and 2 hours to go!
Truly Classic
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tonight's the Night!
If you just looked in on our class, you might think we're training to be actors. We have to role play a lot, occassionally there's a tear or outburst and we have to video tape ourselves. But no, we are learning to be counselors. And reviewing and evaluating ourselves. Tonight, we meet individually with the instructors to video record a mock counseling session with an adult role-playing a school counseling scenario. Three instructors will be watching us and filming us. Then, we will take our video into another room and evaluate ourselves. Tough! Nobody likes watching themselves on video. Anyways, my appointment is at 7:45 tonight. Wish me luck!!! And pray that it isn't a secondary school issue! They always seem to be about drugs or sex! I want friendship issues, or mom and dad are getting a divorce, or bullying, please!
Luckily, I have something to look forward to after my appointment. My party closing! I think I'll have a few more orders, so hopefully, I will get more free stuff! And I'll make my order tonight. And, even better, I get to see Candice and Barbara! Barbara's been helping pass out pamphlets and has a few orders to return to me and I told her to just come over before Candice and maybe we can visit for awhile! I love these girls!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Memory Mondays: Friends
Since I met up with an old friend this weekend, Candice King, I thought I'd write about some of my closest friendships. 
My first friend was Fubba. (aka Angela Metcalf) She was my neighbor all through my childhood and we just had so much fun together. She was a year older than me. We loved playing outside.
Fubba and I also had other neighbor friends that we would play with. There were Michael and Tiffany and Angela V and Robin. We tried to avoid hanging out with Angela V. because she was bossy. She always made us play what she wanted to! And the funny thing is, we let her. Even though she was a year younger than me and 2 years younger than Fubba! I didn't play with Michael or Tiffany very often, but there was this one month when I was in 2nd grade that they were both around when I got injured. I climbed a fence with Michael and tore up my upper right thigh and needed stitches. Then, later that same month, a bunch of us were jumping on my trampoline when I tried to get off and Tiffany landed on my left leg and broke it. Everyone always hung out at my house 'cuz we had the fun yard- a swing set, a trampoline and a big hill! Plus, my mom was nice.
In kindergarten, the friend I remember best was Candiss. She had long, blonde hair and lived at the house with the lion statues.
I don't even remember first grade friends. Just the snakes in the classroom! Sometime in elementary school, there was Alicia, Lailani, and Jessica Nava. But in second grade I made my childhood best friend, Nancy Unander. That's the year I broke my leg. The funny thing is that I was planning a rollerblade birthday party, and when I broke my leg I had to change it to a house party. Mom and I took the same skate-shaped invitations I had already sent out and made them look like they were in a cast, then I resent them to all my friends. Nancy hadn't received a first invite, but she did get the cast invite. We were fast friends. We did everything together! Our favorite thing to do was ride our bikes. We always felt pretty cool when we could ride all the way to Harmons or Albertsons for a soda pop!
Sixth grade was hard because Nancy and I weren't in the same class. And we were both making new friends. I had a habit of befriending the new kids, like Elisha Austin and Ruth Whittington. And somehow, these kids became the most popular kids in school! But not me. I just floated in the middle, just cool enough. Elisha was "stolen" from me by Heather Ramsey. I remember our silly fights, with ugly hand-written notes. Sorry girls! We were pretty petty. Soon enough, me, Ruthie and Nicole Cornwell were best buds, with the necklaces and everything to prove it! But then Ruthie moved and Nicole got too cool.
Jr. High started out okay. History class was fun 'cuz Nancy and I actually got in trouble for talking, with Misty Close and Chris Robbinson. I was friends with Nancy and Jennifer Taylor for awhile. And my mom coached the softball team, so I had other friends too. Candice King was on the softball team and one of her good friends was Barbara Cain, who became a best friend to me. But she was always so busy with church stuff, babysitting and band stuff that we eventually just grew apart. Shelly Baugh was popular and I remember the time she invited me to the Hole, the cool hangout spot. But then there was more drama. And I quickly lost the popularity game. I had my crushes, (Bryce Sheen, Clark Harper, Beau Benson, Josh Allred) but none of them even knew I existed. The only guys that did know I existed bullied me by slamming my locker shut and putting me in the trash cans.
Then on to high school, where things got worse. Nancy and I hung out with a girl named Melissa Wilden. And when Nancy couldn't hang out, Melissa and I did. I got into more trouble than I'd ever been in with Melissa. She was my "bad influence friend." The worse we ever did was skip school, but we sure had fun! We were giggly together. But then the three of us got in a fight and became enemies. The girls in choir teased me. Still no boyfriends. I was just thankful to have "acquaintances" to sit with at lunch. I knew these kids weren't the coolest, and I didn't want to be seen with them, but I had no where else to go. Thanks Mary, Chad and Stacy!! Thanks even to David, who had an annoying crush on me. Somehow I survived to my Senior year, where my little brother and I were best friends. We even shared a locker! I was taking easy, fun classes, mostly working in the preschool and local elementary schools. By now, Royce and I were dating and I had a few friends, Jen, Angel and Misty, but then I found out they were graduating early. So I was alone again. Until I talked to my counselor and found out I could graduate! YAY!
I also had a best friend, Lizzy Shaw, from work. She was older than me, by 5+ years, and already had a baby. But, somehow, we were great friends. I babysat for her, but we could also just talk like friends. I was there when she started a miscarriage. I was only 16 or 17, but I think I was a good support for her. I felt pretty grown up when I visited her at the hospital and helped her to the bathroom, especially when I saw other "grown up" friends visit and be intimidated to help her. Her sweet little girl, Shelby, used to call me "Mama Tati!" And her husband and in-law's really thought of me, and Royce, as a part of the family.
Royce and I had started hanging out more with AJ and his friends, Cody, Nick, Blake, Chris and Mitch. And when Royce and I got our home, they'd come over every weekend. We would play games and pool. And the boys would play with the air-soft guns. We all grew apart, but we still talk through my brother once in awhile.
Now, Royce and I have our friends Kyle and Alex. And Mat. And, of course, AJ. We do a lot together because we are around the same age and like the same kinds of things. I worry that when Royce and I start our family, we will lose some of the freedom we have now, and maybe, just maybe, lose our friendships because of this. Gosh I hope not though! It's nice to have friends in the same situations we are.
