Thankful Thursday + Black Friday = Fun Weekend!

Thanksgiving 2008 was a good one. We went to my Grandparents house, a tradition that we have all continued every other year since before I was born. My sister Sara and I had purchased matching "Happy Thanksgiving 2008" from Old Navy. We were so excited to wear them even though Chris almost didn't let me since it was a little see-through and you could see my angel undies if I didn't have an undershirt! My Grandmother is 78 and can still make a mean turkey! She is an excellent cook and can make some of the best homemade wheat bread I have ever tasted! My aunt Jan's rolls are to die for! I love 'em. Oh and my mom's pies... I have always despised pie crust, but my mom's pie's are so good that I will eat them gone! Needless to stay we all stuffed our faces silly like everyone does on Thanksgiving.
After the grand meal some people sleep, some watch football, some visit... but ME and my Aunt Jan and her daughters all plot our next day shopping trip. It has been a tradition since I was 13 when I used to stay with my cousins after Thanksgiving. My cousin Mindi had just left on her Mission so my Aunt Jan needed some extra hands to help grab stuff on sale. So we went, had a blast, and have gone every year since. Now all her girls go!

(In the backseat just before we left)

Some of the things that are the "norm" on Black Friday:

1. Waking up at 3:15 am (Used to be 4:00 am)

2. Standing in a long line in bitter cold in front of multiple stores (some open at 4am, some at 5am, and some at 6am)

3. Witnessing at least one fight

4. Someone knocking over an entire display or shelf

5. Tripping on the spilled contents of that display or shelf

6. Getting run over or at least your heels clipped by someone's cart (multiple times) Don't take a cart idiot! Grab and GO!

7. Being disappointed when you don't get something on someone's "wish list"

8. Standing in a long line to make your purchases (thanks a lot Kohls!)

9. Finding an item that you didn't intend to purchase, but the deal was so great you decided to buy it. Philosophy, buy now, take back later (if needs be).

10. Being the victor by grabbing a must have item that someone in your party had on their "wish list" that seemed nearly impossible to get with the amount of people waiting outside the door.

11. Eating breakfast at 7:00 am after already shopping for 3 hours!

12. Having a blast with your Aunt and cousins (or family)!

We always leave with stories of our shopping adventures. Like the fight we saw break out between two men (that's right, men go too!) as we were running into Shopko that was a little heated and included one slamming the other into the wall. Tripping over the soda crates that had fallen onto the floor. Being hit by peoples carts in the tiny electronic section of Shopko (GRAB AND GO PEOPLE!). Park your cart over in automotive or something. Not getting Mindi's external hard drive :(. Waiting in line an hour at Kohls. Running through the mall at 6:00 am to get to Radio Shack and then being 3rd in line to clean house of their skull candy ear buds. Getting Ally's MP3 player. Finding a new place (that wasn't crowded!) for breakfast. And just laughing the whole time at the craziness of people INCLUDING our own!

Another successful and fun year! I can't wait until next year!

A Non-Biker Book Review

So I finished Ghost Trails: Journey's through a lifetime. Which happens to be my big sisters book (So I am not biased AT ALL!). And I decided to do my first book review ever. So bear with me.

The best way for me to sum up the book is my sister's epic journey through the Iditarod Trail which is a 350 mile race in the remote Alaska wilderness (think no people, no resources, wild animals, and -60 degree wind chill factor in otherwise -25 degree weather). The story is peppered between each chapter with an experience in her life that lead up to her deciding, enduring, and completing this race.

My sister has never been one to be very open about her thoughts and feelings. When she was a teenager, it was easy to talk to her about school, teachers, and friends. But when it came to her feelings, it was always a private matter that we rarely discussed. We didn't even know she was dating her current boyfriend Geoff until they did their cross country bicycle tour (nearly two and a half years after they started "dating"), although we had a pretty good idea that they were! As she got older, I noticed she started to open up little by little. When she started her blog I really felt like I was really getting to know her better by reading her thoughts and experiences. When we went on vacation this summer she was very open to us about her thoughts, her feelings, and her relationship.

