Talk to strangers, especially if they have candy

Transformation

2011-06-27T23:44:00.003-06:00

Some parents hope there kids are doctors or lawyers

2011-06-25T11:49:00.004-06:00

Just because

2011-06-16T18:31:00.005-06:00

Spring

2011-05-24T01:11:00.003-06:00

iPhoto

2011-04-28T15:23:00.006-06:00

I took and edited this photo with my iPhone. I love technology. However, sometimes my feelings of astonishment at what I can do with it makes me feel old. I am sure that using a phone to take and edit a photo (that actually looks cool) would not even slightly impress a teenager these days. They probably would be annoyed that they couldn't use their phone to post it to this blog (I know because I tried).

His feet finally reach the pedals

2011-04-14T19:39:00.002-06:00

And the first thing he does is try to drive off the edge.

Breakfast

2011-02-17T16:07:00.004-07:00

If his mom was going to sleep in, Isaac decided to get his own dang breakfast

(I guess I should be happy he didn't notice the Valentine's Day candy on the counter)

My Little Valentine

2011-02-14T09:47:00.002-07:00

First official haircut and randomness

2011-01-24T23:47:00.012-07:00

I didn't think his hair looked that bad. OK it was getting shaggy in back and looked a little ragged by his ear where I tried to trim it. (he chose the shiny black car with colored flames)

In a few minutes under the clippers, some wisps of hair falling to the floor and Isaac keeping his hands firmly on the wheel...

...my baby now looks like a little boy.

I didn't realize he needed a haircut until he got one.

If DNA has anything to do with it, this my contribution to his genes:

(Yes, progress is being made in the go-to-sleep-in-your-own-bed-without-mom-or-dad-snuggling-with-you-for-an-hour campaign)

And of course he still loves his trains:

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T14:21:00.003-07:00

Hope your holidays are train-licking good!

It started to feel a lot like Christmas....

2010-12-06T00:20:00.003-07:00

So many choices

Daddy helped me with the first one

But I figured out how to do it on my own

Let's just hope he won't knock down the tree in the next 19 days.

My little pumpkin's got high hopes

2010-10-27T23:23:00.003-06:00

He did find one more his size

Summer's not over yet

2010-09-03T12:47:00.004-06:00

On a totally unrelated note even if wash your dog with Pantene (conditioner too) they still smell like wet dog.

Oh, this face

2010-08-24T00:36:00.004-06:00

Roughing it

2010-08-04T00:09:00.003-06:00

No one was eaten by a bear, lost in the woods or drowned in the creek. It wasn't really that rough at all.

Watermelon

2010-07-12T16:02:00.003-06:00

He's not afraid of seeds.

pictures in the park

2010-06-30T23:48:00.002-06:00

Star Gazing

2010-06-09T17:46:00.001-06:00

It finally stopped raining...

2010-06-08T15:25:00.003-06:00

...time to bring out the sprinkler

It's even fun to get a little wet

But more fun to get mommy wet

Beautiful day

2010-06-02T16:25:00.009-06:00

He liked the dinosaur stickers grandma got him, but not so much the real thing

Your dad wasn't afraid of the dinosaurs The footprints were not so scary

Or the smaller dinosaurs

He may look cute and innocent but he is actually the...

The dinosuars may have made him nervous but he found other things interesting

Like holes in the concrete...

...and the water fountain

Lunch among the hummingbirds at The Oaks

When we got home we tried out our new blender

While Isaac hung out by the pool

It was a beautiful day

Prison break

2010-05-27T08:44:00.004-06:00

Now that he can escape the play yard, no place is safe.

Dancing in the rain

2010-05-24T16:09:00.003-06:00

Isaac didn't seem to mind the rain/slush/snow. But then again he can't read a calender yet.

I'll feel bad for yelling if he turns out to be famous artist

2010-05-15T21:42:00.003-06:00

I swear I only went to get the mail. Gone three minutes, maybe four. I actually chose that moment because he was happily coloring ON PAPER. What you don't see here is the long line that goes all the way across the wall to the kitchen door. What flair!

Not-really-daily random photo

2010-04-29T00:56:00.005-06:00

This kept him busy for more than 30 minutes, which is comes in at a close second to taking the vacuum apart.

Not-really-daily random photo

2010-04-27T15:25:00.002-06:00

Your love is better than ice cream

2010-04-25T23:48:00.009-06:00

This is the first time Isaac has eaten an ice cream cone all by himself. And I never knew I could enjoy ice cream so much that I didn't even eat.

(this is when the first brainfreeze may have set in)

(Getting the drips out of the bottom, yea I think he is a genius for this)

(I think he is wondering if he could lick his shirt)

Most of life's sweetest moments cannot be planned or expected. Hopefully we can just recognize them and soak them up for all they are worth.

Baby Boy

2010-04-15T18:39:00.003-06:00

He may look big to everyone else
but I am surprised by the glimpes of a little boy in my baby

Easter egg follow up

2010-04-05T01:08:00.003-06:00

So I decided to throw caution to the wind and put Isaac's Easter treats in the eggs just as they were. Later that day I was throwing away the packaging and found this:

At least it didn't say not meant for food storage

First mohawk

2010-04-04T11:22:00.003-06:00

Pastel paranoia

2010-03-30T23:36:00.004-06:00

I am afraid of plastic Easter eggs.
This does not stem from some childhood trauma involving a egg hunt stampede, but is a new fear induced by parenthood.
It started out simply enough. I saw the bag of eggs on sale at Target, thought they would be fun for Isaac to open for Easter. Then I thought I would wash the eggs before I put food in them. Then I worried that they might not be made of BPA free plastic, which I couldn't wash away. Then I thought about the lead content. Then I thought
"OH MY GOD, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME?!?"

Yea, I am pretty lucky

2010-03-17T19:35:00.003-06:00

Dog toy

2010-03-03T10:06:00.004-07:00

No matter what toys Isaac brought her she just didn't want to play. Maybe if he had a steak in his toy box...

Leo sees him as more as a pillow that a play thing. I'd like to think this was some sort of protection instinct, but pretty sure he was just a warm thing to snuggle with.

Random Isaac

2010-02-22T23:30:00.003-07:00

Enjoying Valentine's DayPlaying tent with the bed spread

Walking softly, but carrying a big stick

Looking for his belly button

Sending his love

My parental authority...

2010-01-22T00:04:00.002-07:00

... is about as strong as Play-Doh

Winter Blossoms

2010-01-18T22:15:00.005-07:00

(It's not always about Isaac.) This does not make me want spring any less.

Just as cute going as coming

2010-01-11T09:54:00.002-07:00

Mommy Time

2010-01-05T18:54:00.006-07:00

Everyone remembers when they were a kid and the week before Christmas seemed to last a month, or the ride to Lagoon took fooooreeever. Then time seems to speed up when we are adults. Either we are more patient or maybe just tell time better.