So, I have lost or broken a friendship or two. But I don't regret any of them. I love what I have learned from them. Even if they caused heartache. And I think I am a better, and different, person than they all knew me as.
My first friend was Fubba. (aka Angela Metcalf) She was my neighbor all through my childhood and we just had so much fun together. She was a year older than me. We loved playing outside.
Fubba and I also had other neighbor friends that we would play with. There were Michael and Tiffany and Angela V and Robin. We tried to avoid hanging out with Angela V. because she was bossy. She always made us play what she wanted to! And the funny thing is, we let her. Even though she was a year younger than me and 2 years younger than Fubba! I didn't play with Michael or Tiffany very often, but there was this one month when I was in 2nd grade that they were both around when I got injured. I climbed a fence with Michael and tore up my upper right thigh and needed stitches. Then, later that same month, a bunch of us were jumping on my trampoline when I tried to get off and Tiffany landed on my left leg and broke it. Everyone always hung out at my house 'cuz we had the fun yard- a swing set, a trampoline and a big hill! Plus, my mom was nice.
In kindergarten, the friend I remember best was Candiss. She had long, blonde hair and lived at the house with the lion statues.
I don't even remember first grade friends. Just the snakes in the classroom! Sometime in elementary school, there was Alicia, Lailani, and Jessica Nava. But in second grade I made my childhood best friend, Nancy Unander. That's the year I broke my leg. The funny thing is that I was planning a rollerblade birthday party, and when I broke my leg I had to change it to a house party. Mom and I took the same skate-shaped invitations I had already sent out and made them look like they were in a cast, then I resent them to all my friends. Nancy hadn't received a first invite, but she did get the cast invite. We were fast friends. We did everything together! Our favorite thing to do was ride our bikes. We always felt pretty cool when we could ride all the way to Harmons or Albertsons for a soda pop!
Sixth grade was hard because Nancy and I weren't in the same class. And we were both making new friends. I had a habit of befriending the new kids, like Elisha Austin and Ruth Whittington. And somehow, these kids became the most popular kids in school! But not me. I just floated in the middle, just cool enough. Elisha was "stolen" from me by Heather Ramsey. I remember our silly fights, with ugly hand-written notes. Sorry girls! We were pretty petty. Soon enough, me, Ruthie and Nicole Cornwell were best buds, with the necklaces and everything to prove it! But then Ruthie moved and Nicole got too cool.
Jr. High started out okay. History class was fun 'cuz Nancy and I actually got in trouble for talking, with Misty Close and Chris Robbinson. I was friends with Nancy and Jennifer Taylor for awhile. And my mom coached the softball team, so I had other friends too. Candice King was on the softball team and one of her good friends was Barbara Cain, who became a best friend to me. But she was always so busy with church stuff, babysitting and band stuff that we eventually just grew apart. Shelly Baugh was popular and I remember the time she invited me to the Hole, the cool hangout spot. But then there was more drama. And I quickly lost the popularity game. I had my crushes, (Bryce Sheen, Clark Harper, Beau Benson, Josh Allred) but none of them even knew I existed. The only guys that did know I existed bullied me by slamming my locker shut and putting me in the trash cans.
Then on to high school, where things got worse. Nancy and I hung out with a girl named Melissa Wilden. And when Nancy couldn't hang out, Melissa and I did. I got into more trouble than I'd ever been in with Melissa. She was my "bad influence friend." The worse we ever did was skip school, but we sure had fun! We were giggly together. But then the three of us got in a fight and became enemies. The girls in choir teased me. Still no boyfriends. I was just thankful to have "acquaintances" to sit with at lunch. I knew these kids weren't the coolest, and I didn't want to be seen with them, but I had no where else to go. Thanks Mary, Chad and Stacy!! Thanks even to David, who had an annoying crush on me. Somehow I survived to my Senior year, where my little brother and I were best friends. We even shared a locker! I was taking easy, fun classes, mostly working in the preschool and local elementary schools. By now, Royce and I were dating and I had a few friends, Jen, Angel and Misty, but then I found out they were graduating early. So I was alone again. Until I talked to my counselor and found out I could graduate! YAY!
I also had a best friend, Lizzy Shaw, from work. She was older than me, by 5+ years, and already had a baby. But, somehow, we were great friends. I babysat for her, but we could also just talk like friends. I was there when she started a miscarriage. I was only 16 or 17, but I think I was a good support for her. I felt pretty grown up when I visited her at the hospital and helped her to the bathroom, especially when I saw other "grown up" friends visit and be intimidated to help her. Her sweet little girl, Shelby, used to call me "Mama Tati!" And her husband and in-law's really thought of me, and Royce, as a part of the family.
Royce and I had started hanging out more with AJ and his friends, Cody, Nick, Blake, Chris and Mitch. And when Royce and I got our home, they'd come over every weekend. We would play games and pool. And the boys would play with the air-soft guns. We all grew apart, but we still talk through my brother once in awhile.
Now, Royce and I have our friends Kyle and Alex. And Mat. And, of course, AJ. We do a lot together because we are around the same age and like the same kinds of things. I worry that when Royce and I start our family, we will lose some of the freedom we have now, and maybe, just maybe, lose our friendships because of this. Gosh I hope not though! It's nice to have friends in the same situations we are.
So, I have lost or broken a friendship or two. But I don't regret any of them. I love what I have learned from them. Even if they caused heartache. And I think I am a better, and different, person than they all knew me as.
Another fun weekend!
Friday:
Saturday:
On Friday night, we went to my brother's house to play games and just hang out. It was great fun. His little house is coming together so well!!
Saturday:On Saturday, I hosted a Slumber Party. It was fun! The representative was a gal I went to high school with. It was so nice to see her again! And so easy! Hopefully we will keep in touch and start hanging out. Unfortunately, I only had 6 people show up. And, so far, only $457.00 worth of sale. My party doesn't close out til Wednesday, so hopefully I will get more! Right now, I am at $45.70 credits towards my own purchase. Honestly, I want to spend $183! So, spend people, spend! :) No, I'm not a nymph or sex addict. But, you've got to spice it up! Especially when you're trying to get preggers! Anyways, if you want a catalog, email me at just_mee84@hotmail.com!
