My Backpack

I take a backpack to work for the ease of things. It is easier than carrying my water bottle, purse, lunch bag, and calendar to make plans. I do have to say that my bag is getting full of extra stuff and I wanted to share with you what is in it.

1 Planner
House keys
Car key
1 Acorn (supposed to be for Grammie, now in trash)
Eye drops
Little bottle of Lotion
1 Water cycle Bracelet
Blood work write up for insurance
Brochure for insurance
Bottle of Peppermint oil
Note for a good book (trash)
Comb
Kleenex (in abundance) [from working the election]
1 Small box of Jaw Breaker candy
1 mini pen
Throat Drops
Granola bar
Package of gum
Glasses
Deck of playing cards? ( Never know when you'll need them) :-)
Medicine for headaches
Tylenol
Baggage claim ticket from trip to Denver in Aug. (trash)
Red Ribbon from Red Ribbon week
Dental Floss
School ID badge
Badge for athletic events
1 Box top
1 ticket from the Chicago Cubs game in Aug.
1 headset wire for my phone

Just think, I haven't even touched my purse yet.

Recipes

This week I have been looking for some good gluten free recipes online. I would like to do some holiday baking, but it seems a little challenging. I have thought about using a flour blend and substituting it into regular recipes, but who knows how they will turn out. I am so grateful for the internet and the ability to look for things that other people have had the time and money to experiment with.
Here is the list of foods I have found this week that I will be trying in the future:
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Cinnamon Rolls
Dinner Rolls (especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas)
Flatbread
Flour Tortillas (the recipe said that these were quick and easy) [I always have to double the prep time]
Gingersnaps
Herb & Garlic Breadsticks
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Cookies

Halloween at Grammie and Pa's

I took a pumpkin to Grammie the other day. I meant to decorate it before I got to the house, but I forgot. I showed Grammie the pumpkin and she just loved it. I asked her if she wanted it decorated and she said yes. I got a pen and stood by her bed.
"What kind of eyes?" I asked.
"Triangle."
"What kind of nose?" I asked.
"Triangle."
"What kind of mouth?"
"Missing a couple of teeth."
"Does it need ears?"
"Of course!"
At this point I stopped asked because I had run out of room due to the fact that it was a baby bear pumpkin and not very big. I had also found candy corn lights and they are hung on the tree outside her window. I asked her on Friday if she was going to get up and answer the door for trick-or-treaters and she said that she would just stay where she was.

AJ bought candy for Pa to hand out tonight. He absolutely loves this night and handing out candy. On Monday, I looked over and Pa was opening up the candy and eating it. Now, he'd already had a small candy bar and he really shouldn't be eating candy. As I was leaving I reminded him to stay out of the candy. He looked at me and said, "She (AJ) didn't buy enough candy anyway and she'll have to have to go get more!" At this I went and had a small piece as I was leaving. :-) AJ did buy more and he hasn't opened the new bags, but the 1st bag is almost gone.

Friday, I took a pillowcase to Grammie. She just loves the one I took this summer, so I went and found a fall one that has all the Peanut characters on it. When I gave it to her, she was so excited. She said she remembered the characters and pointed to the old pillowcase and told me she likes that one too.

New Couch

After being sick for 4 weeks and spending 9 days on my back in bed, I decided that I seriously needed a couch. I went and found the cutest futon.

After
Before

Scissors, Glue, and Lice

Three weeks ago I went to work on Mon and figured it would be a regular day. After having the flu for 4 weeks and being severely sick I was finally able to eat 3 meals a day. It so happened that all 4 of us adults were in our room during 1st period and we were just chatting. Our supervisor mentioned that we had too many adults for the amount of students that were in special ed and someone needed to move to a different school. There were 4 choices and all of them were elementary. I quickly ran down to the principal, volunteered, and mentioned my 1st choice. I found out on Wed. that I got my first choice and would start the following Mon.
I decided that moving down to the elementary level and being in special ed necessitated a haircut. All I could think about was scissors, glue, and lice because I've been in the elementary before and I know what it's like.



I have to say that I didn't realize how much I missed the little kids. I also didn't realize how stressed I was at the Jr. High level. I knew I was stressed, but I had no idea how stressed until the second day at the new job and I could just feel myself relax. I'm so glad that I moved and can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds.

When I got to Grammie and Pa's after having the haircut Grammie kept looking at me. After about 20 minutes she said, "I like your haircut." I told her thanks and that I thought about getting a haircut like hers. She said, "Blue/green." I've been telling her that we should dye her hair and she could have blue hair like the old ladies who go to the beauty parlor. I thought for a minute and then had to ask, "You know your hair really isn't blue don't you?" She said yes and I was relived.

Laughter

I have to say that laughter really is good for the soul. I have been feeling so much better since I have stopped eating gluten. I had no idea how crummy I felt before I became gluten free. However, being gluten free and corn free does pose some challenges. Most people who can't eat gluten eat lots of corn and that isn't going to work for my body, so I'm constantly trying to figure out substitutions for corn. I came across a substitution list on allrecipes.com and was quite impressed. The one that struck me was a substitution for corn syrup. By using water and sugar you get the same basic results. All at once I thought to myself, "Hey, now I can have Dennis' homemade caramel corn." About 20 seconds later I realized that I still can't have the popcorn even if I made a substitute for the corn syrup. I shared this story with Mom and she laughed and laughed. Then I shared it with Dennis and it took him about 20 seconds to realize what was wrong with that scenario. Thought I'd give you something to smile about as well.

