NO! No. no? .......crap.......

Soda is the pits to stop drinking--caffeinated or no. I gotta be strong, have to say no, have to remember kidneys deteriorating under the strain and that lovely little disclaimer on each can of "produces cancer in lab rats" (hmmm....maybe I should be letting the mouse at home have a few sips) Keep in mind that oh so gross fact that if you leave a steak in a bowl of Coke for a couple of days it will be completely eaten away...for that matter you can apparently do the same with nails but it takes a bit longer. Cops supposidly carry cola products to wash away blood stains at car accidents and crime scenes....and the manufacturers of Pepsi supposidly use the product to clean off their engines (I really don't believe that one since pop is pretty dang sticky!)But if even one of the above is true, just think of what its doing to my poor little intestinal tract (come to think of it I really am chewing a lot of antacids lately...proly because not only am I swigging tons of pop but I've also downed a lot of jalepeno poppers in the last week--darn these new addictions!)

So it comes down to me saying fare-thee-well Cherry Coke, toodles Black Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper, and just say NO to Henry Weinhardt tall and frothy cream soda from the long neck bottle..... oh who am I kidding!?

Holidays that just can't wait their turn.....

Okay, the push for Christmas Christmas Christmas is just getting worse and worse and worse. I have accepted the idea that retailers have their Christmas crap out long before the Halloween aisle is even descimated (got to get it in for those early Christmas shoppers!) but this morning was a new low in the holiday world. Driving past Hampton Inn and Resort this morning the building was ablaze in the pre-dawn with Christmas lights all over their sign and on all of the pine trees in the front area! I mean really....the trick or treaters are still gearing up for the long rounds of door-to-door and haven't even started getting sick on candy and the Christmas lights are up? What is this world coming to? Now Halloween is my favorite holiday but its usually a second banana to Christmas in the world view of favorites....now it has to deal with Christmas not even waiting for the first of November? Nope, Christmas has to step in and take Halloween's fine glory...it just reaches in there and snatches the day without so much as a by-your-leave or "oops....sorry". sigh. Whatever happened to Halloween and then Thanksgiving AND THEN Christmas? You know, something to look forward to? What'll be new for next year....buying your September back-to-school supplies along with a couple of stocking stuffers?

Fashion Faux Paux?

Okay, bit of the absurd here. Spotted in the hallway at church yesterday was a toddler who couldn't have topped 2 years old making a beeline for the watering fountain with a very fashionable mommy trailing behind. Sadly, the toddler was togged out in thigh high black leather boots (with heels!) and a tartan mini skirt.

First thought...what kind of values is that mother giving her child?
Second...why did I leave my camera home cause no one is gonna believe this one.
Third...those boots look ridiculous with that skirt.

2 Days and 2.8 Tons

In two days I have loaded, unloaded, boxed up and shipped 2.8 tons of just one of our switches (its actually more since I also freighted out some light modules and other styles of switches but that's still pretty dang impressive) Its no wonder I am tired (but happy with the accomplishment)!

Of course that's not the only reason I am tired: its mostly a serious lack of sleep. I have nightmares that wake me and keep me up...for a girl who doesn't have nightmares it has been very disturbing. Yesterday I managed to get about 6 hours of sleep but since Saturday I have averaged around 4-5 a night. I think one of the reasons I slept fairly well last night was (not only my exhaustion) but I went for a drive around the southern part of the lake after work. It was a beautiful afternoon and I enjoyed it very much. Stopped to stroke the nose of a horse along the roadway (who was very friendly) and just generally unwound. Of course as soon as I pulled into the driveway the world crashed in again--a friend called with her daily list of complaints and then Cynthia wanted me to meet her at Reams so she could borrow Transformers and to give me the jars of pumpkin butter that I'd left cooling at her place last Saturday.

So I listened, and I drove....came home, set the box of canned pumpkin butter on the kitchen floor, heated up some leftovers, popped in a movie and then was in bed by 9. Lucie woke me at 10 but I don't think I was on the phone with her for long...I was fairly out of it by then...and only woke up twice. Of course, both those times had me lying there in the dark for a good hour or two but I still feel a lot better this morning. I missed a couple of good lake shots on my way home last night (ran out of juice on the battery) so I think I will swing out that way again tonight after I pick up Jason's computer...I had planned to drive all the way around the lake Saturday but that will have to wait. Oh well, something delicious to look forward to.

what a weekend....

