I Ignored Life for 3 days

Lately I've been on a HUGE reading kick.  Which is ironic because if you had asked the 11 year old me if I would ever read for pleasure, she would've bet her first born that she would NEVER read for pleasure. 

The last books I was hooked on, like couldn't put it down, tried to sneak away hooked on was The Hunger Games.  Before that it was Twilight.  Don't hate, it's a good story. 

I find that I have a hard time getting into books without strong characters.  Apparently, I'm more along the Young Adult/Sci-Fi reader.  Which shocks me a little.  Perhaps there is some therapist who has some explanation for that. 

Several months ago, just after I finished The Hunger Games trilogy, Amazon sent me a recommendation for this book:

Along with several others that sound eerily like The Hunger Games meets junior high meets that would never happen.  Perhaps that's why I loved The Hunger Games - even though it is "that would never happen" they make you believe that it totally could.  So I bought Divergent because the story sounded good and I really liked the cover.  My refined selection habits are astounding!

Then it sat in my Kindle library for approximately 187 days.  After reading some other books and getting my reading mojo going, I thought, why not.  I'll give it 30 pages.  That's my strategy with any book; 30 pages and if I'm not hooked, I don't read it.  Anywho, I came up for hair about 5 hours later, lost precious sleep, and had to rely on Starbucks to get me through the next day. 

I had no idea it was the first book in a trilogy.  This is the second:

They are Young Adult/Sci-Fi, but not in that weird video game way where everyone is a zombie and they go by names you cannot pronounce.  It's YA/Sci-Fi in a way that you love the characters and think, "this could totally happen." 

Veronica Roth is awesome!  She's early 20's, wrote Divergent during college and now has a trilogy that is fabulous.

The third book of the trilogy doesn't come out until fall 2013. 

If you liked The Hunger Games trilogy, enjoy books that provide entertainment and strong characters, give this 30 pages.  It's can't put it down fabulous!

Almost Wordless Wednesday: A Girl and Her Dog

They are the unstoppable crime fighting duo on every walk we take. 

How to Give Your Husband Indigestion aka A Really Great Prank

One of N's favorite things in the entire world is his motorcycle.  We purchased it shortly after N got out of the military.  Because times were hard, N was having to work 2 jobs:  one as a mechanical assembler and one as a motorcylce assembler.  The job at the motorcycle shop wasn't the best environment to be in, but it did give him some practical knowledge and some hands-on time with motorcycles.  Because he was an employee, he got a very nice discount.  When he saw the lime green Kawasaki Vulcan 900 custom come through the shop, he felt it call to him.

I truly believe that when he can ride this beauty to and from work everyday, he's a happier man. 

The move to Umatilla has been hard for N for many reasons.  All our stuff is there, but all our family isn't.  Yes, The Kawi is part of the family.  It couldn't make the move in September, so it's been sitting in a garage, unridden.  That, my friends, is a crime. 

After a couple months of trying to figure out how to move The Kawi down to Umatilla, N figured it out.  Two, very dear friends from church offered their equipment for us to use.  Dave is letting us borrow his trailer and Shawn is letting us borrow his new truck.  Read that sentence again...Shawn just bought this truck less than a month ago and is letting us borrow it.  I think he and N have a bromance, for which I'm entirely grateful.  All men need a good bromance to eat weird, greasy food, talk shop and get Godly advice about their women.

The problem is, N is in Umatilla and my mom and I had to get this loaded up.  Enter friend #3, Jaret.  He came over after work to help load the bike.  For a brief moment during the loading, he had to take a phone call.  Enter Kelly...the prankster.  I'm not sure if it's because I know how important The Kawi is to N or if I know no limits when it comes to a good laugh.  Here's the set up:

The truck is parked in the driveway, the trailer is strapped up and ramped up ready to go, The Kawi is positioned to be loaded and Jaret is distracted.  I sit on the bike, take this picture:



and send a text to N that reads:  Do I just drive it straight in?  Jaret had to go home.

Then my mom and I counted to see exactly how long it would take to get a call.  She guessed 10 seconds and I guessed 15.  I was right.  Apparently he couldn't see straight to dial.

This was the conversation:

N: Are you serious?

K: Yes, there was something wrong with the baby.  The trailer's loaded, but I just don't know what exactly I need to do.  Can you walk me through it?

N: I'm calling JJ.  He can be there in 20 minutes.  Did Jaret really have to leave?

K:  No!  bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha (that's my evil laugh)

N then complained of the worst heartburn he's ever experienced. 

All in all, The Kawi got loaded with exactly 1/4 inch to spare.  Isn't God good?  We are headed down to Umatilla today to deliver The Kawi and spend some time with N. 

I'm going to laugh about this little incident for the entire 3 hour drive. 

It's a Glorious Day

Today marks the day I've been waiting for three years to experience.  The iPhone is officially at Verizon.  I know that may sound trivial, but I can be that shallow.  I love all things Apple.  If I didn't have the past experience with AT&T that I do, I probably would've made the switch when the iPhone first came out.  My sister has one.  I've gotten to use it only a couple times because I actually drool on it when I use it.  I love the thing. 

Unfortunately I'm not due for an upgrade for a bit, so I'm having to hold off on my dream of having one for a short time.  Not that I'm complaining.  It is in my future and all the bugs can be worked out on the new network.  Then you'll probably see posts from me on here that I'll be writing on my iPhone.  My stomach just did a little dance of excitement.  I know some of you think I'm taking my love to a weird level, but I'm sorry, if loving the iPhone is so wrong, I don't want to be right.

