New Carpet- After

I love the new carpet!!!!!!! It feels super soft under your feet and smells wonderful!!!! Goodbye decade old (or more) carpet and Hello gorgeous chocolate milk colored happiness!!!

New Carpet- In Process

New Carpet- Before

Saturday Seething (part 49 of a 444 part series)

This really isn't a typical Saturday Seething but it's more of a "thinking out loud" exercise.
Can you miss someone you've never known? Can you miss something that hasn't happened?
Today marks 28 years since my dad died and I miss him more than words can express. But, I was thinking about it and is it really possible to miss him even though I was only 6 weeks old when he died? Or do I miss the idea of him? I love to hear stories of him and see how much people loved him- he almost sounds too good to be true, but my grandma is incapable of lying so my dad must have been practically perfect in every way. My favorite story is when he helped borrow a piano from the local church meeting house and played it as they transported it in the back of a truck through the neighborhood. My mom says he was the kind of person who could walk into a party not knowing anyone and by the end of the party he'd be best friends with everyone.
I miss that I don't have any stories of my own to tell of him. Everything that I know about him is second-hand and I miss not having personal experience with him.
So going back to my initial question, in my own feelings I do feel like I miss him therefore I believe you can miss someone you don't know and you can miss something that hasn't happened. It is really odd to think about it but it's been kind of fun too.

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Saturday Seething (part 48 of a 444 part series)

The Cat From Hell... is my new favorite TV show. It's on Animal Planet and it is all about nightmare cats and how they can be trained- like the Super Nanny but for cats.
It made me so grateful that I have angelic cats but also made me feel really sad for our former cats Kitty and Tigger. Kitty was super scary and after watching several episodes of the show made me feel a little guilty for not trying harder with him. He should've had a perch where he could survey his territory so he could feel in control and confident. He also could've used playtime to get out his energy (even though he was mainly an outdoor cat who climbed trees and hunted birds and mice) so he wouldn't feel a need to attack. He started vomiting in the last few years of his life probably because he was under a lot of stress and didn't receive much affection after Lesley and I left home.
Then Tigger learned all of Kitty's bad habits only he wasn't half as good of a hunter as Kitty.
I was really heartbroken when I heard they had been put to sleep. I went and cried in the studio art lab while I beveled my copper plate for an intaglio printing. Then that night, Lesley, Margaret and I went to Leatherby's in Provo and shared a sundae in their honor.
Even when you have the cat from hell, you still love them and that is what I love about this show. Nightmare cats are only that way because you don't speak the same language- cats will tell you exactly what they need and we just need to listen. Isn't that the way with everything in life? We just need to listen and respond.

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SCOTUS and Obamacare

I'm not gonna lie, I am really worried about the ruling the Supreme Court made today in upholding The Affordable Care Act. I will only talk about two concerns but I have plenty.
First- I feel lied to by President Obama (surprise surprise). I remember being all upset because yet again his press conference was interrupting my television program and I distinctly remember him saying that the health care bill was NOT a tax and he would not approve anything that added one dime to the deficit (insert maniacal laughter here). Well now the Court said the mandate was constitutional because it is a tax. What?!! Which leads me to my next concern.
The mandate to purchase health insurance has now set a precedence in our legal system. The government, now set precedent by the Supreme Court, has the right to dictate what the American people can purchase. What is there to protect us from the government saying "you must but a GM automobile but feel free to still buy a Honda but with a fine/fee"? It reminds me of the Chinese government and how they fine/tax people when they have more than one child.
I believe in limited federal government, I believe that terms limits need to implemented for Congress and abolish the seniority system, and I think more power should be given to the states (especially on health care, immigration and education). I believe that the role of government is to provide security, stability, infrastructure, and enforce rule of law. I'm grateful to live in a Republic where we get to choose representatives and that they have to report back to us. Sadly, I think many representatives have forget whom they serve (hint: not themselves).
I believe in freedom and the less government I have in my daily life, the better. I believe in America and want it to be a leader again and a beacon for freedom; a place where we can live how we want, worship how we want, eat what we want, vote how we want. I believe in an America where we can achieve goals and make our dreams come true. The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ wouldn't have happened without the government our Founding Fathers established. Disneyland wouldn't have ever been created without the ingenuity of the American spirit and actual ability to make dreams a reality. I want that freedom to continue and not be stifled by regulation and crushing debt. We are being lead in to bondage and tragically most of use aren't even aware of it.
Thanks Supreme Court of the United States, you just turned America into a socialist state. I hope you're proud of yourselves.

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Happy Birthday Laurie-Lou!!

Lauren had a birthday... Can you guess what her favorite present was?