For those readers NOT in the family, we got bad news this friday. In the midst of sadness good things still happened this weekend: I went to a friends house and canned about 2 dozen jars of pumpkin butter (yum!) so I will be eating that for awhile to come. I love going to Cynthia's house--it may be loud at times and very distracting but its a comfortable place to go and just flop on the couch when you need to not be by yourself anymore (thanks again honey for wanting to be sure I have somewhere to go for Christmas!) I also found out that my sister went ahead with her plans to "sneak off to the courthouse" and get married...just got some of the pictures printed up at WallyWorld and I am soon to be off to pick them up (can't say it enough Miya--you looked beautiful--and I still say it looks black not brown!)Its comforting to think that even when all seems lost that somehow you find glimmers of sunshine in the darkness.

Oops! I did it again....

Sorry Deviants.....I uploaded another ton of photogs tonight! Here's a preview:

A girl and her camera.....

I got my camera back last night and wasted no time snapping pics again. Explanation? Ronetta was carrying it in her purse at the trade show tuesday of last week so I would have access to it rather than packing it up in my duffle or in one of the show boxes. We crawl into town around 8 in the evening, she jumps in her car and heads home (another hour and a half drive) and about five mins after she leaves I remember my camera....still in her purse! A week without a camera completely sucks as it figures this would be the week that autumn decided to really go all out down here. Fall in its glory and all I have is my camera phone! Well, I got a lot of pics out of that phone and thankfully the text messaging still works even though the account is closed...I'd snap and snap, text the pictures to my email and then snap some more. I haven't looked at them yet because I am afraid I'll be disappointed by the lousy quality of my phone (even tho I upped the resolution as high as it would go)....Sadly I noticed this morning that a lot of the trees I was loving last week have no leaves on them (you were right Jase, fall is brief here!) but I think some are still blazing gloriously; gonna go out tonight and re-acquaint myself with a real camera!

This means war....

Well the "live catch" trap has done nothing....in fact I don't think the thing is really even working since the door was such a pill to set up! Did a serious "put-away" this weekend--cleaning stuff stored on the counters, started emptying the boxes of desk stuff that have been sitting in the spare room and there is mouse poo all over the place! Ugh! No place seems to be sacred except the bathroom countertop...but just because he hasn't pooed there doesn't mean he hasn't been exploring! The little stinker has GOT TO GO! He came out a couple of times from under the stove to look at me while I was sweeping the floor and is getting used to me--NOT GOOD!

Went out yesterday and bought two "quick kill" mousetraps...mouse goes in and doesn't come out. The problem is that I feel hideous for just having the traps in the house--so much that they are still sitting on the countertop, unset. I know its just a mouse but its still a living and breathing creature (and kinda cute in its own stinker-like way). Its the idea that its gonna hurt....I honestly don't want to know what the killing method is inside that round canister! I know the packaging says "instant kill" and that the mouse is supposidly dead before it knows what hit it but what if it isn't quick? I don't want the poor thing taking its sweet time to die.

Just going to have to go home tonight, gird up my loins, set the traps and be done with it. Just remember him pooing on my favorite fall jacket and BE TOUGH! I am all for nature and such...just not when it invades my home! Now lets hope it hasn't invited the fam in for the winter--one mouse is more than enough!

Do the crime....pay the fine

Sadly Miss I-don't-speed-and-frankly-get-upset-when-people-run-red-lights should learn to get off her high horse. Yes, I rarely speed and I stop for the yellow light...and I took pride in the fact that its been forever since I was pulled over, let alone given a ticket. Well, pride cometh before the fall I guess. To my defense I would like to point out I'd just worked 12 days in a row (nearly 50 hours in week one and 55 in week two) and was very very tired, but then what good is justifying the infraction? I did it, I am guilty and now have a ticket and fine to prove it.

