Wednesday is a Special DAY!!!

Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen opens today!!!! Woo-hoo!!! I am more than just a little excited (if you couldn't tell). Unfortunately I will not be there to see it until this weekend (hopefully). Instead I will be kickin' it with the youth tonight - we will be attempting to play a life sized game of Life (the kids will be their game pieces and we will be drawing the game board in the parking lot with chalk). So wish us luck as we try to figure it out! I will let you know how it turns out!....and don't go spoilin' the movie for me if you see it first!

Captians Log - Vacation 2009

Today’s post is really just for my sake. I just got back from a super fun family vacation that I don’t want to forget so today’s blog is mostly going to be a journaling type day…feel free to read on but I thought I should warn you first!
My brother, sister-in-law, sister and three nephews drove down from Utah on Thursday night. They left late and got to our house around 9 o’clock Friday morning. Needless to say the grown-ups were pretty wiped out from driving all night and the kiddies were significantly less so from sleeping most of the way. So I took to boys to town and had lunch and went to watch UP in 3D (My critique…it was pretty boring. Even the kids got bored, Night at the Museum 2 was way better) on the way home we stopped at Baskin Robbins for ice cream. Later that night we invited the missionaries over for dinner and had a bar-b-q.
The following morning we got up and headed out to Hobbs. We decided to leave early enough so that we could have breakfast at McDonalds in Roswell and let the kids play in the spaceship play area. Once in Hobbs we went to lunch at Big Cheese Pizza (my fave!) and did a little shopping with my sisters. (It’s totally a good thing we don’t all live by each other, everything we picked up was ‘Oooh, that is SO cute. You should totally get it!’ We all decided that if we all lived near each other we would be completely broke ALL of the time!) Later that night we all played a rousing game of trivial pursuit which of course my Dad totally killed us at (seriously, who knows Swedish tennis players…apparently my dad!). The rest of the night we played games and fired up the bar-b-q again.
Sunday was chill, we went to church (of course) and kicked back at my parents house the rest of the day doing a whole lot of nothing, I even got a nap out of it!
Monday we headed to Carlsbad and hit the Caverns. For those of you who have never been I totally recommend it! It was a lot of fun hiking through the caves. I can’t let myself think too much about being that far underground (750 feet down – about the depth of a 7 story building) however, otherwise I totally freak out. Honestly, could you imagine an earthquake there?!? We also ate lunch at Furrs (Trudy’s fave) and had some tasty frito pies for dinner (which I almost never get to eat because I don’t make a pot of beans for myself!).
Tuesday we spent most of the day at the pool. They had slides and about a billion people (even though my mom kept saying how it wasn’t very busy). Our family friends the Smouses were there too and it was fun to play with all the kids. Especially with Nate who is a 3 year old who thinks he can do anything but who in reality doesn’t swim. That crazy kid even shouts “Cannonball” and throws himself into the pool! It was hilarious. I also sunburned my left ear…apparently I missed a spot during the slathering of the sunscreen. Afterward, the girls went to hobby lobby for some craft fun. The rest of the evening we watched movies and just hung out.
Wednesday we were off to San Antonio! We drove and stopped a few times along the way and enjoyed the ride (at least in our car). Once in San Antonio we spent the rest of the day/night on the Riverwalk. It was really neat to see all the different shops and restaurants. We even took a boat ride tour which was really awesome. We ate at a Mexican restaurant which was pretty decent (it actually tasted really good since it was 10:00 at night by the time we finally got around to eating).
Thursday was our Sea World day! We were there from opening to almost closing in 106 degree weather with humidity well above that! It was HOT but it was wonderful! We got to feed the dolphins and go to the aquariums. We saw Shamu and the killer whale show ‘Believe’ as well as the dolphin/beluga whale show with the acrobats. The kids rode several rides and especially loved the Shamu ride. I even rode the Journey to Atlantis ride and was quickly reminded why I don’t ride the rides. Yes, I am still afraid of heights and I still don’t love roller coasters. There was so much to do that we didn’t even scratch the surface of the whole park. We didn’t do the water park because there just wasn’t enough time. Later that night we played in the hotel pool which was also very fun.
Friday we hit the Alamo and all the historic type things. I know a lot of people find this stuff really boring, but I totally get into all that historic stuff! I was really neat to see, and it didn’t hurt that it was air conditioned. We sat outside and ate snow cones which was great (I had pineapple), except there was an old guy there who was shouting religion at us. It was a very interesting experience. After the Alamo we headed back to NM! We stopped in Odessa and had a great steak dinner at a little steakhouse. It was delicious!
Saturday morning was the Primary Carnival that my mom was putting on. Bettie and I got stuck at the face painting booth which was kind of cool. After the carnival my brother and sister and their families headed out so they could make it back to Utah by Sunday evening. Bettie and I stayed another day and just kicked with my parents.
We finally got home around 10 on Sunday night too tired to even unpack.
Now I need a vacation from the vacation just to recoup! It was a great trip all around and I loved spending time with my whole family which hasn’t happened in well over a year!
Thanks family, IT WAS GREAT!!!

