Penguins

It snowed a lot this last week. The snow was pretty and made it white for Christmas. It also made the roads un fun AND all this excess snow made it quite difficult to buy sleds the day before Christmas. It is as if other people thought sledding was a fun past time.
We did finally have success and found these lovely little penguins to ride down the hills on.

Me and Luke My petite brother Jake... There is a little penguin underneath and his boys would sit on his tummy and ride down the hill. They loved it. My 63 year old dad, going head first down the hill. He is amazing.

Things that have made me happy in the last day/week:

1. It is Christmas Eve- Eve. Yay!
2. I spent 3 hours in the car with two of my nephews today. Jett sang most of the songs I played for him. My favorites to hear him sing: "Your Beautiful" by James Blunt, "Unwritten" by Natasha Beddingfield and anything by Kelly Clarkson. He tries so hard, and he almost always requests to hear one of his songs at least twice, especially if he some how misses a word.
3. Seeing a grown man at the gym reading "Twilight" while on the elliptical. Apparently at the front desk you give them your gym pass AND your man card. ;) Oh, and I saw this guy yesterday too.
4. Not having school. Did I tell you I finished another semester? I am proud of me.
5. My mom loves her grand kids and is in heaven when they are around. My sweet momma doesn't know how to say no. Today my nephew says, "Grandma never says no, she always obeys us!" bahaha Perhaps she should start saying no...
6. In 13 days me and my friends are going on a cruise. Yes, this thought has brought me much happiness.
7. The mix CD I got at a white elephant gift exchange. This mix is tops. It really is a musical snack. Who wouldn't want New Kids, Whitney Houston, Savage Garden, Little Mermaid and many other talents on one CD??
8. Being in Chubbuck Idaho. This is my home. I still love it, even if I start to get antsy with in a few hours of being here. It makes me happy.

As you can see I am a happy girl, and this is not a complete list by any means. Just a few highlights.

*I know that I have been a neglectful blogger. I know this post is not what a come back post should be, it IS lacking. I promise to make up for it.

Come ye thankful people come...

This week is Thanksgiving. I couldn't be happier. Over the years I have come to have a tender spot in my heart for this beloved holiday. In fact I might say that it is my favorite holiday. Strong words yes, but I say what I feel. haha OK.

Reasons to love this holiday:

It is untainted by the world. You do not have to buy an enormous amount of gifts. You do not have to send out cards, there will only be friends and family knocking on your door asking for treats and you need not decorate the house.

The crowning event is a HUGE meal. Food every where. Lots of good, good food. People pull out the big guns and show up with their A games. I just happen to adore roast turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, all the salads, pies and desserts. MMMmmm!

Another reason: I like going to the movies on Thanksgiving. You might think it be a bit cruel, making other people work on a holiday. Truth be told, I just look at it as another reason to be grateful. Thank you to all those high school teenagers who work at the movie theater on Thanksgiving. Thank you.

One thing that does make me sad is the fact that all those Christmas fanatics over look this day. Slow down with the Christmas already ok? Let us give thanks for a minute. Sigh. You have the day after Thanksgiving to begin all your Christmas love. Not a day sooner.
mmmkay?

Happy Thanksgiving!

love, me.

Hall-o-ween

I will be honest, Halloween is not my most favorite holiday. I do not hate it by any means, but I think perhaps I would rather eat a turkey dinner.

I do love the candy, and long for the days when it was ok for me to run from house to house with a pillowcase and ask strangers to fill it with goodies. I wonder, what age is it appropriate to stop that? hhmmm. Too bad I can not do that now, and instead of candy, ask for things like money, movie tickets, lip gloss, books, and other essentials. Just a thought.

Here are a few pictures from the night:

a cowgirl and an indian princess

Some who chose to dress up... and some who did not.

Hope your Halloween was lovely!

