A Day at Work

Well, the school year has started again, so I am back working full time. And you might think that this post is about that job, but you are so wrong. I was working at the fabric store last night. One really great thing about that job is that the store closes early (we close at 6:30). So, I locked the doors and asked my co-worker if she knew if there were any more customers in the store. Since neither of us knew if there was or was not a customer in the back I decided to go check. As I neared the back of the store I could see that someone was there. I approached the lady and asked her if she needed any help with anything.
"Oh are you closing?" she asked.
"Yeah, we are."
"Ok well...(she asked some questions about the fabric she was looking at)...let's just take this up to the front then to measure it."
"Alrighty," I respond as I reach for the bolt, to carry it up there for her.
"Oh," she starts as she is reaching toward my stomach, "are you expecting?"
After I revive from the shock this question put me in I tell her that no, I am certainly not expecting. And yes, she actually touched my stomach.
She replies, "Well, I just wouldn't want you to carry this if you were in that motherly way."

Ok folks, I know that I could stand to lose a few pounds, but for real?!? Who does that? And even if I were pregnant, I would hope that I could carry a three pound bolt of fabric...for the love! Now if you have never had the experience of being asked if you are pregnant when you are so not pregnant, let me just tell you: it's not fun. It's a little funny in hind-sight. After she left the store I told my co-worker what had happened. We had a good time thinking about what I should have said in response to her question. Here are the top four:
Number 4: I could have just hit her upside the head with the bolt I was carrying for her.
Number 3: "You could stand to lose a couple pounds yourself, ma'am."
Number 2: "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Get out now."
Number 1: "Hey listen, you're no perfect ten either!"

I guess it's good to know that my poochy stomach is at least firm. It's not just all flabbin' around.

Pictures to Appease Tracy

Who doesn't love the Bourne series??


This was part of the "studio tour," just some cool special effects.


Mr. Toad's Wild Ride...I think that's what that ride is called.

This meal was about $25

We rode the Winnie the Pooh ride...the wait was non-existent. We had just finished Splash Mountain. (I don't know why I look like I'm grimacing.)

Memory Tag

Here are the rules:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a lot or a little, just any memory you have.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave memories for you.
If you leave a memory for me I'll assume you are playing and I'll leave a memory for you. If you don't have a blog I will email you.

Goodbye Summer

Well, today was my first official day back to working full time. It wasn't a typical work day for me, but we had pre-start-of-school meetings. It was so much fun. :( I did, however, have one last hoorah for the summer. Sam and I went to California last week and got back yesterday. It was fantastic! Not one of those relaxing trips, really, but fun.

We got to California Friday night, late. We went to Universal Studios free on Saturday (thanks again, Bryce). I had never been to Universal Studios, so it was fun. Sam even got to participate in the special effects stage presentation thing. It was pretty sweet. The best part about Universal Studios is that they had these fans set up that would also spray water out. They were called "cool zones." I should have taken a picture of them. It made it way nicer to walk around the park, and they had water mists in all the lines too. It was bearable to wait for 40 minutes in the hot California sun because of those.

Monday we spent the day at Disneyland. Yay! I love that place. Disneyland did not have any cool zones, and I think that they should look into it. They really make the park-going experience so much more pleasant. I don't know if you've heard, but the small world ride is shut down. How sad is that? Sure, it's not a very fun ride, but it's classic. It's made fun of and you just have to ride it when you go to Disneyland. The reason it's shut down (as we were told from a group of kids that looked maybe 16) is because America is too fat. Apparently the boats were not meant to support so much weight and they would sink to the bottom of the shallow river that went through the castle that housed the ride, and then the boats wouldn't move. (I should take the time to actually research the reason that the ride is closed, but I like this version.) Anyway, the front is all covered up and rumor has it that they are going to change the ride completely. I think that is so sad. Come on people, if this isn't a wake-up call to the obesity problem facing this country, I don't know what is. Personally, I'm going to resolve to get in better shape. Hopefully shed a few pounds, so tragedies like this don't happen on my account.