I was listening to Air1 this morning and they were talking about all the people outside Verizon, waiting for the iPhone since Verizon put a hold on pre-orders.  They were amazed that people would wait in line, in the rain, for a phone.  Obviously they don't understand all the awesome that is the iPhone.  They wanted to know, what would you wait in line for.  I thought I would answer that question here.  I'm going to come out and say Jesus won't be on the list.  That's a gimme and He's supposed to come like a thief in the night, so a line really isn't appropriate!

Here's my Top 7, Letterman style:

7) Black Friday sales - Every year I stand in line for some kind of sale.  Usually it's at 4:00 am with my sister, mom and aunt.  Last year it was around 10:00 am with my aunts and uncle in Texas where it was sunny, warm and we were outside.  It's nice to bring a new generation into the mix!

6) Tickets to any Beatles concert - Granted this wouldn't have happened in my lifetime because The Beatles broke up before I was born and John Lennon was killed when I was 3.  However, as Cher said it best, if I could turn back time, I so would've been in line anywhere they were playing.

5) Dinner at Club 33 - I used to work with a gentleman who loved Disney.  He takes trips down there several times a year.  Last year he had the awesome privilege of having dinner at the super secret restuarant in Disneyland, Club 33.  It's a high scale, gourmet restaurant hidden in New Orleans, I believe.  It's a member's only club that was originally created to woo investors.  33 of them to be exact.  Now, the member list is full and you have to know someone who is a member to even get in.  There are many famous people on that member list, but many of them still remain a mystery since that's part of this club's charm.

4) Pam Clarke - Many of you have no idea who she is, but in the world of quilting, she's kinda famous!  She's an incredible quilter.  If she was having a day where she would quilt something that I made for free and all I had to do was stand in line, I would be camping out!

3) John Travolta - I actually did wait in line to meet him and it was worth every, painful second in those heels.  His sister Ellen is a director of the arts in Couer d'Alene, Idaho.  She hosted a fundraiser where all the Travolta clan would be there.  I had to take a large boat across a lake and then wait in line for at least 60 minutes just to shake his hand.  I bought new heels just for the event.   I thought I would say something like, "tell me about it stud" or "fine, ferget it" and be all dramatic and yet show my love of his movies.  All I could muster was, "hi" and smile.  Totally star-struck.  The picture made for a great Christmas card since my name is Kelly and so is his wife. 

2) Sandy Gervais, Kate Spain, Nancy Halvorsen - All these ladies design fabrics and quilt patterns.  They are among my favorites.  I would wait in line to meet any of them.  They are amazing!

1) A Mediterranean cruise - if it was a first come, first served cruise around the Mediterranean (and legit), I'd be in that line for months if I had to. 

Happy Verizon iPhone day.  What would you wait in line for?

We Did Some Decorating

I thought, since I love Christmas decorations, that I would give you a tour of our home.  Plus, The Nester is hosting a tour of homes today.  I figured I would be better late than never.

The buffet in our dining room is full of fun stuff:  a present-shaped cookie jar, a reindeer name plate, a pretty candle, a frame with our Christmas picture in it and my favorite find, a cake stand with a verse from Luke on it.

Every year we have a birthday cake for Jesus, so I thought this would be a perfect way to display it.

This year I've also caught the quilting bug.  I saw this pattern by Sandy Gervais and I just had to do it.  It's called Adoring and it was so easy.


 

It's in my dining room so everyone can see it.

I love our tree.  It's a Martha Stewart tree, but you can't really tell it's not real.  Except for no smell and no needles, which is perfect for me.  I was informed by Zoe that WE.HAVE.TO.HAVE.A.STAR. on the top.  That's next year's plan.

We can't forget the actual nativity.  It's a Little People kind, which is so fun to play with.

We don't actually have a mantel, so the stockings are hung on the window with care.

A wreath from N's childhood!

A snowman star over our laundry room door.

A little bling for the kitchen.



Hop over to The Nester to check everyone else out.

You Just Haveda

So I'm one of those crazy people who love Costco.  It's not really because I like to buy mayo in bulk, but for all the deals.  Plus I like to always have a big supply of toilet paper around.  I fear running out.

My other favorite part is all the electronics.  One computer I noticed a few months ago was this awesome, AWESOME computer that had a touch screen.  Because I don't have an iPhone or an iTouch, this fulfills my need to move things around on a screen with just the touch of a finger.  I drool over this HP TouchScreen every, single, stinkin' visit to Costco.  It's one of my happy places.

I was reading BooMama's blog and she's giving one away.  Go check it out if you like to have a computer that MacGyver himself would've owned.

Or James Bond.

You Can Now Smell Like a Horse

On Tuesday of this week I went to the doctor for a cough and shortness of breath.  I realize I don't really like going to the doctor.  Normally they figure out what's wrong with me, give me some drugs and I'm on my way.  However, this visit they threw out words like "heart disease" or "pulmonary embolism" and I started to see spots, got a little light headed and started planning my funeral.

Fortunately they ruled all those things out and concluded that I have bronchitis.  Which seems like I'm a total sissy for thinking I was sick. 

I had to go to the pharmacy for some cough syrup and antibiotics.  The pharmacist told me it would be about 15 minutes and they would call my name when it was ready.

I went looking through the store and realized we needed shampoo.  As I was looking for something fruity-smelling that would provide me with that "just stepped out of the salon" look, this caught my attention. 

