Day 338: Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Scaredy-Cats

Aha:

Clinton and I went out to dinner and stopped at the store on our way home.  I could see in the distance that a storm was coming.  We got home and walked up to the back door as a couple of huge drops fell from the sky.  The moment we stepped inside a major rainfall started.  It was absolutely pouring!  The winds started, the lightening began flashing and the thunder was rolling.

We missed getting totally soaked by about 3 seconds.  I like to call that "perfect timing"! :)

Ha ha:

Our dog, Peter, is a bit of a scaredy-cat.  If he sees a plastic bag on the floor, he growls at it and hides behind your legs.  If he sees someone wearing a hat, he doesn't like it and barks.  When a thunderstorm rolls through he starts panting, can't sit still and nervously climbs all over you until he "gets comfortable" (aka, finally exhausts himself from pacing and needs to rest). 

Well, with all of the 60 MPH winds we just had with this storm a branch fell off of our tree in the backyard and landed on the grass.  After the storm stopped, Clinton took Peter out to potty and came back in laughing.  When I asked what was so funny he said that as soon as Peter saw the branch, he stopped in his tracks, stared it down, slowly walked past it and then growled at it the whole time he was outside.  Ha ha!  Oh, Petey!

Day 337: Taking One for the Team

Aha:
I was asked to sub for a friend of mine in leading the hymns during Sacrament Meeting today and had totally forgotten about it.  Fortunately, someone sat in our pew at church "forcing" us to sit on the other side of the chapel, right next to the stand.  As the meeting started Clinton looked down at the program and said, "You're leading the music today?"
"No....oh, m'gosh!  Yes.  Thank you!"
Later, I was asked to sub for playing the piano in Relief Society.  I'm not the best pianist and I get really nervous playing in front of others, but found out the hymns were two of the easiest in the hymnbook--a miracle, relief and a blessing.  When it came time to play, everything went really well (so well in fact, I accidentally got lost in the music and cut one verse out of the opening hymn, catching the chorister off-guard and leading the class into a chorus of giggles before the prayer--embarrassing).  At any rate, my fingers moved fairly easily, my heartbeat was calm and I actually kinda enjoyed it.

Ha ha:
The Sunday School lesson was on the conversion story of Alma the Younger.  The teacher split the room into two groups for comparing scriptures and asked which group wanted to be "Team Repentance" and which wanted to be "Team Sin".  I spoke up and said, "Ooo, sin is pretty tempting.  We'll be Team Sin."  The class thought my pun "comic genius" and so did I.  Ha ha!

Day 336: Chica-Go Long

Aha:
Clinton and I went down to Chicago with some friends of ours yesterday.  The morning started out as an absolute DOWNPOUR but by the time we reached the city, it was perfect weather!
We started out the day at the Junior Women's Olympic Trials for gymnastics--way too cool!  These girls were competing to be included on Team USA and we got to watch!

After the competition we went to Roditys for some Greek food.  We were going to go to Greek Island, but found out the parking lot we'd pulled into was only for patrons of Roditys, so we ate there instead.  The food was pretty good, but our waiter was awful!  When he approached the table he'd ask an indecipherable question and then walk off before you had a chance for follow-up.  Oh well.  We were fairly entertained by it.

Last, but not least, we drove to Navy Pier and walked around.  After we walked around, we walked around some more.  And then we walked to Millennium Park, got lost trying to walk back to the Pier, walked in a big circle and then walked back to the Pier.  I'd venture to guess that we easily walked about 10 miles.

We got back home after 10pm and were totally pooped.  Clinton was asleep within a half hour.

Great day though!  Thanks Morrisons for the fun day!

P.S. Thanks Mel for coming over and letting Peter out to potty!!  You're a great friend! :)

These last three pics are what we wouldn't've seen had we NOT gotten lost.  Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing after all!

Ha ha:

Somehow I got designated as the "guide" while we were in Chicago (maybe cause I've been there about 5 times now), but this was a mistake.  Anyone who knows me knows I'm not the most reliable when it comes to directions.  I'm a hit-or-miss type of guide.

When we left the Pier and began walking toward the park, I realized I had turned the wrong way and led us the long way.  Feeling pretty bad about this, I didn't want to make the same mistake on the return trip, so I said, "Ok.  I know a short cut, one that's more direct.  Let's go this way."  Well, turns out I led us right to the long way again.  Trying to avoid it, Clinton said, "Let's go this way (opposite to where I had led us).  Turns out, it was a giant circle and we ended up right where we'd left off.

