The Moral of the Story is...

Don't Judge!

I admit it. I've scoffed and scorned and even made fun a little of a certain man. It's not his fault he wears a silly bow tie and his grin makes you feel like finger nails are scraping the chalk board. Or that his parents named him Orville and his last name is Reddenbacker. Nope, I've been unfair. But you see, his smugness about his popcorn perfection just seemed a bit to self righteous and down right irritating. Plus for a popcorn purist like me, the fact that he promoted flavored popcorn was just too much. Yep, I've shunned this poor man for YEARS. Afterall, why pay more for popcorn with a silly guy in a bow tie when the 'cheap' popcorn was just as good.

The lesson: I was desperate...out of popcorn after buying very inferior bulk popcorn that I tossed. Down the aisle at the market and wouldn't you know the ONLY brand available was Orville. Smiling, goofy, bow tiey. But you can't go without popcorn, it's a food group, so in the cart he went. And in the pan when I got home went his kernels. And wouldn't you know that those kernels produced HUGE, fluffy, yummy popcorn. At least twice the girth of my regular pop. The size of which I may never have seen. Plus I had to empty my pan 3 TIMES...when I usually only have to once. For 14 years I've blamed my less than perfect popcorn on my gas stove top when really it was marginal popcorn.

So the moral? Don't judge a book, or a person or popcorn by it's cover, for inside may await a treat you never imagined.

Things I love; Things I hate

I LOVE Sierra and her friend, each on their own side of the street with their own chess board...playing over the walkie talkies.

I HATE reading charts.

I LOVE Ethan's new found interest in Nursery Rhymes and letters.

I HATE Fundraiser assemblies and the brain washing that comes with them.

I LOVE 3-5 grade hiking field work

I HATE the bodily function noises and spitting going on with the 1-2 grade field work.

I LOVE Tim and art.

I HATE flies.

I LOVE Emily's great attitude.

I HATE seasonal allergies.

I LOVE sunflowers on the side of the road...it's like Johnny Appleseed came by but scattered flowers instead of fruit.

I HATE cars that die (and back up cars that die on the same day).

I LOVE Popcorn. (That goes without saying.)

I HATE my new alarm clock/radio. (Seriously I'm a foot away and I can't read the numbers? What's up with that--plus it's 'new' technology is awfully staticy)

I LOVE the 'Wall-o-hangers' Mike installed for me. (He's handy like that.)

I HATE the unsportsman like attitude that pervades soccer games at Sierra's age.

I LOVE FALL!

I'm not gonna lie...I cried a little

when I dropped Ethan off at school today. How did I get to the point where my baby is off to school? I'm not gonna lie and say I'm not excited for this new chapter in my life. But like all good things, emotions pop to the top.

After school the convo went something like this.

Me: Hey Buddy how did it go?
Him: It was AWESOME! On long days I get 3 recesses and on short days I get 2.

Nothing like getting the important stuff out of the way first.

Me: So how did lunch go?
Him: AWESOME! We had two choices chili or Hawaiian Haystacks. I picked Hawaiian Haystacks. I know the recipe can we make it some times?

I know the recipe too and he's usually not too fond of it. LOL

Me: So it was a good day?
Him: Yeah I didn't even have to pull a card?
Me: Oh yeah?
Him: Yep I stayed on green the whole day but two kids had to pull cards. One got to orange. But you especially don't want to get black.
Me: Black huh, what happens then.
Him: *very serious* Well then you have to have a MEETING with the teacher and the principal and your PARENTS! *shock and horror*
Me: Well you better not get black then.
Him: I'm a good kid I'm going to stay on green.
Me: :)

Made me laugh because that was Emily's favorite thing to do as well. Each day she'd give me the discipline report...which kids got to which colors and what punishments.

First day is over...time to embrace the new journey.This picture is wrong on many technical levels...but it is so right in the levels of the heart.

Unions and Reunions...

