Does This Answer Your Question??

Boggle Challenge

How many words can you make out of the word:

"BELIEVE" ?

Here's what happens with a English major husband who is finished with finals and grading for the 101 class he teaches. He feels the need to rearrange things around the house and see how long it takes me to notice. Since I'm not paying too much attention to a whole lot other than the impending birth of a baby, he had to point this out. It was worth a good laugh, however.

Comment Here

If you answered "none of the above" to my name poll, leave a comment with your suggestion. If we choose your name, you just might win a fabulous prize!

I Wish Turkey Only Cost A Nickle...

I tried to scan a paper written by my 2nd grader, but for some reason, the writing didn't show up. So here, in his own words, is his process paper.

How to cook a thanksgiving turkey by M.

1. Get one frozen turkey at Albertsons. 2.
When you get home, wash turkey. 3. Stuff with
meat, mashed potatos and gravy. 4. Bake it at 98°
for an hour. 5. When cooked set on table and let
turkey cool. When cooled eat.

This had me crying because I was laughing so hard. I wish we could all be in second grade again and things were that easy.

Happy Turkey Day!

Wishing you all a great holiday this week. May we all remember what we have to be grateful for.

Shameless Plug

OK all, here he is again, my younger brother Jared (notice I didn't say "little" this time?). He made it into the "Top 10" on famecast.com with his song "Time". He had just one week to put up a new video and song. Here he is with "Dream", a song he had previously recorded and now got in his studio to create a new rendition.



Click on my title to go directly to his video where you can vote every day from now until November 27th to get him in to the "Top 5" where he will then compete live in Houston, Texas for a chance to win $10,000. Please tell everyone you know! Thanks for all your continued support!

One Of Those Days...

With family coming next week for Thanksgiving, I have a list a mile long of things to do around the house. Of course, I've been putting most of it off until now, crunch time. Today was one of those days that I feel like I (and when I say "I", I mean "we" because Matt came home early and after his round of Tiger Woods on the PS2, he was very motivated) got so much accomplished. And, yes, I am one of those people that adds things to my list that I have already done just so I can cross them off, thus, making me feel more accomplished for the day. However, I did not do that with any of the following:

~Organized and labeled my Primary binder (as of Sunday I was released from the Nursery and made Primary Secretary)
~Bought and installed a new doorbell (I don't know why I put that one off, it took all of two minutes)
~Polished 20 year old silver dish (the chafing dish you gave me, mom). OK, that one did take longer than I anticipated, but it looks beautiful.
~Replaced toilet parts in basement bathroom (I have my hubby to thank for that)
~Fixed heater and fan in master bathroom (again, hubby. And who knew there was a light bulb in the fan in the ceiling?)
~Put down carpet remnant under washer and dryer (another hubby involvement)
~Finished one Christmas present (like anyone in my family will be surprised that I am making some gifts this year)

And this was all in addition to laundry (of which I only re-washed one load having just taken it out of the dryer) and dishes and basic household chores.

Only 13 more things on my list. Woo Hoo!

Frankenstein Knocked Me Up

(I hope that doesn't reflect too negatively on my character.)

Along with two of my cousin's wives (two different cousins not one cousin's two wives), we have been reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in time for Halloween. In the spirit of all things tradition, we decided to dress the parts this year. No one recognized us at our ward Trunk-or-Treat until our kids came running up to us.

That's the sign of a good costume.

The Year of the Pokemon

Because of my disappointing afternoon (see previous post), I was really not looking forward to taking the kids Trick-or-Treating. But I ended up having a good time. It brought back some of the tradition that I knew should be there. The kids were excited about their costumes. I make their costumes every year that I can. Something about tradition for me. The pictures are from our Trunk-or-Treat the previous Friday night (which was everything a Halloween party should be and then some).

For those not yet introduced to the way of the Pokemon, I've included pics of the original characters so you can see who they are supposed to be.

a. is a Pokemon named Butterfree. I know it's not the most authentic, but she had her wings and that was all that mattered to her. Oh and she got to wear her purple snow boots.

M. was Ash, a Pokemon Trainer and owner of the Pokemon Pikachu who you can see in the green backpack. I was honestly surprised at how many kids actually recognized the character he was portraying. (I hope that says something for my costume making abilities.)

