Regulars Part Deux
We have a new regular. He showed up two weeks ago and has been showing up every day since. His name is Elastic Pants Man. Can you guess who came up with his name?
So anyways, EPM got his name because he always wears brown pants with an elastic waistband. You can see the elastic because he also always wears a white undershirt tucked into said elastic band. He shows up in the morning and often stays until the store closes.
What does he do all day you ask?
1. Reads our books, mostly comics and local history without paying.
2. Talks loudly for hours at a time on his cell phone, often spouting strange political ideas..
3. Plays games on his laptop using the free wifi and the not free electricity.
4. Naps.
5. Gets free cups of ice water from the cafe.
6. Lets employees know about his various successful business ventures.
7. Smells bad.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Borders Zone 12
We have a very chatty guy who comes and changes the burned out lightbulbs in our store about once a month. His chattiness usually bugs me, but he said the most brilliant thing on Saturday.
"Sitting in here and reading all day is just like taking your own plate and fork to a buffet."
Amen lightbulb guy, Amen.
"Sitting in here and reading all day is just like taking your own plate and fork to a buffet."
Amen lightbulb guy, Amen.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Borders Zone 11
The Regulars
Regulars in the real world are nothing like the regulars you see on tv shows. I bet the owners of Central Perk were ecstatic when the "Friends" finally moved away and stopped hogging the couches all day when they'd only purchased a $4 drink.
Customers always complain that we don't have enough chairs at our store and I totally agree. I have to get special permission just to order some pens and tape so new chairs are definitely not in the budget. The problem is only exacerbated by the "regulars" at my store. We have a group of about 15 people who spend 20-30 hours a week in our store. They don't buy much. They just hang out, hog the chairs, and read our product for free.
1. Possible Serial Killer
This guy looks just like everyone else, just like most serial killers. What gives him away is that he only reads books from the True Crime area. One time I had pulled a book from that section and he came up and complained that he wanted it back because he was "reading" it. I of course gave it to him because he totally scares me. Like most regulars he doesn't seem to get that you are supposed to purchase the books before reading them.
2. Creepy Old Pervert Guy
This guy always wears berets. I made the mistake of being nice to him once and now he seeks me out to hold his erotic fiction books for him while he "powders his nose." He brings the occasional date to the store and pushes the chairs together so they can be close to one another.
3. Sporty Gigolo
This guy uses Borders as his primary pickup spot. He first came to my attention because a female customer tried to stop talking to him and he grabbed her arm to stop her from walking away. He only hits on young Asian girls. He usually comes to the store wearing sweaty athletic clothes like he is on his way home from the gym. This guy is creepy but at least he doesn't use the chairs or read our stuff for free.
4. Asian Gigolo
This guy is somewhat less creepy than sporty gigolo. Except that he woos women using hand puppets from the children's dept. He is also fond of chatting for long periods of time with the cafe girls.
5. The Unemployed Teachers
These two women talk a lot so I've picked up quite a bit of information about them. They are apparently unemployed teachers. They know everything about everything and love to criticize our store in loud voices. Of course that doesn't stop them from coming in every day or letting their kids throw books on the ground while they talk for hours.
6. Mr. Poopman
This guy once came up to me and said, "For the last three days you haven't had any toilet seat liners in the men's restroom." Instead of wondering why the cleaning crew wasn't doing their job, I wondered, "Why is this guy trying to go #2 at our store three days in a row?" A couple of days later someone anonymously emailed customer service to complain about our mens restroom. The emailer used the word poop in capital letters many, many times in his email. I know it was the same guy. Oh yeah, he also wears Hawaiian shirts every day. I know this because I see him at least 5 times a week.
7. Opinionated Van Man
This guy lives out of his van but is always extremely clean and has very white socks. I know about the socks because he often takes his shoes off. He never buys anything but often complains about any changes we make in the store.
There are others but I think you get the idea. I left out the homeless, obviously insane, and the developmentally disabled adults who spend their days at our store.
It kind of makes me not want to have any chairs in our store at all. Maybe if there wasn't anywhere to sit down our regulars would find somewhere else to live.
Regulars in the real world are nothing like the regulars you see on tv shows. I bet the owners of Central Perk were ecstatic when the "Friends" finally moved away and stopped hogging the couches all day when they'd only purchased a $4 drink.
Customers always complain that we don't have enough chairs at our store and I totally agree. I have to get special permission just to order some pens and tape so new chairs are definitely not in the budget. The problem is only exacerbated by the "regulars" at my store. We have a group of about 15 people who spend 20-30 hours a week in our store. They don't buy much. They just hang out, hog the chairs, and read our product for free.
1. Possible Serial Killer
This guy looks just like everyone else, just like most serial killers. What gives him away is that he only reads books from the True Crime area. One time I had pulled a book from that section and he came up and complained that he wanted it back because he was "reading" it. I of course gave it to him because he totally scares me. Like most regulars he doesn't seem to get that you are supposed to purchase the books before reading them.
2. Creepy Old Pervert Guy
This guy always wears berets. I made the mistake of being nice to him once and now he seeks me out to hold his erotic fiction books for him while he "powders his nose." He brings the occasional date to the store and pushes the chairs together so they can be close to one another.
3. Sporty Gigolo
This guy uses Borders as his primary pickup spot. He first came to my attention because a female customer tried to stop talking to him and he grabbed her arm to stop her from walking away. He only hits on young Asian girls. He usually comes to the store wearing sweaty athletic clothes like he is on his way home from the gym. This guy is creepy but at least he doesn't use the chairs or read our stuff for free.
4. Asian Gigolo
This guy is somewhat less creepy than sporty gigolo. Except that he woos women using hand puppets from the children's dept. He is also fond of chatting for long periods of time with the cafe girls.
5. The Unemployed Teachers
These two women talk a lot so I've picked up quite a bit of information about them. They are apparently unemployed teachers. They know everything about everything and love to criticize our store in loud voices. Of course that doesn't stop them from coming in every day or letting their kids throw books on the ground while they talk for hours.
6. Mr. Poopman
This guy once came up to me and said, "For the last three days you haven't had any toilet seat liners in the men's restroom." Instead of wondering why the cleaning crew wasn't doing their job, I wondered, "Why is this guy trying to go #2 at our store three days in a row?" A couple of days later someone anonymously emailed customer service to complain about our mens restroom. The emailer used the word poop in capital letters many, many times in his email. I know it was the same guy. Oh yeah, he also wears Hawaiian shirts every day. I know this because I see him at least 5 times a week.
7. Opinionated Van Man
This guy lives out of his van but is always extremely clean and has very white socks. I know about the socks because he often takes his shoes off. He never buys anything but often complains about any changes we make in the store.
There are others but I think you get the idea. I left out the homeless, obviously insane, and the developmentally disabled adults who spend their days at our store.
It kind of makes me not want to have any chairs in our store at all. Maybe if there wasn't anywhere to sit down our regulars would find somewhere else to live.
