My husband drives me crazy! This man refuses to carry his cell phone. I don't know why, exactly, but I don't know how many times I've called him on the way to the grocery store because I've forgotten to ask him to get someone, and I'll hear that little ring tone coming from the kitchen table or his recliner. Makes me nuts!

After all, the darn thing only weighs about 3 ounces and after all, just about every other man in America carries one of these things. Our teenage son, even sleeps with his. I couldn't pry it out of his hands for 5 minutes and that's the way most people are. I mean, I'm totally not one of those people who has a cell phone glued to their face every minute. I probably make one call a day, if that much, but it seems like the one time you leave it behind, is the one time you need it.

Why is that such a hard thing to do? I just picture myself sitting by the side of the freeway one day or if one of the kids had an accident or something and I couldn't reach him. Keep in mind, we don't have any parents or anyone else to call. My sister lives 200 miles away, and the only family we've got in the area is a couple of nieces and nephews. Guess I'll just have to call Auto Club....

Sorry, just venting. Men can be SO stubborn sometimes.

It's been a busy week at work. Every year my company does a big campaign for United Way. We do the usual payroll donation program that raises about 25 million a year or so. But also each department does little fund raisers throughout the month of September to raise all kinds of money for a whole bunch of local charities.

In our building, it's the most fun we have all year. We do all sorts of things, anything from car washes to gift baskets to miniature golf in the lobby. Some groups serve nachos and ice cream floats. This year, we even had a "Kissing Booth" with Hershey's kisses.

So this year, I and a good friend of mine ended up in charge of the event for our whole floor. When you're paired with the wrong person, an undertaking like this can be sheer pain, but when you're matched up with someone who is fabulous, it can be pretty freakin' awesome.

She came up with a fabulous idea and we decided to run with it. It was an idea for a "can raffle". We had some seed money and we used it to buy a bunch of canned food. Then we took some prizes people had donated and put labels on the bottom of each can of food. The people would come and pay $1 for each can of food. Then they would get to keep the prize and the food would be donated to the food bank - genius huh?

We also had some other things going on. We sold some refreshments and made a few bucks off of that. We set up an inspiration station for people to write little cards and also set up a table with information about volunteer opportunities. It's funny, we've recently announced a policy where the company gives you a couple of days a year to volunteer at local charities. I think it's amazing, but it hasn't gotten a lot of press, so people didn't know about it. 

So we took all the info and printed it out on a little half sheet of paper. Then we rolled it up and fastened it with a label that said "Shhhh, I've got a Secret". We were going to just give them away, but then we thought we would get a little donation out of them for it. It was hilarious. We had people paying as much as $5 for this little rolled up piece of paper. Curiosity is a wonderful thing.


We were there for about 4 hours and we ended up raising nearly $600 in cash, food, and clothing donations for our local food bank. That's not bad in my book! And we had a lot of fun. We had people coming back two and three times because they wanted to win the prizes so badly. It was hilarious!

Look at all the food we got for the Food Bank - score!  



Now I can't wait until next year!

Stampin' Up! has a new product out and I am having a fabulous time with it. We have finally gotten into the world of digital scrapbooking. I have been waiting for years for this product and I am enjoying it like crazy. You can not only do scrapbooking, you can make cards, create photo gifts, and do interactive slideshows and movies. I'm like a kid in a candy store! Here are just a few of the pages I've created.







This product will be available to the public on Oct 1st, you lucky ducks! If you're interested in learning more about it or attending one of my classes, please drop me a line. Even if you're scared of computers, I offer private sessions where I will go as slow as you like, or I'll design the projects for you with the pictures and colors of your choice.

There is one trait that my family shares that is kind of unusual. We sleep. A LOT! At just about any time of day, morning, noon, or night, you can usually find someone asleep around our house. If you count the cats, that's pretty much a 24 X 7 proposition.





We had one of Blake's friends over the other day and he was totally surprised when I mentioned this. He said that almost no one naps at his house. I thought that was pretty strange. Matt and Blake nap as often as they can manage it and fall asleep every time we go anywhere in the car. 