A. is an Pokemon named Riolu. He actually evolves into Lucario who is his favorite. But he says he chose this one because he's not as scary. (Lucario reminds me of a mean wolf, so I can see where he is coming from.) Because not every parent gets the opportunity to learn as much about Pokemon as I have, no one really knew who A. was supposed to be. One of my friends asked him if he was a bat-dog. Sure, whatever. It beats trying to explain it. He knew who he was and that's what mattered.

Not Lamb, I Said Lame!

OK, so I just need to vent for a minute.

On the first day of school, M's 2nd grade class picked out of a hat to see which kid's parents were assigned to which class party during the year. (In my opinion I think this is a lame way to get "volunteers".) So, we were assigned to help with the Halloween party. The room mother leaves my a message a week and a half ago and "tells" me that she needs me to bring a few things and wants to know if I will be there to help with the games. Of course! I love class parties! I love seeing the excitement on the kid's faces and I am always willing to do whatever I can to help. So when I call her back, she asks if I can bring a bag of chips. That's it. Oh and can I be there to help? So I show up with my bag of chips and she doesn't assign me to help with anything. So I get to watch the kids go to each of the four stations.

Station #1 - Mummy Wrap and Race Game Two teams of two kids each wrap each other up in a roll of toilet paper and try to run about 10 feet and back. OK, at least this was Halloween themed.

Station #2 - Bouncy Ball Game Each kid has to see how many times they can catch a bouncy ball after the first bounce. Does the Halloween party really have to be the time to work on hand/eye coordination?

Station #3 - Draw Pictures With Shaving Cream As much as the kids enjoyed this, (because who doesn't like to get a little messy now and again?) it wasn't something the kids got to make and keep. Just make a mess, then wash up. What happened to a cute little Halloween crafts?

Station #4 - Apple Game You know the one, where you hold the apple with your chin and try to pass it to the next person. After they failed at that, they could get a plate of snacks. Which was apples (probably the same ones that they held in their sweaty kid necks) with caramel dip, my bag of chips (it's a good thing I grabbed a second variety) and fruit punch. No Halloween cupcakes or cookies or anything fun like that. The mom in charge of this table did think to bring a Halloween table cloth, plates and napkins (but there were no other decorations), and the room mom commented "I'm so glad you brought this." (Shouldn't she be in charge of remembering stuff like that?)

I took a walk half way through the party to distract A. and a. who was bored. We walked around and peeked in the other classrooms. All of whom were having a great time. It was noisy and chaotic as they were decorating cookies, frosting cupcakes, making fun things and eating their Halloween treats amid the extra decorations that the moms put up.

I don't know why I felt so bitter yesterday. Maybe it was the lack of tradition I felt that afternoon. However, I guess I have to give the room mom some props, our classroom was the quietest and we had the least amount of clean up.

I am sad that I won't get asked to volunteer for the Christmas and/or Valentine party. It could be so much more fun for the kids.

Too Lazy To Post

Hey all, check out Loki's Blog for a cute video of the kids. Oh to be able to enjoy even the simplest things in life.

p.s. I forgot that raking leaves can be a good workout. My arms and shoulders are paying the price this morning.

Budding Beckham?

M. (in the grey hoodie) has discovered the position of goalie. It's his favorite position to play and he's learning all the things he can and can not do (which is fun for us to watch). We told him that whenever the ball comes inside the box, he needs to dive on it and not let go (as evidenced in video #2). He loves to drop kick the ball and Dad was teaching him to kick it off to one side instead of straight down the middle of the field. Video #1 was one of his better kicks.

Final Harvest

This was our final harvest for the season. We were advised to pick everything we could before the freeze that was in the forecast. Unfortunately, we only got the one pumpkin, but luckily it is still ripening and should be a nice shade of orange just in time for carving. We also picked all of our green tomatoes and they are ripening nicely in a brown paper grocery sack. I should get in another big batch of fresh salsa (wish I had a pressure canner, though). I couldn't talk anyone into eating fried green tomatoes. And it's too bad that no one else likes spaghetti squash. Guess I get to enjoy it all.

