Happy Halloween

I for one have spent most of my day reading creepy ghost stories (one of my favorite websites invited everyone to post their own ghostly experiences).

Tonight I won't be handing out any candy but I think I am okay with that. To be honest I can't remember the last time I handed out candy to trick or treaters, but I am sure I have. I guess there is always next year. :) Dave is on candy duty tonight- if I can convince him to answer the door. I think Dave is going to sit at home and play scary games in the dark.

Not too much planned for this weekend- more work and then Xan's birthday is on Sunday so we'll go up there to help celebrate. Sunday is also the dreaded day to change the clocks. I don't mind the fall back bit, it's the spring forward that I hate.

Anyway, so I started out this week knowing that it would be a good week and there is some awesomely fantastic news- McKenzie got a great job! I am so relieved/excited/happy. :) This is awesome.

I hope you all have a wonderful evening and weekend.

PS: Only three weeks until my birthday... 27... is that still mid twenties or will I graduate into my late twenties?

New Projects Around the House

So I have been digging around on the internet the past few days and I have come up with a whole list of projects for me to do around the house... to the house. :) I'm going to work on spicing up our apartment... slowly. :)

I've got a whole bunch of ideas from repainting everything (not just accent walls) and recarpeting/reflooring (last) to changing the light fixtures and completely redoing the cabinets in our kitchen and bathroom. Exciting!

My mom told me that ikea is a great place to look if we were thinking about redoing our cabinets and I have seen some pretty awesome things that I can't wait to do. And it will cost maybe 1/2 or more of what it could have come up to. So much fun! And the best part is that it will require me to learn a little bit about how to be a handy woman... always a good thing.

And it's Monday again...

Seems like we get back to Mondays all too quickly. This weekend was good. Pretty quiet though. I just tinkered around the house and worked. Dave got this new video game called Dead Space for the PS3. We started playing it last night but I could only watch for about 1/2 hour because it was too scary. It's pretty fun to watch though except that I am a horrible back seat gamer- I'm always telling Dave to do something or run faster. Oops.

Otherwise things are going pretty well. I'm a pretty chipper mood- I think that it is going to be a good week. On Wednesday Dave and I are going to the wedding reception of one of Dave's closest friends, Tracy. I don't really mind going to weddings anymore. :P

Anyway, my halloween decorations have been up for a few weeks now, but I figured it might be a good time to post some pictures of them. :)

This is our table. I wish I could have taken a better picture of the skull and pumpkins lit up with the orange lights (it looks cool).

This is my happy/friendly jack-o-lantern.

And this is the other jack-o-lantern that greets everyone at our front door.

This one makes Dave laugh every time he sees it.

Reading

I'm one of those people who cannot put a book down once they have started it. Right now I am reading a book that I am not finding particularly interesting and it doesn't look like it will get much better. But I feel committed to finishing it because I have started it. Oh well.

Tonight Dave and I are going to a Halloween party at my friend April's. It is going to be a lot of fun. I would be more excited but I'm pretty tired.

Oh and Dave did the most wonderful thing ever last night. I had these brownie treats that I needed to make for the party today. I wasn't going to be home until late last night (working) and Dave knew that I was tired after a long week and not looking forward to more cooking. Anyway, Dave (my knight in shining armor) made the whole treat with the topping and everything! It was the best surprise and such a relief.

Dave shaved his beard

Dave finally gave up on the beard last night and shaved it off. I think I am okay with that. :)

I am already buying Christmas decorations. It's not even Halloween yet! (Although I did get a screaming deal). I made my own wreath too! Well, I guess I should say I decorated my own wreath. It's pretty cute if I say so myself (I'll post pictures later). It definitely looks like an amatuer decorated it though. I told Dave that I wouldn't put up any Christmas decorations until December 1 so I have to put everything in a box until then. And this starts our collection of holiday decorations! :)

Oh yeah and we watched Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Man that movie was crap! When did Indiana Jones turn from an archeologist to James Bond? It wasn't so much adventure as it was stupid. And aliens? Come on. It's like the writers weren't even trying. My favorite part is where Indiana Jones escapes/avoids an atomic bomb blast by climbing into a fridge. Of course the fridge goes launching into the air and Indiana Jones tumbles out just fine. It reminds me of watching the end of GI Joes when I was young... a whole bunch of kids are running around a junk yard playing hide and go seek when one of the kids tries to climb into an old abandoned fridge. Mr. GI Joe stops them and lets the kids know they shouldn't play in abandoned fridges or else they might get stuck.... Now you know, and knowing is half the battle... Anyway, I'm amazed Indy survived the fridge.