Confession

So here are some random confessions that are pretty stupid but true:
- Sometimes I play CSI with the scotch tape at work
- I have a list of celebrities that I am secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) obsessed with, including a top 5 hottest
- When I'm driving by myself sometimes I try to make a loud siren noise (this mostly consists of me screaming at the top of my lungs)
- I laugh at my own jokes more than anyone else
- I know every word to Ice Ice Baby and am pretty proud (and secretly happy) when it comes on and I sing along
- I have worn a bodysuit and done a version of Beyonce's Single Lady dance (only in my own home without an audience, of course)
- I am not superstitious but still do superstitious things...you know, just in case.
- I will make up elaborate stories if I know someone is eavesdropping on my conversation in a restaurant.
- I eavesdrop on other people's conversations in restaurants.
- Ice Ice Baby isn't the only 90's song that I know and am proud to sing
- I sometimes draw fake beauty marks on my face with eyeliner, but I usually can't stop at one and before I know it I've drawn a constellation on my face...and then I connect the dots...
- I waste a lot of eyeliner
- Sometimes I act dumb so that I don't have to do something or explain something.
- Sometimes I act deaf for the same above mentioned reason.
- I sometimes ignore people I know in the store just because I don't want to talk to them (or have to explain the weird eyeliner marks all over my face)
- I will wave my arms around a room every so often, just in case my magic powers have kicked in.

I'm kind of getting carried away here but I thought these are just some of the weird things I needed to get off my chest. Do you have any confessions you want to share?

Once again, a UFO has landed in America, the only country UFOs ever seem to land in.

I think that the alien invasion has begun. I assume it will be subtle, so most of you probably haven’t noticed yet. Now, I don’t claim to be an expert by any means (Although I have been to Roswell on several occasions…okay, the extent of my Roswell experience is also limited to the McDonalds shaped like a space ship, the Arby’s which apparently has no alien affiliation, and two marginally scary gas stations where I have frequented in my many travels to and from hell…aka Hobbs) but I’m pretty sure that alien invasion is the only logical explanation for several different things that I’ve noticed lately. On a cliff driving from Los Alamos there is a yellow sign. It looks like a yellow diamond traffic sign similar to a deer crossing sign, only instead of a picture of a deer it is an alien face. This particular sign is in a very inconspicuous place, in fact I bet the majority of people who drive down that hill have never even noticed it. (Several people can attest to its existence…I’ve pointed it out to them and they can see it too…so I’m pretty sure it’s not imaginary). It is in the middle of a very high cliff, stuck into a boulder which sits upon another even bigger boulder. I don’t think that a human could feasibly reach it so it goes without saying that the aliens must have planted it.
Secondly there is a particularly suspicious news woman who anchors one of the local news channels. I call her “Crazy Eyes Ribano” which is not even remotely close to her assumed alias…her name is actually Shelly Ribando, but trust me, Crazy Eyes fits her much better. She apparently has an aversion to blinking. As Bettie says, she looks like she is trying to have a staring contest with the camera and is determined to win. (In fact, Bettie usually yells at the TV to tell her “It’s a camera, it’s not going to blink!”…there’s a lot of yelling at the TV in our home.) She seems almost normal in every other way, so I’m marginally confident that she is indeed a visitor among us (an alien, if you will).
There have probably been more signs, but I am just now being made aware of the invasion myself. Have any of you noticed anything?

P.S. Here is my dad’s favorite saying about Hobbs, which is why I refer to it as hell (other than the fact that it’s been over 100 degrees long before May even began)…If the devil owned Hobbs and Hell, he would live in Hell and rent out Hobbs!

It was a Mother of a Day!