Well Isaac has taught me about Mommy Time. The most noticeable for me is nap time. He sleeps an hour and a half to two. This is the length of most movies, a drive to Idaho, a coat of paint to dry and many other productive things. However, I feel like I surf the net for 10 minutes and the next thing you know he is stirring. I look at the clock and am surprised to see it has been more than an hour.
While this time speeds by, some days (those with lots of whining, usually) that last half of an hour before Owen gets home takes as long as the ride to Lagoon for an seven-year-old.

I didn't dare take a picture of him napping and risk disturbing his sweet slumber.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2009-12-23T22:53:00.003-07:00

Well we were cutting it close. But we finally made it. The snow was falling softly. The lights were bright and the cocoa was hot.

Isn't this why people have kids?

2009-12-13T20:12:00.002-07:00

...And I thought we would have to wait until he was older

Mood swings

2009-11-30T01:16:00.004-07:00

I gave him the first push on the swing. I couldn't see his face, but I heard this awesome laughter. I quickly grabbed the camera and made Owen trade me places. But what a one-year-old likes one second apparently can be torture the next. (Or maybe I am just a better pusher.)

Attack of the Hat

2009-11-23T02:26:00.008-07:00

"Hey, Dude I smell something funny on your head"

"Rrrrg! What is this vile thing covering my cranium!?!"
"My head is suffocating. It must be stopped!"
"Not to mention the damage it is doing to my hair style."
"The knit monster is strong, but I am stronger!!"
"It fought valiantly, however only one of us could survive."

Three cheers for the brave orange knight from the Land of Giraffe

And moment of silence for the hat (and a warm baby head)

2009-11-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

Taking care of children is laughably easy, provided you don't try to do anything else.
~ Dave Barry

One-year-warranty and I didn't even get an owner's manual

2009-11-16T01:35:00.010-07:00

In the first few months of Isaac's life, every time he would scratch himself with a fingernail it would drive me nuts. He had (still does) such a perfect face and perfect skin, I couldn't wait for it to heal so he would be back to being my perfect baby. I was always happy to see that these little scratches faded within just a few days.

Now that he is mobile, he faces more dangers than a few scratches with his own fingernails. I felt like up until now I have kept the damage to a minumun. But as I have mentioned I feel like his one-year-warranty is up.

First there was a little scratch on his nose, which instead of fading turned into a scab. Then on Saturday, he toppled head first off the couch resulting in a large bump covered in scratches on his forehead. And, yes I was sitting right next to him.

The next day the bump had gone down along with some of my guilt and he decides to bump his mouth on grandma's coffee table. The worst part, he was within a couple feet of three responsible adults. After I checked for wobbily teeth and finding none, I really started to think he was doing this on purpose to keep me on my toes.

So now with a scratched nose, bruised forehead and swollen lip, I am really wishing I would have gotten the extended warranty -- at least 18 years.

Maybe, if the snow was warm

In other baby news, Isaac was facinated by Saturday's snow fall. He just stood at the backdoor watching, throwing a fit whenever we tried to close the door. Although there was just an inch or two of snow, I thought I would give his new snowsuit a try. As I wrangling him into his coat, pants and boots, a thought occured to me "Oh, no what if I have a snow baby? What if he wants to spend many hours skiing or snowboarding instead of cuddling on the couch drinking hot cocoa?" I am all for building a snowman or a quick snowball fight, but the thrill of swinter wonderlands wear off for me on December 26 and I start dreaming of green grass and sandals.

As with most new things Isaac was facinated and happily waddled out on to the back patio. We kept trying to get him to grab the snow but, to my guilty relief, he really didn't want much to do with once he realized that it was really cold. I guess I should have made him some cocoa.

Hey, this is fun!

Hey, what's this stuff?

Hey, I am done now!

Tuesday at the aquarium

2009-11-10T19:15:00.003-07:00

He was also facinated by the gum squished on the ground (but I didn't take a picture of it)

Just the three of us

2009-11-05T18:55:00.004-07:00

I don't forget that I have a baby. Being a stay at home mom means that Isaac is a constant in my life. He is with me more than my shadow. However after 15 years of being a couple, the idea of being a trio is still sinking in. That is why sights like this still catch my eye.

I like being part of this love triangle.

It was a treat

2009-11-01T12:46:00.002-07:00

My little pumpkin

2009-10-30T00:22:00.004-06:00

Since Isaac was born a week before Halloween, I always regret not taking his picture in a pumpkin when he was really little. When Erin told me David was growing a really big pumpkin I thought I had another chance.
Turns out it's a little harder to get a one-year-old in a pumpkin than a one-week-old. Not only do they grow bigger they also grow an opinion about were you try to shove them.

It wasn't all torture. Isaac had a lot of fun helping David carve his pumpkin. He didn't really get the concept, as he kept trying to put the seeds back in.

But David was very sweet and patient with him.

Cheap entertainment

2009-10-29T01:01:00.006-06:00

Box of tissues + one-year-old = 30 minutes of fun for the whole family

It was a happy birthday

2009-10-23T22:52:00.003-06:00

What a year!

2009-10-23T01:48:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday, Isaac!

Love, mom

Kinda-daily random photo

2009-10-20T16:22:00.003-06:00

Working our way from the bottom up

2009-10-18T21:26:00.003-06:00

Hit the play button above

Baby Steps

2009-10-15T22:50:00.007-06:00

While Isaac is not officially walking yet, his record is five steps on his own, this is all he wants to do. He is constantly grabbing our fingers, sliding off our laps and pulling on our hands to get us to walk with him. His favorite thing to do is walk up and down the hallway gripping our fingers, which I have to tell you, gets boring (not for him) after about the third trip.

After a few walks to the mailbox, I decided we should walk around the block. Then I realized he didn't have shoes that were walk-around-the-block worthy. A trip to the mall solved this dilemma. I had him test drive his shoes in the store, and once he realized he could walk around he was not going back into his stroller. So along with his first official pair of shoes, he threw his first official public tantrum.

I was pretty excited about our upcoming walk, but Isaac is teaching me a lot about patience (in many ways). We had to wait for daddy to come home then there was a bottle and a nap. But it was well worth the wait.

Watching him walk around the block was surprisingly emotional. My baby is walking around the block, how did this happen? This is what it must feel like when your heart breaks and grows at the same time.

He loved every second -- stopping to investigate dandelions, leaves and rocks. He met new dogs and tried to lick a fire hydrant. I have walked this block many times, but it has never been such an adventure. I can't wait to wear the soles off those new shoes.

Kinda-daily random photo

2009-10-04T18:58:00.003-06:00

Sorta-daily Random Photo

2009-09-28T00:16:00.002-06:00

Kinda-Daily (weekly?) Random Photo

2009-09-24T02:08:00.002-06:00

Sorta-Daily Random Photo

2009-09-04T14:51:00.003-06:00

First the bookcase, then Everest

2009-08-30T23:58:00.003-06:00

I know it's hard to tell but if you look close both his feet are off the ground. How sad is it that my ten-month-old do a pull up and I can't?

