GPS and Me

Oh traffic.  How I loathe thee.  Friday afternoon, 3 o'clock, here in Bothell.  I guess I should have simply waited until rush hour was over, but I thought that I was awesome enough to fly through without having to pay the price for not leaving sooner.  I was all prepared to make the trek down south to Puyallup.  I should have known better and been ready to leave sooner.  But I got to enjoy one of the last nice sunny afternoons of the season, sitting in my car with the windows down and music going.  Now I have no need for using my GPS any longer to find my way to Puyallup...but I had it out and going to help "predict" my arrival time, which kept being pushed later and later.  I was on the final leg of the journey and had hit yet ANOTHER traffic snarl.  I mean snarl in that I was moving at speeds that were barely registering on my speedometer...when my GPS (with whom I have a shaky relationship with already) asked me:

"Would you like to switch to pedestrian mode?"

Umm...not particularly.  Thanks for rubbing it in.

...So yeah...I am ENGAGED!!!

Where oh where to begin?

It has been a summer beyond describing...but I am going to give it a try :)

I'll begin back in April.

I was excited to attend Bone Junior's big 3-oh Oscars Birthday Party!!! Sort of a "Welcome to My Box", Big Deal birthday, and I was NOT going to miss it. While there I was fortunate enough to hide away at Yanaj & Paul's until the big reveal, and it was during one of those talking times that I discussed with Yanaj my thoughts about online dating. I have been trying different ... um ... adventures? ... to diversify the odds of meeting someone. I had put a profile up on one of those sites last summer, but did not feel ready to commit by paying for its full services. Instead I let it sit and I would receive notices that this person or that had taken a gander at said profile, or messaged me and "wouldn't I like to sign up and connect with so and so?" I was able to ignore these blips for nearly a year. That is, until one person stood out among the rest. That is where my conversation with Yanaj comes in (which accurately went something like this):

HPLuvr: "...so Yanaj...I've been seriously considering trying the online dating thing..."

*nervous pause*

"does that seem too geeky?"

*rushing on to explain my thinking*

"Because I've been really thinking that its not like I go out bar hopping to meet guys...and there are nice guys in the singles ward, but not anyone I really see potential with...and I tried that singles cruise to Europe...and remember that REALLY LONG mid-singles campout awhile back? Scary! Anyways...I've come to the conclusion that meeting online is a great way as long as it doesn't remain online forever...because honestly...you have to physically meet to see if there is a spark...right? Sounds ok right? Will you be forever silently judging me for EVEN considering this?"

Yanaj: "Of course not. You should give it a go" (I may be paraphrasing here a bit...but you get the idea)

HPLuvr: "Oh good. *HUGE sigh* Because there is a particular guy that I think sounds interesting and I want to find out some more about him. I think I'm going to go for it..."

Fast Forward...nearly 2 months...yup...2 months! Apparently I still had some self talking into to do!

Little did I know that this decision would be so life changing...altering...rocking... :)

Nightmayr

Puyallup

28

Yup. That is about as much information as I had to go on :) well maybe a bit more...but it caught my eye and I went for it. That is I signed up and committed.

...and here is my secret...

He was the reason I signed up. We started out emailing back and forth. He was amazing with the words. It did not take me long before I realized that I wanted to meet this guy in person. It also wasn't long before we did :) and we made plans to meet...but even before the official first date came, his errands ended early one day...and we decided to meet up sooner. There were the usual "first time meeting butterflies" and "oh my gosh, what am I going to wear?" thoughts running around in my head. And that knock on the door was...well...you get the idea! I am so glad that I opened that door and began my last first date :)

To say the least, things moved rapidly...and I was enjoying the experience!

In fact, I knew fairly soon that this was the man for me...and I was pretty sure he was as into the relationship we were creating too! The third date, our mini road trip through Leavenworth, Wenatche, and Winthrop...on the Cascade Mountain Loop...was a pivotal date. I figured anyone willing to invest in an activity that had "no easy escape route" for that long (upwards of 12 hours!) was interested in finding out more about me! I knew I was excited!!! I planned a "20 Questions" grab bag to keep the conversation going. I may have planted a few important "I gotta know the answers to these" questions...you know those awkward ones that are difficult to work into a regular conversation...and he was willing to give honest answers.

