My one brilliant idea

Now that all the presents have been wrapped by the Moms out there and unwrapped by all the kids, I want to share with you, what one person that I know, labeled a brilliant idea.

This idea came out of desperation one Christmas Eve many years ago. My husband and I were up late furiously wrapping the kids' Christmas presents. Five kids and too many presents for each added up to alot of wrapping, name tags and bows. I thought to myself, "There's got to be a better way.". So out of necessity, I came up with an idea the next Christmas that has saved my sanity every Christmas since.

The next Christmas season, the first thing I bought was wrapping paper. One large roll for each child. Each roll was different and was picked out with each child in mind. It was a fun process. Then, when presents were purchased and brought home, I tried to find time to wrap them before bringing more into the house. Each child was paper coded. Thus no need for name tags and I eliminated bows and ribbon as well. I hid the presents, but they were wrapped. If kids found them, they'd have to unwrap them to see what was inside and, if they did, their naughty curiosity would have been discovered.

Since our Christmas morning tradition was to group each child's presents together, the Christmas Eve set up was easy. When the presents were hauled out from their hiding place, I knew which ones were for which kid without looking at each gift. It was a snap! My husband and I were in bed at a somewhat reasonable hour. As my kids out grew Santa, I used the left over wrapping paper for gifts going out of the house the next year.

My kids have told me that there were years when they found the wrapped Christmas presents. They told me they had fun trying to guess which presents were for which child.

Maybe this isn't my exclusive, brilliant idea. But if you dislike the late night present wrapping on Christmas Eve, try my idea next year. It works great if all your kids are in school....go shopping, bring the presents home and wrap them before the kids come home. They won't be the wiser.

I hope all had a great Christmas holiday with family and friends.

Enlighten me...

I don't understand why a shopper would back up a busy parking lot just to wait for a spot closer to the door that was 20' away from three others that were vacant.

I don't understand because the driver that got out of the car was a very fit, athletic looking guy who probably wouldn't have much trouble walking the extra 20'.

I don't understand why Walmart does not have self checkout?

I don't understand why Walmart's Speedy Check Out is anything, but speedy.

I don't understand why when you show up at McDonald's at 10:32 am and want an McMuffin, you can't get one because they quit serving breakfast at 10:30 am. Well, if the guy in the parking lot hadn't been blocking the aisle, I would have made it inside McDonald's BEFORE 10:30.

Can someone please enlighten me?

P.S. And lest, some of you wonder what I was doing in Walmart in the first place....I was buying a gift card for a last minute Sub for Santa family. I was able to quickly purchase the gift card at the Customer Service Desk. But since I had left home without breakfast and couldn't get an Egg McMuffin at the McDonald's inside the store, I bought a donut and milk. (I know, not a great choice, but...). That purchase necessitated waiting in the Speedy Checkout line.

Mesmerized

Who would think that the movie "Tinkerbell" would mesmerize two little boys.

I love this picture!

Red Shoes

My four year old grandson was here yesterday afternoon while I was getting ready for the ward Christmas party.

He stood by my closet door and looked at my shoes on the shoe rack.

He took my pair of bright red heels from the rack and said, " Grandma, you should wear these shoes. You'll look cute.".

I'm still angry

I guess I should just get over it. But I am still seething about something that I learned today.

I let my son borrow a small artificial Christmas tree for his apartment. It was one of a pair that I have. I also gave him a few ornaments that have hung on our family Christmas tree since he was a little boy.

I found out today that his roommate removed the tree, ornaments and all, from the apartment and took it somewhere else. My son didn't know where it was. I only learned this because the pair of trees were supposed to be used as part of the decorations for our ward Christmas party tomorrow.

I don't understand how someone can just take something that isn't his and say nothing. I doubt if the roommate had any idea how my son came to have the tree in the first place. It wasn't some cheap tree that he happened to pick up at the dollar store or bought at D.I. It was my tree!

So at my insistence, my son text his roommate and asked him to bring the tree back. My son had to text the roommate since they rarely see each other. The roommate spends a lot of time elsewhere.

I guess some people would say that there was no harm done. The tree is back where it belongs. All I can say it that I hadn't better run into his roommate any time soon or I'll give him a piece of my mind.

The Christmas Tree

I put the Christmas tree up the other day. It's the same tree that I used last year, but it isn't quite so sad and pathetic. I was able to retrive all of Christmas decorations from the storage unit, so the tree and the apartment look a little more festive this year.

Putting up the tree has brought back memories of the Christmas trees of my childhood. We always had the same variety of tree. Back then, I didn't know that tree species had names other than a pine tree. But now, I know that the tree was probably a noble fir or similar variety. My mother wouldn't have a bushy tree with long needles because the ornaments wouldn't hang properly on the tree. I feel the same way. No long needled pines for me.

For many years, our tree was purchased at a tree lot operated by my church. I think the lot was run to raise money for the ward budget. My Dad would always get extra loose branches when he bought the tree. Then, when he got the tree home, he'd use those branches to fill in the bare spots of the tree. It was quite a process involving a drill, nails, and wire. I used to get frustrated because it took so long and all I wanted was to get the tree up so the decorating could begin. But in the end, we always had a well shaped tree.

The decorating process seemed to take a very long time...at least to a young girl. But one reason for it taking so long was the thin, metallic icicles that had to be hung on the tree after the lights, baubles and such were placed. There was only one proper way for the icicles to be hung and that was individually, piece by piece. Throwing them on the tree in clumps was not allowed. I can remember everyone taking turns hanging the icicles and it seemed like days before the entire tree was covered with icicles. It was alot of work, but the end result was worth it. Our entire tree would shine all silvery during the day and really sparkled at night when the lights were turned on. That shiny, silvery tree was a big part of the Christmas magic.

