Girls Night Out....Inside

My adorable cousin Annabelle is a girl. A girly girl. She is 7. I am 3 times her age….right? 7 X 3 is almost 22. She wanted to sleep over, so I sporadically threw together a girls night. Living with four brothers must be challenging for her, but she has a wonderful mom that pampers and makes her feel like a girl should feel…..I was never like that. So we started to plan our night at my kitchen table. We came up with pizza for dinner….we were ravished! Then from there we proceeded to make a gingerbread house, complete with a ladder for the elves to climb to assist in putting up the lights. There were icicles, trees, doors, a stone path way and all detained together with pink frosting. It was a Disney castle in a cloud….Les Mis…oh how I love thee…

From there we ventured up stairs to the warmer area of the house and decided to have a Make Up Over. We weren’t allowed to peak at what the other was prepping to beautify the other with, but if I could say so, I may be looking at cosmetology if this teaching gig doesn’t work out….he he. I looked makeuped up and she looked ravishing….as I think about it more, it may have more to do with her natural beauty then my face painting, but I can dream. The fingers were next. It’s Christmas time; we of course had to use Green and Red.  After I had finished her itty bitty, teeny tiny, way too difficult to paint nicely, nails, she started mine….only to tell me that she has never done this before! Yippee! There was no paint on the carpet or all over our hands so regardless of the state of our nails, I would say it was a success.

On to the board game. I don’t get to play many bored games in my house, Brian says they are called board games because they are boring, but I tend to differ immensely.  We decided Sorry was the game for us that evening. As time went on, I learned that my 7 year old cousin is a stealthy, knowledgeable Sorry player. We decided to put a wager to the game. I know, I start them young, but our wager was the vanilla frosting lip-gloss we had purchased at the store hours prior….obviously I was planning on giving it to her anyway, but now that she knew what was on the line, she was playing with no mercy.  She was remarkable. I enjoyed it more as a teachers stand point. Nerd I know. The way she knew how to add, subtract, we even were dividing….secretly of course, but she was a killa! First game was fun. She won. Second game, I won. 3^rd game….I don’t think she wanted to wait to win any longer. She had to hide the lip-gloss so she could concentrate, and decided I was being way to slow, so played both our parts and gave me the glorious, continual shuffler position. It’s elite. The game was over. She had one….which apparently she continuously does at her abode….blah. We then had a medal ceremony in which I, in discreet humiliation, had to present her with the well deserved award.

The night had run long, I am getting older, and I think I gave her too much sugar. She wanted one more activity, so we rummaged around in my closet for something to do. I found my colored duck tape and the next 40 minutes were spent making beautiful roses, which were finished with a spritz of my perfume to add for the full effect.

It now was time for bed. She brushed her teeth, laid out her pillows, had my lay her blankets in a certain order, left the door partially ajar, and went to sleep. Fun night, kind of makes me want a girl. She was so sweet and fun to play with. 

Bucket List

There are a few things I want to achieve in my mortal life before it’s over. Some I may or may not be able to accomplish, but I am a heavy believer in setting goals. If we don’t have goals, we live each day, without a purpose. Even if our goal for that day is to make it through, then that is a goal and gives you a reason. That sounded a little run together so I am going to proceed with my list of goals, with a mark next to them if they have been accomplished. I also have decided, since I do not keep a journal…I know, I know, I am going to hell for it, that I am going to publish my blog each year in a book. That sort of counts like a journal right? Well who cares, it’s for me, not for you.

Go to Spain.

Go Sky diving.  X

Finish College.

Get my masters degree.

Become a mother.

Run a marathon.

Compete in a triathlon.

Learn to play an instrument, preferable the piano.

Own my own library.

Be a librarian. The hot kind.

Go to an NFL football game, preferably the Patriots.

Meet Mia Hamm.

Learn to Ice Skate backwards.

Stay up for 24 hours.

Go on a trek.

Own a cabin.

Shoot something with my bow.

Sleep in a snow cave.

Write a children’s book. X

Move out of Utah for a while.

Win a drawing with a cash prize.

Survive student teaching.

Learn to like broccoli….this may never happen.

Learn to sew.

Own a motorcycle.

Finish Les Miserables.

Get married in the temple. X

Learn to be crafty.

Speak another language.

Kind of dumb to end on number 29 right? Well if you have more to add, then do it. It’s too late for me to think of anymore so I will add them as time goes on. Thanks and good night.

Sisters

I glance briefly at my phones screen. 1 missed call. 4 missed texts. I guess I should head home. My eyes wonder towards the clock. 2 A.M. Where did the time go?

The Ingram home.
It’s my 2nd home.
We have always been close. She is my older sister…well that’s how I consider her. When I was younger, I was her shadow…shadows don’t leave. Now that I am older, nothing has changed, except our relationship has grown even stronger. I tell her things I don’t mention to anyone else. Brian always has to tow me away from the doorframe when we babysit, otherwise we would talk into eternity. She has always been the one I have looked up to. Being the oldest child and grandchild, I only had my aunts and uncles to look up to.
Maybe it’s the closeness”ish” in age or that we both have similar personalities, but we have always had a connection. I have that bond with all of my aunts, but there is something different with Martha. We talk on a weekly basis and if I don’t visit their home in a timely manner it feels like eternity. Brian hasn’t ever had a deep relationship like I do with all my aunts and uncles so it took him some time to get acquainted to the style and closeness I share, but he was bewildered with Martha’s and my relationship. He soon was able to sneak into that shared rapport.
She is such a warm, hospitable person and wants to make sure everyone feels welcomed. I look at her life and all the stories and events she has been through growing up and today and marvel at her strength. I find myself comparing my life and future life to hers and hoping to emulate even a morsel aspect of her life in mine. I remember in the 2nd grade, I think it was the 2nd grade; we had to pick a person to bring to a presentation and show and tell that person to the class and all the other adults. I remember standing there, with Martha next to me, bragging about her to my whole class and giving her a picture and an essay I had written all about her. I felt like no one could one up me when it came to presenting my best friend.
Countless times I have been asked to hang out with friends, but I freely turn them down because I have either made a play date with her kids, or we were just hanging out. Out of all the characteristics I admire from Martha, the one that I truly hope to imitate is her child raising skills. She seriously needs to write a book. I can’t put it into words how much I respect her patience, though she doesn’t need much with her incredible children. I don’t know how she does it, or what she puts in her children’s food, but they know what NO is and what it means, and obedience soothes out of their pores. I may be exaggerating, but not much. Not much at all.
Ok, I lied there are other characteristics I appreciate, and one of the others, is her mature, fun, loving nature. She isn’t the aunt that lets you get away with anything you want. She isn’t the mean, strict aunt. She is the aunt that will take care of you without question, and have fun doing it. She is always excited to hear good news when you have it, and when you have a question or concern, her ears are open to listen and her advice is honest and caring.
The four years she was in Canada were terribly harsh. I don’t just mean the weather, but it was like my best friend had moved forever. If there comes a next time, Brian and I will be moving with her and her family. I couldn’t go without seeing her for that long again. Luckily for now, she lives just minutes from me. Hope it stays that way for a while. Love ya Martha!