This book was a window into her deepest thoughts and feelings about the struggles and triumphs she faced during her Iditarod Ultrasport Race. Being able to share this with the world is a grand step for her (in my opinion). It was interesting to be in her life during all of her past life experiences, but not knowing her thoughts and feelings. I remember Becky, and Spencer (vaguely), I remember dropping her off at the airport on Christmas Day when she went to New York and really got to know Geoff, I remember when she drove across the country in her car, when she drove up through Alaska the first time, and when she went on her bicycle tour across the country with Geoff. I remember all these things happening in her life without knowing her feelings. Now I do. I feel like I am really getting to know her better than I ever have.

It seriously is the best book! I laughed (Hippie Lady!) I cried (Mount Borah, ID and when she realized Geoff was no longer in the race) and I never felt more proud and amazed. Even though I am not a cyclist or an endurance racer, I think everyone can relate to this book in one way or another. It explains how she faced her fears, fought loneliness, felt despair, survived (in the most horrendous elements), and found joy. In a way, we all experience this with the trials we face. Everyone has their own struggles and suffering. When all hope seems to be lost and you sit there 5 miles from your destination, unable to even move, somehow we all can muster up enough strength to move on. We all have our "freak out" moments where we cry and scream and curse, but we are able to somehow move on. It demonstrates how we all have the power to rise above when it seems like you no longer can. And in the end, even though that struggle was pure misery, you are grateful that you had it. The lessons you learned and the triumph you feel by being able to overcome, to survive, even when it seems that all hope is lost, is very satisfying.

Even though I think she is a little crazy for putting herself through those conditions when she could be sitting at home stalking other blogs, I now have a greater appreciation and respect for the love that she has for her bicycling, as well as her boyfriend Geoff. Thank you Jill! I am so glad I had the opportunity to have a window into your world, and I couldn't be more proud of you!

University of Utah Alumni

Not only does it feel really good to be a University of Utah Alumni... Right now it feels really good to be a Ute fan too!!

12-0 UNDEFEATED! BCS Bowl here we come!

**Special thanks to Max Hall for helping a little by throwing us the ball a few times!**

Breaking Yaaaawn... I mean... Dawn!

In honor of the movie release... or the fact that I can't turn on the TV without hearing about all the movie theaters being mobbed by millions of Twilight fans, I decided to finally finish the last installment of the series known as the Twilight Saga. I started the book in the middle of August, so it only took me a little over three months (It is 750+ pages!).

I thought it was "meh". I found it interesting that something without a heartbeat can reproduce, that a teenager falling in love with an infant is OK, and the fact that nearly the entire middle part of the book could be omitted. Probably why it took me three months to read. I kept putting it down and forgetting about picking it back up. Or I would think about reading it, but realized I still had about 300 pages that would probably go nowhere since the last 200 didn't, and would find myself wanting to blog, or watch TV, or read a magazine, or CLEAN, over reading it.

(Does anyone else find this picture to be super CREEPY!)

I originally decided to read the series to no longer feel like a social outcast and see what all the hype was about. I mean, about 6 different people had told me it is the best book they EVER read, the most gripping love story, and that they couldn't put it down. I am a sucker for cheesy romances and chick flicks (I mean the Notebook made me cry!) so I figured I would be all over this series.

However, it definitely left me wanting more. Maybe I expected too much from it after hearing all the rave reviews from MULTIPLE people. Or maybe it is the fact that I don't get a lot of things. (Why Pulp Fiction is good?) After reading the first one, I was nearly ashamed that I wasn't absolutely enthralled, and that I COULD put it down. I mean there had to be something wrong with me right!?!? So I read the others thinking the story would get better and more intriguing. I just never quite got there.

