Trichotillomania

I know I haven't posted for awhile, and even I'm getting bored of my last post, so I'll give you a little snitch of what's to come. The last few days have been NUTS!!!! Since about last Thursday, work has been crazy!! Insane! Since school is now back in session, life is once again crazy hectic. They haven't found anyone to assume my old job duties yet, but I have started training for the new job. Needless to say, I've been swamped. I'm doing the old job, and trying to learn the new job, and still doing school, and all the other committments I just couldn't say no to. I have REALLY enjoyed the new training I've been doing, but it has cramped my time for other big projects that have needed to be done. So in other words, I have wanted to pull out my hair a few times, hence the name of the post.

As some of you (okay, probably most of you) know, my birthday was last Friday. I don't want to post any of it yet, because we aren't done celebrating it yet. Because Josh is still working 3-12 M-F, it makes it difficult to do much during the week. So technically, I'm having a week-long birthday bash! Woo hoo!

Summation: School started, work is nuts, I'm older and wiser.

More to come...

Back To School

Today at the bus stop I watched the overgrown grass blow in the wind, and I was a little sad to realize Summer is coming to a close. As Summer ebbs out and Fall is welcomed, it is perhaps my favorite time of year. I love late August because of the hybrid weather. Still a little Summer, but with the traces of Fall. This kind of weather always reminds me of "Back to School" and how excited I always get at the beginning of a semester (or year--in High School). Unfotunately, as the semester zooms by, I enjoy it a little less. Today was a good day for reminiscing, and got me excited for school to start again. It's a good thing too because school starts on Wednesday. *sigh*!

8/8/08 & Other Weekend Festivities

Get ready for a mega post! I had an awesome weekend. It was so much fun, and so many fun things happened. I'm starting with the most recent, and moving backward. So, here we go!


Higbee Family Shrimp Boil


I have been waiting for this since last summer! I LOVE the shrimp boil. Coolest new tradition from Josh's family (though Tony Roma's on Christmas Eve is pretty cool too...). Cliff's family is from the South and the shrimp boil is a Cajun tradition (?). Here is the giant basket of deliciousness! We started with Gumbo, and then moved on to the "first batch". There is usually crab, shrimp, corn, potatoes, garlic, sausage (Kilbasa), carrots, mushrooms, hot dogs (for the non-seafood family members), and this year there were artichokes. So they boil up all the deliciousness with yummy cajun spices, and then put out bowls of melted butter, and tasty red cocktail sauce (homemade). If you click on the picture, you can have a closer look at everything. Check out the scary crab claws! They look spiky--they were! You can see little black dot things on them--those are little hairy things poking out of their legs. If these particular crustaceans weren't cooked and dismantled, I would be TERRIFIED of them. I think that was the day I officially declared I'm now afraid of (live) crab. Yikes! The tables are line with paper, and paper towels are passed around, and then...
...the pouring of the deliciousness...! You pick your spot and you grab at the food and eat your way through the yummy spread. Oh, I forgot that there are also lemons. :) I tried something new this year, that others have discovered in years past. They have deliciousness french bread, and you take a boiled cajun spiced garlic clove, and spread it on the bread. Normally, I don't waste time on the bread because I get grabby with the crab. This year it wasn't necessary to fight for the crab, so I could take my time and enjoy everything! I know, you're jealous! The best part, is that we are having another shrimp boil at the end of the week (at the Warner Family Reunion!) Also, we had snow cones for dessert. Mmmmm, blue raspberry first, and then black cherry. Double YUM!
The kids were being goofy and making funny faces, who could resist these faces??

Kearney-- Notice the tic tac in her mouth.

Kylee's googly eyes (Ireland too).

Ireland (I have a series of her doing hilarious little dance moves. I couldn't snap the pictures fast enough--funny girl)

