Time flies...or not

This morning time just flew by and I was busy. Now, I'm not busy and time is just CCCCRRRRAAAAWWWWLLLLIIIINNNNGGGGGGGG...I am ready to fall asleep, and I still have 1 1/2 hours before quiting time. Poor me...

Just some pictures

The view of the fire from my office drive way...that's a billow of smoke in the distance.

Mr. Butler at football practice



Big A...not wanting his picture taken...but when does he ever

Louie Blue and I wasting time while waiting for Mr. Butler to get out of practice...

Heard this on the radio

The Oakland A's are having a Root Beer Float night to help raise money for Juvenile Diabetes.

Don't both Root Beer and Ice Cream have a lot of sugar in them? And shouldn't juveniles with diabetes not have sugar?

Hum, just a thought.

SYFL

Mr. Butler is 2 days into playing football for this NOT FOR PROFIT outfit, and so far, I am seriously NOT IMPRESSED!!!! He will finish out the season, but I don't think he will be playing next year, and I will seriously let everyone I know with a boy to not become involved with this program. Go thru Pop Warner!

Where did it go?

Ok, so I know it's almost August, but I was just looking at the calender and realized that Hot August Nights starts on Friday as well. WOW. I always feel like HAN is the end of summer. Wasn't it just June?

Memory post

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

It's actually pretty fun to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game, and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

One Lucky Kid

J and Mr. Butler went paint-balling on Saturday. On the way there, they stopped to get some supplies at Wal Mart, and Mr. Butler found $40 in the parking lot. Lucky dude!

Best Appetizer Ever. Period.

Spinach Rolls

2 packages frozen chopped spinach - thawed and VERY well drained
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise (don't use Miracle Whip)
1/2 bottle bacon bits
1 package dry ranch salad dressing mix (don't use the buttermilk one)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 can water chestnuts, finely chopped

1 package burrito or larger size flour tortillas

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread thin layer on tortilla. Roll tortilla tightly. Refrigerate over night. Cut rolls into bite-size pieces. Place on serving plate, set them out, and watch them disappear!

Woodward Wildlife

Funny Family Fotos

Because you wanted to see...

My damaged toe, and my braid...



...wow...aren't you glad you wanted to see these?

Less expensive gas...

I can't say cheap, although, it is a wee bit cheaper than it's been...but for all you local friends, the gas is $3.93 at the AM PM on El Rancho and Victorian. Sure beats the $4.15 we were paying a couple of weeks ago.

YEAH!!!!!

I just got back from my annual visits with my doctor (girl stuff...yuck) The good news is I can get all the evil parts taken out whenever I'm ready! YEAH!!! Because of having to recover for 4 - 6 weeks, I have to do it after my hire-date anniversary in November so I get paid time off. So in October I can call and schedule it. I'm thinking the first week in December, and then I can have all that time around Christmas to be home for recovery. Man, the next 4 months will go by slow, but won't my life be great after mid January...Plus, it'll be fun to have Christmas time off. Hopefully I'll be back on my feet enough to make goodies and crafts, and enjoy the 2 weeks off with the kids. I can already envision being able to sleep in every day for a month. Ah, I'm in my happy zone...ah...ah...

Janika, Devanie and Kim

You'll never guess who I ran into last night when I was picking Mr. Butler up from Scouts...George Keele!!!! He was up at my Stake Center for a missionary meeting. He said to tell you 3 girls hi! He has not changed one bit from how I remember him as our Stake leader back in the 80's. A few more grey hairs maybe, but that's it. Jan, remember when we didn't recognize him in "normal" clothes on the MS Dixie? Fun times. I miss those fun carefree days of youth, don't you? Man, that was a long time ago, wasn't it?

Oh, and my dad...

is probably moving to Santa Cruz...mixed feelings about that. Going to visit will be harder...and more costly...and less frequently...but...Santa Cruz does have the Beach Boardwalk...and the ocean...and is oh so close to Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the red woods, and all the things I grew up loving to visit, and my children haven't been blessed to see and do yet. He put an offer in on a house, so it's still early. But, he is having a really hard time in Yerington without mom, and Sundays are killing him at church...everyone is always asking how he's doing, and although, they mean well, it's hard for him to have to answer positively, and his mind is always on my mom when she used to be there with him, her funeral, and how lonely he is sitting alone at church. And Pat and Shirley are both in poor health and don't always make it to church. He will always love my mom, but it could be time for a change, and I know my mom would be so unhappy if my dad were unhappy. She lived to make him happy, and would still want him to be happy even if she couldn't be here to do it. Christmas by the ocean this year? Could be fun.

