Joe and I had a great trip to Utah. We arrived on Christmas eve a little later than expected because of delays (possibly weather related), but we were greeted by my sister (sister #1) and her family and whisked away to the house of another of my sisters (sister #2) for dinner. People were ready to eat (and a few already were) when we arrived, and so we didn't have to wait for food, which was nice. We had some really great food (pork tenderloins, stuffing, potatoes, etc) and it was like no time had passed since I saw my family. Dysfunctional as we may be, I love them so much! I wish they could've all been there! But I digress...
We stayed at the new home of another of my sisters (sister #3) for the first few days of our trip. Even though she has a 3-year-old and a 9- or 10-month-old, it wasn't too hectic, and Joe and I found it enjoyable and relaxing. She and her husband were wonderful hosts and they kept us well fed.
On Christmas, we watched their kids open presents and the adults all got some presents too. Joe and I were expecting to maybe have one or two presents to open (from my parents, since we'd already exchanged gifts with his family and each other), but in addition to the gifts my parents gave us (one to him, two to me, and one for both of us), I got a gift from sister #2 later that day. Sister #3 (the one whose house we were staying at) hosted Christmas dinner, and we enjoyed pasta, homemade pizza, and lots of spinach & artichoke dip. Then we played some games and chatted and had a great time.
The following night was dinner at sister #1's house, which we got to after being dropped off by sister #3 to sister #2's house to carpool (are you lost yet?). My parents and another sister (sister #4) and her family were staying with them. We had Mexican food. Again, everything was delicious! I could've sat there and eaten tons of homemade tortillas, but I decided to stick with a more well-rounded meal. We played more games and then headed back to sister #3's house to sleep.
Saturday we went to PF Chang's for dinner after running some errands and relaxing at sister #3's house. We switched places with my parents for the rest of the trip, so we were now staying at sister #1's house with sister #4 and her family while my parents stayed with sister #3. We did this because we had plans to go to Joe's sister's house to spend Sunday with her and her family.
We went to church with Joe's sister and had lunch and dinner there. We also played some games with her family and then headed home. Once arriving back at sister #1's house, we played the Newlywed Game with sister #1 and sister #4 and their spouses. It was a lot of fun.
Because of a late night on Sunday, Joe and I slept in until about 9:30 am (which was far less than 8 hours of sleep!). We decided we needed to have some Sonic on our trip, so my brother-in-law drove us there. About two hours later, he and my sister (sister #1) took us to Salt Lake to have lunch with one of my other sisters (sister #2) and her husband before being dropped off at the airport.
We were exhausted when we got home, but we were glad to have that vacation and get to see so much family. We were happy to be home sleeping in our own bed last night, and we were happy to see our kittens. They survived and didn't tear the place up while we were gone, which is a good thing. And other than a few very small patches of snow, that is all melted, which was another nice thing to come home to.
In other notes... we played a game called Scruples, which is referred to by members of my family as "the sleep on the couch game." There wasn't a whole lot of arguing between couples, but I did get frustrated and quit at the end when everyone ganged up on me. In my defense, I was so sick of playing and just wanted to win (which I apparently wouldn't have).
Also, I ate more than enough junk food (candy and fudge, mostly) to make up for my lack of such indulgences the rest of the Christmas season. I wouldn't be surprised if I gained 3-5 pounds this trip.
In addition, I disobeyed the doctor's instructions to wear an ace bandage and use a crutch to help my healing ankle (a snow-related accident with a horribly boring story). It still hurts on occasion, but it seems to be doing a lot better.
I played Guitar Hero World Tour for the Wii and found it quite fun. If I had that sort of game or even Rock Band for the XBox, I would probably play a lot more, so I guess it's a good thing I don't.
Pre-made plans don't always work out, and that's okay. We were supposed to do some scrapbooking, but we never got around to it. I did, however, come prepared with the 2 pages that were suggested to give to my siblings for their scrapbooks. One of those pages was our Christmas letter with the picture on it, and the other was a picture collage I put together into a word document. I found it quite humorous when I heard the following from my oldest sister (sister #1): "Lisa (sister #2) called me and said she was very concerned about you because of the picture in your Christmas letter." Apparently, she wasn't sure whether or not I was serious in that photo and thought I was turning into my mother or something. So, I wanted to assure everyone that the picture was taken in jest and is in no way, shape, or form serious. In fact, we have decided to start a new Christmas tradition of awful sweatshirt/sweater pictures to include with Christmas cards. I already have a great/awful idea for next year's photo.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Winter Storms
They're coming my way. I may lose power. I don't know how long, but apparently power was lost for up to 8 days for some people living near me in 2006, and this storm is supposed to have a bigger impact than that storm. We could get anywhere from 3-8 inches of snow. So church will probably be cancelled again. We now have firewood for our fireplace if the heat goes out, and some food that doesn't need to be heated. Whee! So, I'll write more when I can. TTFN!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Merry Christmas!
I haven't written for a while because I've been busy and yet nothing has really happened. Last Sunday, we woke up to snow and church was cancelled. Joe was sort of bummed, because he was all ready for church and just about to head out the door when he got the call, so he had to make several phone calls to pass the word around.
But since we had the day free, it was nice spending some time together. We even invited over a few friends from the ward and played games. We had a great time, and I was more than happy to share my chocolate chip cookies with others so I didn't end up eating them all!
The whole week has been cold with icy and/or snowy streets, so I have stayed inside more or less all week. Today there's sun out, but the cold is keeping the snow around. In fact, a lot of it may turn to ice and then we're expecting more snow and freezing rain on Sunday which can make the roads slippery and dangerous. No thank you! I'm glad I work at home so I don't have to brave the streets like I did last year when I swear I almost killed myself.
And on the plus side, Joe was let out of work early yesterday because of the weather. He drove slowly and carefully home and stayed here the rest of the day. It was kind of weird having him here while I was working to have him greet me after my work day, but it was nice. He got today off because of the weather too, and I'm sure he's been playing Xbox games just about all day long.
Since we finally got our Christmas letters out, I figure it's safe to post the picture we sent out with it here. I hate this picture, but I love it too. Yes, it was supposed to be purposefully bad, but I was still hoping for something a little better. Still, you can see most of the awesome badness of my holiday sweater I found at the local thrift store (we got the mugs and wreath there too). I already have a great idea for our next Christmas letter photo, and I'm keeping my eye out for some tacky/festive/bad/scary sweaters to replace these, or we might be sporting them next year too.
We've had a memorable year, with our honeymoon, move, break-in attempt, job changes, kittens, and everything else life has thrown at us. We're excited for Christmas and the chance we have to spend it with some family, and we hope to be able to spend time with our family next year too. We hope next year is full of fun surprises for us and you as well.
But since we had the day free, it was nice spending some time together. We even invited over a few friends from the ward and played games. We had a great time, and I was more than happy to share my chocolate chip cookies with others so I didn't end up eating them all!
The whole week has been cold with icy and/or snowy streets, so I have stayed inside more or less all week. Today there's sun out, but the cold is keeping the snow around. In fact, a lot of it may turn to ice and then we're expecting more snow and freezing rain on Sunday which can make the roads slippery and dangerous. No thank you! I'm glad I work at home so I don't have to brave the streets like I did last year when I swear I almost killed myself.
And on the plus side, Joe was let out of work early yesterday because of the weather. He drove slowly and carefully home and stayed here the rest of the day. It was kind of weird having him here while I was working to have him greet me after my work day, but it was nice. He got today off because of the weather too, and I'm sure he's been playing Xbox games just about all day long.
