Free Newspaper, anyone?

For the last few weeks we have been receiving not one but four newspapers delivered to the edge of our driveway. It doesn’t happen every morning but at least a couple times a week. There are a few things wrong with this. First, we don’t have a newspaper subscription, let alone four. Second, does our driveway look like a dumping ground for newspapers? When we got the first batch of papers a few weeks ago, we figured it was a mistake. But now weeks later, it keeps happening and we keep depositing them in our recycle bin. This morning we discovered we were getting duplicates of the two major Salt Lake based papers. I got all fired up this morning ready to call the newspaper and tell them to stop dumping papers in our driveway or I would report their littering. Well, okay, I wouldn’t have said the latter but I was irritated. But when I thought more carefully about it, my complaint would sound dumb. I suppose some people would look at this like an awesome free gift but I prefer to read my news on the internet. But it also begs the question what paper delivery person in their right mind would deliver two copies of two different newspapers to one house? Maybe, I will get up early tomorrow and catch the newspaper littering bandit right in the act.

Acceptance

Neil is back in school. Summer has officially come to an end even though I feel like we got cheated out of a summer. With Neil going to school this summer it really put a damper on the usual summer festivities. But good did come out of Neil’s hard work in school. We recently received his “official” acceptance letter into the professional program. It was inevitable but having that “official” piece of paper just makes it feel more real that just maybe the end is in sight.

I'm It

A - attached or single: Very much attached.

B - Best friend: Definitely Neil. We seriously started out as just friends for like 5 years and I married him because I decided I couldn't live without my best friend! Alyssa is my best girl friend. She is one of those people that I'm not afraid to tell her anything! So we talk about anything and everything. I seriously go through withdrawals if I don't get to talk/write to her.

C - Cake or Pie: I'm not good at making decisions. So I'm going with both. They are both different and it depends on what mood I'm in.

D - Day: Saturday. I usually don't have to get up at a certain time and I usually get to spend the day with Neil.

E - Essential Item: Probably my cell phone. I seriously can't handle not having it with me at all times. I'm not sure why......

G - Gummi Bears or Worms: This one is easy. Gummi Worms. They are bigger.

H - Hometown: Kaysville. I don't mean to brag but Kaysville was seriously the best place to grow up.

I - Indulgences: Chocolate and naps.

J - January or July: I'll go with July. It is during the summer and it has two holidays!

K - Kids: Is it just me, or has this question been coming up a lot lately? Geez, hint taken.

L - Life is incomplete without: Neil. I don't know what I would do without him.

M - Marriage Date: March 9, 2007

N - Number of Siblings: 5 sisters, 1 brother, 2 sister-in-laws, and 7 brother-in-laws.

O - Oranges or Apples: What is with all this "or" stuff. I like both, just depends on what mood I'm in.

P - Phobias or Fears: How much time do you have? Spiders, snakes, germs, death of loved ones, sickness, small doors, clowns, strange food, embarrassing situations, children, and burglars.

Q - Quote: Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep. Fran Lebowitz. I know you were expecting something earth shattering. I was too. But that was all I could come up with for now.

R - Reason to Smile: Neil makes me smile everyday. He is just a wonderful bright spot in my life.

S - Season: I love Spring. I love that it is just warming up and flowers and trees start to come back to life. I guess I also love the fall when it starts to cool down and the leaves changes color.

T - Tag Three Friends: I think all of my blogging friends have done this but if you see this and haven't please share.

U - Unknown Fact about me: I have a few because it depends on how long you've known me. I was a competitive figure skater for about 3 years. I am a certified advanced scuba diver. And I've only really broken one bone but I sure broke an organ several years ago (how many people can claim that!?)

V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: When you put it that way, definitely vegetarian. Yes, I have issues with meat and it doesn't help when people make animal sounds while I try to eat it. But seriously, have you heard the phrase "eat meat sparingly?" I live by that!

W - Worst Habit: I am the world's greatest pessimist.

X - X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds are by far more interesting in my opinion.

Y- Your favorite food: I have a few but I can't pick a favorite. I love lemon chicken (yes my only homemade dish), Pizza Hut pizza, cordon bleu pasta at Firehouse and fettuccine alfredo with salad and bread sticks at Olive Garden.

