I got tagged... but just kept on running...

Yeah. Missed this. Woops?

10
Things
that
Make
Me
Happy
(Not necessarily in this order... though not necessarily not in this order either... just to keep ya guessin'!

1. Spell check through Firefox. If makes me look smarter than my own brain might do (For instance, on words that I have struggled with forever... like "necessarily"... for instance.)

(more cat pictures?)

2. Water Aerobics with my mom. Because some days it is the only time I actually feel able to MOVE.

3. New baby goats at work. Just freaking adorable.

4. Cute with Chris. Adorable animals. Sarcastic hilarious commentary via video. Cute guy. Win+win+win.

5. Watching my sugar gliders turn on wild hunter mode to stalk live crickets (a rare treat. Mine usually just get mealworms) in the reptarium. They swished their tails like little cats and lept at them and Lilo was a lazy butt and just tried to steal Heber's kill every time he got one but they just cracked me up the whole time. Made me glad I was a lot bigger than them though. My babies are darling and beautiful... but it reminded me they are also ferocious and anything but domesticated!

6. Fun books to read, either curled up in bed, on a swing, or in the tub (don't worry, Public Library! 1. I ONLY do this with my OWN books and 2. I have never dropped one anyway!). Right now it's The Host. And yes, I like it.

7. My new glasses. They are Transitions and while they may look weird and scare the kindergartners ("How did you do that?" "Do what?" "Make sunglasses!") They help not to trigger so many Migraines because a lot were triggered by changes from dark to light as I go from the classroom out to the farm. Not that all of my headaches are gone, but at least a FEW of them are lessened! YAY!

8. My brother. I miss him but just seeing his stuff, like looking at his room or whatever, totally makes me smile. Because he rocks and his letters are awesome. I am very lucky to be in possession of one of the few BoyKids who actually writes decent letters!

9. I went upstairs yesterday to find my mom watching the new Weezer video, like just watching it by herself.

Then she turns to me and says, "okay, so, I want to get ALL the jokes. Can you find all the links?" I told her that a lot of them she would NOT find funny, that some of them swore a lot, etc, but she insisted. So we sat there for HOURS watching the kid tell us to leave Brittney Spears alone (and then Seth Green to leave Chris Crocker alone which was freaking hilarious. I *heart* Seth Green), Kelly shop for shoes, the Star Wars kid, the Sneezing Panda, the dramatic prairie dog, etc. I basically watched EVERYTHING "important" on YouTube with my MOM. Some I had sent her before, of course, but yeah. It was so Bizzare. And my mom is the coolest.

10. People who value inteligence (and entertainment value) over waist size.

remembering "Frannie"

Memorial Day is a day to remember those who have died, and I know it's mostly supposed to be for those who have served the country, but it's... expanded, I suppose. A day to remember anyone we have lost.

Sunday I somehow ended up mostly talking about and thinking about Brady. Mom and I somehow got on to 9-11 from NOTHING about Memorial Day on our way to church, which of course turned into "how I felt that day" and missing my cousin a lot. Ended up crying on the way into church, which did NOT help my headache (but then the opening HYMN was too LOUD for me (that is how messed up my head is right now). That was hard.

Another who I felt like crying over, though I don't KNOW them, is the story of 2nd Lieutenant John Alley. Following it, joining the "Find him" group on Facebook... watching news stories and feeling sick along with this family I do not know. Why does it affect ME so much? I do not know. I don't know them. But my heart breaks for them. And I hurt so much inside the more I hear about John's state of mind. I am praying for them.

But the main one I am trying to remember is more of a funny one than something so sad. A few days ago, a lady wrote my mom to ask for information about my grandpa's death so she could better date a letter she had found. It was a letter HER mother had written to my grandma but apparently never sent some 20 years ago at least... but about an earlier TIME when my Grandma was going to nursing school, starting just after high school. The things she mentions are hilarious, and I like the way her friend "Ruth" writes. It is so cool picturing my grandma so... almost Anne Shirley-ish!
(p.s. "Bus" was my grampa... but Ruth calls him Buzz in here)

Dearest Frannie,

Remembering back thru all the years we have known each other reminds me of Charles Dickens “It was the worst of all times and the best of all times.”

Possibly the memories that are so vivid to me you may have long forgotten, but perhaps in recalling them you may know once more the carefree happiness and, yes, even some despair of those years long past.

