The birth of the MWPCC, the Gnome Rehoming, and Steamed Cabbage... TRIPLETS?!?!

Oh SO many projects! And not all of them work projects. In fact, MOST of them NOT work.
But hey! Happy results so far.

Here goes: So, I started this club.  Mostly for sugar glider people, but also for your basic small exotic (ferret, rat, dwarf hamster, what have you) people.  And for once not just an online thing but a dare to meet in real life and pray I am not too sick for said meeting thing!

The Mountain West Pocket Critters Conference

Click here to check out
The Mountain West Pocket Critter Conference!

Yep, and we had our FIRST PARTY/MEETING THIS WEEKEND! And it was fun!  I planned it and still it worked out and I had fun with out being too terribly stressed.  We talked about stuff, had games with prizes, a gift exchange, soup and swap, made emergency kits for our critters, and watched in combined glee and disgust as our babies hunted juvinle Hissing Cockroaches. Yuck, I know. It was funny.  And we all had fun!  And the club is STARTED at last.  Finally we have a sugar glider group in Utah. And I made it happen! And everyone can run with it.  The next one will be at someone else's house and somewhere else the next. But I got it going and I am just... proud of myself. *TOOT* <--my own horn

And then there is Steamed Cabbage.  I am shopping thrift stores, restoring old Cabbage Patch Dolls and then making them Steampunk!  I am learning how to sew in order to do it (all handmade clothes). Yes, I am a geek, I do things backwards. 1. go pro with a title. 2. Become obsessed with idea 3.learn skill for hobby.

And my new secret (well, semi-secret. *I* am telling you I'm behind it!) hobby. Rehoming Gnomes. Hee hee hee hee!  It's part prank, part game, part social experiment, part publicity stunt, part insanity.
Wanna help? Spread the word! Or send me your gnomes to find places for. (You know, all those gnomes you have. Ha ha!)

So there you go.

OH, but one more thing. Haiti. That's not a hobby but has been on my mind, I guess on everyone's mind.  I have always assumed when I got to that point in my life I WOULD adopt... kids from Romania, to be specific.  But now, well, it's got me thinking maybe my children will end up being from Haiti.  It's an odd thought.  But it has me thinking a lot about the Haitian people.  Praying for them a LOT.  And gathering medical supplies for them.  If you want to help, here is a good, trustworthy way: Help Send Volunteers to Haiti! Thius is the "Healing Hands for Haiti" that you may have heard about.  I know 2 people with them... one of the ER Docs and their Press Secretary is my friend and she gave me that link.

Nutshelling It

1. What time did you get up this morning? 10, which is plenty early, thank you. Cali asked me if she could come in via my window and I let her. Good thing as I was supposed to go to work. I really do love that cat.

2. How do you like your steak? Mooing. No, not rare... literally. I don't LIKE steak, so I rather prefer cows as friends. Not that I am a vegitarian even, it's just I hate getting to KNOW somebody only to have them become FOOD. And this is me and my new favorite cow. She is a calf named Rosebud. She is so cuddly she thinks she is a dog.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Probably Twilight, with the Fam. It's been awhile.

4. What is your favorite TV show? Office, or Heroes, or possibly 30 Rock or NCIS. Sometimes Perry Mason, still though.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? If I somehow was sill allowed the pets I have and want though they are illegal there then back in Hawaii, probably.

6. What did you have for breakfast? SlimFast: The

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Probably Chinese or Italian.

8. What foods do you dislike? My System greatly dislikes spicy things, even when my tongue likes them. Other than that, umm, a lot of stuff really. Because a lot of foods make me sick, so I am pretty picky.

9. Favorite Place to Eat? Possibly Macaroni Grill or China Bowl.

10. Favorite dressing? Depends on the salad. They have to go with the salad. For, like, fruity ones, like Asian salads with mandarin oranges or spiced nuts raspberry vinigaretes or poppy seed. But for, like, a salad made mostly of lettuces Bleu Cheese. I am a big fan of dressings that GO with the salad... like a salad RECIPE, not just "oh, what can I dump on this?"

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? Ducky, the Jeep may NEVER be out of the shop, kind of like his driver. SIGH. Most often these days I find myself driving either the Tractor or Super Golf Cart things at work.

12. What are your favorite clothes? This is going to sound so evil, but if I could I swear I would be nude.

Other than that, funny t-shirts.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Australia. I would totaly dig seeing cousins of my babies flying all wild through the trees!

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? It's both... duh.

15. Where would you want to retire? My own little goat farm or something. But I'd ike to do that BEFORE being too old to enjoy it.

16. Favorite time of day? Non-morning

17. Where were you born? Chicago, Illinois-ish... Downer's Grove specifically.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Quidditch ;) (Yup, still answering that that way.)

19. Who do you think will not tag you back? Don't care.

20. Person you expect to tag you back first? Don't Care.

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? Not really doing the Tag thing here. Just writing something other than whining about medical problems for a change!

22. Bird watcher? Yes, a little, though, I do not hang bird feeders in this, the parent's, yard. Because they would just make it a little too convenient for Cali to murder them.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? NIGHT.

24. Pets? 3 adorable sugar gliders. 1 semi-feral neighbor cat. 1 Russian tortoise and 1 turtle, still at my apartment being tended by my Roomie that I don't even live with right now. 3 Bull frogs, in various stages... but I really WILL return them to the wild soon.

25. Any new and exciting news that you'd like to share? I don't like any of the news that is currently in my life. My Uncle Ken has Cancer and they are doing surgery this week. This is Brady's dad... Brady who was killed in 9-11. I don't think that is freaking FAIR is all. *crying*

My mom still can't see. I also may have the same heart defect that caused her stroke, which may be why my migraines are so bad. I will be getting the tests. But they are expensive.


26. What did you want to be when you were little? An astronaut, teacher, vet, paleontologist, mom, zookeeper, artist, author and professional roller skater. Except for the skating, my job pretty much covers it, so that works (except for the salary and benefits).