Classically Conditioning Children

I am not a mother. I haven’t raised any children. I am the eldest child and grandchild. I have been around children my entire life. Although I haven’t had the full blown experience yet, I feel that I would do a fairly good job, at raising children. I know how often people say, “I will do this, or I will not do that” when they talk about raising children, and how often their perception, logic and methods change when the child is screaming bloody murder, and you haven’t had a decent night’s sleep for months, but I have witnessed a few things, and need to vent about them.

Again, I am not an expert when it comes to children, I don’t know that any one can say they are a professional, because children are so dynamic, it becomes quite difficult to know all there is about them.
I do see things day to day that I am appalled at, and vow not to do…that is, until I have one of my own, who is to say I will change my mind. So this is an opinion and comment if you would like and share experiences.
Screaming in the grocery store- I was sitting at my desk and a mother with 5 children came inside. There were 2 boys, ages 12 and 10 (all these age’s are ish) 3 girls, ages 17, 5 and 3. The three year old girl was screaming her head off, as she was sitting in the basket section of the grocery cart. She kept standing up and sitting down and convulsing her body for attention. The mother told her to be quite. She didn’t stop. Then the mother said she would give her a treat if she would be quite. The girl stopped. The family left for 5 minutes, and when they came back, all 6 of them had a treat. But the treat wasn’t a sucker or a candy bar. They each had a package. A package of licorice, a big bag of m and m’s ect. I was appalled. Three things. Let her scream. She is screaming because you have conditioned her that when she screams, she gets rewarded. Most people in this world are understanding and have had experience with children before, so they aren’t going to think you are a terrible mom for letting her whine. If you have to, go somewhere else and let her gripe. 2nd thing, I wanted to smack that 17 year old. I understand you are a teenager, but grow up and help your mother. She has more on her hands than she can handle, and to see her with 5 children and you are old enough to help and you don’t, that’s just embarrassing. Take the screaming child to the car or for a walk. Don’t be a lazy ass. 3rd thing. Really mom!!! I can understand the treat thing….periodically. I myself remember getting a treat if we behaved at the grocery store. My mom did it sneakily. She would say maybe she would give us a treat, but even if we were good, sometimes we wouldn’t get one. Don’t condition them to a result if they behave a certain way. But to reward their clandestine behavior with more treats than Brian and I have in our home??? That’s ludicrous and abusive. Think for two seconds about what you are portraying.
Not sleeping- This one I had a hard time deciding if I wanted to write about because there are so many theories, and again, I haven’t been a mom that is up multiple times a night with a screaming child. But here you go; my thoughts. There becomes a point, where the child learns he or she needs to act someway and you will cave in. Then it becomes the child training and molding the parent. This starts young, very young. Newborns are much needier and require more attention than even a six month old. Now stop! I didn’t say to leave your child unattended in the car or at a social event at the age of 6 months, I just mean, you will be up in the middle of the night with your newborn…and you will be up training them, and getting them on a schedule. You are the parent, they are the child. Set a schedule for them. And when they are older, for heaven sakes, don’t rush to their immediate side at every whimper. As a parent, you know their language. You know what cry means what. Unless they are hurt, sick, hungry or need their diaper changed….and you will know each cry, they are all different, let them cry. If it’s time for bed, and they have eaten and been cleaned, just let them cry. I know it’s hard, but they aren’t hurt, it’s not hurting them, the second you pick them up and hold them, just to stop them from crying, you are doomed. They have trained you. That’s harsh I know. I am not going to be a terrible mother, and I know each child is different, so this is based on the majority, and majority of the time, they will cry for a while the first little bit, and eventual will learn that when you put them in their crib and close the door, it’s time to go to bed.
Tell them no- I have an aunt, she has 5 children. They are literally the most well behaved children I have ever met, and I have met my fair share of children. I don’t know how she does it. She is extremely patient, loving and I want her to raise my children.  One of the biggest reasons’ I think they are so well behaved, is because they know what no means. As soon as they can crawl, she will tell them no when she doesn’t want them touching something or going somewhere. I am at her house often, and she has the most adorable 14 month old in the world. Literally, the worlds, most adorable, most well behaved child in the world. He is starting to walk now, and she sets up situations for him to get into that she doesn’t want him to do…basically she sets him up so she can tell him no. And he knows what no means. He will try 2 or three times to “grab that statue” and each time she says no, he looks at her, frowns, and tries again. After the third time, he will stop, and go on with his playing. Mission accomplished. He doesn’t go try to grab that statue, the rest of the time I am there! Remarkable. And it only took 5 minutes out of her day. You aren’t being mean or cruel; you are raising a well behaved, respectful, obedient child. Do it. And be consistent. Just because you have said no 20 times, doesn’t mean you can say yes once. If you don’t want them to do something, tell them no. The theory that if you don’t say no, they won’t say no to you is ludicrous. Every child will tell their parents no sometime in their life, its part of life. And for heaven’s sakes, don’t ignore the behavior. There comes a time when you ignore tantrums or crying, but don’t ignore behavior you don’t want.
Universal obedience- There is no bond like a child and mother connection. The child will innately want to be soothed and in the mother’s arms. But, and especially if you have a big family, the child needs to learn that there are others that can soothe and that they need to obey in this world. It teaches them future respect for adults, teachers and anyone else in an authoritative position. Yes this starts young. Kids are smart. Very smart. I am going to use my incredible aunt as an example again. Last weekend, my husband and I went down to Provo…ugh…for a wedding reception. My entire family was going down and I was excited because it had been about a week and a half since I had seen my aunt and her cute family. We all arrived at the same time; it wasn’t planned, and walked in together. I immediately held her little boy, whom, I was informed, was grumpy and just wanted his mom. Well, she had 4 other children to watch over, so instead I took him for the whole night. We danced together, went through the line together, and ate together, which is another subject in itself. Don’t force them to eat. They will eat when they are hungry. He was just fine. His mother hadn’t seen her cousins (that’s whose wedding we were ate) in years and wanted to really catch up so I was more than willing to take him. He didn’t scream and whine, and maybe it’s because he knows who my husband and I are so he behaves for us, or maybe it’s because he is a super calm baby, but he didn’t change his behavior because I was watching him instead of his mom. That’s how all her children are. Very respectful of adults and rules.
Sorry for the rant and the raving. I know, I know, you are probably wanting to call or speak to me face to face to tell me why you do something that I think is wrong. Go ahead. I want to read opinion. Just don’t think I am a mean, horrible, terrible, dirty rotten person.

Hula-Hoop Hatred

It was a dim, chilly evening. I had just arrived home, from a day of unrest. He was exhausted from an even longer day of turmoil and strife. Yet we found ourselves entertained with exhilarating, stomach aching fun…. We were watching America’s Funniest Home Videos. The winner that evening was a 18 month boy who could hula hoop with the best of them. It was incredible. It was almost like driving past a horrific car accident. You know you should look away, but you just can’t. I felt weird, gawking at this baby for so long, but I couldn’t turn away.

How’s that for a preamble to a vent session?
Hula hoops….hoops…..school….torture!