I’m not even sure if anyone is reading this anymore. I did however get an irate phone call from my mother telling me that she is expecting an update…even though I usually talk to her multiple times a day…and tell her everything I’m thinking!!! (Believe it or not, those of you who don’t have the pleasure of frequent conversations with me…it’s not any different than my blog. Yes, I really do talk like this…and I really do rant about the stupid things that I post and my mom, Cecilia and Bettie can attest to this!)
It’s been a long time, so I’m just going to update you on some of the strange things I’ve observed lately. This morning I was held up in traffic because there was a coyote in the road! I was going to say that he was painting a big ACME target but then that would be a giant exaggeration (I don’t want to be known as the girl who cried coyote!). Now, I don’t live in the middle of nowhere…we have a Walmart for heaven’s sakes! Okay, so maybe having a Walmart isn’t the mark of urban life, but you’d think that there wouldn’t be wildlife wreaking havoc on my commute!
I did get to spend mother’s day with my mom and dad which was pretty great (even if most of the time was spent in the car). We met them in Albuquerque on Friday night and took my mom to dinner and a movie (my dad went and had dinner with his mom). Saturday I went to the temple with my mom. That was a very cool experience and one of the highlights of my weekend. It was pretty awesome to be there with my mom and to be able to think about the eternal nature of our families. I’m grateful to know that no matter what happens in this life, if we choose the right we can be together forever. Afterward we did a little shopping and headed out to Gallup. On Saturday afternoon my cousin Tyler was baptized and I had the honor of speaking at the service. It was a really spiritually uplifting day for me. Many of my cousins and their families along with aunts and uncles and my grandma were all there. It had been a long time since I’d seen many of them and it was a lot of fun.
I have been enjoying the weather we have been experiencing. I don’t know about where you are, but it has been shorts and flip-flop weather which I love!! It makes me excited for summer and wish that I was a kid again. I would love it even more if I knew how to set up the air conditioner and didn’t have to melt in the house at night! Speaking of melting houses, my brother and sister-in-law almost lost their home when their landlord started his kitchen on fire on Mother’s Day (they live in a basement apartment and their landlord lives above them)!!! Thankfully everyone was safe and the home was saved! It will be a pain for them with the smoke damage but luckily it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. They’ve had a lot of close calls this year but the Lord has definitely watched out for them and everything continues to work out.
So I hope you had a great Mother’s Day too!

Not dead...yet

I know it has been a ridiculously long time since you've heard from me...not to be alarmed...Not dead, just really busy. As most of you know I've been doing my student teaching (and will continue to be doing so through the first part of May). Since I've been doing this and trying to work in the evenings, finishing up my classes and final portfolio (so that I can graduate...again), trying to make sure that the Espanola Young Women's Program stays afloat, and trying to do all this with clean clothes and all that mundane life stuff like bathing and sleeping...blogging has kind of dropped to the bottom of the priority list. On a less important note, I've never been more grateful for the miracle of DVR. I figured some of you may be interested in how the student teaching is going...and I think the title of today's blog pretty much says it all. I've been in the first grade for over a week now and have been enjoying it immensely (for the most part). The kiddies make me laugh everyday and wear me out with their naughtiness. It is amazing to see them learn something new everyday (even though most of them avoid it like the plague). Here's just a few things I learned this week (or at least remembered):
- little boys love marbles and rubber bands
- little girls love playing puppies and lip gloss
- even if you get in a fight, you usually forget and are friends again by recess
- sometimes kids really do think they can be invisible...especially if they are in trouble
- they love to give you hugs
- 1st graders can do amazing tricks on the swings (even if they already have a cast on their arm from a previously unsuccessful attempt)
- they can pretty much be bribed to do anything for a treat or a sticker
- are the quietest when you read a story to them on the carpet

These are just a few of the things that I've loved so far about 1st grade. And hey, at least we have recess to look forward to everyday!! Who wouldn't love that?!?!?

It's a love story...

Today is my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary! I thought I would dedicate today’s blog to them. My parents met on New Year’s Eve on a blind date. (I’ve heard the story many many times from my mom…which is part of the reason why I’m such a hopeless romantic). The story begins when my mom was living in Gallup at the time and working at Montgomery Wards with my now Aunt Gail. Gail talked my mom into going on a blind date with her brother to a New Year’s Eve party. She had told her that his name was Gerald and when they came to pick my mom up, my dad introduced himself to my grandpa as Gerry. My mom was confused and didn’t know what she was supposed to call him and was too embarrassed to ask. Well the rest of the night the hostess of the party was flirting with my dad and my mom was totally mad about it. Apparently the night went well because a little over three months later they were in Vegas gettin’ hitched! Yep, my parents were married in Las Vegas (at Circus Circus to be exact). They were later sealed in the Mesa Arizona temple in October 3 years later (I was around for that one!...I was a honeymoon baby). So 30 years and 4 kids later…I’ll share with you some of my favorite things about my parents:

- Even after all this time, they still hold hands in the car
- They always kiss each other hello and goodbye
- They always celebrate their anniversary on New Year’s Eve…my dad makes steak and crab and they have a candlelight dinner for two (that was usually when we were staying at friends or at a babysitter…a few years we were stuck in the bedroom watching T.V. while they were being all romantical)
- My mom gets giddy when my dad calls (kind of like a teenager) and my dad will just call during the day to say “hi”
- My mom says she still gets butterflies when she sees my dad
- I’ve never seen my parents yell at or say an unkind word to each other
- They are generous almost to a fault, they work hard and are very giving…especially to their children (thank goodness…otherwise I would be homeless right now!)
- They love each other, they love us, and they love the gospel

I hope that you have many more happy and blessed years. Thanks for being the example of what I hope to have someday!

“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother”
- David O. McKay

Where's my Hazmat suit?

So, lately I’ve kind of had a lot on my plate. I practically feel like a stranger in my own home…and then I remember that no one else is going to clean up the mess I’ve made…and then I feel right at home all over again. Last night I was watching a little T.V. and I realized that some of these things are pretty ridiculous. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been quarantined for anything. I realized while watching a preview of an upcoming show (which of course had the entire cast in suits and some of them quarantined for some weird encounter…which seems to happen on every show) that I have never been quarantined for anything!!! Is this a common occurrence? Because if it is, I’m feeling a little jipped! Now, don’t get me wrong…I’m not looking for a chemical spill or biochemical attack…but I would have liked to hop in that lab shower in science class (be honest, you wanted to too). Quarantines and amnesia seem to be the “go to” television staples. I could totally write a T.V. script…picture it (any of your favorite shows will do)…the supporting character and a disposable character (you know, one with maybe one speaking line…who will eventually be killed off for dramatic effect)…get into a predicament and have to be quarantined and the hero gets amnesia and has to figure out what happened in order to save the supporting character (unfortunately they are too late to save disposable character). I know, you’ve probably already seen that one. There have been some fun and interesting things going on in my world so I shouldn’t be too disappointed that I have never been able to wear a hazmat suit. The other day we were driving by a bunch of cops on the side of the road and I said, “They probably found a dead body” (which of course is my standard response to any group of law enforcement…or any abandoned car…or when at a loss for something to say). Well, it turns out they really did find a dead body (it was in the paper…I did NOT do a first hand investigation)! Very weird.
Well, I must warn all you blog readers that I may be MIA for the next few weeks...because I’m starting my student teaching!!! I am super excited and more than just a little nervous. It should be interesting. I haven’t heard what grade I will be in so keep your fingers crossed (mine are…which makes it really tough to type). I did find out that that I will be graduating Summa cum Laude…assuming that I can get everything else done in my program! So wish me luck!

Who let the dogs out?

So, spring has sprung…and then went into hiding. I don’t know about where you are, but it is freezing in this part of the world. I was trying to will the spring to stick around, I even busted out a pair of Capri’s in a fit of optimism which only lead to me being a popsicle all day (of course the next day I bundled myself up and burned up all day…I just can’t win). Today it is blizzarding outside (and not the good Dairy Queen kind…can you imagine?!?! that would be wicked awesome). Because I live in New Mexico, it’s not just a blizzard, it’s also ridiculously windy. You know what they say…March comes in like a lion and out like a lion (okay maybe its out like a lamb…but it seems more like a lion too). Our fruit trees have even blossomed and are now probably freezing as we speak…or write…or whatever. Oh well, they’ve never actually produced fruit (except the cherry tree)…because this is New Mexico and they freeze every year. In other weird yard news, we have a wild pack of dogs that are roaming around our “neighborhood” (I use the term neighborhood loosely, because we have neighbors but no paved roads/sidewalks/trash service…and there is vast wilderness to backside of our property…and a golf course). We often have a wide variety of wild animals roaming in and out of our yard…rabbits, road runners, and a freakish number of cats. Well, this dog pack isn’t your ordinary pack of wild dogs….its a pack of little house dogs! There are several little Chihuahua’s and a little mutt that run together. I assume that they belong to someone (at least I’m pretty sure that they don’t grow in the wild here) but these crazy little dogs must think that they are bigger than they are. They kind of act like a crazy teen gang that terrorizes the neighbors (not that I’ve actually encountered such gangs…but I’ve seen the movie The Outsiders and other 80’s movies, so I’m pretty much an expert). These little tiny dogs will not move out of the way and will try to stare you down. My sis has even had a couple of run-ins with these little punk dogs (okay so they won’t move and then try to run down the car as it drives down the driveway). It’s the weirdest thing.
One more thing to make you smile today….this is a video of my friend Kate’s little girl Jazmine dancing. It’s hilarious!!!

