Best intentions go Awry

Every morning I wake with renewed determination. I will succeed! I always do my best with breakfast and then somehow it seems to go downhill from there. It is always worse when I am home, alone, just me and my temptations. Being bored is a very bad idea, I am most vulnerable then. I am talking about the food demons that are lurking in the fridge, freezer and pantry. Those tasty treats that call my name as I go about my business. Rather if I had business I probably wouldn't be having this "problem". I am a responsible adult, I make conscious decisions, good ones too, for the most part.

Yesterday, and today, I am off from work. Call it an induced holiday since my doctor is home recovering from unexpected heart surgery. I don't mind time off, it is just nice to get paid, being that I am the only income for this family right now. Anyway, home with nothing to do. It is a good thing I work, without kids to take care of there isn't much to do at home. Maybe you've noticed the influx of posts lately, don't get too used to it, I will resume employment come Monday morning.

Yesterday I started the day off right with a fruit smoothie. Quite tasty but it doesn't take you very far into the morning. Still I was strong, exercised, snacked on some amazing organic Bear Naked Trail Mix and showered. Phil leaves for shadowing, this is where it can get tricky! After a small lunch I am tempted by blasted Lemon Bars in the fridge. My sweet tooth is very persistent. I take them out and place them on the counter debating my wisdom and waging war with my internal dialouge.

INNER VOICE OF REASON

Didn't you just sweat through 47 mintues and 36 seconds of calorie burning cardio and strength resistance?

Me

Why, yes, yes I did.

INNER VOICE OF REASON

Then why would you eat a lemon bar? Hello! Fat and calories abound!

Me

Well, you're right, but it's just one lemon bar. They aren't that great anyway, (seeing as I didn't make them, they need more lemon and less bar) Just walk away Heather. Walk away.

INNER VOICE OF REASON

Good, glad that's settled.

Me

Me too. (Extracting lemon bar from bag and them placing said bar into my open mouth)

INNER VOICE OF REASON

You never listen to anything I say anyway. Carry on, loser.

Me

You're right, again! In that case I will need to have two!

I did eat two! Gasp! Shock! Horror! Then I threw the rest away. The day did not recover well. Oh well, there's always tomorrow, which is now today. So far I am good, one pineapple-mango smoothie and I will plan carefully the rest. I am strong! I am capable! I am...hungry.

Beautiful Babies

Who wouldn't want to spend their day with him? Tuesday afternoon I had the pleasure of hanging out with my sweet cousin Krystal and her three kids under 3. Super Mom! Watching her made me appreciate all the hard work that goes into Motherhood, she is amazing. Jake is 2 1/2 and her twins Austin and Avery are 6 months. Darling! Talk about making a girl baby hungry. And look at those baby blues! I got to hold them and love them, help feed them and of course play with Jake. Krystal and Byron make beautiful children, I can only hope to be so lucky. Thanks for the fun day Krys!

Rock On

Tuesday night was mutual and we headed out to the Red Mountain Multigenerational Center to the rock wall. 3 brave Laurels attended Sis. Dent and myself. Brave because I was the belayer, their safety. Since I was certified and hadn't gone back to practice, I needed a refresher course from the not so helpful worker (for lack of a better word). She quickly ran through the figure 8 knot, gri gri and caribiner. Right, I know exactly what I am doing. (internal surge of confidence, false bravado for the girls)





First up is Miss Kara, see her excitement. Myself in the background with afore mentioned "helpful" worker girl.
Gotta love the harness.

Intense concentration. I think I can, I think I can. Sheesh! Who let me be the responsible one??

Ashley & her ever capable belayer. I really did remember and after the first one (sorry Kara) I improved.

Brittany conquering her fear of heights. Go Brittany! Look how high she is.

Rebecca, our official photographer of the evening. I am sure I am breaking one of the cardinal rules in our friendship contract by posting a pic but...it's a small one & thanks for being a good sport! I think she is beautiful and am grateful she is more than my Laurel adviser, she is also my friend and a good one at that! Thanks Bec!

Belaying like a Pro!

Success! Safe and sound, sore fingers and arms but we sure had fun. You Laurels Rock!

Obsessed and Posessed

For the past 5 days I have been absorbed in reading the Stephenie Meyer's vampire love saga. I am way behind the times I know, but I think of how nice it was to devour all three books in succession. I didn'thave to wait to satisfy my appetite for more! But now I want more.

I loved, loved, loved the series and the final book has left me hanging. Probably be another year before the 4th comes out and by that time I will need to reread. Sigh, my infatuation has come to an end and I must resurface to reality. Poor Phil. Whenever I read I do so with all I've got. Everything is on hold, including my husband. Good thing I don't have any children to neglect, just household duties, YW duties, wifely duties...but no worries, I have returned. Phil has officially put me on a "no more books for you" sentence. At least for a month he says. Sorry Babe, I am back. (And really, I didn't shirk too many duties)

P.S.- For those of you obsessed like I am, I found a link that has a rough draft chapter of the first book from Edward's point of view. (Yes, I actually took time to google info looking for more, pathetic I know) http://stepheniemeyer.com/othernovels.html Click on Midnight Sun

Yes, I love technology

What a wonderful day in age we live in. We have every imaginable convenience at our fingertips; phones, computers, digital everything, cable, the ability to store food indefinitely, and then nuke said food in minutes and have a steaming hot "meal" ready in minutes.