I just finished my last semester of formal schooling. The next 5 months will be consumed with no time for family. No time for fun. No time for church….ok maybe I can make time for church, but my time will be utterly devoted to teaching your children….for free! You’re welcome. That topic is for a different time. This is an assertion of my own, and others can chime in as they please, hatred of hoops. Hoops we must jump, hop, crawl, and dive through, to earn that expensive piece of paper that will be glamorously framed and tossed in a box in the basement for decades to come.
My house has been void of cleanliness, food, and milk for the past 2 weeks. My bedroom floor has been festooned with recycled paper with assessments, formal and summative, plastered over its surface. Lesson plans haunt me in my dreams; students appear from smoke with horns protruding through their craniums, and my own thoughts are so sporadic, I am fortunate if I don’t wear the same outfit two days in a row.
12/1/10… A week before the day that will live in infamy, is a day far from infamy for me. It was on this day, I turned in my last assignment before I will be student teaching, and let me tell you what!, it was quite….uneventful. I thought it would be more thrilling, but it wasn’t. I have jumped through all the hoops….and there were a lot….and I still don’t have a sense of gratification. Maybe it will come in 5 months, but as of yet, all those stupid assignments, papers, lesson plans that are so detailed, there is no way to use them in my actual teaching, observations, reflections and anything else I spent my time doing, have been in the way and I am glad to have the majority out of sight and out of mind.
Yet as my anger subsides, I have realized that those damn hoops weren’t as bad as I thought and I may actually use some of those assignments in my near future….some of them. Still I stand by my original argument, most of what I spent doing the past 5 years has been, “You tell me to jump, and I ask you how high.” I am glad it’s near it’s end.

Thankful for Sibling Bond

As the oldest of four incredible, singular siblings, I have had the chance to see my best friends grow up with like traits yet monumental differences. I like to think my siblings are the best there are. We have a connection and an understanding of one another that is impossible to measure. The inside jokes, the tears, the laughs, the simplest look and understanding what they are thinking. All are aspects I am thankful for and tis the season, I am thankful for…

Max- Your relentless compassion for those around you. You are the perfect missionary, not just for the church but for everything that is good. Your strive for knowledge is comparable to none. The way you think of others before yourself. The fights we use to have. That you have a complete knowledge of what is going through my head and when I am stressed without my mentioning and won’t let me leave without talking about it. That you love Harry Potter. That I can ask you to dress up with me and you don’t hesitate to say yes. Your giddiness for fun. Your intense creativity. That you are my best friend. Your willingness to keep an open mind. Your love and passion to become a Mason. That you are a mythological dictionary. Your love for random, useless holidays. i.e. arbor day. Your twirls and funny sounds you make when you use to play alone. That you are a video game coinsurer. That next time I write a thankful for note…you will be home.


You have no idea how hard it’s been for me with you gone. I have tried not to let on to it because you are missed by everyone but I know I have missed you the most. Mom may contend my stating that, but matter of the fact is, we had the best relationship of anyone. I could talk to you at any time of day and you would drop immediately what you were doing and just talk. If I wanted to plan a get together, you were the first to have ideas and willing to help throw fun gatherings. I love how excited you get when I have news, whether its big or small news. If you see I am excited, you are excited. Can’t wait for you to come home. Miss you more than you know.


Eric- Your quiet, trusting personality. You are 100% different than Max and are your own person. That in spite of the shit you have been through, your faithfulness to what you know is right hasn’t wavered. You are your own person with your own talents and aspirations. When you have a goal, you reach it and won’t let anything stand in your way. Since you were born, we have had a special relationship. Words can’t describe it, but our understanding of each other is unique. That you are willing to help fix something if I need help. Your messy room. Your pop can collection, that sadly no longer exists. That in a family of various success, you find your own talents and passion that differs from everyone else. Your relationship with Brian. The way you watch and protect Emily. Your fashion sense. That you are a romantic. That you follow your instincts and don’t surround yourself with garbage material or garbage people. Your faith in others is strong. You will do anything to make sure those around you succeed.


Emily- We are exactly the same but complete opposites. That we can laugh and laugh and laugh uncontrollably about something that others see stupid. Your open flatulence. It’s impossible to embarrass you. Your fun, willing to do anything personality. Your focus is remarkable. They way you zone in to what you are doing and block out all other distractions is bar none. You are the most talented person I know. Anything you attempt, you accomplish. Your perfectionist attitude toward life. Your unwillingness to brag about your talents. You are the strongest girl I know. That you love clothes, but aren’t a psycho about your looks. You love to eat. Every time we see each other, it’s like we haven’t missed a beat. That you get so excited to see Brian and me when we come over. Your sarcasm. That you can do hair. You will always be my baby sister.

What are you thankful for?

Forcing Common Courtesy

Let me set the scene for you. Greasy floors, dim lighted rooms, germ infested seats and money fleeting from your wallets…  You guessed it. We are in a theater and are preparing ourselves for a 2 hour adventure of pleasure.  I adore visiting the theater. It’s ten times more exciting than watching it at home…well that can be stimulating too, but I will leave that to your imagination.  The smell of burnt popcorn. The immediate sensation of your pores  being overcome with grease, and the smell of others that you will have the pleasure of sitting next to in a dark, not knowing what the heck they have done previous to being next to you. I have a routine when I go to the movies…

1.       Decide what cinema I would like to waste 2 hours of my life on.

2.       Determine the time I will be viewing this show.

3.       Find a date, usually the hubby…not always.

4.       Buy the tickets.

5.       Groan and moan about the price of the tickets.

6.       Strive with hope to the concession stand.

7.       Hope deflates as I look at the prices of the trans fat globules that may enter my body.    

Ok this is taking way to long . We find our seats and I immediately put my feet up on the back of the seats in front of me to avoid the pleasant viewers following us, from sitting smack dab in front of us. Does it help? No.  They may think I am being rude and obnoxious, but their assumptions are all wrong. All I am doing is classically conditioning those around me to learn common courtesy. What do you mean, you ask? Well imagine an empty theatre. You are the first in the theatre and have your choice of infinite soiled seats. Joyous right? Who doesn’t want the best seat in town? Well now imagine sitting down, settling your treats, drinks and purse when those “people” and I use that term lightly, enter the theatre. They have drinks that will guarantee a few trips to the restroom, and enough popcorn that settles the mystery on why their body weight is more than Brian’s and my own combined. Well they have the second choice of seats. And of course, with my feet on the back of the chair, they sit right in front of us. REALLY!?! I am obviously saying to keep on walking, yet the plunder of your steps can’t continue, so you decide to stop and throw my future movie enjoyment in total disarray. I perceptibly am telling you that the seat in front of me is not an option, and am ever so bluntly telling you to keep walking and you don’t. You don’t?   My crap!