Since we finally got our Christmas letters out, I figure it's safe to post the picture we sent out with it here. I hate this picture, but I love it too. Yes, it was supposed to be purposefully bad, but I was still hoping for something a little better. Still, you can see most of the awesome badness of my holiday sweater I found at the local thrift store (we got the mugs and wreath there too). I already have a great idea for our next Christmas letter photo, and I'm keeping my eye out for some tacky/festive/bad/scary sweaters to replace these, or we might be sporting them next year too.
We've had a memorable year, with our honeymoon, move, break-in attempt, job changes, kittens, and everything else life has thrown at us. We're excited for Christmas and the chance we have to spend it with some family, and we hope to be able to spend time with our family next year too. We hope next year is full of fun surprises for us and you as well.
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Saving Money, Saving Sanity
My friend Katz posted a blog here where she shared some of the things she's doing to help save money. She asked others for their input, and when I started thinking about what to write, I realized it was enough to fill a post, so here goes...
I am not the most frugal person. I am not very thrifty at all. But some of my mom's good habits have rubbed off on me. To be honest, when I think about being good with money, I often think of my sister Karri as my role model. She got almost the same degree as I did without student loan debt at the end of her program because of her thrifty ways. And she and her husband have some really good financial ideas and investments. I want to be like her in so many ways.
Anyway, I feel like a big part of saving money requires organization and planning. I remember my mom used to cut coupons and scour the grocery ads for deals, often going to many different grocery stores. I tend to stick to one grocery store, but I have been known to hit up more than one and bring coupons to help cut some costs. In addition, I've recently started doing some menu planning. I used to eat solely based on what I FELT like eating, making food related to how I was feeling. But food isn't supposed to replace therapy or friendships or other things that affect your mood. It's supposed to sustain you. Planning has helped me remember this, and I can plan based on what I already have in the house as well as what I have coupons for or what's on sale, which is a bonus. And, planning ahead helped me get some Martinelli's apple cider for Thanksgiving (what we were told to bring) at $2 a bottle instead of the later sale price that was $2.50 at one time and $3.00 at another time, or even paying full price when it's not on sale.
Joe and I used to each get $20 a week for lunch and $20 a week for allowance. We've stopped both those habits (although I think the allowance is a good habit we should restart to avoid over-spending), and we instead talk about purchases before making them (usually). Instead of spending $40 a week on lunches, we now spend significantly less. I buy frozen entrees for Joe to take with him to work. They are usually $1-$2 each, which is a heck of a lot cheaper. And with me working from home now, I grab leftovers or a sandwich or something like that for lunch, which also helps me avoid the snack machine temptations and other temptations that were around my office (HELLO Specialty's Cafe & Bakery!).
We use Netflix, and we use it enough to justify the expense. The movies we watch take up time we would've spent watching movies anyway, but we're often watching at home instead of spending just shy of $20 by going to the theater.
I also combine my errands to try to make fewer trips, another habit I picked up from my mother. If I know I have to go to a certain area for something, I see what else I might need to do/get in that same area.
We reviewed our cell phone plans and joined into a family plan, saving us quite a bit of dough. When we found we weren't using nearly as many minutes as we had combined, we saved money by switching plans yet again. We downgraded our cable bill by comparison shopping (it's amazing the kinds of deals you can get when they think they'll lose your business!) and getting rid of some channels we never watch. We tend to drive my car instead of his car (mine has better gas mileage and uses cheaper gas than his) when we're together. We take the bus (sometimes, but not frequently) or we walk when we can and it is feasible.
We don't eat out nearly as much as we used to. We don't go out for dates tons, and we don't spend tons of money usually when we do. And we're currently working on a budget. With the money we save, we set it aside so it doesn't just get spent on something else. Saving money helped us buy a lot of (needed!) new furniture recently (which is finally being delivered this week!).
Lastly (for now), I purchase some things off-season and shop second-hand stores sometimes during a particular season. We're thinking about buying a pre-lit Christmas tree after Christmas so we'll have it for next year. I've bought a lot of discounted decorations that way. We still have some candy canes from last year that were super cheap (and they give hot chocolate a great flavor when melted in it!).
But I'm not super thrifty by any means. And I know some of you are. What do you do to help you save money and your sanity?
I am not the most frugal person. I am not very thrifty at all. But some of my mom's good habits have rubbed off on me. To be honest, when I think about being good with money, I often think of my sister Karri as my role model. She got almost the same degree as I did without student loan debt at the end of her program because of her thrifty ways. And she and her husband have some really good financial ideas and investments. I want to be like her in so many ways.
Anyway, I feel like a big part of saving money requires organization and planning. I remember my mom used to cut coupons and scour the grocery ads for deals, often going to many different grocery stores. I tend to stick to one grocery store, but I have been known to hit up more than one and bring coupons to help cut some costs. In addition, I've recently started doing some menu planning. I used to eat solely based on what I FELT like eating, making food related to how I was feeling. But food isn't supposed to replace therapy or friendships or other things that affect your mood. It's supposed to sustain you. Planning has helped me remember this, and I can plan based on what I already have in the house as well as what I have coupons for or what's on sale, which is a bonus. And, planning ahead helped me get some Martinelli's apple cider for Thanksgiving (what we were told to bring) at $2 a bottle instead of the later sale price that was $2.50 at one time and $3.00 at another time, or even paying full price when it's not on sale.
Joe and I used to each get $20 a week for lunch and $20 a week for allowance. We've stopped both those habits (although I think the allowance is a good habit we should restart to avoid over-spending), and we instead talk about purchases before making them (usually). Instead of spending $40 a week on lunches, we now spend significantly less. I buy frozen entrees for Joe to take with him to work. They are usually $1-$2 each, which is a heck of a lot cheaper. And with me working from home now, I grab leftovers or a sandwich or something like that for lunch, which also helps me avoid the snack machine temptations and other temptations that were around my office (HELLO Specialty's Cafe & Bakery!).
We use Netflix, and we use it enough to justify the expense. The movies we watch take up time we would've spent watching movies anyway, but we're often watching at home instead of spending just shy of $20 by going to the theater.
I also combine my errands to try to make fewer trips, another habit I picked up from my mother. If I know I have to go to a certain area for something, I see what else I might need to do/get in that same area.
We reviewed our cell phone plans and joined into a family plan, saving us quite a bit of dough. When we found we weren't using nearly as many minutes as we had combined, we saved money by switching plans yet again. We downgraded our cable bill by comparison shopping (it's amazing the kinds of deals you can get when they think they'll lose your business!) and getting rid of some channels we never watch. We tend to drive my car instead of his car (mine has better gas mileage and uses cheaper gas than his) when we're together. We take the bus (sometimes, but not frequently) or we walk when we can and it is feasible.
We don't eat out nearly as much as we used to. We don't go out for dates tons, and we don't spend tons of money usually when we do. And we're currently working on a budget. With the money we save, we set it aside so it doesn't just get spent on something else. Saving money helped us buy a lot of (needed!) new furniture recently (which is finally being delivered this week!).
Lastly (for now), I purchase some things off-season and shop second-hand stores sometimes during a particular season. We're thinking about buying a pre-lit Christmas tree after Christmas so we'll have it for next year. I've bought a lot of discounted decorations that way. We still have some candy canes from last year that were super cheap (and they give hot chocolate a great flavor when melted in it!).