And of course there is the climbing

Sweet Dreams

2009-08-19T21:31:00.001-06:00

Sorta-daily Random Photo

2009-08-17T21:47:00.002-06:00

Helping daddy in the garden:

Raccoons in the backyard, snakes in the front

There was going to be a picture of a really big snake. It was found living in the very overgrown garden. Owen trapped the snake in a sidewalk crack. I ran to grab a box, tongs and my camera. Owen secured the large snake in the box. I decided it would be a better picture if Owen was holding the snake. When we opened the box the gigantic snake was now an angry, gigantic snake -- darting back and forth in the box. Faster than you can say Samuel L. Jackson that snake was out of the box and back in the garden. Owen was not so quick to grab the snake this time, now that he had an attitude. So you will now have to take my word on the most enormous garden snake ever, because I have no picture to prove any different.

Four-legged Alarm Systems

2009-08-16T20:03:00.004-06:00

Can you see what the dogs protected us from last night?

After midnight...
with really loud barking...
Like it was a chupacabra or Jason Voorhees...
Look closer to see the horror...

Sorta-daily Random Photo

2009-08-13T15:15:00.004-06:00

The food critic:

Lounging Poolside

2009-08-12T23:49:00.002-06:00

Just like all good things seem to, his babyhood and summer are going by too fast.

His Toy Sucks

2009-08-11T22:30:00.006-06:00

Everyone has heard the anecdote, give a kid a new toy and they will be more fascinated with the box it came in. Well Isaac's box is the vacuum.

He has toys bursting with rainbows of colors, toys that play music, toys that jingle and jangle, but none hold his attention for more than a few minutes at a time.

Tonight he happily played on the kitchen floor for almost an hour with the vacuum. He shook the cord, pulled on the hose, pushed the wand around the floor and up the wall and finally he conquered the entire machine by pulling himself up on it.

He was so intense. Like the fate of the world depended on figuring out how this contraption worked.

While this may not be the safest toy, do know how much I got done? This vacuum helped me do two loads of laundry, load the dishwasher, clean the kitchen and take out the garbage. The only thing I didn't get done was the vacuuming.

I can't tell if this means he has a future in engineering or janitorial services.

On a another toy side note: earlier today, after pulling the DVDs off the shelf for the hundredth time, I offered Isaac his entire toy box in the hope of entertaining him. After pulling out a few toys he closed the lid and climbed on top to reach even higher on the shelf.

Sorta-daily random photo

2009-08-05T19:59:00.001-06:00

Random daily photo

2009-08-05T00:29:00.003-06:00

I am already breaking my only rule. This was not taken in the last 24 hours. But still in the last week. Pineview Reservoir, Aug. 1, 2009

Wild kingdom

2009-08-03T13:59:00.004-06:00

When we first brought Isaac home, well actually way before that when we were just thinking about having a baby, we worried about how the dogs would react. At the worst, they would think Isaac was a small wiggly ham, begin foaming at the mouth and stop at nothing to devour him. At the least, their hair would some how land on his sterilized bottle and infect him with Parvo and I would be labeled the worst mom ever. Also baby toys and dog toys look a lot alike. I thought Isaac would never be able to play on the floor because the dogs would take all his toys.

Well here we are nine months later and it turns out it is not the baby who is in danger.

Here is Isaac stealing both Leo's ball and rope, which he prefers to his own toys. Leo is patiently waiting for him to release.

It is the baby who wants to eat the dogs. There is nothing he likes more than grabbing a big old clump of dog hair to munch on.

We do our best to project the dogs, but it really is survival of the fittest. It's not all bad for them. They have already learned the benefits of standing around the high chair at feeding times.

Planned randomness

2009-07-29T20:28:00.004-06:00

I thought I would start a daily photo post to motivate me to post more often. But I know me and if I make it an obligation it will feel like work and not fun so I will start a surprise/ random daily photo. There could be one a week or two in a day. This way I can get away with being inconsistent and it seems like I planned it that way. The only rule is that the photo must have been taken in the last 24 hours. (And, yes most of them will probably be of Isaac.)

Today's random daily photo:

Baby talk

2009-07-21T19:25:00.010-06:00

"Quit bouncing in your poop, please!"

"Don't eat the dog!"

"I don't want your finger in my nose!"

All things that I have said in the last week that would be really weird if I still worked in an office

Good thing this is my co-worker

My time at County General

2009-04-01T16:46:00.006-06:00

Tomorrow is the last episode of ER. When I heard that ER was going to be cancelled I was not that upset. There had been rumors for years. No show can last forever (maybe the Simpsons) and it is just a TV show after all.
But as I have watched this season I found myself savoring each episode. Then as the promos started say "Only three episodes left" and the such, I started to get a sentimental as I tend to do.
I can't remember why I started watching, and I know it wasn't from the beginning. I think it caught my attention in the middle of the second season.

I don't know how many times after watching an episode I was convinced that I should go to medical school. But after a good night's sleep that usually went away.

The show was therapeutic. It made me cry countless times, either for one of the characters, a patient or sometimes myself.

In some ways it's good the show is ending. As I began to become attached to the characters on the show I soon realized they could never be happy there (Sometimes I thought the writers were a tad sadistic). Mostly it was in relationships. Whether it was Nurse Hathaway and Dr. Ross, who had to move to Seattle and recently we learned are still happy together. Or Abby and Luka who also moved for a fresh start. If the show is over then I can imagine everyone is living happily every after (Archy and cop lady; Sam and Tony; Neela and Ray).

Some complain that they changed characters too much on the show, but I grew to like this. Just like a real ER. It would take me a while to like new characters, but then I really felt invested in their lives.

Dr. Green I will miss you most of all

While I don't have lines from the show memorized or posters of doctors on my walls, friends knew not to call on Thursday nights and I have not missed a show since I started watching. By my rough calculations I have spent more than 200 hours in the ER. I know the first thing to do in an emergency is order a CBC and get the patient started on a saline drip. There is a part of me that thinks I deserve at least a few credits towards a medical degree.

Every Thursday night for almost half my life I spent an hour at County General, and yea, I think I'm going to miss it.

This is not how I left him

2009-03-20T01:08:00.004-06:00

Crib update:
Third morning in the crib, this is how I found Isaac.

I could take this two ways.

One: look at all this room I have to wiggle, yea!
Or two: this bed is so large and frightening I will just move into the corner to feel safer.
If I go by the smile he greeted me with then it's option one.

And one more thing, Spring has Sprung!
If I am interpreting that look correctly, I believe he is wondering how he could get the new and wonderous, purple and white things in his mouth.

Imagine the trauma when I put him in a real bed

2009-03-16T16:29:00.009-06:00

Just five months ago Isaac was closer to me than any other human has ever been. While I understand it is the natural progression of things, it is still strange to me that we are kicking the person out of our room who was just recently kicking me in the ribs from the inside.