The Flu

I woke up last Mon. morning with a terrific headache. I called in to work sick and stayed home thinking I would be better in the morning. About mid-afternoon I got sick to my stomach and knew that it was no ordinary headache. (as if I would know what those are!) Around 3 pm I was desperately hoping for some Saltine crackers, but they contain wheat. Then I thought chicken and noodle soup, oh wait, they have wheat too. What is a gluten free person suppose to eat when faced with the stomach flu. Not a whole lot. I really wanted pretzels, but the gluten free ones have corn, so I decided I should make my own. After three attempts I gave up and went to bed! I finally figured out that diet 7-up is pretty good, because I can't have the regular stuff due to corn syrup. I was sick Tues, but work half a day and stayed home Wed. This weekend I thought I was feeling better, but I wasn't. On Sunday, Mom finally said I should try to make Grammie's homemade noddles. She did caution me that I should wait and I was going to. Then, I thought that zucchini muffins sounded good. I didn't have all the flours that I needed, so I went to the store to get the multiple flours and chicken broth. Fred Meyer didn't have tapioca flour and I bought potato flour instead of potato starch. So much for the muffins! I got home and decided to make homemade noodles for comfort. I got the chicken broth warming, (in the biggest pot I had because that's how Grammie and Mom did it) then I started on the noodles. One egg made a puny amount of noodles, so I used three. As I was dropping the noodles, which were clinging together, into the pot I remember that when using rice (or any other non-gluten flour) you're supposed to add xanthan or guar gum for elasticity. Well it was too late, but if I had added that I might be eating noodles for the rest of the month. As it is, I got one meal on Sunday and enough left for one more.
Yesterday I called the doctor because I can still hardly eat and I couldn't even drink without being nauseous. I got an appt. today for a different doctor in the practice since mine was busy. After I signed in, I asked the ladies for a copy of my latest blood work for the insurance. I was told that I had to fill out a disclosure form for them to mail me a copy. Wierd, huh? As I was filling out the form, I noticed there was a place to mark in order to receive a copy of my entire medical chart for a cost of $15. Now, I know how thick the chart is and they even weed some stuff out. I jokingly said I shouldn't order a copy due to the thickness of it. The lady that's been there for at least the last four years looked up with a slightly horrified look and said, "Yours is one of our thickest ones. I don't think you want a copy." What do you say when the office helps says you have one of the thickest files they have? (They have 5 doctors in their practice.) I guess you just laugh.
The doctor was no help. He thought maybe I hadn't had the flu at all since I hadn't thrown up. Then, he question whether or not I really was allergic to gluten and would have done a gluten test. First, you have to be eating gluten in order to test for it. Second, it's not even an accurate test. I'm not subjecting myself to hives and a headache to satisfy his curiosity!!!! I mention to him that I have a history of stomach problems and he said ok. I could take some medicine now to help calm my stomach and if it doesn't work then we'll run tests. It could be my gallbladder,(you usually have symptoms, but sometimes not), or maybe acid reflex. Come on. To think that I paid to have him tell me something I know (meds. work) or it could be something more serious. It gets better. The meds will make me sleepy, so I should take them at night and at least eat one decent meal. I went to fill the meds and when I asked if there were any special instructions I was told to take the meds when I get nauseous. Well, I don't get nauseous unless I eat! I'm fine when I don't eat. The pharmacist said, "Well, take it a few minutes before the meal." He was as baffled as me and he's good.

At least when I got home I had a package waiting for me. I had ordered a rice cooker and a cookbook for Laurissa. I got the package. I expected it to be bigger, but when I opened it I had a wonderful surprise.


I thing they could have found a bigger box, don't you? I mean the bubble packing takes up half the box. This was my smile for the day.

Better Bread and Fun Treats

I now have a fantastic bread. Mom found the recipe and the lady has been working for 5 years to get a decent bread. The first time I made the bread I put it in the oven. The problem was the loaf was kind of small. Last Sunday I put it in the bread machine and it was fantastic. The bread is light and fluffy and reminds me of Angel Food cake. The new Sunday ritual is going to be me making bread. :-)



I also made Oreos last week in honor of Audie coming to town. The taste was pretty close to a real Oreo. However, they were a lot of work, so I'm not going to be making them too often.


I am going to try and make pizza tomorrow night. I hope it works.

Bread, anyone?

I decided on Sunday night that I wanted homemade bread. After taking 2 hours to buy a bread machine, I got home and mixed together the ingredients. I put the mixture in the machine and waited for 1 hr 45 min. I couldn't wait to have a warm slice of bread with butter and jelly. When I took the bread out it looked so cute.

I realized that I didn't have a bread knife, so I used a regular one. When I cut into it, it was a little gooey, but I didn't care. I broke off a piece and oh, It was disgusting! I thing the vinegar didn't do it's thing, because that was the foulest thing I've tasted in quite awhile. I had to drink apple juice to get rid of the taste.
I'll try a different recipe this weekend and let you know how it turns out.

Quilts and Food

I promised you I would give you some photos and here they are.


This is the quilt that I "whipped up" the last week of summer school for my supervisor. She retired and loves the Broncos.


These next two are the ones I made Jack for the Senior Olympic games. He loved them.




I made a flourless chocolate cake last week for a friend's birthday. It turned out to be amazing.

Wellness visit at the Doctors

I really don't like going in for wellness visits. Having to go through all the steps and being completely examined is torture. But, I go to make sure everything is all right and to satisfy the insurance. That being said; I was really looking forward to seeing my doctor today so I could tell him all the things I've done in the last three months. (He already knew about my corn allergy. I told him in Feb. when I asked if I could do my 1/2 marathon.) I couldn't wait to tell him about my wheat allergy and that I've come off of 3 meds. in since the middle of May. There was a new nurse and she kept forgetting to do things; like weigh me. She went to draw my blood and I told her to use the left arm. Well, that vein blew out. So, she moved to the right arm. Just as she was finishing up I got sick. I blacked out and could barely hear her voice. I kept saying I just wanted to lie down. I was thinking the floor and she wanted me to stay put. She finally called for Rich, the doctor, and between them they got me to the table. Needless to say I felt awful. They waited til I could sit up and then we started talking. I told Rich that I was allergic to wheat and had come off of meds. He looked at me and said, "Didn't I send you to an allergist?" I said, "Yes, but, he didn't test for food allergies; just living things." At this point Rich started to swear. He couldn't figure out why the allergist wouldn't test for food. It could have saved me a lot of trouble the last 3 years. Then he said, "Was that the guy you didn't like that I sent you to?"
"Yep, and I didn't like the neurologist either." I'm thinking the allergist might be getting a phone call this week. Yes, I wish they would have tested for food, but if I'm honest it's okay that it wasn't done. I don't think I would have accepted it as easily and what I've learned in the last three years is irreplaceable. I have learned so much about myself and what I can do that I wouldn't erase the past. It would have been nice to have it a little easier, but God has worked through this time in amazing ways.
Back to the doctor. After we talked, I got the once over inside and out. I just finished my cereal and now I'm ready for the day

P.S. I will post some food stories and vacation travels next.

crazy family

I will eventually sit down and write about Michigan and Colorado. Today, though, I thought I'd give you a brief update on Grammie and Pa. They seem to be doing well. I know they were both glad to see me when I came back. I can't help to be sadden by the fact that they're okay and the family is falling apart. All the uncles except Dan seem to be throwing a fit like a 2 yr. old and AJ is oblivious that it's because of her. She won't accept their help when it's offered and she won't tell any of them what's going on with Grammie and Pa. It's so frustrating to be the one in the middle of the whole thing.
I have to say AJ was sweet on Wed. We were talking about my Dad and she said, "You're blessed to have Dennis in your life to balance out your Dad." I thought that was beautiful. The fact that she recognized what Dennis is in my life and how he has been my emotional support all these years is cool.

Thought provoking Thursday

I saw Dr. House yesterday. She is Dr. Peine's wife who deals with food and hormonal issues. I was there for 90 min. and a lot got said. First, I told her what the last 4 years have been like. Then, she examined me. Finally, we got down to the spit test results and her opinion. The test revealed that I do have adrenal fatigue. This is where your adrenal glands don't work as well because you've been very stressed. They can heal, but it can take years. The good news is that it's about lifestyle changes and I've already been working on that. She thinks that in another 6 months they'll be even better, if I follow the eating guidelines and takes some heavy duty vitamins. That's the good news. She also thinks that I'm gluten intolerant. Apparently this happens in 1 in 8 people. Now, this is not new for me. The doctors have been wondering for about 3 yrs if I have a gluten intolerant. I just have ignored it say it can't be true. However, I finally feel that it's time to tackle this and find out for sure. Dr. House said it's my choice and I can wait until October, when I see her again, to start this gluten free eating. [To really know if I'm intolerant I need to be gluten free for 3 months.] But, I'm going to dive in and start on Sunday. I figure that it should be fairly easy considering I've already cut corn out of my diet. Corn products aren't listed on foods as an allergy ingredient, but wheat is. It should really be quiet easy to find foods to eat.
I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Reading

Please scroll down and read from the bottom to the top. I started with Mon and it got put at the bottom.

