing (finally). Let's just move on, shall we?
I did like Peter Corroon's concession speech. He ran for Governor, and lost by a considerable margin to the incumbent. But when he gave his speech, he said something to the effect of, "We are all winners. We have elected Governor Herbert, who is a good man, and who spends every minute of the day working for the good of the state of Utah. I give him my whole-hearted support." That was very classy to me. I wish all of the losers could come out with their heads held high like that.
I think I hate it so much because of all the conflict. I hate confrontation and competition, even when it's not me doing the competing. Can't we all just get along? And can we please have a moment's peace before the pundits start zoning in on 2012?
02 November 2010
Leaves That Are Green
This is my 200th post. I should be more excited, I suppose. Whatever.
"Leaves That Are Green" is one of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs. And it is that time of year, so here are some pics I took today. I took the boy to the park and chased him around for an hour and a half trying to get some decent pictures. So here are a few (totally, uncharacteristically unretouched).
I was twenty-one years when I wrote this song
I'm twenty-two now but I won't be for long
Time hurries on
And the leaves that are green turn to brown
And they wither in the wind
Once my heart was filled with the love of a girl
I held her close but she faded in the night
Like a poem I meant to write
And the leaves that are green turn to brown
And they wither in the wind
And they crumble in your hand
I threw a pebble in a brook
And watched the ripple run away
And they never made a sound
And the leaves that are green turn to brown
And they wither in the wind
And they crumble in your hand
I threw a pebble in a brook
And watched the ripple run away
And they never made a sound
And the leaves that are green turn to brown
And they wither in the wind
And they crumble in your hand
Hello, hello, hello, hello
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
That's all there is
And the leaves that are green turn to brown
And they wither in the wind
And they crumble in your hand
He's a sweet boy, even if he is a handful. That's all there is.
"Leaves That Are Green" is one of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs. And it is that time of year, so here are some pics I took today. I took the boy to the park and chased him around for an hour and a half trying to get some decent pictures. So here are a few (totally, uncharacteristically unretouched).
I was twenty-one years when I wrote this song
I'm twenty-two now but I won't be for long
Time hurries on
And the leaves that are green turn to brown
And they wither in the wind
 |
| The only way I could get him to be still was to stick him in a tree. |
Once my heart was filled with the love of a girl
I held her close but she faded in the night
Like a poem I meant to write
And the leaves that are green turn to brown
And they wither in the wind
And they crumble in your hand
I threw a pebble in a brook
And watched the ripple run away
And they never made a sound
And the leaves that are green turn to brown
And they wither in the wind
And they crumble in your hand
 | |
| Every time I tried to lead him somewhere, he would pull the limp noodle. Grr. |
I threw a pebble in a brook
And watched the ripple run away
And they never made a sound
And the leaves that are green turn to brown
And they wither in the wind
And they crumble in your hand
Hello, hello, hello, hello
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
That's all there is
And the leaves that are green turn to brown
And they wither in the wind
And they crumble in your hand
He's a sweet boy, even if he is a handful. That's all there is.
01 November 2010
It's All In Your Mind
I think that November is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). Maybe that's all in my mind, but I need to be better about blogging, since this is basically my journal. I have one I write in when I'm really pissed off, but no one should ever read that.
Since I'm lacking in inspiration most days, here is a prompt from the NaBloPoMo website:
What toy from your childhood do you still have in your possession?
I have a small bean-bag type doll named Wilbur. I don't think I came up with the name (I'm pretty sure the name is on the little tag). He is extremely dirty, he has a long nose and a sad face and on his belly is written: "I Need Love." For some reason I just can't bring myself to throw him away . . . so he sits on the dresser in my little man's room.
On a totally unrelated topic, I have been really bad about reading my scriptures for, well, for a long time. I have excuses, but none of them are very good or justifiable. The other night I picked them up and flipped through them, hoping for a little message from Heavenly Father. I got it here, in Doctrine and Covenants Section 93. (For those of you who may not know, I believe the Doctrine & Covenants, or D&C, to be modern revelation from the Lord, i.e., scripture.)
42 You have not ataught your children light and truth, according to the commandments; and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your baffliction.
Yes, there are many things in my house that are not right. It is definitely not in order (read: messy), but there are other things missing from my house too. Most especially among those things out-of-order are my priorities. I haven't been putting the Lord first in my life. I don't do everything for His glory; I'm just trying to get by day to day. I have been in 'survival' mode for so long, I have forgotten what it's like to be engaged in the work of the Lord. I look back at my time as a missionary with extreme fondness, because I knew who I was. I knew what I was doing. And I knew I was exactly where Heavenly Father wanted me to be. I haven't felt that kind of approbation in a very long time, and I miss it. I want it back. But getting there will be tough; it will require work on my part, so I need to summon up the energy from somewhere.
