Saturday, August 30, 2008
Gone Fishn'
Another fishing trip done, another bag of Trout to eat tomorrow:-) This time we bring pictures as proof. There were some stranger catches made during this exhibition including Cari's, when she reeled in half of the lake. Also, Nicole's first catch was indeed the biggest and put up an impressive fight. Hazel watched with a smile for 2 hours cried for a few minutes annoyed by her napless morning and then finally went to bed in my arms. It was really an excellent day for fishing as there was a slight breeze and it was partly cloudy. Pictures are posted below for the sole purpose of bragging rights and to stir up jealously in those living away from the holy land.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Surfing: Attempt 1
So first of all, I absolutely LOVE Hawaii. It just keeps getting better and better. I started classes yesterday and it was incredible because I had no idea how much I missed going to school. It felt so nice to wake up and get ready and then walk to class and know that you get to learn something. Well, I have already learned so much! I thought that Byu in provo was an international school! Oh my goodness I think I am like one of a handful of white girls in all of my classes. People are from all over and speak so many different languages! One of my teachers even wrote his name in Manderin and the crazy thing was that I was one of the only ones who couldn't read it. My teachers are all incredible and only one of them is white. I especially love my Hawaiin studies teacher, hes just getting over cancer but still so eager to teach and so full of life. Today in class, he played his little guitar and we sang all these beautiful songs in Hawaiin and I just couldnt help but sit there and think how amazingly blessed I am to be able to live here and have this Hawaiin culture become a part of my life because it has and will be for the rest of my life. I am even thinking of naming some of my kids cool Hawaiin names or Asian names because some of these people that I am meeting have the cutest names.
Anyways, yesterday I was at the beach all day because I got out of class at 10 and while I was waiting for Allie, one of my housemates to meet me there, this guy Kyle who has lived here his whole life came and sat next to me. I had met him earlier. We got to talking and I told him I wanted to learn how to surf so bad and he just happened to have his surf board with him so he was like alright lets do it right now. So I jumped at the opportunity and dove into the water which was incredible. It felt so good. He taught me some things and then eventually I found myself on the surf board, patteling to the shore on top of a pretty big wave with a HUGE smile on my face, but I completely nose bombed it as I tried to stand up. It was funny and just made me want to try again. He said though, that he wanted to give me his longer board tomorrow because theyre easier to learn on so he came over last night with a board and just gave it to us girls! So today Allie and I are going to have our second attempt at learning. I am determined to be a pro before you guys come out too! And last night when he came over he showed us how to break open a real coconut and told us all the cool stuff to do that most people don't even know about. So I am super excited. He's really nice and lives right down the road. We're actually going octopus hunting next week! And if Jimmy wants to, we're all planning on going on this hike to this waterfall on Monday.
This place is seriously incredible. There are so many fun things to do and good things to eat! I can not wait until you guys come because I will show you the best of hawaii! I was thinking about it before too and its going to be really hard to leave already. Im going to go home and be like, where is the beach? So, so far SOO good and I'll let you know when I actually ride a wave!
Anyways, yesterday I was at the beach all day because I got out of class at 10 and while I was waiting for Allie, one of my housemates to meet me there, this guy Kyle who has lived here his whole life came and sat next to me. I had met him earlier. We got to talking and I told him I wanted to learn how to surf so bad and he just happened to have his surf board with him so he was like alright lets do it right now. So I jumped at the opportunity and dove into the water which was incredible. It felt so good. He taught me some things and then eventually I found myself on the surf board, patteling to the shore on top of a pretty big wave with a HUGE smile on my face, but I completely nose bombed it as I tried to stand up. It was funny and just made me want to try again. He said though, that he wanted to give me his longer board tomorrow because theyre easier to learn on so he came over last night with a board and just gave it to us girls! So today Allie and I are going to have our second attempt at learning. I am determined to be a pro before you guys come out too! And last night when he came over he showed us how to break open a real coconut and told us all the cool stuff to do that most people don't even know about. So I am super excited. He's really nice and lives right down the road. We're actually going octopus hunting next week! And if Jimmy wants to, we're all planning on going on this hike to this waterfall on Monday.
This place is seriously incredible. There are so many fun things to do and good things to eat! I can not wait until you guys come because I will show you the best of hawaii! I was thinking about it before too and its going to be really hard to leave already. Im going to go home and be like, where is the beach? So, so far SOO good and I'll let you know when I actually ride a wave!
Running and Helping at School
I am trying to learn to run. I have never liked running my whole life, but figure it is a good way to get some good cardio exercise. Unlike most things I try my hand at, I knew I couldn't be proficient at this by just jumping in and going. Bret sent me an article from Life Hacker on how to start running. I am following the basic guidelines, but taking a little liberty with it. I have now been trying this program out for about three weeks, maybe four. Today I ran the furthest I have run so far. I am not running an 8 minute mile, by any stretch of the imagination, but I ran further than my last mark. I wasn't dying for breath after the first few hundred yards and my legs weren't trembling like crazy-mad afterward. I continued to walk another ten minutes after my run.
I know my progress is slow, but it feels so wonderful seeing progress in this goal. I even find that I am actually enjoying the feeling of running. I try to sprint the last little leg home as well. I have to admit, it is hard for me to get up at 5:30 in the morning, especially since I am not a morning person, but after I am up and going, I feel so refreshed and happy being outside in the beautiful morning. There is a silence at that time of day that leaves a lot of room for thought and contemplation and for ideas to strike your brain.
I also have been helping at school the last week and a half or so. I drop Enok off at this child care place (a whole other blog in and of itself) and help at the school two days a week. I worked with the first graders on Wednesday and thouroughly enjoyed my time there. I really get along well with all the first grade teachers and the kids at this age are so loving and sweet. They all want to hug you and be your best friend. I was doing testing for math and also reading with some of the children that are still struggling with sounding out words. I have to say I never stop being amazed at just how much growth and progress children get by having a mother that is involved in their education. I am gratefult that I have chosen to stay at home with my children and am able to teach them not only things pertaining to education, but confidence, kindness and responsibility. You can absolutely tell the children who have a mother involved in their lives and those that don't. Such a huge difference.
Anyhow, I get a lot of satisfaction out of being able to help at the school and be there for my children. And it is always a nice thing when kids come up to hug me and say, "you smell good Mrs. Wall.". I know that is silly, but that is one of the best compliments I can ever get cuz I am so obsessed with smells. ;)
I know my progress is slow, but it feels so wonderful seeing progress in this goal. I even find that I am actually enjoying the feeling of running. I try to sprint the last little leg home as well. I have to admit, it is hard for me to get up at 5:30 in the morning, especially since I am not a morning person, but after I am up and going, I feel so refreshed and happy being outside in the beautiful morning. There is a silence at that time of day that leaves a lot of room for thought and contemplation and for ideas to strike your brain.
I also have been helping at school the last week and a half or so. I drop Enok off at this child care place (a whole other blog in and of itself) and help at the school two days a week. I worked with the first graders on Wednesday and thouroughly enjoyed my time there. I really get along well with all the first grade teachers and the kids at this age are so loving and sweet. They all want to hug you and be your best friend. I was doing testing for math and also reading with some of the children that are still struggling with sounding out words. I have to say I never stop being amazed at just how much growth and progress children get by having a mother that is involved in their education. I am gratefult that I have chosen to stay at home with my children and am able to teach them not only things pertaining to education, but confidence, kindness and responsibility. You can absolutely tell the children who have a mother involved in their lives and those that don't. Such a huge difference.
Anyhow, I get a lot of satisfaction out of being able to help at the school and be there for my children. And it is always a nice thing when kids come up to hug me and say, "you smell good Mrs. Wall.". I know that is silly, but that is one of the best compliments I can ever get cuz I am so obsessed with smells. ;)
Ensign article
Cari made me realize I hadn't read much of the August ensign, and I received the September one yesterday, so I read several of the articles as I enjoyed my granola with fresh raspberries picked from my garden, sitting out on the front porch.
I was inspired to let you all know how grateful I am for each one of you. I am grateful for the unity in our family, and how we love to be together, even though we are all so different.
I am grateful that you all know how to pray, where to go to find answers, and how to use the Spirit.
I am glad that every single Sunday, I just know you will be going to church and taking the sacrament. I don't need to even worry that you may just want to stay home. My friend Jean Marie still doesn't see how that works, as she stays home about every other week, and expects her kids to still go.
The one article said we can't just pick some sins to repent of, and keep others. All of you try so hard to be good, righteous people. I see other women with the heart ache of teen pregnancies, drug abuse, children divorcing and living at home, all caused by disobedience to the commandments. Thank you for giving me such peace of mind, and keeping those commandments that bring peace to your lives, your children's lives, and mine.
