The Logan Log

Day 212: Is This A Test?

2012-01-23T21:45:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Seeing the smile on my husband's face as he walked out from his boards exam was THE BEST part of my day! What a huge relief that he's done (this exam was seven months in the making) and even better, that he feels good about it! Oh, what a wonderful blessing!!! Congratulations, H.B.!!! I am so proud of you! LOVE YOU!

Ha ha:
Today at work, Dr. Simpatico came up to me and asked if I could help him with something. He pointed to a box I had on my desk that had an image of three arrows in a circle, like the Recycle symbol, and while running his finger over the circular shape asked, "If I wanted to do something like this (circle, circle)...?"
"Recycle?", I asked.
He started laughing, "No. Make this symbol on the computer, could you help me with that?"
Me: (laughing), "Oh, of course!"
He: (laughing), "Recycle. You are very funny!"
He passed by my desk a couple minutes later, shook his head side-to-side and started laughing again. Then he saw my supervisor, pointed to me and told her I was "the funny lady".
I totally thought he wanted to recycle. Ha ha!

Day 211: I've Still Got IT

2012-01-22T21:26:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I have been singing for how many years now? and I still deal with nerves! It probably would have helped if I had actually practiced my song before this morning :/, but as I started to sing this morning in church I simply couldn't catch my breath. I quickly said a little prayer that my nerves would calm down and sure enough after a few stumbly phrases my nerves relaxed and I was able to get the words and notes out without much interference.
I'm thankful that the Lord heard my urgent plea for help and sent peace and comfort to my panicked soul!

Ha ha:
1. I visited with a woman after church ended who was visiting our ward from the stake. She kindly complimented me on my song and said that while I was singing she and her friend were having a debate about how old I was.
What is she, a laurel? (young women ages 16-18)
No, she's gotta be a miamaid. (young women ages 14-15)
No, she looks too poised to be a young woman, I think she's an adult. Could be married.
No, I say she's a teenager.
Apparently this conversation went back and forth, unnoticed by me, for the duration of my song. She said that it wasn't until Sunday School when she saw a ring on my finger that she turned to her friend and said, "Ha! I was right. She is an adult, and married too!"
That's the third time this week that someone thought I was under the age of 18! I guess that's a good thing?

2. During church I found myself having some tender feelings for my poor studying husband back home and thought it would be nice to send him a quick little text to let him know I was thinking about him...
Me: I sure love you HB! I'm very proud of you! You are amazing!
He: Are you drunk?
Hmm, that didn't go over quite like I was thinking it would...

Day 210: I Just Called to Say, "I'm REALLY Stressed!!!"

2012-01-22T19:29:00.000-06:00

Aha:
My sister made a New Year's resolution to keep in better touch with her family that live out of state and we now Skype every Sunday evening. I look forward to it every week! Anyway, this got me thinking about the other members of my family that live far away (every one) and especially Clinton's family who I'm lucky if I get to see them once a year! I decided that I'm going to use my sister's idea and contact them on a much more regular basis.
I called my mother-in-law and we visited for about 2 hours before my father-in-law came on the line and we visited for a while too! It was wonderful and I felt so much more connected with them. I felt like I wasn't a bad daughter-in-law anymore cause I was able to take some initiative and visit with two people who mean so much to me and who have given me one of their best gifts--Clinton. I went to bed with a big smile on my face and am really looking forward to next week's visit!!

Ha ha:
Clinton takes his boards tomorrow. He's been stressed and I've been stressed enough for the both of us! I didn't quite realize how stressed I was until yesterday morning when our neighbors started their 4th at-least-an-hour-but-usually-much-longer band practice this week. Don't get me wrong, they are actually quite good, but when your walls start shaking and you can't have a moment of quiet in your own home--it can really grate on a person. Well, anyway I was upstairs talking with Clinton about maybe creating a practice schedule with our neighbors so we could have some more quiet. I could feel a wave of emotion building up and the next thing I knew I was crying. I finished with a weak, "I just...(sob)...want...(sob)...them to...shut up" before leaving the room embarrassed and going into the bathroom to cry it out for another 10 minutes.
Yikes, I can't wait till his boards are OVER!!!

Day 209: My Snap Was All Over The Place

2012-01-20T22:58:00.000-06:00

Aha:
As I was getting ready to get into the car and drive to work (yes, I realize I only live 3 blocks from work, but when it's 30 degrees below freezing those 3 blocks feel like 3000!), I thought I should just walk. Already running a little late, I changed back into my boots and headed out the door. It wasn't until it was time to leave work that I realized just how glad I was that I actually had walked. We received about 3 inches of snow during the work day, the parking lot was totally backed up and the roads were super slippery. Sure, my walk home was a little chilly, but I made it home in one piece (and I didn't have to scrape ice off my windshields either)!!

Ha ha:
My coworker and I were talking about how the crotch of certain pairs of pants make a snapping sound when we walk (After receiving many questioning looks from friends and family when I originally expressed concern/frustration to them that my pants made a snapping sound when I walked, I looked it up online to prove it was a real thing and found that urbandictionary.com calls it "cracklin' crotch"--LOL). I got up to show her that the pair I wore today did said snapping. As I sat back down she said, "I like those pants on you. I think they're cute."
My other coworker thought she'd be funny and said, "Well, I don't. I think they're ugly."
So I jokingly replied, "Oh, yeah? Well, I think YOU'RE ugly!"
We all started laughing.
We sounded like a bunch of five-year-olds!

Day 208: Couldn't Sleep But I Can ALWAYS Eat

2012-01-19T21:33:00.002-06:00

Aha:
I slept for a total of about 2 hours last night (after I finally took a sleeping pill around 3am) and still managed to get out of bed by 645 this morning AND I made it through an entire workday to boot! But now I'm beat.

Ha ha:
Part of the reason I couldn't sleep last night was because I had this crazy intense hunger (must be from all of the diarrhea--oh my I don't know when to stop, but neither do my bowels, ba-dun-chh!). Anyway, I couldn't take it anymore so at 2am I got out of bed and had a piece of bread, sliced up an apple cause I didn't have the energy to repeatedly bite into it and visited with Clinton who was still up studying while I ate my apple.
Overall, I felt like my restless night went rather well, but I don't hope for another one any time soon.
***
I asked Clinton if my post was any good or if I should just wait till tomorrow when I was thinking a little more clearly.
He: Uh, just wait till tomorrow.
Me: Really? Not even my diarrhea joke?
He: (shaking his head side-to-side) Unh-uh. It's crap.
Ha! Get it?

Day 207: We Were Both Looking for Boxes This Morning, but for Two VERY Different Reasons

2012-01-18T21:06:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Some might wonder why I'm posting--my period started today!--as a blessing (or why I'd even post something so personal in the first place-ha!). The reason it's a blessing is because I was due to start next Tuesday and that's the day that Clinton and I take our fun-filled, long over due trip to Florida and now I won't be bloated or have diarrhea and terrible cramps during my vacation! I'll get it all over with beforehand. Yay!

Ha ha:
I had the pleasure of participating in another one of Clinton's sleep conversing this morning while I was getting ready for work:
He: (sits up, checks his phone for the time and then looks at me with sleepy eyes) Where did you put that box?
Me: What box?
He: (pointing at the floor with a rather floppy wrist) You know.
Me: No, I don't know.
He: (still confused) The box.
Me: What box?
He: (again, with the floppy-writsted pointing at the floor) The box for the program.
Me: I don't know what you're talking about. I think you're still asleep, Honey.
He: (falling back onto his pillow and closing his eyes) No. I need to just gather my thoughts. (he was out again in seconds)
Ha!

Day 206: Special Thanks

2012-01-17T20:42:00.003-06:00

Aha:

I received a very special gift in the mail this afternoon from a blogging buddy of mine in sunny Florida.

It made me feel very special and warm! Thanks Sara, it's absolutely adorable!! Would it be too much trouble to ask that you also send some sunshine and about 50 extra degrees?

Ha ha:
I sent an email to someone at another institution regarding a conference call with one of our docs (who happens to have an unusual last name that is hard to say and spell, so I included an extra helpful blurb about how to say his name phonetically) and closed with my name at the bottom. I got a reply to my email that went a little something like this:
"Thanks Daniele, the pronunciation of his name was most helpful!"
Don't get why it's funny? She spelled my name wrong while thanking me for helping her with someone else's. Ha! (Alright, maybe it's not that funny, but it's my blog, so deal with it!)

Day 205: I Upped My Level, Up Yours!

2012-01-16T21:24:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Nothing really significant really sticks out, other than I didn't die today. I guess that's a good blessing. What, did you get in an accident or something? You might wonder. Or, did you choke on a carrot and have to have the Heimlich maneuver? Although I've had to have it a couple times before after norking a carrot, no, I didn't choke. The answer is I exercised. (see below)

Ha ha:
I upgraded to level 2 of the 30-Day Shred, 'nough said, right? Here're a few things I said while working out...
Oh, man, I HATE this one.
Seriously?
What are you laughing at Jillian?
I want to die.
Shut-up!
You've got to be kidding me!
How much longer is this?
I'm so weak!
Encourage me Clinton!
Owie.
You can do it, Dani.
Maybe not.
(grunt, grunt, grunt)
I am so outta shape.
This isn't natural.
Who thinks up this stuff?
(gasp, gasp, gasp for air)
How many more reps?
(loud grunt)
Oh, thank HEAVENS it's over!

But over all I think it went rather well!

Day 204: This Got My Attention

2012-01-15T21:29:00.001-06:00

Aha:
The lesson in Relief Society today was from "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith". There is a quote from it that I'd like to share as one of my new favorites:

I want to say that at this particular period of our lives we need to exercise charity, not only in imparting of our substance to those who are in need, but we need to have charity for the weaknesses and failures and mistakes of our Father’s children.

This quote is part of a speech shared with the saints during the years of the Great Depression.
I don't really know that there's much else I need to say about this quote other than I think being charitable with the weaknesses, failures and mistakes of ALL of God's children (that includes you and me) is probably the best, most poignant piece of advice I can think of. I think if we all spent a little bit more time being kind, forgiving and understanding/tolerant of others and ourselves, that there could be a whole lot more unity and love in this world.

Ha ha:
I was Skype-ing with my sister's kids and towards the end of our conversation (right at their bedtime) they started to get rather silly. Here's how the last part of our conversation went:
Niece: Aunt Dani, how do you get a boy's attention?
Me: I dunno. Is this a joke?
Niece: You whack him with a stick! (laughter)
Me: (laughter)
My nephew wanted to get in on the laughs so he quickly asked:
Nephew: Aunt Dani, how do you get Uncle Clinton's attention?
Me: (laughing) I'll tell you when you're older. :)

Day 203: Push and Pull

2012-01-14T23:19:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I've been trying to get back into exercising since it had been about 8 months since my last work out. I've been doing Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred (also available at Target or Walmart for about $10) followed by Rodney Yee's Ultimate Power Yoga (also available at Target or Walmart for about $14); total work out time is about 45 minutes. Today, the thought of exercise made me want to fall over dead. Is that not the saddest thing you've ever heard? I'd rather die than exercise? What is wrong with me?
Anyway, I put on my exercise clothes and headed downstairs to begrudgingly start. I turned to Clinton and said, "Don't let me back out. I need to do this but really don't want to." I paused for a moment and then said, "I don't think I'm going to...", in the middle of my defeated phrase I looked up and saw that he'd already turned on the TV and selected my exercise for me. I had to do it now.
Most wives might take offense when their husband turns on an exercise video for them and tells them they have to do it (and I would be if I hadn't asked him to), but I was so thankful! I took away his "Fart in a Can" and completed both of my videos!! I feel good knowing they're done and I'm thankful for my husband who pushed me to complete a goal and wouldn't let me give up!

Ha ha:
After I finished my workout I ran upstairs to show Clinton something I was never able to do, even as a more-flexible kid--from a standing position, bend over and put my palms flat on the floor while keeping my legs straight--a full forward bend!
He asked, "Oh, is that it?"
"Yes!", I replied.
"Good job," he said, "but can you put your leg behind your head?"
I tried but was not quite flexible enough yet.
"Let me try." he said. And as he spoke he pulled his left leg and put it behind his head. What the?!
I challenged him to try his right leg and up it went too! I don't know if I should be offended, impressed or in stitches. It probably was one of the funniest looking things I've seen in a while. :)

Day 202: What If I Were You and You Were Me?

2012-01-13T18:04:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Having a rather intense hankering for some soda I made a quick trip down to the hospital cafeteria (prices are still expensive, but at least I'm paying for more than just a sip of soda!). Anyway, after I'd paid what I worked 10 minutes to afford, I made my way back to my office.
As I was leaving the dining room I saw a really cute black woman, sitting by herself and preparing her meal. She glanced up at me and flashed a really beautiful smile. I smiled back. I continued past her but stopped and said, "You're hair is adorable!" It took her a second to realize I'd paid her a compliment.
She turned back to me, smiled again and said, "Thank you!" After another quick pause, she repeated, "Thank you."
I have no idea what her circumstance is but being a family member at a children's hospital is almost never a cause for celebration. I felt like I really made her day by complimenting her--and that feeling made my day!
While I made my reflective trip back to the office, I couldn't help but think of this quote:

Ha ha:
I ran upstairs to kiss Clinton goodbye and to have prayer before I left for work. He's been going to bed REALLY late so by the time I come in to say "I'm leaving" he's still in really deep sleep. Makes for some rather funny interactions. Like this one from today:
Me: 'K, bye Honey, I gotta go.
He: (Opens his eyes really big, with a completely confused look on his face) What?!
Me: I have to go.
He: (Sounding like I'm telling him I'm leaving him...for good) What? Why?!
Me: I have to go to work. Love ya.
He: (Scrunching his eyebrows) I'm you and you're me?
Me: (Laughing) I think you're still asleep. Love you!
I told him about this when I got home from work and he started laughing and then said, "Boy, I really am funny!" Oh, he's just so humble. :)

Day 201: It's Karm-plicated

2012-01-12T18:46:00.000-06:00

Aha:
You know how every once and a while you have those trips to the bathroom where you think, I need to go to the bathroom. I think I'll get up and mosey on over to relieve myself.? However, as soon as you get headed to the bathroom you start to panic thinking, Oh my gosh! I HAVE to go to the bathroom and I don't know if I'm going to make it!! Well, I had one of those experiences today. I realized I had to go and the moment I realized it--the urgency to go intensified to the point of HOPING I would make it to the bathroom! I literally was walking down the hallway at working thinking, It's gonna happen. I'm actually going to poo my pants at work! How am I ever going to show my face here again? I'm going to lose my job, we won't have any money and I'm going to be known as "The Girl Who Pooped Her Pants"!
Well, fortunately, there is a God and I prayed like I never prayed before and I made it to the bathroom! I even had time to wipe down the seat before sitting! A true, modern-day miracle!