Health Update
Just so you all know, I'm no longer dying. Except for some dizziness I am feeling much better. I just have one more dosage increase on my new medicine and then I will be done. I don't think I will be switching meds again for a long time.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
New Rule
Lindsay's New Rules of Etiquette #1
From now on it is impolite to send invitations to birthday or baby showers to old maids, unless you are a member of their immediate family or a close friend.
I am trying really hard to not let my lack of a family make me bitter or too sad. Is it too much to ask not to receive invitations to showers from people I haven't spoken to in over a decade and who can't even spell my name right? Maybe I'll be less sensitive as I get older, but I could really use a break from the constant reminders that I'm not married.
From now on it is impolite to send invitations to birthday or baby showers to old maids, unless you are a member of their immediate family or a close friend.
I am trying really hard to not let my lack of a family make me bitter or too sad. Is it too much to ask not to receive invitations to showers from people I haven't spoken to in over a decade and who can't even spell my name right? Maybe I'll be less sensitive as I get older, but I could really use a break from the constant reminders that I'm not married.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
Breaking up with Cymbalta, that is.
When my doctor and I were talking about switching antidepressants she asked how things were going in my life right now because, as she said, "I might experience a little dip when I came off the Cymbalta." She wasn't kidding. This medicine has some wicked withdrawal effects - nausea, dizziness, aches, swelling, diarrhea, nightmares. In other words, lots and lots of fun.
I took Friday and Saturday off of work, which I'm sure made my boss really happy. Fortunately I was scheduled to have Sunday and Monday off so I get a four-day weekend to try to get over this transition. Unfortunately I've only cut my dose in half so far so I have another step down to go.
Oh the joys of medication.
When my doctor and I were talking about switching antidepressants she asked how things were going in my life right now because, as she said, "I might experience a little dip when I came off the Cymbalta." She wasn't kidding. This medicine has some wicked withdrawal effects - nausea, dizziness, aches, swelling, diarrhea, nightmares. In other words, lots and lots of fun.
I took Friday and Saturday off of work, which I'm sure made my boss really happy. Fortunately I was scheduled to have Sunday and Monday off so I get a four-day weekend to try to get over this transition. Unfortunately I've only cut my dose in half so far so I have another step down to go.
Oh the joys of medication.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Pet Peeve #2
"Simon Says"
This pet peeve involves songs that tell you how to dance to them. Some examples are obvious - The Hokey Pokey is never fun, especially if you are wearing roller skates and trying to put your whole self in and out. The song should be called The Recipe for Disaster. But I digress.
Other songs don't actually tell you what to do, but they are choreographed - The Macarena, That Funky Chicken song, line dancing in general. I am still scarred from my 8th grade PE unit on line dancing. What I learned from that unit was to burn both calories and my dignity all to the catchy tune of "Achy Breaky Heart."
Then there is the insidious class of songs that people have created imaginary choreography for. I was driving around on my lunch break yesterday when "Rock Lobster" came on the radio. It's a catchy tune with amusing lyrics. I was enjoying the song, and the flashback to my teen years, when the song got to that part where they say "Down, down, down, down, etc." My pleasant flashback turned to horror as I pictured everyone around me at a church dance sinking down to lie on the floor at that particular point in the song. I always hated when everyone did that. Why? Because for the first thing, I don't like lying on cultural hall floors especially while wearing a dress. Two, I am contrary by nature. You say "black" and I'll say "white." Everyone lies on the floor and I just don't want to join in. I am not a joiner by nature. Same thing with CrissCross wanting me to "Jump Jump" or the Village People and spelling letters with my arms.
p.s. You are probably thinking, "But Lindsay, what about square dancing? You didn't mention square dancing." Well, I don't have much experience with square dancing except for once in 6th grade when we square danced one night at camp. It was a lot of fun, but mostly just because I got to hold hands with some cute boys.
This pet peeve involves songs that tell you how to dance to them. Some examples are obvious - The Hokey Pokey is never fun, especially if you are wearing roller skates and trying to put your whole self in and out. The song should be called The Recipe for Disaster. But I digress.
Other songs don't actually tell you what to do, but they are choreographed - The Macarena, That Funky Chicken song, line dancing in general. I am still scarred from my 8th grade PE unit on line dancing. What I learned from that unit was to burn both calories and my dignity all to the catchy tune of "Achy Breaky Heart."
Then there is the insidious class of songs that people have created imaginary choreography for. I was driving around on my lunch break yesterday when "Rock Lobster" came on the radio. It's a catchy tune with amusing lyrics. I was enjoying the song, and the flashback to my teen years, when the song got to that part where they say "Down, down, down, down, etc." My pleasant flashback turned to horror as I pictured everyone around me at a church dance sinking down to lie on the floor at that particular point in the song. I always hated when everyone did that. Why? Because for the first thing, I don't like lying on cultural hall floors especially while wearing a dress. Two, I am contrary by nature. You say "black" and I'll say "white." Everyone lies on the floor and I just don't want to join in. I am not a joiner by nature. Same thing with CrissCross wanting me to "Jump Jump" or the Village People and spelling letters with my arms.
p.s. You are probably thinking, "But Lindsay, what about square dancing? You didn't mention square dancing." Well, I don't have much experience with square dancing except for once in 6th grade when we square danced one night at camp. It was a lot of fun, but mostly just because I got to hold hands with some cute boys.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Pet Peeve #1
"Roy G. Biv"
It totally bugs me when my boss sends me multicolored emails instead of spending time doing something useful like answering the phone or helping a customer. I'm used to my boss spending most of the day in her office, but I try to assume she is doing something important. However today I received a very colorful email from her. And I mean colorful literally. She emphasized her various points by making them all different colors and fonts. This was not just visually disconcerting but also infuriating as well. More so because it wasn't the first time. I wonder what our customers waiting in long lines for service would think if they knew the store manager was sitting in the back creating multicolored emails.
It totally bugs me when my boss sends me multicolored emails instead of spending time doing something useful like answering the phone or helping a customer. I'm used to my boss spending most of the day in her office, but I try to assume she is doing something important. However today I received a very colorful email from her. And I mean colorful literally. She emphasized her various points by making them all different colors and fonts. This was not just visually disconcerting but also infuriating as well. More so because it wasn't the first time. I wonder what our customers waiting in long lines for service would think if they knew the store manager was sitting in the back creating multicolored emails.
Monday, August 10, 2009
"Crazy" August Update
To arms! To arms!
The Stewart house has been under attack. We usually have the occasional ant invasion but the last couple of days have been ridiculous. The ants are everywhere. Mom spent pretty much all today just fighting ants. We think the problem is that Mom sprayed around outside the entire house and now all of the ants are trapped in the house and have no choice but to come out into the open. We are all going a little crazy.
The other thing increasing our craziness is the late arrival of baby girl Stewart. We are accustomed to the grandbabies coming early so we have been eagerly awaiting the baby's arrival since early last week. Now that we are several days past the due date we are going a little crazy. The phone rang tonight and Dad said, "Maybe Chelsea's having the baby." Anyone who knows Dad knows how unusual it is for him to even notice the phone is ringing, let alone want to answer it. Chelsea is handling the delay the best out of any of us. We went to the movies and out to eat on Saturday and she was still comfortable. Brandon even got her to go to an Angels game tonight. I think he was just hoping the baby would be born at the stadium and he would get permanent season tickets.