I was driving to Springville friday after work and was distracted for a moment by scaffolding on a building I love. I was thinking it was wonderful that the owner was going to continue his efforts to preserve such a beautiful building when I looked up and saw the light had just turned red at the intersection I had just come to. Sure, I could have hit my brakes and probably come to a stop partially into the crosswalk but impulse took over and I ran the red light...right in front of a cop. Cue one cute policeman pulling me over, handing me an $82 ticket and seeming fairly shocked that I not only admitted my error without excuse but actually said "thank you" when he handed me the ticket! (Mom would be rolling her eyes over that one...sorry mom but I was raised to say thank you when things are given to me--even though you specifically told me that one time never to say it to a cop giving you a ticket).

So I now have a fine and goodness only knows how many points coming off of my drivers license (I still haven't figured out the whole point system anyway!) What a way to start the weekend.....but I learned my lesson. Once again I come screeching to a stop at a yellow light, much to the annoyance of everyone following behind me.

Viva Las Vegas???

Try dirty icky yucky Las Vegas...well, the strip anyway.

Day 1: Went to Vegas bright and squirelly Sunday...actually got up at 3 to be ready by 4 and the boss didn't show up until 6:30, but that's another story (wonder if I can claim that time I spent waiting???) We actually made it there in plenty of time though since Dan drove 95 pretty much the entire way! Dan did make a 2-second stop in Virgin Creek Canyon so I could jump out and get a rock (no I didn't have to ask...he just did it) Arrived at Vegas, parked illegally in the taxi zone at the convention center (leaving Lori in the car to watch out!) and Ronetta and I carried the stuff in while Dan set things up. Luckily we managed to get it done in about half an hour and then we went to In 'n Out Burger for lunch (lousy fries--good burger). Dan dropped Ronetta and I off on the strip while he and Lori went to the mall and I talked 'Netta into going to the Titanic exhibit with me. I wish I could have snapped a photo of the promenade deck but there wasn't enough available light. They had a velvet curtain up with "starlight" shining through and there was air conditioning blowing to simulate cool night air and if you looked over the railing you could see the lights were set up to look like starlight shining on water than ran by....seriously I stood there for several minutes just feeling like I was really on board! (Note: definately worth the $25 price tag if you're a Titanic buff!) After that I couldn't justify spending more in the gift shop so I dropped .51 cents and got a penny squished with an imprint of the ship. We then went to the M & M store (total overpriced madhouse) and then the Coke store (less of a madhouse but still overpriced) since 'Netta wanted to look for stuff before meeting Dan a little later (with some confusion as to just how far down the strip did we manage to go and would we mind backtracking to where he was sitting on the side of the road) We then drove to the Hilton to check in and get ready for the show.

That night we only had to be at the show for 2 hours, then Dan took us all to dinner (absolutely delicious prime rib!) and then he and Lori flew back to SLC while 'Netta and I took the Monorail down to the strip and watched the Bellagio water jets/light show thing. WOW! I took several video shots on my camera phone as well as stills (wouldn't you know I forgot the digital camera back at the hotel!) Anyway, between the afternoon walking and the evening (we mistakenly walked from the Bellagio to the MGM and back so she could go to the M & M store again)we put some serious mileage on our tootsies and I came back to the hotel with a blister on the bottom of my foot and one bleeding on my heel (so much for the walking power of my sneakers!)Tried to get dessert at a cafe in the hotel only to find that they closed in five mins but had already stripped all the food out of the kitchen (well, that's their story anyway). Went to the room and ordered 2 slices of carrot cake and 2 glasses of moo to the tune of $25 on room service! Talk about OUCH! Quite an expensive, painful and eye-opening day as I realized those weren't newspaper boxes we were passing on the street but hooker advertisements!

