So we got a new dog today. He is a beagle. Here is a photo!
Jill
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Hey there, hello there, and how do you do?
I have been meaning to blog, and have been pretty swamped. Things are busy and good here. It is cooling down, but feeling great.
Rachel had her first performance of Charlotte's Web, and it went well. I plan to go to at least one of the other performances as well to video at least portions of it.
I made a mosaic tile table top for the middle section of my outside table (it used to have a fire pit in it, but that got left in CA during the move). I will have to post a picture of it. It has a Texan feel to it.
Anyway, as I said, things are busy and good, and I am enjoying Texas.
J~
Rachel had her first performance of Charlotte's Web, and it went well. I plan to go to at least one of the other performances as well to video at least portions of it.
I made a mosaic tile table top for the middle section of my outside table (it used to have a fire pit in it, but that got left in CA during the move). I will have to post a picture of it. It has a Texan feel to it.
Anyway, as I said, things are busy and good, and I am enjoying Texas.
J~
Friday, October 3, 2008
Texas Adventure
Okay, so before I get into the story, I will let you all know that I am fine. I am sunburned with scratches and bruises, but am not bad off, all things considered.
This is how it happened.
A few of the younger moms in the ward like to get together for lunch on Thursdays, and yesterday I thought, hey, I will ride my bike to lunch. The weather has been cooler recently, and I would love to get a little exercise. So I left the house at 11:30 for the 12:30 lunch. I rode on main streets, including many with bike lanes, about 8 1/2 miles. So I am almost there, and am solidly in the gutter of the bike lane (about 3 feet into the bike lane) and this little black Honda is driving in the bike lane, and clips the mirror on my handlebars. Just barely, but it has me shaken. Keep in mind I wear a day-glo vest if I am riding on streets. But mom and I were talking last night, and she reminded me of the epitaph "Here lies the body of William Jay, who died maintaining his right of way. He was right, dead right, as he sped along. But he's just as dead as if he were wrong."
So with that fresh in my mind as I got on the main streets to go home at 2:00, I remembered a detour that I could take on a bike trail around the north side of the lake, that would take me straight home. No cars there, no risk of getting killed by crazy drivers, and I could take a great trail that I had read on the internet was good, and it was supposed to be a little shorter, too; but having not gone on the trail before, I wasn't sure where it started, and stopped by the park office before getting on it to make sure that I found the right trail.
A kind gentleman explained to me how to get to the trailhead, and which fork to take where, etc. I asked if it was a pretty challenging ride or if it was pretty simple, and he said, "You may have to walk your bike a little through the rough spots, but you should be fine." And according to the map and the guy, I would cut 2.5 miles off my ride had I taken the road route. He asked if I had water, and I said yes, and he said, "have a great ride!" This was about 2:30.
So I head off to the trailhead, where a dirt road goes, according to the guy, about a mile, then the next mile has some more challenging spots, and then the last mile is pretty simple, going back to a dirt road. So I get on the dirt road and ride - no problem on my bike. It is a little warm, but I have my water, and am doing well. Faster than I had thought I was riding, as a matter of fact, since the dirt road ended in about 5 minutes. That was my first clue that something with his directions was off. (his measurements, not the actual distance) But I was thinking, "he knows what he is talking about, and maybe it is just shy of a mile, and I am moving quickly because I am not distracted by the cars, etc., not to mention that I may have seen the time differently."
So I get on the trail portion of the trail, and about 50 feet in on the trail, I had to get off the bike and walk it, because it is such rocky and difficult terrain. I am thinking I am too far to go back and go on the roads, even though it is rough. And he had said it was a challenging ride for about a mile, so that would take me about 30 minutes if I hiked it, and then the last mile would be easy again. So I hiked. And thought. And hiked and hiked and hiked. Keep in mind I am wearing biking style shoes, not hiking boots or even socks that are long enough that my legs are covered. d'Artagnan - fortunately - takes the bus home, and at 4:30 I called the house to tell him I was on the trail, and should be home soon, but I would call if I needed him to call the neighbor lady to go pick up Rachel from play practice. I was still on the "challenging" part, and it wasn't looking any easier any time soon. But I knew that if I stayed with the fence on the right, and the lake on the left, then eventually I would get to the other side of the trail with the dirt road, even though I thought for sure I had gone off the trail and wasn't going to hit dirt road any time soon. I kept looking on the GPS on the phone to make sure I wasn't far off, and I wasn't.
So I kept hiking and pushing the bike. I had to stop several times - I ran out of water, and it was about 90 degrees, so I was trying to be careful not to go too hard and get heat exhaustion in my haste. The "trail" was so narrow in some spots I hit my leg on the pedals trying to stay on it. I didn't want to go off the trail, as it was sure to be more challenging off the trail than on, and who knows what kind of animals are off the trail?
Finally at about 5:50 I ran into the "last mile" dirt road. I called d'Artagnan and told him I would be home soon, and got on the bike and rode. For about 3 minutes to the park edge, where I rode another 15 minutes to get home. Normally the park to the house is about 6 minutes, but I was beat.
Anyway, I am burned to a crisp, and my legs are not pretty at the moment, and a 1 hour and 15 minute ride turned into a 4 hour and 10 minute ride/walk. I will say that Texas has some amazingly beautiful scenery. But I will NEVER go back on that "bike trail". I lived through it, sure, but I learned my lesson.
This is how it happened.
A few of the younger moms in the ward like to get together for lunch on Thursdays, and yesterday I thought, hey, I will ride my bike to lunch. The weather has been cooler recently, and I would love to get a little exercise. So I left the house at 11:30 for the 12:30 lunch. I rode on main streets, including many with bike lanes, about 8 1/2 miles. So I am almost there, and am solidly in the gutter of the bike lane (about 3 feet into the bike lane) and this little black Honda is driving in the bike lane, and clips the mirror on my handlebars. Just barely, but it has me shaken. Keep in mind I wear a day-glo vest if I am riding on streets. But mom and I were talking last night, and she reminded me of the epitaph "Here lies the body of William Jay, who died maintaining his right of way. He was right, dead right, as he sped along. But he's just as dead as if he were wrong."
So with that fresh in my mind as I got on the main streets to go home at 2:00, I remembered a detour that I could take on a bike trail around the north side of the lake, that would take me straight home. No cars there, no risk of getting killed by crazy drivers, and I could take a great trail that I had read on the internet was good, and it was supposed to be a little shorter, too; but having not gone on the trail before, I wasn't sure where it started, and stopped by the park office before getting on it to make sure that I found the right trail.
A kind gentleman explained to me how to get to the trailhead, and which fork to take where, etc. I asked if it was a pretty challenging ride or if it was pretty simple, and he said, "You may have to walk your bike a little through the rough spots, but you should be fine." And according to the map and the guy, I would cut 2.5 miles off my ride had I taken the road route. He asked if I had water, and I said yes, and he said, "have a great ride!" This was about 2:30.
