Changes of life

From time to time I decide to make positive changes in my life. I'm kind of private about goals, I think that may be because if I share I'm more committed to the goal. So, today I start sharing some goals I'm working on, some days I'll fail and some days I'll succeed. This will serve more as a journal than a blog, so if you don't feel like reading personal stuff about me, that's fine and understandable.

Several months ago I had the impression to challenge the sisters in my Ward to read the Book of Mormon before General Conference in October. We had a kick off to the challenge on July 14, 2010 and suggested ways to complete the challenge by the end date. One way was to read 6.56 pages per day from 7/15/10 to 10/3/10. I went to a conference in South Carolina for a week and that totally shot my reading schedule. I'm now up to almost 9 pages per day to complete the challenge.

I've also wanted to lose a little weight and get rid of the gross love handles. I don't have much of a waist when I'm my thinnest, well now my waist is turning into more of an "outie" all the time. So, I'm determined to get back with my workout schedule which I abandoned sometime during Rick's Iraq tour.

My report for 8/16/10; I ran/walked 2 miles and lifted weights/used the machines at Spirit for 20 minutes. 20 minutes doesn't sound like much, that's all I can squeeze in because of my morning schedule at home, but it's better than nothing. I get up at 4:30 and go into town, park the car, run from Spirit around the hospital and back down Main Street to Spirit. I then go in and use the equipment. Then I go home and feed Baxter, get my fruit and sometimes lunch ready for work, then get myself ready and arrive at work about 5 minutes late. My tardieness is a goal for another day.

While I feed Baxter, morning and night, I read my Book of Mormon. This morning he ate fast and I only read 2 pages, so tonight I'll have to read the remaining 7. I am really enjoying reading again. Today I read about the tame and wild olive tree and I've tried really hard to understand the meaning. The challenge was inspired, and I know that. We are having some good experiences at church with the challenge.

So, enough for today. I'll update sometime soon, but I will be more consistent, like I'm going to be with my exercise.

Another Cute Rickism

Last night at youth corrections, for Family Home Evening, we were talking about the second coming of Christ. Antonio, the boy that is currently with us has been very interested in this subject. Rick was going over some of the signs of the second coming and he read that there would be "fanimes and pestilences". Not too sure what a fanime is but I'm pretty sure I don't want any famines or pestilences.

He also swore-he said "hell". Antonio just kept laughing about that. Rick was pretty embarrassed and I threatened to put him in orange shoes if he didn't behave. The boys at youth corrections have to wear orange shoes if they are misbehaving. Payless might just be the answer to Rick's cussing problem. Hahaha.

New Family Pictures - Awesome

We recently had new family pictures done by Abbey Kyhl, she's amazing. Here is one of my favorites, I'll post more soon and talk about our fun experience.

Lunch with good friends

 

I had lunch with Carol Bowns and Dave Nyman on Tuesday at Toadz. Food was great and the friends were even better. Nothing like good company and good food to make me happy.

Shower Caps R Us

The ongoing saga continues.

42 shower caps/tooth brushes/q-tips/nail files, etc. and counting from Justin's last visit.

Looking forward to a possible fall trip to Beautiful British Columbia in September (ish) to repay his good deeds.

The story of the shower caps

Once, long ago, at Little America Hotel in Salt Lake, Justin went into the bathroom and came back out wearing a shower cap on his head and we laughed and laughed. This started what has become a traditional competition between Justin and Rick and I. Rick will claim he's innocent, not involved, not true. A couple of years ago Rick put the shower caps out at Justin's house while Justin and I took a rental car back. Over the years we've mailed, stuffed, stashed, squished and frozen shower caps at Justin's home and ours.

It's become a good competition to see who can get the most shower caps. Justin wins hands down, he's the traveler, he goes to exotic places and brings us shower caps, sewing kits, soap, whatever he can get in his suitcase, and we find his little treasures everywhere. He goes to great lengths to get more shower caps than I do. Several years ago he met me in San Diego for a Treasurers conference, it wasn't enough to get the one new shower cap daily, he started bribing the maid. He'd leave her notes and cash - yes cash - and she'd, in turn, leave numberless shower caps, which have all ended up in drawers, shoes, etc. here at home.

I get in a few punches too, but since we don't get to Vancouver very often, I have to rely on him leaving his luggage unattended just before going home. That's when I get to share my stash with him. I wonder what the customs agents think if they inspect his suitcases, they probably wonder what kind of OCD he has. It's kind of fun stuffing the pockets of his jeans and squishing shower caps between his socks. And it's not easy to get them in his luggage, he's a very neat and TIGHT packer. He's started leaving notes on top of his suitcases for me that say "step away from the suitcase". I just laugh as I stash away.

He went home from his Christmas visit this year on the 30th of December. That very night as Rick and I got into bed, low and behold, there were about 16 or so shower caps in our bed. Some were easy to get, just between the sheets, some were stashed between the mattress and mattress cover. There is always that little pyramid from The Luxor that ends up in the bed and it could really cause damage to the body.

Since the night he went home we have added 40+ to our collection, finding them in places like my laundry detergent, in clean folded towels, numerous shoes, pockets of jackets. I had added lumps in the butt of a pair of jeans, luckily I found the shower cap before leaving home. He even put some in his bed downstairs, knowing if I got a cough during the winter I'd sleep down. Well, I slept down there right after he left and found the little gifts he'd left for me.

We have shower caps from Madrid, Istanbul, South Africa, Rio de Janeiro, Paris; then there the ones from my "exciting" trips like Michigan, Spokane and San Diego.

This is a great thing for us. We tease each other, we accuse each other, we lie to each other(little white lies) and most of all we love laughing about the shower caps together. We have an awesome relationship and really enjoy each other. When I die I will request that I be buried with all the shower caps he can find at his house and mine, that should give people something to laugh about.

New Year's Day 2010

New Year - New Decade. Welcome to my life, come on in.