I don't even mess around when I nap, I go get in bed, shut the door, and pull the covers over me. When I nap it's serious business. Tony absolutely refuses to do this, but then he spends more time snoozing in his recliner than I do on my naps. On any given night, he usually snoozes from about 4:30 to 5:30-ish and then again from 9:30 to about midnight when he wakes up briefly and then stumbles into bed.

My parents were the same way. My Mom would snooze on the couch at least once or twice a day, and my most familiar sight was my Dad sitting upright in his recliner sound asleep with his hand tucked inside his shirt collar (not sure what that was all about, it was kind of a Napoleon thing). My Mom said that my Dad once fell asleep in the middle of a word. Not in the middle of a conversation, in the middle of a WORD. My husband literally fell asleep on a train - standing up!

Blake was recently featured in the slide show at his Scout meeting for their summer camp. Here are all the pictures they showed of him:






But wait, there's more:






I wish there was some kind of an award for sleeping because my family would almost certainly win it. Although I have to say sleeping is it's own reward. As I've mentioned, my family is exceptionally healthy. I, myself have not been sick since December of '07 when I had a slight cold (I know you're sick of hearing that, but I never get tired of saying it and I might as well enjoy it until the next time I manage to get sick!). Tony and the boys do catch colds and viruses a little more frequently than that, but not as much as my friend's kids seem to. And sometimes when you're really tired, that Saturday afternoon nap is just like nirvana! It's usually the best sleep I get all week.

At this point, you're probably thinking something is wrong with all of us. Actually you're right. Narcolepsy runs in my family. I'm the only one I know who has actually been tested for it, but I would be extremely surprised if all the people in my family didn't have it. My paternal grandfather actually died from it. He was a traveling salesman of all things and he fell asleep behind the wheel. I take medication for it - they give you Ritalin, surprisingly enough. I take a very low dose, but it's enough to keep me from falling asleep in meetings or at stop lights and stuff. I've tried to get Tony and the boys to take it, but he's in total denial and he won't let me give it to the boys.

The testing is actually pretty interesting. They put you in a sleep lab and stick all sorts of wires to you (I was picking rubber cement out of my hair for a week!). They have you get a good nights sleep in the lab, then they have you take a 20 minute nap every two hours. Best day of my life! They measure if you fall asleep for every nap and how long it takes you to fall asleep. The average person falls asleep in 10-15 minutes. A narcoleptic falls asleep anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, literally as soon as your head hits the pillow. I went into full REM sleep for all five naps, which is a pretty strong reading.

One good thing is that it permanently excuses you from jury duty. Could you imagine? I could no more sit there and listen to lawyers drone on for hours than fly a jet plane! I think that's why I didn't go further in college. I just couldn't bear to sit and listen to teachers talk all the time. Work can be a challenge sometimes. I'm fine if I'm busy, but slow afternoons and long meetings are torture and sometimes I do sneak in a 5 minute afternoon catnap just sitting there in my chair. I really hope I don't snore, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I might! I made sure my managers know, so if they do catch me snoozing, hopefully they'll understand.

Anyway, I thought you'd enjoy a little peek into my sleepy little family!

OK sometimes when you're totally out of blog ideas, you have to go out there and find a meme to get you through. I copied this off of someone's blog and it has a bunch of conversation starters and you just have to finish them:  

1. I’ve come to realize that my chest-size . . .doesn't really matter because I'm never going to be sexy no matter what I do!

2. I’ve come to realize that my job . . . is terribly boring most of the time, but it pays the bills and that's what I need to do.

3. I’ve come to realize that when I’m driving . . .I'm usually in a total trance. But I'm a darn good driver! Haven't had an accident in decades (knock wood!).

4. I’ve come to realize that I need . . . more close friends. That's what makes life worthwhile.  

5. I’ve come that realize that I have lost . . . my marbles, but that's old news...

6. I’ve come to realize that I hate it when . . .I act like a flake because I hate flakes. But I know I sometimes don't follow through on things the way I should.

7. I’ve come to realize when I’m drunk . . .I talk a LOT and it's kind of fun. I need to do that a little more often.

8. I’ve come to realize that money ... is very important to me. Nothing stresses me out like not having enough money.

9. I’ve come to realize that certain people . . . just aren't worth it. When you find you'd rather be alone than be with certain people, you need to just move on.

10. I’ve come to realize that I’ll always . . . keep trying to improve myself. That's just who I am. I'm a fixer, not a whiner.

