Bionic

Recently Eliza had to 'go' while we were grocery shopping. I sent her running to the bathroom and I waited outside the door.

She excitedly told me as she exited the bathroom, "Mom, the soap is bionic!"

"Bionic?" I asked.

"Yeah. When you put your hands under it, it magically pops out all by itself."

Neglectful Mom?

The twins are having a 'trial run' in the lunchroom today. Apparently, parents were invited (I can't find the note that was sent home) to eat lunch with their kids on their first day. I opted not to go. Somehow I think the kids can manage eating by themselves. . . . . .but, why then, am I plagued with a little pang of guilt brought on by this memory?

The scene: fifth or six grade (can't remember) maturation class.

The situation: My mom talks to me the night before about it and asks me if I want her to come. My quick reply was, "No, mom. None of the other moms will be there." (how embarrassing to have your mom show up if no one else's mom will be there).

The next day, my mom was the only one that didn't show. After some friend's moms empathetically asked me if I wanted to sit with them, I had to make it clear that I told my mom not to come. . . . I didn't want her to look neglectful of me or anything.

Is it "to cut off your nose DESPITE your face" or "...TO SPITE your face"?

The former would seem to be an action done without regard to the effect it causes to other or to oneself (aka your face). The latter would indicate an action done maliciously to intentionally cause the collateral damage aforementioned.

Anyway, thanks Melissa, for pointing out my folly. It seems I've recently been on a roll with these little spelling faux-pas' (tell me I got that one right, please). After an extensive Google search (All Hail Google, the neverending source of knowledge) it would seem that I have always been saying this phrase incorrectly (it is, as Melissa wisely pointed out, 'to spite your face,' not despite, but as you can see above, it still kindof makes sense my way, doesn't it?

Fruit Salad

I wonder if there will be anytime in my life when mention of 'fruit salad' will not bring to mind a Wiggles Tune, which I am then compelled to sing: "Fruit Salad, Yummy, Yummy. . . . ."

I might also add that now whenever we decide that we'll be eating hot dogs for lunch, I yell, "HOT DOG DANCE!". . . . .and then, "Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog. . . . ." Thank you Mickey Mouse, for bringing song and dance to our everyday dullness.

Self-Aware

Eliza recently 'moved-up' to a new gymnastics class. Her class now meets in the late afternoon, and her classmates are 5-7 years old. We've been lucky to this point because her classes were in the morning or early afternoon when the gym wasn't busy. But now when she goes, it is a zoo. It feels like there are little people in leotards covering every square inch of that place.

Eliza told me last night that while she was walking by some 'older girls,' they commented, "Oh, look are her, she is so cute!" I have to agree with them. Eliza is this little, tiny girl. Her small size is even more accentuated in this new class where her classmates, though just a year or so older, have got a full head--or two-- on her (I've got to get a picture, it's pretty funny--note to self: bring camera to class).

So then I asked Eliza, "Lize, did you like it when they said you were cute?"

Her reply was a quick, "Yeah. It is like I am a toddler with the big girls--but, I can talk and read and do back-bend-kick-overs, so I am not really a toddler." Then she laughed. "It is like I am playing a trick on everyone else!"

Pretty good self-assessment, as she is the size of a 3-year-old. I hope her small stature doesn't give her too much stress over time. D is always trying to tell her that he is the smallest doctor in the hospital, but he likes it. . . . .hopefully, she'll take after her Dad.

Boys and Girls, They Really are Different!!

And now, you are thinking. . . . . "Wow, what an epiphany she's having here." Brilliant. Yes, we all know that men and women, boys and girls, are wired differently, but sometimes I just get a kick out of the antics of my twins.

Take now, for instance, I am the happy host of six 5-year-olds--2 boys and 4 girls. The girls playdate started out calmly enough, upstairs making cutesy little flower pictures out of my stamps that have been collecting dust this year. . . . when, suddenly, one of the girls realizes there are BOYS downstairs. She then begins plotting with her fellow playmates about how they will sneak up and scare the boys.

Meanwhile, Davis and his friend are minding their own business (mindlessly, I might add, on the Wii--argghh video games), when they are rudely interrupted by giggling girls--but wait, do the boys actually care that the girls have just said 'Boo!' and got them? No, they are brainlessly glued to the T.V. screen.

