daisy's etceteras...

January Update

2010-01-25T11:55:00.002-07:00

As of today, Ramses and I have been enjoying wedded bliss for 4 months! In some ways it does not seem it could be that long, but in other ways it feels as though we have been together forever (and I say that in a good way).

It has been a busy four months. We had the reception, the holidays, work, school, and so many other things. And things do not look like they will be slowing down any time soon. We have some big things ahead of us, and we look forward to it.

Ramses is still working at Il Vicino. I am still at AeroParts Manufacturing & Repair, Inc. It has been about 4 ½ years now. It is going well. Due to the economy, last year we spent 9 months working reduced hours and we finally went back to full time in December. We can now begin to pull out of some of the financial stress that hit during that time.

Our dogs are doing fantastic. Darla and Pepe are great friends. They spent Christmas with us at Dad’s house with Eric’s new family. They loved the kids, and I think Pepe took a particular liking to our new niece Avery.

I spent some sick time recently, but we hope it is all cleared up. I had some tests and exams but kept being told everything looked good. Only one test came back abnormal, but it was not enough to diagnose anything. The doctor was not sure what was causing the problems, but they put me on a strong antibiotic for a week. It was an uncomfortable nauseous week, but the problems all but went away after that. I have a follow-up is this week, so we hope all is well!

Well, to end this, I should let y’all know this is my last posting on this blog (at least for now). We are moving to a new blog. Check it out: http://thevalles2009.blogspot.com

Air Force Senior Airman Michael Malarsie

2010-01-18T16:39:00.003-07:00

Those of you who are my friend on Facebook may have seen this already, so I apologize for the redundancy.

I’ve known the Malarsie family for a long time. The live in Bosque Farms and are an amazing family and some of the best people I know. Jim, the father, was the bishop of the neighboring ward, which my best friend was in, I was in institute classes with Roxann, the mom, and attended the singles ward with Lisa, one of the daughters.

Their son Michael is 22 and a Senior Airman in the Air Force. He was deployed to Afghanistan in December 2009 and on January 3, 2010 he was injured in an IED blast.

Michael suffered multiple shrapnel injuries, a broken jaw, multiple facial fractures, a skull fracture, a ruptured eardrum, and has lost both eyes. He is now blind and doctors are concerned about his hearing. He is currently at Walter Reed in DC and his parents are with him. They say despite the grim situation, he is in good spirits.

In addition, tragically, there were four soldiers killed in the blast. These are the first American deaths of 2010. One of the fallen is Michael’s close friend, Senior Airman Bradley R. Smith, 24, of Troy, IL who leaves behind a wife and daughter.

We are soliciting prayers to help Michael, the Malarsie Family, the Smith Family, and all those affected by this tragedy. Michael is in need of miracles to help his recovery and all the families are in need of strength and comfort.

Please keep them in your prayers!

If you want to learn more or be updated, you can check out the blog dedicated to Michael: http://mmalarsie.blogspot.com

A donation account has been set up in Michael's behalf to help support him on the long journey to recovery. If you would like to donate you can do so at any Wells Fargo Location, to the following account: Michael J Malarsie, AirForce Sr Airman. There is also talk of a fundraiser in Albuquerque on February 6^th.

It's been a while...

2010-01-06T10:16:00.003-07:00

I guess I will have to update this soon, but for now, here is a little information....

My brother Jeff and his wife Gabby have announced they are pregnant! It's exciting!

Gabby had pledged with the Biggest Loser Pound for Pound Challenge and asked for people to pleade to make up for what she can't lose now...

So I am participating in the Pound for Pound Challenge. I pledged to lose weight and donate to Roadrunner Food Bank in Albuquerque, NM. Check it out at http://www.PFPChallenge.com.

Reception Time Change

2009-11-05T12:05:00.003-07:00

So when I scheduled the building for our reception next week, I failed to look at the stake calendar. It ends up that Rio Rancho Stake Conference is next week, with the Adult Session at 7:00pm on Saturday. The same time as our reception. Uh oh!

So here is the plan - our reception will be at 6:00pm!! This gives people within this stake to come for a few minutes. Please make sure you pass the word along.

We are very excited for the party! (Oh yeah - we will be auctioning off dances with Ramses and I, and he doesn't want to risk going for cheap - so ladies, help us out... the goal is to auction him for at least $25!)

Thanks everyone! See you next Saturday!

And for those who need it - here is a map:

The address is 2807 19th Avenue SW, Rio Rancho, NM (some maps show it as Cabezon Blvd.

This is the building you'll be looking for...

The Newest Member of our Family - Pepe!

2009-10-24T19:38:00.002-06:00

Last week a lady from work, Becky, asked if we could take her dog. She knew we've been looking for one and they decided they couldn't keep him anymore. We said yes, so here he is!

Becky's family called him Waddles, but we've decided to change it to Pepe. He is a 3 year old Pembroke Corgi. He is really sweet and is Darla's new best friend. Even Ramses is adjusting to the idea of his baby girl not getting all the attention in the house. In fact, except for running off and making Ramses chase him, I think Ramses likes the lil guy.

The Bowman Valle Wedding Reception

2009-10-05T16:07:00.010-06:00

I know the picture is small, so just click on it for a larger view!!

P.S. We are registered at Target and Target.com

These last few months....

2009-09-29T21:17:00.006-06:00

Well, it has been a fairly eventful few months.

In the time since Ramses and I became engaged, it has been a roller coaster ride.

We had fabulous visits with nephews, a niece, and a sister with her dog. While Aden was here, she told me that if she were old enough, she would marry Ramses. Annette brought her dog, Ginny, who participated in “Darla’s Doggie Fitness Program” and lost 15% of her weight while staying with us for two weeks!

Rebekah moved out of my place and into Dad’s new house. We are excited that he is finally out of his old apartment. It has nice wood floors, a fireplace, and a yard for the dogs. Mary has also moved in with Dad, which is fitting since the house is on Mary Ellen Street. This does mean that he took back his grill that we’ve enjoyed having for a couple years.

Ramses met with the missionaries and made the decision to be baptized! He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on August 22, 2009. It all went well, mostly because I vetoed his idea of sticking alka seltzer in his pockets before entering the water.

And the most exciting of all – we got married!! My other roommate, Rachael, gave me her notice at the end of August. This made finances a bit sticky, so Ramses and I decided to eliminate bills at one house and get married now.

On Friday September 25^th, 2009, we headed to Las Vegas Nevada. We arrived in town, got our marriage license, met up with my best friend, Leanna, and her husband, Jason, at our hotel, and headed to the chapel. We were married at the Little White Chapel on the Las Vegas Strip.

For anyone considering it, I highly recommend a Vegas wedding. All the stress went away and it was about us. We were not worried about entertaining guests, about decorations, about anything.

We kept it a secret until the next day, so we have definitely had fun telling people we are married.

We then spent the weekend in Las Vegas with Leanna and Jason before coming home. They also were gracious enough to get me a bouquet and us flowers, a cake, and family plaque.

So now, I am Mrs. Daisy Valle. I have an incredible husband who gives me reasons everyday to love him more and more. I don’t know how I got so lucky!

And no worries – we have decided to go ahead with the reception on November 14^th.

This time, it's for real!

2009-07-03T10:11:00.004-06:00

About 5 years ago, a friend and I pulled the ultimate prank - a fake engagement.... Evil, maybe. Forgotten, no.

Well about 10 months ago I met a guy named Ramses. We talked, went out, dated, broke up, talked, got back together, dated... and eventually fell in love :)

So what do you do then? You get married! Ramses proposed this week! I said yes!

This time, it's totally for real!!

The basics of my fiance: His name is Ramses Valle, he is 29, originally from Acayucan, Veracruz, Mexico. He's been in the US for about 9(?) years. He is a cook and someday wants to open his own restaurant.

The wedding is going to be in October. We are very excited!

It's all good!

2009-06-03T10:48:00.005-06:00

Well, I figured it was time for me to blog again :)

I now have two roommates! Back in March, Rachael moved in. I put an ad on the internet for a roommate and Rachael responded. She is 22, works at a call center, has a Chihuahua named Charlie, and a boyfriend named Don. She is a lot of fun to have around and I am definitely glad to have her!

Then just this week, my sister Rebekah moved in. She has decided that she wants to be a bit closer to family and that she wants to go to nursing school, so she has taken up residence in my house. Dad, Mary, and Josh (Mary’s beau) drove to San Francisco last week to pick her up and brought her back. There’s still a long way to go before the house is settled, but we’ll make it. We are extremely grateful to Josh, Ramses, and Amanda for coming and helping! Ramses was a real trooper, taking all those trips up to the attic!

Darla loves having the extra people around. She does great with Charlie. The two of them will play for hours! And when Rebekah walked in the door when she arrived Darla was so excited! She must have remembered her from her previous visits.

Darla is now a year old! We had a little mini-celebration for her. We went to Three Dogs Bakery and got her and Charlie a bunch of goodies! We got cookies, brownies, and even ice cream and cake! The ice cream was grass flavored, and she loved it. She also got a new collar and a new rawhide.

I finished another term of school. My GPA has dropped to 3.76 over the last couple of terms, but that’s still not too bad. I’ll be taking summer classes again. At the rate I am going, I still have about two and a half years until I am done. I cannot wait. I hope that I can pick up the pace by taking another class or two each term.

We are very excited to have Adrian and Jason come visit this summer. Adrian will come first in June for a few weeks, and then we will send him back home and take Jason for a while. It will be a lot of fun!

It’s a busy wedding season for my family. Eric was married in May to beautiful Stephanie. She has four kids and we are so glad to have them in the family!

Jeff is getting married in June to Gabrielle (Gabby). She has a little girl, so Adrian and Jason will finally have a sister! I don’t know Gabby very well, but she seems like she will be another great addition to the Bowman family!

There haven’t been any new injuries in a little while. I had bruised my shoulder, but that healed pretty fast. If y’all remember my curling iron burn back in October, I had actually burned a mole off and all these months later it is still really tender. I had the doc look at it yesterday and he decided to biopsy it. He said he thinks it’s ok but just wants to be sure. I am not worried at all.