For the last two nights Isaac has slept in his crib, in his room. The first night there was this little twinge in my chest when saw his empty bassinet when we went to bed. I always said I was so impatient that it would be hard to wait nine months for a baby. No, the hard part is how fast it is all happening. While it thrills me to see what new things he will do almost on a daily basis, I just want to shout "Hey you, slow down. Give me a few minutes to absorb it all."

Without his giant head blocking it, I could see the vibrant orange warning label that I have been ignoring for several weeks now. It clearly states that babies should not be in the crib over three months of age (check), weigh more than 15 pounds (check) and can roll over (he actually reached over and turned on the music on his mobile last week. This really creeped me out until I realized it was him.)

While I will read them thoroughly, I have always viewed warning labels as more of a friendly suggestion than law. I believe that they are for stupid people that don't know what they are doing, which is never me. (Please insert sarcastic voice here) . Or to prevent lawsuits. Or a combination of both of these things. Besides Isaac still had a good inch and half before I would have to fold him in half to fit in the bassinet.

Isaac graciously agreed to pose for a photo to demonstrate:

As I was putting him in the crib for the second night, proud of myself for not reverting back to the bassinet, I noticed something. Something kind of nice. That giant crib made my baby look a little smaller. Like he is not going to start college tomorrow:

Look at all that room. I could fit three of him there. He practically looks like a newborn again. That is until I look at one of his newborn photos (yes, in the bassinet):

The first casualty

2009-03-14T23:01:00.008-06:00

Every time we rattle or squeak one of Isaac's toys, Leo perks up his ears and gets all excited with a "are we going to play?" look on his face. So I knew eventually I was going to have to figure out a way to keep the dog toys and the baby toys separate. Eventually came sooner than I thought.

We lost a pacifier tonight. I am sure it was my fault. I left it were Leo could get it. To make it even worse I am sure that he will be puking up little blue plastic pieces later tonight, probably on the bed. If you notice there is a dog rope just inches from him. But a rope he has chewed on a thousand times is so boring compared to a small piece of plastic with baby drool all over it.

At least he shows no interest in chewing on the baby.

Peek-a-boo

2009-03-07T20:44:00.002-07:00

Yeah?

2009-02-11T00:44:00.003-07:00

Isaac just deposited a large, warm glob of partially digested milk and drool on my chest. To keep it from running between my boobs I had to perform a maneuver that any gymnast would be proud of. And I was actually happy about this because none of it landed on my adorable baby. It's a lot easier to change my shirt than his.

mmmm babies

2009-02-06T00:14:00.005-07:00

You know how some people threaten to eat babies. Such as, "you are so cute, I could just eat you up" said in a high pitched voice. Well I have decided if I were to eat Isaac he would take like warm buttermilk pancakes.*

See even he thinks he tastes good

*no need to worry, I don't even think we have syrup in the house.

sleeping beauties

2009-02-05T01:40:00.002-07:00

I could do that

2009-02-04T01:26:00.001-07:00

I feel that I am always jumping on the caboose of bandwagons. I am not even sure what a bandwagon is.

Just a couple of years

2008-07-21T11:34:00.004-06:00

In a first grade class at a local elementary today for work and the kids were playing a game of Heads Up Seven Up, and one of the three kids standing at the front of the class, the only boy, tooted a little.
The girl to his left glanced at him, and his smirk confirmed where the noise had come from. A small wave of giggles went through the classroom, including from the perpetrator, me and the teacher, but then the kids were quickly onto the game.
After leaving the school, I thought about the incident and how much difference a few years can make. Fart in front of class in the first grade, get some giggles. Do the same thing in seventh grade and be known as the "Fartster" until graduation.

Bloggette

2008-02-25T11:46:00.002-07:00

I believe that people who are allergic to things like chocolate, milk or cats, things that are in everyday life or really enjoyable, should be considered disabled or sick.
I don't mean this in a insulting way (please, no one with allergies write me hate comments). It is just really sad to me.
I think we should have races, telethons and little buckets at the supermarket checkout to cure allergies. I would wear the ribbon, or at least drop my change in the bucket.

I'm Famous

2008-01-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

So almost everyday my name is published in the newspaper. But today, I feel really famous, and my name wasn't even used.

Two of my photos were used on a posting for mentalfloss.com, the web site for the Mental Floss Magazine, which I just love. There tag line is "Where knowledge junkies get their fix."

They requested photos for people's neighborhood "pants" (you'll have to read the posting), basically quirky things where you live.

Well those who know me, know that is what I love to photograph. So I was all over this. I didn't even need take any new pictures (which was OK because most my local quirky things happen to be covered in several feet of snow). One of my favorites, the flamingos, I will have to blog about later.

Imagine my thrill when both of my photos were used on the posting. Seriously, it made my day.

On one they got my last name wrong and on other I forgot to sign my name, and I didn't even care.

Here is the link to see my and a bunch of other fun photos:

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/11530#comments

My happiness over this seems to be further proof that this is what I should be doing. I just wish I knew how.

Just telling them what they want to hear

2008-01-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

So my friend's blog, complaining about the news coverage of Heath Ledger's death overriding thousands of Palestinians coming into Egypt after blowing up a border wall, reminded me of my PS on my last post reminding me to write about the media.

First, I will say that yes, I work in the media and no its not perfect. However by no means does it completely deserve the bad reputation it gets.

People are always complaining about how the Britneys, Lindsays and Parises or the rape, murders and perverts get too much coverage. Essentially blaming the media, whether it is CNN or your hometown newspaper, of sensationalizing crap.

But really it is the consumers of media, basically everyone with a TV, Internet connection or newspaper subscription, who are to blame.

News is a business, so media outlets publish what sells, whether it is the conflict in Darfur or Britney shaving her head.

Yes, people should care more about world affairs, or even what is going on at their city council, but the media can't force them. People should eat healthier too, but if McDonald's quit selling fries and hamburger they would go out of business.

So if you really want real news to be on the front page instead of being buried under the newest starlet's arrest, then put your money, or mouse, where its really important.

Honestly, where do you click first?

Just to let you know I was shocked by Heath Ledgers death -- read all about it, and I don't know that much about the recent Congo peace deal. But at least I realize that there are more important things going on in this world, and don't expect to be spoon fed the important issues. So to Shad: it is not the editor who should be embarrassed but the people.

Complicated snow

2008-01-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

Apparently blogging only sounds like a good idea to me when I should be doing something else, for example work that I earn a paycheck for.

I have heard that people have been fired for doing stuff like this, or worse yet, that anything you do on the clock belongs to your employer. I better be careful and not accidentally write anything brilliant.

So really I don't have time to write about anything interesting. It was just that looking at my past blogs makes me miss green grass. As those who know me know I am not the biggest fan of winter anyway, but right now is the worst.

All the once beautiful snowflakes that floated down like magic angel dandruff to cover the earth, making everything look new and white, are now large crusty cold piles in various shades of dirty grey that seem to be constant reminders of all that is wrong with the world and my life.