I should be studying

I ate Kit Kats for breakfast. 3 snack size. I think Kit Kats are under rated. They were tasty. The chocolate and the wafers making for the perfect texture and fantastic taste.

If you are wondering what one of the most listened to songs on my i-pod is... It's David Archuleta's "Crush." I am not even embarrassed. For some reason I love it. I won't even apologize for loving a song written for 16 year old girls. Nope. I am not ashamed.

I am having a hard time getting out of bed this morning. In fact, I am still in my bed. I ate kit kats and listened to "Crush." Anyone else have this kind of morning?

OK, so as I am typing this I am feeling guilty. Blah. I need to study.

Dance like nobody is watching

chances are some one will actually BE watching. If you are lucky they will capture it on camera.
There is a time and place for the ugly dance.
The time: September 6th, Christa's reception approximately 8pm.
The place: Grandeview, Idaho. The town Legion Hall.

Pretty sure that "Cotton eye Joe" was playing...
Bahahaha! I win the contest for best ugly dancer!
Y M C
A!

I love this shot of Amber and Ty (Christa's brother). They are completely in sync.

Good times.

Blog Neglect

I apologize to my 3 faithful readers, it has been a long while since I blogged. Do not be confused by this, and think that my life is boring. Oh no, it is anything but. It is filled with wonderful things, things which I do not have time to expand on. (was that believable?)

I only have a minute, so I thought I would share a few deep thoughts.

Since when is it against library rules to nap? I was at the library yesterday and as protocol I took a mandatory 15 minute nap. It just happens when I am at the library, a nap must be had. 10 minutes in, the security guard taps loudly on my table and yells "no sleeping!" What??!? Really? Who decided that rule? Or does the security guard consider it a sick, sick joke? hhmm

How does one forget to shave or wax HER upper lip? Especially when she is growing a mustache as thick as the Everglades? I was waiting to pick up my sandwich at a local deli today, and glanced over at the women next to me. Baa! She had the thickest chic stache I have ever seen. I threw up a little in my mouth. I know that she must own a mirror because she took the time to curl her microphone head hair do, and I believe she was wearing mascara. How does one not take care of that growth???? I almost had to cancel my sandwich order because it was so disturbing. I tried taking a picture with my phone, but no success. You can imagine it though. Bad, real bad.

Love,
Me

Mexi-Tots

Last night I went to grab some dinner with my roommates and a friend. I naturally finished eating before all of them. One friend saves her mexi tots till the end because she loves them. I just wanted a taste so I snuck one, dipped it in ranch and enjoyed. Well, there was a bit of a whine from the owner of the tots and the next thing I know my hand had reached out and snatched as many as I could hold (turns out it was about 4). To every ones shock I just shoved them into my mouth. Just like that, I stole her beloved tots.

The other two were in some what of a shock and both informed me that I was mean for doing such a thing. Huh? Really? I was thinking I was hilarious! The owner of the tots was a bit shocked but I didn't feel any hatred coming from her. She may have been just a tad disappointed that her reflexes weren't quicker.

Then it hit me. The other two didn't really grow up with brothers. Me and the owner of the tots were raised with boys. This was a common occurrence growing up. I was skinny when I was young because I hadn't developed the skills to protect my food, so I didn't eat much. My roommates were never really exposed to this.

Food snatching is just kind of funny. Especially if the person really, really loves what they are about to eat. The best part about last night was that I had not premeditated the act. It was merely a reflex. A reflex that is similar to what most people do when a doctor taps their knee and their leg moves.

I am damaged huh? I told my brother about this and he said basically I am screwed as a person. That I should add this to my list of things that are keeping me from getting married. My brothers have ruined me. Its not my fault. This goes to my list of things that I must work harder on suppressing. Apparently these kinds of things aren't attractive or appealing to the opposite sex. Weird.

P.S. But it was funny.

Love and marriage

Well, not my love and marriage... My friend Christa got hitched!! AND I was honored to be a member of the wedding party. Yes, it is true I was a bridesmaid for the...... ELEVENTH time! That is some kind of record huh?