As you can see, there have many great things happening in my world! Let’s hope it keeps up!

Darla's Summer Haircut

2009-04-25T17:18:00.006-06:00

I just wanted to post a picture of Darla's new haircut... She looks really good, and was totally comfortable at this groomer. We'll definitely go back there!

And this is her on the drive home. Ramses lets her ride shotgun. She loves it!

California Antique Farm Equipment Show - 2009

2009-04-25T16:01:00.005-06:00

Last week I was able to attend the 17^th Annual in Tulare , California . Rebekah has attended this for about 9 years now with her good friends, the Mustoe family. This was my first year and it was awesome!

This was Mel’s 16^th year in a row to attend the Show. He now lives in Albuquerque , so I hopped a ride with him. His stepdaughter was attending her senior prom over the weekend, so he was going alone anyway. He picked me up on Thursday morning and we headed out with his Radio Flyer Tractor and Radio Flyer Wagon in the back of the truck and towing his 1948 Ferguson tractor behind.

The Radio Flyer Tractor is obviously modified. Mel took the seat, motor, chassis, etc of a riding mower and combined the two. That thing is so much fun! The Radio Flyer Wagon is actually two that he welded together so that he can fit all 6 of his grandkids into it!

The drive was nice. I had a good time visiting with Mel and getting to know him better. The weather was mostly clear, with the exception of the snowstorm we drove through just outside of Flagstaff . It was cool to watch traffic around us and see people stare at the tractor on the back. Every stop we made included someone stopping Mel and giving him a chance to show off a bit.

We stayed the night in Laughlin , NV . Who knew rooms were so inexpensive there? We stayed at the Tropicana Express for just $20.00 a room! Sweet! We ended up having to park in the back of the hotel where there was room for the trailer. A security guard came up and talked to Mel for about 10 minutes about the tractors. We didn’t see a real direct way into the hotel, so Mel asked the security guard. He said we could just cross over this little embankment where there were some train tracks and go in through the parking garage.

D’OH! I should have seen it coming, right? I walked up just fine, but on the way back down the other side, my foot slipped on some loose gravel. I landed square on my bum. Luckily, it didn’t hurt! I got back up and we were on our way.

We decided to have dinner at In-N-Out Burger, conveniently located next to our hotel. As we’re crossing the railroad tracks, I say to Mel “I wonder how often the train comes through here.” Mel then tells me it just passed through. I’ve been with him and didn’t see it, so I ask “Really?” Mel says “Yeah, don’t you know how to tell?” Of course I don’t, and I tell him so. I couldn’t have set him up better for his response. “You can tell because it left its tracks.” Funny, Mel, real funny.

After dinner, I decide to do a little souvenir shopping down in the lobby, so I let Mel head off to his room. I end up walking to several hotels and finally decide what to buy. The whole process takes about an hour or two. I finally get to my room and am talking to Leanna on the phone when I decide to lay down. Apparently, it did hurt when I fell. I recognize my ability to injure myself and realize that I should take some medicine and get some ice on it since we have a long weekend ahead of us.

I don’t have any Ziploc bags with me, nor do I think the little baggie they give you for the ice bucket is sufficient, so I call the front desk to ask for an ice pack. The lady was very nice and transferred my call to Security, who handles first aid. I explain to the gentleman on the phone that I had fallen earlier and just wanted an ice pack. He says it’s not a problem and they have some available. I ask where I can come pick one up and he says he’ll just send someone up with one. Awesome, right?

Not in my life. A few moments later I hear a commotion in the hallway outside my room. Then there is banging and yelling at my door. I don’t understand what they’re saying, so I get up to go open the door. They beat me to it. I don’t even make it past the bed before Security and Paramedics have opened my door and let themselves into my room. SERIOUSLY??? Wow!! That wasn’t what I expected! I quickly explain that I just need an icepack because I fell and hurt my butt. They look at me incredulously. “Didn’t the guy I talked to on the phone tell y’all that?” Nope. They thought it was a medical emergency and ran the entire way. Poor guys were obviously out of shape, huffing, puffing, and sweating. All for some stupid girl who can’t keep her feet underneath her. But they were very nice and generous. They gave me an ice pack, made sure I was ok, then gave me a bag to get more ice.

Rebekah about died laughing when I called her and told her.

And that was just Day One of my adventure.

Day Two was much less eventful. We left at about 8am to start the long drive. My bum wasn’t hurting much at all, so I figured I just bruised it and would be ok. Just keep popping some painkillers (I had some prescription strength ones left from my ear infection a few weeks ago and luckily took them along) and icing it and it’ll be fine.

I of course slept through all of the cool sites along the way, like the airplane graveyard. I was just really tired from the night before and from the drugs. Oh well, I’ll catch a glimpse next year.

We got to Tulare at about 3 or so in the afternoon. I think we arrived just a few minutes before Rebekah and Kevin. Most of the Mustoe’s were there and unloaded already, so I got to meet a bunch of people. I had been given a family history on the drive by Mel, so it was fun trying to fit faces to the stories. Families are awesome!

Dinner and the hotel were pretty calm.. I wasn’t in much pain, which was a good sign. I was really afraid I wasn’t gonna be able to drive any of the tractors over the weekend. We stopped and got some Ziploc bags just so I’d be able to ice at night and keep the swelling down.

On Saturday morning, we got up early for the show. I was so excited! Rebekah and I slathered on a bunch of SPF 70 sun block and headed out. Unfortunately, we had planned on me driving Mel’s Radio Flyer Tractor, but I decided that because of the position of the driver, it’d probably irritate my sore bum, so I opted out in favor of not aching the rest of the day.

The day started with a Parade.. Basically, everyone who wants to take a tractor down the little Main Street through the grand stands just signs in, gets a number, and gets in line. We (the Mustoe group) started with 8 tractors, but there were some mishaps. A couple got towed back to our area, one was towed through the parade, and one of the previously towed ones actually made it through just in time.

Our “farm equipment” included (I think I’m forgetting something, and I don’t know years or models on some):

1948 Ferguson

1939 Aliss Chalmers

194? John Deere

1941 John Deere

???? Gibson

???? Mustang

???? Lincoln

The Radio Flyer

Water Pump

Generator

After the parade, Rebekah, Kevin, and I headed out for tractor ogling and shopping. I was very impressed with the tractors. I think the oldest I saw was from 1910! The newest was from the 60’s. I knew that I was going into this thing as a novice, but I didn’t realize the extent. I’d never even heard of a lot of the makes of tractors.

There wasn’t as much stuff as I expected and a lot of it was crappy. Seemed more like items you would find at your local swap meet or flea market. There were a couple raffles for tractors, so we of course entered those. Haven’t one yet, but one of the drawings isn’t until August (keep your fingers crossed!!) I did manage to buy a cool new hat. I had one at home, but forgot to take it. Mel was very persistent about wearing one, and I lucked out finding a cool one that fits my big head. Now I just need more opportunities to wear it!

The food was yummy! We got dutch oven peach cobbler with homemade ice cream. It was seriously yummy in my tummy!

Finally my moment of truth came. Bear Mustoe asked me if I wanted to do something adventurous. He was gonna teach me to drive his tractor so I could take it in the parade the next morning. Oh yeah, baby!

It was much easier than I expected. His was the 1939 Alliss Chalmers. He explained the gears, the brake, all of that, and just sent me on my way. I took it around a few times and loved it. I never went above second gear, but it was still a blast. I was amazed at how comfortable the seat was. My bum was still achy from that stupid fall, but those old tractors were nice.

After that, Kevin let me drive his Gibson tractor. I don’t know what year it was. I liked that it didn’t have a steering wheel! You just used a lever on the right side. Push it forward and you turn right, pull it back and turn left. I was a little tripped up with that once or twice, but I managed to not hit anything (or anyone).

Sunday was much quieter than Saturday. At breakfast, I managed to nearly drown in my milk from my cereal. I already had my aforementioned new hat on. I lifted the bowl to drink my milk (very ladylike, I know) and the bowl got caught on the rim of my hat! Good thing there wasn’t more in the bowl or it would have made a big mess!

We slathered on more sunblock and headed out. I was so excited to drive. I think I did a good job overall. The tractor was parked in a tight spot in our area, so I managed to get Bear to pull it out so that I didn’t hit anything with it. I finally jumped on, ready to go, and he stopped me. Him and another guy came over with wrenches and hammers and started working on the tractor – with me sitting on it!

The reason? Bear is 6’4”. That makes him more than a foot taller than me, and the clutch was set for him. He recognized the difficulty I was going to have holding that clutch in during the parade, so he lengthened it for me! I am so glad, because I don’t know if I could have managed it otherwise. I am still a novice driver, so I didn’t manage to park in straight in the line, but it was good enough. I made it through the parade with no problem! It was after the parade that got me stuck.

After we finished the parade route, we found that they had already blocked off areas for some cook-off. Mel came and tried to help me back to our area, but I managed to get into a spot where I needed to reverse. I know how to work a stick shift. I know where reverse is. I just couldn’t get it to go there. It wouldn’t budge. Rebekah saw me and took me picture, so I waved her over. She jumped on and tried, with no luck. Thank goodness she had Bear’s number. All we needed to do was pull a little trigger. Ugh. There were no problems after that. I just let her park it for me.

So we ate some more, did some more shopping, and finally left at about 2ish. I was flying home so that I could work Monday morning and we needed to get to the airport. I slept for a while in the car, which was great! I was so tired and Sunday was HOT!

Unfortunately there was an accident and we got stuck in traffic. I called my airline to see what my options were. FYI: Southwest’s policy for missed flights has a little known snag. If you show up within 2 hours of your missed flight, you can be put on standby for the next flight. The snag? Next flight apparently only applies to the same day. I was scheduled for the last flight out. If I missed it they were gonna charge me for a new ticket. They would apply what I paid for this one to the new ticket, but the difference was going to be $185! And I’d have to miss a day of work!

We made it to the airport at 7:15 for my 7:25 flight. A stroke of good luck! My flight was delayed! I got my bag checked, made it through security, and was able to use the bathroom just in time to board.