Ha ha:
Clinton bought me some enormous apples (no, that is not an innuendo for "boob job"). They are delicious (Golden Delicious...apples, that is). Anyway, right after I had taken two bites Peter started crying for me to feed him. I took myself and my giant apple over to the bin where we keep his food. I must have done something very bad today because karma crept in and my apple fell out of my hands and into the dog food. I turned around to see Clinton smiling and shaking his head side to side. I reached into the bag, took the kibble that was stuck to it and tossed it to Peter as I assessed my barely chewed apple.
I could just rinse it off. Although, I should probably get a new one. I mean, what would people think of me if they knew I'd eaten an apple that fell into dog food?
I walked over to the sink, turned on the faucet and rinsed my apple. After another moment of inspection I took a bite. And then another and another until all that was left of that giant dog-food-fallen apple was the core...Don't judge me.
***
Just after finishing the above, Clinton took his pen and wrote on my forearm. "Hey!", I said, "What was that for?" He laughed, and then I laughed because karma snuck in on him too. As he was laughing he went to triumphantly click the cap on his highlighter, only it wasn't there and ended up drawing on himself instead! Ha ha! Serves him right, the turkey!

Day 200: All Done and Unintended Pun

2012-01-11T20:44:00.002-06:00

Aha:
I have been diligently working my butt off to finish up a bunch of stuff on my desk I've been too busy to finish. Well, today a little miracle occurred and I was able to not only start on my stack, but I was able to FINISH it too!!! Don't get me wrong, I still have plenty to do at work, but now I won't have that physical reminder of how far behind I was! "Today [I] celebrate, but tomorrow [I] go back to work!"

Ha ha:
There I was sitting at my computer innocently going about my work, which happened to be verifying references, when all of a sudden I came across this one.

I read it aloud to my coworkers and we all promptly started laughing. One asked, "Where are you finding these?" Another said, "That's really funny." Patient OUTCOMES?? Really? Not sure if the authors that that through? Or they did but had diarrhea on the brain and just chose the title as "urgently" as the could.
One coworker wondered why any author would choose that title and I said, "Most would not find this so funny. The article is intended for mature readers. I'm just not one."

Day 199: Skids and Snuggles

2012-01-10T21:20:00.000-06:00

Aha:
It's the small and simple things, right? Well, today I had the special pleasure of being able to come home with no responsibilities and was thus able to lay on the couch and read a book! What's even better than that?--a nap on the couch whilst snuggling with my pup. This evening was amazing!

Ha ha:
I was sitting at my desk and could hear that my coworker was talking on the phone a few feet away from me. When she finished her call she turned to us and announced, "Well, it's official: I have skids in my undies." Baffled at her blunt declaration, I said, "What? You have skids in your undies??" "No!", she said, "I've scared off my neighbors. They're selling their house."
BIG difference!

Day 198: The Ins and "Outs" of Life

2012-01-09T21:37:00.000-06:00

Aha:
To the friends who have checked on me, sent me words of hope and encouragement, given me hugs and kept me in their prayers--this one's for you. You each brightened my day and I hope to be able to return the favor soon.

Thank you and love you all! P.S. I'm doing much better! :)

Ha ha:
I bought Clinton "Fart in a Can" for his stocking on Christmas. He loves to play with it, especially while I exercise. Here's a little clip I "squeaked" in for your viewing pleasure. I'm sure it will really "blow" your mind. No, no, it's going to be a real "gas"! No "pressure" to watch it and I won't be offended if you decide to "pass", but I'm sure you'll be "relieved" if you "do".

Day 197: Leakage

2012-01-08T21:19:00.002-06:00

Aha:
I am so thankful for good, understanding friends. I had a bit of a rough day today and ended up crying with a couple of those good friends at church. I also received a rather encouraging text from a friend last night. I'm so thankful for people who are patient with me and are willing to "mourn with me when I mourn" and "comfort me when I stand in need of comfort". Thank you.

Ha ha:
As I said above, today was not the best day for laughing, but I'll be darned if I don't find something from today that I can laugh about. Turns out, on my way home from church while I was still crying, I needed a tissue, or a napkin or anything. I searched desperately and would have just used my dress if it hadn't belonged to my great grandma. I opened the little box between the two front seats and spotted (no pun intended) one of my "female emergency" supplies. I quickly tore open the wrapper, pulled on the string, discarded the applicator and dabbed my eyes. I tell you, those things really are absorbent!

Day 196: Sweepin' the Clouds Away

2012-01-08T00:16:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had a realization the other day while I was washing the dishes. I don't know why it came to me then, especially since I don't really mind washing dishes, but I just got to thinking that there is no point in really getting upset over much in life. I only have the one. Do I want to spend it complaining when something doesn't go my way? Do I want to spend it getting mad when someone says something dumb or doesn't do what they said they would? Do I want to spend my life in a bad mood? No!
I'm not sure how I'm going to stay consistent in this, because after all, I am human--an emotional human--but I feel like I was given a special moment of insight. I feel like I've been given a second chance to make some changes and improvements in my life and the way that I think. What am I going to make of my life? I want it to be a happy one! So, I've decided to let some things go and let other things go when they come. Life is too short to be annoyed with it. The people in my life are too special to take for granted. My desire to be happy is more important than "being right".
I don't know, I know I'll still struggle and get upset, but I really hope that those times just become fewer and farther between. If I can have some successes in that, then I'll feel like I am doing better. This mindset over the last couple days has helped me out of a couple pickles already and THAT makes me happy!

Ha ha:
I decided to use some hair color I had laying around to tint my eyebrows; the color was "Light Golden Blonde" but looked dark brown when wet. Anyway, I put it on and straightened up my living room while it processed and Clinton studied on the couch. He happened to glance up at me at one point and with a questioning look asked, "Uh, what's going on with your eyebrows?" Thinking of the time that my Alzheimered grandpa surprised us all with a good (but unintended) laugh by using black shoe polish on his very white eyebrows (looked very much like Bert from Sesame Street, but much bushier)--I told him I was trying the same thing. After taking another, longer look he hesitantly declared, "I don't know that that's a good idea. That can't turn out well." I started laughing and told him I was joking--he sighed a big sigh of relief.
Really? How could he possibly have thought I was serious?? What kind of girl does he take me for? I may be quirky, but it'll take another 50 years and a diagnosis of dementia before I think that lathering shoe polish on my brows enhances my appearance!

Day 195: The Gospel of Puke

2012-01-06T20:52:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Day 10 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Things about the Gospel:

Tithing, I can't afford to NOT pay it!
Visiting Teaching
The Scriptures
General Conference
President Uchtdorf (not only is he handsome to look at, but he writes the most wonderful talks!)
Temple Covenants
The Holy Ghost
The Atonement
Focus on the Family
Eternal Families

Ha ha:

Who has two thumbs and used them to shovel copious amounts of food into her face today?...THIS girl! I felt like the hungry, hungry caterpillar, or the little engine that could but shouldn't. Here is my intake for today--again, this is more sad than funny.

4 egg whites, 2 giant mugs of hot cocoa, 2 apples, 2 grilled cheese sandwiches, a giant salad, a large handful of cheerios, a couple mini Reese peanut butter cups, some Nacho Cheese Doritos, a handful of carmel puffs (like carmel corn but with corn puffs instead--supremely delicious), a bite of a lemon square and a berry kringle, about 1/2 slice of peanut butter pie (made with cool whip and an Oreo crust--don't get me started on how amazing it is), some blueberries; 1 1/2 bread sticks, 2 plates of salad and 2 bowls of chicken gnocchi soup from Olive Garden, an Andes mint, and an ice cream cone from McDonalds.

I believe the answer to all of your questions is "no".

No, I'm not pregnant.

No, I'm not on my period or PMS-ing.

No, I was not trying to induce a diabetic coma.

No, I was not in an eating contest.

No, I'm not proud of myself.

and finally

No, I'm not hungry right now. Although, ask me again in 5 minutes and that answer may very well change. :)

Day 194: Some People Eat to Live, but I Live to Eat!

2012-01-05T21:26:00.002-06:00

Aha:
Day 9 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Foods (Oh dear! Where do I begin??):

Pancakes, Scrambled Egg Whites and Hash Browns (I also enjoy a giant bowl or two of cereal)
Salads of any sort
Stuffed Mushrooms
Subway Footlong
Fruits/Veggies
Homemade Bread
French Fries and a Burger
Dark, DARK chocolate
McDonalds' Ice Cream Cones
Any sort of steak or roast
The list could literally go on and on. Should I be worried that this, of all the lists I've made thus far, was the easiest to write?

Ha ha:

I don't know if this is funny or just really sad, but I finished working out for the first time in probably 8 months and I can barely move my arms...or legs.

I'm not kidding.

But I don't need to worry too much--you know what they say, the second day's always worse than the first!...Oh, crap!

193: Here's One Invention I Missed...Earplugs!!

2012-01-04T21:37:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Day 8 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Modern Inventions:

Computers/Skype/Internet
Cars
Airplanes
Cell phones
Medicine
Cameras/Camcorders
GPS
Contact lenses/my shell
Antibacterial hand gel (Santa sets me up every Christmas for the next year!)
Household appliances (indoor plumbing included)

Ha ha:
I was woken up around 3am this morning with the following question from my sleeping husband: "Oh, man! Are you tired?"
I replied, "Yes, I'm pretty tired."
He finished with, "Ugh, me too!"
So glad he woke me up so he could discover we were both tired, although the fact that we were both sound asleep should have given it away...LOL!

Day 192: Subway, Eat...Here Often?

2012-01-03T20:22:00.003-06:00

Aha:
Day 7 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Places on Earth:

The Portland Temple
My home
Portland, Oregon (with my fam)
Grande Prairie, Alberta (with my husband's fam)
Disneyland/world
Banff, Alberta
Columbia River Gorge
Vancouver, British Columbia (lived there the first 6 months of our marriage and we hope to end up there after graduation...for good!)
Beauty Supply stores
Subway Restaurants

Ha ha:

I stayed home sick from work again today. After being cooped up in my house for 3 days, and feeling a little better, I couldn't take the solitude much longer. I got in the car and drove to Subway for dinner. When my sandwich was passed to the toppings person, without looking at me, he looked at my sandwich and said, "I know this sandwich. Your boyfriend (aka, my husband, Clinton) was in here yesterday wasn't he?" I laughed sheepishly and said, "Uh, yah."

Here's to hoping that I feel well enough tomorrow to not have to grace Subway with our apparently well-known presence. :)

Day 191: Peter x2 and I've Got the Flu

2012-01-02T21:22:00.000-06:00

Aha:
This happened the other day but I forgot to blog about it.
I was sitting on the couch, reading a book, and all the dogs were laying on the floor around me. I noticed the sound of Peter gnawing away on a bone and realized I'd been hearing it for the last hour or so. I started to think that that was a pretty long time and that I should check on him, but he was just below me on the floor and I figured he was fine. I ignored the feeling for a second, rationalizing that all was well. The feeling came again and so I listened.
I sat up and saw that his bone was pushed to the side, but he was still intensely chewing on something. I picked up his bone and saw that the end had been pulled off. I lifted up his chin and saw that a huge chunk (yet small enough to swallowed and choked on) was floating around dangerously in his mouth. I reached inside and pulled it out (much to his dismay, but to my relief).
I don't know that he would have for sure choked on it but I'm so glad I didn't have to find out.

Day 6 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Things about today (I have the flu, so this will be a little skewed):

My heating pad
My neck pillow
Excedrine Migrane
Today was a holiday day at work, so I didn't miss pay
Liquids
Peanut butter toast
I didn't have to put on make up
I didn't have to fix my hair
Extra snuggles from Peter
Netflix

Ha ha:

Here's the scenario: My house is a disaster cause I've not felt well enough to clean. There're dishes in the sink, blankets all over the living room and I'm passed out on one of them. The doorbell rings and it's our landlord (also named Peter), come to fix the leaking faucet on our tub.

If you know me at all, you'll know why this is funny, and if you don't know me, you should know that I would never let someone see my house messy--let alone me dead on the couch.

Day 190: Naturally, That's Funny

2012-01-01T19:16:00.001-06:00

Aha:
Day 5 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Things about Nature:

Sunsets/sunrises
Waterfalls
Wildflowers
Trees (especially during the fall)
Warm weather
Thunder and Lightning (I used to be absolutely terrified of it, but living in the Midwest I seem to have gotten used to it and can now enjoy it--unless it's right outside my door and then I still don't like it.)
Mountains
Daffodils (my favorite flower)
Smell of fresh rain
Fresh fruit/vegetables from a garden

Ha ha:

1. Clinton was asked today if we were new in the ward...Uh, we've been here for 2.5 years!

2. While driving our 80-year-old friend home from church she turned to me and said, "I need to ask you a question." After a silent 15 seconds or so I sarcastically replied, "Is this an out loud question or am I supposed to just guess?" She told me I was sassy and we all had a good laugh!

Day 189: Not So Silent

2011-12-31T21:50:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Day 4 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Deceased People:

My Grandma Conklin (I must give an extra special shout-out for her. I became so close with her over the last few years and am so thankful that I came to know her as a friend.)
My Grandpa Conklin, he was always very generous.
My Grandma Duff, she could never just sit still (always had to be cleaning or bleaching something), but she would drop anything for a hug.
My Papa Duff, he had some pretty crazy stories from his youth but he had the cutest smile. He baptized me when I turned 8 and came to my graduation just months after my grandma passed away. If any of us kids had any major event happening they would travel from several states away to be there.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, I never got to meet him, but his testimony and sense of humor really touched me.
Jesus Christ, although I believe Him to be risen, He had died at one point. He is the supreme example of what I hope to be like someday. He literally saved my eternal life and continues to advocate on my behalf each day.
My high school friend, Kelsey Harrington. She was killed by a drunk driver at 14, but she still managed to teach me that death is not the end, but a part of the journey.
Walt Disney, sure he made tons of money off the commercialism of Disney, but his movies are a favorite in my home and his theme parks truly are magical!
Joseph Smith, for restoring the gospel of Jesus Christ and for translating the Book of Mormon. Both of these things have brought peace and hope into my life.
Mary. For her willingness to be obedient to the Lord and for bearing and raising the Son of God.

Ha ha:

Can't think of anything really good for today, so I guess this'll have to suffice.

