Happy New Years Eve

Well, another year is quickly coming to a close. As I write this it is almost 10:00 pm on New Years Eve. I just returned home from visiting with friends, Chip and Laura, their children and Laura's parents. I had a really nice time. Chelsea is at a sleepover party with some friends, so I'll have a nice quiet New Years Eve.

This will give me time to reflect on this past year. And what a year it has been. I started college almost a year ago and it has really been fun and interesting. Chelsea went to church camp which she has declared the "best week of my life", she was selected for an AYSO All Star soccer team which will now take her to Hawaii in 2008 and we had our major accident only a week ago. That accident has changed how I look at many things.

In 2007 I plan on telling people just how much they mean to me. That opportunity almost escaped me. I really am so blessed and need to tell others just how much their presence blesses my life.

I plan on continuing with my healthy lifestyle challenge. I want to lose a few pounds and get more fit. I promised my friend Tammy, who is currently in Iraq, that I would run the Standard Examiner 10K race with her when she gets back so I am training for that.

I plan on sending a letter to a few older people I know and telling them just how much they mean to me and how they've shaped my life.

I plan on telling everyone I love that I love them. I don't think you can love too many people and I have many great people in my life that I love.

I am going to sky dive once the weather gets better. I have always wanted to do this and if I should die before then this would be a major regret.

I plan on reading at least a little of my Bible every day. My faith is what keeps me going and there is so much more I can learn.

I am going to do my best to be the best mother I can be, without being the "best friend" mother that some try to be. I know that what my daughter needs most is a mother who sets rules and enforces them with love. Chelsea told my parents "it is easier to be good than to be bad" and I hope she continues to feel that way.

I plan on being a better friend to an elderly woman I used to visit at least once a month and to a woman who is my age and who suffers from a brain injury. I need to be thankful that I am still pretty healthy especially after my accident.

I know there are many other things I should do but I think that is enough for one year. Oh, almost forgot, I intend to write in my blog at least 2 times a week for the 4 or 5 people who actually read it.

Happy New Year!

Relaxing with Family

Thanks for all the prayers and words of encouragement. Chelsea, Scruffy, and I are doing fine. I am still a little sore but getting better every day. My insurance company is coming through for me as far as a rental car goes. I will be renting a full size car and driving back to Utah on Saturday. So far the forecast looks really good. It is supposed to be clear both Friday and Saturday so the roads should be good. I am more than a little nervous but need to get back on the road again. I have been driving my mother's car while I am home which helps, but I haven't been on the freeway yet.

We had a great Christmas, and enjoyed seeing everyone again. Mom and Dad's house was packed with people, which is a good problem to have. Everyone seemed satisfied with their gifts and Chelsea was THRILLED with her new electric guitar and amp. I will need to buy her some headphones so I don't have to listen to it. My nephew, Justin, came over and showed her how to use the guitar and amp, and even how to play a little, so now she is dangerous! I will definately have to get her into lessons when we get home.

On Friday we will be making and then eating home made egg noodles. This is a tradition in our family and one Chelsea and I look forward to every year.

I just finished scrapbooking with my sister, which was fun. I need to spend more time on this hobby of mine! But it's only two weeks until school starts so we'll see how much I get done!

Well, I need to get off my sister's computer and go back to Mom and Dad's for dinner! It sure is nice not to have to cook!

I don't have to worry about selling my Highlander!

Well, Chelsea and I left Utah yesterday around 1:00 pm. after my friend Norma's funeral. It was a nice funeral and a real celebration of her life. The roads were much better than expected so we made it to Missoula, MT where we spent the night.

This morning we got up at 8:30 (Mike called from the SLC airport and woke me up!). We got up, got gas and then went to Starbucks for a latte and a mocha. The roads were pretty good, but I called my parents to see how the two passes were. We didn't have to wait to find out. As we were approaching the 10,000 Silver Dollar Bar/Restaurant/ Gas Station we hit a slick spot, skidded, hit the ditch and rolled the Highlander. We ended back up on our tires!

The driver's side window was gone, the rear drivers side window was gone, the windshield was cracked in two places, the right and left front quarter panels were dented, both front doors were messed up, the left rear door was damaged. Both side mirrors were gone. Two tires were flat, and the rear end was messed up. Oh, and the roof near the drivers side is messed up too. But Chelsea, Scruffy and I were unharmed. That is the most important part of this story!

I am pretty sure my Highlander is totaled, but that is the only loss, and I have great full coverage insurance so I am not worried about that. Plus I bought a new Camry about a month ago, so I am not even without a car. My insurance will pay for a rental for us to get back to Utah, and then, God willing, our Highlander will be totaled out and I can put some of that money away to pay for the rise in my insurance. I didn't get a ticket so hopefully that will help.

We were so blessed because the tow truck driver was such a nice guy. He had his daughter come out to the accident and she sat with Chelsea and I in her truck for two hours before the highway patrol was able to get there. Since our accident did not have any injuries (Praise God!) we were low on the list. We went to the tow driver's house with his daughter. Her and the rest of the large family fed us and got us warm and even let Scruffy in the house. Then the driver and his girl friend drove us 100 miles to Coeur d' Alene. They were coming this way anyway to see his girlfriend's new grandnephew. They were our angels! We are fine and are now at my sister, Karin's house, making sugar cookies for Santa! I am having a much deserved glass of wine and trying to relax.

If you are the praying type, please thank God that we made it through the accident unharmed. The Highway Patrolman was shocked when he saw the vehicle and asked me twice if I was sure we actually rolled over. There were two witnesses who saw it roll, so I am sure. I LOVE Toyota's! Also pray that my Highlander is totaled because I don't know if I will be able to sell it with so much damage, even after repairs! I could not lie to someone if they asked me if it'd been in an accident. And I certainly wouldn't blame them if they didn't want to buy it.

Well, I have much to be thankful for this Christmas and so do you. Give everyone you love a kiss and hug, and make sure you communicate just how much they mean to you, because you never know, you might not have another chance. Mary

Thursday

On Tuesday my friend Norma passed away. She was about 2 weeks older than me. She had cancer for the past two years and tried everything to beat it, but it just wasn't meant to be. I am actually glad she finally went. She has been in hospice care for about 4 months now, but just held on. I went to visit her a couple of weeks ago and she didn't even know me. But she was smiling. Through all of this ordeal Norma was always smiling. She was a strong woman, who loved the Lord and her family so much. I know she is in a better place and look forward to celebrating her life tomorrow.

Chelsea and I had planned on going to N. Idaho tomorrow morning, early, however, we will now wait until the afternoon so I can attend Norma's funeral. It might be a good thing anyway since it is supposed to snow like crazy in the morning. At least by the afternoon the roads should be cleared. I've checked the forecast for S. Idaho and Montana and it looks like only a 30-40% chance of snow. Good thing I still have my 4 wheel drive!

Last night we spent some time visiting friends. We got to see my grandson/Godson, Elias. Now that boy is sooooo darn cute. And he said "Grandma"! Of course! His parents gave us a picture frame with 3 cute photos of him. Can't wait to put it up! I just love that little boy! We also saw our friends, the Fullers. They didn't say anything cute to me. But they did give me a really nice bottle of Zinfandel which I will take home for Christmas, but I won't be sharing with anyone! We also saw the Daly's new house. It's beautiful, of course, and again I have house envy!

Mike and I have kept up on our fitness routine and I am running much better, plus doing weights twice a week. I plan on taking my running shoes and some warm clothes home with me so I can keep up on it. I plan on heading back to Weight Watchers after the first of the year. I just need to get back on track!

Well, I need to get ready to take Chelsea to school and then get Mike and I off to the gym!

Is it Christmas yet?

Saturday was a blur of activity with practice for the Christmas play, and then the play itself. There were two kids who didn't show, one who had a major part. Her mother told me "She told me last week she didn't want to be in the play." Do you think the mother ever thought she should tell someone, like me or the other director??? Or maybe the church office or the Pastor, or anyone else?? NO! But we found subs and it all worked out perfectly. I can't think of one problem with the whole program. Those kids are just so darn cute that it doesn't matter if they don't always get everything just right.

On Sunday the wind was blowing about 70 mph in N. Ogden! Fences were blown down, shingles came off roofs, garbage cans rolled down the street! Fortunately the church didn't seem to suffer any damage. I spent the afternoon doing some baking so I'd have something to give my neighbors. I made sugar mint surprise cookies (and I can't tell you any more than that because it wouldn't be a surprise!), banana bread and chocolate oatmeal raisin cookies.

Today I took Scruffy to the vet. He got his distemper shot, heart worm test and a microchip. He was a good boy, but he is too fat so now he is on a very serious diet. Poor baby! But it's for his own good!

I have spent half the day trying to get my printer reinstalled. It hasn't worked for several days and its making me mad. I've been emailing back and forth with HP support and hopefully this last trick will work! I'm about ready to through the darn thing in the garbage! It worked fine for a year and then just suddenly disappeared from my computer! I've tried reinstalling several times, but no luck.

I skipped the gym today because of Scruffy's appt. but I plan on going tomorrow. I think I may have tasted a few too many of my baked goods. But I had to make sure they were okay. I couldn't give them to my neighbors without being sure they were fit to eat!

TGIF!

Well, I am done with school for this semester! I took my last two finals on Tuesday. I think I did pretty well on my math final and I got a 98% on my computer final. I should get my grades next week.

This week Mike and I went out to the base to check out the new gym. It is wonderful! It is the nicest gym I've ever been in, on or off a base. We decided to go to the gym together every day. I ran 3 miles today and I felt really good!