I love how you all strive to continue to educate yourself, formally and informally, by reading, keeping up with the news, what is going on in life, etc. I urge us all to take classes, continue to read, and increase our wisdom and knowledge. I plan on taking a class in 2009, even though I am not sure which one I will take. Keep reading the scriptures, and try to read one other church book a year. Tom plans on reading Jesus the Christ. That is such an awesome book!
Well, if this gets longer, no one will read it, so enough for now. I am just so proud of all of you!
I was inspired to let you all know how grateful I am for each one of you. I am grateful for the unity in our family, and how we love to be together, even though we are all so different.
I am grateful that you all know how to pray, where to go to find answers, and how to use the Spirit.
I am glad that every single Sunday, I just know you will be going to church and taking the sacrament. I don't need to even worry that you may just want to stay home. My friend Jean Marie still doesn't see how that works, as she stays home about every other week, and expects her kids to still go.
The one article said we can't just pick some sins to repent of, and keep others. All of you try so hard to be good, righteous people. I see other women with the heart ache of teen pregnancies, drug abuse, children divorcing and living at home, all caused by disobedience to the commandments. Thank you for giving me such peace of mind, and keeping those commandments that bring peace to your lives, your children's lives, and mine.
I love how you all strive to continue to educate yourself, formally and informally, by reading, keeping up with the news, what is going on in life, etc. I urge us all to take classes, continue to read, and increase our wisdom and knowledge. I plan on taking a class in 2009, even though I am not sure which one I will take. Keep reading the scriptures, and try to read one other church book a year. Tom plans on reading Jesus the Christ. That is such an awesome book!
Well, if this gets longer, no one will read it, so enough for now. I am just so proud of all of you!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Magic Bullet & Taking my own route
I have yet to blog about one of my new favorite products. It is a product that I have seen many times on TV and thought, "hey, I'd love that." But since I don't buy things on TV, I never considered really buying it. When Risa went off to good ole Korea (Sparkling!) she left us a few things that couldn't make the trip. One was her "Magic Bullet." Yes, this is the product that is a miniblender that you can blend things right in the cup and put a lid on it, etc. I started using it on day one and probably use it every day at least once. I absolutely love it. I think it is a big key to my getting back into regular weight as I now use it for snacks or meals and can have a great smoothie with fruits, etc. instead of whatever else I used to eat. My new favorite blend? I copied Jamba on this one. I mix banana, strawberries, milk, peanut butter and some granola or whole oats. It is a great breakfast! I'm not sure I would pay for one yet - I think they are pretty pricey, but maybe I would if Risa took it back. Next best thing to mix? Chocolate milk. Plain old Nesquick and milk blended is WAY better than mixing it with a spoon in a cup. I know it is hard to imagine, but it is. Then throw in some ice (not too much!) and you have one of the greatest drinks on the planet.
At work this week I attended one of the many boring trainings on how to be a better manager/be more motivated/adapt to change/etc. During the training we did an exercise that I had done before in another training where you try to find your way through a maze in the carpet. If you step on a wrong square, it buzzes. As a team you have to get through the maze one at a time and you can't talk. So we went through this process and after a while our team got stuck. It was obvious, to me, that there was a "fake" path to the right and it led nowhere. So in my mind we needed to find another path. When it got to my turn the team pointed and grunted to try and get me to follow the same path. But I disregarded their suggestions and chose a random path to the right. In the end I got a few spaces before I 'buzzed' and after that the entire team followed that path and within a minute we had achieved our goal (and beaten the other team we were competing against). Afterwards we discussed the exercise and one person mentioned how I had disregarded the advice of the team and gone on my own - and by doing so we had won. She used it as an example that we need people to disagree and not always go with the group. I thought about that a lot during the rest of the afternoon. Indeed, I am the type of person that is very independent and am willing to take my chances on things when I feel it is right, even if others disagree. And I think that has led me to success in my life. It often can bring you problems (like people think you are a rebel or disregard authority or whatever), but other times it can bring success. I felt good to be seen as that type of person - and though in my career right now it probably has been slightly negative, if I do stay with Pru that will eventually change. And if I leave, then I know it will bring me success wherever I go.
At work this week I attended one of the many boring trainings on how to be a better manager/be more motivated/adapt to change/etc. During the training we did an exercise that I had done before in another training where you try to find your way through a maze in the carpet. If you step on a wrong square, it buzzes. As a team you have to get through the maze one at a time and you can't talk. So we went through this process and after a while our team got stuck. It was obvious, to me, that there was a "fake" path to the right and it led nowhere. So in my mind we needed to find another path. When it got to my turn the team pointed and grunted to try and get me to follow the same path. But I disregarded their suggestions and chose a random path to the right. In the end I got a few spaces before I 'buzzed' and after that the entire team followed that path and within a minute we had achieved our goal (and beaten the other team we were competing against). Afterwards we discussed the exercise and one person mentioned how I had disregarded the advice of the team and gone on my own - and by doing so we had won. She used it as an example that we need people to disagree and not always go with the group. I thought about that a lot during the rest of the afternoon. Indeed, I am the type of person that is very independent and am willing to take my chances on things when I feel it is right, even if others disagree. And I think that has led me to success in my life. It often can bring you problems (like people think you are a rebel or disregard authority or whatever), but other times it can bring success. I felt good to be seen as that type of person - and though in my career right now it probably has been slightly negative, if I do stay with Pru that will eventually change. And if I leave, then I know it will bring me success wherever I go.
Monday, August 25, 2008
I have arrived
So im in hawaii. Which is by far the craziest thing i have ever done. Its alot different here with out jimmy and without just being on vacation. And its ALOT different than provo but i really feel like im going to fall in love with this place and part of me already has. First, my house is literally across the street from the beach and its a beach park so its really cute with picnic tables and stuff. It takes 1 minute to get there =) and Im looking at the ocean as we speak from my bedroom window. Second, the house is really cute and i have melon trees growing in my front yard along with red, pick, orange, plants everywhere. And the inside is nice too. The kitchen is beautiful and my room is bigger than my room in the elms and i have lots of space. The girls here are really nice too. None of them are hawaiin or polynesian though which surprises me. One is from AZ, two are from UT and the other one is from Wyoming. They all seem cool and im excited to meet my roommate because she doesnt get in till tomorrow. There is nothing around me though. The grocery store is about a 10 minute or more walk and that is about the closest thing to a place where you can actually buy something. I walked there and realized, how can I bring back everything I need so I actually went up to two girls who looked my age and asked if they could give me a ride! Something I would have never done before but desperate times calls for desperate measures! Turns out they were really cool and one of them was from Sweden and we got to talking and will probably meet up again. The people here are so calm and just go with the flow. I think I love this the most.
Campus, I heard is more like a 15 minute walk but I'll know for sure tomorrow because Im going with some of the girls to look around. All of them have been to school here already besides me and theyre all sophmores. Which is kinda nice in some ways because they know where everything is. But its weird to be the oldest. And of course I already have some sort of reputation because Im from NY. I swear people are almost scared of you when you tell them this. And you are atomatically cool. I think it's funny.
But even being a new yorker i guess when you walk places, its still not safe to go alone at night. The girls said there are a couple of gangs. And our house is right on the Kamehameha highway so cars are passing 24-7. Just walking to the grocery store I had guys saying things and honking. There is also not a defined side walk which is kinda strange but you have to go over some old bridges and their paths are pretty and fun to cross. The neighborhood around me is all small houses and its just kind of a messy atmosphere. People have stuff laying outside and parked outside and its not what you would call upscale but it's kind of comforting in its own way. I havent been in the water yet but tomorrow after I go up to campus I think Ill go. I want to spend as much time as possible outside and doing things which wont be a problem here. Plus the girls here are active ones so it should be alot of fun.
But the best thing is knowing that I get to see Jimmy in 3 days!! It makes every fear of mine and every complication just vanish but scared and nervous at the same time. I feel so young and silly because of the butterflies that already will not leave my stomach. K well I am gonna get going
But dont worry because Im here and safe and its HAWAII =)
Campus, I heard is more like a 15 minute walk but I'll know for sure tomorrow because Im going with some of the girls to look around. All of them have been to school here already besides me and theyre all sophmores. Which is kinda nice in some ways because they know where everything is. But its weird to be the oldest. And of course I already have some sort of reputation because Im from NY. I swear people are almost scared of you when you tell them this. And you are atomatically cool. I think it's funny.