Do you remember:

When we checked in at the nurse’s home and fussy little Mrs. Battan (?) briefed us on the do’s and don’t’s of our new home in the little room top floor on the southwest wing?

How we could hardly wait to graduate from our stripped crab-blue dresses to the full skirted uniforms with white bibs and aprons only to have a new style pain straight white uniform when that day finally arrived?

The morning at Devotional when I was called on to pray and stood mute and absolutely petrified and you calmly proceeded to offer the prayer and no one even realized that it was you, not me?

The long hard hours we worked with the fear of dismissal always hanging over our heads like a sword of Damocles?

The days we walked up to the U. (University of Utah) to afternoon classes and home again – absolutely famished – even cafeteria food was delicious.

You getting scarlet fever and all our class sent home early for Christmas vacation – just as if you had done something very naughty and we were all being punished!

The nice boys you introduced me to – how happy Turp and I were for awhile and what fun we had dating together and separately with other boys?

The day I was called off duty to the nurse’s home and my Aunt and Uncle told me my brother Jack had died. – scarlet fever and pneumonia and only my youngest brother to comfort him. We went out with Turp and Ray after the funeral – Did my relatives think it heartless of me – somehow I felt deserted and that I was the only one who truly mourned for him.

The beautiful summer nights when we slept out on the screened porch at our cottage – how many cots in a row!!

The night Sally wrestled someone’s date to the floor (was it yours?) in the front room of the nursing home. Horror of horrors and where was Mrs. Duke?

Also the evening she dumped me in a bath tub full of water and me fully clothed and the house mother scolding you for all the commotion.

The psychology class directly after lunch in the sunroom on the top floor of the hospital and everyone trying desperately to stay awake. I got my lowest grade in that class.

Finally, graduation night, new uniforms, a stripe on our caps and a bouquet or roses. No one from my family came. I felt so badly I don’t even remember but surely your family was there. I went with Allan afterward – where I no longer remember.

Then I was married and you went to Heber to work and we slowly drifted apart. Strange that as close as we were I don’t believe we ever wrote to each other.

Then Buzz came home and you were married – remember the reception at the old Jensen home?

Several of us were at your little house for a party (I believe before Kay was born) and were fooling around with table tipping.

I will never forget you and Buzz taking my children and me into your home for a week after Laurie’s birth when I was so depressed life itself seemed useless. How did you manage I wonder?

Again when I left Allan and came home from California you and Buzz gave of your comfort and strength and helped me start over.

I think of you often and wonder why we never made more effort to talk to each other or visit together (both of us so caught up in our family and work, I suppose) but some how I always feel close to you and when we do meet it is as if no time has passed and we are the same young carefree girls of the long ago golden days.

God be with you, Frannie dear, and bless you and Buzz with joy and happiness for all your lives.

I giggled at Grandma as a young nurse saying the prayer instead of her terrified friend and since everyone's eyes were closed, nobody knowing. I felt so bad thinking of friends that close drifting apart, knowing I do that even to my closest friend... pushing them away even, ESPECIALLY when I am saddest and probably need them most.

It also renewed my resolve to someday write a historical fiction about her as a kid; Grandma, I mean. Grandma as a little girl growing up with an abusive father and her mother dying from blood poisoning all during the Great Depression. Doing the crazy things she did. And now, standing in and praying for a stage-fright afflicted friend. But I will just cram all the stories together. Someday.

Because my grandma was, if nothing else, a CHARACTER.

Consider the Zombies

FINALLY, BoyKid was able to call the fam! It was so great to hear from him. He told very funny stories (including one guy who said he preferred churches that prayed "AGGRESSIVELY" and they were pretty scared about what that might mean. (Personally, I pictured something like this.) Hee hee!) and as usual just blew me away with his freaking RIGHTEOUSNESS. SERIOUSLY, he is just. so. GOOD. It's kind of creepy! Where did all this celestivity come from anyway? And it's not SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, either, like, umm, other often very churchy siblings I have can be. He is still funny and nice and awesome! AND perfect. How the heck did THAT happen? And how is it that after being such a bratty little child who I could hardly stand as a baby, I actually LIKE my brother? That I like hanging out with him? That he has become my FRIEND that I would like even if we weren't related? CRAZY! Who LIKES their little brother? But mine freaking ROCKS! Man, I miss him!

I should actually WRITE him on occasion, I suppose. hee hee! I have been sucking at that as of late.

