I'm ENGAGED! * Updated! with Details!

More details to come...

Okaybee, so ya'll want some details? huh?
As some of you may already know, for the Memorial Day weekend, we were up in Bear Lake, Idaho, where the majority of my mum's family lives. My honey-man and the angel boy-O joined me in Salt Lake City last Friday afternoon, and then we were off to Bear Lake together! I must point out that the two of them lovingly suffered through four days of car traveling for only 2 solid days of visit time - - ? ! ? - - But it was so worth it!!! Visits to Ootah and Idaho are never long enough, but ALWAYS so worth it. This visit in particular was the angel boy-O's first time up to Idaho without any snowfall... Well, kinda - - most of the time we were there, the weather was purty nasty - - and although it didn't stick, it even snowed! Yup, there was SNOW!?!

FIRST, SOME UNRELATED-TO-THE-ENGAGEMENT VISIT DETAILS: On Saturday, we were at my cousin Thayne's High School District Finals Rodeo competition held at the B.L. County fairgrounds -the angel boy-O's first rodeo- and the wind blew and it rained all day, but our spirits were high and we had a blast! By the way - my cousin Thayne was deemed H.S. district champion for "team roping," and he'll be off to the state championship finals next month!!! Yessirree Bob! I gots me a cowboy family ~ Go Thayne! So yeah, most of our time on Saturday was spent in the rodeo stands, huddled together with several cousins and their friends, and my ever-dedicated Grams and my aunt Shelly, all of us beneath multiple coat layers and many shared blankets, sipping hot chocolate, warmed some by a propane heater propped before us all. The whole time, the angel boy-O was literally tickled pink (we all were, it was so cold)! But really, he was thrilled outta his lil' mind, with his mouth running constantly, yelling at the top of his very small yet terribly powerful lungs, rousing us all, including the stands and the competition! [SIDE NOTE: Having been given the freedom to run absolutely wild (well, almost absolutely wild) all weekend long, the angel boy-O totally reminded me and my Grams of ME, to a ' T ' when I was his age; constantly chittering away, either making strange noises or singing songs at all times and constantly wriggling! E.g. Two of my many childhood nicknames: "Motor Mouth" and "Wiggle Worm."] There was one moment that day at the rodeo, however, in which the boy-O was stunned absolutely silent for a mere moment when a rather large and fast running bucking bronco rushed against the length of the arena grandstand siderails, kicking mud up into the stands... Once the bronco had past, the boy-O announced with great shock and pure glee, "I just got DIRT kicked in my mouth!?!" - - followed by his most infectious, VERY CUTE, almost maniacal laugh!

AND ON SUNDAY: Late Sunday morning, we brought the angel boy-O over to my aunt's home, where they were all getting ready for some roping practice. After running some errands, thinking they'd had to come in from the wind and the rain by then, my honey-man went back over to check on the boy-O. No one was inside, so heading back to the corral, my honey-man could see all 5 of them (my aunt and uncle and their 3 eldest children) on horseback, and at first, he wondered where the boy-O was, but then he wondered who was running the roping chute with the steers?!?! It was the angel boy-O!! and with the "hot shot" in hand!?!? HOLY S***!!! Definition of a "HOT SHOT" - A 'hot shot' looks like a long plastic wand, about 3 feet in length and it's used to give cattle an electrical shock, to move them down and into the roping chute or wherever you want them to go. And the boy-O was lovin' the hot shot!

Another thing that was super funny (again, totally unrelated to the proposal story), which we heard about over dinner later that day with the fam... But first, some BACKGROUND INFO: On our car ride up to Bear Lake, we had stringently warned the angel boy-O to avoid all expressions of "the Lord's name in vain" [e.g. "Oh my Lord"], telling him that Grandma Rae would die of a heart attack (nor did we want her getting after us for it), if otherwise. So at dinner, my cowboy uncle Trent and my aunt Shelly told us how earlier that Sunday morning, the angel boy-O had vigilantly pointed out any failure on their part to keep their language sparkling clean. "You just said a bad word!" (and some time passes) "You just did it AGAIN!?"

