I need to buy a canary

Sorry, I really like Dilbert. I know this is about the third or fourth time that I have thrown one into my blog, but really, the guy is funny, and I've liked the strip since before I even had a part time job. It's even funnier now that I have a "normal grown up" job.

But this is how I feel today. One more hour until the weekend!

What the Hail?!

Woke up this morning and there was hail plastering the city. Just great...I was going to go grocery shopping today and if this keeps up there won't be anything left (you see, in Richmond when there is a snowflake the grocery stores run out of milk and bread). But it's supposed to change to rain, so hopefully I'll be fine and won't have too much competition in the store aisles.

Good news: I found my umbrella. There is a strange phenomenon with my umbrella. I always know where it is until it rains (or hails) and suddenly I can't find it. So on rainy days I am umbrella-less. Which of course defeats the purpose of owning said umbrella. So this morning I went out in the hail and started my car, I almost just left without it and then I realized I had never closed the door to the house. So I took the opportunity to go back in and do a quick search for the umbrella. There it was, in the last place I planned to look with my electronic cords, why with those? Not so sure, but that's where it was and that's how it is.

So now - some random pictures.

First, from my birthday, cause I don't think I ever posted pictures from that day. At work they got me a cake...a very large cake. Boss Lady bought candles that were basketballs in hoops. She had said that we needed to light them to see what they were underneath so we thought that meant that they would do something cool once lit. We watched and watched and watched...

When nothing happened I double checked with Boss Lady and it turns out that nothing is supposed to happen, I was just supposed to blow out the candles and take them out of the cake to see the hoops. But it was fun watching and waiting.

Later on I went to eat more cake before everyone had to rush off to their lives...(I'm amazed that I actually lost weight the week of my birthday).

My sister's a creative genius when it comes to what to put on the cake. It's okay, one year I wrote "Sorry..." or was it "Oops" on her cake because my brain stopped working about two weeks before her birthday and I just couldn't think of what to say (I'm ready for '09 though).

And last but most certainly not least, my basketball wounds from last week. I know you've been anxiously awaiting this! But just to warn you - it looks so much cooler now, a nice deep purple color.

That would be my right knee, I think the floor favors that one because it always seems to be the one that is bruised the most.

Anyway, that's all for now folks!

Mid-wolf

I had a very busy weekend. For now I will just post about the coolest part and my basketball wounds for the week will have to wait for another day (let's be honest, probably tomorrow or later today). So here it is...drum roll please...you've probably guessed from the title of the blog...BUT! The puppies are here!This would be my second time helping my sister to deliver the puppies. The first was when I helped to deliver Chubbers and his siblings into the world. I do not got a puppy out of this deal, and that's fine with me, one is enough. Though, they are so stinking cute I might trade Chubbs in for a newer model. This time I only had time to help deliver two and then I had to go to church...late. Which was okay cause this was a good excuse to be late to church.

We thought she was going to have them Saturday night so right after work on Saturday I went over there to hang out. So from 6 to almost 2 a.m. I waited with Kathryn and Rosa...but nothing happened, and I had to get back to Chubber's. Bella wouldn't give in to my demands to at least have one puppy before I left. Here's me trying to prematurely squeeze them out.

She's so resistant.

Sunday morning I was getting ready for church early because I thought I would be going over to greet the newest memebers of the family (despite not having gotten an e-mail saying they were here). But then my brother-in-law called me and told me that Bella was having the puppies. It didn't really sink in while we were on the phone because I was like, "Okay, I'll come over before church." But once I hung up I realized that she was having the puppies! So I finished getting ready, grabbed my church stuff and got to her house around 11:30. One puppy was almost all the way out when I got there but we had to wait an hour before it was all the way out. That's rough on the knees! Then as soon as number one came all the way out number 2 came out. At 2:30 I had to leave to get to church for at least the last hour and then I had a meeting, a fireside, and home teaching that filled up the rest of my night (until 10 p.m.). In all there were 8 puppies, but I haven't had a chance to meet all of them, so for now you get to meet the two I'm in love with. Heart and blue...though I wanted to call the other one 'Soul'

I can't believe Chubber's used to be this small, well actually, since I was there when Chubber's was born I can believe it, I suppose I just really miss it. He'd better behave or I'll trade him in for one of these!

Life can be so randomly beautiful.

