Gas

This might come as a shock to my mother (she thinks she knows everything about me), but I don't pay attention to how much I pay at the gas pump. Here's my thought... if I pay attention, I'll know how much I'm getting raked over the coals. I claim ignorance and, they say, ignorance is bliss. Blissful indeed until I figured it out today.

At Costco in Woodinville today (the sheriff was in line and I selectively chose a lane far away... you know, just in case), the lanes for the driver side pumps were a mile long (it felt like it was, but we all know Costco's parking lot isn't THAT big) so I bellied up to a passenger side pump that had a max of three cars waiting (I also say "belly up to the bar" and I don't even drink alcohol, or serve alcohol, for that matter, but I still say it and I won't stop, in case you're wondering), figuring that I can pull the line across the back to the driver side where my tank is.

As a side note to this little story: the picture of the gas pump on your dash does NOT necessarily tell you which side your tank is on, contrary to this little legend (but wouldn't that make sense and why DON'T the auto manufacturers make it so, sheesh, I'm tired of cranking my head out the window to see which side mine is on --- no, I don't have a good enough memory to just know without looking sometimes).

As ANOTHER side note, this story isn't about which side of the car my tank is on.

Back to the original point of this post.

I paid $3.53 at Costco and drove by a Chevron a couple miles away that listed the same grade of gas for $3.75... that's 22 cents a GALLON! At that rate for 20 gallons I saved $4.40 today and spent it on a Kid's Meal Crisp Chicken Burrito Meal at Taco Time to celebrate (psst, I didn't have a kid with me)!

As another side note... the new BBQ Chipotle Chicken Burrito at TT is tasty but waaaayy too messy for any normal person to put up with.

{EDIT... yeah, it's $3.53 and $3.75, respectively, and I've made the change; see, I don't pay attention to gas prices! LOL}

Twilight Movie

Some clips, if you're interested, in the making of Twilight, the movie. I'm looking forward to the film (expected in theaters Dec. 12) and hope I enjoy it as much as I have the book series.

If you have NO IDEA (as this writer didn't) what I'm talking about, click here to see inside the first (Twilight), second (New Moon) and third (Eclipse) books by Stephenie Meyer.

Sunday, Sunday

Today I had the IMMENSE pleasure of getting my promised hug from CW in person! (It was great, by the way.)

As she, her sister (who came over from Coeur d' Alene, ID) and I sat under the Space Needle on the lush, green grass, enjoying the 70 degree loveliness, we pondered on all sorts of life oddities. One particular subject was that of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy (and how everybody has their interpretation of that commandment; some more strict than others).

This reminded me of a change I'm making in my family this week.

See, we're used to not shopping, going to restaurants or participating in rigorous outdoor activities (sports and yard work) on Sundays. Instead we attend church, use our talents for the Lord (sing in the choir or teach Sunday School, for example), spend time with family and friends, write letters to family (Ben's brothers are serving two year missions for the church out of the country and really enjoy hearing news from back home), journal (would blogging count?) and rest from our labors (don't work).

But we still watch TV, play video games and spend time on the computer/internet. Those are the things that have been bothering me lately, because I'm thinking that we can eliminate them for ONE DAY out of the week and find other wholesome things to take their place. I'm not saying that anyone that does those things is sinning or not Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy (don't take this post as some high-and-mighty soapbox, this is a personal reflection and not a judgement), I'm just thinking that our family would feel more of the Spirit in our home without those distractions. If anything, wouldn't it be worth a try? Couldn't hurt, right?

Here's an article I found about the subject by Earl C. Tingey...
The Lord counseled the Church more than 165 years ago that we can keep ourselves “unspotted from the world” by properly observing the Sabbath day. While others may watch how we observe the Sabbath day, we should not be self-righteous or attempt to elevate ourselves in the eyes of others (see Matt. 6:1–6, 16–18). We should simply keep the Sabbath day holy because it is what the Lord would have us do. Then we will receive joy and strength from doing so.