But I'm not super thrifty by any means. And I know some of you are. What do you do to help you save money and your sanity?
Monday, December 8, 2008
Mini-vacation
Joe and I usually only have Sundays off together, but we were able to spend Friday evening and Saturday together this past weekend as well, which was quite nice. Because of this rare opportunity coupled with stress we've both been experiencing, we decided to take a mini-vacation. It was very nice being able to spend time just the two of us together.
We drove to Seattle on Friday and stayed in a hotel not far from the Seattle Center and Westlake Center. We were fairly hungry shortly after we arrived, so we decided to walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner. We looked at the list of suggested places to eat that was provided by the hotel, and we decided on one we actually knew how to get to from walking without looking up directions. It was described as a 24-hour diner, so we were thinking it'd be something like Denny's. The name of the place is 13 Coins, and it far exceeded any of our expectations. Joe had a philly cheesesteak sandwich and I had some spinach stuffed ravioli. Delish!
Saturday we went on the Duck Tour. It wasn't as informative as I had hoped, but it was nice being able to see different parts of downtown Seattle and spend some time on the water. We did get to see the house on the water that is the Sleepless in Seattle house and some other historic sites. After the Duck Tour, we visited Pike Place Market and had some amazing donuts (the tour guide from the Duck Tour recommended the donuts) and did some browsing. We stopped by a toy store in Pioneer Square and got a great lunch at Speciality's Cafe & Bakery. Then we headed to Westlake Center and walked around. I saw a store the offered extra dark hot chocolate, and it was like heaven in my mouth! Afterward, we went back to the hotel and hung out a bit before going to see a disappointing Christmas show (we left in intermission). But we had a very nice day.
My mother-in-law asked me yesterday what my favorite part about the day/trip was and it was just being able to spend time with my husband making some memories together and just relaxing. It was just the kind of mini-vacation I needed.
We are excited to take a vacation later this month to see some of my family and some of Joe's family for Christmas, but it was nice to be able to spend some time together alone.
If anyone wants a mini-vacation (or longer) and needs a place to stay, you are always welcome here!
It's nice having today off work too, but there are lots of errands to run, and the kittens are currently at the vet getting immunizations, fixed, and declawed. I'm sad that they might be in pain, but it'll be nice not to have our couch (or curtains or other furniture) scratched up any more than they already have been by the kittens.
I'm also excited that I've made a new friend at church. We're going to start walking together (starting today) and she's really sweet and cool.
We drove to Seattle on Friday and stayed in a hotel not far from the Seattle Center and Westlake Center. We were fairly hungry shortly after we arrived, so we decided to walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner. We looked at the list of suggested places to eat that was provided by the hotel, and we decided on one we actually knew how to get to from walking without looking up directions. It was described as a 24-hour diner, so we were thinking it'd be something like Denny's. The name of the place is 13 Coins, and it far exceeded any of our expectations. Joe had a philly cheesesteak sandwich and I had some spinach stuffed ravioli. Delish!
Saturday we went on the Duck Tour. It wasn't as informative as I had hoped, but it was nice being able to see different parts of downtown Seattle and spend some time on the water. We did get to see the house on the water that is the Sleepless in Seattle house and some other historic sites. After the Duck Tour, we visited Pike Place Market and had some amazing donuts (the tour guide from the Duck Tour recommended the donuts) and did some browsing. We stopped by a toy store in Pioneer Square and got a great lunch at Speciality's Cafe & Bakery. Then we headed to Westlake Center and walked around. I saw a store the offered extra dark hot chocolate, and it was like heaven in my mouth! Afterward, we went back to the hotel and hung out a bit before going to see a disappointing Christmas show (we left in intermission). But we had a very nice day.
My mother-in-law asked me yesterday what my favorite part about the day/trip was and it was just being able to spend time with my husband making some memories together and just relaxing. It was just the kind of mini-vacation I needed.
We are excited to take a vacation later this month to see some of my family and some of Joe's family for Christmas, but it was nice to be able to spend some time together alone.
If anyone wants a mini-vacation (or longer) and needs a place to stay, you are always welcome here!
It's nice having today off work too, but there are lots of errands to run, and the kittens are currently at the vet getting immunizations, fixed, and declawed. I'm sad that they might be in pain, but it'll be nice not to have our couch (or curtains or other furniture) scratched up any more than they already have been by the kittens.
I'm also excited that I've made a new friend at church. We're going to start walking together (starting today) and she's really sweet and cool.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Parenting Tips
I grew up in a home with about a billion kids. We kids joked that my parents must've been looking for cheap(ish) labor when they had all of us. After all, replacing the roof was probably a lot cheaper (even if it did take approximately 242 times as long as it otherwise would have and required a trip to the ER and surgery when my sister fell off the roof), and I'm sure adding 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a basement would've cost more than it did too (I was too young to remember the injuries sustained there, but I'm sure there were some then too). Then there are the everyday and weekly chores we completed, gardening when we were younger, and free babysitting that the older siblings provided for the younger siblings. Hello child labor!
I often find myself thinking about how I was raised. I think I turned out okay, despite what my therapist might think (just kidding; I don't have a therapist...yet).
Anyway, I honestly believe that the people I know who are parents do the best they can with the skills and resources they have. And they seem like really good parents, for the most part. Of course, that doesn't mean they don't make mistakes. I can think of several things I'd like to do differently than my parents did, but maybe that's just me and this psychobabble I've been brainwashed with in school. That doesn't mean I think my parents were terrible parents (and they still play the parental role quite frequently, although I am weaned off the teat and the wallet for the most part).
My mother-in-law and I recently had a conversation about the different ways we were raised and it sounds like she thinks the way she was raised was much better than the way anyone else in the universe could possibly ever be raised. She wrote down some parenting basics from her mother, her father, and herself and emailed them to me and others. I can imagine what she was thinking: "My unborn grandchildren are in grave danger of being neglected/abused/raised by a monkey! There is work to do, and stat! Gotta do some flinging at the monkey in hopes some will stick before the monks/monkettes are being fermented/scarred for life!" Then one of her far superiorly raised sisters added some tips of her own and emailed them (this was promptly forwarded to me as well). I realized people like to talk about how much more they know about things than I do. After all, I'm almost a certifiable idiot! I make up words like superiorly and monkettes. Help! Do it for the chilluns!
So, my question to you parents is this: what words of wisdom do you have to share with a gal like me who wants to emulate things I've seen/heard others do? I guess the non-parents can respond too, because we don't only have terrible ideas (right? Or is this idea another one of my dur-dur-dur flashes of "brilliance" only a mother couldlove tolerate?).
Tell me what you do that is wonderful. I want to learn from your experiences! I want to take your knowledge, wisdom, creativity, etc and soak it in like a sponge so I don't end up a horrible failure as a parent (no, this isn't an announcement). After all, I'd like your kids to want to babysit for my kids one day, and we all know how much it can suck the life out of you to babysit someone who is a terror in motion! Hopefully they'll allow me to pay them with baked goods or something. After all, I believe in supporting child labor but don't want to break the bank! More money for me to save for a therapist. We all know I could use some therapizing.
I often find myself thinking about how I was raised. I think I turned out okay, despite what my therapist might think (just kidding; I don't have a therapist...yet).
Anyway, I honestly believe that the people I know who are parents do the best they can with the skills and resources they have. And they seem like really good parents, for the most part. Of course, that doesn't mean they don't make mistakes. I can think of several things I'd like to do differently than my parents did, but maybe that's just me and this psychobabble I've been brainwashed with in school. That doesn't mean I think my parents were terrible parents (and they still play the parental role quite frequently, although I am weaned off the teat and the wallet for the most part).