While I was writing this post all of the dogs were passed out around me. The big one sat up suddenly and started licking an itch on her inner leg. As she reached down to lick she simultaneously farted. I started to chuckle...that is until I got a whiff. Not so funny after all. (shudder)

Day 188: The People Who Put Up with Me

2011-12-30T17:10:00.001-06:00

Aha:
As I was getting ready to walk out the door this morning my nose started running. Feeling a bit annoyed, I ran to the table to grab a Kleenex. Good thing I did too, because right beside the box was my work badge. I think this is one of the only times I'll say I'm thankful for a runny nose!
Day 3 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful!
Living People

My husband
My parents (+ in-laws, Clinton's Gma and Gma & Gpa Wilson)
My siblings (+ in-laws)
My nieces and nephews (+ in-laws)
My adoption friends/support group (Amber, Emily, Christy, Carrie, Jaime, Jenni)
My coworkers (including Marilyn-who works in another office but is a great friend/coworker)
My best friend Krystal (a total rock and wonderful example)
My gal pals (near and far)
Brett Running (one of my previous residents who was in school for acupuncture and encouraged me to try it--totally changed my life for the better!)
My OB! She's amazing!

Ha ha:

Conversation between Clinton and I when I called him this afternoon from work.

Me: Hi, are you coming to get me still?

He: Yah, that's fine, but when we get home I'll need to finish studying.

Me: Oh, don't worry about it then. Just finish your studying and I'll walk home.

He: Are you sure?

Me: Yes. I'll just walk so you can finish up.

He: Are you going to be upset?

Me: No. It's okay, really.

He: Is this a trick? Are you saying you're fine but are actually mad?

Me: I promise. See you soon.

He: (hesitant)...Ok...bye...

After hanging up, I thought, Oh dear. I must have really put him through the ringer a few times if thinks my saying "I'm fine" is a trick!!

Ladies, I'm sure we've all done this before. Let's perhaps be a little easier on the poor chaps we call our husbands, huh? LOL!

Day 187: I am a Material and Giggly Girl

2011-12-29T21:22:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Day 2 of 10 of 100 things for which I'm grateful!
Material Possessions:

Computer
Cell phone (with texting, scriptures, video and regular camera abilities)
Piano/microphone
Car (even though it's a FORD)
My baby blanket (yes...it made it to the list)
My wedding ring
My orthotics (makes wearing cute shoes possible again!)
Cute clothes and shoes/styling stuff in general (hair tools and make-up)
Popcorn popper
My EMU boots (only thing that keeps my piggies warm)

Ha ha:

I had the giggles SO BAD at work today. I'm not really sure why, or where it all came from, but there was an embarrassing amount of time in which I could not stop laughing. It all started when my coworker mentioned how cold it was in the room. Not sure if it was the way she said it, or because I agreed or what, but either way I found it to be hysterical.

At first I kept the giggles to myself. Biting my lip and blowing air through my nose seemed to work for a moment, but I simply couldn't keep it in. Finally I just started laughing out loud (out of the middle of nowhere). Some might think as I did, that this would suppress the urge to keep laughing, but it didn't. It made it worse. So much worse that my coworker had to ask what was happening. Through short bursts of laughter I managed to apologize and tell her that I (duh) had the giggles.

Work resumed and I tried my hardest to keep the giggles to a minimum--that is until one of my other coworkers came into the room. I swear, all she did was look at me and I busted up laughing! Oh man, even now, I am laughing thinking about it! Quickly, I tried to excuse myself and told her I had the giggles. She sorta laughed at that, and I REALLY laughed at that! (This was getting to be rather obnoxious and embarrassing by now.) She told me not worry about it.

I think I could have been fine, but she began telling a story about how her commute went this morning after our bout of freezing rain (I totally fell on my hands and knees on the way to work BTW). All she had to do was say, "I'm serious..." and the laughter started again. Laughing to the point of not being able to speak, I began fanning myself and mouthed the words "I'm so sorry". She started laughing too, telling me that she loves getting the giggles--that didn't help me stop either. What was she trying to do, make me laugh even harder?? All I could do at this point was envision all the times I'd had the giggles and couldn't stop. I had to get out of there!

After a 30 minute walk I finally calmed down. I have no idea where that came from or when it will come again, but one thing is for certain--I'm wearing Depends to work tomorrow!

(just kidding...I didn't actually pee my pants, but who knows what the future brings?)

Day 186: #9?

2011-12-29T20:54:00.000-06:00

Aha:
So, I was actually reading my Ensign the other day and came across an article called, "The Choice to be Grateful" by Henry B. Eyring. At the end was an activity that I thought was worth trying; it focused on helping us see how much we have to be thankful for. The rules state to list 100 things, and to make it easier, break them into groups of 10.
Here is Day 1 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful!
Physical Abilities:

I have one eye I can still see out of!
I can sing fairly well.
I have a high level of endurance.
I can catch something tossed to me (most of the time), even though I don't have depth perception.
I can cut, color and style hair.
I give really good back massages!
I'm not afraid to say "Hello" to strangers or talk to someone who may seem lonely.
I can play the piano, although I need to practice more!
I can make others laugh.
I can listen really well and empathize too.

Ha ha:
We have a saying in our house that we say when we are making an obvious point: You know what I mean? It's a phrase we began saying when Clinton pointed out one day how it annoys him when people say it. Naturally, it turned into a "regular" at our place. Now that this bit of background's been shared, here's my Ha ha.
Clinton has been eating all of our Christmas desserts--to my, sorta, dismay. So, yesterday (while he was looking through the cupboards complaining that there was nothing good to eat) he begrudgingly told me he'd saved me a piece of pumpkin pie.
Me: You can have it, but I'll want a bite. (Pausing) You know what I mean?
He just started laughing, "Of course I know what you mean! Why would anyone not know what that means?"
Ok, after re-reading this, it doesn't seem that funny. Perhaps this is one of those, "You had to be there" moments. Oh well!

Day 185: My Turns and Returns

2011-12-27T22:07:00.000-06:00

Aha:
1. The dogs let me sleep in till 845 this morning!
2. While I was waiting in line for a "quick" return at Walmart, Clinton saved us some extra time and got the few groceries we needed. We left the store and made it just in time to the theater to see the new Muppet movie (highly recommended, by the way).
3. Last night, just before bed, I was sitting with Petey on the couch. I told him it was time to go to bed but he wouldn't budge. I picked him up and he just let his body drag across me. I slid him up to my chest (like holding a baby over your shoulder to burp) and he snuggled me. I was in heaven. He doesn't typically let me hold him like that for very long (not since he was a pup) and I no longer cared that it was way past my bedtime. I held him there for as long as he let me. It was wonderful!

Ha ha:
Was trying on some Jessica Simpson heels at Boston Store while I was out with Clinton. Her heels are surprisingly comfortable--that is, if you try on the right size. Anyway, Clinton bought me these for Christmas but I needed to make sure I had the right size.

I tried on another more-platform pair (see link above), but in a size too big. I began to tell Clinton how comfortable they were, but as soon as I said "comfortable" I rolled my left ankle. I put the shoe back on and proceeded to roll my right ankle.

Yes, nothing says comfort like ace bandages and tennis shoes. I think I'll stick with the pair he got me...much safer. :)

Day 184: Clinton

2011-12-26T22:59:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I mentioned to Clinton yesterday that I've not really had a chance to sleep in during my break because of our friend's dogs. I'm used to Peter sleeping in till we get up, but these other two are not as lazy--any sound from us that could be mistaken for us getting out of bed and these dogs are up and moving around. Don't get me wrong, they are super sweet, but my sleep has been a bit disturbed to say the least. Anywho, I heard the dogs start to get up around 7 this morning. The last thing I remember is Clinton shushing them.
A few moments later I opened my eyes, totally surprised at how rested I felt despite being woken early again. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was 830 and Clinton and the dogs were downstairs! That sweet boy of mine got up with them and kept them downstairs so I could sleep (having brought Peter back up to bed with me so we could snuggle). What a sweet gift!! Thank you, H.B.!!!

Ha ha:
1. We are watching a friend's dogs (yes, that's dogS) for 2.5 weeks (yes, that's 2.5 weeks...I'm working on earning my celestial glory). Anyway, I came downstairs this morning and found a tiny turdlet on my couch. I yelled up to Clinton, "Honey, there's a piece of poo on my couch!" His response? "It wasn't me." I couldn't help but laugh.
2. My friends from Oregon, who now live in Wisconsin, came down for a visit today. We took them to the Betty Brinn Children's Museum so their two-year-old could run around and play (although we adults had a great time too). Anyway, we found this mirror and I asked Clinton, "Does this mirror make my butt look big?" Ha!

3. Clinton has been playing his new cello every spare moment since yesterday morning. I ran upstairs to ask him a question and this is what I found.

Here I was thinking that only kids go to bed with their new favorite toy, not Clinton!

Most people spoon with another person, not Clinton!

Day 183: Christmas Sayings

2011-12-26T21:51:00.001-06:00

Aha:

Here are two signs their five-year-old made for us: "From Kailey, Love you!"

"Kailey, Mom and Dad Welcome You Sister Logan and Brother Logan"

A family in our ward invited us over for Christmas dinner. We ate and had a really nice time getting to know them better. The wife asked if we would like to watch "Joy to the World" with them and I'm so glad we did. It felt so great to watch a movie about the birth of Jesus Christ on the day it's celebrated.
Sitting there in their living room, I felt such a wonderful feeling of gratitude and peace as I heard the scripture passages read and saw them reenacted. Snippets of some of my favorite Christmas songs (sung by the Mo-Tabs) were interjected throughout the film too.
I am so thankful to have had this Christmas to think more about Jesus. I feel like I have come to know Him a little better and I especially feel like I want to get to know Him more.

Ha ha:
WARNING: There is a swear coming up.
It was my turn to make breakfast for the two of us and Eggs Benedict was the meal of choice. I had my eggs poaching, my english muffins a'toastin' and my hollandaise sauce a-cookin'. Feeling like I had everything running rather smoothly, that is until I got a little distracted by some mold on my newly purchased muffins. I worked to tear it out and completely forgot all about my sauce. I ran to the pan in a hurry and saw brown bubbles coming out of the top--it was burning. "Dammit!" I shouted. (Really, Dani??) Clinton let out a laugh in the living room while I stirred and stirred as fast as I could, realizing it was OK after all.
Nothing says "Merry Christmas" on a Sunday like an unnecessary swear! Sheesh!

Day 182: Christmas Eve Miracles

2011-12-26T21:28:00.001-06:00

Aha:
Woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking!! Sweet Clinton made me pancakes and hash browns--a real Christmas ~~miracle~~ treat!! Thanks, H.B.!

Ha ha:
Clinton and I went to the mall. He parked the car and said he needed to run in quickly. I had another errand that I wanted to take care of so I told him I'd come back and pick him up. Right before he left he said, "Now be careful. There are a lot of crazy drivers on the road today." I reassured him and he went inside.
The parking lot was FULL of cars and I was waiting for a lady to move from behind my space. I noticed that she was a ways away from me and I thought I had plenty of room to back out and slide in beside her. I looked behind me and there was plenty of space. I put the car in reverse and slowly backed out of my space...CRUNCH! Well, crap! I wasn't paying attention when we parked (and apparently when I was backing out) and our space was a straight space on the very far end of a diagonally-angled row. When I pulled out at a sharp angle to slide in beside the lady behind me I ran right into the parked car beside me. Stupid, I know.
I called Clinton in a panic and he came out, looked the other car over and reassured me that I had caused no damage, thank goodness (I was going about 1/2 mile/hour after all).
I share this because of the irony. He had mentioned the crazy drivers on the road...I had no idea I was one of them!

Day 181: Chri-stmas Memories

2011-12-23T23:47:00.000-06:00

Aha:
We had some special visitors this evening. Clinton answered the door and asked me to come there. As I approached the door I saw two little faces and heard two little voices singing, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". They handed us a bag of homemade toffee (delicious and gone by the way) and a poinsettia plant! What a wonderful Christmas surprise!! Thanks Browns for thinking of us!

Ha ha:
Clinton reminded me of one of my favorite stories from our past this afternoon. I'll share...
A couple Christmas seasons ago, we were out and about driving around on some errands. As is typical year round but especially at Christmastime, I had the song, "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" (the Bing Crosby version) stuck in my head. It seemed to be playing on and on inside my brain but I was managing to keep it to myself while carrying a conversation with Clinton. Well suddenly, unbeknownst to me, I sang the backup singers' "Chri-stmas" part of the song (see the link above and start at :33 to hear what I'm referring to). Clinton turned to me and said, "Where the heck did that come from? What was that?" I was confused, because to me, it made perfect sense--I had been singing the whole thing in my head after all! Anyway, once we realized he was missing the majority of the song and how I must have sounded like a total crazy person, we both had a great laugh! Now, whenever we hear that song we emphasize the "Chri-stmas" part and start laughing. :)

Day 180: You Deserve a Great Day

2011-12-22T21:14:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Clinton completed his last exam of the "Big Three" rotations today!! He said it went well and was the "easiest" thus far! Pediatrics, Medicine and Surgery are OVER!!!!! This is a day for celebration! I am so thankful that the second half of 3rd year will be much less time consuming and enjoyable for him (and me)! Yippee! Hooray! Hallelujah!

Ha ha:
Ya know how I mentioned celebration above? What was Clinton's idea of celebrating?--a trip to McDonalds!...well, it was cheap, I guess that sums up my feelings about the place. I do love their ice cream cones though! Perhaps we'll do some more exciting celebrating during this Christmas break...we'll see. :)

Day 179: Music to my Ears

2011-12-22T21:01:00.000-06:00

Aha:
These last two weeks have been crazy busy! I have been so exhausted but had too much to do to be able to go to bed early. Well, apparently, last night my body had had enough and I dropped into bed at about 845 and was asleep not long after. I am sad, but SO THANKFUL that my plans for that evening--although I had been looking forward to a movie night with my girlfriends--got postponed and I could have a good night's sleep! (sound of angels singing)

Ha ha:
I started recording my voice students' lessons so they have something to practice with each week. I got everything set up for my second student and began warm-ups. We warmed-up for about 15 minutes before I got up to turn off the recording for processing. Feeling rather pleased with my set up, I reached down to stop it and realized...I never turned it on. :( Do! (re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do...ha ha!)

Day 178: Eye Owe You One

2011-12-22T20:49:00.000-06:00

Holy Crow have I been busy!! These next couple posts will be sha-ort or I'll feel too overwhelmed to write!

Aha:
Thankful for a good coworker who's also a good friend! She drove 15 minutes out of her way to drop me off at my friend's house so I could hurry and get her dogs picked up and back to my place before my client arrived! Thanks, Lissa! You were an absolute time-saver!!