The flight was horrible! Those seats are not fun on a sore tailbone. I tried sleeping, but the guy next to me woke me up every time the flight attendant came with drinks for snacks or trash bags or whatever. I know he thought he was being considerate, but I needed sleep so that I’d survive work on Monday. The late flight meant I wasn’t landing until after 11pm.

After landing in Albuquerque , I tried calling my ride. We had agreed that he’d wait there and I’d call him when to come get me. Oops. Phone is dead. There’s goes my good luck. I was so tired! I managed to somehow drag myself down to baggage claim with out falling over or passing out. My new suitcase was nice, beause it was super easy to spot (and I got several compliments on it). I took it aside, opened it, got out my phone charger and plugged it in. I finally got the phone on and called my ride.

I had left my car at the mechanic while I was out of town and I had arranged for it to be left out in the front parking lot so I could pick it up when I got home, so Ramses took me to go pick it up. They didn’t leave it out. I went to pick up Darla, who was thrilled to see me, and Karla agreed to take me to work.

Monday my bum was hurting more than ever. I’ve still been having issues with my ear from my ear infection a few weeks earlier, so I just called my regular doctor and made an appointment for Wednesday. I figured I’d bruised it pretty good, and I have Aflac for just these kinds of things.

On Tuesday my bum hurt even more. By Wednesday I felt I could barely walk. At the doctors office the nurse took my vitals and I my blood pressure was elevated and I had gained a significant amount of weight! What?? My appetite wasn’t even fully back yet from the previous weeks of being sick.

Well, it ends up that I still have an ear infection and a sinus infection. I tried arguing the sinus thing, because I feel fine there. The doctor said that if I could see my sinuses, I would disagree. I love my doctor.

The bad news? I have a broken tailbone! The doctor said it was the first time he’s ever met a woman who broke her tailbone and went on to drive tractors for fun. He even asked to see pictures. He was impressed.

So now I have painkillers to take at work, muscle relaxers to take at home, and I’m supposed to lay down and stay off my bum. The staying off it hasn’t happened much yet.

Anyway, that was my adventure. I can’t wait for next year!!!

And this is just a cool shot... Taken accidentally, of course :)

Cartoon Me!

2009-02-15T17:47:00.006-07:00

A loooooong time ago, Emily (the former roommate) drew a cartoon of me. Needless to day, it was awesome! I begged her for months and months and months (maybe a year) to do a 'real' one of me... and she finally finished it!!

Thank you soooooo much, Em! I really, really, really, really love it! You rock!

And I promise to finish the Christmas adventures soon!

Christmas 2008: Part One

2008-12-29T17:31:00.006-07:00

At church on Sunday, I sat with Brother and Sister Nuanes. As I told her a few snippets of the stories I am about to share with you, she said, “That’s the thing about sisters. Anything you do with them is funnier and crazier than with anyone else.” Maybe that is how we will explain our Christmas Vacation.

The plan started in October, Rebekah and I (as well as many others out there) have had a rough year, so she decided that going on a trip over Christmas would be a well deserved treat. I agreed and she made the plans. I was to fly into Oakland on the 23^rd of December and we would drive to the Grand Canyon on the 24^th, stay a few days, and head back to New Mexico. At some point, our company grew to include Mary. As Grandpa King would say, “Oh Boy!” This was going to be fun!

In November, we had a bit of a scare that because of all the time I missed while I was sick I would not be able to go. Fortunately, I had a stroke of good luck and found a loophole in my company’s vacation policy that would allow me to go! Sweet!

Mary arrived in California a few days before me to get a haircut (it looks great!) and spent a few days with Rebekah in the bay area. The two of them managed to purchase a three-foot pink tinsel Christmas tree for the hotel room. It must have been destiny. I mean, how many times have you seen a three-foot pink tinsel tree just days before a Christmas vacation with your sisters?

On the 23^rd I made my way to the airport to join the fun. As some of you may know, however, there was a multitude of delays throughout the airports of our great nation last week due to bad weather. I got lucky and my flight was only delayed by about 45 minutes. The problem was that they never announced a delay. But let us not forget that I am a textaholic, so I kept Rebekah abreast of my flight status.

Packing my suitcase (one moderate carryon) into Rebekah’s already stuffed car was pure enjoyment. We sat in the parking lot at the Oakland airport pulling out everything but the actual vehicle components themselves to rearrange the trunk to fit it all in. This included two cases of bottled water, the three-foot pink tinsel tree, a block of knives, bags of bread, suitcases, and the like. We got it all wedged in and were on our way.

For a few hours, we had a relatively calm time. Let me explain what I mean by ‘relative calm’. First, remember the comment I mentioned from Sister Nuanes. Second, last year Annette began dating a young man named Taylor. He came down to New Mexico with her to visit. After experiencing Annette and I together, he told her that the next time we got together we were going to have to take some sedatives first. That is normal. Anything less than the shrieking fits of laughter should be considered calm. As I said, this leg of our journey was relatively calm, minus the few moments where Rebekah was laughing so hard she didn’t know if she would be able to keep driving.

We stopped in Bakersfield overnight at a hotel. By overnight I mean 5 hours so we could get a little sleep. It was a nice hotel and our room had a microwave, refrigerator, and I was impressed that the pillows had pillowcases that were embroidered with labels to identify them as either soft or firm. Isn’t that nice? I took pictures.

My best friend since the 8^th grade lives in California now, but when the plans were first made for this trip she and I realized that I would not be in her area, so unfortunately we would not be able to see each other. We accepted our fate, but I was still texting her and letting her know my movements as we traveled through the state. As we were coming upon Barstow, I let her know where we were. Seriously, how was I supposed to know she only lives an hour from there?!?! I was thrilled when Rebekah decided to let us wait and visit with Leanna and her family for a while. It had been more than 2 years since I had seen any of them. It had been 4 years since I’d seen her husband and they have a new baby who I hadn’t met at all! We congregated at McDonalds and spent some time catching up, taking pictures, and just having a good time. (Thank you so much, Rebekah!!)

We continued our journey to the Grand Canyon. We traveled over the treacherous roads of I-40 in California and continued into Arizona. Can I just say that nobody knows the true impact of a small bladder until traveling with my sisters? This led us into many unfortunate bathrooms along the way. We found them with no warm water, toilets that sprayed water all over the seats when flushed (you do not realize it is water as you walk in), no doors on the bathroom in freezing temperatures, projectile fecal matter, no soap… I think you get the idea. Not fun. At times, I seriously considered whether a bush would have been preferable

There was snow on the ground as we traveled, but the roads had been kept clear. Late that night we arrived at our destination, The Grand Hotel. It was awesome. There were animal heads on the walls, the pillars looked like trees, and it had a nice fireplace. We quickly found the pool and the hot tub, and wandered the halls a bit. (If you are going to cause mischief, you need to know your surroundings beforehand.)

We worked on settling into our room. We unpacked and set up our little three-foot pink tinsel tree and decorated it with little silver balls we found at the grocery store on our way into town. Rebekah found out that they only offered internet in the lobby. We set up her laptop anyway and in the process found a data port on the wall. Her and I set off down the hall to where we had found an unlocked closet with a few electronics stored in it. Lo and behold, a data cord! Wahoo! Having to go all the way downstairs for internet would have been so inconvenient.

One mistake we did make on this trip was the nice hotel we stayed at in Bakersfield. We had been spoiled. The new one did not have a refrigerator, and we had planned on that. We had items that we wanted kept cold. Now, I mentioned snow earlier, remember? Our room had a balcony, and with that snow accumulation, it doubled as a refrigerator. It worked to well that we thought we would have to chew our milk at one point (because it was frozen, not sour).

Mom's Mohs Procedure

2008-12-23T00:02:00.003-07:00

Mom's procedure went well today. Yay!

Annette IM'd me at around noon today saying she was home and in bed sleeping. It only took about 3 hours. She got home and was in some pain, and before she went to bed she left a note with Annette saying:

"The spot on my upper cheek was made bigger - about the size of a dime. The lesion in front of my ear was large and removed. The suture line is two inches long. The spot on top of my head was re-biopsied - deeper.”

I talked to Mom after work and she said that her whole head hurt. I guess that is to be expected. The doctor biopsied the one on her scalp again and she goes back next Monday for the results.

Here are some pictures:

And here is a great example of what a good woman my Mother is. Because of the bad weather in Salt Lake today, she took the bus and trax to the hospital. On the way home, a young woman gave up her seat so Mom could sit down. They ended up getting off at the same place and catching the same bus. Mom started talking to the girl who only had on a light jacket, despite the cold. Mom found out that she just got out of jail and was on her way home, and didn't have a warm jacket.

For those of you who don't know, Mom worked at the prison in Los Lunas for a time, and gained a soft spot for the inmates. She saw first hand the real conditions in the facilities and felt for these people. She talked to the girl for a while, sharing what she knows about going through an experience like that, and noticed her wringing her hands because of the cold.

Mom then gave the girl her mittens.

Mom, you are incredible! I don't know how many of us would act the same in such a situation. Personally, I would have been too deep in my own pity party after going through a procedure to remove cancerous lesions from my face and head to notice that this girl was cold, let alone give her my gloves. You are a great example!

Mom's Skin Cancer

2008-12-19T06:31:00.002-07:00

I know this is my first blog in a while, so I'm sorry it's not a happy one. I just wanted to let y'all know what is going on with my mom. This is an email she sent out to let everyone know the story/situation.

We are going to be having a fast for her this Sunday, so if anyone would like to participate, please do!

***********************************************

Okay all, here's the scoop.

Several months ago, I went to my doctor about a small sore in front of my left ear, that would not heal. It was painful to touch. The doctor said that he didn't think it was cancer because skin cancer is generally not painful. So, he froze it off. I went back in November because the sore was back. He thought it looked infected, so I took ten days' worth of antibiotics. I went back two weeks later complaining about how painful it was and that there was a little bump on the top of my head. He said the one on my head looked like a squamous cell carcinoma and that made him think that the one in front of my ear might be too. So, he biopsied the one in front of my ear and it did come back as squamous cell carcinoma.