11. I’ve come to realize that my sibling(s) . . . are who they are and I'm not going to be able to change them.

12. I’ve come to realize that my Mom . . . loved me more than anyone else ever will and I didn't appreciate her enough when she was alive.

13. I’ve come to realize that my cell phone . . . doesn't get used a whole lot. Not as much as most people's in any case.

14. I’ve come to realize that when I woke up this morning . . . it was starting to feel like Fall. I love Fall, but I could have used another month of Summer!

15. I’ve come to realize that last night before I went to sleep . . . that I need to stop worrying about Blake's school transportation arrangements and just trust everything to work out.

16. I’ve come to realize that right now I am thinking . . .

17. I’ve come to realize that my dad . . . was my mother's biggest mistake. Sorry Pops, but that is the horrible honest truth.

18. I’ve come to realize that when I get on Facebook . . . I love Facebook! I don't know how I lived without it. I get hooked on the games and I really enjoy being with my friends.

19. I’ve come to realize that today . . . I'm so glad Blake has found the Scout troop that we like so much. I think it is going to be such a positive influence on him while growing up.

20. I’ve come to realize that tonight . . . I watch way too much reality TV and most of it is stupid. America always votes the opposite of what I would have picked.

21. I’ve come to realize that tomorrow . . . I'm going to have to get up early so I'd better get to bed.

22. I’ve come to realize that I really want to . . .live in a small town out in the country. I just don't know how to do it and still earn a good living.

23. I’ve come to realize that the person mostly likely to repost this is . . . Carol. It sounds like her kind of thing.

24. I’ve come to realize that life . . . has a purpose and so do I. There are a lot of things I do and say that make a big difference to other people.

25. I’ve come to realize that this weekend . . . I don't have a darn thing planned. Guess I'd better get with the program and plan something.

26. I’ve realized the best music to listen to when I am upset . . . is a book on tape. Reading in any form is always very soothing to me.

27. I’ve come to realize that my friends . . . are people I love to spend my time with. They are just so busy with work, kids, church, life, etc. that they don't have much time to spend with me.

28. I’ve come to realize that this year . . . I'm getting closer and closer to 50. My hair is now totally grey and I'm officially middle-aged. Might as well enjoy it - can't change much about it!

29. I’ve come to realize that my exes . . .haven't been heard from in years, maybe even decades. Thank God! They were a prime bunch of losers!

30. I’ve come to realize that maybe I should . . .figure out this weight loss thing. I keep making little fits and starts, but I never quite get it together.

31. I’ve come to realize that I love . . . spending time with my family more than anything.

32. I’ve come to realize that I don’t understand . . .5th grade math! Boy is that embarrassing. Wait until he gets to High School. That boy is going to be all on his own.

33. I’ve come to realize my past . . . is what shaped me. It's something to be proud of. I could have turned out completely differently.

34. I’ve come to realize that parties . . . are the best. It's always a lot of work and expense, but it's always worth it! I truly love to entertain.

35. I’ve come to realize that I’m totally terrified . . .of ever being on my own. After 25 years of marriage, I would be so lost, I don't know how I'd ever manage.

36. I’ve come to realize that my life . . .is pretty darn good. I just need to relax and enjoy it more.

If you want, please feel free to copy and post on your own blog.

Now that I've finally gotten a tattoo, (click HERE to see a picture of it), I've been noticing them so much more on other people. And I'll tell ya, there's a lot of weird tattoos out there. Weird and just plain stupid. At least once a day, I notice one and just wonder what the heck they were thinking. I think the tattoo craze has gotten so out of hand that people are getting them right and left just to get them and not putting a lot of thought into them.

I spent a LOT of time planning mine - like years. I knew exactly what I wanted and where I wanted it and how big I wanted it to be. This is going to be on your skin for the rest of your life, most likely and you need to put some thought into it. And don't get me wrong, some of them are gorgeous. My tattoo artist has full sleeves and chest done, but it's beautiful coordinated classic Japanese art. Another friend at church has gorgeous celtic knot work all over his arms and neck. That's the kind of art that really makes an impression.