At this point I'm feeling pretty dumb and embarrassed.  We begin on the long path back and I apologize about the short cut.  A few minutes later we approached a stop light and right before we got to it the light turned in our favor and we didn't have to wait to cross the street.  Our friend said, "Hey, perfect timing!  We don't have to wait!"

"There's the short cut!" I said. "I knew it was here somewhere!"

We all laughed and then stopped laughing when we realized we still had 2 miles to go...on foot.

Day 335: I Got to Gum Home Early!

Aha:
One of the docs came in about 45-minutes before the end of the work and said, "It's the Friday before a holiday.  No one's here.  Go ahead and go home.  Have a good weekend."  Happy 3-day + 45 minute weekend to me!!!

Ha ha:
At one point during dinner tonight, Clinton brought up the Juicy Fruit jingle.
He:  "Juicy Fruit, It's gonna move ya, salty juice, it get's right to ya."
Me:  What did you say?  Salty juice?!
He:  Yah.  Salty juice.
Me:  That's not how it goes.
He:  Oh, yah?  Does too!  How does it go then?
Me:  "Juicy Fruit, it's gonna move ya, soft and sweet, it get's right to ya."  It's not salty juice. (laughing)
He:  (recognition of his wrong and not wanting to admit it) No.  It's salty juice.
Boy, I don't know about you, but I suddenly have a real craving for some salty gum.  Mm-mmm! Ha ha!

Day 334: Soda Fountain of Love

Aha:
Clinton and I went for a walk last night since the weather's been so beautiful.  We walked across campus and explored the little ponds and streams there.  I told him I wanted to thank him.  When he asked me why, I said, "Usually walking on/around campus means that I'm on my way to work and it's a bit depressing, but now my walk with you has provided me a much sweeter memory to hold onto instead."
I know long walks aren't your favorite thing in the world, H.B., but thank you for taking the time to come with me on one of mine!

Ha ha:
When Clinton brought me my Thursday Speedway Soda today, I reached into the car through the passenger window and saw him sipping a large McDonald's Diet Coke, there was also a miniature can of Diet Pepsi in the passenger cup holder, a large Speedway Diet Pepsi awaiting it's turn for consumption in the driver's cup holder and he was also holding my drink.  He was completely surrounded by carbonation.
Me:  Uh, ya thirsty or something?
He:  (looking a bit sheepish) Yep.
Me:  I wish I had my camera.  You look like a soda junkie!  I think you need help.
He:  Nah.  I'm good.
Yah.  The excess amounts of soda would suggest otherwise!  Good thing he takes lots of extra preventative measures in his dental health or he'd be a toothless-soda-drinking-junkie! :)

Day 333: Glad I Didn't Answer THAT Call

Aha:
Special shout-out to my coworker for answering the phones for me all afternoon yesterday so I could work on the calendars.  Thanks to you, Lissa, I actually got an entire month entered into the system compared to the one week I barely managed to squeeze in the day before.  THANK YOU!!  (Only one more month to go!)

Ha ha:
You ever have one of those moments of inappropriate laughter?  Ya know, you know you probably shouldn't be laughing at something, but you can't help it?  Well, yesterday while my coworker was answering the phones I overheard the following conversation.
She:  May I ask who's calling?
Caller:  (replies)
She:  Dr. Teats?
Me:  (suppressing laughter/biting tongue...snort)
Other coworker:  What are you laughing at missy?  (knowing exactly what I'm laughing about)
She:  Dr. Chi-chi?  Peachey?
Me:  (laughter!)
Other coworker:  (coyly)  Are you laughing cause she said "teats"?
Me:  That was funny, yes, but it followed by "chi-chi" and "peachey" was just too much! (laughter)
I'm so mature.

Day 332: Buried Treasure

Aha:
Ever since last Saturday's window-plastic-removal-turned-whole-house-cleaning session I have been a cleaning/purging machine!  I have gone through most rooms in my house and have sorted, tossed and organized more stuff than I thought I ever had!  I feel so accomplished (I even went through all of my loose-leaf recipes and condensed them into one book--double-sided tape and all).
Let me clarify, my home is never really messy or dirty, but we still had a bunch of random stuff/papers and it feels so good to de-clutter!

Ha ha:
One of the items that I came across in my dejunking mission was an old beaded necklace that had one busted strand.  It's been sitting in one of the drawers in my bathroom (along with the plethora of its loose beads) for 4 years "waiting to be fixed".  Well, I decided I'm never going to fix it, so instead I hacked off the busted string (still two left), tossed the spare beads and the necklace is as good as new!  In fact, I wore it to work the next day and looked like a superstar!
What the heck took me so long to do that?? :)