I did manage to get some cleaning done today, trying to literally put my house in order, because I know I feel better and happier when I'm not surrounded by messiness. I know I'll never be one of those great housekeepers, who manage to keep their homes and children and lives organized. Baby steps, I suppose, are the way to do it. ("Baby steps, get on the bus.")
I do need to go bed, but I'll try to post something every day this month. Baby steps, become a real blogger.
Since I'm lacking in inspiration most days, here is a prompt from the NaBloPoMo website:
What toy from your childhood do you still have in your possession?
I have a small bean-bag type doll named Wilbur. I don't think I came up with the name (I'm pretty sure the name is on the little tag). He is extremely dirty, he has a long nose and a sad face and on his belly is written: "I Need Love." For some reason I just can't bring myself to throw him away . . . so he sits on the dresser in my little man's room.
On a totally unrelated topic, I have been really bad about reading my scriptures for, well, for a long time. I have excuses, but none of them are very good or justifiable. The other night I picked them up and flipped through them, hoping for a little message from Heavenly Father. I got it here, in Doctrine and Covenants Section 93. (For those of you who may not know, I believe the Doctrine & Covenants, or D&C, to be modern revelation from the Lord, i.e., scripture.)
42 You have not ataught your children light and truth, according to the commandments; and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your baffliction.
43 And now a commandment I give unto you—if you will be delivered you shall set in aorder your own house, for there are many things that are not right in your house.
Yes, there are many things in my house that are not right. It is definitely not in order (read: messy), but there are other things missing from my house too. Most especially among those things out-of-order are my priorities. I haven't been putting the Lord first in my life. I don't do everything for His glory; I'm just trying to get by day to day. I have been in 'survival' mode for so long, I have forgotten what it's like to be engaged in the work of the Lord. I look back at my time as a missionary with extreme fondness, because I knew who I was. I knew what I was doing. And I knew I was exactly where Heavenly Father wanted me to be. I haven't felt that kind of approbation in a very long time, and I miss it. I want it back. But getting there will be tough; it will require work on my part, so I need to summon up the energy from somewhere.
I did manage to get some cleaning done today, trying to literally put my house in order, because I know I feel better and happier when I'm not surrounded by messiness. I know I'll never be one of those great housekeepers, who manage to keep their homes and children and lives organized. Baby steps, I suppose, are the way to do it. ("Baby steps, get on the bus.")
I do need to go bed, but I'll try to post something every day this month. Baby steps, become a real blogger.
19 October 2010
He Can't Read My Poker Face
I actually went to a Relief Society meeting tonight. It was a parenting class from a gal who is a counselor, and who works with problem kids (kind-of like SuperNanny, but in shorter intervals and over a longer period of time). The things she said were pretty common-sense; they are just easy to forget. So I'm going to write down my notes here, in an attempt to hold on to a little of it. For example, she talked a lot about positive reinforcement, rewarding behavior you want and calmly ignoring behaviors you don't. One thing that I found very interesting was the "Happy Face or Poker Face." If the child does something right, go out of your way to praise it, and make sure they know that is what you want. If they are defiant, speak calmly (like an easy-listening radio d.j.) and let them know that you will talk to them when they can speak calmly too. Older kids know how to push their parents' buttons, so it's important to show that they can't get to you (i.e., the Poker Face).
Unfortunately, Benji doesn't really get that. It's pretty hard to get him to look you in the face at all. But there are things I can do. I'm going to try the sticker reward thing. I don't know if he'll get that either, but if I can get him to associate good behavior with stickers, that would be good. I may have to start with treatage (I KNOW he gets that!). We'll see if anything changes.
Here are some other things she said:
-Kids will listen, whether or not you think they do. I still hear my Mom's voice in my head sometimes.
-Parents have to change first. They set the tone for the day and for the home in general.
-Reward good behavior. Reinforce what you want; the child has to know what he will get for certain behaviors. Attention is the #1 reinforcer.
-Teach, don't punish. Mistakes happen; show love and concern, and turn them into teaching moments.
She talked about the "Big 3 Parenting Skills." The first is the calm tone. I'm the "boss" of the home, so I need to be the kind of boss I'd like to have (positive, kind, appreciative, etc.). She also tells her parents to shoot for 10:1 ratio of complements to corrections. Yeah, it'll take a while to get there.
The second is Effective Reinforcement. Catch good behavior, and "reward the heck out of it." Use strategic praise: tell them what they are doing right, how I feel about it ("Thank you for sitting quietly! I love it!") and explain why it's important ("Now we can read this story together.") You need to disengage and state what you want. Pair reinforcement with the behavior immediately. Successful change comes from quality relationships. A lot of things that kids might think are "rights" can be earned (t.v. time, etc.). When explaining behaviors and consequences, keep it short and sweet. Remember that attention spans don't really last more than 30 seconds.
