Random things you didn't know you wanted to know

First, I want to thank everyone that gave me advice on the Enrichment thing, it was all great. And I think I will ask Em to speak. You're right Amy, I think she would do great.

Next, I stole this from Lou's blog, who stole it from her friend Carrie's blog. So all you out there in blog world, feel free to pilfer as well.


1. What is in the back seat of your car right now? A 7ft long cabinet, a laundry basket and more crap than I want to think about.

2. When was the last time you threw up? I think I was 11. Boo on throwing up.

3. What's your favorite curse word? I say "crap" and "suck" all the time. Are they swears?

4. Name 3 people you made smile today. Probably Nik, Shana at work, and Stacy at work.

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? getting ready for work, wondering if Nik was going to get up any time soon, and suffering from a heinous stomach ache.

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? working, and suffering from a heinous stomach ache

7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now? still working, and hopefully not suffering from a heinous stomach ache.

8. Have you been to a strip club? not of the strip variety. Many regular clubs though.

9. What is the last thing you said aloud? "Have a nice day." I say that a lot.

10. What is the best ice cream flavor? Vanilla. With lots of mix-ins

11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Water, like as I was reading the question.

12. What are you wearing right now? Grey slacks, light blue cotton shirt, black ballet flats, and my sweet new wireless bra that Nik got me last week.

13. What was the last thing you ate? Honey Nut Cheerios, possibly the cause of the heinous stomach ache.

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? I don't think I have in the last week...bummer, I should get on that!

15. When was the last time you ran? Yesterday my mom and I worked out on the Elliptical machines at SLCC, it felt like running...

16. What's the last sporting event you watched? Part of a Jazz game I think...if not, it was the Super Bowl

18. Who is the last person you emailed? Either mom or the Humanitarian Center, I can't remember

19. Ever go camping? Used to all the time with my family. Not so much since Dad's bum knee. I'm not too upset.

20. Do you have a tan? Only thanks to Mary Kay.

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw? If it's in a cup at a restaurant.

25. What did your last IM say? "How are you feeling now that you are at work?" No response.

26. Are you someones best friend? As far as I know, yes.

27. What are you doing tomorrow? Nik and I have the day off, so hopefully, lots of stuff!

28. Where is your mom right now? At home, I think...hopefully she will still be there around one, so I can come over for lunch!

29. Look to your left, what do you see? receipt(sp) printer, Fairy wand, reading book, a couple of stackers, water bottle, purse, calculator, large desk callendar. Wow, I need to clean up my station...

30. What color is your watch? no watch today.

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia? Cousin Kay C on his mission teaching those Chinese Aussies.

32. Would you consider plastic surgery? Probably, but not for anything right now.

33. What is your birthstone? Sapphire

34. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? We usually go in.

35. How many kids do you want? maybe 4? Unless we don't have any boys, then who knows!

36. Do have a dog? No, Nik is allergic

37. Last person you talked to on the phone? Nik...i think, NO! It was Vivian!

38. Have you met anyone famous? I have SEEN celebs, but not really met any of them. Although, Doug Wright from KSL Radio will be at my work tomorrow.

39. Any plans today? Working, then something while NIk is in class. I don't know yet.

40. How many states have you lived in? 2, but I don't remember the first one.

41. Ever go to college? Finished, finally

42. Where are you right now? At work.

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? Stupid members that can't read the "Please wait here for next available teller" sign, or read it and interpret it to mean as soon as the last member leaves my station it MUST be their turn to come right up while I am still endorsing my checks or putting money in my drawer and then get mad at me when I tell them it will be a minute still. Whew.

44. Last song listened to? 1, 2, 3, 4 by Feist, now it is Rocket Man by Elton John. We get the weirdest songs on our radio station here...

46. Are you allergic to anything? Metal...and maybe tomatoes...and I think Cucumbers...

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? I have two black ones for work and one pair of tennis shoes for the rest of the time. They are all my favorites.

48. Are you jealous of anyone? Not really anyone specific. I am jealous of those with money to spare, and no health problems.

50. Is anyone jealous of you? Maybe. I kind of hope not, I am not well off, and if someone is jealous of me, they must be worse off, and I don't want that.

51. What time is it? 11:13 am

52. Do any of your friends have children? Some. Most of them older, and some are my age.

53. Do you eat healthy? Only when my dad cooks, or when we go to souper Salad.

54. What do you usually do during the day? Work, watch tv, talk to Nik, maybe go out...

55. Do you hate anyone right now? Hate is such a strong word...

56. Do you use the word "hello" daily? Mulitple times!

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 24

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Nope.