The other crazy thing is that we have been getting use to Ryan crutching and wheeling around the house. Most of you probably know, but Ryan was in a pretty severe biking accident last month and had surgery on his shattered tibia. Mom and Dad were up in Utah with him for awhile and then brought him to recuperate for about a week. It has been good to have him home for a bit. We have had some fun giving him a hard time. Brandon has been calling him "Tiny Tim" and Mom and I had fun getting him to open and shut her bedroom door over and over while we rested comfortably on her bed. He's been a really good sport and I will miss him a lot when he goes back to school on Wednesday.
Here are some pictures of his gnarly staples:
The yellow on Ryan's leg is actually bruising. He won't be able to put any weight on his leg for 3 months, so next semester should be pretty interesting for him. Especially since he lives in a 3 story condo.
I'll try to post some pictures of the baby once she finally comes.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Littering?
At least once a week, I find a flyer left on my car when I leave work. I am usually out of patience by the time I leave work so I take the flyer and drop it on the ground instead of taking it into my car with me.
My question - Is that littering?
I figure I am just moving the litter that someone already placed on my car. I have a hard enough time keeping my car trash-free without bringing flyers into the mix.
About a week ago someone left a small paper flyer under my windshield. I didn't notice it until I had already pulled out so it stayed there. I forgot about it by the time I got home so it was there the next day when I went to work. I decided to just leave it there and see how long it lasted. It survived a bit of rain, some fog, and several 80 mph freeway trips. It was still hanging on this morning when I parked my car and went into work.
But when I left, the flyer was gone. The funny part was that the crinkled old flyer had been replaced by a fresh flyer tucked into the driver's side window. I guess the flyer person saw my old flyer and thought I could use a new one.
My question - Is that littering?
I figure I am just moving the litter that someone already placed on my car. I have a hard enough time keeping my car trash-free without bringing flyers into the mix.
About a week ago someone left a small paper flyer under my windshield. I didn't notice it until I had already pulled out so it stayed there. I forgot about it by the time I got home so it was there the next day when I went to work. I decided to just leave it there and see how long it lasted. It survived a bit of rain, some fog, and several 80 mph freeway trips. It was still hanging on this morning when I parked my car and went into work.
But when I left, the flyer was gone. The funny part was that the crinkled old flyer had been replaced by a fresh flyer tucked into the driver's side window. I guess the flyer person saw my old flyer and thought I could use a new one.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Rembering to LOL
Megan and Jason helped me come up with the name for my blog. I liked their idea because of the dual meaning of LOL - life of Lindsay or laughing out loud. I usually try to approach life with a sense of humor and sometimes laughter is the best way to deal with the ridiculous things that happen all the time.
I had the following conversation recently (names have been changed, except for mine):
Relief Society President: So Lindsay, I was hoping that you would be Michelle's visiting teacher.
Me: Sure, I'd love to.
RS Pres: Oh, I'm so glad. I've been trying to think of a good visiting teacher for Michelle for a long time. At first I was thinking of Stacy because lives right around the corner from Michelle, but then Michelle's mother said Michelle didn't even want to be reminded or hear about anything to do with marriage or pregnancy.
Me (thinking): Oh yeah, Stacy got married recently and she is super pregnant so that would be bad.
RS Pres: But then I thought of you and I thought you would be perfect!
Me: Heh, heh. Great. (thinking again - so glad I came to mind when you were trying to think of someone who has nothing to do with marriage or pregnancy)
Funny stuff like this just happens when humans interact with each other. We're like ping pong balls caught in a wind tunnel. Sometimes we just bounce off each other the wrong way. You can either laugh at how funny everyone looks flying around or sit in the corner crying over a little bump.
My problem is that lately I have been having a hard time finding the humor in it all. Every couple of years I seem to go through a mourning period for my single and childless state. I get mad at myself for succumbing again to feelings that I thought I had conquered years ago. But today it hit me that I am not mourning the same thing over and over exactly. Being sad about being single at almost 30 is not the same as being sad about being single at 25. Because at 29 I am mourning different things. I have fallen further behind.
A couple of summers ago when Megan and Jason came out to visit, Megan was having a hard time because we kept talking about Heather's kids and how great they were. She felt like we were comparing Heather's kids with her little Josh who was starting to show some developmental delays. I said something to her about how she shouldn't let her sorrow over Josh keep her from being happy when one of Heather's kids did something good. I held myself up as a shining example and told her how I had learned to be happy for my friends when one of them got married or had a kid or had something else I was missing out on. I think I was a bit smug about my achievement.
That smugness is completely gone now. Because now when I see my friends' families going on vacation, purchasing homes, celebrating Mother's Day, etc. the ugly head of envy rears its head and I sometimes have to fight to be more happy for them than I am sad or angry for myself. I have a hard time even going to church because I am reminded the most there of everything that I want and do not have.
But don't worry about me too much. I have survived these mourning periods before. I have a Heavenly Father who comforts me whenever I remember to ask and pretty much the best family ever. Just excuse me if sometimes I hug your children a little too tight or buy them a few too many presents.
I had the following conversation recently (names have been changed, except for mine):
Relief Society President: So Lindsay, I was hoping that you would be Michelle's visiting teacher.
Me: Sure, I'd love to.
RS Pres: Oh, I'm so glad. I've been trying to think of a good visiting teacher for Michelle for a long time. At first I was thinking of Stacy because lives right around the corner from Michelle, but then Michelle's mother said Michelle didn't even want to be reminded or hear about anything to do with marriage or pregnancy.
Me (thinking): Oh yeah, Stacy got married recently and she is super pregnant so that would be bad.
RS Pres: But then I thought of you and I thought you would be perfect!
Me: Heh, heh. Great. (thinking again - so glad I came to mind when you were trying to think of someone who has nothing to do with marriage or pregnancy)
Funny stuff like this just happens when humans interact with each other. We're like ping pong balls caught in a wind tunnel. Sometimes we just bounce off each other the wrong way. You can either laugh at how funny everyone looks flying around or sit in the corner crying over a little bump.
My problem is that lately I have been having a hard time finding the humor in it all. Every couple of years I seem to go through a mourning period for my single and childless state. I get mad at myself for succumbing again to feelings that I thought I had conquered years ago. But today it hit me that I am not mourning the same thing over and over exactly. Being sad about being single at almost 30 is not the same as being sad about being single at 25. Because at 29 I am mourning different things. I have fallen further behind.
A couple of summers ago when Megan and Jason came out to visit, Megan was having a hard time because we kept talking about Heather's kids and how great they were. She felt like we were comparing Heather's kids with her little Josh who was starting to show some developmental delays. I said something to her about how she shouldn't let her sorrow over Josh keep her from being happy when one of Heather's kids did something good. I held myself up as a shining example and told her how I had learned to be happy for my friends when one of them got married or had a kid or had something else I was missing out on. I think I was a bit smug about my achievement.
