LOST

I am not a TV watcher. If I had TiVo it would be a different story because I would be able to watch my favorite shows at 3 in the morning. Instead, I farm, which is a story for a different day. Netflix has saved me from many a boring evening. The only draw back is that I keep the movies for way too long, so I am not really taking advantage of unlimited monthly rentals. Netflix has also saved me from $30+ late fees because I don't return movies on time. There isn't anywhere in the valley that I don't have a late fee...

Bob the Trainer -Errraarh!

I used to watch The Biggest Loser. My family had a tradition of going to McDonalds or Costa Vida and camping out in front of the TV every Tuesday. It was quite enjoyable to sit and snarf fast food while watching overweight people suffer, bless their clogged major arteries. Now we are eating healthy which is the only reason I can think of that I haven't seen the show for 2 seasons.

I love watching TV shows at my own leisure without being interrupted by commercials. Generally I have my little boys to bed by 9 and can just drink a Chalada or two and enjoy the show. So far I have knocked out "The Gilmore Girls" and "Boston Legal". Now I am starting the 4th season of LOST. When the show first aired I thought the previews were lame and I had absolutely no interest in seeing it. My bad... My brother-in-law Tim brought the first season with him to Lake Powell this year and loaned it to me the day we left to come home. I am hooked...

Tomorrow, I will reveal my favorite character and critique the others...

The Blind Watching the Blind

Over a year ago, my daughter Jill and I were sitting at the light on 1400 and main. We were making a left hand turn, no doubt on our way to Walmart. To the left of us was Chili's. I look over and see a blind guy with a cane and his blind partner, also with a cane. They are making their way out of the restaurant and walking toward the crosswalk in our direction. Jill and I are both staring at them. They are banging their canes around and not really walking too steady (Chili's does have a full bar after all) and Jill and I cannot take our eyes off them. Anyway, as they approach the crosswalk, a number of horns start honking and I am screaming, "Look out for the blind couple, don't hit the blind couple!" Guess what?

The cars were not honking at the blind couple, they were honking at me because the light had turned green, probably yellow, red and green AGAIN as I sat there, possessed with an unreasoning passion for the blind couple.

Garble E Gook

I am just going to write for the sake of writing. No subject, no title, no rhyme, no reason...

It was a rough day at school today with events that I cannot go in to detail about. It has spun me in to reflecting on my own life with my family and friends...

I have just been to my niece Taysha's 12th birthday party. Wow, the time has flown. I first met her when she was 4 and it has been fun to watch her grow up. Her mom Leslee is my sister-in-law. She is Justin's, brother's wife. She is one of my good friends and I am proud to call her my golf buddy/sister I never had. Anyway, I was watching all the positive interaction going on tonight between the cousins and siblings and parents and realized how lucky I am to have a functional family. I may joke about the disfunction, but deep down I know better. I have seen disfunction first hand and it is not pretty.

I don't ever have to worry about my friends hurting me in any way. I don't have to worry about where my next meal is going to come from. I don't have to worry about my mom and dad being forced to leave the country. I don't have to worry that the people I surround myself with will someday decide they don't like me or that I don't belong in their "family" anymore. I don't have to worry that the man I love might leave me and my kids. I don't have to worry that someone I trust will harm my kids. I can read, I can write. I can think for myself. I am warm when it's cold. I have been taught skills to help me solve problems by myself. I don't need drugs. I have loving, kind parents.

So the question that I keep coming back to is, why?

Pretzel Recipe

I have had several requests for my pretzel recipe. This is fun and easy for kids to help with. They are delicious with some squeeze cheese! I usually make 12 small pretzels instead of 6. Actually, I double the recipe and make 24.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• 1 large egg, separated
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• Coarse salt, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and yeast; let stand for 5 minutes.

2. Using a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, brown sugar and table salt. Mix in the egg yolk, butter and yeast mixture on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

3. In a large, shallow baking dish, combine the baking soda with 2 cups warm water. On a work surface, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Using your hands, roll out each piece into a rope about 42 inches long; dip in the baking soda mixture for 30 seconds. Using the prepared pans as a work surface, shape each rope into a pretzel.

4. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the pretzels with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle with the coarse salt and bake until deep golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

:(

This post is for all you parents out there. Hopefully, you can't relate...

Last night, I had an episode and by that I mean I felt like I was losing my mind (which seems to happen more often than not). If any of you have experienced this for real, you know what a scary feeling it is. Justin had told me a couple of things that I had completely forgot (I still have no recollection of him telling me). These things that I won't go in to, affected my plans for Tuesday. I had some shopping to do, my house was a mess, and now I was responsible for getting Dax to school and Jace to daycare and I had to be to work on time. Because of Justin's schedule he is usually off on Tuesdays, so I wasn't planning on having to do this. I don't know when it happened or where my brain was when he told me, but I had already planned my day and this news was shocking. Needless to say, I flew into a tantrum, four-letter words were flying, I am ranting and raving about what a brainless, forgetful, dumb b**** I am all in front of my boys (not proud), so I left the house to cool off. You are probably thinking this was quite the reaction to something so trivial and while I was out on my cool down drive, I too, was thinking just that very thing and that pissed me off even more.Then to come home and have to eat crow and apologize to my family for my ridiculous behavior.