This was also the date that I knew that this guy was someone special. He planned specific stops along the road trip that he knew I would enjoy...fresh apple cider...a quaint bookstore...all of which caught my attention (as if he needed anymore of it!)

From the beginning we spent as much time getting to know one another as possible. Chatting online....texting...his days off...mornings before he had to go to work. I was willing to selfishly claim that time! And eventually we began inviting the other into each other's lives. Meeting families, attending the other's ward...passing friend and feline tests alike :)

...participating in my silly schemes...

Batstaches

...things began falling into place...rapidly! We knew that we wanted to be together...officially. I "requested" to graduate from my singles ward rather than be kicked out, which meant that I told him :) that he had until December to propose. He teased me. Gave me a tough time. But the day we celebrated his transfer to day shift, he was celebrating himself knowing that he had just bought my engagement and wedding rings...and they spent the day riding around hidden in his car with us!

Although whether or not he was going to propose was no longer a secret...the when and how was. He found it a challenge to set up a time to talk with my dad and mom without me tagging along :) But he did! I did not have a CLUE that he had done it! Props to both him and my parents for their sneaky sneaky behavior...of which I underestimated :)

While I was at home getting ready for a noon Evergreen State Fair date with him...he was meeting my parents at a local park...showing my Mom my rings!

In fact...we did go to the fair. It was the fastest time through a fair to date! Little did I know why...until my suspicions were aroused with a requested return trip to the location of where we began our first date:) A beach park that on Labor Day was much busier than our first visit there. But no matter. We spread out a blanket and he handed me a gift. A pretty monumental gift! In which I admit, some laughs were had...and some "This is it!" thoughts were going on...and even some tears. I wanted to rush through to the end but didn't want to miss out on any of this experience that he had carefully orchestrated...in which he culminated with a little white ring box and an answer that I happily gave...YES!

March cannot come quickly enough...to marry this man that I still find hard to believe that I get to spend my life loving!

...mush...mush...I know:)

Happy Mother's Day!

Found this mother's day craft and thought,

 "What a cute idea...I wish I was young enough to still do crafts like this!" 

So to those who may feel they have someone in their life where it is age appropriate to do, have fun!

Romney Boys pay tribute to Ann Romney

Sharing some of their favorite memories...

Where are Obama's Ex-Girlfriends?

****U P D A T E****

Some random comment-er left me some links that "debunk" some of the following statements.  I agree that the information forwarded by this email seems to be sensationalism (to grab attention)...but I also still think there is something suspicious concerning birth records (did our President ever claim 'not' to be an American citizen?  Was he born in Hawaii and issued multiple Conneticut social security numbers?)  The debunking sites did not address these questions.  Along with law licenses...who knows, yet I think it is important to become knowledgeable about the politics of our country/state/city...especially enough to be active voters!

********

***From yet another political email I received recently.  I thought it brought up some interesting points.  I've always been of the belief that there is little to no seperation of a "political" life and a "personal" life.  If one is willing to do something in their personal life, then it foreshadows what they may be willing to do in their political life.***

"See if there's anything here you don't believe.


I  hadn't thought about this - but where are Obama's past girlfriends?  Surely he had at least one.  No past girl friends are popping up anywhere.  Strange - strange  to the point of being downright weird!


OK, this is just plain old common sense, no political agendas for either side just common knowledge for citizens of a country, especially American citizens,  who know every little tidbit about every other president (and their wives), that even know that Andrew Jackson's wife smoked a corn cob pipe and was accused of adultery, or that Lincoln never went  to school, or Kennedy wore a back brace, or Truman  played the  piano.


We are Americans!  Our media vets these things! We are known for our humanitarian interests and caring for our 'fellow man.'  We care, but none of us know one single humanizing fact about the history of our own president.


Honestly, and this is a personal thing...but it's bugged me for years that no one who ever dated him evershowed up.  Taken his charisma, which caused the women to be drawn to him so obviously during his campaign, looks like some lady would not have  missed the opportunity.