27. What is your best childhood memory? I have a LOT of them. I can't decide. I had a really awesome childhood. No joke.

28. Are you a cat or dog person? Yes. I used to say Dog person, no question. But now, well, I really like Cali, so it turns out I am a CAT person too. Go figure!

29. Are you married? No way!

30. Always wear your seat belt? Always!

31. Been in a car accident? Yes, though fortunately only minor ones. Though I still think they are pretty traumatic! Like hitting that deer that one Valentine's with Mali and Megs and BoyKid? That seriously STILL gives me nightmares, even though BoyKid was highly funny and quotable.

32. Any pet peeves? People who ONLY talk on speaker phone, and walk into rooms doing so, and then are annoyed YOU are being loud. UMMM, YOU walked in, Dad. Go talk in YOUR room.

33. Favorite pizza topping? "Hawaiian"... Canadian Bacon, Pineapple, etc. Mmmm!

34. Favorite Flower? Daisies or Plumeria... or Dandelions!

35. Favorite ice cream? Pralines and Carmel

36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Einstein Bagels or Betos... or Sonic just for the drinks

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Zero. Passed it the first time

38. From whom did you get your last email? Ummm... someone in the Red Ear Slider Yahoo group?

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Ummm since I would just have to PAY THE BILLS, none. But if I could just have a GIFT card, any bookstore, thanks!

40. Do anything spontaneous lately? Took a picture of a Stegosaurus wearing plastic booties?

41. Like your job? I make cardboard tulips, drive tractors, color pictures, hug baby animals, make a thermometer out of a water bottle, program robots, raise tadpoles, grow wheat in a necklace, make ice cream in a tupperware, make space suits, convince 12 year olds there is such thing as fairies, get free popcorn, snuggle calves, pet chickens, laugh at children, make fossils, launch rockets, and take pictures of a stegosaurus wearing plastic booties...

WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE?!?!

42. Broccoli? It's okay. I prefer Cauliflower, but it is okay. I used to LOVE it when I was little though, with Velveeta. Now, for some reason, I don't love it as much. :(

43. What was your favorite vacation? Probably Hawaii with the fam when we saw the sea turtle or the really random Disneyland trip with Coats and the Deaf club or spring break that was just HILARIOUS with Melissa and Alia and Karalee when we were totally LOST most of the time in Honolulu.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with? The fam. :)

45. What are you listening to right now? crickets.

46. What is your favorite color? Purple

47. How many tattoos do you have? a bunch! They are in my junk drawer!

But, umm... none of them are real.

48. Coffee drinker? Just a coffee smeller... were it not for being Mormon though, I think it would SURELY be a one of my DAILY vices, though. Because I LOVE it.

49. How many children do you have? depends on the day! But I don't take them home with me. ;) Unless you count the furry or scaley kind.

50. How many siblings do you have? 2 (and I'M from Utah, TOO, Kami! :OP).

Lifestyles of the Funny and Famous

This past week has been a hard one. I had to give up my Josie girl and do a week long camp. I have been sick, physically... and depressed terribly over my little goat. I miss her. She doesn't belong at that farm, in a swarm of other goats competing for what little food they get right now (stupid hay crisis), one of many, dirty and forgotten. Josie deserves to be a PET. A family pet who is pampered and adored and loved and spoiled and fed fresh hay and grains and only the best nutrition (and maybe a fruit loop or 2 as treat.). I hate that she is there, crying and alone. And I hate that I am working on the other side of the property with 11-14 year olds and stressing out and crying every night.

It was a good class. The kids were funny.

But it was a struggle. And I was hurting a lot and being very ill is not helping.

ANYWAY, finally the week was over... and with it ended the Summer Day Camp Season. Next comes the Field Trip Season. But there is a break in between. And on Friday was -TA DA-The Brian Reagan show!

Oh the perks of clout... of my SISTER. Friday,we totally got in early for Brian Reagan because of Rinny. We got recruited to "VIP services" awhile and were able to lay blankets down on the platform.

Here is the thing. I took pictures and a few videos at Brian Regan. Of where we were, of Rinny accidentally parking in front of his tour bus so we looked like stalkers blocking them in, of us driving around in golf carts, of the crowd coming in all scary like a zombie movie, of Mali and Katie (of the Chums!) chillin' and giggling, and, of course, of BRIAN REAGAN! So why aren't they posted? BECAUSE THEY ARE LOST!!! I have been using the search function and everything and the files are just... gone. So, there you go. BUT, just know this, HE WAS HILARIOUS!!!!!!

As for the fame of my sister, remember how awhile ago she did Good Things Utah and taught them ice cream and Peanut Butter Play Dough? Well, they REALLY liked her and asked her back to show some crafts. When they asked for some ideas she might do she gave them a list and rather than PICK they said "okay, maybe 5 more shows." TGP PR people are THRILLED and are calling her the "face of Thanksgiving Point." Our DEPARTMENT is happy because that makes us and our classes look cool.

But yeah, Rinny is famous again and GUESS WHAT, indirectly, SO AM I! Because she assigned me to make the examples! SO, when you watch this clip, know that *I* decorated those pots (badly... don't look much at those) but she made the flower pens, *I* made the paper chain calendar (CC, yours and my friend Ellie May's birthdays are on that thing), she made the Capri Sun bags, she sewed the lunch bags but I DECORATED them (one with Yo Gabba Gabba! Yes, Thai, I fully credit this new level of obsession to YOU.), and she made the book covers but... the books covered are mine? Yeah. We rock.

OH, ALSO, just another TGP thing, in case you didn't know Tuesdays in August are $2 Tuesdays. That is, like Cheaper than *I* can get you in! $2 for ANY VENUE even the uber expensive MUSEUM! Now, mind you there are very few Tuesdays IN August left and the lines are HORRENDOUS, but still, just letting you know.

("I want my two dollars... CASH!")

