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ABC Meme

by Lucky Red Hen on February 2, 2007

A – Available or Single: Neither, I’m happily married (9yr anniversary this year) to Ben.

B – Best Friend: My Lisa, 10 yrs this year; but I have numerous “besties” (you know who you are).

C – Cake or Pie: Pumpkin pie (anytime of year) or cheesecake (our wedding cake my mom fabulously made; 5 tiers and all handmade). Brownies.

D – Drink of Choice: Lemonade, preferably pink. Raspberry Italian Soda with Cream. Hot chocolate with Postum (lots) or Pero (teaspoon) and hazelnut flavoring.

E – Essential Item You Use Everyday: Computer. On it throughout the day, usually. I should be using my camera everyday (getting my new one on MONDAY – I’m so excited).

F – Favorite Color: To wear, pink and/or brown. To look at, red and/or black.

G – Gummy Bears or Worms: Pronounced “goo-me” (Gumi) in Germany and soft, squishy bears all the way (although I could do without the green ones).

H – Hometown: Don’t have one but some I say are Clovis (6), Spokane (6) and Seattle/Redmond (5); I say I’m from Redmond, WA (born in San Diego).

I – Indulgence: Éclairs; I prefer them naked (without the chocolate on top unless it’s REALLY good chocolate but the grocery stores usually just pile icing on top – barf).

J – January or February: February because it’s closer to getting winter over with. Ben and I celebrate VD either before or after the actual day (14th) but not on Friday or Saturday.

K – Kids and Names: Jack is 7 tomorrow and he’s named after my grandpa who didn’t sire children of his own and Piper who’s a kick in my pants. I hope that there are 2 more out there (but I’m not physically birthing them); a boy that was born in ’01 and his sister who was born in ’02 and they are mentally, emotionally and physically sound (within reason, of course); orphans?

L – Life is Incomplete Without: Faith in Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven. Or Pringles. Or forgiveness. Or Chapstick.

M – Marriage Date: March 28, 1998 (I picked March because it begins with M and the 28th because that’s my birth date in May (write that down because I like gifts if they’re EXACTLY what I ask for or VERY sentimental or thoughtful) – so all Ben needs to do is remember the 28th in any Month that starts with M).

N – Number of Siblings: One younger brother (by 7 yrs), Jason, who was almost Matthew. We’re not uber close but I love him and glad he’s a good guy. Then there are Ben’s siblings: Bridgette & Mark, Britanny & Jake, Brett, Bryant and Brad.

O – Oranges or Apples: Tangerines; sweet & sassy. Love the smell.

P – Phobias or Fears: I don’t do well with heights. My fear is my children getting hurt, maimed or killed (especially in the street).

Q – Fave Quote: You’re unique; just like everyone else. –and- You don’t make time. Time is always there. You just decide what to do with it. – Yours truly

R – Reason to Smile: My children who are the funniest kids I know. Or when my husband makes me laugh (he can really make me bust a gut even though he’s not a comedian).

S – Season: Fall for the crisp air, turning leaves, sweaters, bundling up on the couch, cider, Hot Pumpkin Surprise Cake with fresh whipped cream, sunsets and fireplaces.

T – Tag 3 or 4 People: b., cjane, elpasorepresentyo, formerly phread.

U – Unknown Fact About Me: Not much that people don’t know about me because I’m too honest. I had breast reduction surgery in 1994 and hope to again now that I’m done having kids.

V – Vegetable You Don’t Like: Green peppers; abhor them but wish I liked them.

W – Worst Habit: Chewing my finger skin (not my nails). Buying things on sale BECAUSE they’re on sale (thinking that I’ll have use for them someday).

X – X-rays You’ve Had: As a baby with broken femur, right middle finger (basketball) and back.

Y – Your Fave Food: Anything with a white sauce (preferably Alfredo), medium-rare filet mignon, peanut butter cookies, Tom Kah Gai, Bags of Gold, chocolate & Wendy’s fries (but not all in the same meal).