Chelsea has a party tonight and Mike and I are going to dinner with my friends, Chip and Laura. Laura actually met Mike about 3 years ago but Chip has never met him. I hope we all get along! :)

I am almost done with Christmas shopping, but I still have a few gifts that need to be made. Tomorrow night is our Church Christmas play and I am going to be glad it's over. My friend Carol has done most of the work but it will be one less thing I need to think about.

The other day I found out my mortgage company overpaid my property tax by $900. I get an exemption because I'm a disabled vet and just have to pay the $154 fee for secondary water. So I contacted them today and I think they will get it all straightened out and I should get around $500 back, but I am going to just apply it back to my mortgage. So far I've paid cash for all my Christmas purchases and plan on paying cash for gas and food on our trip home, so I won't need that money for anything else. I am taking my Highlander home and then dropping the price way down to get rid of it in January after we get back.

I have most of my Christmas cards addressed and now I just need to get Chelsea to write our newsletter. She wants to write it this year and I figure since its always about her anyway, I might as well let her.

Well, its about time to go, so I'll try to post more after the play tomorrow!

A lazy day

Today is a lazy day because the past two days haven't been. On Friday Chelsea had 12 girls from her soccer team over for a Christmas party. It was a fun night and the house didn't get too trashed, so that was a good thing. I finally got to bed around midnight.

Then we had to get up early Saturday because her Girl Scout troop was taking lap quilts to an Assisted Living facility. It was so nice to see how happy the residents were to be getting something so nice from young girls. They don't often see teenage girls so that was an extra bonus. The girls sang a few songs, which the residents loved, with many of them singing along. That was a good way to start the day.

From there we went to see our friend Caitlyn dance in the Nutcracker ballet. This was her first time dancing in a production this big, but I have to say that she was one of the best dancers there! There was a part of her dance that was very difficult and who do you think was front and center??? Well, if you guessed Caitlyn you were right! And that, I believe, means her dance teacher thought she was the best dancer in her group! It is obvious she loves dance and I look forward to seeing her perform in the future.

Saturday night I went to dinner with Mike at McCools Irish Pub in Layton. Then we went to the mall and did mostly window shopping. After that we went to his house and watched videos. He has an HDTV tuner for his satellite dish and also a plasma TV. The picture is about 100 times better than either of my TVs. I have an older 27 " TV in my living room and a fairly new 52" rear projection HDTV in my family room, but I don't have an HD signal. I may have to change that! But I'll probably have to get a job first! Anyway, he told me he is going to start seriously for a job in Utah after the holidays. He also said he would quit looking for jobs outside of Utah, at least for a few months. That will give us an opportunity to see where this relationship is going.

After getting home about 2:00 this morning I was back up at 6:30 to get ready for church. After service we had our Sunday School kids practice their songs for the church Christmas play. The little kids all knew their songs well, however the older ones either didn't know them or were just trying to look cool by not singing along. My friend, Carol, has done so much work on this play that I know it will be a success! And who won't think that a bunch of little kids singing could possibly fail, though. I took a 2 hour nap this afternoon and now need to go and get some shopping done. Tomorrow is study day for my last two finals! By 11:30 on Tuesday I'll be done with this semester! YAY!

It has just started to snow. The weather person said this morning that we should have about 1"-3" of snow here in the valley by tomorrow, with 6-12" in the mountains! I may just have to go skiing on Wed while Chelsea is in school! Okay, I am off to buy a few more gifts and then I should be done!

Quick update

Mike just told me he turned down the job in Qatar. He said he had too many things going on here to leave. He said the timing wasn't right for him.

And now I am off to see my friend, Caitlyn, dance in the Nutcracker. I can't wait. I know she is going to look beautiful!

Hell Week!

This past week has been crazy! I finally finished 3 papers I had due this week, including a 24 page paper for my Marriage as an Interpersonal process class. It was about my family, so if you are related to me, and reading this, my professor knows you intimately!

So, I am done with my English, Marriage, and Social Work classes. On Tuesday I have finals in my math class and my computer class. I think I'll do okay on both.

Today Mike told me he got a job offer in Qatar. :( Why can't he get a good job in Utah??? So if you know anyone who needs a retired AMMO Chief, let me know! He needs to make a decision in the next few days, so we'll see. We are going to the Gateway in SLC tomorrow night to eat dinner and go shopping. This was his idea. I can't believe I'm about to lose a guy who wants to go shopping!

Chelsea had a party tonight for her soccer team. About 10 girls showed up and I am pretty sure they had a lot of fun. They ate lots of food, played games and all are safely on their way home. Her coach stopped by with his two boys and his girlfriend. They stayed for about an hour. All in all it was lots of fun. We have tons of soda left over and none of it is Diet Pepsi, so it won't get drunken by us. Chelsea doesn't drink soda and I only drink DP, so we'll just have to save it for another party!

Tomorrow we are going to see "The Nutcracker". Chelsea and I are very excited because our friend Caitlyn is dancing in this production. I am sure it will be wonderful!

Well, it is way past my bedtime, so good night!

The end of the weekend

I had a pretty good weekend, starting out with going to a party on Friday night with Mike. It was for a friend of his who retired from the Air Force. I didn't think I'd know anyone, but it turns out I knew quite a few people and met some new people. It was fun, and nice to reconnect with the military in a small way.

Saturday Chelsea and I went to Snowbasin to go skiing/snowboarding. It was really nice out but the lines were so long. That was mostly due to the fact that we haven't had much snow so only a couple of lifts were open. We only stayed for a couple of hours but we saw several friends up there and skied with Stuart on a few runs, until he got bored with us! :) That night my "grandson" came over to play. I just love that little boy. He is just the darned cutest little guy I know! And of course he knows it too! We played peek-a-boo a hundred times and he never tired of it, although Grandma did after awhile. He knows how to say "boo" and giggled every time! About 9:30 he fell asleep in my arms and then I fell asleep for a few minutes.

Today was church and then an afternoon nap. I should be doing homework instead of writing this blog but thought I should get caught up. Now I am going to get back to the paper I am supposed to be writing!

It's Thursday already!

Oh my gosh, where has the week gone! Sunday we went to church, which included helping the Sunday school kids learn the songs for our Christmas play, and then I attended a meeting, then church. I can't even remember what I did after that. I am pretty sure I took a nap and then did homework.

Homework is consuming my life right now. I have two papers I need to finish by tomorrow. Fortunately one is pretty easy and the other is almost done. Then next week I have a test and a quiz in Math and two finals. I also have a final presentation and paper due in English. Then on the 12th I have my Math final and my Computer final. Then I'm off for a few weeks! YAY~!

Mike came back from his trip to South Dakota and Colorado. We went to lunch on Tuesday. He told me he was offered a job from a company in Arizona. He really wants to work at this company, and if he does take the job it will mean he is moving, of course. Story of my life! Oh well, at least we aren't way too far into this relationship. We are going to a party on Friday to celebrate the retirement of one of his friends. Should be fun.

There is a young girl in my Social Work class who has really taken control of her life after being a drug addict and an alcoholic. She joined Job Corps almost two years ago, went to rehab and has been clean ever since, and of course she is now in college working to break the cycle of poverty and substance abuse that has been her family's story for several generations. Well, yesterday I was wearing a peridot necklace I got from a silver jewelry website. She noticed it and said peridot was her birthstone. So I took the necklace off and gave it to her! I couldn't believe how good that made me feel. The necklace wasn't expensive but it sure made her smile. She was so shocked. She said no one had ever given her anything like that before. I don't doubt it with the background she grew up in. Well, to make a long story short, it was really better to give than to receive.

Saturday I think Chelsea and I will be going to Snowbasin to go skiing/snowboarding. That will depend on whether it warms up a bit. Right now it is 1 degree at the base and 3 degrees at the summit. Way too cold for me! If that doesn't work I'd like to go to SLC and see the Festival of Trees at the South Towne Center.

Today I have a parent/student/teacher conference at Chelsea's Project Lead the Way school. I know she has struggled with Physics but I think she's doing okay in Engineering. When I try to help her with Physics I know why she's having trouble. That stuff is HARD!!!

Well, I'm off to pick up the candles for her Soccer Fundraiser. Too much fun!

I'm running again!

Well, sort of! I went running this morning and it was great. I didn't run the whole way but did better than I thought I would. The morning was sunny and crisp. It was a little cool but I was dressed appropriately so it was fine. My left knee was complaining a little so I'll give it a break and run again on Monday. I forgot how much I like running. It's been over a month since I last ran, but my friend, Tammy, who is in Iraq has started running. (For some reason she blames me for this!) Now I've promised her I will run the Standard Examiner 10K with her in June. Guess if I'm going to run 10 K I'd better get to the point where I can run 5K without stopping!

I had a good Thanksgiving, shared with Chelsea and good friends. Of course I ate too much, so will now have to work extra hard to get these pounds off. But it was all so good I couldn't help myself.

Today Chelsea has had two friends over, and now she has invited 3 boys to come over to play "night games". It is freezing out but I guess running around will warm them up.

Well it's off to bed for me. Sunday morning comes too early.

Counting my many blessings

Of course, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I've done a lot of thought the past few days about how blessed I am. In fact, I think I might be the most blessed person I know.

I have a God who loves me no matter what. For that I am grateful.

I have a wonderful family who loves me no matter what. My parents have been married for 48 years and counting. They have shown me what true love is about. They sacrificed and did without so that my brothers, sister and I always had all of what we needed and most of what we really wanted. They taught us that education is very important, and family is even more important. They have taught me how to be a good parent, how to manage money, how to be a good citizen, how to work hard. They have loved me even through the most difficult times. For all of this I am grateful.

