live life in flip flops

Brownie Husband

2010-04-12T09:35:00.001-06:00

How much do I love Tina Fey!!!

I want to get invited to FreeRide!

2010-02-26T16:43:00.006-07:00

This is the second year that I've planned a skiing retreat for work. I lovingly call it FreeRide because our company foots the bill for some of our awesome customers to come. Last year was great and so we decided to double the numbers. We have 25 companies represented!

I've been working on the details of this event about three months. And for the past two weeks, I've been eating, breathing and sleeping FreeRide. By the time I get this far into an event, I usually just can't wait for it to be over. But late last night we (Leslee, Debbie, Kyna and Tiffany) put the finishing touches on the welcome package for FreeRide and all I wanted to figure out is how to get invited so I could have a box too!

Thanks to the girls for making these come together! And thanks to Nathan for the pics ...

Novice Photographer + Cute Subjects = Reasonably Good Pics

2009-11-29T22:02:00.005-07:00

Bethany got it in her tenacious mind this week that we needed to take her family pictures while I was visiting. Oh, and by "we" she meant me. And then I found out she doesn't have a digital camera. Just a 35 mm one. She was putting a lot of faith into a higher power because I don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to taking pictures. Especially when I can't see the immediate results on the back of the camera to know if we need some do-overs.

Out of two rolls of film, a few scary moments on the train tracks and a couple of bawling kids, I think we got lucky.

Thanksgiving in New England

2009-11-29T21:27:00.006-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I decided to make the trip east to my sister Bethany's house for Thanksgiving. I got here Tuesday night and I'll be on my way home early tomorrow morning. It's been a fun six-day stay!

Even before I decided to come, Bethany and Danny invited a crowd for dinner. Our cousin Clark's family drove up from Boston. Another cousin, Bree brought a friend from school in New York City. Bethany and Danny's good friend Chandra and the missionaries rounded out the group.

It's a good thing there was a crowd because I don't know how to cook Thanksgiving for three adults and a few little kids!

Bethany and I spend most of Wednesday getting the food ready. It's been a long time since she and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner together. It was so much fun getting out some of our family favorite recipes. With all the meat, stuffing, salads and mac & cheese ready to go, we figured dinner still wasn't complete without making our mom's famous orange rolls. They definitely weren't as pretty as Carol's, but they tasted delicious.

I had to take a break from dinner half way through. Baby Lizzie kept me company.

Can I have my co-pay back?

2009-10-27T08:30:00.002-06:00

I called a couple of weeks ago to make an appointment to see a doctor. When I scheduled the appointment, the very courteous lady reminded me to be sure to bring my co-pay. I didn't think much of this, except, "duh ... don't you always have to pay your co-pay?"

Last week, the same courteous lady called me back to remind me of my appointment. And to bring my co-pay.

This morning, I couldn't remember which office (Orem or Provo) I was supposed to go to, so I called to confirm. And she reminded me to bring my co-pay.

I arrived for my appointment promptly at 8 a.m. where I signed in and offered to pay my co-pay without being asked.

It's now 8:36 a.m. and I'm still in the waiting room. Thirty six minutes and I haven't seen the inside of an exam room.

Can I have my co-pay back?

Dress For Success

2009-10-23T10:31:00.003-06:00

My sister Mindy has been sending a "Thought of the Day" by email each morning. It has been such a great way to connect with her. I'm also discovering that Mindy is a great writer and is thinking about a lot of the same things that are on my mind, but from a different angle. Today's thought from Mindy was especially interesting:

So we have all heard the phrase "DRESS FOR SUCCESS". If there is one thing that I learned from working for the GAP is you dress for the job you want,not the one you have.

I remember being told that by my then manager, Andrea, and I listened. I knew she was right, especially in that environment, so i did, always wearing the new line from head to toe. And whenever there was a "store visit" from corporate, I was sure to look and project the image I knew they wanted to see, and by doing that along with dedication and a good work ethic I got promotion after promotion, eventually running 3 stores on my own.

So I did it. I dressed for success and got it. For the last week this has been on my mind, but in a different way. I have thought: Am I dressing my spirit, soul, and my energy that I put out onto the world every day for success in my life, in my relationships with people that I love and admire, and in what I have to offer everyone around me in general? Am I doing what it takes to "DRESS FOR SUCCESS" in my heart, mind, and spirit, and are you? Just a thought.
Have a great day everyone, Love Mindy

Happy Birthday Bethany & Lizzie

2009-09-03T18:01:00.003-06:00

My little sister turned 30 yesterday. And on her birthday, she gave birth to my newest niece, Lizzie Cox.

Bethany has some beautiful babies and manages to look beautiful doing it. This picture was taken just hours after little Lizzie was born. Amazing.

