Happy Thanksgiving

I'll bet my husband is having a splendid Thanksgiving feast at his parents house with the family. Turkey, potatos, corn, and momma Cheryl's homemade rolls...none of which I get to partake in because I'm too sick to fake a smile and enjoy a tasteless meal. However, I thought I'd make a list of what I can be thankful for, even as I sit on my couch in seclusion.

*I get to wear pajama's on Thanksgiving Day and no one can judge me for that.
*I won't gain 10 pounds by gorging myself
*The only clean-up I have is a pile of tissues...so easy!
*There are fabulous movies on television today

That's all I got and I really want some rolls. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

The Side Effects From Being a Chick

So I put together this "plan" for a co-worker and I to lose some of our squidgey edges (I mean fat). She just had a baby and wanted to lose weight, and I wanted to support her. Neither of us wanted to do any extreme dieting and then fall flat on our face 2 weeks later. Hence my "plan." It went as follows.

Week 1: Stop drinking the diet soda
Week 2: At LEAST 3 servings of fruits and veggies a day
Week 3: Limit ourselves to 2 treats a week
Week 4: Everything in portion size

I did it all so well. I was on a roll with no diet coke (the elixar of life) and I stayed true to this "plan". I told myself I wouldn't weigh in until the end of week 4 but I felt like I was doing so well that maybe I could weigh in at the end of week 3. And that's what I did. I was only expecting to maybe lose one pound or even 2 if I was lucky. When I got on the scale, I couldn't believe my eyes. I double checked - NAY - TRIPLE CHECKED and turns out I had gained 3 pounds. I was so ticked off I went downstairs to the pharmacy/gift shop at my work and bought the coldest diet coke they had and a some Rolos. And I think my pants fit a little looser today.

Movies!

It's been a weekend at the theater! Friday night we went with Neil and Felicia to see the Michael Jackson movie, "This Is It." Talk about an incredible display of mind bottling talent. Michael Jackson was most certainly a genius in his field. He wasn't just a singer or a dancer. He was an artist and I was blown away at how he was involved with each second of each little detail to this tour he was preparing for. The lighting, the sound effects, the background videos...it was inspiring to see someone have that much passion. The back up dancers and musicains were another story. It was all the best of the best and there wasn't one person in that whole film who didn't have outrageous talent. I left the movie debating if I was truly inspired or completely discouraged that I will never be that passionate about anything in this world other than Diet Coke.

Saturday night, it was Gary and I and Neil. Do you see a pattern here? Most everything we do involve the Larson's to some degree. We're just one big happy Foxboro Family. Moving on, our initial plan was to see "Paranormal Activity" but it was sold out by the time we got there. It's fine though because I didn't want to spend the evening wear wet pants. Plan B was "2012". Ah! Woah! Holy &@#*! and "Run you idiot!" Talk about a suspense! The personal stories in the movie were sweet and heart breaking, and there is always that one selfish idiot that you want to reach through the screen and strangle. I love natural disaster movies like "Twister" and "Day After Tomorrow" and "Deep Impact", but this one out did all of them. When we got in the car to go home we all kept talking and thinking about what we would do when the end of the world comes. It's a thinker!

And can I just take this last paragraph to complain about the nasty guy that sat in the seat next to me??? (Not Gary, the other guy). First of all, there was a couple sitting in his seat and his girl friends assigned seat, which seemed like an honest mistake, but don't think that this large smelling ash tray was forgiving or understanding to them. He practically sat on their laps before they could double check their tickets and move. I was afraid the verbal altercation was going to turn physical but luckily it didn't. Had that yucky man been pushed he would of landed on me and then I would of had to regurgitate all over him. Like I said he was a large man, smelled like stale cigarettes, and his pants were falling off a little. Not the preview I wanted to see before the movie. He relaxed his left leg over into my leg area, so I had to lift up the arm bar between me and Gary and share his seat practically. It didn't end there though. Every time he shifted in his seat, a nasty ash draft came our way and it reminded me that he was there. And then, when he realized that Danny Glover played the President of the U.S. in the movie, he had the most racial, derogatory comments to mumble about it. Then if there was a woman in the movie who was acting panicked or shocked and needed to run, he would yell out "run you #@&*! whore!" Ugh. I hope I never see this miserable human being again.

Let Me Explain - No...There Is Too Much

Alfredo - a cat Gary and I acquired whilst living in the Memory Lane Apartments. We saw other tenants with a cat or two so why couldn't we? Well, then the landlord told us to get rid of him 2 weeks later or else we'd be evicted. And to be honest I didn't care because I hated him.

Milton - I really wanted a dog when I got a house, but then it became clear that there was now way to give him a good life. Smaller house, no fenced/finished back yard, and he would of been alone a lot. So I had my bother sell him to someone else. Sad. Miss him.

Chips - This kitten was pretty gosh darn cute and we got him from a lady in Sugar House. Ew. Devil cat. Hated him. He peed in one of my shoes multiple times, he tore my left ankle to ribbons, and he thought one of our plants was an outhouse. Ugh! So we gave him away, but not quickly enough.