My brothers and my sisters (this includes those who married into our family) have been a great support to me. No matter where I've been around the world, and no matter what was going on in their lives, they have always been there for me. We have all gone through our own difficult times and have all come out of it better people. The true testiment of how wonderful my brothers and sisters are is evident in what wonderful people their children are. I am so proud of all my nieces and nephews and how they are also good citizens who know how important education is and know how to work hard. They give me faith in the future of our country.

My family is so wonderful that I've heard many times over the years, from friends and relatives how they wished their family was as close as ours is. That's not to say we haven't had our problems, but we all know that in the end we will always love each other, and sometimes just agree to disagree. In fact, in the 27 years I have lived away from home I have missed only 3 Christmas'. I was in Guam for one, Saudi Arabia for one and England for one. I did, however, come home 2 times from England and once from Guam to spend Christmas with my family. I'll be there again this year.

I have so many great friends, sometimes I think I need to pinch myself! I'm often asked why I live in Utah rather than in N. Idaho with the rest of my family. My answer is my church family and my great friends. It is like having another whole family right here. My friends have been with me through thick and thin, and I with them. I look forward to growing old with everyone her in Utah, and seeing future grandkids get baptized in my church, surrounded by the hundreds of people there I have grown to love.

I have a man who is my friend first, and has recently become a very good friend. I don't know where that will lead, but it is nice to have someone care about you and want to be around you. So I'm just enjoying this relationship as it develops.

I have been blessed with a wonderful career, which now provides me with an adequate pension. This enables me to live my dream of going to college full time and to be able to be home with my daughter during her teenage years. It's funny how a decision at 17 years old can affect your life all these years later.

I have a home that is affordable and comfortable, and I have never had to worry about a place to live, how I could pay the mortgage, or if I can afford to heat my house in the winter. I have a wonderful new car, reliable and dependable. I have decent clothes, more than enough food to eat, shoes on my feet and internet access! Really, who could ask for more.

I have a cute dog who also loves me unconditionally. He greats me every day with a smile, and keeps me company. He is a friend to my daughter and a real part of our family. We couldn't imagine our lifes without him.

Most of all, though, I am thankful for a 14 year old girl who means everything to me. She has lived without a father her whole life, and yet does not complain. She has had to move way too many times and still turned out okay. She gets good grades in school without my having to demand it. She is nice to people who are disabled. She loves children and "old people". She gets "H"s for citizenship (highest honors). She sits close to me in church, putting her head on my shoulder when the sermon gets too long. She loves our church as much as I do, always looking forward to going on Sundays, and anytime. She doesn't mind going to the movie with me or being seen with me at the mall. She tells me how bad smoking and drugs are and says "I don't understand why people do that, it's just going to ruin their lives." She loves sports and music. She is everything a mother could hope for in a daughter. She is truly the best thing that's ever happened to me. I am excited to see her growing up and becoming a young woman. I can't wait to see who she will become.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and remember, there are many people out there who would love to hear what a blessing they are to you. Consider telling them. Mary

Sunday Morning

My dad went in to surgery on Wed. and had two discs removed from his neck (this is some sort of strange family tradition, since both me and my older brother have had the same surgery). All seemed to go well, and I talked to him on Thursday. His throat was a little sore but his arm was feeling much better now that his nerve wasn't pinched anymore.

On Friday evening my Mom called and my dad was back in surgery because there was bleeding into his throat and he couldn't swallow. My mom had given Dad some ice cream and when he couldn't eat that (his most favorite food in the whole world!) she knew something was wrong. He came out of that surgery okay and I'll call him today to see how he's doing.

My friend, Norma, has had cancer for about 2 1/2 years. I was told yesterday that this would most likely be her last week. I am taking the family dinner on Tuesday and will say my goodbyes. This is so hard because she is about my age, and seemed so healthy before she got sick. She is dying of melenoma. The skin cancer spread to her brain and her lungs before she even knew there was anything wrong with her. She didn't have a weird mole or anything, and so it took a while and two samples to Johns Hopkins to figure out what kind of cancer it was. Please, please wear your sunscreen! And make your kids wear there's too! Even a little sunburn can lead to skin cancer!

On Friday Chelsea had a party after the end of her school play. She called at intermission and asked if some girls could come over for a "late night". I said that would be fine, so about 6 girls came over. When they got her she said one of them could spend the night if it was okay with me. It was a girl Chelsea hang out with a few years ago. I always liked her and so I said yes, hoping they'll start hanging out more. I went to bed about 11:00. When I woke up on Saturday, I heard voices in the family room so went down there. I was surprised to see Chelsea and 3 other girls! They are all good girls and again, I am glad they were here because Chelsea's current friends aren't that great in my opinion, promising to call and they never do, saying they'll sleep over and then calling 10 minutes before they are supposed to come and saying they can't, etc. So I really am hoping she starts hanging with the group of girls that were here. She has been friends with all of them since at least 7th grade, and one of them since 4th grade. I never tell her who she can and can't hang out with but I think I'll let her have another sleepover with these 3 girls and hopefully she'll realize they are much better friends than the current ones she hangs out with.

Well, I need to get ready for church. We have a long day ahead of us. Chelsea and I are Director and Assist. Director for our church Christmas play, so we have practice this morning, then we are doing the Prayers of the People at the 11:00 service. Then we are helping with our church bazaar this afternoon until 3:00 when our church's annual congregational meeting will be held. We'll leave home at 9:00 and get home about 6:00! I've got some Shephard's pie that is frozen so I've popped it in the oven and set the timer, so we should have a hot meal when we get home.

My New Car!

So, I am always the one who tells people to never buy a new car. I always buy vehicles that are one or two years old. I have been looking for a used Camry for awhile. I was surprised to find out how reasonable they are. I guess it's because when I bought my Highlander I got a one that is loaded with all the options, and being an SUV and only one year old it was pretty expensive. So I've been looking at 2006 and used 2007s. I found a used 2007 Camry LE for $19995 in SLC. I went to talk to a classmate's husband to see if that was a good deal. (He works at the local Toyota dealer.) Well I walked out of the dealership with a brand new, red, 2007 Camry LE for $19995!

I am going to sell my Highlander, hopefully for around $13000 so will only owe $7,000. Considering my Highlander has 100,000 miles and only gets 20 mpg I think I got a pretty good deal. I checked out the value of my Highlander and according to www.nada.com I could get aroung $15,000 - $17000, but I think that might be a little optimistic. However, the body is in great shape and it does have leather, heated seats, and really every option available I might get more than $13,000. I will put an asking price of $15,500 and see what happens. It's paid for so I don't have to sweat making two car payments.

Speaking of payments, did you know you can get a loan for 6 years easily on a car, and more if you need to? I got a 4 year loan, however once I sell my Highlander I will put all of that towards the car and then use all of my school money to pay it off. I expect to have it paid for by June 2007.

I got more good news at the dealership: I have a credit score of 858. The finance guy said it's the second highest score he's seen! I do have to say they were a little worried when I said I didn't have a job, but once they did a credit check they said I could get any vehicle they sell! Not too bad for an unemployed single mother!

By the way, you can check out the car by clicking on the title of this entry. My color is Barcelona Red Mettalic. I get my love of red cars from my Dad and my grandma.

Borat!

I have to say that "Borat" is the funniest movie I've ever seen. I laughed so hard I cried, and so did everyone else in the theatre. It is rated "R", but I am really surprised it didn't get an NC-17 rating (which replaced "X" a few years ago). There are several full frontal male shots and there are some very, very funny scenes. I'll just leave it at that. I will say, however, that if you are the type of parent who occasionally lets your teenagers watch an "R" movie, this is probably not one you should consider letting them watch. Part of the fun is knowing that most of the people in the film believe it is truly a documentary about a guy from Kazakhstan. They have know idea they are being made fools of. Of course, now many are suing. After all that's the American way!

My date went well, I think. We went to the Lion's Den restaraunt, the food was good, then we went to the movie. It really is a good thing we've known each other for over two years. This would not have been a movie I would have wanted to see on a first date with someone I really didn't know. After the movie we went to my house and watched the Saturday Night Live 15th Anniversary Special and the 25th Anniversary special.

Today Chelsea and I went to church and then went to SLC so she could spend some birthday money. It was burning a hole in her debit card! We went to Hollister, which is a trendy, over-priced store for teenagers. She bought two t-shirts which both said "Hollister" on them. Go figure, she spent $15 each on t-shirts to advertise the store! Guess I'm getting old because I am not a "brand name" sort of person, especially when it comes to clothes. But it was her money, so I didn't say a wordl She also went to another trendy teenage store, Aeropostale, but that was much more reasonable. We had a "friends and family" discount card so she got a hoodie sweatshirt and a pair of jeans for only $27.

We were lazy the rest of the day, with both of us taking a nap. Now I need to get busy and get some homework done. Oh, and speaking of school, I do have to brag a little bit. Even though I don't like math and have never been very good at it I have a 98% in my contemporary math class! Yayy me!

Happy Anniversary To Me!

Today marks 20 years since I took the last drag of my Merit Menthol cigarette in the parking lot of the N. Las Vegas Library. I took a smoking cessation class from the American Lung Association and back then there were no patches or pills to help. We went to class once a week for three weeks before we quit cold turkey. Then we continued with class for 6 more weeks. I think it was pretty successful, with over half of the class quitting.

This was one of the hardest things I've ever done and to this day I have never dared to even take one puff of a cigarette because I fear I'd be back to smoking regularly in no time. It is embarrassing to say how much that fear still haunts me, even after all these years. I guess it's obvious if I know the exact date I quit. But mostly I remember it because it was the day before Veteran's Day, which is tomorrow.