I'm Stuffed...and I'm not a turkey....

J and I went for all you can eat Sushi at lunch. He ate at least 7 rolls, and I simply lost count. It was so yummy, I just kept ordering and ordering. Now I am stuffed and oh so very tired. Sure wish I could take a nap...

Today is busy day after work, too, so I won't be getting a nap, and probably won't even get to bed early...poor me. I have to go pick up Mr. Butler's football uniform and equipment, take the two boys to Scouts, grocery shop, and be home for Louie to spend time with a friend of mine that is a teacher that is going to tutor her until school starts. And J is working...so I'm on my own. But at least I won't have to stop to eat dinner...I'm pretty sure I'll still be stuffed come dinner time. And I can just throw some Cheesy Beefy Melts at the kids and they'll be happy. Hopefully, because while I was waiting for J I told Mr. Butler we were going to sushi and his exact words were "Lucky. Save me some." (in a Napoleon Dynamite voice)

We got Mr. Butler a really cheap cell phone this week. It's only $10 more dollars on J's account, and we felt that with Big A working a lot, J working, Mr. Butler in football all fall long 5 days a week, it was ok for him to have one so we could call if we were going to be late, or he could call us if practice got out early. We were able to program the only numbers he can call or receive calls from, so it's all only family, and we felt that texting his aunt would help him spell better. He's having fun. We set down all sorts of rules, so hopefully he follows them so he can keep his phone. But now Louie wants one. We told her she is just not old enough nor does she really need one...maybe in a few years. She pouted and whined...

We've gone to Wild Island a ton lately. Friday, ALL day Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. Probably again tomorrow and that will be it this week. Saturday we have about 4 things going on, and next week football practice starts. Fun times! School starts in like 4 1/2 weeks, and Wild Island will be closing and I will be going into Seasonal Depression Disorder. Poor me. I'll be glad to have the kids back in school, but I am so sad that summer will be over. It never lasts long enough for me. And winter just lasts far too long.

I do not recommend...

kicking this product...

J's was laying on the floor by the desk, and I turned to walk out of the room and my middle toe on my right foot connected with the battery end of it. OUCH!!!

The tip of the poor little toe is purple, and it hurts really, really bad. When it happened, it hurt so bad, I really want to say bad words, but instead, just screamed and tried really hard not to cry and get upset because J, Mr. Butler and Louie were laughing at me, until I showed them the color of it. That shut them up.

I wondered if at first, if the poor thing was broken, but, I can still wear my beloved high heels, so I'll be ok; just as long as I don't look at the color. The purple really clashes with my bright pink nails...

I have deceided

the word "California" must be an old Indian word for "REALLY BAD DRIVER!!!!!"

My close personal friend today is...

MIDOL

This month's addiction...

Ice cream and Thin Mint cookies. What could be better? Maybe the price...they are a bit expensive...

It's long enough now

I have been trying (trying being the key word here) to grown my hair out for almost 2 years now. This morning, I thought I would see if it was long enough to French braid. And it is!!!! And it looks pretty good if I do say so my self.

On Saturday, I highlighted it, and it got really blond, and I really like it. For the first time in a very long time, I like my hair. It's amazing.

Something I don't understand how my brain works is, why can I braid my own hair, without even seeing it, but I can not braid my daughters hair no matter how hard I try?

Done

J got his back ground packet all done and turns it in today at 10. We both feel really good about it. What an ordeal though. They want to know everything and I mean EVERYTHING about your personal life.

I am so proud of my sweetie, however on all the time and hard work he's put in to this.

Wow...he makes me sick...

J hasn't worked security for 2 weeks, because he was taking time off to get in shape for the PA test, and then to do all the back ground paper work, so for those two weeks, he hasn't needed to put on his duty belt, well, last night he got called in to work because the other guy had an emergency, and his duty belt was too loose. He had to adjust it in 2 holes!!! Aren't holes on belts like an inch apart? So wouldn't that make it 2 inches that he's lost? Now you know why he makes me sick.

Wednesday he had 3 people tell him he looks so good. I've lost between 13-17 pounds, but I don't look as good as him. It's not fair. Men loose weight so easily.

Even though he makes me sick, I'm so very proud of him and love him very much, and yeah, he does look good!

Tetris

Tetris: "Tetris free web game"

I love this game...it's one of my guilty time to waste (or kill) pleasures.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Today is the day we celebrate the birth of the best Scottie Dog in the whole entire world! She is 3 years old. Harah! Harah! (that's Scottie talk for let's party!)


Warning...this is long, and if you don't want to be bored, skip to the next post... :)This post is more for my kids to look back and remember 20 years from now.