Fringe on the Farm

I miss the Fringe! It was so funny to see Parker and Risa! Like I think I even talked to Risa as much as Parker! Yay for Fringe-in-Law and yup, Mini-Fringe. HellBaby is now a little girl not a baby who whines a lot and apparently only likes things that are girls. LITERALLY "Don't worry, Helen! It's a GIRL pony." "No, Helen, it's not scary, these are GIRL goats." She still whined a lot. On the other hand, the baby, Tommy, is really smart and talks quite a bit for a 1 year old. And WASN'T whining the whole time. Boys are cooler.

But Hell WAS obsessed with SUE, a particular dinosaur at the Chicago Field Museum. (You may have heard of her. Sue is FAMOUS. I knew about her, anyway.) And so we had to relate all of the dinosaurs to her. "This is Sue's friend..." But then when she realized it was a DIFFERENT T-Rex at OUR museum she started to cry and got really homesick. This is their first family trip. *rolls eyes* ANyway, had to give her SOME props for being into dinosaurs. hee hee!

Anyway... PICTURES.

Yes, that is MommyDearest, PARKER'S mom with us. DON'T ASK.

this is a sad day!

I have a fever today (and the only cure is MORE COWBELL!!!) which is PROBABLY, almost for SURE, because yesterday I came down with some flu thing and I have been sick all day. HOWEVER, because I almost JUST upped the dosage of Cymbalta and WAS on Celexa the same time, I am being watched for the very scary Serotonin Syndrome. Cymbalta made me sick at first anyway, but I got over it. I think it just is doing it again for going to the next dose. But it has been decided I will STOP, not taper off, the Celexa... just in case.

Anyway, right now I feel like crap.

Also, earlier tonight Steph called me and asked if I was watching TV (I wasn't. I was laying in bed, feeling like crap.) because they had just announced that President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet of our Church, had died. I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I know this sounds weird, but he felt like a GRANDPA to me. Not just the leader of a church, but someone I truly loved. On the other hand I am so happy for him. He has got to be overjoyed to be back with his sweetheart Marjorie again.



Another sad thing I remember today is the Challenger. It meant a lot to me because at the time I was in kindergarten and obsessed with the idea of being an Astronaut. They let us watch the launch in class. And then all that happened. It also meant a lot in my family because my Uncle Bob worked on parts of that Shuttle and when it happened people in his neighborhood blamed him and some still do. They were horrible to his family. It was really sad.

Anyway, to a nerdy kid like me, this was a really really memorable day. I cried and cried. Our teacher cried, too. She had talked SO much about how one of the astronauts, Christa McAuliffe, was a teacher. Anyway, just a little bit of history for ya.



It is Sunday, and I intended to go to church, but to the Padres' ward, where I have decided to go awhile. But this cold/flu/black plague thing I have going stopped me from going to ANY ward today. Or, basically, any room besides my bedroom and bathroom. I spent most of today asleep though, drifting in and out. I have gone upstairs exactly once. The Roomie and her boyfriend are sorta spooning up there and 1. I don't want to interrupt and 2. I don't want to make anyone sick and 3. I haven't gotten DRESSED all day either.

Oh, the Legislator's Night Schmoozing went okay the other night. Not good, but fine. Most didn't even come over to us unless they had kids or grand kids who wanted to do it. And we decided on making cornstarch plastic instead of seed necklaces this year. Some were impressed. Others, not so much. As always, Dave is our hero and ran the show, schmoozed while secretly mocking and called us rockstars. We *heart* Dave! Anyway, glad that's over, even though we ate some of the mighty yummy finger foods once the majority of the big wigs went into the Dinosaur Movie. It was a long day for this medically-frustrated part-timer.

It is going to storm AGAIN. Even though this fever has my face on fire, I really am sick of feeling like I live in a freaking igloo. ENOUGH WITH THE SNOW! EXCEPT that I heard that the DROUGHT HAS OFFICIALLY ENDED! I kind of didn't know that would EVER happen in Utah. I mean, not REALLY end. So I better stop whining about the cold and snow. But still... BRRR!

Anyway, I am going to cross my fingers that the snugglers are done so I can grab some grub for the gliders and go to bed... even though that's where I have been all day. Good night.

p.s. The Roomie is very good and Moral and I am not saying HER Spooning will lead to ANYTHING.

"Do you want to color a Dinosaur, Senator?"

Today I had therapy with Dr. Apparently. WHY is it that the only people who seem to be able to help me with my medical issues don't have actual medical degrees?! I mean my physical therapist is the BEST (if only my insurance helped with him) and is REALLY who "diagnosed" that crazy headache thing awhile ago, that Dr.YeahBaby could fix... and Dr. Apparently is a Psychologist, but I think he understands more than ANY of my doctors and pretty much told me what to tell them to try for meds.

Yep.

Anyway, I really like Dr. Apparently. But I do NOT like therapy. I think it helps... or WILL help... but I think it hurts. It actually HURTS to talk about some stuff, you know?

But I go. I like, though, that he doesn't JUST talk "fluff." He KNOWS medical stuff, and he talks it. That's his specialty... coping with chronic pain and we talk about the science of it. Things like my low thyroid and Fibromyalgia. We'll see. I just want to feel GOOD for a change. Healthy... moderately happy. You know?

After my appointment I went to work, though. It was a Educator Night. BLEH. It was not very good. But it was better than I expect TOMORROW to be. LEGISLATOR NIGHT. I am NOT excited to teach a bunch of politicians how to make seed necklaces and stuff. In truth I am so nervous I am sick. But there are almost NONE of us available that night to do so, so there is no getting out of it. I don't know what I am going to do. I am so scared. I hate adults. Especially official ones.

Anyway, on the way home, Rinny called. Her battery died. So turned back and jumped her car. But DANG IT IS COLD OUT THERE!!! I mean, it was cold ANYWAY, but the wind starts whipping around out there at TGP and you just FREEZE. It was so cold while we tried to fix that car. When will it ever get warm?

For that matter, when will I feel happier?
Hurt less?

I know... give things time. New pills. Life changes. But... I have been ME a long time.