In other news, I reorganized my blog a little and am working on a little clarification post. But one of the things I did was change the post topic list from alphabetical to Frequency of Mentioning. It made me discover a few things.
Like that I seem freaking OBSESSED with Fresno.
And that this Blog is mostly about Depression.
And that I need to talk more about Zombies. I would hate to slight zombies, you know.

Yesterday I went with my mom to Sandy and she went to the Cemetary to put mums on Grandma's and Grandpa's graves for Memorial Day and dropped me off at Jake and Megs. YAY!!! I so *heart* Megs! Jakey too. He is one of my favorite husbands. (you know... hubby of my friends, hubbys, in general. Not of MINE. As I don't HAVE one.) They were making me giggle lots. They told me funny stories about the boys, too. Oh, and T-La now has a BLOG, so now I am going to read about those crazy kids, too! Because I love those kiddlets!

I have missed Megan! The coolest thing, though, is that the Moms are trying to organize a little plan (mostly, I think, to keep watch over their troubled daughters... ie: me and Megs) where once a month we ALL... Mom, Padre, Rinny, Me, Megs, Jakey, T-La, Les, Gabe, Caleb, Eli, Aunt Clare, and Uncle Lynn... have Sunday dinner together! YAY! I think it's a very good plan. Just because it means seeing Megs and the little boys at least once a month. Good plan! Wheee!

So, I have to admit it is not just the blog reorganization that brings up Fresno in my mind. That happens more than I am comfortable with. My brain sucks. Grrr. Anyway, the thing is his birthday is the first, and I remembered that recently and wanted to kick myself for even knowing that anymore, you know? Plus, it's hard not to feel old when most of my friends are suddenly expecting their 2nd or 3rd child and my cousin's KIDS are having bridal showers. And pretty much the extent of my talking to that are not married dads taking kids to our classes at the museum are the parade of semi-literate Nigerians that won't stop senselessly falling for me me on SS (which, btw, is For Sale! Anybody COOL (and rich?Like a Thousand-aire?!) wanna buy a dating site that used to be my main social life?). At least they write me gems like this:

"You’re as beautiful as an angel in the sky. I can imagine how pretty and gorgeous you were in your flower age."

Whiskey Tango... I AM ONLY 29! How long ago WAS my Flower Age anyway?

I AM writing regularly to a hilarious intelligent literate non-Nigerian on OKCupid. Mostly about things like Underoos, tinfoil hats, and putting the Ninja Turtles on the endangered species list. THAT is some funny stuff. Very funny boy. Too bad he's not also very Mormon. (As in, well, he ISN'T Mormon.). hee hee. Ah well, such is life.

Anyway, it's nice to have funny people to talk to when I actually DO. Mostly, lately I am either at work writing curriculum for our upcoming day camps or playing with goats or at a doctor's appointment, or laying down in a dark room, doped up, and wishing my head would just DISAPPEAR. Sure, I'd look a little funny decapitated but not having a headache might be worth it.

Umm... Zombies!

P.S.

Okay, so, check this out. The Host VIDEOS! I didn't make these. Nor am I in them.

But I DID hang that pirate flag in our office window!





Why? Umm... Because I was bored.

And I like Pirates. And the Education department of TGP are sort of like pirates... the rest of the company tends to hate us, we are all over their territory, we say Arrrgh...

We are the Pirates of Education!
We won't stay in our place we roam around
and if you if ask us to do anything!
We'll just tell you...
Ask Rinny because that's prob'bly not Educaaation!


I freaking Love my Job.



Oh, AND, somebody totally got a clip of Ginger's trick on YouTube!!!



The funny thing, is the voice is familiar... I think it was a dad filming DURING the same field trip I took that last picture of her! Not that she hasn't done it many times, but I am still pretty sure I am JUST off to the right of this little video talking to his kindergartner about Nubians, Pygmies, and Boers. HA!

And really, who knew how many of videos of TGP, by the way? Granted most are Concerts (a couple of those I WAS at because they were from the Jamboree) or Little Bobby on the Ponies or something but still, kinda fun going, "HEY! I know that Donkey!" or whatever. Maybe that's just cuz I am a dork... and think of the animals as my coworkers. hee hee! "Yeah, I know her. Her name's Daisy and she's 15 years old... She's a Jersey Cow. Nice gal. Gives us a couple gallons of milk everyday."