We all know about JFK's magnetism; McCain was no monk. Palin's courtship and even her athletic prowess were probed.  Biden's aneurisms are no secret.  Look at Cheney and Clinton - we all know about their heart problems. How could I have left out Wild Bill before or during the White House?


Nope... not one lady has stepped up and said, "He was soooo shy," or "What a great dancer!" Now  look at the rest of what we know... no classmates, not even the recorder for the Columbia class notes ever heard of him.


Who was the best man at his wedding? Start there. Check for groomsmen. Then get the footage of the graduation ceremony.


Has  anyone talked to the professors? Isn't it odd that no one is bragging that they knew him or taught him or lived with him.


When did he meet Michele and how? Are there photos? Every president provides the public with all their photos, etc., for their library. What has he released? Nada - other than what was in this so-called biography! And experts who study writing styles, etc., claim it was not O's own words or typical of his speech patterns, etc.


Does this make any of you wonder?


Ever wonder why no one ever came forward from Obama's past, saying they knew him, attended school with him, was his friend, etc? Not one person has ever come forward from his past.


This should really be a cause for great concern.  Did you see the movie titled, the Manchurian Candidate?


Let's face it. As insignificant as we all are... someone with whom we went to school remembers our name or face... someone remembers we were the clown or the dork or the brain or the quiet one or the bully or something about us.


George Stephanopoulos, ABC News, said the samething  during the 2008 campaign.  Even George questions why no one has acknowledged  that the president was in their classroom or ate in the same cafeteria or made  impromptu speeches on campus. Stephanopoulos was a classmate of Obama at  Columbia-class of 1984.  He says he never had a single class with him.  Since he  is such a great  orator, why doesn't anyone in Obama's college class remember him?  And, why won't he allow Columbia to release his records?  Do you, like  millions of others, simply assume all this is explainable - even though no one can?


NOBODY REMEMBERS OBAMA AT COLUMBIA


Looking for evidence of Obama's past, Fox News contacted 400 Columbia University students from the period when Obama claims to have been there, but not one remembers him.  For example,Wayne Allyn Root was (like Obama) a political science major at Columbia  who graduated in 1983. In 2008, Root says of  Obama, "I don't know a single person at Columbia that knew him, and they all  know me. I don't have a single classmate who ever knew Barack Obama at Columbia .. EVER!"


Nobody recalls him.


Root adds that he was, "Class of '83 political science, pre-law" and says, "You don't get more exact or closer than that.  Never met him in my life, don't know anyone who ever met him."


At our 20th class reunion five years ago, who was asked to be the speaker of the class? Me. No one ever heard of Barack!  And five years ago, nobody even knew who he was. The guy who writes the class notes, who's kind of the, as we say  in New York , 'the macha' who knows everybody,  has yet to find a person, a human who ever met him."


Obama's photograph does not appear in the school's yearbook, and Obama consistently declines requests to talk about his years at Columbia, provide school records, or provide the name of any former classmates or friends while at Columbia.


How can this be?


NOTE: Wayne Allyn  Root can easily be verified. He graduated valedictorian from his high school, Thornton-Donovan School, then graduated from Columbia University in 1983 as a Political Science major in the same '83 class in which Barack Hussein Obama states he was.

Some other interesting questions...

Why was Obama's law license inactivated in 2002?

Why was Michelle's law license inactivated by court order?

According to the  U.S. Census, there is only one Barack Obama - but 27 Social Security numbers and over 80 aliases!


WHAT!??


The Social Security number he uses now originated in Connecticut where he is never reported to have lived.  ***I thought Hawaii claimed him?***

No wonder all his records are sealed!

Somewhere, someone had to know him in school...before he "reorganized" Chicago and burst upon the scene at the 2004 Democratic Convention and made us swoon with his charm, poise, and speaking pizzazz.

One of the biggest CONS this country has ever seen, and he's getting away with it!  This is scary on many levels!  Makes me wonder..!"

Lipstick in Catholic School

According to a news report, a certain private Catholic school was recently faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine provided it was of a natural or neutral skin tone, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints.

Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back. Finally the principal, Sister Mary, decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine the yawns from the little princesses).

To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, Sister Paschal asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required.  He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaner the mirror with it.

Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror.

There are teachers..... And then there are educators

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

As I got a nasty virus-y thing in my hotmail email account this year...one in which it sent random emails to EVERYONE in my address book, multiple times per day.  Yup including those few people that I would rather not have more contact with (in which I probably should have deleted their email address long ago) I had to get a new email address and I just haven't updated my address book yet.  So in that tone, when I get emails that tell me to "forward to 20 million others..." I don't.  Probably explains why "my dreams/wishes/hopes" have not been fulfilled, that I haven't "found true love within the last 5 minutes" or won the lottery.  But that is besides the point.  The following is the text from an email that although I won't be emailing to others, still felt it important enough to share.  Please read and think about what this means!

Winds of Change....Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

_*Congressional Reform Act of 2011*_

1. No Tenure / No Pension: A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.  All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.  Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.  Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Don't you think it's time?

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

Some Adult Truths

As another birthday approaches, it is like New Years, in which I look back at what I've done in the past year, and what I have been able to scratch off my "bucket" or "how to" or "need to" lists.   Well, I came across this lovely list and felt like I needed to pay it forward.  Do you agree with any of these?  Any that need to be added???

1. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How on earth are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind-of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Light than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

Why I love Wolverine...

...but who wouldn't?

10 Things I'll Miss About Harry Potter

10. Harry, Ron, and Hermione

9. Magic

8. Excitement & Anticipation of New Books and Movies

7. Amazing Creatures

6. Epic Battles between Good and Evil

5. Quidditch

4. Unforgetable Heroes & Villians

3. The Romances

2. The Wizarding World

1. Hogwarts

Jumping in Head First...

So last Labor Day weekend I did it. That's right. I attended a Mid Singles Activity.

My awesome Houstonian friend posted awhile back about how her foray into the Mid Singles went and I quote:

"I was wanting to meet people I would have more in common with. Maybe I went to the wrong type of activity?"

Well, taking courage from her, and a bit of en-couragement from others here in Bothell, I signed up for and went to a Labor Day Weekend campout. I jumped in head first. Instead of a mild 2 hour time investment, with quick escape route, I chose to go camping. You read that right, I spent 72 of the planned 96 hours involved with this activity.

Now I am able to say that I met quite a few interesting, fun, and humorous people. In fact, it may not even be my last activity with them. What is most interesting to me is that I clicked quickly with one gal- then found out she was there with her single father on their way to him dropping her off at BYU-Idaho :) figures! Guess I am not as old as it has been feeling lately in the Branch here. So Booyah...to me.

...and my "Kiss Me I'm Irish" sweatshirt was a big coversation starter...

So am beginning to wonder what is in store for this summer.

Mosaic Flickr

The Questions To Answer:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What college did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Where You are from?

Here is how you can play too:

• Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search
• Using only the first page, pick an image.
• Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

1. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
2. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
3. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
4. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
5. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
6. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
7. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
8. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
9. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
10. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
11. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=
12. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=

Ash Cloud...

...didn't stop me. I made it to, through, and from Europe; despite Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano's best efforts to prevent it. I will be posting pictures and stories asap... please to enjoy the visual spoils to come.

My itinerary:

Day ____

1. Barcelona, Spain
2. Barcelona, Spain
3. Day in the Mediterranean Sea
4. Naples, Positano, Sorrento, Pompeii, Italy
5. Rome, Italy
6. Pisa and Florence, Italy
7. Nice and Eze, France
8. Cassis, France
9. Barcelona, Spain & Paris, France
10. Paris, France
11. Paris, France and London, England
12. London, England
13. London, England
14. London, England
15. London, England and Seattle, Washington

(in which the pictures and stories will be organized by day/location)

Contents of Pickpocketers Wallet

1. $0.99 Perlina wallet from Goodwill
2. 2 LDS Pass Along missionary cards
3. Personalized note to lucky winner
4. Receipt to return wallet, should one want to do that
5. Some "Silver" in coin (Canadian), card (Jeans tag), and bill (Honduras) form
6. Chinese fortune cookie message...(hey some people pay to get their fortunes read...or a cookie)

"You will soon be involved in many gatherings, parties, and communications"

I knew I liked these guys...