I'm bored.

I know that technically I am not allowed to say that because I have a list of things I can do and also because it is before 9:00 a.m. People aren't allowed to be bored until at least noon. I think that's because if you have nothing to do before noon then why in the world are you awake?

I was hoping that by beginning to blog with nothing to blog about that I would somehow, miraculously come up with an awesome theory or interesting topic but I don't really see that happening today.

Last night I hung out with Amber. She met me at Enrichment and then we went to Bailey Bridge to watch the boys play basketball. There is this guy Brad, who came late to watch our first basketball game and before he showed up we were winning, but when he got there we suddenly lost our lead and then began to lose the game. In the end we lost by about 5 or 6 points. After the game he mentioned this phenomenon and I told him that he was bad luck and therefore he was banned from the games. It didn't stop him though and he showed up to our next game. I approached him beforehand and told him that he wasn't allowed to be there because he was deemed our bad luck charm. He then corrected me and told me that he was only bad luck if he showed up late but he was on time. I told him that could work, but if we lost this game he was no longer allowed to come. We won the game so he is cleared to come on time to our games. If he is late he shouldn't bother.

With this in mind, Amber and I got to the game a little early (even though technically Brad owes me a game and I should have gone late so they would lose). They were ahead in the first few minutes of the game, but after that they lost their lead and never gained it back. It was an intense game to say the least, I think my anxiety was flaring up. And while I felt that they should lose a game to make up for the one we lost due to his tardiness I still felt bad. I don't actually want them to lose! I began to wonder if maybe I was their team's bad luck charm. Would I be banned?! Maybe it works the opposite with me, maybe I'm supposed to show up late and then they'll win. Every time they fell about 10-11 points behind they would start to gain on the other team, up until 4 or 5 points and then they would either maintain or the other team would start to make points. In the end...they lost by about 5-6 points (sound familiar? Because I just talked about how our first game we lost by about 5-6 points...remember that?).

After the game Amber and I practiced a little for our game tonight (crossing fingers, wish me luck, send money). Then we drove back to our side of town and ended up talking in the parking lot of the church until 1:00 a.m.! I talk too much, it's just a proven fact and I've made up my mind so there will be no debate on the issue. I mean seriously, look how long winded my blog is and for any of you who have hung out with me in person you know how it is. Random thoughts in quick succession, quickly trailing off until I can't remember why I started talking in the first place. But I don't regret staying up so late, in fact I went to bed later (cause I had to drive home and all) and woke up the earliest I had all week. Well rested? Not so much, but I didn't have the usual complications and constant snooze button tapping that I have had all week.

*Sigh* My apologies. But that's life right now. It's little random things that come together equaling happy and content for me but a little dry on the river of exciting news for my readers. And I am happy, I'm the happiest I've been in a while, at least the most content I've been in a while (I'm still playing around with the distinct differences of happy and content). Life is in a good place right now even if I don't have any money or a boyfriend, or had to skip breakfast this morning because despite waking up on time I took too long getting ready (and checking e-mail). Never fear, I have a pack of crackers to tide me over until lunch.

Happy Inauguration Day!

My roommate Evan had a really interesting theory that she shared with us at dinner on Saturday night. It was so interesting and so hilarious that I had to share it with "my readers". Evan would never be confused with a democrat or an Obama supporter but on Saturday she revealed that she was going to make an effort, after all, he will be the president. She doesn't want to be like those people who bad mouthed Bush for 8 years. The humor in it comes from how she will deal with it. Have you ever seen The Manchurian Candidate? I'm not talk about the Denzel Washington version but the Angela Lansbury one. Well, Evan has decided that Obama is the brainwashed Raymond Shaw.
And who has she decided would be the Angela Lansbury?

Hilary Clinton of course...

And with that we are anxious to see what Michelle wears tonight because what if she accidentally dresses like the queen of diamonds? She will have unwittingly gained control of Obama's every action! That won't make Hilary too happy.

So with this in mind Evan now feels sorry for Obama, and how could you dislike someone that you feel sorry for? The man knows not what he does. I'll go with the brainwashed theory - but it's not Obama I think is brainwashed (it's not Evan either, don't worry).

But let's talk about the real reason inauguration day is so exciting!! The Free Stuff!