~ Way. Too. Cute. ~

THE PROPOSAL STORY: Alrighty, so the part you really want to hear about? The marriage proposal? Sometime around the beginning of this past weekend, my honey-man had told me at some moment - when exactly, I cannot recall, if that wasn't already obvious - he would really like it if we went up the north pasture together like we had during his first visit with me to Bear Lake. BACKGROUND INFO: In 2004, after having gone on like, maybe one or two dates? I had the balls to ask my honey-man whether or not he'd be willing to meet me in Salt Lake City, flying in from L.A., to go up to Bear Lake with me and meet my mum's family. K, so the reasons why I asked him despite a bit of fear that he'd tuck tail and run away from me if I did so: 1) I already knew that I was nuts about him; and 2) I had a pretty sure feeling he was purty sweet on me already; and 3) hopefully, based upon the whole "nuts about you" feelings, he'd still be around a year from then, but 4) it was his last chance to ever witness "the end of summer splendor" that was my Grandma Rae's garden in Bear Lake, before she was about to have a driveway built up through its middle, up to the house that Fall. So yyyeah, my asking him didn't scare him off at all - he said yes and he met me in SLC and drove with me to Bear Lake. That weekend together in really solidified the basis of our relationship: TRUST. And while there, we had had a significant 'moment' up on the pasture hill, overlooking the Bear Lake Valley, just north of my Grandma Rae's home - One could say it was in that very 'moment' that our mutual trust and our belief in one another was defined.

Back to the actual proposal story: Okay, so my honey-man had told me he wanted to revisit our special spot up the hill, and without suspicion, I had said something along the lines of "Oh yes, let's!" Well, the aforementioned crappy weather? It was way way too cold and windy and too wet to take a walk up that pasture hill or anywhere, for that matter. So Sunday afternoon, my honey-man told me that he had something for me downstairs. He took my hand and without suspicion, I went with him. We passed through the room and stopped to stand in front of the angel boy-O and my 11-year old cousin, Tanner, off to the side of them a bit. At first I thought I was about to be shown some trick on the X-Box, until the X-box game was willingly paused and muted by the two boys. This move was confusing. And looking at the angel boy-O, he wore a smile the size of a large watermelon slice and his eyes were like a pair of pies! and it was as though the angel boy-O was about to burst with excitement! Seeing his state, my suspicions rose (can't blame me, after the Bernina) and I began to glance back and forth between the boys and my honey-man.

My honey-man, sensing my confusion, then made an effort to hold my attention. Still holding both my hands, he began speaking in a soft, but very formal and serious fashion and he said/asked "You know that I love you very much?" Feeling my confusion grow, I told him "Of course, I do." -- at least, I think that's what I said... either that, or simply, "Yes." Then glancing over to the angel boy-O again, who looked as though he may explode any second, I looked back to my honey-man, who's eyes were suddenly quite seriously serious. It is here in my memory that, um, my memory is a lil' fuzzy... He said something, that I remember thinking at the time was really sweet and perfect and then he said something more about loving me so much and asking me if I knew just how much he loves me... and I think I said something like 'of course' or 'yes' and I think he was still holding both of my hands when he began to kneel down, and I do remember thinking just before he began to sink toward the floor, " OMG! He really meant it when he said [just last month] this would "happen sooner than you think..." And I do remember that I almost blurted out an over-eager "YES!" before he'd even settled down on one knee to pop the final question.

THE PROPOSAL, Itself: I'm not sure I can even repeat with any accuracy what he actually said when he asked me to marry him. I think he said my full name - I know he did at some point, at least twice. All I know for sure is that he did ask me and I said "yes" without a miniscule moment's pause, immediately pulling on him to stand and hold me. And then there were our tears, happy tears and loud cheering from the boy-O! And I know that thereafter, once standing again, my honey-man told me that I make him very happy, and the angel boy-O then stood to present a red paper-wrapped box - the ring - and I giggled and laughed, and I know I kept repeating the words "OH WOW" and I tried to stop myself from bawling. Opening the box, I do know that my honey-man was telling me that we could use the ring as an engagement ring only, to have something custom made later on, just how I want it, and once the box was open and I saw it, I instantly loved it, and once the ring was on my finger, he explained that the three sapphire stones represent our beginning = The three of us; Me and him and the angel boy-O, and by then??? THEN ? My brain was total mush! I couldn't think straight. But my heart? OH MY HEART! I thought my heart would lift off like a rocket and I was officially stunned outta my mind - I'd gone into orbit!

My Grandma Rae had heard the cheering and came downstairs to see what was up. Walking toward her, as she was midway down the stairs, I told her casually, but a lil' sheepishly, "So, I'm engaged."

"Ohhh, you're not - Whatever," she replied.

Almost to the stairs, as she neared the bottom stairs, I said "No really, I am!" and I held up my left hand for her to see. It was then her, who was the one doing the swooning. My honey-man joined me on the stairs to steady my Grams and she bear-hugged us both.

Only a couple hours later, or less, we had 16 members of my mum's extended family over for Sunday dinner and my Grandma Rae had told us not to tell anyone of our engagement until we were all sitting down. Several squeals were heard and even more tears were had, plus many hugs and several genuine and genuinely goofy, fun loving toasts were given. After having heard my marriage proposal was offered down in Grandma's basement, the family declared to my honey-man "...You fit right in!"