So I head off to the trailhead, where a dirt road goes, according to the guy, about a mile, then the next mile has some more challenging spots, and then the last mile is pretty simple, going back to a dirt road. So I get on the dirt road and ride - no problem on my bike. It is a little warm, but I have my water, and am doing well. Faster than I had thought I was riding, as a matter of fact, since the dirt road ended in about 5 minutes. That was my first clue that something with his directions was off. (his measurements, not the actual distance) But I was thinking, "he knows what he is talking about, and maybe it is just shy of a mile, and I am moving quickly because I am not distracted by the cars, etc., not to mention that I may have seen the time differently."
So I get on the trail portion of the trail, and about 50 feet in on the trail, I had to get off the bike and walk it, because it is such rocky and difficult terrain. I am thinking I am too far to go back and go on the roads, even though it is rough. And he had said it was a challenging ride for about a mile, so that would take me about 30 minutes if I hiked it, and then the last mile would be easy again. So I hiked. And thought. And hiked and hiked and hiked. Keep in mind I am wearing biking style shoes, not hiking boots or even socks that are long enough that my legs are covered. d'Artagnan - fortunately - takes the bus home, and at 4:30 I called the house to tell him I was on the trail, and should be home soon, but I would call if I needed him to call the neighbor lady to go pick up Rachel from play practice. I was still on the "challenging" part, and it wasn't looking any easier any time soon. But I knew that if I stayed with the fence on the right, and the lake on the left, then eventually I would get to the other side of the trail with the dirt road, even though I thought for sure I had gone off the trail and wasn't going to hit dirt road any time soon. I kept looking on the GPS on the phone to make sure I wasn't far off, and I wasn't.
So I kept hiking and pushing the bike. I had to stop several times - I ran out of water, and it was about 90 degrees, so I was trying to be careful not to go too hard and get heat exhaustion in my haste. The "trail" was so narrow in some spots I hit my leg on the pedals trying to stay on it. I didn't want to go off the trail, as it was sure to be more challenging off the trail than on, and who knows what kind of animals are off the trail?
Finally at about 5:50 I ran into the "last mile" dirt road. I called d'Artagnan and told him I would be home soon, and got on the bike and rode. For about 3 minutes to the park edge, where I rode another 15 minutes to get home. Normally the park to the house is about 6 minutes, but I was beat.
Anyway, I am burned to a crisp, and my legs are not pretty at the moment, and a 1 hour and 15 minute ride turned into a 4 hour and 10 minute ride/walk. I will say that Texas has some amazingly beautiful scenery. But I will NEVER go back on that "bike trail". I lived through it, sure, but I learned my lesson.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Newest painting
I painted this yesterday before I started feeling sick. I thought about putting it in the bathroom, but I am thinking I am going to go a different direction with the bathroom than I was yesterday.
Anyway, this is it.
J~
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
More gay marriage stuff
I got another e-mail late last night from a friend in California telling why I should vote against the gay marriage initiative again. (I voted against it the first time, but have moved since the Supreme Court ruled against the voter's rights.)
Please realize that while there are numerous reasons cited in the e-mail, they didn't cover the main reason I voted against it. I had a friend specifically ask me if I felt threatened by the gay marriage initiative, and I told her right out - no, I don't feel threatened, nor do I feel it threatens my marriage.
Why I did vote against the gay marriage initiative is because I think it gives people justification for making a choice that I believe is wrong. I believe that who you fall in love with is a choice, not a magical mystical thing that happens. You choose, regardless of DNA. And like any choice, it comes with consequences. The Gay Marriage initiative removes the consequences for having made that choice. That is what I have a problem with - the seeming removal of consequence. To me, if you make the choice to be "partnered" with someone of the same sex, you should know the "consequence" of your actions is that your future choices are going to be limited.
I personally think that part of the problem is the entitlement factor. We seem to think that we are entitled to the same as everybody else, when that is neither what the Constitution says nor is it what it implies. It says life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That anyone is given health insurance through work is a benefit, not a right. That one's loved ones are added on to that insurance is a benefit, not a right. If you want insurance for your spouse, then either pay for it or find a job with that benefit. If you want insurance for your dog, then either pay for it or find a job with that benefit. If you want insurance for your prized gold fish, then either pay for it or find a job with that benefit. If you can't find a job that has that benefit, then your choices are limited. That isn't unconstitutional, that is life. When I wanted life insurance, I bought it independent of Randy's work. He has an "independent" policy as well. Health insurance is more expensive independent of work FOR A REASON - because one's work helps pay for it as a benefit of working there. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE LOWER BENEFITS, THEN DON'T WORK THERE ANY MORE! Insurance companies already cover "domestic partners", and even "life partners". If yours doesn't, then perhaps you should realize that insurance ISN'T A RIGHT, IT IS A BENEFIT!!!!
Enough rant. I am far from perfect, and I make choices I am not proud of, for sure. But when I repent of the choices I make that are mistakes, I "make it right" by fixing it as much as I can instead of "making it right" by changing the rules.
Please realize that while there are numerous reasons cited in the e-mail, they didn't cover the main reason I voted against it. I had a friend specifically ask me if I felt threatened by the gay marriage initiative, and I told her right out - no, I don't feel threatened, nor do I feel it threatens my marriage.
Why I did vote against the gay marriage initiative is because I think it gives people justification for making a choice that I believe is wrong. I believe that who you fall in love with is a choice, not a magical mystical thing that happens. You choose, regardless of DNA. And like any choice, it comes with consequences. The Gay Marriage initiative removes the consequences for having made that choice. That is what I have a problem with - the seeming removal of consequence. To me, if you make the choice to be "partnered" with someone of the same sex, you should know the "consequence" of your actions is that your future choices are going to be limited.
I personally think that part of the problem is the entitlement factor. We seem to think that we are entitled to the same as everybody else, when that is neither what the Constitution says nor is it what it implies. It says life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That anyone is given health insurance through work is a benefit, not a right. That one's loved ones are added on to that insurance is a benefit, not a right. If you want insurance for your spouse, then either pay for it or find a job with that benefit. If you want insurance for your dog, then either pay for it or find a job with that benefit. If you want insurance for your prized gold fish, then either pay for it or find a job with that benefit. If you can't find a job that has that benefit, then your choices are limited. That isn't unconstitutional, that is life. When I wanted life insurance, I bought it independent of Randy's work. He has an "independent" policy as well. Health insurance is more expensive independent of work FOR A REASON - because one's work helps pay for it as a benefit of working there. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE LOWER BENEFITS, THEN DON'T WORK THERE ANY MORE! Insurance companies already cover "domestic partners", and even "life partners". If yours doesn't, then perhaps you should realize that insurance ISN'T A RIGHT, IT IS A BENEFIT!!!!
Enough rant. I am far from perfect, and I make choices I am not proud of, for sure. But when I repent of the choices I make that are mistakes, I "make it right" by fixing it as much as I can instead of "making it right" by changing the rules.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
New pictures
Here is a picture of my bedroom, and a painting I did this evening. I am loving my bedroom, and I am not sure what I am going to do with the painting, but I have to let it dry before I do anything with it, so that will be a little bit.