I never thought I could love a dog so much. She is such a sweetie and has such a fun personality, and it really is great to be adored by her. She is always at the door when I get home to greet me with a Scottie smile, and is genuinely happy to see me and be around me (who wouldn't love to come home to that?) She loves, Loves, LOVES poop coon (pop corn). She makes the cutest little rugs on the floor by sliding all four legs either right out in front or behind her. She loves to run Kirbyapolis 500 races around the back yard and the dinning room table. She had a squeaky plastic newspaper toy she carries around with her. She has a fuzzy squeaky stuffed animal thingie she keeps in her kennel (a pillow maybe?), and a squeaky Pheasant bird she plays keep-away with. She loves to sit on the back of the couch looking out the front window to watch the day go by. She is gentle with the kids (she tried to bite Mr. Butler once when she was a puppy, but that's because she was asleep, and he scared her) and they love her in return. She catches the evil mice that are dumb enough to venture into our back yard (hey, Scotties are breed to hunt vermin in Scotland). She literally climbs the wall to get her leash off the peg to go for a walk (in fact, if I even move my running shoes she thinks she gets to go for a walk). She has genetically bad ears that itch all the time, and we have to literally hog tie her to clean them out and put medicine in. She is not a fru-fru dog by any means. We take her in to get groomed so she can look like a Scottie, and as soon as she get in the back yard, she's rolling in the dirt.

In her 3 short years, she's traveled across the state of Nevada 3 times. She was whelped in Elko, and I had to meet the breeder in Winnemucca. She lived in a beer box for months because she was so tiny. She traveled to Ely to go elk hunting and back. She loves to go bye bye to pick up Big A from work, or to run to the store, or to take the boys to Scouts.

When I say it's time to go to bed, she usually does, unless daddy is eating poop coon, but then once the poop coon is gone, she comes to bed (unlike my children that have to be told a zillion times). In the morning, she lays in the bathroom while I get ready for work.

Although she is my dog, she is loved by our entire family, and they are loved in return.

Happy Birthday Kirby Sue Queen of Scots!

It was funny and got funnier...

Yesterday morning, just as I was ready to leave for work, I looked out the window and what did I see? Popcorn, oh, no, wait, that's not my story...I saw this tiny little old Asian woman RUNNING down our street carrying a HUGE bag of soda cans, and following close behind, a little old Asian man, driving his Toyota Camry. We all laughed until she was out of our sight. Then we got in the car, pulled out of the driveway, and saw what she was in such a big hurry for...the neighbors across the street corner from us are a bunch of 20-something college guys, and being that Wednesday is trash and recycle day, she hit the Nevada jackpot (at least for her) in tons of beer cans. She was like a kid on Christmas morning. We sat and just watched her a minute or so...It was really funny. She was working hard to make money off of other peoples trash...forward to my nail appointment, and telling my nail lady the story. We both laughed about it, and wondered how much money she'd make? 3, 4 bucks? Probably as much as her husband spent in the gas following her around...forward to this morning...my nail lady called to tell me a funny story. I missed her call and she left the following on my voice mail...she was getting her baby into her car seat and heard someone yelling "Excuse me" at her, she looked up, and there was a little old Hispanic lady standing there, with a large bag, full of...you guessed it, soda cans! Then the lady asked my nail lady if she could take her cans out of her recycle bin. She said yeah, I guess, and it was like Christmas morning all over again. She said she laughed all the way into her salon, and just had to share it with me. I laughed...I guess times are tough when you have little old ladies cruising the neighborhoods for cans...and their husbands follow behind in the car...

Server is down and out

The server that handles our computer system is cutting in and out (I blame the fires in CA), so I haven't been able to use the Internet much for anything (including blogging) and I haven't been home much in the evenings this week...but I'm still here!

I found this report on Deseret News. The man, Gail, mentioned in this report, was a member of the ward J and I lived in when we lived in Provo after we were first married. We attended a Young Marrieds fireside one time, where Bro. Halvorsen spoke of his experience as the "Candy Bomber". It was amazing to hear his stories. I remember him being a great man and this report kind of made me nostalgic for our brief time in Utah.
60th anniversary of Berlin Airlift hailed
By George Frey
Associated Press
Published: June 30, 2008
WIESBADEN, Germany — About 10,000 people, including U.S. soldiers, attended an open house at Wiesbaden Garrison on Sunday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift — one of the largest humanitarian undertakings of all time.
The commander of the U.S. Army garrison, Col. Ray Graham, said the role played by allied forces who organized the airlift set the stage for NATO and closer ties ever since.