Bruce - I LOVED BRUCE!! He was a stray cat that hung out in our back yard and in the empty lot next door. He was such an adorable, mellow, fat cat that never bothered us to come inside and ruin our house. We kept feeding him just becasue we didn't know if he belonged to anyone and I wanted to make sure he had food. I would also brush him everyday because his fur was pretty long and fluffy. Then one day Bruce went MIA and we haven't seen him for months. Not sure what happened to him =(

Ashes - A lady from my work moved from her house to an apartment where she couldn't take the cat. Because I still had mountains of food and litter left over, I said I would take him and keep him fed. We kept him out in our garage for a while until it was obvious that he didn't like us at all and he was more than likely freaked out that he was taken from his home. Um...so...the neighbors have him now.

Stewie - Now this is a cat I can get on board with. I was at the Nursery Leaders house a few nights ago for a meeting, and when I came out, the cutest cat ever sprinted up to me and looked at me like "well? won't you pet me?" So I did. He followed me to my car, and when I opened the door he hopped inside and just layed down in the passenger seat and pretty much said "k, I'm ready let's go home." So I took him. I don't care if it was right or wrong to take this cat because I LOVE HIM! Anyone who really knows me, knows that I had a cat named Scotty a few years back, who was my little buddy until he had to be put down. I loved Scotty so much and I miss him. It's been almost 2 years since he's been gone. This cat is SO CLOSE to what Scotty was. Such a sweet little guy, so curious, so lovable, so funny, and he adores me and Gary. He lives in our garage and we let him in every day for a while to hang out with us. He loves to touch noses with us and pat his paw on our face. He loves watching the water run out of the faucet, and he loves to hidd under the couch covers. No accidents for him and he's let us know when he needs to go back outside to do his business. I hope this little guy works out.

With all the pets we've had, it's been interesting to see how different their personalities are and what works and what doesn't. Stewie is a cat that makes me love him. I have learned to really dislike cats this year and thought that I would never meet another cat that I loved as much as Scotty, but Stewie fits us like a glove.

And last but not least, I need to give a shout out to our baby Jewish Hampster, Pips who has seen us through a lot of animals, and has been the only one to stick around. She is such a trooper, such a stinker, and she's the cutest little bug of a hampster ever! We love this little thing!

Be Nice

I read this and loved it, so I had to share it. Kind of "soap box-ish" but I'm allowed once in a while!

When you approach a business to ask about something that you've asked about before, do you say "I spoke with that elderly lady over there."?

Can she hear you? If so, why not make her day? Why not say "I spoke with that nice lady over there."?

When you need to describe someone, do you go for the obvious? That fat man that sits up there. That skinny broad that answers the phone. That toothpick who sits in the first row.

Why? It's not fun to be pointed out like that.

Why not start making other people feel good. If you always look at a person, whether he or she is a stranger to you or not, as though they were a friend, you will have a friend. You know why? Because *What goes around, comes around.*

Let's look at it a different way. What if you went to a place of business and there was a lady there *pushing forty* -- and all the others working with her are all under thirty. Way under thirty. She's recovering from cancer. It was a beautiful day, she is wearing her favorite red silk blouse everyone says she looks terrific in, and she's feeling better than she has in a month! Then, you come in and single her out as that *older* lady? Now, she has something negative to focus on.

How about if someone weighs 200 pounds, he or she just had a successful week after losing ten pounds, and you come in and point him or her out as the fat person sitting over there?

What about the guy who has recovered from polio and walks with crutches. He's had a long hard grind, but he did it, he pulled through. Then, you come in the cafeteria and see *That gimpy guy with the crutches.* Wouldn't it be nice to go out of your way to find something great about him?

Get past the obvious immediately. Think of all the positive things you can. Literally take all the bad, awkward, or negative things, and in your mind, write them on a banner, then visualize that banner going into a garbage disposal. Now, take all the good things and write them on a banner. Make that list bigger and brighter. From now on when you think of that person, you'll see in your mind's eye the big, bright list.
Pass this on. Help others who's first tendency it is to label, which in turn promotes criticizing. Lots of people don't think about the injustice of labeling. Lots of people don't even realize they are labeling. Is that you? If so, you've just learned how to stop it.

I Love Fall!!

Let's kick off Fall with a day out with the girls! Shopping, lunch, crafts, and then Witch-A-Palooza at Gardner Villiage. So fun and so exhasting!Felicia had such a good idea to make our own wreaths. I was pretty sure that whatever I had conjured up was going to be pretty gosh darn unattractive, but I LOVE IT!! This picture doesn't do it justice but really I was happy with the turn out, and I never go easy on myself with my crafty work. I may have already posted this picture last year, but I was very excited that my fall "blocks" stayed in tact for this year. Really they are just paper but they didn't get mushed up! Go Utes! We finally made it to a football game this season! Cold and freezing and lots of fun! And of course we were sitting right next to the most ANNOYING LADY IN THE WORLD!! She was of course intoxicated and the loudest person on the face of the planet. We still had a good time and the Utes won!