I REALLY need some friggin' sunshine.

PS It seems like whenever I pull up a blank post, my mind follows suit and goes completely blank of all the ideas that only moments before where frantically bouncing around in my brain.
So this is a note to remember to write about the media and the public next time.

Tick tock

2008-01-17T23:01:00.000-07:00

I shouldn't even be writing this blog because I don't have time, so I will make it about how I don't have time to write my blog.
I was reading all these other blogs thinking how do people have time for this, but in answer to my own question I guess if I wasn't reading other people's blogs I would have time to write my own.
Things I should be doing other that writing this:
*picking up my house
*taking a shower
*figuring out my mother's birthday present
*sleeping so I don't hit the snooze button more than three times in the morning

I wish cloning technology would hurry up. I would so send her to work tomorrow.

Things I would have my clone do:
*grocery shop for healthy food
*cook the healthy food
*exercise (not even sure if this would work)
*change my oil
*recycle
*clean the house
*go to work for me about 60 percent of the time
*write my blog

By the looks of this list, my clone, who doesn't even exist yet, is already a better person than me. I don't need that kind of competition.

PS the name of this post is an onomatopoeia

Catching up

2007-11-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

As usual, Shad has inspired me (sarcasm does not always come out well in the written word). I have now also decided to bring my blog out of hiatus. Last reported in August, hard to remember all that has happened since then. That's kind of sad because kind of the point of the blog was to preserve my memories.

Well let's see if we can hit on the major points: I started my new beat as the education reporter for my local newspaper. Never really wanted to talk about work much on this blog, because I am there for eight hours a day and that is enough. But for the sake of prosperity I will. The job is kind of an emotional roller coaster. One minute I am loving it with the new, fun stories I get to cover, and the next not so much, but that usually has to do with the business of being employed (Let's just say its a bad idea to complain about your employer on a public web site). Job has kept me very busy. In fact, work is really starting to interfere with my personal life.

On September 5, Katie turned 13 years old.

They grow up so fast. She got a new 'Hissy Kitty' toy to play with.

On Sept. 9, Michele turned, um...another year older. We had a small informal gathering the night before at Village Inn with her gang. She has her gang, I have mine. Sometimes they overlap. I gave her pork rinds and Pepsi. Hey, she asked for it - in a round-about way.

On Sept. 15, Texie, Owen and I, went to Ricki's 30th birthday party. She went all out with a roasted pig and even live bands. I've always known the girl knew how to party.

Jon, being the bad influence that he is, somehow convinced us to go to Las Vegas. So after

getting home from work on a Friday night, we threw some things in a bag and hit the road. Hey, its hard to say no to a free room and ride.

Half the fun of going to Sin City is all the people. And as usual it did not disappoint. We went to Freemont street and saw the lady with the really big sign. It read: "Jesus Christ shall Destroy Sinners with Cruel Wrath and Fierce anger."

I actually talked to her, so did several other people, she had very strong opinions. You would have to with such a large sign. There was some yelling, but most just saw her as another Vegas attraction. I love freedom of speech. I wonder where she goes on vacation.

We saw this guy on the way to Freemont Street. He told me his name was Rodeo. He was wearing two different boots. His only opinion is that he wanted me to buy him a beer, even though he had one sitting next to him. I wonder where he goes on vacation.

We were in Vegas for less than 48 hours, but road trips are always good for the soul.

I believe I have mentioned, if only slightly, all the major adventures in September. With the TV writers on strike, maybe I can catch up on October and November before December starts.

Nathaniel Manor

2007-08-17T17:47:00.000-06:00

When searching for a house, features such as square footage, number of bathrooms and vaulted ceilings can be what some are looking for. But I have learned it is the features you can't buy that end up being the most important.

When I was looking for our first house, I knew I wanted a good backyard. First, it had to be fenced for our dog, Katie. After years of not being let off her leash, during apartment living, I just wanted her to be able to chase a tennis ball with reckless abandon.

It had to have a sprinkler system, because I wanted to be able to have my own green grass in between my toes, and we do not have the attention spans to remember to move a sprinkler around.

When we were looking at houses, I would immediately head for the backdoor to see the yard, because I knew it would make or break the deal for me. The house we ended up in is really small, but it has a big backyard that butts up against the trees of the city park.

Over the four years we have lived here, some of my favorite things I didn't know about when we made the offer to buy the house.

Besides having no neighbors behind us, being next to the city park has a lot of perks. On many summer days we can hear chants of "faster, faster, faster" from kids on the merry-go-round. We are also near the amphitheatre, which allows us to hear all the free concerts we want from our backyard. We have heard the faint sounds of jazz, rock and even the band America.

The park also has a stream that leads to a duck pond. During the spring we have had mama ducks lead their babies right through our back yard, and I have actually fed ducks off my front porch.

To the north of our backyard, their is a pasture with horses. While they spend most their days head down to the ground eating grass, we have seen them frolic, gallop and other horsey things -- sometimes they are downright majestic. But our favorite thing about this pasture is Fernando.

This is the name we have given the brown and white bull (with full horns still attached), who hangs out with the horses. Fernando looks as fierce as if he came straight from a bull fight in Spain, but the few times I have attempted to make contact over the fence, he snorts and runs away like a scared puppy. I have no idea Fernando's real name or the reason that someone would own a bull, but I think I like it that way.

One of the best features of my house comes only once a year on the Fourth of July. We don't have to worry about getting a good parking space and finding a spot for our blanket, because from our backyard we can see the city's fireworks each year.

Although this site advocates going, seeing and doing, sometimes you don't have to go far from home to do it.

The forest smells like Pine-Sol

2007-08-08T10:03:00.000-06:00

We went camping last weekend, and nothing really happened -- this is a good thing.

In past camping trips, we've had flat tires (yes, plural on the same trip), got flooded out of our camp site (again, same trip) and lost car keys. So to have a camping trip where the most drama came from the fact that Erin's niece had the chickenpox, and her brother was watching her kids, was a nice change of pace.

<---the view from our campsite

While we did hike, fish, sleep in tents, sing campfire songs and, in general, breathe in a lot of fresh air, a lot of our camping experience revolves around food. Not sure what this says about us as campers, but I don't think we would do it if it wasn't for the S'mores, hobo dinners and roasting hot dogs over the fire.

The days leading up to our trip, I was excited to leave the trappings of modern life. As much as I love T.V., cell phones and the Internet, it was going to be nice to not have them for a couple days. However it only took a day for me to miss one of them.

At the beginning of me and Erin's jaunt through the woods, we found a pond with the weirdest little salamander type creatures, with feather like things on their heads. Later with the help of the guys we caught ourselves a few of them.

Here is the weirdest thing, they looked like axolotls, which are rare in the wild. In fact the only reason I know about axolotls is because they are rare and weird looking. The point is, it was driving me nuts and my fingers were itching for a keyboard to start my Internet search.

(When I got home I found out that they were baby tiger salamanders, which look a lot like axolotls.)