But even being a new yorker i guess when you walk places, its still not safe to go alone at night. The girls said there are a couple of gangs. And our house is right on the Kamehameha highway so cars are passing 24-7. Just walking to the grocery store I had guys saying things and honking. There is also not a defined side walk which is kinda strange but you have to go over some old bridges and their paths are pretty and fun to cross. The neighborhood around me is all small houses and its just kind of a messy atmosphere. People have stuff laying outside and parked outside and its not what you would call upscale but it's kind of comforting in its own way. I havent been in the water yet but tomorrow after I go up to campus I think Ill go. I want to spend as much time as possible outside and doing things which wont be a problem here. Plus the girls here are active ones so it should be alot of fun.
But the best thing is knowing that I get to see Jimmy in 3 days!! It makes every fear of mine and every complication just vanish but scared and nervous at the same time. I feel so young and silly because of the butterflies that already will not leave my stomach. K well I am gonna get going
But dont worry because Im here and safe and its HAWAII =)
No Regrets
Our home teachers stopped by yesterday. I was in the middle of making a huge batch of lemon chicken (yes, it was yummy) and Jacob was entertaining several of our friends, so the home teachers kept their visit short. They shared bits of the message from the August Ensign and then one of them read this line from that last paragraph of the message:
"May we live so that when the final summons is heard, we may have no serious regrets, no unfinished business..."
The concept of living with no regrets (or no serious regrets, to be more clear) always gives me food for thought. In my third year of college (so 5 years ago now), I met my friend Katie. She was a wild one. :-) She had lived through a tough life, by most standards, but she was doing pretty well. She was also three years into college, lived in my ward, and also could have cared less about dating at the time (my reason was Jacob, her's was emtional baggage). We spent a lot of time together and became fast friends.
There was one week on Sunday School when our bishop was teaching and he asked the class what long-term goals we had in life. Marriage, kids, job, etc. Then Katie raised her hand and said she wanted to live with no regrets. The bishop told her he thought that was an unrealistic goal and if we don't regret the things we do wrong, why would we ever repent of them? I don't remember what the rest of the discussion after that was - I stopped paying attention at that point and started thinking.
At this point in my life, I put a LOT of stock in what this bishop said, but in this case, I really wanted to side with Katie. When I get to the end of my life, I don't want to have any cause to complain about missed opportunities or to still be upset about something someone did years ago or to still be waiting for some big change in my life because then I'll be happy. I've come to realize since then that the difference of opinion between the bishop and Katie was probably more of a misunderstanding of definitions than an actual difference in intent. When Katie and I talked about it later, that certainly seemed to be the case to me.
Katie and I were very close while Jacob was on his mission, but the same time he got back, she moved to a different apartment complex in a different ward and we lost touch. We still emailed occasionally and called occasionally but we really didn't hang out much anymore. Incidentally, she was in the same ward as my sister, Nicole. Around the first Thanksgiving after Jacob and I got married, Nicole showed up at our door crying and shared the news that Katie had died in a car crash the night before on her way back to BYU from her parents' house in Washington. I went through the shock and the crying and the sadness but Jacob, being Jacob, soon had me laughing at all of the fun memories we had shared with Katie.
I still think about Katie a lot, especially around Thanksgiving time. I still miss her and the light and fun she brought into every conversation. I look forward to asking her someday if she reached her goal of living with no serious regrets. I think she did. Nicole and I talked about her that night and Nicole filled me in on some of the changes in Katie's life since I had spoke with her last. She had reconciled with her parents and was on very good terms with them for the first time in years. She had recently broken off her engagement, but even though it hurt, she was happy because she knew that marrying that guy wasn't the right thing. School was going well, she was healthy and happy in life. I don't think she had any serious regrets left at the end.
I just hope I can learn from Katie's example. We don't know how long we have on this earth - I think that was part of President Monson's message in the Ensign. We can't wait to live our lives. We need to do something good with the time and the talents that we have been given, and we need to start doing it now. I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about my goals in life and what regrets would I have if my time here was soon over. I think I'm in a pretty good spot right now. The regrets I would have are pretty trivial and I've already started on getting those goals accomplished.
Honestly, the real reason I wrote this post is that when I was being all contemplative yesterday, Jacob thought I was upset with him. When I kept telling him that no, I wasn't, and no, I didn't want to talk about it, he got very curious. So the only way I was able to get him to give me time to think was to promise to blog about my thoughts today. Persistent little man, isn't he? :-) But I'm glad I wrote this all out. Things always seem to make more sense to me if I write them out. So I'm not trying to preach to anyone. If you want preaching, go read the Ensign article - it does a much better job than I do. I guess I really just wanted to share my joy at where my life is right now and my memories of my friend who I still miss and my re-iterated goal to live and be happy and do good now, and not wait for whatever I think the next big thing is before I start to enjoy the life I've been blessed with.
"May we live so that when the final summons is heard, we may have no serious regrets, no unfinished business..."
The concept of living with no regrets (or no serious regrets, to be more clear) always gives me food for thought. In my third year of college (so 5 years ago now), I met my friend Katie. She was a wild one. :-) She had lived through a tough life, by most standards, but she was doing pretty well. She was also three years into college, lived in my ward, and also could have cared less about dating at the time (my reason was Jacob, her's was emtional baggage). We spent a lot of time together and became fast friends.
There was one week on Sunday School when our bishop was teaching and he asked the class what long-term goals we had in life. Marriage, kids, job, etc. Then Katie raised her hand and said she wanted to live with no regrets. The bishop told her he thought that was an unrealistic goal and if we don't regret the things we do wrong, why would we ever repent of them? I don't remember what the rest of the discussion after that was - I stopped paying attention at that point and started thinking.
At this point in my life, I put a LOT of stock in what this bishop said, but in this case, I really wanted to side with Katie. When I get to the end of my life, I don't want to have any cause to complain about missed opportunities or to still be upset about something someone did years ago or to still be waiting for some big change in my life because then I'll be happy. I've come to realize since then that the difference of opinion between the bishop and Katie was probably more of a misunderstanding of definitions than an actual difference in intent. When Katie and I talked about it later, that certainly seemed to be the case to me.
Katie and I were very close while Jacob was on his mission, but the same time he got back, she moved to a different apartment complex in a different ward and we lost touch. We still emailed occasionally and called occasionally but we really didn't hang out much anymore. Incidentally, she was in the same ward as my sister, Nicole. Around the first Thanksgiving after Jacob and I got married, Nicole showed up at our door crying and shared the news that Katie had died in a car crash the night before on her way back to BYU from her parents' house in Washington. I went through the shock and the crying and the sadness but Jacob, being Jacob, soon had me laughing at all of the fun memories we had shared with Katie.
I still think about Katie a lot, especially around Thanksgiving time. I still miss her and the light and fun she brought into every conversation. I look forward to asking her someday if she reached her goal of living with no serious regrets. I think she did. Nicole and I talked about her that night and Nicole filled me in on some of the changes in Katie's life since I had spoke with her last. She had reconciled with her parents and was on very good terms with them for the first time in years. She had recently broken off her engagement, but even though it hurt, she was happy because she knew that marrying that guy wasn't the right thing. School was going well, she was healthy and happy in life. I don't think she had any serious regrets left at the end.
I just hope I can learn from Katie's example. We don't know how long we have on this earth - I think that was part of President Monson's message in the Ensign. We can't wait to live our lives. We need to do something good with the time and the talents that we have been given, and we need to start doing it now. I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about my goals in life and what regrets would I have if my time here was soon over. I think I'm in a pretty good spot right now. The regrets I would have are pretty trivial and I've already started on getting those goals accomplished.
Honestly, the real reason I wrote this post is that when I was being all contemplative yesterday, Jacob thought I was upset with him. When I kept telling him that no, I wasn't, and no, I didn't want to talk about it, he got very curious. So the only way I was able to get him to give me time to think was to promise to blog about my thoughts today. Persistent little man, isn't he? :-) But I'm glad I wrote this all out. Things always seem to make more sense to me if I write them out. So I'm not trying to preach to anyone. If you want preaching, go read the Ensign article - it does a much better job than I do. I guess I really just wanted to share my joy at where my life is right now and my memories of my friend who I still miss and my re-iterated goal to live and be happy and do good now, and not wait for whatever I think the next big thing is before I start to enjoy the life I've been blessed with.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Vacations
I don't know if you guys are set on going to Powell every year yet. I, of course, will go wherever you guys go. I like the idea of going somewhere different every year, but always the same week.
I also like the idea of getting a cabin on a lake somewhere better than Powell. Dad says to just rent a house boat one time first and see if you like it, before you buy it. It may also be a good idea to talk to Patty about it.
There are also time shares that you can use with the houseboat, and then use it another year for a different vacation.
My sister is in some kind of one that is called Blue-green or something, and she has 2 weeks a year, but can go all over, like she paid for the condo in the Poconos, and had a vacation last year with all her kids at the Dells in Wisconsin.