Lizzie is named after one of the most colorful figures in our family history, my mother's paternal grandmother Elizabeth. We called her Grammy Lizzie.

Paula Dean, Where did I go wrong?

2009-08-29T15:05:00.004-06:00

Was it the decision to triple the recipe? Or maybe loosing track of how many cups of flour I measured somewhere between cups 6 and 8. Could it have been my slightly unlevel oven?

Whatever it was (or wasn't) I had a baking disaster last night. It started a couple of days ago. A coworker brought some zucchini to work from his over abundant garden. There were two of them. One was about 2 lbs and the other about 4 lbs. They sat on the break room counter for a few days. I think the size was a little daunting for most. On Thursday, I couldn't take it anymore. They needed to be used!

I took both zucchini home and made one of my favorite newly discovered summer pasta recipes for dinner Thursday night using the 2 lbs zucchini. It was delicious!

The 4-pounder sat on the counter all Thursday night looking lonely and un-used. I thought about it off and on all day Friday trying to decided what to do with it. Sometime between 7 and 8 p.m., I landed on zucchini bread.

When I decide to make something for the first time and I don't have a trusted recipe at hand, I generally start with Food Network. I figure they get enough exposure, someone else will have already weeded out the good recipes from the bad. And Paula Deen is usually a good bet. I can't find a lot of fault with her methodology (add enough butter and sugar and almost anything will taste good). So, when the first zucchini bread recipe search result on foodtv.com was Paula Deen's Zucchini Bread (5 stars with 461 reviews), I felt like I was in good hands.

The recipe called for 2 cups grated zucchini. The longer I mull this over, I'm sure this was where things started going downhill. Instead of being happy to use 2 c. of my 4-pound zucchini, I couldn't be wasteful. I started grating and decided to adjust the recipe to the amount of zucchini. Two-thirds the way through grating, I had 8 cups of zucchini. I couldn't bring myself to 4-times the recipe, so I settled on tripling it.

I started with the dry ingredients and quickly realized the amount of flour would never fit with the wet ingredients into my mixer. While this was going through my mind, I kind of lost count of the measured flour and made a guess. I think I might have guessed one too many. Not to be deterred, I continued on with the recipe, deciding I would just use my hand mixer to combine wet and dry in a giant mixing bowl.

By and by I got the batter into loaf pans and into the oven. About 15 min into the baking, there was a strong burning smell. I looked in the oven and one of the pans was dripping a bit, so I put a sheet pan on the bottom rack and left them along for 45 more min.

When I opened the oven door, imagine my surprise when there wasn't just a little drip on the sheet pan, but batter everywhere. On the oven door, along the oven walls, on almost every part of the oven racks. Zucchini explosion.

There was one pan that actually looked like it was ok. But it didn't really taste that great.

Moral of the story: I should have just been happy with the pasta.

Ever gone 24 hours without talking to anyone that you didn't want to?

2009-08-20T12:46:00.005-06:00

Neither have I. But I almost made it!

I feel like I've been going 100 mph in the fast lane for the last six months. It had to come to a stop, or at least a rest area! By the time I got back from the last big event (a work trade show in NYC -- video available on YouTube), I felt like an over-stimulated 3 year old.

So, when my sister Wendy offered me the last half of a time share week in Park City, thoughts of sitting by myself with the blinds drawn in a cushy hotel bed were too tempting to pass up.

I left Provo yesterday about 11 a.m. and headed for the mountains. It has been almost 24 hours of pure relaxation.

When I got here, I set my cell phone to silent, put on a movie and promptly took a three hour nap. I woke up, glanced at my phone and picked two people to call back (sorry if you were ignored, I'll get back to you tomorrow). I pulled out the fabric for two quilts that I've been wanting to work on and leisurely started to lay one of them out. I took a second nap. I worked on the quilt some more. I went to the grocery store. I made a cheese sandwich. I went to bed.

This morning when I woke up I felt like a new person. I actually pulled open the drapes. I might even go outside in a few minutes. Unfortunately, my 24 hours of not talking to anyone that I didn't want to was spoiled with a couple of work calls that couldn't be ignored. Surprisingly, I didn't mind. Maybe I'm almost better.

There is another 24 hours to spend here. By tonight I'll probably be ready for some company, which means that I'll be ready to go home tomorrow and get back to living life.

Today's Give Away is featuring my crazy fabric business!

2009-08-17T10:30:00.002-06:00

I mentioned my newest adventure, Two Birds Fabric, in a blog post last week. Today it's making it's blog contest debut at Today's Give Away. If you click on the button at the top of this post, you will be redirected to the Today's Give Away site (todaysgiveaway.net) where you can enter to win one of three fabulous prizes!