The salamanders and a few itty-bitty frogs where the only things we caught, proving that having license for something does not help. Even with all my fishing gear, and some of Ryan's, I was not able to even get a nibble while fishing. But a lot of the fun is just sitting out by the water, so I'm OK with that.

Ryan did catch a fish, but I was not there to witness it. My theory is that he bought it off another fisherman, to make me jealous, or to help keep my hopes up. I was starting to believe there were no fish.

<--- Erin is "impressed" with Ryan's catch

On the second night Jolynda and Matt joined us, which was great. I know we don't really rough it, but their air mattress turns into a couch-- so we are a little more rough than them.

At night there were more stars than darkness, and it was so quiet my ears had to make up for it by buzzing. The guys gathered firewood, and in general got to feel manly-- Erin and I could feel the rise in testosterone. Erin didn't have to put honey on my toes to protect herself from bears -- the most wild creatures we saw were the chipmunks and squirrels all over camp. Ryan did melt his shoes -- drying them by the fire -- but this was not a big surprise.

Overall it was a perfect trip. The only thing I regret is the fact that we couldn't have stayed just a little longer.

On a side note: for two days in the woods we take a lot, I mean a lot of stuff. If I went to vegas for a weekend I would only take one backpack, but spend three to four times as much money. But when I go camping I take 10 times more stuff.

It's not camping without the dogs, even if we barely had room for them.

Satan Kitty

2007-07-29T11:20:00.000-06:00

The following is a random story from my life. I had pictures, but as most know, things get lost in moves, even if they are digital. In my recent move to a different office, the photos did not make it to my new computer. Please try to use your imagination for the visuals.

One day going to my old office on base, I saw this little streak of gray run into a hole in the building. At first I thought I had imagined it, but later, I saw it again.

It looked like they were doing maintenance on the building and had left this panel off, and I didn't want any little kittens to get trapped under the building when they were done, so on my lunch I bought an extra hamburger. Also not wanting my fellow employees to know how nuts I was, I did not tell them my plan. At first I thought it would be easy, lure the kitten out with hamburger and be done with it. but the moment it saw me it disappeared so I figured I had to be sneakier. So I hid off to the side of the hole. It came out a second time but I was not fast enough. I did notice that the little grey kitty looked dirty and skinny, making me want to save it even more. Then I made a trail of hamburger so it had to come a little further out. But by this time it was starting to get a little more skittish. I sat their crouched by the side of the building, for like 15 minutes just hoping no one would come out and think I was crazy.

After much patience my moment arrived and with both hands I (gently) pinned him to the ground. Well what was previously a sweet hungry kitten turned into Satan's cat. Every muscle in his body was tense and although he was pinned on his tummy he turned his head around and looked at me with such hatred it reminded me of Linda Blair in the Exorcist (hence the name), and let out this hiss/ growl noise that made my soul quiver a little. So I have got the kitten trapped, but now I am also trapped. I know if I give this kitten a seconds chance he (I found out the sex later) will bloody me as much as his little claws will allow before streaking back under the building. Well I manage to make it to my feet and walk to the office door, but with my hands full, I can't open it. I realize it's either let go with one hand and risk being scarred for life or getting my coworker's help. I kick the door and luckily a cat owner opens it. But I look deranged, all sweaty and holding this (back to sweet looking) kitten at arms length, screaming "No don't touch!" Well they get me a box and I quickly put him in and try to let go and shut the flap at the same time.

I put the box on the floor of the my car, hoping he won't try to escape, sending me careening off the road. However he was very quiet, which actually makes me more nervous -- like he is plotting his revenge. I make it to the base vet safely. I tell them my story (they already know me - surprise). They put him in a kennel with some water. He hides in the back and hisses when we come near. Although I'm glad he is no longer in danger of starving to death under my building a little bit of my care has warn off -- I am actually glad to be rid of him.

As is policy the vet will call animal control. who will pick him up. But I know, and they warn me, that if he remains feral and wild, he will not be adopted. So the next day I call Davis Country animal control to inquire about him. They know nothing of the Satan cat of which I speak. Turns out a little food and water will go a long way.

Over the few days after I left him, Satan kitty got sweeter and melted the staffs' hearts and they couldn't bring themselves to call animal control. I went and visited and he had been exorcised. He was a little ball of playful fluff who liked to run up and down people's legs and curl up on their necks. He even started to doze a little in my arms as I stroked his belly. There was a part of me that wanted to take his home, but one of the staff member's children had already fallen in love (she had already paid for some of his vaccinations). So I was content with my part in this story with a happy ending, even if it was the part that was a brush from hell.

J.K., thanks for the adventure

2007-07-21T00:42:00.000-06:00

Moments before midnight, screams of excitement rise from the mob of people, ranging from infants to the elderly, many of whom are dressed strangely. A policeman watches over the crowd in case anything gets out of control. Seconds before midnight someone begins to count down.

All of this for a book.

Growing up I was ashamed for being a bookworm. I was even accused of cheating at a read-a-thon by a teacher, for the amount of books I said I had read. But now tonight I stand with a crowd of hundreds at Barnes and Noble to get my copy of the last Harry Potter book "The Deathly Hallows," and feel vindicated in a way.

Luckily, Nichole decided to pick up our wristband first thing in the morning a few days before the sale, this got us into group D, so we did not have to wait to long to get our book. The line stretched passed Old Navy, Toys R Us and through the parking lot to Office Depot.

As group A walked out with the first copies of the book, they held them up and there was more cheering. It was fabulous. I was very impressed with Barnes and Nobles' organization. Nichole was in and out with our books within minutes. Although we will go home separately and read our books, I am so glad I get to share this experience with her.

No, I didn't wear a robes or put a lightening bolt on my forehead, but I love all the people who did. All of the characters were there from Hagrid to Dobby, to random wizards dressed as muggles (wearing all of the wrong things). Just like girls screaming for the Beatles, or those who owned pet rocks, being in this crowd makes me feel like a part of history.

As the book release came closer, I started to get what I called 'Harry Potter Anxiety' -- the fear that the ending would be leaked to me before I got to read it. I even heard that people would drive by and yell the ending. One person walking out with the book even had it opened to the last pages. This, my biggest fear, was not realized. While I am happy that everyone is so excited for these books, it makes me sad that technology and mean people would give away the ending. (But yes Erin, I will call you as soon as I am done, because it makes you happy)

My attention span for this blog is reaching it's end, as my book sits waiting for me. This will be my last venture to the Internet for a while, not only will I be busy reading my book, but I don't want to chance of even getting a hint to the end Harry, Ron and Hermione's story.

To my fellow bookworms, even if it is just Harry, Happy Reading!!

Feels so good to be bad

2007-07-16T22:43:00.000-06:00

I found this on the bottom of my office chair, and I almost immediately ripped it off. I say almost because I did have a second of doubt -- I am not a complete monster with no conscience. After determining that no harm would come to the chair, it was like I couldn't not rip it off.