The third is Parenting Empowerment. Let kids learn from experience, and follow through with consequences. For example, if a lollipop is a reward for following directions, and the child doesn't obey, but then complains and whines that they want the lollipop, don't give in. Otherwise you are reinforcing the idea that whining will get you what you want. Use discipline, not punishment. Spanking may let the child know that a behavior isn't right, but it also teaches them that it's okay to hit if you're really mad. Hmm.
If a child comes to you with hurt feelings (e.g, "Mommy, Leslie called me stupid"), this is what you can say. First, use an empathy statement: ("I'm sorry that happened to you"), then give an empowerment statement: ("Do you think you're stupid? What could you do about it?"). If they ask for it, then give an advice statement ("If you know it's not true, you should just ignore it.") That gives the child the power to deal with bad situations, without your having to have a Come-To-Jesus meeting with Leslie's mom.
She kind-of ran out of time at the end, but she told us to remember the 3 R's: Respite (take care of yourself; it's okay to take some time away from your kids), Recreation (Play, and enjoy time together), and Relationship Building.
I'm glad I went. It is nice to have adult conversations at church . . . that doesn't happen very often.
Unfortunately, Benji doesn't really get that. It's pretty hard to get him to look you in the face at all. But there are things I can do. I'm going to try the sticker reward thing. I don't know if he'll get that either, but if I can get him to associate good behavior with stickers, that would be good. I may have to start with treatage (I KNOW he gets that!). We'll see if anything changes.
Here are some other things she said:
-Kids will listen, whether or not you think they do. I still hear my Mom's voice in my head sometimes.
-Parents have to change first. They set the tone for the day and for the home in general.
-Reward good behavior. Reinforce what you want; the child has to know what he will get for certain behaviors. Attention is the #1 reinforcer.
-Teach, don't punish. Mistakes happen; show love and concern, and turn them into teaching moments.
She talked about the "Big 3 Parenting Skills." The first is the calm tone. I'm the "boss" of the home, so I need to be the kind of boss I'd like to have (positive, kind, appreciative, etc.). She also tells her parents to shoot for 10:1 ratio of complements to corrections. Yeah, it'll take a while to get there.
The second is Effective Reinforcement. Catch good behavior, and "reward the heck out of it." Use strategic praise: tell them what they are doing right, how I feel about it ("Thank you for sitting quietly! I love it!") and explain why it's important ("Now we can read this story together.") You need to disengage and state what you want. Pair reinforcement with the behavior immediately. Successful change comes from quality relationships. A lot of things that kids might think are "rights" can be earned (t.v. time, etc.). When explaining behaviors and consequences, keep it short and sweet. Remember that attention spans don't really last more than 30 seconds.
The third is Parenting Empowerment. Let kids learn from experience, and follow through with consequences. For example, if a lollipop is a reward for following directions, and the child doesn't obey, but then complains and whines that they want the lollipop, don't give in. Otherwise you are reinforcing the idea that whining will get you what you want. Use discipline, not punishment. Spanking may let the child know that a behavior isn't right, but it also teaches them that it's okay to hit if you're really mad. Hmm.
If a child comes to you with hurt feelings (e.g, "Mommy, Leslie called me stupid"), this is what you can say. First, use an empathy statement: ("I'm sorry that happened to you"), then give an empowerment statement: ("Do you think you're stupid? What could you do about it?"). If they ask for it, then give an advice statement ("If you know it's not true, you should just ignore it.") That gives the child the power to deal with bad situations, without your having to have a Come-To-Jesus meeting with Leslie's mom.
She kind-of ran out of time at the end, but she told us to remember the 3 R's: Respite (take care of yourself; it's okay to take some time away from your kids), Recreation (Play, and enjoy time together), and Relationship Building.
I'm glad I went. It is nice to have adult conversations at church . . . that doesn't happen very often.
10 October 2010
They Did Not Notice Me
10-10-10. That doesn't happen very often, and I have not written in a few weeks, so I thought I'd mark it somehow.
Unfortunately, I don't have a lot to say right now. I started a rather negative post last week, but halfway through I got very frustrated with my life and left it as a draft. You don't need to hear me go on and on about how much my life sucks, because it's really not that bad; I just lose sight of the goal entirely too often.