Piper & PJ

2009-08-14T09:16:00.005-06:00

Aren't nicknames a childhood thing? I never had one, unless you count my family calling me CL, which wasn't even that often. But one day in November, I came to work and my co-worker Jeremy started calling me Piper. Apparently I'm a trendy dresser and he thinks girls who dress trendy should be named Piper. And it stuck. Piper? Whatever ...

In May, I hired an intern to help out with the marketing and PR efforts at the company. I liked Kyna right off. She seemed confident, capable and talented. I didn't know she would also have a knack for wearing twinner outfits. Between May and August, we've shown up for work wearing almost identical outfits at least once per week. This led to Jeremy calling her Piper Junion, or PJ. And it stuck.

If you want to see one of the best examples, head over to PJ's blog for a quick look.

The best thing about PJ is that she turned out to be the super-star intern of all time and yesterday she accepted a full-time position with the company. Piper and PJ will live on.

New Blog to add to your follow list

2009-08-13T20:55:00.003-06:00

Let's get this out of the way upfront.I'm about to engage in shameless self promotion.

If you want to see my latest hairbrained adventure, check out Two Birds Fabric.

Let me know what you think. In the meantime, I'll be sewing something (*gasp*).

Making a Statement

2009-07-22T14:12:00.004-06:00

**NOTE: I just noticed that I don't know how to get the video to embed without cutting part of it off and no time to tackle it right now. If you double click on the video, though, it will take you directly to YouTube for a better viewing experience. Enjoy ;)

The older I get the more I wonder why it is so hard to take personal responsibility for damage done and hold yourself (or your organization) accountable. After five days straight of being disappointed by broken promises (this is all work-related for those of you wondering if you're one of the offenders) I was really amused – and somehow vindicated – after I watched this video on YouTube today.

Can't wait for the next two videos from Sons of Maxwell.

Carni-themed 4th

2009-07-05T22:11:00.005-06:00

I'm usually good to go to a carnival/fair for about three hours. The first hour I'm wowed by eclectic array of people and the volume of tacky nic nacs available for purchase. The second hour I talk my stomach into accepting a funnel cake/kabob/corndog/kettle corn or other greasy carni food. By the third hour, it's time to get the heck out of there. I've had enough of the crowds, I feel claustrophobic from the stuffed animals and glo sticks and the food is churning in my unagreeable stomach.

With that said, I spent 2 1/2 days straight at the Provo Freedom Festival fair and carnival this weekend. No. Not 2 1/2 hours ... DAYS. My friend Amanda and I got the kookie idea to start a fabric store a couple of months ago. We planned our big debut for the Festival. We carted more than 50 bolts of fabric, palstic bins full of samples and sewing projects, a fan and our trusty cooling to a 10 x 10 booth on Center Street. We were nestled in between a guy selling stuffed animal marionettes and two girls with fabulously tacky religious jewelry.

With yards and yards of fabric to be sold, I embraced the carni crowds and got down to the business of making new friends. I met hundreds of people and my Provo perception has been changed for ever. I know Provo is a long way from being diverse, but the mix of people I met was so varied, exciting and different that I expected. Besides the tired feet and horse throat I had so much fun. I'm proud to say I'm a member of the Carni Community. Maybe we'll get to be across the way from the Texas Twister juice guy next year, too.

And, if you want to hear about the dark underbelly of the fair, ask me about being in the middle of a Provo PD take-down which included me getting knocked into our iron dress form by two brawling men. Never a dull moment at the carni.

Back to my blogging roots

2009-04-24T16:33:00.005-06:00

The origins of this blog were humble, but worth revisiting. My very first blog post was prompted when I needed a way to show a few people a video I took at a minor league baseball game in California. My cousin Brianne and I had so much fun at the game, we've been talking about going again for the past year.

Last weekend, Brianne and I talked Jeff into going with us to our second Lake Elsinore Storm game. While the game was less than stellar (the Storm did everything they could to make sure their unworthy opponents won), the people watching and entertainment were first rate. Unfortunately, it was about 48 degrees and humid. Hot chocolate sounded a lot better than cotton candy. There was no Asian unicycle-riding-rice-bowl tosser. But, there was a man in a giant bunny suit who made an appearance in right field. Not to mention the concessions guy with a Wonka hat and a goatee Colnel Sanders would have been proud of. And, the best part of all -- the completely indescribably mascot. I'm still not sure what that thing is.

Can't wait for the next time!

Is she hiding under a rock or something?

2009-04-24T16:08:00.002-06:00

This is the question I've been asked by more than a few people who were addicted to (ok, just mildly amused by) my blog over the past few months. I haven't been hiding under a rock. Just taking a looong break.

If you want to know the truth ... I have no computer at home. Gasp! Yes, it's true. For the past several years my employers have provided laptops, so when my last personal one gave up the ghost, I didn't replace it. Unfortunately, the current employer is ignoring my pleas for a laptop (but I do have a shiney, happy Mac on my desk). I've been avoiding buying my own in hopes that one day soon, said employer will have a change of heart.