P.S. My honey-man picked the ring himself! "Sapphire" had been his only guideline - he done real good, din't he? And no, we haven't set a date for a wedding.
P.P.S. And we reserve the right to elope!!!
P.P.P.S. Is it really "P.P.S." or is it "P.S.S." Anyone? *Ahhh, okay! It's "P.P.S." ~ THANKS Effie!

Got No Time for Nuthin' but a Meme!

I love a good listy thing! Got this one from the mighty SFG, the pinacle of New Orleans southern niceness - but with a lovely naughty edge.

10 years ago: May 1996 - I was totally lost, having finished my 2nd semester at BYU, after transferring there from Ricks College in Rexburg, ID (now "BYU Idaho"). [For Mikie: I will refrain from my usually gagging and choking because she's right = we had fun together at Ricks because we were/are fun and resourceful* girls.]

5 years ago: May 2001 - I had been living in Vegas for nearly 2 years - I was 10 months on the job, about to be deemed a "permanent employee" with the company I currently work for. (That last part makes me feel old.)

1 year ago: I had finished my 2nd semster of the MPA program, about to start a full load for the summer term, realizing that my time in the program was really gunna fly by - and it did. (I AMMM THE MAAHSSSTAAAHHRRR!)

Yesterday: I got home around 6:30-ish, baked a frozen CPK "Margharita" (sp?) thin crust pizza for dinner, ate 3 pieces of it (half of an entire thin crust pizza is equivalent to ONE piece of deep pan style, I swear!?!), then I powered up my laptop to check my email real quick, and then I set up my laptop to play Moulin Rouge while I'd be cleaning... Thereafter, I laid on my bed to think about in what order I should do all that I had to do... and promptly, I fell asleep. My honey-man called at 10Pm, and I fell right back asleep without ever budging. NOTE: I had no idea what time it was when he called - and this morning I had to ask him if he had called and if so, when had he called?

Today: I woke up around 5:15-ish AM and I did some of the things I should have done last night and got to work by 8:15, and I've been working since then... I'm about to take my lunch, to head off to Banana Republic to exchange a pair of pants. Later tonight, my dear friends, Kim & Poppy (with their boys in tow, Gabe & Matthew, respectively) will be coming over to help me clean my apartment all spic n' span for my walk-through. NOTE: I REFUSE to pay money for a "cleaning deposit," considering I always leave an apt. in better shape than I'd found it.

Tomorrow (plus some): I'm flying to Utah tomorrow (think Peter, Paul & Mary here ~ "I'm leavin' on a jet plane") to visit some of my Ricks College friends and my father's fam. My honey-man and his angel boy-O will be meeting up with me on Friday, and we'll then be off to see my mum's fam in Bear Lake, ID for the Memorial Day weekend. The two of them have never been up that way in the Spring/Summer ~ it will be a whole new experience for them both! VERY EXCITED!!! When the angel boy-O had been told we'd be going to Bear Lake, he wanted us to be sure we got his snow/winter playwear from his mommie so that he'll be ready to go sledding with Tanner (my 11 yr. old cousin who absolutely adores the angel boy-O) - - How freakin' cute is that?!? Tell me!!?! He's always gone up there around xmas/New Years!!! ~ Isn't it winter there year 'round? He was so disappointed to hear there's no snow for sledding this time around. BUHHT, when we told him we'd be boating on a big blue lake instead, I think his initial disappointment vanished!

*Resouceful: See "Easily Amused"

Dear Friends, Fam & Fellow Bloggers...

Just tah letcha'all know, I really am alive! And although I'm not exactly homeless (although I sure feel as though I am), I'm particularly preoccupied right now and haven't been able to peruse the usual bloggers, nor have I been able to return recent phone calls... I'm hoping to post something more lengthy later on, but it'll hafta wait until much later tonight, at the earliest.

Thank you for the Well Wishes and Congrats!

Many people have written and offered me words of congratulations for my recent graduation from the Masters in Public Administration program (I AMMM THE MAAHSSTAAHRRR!!!). I've really been touched by all the sweet words and the enthusiasm shared so freely, so generously! Particularly special is the card shown below, sent and signed by the family of dear Wendy ~ the angel boy-O's mommie's fam...

How coool is that?!?

Thank you Leslie & Don! Dannie & Cliff! Kelly & Debbie (sp?)! Steve & Brenda! And there's one mystery signature I can't recognize...(I think it's Christopher, but I'm not sure) Thank you too!
You guys are dah BEST!!!

AND THANK YOU ALL SOOO MUCH!!!

My 300th Post

Get ready for a long, rambling post, written off n' on throughout the length of the day...