All in all, it was a fun trip though. Other than the small world ride and space mountain being broken, Disneyland did not disappoint. The worst part, as is true for most vacations is coming home. It's been a great summer for me and I really will be glad to get back to work.

Hair

We might as well admit it right now: we all have quirks about us. If you deny it, you are just lying to yourself. Everyone else around you knows it's true. And yes, we are ALL strange too. There is no such thing as normal. With that said, I wanted to share one of my quirks.

I have some strange opinions about hair, I guess is the way to say it. I think hair has appropriate places, and when it is not in those places it is unacceptable. For example, hair should not be left in the shower, on the walls the floor or any other place that it will be seen by the next shower user. (I had some Mongolian roommates once and finding their black hair in the shower made me crazy!) Hair should not be left on the bathroom floor, counter top, or sink. It's just not okay. Clean up after yourself, please. Now, here comes the extreme part of my opinion. I really think that every human should shave their arm pits. For real. Guys, hairy arm pits are repulsive. I don't want to see it. I can accept hairy legs and arms for the boys, although if we (girls) have to shave I don't see why you get off scot-free. I won't even start to talk about hairy chests and, perhaps the worst of all, backs.

I attribute a portion of this opinion to my first real boyfriend. He was a lacrosse player and would shave his legs, because if you get a leg injury and wrap it when your legs are hairy it really hurts to pull it off, or so I'm told. At the time that I dated him he didn't play lacrosse, but I guess the shaving habit stuck. And I liked it.

Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime

There are some things that I really love about the summertime, and I thought I would share those with you.

• Not working 40+ hours each week
• Hanging clean laundry on the line: I think this is an acquired taste like corn tortillas with melted cheese and pickle on it. I love the crunchiness of towels and jeans after they have been line-dried. And they smell so good.
• Summer rain storms. The smell...the warm puddles to jump in. Good stuff.
• Driving with the windows down: you can't do this when it's too hot though. It's more of an evening or morning activity.
• Ultimate Frisbee. So much fun! If you're in town and want to join in a game, we play twice a week. Just let me know :)
• Running outside. I haven't done enough of this so far. Also this has to be a morning or evening activity.
• Sleeping in
• Snowie shacks: I've always loved a good snowie. Add some cream on there and it is even better. Also a good way to make a fat-free snack not so fat-free. If you haven't tried it though, you need to. Tiger's blood with cream (or ice-cream). Yum!
• Popsicles. One is definitely not enough. I love the giant otter pop types at Wal-Mart and I always eat at least two, maybe more at one time. Twin-pops are also good, classic. And I love a Big Stick, it's a yellow-orange swirled dream-come-true.
• Summer school. It's great to finish a class in half the time. Stressful, yes, but worth it.
• Swimming! Fortunately both my brothers live in condo neighborhoods that have swimming pools, so this activity is free to me. Here's a hint (for the girls reading this): being comfortable in a swimsuit has less to do with how you feel about your body, and more to do with finding a great swimsuit. It might cost more, but it's worth it to feel cute in a swimming suit.
  
• BBQs. Grilled hot dogs are good.
• Outdoor movies
• Indoor movies. Not as fun as outdoor movies, but there are always great movies that come out during the summer.

I may have missed some of my favorite things, but still, a pretty good list. I hope that you've been enjoying your summer as much as I have been enjoying mine. Take time to appreciate the small things. Life is good!

Mr. Miyagi Knew What He Was Talking About

As predicted, this summer has kept me from blogging very often...or at all. But that's a good thing, I think. I'm glad to know that I have better things to do than sit at a computer. A few weeks ago I decided to wash my car. You know, the good old fashioned way. Drive it onto the lawn and get the hose and a bucket and get to work. It was...well, hot. But afterward my car did look nice.