Anywhooo... on with life...

Friday with Fanpires and Fairies to Sunday No-Shows

It has been a CRAZY weekend!
WORK was hilarious.

So I get to the barn for my first field trip; Kindergarteners at Farm Country means emphasizing the 5 Senses. I especially love how we say "do you notice it smells different here than at your home?" and I am thinking gee I HOPE it does unless you happen to have cow poop all over YOUR house. We are full of that Teacher-ese, usually with this OVER enthusiasm that I really ONLY can must AT work with my kiddlets. In real life it is just NOT natural to be THAT chipper. "Let's say hi to our friends, Amazing Grace and Annie Oakley. They are Belgians." Or "Oh, this is our little bunny friend!" Occasionally a child asks something like "is this animal your friend too?" "Yep!" But THIS time a more logical and frustrated and confused kid raised his hand and said incredulously, "Umm, how come a horse is your FRIEND?" "Because they work so hard and help us pull our wagons and we love all the animals on our farm!" "But they can't TALK. FRIENDS can TALK." "Well, these are just... Animal friends." "But TEACHER! A horse can NOT be a friend because..." "Lets go see our peacock friends!" Other fun stuff happens at the farm, too. I LOVE Kids. There are kids and then there are kids....

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) /kɪd/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kid] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation noun, verb, kid·ded, kid·ding, adjective –noun

1.	Informal. a child or young person.

2.	(used as a familiar form of address.)

3.	a young goat.

and BOTH crack me up. We've just had quite a few new babies born, too. The newest pygmy ones look like kittens. I love holding the little graham cracker colored girl (and her little black twin brother) most right now. Even my own little Ambrosia participating in a favorite naughty goat past time RIDING SHEEP! The sheep hate it. They fall asleep or wander by a box and those little goats who are tiny enough to slip under the fence between the sheep and goat pens climb onto those soft woolly "blankets" to nap... OR just to stand up while the sheep go nuts while the babies entertain themselves being, though is still just a year old and you can tell she's still young, though she WASN'T chosen as the "official" Birthday Party Goat. Right now that is Ginger. The bottle-fed trouble maker shown here Mutton Busters riding around the pen. IT IS HILARIOUS! Goats are funny and smart. Sheep... not so much. (Though, actually I really like that sheep in the photo. He's friendly. He's a Rambouillet named Cherokee.) Next field trip was 1st Grade at the Children's Discovery Garden which is about Bees and Pollination in plant growth. It is a fun one. However it was HOT outside, and I was an idiot who forgot my hat. So I am once again sunburned... but still hurting from frostbite. Oh AND they were supposed to do rubbings of plants with crayons then label what part of the plant it was? Well the crayons were little pools of wax when the second group got there! (Fun to have the kids practice Fanning like the bees do so their combs don't melt though!) They loved seeing our real bee hive, though it has become disturbingly sparse this year. That whole mystery honey bee sickness or something is... bad. (And right now I am actually learning a bit from a site about ICE CREAM, randomly. But they let you make a bee. And it IS informative. Coolio. AND totally adding some of this INFO for next time.) AFTER a couple field trips at the garden I was headed to the office. The problem? The education office is in the Red Show Barn. It was only 2 or 3 in the afternoon or so but already the line to the Red Barn stretched far out into the hot sun. They were waiting for Stephenie Meyers to come and talk about The Host, at, like 7. In fact, some tried to camp out but security freaked out and kicked them out last night. So they came back this morning. And these are some GOOD tailgaters! They don't just have pizza and chairs and card games. They were making ice cream in a home-made ice scream maker and vegetable kebabs on a butane grill under beach awnings while watching videos on their laptops. It was hilarious! We could not get to our office with out stepping on blankets and asking people to move chairs and such. Truthfully, those Twilight novels are my girlishly guilty pleasure and I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting Breaking Dawn due to come out in August. I AM a fan. But I didn't know about this sold out book talk event until my Aunt L called and asked if since Rinny and I worked here did we have anyway to get in anyway. (We told her no. But that didn't stop ME from later that day attempting to get in under the pretense of working the event. You know, I thought maybe I could be all "Oh, pardon me, employee coming through. Ms. Meyers, can we get you anything? A fresh pen? Here's MY book to test it out on..." Yeah, well, Borders brought their OWN hosting peoples to sort of, uhh POLICE the door. So I failed. Hee hee!) The funniest part to me, though, was Rinny's reaction to all this when I left to run an errand. She called me all panicked. "They were fighting!" "What? Who?" "People in line! There was fighting! Security had to be called!" "SHUT UP! THAT is too funny! PLEASE tell me they were fighting over liking Edward or Jacob more, because that will SO make my day!" "Who? What? No, someone, like, butted or they were squishing closer to get more shade or something..." "Oh." "But THEY WERE SWEARING!" "Okay...?" "I was afraid and couldn't leave my office because there was fighting and they were swearing and I had to call security and..." "WAIT. YOU called security?" "I COULDN'T LEAVE MY OFFICE!" "Why?" "THEY WERE SWEARING!" "Rinny! SWEAR WORDS are not, like, jack knives! They can't actually hurt you! The people in line aren't GANG members! They are NERDS! Bookworms!" "They are KIND of like a cult... and they ARE VAMPIRE books!" I seriously almost crashed my car I was laughing so hard. My sister is such a dork. I love her to bits. But OH MY HELL what a pink and fluffy world she lives in. Anyway, yeah. AWESOME. Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee!