One thing about driving Mom's car is that she doesn't have a CD player ("Welcome to the 90's, Mr. Banks!"). Gigi does have one, even if the speakers are blown. So, ever since I have been Gigi again, I have had "No Line On The Horizon" in it. I just listen to it over and over; such a great album. You can read what I wrote about it last year here. Anyway, the song "Moment of Surrender" has been my favorite for a few weeks now. Here are the lyrics:
Moment of Surrender
--U2
I tied myself with wire
To let the horses run free
Playing with the fire
Until the fire played with me
The stone was semi-precious
We were barely conscious
Two souls too smart to be
In the realm of certainty
Even on our wedding day
We set ourselves on fire
Oh God, do not deny her
It's not if I believe in love
But if love believes in me
Oh, believe in me
At the moment of surrender
I folded to my knees
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me
I've been in every black hole
At the altar of the dark star
My body's now a begging bowl
That's begging to get back, begging to get back
To my heart
To the rhythm of my soul
To the rhythm of my unconsciousness
To the rhythm that yearns
To be released from control
I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection
A face staring back at me
At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me
I was speeding on the subway
Through the stations of the cross
Every eye looking every other way
Counting down 'til the pain would stop
At the moment of surrender
Of vision of over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me
Yes, this song has made me cry on more than one occasion. Actually, I'm crying now just writing about it. That's a good sign that I should stop writing now.
Unfortunately, I don't have a lot to say right now. I started a rather negative post last week, but halfway through I got very frustrated with my life and left it as a draft. You don't need to hear me go on and on about how much my life sucks, because it's really not that bad; I just lose sight of the goal entirely too often.
One thing about driving Mom's car is that she doesn't have a CD player ("Welcome to the 90's, Mr. Banks!"). Gigi does have one, even if the speakers are blown. So, ever since I have been Gigi again, I have had "No Line On The Horizon" in it. I just listen to it over and over; such a great album. You can read what I wrote about it last year here. Anyway, the song "Moment of Surrender" has been my favorite for a few weeks now. Here are the lyrics:
Moment of Surrender
--U2
I tied myself with wire
To let the horses run free
Playing with the fire
Until the fire played with me
The stone was semi-precious
We were barely conscious
Two souls too smart to be
In the realm of certainty
Even on our wedding day
We set ourselves on fire
Oh God, do not deny her
It's not if I believe in love
But if love believes in me
Oh, believe in me
At the moment of surrender
I folded to my knees
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me
I've been in every black hole
At the altar of the dark star
My body's now a begging bowl
That's begging to get back, begging to get back
To my heart
To the rhythm of my soul
To the rhythm of my unconsciousness
To the rhythm that yearns
To be released from control
I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection
A face staring back at me
At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me
I was speeding on the subway
Through the stations of the cross
Every eye looking every other way
Counting down 'til the pain would stop
At the moment of surrender
Of vision of over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me
Yes, this song has made me cry on more than one occasion. Actually, I'm crying now just writing about it. That's a good sign that I should stop writing now.
21 September 2010
Like To Get To Know You Well
I have been tagged. It's been a while since I have been tagged in a blog post, so I figure I'll play along. Thanks to Alicia, who is one of my new e-BFF's. We'll meet someday, fo' shizzle. :o)
#1) What movie star can you NOT stand and why?
I'm not really sure. Something about Katie Holmes drives me nuts (probably the snaggle-tooth, though I do like Kirsten Dunst, and she has a pretty nasty snaggle-tooth as well). Even so, I don't hate her movies. I'm a pretty tolerant movie watcher, I guess. Oh--I'm not particularly fond of Maggie Gyllenhall or Jennifer Connelly (I think it's the eyebrows).
I'm not really sure. Something about Katie Holmes drives me nuts (probably the snaggle-tooth, though I do like Kirsten Dunst, and she has a pretty nasty snaggle-tooth as well). Even so, I don't hate her movies. I'm a pretty tolerant movie watcher, I guess. Oh--I'm not particularly fond of Maggie Gyllenhall or Jennifer Connelly (I think it's the eyebrows).
#2) What is your hobby?
I'm an aspiring photographer. I wish I could turn it into a career, but I figure I should take at least one photography class before I do that. Other hobbies include random crafts, like beading (jewelry mostly), crocheting, digital scrapbooking, etc.
#3) Who do you look up to most in the world?
Probably my Dad. He is my North Star--so constant in what he does and so sure of who he is and how he needs to be. I have never seen him in a trial (he's a lawyer), but I can imagine he projects the authority and truth there that he does in the rest of his life. He's not perfect, but he strives to be like Christ in everything he does. I admire that.
#4) What do you do with your spare time?
I don't have a lot, because I work full-time and I am a mother of a very busy two-year-old. The spare time is usually devoted to housework. When I'm putting off the housework, I'm usually working on my pictures, either taking them or editing them.
#5) What inspires you?