At Krispy Kreme you can get a free doughnut of your choice (cute since you know, freedom of choice and all...cute).

T.G.I. Friday's will be throwing a huge party that starts in about 10 minutes (11:00 a.m.). They will be giving away free buttons, half-priced appetizers and discount drinks.

Macy's, Dillards, Saks will be giving away free cosmetics. I don't really know what those have to do with inauguration day, but they're free...take what you can get right?

New Yorker Magazine is giving a free copy of the January 26th edition of the magazine, you just have to register for it HERE.

And...I probably won't get anything from this list. But I thought I would share.

Happy 1 Year!

Today is the one year anniversary of my blog. They grow up so fast!

Some highlights of my blog

1. Followers: When followers came to the blog world it was the coolest thing ever! (to me at least).

2. When I wrote the blog about obsessions and Peter Pan commented!

3. My blog on The Similarities Between Dating and Baking.

4. The book montage (it's over to your right). Seriously, I love that thing, and with my resolutions you should see at least one new book pop up there a month.

5. Top Five Worst Dates.

6. Top Five Best Dates

7. When I found my Children.

8.Best Halloween Costume thus far.

9. When I started to use The Cutest Blog on the Block website for my backgrounds.

10.Seal Team cause let's face it, that was pretty darn cool.

Happy Birthday to me...

As many of you know today I celebrate my 21st birthday. (As many more of you know I'm a pathological liar, but it's my birthday so keep your mouths shut.) Today started at 1:30 in the a.m. when Chubber's decided he had waited long enough to wish me happy birthday. He really wanted to go outside and show me the gift he got me so I staggered upstairs half asleep to get check it out with him. He ran down the steps of the back porch and first pointed out the bush by the steps, he decided to "water" it for me too. What a great dog. Then he jumped back up on the porch, gave me a quick look as if to say, "now here's the really cool part" and then he jumped off of the back porch into the front yard and the dark abyss of a cold January morning. I promptly turned on my heel and went back to my warm bed.

I was not impressed with his gift and contemplating leaving him outside to face the consequences of his actions until the morning. But the guilt got the better of me and I went to the back door on several occasions and whistled (yeah, that's all the effort he gets). Eventually he came to stand by the back door and I looked down at him and wondered why exactly I was about to let him in. But I did, and he's home, and he's the worst child I'll ever have. At least he sets low expectations for real children.

I've decided that I am going to play the part of the self-absorbed birthday girl and post a bunch of random pictures of me. I only had access to my Shutterfly account so take what you can get. If you notice this cleverly does not include my awkward stage. Go me!

Hmm....Matt, Martha, Kathryn, Joanna, me....Where's Edward? That's a history mystery if I ever saw one!

My dad and me in Florida in 2001. We went down for Emily's baby blessing! I can't she's turning 8 this year!

The Mur and Me...this is what happens when you try to take the picture yourself, and somehow it just ended up being one of my favorite college pictures. That's a BYU-Idaho bookstore bag on my head by the way, in case you were wondering where you could get a stylish hat such as mine.

Another thing I miss about college is the snow, and the deadly icicles, yes, the deadly icicles are something I miss. They are the perfect weapon, sharp and hazardous but they will melt eventually, taking with it any trace of fingerprints. Er...uh...I mean they are really beautiful when they are hanging from the buildings, like an ice castle in a princess fairyland.

Here's me with Crazy Mcgee as he tries to attack me. Also a random yet favorite picture of mine. I just wish you could have seen what I saw coming at me, then you'd understand the fear and helplessness I felt.

All in all I've had a fantastic life so far. I've had my ups and downs, my good days and bad days...good years and bad years. But overall I don't think I would have changed a thing...well, a few small things just to add a little bit more fun to life, but nothing that would alter where I am today.

I've gone to California, Washington, Florida, and New York (though not New York City...just the state) and numerous places in between. I graduated high school and somehow went to and graduated college (not that I doubted I could do it, it was just that I didn't have the desire to go to college when I was 18). I've developed talents and set goals for new ones. Most importantly I have grown and matured (I know it's hard to tell). I have developed more patience (though I need more), learned to forgive and to seek forgiveness, I've learned not to judge people so harshly, and that I choose how to react to the things that life throws at me.

With growing a year older I have decided that in addition to New Year's goals which typically only last through the year I am setting some other goals. Things I want to accomplish, maybe not in this year, but soon.