Christa, who I so lovingly refer to as Riddles, Rid-face or Rid took the wedding plunge. Last weekend me and my roommates ventured up to my home state of Idaho.

This is after 5 hours in the car:

The next morning...... Getting Rid ready... and the finished product. She looked fabulous!!

After a lovely ceremony in the temple, we drove, and drove and drove to a little place called Grandview Idaho. Now, I am proud to be an Idahoan but the drive to Grandview made it hard for me to stick up for the gem state! There was nothing. The nothingness made it hard to take a pit stop. One of my driving companions had to go on the side of the road. But, if you were going to pee on the side of the road, there is no more appropriate place than Idaho.

They had a nice ring ceremony at Christa's grandmothers house. I got to do a little wedding walk down the isle with one of the groomsmen. He wore a cowboy hat too. :) The bride was escorted down the isle by her daddy. He threw off his trucker hat just before. Then they skipped down the isle... literally. ;)One of my favorite parts of the ceremony was the cow mooing. I WAS in deep Idaho!! I love it!!

Then we had a good ol time at the reception. A little groovin to some country tunes.

Congrats Christa! Love you!!

I heart Sarah Palin

Good work McCain. I think I will vote for her and not you.

This letter must of got lost in the mail....

August 11th 2008

Dear Stephenie Meyer,

I am writing in regards to the waste of time that you call Breaking Dawn. If I could get back the last few hours of my life that I wasted on reading that I would.
Please do not attempt to write another book. Twilight made me feel like a giggly high school girl. But I reached my giggly high school girl limit. Breaking Dawn pushed me over the edge. It was full of sugary sweet, life is perfect, I am a vampire with a half human kid (Renesme?? what the??!!), a beautiful push over husband, a wolf friend with the hots for my daughter, and vampire sex that just got old.
I am kindly withdrawing my "fanship."

Best wishes,
Anna

P.S. I will still be watching the Twilight movie. Lets face it, even though I hated Breaking Dawn, I feel that Twilight is still something I can secretly love in a very small way.

Say what you need to say... or please don't.

There are some people who you prefer to just look at, and not listen to, ever. You know the kind, attractive and then just as soon as they open their mouths you want to puke. Example: You remember that old show The Nanny? Need I say more?
Or there are those that may have the opposite effect. You might be able to have a riveting phone conversation, but in person you would rather look at your big left toe, then see their annoying facial gestures.
Then there is John Mayer. My friends and I went to his concert last Monday. I am a fan of his music, and he sounds fabulous live. Seriously, he was great. He was great, just until between songs when he decided to talk instead of perhaps drink some water to replenish his fluids. Honestly he is one that should just sing and not talk. He is so unfunny, weird, and quirky. And that is all I have to say about that. Just sing John, JUST sing.

Mel, Amber and me at the concert, John is the really small guy on the stage in the back, doing what he does best... singing and NOT talking...

You know its going to be a great day when

you see this guy and another guy wearing a pair of pants that MC Hammer use to wear.

Reconnect

It seems like I have been doing a lot of reconnecting as of late. Last weekend me and some gals from class of 2001 Highland High got together and giggled over our silly years of high school. Emily and Miranda
Brynn, Kristin and Me

It had been a few years since I had seen Brynn or Miranda. We are such an eclectic group of people. I love it! AND we were such funny girls in high school. What in the world were we doing and how in the world did our parents not kill us? :) It was fabulous to see them and it was great laughing with them again too. Kristin blogged our night too. Click here to check it out.

I wish I was

this many years old (imagine me holding up a few fingers on one hand). No worries really. Like take my cute nephew Hyrum:

His biggest worry is when is grandma going to give me another bite of her icecream, or will some one please notice I am cute? It has been a few minutes.