On Christmas morning, the tradition was that all us kids had to wait in the hall while Dad went into the dark living room to turn on the tree lights. More than once, we'd hear a crash because Dad had knocked the tree over while trying to plug the lights in. Then we'd have to wait while he uprighted the tree. I can remember many times waiting in the hall, hoping and praying that the tree wouldn't be knocked over. You may wonder why he just didn't turn on another light while trying to plug in the tree lights. But I think he didn't because he didn't want anyone to have a sneak peek at the tree and all the presents.

My childhood Christmases were great and the tree was big part of it. I hope that my own children have fond memories of the Christmas trees of their childhood.

Merry Christmas from Social Security

I got a letter today from the Social Security Administration. It read, in part:

"We are increasing your benefit amount to give you credit for additional earnings which were not included when we figured your benefit before."

My benefit check that will arrive just before Christmas will reflect this new amount, PLUS the difference between what I should have been paid between February 2009 and October 2009. I worked full time between March and August, along with a few small job assignments in September and October. Those earnings had social security taken out. It's nice that I'm going to get an adjustment.

The letter also says that if I disagree with their decision, I have the right to appeal.

Disagree?? Appeal?? I don't think so. I'm going to take the money quietly and have a Merry Christmas courtesy of the U.S. Government.

Obsession

I've never understood the frenzy about all things "Twilight". I read the first book only because it was a choice of a book group that I participate in. I didn't like it and therefore, didn't read the rest in the series.

I know there are girls, women and maybe a few guys, out there who are counting down the days until the next movie comes out. Not me. I'm going to pass on that one. I guess I'm just a little too old for all things "Twilight".

I've thought that the obsession and frenzy is a little harmless, until today. I was watching "Rachel Ray" while walking on the treadmill. She had the "Twilight" costume designer on the show. The designer and others selected three "Twilight" crazed teenagers to have makeovers, right down to the hair style and color, as their favorite "Twilight" character.

Will someone explain to me what is healthy about being a dead ringer for a character in a movie and a book? These girls were so excited to be walking around looking like someone else. What's wrong with being you? These teens already had bedrooms full of every possible "Twilight" memorabilia known to mankind. Why feed the obsession by making them over to look like someone who is a fictional character.

I just don't get it.

Marshmallows and Chocolate

Aidan: Grandma, do you have any marshmallows and chocolate?

Me: No, I don't. What kind of chocolate?

Aidan: You know, chocolate.

Me: Do you want marshmallows in a bowl and put ice cream syrup over them?

Aidan: No. Chocolate. The kind of chocolate you break in pieces.

Me: You mean a chocolate candy bar.

Aidan: Yes. You take it and smash it between crackers.

Me: Oh. And you melt the marshmallows, put them on the cracker with the chocolate.

Aidan: Yea. You smash it together.

And there you have it. How to make S'Mores from a four year old.

The sun's going down on me....

Between watching grand kids, doing a little shopping, and attending the vocal recital of a young lady we know, the husband and I went to Antelope Island with a group of young people to watch the sun go down. I hiked three miles, round trip, to get these pictures.



I had never been to Antelope Island. It was hard to imagine that this quiet, tranquil place was twenty minutes from the metropolitan area. I think we have an outing for the grand kids in the future.

Why didn't I think of it then?

I'm sure that we have all had a great come back pop into our head after the opportunity has passed. I had one today.

I was at a retail store on my lunch hour. While waiting to check out, a guy walked up to the check stand and asked one of the clerks if the store carried a particular item. She told them they didn't. He responded with "Oh, f... (expletive)". The clerk and others in the area were a little surprised at his response. When I left the store, I wished that I had turned to the guy and told him that he needed to apologize to the clerk for his language. There was no reason for using the word he did.

Oh, how I wish I had thought of it at the time.

Geez!

Before I had to pick up my grandson today from preschool, I thought I had plenty of time to stop by a fabric store to get fabric for a new sewing project. But things didn't go quite like I had planned.

After I found material for my project, I headed to the cutting table. There was a line of 3 or 4 women in front of me. But I wasn't worried, since there were 3 employees cutting fabric. I figured that I still had plenty of time to go pick up Aidan after the fabric was cut and paid for.

My turn at the cutting table put me with an employee who was left handed (nothing against you lefties out there) who was using right handed scissors. It was a little awkward for her so she was a little slow cutting fabric. (You lefties can relate to that.) But I was still OK time wise.

She cut the last piece of fabric, turned it over and discovered dirt smears all over it. I suggested that she should cut me another piece because I didn't want to take the fabric home, wash it and find that the marks didn't come out. She said that she'd have to check with a supervisor to see if she could do that. The supervisor said, "Of course, cut her a new piece." At this point, I realized that I was probably dealing with a new employee who didn't know store policy on such matters. Cutting the new piece took some more time. But I was still OK time wise.

When it came time for her to scan the three pieces of fabric for pricing, she had problems with the scanner. She had to consult three other employees before she could get it to work right. I started to get a little concerned about the time this was all taking. But she ended up getting it scanned when I had about eight minutes left before I had to pick up Aidan. All I needed was to check out.

I moved to the check out counter just when the supervisor decided it was time to change cashiers. The replacement cashier ended up being the one who had waited on me at the cutting table. There was one lady in front of me with just a couple of items so it wouldn't take long for her to check out. But wait, her debit card didn't work. She tried it again. The cashier didn't know what to do.

By this time, I had less than five minutes to get to the preschool. I put the fabric on the counter and told the cashier, "I'll be back for this. I have to pick up my grandson from preschool." and left the store. After all, I couldn't leave a four year old standing in the snow outside his preschool wondering where his ride was.