WRITTEN AROUND 9AM: How kinda funny/odd is this? Over the weekend, I graduated with my Masters in Public Administration [Hear me now in a very loud, very deeep booming voice: I AM THE MAHHSSSTAAAHRRR!], and the post in which I'm gunna write about it, happens to be my 300th post! Why is this funny? why mention it at all? Well, the Blogger 'Dashboard' will only "show" up to 300 posts... Can anyone tell me what happens with Blogger when you hit #300? Is that all I get? I'm done with my masters degree, so I'll have to go blog elsewhere now? Okay - so it's not funny at all.

SPLIT BETWEEN 10AM & 10PM: Anyhow... Soooo much I could write about right now, and not much immediate time for writing right now either... YES! I graduated = Stick a fork in me, cuz I am done! The entire weekend was jam packed with nonstop "going from here to here, to there from here and here and back again" activities. Many smiles were had. Many hugs and kisses exchanged. Lots of laughter shared. Loads of gooood food devoured. Lots of limping around was done ~ I was lovingly called "Gimpy Girl" all weekend long. Any talk over the weekend as to when I'll pursue my doctorate degree in PUA was promptly shut down. I'm way too pooped to think about THAT issue right now. In fact, right now I'm utterly exhausted. I feel like I've been run over with one of those big industrial machines that rolls itself over blacktop, with the huge roller thingy to smooth it all down. I've been packing for over 3 hours tonight, and ahhhh, there's A LOT more to pack by Friday!!! Plus, I gotta sell various major furniture items ASAP!!! I'm moving out of my apartment, stashing my stuff in storage for who knows how long, moving into my aunt's home, going to Utah and Idaho over Memorial Day to see my mum's fam and to visit my mum's grave, for what may be my last trip for several months to come... OH and ya know, somehow I gotta search for and find a job in an insanely competitive L.A. job market, and do so from Vegas. I'm tired.
But how 'bout some good stuff? There's always some good stuff...

WRITTEN @ 6PM: This is the first Monday night in two years for which I don't have a class I must go to!!!

WRITTEN @ 11AM-ish: My immediate family from Iowa met my honey-man's angel boy-O for the first time and the kiddo scored a PS2 from my parents!?! Initially, my honey-man told them, only 1/2 joking (which they may not have realized), that they were both going straight down to Hades for it. However, by the next morning, he and the angel boy-O, were both hungrily looking over the contents of the PS2's packaging, combing over the manuals, muttering many breathy, awestruck "cool"s and "awesome"s, etc.

WRITTEN AROUND 2PM: The boy-O managed to effortlessly charm the socks off the entire crew: #1 He's just absolutely freakin' cute!!! #2 Did I tell ya he's freakin' CUTE!?!!! #3 The angel boy-O said his 'please's and 'thank you's like an absolute pro and was quite the considerate little boy all weekend... with the exception of one incident, comical in retrospect, but not at the time... Late last Friday night, waiting for his Dad to unlock my door, he pulled the fire alarm at my apartment complex. A grand story in itself, of which I won't go into now, poor kid. But I'll share this: I told him that although it was a mistake (of sorts) on his part, what he had done was wrong and that he should feel bad about it, but regardless, "You're still lovable." And oh my! The increase of strength in his grip around my neck and the sobbing that poured out of him?!? when I assured him we weren't going to sell him on the black market? HE IS THE CUTEST!

WRITTEN AFTER 4PM: The very first night, with him sitting on the floor near my step-mum's feet, and all of us waiting on my father so we could leave to dinner, the angel boy-O told my step-mum -with complete and utter sincerity, in the sweetest, lightest tone imaginable- that he liked her sandals. During their first dinner together, several of us quietly witnessed the angel boy-O giving slow-winks to a table of giggling ladies nearby, who were all happy to wink right back at him. He also impressed my parents when he spoke up so politely and so very confidently to ask the waiter, "Can I have some children's chopsticks, please." At some point, when my brother was leaving to use the bathroom, the boy-O wanted to go with him, "please"... as my brother slowly pulled the patio door open to go inside, the angel boy-O was doing his best to also pull the door open... Looking up at my brother who was still standing beside him in the doorway, he very proudly said "It's okay, I'm holding the door for you," unable to see that far, far above his little figure, my 6 ft. 6" tall brother had a large hand on the door's top outer corner, keeping the door propped open. There's also the boy-O's insistence that we all call my brother "Mr. Pete." And yesterday morning before brunch, when my uncle knocked on my parents' hotel room door, the angel boy-O was told in chorus to "Go ahead and answer it." Some of us peeked around the corner to watch him handle the enormous, heavy door... With great effort, once open, he greeted my uncle in a most adorable, bright and sunshiny voice: "Why Hello, Loren!" COULD HE BE ANY CUTER?!? Put a lil' whip cream on him and he'd be better than a dark chocolate drizzled cream puff!