Monday, September 15, 2008
A new week
So I am up getting ready to take Randy to the airport, and thought I would quickly blog. Rachel's seminary has 2 classes available, one earlier and one later - well, the later class had 4 in it, and the earlier had 23 in it, so they requested that some come to the later class. Anyway, she didn't want to do it, "because the bus leaves earlier than the class lets out". But then they rescheduled the class so she could still catch the bus, and she still initially didn't want to go to the later class, until I told her that both the boys she had been carpooling with will be attending the later class. Then she was okay with it - read into that whatever you want. I think either she doesn't want to put anybody out as far as the carpool goes, or she likes one (or heck, both!) of the boys.
Hope everyone has a great week!
Jill
Hope everyone has a great week!
Jill
Callings
So one of the benefits/drawbacks of being in a small-ish ward is that you get more than one opportunity to serve. I am currently teaching Rachel's Sunday School class, and am about to be sustained as the ward Choir director. Randy plays the piano for the Primary, and I will likely have him play for many of the choir numbers. As there aren't many singers in the ward, we are mostly in charge of doing musical numbers, and I will get to "rove" between auxiliaries leading them in their various musical numbers. It should be interesting.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Painted my ceiling
This past week I painted the bathroom ceiling. No pix yet, sorry. I will get to it, possibly this week. I decided to give it a misty summer day look, by painting streaky pale blue with a random swish pattern. I think it turned out nice. I suspect I will go a bit more conservative with the walls, and do a somewhat neutral - possibly a pale burnt orange (not peachy, more beige but not the white beige normally on walls) or a bit darker brown, like a camel.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Future Blogs
As anyone who wants to see what I have to say has this blog address, I will address any comments I have from here instead of on the "family blog". I don't want to stir up controversy or add to tension or strife based on the pointed remarks of others. I plan to look to the family blog for news & pictures, but will not be engaging in further arguments and/or defense of attacks on beliefs. Anyone willing to make comments is welcome to do so, however I will not be defending my thoughts or actions. I do, say, and write what I feel is right. You are welcome to disagree. But belittling and attacking what I feel is right doesn't make you right, and me defending it makes me wrong, so I won't be doing that any more.
Pretty much I will be addressing "simple news" - any thing I feel you might be interested that I would report. So if it seems that I am no longer thinking, trust me - I am. I just am not putting my thoughts on display, because I won't have them attacked in the forum.
Pretty much I will be addressing "simple news" - any thing I feel you might be interested that I would report. So if it seems that I am no longer thinking, trust me - I am. I just am not putting my thoughts on display, because I won't have them attacked in the forum.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
We are IN!!
We got to Texas fine, with not a hitch to speak of. All the trucks got there fine, and we took our time, but got there in due time.
I don't have internet yet, but am in Wichita for a little bit (until Sunday) so am on my brother & sister in law's computer, so can update this.
New home phone is (512) 868-9787.
Will write more later!
Jill
I don't have internet yet, but am in Wichita for a little bit (until Sunday) so am on my brother & sister in law's computer, so can update this.
New home phone is (512) 868-9787.
Will write more later!
Jill
Friday, July 11, 2008
MOVING DAY!!!
So today is the big day! Randy just called and said he wired the money to the title company, so we now OWN THE HOUSE!!! I pick up Chuck & Eric at the airport in 3 hours, and then the work really starts. (Not that I haven't been working my tail off for the past few months, but people start showing up in a few hours.)
I am so excited and thrilled that today has finally come!
We will be leaving tonight, and drive as far as Indio (right around Palm Springs) tonight, then to Tucson tomorrow, and Georgetown Saturday.
Love you all! Will call and/or write when we get there!
Jill
I am so excited and thrilled that today has finally come!
We will be leaving tonight, and drive as far as Indio (right around Palm Springs) tonight, then to Tucson tomorrow, and Georgetown Saturday.
Love you all! Will call and/or write when we get there!
Jill
Saturday, June 21, 2008
New Phone Number
Hey, in anticipation of the move, (and since they will now change my cell number without penalty) I have a new cell phone number.
(512)706-5018.
Call me there and not on the old cell number - but if I am at home in CA, it won't ring, so call me at home if I am still there.
Jill
(512)706-5018.
Call me there and not on the old cell number - but if I am at home in CA, it won't ring, so call me at home if I am still there.
Jill
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Rachel's School
Just to keep people up to date on how things went down since my last rant on how society is teaching our kids the wrong thing here...
We went to Rachel's awards ceremony last week - she had perfect attendance - and right before they began the formal ceremony, the principal stood and was so excited because the parents had petitioned the governor with signed petitions, e-mails, and phone calls regarding the budget cuts throughout the school district. So they gave the district more money, and they realigned the budget so that they were able to rehire all the faculty that they had already given pink slips to, "and it was all thanks to our great parents who wouldn't back down from the governor's office when their kids' education was at risk. Thank you very much." Huh? In my opinion, the education shouldn't have been the first part to look at cutting. They have added new gymnasiums to many of the elementary school buildings - which in some climates is necessary, I am sure - but in Orange County, where they haven't had gymnasiums in Elementary Schools or Middle Schools in - oh, let's see - EVER, the use of gymnasiums for gym class, or for a cafeteria, or any use whatsoever that they are justifying, is a waste of money. Take care of the current buildings, for sure, but don't add unnecessary buildings the same year as budget cuts. A building never taught anybody anything. Use the money more wisely.
Is this too crazy? I just don't understand how this (and possibly others, though I am not sure) society can feel it is okay to require quality entertainment over quality education, and then throw a fit when the education - quality or not - is threatened, AND NOBODY BRINGS UP BACKING OFF OF THE ENTERTAINMENT, because "they deserve it", and "it's what has always been done here in OC", and "the other districts can, so why shouldn't we?" and "well, I went on those trips when I was in school, and that is normal."
Um, this state wonders why it has a high drop-out rate. I suspect there are more things at play than my simple analysis, but HELLO! I suspect at least one reason is that we reward and celebrate mediocrity! Congratulations, you lived to be 14! A birthday party isn't enough for such a great accomplisment, we are going to shower you with class trips, flowers, and all-day events while your younger contemporaries have to go to SCHOOL. Sure, high school graduation is "done up", too. But for 8th grade promotion, everyone gets new dresses - some of them several hundred dollar cocktail dresses - and sequins and they do balloon bouquets, flowers, etcetera, and gifts - some small, but if they do give gifts, they are usually on the bigger side like cell phones or the newest gadget. Strangers ask you what you are going to get your kid for graduation. I told one woman I still had 4 years to think about that. Anyway, in my opinion, when you celebrate HUGELY something that - unless tragedy strikes - everybody does, (because in this state you actually aren't allowed to flunk out of middle school - you might have to go to summer school to get promoted, but you don't miss any of the parties) then kids start to think they have "arrived". They have accomplished something huge. I say give them the parties when they personally can afford to pay for them. Yep, that is when they have arrived. Have a party when they can afford to buy a house, their own car, their own HAIRCUT! Sure, I am proud of my kids when they do well, and when they don't do well but they did their best, and when they don't do well but they didn't practice and did a terrible job! But I would prefer that society not teach them that they have done something spectacular simply because they had the physical fortitude to show up to school 85% of the time, which they are required to do by law. I want them to learn that in the real world, mediocrity begets mediocre results.