The beauty of creation; I love seeing something or someone, and trying to capture it in a way that will make people think, "wow." And it's not just because of the photograph itself, but the subject that is beautiful--the flower, the person, the sunset, the architectural ingenuity.
#6) What did you eat for dinner last night and why?
Microwaved Lasagna from Costco. That's what Allen decided to make for dinner. He's in charge of cooking, and I do most of the cleaning. It's not the best arrangement, but it works . . . sometimes. Not really.
#7) What is your favorite animated movie?
I'd have to go with Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." I must have watched it a hundred times as a teenager, so even though I can go years between viewings, I still have the whole thing memorized. I do love "Finding Nemo" too. I admit to letting Benji watch it often, but he loves it too, so I don't feel terrible about it.
#8) If you had to die by drowning, what would you choose to drown in?
Chocolate. Preferably dark chocolate from Belgium. Ooohhhh--that's a Wonka-sized dream.
I'm not sure, but I think I'm supposed to tag eight people, and write eight new questions. Uh, I'm not sure there are eight people who actually read my blog anymore. I'll tag you anyway, but I'm not holding my breath here.
My peeps:
1-Rachael
2-Rebecca
3-Sarah
4-Mom
5-Lexy
6-Sharon
7-Shauna
8-Flame
My questions:
1-What would be your ideal vacation?
2-If you could have any paid career (with or without having to do through years of school to do it), what would it be?
3-What is your favorite song of all time?
4-What did you do on your very first date?
5-If you could have one free plastic surgery procedure, would you do it? What would you change?
6-What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
7-What is your favorite day of the year?
8-What did you do to celebrate the turn of the millenium (New Year's Eve, partying like it was 1999)?
Thanks for reading, friends. :o)
16 September 2010
Just Say Yes
I worked for 11 hours today . . . I'm not used to that anymore! I'm pooped! But I had to go to the Consignment Sale tonight. It's always insanity, but there are such great deals that I purchase 90% of Benji's clothing at these events. I usually spend about $120 (the night of the pre-sale, anyway!), and I did pretty good staying on budget. Here's tonight's haul:
3 dress shirts
12 long-sleeve shirts
3 sweaters
2 hoodies
2 fleece jackets
1 snow coat
1 ski bib
2 overalls
2 pair of pajamas
1 bath robe
12 pair of pants (khakis, cords, etc.)
5 pair of sweat pants
1 pair snow boots
5 pair shoes
6 books
1 dvd
1 Halloween costume
1 training potty
1 snow sled/boogie board thing
1 booster carseat
Total: $123.25. Not too shabby, eh? I'll need to get some more jammies and some socks, though. Good thing I have to go back to volunteer tomorrow. ;o)
3 dress shirts
12 long-sleeve shirts
3 sweaters
2 hoodies
2 fleece jackets
1 snow coat
1 ski bib
2 overalls
2 pair of pajamas
1 bath robe
12 pair of pants (khakis, cords, etc.)
5 pair of sweat pants
1 pair snow boots
5 pair shoes
6 books
1 dvd
1 Halloween costume
1 training potty
1 snow sled/boogie board thing
1 booster carseat
Total: $123.25. Not too shabby, eh? I'll need to get some more jammies and some socks, though. Good thing I have to go back to volunteer tomorrow. ;o)
15 September 2010
The Countdown Starts
First: Benji is trying to count. If I get him started with "One," he'll follow (occasionally) with "ooo (2)," "eee (3)," "oar (4)," and "fff (5)". I'm not sure why five is just "fff," but at least he's consistent. He tries to use his fingers, but can't really articulate one at a time. It's pretty cute, if I do say so myself. And I do.
Second: The Consignment sale starts tomorrow! Yay! It's the best place to get clothes for the little man. My problem is I have kept them all, and I'm rapidly running out of closet space. Time to start selling!
Third: America's Got Talent is done for the season. I usually don't get into reality shows like this, but I pretty much watched every week. It's cool to see such amazingly talented people gain recognition. I'm glad Michael Grimm won. He's an average, down-to-earth guy with an awesome voice. I was cheering for Prince Poppycock, though. He's just too fabulous for words.
Fourth: Next month is my last "big bucks" payment. I have been paying down my credit cards using a consumer credit service, and they have taken $670 every month for the past four years. No, don't count--I owed a lot of money, due to tuition and car repairs and a study-abroad and a wedding and honeymoon. . . and poor money management. I'm the first to admit that I'm not very good with money. I love to spend it, but only if I get a good deal, and unfortunately I'm always on the lookout for a good deal. Actually, I got two boxes of Mulitgrain Cheerios for $2 today . . . but I digress. Anyway, I paid off Capital One a few months ago, and I paid off Bank of America this month, and next month I will finish off with Discover. It feels pretty good. I still have a few other things to pay off (like student loans), but this is a big step. And that $670 will come in pretty handy. I'm hoping I can work part-time sooner than later, but I carry the insurance and it just isn't worth it to work part-time and pay twice as much for the same thing. Here's hoping Allen can figure out how to support us without me having to work all the time. And here's hoping we can stay away from those seductively evil credit cards in the future.