That smugness is completely gone now. Because now when I see my friends' families going on vacation, purchasing homes, celebrating Mother's Day, etc. the ugly head of envy rears its head and I sometimes have to fight to be more happy for them than I am sad or angry for myself. I have a hard time even going to church because I am reminded the most there of everything that I want and do not have.
But don't worry about me too much. I have survived these mourning periods before. I have a Heavenly Father who comforts me whenever I remember to ask and pretty much the best family ever. Just excuse me if sometimes I hug your children a little too tight or buy them a few too many presents.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mom Present Update
This post is really just for Megan and Heather. We usually go in on Mom's b-day and Mother's Day presents and I do the selecting and purchasing since I am the only local. It is a pretty good deal for me since I love shopping and I like wrapping presents for some reason.
This is one of these really cool wooden figurines they sell at Disneyland now. They are solid wood and really detailed. It is kind of hard to tell in this picture, but Sleeping Beauty's castle is carved on the dragon's belly. The dragon's eyes also light up but I forgot to turn them on when I took the picture. Malificent is on one side and the dragon is on the other. It is called "Casting the Spell."
So Megan and Heather - here are some pictures of what we gave Mom for her holidays.
For her birthday:
Here is the pomegranate tree we bought Mom. Mom and I planted it on Monday and almost died (slight hyperbole.) I thought it would take about half an hour but it ended up taking over two hours. Not because we are such super wimps but because we had to dig through two feet of solid roots and rocks. But it is a nice little tree and I am excited to watch it grow. Pomegranate trees are really pretty when they get bigger.
For Mother's Day:
This is one of these really cool wooden figurines they sell at Disneyland now. They are solid wood and really detailed. It is kind of hard to tell in this picture, but Sleeping Beauty's castle is carved on the dragon's belly. The dragon's eyes also light up but I forgot to turn them on when I took the picture. Malificent is on one side and the dragon is on the other. It is called "Casting the Spell."
You guys can see the presents in person in July. I can't wait to see you.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Awesome Autism Walk
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who supported me for the walk this weekend! Megan and I got a little teary-eyed when checking the Team We Love Josh donation page during the last few weeks. Your tremendous show of love and support was overwhelming. My original goal was to raise $500 but we ended up raising over $1200. When I registered for the walk I decided I was going to do it, even if I had to walk by myself, but on Saturday there were seven members of Team We Love Josh.
An unexpected benefit of doing this walk was how loved it made me feel. I really just wanted Megan to know she wasn't alone, but I also ended up being reminded that I am surrounded by people who love me. I am kind of at a funny phase in my life right now and I don't always know where I fit in. It can be lonely sometimes. My old roommates Chandler and Jilynn who are busy raising their own families both donated. Jilynn took the time to push me over my $500 goal just after she got home from having her third baby. Megan and I both feel so loved because of all of your support and good wishes.
Here is Dad before the big event. He is wearing his official "Team We Love Josh" pin. I made pins for everyone to wear for the big event. They all had different pictures of Josh. (Megs - I'll save the buttons for you to see in July.) We had a lot of fun telling a certain story that occurred last time we were all wandering around looking for our car outside the Rose Bowl. I won't go into further detail in order to spare Brandon's dignity. You can give me a call if you want to hear the story.
An unexpected benefit of doing this walk was how loved it made me feel. I really just wanted Megan to know she wasn't alone, but I also ended up being reminded that I am surrounded by people who love me. I am kind of at a funny phase in my life right now and I don't always know where I fit in. It can be lonely sometimes. My old roommates Chandler and Jilynn who are busy raising their own families both donated. Jilynn took the time to push me over my $500 goal just after she got home from having her third baby. Megan and I both feel so loved because of all of your support and good wishes.
Here is Dad before the big event. He is wearing his official "Team We Love Josh" pin. I made pins for everyone to wear for the big event. They all had different pictures of Josh. (Megs - I'll save the buttons for you to see in July.) We had a lot of fun telling a certain story that occurred last time we were all wandering around looking for our car outside the Rose Bowl. I won't go into further detail in order to spare Brandon's dignity. You can give me a call if you want to hear the story.
Here are a couple crowd shots. By the time the walk started, there were about twice as many people as when I took these pictures. I was really surprised by how many people showed up. The place was packed. The really cool part was all of the booths they had set up. We got there pretty early to make sure we had enough to time to park and register. The event was really well organized so after we breezed through the registration we had about an hour to walk around and look at the 100+ booths. A lot of the booths had activities set up for the kids, it was a very kid-friendly event. I was impressed by the wide variety of programs in our area to help autistic kids.
There were a couple of sets of storm troopers wandering the crowds. We knew we had to get a picture for Evan and Jonathan. I'm not sure what storm troopers have to do with autism. I think it was just part of the fun. They also had a bunch of bounce houses for the kids. There was also some guy in a red cape and helmet wandering around. I didn't know who he was supposed to be so I didn't take a picture.
Here we are before the walk in our matching t-shirts. There's nothing better than a free t-shirt.
Here is Mom pretending to be tired after the walk. There was a long course and a short course for the walk. We chose the short course since Chelsea is pregnant and we'd already been there for several hours. Ten minutes later we were done with the walk. We were all cracking up, it was a laughably short walk. I got a lot of complaints from Brandon about how short the walk was. I think he was disappointed to miss the chance to display his athletic prowess. But he still snuck in some Brandon-style fun. Shortly after I took this picture he dumped some water on my head. He said it was because I was team captain, I am not so sure.
Thank you again everyone. This was a wonderful experience. I promise not to ask any of you for money again anytime soon. ;)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Help Me Help Josh
My nephew Josh, Megan's oldest, was diagnosed with autism last year.
Here he is enjoying a piece of his little sister's first birthday cake. You can tell how much he is enjoying it by the amount of chocolate on his lips.
Josh was born on Halloween. A few weeks later on Thanksgiving, Jason took this picture of him in his Thanksgiving outfit lying on the turkey platter. This picture always cracks me up.
Josh is the sweetest little kid. Megan and Jason are working hard to help him as much as possible. Megan takes Josh to a special preschool every morning and in the afternoons a teacher comes to their house to work with him some more. We all love Josh so much and are so excited whenever he makes progress and we can see more of his little spirit.Josh's diagnosis has been hard on all of us. I wish I could do more to help, but it is hard to do much from so far away. So when I was trying to think of a gift for Megan for her upcoming birthday I thought it would be nice to do something to help Josh and their family.
So in Josh's honor I'm going to participate in a walk for autism next month on April 25. I would love for anyone who lives in the area to join me.
The whole point of doing this walk is to raise money. The money goes to Autism Speaks which is an organization which raises awareness about autism and funds research for new treatments and a cure.
If you'd like to sponsor me you can donate at the following website: http://www.walknowforautism.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=288321&u=288321-250434567
Thank you!