Overwhelmed

This morning I am feeling just a little overwhelmed. I don't know if the feeling has been building or if I've just reached my capacity for doing anything and to add any more is the straw that broke the camel's back. Even just going out for "fun" stuff seems like too much these days. Oh well.

And we're back...

(Haystack Rock)

Dave and I went to the Oregon Coast expecting/hoping for rain and clouds and wind and general storminess. Instead we got what was probably the most beautiful day I have ever seen on the Oregon Coast. Warm temperatures, clear blue sky, no wind... it was beautiful!

(Pookie did not like the cold water)




Friday, Dave and I loaded up the car, grabbed Pookie, and started on our way to Oregon. The drive there was pretty relaxed and went surprisingly quick. Pookie slept pretty much the entire way. She has claimed the driver's seat as her own- it doesn't matter who is sitting there, Pookie will be in that person's lap. We got into Portland, unloaded our car full of stuff for Kenny and Doss and then went out to dinner with Dad, Pam, Kenny, Doss, my Uncle Tracy, and his new wife. It was good to catch up with everyone, but it went way too quickly. We stayed Friday night in a hotel room that didn't allow pets so we had to sneak the Poo in. :)

(Dave sneaking Pookie into the hotel room. He zipped his jacket up over the bag but Pookie's nose would pop out every few feet.)

Saturday morning, after breakfast with the family, Dave and I headed towards the Oregon Coast. I almost got us lost in Portland, but managed to get us back on the right track. :) The drive down the coast was beautiful, but we didn't spend as much time driving along the ocean as I had expected. We stopped in Cannon Beach and in Tillamook and finally got down to Newport in the late afternooon. As Dave and I were walking along bayfront Newport, trying to figure out what to eat, we got a phone call from McKenzie. Probably the most confusing phone call ever because it was so unexpected.

(McKenzie and Doss at Mo's Annex)

As we were walking by Mo's Annex (good chowder) McKenzie called and asked what we were doing. We told her we were trying to figure out what to eat fo dinner and she suggested Mo's Annex and said that they were there. It took me a little bit to figure out that McKenzie and Doss were also in Newport and eating dinner in the restaurant we were walking right by. :) It was a great surprise. So we ate dinner with them and walked along the bay front and watched some sea lions.

(Sea Lions chilling on the dock. Kinda looked like the were doing Yoga)

Our hotel room sucked (it was too loud and we couldn't sleep very well) and the clock was set wrong. So Dave and I were up and out the door an hour earlier than we thought it was. Due to the early morning hour (and my crankiness) we decided to take our time and head back to Utah on Sunday. We took a different route that would take us by Cascadia- a favorite camping spot of mine. That was awesome! We made the Poo pretend to swim (held her above the surface of the water so that she would doggy paddle). And the rest of the drive took forever.

Anyway, that was our weekend. In short, Dave and I spent the entire weekend in the car and only half the day at the Oregon Coast. PS: If you look closely you can see the beard that Dave is trying to grow!

The self portrait. :)

It's like my Friday

Well, my week is finally coming to a close. It has been a long, exhausting week. I will be glad to finally get home this evening. It was one of those weeks where it seemed like everything came with a struggle- nothing could go quickly, or easily. I would have to go back and forth and fix mistakes (mine and others) and it seems like I have spent most of the past few days just trying to find these errors. Boo.

Anyway, we are off to the Oregon Coast tomorrow. I am so excited (have I mentioned it enough already). On a side note, I got a bonus! :) Right in time for our trip. What good timing. I have lots of packing and cleaning and getting ready to do this evening after I get home from Michaels. I have a bunch of bananas that are prime for banana bread so I am going to make the effort to bake that up to take with us.

I remember when I was younger that my mom would always try to get the house clean before we went on vacation and I never understood it. Why clean the house when we are going to be gone? Well, I'm going to try to clean the house before we leave. It will be nice to come home to a clean home. :)

Anyway.... I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Yikes....

Ten minutes until the first part of my day is over. Today went so quickly! :) If only more days could be like today. Wish I had more to say, but I remain boring (sorry guys). On the other hand, Dave is thinking about growing a beard. :) He has one started (I'll take pix tonight- I hope). But he's already getting annoyed with it. We'll see how long it lasts.

Other than that... tomorrow is like my Friday. I am so happy for that. :)

Randomness

It's Tuesday afternoon and nothing especially notable is going on around here. I am finishing up the book Ender's Game. I don't know how this book was under my radar for so long- I have really enjoyed it.

