The "Lady" in my office

There is a lady in my downtown office who use to be named Paul...

The trouble is that I have only seen pictures of Paul and never met Brittney, I think that's her name. So now whenever I run into a lady in the hallway I stop and look to see if the woman before me looks as if she use to not be. The real trouble is that now there are at least three different ladies in the office that I am sure it is. That makes me feel like a bad person for thinking that at least two ladies who have never been a man might have been. Does  any of this make sense?

I have no clever ides for a title...

Today on the radio they were discussing a statistic that claims if you spend more than 20,000 dollars on your wedding, the marriage only has a 15% change of making it. They took a zillion calls that all seemed to show that the more you spend the less happy the marriage is. Which left me grateful for temple weddings and a culture of gymnasium receptions with mints in Jumbo sacrament cups!

FYI.... and a query.

I consider myself a bit of a traveler. At least in this country anyway, The only time I went to Canada was because Dad missed all three signs that said last exit before customs. <3 my Dad! I have been to almost all states with only a couple of exceptions. In my travels I have learned a few things I would like to share with you.

Rule #1 Never ever use a droppie in Yellowstone. It is worth the couple of miles of driving for a flushie. Trust me on this one.

Rule #2 The bathrooms at the shore that cost a quarter are worth it! Pony up the quarter you won't regret it! 

Rule#3 If you can wait for a flying J do it. At least through Wyoming their bathrooms tend to be cleaner than any other truck stop.

Rule#4 If you can find a grocery store use the bathroom there. Too many travelers come in and out of truck stop bathrooms all day. Plus they normally have drinking fountains which are free and water sits way better in a traveling tummy than sugar drinks.

Rule #5 When at Wal-mart and a trip to the bathroom is inevitable ALWAYS and I repeat ALWAYS use the bathroom in layaway. They are a million times better than the ones up front.

Today I was at a Wal-mart and forgot rule #5. I was wondering why in the world I was braving this restroom and not just waiting until I got back to my office. SoI have a question for you and if you are reading this I want you to really think about it and answer, you even have the option of an anonymous comment. Okay anyway... the question. What is the worst bathroom you have been forced to brave? Also, if you have a rule to add please do. Share the info with the rest of us please!

My answer I think would be the outhouse at our cabin. It is older than my mom and I have been afraid I was going to fall in since I was a small child. Which is a valid concern as most of the outhouse is rotting away. I was also plagued by stories of my aunt disturbing a bee hive when she made the inaugural trip to the outhouse one season. Alas, I always choose the outhouse over the woods because it at least affords me a small amount of privacy.

P.S. In my family if we say we have to go put something on layaway you now know just what we mean.

Confession Monday

I am a prayer peeker. Not just occasionally, I peek every single time.

Happy Pappy's Day!!!

 

He is standing like a girl in this picture because he is making fun of me. My dad is the best for a million reasons: But let me list just a few here in honor of this special day!



*He loves grocery ads, odd I know. But he loves to read them
*He is logical for me when I can't be.
*He taught me to be nice to my brothers because they would be bigger than me someday, and they are
*He lead family scripture every night.
*Even though he taught night classes occasionally, he still drove me and my friends to seminary at 5:45 in the morning.
*He makes a mean upside down egg sandwich
*He told us the cinnamon toast story EVERY single time we asked for it, which must have been most nights
*He came to my dance recitals, and school musicals
*When I am with my dad I am always safe and everything will always be okay.
*He makes a great apple pie, he even has a real honest to goodness trophy to prove it.
*He gets lost in Canada. <3
*He has three phones I should be able to contact him on, but I seem to always need him immediately whenever he is in class. 
*He takes us on adventures to the very shadiest restaurants he can find for authentic cuisine.
*He won't ride the ferris wheel at Lagoon, but he loves the bumper cars.
*He is quite the poet, and wrote me a Father's day poem this year upon our request.
*He broke up with a girl in college once because he didn't like her green pants.
*He makes amazing chicken wings and makes them for me every time I go home.
*He likes to try out accents at the drive thru to embarrass us.
*He has loved me from before I even took my first breath, and I am lucky enough to know it.
*He is stuck with me for eternity, that's a long time, and he seems okay with it. Maybe even excited.