Surprisingly enough, just before it snowed 5 inches on Saturday, Dad picked one last zucchini. M. is busy eating the cherry tomatoes and a. loves her cucumbers and dip.

I Swear I've Done This Before...

4 random things about me
1. I have the ability to fall asleep anywhere, whether completely tired or not. (My husband is so jealous of this.)
2. There are 54 first cousins on just one side of my family.
3. I am slowly learning everything a parent needs to know about Pokemon (I am considering writing "A Parent's Guide to Understanding Pokemon" or "Pokemon For Dummies").
4. I secretly want to be a Forensic Specialist.

4 favorite jobs that I have had
1. The Murray Theater all through middle and high school
2. Worker's Compensation Fund of Utah
3. Mac's Hobbies and Crafts
4. Robert's Crafts

4 places that I have lived
1. Sandy, Utah
2. Midvale, Utah
3. St. George, Utah
4. Pocatello, Idaho (Whew! Good thing we moved out of Utah.)

4 TV shows that I watch
1. Heroes
2. Lost (which I can't believe doesn't premiere until February!)
3. Scrubs (still waiting for the premiere this month!)
4. Survivorman (on The Science Channel)
An honorable mention for Charmed (I finally finished the series, and have now seen all 8 year's worth of episodes, I know, pretty pathetic)

4 places that I have been on vacation
1. Mexico (Cozumel and Ensenada)
2. New York
3. Western Caribbean (Grand Cayman and Jamaica)
4. Central and Southern California (but I really want to see San Fran!)

4 favorite foods
1. Chimichangas, from any good Mexican restaurant (and no, unfortunately, I don't think salsa will make it through the mail. You'll have to come and visit)
2. Szechuan Chicken from Pasta Factory in St. George
3. Anything from Dani's Pizza in Queens, NY (right Sandi?)
4. German Chocolate Cake

4 websites that I visit
1. hotmail.com (to check e-mail and celebrity gossip)
2. southbeachfriends.net (for my fitness challenges)
3. thefreedictionary.com (when I do the daily crossword)
4. allrecipes.com (when I need cooking inspiration)

People that I want to tag
1. Jen Dicou
2. Jeny
3. Jenny (The one that is married to Nick. I need an updated post!)
4. Any of My High School Friends , except Jen, she's tagged anyway (you guys need to get in on this!)
Eris, I tag you too, but I know lots of random crap about you! So surprise me if you want.

Feeling Bad

After all the griping I've been doing, I thought I would would remind myself just how cute she is, potty trained or not.

Believe it or not, she is actually asleep. It was one of those Sundays, for all of us.

We bribed the boys with Pokemon toys so that a) A. would sit on the stand during the entire Primary program (He didn't have to sing all the songs, he just had to stay up there). And b) Neither child was allowed to blow into the microphone after speaking their parts (which they both did during every practice).

I am happy to report that A. did stay on the stand (he tried to run down twice and then thought better of it) and there was no blowing in the microphone. Will wonders never cease? It's all about the Pokemon.

Here We Go Again...

OK, we took a week long hiatus and are now trying a new tactic. She's wearing her "Hello Kitty" panties today (and I'm making her sit on a bathroom rug on the couch if she watches TV). Wish us luck!


Update: Well, we've gone through all the panties and it's not even 2:00 pm yet (off to buy more for another day). Maybe this isn't going to happen before the baby is born. I'm just getting frustrated and mad at her, which I know is not the right thing to do.

Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen...

We live about 2 blocks directly east from the Bannock County Fairgrounds. Last night we had the very distinct pleasure of being treated to a rock concert. Are you ready?? Warrant and Great White. Yes, two metal bands from the 80's were playing Pocatello, Idaho.

We spread out a blanket on the grass and just chilled while M. played a little air guitar to "Cherry Pie" (Eris, I know your Little Mr. will be jealous!). We got to hear all the hits, from Warrant's Down Boys and Uncle Tom's Cabin to Great White's Once Bitten Twice Shy and Rock Me. And from what I hear, some of the guys haven't aged well and we didn't need to see them to believe it anyway. Although, Jani Lane is no longer with the band, so...

In other news, Chicago (sans Peter Cetera) played the Eastern Idaho State Fair a couple weeks ago, and Peter Cetera himself was in concert here last night as well. Although I'm sure he had a much different audience with his intimate setting and $65 and up ticket prices.

