Happy Birthday Ashley!

Happy Birthday wishes go out to my cute little sister! She is such a wonderful person--so happy to have her in my life. So excited about her baby boy that will be here in a few months. Have a wOndERFul day Ash!

RUN (don't walk!!!) to Amazon now!

50 albums on sale for $5. I finally got HSM III for only $5. Never bought the new Radiohead, Vampire Weekend or Death Cab albums this year either, so such a rocking deal!!!! Love new music--and even better when it is so cheap:) Joey, does your new no shopping rule extend to online shopping as well? Hope not:)

Catching Up

Been so lazy blogging the last few months. A few things I wanted to highlight in a very random order:

Kindle
My major time suck (but not really in a bad way) has been my new Kindle. Oh, it is just so irresistibly addictive--just had no idea. I guess the idea of the Kindle was to allow the reader to really get lost in reading. Yep, achieved. Half a pound, super convenient and keeps a charge for over a week. LOVE digital reading. I have been ignoring my family, church responsibilities, treadmill, sleep, TiVo, etc. etc., just to keep pressing next page. Favorite digital reads so far? Shop Your Closet (motivation for organizing my disaster zone also known as my closet), Dashing Through the Snow (still into Mary Higgins Clark), Love in the Time of Cholera (a favorite before Oprah discovered. Checked it out a zillion times from the U library. Imagery is just extraordinary), One Fifth Avenue (love getting lost in Manhattan), The Great Gatsby (trying to read off a list I found of Modern Library's Top 100 books of the 20th century. This was number two, and I had never read it. Takes place in the roaring 20's before the Great Depression hits. I guess history does always repeat itself. Loved it. Now starting on number 11--Under the Volcano) Outliers (check it out if you loved Blink,Tipping Point or Freakonomics), The Audacity of Hope (read during the election. Electrifying. Regardless of your political affiliation, it is super inspiring), Who: A Guide for Hiring (new tips on how I can do my job better), Kaplan GRE Vocabulary Exam in a Box (fascinated with vocabulary for some reason. And also want to get 700+ on the verbal section if I ever take the leap). Thanks for the best birthday present ever Shaner!

Black Friday
Had never been before. Just didn't seem worth it. But, had my eye on a Kitchen-Aid for so incredibly cheap, I couldn't resist. First stop was Wal-Mart. I don't have any deep seeded hate for the store as I know many of you do, but do try to avoid it as much as possible. But, it proved to be everything horrible I had imagined about Black Friday and more. Okay, so I am really trying to be less stereotypical, and not instantly shrink away from those in the lowest common denominator of SES, but there are some mad crazy people out there. From the toothless meth heads I hung out with at the checkout at 4:30 AM, to the seriously obese tank top wearing lady that fought me for a set of Pyrex dishes, I was ready to go home. But, persevered and went to Kohl's after that. Much better experience, and actually started to come around and have fun with my sister-in-laws. I did score the Kitchen-Aid along with some other fun goodies. Not sure if I will go back next year, but it was an experience for sure.

Webkinz
So Mack is seriously obsessed with Webkinz. My sister in law Shelley and her girls got us into these last New Years Eve. They are so fun, I may love them just as much. You get the little stuffed animal and then a code to go online into their site. The games are super fun (love Cash Cow, Cash Cow 2, Candy Bash) and also building the rooms. Our favorite animals right now: Cocoa Dinosaur, Chicken, Bat, Alligator and the Cow. Justice/Limited Too have 50% off on these right now.

Primary Secretary
Got released and then recalled again. We have a new Primary President I am just so excited about! She is so amazing. I am looking forward to starting over and digging in. Looking forward to spirituality and service. So grateful for this gift in my life. Fun? Not always. Difficult? Usually. But, I dig deeper into parts of myself I didn't know were there. Totally worth it.