Wild and Wacky Wednesday

My alarm went off at 5:30 this morning so that I could work out at 6. I went outside and opened my newly rented garage. I had backed my car in yesterday so that I could just pull out this morning. I got in the car and started it, but it would not shift from park. I tried several times and then pulled out the manual. It said I needed to push the override button. I located that and tried to push it with my storage lock key, but to no avail. I came inside the house, found my tool box, and took out the screwdriver. That didn't work either. So, I called Michelle to tell her I was working out this morning and then I called 1-800-call-mom. I was hoping that Dennis would be able to tell me what to do. He had already left for work, so I called him there. He said it sounded like I wouldn't be able to fix it and that he would have to look at it more to see what the problem was. I should just call a tow truck. [Remember, I can't put my car in neutral to tow it.] This was not sounding promising. I sent Dad a text and asked him where I should have it towed to. He called back and said that he would come over as soon as he finished breakfast. It was now 6:25. I got into the shower, thinking that I would like to be dressed with clean clothes when the tow truck driver called. It was at this point that I realized I don't have towing insurance. I had had roadside assistance with my warranty package and had taken towing off the insurance to save money. When the warranty expired, I forgot to add it back on the insurance. Dad got here around 7:15 and we tried to move the gear shift. We read the manual some more and learned that this can happen when the fuse for the break lights are blown. [I would assume that. :~?] Well, I had break lights. So, it was decided that I would call the Ford dealership. However, they don't open til 8. So, I ate breakfast and waited. The service dealer said I needed to have it towed in and he could fix it. I called the towing company and they said they would be here in 30 min. I called my insurance company at 8:30 when they opened and told them the deal. The kind lady put towing insurance on my package and said they would probably cover today's cost. As I was talking to her, the tow truck showed up. The man asked what was wrong and I told him. He said, "Oh, the break light fuse must be blown." Really??!! I told him the brakes worked, but he didn't believe me. They did. He was able to push the override button and put the car into gear. I paid him for a jump start and he waited while I closed up my apartment and left the garage. I drove straight to the dealer. I got there around 9:15 and waited an hour for a courtesy drive back to my place. I worked on sorting old bills and stuff and sewed on the fleece blanket. Laurissa called around 1 and wanted to know what I was doing. I told her and she asked if I needed a distraction. I said yes, but I hadn't had lunch. She hadn't either, but I had a pizza in the freezer and lots of fruit. I put in the pizza and cut up the fruit by the time Laurissa and Zeralina got here. As we were eating lunch and watching "Zerie" play, the service guy from the dealer called. He told me they would have to replace the entire gear shaft in the middle consult. The good news was the parts were in stock. The bad news was the cost. I told him I didn't really have a choice and to go ahead. He also said one of the front lights was out. I said why not. The three of us girls decided to run errands. We went to Jo-Ann's so that I could buy batting for the t-shirt quilts. Then we went to Cost Plus and wandered around, walked to Barnes and Noble and browsed, went to Staples to get paper and pens, then went to Home Depot to look at stuff. We decided to go to Laurissa's house and wait for the call about the car being done and then she would take me up to the dealer. On the way to her house we stopped for ice cream at McDonald's. It was about 4:30, so I called the dealership to see if my car was close to being ready. I was told that the parts were in and it would be about 1/2 hr. Laurissa drove me up there and I walked in with a glass of water, batting in a bag, two reams of printer paper, two pairs of scissors, and four new pens. I probably looked like a dork, but hey, I got some shopping finished. I sat in the waiting room til 5:15, when I noticed that my car was waiting in the lot. I went and asked if my car was done and the gal said, "No-one came and told you that it's finished." Who knows how long it was sitting there. I paid the bill, [Grateful that I worked 11 days of summer school, cause that was what I needed.] and drove home.

Tazmanian devil Tuesday

I got up at 5:30, so that I could go work out at 6:00 before summer school. For some reason, I started thinking yesterday morning. I thought it would be a good idea to make a quilt for a lady who has trained me in a reading program and has been my supervisor in this area for the last 6 years. She is retiring and her last day is Friday. She is a huge Boise State fan and I thought it would be fun to make her a blanket. [I'll just whip it right up!] After work, I went to the storage unit to see what was left in it so I can clean it out. I removed 7 boxes of books. Now, I knew I had more books than the 6-8 I had moved in Sept! I almost need more bookshelves. :-) Needless to say there is no room in my 525 sq. ft apartment for more furniture. But I digress. After the storage unit trip, I went to the church to buy gift cards. The cards benefit the school and families that attend the school. I figured I might as well go get gift cards to Jo-Ann's before I buy fabric. While I was at the church, I found Laurissa feeding Zeralina. We decided to go for a quick lunch since Laurissa had to tutor at 1:30 in Meridian. After lunch, I ran to Barnes and Nobles and got some crossword books. I wanted to have some to work with Grammie. Then, I went to get fabric. I got the neatest fleece material. It has the word Broncos and Boise State all over it in orange and blue. For the back I got a light/dark blue swirl. I brought it home and started sewing. My machine was having issues, so I finally quit working on it around 8:30.

Monday madness

I got home from Michigan on Sunday morning and slept most of the day. I'll write more about the trip later. I am subbing for summer school all this week. It's from 7:45-11:45 AM. After school, I went to grab lunch, dropped off books at the library, and picked up my mail at the post office. I visited with Grammie from 12:30-1:30 and then I came home for a short nap. I went to a swim meet at 5:00, thinking it would be over by 9. Oh no, I left at 10:10 and it was still going.

Busy, Busy, Busy

OK, here is a run-down of my week.
I subbed for summer school all week. That ran from 7:47-11:45. Tues. I left at 9:30 and today I left at 10:45.

Mon. I went for a workout at 6 AM for 30 min. Then I went to work. I had book group from 12-1, then a doctors appt from 1:45-2:30. I ran home for a quick nap and then I grabbed dinner. I was babysitting at the church from 5:45-10 PM.

Tues. I had to take my spit test. I woke up at 5:30 and spent 25 min. spitting into a vial. Then I went to work til 9:30. I ran to the church for a Sunday School Leadership meeting that lasted until 12. I came home and took another spit test. Luckily this one only took 10 min. I rested for a little bit and then I went to Merritt's with Michelle at 2. We wanted to try out their scones. They tasted great, but my stomach wasn't happy later. I was at Grammie and Pa's from 3-4. I went home and at 6, did another spit test which took 15 min. I hung out and watched tv and at 10 did the final spit test, which took 6 min.