Park City Retreat/Mountain Resort

I celebrated 8/8/08 in Park City with Megan Davidson. :D yay!! I get to see Megan about once a month at group lessons. She is my accompanist for my little violin students. It was awesome to get to hang out just the two of us where I didn't have to be a bossy "mean" violin teacher. ;) My Dad's company had their annual retreat in Park City at the Canyons Resort. It was so pretty up there! I would have posted more of the beautiful pics, but I felt I had a lot of pics on this anyway. When we got there we were dropped off to have lunch. The feast laid before us was AMAZING!!!! Sandwich fixin's galore! Huge pillowy whole wheat bread, shaved meat (ham, turkey, roast beef, etc). Every possible topping (deliciously crisp pickle spears-mmmmm!) You better believe it was the most gourmet sandwich smorgasbord EVER. There was a yummy salad that had really good balsamic vinegar dressing and it had just a hint of sweet in it. Then there were gourmet salad toppings. I personally loaded up the feta cheese. I would LOVE to eat that again right now. Mmmmm....Dessert was awesome brownies, hello dolly bars, lemon bars, etc. Mmmm, I'm salivating even as I recount this delicious memory. Juices, water, soft drinks galore spilling out of the basins just begging us to drink them. We went in at the very end of the lunch hour, and everyone had already finished eating. My Mom dropped us off, and went on a walking tour. There were 3 other people just chatting at a table, but they left soon after we got there. The staff was so awesome. They let us just sit there and chat and even brought out more drinks to us (after they had already cleared away all the plates and food). We were waiting for my Dad to finish in his meeting, and were expecting to see him walk out. He sneaked out the back door, and we were none the wiser. Megan and I sat and just talked for about another hour, and just had a blast chillin'. THE softest, comfiest, squashiest couch EVER! Then we went up to the Park City Mountain Resort (got lost a few times on the way there, but eventually made it...). We rode the Alpine Slide, the Alpine Coaster, and the Zip Line. We also rode the tram a couple times as it delivered us to the entrance to the zip line and alpine slide. It was so much fun. I didn't realize that Megan was "nervous" of heights, but she was AWESOME. She just got on the zip line and off she went. She was a little nervous, but did really well, and loved it. We finished at the Resort and went back to dinner just as delicious and gourmet as the sandwich spread. Steak or Chicken, yummy salads, green beans (a little crunchy for my personal taste--just hurried and stuffed 'em in my chomper and got 'em down FAST). Dessert was Strawberry Shortcake! Again--Mmmmm! The biscuits had a little lemon twist in them, and they were pretty good. Not my favorite, but still, pretty darn tasty. I think the strawberries and whipped cream was a GREAT way to end the day of tasty deliciousness, and exhilarating entertainment. So, here are the pictures (Sorry, none of the food--I'm regretting that now. Wish you could have been there and experienced with me!!):

Megan on the Alpine Slide. Her picture was much cuter than mine!

As much of the track of the Alpine Slide as you can see from the start point. The view of the valley was so pretty!!

Company Lagoon Day/Swimming Party

Saturday, I got up early to go to the gym (okay--that was a lie--it really wasn't that early, but earlier than I wanted...) and who else should be there but Megan! That was fun. So, moving on to the main event of the day: DMBA Company Lagoon Day. So, as you know, I work at DMBA and so do 2 of my "cousins-in-law". The 3 of us and our spouses all went together. Judd, Jessie, Maren, Andrew, Josh, and myself. I personally HATE the rides that get me wet. No, HATE is not strong enough. LOATHE, BANE, would be closer...I do not like to get wet in my regular clothes. If I'm in my swimsuit, or I'm planning on it, that's one thing. Last year I got away with being a party pooper and I skipped out on Cliffhanger and the Log Flume (Flume or Plume??). This year, I was told I was NOT allowed to. Oh man. What an experience! Cliffhanger was the second or third ride we went on. All the sun protection I had on washed right off, and thus, I am burned. Not super severe, but still, not fun. SO! The ride hadn't even started, and I was already super super wet. I was screaming my guts out before the ride even started, and didn't cease until the ride was over. I hated being wet. Of course, after that ride the sun disappeared behind some clouds so it wasn't as blazing hot as it was right before the ride began. I eventually dried off. Pretty much just in time for us to go on Rattlesnake Rapids. Another of my dislikes. So, I wasn't AS wet after that ride, but I was still more wet than I wanted to be. On to the log flume (plume??). The six of us smashed into one of those tight little log thingys. 3 boys in the front (to intensify the splash) and the 3 girls in the back. The guy running the ride told us someone had to get out. Before he even finished, I was totally out of the ride. He made Josh move to the back (where they said we wouldn't get wet) and told me to get in the front (where you get SOAKED). I declined, but was coerced into hopping back in. I was in the back of the front. (There are two seats that are very roomy--if there are only 2 people chillin' in each one). So off we go--SO SLOWLY! That's when they started splashing each other--darn splashers! We were weighing that poor little log down. We were practically bottoming out the ride. We had to think happy thoughts so the little log could get up the conveyor belt to drop us down the other side. The splash the boat made was absolutely UNBELIEVABLE. People in line were cheering and laughing and clapping. I was absolutely drenched. Sopping wet. MISERABLE! Poor Judd lost his $250 sunglasses--real oakleys. They were wrenched from his face by the giant splash. I was nearly crying. So the reason I tell you all of this, is so you will understand why it is I have lost my voice. I sound like a dork. Still hasn't totally come back yet. We rode a few more rides, and then went to the dinner DMBA arranged. We were a very lucky group of peoples on Saturday! Maren and Andrew won a camp chair (I have been informed that it has a pillow, and it is now Maren's), and Josh and I won a digital camera. :D A Nikon Coolpix L16 (or something like that). Pretty sweet right? They even gave me a 1 gb memory stick for the camera. Awesome! I don't win things often. In fact, I think the last time I won something was when I was in 3rd grade and I won a State Fair photography contest. Ironically enough, I also won a camera then. I'm chalking the good luck up to the fact that I kissed my ticket. I must have had some good breath--cuz it really worked! After Lagoon, the girls went swimming in the Higbee pool (and all the runts joined us later) and the boys went to play tennis. The boys joined us later that night and we ended up ordering pizza around 11:45 p.m. and gobbling it down. After all the kids were in bed we talked to Temaire and James a little before setting off for home. Here are the pictures from swimming and stuff.

