"Stop Smirking"

The truth is....I can't control my face.  I am just beginning to learn that my face does stuff that I don't tell it to do.  I'm getting feedback from all over the place about this.  At work, I rolled my eyes at an associate and wouldn't have known except he called me on it.  A little bird told me my eyes get big when I lie.  And Katherine asked me to stop smirking in all the pictures.  Sorry guys.  You get what you pay for.

Although I am not a prime candidate for a photo shoot, I am a willing friend.  Katherine has a great new camera and wanted to practice with it.  I don't know how to hold still or follow simple instructions and those are skills I wanted/needed to practice.  I'm sure more pictures would have worked out if I had stopped jabbering and/or blinking in sync with the click of the camera.

i have nothing to say for myself

I don't know what to tell you about myself.  Instead, let me share the coolest idea I've seen in a long, long time.  My friend Katherine is the most creative girl I know.  I will always envy her talents.  She made a dinosaur playland inside a suit case for her nephew Amir.  If I had these kind of skills I'd for sure copy this for my nephews.  Instead, I'll envy Katherine and adore her work. 

why didn't someone tell me before now?

Here is one reader's response to this book:  "I read this book, thinking I had people in my life that would fit the description of porcupines, and that I could pick up a few pointers on how to handle them. Imagine my horror and dismay when I discovered that I'M a porcupine!!!"  At least this reader discovered it on her own.  I had to be told.

Talk about a 2X4 of truth....Honestly, I've never read this book.  I only know about it.  I've been meaning to read it since 2005, at least.  Now I know that I'll never read it.  I wish I had known before now that I'm a porcupine.  It's kinda hard to swallow, or hug, as the title would suggest. 

my secret love

I would like to unabashedly announce my love for vacuums.  The lines left behind on the carpet sooths my soul, calms my troubled heart, and lifts my spirits.  For clarification's sake: I am not crazy and I have never been diagnosed with any sort of obsessive compulsive disorder.  But even if it is a disorder, I'd still take it.  My home, any home, is more beautiful when there is a visible indication of the vacuum's hard work.

Although I appreciate the work of any vacuum.....my vacuum is aging.  It's less agile than a drunk senior citizen.  It's less nimble than a monkey with no toes.  It's wheels have lost all peripheral movement.  And even though it sucks, it just can't hold everything in any more.  It needs to tighten its pucker string.  Yes....the vacuum is aged.  It's time that I begin to emotionally, mentally, and financially prepare myself to replace the old bird with a vivacious, vigilant, and vigorous new vacuum.  Or whatever Wal-Mart has.

the Lion King

On September 25th, I got to go with my mom and sisters to see the Lion King at the Capitol Theater.  We had a delicious dinner at Little America before the show.  It was a stupendous evening!

A close up of Wendy because she just looks so beautiful!

My favorite part was probably how the drums set every scene and the extravagant costumes and simple scenery. 

My least favorite part might have been the number of people who were totally under dressed.  Is Utah so sheltered that people don't know Broadway plays, symphonies, operas, and other cultural events are worthy of more than a pair of flip flops and cargo shorts?

side effects of the d.i.

I have to admit that working at the Deseret Industries isn't full-time fun and games.  Periodically, I have to work with a diverse population of humans.  The diversity presents itself in a number of ways.  Sometimes, the humans say things to me that they may or may not believe I have never heard before.  And sometimes I just can't help but ask the human, "Do you think you're the first person who came up with that excuse?"  Other times, I can't help but rudely interrupt the humans in their plea for sympathy and forgiveness for their absence as he/she explains the details of their bodily function's flaws.  That's right...the flaws in how their body is functioning.  In addition, there are times when one person calls in sick and 3.67 seconds later his/her new d.i. love calls in sick.  The second caller always seems surprised by inquiry into the coincidental nature of the 2 calls.

Let me get down to the brass tacks here....

The consistency and popularity in the belief that I can't see or hear a lie takes a toll.  Many parts of the work at d.i. takes a toll.  Side effects of d.i. include brain loss and fatigue.  For example, a dear co-worker was late to work the other day because she couldn't find her black slip.  She searched and searched before she decided just to put on her white slip instead.

I'd like to share some happy d.i. thoughts as well.  Because sometimes d.i. is a job of fun and games or, oddly enough, tender moments.  Well, maybe I won't share them right now but I will say that sometimes I can feel my eyes tear up of the successes the associates experience when they believe they can only fail.  And sometimes, their thoughtfulness blesses my life and builds me up in many ways.

Turns out....even if I go to work with 2 slips on....I'd still love D.I.