I plan on being with you guys every year, where ever you live, although with the way dad and I act, you may not want to vacation with us every year!
I still want to go to Mexico, SanDiego, and Yellowstone, maybe.
Dad still wants to go to Alaska.
I am not a traveler, but I do seem to get to travel often!
I also like the idea of getting a cabin on a lake somewhere better than Powell. Dad says to just rent a house boat one time first and see if you like it, before you buy it. It may also be a good idea to talk to Patty about it.
There are also time shares that you can use with the houseboat, and then use it another year for a different vacation.
My sister is in some kind of one that is called Blue-green or something, and she has 2 weeks a year, but can go all over, like she paid for the condo in the Poconos, and had a vacation last year with all her kids at the Dells in Wisconsin.
I plan on being with you guys every year, where ever you live, although with the way dad and I act, you may not want to vacation with us every year!
I still want to go to Mexico, SanDiego, and Yellowstone, maybe.
Dad still wants to go to Alaska.
I am not a traveler, but I do seem to get to travel often!
Monday, August 18, 2008
The Olympics Rule
I'm not sure there is a great spectacle to watch on TV than the Olympics.
As a person who loves competition, sports and his country the Olympics
brings about the epitome of physical competition and love for your team
(country). I have always loved the Olympics for as far back as I can
remember - which really starts in the 1984 Olympics. And I have always
loved certain events more than others. I love gymnastics - women's
gymnastics. I don't think there is a more scarier sport to watch. One
small mistake can cost you a medal. When I watch gymnastics I feel like I
do in a suspenseful movie: with one hand covering my eyes. Too afraid to
watch yet too excited to look away. It is fantastic. But it is always
filled with heartbreak, too. The emotions can be so high and low. I
remember the man who fell a few years ago in his race and then had his
father walk him to the finish line (which Visa has reminded us so often
during this Olympics). I remember favorites of mine losing by small
margins. I cry with those that fail. And I cheer with those that win. I
will never forget the Olympics where Kerri Strug, as part of the
magnificent 7 in the 1996 Olympics, where she vaulted on a twisted ankle in
so much pain, but stuck the landing to win the Gold for the team. I cried
and yelled and cheered. I remember watching Carl Lewis and other great
American runners win the 100 meter dash so many times. I recall the Dream
Team in 1992 and watching the world bow in awe to the great American
ballers.
This year's Olympics have been even more special to me. I have a great
love for China. I know that many people continue to boycott the Olympics
and are upset that it is getting such attention due to China's human rights
record. But the people of China can not help that. They still love their
country and want to show off their grandiose history on the world stage.
From the amazing opening ceremonies it has been a beautiful display.
Perhaps not a real indication of what life in China really is, but a vision
of what it could be. And the games have been fascinating.
Night after night I have witnessed amazing competitions that have brought
tears: both of joy and pain. Michael Phelps is so amazing it defies words.
Watching the 4X100 relay when the US came back to beat France after it
looked like an impossibility was perhaps the greatest race of this century.
One Phelps then one his butterfly by 1/100 of a second after appearing to
have lost once again it was pandemonium. Seeing the US girls in gymnastics
stick it out for the silver after watching Alicia Sacramone fell twice.
And even now I can feel her pain and disappointment and wish I could just
give her a big hug. Watching the Americans take gold and silver in the
gymnastics all-around was great (though I would much rather have seen Shawn
win!). Watching Shawn Johnson have the best score on the floor exercise
until the final performer from Romania took the gold from her was
heartbreaking! Too see Mr. Lightning Bolt from Jamaica SHATTER the world
record to become the fastest man in history while looking like he was
strolling in park: amazing!
It has truly been an emotional and uplifting Olympics. I look forward to
this final week and hope that a few more of my favorites take gold. I've
become a huge fan of Misty Mays. I liked her last Olympics, but now I
think she is amazing. Kinda like Dara Torres. New heroes and heroines
have come forth and I hope our children are impacted by them. I think the
Olympics have come at a great time and has kindled some more nationalism
for the USA at a time that we need it. A few years ago Tevia and I had
decided to go to China during the Olympics. That plan got thrown off due
to our living in China: in fact, this time last year we were certain we
would be there since we'd be living in Hong Kong. In the end we missed it,
but I am determined to go to London in 2012.
On a different note Wii Fit has brought about a wonderful achievement for
me. Upon returning from HK Wii Fit clearly pointed out that I was above
normal in my weight and BMI. And though I found this shocking, I certainly
couldn't argue that I could use to lose a few pounds. Through motivation
of my Wii Fit trainer and weighing in, in just 2 months I now weigh less
than I have probably at any point in the last 5 years. My goal is to
continue to lose a few more pounds to get around my 'ideal' BMI (according
to Wii Fit) by Hawaii. This has felt wonderful and I feel younger, fitter,
and healthier.
As a person who loves competition, sports and his country the Olympics
brings about the epitome of physical competition and love for your team
(country). I have always loved the Olympics for as far back as I can
remember - which really starts in the 1984 Olympics. And I have always
loved certain events more than others. I love gymnastics - women's
gymnastics. I don't think there is a more scarier sport to watch. One
small mistake can cost you a medal. When I watch gymnastics I feel like I
do in a suspenseful movie: with one hand covering my eyes. Too afraid to
watch yet too excited to look away. It is fantastic. But it is always
filled with heartbreak, too. The emotions can be so high and low. I
remember the man who fell a few years ago in his race and then had his
father walk him to the finish line (which Visa has reminded us so often
during this Olympics). I remember favorites of mine losing by small
margins. I cry with those that fail. And I cheer with those that win. I
will never forget the Olympics where Kerri Strug, as part of the
magnificent 7 in the 1996 Olympics, where she vaulted on a twisted ankle in
so much pain, but stuck the landing to win the Gold for the team. I cried
and yelled and cheered. I remember watching Carl Lewis and other great
American runners win the 100 meter dash so many times. I recall the Dream
Team in 1992 and watching the world bow in awe to the great American
ballers.
This year's Olympics have been even more special to me. I have a great
love for China. I know that many people continue to boycott the Olympics
and are upset that it is getting such attention due to China's human rights
record. But the people of China can not help that. They still love their
country and want to show off their grandiose history on the world stage.
From the amazing opening ceremonies it has been a beautiful display.
Perhaps not a real indication of what life in China really is, but a vision
of what it could be. And the games have been fascinating.
Night after night I have witnessed amazing competitions that have brought
tears: both of joy and pain. Michael Phelps is so amazing it defies words.
Watching the 4X100 relay when the US came back to beat France after it
looked like an impossibility was perhaps the greatest race of this century.
One Phelps then one his butterfly by 1/100 of a second after appearing to
have lost once again it was pandemonium. Seeing the US girls in gymnastics
stick it out for the silver after watching Alicia Sacramone fell twice.
And even now I can feel her pain and disappointment and wish I could just
give her a big hug. Watching the Americans take gold and silver in the
gymnastics all-around was great (though I would much rather have seen Shawn
win!). Watching Shawn Johnson have the best score on the floor exercise
until the final performer from Romania took the gold from her was
heartbreaking! Too see Mr. Lightning Bolt from Jamaica SHATTER the world
record to become the fastest man in history while looking like he was
strolling in park: amazing!
It has truly been an emotional and uplifting Olympics. I look forward to
this final week and hope that a few more of my favorites take gold. I've
become a huge fan of Misty Mays. I liked her last Olympics, but now I
think she is amazing. Kinda like Dara Torres. New heroes and heroines
have come forth and I hope our children are impacted by them. I think the
Olympics have come at a great time and has kindled some more nationalism
for the USA at a time that we need it. A few years ago Tevia and I had
decided to go to China during the Olympics. That plan got thrown off due
to our living in China: in fact, this time last year we were certain we
would be there since we'd be living in Hong Kong. In the end we missed it,
but I am determined to go to London in 2012.
On a different note Wii Fit has brought about a wonderful achievement for
me. Upon returning from HK Wii Fit clearly pointed out that I was above
normal in my weight and BMI. And though I found this shocking, I certainly
couldn't argue that I could use to lose a few pounds. Through motivation
of my Wii Fit trainer and weighing in, in just 2 months I now weigh less
than I have probably at any point in the last 5 years. My goal is to
continue to lose a few more pounds to get around my 'ideal' BMI (according
to Wii Fit) by Hawaii. This has felt wonderful and I feel younger, fitter,
and healthier.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
LASIK
Random fact: The title of this post is in all caps not for emphasis, but because it's actually an acronym, so it should be in all caps.
Random fact: The smell of a laser burning one's eye is very similar to the smell of a newly lit match.