Yes- Snow White dress up from Auntie Lesley!!! Lauren already had the shoes which were donated to her by cousin Ashley a while ago (so sweet of Miss Ashley). The minute she opened the present, she took the Snow White shoes off another cousin who was wearing them and put on HER shoes and HER dress and kept them on the rest of the party. Ha Ha!! I thought I had the winning gift with Sleeping Beauty clothes for her Barbie since SB is her favorite princess (and she sings the songs so beautifully!! I have a recording it's so cute!!).

If it were up to her brothers, GG would've won since she gave Lauren Brave bow and arrows and sword/axe/mace.

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Brave Faces

Here are the boys giving me their best brave faces waiting to see the new Disney Pixar film Brave.

The movie was great, fantastic animation with original story-telling is always enjoyable. It had action, comedy, and a lot of heart. I loved it!!! 

ps: I keep talking to myself in a Scottish accent- it's a wee bit addictive!!

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I get to look at this today

And I'm pretty happy about it!! This is an enhanced limited edition giclee by Jennifer Vranes. An enhanced canvas is where the artist has added paint to the reproduction to add actual texture and highlights. I am really impressed by how much Vranes has enhanced, she did a TON and there are only a few spots without added paint.

Diary Entry: Explanation

A little back story to my post from earlier today.
I had a surprise visit from my mom, Ashley, and Aaron at work this afternoon. A&A had been spending all day with GG having lots of fun at her house and the dinosaur museum. I guess while they were at the house, Ash was find treasures in my old bedroom and she found my diary. She was so enthralled by it, she insisted they bring it to me while I was at work.
Talk about blast from the past!! I only wrote in it for 5 days (but skipped one of those days b/c I am who I am!! LOL).
It's actually quite a sweet connection- in January of '93 I was 8 years old and my niece Ashley will be 8 this summer. I'm so glad she found it and brought it back to me. I'll see if I can post more entries, but they get kind of silly. Oh the thoughts of an 8 year old!!

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Diary Entry: January 18, 1993

Dear Diary,
Today we had to take the cat to the vet. Today me and Lesley are going to see Alladin. My mom just asked me "if I had eney lunch" I said "no" not rudley.
Bie.

Saturday Seething (part 47 of a 444 part series)

I Really Hate It When Narcissists Annoy Me (LOL- get it?)

So my mother, grandmother, and I were in the car and we stopped at a light waiting to turn left. It was a nice day so we had the windows down. We were the fourth car in line to turn and my mom mentioned that if drivers paid more attention then more cars could get through the light. Then we started talking about a chandelier she had in the back of the car that she thought might work for my sister's house. We are animated speakers and use our hands quite a bit. We were talking about where my sis could hang it and how it could swag nicely to center over her dining table. As I'm agreeing with my brilliant mother, the woman in the car just ahead of us gets out and starts walking toward us (super weird!!). She looks angry and hollars in my mother's window "Are you talking about me?"!!! My mom and I both look at each other and almost start laughing but we just look at her and reply that were not talking about her. The angry woman turns around and heads back to her car while we burst into hysterical laughter and are simply stunned by this course of events.
I don't know about you but I don't watch the people behind me when I'm waiting at a light, let alone long enough to think they are talking about me, and then to get so worked up that I would physically get out of my car to confront them. It was all just too bizarre and too funny.
The light finally turned green and we all continued on our merry way. My mom and I were still laughing and I made the comment something to the effect of "what a narcissist that lady must have been"- I am huge into narcissism and know a fellow narcissist when I see one. LOL

We will be laughing and joking about this for a long long time.


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10, 20 Years Ago

June 6th is a rather important day in my life.
10 years ago today, I graduated from high school.
20 years ago today, I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Tabernacle on Temple Square.

Other fun June 6th events:
-84 years ago today, my grandfather was born.
-My nephew Jack was supposed to be born on June 6th 5 years ago but he decided to make his entrance 1 week early.
-And of course, today marks 68 years since the D-Day Normandy invasion of the Allied forces which led to the end of World War II.

There is so much to be thankful for on June the 6th!!!

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Little Drops of Heaven

I am so happy I found these at the checkout line. I can eat 4 for only 2 weight watchers points and boy are they refreshing!! They are really helping with the dry mouth that comes from my allergy medicine and I probably could not get through my day without them. Yay sugar free candy!!!

Heaven is spelled...

