Out of the Mouth of Babes...

Kids say the darndest things -- but the fact is, they generally speak the truth. The raw, unfiltered truth. I have a friend whose 4-year-old daughter tends to embarrass her by saying blunt things to people about their physical appearance. She is just about the cutest, sweetest little girl you've ever seen. She is also EXTREMELY observant and makes mental notes about what people wear. She was disappointed one time because I was wearing the same earrings as the last time I'd seen her. Another time, she wanted her parents to call me and make sure I was going to wear something "cute" to dinner at their house. I am not using her name in this post because her mom is already mortified enough --but here is the conversation that took place at her house today. She was snuggled up next to me and I was reading her a book when all of a sudden she looked up at me and said:

Little Girl: You're big.
Me (not quite sure where she's going with this): Yes, I am.
LG: You're big. And we're not. None of us are big.
Me (ah, maybe she means tall ... her family is pretty tiny): Yep, that's right.
LG: You have a big bum. We don't.
Me (oh, that's where she's going with this): Well yes, that's true.
LG: Some people at church have big bums too.

This is the same darling little 4-year-old who asked me this a few weeks ago:

LG: Do you have kids?
Me: No.
LG: Are you married?
Me: No.
LG: You're just a girl, right?
Me: Yep, I'm just a girl.
LG: That's what I thought.

Yep, I'm just a girl with a really big bum.

I'm totally going running in the morning.

Uphill Battle

I've exercised 7 of the last 11 days. Are you proud of me? (If not, then hush ... I'm proud of myself.) Anyway, I was in a funk today. No need to send condolences --it's not a major funk and I'll get over it -- I think I have just been over-analyzing the sadness in the world and letting it weigh on me. But all afternoon I had the urge to go running to relieve my stress. Isn't that exciting?!? Despite a chaotic afternoon and stressful newscast, I didn't have the urge to go home, lay on the couch and eat ice cream -- I HAD THE URGE TO GO RUNNING. I feel quite satisfied about that.

I often start out my walks/jogs by walking up this hill by my house. It's only a little over a tenth of a mile but the top is pretty steep and it's a good way to warm up. The other day after I'd walked/ran for 45 minutes I decided to take the hill another time as fast as I could. Now, I must confess that my sprinting on this hill compares to the speed of an old lady walking the mall ... but still!

Here is a (blurry, sorry) picture so you can see where it get steep at the top:

Tonight, I didn't even start out walking like I usually do, I just ran up the hill - TWICE! and then I continued on the rest of my walk/jog. Right now this hill is kicking my butt - I am pretty much at a 10 on my exertion scale when I reach the top. But I am going to start timing myself so I can get faster and then one day I will dominate. One day I will conquer this hill.

I Know an Olympic Gold Medalist

Another Olympic season has come to an end ... sigh.

Ever since I was a kid, I've LOVED watching the Olympics. I remember watching gymnastics with my neighborhood friends in elementary school --we'd clear out the living room so we could compete in our own gymnastics competitions. We'd put tape on the floor for the balance beam, and then for the floor routines we'd start on one end of the room and do our cartwheels and walkovers from one side of the room to the other. Now, decades later ... I'm not about to try a walkover ... but I still get so excited to watch the Olympics! I'm in awe of athletic greatness. Well, now I can say I know an Olympic Gold Medalist! Or more accurately, I knew him. That's Rich Lambourne. Libero for the USA Men's Volleyball Team. Gold medalist. He played volleyball for BYU when I was there. So did Ryan Millar.And the USA coach, Hugh McCutcheon, was the assistant coach at BYU at the time.

It was pretty sweet to watch them win Gold! (Especially after McCutcheon's father-in-law was murdered in Beijing as the Olympics got underway. That was so horribly sad.)

I watched a lot of men's volleyball at BYU. It's not a sport that many Texans appreciate. In fact, I didn't even really know that guys played volleyball until I went to college. But then I became a huge fan. My roommate, Marianne, played on the women's team and her boyfriend (then fiance, later husband) played for the men's. So I got to know some of their teammates, including Rich.

I first met Rich when he was a scrawny freshman. He looked so young and goofy. But when he came home from his 2-year LDS mission we were surprised to find he had gotten all manly and hot. And now he's in the Olympics!! Who coulda guessed? I felt like I was going back in time when I watched him on TV. In fact, I caught myself saying "GO BYU" a few times. I feel so happy and proud for them.

Anyway - no point to this except to say I love the Olympics. Go USA!

And Rich -- if you're googling your name now that you're a bigtime Olympic Gold Medalist and you happen upon this blog -- be sure to leave a comment!