Attitude

So I just finished my 2^nd week at my new job and I am loving it. It’s a little stressful not knowing all the answers and getting use to a new routine, but it’s a good stress learning new info. I am the type of person that is uncomfortable about change. I am a heavy analyzer, preparer, and over thinker so when something new comes along, I like to be prepared. But I have learned that it’s easier, less stressful and better when you prepare, but take things in stride and as they come. You can’t prepare for everything, but you can prepare for change. That has been the hardest part lately. I have a lot of change coming my way and it’s been a little overwhelming thinking of all the possibilities and if I am ready for them, but my awesome husband has this annoying strength in what we call faith and is teaching me more about it. Apparently if you do what’s right and trust in the lord, things work out. Who knew? Funny thing is, I have been preparing all my life for changes to come, yet it still has me on edge. Am I ready for this? Is this right? I have blogged about this before, but decisions and choices are sometimes the hardest aspect of living in the unknown world and sometimes I wish there were a user manual so I didn’t mess this thing up. But there isn’t. And I can’t mess it up, that’s why it’s called life, and we learn from our mistakes. I look around at other people in similar shoes, then at others in shoes that don’t even fit me and I realize that no one lives a cookie cutter life. Our lives are like our finger prints. They are all different. Everyone has a figure print and there are different genres of prints, but all in all, they are all different. We grow up in different families and those families carry standards and way of life in them like each person has a different genre of print. Same but different. We all have expectations, and those expectations may change or not, but pressure comes from the family we grew up in.

Knowledge

How is it measured? Job status? Work experience? Degree? Number of books you have read? I like to think of myself as a well educated person. Then I have lapses. Some of those mental lapses are more extensive….part of them become permanent.  I just left a job of 4 years that I was 100% comfortable in. I hated it but I was comfortable. Now I am in a job that I don’t know anything. It’s not so much a common sense job like my old one, but more of a knowledge based job, and I am finding my knowledge is less vast than I thought it was.  I know that my knowledge is more than just job criteria but, and correct me if I am wrong, but I feel insecure about my current job knowledge and it makes me wonder how those that feel like this every day live. What I mean by that, is I wonder how someone can, make a mess of their life by not gaining knowledge. Not finishing school. Dead end job…. Granted knowledge has many different levels, it doesn’t have to be educational. Yet in order to make it in this world, you have to have“institution” knowledge.  

Passion

I was reading one of my friend’s blog while I was bored to tears at work and decided I needed to blog. I have been wracking my brain, trying to decide what to blog about due to the fact that I don’t blog about my life, but more about subjects and events that I observe in life.

ANYWAY, my friend was talking about a passion of hers and how you have to have passion in your life.
That is so incredible true. Life is so busy, crazy and hectic. If you aren’t passionate about something in life, then you might as well be a roaming, charging robot. You only function, you don’t feel. Passion allows you to be human and to love. So I decided to be a sap today and blog about my passions.

Soccer-It’s basically the one thing I am good at and no one can take my love away for the sport. Even driving past a freshly cut, perfectly laid, green field, my heart beats a little faster. It truly is a beautiful game. I love watching it and witnessing a perfect diagonal run or a pass that has a faultless spin, speed and balance to it. It’s a game of intelligence, teamwork and skill. A perfect header, slide, tackle, shot, block, volley….and on and on. I think the best part is that you don’t have to play organized. You can take a ball in your back yard and work on any skill you want to.
Teaching- I know this probably sounds tacky and lame, but teaching is like an adrenaline rush for me. A rollercoaster thrill. Gut dropping, blood warming thrill. It’s something that comes naturally and somewhat of an addiction. I have all the patience in the world for children, which I think is why I desperately needed a job change. I have zero patience and tolerance for adults that don’t have common sense. Children are willing to learn and think of you as the all knowing goddess, although I know better. Plus what other career lets you act like a total goofball, and be cool for it.
My religion- I am not the best church goer, and will be the first to admit that on Sundays I would rather spend my time at home in my bed rather than 3 hours in uncomfortable clothes, pretending to listen…which in fact, I often do stay home…but it’s what defines me. Even if I weren’t LDS anymore, the principles that I have been taught and have been shown through examples have defined me. I complain a lot about the people in my religion because they can be so shallow and judgmental and so un Christ like and it pains me to see someone treat others with disdain and repulsiveness… but when it comes down to it, it defines who I am and who I will be in the future.
Brian- He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I don’t know where I would be without him. Countless times he has comforted me though hours of tears and doesn’t complain about me when I need to vent. He deals with my goofy love of movies that he wouldn’t ever watch if he had the choice, but knows I love them so he deals with it, teasing me only a little. I get excited over the most goofy, small thing, and although he doesn’t get excited with me, he lets me be excited and will listen to my excitement without complaint. If you were to compare us side to side, we are so different. We have little in common. He is good at EVERYTHING and I am not. But for some reason it works.

Q & A

It starts when you are two. Asking questions. Getting answers. You are curious why things are. What things are. When things will happen. Who people are. And we always got our answers from our parents. They were all knowing. The encyclopedia of life’s big questions. Then we grew older, started school and our intelligence was tested through questions we had to answer on our own. We knew there was a right and a wrong answer but we were tested on knowing the right answer. Graded. If it was right we were smart, if it was wrong, well you are dumb. Then we move on to a whole new set of questions and answers. Beyond why the sky is blue and why 2 is the only prime number. Life’s questions and answers. What should my major be? Is this man my future husband? Should we buy this house? Its questions like these that are not black and white but fall under the grayish standard. There isn’t a yes or a now. Not a wrong or a right. Just a “do what you feel is best”, but what if we don’t know what is best. That’s when that darn faith thing comes into play. My husband always tells me I need to have more faith in our decisions, but I don’t like walking somewhere where I don’t have light and don’t know where I am going. I have a plan and it’s perfect, except it’s not cause he has a bigger plan. A smarter plan. I don’t like it at first, and then I get the answer, the one I have been waiting for. He is right. It’s the right answer. I wish I would have known this sooner, but it came finally. I hate waiting. I am like a 2 year old. I need an answer right now. I hate not knowing if the answer I get is the correct one or if it’s just me thinking it is. Silly faith

Attack

It hits.

When it hits, its hard.

When it hits, its fast.

When it hits, it hurts.

They fail me. My lungs.

It no more is an habitual reflex. I have to think about each breath. I have to scrap for the next one. I clench the arm rests. I sit a little taller. I don’t speak. Any meager attempt to force feed my lungs more oxygen. They resist. They push back. They don’t want air. The tubes narrow, they tighten. My chest hurts. I have a headache. I need more air. Crying makes it worse. When you cry, you breath heavy. When it happens and I cry, I suffocate. It’s as if my tubes have turned to straws. Slender, precious, crystalline straws. Any moment they will crumble. Then what?

They say slow controlled breathes help. They don’t.

They say in through the nose, out through the mouth helps. It doesn’t.

I need albuterol.  Nothing else. Just albuterol.

Relief.

Do you remember when....