What's interesting is that ripping the tag off was not the first rule I broke. I have owned this chair for years, and until discovering this tag underneath the seat, have never known how oppressive it really was. Without even trying I have done almost everything on this list that the chair told me not to because it would cause serious injury (they never warn against funny injuries).

I guess what it comes down to, is that I don't like my furniture to tell me what to do. I realize they put these warnings on things because of people who don't understand that using a swivel chair, with wheels on the bottom, as a step ladder is not a good idea. At times I can even be this person. But just as I don't believe inanimate objects can tell how to use them, I also believe that they cannot be held responsible for my serious -- or funny -- injuries when I use them to hang my disco ball on the ceiling.

This is what happens to soda machines that get caught stealing thirsty people's money

2007-07-09T14:32:00.001-06:00

What's behind door #1?

2007-07-04T11:50:00.000-06:00

I have read the factiod several times (usually in women's magazines) that the cleanest stall in public restrooms is the first one, because it is the least used. This is due partly to the fact that people feel they have more privacy the further they are from the door.

I am not sure how men do it, but most women are very concerned with restroom cleanliness -- resorting to hovering, covering the seat in tissue paper or just holdinging it. Becuase of this, I believe that many women, after learning of this factiod, will begin choosing the first stall.

And here in lies the problem. As people learn the first stall is the cleanest because of it's under use, and then begin to use it, this will begin to make it the most used and in turn the dirtiest -- thereby making this factiod no longer true.

Suburb girl in the big city

2007-06-23T01:43:00.001-06:00

I love big cities -- there's always so much going on. It seems like I always see something of interest. To be honest, I haven't been in a lot of big cities, so I love going to MY big city -- Salt Lake. Over the last few weeks I have found myself in Salt Lake City a lot for various reasons. Here are a couple random things that have left impressions on me.

Hagrid sighting

First let me explain that I love I what I call "fringe people" -- those who live on the fringes of what most consider normal society. Partly it's because I am jealous that they have the courage to buck tradition and live as they choose. Or if it's not by choice, I wonder what it took for them to get there. This ranges from people who have tattoos covering every inch of their body to those who have all of their worldly possessions in a shopping cart.

By taking photos of them, I do not mean to exploit, but to celebrate those who most "normal" people ignore or advert their eyes from on the street.

Recently I saw a dead ringer for Hagrid, from the Harry Potter books. He was crossing State Street by the LDS church buildings. Although I noticed him right away. Those crossing with him didn't even bat an eye.

That brown area in his midsection is not part of his shirt, but due to the fact is his pants are undone and his sun-weathered, street grime covered belly is there for all to see. (Sorry for the spots, but I was taking the photos through my windshield.)

As he got closer to the car, I saw some more details. First his finger nails are really long. I can never get mine that long and I am sure I get more of the recommended daily vitamins for a human. I wondered if they served some sort of a purpose for him, but if he can't be bothered to zip his pants, I am guessing trimming the nails is out of the question.

Next I noticed he seemed to be eating a rice crispy treat. I think most people see others like Hagrid and put him in the "them" category. As in "us and them." Thinking "I would never become one of them."Or "I have nothing in common with them." But most would be surprised by how little separates "us and them." The rice crispy treat is an example of this. Who doesn't love a rice crispy treat or wouldn't love to walk around with their pants comfortably undone, if no one was watching?

That's my street

There is something that people just love about seeing their own name. This would be the reason for all those license plates, pencils and notebooks sold in souvenir shops. *Well I am no different (I probably like it more considering I am a writer).

I recently did an art project for a friend about travel and thought a street sign with her name would be great to for this. I found a web site that locates streets in the United States with whatever name you searched for. If a personalized pencil is cool, a whole street is way cool.

This would explain my frantic U-Turn on 100 South on Friday. That is when I found My Street -- Elizabeth St. (without even using the website). I love that it's right in the middle of downtown Salt Lake. There was even a woman with a dog sitting on the grass nearby, reading something I am sure was very intellectual.

It's a fabulous tree-lined street with Victorian-like houses. It is kind of small, almost like an alley. That doesn't bother me -- what's upsetting is it has a terrible dip in it, which I scraped the undercarriage of the car on. Because I want my street to represent Elizabeth's everywhere well, maybe I will write a letter to the city to see about getting that dip fixed.

*this is NOT a hint to begin buying me things with my name printed or embroidered on them. I don't like it that much.

My artsy fartsy day

2007-06-22T21:05:00.000-06:00

For years and years I wanted to go the Utah Arts Festival. But inevitably every year something would come up, or I would forget about it. Last year was different. I finally made an effort to remember and I also had just gotten my Nikon D50. I spent the day taking photos of people and things. It seemed that the day was just bursting with interesting sights and sounds.

(small tangent: In fact I have just hung up one of the photos that I took at last year's festival on my living room wall.)

Because last year was so good, I made a point of going again today. But is seems the shine has worn off. I don't know if it was the heat, or that it seemed that there wasn't as much artsy stuff, or that it was a lot of the same stuff, but I guess as with many things in life, nothing is like your first time.

I like going to these sorts of things because I feel like I get my culture fix -- meet artists and see wacky/beautiful/original ideas. This year I noticed that it seemed so commercial. Besides the fact that I paid $4 for a Dr. Pepper that would cost me .79 at 7-11. Avon even had a big tent set up, when did Avon become art? I found out that a booth cost $600. How is a starving artist supposed to afford that? And not to say that art is not priceless, but the art I liked I could not afford on my budget. So although I did see some cool things, I felt that it had become more corporate to me, and in turn lost some of it's appeal. In fact, I took only a few photos and was feeling very uninspired.

On my way home I stopped by a building, my friend, Erin had told me about. It was to be torn down, and the owner invited artists to do whatever they wanted to it. When she first told me I thought it would just be a mess of graffiti. But the moment I saw it I was in love.

The outside is completely covered with color-- from graffiti art to things that would be at home in a museum. It was beautiful and indescribable (that's why I took a lot of photos). In the few rooms on that I could go in, there was art using manikins, shoes, strings, even the floor was painted. By the different styles you could tell that many people had a contributed. There was so much to see that it was hard to take it all in.

What I really thought was great was that, I sure without a lot of planning, all of art flowed together perfectly. There were no boundaries but nobody overstepped theirs. And of course I got some awesome photos.

I met one of the artists on the way out of the building and he told me that the reason I couldn't go in was because it was slated for demolish soon. He was just as in awe as I was about what can happen to a building when total creativity was let loose on it. It's hard to believe that they are still going to tear it down. (he also told me that contractors hired to tear it down said they feel the same way, and it's going to be hard for them to destroy it.)

I just find it interesting that in my 30 minutes at this building, I felt I had seen more, and more amazing, art than I did at my four hours at the arts festival (no offense meant to those artist at the festival -- there was some incredible stuff.) I have often believed that art is indefinable, but now I do have photographic evidence of what it is to me.