My Blind Date Wore High Heels

I went on another blind date this weekend ... my friend Nicki set me up. Yes, that's him wearing high heels. Could I possibly go out with any more freaks? Ha Ha! Just kidding. He wasn't really a freak. We made him try on Nicki's shoes when we discovered that they have the same size feet. Then I promised to embarrass him by putting the picture on my blog. And now I have.

It was a fun day. Eating, hiking, more eating and then Guitar Hero. We hiked Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg. It's a batholith (underground rock formation uncovered by erosion) and it's apparently the second largest granite dome in the United States. (Just one of the many facts shared by my new high-heeled friend who also happens to work for Texas Parks and Wildlife. He also identified animal droppings, and let us know the scientific names of the plants and wildlife.)

Enchanted Rock:

And here is the view as we got close to the top. This is my friend Nicki with her husband Billy:

Climbing up was fun despite the fact that it felt like we were hiking in a sauna. It had just finished raining and it was in the 90's so basically the humidity was insane. I prefer to use the term "glistening" but others might say I was dripping in sweat.

Yea! We made it to the top:

My "creaky" knee was obnoxiously loud on the way down as a cruel reminder of how old I am (and how much older I was than my date). Thankfully, I wasn't as uncoordinated as the other day (see earlier post) and didn't injure myself. But Nicki's husband Billy has a fat ankle after twisting it by stepping off a rock into a hole. Ouch!

If I lived closer to Enchanted Rock, I could hike that a few times a week instead of going to the gym. Can I count this as one of my workouts this week? I didn't add it to my running tally, but I'm thinking about it.

Nicki loved the hike too :) and I loved spending the day with my friend Nicki! It's been way too long since we've hung out. In fact it's been more than a year!! Much too long.

Oh well, it was another fun Saturday spent avoiding chores at home! One day soon there will be another blog post about yard work. I have avoided it for far too long and I have many a weed to tend to. Until then, let the fun continue.

p.s.- I normally wouldn't blog about first dates. That seems creepy. But Nicki told him about my blog and he's expecting it -- so go ahead and give him a hard time about the heels.

Prodigious Pencil

I've always loved getting new school supplies at the beginning of a new school year. So imagine my delight when the mother-of-all pencils arrived in our newsroom. I took it for a test run to see how it holds up against other wee writing utensils.

Big pencils need big erasers. ... So far so good.

This pencil ROCKS in pencil wars! I totally dominated this match.
(Apologies to Joe for whacking his hand instead of the pencil. My weapon was heavy and my aim wasn't very good. whoops)

But I did find some drawbacks. For starters, if the pencil lead breaks it might be hard to find a sharpener.

And it's a little awkward to keep behind your ear.

It's definitely difficult to accomplish the pensive pencil-in-mouth look.

My hair was too short for the final pencil test. But Bernice tried it out. I decided that you might have to be Crystal Gayle to sport this pencil-in-hair fashion.

I wonder if it's a #2 pencil? I would LOVE to whip this sucker out during a standardized test. I dare someone to bring this pencil to the first day of school!! Any kids out there wanna do it?

(You will be required to document your dare with pictures.)

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This

There are days when I'm pretty coordinated ... and then there are days when I am not. I am currently going through the "am not" stage. Let me tell you about my series of mishaps last night that left me boiling over with frustration.

First: I ran errands after work and decided to pick up some delicious chicken soup from Las Palapas for dinner. I got home at about 8:30, fed the dog, changed out of my work clothes and was so excited to sit on my couch, eat my soup and watch the Olympics. But as I grabbed the paper sack with the container of soup inside, the bottom of the bag ripped open (it had become soggy from the soup), the styrofoam thing of chicken soup went flying and landed right on the threshold between the kitchen and the living room. The container burst open and half of the soup went splattering across the kitchen floor, the other half soaked into my living room carpet. By this time I was hungry and tired and it took everything I had in me to clean it all up.

Second: I went upstairs to clean myself up after the soup fiasco. My hands were soupy so I didn't flip on the light and consequently ran straight into a wall very hard. The pain just made me even madder so I yelled at the wall and called it a jerk.

Third: I went back downstairs and decided to have a pudding cup since that's about all I have in my fridge. (Don't worry, it's sugar free). I reached for it and somehow dropped it on the kitchen floor and it split open, sending pudding splattering on the floor and into my refrigerator.

Four: I'm sitting with a new pudding cup trying to enjoy the Olympics and the devil dog starts barking NONSTOP at a stupid toad. So I get her in from outside and I was about to put her in her crate when she knocked over a brand new bag of dog food that I had JUST opened. (I couldn't get the zipper open so it was ripped at the top) The dog food goes scattering all across the floor -- at least 4 or 5 cups worth.