I wasn't sure if the horse and reference to a "mane" was because this was for your livestock or for you and they had a clever play-on-words-and-picture thing going on.

The have two directions on the back:  For Human Use and For Animal Use.

That's right you can use this product on you and your favorite steed.  Plus it not only acts as shampoo and conditioner, but body wash.

I'm not sure who takes showers with their horses, but apparently there is a large enough demographic that a company exists to make such a product.  What's even better is that two bottle of the shampoo/body wash are missing. 

If you're looking for a clever Christmas idea, might I suggest a bottle of the Mane and Tail shampoo with a copy of Horse and Hound.  It's sure to make someone's Christmas a little more special.

Because you can never have too many dips in one place

To say I was delighted when I read BooMama was doing a whole post dedicated to dips is an understatement. If you've ever been to our house you'll know we are a fan of any and all kinds of dip. In fact it's a little known fact that we can get Zoe to eat twice as many nuggets if she has a bowl of mashed potatoes to dip it in.

There may have even been a few Saturdays of watching The Wiggles for the 753rd time that I found comfort in some French Onion Dip.

I thought I would participate because we have a dip recipe that I have been making for my whole life. It was the job my mom gave me in the kitchen. I took the making of this dip very seriously. I have no idea where she got the recipe, but it's been a staple for our family on all holidays, sporting events and quilt group afternoons. Because I've been making it so long, I actually have no idea on exact measurements of some of the ingredients. I'll do my best.

Kathy's Dill Dip

1/2 C sour cream
1/4 C good mayo (we use Blue Ribbon or Best Foods)
1 1/2 palm fulls of dried, minced onions
2 dashes of Beau Monde (or Bon Appetit) seasoning
4 dashes of dried dill weed

Combine the sour cream and mayo in a bowl. As long as you have a 2 to 1 ratio of sour cream to mayo, you can make more or less of this recipe.

Pour in the dried, minced onions into the sour cream/mayo mixture. It should give a slightly lumpy look to it. You can always add more of the onions if you like that kind of thing.

Then add the Beau Monde seasoning. I like to make the mixture look slightly freckled. You don't want it to look like the dip is peppered with brown flecks, but slightly freckled. 2 dashes is about the amount I use no matter the size of the batch. Unless you're feeding an entire football team, then feel free to add a couple additional dashes.

Finally add the dried dill. I am of the mindset that you cannot have enough dill in this dip. You can go hog wild with you dill weed and make the dip part green if you wish.

The best thing about this dip is you can't overdo it with the seasonings. Don't fret too much about the measurements, they are really more guidelines.

We serve it with a veggie tray and some crackers. It is equally delicious on both.

Enjoy!

For more amazing recipes, visit BooMama's blog for Mr. Linky and enough dips to last at least through the first month of football.

10 Lords a Leaping is Overkill or Friday Five Faves - vol. 20

This year I've had a REALLY hard time getting into the holiday spirit. I think it can be related to several aspects of life right now. I realize this will probably be a downer of a post, but if you can't be honest with your blogmies, who can you be honest with?

I think I'm just burnt out. All the stresses that had kept me awake at night the last couple years are now gone. Which is a blessing, but I also don't quite know what to do with myself.

So to get into the holiday spirit, I thought I would do a Christmas meme for you all!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, with all the extra decorations. I spend way more time wrapping than anyone spends opening.

2. Real tree or Artificial? We've converted to artificial. Quite honestly, it's not the same, but I don't have to shimmy underneath it to water it.

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Try to take it down on New Year's Day.

5. Do you like eggnog? Not in the least.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My new Huffy 10-speed. I was so cool.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My nephews and my step-daughters.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Husband, daughter and mom

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Sadly no.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail with a family picture. I may try a newsletter this year.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think of one.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Frosty The Snowman. Brings back my childhood.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually sometime in November or on Black Friday.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can think of.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? popcorn balls and little smokies. YUM! Not at the same time.

16. Lights on the tree? Heck yes, white ones.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Angels We Have Heard on High or What Child is This

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We travel to my mom's on Christmas Eve for a rockin' good time and then Christmas day is at our house.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yeppers, there is a song afterall!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star, I always feel bad for the angle with a tree limb up her...

21. Open presents on Christmas eve or morning? Christmas Eve with my sister and her family, Christmas day for my family and my mom. If I can convince N to wait that long. He's more of a kid at Christmas than I am.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The word Xmas. I hate it. People don't say Xtine's Day. Why pick on Christmas?

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love all the ornaments from my childhood. We always had a tradition of going to a local nursery and getting a new ornament. I have no idea why I picked the ones I did some years.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A salad spinner. Don't laugh, they're really cool.

Personality Test

Everyone seems to be taking personality tests. I figured, with all the challenges I face at work, might as well see what my personality is and what I should be doing.

I'm an ESFJ:

Extraverted (shocker)

Sensing

Feeling

Judging

I should be in sales or management. I think finance fits in that category. At least I know I'm headed down the right path.

What's interesting is the other ESFJ's that are out there. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dezi Arnaz, Eleanor Roosevelt and Elvis Stojko.

I was a little excited to be the same as Elvis Stojko. Not to discount the others, but he's my favorite. I remember some Olympics in high school where he did a quadruple turn in the air and the followed it up with a back flip. While wearing a leather coat.

What's not to love about that? We're the same personality. Go figure.

Perhaps I should start wearing my leather coats.

And twirling in the halls while I refill my water.

I've been tagged

My dear friend Jamie tagged me in her blog.