When I was in Idaho last week visiting with the family me and my mom went to the zoo with my neice and nephew and my friend Serena and her two boys. Pocatello's zoo is so tiny! You could see more wild life while driving to the grocery store.

My beautiful neice Ashlee, Serena's little guy Lane, Hyrum, and Serena's Ryan.

Me and Serena. She has been one of my best friends from the day I was born. We shared many a peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches, milk and koolaid mustaches and we could give some awesome performances on the swings in the park. We would make routines and sing songs, to us it was very serious and to us we were really, really talented. Those were the days. The best thing is, I still talk to her every few weeks. She is my oldest friend.

Note to self

When traveling home on trax, do not study. Nope, do not take that opportunity to throw your head into the renal function system. Do not do this especially when good music is playing in your ear. This only leads you to missing your stop and not realizing till you are 2 stops away. This will also lead to a huge increase in bladder pressure because there is not doubt that you drank a diet coke, and there is a huge probability that the 15 minutes you spend waiting for the returning trax will quite possibly be the longest of your life. No, do not use your time wisely it leads to a very, very long and painful trip home.

I always wondered

how homeless people always seem to find a black marker to write on the cardboard box signs. I can never find a black sharpie marker when I need one... How do they always seem to have one? How do they find a marker easier than a sandwich? This question keeps me up at night.

You know what else? On Saturday night I just found out that the reason why buckin broncos buck is because they tie up their "boy parts" and they buck around trying to get lose. Those poor guys are so uncomfortable! Despite learning of this torturous act I had a wonderful time at the rodeo. Strawberry days rodeo was a good time. Loved watching the little kids mutton bust, the big hair of the rodeo girls, the tight jeans on the cowboys, the bull riding and the strawberries and cream. Loved it.

Still. Where do the homeless get the markers to write their "will work for food" signs??

Truffle Shuffle

Friday night movie in the park. I LOVE it! A few friends and I picked up some dinner and then headed to the park to partake in a little picnic and FREE movie. That screams fun summer time huh? What you ask could possibly make it even better?? The movie they showed was The Goonies!!!! This could be the best movie Steven Spielberg ever made. ;) You laugh, you get scared and you cry. There is even romance!! Warning for those of you with tender ears... these kids like to say the sh*t word. I don't know why, but every time it was said I kind of giggled.
This movie has always had a special place in my heart, and to see it in the great outdoors, laying on the grass with your friends while trying to make someones shin a pillow make it even better. Plus seeing Chunk do the truffle shuffle on a large inflatable screen is priceless.

I highly recommend Friday night movies in the park to everyone here in the Salt Lake area. Check out the schedule here.

Out of the mouths of babes

A few weekends ago my roommate's nephews and nieces spent the night at our apartment. They were so adorable and hilarious! We inherited the couches that use to be at their house. One of them even gave us a valuable piece of advice- he said that we shouldn't spend too much time on the couches because they "gassed" a lot on them. Hahaha.

A little later I was showing little Preston a picture of my own nieces and nephews.

He looked at the picture and said, "Where is your husband? Is he dead? Is he dying? I hope he's OK!" Thanks Preston, I hope he is OK too.

Fresh

So when working in the hospital you meet A LOT of people. A lot of DIFFERENT people.
Sharing time:
I draw this really nice guy's blood that is not native to our country. How I wish I could tell you his name!! (it would make the story THAT much better) Blast! The whole HIPPA thing.
I see him a few times and one day during the phelbotomizing process he says, "Anna, are you married?" I of course tell him that I am not. He then says, "Oh, that be good Anna. You are so young, so fresh. Yes, Anna so fresh, so fresh."
Wow. What did that mean? Like fresh produce? Like Ivory soap fresh? So fresh and so clean, clean??
What ever he was trying to say, it sure got me. Really guys try that line. "Girl, you are so fresh, yes, so fresh." It is that easy.

pod people

I am late bloomer. Just this Christmas did I finally join the rest of the world and purchase an ipod. I was a tad intimidated with the whole thing. All that music, the circle button, and looking hip with the white earphones in the ears. Could I handle that?!?!