I know. Some will say this is no excuse at all. But that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I'm not even going to attempt to fill in the past few months. I'm just going to jump back in -- posting my random thoughts on the universe.

A Whole New World for Larry

2009-01-24T20:06:00.002-07:00

I stepped off the plane Friday morning to 75-degree weather and Larry waiting at the curb in a boat of a Caddy. Yes, that's right. Larry has embraced life as a snow bird. I have to say, he's almost got it perfected.

It was obvious that in Larry's three weeks away from home living the good life in Florida, no one has been around to give him a proper teasing. It only took about thirty seconds for Michelle and I to get him back in line. I started by saying, "Oh, Larry ... you've come south for the winter, you're driving a huge Caddy ... you're OLD!!"

I'm so glad to see my mom and Papa Larry having a good time in the Golden Years. He's sitting here right now watching me type, moaning and groaning that I'm being too mean and saying that I love being mean to him.

Since my mom went to bed at 8 p.m., Larry and I had to find some way to entertain ourselves. He has been bragging that he learned to use the internet last week and actually sent out a few emails under Carol's watchful eye. But tonight we made a big step. Some might even call it a giant leap. Larry and I created a gmail account of his very own. And then we started a blog for him. Not only has Larry entered the 21st Century ... now he's in the blogoshere. We may never be the same.

If you're ready for a good yarn (with a little truth worked in for flavor), check out Larry's blog: spursandsaddles.blogspot.com.

Why ski when you can toboggan?

2009-01-10T21:06:00.004-07:00

For three hours last night I felt like I was 10 years old again.

Growing up, the first big snow of the winter brought on a sense of wonder, adventure and kamikaze tendencies for my younger sister Bethany and me. When I was about 10 and Bethany 8, we created a path from the retaining wall in the back yard that went through the trees and down a steep slope to the empty lot below the house. When I say steep, I mean really steep. The kind of steep that when viewing through 30-year-old eyes looks like a death wish, or at least certain carnage. By the time any adult witnessed our launch we had already completed countless successful runs and for some reason no one stopped us. I don't know how many years we used the sledding track, but I can't remember ever getting hurt. What I do remember was the feeling of hitting powder at the bottom of the run, the tube coming to a halt and ending up with snow covered eyelashes.

The snow covered eyelashes were what brought it all back to me yesterday. About 7 p.m., Tiffany, Michelle and I loaded up and drove to Fairview to meet up with a few other friends. With tobbogan, saucers and three Stiga snow racers (in case you're interested) in hand, we played on a hill in Fairview Canyon with the abondon of children.

The hill is nestled in an S-curve of the road that goes up Fairview canyon, making it the perfect spot for grown-up sledding. This means instead of riding down and walking back up the hill, we pile the sleds in the back of the truck (along with Mike and Lane) and drive to the top of the hill after each run. The trail seems to have been made by back-country snowboarders who come there during the day. The day-time run sounds a lot smarter, but there was somthing enchanting about hitting the hill in the light of the full moon.

After a lack-luster run on the saucers, I decided to give the heavy-duty toboggan a go. It was so much fun, I stayed on it the rest of the night. Michelle and I ended up making at least four long runs down slopes, among trees and through mounds of powder. We kept getting better at steering the long board each run. On the last run we took together, there was one point where we were going so fast the powder was flying up into my face until it was so covered I couldn't see anything. Because I'm old and chicken, I bailed off the front of the sled. Michelle ended up half on the toboggan, half in the fluff. The toboggan somehow, was half on me. We laid there laughing so hard we almost couldn't get up. I had so much snow covering my eyelashes that it made the sky sparkle. And for three hours, I felt like I was 10 again.

Snow ... snow ... snow

2009-01-07T21:04:00.003-07:00

I really do like a fresh blanket of snow. Especially the day after the storm if the sky is blue and our mountains sparkle.

But after shoveling a foot of snow (I really do mean at least 12 inches) from my driveway, which is disproportionately large in comparison to the size of my house, I promptly booked a ticket to visit my parents in Florida.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T00:59:00.004-07:00

Michelle, Tiffany and I rang in the New Year in fine fashion. Thanks Mike & Wendy for the fab fondue. Thanks Terry & Angela (aka Tang) for games, laughs, carmel corn and the requisite Diet Coke. Thanks Leslee & LeGrand for waffles and fireworks. Could it get any better??

Ode to Pie Fest

2009-01-01T00:50:00.005-07:00

Actually, the limits of my creativity are reached long before I write poetry, so there will be no odes to Pie Fest ... But I will put up a few pics ...

