Hear Me Roar...

If you have boys, you know that it is probably not a good idea to purchase expensive or quality bedroom furniture for them. My kids are very hard on things; I had visions of dents, holes, and markers, so I didn't want to waste my money on quality furniture until they grew up a little. I have had Dax and Jace store their clothes in white plastic drawers in their closets... until now. I went out and bought an inexpensive chest of drawers for both of them.

The drawers had pretty good reviews except when it came to assembling. Most consumers were frustrated that the instructions were not good enough and that they took 3-5 hours to assemble. Well, I put together Dax's drawers first - in less than 2 hours. The instructions were simple and I got through it just fine. Maybe it is because I LOVE to put things together...

I'll blog about my kid's rooms at a later date. I don't have a computer that I can get pictures off of yet, my main one is still at the doctors... Anyway, this is what they look like, Dax has a black set and Jace's are natural...

Sponge Bob Square Pants

OK, so the kids and I are in the car and we were talking about Sponge Bob. Dax had just received a new disc from Netflix and I was asking him if he liked it. He told me that Sandy and Sponge Bob got married.

I was in shock. I am driving and thinking that it could not be possible. I mean, a sponge and a squirrel? It just isn't possible. I almost had to pull the car over and get a grip on myself.

And then I came back to Earth and realized that the entire story of Sponge Bob is NOT REAL and totally not possible.

It still bugs me though...

Photo Friday #4 - Born to be Wild

I figured I had let enough time pass since my brother had blogged about this picture...

My mom and Matt moved back to the States in 1987 and I stayed behind with my dad. The weekend before they moved, I had the wonderful opportunity to hang out with my brother. I was living in my own apartment and (I can't even believe this) my parents let Matt come and stay with me. It was a blast! This was one of the most memorable experiences... getting our picture taken for Biker Lifestyle. Just look at us, aren't we B-A-D?

Bad To The Bone - George Thoro...

These were taken at West Edmonton Mall.
I was 18 and Matt was 12.

Someone for Everyone

And here's the proof...



Is this her boyfriend or father? Maybe her brother? She just looks so dang happy to be with him, whoever he is... It's a couple of wonderful and genuine faces...

www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com

The Red Bull

I thought it was only fair that since my kids have their own "blog" space, my husband ought to have one too. For instance, you know I am telling a funny about Jill when you see the Sour Patch Kid and you know it's about Dax or Jace when you see Beans & Wieners.

My husband has a kidney stone. We spent most of yesterday afternoon at the hospital and then finished up at the pharmacy. Those of you that know Justin, know that he is a pretty witty guy. That was the first thing I fell in love with, his red hair being the last... Ha! I have 2 funny stories from yesterday (actually, I have more than 2, but I will spare you). Some of our best times have been while waiting for doctors, nurses or pharmacists. Maybe we need to get out more?

I now present you with....





The Red Bull




#1-After Justin had his CT scan at the hospital, we were put in a small, private room to await the results. The radiologist was to call the doctor and then the doctor was to call Justin there in the room. Talk about personal... Anyway, after about 20 minutes of us discussing the possibility of this room being the "bad news" room, the phone finally rang. So there is Justin listening to his "prognosis", nodding and agreeing, etc. He hangs up the phone and tells me that yes, indeed it is a kidney stone, one about 3mm's, blah, blah, blah... Then he throws in, and I quote, "The doctor told me that she has never seen anyone handle the pain and discomfort as well as I am." Once I had processed what he was saying, I raised my eyebrow just as he followed up with a, "Just kidding." Seriously...

#2-We went out to the Cache Valley Pharmacy to have his prescriptions filled (we love the pharmacists!). The doctor had prescribed him 3 different medications. We are standing at the counter getting ready to pay and the pharmacist was going over all the drugs and their uses. He is saying, this one is for pain, this one is for the nausea and this one will make you bigger (meaning the tube connecting the kidneys to the bladder). I again raised my eyebrow and my dear husband says, quite loudly, "No Jenn, not THAT". I was so embarrassed... I went beet red, hit Justin on the side and quickly turned around so the guy couldn't see that I had tears streaming down my face. I don't know if it was because I was embarrassed or because it was so damn funny...