All weekend long, the angel boy-O willingly and most freely hugged everyone. He engaged in multiple one-on-one conversations with everyone and at some point or another, he held everyone's hand. Particularly cute was the first time he wanted to hold my brother's hand, as we were all walking down a corridor in Caesars Palace. He kept grabbing for it and missing my brother's hand, and my brother was oblivious to the concentrated effort. The angel boy-O looked back at us, to me and my honey-man, to show his frustration with a funny lil' pouty facial expression... "You want to hold his hand? Just ask him." And then... *tap - tap * tap - tap* to the side of the small of my brother's back, while trying at the same time not to step or trip on my brother's heels... And then, watching my ridiculously tall lil' brother stop to turn around with a smile, to look down into the angel boy-O's earnest lil' face... "Can I hold your hand?" And then!?! to walk behind them, seeing his lil' arm stretched up to hold my brother's enormous hand? Ahh, my heart.

WRITTEN AFTER 4:20PM: And something else that was ga-ga-ga-guhoood... Sunday morning, after a long graduation-filled Saturday, my honey-man and the angel boy-O presented their graduation gift to me. Still in our jammies, my honey-man brought my present in from his car and it was an enormous gift-wrapped box (NOTE: "Enormous" must be my new favorite word.) and immediately, I announced aloud, almost scared (more like terrified), "That is NOT a rice cooker." I couldn't think for the life of me what it could be, as it sunk heavily into the bed's top when set upon it. The angel boy-O was ecstatic - dying for me to rip it open RIGHT NOW, dying to help me do it. By the way, he contributed some of his own money for the purchase of my gift and didn't want me to forget that point... I couldn't have been more slow moving. I hadn't even opened it yet, and I was absolutely stunned! After a couple rips to the wrapping here and there, "NINA" written in red lettering, in a font I know very well, was revealed and I think I died. I was stunned the rest of the day. My honey-man kept asking me if it was in a good way, unsure about my dazed and speechless state. I'd get this dreamy look on my face throughout the day...while standing in line, waiting for my bananas foster... when driving... in the middle of a conversation... "I have a Bernina. It's mine. My honey-man gave me a Bernina. A BERNINA! I have a Bernina sewing machine - a BERNINA!" I'm still stunned.

After I had first opened my present and once we had it out of its box, no sooner did we all need to get ready and going to meet my family for Sunday brunch at Caesars. For a moment though, amidst our efforts to get ready to go, at one point it had seemed to my honey-man that I had disappeared... he came looking for me, to discover I had my Bernina manual with me, um, as my chosen reading material for a visit to the bathroom. He couldn't have been more thrilled by this. For now, the only bad thing about my Bernina is I won't have a chance to use it for a while, moving out of my apartment this week.

WRITTEN AT 10PM-ish: Sooo in contrast to the beloved Bernina, the lovable angel boy-O, and THE MASSSTAAHHRRs degree, let me return to my complainer-mode (this is your chance to quit reading!): My honey-man's previous work in Vegas, which enabled us to build a relationship, has come to an end, no longer requiring that he come here each week. For me, although he'll be here to help me move and we'll be in Idaho with the angel boy-O the following week, also meeting up in L.A. the weekend thereafter for Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" at the Hollywood Bowl, it's gunna suck not seeing him each week... Just temporary, I know - I know, but it makes this transitional phase sucky, nonetheless. But again, I recognize this is a time of major transition for not only me, but my honey-man. In Vegas, he has LOVED the chance to do what he loves to do, and this past semester may very well be his very last to ever enjoy such license and freedom and support to do what he so loves to do and get paid for it! For him, this makes me very sad, but to make certain things happen now and to set things up for 'tomorrow' and 'someday' requires sacrifice. I wish my honey-man could do in L.A. what he's been able to do here, but in his own words, "It won't happen."

To make my honey-man's absence from Vegas far worse and matters particularly miserable for me from here on out, at least until I'm in L.A., yesterday I lost my kitty boys to my L.A. boys... My Otis & Owen now live in L.A. and last night was my first night without them = Getting ready for work this morning, without any furry meowing bodies to trip over, I nearly burst into tears! Mmmkay - that's a lie. I did cry. I miss them horribly, okay? Anyone who's seen my with my kitty boys knows that I absolutely adore them and the two of them bring me joy on a daily basis! My father has often mused over my neverending enthusiasm for my cats, wondering what I'll be like with a child of my own. It's always been hard enough, not being with my L.A. boys, but my furry boys had always compensated for the lack a little... Now I'm without them all. [IMAGINE BOTTOM LIP PROTRUDING OUTWARD IN A MAJOR POUTY POUT] And YES, I am whining and I know it. Yes, I'll get over it (maybe) and this is just temporary, and it's better not have my babies around for the packing and moving frenzy underway, but I really miss my furry babies and it's only the 2nd night. Off I go to bed, without my boys... *sniff, sniff*