So, he sent me to Dr. Hansen, a specialist in Mohs' surgery which is a special technique for removing squamous cell and basal cell skin cancers. I was scheduled for last Monday, but he called and said he wanted to see me in his office before the surgery. So I saw him last Monday. He agreed that the lesion in front of my ear was large enough to warrant Moh's surgery (the part that can be seen is 8mm X 13mm). Then he asked me about the large brown crusty lesion on my left cheek. I told him that I asked my doctor about it three years ago and he said it was an age spot. Dr. Hansen said he didn't think it looked like a typical age-related lesion, so he biopsied it and it came back as squamous cell carcinoma as did the one on the top of my head.

So, this coming Monday, I am having Mohs' surgery to remove all three lesions. Dr. Hansen says it will take between three and six hours. I might add that Mohs' surgery has a very high cure rate for treating squamous cell skin cancer.

He also said that I will have to have my skin checked fairly frequently for further cancerous lesions. I am at especially high risk because when I was 19 or 20 years old, I had radiation treatment to my face for acne. Dr Hansen said that radiation treatment of that kind definitely causes skin cancer. And the sun is not my friend!!

So, that's it. Hopefully all will go well.
Love, Chris (aka "Mom" to most of you ).

The year I was born...

2008-11-03T18:03:00.002-07:00

In 1980 (the year you were born)

Jimmy Carter is president of the US

President Carter announces punitive measures and embargoes against the USSR in retaliation for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

Mount St. Helens in Washington state erupts in a violent blast estimated to be 500 times as powerful as the Hiroshima atomic bomb

Ronald Reagan is elected the 40th US president in a sweeping victory

US Representative Michael O. Myers is expelled from the House for his role in the Abscam scandal

Hewlett-Packard announces release of its first personal computer

Microsoft announces their version of UNIX, Xenix

Christina Ricci, Chelsea Clinton, Venus Williams, Jessica Simpson, Macaulay Culkin, and Jake Gyllenhaal are born

Philadelphia Phllies win the World Series

Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl XIV

New York Islanders win the Stanley Cup

The Empire Strikes Back is the top grossing film

"Lady" by Kenny Rogers spends the most time at the top of the US charts

U.S. viewers get caught up in the "Who Shot J.R.?" cliff hanger on the soap opera series, Dallas, which is solved on a November 21 episode, drawing a record numbers of viewers

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

The Burn...

2008-10-11T10:29:00.005-06:00

My hair is naturally curly. All I have to do to style it on a typical day is wash it, throw in some mouse, maybe blow dry it a bit, and go. It is pretty easy. Unfortunately, even with the ease of my hair, I get lazy at times.

My sisters, Rebekah and Mary, have been staying at my house this last week and have had a great time. We had planned a trip up to Santa Fe on Tuesday to go wander old town and visit the National Cemetery where our grandfathers are buried. I arranged to go in a little early to work and take a few hours off so that I could go along with everyone.

When I woke up at about 5am that day, I was a bit tired and got lazy, so I decided not to take a shower. I had a few curls that had run amuck during the night, so I grabbed the curling iron to fix them. I like my curling iron. It gets super hot and even has a turbo mode to kick things up a notch.

Many of you women out there will concur that styling your hair in your underclothes is a normal thing to do. It gets hot with all the tools going and you get hair all over yourself, so that is what I was doing. I fixed a few curls and was working on the last one… and I am not sure what happened next… Maybe I was too tired… maybe I got complacent… maybe I’m just a retard… I dropped the curling iron. On the ‘average’ woman, it probably would have hit the floor, but not me. It landed on my chest.

I immediately doubled over and grabbed at it, which is what I think made it move around on my skin. I managed to not scream (Rebekah and Mary were still sleeping), grabbed a washcloth, got some cold water, and held it to the burn. Holy hell, it was agonizing!

Not wanting to be late for work, I got dressed, grabbed an ice pack, and headed out the door for work. I sat at my desk hugging the ice pack and popping ibuprofen. Within a few hours, the pain stopped, and with the help of said ice pack, it didn’t even blister. I used to have a mole there, but it is mostly gone now. I am calling my doctor today to have it all looked at to make sure it’s all ok. Plus this qualifies as an accident for my AFLAC benefits… I just have to visit a doctor for the claim.

Work has been interesting. One person only saw the top portion and thought I had a hicky. Most people find out that it’s a curling iron burn and wince at the idea. I’ve heard lots of stories from other women who have had similar accidents. I have also had multiple offers to assist with applying ointment and offers to kiss it and make it better… I have graciously declined all offers…

I went to the doctor for it, too. He had a good laugh at the whole thing. He told me to throw my curling iron away and that it is one of the worse curling iron burns he has seen. I got a prescription for some ointment to help prevent scarring and I am supposed to keep it out of the sun for 3 months! I wasn’t too concerned with that since the cold weather is coming in, but then I remembered that I am headed to the beach in November… Dang it! Just my luck! I am getting an AFLAC benefit for it though :o) If my calculations are correct, it should be a couple hundred dollars… That will help with the trip!

Below is a picture of the damage… The top burn is 2”x1/2” and the bottom one is 4”x1/2”… Sorry about the cleavage shot…. If that bothers/offends anyone, let me know and I’ll remove it :o)

Hi Dad!!

2008-10-05T16:20:00.002-06:00

So let me preface this by saying.... I am hilarious!!

Several weeks ago I was at my dad's place and he temporarily left Mary and I alone. This translates into "Let the scheming begin!!"

We reset the homepage on dad's internet browser to my blog address. Ha ha ha... So now every time he gets on the internet, he gets to see my blog! Apparently, he has found this somewhat upsetting, as he does not know how to change it.

So here you go, Dad... Directions on how to change your homepage... Start by going to the page you want as your homepage... (The following instructions were taken from WikiHow)

Close all other tabs.
Select Tools/Options from the menu bar.
On the Main section click Use Current Pages and the click OK.

Go Speedracer!

2008-09-17T20:56:00.003-06:00

I came home from work yesterday and this was parked next to my house. Hmmm... I am not sure what to think of it... Maybe I should have gone to those neighborhood watch meetings... I have learned you have to be going at least 10mpg to register on it... And I can hit 13 before I pass it as I leave...

It's because I'm awesome....

2008-09-11T19:29:00.003-06:00

So I haven't blogged in a little while, but life has been stressful lately and I didn't want to do any negative blogging.

But thank goodness for caring friends!! I came home from work today and found this on my door. It's still there in fact, and will stay there!

Thanks, Alex! It means a lot, especially this week... You rock!

The Backyard and The Bathroom

2008-08-30T20:51:00.005-06:00

Any of y'all who have been to my house know the horror that is my backyard... The previous owners did not take great care of it, and for the two years I have lived here it has been overgrown with weeds. We have cleaned up a bit. There was a big hole we filled in, we picked up a TON of trash out of it, we cut down a tree, and we have done some weed control. Even with all of that, it was still a scary sight.
Now that Darla is here there is greater incentive to clean it up. This last week I noticed some bumps on her neck and head. They are scabs :( She is being bitten by ants out there. Well, today some kids from my ward came over and we went out and attacked. We worked for about 3 or 4 hours and got most of the weeds pulled. We filled 9 30-gallon trash bags with weeds and leaves. That does not include the larger tumbleweeds that we just piled along the side of the house, rather than bagging them.

We did not get it all done, but we made great progress! It was getting hot, we were getting tired, and we figured that we already did a ton, so we stopped. They are going to come back on Monday and we will finish weeding, followed by leveling. After that we will work on getting it landscaped back there. I am very excited! I have of course been taking plenty of pictures and will post more of the process once we get it all cleaned up. (oh, and yes, those are 5 dutch ovens back there...)

And since Miss Emily is moving out next week, I had to go out and get new bathroom items. I've been looking for a while and hadn't had luck. Yesterday Erica and I went to Linens n Things and found the perfect ones! They are brown, beige, and green polka dotted. It came as a set that included the shower curtain, shower curtain rings, a rug, two towels, two hand towels, and two washcloths. It was pretty sweet!

I also purchased a fancy new shower curtain rod. It is one of the curved ones, which adds about 10 inches of space inside the shower. My awesome boss came over and installed it, since it has to be drilled into the tile of the shower. It looks pretty sweet!

Letter from Sister Crowder...

2008-08-27T08:32:00.005-06:00

The night before we took Andrew to the MTC, his smaller suitcase broke. The zipper teeth were bent, and the zipper itself came unzipped from the fabric of the suitcase. We didn't really have time to and buy a new one for him, and he could fit everything into the larger one, so I told Andrew that I would buy one online and have it shipped to him. Just before he got to New Jersey, I called his mission office about the delivery. I was able to talk to a sweet Sister Crowder, and earlier this week I got this letter from her. I just wanted to share it.

Why Women Should Vote

2008-08-16T19:28:00.003-06:00

I got the following in an email this week and don’t know who wrote it, but the message is important… If anyone knows the author, please let me know

WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE

This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers, as they lived only 90 years ago. Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote. By the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic'.

They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head, and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed, and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting, and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat, and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because--why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use--or don't use--my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over gain.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.

The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know.

We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican, or independent party - remember to vote.

History is being made.

Five and a Half?

2008-08-16T18:21:00.001-06:00

So I went to the doctor on Thursday about my knee. I only went because I have AFLAC and there is a benefit for accidental injury... But because of my history, the doc made me go get some x-rays. It looks like I chipped the kneecap :( Now I have to take it easy for 4 weeks, with nothing more vigorous than walking. Kinda sucks.

But oh well... at least it's not broken :)

Thanks goodness it didn't become number 6!!

2008-08-13T17:15:00.006-06:00

I was thinking today of what my next blog should be. There hasn’t been much excitement going on, so I was attempting to brainstorm. When that didn’t work, I realized that I live a kind of crazy life, so something blog-worthy was bound to come up…

I fell again today. I got home from work and took Darla outside. I was getting her to go all the way to the end of the yard (which isn’t far) when I stepped on her paw, which caused me to stumble. Any of y’all who have seen my backyard know the mess that it is. In that I managed to fall and land on – you guessed it – my left knee. This is the same knee that I have broken 5 times. Not cool.

There were also some goat heads invovled. Owie! I sat down to get a picture of my knee and there were 4 on my bum!