Answer: Yes.

I primarily use it for working out. Before I would just bring along my earphones and plug it in to the elliptical machine and watch TV. I had a walkman but figured that I would look old fashioned if I lugged that thing around. Post cardio was done to the over head music and the occasional grunt from a few of the other gym participants.

Now, after cardio I blair my hearts desires. It is fabulous! What I want to know is, is how everyone else keeps from breaking out in song?! It is a huge challenge for me. I want every one to know that "I keep bleeding, I keep, keep bleeding." To not start singing along is rough.

I feel a little sneaky. My fellow gym goers could be thinking I am listening to some intense rocker song, and little do they know that Billy Joel's "For the Longest Time" is helping me pump up.

This gets me thinking, what are the "suit case arm" gym rats listening to? Is Mr. Biceps jammin to Celine Dion? What ever it is, I would LOVE to see him sing out a few notes. Spice my morning up a bit.

I love my ipod.

Update

Life

I moved. No longer living in the lap of luxury with Auntie Kay.
Got an apartment with some friends. Liking it. Adjusting to sharing a room again.
Feeling like I am 19 again. I needed some storage space so I put my twin bed up on cinder blocks. Yep, I said twin bed. I really am living the dream.

First day of Nursing school.
Stressed out, wanted to cry- but didn't.

That's it.

Baby Momma

Last weekend I was up in Idaho to throw one of my dearest friends a baby shower. AND I must say me and my friends are professionals! Over 40 people came! Wowza! Becky is loved by all!

Now, I do not pride my self in being super crafty or domestic BUT me and Emily created the most fantastic baby present for Becky. Behold...The Diaper Cake!!Fabulous huh? A vision of pink and brown! All made out of diapers and those wonderful little shoes on top! I am very proud of that creation! *not edible ;)

It was fun to see a lot of friends I hadn't seen in a long time. Here we all are! I got some new blogger friends too! (holla to Bonnie and Kristin!) ;) And yes, it is totally cool to say "holla."

I also got to hang out with my momma while I was home. We had a good time. We did a little shopping, a little eating, some laughing and we went to see "Baby Momma." It was kinda cute. I think if was most fun because I was with my mom, and she is the ultimate baby momma.

Star sighting

Last weekend while on a little weekend holiday in California, my friend and I went to see the play Wicked. While my friend and I were walking up to the theater I noticed an attractive guy. I thought to myself, hhmm he is familiar... How do I know him? Was he a patient at the hospital? Is he in my singles ward?? Then it hit me. I was looking right at Roy from The Office. You know, Pam's ex-fiance? I whispered to my friend and she was as equally excited. So we decided to take a picture of each other with Roy in the background. They didn't really turn out, but you get the gist. Roy is looking good these days, beard and all. I wonder if he is still a bit bitter about the whole brake up and the Jim and Pam thing? Would he consider coming to my singles ward?

*You may not know who I am talking about because you are not a watcher of The Office. If that be the case we need to reconsider our friendship... OK, relax not really, BUT I would like you more if you watched The Office.

let me clear the air

So regarding the last post... There has been some speculation on who the undies belonged to. Well my faithful readers and possible blog stalkers, rest assured that they were NOT mine. That's right, I do not leave my unders on the ground let alone at a friends house lying around. The underwear that was involved belongs to the dog owner.

Edible

So, tell me. If you had a dog (just so you know, I do NOT have a dog). Lets say a bullmastiff, a chubby and slightly lazy bullmastiff *. One day you hear it choking and coughing. The next thing you know is, that the source of that choking and coughing comes out and it is your favorite pair of panties. Woah. Wowza. Goo. Bad dog, right? This is not where it ends. You find that it has digested a few more pairs of your undies, and you find those in the yard. Wow. Really? Sick.
So, tell me. This should motivate you to:
1. Put your clothes in a hamper, or the drawer they belong in.
2. Go commando, and get rid of all underwear.
3. Buy all edible underwear. That way it isn't a tragedy when the pooch snacks on the underwear.
Any other suggestions? Which option do you think is best??