(The rules....link your tagger and list these rules on your blog. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.)

Fact #1 - I'm a picky eater. If you know me, you know this. However, my food aversions go far beyond what I let people see. I have rules. I always follow them. I don't like my food to touch on the plate. Corn shouldn't combine with mashed potatoes. Salad should have it's own plate. This is one of the reasons I have a strong dislike for buffets. In addition to the fact that you don't know who just served themself.

Fact #2 - I have wanted to write a screenplay for many years. I just don't have any ideas that I can materialize into something as awesome as Juno or American Beauty.

Fact #3 - I hate feet (my own included). They tend to freak me out. I don't think they're pretty. I hardly ever like to walk around barefoot. I'm a sock girl. Once in college my friend Kati took a picture of her foot and sent it to me in the mail. I still can feel the horror in my memory. Zoe's feet are the only exception to this rule.

Fact #4 - For the first two years of college, I never wrote a paper. Since I had taken Advanced Placement classes in high school, the first two years of college were like reruns for me. I tweaked papers from high school and turned them in. I only cracked open the books to finish assignments or if I was studying with other people.

Fact #5 - I was almost arrested at age 10 for toilet papering a friend's house. I was the youngest with all the high schoolers from church. We were running away from the house when the cop stopped us. He singled me out and told me that I could go to juvenile if the person decided to file charges. When asked where my mom was I couldn't exactly tell them she was driving the getaway car. It was my first brush with the law.

Fact #6 - I met John Travolta in August 2004. As I was in line to get my picture with him, I was thinking of all the things I could say. I wanted to walk up to him, all dramatic and say, "fine, fergit it." Or "watch the hair. I spend a lot of time on my hair." All that came out was, "hi." I was totally starstruck. I'm never without words. It's one of my biggest regrets.

Fact #7 - I hate scary movies, haunted houses, etc. I know they aren't real, however I have such bizarre nightmares for weeks afterward, that they might as well be. Even as an adult. I know most people think Blair Witch Project was stupid. It scared the stuffing out of me. I hate Halloween because of this. All the commercials for horror movies. I tend to avoid television during the last couple weeks of October.

I'm not going to tag anyone, but if you want to play along, leave a comment.

Andie Walsh meet Michael Corvin

For months I have been asked to read a book I thought sounded "stupid" and totally outside anything I would find interesting. I made fun of people who thought this book was so wonderful. I may have even rolled my eyes a time or five.

It's about an agnsty teenager who falls in love with a vampire who doesn't eat humans. Quite frankly it sounds a bit like Pretty in Pink meets Underworld. Without Duckie.

My dear friend Becca assured me that I would LOVE this book. When she talked about it, her eyes got all big and googly. I assured her that I would not love the book, nor would I read it.

She dropped it off to me "in case I changed my mind."

For two months Twilight by Stephenie Meyer has been sitting in my nightstand. While Becca and I do have similiar taste in books, she got through Harry Potter. That's just not something I can do.

On Saturday, I went out with some girlfriends. My dear friend Morgana was with us and of all my friends, I thought for sure she'd agree with me. She's totally hooked too. Her eyes got all big and googly at the mention of Edward Cullen.

She told me to just try 30 pages or so and if I didn't like it, I wouldn't like the book at all.

I could do 30 pages of eye rolling. I figured it would be about 20 minutes of skimming the pages and then telling them it was in fact "stupid."

Although that's not what I'm saying. Those 30 pages were very inviting. The next 468 were the best crow I've ever eaten.

I couldn't put the blasted thing down. I read the entire 498 pages yesterday. While it's not exceptionally well written and the story is totally predictable, I loved every single word on those pages.

Now I need book 2 the same way Andie needed Blaine. Or Bella needs Edward.

Friday Five Faves times 20 - vol. 13

I actually hit my 100th post yesterday. Who knew I had so much to say?

Alright, no one is really that shocked.

In honor of doing 100 posts, I thought I would include 101 facts about me. Or, if you're a math wizard, it's like 20 five fave posts in one. Plus a bonus.

1. I was born in Spokane, Washington in 1977.

2. It will always be home to me. The city, not the year.

3. My mom is a single mother, who always had time to play with me, read to me and be a leader for every group I was in.

4. She is my hero. I know we all turn into our mothers. I'm extremely excited about that. She doesn't require much sleep and I will need that skill later on in life.

5. I watched Grease as often as possible and could recite the entire movie by age 4.

6. When not watching the movie, I would listen to the soundtrack on record for hours.

7. I had no idea then what that movie was about. I just knew it would be so cool to be Sandy and make Danny fall in love with her. Then sing about it.

8. It was probably the only girly thing I did while growing up. Besides tap class and wearing make-up to the recital.

9. I much preferred He-Man to Barbie and mud pies to playing house.

10. Although I hated when my hands got dirty. I would need a hose close by while making mud pies to wash my hands off immediately.

11. I still hate dirty hands.

12. I have some of the same close friends today as I did in Kindergarten.

13. There is a group of about 12 of us that went through school together. Anytime we see each other, it's like a day hasn't passed.

14. I was a Camp Fire girl for most of my childhood.

15. Our group was almost like the movie "Troop Beverly Hills." We didn't camp well. We were the only group with a griddle for pancakes in the mornings at campouts.

16. These were the only times I didn't sleep at home.

17. My grandparents lived close to us while growing up. I would spend my summer days at their house while my mom worked.

18. They had a pool table in their basement and a flower bed in the backyard that they kept empty for my mud pie factory.