The Lord teaches us in Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–13 that Sunday is a day to:
• Rest.
• Worship.
• Offer up vows in righteousness.
• Confess our sins.
• Partake of the sacrament.
• Prepare food with singleness of heart.
• Perfect our fasting.

Additionally, President Spencer W. Kimball said the Sabbath can be used for:
• Reading good books.
• Contemplating.
• Studying the scriptures and preparing talks.
• Visiting the sick.
• Preaching the gospel.
• Doing good.
• Visiting quietly with family members.
• Seeking forgiveness of sin.
• Journal writing.
• Fellowshipping members and nonmembers.
• Enjoying uplifting music.
• Resting.

President Ezra Taft Benson said the Sabbath should not be used for:
• Gardening and housework.
• Taking trips to recreational areas or resorts.
• Wasting time.
• Making up for sleep lost on Saturday.
• Refueling the car.
• Being so busy there is no time for prayer or meditation.
• Engaging in sports or hunting.
• Reading material that does not spiritually uplift us.
• Shopping.

So tomorrow, I've vowed to have our family NOT watch TV, play mindless video games or get on the internet. Instead we'll have breakfast without the TV being on, do a craft with the kids (make magnets for their bulletin boards), get ready and go to church then go to our friends house for dinner. At bedtime, I'll ask the kids what they thought of the day sans TV and video games. Hopefully their answer will be positive and hearts will be filled with the Spirit confirming to them of their obedience.

Exodus 20:8-11 (all these scripture references are KJV)
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.


Exodus 31:16-17
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.


Deuteronomy 5:12-15
12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.

13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.


15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Q: Do you have any uplifting stories to share about Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy? How about your family teachings on what to do or not to do on the Sabbath? I'd love some ideas of alternative activities that kids could do in keeping with this doctrine.

It Shoulda Been Sayesha

Tonight, I was, as were others, shocked to hear that Michael Johns was voted off American Idol. Not that I thought he'd win in the end, but I certainly didn't think he'd go before Sayesha. SHE should've gone before MJ. KLC should've gone before MJ. He'll be fine, I know, but it's like a slap in the face that the annoying baby crier slash failed Whitney Houston and Fantasia copier got to stick around.
I'm LOVIN' David Cook... he's REALLY got talent (wait, isn't that another show?). I think he might need to NOT win like Chris Daughtry did last year so he can do his thing instead of having to wait a year while he does the expected red tape as the winner. Simon is right (as he usually is) in that David has some kind of arrogant, cocky, pride thing going on when he performs (although he tries to seem humble when he's not singing; but I guess that's what should happen when you're singing... you should show confidence). But his voice is awesome and I dig how he reworks the songs so they're his.

Q: What'd YOU think about Michael Johns getting voted off tonight (granted that you actually LIKE American Idol, of course... no haters on the Lucky Red Hen blog)?

Once

Wedding Show Geeks

Lori, my Mexico roommate and friend, and I attended the Seattle Wedding Show on Saturday. We got there at starting time trying to beat the rush but with 9,000 people expected, we weren't the only ones thinking that.

Unfortunately, attending a wedding show with a gal friend and no make-up or wedding ring (long story about losing mine, that's why I wasn't wearing it) instantly tags me as lebonese. I say ME because vendors would hand HER their information and ignore me, like I was the dude being dragged along with promises of 'I'll make it up to you if you come to this with me.' She claims it's because she had 'the official bridal show bag' (I was too impatient to wait in line). I know better because this isn't the FIRST time it's happened to me. I don't mind, mind you (get it, mind twice in a row and it makes sense), I just wanted the free stuff LOL. Apparently there were about 400 vendors altogether, with only 30 or so photographers, and we had a BALL checking them all out.

Rentals:
My absolute favorite of all was the dishes rental girl, Sheena, at Totally Tabletops. The booth was uber simple and super tiny (smallest available) but the few dishes she had displayed reminded me of dinners at Christine's and I totally LOVELOVELOVE that look. They were funky, fresh and vintage all rolled up. The BEST part about her dishes rental? Can you GUESS? You can bring them back DIIIRRRRRTY! Now THAT'S a winner in my book (after last nights birthday dishes and tonight's emergency-the-5-person-family-had-their-power-go-out-plus-us dishes, that's 9 if you're counting).