My mother-in-law and I recently had a conversation about the different ways we were raised and it sounds like she thinks the way she was raised was much better than the way anyone else in the universe could possibly ever be raised. She wrote down some parenting basics from her mother, her father, and herself and emailed them to me and others. I can imagine what she was thinking: "My unborn grandchildren are in grave danger of being neglected/abused/raised by a monkey! There is work to do, and stat! Gotta do some flinging at the monkey in hopes some will stick before the monks/monkettes are being fermented/scarred for life!" Then one of her far superiorly raised sisters added some tips of her own and emailed them (this was promptly forwarded to me as well). I realized people like to talk about how much more they know about things than I do. After all, I'm almost a certifiable idiot! I make up words like superiorly and monkettes. Help! Do it for the chilluns!
So, my question to you parents is this: what words of wisdom do you have to share with a gal like me who wants to emulate things I've seen/heard others do? I guess the non-parents can respond too, because we don't only have terrible ideas (right? Or is this idea another one of my dur-dur-dur flashes of "brilliance" only a mother could
Tell me what you do that is wonderful. I want to learn from your experiences! I want to take your knowledge, wisdom, creativity, etc and soak it in like a sponge so I don't end up a horrible failure as a parent (no, this isn't an announcement). After all, I'd like your kids to want to babysit for my kids one day, and we all know how much it can suck the life out of you to babysit someone who is a terror in motion! Hopefully they'll allow me to pay them with baked goods or something. After all, I believe in supporting child labor but don't want to break the bank! More money for me to save for a therapist. We all know I could use some therapizing.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
I DID IT!!!
I am so happy! It was a rough month without adding this to my plate, but I'm so glad I did it. I'm very proud of myself. I wrote a novel- start to finish- no outline or anything- in 30 days. It's a rough first draft, but it's halfway decent.
Now maybe I'll get some motivation to continue working on the other novels I've been working on forever!
Joe and I also saved a lot of money in November for that challenge as well. We don't have the final tally yet, but it was close to or over $1000. here are some things we did to save money:
Sold the entry bench & LoveSac
Sold some DVDs
Worked LOTS of overtime
Didn't eat out as much
And with that money we saved, we found we had enough money to purchase some big-item things we'd been wanting. Within the next week or two, we will get a new couch, love seat, chair, and ottoman. We purchased a free-standing mirror for the bedroom and a bar set for our kitchen. It's great!
In addition, on Friday night, Joe and I went to his mom & step-dad's house so I could interview his mother for the National Day of Listening. It was a great experience, and we took turns interviewing each other until all four of us had been interviewed. Then we had a good conversation before calling it a (late) night.
It has been a stressful month and I've complained a lot, but I made it through. Most of my Christmas shopping is done already, and we're not getting a tree this year since we'll be out of town (we may buy a fake tree after Christmas to keep for future years), but we put up some lights outside and did a little decorating inside (very little, but better than none). We are looking forward to our trip to Utah to see family!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The kittens
My sister-in-law and her family are here.
They brought their dog, Maggie.
My kittens have never been around a dog.
They were not happy to see Maggie.
I was holding one of my kittens when she saw Maggie.
I have a bruise and puncture wound where the kitten responded when she saw Maggie.
They are going to be declawed soon.
At least they're not running away and scratching as much when the dog comes in the room now.
They're getting so big. Joe calls them each "The Kitty," instead of their real names, and I often call them each "My Baby," so we probably really confuse them sometimes.
Inspector Cassandra Cuddle Bunny (or Sandy for short) seems to know her name and often comes when called, like a dog. Not always, because she likes to do what she wants to do. She does seem to understand the word "no" also. That doesn't keep her from scratching our couch up and returning to the scene of the crime to scratch more of it shortly after she stops when being told "no" anyway.
Ashley (or Ash for short) usually is the more rambunctious of the two. She is stubborn, often trying to get up on the countertops and bites and scratches more. She loves to play.
Ashley (or Ash for short) usually is the more rambunctious of the two. She is stubborn, often trying to get up on the countertops and bites and scratches more. She loves to play.Here's the vicious monster-dog, Maggie:
Listen.
November 28th is the first National Day of Listening. Click here for more information. I think it's a good idea, and I plan on participating. Of course, I listen every day, as part of my job and counseling skills, but this is much more than that. I'm thinking maybe my MIL or my husband or maybe even a neighbor.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
And... "relax"
At work, I have the opportunity to participate in a trial for group stress calls. Stress is probably something I hear in over 90% of my calls as something that makes it difficult for someone to quit smoking or to stay quit once they've stopped. When getting background information and I ask them what brought them back to smoking when they've tried to quit, stress is the #1 answer I hear. So, the idea of this is pretty fun for me.
Plus, I figured that I could personally use some stress-management techniques. Well, what I've "learned" really isn't anything new, but it is a good reminder. I've been trying to put those ideas into action. So far, they haven't really helped me lower my stress levels, but they have helped me to calm down briefly in the moment instead of being so reactionary.
It's been a very busy couple of weeks for me. In addition to planning for the holiday dinner and then the quilting event, I also had to do some visiting teaching on 3 separate(!) days this week. Yes, I was busy with something church-related outside of the home 4 days other than Sunday this week. Plus, if I was actually fulfilling my other calling, I think I would've had things to do related to that Thursday night, Friday night, and tonight (I already had things going on Thursday and Friday). Joe apparently told someone at church in the bishopric a couple weeks ago that these 2 callings may be too much for me, and it's his opinion that they haven't set me apart yet because maybe they're trying to find someone else to be the Young Women's Athletic Director. My other calling is more than enough work in and of itself!
Well, I guess we'll see. I didn't go to the Regional Volleyball Tournament, but there wouldn't have been anything for me to do since they already have a coach and I haven't been involved in their volleyball season, but if I was supposed to be involved, no one told me. In fact, I only spoke briefly with the Young Women's President once about the calling, and she said something about getting me prepped for basketball in January. Apparently she thinks I'm supposed to coach the girls. Ha! Just because I watch basketball (and very infrequently now) doesn't mean I know a THING about coaching or even various positions.
So, it'd be nice to think I get a break now after such hard work, but I'm afraid that break might only be a week or two, because there are already other things coming down the pipeline for December.
But, I'm feeling better. Just some deep breaths and now "relax."
Plus, I figured that I could personally use some stress-management techniques. Well, what I've "learned" really isn't anything new, but it is a good reminder. I've been trying to put those ideas into action. So far, they haven't really helped me lower my stress levels, but they have helped me to calm down briefly in the moment instead of being so reactionary.
It's been a very busy couple of weeks for me. In addition to planning for the holiday dinner and then the quilting event, I also had to do some visiting teaching on 3 separate(!) days this week. Yes, I was busy with something church-related outside of the home 4 days other than Sunday this week. Plus, if I was actually fulfilling my other calling, I think I would've had things to do related to that Thursday night, Friday night, and tonight (I already had things going on Thursday and Friday). Joe apparently told someone at church in the bishopric a couple weeks ago that these 2 callings may be too much for me, and it's his opinion that they haven't set me apart yet because maybe they're trying to find someone else to be the Young Women's Athletic Director. My other calling is more than enough work in and of itself!