Genius on iTunes
Loved discovering music I forgot about. Listening to a Lenka Genius playlist right now replete with Charlotte Sometimes, Chairlift, A Fine Frenzy, Feist and Rachel Yamagata. Yum.

Happy Birthday Jim!
My fun brother-in-law's birthday was last month. We have know each other since 8th grade math. (Okay, so I was the one in 8th grade math and he was in 7th grade:) Who would have known we would have ended up in the same family? We are now the same age again! Favorites:

His rocking sense of humor. He is one of my favorite storytellers and observers of human nature. He can liven up any conversation.

He is super smart. Always have admired this.

He is such a great Dad to his cute little girls. Can't believe they will have 3 girls this spring!

He sticks really close to his values. Doesn't cave or let things slide people say he doesn't believe in.

We are both Scorpios. I just seem to really get along with other fellow Scorpions:)

Hope you had a great day!!!!! Thanks for all you do for us!

Yes, We Did
Do you have those times in your life that you just physically remember where you were when big things happen? Elizabeth Smart being found (Harmons buying shrimp), 9/11 (getting ready for work and watching the Today show), Obama's acceptance speech (curled up by the fire with my family). Really felt like I was watching a pivotal part of history unfold while watching this. So excited to see how this new administration will reshape our country. Love how dynamic, powerful and absorbing Obama is. Yes, We Did. Wow.

Twilight
Saw this opening weekend with Amanda. Liked the book, and liked the movie too. Loved? Nope. But worth a few hours in teenage angst land. Did love the soundtrack though. Really cheap on Amazon. I guess I was informed I may be on Team Jacob, so maybe New Moon will really strike a chord with me.

Mack's piano recital
Mack started piano a few months ago again. He is really more into this time, and progressing well. Sam has gotten him into playing by ear, so he is obsessed with picking out any version of Mario, Indiana Jones and Star Wars. He played a very respectable Up on the Housetop and an interesting rendition of We Three Kings. He picked up some PokeMon sheet music at Riverton, so that is his next challenge. Camera lost batteries--no pics :( Imagine a cute little guy in a red cableknit sweater clutching sheet music.


Alaskan Inn
Shane and I kicked off December with an overnight escape to the Alaskan Inn. Shane is just one of my favorite people to talk for hours. Love his regaling me with life on the beat stories. Some serious, most hilarious. Love talking about our future. Love being in love with him still. Promise we can do these more babe?



Disneyland
Went to Anaheim for a Respiratory Therapy convention (yipee! Hired someone there!). A friend from work tagged along, and we hit all of my favorite malls in Orange County (South Coast Plaza, Fashion Island, Brea) along with nightly visits to PinkBerry. She left when the show ended, and Mack and Shane flew out for some Disney. Weather was cold, but we braved it and had a blast. I love Disneyland. Not sure why, but I tend to agree it is the most magical place on earth. Mack and I loved the new Toy Story ride, Shane's favs were Indiana Jones and California Screamin'. The Christmas parades were amazing, Small World was completely transformed into a Christmas Theme, and the Haunted Mansion was the Nightmare Before Christmas. Loved going at Christmastime--just had to be sufficiently swathed in major winter apparel. Can't wait to go back soon!

Dogs
And last, but not least, my puppy/horse dog. He has turned into such a sweet little dog. He loves giving hugs, stepping on feet, begging for food, eating my hair, destroying my DVR line (twice!!!!), running upstairs unattended, eating our Russian Sage plants, playing with the other dogs next door, and getting attention. He has the cutest personality ever. A big thanks goes out to my sister in law for watching him while we went to Disney. I am happy there is someone out there that I know will love him and not want to strangle him--even though it would probably be very easy to! He also is kicking butt at his job. He has already found two bad guys and is rocking on his tracking. The better he gets, the closer our other dog (kind of the AntiCopper) gets closer to the unknown. Pete is getting older, and is kind of unpredictable (did anyone see the news on the Somalian mechanic and Pete?), so the question is what do we do with him? He is not a family dog--doesn't really like people at all. Actually, he hates everyone besides Shane. Any good ideas out there of what to do with a slightly (okay very) demonic dog for retirement? I think Shane is having a moral struggle with what to do with him. Is it more cruel to have him live on the side of our house, or put him down? Shane doesn't think he will be happy not having his job or anything else to live for--but I guess I think he will still have sunshine and a place to run around and relax. Oh, and not posting this last piece of depressing news in hopes to inspire you to take him. It wouldn't work. He would hate you too. Hmmmm--stay tuned.