Ha ha:
While I was blow-drying my client's hair I was also running my fingers through her hair. Well, on the last stroke my finger went right into her eye. I apologized and she said, "That's OK. I was thinking of getting rid of it anyway." We laughed and her eye was fine. Phew!
Can't imagine what it would be like to have one's eye poked out!! ;)
(For those of you who don't know, one of mine was poked out when I was little, so I know exactly what that would be like ;)

Day 177: From Sad to Glad

2011-12-19T21:14:00.000-06:00

Aha:
While I was visiting teaching one of my sisters, she told me that she was trying to find scriptures that made her want to celebrate Christmas. She's not been a fan of celebrating Christmas since her mom died nearly 40 years ago. I told her I'd share some of my favorites, but I'm wondering if anyone has any they would recommend. I don't know that they need to specifically be about Christmas (I would think any scripture about Christ would do since He is the reason we celebrate Christmas), but if you feel like sharing something that may spark her desires to celebrate the season, I'd love for you to share.
As I've said before, Christmas is my favorite time of the year and knowing there is someone out there, of my own faith, that doesn't want to celebrate it is rather saddening. Meeting with her though has made me think of some of my favorite things about celebrating:
Decorating, Singing Christmas Songs, Listening to Christmas Songs, Food, Goodies, Stronger Love for Mankind, Increased Charity, Kinder Words Spoken to Strangers, Christmas Lights, Reminders of Christ All Around, Giving Gifts, Getting Gifts, Time Off From Work, Time with Family, Nativities, Closeness to Christ and an All Around Increase of the Spirit of Christ in My Heart and My Home.

Ha ha:
There was one of those crazy tacky and ultra sexual BOD commercials on during a commercial break. Clinton and I were making fun of it the whole time. A few moments later I hear Clinton say (like they do in the commercial), "Hot BOD" to himself. I laughed out loud and told him I was going to blog about him singing the "Hot BOD" song. He turned to me and asked, "What hot dog song?". Once I clarified, we had a pretty good laugh over that one.

Day 176: Hot and Cold

2011-12-19T18:52:00.000-06:00

Aha:
There was a scripture shared in Sunday School from Revelation 3: 15-16 that I had never really noticed or thought of before.

15 I know thy ^aworks, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art ^alukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will ^bspue thee out of my mouth.

The teacher went on to clarify that the Lord is asking for our all or nothing. He said this scripture makes him think, "What am I lukewarm with? Where do I have room for improvement" This got me thinking too.
I know full-well that the Lord is not expecting me to be perfect, if He were I'd be screwed, but I do know that He wants me to put forth my best efforts. That is something I can control and something I can evaluate from time to time. Where am I lukewarm? Where am I cold?
Anyway, I thought this was a neat thought and decided to share it. Hope it made you think too. :)

Ha ha:
Hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I thought it was too funny not to share!

A friend of mine posted the following on FaceBook:
Ok, so I just can't stop thinking about this John Tesh sax album my brother and sister in law sent us, "Sax on the Beach". Chad and I came up with a boat load more choice album titles that will thrill audiences for years to come: Casual Sax, Elevator Sax, Dirty Sax, Cyber Sax, Phone Sax .
I couldn't help but pass this up (as I was getting ready for church, mind you) so I posted the following:
Let's not forget other classics such as: I Want to Sax You Up, Let's Talk About Sax, Last Friday Night (I Played my Saxophone), I'm Too Saxy, and I'm Bringing Saxy Back.
Then she posted:
Unprotected Sax, Premarital sax, Sax-ually Transmitted Diseases. . . Oh man, this is just TOO EASY
Then another posted:
Our favorite is Sax by the Fire...the cover is just a sax and a fireplace! :)

Ha ha!

Day 175: Singing and Seniors

2011-12-18T20:25:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had the chance to go caroling at a retirement center nearby with some other ward members. There were only 5 of us to start and only 5 people to sing for, but it felt great nonetheless. I loved watching the residents' eyes light up and their lips starting to move along with the words when one of their favorites came up. I don't know, there's just something special about singing that can really bring people together. By the end of our half hour, 2 other families showed up to sing and another resident came by to listen. We had a really nice thing going on!
When all the singing was done, we visited with them for another half hour or so. I even learned that one of the ladies I visited used to be a member of our church! Small world!
Anyway, I just was grateful that I got out of my bed, postponed my bathroom cleaning till later, and got out the door to go sing. It made me forget my troubles for a while and helped me to focus on others. I love this time of year!!

Ha ha:
One of the ladies I spoke with said she really enjoyed hearing us sing. I thanked her and asked if she was a singer herself. She said, "Oh no. I don't sing, but I listen and appreciate very well! Every performer needs an audience or they'd have no one to perform for!" I told her that was very true. She started to reply about something, but right as she did, a little drop of spit flew from her mouth and landed softly on my lip...needless to say I got a little distracted and don't remember anything else from the rest of that conversation.

Day 174: Crack Me Up

2011-12-18T20:08:00.000-06:00

Aha/Ha ha:
Clinton and I went to the Nutcracker for the first time on Friday. We were both afraid that ballet was going to be so boring, but we actually really enjoyed it.
This could come across wrong, so I will clarify that I share this story not to make fun, but to show that it is possible to find humor in all things and that doing so can make a rough situation less rough.
There was a group of special needs adults sitting behind us. There was one point during the show when some dancers were doing some rather amazing moves. Everyone in the audience was totally in awe, but this one lady behind us kept chuckling at all the wrong moments. Some people turned around, obviously annoyed, but we felt that if she thought something was funny we could too! We had paid good money for our seats and probably had a right to be annoyed, but we chose to chuckle along with her instead, albeit a bit quieter than she.
Thanks for the extra laughs, we had no idea the Nutcracker would be so entertaining!

Day 173: Quotes and Quips

2011-12-15T21:32:00.000-06:00

Aha:

I hope I'm one of the stable few.

Ha ha:
1. Many of you may know that my favorite restaurant is IHOP (classy, I know). Well, lately I've noticed a lot of coupons for IHOP in the mail. As I found another, I shouted up to Clinton, "I have IHOP coupons coming out the wazoo!" His response? "Well, you're not going to be able to hop too high with a problem like that!" Ha ha!

2. I was making, ahem, pancakes for dinner (and eggs and hash browns...I'm not a total pancake junky). Clinton came down just as I was flipping my last pancake and I don't remember exactly what I was saying, but I think I was complimenting myself on how well my dinner was turning out and said something like, "I'm really good at making..." right as I was saying this, I flipped my pancake and it landed on the edge of the pan. "Fudge!!" I cried. Clinton, always-on-his-toes-with-a-quick-quip-Clinton, responds, "Oh, fudge? I'd love if you made some fudge. You should make some tonight!"
He, of course, laughed at himself, and I laughed right along with him. :)

Day 172: Innkeepers and Landlords

2011-12-14T20:49:00.001-06:00

Aha:

Ha ha:
The other day I was getting ready for bed in the bathroom and heard the tub faucet running. This has been happening a lot lately so I shouted out to Clinton to please email our landlord so he'd know he was paying for wasted water. Thinking I was rather smart, I suggested, "It's probably just a washer that needs to be replaced." I noticed the pun right as I said it out loud and started laughing. "A washer in the tub! Get it?!" He didn't think it was as funny as I did, but probably only because he didn't think of it first. :)

Day 171: Cross your Teas and Dot Your I's

2011-12-13T21:39:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I made a bit of a mistake and scheduled an incompatible room for a rather important meeting for this upcoming Thursday. In my defense, this wouldn't have happened if we didn't get bumped from our regularly scheduled room by the Department Chair at the last minute, but that's a whole other rant that Dr. Forgetful will be addressing soon so this doesn't happen again. Anyway, fortunately this was caught today instead of the morning of, so there's yippee #1. #2, is that one of the only rooms available (which if I'm not mistaken was not available when I had to scheduled the incompatible room) was now open. #3 the A/V people for all 3 institutions were able to work out the teleconference in advance so no technical difficulties will/should occur. #4 yippee, and perhaps the best of them all, I was able to save face on this one and blame it on information I had been given by someone else. Turns out, they had given me the right info, but I had misunderstood--something I didn't realize till AFTER meeting with Dr. Forgetful and the A/V people. Few-ee!
(Just so you don't think poorly of me, I did admit this to the A/V guy and will tell Dr. Forgetful about it tomorrow, now that I've found a room and all is well. :)

Ha ha:
You know how most tea bags come with that tag and string attached to it? Well, I don't like how it gets soggy hanging off the side of my mug, so I usually tear the tag/string off. However, this time I went a little too slowly and ended up with...

Moral of the story: Tear quickly!

Day 170: Crazy

2011-12-12T21:35:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I feel so much better today. After several prayers and apologies I feel like I'm in control again and can conquer the pre-menstraul witch. I tend to struggle with my emotions around the arrival of Aunt Flo and this cycle has been no exception. But I am so grateful for my patient and understanding husband! He truly is the love of my forever and I am so thankful that he sees past my temporary bouts of crazy. :) Love you H.B.!

Ha ha:
The moment I saw Clinton this afternoon his first words to me were, "Are you feeling back to normal today?" Ha!!
Ya...my hormones have been that bad.

Day 169: Weaknesses

2011-12-11T21:22:00.001-06:00

Aha:
Our lesson in Relief Society was on making temples of our modern day prisons, in other words, turning the trials of our life that feel like prisons into opportunities for us to learn and grow closer to the Lord. The teacher played this clip by Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them. The whole clip was wonderful, but this is my absolute favorite part:
"To the individual who is weak in the heart, fearful in the heart--be patient with yourself. Perfection comes not in this life, but in the next life. Don't demand things that are unreasonable but demand of yourself improvement. As you let the Lord help you through that, He will make the difference."
I needed this reminder today and I need it now as I type. There are times in my life when I am so hard on myself and I doubt I'll ever become who I know I should be. I don't feel worthy of God's blessings because I'm nowhere near perfect. However, this quote has reminded me that I don't need to be perfect. I don't need to be so hard on myself when I doubt or struggle or don't understand why I'm going through my trials. I need to be patient with these weaknesses and focus on improving as best I can, and sometimes that might not seem like much, or enough...but the fact that I'm trying at all is what matters. I don't always know how to let the Lord help me through trials, but I am so grateful that if I'm trying, he'll make up the difference.

Ha ha:
There were some treats set out by the teacher after her lesson on the front table. She had made bags of white chocolate popcorn. I grabbed one bag and began munching while I visited with a friend. Without really looking, I grabbed another bag for Clinton before leaving the room. When I found him in the gym I told him I had a treat for him and reached into my purse for the bag of popcorn, but what I pulled out was a snickerdoodle instead! I must have had the most confused look on my face, because every bag that was on the table had popcorn in it. (A recipe for the popcorn was even sent out from a recap of the lesson.) I have no idea where that cookie came from...but I'm not really complaining. They are my favorite after all!
On a side note: Clinton did not get to keep the treat. Snickerdoodles are my weakness. My tasty, tasty weakness.

168: Wise Men and Not so Wise Men

2011-12-11T20:48:00.001-06:00

Aha:
As Clinton and I were driving home after getting McDonald's ice cream cones, we passed by a neighborhood church. Outside, walking along the sidewalk, were three wise men holding a map of some sort and pointing up at the sky. At first, I thought to sort of make fun that they were acting while no one was looking, but then I thought...I'm looking.
It really was a neat moment for me to see these men portraying the wise men on the corner of a busy street. They were out acting in the cold but appeared to truly be searching for the way to the Son of God. I have no idea if they were rehearsing or if that was their performance, but it affected me nonetheless. I needed that reminder to be earnestly seeking Jesus Christ.
There are signs all around that point to Him (especially at Christmas) but there are times when wisdom is required to find Him. Times of doubt, times of trial, times of loneliness, times of pain, times of pondering, and times of hopelessness. There is no physical map that leads to Jesus Christ but He is possible to find through prayer, scripture study, service and love.
I did not realize how desperately I needed to find Him until this brief glimpse into history on the corner of a busy road, but how grateful I am to have witnessed it for myself--three wise men actively seeking the new born babe.

Ha ha:
We went to dinner with some friends at the local Applebees. Now, I don't know about you, but I've never really thought they were known for superb service--and tonight was no exception. Anytime any of us asked a question our server had to check with someone else, or just didn't know the answer altogether. Sure, he may have been new, so we'll give him that, and he did refill our drinks regularly, but when our food was brought out to the table it wasn't our server that brought it. It must have been bussers or another server, but either way, they had no idea what was going on. This is literally what happened.
We see our food coming
The servers approach our table
They look at each other dumbfoundedly
We look at each other skeptically
One of the servers grabs a plate and looks at it with a confused look on their face
We start to say what we ordered, to help with delivery
The plate-distributing server mumbles in a bored, yet exasperated way, "I don't know where any of this goes!"
We exchange glances and desperately try to hold back the laughter

Another great date at Applebees. :)

Day 167: Dates

2011-12-10T22:33:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I have been so busy and have had hardly any time with Clinton, it seems. He was on call which means he could have been gone till the wee hours of Saturday morning. However, I said a little prayer that, if at all possible, he could come home early so we could have a date. I got a text at 5:38pm from him saying he was on his way home! Yippee!! (direct quote from my response to his text)

Ha ha:
The Intimidator was talking to my coworker about some scheduling issues. He wanted Dr. Simpatico to attend a conference one a date that would conflict with his clinical duties. She pointed this out and The Intimidator said, "Don't worry about it. We'll find coverage." Overhearing this I calmly replied, "Don't worry about it--I'll cover."
This got a pretty good laugh...even from The Intimidator!

Day 166: Christmastime is Here

2011-12-08T21:23:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I have been SO BUSY that I've hardly had time to enjoy this Christmas season. Yes, I know there is still a bit of time before the big man comes down the chimney, but when you long for Christmas like I do you want to soak in as much as possible while it's still in style. So tonight, while I made breakfast for dinner, I blasted Christmas songs from Pandora and my pancakes have never tasted better!
It felt so good to actually make some time to celebrate and sing along with Anne Murray, Elvis and The Bing. I even got to do some Christmas shopping online (not that I got anything, but the gift juices are flowing...that didn't sound right)! To top it all off, as I was coming back from the kitchen I happened to glance at my nativity scene and spotted the little baby Jesus. This quick sighting actually made me pause for a moment to think about Him. Amongst all the chaos of my busy week I stopped to think about the Son of God. What a wonderful little gift that was to me.