Random fact: If you are wearing eye shields and then lean over your 3 month old baby to say hello, she'll likely freak out and start crying because face it, you just look weird right now.
Yesterday was a momentous day for me. In case the extrapolation hasn't finished, I'll spell it out for you: I had LASIK done yesterday. Jacob first suggested I get LASIK not long after we got married. But the idea of any blade coming near my eye gave me serious shivers down my spine, and not the good kind. He's brought up about 4 times a year since we got married and since our third anniversary is in a few days, you can tell that it was becoming time to either do it, or get him to stop asking about it. Just so no one thinks he's being pushy about it, his reasons were to improve my quality of life and to, in the end, save money on my eye care.
With the way our current health insurance works, we had a large sum of money sitting around in our HSA flex account that needed spending eventually. And after having our expensive little princess in May, the whole family is 100% covered for the rest of the year, so we don't need to use the HSA money for things the insurance will cover. So, the time for LASIK was upon us. I still wasn't crazy about the whole blade on my eye thing ::shiver::, but as I started to research the latest with LASIK to see if I would even be a candidate (astigmatism and all), I found that they have a new bladeless LASIK. They use a different laser to cut the corneal flap and then use the other laser to actually reshape the eye tissue. So Jacob and I had the LASIK discussion again and I called the place that looked like it had the best prices. For most of the LASIK places, they'll give you a free screening, basically to tell you if you're a good candidate or not. I figured I could use the free appointment to see if I liked the place or not and keep looking if I had reservations.
About 3 weeks ago, I had an appointment at the Excel Eye Center in Provo. They were very nice and very professional and also having a summer sale! Made my decision easy at least. :) The end result of my screening was that I was a good candidate, but like everyone else, I needed to abstain from contacts for 2 weeks so they could get a more clear view of my cornea or something like that. So 2 weeks of glasses later, I went back for my final check-up prior to surgery. The doctor looked at my eyes. Then he looked again. Then he said "Hmm." (Alarms going off anyone??)
He told me he thought my optic nerve looked swollen and he wanted me to go see a retinal specialist to get his opinion. He also wanted me to have a field vision test as a secondary test to see if I had optic nerve edema. So off to the specialist I went and off to the field vision test I went. The result of the retinal specialist (besides everyone in the office thinking Hazel was so adorable) is that my optic nerves are more rounded than the average optic nerve, but he thought that was just my eye and not a problem. He did say that if he thought it was optic nerve edema, I'd be off to the hospital for a brain MRI. Joy. But things looked good, but we need to watch it over time to make sure that they are.
One thing the specialist did find is that I had a retinal tear, which apparently is very common in near-sighted eyes. So I talked it over with him and with the LASIK doctor and in about a month, I'll go back to the specialist to have another quick laser treatment to "spot-weld" (his words, not mind) that tear. (Another random fact, after Nicole and I put our brains together with Mom and Dad, we figured out why the specialist I saw looked so familiar: his family used to live in Mom and Dad's ward when Nicole was a Laurel. Small world, eh?)
Since the results of the specialist and the field vision test were good, LASIK was a go for yesterday morning. I had some serious problems sleeping the night before, though I wasn't consciously nervous or excited - I just couldn't sleep. Jacob didn't want me to be late, so we arrived 10 minutes early, which was early enough to watch the broadcast of the surgery on the guy that was going before me on the TV in the waiting area. I didn't look.
Then it was my turn. First, they put on a hair net (Jacob joked he was surprised they had one big enough to contain all my hair) and little booties on my feet. They swabbed my eyelids down with iodine (which was surprisingly soothing for my nerves), cleaned that off and gave me numbing drops. The doctor came in to mark "6 o'clock" on my eyes (apparently when we lay down, our eyes turn slightly out, so they have to mark to make sure they cut the flap in the correct place). After asking him if I should feel the marker stinging like that, I was giving several more rounds of numbing drops. They walked me into the operating room and had me lay down in a chair that strangely resembled a dentist's chair.
Suction cups on my eyes to hold them still while the first laser cut the flap, lots of pushing and prodding to get the flap to come up, holding my head still and that lovely burning smell as the laser did its job, and then some more pushing and prodding to get the flap to go back in place and we were done! The part I was actually dreading the most was the metal thing the put in the eye for the second laser to hold the eye open. Turns out that by that point, I could only see big gray patches and the light they told me to focus on to keep my eye relatively still, so I didn't even see it when they put it in. Then lots of instructions about my cornucopia of eye drops and what I could and couldn't do the rest of the day and we were done. The next several hours were pretty obnoxious. I was starting to be able to see, but looking at anything made my head hurt. I wanted to go to sleep, but the doctor suggested that I didn't. Eyes tend to move a lot during sleep, so he wanted me to stay awake all day to give the flap more time to reattach.
So I rocked in my glider rocker and kept reminding myself that I signed up for this. After my post-op appointment several hours after the surgery, I was feeling much better. I had also decided that ibuprofen was a good thing and had partaken liberally. And the doctor said everything looked great and that my vision was already 20/30, which did a lot to sooth my worries. So other than scaring Hazel when I looked at her with my eye shields on, it was a pretty uneventful day after that. I just relaxed and played some Wii and watched a movie with Jacob and our friends that had come over to keep me company. I have to sleep with the eye shields on for a week so I don't accidentally rub my eyes in my sleep and I still have lots of eye drops to keep using every day for a while, but my eye sight is still getting better. I'm sitting at my computer typing this, and I can clearly read the microwave clock from here, which is probably about 15-20 feet away. Considering how blind I was before, this is a huge improvement.
Jacob has asked several times if I still think he's handsome now that I can really see him, and of course, he is. :) Now that I don't have to wear the eye shields during the day, Hazel likes me again, though I think she's still trying to figure out where my glasses went. I'm still waiting for my contacts to start bugging me or something anti-climatic like that. It hasn't fully sunk in yet that I can see all on my own, but I'm sure it will soon. Technology's a pretty cool thing.
Random fact: The smell of a laser burning one's eye is very similar to the smell of a newly lit match.
Random fact: If you are wearing eye shields and then lean over your 3 month old baby to say hello, she'll likely freak out and start crying because face it, you just look weird right now.
Yesterday was a momentous day for me. In case the extrapolation hasn't finished, I'll spell it out for you: I had LASIK done yesterday. Jacob first suggested I get LASIK not long after we got married. But the idea of any blade coming near my eye gave me serious shivers down my spine, and not the good kind. He's brought up about 4 times a year since we got married and since our third anniversary is in a few days, you can tell that it was becoming time to either do it, or get him to stop asking about it. Just so no one thinks he's being pushy about it, his reasons were to improve my quality of life and to, in the end, save money on my eye care.
With the way our current health insurance works, we had a large sum of money sitting around in our HSA flex account that needed spending eventually. And after having our expensive little princess in May, the whole family is 100% covered for the rest of the year, so we don't need to use the HSA money for things the insurance will cover. So, the time for LASIK was upon us. I still wasn't crazy about the whole blade on my eye thing ::shiver::, but as I started to research the latest with LASIK to see if I would even be a candidate (astigmatism and all), I found that they have a new bladeless LASIK. They use a different laser to cut the corneal flap and then use the other laser to actually reshape the eye tissue. So Jacob and I had the LASIK discussion again and I called the place that looked like it had the best prices. For most of the LASIK places, they'll give you a free screening, basically to tell you if you're a good candidate or not. I figured I could use the free appointment to see if I liked the place or not and keep looking if I had reservations.
About 3 weeks ago, I had an appointment at the Excel Eye Center in Provo. They were very nice and very professional and also having a summer sale! Made my decision easy at least. :) The end result of my screening was that I was a good candidate, but like everyone else, I needed to abstain from contacts for 2 weeks so they could get a more clear view of my cornea or something like that. So 2 weeks of glasses later, I went back for my final check-up prior to surgery. The doctor looked at my eyes. Then he looked again. Then he said "Hmm." (Alarms going off anyone??)
He told me he thought my optic nerve looked swollen and he wanted me to go see a retinal specialist to get his opinion. He also wanted me to have a field vision test as a secondary test to see if I had optic nerve edema. So off to the specialist I went and off to the field vision test I went. The result of the retinal specialist (besides everyone in the office thinking Hazel was so adorable) is that my optic nerves are more rounded than the average optic nerve, but he thought that was just my eye and not a problem. He did say that if he thought it was optic nerve edema, I'd be off to the hospital for a brain MRI. Joy. But things looked good, but we need to watch it over time to make sure that they are.