ANYWAY, I DID end up SEEING Stephenie Meyers, by a weird chance. She and 2 hostess looking girls in yellow sashes were taking a BREAK behind the barn as I drove by and she seriously looked like she was ready to cry. I don't think she had anticipated the THOUSAND people in that barn STILL wanting her autograph and her hand was probably ready to break off. It might have been PLANNED to end at 9 but I would be totally shocked if she got out of there before midnight, poor woman. I mean GOOD for her, because that means more books sold and thus more fame and fortune, but I just looked at her and thought she can NOT be having a good time! She looked a little overwhelmed. But hey, good for her, and congrats for making it big, you might say. :O) Since she seems like a nice person and at least SEEMS like she really does live her faith. Kudos. And I am a dorky dorky fan. So pathetic. SIGH. And yes, I gave in and had to buy The Host, too. JUST started it. (It is for ADULTS, though, not teens. So even though I actually AM 28 rather than 18 it will be slower going than my usual literary candy. Hee hee!) SO, after I gave up trying to schmooze my way in with out tickets and enjoying the hype by proxy I went the OTHER direction on that Thanksgiving Point/Cabella's road out to the sleep doctor place. Because earlier that day they called and asked if my study could be changed from next Thursday to THIS Friday. Yay? My room was decorated in fairies which was kinda fun.... except it seemed a little incongruous when there were cameras in the ceiling and all kinds of monitors and machines on the nightstand. Not shockingly, I didn't sleep much being all trussed up like some sort of robot... (this was NOT all the wires and tubes I actually had to wear when they put me to bed (Oh, and at 11 because they "let me stay up"... as if I EVER COULD sleep that early anyway. They also let me "sleep in" TILL SEVEN. UGH. As they say "Seven has an a.m.?"). Nope, there were more. Like stuff IN my nose. Yeah, as if I could sleep comfortable with THAT. Good Gordon. Well, I don't have the OFFICIAL results but the unofficial ones seem to suggest I will be placed on a CPAP machine for oxygen after all. I am, ahh, Under-Joyed. I know everyone says it will be worth it, to sleep better and stuff. That I will get used to sleeping in a mask. That it won't make me even MORE of a long shot to ever finding love. That if I need it, then that's that. I NEED it.

But I still can't help but feel impending doom about the Mask.

SO, when I was woken up (after such a comfy and relaxing night and sleeping in SOOO late *rolls eyes*) I headed home and did my best to wash off the glue and red markings from my skin before a bridal shower in Brigham City. (Bleh. Showers.) My cousins are getting married... NOT TO EACH OTHER, MIND YOU. We are not polygamists nor are we from Texas, thank you very much. ;O) (Yeah, many of my family are LDS... but I don't think any of us FLDS) One cousins' son's fiance and another cousin's daughter had a joint bridal shower and yes, it was as cool as it sounds. hee hee! Made me feel OLD, too since now it's all the cousins' CHILDREN getting married and having babies instead of the cousins like me and Rinny. It's hard because we are sort of closer in age to the great grands anyways since Dad and mom are both second youngest of sevens in their respective fams, but also because, well, we are not MARRIED right out of missions or highschool, but of course THEY, those baby cousins, ARE.

I miss my baby bro.