Ha ha:
I found this quote and thought it was hilarious!
I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.
Shirley Temple

Day 165: Toe the Line

2011-12-07T21:40:00.000-06:00

Aha:
My dad had a routine follow-up appointment today to observe the healing of a wound on his foot. I received a text from my mom stating that my dad was going in for emergency surgery and that I should pray for him and her. Of course, I began to immediately panic and worry about my dad's health and my mom's ability to cope with it all. I said a quick prayer and waited for more info.
Turns out my dad got an infection and it spread to the bones in his large toe and part of the foot, although at this point I don't know how much. His toe was amputated and there may have also been some of his foot removed as well. He'll be in the hospital for about a week to avoid any further chance of infection.
I guess the "aha" in this situation is that the infection was caught early enough before it spread further into his body or his bloodstream. This could have been really, REALLY serious, but I am so grateful for attentive doctors and good timing. I hope and pray that everything turns out well.
If you don't mind keeping my dad (and my mom) in your prayers I'd really appreciate it!

Ha ha:
My mom said that my dad meant to ask if he could take his toe home with him but didn't get a chance before the anesthetics kicked in (no pun intended). She asked why he'd want it and he jokingly replied, "So I can turn it into a necklace."
So grateful for a dad that can keep a healthy sense of humor in stressful times! Love you Dad!

Day 164: Eye'm Starting to Get It

2011-12-06T22:13:00.000-06:00

Aha:
There's a tradition here in the Midwest called "St. Nick". It is on the eve of December 5th that St. Nicholas visits the children and fills their stockings with treats. Well, my coworker brought that spirit into our office today and it was...a real treat! We were each given a stocking filled with candy and the counters had been festified!
Anyway, this got me thinking about this quote:
When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? ~G.K. Chesterton
I am so thankful to God for not only filling my stockings with legs, but for filling my life with so many wonderful people, a well-functioning body, my prosthetic lens (see Ha ha below), my job, my sense of humor, my testimony, my Savior and all the other many blessings He's made possible in my life. What a wonderful time of year this is, a time when I can more frequently be reminded of my blessings and a time when I can speak more frequently and hear others speak so reverently of Jesus Christ!

Ha ha:
Ran into a friend of ours tonight. We waved at him and my first thought was, we're on his blind side (he has a prosthetic lens too!) so he can't see us. Clinton shouted out to him and he turned towards us, and with a totally surprised look on his face said, "Oh hey! I didn't even see you, you were on my blind side." "I knew it!", I said. I guess it takes one to know one. Thanks for making me feel more "normal" Matt!

Day 163: Two Birds

2011-12-05T22:12:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I traveled back to Wisconsin today from my brief trip in Oregon. What a blessing it was to be able to go back home and fill up on hopefully enough hugs, kisses and laughter to last me till January! Each time I landed at an airport one of the stewardesses would welcome us to that particular city and then end with "Happy Holidays". This statement, usually so generic and overused, felt so right and good to me; I had just had a wonderful visit with my family, I was on my way back home to my husband and pup, and it made me think of The Reason for the Season as well. What a wonderful time of year--when people are so willing to wish others happiness! I think I'm going figure out a way to do this beyond the holidays without it sounding weird. Perhaps instead of "Have a good day", I can say "Hope your day finds you happy" or "Smile you later" or "Grin evening"...or perhaps sticking with "good day" is best and then I'll just finish with a big smile. :)

Ha ha:
I asked Clinton if there was anything funny from today that I could write on my blog and he jokingly threw his hand down, shook his head and said, "Uh-uh. This day was a bore."
I got my laugh. Killed two birds with one stone with one quick comment--Thank you, Honey!

Day 162: Below All Things

2011-12-05T21:51:00.000-06:00

Aha:
The lesson in Relief Society was on "The Condescension of Christ". The teacher asked why that was important to us and I replied with something that kinda surprised myself. I said that because of His humility in condescending below his power and ability to save himself, He provided the perfect example of how to love and serve others more than ourselves, in order to redeem mankind--it is now our turn to condescend below our own pride and love and serve our fellowman, in order to be like Christ.
It just was interesting to think about.

Ha ha:
My mom, sister, brother and I were visiting. As is not uncommon in our family, the topic soon turned to bathroom stories. Our sides were splitting as the stories progressed and the time passed (no pun intended). I'll share one quick one.
My parents used to have a pull chain toilet. Ya know, those ones you only see in the movies? Well, when I was about nine-years-old I used the bathroom (#1 only) and flushed the toilet. Anyway, someone must have #2'd prior to my visit and clogged the toilet. Well, unlike more modern toilets, this toilet had a serious flow of water, which was great when it was going down the toilet, but this time it came spilling rapidly OUT of the toilet and onto the floor where it then traveled down the floor vent into the bathroom and hallway below. It was like it all happened in slow motion but there was nothing I could do to stop it. Needless to say I totally panicked, ran downstairs to call my sister (who told me to turn off the water, something I'd not known to do), grabbed a bunch of towels and promptly started sopping up toilet water--upstairs and downstairs. I cleaned for what seemed like forever and refused to flush that toilet for the longest time!

Day 161: And What to my Wondering Eyes!

2011-12-04T16:35:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had a chance to sing with my mom and sisters at "The Festival of Nativities". Each of us girls sang a solo and then we sang a few songs all together. It felt so good to sing together again, and especially songs about Jesus' birth. Have a mentioned how much I LOVE Christmas? And when I get to combine my other love of--music--with Christmas?...awesome!!
What a treat it was for me to walk around the building and see all of the thousands of nativities there! I actually decided that nativities are my "new collectible" and have been slowly gaining them for the last couple years. I just love having that physical reminder of the reality of Christ's birth; how humble the circumstance but how beautiful too.

Ha ha:
My sister was working next to my two-year-old nephew at the kitchen sink. She was cleaning a cookie sheet and decided to bang it against the sink several times in a row to get off the excess water...and surprise him. I wasn't watching but heard her start laughing. I asked what was so funny and she told me to "watch Sammy". I got where I could see him and she did it again; each time she banged the pan, no matter how quickly, his eyelids blinked right in time with it. Who knew eyelids could flutter so insinctly? Too cute!

Day 160: Last Visit and Last Laugh with Grandma

2011-12-04T15:50:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had the opportunity to dress my grandma before her cremation. I was honestly nervous and didn't feel comfortable touching her so I asked if I could hold her clothes while everyone else moved her. However as we began dressing her I knew I would regret it if I chickened-out. I made myself touch her and it was a wonderful experience. I fully realized I was touching a body that no longer housed my grandma's spirit, but it was that body that even made it possible for me to know her spirit. It was a complete and total honor for me to dress her. I was able to hold her hands and stroke her hair, something I was unable to do before she died.
There was a wonderfully calm spirit in that room and I gained a strengthened testimony that our bodies truly are a holy temple for our spirits.
Again, how wonderful to have experienced this and how wonderful to know that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Grandma will again be reunited with her body, made perfect and whole.

Ha ha:
Before we went in to dress Grandma, my sister mentioned that although she wasn't nervous to dress Grandma, she would freak-out if Grandma sat up or burped (as has been known to happen). We kinda laughed and the care-taker overheard and said, "I do this stuff all the time, but if she were to sit up or burp I'd freak right out too!"

Day 159: Good Investments

2011-12-02T12:44:00.000-06:00

Aha:
My scripture reading last night randomly consisted of the prophesy of Christ's birth. I had had a very long day (had been up for about 22 hours) and thought about passing on my scriptures for the night, but I'm so glad I didn't. I only read a few versus, but it was such a peaceful experience to lay in my bed, snuggling my Grandma's mourning pup, and read about the miraculous event of His birth. The Earth even had to know how special He was to display so many signs of His coming. No light in the heavens could be kept from shining brightly the day the Light of the World came into it.
Reading such a wonderful account filled my heart with joy and I am so thankful that regardless of how tired I was, I picked up my scriptures anyway!

Ha ha:
I attending a very long, and oh-so boring seminar at work yesterday regarding investments. After two years of employment each employee is REQUIRED to participate in a mandatory retirement investment program (I'm bored just writing about this). Anyway, one of the representatives, from the FOUR companies that spoke, got up to give his schpeel and the moment he opened his mouth to speak, totally burped. It was a quieter one, but it was a burp nonetheless!
I'd like to say that hearing the burp made the 90 minutes of my time worth it, but sadly it did not. It was funny though.

158: From the Bottom of my Heart

2011-11-30T22:16:00.000-06:00

Aha:
First of all, thank you for your well wishes and prayers on my, and my family's behalf. We are so happy for Grandma and Grandpa and are moving in the right direction in having our happiness for them overpower our grief.
My "aha" for today came all throughout the day. I received many kind words from friends, a plane ride home to be with my family this weekend and a nice, relaxed evening with my husband (who was on call and very easily could have been kept at the hospital). These kind and tender mercies are a testimony to me that the Lord knows who I am and what I need. I am so thankful for Him!

Ha ha:
Last year we took Peter to Just Like Home Dog Hotel while we were away for Christmas. The owners were great and Peter actually slept on the couch with one of them. Too funny. Anyway, while we were gone I received this picture in my email. It warmed my little heart. I came across it today and thought I'd share it with you. Isn't he adorable?!

Day 157: Grandma Dearest

2011-11-30T18:08:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I'm not really sure how to write this but, I lost someone very near and dear to my little heart yesterday--my Grandma Conklin. She's been without my grandpa for six years and her body's been hurting for so long, so it's a good thing for her, but very sad for me. I have been writing her weekly for over three years and now I don't know what to do with all of my stamps I have left.
As I was mourning all evening, I kept thinking how if it weren't for the love of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for all mankind, I wouldn't be able to see her again. But fortunately for me, he DID come to this earth and loved us so much that I will see her again!
I will miss her like crazy but I am so happy that she is with my grandpa again and all of her other loved ones who've gone on before her.
I love you Grandma! You are an amazing lady and I'll see you later.

Ha ha:
You may think this in poor-taste, however my grandma would think it hilarious. In my last letter to her (Sunday) I included this joke.

Three men died and were taken by God to the top of a cliff. God said to them that since they had been such great outstanding citizens of Earth that they would be given one chance to become anything that they desired.

The first man ran to the edge of the cliff, jumped into the air and shouted, "I want to be an eagle." Instantly he was changed into an eagle and soared off into the sunset.

The second man ran to the edge of the cliff, jumped into the air and shouted, "I want to be an owl." Instantly he was changed into an owl and soared off into the sunset.

The third man ran towards the edge of the cliff, tripped on a rock, and shouted, "Oh crap ..." :)

Day 156: Deer Redeemer

2011-11-28T21:21:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves. ~Eric Sevareid

I came across this quote and thought it was great! I don't know if it refers to being more charitable and kind or if it's specifically referring to Christ, but because those kind of go hand-in-hand I thought this would be great to share. Not only is this quote a great reminder to be more selfless, it brought to my mind how Christ came to this earth for everyone besides himself. He is the Son of God, yet he was born in the most humble of circumstances; He is our Advocate with the Father, yet he was mocked and hated; He is the Savior of Mankind, yet he was crucified for our sakes. He lived a perfect, selfless life and He did it for everyone human who ever has or ever will live on this earth--that includes you and me! I am so grateful for Him and for His willingness to put aside His own desires and drink the bitter cup on my behalf.
I think I can try a little harder to emulate His love for others this Christmas season, and can hopefully carry it through the rest of the year too.

Ha ha:
Clinton told me that on his way home from work he saw our neighbor's Great Dane on the sidewalk and thought it was a deer, so he slowed down. I started laughing and he said, "What? It was dark outside!"
I thought it was hilarious!

Day 155: Lessons

2011-11-27T21:36:00.000-06:00

Aha:
1. My lesson went better than I could have hoped for. It was based off of a talk given in the April 2011 General Conference by Carl B. Pratt of the Seventy, titled "The Lord's Richest Blessings". The talk is about the blessings that come from paying our tithing. This was a great topic for me, because if I have a testimony of anything, it's of tithing. I had the opportunity to reflect on the blessings that have come into my life because of paying my tithing. Here are just a very few:
Employment, money to buy what we need, peace of mind, increased faith, trust in the Lord that if I do what He asks I'll be blessed, a good-working car, generosity of others towards us, an ability to help others, food storage, testimony and the necessities of life.
My list could go on and on.
2. Christmas moment: When I came home from choir practice this afternoon, Clinton had already turned on our Christmas lights (I love coming home to our decorations all being on). We have a string of stars in our front window and as I saw them gleaming, I couldn't help but think about the star that led the wise men to the baby Jesus. I loved realizing that I had a symbol of that star in my window and that my little stars are showing others that I'm a believer!

Ha ha:
I sent out a mass email to some members of my ward inquiring if anyone wanted to participate in the Christmas Sacrament program in a couple weeks. Moments after sending the text, I got a call from my sister's mother-in-law wanting to know what I was talking about. I told her I must have sent it by mistake and apologized. We laughed a moment and then she asked, "Who is this?" This time I laughed. I told her who I was and told her that even though I'd sent the request to her by mistake, it was still good if she'd like to travel cross-country to sing in our ward. She declined.

Day 154: Reflections, Reminders and Reviews

2011-11-26T21:08:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I set up our nativity today and lingered a little while on each character as I placed them "in there place" near the manger. I thought a little about what my role would have been and figured I'd probably have been among the shepherds; drawn to the boy after the appearance of a heavenly angel and amazed at the meager circumstances in which He was born, poor to the things of the world, but rich in faith to follow Him. I feel like I don't have much to offer, but I know He loves me and I would hope that, like the shepherds, I would sacrifice anything just to see Him.

Ha ha:
1. I got a text from a friend of mine in the ward asking me to teach her lesson in Primary tomorrow. It wasn't until she asked that I remembered I was supposed to teach in Relief Society tomorrow! I have never been so happy to have someone ask me to sub before! Phew! Potential crisis averted! Now, let's just hope and pray my lesson goes well!
2. Clinton and I had free movie tickets so we went to see Hugo in 3D. The movie was pretty long and didn't make much sense, but according to Clinton, the cinematography was great. Anyway, as I was getting restless in my seat a little girl down the row from us "whispered" to her mom, "Is this almost over?" It was hilarious because Clinton and I were thinking the same thing!

Day 153: What's in a Name?

2011-11-26T20:36:00.000-06:00

Aha:
We began decorating for my FAVORITE holiday last night! I LOVE Christmas! It was so great to open up my ornaments and to enjoy the sweet memories that came with each one. We've received some as gifts (one set was from our wedding), we given some to each other (including "Our First Christmas"), picked some out during our first Christmas and have acquired many more over the last 8 Christmases together. I love that this time of year opens so many hearts to think more of mankind than themselves. I love that I get to have reminders of Jesus all around me, all the time; whether it's a song on the radio, a nativity in a yard, or well wishes of "Merry Christmas!"
This is a wonderful time of year, and I'd like to make this Christmas more about Christ. I'm going to try and list something each day that has either reminded me of Him, has helped me to feel closer to Him, or has increased my testimony of His divinity. Feel free to leave your thoughts and hopefully we can each have a more meaningful Christmas together!