After the party, me and Royce went with Kyle, Alex and Mat to Boondocks. Sooo fun! We started at Rollerball and then ended up in the arcade, where we played a lot of fun games:
Ball-istic!
Motorcycle Races:
Hunting:
And we all got a lot of tickets! Or... we should have! Poor Kyle and Alex got gypt on their's! Sorry for the bum-luck! Royce and I decided to save our points and hopefully get a cool gas pump lava lamp for a raffle prize for our show. In the end, it will only cost us a couple hundred dollars! ;) 
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Well, the fish lips were pretty well back to normal by the time I left for the school today. Thanks to 2 Benadryl! Now I am tired and spacey. I've been yawning all afternoon. And I'm stuck here at work til 9:00. Bummerdays!
At least the school was fun! Got to work with a kindergarten group and a 1st grade group, so I felt "at home." I love, love, love those kiddos!
At least the school was fun! Got to work with a kindergarten group and a 1st grade group, so I felt "at home." I love, love, love those kiddos!
Nerves, stress, anticipation and all that fun stuff
When I get nervous or stressed or excited or anticipated or scared, I get itchy. And I swell up. For the last two days, for many different reasons, my body has taken to swelling and itching.
Which only gives me more to worry and stress about! So I treat it. With this:
The best, fastest acting itch relief I've ever tried. And good old Benadryl. But both have pretty serious side effects. The ActivOn leaves me cold. Freezing, really! My whole body drops temperature, and wherever I've applied it (usually my legs) seem to tingle and freeze. But they don't itch! And the hives go away. And Benadryl, obviously, makes me drowsy. I took half of one yesterday and I was spacey all day. I took the other half, the bigger half, today. I can only imagine what it's going to do to me. But with my lip swollen the way it is this morning, I had no other choice. I look like I've had a bad experience with botox. On one side of my lips only. Nice, right? So, wish me luck today. I'm gonna need it.
Which only gives me more to worry and stress about! So I treat it. With this:
The best, fastest acting itch relief I've ever tried. And good old Benadryl. But both have pretty serious side effects. The ActivOn leaves me cold. Freezing, really! My whole body drops temperature, and wherever I've applied it (usually my legs) seem to tingle and freeze. But they don't itch! And the hives go away. And Benadryl, obviously, makes me drowsy. I took half of one yesterday and I was spacey all day. I took the other half, the bigger half, today. I can only imagine what it's going to do to me. But with my lip swollen the way it is this morning, I had no other choice. I look like I've had a bad experience with botox. On one side of my lips only. Nice, right? So, wish me luck today. I'm gonna need it.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
It's gonna be tough!
This staying late to make up hours is gonna kill me! By the time I get home it will be close to 8:00. That gives me just two or three hours of chill time before I go to bed. Bummerdays. And Wednesdays will be worse 'cuz I have class and will be at UOP until 10pm! Thank God for Fridays!!! I'll be off at 4:00. Maybe I'll get something done around the house. Probably not though. My guess is I'll be totally exhausted. But, it's only for 2 months. And it's all gonna be worth it in the end!
Day One!
Day One of my practicum was a success! No, I didn't fix any kids. No, I didn't even work with any kids, or even observe the counselor work with any kids, but I did indeed learn a lot! I learned that counselors have to be flexible, even more flexible than I ever thought!
So, I get to her office and notice it's a mess. There are boxes everywhere. She tells me that there has been a change in plans- her office is getting painted, so she needs to pack up and move. To somewhere. Wherever. Plus, there are several assemblies that interfere with her schedule in the next little while, so she needs to re-schedule. So she shows me how exactly she does that. It's a bugger! She has to take this student between this time and this time, can't take this student at this time, has to add this student to this group, etc! It's craziness. But she knows what she's doing, and she explains it to me, telling me why she does it and how it works. Then she gets me online to a website with social stories (http://www.kansasasd.com/) and asks me to find one or two about specific cases. Then I tweak them a little bit to fit our students. Then I print and make copies. Then it's time to pack. But she doesn't have enough boxes. So I volunteer to go get boxes I have stored at work. So I go. And I return to help pack a few things, afraid to mess anything up. Then she finds some pamphlets that need to be handed out. So she shows me how to get class sizes and where to distribute them. Meanwhile, I notice one of my kinders from last year sitting with an ice pack on his shoulder. So I ask him how he's doing and ask what's happened and the poor kid has dislocated his shoulder. And no, it didn't happen during recess, it happened during reading time!! Holy goodness, if this is what happens during reading time, then it's a good thing I'm getting some counseling training! Maybe I need nursing next... Alex? Anyways, it was fun. Even if I didn't get to interact with students. There's something about that environment that just makes me giddy!
Anyways, that's a nutshell of what happened on day one. If you want to continue following my practicum, I'm going to keep a better, more detailed journal of my progress on http://tbeckcounseling.shutterfly.com/. But because it will be personal, with example case studies and my personal reflection of situations, I have to set it to a password. If you want the password, email me. If I trust you with the password, I will respond.
So, I get to her office and notice it's a mess. There are boxes everywhere. She tells me that there has been a change in plans- her office is getting painted, so she needs to pack up and move. To somewhere. Wherever. Plus, there are several assemblies that interfere with her schedule in the next little while, so she needs to re-schedule. So she shows me how exactly she does that. It's a bugger! She has to take this student between this time and this time, can't take this student at this time, has to add this student to this group, etc! It's craziness. But she knows what she's doing, and she explains it to me, telling me why she does it and how it works. Then she gets me online to a website with social stories (http://www.kansasasd.com/) and asks me to find one or two about specific cases. Then I tweak them a little bit to fit our students. Then I print and make copies. Then it's time to pack. But she doesn't have enough boxes. So I volunteer to go get boxes I have stored at work. So I go. And I return to help pack a few things, afraid to mess anything up. Then she finds some pamphlets that need to be handed out. So she shows me how to get class sizes and where to distribute them. Meanwhile, I notice one of my kinders from last year sitting with an ice pack on his shoulder. So I ask him how he's doing and ask what's happened and the poor kid has dislocated his shoulder. And no, it didn't happen during recess, it happened during reading time!! Holy goodness, if this is what happens during reading time, then it's a good thing I'm getting some counseling training! Maybe I need nursing next... Alex? Anyways, it was fun. Even if I didn't get to interact with students. There's something about that environment that just makes me giddy!