Daddy and the Death-Trap

...would be a good band name. I can kind of see them playing Ska, mostly. ANYWAY...

Family Night with my actual FAMILY... yeah, always an adventure. Just good to do on occasion so I can remember why I moved out. Hee hee!

So, the Death Trap...

First of all, I would like to say my Padre really ISN'T an idiot or a bad businessman. He has done very well for himself... supported our family, and not just getting by. We have had nice houses. The parents are maybe not rich, but well-off. We used to have a pool.

I say this not to brag, but to explain that my dad is not ALWAYS an idiot. I guess his awesome awesome real estate skills make his complete LACK of car (and computer) skills stand out more. But sometimes he scares me. It's like with the computers.

Despite being a smart businessman and running his own business, Padre can not seem to grasp that whole paying for quality thing. He would rather pay for a new CRAPPY computer every year to replace the one that breaks. AND HE DOES. Rather than buy a GOOD computer that will actually LAST, he just buys the cheapest eMachine Best Buy carries... every time it breaks. And complains loudly every time.

He is also very big on having "guys" for stuff, as I have mentioned before. And one of his friends is a car dealer and can buy used cars cheap at auction and stuff for him. So he has him do that, and take our family's Durango in trade. So his Car Dealer Guy gets him this Jeep Liberty that my dad likes. Except ON THE TEST DRIVE it is shuddering and shimmying!

So CDG says he will get it fixed and Padre says great and *sort of* buys the thing.

They "get it fixed" and the padres are driving it around town as sort of a trial period. Then Dad calls mom and says that he has run out of gas even though the gas gauge says half-full. Apparently the gas gauge is broken. CDG says he will get that fixed, but Dad has some things to do and they can't get him back the Durango BACK yet. So they fill the tank, and they go about things.

Then later, the car dies AGAIN when MOM is driving. She is going home from water aerobics and sees the gas gauge go UP... to Full. Ummm... that's not normal. Then the car dies, the steering goes out and she is trapped in the middle of State Street.

"[Padre], did you FILL the Jeep after you drove it?"
"I might have. No, probably not, but you should have enough."
"No. I do NOT."

And she had forgotten dry stuff so she was freezing in her wet swimsuit, in the middle of a busy street and really MAD at Padre (and calls me to vent, so I am mad at him, too, and think he is an idiot because even though he has not actually PAID for it, he is still PLANNING to pending "getting it fixed").

So CDG tows the Jeep and the mechanic says "Wow, you didn't try to START this car, did you?"
"Well, yeah, of course." [actually, she told me she tried and tried and tried starting it]
"The [fuel something]'s broken, you are lucky there was so little gas in it. If the tank had been full this car might have exploded!"

So now she can't be mad at Dad for not filling the tank because had he not been such a slacker she may have DIED in the Jeep we now call Daddy's Death Trap.

So now it's been "fixed." Only HOW DO THEY KNOW? HUH?

So last night we went to my work because it was the free-for-the-employee-family-night to see the 3-D movie at the Museum (WAY better in 3-D than regular IMAX, by the way). It is Sea Monsters. But we MISS the beginning because just trying to GO in the Death Trap was a pain! Granted, we didn't blow up, but, like, Mom's seat wouldn't adjust, my belt wouldn't buckle, just annoyances. But when Mom and I complain about this, Padre is like DEFENDING the Death Trap! Like what a deal it is, etc. He takes every gripe PERSONALLY! WAY IRRITATING. So, yeah. Already HATING their new car.

The movie was fun, though. 3-D is cool! Plus it is funny because the main "character" is a Dolichorhynchops. Do you know how that's said? Dolly-CORINNE-Cops! So we kept calling the dolphin thing Rinny and every time they almost got eaten Mom and I would scream "SWIM, CORINNE! AHHHH!" And stuff. It was hilarious. I LOVE my mom!

I am going to start spelling my sister's name, Chorhyn.

What Awesome Ska Band Are You?

You Are: The Suicide Machines! hardcore is your style, or you would be. but you see, you're too big of a pansy and a wimp to be hardcore. so you're ska!
Take this quiz!








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"DJ takes up Prostitution...

a Very Special Full House... I mean Friday Fave Fives!

e-Missions: Moon, Mars, and Beyond, (the WannaBe Space Camp) Highlights!

1. Best Resource: STELLARIUM. Available for FREE at http://www.stellarium.org/ for download it is really fun and the kids love making the ground disappear, zooming in on planets, and making the PICTURES of the constellations appear over the constellations themselves. You can do a TON with it if you are willing to explore the hot keys.

I HIGHLY recommend it.



2. Best Book: Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System by Alvin and Steve Jenkins. Well, my favorite illustrations anyway. I liked the collage-style, especially the cloudy stuff. Awesome.



3. Best way to teach graphing: Draw a Shuttle.


4. Best hands on way to understand the size of the Solar System:
Marking receipt paper with scaled distance. One half did Astronomical Unit equaling one centimeter. But another we did AU equaling a METER... and look how far it stretched!

5. BUT THE VERY BEST PART OF THE DAY CAMP:

It is over and it is the LAST day camp of the summer!!!!!!!!

However, some other, ummm, honorable mentions and basically random stuff from camp.

* glue sticks, scissors, and a lot of patience... build a shuttle that FLIES! (It's a pdf)

* a cool NON-flying paper model shuttle (the other models are awesome too, if you like those things!)

* A TON of logic puzzles like this:

Outer Space Circus Sideshows
by Randall L. Whipkey

Last Tuesday when the Outer Space Circus came to town for a performance, Bobby and Teddy thrilled at the Midway with its panorama of exotic sideshows featuring beings from across the Milky Way. The boys paid to see five sideshow performers, including the Head, a being with no body. Can you find the order during the day in which Bobby and Teddy saw the five outlandish acts: the name (one is No Wa Ben) and home world (one is from PsiReef) of each geek and what makes each Outer Space Circus sideshow material?