The weather is warming back up around here (by warming up I mean it should be around 70 by Saturday). It is definitely, finally, autumn. :) I am even more excited about the trip to Oregon now. So close! Just two more (long) days until we go! It is going to be so much fun. :)

I hope you all have a much more exciting day planned for yourselves. :)

SNOW!

Well, it snowed this weekend. I didn't think it would actually stick, but it did. Sunday morning Dave and I opened our eyes to see 3 inches of snow on our balcony and more falling. It was a pleasant surprise (especially because we were snuggled in our warm bed).

Pookie isn't ready for the snow yet- we have to get a her a sweater or something. When it drops below 40 we literally have to drag her outside the condo for a walk.

The weekend was good otherwise. I worked at Michael's Saturday morning- the Christmas stuff is starting to come in. Maybe I'll get my act together and come up with some cute house decorations. By the way- I went to my friend April's house and she is on top of things with the decorations. I am so jealous! I would buy the stuff she makes (hint hint). Anyway, there is a link to her blog (the wilde ones) if you want to check out what she made.

Saturday evening Dave and I went over to our friend Nate and Kayleen's house and played some Scene It (I totally won). It was so much fun! :) And then it started snowing- made Dave and I glad about our decision to buy a car with AWD. :)

Oh yeah, and yesterday was April's birthday. :) Happy Birthday April!

Today it's back to work- it's going to be a long/short week for me. I am working at Michael's every evening this week (until Thursday). Which is nice, but will make for a really long day (I don't get out of Michael's until 9.30 PM). Friday, Dave and I will head West to Oregon for the weekend. I am looking forward to seeing everyone. :) And I am looking forward to seeing the Ocean!

Ouch

I pinched a nerve in my neck Wednesday night (in my sleep). I woke up yesterday morning in an incredible amount of pain and I couldn't turn my head, or sit up, or sit down. It was very frustrating. I was also frustrated that it was the middle of the night (well, 5AM). I also felt bad for Dave because he had to get up and comfort me.

Anyway, long story short, I pinched a nerve in my neck and spent all of yesterday looking down over my left shoulder (no, I did not go to work). Today I can turn my head from side to side with less pain, but am still not comfortable. It totally sucks.

Annoyed

Today I am annoyed with everyone and everything. I started out in a good mood, but now I am just ready to go home. I am so glad it is Wednesday. It's amazing how much faster 4 day weeks go by than a full work week.

I feel like spending lots of money today.

But I'm being good. Plus, I know that there's nothing I really want. Although, I am starting to look into things that I can do for Christmas. I think I am going to try to be a little bit more creative about Christmas presents this year. We'll see. (Notice, how I am always getting ahead of myself- it's not even Halloween yet and here I am talking about Christmas).

The weekend was pretty fun. The weather was cold and rainy (and it looks like it will be that way again next weekend). My mom came in to town so we were able to hang out and just relax. Sunday we didn't stray far from the house as it was General Conference. Even my mom listened in. :) Monday, my brother, Jamieson came into town so we hung out a little bit last night. This morning, Jamieson and Mom were out the door and on their way across the US. (I'm still a little bit jealous- I love road trips). Yesterday I stayed home. So today is kind of like my Monday (but it seems to have gone by faster).

It's the end of the day and I am excited to get home. I need a nap something fierce.

The weekend

Has finally arrived... again. This seems like such a repetitive post for me. But oh well.

In a bit of a last minute surprise, my mom is coming into town for the next few days. She'll get in tomorrow afternoon and then she'll drive with my brother, Jamieson, to Minnesota. I am excited to have her here with me. (I'm hoping she can help me decorate the place for Halloween and for fall.)

It's also General Conference this weekend. It's going to be a rainy, stormy weekend- perfect for lounging around the house and watching the Conference.

Tomorrow Dave is supposed to help the Woodbury's with their final motorcycle race of the season. If the weather ends up like its forecasted, I'm expecting the race to be cancelled. We will see.

Wish there were more to say. Tonight I am going to try to do all the things I haven't been doing this week. And I am going to try to decorate (that will be fun).

H0pe you all have a fun weekend planned. :)

I am so glad it's Thursday...

It seems like it has been a really long week. I am looking forward to this weekend already (I think I have been looking forward to it since Monday). Today is the last of the 80 degree weather here. It should start looking more like fall now. This weekend it is supposed to rain and be stormy- it will be perfect for my mood!

Now I am just counting down the minutes until I go to my next job.