• You had chubby cheeks, thunder thighs, and you weren’t considered fat or overweight
•  All you needed was a blanket and a mom to feel safe
•  You screamed your guts out when mom left for a date
•  You could eat like a pig and it was “cute”
•  A box is all the entertainment you needed
•  Boys/girls had cooties
•  School was fun
•  Making friends was as simple as sharing a toy
•  Responsibility didn’t exist
•  Your dad was always wrong and your mom was always right
• A band aid fixed everything
• Macaroni and Cheese was a delicacy
• Power Rangers were your life
• Dinner time was an inconvenience to your play schedule
• You rode your bike for the first time
• You crashed on your bike for the first time
• Summer time meant living in the swimming pool
• Camping was an excuse to get as dirty as possible
• You learned your multiplication tables and felt you could do anything now
• You became a certified fort builder
• Spelling bee’s scared you
• Bees scared you
• You had no fear
• Running didn’t cause you so much pain
• All you needed was a blanket and a ball to make a game and be entertained for hours
• You realized your brothers and sisters were your absolute best friends and not your wicked enemies
• It didn’t matter how many gummy bears you ate, you would never get a stomach ache
• Soccer was your life
• Santa existed
• The heartbreak you felt when you learned he didn’t
• Making home videos were how you spent your Sundays
• You hoped for cool scars after an accident
• Sleeping till 11 am was so cool
• Staying out till 11 pm was so cool
• You didn’t have to pretend you were bored during church
• Lighting your first firework by yourself
• Stress didn’t exist
• Cleaning your room was punishment
• You could eat all the cookie dough you wanted and still have room for cookies
• You dressed yourself for the first time
• You did your own hair for the first time
• Your socks never matched
• It didn’t matter if you didn’t do well in soccer, it was still fun and you didn’t get mad about it
• You bought your first cd
• You wanted toys for Christmas instead of practical stuff
• You didn’t dread Mondays
• You caught and gutted your first fish
• Work was having to finish your game
• You cashed that first paycheck
• You thought the main guy in “Blues Clues” was an artist
• Pokeman cards were like gold and you put them in plastic sleeves in a folder
• Nerf gun wars were a daily occurrence
• You begged to have a treat every time you went to the grocery store with your mom
• You didn’t beg for a treat, and your mom surprised you with a treat
• You could slide down the stairs in the laundry basket and not be sore the next day

You desperately wanted to be considered an adult

You desperately wanted to be a child again

What defines you?

I was watching Serendipity a few nights ago and there was a scene in the movie that got me thinking. The main character and his friend were talking about something when one of them gave the other a paper. He was a writer and was suppose to be writing something sentimental for the friend, but at the time had writers block so wrote his obituary instead. I know random, but it got me thinking about what we do in this life defines us. Then I started thinking about a few things that define my family and what great people they are.

Brian- He is incredible. A perfect person. Really, he is. He is the most talented man I know. The most talented women would be my sister. He tries anything and he succeeds. He is kind, and once you are his friend, he will never desert you. He is true to his family and nothing is more important. He loves hunting but will and would never have it be more important than his family. He is my very very best friend. I love him.
My dad- His hobbies are an escape for him, so he has a lot. He never wants his kids to suffer and is one of the the most giving person I know. His knowledge is profound and never ending. He knows everything.
My mom- She is the most giving person in this world. Her life is her kids. Everything she does is for them, and I have always appreciated the opportunities she has helped provide for me. It’s amazing how she can pull 25 hours out of a day and be in multiple places at once.
Max- My worst enemy turned best friend anyone could ask for. We have the best relationship I have seen between siblings. I could be biased though. He has compassion for others that rivals Gandhi. He was born to be a missionary and has true love for those in his life. He has a thirst for knowledge that challenges my own and has the one of the best literary knowledge base I know.We were defiantly born to be in the same family.
Eric- The strongest 17 year old I know. He stands up for what he believes in and doesn’t believe in peer pressure. He knows what is right and won’t do what is wrong. Anytime you need help, he will be there. He is freaking amazing COD player. We have never once been in a fight, and have a bond that I hope never to lose.
Emily- Haha we are awesome. Emily never has a frown on her face for more than a few minutes. She is the funniest person I know. She doesn’t care what others think of her, and also believes in what’s right and peer pressure doesn’t affect her. Her socks never match, we both love Miley Cyrus and our brains are the same. We think the same, laugh the same and say the same things at the same time. She is defiantly my sister.
Kraig- He loves his family more than anything and loves to have them around him. Hunting=Kraig. He would be lost without it. His passion for his hobby is the most passion I have seen anyone show.
Wendy- She loves being with family and would never turn anyone away if they needed help. She is kind, compassionate and very talented musically.
Scott- lives the gospel better than anyone I know. He knows his faith and never questions it. I love talking about children’s books with him, he gets so excited about them as I do.
Becca- She loves her little boy and would do anything for it. Her family and her faith are the most important things in her life and she lives it strongly.
Kevin- He is the best brother Brian could have. They are best friends and do everything together. He loves to skate, hunt, air soft, drum and have fun. When he wants to do something he will do it and do it well. Make friends with him, and he will never leave you. He also knows what is right and will never stray from that.
Janelle- She loves to have fun and is always laughing. Her talent for music rivals Scott’s. She loves to sing and dance and gets joy from her talents as she shares them with others.
Kelsey- The best friend a girl could have. Everyone dreams of having that friend that if you don’t see for weeks, months or years, and yet when you do see each other, it’s as if you haven’t missed a beat. We will be lifelong friends and I am so glad to have her in my life.
Jon Poll- He is almost Family and I might disown him once he leaves my department, but he is one of my best friends. Without him, I wouldn’t have made it this far with my insanity. We consider each other a sibling, a twin more actually. He has filled the gap of discussion of knowledge I use to have with Max. we should have been born in the same family.

Stuck in Mud

I am stuck. I am not a teacher. I am not a mom. I have a job that I just work at but don’t contribute to society. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard to get up every day and go to work. I know we are all supposed to be “glad we just have a job” but come on. I want to contribute to society. Maybe it’s me being a selfish child…I hate that saying, children are often more selfless than adults….maybe it’s me being a selfish adult but the exhilarating feeling of worth the succumbs me when I have made a difference to someone’s life is similar to the thrill I get when I ride the White Rollercoaster. I think that’s why I love teaching. It’s challenging, worthwhile and the payback is better than any paycheck I could receive. People often say teachers don’t go into teaching for the money, and that differently has to be true. It’s so much more than that. Right now, I am stuck. I like the feeling of progress. Knowing that what I am doing is contributing to something much bigger, yet to be seen. Work doesn’t give that to me. It’s the same old same old. I have patience for children that surely surpasses that patience I have for adults. So often times, my patience runs out and flat out, just makes me ornery. I am not an ornery individual, and I use to be a free willing, person. I am not that right now. I have 8 months left of school. 10 months till my brother comes home, and I hope things will change by then, but for now I am stuck. I usually can work through difficult times with no problem. I don’t usually get stressed out and can take on plate load by plate load but now it seems like at any minute I might drop those plates. I don’t have anything heavy on them but my patience is so worn from work it just might snap. I need a vacation and I need it fast.