I went up to Sam's house, he had also washed his car. He went to extra mile though. He decided to wax his car, by hand. If you've never had this experience, I don't recommend it. We thought it would be a good idea to wax my car as well. It took so long! It's hard work to wax a car. I really think that it could be good training for fighting. I am putting a lot more stock in the immortal words of Mr. Miyagi, "Wax on. Wax off." That circular motion gives you a shoulder work out like you've never had before. It SUCKED!! (For those of you that know me, you know that working my shoulders is by far my hate-iest type of exercise. Yes, hate-iest.) Needless to say, after that fun experience, Sam and I realized that waxing two cars at the same time is not the smartest thing ever. If you do want to wax your car, get a friend to help you, but don't do their's that same day.

Raffle

So, apparently my brother decided that I am unable to make the choice of marriage on my own. Yesterday he came up with this fabulous idea...well it's funny anyway. He decided that he was going to put on a raffle to determine my future husband. He wrote the rules during church yesterday (he thought the meeting was boring, I thought it was fine).

"Any temple-worthy, non-related male can choose to enter and gets one initial ticket. Additional tickets will be added one ticket per month of dating Diana, post DTR months as determined by Diana. Diana's parents each get five tickets with the name chosen by the parent. Diana's siblings each get two tickets of their own choice. Diana's BFF, Casey Davis, also gets one ticket of her choice."

Those are the rules as set forth by John. It did provide for an entertaining dinner conversation yesterday. Since most of us were home for Father's Day, my siblings were taking a poll to see who would have the most tickets. It was amusing. Not sure when the alleged raffle is to take place. I'll keep you posted. Yeah, I guess my brother is pretty funny.

*I should give some credit to Megan. She claims the raffle was her idea. John did write the rules however.*

Summer!

So, I work in the public school system. I do love it! I love my summer break and all the other vacations I get throughout the year. This is just to let you know that I do not play on the computer near as often during the summer as I do during the school year. Thus my posts will be few and far between. That's just the way it is. If you look at my blog and get frustrated that it has not been updated, just think to yourself, "Oh well, I guess she is busy doing something fun, outside in the warm Utah summer." And then you can sit at your desk and pout because you have one of those jobs where you have to work all year 'round.

Sucks to be you.

WHAT?!?

So, I read a lot of blogs. More than I should waste my time on. I link through my friends' blogs and have found quite a few blogs of people I knew in high school. No one that I was really good friends with, just acquaintances. To me, they are interesting to read...and a little bewildering. Honestly, I CANNOT believe that there are people out there, my age, that have three or four kids. What is that?

Granted, I was never the type to get married young, but still. How is it possible that a girl my age could have a child old enough to go to kindergarten? Wow! It blows my mind. I don't feel old enough for that. I guess I am just a slow mover in life. You know, slow to marry (if that ever happens), slow to graduate college, and for sure slow to have kids.

Rain Dance

Why is it that every time I wash my car it rains the same day (or the very next day)?!? It just makes me sad. I spent all that time to wash my car for nothing. I mean it takes a lot to actually remember to buy a car wash when you gas up and then find a nice day to go through the wash, hoping you won't have to wait in line behind anyone. I guess I should start watching the weather...it might save me some heartache.

On another note...if you have not seen the new "Prince Caspian" movie, I highly reccomend it. I loved it! More than "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe."

The Pretty People of Utah

I've lived in Utah my whole life. Lately, it seems, I've heard many people comment about the attractiveness of the people that live in this state. The first time that I heard someone mention this strange phenomenon was when my friend came down to visit from Oregon. As we were eating lunch he pointed out quite a few women that he found attractive and then he said, "Everyone in Utah is pretty! Everywhere I go there are so many pretty girls! I think I'm going to have to move here."