Z – Zodiac Sign: Gemini but I don’t put much stock in the Zodiac. I do, however, have a fun time with the Chinese New Year. This (2007) is MY year (the Boar) beginning February 18th when it officially begins.

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Don't Mean To Be Rude, but…

by Lucky Red Hen on January 30, 2007

A lot of you know about my slight interest in losing a pant size or 2. ‘Slight interest’ is the term I use because I’m not a) actively seeking, b) working out or c) on some kind of restrictive diet. My philosophy on this journey of mine is that I am paying better attention to what I eat and when. For the most part I’m having a Kirkland weight loss pre-made-in-a-can chocolate drink (like Slim-Fast) for breakfast (instead of my 3 servings-size cereal in milk; granted it’s Kashi Go Lean but still) and usually for lunch too. If I’m running out the door and it’s mealtime, I’ll grab a can to take the edge off so I’m not chowing down through the drive-thru. I have a problem with forgetting to eat. I know a lot of you will roll your eyes over that comment but I just get past the point and get the shakes. Not the hippy–hippy-shakes kind either.

I’m trying to eat more fruits & veggies but during the off-season they’re not as appealing as summertime. Less and less will I chose fried foods, but I still eat them when they’re available (like the fried cauliflower at Lon’s Cookin‘ Shack in Provo or the fried appetizer cone at The Pine restaurant up near SLC).

I don’t believe in denying myself the simple pleasure of food. I DO believe that moderation is the key; you won’t see me at Lon’s every week. Wendy’s is our fast-food of choice where I’ll get the grilled chicken burger with fries and a Sprite or rootbeer. I figure the chicken is better for me than the beef and bacon (which I’ll get from time to time), the fries I just can’t resist (but I don’t supersize) and the non-caffeinated beverages work better with my body. You will NOT find me at McDonald’s unless it’s to get breakfast (that McGriddle is disgustingly yummy).

I’ve gone back and forth between caffeine and not for years – even before I joined my church. Back in the day of hotelier work when I had free access to the soda machine I was ADDICTED to my giant thermal mug of Pepsi. Then I heard some report about how it’s addictive (this was back in, oh, 1992ish) so I changed my habit to milk (had free access to the milk too). Well, that little change ended up being HUGE and I was having KILLER headaches (close to migraine as you could get), the shakes and felt sluggish ALL THE TIME. It was obvious that caffeinated drinks had a powerful hold on how my body operated. It took me a good month to get over that episode (was pretty darned cranky) and since then I’ve gotten back on and off the wagon but never really re-instated the severity. Just recently I had been having about 1 caffeinated pop per day and noticed I wasn’t sleeping through the night and if I woke up to noise or needing to potty (the word we use with the kids but I usually say ‘I gotta pee’) I’d be up for a good couple hours before hitting the pillow hard – then the next day was zombie like. So I stopped pop again recently (switched to Sprite and rootbeer) and have been sleeping harder, through the night, can get back to sleep if I wake up and feel rested in the morning.

Alright, off the caffeine soapbox. Onto the main reason I started this story.

So here I am slowly reducing my pant size (depending on stretch I have dropped 2 sizes) just by adopting the idea of watching what I eat, reducing my calorie intake (I don’t count, I just average but my downfall is portions – I love to keep eating) and paying attention to WHEN I eat (I try not to eat after 7pm). If I worked out I bet it’d be even better but that’s a whole ‘nother story.

Anyway… yesterday I had a photo shoot at 4pm then meeting for carpool to our photographer get-together at 5:45pm. I ran out of the house with everything I needed (including the dry cleaning – the coat from catching the horse and the duvet cover from the dog getting sick, that was grosser than gross) EXCEPT a belt to hold my pants up. One of my pet peeves (I have several, so here’s just one) is having to see people’s butt-cracks or underwear because they can’t keep their pants up without having to hoist them every few minutes. Get a friggin‘ belt, I say! Well, I forgot mine and was in a pickle. Didn’t have time (or gas waste) to run back home and get one of the 7 or so belts I own so I called my dear, sweet friend that lived in the vicinity and about the same size as me. The belt was waiting there when I arrived and I started putting it on. It’s a GOOD belt; brown leather with a strong normal-looking buckle (no frou–frou). Well, I get to the smallest hole and realize that in order for it to work properly (keep my butt-crack hidden) it needed to be a smidgen smaller. Ooh, how am I gonna ask for a smaller belt?