Now, the girls come upstairs laughing and giggling about their antics. . . . . .they feel triumphant and begin to plan another 'attack.' This time, they will put blankets over their head like ghosts-- oh, the brilliance!! This ambush follows like the last. . . . .the girls are blissfully happy, while the boys really could not care less.And so it goes. . . . . .

On Friday, Eliza tenderly opened and read each valentine with generous comments, "Oh, Andrew gave me a Dora valentine. Nice. Oh, Michael's has a heart on it (giggle, giggle)." Davis on the other hand, rips off the candy and throws all paper products on the ground. Valentine? All this leads me to believe is that the hours I spent in fifth grade hand-picking out conversation hearts based on the recipient, was wasted. They boy that I liked never read the heart that said, "Kiss Me." He probably just threw all his candy in a pile and devoured it at random.

Don't believe everything you read

Sometimes I get frustrated at the mainstream media--okay more than sometimes. I hate how complicated stories and issues are broken into little soundbites.

I just read this article written about Briston Palin's first interview since giving birth in December. I was surprised at the headline, "Bristol Palin Faults Abstinence Teaching"-- for her teenage pregnancy. I actually stayed up and watched the interview last night. Bristol Palin never blamed her pregnancy on abstinence teaching. This article is misleading and implies that Bristol and her mother are at odds on this issue. On the contrary, as I remember Bristol felt that teaching abstinence WAS a good idea. I remember her saying that abstinence was the best way for teens to avoid her unplanned fate.

The article says, when Bristol was "asked about her views on teaching abstinence, which her mother, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, advocates, Bristol said, 'it's not realistic at all.'" This sentence is totally misleading. Bristol's comment was taken out of context. As I remember, Bristol talked about how television portrays sex as glamorous and common, and the culture of sex in high school is accepted as normal. I felt her comment about teaching abstinence as not being 'realistic' was put into the context that sex is so common that most teens hardly even consider abstinence at all. . . .to me, her comment was the perfect example of why teaching abstinence to teens is TOTALLY NECESSARY. In every environment, teens are bombarded about sex, sex, sex, so they hardly even consider NOT having sex as an option.

I was pretty peeved that in the one sentence I quoted above, it made Bristol seem like she was at war with her mom about this issue. I sensed no animosity between her and her mother during the interview. In fact, the interviewer, Greta van Susteren, pretty muched danced over the issue and didn't really probe Bristol at all about her answers regarding contraception. When Bristol didn't want to go into details about why she didn't use contraceptives, Greta just let it go. . . . . . . For the AP writer to draw such bold conclusions and to take one of Bristol's comments out of context was totally irresponsible journalism. But now, everyone who reads the article will come to the conclusion that abstinence teaching is not realistic and won't prevent teen pregnancy.

Teaching teens abstinence is the responsible way to prevent teen pregnancy. Teens know all about contraceptives. They know that sex= pregnancy. What they need to hear is a strong and differing voice from those that they watch on T.V. No, I don't think teaching one 20-minute class in Health class about abstinence is going to change things at all--defnintely not in the culture of sex that we are surrounded with. Abstinence teaching needs to be a part of the environment that teens grow up in--starting at home. That means limiting 'adult' television. That means having candid and open conversations with your teens. Teens need to know that sex is a special, sacred act that should be reserved for marriage. Teaching teens abstinence might be the only time they hear about the benefits of fidelity in marriage. . . . .

Bristol Palin doesn't need to be the poster child for teenage pregnancy and how teaching abstinence doesn't work. . .that is NOT what she said. That is NOT the message society needs to hear.

A Song (sung to the tune, "Praise to the Man")

Praise to the nursery workers who communed with the toddlers!
The Bishop annointed this newly-married couple.
Blessed to man the toys of the nursery while
children are screaming for Mom and Dad.

Hail to the worker, with nerves of steeeeeel!
Giving us a break for the 2 hour block of meetings.
Mingling with children, wiping their noses.
Dirty diapers are no match for them.

Don't you just hate it when (part 1). . .

Don't you just hate it when you are only 21 weeks pregnant, and the scale says that you are only 12 pounds less than you were when you delivered with your last baby? Then you tell your husband that you think you are gaining more weight with this pregnancy than the last one, and his comforting reply is, "That's okay. It will just give you some more goals to reach after the baby is born." And then you remember the 'goal-setting' you had to endure on the treadmill and in your Weight Watchers classes after the twins were born. . . . . And then you start to cry.

Don't you just hate that?

Happy Birthday to ME!!

It's my blog, I can wish myself a Happy Birthday, right?