Between the 2 of us, Justin and I do not have many dull moments together. I don't know why I wonder where my kids get their keen sense of humor...

Beans & Wieners

OVER BEANS & WIENERS




Jill: Dax, how was school today?

Dax (looking all serious): Dangerous

Pet Peeve #3

Pet Peeve #3 - Interruptions

Ask anyone (well most anyone) at work what my biggest workplace peeve is and they will tell you that I hate to be interrupted. If my door is shut, don't interrupt. GO AWAY. If I am on the phone, don't stand behind me and look through papers on my desk, listen to my conversation and wait for me to hang up. GO AWAY. If I am talking to someone else, don't say, "I hate to interrupt, but...". GO AWAY. If there are piles of work all over my desk and I look like I am pissed off, don't interrupt. GO AWAY.

Unless there is blood or smoke or a gun. Unless you are bringing me a diet cherry pepsi or want to discuss what we are doing for lunch, don't interrupt.

OK folks, repeat after me... GO AWAY!

Book Review - stop whining, START LIVING

OK, Dr. Laura is NOT a favorite of mine. Some days I like her (maybe when I am not feeling guilty) and some days I hate her. I will admit though, reading her book and listening to her daily talk show has been entertaining, if nothing else. My friend, Jill, quite likes her and has most of her books. She had this one in her car all highlighted and bookmarked, so I promised I would have it read this weekend if she could just part with it for that long...

Here is some good advise (a lot of it just plain old common sense) from her book:

• you don't deserve anything you didn't earn
• if you are a real friend, you will always speak the truth, even at the risk of losing the friendship
• get over housework, remember there is "life" in your home
• if someone annoys you, imagine them dead and no longer a part of your life
• there are people out there that are smarter and better looking than you are, there are also people out there not as smart or as good looking as you are
• be the kind of woman your husband likes to be around
• there is no life without disappointment or loss
• don't compete with your mate, be compassionate
• love and spend as much time with your kids as possible, create a bond that will last through their rough years
• "me time" is basically a sorry excuse to demand to not be held responsible or obligated to whatever you are taking "me" time out for
  
• you are not the center of the universe
• for better or for worse means just that, you are in it even while the going gets tough
• stop telling your boohoo stories over and over and over, it bores people

Essentially, what she is saying is; there are ways to get over life's bad experiences and disappointments. Figure it out, or call her and she will figure it out (with warm fuzzies, NOT) and then just get over it already.

And now thanks to me, you don't have to read this book.

Something New Saturday #3 - Downeast Outfitters

I think this will be the last Something New Saturday. I thought for sure that I would at least have experienced or would try to experience something new every week. Not the case. The only thing this week that is new is the discovery of great deals at Down east Outfitters in our local mall. A couple of friends of mine shop there and always have on the cutest clothing that they don't pay through the nose for.

I don't like to shop for clothes. I am not good at it because I don't have the patience and I don't ever feel like anything looks particularly good on me. I have tons of gift cards in my purse, some from a couple of Christmases ago... On Thursday night I decided to go and have a look at Downeast and ended up picking out a pair of jeans and a couple of tops. My friends were right, their clothes were cute and were quite a bargain.

Here is a link to their site: www.downeastbasics.com

Photo "Black" Friday #3

On the afternoon of Friday, July 31st, 1987 a powerful and devastating tornado ripped through the eastern part of Edmonton and parts of Strathcona County. The tornado was on the ground for a full hour, destroyed nearly 25 miles in its path and killed 27 people, injured more than 300 and caused roughly $300 million in property damage. It peaked at F4 on the Fujita scale, which goes from an F0 to an F5.

I was 18 years old at the time and here is my account of what happened...

I was working part time at George E Failing Supply Co. This building was on the northwest side of town. I worked there with my best friend Mindy doing some misc. secretarial things. It was about 4 o'clock (I think) and since it was a Friday, we were the only ones left in the building. It was overcast and I remember it being fairly warm. As we were stepping out the door to leave, we noticed that is was unusually dark and eerily calm. I will never forgot, even though the air was so still, looking up and seeing the clouds swirling overhead. They were blue, red, purple and green and they were moving in a fast, circular motion. We went inside and tuned in to the radio where we were alerted about a tornado having been spotted on the other side of town. It was at about that time that all hell broke loose. The wind started to blow and large tennis ball sized hail started to beat down.