60. How did you get one of your scars? One of the only scars I have was from carrying Mason on my back when I was like...6, and I over corrected and fell and cut my knee. Mason was fine. Though he cried more than I did. They said that if it hadn't been on my knee they would have stiched it up, but, now stiches yet!

HELP!!!

So last night was my first official Enrichment Committee meeting. For the Relief Society Birthday Party we are doing a Purse Party. They are lots of fun, we have had them in past wards. The meeting went well, and we gave out the assignments. I was put in charge of the invitations, a score sheet for what's in peoples purses, and the program. THE PROGRAM!! Is she kidding? How can I be in charge of the program! She never came out and said it, but when I explained what my last ward did, she said that was a wonderful idea and that I should see if I can find a similar talk. Does this mean I have to give it too? She never said I did. But what would I say to someone else, "hey, would you be willing to give this specific talk for us? Thanks." Who knows, maybe that would be better.

Anyway, I am here to plead for help. If you have ever done anything like this in any way, shape, or form, please share your knowledge. Let me know if you have seen those score sheets and where I might find one. If you remember ever reading anything about what the contents of your purse say about you (or could represent, especially in the Gospel sense), please, pass it on. I am desperate here people. Thanks for your time.

Happy Birthday Dad!

As my mom said, today is my dad's birthday. But I don't think she bothered to mention how old he is. So I will take the liberty to do that now. He is 49 toady! Yay! From today until April 14th my mom and dad are the same age. Revel in it mom. Then you go back to being older.

Anyway, my Dad has always been my biggest supporter. When I was in school he always encouraged me to take as many classes as I could and to experience as many different things as I had time for. And I am always glad I did. Even though it took me 4 years to graduate. Heck, he was paying for most of it, so, why not take a lot of classes? He came to all my Young Women's Daddy-Daughter functions and has seen me speak in church numerous times. He taught Mason and Jeff in the 11 year old Scouts and is always around for help with math and science homework.

Last year I had the opportunity to do a website for my dad and learned a ton about him that I didn't know. He has been published! Did you know this? I think that it all was essays and such that he wrote with his professor about ergonomics stuff, but still! Published! He gave me a list of all his accomplishments and it was like 10 pages long. I didn't realize all the things he has done with his life. Its amazing. It reminds me of an episode of Simpson's that was on the other night (bare with me). Home was comparing himself to Edison, and seeing that by his age, Edison had already invented like, over 200 things. And I think that my dad isn't even 50, and that list was long! Go Dad!

Also, my dad has had a ton of cool jobs. I think my favorite was when he got to take pictures for Sky West. I have seen some of the pictures he took, and he explained that he was hanging out the open door of a propeller plane to take pictures of the new Sky West liners in flight. Amazing. He also worked at the airport weather station sending weather balloons up and collecting the data. He was in the Navy and went on Ambulance runs with the EMT's. I wish I could think of some more...Mom, help me out. Right now his job as a Safety Consultant (of sorts) allows him to travel all over the US, and has previously been to such cool countries as Japan and Kuwait. Recently he and mom went to southern Texas for a one day conference my dad was presenting at. Lucky.

I love my dad and I am looking forward to many more years with him. Happy Birthday Dad!

What my name means

I just jumped on the band wagon. I like what this says and I agree with about 98% of it. What do you think?

What Lena Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Happy Anniversary Amy and Jason!

Today is Amy and Jason M's 3rd wedding anniversary.  In honor of the event, and cause I just realized I do not have any recent pictures of the two of them together, I used this picture of their wedding day.  This picture cracks me up!  Amy is laughing and you never see Jason do stuff like this.  If it were Nik, no one would realize why this was different than every other day.  But its funny to think of Jason removing the garter with his teeth.  Good times.  Happy Day guys!

Some stuff about Nik, on Valentines day

I thought, since this is the Day Of Love, that I would do a short post about the man I love. Here is some information about Nik, and my relationship with him. Enjoy!


What is his name?:
Nikolaus Charles English, a.k.a. Nik, August Christopher, Nikolibodini, Boy, Boy Wonder, etc...

How long have you been together?:
Met in January 2004, started dating in March, broke up in May, got back together in June, and have been together since!

How long did you date?:
2 and a half years!

How old is he?
27

Who eats more?:
Definitly him

Who is taller:
He is!

Who said "I love you" first?
He did, but reciprocated by me right after.