Monday, March 16, 2009
I'm Crazy and so is Supercuts
I've been having headaches lately. I don't know why. Maybe it's my eyes, maybe it's my sinuses, or possibly a tumor taking over my brain. I don't know, but my head has been hurting off and on all day for several weeks now.
Simultaneously my hair has gotten completely out of control. I've put up with it for several months. I'm not sure when I had my last haircut but it was embarrassingly long ago. My friend Lindsey cuts my hair, but she only takes appointments on Saturdays and I can't get my lethargic self to face up to a hair appointment and a Saturday night of fun at Borders all in one day. So I just kept putting the haircut off.
For some reason I decided that my long, crazy hair and resulting perma-ponytail were making my headaches worse. I kept taking my hair up and down, up and down, depending on which was bugging me worse - my headache or my hair.
I finally decided I had to get my hair cut at any cost. But then I found out I might lose my job. Every dollar became super important and I couldn't justify getting a $50+ haircut at a salon. So I decided to enter the world of bargain haircuts. But I hate doing new things so I was really relieved when I got to keep my job and could go back to Lindsey's nice salon. But even though my job was secure it still seemed frivolous to spend so much on a haircut. I mean I have bills to pay!
So I did some research. I got the lowdown on Supercuts from Heather and one of the guys I work with. I yahooed and mapquested my closest Supercuts and decided Friday was the day. After work I drove to the supposed Supercuts but it wasn't there. I drove around and around but the phantom Supercuts failed to appear. My fro seemed to grow larger on the drive home. My usual work vs. haircut problem arose on Saturday and my Saturday lethargy triumphed. Sunday morning I almost chopped off my ponytail myself but I thought it would be too much trouble to explain.
Monday had to be the day. I once again yahooed and mapquested Supercuts. Right after work I headed to the Supercuts closest to Borders. But once again the alleged Supercuts did not exist. Luckily my car had a flat tire so I was driving Mom's SUV complete with GPS navigation. I typed in Supercuts and found another Supercuts a few miles away. This one existed.
Nobody told me that Supercuts is only for men. Or at least the one I went to was patronized by an all male clientele. One of the stylists was a man who seemed to specialize in buzz cuts. But the other was a woman so I crossed my fingers and hoped she was the one to call my name. I lucked out. But then she asked me if I wanted my hair shampooed. That one was kind of a stunner. I hesitated before answering. The following went through my brain, "What? Is shampooing optional? Is cutting my hair dry an option? Is she just going to squirt my hair down if I say no? That doesn't seem like a good idea." So after what I hoped wasn't too long of a pause I agreed to the shampoo.
The haircut proceeded normally from there. Except that she didn't talk at all. I guess Supercuts stylists don't need to buddy up to their clients. I considered that to be a bonus. She seemed to be doing a good job. She finished cutting and handed me a mirror to inspect her handiwork. Everything looked good. Next thing I knew, she was whisking off my cape and blowing off my neck with the blow dryer. I sat there for a moment wondering, "Am I done? Is that it?" She said, "You can get up now." I stood up, my hair still dripping on my shirt. I guess blow drying isn't the Supercuts way. Good thing I didn't go on my lunch break. I bumbled through the payment process, pulling out some tip cash until I realized I was supposed to add the tip onto the credit card receipt.
The highlight of the experience was when the stylist told me my haircut was only $18. I also saved on gas on the way home since my head was too cold to require air conditioning. My future relationship with Supercuts? TBD
Simultaneously my hair has gotten completely out of control. I've put up with it for several months. I'm not sure when I had my last haircut but it was embarrassingly long ago. My friend Lindsey cuts my hair, but she only takes appointments on Saturdays and I can't get my lethargic self to face up to a hair appointment and a Saturday night of fun at Borders all in one day. So I just kept putting the haircut off.
For some reason I decided that my long, crazy hair and resulting perma-ponytail were making my headaches worse. I kept taking my hair up and down, up and down, depending on which was bugging me worse - my headache or my hair.
I finally decided I had to get my hair cut at any cost. But then I found out I might lose my job. Every dollar became super important and I couldn't justify getting a $50+ haircut at a salon. So I decided to enter the world of bargain haircuts. But I hate doing new things so I was really relieved when I got to keep my job and could go back to Lindsey's nice salon. But even though my job was secure it still seemed frivolous to spend so much on a haircut. I mean I have bills to pay!
So I did some research. I got the lowdown on Supercuts from Heather and one of the guys I work with. I yahooed and mapquested my closest Supercuts and decided Friday was the day. After work I drove to the supposed Supercuts but it wasn't there. I drove around and around but the phantom Supercuts failed to appear. My fro seemed to grow larger on the drive home. My usual work vs. haircut problem arose on Saturday and my Saturday lethargy triumphed. Sunday morning I almost chopped off my ponytail myself but I thought it would be too much trouble to explain.
Monday had to be the day. I once again yahooed and mapquested Supercuts. Right after work I headed to the Supercuts closest to Borders. But once again the alleged Supercuts did not exist. Luckily my car had a flat tire so I was driving Mom's SUV complete with GPS navigation. I typed in Supercuts and found another Supercuts a few miles away. This one existed.
Nobody told me that Supercuts is only for men. Or at least the one I went to was patronized by an all male clientele. One of the stylists was a man who seemed to specialize in buzz cuts. But the other was a woman so I crossed my fingers and hoped she was the one to call my name. I lucked out. But then she asked me if I wanted my hair shampooed. That one was kind of a stunner. I hesitated before answering. The following went through my brain, "What? Is shampooing optional? Is cutting my hair dry an option? Is she just going to squirt my hair down if I say no? That doesn't seem like a good idea." So after what I hoped wasn't too long of a pause I agreed to the shampoo.
The haircut proceeded normally from there. Except that she didn't talk at all. I guess Supercuts stylists don't need to buddy up to their clients. I considered that to be a bonus. She seemed to be doing a good job. She finished cutting and handed me a mirror to inspect her handiwork. Everything looked good. Next thing I knew, she was whisking off my cape and blowing off my neck with the blow dryer. I sat there for a moment wondering, "Am I done? Is that it?" She said, "You can get up now." I stood up, my hair still dripping on my shirt. I guess blow drying isn't the Supercuts way. Good thing I didn't go on my lunch break. I bumbled through the payment process, pulling out some tip cash until I realized I was supposed to add the tip onto the credit card receipt.
The highlight of the experience was when the stylist told me my haircut was only $18. I also saved on gas on the way home since my head was too cold to require air conditioning. My future relationship with Supercuts? TBD
Friday, March 6, 2009
Borders Zone 10
I know, I know, another Borders Zone already? But I have to share the good news.
I still have a job!
The layoffs happened yesterday and I fortunately wasn't one of them. This is a huge relief for me as I'm sure you can imagine. Although my job isn't my dream job, I am extremely happy to have it considering the current state of the economy. They laid-off a manager and a supervisor at my store. Unfortunately that means that my friend Jon lost his job. It was a strange day. On one hand I was tremendously relieved to still have a job, but on the other hand I keep thinking about Jon and worrying about him. The mood was pretty somber today.