1. Bobby and Teddy saw Ji-Dome earlier in the day than the being from the planet New Oz; they saw the New Oz alien earlier than they enjoyed the perplexed look on the Teleprobe's face as he read their minds.
2. Immediately after visiting the tent where they were in awe of the Transparent Man, a creature whose internal body parts are visible through a totally clear skin, the boys took in the native of Ilegate.
3. Bobby and Teddy were wowed by the Walking Stick, a 13-foot alien also billed as the Tallest Being in the Galaxy, right before they saw the Incredible Kreskeno's act.
4. The boys saw TuPaK immediately after paying to see the native of the planet Andromeda-77 but earlier in the day than they saw the Sheebang Charmer, who works with the Milky Way's deadliest serpents.
5. The being whose sideshow they saw 2nd isn't Azaliana.
6. The tents of Kreskeno and the sideshow geek from New Oz were next to each other on the Midway.
7. Ji-Dome, who isn't the Sheebang Charmer, and the native of Andromeda-77 require special breathing chambers to live on Earth.
8. TuPaK was Bobby's favorite sideshow entertainer; the being from planet Qrptn was Teddy's.

(Answer)

* a little rocket Tangram. (another pdf, just fyi)

* hot dog shuttle. Eww. Hot Dogs. But cute?

* hilarious kids. Because, well, they just ARE.


You'll notice I am only talking about the good stuff. That is on purpose. This was a rather hellish week. And I would rather just FORGET some of it, you know?

Yeah, even though I love the SUBJECT, just bad... timing. Emotionally.

Anyway it was the last day today. And the last day camp of the summer. WOO HOO!

So, between field trips and after school classes, my next big project will be to do for the Children's Garden what I was doing for the Dinosaur Museum. Basically make up field trip curriculum that follow state standards. So that's where my job is headed temporarily (like, till winter. (When I will definitely NOT be moving to California...))Well, that and I may go back to substitute teaching if it doesn't give me enough hours, but I am not that worried about it right now... I am a "part-time" employee who RARELY goes home before 7 at present. So, yeah, I am not worried about hours yet. I *will* be... but right now I NEED less. Because I can't really handle things right now.

Last night I set up my Padre's tank for my little boy Tortuga and he LOVES it! It is only temporary (I am BORROWING it... he gets it back for fish when they move. And so I will keep looking for a big tank) but needed and he looks SO much happier already! He LOVES more room to swim. It makes me happy to see HIM happy. He's a good little turtle.

Gradumation!

I just accomplished something pretty big and am feeling a bit frazzled so I am blogging for a bit. What did I do? Today I finished ALL GRADES dinosaur museum field trip curriculum, including individual student booklets AND letters to teachers telling them how each activity ties to the Core. Basically, this is what I have been working toward since starting here. So, yeah, it may not sound it, but it's pretty major. Next step in the project is probably to make some pre and post trip activities for the teachers in their classrooms, but with summer and day camps coming, I may be focusing more on 4-H, Scouts, Robotics Camp (I am SOOOOO EXCITED FOR THAT!!!!), and developing the youth volunteer program with the day camps because, yeah, more pressing need.

Anyway, Granola Girl went and tagged me for this...

I am Kipluck.

I am BethAnn.

I am a girl.

I am a sister.

I am a daughter.

I am a girlfriend.

I am a good friend.

I am a Sugar Mama... it's not what you think.

I am a border-line vegetarian.

I am a Diabetic.

I am trying to be like Jesus, too.

I am happier when I am not thinking too much.

I am mentally ill.

I am a voracious learner.

I am a return missionary for the Church or Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I sometimes struggle with that.

I am quiet and shy.

I am loud and over-confident.

I am funny. Sometimes.

I am an Aries (Greek/Roman? Whatever the "normal" zodiac is...) AND Year of the Ram (Chinese). Baaaa!

I am a bibliophile.

I am antsy in silence and usually have music on at all times.

I am moody.

I am dramatic.

I am impatient.

I am tired.

I am compulsive and sometimes scare myself.

I am idealistic and romantic... but not really in the roses and mushy stories way.

I am girthy. (and btw, I am totally loving the Fat Wonder Woman Blog)

I sometimes swear, drink caffeine, and am lazy.

I am good with animals and kids.

I am not so good with babies, human ones anyway.

I am creative.

I am a fairly good writer, but with terrible handwriting and spelling (but I use my spell checker all the time.)

I can spend hours just staring at my sugar gliders playing. They are, like, magical to me.

I am addicted to popcorn.

I am going to do clock back in. Peace out!

Oh... and I tag... you.*


*As I have been met with much objection when I have tagged in the past, YOU is, umm, whoever decides to be tagged.

Cat Empire and Gerbil Torture

FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY!

So, Fridays aren't usually as exciting when you not only work Saturdays, but work an extra long day... in the sun... teaching wild and crazy boy scouts. But it WAS rather Friday-ish. For one thing, even though I was writing 8th grade curriculum (ugh... WAY too close to my own skill level to be fun or effective!) most of the day we kept giggling at the pageant ladies next door and quoting Miss Congeniality all day. ALSO because Rinny needed to leave early to a meeting with some chocolate guy we met at this Show to try and get us some cocoa beans and plants and such for our field trips, *I* got to leave early, too! So I was driving home when CC called to play! YAY!

She drove to my house and brought me my birthday present! She gave me Trivial Pursuit: Totally 80s AND a card game called Big Fish Little Fish. And if you are thinking SHE is late, well, consider I gave her her CHRISTMAS present, what, a week ago? hee hee hee!

Anyway, we drove around, went bead shopping (including some that I intend to make into a very awesome necklace that look like... uhh... PEACH PITS(?)... hee hee hee!), laughed at people who try to shop at Target after closing, and had diet Limeades at Sonic while listening to CC's fantastically eclectic tunes. (Hey, and CC, don't forget to give me Cupcake's rejects!)

OH, and we saw SUCH a cool car! Seriously, new cars... MEH. I *HEART* OLD STUFF. Especially with their eyes closed. Yes, I over anthropomorphize cars. Hee hee hee hee hee!