Being teenagers and having no real common sense or realizing the seriousness of the situation outside, we decided to hang out and let the "storm" pass. We thought (how silly to think about now), that if we were going to die, we ought to go out with a bang. Driving the 45 minutes home was not an option, so we decided to grab what we could for survival (beer and who-knows-how-long-it-had-been-in-there fruitcake) from our boss's fridge and meet our doom, together and in style. I remember how loud the wind, hail and pounding rain became; I heard later on that those closer to the actual tornado said it sounded like a freight train. I don't recall how long we waited but it must have been an hour or so before we went back upstairs and tried calling our loved ones. The phones were down so we got in Mindy's car and headed toward home.

I remember the drive taking forever. There were cars and trucks all along the side of the road. There was so much water, puddles that were half way up the side of the car. The roofs and hoods on most of the cars had been dented by the huge hail stones. All I remember after finally arriving home was that my family was safe and we all sat and listened to each others account of what happened (mine was missing some minor details, like the beers). A few days later, we drove around the city and were shocked to see what damage the tornado had done. There was so much destruction. Trees had been uprooted or chain-sawed in half. Houses either completely wiped out or missing their roofs. It was horrifying to see the tornado's random path, what it destroyed and what it didn't. One side of the street leveled and the other still standing. How fortunate my family was, our neighborhood was only a few miles from where it touched down.

It was a long time before I felt calm during warm, rainy weather. Now that I knew what the start of a funnel cloud looked like, I saw them forming all the time. That was the only tornado I have lived through and hopefully I will never witness one first hand again. While it is kind of cool to say that I have seen and lived through a natural disaster, I don't EVER want to do that again.

Here is some footage of the tornado (please ignore the commentary by the twit filming it).

Birthday Wishes and Avatar Review

First off, I would like to wish my niece, Tiffany, a very happy 17th birthday! I hope this year proves to be everything you want it to be and more. I love you.

Justin, Jill and I went to see Avatar yesterday afternoon. The effects were amazing, especially in 3D, and the sound was awesome. I would like to say that this movie was unlike any I had ever seen before, but it wasn't. Lord of the Rings still tops visual effects and definitely had a better storyline. The story about Pandora and the native inhabitants was interesting. I kept having to remind myself that the aliens were computer generated because they looked very real. The bad guy was a bit overdone and the battle scene at the end destroyed the "Avatar" theme of the movie. I wouldn't see it again in the theater and it is not a must have for my dvd collection although I would probably watch it again at home.

Tiger

Someone needs to give this guy a break. Did we fall for this guy because he had the "potential" of being a great husband and father? Did we fall for this guy because he stayed out of the spotlight and kept himself humble? Did we fall for this guy because we drank Gatorade and wore Nike visors? Seriously folks, this man was and still is a fantastic golfer. His talent, which is why I fell for Tiger, wasn't just flushed down the toilet like one of his used... Never mind. He's still got it!

Here's another reason why I love Tiger Woods... it isn't just golf he is good at.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Londonderry Mall Memories

Right across the street from my high school in Edmonton was Londonderry Mall. I have several memories of this mall, which I will share with you this post.

1) They had a food court with tons of things to choose from. My friends and I would meet up at lunch or sometimes sluff school to have the BEST fries ever. Now if you know nothing aboot the Canadian way to eat fries eh, let me share. Dark brown gravy and vinegar packets were offered at most restaurants. Yes, the best way to eat a plate of fries was to pour brown gravy, vinegar and ketchup on your fries and then salt and pepper the heck out of them! Yum, I am salivating already... When I get a real craving and much to my family's embarrassment, I will order this at Angie's.

2) There was a store called Woolco in the mall. It was kind of like a Walmart, I guess. Anyway, the mall was 2 stories and Woolco had an escalator. This escalator was the only one I have ever seen that didn't have stairs, it was rubber and flat with little grates in the rubber. I remember one day having high heels on with very thin, pointy heels. I was riding this escalator to the second floor with my friend Mindy. Well, my heels got caught in the grates as I was about to get off. I was literally thrown out of my shoes. My friend just pretended not to notice and kept walking...