Thanks to all you great friends that have dropped a line on email or Facebook, by phone, or in person. . . . I think I am surviving the day.

Last night, however, when D said, "Happy thirtieth birthday, Camilla!" I broke down. . . 30 was just so unexpected. . . .it sounds so much different that being a 20-something.

Cutting off your Ears, Despite your Face-- Hospital Version

D's been at Primary Children's Medical Center since the end of December. A few nights ago, he witnessed an unfortunate event-- with a lesson we can all probably learn from it.

On the night in question, a mother brought her 6 year-old son to Intermountain Medical Center (dubbed 'The Death Star' by residents (not because of the death rate, but because of its size, no worries)) for abdominal pain around 7:00 P.M. Results from his scans and physical exam confirmed a pretty certain diagnosis: he had appendicitis and needed surgery to remove the offending infection. The people at Intermountain Medical Center told her that she would need to take her son to Primary's--they didn't do pediatric cases there. So she loaded her son and had to make the 20 minute drive up to the children's hospital. She probably saved herself hundreds of dollars by transferring him herself--an ambulance ride costs a lot of $$$$.

After her arrival in the E.R. at Primary's (D is guessing around 10:00 or 11:00 P.M., she waited. . . . .and waited. . . . .and waited. (Late evenings in the E.R during the winter--especially on weekends-- are not known for being quiet at the children's hospital. Doesn't YOUR child's symptoms always seem to get worse around 8:00 P.M. at night?) After a while (she claims 3 hours), this mom got really frustrated and angrily sought out the charge nurse. She explained that she had already waited in an E.R. once that night (down at Intermountain), and she was sure that they had told her that her son had appendicitis. Despite this mom's pleas, the charge nurse let her know that things were very busy and they would have to wait. I guess this was the last straw for this mom. She blew up at the nurse. She demanded to see a doctor. The nurse probably didn't take that well, and from what D can surminse, an argument between know-it-all charge nurse and tired mom ensued. The mom got so frustrated, SHE LEFT THE HOSPITAL and went BACK to Intermountain. She later told D that if the nurses were going to treat her so badly, she figured the doctors at this institution would not be any better.

When the woman and her sick son got to back to Intermountain, they explained that they had sent her to Primary's because they didn't have Pediatric Surgeons there. They could not treat her child. That is why they suggested she take him to the children's hospital. So angry mom goes back to Primary's and is promptly put back at the END of the line in the E.R (at this point you have to wonder if a simple call by the Emergency physician who treated her son at Primary's to the children's hospital might have helped this woman).

By the time D finally consulted on the 6-year-old, it was 3:00 A.M. The mother told him her side of the story. What could D do? He could tell she was frustrated, but she had kindof cooked her own goose. He said the only thing he's learned that can possibly help, "I'm sorry, that sounds very frustrating. I think I would feel the same way if I were in your shoes." (might I add here D has told me he learned this line in dealing with me. . . . see, I knew my temper tantrums and emotional outbursts were doing some good.)

Was this child (and his loud mother) mistreated? It is standard procedure in the E.R. to take the patients by arrival time, depending, of course, on how severe their symptoms are . . . . I guess this kid wasn't exhibiting terrible pain when he was examined by the triage nurse. Still, D feels given the fact that he already had a diagnosis they could have squeezed him in sooner. In the end, D didn't start this boy's appendectomy until 4:00 A.M (trust me, he wishes that he could have seen the patient closer to his arrival time as well).

I have been rudely spoken to by a nurse before (unfortunately, I think many of us have--if not the nurse, the doctor). . . I understand how it feels to be a patient who is just "one more" in the system. Even so, it's a given fact that if the E.R. is busy, other people are sick-- just like you. This woman's reaction did not help her (or her poor son) at all. Leaving the hospital in the middle of the night because of anger when your child NEEDS an operation? Now that seems a little crazy. The truth of the matter is that it is RSV season and the hospital is super-duper busy--people have to wait, sometimes for hours.

I wonder how often I have taken offense to someone or a situation where I made my own situation worse? I am going to try to remember this story during those crappy moments so I can just try to keep my cool. How often do I take offense and nurse my own wounds without trying to see the big picture????

Davis, what are you teaching the other kids at school?

I just picked up the kids from school and Eliza excitedly told me that they were making Valentine notes for each other at school today.

Davis quipped in, "Yeah, I wrote a note to Jake: "To Jake, Marry Me. From, Davis." Then he laughed. "It was a joke."