Then we came back to the house and played with (ie: mildly traumatized) my gerbil, Boo for awhile. Don't worry. She'll get over it. Hee hee!

It was a good night. THANKS, CC!

The one bad thing is I realized I missed a call from Fresno and I am sure he is asleep and he sounded pretty bummed because we haven't really talked in so long, like almost a whole week. So I will email him before heading to bed and try to cheer him up with firmed up travel plans and... umm... pictures of me in pimp hats? Hee hee?

Darwin needs his butt kicked today for giving me a headache...

or at least making it worse.

Some days I LOVE my job. I love holding baby animals and the kids crack me up. Yesterday we had a 10 minuet discussion on why we could not feed the lambs and calves crayons even if they were green like hay or yellow like corn. Hee hee hee! I love the new baby piglets and petting the baby lambs. I love making Tom the turkey scare the older kids when really all he wants is to be treated like a puppy dog. And I USUALLY love dinosaurs. I love their size and new discoveries, and I love the air conditioning in the museum.

But other days I feel like screaming. Like when I am writing 7th grade curriculum about the difference between the normal Linnaean Taxonomy (ie: Kingdom, Phylum, Subphylum, Class, Subclass, Order, Family, Genus, and Species) and classification of fossilized organisms because of the difficulty of classifying non-living entities and I realize I BARELY know more than my students and if I have to read one more paragraph from Origin of the Species I will find Charles Darwin grave, dig him up, and kill him again. Yeah, today is a BAD headache day and a bad WORK day because my brain is feeling a bit overloaded.

SO, I am taking a little break right now at work from Phylum Arthropoda and Class Trilobita. But just to vent. NOW I should really get BACK to work so I am not here till 8. I have things I need to get done at home, too, you know. I need to make a bath of BML, pick up meds at the pharmacy, and see if I can FIND my missing tax return check that I JUST got and have now lost. I know it's not REALLY, like, free money. It is just MY money BACK, but still, pretty excited to get it. After all, since it has sort of already been paid and so it's not, like, budgeted. And therefore it's LIKE free money. Money that doesn't need to be as accounted for. And therefore can be used toward the the trip to California the end of this month! ANYWAY, back to work. Stupid taxonomy. Stupid curriculum. Stupid me losing a 400 dollar check. I could just cry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In fact, I *did* cry. A common occurrence lately.

However, things DID get better. For one thing, work ended. Hee hee! After work I was headed home, but my mind was on Fresno and the trip. I can't do much about that right now, and I haven't found the check even yet. But I DID get inspired to do more on his PRESENT! And so I went home by way of Zurchers. And the dollar store. And PartyLand. And Big Lots.

Yeah, I went a little crazy. But if there is one girlfriendy thing I *can* do it is PRESENTS. Most of them are silly, private jokey things. The 2 "real" gifts are Charlotte's Web and the COOLEST tennis ball SLING SHOT for the dogs! It is, seriously, almost a weapon, it is AWESOME. And it will actually CHALLENGE the monster ponies to chase. Made by Hyperdog and I think I'd want my OWN, but I doubt the little dogs, Trinket, Shasta, and Suzy would fetch the balls for me as far as I would want to shoot them and *I* sure am not retrieving them. hee hee!

Anyway, yeah, I think he will really like the presents as long as the airport doesn't confiscate them or something. I am actually thinking of mailing it even though I *am* going, just to avoid taking the present on the plane. Because I wrapped everything really cool. And now I am remembering the last time I wrapped a gift (When we flew to Hawaii for Christmas) security OPENED them. And this on will even LOOK suspicious. And there are doggy TREATS in there, too, so if they have sniffer dogs the dogs may be saying "this bag has treats and toys!" and the guards will think I have drugs or something. Hmmm... so I really may mail stuff. Bummer. Haven't decided yet.

In other news, my computer has suddenly... and when I say suddenly I mean the last 10 minutes... started acting VERY slow and bad and near frozen. I want to restart… I NEED to restart. I am checking for spyware now. But I don’t want to lose my entry. I SHOULD have been saving, but I haven’t been. Arrrgh. Sometimes I swear, the computer HATES me.

Back (again) but I should really just post. Post and go to bed, though I am not tired. But it is too late to take anything for sleep. So, it's my own fault. SIGH. Good night... or morning... WHATEVER.

To Cheer You

I've been busy so I haven't blogged for most of this week. So, some updates...

1. The next day at work, I got THESE...

Dang it all, when Fresno complains he complains with flair! However, am I the only one who thinks "to cheer you" is a rather awkwardly formal phrase? It reminds me of a bad translation or something.

2. I have such awesome friends. I got to go to the temple with Mali for the first time. Jessi did too and we sat together! (The other person in the photo's is Mali's other good friend, who I did not know.) Yay for friends! Yay for the Temple!!!!

I was very proud of Mali; she did great, even under... ummm... EXTERNAL stress.

3. Work has been more than a little INSANE. See, I an technically part-time. But I have often worked 8:30am-7pm. with out a lunch... well, I mean I EAT... Diabetes sort of dictates that... but usually I don't stop working I just drink a SlimFast or eat a FiberOne Chocolate and Oats bar (THEY ARE SO YUMMY) from my pocket while working. But the thing is the work isn't regular, so I have to grab hours when they come. I might work 5 10 hour days and then have a week of 2 hour days. But so far, that just hasn't happened as it is our busy time. So I work a LOT. It is very physical work, too... but actually I really prefer that. You can see results, you know? When you are on the phone doing customer service, you may never really feel satisfied. But when you have to jump in a pen to catch a goat, you KNOW whether you have succeeded or not. When a child is crying and you cheer them up ("to cheer you" Ha!) you know you've done well. Even working in the office I pour over the core curriculum trying to develop an education program for the dinosaur museum, well it is a major challenge of intellect, focus and creativity. It is EXTREMELY hard work sometimes. Every muscle hurts, every nerve is frazzled... but you feel good about what you did.