P.S. I know we'll be fine. CORRECTION: We are just fine, in relative terms, but fine, nonetheless.
Over the weekend, during another moment of complete insecurity, ladden with uncertainty, my honey-man said something along the lines of the following: Along a scale (if one were to exist), there's a beautiful life at one end, and at the other, there's a life of utter hell. Most people in this world, unfortunately, live their lives closer to the "hell" end, and we're very fortunate to be closer to the other opposite end; the "beautiful life" end, and not just in the middle between hell and beautiful. We're truly fortunate.

..."Kat McPhee is a babe..."

Last Tuesday night, while driving home from work, I called my father's cell... he answered and immediately, I could tell he hadn't looked at all to see who was calling... He first said 'hello' in a very polite, yet totally detached manner, and then, upon hearing my voice, he exploded with enthusiasm, to only quickly rush back into full space cadet mode. I was giggling at this and asked him what he was up to...

"I'm listening to 'Kat' McPhee belt it out."

And then?

I was momentarily DUMBFOUNDED = Absolutely speechless for a matter of 5 seconds, or so.
And then it was I, who was the next to explode... with full bodied laughter!!!

"You're watching American Idol!?!?"

And his response...

"Hold on, I want to hear what Simon says."

Ohhh Grandpa... I'm nearly 70% "Open Minded"

Another quiz from Blogthings, designed to totally freak out my ultra Republican Grandpa - this one, however, shouldn't be as bad for him as the first one had been:

You Are 68% Open Minded

You are a very open minded person, but you're also well grounded. Tolerant and flexible, you appreciate most lifestyles and viewpoints. But you also know where you stand firm, and you can draw that line. You're open to considering every possibility - but in the end, you stand true to yourself.

How Open Minded Are You?

Mah Theme Song!

Stole this baby from Kati... By the way Kati, I wanna know the answers you gave to have been given an AC/DC song (?!?) as your theme song!?!

Your Theme Song is Beautiful Day by U2

"Sky falls, you feel like It's a beautiful day... Don't let it get away" You see the beauty in life, especially in ordinary everyday moments. And if you're feeling down, even that seems a little beautiful too.

What's Your Theme Song?

Poppin' In & Out ~ and Bday Wishes for Sheryl

Although I've got my baby back -the bless'ed digicam- and I have much to say and many random thoughts poppin' in and out of my mind on a constant basis, all of which should be shared (the use of the word "should" is debatable, I know), amidst all the hub-bub going on right now, I just don't have much time to share any of it right now. So, just wanna peek in and say "HI" and that "I'm really busy still," but I haven't forgotten everyone... oh and one more thing, if I'm not mistaken, it's also Sheryl's birthday today. Go send her some sweet birthday wishes!

Happy Birthday to Yoooou!

I had to wrap it up and make it all purty ~ sorry, Wendy! I prepared a post, complete with pictures of the present within the wrapping, but ya know? Then why wrap it? You'll just haftah open it up tomorrow morning. Happy Birthday!

The rest of you, who may be wondering "what the heck?" - - Wendy is the former spouse of my honey-man, mommie to the angel boy-O and a good friend of mine and it's her birthday!

Reuuunited, Annd it Feeeels sooo GUH-OOOD!

This past Saturday, I went to FedEx to claim my precious baby ~ Repaired and returned, I've been reunited with my blessed digicam! This fact coupled with passing my defense last Friday, we've got a very happy girl!!!

WOOooOoOO-HOO!

I PASSED! I PASSED! I PASSED!
(Jumping up and down on my one good foot!)

Quotes taken from those in attendance at my defense:

From the Committee Chair of my paper: "Excellent."
From the Chair of the Dept: "It's fascinating material... well done."
From the Director of the MPA Program: "You were marvelous."

I PASSED MY DEFENSE (SCREAMING FOR ALL TO HEAR) !!!

* ENORMOUS SUPER LONG-WINDED SIGH OF RELIEF *

I only need to add a couple "statements of limitation" in a couple sections and it's ALL done - won't have to represent or recirculate the minor additions... just make 'em and I'm done. Will take 15 minutes!

(and I'm gunna pass out now, I'm so elated!)