3) This is where I got my first real job. I was 15 and I worked full-time. I guess the child labor laws are different in the North. It was a little kiosk in The Bay called Slick Fashion Accessories. I was paid $5 an hour, which 25 years ago was a great wage. Slick is no longer in business but The Bay is still quite the department store in Canada. I always wished I had purchased one on their coats or blankets before I moved to the States.

Pet Peeve #2

Pet Peeve #2 - Clutter

I hate having a messy house but it seems that until my kids are grown and out the door, I will never see my floor! Why am I am cleaning ALL of the time? Like I don't get to sit down and rest, read a good book, surf the net because I am always cleaning! Well, truth be told, I really only clean and tidy up when my kids are sleeping, WHICH IS NEVER! Kidding... I do have time to myself, at like 2 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING! I guess I just ought to be thankful that I am not so much of a clean freak that I don't enjoy time with my kids. What is more important, right? Maybe I'll get a maid...

Knifeman

Vampires? No. Werewolves? No. Zombies? No. Knife Man? Yes.

Who is knifeman and where did he come from? I can't tell you. As a kid, I was afraid of an imaginary person I referred to as knife man. He would cut off any part of your body, except your head, that wasn't covered with a blanket. That is why I still to this day like to burrito myself up in covers at bedtime.

Something New Saturday #2 - Virus

Well, my main computer has a virus. This is something new and something I have been afraid of happening. I am going to call Extreme Computers Monday morning to see what they can do, if anything. I sure hope that they can help because I have my last 7 years worth of pictures stored on it and I have not (this will not happen again) backed them up. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. The problem is this...

When you turn the computer on and get to the start up menu where all the users have their own logins, you log in and then instead of taking you to your main screen, you are automatically logged off. You never get anywhere but that main profile menu...

Wish us luck at the doctor!

Photo Friday #2 - Edmonton

This is where I grew up... Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 1000 miles straight north from Logan with not a mountain to be seen. When I first moved to Logan, I was so claustrophobic because of the mountains all around me. It wasn't until I got horribly lost in a snowstorm (yes, I was lost in our little valley), that I learned the mountains were my best friend when it came to getting my bearings.

Edmonton Skyline - 1992

Downtown Edmonton from the air


Edmonton skyline seen from the North Saskatchewan River

Death by Bullet

I dream. I dream almost every night. I have one recurring dream that most people would probably call a nightmare. Maybe if I share, I won't have it anymore.

I am in a girl's bathroom. I know it's a girl's bathroom because, well, I am a girl and the walls are pink and red and the floor is gray. The walls and floor are cement. There is a sink directly to my left and next to it along the same wall are 3, beige stalls with the largest one at the end. There is a large window straight ahead and the sun is shining through the window in streams of light (like you see through clouds on a semi-overcast day). This is the only light in the room.

I walk into the large stall (I assume it is for the handicap) and I hear someone else enter the bathroom. I walk out of the stall and as I am washing my hands, I am shot in the back. It doesn't hurt too bad, it just burns. I drop to the floor, which actually hurts more. I am laying there on my side with my back to the door and I can feel myself slowly leaving my body. I don't catch a glimpse of the other person before they leave, all I hear is the door close behind them. I am alone and I think about my family. I can feel my breathing slow down and the heat of my own blood pooling around my face. I am not afraid.

I always wake up right at this point...

Maybe I ought to write murder-mysteries.

Soy Chicken & Broccoli Bake

This is one of my favorite recipes... I went to make it tonight and discovered that I had forgot to buy rice at the grocery store on Monday (refer to pet peeve #1)!

Soy Sauce Chicken
1 pkg drumsticks
1 pkg wings
2 cups soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 pkg saltine crackers

Marinate chicken in soy sauce and sugar for 2 hours. Drain chicken and save marinade. Roll chicken in crushed saltine crackers and place in baking dish. Pour 1/2 remaining marinade over chicken and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Broccoli Bake
1 pkg frozen broccoli
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix thawed broccoli, soup, rice in bowl. Pour into a baking dish and spread out evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Separate eggs, beat whites until fluffy, beat yolks and combine with whites and shredded cheese. Pour and spread over broccoli bake and continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes.