Luckily I’ve just got some soreness and bruising. I am chilling on my bed and icing it as I write this.

But let’s count the blessings there are… Thank goodness this didn’t become number 6!!

I don’t think the picture gives full justice to the color… ha ha ha

3 New Blogs...

2008-08-05T19:56:00.001-06:00

I posted 3 new ones today, so make sure you check them all out!

Darla Update

2008-08-05T19:46:00.003-06:00

I just had to post pictures again!

When I got her she weighed a whopping 4lbs – last weigh in was last week at 6lbs.

While I was in Utah, she stayed with a family from Church and learned some bad habits from their dogs. I did not mind so much except for the biting. That was not fun.

When the men were working on the ceiling, she kept trying to eat the debris, so she was put outside. It was hot and Emily’s dad noticed her stepping in her water bowl. I found a basin, filled it with water, and let her go at it. She loves it! Every afternoon when I put her out, she goes for a swim. She bites at the water and stomps around. It is so cute!

House training is coming along. On Saturday, she piddled in the house 3 times! That has seemed to curb a little bit. We will keep working at it.

I have also discovered that like Emily’s cat Patch, Darla loves to sleep on her back. I am not sure why.

For her oddest move, when you are sitting down she will come and stand over your feet and life a hind leg. At first it likes she is going to be a boy and pee on you. I am afraid I unintentionally taught her to do this. Apparently, she would do this and I would rub her belly from underneath with my foot. She liked it. Now she has learned how to get me to do it for her.

The Ceiling Fiasco

2008-08-05T19:43:00.000-06:00

Earlier in July, Emily and I noticed that our swamp cooler was squeaking. On the 16^th, Emily went on the roof to oil the motor. That same evening we had a decent rainstorm, so I turned off the water to the cooler and just let it blow in fresh air. As I was headed to bed at about 9:30pm, I turned the water back on.

At 10:00pm, Emily came BANGING on my bedroom door. There was water pouring in through the ceiling in the living room. Emily shut off the water to the cooler and we got out buckets and towels to clean up the water. One spot was leaking so badly we pulled out a cooler to catch the water. It was nasty!!

Emily called her parents and told them what happened, but her dad was out of town for a few days. I called my Dad, and him and Ison came over the next afternoon. Danny also happened to stop by with Melissa, so the men went up on to roof to figure out what had happened.

It was not the rain. When Emily oiled the motor, she forgot to put the spider back in place, which caused water to run straight into our vent system. That is why it only took 30 minutes to cause so much damage. Poor Emily. I know she felt horrible about it. (It is ok Em… Accidents happen! At least it was just that and not some other problem!)

On a side note, it was on July 16, 2004 that my apartment flooded in Ogden, Ut. It was the same day that Kristen and Aaron got married. I also broke my big toe in 3 places that day, as well as my kneecap. Apparently, July 16^th on leap years is bad luck for me!

About a week later, it happened again, only not as bad. I got up at about 3am to let Darla out and heard the drip. I was able to fix that one with just a bucket.

Emily’s dad had a few busy weekends, but was able to come over on the 26^th. I was in Utah, but according to Emily, him and Ison took the cooler apart and put it back together. Ison told me that it did not look like it had been put together correctly in the first place. Wow – I guess we are lucky nothing bad happened before.

This past weekend he was finally able to come over and work on the ceiling. What a mess that was! He and Ison ripped out a section about 12 feet long and 8 feet across. Because they came in the afternoon, they were only able to pull down the old stuff and put in the new dry wall. The taping and mudding will have to be done later.

Utah Trip - July 2008

2008-08-05T18:39:00.006-06:00

So I know it has been a long time since I have blogged! I am sorry! I was up in Utah July 25th to the 30th. I was able to spend a few days with my family.

Check out my rental… It’s an ’08 Ford Taurus X. It looks nothing like the Ford Taurus I am used to!

I took Adrian, Jason, and Jesse to The Dark Knight. I had already seen it, but it is pretty stinking awesome, so I went again. Adrian fell asleep for the last part. Adrian and Jason came over and we hit the pool. We had a great time. Annette, Taylor, and Jason all tagged along as well.

But the best part of the pool had to be Taylor’s belly flop…. HA HA HA

On Tuesday, I went to Heber City and spent the night with an old mission companion, Kristen. She and her husband have a beautiful little girl and a cabin in the mountains. It was great to spend time with them.

And the best part of the whole weekend…. I got to see Andrew!! I met Andrew in 2002 in Easley, South Carolina on my mission. Misty Egbert and I got a media referral for his older sister, Theresa. Misty and I, then Kristen and I taught Theresa and Uncle William. In February 2003, Theresa was baptized! I never actually taught Andrew. He was only 14 when I met him, and we were so focused on his sister that I never asked him if he wanted to take the lessons. That was one of the biggest mistakes ever!

Andrew (aka Elder Grisson) is now 20 years old and is currently in the Provo Missionary Training Center preparing to go to Morristown, New Jersey to serve a mission. He is an amazing person, and it is a blessing to be able to say that I know him!

He stayed at Kristen’s on Tuesday night as well, and on Wednesday we took him to the MTC. Bob also met us there for the occasion. It was a bit weird to be back, but the atmosphere was incredible. I am so proud of him!!

Welcome, Micah!

2008-07-18T21:43:00.003-06:00

I have a new nephew!!!

My older sister, Amy, had her 4th child on Wednesday 7/16/2008. His name is Micah Robert Denison. He weighed 8lbs and 5oz and was 19 inches long. He has red hair, and according to his grandpa, has strong lungs.

Apparently, his blood sugar was low when he was born and he had trouble breathing. They gave him an IV, and last I heard he was doing well.

Dad and I are driving out to Oklahoma and Texas the weekend of the 25th to attend the Weir family reunion and to see Amy’s family. I am excited! I’ll get to meet the new baby, and I'll get to see Coram, Aden, and Rosie…

I got a puppy!!

2008-07-12T18:03:00.004-06:00

So Emily finally caved! She let me get a puppy!

So a few weeks ago at work Judy posted some pictures of newborn puppies on her desk. They were adorable. I lamented that I really want a dog, but can't as long as Emily and I are roommates. Sad, really.

Well, as we all know, Emily got engaged and her and her handy-dandy fiance have decided to go live on base (he is in the Air Force). Yay for me! I get to stay in the house!

I made nearly immediate plans to get a dog and a cat when she moves out. I thought about what to get and decided that I really wanted a poodle cross. The plan was in motion.

On Friday, Judy sent out an email saying that the puppies were ready to go. I was sad that I couldn't get one, but I called Amanda (as she is in the market) and told her. She went and looked at the dogs, then called and asked me if I could go with her to look because she couldn't choose between two of them.

Bad idea! I fell in love with a scruffy little bitch (ha ha - see how that isn't a bad word in this context!). She was mostly black, with splotches of white and brown on her face, neck, and paws. We bonded. She was adorable and curled right up to me. It was seriously like love at first site.

Unfortunately, I knew Emily's stand on dogs. She has never had one, so I understood. But this dog was different. I immediately started texting her telling how cute she was and started begging. Emily said she would think about it and we would talk about it when I got home. Any kid knows that's a good sign! Yay!

So I get home and start in on Emily. Ison came over and I tried to get him to help. He didn't. I explained to Emily about the dog, the negatives of getting her, and ALL the positives. She was bending, but not enough. I mentioned that my family has always had dogs, which made Ison change his mind. He started helping! Then I pulled out the big guns... I told her how heartbroken I would be if I could have her.

Thus - I got the dog this morning. Liza thought she was adorable and is threatening to dog-nap her... Emily likes her, too. Patch and Freckles aren't too sure yet.

Freckles won't even come into the room! Patch is slowly getting closer and closer. She even smelled her ear once! It might be a few days before they are all buddies, but they will get there...

As for the details, her name is Darla. She is a Rat Terrier/Poodle cross (the 'breed' is called Rattle). She is 6 weeks old, born on 5/29/08. Came from a great home and a litter of 5 puppies. She was very sad to leave her home, and they were sad to see her go.

I'll have to get her spayed and micro-chipped, but that's ok. She's gonna be worth it!

She loves her bed. We can hardly keep her out of it. She did have one accident in the living room, but has gone outside several times already.

She even had her first bath today. I don't think she liked it, but she will have to get used to them. No stinky doggies at my house!

All in all, I am thrilled!

From ‘Faded Post-It Yellow’ to ‘Walnut Wash’

2008-07-07T14:00:00.002-06:00

We finally did it! We painted the house! Well, we painted the entryway, hallway, living room, and kitchen. The bedrooms and bathroom must wait for another day!

We got it all done in one day. Emily and Mary helped me choose the color, which is a nice neutral light brown color. I bought all the stuff we needed, Ison and his roommate Dave came, and we got to work.

Honestly, the worst part of painting has to be the preparation. Mary and the guys did nearly all the taping and we pulled all the furniture away from the walls. Em's wonderful fiancé broke my terra cotta elephant pot! It is ok though, he is going to fix it. (right Ison????) Ison and Dave stacked one sofa on top of another, at which point they found a long lost ring of mine - yay!

Behind the refrigerator was disgusting! Emily and Mary gritted their teeth, got back there, and cleaned up the nastiness. I don't think anyone had ever moved the fridge to clean behind it.

Em's poor cats were locked in a bedroom to keep their fur paint-free. I don't think they liked that very much.

We left it to Ison to stir the big 5-gallon bucket of paint. He got it all stirred, pulled the drill-stirrer thing out, then turned it on again! Yeah – paint splattered on the carpet! Sheesh! Luckily a soapy rag was all we needed to clean it up.

So after all the preparation, we finally got painting. The hallway got done with nearly no incidents - mostly just the five of us maneuvering around each other and trying to make sure we got everywhere without painting anything that wasn't supposed to be.

Did I mention it was HOT on Saturday? We pulled out every fan we had. This served two purposes - helping us cool off a bit and helping the paint dry a little faster. As much as we all like watching paint dry, we didn't feel like spending all day on that.