I do not own a dog, and really hope to never have to own one. Not that I am a dog hater, I just prefer a pet free environment--And I prefer my unmentionables to be unmentioned.

* This bullmastiff and its owner shall remain anonymous to protect their privacy. You should note that the dog is alive and well, and that measures have been taken to protect it from choking on any other "hazardous" materials.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

This is the Plaza in the center of Ponce. Most roads all around lead directly to this. It is one of my favorite spots in the city. This fountain is at the very center and my nephews love to walk around it, sit on the teal green lions and "accidentally" fall into the water.

My love for this plaza stems from the ice cream shop across the street. (see pic below) There is always a line of people coming out, and most of them are locals, which is a sign of quality taste.

I was introduced to this place a year ago when I took my first trip to Puerto Rico. It has ruined me for all other ice cream shops.

The delectable treat that is served is just a little thicker than a Wendy's frosty, but feels and tastes so much more sophisticated. It comes in flavors ranging from classic chocolate, strawberry, peanut butter to pineapple or passion fruit. All made from scratch and naturally flavored from the fruit it self. My favorite? Coconut. Hands down, coconut. This stuff makes my head spin. Really I had been craving it for the last year.
I went at least 5 times while I was there, sometimes having more than one serving, and not feeling the least bit embarrassed or bad about it.

Are women the only ones who obsess over food like this?

In a book I read a few months ago called "Eat, Pray, Love" the author describes a pizza she had in Naples.

So Sofie and I have come to Pizzeria da Michele, and these pies we have just ordered-one for each of us-are making us lose our minds. I love my pizza so much, in fact, that I have come to believe in my delirium that my pizza might actually love me, in return. I am having a relationship with this pizza, almost an affair. Meanwhile, Sofie is practically in tears over hers....

This folks is quite similar to my experience with my ice cream.

Please tell me that some of you love certain foods this much. I am not crazy right? Share!!

This is me and the boys on one of the many ice cream trips.

Come to my Puerto Rico...

Yes, this post is a bit over due. Here is a little of my recent trip to Puerto Rico. I was out there being the nanny.... my brother and his wife went on a cruise, so I got mommy practice. I have 3 nephews out there that I adore. Jett, Luke and Tommy. Lots of work changing diapers, making hot dogs, carrying a diaper bag and driving a mini van. My mom came out later in the week to help me. If you are going to be babysitting, I recommend you do it on an island in the Carribean!We had a great time!! This is us at Crash Boat beach. It is a Beautiful beach. Had a great time. One of the highlights: Tommy peeing on me.
Jett and Luke in front of the mall after I took them to buy Pokemon figurines. That of course made me the coolest auntie ever.
Tommy was the happiest when he was "washing" the dishes.
On the board walk in Ponce.

Me, my sister in law Carolyn and my momma.
Me, my momma and the yummy Puerto Rican feast. :)


My favorite quote from the kids that week
Luke who is 3 and does not have a real concept of time said this when I was getting them ready for church; "But I don't want to go to church! We already went once this year!" hehehehehe

well thats just great!

Two years ago when I got home from my mission I basically had to start over again with the whole school thing. I took a job as a phlebotomist with IHC because I wanted to be in their nursing program. They pay for everything, so naturally this would be what I need. I finally finished my pre-requisites last fall and applied. For the last two months I have been waiting to hear back. I have been anxious, nervous and antsy. Really I have been a bit stressed out- some might even say I was a bit of a basket case.
So Monday when I was in the Atlanta airport waiting to catch my plane to SLC and I got a call.... I got accepted to the Nursing program!!! Happy, happy me! Finally an idea of what I will be doing with my life in the next few months/years.
I have a little peace and can breathe for a moment.

ps- pics and stories from my Puerto Rico trip to come...