Serve both dishes together.

Reading and Writing

I love to read. Love it, love it. I am like a kid in a candy store when I go to Borders. So many books to choose from. I usually rely on the English teacher at school to recommend books for me to read. He has picked a couple of stinkers, in my opinion, but overall I have enjoyed his choices.

I don't have a favorite author and I don't have a certain type of book I like. I will pretty much read anything that is put in front of me. I have a list of books that I would like to read and a list of books that I would like to have in my library. I would like to one day have an official library, with a fireplace and a bar, a nice cushy chair and walls lined with lots and lots of books!

I thought it might be fun to blog about new books that I have read. Right now I am reading "The World According to Garp", by John Irving. You will see a review sometime next week.

Because life with a family can get crazy at times and I do have to start work early in the morning (which means I cannot stay up too late reading), I am hoping to read a book and post a review every couple of weeks. If a book is taking me longer to read, I will just post a review on a book that I have already read.

Since I love to read and I love to write, I have a couple of things I would like to accomplish before I die. A short term and long term goal... I would like to join or start my own book club and I would like to compile a book of short stories or maybe even a book series for kids. In the meantime, I will read and blog and read and blog!

Pet Peeve #1

Unlike most people, I like Mondays. For me, I have been refreshed by the weekend and work goes by really fast. For whatever reason, they have a bad rap. I thought it would be appropriate to use Mondays to talk about my personal pet peeves...

Pet Peeve #1 - Grocery Shopping

I like to grocery shop. I like to plan my weekly menu, write a list of items and do the actual shopping. I like to have food in my house, with healthy snacks for my kids to eat. I like to cook. What I don't like, my pet peeve for today, is getting home and realizing that I forgot the one essential item to prepare the meal for that night's dinner. If you are anything like me, I crave certain foods. I can see and smell dinner. I don't like changing dinner plans since I have given it some serious thought during the day. Today was one of those days. I had to make a special trip back to the grocery store for one lone item... Arg!

Sour Patch Kid

I took an integrated science class at USU with my brother Matt. The professor used to give us a pop quiz every week. It was only one question. One week, the question was, "What are Saturn's rings made of?". My answer was, "Gas & rocks."

I remember picking Jill, who was 4 years old at the time, up from daycare afterward and told her that I had a pop quiz in class. I told her about the quiz, both the question and the answer. Jill said, "Mom, the right answer is ice. You got it wrong."

I laughed because I was confident I was right and after all, she was only 4 years old. SHE WAS RIGHT... The first of many times my daughter has proven to me that I don't know as much as I think I do.

Something New Saturday #1 - Shaun the Sheep

For those of you with kids or grandkids (or you are just a kid at heart), you ought to check out "Shaun the Sheep". Jace received the movie from his grandma this year for his birthday. Too funny.

I first saw Shaun in one of the Wallace and Gromit episodes and until this week, I hadn't seen him in any of his own videos. It is really amazing how the makers put these films together. Lots of hard work and patience! I have now seen 4 of the 40 episodes with a plan to collect them all. Here is a clip for your viewing pleasure...

Photo Friday #1 - Tip of the Iceberg

I have been sitting here for some time tonight trying to think of something interesting and entertaining to blog about. I finished a blog about cereal - lame. I finished a blog about books and reading - lame. I finished a blog about work - lame. I think by Friday I have usually run out of brainergy; this is the night that I have the most trouble with writing. To solve my problem for now and future Fridays, I will designate Friday's post to a picture. It may be of family, something funny, or something I think is thought provoking. Let it begin...

The Essence of Imagination

"What we can easily see is only a small percentage of what is possible.
Imagination is having the vision to see what is just below the surface;
to picture that which is essential, but invisible to the eye."

I first saw this motivational poster in the training building at Convergys. I was immediately captivated by the picture and the message. At some point I would like to have a nice copy of this hanging in my computer room. Even though I know it is not a "real" picture, it sure puts into perspective how much more there can be of something even though you can't see it. While this poster talks of imagination I like to apply it to people; like what you see on the surface is only a small percentage of what is really there.

