Thursday, May 29, 2008

The Guy Who Likes Shoes

I have a rare blessing. I have a boyfriend who loves to shop! Now when I say boyfriend, I mean he’s a friend that just so happens to be a boy and when I say shop, I mean not for tools and large motorized equipment, this guy enjoys shopping for shoes and house hold knickknacks! And he even gives an opinion when asked. (Although he still harbors the genes of a man and has bad taste).
Brian has been ‘out of town’ for about 2 years and I forgot how great it is to go browsing the stores with him. My ultimate shopping buddy, I’m so glad he is home. I would avoid angering this person, because in doing so he could very possibly rip your limbs from your body, but he is so in touch with his feminine side. And yes girls, he is straight. This guy can shop like a beauty queen on diet pills. And that’s not all; he crochets the most beautiful things. Sits in front of the TV watching sports and crochets everything from afghans to baby blankets to bennies. Brian, you are a blast. Welcome Home! Tuesday Brian helped me find scrapbook supplies on the discount isle (see his deep contemplation?)

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Roll it, Pat it, Mark it with a T

Well I have a whole new respect for the butcher, the baker, and the candle stick maker! Oh to make a cake. Not the easiest thing to do. Once you got the cake made its just a matter of time. (Like 2 days time). I made a lot of mistakes, but then realized, the further you advance, the more able you are to cover your mistakes. I was going to cover the whole thing in fondant, but after tasting fondant, realized I better frost it and then use the fondant to decorate it. And so that is what I did. I told my friends I would never make another one again, but now I am already thinking of ways to do another one without mistakes. I really wanted it to be pretty for all my May peeps and I was so nervous that it would turn out in shambles that I didn’t enjoy myself as much as I should have. In retrospect it was pretty fun. Note to self: Must remember to relax.

Friday, May 23, 2008

A Vacation from Myself

Sometimes I really, really understand where George is coming from!

Pine Cone Fever

There is nothing in my world that makes me happier than when Annie is happy. Annie is happy almost all of the time. In fact there are only two times when she is not happy; 1. When Bridger makes fun of her for having a “gas” problem, He says “WahooooooWeeeee” to let her know that she stinks, and her reply is to start growling and attacking his face (I think its her way of being embarrassed and saying “shut up”.) 2. Is when she is sick.
When Annie is sick it is the saddest thing. The always bouncy, tootie that she is, becomes exhausted (an Annie exaggeration) and just wants to sleep. We just went through one of these episodes. Here’s how it went; We come home from my Dads B-day party on Sunday and Annie is exhausted. (Important Note: I think she ate about 50 pine cones during this party and although I continually tried to pry them from her grip throughout the day, that dog took in a lot of pine cone! So much that I’m expecting her to poop a tree sometime this week!) So she crashes on the couch and is done! I thought she was worn out from all the playing. No she was beginning what would be a 3 day allergic reaction to what I can only assume was caused by the pine cones. I woke up at some time in the night to the sound of Annie scratching. I figured, “well she can’t sleep, she was asleep all afternoon”. I woke up again, who knows how much later, to the same sound. “Boy I sure hope she gets that itch”. I wake up a 3rd time, because Annie has gotten up on the bed, and has laid her head down on my neck between my shoulder and ear and is moaning. “What is going on” I think, and turn on the lights. I flip her over on her back and her entire body is covered in a horrible rash. It was 12:30 at night. What am I gonna do? We got up for a minute and tried to wait it out. Didn’t work. So we got in the car and went to 3 Wal-Mart’s and 1 Walgreens trying to find some Children’s Chewable Benadryl. Apparently this stuff is like a rare gem in Utah at this time of year. There was none. Defeated and exhausted we finally came home. The itching continued until I gave her a cool oatmeal bath. I learned this little secret from being a very stressed out kid who occasionally broke out in hives when my parents fought or kids at school made fun of me. Works pretty good.
We went to the Dr. (yes again) the next day and he gave me some medicine that cleared her right up. But she was lethargic all day Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. This morning she woke up and was bouncing off the walls. We have a strict regimen that we follow and she was there, waiting for every obsessive compulsive moment of it. Example: Coffee and couch snuggling at 5:30am. Potty break 6:00am. Attack Bridger’s feet and try to engage him in play 6:00 to 7:00am. Medicine (in her mind means treat wrapped around something yucky) 7:30am.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Post Bad Day Regret

