It’s Gotta Go Wednesday

Growing up, probably the most important lesson my parents wanted us to learn was the importance of keeping commitments.

We were expected to do what we said we would do. We were expected to be home at the time we said we would be home. No excuses.

When I did that little booth at the SaharaCares carnival a few weeks ago, one of the women who volunteered to help did not show up. She was responsible for bringing the table, chairs, ice & cooler, and posters. Yeah, just the MAIN ITEMS other than the tent itself. No notice, no word. She was a NO SHOW. Had I been given even a days notice, I could have pulled these items together, but just to be there by myself, with no way to set up and no one else around to guard what I DID bring so I could get what we needed… it was a helpless and frustrating feeling.

This idiot person really threw a wrench in things, and had it not been for another board member that literally saved the day, it would have been a total bust (thank you Tammi!!!). The silver lining of it all is that I know who I can depend on in this particular circle.

Not doing what you say you’re going to do… It’s gotta go!

Powell ‘N It

Do I feel like I was hit by a truck? Yes.

Are all of the sore muscles a reminder that I’m not as young as I used to be? Certainly

Does it feel like the world around me is constantly swaying after putting in 4 days on a houseboat? Yep.

Was it totally and completely worth it? YES!!

I spent the weekend with the hubby and some friends at Lake Powell. I could go into detail and tell you how awesome it was, but I’m going to keep it simple. I have never laughed so much or so hard. The weather was perfect, the company ideal, and scenery amazing. This one is going down in the record books.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

It’s Gotta Go Wednesday

Seriously?

Are we now keeping empty milk jugs cold?

Leaving empty crap in the fridge… it’s gotta go.

COME ON!

A few weeks ago, Cooper wasn’t feeling well one afternoon, and by the time his dad picked him up in the evening, it was clear an InstaCare visit was in order.

Diagnosis: Strep.

Antibiotics for 10 days and Cooper was fine.

Of course Emma came down with a sore throat last Monday. A quick visit revealed she too has strep. This time they offered Emma a shot as opposed to just oral meds, which I had never even heard was an option before. It hurt like hell (her, not me), but she was a real trooper and didn’t cry. The doctor and nurses were shocked that she opted for the more painful yet more worry free method, and I was proud of her bravery.

Saturday Cooper said he was not feeling well. His throat hurt and I could tell by feeling his forehead that he had a fever. He was also wanting to lay down and rest, which is not like him. UGH! He had only been off his meds for 4 days!

After my SaharaCares duties, I took him over to the InstaCare (aka, our new home).

Diagnosis: STREP. AGAIN!

This time Cooper opted for the shot as well. He knew Emma had done it, and he is not one to be outdone. He was totally brave, and didn’t even whimper! Again, the nurses told me how it is their least favorite shot to give because it’s the most painful injection both during and after it’s given. Cooper is walking with a little bit of a limp today. Poor kid… I love him!

The doctor recommended that we talk to an ENT to discuss the possibility of getting his tonsils out. YUCK! I’m just hoping he can go a whole week this time without another dr visit, and that the rest of the family escapes the twins fate.

Every Bit Helps

I spent most of yesterday volunteering at the annual SaharaCares Carnival. In short, it’s a free carnival for autistic kids and their families.

As I’ve mentioned before, this past year I was asked to be on the board of Utah Autism Give, which is an organization here in Utah that helps raise money to offset various treatment costs for autism treatment. What makes us different from other charities is that 100% of what is donated goes to Utah families. We also have no paid employees and relatively no overhead, so you know that everything you give goes to help local peeps affected by autism.

I was asked to help at our booth this year. Me “helping” soon turned into me actually doing the booth pretty much alone. Luckily another one of our board members saved my butt and saved the day when another didn’t show (Tammi… you are the best!) and what started out as a super stressful mess ended up being a great day.

Greg brought the kids to partake in the fun. Because this was my first year at the SaharaCares Carnival, I didn’t know what to expect. But it ended up being more fun than we expected. The kids didn’t want to leave, which means that it must have been good. I didn’t get to see many of the activities because I was stuck in the booth, but I know there were lots of games, bouncy slides and houses, face painting, a climbing wall, food, Star Wars, Disney, and Sports characters, and plenty of good times.

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I became a part of this awesome organization when I helped send some money their way through a family foundation that I’m a part of. This past year has been an eye-opening experience, and has really ignited my passion to help this cause.