One thing the specialist did find is that I had a retinal tear, which apparently is very common in near-sighted eyes. So I talked it over with him and with the LASIK doctor and in about a month, I'll go back to the specialist to have another quick laser treatment to "spot-weld" (his words, not mind) that tear. (Another random fact, after Nicole and I put our brains together with Mom and Dad, we figured out why the specialist I saw looked so familiar: his family used to live in Mom and Dad's ward when Nicole was a Laurel. Small world, eh?)
Since the results of the specialist and the field vision test were good, LASIK was a go for yesterday morning. I had some serious problems sleeping the night before, though I wasn't consciously nervous or excited - I just couldn't sleep. Jacob didn't want me to be late, so we arrived 10 minutes early, which was early enough to watch the broadcast of the surgery on the guy that was going before me on the TV in the waiting area. I didn't look.
Then it was my turn. First, they put on a hair net (Jacob joked he was surprised they had one big enough to contain all my hair) and little booties on my feet. They swabbed my eyelids down with iodine (which was surprisingly soothing for my nerves), cleaned that off and gave me numbing drops. The doctor came in to mark "6 o'clock" on my eyes (apparently when we lay down, our eyes turn slightly out, so they have to mark to make sure they cut the flap in the correct place). After asking him if I should feel the marker stinging like that, I was giving several more rounds of numbing drops. They walked me into the operating room and had me lay down in a chair that strangely resembled a dentist's chair.
Suction cups on my eyes to hold them still while the first laser cut the flap, lots of pushing and prodding to get the flap to come up, holding my head still and that lovely burning smell as the laser did its job, and then some more pushing and prodding to get the flap to go back in place and we were done! The part I was actually dreading the most was the metal thing the put in the eye for the second laser to hold the eye open. Turns out that by that point, I could only see big gray patches and the light they told me to focus on to keep my eye relatively still, so I didn't even see it when they put it in. Then lots of instructions about my cornucopia of eye drops and what I could and couldn't do the rest of the day and we were done. The next several hours were pretty obnoxious. I was starting to be able to see, but looking at anything made my head hurt. I wanted to go to sleep, but the doctor suggested that I didn't. Eyes tend to move a lot during sleep, so he wanted me to stay awake all day to give the flap more time to reattach.
So I rocked in my glider rocker and kept reminding myself that I signed up for this. After my post-op appointment several hours after the surgery, I was feeling much better. I had also decided that ibuprofen was a good thing and had partaken liberally. And the doctor said everything looked great and that my vision was already 20/30, which did a lot to sooth my worries. So other than scaring Hazel when I looked at her with my eye shields on, it was a pretty uneventful day after that. I just relaxed and played some Wii and watched a movie with Jacob and our friends that had come over to keep me company. I have to sleep with the eye shields on for a week so I don't accidentally rub my eyes in my sleep and I still have lots of eye drops to keep using every day for a while, but my eye sight is still getting better. I'm sitting at my computer typing this, and I can clearly read the microwave clock from here, which is probably about 15-20 feet away. Considering how blind I was before, this is a huge improvement.
Jacob has asked several times if I still think he's handsome now that I can really see him, and of course, he is. :) Now that I don't have to wear the eye shields during the day, Hazel likes me again, though I think she's still trying to figure out where my glasses went. I'm still waiting for my contacts to start bugging me or something anti-climatic like that. It hasn't fully sunk in yet that I can see all on my own, but I'm sure it will soon. Technology's a pretty cool thing.
Friday, August 15, 2008
ugly little fleas
yes, it is true. I had fleas. It was the most disgusting thing that has happened to me this year.
shiver....
I was doing the person I visit teach a favor. They were out of town for 2 weeks, and they have 5 or 6 cats. Now, she knows I hate cats, since I go there once a month. She also knows I am allergic.
She just tells me to wash my hands.
shiver again.
So, her mother was cat-sitting last week, until Sunday. Then some guy dad works with and car pools with who lives by them, (her husband is in dad's carpool), was supposed to check on them until Tuesday, when he was going out of town.
My job was to go over on Thursday, and make sure their water was not dumped over, and make sure they had food in their bowls. She said I could scoop their litter boxes if I was so inclined, but I was not.
I hate cats
They keep these cats in their basement. He built a cage in the corner.
I did not even have to open the door and go in. ( it is a full size walk-in fenced-in area).
I opened the garage door, went in the dark, stinky basement, and looked at the water dish. They sell these contraptions that keep allowing water to slowly pour out for a few days, thus allowing cat people to leave their cats unattended for a while.
It had water, there was food, and the smell was horrible.
I walked out, closed the garage door, and was on my way to the mall.
I felt something on my legs as I was driving... the van.
I looked down, and there were little black things all over my feet and ankles, crawling and jumping around!
scream. almost swear. shivers and crying.
I pull the van to a stop in a motel parking lot on rt 9, jump out of the car, and brush them off.
I call my visit teaching companion, who has cats, and tell her my problem. She tells me she will call the vet. She is worried about the cats! I am worried about my body, my van, and my house!
I go to Target, and get a spray for fleas on carpets. I ask the pharmacist what to do, as there are now tiny red bites up to about my calves on both legs. I am continually looking down, shaking, and brushing off my arms and legs... ech!
She tells me to go home and jump in my pool, clothes and all.
I rush home, mad at every car in my way, wake up both kids who are sleeping on each couch, ask them to get me a swimsuit, and open the downstairs patio door.
I change as close to the door as my modesty would allow me, and run and jump into our frigid waters. (It has been cool here every night). It felt cleansing.
I threw my clothes in the washer, because it was my new top, and I didn't want to jump in the pool with it and have the chlorine ruin it. (black with red flowers)
I then took a long, hot shower.
I think I got all the little buggers off me.
I immediately put a flea and tick treatment on Daisy just in case, and I then went out and sprayed the heck out of the van!
I still can feel them crawling up my legs as I was driving. It was so disgusting!
I will never own a cat.
I feel so sorry for them. They get home this weekend. My friend said that they obviously have an infestation. There is no way they just multiplied to that many since Sunday. We called them on their cell to tell them, and left a message, as they are driving back from Washington state. They have not called us back.
shiver....
I was doing the person I visit teach a favor. They were out of town for 2 weeks, and they have 5 or 6 cats. Now, she knows I hate cats, since I go there once a month. She also knows I am allergic.
She just tells me to wash my hands.
shiver again.
So, her mother was cat-sitting last week, until Sunday. Then some guy dad works with and car pools with who lives by them, (her husband is in dad's carpool), was supposed to check on them until Tuesday, when he was going out of town.
My job was to go over on Thursday, and make sure their water was not dumped over, and make sure they had food in their bowls. She said I could scoop their litter boxes if I was so inclined, but I was not.
I hate cats
They keep these cats in their basement. He built a cage in the corner.
I did not even have to open the door and go in. ( it is a full size walk-in fenced-in area).
I opened the garage door, went in the dark, stinky basement, and looked at the water dish. They sell these contraptions that keep allowing water to slowly pour out for a few days, thus allowing cat people to leave their cats unattended for a while.
It had water, there was food, and the smell was horrible.
I walked out, closed the garage door, and was on my way to the mall.
I felt something on my legs as I was driving... the van.
I looked down, and there were little black things all over my feet and ankles, crawling and jumping around!
scream. almost swear. shivers and crying.
I pull the van to a stop in a motel parking lot on rt 9, jump out of the car, and brush them off.
I call my visit teaching companion, who has cats, and tell her my problem. She tells me she will call the vet. She is worried about the cats! I am worried about my body, my van, and my house!
I go to Target, and get a spray for fleas on carpets. I ask the pharmacist what to do, as there are now tiny red bites up to about my calves on both legs. I am continually looking down, shaking, and brushing off my arms and legs... ech!
She tells me to go home and jump in my pool, clothes and all.
I rush home, mad at every car in my way, wake up both kids who are sleeping on each couch, ask them to get me a swimsuit, and open the downstairs patio door.
I change as close to the door as my modesty would allow me, and run and jump into our frigid waters. (It has been cool here every night). It felt cleansing.
I threw my clothes in the washer, because it was my new top, and I didn't want to jump in the pool with it and have the chlorine ruin it. (black with red flowers)
I then took a long, hot shower.
I think I got all the little buggers off me.
I immediately put a flea and tick treatment on Daisy just in case, and I then went out and sprayed the heck out of the van!
I still can feel them crawling up my legs as I was driving. It was so disgusting!
I will never own a cat.