Speaking of Veteran's Day, please take a few moments and thank those men and women who have preserved our freedoms over the past 230 years. Especially those who are currently serving. Please pray for their safe return home. I pray especially for my friend Tammy who won't be home until March. In the meantime her husband is doing his best to raise their two boys.

I am going to dinner and a movie with Mike, so will report on the success of that date on Sunday.

It's about time!

I know it's about time I updated my blog. I'm sorry, just been a little busy. I want you to see some photos so here they are. The first is Chelsea's Halloween costume. As you can see she's been abducted by an alien. Too bad he didn't keep her!













And this is her on Super Hero day. She was Cheeto Girl. Bet you can't guess what her favorite color is! She's weird, but cute!




















Last Thursday I saw the Utah Symphony with Eileen Ivers, a world class Celtic violinist. It was wonderful! And the conductor for the Symphony was fun to watch and cute! You can check out Eileen by clicking on the title at the top of this post.

On Saturday I went to Twin Falls to a Charity Scrapbooking event with my friends from Idaho Scrappers. We raised over $2500 for a women's shelter in Boise. I had a great time seeing my old friends, too.

Yesterday I went to lunch with my friend, Mike. We went to Schlotzkys. I don't think I've ever eaten at one before. They have good sandwiches but I'm sure they aren't too good for you!

I've been studying for a math test tomorrow. I'll be glad when this semester is over! I've been planning my course load for next semester and it looks like I'll have 13 credit hours. That will be 2 credit hours less than this semester but it will include Social Statistics, so I am not looking forward to that!

Tomorrow I need to get some leaves raked. It is supposed to rain on Thursday so I need to get them done before then.

Wish me luck on my math test tomorrow. I'm going to need it!

Great Day for two reasons, sad day for one

Today has been a great day! First, I discovered a large deposit in my checking account from the VA for underpayments for my disabilities. I got a letter on Friday telling me the Dept. of Defense had underpaid me by around $100 and that the VA also underpaid me. I expected about $300 but I was very happy and surprised to find it was significantly more than that. So, I am not getting a job after all!

The second reason it was a great day is because I voted in an election in person for the first time in my life! I joined the Air Force when I was 17 so although I have always voted it was by absentee ballot. I usually only voted for president, govenor and US Senate and House of Representatives. I was a resident of Idaho for all my life until July 2005. I didn't feel I knew enough about local and district candidates to make informed decisions on who to vote for so I always just skipped over that section. I have been doing some research and today cast my vote for all the offices! I am a Democrat primarily, however in the local elections I felt that the Republican candidates, for the most part, were better qualified to fill some of the County offices so I voted a mixed ticket. We have the new electronic voting machines and I really liked them. Much better than the punch card and paper clip I've had to use in the past!

The reason it is sort of a sad day is the only aircraft I've worked on that wasn't in the boneyard, is now destined to retire in the next few months. I have worked on the EF-111A, F-111A, F-111F, and F-111E, plus the F-117, aka the Stealth Fighter. All of the F-111 models have been retired for about 13 years, and now the F-117 is going too. Guess that's a sign of my age! Oh well, they all served well and I'm proud to have been part of their history. As in everything else, it's time for a new generation! Click on the title at the top of this post to read the full story.

Busy!

My weekend was busy with taking Chelsea to two parties. The first was a Halloween party and the second was a birthday party. She has quite the social life!

I spent some time working on some projects for the Idaho Scrappers Charity crop which is in Twin Falls on Saturday. I will be driving up there , spending the night and returning on Sunday. Chelsea is busy from 9:00 am until 8:30 pm on Saturday so she won't miss me anyway. Plus she is spending the night with her friend Lizzie, so she's actually happy I'm going to be gone.

While I'm there I will be working on projects for our church bazaar which is on the 18th of November. Maybe after that I can work on pages for myself!

I have a test in my computer class tomorrow and Thursday on Excel. I am amazed at all Excel can do and I am sure we just touched on the basics but it is a program I have very little experience with so I am really studying hard!

My Toyota Highlander just went over 100,000 miles. So now I am looking for a new vehicle. I really like the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry. Both are around $20,000. I think I can get around $14,000 to $15,000 for my Highlander so I would only have to come up with about $6000 (which would include sales tax). There are some really nice 2006 models available. I've looked at 2005 models but they are running only about $500-600 less, so it's not worth going older to me. I may look at the Civic or Corolla also, since it is just Chelsea and me, with Scruffy tagging along occasionally.

I haven't done as well on my weight loss this week, primarily because of my lack of exercise. I don't know why I can't get motivated. I used to run 3-5 times a week and now don't even want to look at my running shoes. I need to get moving!

On Thursday I am going to watch a Celtic fiddle player with a friend. It was his choice, not mine, so we'll see how it goes. I've never actually heard Celtic fiddle but it might be fun. At least I'll be able to answer questions about it on Jeopardy if I ever go on the show! :)

Winter is about here!

It snowed a little yesterday and today was really cold. Guess that means winter is here! I think tomorrow we will go up to Snowbasin and get our season passes. It is much cheaper for us to get season passes than it is to "pay as we go". I get a great military discount and Chelsea gets a student discount so we get both passes for less than the cost of one regular adult pass.

Yesterday was a busy day. Chelsea had a physics project due today, and she left it for the last minute. Needless to say today wasn't a good day in her physics class. It was hard to feel too sorry for her, although she was the only one who's project didn't work. To make matters worse she told me it was done and would work so I let her go to the church's Halloween party. After we got home I asked to see it and of course it didn't work. And it didn't worka t school either. She said she cried in class, which broke my heart, but I think she learned a very valuable lesson.

I am on my church's nominating committee. We are really a search committee looking for people willing to serve on our church council. Suffice it to say that this can be a very sensitive situation and it will be interesting how it turns out. We do have volunteers, though, which is good considering our church is going through some issues right now.

School is going well, but I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed by homework. That's probably because I have so many other things going on like the committee at church, our weight loss group (by the way, I lost 2.2 lbs this past week) and all of Chelsea's soccer stuff. And I'm thinking about getting a part time job during the Christmas season. I may have lost my mind!

Well, I need to get to bed. I definately need my beauty rest!

A Busy Day

I made Chelsea Chocolate Malt-o-meal for breakfast. She absolutely loves it but hates to make it for herself. It's her 14th birthday today. I think I' ve just about recovered from her birthday party. I am just too old to go without sleep!

I had Math and Social Work classes today. I got back my math test from last week: 96%! I also got back my Social Work test from 2 weeks ago: 96%! Yayyy! After class I went to the base to do my volunteer work. Then I went for a run around the base pond. I haven't run for about 3 weeks so it was painful. That and because I worked out with weights on Saturday and I am still stiff from that experience!

When I got home I had to take Chelsea to indoor soccer practice. It is way different from outdoor soccer! Very fast paced and the players are more brutal! She's going to have to get a bit tougher to keep up! I am the team fundraising coordinator and have decided our first fundraiser will be scented candles. So, fair warning, if you see Chelsea approaching with an order form and a pen and you don't want a candle you'd better run! The money raised is to help pay for her trip to Hawaii for the AYSO National Championship in July 2008.

After soccer we went to my friend Michelle's for her annual pumpkin carving party. There are about 15 families who participate each year and this year was no different. We were about 1.5 hours late so Chelsea had to do a very quick jack-o-lantern, and it looks that way! They had chocolate cupcakes with black frosting. I took a nice picture of her with black teeth and tongue. Once I figure out how to upload it I will. It's not a pretty picture!

I need to study for a test in my Marriage as an Interpersonal Process class tomorrow. I am also starting a Bible study tomorrow on the Book of Luke. I am excited. It should be very interesting and I really enjoy learning from my Pastor. She is such a good teacher and makes learning about the Bible so interesting.

There's a Wild Party Going On!

Oh my gosh, I am so tired and I have at least another half hour to go! I knew I'd lost my mind when I told Chelsea she could invite 20 friends for her birthday party. We actually had 19 show up! For those of you who've been to my house you know it's not that big. She is having a blast so I guess that's what counts.

My friend Carol reminded me that I need to update this blog and when I looked I couldn't believe it had been so long since I'd written!

So, since last Tuesday what has happened? Well, I started on a new weight loss journey with friends and fellow church members. I think I've done pretty good, except for tonight when I had a piece of birthday cake and a piece of pizza. I've been much better about exercising so that should help though. We'll see on Wednesday when I have to weigh in again.

I took a math test on Wednesday and who knows how I did. I know for sure I got one wrong, but I hope I didn't get too many others wrong. I need to get an A in this class to keep up with Chelsea.

On Wednesday night I test drove a 2006 Honda Accord, but it was just a little to spendy for me. I want to get rid of my Highlander because it only gets about 22 mpg and it has almost 100,000 miles on it, and it's only 6 years old! I don't want to spend too much on a new car though, and I don't want a used car with too many miles on it. I guess I'll have to keep shopping.

I had yesterday off for "Fall Break". Pretty much all I did was walk the dog for 3 miles, then clean my house. During mid terms I let the dusting and other minute housecleaning details go and so I thought I'd take care of them. I also wanted the house clean for Chelsea's party. I don't know why I cared because teenage girls don't really care. Plus I'll just have to clean it up again tomorrow!

Well, I am going to try to get the party to wind down so I can get the girls out the door by 11:00. We have church tomorrow, and even though we are going to late service I have to take two girls home and they live about 15 miles away.

Sorry I've been such a slacker. I'll try to keep up a little better.

Tuesday

This past weekend was pretty uneventful. Of course Chelsea had a soccer game, but this one was her Renegade (All Star) team playing her U-19 Coed team. Of course she played for the Renegades. Then she went to Lagoon with her friend Ashley. She got a season pass this year and so far has gone 4 times. At least it's paid for itself now.

