Day 7

This morning will be Day 7 of our working out.  We got past the sore muscles, so that is a good thing.  This morning we are going to walk on the treadmill and then we are going to "attempt" the elliptical.  We have set a goal to walk at least 1 minute on it.  The other day we saw a guy working on it for at least an hour!  I tried once.  After 10 minutes my legs were shaky and I wanted to throw up.  Like I said.  We are going to take is slow.  Very slow. 

Other news. . . Our first official family family home evening went very well last night.  Next one is June 10.  Looking forward to it!

Gaming

I am pretty sure that "Crime Scene" is just as addictive as "Candy Crush"

Gunshots!

I was quietly minding my own business watching TV.  Its about 10:20 pm on a Saturday night. 

We have always worried about our scuzzy neighborhood right outside the gates to our apartment complex.  As the year has gone by we have kind of warmed up to them.  Not in the sense that we actually know any of them (or are even brave enough to look them in the eyes), but in the sense that we now consider them our first line of defense. 

See, in our fatalistic views, we have come to think that at some point, our beloved government might turn on its own citizens.  In the process they might try to come into our homes.  Or that if something bad is going to happen, we are likely to be protected by this relatively large population of scary people, kind of like a moat might protect a castle.  Since our close neighborhood (lovingly named "thugville" by us) is likely to have more guns than most small armies, they have become somewhat endearing to us.

It was all very cute.

Until tonight.  Laying in bed.  I listened as 10-12 gunshots were fired in the distance.  I flew to the window trying to catch the view.  But alas, nothing.  Just gunshots.  Not even any cop cars.  It is all very confusing.  A little bit scary, but also a little bit comforting.  In its own weird way, our first line of defense seemed to work tonight.  Nothing going on inside our complex.

I am lame

What does it say about you if you only have one follower of your blog?  =(

I think I am pretty interesting.
Sometimes I think I am even pretty funny.
Mostly I think I am just too embarrassed to have people read my thoughts.

But I am glad one person is interested. Thanks Christina!

What earthquake?

Everyone felt the earthquake but me.  I got phone messages and pings on Facebook about it.  I sat really still trying to feel an aftershock.  Nope.  Nothing.  I missed the great event.

In other news, I have worked out 5 days in a row.  I think I have shin splints (of course, I think I have shin splints).  I want to die.  It hurts to even stand up.  I haven't lost an ounce.  I read an earlier post about how it says I have gained 3-4 pounds.  I lied.  I have gained 6 pounds in the last month.  This is out of control. 

I did have a great day though.  I worked on a quilt, I represented the students at a meeting with our university's accrediting body, I went to dinner with our good friends (yes, it is Friday, and yes, it was with Richard and Jeri), and my hair looks fantabulous (thank you, Whitney). 

Life is awesome. . .a little bit on the heavy side, but awesome nonetheless!

Exercise

Since school has been out, I have gained at least 3 pounds.  BUT, I have started working out.  Today will be day 4.  I know, pretty weak, eh?  Well, I have to start somewhere.  AND, I do enjoy it, but it isn't the best thing out there.  It is just there.  A brisk walk on the treadmill.  I wish it was fun.  I wish my muscles screamed to be exercised all day every day.  Think how thin I would be then. 

Other news, spent the day yesterday with grandkids.  THAT is awesome.  That is the highlight of any day.  Even Lily liked me yesterday.  At first, she screamed so loud I thought the neighbors were going to come up and see why we are torturing the little child.  So we took her for a car ride and then took her into Costco.  She faced away from me the whole time, but she knew I was there.  So she got used to me, I think.  When we came home, she actually let me hold her.  Progress.

The other grandkids were a super-de-duper-dy joy to be around. I love having them around.  I love listening to them read.  I love hearing their stories.  We drove through the car wash and poor little Levi thought the brushes were monsters.  He was quite distraught throughout the whole event.  But he held in his tears.  I wish I would have gotten his little scrunched up face on camera though. 

Eva, Adam, and Caleb love to play on the iPads.  I was informed that I didn't have nearly the games that other people had.  Did I want more, they asked?  Hahah, I am pretty sure they know how to purchase more.  Thank goodness for passwords before downloads.  Otherwise, I think there would be lots of new little kid games on my iPad and lots of less money in my bank.

The little princess, Zoey, is a doll.  She is always hungry.  Or has to go potty.  She looks at you with those big brown eyes that can melt your soul.  How can you say no? 