We moved into the living room and started painting. Mary and I took the east wall, and I was in the corner painting away. Unfortunately, I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going and managed to step in the tray of paint. UGH! There were a few borderline exclamations that escaped, but nothing too bad. (I am a firm believer that damn, ass, and hell are all ok because they are all in the Bible.) As I tried to hobble my way to the bathroom to clean my foot, I managed to wipe my hand and arm on the freshly painted wet walls several times. I was ready to quit!!

But we kept on. I bought pizza to feed everyone. (Gotta love Little Caesars $5 pizzas!) As we were working on the kitchen, I decided I really needed to take a break. It was a little warm, and there was a fan under the table that wasn't being used. Mary was closer to it, so I asked her to grab it. Uh oh! The cord was wrapped around a big glass bottle of olive oil. A big, glass, barely used bottle of olive oil. Yeah, it broke! Have you ever tried to clean olive oil of an obstacle course? What about while barefoot? That is pretty much how it worked out. On the plus side, I am sure Mary's feet are nice and soft!

Finally, it was time to do the second coat. As everyone else was working diligently elsewhere, I got started in the hallway. Once again, I wasn't paying attention… oy… I stepped in the paint tray again! A few more borderline exclamations popped out… There was even more paint involved this time and Mary had to come with paper towels to wipe it off. It got between my toes and in the crevices of my toe ring. Yucky! Still can’t believe I did it twice! And of course, I had to place my hands on the wall to keep my balance. More paint.

Everything else was relatively uneventful. It took us a little while to get everything put back together and in place. We re-hung the curtains (which I picked up last week – they look good!) We were all exhausted and I still had to drive Miss Mary home. Joyous I tell you!

Today both Mary and I have sore legs. I figure it is from standing on our toes trying to reach as high as we could. Owie! I am ok until I start walking. Ha ha.

All in all, it looks really good. The house still smells like paint, but that will fade.

And it was great to have Mary come spend a few days with us...

Good times, I tell ya… good times!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

One final note – It has now been a full year since the last time I was pulled over!! Yay me!!

That would be Negative...

2008-06-29T21:47:00.034-06:00

So the other night and the next day we got to playing with the camera on my phone and the negative setting... Dude... totally fun! Here are the results, starting with the least scary...

#3 - Emily Madsen:

#2 - Ison Tenney:

#1 - Daisy (AKA AWESOME!) Bowman

Crazy thing? I took this the same night I took this one:

Necessity or not?

2008-06-21T20:38:00.002-06:00

Growing up, I never thought I was pretty. I always attributed it to the crazy red hair, freckles galore, and being the chubby kid. People always said my oldest sister was pretty, and that my youngest sister was a head turner. I just accepted my place in life. It never really bothered me.

When I was about 14 or so, a miraculous thing was introduced into my life. Makeup. Lo and behold, who knew that all my face needed was makeup? Granted, I still had the crazy red hair, freckles, and was still the chubby kid, but makeup made it all a bit better!

Seriously! It is incredible what artificial color, strategically painted on your face, can do for a woman! I developed an immediate love for this product.

Through the years, nearly nobody ever saw me without it. The few who did were family, very close friends, and roommates. I remember running out one day as a teenager and making my mom go get me more before I would leave the house. I never left without it.

Well, now I have a job that requires me to be there by 7am. In the world of daisy, that is really early! Some mornings are more difficult than others, and there have been days when I've stuck my makeup in my purse and donned it in the bathroom at the shop.

This was a bad habit to get into. As I became less diligent in 'putting on my face' before I left the house, people inevitable saw me without makeup. Normally it was just the few who were brave enough to speak to me first think in the morning (I am notoriously cranky for a few hours after I wake up).

I hit rock bottom last week. I woke up late, managed to get to work on time, but as I was talking to a coworker she said, "You look different today". That was the moment I realized that I had forgotten makeup! Oh no! I didn't have any with me, and no time to go home and put it on. I had to go the whole day without my safety crutch of 13 years!

But really, it wasn't bad. I realized it wasn't that scary. Nobody backed away in shock or fright. I was surprised.

The ripple effect of this event - it gets harder and harder each morning to put my makeup on, knowing that I don't 'need' it.

I feel like a leash has been cut off... It's a great thing! But don't worry, I still think it is fabulous stuff, and won't be giving up my habit... ever! It's just nice to know that I could quit anytime I wanted to!

Happy Blog!

2008-06-16T19:10:00.004-06:00

Ok... after these last few little rants, I figured it was time for a happy blog...

So yesterday was Father's Day. Emily had her folks, fiance, and two cousins over, and I had my Dad and youngest sister over.

Dad had given me his old barbecue grill and Ison and Dad went out and grilled hot dogs and burgers. Emily made some pasta salad, I made some of my mom's potato salad. It was all yummy.

We sat around, told stories, and joked around. I got to bond with Barron and Jessica (Em's cousins) who I've met several times, but never really bonded with before. We told stories that made everyone laugh. Shared jokes and cracked up (sometimes it was more of a painful moan). It was fun.

After dinner we cleaned up and Dad, Mary, Ison, Emily, and I went to the Tram. Believe it or not, having spent nearly my entire life in Albuquerque, this was my first time on it. It was a beautiful sight to see. The Tram guy was a bit irritating, but again, it was fun.

This was the best Father's Day in my memory. There was nothing exciting that occurred. It was just a nice, pleasant day with loved ones.

And on another fatherly note... Today in class, one of the guys wife was stuck at work, so he brought his one year-old son along. It was adorable! After awhile, the little baby got cranky and the guy next to him just scooped him up and calmed him down.

I know it seems cheesy, but it was adorable to see these two young fathers work together to take care of the fussy baby, and it was nice to see the second one step in and help the poor frustrated dad who was just trying to take some notes.

So some of y'all know how upset I am about my Quantitative Analysis class. When I started taking the round of math classes I was told I would get them all with the same professors, all 4 in a row... I was stoked! Then I ended up doing really well with the professor... I understood Algebra for the first time, passed the classes, and I had fun doing math! It was amazing.

Well, this term they changed the professor on me! I don't like his style of teaching. He wants us to read the chapters, do the work, then we'll work on it in class... Um... Nay.... So now I am lost, and we are only a few weeks into the class...

But - tonight I ran into my old professor on campus. He tried to talk to me and I gave him the "Don't talk to me, I'm mad at you" line. We talked about the situation and I told him that I am really struggling with the work. He seemed genuinely concerned that I might not make it through the course, so he offered to get the solution manual for the course and tutor me! Yay! All is not lost!!

So - despite what I may have written in my last few posts - I am not cranky... ha ha...

And if you want to know how sly I am - I wrote this whole thing during my class tonight (it's not the math one).

No soap box to step off of this time...

Thank you!

I am detecting a pattern here...

2008-06-15T01:57:00.003-06:00

But honestly... it really is just coincidence that the last two blogs are about generally the same thing... I promise to change the subject completely for my next one!

Any blog ideas? Please let me know!

To all the happy couples...

2008-06-15T01:01:00.002-06:00

Love is a many splendored thing...

All you need is love...

Love lifts us up where we belong...

UGH!!

When I was about 16 years old, my friends and I all started to discover the wonderful world of dating... Cute boys, sweet kisses, the whole shebang... It's beautiful, right?

We all love the beginning of a relationship. When you can't stop thinking about that special someone. When you want to be with them every minute. Everything they say and do is perfect and almost magical. It can seem as though the entire world has disappeared, and the two of you are all that is left... but that's ok, right? Because you have each other.

We have all been there. Some of us will find it again and again as we seek out that 'one' we want to share our lives with. Some have been blessed and are already there. It really is a beatific thing... except....

Ok... before I stand up on my next soap box, please just let me reiterate that I love everyone who will assume I am referencing them in the following in the blog/rant. I am not referencing any one in particular, but many in general from the last 15 years or so of my life. However, if you recognize any of this in yourself, it can't hurt to take note of it for future reference. Thank you. I will now continue.

**daisy steps on her soap box**

One of my biggest pet peeves has to do with this stage in a relationship. Please understand that when it come to relationships, I am not like most people. In general, I do not feel like I want to shout out to the world that I have a new someone in my life. I tend to keep it quiet for a while before anyone else really knows. I do not know why I do this. I just do.

I do not mind listening to my friends talk about how wonderful their new special person is. It can be a lot of fun to listen to them narrate every detail of every moment since the first encounter.

I do not mind meeting the person and realizing just how twitterpated and googly eyed my friend is. It's entertaining to have them wonder if you agree with every assessment and opinion they have made of this person, only to realize that you think the new obsession is just normal.

What I do mind are excessive public displays of affection. I do not want to be with a couple when they can't let go of each other. Nothing makes me feel like I am not a part of the group like being physically excluded in a situation. Even if you are hugging on to each other and speaking to me, I still have this feeling of "oh yeah, this is just awkward. I need to get away from here." Kissing and hugging and pawing and all of that can be cute in small doses, but it does get exorbitant. PDAs are rarely ok with me. I'm sure you have plenty of time alone. Take advantage of that, and please have some respect for everyone else around you when you are not alone. Maintain some propriety. Think of it like picking your nose - sometimes you get that itch in public, so you discreetly take care of business; but when no one else is around, you can go to town and dig and scratch, and it doesn't have to be seen by anyone else.

I do mind when a couple gets together, and in their bliss, seem to forget that single people can be happy too. True, I may not have the joy of a relationship, but that doesn't mean that you need to try and set me up, push me towards, or harass me about my love life. It is ok to be single. And remember, I don't have to change my lifestyle because you did!

I do mind when I get bumped and pushed around to accommodate couples. I didn't realize that it doesn't matter if I was sitting there first and was already comfortable or that if I am in the spot that would be more comfortable and 'suitable' for the couple, then I need to move for them. Oh, and I didn't realize that they didn't have to ask me if it was ok, they could just tell me to move. I don't think I should have to drive alone in the front seat, because they want to sit next to each other. Remember - the person will still be there when we arrive at our destination, and probably later... when you can be alone!

I do mind the occasions when I have addressed this with my friends, and they respond by avoiding and not socializing with me. That doesn't help. If you were told that people didn't like you picking your nose in front of them, would you modify the behavior that makes them uncomfortable, or avoid them so you can continue? Seriously, if I take the time to talk to you about it, that just means our friendship matters to me and I want to enjoy spending time with you and your new love. If you didn't matter to me, I wouldn't bother to take the time...