Where did December go?? (Not to mention the rest of 2008)

2008-12-28T17:02:00.009-07:00

I'm sitting here on Dec. 28, 2008 wondering how I missed most of the month of December. I remember my cousin Becky's wedding Dec. 6. Then there was Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and suddenly there are only a handful of days left in the month. I had big plans for December! Oh well ... what is the old saying ... the best laid plans of mice and men?

I did do a few things in December. I finally went through the rest of the pictures from my Paris trip. Oh, and in the process, Becky's husband John saw my blog post and said, "Umm ... I like the title, but you know that you spelled c'est la vie wrong, right?" I obviously didn't know I had it wrong, but thanks, John. Now I do and I think I'll just leave it. It kind of typifies me trying to communicate while in France. With four years of Spanish and two years of French on my junior high and high school transcripts, I had a bit of trouble picking phrases to use while in France. A nice stranger would say something simple to me and my response would come out in half Spanish, half French. An even bigger issue was me trying to figure out in my muddled brain which half was the French and which the Spanish. Oh well. Maybe in 2009 I'll brush up on one of the languages ... maybe.

One of my favorite things in Paris was finding the best hot chocolate. The best cup we found was at Cafe Panis just across the street from Notre Dame.

I definitely did not miss out on Christmas. I discovered a few years ago that Christmas with the kids is a whole lot more fun than Christmas with all adults. For the past couple of years, I've spent the night with my sister Wendy's family so I can witness the Christmas morning magic with her kids.

My nephew Kade is at the perfect age for Christmas morning. He ran around handing everyone packages to open and patiently watched until he couldn't stand it anymore and had to open one of his own. And, he loves me.

To my happy surprise, I got a fantastic pair of beautiful shoes for Christmas! Ok ... fine ... yes ... I did purchase the shoes myself ... and yes ... I did wrap them in my favorite paper with a pretty bow ... and then I put To: Carol-Lyn From: Santa on the tag. Sometimes the Christmas magic we make for ourselves is pretty darn good, too. You have to admit, that's a convincing "look of surprise."

When December is all said and done, I think that the beginning and the end were so good that the blur of the 15 days in between is probably a good thing.

2008-11-28T14:59:00.009-07:00

Once I arrived in Paris, I met up with my friends, Jeff and Amanda. Amanda was excited to get out and see the town. After a quick shower and change of clothes, I was ready to see Paris for the first time, too.

Amanda and I had the most fabulous day! We rode the metro into Paris and then just started walking. We saw most of the major highlights today: Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and a lot more that is a bit hazy since I'm running on about 3 hours of in flight sleep. We had the perfect Paris lunch in a little bistro. The highlight was the hot chocolate.

Amanda did a fantastic job of navigating the city. We only got a little lost for a minute on a street full of "Sex Shops".

One of three rose windows on Notre Dame.

Me in front of Notre Dame in my pink coat and grey hat that I will probably be wearing in every picture from this trip because it's only about 35 degrees this weekend.

The Eiffel Tower was so impressive. Before seeing it in person, I had always wondered what the big deal was and why people have such an emotional tie to it. But after spending some time there, it makes sense. It's a magical place.

We definitely did not do justice to the Louvre, but in an hour, we saw Amanda's three Must Sees: The Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory. One of the most stunning things was seeing the glass pyramid lit up with the historic Louvre in the background.

Se la vie!

2008-11-28T14:33:00.002-07:00

There's an old adage that says something like the best things in life are the hardest to comeby. Maybe it isn't an old adage, but if it isn't, it should be!

A few weeks ago, I planned a trip to Paris on a whim. Yes, probably crazy, but it sounded fun and I've never been. So with a few emails and phone calls, I had three other friends reeled in and Thanksgiving in Paris was booked. It all sounded fantastic, and -- in theory-- should have gone like clockwork. The plan was for Tiffany and I to leave Wednesday afternoon on the direct flight from Salt Lake to Paris. That was such a fantastic plan. Until it unraveled.

It was smooth sailing for Tiffany and I on Wednesday afternoon. We made it to the airport on time. There was no security line to slow us down. We found fabulous reading materials and candy in the bookshop. And, when we were seated on the plane, they gave us cute little Delta eyemasks for the long, overnight flight.

We settled in to our seats and waited for the plane to head out for the runway ... and we waited ... and we waited ... and we waited somemore. After two hours, Delta made it official. Our flight was cancelled because of a "broken alternative power source" (I have no idea what it does, but it sounds important, so I guess I'm glad they figured it out before we were over the Atlantic).

So, the long and the short of it ... instead of leaving for Paris Wednesday, arriving Thursday and then leaving for home Monday, I ended up leaving for Paris Thursday and arriving in the wee hours of Friday morning. Without Tiffany. Yup, Tiffany decided the abbreviated trip just wasn't worth the stress, so I came on my own.