Like Riding a Bike

I grew up with a mother who was a master seamstress. She made just about everything my two sisters and I wore....dresses, play clothes, coats, party dresses, formals and wedding dresses. My sisters and I also had very well dressed dolls since she made a multitude of dolls clothes over the years. Each new doll at Christmas time came with a hand made wardrobe made by my mother.

Mother often would take me shopping to look at what was new in the stores and to find out what I liked. The shopping trip would end up at the fabric store where she bought fabric, etc. to duplicate my favorite, must have, item. Often, the item was duplicated without the benefit of a store bought pattern. She just made it up from a pattern of her own making.

I learned the basics of sewing from Mom and took some sewing classes as part of my unfinished college major of Clothing and Textiles. When my kids were little, I did some sewing for them. But not to the extent that my own mother did for me. Over the years, my sewing efforts became basically shortening pants and making a few simple items. Finally, the sewing machine saw such little use that I let my daughter take it.

A little while ago, my daughter showed me a pattern she bought for a Halloween costume for her little girl. Since I had neglected to teach her how to sew when she was younger, I knew that the project was a little more than she could handle. I told her I'd help her with it and hopefully, teach her a little bit about sewing in the process. Then I wondered whether my very rusty sewing skills could be resurrected to tackle the project.

Well, I found out it's like riding a bike.


All the Little Red Riding Hood costume needs is the cape and pantaloons that my daughter is working on.

Another close call

I'm driving up E Street, approaching Ninth Avenue, when a gal in an Expedition rolls up to the stop sign at Ninth Avenue. Since I have the right away, I assume she is going to stop. Silly me. She keeps on going and even looks at me when I lean on my horn and slam on my brakes to avoid a collision.

Driving in the avenues, it isn't uncommon to have people roll through stop signs. But usually, they realize their mistake when they see another car with the right away coming at them, and stop. But I guess this gal was too busy YAKKING ON HER CELL PHONE to realize she was in the wrong. She seemed to be unphased at the near miss and just kept on driving and yakking.

Well, at least this time, I was in the car and had a fighting chance. Not like last week, when there was nothing to protect me if that driver on his cell phone had collided with me.

Thrill for the day

It's always interesting and sometimes scary to walk through out downtown Salt Lake City. I had a near miss with a guy driving a van who ran a red light and nearly hit me and two other people who were crossing the street with the light in our favor.

I was so ticked off that I wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper. I doubt if the guy will see it or even recognize himself if he does read it. Anyway, it made me feel better just to write it.

Just in case you don't read the Tribune, or the letter doesn't get published, here's what I wrote.

To the male driver of the white, late model Chevy van going west on 200 South at the State Street intersection at about 11:10 AM on Wednesday, September 23...that was an excellent evasive manuver you did to avoid the three pedestrians who were legally in the crosswalk as you sped through. I guess you were to engrossed in your phone conversation to realize that the light had turned red before you reached the intersection. Or maybe, you thought a little game of chicken with pedestrians might liven up your day. All I can say is that it sure made mine a little more exciting. Thanks for the unexpected thrill that comes from being a pedestrian in downtown Salt Lake.

I'm glad that I didn't become another statistic in the recent rash of pedestrians getting hit while in the crosswalk.

Question for you.

I just watched about 20 guys on Harleys pull into the parking lot of the funeral home across the street. None of them were wearing helmets. I believe it's safe to assume that the Harley guys were going to attend the funeral services of a buddy. Perhaps, the buddy died as the result of some medical issue. But if not and it was the result of motorcycle accident, was the buddy wearing a helmet? If he wasn't wearing a helmet, don't you think that his 20 buddies should have gone out and each purchased one?

I wondered where all my shoes were.

They're under the computer desk. This must be 3 days worth of shoes.

Things I like..

I like voting early for an election. It's just a minor election this year. But a friend is running for city council from my area. I decided to vote today...about two weeks early. Last year for the presidential election, I voted early too. It was quick, easy and hassle free. Why anyone would wait in line on the official election day is beyond me.

I like Cetaphil skin cream. It was recommended to me by the gal who gives me pedicures. It's wonderful. I finally found something that takes care of my dry skin that results from living in a dry climate. Thanks, Tarry!

I like the new skirt, top and shoes I bought last weekend. And best of all, the husband likes them too. He even commented on the fact that I was wearing heels other day.

I like living downtown and riding the light rail to get to some of the places I go. I had to drop the car off at my husband's office today. Instead having him drive me back home, it was great to walk a block to the TRAX station and ride the train home.

I like not working right now. I've been able to babysit some grandkids, sleep in a little, get the apartment cleaned up after a few months of neglect, and do some things for myself that I haven't been able to do while working. I'll probably miss the money when I don't get a paycheck in a couple of weeks, though.

Surprise, surprise

This little guy paid a surprise visit last weekend. He arrived with his Dad on a plane from Denver. We were expecting his Dad, but not him.


He was only here for a full day. But he had a lot of fun in the few short hours he was here. He had a great time in the swimming pool with his cousins, Grandpa, Dad and Uncle.


He had the most fun when his Dad and Uncle took turns throwing him and his cousin up in the air and dropping them in the pool.

They made quite a splash!

Every one hopes that he comes back soon and brings his Mom and little sister with him.

More Camping...

As if three days of camping with two grand kids in Grand Teton National Park wasn't enough, the husband and I went right back after dropping the grand kids off at home.

We relaxed.

We hiked to Heron Pond and Swan Lake.

The husband even managed to get in a little fly fishing.


But most of all we enjoyed our beautiful, spectacular surroundings.

It was a Grand trip!

Last week, we took our two oldest grandchildren on a camping trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. They had a blast.


We camped for three nights at Colter Bay. It was the first time camping for these two kids,the first time they had traveled with their grandparents and the first time they had been to the Tetons and Yellowstone.