Day 2: Tried to get breakfast at the same cafe we tried the night before....line was wayyyyyyyyyy too long so we grabbed a muffin and pop at the in-house coffee shop (man, I didn't eat healthy at all on this trip!) and then had the trade show from 11 to 6:30. It was not bad (except my feet were feeling like bruised hamburger by this time so I kicked my shoes under the table and went barefoot). Got some really good contacts and a couple of orders for the show and felt it went great so we decided to eat at the Rainforest Cafe over at the MGM. Found out the Monorail takes you to the back of the casino so you have to walk all the way through them to get to the strip--this way you're more likely to gamble--and you add that much more mileage again to already sore feet! The restaurant was worth the pain--if you ever get to Vegas you need to try it! Not bad prices, the food was amazing (I had fish and chips)--oh, don't go for the side salad cause its just bitter greens on a plate with a chuck or two of tomato hiding under it all for $4.99! Anyway, the atmosphere is fun (its a simulated rain forest and when you walk in you walk through this huge salt water fish tank arch. Afterwards we stopped at the rainforest gift shop and found the prices really reasonable (I bought a beanie bat in halloween colors for $5 and learned they give 20% of the proceeds to a protection fund so it was worth it. We then stopped at the Cirque du Soleil KA store where I gazed at the lovely (and expensive!) masks before heading to the Treasure Island to watch the pirates show. Stood in the crowds waiting for it to start when I noticed all the signs said the show was called "Sirens of the T.I." hmmmm.....soon found out why as all these women come sliding out in super skimpy garb, capture some poor pirate and ravish him...sink his fellow pirates ship when it comes to rescue him and then they swim over, climb aboard and are ravished as well. Geez...the whole town revolves around smuck. Was glad to hear other comments around us after the show as to how disappointing and vulgar the crowd found the new show. After that it was walking again, this time down to the Mirage where we watched the volcano explode out front before finally making our way back to the casino. Watched Ronetta drop $9 gambling and win $25 before she decided she was too tired to want to do more (and me standing there wanting to cry cause my feet were really killing me by then) so we hobbled up to our room and passed out for the night. Oh, and 'Netta got propositioned to join a group and become an escort while we were wandering around....

Day 3: Was smart and checked out at 8 in the morning (beating the line I noticed after the conference as all the other vendors tried leaving) and then stuffed our bags behind our booth out of the way. The show only ran for 4 hours (9-1) today so we weren't expecting much--in fact several of the exhibitors had already taken down their booths and left. We did get a couple really good contacts before the end of the show and we broke the booth down as fast as we could, grabbed a couple of bellhops to wheel our boxes and bins out to the truck and then we made our escape. Actually, we were on the road about an hour after the show ended. The drive back wasn't bad....I averaged 85-90 for most of it except through Virgin Creek Canyon--road construction kept us around 55 for about 20 miles (yikes--after 90 55 seems like you're crawling!) Pulled in around 8 pm and was never so happy to come home--even if there was only a mouse to greet me! (Which reminds me...more traps--the little stinker jumped out of the gas burner the other day (it was off!) and made a beeline for food I had sitting out--cheeky little bugger!)

And today? Total pandemonium in the office, spent the day in a rush-rush-rush and am ready to go home and eat something real! But man its good to be home.....

Humblest Appologies.....

For all of you who watch me on Deviantart....

Sorry but you just got hit with about 40 deviations that I submitted today. I added everything I've taken in the last few weeks that I wanted to get on there in one fell swoop.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Wonderful weekend...was up canning at Cynthia's until 3 in the morning and then couldn't sleep for another hour but it was fun. Finally crawled out of bed (officially) at 11 and saw beautiful rain coming down...showered, ate and got ready to head over to Cynthia's to pick up my canning spoils and had to do a double take--it was a snow storm outside! WOW! Grabbed my camera and snapped a bunch of pics on my way to Cynthia's and then stood outside her house shivering as I took photog after photog of her flower garden covered in snow. I ended up using my battery completely over there (I seriously need to look into getting a second battery!) and got some cute shots of the girls making a snowman (yes, there was enough snow for a full-size snowman!) I'll put a couple in here but I have so many I wanna post on Deviantart that I don't know where to start. I know I said I'd have the other pics posted there on Friday but its been a bit of a zoo lately getting ready for the trade show this next weekend (eek!) that I am lucky I remember anything else right now! I have the group of photos narrowed down and will decide officially this evening after work so they SHOULD be on by tomorrow morning.