OH and yeah, did we get to talk to him Sunday because remember how we were supposed to get a call for Mother's Day? NO. He had to take another 8 hour train ride. WHAT IS HE, a missionary, or Mr. Conducter?! GRRRRR!

Crappy Mother's Day! (NOT a day for Crappy Mothers)

I have been watching "our" deer more lately and trying to find the ones I knew from before. After this particularly brutal winter, our herd is back down to around 8. And I got some pics of ALL of them in the backyard together! So many we knew from before died... died in our own yard, actually. But at least one of the ones with the very wounded back legs survived. NOT the one with the horrible leg, but the other gimpy mom with her baby, and she and her baby made it through the winter... both are very fluffy (and walk with a limp.) I have named the baby, who was born very late in the season, and thus looks rather young despite having gone through a winter already, Sydney, because she looks like a little Wallaby or Kangaroo out there! She is very bold and keeps sitting right on our porch, as does her mom, Kanga. Or she WAS anyway.

A few days after this photo shoot I noticed Sydney alone for a whole day, much to close to our house, and that isn't normal for her with out mama. And the same day I am afraid I saw a very fluffy doe killed on our street. I think she is orphaned.

Sydney is weaned and SHOULD do okay, physically... but you can see from the pictures she is still really dependent on her mother and I am worried for her. The only other female fawn yet is much older than her and practically looks like one of the adults, and then I think there is that ones twin that also survived who has little nubbies of antlers coming in and is humping everything he can reach. Yay for boys. :OP So She really is alone in her group, too. I hope she makes it.

They are not pets. They don't KNOW their names, nor do I touch them, or feed them... but I still worry for them and watch them. They are "our" deer because they claimed our yard. We don't invite them (though they sure LOVE to eat my mom's petunias and apples and tulip bulbs), but with out Cassie telling them to get out, this is their home, and until the Padre's move, I suspect it will stay that way. And I will NOT let anyone hurt them here. (Including Padre who calls them "our Walking Food Storage." But HE knows, too, he can't REALLY.)

Anyway, at least it's been pretty weather for a change. Except right now (bed time, Mother's day [Translation, not really Mother's Day anymore and I will not admit how late/early it really is but I should really get off this thing and go to bed because I am going to try very very hard to go to work tomorrow come hook or by crook or by hellish migraine.]) it sounds rather stormy out there. Hmmm... I guess we will see.

I will tell you about Mother's Day and how much it SUCKED later. Like as in the day time hours when I SHOULD be up instead of being up with the wind and sugar gliders... and probably, like, vampires or something. Or, well, OTHER insomniacs.

GOOD FREAKING NIGHT. Today was bad. Praying tomorrow is 4,000 times better. But I would settle with, like, 4 times better at this point. Yeah. SIGH. Night.

That Sunday I woke up with an especially vicious migraine. I felt so sick, and like my head might split in half. I crawled to the bathroom and decided that since I felt like I was an inches from tossing my cookies this might be a really good time to try out the new mysterious Spray-in-the-Nose migraine stuff, Migranal, from the new Neurologist, Dr. FTW. But MATL. That's what it's supposed to be extra good for is the ones with nausea because it never has to go in your stomach. Well, I don't know if it just did NOT work for me, like the side effects or something, or if it was just the psychological yuckiness of squirting something in my nose, but let's just say it did NOT work and for half an hour I was hugging porcelain. AND it didn't get rid of the migraine either. And yeah, BAD day. It was like that ALL day.

But THIS Sunday wasn't just any Sunday, it was MOTHER'S DAY! Which, for the families of Mormon Missionaries, is one of the 2 phone calls a year they get to make home. USUALLY. Except that the day before, BoyKid's mission President called us from Italy (thus scaring us to death and causing us each to hold our breath and cry because he could not say "everything is fine" fast enough) to say baby brother would NOT be able to call because he'd be on a train to help with some other missionary's companion. SOmething like that. He wouldn't give us details, it being a private issue of the OTHER elder. But, it's what he needs to do, I guess. He is District Leader, after all.

So, we haven't got to talk to him yet. I miss him SO MUCH! We get to talk to him NEXT week, hopefully. I just want to hear him say STUFF. Anything. The kid is funny. Smart. The greatest little bro EVAH!