Who can sing better?
Him, I cant sing

Who is smarter?
Depends on the subject....

Who does the laundry?
me

Who pays the bills?
We split them. I pay the little ones, and he pays the big ones.

Who sleeps on the right side?
of the bed? Him.

Who mows the lawn?
No lawn to mow, but I fore see it being me...

Who cooks dinner?
If we "cook" its usually me, but he has the abilities...

Who drives?
usually him, but if its my car, sometimes me.

Who is more stubborn?
I say him, he says me

Who kissed who first?
He kissed me first, but I didn't have any problems with it

Who asked who out first?
He asked me

Who proposed?
He did

Who has more friends?
Probably him. I get together with my friends more regularly, but he knows more people.

Who is more sensitive?
hmmm...

Who has more siblings?
He does

Who wears the pants?
I like it when he wears pants. Especially tight jeans....

Hey Mika!

Friday night Nik and I were lucky enough to attend a freakin amazing concert. Brittish musician Mika played his very first acoustic show at In The Venue down town.

Given the circumstances it could have been a bummer of a night, but because SLC has some amazing fans and Mika was an amazing guy, it turned out to be one of the top 5 concerts I have been to in my life. And I was there with Nik, so that makes it even better.

The evening started with me rushing home from work and then Nik and I rushing down town. The tickets said "doors at 6:00, music at 7:00" and we got there right at seven. As we approached the club there was still a HUGE line that wound around the building. I was astonished. I thought, "there is no way that this whole line is for Mika, and it can't be there still be a line, the doors opened an hour ago."

We parked and found my two friends Annie and Ally in line and stood in the cold and waited for the line to move. As we were standing and shivering and talking we started to hear rumers that Mika's band was stuck in Wyoming behind the road closures. He was here, but no band, and no instruments. That is why the delay. After standing in the cold for an hour (Annie and Ally had been there since 5:00) they finally started seperating us in to Ticket and Non-Ticket holders. That is a good sign. And we were ticket holders.

We finally made it to the front of the line (which meant a good pat down for the boys and a quick wave through for the girls. I love being a girl.) and were ushered in the back door where our tickets were stubbed and stamped and then we were given a $10 refund per ticket. Awesome! The four of us made our way to the 21 and over cage so we could get good spots high up. And we did. We were sitting on the raining behind the railing on the balcony. But we had an amazing view. The stage was small, but it was covered in wing back chairs and string lights. It was very intriuging. It was about 8:15 when we finally made it in out of the cold, but Mika didn't come out till about 9:00. This part of the reason for the refund. Oh, and the band. The band was there too. When he finally came out the place just about crumbled from the vibrations of the crowd. After greeting us, Mika went on to explain about the weather conditions and that they didn't have any of their real equiptment. And that this would be their very first acoustic show. And that he was terrified that it would suck. At this point everyone started cheering because we all knew that there was little chance that this show could suck.

Of course he opened with "Grace Kelly" and it was amazing. He said numerous times that because they didn't have the equiptment they couldn't play all of their songs. But that meant the only ones they didn't play were Big Girls and Happy Ending. We were bummed about both of them. But the rest of the show was fantastic! When they played Love Today, I thought the balcony would collapse with all the energy! The whole place was shaking. And they led right in to Lollipop, which just kept the energy going. It was amazing. AMAZING! I loved it!

Even though they only played for 45 minutes, it was well worth the ticket price. Even before the refund. Mika said that because the show went so well, despite the set backs, that they were definitly coming back to Salt Lake. I hope he is right! LOVED IT!!!!

Oh, and Annie took some pictures, so as soon as I can get her to post them, I will do the same. Or you can check out her link on my blog to check up on them your self. Yay Mika!

Ernie Fish, We Hardly Knew Ye

Saturday night we received some sad news.  Noah's fish of 10 months had died.  Noah's mom and I were at a bachelorette party for a friend when Noah called to tell us.  He was so cute about explaining the situation.  He even had to tell me himself after he told Laurie.  I felt so bad for little Noah.  He loved Ernie from day one and was a devoted owner.  He fed Ernie every night before bed, and knew that he loved to have the light on.  Nik and I have been invited to accompany Noah tonight to see if we can find a suitable replacement for Ernie Fish.  

The picture above is from Noah's birthday last April where Nik and I gave Ernie to Noah.  We didn't name him though, that was all Noah.  I etched the name on the bottom of the bowel, but unfortunatly the bowl is no longer with us either.  Oh well.  