The car was packed to the brim with camping gear. Thanks to Grandpa's amazing skill at getting everything into the car, we didn't have to leave anything behind.


Lauren and Logan had their own tent and helped to set it up.


Thanks to our friends, Bill and Ali Barnes, we canoed about six miles on the Snake River one evening. It was the highlight of the trip for the grandkids.


One day, we drove to Yellowstone National Park. We endured 20+ miles of road construction to get there. The park was packed with tourists.


After seeing Old Faithful erupt, we decided we had had enough of the crowds and headed back to the Grand Tetons. Both grandkids declared they liked the Tetons better than Yellowstone.

They did a one and a half mile hike to Hidden Falls. Over the three days of the trip, they saw buffalo, moose, elk, antelope, deer, osprey, eagles, otters, beavers and muskrat.

They had a great time and can't wait to do it again next summer.

A Fish Pole Adventure

Friday, we took our daughter's two children for an outing to Silver Lake near Brighton Ski Resort. After watching the people fish off the pier, our grandson announced that he "needed a fish pole".

Lucky him, on Saturday, we picked up the kids again, went to a local sporting goods store and bought a "fish pole". Then we headed back up to Silver Lake for some fishing.

But first we had a picnic lunch in the back of the car.



Quite a bit of time was spent waiting for a fish to bite.

Emily was only interested in the fish pole after a fish was caught and thrown back in. She wanted nothing to do with the actual fish.

Here's the fish that caused Aidan to freak out and Emily to come unglued.

After catching one fish, they were done with the fish pole.

Aidan then announced that now we should go golfing. Maybe next time, buddy.

What's so special about that?

A little brother/sister competition has developed from the "99" and "and the winner is" posts. Check out the comments from Karen and Linda. A couple of recent comments from Linda listed some of the more unusual things that she has done in her life. What she has discovered that perhaps her life hasn't been that boring after all.

In the same spirit, I'm supplying a list of some the unique and interesting things that I've done. So, here you go:

1. Celebrated the 4th of July at the American Embassy in Cairo, Egypt.
2. Floated on a barge down the Nile River.
3. Climbed to the top of Massada in Israel.
4. Learned to downhill ski at age 40
5. Piloted and docked a 18' x 75' houseboat
6. Checked Pat Boone and his family into a hotel where I was working..
7. Was a member of the first large chorus to sing in the BYU Jerusalem Center.
8. Trekked 26 1/2 miles in full pioneer garb.

I'm sure there's more. But that's all that comes to mind right now.

What about you? Do you think that your life has been a little dull? Come up with your own list and you might discover that your life hasn't been that dull after all.

Just a small error

In an ealier post, I mentioned that we had been without some of the modern conveniences in our apartment...a microwave and electric can opener.

Over the weekend, we bought a small microwave and an electric can opener. But, we may still have a problem. When my son saw the microwave, he asked if a plate would fit in it? Uh, I didn't think about that? So I tried to put one of our plates in the microwave. It didn't fit. Guess, we'll have to reheat things on a paper plate. And popcorn bags may not be able to fully rotate in the microwave.

But, the $10 electric can opener works great.

And the winner is....

Al with 60 items in bold from the previous post.

Connie is 2nd with 56 items. Linda is 3rd with 49 items.

Wonder where the other two sibs would place if they took did this little exercise?

Update: Al is still the winner with 60. But Karen has surpassed Connie with 59. Now what about John?

2nd update: It's a tie between Al and Karen. And if Karen has her way, she'd count the nine children that she fostered as adopting a child. That would put her in front.

I think we should just concede that Karen has topped us all. After all, 12 kids and 9 foster kids should put her over the top (in more ways than one ;^)..)

99

The object is to copy & paste the list of "99 things" to a note & bold the things you've done!! You should all do it! It's quick & it brought back some funny memories!!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - occasionally, but not consistently
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa - I've been to Egypt and it's in Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Have been published
81. Visited the Redwoods
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House - if you count standing on the sidewalk in front of it
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake - you don't really swim in the Great Salt Lake, you float
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Tidbits

For over a year, the husband and I have managed with just one car. Most of the time, it hasn't been a problem. But the husband has decided it's time to buy a second car. He wants to get me one of these:



What do you think? Should I go for it?

Last evening, the husband and I were sitting on a bench in a local park enjoying the cool, pleasant surroundings. We hadn't been there long when a transient guy walks by and tells my husband "You've got a great looking woman there."

Tomorrow is my last day on the long term (almost 5 months) temp assignment that I've been working. I'm glad because it's been increasingly harder each morning to get up and come to work...kind of boring. On Thursday, I start an eight day assignment in my favorite Church department - Public Affairs.

When I'm done with the Public Affairs assignment, the husband and I will finally get a chance for some summer fun. We are taking our two oldest grandchildren on a trip of firsts...their first trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, as well as their first camping. It should be fun.

Hum along if you like

Last evening, the husband and I picked up our daughter's children for a little while to get them out of the way while they moved from one apartment to another. To save the hassle of moving carseats from her car to ours, we drove my daughter's car.

I'm not sure if the CD player was on, but I soon heard my grandson humming a familiar tune. As I listened more closely, I realized he was humming "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing". Pretty soon, his younger sister chimes in with her version of the same song.

There was a case to the MoTab latest CD "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" in the car. I guess those little ones had heard it enough to know the tune. I was impressed.

Ten Years Ago

Yesterday, for some reason, I thought back to where I was with my family 10 years ago. All six of us had traveled to Scotland. We were on our ninth day of a twelve day trip that took us to the west coast of Scotland out of Glasgow, through the Highlands, up north and then back down the east coast to Edinburgh.