Priorities

So I received an email from my good friend Heather and she has been wanting me to blog about something and I haven't got around to it... so I hope this turns out okay. She sent me an email about this mom and daughter that went to a fast food restaurant. I will summarize the dialogue.
Mom: What do you want to eat?
Daughter: Oh just a hamburger and a water.
(ok there was more to the conversation but I didn’t want to type it all, there is how it started)
They order and the water cup they give the girl was just a tiny cup. We have all seen the cups. You have to fill them up about 5 times to salvage your thirst. But in comparison you can order a small coke and its so big you will have to pee soon after. Then!!!! You have the option to order a large, a biggie and an extra biggie! I mean I could take a bath in the cups the largest drink comes in. No wonder we have an obesity problem. You ask for water, and they don’t give you enough to even brush your teeth with, but you order a coke and you could bathe in it.

Linguistic comeback

Every era has its own lingo. Sometimes the vernacular doesn’t make a lick of sense. But as the years and decades fade away, so do the weird phrases. Just like fashion, they come and go with some never coming back while others make a historic leap from history and show up in the common vocabulary again. I thought this would be fun so here are some sayings. Let me know if you know the origin of any of them. I am curious.


For Pete’s sake
Knock on wood
It’s raining cats and dogs. WHAT?!?!?!
Cool Beans- this one is just confusing
Break a Leg- oh that sounds encouraging
Whole 9 yards-isn’t it 10 for a 1st down?
Cold turkey- eww
Close but no cigar
Sleep tight- what does that mean compared to sleep loose?


These are just a few so if you have more, send them my way. Just thought it was interesting that most of these are just so confusing, if I were trying to learn the lovely language of English, I would be utterly and completely confused. Even more than I am now. Enjoy!

Puzzle Pieces

I have come to the conclusion that life is a puzzle. Yes, that’s right; it’s a puzzle that when put together and completed, the end result, usually, is a wonderful whole picture. I hate puzzles. LOL yes I am really laughing out loud right now. I don’t have the patience for puzzles and have determined I don’t have the patience for life either. It’s funny, when putting together a puzzle, you have the entire picture and you just have to put the pieces together in the right spot and eventually the puzzle is finished. Finished and exactly like what you knew you were creating. See! Just like life. We know the end, we have all these pieces of life in our hands, the only difference is, we don’t get all the pieces at once. They are given to us slowly and at the right time, but we don’t know that. We don’t know what piece is suppose to come before or after another which causes chaos and frustration. Sometimes it feels like we get the wrong piece at the wrong time…that is until another is given to you and you see the connection. Wow, he knows what he is doing doesn’t he? So if we know what we want, where we are going and how to get there, we should know what to do with each puzzle piece he gives us. That’s a problem. We never know what to do with the trial or good thing we have been given and how to implement it into our life puzzle. That’s where faith and trust comes in. I personally can’t do puzzles alone. Drives me nuts. I always need someone else there helping me. Someone that has a different view of the puzzle can see things clearing in the picture and knows how the pieces interlace. Crazy huh! I think I really have discovered something here. Puzzle=life. Puzzle pieces= life events. They are practically the same. I am just thankful that life isn’t a one player game. I am glad I have others that can see different angles, pictures and views so my puzzle isn’t messed up entirely. And I am especially grateful, that unlike a puzzle, my life isn’t missing any pieces.

Holy Freaking Potter

Today my friends, is the opening day of Harry Potter World and this is the line to get in. Way to be devoted!!  Can't wait for my turn!

Things that I love

Ok I have been a sour puss lately so it was suggested I play the “glad game” from Pollyanna. So here we go.

1. Soccer.

2. Soccer in the rain.

3. Anything covered in chocolate. Even chocolate in chocolate is tasty.

4. The smell of freshly cut grass.

5. Reading anything; Harry Potter, Dr. Seuss is my new thing, classics such as Jane Eyre… (he he Heather!) Pride and Prejudice blah blah and more and more.

6. Getting out of the car and stepping into the Uintah mountains with a rush of all the fresh smells and refreshing temperature take complete control over my body.

7. Eating Jell-O.

8. Playing, “what can we fill the room with” game with my cousin Trevor. We decided that Jell-O would be the most fun but marshmallows and ice cream would be a blast too.

9. Listening to an addicting song over and over and over and over and it still never gets old.

10. Opening the mail box and seeing there is mail for me that isn’t junk or bills.

11. Waking up with my blankets all around me and it’s cold outside of the blankets.

12. Journey, Queen, Abba.

13. BONES BONES BONES!!! The show.

14. The Office

15. Cloudy with a chance of meatballs! It’s the #1 funniest movie I have ever seen.

16. Singing Fly on the Wall with my sister.

17. Girls Days

18. Teaching. It’s such a rush.

19. Harry Potter. Enough said.

20. Setting up a tent and seeing that it is worthy to sleep in.

21. The smell of campfire smoke.

22. Hotdogs over the campfire.

23. Roasting marshmallows. Not eating them, just roasting them. I am De best.

24. Solitaire.

25. My Ds.

26. Watching movies.

27. Laughing at ridiculous things that really aren’t that funny, but because it’s so late, everything is hilarious.

28. Playing hang man and the dot game at church.

29. Watching Brian play Call of Duty…then watching him yell at the screen. HAHA

30. Spinning in a swivel chair till I am sick, then doing it again.

31. Babysitting my cousins.

32. Hanging out with my aunts and uncles.

33. MY GRANDPARENTS. Sorry but they are better than yours. Don’t fight it, just admit it. It’s no contest.

34. Jelly Beans.

35. Dove Dark Chocolate.

36. My family.

37. Brian.

Things that annoy me

1. When every one of my 6 preset radio stations is on a commercial. Really?!
2. When those radio stations all come back from commercial and two of them are playing the same song…at the same time!? Is there really not enough songs in the world to choose from? 
3. Being asked how I am doing insincerely so that the person asking can tell me all about their boring life, and not really care about mine.
4. Driving in front of a crazy pedal pusher that decides I am taking too much of his time so he flies to the other lane, only to get stuck behind someone actually going below the speed limit instead of the speed limit. Actually this one makes me laugh hysterically at their idiocy.
5. Going to the grocery store and seeing an overly large obese person using the sit and ride electric shopping cart while there is someone on crutches right in front of them. You kidding me? You aren’t even going to be discreetly lazy? Instead you are going to showcase that not only are you lazy, but you are so selfish, all you care about is getting your Cheetos with the least effort as possible before helping someone that CAN’EVEN WALK?
6. Adults that act like children. …worse than children.
7. Every time I look at Deseretnews.com the most commented on stories either have the words sports, BYU, UTAH or BCS in them. Wow Utah, we aren’t even that good of a football state and that’s all you can think of to comment on. What about the war, the oil spill, the financial crisis, the actually aspects in the world that affect your life day to day.
8. When systems crash.
9. When English soccer fans complain that the goal shouldn’t have counted…why? The goalie made a mistake. It’s done. A goal is a goal no matter how small.
10. Please and thank you have disappeared from the English language.
11. Close minded people or groups.
12. Waiting till 5 so I can go home.
13. Jumping through hoops of fire to get my degree.
14. Liars
15. McDonalds
16. Standing in line at the grocery store and watching a mother scream, yank and curse at her children for being children.
17. When I don’t say anything to the mother about acting like the adult to her children instead of throwing a tantrum herself.
18. When I am telling a story and get cut off, and don’t get apologized to or even asked to finish my story. I am sorry; go ahead, your life is much more interesting and I apologized I inconvenienced your time with me wasting my breath.
19. When someone complains about working full time and going to school full time and just not having enough time for anything else….cough cough…I do it too….for the last 4 years. Give me a freaking break. Obviously your life has less hours in it than mine cause I am still able to share my time with my family and friends.
20. When a cop is driving infront or behind a group of cars and ALL of those cars around the cop slow down. I would love to be a cop in this instance, you have complete control of everyone. Ha
21. When I am guilty of any of the above.