LDS Temples

More than meets the eye

I have recently come to the conclusion that my cell phone is in fact a Decepticon. I know what most of you may be thinking now…didn’t they destroy the all spark in the last Transformers movie?....well, my response to that is…HELLO! it’s Hollywood, that’s what they wanted you to think! Yes, I am one of those loons who is fairly certain that transformers are real. I’ve actually had several in depth conversations about this with many a 3 year old boy…okay, so maybe the depth of these conversations is screaming ‘Bye Optimus Prime’ as a semi rolls by. At least I’ve found many a cohort in my madness…even if it consists of a group of young children. My cell phone wigs out on a fairly consistent basis and last night I came to the conclusion, with the help of my very astute sidekick Bettie, that it is actually a Decepticon. I mean, what other feasible explanation could there possibly be. I don’t think that it has actually made an attempt on my life…but then again I do believe that Silver Bullet is an Autobot and may be protecting me from the deadly cell phone. Yes, I am also one of those people who waves at every brightly painted yellow car as it passes…just in case it is Bumblebee (so if you happen to drive one of these said yellow cars and a stranger waves at you…they are probably waving at your car…so stop flipping me the bird!) Also, I am on the hunt for a transformers magnetic car sticker….I think that Silver Bullet lost his in a death match with someone else’s cell phone. So if you come across one let me know.
Now, before you start thinking that I’m delusional…I must warn you that I just happen to be very observant and if you keep a look out, you will probably see the signs of the transformer invasion too.
In other blog-worthy news…Race to Witch Mountain opens this weekend!! I don’t know about you but I am looking forward to enjoying 99 minutes of Dwayne Johnson’s hunky-ness. Unfortunately I probably won’t get to watch it until next week due to the stupid state licensing exams I will be taking all weekend. Apparently the state of New Mexico doesn’t want me teaching your kiddies until they are sure that I’m “competent” (I’m pretty sure if they saw this post they would be rescinding my license pretty quickly). These tests are a pretty big deal (which you can tell since I’m missing a date with my future baby daddy for it….yes, I’m once again referring to Dwayne Johnson). So wish me luck…for the test part not the baby daddy part, although a little luck in that department wouldn’t hurt. Have a great weekend!

Question

Is it just me or is Taylor Swift trying to take over the world?

Doe Ray Me

So, this weekend was once again time for the Mormon 500 (see the post from last August for clarification)…only it wasn’t. Yes, it was stake conference again only this time we had a regional broadcast with all of New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma…each in our own individual buildings. Saturday night we had the usual “adult session” with the entire stake so we did get some of the normal experience. It did however remind me why I love stake conference. For those of you who may not know, my ward is pretty small….by pretty small I mean REALLY small…as in everyone knows when you are not at church. Consequently, when you are at church everyone can hear you when you’re singing. I have never claimed to be vocally blessed…although I have many a time wished for this talent. My seven year old cousin told me last weekend during a rousing night of Guitar Hero World Tour that I was “Not good at the singing part” (which was a sad commentary on my skills as I was better with the singing than on any of the other instruments…at least with the singing I didn’t get booed off the stage…seriously) My lack of skill does not hinder me however from the love of singing. I am one of those people who bust out in random song whenever possible…especially if something is said that is in anyway related to any song that I may know (as my dear coworkers can attest to). However, I generally try to somewhat contain my singing enthusiasm while in church…for the sake of not embarrassing myself and everyone within ear shot…but sometimes I can’t contain it. I love gathering with larger congregations (like during stake conference) because the sheer numbers drown out my squeaking and I can totally bust loose! I sometimes even bust out my mad opera skills (you probably think I’m kidding…but I’m dead serious). Don’t worry, I generally do it in a tasteful, non-sacrilegious way… at least I try to. So Saturday night I was able once again to practice my vocal dexterity or lack thereof. For those of you who missed out on this, I’m sorry for you because I’m pretty great….and I’m really humble, and I just can’t seem to figure out why someone wouldn’t want to marry all this greatness!! Okay, maybe that’s not totally true….I bet it’s totally my lack of singing talent (what else could it possibly be??!?!)
On a more spiritual note, all the talks in conference this week were exactly thing that I needed to hear. I have set some goals for myself this year all of which were discussed to some degree. I am very grateful for leaders who are lead by inspiration and teach the things that we need to have peace in a world of turmoil. It also makes me feel good that I’m working on improving areas in my life that will bless me and others.
I hope your weekend was as great as mine!!