I decided to get out the journal that I kept on the trip. Here's an excerpt from the entry for June 23, 1999. It was a Wednesday.

Full Scottish breakfast again. It's getting a little redundant. After a supermarket stop for lunch stuff and petrol, we headed south. Made a stop at the TIC for information. Stopped at castle #6, Cawdor, outside Nairn. This was on the smaller scale, but one that looked very much like a family lived there. It's occupied from October to April. Continued south through very rural country side. We were on a single track much of the way. Kent is driving like he's in a Porsche on the Autobahn. The kids are complaining of nausea and the winding roads, combined with speed.

And another excerpt from the same day.

Because of Kinross' convenient location, we decided to base out of here for St. Andrews - 45 minutes away. We'll stay two nights. The kids seemed glad to spend two consecutive nights in the same bed. The girls said they were gettting a little travel weary and wanted their own beds at home. I think Kelly has forgotten hers is a mattresss on the floor. But all of this is part of the experience of international travel. We only have four more nights of homes away from home. It's really gone by fast. I really have grown to love Scotland. It's a magnificent, beautiful country. It's been fun to travel with the kids and quite an experience.

It was a great trip. Since the family has grown considerably in the past ten years, it's unlikely that we will able to do something like this again. Maybe Kent and I will get back to Scotland. But I doubt if we would be able to bring all the kids, in-law kids and grandkids.

I'm a winner!

I don't go out to the local BMW motorcycle dealer very often. But the last two times that I was there it was for a couple of special events with drawings for prizes involved.

A few months ago, I won a T-shirt. Today, I won a very nice helmet bag.

I never win anything. Maybe it's just good karma with me and the BMW dealership..

In his dream

Upon being offered a pink juice box, my three year old grandson son stated that he wanted a blue juice box. He was told that there weren't any blue juice boxes, just pink. Then he said he wanted a blue juice box like his eyes. Again he was told that there were only pink juice boxes. Finally, he said "In my dream, I had a blue juice box."

Grandma deserves a medal

I went river rafting last Saturday with young adults from our ward. There were about 90 of us. We basically took over 10 miles of the Colorado River outside Moab, Utah. Between raft to raft water fights and charging over the rapids, many were doing back flips off the rafts into the water. I wasn't about to be outdone by these youngsters, so I executed an awesome back flip myself. I have to admit that it wasn't planned, but totally unexpected.



Here's the story. There are no pictures, so you will just have to believe. I do have 10 witnesses to back me up though.

Our raft had just passed through the last and biggest rapid of the trip. It was somewhat terrifying to see six to eight foot waves (maybe bigger - they were huge) that you had to plow through. I was sure I would end up in the water. But we made it through and everyone stayed on board. Whew...it was an easy, tranquil float to the pull out site. Or so I thought.

With only a warning shout of "Rock" from the river guide, I had little time to prepare for what came next. The raft hit the rock and I went flying into the Colorado River, along with three other people, including the river guide.

I think I deserve at least a gold medal for my back flip execution. Not bad for this grandma.

That wasn't the plan

After a year of being on the waiting list for a storage unit in the apartment building, we finally got one. Our hope was that with a little more cleaning out of what we had in the other storage unit, we'd be able to move everything in to the apartment storage unit.

It didn't exactly turn out that way. Now we have two storage units. The one in the apartment is neatly organized with all the camping equipment. The other unit has stuff that we don't need to access very often with room to spare. So much for simplifying. At least now, the husband's man den is not doubling as a sporting goods storage place. It all got moved to the new unit.

Now I'm hoping that with the extra storage space, we don't start accumulating more stuff.

Just about perfect

70 degrees, light breeze, and clear blue sky make a beautiful, perfect day.

Now, if I could get out from behind this desk and take off on a motorcycle road trip, it would be heaven.

Time flys when you're having fun

Twenty seven years ago on Memorial Day, we had a family picnic at a large local park with grandparents, kids and grandkids. It was the day that the oldest granddaughter in the family took her first steps.

Fast forward to Memorial Day, 2009, same park, same family. We had a family picnic with grandparents, kids and grandkids. Now that oldest granddaughter is a mother with two children. Several of the grandkids at the family picnic twenty seven years ago are married. Twenty seven years ago, some of the grandkids at yesterday's picnic weren't even born.

And twenty seven years ago, I was one of the kids. Yesterday, I was one of the grandparents.

Where did the time go?

I want these

sandals

and these flip flops.

What's on my mind?

I'm the only woman who uses the woman's restroom in the reception area of the office. It has five stalls and three sinks. I use just one stall and one sink. But maybe I should change it up and use a different sink and stall every time I use the bathroom. You know, make the custodians earn their wage.

I've been on the Atkins diet for six weeks. I've been pretty good about following the plan, except for today. I bought a bag of Grandma's Mini Sandwich Cremes from the vending machine behind my desk. And, I ate them.

I'm slowly going through reality TV withdrawal. Last Sunday night was the final episode of "The Amazing Race". Tonight, it's the finale of "The Biggest Loser". "American Idol", "Dancing with the Stars", and "Survivor" will all wrap up in the next week or so. Yeah, I'll need to get a life.

I wonder if I'll be able to keep the four plants alive that I collected at Mother's Day church services on Sunday. When I lived in these apartments several years ago, my attempts at container gardening didn't go well.

There is a huge window in the reception area of the office. It goes up 5 stories. It's great to be able to see outside. But I wish that someone would clean the window.

Full Moon

May 8, 2009

Why?

While blog stalking, I came across this link:

https://www.bumpits.com/?MID=538368

I have a few of comments.

First of all why?

Second, what happens if you are in a windstorm and your secret is revealed?

Third, when I read the name of this product, I think "bum-pits".