19. My grandma would take me to bingo with her and my grandpa would let me put make-up on him. They were saints.

20. They also let me play with steel-headed, lawn darts and hand-held weed wackers. My grandpa would give me the keys to the Buick so I could turn the wheel while pretending to drive.

21. I got away with murder at their house.

22. I always threw that in my mom's face when she wouldn't make me pancakes on a weekend morning the size of a quarter. With it's own little dab of butter.

23. She's planning on getting me back for that.

24. I've always been a bit of a late bloomer.

25. I didn't really start enjoying the social aspect of school until 6th grade.

26. I was on drill team, student government, the volleyball team, a summer softball team, AWANA and Camp Fire.

27. Then I went to junior high.

28. I still can't see that school without getting queazy.

29. Although God is good. They put me in a full-year art class rather than a half-year art class in7th grade. So I missed out on P.E. my first year of junior high.

30. Then when I did get P.E. for the rest of my school years, it was always the last period of the day or the one right before lunch. Which is like gold.

31. My one year of tap-ballet combo at age 8 served me well in high school. I was placed on the tap line of a musical they did my freshman year.

32. It was the only thing I enjoyed about my freshman year.

33. We moved far away from my friends, but my mom lied about our address so I could go to the same high school.

34. That meant an extra 10 miles one-way to school that she had to figure out transportation.

35. Getting my license at 16 was not only "totally awesome" for me, but for my mom, my personal taxi.

36. I spent most of my high school time with the youth group rather than school friends.

37. That's where I met N.

38. He was a geeky band guy who had a major crush on me.

39. We went to some dances, but it totally freaked me out when his parents and his sister told me we would get married and have cute babies.

40. Then we went on a real date to the movie "The River Wild." He insisted on holding both my hands.

41. Then he kissed me!

42. I broke up with him the next day.

43. Have I mentioned that I was a late bloomer?

44. Then, my senior year, I got a supporting role in the year's biggest musical number, The Doll Shop.

45. Our school did this production every three years. I was lucky to do it my freshman year and my senior year.

46. My senior year I played young Betty. She was a hussy. She kissed a boy on stage and slapped that boy.

47. My mom told them initially that I wouldn't do it because of the kiss.

48. That's one of the reasons I accepted.

49. Andrew Gibson was the boy. He was so sweet. I still feel bad about all the slapping.

50. And the inexperienced kiss.

51. I went to Western Baptist College in Salem, OR.

52. While I loved the thought of college, I had more rules there than I did at my house.

53. However, the boy I had a crush on for most of my high school life came to the same college.

54. I really thought it was a sign from God that we were meant to be together.

55. I was crushed when he left school half-way through our freshman year because of school politics. I thought my college years would be totally unbearable without any chance of my happily ever after with him.

56. Then I met Steph. She invited me on a trip to PetSmart to return a fish that had committed suicide. He was under warranty for 30 days.

57. Then I met Jamie. She was against the rules of college like I was.

58. It turns out that, while college wasn't the experience I had hoped for, I did make some really amazing friends.

59. Then I moved back home for my first real job.

60. I was a service person in the retirement industry. I made $27,000 a year. That was like handing me the key to the mint.

61. My first purchase was a leather peacoat. Which I still have.

62. My second purchase was season tickets to Spokane Chiefs Hockey.

63. I sat with my sister and her family.

64. She let me be very active with my nephews. Due to some medical issues, it would be hard for me to have children of my own. Spending time with these, wonderful boys allowed me the opportunity to deal with my own issues and have a relationship with some really cool boys.

65. I have four nephews on that side of the family. Three are here with us, one is in heaven waiting for us.

66. While my sister isn't a blood relative, she's the only person in my life that has ever treated me like a sister. I love her like one. She's one of the strongest, most amazing women I know.

67. On a rare, lunch time trip to Macy's, I ran into Bev (my future sister-in-law). She invited me to dinner at her house because N was in town.

68. I found out his parents were going to be there too. I had flashbacks to high school comments about "making cute babies together" that I lied and said I had to work late and wouldn't make it to dinner.

69. I ate some Honey Nut Cheerios for dinner that night in hopes it would give me courage to get through the night.

70. Then I saw N as I walked through the door and my first thought was, "he's hot."

71. A day later I tricked him into asking me out. The rest is history as they say.

72. He is the only boy I've ever loved.

73. I moved to Tacoma to be with him in newlywed bliss.

74. I got a job with Russell Investments, which turned out to be the first job that I ever truly had passion for.

75. We decided to try for kids right away due to the fact that I would probably have a hard time getting pregnant.

76. 3 months into trying, we were expecting. So much for medical science.

77. N has two daughters already, so I was really hoping for a boy since that's the one thing I could give him that he didn't already have.

78. Apparently God only planned on him having girls.

79. He wanted to name her Zoe. That's not my first choice. We settled on a family name for her.

80. Because I have fears about her real name being on this blog, N gets his wish to call her Zoe. If only just in cyber world.

81. A month before she was due, we went to Hawaii for New Years with N's family.

82. She was really active while we were there. It's the first time I could tell where her head was because it practically jumped out of my stomach.

83. Little did I know I was contracting.

84. A month later I would be in the hospital, gravely ill and Zoe would be in the NICU struggling to survive.

85. The NICU staff referred to her as "2 pounds of attitude." I think that could still describe her.

86. Holding her for the first time was the best and most terrifying experience of my life up until that point.

87. Two weeks later I would be in an operating room having a chest tube put in. I would code on the table and feel myself suffocating to death. The only thing I could think to do was to pray to God to take care of her. Then it's like He kissed me and breath returned to my body.