All in all, remember - the rest of the world is still there, regardless of how twitterpated you are. And, the single people in that world are people too, and they are ok being single.

Once again...

**daisy steps off her soap box**

Thanks again.

When Harry Met Sally? Or Not?... Um.... Not!

2008-06-11T21:40:00.005-06:00

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent – and the guilty!

For those of you who do not know, I work for a company that is approximately 85% male. That is for the entire facility. If you count the Shop personnel, which is my area and where I spend the vast majority of my time, about 95% are male. What does this mean? It means that about 90% of the people I talk to everyday are men! I share an office with 3.5 (one is only there sometimes), plus all of the men that come in and out everyday. If I have to go and do some research or work on a project, my contact is likely going to be a man.

A few weeks ago, I held training for a group of about 35. Using the numbers stated previously, you know that this group was about 90% male. Unbelievably, this is the first time my company has ever used Microsoft PowerPoint for training; so afterwards, my boss wanted some feedback about it.

I was in the shop talking to a mechanic (Jack) and a planner (Roger) about it. Jack and I have been friends for some time. I should also mention that there are relatively few young people where I work, so we kids tend to bond easily, and Jack is close to my age. Roger is possibly old enough to be my father. The three of us were discussing how I could improve the training, which led to a bit of joking around, but that is normal for me, regardless of who I am talking with.

After that, I went and spoke to a few other people. I got some good feedback and did a little more joking around. As I was headed back to my office, another mechanic (Frank) stopped me and started in on me with a singsong “I know who you have a crush on.” What the hell?!?! I tried to figure out which guy he was referring to this time. He gave me a bunch of crap about how it is the person I come over to talk to all the time, which still did not answer it for me. Finally, he revealed his object. Jack.

For the record –

#1. I rarely stop and initiate conversation with anyone, and unless I have something I specifically need to talk to someone about… they stop me.

#2 I talk to several people in that department on a regular basis – and two that I talk to a lot more than I talk to Jack.

#3 Bottom line - I do not have a crush on Jack. He is a nice person, but really not my type.

Ugh! This is not the first occurrence. I have gotten the same song and dance on multiple occasions.

So my whole point with this? Why do people have a hard time comprehending that a man and a woman can just be friends – as in completely platonic?

Am I just naïve? Granted – I am not the kind of girl who sizes a boy up as boyfriend-worthy or not when I first see him, and I am often oblivious to the romantic signals between men and women, but seriously!

I am not saying that it is always platonic, but it does happen! I have a hard time believing that in nearly every boy-girl friendship that at least one of them has had romantic or lustful feelings for the other.

Regardless… I just feel that talking to your coworkers is ok… it doesn’t mean there is ‘something going on’.

**daisy steps off her soapbox**

Thank you.

Just call me Speedy Gonzales...

2008-06-05T17:32:00.004-06:00

ándele, ándele!

76 words

Speed test

This is why they pay me the big bucks!!

Not a 4.0, but not bad...

2008-06-02T22:21:00.002-06:00

So grades finally posted for this last term at school.... For those of you who don't know, I am finally back in school. I am studying for a bachelors degree in business administration. I have a ways to go, but it definitely feels good to be going back! Maybe eventually I'll make some real money! And then maybe eventually I will pay off the debt I am racking up, then I can keep the money I make!!

Anyway, for a while I managed to keep up a 4.0, then the pneumonia came along, and I pulled B's, which dropped me down.... But I pulled all A's again! That puts me at a 3.8!!! Yay!! I am awesome!!! WooHoo!!!!

Losing another roommate...

2008-06-01T16:58:00.002-06:00

But at least it is for a great reason! She got engaged yesterday.... I am very excited for her... You can click here to see her story, and the video I took of it happening.

It was a lot of fun... I got a call from her boyfriend about a week before asking for her parents address and phone number, and got involved in the scheme. Basically, he was supposed to be on a camping trip with his ward and her parents and I were supposed to get her to a specific spot in the Albuquerque Botanical Gardens, where he would suprise her and pop the question.

Unfortunately, he kept little things slip in front of her, so she knew the proposal was going to happen on Saturday. Luckily, I am a mischievous little thing, and helped push her towards it happening that night.... I had her convinced that I knew nothing about it... hee hee hee

It was all very fun... They will be getting married in September - so if any of y'all know of any good mormon girls looking for a place... let me know!!

The Super Glue Incident

2008-05-28T22:30:00.003-06:00

So a funny story for y'all... First off, I have managed to tear my hands up a little over the last few days. Now I highly prefer a little super glue for small cuts as opposed to band aids, and it works great. Well, this morning at work I was applying super glue to one of my little owies, and managed to dump half the tube all over my hands. I was quickly getting stuck to the tube, but managed to rip it off of my fingers and get it into the trash can. I then ran to the sink to rinse off what hadn't dried yet, and scrubbed away. It didn't do much.

Well, normally you can just use acetone (which we have large barrels of at work) to clean it off, but due to the cuts, which started this whole mess, I decided that wasn't an option. Thus, I spent 45 minutes scrubbing my hands with sandpaper to get all the gunk off my fingers, fingernails, knuckles, palms... Not exactly fun. I'm sure it was quite a sight for all the guys in the shop... But on the plus side, once nearly all of it was off, my hands were incredibly soft! I've been picking at the remainder parts for most of the day... I currently have almost all of it off...

To top it all off, one of my guys stopped me later to ask me about it... Apparently I spilled a little on the table in his area... and he didn't see it before he leaned across the table - efficiently gluing his hand soundly to it! Luckily he was able to pry himself off... and he only lost a little skin...

OY!! Just my luck, right?? Mame not only myself, but an innocent bystander as well!

Uh oh!

2008-05-26T02:09:00.000-06:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
41
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

New background

2008-05-25T23:44:00.001-06:00

Y'all like it? I love the elephants and the colors, but the deer/elk/whatever aren't really striking my fancy... hmm.... maybe I will just keep looking for some I really like...

Synopsis since April 19th...

2008-05-25T23:23:00.004-06:00

Well, it has been a little while since I have posted anything on here... So here is the lowdown...

I haven't been feeling good... The doc says I have an ulcer... Ugh... Kinda sucks... But since I'm in the midst of a short break from school and work has been much less stressful as of late, I have been feeling better... But I will be back hitting the books again in a week. I'll be taking Speech and Quantitative Analysis. I wish I were done already! Hopefully my tummy will stay on the up and up though...

I am getting new (t0 me) bedroom furniture tomorrow! Yay! Since Dad's divorce he wants to rid himself of reminders of the ex, and I have always liked their bedroom set, so I'm glad I get it... And it will be a definite upgrade to get a queen size bed.

My brother will be down visiting from Utah this next week... He will be staying with Dad and helping him move into his new place. I hope the visit goes well... Sometimes my brother can be a little exasperating.

I was able to attend the sealing of a good friend yesterday... It was beautiful! I always enjoy the sealings so much more than the reception. I love the peace that is felt... I am so glad I have the gospel in my life - and great people in my life with whom I can share the experiences that we are all blessed with!

Speaking of weddings... My roomie now has a man in her life... They are sickening and adorable all at once... He seems to be a pretty great guy, though, and is completely smitten by her. It's about time someone realized how incredible she is! I imagine that an engagement will happen before too long, which will lead fairly quickly into a wedding. Can I boycott this whole thing?? I don't want to have to find a new place/roommate! (Have I ever mentioned that I am a wee-bit selfish?)

But alas, we will see what happens... If this is the man for her, and I have to move, I may debate a hardcore relocation. Maybe New Mexico isn't where I need to be anymore... I guess we will see... And since right now he's just a boyfriend, let's not put the cart before the horse.

One final thing - I have heard Primus on the radio a lot lately... Weird... I hadn't heard anything from them in quite a while, now all of the sudden I am hearing them at least once a day... But I ain't complaining.... They are quite enjoyable...

Well, that is all for now... Until next time, remember, when the hand of gratitude is out, a wet moose will not fly.

Clarification of "...sometimes"

2008-04-19T10:27:00.002-06:00

So I told Edna that I posted our little story on my blog, and she says that I misunderstood her... Basically, she says that she meant that there are varying levels of nice. There is nice, a little nice, very nice, etc...

So, it should have read:
"You cook very good,
You clean very good,
You are awesome,
You are smart,
and you are very nice ...... 'sometimes' "

Love the One You Are

2008-04-18T16:30:00.002-06:00

So I was talking to a friend, and he brought up an essay I had written for my Advanced Composition class last year. It was about self-esteem, and he had read it to give it an initial score. Apparently he really liked it, so he asked for a copy... One thing led to another, and long story short, I am posting it on my blog. I wrote this in July 2007, and it is supposed to be a definitive essay. I hope y'all like it... but if you don't, please don't tell me :)

"Love the One You Are"

Written by Daisy Bowman

Have you ever wondered what it is that makes some individuals seem so amazing? They have glowing personalities, bright smiles, and enough energy to light up those around them. I am not only talking about those who are famous, successful, or beautiful. I am talking about those average, everyday people who really can light up the world with their smile. What do they have that the rest of us are lacking?

We all have our good days and our bad days. Some days we feel beautiful, smart, and funny. Other days the only positive thought we have is that when you are at the bottom, the only way you can go is up. What is that extra weapon in our arsenal on those good days?

How often do you meet someone who really is intelligent, good looking, and funny, yet who does not seem to realize that within they bear astounding potential? What is missing from their entity that prevents them from seeing in themselves what the rest of the world perceives so easily?

What about the people who do not have much to offer, yet have such a high opinion of themselves? I know this may not seem very diplomatic, but sometimes honesty really is the best policy. These people maybe are not all of those things we view as worthy of our high opinion, but they nonetheless believe that they are.

What is the common thread that links all of these? It is self-worth. What is self-worth? It is a person’s overall self-appraisal of his or her own value. Various factors lead to our level of self-worth, and that level can change from day to day.

It goes by many different names and descriptions. Self-worth is also referred to as self-esteem, individual worth, self-confidence, self-respect, and self-regard. I prefer to use the term self-worth, because I think it encompasses both the highs and lows we face throughout our days.