Whew, yesterday I was really on one huh? Wow. Today is turning out much better. I fought this morning (in continuation from yesterday) to ward off the ‘bad mood devils’ and now believe that they are fading. I think I owe my work friend Brian for this. (Were peeps, yeah he’s even confirmed it). He just stopped by to say hello, and that made things a little better. Then I vented on yesterdays occurrences and he just stayed very, very still with wide eyes and a little fear on his face. His expression said “Ewwweee she’s projectiling yesterday’s yuckiness, just hold still and maybe you won’t get it in your eye”. And I hope he didn’t!
Is there anyone out there that has ‘post bad day regret’? I do. I rant, I rave, I throw a fit, the next day I don’t see where any of it was that big of a deal! I guess it’s what I was saying about the attack of all the little things that finally gets to you. From my previous post it may seem that I dislike my co-workers to which I have to say that is absolutely not the case. Not even one of them. I don’t know how it happened but all the coolest ‘geeks’ in the world somehow ended up in this office. (Even if that is a walking contradiction, it is exactly what has taken place). It’s just that it is so hard to live with people 9 hours a day. I feel sorry for them really because they have to deal with me. I have Post Bad Day Regret often. Does this mean that I have an anger problem? Maybe I do. My Dad does, and he taught me how to deal with anger and I learned quickly that nothing can really make you feel better quicker, than throwing the stereo off the porch and onto the cement. Just kidding. Well kind of. And I just realized he would feel better in the moment but the next he too had Post Bad Day Regret, especially when he wanted to listen to the radio.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Who's bad day am I really having here?

When a bad day starts directly from the beginning of the day, (ie; I step out of bed and my dogs new toy almost severs off a toe) I am okay. I can quickly accept the idea that a bad day may be on the rise and prepare myself. Sometimes it’s really nice to just let go and settle comfortably into a bad day. When this happens I like to let people know that I am not in the best mood by saying “hey, you didn’t do anything, It’s just me.” But what really makes a bad day, is when numerous little things gang up on you in the middle of the day and hit you unexpectedly. Like when you talk to a pissy or ‘touchy’ person (that didn’t warn you of their mood) and they take everything you say as offensively as possible. You really want to just tell them to ‘go to hell and that you really don’t care if they are annoyed or not’…. But you don’t say anything!
Or when you send out an email early in the morning telling co-workers that you have a report due at 1:00 and they need to send their contributing information to you as quickly as possible, and they wait until 12:45 to send it. Yeah, I also sent out a second reminder and got minimal responses. Even worse is when one of them decides that they and their work is more important than anyone else’s on the team and don’t send their information until ……oh when was that…..wait for it……1:56pm. OH MY HELLY! I know that they didn’t send it because they were trying to rebel against my email from freakin 9:00am. Then there are the people that are consistently arguing with you in an attempt to prove that they are smarter. Which then proves to me that they are insecure and less intelligent and scared that they will be found out.
It doesn’t end there, it has continued on all day. And it makes me wonder now that I reflect, am I in a bad mood or am I the victim of many other people’s bad moods? I refuse to be anyone’s victim and so I will let it go and let these miserable specimens sit in their own ridiculousness. I will also counter todays attacks of hostility by going home, popping 2 aspirin for the monster headache that warding off the imbalanced causes, take a bubble bath, get a warm puffy blanket and curl up with my happy doggy, and the super good book I am currently reading (see below).

And so internet world, I say to you, admit when you are having a bad day, and watch who you take it out on because you may run into someone like me who will directly tell you that you are being an asshole. I know how it feels when you want to suddenly strike and rip someone’s eyebrow hairs out of their head, and by all means I fully support such an event when it is deserved. But to be “annoyed” by someone without realizing that You are your problem, not the person you’re speaking with, well that’s just sad and it makes you look a little immature. (Speaking only to those that this applies too, If you are not such a person, then….thank you and I hope you have a nice day).