Second: The Consignment sale starts tomorrow! Yay! It's the best place to get clothes for the little man. My problem is I have kept them all, and I'm rapidly running out of closet space. Time to start selling!
Third: America's Got Talent is done for the season. I usually don't get into reality shows like this, but I pretty much watched every week. It's cool to see such amazingly talented people gain recognition. I'm glad Michael Grimm won. He's an average, down-to-earth guy with an awesome voice. I was cheering for Prince Poppycock, though. He's just too fabulous for words.
Fourth: Next month is my last "big bucks" payment. I have been paying down my credit cards using a consumer credit service, and they have taken $670 every month for the past four years. No, don't count--I owed a lot of money, due to tuition and car repairs and a study-abroad and a wedding and honeymoon. . . and poor money management. I'm the first to admit that I'm not very good with money. I love to spend it, but only if I get a good deal, and unfortunately I'm always on the lookout for a good deal. Actually, I got two boxes of Mulitgrain Cheerios for $2 today . . . but I digress. Anyway, I paid off Capital One a few months ago, and I paid off Bank of America this month, and next month I will finish off with Discover. It feels pretty good. I still have a few other things to pay off (like student loans), but this is a big step. And that $670 will come in pretty handy. I'm hoping I can work part-time sooner than later, but I carry the insurance and it just isn't worth it to work part-time and pay twice as much for the same thing. Here's hoping Allen can figure out how to support us without me having to work all the time. And here's hoping we can stay away from those seductively evil credit cards in the future.
08 September 2010
Cars
So I have been borrowing my Mom's car for the summer. When Rachael and Seuao bought their new vehicle (an as-yet-unnamed gorgeous Mazda CX-9), they turned over Frank to my Mom. Frank is the name I gave Rachael's Honda CR-V. It got the name Frank because Frankenstein's monster is green, and he is almost human, just like the green CR-V is almost an SUV. Gigi, our '93 Toyota Corolla is a decent car and gets terrific gas mileage, but she has no air conditioning. I overheat very easily, so we decided to switch out Gigi for Little Blue for the summer. BTW, I can't come up with a different name for John's old Taurus, though technically she is Little Blue #2, with the Tempo being the original Little Blue.
What's sad is that the '95 Taurus was an upgrade compared to Gigi in almost every aspect: Little Blue has half the miles Gigi does (she hit 200,000 in July).
Anyway, Little Blue has a/c, a working dome light, a clock and radio where you can see the numbers, automatic windows and locks, and she allegedly has cruise control, though I was never able to get it to work. Gigi has none of those. However, Gigi gets 32 mpg in the city and about 38 on the freeway, while Little Blue gets between 23-25 mpg. I'm doing so much driving these days, and the hottest days of the year are most likely over, so I think it's time to switch back.
Well, last week we got a mailer for a big used car sale, and they offered free movie tickets for those who came to check it out. I did go (and I didn't get suckered into a test drive) and I got the movie passes and went to drive home in Little Blue when the key broke off in the ignition. Now, this is not her first offense; there are several broken keys on the ring already. Even so, I messed with it for a few minutes and was able to get it started and drive it home. I didn't drive for the rest of the weekend, so I forgot about it.
Enter Tuesday morning, 6am. I have Benji buckled in the car and I'm ready to go to work. I go to start the car and . . . oh, yeah. I can't. I must have messed with it for at least 15 minutes, all to no avail. So I called AAA, and they sent out a locksmith. He had to pull out the ignition, and even then he couldn't get the broken key out. So he ended up replacing the ignition and giving me two new keys. And he didn't charge me anything; he said my membership would cover it. *whew* Thank you, Granny. You saved the day. I ended up getting to work about an hour late, so it wasn't too catastrophic.
In any case, I have enjoyed driving Little Blue, but I'll look forward to filling up less-often. So we are going to Logan on Friday to switch back . . . just in time to get Gigi inspected and registered. Yipee.
|
| voilà Gigi |
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| Yes, I pulled over on the freeway to take a picture of the 200,000. It was a little scary, but I had been working for it for a long time! We purchased Gigi with about 172,000. |
Anyway, Little Blue has a/c, a working dome light, a clock and radio where you can see the numbers, automatic windows and locks, and she allegedly has cruise control, though I was never able to get it to work. Gigi has none of those. However, Gigi gets 32 mpg in the city and about 38 on the freeway, while Little Blue gets between 23-25 mpg. I'm doing so much driving these days, and the hottest days of the year are most likely over, so I think it's time to switch back.