We went to Rachel's awards ceremony last week - she had perfect attendance - and right before they began the formal ceremony, the principal stood and was so excited because the parents had petitioned the governor with signed petitions, e-mails, and phone calls regarding the budget cuts throughout the school district. So they gave the district more money, and they realigned the budget so that they were able to rehire all the faculty that they had already given pink slips to, "and it was all thanks to our great parents who wouldn't back down from the governor's office when their kids' education was at risk. Thank you very much." Huh? In my opinion, the education shouldn't have been the first part to look at cutting. They have added new gymnasiums to many of the elementary school buildings - which in some climates is necessary, I am sure - but in Orange County, where they haven't had gymnasiums in Elementary Schools or Middle Schools in - oh, let's see - EVER, the use of gymnasiums for gym class, or for a cafeteria, or any use whatsoever that they are justifying, is a waste of money. Take care of the current buildings, for sure, but don't add unnecessary buildings the same year as budget cuts. A building never taught anybody anything. Use the money more wisely.
Is this too crazy? I just don't understand how this (and possibly others, though I am not sure) society can feel it is okay to require quality entertainment over quality education, and then throw a fit when the education - quality or not - is threatened, AND NOBODY BRINGS UP BACKING OFF OF THE ENTERTAINMENT, because "they deserve it", and "it's what has always been done here in OC", and "the other districts can, so why shouldn't we?" and "well, I went on those trips when I was in school, and that is normal."
Um, this state wonders why it has a high drop-out rate. I suspect there are more things at play than my simple analysis, but HELLO! I suspect at least one reason is that we reward and celebrate mediocrity! Congratulations, you lived to be 14! A birthday party isn't enough for such a great accomplisment, we are going to shower you with class trips, flowers, and all-day events while your younger contemporaries have to go to SCHOOL. Sure, high school graduation is "done up", too. But for 8th grade promotion, everyone gets new dresses - some of them several hundred dollar cocktail dresses - and sequins and they do balloon bouquets, flowers, etcetera, and gifts - some small, but if they do give gifts, they are usually on the bigger side like cell phones or the newest gadget. Strangers ask you what you are going to get your kid for graduation. I told one woman I still had 4 years to think about that. Anyway, in my opinion, when you celebrate HUGELY something that - unless tragedy strikes - everybody does, (because in this state you actually aren't allowed to flunk out of middle school - you might have to go to summer school to get promoted, but you don't miss any of the parties) then kids start to think they have "arrived". They have accomplished something huge. I say give them the parties when they personally can afford to pay for them. Yep, that is when they have arrived. Have a party when they can afford to buy a house, their own car, their own HAIRCUT! Sure, I am proud of my kids when they do well, and when they don't do well but they did their best, and when they don't do well but they didn't practice and did a terrible job! But I would prefer that society not teach them that they have done something spectacular simply because they had the physical fortitude to show up to school 85% of the time, which they are required to do by law. I want them to learn that in the real world, mediocrity begets mediocre results.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Wicked
What a show! It was really well done, and we had a GREAT night! We got the CD & the Program (which are WAY too expensive, by the way) and Rachel had such a good time. We were right up close, and it was just so much fun!
I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see "the real story behind OZ". I will never watch the Wizard of Oz the same way again, that's for sure.
I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see "the real story behind OZ". I will never watch the Wizard of Oz the same way again, that's for sure.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Break from packing
I thought I needed a break, so I am blogging. I am working in my office, and am filling boxes not nearly as quickly as I hoped I might. I decided to shred old bills and the like to use as packing material for fragile items instead of moving a bunch of papers that I don't need, but that takes time, and it heats up the shredder pretty quickly, and as a safety measure the shredder turns off at a certain heat level.
Anyway, things are going well. I am working on various things, including staying on top of Primary. My house looks like an explosion at a box factory, but I am thinking I am going to get my office finished packing, as I don't spend much time in there during the course of a normal day, and put the empty boxes in there to keep them in one place and under control. Hopefully that happens this afternoon.
Anyway, must get back to work. Thinking of my fabulous family!
Jill
Anyway, things are going well. I am working on various things, including staying on top of Primary. My house looks like an explosion at a box factory, but I am thinking I am going to get my office finished packing, as I don't spend much time in there during the course of a normal day, and put the empty boxes in there to keep them in one place and under control. Hopefully that happens this afternoon.
Anyway, must get back to work. Thinking of my fabulous family!
Jill
Monday, June 9, 2008
Well here is the schedule
This week is going to be a crazy one as far as schedule. The next seven days are wild. Between packing, Rachel and I go to Wicked on Thursday, the family goes to an Angels game on Friday, Catalina on Saturday, and then on Sunday Randy takes off for a training in Vegas. We were talking to a friend over the weekend, and he volunteered his wife and himself to watch the kids while I drove to Vegas to go see the Phantom of the Opera with Randy on Monday night. What a wild ride this is going to be! I will take Randy's car, and it will be quite a trip.
We pack in the meantime. The house has been inspected, and there are a couple of repairs the owner will need to fix before we move in, but they are relatively minor, so they shouldn't be a big deal. It will be nice to be homeowners again, even though it means a lot of responsibility and work. It has been frustrating on occasion to not have anything that we felt we should have to take care of, and that when we put the work in, we weren't just adding equity to someone else's bottom line.
Have had many ideas running through my head for how to set up the house, decorate the house, do the yard, etc. I just have to stay focused once I do get there, as it will be just me and the kids for a while. I don't want Randy to have to do a bunch of work when he comes on the weekend, as he works so hard during the week and will want to be playing, not just working with the family. Not that working with the family is a bad thing, but I am sure you understand what I want.
Things are good and things are wild. If anyone calls, just know that I am running around very focused, and will get back to you as soon as I can.
Love you all!
Jill
We pack in the meantime. The house has been inspected, and there are a couple of repairs the owner will need to fix before we move in, but they are relatively minor, so they shouldn't be a big deal. It will be nice to be homeowners again, even though it means a lot of responsibility and work. It has been frustrating on occasion to not have anything that we felt we should have to take care of, and that when we put the work in, we weren't just adding equity to someone else's bottom line.
Have had many ideas running through my head for how to set up the house, decorate the house, do the yard, etc. I just have to stay focused once I do get there, as it will be just me and the kids for a while. I don't want Randy to have to do a bunch of work when he comes on the weekend, as he works so hard during the week and will want to be playing, not just working with the family. Not that working with the family is a bad thing, but I am sure you understand what I want.