Well, I guess we'll see. I didn't go to the Regional Volleyball Tournament, but there wouldn't have been anything for me to do since they already have a coach and I haven't been involved in their volleyball season, but if I was supposed to be involved, no one told me. In fact, I only spoke briefly with the Young Women's President once about the calling, and she said something about getting me prepped for basketball in January. Apparently she thinks I'm supposed to coach the girls. Ha! Just because I watch basketball (and very infrequently now) doesn't mean I know a THING about coaching or even various positions.
So, it'd be nice to think I get a break now after such hard work, but I'm afraid that break might only be a week or two, because there are already other things coming down the pipeline for December.
But, I'm feeling better. Just some deep breaths and now "relax."
Friday, November 21, 2008
You're rich!
If you don't think so, check out this website.
Sometimes a little perspective helps me feel better/more grateful/spoiled.
We extended opportunities to the women at church to help out with needs in our area. One of those opportunities was for quilting (and all you had to do was tie quilts- even I was able to do that, and I'm craft-retarded). I went mostly because I was basically told it had to be done and no one else was willing to do it (good old church callings!). Well, I found someone who actually knew something about quilting who was willing to kind of take over the night of, because I really didn't know what I was doing. And I found someone else who also enjoys quilting who was planning on coming. I was feeling pretty good about it.
And then they were the only 2 people who showed up. Pathetic. Infuriating. Disappointing. Angering. Loathing. Agitating.
Where the *expletive deleted* were all the other women who have so much? Is an hour of their time too precious to help out a suffering human being? They don't have enough themselves to be able to help others? Not even when all it takes is TYING A FREAKING BABY QUILT?
Well, I took the 3 baby quilts that were tied Wednesday night to the house of an older woman in church who volunteered to sew up the edges with her machine just yesterday afternoon. She called back just a couple hours later with them done. Not a big sacrifice for her, but at least she was willing to help and opened her yapper to volunteer when I said, "Hey, there's this big need. I'll even call or email you with reminders and there will be treats. There's a sign-up sheet going around. Please sign up."
I can't even get the women at church to fill out a stupid, simple, basic survey to let me know what they're WILLING and ABLE to do. Are they too concerned that they'll actually have to commit to helping someone else out if they admit a talent/ability? Are they too lazy/rude/disinterested/self-serving/selfish/etc to even take that little effort to complete the survey and expect me to telepathically know everything about them, their wants, their needs, their skills?
This is a big reason why I've been so frustrated.
At least I had some help. And we had a lovely time chatting and munching on the snacks I so generously provided.
I am still pissed just thinking about it. I don't want to be a part of this group of women if this is how they conduct themselves. Those 3 women who ended up helping (and those who can honestly say in their heart that they would've if they could've, but for whatever reason couldn't) excluded.
/rant
Sometimes a little perspective helps me feel better/more grateful/spoiled.
We extended opportunities to the women at church to help out with needs in our area. One of those opportunities was for quilting (and all you had to do was tie quilts- even I was able to do that, and I'm craft-retarded). I went mostly because I was basically told it had to be done and no one else was willing to do it (good old church callings!). Well, I found someone who actually knew something about quilting who was willing to kind of take over the night of, because I really didn't know what I was doing. And I found someone else who also enjoys quilting who was planning on coming. I was feeling pretty good about it.
And then they were the only 2 people who showed up. Pathetic. Infuriating. Disappointing. Angering. Loathing. Agitating.
Where the *expletive deleted* were all the other women who have so much? Is an hour of their time too precious to help out a suffering human being? They don't have enough themselves to be able to help others? Not even when all it takes is TYING A FREAKING BABY QUILT?
Well, I took the 3 baby quilts that were tied Wednesday night to the house of an older woman in church who volunteered to sew up the edges with her machine just yesterday afternoon. She called back just a couple hours later with them done. Not a big sacrifice for her, but at least she was willing to help and opened her yapper to volunteer when I said, "Hey, there's this big need. I'll even call or email you with reminders and there will be treats. There's a sign-up sheet going around. Please sign up."
I can't even get the women at church to fill out a stupid, simple, basic survey to let me know what they're WILLING and ABLE to do. Are they too concerned that they'll actually have to commit to helping someone else out if they admit a talent/ability? Are they too lazy/rude/disinterested/self-serving/selfish/etc to even take that little effort to complete the survey and expect me to telepathically know everything about them, their wants, their needs, their skills?
This is a big reason why I've been so frustrated.
At least I had some help. And we had a lovely time chatting and munching on the snacks I so generously provided.
I am still pissed just thinking about it. I don't want to be a part of this group of women if this is how they conduct themselves. Those 3 women who ended up helping (and those who can honestly say in their heart that they would've if they could've, but for whatever reason couldn't) excluded.
/rant
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The end of my rope
Lord, please bless me with patience. Lord, please give me the strength to endure when I feel like quitting, like giving up. Please help me not to reach through this phone and strangle this person because I'm already frustrated. Please help me get through this minute, this hour, this work shift, this day, this week, this month, this year. I need your help. I can't do this on my own. I'm ready to give up. I WANT to give up. I want to quit this job. I want to quit my callings. I want to roll up in a ball and go back to bed. I want to cry. I want to be held. I want to feel supported by someone other than my husband.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
If you were in my shoes, what would you do?
I seriously want to know. Yes, it's about women issues, but men can respond too, if you so choose.
Let's say that you had a fairly regular cycle. Then when things start to get super stressful in your life (the last year of a masters program, for example), you skip a period here & there (let's say 2-4 skipped periods in approx 1 year-14 months). You know it's not normal, so you try to follow up with doctors, and they basically blow you off, saying it's probably stress related and not to worry, blah, blah, blah.
Then let's say that you think things are starting to get normal again and stress levels should be coming down. In fact, it feels like they're coming down, so you are starting to get confident that cycle would be returning to normal. But it doesn't. In fact, you seem to be skipping every other period now. Worried?
You go to the doctor more, get more blood tests and fun stuff like that run. You take pregnancy test after pregnancy test and they all come up negative, so it's not that. You are told you have PCOS and need to lose weight. You TRY to lose weight-- you try HARD. Nothing is happening. You continue to seek for answers and find none, but you take the pill the doctor prescribed, trusting in his confidence that it will make everything better.
You take the pill for over a month. No results. In fact, instead of it making things better, you start to wonder if it's making things worse. You notice occasional spotting (they say that's normal, apparently), and you notice some signs that indicate your period should be coming in a certain time frame, but it doesn't.
Two and a half months have now gone by and still nothing. You were starting to wonder if the 60-day cycle was becoming normal, but it's well past that 60 days now. You took another pregnancy test, but it's negative.
Do you go to the doctor for more tests? Do you wait until the 90 day without a period mark and see if one comes then (like you skipped 2 periods instead of just skipping one)? Do you assume you're just going through menopause early or something like that? Do you self-diagnose? Do you eat a bunch of chocolate, gain a bunch of weight, and say, "screw it all!" in hopes that there will at least be some relief with that? Or do you do something else?
Of course, part of me says I'm just overreacting and to wait it out. After all, my doctors haven't been worried. And I've been to a LOT of them since this started. Do I really want to go through more tests and spend that extra time & money trying to figure out what's wrong only to hear the equivalent of, "Nothing is wrong" or "The cause for your misery is still unknown" or something like that?
My husband says it's a case for Dr. House. I WISH I were so lucky to get help like that. Then again, I might have to practically die before a solution is found, and I don't know if i want to go through that.