I ain't afraid of no ghosts!!

So, I’ve been chatting with my good buddy Cecilia today about myths, legends, and scary stories. This was all brought on because I spent the weekend in Gallup visiting my family…and everybody knows there are skinwalkers in Gallup! Let me back up about 20 some years. Growing up whenever we would get together with our all of our cousins my Uncle would always tell us scary stories (this is the same uncle that told us that we had to eat our vegetables so that our boobies would grow…no joke). Not just scary stories, very elaborate scary stories complete with props (okay so maybe the eyeballs were just olives but in the dark when you are an 8 year old chicken, it is very convincing). My cousin Brian picked up right where his dad left off when all the grown ups left. Who can forget the timeless classic of “Jooooohnny…I want my liver back!” (If you don’t know this one, trust me, you’re not missing out) Looking back I realize the stupidity of these stories. However, to this day I refuse to watch scary movies…even the lame ones (I watched the Ring 2 with some friends and even as completely stupid as it was, I had a tough time driving home by myself!!) So, being back in Gallup reminded me of all my irrational fears…which I dealt with by trying to scare my sister with tales of skinwalkers (she totally is not the weenie that I am and my scare tactics didn’t work…but I managed to freak myself out just a little…okay a lot).
Well all of this has gotten me thinking about the scary stories from our childhood. Cecilia and I were talking about La Llorona which is a classic here in Northern New Mexico (and all around the world, especially Kansas City according to Wikipedia). My parents never told us that La Llorona was going to get us, as I have heard other people tell their kids (thank goodness, could you imagine what a lunatic I would be if they had…my mom did tell me that the dogs would get me whenever I would try to run away…which was surprisingly often…and I’m still afraid of dogs today. Apparently I’m using this blog as a therapy session today.) So, what are some of the myths, legends or scary stories that stick with you from childhood...or that you tell your children?

What's in a name?

So I was watching parts of a King of the Hill episode the other day which got me thinking about names. In this particular episode one of the characters just had a baby and was planning on naming it (it was a girl by the way) Lasagna…because they just thought it was a pretty name. It made me laugh endlessly…because it’s true. Now, I don’t claim to be a naming expert…in fact, I have yet to actually name any living creature…and so am fully aware of my un-expertise in the area. But I do live in the plane of reality and am sometimes appalled, confused, or just taken aback by the names that people give their children. For those of you who may not know, I work in a pediatric clinic and therefore see an abundance of ridiculous children’s names. I blame this phenomenon on celebrities (as I like to do with most of the world’s problems and absurdities…Pilot Inspector, Moxy Crimefighter…really?!?!). I don’t know when it became trendy to pin your child with a name that is just asking to be used as a weapon for endless taunting. I remember an old episode of full house where Stephanie wanted to change her name because the kiddies were calling her Step-on-me (this is yet another useless trivia that fills the wasteland that apparently is my brain). I am not opposed to the name and know that any name can be twisted by a clever 6 year-old but some people don’t really think about the social aspects of a name like Lasagna. I encourage creativity but not absurdity. And as a soon to be teacher, I implore you to make sure that the name is pronounceable without the implementation of clicking or other linguistic measures.
On a different note, I saw a trailer for the Race to Witch Mountain for the first time last night! I might add the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is looking mighty fine. I hope you are all as excited as I am!!! Whoo-hoo!
A final thought for the day…I stole this one from my cousin-in-law Melissa. She had it on her blog and it made me happy today. So, I’m going to steal it to share with you. Hope it makes you happy too!

Just a couple of thoughts

I know, a ridiculous amount of time has elapsed since I’ve last blogged. Oh well. I assume everyone has lived through this dry spell. So I’ve decided to just update you on some of my most recent rants:

Don’t clip your fingernails in public!!! Who does this? On more than one occasion I have come across people who do this. For example, last week at church we were all sitting there minding our own spiritual business…a solemn uplifting experience going on…when all of a sudden there is a loud CLICK…the unmistakable click of nail clippers. For some people the scratching of a chalkboard is unnerving…for me it is a mild irritant in comparison to the sound fingernails being clipped. I automatically have visions of quarter moon clippings flying haphazardly and impaling people in the eyeballs! This is disgusting and annoying! I understand when there is a chipped nail emergency (in which case, quickly take care of the emergency….preferably with a file…and go about your business) but this particular lady was just clipping away and then proceeded to clip her granddaughter’s fingernails! Come on! This isn’t the only the incident that I’ve had a run in with public clippers. If you are one of these people…I was going to say cut it out, but that is kind of the problem….so just stop it!!!