Anyways, that's a nutshell of what happened on day one. If you want to continue following my practicum, I'm going to keep a better, more detailed journal of my progress on http://tbeckcounseling.shutterfly.com/. But because it will be personal, with example case studies and my personal reflection of situations, I have to set it to a password. If you want the password, email me. If I trust you with the password, I will respond.
41 days
Just fyi, my birthday is in 41 days! May 3!
So, I'm just waiting for someone to come cover the front desk so I can go to my first day of my practicum! Today I will be observing my mentor, Katrina, as she teaches guidance lessons to both a 2nd and 4th grade class. She will also be working with an individual student and a group of boys. I'm not certain, but I think it's the Aspergers group today. That should be interesting! I'm excited... and nervous!!! Hopefully I haven't worked this hard to find out that I can't counsel!
So, I'm just waiting for someone to come cover the front desk so I can go to my first day of my practicum! Today I will be observing my mentor, Katrina, as she teaches guidance lessons to both a 2nd and 4th grade class. She will also be working with an individual student and a group of boys. I'm not certain, but I think it's the Aspergers group today. That should be interesting! I'm excited... and nervous!!! Hopefully I haven't worked this hard to find out that I can't counsel!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Memory Mondays: Grandparents
I spent a lot of time this weekend thinking about traditions and family. Today's memories are about my grandparents and the things I remember best about growing up with them.
My mom's mom, Grandma "Treat", was always the most fun! She spoiled us rotten and always had a treat in her purse for us. She'd take us fun places, give us fun and noisy toys and always had the best home to play at. I always miss Grandma this time of year because I miss her Easter Egg hunts. She used to live on a farm with lots of land and she would have huge Easter Egg hunts. The eggs would be all over her pastures. We had to climb in and out of fences, watching where we stepped, moving around the horses. It was great fun. And she always had great prizes for us. We would have a picnic lunch and just spend the day outside playing. Us kids loved all the out-buildings and were always creating clubhouses. She always had us over for Christmas too. She'd play the Chipmunks soundtracks and have the big screen TV on the Mickey Mouse Club. And a tradition I've kept up, just to commemorate her and reminisce, is the Christmastime Rainbow Gardens trip. When we all got older, she would take all the girl cousins to Rainbow Gardens. It was a fun, grown up experience for us. Sometimes it would be all of us together, sometimes it was one-on-one with her. She would buy us an ornament for our tree.
The thing about Grandma is, she betrayed my mom. She truly destroyed their relationship. To a point of no forgiveness... at least it would have been for me. They went a year or more without speaking. But when Mom got married and started her family, she knew that Grandma needed her grandkids. That she would be good for them. No, Mom didn't agree with everything she ever did, but she knew that all-in-all, Grandma was a good person and would be an amazing Grandmother. So she reconnected with her and never influenced our relationship with her. In fact, until I was a teenager, I never knew what had gone on between my mom and Grandma because they were so close and bonded so well over my brother and I. It was an amazing relationship and I am so thankful for everything they did to allow me to make my own decisions about the situation and my own judgments. I love my Grandmother and Mom. And I would not change a thing about what we had. I miss my Grandma dearly.
Mom's Dad, Grandpa Bill, was our babysitter. He always watched us while Mom worked. He passed away from cancer when I was in 1st grade, but I remember these times so well. He'd take AJ and I to a restaurant, I think it was JC's HiHat, and he always knew everyone there! He'd order his coffee, AJ would get a hot chocolate and I always had to have my Coke. And we'd sit there, listening to him visit with his friends and listening to their stories. He read to us a lot. I loved sitting on his lap.
Dad's parents lived in Afton, Wyoming when I was a kid. We'd drive up for a weekend visit and the drive was always the same. Dad had a selection of CD's he'd bring, mostly Don Henley and the Eagles. It was a four hour drive. And we were always asking "Are we half-way yet?" And when we went under the antler bridge, we knew we were close. During the visits, AJ and I had to share a room across from my parents. And we had to go to bed early and wake up early. But we always woke up to a delicious breakfast. Grandma would always have a craft planned for us and we'd spend one of the days doing that and, if we were lucky, we'd get to take a trip to the rock store! I loved going to the rock store. And I loved going to the restaurant with the butterflies. Now-a-days, I like to play cards with my Grandma and Grandpa Perkins. We play games like Five Crowns and Phase Ten.
I also remember visiting my Great-Grandma Fanny in Wyoming on our way to visit Grandma and Grandpa Perkins. It was always a little scary to visit her because she lived in a nursing home.
It wasn't as scary to visit Great-Grandma Wilma because she still lived in her own home most of my childhood. We loved playing in her backyard and her "secret" garden. And stuffing junk in her doghouse. When Mom would take her shopping, Grandma Wilma always bought us a treat. But not just a candybar, but like a whole box of cookies. Each. One for me, and one for AJ.
My mom's mom, Grandma "Treat", was always the most fun! She spoiled us rotten and always had a treat in her purse for us. She'd take us fun places, give us fun and noisy toys and always had the best home to play at. I always miss Grandma this time of year because I miss her Easter Egg hunts. She used to live on a farm with lots of land and she would have huge Easter Egg hunts. The eggs would be all over her pastures. We had to climb in and out of fences, watching where we stepped, moving around the horses. It was great fun. And she always had great prizes for us. We would have a picnic lunch and just spend the day outside playing. Us kids loved all the out-buildings and were always creating clubhouses. She always had us over for Christmas too. She'd play the Chipmunks soundtracks and have the big screen TV on the Mickey Mouse Club. And a tradition I've kept up, just to commemorate her and reminisce, is the Christmastime Rainbow Gardens trip. When we all got older, she would take all the girl cousins to Rainbow Gardens. It was a fun, grown up experience for us. Sometimes it would be all of us together, sometimes it was one-on-one with her. She would buy us an ornament for our tree.