Luckily my flights (that is plural -- so much for direct from SLC to Paris) went smoothly and I navigated public transportation all the way to the hotel on my own without incedent. At least without any incedents that I will admit to.

More to come on my Paris adventure ...

Sometimes I'm still surprised

2008-10-17T09:14:00.008-06:00

I feel like I've been around the block a few times and generally, I'm not surprised by much. But it seems like no matter how many times I go to North Carolina to see Joanna, something will catch me off guard.

Last week I flew into Raleigh Tuesday morning and went staight to UNC-Chapel Hill hospital, where JoJo was spending some quality time with some very scratchy hospital sheets. She was admitted the day before because post surgery, she hadn't had much success keeping solid foods down and was having abdominal pain. By the time I got there, the abdominal pain issue was under control, but the solid foods were still untested. JoJo was pretty scared to eat because everytime she tried, the nausea would creep up.

After a few hours of coaxing, Nurse Jessica said she would order JoJo a lunch tray and if she could just slowly work her way through some of the food and keep it down, we could go home. Going home was sounding pretty good at that point, so JoJo agreed and we waited for the lunch tray to arrive.

The lunch tray looked innocent at first. A drink, a red jello of some sort, a corn muffin and a covered plate. I lifted the cover and actually had to take a step back in shock and disbelief. The recomended meal for someone making the conversion to solids after 8 days of a liquid diet was fried chicken and collard greens.

Luckily, the story has a happy ending that doesn't involve the regurgitation of anything green. Nurse Jessica had also requested a plain baked potato. JoJo was able to make her way through about half of the potato without any trouble and we were out of the hospital within a few hours.

JoJo update

2008-10-02T09:34:00.001-06:00

I talked to Joanna last night. She sounds miserable, but who wouldn't after having a kidney removed??

She said they told her she's doing well and she told them she wants better drugs.

Selfless acts

2008-09-29T15:54:00.003-06:00

I have a friend who has always been one of those people who would do anything for someone she loves. Joanna is the type of friend that sees a situation full of difficulties and immediately finds a way to help. She may not solve the core problem, but her attention always seems to be focues on what SHE can do to be the most effective in the situation.

Joanna's introduction to my family happened in the middle of preparations for my sisiter Bethany's wedding. Joanna and I walked in the door after driving from North Carolina with everything she owned shoved into the back of her Volvo to find a typical scene at the Rutherford/Jardine house: Chaos. Bethany's wedding was only a couple of days away and in typical family form, there was a month's worth of work being accomplished in 48 hours. Joanna introduced herself to my mom and then, without even missing a beat, stepped in and took over the ironing of about 100 chair covers. By the end of the day, Larry's new name for her was established: Number Ten (referring to her being the long-lost tenth child in our blended family).

Over the years, this is the Joanna I've come to know and love and call best friend. But nothing she has done can compare with what she is about to do tomorrow. In the early hours of the morning, Joanna will be wheeled in to surgery at the University of North Carolina to donate her kidney to a friend.

My selfish heart's first response to the news was, "You've got to be kidding me! What if one of your kids needs a kidney ... what if I need your kidney?!" Over the past few months, JoJo reassured me serveral times that she feels like this is what Heavenly Father wants her to do. She's sure if she's willing to do this and somewhere down the road someone closer to her than her kidney recipient needs something, it will all work out. Where did she find that faith?

I've been praying for Joanna this week and can honestly say that she is the most selfless person I know at this moment. I know she'll read this and roll her eyes at me and remind me of all the things she's done that could be called selfish, but I'm thinking the kidney is pretty much going to put her in the black for a real long time.

So, if you have a minute or two on Tuesday, please say a prayer for Joanna and the lucky recipient of her kidney.

The simple things

2008-09-25T11:55:00.005-06:00

Sometimes it is the simple things that make me smile big.

Last Saturday morning Brianne called me at 8:30 dreaming of "delicious homemade onion rings and guacamole." Now those two things don't usually go together, especially not at 8:30 in the morning. But just hearing the excitement in Brianne's voice made me smile.

Brianne and Brandon came to Utah to go to the BYU game (a birthday present for Brandon) and Brianne and Leslee planned a BBQ for after the game.

In honor of both Brianne and I being in Utah on the same day, we pulled out all the stops and whipped up amazing (if I do say so myself) beer-batter onion rings and guacamole to go along with Brandon's amazing hamburgers and hot dogs.

Brianne, I'll make delicious onion rings with you any day!

Freedom in Never Again?

2008-09-22T21:56:00.003-06:00

My friend Anne is continually coming up with amazing ideas. I'm usually awed by her creative genius in all things design, but the other day, she got me thinking about something more philosophical than normal.