Oh, and coming up? Sawyer Brown in October, although we won't be able to hear this one from our back yard.

Back to School (finally)

I'm finally getting around to posting the pictures of the boys on their first day of school. M. started second grade and so far really seems to like it. Besides lunch and recess, he says his favorite parts are math and science (I'm not sure where he gets that from!). Lately he says he wants to be a doctor when he grows up. It's a good thing he likes his math and science! But he also loves to read (that's our boy!).

A. just started his first year of preschool this week. So far so good. He has lots of friends from Primary in his class, and he seems to be having a good time. He says his favorite part is snack time (isn't it everyone's??) He loves to play with the cars and swirly track there and paint with his watercolors. He's quite the artist.

Fore!

On Labor Day, we decided to make a short trip up to Idaho Falls to picnic and play some disc golf. Freeman Park has a really nice 18 hole course that is very family friendly so the kids can play with us.

We only had a couple of mishaps this trip. Hole #6 gets one of us every time. This time M. got his disc in the middle of the creek.

We got one disc stuck up in this tree. After many unsuccessful attempts with a water bottle, and getting 2 cans of soda and a baseball right up alongside the disc, a good size rock from the creek finally dislodged everything.

Aside from it being too hot, (come on, it was like 90 degrees, and us pregnant acclimated Idahoans found this a little too warm), we had a great time. Not to mention the kids got in a trip to Toys R Us to ogle the Pokemon toys and I got a trip to Target for a new couch cover.

She Had to Go Bathroom

OK, I'm biting the bullet and finally starting the potty training process today. I've been putting it off for too long now, using every excuse in the book But now, I've got treats, I've got lots of juice, I've got "Hello Kitty" stickers and I've taped the chart up in the bathroom, I've set the timer for every 20 minutes to get her to try. I should feel prepared, but why does it feel like failure? Why do I feel ready to give up and it's only ten o'clock in the morning?! Why is it easier just to say "screw it" and put the diapers back on?

I seriously could any advice you might be able send my way. Thanks.

My Little Bro

This is my little brother, and I only say little because he's younger than me (and he probably weighs less than I do with this ever expanding belly of mine). He's currently living in Nashville with his wife and two daughters working on his music career. Four of his songs have been entered in a contest at Famecast. He has the chance to win $10,000 in each category. He's doing well, but can use all the votes he can get. Please vote for him here. Click on the "video" tab and you will be able to view and listen to each of his four songs and then vote for them separately. He hopes that $40,000 would help him not be a starving musician anymore, but who is he kidding, he doesn't know how to cook anything but a mean bowl of Ramen.

Good luck buddy! We love and miss you all!

The End

There. It's done. I finally finished HP7. Now we can talk.

It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's...

Last night for Family Night, I decided to give a lesson on Manners. Now, I know the images are cheesy, but I decided to go with the superhero theme since my boys love that kind of thing (and my 2 1/2 -year-old daughter thought the girl superheroes were pretty). We talked about these specific superheroes coming to "live" at our house. After a slight interruption of our neighbor who was picking up their son who I had been watching all day, my 4-year-old started to cry. I thought he was sad because he didn't want his friend to leave. When we got him calmed down enough to understand what he was saying, this is what we heard:

"I'm just a little scared of those superheroes coming to live at our house".

Wow. I guess I needed to be a little more specific, Bob. (Kudos to whoever knows what movie that is from.) I had intended on posting the superheroes pictures on our fridge to remind us all to use our manners. This still scared him. He thought they could get off the fridge and fly around the house. (At least he's using him imagination, right?) To remedy the situation, I shrunk down the pictures and printed them to fit on one page and taped them to the inside of a kitchen cabinet (right next to the job charts). That way they "won't be able to get out unless we let them out". This seemed to satisfy him. Oh the things we come up with for our children.

Here's to many more adventurous family home evening lessons.