The thing about Grandma is, she betrayed my mom. She truly destroyed their relationship. To a point of no forgiveness... at least it would have been for me. They went a year or more without speaking. But when Mom got married and started her family, she knew that Grandma needed her grandkids. That she would be good for them. No, Mom didn't agree with everything she ever did, but she knew that all-in-all, Grandma was a good person and would be an amazing Grandmother. So she reconnected with her and never influenced our relationship with her. In fact, until I was a teenager, I never knew what had gone on between my mom and Grandma because they were so close and bonded so well over my brother and I. It was an amazing relationship and I am so thankful for everything they did to allow me to make my own decisions about the situation and my own judgments. I love my Grandmother and Mom. And I would not change a thing about what we had. I miss my Grandma dearly.
Mom's Dad, Grandpa Bill, was our babysitter. He always watched us while Mom worked. He passed away from cancer when I was in 1st grade, but I remember these times so well. He'd take AJ and I to a restaurant, I think it was JC's HiHat, and he always knew everyone there! He'd order his coffee, AJ would get a hot chocolate and I always had to have my Coke. And we'd sit there, listening to him visit with his friends and listening to their stories. He read to us a lot. I loved sitting on his lap.
Dad's parents lived in Afton, Wyoming when I was a kid. We'd drive up for a weekend visit and the drive was always the same. Dad had a selection of CD's he'd bring, mostly Don Henley and the Eagles. It was a four hour drive. And we were always asking "Are we half-way yet?" And when we went under the antler bridge, we knew we were close. During the visits, AJ and I had to share a room across from my parents. And we had to go to bed early and wake up early. But we always woke up to a delicious breakfast. Grandma would always have a craft planned for us and we'd spend one of the days doing that and, if we were lucky, we'd get to take a trip to the rock store! I loved going to the rock store. And I loved going to the restaurant with the butterflies. Now-a-days, I like to play cards with my Grandma and Grandpa Perkins. We play games like Five Crowns and Phase Ten.
I also remember visiting my Great-Grandma Fanny in Wyoming on our way to visit Grandma and Grandpa Perkins. It was always a little scary to visit her because she lived in a nursing home.
It wasn't as scary to visit Great-Grandma Wilma because she still lived in her own home most of my childhood. We loved playing in her backyard and her "secret" garden. And stuffing junk in her doghouse. When Mom would take her shopping, Grandma Wilma always bought us a treat. But not just a candybar, but like a whole box of cookies. Each. One for me, and one for AJ.
Pup Cousins!
Rigby and Sadie got to meet their new cousin, Penny this weekend. Penny was not too fond of them at all at first, but after some gentle one-on-one time with Sadie, she decided she could play with the big dogs. It was cute!
Jazz Game
My work gave us tickets for the Jazz game on Saturday, March 27th. Each employee was allotted 2 tickets. At 4:00, I received a phone call, "Hey, I've got two tickets to the game and I can't make it, you want them?" So I went and got 2 more. Then another call came in "Hey, I'm sick, so I'm not gonna make it, you want my tickets?" and that brought me to a total of 6 tickets... one each for me and Royce, then we'd invited Mat... guess we'll call Kyle, Alex and AJ and see if they're on their way home from Idaho yet. They were! So Royce, Mat and I went to the game and Kyle, Alex and AJ met us down there. It was fun. Not a lot of action, a total blowout by the Jazz, but fun nonetheless.Not great seats, but FREE!
My friends! Love them!
Final score:
Thursday, March 18, 2010
It's my blog
It's my blog. My life. My opinion. My therapy.
Writing, for me, is therapeutic. So I'm just gonna do it. I'm not gonna censor it. I'm not writing for anyone but me. If you choose to read it, or choose to take offense, then that is your choice. I will be somewhat vague, not mentioning specifics, but if I have a feeling, I am entitled to express it. And this is how I choose to do so.
Today I am feeling angry. So angry that I want to cry. But not sad-cry. I am 100% angry. I hate hypocrits. People who tell you how you should live your life... people who have no room to talk, considering their own personal situations.
I think my first most memorable experience with hypocrisy happened when I was in high school. My childhood best friend and I were on the outs. For whatever reason, we hadn't spoken in several months or seen each other. I was getting over it, moving on with my life, when she stopped by my work and vandalized my car, writing "BITCH" across the windshield in bright red lipstick. Ouch. I got off of work and knew right away what had happened. I called her and confronted her, asking what exactly had happened between us anyways. Her response? Her religion. Yes. Her religion drove her to de-friend me and write BITCH on my car. Hypocrisy. It's an ugly, ugly thing. And it lasts a long long time. Granted, I have a nasty habit of holding grudges (one thing I hate about myself), but it's more than that. It hurts for a long long time. I'm not angry anymore. I am hurt. The anger is temporary.
So the anger I'm feeling now, from today's episode of hypocrisy will go away. But I will be left feeling hurt. Because someone told me to do something that they don't do. Something that they think they have a right to suggest. Grrr.
Now, time for a confession. That person is right. I should do what they are suggesting. I should be the bigger person. But I don't want to. And I'm not ready to, at least not to that degree. I am taking baby steps, which is better than I've seen them do. So now I feel guilty. Because I know I am wrong. I hate being wrong. And I hate being stubborn. But it's not going to change today, not just like that. So, hopefully this person will see this and know that, now, I am sorry, I am wrong, I am angry, I am stubborn. But, today, I am not gonna do anything about it.
Writing, for me, is therapeutic. So I'm just gonna do it. I'm not gonna censor it. I'm not writing for anyone but me. If you choose to read it, or choose to take offense, then that is your choice. I will be somewhat vague, not mentioning specifics, but if I have a feeling, I am entitled to express it. And this is how I choose to do so.
Today I am feeling angry. So angry that I want to cry. But not sad-cry. I am 100% angry. I hate hypocrits. People who tell you how you should live your life... people who have no room to talk, considering their own personal situations.
I think my first most memorable experience with hypocrisy happened when I was in high school. My childhood best friend and I were on the outs. For whatever reason, we hadn't spoken in several months or seen each other. I was getting over it, moving on with my life, when she stopped by my work and vandalized my car, writing "BITCH" across the windshield in bright red lipstick. Ouch. I got off of work and knew right away what had happened. I called her and confronted her, asking what exactly had happened between us anyways. Her response? Her religion. Yes. Her religion drove her to de-friend me and write BITCH on my car. Hypocrisy. It's an ugly, ugly thing. And it lasts a long long time. Granted, I have a nasty habit of holding grudges (one thing I hate about myself), but it's more than that. It hurts for a long long time. I'm not angry anymore. I am hurt. The anger is temporary.So the anger I'm feeling now, from today's episode of hypocrisy will go away. But I will be left feeling hurt. Because someone told me to do something that they don't do. Something that they think they have a right to suggest. Grrr.