I did not absolutely hate the series (please don't think that!). I obviously was interested in the story enough, and invested in the characters enough, to complete the series. I just think the books were ok. The love story was cute, sorta juvenile to me, but the character were in high school and the series was written for young adults. But the books were long and the words, adjectives, and expressions used were very repetitive and got tiring after awhile.

I know that I am not going to be everybody's favorite person now that I have shared my feelings about Twilight. I may receive the wrath that Brittany felt when she discussed her feelings about Disneyland. But I do know through this bloggy world that I don't stand alone anymore. Read here, here, here, and here if you share my feelings. If not, don't bother. Keep loving your Edward and enjoy the movie! You could be as fortunate as Bella to be waking up to this everyday:

*** Thanks to Kristina, Michelle, and Random Ramblings for the laughs and usage of your fabulous blog posts (and pics Kristina!) that help me to not feel all alone in this subject!***

Optical Illusions

These are totally freaking me out!

My Sister Jill

This is my sister Jill.

She is an incredible women. She has always been creative and talented for as long as I can remember. When we were kids, we would make radio shows on her Fisher Price tape recorder. Including commercials and everything! She had a knack for coming up with games and idea's that we would play for hours! She was always the mastermind for creative things. She is an amazing artist, journalist, photographer, and writer.She is also an amazing endurance athlete! She loves her bicycling. ANY TYPE! Her favorite is her snow bike, Pugsley. It is a "Fat Bike" that has extremely fat tires made for bicycling through the snow and ice. I could only dream of having the drive she does for her cycling.
Through life circumstances, she moved up to Alaska a few years ago. She started her blog (one of my inspirations for starting mine) which merged her two loves, writing and bicycling.

Her stories of all of her rides, races, and life experiences are gripping. She has done multiple endurance races of great length. The longest being last years Iditarod Ultrasport race. It is a 350 mile race through the remote FREEZING tundra of the Alaskan countryside. It is the exact same trail that the Iditarod dog sled race is ran. AND SHE DID IT ON A BIKE!

In a way, I think she is absolutely insane. However, she loves it. She has the drive to endure the most painful and horrific conditions, AND she ENJOYS it! She has been so inspiring to me and I couldn't be more proud of her.

In effort to help raise money so she can go to the Iditarod race this year, she has written a book of her amazing adventures and life experiences. Her first book! I am so excited to read it! It is called "Ghost Trails: Journeys through a lifetime". If you want to read a great story, and help contribute to her next amazing adventure, you can order it here.

We are so proud of you Jill, and all your accomplishments!

This came out yesterday:

Millions of wives (girlfriends and significant others) of gamers world wide are mourning.

Another Life Lesson

I am a true believer that life teaches you something every day. Sometimes it is something new you never experienced before. Sometimes it is something you never really thought about before. Sometimes it is just a simple realization you reflect on while driving home at the end of your looong day.

I went to work today. It was long (14 hours long!)

However, while driving home, I realized:


1. I hope that child abusers burn in Hell... literally. I am not talking about scorching heat. I am talking about 3rd degree burns over their entire body so they can feel every single moment of excruciating pain for an eternity. Jail time just doesn't do the justice of the pain/suffering and life long problems/disabilities you have inflicted on an innocent being. That goes for molesters and sex offenders too!

2. On a lighter note... I really like Coke. Probably love it. I have tried for awhile to not drink it because it is horrible for you! I mean it can disintegrate a nail if you leave one in it, and it can take oil drips off your driveway! Not to mention the caffeine. However, it really can lift my mood and give me just the push I need to make it through a 14 hour day! I am so grateful I had a Coke today!

3. Even though I took care of a toddler that would scream and cry whenever I walked into a room and was a challenge most of the day... when he cuddled into my arms and fell asleep towards the end of my shift, it made it all worth it. And I held him even after my shift was over, because his mom couldn't be there and that was all he wanted. The fact that I could do that for him, is why I love being a nurse. It is also why I look forward to being a mom someday.

When you stop to reflect on your day there are a lot of things you may realize. Things you may have never thought about otherwise. And that is why we learn something new everyday!