I Heart NY

My mom, sister and I recently got back from a weekend trip to the Big Apple. My mom is a flight attendant for Jet Blue Airlines so we all flew for free (bonus!). We stayed in Queens at the apartment of another flight attendant so our lodging was free (double bonus!). We took the subway into the city each day to do the typical touristy stuff...Central Park, The Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, etc. etc.
First up was Battery Park. We got our tickets to go out to Liberty Island. It's pretty amazing to see the Statue of Liberty in real life. Thunder and lightning started all around us, and we wondered if the safest place to be was standing under a 150 foot tall tower of copper.

The highlight of the trip for me was getting last minute tickets to Hairspray at The Neil Simon Theater. It was fantastic! The cast was fabulous! What could be better than spending a Saturday afternoon seeing Jerry Mathers (a.k.a. Beaver Cleaver) singing and dancing and grabbing Paul Vogt's breasts on Broadway? We had a great time and it was worth every penny. It is definitely something I could do at least once a year.

Because we were trying to get tickets to the Saturday matinée, we didn't get to spend as much time as we would have liked in Central Park. We really wanted to see Bethesda Fountain, one of the ice skating ponds and run like Phoebe Buffay through the park, but we ran out of time. You really could spend an entire day in Central Park. Next time, I'll make sure to visit a real New York deli before strolling the park.

Aside from the puking on the plane on the way home (I blame it on being five months pregnant), it was a memorable trip. Although, we stood outside Trump Tower and never once saw "The Donald". Oh well, maybe next time.

That's All I Have To Say About That

To the thief(s) who broke into my minivan in an LDS Church parking lot in Salt Lake City:

You forgot to grab the remote (which was in plain sight) for the DVD player that you unstrapped from my seat backs. Oh, and I really hope you enjoy Monsters Inc., The Little Mermaid, Ice Age 2, Over the Hedge and Shark Tale. They are all really wholesome family movies. Please tell your children where you got them.

Love,

Meemoo

p.s. Don't worry about the line of people waiting at the gates of Hell. Stealing from a church parking lot puts you on the expressway. Everyone will step aside, they'll be waiting for you directly at the gate. Have a nice day.

My mom wanted to take all nine grandchildren to The Living Planet Aquarium on Monday as kind of a send of to my 8-year-old nephew who was moving to Texas a week earlier than the rest of his family. The favorite attraction was the touch pool where the kids got to touch the sting rays, although my kids would have nothing to do with that (they just splashed in the water).
It was quite a nostalgic for me actually, and I will tell you why. The building that the aquarium is located in used to be my place of employment as a craft store. I spent three good years at Mac's Hobbies and Crafts starting as a cashier and ending as an assistant manager and doing everything in between. It was a great job. I loved the people I worked with and I (usually) loved going to work everyday. The only reason I left was because my husband was transfered to St. George. I was so sad when I heard that the store closed. At least I discovered it's competition in St. George, Robert's Arts and Crafts, where I worked for many years before moving again. Now I live in Pocatello (which I cannot dub "The Armpit of Idaho" anymore after having recently been to Blackfoot), and we have no craft store comparable to Mac's or Roberts. The nearest Roberts is 45 minutes away in Idaho Falls.

It Is Most Definitely A Boy

Eris wanted to know the second we knew for sure if we were having a boy. Well, judging by this picture (if you know what you are looking at), I don't think there is any mistaking it. It is most definitely a boy. And what a boy!

I Guess I'm It

Tagged by the The Duchess

Here are the rules to play:

1. Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
2. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.
3. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged.

My 8 Randomosities …

1. I'm due to have a baby on January 1st, 2008. (I want all the cool presents for having the first baby of the year, not another tax deduction!)

2. My better education and new vocabulary comes from daily crosswords puzzles, yes, I'm one of those. (The most recent clue? "A numismatists find." I credit Eris for my knowing the answer.)

3. I have the ability to fall asleep fast, whether tired or not. (My husband is so jealous of this.)

4. There are 54 first-cousins on just one side of my family.

5. I live in what is affectionately known as the "armpit" of Idaho. Chili's just opened in these parts and the natives are ecstatic.

6. I have never seen a "Die Hard" movie.

7. I drink 72 oz. of water ever day (and pee a lot!).

8. I am slowly learning everything a parent needs to know about Pokemon. (I am considering writing "A Parent's Guide to Understanding Pokemon" or "Pokemon For Dummies")

Wow, that was a hard task. I, seriously, must be the most boring person I know. On top of that, I don't know any additional Bloggers that haven't already been tagged.