Catering:
Speaking of dishes... how about food to put ON the dishes? Herban Feast is DEFINITELY the place to go for gorgeous, delicious, local and all-natural yumminess. Their display was divine and the chef/owner top-knotch, friendly, sweet and professional. Recently, they've purchased a historical SODO giant open loft with exposed beams warehouse for hosting up to 300 guests (EXACTLY what I'd love to live in)! They sampled their dilectable Sweet Potato & Dungeness Crab Cake and almost had to call security to make me leave. Not really, but my taste buds are calling them out as I type! Look at these babies...

The gal at Volterra Restaurant convinced me to come try their Tuscan cuisine (they also have event space for 12-85 guests). Initially the draw to her booth was that the name is a well-known city in my favorite book series, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. She says she's never heard of it; what the...? I say we get some fans together and try channeling Edward and Jacob over a plate of pasta!

Brown's Catering had the coolest looking chef with his talltalltall chef hat hoovering over the crowd. He was cheerful and poised. Their niche' is that prices are all-inclusive (no extra or hidden charges from start to finish; chef, servers, tables, linens, dishes, utensils and clean-up)!

Cakes:
Lori was all over the cake samples (I DID taste one from Mike's Amazing Cakes... yes, it WAS amazing and definitely worth clicking on... do it, I'll wait).

(Seriously, I hope you checked out his cakes.)

Creme de la Creme had a booth PLUS had miniature cakes on display at a few wedding consultant booths. They were about 4" high and were delicately decorated, mimicking a full-size wedding cake. Their cakes were exquisitely beautiful and looked worth the money people pay for wedding cakes these days. My mom made ours... five tiers of cheesecake... m-m-m. Their website is pretty ghetto and doesn't show their awesomeness. Wish we were allowed to take pics at the show... grr.

Morfey's Cake Shoppe had me at their name (Morfey, hahaha, cute) but their pictures displayed and in the brochures don't do them justice. Sure, they're not Mike's Amazing Cakes or Creme de la Creme, but I'd put these guys in my top three as a mom-and-pop shop (although I don't think they're mom and pop, I'm just saying that's the feel I get from their friendly, down home booth).

There was a gal there who makes ceramic cake trays and stands to match your wedding cake, but the closer I looked there was glaze dripping from some spots and some cracking (which can be seen in her pictures online)... wish that wasn't the case because the colors and design were really adorable. Maybe posting this will give someone the idea to perfect it because that was an excellent idea for a niche product. Imagine being able to use your cake stand from your wedding throughout your marriage!

Paper Products:
There were really pretty invitation designers... Sparkll was my favorite one-of-a-kind designer, even though the spelling of it drove me nuts right off the bat, and letterpress folk like the friendly and beautifully designed Ephemera Press (y'all know how I feel about gettin' me some Letterpress... yumm).

However, Brown Sugar Studios was my favorite letterpress vendor at the show that indulged me by listening to my breakfast story (oatmeal with some BROWN SUGAR and a little bit o' cream).

Oh, Tomato-Tomato (tow-may-toe... tow-mah-toe) had cute little magnet handouts that said "I love my in-laws." That was funny and eye-catching.

Wedding Coordinators:
I really liked Stacy at SK Wedding and Event Design (esp. since the initials remind me of my friend, Tiffany), but Lush Parties & Events had a pretty impressive booth with real grass sod and a place to put up my feet! Jesse and Travis at TrUe Colors Events were absolutely darling too (but should reprint their handout with better resolution on the pictures).

Newest idea:
The newest idea was a vintage umbrella rental gal... Bella Umbrella. She had the most BEAUTIFUL umbrellas we've ever seen, was super-duper nice, prices are pretty fair and got more interest than she expected the whole two days in the first two hours!