Well, last week we got a mailer for a big used car sale, and they offered free movie tickets for those who came to check it out. I did go (and I didn't get suckered into a test drive) and I got the movie passes and went to drive home in Little Blue when the key broke off in the ignition. Now, this is not her first offense; there are several broken keys on the ring already. Even so, I messed with it for a few minutes and was able to get it started and drive it home. I didn't drive for the rest of the weekend, so I forgot about it.
Enter Tuesday morning, 6am. I have Benji buckled in the car and I'm ready to go to work. I go to start the car and . . . oh, yeah. I can't. I must have messed with it for at least 15 minutes, all to no avail. So I called AAA, and they sent out a locksmith. He had to pull out the ignition, and even then he couldn't get the broken key out. So he ended up replacing the ignition and giving me two new keys. And he didn't charge me anything; he said my membership would cover it. *whew* Thank you, Granny. You saved the day. I ended up getting to work about an hour late, so it wasn't too catastrophic.
In any case, I have enjoyed driving Little Blue, but I'll look forward to filling up less-often. So we are going to Logan on Friday to switch back . . . just in time to get Gigi inspected and registered. Yipee.
24 August 2010
Walking Along
I have been taking Benji on some walks recently. Here are some cute pics of my favorite boy.
How can you not love that face!?
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| Extremely Stubborn and Suspicious |
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| So cute! |
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| I love those eyes. |
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| The Backhand. Little man's got skills. |
07 August 2010
Hey, Soul Sister
This is a bit overdue, but in celebration of birthday month, I wanted to give a shout-out to my sisters. Rachael's birthday was July 14, and Sarah's birthday was July 28th. I love July, but it can be a little crazy with all the fêtes. Even so, here are some things I love about Sarah:
1. Sarah is so girly, but she won't wear pink. I don't get it, but that's just her.
2. She's not afraid to share her opinion, but she manages to do it tactfully. I envy that.
3. She has fabulous hair, and she's willing to work hard to get it.
4. Sarah is an amazing listener. She has a Master's in Social Work (okay, one book report away from the MSW, but close enough!) and she always has others' best interests at heart.
5. Sarah is the favorite auntie. All the kiddos love her, and she's a fantastic babysitter.
6. She kept pestering me to listen to the fantastic Train song "Hey, Soul Sister." The first time I heard it, I totally fell in love with it. And it will always remind me of her.
7. Sarah is the most dedicated journal writer I have ever met. She is always having to purchase new ones. Uh, I'm still working on the one I purchased before I got married (our 5 year anniversary is next week).
8. For a long time, Sarah thought the phrase was, "Happy as a Clown." Love it.
9. She almost always has four pair of sunglasses on her dashboard. Girlfriend loves her accessories!
10. Sarah is smart, beautiful, photogenic, outgoing and just all-around fabulous.
Yes, she made the fabulous Little Mermaid cake by herself. Rock on.
6. Rachael is the care-taker of the family. She is also the peace-keeper and everybody's best friend. She would do anything for anybody, and she often does.
7. Mach is an awesome mother. She makes sure her girls are happy and learning and active and properly disciplined. ;o)
8. She is pretty low-maintenance. Of the sisters, she and I are together on this one. We are on one level of the beauty routine, while Bex and Sarah are on a totally different plane. Neither is better than the other, it's just the amount of time and effort put into it; Mach and I just can't be bothered to do anything requiring more than 20 minutes.
9. Mach is a calming influence. She doesn't let things get to her (or, at least she doesn't show it). I can be an emotional wreck, and when I talk to her (any time of the day or night), she can make things better. She's not a miracle worker, but she has a good, level head on her shoulders. I need that.
10. Mach is a confidante in every sense of the word. She is an incredible secret-keeper (and yes, I'm still a little bitter about the pregnancy secrets) and a very dear friend. I don't know what I would do without her.
2. She's not afraid to share her opinion, but she manages to do it tactfully. I envy that.
3. She has fabulous hair, and she's willing to work hard to get it.
4. Sarah is an amazing listener. She has a Master's in Social Work (okay, one book report away from the MSW, but close enough!) and she always has others' best interests at heart.
5. Sarah is the favorite auntie. All the kiddos love her, and she's a fantastic babysitter.
6. She kept pestering me to listen to the fantastic Train song "Hey, Soul Sister." The first time I heard it, I totally fell in love with it. And it will always remind me of her.
7. Sarah is the most dedicated journal writer I have ever met. She is always having to purchase new ones. Uh, I'm still working on the one I purchased before I got married (our 5 year anniversary is next week).