Isla del Encanto

Just in case you didn't know, or perhaps you forgot.... I am on this island for the next week.

So far my luggage was lost, my pina coloda was bad and the guy took us out to a not so great spot for snorkeling. BUT I must say I still am a happy girl because it is in the 80s and I am on an beautiful island. So what if I had to buy an ugly Wal-mart swimming suit to wear until my luggage got here? I am in Puerto Rico.... not going to work and not scraping snow off my windshield.

I am mad at my immune system

I am home sick again. Before last month I had not called in sick for years! Last month I got nasty little bug and it kicked my butt for a week. I thought I was all better... But blast I started coughing and hacking up who knows what yesterday. Then at the most annoying time of morning- 2:30am I woke feeling like I just got ran over. Boo. Apparently my immune system decided to take a few months off. No more defending my health from the viral invaders. Lets let poor little Anna suffer.

Tagged

I got tagged last week.... I am not usually a fan of doing this BUT I will be compliant.
A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 years ago:
I was a sophomore in high school.... Awkward stage of life. Had braces. Drove a station wagon with a "wood" trim. I was still pretty hip.

5 places I have lived:
Chubbuck, Idaho
Salt Lake City, Utah
Provo, Utah
Las Vegas, Nevada
Upstate New York

5 jobs I have had:
Paper girl
Baseball park concession stand worker (the best summer of my life)
Receptionist
Administrative Assistant
Phlebotomist

What I would do if I became a billionaire:
Give a lot of it away, take care of my mom and dad, travel, quit my job, hire a personal chef, get all sorts of plastic surgery (that's what rich women do right?), take my family and friends on vacations, and buy a house on the beach with a hammock.

Bad habits I have:
I often forget to listen to the answers to the questions I ask.
Swearing.
Not answering my phone.
Forgetting to think before I talk.

Things I enjoy:
Reading, sleeping, trying new things, not going to school, getting pedicures, laughing, singing in the shower, traveling, eating, hanging out with friends, running, Frisbees, hiking, peanut butter,
grape limades, steak, coconut ice cream and my nieces and nephews.

Things people don't know about me:
(I think I am an open book so this is hard)
I am ritualistic. I have a routine that is hard to break...
To some I appear to be organized but really I am NOT.
Mascots (like The Jazz Bear and Cosmo the Cougar) creep me out.
I love to take showers. I shower twice a day quite often.
I like to take naps but most the time I can't relax enough during the day to take one.
I dont have a hobby that I am passionate about and it bothers me. Any suggestions??

Ok..... So I tag Sarah Virginia, Snitty, Shannon, Riddles, and Carolyn

ps- My spell check wasn't working.... so judge not.

Disturbed

I arrived at the gym this morning just shy of 8am. I was just waiting for my trainer to finish up with his last client. I decided to look busy and walked over to the drinking fountain, but to my horror it was being blocked by..... A man wearing boxer briefs and a tank top!! Gooo-ew! Yikes!! It was a rather disturbing sight!!

I managed to sneak around him to get to the drinking fountain, although it took all I had not to vomit. Wowza! This middle aged crazy should not be able to walk around in public like that..... let alone work out amongst others and use machines that other people are using!

I asked Glenn (trainer) if he was a regular, and Glenn said oh yeah, and that the boxer briefs are usually what he wears. Sometimes when he is on the treadmill he likes to tuck his tank top up and around through the neck to make a bikini like top. Of course he does! It can get rather warm while you are jogging in your underwear!!