A Little Somber

Today was a terrible, rotten, no good day. Work was long, my patience was tried numerous times, I studied alone for hours for a test that basically holds my future in its greedy hands, I missed my brother and I cried. My mind was running a mile an hour. (Hidden joke there) To reiterate, it was a terrible, rotten, no good day. But I endured, I made it through and here I am. I found some light though. Some joy. It was small but it made things ok again. Rain. It’s wonderful isn’t it? The brisk, sweet smell conquers the troubled air and clears the atmosphere for another day. It’s cleansing. It’s peaceful. It made things better. I sat there for just a few, meaningless minutes, soaking it all in. The air gets quiet. The clouds provide a protective shield. The water cleans as it falls and the smell is more refreshing than even a clean, fresh cut soccer field. It’s magical. As it falls, it sparkles, and if you step back far enough in your imagination and become a child again, it makes anything possible. The escape, from this world filled with death, trials, enduring day to day, that it provides is remarkably stunning. It’s an unusual world. A world where nothing can go wrong. Everything is right and joyous and simple. It’s a small piece of Heavenly Father comforting you. Hugging you. Letting you know it will be okay. He does that often I discovered. Touches your world that is filled with “gunk”, with a small example of assurance that he is there, that he will always be there. He is watching over you and reminding you that it’s okay to have a bad day cause in the end he will still be there. Ready to help cleanse your spirit, your mind and prepare you for the next day. It’s not easy, it’s worth it though, and we just need to be reminded every now and then. And remember, “Life isn’t meant to be endured, it’s meant to be enjoyed.” (G. Hinkley)

I hate him

He has various names and aliases; Lucifer, Satan, the devil, but to me he is just the king of all douche bags. I don’t hate many things; but I do hate Hitler and child sex offenders but it’s because of Satan’s influence that they are the way they are. I am not taking away the responsibility they are accountable for their choices but for crying out loud I hate him. He is part of the plan, I understand that, but I am still going to complain and whine as loud as I want. I have always known that he has influence on others and that influence is bad. Not just bad, but it can be detrimental.  I know his plan, at least I have a good idea and I don’t plan on being a part of it, but when he sucks in some of my best friends, I get defensive. I am not saying I am perfect, because I am not. Yeah I curse when I am mad, I don’t go to church every week, but I live a good life and I try to accept all people. Like I said, I am not perfect, but I know the difference between right and wrong and try to show that in the life that I live.So I think I have a pretty good defense against the adversary. But it breaks my heart when I see some of my best friends, the friends that I had slumber parties with and grew up with through middle school and high school, be tested and tried by his influence and become victim of his pressures. Again, I try not to be the high and might, all knowing, perfect example, because I am not. I hope I don’t come across as being judgmental, because I know how that feels and it’s humiliating. Those type might fall it to my category of those I hate. I don’t want to portray myself in that manner at all but I have common sense and can imagine what a choice might lead to in the future, which I think has helped me live the life I have. So when I see my friends, whom have been raised similarly, under the same accountablility and morals, fall to his influence, it makes me so upset that some of their choices are not right or healthy for them and it’s because of this idiot that I have to see my friends go on a roller coaster ride. Who knows in the end if the rollercoaster will end up on the ups or the downs. I pray it ends on the ups.

If I were a rich girl...dadadadada

First of all, this is a disclaimer to all those that read this. I am not a racist, nor will I ever be. So the next few minutes of me ranting and raving aren’t projected towards any one in particular. It’s just that, me ranting and raving about how the world just isn’t fair. I am an ordinary person. Nothing outstanding about me. My IQ…well I don’t know what it is, but it’s not exceptional nor is it below par….in golf terms, isn’t below par a good thing??? Anyway, I don’t have any outstanding skills. I am just average. And average people don’t get scholarships. My family is standard, two parents at home, one working, both white. My husband and I are ordinary too. Plain. Boring. They don’t give scholarships for plain, average white folks. Maybe if I were black, brown, Asian, or got pregnant at 16 I wouldn’t have to pay an arm and a leg…and a foot and a hand and a torso, to pay for schooling. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s harder when you are a single mother or father to support your family, and to receive your education. So go ahead, provide scholarships for this genre, but for crying out loud, the U.S.A. is such a melting pot, there is no damn thing called a minority in this country so don’t give scholarships to the “minority”. They don’t exist. Give it to those that, I am sorry to say this, but those that will actually finish school. No I don’t have numbers to back it up, but how often, I wonder, do these “minorities” get scholarships yet don’t finish their schooling. It doesn’t make any sense. Why not just have department scholarships. Give it to those going in to a program, and not make it biased based on the color of your skin. That way it’s fair to everyone and the individual’s background doesn’t influence the decision. It should be based on character and how that person is in the community and their devotion to an honest and true education. And if someone is awarded a scholarship, if they don’t graduate within a certain time frame, pay back the damn money you wasted while I was paying tens of thousands of dollars to benefit my life and my family’s life. That is all.

People lack the ability to think clearly and reasonably.

So I was browsing the web looking for something interesting to pass the time. This headline caught my eye. Women sues Google over Utah Walking Directions. Yep you guessed it, because of google’s bad map directions, she walked into I busy highway and was struck by a car! I am sorry but what the F, for lack of better words. Really? Are you freaking kidding me? All I can say is I am glad this women isn’t my mother, friend, sister or even an acquaintance because I would have to deny all relation or knowledge about her for fear of total and complete embarrassment. I know times are tough for everyone these days. Finances aren’t secure anywhere, but please hold on to your dignity. Don’t throw it out the window just to cash in on something you can’t bear to take responsibility for. Accountability, responsibility and common sense are three things she needs to take a crash course in. I just won’t be the ones giving her directions on how to get there for fear of being sued for her stupidity.

What? Really? How?