I can only imagine what Jake's mom will be saying on Friday when Jake brings his Valentine's home. . . . .

"What are you learning in that, there school, boy?"

Yesterday Eliza began to taddle on Davis, "Moooooooom, Davis is pointing his little finger at me."

Mom, "So?"

Eliza, "Davis said that in China, pointing your little finger at someone is like saying the "F" word."

Mom, "Davis, they don't use the same letters in China. There is no letter F in China."

Davis, "What?!?! They don't use letters?"

Mom, "They use different characters--not like our alphabet. They speak Chinese--that is different than English. They don't use our alphabet."

Davis, "Oh. . . . ."

Mom, "Davis, what is the "F" word?"

Davis, "I don't know. Someone at school said it was a bad word."

Mom, "Hmmmmmmm. Why were you pointing your little finger at Eliza?"

Davis, "I don't know."

Mom, "Nice. . . .Let's not make any rude gestures at anyone, okay?"

Escapades on the ski slope

First of all, can I just say I love this picture? It was taken first thing on the mountain--and the smiles didn't last that long (how's that for foreshadowing?).

After talking to friends and acquaintances, we decided the kids were probably old enough to try their hand at skiing. D swears he remembers being 4 and whizzing by his mom on the slopes. . . .we'll have to ask his sibs if this is right or not.

The stars were all aligned on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The kids didn't have school, and D didn't have work. After much debate, we decided that maybe I shouldn't ski in my current condition. It made D a little nervous to take the two kids by himself (rightfully so as it turns out). We tried to rope in my Dad, but he'd been out of town the week before and felt he needed to put in a day at the office. By this time the kids were too excited for D to back out so D decided he'd be heading up the mountain alone.

The morning started out with an EARLY breakfast and two uncontrollably excited twins. D decided that he would go to Brighton Ski Resort because kids ski free, and the resort brags about a little escalator-like lift on a kiddie slope that you step onto and your skis get caught in the teeth as is wisks you up the hill--no scary chair lifts for your first run.

After a short lesson in 'the wedge,' D decided they should head on up the escalator. To D's shock, at the end of the lift, he and the kids were greeted by a narrow, and somewhat steep alleyway. Yikes!! The kids were scared out of their mind and fell over multiple times as they tried to descend to a flatter spot. . . . . . well, I guess I should say, this scared the pee-pee dancers right out of Eliza, because she started screaming, "Dad, Dad, I have to go pee! I have to pee! I have to pee!"

D tried to calm her down, but to no avail--he was at the top of a slope (albeit a beginner slope) with 2 five-year-old who couldn't quickly ski down to the lodge. D couldn't leave Davis alone on the hill and carry Eliza in his arms. So with Eliza screaming at him, "I'm going to pee," he tried to guide them down--but the damage was done quickly, at the top of the hill. Eliza peed. Down her leg, Soaking her pants. Out of fright? Maybe.

So, the first run of the day was marred by a screaming girl who let everyone know she had peed her pants, and it itched, and she was wet. She was totally unprepared for any teaching, and frankly D was frustrated. He got the kids down the mountain and into the lodge on survival mode--one kid clutching his ski pole, with the other one in between his legs in a wedge.

So they clunked their way into the bathroom. Eliza was crying the whole way--embarrassed and frustrated, I'm sure. It is at this point that I must wonder at my child's logic. Why? Why didn't she say she had to use the bathroom earlier. She must have been too excited and distracted. D probably was just ready to get up the mountain and forgot to ask if anyone had to go. . . . .bad circumstances.

So now D is in the men's bathroom, clutching a pair of pink panties under the hand blow dryer, jamming it in every 30 seconds to keep the flow of hot air on the wet undies. Eliza is in the stall--D said it was about 15 feet from the blow dryer, ahh men's bathrooms, too many urinals. She is crying that she is naked and wants to get out--but, clearly that wouldn't have been a good idea in the men's bathroom. Ski bums are coming in and out of the bathroom flashing looks at D-- ranging from rolling their eyes to out-and-out pity. I'm sure they are thinking this man's ski day has been perfectly ruined by his whiny daughter.

Where is Davis? He is walking from one end of the bathroom to the other. First patiently, then he lets Dad know he is bored, then he declares he is now hungry-- dying of hunger as a matter of fact.

Finally, the eternity under the blow dryer is done. One pair of Eliza's leggings are put into a baggie, the panties and second pair of pants are securely on Eliza, who is perfectly fine now, "Oh, Dad, my pants are even warm!!" Grunt, grunt, roll eyes from Dad.