T-H-R-E-E
D-A-Y
W-E-E-K-E-N-D
A-T
F-A-M-I-L-Y
C-A-B-I-N


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28

So I am 28 years old today- hooray!!! I've always wanted to be 28 as a kid because it sounds so great and looks so great.
I had a really fun day- started with sleeping in and cuddling with the kitties, then going to lunch with my mom, grandma, and Lesley at Market Street Grill, then my mom and I spent the whole afternoon at the new City Creek Center in downtown SLC. We went to Nordstroms, Tiffany, The Limited, H&M, Forever 21, Disney, and Brighton. In the evening, my Dad and Lesley met us and we ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory- delish!!!
It was such a fun day and I loved spending time with my mother. I really have not been able to spend long periods of time with her in what feels like years.
Honestly, all I really wanted for my birthday was to spend time with family and I couldn't have hoped for better.
Thank you Mom for taking a whole day to spend with me; I'll always be your baby even when I'm old and grey (you know, like 35. Just kidding!!).

For the 2nd time in my life...

I got my own birthday cake!!! Boy, it is hard to blow out all the candles by yourself.

Saturday Seething (part 46 of a 444 part series)

Elevators are not toys!!!!
Why do some mothers think it is okay for their children to play on elevators? It is not a babysitter while you shop; It is not an amusement park ride. The elevator is a useful tool for helping the disabled get to the second level and for deliveries of products.
The elevator in our store is just your basic elevator, only has two floors to choose from, but is rather temperamental. It frequently brakes or gets stuck between the two floors but only because little snot faced kids get in there, push both floor buttons and then they just can't stop themselves from bushing the red, ominous, stop button and yet they fail to realize is that button does indeed stop the elevator. We've had kids stuck in there for hours all because their mother let them run wild.
Here is The saddest story of a kid getting stuck in the elevator: an 8 or 9 year old boy kept running up the stairs and taking the elevator down. He did this about 15 times in 20 minutes. After the first 3 times (and I realized what he was doing) I stopped him and said that elevator is not a toy and suggested he find his mom. He nodded his head as if he understood but 2 minutes later he was back. So I repeated my little lecture in my nicest voice. He did it again. By now I was getting a little mad at this brat. Well after the 15th "ride" the elevator got stuck. He of course starts freaking out and we have to page his mother over the store intercom. She starts freaking out and we call the electrician/elevator repair people. After the mother calms down a bit, we find out her son has autism (oh great, I called him a brat earlier so I feel super guilty). It's about 2 hours before we get him out. He cried hysterically the entire 2 hours. I am still haunted by his screams. Once he was out, he promised his mother he would never play in an elevator again. Ya, that promise lasted only a few weeks because he came right back and played on the "ride" again the next time they were in the store. Seriously- this time I blamed his mother for letting him run wild. He only rode the elevator 3 times and then I guess his mother grabbed him or they left the store.
That is one of countless stories. We had a group of 3 kids get stuck this week but they were only stuck for 5 minutes. The didn't realize you had to push a floor button for the doors to open.
I am so grateful for my nieces and nephews who love to ride it but know how to properly use the elevator.


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Saturday Seething (part 45 of a 444 part series)

I get so angry when people drive with their blinker going without a purpose. I followed a car to work today who had the right blinker clicking THE ENTIRE WAY and I kept anticipating them to turn to change lanes THE ENTIRE WAY. The car then did change lanes but to the left lane and still had the right blinker clicking away. How do you 1. Not see the light flashing on your dashboard and 2. not hear the little clicks?!!

Needless to say, it drove me nuts for my 20 minute commute.

 

Happy Saturday

Saturday Seething (part 44 of a 444 part series)

The Post Vacation Hangover

Hello all my readers (all 5 of you- j/k!!), I've missed you!!!
After spending the past 4 months looking forward to the Best. Trip. Ever. I'm kind of mourning the loss of anticipation. I call it the Post Vacation Hangover, much like the baby blues post pregnancy.* You spend months looking forward to the Big Event and once it's over you feel a little sadness enter your life. I am now currently thinking about my next adventure: where do I want to go? what do I want to do? I'm thinking another Disney Cruise but cannot decided between Alaska or Bahamas (with a stop at Castaway Cay). Or I might hold off a cruise for my 30th birthday.
Another part of the Post Vacation Hangover is pure exhaustion and a little bit of sickness. We were on a cruise where all we really did was play games, lay by the pool, and eat, and yet I arrived home super duper tired and still feel like I haven't caught up yet. I know what your probably thinking b/c I'm thinking it too, (in a mock sympathy voice) " Oh poor you, you had a magical cruise on the Disney Wonder to Mexico and now you're tired. Boo Hoo for you!" That's OK, I deserve the mockery :) LOL
I have determined that they only bad part of a vacation (Disney Cruise in particular) is when it is over. I feel like Captain Jack Sparrow in Curse of the Black Pearl when he says, "but why is the rum gone?!"

* It is really nothing like the baby blues b/c I really have no personal reference point.

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