After church on Sunday it was homework time! I had a math test to study for and some work for my English class.

We have had 3 meals from My Girlfriends Kitchen. One we thought was okay, the ravioli, and two were really good, the Korean bbq pork and the curry chicken with rice. I wasn't sure about the curry because Chelsea doesn't usually like spicy food but this was very mild so she did like it.

Tonight we are having a big ham and cheese sandwich. Chelsea has a band concert so we'll have a quick dinner. Besides I need to deliver dinner to a family where the mother is dying of cancer. She's been very sick for about 2 years but now she is completely bedridden and I think the time is coming soon.

Last night we had a parents meeting to discuss the cost for Chelsea's soccer team for the next two years. Basically $80 a month will cover everything including uniforms, tournaments, trainers, plane tickets and lodging in Hawaii. I may just have to get a JOB!!! I am the fundraising committee with another mother, so get ready to buy pizza! If you see Chelsea coming towards you with a pen and paper, RUN!!!

Chelsea's new Girl Scout troop isn't working too well. The leader lets the girls do whatever they want and they want to talk on their cell phones. Chelsea has another meeting this Friday. If it doesn't go well again we will either transfer her back to her old troop or try to find another one. She doesn't want to quit since she's been in GS since she was in Kindergarten.

Well, I need to get Chelsea up and we both need to get ready for school.

We're going to Hawaii!

Chelsea (aka Cheeto) made the AYSO soccer team so we are going to Hawaii in 2008! I am very happy for her since she has been stressed about it lately. The coach is great, very nice, and the other girls on the team (most we already know) are good girls and thier parents are nice people. This will be so much fun.

Cheeto and I went to My Girlfriend's Kitchen tonight and made 24 meals. We had fun and we have a freezer full of real food. I have to tell you we've eaten too much fast food in the past, and now we have no excuse. We have ravioli, a couple of crock pot meals, cordon bleu, apple pork chops and more. And having Chelsea come to help assemble it was a great idea because now she is excited to try each dish! It cost me $211.00 for everything. Each meal makes 3 servings (its usually 12 large meals but we got 24 small instead) so it works out to less than $3 per meal. Even a "value meal" at a fast food restaraunt costs more. And each meal has the Weight Watchers points and nutritional info, so you can see how healthy it is! We had so much fun we signed up for next month! That should keep us in food for awhile! We might even need to borrow freezer space from friends!

I have a paper to write which is due tomorrow and it's already after 9:00pm. Nothing like procrastination! I am signing off so I can get this done!

I don't feel good. :(

I woke up this morning with a headache, sinus pressure and the dreaded canker sores. And when I say sores, I don't mean one or two. Oh no, I can't do anything half a**ed. If I am going to have canker sores I'll just have them all over the inside of my mouth. I know that sounds attractive but imagine how it feels! I started getting them about two years ago, and usually only get them when I am stressed. I have been somewhat stressed lately but hopefully the worst is over and these sores will be gone soon.

In my computer class I am learning about Excel. That is one amazing and confusing program! I am glad I am finally learning how to use the programs I've been attempting to use for years. I have a great teacher and she makes going to class fun. Good thing since it could be really painful if the teacher sucked!

I went to the county office to get my veteran's disability offset on my property taxes. Since my disability went up by 20% this year along with not having to pay property tax on my house, I now don't have to pay it on my car either! That saves me another $110 per year! YAY!

I need to get some math done. We are doing a little bit of statistics and I am a complete idiot on that subject so I need to study!

When is Soccer Going to Be OVER!!

It was so cold today! I sat outside, in the rain for two hours this morning! The things mothers do for their children! And the bad thing was the other team didn't have enough kids for their team so they had to forfiet. Chelsea's team still wanted to play so they loaned some of their kids and they played. I was all for just forgetting about it and going home, but I lost. Oh well, only two more weeks of outdoor soccer.

Chelsea seems to have gotten over her objection to wearing glasses. Either she has decided it's not worth arguing about them, or she has decided they aren't that bad after all. She does look cute in them, but then I am her mother, so I think she looks cute most of the time.

We went to see the WSU production of Morrissey Hall. It is a British musical comedy. Lots of fun! The cast was wonderful and the script was very funny. If you live near WSU I'd recommend going to see it. I believe it is playing several nights during this next week.

I need to get down to my craft room and get some scrapbooking done. I need to make items for two charity events. One for my church and one for my Idaho Scrappers group. Both are in November, and I've barely gotten started! I've poured myself a glass of wine and I am off to the basement. Mary

My daughter has 4 eyes

Chelsea got her glasses today, then she wore them to a choir concert she went to watch. When I went to pick her up she started crying and said she hated glasses. She wants to know how much it costs to get contacts. Poor girl. I will not get her contacts until I know she will wear her glasses. If her eyes aren't bad enough to wear glasses they aren't bad enough to wear contacts. I am also afraid she won't take good enough care of contacts. And I certainly don't want her to end up with eye infections.

I guess if she wears them for the next month or two I'll entertain contacts around Christmas. I just suck as a mother. I will probably win the "Worst Mother of the Year" award this year.

On the other hand, I am letting her have over 20 kids here for her birthday in a couple of weeks. And for those of you who have been to my house you know there really isn't room. Plus, I just found out today she invited 4 boys. Hmmm. When I first brought this up she said she only wanted girls. Wonder what changed that?

I can't wait to start my churches new weight loss program. I feel like a fat lazy slob! Who knows, in a couple of months maybe I'll be a not so fat lazy slob! :)

It's Monday again!

I am actually glad the weekend is over. I had a great day at school today. Speaking of that I have noticed a disturbing trend. What is up with guys who have long hair and then pull their hair up into a bun or pony tail right at the top of their head? I saw it at school and also on "The Biggest Loser" on TV. Come on guys, just get a hair cut! Pony tails went out years ago and the bun just makes you look like someone's great grandmother!

I reconnected with my friend Stacey, who was stationed at Hill AFB with me in 1996-97. I went off to Guam and she went off to Hawaii and in the meantime she got married, has 3 kids and one on the way. She got out of the Air Force to be a full time mom. And she is a great one! The last time I saw her was in 2004 when I was in TX for the Air Force. I'm hoping they get stationed here sometime! It's good to hear from old friends!

Nothing else exciting going on. So I guess I'd better get some homework done.

TGIF

Okay, so I really suck. I did not go running today. In fact, Monday was the only day I did go running. What is wrong with me? I actually like to run, but I am just not motivated. I guess it would be good to have someone to go running with, but since most of my friends don't live anywhere near me that probably won't happen. :(

My daughter has been complaining about poor eyesight for a couple of years. I've taken her to the base eye clinic 3 times and every time they have done a thorough exam (at least I thought so) and always said she was fine. In fact, the last time the Dr. was a little unhappy that we were back again. So this time I took her to Mt. Ogden Eye Center, where I had my LASIK. Sure enough, she needs glasses, and not just a little bit. She will need to wear them all the time! We looked at a couple of different places for glasses and lucky for her COSTCO had a good sale going on so we got two pair for only $117 which is less than one pair at the other places. She got one wire rimmed frame and one plastic frame. Now she will just have to actually wear them! I think she will because her eyes have been bothering her for so long.

Chelsea's softball team lost again! This time to another school which had not won a game this season. The final score was 10-11. They gave it a good fight, but now her team is the "worst team in all of Weber County" according to Chelsea. At least she is doing very well in soccer!

And, here's where I'm really going to brag! She got an A in Math, an A in Physics, an A- in Engineering, an A+ in Band, an A in English, an A in Foods/Nutrition and an A+ in Drama! I am so proud of her. Last year she stuggled so much in Math and both of us were worried about Physics, but she has worked hard and it shows! Did I meantion I am proud of her!

Now I have to try to be sure I get at least A's and B's or she'll probably ground me. Speaking of that I need to head off to school! Bye.

I'm Lazy!

So, yesterday I set my alarm clock to get up at 5:30 to do some strength training. Somehow I didn't get out of bed until 6:15, which gave me just enough time to get ready to go to school! Today I didn't go running because I had an early morning phone call, and then needed to take Chelsea to school since her usual Wed. ride couldn't take her.

Chelsea has Confirmation tonight so I might go running this evening. The weather is perfect so that shouldn't be a problem. I got to school early today so I got some homework done that I intended to do tonight so I should have time to go running. I still have more homework to do but I think I have time for all it.

I did call the police yesterday about the vandalism in my neighborhood. After I got off the phone with them I went to take my garbage out and get the mail. I then realized they had come by when I was gone and cleaned up most of the paint from my sidewalk. However my neighborhood still has red paint on every utility cover (cable and power). I can't figure out why they would just clean up a small portion of the paint and leave the rest. I guess because I was the only one to complain. I hope the city makes them clean up the rest of the mess because it makes our neighborhood look bad.

Chelsea had a softball game yesterday and they lost, again. I feel so bad for them, but mostly for her because she doesn't get to play often. I am glad she plays soccer because she gets to play quite a bit on both her soccer teams. She has tryouts for a team that is being put together by her U-19 coach, which will be made up of girls who will play year-round together with the intention of competing at the AYSO National Championships in Hawaii in 2008. Her coach came by my house this summer and asked if she could be on this team. He told me he had asked 4 other girls from her All-Star team to be on this team. Then I hear that every girl now has to try out and he won't be one of the coaches to decide the make up of the team. I sure hope Chelsea gets to be on this team, because for the past 2 months she thought she was certainly on the team. I just told her to play like she normally plays and she'll be fine. I am thinking he's doing this because some of the girls from the All-Star team heard about this and assumed they'd be asked to be on the team as well. Who knows. She is a fantastic player and I know she'll do well. The only downside of her being on this team is the cost, but of course you don't get to go to Hawaii for free! If she goes, I'm going too! That means more money to save! Anyone know a great paying, low commitment job? :)

Well, I need to get to my math class. Bye!---Forgot to admit that I am up .4 lbs from my starting weight. That should motivate me to get moving!