At this point, D is wondering if he should just bag the whole trip, but with 30 dollars in ski rentals for the kids, 30 dollars for new ski socks apeice, and D's lift ticket, he feels he is too financially invested in this venture to give up now. . . . . .but, there is the little matter of Davis, complaining about his hunger. So, they get some food. It is, of course, at ski lodge prices. D gets a few sandwiches, a couple of bags of chips, and a drink for the outrageous price of 20 dollars.

By now, it is 12:00. Everyone is fed, rested, and feeling renewed--so D decides they can do this. He makes the executive decision to forgo the escalator. The crew of three make their way to the lift. D says it is torture to get 2 children 10 feet in line--their skis keep getting crossed and they fall often. People are giving him looks of encouragement or pity, but still he persists. Finally, they are on the chair--no one falls off, and the kids are thrilled to be so high in the air. Miraculously, they make it off the chair without anything going awry.

D then takes the kids on their second run of the day--again with one child clutching a ski pole and the other in between his legs. They make it down the slope. And do it again.

After two runs, D's back is killing him and he tells the kids it is time they tried on their own. Off they go--D is praying that no one gets killed. Davis takes off, and instead of using his wedge to stop, sits on his bum, parallel to the hill-a crash ensues. Davis screams, and from the sounds of it, there must be blood--miraculously, he is clean. No bones appear to be broken. No blood. Just shattered 5 year-old egos.

Then it is Eliza's turn. She crashes--but, miraculously laughs about it and stoically gets up. They try again and go a little farther this time. Davis actually stops well. Eliza crashes to stop, but this time wasn't as bad. D can not be in two places at once so he has to follow one child and pray for the other one. . . . The low point of the day is when Davis crashes right into another child who has crashed before him. Luckily, Davis is a small kid and just kindof bumps off the other kid. His parents seem to understand.

I think they did one run after that. By the end of the day, Eliza has a smile on her face--she's actually enjoying herself and getting the hang of things. Davis, however, is not so sure. He really takes crashes hard and tells Dad he is ready to go.


And, thus, I give you the pictures D took on the slope:

In photo A, you can see Eliza has forgotten about embarrassing potty incident hours before:

While in photo B, Davis's look truly says a thousand words, "GET ME DOWN THIS MOUNTAIN NOW!!"

Moral of the story: Don't ever take 2 beginnners skiing at once AND paying for an instructor is probably worth it (that's how I learned to ski and can't recall a single bad memory-even when I fell down)

Speaking of books,

I am now reading "Eat, Pray, Love," and enjoying the vastly different voice of a woman author. . . .ahhh, women and men truly are different. I'll give you my review later (probably a day or two as I am a book binger and have temporarily (for the last month) and surprisingly turned off my T.V. at nights.

Speaking of voices, as the author of this book is describing her intelligent and directed sister, Catherine, she uses an example of something she said to describe her personality. When someone asks her sister if she is afraid of having a new baby, her sister curtly replies that the only thing that scares her is that her baby will be led astray and grow up to be a Republican. . . . .really, that is how strongly a person can feel about the opposing party?

I don't think I am naive enough to believe one party has all the answers. I don't. I also don't believe that one-half (or in this presidential election, 52.4%) of the population is smart and the remaining 47% are just plain idiotic and misguided. . . .the fact that over time two dominant parties have rallied for power in the last century tells me that clearly there are smart people on both sides of the isle.

The thing I don't understand, given the current debate on the stimulus package, is how one party is CONVINCED that the nearly one trillion dollars we are about to spend to boost our economy from the threshold of depression-era economics is exactly the right answer, while the opposing party is TRASHING a bill "full of pork" and "disguising liberal and government-growing policies" that will put our country in never-before-seen debt--not to mention have little impact on the economy.

How can one party laud FDR's depression-era government-led stimulus, while the other party defames such policies and says that history doesn't even prove that 'government-growing stimulus' even works. Really which is it? Was FDR right or did the depression only end because of WWII? Please, historians, economists--decide would you, so we don't have to wonder what our country should do!!!!!