Z - Zodiac sign: Aquarius

Photographic Documentation

This is my first time creating one of these collages so the photos are all out of order. But you will see pictures of the Air and Space Museum, one of Neil in Vegas, the Hope Diamond, architectural features in the Capitol, Library of Congress, National Art Gallery, Neil in jail at Fort McHenry, memorials, Gettysburg, and the Washington DC temple along with other random pictures.

Washington DC Days 5-8

Surprisingly, we actually made it home from our trip. But I will touch on that later. After we left Washington DC we stayed in Gettysburg. I am not much of a history buff but it was very interesting to drive through the battlefield near Gettysburg, PA. We took a driving tour that guided us through the park and took us through the events and locations of the historic three day battle. It is a fairly large park that is now scattered with monuments. We stayed in the actual town of Gettysburg for a night and I loved the town. It is small with a main street that is lined with cute restaurants and shops. We also took a ghost tour the evening we stayed there. We didn't see any ghosts but it was fun to walk around the town and hear ghost stories.

After we left Gettysburg we headed to Baltimore. We first visited Fort McHenry which is a unique fort due to its star shape design. It survived a 25 hour attack during the War of 1812. Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner after seeing that the American flag still survived after the assault. It was really neat to see the American flag displayed there. Next, we visited the National Aquarium. It was a really neat aquarium. It had a shark walk where you walked into a room and were surrounded by all kinds of sharks.

We had such a fun trip. It was so exciting to see so many neat things as well as remnants of history.

On Saturday we ended our trip and headed home. I was worried sick about having more flight problems but each flight we had left on time and arrived early with no problems. But I will never fly JetBlue again. Never.

Washington DC Day 4

Today we were busy! This morning we took a tour of the Capitol. The Rotunda was absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to post pictures. I was very disappointed by the tour. We didn't have to wait too long but the process of actually getting there was ridiculous for the amount of time we actually spent on the tour. After the Capitol we toured the Library of Congress. The art and architecture in that building was amazing. Jefferson's library is housed there. After that we went to the American Art Museum. That was actually a very interesting museum because of the variety. It had modern art, folk, portraits and special exhibits such as portraits of hip hop artists and a hall of heroes. I also got to see several Georgia O'Keefe pieces that were beautiful. Next, we went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was seriously the best museum I have ever been too but the most somber. The museum takes you through history starting with the events that led up to the Holocaust through what happened to the survivors. It is such a depressing and horrific part of history. Then, we took a tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Once again it was neat to get a glimpse into how money is printed but the tour was extremely disappointing. They print something like 680 million dollars a day but 95% of that is to replace worn or damaged currency. So much for free tours.

We ended the day with seeing the Vietnam Memorial. I have felt like we have been so busy but we still missed a lot of really neat things. Tomorrow, we are driving to Gettysburg and will be there until Friday. Sorry to keep things so brief but I've been so exhausted that I don't even know if my spelling or grammar is correct.

Washington DC Day 2 & 3

Yesterday we took it pretty easy in DC. We visited the Washington DC temple visitors center. Then we walked around the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Memorial, and the World War II Memorial. We actually walked around them in the late evening, so it was so neat to see them lit up.

Today, we visited the National Gallery of Art. I was so excited to see more "famous" paintings that I've studied in my art history classes but have never actually seen in person. The gallery even had a whole room with Monet's. Impressionistic art is my favorite! We also the the Museum of Natural History. My favorite section was the gems. We got to see the Hope Diamond and many other amazing stones and gems. Then we headed to the National Archive to see the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence. It was really neat to see. The Declaration of Independence is really faded almost to the point that you can barely read it. So I'm glad I saw it now. Interestingly enough the room which held it looked nothing like the one in National Treasure, just in case you were wondering. We ended the day with the National Air and Space Museum. It had very different exhibits then the one we saw on Saturday. I am exhausted from all the walking we did but I'm glad to have seen so many neat treasures. I am also relieved that it hasn't been too hot. We heard it would be very hot and humid but so far it hasn't been too bad. It is definitely hot but not too bad.

Also, in case you were wondering, I've decided to update my blog at least daily so I don't have to write a huge long post in a week. The hotel has a computer so I decided to take advantage.