Here's an example of a bad tattoo. There's a girl at work who has pictures of food on her arm. Big, bold pictures right on her bicep. About the size of a softball, I'd say. One is a piece of pizza, I think one is a sucker, and I can't remember what the other one is. What the heck?? There's another gal who has about 15 random tattoos on every visible bit of skin. There's no overall pattern, they aren't all the same type, there are chinese characters, circles, stars, words. It's like she's in the tattoo of the week club.

The ones that get me are the chest tattoos on girls. I was in an Olive Garden and I saw this girl. She was a really pretty blonde girl of about 25 with a very pretty figure, but she had a full chest piece with some kind of a Japanese wave pattern across her entire chest. I think my chest is quite decorative enough without having to go through all the pain and expense of decorating it like that. I think guys are going to look at it no matter what, they don't really need an incentive.

The ones that really get me are the spacers in the ears. At least with most tattoos you can cover them up, unless they're on your hands or face. But your ears are right out there for everyone to see 24 X 7. And with these huge spacers, there's no way to fix them that I know of. I guess you could do some kind of plastic surgery, but it would be expensive and painful and I still don't think they would ever look normal.

I wonder if these kids realize how much they are limiting their job prospects in the future. I would say that most managers would think twice about hiring someone with highly visible tattoos or piercings. Maybe a small nose stud or an eyebrow ring might not be too bad, but these guys that have big nose rings and things - yikes! The job market is hard enough without limiting yourself to the kinds of jobs that will accept someone with modifications like that.

I'm all for personal expression, but geez people, in this like most other things, a little common sense and moderation goes a long way. I know you have to be 18 to get one without a parent's permission, but maybe we should increase that age a bit. Like to 25 or 30! Maybe by then, they will have gotten enough sense to think it through. Oh well, at least it gives good fodder for a blog post.

Did you ever wish you could go back in time and give yourself some pointers? It's interesting to think how your life could have turned out way differently if you'd made a couple of small changes along the way.

Here's some advice I wish I could have given myself.



Dear Elementary School Adrian: Here is one great piece of advice for you - MAKE FRIENDS! Lot's of 'em. Who knew that after six years of elementary school, you would only remember three of your friends. You would have had a lot more fun if you'd gotten your nose out of a book and gotten into the thick of things. Also bug your Mom to get out of the house more - a LOT more. You are going to spend almost every evening and every weekend reading books and watching TV and that's really not any fun. Pester her to put you in ballet, or soccer, or any other activity you can think of. Or at least set up some play dates with your friends. Another evening with Mom's friend Zelda and her collection of cats is going to drive you nutty!



Dear Jr. High Adrian: Yes, I know you love your "Angel Dress", but honestly, it's getting a little short! Time to retire it and get Mom to buy you a new more grown-up dress. But watch out for the mini dress with the go-go boots she is going to make for you to wear on the first day of Jr. High. It's really cute, but she cut it way too low and too short. You're going to spend you're entire first period with a guy staring down your top - ew and you will NEVER wear that dress again.

I know you love your first Jr. High, but you're going to move halfway through because it's just not a safe neighborhood. It won't be as much fun, but you'll have a lot less chance of getting beaten up or shot! Trust me on that one. Kathy Grant is going to be your best friend. She's a nice girl, but she's a little weird, so you might want to spend a little less time with her. Otherwise, you're going to have that "weird" label rub off on you too and that will last clear into High School. Oh well, at least she was a faithful friend, until her Dad moved her off to Hemet. And she'll introduce you to Calvary Chapel, which is probably going to save you from doing drugs or getting into trouble in High School.



Dear High School Adrian: High School is a wonderful time, so let your hair down, stop worrying about who does or doesn't like you and enjoy yourself. Again with the advice from Elementary School - make LOTS of friends. It's really sad to know that when they have your 35 year reunion, you not only won't be missed, but most of the people wouldn't have remembered who you were if you had gone. You should have tried out for all the school plays, joined as many clubs as you could join, and been in the dance group even though you looked hideous in a leotard. And you definitely should have skipped the 2 years in the FFA (Future Farmers of America) program. Didn't really do anything for your popularity, but it did gain you your first two boyfriends.