I am honored that Noah would want us to come with him when he finds a new friend.  We love you Noah!

Elections?

So tomorrow is the Utah Primary. And no, I don't mean a large group of uncontrollable tweens. I mean its time to decide who we want on the November ballott. Have you made up your mind? If so, good. If not, please don't vote. I know, everyone needs to do their civic duty, but I am much opposed to guessing cause you want to feel included. Please don't close your eyes and stab the ballot poker where ever it lands. Thats how Bush got elected. If you want to vote, read up on the candidates. Multiple news stations have information on the web sites, CNN is a good one. I won't mention who I am going to vote for tomorrow, I may change my mind by then. Thank you.

ps- don't vote for Hillary

Happy Birthday Uncle Pres, Engagement, Explaination

Uncle Pres!

Happy Birthday yesterday to my Great Uncle Pres. His family held a big party in his honor last night at their house and we were invited. I love visiting Uncle Pres. For as long as I can rember he has been part of every major event in my life. This is even better because I have never had a lot of family around to celebrate with me at these times, so having him there made it feel more like the rest of the family was represented. He even came to my SLCC graduation. And he wasn't even obliated! The party was great and his daughter Elaine read some stories she had gathered from friends and family about Uncle Pres throughout his life. It was great to hear the ones from his siblings, they have the best dirt. Thanks Uncle Pres for always being there for our family. You are an amazing man!

These are all the things Pres is famous for saying. My favorite is "First thing Monday Morning." I should start saying that more often.
Mom reading her stories about Uncle Pres. They were pretty funny. She mentioned at time when I was little and Uncle Pres was trying to get me to laugh and it had the opposite effect. It resulted in months of saying "Is that Uncle Pres over there?" To get me to stop crying. I guess it worked especially well at church. Well it doesn't work anymore! I love Uncle Pres! He is always telling us he is the "rich uncle" and even introduced himself to Nik that way. And if your not careful he will "cut you out of his will." I hope I have been good.
In this one is Jeff on the left, Mom's cousin ( I think) John and his wife JJ and Mom's cousin Elaine.
This is me and Nik with Uncle Pres and his wife Bobbi. They are a great couple.

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Last night we were all waiting with bated breath for the call from Emilee saying she was engaged. True to form, Jeanne knew ahead of time and called everyone to let them know. I think that Emilee was the only one in a 50 mile radius that did not know she was getting engaged last night. They were great and came to see Nik and I while making the rounds, so we got to see the ring and get a first-hand account of the events. Emilee was giddy with excitement, and we are so happy for her.

The lucky man I named Gearold. (Said like Gare-old) He has been a part of Emilee's life a for a little while now. And a part of the family a little while after that. We all fell in love with Gearold right away, but it was Emilee that took her sweet time. But we are all estatic for them both, and can't wait for our new brother-in-law!

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Now for the expalination. Most of you may not have noticed, but just incase you did, and questioning my mental health, I will point out that I have changed the sub-heading on my blog. It now reads, "We're the new face of failure, prettier and younger, but not any better off. Only proof of lonliness, at best." This is a line from a Fall Out Boy song that I love. I know that it sounds a little depressing, but I am not dwelling on that. I just love the poetry of it. It says that we are the same as those that came before us. We strive and suffer the same. Maybe for different reasons, but but it is a struggle none the less. All the new things we have in this world only mask the problems we have underneath. We may look 'prettier and younger' but we are most likely not any better than the next guy. I think that it should humble us to think that we are not "better" than our neighbor. They are struggling the same as we are. Sorry if this has depressed anyone. I just like the lyrics.

Shameless Plug

Last Saturday my friends and I got together for what has become a traditional Tea Party. But this one was different. My friend Christi is starting her own catering business and we were her guinee pigs! The pictures below are of some of the beautiful things she uses to create the atmosphere that is so important at these parties. We are not formal or anything, but it really does make a difference when the room is decorated with girlyness. Christi has acquired so many beautiful pieces to display her wares. And she does all the baking herself. She is amazing. The chocolate cupcakes she made last time were divine. I don't realy know what else to say about Chirsti's new business...except maybe the name, yeah, that would be good. It is called Tranquilitea Parties. Notice the play on words. She has a blog that I have linked at the bottom of my list, so feel free to check it out. She is looking for all the business she can get, and I believe that her contact information is on her blog. If not, and you are interested, let me know and I will hook you up. Since she is so new in the business, her pricing isn't set, so you would need to contact her about that too. Enjoy the photos!