Ha ha:
For the last couple weeks Clinton noticed that one of the surgeons has been calling him "Clifton". While they were observing the resident complete a stitch, the surgeon began to tell the resident to do a certain type of stitch but the resident had forgotten how to do it. He turned to Clinton and said, "They forget so quickly, don't they Clifton? How quickly they forget." All "Clifton" could do was nod his head and say, "Yes." Ha!

Day 152: A Couple Things for Which I'm Thankful

2011-11-24T23:58:00.001-06:00

Aha:
I'm thankful I remembered at 11pm that I have to get out the door by 9:30am tomorrow to get my mustache waxed (no, this unfortunately is NOT Clinton writing...).
I should clarify...it's not really that bad, I just would prefer there be nothing there at all. :)

Ha ha:
If you have not had the pleasure of enjoying a Costco pumpkin pie, then I feel sad for you. I was introduced to them today and ate more than what would probably be considered "socially-acceptable". In fact, at 10:30pm I saw a piece sitting out and couldn't help but help myself to half of another piece. I feel so ashamed...and yet, so satisfied at the same time.
I can't wait to do it all again tomorrow!!

Day 151: Aha, and Then Some

2011-11-24T23:43:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had soooooo much to do at work yesterday and had no idea how I was going to possibly get it all done before the holiday. Fortunately for me, one of my coworkers was free to help--and help me she did. I enlisted her help on two major projects and because of her willingness to serve, I was able to leave at the end of the day feeling excited (and stress-free) for the Thanksgiving holiday! Thanks, Michelle!

Sorta Ha ha, but also sorta Aha:
One of my projects was a GIANT mailer. I had to merge a word document with an excel spreadsheet but I was having a really hard time figuring out how to do some reformatting. After about an hour of attempts I was literally making my last click to exit and accidentally clicked on something; the box that opened was EXACTLY what I had been looking for for the last hour! I cheered out loud and "raised the roof" (something I usually guffaw, but in this instance it seemed completely appropriate). What a miracle!...finding the box that is, not my roof-raising!

Day 150: So Close and Yet, So Far

2011-11-22T20:56:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had the nerve-wracking pleasure of escorting our new section chief around to meet other section chiefs all over campus today. I was so nervous that I wouldn't know what to say, or that I'd get lost (even though I mapped it all out yesterday), or that I'd mix up appointments--but everything went so smoothly! He is the nicest guy, I think I'll nickname him Dr. Simpatico! Anyway, he was very complimentary about some of the things I had prepared ahead of time for his meetings and said he was impressed I would "spoil" him so.
I had started out so nervous, but after just a couple of moments with him I felt like I'd known him for years and all my fears disappeared! I am so excited to work with him!

Ha ha:
1. While driving this evening, Clinton and I came up behind a car that had its left blinker on but was way over in the middle of our lane and about 10 feet back from the stop line. Clinton chuckled and said, "Man, what's with this?" I replied that they are probably just a typically-terrible Wisconsin driver. As I'm saying this the light turns green and the car started slowly creeping through the intersection. We both started laughing and while doing so I noticed a "Student Driver" sign on the top of the car and laughed even harder. I pointed it out to Clinton and he said, "You just noticed that?" I laughed even harder after realizing that's why he'd thought it was funny all along and I had been totally clueless!
2. Conversation between Clinton and I:
He to me: Keep your pantaloons in one piece.
Me: That's not how the saying goes.
He: That's how I say it.
Me: Well, you're saying it wrong, it's "Keep your panties from bunching".
He: That's not it either...it's "Don't get your panties in a bunch"; which come to think of it is a rather funny saying, don't you think?
Me: (laughing) Could you imagine what that might look like in tight pants?! (laughter)

Day 149: Confections and Confessions

2011-11-21T22:01:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I was trying to think of something from today and this little moment popped into my brain...
As Clinton and I were getting ready to purchase our groceries he asked, "Do we have enough sugar at home for the cranberry sauce?" I chuckled and said, "Um, yah; I've got about 300lbs in the basement. I think we can get away with not buying any today."
Yeehaw for food storage!!

Ha ha:
Total stranger did a double-take at me while walking down the hallway at work. She turned around for the 3rd time and said, "You look a lot like someone I used to work with. I had to look to make sure it wasn't her." To which I promptly replied, "She must be pretty cute then!" The great thing for me is she responded with "Yep!"
Either I just got a compliment or was hit on...I'm hoping for the first.

Day 148: Full of It

2011-11-20T22:28:00.001-06:00

Aha:
There was a talk given in church today that was based on the talk given by President Hinckley in the April 1978 General Conference, titled "Be Not Faithless". The speaker did a great job and I really enjoyed two thoughts she had and thought I'd write them here:
1. We need to have a lot more trust and do less worrying--knowing that the Lord will make the best choices for our family.
2. Unless we do what He teaches, we do not demonstrate faith in Him.
I don't really know what else I could add to these...other than they are totally applicable to my life and as I strive to abide by their counsel I feel peace and reassurance that the Lord knows me and loves me and will direct my steps down the path He would have me take. Even if I feel like I don't know where I'm going.

Ha ha:
Conversation between Clinton and I today...
He: You should go make some cookies.
Me: Nah, if you want some, why not make them together?
He: Never mind, I don't want them that bad.
Me: Alright.
He: No, you should make some and I'll bake them.
Me: Alright.
He: No, I don't need cookies, never mind.
Me: Alright.
He: (comes out into the kitchen and starts pulling out dishes)
Me: What are you doing?
He: Making cookies.
Me: You are bipolar with your cookie-baking decisions.
He: Yeah.
Me: You're washing the dishes from making them, right?
He: No, I made dinner, so it's you're turn.
Me: Putting tin foil on cookie sheets and pouring frozen fish sticks and french fries on them does not constitute "making dinner".
He: It's more than you did.
Me: What? I washed the dishes that were already in the sink, turned on the oven and washed dinner dishes. You wash them.
He: (laughing) You turned on the oven? Wowee! (laughter)
Me: (trying to defend myself, but not getting anywhere)...(laughter)

Ya know, reading this over...I think I did end up with the short end of the stick! That punk! I'll get him next time!

Day 147: Puffed Up

2011-11-20T14:35:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Clinton was off of work by the time I got home from the Relief Society activity around 1:30pm. I was super excited to have the afternoon with him, but quickly became disappointed when he fell asleep on the couch shortly after I arrived. He eventually moved upstairs, leaving me alone to wallow. However, the Lord blessed me. Instead of becoming upset that Clinton had "ruined" my day by sleeping away time we could have had together, I thoroughly enjoyed the time we did have once he woke up. I had a little moment to reflect and decide if I wanted to be upset and ruin the time we had so I could get an apology (even one that wasn't necessarily deserved), or I could let him sleep and just really enjoy him later in the day. The latter was decided and I am oh-so-glad! We had a great little date night.

Ha ha:
As I was unloading my crockpot from the backseat of my car my friend, who was riding in the back, asked if the bag of Peanut Puffs was supposed to go with my soup. A little too quickly, and forcefully, I shouted, "No! Those are mine!!!"
I guess this won't be too funny to people who haven't enjoyed the peanut-y goodness of Peanut Puffs, but if you could imagine having to share your last bite of cake with your significant other when you REALLY wanted it for yourself. That's what sharing Peanut Puffs is like. Ya get me?

Day 146: Cars

2011-11-19T14:16:00.000-06:00

Aha:
My friend's car was stolen and she was having a pretty rough day. I went and bought the chocolaty-ist ice cream I could find and we visited for about 2 hours. I went there hoping to help her feel better, but I'm the one who came away totally uplifted! We barely talked about her car (which, thankfully was found and will only need a few repairs) but it was so nice to just visit about a bunch of random things!
I'm sure it would be wrong to say it, but if anything, her stolen car brought us closer! Glad all is well Emily!

Ha ha:
As we were waiting to leave the Taco Bell parking lot (I know, you're jealous of our date nights), the car coming through the drive-thru just started honking like crazy at us! It's not like we could move anywhere! Anyway, I turn to look at the driver (it was dark outside) and he's got his arms thrown up in the air like, "Would you move your car?!" I'm glaring back at him; Clinton's saying, "Sheesh, it's not like we can go anywhere, could you just wait?"; and they continue honking. I can see that the passenger is laughing...I strain a little further and I can see that it's our friends! Those punks! We had a good laugh about it--us because of how totally appalled we had been at these "rude people", and they because I apparently looked totally P.O.'d. Oh, what fun!

Day 145: One-Liners

2011-11-17T22:02:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I was having a conversation with someone that turned gossipy very quickly. Even though I did not get out of it right away, the spirit helped me recognize where the conversation was headed and I said some quick, positive, comments to veer it another way. It didn't work perfectly, and I could have done more to change the subject, but I am grateful for this learning experience and will hopefully be better prepared to end it the next time this happens!

Ha ha:
1. I don't remember why, but my coworker asked what color my pee was, just as our phone tech approached my desk.
2. One of our psychologists entered the room right as I stated, "Oh, Oprah doesn't know anything!"
3. During a conversation about how Clinton looks a lot like Harry Potter, I said the following:
"Yeah, but when he took his shirt off I was like, gross!...Harry Potter, not Clinton!"

Day 144: L.O.L.

2011-11-16T22:20:00.000-06:00

Aha:
The Lord has blessed me with an ability to notice lots of funny things in the last couple days. Laughter is the best medicine!!
If you need some laughs, feel free to join me by reading on!

Ha ha:
1. I answered the phone at work today and there was a call for one of our brain tumor specialists.
Caller: Hi is Dr. So-and-so there?
Me: No actually; he's got brain tumor clinic.
Caller: What?!
Me: It's Wednesday, he's in brain tumor clinic.
Caller: Oh, my gosh! I didn't hear you say "clinic" and here I was thinking the worst! Oh, my gosh! I'm so glad to hear he's okay and well! Oh, my gosh!
Me: (laughing) That is too funny! (laughter)
Caller: (laughter) If he's alive and well, just let him know I called then. (laughter)
2. Our new section chief came through the office yesterday. He passed by my desk, and pointed at me with a quizzical look on his face, like he was trying to remember something. Don't ask me why, but I thought he was making reference to the last time he had come through and I gave him some dark chocolate after hearing he liked it...anyway, when nothing came out of his mouth I shouted, "dark chocolate!" To which he said, "Danielle". I guess he was just trying to remember my name.
3. Last night before falling asleep I realized my phone wasn't by me. I got out of bed and headed downstairs to see if I'd left it in the kitchen. When I couldn't easily see it I thought I might have left it in the car. Not wanting to go all the way back upstairs to get my robe, I slipped my coat over my upper half, threw on some shoes and was totally prepared to go outside in, basically, my underwear and some shoes. Luckily, I felt my phone in my coat pocket and didn't have to go outside. As I was taking off my coat and shoes I laughed out loud at how that would have looked if anyone saw me, and cried a little when I realized how lazy I was that I'd rather go outside in my underwear than walk upstairs to put on some clothes!

Day 143: Visiting Teacher

2011-11-15T21:56:00.002-06:00

Aha:
I got to have a wonderful visit with my visiting teacher today. It was nice to get to know her better and to feel the love and care she has for me. Without realizing it, an hour passed before she looked down and said, "Well, I guess I could give you the lesson now". :)
I think this is one of the very few times I've really felt "visited" and I know the Lord sent just the right person my way.

Ha ha:
During my visit with my visiting teacher she asked how things were progressing with the adoption and I filled her in on everything we've experienced so far, but finished by saying that although the road is a very long one, we feel that the Lord is in control and all things will happen in His own time. We continued to chat and she asked if she could share a lesson, to which I obliged. Anyway, her lesson was from a conference talk on the Abrahamic Covenant by Russell M. Nelson. She was listing some of the blessings involved with this covenant and when she got to, "Certain lands would be inherited by his posterity", she paused and said, "Wow, to think that that is still waiting to be fulfilled after all those thousands of years!" I nodded and then she sheepishly said, "Oh, that's not something you probably want to hear when you're waiting on the Lord's time for adoption!"
We both busted up laughing!

Day 142: Holy Flip!

2011-11-14T22:00:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I rarely drive to work since I live so close to it, but when I do drive I always make an "illegal" turn into the parking lot to avoid traffic on campus. Today, as I was getting ready to turn, I looked up at the last second and saw a cop sitting about 25 feet in front of me (facing my way), just beyond where I was about to turn. I quickly flipped on my blinker and went back into traffic--avoiding what would have been an inevitable ticket.
I'm not saying I will stop making that turn (it literally saves about 3-5 minutes), but I will always make sure there're no coppers waiting to nab me! So thankful I took that extra second to survey the scene!!!

Ha ha:
Mormons have the funniest "curse" words. Tonight, while Clinton was playing a game I overheard him say, "Aw, flip!" Then a second later, "Flim, flam, flip!"
So much better than the alternative!! Although, sometimes a good ol' fashioned "hell" or "damn" is totally appropriate!

Day 141: "Personal" Revelation

2011-11-13T22:07:00.000-06:00

Aha:
The topic in Sacrament Meeting today was on prayer. One of the speakers referenced "prayer" from the Bible Dictionary.
As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7–11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.
I thought the part about making our prayers a correspondence with God in order to make our will match His for us, was brilliant. I knew this of course, but the reminder was what I needed to hear today.

Ha ha:
I wore a dress today that has a tendency to be a bit static-y. Anyway, I used the restroom and just as I was about to walk out of my stall I happened to notice something just didn't feel quite right. I felt around my bum and my skirt was totally balled up around my rump. Eesh! I am so glad I paid attention to that little moment of discomfort; it saved me from a moment of BIG discomfort!!

Day 140: Mulling it Over

2011-11-12T22:22:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I am grateful the Lord has placed wonderful people in my life. I am thankful that I have friends and family that love me and accept me regardless of my flaws.
I had a wonderful conversation with a friend of mine tonight that really made me realize that friendships last and grow when honesty, empathy and love abound. I feel so blessed to have such friends and confidants in my life.

Ha ha:
Clinton and I went to the outlet mall today to get into the Christmas spirit. While I was waiting for him to pick me up I saw the mullet of all mullets and snapped a pic before it sprouted legs and ran away...

(shudder)

Day 139: Time Flies

2011-11-11T21:51:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Work hours passed at a wonderfully-quick pace today. Before I knew it, it was time to get the heck outta there!
I don't think I need to point out the Lord's gracious hand in my day today! ;)

Ha ha:
I had the evening to myself (Clinton's on call) and what did I do to "celebrate" my alone time? I got Subway for dinner, ate some Peanut Puffs, watched some random t.v. and was on Pinterest for about 2 hours. Eesh. I should have at least exercised or something!
I did find some winter boots to buy though and will make a trip to the mall tomorrow to try them on before I buy online, so it's not like I totally wasted an evening, right? Right?!