So far, even though sometimes I feel like crying (and, like when a big fence slammed on my hand, I DO cry), I have to say I LOVE THIS JOB. How many times have I been able to say that? I only make 7 dollars an hour for a job that anywhere outside the Not-for-Profit sector should make at least twice that plus benefits. But I can honestly say that I love TGP. I love the children, the animals, the gardens, the art projects, the dinosaurs, the ever changing duties that help me never, ever bored.

And as for the hardness of the work, well, we always joke about how great it is to work somewhere with such a large fitness facility. We have cardio (keeping up with 7th graders in TLC from building to building), weights (picking up lambs to children can pet them, lifting up the CHILDREN to they can pet the bunnies, harnessing hateful ponies) and flexibility (climbing over the goat's fence, reaching for craft supplies on the top shelf of the storage room). Hee hee hee!

However, some days are just... AAARGH...

4. I am not ACTUALLY superstitious... usually. But holy CRAP what a Friday the 13th!!!!! First of all, I was supposed to be shadowing. Not in charge of a group, just helping. But Neither Rerun (a 20 year old who seems like a 12 year old. He is VERY flaky and has, on more than one occasion completely stopped working when Rinny has left the office. He'll make long distance calls on the company phone, play Sudoku online, etc. But of course, Rinny doesn't have the guts to FIRE him.) nor Milestoner (she was hired with me, and at the point she seemed awesome. NOW, not so much) SHOWED UP for their shifts.

Actually, that's not quite true. I was covering for Rerun on a particularly CRAZY field trip. Rinny, who was not supposed to be running a trip either, but rather in managerial meetings with the PRESIDENT (of TGP... not George W. Bush... or Gordon B. Hinckley) was covering for Milestoner. The others (who were actually DOING their jobs) were CrazyConnie, Boston, and GrandmaBetsy. Anyway, we were all running around like crazy trying to keep things under control and I could have SWORN I saw Rerun. I squinted and waved to him to come over and take his class but he ducked out so I assumed it WASN'T him. I fumbled through the field trip... it was a grade I didn't know the lesson for as I hadn't shadowed it before, but I survived (barely.). Finally, Rerun showed up to do his damn JOB and we were able to get things going a LITTLE better and Rinny was able to meet with the BigWigs.

Our Farm Manager, Mac, is AWESOME. He's a cowboy and knows his stuff, and is also a thoroughly likable person. He is also quitting to run his landscape business. We will miss him terribly. And part of the reason for BigWigs being down to the farm was to talk about his replacement. Several of the Farmhands wanted RINNY to take over. Run Education AND the Farm. She would not do well, but she's do better than who they GOT.

There is really only ONE person at TGP that Rinny can NOT get along with at ALL and that is SGary. He runs the museum, is a cocky jerk, and is 100% businessman. The only thing important to him is his museum and MONEY. The Museum is the ONLY part of TGP that makes enough to break even. Everything else only stays afloat because of our benefactors, the Ashtons. So, yes, SGary has room to brag. BUT he is a JERK about it, hates the education department, kids, messiness. And GUESS who they put in charge of the FARM now, too?!

[NOTE: NONE of this has been officially ANNOUNCED yet, so I shouldn't be saying anything. But I figure none of you care/know these people and so I won't get in trouble. So I vent.]

I can see 2 possible outcomes to this decision. 1. SGary never comes down to our smelly, kid-filled, non-money-making farm and maybe eventually closes it. 2. He raises the admission price to something like the museum's and we become a little ghost town as NOBODY will pay 8 bucks to ride ponies and pet cows. Oh, and Rinny has a freaking Breakdown. When the CEO told her who's be running the farm, she handled it pretty well... she waited till he left before bawling. She HATES SGary. Mind you, we are not UNDER him... he's not HER boss. Education is it's own entity, and RINNY is OUR boss. But she will be working WITH him. And we need his help. We already have a devil of a time getting his cooperation with the museum activities. Now he will lord over the FARM too.

He will be HILARIOUS if he ever COMES to the farm though. In his suoit and being all stuck up, I can just picture him buying our new COWS like Mac did. *rolls eyes* GEEZ.

What a day. OH and eventually Rerun admitted to Rinny he HAD been here. "So, wanna hear a funny story?"

"Does it involve where you were during your shift?"

"Yeah, ummm, it's funny! I read the 2nd page of the schedule but not the first so I thought there was nothing until 12."

"Huh."

"And I came in early to do some stuff in the office [In other words he clocked in to "work" on the computer but 10 bucks says he just read email and played Sudoku] but then I saw a big group of kids on the wagon ride and thought 'I wonder if that's a field trip?' and then... ummm... I saw [Kipluck] leading a field trip[I knew it!]... so I sort of hid in the office for awhile."

"When you saw [Kipluck], why didn't you go relieve her?"

"Ummm... well... she looked busy."

UMMM... DUH?! Grrrrr! Idiot.

Those field trips were crazy, too. I LOVE how IMPRESSIONABLE kids are! We were on the wagon ride and one little 1st grader started BAWLING. I went to sit with him and asked what was wrong.

He wailed, "I jus' miss my Mom and Dad!"

"Oh, but guess what? I bet they will LOVE to here about your day! You can tell them about petting to horses and seeing the chickens with their eggs and petting those bunnies."

*sniffle* "Yeah..."

"They will be SO jealous because this is so much fun!"

"Yeah. [still bawling] This is so much fun." HA!

Then he smiled, wiped his eyes, and was fine the whole time! At the end of the ride, I said "I am so proud of you." Then another little boy told him "You were crying at the first." and the first little boy's lip started quivering, so I quickly said "Yes, but now he is so brave!"

The second little boy said "yeah, he's SO BRAVE!" with a sigh of freaking ADMIRATION! And the 1st smiled again! MY POWER OF SUGGESTION IS MAGICAL!!! Kids are AWESOME.

I also went to the doctor after work. I got some new meds and an appointment with a psychiatrist. SIGH.

Fres-NO

Almost

CONFERENCE!