Saturday also helped me realize that I’ve failed in some aspects. Sure, I am on the board for this charity. Yes, I donate time and help raise to support the cause. But what I didn’t do is educate my kids! At one point, our five children asked Greg what Autism is. WHAT?!? I totally dropped the ball. How could I have not explained this disorder to my kids, especially since it is something that I work hard to raise funds for. Greg gave him the best answer that he could, and when we got home, we talked about how EVERYONE has their own challenges to deal with, including every member of our family. I told them that people with autism are not that different from us… just dealing with their own trials like we deal with ours. It also gave us an opportunity to talk about how we need to be kind and a friend to EVERYONE, because people may be dealing with things that we are not aware of.

Yesterday was busy and a lot of work, but I’m so glad that I was able to a part of it. It’s one of those things that you end up receiving more blessings than the work you put in. And I hope that my kids will be one of those people who are a friend to kids who really need one.

If you are interested in donating to this awesome charity, or know anyone who would be, please visit http://www.utahautismgive.org and donate. AND, you can always LIKE us on Facebook.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I’m Not Dead. Yet.

I’m still alive, in spite of my dwindling posts as of late.

There are two main reasons I’ve been staying away, and they both happen to do with work.

I’m still nursing my two real estate deals along, but it looks like there might actually be an end in sight… someday. Not only are these two simultaneously going on, but I’ve had various issues along the way. That is not uncommon in real estate, and the good thing about being in this profession is that even after years, you still learn something new from every transaction.

The agent stuff has kept me busy, but the real time murderer is my new job. And after a few teases here and there, I’m taking this time, at 7:30 am on a Saturday morning, which is about first second I’ve had to catch my breath these days, to tell you about it.

I am working for a property management company whose home base is located just below  Solitude Ski Resort. I’m working at the office 3 days per week, and I while I’m sure my tune will change once snow hits, I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful place to go to. Here is what I get to see when I look out the window at my place of employment.

The leaves are just starting to change, and for now, the 30 minute drive isn’t too bad.

The other part of this job is more of an “on call” thing that I am able to do from home.

I’ve been “training” for the past month, and getting various details worked out definitely took longer than expected. But I’m now up and running, and feel like I have a pretty good grasp on things. There is still a lot to learn, but as the season gets into swing, I have no doubt I’ll be baptized by fire. The great thing about it is that I actually am enjoying the job. Not only are the hours ideal (the majority of the hours are when my kids are in school), but it being part-time makes me feel like I might actually have a chance to still have a life and be a good mom/wife AND work :).

The first “real” day on the job was INSANE for me. Actually, the past week has been a crazy one. I thought working (partially) from home would be easy. HA! I have had some days that between my two jobs I’ve put in 10-12 hours, and went to bed with a ton of stuff left to do. PLUS, I have those 5 kids that sort of need me. I think the words, “I might have a nervous breakdown soon” and “I wish that there were 30 hours in a day” might have escaped my lips at some point. Luckily things have calmed the past 3 days. Or maybe I’m finding my niche and getting into the swing of things. But now you know why I’ve been a little M.I.A.

This morning I’m sitting at a booth for the charity that I sit on the board for. Other than that, I hope to have a weekend that entails me catching up on laundry and housework, and also wiping the sweat from the brow of Mr. N while watching the HOLY WAR tonight :).

It’s Gotta Go Wednesday

This is one of those topics that might be a little controversial. And really, there isn’t anything to be done. It does, however, make my stomach turn.

Picture this: You are waiting with your significant other or a group of friends for a table at your favorite restaurant. It’s a Friday night, a little crowded, and you have a 15 minute wait. FINALLY, your name is called, or some weird device the restaurant gave you starts to light up and vibrate. YAHOO! There’s a little rush of adrenaline knowing that you soon will eat! You follow the hostess to your designated table, sit down, and… BAM!!!

Warm seat syndrome!

Of course I realize mentally that someone else’s butt has intimately touched what is, for an hour or so, MY chair. Many butts. Hundreds if not THOUSANDS of butts have made contact with my seat. Of course I know this. However, sitting down on a chair to feel the warmth created from the chairs previous owner and shoving these butt facts in my face (or in my arse, so to speak) just makes it all too real. I don’t want to feel the heat generated from any butt that is not my own, especially a strangers. STRANGER DANGER!

Maybe I should invent a cooling device that alleviates this problem. I could market it to mid-to-high end eating establishments, and I’m sure it was totally make me a millionaire.

Warm chair syndrome… I wish it would go, but I’m afraid it’s here to stay.

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm…

It’s Gotta Go Wednesday

I don’t love grocery shopping. I’m typically a get in and get out sort of girl.

Last week when I was doing my weekly run, I noticed a phenomenon that I hadn’t noticed before. I’m naming it the people are total nimrods phenomenon.