Come to our Respiratory Career Event!

Or tell anyone that is interested in maybe becoming a Respiratory Therapist when they grow up!

Wal Mart Bingo

Eight various things

8 favorite TV shows

The Amazing Race
Top Design
Gossip Girl
30 Rock
The Biggest Loser
Barefoot Contessa
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Privileged

8 things I did yesterday

Went to staff meeting
Listened to a LinkedIn Webinar
Had a Subway Kids Meal
Bought my Kindle!!!! (Thanks for the discount code Tif!!)
Looked at Mitsubishi 3000 GT's with Shane
Went to HSM 3 with Tif
Watched the Biggest Loser (Vicki is evil!!)
Made a blog banner in Photoshop
Played Wenkinz with Mack

8 things I look forward to

Halloween
Top Chef premiere on November 12
Disneyland trip in December
Spa trip in a few weeks
Mack's basketball game on Saturday
Pulling out all my sweaters for fall/winter
Playing with Heidi Swapp DigiKits
Spring babies

8 favorite restaurants

Cheesecake Factory
Kneaders
Spaghetti Mama's
Ruby River
Training Table
Market Street
PF Chang's
Al Forno's

8 things on my wish list

A date with Shane
Mack doing great in 4th grade
Our Primary Program going well
Work getting a little quieter
A bit of travel next year
Getting better in Photoshop
Taking the PHR class
Getting more spiritual

Countdown to Twilight...

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

You are observant, diplomatic and often aim to please. You are unaware of your attractiveness and despite being uncomfortable with any form of attention, people enjoy your company. You can be impatient, stubborn and headstrong, but you are true to your word and mature for your age, often taking care of your family and enjoying a good book over chatting with girlfriends on the phone.

Need. Kindle.

Can't get my mind off getting a Kindle. A wise person once told me that if you can't stop thinking about something for over a week, it is destined to be yours. I have been nonstop obsessing about one for months, and want to get my hands on one so bad I can't even stand it. Any one else crazy for Kindle?

Creativity & Compassion

If anyone else's gut lurched every time this week the Dow plunged, or is stressed about everyday life, hope these thoughts help. Feeling lighter even as I am typing:)

"You may think you don't have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.

What you create doesn't have to be perfect. Don't let fear of failure discourage you. Don't let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.

As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you.

I believe that as you create beauty and as you are compassionate to others—God will encircle you in the arms of His love. Discouragement, inadequacy, and weariness will give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment."

Here's to flowing laughter:) Read more...

Presidential Finger Puppets

Thought these were so cute! Wish Mack and I would have had them for last night when we watched the debates. Would be cute to make for an election party in a few weeks:)

Click on me to download finger puppets

Random Acts of Kindness

Amanda gifted me with these darling magnetic bookmarks. Just out of the blue--and something I so love. Thanks A:)


I put together this little jar for someone at work that covered for me (okay, not so random, but wanted to share). Picked up a bunch of these apothecary jars at IKEA and then filled them with 100 calorie snacks. For about $20, you can make about four of these cute gifts.