That said, here was what happened today.

At about 10:55 a.m. I am sitting at work and helping out a couple of students when the office phone starts ringing. I check out the caller ID and see that Justin is calling me. OH CRAP! I HAVE FORGOTTEN TO PICK MY 6 YEAR OLD UP FROM KINDERGARTEN. I answer the phone and say, "CRAP, I am leaving right now, call me on my cell phone." This was not the reason Justin was calling me at work. My bad, it's a good thing he called or Dax might still be waiting to be picked up. Anyway, I get to the school, joke with the secretary, trying to cover up the failure and guilt I was really feeling. I asked Dax if he was worried and he told me that he was a little bit. The secretary told me that when he came to the office, he told her that his mom was coo-coo catchoo and made the circular motions around his ear... What a kid.

How could I forget this cute little face?





OVER BEANS AND WIENERS

Dax: Mom, maybe you and dad shouldn't be married anymore since you fight all the time.

Mom: We aren't fighting Dax, we are just talking about things. We have to talk loud because you and your brother are loud and we can't hear each other.

Dax: Oh, that makes sense.

Mom: Dad and I will always be married, we love each other very much and we love you and your brother and sister too.

Dax: Mom, stop talking. This is something that you should write in my birthday card.

Halloween 2009

I sure hope I get better at this as time goes by. I am usually not a person that lacks for words, but the pressure is on and I am having a real hard time deciding what to write about...

This was the first time in 12 years that I have dressed up for Halloween. If it hadn't been for my friend Jill at work, I probably would have poo-pooed the idea but the more we talked about it, the more excited I was. We went as retired belly dancers. Only 2 students at school dressed up along with us, but the faculty pulled it together. It was fun. It was especially fun when I went to Walmart to buy some candy that morning. I left with $78 worth of the "good stuff" and no doubt my picture on The People of Walmart.com!



I was able to help out at Dax's kindergarten halloween party. The 4 parents that helped out were each to prepare a craft, game or treat for the kids. There were 4 tables with something different going on and 5-7 kids rotating to each table every 15 minutes. We made tootsie pop ghosts and had fun interacting with Dax's classmates.

All 3 of my kids dressed up this year. Jill was a Noted Literary Scholar, Dax was The Hulk and Jace was Batman.

Fine, fun, forgiveness...

Alright, anyone who knows me, knows that I have a really hard time spending large amounts of money.. on anything. My husband however..
We have been having the four-wheeler talk now for the past 2-3 summers. I have been able to hold out with things like, "the boys are too young", "I want a new floor", "THEY COST TOO MUCH", etc. Well, this fall Justin bought him and the boys a nice little camp trailer and I thought I wasn't going to have to hear anymore about the four-wheeling idea. Nope, he called me one day at work (shortly after he bought the trailer) and told me that he had bought a wheeler. Needless to say, I was furious. Well, he didn't buy one but had sure been looking rather closely and seriously at one. He asked me if I would at least go in to the dealership and have a look at it and then maybe drive one around to see what it was like. I had never been on a wheeler and he was sure (and I think he made a deal with the salesman) that once I had ridden on one I would see how wonderful it would be for Justin to have one. So I went in to the dealership (with an open-mind, NOT) and we left with not just one for Justin, but one for myself as well. Then we went back in a week later and bought all five of us helmets. FINE!

We bought the toys on October 16th and I have been itching to break mine in. Justin was able to use his during the deer hunt a week ago, but mine has been sitting in the garage collecting dust. Today was the first day I was able to don my helmet and put some miles on my wheeler. We (Justin, Jill, Dax, Jace and I) went up right hand fork in Logan Canyon. Justin, Jill and Dax were on one and Jace and I were on the other. It was awesome! The weather was sunny and warm and there wasn't much traffic up where we were at. We took turns driving around and trading off kids. They all had such a great time. Jill was quite the daredevil and Dax had fun driving mom around for a bit. It was wonderful to see my family having so much fun together. Laughing, smiling, and squeeling (ya Jill). I am already looking forward to warmer weather and planning our time off next summer. FUN!

I guess I owe my husband an apology for being so anxious about this purchase. Thanks hon for convincing me this was a good idea. I knew we would have fun and it would be something all 5 of us would enjoy doing together but until today, I had no idea... FORGIVENESS?