88. That was the most terrifying experience of my life.

89. 7 and a half weeks later she came home. My life has been complete ever since.

90. She cracks me up on a daily basis.

91. There are times when I can see myself in her and times when I can only see N. Then there are times when she's just her. Completely sassy and sweet.

92. I love to see her with her sisters. It's a bond that I never had growing up and I'm so thankful that she will have that experience.

93. Being a step-parent is one of the most rewarding and most politically difficult roles to play in life. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

94. I now have a job that I love the most. I'm passionate about what I do. I love the people I work with.

95. I also have time to scrapbook. Which has also become a passion of mine.

96. I hope when Zoe takes her first tap-ballet combo class, I can take an adult tap class too.

97. I also hope to run a marathon before I die.

98. I'll have to get an iPod and load it with The Beatles, Metallica, Linkin Park, Usher, Justin Timberlake, old school DC Talk and anything else that has a beat.

99. My music and movie stylings are very diverse. I prefer independent films to others. Although I'm still a sucker for a comedic chick flick.

100. I love shows like The Hills, Fabulous Life Of..., I Love the 80's/90's on VH1 and Inside the Actor's Studio.

101. I seriously think once my acting career takes off, I could be sitting with James Lipton. I do practice his famous questions.

The Colonel in the Popemobile

I was reading the news today and was totally impressed by a story I read. KFC is doing something totally unfounded. The are moving the secret recipe, written by the Colonel himself, to another location temporarily.

They've beefed up security for the move. The head of security will be in an armored car with the briefcase containing the recipe handcuffed to him.

Then they're installing new security measures inside corporate headquarters so the recipe will be even safer.

It isn't enough that it's already inside a vault inside another vault. Or that they don't order more than a couple ingredients from the same supplier.

Oh, my goodness, no.

You can't mess with Original Recipe perfection. They will take you down. They are taking the same precautions as say the Vatican with the Popemobile.

Perhaps Pam Anderson and her PETA campaign should stop going up against the Colonel. You don't mess with the mobile or 11 herbs and spices. You just don't.

London 2012, here we come

It was a tough battle. The night opened up with a couple tourney in tennis. N's sister and brother-in-law came over for the finals in couples Wii. Bev and I were at a slight disadvantage, having children in our arms or grabbing our legs, but we didn't let that detour us from our hope for the gold.

It was a close game, until Bev hit me with her controller. Fortunately it was my left elbow, so I was still able to swing. The laughter and tears kept me from seeing the tennis ball.

Ever the competitors, the boys took advantage of our laughter and took home gold in couples tennis.

Later in the evening it was time for the individual rounds. N got his best game face on.


I countered with an equally fierce and forceful pose. It shook N to his core.

After two rounds of archery and two rounds of curling, I'm proud to say I took home the gold. I'm not going to lie. It wasn't all that tough. My practice in the off season has really paid off.

Fortunately, we are not bitter rivals. He's a good sport, especially since I made him serenade me with our National Anthem shortly before this.

The Going for Gold Edition

I'm sure most people are glued to the television watching the Olympics. It would be un-American not to. Unless you have to get up before 8:00 the next morning, then you're just being cautious about your sleep.

The whole international date line is a bit much to handle during the Olympics. It's a good thing Bob Costas is in Beijing or it would throw him into a frenzy of rambling while trying to do time zone math.

Oh I kid. He'd have a computer to tell him the time in Beijing.

Seriously, it's on from 8:00-midnight here. I love gymnastics and swimming. Yet I am stuck catching highlights because my little peepers can't stay open past 11 o'clock.

I've realized something about the Olympics. If over-emotional, hormone driven crying spells was a sport, I'd metal in it and set records.

Watching the 2008 drummers in the opening ceremony made me a little misty-eyed.

It's only getting worse.

Just seeing Michael Phelps on the podium sends tears streaming down my face. Then they always pan to his mamma cheering and jumping. I almost can't breathe.

Seeing the two alternates for the men's gymnastics team on their events sent tears down my cheeks.

Hearing that Kerri Walsh got her wedding ring back because of 20 volunteers made me do the ugly cry.

Even hearing the story about the pandas being so close to the epicenter of the earthquake started the tears.

I'm a blubbering mess for 2 weeks.

Except when I saw the Oxygen channel had some Olympic coverage at 6:00 last night. I was so excited. Something before bedtime.

It was equestrian jumping. That doesn't really do it for me.

Now the trampoline, that's another story.

The praise the Lord for Spanx and big skirts Edition

I've been dreading today for quite some time. This morning definitely didn't disappoint the mood.

I woke up 10 minutes early in preparation for my day. I still left the house at the same time. Apparently that 10 minute deprivation of precious sleep means an extra 10 minutes in the shower trying to recover. Who knew!

I was in a hurry. The lights on my way to work were funky. They would turn green only long enough for two cars to go through.

Sometimes I think God has a sense of humor that I don't get. After taking the needed detour, I realized that God was just trying to get my attention. He was trying to calm my nerves. Nerves that have been building for exactly 29 days.

Today I have to get measured for Amber's bridesmaid dress.

Let's not talk about that right now. I'm getting hives.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this dress. It's got a skirt that looks bunchy, a small ribbon around the waist and a strapless bodice that looks like dresses they have on the red carpet. When I get invited to the Oscars, I'll have my dress!