Spokane

Went on a quick business trip this week to Spokane. Haven't ever been there, and had to work a lot, so didn't see too many of the sights. This is a shot from the River Front Park in downtown Spokane where we stayed. Highlights were the swanky Davenport Hotel where we stayed and a girls night out at the Melting Pot. Also enjoyed recruiting at Spokane Community College where we went to speak with the Cath Lab and Echo/Vascular students. Wow, they were so good. I have developed an entirely new appreciation for community colleges. It was kind of taboo to go to community college when I was in high school. I think SLCC was nicknamed Redwood High. But, I was so wrong. They are awesome. Incredible instructors, reasonably priced tuition, and the students are so good. I tell anyone that calls me now for career advice that is unsure what they want to do to check out a community college. A new answer for the future in higher education:)

Happy Birthday Jack

Happy Birthday to the most amazing father in law ever! Favorites about Jack:

1. He can crack me up like no other person I know. From the Shelley ACT comment (sorry, inside family joke), to forgetting his name when the alarm company came over the speaker at his house, to his calling Corey Rushton a page at a city meeting, he keeps me laughing.

2. He is such a kind person. Always gives me a hug, has a kind word and smile, and makes you feel really at home in his home.

3. He is the best Grandpa ever. He never tells me no when I lean on him to watch Mack, and always tells me when I pick Mack up "Mack is no trouble" even though I know he just finished playing trains, Wii, giving in to go to IHOP and a trip to Wal-Mart with Mack.

Jack--You are the best Dad, Dad in Law and Grandpa we have! Here is to lots more years together:)

SYTYCD? Oh Yeah!!!!

Joey scored us some seats to the So You Think You Can Dance show. I think practically every female between the ages of 10-35 that lived in Salt Lake County was there:) Loved every second of it. Loved Mark and Chelsie, Mark and Courtney and Mark. I didn't have a voice for a few days after, but it was totally worth it! Counting down the days until next summer when it is on again. Thanks sis's for going!

St George

Shane and I slipped out of town for a long weekend down to St George. This picture basically sums it up--lots of pool time:) We stayed at a cute little one bedroom condo with a great pool and lots of quiet. Went to see Les Miserables at Tuachan (SPECTACULAR!!!), read a lot (thanks for the Gourmet mags Mom--I am now hooked!), ate at Pasta Factory on the patio (a must) and slept. Thanks for taking me Shane--loved it:)

Happy Birthday J:)

Joey--happiest birthday! It is our favorite time of the year--we are both the same age for three weeks. Reasons you make me smile:

1. Love your spirit. You are so nice and kind. Thanks for always seeing the best in everyone.

2. Love your zest for a deal. Your radar is awesome:)

3. Love hanging out with you. You just make everything fun and energetic. Love talking forever and catching up.

4. Love all of our fun memories. We will probably never share Girbaud's again, but our funny junior high/high school memories make me laugh.

5. I love that we are so different sometimes but always so close:)

6. Love that we will get to see our kids grow up together and share lots more fun times. Love you tons:)

Scottsdale

So anticipating this trip--I couldn't even stand it. The formula was all there for the perfect trip. Scrapbooking, an impossibly posh hotel, pool time sans Mack and a best friend. Highlights:

Okay, you HAVE to stay at a Four Seasons once in your lifetime. It really should be mandatory for anyone questioning if there is anything good in life. It is so good and then some. The Scottsdale Four Seasons is situated out in the foothills of Scottsdale in it's own little desert paradise. It is quiet, breathtaking (may have stole that adjective from their brochure), and very southwest. There is probably like a zillion pounds of adobe out there amongst the cacti. We pull up and are instantly greeted by a valet, bags taken out of the car, and whisked to the front desk. Painless check in, and then a golf cart ride to our room. The room was amazing. An outdoor patio opened up to a wide expanse of more carefully cultivated desert. A little jackrabbit hopped by. Our bags were placed in an amazing closet by the bell boy as we checked out the massive bathroom (with, {SQUEAL} L'Occitane bath products which I pilfered at once). We chilled out on our patio for a while luxuriating in the chairs and taking in all the different varieties of desert plants.