Okay so Gary is pretty much in LOVE with Halloween! If society didn't frown upon a 24 year old trick-or-treater, then he would be out there with every other child in the neighborhood, running to beat them out of the best candy! Second best to that was his cousin's Halloween party, so we got to dress up! Or...er...dress down. We went as white trash and at first i was really proud of my costume until I saw Gary in his. Woo hoo! That's the hot stuff there!He also claims that his passion in life is carving pumpkins. He wants to be a full time, professional, pumpkin carver.His pumpkin is this intricately carved cut out of the late, great Michael Jackson.

I'm not near as passionate about pumpkin carving as Gary, hence this sad attempt at carving a fat face. Notice the double chin.

And what is Halloween without watchg a scary movie here and there? I don't do well at all with scary movies. I like the idea of scary movies but my follow through is terrible. However, for Gary's sake, I have watched a couple with him out of the 20 he's had to watch by himself. Let's just say I'm so glad that I don't have to sleep alone!

Happy Halloween, and Happy Fall!! My favorite time of the year!

Meh

I only have couple of items to share.

My best friend in law (Gary's best friends' wife) Felicia is working with me! Everyone loves her! She's doing an amazing job! I should get a finders fee.

I stopped drinking Diet Coke again. Let's see how long it lasts this time. I'm on day 2.

Gary is such a good little worker bee. Work, school, me, friends, family...he does it all. And he does it all so well.

My co-worker Letty makes me laugh so hard everyday that I worry I'll stop breathing.

I miss my friend Kimber...we need to talk more often!

Lame but it's all I've got right now.

Who Knows

I need ideas of how to entertain nursery children through song. Tiny Tim the Turtle is a big hit with the popping bubble at the end, so maybe I could take a little bottle of bubbles and let them chase bubbles? Or let them drink it so they know how Tiny Tim felt? No? Ok. I love my calling, but I don't have babies so what do I really know about them? I know they like props, but there are only so many times I can pull out a paper monkey on a popsicle stick and sing 5 Little Monkeys. I need more! I need ideas! I'm still really new to this, so I'm just doing everything the song leader did before, but I know I can be better than this! I'm just having a mental block. HELP ME!

I'm Having an Affair

Let me explain. When I started working in SLC with my friend Candace almost 3 years ago, I was single and I had also just moved to Sugar House with some roommates. I was anti "make my own meals" at the time so Candace and I would go out to lunch almost every day we were at work. She introduced me to Noodles and Company. I was unimpressed at first because I have never been a very big fan of pasta places. I was more of a Subway girl. But the more Candace insisted we go to Noodles, the more I began to love it! In fact, I became addicted to it, and sometimes I would eat their twice a day! I know, that's a little extreme but I had recently been dumped and I needed something else to focus on. And here it is almost 3 years later, Candace and I no longer work together but we still meet about once a week at the same Noodles and Company location in Fort Union. Every co-worker I have had since I started eating there has teased me relentlessly. They don't understand that someone could love Pesto Cavatappi that much to eat there at least once a week. A couple of months ago however, I went in by myself as I sometimes do if Candace is working from home and not in Salt Lake, and the General Manager took my order without even asking me what I wanted, and he knew my name by then as well! He said that he would start giving me free drinks because I'm in there all the time. Could if be that Noodles was starting to love me back just as much as I loved them? Well, today I had to go into work for a few hours, and as I left work, I had the impression that I should stop and eat at Noodles and Company, which was weird because I kind of have a yucky cold and it doesn't make me that hungry. I went anyway. I ordered the usual, and the General Manager was there to take my order. I went to pay for it and he said "it's on the house today." Yay! I asked if it was because I was there every other day of my life and he said "yes." So then I go and sit down (by myself) and wait for my food. He brought it over to me, along with a card called a "hero lunch" card. He said that I was their hero so that meant that I could bring in 5 other people, use this card and we'd all get our lunches for free! I told him about my adddiction to Noodles and how I get mocked for it all the time and he said he loved that I bring new people there all the time! He also told me that I could get my entire office together and bring them for lunch, and if I set it up through him I could get my whole office free lunch as well! That will show them for teasing me all the time!!!! I tell you, it's just a matter of time before they ask me to be their spokes woman and I get to have free noodles for the rest of my life!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Kiss My Grass

The back yard is done! Yay for us! Gary has been so dedicated to getting this done, and he has been working his rear off. Thanks to everone who helped us out!

This is a picture of the battle field that was our backyard while we installed the sprinkler system. Again, nobody was paid to do any of this work, Gary was able to figure it out on his own and we had volunteers from our family and friends and neighbors.
This was the first day of insalling the sprinklers...but far from the last. It's such a HUGE project! Especially when you're working in the middle of the Summer.

Paul helping spread the topsoil along with my parents, my sister, my neices, and Gary's mom and sister. Cheryl also got pizza's for everyone! Thanks again! A picture of the back of our house, the brick path and the green grass!

We're so relieved it's done! Who's up for a barbecue in our fire pit? Umm... but next year because we still have to wait for the grass to set in.