Parking was atrocious (3hrs = $11) and entry was $16/person ($2 discount coupon at the vendors before the show), but I suppose I'm not supposed to complain because that's what you get livin' in the big Metro Natural ci-tay (pshyeah, that's our slogan).

Lori was also all over the proper pronunciation of classic business names that, apparently, we've all been saying incorrectly... like Ivars. Go ahead and say it, or think it in your head. You said eye-vars, didn't you? No lying, that's bad and you'll get lashes. It's actually ee-vars, as in the Norwegian way. She's quite learned, ain't she? That's why I keep her around (she makes me look good). She finally dragged me into the Photo Booth for some lebanese looking pics... ain't no shame in it... Hey, you can ALMOST see how cool my new teeth look!

Another Crazy Name

Just saw this one today of a newborn baby... Matisyn. Really? WHY WHY WHY?!?

Squirting Tub Toys

JUST SAY NO.


LOUDLY.

I'm serious.

They're selling tub toys as squirters but some aren't advertised that way and still have the squirting capability. Along with the squirting capability comes the sucking of the water into the interior of the plastic toy. Unless you're removing every speck of water out of these critters then disinfecting the innards with bleach or rubbing alcohol or something that will get rid of the moisture, you WILL have bacteria crud growing inside.

It's really fun to hear your 4yr old daughter shriek with fear when she squirts the leftover water from the toys and out pours flecks of black, gross crap all throughout the tub. No, it's not, really, I was just being silly.

We do love playing with toys in the tub, so instead we encourage the non-holy types (although we consider ourselves to be religious in this house). We have some scuba diver guys with a shark cage, raft, turtles, dolphin, shark and submarine. None of which allow for water gunk.

There's my public service announcement for a while.

No Smoking In-Home Service People

Since moving, we've had the pleasure of welcoming several service people to help fix our stuff. There's been a couple from the HVAC cleaning company (the first guy made the ducts worse, the second guy had to come re-do it all and get it cleaned up), several from the cable company (one the first time to wire but it didn't work right so two more came out to fix what he did wrong then another inside to get the box working and yesterday another for the new box because the first one didn't work right; did you add them up... yes, five just for our TV viewing pleasure), W/D delivery were two guys and I feel that I'm missing another fella but cannot remember where from.

Every SINGLE one of those guys reeked of cigarette smoke. As soon as I opened the door to let them in I got smacked in the face with an invisible cloud of ashtray smell that made a trail to wherever they were going and floated around them like Pigpen's dust aura while they were here. Don't get me wrong, every one of those guys have been very pleasant, helpful and professional (palms to the roof for the W/D main guy) and I certainly didn't treat them any different than I would've if they hadn't smelled. But, boy, as a non-smoker who doesn't hang out in smoky environments, that stuff sure hits me like a ton o' bricks (coincidentally, it's actually not as bad as pumpkin guts).

Wonder where the unwritten rule is that says it's a good idea to have employees reek when they come into our homes. Same would go for someone who had foul body odor, too much perfume or whose feet stunk so bad you couldn't help but notice. Sometimes these things aren't easy for someone to control (body odor), and I do not fault them if they've tried to un-stink themselves.

But, really, why is it OKAY (obviously it is or I wouldn't have had EVERY ONE of my service people stink)? Has this condition been accepted for so long that it'd be next to impossible to get changed?

Maybe... when we make a request for an in-home service call we request that the employee doesn't smell? I've known some smokers who don't reek, so I don't think it'd be fair to ask for a non-smoking employee (and wonder, in the Seattle area anyway, if it's even a possibility that there's a non-smoker service guy in the lot). I'm just talking about the stinky smokers, not the non-stinky ones.

And, yes, I do not smoke and have never enjoyed being around people who are smoking or who had recently smoked (so the smell lingered). Kissing a guy that smoked was gross and if I ever knew that a guy smoked before I kissed him then I wouldn't kiss him at all.

I do not dislike smokers but I do dislike smoking.