So one of my most hilarious friends at work told me a story today of human brilliance in action. This isn’t a story she heard from someone that told it to someone else. This is an actual witnessed story. First hand. I am pretty sure it changed her life….maybe not but she will think of this occurrence every time she comes to a roundabout for the rest of her life. So here we go. Big breath in, and out….So my friend Courtney was driving in her rental car…that’s another story for another time, and came across one of the more exciting events during a drive around town; a roundabout. They are fun due to the fact that it feels like you are on a race track cause your car is tilted and you don’t have to stop. You can legally run the imaginable stop sign. So the layout of a roundabout here in the grand ole US is as you enter the track, they guide you to the right. If you attempt to turn left, you will run over the curb and make various crunching, cracking scrapping noises with the bottom of your vehicle. So there for, it’s impossible to go left….that’s what I thought and that’s what Courtney thought till she witness something remarkable; a two way two lane round about. Ok ok, there is no such thing, but one of the world’s greatest minds thought there was. Here she was at the entrance of the bout, witnessing a person attempting to go left in a roundabout. He/she creped to the right of the road going against traffic trying to get to the other side. Moving slowly and cautiously which I give him/her credit for. If you are going to do something illegal, do it carefully. But still, what a crazy person. First of all if he/she was trying to get to the opposite side faster….this makes him/her even more intelligent….it’s the same distance if you go right or if you COULD go left. Still the same distance. Secondly, he/she is an idiot. That’s all. It just made me laugh and I feel sorry that every time she goes to a roundabout, Courtney will have to be reminded of this brilliant human being.

99 bottles of beer on the wall

I am ever so grateful for the word of wisdom. Some see it as a barrier and cage that doesn’t allow one to act and make their own decisions concerning what they will consume; while others like myself see it as a guidance to a happier, more freedom like lifestyle. It prevents addiction. Not all types, but it helps. It amazes me what addictions can do to one’s life and the life of those he or she loves. Lindsey Lohan for example keeps popping up on the radar with her most recent stint being; she missed a court appearance to frolic around France and watch movies at the Cannes festival. Apparently she has a drinking problem too….ok she is a flat out alcoholic! Her punishment now is to wear a monitoring device that measures the blood alcohol levels in her sweat. Wow, she can’t do a thing without having someone know about it. Sounds like freedom to me. I always have had issues with people that argue against the word of wisdom. Regardless of what religion or sect you belong or believe in, they all have their beliefs on what should or should not be consumed by the body, so please don’t even start smacking the LDS religion because there are hundreds, probably thousands of sects that believe in taking care of your bodies in some way or another. Off my soap box one step, I still, to reiterate my beginning point, can’t believe that the word of wisdom is often seen as a barrier and restraint. It actually provides us freedom to choose and grants us control of our own bodies. Lindsey has a tracking devise that monitors her addiction. An addiction which she chose to live by which now runs her life. That sounds like freedom to me. I would love to be controlled by a man made substance that is composed of empty calories and drugs. Great, sounds fun….I will keep my agency to choose instead now that I think about it. Thanks though.

Knock Knock. Who’s th….INTERUPTING COW!

First of all, I have noticed that I have a lot of blogs about me complaining about people and society so I will attempt to do better at writing about funny or not so whiny type topics but I can’t guarantee anything.



So my new complaint, as anyone can figure out by my title, is people that interrupt me. Not just once or twice accidently, because I myself interrupt occasionally as well, but the continuous interrupters. It’s like they get joy from making me sound like a mumbling, bumbling (I had no idea that bumbling is an actual word! I thought for sure spell check would squiggle red line it! Wow) idiot. When I talk it means I am telling you something you need to know. Not that I think it’s important, but that I know you need to know this so shut up and listen for 2 seconds…ok maybe 3. Is that too much to ask? Plus if you think about it logically, every time you interrupt me, I am going to take two steps back and reiterate what I just told you while you were twiddling your thumbs thinking of how you can stop me from talking just to hear your own voice. Just an FYI, if I say something you don’t like, I probably have a reason behind it so let me finish my sentence before you jump down my throat and make me start over making you furious. Communication is vital and in this green world today, it’s nonstop…via electronics. This is the issue of interrupting. No one knows how to communicate face to face or verbal to verbal. Twitter, Facebook (I thought for sure Facebook would be a real word but my computer just red squiggle lined it) and texting….have ruined the interpersonal relationship etiquette that our ancestors built up from the ashes. As I watch and read novels such as Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice, I ponder every time, “what if we spoke this elegant today?” I believe it would instantly solve problems already addressed by my mumbling mouth. Society would have better manners, including not interrupting others while speaking face to face to mention one. I am guilty of everything I have mentioned above except for twitter. I text, I facebook, I interrupt, but there is moderation in all things. That’s the key word! MODERATION. I am not perfect, you are not perfect. I interrupt, and I like to think I apologize for doing so, but please please please don’t do it on purpose all the time. Just relax, I will get to my point shortly….longer if you keep interrupting me.

Hilarious Coincidence

It was raining today…surprise surprise. I had just pulled up to work in a not close, but not far away parking spot. As luck has it, my lovely blue umbrella is not in the car. So I prepare to dash. After I gather all my necessary items for the day, I make a break for it. Walking briskly, I arrive at the entry door. Being the good citizen that I am, I wait for the two other ladies walking through the shower. They have two umbrellas. So I open the door for them, they thank me. The first kind woman closes her water shield before entering the building. The next lady has her arms full with items unknown to me. She enters the building with her shield open and I jokingly remark, “You know that’s bad luck”. Then it happens. After I uttered the last syllable, she drops everything in her arms. The unknown to me is now revealed. Soup. It explodes in her paper bag that was transporting the soup to a safe place prior to the hilarious, ironic explosion. I felt terrible but they laughed, I laughed. Moral of the story, listen to those lucky myths. If you don’t they will come back to haunt you.

The Death Penalty

This delightful Sunday afternoon, Brian and I were enjoying a charming, humorous episode of Bones. We were enjoying the quirky remarks of the hidden love between the two protagonists; Ms. Brennian Bones and Mr. Seely Booth, when suddenly something about the episode made me jolt and think, “I have to blog about this.” Dog fighting and murder by dog. I am sure this wasn’t the title of the episode, but that single sentence is a good summary of the 43 minutes that I was thinking about this.  A man was involved in dog fighting, which in its self is one of the must inhuman, ritualistic showings of sought after power between men (men symbolizing all man kind) all shown though avataristic dogs. The way these dogs perform is symbolistic of the strong, powerful men that sit back at watch their bravery on stage play out. Of course I am displaying a number of examples of sarcasm and now that I have stepped up on my soap box, I will take one step down…because my soap box is multiple levels. Now this is a gloomy but important introduction in to my real topic, murder by dog. Dogs are here to please their master, and in this episode a dog was pleasing his master and obeying orders when he was ordered to attack a man who was going to turn in his master’s dog fighting business. The man died. He was murdered by the master. The murder weapon….the dog.  Once the murder was solved, the dog was killed; the man was planted in prison. The dog dies, the man lives….OK??  Where in the book of logic does this make a lick of sense?  A loyal and obedient canine, not knowing right from wrong, is put to death just because no one wants to give him the chance to kill again, yet when with out a shadow of a doubt we know man murders man, either the sentence is prison for to short of time or death row which then results in two endings; release or decades of parole hearings until it’s just been too long to sentence the murderer. I have come to realize life isn’t fair, equal and sometimes, flat out cruel. But this just pisses me off. The same day the dog is killed for our protection and the man goes on living and breathing the air that should only be breathed to those that obey the laws of conscience.  I am still on my soap box about those sadistic people, I will not call them parents,  they weren’t. But they killed that father’s 5 year old son with no sympathy and they still live. Give it 20 years, they still will be here breathing my air and yours, eating my food and yours and using our money to live.