2007-06-21T16:15:00.000-06:00

Normally I like asking the questions more than answering them, but every once in a while these quizzes are fun (again it's more fun to read about other people). This is also my way of blogging, even if it is a kind of a cop out.

1. What bill do you hate paying the most? The credit card – because it’s the monster I can’t seem to slay
2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner? My couch
3. Do you regret losing your virginity to who you lost it to? No
4. If you could go back and change one thing what would it be?Can’t think of anything because who knows what it would lead to. (Ever read “Sound of Thunder”)
5. Name of your first grade teacher?Miss. Dahl. Saw her years later and she had gotten married and now is Mrs. Guy. Get it – Guys and Dolls.
6. What do you really want to be doing right now?There are so many, but getting on a plane to somewhere exotic would be good. But sitting on the couch in the air conditioning right now is good too.
7. What did you want to be when you were growing up?Also so many – ballerina, veterinarian, lawyer, president, private eye…
8. How many colleges did you attend?One
9. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?It was there and comfy.
10. GAS PRICES?make me sad
11. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you?That’s not really a question. Would it be different if I couldn’t take someone. I would move to the equator, if I could take everyone I like with me.
12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?I don’t think. I am on autopilot until I get to work.
13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?I don’t know I fell asleep.
14. Favorite style of underwear?Cotton, high cuts
(don't know what happened to 15)
16. What errand/chore do you despise?mopping cause I need new flooring in the kitchen
17. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer?yes, for literacy and animals.
18. Get up early or sleep in?sleep in
19. What is your favorite cartoon character?I just realized I don’t think I have one.
20. Favorite thing to do at night with a girl?Any girl? I am a girl do I count? This one also confusing.
21. Have you found real love yet?All love is real, so yes
22. When did you first start feeling old?Currently I am not, but I have had moments. Example when someone asked me if they had cell phones when I was in high school.
23. Favorite 80's movie?Breakfast Club
24. Your favorite lunch meat?deli sliced roast beef (I actually left shad’s answer cause it’s mine too)
25. What do you get every time you go into Sam's Club?Amazed at what you can buy in bulk
26. Beach or lake?Lakes have beaches
27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?yes
29. Favorite guilty pleasure?gossip30. Favorite movie you wouldn't want anyone to find out about?Not ashamed of any of my favorites31. What's your drink?Dr. Pepper
32. Cowboys or Indians?Can’t we all just get along
33. Cops or Robbers?same as above
34. Who from high school would you like to run into?Usually avoid that sort of thing – but seeing April would be nice
35. What radio station is your radio tuned to right now?103.5
36. Norm or Cliff?Norm
37. The Cosby Show or The Simpsons?Simpsons
38. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?life would be boring without mistakes, no taking back
39. Do you like the person who sits directly across from you at work?Nobody sits across from me.
40. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?Drew Carey
43. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?No
44. Last book you read for real?The Memory Keepers Daughter (for real?what? you can fake reading a book)
45. Do you have a teddy bear?yes
46. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?In the car
47. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go? California in general would be good. LA would be cool.
48. Do you go to church?No.
49. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?NEW CAREER – anyone know of some openings
50. Just how OLD are you?30 (wow that was the first time I’ve had to write that and it didn’t hurt as bad as I thought)

She works hard for the money

2007-06-13T23:04:00.000-06:00

Work is a strange thing. At the core of it, the majority of us go to work because we need to eat and stay out of the rain -- whether it's McDonald's or you spent years in medical school.

If it was all about money, it would actually be easier. But I always said I would rather love my job than be rich. (This is apparent from the fact I have been wearing the same boots for 3 years and drive a 12 year old car.) I also never liked the fact that people seemed defined by their job. When first meeting people, the question most likely asked is "what do you do?"

I would really like to make money doing what I like (and what, I think, I am pretty good at). OK I know everybody else does too. If this was possible we would have a world full of trampoline testers, cowboys and restaurant critics, to name a few.

So if it was all about enjoyment or all about money, it would be easier to decide how to spend my days, but since it is a tangled combination of both (also throw in a bit of self worth and sense of purpose), my path is unclear.

Bag of ducklings

2007-06-10T21:04:00.000-06:00

Not sure where to start this post -- with my friend, Erin's phone call or my overwhelming craving to hold baby animals.

Living by the park, I get to see ducklings every spring, and I never get sick of it. Erin called me this afternoon telling me that her and Ryan took the kids to the park, and had saved a duckling from being drowned by some adult ducks. While they had saved it from eminent death, now they didn't know what to do with it. I threw on my flip flops, grabbed a net and a canvas bag, and practically ran over there.

When I got there, it turned out that there were more ducklings in peril. There were nine ducklings total without a mother in sight. So Ryan began attempting to catch them with the net.

Although they were so small that they were getting swept up my the current of the small stream, they were wily in the water, and not easy to catch without getting in the water. So we ran up and down the bank as they swam up and down, from one side of the to other. We had the kids go try to scare them to the side we were on, but they were very good at staying right out of reach. I even crawled on my belly, and got three in one scoop.

As we caught the ducklings, we put the them in the bag I brought. Believe it or not, they seemed pretty happy in the bag. After frantically swimming away from crazy people with nets, the ducklings cuddled up with each other and fell asleep.

We knew they were too little to be without a mom, but we weren't sure if what we were doing was right. Was it illegal to take them? Would their mother be back? Would they be fine on there own?

We decided to call the Tracey Aviary, who gave us the number of a bird rehab lady, who not only told us that not only would she take them, but they would die that night if left on their own.

With a renewed sense of purpose and only one very difficult duckling left, Ryan, the mighty hunter, got into the water.

With Ryan a little soggy and a bag full of ducks, we headed back to my house. Owen was nice enough to make a little coral with boxes in the backyard, complete with a dog dish pool. Further proof that ducks liked their bag, when I placed them on the grass, most of them just stayed cuddled up in it.

Then we got to fulfill my baby animal dreams and just played with the tiny, adorable, fluffy ducklings in my sunny backyard for awhile. Although I was having so much fun, I felt something was missing.

Can't explain why I wanted ducks in my bathtub but I did. Although he thinks I am nuts, Owen filled up the tub and we let them swim around for awhile.

The kids kept asking to keep one (and I really wanted to also), but the ducklings had needed to go to those who knew how to raise them. We ended up taking them to the Ogden Nature Center (the duck rehab lady lived an hour away).

We did stop at my friend Nichole's house to spread around the joy that only ducklings can bring. At her house we also filled up her sink and let them swim around -- see, it's not just me.

Everyone at the nature center was very nice, but they kind of laughed when I brought in the bag full of ducks. I explained that they really did like it.

So what started with an almost drowning has a happy ending -- and my canvas bag will mostly likely be referred to as the duck bag from now on.

band name

2007-06-07T23:52:00.000-06:00

In responding to another blog, I have inadvertently come up with a pretty good band name:

"Baby Butt Elbows"

I think it would only work for a punk band though