flashback

My uncle emailed me this picture a couple days ago.  It's me.  What was my mom thinking sending me out in what looks like a nightgown?  And that Dorothy Hamill haircut.

oh how my husband knows me

It's one of those days...some crying and feeling yucky but can't pin point why.  Depressed?  No, not that bad but a general feeling of blah - do you have those days?

Anyway, I called Derek had a good cry and hung up the phone.  A few minutes later an email with the subject line "smile" comes through with a link to this.  My good husband knows how to cheer me up.

just look away derek

So I believe I have mentioned my sordid past before - Greenpeace, love of whales, etc.  Derek tries to ignore my Save the Whales past but I love to bring it up constantly to remind him that he married such a radical (yea, right)

Well, now he gets to hear about it even more often because of my new love...Whale Wars.

The show is about a crew of whale lovin' crazies sailing the Antarctic Ocean in search of Japanese whalers.  Once the whalers are found the Sea Shepherd crew totally messes with the Japanese crews and my Free Willy insides bubble over with giddyness.  Honestly, I love watching the chaos - stink bombs, trash talking, men overboard, and more.  

If you want to have some idea of how crazy some of these folks are look no further then the Captain of the ship.  He is one of the co-founders of Greenpeace but after so many years was voted out with a vote of 10 to 1, his vote being the dissenting vote.  If Greenpeace thinks you are too radical you  must be in the running for the mayor of crazy town.

All craziness aside, I do love that they are saving the whales.  Derek on the other hand...I'm guessing he is indifferent.  His comment to me, "When can we watch a show called Cow Wars?"

out of the frying pan into the fire...

or is it the other way around?  

Today I was sustained in church as the Primary President.  I thought I'd escaped any demanding callings (for the rest of my life) because of Prop 8 but that seems to not be the case.  The verdict is still out whether I am going from frying pan to fire or fire to frying pan - my guess, Prop 8 (fire) to Primary (frying pan)

I have amazing women serving with me in the Presidency and 112 great kids that we get to help grow in the gospel.  I'm excited!

a breakthrough

For those that know me well you know that I have a huge aversion to being alone at night without Derek.  I guess you could say I'm scared of the dark (which doesn't help in explaining my weird fascination with Halloween - the dark holiday according to my mom)  

Whenever Derek goes out of town the kids all sleep in my room where we can be safely locked in for the night.  I lock the doors, hide a steak knife within easy reach and move a file cabinet in front of the bedroom door.  I also have been known to place grocery bags around the door knob so that I will have an audible sign if any crazy molester types try to get into my room.  Don't judge me just love me in spite of my kookiness.

I seem to be on the mend though.  Derek left for New York last night and get this...the kids all slept in their own rooms and I did to.  I slept in my room all by myself (at least until about 3:30 this morning when Luke crawled into bed with me giving me a big hug and kiss hoping that he had done enough to not have me kick him out - I didn't)  Do you understand how big this is?!?! I slept by myself with no locks, knives, file cabinets or plastic bags.  I'm healed!

quick list about me & why is blogger freaking out?

I found this list over on Kristi's blog.  It's a list of 200 things that you go through and then bold the ones you have done.  What a quick easy way to document some of the things you have done in your life.  

200 Have and Have nots!

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars

3. Been a part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Swam with wild dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a tarantula

10. Said "I love you" and meant it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise

15. Seen the Northern Lights

16. Gone to a huge sports game

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Bet on a winning horse 

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Taken an ice cold bath

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster

31. Hit a home run

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking

33. Adopted an accent for fun

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight

46. Milked a cow

47. Alphabetized your personal files

48. Ever worn a superhero costume

49. Sung karaoke

50. Lounged around in bed all day

51. Gone scuba diving

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Done something you should regret, but don't

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Been in a movie

60. Gone without food for 3 days

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been in a combat zone

65. Spoken more than one language fluently

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone

67. Bounced a check

68. Read - and understood - your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your Congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

74. Helped an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job

76. Won money

77. Broken a bone

78. Ridden a motorcycle

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover

86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school

89. Changed your name

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes

92. Read The Iliad

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office 

98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four 

106. Raked your carpet

107. Brought out the best in people

108. Brought out the worst in people

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap

112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe

113. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Danced at a disco

118. Played in a band

119. Shot a bird

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt

129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one (does put put count)

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter

141. Visited Africa

142. Sang a solo

143. Gone spelunking

144. Learned how to take a compliment

145. Written a love-story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David

(no but will this summer also!)

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151. Ran away

152. Learned to juggle

153. Been a boss

154. Sat on a jury

155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158. Written a poem

159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160. Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

169. Can hula or waltz

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed till your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma

188. Built a campfire

189. Kept a blog

190. Had hives

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube

196. Know CPR

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime

200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

That was quick and painless.  If you want to document some of what you have done in your lifetime just copy and paste the above list on to your own blog. 

Blogger is freaking out.  As I type this I see a bunch of different sized fonts and weird spacing.  My normal tabs to change font style and font size are non exsistent.  Some times when I hit return the fonts blows up to triple it's size.  Well see what this post looks like when I hit publish.  Could be scary...