I had to get a few things out of the produce section. As I approached the veggies on my list, there was a woman standing directly in front of the particular lettuce that I needed, and I noticed that she was texting. I stood behind her for a few seconds, and then softly said, “excuse me”. She gave me a look of death, as if MY SHOPPING AT A GROCERY STORE was ruining her stupid, lame, 45-year-old social life. I was irritated enough to say something, but wimpy enough to say it softly, “Oh gee, don’t let me get in your way. That’s a really convenient place to stand”.

OK, fast forward 30 whole seconds, and the same damn thing was happening merely 15 feet away (by the cucumbers, if you must know). There was an older couple, the husband talking to the wife while she was texting. They were probably in their mid-sixties, and I’m wondering if there is some law which forbids that kind of activity. Anyway, having 4 of my 5 kids with me AND just dealing with the rude lady 30 seconds ago, I was feeling much less sheepish and much more get-the-hell-out-of-my-way-ish. Luckily when I said “excuse me” this time around, the couple apologized for blocking my precious greens and moved to the side.

Yeah, the later of the two people texting experience was acceptable, but after what happened this particular day in the store, I’ve been paying more attention to texting that occurs in all public places. I’ve realized that this wasn’t an isolated incident. There are so many dorks out there! Walking around the streets, eyes down, texting like it’s their last night on earth, walking slowly in a way that is guaranteed to create a line behind them.

Texting is great. I love texting! It’s a great way to communicate without having to stop what you’re doing to actually talk. I text with family, friends, clients as well as co-workers. So it’s not about texting. What’s gotta go is clueless morons walking around (or even worse, driving around) with their heads lodged somewhere unmentionable, but let’s just say it’s dark. People, pay attention to what is going on around you. Yes, technology is great and I’m sure that it will totally work out with guy you’re texting who you met on adultfriendfinder.com. HOWEVER, please remember that there are actual living people in your vicinity that may have actual things to do. If you MUST text in public, find a bench and sit, stay in your car until you’re done typing your message, or hide under a display table so you don’t get in people’s way. Because blocking me from my veggies and giving me the stink eye, it’s gotta go.

40+ Years and Still Going Strong

The rate of divorce in the United States is over 50% (it’s over 67% for 2nd marriages. OUCH!).

There are lots of theories as to why so many marriages, more than HALF, crumble. Life is quite a bit different from 50 years ago. Even 20 years ago. Money problems, stress of children, sexual dissatisfaction and infidelity are to name a few. My generation and the ones since have grown up believing that they deserve and can have everything they want. Life is incredibly fast paced compared to that of my parents.

I think that this new mind-set has a lot of amazing benefits and have opened doors that our grandparents never imagined for us, but this also comes with an attitude that threatens the sanctity of marriage. If you’re unhappy, change it. Think someone else is better for you? Go for it. Unsatisfied with your spouse? Divorce! That is a simplification of reality, but I think it fairly represents the current attitude.

As someone who has been through divorce, maybe I am no different. I am part of a statistic that is, unfortunately, the majority out there. I’m not saying that divorce is always a bad thing, or those who get divorced are simply throwing in the towel to find something better. There are so many different reasons and scenarios as to why people choose to end a marriage. Divorce is sometimes a blessing. Sometimes not. But the ever-growing rate of divorce is pretty alarming, at least to me, and I think more often than not, people are too quick to throw in the towel. When I was a kid, I had very few friends with divorced parents. Now, it seems to be the norm.

I am so proud to have parents that are still together. Their marriage has survived having very little money as newlyweds, 5 children, the death of 1 child, teenagers, and many things I’m sure I was not privy to while growing up. I’m grateful to have such amazing examples when it comes to compromise, selflessness, and sticking it out no matter what. Greg is also lucky to have parents that, through everything, stayed by each others side. I never got to meet Greg’s dad, Neil. He died a few months before we met, but I am impressed by his mom’s committment and unconditional love for her husband. And the stories about Greg’s dad and his love and loyalty to his family are wonderful to hear. My grandparents are no longer living, but they all stayed together until death, and life was not always easy for either couple. But if they could work through it, anyone can!

I’m grateful that Greg and I are both committed to never repeat the past, and are in it for the long haul. Cuz that 67% is just not acceptable! There seems to be this attitude of arrogance that “kids” (OK, 30 somethings) have. We know more than our parents, and are more savvy than the people who raised us. Since over 50% of us are screwing up somewhere along the lines, maybe they must have SOME idea of what they’re doing.

Marriage advice from a divorcee. HA! No, not really. I suppose my advice here is look to those who’ve had a successful marriage, shut up, listen and watch, and implement. If you’re married, do something extra nice for your spouse today. And tomorrow. And the day after that. You, your kids, and your partner will thank you for it.