On the raving front (you know, for equal coverage) kudos to Justin Timberlake. I am finding that I am becoming more and more of a fan of JT. So, as most of you know the Grammys were last Sunday. I will be honest, I only watched a couple of the performances (mostly because I can’t stand award shows anyway….no one gives me a flippin’ award just for doing my job!….and isn’t it enough that they get paid millions of dollars?!...sorry, that went more into rant territory for a minute…I’ll try to stay on task). Well Rihanna had to unfortunately withdraw at the last minute and guess who volunteered to step up…yep, good ol’ JT. I doubt that the majority of the “talent” in the room had enough “talent” to actually step in and work something together at the last minute. Although I missed the performance that filled this time (the one with Al Green) I did catch his performance with TI and was very impressed with not only his vocal ability but also his mad piano skills. On a little bit of a mini-rant…TI is looking at jail time for a gun possession charge but has been using his career and calling it “redemption.” I’m sorry dude, but that is totally not how the justice system works. You do the crime, you do the time. Just because I’m going to visit the little old lady down the street doesn’t mean that I can call it “redemption” and get out of a speeding ticket. Anyway…moral of the story - well done Justin T.

So is there anything that you’ve been wanting to rant or rave about?

Out of the mouth of babes

Sorry it’s been awhile since I’ve blogged. I don’t know whether to contribute it to a case of writer’s block…or maybe laziness….or maybe the recent realization that I don’t really have that many interesting things to contribute to the cyber society that I keep (The frequency with which David Hasslehoff has popped up in recent conversations I’ve had has kind of brought this to my realization….you wouldn’t think he would be such a driving force in my tête-à-tête, but of late you would be sorely mistaken.) So, if you’ve missed my driveling rants we will chalk it up to me sparing you my recent (albeit inexplicable) enthrallment with the Hoff.
Recently several of my friends/family/comrades have been posting about the cute or funny things that their children say or do. I enjoy these tidbits (particularly since I don’t have the pleasure of enjoying them myself on a frequent basis). Well, let me tell you about some interesting run-ins I’ve had with children lately. Let me preface this with a little explanation. Most people who know me, know that I generally get along pretty well with most kiddies. Well, this weekend while shopping at Walmart (minding my own shopping business) a little girl in a passing cart pointed at me and announced very loudly, “I don’t like you!” It was totally weird, but I attributed it to the fact that she was probably a brat. Well a little while later (on the same Walmart excursion...still minding my own business) a different little girl in a different passing cart started growling loudly at me! What the heck am I supposed to make of that?!?! Now admittedly I could have used a little more makeup, and the hair wouldn’t have suffered had I ran a brush more carefully through it, but I didn’t think I was frightening enough to elicit such responses from children! I must admit I felt a little Quasimodoish.
Well, to end on a less self esteem devastating note, I’ve decided to share with you some cute children anecdotes (mostly from my nephews because they are pretty much the only kiddies I have interactions with)
-Recently I went to lunch with my sister and my youngest nephew, Wyatt, at a restaurant with a fountain in the middle which people tossed coins into. Wyatt was over looking at the water and excitedly yelled out to us across the restaurant, “Look there’s nipples in here!!!” (He meant nickels)
-While talking with Jess (my middle nephew) about college I was trying to convince him that when he grew up he should go to my alma matter. His response after thinking for a while was, “Hmmm….I think I’m going to be busy that day at a junior rodeo.”
-This is another Wyatt one. It was bedtime and Wyatt wouldn’t stop talking (as usual). My sister tells him, “It’s time to go to sleep and stop talking.” His response was (of course), “I AM asleep, you’re the one talking.”

Gotta love kids! So what are some of your favorite kid anecdotes?...Oh, and Happy Chinese New Year!!!!