Thank you to all of you who worried with me and helped me deal with the stress. I'll try to be more patient with the crazy customers now that my job is safe for awhile. Now get out there and buy some books at Borders people!
I still have a job!
The layoffs happened yesterday and I fortunately wasn't one of them. This is a huge relief for me as I'm sure you can imagine. Although my job isn't my dream job, I am extremely happy to have it considering the current state of the economy. They laid-off a manager and a supervisor at my store. Unfortunately that means that my friend Jon lost his job. It was a strange day. On one hand I was tremendously relieved to still have a job, but on the other hand I keep thinking about Jon and worrying about him. The mood was pretty somber today.
Thank you to all of you who worried with me and helped me deal with the stress. I'll try to be more patient with the crazy customers now that my job is safe for awhile. Now get out there and buy some books at Borders people!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Borders Zone 9
Like many retail businesses, Borders is definitely feeling the recession. So far the layoffs have been limited to the corporate level but lately the phrase "ideal management structure" has been floated around about the store management level. Last time they started talking about "ideal management structure" they eliminated one of the supervisor positions at my store. So now when I go to work I'm not only dealing with the stress of the retail-recession environment but I also have the ochre cloud of unemployment hanging over my head.
Unfortunately this has made me notice some interesting things customers do that are part of the reason my job is in jeopardy. What in the world could our lovely customers do to get me laid-off? Here are some examples from just this morning.
1. I spent about three hours this morning on a special project to reorganize and simplify the baby and toddler books to make the area more "shoppable." When I left for lunch every book was in place and each section was demarcated by a lovely, labeled divider and a matching shelf label. When I got back from lunch an hour later, the whole section was trashed. Books were thrust into the wrong sections and piled haphazardly on top of other books. Three hours of precious Borders payroll destroyed.
2. A customer came to the register with six copies of our latest Rewards coupon and became outraged when we said that she could only use one coupon. She couldn't understand why we wouldn't let her get 30% off of six different books. I mean she went to all the trouble to print six copies of the coupon and all. I think sometimes customers forget that businesses have to actually make a profit to stay in business.
3. I tried to help a customer find a nursing book but we couldn't find it. I then offered to call another store for her. They didn't have it either. The customer then made me call three other stores to track down the book. Half an hour later we still couldn't find the book. She kept apologizing for taking so much of my time. I just wanted to scream, "You're going to be a nurse and you can't even handle tracking down a book yourself!" Our store's payroll (the number of hours we can schedule employees) has been cut by about 40% since last year. In other words, we are trying to get about the same amount of work done with a lot less people. Borders doesn't have the money to spend half an hour with each customer trying to find them a $20 book.
Anyways, I just needed to vent some of this "looming layoffs" stress. It gets frustrating when I'm scrambling to keep my job and our customers are so oblivious to the highwire we are walking with this recession.
Unfortunately this has made me notice some interesting things customers do that are part of the reason my job is in jeopardy. What in the world could our lovely customers do to get me laid-off? Here are some examples from just this morning.
1. I spent about three hours this morning on a special project to reorganize and simplify the baby and toddler books to make the area more "shoppable." When I left for lunch every book was in place and each section was demarcated by a lovely, labeled divider and a matching shelf label. When I got back from lunch an hour later, the whole section was trashed. Books were thrust into the wrong sections and piled haphazardly on top of other books. Three hours of precious Borders payroll destroyed.
2. A customer came to the register with six copies of our latest Rewards coupon and became outraged when we said that she could only use one coupon. She couldn't understand why we wouldn't let her get 30% off of six different books. I mean she went to all the trouble to print six copies of the coupon and all. I think sometimes customers forget that businesses have to actually make a profit to stay in business.
3. I tried to help a customer find a nursing book but we couldn't find it. I then offered to call another store for her. They didn't have it either. The customer then made me call three other stores to track down the book. Half an hour later we still couldn't find the book. She kept apologizing for taking so much of my time. I just wanted to scream, "You're going to be a nurse and you can't even handle tracking down a book yourself!" Our store's payroll (the number of hours we can schedule employees) has been cut by about 40% since last year. In other words, we are trying to get about the same amount of work done with a lot less people. Borders doesn't have the money to spend half an hour with each customer trying to find them a $20 book.
Anyways, I just needed to vent some of this "looming layoffs" stress. It gets frustrating when I'm scrambling to keep my job and our customers are so oblivious to the highwire we are walking with this recession.
Monday, February 23, 2009
MY 8 Mysteries of Me
My friend Sarah posted an "8 Mysteries of Me" post so I decided to copy her but change it a bit to make it my own. I really just needed an idea for a post. I haven't posted lately because my life has been pretty routine - go to work, work on medical transcription course, watch some tv, go to bed. Not much to blog about and definitely no cute pictures involved. So here's some information about me.
8 favorite TV shows
1. The Mentalist
2. Jon & Kate Plus Eight
3. Criminal Minds
4. NCIS
5. Chuck
6. Ace of Cakes
7. What Not to Wear
8. The Office
8 Things I did Yesterday
1. slept in
2. watched second half of Oliver Twist
3. played Mafia Wars
4. worked on Laurel's scrapbook
5. read Robinson Crusoe
6. im'd with Megan
7. worked on transcription course
8. took a nap
8 Favorite Restaurants
1. California Pizza Kitchen - yum! adobe chicken chowder soup and red velvet cake
2. Le Diplomat - the best ravioli and bread in the whole world
3. Taco Factory - beef taquitos and a large orange bang, but I always forget to order extra rice
4. Islands - best french fries with yummy chicken tortilla soup, strange combo but I think about it at least once a week
5. Lucy Woo's - no longer exists, I'm looking for a replacement Chinese restaurant
6. Tucanos - the one in Orem, they have the best mashed potatoes ever, eating all the meat is fun but man, those potatoes are delish!
7. Ottavio's - one of the few places I can find gnocchi, their italian cream sodas and baked rigatoni are really good too
8. Pizza OoMowMow - Oh the chicken fusilli! One of the things I look forward to most about going to Disneyland.
8 Things on my Wish List
1. a job that paid me at least $40,000 with health insurance and didn't force me to up my meds just to get to work every day
2. a cure for sweet Josh
3. a job for Brandon
4. a husband
5. some kids of my own (those last two in that order please)
6. that my family all lived within an hour or two of each other
7. 10 hours of sleep and an hour to read every day
8. improved mental and physical health
8 Living Authors Whose Books I Buy
1. Jasper Fforde
2. Robin McKinley
3. Alexander McCall Smith
4. Cornelia Funke
5. Shannon Hale
6. Stephenie Meyer
7. Dean Koontz (guilty pleasure)
8. J.K. Rowling
8 Jobs I've Had
1. swim teacher
2. janitor at BYU (x2)
3. temporary office asst. (x4)
4. BYU travel agency assistant
5. dish washer at MOA cafe
6. video store clerk/supervisor at Hollywood Video and Blockbuster
7. receptionist at mortage company (worst job ever)
8. Inventory Supervisor at Borders (current job)
Okay, I'm done. That was kind of fun for me. I'd love to hear "8 Mysteries" from any of you. Feel free to change any of the categories you want.