8. For a long time, Sarah thought the phrase was, "Happy as a Clown." Love it.
9. She almost always has four pair of sunglasses on her dashboard. Girlfriend loves her accessories!
10. Sarah is smart, beautiful, photogenic, outgoing and just all-around fabulous.
Happy Birthday, Sarah. You are amazing.
Then there's Rachael, a.k.a. Mach. I'm not entirely sure where the nickname "Mach" came from, but it certainly has stuck. Good thing she doesn't mind it (just like I don't mind Mary Chewy . . . it's almost automatic).
Here are some things I love about Rachael.
1. Mach is very organized. She really appreciates when there is a plan. And it makes her happy when everyone else is aware of and complicit with that plan. But she's not a control-freak.
2. Even though she has had a lot of internet problems at home and droids at work who won't let her access blogger, Rachael has planned and written several blog entries. She's got them all saved somewhere, just waiting for her to have a free minute.
3. Mach really shines at Christmas. She has well over a hundred people she sends Christmas cards to every year, plus she does gifts for people at work and in the neighborhood and in her ward and at Bunco...sometimes I can't believe the effort she puts into it. Every year, I stand in awe.
4. Rachael does incredible birthday parties for her girls. I actually didn't bring my camera to Lily's 3rd birthday (shocking, I know! I didn't know what to do with myself!), but Sarah got some great shots. For example :
3. Mach really shines at Christmas. She has well over a hundred people she sends Christmas cards to every year, plus she does gifts for people at work and in the neighborhood and in her ward and at Bunco...sometimes I can't believe the effort she puts into it. Every year, I stand in awe.
4. Rachael does incredible birthday parties for her girls. I actually didn't bring my camera to Lily's 3rd birthday (shocking, I know! I didn't know what to do with myself!), but Sarah got some great shots. For example :
6. Rachael is the care-taker of the family. She is also the peace-keeper and everybody's best friend. She would do anything for anybody, and she often does.
7. Mach is an awesome mother. She makes sure her girls are happy and learning and active and properly disciplined. ;o)
8. She is pretty low-maintenance. Of the sisters, she and I are together on this one. We are on one level of the beauty routine, while Bex and Sarah are on a totally different plane. Neither is better than the other, it's just the amount of time and effort put into it; Mach and I just can't be bothered to do anything requiring more than 20 minutes.
9. Mach is a calming influence. She doesn't let things get to her (or, at least she doesn't show it). I can be an emotional wreck, and when I talk to her (any time of the day or night), she can make things better. She's not a miracle worker, but she has a good, level head on her shoulders. I need that.
10. Mach is a confidante in every sense of the word. She is an incredible secret-keeper (and yes, I'm still a little bitter about the pregnancy secrets) and a very dear friend. I don't know what I would do without her.
I love you, ladies. You are the best.
*I haven't forgotten about you, Bex. Your turn is coming, but it's not your birthday yet. ;o)
02 August 2010
Reunited, And It Feels So Good
It has been a while. I need to catch up, though I need to go to bed more. Here are a few highlights from the reunion @ Bryce Canyon.
This is a typical Benji face, when he gets excited about something. I took this at Sunrise Point.
Not the greatest picture of Dave & Lex, but Noah's pout is just too funny.
I don't remember exactly what Dad was saying, but I thought it was funny.
I like this little picture. Benji might have my face, but he has Allen's body. Like father, like son.
Cute Sarah. I loved that setting--nice choice, babe.
This is a good one of Mach & Family. Lily and Tess look so much alike anymore. . . it's hard to believe that they are 15 months apart. If I hadn't seen them from their respective birthdays up to now, I would think they were twins. I have a feeling they will be getting that a lot (i.e., for the rest of their lives).
This is most of the group; there were some meltdowns from Gen 4, so I don't think we got everyone at the same time, but I'll try to photoshop everyone into a group pic eventually. Until then . . .
My family rocks.
This is a typical Benji face, when he gets excited about something. I took this at Sunrise Point.
Not the greatest picture of Dave & Lex, but Noah's pout is just too funny.
I don't remember exactly what Dad was saying, but I thought it was funny.
I like this little picture. Benji might have my face, but he has Allen's body. Like father, like son.
Cute Sarah. I loved that setting--nice choice, babe.
This is a good one of Mach & Family. Lily and Tess look so much alike anymore. . . it's hard to believe that they are 15 months apart. If I hadn't seen them from their respective birthdays up to now, I would think they were twins. I have a feeling they will be getting that a lot (i.e., for the rest of their lives).
This is most of the group; there were some meltdowns from Gen 4, so I don't think we got everyone at the same time, but I'll try to photoshop everyone into a group pic eventually. Until then . . .
My family rocks.
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