Things are good and things are wild. If anyone calls, just know that I am running around very focused, and will get back to you as soon as I can.
Love you all!
Jill
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
We got it!
Hey, thought people would want to know that we accepted the seller's counter offer (they met us halfway on the price reduction and upped the closing date) this afternoon. So that is exciting! We move in 45 days. What? 45 days? That's crazy! Yes, yes it is. I started packing a few weeks back, anticipating this, but still I hadn't REALLY begun to pack. Now the heat is on! I got more boxes and have been packing all afternoon, (mostly books and glass things I won't need before the move) and it is going to be a quick one!
Hope all is well with everyone!
Jill
Monday, June 2, 2008
Moving to Texas!
Hey, ya'all!
Rachel and I went out to Austin for the day on Friday - landed at 2:00 p.m. and the realtor picked us up & took us to Georgetown to look at a few houses. So we went through 3 houses, and last night we sent an offer to the realtor on the last one we saw. The house is a little dated, but that just means I have redesigning work to do once we move in.
We plan to move by August 1, so that is moving pretty quickly.
I tried to post the virtual tour link for the property, but I guess I will just put the site & let you copy it if you want to see it.
http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=392784&idx=1
Hope you like it! I will keep you posted on where things are as things develop.
Jill
Rachel and I went out to Austin for the day on Friday - landed at 2:00 p.m. and the realtor picked us up & took us to Georgetown to look at a few houses. So we went through 3 houses, and last night we sent an offer to the realtor on the last one we saw. The house is a little dated, but that just means I have redesigning work to do once we move in.
We plan to move by August 1, so that is moving pretty quickly.
I tried to post the virtual tour link for the property, but I guess I will just put the site & let you copy it if you want to see it.
http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=392784&idx=1
Hope you like it! I will keep you posted on where things are as things develop.
Jill
Friday, May 23, 2008
It's been a while
Things have been pretty busy since returning from Wichita, but here's a bit of quick news.
Texas is coming together. The house in Elgin won't be, unfortunately, because the seller won't budge from the price, and the land won't appraise for that much even if we did offer that high. So we are looking at other properties. There is one in Georgetown (north Austin) that is promising, with only (did I just put that?) 6.7 acres, and a couple of others with a little less personality and more of a McMansion feel. The 6.7 acres doesn't have a pool or tennis courts like Elgin, but is covered with oak trees and has a great park-type feel to it. Plenty of grass for the kids to mow, for sure. Tee hee. Rachel and I are flying out next Friday to check them out.
Certainly if we get the one in Georgetown that isn't a McMansion we will be doing some improvements. The tile countertop in the kitchen is green. Like a shade deeper than turquoise but with roughly the same blue as turqouise. Not quite teal. Overall a nice house, but eww, that tile is awful. We would also need to work on the pavilion (the part that is "improved"). It has several picnic benches and feels a little like a state park, but it could feel more like a homey entertainment area if we fixed up some of the outbuildings and put in nice plantings and stuff, so it is likely we would be pretty busy on the land for a while, even without the mowing part. It is all very green and lush. The oak trees are amazing.
Hope everyone is good! I am happy and busy and things are good here.
Jill
Texas is coming together. The house in Elgin won't be, unfortunately, because the seller won't budge from the price, and the land won't appraise for that much even if we did offer that high. So we are looking at other properties. There is one in Georgetown (north Austin) that is promising, with only (did I just put that?) 6.7 acres, and a couple of others with a little less personality and more of a McMansion feel. The 6.7 acres doesn't have a pool or tennis courts like Elgin, but is covered with oak trees and has a great park-type feel to it. Plenty of grass for the kids to mow, for sure. Tee hee. Rachel and I are flying out next Friday to check them out.
Certainly if we get the one in Georgetown that isn't a McMansion we will be doing some improvements. The tile countertop in the kitchen is green. Like a shade deeper than turquoise but with roughly the same blue as turqouise. Not quite teal. Overall a nice house, but eww, that tile is awful. We would also need to work on the pavilion (the part that is "improved"). It has several picnic benches and feels a little like a state park, but it could feel more like a homey entertainment area if we fixed up some of the outbuildings and put in nice plantings and stuff, so it is likely we would be pretty busy on the land for a while, even without the mowing part. It is all very green and lush. The oak trees are amazing.
Hope everyone is good! I am happy and busy and things are good here.
Jill
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
What???
So I get this broadcast e-mail from Rachel's school every school day that outlines the schedule and addresses any thoughts or concerns the principal may have regarding school policy changes, etc. for parents to keep "in the loop".
Todays, including all the regular stuff, is a plea for help. There is a plan in place for the district to lose 19.3 million dollars in funding from the state, or $590 per student next year. They want to solicit donations of any amount anyone can afford to send, and they list the people who are being let go because of the budget cuts (including librarians for ALL schools, which kind of ticked me off.)
Anyway, later in the e-mail it outlines the schedule for the next two months. Apparently the 7th grade band goes to Disneyland this week, and the 8th grade band goes to Magic Mountain at the end of the week, and next month all the 8th graders go to Knotts Berry farm, and then the day before the last day of school all the 8th graders go to Boomer's, (another amusement-style park here), and the last day of school the 8th graders have a huge party at the school where they (according to Rachel) are allowed to wreak havoc on the school and the teachers and "tell them what they really think about them". There is no class schedule, and the kids are provided pretty much all you can eat food, munchies, and mayhem they can get themselves into.
Um... HUH? If we are going into a year where we are having to fire teachers, assistant principals, and librarians, why are we sending our kids on extravagant field trips, parties, and the like? I get the feeling we are teaching our kids the wrong thing here...
Todays, including all the regular stuff, is a plea for help. There is a plan in place for the district to lose 19.3 million dollars in funding from the state, or $590 per student next year. They want to solicit donations of any amount anyone can afford to send, and they list the people who are being let go because of the budget cuts (including librarians for ALL schools, which kind of ticked me off.)
Anyway, later in the e-mail it outlines the schedule for the next two months. Apparently the 7th grade band goes to Disneyland this week, and the 8th grade band goes to Magic Mountain at the end of the week, and next month all the 8th graders go to Knotts Berry farm, and then the day before the last day of school all the 8th graders go to Boomer's, (another amusement-style park here), and the last day of school the 8th graders have a huge party at the school where they (according to Rachel) are allowed to wreak havoc on the school and the teachers and "tell them what they really think about them". There is no class schedule, and the kids are provided pretty much all you can eat food, munchies, and mayhem they can get themselves into.
Um... HUH? If we are going into a year where we are having to fire teachers, assistant principals, and librarians, why are we sending our kids on extravagant field trips, parties, and the like? I get the feeling we are teaching our kids the wrong thing here...
Monday, May 5, 2008
Wichita
So I am here in Wichita (Derby, actually, a suburb of Wichita). I am staying with Amanda, Jon & the kids while Amanda is getting ready for radiation therapy next week. (the 14th)
They are doing well. I love their house. Jon did a bunch of the work on the basement (all except hanging the drywall, taping & texturing), and he did a fabulous job. I am very impressed. The kids are adjusting to the fact that mom won't be able to do as much as she usually does, and that is pretty huge for a 4 year old and a 2 year old. They are sweet.