O, google yourself

Last night I had the opportunity once again to take the young women swimming. I love swimming. It makes you feel invincible, like you can do almost anything, flips and turns, handstands and all the other things that gravity usually impedes (except you can’t run very fast…although it is fun to try). Well the girls were very excited…that is until they saw that a group of guys from their school were there as well. Needless to say there was some serious teen angst going on. Unfortunately, I’m now the heartless adult who thinks it’s all very VERY humorous and entertaining. If nothing else it reminded me what it was like to be a 15 year old girl around a boy who I may or may not have a crush on. In my head I’m way too old for that jazz but seeing as how I’m still single I may still be one of those silly stupid girls from time to time and should therefore have more sympathy for their plight. I don’t think I am but no one really thinks they are when they are in giddy crush mode. Anyway, moral of the story is that it was fun to remember what it was like to be a teenage girl.
On another note…. I, like most people, google myself occasionally…you know, just to see if there’s anything that is actually me on there. It can be pretty fun sometimes. It’s interesting to see what other people with my name are doing…and then it’s sad that they are doing much greater things than I am. Then I usually get over it pretty quick when I see like an obituary of someone with the same name (helps me to remember that it could be worse). Msn actually has a list of most searched and I was thinking about maybe spending a full day just searching for myself, or maybe starting a campaign so that I would show up on that list….but then I thought that would be really creepy. You can even find this blog through google! Well, my blog has a counter that shows me where people are loading my page from. I’ve had several hits from all over North America (and Germany…shout out the Robertsons!!), which I think is very cool. Well I noticed yesterday that I had a hit from the local news station where my arch nemesis works. So, I imagine that he probably googled himself and found my blog. Now I must assume that he is fully aware of our conflict. It made me laugh and oddly enough I feel less bad about blaming him for everything. So what is the most interesting thing you’ve found while googling yourself?

Name that tune

So, a couple of days ago a friend of mine mentioned that he had been partying like it was 1999 (in reference of course to a New Year’s celebration). Well ever since that fateful day (it was only like 2 days ago) Prince has been singing a non stop medley of his greatest hits in my head. I imagine that it would be this one song over and over again but since I know exactly one line of this song (“we’re going to party like it’s 1999”), my super awesome brain has turned that into a medley of the seventeen lines from about five different Prince songs that I do know. It’s kind of turned into a song about the kiss of a secondhand raspberry beret in a 1999 little red corvette. Trust me; it could easily have turned into a lot dirtier song than that (you know Prince). If you’re confused…welcome to my world. Funny how an effeminate straight man singing in a falsetto voice can be such a star (for all you Prince fans out there, he will be releasing 3 new albums this year…I heard that on the radio yesterday. I know, I can hardly wait either…or maybe I can).
This actually got me thinking about how the strange or funny songs, jingles and other catchy phrases stuck in our heads. I, unfortunately, was not blessed with the ability to memorize things. It is something of a curse actually….you know, in school or trying to find my way home. When I sing along with songs I’m generally the person that is making up completely wrong lyrics even though my very memory blessed siblings have corrected me on numerous occasions (I even sometimes make up movie quotes that were never actually in any movies….if I ever do that when I’m around you, just humor me). So, when some little tune gets stuck in my head it generally isn’t right. I do feel sorry for the hardworking advertising people who try so diligently to get me to remember their jingles or slogans because I am something of a lost cause in this area.
So what are some of the tunes that always seem to get you?......And you’re welcome for the Prince song now stuck in your head too!!!

Welcome to an Odd year

Happy New Year! For some reason I feel really excited about this New Year. This is actually quite unusual for me as generally I just feel like it’s another day...somewhat of a lesser holiday to ease us back to reality from the previous months of “real” holidays. The fact that it’s an odd year (numerically) really surprises me that I’m so excited (I have a really weird thing about odd numbers, I don’t even know where it stems from but I have always preferred evens…just crazy I guess). Like everyone else in the world I too have resolved to be a little better this year (I know what you’re thinking, How can she possibly get any better?...It was difficult to find some, but I did set some goals…..if any of you were actually thinking anything remotely close to this….Hello, my name is Amanda. It seems we’ve never met.) I won’t bore you with the details of these personal goals but so far so good.
My vacation was lovely…although I feel more exhausted now than I did before I left. Funny how something that is supposed to be relaxing generally tires you out. One thing that my excursion to Utah helped to remind me was how much I DON’T love the snow which leads to mud which leads to a very crabby me. (No offense to you snow birds. I do love Utah, particularly in the springtime) Looking on the bright side, we made it safely and had a wonderful holiday.
I did have a bit of a run in with a pair of tweezers and now am sporting something of a quizzical brow (but only on my right side). I think it makes me look like I’m interested…hey, maybe it’ll land me a hot date!! One more thing for me to look forward to in the New Year....so if you know anybody, send them my way!
So, what are some of the things you are looking forward to this New Year?