“Um, (insert name here), I don’t mean to be rude or anything but do you happen to have a smaller belt?”

Yeah, no matter how you say it, it still stings. I tried to emphasize that I only needed one more hole smaller, so it wasn’t a lot but then she pointed out that she’s 2 or 3 holes from the smallest. I also reminded her that she just had a baby and has been doing great with her Weight Watchers program (she’s really good about following it, it’s hard for me to commit to). Her hubby ended up poking a hole in the belt and saving the world from my crack.

She hardly ever reads my blog (because she’s hardly ever on the computer) but if she does, or you figure out who I’m talking about, then just know this… I LOVE her and she’s WONDERFUL and MARVELOUS and I like her just the way she is. Oh, and I don’t mean to toot my own horn at her expense; that’s why I’m not mentioning names or posting a picture of her backside (that was her request).

Q: What do you do when you want to share an accomplishment that might hurt the feelings of others? For example… announcing a pregnancy when you have family that struggles to conceive, tell everyone about a promotion when friends can’t find a job, share the happy news of your children’s success when another parent is having trouble with theirs, etc.?

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Eddie, My New Horse

by Lucky Red Hen on January 20, 2007

So I’m driving home tonight, 8:30ish, and about to push the button to open the garage door when I notice something LARGE out of the corner of my eye. We’re on the side of a mountain and have a couple herds of deer that tromp through the neighborhood every single night (especially with all the snow). But this was different.

I slowed down to get a better look to find a friggin’ HORSE wandering through the street. Another car pulled up near him and that got him into a semi-trot. The other car wasn’t willing to get out and catch him so I pulled over and left my car to spend the next 35 minutes harnessing a loose horse in my non-tractioned snow boots (little street sledding ala horse). I called my Bishop (he has horses and lives around the corner) and explained to his wife the situation hoping her husband would have a solution to the loose horse problem. Luckily he, Eddie, had a tag attached to his halter and I called the number.

“Hello?”

Yes, hi. I believe I’ve caught your horse Eddie in my neighborhood.

“What? Oh no, did he get out again?”

Again? Great. So she tells me it’s her mothers and she’s calling her to let her know. Meanwhile the horse is getting antsy and doesn’t want to stand in one spot waiting for his owner to show up so I figure I’ll walk him up and down the streets in my slippery snow boots. He’s minding me pretty well but I wonder if a leash or rope would help. I call my neighbor, Patti, and say, “Hey, Patti, I caught a horse and am outside your house and could use a leash or something to hold onto him.” She says she’ll be right out the garage door. The door opens and it’s her daughter… “What?! It’s a HORSE!” Um, yeah, that’s what I SAID.

Just then the Bishop shows up in his truck with a lead and snaps it on. There’s about 10 people outside now watching the whole fiasco and coming over to pet Eddie. I explain that I’ve reached the owners and they should show up soon. Having spent all that time with Eddie, I kinda want to keep him (I caught him after all) but everyone reminds me that I don’t have a fenced yard and that’d be a problem (yeah, kinda like the one we’re having right now?). Finally the owners daughter shows up with her husband (apparently her mom, the owner, was already asleep and didn’t answer her phone). They thank all of us and go on their merry way with Eddie following.

So for 35 minutes I had a horse.

P.S. If you wonder why I went through the trouble (of getting my dry clean only jacket all horsified); this area has a lot of deer that jump onto the road and get slaughtered (sounds brutal, but that’s what happens and we get to look at the residuals for a couple weeks until the crews come clean them up). All I could think of was this horse getting hit or causing someone else to swerve and have an accident. Wasn’t sure what I was going to DO with the horse once I caught him but I knew it’d be an adventure either way.