Five: I've finally had enough and decide I must be REALLY tired and so I just need to go to bed. So I went to get my nightly cup of water out of my Ozarka-big-bottle-dispenser-thingy. As I was filling up the cup, it slipped out of my hand, landed squarely on the top of my foot and splattered across the floor. I grumbled in pain and just went to bed. I didn't even clean up the water.

And apparently the curse continues. This morning my friend, Phil was sharing his big thing of gum with the newsroom. (Have you seen those plastic dispensers of eclipse chicklet kind of gum?) Anyway -- I tossed it to an intern and it hit the floor and burst open like a pinata. Gum for no one! Yea me.

What the huh?

p.s.-- To make me feel even worse about my lack of coordination, Phil has written an obituary for his lost gum pack. (Way harsh Phil.)

Get in Shape, Girl!

It's six weeks until October. Summer is winding down and school is about to start. It just feels like the right time to make some healthy goals. I've made "contracts" with friends and they seem to work - so I'm going to do it again. This time I'm using the blog for some accountability and hopefully, I will be motivated by the fear of public humiliation. My goals may seem easy to some of you -- but let me say that they will be a huge improvement over my current situation (diet soda every day, sweets after every meal, etc.). So here are my goals starting today until October 1st:

*No more than 3 (diet) sodas per week
*No more than 3 desserts, sweets or sugary snacks of any kind per week
*No more than 1 meal with anything fried per week (french fries, regular chips, etc)
*At least 20 days of exercise (20 out of 44 days)

Anyone want to join me? (You can make up your own goals)

White House Mix Tape

Alright - after two tear-jerking posts, it's time to lighten things up. Blender Magazine recently asked Presidential Candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama to name their top ten favorite songs.

Here's what they said:

BARACK OBAMA
1. Ready or Not - Fugees
2. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
3. I'm On Fire - Bruce Spingsteen
4. Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones
5. Sinnerman - Nina Simone
6. Touch the Sky - Kanye West
7. You'd Be So Easy to Love - Frank Sinatra
8. Think - Aretha Franklin
9. City of Blinding Lights - U2
10. Yes We Can - will.i.am

JOHN McCAIN
1. Dancing Queen - ABBA
2. Blue Bayou - Roy Orbison
3. Take a Chance On Me - ABBA
4. If We Make It Through December - Merle Haggard
5. As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson
6. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
7. What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
8. I've Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra
9. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
10. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Platters

Don't worry, I'm not about to get political with this post. I'm just going to do some equal-opportunity mocking. I can't knock Obama's list too much because they are good songs. But I wonder how much consulting went into the process to make him appear "cool"?? Plus, he picked his own campaign song which is just dorky!! But speaking of dorky, McCain has two ABBA songs in his top ten!! Ha Ha Ha! Don't get me wrong. I love ABBA. But it's one of those guilty-pleasure kind of things. And MAN does McCain's list confirm the fact that he's old as dirt. Great songs. But they skew a little old. There isn't one song from the last three decades on that list.

But it got me thinking -- could I make a list of my top ten favorite songs? I'm not sure that I could. I DEFINITELY wouldn't be able to rank them. That would go against my very nature. I might be able to commit to some songs that I really, really like in no-particular order that wouldn't be all-inclusive and could be expanded and that I'm coming up with off the top of my head so I may be leaving some very important ones out. I could do that.

So here is THAT list:

· Come Downstairs and Say Hello - Guster
(It was hard to only pick one Guster song -- I could have easily said What You Wish For or Diane or Careful or Amsterdam or Fa Fa or Center of Attention ...etc, etc.)
· Awakening - Switchfoot
(Also Let that Be Enough or Stars or The Shadow Proves the Sunshine or Head over Heels)
· Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me - Mel Carter
· You Make Me Feel So Young - Frank Sinatra
· Just Like Heaven - The Cure
· Waiting For the Day/You Can't Always Get What You Want - George Michael
· Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
· If You Leave – OMD
· Graceland - Paul Simon
(Also Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes)
· Baby, Now That I've Found You - Alison Krauss
(Also I Will or In the Palm of Your Hand)
· Your Smiling Face - James Taylor
(Also Something in the Way She Moves)
· She's Got a Way - Billy Joel
· Not Myself - John Mayer
· Joey - Concrete Blonde

I have a hard time putting any song that has come out in the last several years to my list because what if it doesn't stand the test of time for me and I change my mind?? So, I'm sure I'll be thinking of others and this list will grow. (I know I am leaving some crucial ones out!)

But now I challenge you -- what are your favorite songs of all time? Make a list on your blog so I can read them.