I want to travel more. Why not? I'm single and lack a lot of "grown up" responsibility at this point, why not take advantage. I really want to go see the Grand Canyon, I've never seen it before. I want to do that in 2010, anyone interested in joining me? While I'm out west I might as well go to the four corners, you know where the four states meet and it's possible to be in four states at the same time. I want to go to Atlanta, GA and NYC. Niagara Falls while it's still in Canada and one day I would like to leave the North American Continent (whether it is Ireland, England, the castles of Germany, or Greece). I want to buy my own home eventually and I want to continue to grow and to develop into the person that Heavenly Father means me to be.

I'm so grateful for the family members and the friends throughout the years who have helped to shape me into the person I am. I love each and everyone of you, even if it's only a matter of years before I start to forget names and faces (okay, I'm not that old yet). Thanks everyone for making the last 21+ years amazing!

There will be blood...

That's right, you guessed it. This entry will be dedicated to basketball. Tonight was the first game of the session for Women's basketball. We had a good turnout for our team and I'm pretty excited for the session. It was rough though, and I may need a blood transfusion, I'll at least need some new socks.

Now be warned I took pictures, as I usually do of my wounds, but there is blood involved in the story as well as in the pictures. So if you have a weak stomach (and I know from Cassie's blog today that she does not) then maybe you should skip this post. I have absolutely no qualms about showing my blood, because quite frankly I think you should suffer through what I am going through. Now that you know I'm a sadist maybe it will be easier for you to turn away.

Okay then...Here we go.

So I got there a little early to just to make sure I was there. I always get nervous that we won't have enough girls and my worst nightmare (basketball wise) is that we will have to forfeit. (My worst nightmare in real life is being in a wide open field in the pitch black night with spiders and snakes crawling all over me...just in case you wanted to know that). I bought hot pink duck tape so that the girls wouldn't have to write on their shirts with marker for their numbers.

Needless to say I have been relieved of my duct tape number making duties.

The game was pretty intense and the refs were calling fouls left and right. I didn't like it, but they were. I had two by half time and four with two minutes left in the game. The funny thing is though, none of my injuries came from the other team, but from my very own teammate! At one time our ball was about to go out of bounds because a shot that wasn't going to make it to the backboard. I ran to get it and at the same time my team member ran to get it too. Suddenly we collided. It was the coolest thing ever and my only regret is that I couldn't see it from a different perspective. It felt pretty cool, it hurt really bad. We both slammed into the divider between the gym and the chapel, and I was on the lower end of the collision and got the brunt of it.

It doesn't look like much now, but if you look closely you can see that it is already beginning to bruise, and it's swollen, so fingers crossed I'll have a pretty cool bruise to show you in a day or two. We'll see though. It sure hurts so it'd better produce a good looking bruise.

But that's not all folks! I got a rinky dink looking cut on my hand that people assumed were the claws marks from the other team. Nope, it was from the bottom part of the dividers.

It doesn't look like much, but it's also a painful one, and it stings.

I played for a little bit, bleeding, but I really didn't want to get my blood on anyone and I knew that if they noticed they would pull me out so I got a sub and went to the bathroom to wipe it all down. When I came back in lovely Amber told me to spit in my wounds to stop the bleeding. So I licked my hand and she said, "No you have to spit it in." Well that elbow one is not an easy one to spit (I dare you to try and spit on your elbow). She kept saying, "Spit on it, spit on it!" I couldn't take the pressure and I said, "You spit on it!" And before I had time to realize what I said...she spit on it. Yeah, she did. I know, you moms out there who drink after your children and go in after their boogies, you aren't phased by this. For the rest of us who haven't developed that strange super power, that's just gross. I couldn't believe she did it, but you know what? It worked. Human spit - the cure all.

My worst cut I didn't even noticed until I got home and hit my ankle with my other foot by accident. Then I thought, "Hey, that hurts?" So I looked at it and said, "Oh hey, that's bleeding!" Yeah, I think we've already discussed before that I'm a quick one. Here it goes, the picture. You've been warned.


Hence the reason I might need to throw the socks out. I would post a picture of what the socks look like, yes, plural, socks. They are both pretty bloody. I thought I would spare you the worst of it. Hey, at least these aren't pictures of my feet when I had the second degree burns. Granted, these pictures may be nothing, but I felt the need to warn just in case someone sees them as vile, disgusting photos of blood and carnage.