Losing Myself via "Boys Don't Cry" by The Cure

Moving... to the Music

Since I can't seem to resolve the whirlwind of concerns and worries raging about me, nor can I seem to effectively deal with the overwhelming multitude of insecurities plaguing me, causing an inability to think straight right now, with this upcoming move and all that it means, plus an impending job search hovering over me, I've decided I'm going to revert back to the primary escapist-habit of my past - - Music - - and more so than the usual.

As for "the usual," it's not at all uncommon for me to have music playing almost constantly, especially whenever I'm away from the confines of my home. What that last part means (?), if anything, I have no clue, nor do I really care (although my parents have some general, but very serious psychological theories about my chronic need for music). The point is this: I listen to music most of the time. I have it playing in the car to and from any driving destination (unless I'm listening to NPR), it plays while I'm at the office, from the time I arrive until I leave work, and I listen whenever I'm doing homework, writing, reading, cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc.

So what would be "more so than the usual?"

I've just rediscovered the joy of music in the morning, thanks to my honey-man's insistence that we wake up using the radio alarm instead of my blaring siren-like alarm buzzer. So yeah, for now - at least when my honey-man isn't here - I let the radio alarm continue to play once I get up. I'm also picking through my CDs again, flipping through my collection beyond my usual rotation. Case in Point: Right now I'm listening to "Scarlet's Walk" by Tori Amos. I haven't listened to this album since early 2004. Okay - that one probably didn't make much of an impression, right? Well, how about this: Right now in my car's CD player, I have Toto - as in "Africa" and "Hold the Line" - ya know, "Rosanna"?

For 'Anonymous' ~ My Many Moves

Got a funny lil' comment last night - - my first semi-negative comment, but nooo biggie.

But it made me think... maybe I should offer some insight regarding my lastest "inventory" list taken the other day - ? First of all, let me make one thing very clear: I made the list in a matter mere minutes. If you haven't already seen my June '05 post written about how many times I've moved since '93 (right here), one would certainly not imagine, nor understand how I could make such a list so quickly, maybe. See, I've moved several times, so I'm very, very familiar with all that I have, how to keep it all well organized, and how best to pack it all up again.

Moving isn't normally a stressful thing for me. [SEMI-RELATED TANGENT: With the exception of 1999, leaving Provo, UT as a fresh BYU graduate and new divorcee, off to Vegas! And also 2003, moving from Helen's (one of the best roomies ever!), re-entering the lousy world of apartment rentals, having at the time lived in nothing but houses for the last 6 years. END OF TANGENT] Moving can be stressful for various reasons and this one's loaded, but in terms of packing requirements alone, this upcoming move is different than the rest in that I must sort my things 5 different ways: 1) Things that need to be sold; 2) Things that will go with me to my aunt's home, where I'll be staying in Henderson until I find a job in L.A.; 3) Things that can go to L.A. now, so that I'll have it at my honey-man's once I find a job in L.A.; 4) Things that won't go to L.A. until we have a new apartment in Burbank; and 5) Things that will never go to L.A. b/c there's no room, but I just can't get rid of them.

More later...

My Head Hurts

Taking Inventory - More for Me than You

So, I'll say it again... I defend my thesis this Friday (deep breath)... I have a final next week (long exhale)... Thereafter, my entire immediate family will be here from Iowa come the 11th, for my graduation on the 13th (dizzy spell washing over me)...

My honey-man left Vegas this morning, taking with him one of my TVs (yes, I have two TVs) and its cabinet/TV cart, plus its accompanying DVD/VCR players and a cooler stocked with cooler/picnic-type stuff... There's now only 3 dressers (two 5-drawer and one 6-drawer), 2 beds (1 queen and a double), 1 double-bed headboard with frame, 1 loveseat and 1 huge, long couch, 1 sitting chair, 1 office chair, 2 folding chairs, 1 card table, 2 side tables, 1 sewing table, 1 sewing machine, 1 serger machine, 1 computer desk, one compooter with MASSIVE monitor with a MASSIVE printer, FIVE bookshelves and one squatty one, 1 tall, very wide, very deep, MASSIVE shelving unit, FIFTEEN modular-cube furniture pieces, 7 rugs, 12 lamps (yes, TWELVE, as in a dozen lamps) and another TV and DVD player left to go annnnd...