I have really respected how these cousins have been working this season. Rather than tear others down these two have supported and built each other and their competition up. They want to have those that challenge their workouts surrounding them rather than taking the easy route.

Go Koli! Go Sam!!

Take that Pickpocketers...

One warning that Rick Steves' guide books states about many of the places that I am planning on visiting: "Remember, pickpocketing attempts throughout Europe can be expected unless you wear a moneybelt under your clothing. Smart travelers leave wallets at home and store their credit cards, passport, paper money and rail ticket(s) in a secure moneybelt." Well as a smart traveler I have my money belt ready to use. But as I was thinking about this phenomenon, I decided that I would like to see some of these performances. So I went out and purchased this:

"fake pickpocketers wallet"

I am going to put a note or some such in it and hope that I will not be coming home with it again...

Europe Finally

It has been a dream of mine to visit Italy one day. In 5 days I will board a plane that will hopefully make this dream a reality. Hopefully volcano eruptions will hold off to allow me to do this. On my To Do list this week?

1. Enjoy the week with the kids I nanny for


2. Decide what clothes/accessories/shoes will fit into a single carry-on


3. Pack winning clothes/accessories/shoes into said carry-on


4. Print up traveling documents


5. Double check that my passport is with me- ready to go


6. Pick the perfect reading material to keep me occupied for my flights


7. Make it to the airport on time :)

To Italy, Spain, France, and England I go!

Happy Earth Day

I went bike riding on the BertGilman Trail today. The weather was just about perfect - not too hot but not so cold that your nose begins to run in the cold air - As I was pedaling along the water and enjoying the sounds of nature I came across a person standing on the side of the path. I rode past him and as I did so he stepped out to hand me a dandelion and proclaim while smiling -

"Happy Earth Day!"

So I am here to pass the sentiment on to you, take a moment to breathe in and appreciate our Earth today.

Luck Changes

I am looking to do for 2010, a resolution per se, to "change my luck". I want this year to be different, and I have realized that in order for this to happen...I have to DO something different. So here is my promise: I am going to do things out of my comfort zone, things I would typically shy away from- and I will report them here.

Starting with New Year's Eve.


Scene: LDS Singles Dance...enough said. TBA.

Scene: Mo's, Katy, Texas. Along with some gal pals go out dancing, real dancing, a la country and live band dancing. The moment I walk into the place I notice the tall clean cut cowboy, a white cowboy hat that is about 6 and a half feet off the ground. Perfect. All evening I keep an eye on him. I heard somewhere that eye contact is key. Well, last song of the night, I just do it. I ask him to dance. It was good. Thanks Robert, another chance to change my luck as this was something I would have shied away from.

Scene: Cruising. I went on my first cruise back in 2006 with Bonnie and Jen. We had all recently or were planning to be done with college within the past year. So thanks to Bonnie's connections and planning we met in Florida to leave on a cruise to Key West, Florida and Cozumel, Mexico. Now from this experience I learned a few things, but most of all, the fact that I LOVED CRUISES. Along with this I went with my parents on a "Birthday Cruise". Had another fabulous time. But the one I am looking forward to is the Meditteranean Cruise come May. 5 ports in Italy, 2 in France, and 1 in Spain. Europe here I come. I will have to report on how things go. But a little advice to others. DO NOT use Piper Weston through Toscana Travel to book a cruise. It has been nothing but headaches.

Happy Almost New Year

1. Saw my very first 3D movie, stylish glasses and all. My dad and I went to see Avatar- what a colorful movie! Originally I went to see it for the 3D experience, but was looking forward to the story as I had heard numerous great reviews about it. Well, I would have to agree that the movie held my attention for the entire 3+ hours. In fact, I was able to appreciate the entire movie from the best seats in the house. Right in front of the metal bar in which to rest ones feet comfortably. I really did like this movie (once I got past the strange looking characters).