Q: You ever catch a random loose horse? I can’t be the only one.

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Apology Link

by Lucky Red Hen on January 18, 2007

Found this post about apology today.
“It takes a strong person to say sorry but it takes a stronger person to admit fault.”
—Lucky Red Hen

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Clutter

by Lucky Red Hen on January 16, 2007

“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind,
of what then is an empty desk?”
— Albert Einstein

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Parent vs. Public Opinion

by Lucky Red Hen on January 15, 2007

This little girl will never mentally or expressively develop past a 3 month old baby.

What are your thoughts about the situation? What would YOU do if it was your child?

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To Treat or Not To Treat

by Lucky Red Hen on January 11, 2007

Last night I was the guest teacher of fourteen 8-11 year old girls from church. We had the meeting at my house since it’s easier to SHOW organization than explain it (to me anyway).

As they entered my home I asked them to kindly remove their shoes (if you’re an adult I don’t ask you to) then have a seat in the living room. A few ran right downstairs another few over to my kitchen counter and a handful listened and sat on the couch. We rounded them up and I explained what was expected of them while at my house: we have original artwork so be careful and do not touch or lick (you never know).

We started in the kitchen where I showed them our candy buckets (there are 2.5 large containers of pretty-much every candy known to man) and said,

“If y’all behave, then you get to have a treat out of the bucket and the best behaved gets first pick.”

Throughout the lesson, as we toured my house and I explained ways to organize, there were some down-right unruly girls that thought they had to entertain everyone. They talked over each other and me, opened drawers to see what was in them, touched stuff, ran around and jumped into a bed – under the covers (there were 3 of them that did that).

By the time we got to the basement, I about had enough of little girls.

To be fair, not ALL of them were horrendous, but the ones were so much so that it was difficult to notice the girls who were behaving. Time was not up yet but I was. As they gathered onto the couch and quieted down a titch I went into my spiel about how shocked and amazed at how disrespectful, rude and obnoxious most of them had been. Silence. A few squealed that they were being good (of course they weren’t the ones REALLY being good because the ones REALLY being good wouldn’t say that). A couple gave excuses why they were naughty (she started it, I’m never like this at home or at school, we always act like this). The good girls sat doe-eyed staring right at me. Then I told them that there will NOT be any treats from me tonight because they didn’t deserve it. Squawk. Squeal.

“But you TOLD us we’d get to have treats.”

Yes, I did but I also said you have to behave in order to get some.

“You already went through the trouble to make them so we should get to at least take one home.”

Um, no. You’re not getting rewarded for acting so rude.

“What if we behave right now, then can we have some.”

No. You are NOT getting any treats tonight. So stop asking.

“Well, you should at least give treats to the girls who didn’t misbehave.”

Nobody is getting treats; you ruined it for everyone.

I seriously was beside myself with their behavior. Seriously.

I tried to finish what I had to say, asking them questions about their rooms and what to do with all their stuff and THEN they tried to behave acting all sweet. At the very end I told them that even though I was flabbergasted at their behavior I still loved them and because I was upset with how the evening turned out I still think they’re great people but that they have some behavior issues to work on. I told them that hopefully they’ll remember that it was a bummer they didn’t get treats and next time they’ll be better behaved.

So tonight I went to the 7 girls’ houses that WERE well-behaved and told their parents in front of them that I was thankful they were so nice to have over and it wasn’t fair the naughty girls spoiled it and I gave them a treat as a thank you for their good behavior. One of the parents that came to pick up her 2 girls got a report of how her girls behaved and she was thankful to know that. I don’t think every mother would’ve agreed with my solution.

What would you have done?

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Tomorrow

by Lucky Red Hen on January 10, 2007

I’m having trouble lately.

I’ve been so busy (a busy-body really) that I haven’t been going to bed until tomorrow when I’m really sleepy 3 hours beforehand.

I know it’s just a habit, and a bad one at that. I suppose it could be worse. I could chew my toenails (I don’t, if you must know).

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