Monday, May 19, 2008

The lusty month of May

It’s Glorious Fabulous May. Which means total chaos in my life. Every day of this month is like Christmas day, over and over again. If you are a Gemini or a Taurus, then chances are that….I know you. The good thing about May is, I always have something fun to go do. Either shopping or a party, every week is filled with adventure. (Okay a little overboard there but I am trying to be positive for my Gemini friend who despises the negativity placed around the May B-Days, but at least I can take a little credit for trying). Yesterday was my Dads Birthday. We had a BBQ at his house and it was a great time. I got sunburned (which I needed a little sun) and Annie ran around with kids her own age for about 8 hours straight. Needless to say she came home and crashed. Because she has such thin hair I think she got a little sunburned as well and she is still acting ‘heat exhausted’ today. (Can dogs get heat exhaustion even when they have plenty of water?). Anyway I think she is okay, I just worry because there is nothing else to do with my time!
Today is Bridgers Birthday. He’s a sensitive boy about his Birthday. He appreciates even a phone call, but when his Birthday is made special, like if you go out of your way in some small way, it will make his day! Soooo, at lunch I went and picked up his B-day gift, picked up Annie, wrapped the gift, and we took him lunch. He was so ecstatic. I am glad I did it. He sort of puts too much importance on this kinda thing. He thinks that if no one went out of their way to make his day special then he must be unloved. And that is so not true, but can sometimes feel true. He said “You just made my Birthday, thank you so much. Now I know that someone cares”. Ohhhhh, I hear violins a little. Anyway, he will also get a Birthday dinner tonight at my Grandma’s and perhaps I will do another little something special for him, just because he was so dang appreciative at lunch today.
Next Birthday belongs to my friend Owen. He’s on the 23rd, I have no idea what to get him, but he is another appreciater of acknowledgment and generally pretty easy to make happy.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

LPWNH's

Watching an extreamly discusting and violent situation unfold before my very eyes, I sit on the edge of my couch yelling, “No, No the other way, you gotta run under the bridge, through the gate and down into the hole! That’s where the other rocket launcher is!” Ah the sweet sound of my afternoons since becoming addicted to Bridgers new Playstation game. Its called Half Life, and that’s the kind of life I have been leading since I became entranced and unable to pull myself away. “We” (Note: I have never actually played a game before, the controler has never actually been in my hand.) advanced quite far last night. Finally got passed this board. (See below) It was offle. I lost 2 hours of good sleep last night because Bridger needed me to stay up and yell instructions into his ear until 11:00pm!
Every time he starts a new game I think “there is no way I will be interested in this one”. I mean I have heard of people becoming gamers and not being able to set down the controllers, but I have become a gamer groupie. (I bow my head in shame for I believe that a gamer groupie could actually rank lower on the scale of Lazy People Who Need to get a Hobby or LPWNH’s). I follow him around all the time asking in my coolest “I don’t really care” voice, “So… are you ah, gonna play tonight?” Hoping inside that the desperation is not showing on my face and I won’t be rejected (By my stinky younger brother mind you). And if I catch him playing in his room or find out that he has betrayed me by playing with our other brother while not in my presence, I get all upset. I say “Now how am I gonna know where we are and what our mission is? I will be totally disoriented now. I won’t know where we are or how to help.” Maybe it’s my long lost desire to be the cool cheerleader who really sticks with the team till the end. Okay not really my desire, was actually my mothers, but still. Kudos to Bridger though. He lets me believe that I really am helping. He brings a shy smile to my flushed face when I make a helpful suggestion by saying things with relief in his voice like “Oh Sis, Thanks, I never would have figured that one out.” For which I love him. Anyway, if all goes well, and he is in a good mood, we will continue our work tonight. We will work tirelessly and without too many bathroom breaks, to get the job done. Until we reach the final goal: Beat Half Life!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Jylaire verbally 'tagged' me, if that counts as a tag.