Go Jazz Go!

Yesterday was a good day. One I really needed. I was supposed to work 7am to 7pm. However, we have had a low census recently, so I was able to be put on call. The downside to this is they called me at 5:15 am to tell me I was on call so I was awake and couldn't fall back asleep. But I just vegged out all morning. Then after about 2pm it seemed likely I wouldn't get called in. So Chris and I decided to go to the Jazz game.

I have been wanting for us to get Jazz jersey's for awhile. He said that if we did, we would have to go to a game. Since we got tickets for the game, we decided to finally get our Jazz jersey's. Chris was a good man and let me have Deron Williams (our fav) and he got Carols Boozer. It was so fun because we were both so excited. Even though our tickets were the in the nosebleed seats, we only payed a little over the cost of 2 movie tickets. Chris says, "True fans sit in the nosebleed seats".

We got there a little early (notice the empty seats) so we just hung out and watched the players warm up. Then all of the sudden, my cousin from Ogden comes up the stairs and we are like, "Hey!", then they came and sat right behind us. It was CRAZY! What are the chances, that out of 20,000 seats, you sit by someone you know without even planning it! So that was fun.

The game was pretty good. We played the Oklahoma Thunder, who used to be the Seattle Super Sonics. We won. Which made it Jerry Sloans 1,000th victory since he became the coach of the Jazz 20 years ago. A monumental moment that he wanted little to no credit for. But Congratulations anyway Jerry!

It was a nice "date night" with the hubby. Thanks Chris! I love you!

SNOW!!

For those of who woke up this morning:

And were saddened by this sight:

Don't Worry!Be Happy!

I know I am!

It's like waking up to snow on Christmas morning for me!!

I am an American First

"This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can."

- Barack Obama

I am INSPIRED.

Our nation has had many struggles over the last century. To be able to see and experience all those trials and tribulations as well as the triumphs our country made over that time... baffles me. It really made Chris and I think. Think about life, experiences, mistakes, failures, successes, and joys. We may have a rough road ahead. There are lots of things we need to change, to improve. It will not be easy, nor can it be changed by one leader.

I believe that right now, what are nation needs the very most, is us to be AMERICANS FIRST. Push aside all the political crap. Whether you are Republican or Democrat, voted for Obama or McCain, or Nader or Dell Schanze (WHAT!?!?!)... we need to UNITE as a nation! To stand behind our new President. We need to work together to promote improvement and change. It is the only way we can help our nation progress. To overcome.

"United we stand, Divided we fall!"

YES, I believe, WE CAN!

Reflection

Yesterday was difficult.

I have been a nurse for a little over 4 years now, and I never really stopped to realize how far I've come since I started my career. When I decided to become a Charge Nurse for my unit, I knew that I was going to have to deal with difficult situations such as parent complaints, crazy parents, helping staff, correcting problems, staffing issues, and responding to code blue (respiratory and/or cardiac arrest) situations.

Yesterday, I got to experience all of these.

The thing that I found most interesting, is that since I became a Charge Nurse, I have had more confidence when handling these types of situations. I know that I am the person that everyone on my unit relies on to help them with difficult situations. I have responded to code blue's before, but I have never had to initiate and be actively involved in the resuscitation process.

So yesterday when I walked into a scary situation, I knew I had to push that scary blue button without question. I knew what I had to do. I was scared, but remained calm. At that moment, time seemed to stand still yet it all happened so quickly. Some of my senses sharpened, while others seemed to dull. The experience I was having, differed from the experience the other people in the room were having. The "ABC's" (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) were all that mattered in that moment. Preserving life. And I was able to handle it.

The outcome was a good one. The patient ended up OK and transferred to a higher level of care (ICU). I was so grateful that, after a long day with all the little things I have to deal with (and stress out about) being a charge nurse, I was able to handle the most stressful type of situation. AND I knew exactly what I needed to do. I realize now, how far I have come from that new nurse I was 4 years ago.