Boredom

I longed and longed for the day the semester would end, and I could rest.  I counted the days down.  I sped through life anxious for the blessed day when I wouldn't have to think about my next reading assignment or how much time I had to eat before opening the books.

It's Tuesday, day 14 of my 110 day summer break.  I have had a retreat in Reno and a wedding to keep me busy.  I have rearranged the furniture in my dining room.  I have cleaned the whole place.

Now I am bored.

Who Knew?

I have lived in my apartment for almost a year.  I love just about everything about this place.  It was clean when we moved in...with the exception of a ring around the toilet bowl.  I have taken to cleaning the toilet often just trying to get rid of this ring.  I have tried bleach, various toilet cleaners to no avail.  Until yesterday.  While walking through the 99 cent store I found a Pumie Scouring Stick.  It is a pumice stone made specifically for ceramic tile and porcelain.  Since it was only 99 cents I figured I could give it a try, not thinking that it would success. 

It took 3 minutes.  My toilet looks brand new!  Why did it take me 48 years to learn of this?!

A truly Random Thought

Why is it that for a year I would open my blog and not have anything to say?  And now, for some weird reason, I can't stop thinking of all the things I could say.  For example. . . .

If I were to die today, here is one of the thoughts I would like my family to know about me.

1.    I do not regret putting my entire life on hold to raise my 7 children.  They have brought me so much joy.  I revel in delight when I hear that they are getting together to have fun and love spending time with each other.  It pains me when I hear about little squabbles between them.  I hope they always share a bond of brotherhood/sisterhood throughout eternity.

I keep a list of my thoughts in case I die.  One day, I was feeling like it would be ok to die, but then realized that there are some of my "thoughts" that  I wouldn't mind sharing.  So I will just share this one today.  Maybe on other days I will share others. 

So this particular item is very dear to me.  It is deeper than the few sentences I shared here.  I kind of feel like I am in my children.  I am part of them and their decisions.  When they are having fun, I am having fun, even if I am not with them.  If they are suffering, I am suffering, even if I am not with them.  I think it must be the sealing power that does this.  I imagine that Tammy feels the same way.  While it is too hard to explain, I think other parents can understand. 

Thread

I just was re-reading some of my old blogs.  In one I say that I kept my 1000 spools of thread.  Too bad I can't find them....rrrrrggg.  I only kept white and tan at the apartment.  Apparently the other stuff is in storage. . . fail, again.

Summer Break

Oh, halla-freakin-lujah!  The hardest 8 months of my life are over.  Had I known how difficult this year of pharmacy school would be, I wouldn't have done it.  I would have said I was too old and not strong enough.  I would have gone to law school and been done with that!  But here I sit, done with the second year.  AND I FEEL AWESOME! 

I did not know apparently that I would be strong enough to get up consistently at 3 am to study.  I didn't know that I would be so full of energy and life that I would be able to work from midnight to midnight on just one caffeine pill.  I didn't know that I would feel like an expert on so many levels after this year.  I didn't realize that I could gather a class together and lead them through a difficult and abusive situation with a faculty member.

But now I know.  I know I am stronger than I thought possible.  I know that I made the right decision about pharmacy school.  I know that I care enough about people and my future patients to continue on this rough but incredible adventure.  I am having so much fun that it seems unfair to the rest of the world that I get to do what I am doing. 

So I have been  out of school technically since last Tuesday (8 days ago).  However, on Thursday and Friday I attended a school event for student counsel, so really I didn't get out of school until Friday.  I kept the thoughts of school at bay and didn't do anything, relishing my break.  Until yesterday, when I just couldn't stand it.  I pulled out a syllabus for the Fall semester.  I am ready to make a drug chart! I lasted 3 days =)

Grandkids can think of the weirdest things

For two days, every time I moved my computer there was a weird jingly sound.  It sounded like something was broken inside.  I dreaded learning that I might need to buy a new laptop.  I don't have the funds for that. 

It all started on the Saturday before Mother's day.  We were sitting around the living room discussing our futures with Chris and Emily.  The little girls were just hanging out around us while we talked.  We were discussing the difference between silver quarters and regular quarters.  So we brought both out. 

You can see where this is going.  I am pretty sure it was Zoey, but it could have been Eva.  I consider myself supremely lucky that I tipped the computer just the right way by accident and happened to notice that there was a bump sticking out of the DVD drive.  And even more lucky to be able to get my fat fingers around it to pull it out. 

I didn't even know my computer had a DVD drive for the first year I owned it!  This little pipsqueak found it in an instant AND stuck money in it. 

You gotta love them, though.