8 favorite TV shows
1. The Mentalist
2. Jon & Kate Plus Eight
3. Criminal Minds
4. NCIS
5. Chuck
6. Ace of Cakes
7. What Not to Wear
8. The Office
8 Things I did Yesterday
1. slept in
2. watched second half of Oliver Twist
3. played Mafia Wars
4. worked on Laurel's scrapbook
5. read Robinson Crusoe
6. im'd with Megan
7. worked on transcription course
8. took a nap
8 Favorite Restaurants
1. California Pizza Kitchen - yum! adobe chicken chowder soup and red velvet cake
2. Le Diplomat - the best ravioli and bread in the whole world
3. Taco Factory - beef taquitos and a large orange bang, but I always forget to order extra rice
4. Islands - best french fries with yummy chicken tortilla soup, strange combo but I think about it at least once a week
5. Lucy Woo's - no longer exists, I'm looking for a replacement Chinese restaurant
6. Tucanos - the one in Orem, they have the best mashed potatoes ever, eating all the meat is fun but man, those potatoes are delish!
7. Ottavio's - one of the few places I can find gnocchi, their italian cream sodas and baked rigatoni are really good too
8. Pizza OoMowMow - Oh the chicken fusilli! One of the things I look forward to most about going to Disneyland.
8 Things on my Wish List
1. a job that paid me at least $40,000 with health insurance and didn't force me to up my meds just to get to work every day
2. a cure for sweet Josh
3. a job for Brandon
4. a husband
5. some kids of my own (those last two in that order please)
6. that my family all lived within an hour or two of each other
7. 10 hours of sleep and an hour to read every day
8. improved mental and physical health
8 Living Authors Whose Books I Buy
1. Jasper Fforde
2. Robin McKinley
3. Alexander McCall Smith
4. Cornelia Funke
5. Shannon Hale
6. Stephenie Meyer
7. Dean Koontz (guilty pleasure)
8. J.K. Rowling
8 Jobs I've Had
1. swim teacher
2. janitor at BYU (x2)
3. temporary office asst. (x4)
4. BYU travel agency assistant
5. dish washer at MOA cafe
6. video store clerk/supervisor at Hollywood Video and Blockbuster
7. receptionist at mortage company (worst job ever)
8. Inventory Supervisor at Borders (current job)
Okay, I'm done. That was kind of fun for me. I'd love to hear "8 Mysteries" from any of you. Feel free to change any of the categories you want.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Look Ma, no cavities!
"Silver and gold, silver and gold," we used to sing to poor Ryan when he was a kid turning the nice little Rudolph the Reindeer song into a taunt. And when the gold and silver chickenfoot tile came up we were merciless. Poor kid. Ryan was cursed with Mom's not so good teeth and usually had a least one cavity whenever he went to the dentist. Just like Brandon got all of my serotonin, I somehow got Ryan's share of good tooth enamel and actually look forward to dentist visits.
I went to the dentist today (good ol' Dr. Mike for you Stewart kids). And as usual I didn't have any cavities. While sitting in the chair, I wondered why I enjoyed dentist visits so much more than doctor visits. At first I thought it was probably the lack of disrobing and embarrassing admissions at the dentist's. But I think the real reason I like going to the dentist is because it usually involves a lot of praise and pats on the back. "Good job Lindsay! Your teeth look great. Keep up the good work." But when I heard some of those words today, instead of basking in the glow, I wondered what other kids, kids like Ryan, hear at the end of their appointments. Ryan probably has much better dental hygiene than I do. I usually just brush twice a day and floss only when I occasionally remember or have something stuck in my teeth.
This whole hygiene-cavities paradox reminds me of how embarrassed I was when I had horrible acne. My skin was pretty clear until my sophomore year in college. Then I suddenly had horrible acne. I did everything possible, tried every cleanser, antibiotic, and cream out there. I washed my face religiously, made sure to sleep with my hair tied back, and never, ever, ever touched my face with my hands. But it didn't matter because my real problem was a hormone imbalance, not a lack of hygiene.
So Ryan, I'm sorry about teasing you about all of your cavities. You didn't deserve it anymore than I deserve all of the pats on the back I got this morning for my excellent hygiene. But I retain the right to enjoy going to the dentist. I mean who wouldn't with the free toothbrush and all?
I went to the dentist today (good ol' Dr. Mike for you Stewart kids). And as usual I didn't have any cavities. While sitting in the chair, I wondered why I enjoyed dentist visits so much more than doctor visits. At first I thought it was probably the lack of disrobing and embarrassing admissions at the dentist's. But I think the real reason I like going to the dentist is because it usually involves a lot of praise and pats on the back. "Good job Lindsay! Your teeth look great. Keep up the good work." But when I heard some of those words today, instead of basking in the glow, I wondered what other kids, kids like Ryan, hear at the end of their appointments. Ryan probably has much better dental hygiene than I do. I usually just brush twice a day and floss only when I occasionally remember or have something stuck in my teeth.
This whole hygiene-cavities paradox reminds me of how embarrassed I was when I had horrible acne. My skin was pretty clear until my sophomore year in college. Then I suddenly had horrible acne. I did everything possible, tried every cleanser, antibiotic, and cream out there. I washed my face religiously, made sure to sleep with my hair tied back, and never, ever, ever touched my face with my hands. But it didn't matter because my real problem was a hormone imbalance, not a lack of hygiene.
So Ryan, I'm sorry about teasing you about all of your cavities. You didn't deserve it anymore than I deserve all of the pats on the back I got this morning for my excellent hygiene. But I retain the right to enjoy going to the dentist. I mean who wouldn't with the free toothbrush and all?
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
She's Still Got It
I spent many teenage afternoons sneaking in naps while Mom taught piano lessons downstairs. I've always been more of a "late to bed, late to rise" sort of sleeper and my desire for afternoon naps was considered somewhat criminal. But as long as I could hear the piano downstairs, I knew I could nap safely. My cue to wake up and hastily start doing my homework was when I heard Mom's voice move up the stairs. I probably squeezed in hundreds of naps using this technique.
I didn't get much sleep last night and had to get up at 5:00 am so when I got home from work today, I thought I'd take a short nap for an hour or so. I quickly fell into a deep sleep. The kind of sleep where a bomb could go off and I wouldn't wake up. I even slept through my alarm clock, which I never do. All of a sudden I heard Mom's voice in the hallway asking where Sierra was. I flew out of bed in a panic saying, "She's in here, she's in here." I couldn't help laughing at myself. After all these years Mom's voice is still the best alarm clock out there.