It's in a divine color called eggplant. I'm truly excited to wear this dress. I typically don't get overly enthused about bridesmaid dresses. Perhaps it's the stigma. This one won my little, award show loving heart.

In order to get the dress, some woman has to wrap a measuring tape around parts of my body I would rather not discuss to get me the right size. I fear this almost as much as I fear heights, big toe hair and the word panties.

I fear they'll have to special order the dress to fit me or they'll have to order a size that would make me cry out loud.

I had these same fears when I got fitted for my own wedding dress. It turned out they had to order one that was three sizes bigger than I thought I was. God is good. The seamstress doing the alterations told me that I was not that size, but needed one that was two sizes smaller. I still have a special place in my heart for that lady.

I'm only hoping she's switched bridal boutiques and will be the one measuring me today. I'm trying real hard to avoid any chocolate chip cookies before 11 o'clock. They're my go-to in times of fear.

Worst case scenario, I eat a whole batch of those chocolatey morsels, head over to Nordstrom, drop enough dough for a Bentley and buy some Spanx and other marvels in women's shaping garmets. I'll let you know how it goes.

Or not. A women's heart is full of many secrets.

The Designer Baby Edition

Several of my friends are expecting. I am beyond overjoyed that they are now entering the world of parenthood with me. It's a journey that is the most work, but the most rewarding. Without any question!

With all my friends expecting, that means many baby showers. In an effort to keep these little ones in the highest fashion, I've been doing some browsing.

Let me tell you, there are some insane baby items available out there. Let me give you an insight into baby excess:

1) Burberry swimming suits. Yes, your child can be in designer clothes at the pool. All the other toddlers will be so jealous.

2) Juicy Couture fleece hoodie - for the future Jenny from the Blocks out there. One of my friends does live in Atlanta, GA, so maybe with all the hip-hop people coming out of the ATL, this would be necessary.

3) Diesel jeans for her and for him - Maybe it's just me, but if you're buying designer jeans that your child will wear for maybe 3 weeks, you have a money tree that I need to get in on. I do think it's adorable to have designer jeans with a snap seam for diaper changes.

4) Primigi boots - I've never heard of this brand, but if they think I would pay up to $133 for a pair of boots for my 2 year old, they're insane.

Maybe when I can actually fit into a pair of Diesel jeans will I even contemplate buying some for my toddler.

Then again...maybe not.

The how do you pronounce meme - mee-mee, meh-meh, may-may? Edition

Some days a girl needs some creative help. I have nothing exciting to post about, so I thought I'd do a meme that I saw at BooMama's blog. Although I don't know how to pronounce it. Is it just like it looks, so you say mee-mee? Does it follow some mysterious rule in the English language and is pronounce may-may?

It's like Teva's. Which I just bought a pair for Zoe. However is it Tee-vah or Teh-vah? All I know is they are a shade of pink that goes with almost everything and they look comfortable.

Even though I have pronunciation problems, I'll still give it a whirl.

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was living in Salem, Oregon, waiting for my senior year of college to begin. My friend Steph and I both stayed in Salem that summer. It was, by far, one of the best summer's of my life. We would spend most nights just hanging out and laughing. We watched more episodes of Seinfeld that I can count. We made up stupid games to pass the time.

The best memory is our lame dance party. We were so bored that we decided to host a dance party at my apartment. For just the two of us. Steph attempted to do a "wicked dance move" and broke her toe on my coffee table. Good times.

Favorite Snacks
bread and butter - it's a classic
chips and salsa
Kettle corn
yogurt - I had to have something that could be considered healthy

To Do List
These are my favorite thing to create. I draw a little box next to each item so I can cross it off. Usually the thrill of making the list is where it stops. Somehow the list gets put down, I forget to cross things off it and then I find it two days later. Fortunately it's usually completed.

My to-do list for today is:
1 - Stop for gas. I hate filling up the tank and seeing a dollar amount nearing a price I would pay for a nice pair of shoes. It has to be done.

2 - Grocery shopping. I love getting things to stock up the pantry, but I hate the crowds. Because N works on Saturdays, I get this errand all to myself. Not my favorite.

3 - Eat lunch. It's important to having something on the list that you know you can cross off. Plus I like anything that demands I eat.

4 - Figure out what to make for dinner. This is a constant thing on the list and I find it stresses me out.

5 - Take a nap with Zoe. After all that figuring out and grocery shopping, I get a little exhausted.

6 - Visit with my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and mother-in-law. My sister-in-law Bev finally got to go home from the hospital. She's on bed rest until Micah arrives, but at least we can go to her house to visit. My mom-in-law is in town from Southern California for the next 7 weeks. It'll be fun to hang out with all of them. She hasn't seen Zoe in over a year. N & I are thinking of taking dinner out with us, so that adds a whole new level of stress to item #4.

Jobs I Have Had
Babysitter, sno-cone salesman in my grandparent's traveling concession stand, marketing director for two stockbrokers, retirement plan administrator, mutual fund service associate and now a retirement plan coordinator.

I would also put mom and wife on here, but I don't classify those roles as jobs. They're blessings.

Places I Have Lived
Spokane, Washington, Salem, Oregon and Tacoma, Washington. Basically the three corners of the Pacific NW.

Bad Habits
nail biting, not washing my face before bed, staying up too late watching reality television and then complaining about being tired, eating too many sweets and not spending enough time in my Bible.