Now, whenever, I see some gal with mile high hair, I'm going to wonder if she's bumped it artificially and maybe wonder about her bum-pits. Geez. Sorry.

Revisited

My former next door neighbor invited me up to her home yesterday. She thought that I should come take a look at my former garden in bloom.

As for my former back yard and garden...since the new homeowners are not gardeners and my former neighbor told me they had done nothing to prepare it for winter or spring, I was surprised to see how good it looked.

Well, there were a few exceptions. Like a lot of green, bushy stuff about two feet high growing in places where I hadn't planted anything. I'm pretty sure that they are weeds. But they're green, so apparently the new owners don't know the difference. Most of the shrubs and bushes that I would have pruned and trimmed were adopting a natural, wild look. Oh, and the dog that the new owners have has torn up the small area of lawn in the back. And it looked like one of the evergreens that we planted our first summer in the house is dying. It either didn't get enough water this winter or has fallen victim to the rumor in the neighborhood that someone has been poisoning trees. Oh, well.

While visiting with my neighbor, she told me that her house is for sale. In jest, I'm sure, she asked if we wanted to move back into the neighborhood. She has a beautiful home that I like very much. But I had to be honest with her that living below the Nimbys again wasn't something that we wanted to do. I can just imagine what that would be like. Especially, since I'm on the opposite side of her lawsuit with another neighbor. The light displays, pool parties, loud music...uh, I don't want to go there.

She also told me that since we moved there have been no colored lights on the lot line pergola - not even at Christmas. I always suspected that the annoying light display was just for my benefit.

So, I'll pass on the opportunity to move downhill from the Nimbys. Besides, it would drive me crazy to watch my former backyard where I spent hours of physical labor and work kind of go in a different direction.

It happened again

I walked into Relief Society yesterday and looked around at what the young ladies were wearing. With over 150 women in the room, it's always a fashion show.

As I looked around, I noticed the same color match phenomenom was occuring. I was wearing black and white with red shoes and earrings. The gal next to me was wearing black and white with red shoes. The gal sitting in front of me was wearing - you guessed it - black and white. Of the four young women in the Relief Society presidency sitting at the front of the room, three were wearing black and white, with red accessories.

And so it continued through out the room. There was a plethora of black and white with red accessories. What will the color of the week be next Sunday?

I really think that this phenomenom should be researched. Although, I'm not the one to do it.

In Sync

In my office there is only one other woman. Why is it that we are both wearing outfits that are basically in the same color family - dark red top and gray slacks?

I've seen this same color sync phenomenom many times. Years ago, I was a hostess at the Church Office Building. There were 14 woman on my shift. Just about every week, we would all show up wearing the same predominant color. Sometimes the dominant color was one not commonly worn - like purple. It was just a little weird. I've seen this happen on Sundays when in a roomful of about 150 women, more than half of them will be wearing some shade of the same color. I've seen this happen when working temp jobs. Woman show up wearing the same color. It's like a memo was sent out, "Tomorrow is wear blue day".

Is there some kind of scientific explanation for this? Have you experienced this? What do you think?

Update: I just saw woman who works on another floor. Guess what color she's wearing today?

Bad News/Good News

I thought that by moving from my former home and leaving the Nimbys behind that I'd be done with them. I was very glad to leave all that drama and legal stuff behind.

But I found out today that because the Nimbys have sued my friend, the gal who lives across the street from them, that I'm going to have get involved again. There was a court hearing yesterday to determine if the Nimbys case had any merit. The Nimbys attorney asked for a continuance to further prepare his case. The judge granted it.

So my friend told me today that because the husband and I have both had conversations and communication with the Nimbys, we will be asked by her attorney to give a statement. Then there is the possiblity the the Nimbys attorney will have to take a deposition from us. Fun.

I feel bad for my friend who has to continue to incur legal fees to defend herself in a case, that from the point of view of many people, has no merit or basis. This whole thing could go on for at least a year, or longer.

But on the bright side, my friend has decided to start a small community garden in her own backyard. She's invited neighbors, and me, to participate. It will be interesting to see if I can actually grow a tomato or two. Hopefully, our collabrative effort will get some results.

Tis a puzzlement

My home town has its share of transient and homeless people. Besides the usual, card holders types with signs that say "Will work for food" or "Stranded, need bus money", there are some who will approach you on the street or in a parking lot and ask for bus money.

What I'm puzzled about it that when these people ask for bus money, they all need to go to the same place. The question is always a variation of "I need bus money to go to Ogden.". They never need to go to Utah County, some suburb in Salt Lake County, or even one of the several cities between Salt Lake and Ogden. It's always Ogden. What is the attraction to Ogden? Or is Ogden really a euphemism for some thing else that they really need or want?

I've been on the first phase of the Atkins Diet for about two weeks and I'm having pretty good success. But I'm puzzled why after an initial 8 pound weight loss and a visible difference in the way my clothes fit that the bathroom scale seems to be stuck at a certain number. I know I'm losing inches - you know, very baggy slacks, shirts that didn't fit two weeks ago that are now almost too big - but the scale seems to be stuck. Am I going to get on the scale one day and find that I'm really down 15 pounds or more? How can it be to have weight loss show up every where but on the scale? And no, the scale isn't broken. I can't figure it out.

Fickle, fickle

April weather where I live is fickle, changeable and sometimes just down right miserable. Take today - the sun was shining and the skies were clear and blue when I left for work this morning. Now it's clouded up and storm clouds seem to be gathering in the west. Yesterday, it was a downpour and then turned to snow. Monday, the temps were in the 60s with blue skies. Tomorrow it's suppose to clear up and be in the 60s on the weekend.