Comma

I'm the PTA newsletter editor for Jack's school (to see my first solo issue, click here then NEWS and on the right OCTOBER 15, 2007 for a PDF viewing).

When "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" came out, I was one of the first to tear it open and read it cover to cover. There is a kid version plus another for kids about the apostrophe, "The Girl's Like Spaghetti," which I need to get because my apostrophe usage is beyond weak, at most.

Today I came across a rule on GrammarBook.com that I SWORE was different all these years. When I searched for comma, this is the first rule that came up.

Comma

Rule 1
To avoid confusion, use commas to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more.

Example
My $10 million estate is to be split among my husband, daughter, son, and nephew.

NOTE
Omitting the comma after son would indicate that the son and nephew would have to split one-third of the estate.

However, my thought all these years was that the "and" can act as the comma; e.g. fish, steak and eggs or shirt, pants and shoes. I think that fish, steak, and eggs looks messy with that additional comma.

Since I'm on my soap box, there is another rule that I wish everyone would follow...

Spacing with Punctuation

Rule 1
With a typewriter, you sometimes use one space or two spaces following punctuation. With a computer, use only one space following periods, commas, semicolons, colons, exclamation points, question marks, and quotation marks. With a computer, the space needed after these punctuation marks is proportioned automatically.

Q: Thoughts on my comma theory?

Personal Space

Through linking a few times, I stumbled across this blog post and found it an interesting read.

I can relate to a lot of the points made about personal space and wonder what your thoughts are (that's an open invitation to leave a thoughtful comment about your experiences).

Although I haven't analyzed my boundaries as closely as the writer has, I notice there are some people I rarely touch (some of my absolute best friends), others I can't seem to get enough of (Cjane, but who DOESN'T want to touch her - she's like Midas), some I cringe to think they'd touch me "hello" and others (they could be strangers I've never met or spoken to before) I kiss on the cheek as a greeting like it's nothing at all. I am much more affectionate with men than women and kids are welcome to smoosh up to me anytime (hopefully when they're not sticky or messy, hahaha).

It's kind of like a cat that rubs itself against people they adore, trying to leave their scent, or is it something else entirely? My mom likes to insist she knows the exact reasons why I turned out the way I did based on my youth but is it as easy as that? My answer is no.

Excerpts from Everytime (which should be Every Time) We Touch by Cascada...

I still hear your voice, when you sleep next to me.
I still feel your touch in my dreams.
Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why
Without you it's hard to survive.
'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling.
And everytime we kiss I swear I could fly.
Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last.
Need you by my side.
'Cause everytime we touch, I feel the static.
And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky.
Can't you hear my heart beat so...
I can't let you go.
Want you in my life.

And a little 80's video (I remember singing along to this song and, yes, I am a little embarrassed by that statement)...

Recipe Exchange

PUBLICLY POSTED:

Hereby, I declare that any request to forward mass emails
to exchange recipes, socks, dish towels, etc. will be met
with a quick press of the DELETE button and no further explanation.

Baby Names and Married Names

My lovely knocked-up friend Georgia had a cute post on baby naming.

Harry Dilema

Did you ever, in your youth, try that four letter word that starts with N by spreading it all over your harry legs so that the acid could slowly eat away at 2 layers of your epidermis (if it recommends 6 minutes then isn't 9, 11 or 13 minutes better)?

How many times have you taken those cheap drugstore razor blades to your sweet ankle, pulling up gobs of fleshy meat and NOT a blade of hare (I've claimed shark bite and dropping a knife when I did it)?

Ever tried the electrolosis route where you pay over six HUNDRED thousand dollars and willingly let some masochist shock your harry parts with the power of a gajillion transformers (and I'm not talking about autobots here even though I saw it twice in less than a week)?

Well, I'm tired of it all and am not going to take it anymore (que Twisted Sister and their Mimiesque eye shadow). Please tell me of an alternative to torture and the path to everlasting (gobstoppers, you know you said it in your mind) silky legged bliss.

P.S. Does it bug you that I never spelled harie properly?