Let's say that you had a fairly regular cycle. Then when things start to get super stressful in your life (the last year of a masters program, for example), you skip a period here & there (let's say 2-4 skipped periods in approx 1 year-14 months). You know it's not normal, so you try to follow up with doctors, and they basically blow you off, saying it's probably stress related and not to worry, blah, blah, blah.
Then let's say that you think things are starting to get normal again and stress levels should be coming down. In fact, it feels like they're coming down, so you are starting to get confident that cycle would be returning to normal. But it doesn't. In fact, you seem to be skipping every other period now. Worried?
You go to the doctor more, get more blood tests and fun stuff like that run. You take pregnancy test after pregnancy test and they all come up negative, so it's not that. You are told you have PCOS and need to lose weight. You TRY to lose weight-- you try HARD. Nothing is happening. You continue to seek for answers and find none, but you take the pill the doctor prescribed, trusting in his confidence that it will make everything better.
You take the pill for over a month. No results. In fact, instead of it making things better, you start to wonder if it's making things worse. You notice occasional spotting (they say that's normal, apparently), and you notice some signs that indicate your period should be coming in a certain time frame, but it doesn't.
Two and a half months have now gone by and still nothing. You were starting to wonder if the 60-day cycle was becoming normal, but it's well past that 60 days now. You took another pregnancy test, but it's negative.
Do you go to the doctor for more tests? Do you wait until the 90 day without a period mark and see if one comes then (like you skipped 2 periods instead of just skipping one)? Do you assume you're just going through menopause early or something like that? Do you self-diagnose? Do you eat a bunch of chocolate, gain a bunch of weight, and say, "screw it all!" in hopes that there will at least be some relief with that? Or do you do something else?
Of course, part of me says I'm just overreacting and to wait it out. After all, my doctors haven't been worried. And I've been to a LOT of them since this started. Do I really want to go through more tests and spend that extra time & money trying to figure out what's wrong only to hear the equivalent of, "Nothing is wrong" or "The cause for your misery is still unknown" or something like that?
My husband says it's a case for Dr. House. I WISH I were so lucky to get help like that. Then again, I might have to practically die before a solution is found, and I don't know if i want to go through that.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Piece of cake and a big plum.
I just parted with my LoveSac. I'm not quite sure when I bought it, but I know that it was when I was in Florida with my younger sister, Erin, who was meeting with someone for modeling. She had never flown before, and she wanted me to go with her, so I obliged. It was a horrible trip. We arrived in hurricane season, and if I remember correctly, came not too long after a hurricane had caused some noticeable and still unrepaired damage to nearby areas. Then, while we were there, we heard of a hurricane warning. We ended up having to end the trip early so we wouldn't get stuck in Florida with some crazy hurricane. We got some of the last seats on a flight back to Phoenix- for the price of what our round-trip tickets had originally cost us. Messed up, huh?
Anyway, the one good thing about that trip was my LoveSac. I bought it at some mall that was near our hotel. It was shipped to me, and the UPS lady had to roll it up the stairs to get it to my second-floor apartment's front door, because of the weight. It came in an oversized bag (kind of looking like an oversized duffle bag), and I could never get it anywhere NEAR that size when trying to move it after that.
I have some good memories with that LoveSac. Many of those memories include trying to move it from one residence of mine to another, but it has been a nice place to cuddle while watching movies. I remember chatting with Joe on the phone after we met while sitting on the LoveSac and watching him via my webcam. Yeah, I'm a dork. Anyway, it seems that I grew out of it and it didn't really fit in our house anymore. It has found a new home. (Although, I must say it did seem to fit in nicely with my Mesa home. It was nice having a large enough space to put it where it didn't get in the way or look out of place. I just wish I had a picture that captured that a little better.)
So, with the sale of the LoveSac and our old entry bench, we have now gotten more than 1/2 way to the $1000 savings challenge this month. We have saved $696.10. Yay! When I work overtime the day after Thanksgiving, that'll give us almost an extra $200, putting us very close to reaching our goal. Granted, some of the stuff we did to earn/save some of that money aren't things we could do all the time, but it hasn't been all that hard to get that savings.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Irregularity and other such blatherings
***YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS FIRST PARAGRAPH. IT'S JUST RANTING ABOUT FEMALE ISSUES***
So, maybe I just have an irregular cycle now. Maybe I have a fallopian tube issue. It seems like the have-a-period, skip-a-period cycle is here to stay. Every month is frustrating. How many times do I have to take pregnancy tests "just in case" anyway? I'm pretty sure I'm not pregnant right now, yet I haven't had my period since September (like you care, right? lol). Ever since I started tracking them online at My Monthly Cycles, I'm seeing a pattern emerging. Maybe this is the new norm for me. It'd be nice to figure out what all this is about, though. For about a month now, I've been weighing myself almost daily, at the same time each day. When I gained about 5 pounds from one day to the next, I figured it must be water-weight and that'd mean my period was coming. That was about a week ago. Ugh. Not ever knowing when I might start really sucks.
***IT IS SAFE TO JOIN IN NOW***
So, last night was the Enrichment Holiday Dinner. I received a call about an hour before I was supposed to head to the church to start setting up. It was the Relief Society President. She had asked me when we were setting up and said she'd be there to help. She also told me that the Enrichment Counselor in the presidency wouldn't be able to make it because she was sick. That was the woman who was planning on decorating, bringing the food, etc. I heard she would send her husband with everything, but I didn't know how to take over. I'm NOT good at either of those things.
I drove to her house to get the green beans so I could get them ready for the night. She handed me canned green beans (I have always preferred frozen, but after tasting them last night, I might have to change my ways-- they were yummy! Maybe I just did a great job adding salt and butter, lol), and I figured, 'Okay, I shouldn't have any problems with this.' I called my mom just to verify how to prepare canned green beans, since I've never done that before. Quit laughing at me. There were no directions on the can, and I didn't want to ruin the only vegetable we'd be having.
Joe, bless his heart, was trying hard to be very supportive. He was asking what he could do to help. You see, I had to take the bus to Seattle for work yesterday. And the buses don't run early enough to get me to work for 5:00 am, which is when my shift starts. So I had to flex my shift (start later, end later), plus add on the time on the bus and to-and-from the transit center, so I got home around 4:00 with a few details to iron out still. And I wanted the chance to relax just a little bit. Anyway, I got a little help from Joe (he printed directions for the place I was to pick up the green beans and then turned my flat-iron on while I drove to pick them up, plus he made some phone calls for me as I tried to track down a microphone) and lots of other help (THANK GOODNESS!). The Enrichment Counselor did show up to help set up and ended up staying.
The program was nice. There was lots of participation from people who attended, everyone loved the food, and we had everything clean well before 9:00 (past my bedtime). This was all good, since I had been getting a headache all day that I was worried was turning into a migraine. Well, it got a little better, but it's back (and worse) today. Why I'm writing this right now instead of trying to get some rest, I don't know.
Time to lie down. I was in the office yesterday to attend a training having to do with stress. And I've come to the conclusion that I'm sick today because my body has been in a chronic stress state. Now that the threat/alarm/stress has been managed (for now, until next week, I think), my immune system is kaput. I wouldn't be surprised if that has also at times played a role in my period mystery.