The pool was almost as wonderful. A handful of different pools were situated amongst cabanas, huge pool chairs and teak everything. We selected a cabana, had our chairs "prepared" (special huge towels covered the back of the comfy chair with more towels being offered), and soaked up the sun. We dined on gourmet nachos, complimentary mango slushes, and huge jugs of ice water. Took the Omnivore's Dilemma with me for reading material (as I had already reading Breaking Dawn even though I promised not to), hit my new playlist on my iPod, and chilled. Best pool experience in a long time:)
We were also lucky enough to catch a Janet Hopkins class at Scrapbooks Etc., in Mesa. Janet is the educator/creative director at Heidi Swapp. We made the most to die for cute little book. It was super fun hobnobbing with her and getting such great ideas for my most favorite scrapbooking products ever.

Also had fun visiting Kriston, Amanda's friend from high school. We hit all of her local favorite scrapbook stores, ate at Joe's BBQ (soooo good!) and laughed over silly stuff. I am still laughing about our conversation if you can have a night so amazing you blank as to how feather pillows and headboards get destroyed (for those of you that read Breaking Dawn, let me know what you think:).

Last but certainly not least was the Scottsdale Mall. We made this one a really quick trip on the way back to the airport, so just hit PB Loco and then Sprinkles across the street from the mall. I had such high hopes for Sprinkles. My friend at work has actually been known to hop a flight to Newport Beach just to pick up a black and white cupcake. But, alas, the little treasures were not as wonderful as I had heard. Flavors seemed a little off. They were little works of art though--should have saved the calories and just stared at them until they went stale.

Amanda, are you up to making this an annual trip? Hope so!

{ Pray, Love, Remember}
~ William Shakespeare

Listen to the convention speeches for free!

Not sure if anyone else slacked and didn't listen to the Democratic and Republican Conventions (I was really bad and watched Project Runway reruns during John McCain's acceptance speech), but you can download them for free on iTunes. I am excited to listen to Dennis Kucinich (my first pick in the primary) and Sarah Palin too. Go democracy!

Labor Day Weekend

I was really looking forward to Labor Day weekend. Savoring the last summer weekend and having the next week off were leaving me with feelings of relaxed bliss. Some of the highlights:

We met with my family at Training Table on Friday night. After slogging through insane traffic coming home from work at PCMC, I was instantly grateful I got to change my work location back to Wasatch Canyons. Have decided I am just not a commute kind of person. Seeing my fun family (even if they were just too ravenous to wait for us:) was a great way to start the weekend.

Joey and Richard were nice enough to take Mack for the day with their family to Discovery Gateway, so had a whole day of free time. Tifani and I went to California Pizza Kitchen (wow, love the Tostada Pizza!) and then went to the Broadway to take in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Haven't been to the Broadway in forever. Forgot how eclectic downtown can be, or maybe it is just Tifani and I's dynamic together that manifests the crazies. We were treated to a schizophrenic cellist while waiting in line for tickets rendering different versions of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. My favorite version? E minor for sure:) The movie was sooo good. Perfect for us to as we got to reminisce back to our Mexico City summer and the funny things that happened to us that summer. Don't know if we would ever be brave enough to hop a plane with a stranger, but we did take that van ride with the fingerless man...

Sunday we got to see my cute cousin who just got home from his mission. I loved his great positive energy, spirit and maturity. He gave a great homecoming talk, and the brunch afterwards was so nice too. Got to see my uncle and his kids that live in the Bay Area, and all of my extended family too, so that was a nice treat. We spent the rest of afternoon at home doing absoultely nothing. Sunday is kind of like a little part time job with me and my calling, so slipping into jammies at noon with the paper and the remote was heaven. We all alternated reading, watching movies, sleeping, listening to it rain, and just chilling. Loved it:)

Labor Day itself was spent with Mack not feeling great, listening to more rain (still loved that) and watching the Season Premiere of Gossip Girl. If you are looking for a brand new show, would highly recommend. If you loved 90210, the OC, etc., this one is a keeper for sure.