The Easy Way to Stop Smoking

Editorial Review for The Easy Way to Stop Smoking from Amazon.com:
A new edition of the revolutionary bestseller, with four million copies in print. Allen Carr’s innovative Easyway method—which he discovered after his own 100-cigarette-a-day habit nearly drove him to despair—has helped millions kick smoking without feeling anxious and deprived. That’s because he helps smokers discover the psychological reasons behind their dependency, explains in detail how to handle the withdrawal symptoms, shows them how to avoid situations when temptation might become too strong, and enables them to stay smoke-free. Carr discusses such issues as nicotine addiction; the social “brainwashing” that encourages smoking; the false belief that a cigarette relieves stress; the role boredom plays in sabotaging efforts to stop; and the main reasons for failure. With this proven program, smokers will be throwing away their packs for good.

Read the Customer Reviews about the middle of the page.

My mom and dad (who's smoked most of their lives) and brother (who's smoked about 10 years; he asked for a quit smoking gimmick for Christmas one year - didn't work) quit by reading this book. They've tried other methods before, with no lasting success so I highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in kicking the habit. My brother has given this book as a gift to 6 of his friends and 10 of them have quit (are you trying to figure out the math? ...4 friends borrowed the book).

BTW: it's cheaper at Walmart.com (especially with the 97 cent shipping and $9.76 price tag). I pre-ordered Eclipse through them, guaranteed delivery on Aug. 7, and got the hardback delivered for under 12 dollars!

Dangit, So You Think You Can Dance?

[edit]

WARNING: SPOILER (do not read if you don't know who was cut this week)...

Do any of my readers watch So You Think You Can Dance?

If so, how'd you feel about tonights elimination of Jessi Peralta?

I am disappointed about her being eliminated so soon. Her performances have been strong and I absolutely love watching her and Pasha together. There are other girls that are better dancers on the show, and she is not my favorite, but she is at least 2 weeks away from being cut in my opinion.

Wish the judges would've given more insight in their decision making process because I just don't get it. Is it because she has fallen for Pasha, the emergency incident yesterday or her desire to be an overall performer and not JUST a dancer?

Dangit. That bums me out. Somebody want to make me feel better here?

I like watching HGTV

My back's out again.

Must be a combination of getting the house ready, reducing the amount of stuff we have to fit into our new place that's 1/2 the size and those CUTE red heels I wore to my birthday lunch on Wednesday (not the whole day; put them on right before I drove over, kept them on while sitting for lunch then drove home and took them off immediately).

Anyway... when my back goes out it's couch time for me and an opportunity to watch some Home & Garden television. I LOVE watching make-overs of any kind... yard, exteriors, interiors, people, etc.

The first day of this is not too bad but the 2nd - 5th get progressively worse (plus I have a "female" visitor this time, if you know what I mean) and I get awfully cranky feeling like a ZERO that can't do much for myself or anyone else (thank you, hubby, for taking such good care of us all - especially when my back is out). It is no fun, that's for sure.

Usually the dopey episodes don't bother me but I had been laid up for a couple days by the time I saw this. It has irritated me to no end and has made me so mad that they think it's passable. Hideous is the only word I could use to describe it without making this post R-rated! Sure would like to know how long it took the owners to undo it.

Q: Am I the only one that finds this make-over a make-UNDER?

Children: Something To Think About

Got most of this via the internet (eliminated/changed a few things).

Dear God:

Why didn't you save the school children at ...

Bath, MI 1927

Houston, TX 1959

Moses Lake, WA 1996

Bethel, AK 1997

West Paducah, KY 1997

Stamp, Arkansas 1998

Edinboro, Pennsylvania 1998

Fayetteville, Tennessee 1998

Springville, OR 1998

Richmond, Virginia 1998

Littleton, CO 1999

Taber, Alberta, Canada 1999

Conyers, GA 1999

Deming, NM 1999

Fort Gibson, OK 1999

Santee, CA 2001

El Cajon, CA 2001

and

Blacksburg, VA 2007

?

Sincerely,

Concerned Student

____________________________

Reply...