Wed. I ran errands and mailed the spit test. I worked on the 2 t-shirt quilts that need to be done by Aug. 13. At 7:15, I met Jack (my brother's father-in-law) to pick out fabric for the back of the quilts.

Thurs. I went for a workout at 6 AM for 30 min. After work, I went to Carmen's house at 12:45. I threw a load of laundry in her machine and we went to lunch. Then we ran errands. After all our errands we done, we took the kids to the zoo. We all had a lot of fun, but it was very hot. On the way home we went and got ice cream. I had planned to go to a swim meet at 5, but by the time we got back to Carmen's it was 5:30. I still had to put my clothes into the dryer. Carmen and I ended up talking and I got home around 7:30, after I dropped off my recycling. I was so tired that I was asleep by 9:45.

Fri. I got up at 6 and got dressed. Then, I sent emails, charged my iPod, and cleaned my kitchen. After I got off work at 10:45, I ran and got my meds. from the store, came home and cleaned my bathroom, and went and had lunch with Dad from 12:15-1:15. Then I ran to Costco to get fruit snacks for Carmen and fill my car with gas. Costco the day before a holiday weekend is not the place to go. :-) I came home and laid down for 40 min. Then I went to the library, the PO box, and Albertsons. I had to pick up flowers for Grammie and Pa because tomorrow is their 64th anniversary. I stayed at Grammie and Pa's from 4-5. Then, I went to Carmen's to give her the fruit snacks. I was there from 5:30-630. I then ran to Fred Meyer to get some snacks and grabbed dinner. When I got home, I cleaned out my fridge, and vacuumed my apartment.

Now I am posting this blog and hoping to get to sleep by 10:30.

Portland in 33 Hours

Michelle and I left Boise at 7:25 on Tues. morning and arrived in Portland at 8:00. Flying into the airport I spotted an IKEA and knew we had to go. We did fine buying tickets for the light rail and hopped on. It was a good 40 min. ride into town. IKEA was closed, so we decided to go downtown and go to Powell's bookstore. On the light rail, Michelle and I looked at each and figured out neither of us had printed an itinerary. Which meant, we had not conformation codes, or info as to when our flight actually left! We are quite brilliant together, but apart, it is scary. We got off in Chinatown, not on purpose, and it was quite deserted except for the homeless. Good thing we blended in so well with our humongous backpacks--NOT! We walked and walked and saw a North Face store. It didn't open til 10 so we continued to Powell's, which opened at 9. If we had not been looking for the store, I don't think we would have found it. The area around the store was dirty and deserted.
We entered the bookstore and wanted to get rid of our backpacks for the browsing time. We asked the gal at info and she said, "Right over there." She wasn't in a good mood. We walked over to the bag check and that man was not friendly. This was the beginning of the trend. We walked around Powell's and looked at more books than I have ever seen. Around 10, we were hungry and tired. We went back to the bag check to ask about a diner for breakfast. They didn't even know of anything in the area. Really??!! How can you not know what businesses are around you? Finally, someone suggested a little dinner a few blocks away. We went and had good breakfast with a friendly server. We thought we were blending in well, but we were always pegged as people from out of town. Michelle hoped we looked like students, but we didn't! When we finished, we walked back to the store and checked our bags in at a different bag check. That person was slightly friendlier.
We continued to walk around the store for another two hours. Our eyes were glazed over and our minds were slightly numb from reading title after title. I did find out some things. In the cooking section, all the chocolate books have brown covers. In the political section, the covers were blue, red, or white. Coincidence? I don't think so. I found Tiffany's Table Manners for Teenagers. When we left we decided to go down to the waterfront. We missed the bus/light rail, (this will be a recurring theme in our trip) so we went into the toy store and wandered around. Then we caught the next bus. (Stay tuned for the theme to continue.)
We took the bus to go see the Rose Festival. We got off the bus too early--yep, again!-- and walked the rest of the way. When we got down to the carnival, it was closed. Something about a blackout day. :-( So, we walked several blocks uptown and parked ourselves on a windowsill to look at our map and eat a snack. We must have looked quite cute since so many people walked by and smiled at the sight of our huge map. We asked a guy that sitting on the next windowsill for directions. He came over looking helpful, but we found out he was from out of town as well. He, however; was blending in. We finally decided to go to the North Face store. It was so tiny, we were slightly disappointed.
The info center was looking good because we needed to find our hotel and other things to do. [I'm so glad we decided to go without a plan. :-) Katie's the organized one; I thought she would have it all planned out. I was just there for comic relief.] Fining the info center took some doing on our part. We finally found the bus to get to the info center and when we got off, we realized we had been right there on our way to the waterfront.
The women in the info center were slightly helpful, but it took awhile to find our hotel on the map. We should have known we were in trouble at this point. We did pick up some great brochures on where to eat. Voodoo Doughnuts! We also learned that the red & blue line traveled East/West and the green & yellow line traveled North/South. That would have been good to know, but I never could figure out where North was. At this point our feet hurt! We sat down outside to plan out what we would/could do next. At this point it was only 1:00, and we were hungry. Seeing that we were in Portland, fish & chips sounded like a reasonable option. No such luck. We walked and walked around the blocks trying to find seafood place with reasonable prices. We didn't even find a seafood place. The Nordstrom's cafe was near, but it looked fancy; and we were not! So, we decided to eat at Flying Elephants Delicatessen. When we went in, it didn't look very appealing. Plan L, was looking great because there was a Subway that we had passed a few blocks away. Good old Subway saved the day.
Walking back the info center to catch the lightrail was a better option than walking to the hotel. We got off at the baseball stadium, which happened to be one stop too early. [Good thing we are training for the 1/2 marathon. Have I mentioned what is in our backpacks? Michelle had clothes and 2 bananas, M&M's, and a bag of Kisses. I had clothes, a water bottle, 4 apples, chocolate goldfish, homemade granola bars, and two new books. Notice how Katie brings the healthy stuff!] We had to walk uphill to get to the hotel and when we walked passed a hotel we were grateful it wasn't ours. As we were waiting to check in, we looked at our confirmation to see why we weren't closer to downtown and at the bottom in small print it said: The airport is 6.9 miles and distances are calculated in a straight line and may not reflect actual travel distance. In other words it is calculated by way the crow flies. Michelle and I decided we could make up math problems for the 7th graders based on all our walking. We checked into the hotel across the street and was told our room was the one that looked like a dump. We were quickly assured that our rooms has just been redone. We got to the room and it was nice. A nap was in order. After the nap, we decided to go to China Town to eat at a haunted pizza place. We got on the light rail and transferred to the other color light rail and watched our stop go by. By now we were so used to this happening that we didn't even blink.This meant that when we got off we had to walk 7 blocks to dinner. I have to say the pizza was great. We wondered where all the people were, though. It was a empty place and we couldn't figure out where everyone was. Deja vu from our previous visit there at 8 in the morning. As we were waiting for our food and planning the next day, we looked out the window and saw a man standing with a white towel around his waist. He had a mic, so he was in a play? Michelle very much hoped the towel would fall to the ground and make her trip. After dinner comes dessert. Have I mentioned we like chocolate? Although the towel man was pretty sweet!