First day of school

Mack got up a whole hour early for the first day of school. He was so eager with anticipation. Enjoyed living vicariously through his enthusiasm:)

Go to the mountains!

Shane had a great idea to move Sunday dinner to the mountains. Soaked up nature by walking through a little waterfall to get to our picnic spot and watching Austin light a fire with my Sunday paper. S'mores were sooo good!

Pictures I did of my neighbors

West Valley City Police Adds First Bloodhound To K-9 Unit

West Valley City Police Adds First Bloodhound To K-9 Unit
Written by: Doug G. Ware Email: dware@kutv2.com Last Update: 8/04 10:16 pm

"Copper" became the first bloodhound in the West Valley City Police Department's K-9 unit. (KUTV) WEST VALLEY CITY - A 13-week-old bloodhound is going through the police academy in West Valley City, as a member of the K-9 unit.The dog, named "Copper," will be the first bloodhound in the city's police department, officials said. After it completes a training program, the dog will be responsible for a variety of duties -- like tracking down criminal suspects, or a lost child."We train him when we are on duty. We find some time when it is slow to train," said Shane Matheson of the West Valley Police Department. "He is going to be a pretty valuable tool."The West Valley City Police Department said "Copper" should be finished training, and working full-time on the force sometime in the spring of 2009.

Copyright 2008 Four Points. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

My favorite memory game

Let's play:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

3. If you can't say anything nice, don't comment.

Park City

Love Park City in the summertime. We just got back from a few days with the my family there. So lush, green and cool. We did all of our favorites--Main Street Pizza and Noodle, Dolly's Bookstore, swimming ALL DAY, games at night (how does Keith possibly know when Grenada was invaded?!?) and the Alpine Slide/Coaster/Zip Line. Love ya family!

Pandora Radio

One of my new favorite free things. I found it in the App Store on apple.com (if you have an iPhone or iTouch, you can download it onto that), but you can download just to your computer as well. Check it out!

http://www.pandora.com/

Happy Birthday Tif!

Happy Birthday Tif! Can you believe how old we are getting?!?! I still remember so clearly when we were 17 and crazy:) So glad you found me again--here are my old and new faves about you:

1. You can still make me laugh just like you did when we were teenagers. You have a gift for storytelling, and I look forward to new gossip, updates, and cute stories about your kids.

2. You are super generous--can I just tell you how much I still LOVE all my Making Memories stuff?!

3. You have helped give me new hope about eating well and exercising. You look soooo amazing!

4. You still appreciate craziness. Thanks for enjoying my Pioneer/Polygamist outfit!

5. I love how you call me and stay in touch. Thanks for the movie invites too and wanting to keep us together. Let's get back on track with hanging out.

6. Your creativity of coming up with stuff to keep us busy. Retribution, radio dedications, devouring Fruit and Cream bars by the box load, sleeping out on the tramp, etc. etc. etc.:)

7. Teaching me about karma. Bad things always happen when you do bad things:) Remember Matt McAffee accosting me in the cafeteria after a particularly long night of prank calling?!?!

8. You are one of the only people besides my family that I still talk to that remembers me when we were younger. It is fun to have memories with you--past and present!

When thinking what to get you for your birthday, I felt bad I don't know all of your favorites anymore, so I got you a smattering of some of my favorite things. Here is why I love them:

Haviananas flip flops: My favorite sandal for the summer. Super lightweight and comfy.
The Alchemist: Discovered this book in a book club a few years ago. I try to read it every six months or so as it is so inspiring. Hope you love it too.
Kiehl's Lip Balm: Have pots of it everywhere. Love it so much.
Creative Nail Coconut and Mango Lotion: My favorite lotion ever! I always get a zillion compliments every time I wear it and it always transports me to a summery place.
Nothing Bundt Cake: One of my favorite treats. Hope you got at least a little taste:)

Happy Birthday Shan!