They are right next to a lake, and there are a bunch of geese in the lake. They are pretty loud. I guess last winter they sounded like a cocktail party every night, as that is where they all came when they flew south for the winter, it seemed. It is beautiful, but I don't want to move here any time soon. When we landed, the outside temp was 45 or so, but the wind chill was 32 degrees - not the best for the flip flops I had worn on the plane. I like it a little warmer.
Hope everyone is doing well! Love you all, and will blog more later.
Jill
They are doing well. I love their house. Jon did a bunch of the work on the basement (all except hanging the drywall, taping & texturing), and he did a fabulous job. I am very impressed. The kids are adjusting to the fact that mom won't be able to do as much as she usually does, and that is pretty huge for a 4 year old and a 2 year old. They are sweet.
They are right next to a lake, and there are a bunch of geese in the lake. They are pretty loud. I guess last winter they sounded like a cocktail party every night, as that is where they all came when they flew south for the winter, it seemed. It is beautiful, but I don't want to move here any time soon. When we landed, the outside temp was 45 or so, but the wind chill was 32 degrees - not the best for the flip flops I had worn on the plane. I like it a little warmer.
Hope everyone is doing well! Love you all, and will blog more later.
Jill
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Birthday
So here I am 39. I don't feel older, per se, but definitely more full. Randy took the evening off and took us to the Cheesecake Factory, where I had the largest chicken sandwich I think I have ever had. Yes, it was good, but it was HUGE! Rachel made a cake after school, and I blew out the candles. No fire alarm, but we left off 30 of the candles because we didn't have that many in the house...
Thanks for all the well wishes! Hope all is well with everyone!
Thanks for all the well wishes! Hope all is well with everyone!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Table Quilt done
I finally finished the table quilt I am making for my Sister in Law. It turned out really pretty. I have it on a round table, but it is designed for a rectangle. Here are some photos.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Small update
Nothing much going on here. d'Artagnan "bridged" to Boy Scouts last night. I can't believe he is almost eleven. He looks good in his uniform, although it is a little big. I want to wait on the troop number as I don't want to change troop numbers in a couple of months.
Randy's work is going steadily better. He is figuring out how to get the best efficiency in the company, so that would have us going to Costa Rica for President's Club next year. (on the company) Now it is just down to the application of the knowledge.
I am almost through with the table quilt for my Sister in Law. It is really pretty. I will post a picture on here when I get it done. I guess I could do that now, since it's not like you can see the "quilting" (all machine) from a picture anyway. I will likely take that today.
Hope to write more later!
Jill
Randy's work is going steadily better. He is figuring out how to get the best efficiency in the company, so that would have us going to Costa Rica for President's Club next year. (on the company) Now it is just down to the application of the knowledge.
I am almost through with the table quilt for my Sister in Law. It is really pretty. I will post a picture on here when I get it done. I guess I could do that now, since it's not like you can see the "quilting" (all machine) from a picture anyway. I will likely take that today.
Hope to write more later!
Jill
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Texas
Hey!
To everyone concerned and/or thinking about what happened in Texas with the house and the trip and everything, your concerns have been unheard, because I literally have not heard any. Ha Ha.
The trip was fine. We got to Austin on schedule, no delayed or cancelled flights, landed at 2:50 on the nose. We got our rental car, and plugged in the GPS and noticed that Texas roads are set up slightly different than Idaho or Utah or California roads. The highways are - to say the least - going to take some getting used to. There are frontage roads that go the length of the highway, and you get on and off almost at will. The GPS is useful IF you either know a cross-street or can figure out what someone might have called the road when coding it in Texan. We finally figured out how to get to the house and checked it out.
Partly so I don't have to tell it over and over and partly so that if you don't find out, it's your fault, because I told everyone at the same time, you just didn't read it - we really like the house. It is smaller "in person" than it felt on the web, but the possibilities still feel endless. The gazebo would need to be removed. I suspect will put a fire pit in its place. The grass grows without a sprinkler system, and without watering it, as the average rainfall is 2 inches per month - but that doesn't mean that it rains all the time. The realtor said that they usually go from "winter" to summer there, and we had a couple of perfect spring days while we were there. It was just cool enough that we didn't need the pool to keep cool, but it was warm enough that we didn't think we were moving back to Utah. I say winter in quotes, because they get snow once every 3-4 years, and it never sticks. Anyway, it isn't Seattle rainy, and it isn't Salt Lake snowy, and it isn't Boise dry, but it also isn't Manila humid, either.
Back to the house.
The house itself is small-ish, but we like it. It is a little more humble, and was built in the 70s. It should be fairly easy to keep clean, and relatively easy to update on the cosmetic issues I had problems with. It has as gated round driveway, so when we get dogs they won't be running out on the road. It sits at the crest of one of the many rolling hills on the road, and it isn't quite as far away from the road as it felt in the pictures either - which is good and bad. Good in that we don't have as far to go to get the mail or take the trashes out, but bad in that it is closer to the road than we thought. The pine trees out front are beautiful, however. If we were having a huge family reunion out there, there is plenty of room for tents, motor homes, and pretty much any other way you wanted to "camp" in the yard. It has 2 water heaters, so Rachel won't be running us out of hot water nearly as quickly there.
Anyway, we enjoyed our trip immensely. The ward is friendly, but not huge. Rachel would be one of two kids at the high school who are LDS, but I don't see that as a huge issue with Rachel. I think it might be a bigger issue with d'Artagnan, but I think it is surmountable, and there are other kids who are his age in Elgin - I think. We got out to San Antonio and saw the Alamo. I am not sure I knew that Davy Crockett died at the Alamo until yesterday! It is an interesting place to go.
Will talk to all soon, I hope.
Jill
To everyone concerned and/or thinking about what happened in Texas with the house and the trip and everything, your concerns have been unheard, because I literally have not heard any. Ha Ha.
The trip was fine. We got to Austin on schedule, no delayed or cancelled flights, landed at 2:50 on the nose. We got our rental car, and plugged in the GPS and noticed that Texas roads are set up slightly different than Idaho or Utah or California roads. The highways are - to say the least - going to take some getting used to. There are frontage roads that go the length of the highway, and you get on and off almost at will. The GPS is useful IF you either know a cross-street or can figure out what someone might have called the road when coding it in Texan. We finally figured out how to get to the house and checked it out.
Partly so I don't have to tell it over and over and partly so that if you don't find out, it's your fault, because I told everyone at the same time, you just didn't read it - we really like the house. It is smaller "in person" than it felt on the web, but the possibilities still feel endless. The gazebo would need to be removed. I suspect will put a fire pit in its place. The grass grows without a sprinkler system, and without watering it, as the average rainfall is 2 inches per month - but that doesn't mean that it rains all the time. The realtor said that they usually go from "winter" to summer there, and we had a couple of perfect spring days while we were there. It was just cool enough that we didn't need the pool to keep cool, but it was warm enough that we didn't think we were moving back to Utah. I say winter in quotes, because they get snow once every 3-4 years, and it never sticks. Anyway, it isn't Seattle rainy, and it isn't Salt Lake snowy, and it isn't Boise dry, but it also isn't Manila humid, either.