I was really looking forward to Conference and now I am bummed. I mean, I am still looking forward to it in the usual ComeListenToAProphet'sVoice kind of way... but not a SitVeryCloseToACuteBoyAndProbablySmellHimSmellingAllCleanAndChurchy (NotThatHeDoesn'tUsuallySmellFineButYouKnowWhatIMean) kind of way. Stupid Rental Agreement. *Grumble grumble*

I just... miss him. Okay, so there are a lot of times I love the long distance thing, because too much THERE-ness tends to freak me out. But right now I hate it and need him to be here in Utah. At the same time, I am glad he's not because my depression is NOT doing so great and it is bad enough dealing with it in PRIVATE, without worrying it is going to weird him out. BLEH.

Okay, now it is Friday (last sentence it was Thursday.) and I am still missing him, but thanks to having GREAT friends I am feeling better. :O)

Work was LONG today. Left my house at 10:30 to go help with a 5th grade field trip on the farm. Got a short tractor driving lesson from Rinny during it.

Taught some of the parents of the kids about ducks

Fed kids cheese flavored (but REAL) mealworms, etc. Then I spent several hours doing research at the dinosaur museum. Trying to write curriculum, I figured I should know it in chronological order. Anyway, walked a lot in there, till I thought my feet would fall off, went back to the office to work on it there. Then went with Rinny to buy supplies in Salt Lake (for a Relief Society thing and for work, both). I wasn't heading home until 7 something, when CC and Stewie called and said they were on their way to my house! YAY!

We hung out, ate at Carl's Jr. (Fried zucchini! Mmmm! And nobody tried to kidnap us. Hee hee!), and went to look at another castle! One in Cedar Hills. It was funny AND cool! Then we picked up Stewie's kiddlet, Munchkin (one of my favorite kiddlets. Seriously, she is right up there with Bucksome's Little Buck, Bestsariah's Corina, and T-La's 3 boys in sheer funniness.) from a sleep over she wasn't sleeping over at and CC and swung on the swings. (We are SWINGERS! HA!) However, doing so, after too much fat in our meal, and following it with chewing gum too long, well the combo made me sick to my stomach and was just about to say so when CC said SHE felt sick with it, too. Anyway, then she needed to go pick up Cupcake from a mission reunion (I should probably have gone to MY mission reunion, but the only people I care about from the mission probably wouldn't BE there (either from distance or disinterest) so I didn't) so CC drove me home.

I watched Scrubs, and now Perry Mason, of course. Friends like CC and Stewie really help fix a bummer day. JD and Perry don't hurt, either. Hee hee! Thank you, you guys. Seriously.

Fame... but no Fortune

Today at TGP...

Okay, wait, I got corrected on this. I should actually call Thanksgiving Point, TPI as the actual "company" is called Thanksgiving Point Institute. And Thanksgiving is one word anyway. It's like on the mission, in Texas, there was this place called Bodacious BBQ. But a certain really dumb Elder (who we hated) would call it the BDB. (No, not Parker. We LIKED him.) So it became a Fringe thing to say because it was stupidly funny. Because Bodacious got 2 letters and Barbecue only got one, never mind the actual restaurant was named BBQ not Barbecue.

Anyway, random. And, just like still saying BDB, I probably will continue to call Thanksgiving Point, TGP.

SO, today at TGP I had "Guest Services Training." It was 6 hours of being talked at, and I was EXHAUSTED. However, the presenter was actually very good. And she used a number of videos to illustrate principles and they were funny. Here are as many as I can find (the first is my absolute favorite). For SOME REASON, Blogger is giving me fits about embedding tonight. I USED to be able to do it fine. Now, apparently it only likes links. Sorry for that. GRRRR.

Escalator
There is a longer version, but we just saw this one. I had seen it before but it still cracks me up.

Canceling AOL
By the way this is so SO true. SERIOUSLY. I once tried AOL and I got ALMOST this much trouble trying to cancel.

FedEx
So, it makes me return to my frustration that they didn't list Wilson, the volleyball as a character in the credits of Cast Away. That would have really made me happy. Anyway, this has nothing to do with Wilson. It just reminded me. Oh, and if you haven't seen Cast Away is isn't AS funny, but still really good.

Anyway, it wasn't all YouTube, unfortunately, we actually had to learn stuff (hee hee!) but it was pretty interesting. And during a break the presenter lady and a few of us were talking politics. And I feel a little famous and proud. Because we were talking about No Child Left Behind and I said the reason it didn't work was, like many things, it was a perfect concept, but for imperfect people. And she asked if she could QUOTE me, like in an article. And she kept thinking my points were good. So I was having a smart moment.

Oh, I had one of those awhile ago in here, in my blog. Because someone commented on one of my silly Phisherman responses and said:

stephanie said...

nice. i'm always so happy to stumble upon good literature when all i set out to do was confirm my suspicions of this crook...
having worked abroad with Docs w/o Borders and Oxfam in England I was curious at best, but entirely skeptical...
you're blog is a special piece of pop-culture, in a way. Or shall become one after half the country receives this ridiculous email.
do you write professionally?

She asked if I wrote professionally... so come on all y'all, who's going to step up and start PAYING me to blog? Hee hee hee hee hee! Come on people, I am only going to make about 7 bucks an hour at T[G]P(I). If you want to pay me use one of my links to shop at Amazon or something. Or, you know, just send me money for spinning a pretty phrase. I would totally be cool with that.

Okay, to be completely honest, I would LOVE to be paid to write. Or draw. Or take care of my critters. Unfortunately, nobody seems to be hiring professional author-artist-sugar[glider] mamas. So I will have to settle for low-wage earning farmer-dinosaur teacher-birthday party hostess-office geek-goat photographer-pony poop scooper. And that's okay for now. :O)

Anyway, I am going to go to bed early tonight. Hopefully my earlier exhaustion will help me fall asleep. Just feed the babies, read a little scripture, talk to Fresno (if he calls), pray, and *hopefully* drift off into slumber before I wake up and go to work tomorrow feeling LESS like a zombie.