HOLY SCHMOLY! Now that I got this list started, what else is there?!? I'm curious now (my being a listy-list person). Bare with me here - OR NOT - - [Consider yourself warned] - - Umm, I've got 5 loaded milk crates from my closet, plus three 3-drawer stackable bins, 3 stacking shoe shelving units, 1 door-hanging shoerack, 2 'coat-size' storage bins, 2 square-stack storage bins, count of NINE 66-qt. size storage bins, count of THRITEEN 15-qt. storage bins (what all is kept in these could be another post), two 2-drawer filing cabinets, 1 bedside standing cabinet, 1 bathroom towel cabinet, 1 wall-mounted above-toilet 2- door cabinet, 1 wall-mounted above-sink 3-door cabinet, 2 wall-mounted 3-hook coat hanging thingies, 2 fans, one 40-gallon fish tank, 41 different wall hangings (NO JOKE! and that does not count those still in storage), a gazillion other framed items throughout my apt., 9 stuffed 'photo boxes' stuffed with non-photo items, 10 photo albums, a gazillion books, 2 summer-style sleeping bags, 2 below-Zero sleeping bags, 1 camping tent, a camp gas lantern, 1 dutch oven and 1 cast iron camp skillet, enamel camp cookware set, 1 queen-size inflatable mattress, 1 queen-size quilt made by my mum, 1 king-size quilt made by my mum, several other blankets/afghans made by various grandmothers, 2 comforters (1 twin, 1 king-size), 7 bed pillows (all but 1 were gifts!?!), 7 couch pillows, 3 throw blankets (all were gifts!?!), 2 kitty beds, 1 kitty carrier, 3 scratching posts, a fold-up treadmill, an iron and ironing board, an in-house vacuum, 1 Mini-Bissel steam cleaner, a Wet/Dry Utility Vac, one 82-piece tool kit with a cordless drill, an electric heavy duty staple gun, 1 toolbox, a belt sander, an orbital sander, a "Mouse" sander, 1 finishing sander, 1 oil and water colors tool box, 1 stain glass supplies tool box, 1 sewing supplies box, one large suitcase, two smaller suitcases, 2 backpacks... *UPDATE* Plus several (try 15?) heavy-duty Sterilite storage bins in my patio storage closet and several more (about 6?) in my uncle's garage in Henderson, full of stuff from my mum.

OH hell -- and my kitchen stuff?!?! This remaining list will be INSANE: One HUGE enamel canning pot, electric ice cream maker, electric griddle (I so love it!), a bread maker, 1 toaster oven, a 4-slice toaster, an electric blender, 1 hand blender, 1 hand mixer, 1 mini chopper, 1 heart-shaped waffle maker, a HUGE traditional square-waffle maker, 2 large stock pots, 1 HUMUNGOUS frying pan, a deep skillet, a french skillet, a mini-skillet, 2 sauce pans, a steaming thingy, a small salad spinner, 3 different sized sives, 2 funnels, 3 cutting boards, 1 set of 12 knives with block, a Rubbermaid round cake cover, a bundt pan, an angel cake pan, 2 ceramic tart pans, 4 glass pie plates, 4 small round cake pans, 1 mini-round pan, 2 mini springforms, 1 regular springform pan, one regular cake pan, 4 bread pans, including a meatloaf pan, two 12-count muffin tins, one 6-count muffin tin, a pizza pan, 1 wok, 4 air cushion cookie sheets, 2 jelly rolls pans, 2 broiling pans, 4 cooling racks, a deep roasting pan, 3 different sized shallow Pyrex casserole dishes, 3 matching green glass bakeware pieces, 5 different pieces of CorningWare "French White" bakeware, 2 flat serving trays, 2 cracker/dip trays, a 4-piece platter set, 4 various-sizes plastic mixing bowls with spouts, 4 various-sizes Pyrex mixing bowls, one 5-cup measuring cup, 2 different 2-cup measuring cups, one 4-piece canister set, 2 LARGE Sugar and Flour bins, --- a plethora of plastic storage containers, ranging in size from huge to tini-tiny, and I won't list my dishes, glassware, mugs, bowls, etc. Let's just leave it at this and say, I have A LOT MORE!

So yeah, more than enough said: I have a lot of stuff. And I've got to pack it all by May 20th!!! and I should really sell some of it between now and then. Wish me luck.

705 Posts Awaiting

Still haven't gotten back into the swing of blogging/reading blogs - only in brief spurts... Still have one class final and my thesis defense is this upcoming Friday @ 9am. Thereafter, I'll be packing like a mad woman, graduating on the 13th and moving out the 20th.

Some semi-good news: I'm hobbling around now without crutches!?! This is only "semi-good" news for the fact that my foot is still swollen and it hurts, throbbing and stinging and my mobility is still very limited - but it's good, nonetheless. I'm just getting impatient = I wanna be better NOW!!! Imagine my lower lip protruding in a mega-pout. A SEMI-FUNNY NOTE: Right now, my shoe selection is limited to two pairs: 1) my gardening shoes, with the left shoe kept unlaced, and 2) my Birkenstocks, with the left one on its last buckle hole.

K, gots stuff to do at work now. HAPPY MONDAY! <---what a cruel oxymoron, yes?