Two Democrats on an Escalator

A Family Conversation

I've decided I want a Boston Terrier. It would be perfect for our family -- small, short hair, friendly, smart, doesn't require too much exercise. Now don't get me wrong, it probably won't happen for about three years. But, I'm planning it now.

I told Rom I could find a Boston Terrier for $300 to $400 dollars. He was surprised they were that cheap. I told him, "Well, you can get a dog from a fancy schmancy breeder for about $1000. Do you want to get me a thousand dollar dog?" He replied, "Sure -- if I get you a dog, I want you to have the best." Romers then piped in, "Actually, you just want to have sex." Gavin then replied, "No, he doesn't." He explained, "You guys are too old!"

Guitar Hero

Gavin (my 7 year old) challenged me to a face off (is that what they call it?) on Guitar Hero. He was on Expert; I was on Easy.

He was very sweet and encouraging. He kept reminding me to watch my side; apparently, he thought wandering eyes were my problem. He told me, "You're doing really good mom! Especially because you're so old!"

In the end, I barely eked past him. I think he was happy for me.

This is SO Rom!

Rom, you may know, is an amazing ping pong player ("That's table tennis, honey"). I had to post this for him! You have to watch to the very end of the clip.

Meme (Whatever That Means)

I HAVE…

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (No, but my brother tried to roll me off of Liberty Island)
18. Grown my own vegetables/fruit
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (I was there, but I didn't see it!!!)
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted (Montmartre in Paris)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (woohoo!)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason (all the time, thank you very much honey!)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt (thanks to being Mormon)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (not yet!)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant
101. Read an entire book in one day

Rules: Copy and paste in a new post on your blog; highlight the activities you've done.

Quick Update

Sheesh, it's been awhile since I've posted! Things are busy (no news there!) and I haven't been feeling great lately. So, here's a recap:

Kyara and Romney started swim. They have their first meet tomorrow. Romney likes it because it helps him with water polo. Kyara likes it because it keeps her in shape and gives her a killer tan. I like it because it wears them out and helps them get to sleep at a normal people time.

Gabe, as you know, is in cub scouts. Since there are only two boys in his group, the leaders let Gavin come with him. Gavin thinks this is fantastic! Gabe likes having Gavin there, too. Last week was the Blue and Gold dinner. They had a cake decorating contest. Gabriel got first place for most creative; Gavin got second place for scout spirit. Now, before you turn your nose up, let me tell you, this was not one of those contests where every boy got an award! There were only the two categories, with a first and second place for each. Gabe and Gavin were thrilled that they beat ______ (fill in the blank with all the other boys' names). They told everyone about their awards. I had to remind them that it is not polite to brag.

The biz picked up considerably in February! Although, as is par for the course, as soon as we started to get really excited, things cooled off a little bit. I am becoming a star salesperson. I'm a better closer than the guys Rom has come in to cover periodically -- you know, the ones who have been selling for 15+ years. Rom gets excited and buys me dinner. He also gives me spiffs from time to time -- a little fun money just for me! (OK, I do have complete control over all the finances and can just TAKE a little fun money whenever I want to -- but it is more exciting this way!)

Johnette and Ana are fabulous, but haven't done anything new and exciting lately. Imagine that -- I teen and pre-teen without drama? I will enjoy it while I can.

I have been working hard on my CFS website. It is coming along nicely, and I'm very proud of it. Just so you know, the lifestyle tips are great for anyone, even if you don't have CFS. Also, my inspirational quotes are for anyone, too.

I have started a novel. I am being very secretive about it, though, because I don't want it leaked on the internet like Stephanie Myers' book was. I'm protecting my intellectual property rights. Anneli is counting on it to make us millionaires and allow us to finally buy a pool. Don't fret -- you will all get signed copies when it is published.

see more pwn and owned pictures

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

Kyara has been getting notices from the schools she applied to. She has been accepted to Northern Arizona University with a partial scholarship, University of Pacific with a partial scholarship, BYU Idaho, and now BYU Provo! She hasn't heard back yet from UCSD. We're very excited for her! It's nice that she has so many choices.

Fortunately, she's not going to keep us in suspense. She fasted today and decided BYU Provo was where she should be going! Yay! I, of course, am beyond thrilled that she chose my alma mater. I had such a fun time going there -- especially my freshman year. I know it is a different experience for everyone, but I really hope she is able to enjoy a lot of the things I did back in the day.

Kyara ran into so many obstacles just to get her application in on time. I'm so grateful to everyone who helped her through the rough patches and encouraged her to go in this direction.

I'm so proud of my girl! Go, Kyara! Go, Cougars!

Crappy Week

This has been ... a crappy week! I was overdone from last week, and I just didn't rebound very well. I reverted back to comfort food (in fact, I'm finishing some fries as I type), I stopped my belly dancing, I didn't cook, and I barely got in a half-hearted yoga session or two. So, I am proud to announce that I gained three pounds! Why am I gleefully sharing this information? Because when the water retention starts to melt away, my weight loss next week is going to look REALLY impressive.

Menu for next week: White Beans, Pasta, and Chicken, Kale, Lentil, and Chicken Soup, Baked Salmon, Skillet Vegetables on Cheese Toast, and Black Bean and Corn Stew.

On Hold

Alright, I am not posting this week about how my health goals are coming along, because it's my birthday and I've got my womanly hormonals going on (yes, Happy Birthday to ME!), so I will be cheating and eating a lot of chocolate right now and I'm not going to let the scale JUDGE me for this.