It's Monday!

I got up and went for a run this morning, but my IT band started bothering me a little towards the end. I'll need to wear my IT strap on Wednesday. It was dark when I left the house, but I had my reflective vest on and my flashing red light, and also my pepper spray. It got light pretty quickly but that will end soon also. Once it gets snowy I'll run in the afternoons, mostly because the roads will be too icy and it takes that long before the city gets the walking path cleared over at the park.

My vandalizing scouts' parents did not call back today, so tomorrow I will call the city attorney and the Boy Scout Council. I'll probably have to call the police and file a small claim against the adult who signed for the paint. Of course, I might just get the city to clean it up since it was their paint to begin with.

School went well today. I found out I got a 94% on my math test, but I was bummed because it was mostly due to a stupid mistake on my part. I think I have a 98% average in that class, which is great, but also surprising because I hate math!

I did my first day of volunteer work at the Casualty office on base. It was a great day. I got to see a lot of people that I haven't seen in a long time. I also talked to an old friend who is training to be an executive/life coach. The Air Force is paying for his training so he can coach senior civilian leaders. The courses he is taking are from a civilian school, so I could take the same courses and become certified to do that as well. I still need to get my Master's Degree to get certified, but it sounds like something I would be good at. I have had a few people tell me that I have had a lot of influence on them. My friend Tammy is famous for saying every good idea she ever had was from me (which is a lie, of course, but it sure sounds good!). Executive/life coaches usually work as consultants and often times work from their homes. They usually do most of their work over the telephone, so you could be anywhere you have cell phone coverage and still work. Sounds like my kind of job. Heck, I did a lot of cell phone counseling when I was a First Sergeant, and although the pay wasn't bad, it's nothing compared to what a consultant makes.

I just finished my English assignment and I have to say, if you've never read Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail you have missed one of the best pieces of writing ever. The link is below. Let me know what you think.

I'm a loser

Or at least I want to be. I lost 10 lbs about 5 months ago when I was going to Weight Watchers. After that I quit going and have pretty much been a lazy, junk food eater. Fortunately I only gained back 2 of those lbs. But now I want to lose them and a few more. So I need your help. My first goal is to lose 5 lbs. I figure if I set small, attainable goals then I might not get so discouraged. I am also setting a goal of exercising at least 5 times a week. I have been a big slacker the past week due to the rain. But that's really no excuse because I have some great exercise DVD's my friend Kelly gave me and I have two I bought myself. So I plan to run on Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat. and do some weight training with my DVD's on Tues and Thurs. If it rains I'll just do a cardio DVD rather than sit around and getting fat!

Rather than admit how much I weigh I'll just call it 5 lbs. and my goal will be to get to zero lbs. I am going to weigh myself every Tuesday and Saturday to keep me on track. I'll just list it at the bottom of my blog. Wish me luck. If you have any favorite recipes (low-fat and/or high fiber) please feel free to share. Tomorrow I am going to make up a huge batch of Taco Soup, which I love, and freeze it in single serving portions. It is delicious and only 3 WW points per serving. My only real fear right now is going to a birthday party on Saturday. The friends hosting it are well known for their great food spread. I'll have to really take it easy on Friday and all day Saturday, because I know I'll want to enjoy some of their great cooking. To be fair, they always have healthy choices available, I'm just not always that self-controlled!

I went running to day, perfect weather! And I am going to do some yard work, so that's my exercise for today! I also have a book report and a service hours placement paper to write. I am volunteering at the Family Support Center on Mon, Wed and Friday, working in the Casualty section. My duties will be to contact widows and widowers of active duty and retired members to ensure they are getting all of their benefits. This should be a rewarding job and will fulfill my requirement for 20 service hours for my Social Work class.

Okay, enough procrastinating. I am going to get started on my homework. Enjoy your Saturday!

Weight Loss Goal: 5 lbs

Update-Scrabbook USA purchases

Don't read this if you aren't interested in scrapbooking!

SBUSA was okay. Sometimes I think I have too much stuff since I have a hard time finding things I want. But here is what I did get:

AMM Herbanella stickers, All Girls, $2.00
Chipboard letters and symbols, 2 of each, $1.00 each

Clear checkbook covers, 10, $.25 each

Misc. AMM ribbon slides, $.25 each

DCWV Birthday bag kits (each contains two bags, two sheets of patterned paper, two ribbons, tags and 6 cute embellishments), $2.00 each

DCWV Accordian 6 X 6 album, $1.00

One page kit from Mind Your Memories, $5.00

And that is it! Of course, most stuff was clearance stuff or was the same price or only 10% off from store prices. I can get paper cheaper when JoAnn's or Robert's has sales so didn't buy any paper. I did see some class projects and they looked really cute. Much better than when I took classes several years ago!

Okay, now to put this stuff away, and eventually use some of it!

Paint the Town Red

Well, that's what some Boy Scouts did in my neighborhood. On Tuesday some scouts were out painting fire hydrants red, white and blue for an Eagle project. Evidently the adult wasn't paying enough attention because a little boy who was with them painted a big red stripe down my sidewalk, a small area of my driveway, a little bit of my neighbors basketball stand, the top of the cable cover and the power box down the street.

After a little detective work on my part I found the family of the scout who did it. I contacted the mother last night and told her about it and that I wanted the paint removed from my property. She said she'd "look into it". She asked me if the little boy was a blonde (he was) and then said she wasn't sure she knew who it might be. Hmmm. She acted as though she was just going to blow me off or just deny it was them, although the city public works department has them assigned to this street and the father signed for the paint. So I told her she had until Monday to get back with me or I would have to file a police report for the vandalism. I really don't want to do that since it will make the Scouts look bad, but I also don't want a big red stripe on my sidewalk. A neighbor suggested painting over it with gray paint, but I don't want gray paint either! So we'll see what happens with that.

I have a math test today that I should be studying for, but instead I'm writing this! After math I am heading down to SLC for Scrapbook USA. Hopefully the rain will stop and the roads will be dry! I'll probably update later with news of my great buys! I know you can't wait to hear all about it!

It's Thursday

Thursday is a boring day. Nothing really happens on Thursday.

I took a test for my Marriage as an Interpersonal Process class and got a 90%.

My daughter's softball game was rained out and I'm sorry to say that I was glad.

I watched the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy and loved it.

Nothing else new and exciting.

I have a Math test tomorrow and then I'm heading down to SLC for a Scrapbooking convention. Hope I don't spend too much money, since I really don't have any to spare.

I found out today that my daughter's dentist office owes me $51 so that will be my max budget for tomorrow! I would have to find some great deals in order to spend so much money. I'll probably spend that much in gas!

I rode the bus

I rode the bus to school today. It's actually the first time I've ridden the bus in Utah. When I lived in England I took public transportation all the time. First off, it was plentiful, reliable, affordable and clean. Second off, there just aren't enough parking spaces in England to accomodate everyone driving.

Anyway, the bus today was reliable, affordable (free, because I'm a college student), and clean. I plan on taking the bus on Tuesdays and Thursdays from now on, unless I have something pressing to do after school. This should save gas and wear and tear on my vehicle. It's a win/win, as far as I can see.

Last night, after I posted, I talked to my brother, Randy. My niece whose husband was killed is his step-daughter. I do have to say that she has never been a favorite in our family, however when he told me how she had to sit down and tell her 6 year old son that his daddy was dead I just started crying. I can't imagine being her age, about 23, and having to have that conversation with my young child. She has another son who is about 3 and a newborn daughter. She is really going to have to grow up fast and learn how to be the sole parent to her children. I've posted the link below to the newspaper article about the accident. The good news is that it looks as though Jesse and Ben were both killed instantly. As the article says, Jesse used his phone to text message his wife. Fortunately it was a loving message that I'm sure she will never erase.

Please pray for Jesse's wife, kids and friends. And for Ben as well. I guess he lived on his own since he was 15 and his mother is a crack addict and his father is very ill. I am not sure what they will be doing as far as a service, but I may go home for the funeral, even though I didn't know Jesse that well. We are a closenit family and I think it's important for us to be there for each other.

Well, I'm off to Bible study and them back home to do some homework. I am going to TIVO Boston Legal and hopefully watch it this weekend.

It's a bad news day

The first bad news was that my mom sprained her ankle while visiting relatives in N. Dakota. Originally I heard she broke her foot and ankle, but I spoke with her tonight and she says it's just a bad sprain.

The really bad news is that my niece's husband was killed in a vehicle vs. train accident. I don't have any details other than he was a passenger in a pickup that hit the train. I guess he and a friend (who was the former boyfriend of my other niece) were in the truck and they ran into the train that was already in the crossing. I don't know if drugs or alcohol were involved, or what. I have heard of being hit by a train, but not hitting a train. In fact, the train crew didn't even know the train had been hit.

My niece was in the middle of a very messy divorce when this happened. She has two young boys who are now without a father. Very sad. I really don't know what to do. Do I send a sympathy card? I guess I will. What a tragedy. I am really getting tired of young lives being taken. What is going on!?

Old Spice(s)!

Oh my gosh! I was reading the USA Weekend magazine that came inside my Sunday paper and saw an add for McCormick spices. It showed pictures of bottled and tinned spices that are more than 15 years old! If you McCormick bottled spices say "Baltimore, MD" on the label or if they are in a rectangle tin they are at least 15 years old! It seems that they quit putting spices (except black pepper) in those metal tins 15 years ago! So go check your spice cabinet!