Day 138: P.D.A.

2011-11-10T22:17:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Clinton brought me a giant fountain drink from Speedway at work today! It was such a "sweet" gesture (yes, I asked him to, but hey, it was still nice of him to go out of his way to do it) and I loved getting a quick kiss in the middle of my work day!

Ha ha:
We (Clinton, Peter and I) were laying in bed, Peter was in between us. Clinton turned towards Peter and said, "Oh, wook at his wittle ea-ohs." and promptly started rubbing his ears and snuggling him. I started to say something back and he interrupted me with, "Don't look at us. You've always been jealous of our love."
What a weirdo...oh, who'm I kidding?? I do the exact same thing...proudly! :)

Day 137: A Couple Adjustments

2011-11-09T22:04:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I don't think I'd usually say I was glad the Country Music Awards took over my t.v. shows for the evening (in fact, I never would cause I don't like country music), but tonight I was! Instead of sitting on my rump doing the t.v. zombie-stare, I got up and got so much cleaning and sorting done instead! I feel so much better!!

Ha ha:
I was walking down the hall at work today and there was a man walking about 15 feet in front of me. I saw him start to shift a little as he walked and then IT happened...he "adjusted" himself, mid-stride! I really hate seeing that and couldn't help but get a really grossed-out look on my face. I then realized what my face might look like to other people and promptly started laughing to myself. Then I realized that my laughing to myself probably made me look like the crazy person walking down the hallway and that made me chuckle even more.

Day 136: It's All About Timing

2011-11-08T21:57:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Right when I was feeling a bit burnt out from my work day, I got a visitor. This visitor comes by often, but today her timing was perfect and her smiling face was just what I needed!
Maybe I can pay it forward and be that ray of sunshine for someone else. :)

Ha ha:
I swallowed my water down the wrong pipe today right as The Intimidator was passing by. As I began coughing, he asked me what was so funny (I wasn't laughing). Through wracking coughs, I explained what had happened and he chuckled as he went out the door.
As I replayed that brief situation in my mind, just moments after he left, I got the giggles so bad I was choking back hacking laughs. I was choking, explaining to an MD what happened, while trying not to sound or look like I was choking! Oh, the imagery! :)

Day 135: Carrying a Load and Dropping a Load

2011-11-07T22:07:00.000-06:00

Aha:
The Lord has placed wonderful friends in my life. I have one such friend, who lives way too far away from me, and even though she is going through a really terrible trial, she has still found room in her heart to give me words of encouragement and hope. The Lord truly is mindful of us and even when our burdens may not be removed from our backs, He blesses us with people who can help carry the load.
You are such a wonderful example and I will love you forever. Always have, always will!

Ha ha:
Whilst watching The Sing-Off, Clinton came back in from taking Stinky-McGee (aka, Peter) outside. He started to say something to me but I was trying to listen to my show and shushed him instead. Later, at the commercial when Peter continued to make the room stink, I turned to Clinton and asked if Peter went poo when he took him out. He replied, "I told you he didn't go just a few minutes ago. Weren't you listening?" I kinda chuckled and said, "No. I was busy shushing you so I could hear my show."

Day 134: Feeling Lighter

2011-11-06T21:25:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I am always a little more thankful this time of year and when I woke up this morning, I remembered why: Daylight Savings. :)

Ha ha:
Peter kept crying this evening and we couldn't figure out what he wanted. We found toys he'd been missing, played with said toys, gave him food and water and took him potty. Nothing seemed to suffice. I was playing with him on the floor and the cries continued till Clinton asked, "When was the last time he went poo?" Right at that moment, Petey turned around and stared intently at Clinton, as if to say, "You said the magic word!" We took him outside and he was happy ever after!!

Day 133: When I Say "Girls' Trip", You Say "Chicago!"

2011-11-06T11:26:00.000-06:00

Aha:
My girlfriends and I went to Chicago yesterday. We knew the trip was going to be costly, but we wanted to make a day of it anyway! Well, we parked at a garage that said the daily price was $40(!) but figured that splitting it wouldn't be that bad. Anyway, at the end of the day, we swiped out ticket to pay and the bill came out to $14!!!!!! We thought there was maybe a mistake, or perhaps there's a discount on weekends or something. But either way, we each did a little jig while we paid the $3.50 for parking.

Ha ha:
We had a great time yesterday!! We started out at Portillos for some Chicago-style hot dogs (amazing!).

The restaurant was filled with memorabilia from Chicago's history.

Next, we went to Navy Pier

And rode the Ferris Wheel

View of the Pier from the Ferris Wheel

We also rode the swings and thought they'd be "way fun" until we all felt pretty queasy at the end. (pics soon to follow)

After The Pier we walked over to Millennium Park and saw the "famous bean". I can't believe the crowds there. What kind of people flock to a metal thing in the middle of the city? Oh, I guess we do.

After the bean extravaganza, we stopped and rested for a few minutes beneath these amazing trees to enjoy our Chicago-blend Garrett's Popcorn. Um....YUMMY!!!!!

We shopped on the Magnificent Mile for about an hour or so and then stopped for dinner at my favorite Chicago deep-dish pizza place, Due's. I ate all of it!

Aside from getting a little lost on the way home, getting "Hello Ladies" from several groups of passing men, feeling like old ladies from our tired feet and aching backs, we had an AMAZING time together!! Thanks ladies!! Time to start planning our trip to NY next spring! :)

Day 132: Chocolate Can Cure Anything...Except Root Canals

2011-11-06T10:55:00.000-06:00

Aha:
So, this happened on Thursday after I had already written my blog, so I'm including it today.
I have wonderful, intuitive and giving friends.
A friend of mine asked if I was going to go with her to Chicago this weekend and I said that I hoped to, but since I'd been a little under the weather, I wasn't sure. Next thing I know, she's calling me and asking me to come to the door. That girl had brought me a chocolate-dipped ice cream cone from McDonalds! She said, "I know these always make me feel better!"
And you know what? It made me feel better too! Thanks for lifting my spirits Jenn!

Ha ha:
I had yet to add some pictures from my Portland trip and thought now would be a good time.

Here I am getting my root canal. Don't I look happy? (Truth be told, I was trying to smile.) I was curious what it looked like to have a rubber dam in my mouth and now I (and you) know.

Here I am just moments after having it completed. I too was trying to smile here. :/

While living in Portland I never made it to Voodoo Doughnuts, so I told my mom and sisters I wanted to go. Here is their display case.

Here's the menu, I got the Old Fashioned Glaze and the Old Dirty Bastard (raised doughnut with frosting, crushed oreos and peanut butter and chocolate syrup...yum).

Here are some pics from my flight back. In these next three, you can see three mountains within the frame.

Day 131: Head in the Cl-OW-ds

2011-11-03T18:31:00.000-05:00

Aha:
Sometimes just seeing one of these is reminder enough that the Lord is real and capable of accomplishing anything!

Ha ha:
I don't know about you other women out there, but when my Aunt Flo comes for a visit, she really makes me wish I didn't have a uterus. I tell you, the cramps are real killers!
My coworker asked if I wanted her to step really hard on my toe so my cramps didn't seem as bad. I told her I'd prefer it if she could just punch me as hard as she could in my uterus. She laughed, but I wasn't joking.
Later, as she was leaving for the day, she said (in a perfectly sincere, but struck me in a funny, way), "Well, I hope your uterus feels better!"
Ha!...but seriously, me too.

Day 130: My Outlook on Outlook

2011-11-02T20:56:00.000-05:00

Aha:
As I was getting ready to walk out the door from work, I happened to glance up at my computer screen; I saw that there was one task I HAD to do before tomorrow morning. I quickly did what I needed to do and left knowing I'd finished everything I was supposed to do today!
I'm so thankful for that extra glance...it saved me a lot of stress and worry!!

Ha ha:
A couple of backward situations from today...
I was trying to show a coworker how to use a meeting tool in Outlook. I meant to say, "You can click here and invite attendees". What I actually said was, "You can click here and add invitees". I guess it's still sorta accurate, but it sounded pretty funny.
Every week I send an updated calendar to the HOT (Hematology/Oncology/Transplant) clinic secretaries. I have a distribution list for them and all I have to do is begin to type "HOT" into the 'To:' field of an email and it pulls them all up. Well, I had Office 2010 installed on my computer last night and I guess that it was somehow programmed to insert distribution lists alphabetically.
So today, when I began to type "HOT" it inserted "HOT Leadership Group" instead of "HOT Secretaries". I sent the email without noticing.
Later in the day I received an email from The Intimidator asking why I'd sent them and my old boss, copies of the calendar. I was baffled. Anyway, I figured it all out and sent him (and everyone else) a brief explanation of what happened as well as an apology.
A little later The Intimidator came by my desk and said chuckling, "Thanks for the explanation. That makes so much more sense!"

Day 129: A Sip of Heaven

2011-11-02T19:26:00.000-05:00

Aha:
Plain and simple, I got to come home and sit on the couch and do NOTHING for about 2 hours. Heaven! (said in a sing-songy voice)

Ha ha:
We went to RR with some friends for dinner last night. They reminded me of something that happened on a previous date of ours to RR.
As many of you know, whenever I go out to eat I end up drinking at least 4 glasses of whatever I'm drinking. On this particular occasion, during one of my last requests for a refill, our waitress brought out my drink; as she was about to set it down it began to slip from her hand. Fortunately, she caught it by sticking her finger down into the cup. As she straightened the glass back up, she flicked the liquid from her finger back into the glass...every last drop. She apologized for the slight spill and left to go get me a new glass. Or, at least that's what we all figured she was doing, ya know, after she'd stuck her finger in my cup and then flicked the remnants back into the glass.
But she never did.
Gross. I guess that's okay though, because my thirst was suddenly gone anyway.

Day 128: Halloween Treat

2011-10-31T21:10:00.000-05:00

Aha:

Clinton took his shelf exam for his medicine rotation today, and although he won't receive his scores for another 4 weeks, we took the time today to celebrate!!!! He picked me up from work and we headed to the mall while Petey got groomed. We walked around for a bit and then went to RR for dinner. It was a nice and relaxed afternoon and I loved being with my husband when he wasn't stressed! Yippee!!

Ha ha:
As many of you may know...it's Halloween today. Even though all of my coworkers were going to wear costumes, I was the lone ranger, well, no I wasn't, but I was the only one who wore a costume. And I wear a costume I did...
I introduce you to "Miss Led".

I am a beauty pageant reject that was "misled" into thinking she was good enough to compete with the actual beauty pageant beauties.

I dunno...perhaps this is only a face a mother could love...?

Day 127: Ring a Bell?

2011-10-30T18:39:00.000-05:00

Aha:
Last night I set my alarm for 7am because I had to be to church by 810am for choir practice. Well, at 738 I woke up and realized (very quickly) that my alarm had been set for PM and I WAY overslept! Needless to say, I jumped out of bed, threw in my eyes, threw on some clothes and make-up, poured a big bowl of cereal and literally ran out the door in less than 15 minutes. Even though I hit half of the lights on the way to church, I managed to only be 5 minutes late (not even speeding really).
With all of the chaos of the morning rush, I was nervous about how everything else would go. However, the choir all arrived on time and our practice went wonderfully and the performance was great! They sang Jesus the Very Thought of Thee right before testimonies and the spirit was welcomed with open arms!
I received lots of compliments on behalf of the choir and I am so thankful that everything sounded so wonderful!

Ha ha:
My friend and I went visiting teaching this afternoon and saw our 80-year-old friend. When we very first got there she asked us to take a seat on the couch while she finished her tea in the kitchen. My friend and I sat down and our visit-ee shouted from the kitchen, "Does her hat fit alright?" We were both confused so she clarified, "Does your baby's hat fit alright?" My friend said it did, and then quietly said to me, "What hat?"
It then registered that our 80-year-old friend had given me an outfit she'd crocheted for my friend's new baby and asked me to give to her several weeks ago. I had totally forgotten to give it to her! Whoops! I quickly told her what it was and she said, loud enough for our friend to hear in the kitchen, "Oh, yes. Thank you!"
Crap! Fortunately we had a good laugh over it, but now I gotta find where I left that bag...Ha ha!

Day 126: Some Stories from My Life

2011-10-30T12:03:00.000-05:00

Aha:
I went out to lunch yesterday with a friend of mine (yes, it was IHOP). While we were there we somehow got onto the topic of the Atonement. I never thought I would say I've born my testimony of the Atonement in an IHOP, but I guess that place is as holy a place as any (to me ;) to do so.
Anyway, we were reflecting on hard times in our lives and I shared with her my most difficult times. I talked about how once I was literally able to give all of my heartache and frustrations and fears to the Lord, and allowed myself to trust in his power to hear and heal me--I was finally "set free" from my burden. I knew the Savior had suffered specifically for me and that he truly knew what I was feeling and that through His power I was healed.
Beside sharing all of this over pancakes and eggs, it was a really neat experience for me to realize how far I really have come. I still experience hard times (and will through the rest of my life, we all will) but I feel like a better person after having experienced everything I have thus far.
I am so very, very far from where I should and could be, but I feel like I'm also so very, very far from where I used to be; and really, I think that's something the Lord knows and is proud of too.

Ha ha:
Clinton and I were getting ready to fall asleep on Friday night. Right before doing so, Clinton started reading this website (I don't know what it is) that contains clever titles with could-be real names that match the title...for example:
Irish Landscaping, by Moses O'Lahn (aka-Mows his own lawn)
Anyway, we then started thinking of our own and were awake for the next 45 minutes coming up with others. Here's our list and we'd love to hear what you come up with...

Self Defense, by Iva Gunn
Humility, by Ida Best
How to Lose Weight, by E. Tless
Accomplish Something, by Moe T. Vation
Life as a Police Officer, by Kellin Rob Burz
My Husband's Promises, by Sadie Wood
My Wife's Promises, by Hugh Wish
French Women, by Harry Pitts
Three Strikes, by Hugh Route
My Ex-Wife, by Terry Bull Scank
The Family, by Dale. E. Feights
The Hernia Check, by Turner, Head & Kauff
Counting Made Simple, by Wanda Tin

So fun! Ha ha!

Day 125: Ah, Nuts! I Wish I'd Seen That!