Go to the self-help section in your local library or in any bookstore and you will get just an idea of the level of importance of how we value ourselves as individuals. There is a plethora of information on the causes and effects, as well as guides to building it within you.

The largest emphasis is put on how to develop it. Books, tapes, videos, and articles all address the idea that most people suffer from a low self-image, and that fact is nearly indisputable. However, on the other side, one has to take care that he or she does not have or develop grandiose views of him or herself. Arrogance, vanity, and narcissism are just as damaging. The balance of pride and humility within a person is what makes them shine.

One must take pride in their appearance, their humor, their intelligence, and in their overall person. This does not require the beauty of Cindy Crawford, the comedic talent of Robin Williams, the brains of Steven Hawking, or any of the like. All it requires is seeing the best in what is already there.

There are many ways to gain this esteem within you. As I stated before, there is a smorgasbord of information available in a vast number of self-help books. It is taught in school, in seminars, and on talk shows.

What causes lead to our level of self worth? It is probably easier to ask what doesn’t affect it. It comes from the level of love and attention we received from our parents as children. It comes from how the other children treated us in grade school, and how popular we were in high school. Our grades, physical strength, our hair, our weight, our nose, all of these things take a toll, whether negative or positive, on how we see and value ourselves.

I, along with most people, have been on a lifelong rollercoaster regarding my own self-worth. The best way I know how to explain what it is has to be to explain how I have approached it in my life. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young have a great song that sums it up wonderfully. The lyric of the song reads, “And if you can't be with the one you love, it’s alright, go ahead and love the one, love the one, love the one you’re with.” It’s a remarkable piece of advice when put in perspective. Change it a little bit to read, if you cannot be the one that you love, love the one you are.

High self-worth does not mean loving your perfections. It means loving and embracing both your perfections and imperfections. I love my red hair. It is an amazing color with beautiful curls and volume. However, I have this annoying trait where I giggle behind my words when I speak. I discovered it in a video I made for my family when living far from home. I was so embarrassed and could not believe how I sounded. I never knew that I did that. I tried hard for a long time to break the habit. Unfortunately, every time I let my guard down I did it again. It took so much effort, and every time I did it again I was disappointed in myself. In the end, it really is not a big deal, but to me at the time, it was horrible. I finally realized how unhappy I was about it, so I did some thinking. I have many friends. People seem to get a thrill out of making me laugh and giggle. Then I had an epiphany. Nobody was bothered by my laugh, in fact they liked it, so what was I so concerned about it?

Now I love my laugh. It is still annoys me that I do it and I cannot control it, but it is part of what makes me unique. I was teased relentlessly as a child for my freckles, but now I love that I am one of the few people I know that have them on their lips. I think it is adorable.

We all know those people who love themselves. They are those who go beyond having a healthy level of self-worth to having an abundance of pride. Pride is a good thing, but it must be counter balanced with humility. One must realize their own imperfections, not ignore them. Not one of us is perfect, and when you do not recognize your personal faults, you are unable to correct them. You cannot fix what you do not know is broken.

Not all of our faults can be or need to be corrected. When a trait or quality we carry negatively affects those around us, we need to take action and make improvements. A healthy level of self-worth is vital for this process, because there are times when we learn of our own downfalls and allow them to bring us down. This is when we must remember how great we are in other aspects of our lives to carry us through and recognize our own potential.

Each of us carries a divine potential within our being. We can be anything we want to be. We can light up the world with love. As we love ourselves for being who we are, we are more able to love those around us, and they can pass that along to the next in line. It is a cycle that should always be moving.

Self-worth is all about loving who you are not in spite of, but because of your imperfections. We are all amazing people. We are unique beings, with special qualities, experiences, and background to make us the people we are today.

"...sometimes"

2008-04-12T15:53:00.002-06:00

So about a month ago I got new cubicle walls in my office at work, which forced my HUGE 19 inch computer to loom uncomfortable forward on my desk... My keyboard would actually hang off my desk at a weird angle because nothing quite fit right anymore. Luckily, I managed to get on the good side of our IT guy, and he bumped me up on the list to get a new flat panel monitor.

It came yesterday. Yay! It fits so much better, but in the process of installing it, I realized that my desk was in dire need of dusting. It started with just a rag and some cleaner, dusting the desk, my keyboard, etc... Well, you can't dust the desk, and not the shelf behind it. You can't dust the shelf and not the filing cabinet next to it. And since I already had the rag and the cleaner, I figured I might as well dust the rest of the office, which I share with 4 men. It took me a little while, but it looks great now.

Well, during this whole process, Edna, the Filipino lady who works outside of my office, was watching and teasing me. When I was done and was returning the bottle cleaner, she stopped me. She said that we really need to find me a good man... because...

"You cook good,
You clean good,
You are awesome,
You are smart,
and you are nice ...
... 'sometimes' "

I cracked up. And decided that maybe I have worked with these people for too long!

My name means....

2008-04-06T20:59:00.000-06:00

Emily had this on her blog, so I am just copying it for mine..

What Daisy Means

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.

You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.

People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.

You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.

You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.

You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.

You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.

You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.

You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

My life right now....

2008-04-02T19:01:00.003-06:00

So I started this blog, and in my enthusiasm, emailed it out to a slew of people I thought would be interested in reading what I have to say. Well, apparently, I was right. I got a great response.

This leads to this entry. The top questions asked by the members of the Daisy Is Awesome Fan Club (no, there is not officially a fan club yet, but if you would like to serve as president, please let me know) are – “How are you? What are you up to?”

So here are the major points:
Age: 27 years-old
Marital Status: Old Maid
Location: Rio Rancho, NM
Church Activity: Attending a family ward, serving as Relief Society Teacher
Job: Quality Assurance - Aviation
Education: Full Time student majoring in Business Administration
Health: Have not broken any bones since 2004 (knock on wood!) I had walking pneumonia in February, so let’s hope that meets my illness quota for the year.
Housing: Renting – One roommate (Check out Emily’s Blog – she’s pretty cool)
Pets: 3 Fish – Wolverine is a Beta, Donna is a Goldfish, and the other Goldfish does not yet have a name (any suggestions? I’m leaning towards Olaf) Emily has two cats, Freckles and Patch
Family: Ok, please bear with me for a moment…
- Dad is single, living in Los Lunas, NM, and working at the Women’s Hospital
- Mom is single, living in West Valley City, UT, and working and Primary Children’s Medical Center
- Jeff, Adrian, and Jason are living in Taylorsville, UT. Jeff is single and went through the temple for the first time in February 2008
- Greg is single and living in Lenexa, KS
- Eric is single, living in Lenexa, KS, and is still working the Army thing
- Rebekah is with Kevin, living in San Jose, and working in San Francisco
- Amy & Clay are living in Bells, TX with 3.5 kids, and a slew of animals. They should be having the 0.5 kid before too long
- Michelle is married and living with her husband, Reese, in Los Lunas, NM
- Jesse is single and living with Mom in West Valley City, UT
- Ivan is single, living with Mom, working at Deseret Industries and going to the Salt Lake Community College in West Valley City, UT
- Annette is single, living with Mom, and working hard for her degree in Music Education at the University of Utah.
- Mary Ellen is a sophomore in High School and living with Suzy, Michelle, and Reese in Los Lunas, NM

So basically I work for an aviation company that manufactures and repairs aircraft components. I am the Quality Technical Assistant. No inspections for me, I do more of the administrative stuff (auditing, technical writing, documentation, FAA & customer liaison, etc.)

I also go to school full time. I'm going for my bachelors in business administration. I have a decent GPA (was 4.0 for a long time, but no longer), but let's all hope that I can keep it up.

I have a great roommate who does a pretty decent job of putting up with me and my cranky attitude.
Life is pretty good, with no major complaints.

So there you go, two entries in one day. Now I need to go hit the texts (meaning books, not messaging)… No promises on when I will add another one… Maybe tomorrow, maybe in a few weeks!

Me from A to Z

2008-04-02T18:05:00.003-06:00

A - Attached or single? Single!
B - Best friend? Don't necessarily have one... Emily is probably my closest at this point
C - Cake or pie? Cake - just not chocolate and/or store-bought
D - Day of choice? Saturday or Sunday... I get to sleep in!
E - Essential item? Water - I drink like a fish
F - Favorite color? blue - although we have realized I own 26 green shirts....
G - Gummy bears or worms? Gummy Worms - more fun to slurp
H - Hometown? Los Lunas, New Mexico - although I don't like to claim it
I - Indulgences? Oreos - I always have a stash of double stuf oreos around
J - January or July? July - I hate the cold!
K - Kids? They're alright - but I don't have any...
L - Life isn't complete without? laughter and prayer
M- Marriage date? N/A - Read A
N- Number of brothers and sisters? 5 of each, plus me = 11 kids (including half and ex-step)
O - Oranges or apples? Oranges are yummy
P - Phobias or fears? Ladders and spiders
Q - Quote? Go hard or go home! It's because I'm awesome!
R - Reason to smile? Being at peace with who, what, and where you are.
S - Season of choice? Fall - I love to watch the leaves changes
T - Tag six: I was already tagged by Kristen - and I don't have 6 others... but Emily, Marci, Stephanie to start....
U - Unknown fact about me? I am pretty much an open book - and any other unknowns aren't gonna be posted here - ha ha...
V - Vegetable? Cucumber
W - Worst habit? hmmm... I NEVER say Good Morning
X - X-ray or ultrasound? Wow - digging for an X there, huh?
Y - Your favorite food? Chinese and Potato Salad
Z - Zodiac sign? Sagittarius

And in the beginning...

2008-03-26T18:30:00.000-06:00

There once was a girl. Some say she was a fun girl. Some say she was a nice girl. Some say she was a wasn't so nice. Some say she was cranky. But those who truly knew her had much more to say. This blog represents the world she lives in, from her perspective. It may be good, it may be not so good, but alas, this is her life, and her etceteras...

There once was a girl,
with a strawberry curl,
right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
she was very, very good,
but when she was bad,
she was HORRID!

You sure you wanna read this?