I didn't get much sleep last night and had to get up at 5:00 am so when I got home from work today, I thought I'd take a short nap for an hour or so. I quickly fell into a deep sleep. The kind of sleep where a bomb could go off and I wouldn't wake up. I even slept through my alarm clock, which I never do. All of a sudden I heard Mom's voice in the hallway asking where Sierra was. I flew out of bed in a panic saying, "She's in here, she's in here." I couldn't help laughing at myself. After all these years Mom's voice is still the best alarm clock out there.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Christmas 2008
Christmas was exhausting, but a lot of fun. I unfortunately still had to work 40 hours that week, most of it starting at 5:00 am so I was really tired. Of course staying up until midnight playing RockBand didn't help. But it was great to come home to a house full of the people I love most in the world. It was a big change after the two weeks I had spent home alone. There was plenty of good food and company for the whole week. I didn't get very many pictures somehow (see the exhaustion previously mentioned). Some of my favorite moments all had to do with singing - rather strange for a Stewart Christmas. Brandon's rendition of "Roxanne" had us all rolling, the kids and adults had a lot of fun singing "Dance, Dance, Leprechaun" with Josh one afternoon, and the girls treated me to some beautiful Christmas carols on Sunday night. We all missed having Grandma and Grandpa with us this year. Mom came through with the food storage. I had a lot of fun this past weekend putting together a backpack bursting with preparedness for my car. Peace of mind has to be the best gift of all. For Christmas next year I think I need to work on a job that gives me the holiday off.
This is as close as we got to reenacting the nativity story.
Lindsay and Laurel in their Christmas Eve jammies.
Megan helps sweet Josh with his new lacing toy.
The lightsabers for all of the boys were a big hit.
Evan in his batman costume (complete with muscles).
Evan (always the ladies man) couldn't get enough of little Jane.
Happy 2009 everyone! I can't wait until next year. Unless I talk Mom and Dad into taking Ryan and me to Hawaii that is.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Reese's Whipps . . . blech!
The title of this post really says it all. Reese's came out with a new candy bar so I thought, "Hey, Reese's came out with a new candy bar. Yum! I better give it a try." The basic idea is peanut butter flavored nougat covered in chocolate. Sounds good right? So wrong. I'm not very good at describing flavors but basically Reese's decided to use non-peanut butter flavored nougat and to try out a new chocolate instead of the delicious stuff they use for their peanut butter cups. I tried holding the nougat in my mouth in order to taste any sort of peanut butter taste but I just couldn't find any. Of course I do have a killer cold right now so that could be part of the problem.
Homework Assignment: Everyone go out and try a delicious new Whipps candy bar and report back to me. Also: What's with the extra "p" in Whipps?
Homework Assignment: Everyone go out and try a delicious new Whipps candy bar and report back to me. Also: What's with the extra "p" in Whipps?
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Boo hoo my hit counter isn't working!
How am I supposed to know how cool I am if my hit counter isn't working? I'm afraid to reinstall it because it will probably restart me at zero. That would be so lame. At least I can my check still check my coolness level on Facebook.
Speaking of restarting things at zero, last year I had to put a new speedometer/odometer in my car. That means that my car which really has 150,000+ miles looks like it only has about 7,000 according to the new odometer. I took my car into the dealership for service this week and the porter who brought my car out to me was super impressed by my car's low mileage. He even called over another guy to check it out. He was less impressed when I told him it was a new odometer.
Speaking of crazy people (okay we weren't talking about crazy people, this is a tangent), I ran into some crazy people on my lunch break today (unfortunately one of them was me). When I left for lunch the parking lot outside of Borders was super crowded. I put my car into reverse to back out of my parking space and a car passing behind me became so excited by my bright reverse lights that he immediately slammed on his brakes, effectively trapping me in my parking space. Apparently he wanted my parking space. The problem was that he was already half way past my spot and there was another car waiting behind him who also wanted my spot. So there I was, stuck in my parking spot, watching the driver blocking my exit gesticulate angrily to the car behind him who wouldn't let him reverse so he could get my spot. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking away on my lunch break. Then the guy blocking me reverses about two inches and then starts waving at me like that two inches was enough for me to now reverse my car. I'd had just about enough, but I bet you can't guess what I did next. You probably think I just sat there fuming. But no, I behaved in a very unLindsaylike fashion. I jumped out of the car and started yelling at the guy, and he had his window down so he could totally hear me. "Either keep driving or back up! Drive forward or back up! You're blocking me in! Keep driving or back up!" I yelled (I was also waving both arms around to signal the guy what I wanted him to do). Take a second and picture it if you would like. The sight of this small ball of fury must of freaked out both drivers because all of a sudden they both backed up and gave me enough room to back my car out. I gave them one last glare and then got back in my car and left for lunch. I guess today was not the day to mess with Lindsay.
Speaking of restarting things at zero, last year I had to put a new speedometer/odometer in my car. That means that my car which really has 150,000+ miles looks like it only has about 7,000 according to the new odometer. I took my car into the dealership for service this week and the porter who brought my car out to me was super impressed by my car's low mileage. He even called over another guy to check it out. He was less impressed when I told him it was a new odometer.
Speaking of crazy people (okay we weren't talking about crazy people, this is a tangent), I ran into some crazy people on my lunch break today (unfortunately one of them was me). When I left for lunch the parking lot outside of Borders was super crowded. I put my car into reverse to back out of my parking space and a car passing behind me became so excited by my bright reverse lights that he immediately slammed on his brakes, effectively trapping me in my parking space. Apparently he wanted my parking space. The problem was that he was already half way past my spot and there was another car waiting behind him who also wanted my spot. So there I was, stuck in my parking spot, watching the driver blocking my exit gesticulate angrily to the car behind him who wouldn't let him reverse so he could get my spot. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking away on my lunch break. Then the guy blocking me reverses about two inches and then starts waving at me like that two inches was enough for me to now reverse my car. I'd had just about enough, but I bet you can't guess what I did next. You probably think I just sat there fuming. But no, I behaved in a very unLindsaylike fashion. I jumped out of the car and started yelling at the guy, and he had his window down so he could totally hear me. "Either keep driving or back up! Drive forward or back up! You're blocking me in! Keep driving or back up!" I yelled (I was also waving both arms around to signal the guy what I wanted him to do). Take a second and picture it if you would like. The sight of this small ball of fury must of freaked out both drivers because all of a sudden they both backed up and gave me enough room to back my car out. I gave them one last glare and then got back in my car and left for lunch. I guess today was not the day to mess with Lindsay.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
I Like Paisley
I was trying to choose a post-Christmas blog background but was rather stymied but all of the choices when I suddenly remembered that I really like paisley. Unfortunately the only paisley background happens to be red and green. So my post-Christmas background doesn't look very January. But anyways, I really like paisley. I don't get a lot of opportunities to incorporate it into my life because I don't wear ties very often and I can't see myself wearing a larger piece of clothing in paisley. I like paisley, I'm not crazy or blind though. I could however see myself decorating with paisley someday. Perhaps a paisley rug or curtains or something. Anyone else have any strong feelings about fabric patterns? I also think that women should limit their wearing of argyle to socks. Argyle sweaters always look manly to me.
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