Oops. Sorry about the lack of warning there. :P
So, maybe I just have an irregular cycle now. Maybe I have a fallopian tube issue. It seems like the have-a-period, skip-a-period cycle is here to stay. Every month is frustrating. How many times do I have to take pregnancy tests "just in case" anyway? I'm pretty sure I'm not pregnant right now, yet I haven't had my period since September (like you care, right? lol). Ever since I started tracking them online at My Monthly Cycles, I'm seeing a pattern emerging. Maybe this is the new norm for me. It'd be nice to figure out what all this is about, though. For about a month now, I've been weighing myself almost daily, at the same time each day. When I gained about 5 pounds from one day to the next, I figured it must be water-weight and that'd mean my period was coming. That was about a week ago. Ugh. Not ever knowing when I might start really sucks.
***IT IS SAFE TO JOIN IN NOW***
So, last night was the Enrichment Holiday Dinner. I received a call about an hour before I was supposed to head to the church to start setting up. It was the Relief Society President. She had asked me when we were setting up and said she'd be there to help. She also told me that the Enrichment Counselor in the presidency wouldn't be able to make it because she was sick. That was the woman who was planning on decorating, bringing the food, etc. I heard she would send her husband with everything, but I didn't know how to take over. I'm NOT good at either of those things.
I drove to her house to get the green beans so I could get them ready for the night. She handed me canned green beans (I have always preferred frozen, but after tasting them last night, I might have to change my ways-- they were yummy! Maybe I just did a great job adding salt and butter, lol), and I figured, 'Okay, I shouldn't have any problems with this.' I called my mom just to verify how to prepare canned green beans, since I've never done that before. Quit laughing at me. There were no directions on the can, and I didn't want to ruin the only vegetable we'd be having.
Joe, bless his heart, was trying hard to be very supportive. He was asking what he could do to help. You see, I had to take the bus to Seattle for work yesterday. And the buses don't run early enough to get me to work for 5:00 am, which is when my shift starts. So I had to flex my shift (start later, end later), plus add on the time on the bus and to-and-from the transit center, so I got home around 4:00 with a few details to iron out still. And I wanted the chance to relax just a little bit. Anyway, I got a little help from Joe (he printed directions for the place I was to pick up the green beans and then turned my flat-iron on while I drove to pick them up, plus he made some phone calls for me as I tried to track down a microphone) and lots of other help (THANK GOODNESS!). The Enrichment Counselor did show up to help set up and ended up staying.
The program was nice. There was lots of participation from people who attended, everyone loved the food, and we had everything clean well before 9:00 (past my bedtime). This was all good, since I had been getting a headache all day that I was worried was turning into a migraine. Well, it got a little better, but it's back (and worse) today. Why I'm writing this right now instead of trying to get some rest, I don't know.
Time to lie down. I was in the office yesterday to attend a training having to do with stress. And I've come to the conclusion that I'm sick today because my body has been in a chronic stress state. Now that the threat/alarm/stress has been managed (for now, until next week, I think), my immune system is kaput. I wouldn't be surprised if that has also at times played a role in my period mystery.
Oops. Sorry about the lack of warning there. :P
Monday, November 10, 2008
Find a penny, pick it up...
I was just informed of this website by my husband. He heard about it on the news and found his name on it. Apparently if your name is on there, you have some money owed to you. Check it out, and let me know if you find your name on the list. I've looked up several people on there, and I have found a few that I know, and some that may possibly be someone I know.
It's worth a shot.
Click here
It's worth a shot.
Click here
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Words and Frustration Beyond Words
I slacked on my writing a couple days this week. It's hard to spend a full 8 hours in front of a computer while working and then get back on the computer to write for an hour or two, especially when my husband tempts me with going out to eat or watching some TV and cuddling together or there's cleaning to do and I'm so worn out physically and mentally and emotionally. Because of my exhaustion, I've been sleeping 9 or more hours a night for several days. So add all that together, and it's been rough. Today I woke up quite early (after going to bed early again last night and getting 9+ hours of sleep), and I got over 3,000 words written during the course of the day. I'm about where I want to be right now in my word count, but I'm starting to wonder where the heck I'm going with this story.
Part of me wants to stop this nonsensical writing and pick back up with one of the books I have in progress. Those books are my babies. This book I'm writing now is like a doll. It's like my practice for something that matters more to me. But it'll sure be nice to have it written, and I believe it'll give me a sense of accomplishment.
I really dislike my church callings (Relief Society Enrichment Leader and Young Women Athletic Director). In fact, part of me wants to say I hate my callings. Yes, they're voluntary, but I was asked to do them for a reason (I'm still trying to figure out what that reason is, because I don't think God wants me to have a nervous breakdown, but that's where I'm headed), and I just feel like I NEED to accept callings when they are extended to me for my own good or something. So many things that I want and so many things I expect (in relation to how I want to fulfill those callings) just make it tough for me to really feel satisfied because of how things are turning out so far. I found out a week ago that I had until this Wednesday, the 12th, to prepare for our holiday dinner for the women at church. Geez, no pressure at all there. I am supposed to have a board/committee anyway, so I should get some support, right? Well, so far I'm really worried about how it'll turn out, because I'm not really getting enough support (at least I'm getting some, I guess). How can someone fulfill their calling if they won't even communicate with me? How can I tell them what they can do to help if they don't show up to meetings, return my phone calls or stay at church the entire time so I can get a chance to talk to them? I feel like asking to have the slackers released and get some people doing this who will actually DO their part.
I have been trying to get the word out for a book club. I have been instructed by the Relief Society President not to give up on it, even though I've been to two book club meetings since joining the ward, and I was one of 3 people at the first meeting and one of 2 people at the second meeting. (I was called to be Enrichment Leader before the second book meeting. The book had been picked out at the first book club meeting I attended. The only person who came to that second book club was someone who was not at the first book club meeting I'd been to.) So, I figured I had to do more to get the word out and get it organized. I had everything set up. Then last Sunday, due to some very large disconnect between me and the Relief Society Presidency (meaning, they plan things and schedule things and have opinions about when I should and shouldn't schedule activities, but then they don't communicate such decisions with me in a timely fashion, if at all), I find out that we can't have the book club on that night because it's now the same night as this dinner (which we'd had planned for a different night that I found out last Sunday was no longer a good night for the dinner). So, I tried to let everyone know that the book club would be postponed, only to learn that it appears about 2/3 of the women at church were never informed of the book club meeting anyway (I had given someone sign-up sheets that were supposed to go in each of the binders that are passed around in the different meetings, but when I went to pull out those sign-up sheets today, they weren't even in there).
I created a survey when I was first called to Enrichment Leader. The survey was for the women to take to help me in my calling so I could learn their talents and interests and create groups and activities accordingly. I even had the survey emailed out so those who wanted to complete it that way could do so easily. I've only received 4 back. FOUR! I've announced it several times and requested people to fill them out, but no one is doing it. If you raise your hand and say you are going to support someone in their calling, when they practically BEG you to fill out a survey, YOU TAKE THE FIVE MINUTES IT WOULD TAKE TO DO IT, AND YOU DO IT! If you don't, you're not supporting them!
I was told that my callings are all about delegating. I can't delegate when I have no one to delegate to. Then I was told last week I was supposed to be in one meeting I hadn't ever attended because I had never heard anything to that effect before. How can I be in two places at once? I also learned that the Young Women President's expectations of me included my being an athletic coach (volleyball, basketball, etc). I don't have those skills. I told the person who asked me if I would take on that second calling that I'm not athletic at all. He said it wouldn't be a problem, because that was not what the calling was about. Sounds like more disconnect, and I don't know what to do about all this. The frustration is overwhelming!
So today I decided I want to quit. I know I won't, but I want to. And I think that made Joe sad to hear from me. I'm so stressed over all this that it's breaking me.