Anyway, so, yeah, I have a NEW Neurologist which is a very good thing. If I ever really SAW the ACTUAL neurologist that would be one thing, but I never do. I see her PA who prescribes me the meds that have given me ulcers, made me hallucinate, and just not HELPED in general. I do NOT trust her one bit. So Dr. FTW, who DOES know meds, is a good thing. She has taken me OFF several pills (YAY!) and given me some different headache ones to try. That Migranal, Axert (which *has* really helped a couple times so far!), and some others. But she is also concerned about how my Sleep Test before told me I had "a little, very mild, Sleep Apnea." She said "it's like saying, 'I'm a little pregnant' you're either you are or you aren't."

She also wants to reevaluate my lesions in my brain and stuff. So *SIGH* back to the tests. BLEH. But, hey... maybe this time I will get more conclusive answers?

50 things... a Survey from my Sister (And neither Frostbite NOR THAT JOKE is Funny, Dangitall!)

Rinn sent this in an email and I felt like posting it in la blog. Because I don't feel like writing a real entry about my life and stuff right now. But I will say my back is hurting quite bad still, and have blisters all over BUT it is healing and YAY! NO skin grafts! ALSO I am very happy to say I am going to a NEW Neurologist and stuff. I am less happy to say my head is getting worse again. But ANYWAY! SURVEY!



IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THIS, THEN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, DON'T!(Rinny, you crack me up! )



Learn 50 things about your friends and family, and let them learn 50 things about you!



1. Do you like blue cheese? Not plain, like just to eat, but IN stuff, yes..

2. Have you ever smoked heroin? No. (I like Rinny's "Smoked Salmon?" answer a lot though.) Thankfully doctors never made me try THAT as part of the great quest to stop my migraines or other weirdo pain which is the only risky experimentation I do any more, thank you very much.

3. Do you own a gun? No, but I think I want to carry mace again.
4. What flavor do you add to your drink at sonic? Vanilla in my Diet Cokes

5. Do you get nervous before doctor Appointments? ALWAYS. Which is unfortunate for as often as I go, huh?

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I think... they are yucky? I eat them when camping and there are no other options only? I am borderline Vegetarian anyway and hot dogs are just... bleh.

7. Favorite Christmas Movie? I like LOTS of movies! The classics like Rudolph ("She thinks I'b CUUUUUUUUTE!") are always good, as are A Christmas Story (Sorry, Ehu! HA HA!), Nightmare Before Christmas, etc.... and spiritual-wise, I like the Nativity (specifically, synced up with Breath of Heaven. Hee hee)

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Umm... Milk if it's for a drink. Chocolate SlimFast Optima if it's FOR Breakfast.

9. Can you do push ups? Just for the survey I JUST TRIED! I got 3. Mind you they were "Girl Push Ups," you know, on the knees? But since most of my exercising of late has been walking since I froze my back ( no really. I got FROST BITE really bad and can't swim till it gets better.) I was surprised I even got 3.

10. Age? 29

11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? Ummm... I dunno. Usually cheap stuff from the dollar store but somehow totally entertains me. OH, I love this little bead necklace that my friend made me and I put a sugar glider charm on it. I wear that a lot.

12. Favorite hobby? writing (especially Blogging and writing poems and junk) or reading or photography

13. Favorite Actor? Hmmm... maybe, like, Johnny Depp. Not just the cute thing. He seriously seems to be able to play ANYTHING.

14. Do you have A.D.D.? Well, yes, possibly. A little... LOOK! A ROCK!

15. What's one trait you hate about yourself? (PERFECT answer, Corinne!) As for me, my crappity crap health, THAT'S WHAT!

16. Middle name? Ann (Yeah, big surprise there, eh?)

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? 1. Corinne, why are we calling him "Boyfriend" again?! 2. Will I have my pain under control enough to go to the Jazz Game with Padre and Rinn? 3. Hee hee hee hee hee! Veggie Tales is STILL funny, even on TV. King George and the Ducky. Makes me miss Parker and the rest of the Fringe, though.

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday/today? Did I BUY anything yesterday? OH! Prescriptions, I guess. Umm... Topamax. Speaking of headaches (indirectly) I am gonna finish this survey Later. :O)


19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Skim Milk, Fresca, Diet Vanilla Coke

20. Current worry? I worry my ugly frozen back will get infected. I worry I will never get my headaches under control and feel like this forever. I worry my nerve pain and Fibro will be medicated correctly. I worry I won't ever deal with Depression correctly. I WORRY. PERIOD.
21. Current hate right now? I hate pain.