100 American must haves

My friend Ann posted this today. I thought as a well traveled girl (within my own country) that I would be able to say I had enjoyed most things on the following list. I, However, have only had 66 of the 100 things on the list. Sad day! Time to set a new goal.

I wish more of my food goals were about eating less food. Ha! whatever! I like food and that is okay. So let's add this to Wade and I's goal to eat at 50 of the top 100 SLC restaurants (which isn't going as well as hoped because we have found favorites we like to keep going to.

   *1.New York pizza
   2. Hoppin' John
   *3. New Mexico green chile
   *4. Homemade buttermilk biscuits
   5. Tasso
   *6. Whole Maine lobster
   7. Calabash-style shrimp and hushpuppies
   8. Kansas City barbecue ribs
   *9. Hot glazed Krispy Kreme
  10. San Diego fish tacos
  *11. Cheese curds
  *12. Key lime pie
  *13. Philly cheese steak
  14. Memphis pork barbecue sandwich
  15. Lowcountry boil
  16. Huckleberry pie
  *17. New England clam chowder
  18. Boiled peanuts
  *19. Buffalo burger
  *20. Eggs Benedict
  *21. Pastrami on rye
  *22. Corned beef and cabbage
  *23. Pancakes with maple syrup
  *24. Everything bagel with cream cheese and tomato
  *25. Thin Mints (preferably frozen)
  *26. Frito pie
  27. Potato knish with mustard
  *28. Silver Queen corn on the cob
  *29. Soft pretzel from a street cart
  *30. Fresh-picked blueberries
  *31. Sourwood honey
  *32. State fair funnel cake
  33. Chesapeake crab cakes
  *34. Candied yams
  35. Oyster dressing
  *36. Snow cone or snowball
  37. Wild Alaskan salmon
  38. Sautéed morels
  39. Persimmon pudding
  *40. General Tso's Chicken
  *41. Frozen custard
  *42. Italian sausage with peppers and onions on a hoagie bun
  *43. Chili dog
  *44. Buffalo wings with blue cheese
  45. Spam musubi
  *46. Saltwater taffy
  *47. Fluffernutter sandwich on Wonder Bread
  *48. Black and white cookie
  *49. Frybread
  *50. BLT with thick-cut applewood bacon
  *51. Baked beans
  *52. Pumpkin pie
  53. Collards with vinegar and Tabasco
  *54. Tex-Mex fajitas with skirt steak and sautéed peppers
  55. Fried green tomatoes
  56. Succotash
  57. Shrimp and grits
  58. Hot water cornbread
  *59. Barbecue chicken pizza with red onions
  *60. Chicken fried steak
  *61. Carnitas burrito
  *62. Apple butter
  63. Geoduck
  *64. Soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate shell (especially Dairy Queen)
  *65. Pecan pie
  66. Catfish supper at a church or fire station
  67. Oysters Rockefeller
  *68. Homemade cranberry sauce
  *69. Pimiento cheese
  *70. MoonPie washed down with R.C. Cola
  71. Pickled watermelon rind
  *72. Cracker Jacks at the ball game
  *73. Smithfield ham
  *74. Meatloaf and mashed potato blue plate special at diner
  75. Chicken and waffles
  *76. Po'Boy
  *77. Green bean casserole with French's fried onions
  *78. Stuffed sopaipillas
  79. Turducken
  80. Shad roe on toast
  *81. Sweet potato casserole with or without marshmallows
  82. Cioppino
  *83. New York cheesecake
  *84. Pan-fried river trout
  *85. Jambalaya
  86. North Carolina pig pickin'
  *87. California rolls
  88. Burgoo
  *89. Penuche fudge
 * 90. Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich (the Elvis)
  *91. Scrapple or livermush
  92. Elk medallions in red wine reduction
 *93. Muscadine grapes
  *94. Cheeseburger at backyard barbecue
  95. Open-face turkey sandwich
  96. Chicago deep dish pizza
  *97. Cobb salad
  *98. Peach pie a la mode
  *99. Macaroni and cheese with Tillamook sharp cheddar
 *100. Root beer float

I have had a fish taco but not in San Diego, and I have had good BBQ ribs but not in Kansas City. I was tempted to count such things anyway until I realized I would be appalled if someone had ordered a cheesesteak here in SLC and counted that as having tried a real cheesesteak, because they aren't even close.  if you have time to go through the list. leave me a comment on how many you have tried. This list makes me want to go on a road trip real bad!