Then, just like that, I started getting a teeny bit of support today. Here a little, there a little. Maybe there's some hope after all.
(I really don't know how to explain my frustration without long, drawn-out explanations other than to say that I feel completely unsupported by 98% of the people at church when I NEED their support. Perhaps my expectations are too high, but I don't think they are. And I will be GLAD in about 12 days when 2 different nights of activities I have to organize for one of my callings and a 3-day tournament I have to help out with for my other calling have all been taken care of. Five extra days of church in 2 weeks, not to mention a 6th extra day for a stake conference? And each of those nights will mean getting less than 8 hours of sleep for me- possibly even less than 7 hours of sleep. Yeah... I'm working WAY too hard!)
Part of me wants to stop this nonsensical writing and pick back up with one of the books I have in progress. Those books are my babies. This book I'm writing now is like a doll. It's like my practice for something that matters more to me. But it'll sure be nice to have it written, and I believe it'll give me a sense of accomplishment.
I really dislike my church callings (Relief Society Enrichment Leader and Young Women Athletic Director). In fact, part of me wants to say I hate my callings. Yes, they're voluntary, but I was asked to do them for a reason (I'm still trying to figure out what that reason is, because I don't think God wants me to have a nervous breakdown, but that's where I'm headed), and I just feel like I NEED to accept callings when they are extended to me for my own good or something. So many things that I want and so many things I expect (in relation to how I want to fulfill those callings) just make it tough for me to really feel satisfied because of how things are turning out so far. I found out a week ago that I had until this Wednesday, the 12th, to prepare for our holiday dinner for the women at church. Geez, no pressure at all there. I am supposed to have a board/committee anyway, so I should get some support, right? Well, so far I'm really worried about how it'll turn out, because I'm not really getting enough support (at least I'm getting some, I guess). How can someone fulfill their calling if they won't even communicate with me? How can I tell them what they can do to help if they don't show up to meetings, return my phone calls or stay at church the entire time so I can get a chance to talk to them? I feel like asking to have the slackers released and get some people doing this who will actually DO their part.
I have been trying to get the word out for a book club. I have been instructed by the Relief Society President not to give up on it, even though I've been to two book club meetings since joining the ward, and I was one of 3 people at the first meeting and one of 2 people at the second meeting. (I was called to be Enrichment Leader before the second book meeting. The book had been picked out at the first book club meeting I attended. The only person who came to that second book club was someone who was not at the first book club meeting I'd been to.) So, I figured I had to do more to get the word out and get it organized. I had everything set up. Then last Sunday, due to some very large disconnect between me and the Relief Society Presidency (meaning, they plan things and schedule things and have opinions about when I should and shouldn't schedule activities, but then they don't communicate such decisions with me in a timely fashion, if at all), I find out that we can't have the book club on that night because it's now the same night as this dinner (which we'd had planned for a different night that I found out last Sunday was no longer a good night for the dinner). So, I tried to let everyone know that the book club would be postponed, only to learn that it appears about 2/3 of the women at church were never informed of the book club meeting anyway (I had given someone sign-up sheets that were supposed to go in each of the binders that are passed around in the different meetings, but when I went to pull out those sign-up sheets today, they weren't even in there).
I created a survey when I was first called to Enrichment Leader. The survey was for the women to take to help me in my calling so I could learn their talents and interests and create groups and activities accordingly. I even had the survey emailed out so those who wanted to complete it that way could do so easily. I've only received 4 back. FOUR! I've announced it several times and requested people to fill them out, but no one is doing it. If you raise your hand and say you are going to support someone in their calling, when they practically BEG you to fill out a survey, YOU TAKE THE FIVE MINUTES IT WOULD TAKE TO DO IT, AND YOU DO IT! If you don't, you're not supporting them!
I was told that my callings are all about delegating. I can't delegate when I have no one to delegate to. Then I was told last week I was supposed to be in one meeting I hadn't ever attended because I had never heard anything to that effect before. How can I be in two places at once? I also learned that the Young Women President's expectations of me included my being an athletic coach (volleyball, basketball, etc). I don't have those skills. I told the person who asked me if I would take on that second calling that I'm not athletic at all. He said it wouldn't be a problem, because that was not what the calling was about. Sounds like more disconnect, and I don't know what to do about all this. The frustration is overwhelming!
So today I decided I want to quit. I know I won't, but I want to. And I think that made Joe sad to hear from me. I'm so stressed over all this that it's breaking me.
Then, just like that, I started getting a teeny bit of support today. Here a little, there a little. Maybe there's some hope after all.
(I really don't know how to explain my frustration without long, drawn-out explanations other than to say that I feel completely unsupported by 98% of the people at church when I NEED their support. Perhaps my expectations are too high, but I don't think they are. And I will be GLAD in about 12 days when 2 different nights of activities I have to organize for one of my callings and a 3-day tournament I have to help out with for my other calling have all been taken care of. Five extra days of church in 2 weeks, not to mention a 6th extra day for a stake conference? And each of those nights will mean getting less than 8 hours of sleep for me- possibly even less than 7 hours of sleep. Yeah... I'm working WAY too hard!)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Security
We're still waiting for the window to get fixed. I had to call several companies, and I found out that many of them only make "custom" windows that could take weeks to get installed, or they only deal with auto windows, or they charge an arm & a leg. I mean, someone actually thought I'd spend $650 for a window to be replaced in my garage? Do they think I'm high or dumb?
Joe told the men at church the story of what happened (or at least a shortened version of it) as he was hoping to find out that someone might know someone who could fix a window for cheaper. He heard back from someone tonight and it sounded like the window could be replaced for about $200- and that's a double-pane storm window (which we don't need but Joe would prefer).
In the meantime, we are getting a new alarm system. I say new because they are going to replace the alarm system we have right now (which is approximately 15 years old and can use some updating). It's worth a few hundred dollars plus a monthly fee for me to feel safe. We're even paying for some sort of cellular connection, meaning the alarm company would still be contacted in the case of someone cutting the phone line. I normally would've considered talking myself out of this feature thinking it was unnecessary, but considering the circumstances of just a week ago, I decided this was a very necessary feature, and I will be glad to pay for it!
I'm not thinking too much about the incident except for when the kittens make noise when I'm upstairs and they are downstairs, which has been happening more frequently (and loudly) over the past week.
Joe told the men at church the story of what happened (or at least a shortened version of it) as he was hoping to find out that someone might know someone who could fix a window for cheaper. He heard back from someone tonight and it sounded like the window could be replaced for about $200- and that's a double-pane storm window (which we don't need but Joe would prefer).
In the meantime, we are getting a new alarm system. I say new because they are going to replace the alarm system we have right now (which is approximately 15 years old and can use some updating). It's worth a few hundred dollars plus a monthly fee for me to feel safe. We're even paying for some sort of cellular connection, meaning the alarm company would still be contacted in the case of someone cutting the phone line. I normally would've considered talking myself out of this feature thinking it was unnecessary, but considering the circumstances of just a week ago, I decided this was a very necessary feature, and I will be glad to pay for it!
I'm not thinking too much about the incident except for when the kittens make noise when I'm upstairs and they are downstairs, which has been happening more frequently (and loudly) over the past week.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Heaven in my mouth
I tried out the peanut butter cup cocoa yesterday and it was awesome. There was a little bit of peanut butter chunks in the bottom, but it was so delicious it was all I could do to stop myself with one cup. I had one more today. I couldn't resist.
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