2011-10-28T22:07:00.000-05:00

Aha:
I am grateful for the Lord's hand in my life in providing me the job I have. I have great medical benefits and got to enjoy those a little today. I got a new pair of custom orthodics for $40 (usually around $350!)!! I'm still getting used to them, but I can already tell they'll do wonders for my wittle feetsies!! :)

Another thing, my favorite snack (Peanut Puffs) came out while I was in Oregon last week and I was devastated to discover I had missed out. Well, I drove over ALDI tonight to pick up some groceries and saw they still had about 15 bags left!! I bought six of 'em (I'm gonna wish I'd bought more, but felt kinda embarrassed with six) and have already eaten almost half of a bag. They are so delightfully wonderful!!! I usually dislike grocery shopping very much, but this time was a pure PLEASURE! I literally squealed out loud when I saw them, got jittery in line knowing they'd soon be mine and ran to my car so I could jump in and indulge! Oh, Peanut Puffs how I have missed you!!

Ha ha:
So, yesterday afternoon I had to make my afternoon run to the corporate office. On my way there, I made a quick stop at the Medical Staff Offices to drop off some papers and noticed they had fun-size Crunch bars...so, I indulged.
Whilst still munching, I made another stop in the clinic and discussed the schedule with 3 of the secretaries. After that, I went over to the corporate office, spoke with 3 different people there (including someone I was introduced to for the first time), passed lots of people in the hallways, and then came back to my office--where I again saw a few different people.
Anyway, why do I tell you all this? Well, because after interacting with all those people I made a quick trip to the restroom. After doing my business, I began washing my hands (as all clean people do) and looked up into the mirror only to find a giant chunk of chocolate on my lip!! What the?? Why didn't anyone of those people say anything? And to think I was introduced to someone looking like a candy-stealing 4-year-old!
Ha ha! Oh well.

Day 124: Always Read the Signs Thoroughly

2011-10-27T20:47:00.000-05:00

Aha:
I went to the grocery store to buy some medicine. When I rang it up, it was a dollar extra than was posted. Anyway, I had the checker come look at it and she said I was right. While she was working on figuring it all out, I happened to see a little sign that said, "Free if wrong price is rung up". I asked her what this meant and she said that if they overcharge a customer, then whatever the difference was is now payable to the customer. I asked if that applied to this purchase, and sure enough, I got handed a crisp $1 bill! (I think the item should have been free, but I was really hungry and just wanted to get home, so I thought the dollar was a good enough deal, but you can bet I'll be asking about it the next time I go to the store). :)

Ha ha:

Here's why you shouldn't leave a bag of open Skittles in your purse...

And here's a guy I'm guessing will be dressing up as Dracula this year...

Don't get it? Read his last name... :)

Day 123: A Few Things I Heart

2011-10-26T21:21:00.001-05:00

Aha:
The Lord has placed wonderful, caring friends in my life. I've had two instances today where friends have stopped what they were doing to check on me. I feel very loved and supported! Thank you friends for being there for me!! :) Love you!

Ha ha:
In Clinton's presence, I told Peter I loved him.
C: You shouldn't do that.
Me: Why's that?
C: He'll break your heart.

Day 122: The Sweets in my Life

2011-10-25T19:46:00.000-05:00

Aha:
I am grateful for my Honey Bunny! I had a bit of a rough day and came home a little blue. He stopped studying and visited with me until I felt better. I'm so thankful for his thoughtfulness, love and support. I hope I can come close to being as good for him as he is for me!
Thank you, Honey! I love you so much!

Ha ha:
I was enjoying one of my sister-in-law's pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes whilst sitting next to Peter on the floor. Well, Peter is a mooch and was watching for any possibility of a crumb that may happen to tumble his way. Sure enough, a larger than normal chunk fell and before I could reach for it, he'd swallowed it whole.
Jen, not only are the cupcakes unbelievably delicious to humans...but dogs love them too!

Day 121: Goodbyes and Hellos

2011-10-24T21:20:00.000-05:00

Aha:
I flew back home today after a nice (but oh so short) visit to see my family. My flights were uneventful and I made it back to my home safely.
It makes me sad to realize that I won't be able to see my family again for a little while, but I am so thankful for modern technology that makes it so simple to keep in touch. I have been so blessed with family members (parents, siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews) that make my life so full of joy! Even though I don't live close to any of them I feel their influence in my life each day. Their prayers for me and my little family are felt through the miles, and I thank the Lord for them each day.
Thank you family for making me laugh and feel so loved these last few days. I'll see you again in January!

Ha ha:
When Peter gets excited he has to poo. So, when I got home, after being gone for 5 days, Peter ran up to me and was panting and jumping in excitement. I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk (yes, I talk to my dog) and he ran circles all around me--his way of saying, "Heck yes I wanna go for a walk!" As soon as I took him out he pooped. We then walked down the driveway and he pooped again. We turned the corner into the next neighborhood and again, he pooped. We walked another few minutes before he started circling again to (again) poop. First walk with Mommy after she's been gone for 5 days and 4 poops. I think Peter was happy to see me! :)

Day 120: Burdens and Gravity: Both Make You Fall, Only One Can Lift You Back Up

2011-10-24T18:25:00.000-05:00

Aha:
I got to sing in church with my mom and sisters again! It's been quite a while, but it was so nice to sing together again!!
In my mom's ward, the topic was on faith in trials, or at least, that's what I got out of it. There was one speaker who said something that really struck a chord with me. He said something to the effect of, "The Lord will help us through our trials but in order to feel our burdens lifted, we must first submit to His will cheerfully. Until we can accept His plan for us we will be stuck in despair, fear, anger, self-pity, hopelessness or any other feeling we typically associate with trials. However, when we are able to trust Him and acknowledge that He knows best, our burdens will be made bearable and we can experience joy."
I LOVED this. It has been interesting to see this happening in my life. I know the Lord has a plan for me and the more I reflect on that, the easier it is for me to accept "whatever happens" in my life. And not only do I accept it, but I am able to do so with a relatively happy heart because I know that the Lord is mindful of me!

Ha ha:
My family gathered together for Canadian Thanksgiving. We were enjoying our meal by the stairs that lead to the basement. My niece got up to get something and started to go down the stairs but slipped on one of the first few steps and caught herself on the handrail. We all turned to make sure she was alright (she was) and she said, "I thought I had the rail." Her mom said, "You thought you had a tail?"
The visual of it all was too much! We had all seen her start to fall and the way she fell looked like she looked back in surprise at something. So, we all laughed at the idea of her looking back, thinking she sees a tail on herself and then falling down the stairs in shock. I don't know if you can envision it or not, but it was a hilarious thought; someone falling down the stairs out of shock in thinking they've discovered a tail on themselves! Oh, dear. We laughed so hard, my niece included.

Day 119: Show-Off and Show-Down

2011-10-24T17:58:00.000-05:00

Aha:
It's Primary Program time again! This time I got to hear my four-year-old niece recite her part. She quoted, "2nd Nephi 32 verse 3 says,
Wherefore, I said unto you, ^bfeast upon the ^cwords of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will ^dtell you all things what ye should do."
She was so proud to share her scripture with me, and her smile was completely contagious! I love seeing her love for the scriptures! This was a sweet moment for me to feel the power of the scriptures and to be reminded that they are there for my learning. Thank you for that lesson, MJ!

Ha ha:
One of my nephews is two. He is the smiliest little boy. All you have to do is look at him and he smiles. Super cute. Well, seeing as how is two and a boy, he's also very much into boy things, like, guns and shooting. Apparently his new thing is to put his two little hands into gun shapes, point them at his human target and growl out a low, "Die, die!" sound in place of the typical gun sounds. He thought this was a great game to play with Aunt Dani and would laugh and laugh every time I played dead. Ya know, I'm kinda second-guessing my choice to think this was funny...

Day 118: Where There's Dope, There's Hope :)

2011-10-21T22:37:00.000-05:00

Aha:
I woke up early this morning cause I couldn't sleep, on account of the fear of going to the dentist. Well, I took half of a valium and by the time I got to the office, I was pretty loopy. Needless to say, this dental experience was MUCH better than in the past. I was pretty calm all throughout and am ever so thankful for modern medicine!! My tooth is (so far) FINALLY feeling better!! I took a giant drink of ice water for the first time in six months without cringing in pain! Yippee!!!

Ha ha:
My niece came into the dental office while I was in the chair...sorta out of it. I also had a rubber dam in my mouth to isolate the tooth being worked on, I looked pretty creepy. Anyway, she was a little leary of me. ***
My niece is mortified of getting a cavity (what with her daddy being a dentist and all). She insists that her teeth get brushed every night before bed and is convinced that missing just once will result in a cavity.
***
After they left, she got in the car and, in a panicky voice, asked her mom, "Mommy, on which night did Aunt Dani get a cavity?!"
Ha ha!

Days 116 & 117: I Love My Family

2011-10-20T21:38:00.000-05:00

Aha:
Well, as I said yesterday, I am home for a brief visit with my fam-a-lam. My trip has been wonderful so far!
Yesterday, I got to surprise my niece and nephew by picking them up from school. The suprised-look on their faces made my day! We played all afternoon and when it was time for bed, they asked me to tuck them in. A good tucking-in by your's truly was not enough; I had to sing them a song too. If you know me at all, you'll know that I am an EXTREMELY emotional person. I cry at everything and especially things involving my family. Well, needless to say, I cried through the whole thing (fortunately they couldn't tell). My niece was grabbed my hand and held it up to her face. After I finished singing I looked up to find her fast asleep still holding my hand. Um...yeah, that made me cry more (I'm tearing up typing about it). Gosh, I love my family. It is so nice to be home!
Today, I went into my brother's dental office to have him look at a tooth that's been bothering me. I am pretty much terrified of dental work, so I was not looking forward to this visit. He decided what needed to be done and although he could have repaired it today, he decided to wait until I could have some valium and be calm. Although it would be nice to have it done today, I can at least be rest assured that I'll be much more relaxed about it tomorrow! Keep me in your prayers, k?

Ha ha:
I was playing duck, duck, goose with my sister's kids yesterday. We were having a great time but my nephew was really wanting to be picked. As his older sister was making her duck-duck rounds, he would whisper "oh, you should really call me goose". This went on for several rounds until she "goosed" me (no pun intended). I was sure to listen to his little goosey prompting the next time around. :)
Today, I was playing hide-and-go-seek with this same set of kids. It was my nephew's turn to seek. I laid down in the child-pose inside the bathtub. He looked and looked but couldn't find me. With a little help from Grammy, I heard the bathroom door open and the patter of little feet running towards the tub. The curtains pulled back and I hear, "I found you Aunt Dani!" I told him had and as I was getting back up, he leaned over the tub, pulled his hands up to his mouth and whispered, "Aunt Dani, I saw a little bit of your panties."
I guess the next time I hide in the child-pose I'll wear a belt...or a longer shirt. :)

Day 116: Traveled Home to See Family--will post update in the AM

2011-10-20T00:28:00.000-05:00

Day 115: I Need to Hear the Spirit, Not Ghosts

2011-10-18T22:14:00.000-05:00

Aha:
I am so thankful for wonderful friends and family who have been keeping us in their prayers. We have felt your love and support as we seek the Lord's help in expanding our family. We are still uncertain with how or when this will all happen, but we know the Lord is in control and will somehow ensure that things go as He would have them.

Thank you for your continued prayers, they are much appreciated!

Ha ha:
I just got back from taking Peter for a walk. While out, I was looking up words to hymns on my phone. It was dark outside and the light of the screen totally blinded me to everything around me. Anywho, as I was walking in front of Leaf Blower's house, my focus completely on my glowing phone, I hear a loud, "BOO!" I looked up to see Leaf Blower sitting on his side steps, laughing to himself.
Me: Oh my gosh! You scared the crap out of me!
LB: Ha ha. Sorry 'bout that, I couldn't resist.
Me: (as neighborly as I could) Geez, you jerk!
LB: We saw you coming from way down the street. Your face was just glowing and we couldn't figure out what it was until you got closer. Kinda weird.
Me: So, I guess I scared you first?
LB: Yup.
Me: Well, then I guess we're even.

Day 114: What Matters Most

2011-10-17T21:17:00.000-05:00

Aha:
I work with a great group of women. I really do. We have our less-than-ideal moments, but in general we get along so well. And when things really matter, any one of us would drop everything to help. I was the recipient of such help today.
My coworkers saw a need and offered so much love and support! What a blessing it is to work with people who are so giving! Thank you ladies! Thank you for being good coworkers, and even more, for being good friends. :) I love you ~~guys~~ gals!

Ha ha:
Clinton and I came across this Autocorrect on the internet a while ago and thought it was hilarious!

The reason I share this is because I had one of these myself today while I was typing a very serious text message. It went a little something like this...
Other Person (OP): How are things going?
Me: Ok, I just got off the porn...
(Fortunately I caught it before I clicked "send" and could change it to what I had intended...PHONE.)

Day 113: Blows My Mind

2011-10-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

Aha:
In our couple scripture study, Clinton and I came across Helaman 12:1-5 (1-3 are quoted here, this is from the Book of Mormon):

1 And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and ^aprosper those who put their ^btrust in him.

2 Yea, and we may see at the very ^atime when he doth ^bprosper his people,...yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do ^dharden their hearts, and do ^eforget the Lord their God, and do ^ftrample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.

3 And thus we see that except the Lord doth ^achasten his people with many afflictions,... they will not ^cremember him.

Anyway, this scripture struck a chord with me. It does seem that when things are going well in my life, I can get lax about saying my prayers and reading my scriptures, but when times are tough, my prayers become so much more fervent and sincere, my scriptures become my life-line and my time with the Lord is greatly increased.
How sad that it sometimes takes chastening for me to keep the Lord an active part of my life. He is so willing to bless me and does so when I put my trust in Him. It seems there is a pattern. We're blessed and content--we end up becoming lazy, the Lord sends trials our way to help us remember Him, we are humbled and seek His comfort and blessings, He blesses us, we're blessed--we become lazy/proud...etc.
If only I could keep my focus always on the Lord! I am so grateful for His love and mercy for me, despite my weaknesses. He is a wonderful example of how to love and forgive. I love that this scripture says He loves and prospers those who trust Him, and if people aren't loving or trusting Him, He'll provide trials that will bring them back to Him and He'll bless them even more! What a great way to be!

Ha ha:
It feels like the innards of a tornado outside; the wind is a-blowin' somethin' fierce! Peter was fairly insistent that we "brave it" anyway and go for a walk. Well, as you probably imagine, the wind was blowing everything everywhere. Garbage cans were knocked over, branches had fallen from trees and leaves were everywhere.
Now, I won't call him an idiot, but this doofus in my neighborhood was actually outside blowing his leaves off his grass with a leaf blower...while the wind was still howling! I actually stood there and watched him for a few minutes, totally dumbfounded (or shall I say, I found the dumbo?). He'd blow the leaves, turn his back to work on another section, turn back around and re-blow the leaves that had blown back and then he'd start the cycle over again.
Um...am I the only one who thinks this is an ineffective way to clear one's yard of leaves?