My cute sister-in-law's birthday was this week. Some favorites about her:

1. Love her casual, laid back attitude. I think even if the world was falling in around her, she could still remain mellow and in control.

2. Love her dedication to her sports. She really, really gets into stuff and takes stuff to the next level. No dinking around about it--she is a pro!

3. Love how nice and kind she is. I don't think I have ever heard a mean word out of her mouth (well, not around me anyway:)

4. Love her independence and the way she does what she wants without any excuses or apologies. I want to be more like that...

5. Love that I know her and she is in my family. Nice when you enjoy being around your in-laws:)

Happy Birthday Love:)

My sweetie's birthday was this week. Just wanted to let him know how much I love him. My favorite things in no particular order:

1. You let me do whatever I want to--for the most part:) Love that you trust me enough not to question too much all the crazy things I want to do. Thanks for not giving me too much grief about working, not cooking a ton like I should, not complaining too much about my closet, and letting me just be me.

2. The way you make me laugh about dumb stuff. Yes, I still want to get Chimchar decals on my nails:)

3. The way you are there for Mack. I so appreciate all the love, time and fun you give to him.

4. The way you rock at your job. I love seeing your passion and motivation for what you do. I hope it spills over to Mack one day.

5. How much I still love you and think you are cool after all of our years together. Looking forward to lots more birthdays babe.

Puppy Love

So the thoughts of getting a puppy have left me a little apprehensive. I haven't had the greatest history with dogs. There was the English bulldog that lived across the street from us growing up that ran away with my prized Cabbage Patch doll, the insane Oso who Papi felt he should take in but leave outside to terrorize us when attempting to get in the backyard after school, and scores of other dogs that jump, slobber, bite, urniate without notice...the list could go on and on. I don't like unpredictablility. I like control. I like thinking I know what will happen. I don't like thinking about the French woman that got her face torn off by a dog while sleeping. But, I knew it was going to happen. I was soon going to face an animal sharing our space. Well, our little Copper has been a stark contrast to all of my fears. He has the cutest little face on the planet, and has such a sweet temperment. The first day we got him, he just wanted to be held like a baby. He is snuggly, eager to please and just the most loving thing ever. His wrinkly little face and skin just leave me craving more of him. He cries like a baby and still is far from mastering being housebroken, but I am getting why some people love animals as much as people. He is still growing on me--I am not to the point of offering to throw myself on train tracks or anything yet for him, but he has been a sweet little surprise.

My new therapist

So the first night the treadmill was all set up, I snuck out to go see Sex and the City instead of working out. The next morning, Shane told me he should have lit a match to the $800 we took from our savings to pay for the treadmill. So, maybe I wasn't as gung ho as I had promised when I begged for it, but I have turned a corner. I have been running in the morning for the past week and half, and haven't missed a day yet. I am getting up earlier, and can't believe I am actually doing it. I am feeling LOADS better than I have in a long time. No exhaustion after work, no dying in the middle of the afternoon, sleeping better, and my favorite perk - I am happier. It is like the treadmill sucks all of my fear, anger, problems and spits back out confidence, clarity and smiles. I am pounding away my problems on my little Nordic Track. So cheesy, but true. So, all the experts are right. Exercise and diet really do work:)

Obsession Realized

Okay, so I don't say thank you to George W. very often, but my economic stimulus is funding a highly anticipated trip to the Four Seasons in Scottsdale.  Booked everything last night and can't even wait to go.  I am envisioning the chilled towels, fruit kebabs, private cabanas, room service, the Scottsdale Mall, Sprinkles, Scrapbooks, Etc. (SQUEAL!)  I forced Amanda to go with me, so it is going to be such a fun trip.  The money probably would have made more sense to actually go where it is needed in the country (schools, teachers salaries, food banks) but hopefully my jaunt will offer a tiny upswing to the economy.  Promise to post pics:)