Speaking of which - Mike Ringler was a very poor choice for a first boyfriend. Yes, he was a Senior and you were a Freshman, but he was a BUTT UGLY redhead and he couldn't kiss for beans! On the other hand, Frank Hospers was a fabulous kisser and you had a very close call with that one. Breaking up with him was definitely the right thing to do and I'm sure he is sitting in jail or a bar somewhere at this exact moment!

PS: Go to the Prom! Yes, I know it's very expensive and your Mom says she can't afford it, but go anyway. There will always be more money, but you'll miss the memories you could have made at Prom. Same thing for senior pictures, your class ring, and lots of other stuff. She would have found a way to come up with the money if she'd known how much you really wanted it.



Dear College Adrian: First of all, don't rush things. You were so anxious to go to college that you got special permission to start going part time at 16. That was WAY too early and probably a big mistake. It made you grow up too fast so you would fit in and made you not enjoy your last two years of High School by comparison. 

Oh and stop feeling like a loser because you never get any dates. You're a Performing Arts Major, so most of the guys you know are GAY. That kind of narrows the pool of possibilities. And when you do find a boyfriend (like Mike and later on Stan) who is a complete loser, DO NOT stick with him for years just because you think you'll never get a good boyfriend. While you were tied down to them, you weren't available to go out with any of the nice guys - duh! 

And don't let Mr. Raab break your heart when he kicks you out of the choir because you weren't up to his Nazi standards of perfection. He's a dead ringer for a white Sammy Davis Jr and short to boot - probably has a Napoleon Complex. It's sad that it made you dump the music that you had loved your whole life. On the other hand, it did get you into computers - hmmm. Maybe that was a good thing because that's how you've earned a good living for the last 35 years. Oh and thank Mom for making you take typing. I guarantee that one will come in handy!

PS: Don't stress out about your weight. You won't believe it as you're posing for that Jenny Craig "before" photo, but these are your "skinny years". Don't say I didn't warn you. There are a lot more pounds in your future. Enjoy it while you can!



Dear Young Adult Adrian: You actually got it right for once. You sowed a few wild oats, but not too many. Worked hard, but weren't a work-a-holic like you are now. Had some good friends and some decent boyfriends. Got married at a reasonable age - not too early or too late and didn't rush into having kids. Couple of pointers - you could have been a better stepmother. I know it wasn't easy being newly married and the full-time mother to a three-year-old, but he was a darn good kid and you could have done a lot better. You also could have been a much better housekeeper. Flylady - there's a word to remember. But then again personal computers won't be invented for a few years, so I guess you did the best you could. But you would have had more fun and friends over if you hadn't been so worried about your messy apartment. 

Spend more time with your boys and take lots of pictures and movies. You have a terrible memory and you're going to forget most of those early years and fun times with your kids. And don't feel bad about moving to Utah. Yes it was hard on your in-laws, but it was totally the right thing to do for your family.

Love always,

I can't believe I haven't gotten around to posting these before. About a month ago, we did an actual "official" photo shoot. One of my nieces is a photographer and I decided I wanted some really nice pictures of the whole family. It's embarassing. We get the kids pictures all the time, but I think that last time we had professional family pictures done was when Matt was six weeks old! Uh yeah, that's about 20 years ago. Where does the time go.....



Anyway, here we all are in all our glory. My niece Wendy is a photographer and she did this little photo shoot for us at a local school.



This is about as close as my husband ever comes to actually smiling in a picture. His Dad was exactly the same way. I think it's against their religion or something.


Can't have a photo shoot without Blake's didge, of course. We had Matt's guitar in a couple of shots too. Just for a little extra personality. My one request to Wendy was to find some props or a way to "camouflage" me, maybe position me behind the kids. Hmmm. Guess that one didn't work too well. Oh well.... Do you love how we got these totally skin and bones kids out of a pair of wide bodies like us? I think it's one of the miracles of modern genetics.

Wow, my hair looks pure white in sunlight, doesn't it? By the way, if you've been reading my blog for a while, this is the result of the hair dye detox I've been going through for most of the last year. I'm still getting used to the idea, but it's SO much easier than messing around with coloring my hair so frequently. My hair grows faster than normal and premature grey runs in our family - bad combo. It's still kind of freaks me out that my "real" hair color is actually gone forever, but I guess I can always go back to coloring it again if I really want to.

Anyway, that's my motley crew.