Needless to say, I had to be careful when working out today because you never know who is going to be on the machine next to you exposing parts of their bodies that I do NOT want to see. Yucky. I will always be disinfecting my machine before and after use. I think a formal complaint should be in line. Maybe I could get in touch with those geniuses that had problems with the indecency at Golds Gym in Provo. I hear that it is also a pretty racy gym. ;)

Abrigada

We had two Brazilian girls stay with us for the last 3 weeks. They were here for an American experience. Sweet girls, but didn't really know much English. I wondered constantly what they were thinking. I was always trying to ask them questions, but our conversations were always short. I am sure they wondered if I had any other clothes besides my lovely scrubs. I am sure they thought both my Auntie and I drive too fast. I am sure they both secretly wanted me to not sing out loud in the car, but were too polite to say so (or maybe they didn't know the words). I am sure they were disappointed to find that we don't have cable tv. I am sure they got sick of me asking if they would teach me to dance like they do in Brazil.
One had a shopping problem. She would come home with loads of bags. They were funny things too. Like 10 tubes of the same lip gloss or the "firming lotion" from Victoria's Secret. The other one had a boy friend back in Brazil. she is 17 and he is 22. I asked if he had a job. No. If he is going to school. No. What does he do? "He is what you call ... uh lasey?" lazy. I told her she needs a new boyfriend. She said her mom says the same.
When they first rode with me in the car I asked if they liked any American music. They named off Hilary Duff, Avril Lavigne, and a few others. I am sadly not up to date with the teeny bopper music crowd BUT I did have an old Avril CD. So we listened to that. For my birthday they got me the New Avril Lavigne album. I secretly like a few of the songs. I am feeling pretty hip.

Tuesday

I went to a funeral on Tuesday. I got to know this person in the last 3-4 years. There was times that I spent hours with he and his wife. During those times he could have bragged a whole lot about his life and his accomplishments. While I was listening to those that spoke at his funeral and shared his life accomplishments, I was impressed. It was even more impressive that I was just now learning about many of them. What great humility he had. He was a great example of dedication and patience. We need more people like him.
Why is it that you cant go to a funeral and not think about what your own will be like? I know I can not be the only one who does that.

Free Taters for Out of Staters

It's true. If you go through Idaho and you are not from that great state, you really can get a free tater.

I went up to Idaho this weekend for my moms birthday. It was a good weekend. I have a sweet momma.

I have a love/hate relationship with Idaho. I love Idaho because my parents are there and it's home. I hate Idaho because I had some Red Box movies that needed to be returned and I couldn't find a Red Box anywhere! (my friend had never heard of Red Box!!?!)

I love Idaho because it doesn't seem to ever change much. I hate Idaho...ie Pocatello because it seems to be windy all the time. I love Idaho because I see gems like the jacked up, old bronco truck painted red that said "Red Neck" on the windshield. (as if there was a question.) :)

I am torn.

Side note. My dad hates Huckabee. The best part is he pronounces his name "Hucklebee." No matter how many times I try and correct him he can't seem to remember to say Huckabee. It made me crack up every time he said it. AND he said it a lot.

25, twenty five, quarter of a century, 5 years from 30

I am officially 25 years old. Yep, I had a birthday on Thursday. It was actually a really good day too. I have a fabulous family and fantastic friends who made it a great day. Birthday cards, birthday presents, birthday banners, birthday phone calls, birthday flowers, birthday balloons, and birthday cake = one happy old Anna. Thanks everyone!
I am not sure why, but I am feeling exceptionally old. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that when you are 25 they can no longer use one box of birthday candles. Birthday candles come in boxes of 24.
Let me not dwell on an extra box of candles. I can now rent a car with out paying an extra fee for being under the age requirement. Yahoo. (That was sarcastic. I never rent cars.)
I am including some pictures from the birthday cake at dinner. My cousin took them with the camera phone, so that explains the low quality. (I really need to start carrying my camera with me)


It looks like my chest is on fire... That's not suppose to happen till menopause right? 25 candles causes quite the blaze!

I couldn't blow out the candles on the first try... I started to laugh at myself, that is what put out the candles.

Happy Birthday to me!