Standed in Vegas Part 2

To continue where I left off. That plane never did leave Vegas. Luckily, Neil more than doubled our money in Vegas (he put a dollar in the nickel slots and got back $2.60). We walked the strip in Vegas for a few hours but it was absolutely miserable because it was 110 degrees! So we ended up finding a movie theater and decided that it would be nicely air conditioned. We returned to the airport 6:00 PM on Friday to wait and wait again. Just to find out our 10:30 flight out of Vegas was cancelled again. So Neil sweet talked one of the agents and she put us at the top of the stand by list for a flight to New York and then on a flight to Washington DC. So we continued to wait. Minutes before that flight left our names got called and we got on the flight! But the agent told us our checked bag wouldn't make it. Which totally puts the icing on the cake. The flight to New York was only 4.5 hours and we both ended up in the worse case scenario for a red eye. We didn't get to sit by each other and both had middle sits. Neil got stuck between two very large people, with one who kept hitting him in her sleep. I had a guy who kept cuddling up against me. So I had to keep moving over as far as I could without encroaching on the space of the other person next to me. Then we had a "wonderful" layover in New York. All I can say is the JetBlue terminal in JFK was disgusting. We finally got on our flight to DC. That was the only flight we had this entire trip that wasn't delayed. So we finally got into DC at 10:30 AM on Saturday. Then our luck completely changed and our bag did end up making it!

Once we got into DC we went straight to the Air and Space Museum in Chantilly. It was awesome. Neil was in heaven because he loves anything to do with flight and space. I took lots of pictures and will post them when we get back. Last night we went to bed early. It was wonderful to be able to take a shower and sleep in a bed! So we feel great after sleeping nearly 11 hours last night. I'm so glad to finally be in DC.

Stranded In Vegas

Yep, we are stranded Las Vegas. I knew we would have problems with our flights but I never anticipated this. We left Salt Lake City at 8:00 PM and arrived in Las Vegas at 9:10 (Utah time). Then we waited for 4 hours and when our plane to DC was suppose to leave we were told our plane was still in Baltimore and we wouldn't be leaving until 5:30 AM. For anyone who knows me, that was a very very bad thing. I wasn't thrilled to be on a red eye flight in the first place but then to be told I had to sleep in the airport. Not good. Well, after another hour we were informed that our flight was now cancelled. Luckily, we were given a voucher for a cab and hotel. But we can't get another flight out until 10:30 PM tonight. So we have to check out of the hotel at noon and wander the streets of Vegas until our plane leaves. If that one even leaves........

To Simplify

Over the years I have learned that you must simplify things in your life in order to be content with life (I say this as if I’ve had many many years of experience—but what I can say, I am a quick learner). I feel sorry for some of the people that I admire the most because they seem to take on more than is necessary and much more than they can handle. It makes me feel even sadder that they are taking on so many good things. Because that isn’t bad in itself but can taking on too many good things be bad? I tend to feel extreme guilt if I am not doing EVERYTHING that I should be doing. Over the years, I have made the conscious decision that there is a time and a place for everything and I can’t do everything at the same time. For example, I often feel guilt that I am not the Martha Stewart wife for Neil. He doesn’t come home to a house filled with the smell of delicious homemade bread. He doesn’t come home to a 5-course meal waiting for him to savor. Instead, he comes home to a busy wife who works all day and rushes home to just get something on the table to eat. His laundry gets done but he may have to help fold it. I imagined being a wife like my mother. She got up at the crack up dawn to fix my Dad and kids breakfast. She packed up lunches for everyone. Plus, she had dinner on the table for my Dad when he got home from work with fresh baked bread. But I now realize that there is a time and place for everything. One day, Neil will have a lunch packed by me instead of the other way around (yes, he packs a lunch for me at least once a week).

I guess this all stems from the stress of trying to get everything done before we leave. But this morning, I woke up feeling stress free and calm. I got almost everything done that I needed to last night. And the things that I didn’t get done, well they will get done later. I am so grateful for Neil who mopped the kitchen floor last night even though he didn’t understand why it needed to be mopped since we were leaving. I am grateful that my mother volunteered to help organize the book I have to make for church. I hate to simplify my life and give my clutter to others. But, I suppose that because there is a time and a place for everything, perhaps someone else’s clutter will become a part of my life at some time.

Finally, to end on a less than contemplative note, I am excited to go on a vacation to Washington DC! I am looking forward to immersing myself in the history and culture of this great Nation. I am keeping my fingers crossed that our flights will go smoothly and that all will go well. I promise to take lots of pictures and only show the ones that I look at least half way decent in.