Back to the house.
The house itself is small-ish, but we like it. It is a little more humble, and was built in the 70s. It should be fairly easy to keep clean, and relatively easy to update on the cosmetic issues I had problems with. It has as gated round driveway, so when we get dogs they won't be running out on the road. It sits at the crest of one of the many rolling hills on the road, and it isn't quite as far away from the road as it felt in the pictures either - which is good and bad. Good in that we don't have as far to go to get the mail or take the trashes out, but bad in that it is closer to the road than we thought. The pine trees out front are beautiful, however. If we were having a huge family reunion out there, there is plenty of room for tents, motor homes, and pretty much any other way you wanted to "camp" in the yard. It has 2 water heaters, so Rachel won't be running us out of hot water nearly as quickly there.
Anyway, we enjoyed our trip immensely. The ward is friendly, but not huge. Rachel would be one of two kids at the high school who are LDS, but I don't see that as a huge issue with Rachel. I think it might be a bigger issue with d'Artagnan, but I think it is surmountable, and there are other kids who are his age in Elgin - I think. We got out to San Antonio and saw the Alamo. I am not sure I knew that Davy Crockett died at the Alamo until yesterday! It is an interesting place to go.
Will talk to all soon, I hope.
Jill
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Yesterday
So d'Artagnan and I had a bit of a harrowing afternoon yesterday. He had early out day at school, so I allowed him to play with a neighbor kid named Dakota. They were out in the front yard and came to the back when the neighbor's pitbull puppy came into the front yard, bringing her with them. She is very playful and cute, and LOVES to be with people. The neighbor is 17 and doesn't have a LOT of time to spend with her, so being a puppy, she is lonely any time she isn't around people.
Anyway, we don't know how she got out, but she was in the front yard and the boys wanted to play with her. So I told them that they needed to be very careful with playing with her, because this is not only a breed they didn't know, but also a dog they weren't particularly familiar with, and the breed is known to turn on people who were playing with them - so be careful, and if she starts seeming to play rough, to come inside.
Anyway, they got her a drink of water, and she downed it in a few seconds. So they played with her a little more and Dakota came in for some more water. Within seconds after he came in the door, I heard d'Artagnan screaming bloody murder, like I have never heard him scream before in his life, calling for me or Dakota or SOMEONE. Of course I knew what had happened, the dog had ahold of him from behind, and I went tearing after her yelling and told d'Artagnan to get inside. I tried to get the dog out of the yard, and she started to jump up on me, teeth bared and snarling. I had my arm up to protect my face and body, and she got down. I grabbed her by the neck and dragged her out of the yard, closing the gate behind her. Then when I got back inside, went in to assess the damage.
She hadn't broken the skin on any of us, but she sure had scared us all. Apparently she and d'Artagnan were "playing", and the boy who owns her plays with her differently than an 11 year old will, and when he does, she can snarl and nip and get up on her hind legs and he knows that she is playing. d'Artagnan didn't, and she had ahold of his pant leg, not his leg, as I had thought I had seen. It scared him pretty bad, and after all was said and done, I couldn't get my hands to stop shaking for about 20 minutes after. I also had myself a good cry, as it occurred to me (once I was thinking again, and not reacting instinctively) that if the dog HAD been attacking, both of us would likely have serious problems at that point, because I did act instinctively. The dog outweighs d'Artagnan, and while it probably wouldn't have taken me down completely, it could have been really bad for both of us.
Anyway, I was going to blog this last night, but it kept making me freaked out again, and I wanted to wait until it didn't feel so traumatic.
Hope everyone is doing well, and mom - don't freak - we are all fine. "No blood, no foul, right?"
Anyway, we don't know how she got out, but she was in the front yard and the boys wanted to play with her. So I told them that they needed to be very careful with playing with her, because this is not only a breed they didn't know, but also a dog they weren't particularly familiar with, and the breed is known to turn on people who were playing with them - so be careful, and if she starts seeming to play rough, to come inside.
Anyway, they got her a drink of water, and she downed it in a few seconds. So they played with her a little more and Dakota came in for some more water. Within seconds after he came in the door, I heard d'Artagnan screaming bloody murder, like I have never heard him scream before in his life, calling for me or Dakota or SOMEONE. Of course I knew what had happened, the dog had ahold of him from behind, and I went tearing after her yelling and told d'Artagnan to get inside. I tried to get the dog out of the yard, and she started to jump up on me, teeth bared and snarling. I had my arm up to protect my face and body, and she got down. I grabbed her by the neck and dragged her out of the yard, closing the gate behind her. Then when I got back inside, went in to assess the damage.
She hadn't broken the skin on any of us, but she sure had scared us all. Apparently she and d'Artagnan were "playing", and the boy who owns her plays with her differently than an 11 year old will, and when he does, she can snarl and nip and get up on her hind legs and he knows that she is playing. d'Artagnan didn't, and she had ahold of his pant leg, not his leg, as I had thought I had seen. It scared him pretty bad, and after all was said and done, I couldn't get my hands to stop shaking for about 20 minutes after. I also had myself a good cry, as it occurred to me (once I was thinking again, and not reacting instinctively) that if the dog HAD been attacking, both of us would likely have serious problems at that point, because I did act instinctively. The dog outweighs d'Artagnan, and while it probably wouldn't have taken me down completely, it could have been really bad for both of us.
Anyway, I was going to blog this last night, but it kept making me freaked out again, and I wanted to wait until it didn't feel so traumatic.
Hope everyone is doing well, and mom - don't freak - we are all fine. "No blood, no foul, right?"
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Hello All!
Today is the jog-a-thon at d'Artagnan's school, and I am going to go volunteer to count the laps. (I put a tally mark on each kid's paper that they wear while they jog.) I suspect I caught Ethan's cold, because my throat started to hurt Saturday night, and I am feeling not too fabulous this morning, but they called last week to see if I would do this, so I am obligated. Hopefully DayQuil will work.
I spoke with the realtor yesterday and she is setting up a go-see on the house on Saturday. Randy "left" this morning on our experiment, and slept in the guest room last night to try and avoid the cold, so we got a jump start on that. He said he slept great, so that is good. It was hard for me to gauge how I slept since I wasn't feeling well and had a fever, so that is probably what disturbed my sleep more than anything.
We watched "Quigley Down Under" as a family yesterday after conference. It was amusing. I remember thinking Tom Selleck was quite the hot man back then, and he really isn't so much the hot man as he is charismatic and has an engaging smile. He is kind of humorous. Anyway, it was fun to watch something from "way back" and have the kids think that it was kind of boring as to action. It just has one story line clear through, and they are a bit used to a number of action scenes that go from one to another to another in relatively rapid succession. It was definitely slower than we are used to. I am thinking next should be the Apple Dumpling Gang and show them what a REALLY slow cowboy movie is.