I was pretty sure none of mine were that old because (at least when I was still on active duty) you couldn't ship herbs and spices overseas. I'm not sure why but I do remember whining about having to get rid of all of them every time I moved. I thought that I probably bought the spices I have now in 1999 or later, since that is when I got back to the States from Guam. I used the handy date checker on the McCormick website and sure enough, most of my spices were packaged in 1999 and 2000. Now that is sad because that means they are 6-7 years old! And of course, they really should be no more than 2-4 years old! Some of them are almost gone, but some of them are still almost full! Oh well, guess I'll make a list of the one's I use most often and then pick up one or two each time I shop. I can tell you I won't be buying thyme or basil leaves anytime soon! I have almost full bottles that are 6 years old. I think I'll probably buy fresh herbs when I need them. I might also grow my own next year. This year I grew sage, just for the heck of it and I have a huge plant! If anyone wants some I do plan on freezing some of it this year and have enough to provide more sage than you could use in a lifetime, unless you make stuffing on a regular basis!

Okay, I want you all to go to your spice racks and check out how old your spices are and let me know. If you haven't moved in the past 15 years you just may have a tin of cinnamon in there!

I need to get some more homework done. I need to take Chelsea to youth group at church and I plan on using those two hours to write a paper for my English class. When we get home she gets to mow the back yard (jungle) since all this rain we've had has really made it grow!

Snow in the Mountains!

Yes, there is snow in the mountains, and it is only mid-September! Looks like a good skiing year!

I went to Chelsea's softball game today and I nearly froze to death. It was worth it though, because she made a great goal! The first one her team made today!

Later she went to a Girl Scout meeting to plan out her year. I hope she has a great time this year. I was crazy enough to volunteer to be her troop's cookie mom this year. It shouldn't be too bad because her Cadette troop only has 8 girls. The last time I was cookie mom was two years ago and her Junior troop had over 25 girls!

We had a great time tonight visiting with our friends, Laura and Caitlyn. We had a girls night with pizza, wine and drinks for the girls (water, milk and herbal tea!). It was nice. But now it's after 11:00 and we need to get some sleep! Church comes early tomorrow!

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

My Love Life is Boring! Oh, that's another story for another day!

I was so happy today to come home and see rain pouring out of my gutter! Thanks again to Bob for cleaning them out last weekend!

My daughter told me today that she was voted 9th grade class clown! I'm not sure how I feel about that, but she is getting very good grades in school and she has never gotten in trouble for being disruptive so I guess as long as she is happy about it I should be too!

I've decided to pour myself a glass of wine to go with my chicken pot pie (I haven't had one of these for many years) and do some math tonight. That way it will be done and I won't have to think about it the rest of the weekend. On Sunday I'll write my paper for English, which is due on Tuesday. I also need to study for a test in my computer and in my marriage class. What fun!

Unfortunately tomorrow will start with a cold, rainy soccer game. One in the morning and one in the afternoon, but I have heard that the weather should be nicer in the afternoon. Fortunately I have a friend and her daughter coming over to hang out in the evening, so that will be fun!

A cool day!

I love the FALL! Today it was much cooler than normal. This afternoon I went to Chelsea's softball game and in the 4th inning it started pouring down rain! I do like rain, however I got soaked so I was glad to come home and get changed. Since we aren't going anywhere tonight (soccer practice was cancelled!) I just changed into jammies!

Lately I've shown up to school without stuff that I needed, and even once without an assignment! I can't stand that so I bought a big calendar and am just about done writing down all of my assignments/tests/projects that are due this semester! I really wish I was naturally more organized! I've taken time management courses, read organizational books, and even subscribe to some organizational newsletters, all wasted. This is of course evidenced by the fact that I sat down at my computer to download some notes, and instead I read my email, read some other blogs, checked my investments and am now writing this blog! And I haven't even logged on to the website I need!

Okay, so now I am going to get busy and get some homework done! Bye!

I'm a slacker!

I am such a slacker when it comes to this blog! I could use the excuse that I'm back in school and have lots of homework (true!). I could use the excuse that I am constantly running my daughter to softball, soccer and now Confirmation and Girl Scouts (true!). Or I could just admit that I've been lazy (the truth!).

I had my eyes checked the other day and four years after having Lasik my eyes are both 20/25. Not bad when you consider they were 20/200 and 20/400 when I got the surgery. So no tweeking required. At least for now! I would say that having Lasik was probably one of the best decisions I've made. It was definately worth every penny!

My professor for my Marriage as an Interpersonal Process is driving me crazy! She has a PhD and yet cannot pronounce ordinary English words. And she is a native English speaker so it's not as though this were her second language. She also tells the most outlandish stories for every situation. Not just something to illustrate a point, it has to be over the top! There are two older students in my class and we don't buy into much of what she tells us because it is so unbelieveable, but the young kids in the class believe every word! Oh well, as long as I get a good grade, that's all I can worry about.

I volunteered for an experiment at school yesterday. It was for the Economics department. They gave you a fictional $50 to invest in stocks and/or bonds. Participants got to keep the profit so I made $37! Wish my real investments would do so well.

I need to get to English class, but I will try harder to keep up this blog1

September 11, 2006

God bless America and those who have and continue to serve in the armed forces and emergency services.

ARRGGHH! APA Format!

I hate writing papers! Tonight I had to learn APA format for my Social work class. Well, I took the easy way and bought a program off the web to do it for me. I figure since I am a social work major I'll be using APA format for all of my papers in the future so I might as well do it the easy way! Now to learn how to use the program! I fumbled through it tonight and have my paper done, but will need to spend some more time with the program to really get to know all that it can do. Luckily it comes with a tutorial so I should be able to figure it out.

I went to Chelsea's first softball game today. She didn't get to play, but they got stomped on, 15-0 , so it was just as well.

I have to tell you that my family studies professor is weirder by the minute! She has some freaky stories, and even though I don't think she is LDS she really works hard to try to show deference to that religion. Our lectures are pretty boring since they are basically a repeat of what is in the text, however she does seem to have a story for every situation, although many of them seem to be very far fetched. And having been a First Sergeant I have heard some pretty amazing stories myself. Hers just seem way over the top!

I had to deal with the dentist's office and my dental insurance company, and if that won't give you a headache, nothing will! I paid for some sealants for Chelsea's molars the last time she was in. It seems the insurance won't pay for them (I already knew that) but they have an allowable charge that the dental office can charge me, which is $13 less per sealant than I paid. Multiply that by 6 and that's a nice little bit of cash. Now trying to get the dentist's office to reimburse me is so much fun. But according to my insurance, part of their contract with the dentist is they can't charge more than the allowable. Now I have to take in my booklet to the dental office to show them the fine print they didn't read! The biggest lesson I learned is to call the insurance company each and every time the dentist wants to do anything other than a routine cleaning and exam. That includes x-rays, which my insurance only pays for ever 12 months, but the dentist office took every months. Guess who has to pay for that? Of course, me! I guess I was spoiled when I was on Active Duty, because pretty much everything was covered and the coverage was quite a bit less. I pay $68 every month for insurance for Chelsea and me. For those of you with dental coverage, is that a good deal or not???? I just dont' know!

I am going to bed! I am so tired!

I can't think of a good title!

Okay, so I've been a blog slacker! I realized that the last time I wrote anything it was Monday, and it was all about Sunday!

Well, on Monday, I finally got some yard work done! I didn't want people to think I was related to the people living next door! They haven't mowed in a few weeks, they have a recliner, TV, some sort of cabinet, a big pile of dirt covered by a tarp and all kinds of tools in my driveway. On Sunday my friend Carol said she had white trash neighbors that would probably rival mine. Well, when she and Bob showed up on Monday Carol's first words were: You win.

Carol came to help me supervise Bob as he helped clean out my gutters. One was completely plugged with dirt, shingle dust and walnut shells from a tree that was removed last summer. He did a great job! I just can't believe how much gunk came out of that. But at least it's one less thing I need to get done! On Sunday I put out my "Honey Do" list to my friends. Bob got his done right away. The other things on my list are: cut 3 tree stumps to below ground level, possibly remove or at least trim another tree, and fix a leaking sprinkler in the back yard. Hopefully I'll get them done before winter.

Yesterday I went to dinner with my friend Wendy, who was here on business from Ohio. I've known her since I lived in Idaho, so about 7 years. She is very successful, budt is making a career change next fall. Chelsea and I are hoping she moves back here then. Her boyfriend lives in Utah, so that is a very good reason for her to move back.

I got an email from my friend Tammy who is in Iraq. It seems she has started her own blog, which will be interesting reading, I am sure. Her blog is called "The World According to Mudslide" I'm not sure where Mudslide comes in, but that is part of her MSN screen name. Anyway, the link at the bottom will take you to her blog, if you are interested. See, Carol, what you started, first you got me to start a blog, now Tammy is starting one. Before you know it Laura will start one, and where will it end???

Well, I have quite a bit of reading to do for my Marriage as an Interpersonal Process class, then some great math problems! I am going to sit on my deck with a cup of Lavendar tea and enjoy the cool night. Later

Sunday

Sunday was a great day! We started by going to church and then to the potluck afterwards. It was nice to visit with other members of my faith community, many whom I don't often take time to visit with at other times.

Sunday evening we went to Chip and Laura's for a BBQ/Birthday party for me. It was wonderful! I was surrounded by dear friends, Chip, Laura, Caitlyn, Sam, Bob and Carol, Candy, Dale, Megan, and Kim and Eric, and of course, Chelsea. I had lots of fun visiting, drinking a beer and a little wine, and eating way too much food! After dinner I got to open presents! Whoohooo! Everyone gave me 45 of something, to celebrate my 45 years! I got 45 red licorice, 45 sticks of gum, 45 granola bars and 45 Hershey's Hugs and Kisses! I also got a great framed photo of me and Laura at Easter. That was the best present of all!