We walked 3 blocks to a place called Voodoo Doughnuts. This is the sign for ordering the doughnuts. Michelle knew what she wanted, but I took my time and by then the place was packed. Katie, Katie, Katie. We had to stand in line and wait for everyone to order. When I got to the front they were out of the flavor I had chosen, so I got what Michelle did. We chose a doughnut topped with chocolate sauce, Oreos, and drizzled with peanut butter. We were quite full, so we decided to go back to the hotel. After riding the bus back to the info center, we got off and walked through the mall at Pioneer Courthouse Square. It was a cute mall that was getting ready to close for the night. So, we got on another bus and rode it up as far as we could. It was starting to drizzle, so we were grateful to be at the hotel. Unfortunately, the key didn't work. So, we walked down the stairs, across the street, and into the lobby to get help. The night person fixed it and we walked back. The key still did not work. So, Michelle stayed with the stuff, (and the doughnuts!) and I walked back and got a brand new key. We decided we had earned a night of TV. At 9:00, when it's free minute time, I called Southwest to explain our predicament. The person on the other end was not amused. You mean most people don't fly into cities with no idea when their flight home leaves, without their tickets, or confirmation numbers? She finally gave me the conformation code for me and I hung up. Michelle wanted to know why I hadn't handed the phone to her. I explained she wasn't amused and Michelle decided to call home and have her husband look up the info. Explaining the situation to him was harder than the agent. He loves me anyway. I was laughing so hard. We finally both got what we needed and settled down for sleep.
In the morning, we got ready and headed across the street for our breakfast. It was yogurt, fruit, drinks, and bagels. I am so glad we had our doughnuts. So, we went back to our room with some yogurt and hot chocolate and sat on the floor eating our little breakfast. We decided to walk uphill to see the rose garden. At this point we have checked out of the hotel and have our backpacks again. Before we got to the rose garden, there was a Holocaust Memorial that was absolutely beatiful. It had a concise synopsis of the entire concentration camp event.


From there, we walked up to the rose garden. That was so cool to see that many different types of roses. The day was cloudy and it had been drizzling on and off, but it wasn't uncomfortable. The roses had little rain droplets on them and that was so cool. We went up to the gift shop and looked around. We asked the gal when the bus would come so we didn't have to walk all the way into town. She said it would be there in 7 min. Perfect, I had time to go to the restroom. Did I mention that Katie has a bladder the size of a peanut? As I came out, there went the bus. The next one would come in 20 min. Being the walkers that we are, we decided to walk down the hill and catch the next bus at the next bus stop. It couldn't be that far, right? As we got to the park, Michelle said she had to use the restroom. It was Katie's fault; she got me thinking about restrooms. I told her she should have gone when I went, but she said she didn't have to then. At that point, it started pouring. We ran down to the shelter, which at originally been part of the zoo and housed the elephants. Michelle used the restroom and we were going to wait out the rain.


After a few minutes, we asked a bunch of mom's where the next bus stop was. We were told it was down around the corner. Yeah, like a half mile away. So, we walked. And then, we ran because the bus was coming and we certainly didn't want to miss it. We got to the bus stop as it pulled up. We told the driver we needed to buy tickets. He wanted to know where ours were and we said we didn't have any. Then he wanted to know how we had gotten up the hill and we said that we had walked. I don't think he believed us.
When we got to town we went to the library so we could check in for our flight. From there we went to the Lloyed center which is a huge mall that has an ice skating rink. Unfortunately, the rink was closed, but we saw a lot of cool shops and had lunch. We went outside and watched the bus we needed go by us. Go figure. We had 20 min. to buy a ticket and people watch. IKEA is a great store and we definitely could have spent more time there. The airport had fun stores that we wandered into and then we got on the plane. We flew to Reno and had 2 1/2 hours to kill. That airport is tiny with nothing to do. Good thing, we had books and cards. And chocolate!
By the time we got home, we were tired and sore. Portland has been crossed off our bucket list.
Here is the shirt I got at the airport after our trip.
P.S. the bananas didn't make it because Michelle kept putting her feet on the backpack as a foot rest.
[Michelle's comments are in purple.]

Very Busy

I have been so busy that you'll have to wait to hear about my Portland trip. Mon, I worked around the house and then had book group from 12-1. From 1:30-3:30, I had a leadership meeting at the church. Then I ran to Grammie and Pa's for an hour and after that I went to the grocery store. I arrived home around 6:30.
Today, I went to Carmen's at 10. She was not ready to leave, so it took about 45 min. to get out the door. We went to the library and stayed there until 11:30 and then we went and got lunch at Burger King. The kids had a blast playing on the equipment until 1. We went back to Carmen's house where she was ever so gracious to let me do laundry while we watched a movie. I left around 3:00 and went to a different library to get my books and then I went to the store. I arrived home around 4.
Tomorrow, doesn't look any calmer. I have to go pick up a spit test (hormone testing) and then I have a meeting, I'll run to Grammie and Pa's. Then I get to go watch a swim meet.
Thurs. and Fri. are just as busy.

So, as you can see, I am staying busy and I would love to post my Portland trip, but it will take awhile. Plus, Michelle says she has to help so that you can all get the REAL story. :-)

1st Day of Summer Vacation

I woke up this morning at 5:30 and decided I wasn't going to get up. I fell back asleep and when I woke up at 6:40 I decided to get up. It is now 9:00 and I have done my laundry, talked to Grandma Michigan, gotten yogurt at the store, gone to the bank, and recycled. I plan on quilting til 10:30 and then the day really starts. My friend and I are going to look at remodeled homes on a tour and also look at the open art studios, in people's homes, that are open this weekend. This is my Sat. in a nutshell. What does yours look like?