Anyway, gotta go get the DayQuil so I can get it in my system before I have to be there. Have a great day!
J~
I spoke with the realtor yesterday and she is setting up a go-see on the house on Saturday. Randy "left" this morning on our experiment, and slept in the guest room last night to try and avoid the cold, so we got a jump start on that. He said he slept great, so that is good. It was hard for me to gauge how I slept since I wasn't feeling well and had a fever, so that is probably what disturbed my sleep more than anything.
We watched "Quigley Down Under" as a family yesterday after conference. It was amusing. I remember thinking Tom Selleck was quite the hot man back then, and he really isn't so much the hot man as he is charismatic and has an engaging smile. He is kind of humorous. Anyway, it was fun to watch something from "way back" and have the kids think that it was kind of boring as to action. It just has one story line clear through, and they are a bit used to a number of action scenes that go from one to another to another in relatively rapid succession. It was definitely slower than we are used to. I am thinking next should be the Apple Dumpling Gang and show them what a REALLY slow cowboy movie is.
Anyway, gotta go get the DayQuil so I can get it in my system before I have to be there. Have a great day!
J~
Sunday, April 6, 2008
What I think I will do with my blog
I kind of like the idea now of blogging what we eat for dinner. I am thinking that with the changes we are putting into place with my family's lifestyle, what I will do is put how things are going, both in progressing on the changes, and what we are doing in conjunction with those changes.
Today we decided that we will take this week and determine if the commuting & Randy being gone for the week days is going to work. So on Monday we will get up early in the morning and I will drop him off at work early in the morning. When he comes home in the evening, he will sleep in the guest room and the kids and I will already be asleep, most likely. We will talk to him daily on the phone at the office, and then I will pick him up on Friday late. This hopefully will help us figure out if it will actually work for us or if it is more work than it is worth.
Anyway, I suspect we will drop off the car at the office tomorrow night and leave it in the parking garage overnight so that we aren't driving 2 cars. The nice thing about "commuting" on Monday mornings and Friday evenings is that when I am going with traffic, I will be able to take the carpool lane, which makes it a whole lot faster. By the time I am dropping Randy off & only have one person, I am going the other way, on a much less congested side of the highway.
We sat around this afternoon and played Phase 10 while d'Artagnan was gone. It was kind of fun to just have nothing to "do" but play. She showed us her Color Guard routine, and that was fun to watch. She is getting much more relaxed about it and more able to let it "flow".
Will write again soon!
Jill
Today we decided that we will take this week and determine if the commuting & Randy being gone for the week days is going to work. So on Monday we will get up early in the morning and I will drop him off at work early in the morning. When he comes home in the evening, he will sleep in the guest room and the kids and I will already be asleep, most likely. We will talk to him daily on the phone at the office, and then I will pick him up on Friday late. This hopefully will help us figure out if it will actually work for us or if it is more work than it is worth.
Anyway, I suspect we will drop off the car at the office tomorrow night and leave it in the parking garage overnight so that we aren't driving 2 cars. The nice thing about "commuting" on Monday mornings and Friday evenings is that when I am going with traffic, I will be able to take the carpool lane, which makes it a whole lot faster. By the time I am dropping Randy off & only have one person, I am going the other way, on a much less congested side of the highway.
We sat around this afternoon and played Phase 10 while d'Artagnan was gone. It was kind of fun to just have nothing to "do" but play. She showed us her Color Guard routine, and that was fun to watch. She is getting much more relaxed about it and more able to let it "flow".
Will write again soon!
Jill
So here's where I MEANT to put the other blog
Whoops!
I meant to put the "my day" post on this page, but managed to do it on the family page.
Today I am running errands between conference sessions and sewing some more. The kids have 2 birthday parties and Rachel has a Stake Dance to go to, so I am running them all over town, as well.
Will post more later.
J~
I meant to put the "my day" post on this page, but managed to do it on the family page.
Today I am running errands between conference sessions and sewing some more. The kids have 2 birthday parties and Rachel has a Stake Dance to go to, so I am running them all over town, as well.
Will post more later.
J~
Friday, April 4, 2008
Home again
Hello, all! I got home from Salt Lake late last night. I believe I pulled in just shy of 11:00. The kids were still up, and I gave them both hugs and kisses.
d'Artagnan fell the other day while wrestling with Randy in the living room and hit his head on the bench & split his head open about half an inch. It looked painful, but he said it didn't hurt at all. It really didn't even bleed much, which surprised me. It is healing nicely.
Hope everyone else got home safe. The landing in Long Beach was harrowing. I thought we were going down for a second. We dropped altitude drastically to the point that my book flew in the air off the seat and most of us in the plane kind of gasped - who knew that we were on a roller coaster ride? Randy said look at it as having just one ride at an amusement park, and I would feel better about it. I'm not sure that was comforting, but what can ya do?
Write more later!
Jill
d'Artagnan fell the other day while wrestling with Randy in the living room and hit his head on the bench & split his head open about half an inch. It looked painful, but he said it didn't hurt at all. It really didn't even bleed much, which surprised me. It is healing nicely.
Hope everyone else got home safe. The landing in Long Beach was harrowing. I thought we were going down for a second. We dropped altitude drastically to the point that my book flew in the air off the seat and most of us in the plane kind of gasped - who knew that we were on a roller coaster ride? Randy said look at it as having just one ride at an amusement park, and I would feel better about it. I'm not sure that was comforting, but what can ya do?
Write more later!
Jill
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated
Hello. Apparently I am not posting what I am DOING enough. Perhaps that is because I am busy DOING it. Perhaps not.
Anyway, I am making a quilt for a friend whose house burned down, I tied a quilt for my new nephew, I am making another table quilt (read table cloth that is quilted) for my Sister in Law, I am trying to help my kids get into better homework habits, I am cleaning my house, I am doing laundry, I am trying to sell our Go-Karts, I am getting organized, I am dropping a huge hint somewhere in this blog, and am wondering if anyone will figure it out before I get there, I am flying to Salt Lake City, I am flying home. I had a chicken quesadilla for dinner last night. It was from the grocer's freezer, and I put Pace Salsa on it for some extra kick. (that last part was for Janette.) The kids had corn dogs.
That's my plan for the next two days. Sometimes they change, sometimes they don't. When they do, I certainly don't take the time to update the blog, and when they don't, it hardly seems worth your (or my) time to say the same thing day after day, and the little changes like we had macaroni and cheese or spaghetti hardly seem interesting. I will post the more interesting things when I am able and when the information is either interesting or useful. But I don't plan to update daily. Suffice it to say that if you don't read that I am doing something out of the ordinary, I am probably not doing something out of the ordinary, and you can assume that I am healthy, happy, and probably reading Mark Twain in the hammock.
Love you all!
Jill
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)