Band

Many of you will be surprised to find out that I played a few instruments when I was in Jr. High. I played the oboe, bassoon, clarinet and bass clarinet.

The bass clarinet was the instrument I loved to play, was the instrument that I played the best and was the best looking of them all.

Rich, deep, earthy tone.

Bigger than a normal clarinet.

In 9th grade (this was 3 years into playing) I was given a short, solo part in one of the pieces that we were playing in a concert. Since I typically sat in the back row, next to the tuba player (my best buddy) the teacher decided to put a microphone in front of me so that the audience could hear me.

I remember being so nervous, which was odd because I had played the lead in a few school drama productions. My hands were clammy and I had cotton mouth. This was very bad for a bass clarinet player because the reed on the clarinet had to be kept moist. We were going along just fine and I felt my nerves were calming. When my part in the number came up, I blew... it! I had nothing, I couldn't play, I just froze up. All eyes on me (so I thought) and this horrible, awkward silence.
Boy did I feel like a dumb !

I really felt like I had let the whole band down. My teacher didn't say anything to me and my parents and friends didn't say anything to me. I didn't take another year of band...

It still bugs me to this day when I think about it, even though I laugh when I tell the story.

Jace Cristian Olsen

My baby turned 2 today!

Jace was a welcome surprise to our family. When Dax was about 2 years old, I told Justin that I would not have any more children after I turned 40, this didn't leave much time and I honestly didn't think it would happen anyway.

I won't go into too much detail about the pregnancy because it wasn't fun (like my others were) and I won't go into too much detail about his birth because it was no picnic either. All I will say is this, don't think because your other kids were born relatively easy does not mean all your kids will come that way (and vice versa I suppose)! I have but one regret and that is that I didn't wait for true labor to start before I went in to have him. I went in because I was miserable and ended up having my baby spend his first couple of days in ICU...

Jace was born at Logan Regional Hospital at 12:48 pm on Sunday, January 6th, 2008... just 8 months shy of my 40th birthday. Apparently God knew I wasn't joking! He weighed 6lbs, 12 oz and was 18.5" long. He had dark, curly hair and was just beautiful.

Jace was a great baby. Ate, slept and pooped in his easy-going kind of way.

This is about as upset as he got.

Learned "blue steel" at an early age.

Nothing but cute at a year.

He is still an easy-going, relaxed boy. Nothing bugs him too much and he is pretty pleasant and quiet most of the time. He is cuddly and sweet. He loves his mom. He loves to look at books and his vocabulary these past couple of months has grown enormously. He babbles in his own language like he knows exactly what he is saying. These are a couple of things he says that are cute:

• bob, bob, pants (spongebob square pants)
• matman (batman)
• gude (good)
• meek boo (peek a boo)
• no means yes (usually)
• you do it? I do it!
  

Jace loves to play with cars and he loves to follow Dax around and tries to do whatever Dax does. They have a great relationship. Jace loves his blankets, he has 2 that he will NOT sleep without. He also loves his stuffed dogs and a Grover puppet that he got for Christmas. He likes to play Matman and Star Wars with his brother and I will even catch him at the dinner table flying his imaginary spaceships around and making flying noises.

Jace is an adorable little boy with lots of dark brown, curly hair. He also has my big, dark brown eyes. He is so smart and funny to listen to and is such a joy in my life. Like a friend of my mom-in-laws said, "I could just eat him up!"

I love this little boy of mine...

Favorite Albums (in no particular order)

Here are the albums that I could not live without.
From one end of the musical spectrum to another...

U2-The Joshua Tree

SEAL-Human Being



DEPECHE MODE-Violator



BEATLES-Red Album/Blue Album



OMD-Liberation



THE PRODIGY-Fat of the Land



ALPHAVILLE-Forever Young



ABBA-Gold



APOPTYGMA BERSERK-Welcome to Earth



WHITE ZOMBIE-Astro Creep



ELTON JOHN-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road



PRINCE-Purple Rain



I like all types of music. You already know that Beethoven is my favorite musician and I would definitely have to add him to my "can't do without" collection. I would also have to add my favorite Christmas album, Christmas with Bony M. Maybe a little country like Garth Brooks, Dierks Bentley or some Aaron Tippin.