Yesterday, President Obama issued a stark warning regarding the stimulus package. He said "that failure to pass an economic recovery package could plunge the nation into an even longer, perhaps irreversible recession." Wow, that's serious. But it confuses me that days earlier, I read that, "According to the Congressional Budget Office, only $26 billion — just over 3 percent — will be spent this year. Another $110 billion — or 13 percent — will be spent next year." Which means that by the time President Obama's term is halfway through, just 16 percent of the money will have been spent. To me, only spending 16% of the proposed 'stimulus' simply is not immediate stimulus. . . . .but, are these numbers right?

Where is the truth here? From everything I've read, it sounds like government stimulus IS in order to some degree. . . .but I'm not sure that the current stimulus package is (which, by the way, have you tried to go online and figure out for yourself what is actually in it-I did--it is a nightmare-- literally millions of dollars are earmarked to some enigmatic program--millions of dollars-- I want to know EXACTLY how this money will be spent!--is it stimulus or not).

So, here's my solution: BREAK APART THE STUPID STIMULUS PACKAGE INTO SEPARATE BILLS. The reason that 100% of Congressional Republicans and 11? (can't remember the exact number) democrats voted against the House Stimulus Bill last week was because it was TOO BIG. I don't think every "no" vote meant "not ever" vote. I believe a "no" vote was like saying, "wait a second here, 80 BILLION dollars (for those of you scientists, that is 8 X 10^10) is a lot of money--lets not just spend it wherever. Lets be smart about it and spend it where it is really needed."

I know, I know, I lean to the Republican side of things (and the majority of Americans voted for the other ticket in November), but I believe I have an open mind. . . . I am seriously trying to find truth in this whole mess. I am just confused because I am hearing two different stories about one gigantic, debt-inducing bill. I feel like I am going to have a heart attack just mulling over it!

Modern Day Gadianton Robbers OR The Appeal

Sarah's last comment about modern day Gadianton Robbers prompted me to post this little book review. I just finished The Appeal, one of John Grisham's novels. Fortunately, it is out on paperback, and I've been reading so much lately that I picked it up in the grocery store for a few bucks.

Unlike some of his other novels in which the plot thickens as an underdog lawyer takes on a big case/big firm or what have you, this book STARTS out at the end of the big case-- and follows the players as they anticipate an appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court. The 'Big Evil Company' in the case had just experienced a loss with huge punitive damages slapped at them. With the upcoming election of a Mississippi Supreme Court Judge (who would be deciding the appeal of the case) the CEO of this company decides (with some persuasion) it is time to buy himselves an election. . . . .

In truth, I probably would have only given the book 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads becaue it was full of money talk, a downer theme, and in some ways made election issues too black and white for my tastes (aka a little too preachy on politics: and of course it was preachy against the direction I lean), but I am talking about the book because, although a fiction, it made me realize what a farce politics really can be. I believe there truly are big, big money players who finance campaigns and careers of corrupt and/or negligent and/or power-hungry and/or inexperienced/easily persuaded politicians.

When I think of all the money that has been poured into ailing companies as of late "for the benefit of the American Economy," I can't help but wonder what backhanded deals and financing has taken place to accomplish these goals? Why are some companies too big to fail, while others are left to their own bad luck? (what sort under the table talks accomplished this for these special companies (hello automakers)) I thought it was a joke today that President Obama capped? the salaries of CEO's of these failed companies at $500,000--isn't that like 10 times the average of hard working American families (who, by the way, didn't fail--or if they did, they are too small to bail out). Is the government trying to send the message to companies to continue their poor business practices because Uncle Sam will be there to pick up the pieces? (and yes, I am aware these CEO's were making in the millions of dollars range, but still, is a $500,000 salary sending the right message--that is more money than our elected officials make!).

So Sarah, I'm with you-- I think the Gadianton Robbers of our day are still alive and kicking!

How did we get here (in this recession)?

I'm sure this question has been in the back of everyone's mind lately. If you are like me (an admitted insomniac) then you've even been up late at night with these racing questions plagueing your mind.

I just read this article in BYU Magazine that simply and succinctly explains how we got here. I thought it was informative and not too 'over-your-head.' I would, however, like to attend a forum of economists that debate the current 'Stimulus Package.' Anyone else out there a little wary?

Carpet Cleaning Advice?

I've got this area rug that is light brown and the stains LOOK horrible on it!! (it is only 2 years old, too!).

For those of you out there that have amazing carpets and/or carpet cleaning tricks, please let me know your regimen, tricks, or tools. Is it worth it to hire a carpet cleaner, or rent the rug doctor instead?

Random thoughts

Do you remember that movie, "So I married an Axe Murderer?" I just did. And laughed.