2. Found a floor length, black, formal dress (that fulfilled all my requirements) for $29...what a steal!

3. E.L.F. Makeup. I do love their eye shadow brushes. http://www.eyeslipsface.com/

4. Being kicked out of a bar. Let me explain. For a friend's wedding she planned a bridesmaid weekend for all her girls. We checked out the wedding location, decided on those lovely "dresses" we all get to wear, began putting together wedding announcements/invitations, and eventually we sat around eating some dinner- the group decided that we needed to go out and have some fun. I am not a drinker, but everyone else is. I went along as a DD and we tried to find somewhere that didn't have a cover charge. Obviously I was no help in this planning, but we ended up at a typical dive, except that it was packed full, for unknown reasons. We stood around a bit waiting for a table or a few chairs to open up. No such luck, so we were on our way out. This is when I spotted a table and motioned everyone over. We got enough chairs around a table meant for less than us, but it worked. Until the waitress told us we couldn't stay- huh? We left (not happily) and ended up at a place that did karaoke. Yes. I did it. But yes, I was kicked out of a bar.

5. Shot the Moon in a game of Hearts against my computer. Nerdy? Yes.

6. Looking for a good book to take along on my cruise...any suggestions? On my first cruise, I read The Devil Wears Prada. Which, 1) I enjoyed reading, 2) Is still on my bookshelf...and 3) Still has a slight "sunscreeny" smell to it from an unfortunate incident on aforementioned cruise.

7. I found this website... http://itmademyday.com/

*Caution there are some entries that are on the

questionable side. But it certainly makes my day

reading about good things that are happening to people.

Here are some of my more favorite ones:

• As we were exchanging gifts on Christmas day, my sister suddenly stood up, cheered and yelled "I got a snuggie you wear backwards!" It was a bath robe. IMMD.


• In class we were doing an "alchemy" lab in chemistry- one of the steps was to say "abra cadabara". Instead one boy shouted "AVADA KEDAVRA" and got sent to the corner, with a sticky note that said Azkaban. IMMD.


• I was ordering from a local calzone shop online and under the special instructions section, I put "make it with love". When my calzone was delivered I opened the box and on the inside of the lid it said "With Love, From Bill". IMMD.

8. Anyone out there who hasn't seen the advertising blitz for Snuggies recently? Well, I always have a good laugh when I see the commercial or a box of one at the store. Who would buy a backwards robe? Seriously, if you stood up, your entire backside would chill. Then one day, I overheard a lady behind me, inquire whether they had any more of the "Pink snuggies, as there are none left on the shelf." I walked away wondering who was receiving the non-pink snuggie this year under the tree...

9. LOST...soon...so soon.

10. I finally opened and watched, Kung Fu Panda. Bought the movie on Black Friday before seeing it and was surprised with it- 'skadush' - sometimes this buying before seeing does work.

11. New Year's Eve as a LDS Single...summed up by a non-single.

"On New Years Eve I was asked to run a photo booth for the Regional Singles dance in Seattle. Matt and I had a great time seeing friends and laughing about how lucky we are to be happily married and OUT of the singles ward :)"

12. Started a new holiday tradition. We celebrated Christmas with the extended family the weekend before Christmas...and then a quieter one here at home. That way extended family is not rushing around trying to fit visiting everyone in on the Eve or the morning of. I kinda liked it. I vote it in to stay.

13. Ever go to your bookshelf in search of a loved, specific book, and then not been able to find it?? Doesn't happen to me often, but the other night I found a hardback copy of the first Sisters Grimm book, Fairy Tale Detectives, at Half Price Books (at a steal!) and I began reading the books again. This series is a quick read, and before I knew it I was trying to find my copy of the third in the series, The Problem Child. Could not find it anywhere. So spent the next day looking for a public library that had both the 3rd and the most recently published, 7th installment, the only library being one not too far away. Now all I'm worried about is, 'Where are my copies of these books?'

14. Nothing beats a cold winters evening, slipping into bed with sheets that are soft, fuzzy, and warm- and even better? Flannel Sheets for $15!!!