It's because of this fickle weather that I have a dilemna about lunch today. Since the sun was shining when I left home, I opted to not bring an umberella. I also decided that I would get lunch out of the building today. So now with no lunch from home and no umberella to use in case it rains, I just have to take my chances at lunch time. Either that or go without lunch which really isn't an option.

April is always like this. I don't know why I expect anything else. But each year, I'm hopeful it will be different.

Pitter Pat

Today is the kind of day that when I was a little girl my mother would have sung this little song to me:

Pitter pat, pitter pat, it's a rainy day.
I'll dress up snug and warm and go outside to play.
I'll get my coat and bumbershoot.
On each foot, I'll pull a boot.
Grab my gloves and grab my hat,
And I'll go out in the pitter pat.

So that's just what I did! Well, for at least as long as it took me to walk to work.

P.S. If you know what a bumbershoot is, then you aren't some little young whippersnapper!

Yay for me!

I'm quite proud of myself! I've been on the Atkins diet for a week and doing pretty good sticking with the first phase of the diet.

Last night, I was at a gathering of a group of women. The hostess had a spread of chocolate eggs, and other goodies on the coffee table in the room where we were sitting. Later in the evening, she brought out a wonderful looking strawberry shortcake.

I passed on all of it! Nary a nibble! I may just be able to stick with this for a little while and become a shadow of my former self.

One week down. One major temptation down. Five pounds down.

Keep going girl.

As long as I get paid

I am in week six of a three month On-Call assignment. In most of my temp jobs, my primary responsibility is to answer the phone. But not this job. The phone rarely rings.

I'm getting paid to keep the break room in order with supplies stocked, order office supplies, help people find kleenex boxes in the supply room, clean up conference rooms after meetings, order food from catering, organize the weekly devotional, determine where pictures need to be hung in the building, deliver the one or two pieces of mail that show up here every day and let people into the secured building. It doesn't take much to take care of these few duties, so most of the time I'm on the computer.

Most of these duties sound vaguely familiar, like stuff that I do at home, but with a different name. But if the employer doesn't mind paying my hourly rate to sit here and basically do very little all day, it's OK with me.

Going for a little variety

I've been trying to bring some color other than black into my wardrobe. In the past fews weeks or so, I've purchased five new tops and three pair of shoes. Two of the tops and two pairs of the shoes are some shade of green.

Now, I guess I will need to work on some color other than black and green.

She got it right.

In my part of the country, just because the calendar says it's the first day of spring, doesn't always mean that the weather will be spring like. It could be snowing and frigid.

But today, Mother Nature, got in sync with the calendar and has delivered up the perfect first day of spring. You couldn't ask for a better day!

Thank you, Mother Nature!

Props to the husband

It is a little out of the norm when the husband does much to help around the house or is willing to run minor errands for me.

Recently, I've seen a change.

Last Sunday, after a big Sunday dinner, instead of going into his man den and watching television, he washed the pots and pans, rinsed plates and help load the dishwasher.

On Monday, he dropped off a pair of my slacks for alteration.

On Tuesday, he picked up the vacuum from the repair shop.

Every day that I go to work, he makes the bed.

He's emptied the dishwasher from time to time and even run a load of laundry.

Thanks for your help, husband. I appreciate it!

And yes, I have told him this in person.

Just one person's idea

Current economic conditions have had an affect on how my state's recent Legislature guys decided to spend, or not spend, money. One idea that was floated was raising the state gas tax to help pay for road projects. In the local paper, someone wrote a letter suggesting that bicyclists be taxed by requiring bikes to be registered making it easier to identify bike owners and issue traffic citations for possible violations while on the road. The logic was that registration fee and probable resulting traffic fines would generate needed funds for road projects. Thus making raising the gas tax unneccessary.

I just suggest that the local police set up a traffic camera on the NE corner of South Temple and State Street between 7:30 am and 8:00 am. The funds that could be generated from tickets issued to drivers not stopping before turning right on a red would be a gold mine. In the three minutes or less that I wait to cross that intersection every morning, six to nine drivers cruise through the red light.

What to do...

What a monumental waste of time and my employer's money!

There is absolutely nothing going on here today on this job that I'm working. Most of the employees are out today. The ones that are here are self sufficient and don't need my help.

I have no direct supervisor here. So do I just call it day a few hours early? Or warm this chair and try to keep from dying of boredom?

Update - I ended up leaving an hour early.

Hooray and Yippee!

I don't go shopping a lot and I generally don't shop at Banana Republic. Last night, however, I found myself at the BR outlet store. I picked out a couple of tops that were on sale for 50% off - a good deal anytime.

At check out, I was given a discount card for an additional 30% my total purchase. Whoo Hoo!

That 30% pretty much paid for the dinner that I had shared earlier with my husband. Yippee!

Huh?!?

In common, every day, English, I understand the meaning of the words

admin, flow, migrate, bugs, fire, tasks, testing, process, events, permission list, developers, enhancements, change, analysis, self service, expedite, bundles, scripts, rolls, secure, chunked

But then combine them with ANCRONYMS like UAT, CIs, QAs, IMOS, DMUG, AP, One OP, PTS, PMOS, CERPA, JIRA, ASE, UP 89

and have them all spew out of mouths of a room full of IT guys for an hour and a half, it may as well be Greek.

All was not lost. As least I came away with some material for a post.

I'm still not sure why I was asked to attend this meeting.

Surprises are good!

I had a nice surprise in the mail yesterday...my first social security check. I wasn't expecting the first one until the end of March. I'm not sure how all this works. But, I'm guessing that since I filed my application in February that I qualified for benefits in February. And apparently, the wheels of social security turned so fast that my notice that my claim for benefits had been approved was in yesterday's mail too. It was just last Monday that I was talking to the ever so helpful government employee to clear up a few questions on my application.