And you know? I didn't even foul out. Took it all the way to four and couldn't seal the deal with a number five. Pathetic. I did make 11 points though, and that's surprised me a bit because I rebound and fall on the ground more than I shoot...so...you know, go me.

'Bout time in '09

I plum forgot to set resolutions! It's all the rave in blog land and here I am resolution...less(?).

Think fast, think fast. I could always pull out the oldies but goodies. The goals I will set in January and forget by March...or maybe still be doing good in March and think I'm doing all right, develop a little pride in myself for how well I've done. But pride cometh before the fall and in April I'll be reevaluating my resolutions and the whole resolution system in general.

Last year's motto was "Get a Date in '08". I think I did pretty well. I almost tripled my average from the year before (wasn't that hard to do but boy do I feel accomplished!)

In making my goals I have to laugh and reference this strip from Dilbert...because that's kind of my mentality, though not really. I just like to have low expectations for things so that I am pleasantly surprised and rarely disappointed. But...whatever...same difference.



So here it goes: The recycled, regurgitated, reused resolutions of New Year's Past.

Uno - Lose weight: I think this one is the longest running resolution since I was a hefty child and pudgy teen and an even pudgier adult.

Deux - Budget! I have had a budget set up since I got a job where I knew what I would be making per month, and it always starts out well on the 1st of the month and becomes a dusty old file on my computer by the end. This year, we're going all out.

Tres - Read one book a month. It can be a book I started seven years ago, or one I started the first day of the month. But by the last day of each month I need to have at least one book read (this is the one I did the best last year).

Oven ('four' in Dutch) - Expand my vocabulary. I would like to sound more intelligent. That's it.

Cinco - Read my scriptures...everyday: I'm doing pretty good so far, but I need to stick with it. I always get the fire lit under me to read daily and I start, but then something happens one day and everything goes downhill from there.

Six - Overcome my fear of the phone - Yeah, I have a problem with phones...don't know if anyone ever noticed how I never answer it. It's a type of agoraphobia I guess. I need to be better about making calls to set up doctor's appointments, vet appointments for Chubb's, work related phone calls, ordering a pizza, etc.

Siete - Get Domesticated - I want to learn how to do more cool things. Like, for example, make a blanket (and not the easy way I've done in the past), I want to make a night stand, can veggies and such, learn to make things beyond chicken fingers and taco salad. Find out what it is to 'darn a sock'.

Huit- Be more outgoing - When I sit next to someone I don't know in church (which I do more often than you'd think) I want to have the nerve to introduce myself, it's just plain rude not to but I have the anxiety issue. I want to talk to a boy if I like him, rather than talking to everyone else and ignoring him. Make eye contact with strangers and say 'hello' when I pass them. I think you get the idea

Neun- Organize - I have a bigger room than I used to have and I thought that would help me keep it clean and tidy...but it hasn't. The problem is not the size of the room, it's me. I need to find a better way to organize all my stuff (or to learn to let go of it!)

Diez - Have Fun! Okay, truth be told I wanted a nice even number and none seemed to feel right except for 10...so I had to come up with 10. I have fun, I just want to keep having it, so why not make a resolution I can almost effortlessly keep?

Remember the Dilbert cartoon, I'm not trying to raise the bar too high for myself. I wouldn't want to fail, especially since all my friends know the deal and will know if I am screwing up. So despite this year's motto ('Bout time in'09) having been formed in relation to the dating realm, it pretty much expands to everything. It is about time.

I'm an airhead

I don't know how well you can see this picture. I had to find a copy of it on the Internet because I couldn't scan and paste my copy for some reason. Probably because at work it automatically scans into PDF format...details. Anywho, if you click on the picture it should enlarge it.

So today I have plenty to do at work but no motivation to do it. That's when I normally take the time to check in to other people's blogs and catch up. The past two days have just been nonstop and I think my brain wants a little vacation...or maybe the tasks on my list bore me into a state of extreme demotivation. (Or if you want to be English dictionary approve - unmotivation...scratch that, neither of those words are apparently in the dictionary). Digression.