Dear Concerned Student:

Sorry, I am not allowed in schools.

Sincerely,

God

____________________________

How did all this get started? Let's see...

When Madeline Murray O'Hare complained that she didn't want any prayer in our schools.

And we said, OK.

Then, someone said you better not read the bible in school. You know, the bible that says, "thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself."

And we said, OK.

Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem.

And we said, an expert should know what he's talking about, OK.

Then someone said, let's let our daughters have abortions if they want to, and they won't have to tell their parents.

And we said, OK.

Then some wise school board member said, since boys will be boys and they're going to do it anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they want, so they can have all the fun they desire, and we don't have to tell their parents they got them at school.

And we said, OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience,

why they don't know right from wrong

and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, classmates or even themselves.

We Reap What We Sow

Don't Mean To Be Rude, but...

A lot of you know about my slight interest in losing a pant size or 2. 'Slight interest' is the term I use because I'm not a) actively seeking, b) working out or c) on some kind of restrictive diet. My philosophy on this journey of mine is that I am paying better attention to what I eat and when. For the most part I'm having a Kirkland weight loss pre-made-in-a-can chocolate drink (like Slim-Fast) for breakfast (instead of my 3 servings-size cereal in milk; granted it's Kashi Go Lean but still) and usually for lunch too. If I'm running out the door and it's mealtime, I'll grab a can to take the edge off so I'm not chowing down through the drive-thru. I have a problem with forgetting to eat. I know a lot of you will roll your eyes over that comment but I just get past the point and get the shakes. Not the hippy-hippy-shakes kind either.

I'm trying to eat more fruits & veggies but during the off-season they're not as appealing as summertime. Less and less will I chose fried foods, but I still eat them when they're available (like the fried cauliflower at Lon's Cookin' Shack in Provo or the fried appetizer cone at The Pine restaurant up near SLC).

I don't believe in denying myself the simple pleasure of food. I DO believe that moderation is the key; you won't see me at Lon's every week. Wendy's is our fast-food of choice where I'll get the grilled chicken burger with fries and a Sprite or rootbeer. I figure the chicken is better for me than the beef and bacon (which I'll get from time to time), the fries I just can't resist (but I don't supersize) and the non-caffeinated beverages work better with my body. You will NOT find me at McDonald's unless it's to get breakfast (that McGriddle is disgustingly yummy).

I've gone back and forth between caffeine and not for years - even before I joined my church. Back in the day of hotelier work when I had free access to the soda machine I was ADDICTED to my giant thermal mug of Pepsi. Then I heard some report about how it's addictive (this was back in, oh, 1992ish) so I changed my habit to milk (had free access to the milk too). Well, that little change ended up being HUGE and I was having KILLER headaches (close to migraine as you could get), the shakes and felt sluggish ALL THE TIME. It was obvious that caffeinated drinks had a powerful hold on how my body operated. It took me a good month to get over that episode (was pretty darned cranky) and since then I've gotten back on and off the wagon but never really re-instated the severity. Just recently I had been having about 1 caffeinated pop per day and noticed I wasn't sleeping through the night and if I woke up to noise or needing to potty (the word we use with the kids but I usually say 'I gotta pee') I'd be up for a good couple hours before hitting the pillow hard - then the next day was zombie like. So I stopped pop again recently (switched to Sprite and rootbeer) and have been sleeping harder, through the night, can get back to sleep if I wake up and feel rested in the morning.

Alright, off the caffeine soapbox. Onto the main reason I started this story.

So here I am slowly reducing my pant size (depending on stretch I have dropped 2 sizes) just by adopting the idea of watching what I eat, reducing my calorie intake (I don't count, I just average but my downfall is portions - I love to keep eating) and paying attention to WHEN I eat (I try not to eat after 7pm). If I worked out I bet it'd be even better but that's a whole 'nother story.