The Fun Never Ends

Well, it was one of those nights on Saturday night. We had just spent the evening at the Primary Talent Show. Now, the kids are cute with their singing and piano and violin playing, but when 4-year-old Little Little Mr. Meemoo says he wants to tell jokes for his talent, we knew we were in for a treat. He stood right up on that stage and with microphone in hand, rattled off some serious knock-knock jokes. Well, only one knock-knock, the others were the more traditional fare. We had to drag him off of the stage or he would have kept going all night. At least the audience was entertained.

On our way home, we stopped at some neighbors to check out their swamp cooler. Yes, we are in the market for some kind of cooling system for this summer. Still, I don't know how Mr. Meemoo feels about cutting a big, gaping hole in the side of our house. We may opt for a portable air conditioner. The older Little Mr. Meemoo decides he has to go to the bathroom but didn't know where one was (did I mention that our friends have the exact same floor plan as we do?). Needless to say, there was an accident. Then Little Miss Meemoo decides she has to go (luckily she is still in diapers).

As we are loading everyone up in the car, I sarcastically exclaim "Wow, the fun never stops at our house". The 4-year-old (fresh off his joke telling) replies "Uh-huh! The fun does too stop at our house!"

Yeah, we never let our kids have any fun.

Strike Three and Your Out!

Rough night last night. First of all, while watching our Tivoed copy of the Saturday Night Live Special that was on Sunday night, Tivo did not pick up the start of the Jazz game. (Strike One)

Secondly, while watching the Jazz game (already in progress), Tivo (which is having major issues, as Eris can attest to) made us choose between "Heroes" or "the game". (Strike Two)

My thought was "watch the game, we can always catch "Heroes" on the internet". But Mr. Meemoo, who is battling finals and papers to grade, says "I'm going to bed, I'd rather it get "Heroes" so we can watch it tomorrow. I can always read about the game".

Wow! That really did just come out of his mouth.

Check This Out...

Now, did you read the part about Guitar Heroes 80's Edition?

We will be throwing an 80's party this summer. You are all invited to dress in acid-washed jeans and skinny ties. We'll Rock the Casbah!

Sunday School of Rock

So, we're sitting in church today and just after the meeting started, Little Mr. Meemoo, who is 7, looks at me and says "Mom, did you hear that Guitar Hero music just now?" And when I looked at him like he had lobsters crawling out of his ears, he said, "Oh, never mind, sometimes I just hear video games when nobody's even playing them." Classic.

At least we are educating our children in the ways of classic rock and roll.

p.s. Eris, we just got Guitar Hero and another guitar to go with our Guitar Hero 2. So, whenever you and the mister want to come face off, you have a standing invitation!

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's....

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman 70% Spider-Man 65% Supergirl 65% The Flash 60% Green Lantern 55% Wonder Woman 50% Catwoman 45% Robin 40% Hulk 30% Batman 30% Iron Man 30%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Rockin' Clean

OK, so I realized I do more rockin' than just in the van. I am currently cleaning my house (for company) to XM Radio's Classic Rock station and decided that there needs to be an entire "Classic Rock Expansion Pack" for Guitar Hero (can you tell I'm obsessed?) As for my previously started list, as sad as it seems (or as old as I am getting), Nirvana is being played on our local classic rock station here in Idaho, so I'm keeping on this list.

Classic Rock Guitar Hero Edition

1. Free For All - Ted Nugent
2. Still working on which title to list - Nirvana
3. Slow Ride - Foghat
4. Ah Via Musicom -Eric Johnson
5. Runaway (live version) - Bon Jovi
   

Gamers Unite

A couple of weekends ago, Mr. Meemo and I spent our Friday Date Night at the college celebrating Chinese New Year (hey, it was cheap Chinese food!). We got there early, not only to stand in the massive line, but to to check out the last few minutes of the "Guitar Hero 2" contest being put on by one of the campus Fraternities. I thought we were geeks with this game, but can't even hold a candle to these guys that were competing for the grand prize.

In the spirit of things, I'm keeping a mental list of songs that would be wickedly awesome on the expansion disc that needs to be created. Check back often, as I will update my list of songs as revelation strikes (or while rocking in my mini-van, whichever comes first).