Not Again

Today was the typical Monday. I had one of those weekends that was so incredibly busy with not one but two bridal showers (for the same person) and a family time overload, that I came back from the weekend more exhausted then when I began it after a long week of work. I feel like I need another weekend just to recover from the one I just had. But I somehow successfully dragged myself out of bed and made it to work. That was my one and only accomplishment of the day, unfortunately. The University decided yet again to take a system that was working fine and to change it. Perhaps, the IT department was bored again and the whole changing everyone's password over wasn't enough excitement for them, they decided to create another project. It brought back nightmares from the previous experience (see my Help Desk post). The project was to create a new registration system for all computers, printers, laptops, anything that connects to the University's main server. All of the IP addresses in our office were sent up weeks ago to be put into this new system which would take effect today. I was assured it was taken care of and not to worry. Well, for some reason my computer did not get registered properly, so I could not get anything done. The timing was impeccable as well because I have quite a bit of work to finish up before I leave on my trip this Thursday. It figures.

To make matters worse, I paid Neil's fall tuition today too. And the University still managed to mess that up. I have to admit I love my job but I am embarrassed to work for such an incompetent institution.

Needless to say, I am feeling overwhelmed because I have a lot to get done at work this week. I have to help Neil get his school stuff wrapped up because we won't get back until right before school starts. My local church group has put me in charge of putting together a book all about emergency preparedness and food storage that is to be distributed to the entire Stake. The prototype is due the day after we get back. In which I've gathered information but I have not even begun to organize. I still don't know how I got signed up for that one. Plus, I need to get laundry done and pack my life up for 9 days. It is looking like I may need to stock up on some chocolate to make it through.

Home.

There is just something about coming home after being away that makes me appreciate it that much more. I was only gone a day and half for a conference I helped with for work but it felt like a week. It was a fun mini trip to Ogden that consisted of a good time with a few of my fabulous co-workers, a free dinner at The Prairie Schooner, a nice room in a nice hotel and a change of pace from office work. But I missed being away from my sweet hubby. I missed my bed. I missed the luxurious space of my bathroom. I know you are thinking it was only one night. But I will tell you that it was absolutely wonderful to get home yesterday afternoon and be reunited with a hug and kiss from my sweetheart. Then I proceeded to do nothing but rest and relax. I even got into bed early just enjoy my bed.

In other news, I enjoyed the finale for So You Think You Can Dance. I did something I’ve never done for. I actually voted for someone. I’ve enjoyed watching reality shows but I’ve never actually participated. I thought it was a big step. Although, I may regret it because if the person I voted for doesn’t win then I will feel like my voting was wasted. I guess that is what makes it so “real” right?

Irrational Behavior

Why is it when you are having a bad day, things just get worse? Now, I am not having that bad of a day but I’ve certainly have had better. I will confess that I tend to have irrational behavior when my day isn’t going the way I planned. I can’t wait to go home and take it easy for a bit. In any case I may or may not have had an irrational moment at Les Schwab tires today. I needed to get my tires rotated. I love my car and I take impeccable care of it including as soon as I hit the 5,000 mile mark, I take it in and get my tires rotated. Fortunately, Les Schwab is just down the street from my work, so I decided it would be the most convenient for me to do it on my lunch hour. I hate running errands after work because I just want to get home and relax. I am also a meticulous planner. So first thing this morning I called to make sure I didn’t need to make an appointment. I was told no. I asked how long it would take. I was told 20-30 minutes. So I quickly ate my lunch today and drove to Les Schwab. I was immediately impressed that I was literally greeted at my car and helped right away. I asked again how long it would take (to make sure that they knew I would be keeping track). I was told once again 20-30 minutes. No seats were available so I end up sitting on a window sill waiting and waiting and waiting. Finally, when the 30 minutes were up and they hadn’t even taken my car in, I marched up to the desk and asked for my key back. The guy is puzzled. I told him I had waited 30 minutes and I had to get back to work. Then he quickly back peddles telling me that well it actually takes 35-40 minutes! Nothing irks me more than that kind of shenanigans (for lack of a better word). Then I was told the work actually only takes like 10 minutes and did I still have to get back to work? I said yes on principle. I did not have to get back to work immediately but I think that is lousy customer service. I was just told to come back later. It’s not like my ideal lunch is sitting in a smelly tire store with grease everywhere. The worst part of this irrational moment is now I have to go back.