After all that came the time for cake and ice cream. Chip lit all 45 candles with a propane torch! I'm not sure that was absolutely necessary! He had to do it outside to be sure that the heat from the candles wouldn't start the house on fire!

It was a wonderful night, that came to a close too early, but that's what happens when you have so many old people hanging around!

I am so thankful for such great friends. I have had a wonderful 45 years. Yes, there have been some rough spots and some times I'd rather forget, but all in all I have been blessed with a great family, good health, a good career, a wonderful faith community,the best friends a person could ever ask for, and of course, the best kid (most of the time!) in the world!

I am looking forward to another 45 years, at least!

It's my birthday and I'll smile if I want to!

I had intended to get up and go for a long run, but about 6:30 I decided to roll over and go back to sleep, sleeping in until 8:00. I got up, made a cup of tea, and went out on the deck to read the paper. Later I had a bowl of vanilla yogurt Cheerios. What a great start to the day!

After Chelsea got up we decided to go shopping for a snowboard. We went to two places that claimed to be having a "huge Labor Day blowout sale". Both had only a couple of snowboards on sale, and none were what Chelsea was looking for. We decided to go for lunch at the new TGI Fridays. I had a great salad, the pecan crusted chicken salad, which was a taste sensation! It had pecan crusted chicken (of course), candied pecans, dried cranberries, celery, bleu cheese, mandarin oranges, with balsamic viniagrette dressing, and of course, lettuce. Every mouthful tasted different. I would highly recommend it! Chelsea had a plain cheeseburger and fries--that's her idea of a gourmet meal!

When we were done we went to Sports Authority to check out the SNIAGRAB. That was a good choice. Chelsea found a snowboard she loved, with a price I loved (it was so inexpensive because it's a 2005 model). It is wood grained with birds on it, like the Partridge family birds. She also needed a pair of soccer cleats since she has outgrown her current pair. She insisted on trying out a pair in the youth section and they actually fit! They are black Nike's with pink trim. They were on clearence for $19.99, so I convinced her to get a pair of softball cleats also. She has been playing softball since 4th grade, but she has always worn her soccer cleats to play. I told her if she made her school team this year I'd buy her softball cleats since she was the only girl on her team last year without them. She did make the team again, but when I mentioned getting softball cleats she said she didn't need them. I know it's because I told her money was tight (I hadn't gotten my VA money for about 4 months). But, since her soccer cleats were so inexpensive and we got such a great deal on her snowboard, she reluctantly agreed. And of course the ones she picked out were in the youth section and on sale also! I made it out of there with a snowboard and two pair of cleats for less than I had planned on paying for the snowboard alone!

When we got home I read my Good Housekeeping magazine, then took a nap. After I got up Chelsea and I moved her twin bed into the spare room and the full size bed from the spare room into her room. She has been sleeping in the spare room for about 3 years now, and it was time for her to move back into her room. She is thrilled with having the big bed in her room and I am thrilled to have more room in the spare room so I can do my homework, even if it is late and Chelsea is in bed!

Chelsea is now at a party with friends from school. She has been looking forward to this for a few days. Unfortunately my birthday BBQ had to be rescheduled to accomodate her party, but I am glad it was, since she is such a good kid and told me several times she didn't need to go, even though I could see that she really wanted to.

Chelsea gave me exactly what I wanted for my b-day. She gave me coupons for doing extra stuff around the house, like making my bed, doing my laundry, taking the dog for a walk, going for a walk with me, washing the car, etc. The best part is she made them like punch cards and so she'll do many of them more than once. The exception is wearing her hair down for church. She only will do that once for me. Oh well, I'll take it!

I am working on making girls birthday cards for a card swap I'm doing in my Idaho Scrappers group. It works like this: I make 10 of the same cards, mail them to the person heading up the swap. There are 9 others in my group. They will make various cards, such as wedding, baby boy, adult birthday, etc. When I get them back I will have 10 handmade cards to use throughout the year. So, if you get a handmade card from me, I might not have made it myself. Sorry! Well, I need to get back to work!

TGIF

I've arranged for Chelsea to ride to school with a neighbor on Monday, Wed. and Friday which not only saves me money for gas, but also allows me time to go running. I ran this morning and it was beautiful! It was about 60 degrees which was perfect.

Last night I saw Jon Francis in a dream. He was smiling, but when I asked him were he was he didn't answer, just kept on smiling. Next to him was another young man, about his age who was also smiling. I think they were outdoors somewhere, and they weren't in any distress. Maybe this was his way of saying he's where he wants to be and is happy. I am going to take this as a message from heaven. I always think of heaven as being whatever kind of place you love, and I know Jon loved the outdoors. Maybe the other guy is a friend who passed away or maybe someone Jon met after he got there. Strange though, because I don't always have such clear dreams, and often don't remember them.

School was fine. I actually like my math class. I guess it's because I am getting the problems we are doing and although challenging they are fun. We are learning about Euler circuits. You can check out what they are on the link below.

Today was the WSU Block Party. Lots of free crap, pens, pencils, little frisbee's, etc. I got my free UTA (bus and Trax pass). I just may take the bus to school if I can find a route that works well with my schedule. I also got a free Mocha smoothie. Other than that it was pretty boring. Oh, and I joined the Social Work club and ordered a t-shirt.

I am going to chill out tonight. Tomorrow I want to go on a long run (which for me will be 5 miles) and then take Chelsea to the SNIAGRAB (Bargains spelled backwords) and get her a new snowboard. She has gotten pretty good at snowboarding so has outgrown her current one.

Tomorrow I am going to a BBQ to celebrate my 45th birthday. I can't believe I am 45 already. Thanks to Bruce, Tammy, and family for the card! Mary

Second day of school

Yesterday was my second day of school. My first class was English 2010 (Intermediate Writing). Who would've guessed? My English teacher is English. She is very funny and unorthodox. She doesn't wear shoes, doesn't used textbooks because she thinks the cost is ridiculous, and cusses up a storm, although most of that is using British terms which nobody really understands. She has no idea that I was stationed twice in England so I understand them, not that she would care! I think this class will be lots of fun. There is lots of writing, of course, but meaningful writing and a laugh a minute in class!

My next class was Marriage as an Interpersonal process. Now this instructor is very interesting. She says she's been divorced twice. The first ended because her husband wanted to include other women in their relationship and the second ended because her husband liked men as well as women and in both she really didn't want to share. Hmmm. Now she says she's dating a guy in NY and a guy somewhere in the south. But who am I to criticize? At least she can get a date!

My last class was TBE or Intro to micro computer applications (Office 2003). I sat next to this kid who was about the most clueless person I've seen lately. He's about 18-20 and seemed to have no idea how to use a computer. When the instructor told us to turn our computers on he looked over to see how I did it! I had to show him how to find an email address in the address book and how to send a blind courtesy copy. At his age you would think that he'd be much more comfortable on a computer than me! I've decided that he was probably wasted. Yeah, so I think I'll find somewhere else to sit tomorrow!

After school I got good news from Chelsea. She made her school's softball team! She was nervous and doubted she'd make it but she did! Of course now that means I have to go to the school every afternoon to pick her up since they have a practice or game every day. I have no idea how I'll be able to pay for all the gas I'm using, what with having to take her to school every morning as well, so she can catch the bus to the High School she goes to for Project Lead The Way. You can check this program out on the link below.

As you can see we are busy. Guess I'd better get busy and do my homework!

My First Day of School!

Today was my first day back at Weber State. My first class was Math 1030. I've been dreading it since I signed up for it a couple of months ago. I should've taken Math 1010, but I had already taken it about 18 years ago when I was stationed in Las Vegas. I got an "A" but that was a long time ago. One of my friends, Dale, works at Weber so he got a 1010 book for me to borrow. I actually spent some time the first 6 weeks of summer break working through it. So I decided to skip it and go on to my LAST! math class. My teacher seems pretty nice and she quickly put my mind at ease. She said that if we come to class consistantly and do our homework we'll do fine. If there are things I do well as a student it's come to class and do homework. And I guess that's really about all you need to do to succeed in most any class!

My next class was Intro to Generalist Social Work, which is the first SW class. My professor is very personable and she is excellent at remembering names. There was one young lady from my English class last year who is in this class with me. I have to do 20 hours of community service for this class, so I am considering trying to work either at the Homeless Veterans Fellowship, Christmas Box House, or YCC. There are lots of papers due in this class as well so that should be fun.

Now my pet peeve! Why do women who are 40+ think they should or can successfully dress like they are 19? Today I saw several women at school who show every bit of their age in their face and skin, yet think showing their stomachs and wearing very short skirts looks attractive. Let me just say this: If your stomach is wrinkled it should be covered. Oh, and if you are fat your fat belly is not going to look attractive, and this is at any age. I'm not saying you can't be stylish (which I am not!) but there is a different standard of style for different ages. By the way, if you are 40+ it is highly unlikely that anyone will confuse you with a 20 year old. I have seen some 40 year olds that could pass for 35, but they are few, and most of them dress appropriately anyways. Okay, enough of that!

I did get my computer working again. I had quite a bit of spyware on it, but it cleaned up quickly and easily with the free AOL security software I downloaded. I am not sure why the McAfee software I bought when I got the computer (and yes, I do update it) didn't detect it. Oh well, another crisis averted.

I need to get busy and do some homework (yes, they gave it on the first day!). Mary