I feel so sorry for them. They get home this weekend. My friend said that they obviously have an infestation. There is no way they just multiplied to that many since Sunday. We called them on their cell to tell them, and left a message, as they are driving back from Washington state. They have not called us back.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Three PiX
Okay, i haven't yet gotten the pix uploaded to a venue to share them so I figured I would post them here and you all can tell me if you even want them. They are pretty bad. Sorry that this year's picture isn't that swell. Mostly cuz I didn't want to have to fight anyone about looking nice, being still, minding their manners. Guess when I don't be pushy we don't get a great picture. I won't let that happen again. Sorry!!!!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Ohio & the Olympics
Can you squeeze a trip to Ohio in a couple of days with 3 kids and hours of flying and still have a good time? The answer appears to be yes. We woke up very early AZ time on Wednesday and headed to the airport for our quick trip to Cleveland. Tevia and Jarek were nervous that we would not make the flight, but we did - and so did our luggage, even though the First Class line was longer and less friendly than the regular line. That teaches me to try and take advantage of my Gold status.
The plane rides (via North Carolina) went without incident and the boys were great. Upon arrival in Cleveland we were wondering if family would be waiting for us. The answer was no, but that was okay. The clan had moved on to find a place to eat. We went to our rental car place and got a nice Chrysler Aspen which was fun to drive. We then headed off to Cedar Point while we listened to the rest of the clan fight and try and decide where to eat dinner. Apparently they couldn't find any place good. On our drive in I found several places that looked great, but in the end they chose a place called "East of Chicago" which is a pizza buffet place. It was great to see the family - even though honestly I'd have rather eaten McDonald's (yes, I was no big fan of East of Chicago).
We got our hotel rooms after that and felt the great feeling of seeing Cedar Point. It brought back so many memories. I love amusement parks and Cedar Point by far surpasses any other in terms of rides and thrills. After some chatting with fam we hit the sacks and awoke the next day ready for our day at the park.
We planned the day similar to my last trip out by heading to the Millennium Force first. We ran from the 'starting line' and Tevia was so proud that she could almost run the entire way. I was proud of her, too. Our running was a little thrown off by the fact that they wouldn't let Tevia on the ride with her backpack, so she had to go back and get a locker - but that didn't put us too far behind schedule. We then headed off to the Top Thrill Dragster, which is my favorite ride. We ended up waiting a little longer than usual for this as it wasn't working at 10AM when it opened. We stayed in line however and got our reward a little bit later. A funny story about our wait in line was that there was a guy fixing something on the track. After he got down we were all excited to see if it was now going to be fixed. Then all of the sudden some kid walks to where we are standing and flips some switch on a pole right next to us. I joke to the guy and say if I had known I just had to flip that switch I would have done it earlier. Then the ride worked! It was so funny. We eventually did find out it was not the 'on' switch for the ride (which is a good thing) but rather the switch for the camera.
Tevia and I then gathered our children and we did some rides with them. We ate lunch at Johnny Rockets and in the afternoon we found a fun place where the kids prospected some dirt and found arrowheads and gems. We took Jarek on his first 'big' rollercoaster which was the Iron Dragon. He was fairly nervous and was in the car with me. This is a suspended coaster that is fairly tame. There is a second hill to climb in part of the ride and to make it more scary I told Jarek that this was a huge hill and very scary. He got nervous and all of the sudden the coaster stopped. We got stuck! Jacob Wall then added to Jarek's state by wondering out loud if the coaster behind us was going to hit us. We eventually got unstuck, but Jarek was quite nervous and this ended his coaster riding for a few hours. But eventually we got him on the Gemini - and in the end that was his favorite ride.
The evening I spent with the two older boys. Tevia took Enok back to the hotel. We had fun on some of the kiddie rides and then headed back. That night Jacob, Cari, Tom and I played Thurns and Taxis in the lobby where I barely scored a few points. The poor start has not placed it on my list of game favorites. The next day we headed to Cleveland to eat lunch with my grandfather and the Uchman's. We then had a dinner afternoon at a park with my grandmother and the Uchman's. That was a lot of fun and Kathy Uchman did a great program where she gave each person a gift and made many of us laugh and cry. That night we stayed up late watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and then we left early Saturday to head back to PHX.
It was a fun, quick trip. But it reinforced the love I have for my family and confirmed that any sacrifice is worth being with them. This may be the last I see Kathy, my sis, for quite a while, so it was definitely worth that.
The trip home was great and we pretty much lazed around the weekend glued to the TV. I LOVE the Olympics and enjoy watching them. The first few days have been great - with the best being last night when the US men's swim team won the 4X100 freestyle against France. That may have been the best race I have ever watched. I screamed and jumped when they won. So my weekend was full of excitement and eyes of tears and pride.
Sunday was Jarek's birthday. I will post more on that another day. I am so thrilled to have had him in my life for 9 years now.
The plane rides (via North Carolina) went without incident and the boys were great. Upon arrival in Cleveland we were wondering if family would be waiting for us. The answer was no, but that was okay. The clan had moved on to find a place to eat. We went to our rental car place and got a nice Chrysler Aspen which was fun to drive. We then headed off to Cedar Point while we listened to the rest of the clan fight and try and decide where to eat dinner. Apparently they couldn't find any place good. On our drive in I found several places that looked great, but in the end they chose a place called "East of Chicago" which is a pizza buffet place. It was great to see the family - even though honestly I'd have rather eaten McDonald's (yes, I was no big fan of East of Chicago).
We got our hotel rooms after that and felt the great feeling of seeing Cedar Point. It brought back so many memories. I love amusement parks and Cedar Point by far surpasses any other in terms of rides and thrills. After some chatting with fam we hit the sacks and awoke the next day ready for our day at the park.
We planned the day similar to my last trip out by heading to the Millennium Force first. We ran from the 'starting line' and Tevia was so proud that she could almost run the entire way. I was proud of her, too. Our running was a little thrown off by the fact that they wouldn't let Tevia on the ride with her backpack, so she had to go back and get a locker - but that didn't put us too far behind schedule. We then headed off to the Top Thrill Dragster, which is my favorite ride. We ended up waiting a little longer than usual for this as it wasn't working at 10AM when it opened. We stayed in line however and got our reward a little bit later. A funny story about our wait in line was that there was a guy fixing something on the track. After he got down we were all excited to see if it was now going to be fixed. Then all of the sudden some kid walks to where we are standing and flips some switch on a pole right next to us. I joke to the guy and say if I had known I just had to flip that switch I would have done it earlier. Then the ride worked! It was so funny. We eventually did find out it was not the 'on' switch for the ride (which is a good thing) but rather the switch for the camera.
Tevia and I then gathered our children and we did some rides with them. We ate lunch at Johnny Rockets and in the afternoon we found a fun place where the kids prospected some dirt and found arrowheads and gems. We took Jarek on his first 'big' rollercoaster which was the Iron Dragon. He was fairly nervous and was in the car with me. This is a suspended coaster that is fairly tame. There is a second hill to climb in part of the ride and to make it more scary I told Jarek that this was a huge hill and very scary. He got nervous and all of the sudden the coaster stopped. We got stuck! Jacob Wall then added to Jarek's state by wondering out loud if the coaster behind us was going to hit us. We eventually got unstuck, but Jarek was quite nervous and this ended his coaster riding for a few hours. But eventually we got him on the Gemini - and in the end that was his favorite ride.
The evening I spent with the two older boys. Tevia took Enok back to the hotel. We had fun on some of the kiddie rides and then headed back. That night Jacob, Cari, Tom and I played Thurns and Taxis in the lobby where I barely scored a few points. The poor start has not placed it on my list of game favorites. The next day we headed to Cleveland to eat lunch with my grandfather and the Uchman's. We then had a dinner afternoon at a park with my grandmother and the Uchman's. That was a lot of fun and Kathy Uchman did a great program where she gave each person a gift and made many of us laugh and cry. That night we stayed up late watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and then we left early Saturday to head back to PHX.
It was a fun, quick trip. But it reinforced the love I have for my family and confirmed that any sacrifice is worth being with them. This may be the last I see Kathy, my sis, for quite a while, so it was definitely worth that.
The trip home was great and we pretty much lazed around the weekend glued to the TV. I LOVE the Olympics and enjoy watching them. The first few days have been great - with the best being last night when the US men's swim team won the 4X100 freestyle against France. That may have been the best race I have ever watched. I screamed and jumped when they won. So my weekend was full of excitement and eyes of tears and pride.
Sunday was Jarek's birthday. I will post more on that another day. I am so thrilled to have had him in my life for 9 years now.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Mexico 2008
Tevia has blogged about mexico, and will most likely blog some more. But I thought I would give my perspective of the great trip and the last week.
The trip down to Rocky Point was fun. We stopped in Gila Bend and I got a "Tornado" from the gas station that was surprisingly delicious. The house we stayed at, which we had stayed at 2 years ago, was so nice and comfortable. I was surprised more construction hadn't taken place in the area - a testament to the slower economy the past couple of years. Without repeating much of what Tevia wrote, I will focus on my favorite parts.