Now, time for a confession. That person is right. I should do what they are suggesting. I should be the bigger person. But I don't want to. And I'm not ready to, at least not to that degree. I am taking baby steps, which is better than I've seen them do. So now I feel guilty. Because I know I am wrong. I hate being wrong. And I hate being stubborn. But it's not going to change today, not just like that. So, hopefully this person will see this and know that, now, I am sorry, I am wrong, I am angry, I am stubborn. But, today, I am not gonna do anything about it.
It's all in the Presentation
I did my presentation in class last night. It went great! Well, it went great when I finally got it to work!! I got up the first time and the dang music wouldn't play. Luckily, my instructors and classmates were patient and let me trade turns with someone else. So, the second time around, after all the plugging in and powering on, it worked! PHEW! I think everyone enjoyed it. They were all watching and listening anyways, and they were all excited about their own CD. Hopefully I will have feedback today. :)
Class last night was great! My classmates are awesome. I loved how different each of the presentations were. Jill read The Hungry Caterpillar and brought us cookies, Alexi used hats to describe her development over the last year, Matt used a newspaper and told us all about the things he was docked for in Portfolio I and how he's changed, Tim recited a poem, Karen told us about a go-cart from her childhood, Lori demonstrated her counselor tools, Laura told us about her personal struggles and shared family pictures, Casey told us about his experiences in the elementary school and sounds like he really enjoys it, Jodi told us about her experiences in the high school and about a guest speaker they recently had, and Kim told a lot of great stories about using her counseling skills on her friends and family. And there was a new girl, Tricia, who is in the Mental Health Counseling program. She used a puzzle to demonstrate her growth. I was impressed with how well she did, presenting to a group she didn't know. I think the thing that stood out the most in our presentations last night were the resounding "Thank you's" to the group. We are all such great friends and really feel comfortable with one another. We all admitted that we like coming to class. It was great!
Class last night was great! My classmates are awesome. I loved how different each of the presentations were. Jill read The Hungry Caterpillar and brought us cookies, Alexi used hats to describe her development over the last year, Matt used a newspaper and told us all about the things he was docked for in Portfolio I and how he's changed, Tim recited a poem, Karen told us about a go-cart from her childhood, Lori demonstrated her counselor tools, Laura told us about her personal struggles and shared family pictures, Casey told us about his experiences in the elementary school and sounds like he really enjoys it, Jodi told us about her experiences in the high school and about a guest speaker they recently had, and Kim told a lot of great stories about using her counseling skills on her friends and family. And there was a new girl, Tricia, who is in the Mental Health Counseling program. She used a puzzle to demonstrate her growth. I was impressed with how well she did, presenting to a group she didn't know. I think the thing that stood out the most in our presentations last night were the resounding "Thank you's" to the group. We are all such great friends and really feel comfortable with one another. We all admitted that we like coming to class. It was great!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
I heart PowerPoint (PPT)
So, by now, you all realize that I like music. And I like using songs to express myself. So, tomorrow night is our first night of Portfolio II and I have to do a 5-minute presentation of what I have learned in my Master's classes. I'm psyched! Once upon a time, I would have been dreading it. But now, I love presentations. I love POWERPOINT! And I love music! So I've combined them all and created a musical PowerPoint. It has songs that remind me of the things I have learned this last year. A lot of the songs are already posted on the School Mixed Tape, but I've added new ones and gotten rid of one or two. I have spent HOURS on this presentation, from researching songs, organizing my ideas, finding pictures, and timing it 'just so'. Then there's the handout. Of course, everyone needed their own copy of the songs, since I can only play a snippet during my presentation, so I learned how to download songs, convert them from mp3's to audio files and burn a disc. Then I went and bought 100 discs. 20 of which I wasted, just trying to get everything in order and perfect. Then I printed off the song list and stapled the two pages together to create a make-shift CD-case and now I'm just about done. Burning the last 3 as I type, in fact. I've rehearsed, not aloud yet, but in my head a hundred times. And I'm hoping to heck that I can get all 14 slides of material into a 5-minute presentation. Damnit if I don't. They'll just have to listen to me ramble. But at least they'll get a CD out of it...
And, as if all that wasn't enough, I am helping my teammates create their PowerPoints. I have given up my lunch hour the last week to help them. Thankfully, they were kind enough to bring me lunch. I didn't do the work for them, I just told them how to do what they wanted to do. They wanted to start from scratch, showed 'em. They wanted to add pictures, showed 'em. They wanted to add wordart, showed 'em. They wanted to add animation, showed 'em. Hopefully it will stick with them so they can do the next one with little or no help. It's been fun teaching them.
Also, I talked to my boss and the school counselor I want to do my practicum with and I start on Tuesday! YAY!! And my mentor teacher from my student teaching already has a student she wants to refer to me for counseling. Someone that I can build rapport with and get to know without the counselor having the advantage before me. Plus, it's a kinder, so I'll know how to react with her. I am nervous to start working with the older kids. Fifth and Sixth grade girls scare me! I remember the drama. Oh, how I hated the drama! Well, I am finishing up my last disc and getting everything ready for class tomorrow. Wish me luck that all goes well!!!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Memory Lane: Jobs
Another 'lovely' Monday morning, and here I am at work. Today's memory Monday is about work and all the jobs I've had.
I work at the University of Phoenix, North Davis campus. I am Student Services Coordinator, aka, secretary. I answer phones, greet students and get 'em where they need to go. I've worked for UOP for 5 years. Wow. It's a good job though. With great benefits. Besides insurance and sick/vacation pay, I get awesome tuition benefits. Which is why I'm still here. For another year and a half.