5 Random Things People May Not Know
N and I met in youth group. We went on a couple dates, but his family freaked me out. They kept telling me we'd get married and have cute babies. To a 17 year old, that freaked me out. I secretly wanted to date him in high school, but the thought of only one, serious boyfriend scared me. Ironically, I only had one, serious boyfriend, I married him and had a cute baby.

I used to smoke clove cigarettes. It was never anything where I had to have a cigarette to calm down or after meals. I never became addicted. I think it was my way of rebelling at a very strict college. I stopped when my mom found out and started crying.

I organize everything. My DVD's are in alphabetical order, with cartoons and television shows having their own category. My CD's are in alphabetical order by artist and then in chronological order by disc. I hate that it's hard to keep them in alphabetical order in the car CD holder. I usually don't listen to CD's much in the car for this very reason. If you put a CD or a DVD in the wrong case, I almost can't handle it.

I used to fall asleep watching MTV music videos. When I was around age 4. When MTV first came out, my grandma would turn it on and I would watch the Go-Go's, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, The Police and the Eurythmics. I have vivid memories of the Go-Go's playing around in the fountain during the Our Lips Are Sealed video.

I don't like food touching on my plate. Thanksgiving is not a fun meal for me. I don't like my turkey to touch my mashed potatoes. Forget gravy. That stuff just gets everywhere. I don't like my corn or any corn juice to touch anything else. To find a corn kernel in my mashed potatoes will make me stop eating all together. If I have a salad, it has to be in a separate bowl. It's part spectacle, part charm.

CDs I would want if stranded on an island
The Beatles Revolver, Queen's greatest hits, DC Talk Jesus Freak, Oasis Masterplan, Casting Crowns Lifesong, Grease soundtrack, Aerosmith's greatest hits, The Essential Neil Diamond and Guns 'n' Roses greatest hits.

This was hard. I have to go with many greatest hits albums because it combines all the great things about the artist/band in one. I take this question VERY seriously.

What I’d Do if I Were a Billionaire
1) Pay off anything that needed to be paid off for my immediate family.

2) Buy my mom any house and car she wanted. She's done so much for N and I, this would only touch on being able to repay her.

3) Give to charity and our church.

4) Buy some place on a lake. It has to be big enough to house our family comfortably so we can all enjoy it together.

5) Do some major wealth management planning for our future generations.

6) Take my family on a trip to Italy/Greece.

7) Figure out how I'm going to spend my time since I don't have to work.

8) Build a custom house that I could live in until I die.

I think that's it. If you want to play too, go for it.

The "it's better than McJob" Edition

Every year the people that write the dictionary (I'm sure it's some fancy word like "author" or "wordsmith") come up with new words that have to be added. They also list out what year the word was originally used.

Those dictionary authors or wordsmiths are way behind!

Within the last few years words like McJob have been added. Which I'm sure had Merriam and Webster rolling in their graves. Not to mention those Dawson Creek kids rolling their eyes.

Who uses the word McJob enough that it needs to be added to the dictionary?

Perhaps I'm old and am still using the term minimum wage instead. Like, that was so yesterday!

You can view the whole list here, but I'm going to share with you my favorites. Quite frankly, I'm a little shocked some of these have never been in the dictionary before. All those Scrabble players have been missing out.

Air quotes - (1989): gesture made by raising and flexing the index and middle fingers of both hands, used to call attention to a spoken word or expression.

I think they must've needed to "add" this after the Friends episode when Joey kept using them "wrong". Like for "thank you" and "I'm sorry." This has only been around since 1989, so I'm sure when they did it on "Friends" not a single person got it. Thank goodness for the laugh track!

Racino - (1995): racetrack at which slot machines are available for gamblers.

I had no idea these places even existed. Perhaps they're located in some state far away like Nevada or Louisiana! They should also include a map and some coupons for the buffet.

Texas Hold 'em - (1995): Poker in which each player is dealt two cards face down and all players share five cards dealt face-up.

When did they start putting in game titles to the dictionary? I looked up Candyland, Trouble and Hungry Hungry Hippo, but didn't have any luck. How will I ever know how to play those games!

Mental health day - (1971): day that an employee takes off from work to relieve stress or renew vitality.

If it's in Webster's, we will definitely need to start getting some of these days in addition to sick time and vacation.

My personal favorite:

Mondegreen - (1954): word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung. From the mishearing in a Scottish ballad of "laid him on the green" as "Lady Mondegreen."

I had no idea that my inability to decipher song lyrics had a name! I'm a mondegreen. Actually I could be Lady Mondegreen! You have no idea how many songs in the 80's and 90's that I had no clue what was being said.

Corey Hart's Sunglasses at Night doesn't really make any sense to me. For the longest time I would just sing "I wear my sunglasses at night so I can so I can sssssssseeeeeeeeeeee."

I always thought the Go-Go's My Lips Are Sealed was Honest Lucille.

Paula Abdul's Straight Up created many heated discussions with friends if she was saying "or am I a page in your history...look, I don't mean to make demands" or "am I a page in your history book, I don't mean to make demands." I eventually was proved right thanks to the internet.

Snow's Informer is completely lost on me. I swear he says something about a boom-boom, but that's about all I can decipher.

Forget anything by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

My aunt used to think that Shelley Fabares Johnny Angel was Johnny H-A-L. She'd sing it loud and proud. I come by this talent legitimately.

I'm so glad there is a name for all of us singing the wrong lyrics all this time.

At least now I have an excuse for not learning the lyrics. Sorry, I'm just a mondegreen!