A: Attached or Single: Attached to being single. (Okay not really)
B: Best Friend: Cant pick just one.
C: Cake or Pie: Right now, some white cake sounds pretty dang good!
D: Day of Choice: Wednesday, not close enough to the weekend to become miserable at work, far enough away from Monday that you’re in your groove.
E: Essential Item: Coffee
F: Favorite Color: Green
G: Greatest Accomplishment: Not choking Annie every single day.
H: Hometown: All of northern utah feels like my home town.
I: Indulgences: Fluffy blankets, bubble baths, sappy movies.
J: January or July: I always said that I am a January girl, but July has my favorite holiday..so...
---Where did K go? I don’t know, but nobody likes that letter anyway.
L: Life is Incomplete Without: Diet Coke
M: Marriage Date: Why do they ask this question when they have already made single people feel so welcome with the first question? Its trickery.
N: Number of Siblings: 2 very strange brothers
O: Oranges or Apples: Oranges
P: Phobias or Fears: Oh my gosh I have so many! Spiders, being trapped, public speaking, big crowds, small crowds, pretty much any situation where people ‘crowd’.
Q: Quotes: "The more you run over a dead cat....the flatter it gets" and "All things being equal, fat people use more soap".
R: Reason to Smile: because I have no reason not to.
S: Season: Oh I look best in browns and earth tones.
T: Tag Four Friends: umm Beth and Chris, their the only other bloggers I know.
U: Unknown Fact about Me: I let Annie clean my feet every night before we go to sleep. Its super gross but I think it makes her feel like she is taking good care of me so I let her do it.
V: Very Favorite Store: Ben Franklins
W: Worst Habit: I can’t discriminate between them. I wouldn’t want any of them to feel left out.
X: X-ray or Ultrasound: Oh no thank you.
Y: Your Favorite Food: Chips and salsa
Z: Zodiac: Sagittarius

Monday, May 5, 2008

My Peeps

I spent the whole weekend with my family. It was so fun and refreshing and comforting, and even though half of it was spent at a funeral for someone who will be forever missed, I really enjoyed the closeness that I felt for the wonderful people I am related to. It is so nice to be surrounded by people who are so unconditional with their love. I am so blessed. I love you all so much. As for my so-called-“girlfriends”, you are really my sisters and I adore you. If I am ever able to be even half the friend to you as you are to me, then I will be proud of myself.

Dont take my Kodachrome away!

3 Weeks ago I purchased something that I have wanted for a while now. A brand new digital camera. It was a nice one. User friendly. Nothing to fancy. After batteries and a new case, yada, yada, yada it came to about $200.00. Not bad for something that will record memory after memory right? I took some pictures of my niece and my dog.
Last weekend I left it on the counter in the Kitchen, and the next day I went to work. When I arrived home my house was sparkling clean and all the furniture moved around. Bridger had been scrubbing all day. He has a tendency when cleaning, to just migrate things for no reason at all, and stuff things into corners you would never suspect. He doesn’t understand the concept of “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Really annoying. To make a long story short, I can’t find the following items: My Brand New $200.00 camera, my toaster (yes my toaster), one Orchid (later found), my new protein shake mug, and various other items. The worst part is that when you question Bridger about it he gets defensive (probably stemming back to the “thievery” years) and cannot for the life of him, remember where he put these things. I am so bummed out. I have searched the entire apartment for the camera and cannot find it anywhere. He says he doesn’t even remember seeing it and that I must have put it somewhere. I suggested that the only possibility left was that someone came into the apartment while we were not home and stole it!!! Bridger said there is no way that happened, but yesterday at my Grandma’s Birthday party, my cousin Jenny had the exact same camera, so you know, I am naturally suspecting that she is the culprit! (Just kidding Jen, anyone who has ever met this girl would know how funny I am being here; she is sweeter than apple pie and would never). Anyway, Camera is gone, and I haven’t even paid for it yet. Surprisingly I am not as upset as I probably should be. I think I am still in denial.