Our microwave just went kaput. I placed my cold meal in for 3 minutes and sat around waiting for my tasty entree to be steamin' hot. Beep, beep beep "Ah, nice hot food, let's eat! What the... gosh, didn't I put this in for 3 minutes, should be blazing by now, hmm, let's go another round. (3 minutes later) Beep, beep beep (Food is still cold)

Dang Microwave! Everything else works just fine, the light goes on, turntable goes round and round, minor detail though. It doesn't heat! Phil came home just shortly after I and I told him the grim news. He tried again, maybe, just maybe it would work for him. (It didn't) We have friends that don't even use their microwave for it's sole purpose, it happened to come with the house and now they use it as another cupboard. I asked Phil how on earth they did it. How does one live without the ability to zap your food in mere seconds? I cook regularly and the only reason we use our microwave, like most of America, is to reheat our nightly creations for lunch the next day.

Our super duper convenience is only a whopping $400-$600 appliance thanks to it's space saving, over the range abilities. Guess I will be dirtying many a pot and pan to reheat the good ol' fashioned way until we can scrummage up the dough or find a steal on Craig's list.

In the words of Kip from Napoleon Dynamite,

" Yes I love technology

But not as much as you, you see

But I still love technology

Always & Forever
(sniff) Always & Forever"

Fare thee well dear beloved microwave, till we meet again, er I mean till we heat again

Phillip, Oh Phillip, Wherefore art thou Phillip?

Sunday, 3 pm. Church is over, lessons have been taught, spirits nourished and all is well. I linger in the hall near the YW room, my usual domain, waiting for Phil so we can hurry home to a nice meal. 10 after 3, no Phil. I start meandering around the halls, peeking into classrooms here and there. Fruitless results, still I persist and make another round. Check out by the car, maybe we missed each other. Nothing. The halls are emptying now as families scurry about herding Primary children and saying farewell. And yet, I am alone. No Phil.

I check again, questioning the few people left in the building, no one has seen him. It is now 3:35pm. Gosh, I am getting worried. Maybe he went somewhere with the missionaries, how could he have forgotten me? Doesn't he realize what time it is? By now I am getting a bit peeved. One more round in the church turns up empty. I hastily scrawl a note and leave it on the dash of the burning black car. "couldn't find you, looked everywhere, everyone left, started walking" Now don't judge me too harshly here; even as I write this I realize it was a rash, and if I may say, stupid decision.

Yes, I started walking the 3 mile trek home in my new silver ballet flats, with my 25 pound behemoth of a church bag over my shoulder. By the way, it was 114 degrees at 3:30pm. But this did not deter me. I truly did not know what had become of Phillip. At the time it was the best option (obviously not, but please indulge me). As I trudged along Crismon Road I would cast hopeful glances over my shoulder longing for Phil to speed up and save me. No one came. Well, maybe a straggling ward member who would recognize me and take pity. No one came.

By now the fiery orb was beating me down, sweat drenching my new Sunday attire. My feet were protesting every step I took, crying rebellion, "New shoes, you fool!" Certainly not walking attire. Completely suitable for the cushy, comfy 3 hour block in an air conditioned building where my primary mode of movement is not moving. Just sitting looking pretty as I attend to Young Womanly matters and other Church business.

I think I am making pretty good time actually. Only another mile to go! My throat is parched and even my own saliva is lacking the ability to thoroughly moisten my oral cavity. Dang! I did have the foresight to take along my camera, and when you are blogging for some reason even the worst situations turn into possible blogging opportunities.

Just around the bend, the looonng bend is my humble abode and salvation from the blasted heat. And water, I desperately need water. Heart and head pounding I finally make it to Baseline Road, my house is close. At this time my salvation cometh. Phil honking all the way pulls over to pick me up just a mere block from our house. How do I feel at this point? Am I mad or joyous at his arrival? Before I can figure it out myself Phil helps me locate my feelings. After his yelling and hollering at me for being stupid to leave when clearly the car is still at the church and that means he is. If only I had looked properly I would have found him, etc, etc, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah! Now reduced to tears I plead my case. Surely I wouldn't have left if I didn't think he wasn't there. I am overheated, exhausted and flabbergasted at his reaction. I do the only thing any levelheaded girl would do, and clearly from the above actions I have demonstrated that I am levelheaded...I cry.

Now don't leave comments telling me how stupid I was. I have heard it all and even have souvenirs to remind me of my folly. But really what would you have done? (I can take it)

By the way, he was in the cultural hall being a good member missionary where he got stuck in an freakin' hour long conversation. Hello! "Hey let me go let my wife know we are here..." or maybe "well, it's been great talking to you, I really need to get going" or how about "Wow, look at the time!"

P.S. We are still married.

The Ultimate Movie

Probably no weekend plans, nothing exciting anyway. YW lesson to plan, house to clean, laundry to do, groceries to shop. Phil is still out "working", watching some local Orthopedic Surgeon perform various surgeries. He has been shadowing docs around the valley to glean insight and experience in the medial field. So far he has been to a dermatologist, (crazy nasty cyst popping there), orthopedics, ENT next week, pediatric neurology.We technically already satisfied our date this week. Nothing like a last minute Wednesday movie. But it was the best movie we have seen this summer. For those of you who have not yet seen Bourne Ultimatum, GO! Hurry!

As I said to Rebecca, "it was a-mazing! You should go and revel in the awesomeness that is Jason Bourne." Where else can you see mano-a-mano combat while one is brandishing a razor blade and the other beats him with a hand towel. Who else has crazy cat-like reflexes and is super paranoid, (with good reason)? And finally, where else can you see non-stop action, car chases, combat, mystery, intrigue, suspense, corrupt systems, etc.? Really, you should go. Happy weekend!