Before UOP, I worked at a daycare. I worked with the elementary-aged kids. And I was good at it. I didn't let the other teacher's opinions sway me. I got to know the children myself. And I took the time to understand them. I had a couple of kids who felt like they were too old to be in daycare. They were bored when they came to the center. So I switched it up. I brought in new stuff for them to do and found out what they were interested in. I loved working with the kids. But I hated working for the director. And with the other teachers.
I was a bagger at Albertson's when I was 16. To this day, I am very careful when I put my groceries up to be bagged. Pantry items together, produce together, meats and cheeses together, non-grocery items, etc. And, if I know I'll leave a cart outside, I try to take one in from the lot, that way they're no worse off because of me. Not a huge difference, maybe, but it makes me feel better. I remember those cold winter days of bringing in the carts, pushing them through slush and ice. Not fun at all. When I turned 18, I became a checker. It wasn't great either. Having to remember all the produce codes is a bugger!
I've also worked at the Ogden Raptors baseball stadium. I've done so many odd jobs there, including: ticket taker, ticket sales, concessions, souvineers, beer sales, information booth and promotions. I think my favorite job was working promotions. I got to go out on the field and help with the between-inning contests. I felt like kind of a big shot.
Pretty Penny!
My pretty puppy-neice!
being introduced to the Rotty behind her new home:
riding on the console of Royce's truck:
Sitting in AJ's lap after a busy day of moving:
being loved by "Uncle" Royce:
being introduced to the Rotty behind her new home:
riding on the console of Royce's truck:
Sitting in AJ's lap after a busy day of moving:
being loved by "Uncle" Royce:
Empty Nest
Monday, March 8, 2010
Memory Monday- pets
Since my brother just got his very own pup, I think it's a good time to remember all the pets I've had.- Mickey (Top Dog of Roy City)
Mickey was a Scottish terrier mutt. Mom got him for a Christmas gift when I was a baby. He was my growing-up dog. The puppy that put up with me as a baby. Mom has a lot of pictures of him and me together. I remember taking Mickey for walks. I remember the mean dog up the road always trying to attack Mickey. I remember the newspaper people taking our picture at our home when Mickey won Top Dog of Roy City. But, mostly, I remember saying goodbye to Icky Mickey. I was in jr. high when we had to put Mickey to sleep. Somehow, I knew it was coming. Poor Mickey was getting worse in his old age. One morning, I woke up and got ready for school. Mickey didn't move. Not all morning. He just laid there. I think he wagged his tail when I talked to him, but he just didn't have the energy to get up. Before I left for school that day, unlike most other days, I took an opportunity to say goodbye to Mickey. I knelt down and petted him, gave him a kiss on the head and told him what a good dog he was and how much I loved him. The school day went on as usual, but when I got home, Dad was outside, digging a hole in the garden. I knew it. My heart sank. I was furious that they hadn't taken me out of school, hadn't warned me. But I had known all along. Love you, Icky Mickey.
- The birds
We had cockateils when I was very young. I don't remember much about them. One was yellow, one was gray. One was named Simon. One picked at all his feathers. And they both liked popcorn. I remember sitting on our front yard with the birds. They were clipped and couldn't fly, so we'd take them out for fresh air.
- The turtles
First there was Ginger. She was a box turtle that Mom got from the special-education teacher at my elementary school. She spent time in our garden in the backyard. Unfortunately, my clearest memory of Ginger is on my birthday. We went outside to bring her in for a drink and I found her behind a rock. Her legs were straight out, but she wasn't moving. And her eyes were sunk in. I had picked her up, but when I realized she was dead, I screeched and dropped her and ran. Sorry, Ginger.
Then there were Tammy and Tommy. Mom still has them. They are both box turtles also. Tammy's the meat-eater, while Tommy loves himself some veggies. Tommy also loves himself some Tammy. Tammy, not so much. If you've ever seen turtles in the throws of passion, you'll understand what I mean by that. She clamps up and poor Tommy is stuck. Tammy's layed eggs before and we've tried incubating them to hatch but never had any luck. Sometimes they get out of the garden box they live in in the summertime and we have to search the yard for them. Luckily, now I have my own two mutts who love turtle-hunting.
Stinky Mr. Mustard was a water turtle that Mom found walking by her work. At the time, it was just me, Royce and Sadie. And Sadie loved her turtles, so, of course, being the spoiled pup she is, Mom decided Sadie needed a turtle of her own. Mr. Mustard lived in a fish tank in our bathroom and Sadie loved watching him. We'd take Sadie to PetsMart to pick out fish for Mr. Mustard to eat and we actually made the poor employee follow Sadie's eyes and get the ones she wanted. But Mr. Mustard didn't care... he'd bite their heads off no matter what they were. Mr. Mustard was a pain to take care of. And I was always afraid of being bitten by him. His aquarium started to stink after just a few days. No matter how I tried, I couldn't keep his tank clean. I think he eventually died in his own stinkage.
- The cats
My first kitty was Bandit. I don't remember her too well, but I know that she was a tabby cat with lots of fur. She ran away at an old age, presumably to die. Apparently cats do that sometimes. We used to joke that she went under the bush she always hid in, the bush that always swallowed our toys, and never came out.
Then there was Spanky. He was the runt of the litter. A little gray kitten. We didn't have him for very long. I guess he had failure to thrive. He was just too little for all the attention given to him by a bunch of kids. We all wanted to hold him.
Finally came Skyler. We went to a house to pick out a kitten and Skyler was the fattest, roly-poly-est black kitten and I just had to have him. Mom tried to talk me into almost any other one, but I was convinced it had to be that one. On our way home, Mom asked "What's something black that we could name him after?" and AJ shouted "Skyler Kelly!" Skyler Kelly was a black boy in my first grade class that AJ idolized. Mom was kind of leaning more towards Midnight or Licorice or something... but Skyler worked too, so it stuck. He was a great kitty. He was easy to house train... or maybe it had more to do with the fact that the one time he did have an accident happened to fall on the day he had an appointment to be neutered! Skyler lost all of his teeth due to some gum disease, so he was a gummer. It was fun to play with him. He really was my kitty. I fed him and took care of him. And he purred me to sleep at night. When I moved out, Skyler became Daddy's kitty. He loved Dad's lap... but only if he was wearing jeans. Skyler had to be put to sleep last year. It's still kind of weird to go over there and not have to chase him away from Royce, who is allergic to cats.