1. Free For All - Ted Nugent
2. "Title coming as soon as I can remember" - Nirvana
   

Oh, incidentally, I picked up a bumper sticker:

"My gamer fragged your honor student"

p.s. Eris, yours is in the mail.

Because I love dark chocolate...

Couldn't pass up the opportunity of passing along something having to do with "name that movie" (I'm still working on the Tom Hanks 007 spoof)

See how many you can get.

mnm movie game

Let me know, I'm not doing so well. I guess I haven't seen enough of those "R" rated horror flicks (by choice, mind you).

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

You think it's cold where you live? This was left in the Mister's car for an extended period of time. What a waste of a good Diet Coke.

You're My Best Friend

To quote the classic Queen song, I say to TiVo "I'm happy, happy at home, you're my best friend".

Next to my husband, who will always be my first and foremost best friend and lover, TiVo is something with which I've developed a relationship. I can't always say it's a good one, we have our disputes. Just last week it recorded a whopping 04 seconds of Blade Runner. But when I can come down and count on a plethora of workouts from FitTV to start my day, that's when I tell TiVo, sing with me now, "You're my best friend".

For those wondering, that is how I exercise six days a week. Sure, I could join a gym, (well, the one gym that I don't even know the name of here in Pocatello), but that would require me getting up early to make it to a class. And for those who know me, know I am not a morning person. I could make use of the treadmill in the garage (which I intend to do...someday). But when the high here is 9 degrees, like it's going to be for the next few days, it's not exactly my workout of choice.

I also count on this trusted relationship to keep me up to date on all the reality TV out there. Yeah, it's pointless and absurd, but what other guilty pleasure to I have to look forward to almost everyday of the week?

New Year's Resolutions, if you will

I have spent the entire first week of this new year trying to word my "resolutions" into things that will be easy to have success in. For instance, one year my only resolution was to not have any late fees at Blockbuster. (However, maybe our late fees were paying somone's salary.) Proud to say we went an entire year returning all videos/dvds/games on time.

In the spirit of 2007, I am publishing my list of things to look forward to in every aspect of my life.

Personal:

• Be more organized. I pride myself of being an organized person with files for even the most inane things, but it is always a work-in-progress. I am determined to get the 30 years of photographs belonging to my parents out of their boxes and into something more useful.
  

• Take time weekly (at least) to practice the guitar (and enjoy other hobbies). My guitar looks so nice hanging on the wall that I don't want to disrupt it's peaceful slumber. However, my Guitar Hero 2 skills are being finely tuned. If only pushing a few buttons made me sound as good on my acoustic...
  

Physical:

• Continue with exercising 6 days a week. Luckily for me this is a habit I developed in September. Now all I have to do is keep it up. Should be easy to do.
  

• Continue with healty eating. Again, something I have been doing for 4 months.
  

• Drink 72 oz. of water every day. My husband wonders why I don't have to pee more often than I do.
  

Family:

• Less time getting frustrated, more time playing. I am one of those people that loses patience easily. Like last night when my 3 year old spilled his milk all over the table, I freaked out. Then not two minutes later, my 7 year old spilled his milk all over the table (how old is too old for sippy cups??). Instead of yelling, I should have at least been grateful that the placemats soaked it up and it didn't drip through the table crack to the rug below.
  

• More structured Family Nights. We have been getting into the habit of counting our trip to the grocery store for the treat as the activity as well. My focus now will be on implementing some lessons and activities that my children can learn from.
  

Spiritual:

• Read in the scriptures every day. Pretty self-explanatory
  

• Fast with a purpose each month. Fasting should not be about just going hungry, which is what I've been doing the last few months.
  

Financial:

• Food Storage. While we can afford to, my husband has given the go-ahead on spending some money on building up our food storage. Now what to do with 5,000 pounds of wheat...
  

• Build a budget and manage money better. My husband used to make his living doing just this for other people, so our finances were the last thing he wanted to think about. Hence, I have always taken on the task. We lost control of our spending for a few months after we sold our 1,200 sq. ft. home for more than double than we owed on it. Now is the time to tighten that budget belt and gain control over our spending again.

There it is, and in writing.