"Through the staunch resolve of the Western allies, and the grit of the Berliners, the blockade was broken," Graham told a crowd that included Germans, American soldiers and their families. "And along the way, the foundations were laid for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Federal Republic of Germany."

Utahn Gail S. Halvorsen, a retired Air Force colonel who received fame as the "Candy Bomber" during the airlift, was in Germany for the anniversary.

Halvorsen, 87, was a pilot of one of the hundreds of C-47 transport planes flying from bases in England and France during the airlift. With help from the American Confectioners Association and schoolchildren in Chicopee, Mass., who made about 250,000 small parachutes for the candy drops, Halvorsen and other pilots ended up dropping some 23,000 tons of candy to nearly 100,000 children in West Berlin.

With music playing and an air show at Sunday's event, participants remembered what has been regarded as one of the first and most decisive battles of the Cold War.

From June 26, 1948, to May 1949, the airlift carried food, medical and fuel supplies to some 2 million West Berliners cut off from the West by Soviet forces.

American, British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and South African pilots, among others, flew some 278,000 missions, mainly from the U.S. Army Airfield in Wiesbaden and what is now Frankfurt International Airport. During the operation, 73 allied airmen and at least five Germans died in accidents.

In total they carried some 23 million tons in supplies.

"We just did our jobs," retired Pfc. Johnny Macia, 79, told visitors lined up in the aircraft hangar to ask him and other veterans for autographs and photos.

Macia, of Hayward, California, had been an aircraft mechanic with the 317th Troop Carriers in Celle, near Hannover, that carried mainly coal into Berlin. He also was aboard 10 of the flights to the city.

"We were really glad that we were able to take care of the needs of the city of Berlin, and then to see it grow up," he said. "Now Berlin's rebuilt and so modern today, it's really unbelievable. We never expected this."

Weisbaden Mayor Helmut Mueller said the Berlin Airlift was about more than humanitarianism, calling it a fight for freedom overall.

"Let us regard this open house as an opportunity to improve and deepen our existing relationship," he said.

© 2008 Deseret News Publishing Company | All rights reserved

What is worse?

The thick smoke from all the fires, or Pine Sol to the n-th degree, trying to cover the fish smell here at the office?



I have no idea the name of the cleaning company the business hires, but I hope it includes something with Pine Sol in the name. I bit of pine sol is good, but 12 gallons for every square inch of footage here is just over kill.

I'm gonna have a migraine by the end of the day...

HE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn't want to jinx him by letting you know what was going on before hand, but J took the Physical Agility test with the county this morning. HE PASSED! Now it's on to the back-ground packet...and hopefully on to POST in October!

But, YEAH!!!!!HE DID IT!!!!!I am so proud of my love!

One of the perks...

One of the perks of working for a seafood company, that carries more than just seafood, is getting great deals on the product we carry. Yum Yum! We are trying to blow out some beef rib eye roasts...so this weekend we will be eating well for not a lot of money. Rib eye and shrimp kabobs. Plus, I was able to get some additional product to give to someone as a thank you from my hubby.

If you want to get some good deals on seafood, poultry and beef, let me know. Only thing is, a lot of the product you get is bulk (5, 10, 15, 20 pounds), but if anyone wants to ever go in on say, a 20# box of king crab legs, we're game! You've never really lived until you have 5 pounds of king crab sitting in front of you!

SMOKE! SMOKE! AND MORE SMOKE!!!!

Didn't make it to Wild Island yesterday afternoon, because the smoke blew in again. I am sick, Sick, SICK, SICK (did I mention SICK?) of this smoke!!!!!

If this is how the last days are going to be, I'm in big trouble!

This is from the Reno Gazette Journal...
The Washoe District Health Department has issued a Stage 1 air pollution alert for the Truckee Meadows.


The air pollution is in the unhealthy range for people with heart disease, respiratory problems, the elderly and children.

It recommends people in those groups remain indoors and avoid strenuous activity outdoors.

The problem is from small particles of pollution from California wildfires, the health department said.

This is the view of downtown Reno going east on I-80, at Keystone Ave...my home is about a mile north of this shot...I can't see downtown from my house; normally I can, through the trees.

Hot

2:45 pm...96*...even the little bird on my window ledge looks hot, I think it may be panting like a dog. Do birds pant?

Heating Up

It's just a bit after 11 am, and it is already 82*. Hot weather, here we come!!!

I think I'll go to Wild Island today instead of grocery shopping. What do you think?

Daily Spiritual Thought

Today's thought can be found on page 60 and is from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf...

"Have faith, and believe in the cleansing power of the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ...God is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."