So in my state of brain inactivity I glanced over at my cubicle wall which is decorated with post-its from when friends have stopped by my desk and I wasn't there, a penguin, business cards, a bookmark, a pseudo birthday card from the President of the company (really it's from boss lady and she signed it from him and taped a quarter to the inside) and Dilbert comic strips ranging from before my employment here up until sometime before Christmas. I have them e-mailed to me and when one tickles my fancy I print it and put it up for all to know that my fancy was tickled. I looked at one strip though that I did not print or bring in, it was sent to me by my coworker who was not my coworker at the time but was before and is now (long story, the life of a temp turned permanent employee). She said she read it and thought of me. Here it is...
So...I've looked at it off and on for months now and I never quite got it. I just didn't see it as a funny - laugh out loud. I saw it more of a, "Hey, I have to check references too and I hate doing that." It didn't seem to have the Dilbert-sting. Then, today, as I sat here staring at my cubicle I read it once more, except this time my brain was working. I laughed, well, since I was all alone I smiled, but I got it. Then I beat myself on the head several times because I should have read it the right way the first time.

...You see, the clouds are Ted.

Happy New Year!!

I brought in the new year at my resort (my sister's house) in North Carolina. I went down there after work last Tuesday and stayed until Sunday.

A small hiccup with the car on Saturday but otherwise a fantastic time. Joanna worried that I was bored, but I was far, far away from VA and responsibility and I was chillin' with my boys...how could I be bored? Anyway, I couldn't decide which pictures to post so here is an attempt with a slide show. Enjoy...or don't, your prerogative.

The deal with the car. So I went to fill up on gasoline Saturday night so I could keep the Sabbath Day Holy on my drive back. My brother-in-law (B.I.L.) moves his car so I can get out of the driveway and he takes his for a spin around the block while I sit in his driveway with Jacob in the backseat and a car that won't seem to start. I run inside to tell my sister and we wait for Ben to come back so he can do his manly thing of jumping the car. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working, didn't sound like a transmission problem, but my car isn't old so neither is it's battery and I didn't leave any lights on...So Ben comes back and we try and we try to jump it but it just won't catch. Meanwhile the boys are having an awesome time running around in the front yard in the dark occasionally throwing a mag light into the bushes. We call my Dad who suggests AAA, and I made my sister call because she's a mom and that's the kind of things moms just do. I'm but a mere single woman, and lack the capability to make important phone calls such as these. She calls and pretends to be me though I wonder how she passes as me when she asks the lady to hold while she asks me my address, I just feel certain they caught on at that point.

So they dispatch someone to come take a look at my little problem and I try to wait patiently inside the house. Finally they came (it really wasn't a long wait at all) and I go out to meet the guy and he has me try to start the car...same thing (surprise) and he says he doesn't think it's the battery but we'll try to jump it anyway. In the meantime B.I.L. Ben comes out and suddenly the guy forgets I'm there and refers to me in third person as though I'm not standing next to Ben. "Well, she should get the car checked out, it" and "It's probably blah, blah, (mechanical talk) her battery, blah, blah." I would have probably remembered more of what he had said, had he said it to me, rather I kind of started to zone out when I realized I wasn't needed. What can you do?

So the car finally started and it was suggested to let it go for about 30 minutes. Jacob stayed with me the whole time and since we weren't going anywhere I let him sit in the front seat, then I let him steer the car, then I had him check the hazard lights (which he really liked), then he wanted to check the tires as I steered, then he steered again and tried to kick me out of "his car". Yeah, we had a lot of time on our hands out there in the car and we made the most of it. Finally I turned it off and went inside. Then I decided I really should go fill up. So Jacob and I got back in the car, but this time he had to sit in the back with his seat, he wasn't too happy about that.

He got out at the gas station with me and I showed him how to pump the gas and let him pump a little into the car, but then the person at the next pump got out of her car and he told me to stay right where I was and hopped back into the car. Just ditched me. He kept his window rolled down though and talked to me through it until we were ready to go. Then he let me know that we were going to have to stop and look, which I determined meant the exit from the gas station back on to the road.

Sunday before I left Jacob reminded me of the rules of road trips. He had told me several times during my stay what to do if I got sick in the car. Yell out, "Pull over!", throw up in the grass, etc. He has a lot of experience with car sickness on the drive to Virginia. It was so cute the way he would tell me, you could tell he heard the speech a lot.