My Race

my t-shirt

My race number and chip timer
that I wore around the left ankle

Sorry it took so long to update you. I have been extremely busy. I have finished the three quilts for the retirement parties. Made two quilts for Project Linus and now I'm working on a quilt for a birthday. Not to mention running a race, visiting Grammie and Pa, working on a Power Point for my Dad's open house at work and being asked to be the Nursery Coordinator at church for the summer.
Okay, so the race was last Sat. on the 15th. The day before I went with the 8th graders to Bruneau Sand Dunes. After hiking around a small lake I hiked to the top of the tallest dune in North America. It stands at 470 feet. I knew that I would be sore for the race, but I also figured that the race would help work out some of the kinks. Friday afternoon we had to go pick up are race packets, so we went down to Ann Morrison Park and stood in line. First, we walked up to the area that said 5K and we were told we needed to go look at our number on the U-Haul truck. So, we went and found our number and stood back in line to get our race tag. Then, we went over the table to pick up our goodies. We got a coupon for a free ice cream cone, and a loaf of bread at one of the specialty bakeries. After this, we stood in line to get our ankle time. I had never worn an ankle bracelet before and I'm glad I was legally free when I did. This chip tells the people when we've started the race and when we finished.
Michelle, my race partner, picked me up at 7 AM and we went down to catch the shuttle to the starting line. I really wished I had my camera with me as there were fascinating people. One man had a blue tattoo on his elbow and I commented to Michelle how much that would hurt. After looking at it for a moment we both realized it was a hinge. Really?! The announce would tell us it was 25 min. before the race and then 5 min. later would tell us we still had 25 min. After awhile people started moving toward the starting line. By unspoken agreement, Michelle and I gravitated toward the back so we wouldn't be run over. The place that we started had the 5K and 10K. We later found out there were 1,700 of us at the gate. The weird thing was there was no announcement that the race was starting. We just heard the race gun go off and people started moving. It was so cool to be near the back and see the line of people down the street. It was a relatively cool morning and for that we were grateful. I didn't think I was too sore until I started walking up inclines and then I noticed the muscles from the day before were a little sore, but I was able to work them out slightly. We never did find the mile post for 1, so we walked quite a ways before we realized we had to be coming up on mile 2. At the point, we heard a person to our left yell, "Marathon leader on your left." There was a person on a bike announcing the marathon leader ( who was in a wheelchair) that was passing us and we hadn't hit mile two. Now, this person had started 45 min. earlier and was going to be at the halfway point at our end line, but still. Then, about a min. later, I heard, "1/2 marathon leader on the left." By this time I felt like a fool. I wasn't even to mile 2 and both of the guys had passed me. Let's just say that when I do my 1/2 marathon I won't even be close to that fast. Finally, Michelle and I hit mile 2 and we got a cup of water. At this point we could hear the crowd at the finish line because it was a horseshoe loop and we could hear the people's names being called as they crossed the finish line. Turning into the park and seeing all those people there cheering was so cool. I got to the finish line and didn't realize that someone there would take off my ankle timer for me. I bent down to remove it and almost couldn't get up because I was so sore. We walked over to the food table and there were hot baked potatoes with butter and sour cream because it was the Idaho Potato run. I passed on the potatoes, but go a banana, bagel, grapes, and chocolate milk. Then, we went over and got a brief massage which felt wonderful. After we ate, we went and collected our t-shirts.
I looked up my time later that weekend and I finished in 48 min. 38 sec. I was 445 our of 542. Not too bad for my first race and the fact that we walked the entire way. I think I'm now addicted. Next year for this race I'll compete in the 10K. For now, I just need to focus on the 1/2 marathon and maybe throw some more 5K in the mix. :-)

You know you're old when...(part 2)

I was sitting in 8th grade Health class last Friday and we were talking about mental health. The teacher was describing depression and stress to the students. I was thinking that I could teach that unit when all of a sudden the topic changed. On the power point the teacher had given a written stress and she had a clip art of a man freaking out over his computer and Y2K. One student raised their hand and asked, "What is Y2K?" The teacher stopped for a moment and said, "That's right you would have been 3 or 4 at the time." She then went on to explain how people reacted at the end of 1999. I just sat there because it seemed like just yesterday and these kids didn't even remember it. One finally said they thought it sounded sort of familiar.

Single Life

I thought I would let you in to my life as a single 30 yr. old. The conversations I have with people can be quite amusing.

Tuesday - I was at Pa and Grammie's. I told Pa I would be back on Friday and he wanted to know why I wasn't coming Wed. I told him I had an event that I was going to. (I was attending the Women's Program at church.)
He said, "I hope you're going on a date."
I said, "Not really. I'll be with 300 women."
"When are you going to get married?"
"Not this week and next week isn't looking too good either." I replied.
He said, "You need a fellar."
"I do?"
"Yes, you need a fellar."
AJ was standing in the sun room shaking her had at that.
Now before I used to get angry because I was assuming he wanted me to get married because I needed someone to support me. Know I realize he wants me to get married because he loves Grammie so much and he wants the same for me. All I can do is smile.

Wednesday - I went to the Women's Program. This time all the table hostesses had to bring a cake stand, knife, and server. Now, I don't own a cake stand. I usually bake a cake in a 9x13 pan and serve it from the pan. (Thanks Mom.) AJ had a cake pan and graciously let me borrow it. When I got to the church and talked to the lady in charge of table hostesses I told her that it had been quite difficult to find a cake stand.
She said, "Well, those are the kinds of things you put on your wedding registry. Make sure you get the one with the dome to protect your food."
I said, "Can I put a husband on the registry because I'm not getting married anytime soon."
She said, "That's what E-Harmony and all the other online dating services are for, so you can find a husband."

Oh honestly. I guess I should have taken my Dad up on his offer when he said that I could have a subscription to E-Harmony for my 29th birthday. I felt rather insulted, but maybe now I'd have a husband!!!
I've decided that if I'm not married by my 33rd birthday I'll just sign up for a registry and get all the cool gadgets. Maybe by that time I'll have a place to store them and a use for them. :-)

You know you're old when...

...you say something and sound just like your parents. I had this experience last Thursday and it reminded me that I sound like my mother and I'm not getting any younger. I was in 8th grade Science class and two girls were showing me their new jeans. Now the jeans had holes in them from the top to their knees. They were very excited they had the same pair and told me they had paid $30 for them. I said, "You paid $30 for a new pair of jeans that already had holes in them?" One girl laughed and said, "You sound just like my dad and grandparents." I said, "Well, I'm almost old enough to be your parent." She didn't really believe me, but it's true.

I had a less enlightening conversation with a person who wanted to know if my corn allergy was real. I said that it absolutely was real and I felt the effects. I was then told that even if it was all in my head that was ok because placebos work too. Honestly I wanted to punch the person in the face. They shall remain nameless.

On a happy note: I found potatoes chips today that I can eat. I didn't buy any because I bought pita chips yesterday, but I was ecstatic to learn that the Kettle brand uses Sunflower oil and not Corn oil.

Milkshake, Snow, & Cake

My St. Patty's Day
Cake made from scratch

Snow on March 13th

If you look closely you will see that
this cup is made from corn.








I'm sorry that I haven't posted in awhile, but I have been battling a headache for the last three weeks that put me under the weather. To be honest, all I felt like doing was staying in bed and watching tv along with crying. But, I didn't, because someone has to go to work!
I have to say that for the last couple of months I have been craving a milkshake. Knowing that I couldn't have just any old one really made that craving worse. Then finally it dawned on me that I could go down to Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop. Since I can eat their ice cream, I can have their shakes. Rachel agreed to go with me and Friday night after work we went. When I was handed the cup, Rachel and I just laughed because it is a corn-based cup and it states it right there for all to see. What are the odds?
Saturday morning I woke up to snow covering the ground. I had to take a picture and show all of you because it was unbelievable. It melted fairly quickly, but was still pretty. We had a family dinner Saturday night and I was to take a cake. I really wanted one that I could eat, so I got online and found one with acceptable ingredients. I made it with spelt flour and then dyed it green. I also found a great frosting recipe using whipping cream instead of powdered sugar. It tasted fantastic and I was so excited to know that I can have cake!