A Farewell to Friends

And the tears continue. I have cried so much in the past week that I think I've done some permanent damage to my eyelids (and I look 10 years older). Stop the madness! Today was the day I  have been dreading for months. My best friends are on their way to California. I love the Buxton family so much!! It all started when they moved here and Jodie and I were in the Young Women's Presidency together at church. We immediately bonded over our mutual love for the band, Guster.

Over the past several years we've been to many concerts together (mostly Guster and Switchfoot). We've taken road trips and family vacations together, watched lots of TV and seen many movies together. I've eaten just about every Sunday dinner (and many weeknight dinners) at their house. 

(One of the neighbors children (about 5 or 6 years old) once asked me why I was ALWAYS at the Buxton house. I answered, "Because it's fun there." Then she scolded me, "Shouldn't you be spending more time with your husband?" )

We've laughed so much together, and cried together and prayed together.  I love their daughters as if they were my own.

I'm so overwhelmingly sad that they won't be living right down the street from me, but I'm excited for their new adventure. The girls are worried about making new friends but I have no doubt that anyone who meets the Buxtons will fall in love with them just like I have.

My Nanny

I haven't blogged in a while - but this past week has been a hard one. My Nanny passed away last Sunday night. She had Alzheimer's Disease and has been bed-ridden for several years. I have mourned the loss of my grandmother at various times over the last 7-8 years because the disease really took away the Nanny that I knew, but at least we had the comfort of having her physically in our lives. But in the end, it was time to let her go. I was there along with some of her children and other grandchildren when she passed away. The most heartbreaking part was seeing my grandpa in mourning. They were married for 66 years.
That picture showed my grandparents on their wedding day. My nanny was buried in her wedding dress (without the white collar).

I gave the Eulogy on behalf of her nine grandchildren. Here we are with our PaPa:

We all came up with some of our favorite memories. We talked about some of the fun outings we went on with her and how much we loved her cooking, especially her baking. (She was famous for her banana bread and even though I have her recipe, my bread doesn't even come close to hers.) She had an infectious laugh and we loved to joke around with her. But our favorite part was how much she loved us and how proud she was of her family. We will miss you Nanny but will always remember you!

Girliest Day Ever

I took a vacation day on Friday to have a girl day with my friends, Jodie, Melissa, Ami, and Amy. First we had pedicures. It was heavenly!Don't our feet look fantastic!
Then, we took our silky smooth soles to lunch. Mexican food. Yum!Next, we went to a movie. We saw Mamma Mia! It doesn't get any girlier than that. If a straight man were forced to watch that movie I think he might break into hives or have a seizure or something. I had read the reviews beforehand and knew that it was supposed to be over-the-top cheesy. But the others were actually expecting it to be a great movie so needless to say they were pretty disappointed. If you haven't seen this movie and you are still considering it ... I must warn you ... First, you CANNOT have an ounce of cynicism in your body to be able to enjoy this movie on any level. The script, the acting, the dancing is so ridiculous. You must accept that going into it. Second, with the exception of the main girl, the singing is absolutely terrible. When Pierce Brosnan started singing the majority of the theater started laughing. It was that bad. Every time he would sing, we couldn't stop giggling. And to think that was his voice AFTER digital enhancement. Frightening. I'd say wait for the DVD and then rent this movie from RedBox for a dollar. Then make yourself some queso and enjoy a cheese-filled evening.
And finally, as if a day of girliness weren't enough, the fun continued into the night. In fact, this may be the girliest event of all. A friend from church hosted a Twilight party to celebrate the eve of the Breaking Dawn release.(Morgan, the host of the party)

There were book-themed food and games and we wore buttons to declare our allegiance to either Jacob or Edward.
I declared my indecision with temporary tattoos on both my ankles.
(Is anyone really surprised that I can't make up my mind about who Bella should choose?)

There was a contest to see who had the most extreme story for being sucked into these books. (They are very addictive and once you start reading they are hard to put down.)

I won the contest for being the biggest freak!

My Story:

When I started reading Twilight, it was on a week night. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to read. I got maybe 3 or 4 hours of sleep. Then when my alarm went off, I decided I could allow myself to read for 15 minutes before getting up for work. Well, of course I was totally immersed in the story and ended up reading WAY longer than I intended. I had to call into work and tell them that I was going to be coming in late. And of course, because like George Washington, I cannot tell a lie, I confessed about why I was going to be late. I have endured endless mockery for this confession. (But now a couple of my coworkers have read the series and have a little more compassion toward me.)

Here was my prize for being an obsessive reader:

It was a silly, fun day with great friends.