So now, I'm looking at my want/need list to decide where this little windfall is going to be spent. I'm probably going to help out the economy just a little by spending some of this and not hoarding it.

Commuting Observations

I was crossing the street on my way to work this morning. A driver waiting to turn left was patiently waiting for me to clear the crosswalk. But the guy in a cab behind him wasn't happy about waiting. He sat there honking his horn while I crossed the street.

To get to the back entrance of the building where I'm working, I have to go down a small side street and up an alley. For some reason, it reminds me of the walk from the flat to the market when I was in London a couple of years ago.

That was slick....

Like I said in the previous post, I applied for social security. I was expecting it to be a long, complicated, unpleasant experience. Working with the US Government, could it be anything else?

Surprise, surprise! After a couple of phone calls this morning to answer a few questions and talking to a very pleasant, helpful government employee, I'm qualified. The checks start at the end of the month.

Amazing!

"very pleasant, helpful government employee" now that's an oxymoron.

Completely unrelated thoughts

I applied for Social Security benefits online the other day. Part of the process required answering questions about disabilities. One of the questions was "Are you blind?". Well since I was reading the question on the computer screen, I'm pretty sure I'm not blind. I'm just thinking that a blind person would probably only answer the question on a computer if a sighted person was reading it to him/her.

A few weeks ago, my home computer developed some serious health problems. It has taken awhile to get it fixed. In the meantime, I realized that I probably spend way too much time at the computer. I've had to find other, more productive ways to fill my time.

I just started a long term on-call assignment. I'm classified as a receptionist. But on this job the phone doesn't ring - AT ALL. My basic duties are making sure the weekly 15 minute department devotional comes off without a hitch, letting people in the security door, collecting money for devotional treats, ordering office supplies and scheduling conference rooms.

In return for these somewhat mundane activities, I get paid $100 a day, plus have unlimited internet access. Since I am also the only female employee in a department full of tech guys, I have an entire restroom with three basins and five stalls for my personal use. And, I'm working in a building a couple of blocks away from Church headquarters. I don't have to wear panty hose and a skirt every day.

I am warming up to the idea of condo living. With spring arriving in a few weeks, it is nice to not have to worry about lawn and garden care or getting the sprinkler system turned on. A condo with good living space, and some amenities sounds pretty good.

I've gone over six months without a microwave. Now I have to decide if purchasing one is a need or a want. I think that my older grandkids would say it's a need. They don't understand how I can function with out one. Well, kiddos, back in the "olden" days, I got along pretty well without one.

An icon in our city and state passed away a week ago. He was the owner of the Utah Jazz, many car dealerships, and numerous other businesses. He also had an extensive collection of Ford Cobras, vintage Mustangs and a vintage red, Ford Falcon convertible. His funeral cortage went past my apartment building last Saturday. It was pretty impresssive. In the lead were several dozen highway patrolmen on motorcycles. Another four patrolmen on motorcycles rode with the hearse. Then his four sons and one daughter followed behind. Each was driving one of this guy's Ford Cobras. The red Ford Falcon followed driven by one of his grandchildren. He was laid to rest in style. His coffin was painted cobalt blue with white racing stripes.

I'd like to thank....

Mother Nature for giving us a hint of spring. Winter could just possibly be behind us.

My oldest son for his connections at PC Laptop. He saved us a couple of hundred dollars on a computer repair.

My body for not totally failing me when I went cross country and downhill skiing last week. I only ended up on my backside five times.

And finally, I'd like to thank President Obama for being a man of his word. He told us that he was going to raise taxes on the upper income citizens and raise the Capitol Gains tax rate. That is just what he's proposing. Thanks, Mr. President. I can't wait to see how this affects my husband's business and income.

So this is how it will be.

I've been getting a little taste of what it will be like when the husband really retires. For the past few weeks, he's been in a fake retirement mode. It started while I was working temp jobs in November and December.

Since I was gone all day working, he got in the habit of working at home. When things slowed down in his business between Christmas and New Years, he played more than he worked. None of this was a problem for me because, like I said, I was gone all day.

But now, two weeks into January, he is still in the work from home mode. I'm not used to having him around during the day. It kind of throws off my routine. I like my space during the day and having him, shall we say, under foot, most of the day is a little problematic.

I mean, he commandeers the computer for most of the day. How I am suppose to play Mah Jong, surf the net or constantly check my email?? If he's not on the computer, then he's on his phone and he doesn't like background noise when his on the phone so there's no TV. I guess that's because he's trying to fool people into thinking he's at his office and not sitting around in his underwear. It's a good thing we don't have a web cam. Well, he really isn't in his underwear.

Then there are the times when he's bored. He wants me to go skiing with him, go to a movie, go to the Apple Store, go to Barnes and Noble, go check out the skis and jackets at REI, go for a walk, go here, go there. You know, buddy, sometimes a woman just wants time to herself.

I guess I wouldn't mind the present working arrangement if we were living in a place that was bigger than 1300 sq ft. At least, I'd have a place to hide if I needed.

But, I guess I shouldn't complain. He could want to go on my errands with me or not want to be with me at all. I just need how to figure out how I'm going to get my computer time. Maybe I should set up a schedule.

Just a little mistake

I just opened up the KSL.com website. The site has a little weather blurb at the top with the current temperature. According to the website, it's 104 degrees right now!! If that's correct, why is my furnace going full blast and 8" of snow on the ground?

Blue skies smiling at me

After two days of steady snow, the sun is out and skies are blue. Now if it were only 45 degrees warmer, husband and I would be on the motorcycle and outta here!

Question of the day

I've been working in Public Affairs for the Church. It's been rather quiet with only a few random, whacky phones. But one I got today was a real head scratcher. The caller wanted to know when Christ's birthday was i.e.: month, year.???