- Gracie
Gracie was Mom's dog. 100%. She was the alpha. We got her and her brother Kramer after we put Mickey to sleep. They were a Chihuahua-Terrier mix. Gracie was a tough puppy. She always got into things and always ended up at the vet. But she always came home. She got into anti-freeze and was really sick for awhile. She was bitten by a spider and swelled up badly. She was just accident-prone... like Mom. We took Gracie and Kramer everywhere. They'd go to our softball games, to Grandma and Grandpa's and everytime we went boating. They were in the newspaper with Mom at Pineview, floating on the raft. My friend and I loved taking them for walks, 'cuz there was one for each of us. Gracie was a good dog. A spoiled dog.
- Kramer
Mom and Dad still have Kramer. As a pup, Kramer was fun. He was goofy... kind of like Kramer from Seinfeld. He followed his sister everywhere. He was smaller in every way- size and personality. He has a funny overbite and almost looks like a miniature goat. Now, he's an old man. An ornery old man. He's a grump. But he has his puppy-moments where he'll get up and jump around. He's still got it in him. He's protective of his new little sister, Lily, and his friend, Daisy. He likes to remind my two mutts that he's the boss. He kind of has little-dog syndrome. He sure thinks he's tough... especially if he can hide behind something.
- Lily
Lily is Mom's dog. But I love her like my own! She's a black Shnauzer. Tuff little thing. She looks petite, but I love that I can roughhouse with her and throw her around.
- Sadie
Sadie is our princess. She is a German Short Hair. Royce always loved Short Hair Pointers. Royce and I had both just lost our jobs... and bought our home. We were bummed and life was getting us down. Mom was crazy and thought a dog would make it all better. I guess it kind of worked. Everyone needs a dog! Anyways, Mom worked at PetsMart and brought her home to us. Actually, for some odd reason, my sis-in-law, Sarah, was at PetsMart when Mom bought her and asked Sarah to take her to us. She was tiny! She stumbled around mom's house and tried going up the stairs. She was shy, always staying against the walls and away from us. At least for that first day. At night, she slept in a box by my bed. She whined and whined until I put my hand in the box. I didn't have to touch her, she just had to be able to see my hand. She used to sleep in the bed with Royce and I. But then she got bigger... and we got Rigby... and we realized that was not going to work out. Sadie is a digger. And a runner. And she's not a good car dog. She has to bark at every single car we pass. She's ruined my carpets. She rubs her back on my couch. She whines every morning, and fights with Rigby every night. But I love her right to death! Sadie plays well with other dogs. She is (can be) calm. She loves kids and people. She knows how to be gentle. She doesn't jump up on you. She's a good indoor dog. She's easily entertained and highly excitable. She is a sweetheart, who sneaks up when she wants a love. I love my Sadie-baby!
- Rigby
Rigby is my lapdog. Hardly. He's a 65-lb lanky, bearded mutt. I adopted him when Royce went hunting. Told Royce "I need a little dog, something I can cuddle up with." Well, Rigby still likes to cuddle up... not so little though! When I got him, he was 8 months old and as tall as Sadie, who was 2 or 3 at the time. Rigby is a beast. He's dribbly (as opposed to slobbery), hairy and needy. With Rigby, it's all or nothing. If you look at him or mention his name, he is sure that it's an invite to sit on your lap. Every person who comes over is obviously there to see him. Obviously, right? Everyone is his best friend. Rigby is stupid. Plain stupid. He just doesn't get it. He does something wrong and he is honestly confused about why everyone is yelling. He's oblivious. But he's adorable. So we love him. Damndog.
AutoRama Weekend
Just a quick rant about my own stupidity before I go on about my weekend. I spent 3 days at Autorama. And I took a lot of pictures. I really did. But when I went to download them to my website (wrac2010.shutterfly.com) I stupidly erased them from my drive before checking to make sure they downloaded correctly. GRRRRR!!! I do this far too often. But I worry that if I don't erase them right away, I'll forget and run out of memory or just have files that I don't need. Anyways, I got all the ones I really wanted downloaded, but the time I took taking pictures of strangers' cars was an absolute waste. Damn it. But oh well. Guess if my pictures aren't good enough you can go to http://www.thanks2frank.com/. They're the experts anyways, I'm just me.
I also became a puppy aunt this weekend! My brother got an adorable Beagle-Boxer mix puppy named Penny. She's just precious. AJ closes on his home today, so, obviously, he needed a "roommate." She may not be much help with the rent, but she's definitely the best kind of company! Congrats, AJ! I love you, bub.
Now to the good stuff. It was a fun weekend! A busy weekend. And now my legs and feet are sore. And I need another weekend just to recover! I usually get bored at this show, but I did really well entertaining myself this weekend. Royce entertained himself in the pinstriping booth. Looks like I might have to get him some stuff to practice with. His silly little lizards and a flying eyeball brought in about $100 for Hugs for Life (http://www.hugsforlife.info/)... not to mention what we spent on the auction for ourselves! I got a really cool h ard clutch wallet and a name plate for my desk. Royce got a panel painted like a lion and one like a tiki man and a naked pinup that says Autorama 2010. We always spend a lot at the pinstriping auction. Just fun, fun stuff... for a great cause.
I also became a puppy aunt this weekend! My brother got an adorable Beagle-Boxer mix puppy named Penny. She's just precious. AJ closes on his home today, so, obviously, he needed a "roommate." She may not be much help with the rent, but she's definitely the best kind of company! Congrats, AJ! I love you, bub.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
AutoRama is Fun-a-Rama!
Here I am, sitting in a corner of AutoRama, writing on my blog. As fun as the show is, and as great as the company is, you've got to take some time for yourself... at least I do. I can only sit and visit for so long. What I like most about these car shows is the people watching. I am an observer. I like to watch, I like to listen. I'm not as "in-the-middle-of-it-all" as a lot of my friends at these shows. My husband, on the other hand, is in the middle of everything that's happening. He's signing people up for Mountain West Street News (MWSN), "helping out" at the doors and registration and taking part in the pin-striping. Here he is, with his first piece of art, a gecko-like-lizard, that sold for $20.
We are such opposites, Royce and I. That's probably why we get along so well.
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