Anyway... yesterday I had a photo shoot at 4pm then meeting for carpool to our photographer get-together at 5:45pm. I ran out of the house with everything I needed (including the dry cleaning - the coat from catching the horse and the duvet cover from the dog getting sick, that was grosser than gross) EXCEPT a belt to hold my pants up. One of my pet peeves (I have several, so here's just one) is having to see people's butt-cracks or underwear because they can't keep their pants up without having to hoist them every few minutes. Get a friggin' belt, I say! Well, I forgot mine and was in a pickle. Didn't have time (or gas waste) to run back home and get one of the 7 or so belts I own so I called my dear, sweet friend that lived in the vicinity and about the same size as me. The belt was waiting there when I arrived and I started putting it on. It's a GOOD belt; brown leather with a strong normal-looking buckle (no frou-frou). Well, I get to the smallest hole and realize that in order for it to work properly (keep my butt-crack hidden) it needed to be a smidgen smaller. Ooh, how am I gonna ask for a smaller belt?

"Um, (insert name here), I don't mean to be rude or anything but do you happen to have a smaller belt?"

Yeah, no matter how you say it, it still stings. I tried to emphasize that I only needed one more hole smaller, so it wasn't a lot but then she pointed out that she's 2 or 3 holes from the smallest. I also reminded her that she just had a baby and has been doing great with her Weight Watchers program (she's really good about following it, it's hard for me to commit to). Her hubby ended up poking a hole in the belt and saving the world from my crack.

She hardly ever reads my blog (because she's hardly ever on the computer) but if she does, or you figure out who I'm talking about, then just know this... I LOVE her and she's WONDERFUL and MARVELOUS and I like her just the way she is. Oh, and I don't mean to toot my own horn at her expense; that's why I'm not mentioning names or posting a picture of her backside (that was her request).

Q: What do you do when you want to share an accomplishment that might hurt the feelings of others? For example... announcing a pregnancy when you have family that struggles to conceive, tell everyone about a promotion when friends can't find a job, share the happy news of your children's success when another parent is having trouble with theirs, etc.?

Provo Restaurant - Why???

'Splain me La Dolce Vita because I've been there twice and can't understand WHY in the world people go there (and like it). Has nobody that's been there been to Carrabba's (my favorite) or even Ottavio's (not my favorite but certainly better than LDV). Ben and I went when we first moved to Utah because SEVERAL friends recommended it to us. We both ordered 2 different "tour" plates so that we'd get to try 6 different items from the menu, just in smaller portions. So I've tried 7 entree's and NONE of them are worth PAYING hard-earned money for.

Toasted, buttered, sliced WHITE BREAD (like out of the Wonderbread bag) in a foil-encased basket (Carrabba's served freshly made, hot peasant-style bread with an herb mixture in olive oil for dipping wrapped tenderly in a white cloth napkin... I like mine with a little balsamic vinegar added to the oil).

Bone-IN (what restaurants serve fish with the BONE still in it? -- LOTS of it, not like a little piece that snuck it's way in either) and skin-ON halibut that's breaded & char-broiled beyond recognition (Carrabba's marinates & grills their fish with the lines criss-crossed so you can easily tell what you're eating and serves it with fresh handmade toppings).

Frozen mid-quality vegetables boiled to luke-warm, swimming in water (Carrabba's uses only the FRESHEST veggies then seasons them with garlic, butter and a dash of seasoning --- try the spinach... the broccoli is my other favorite; Ben likes the squash medley).

Entrees that taste like the Costco samples on Fridays (which doesn't mean they're BAD, per se, just that I don't want to PAY for Costco samples at a restaurant).

There was something else there that bugged me but I've blocked it from memory (and by this point I am salivating at the thought of eating at Carrabba's sometime soon even though in the last 2 weeks I had the pleasure of eating at 2 of the top steak houses in the NW, The Metropolitan Grill (ask for the server Craig Summers and Joe the Sommalier) and JaK's Grill in Issaquah).

P.S. The picture was taken last month with my Harley-riding girlfriends at LDV (I'm the 2nd from the right). We had a lovely time, the company was great, we had a lot of fun but I just don't understand the appeal food. Seriously.