The FOOD. Our last trip down we had a wonderful dinner at a chicken (pollo asado) place downtown. We were able to stop there again (called Pollo Lucas). Once again it did not disappoint. The outdoor (shaded with fans) seating and outstanding chicken made this another great highlight. I enjoy this restaurant so much and hope we get to go back many times. We also had other great food moments. We had some great carne asada tacos the first night from a stand on the street. Later that night we got some more tacos - this time some tacos al pastor (a marinated pork) which were amazing. We also found a great ice cream place (paletaria) with heavenly Mexican popsicles. We ended up eating here every night. Every one I tried was awesome, from the lime to the coconut to tasting Tevia's grosella. The trip there and back would have been worth the food alone.
The BEACH. I love beaches, and though this beach is not the white sand, crystal clear water we have grown to love in the caribbean, it is still a beach and was fun. The waves were great for body surfing and the water was actually almost too hot! I loved playing in the waves and seeing my kids play in the water.
The AQUARIUM. This small aquarium is so fun. Though it feels like it is in a garage and the dogfish was not quite so fun to tease this time (apparently he is old), I still loved feeding the turtles and sea lion and seeing the different fish.
The COMPANY. Our last trip was fun, but I felt that with a few less people and having Jacob and Millie there it made it even more fun. I am so glad they came down. It is also fun to be with other Spanish speakers (Jake and Tev's dad) while in Mexico. It was fun to spend time with everyone and the trip felt very "chill."
The only thing that wasn't so fun? Well, it wasn't an issue, but getting a flat tire in Mexico did raise the stress level for a little bit. After filling several times and seeing that it kept going flat Tevia's dad took things under control and took the tire off and replaced it with the spare and then with Tevia took it to a local tire shop and had them fix the tire for $5. He then replaced the tire and it all required no effort on my part. I was extremely grateful for this and how much he always just wants to help out. In the end it didn't cost us much in money or time or inconvenience.
Going back to work after vacation is never fun. It took a few days to get back into work. I have decided to try and wait it out a little at work as I am convinced we will see some big changes soon. If not, then I will hire a headhunter and move on. But for now I enjoy coming home on time every day and having a slightly different scope of responsibilities. It may not be fun or take the best advantage of my skills, but I can still bring value and do a good job and have an impact on the new system we are implementing.
The trip down to Rocky Point was fun. We stopped in Gila Bend and I got a "Tornado" from the gas station that was surprisingly delicious. The house we stayed at, which we had stayed at 2 years ago, was so nice and comfortable. I was surprised more construction hadn't taken place in the area - a testament to the slower economy the past couple of years. Without repeating much of what Tevia wrote, I will focus on my favorite parts.
The FOOD. Our last trip down we had a wonderful dinner at a chicken (pollo asado) place downtown. We were able to stop there again (called Pollo Lucas). Once again it did not disappoint. The outdoor (shaded with fans) seating and outstanding chicken made this another great highlight. I enjoy this restaurant so much and hope we get to go back many times. We also had other great food moments. We had some great carne asada tacos the first night from a stand on the street. Later that night we got some more tacos - this time some tacos al pastor (a marinated pork) which were amazing. We also found a great ice cream place (paletaria) with heavenly Mexican popsicles. We ended up eating here every night. Every one I tried was awesome, from the lime to the coconut to tasting Tevia's grosella. The trip there and back would have been worth the food alone.
The BEACH. I love beaches, and though this beach is not the white sand, crystal clear water we have grown to love in the caribbean, it is still a beach and was fun. The waves were great for body surfing and the water was actually almost too hot! I loved playing in the waves and seeing my kids play in the water.
The AQUARIUM. This small aquarium is so fun. Though it feels like it is in a garage and the dogfish was not quite so fun to tease this time (apparently he is old), I still loved feeding the turtles and sea lion and seeing the different fish.
The COMPANY. Our last trip was fun, but I felt that with a few less people and having Jacob and Millie there it made it even more fun. I am so glad they came down. It is also fun to be with other Spanish speakers (Jake and Tev's dad) while in Mexico. It was fun to spend time with everyone and the trip felt very "chill."
The only thing that wasn't so fun? Well, it wasn't an issue, but getting a flat tire in Mexico did raise the stress level for a little bit. After filling several times and seeing that it kept going flat Tevia's dad took things under control and took the tire off and replaced it with the spare and then with Tevia took it to a local tire shop and had them fix the tire for $5. He then replaced the tire and it all required no effort on my part. I was extremely grateful for this and how much he always just wants to help out. In the end it didn't cost us much in money or time or inconvenience.
Going back to work after vacation is never fun. It took a few days to get back into work. I have decided to try and wait it out a little at work as I am convinced we will see some big changes soon. If not, then I will hire a headhunter and move on. But for now I enjoy coming home on time every day and having a slightly different scope of responsibilities. It may not be fun or take the best advantage of my skills, but I can still bring value and do a good job and have an impact on the new system we are implementing.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
3 Month Update
In case people were wondering, Hazel's officially 3 months old now, so I thought I write a little update in the few extra minutes I have today. I've posted some pictures at the end of this for your enjoyment.
Hazel is doing very well. She's found her lungs and lets us know at top volume (mine, not Jacob's top volume - so she still isn't that loud) whether she's happy or sad or mad. She still doesn't fuss much, as a general rule, but she has her days when she just wants to whine for most of the afternoon, which I'm told is normal for this age. She smiles a lot now, but just not when the camera's out. I think I managed to get a couple shots in the pictures below, but I actually took about 30. She messed around with rolling over a couple weeks ago and did it several times on her own but seems to have given up for now. Her newest fun thing is when she's on the floor to crumple up enough of her blanket underneath her so that she can have one or two hands on the carpet. Then she'll either spit-up all over the carpet or stroke it with her hands for a while. I'm sure her interest in rolling over will come back once she finishes figuring out what carpet is.
Her interest in textures expands to everything in life. She likes to grab her clothes, our clothes, her blankets, my hair, her toys and pretty much anything she can keep in her grip for longer than 2 seconds. She also likes to stroke the wall by her changing table when we change her diapers - it's very cute. She also really likes to hit things, just to see if she can get them to move. It's probably a good thing we only have fish at this point - I don't know how a dog would deal with that particular exploration technique. She gets the most results out of her toy bar on her bouncy seat, so that's her favorite thing to clobber at the moment.
She's eating tons and growing tons. By my estimate (based off her last doctor's appointment 1 month ago and the WiiFit measuring system) she's now at least 24 inches long and just over 12 pounds. She's tall, skinny little thing.
Speaking of the little angel, she's calling for her breakfast. I'm really excited for everyone to get to see/meet her next week and for us to get to see you too. :-)
Hazel is doing very well. She's found her lungs and lets us know at top volume (mine, not Jacob's top volume - so she still isn't that loud) whether she's happy or sad or mad. She still doesn't fuss much, as a general rule, but she has her days when she just wants to whine for most of the afternoon, which I'm told is normal for this age. She smiles a lot now, but just not when the camera's out. I think I managed to get a couple shots in the pictures below, but I actually took about 30. She messed around with rolling over a couple weeks ago and did it several times on her own but seems to have given up for now. Her newest fun thing is when she's on the floor to crumple up enough of her blanket underneath her so that she can have one or two hands on the carpet. Then she'll either spit-up all over the carpet or stroke it with her hands for a while. I'm sure her interest in rolling over will come back once she finishes figuring out what carpet is.
Her interest in textures expands to everything in life. She likes to grab her clothes, our clothes, her blankets, my hair, her toys and pretty much anything she can keep in her grip for longer than 2 seconds. She also likes to stroke the wall by her changing table when we change her diapers - it's very cute. She also really likes to hit things, just to see if she can get them to move. It's probably a good thing we only have fish at this point - I don't know how a dog would deal with that particular exploration technique. She gets the most results out of her toy bar on her bouncy seat, so that's her favorite thing to clobber at the moment.
She's eating tons and growing tons. By my estimate (based off her last doctor's appointment 1 month ago and the WiiFit measuring system) she's now at least 24 inches long and just over 12 pounds. She's tall, skinny little thing.
Speaking of the little angel, she's calling for her breakfast. I'm really excited for everyone to get to see/meet her next week and for us to get to see you too. :-)
Friday, August 01, 2008
bret told me to
okay, bret asked me to post a little note to let you know that I blogged a little about our mexico trip on my blog. I am pretty sure most of you notice this since Bret has my blog linked to his and you can easily see on the right hand side of the screen that I just posted. :) But for anyone who doesn't pay attention to the feed on the right, there is an installment of our mexico trip to read along with pictures. it only covers the first day, since I write too much, so you can skip the words and just look at the pix if you want to.
tevs
tevs
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)