Jessie sporting some sweet snorkeling goggles/face mask/thing.

Jessie and Maren modeling the snorkeling goggles together.

Our "Martha Washington" hair in the pool (Maren, Katie, Jessie).

Build-A-Bear Mass Birthday Party

So awhile ago, the kids all got to go to the Build-A-Bear Factory for their birthdays and they made their stuffed animals. It was so much fun to see all the kids running around together and playing and having a good time.

The proud new parents of stuffed animals--lining the wall in Ben & Jerry's. Mmm...ice cream...

I loved this picture. Karen and Abby are so cute, and poor sad little Jaxon. He's so cute, even when he's so sad!

So I apologize that these pics are out of order, they belong at the top.

Us girls chillin in Park City.

Megan on the Alpine Coaster

More Build-A-Bear

Dressing the new stuffed animals...

Making Birth Certificates...

Look at Abby's cute outfit!!!

This little munchkin was sheer entertainment. While the parents were still paying for the birthday presents, she planted herself right in front of the door (the foyer area) and started enthusiastically repeating the "Happy Birthday Bear" song that was playing in the store. She must have sung it (while rocking back and forth) at least 9 times. No joke. It was funny. I recorded a big segment of it. Ask me and I'll share it. (Katie D.)

P.S.


Happy Birthday Chris L. (my bro!!!)! I hope it was great. Maybe you'll get a day off for your birthday! :D


Today on the way home (on the bus) I was so tired I was completely dozing off. In and out of consciousness. I was about to get off the bus, so I was becoming more and more alert. I looked over at the guy next to me. He was doing something weird, so I glanced again. He was rolling a doobie. (Not the "good little doobie" kind of doobie--the illegal kind). This guy was literally rollling a doobie. Talk about awkward. Why on earth would you do that on a bus, with 40 other people around you. What the heck?? Seriously. Can't believe that happened. I REALLY wanted to snap a picture with my phone, but I didn't want to be suspicious, plus my phone has been SUPER stupid lately. It just turns off for no reason. When it comes back on, the battery is COMPLETELY drained (and it was full or at least 3/4 full just prior to shutting off). Go figure. Seriously...a doobie...on a public transportation vehicle...people are NUTS!

Finally!

So I'm finally posting again, about this last week. This week is full of finales, and I'm finally writing about all the stuff that's going on. First, I had my final for my math class on Tuesday (whew! glad that's finally over), and I finally finished Math 1010. Hopefully, the class hasn't "finished" me off. So, the first finally is the finale of my finals. (Had enough "finally"s yet? wait, there are more).
On Friday night, some awesome girls in my book club invited me to go to the midnight book sale of Breaking Dawn. We went to Wal-Mart and waited in line. Afterward we went to Village Inn and had a great time eating food with good friends at about 1:00 a.m. It really was a blast. Some pictures (courtesy of Maegan Hanks):

Maegan, Me, Rachel, Jenny, Abbi (back), Becca

So I finally finished Breaking Dawn last night. It was about 12:30, but I just HAD to finish. In between all the studying and homework I've had since it is finals week, I just had to get it in. Mostly I wanted to fit it in before I accidentally heard anything from anybody else about what was happening. So, I finally finished Breaking Dawn, and was pleased with the book. I'm just glad the final book came out before the first movie comes out. This way, I finished the series with the characters looking the way I wanted them. (I've been careful to avoid the movie trailer as much as possible so I could retain the perfect images in my brain.)

Now, the best part of all-- I finally found out when my promotion will kick in, so I finally feel free enough to quit my job at the Roof. I will be released from employment with the rest of the temporary employees at the end of August. I ended up with a lot of days off in August anyway, so I won't have too many shifts there. About the promotion, I haven't really said much about it, but I'm being promoted. I will be a processor and have my own countries I'm responsible for, and I'm really excited about that. Sadly, I will not be working for the actuaries anymore, and that makes me just a little bummed. There are a lot of things from the job I have now that I will still be doing even with the new responsibilities, so at least I don't have to completely start all over. Starting Monday (8/11) I will be training for this new position, and the new pay grade will be in effect. :D I'm really excited about all the changes related to work. I'm seriously thrilled about all the cool new things that are happening.

Oh, and one more finally--I finally get to have a day to play with Megan D. Yay! We're going up to Park City tomorrow to hang out at the Alpine Slide park. I don't know what it's called, but it's by the Canyon's and the Alpine Slide and Zip Line are both up there. Yay!!!!! A day with Megan. Also good about this?? I get to sleep in...finally!