22. Favorite place to be? Ummm... the Zoo?

23. How did you bring in the New Year? Played board games with the Padre's etc. Woo.

24. Where would you like to go? Home...

25. Name three people who will complete this? Umm... 3 People on View (the email group, NOT THE TV SHOW, for my Blog people...), or maybe some blog people (I'm gonna post that there, email people)

26. Do you own slippers? Yes

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I am not even sure I HAVE! But maybe?

29. Can you whistle? I am a champion whistler.

30. Favorite color? Purple. Sometimes Green.

31. What song do you sing in the shower? I DO sing in the shower but only when I can hear for SURE that nobody is home and can hear me. And then I sing whatever is in my head. It's not like I have an official Shower Song. GEEZ!
32. What color are your toenails right now? Fleshy-ish pink?

33. Favorite girl's name? Amythyst

34. Favorite boy's name? I like Kimball, Edward, Earnest... I like a lot of boy names.

35. What is in your pocket right now? SoftLips and Cellphone. Everything else is in my purse.
36. Best bed sheets as a child? Cabbage patch kids! <--- DITTO! (Which figures as they were on matching beds in the same room. Hee hee!) Best as an Adult, TWISTER.
38. Worst injury you've ever had? Hard to say as I have had so many! Oddly I think my SPRAINED ankle has messed up my life worse than my BROKEN arm, etc.

39. Do you love where you live? SURE! At least, where I live *officially* with my roomie and pets. But lately my convalescence has meant living at the padres. Which I, uhh... like.

40. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2

41. Who is your loudest friend? Hard. to. say.

42. How many dogs do you have? I claim the roomie's 2.

43. Does someone have a crush on you? I... don't... know. I don't THINK so. (feel free to speak up if you know differently!)

44. What is your favorite book? "my [books] are like my childrens! I love them all!" Seriously, pick a favorite?
45. Where were you born? Downer's Grove (suburb of Chicago), Illinois

46. What is your favorite candy? Mmmm... Skor Bar?
47. Favorite Sports Team? "How 'bout that local sports team?"

48. What song do you want played at your funeral? I don't know... something like Happy Birthday, just to confuse any grandma types who might be there? Or Monster Mash or otherwise Halloweeny (Maybe something cool from Corpse Bride!) because, like, the Coffin would be there already.

49. What were you doing 12 AM last night? Hmmm... chatting with a boy actually.

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Ow.


OK COPY AND PASTE TO A NEW EMAIL AND SEND OUT TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS INCLUDING THE ONE THAT SENT THIS TO YOU!!

Only in Utah...

could work cause me a sunburn on my front and frostbite on my back!

Okay, fine, so I got the frostbite from the icepack. The icepack I used for my horribly sore back after work and lifting kids off and on ponies, including the world's HEAVIEST 4 year old. I don't mean FAT, either. This kid looked normal, but it was like the child was made of lead! Or solid hydrogen. Or Osmium. Like when Jack Jack is getting kidnapped by Buddy in The Incredibles and turns into metal during his tantrum.

So, no, when the icepack started to NUMB my back, I didn't mind. I wanted to cry, I was hurting so bad! But then, when I tried to MOVE the cold pack, it was STUCK... like a tongue to a flagpole. ("I Double Dog Dare you!" Ehu, that's for you. Heh heh!) It hurt to pull it off, but then things got much worse. Because I realized it was... weird. Kind of whitish? And... frozen hard? I got scared. Wrapped up in a blanket... put it against my back to warm it up asap. It was an hour and it was warm again, but my back was still... bad. Looked like a burn. A really REALLY bad burn. In fact, it looked like someone had pressed an IRON onto my back.

It was NOT good. I showed the padres and they confirmed what I thought... frostbite. Pretty serious. My skin is blistering and puffy and, yeah, I am not well. At least they aren't going to, like, cut off my toes.

Because that would be a little weird since it's not my toes that were frozen. It's just usually digits that get it. hee hee!

SO, in conclusion I am on heavy pain meds, spending all my time miserable, laying on my stomach, and topless. I KNOW that's disturbing... try not to imagine it too much. hee hee hee!

Geez... look what my blog has sunk to!

Blatant Narcotic use!

Rampant nudity!

I should TOTALLY get famous now. ;O) hee hee!