I didn't really think much of his opinion. I mean people that I think are pretty and people that he thinks are pretty are probably not the same. The next incident was with a college professor. She had moved here from Florida, and had lived in other southern states. She taught at a junior high near Salt Lake City and then taught at the college in the afternoons/evenings. She would always comment about how all the boys and girls in her junior high classes were so beautiful. And she thought they all looked very similar as well. She talked about this on more than one occasion.

If you are an American Idol fan you may have noticed, like my friend, that there was a difference between the people they showed when David Archuleta came home and the people that were neighbors or fans of the other two contestants. Also, there are more gyms per capita in Utah than other states in the nation. I'm not saying that all people in Utah are more fit than those in other states, but it does seem to imply that they generally are thinner and fitter than others.

As I look at all of these facts and opinions of those from out of state I think, "Wow! There is a lot of pressure to be pretty here in Utah. I don't think that I am living up to that." Then I wonder to myself, "WHY am I still living in Utah?!?" I mean if I am average looking here imagine how beautiful I could be somewhere else!!

The Stinky Locker

This post is dedicated to my faithful locker buddies of 1998-1999.

This morning as the announcement came on that it was time to clean out the lockers, as tradition holds for the end of the school year, I was taken back to an experience I once had with a locker. The first day of school in my junior year one of my good friends came to pick me up, since we were planning to walk to school together. As we made the trek up to the high school we talked about our schedules and the lockers that we were assigned to. I remember the previous year I hadn't put any name down to share a locker with for the next year. I was really surprised to find that this friend and I would be sharing a locker, along with one more friend. Neither of us had put each other's name down, so we assumed that it was the third friend that had listed both of us.

We located our locker that first day and continued to use it throughout the year. The third friend never used it much, but since it was close to our trig class, which we had with another friend, she started using it as well. A few months into the school year we started noticing an unpleasant aroma every time we opened our locker. We tried to get the janitors to clean it for us, but that was fruitless. We stayed after school one day and cleaned it ourselves. Still, the stench was there. We put air fresheners in the locker (perhaps too many). People walking by would comment on the strong smell of the air fresheners when we were at our locker. Besides, it was one of those air fresheners-mixed-with-stink smells that was now protruding from our locker. Eventually we started smelling the stink during our classes too...it had spread to our text books. Nothing we tried got rid of the smell. We think something had died behind our locker or underneath it or somewhere in close proximity to it.

The best part about this stinky locker experience was that a couple years later my friend's little sister was in a trig class. Her book still carried the rotten locker stench.

My Bother's Engaged

It's true. My younger bother is engaged. It's really strange when I think about him being engaged. He's getting married in less than two months...yikes! It's not like he's too young to be married, it's just that he's my little brother (although nothing about him is actually little...unless you count his fiance).



It's just weird that my little brother is getting married. It is also strange that both of my brothers, although eight years apart, will be married in the same year. (My older brother got married in February this year.) I am happy for the addition to my family, and just want to send out a big congratulations to the happy couple.

Also a quick shout-out to Sand. Pound it for being single. Just think how good the picture will look this time around, now that the ugly brothers are out.... :)

Some People's Kids

I know that there are a lot of annoying people in the world. I am sure that I am one of them to some people some of the time. We all are. I get more annoyed from the people that think they are the exception to this rule.

The other day I was working at a school that is not normally where I work. It starts later than my normal school so I was going to have to go straight from that job to my next job and would probably be late anyway. The day came to an end and I went out to my car. When I got there, much to my dismay, there was a car parked behind me. This is not unusual, because there are always parents out there waiting to pick up their kids. They are usually nice enough to move out of the way when they see that I want to back up and leave. The great thing about this particular parent was that they had actually left the car...there was no one in it...I was stuck. Needless to say I was frustrated with this situation. I sat in my car kind of side-saddle on the front seat, reading my book, while I waited for the owner of the Ford Mustang to come move his car. When he finally did come out and get in his car I looked at him or rather I glared at him. I am sure it was a good crusty stare too. I can give good stink eye when I want to. He's just lucky I kept my mouth shut.