The Hook

A young couple out on a date parked along an old country road to be alone. They were listening to the car radio and talking. Suddenly the music was interrupted by a news bulletin. "A convicted murderer has escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane. The man was mutilated in a car wreck following a high-speed chase and is missing his right hand. A temporary hook has been attached to his right arm, which will make him easier to identify. The criminal's name is ..."

The boy turned the radio off. He leaned over to his girlfriend, expecting that the frightening news flash would make her snuggle. Instead, she was so scared that she wouldn't even let him get close to her."I'm afraid," she said. "Let's get out of here."The boy tried to convince her that they were in no danger, but she refused to listen. He decided that maybe she didn't like him as he had thought, and was just using this as an excuse.

The girl reached over and locked her door as the boy angrily started the car.Just at that moment, they heard a thud on the passenger side of the car.The boy slammed the car into drive and spun out onto the road. The girl screamed and held onto the boy as they sped off down the road. On the way back to town they both calmed down, but the girl still held on so tightly that the boy decided he was wrong about her after all.

As they came closer and closer to her house, he tried to think of a way to impress her.They pulled up in front of the house and the boy said, "I'll make sure it's safe first." He left the keys in the ignition but locked the door as he got out. He came around to her side to politely open her door, like a hero.For a long time he just stood there, looking down at the door. At first the girl couldn't figure out what was wrong; then she realized that her door was still locked. She smiled and unlocked it.The boy still just stood there.The girl looked puzzled and rolled down her window. Then she saw that the boy was looking down at the door handle. She slowly looked down herself. Hanging from the door handle was a bloody stainless steel hook!

Randomness

So I have been doing pretty good so far as far as not drinking soda. Although today I caved in to a McDonald's craving and got myself a kids meal (I tried to compromise) with a little soda. The good/bad news about my McDonald's cravings is that I only eat it once every six months, then I feel sick all afternoon and vow to never eat it again- repeat cycle. So at least I don't eat it very often.

Not too much going on here really. The week has been pretty quiet. Work at both VOA and at Michaels has been going well. I like them both for different reasons. :) I have to get used to the night job thing- I don't have as much time for the house stuff as I used to so the times I am home, I try to make the most of it.

My sister and brother in law moved to Portland on Sunday/Monday. I am excited for them, but haven't had much of a chance to talk to them aside from determining that they made it safely to the mainland (with their turtles). I'll see my brother next week sometime as he drives from Oregon to Minnesota. I'm excited. :) And only a few weeks until our trip to the Coast! Whoo hoo!

I'm going to start thinking about Halloween costumes. I am thinking about going as a prom queen (it's easy to do) but I would love to do a "couples" costume. If anyone has some good suggestions please let me know.

To put you in the appropriate mood...

How about a little scary story?

There was an old woman who had no family still living. Her only friend was a little white dog who went everywhere with her - with one exception. The dog loved the fireplace in winter, and after the old woman went to bed he would sometimes go and lie in front of the warm coals. Usually though, the dog slept at the very edge of the bed on a throw rug. The woman wouldn't allow the dog on the bed with her, but if she became frightened or had a nightmare, she would put her hand down to the little white dog and he would lick it reassuringly.
One night the woman was reading her newspaper just before going to sleep. She shivered and pulled the comforter up around her as she read that a mental patient had wandered off from a nearby hospital. No one knew if the patient was dangerous of not; he was a suspect in the murders of several women who had lived alone. The woman turned out the lights and tried to sleep, but she was frightened, and tossed and turned fitfully. Finally, she reached down to where the little white dog slept. Sure enough, a warm, wet tongue began to lick her hand. The woman felt reassured and safe, and left her hand dangling off the bed as she turned and settled in comfortably. She opened her eyes for a moment and looked through the open door into the living room.
There in front of the fireplace, sat her little white dog, gazing at the coals and wagging his tail. Down beside the bed, something was still licking her hand.

Halloween is upon us!

Tonight I am going over to my friend April's house and we are going to start planning a halloween party! April already has a lot of great ideas for activities and games and I am already thinking about the food. :) We'll both figure out the decorations. I am so excited for Halloween.

Actually, from October 1 to January 5 is my favorite time of year. The colors, the holidays (my birthday), just everything about the next few months is great. And then there is the great BLAH (also known as January through March).

It doesn't help that I recently got a job at Michaels (which I am enjoying) and I spend the whole time looking at decorations for these fun holidays. I have an incredible shopping list racked up in my head right now- Dave is already worried. :)