A while ago, Anne decided to make a Never Again list. She's decided some things she just doesn't ever have to do again. Some things are on the list because she doesn't like them ... others are on the list because they aren't good for her. For instance, she says she never needs to eat fettuccine alfredo. She says that she never enjoys it as much as she thinks she will, so why keep eating it. Another Never Again for Anne: Diet Coke. Now this one, I think might be a bit harder for her. The other day I was sucking a cold one down right under her nose and I think she almost cracked. But, Diet Coke isn't good for the body, so it's on her list.

Anne says one of the benefits to having the list is people understand her refusals when she says that "x" is on my Never Again list.

While I don't think Diet Coke is going to make any sort of Never Again list I make, but I think the theory of the idea is valid.

I think I'll tip-toe into the list. Never Again #1: Spaghetti-Os. This will be an easy one. I don't ever eat them, but I can definitely go the rest of my life without those ghastly little paste donuts touching my tongue. What will be #2? I'll have to think on it.

What would be on your Never Again list?

The trail to tennis

2008-08-30T11:09:00.003-06:00

Friday afternoon, my sister Bethany dropped me off at the Bethel, CT train station. I was on my way to meet my friend Matt in our almost annual pilgrimage to the US Open. Earlier in the day, Danny told me it would be "really easy" to transfer trains on the way from Bethel to Grand Central in NYC.

After the transfer, I was thinking ... Danny was right. That wasn't bad at all. But as the stops kept coming and none of them seemed to be anything other than Connecticut towns, I started to wonder if maybe I didn't just get on the wrong train. Sure enough. I was headed

to Bridgport, not eve close to Grand Central. I got off and waited for the NYC bound train on the other side of the tracks. Eventually I got to Grand Central and made my way to Penn Station where I was to meet Matt. The whole experience was punctuated when a homeless man vomited on my flip-flop-clad foot. Thank heaven for cleansing wipes, hand sanitizer and the death stare.

But after all that fun, Matt and I spent 12 hours + at the Billy Jean

King National Tennis Center Friday. We saw amazing tennis and we're ready for more!

A Perfect 10 ... er .. I mean 16.2!!

2008-08-19T23:18:00.004-06:00

I haven't spent as much time in front of the TV since I was laid up after knee surgery watching Lost for the first time. The 2008 Olympics has been pretty much addictive and I think I'll end up having to buy a new bulb for my projector by the time the games come to and end. And ... I may just have to award Michelle with a medal -- probably silver, but she still has a few days, so maybe gold -- for viewing prowess.

With the Olympics come great rushes of adrenalin watching athletes like Michael Phelps make history, a tearful moment living through the heartbreaking disappointment of Lolo Jones when the gold seemed just a hurdle away, and scoring confusion. Yep, mathematical mahem. What did they do to the Perfect 10!? You know ... the Perfect 10, as in Nadia and Marilou. I just watched several days of amazing performances, even one or two called "perfect" by some guy who seems to know what he's talking about. And then they pop up some formula for a score that potentially has no limit, but I guess if it's over 16, it's pretty amazing. Oh, pluuhhleeezz! Just give me the 10! I can figure out what a 9.75 means when I know there is a 10 to give me an upper limit! I will say this ... for 8 year olds, the little Chinese girls seem to get it ... great gymnasts AND mathematicians!

All in all, I love the Olympics and now that the gymnastics is over, I can settle down and watch without taxing my math deficient brain.

Food ala CL & Michelle

2008-07-30T21:49:00.005-06:00

I volunteered (and Michelle gamely let me drag her into helping) to organize the food for the river trip. My favorite part of the menu was our surprise appetizer for Friday night.

Before the trip, Michelle and I got a little loopy after hours of figuring out the menu and doing all the pre-shopping we could before I left for Lake Powell. Somewhere out of our demented minds we thought it would be really funny to pull out a beautifully arrange artisanal cheese tray. So, the night before we left on the trip, Michelle and I stood staring at the cheese case in Costco trying to decide if we were crazy or if people would actually like to eat a bunch of cheese. We dived in, and I have to say ... it was a complete success after a few odd looks from some of our campers.

Self-pampered city girl spends 15 days camping (almost consecutively)

2008-07-30T17:16:00.014-06:00

That's right. Me, the girl who doesn't like to go more than two weeks between mani/pedis, just got back from two weeks of vacation spent in the "wilderness."

The first week of my vacation was spent at Lake Powell with my cousins, aunts and uncles. I slept under the stars every night, albeit on a houseboat. But don't knock it ... some of us need to ease ourselves into hardcore camping (which was soon to follow).

Lake Powell was beautiful, and just the right mix of relaxation and fun. Everyday went something like this: Wake up, go out on the ski boat, eat, sleep in the sun, eat, read a book, eat, sleep in the sun some more, eat, play games with the cousins, sleep. Oh, and did I mention copious amounts of chilled Diet Coke? Could it get any better?