Reminiscing

I don't know why, but today I woke up in a reflective mood. I've been thinking about Grammie and Pa all day. There are tons of memories in their house and some days I wake up thinking about what I miss. So I figured I'd let you in on my thoughts.

I miss:
~Playing Pinochle- Grammie and I would compete against Pa and AJ. We usually gathered on Friday afternoons, but sometimes we would play other days as well. Pa could never understand how AJ would win so much. If Grammie and I were lucky we might beat them once in awhile. Us girls considered this time social hour which bothered Pa immensely.

~Watching Grammie "do a jig"- Sometimes when I walked in Grammie would burst into a jig and tell me how she had danced that morning while brushing her teeth. She would then proclaim that she wouldn't listen to that tape anymore while teeth brushing as she was afraid to scrub her teeth completely away!

~Hearing about "free baseball"- Whenever their Atlanta Braves had to play more than 9 innings due to a tie, Grammie considered that "free baseball."

~Ham- Now I know this one seems wierd, but stay with me. Pa loves ham. It seemed like every other trip to Albertsons resulted in a ham in the fridge. Grammie would say to me, "Guess what we're having for dinner?" Then she would add that I needed to take some for lunch the next day. If we were really lucky, Grammie served it Friday night to everyone else when they came and then we didn't have as much left over.

~Oreos- The cookie jar was always full of Oreos and whatever other cookie Pa brought home. (Oh wait a minute, it had Oreos in it until I found out I'm allergic to them and now the candy jar holds candy bars that I can have. Thanks to AJ.)

Carmen and I have talked about it and we both have dreams of Grammie being better. We dream that she's standing in the kitchen doing whatever it was and when we walked in she warmly welcomed us. When we wake up, we both realize it was just a dream and that makes it worse.

I do have to say that I am glad I have had the last 21 months with Grammie and AJ. There are days when Grammie is hysterical and I know that the "old Grammie" is still there, but other days I just love on a woman who loved me for so long and so well. The last 4 weeks, she has been quite lucid and it's funny to be with her because you don't know what she'll say. For example, I went over Friday after having been sick for the week. Grammie looked at me and said, "You'll never know how much I love you! You look pale!" What could I say? I reminded her that I had been sick and that I was going to go home and take a nap. Then she said, "Your eyes look hollow!" Well, at least she was observant, but from her observation I might have been worse off then I really was.

My Innocent Trip to Jo-Ann Fabric Store

I had decided to make three quilts before this coming May. Three of the wonderful teachers I worked with at Franklin are retiring and I thought it would be fun to do something special for them, since they played such a huge role in my life for 6 yrs. I had asked Julia what colors I should use and she agreed to come with me on the amazing adventure. I found a pattern that is quite easy and decided to use one pattern for all three quilts to simplify things. I know that sounds unusual, but I'm in a time crunch. :-) When we got to Jo-Ann's I showed Julia the pattern and told her that I was going to cut the pattern in half to make lap quilts. It proved to be a challenge to pick out colors for three quilts at one time. We started with the quilt that we knew which colors to use. We just had to find the right combinations. When we were happy with our selection we put those bolts on the bottom of the cart and moved to the next quilt. That proved to be slightly harder. We had found three fun fabrics, but had a rough time finding the fourth. Finally, we found it and moved on to the hardest of all. The third quilt is for someone who suffers from MS and things tend to move on her, so we knew we couldn't have any type of a pattern in the fabric. On top of that where the other two people are getting 5 colors, she is only getting 2 so that it won't make her dizzy. I pray that we chose correctly. After having made our selections we then moved up to take a number. We were number 14 and they were on 96. That means we got to stand and talk. When our number was called we stepped up and had all our fabric cut. Julia had to go, so I went and paid for it and then drove home. As I drove into my parking lot, it hit me. We had just bought double the amount of fabric that it called for in the pattern. Not only that, I was suppose to cut it in half, not double the pattern!!!!!!! I now have enough fabric for 12 lap quilts instead of 3. I should not be allowed in Jo-Ann's for a very long time or any other quilt store for the matter!!

My First Run

I went running today after work and it was an adventure. I thought I put socks into my bag, but when I went to change there weren't any socks. It was quite humorous to be dressed in running pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt, and my work socks. By the way, the work socks were my knee high argyle socks that just happen to be quite fashionable with work clothes, but not running clothes. :-)

I Found...

...running shoes. I bought them last Thursday and tomorrow (Tues.) I'm going to go run.
...donuts I can eat. The company that makes the bread I buy makes all sorts of goodies and when I went last Thursday I looked at the donuts and was ecstatic. The only ones I can have are the chocolate covered ones, but I didn't care.
...cornstarch in my deodorant. Yes you read that correctly. Please don't ask me why I was even reading the label of my deodorant, but I did. Dr. Peine assured me today that it won't hurt me because I don't have a topical allergy. I am so glad that I don't have to find a different kind, or better yet SMELL!! :-)

Random Comments at Work

So, I never know what kinds of comments I'll hear while at work. I'll give you a sampling of some of them tonight. Yesterday, I was standing in a 7th grade English class helping the students edit some paragraphs. I happened to be standing next to one of my students that is particularly trying, but very smart. One of my hairs was bothering me, so I pulled it out and said, "There goes my one gray hair." The student looked up and said, "There are lots of gray hairs on your head. That wasn't the only one." I was laughing so hard I had to go tell the teacher. He just laughed and laughed. Then a few minutes later I pulled out another hair while I was standing in front of the teacher. He said, "There goes another gray hair. You should really think about coloring your hair." I had to run to the mirror to check and see how much gray hair I really had!
When I found out about my corn allergy it was suggested I should watch the movie King Corn. It is a documentary on how corn is grown and what happens after it is harvested. I was in the 8th grade Science room talking to the teacher and commented that I had watched the movie King Corn the night before. He stopped and stared at me for the longest time and then had me repeat myself. He finally turned to me, covered his mouth, and said, "I thought you said King Porn." No wonder he looked at me funny!
Some days I think I should just take a vow of silence and not say anything at all while I'm at work. :-)

I have decided to...

run a 1/2 marathon. Yes, you read that correctly. Sometime early last week I got the hairbrain idea to run 13.1 miles for fun. I don't anticipate running the whole thing, just finishing it. From the looks of things I will be running this fantastic race around October. I hope to complete a 5K in May and then a 10K sometime in between the two. At the moment I have been working on the wii everyday and I need to go buy a good pair of running shoes. That is on my agenda to do this week. :-) I am telling you all this so that you will hold me to this. I don't want it to sound like a good idea this month and then totally fizz out. My friend, Michelle, from work is also going to be doing this with me and that should help. I'll keep you updated.

REALLY??!!

Instead of writing each day and telling you all about the crazy things that happened last week, I figured I'd store them up and write them in one long blog. Then you can see what a week of my life looks like. I'll start with this last Sat.