First a union...I finally met my blog cousin. :)

I think Jana's kids and husband were as excited as I was to finally meet. Jana introduced me to Dave and we both said, yeah we're facebook friends. LOL And her kids even waved at me. Good thing we were in a public park and all, as you never really know what you might find from the blogging world. Amanda...if you are reading this, it's about time we met up too. Oh Lisa...you had to go and leave early for a wedding...whatever. LOL (Sorry I missed you.)



On to the REUNION...I made it to the 20 year. I like people...so I had a good time. I've dropped the grudge. And for the record, I've been a part of the ward choir for many years now.

The Ticket

As part of a deal to bury the hatchet on an old grudge, I bought a ticket to my 20 year high school reunion.

Huh...weird.

Why am I filled with self doubt? I think it's because I really kind of like carrying around a 20 year grudge. It's kind of comfortable and makes a good story. If I let go, I"ll have to come up with a new story.

So...how bout it...can you help with some titles for my new story?

Give it your best shot. :)

Musings on birthdays and helicopter rides

You feel like it should be profound when you haven't posted for months. But too bad it's just...well...random.

I found out Betty whom I've known was a kindred spirit since I first met her is my birthday buddy. Betty is 91 this year, I hope I'm as spunky when I'm that age.

When I told Ethan yesterday that today would be his half birthday he got all excited and said, "So I'll be 5 and a half?" Yes... "Then I'll be going to school shortly".

I love how he phrases things.

And speaking of other things...

You know, $25,000 for a helicopter ride when your feet are up and your head is down is not really a good deal. It was $12, 000 for the helicopter to just be...and $140 per mile...96 miles to my destination.

And small town hospitals are quite the crack up. With only curtains to seperate us, you'd think people would think before they spoke. But no, those walls must be like iron and nothing would get through.

One guy had a piece of sheet metal in his eye. And had had it there for 3-5 days (he wasn't sure) and it came out on his own in the waiting room. He made rain gutters. The doctor now has a quote for raingutters along the backside of his house. This may be a visit well spent for this guy.

One girl, had to give back her flute to her band teacher and she was mad that her grandma would not buy another. Her grandma...apparently....is not made of money and she missed her chance when they spent $300 on her prom dress. BUT THAT IS NOT FAIR, because music is her life. That and going to Lagoon and THEN deciding to go to the ER after for a wrist that has hurt for some 6 weeks. It is related to her flute playing...by the way which IS HER LIFE. And now she has no life because Grandma won't buy her a new flute. Grandma suggests selling her prom dressES yes plural. But that is not an option...well maybe 3 or 4 of them. ?!?!? or maybe some video games. Because after all playing the flute is HER LIFE.

One had a shoulder injury from rollerblading and hitting a bump in the sidewalk. She had been in pain for a couple of weeks but was worried as she was supposed to go 4 wheeling on the weekend. She knew her injury had happened on May 16 because that was the day her kid got bitten by the dog.

I had been feeling really lame for 'going to the ER' fully conscious, smiling, in little pain and just unable to walk...but after a couple of hours I felt quite legit and mostly sane.

I still don't think a sandwich, a room (with entertainment) and several cups of water really warranted the $1600 charge though.

At least if I was going to be injured it was doing something 'cool'. I now have a cool story to tell each new Physical Therapist I meet. That is handy, because nothing is quite as humiliating as telling your PT tech that you were rollerblading backwards down the sidewalk.

It is also handy when you plan to blow both ACL's to have to legit Military guys on your team. First the shear strength to play crutches for and second a good healthy dose of macho...nothing like getting your downed buddy out alive. They are good for finding an excellent landing spot for the life flight helicopter and the scouters around will definitely have a mirror for signaling. All important aspects of getting yourself out of one of the most rugged parts of the state. All in all a very memorable day.

Worth a watch

I put this on facebook...but I want all you...my really good friends to watch this. So awesome!


Eric Whitacre: A virtual choir 2,000 voices strong | Video on TED.com