I learned my philosophy of successful vacations with a lot of people from my Aunt Leslee. Leslee's plan of attack for keeping a large, tightly confined group happy is to keep the tasty morsels coming. This philosophy proved itself again this year in Lake Powell.

I was sad to see the Lake party come to an end, but we headed home just in time for me to hit the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and then hit the road for my next week of vacation.

In the wee hours of Monday morning, I loaded up Larry & Carol's Expedition with seven of my friends and the Haulmark trailer and we set out for a 6-day whitewater adventure on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. After a memorable stop at Costco, the eight of us joined up with the rest of the group at Boundary Creek putin, just outside of Stanley, Idaho. We spent the rest of Monday afternoon and evening rigging the rafts and then camped at Boundary Creek, surviving an epic rain storm in tents. Our group of 24 launched Tuesday morning (more like afternoon if we're honest) to tackle the Middle Fork.

What a trip we had. The first three days seemed like they were filled with one disaster after another including freezing (if you ask me) rain and hail, trees blocking the river, massive mud slides that turned the crystal water to mud for the remainder of the trip, a 9-year-old with a bad case of the flu, a dislocated shoulder for one of our rowers and a dramatic tear in one pontoon of Big Al's brand new cataraft. Luckily the next three days settled down a bit and we were able to focus on running the spectacular rapids of the Middle Fork.

While Lake Powell was still a bit on the cushy side, the river trip is the closest thing to hard-core camping I will ever come. I do manage to bring a bit of my pampered self along -- I pack three people into my six man tent and use a battery powered pump to inflate an air mattress every night. I have my limits.

I made a new friend on the river this year. This is Jon Osgood, owner of American Whitewater in California. Jon let me be a passenger on his boat for the first three days of the trip. When he got bored, he made me take the oars so he could assume the River Princess position on the bow of the boat (I guarantee I was in Princess pose far more than I was on the oars).

After day three, Jon wanted to spend some time in the two-man paddle boat (aka The Shredder), so he turned his raft over to Matthias. I bravely got on board and we went through impressive Tappan Falls without a hitch.

The proof is in the banana ... and the grapes

2008-07-30T16:48:00.001-06:00

Lake Powell banana and some grapes that lasted more than a week ...

Would it be too much to say: Debbie Meyer, you're my hero?

2008-07-29T17:40:00.005-06:00

For the past two weeks, I've been living life out of the Debbie Meyer Green Bag. To my complete surprise, the damn things actually do prolong the life of fruit, veggies and one very long suffering bag of cilantro.

I will post pics of the famous Lake Powell bananas when I get the battery on my camera charged up. After a very HOT car ride to the Lake, they were amazingly fresh and yellow for Tuesday's breakfast.

Last week, Michelle and I packed all the fresh stuff for 6 days on the river with 24 of our friends and I'm truly impressed. Red peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes lasted the entire week, even through some new, wild rapids on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

This damn bag better work.

2008-07-12T00:58:00.006-06:00

Michelle and I made a last minute mad dash through Target before I leave on my Lake Powell vacation tomorrow. Michelle, with her eagle eye, spotted an "as seen on TV" treasure that we just couldn't pass up: The Debbie Meyer Green Bag.

The Green Bag is supposed to extend the shelf life of fruit and veggies almost to the point of petrified wood. And, with Debbie's face plastered on the front of the box making the promises, the challenge is just too tempting (especially at 1 a.m. after spending way too much time packing up a two-year supply of food for a six day vacation). So Leslee and I decided to put the claims to the test and take the bags to Lake Powell.

Our litmus test will be with bananas (the very ones I'm holding above -- fresh from Costco today), which Leslee says only last about 2 minutes in the heat of Wahweap.

We placed the whole bunch of bananas in the not-so-large large Green Bag and folded over the top loosely, like the directions say ... but we weren't satisfied that the bag will really stay closed on the journey to Powell, so we added a little scotch tape to the mix (bagged bananas in Leslee's hand at left -- if you look real close you can see the all-knowing grin on Debbie Meyers face on the Green Bag box).

Tune in next week for the results of the "This Damn Bag Better Work Because I Want Good Bananas on My Cereal in Lake Powell Thursday" scientific study.

Pretty in Pink and then some

2008-06-14T23:04:00.001-06:00

I'm in California this weekend visiting my cousin Brianne. She took me to a minor league baseball game near her home in Temecula.

As the players came out to the field to warm up, I look out and what do you know ... the home team is all dressed up pink jerseys. At first I was a little excited to think that a team had enough confidence to pull out their inner females. Then we found out it was in honor of breast cancer awareness. Oh, and not only were the unis sweet, the bases were painted hot pink.

But the frosting on the cake had to be the mid-inning entertainment, the Red Panda ... see the posted video.