Sat.-I decided that I needed to wash the cover of my beanbag chair. I've had it for years and the fact that I had a bloody nose the other day all over it sealed the decision. I figured it couldn't be that hard to take the cover off to clean it. First of all I needed to unzip it. For the life of me I couldn't get the zipper to open. I tried everything. Not only was the thing stuck, it wasn't going to move! Then I read the tag for how to clean it and it told me how to unzip it. The zipper is child proof and (Katie proof)! In order to open the zipper I had to put a paper clip or safety pin into the opening and trigger the lock. Low and behold it opened right up. However, once I opened the bag I saw thousands of little styrofoam beads. I thought there would be a slip cover and the beans would be in their own little cover. Oh no, I had to take all the beads out. But, what was I going to do with them while I did laundry? I got out a plastic trash bag and tried to dump them in. Did I mention that the zipper was completely open? Note to self: only unzip it a little ways. I had beads all over the floor and they were full of static. At this point I have one handle of the plastic bag between my legs and the other handle in my mouth because I was trying to hold it up. The bean bag is slung over my shoulder like Santa Clause's bag and I look like an idiot. The bag took forever to fill and there were still thousands of beads left. I got a second bag and started filling. I decided there had to be a better way to fill the bags so I grabbed my trashcan. That works beautifully. I wish I would have thought of that earlier. The only problem is that the bag is only 1/2 full so I put one of the handles over the handle on my sliding door and hold the other handle with my teeth. The second bag is now quite full and when I go to tie it beads fly everywhere. I decided to go get a box. That held a wimpy amount and there are still some left, so I fill a third bag and the bag is finally empty! That only took 30 min. of my time. Then I had to find the Shout to clean the blood. I also remembered that I had to wash my khaki pants because they had ink on them. I got on the internet and it said to spray hairspray on the back of the stain and then blot the front. My goodness, the ink came out in the washer. I was very impressed. I brought the bean bag canvas home and had the pleasure of filling it back up. Let me tell you, it only took 10 min. to fill it back up and I used a metal mixing bowl to scoop the beans out of the box. I think that was enough adventure for one day, don't you?

Tues.-I realized Tuesday morning that I didn't have enough light fabric for the scrappy quilt I'm making. I have enough scraps to fill my apartment, but are any of them light? Oh no, they're all dark, so I decided to go to Joann's after work and before Bible Study so that I could buy light "scraps." I had called Rachel and arranged to meet her for dinner at 6. I ran into Joann's at 5:45 and found my fabric. I walked to the cutting counter and pulled the number 96. They were helping 91 at the moment and I figured it wouldn't take too long. Boy was I wrong. At one point there was a woman buying a plaid print and she was consulting with the person cutting. The cutter was asked the other employee what she thought and the both stood there and talked. At 6:10 I finally had my fabric and moved up to the cashier. There was one person at the register and 12 of us waiting to pay. The woman at the register wanted to look at all the die cuts and the employee didn't have a clue about them. She called for backup and her backup mosied her way up as if she didn't have anything else to do that night. I made it to dinner at 6:30. I mean really, all this for a scrappy quilt that I'm suppose to have fabric for.

P.S. I decided to make lasagna. I knew that I had to make it so it could sit for 8 hours so I made it this morning. I had no idea it was going to take me 30 minutes to get it ready. Then, my kitchen looked like a warzone because I had to use so many different measuring cups and I had sauce all over the counter. I hope this thing turns out after so much work. :-)

Goodbye 20's

Today is the last day I will be in my twenties. Let me tell you, it hit me rather hard over the weekend. I am passing into another decade! Okay, I shouldn't be so dramatic, but as I was driving to work this morning it hit me that I will now be as old as most of the speed limit signs around town!! If that isn't scary, what is? To top it all off, my friend Rachel called today to see if we could get together to celebrate the big day. She asked if I was going to be 29, and when I said 30 all I heard was "Holy Crap!" Thanks Rachel; just remember that your day is coming.
There are some things that I won't miss about my 20's.
-Trying to figure out who I am
-Being sick for 1 1/2 yrs
-Looking for a job after graduation

Things that I've enjoyed.
-Making new friends
-Growing closer to God
-Learning to quilt

My week

Monday- Went back to work after having two weeks off for break. Things seemed very noisy in the halls after having a fairly quite time off. Monday night the Boise State Broncos played in the Fiesta Bowl and there was going to be a family gathering at the Black's house. It was a potluck dinner, so I went to Subway to get a sandwich to be on the safe side. As I was waiting for my chicken to heat up two very good looking guys walked in. The employee helped them while he waited for my chicken. After the chicken was warm, he asked what I wanted on the sandwich. I said, "Just lettuce." He said, "How boring." One of the cute guys said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I should have said, my phone number's broke, can you fix it? Oh well, missed that opportunity. Then I went to Grammie and Pa's. Grammie was fairly out of it and that was hard to see. We tried to work the crossword puzzle, but it was a no go. AJ had made stew for dinner and I was telling Grammie all about it. I also told her what Aunt Naomi and Uncle Dan had brought. She seemed to appreciate hearing the commentary. As I was sitting with Grammie during dinner I heard Pa say, "That was good, but there weren't enough carrots in my bowl." I told Grammie and she just laughed. Then I told her I should run up and get a bowl and dig out all my carrots and dump them in Pa's bowl. She really thought that was funny. I did remind her that I used to give her my carrots and peas when we would eat stew or chicken pot pie. We did decide however that Pa would probably not appreciate the carrots out of my bowl. :-)
Brent and Raegan brought baby Hayden and Dad and Maritza came down to watch the game. We had quite a crowd cheering our team to a victory.

Tuesday- I had Bible Study and was so tired from staying up late the night before. I really considered staying home, but I went and we ended up just talking about our break and sharing prayer requests. I love that group of ladies. We are in all walks of life and it is so neat to gather with them each week and see what God is doing in each person's life.

Wednesday- The students were getting restless at school. It certainly didn't help that it had been overcast all week and we hadn't seen the sun. We had an hour until the end of the day and I was working with a boy who continually challenges me to be better at my job. When he went to leave the room I reminded him to pick up after himself. I said, "I am not your mother. I don't look like her and I don't sound like her." He looked at me and said, "Well, actually, you do sound like her because you're always telling me what to do." Then he said, "Will you adopt me?" My answer was quick, "NO." He might not make it and I certainly wouldn't make it if he came home with me. :-)

Thursday- My coworkers and I were eating lunch and one of our students was in the room with us. She loves to come in and eat lunch and then play on the computer. She also loves the head teacher (my supervisor). The teacher said something funny and the student said, "You're pretty funny." Then she walked off and turned around and said, "Well, she thinks she's funny." Needless to say that the three of us adults burst out laughing.

Friday- The 8th graders won a trip to see a movie. After lunch we took the entire grade to the movie theater (one of the teachers owns it) and they had a choice between two movies. I saw The Fabulous Mr. Fox. It was such a cute movie. Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep were the voices for the foxes and the story was adorable.

Saturday- Our capitol building is finally open. After 3 years and $150 million dollars later it is open for business. Dad and I went down to tour the building. It looks beautiful, but I have to say the the new part that was built underground was certainly not worth the money. Oh well. They didn't ask me.