My Motorcycle

I have been wanting one for awhile. I finally voiced it the other day.
"Um no."
"I don't feel good about this."
"I'd prefer if you didn't."
"Let's examine your track record."

I suppose I expected this response which is why I haven't vocalized the idea until now. I figured if my dad said yes no one else could tell me no because as a single lady he is the only person I answer to. I should have planned it better because I approached the subject with him just after he reminded me of the time I rolled his lawn mower. (which is a story for another time.) But much to my shock he told me they get good gas mileage, are no more unsafe than a bike (which I ride everywhere now), and (this is the best part) that when you are single with no debt you do whatever the heck you want. Thanks Dad!

My favorite motorcycle exchange was this one between Zac and I:
"I am thinking of getting a motorcyle."
"That is a bad idea."
"But I want one."
"Okay you can have one if you are basically cocooned in safety attire."
"How about if I agree to wear a helmet?"
"Let's discuss your track record."
"I haven't killed myself yet."
"Will you agree to not ride it on the freeway?"
"I can promise that."
"Okay fine."


"You know what I love about this? That you knew if you said no I would do it anyway. So you took the opportunity to at least get to me to adopt a few safe practices."
"Let's try to avoid that reckless behavior we talked about earlier."
"Deal."



By the end of the conversation we had worked out these rules, I have to wear a helmet, stay off the freeway, and get health insurance. I think that sounds fair.

Orange Juice

 
I have had a goal recently to try and listen to ALL of the prompting I receive from The Spirit during the day. I have always struggled with whether a prompting was just my mind or a genuine prompting. I figured if I am being prompted do something good I can't go wrong either way. So the goal has been whenever a thought comes into my head, no matter how small, if I think it could be a prompting I follow through, even if I don't see how it would make a difference.

The other day I was at Winco and had my cart full of groceries when I realized that my debit card was not in my wallet. I though to myself that I would just write a check, no big deal, and I had spent an hour shopping. But the prompting came to leave the groceries and come back another day. I was thinking that really it shouldn't matter how I pay so what the heck? But I remembered my goal and I left the groceries and went home.

The next day I found that there had been a banking error and my account did not have the balance I expected. I had just enough to take care of all my bills while it was straightened out. Had I written a check for groceries I would have over drawn my account. Now you are thinking to yourself does Heavenly Father really care that I saved myself 35 dollars? I say yes He does.

I have been really grateful for the million little promptings that didn't seem to matter and that helped me out when "quickly I obeyed." I know that a month ago I wouldn't have listened to any of them. Not only have I had a million little miracles, and I am sure a million more unseen ones, but it has become easier and easier to hear those prompting. The more I listen the more they come. Imagine that.

So the other night I climb into bed and I'm laying there thinking you need to get out of this bed and kneel down and say your prayers. Well I laid there trying my very best to convince myself that I did not need to be on my knees and we, Heavenly Father and I, could talk just fine from my bed. I had myself convinced of it when the prompting came to get up and get some orange juice. So I tried to convince myself it was just my tummy talking, but I wasn't fooled because as good as orange juice sounded I was not getting myself out of that bed. So I knew that it wasn't my idea that I NEEDED orange juice. So per the deal I made with myself to follow promptings no matter how small, I got myself out of bed and walked all the way downstairs for some OJ. While I was down there I checked to make sure all of the doors where locked and I checked that all the burners where off, etc. I figured if I found the back door open I would have solved the mystery as to why I was prompted to do something as horrible as get out of my bed.

There was nothing. All was well. So I went back upstairs, knelt down said my prayers and went to bed. Did I need to get up and get OJ so I would get on my knees for prayer time? I still am convinced that He honestly doesn't care if one night I thought about skipping the kneeling. So what the heck was it? My tummy? No. A safety check? Everything was secure. Kneeling? Really? Really?