Falling Upon Deaf Ears

THIS would've never happened IF....

My child would've listened to me the past 4 years when I told her repeatedly
NOT to slam the sliding glass door closed.

AND

She would've listened to me throughout the entire weekend when I told her repeatedly,
"Leave your sister alone!"

AND

That same child would've listened to me the previous 10 minutes leading up to the accident when I told her repeatedly to
sit down in her chair and stay there & eat her dinner.

**Sometimes I think our parents & grandparents were on to something when they used the paddle (or belt, or wooden spoon, or foot to the butt) to get us to listen AND obey...& as a result "Learn a Lesson!**

2 Nephi 9:31 is TRUE!! She better shape up! :)

I already knew that heads bleed A LOT, but what I didn't know was that little 16-month old fingers that have nearly been sliced off DO, TOO!! :(

ANYWAY, How was your nice, long UEA weekend?

Kids Say the Darndest Things - September '09 Edition

Taken from the sidebar...

I was going over Katelyn's Preschool calendar with her...
Me: "Today, it looks like you'll be celebrating Finnegan's birthday!"
Katelyn: "Mooooommm! Come on. What's his real name?"
Me: "That IS his real name. That's what the calendar says."
Katelyn: "But, it's just a lie, huh?!?" 9/09

Referring to when Papa took her to dance lessons when he was staying with them...
Katelyn: "Papa was just driving around and around like crzy! It made me so busy." (did she mean, "dizzy?") 9/09

100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About

Check out this article by going to this link.

I was sad for my kids when I was reminded of some of these...BUT, then I was consoled by the fact that most kids won't know anything like this, but my kids WILL know about some of these SINCE I STILL USE THEM!! (Man, I'm really out of it!)

Like:

• I still have a VCR - and I use it to record a show if I can't watch it LIVE!
• Matt mostly has the cassette tapes still hanging around (he cannot part with them, even though he has the same group and/or songs on CD!) And we still have a few personal stereos in our home, too.
• I have a single Betamax tape, too. It has a roadshow I was in recorded on it - anyone know how I preserve this now. Or better yet, how it can even be viewed now?
• My clock radio by my bed still has a tuning dial, so as I turn it - YES, I can hear static between stations.
• I have to watch T.V. when the networks say I should - and it's never a convenient time - so maybe that contributes to my lack of T.V. watching, too!
• We have a joystick for some games to play on the T.V. and/or computer.
• We still have a stack of phone books & yellow pages.
• We even get a few magazines in the mail (made from dead trees)
• We manually unlock our '96 Camry car door.
• I prefer writing checks (I can keep track of our account balance better.)
• We look out the window on long car drives - OR talk to one another. (what a novel idea!)
• I always check out books from the library (and that's the only thing I use the library for.)
• So, tell me the difference between "nerd" and "geek." (I still think they have the same meaning.)

And y'all probably think I am one due to my above list! :)

Oh Crap!

FIRST: Do you notice something wrong with this car door?

Something missing? Like, perhaps, maybe the door handle of our Suburban?

It just came off as Matt was opening the [driver's side] door on Sunday!

We were at church, no less. THAT kind of thing shouldn't happen when you're going to church, should it?!? ;)

Now, I guess, we'll have to do it "Dukes of Hazard" style.

I told my kids that they officially are having a "deprived childhood" since they are not growing up watching this show! Remember my thing for John Schneiter - 100th Post #25.

SECONDLY: I thought I was doing pretty good helping Haylee get the "weekly homework" in her Homework Folder done. In fact, I specifically remember thinking that it was NOT ending up to be as intense as I thought it would be based on the impression I got at Back to School night.

BUT...THEN I was in her bedroom one day and found THIS all over the floor! THIS is the "daily homework" that she brings home in her backpack -- and apparently just empties it out of there onto the floor! There was 2 weeks worth of additional homework we'd missed!

THIRD(LY): It was raining one day, but Kyle's football coach DID NOT cancel practice in spite of this little fact.

Wet & muddy fields and white pants do not go together!

And this is after an attempt has been made (by the males in this family) to clean them up a bit. The refund of my deposit depends upon the return of these practice pants in "good condition."

FOURTH(LY): Here is a "sneak peek" of what my home looked like the other day when I got an unannounced visitor. This visitor happens to have a spotless house herself. She is consistent & thorough in her own housekeeping. I have NEVER seen her house look bad! She also notices things (of the cluttered, dirty, unkempt, imperfect, run-down, trashy variety, especially.)As you can see, my front room was full of the laundry I hadn't got around to putting away, yet. There's my daughter's backpack (probably full of additional "mystery homework") that she feels the need to DUMP there every day. Also, this visitor came in through my garage that's been on my "Honey, Do" list for MONTHS, walked through the laundry room with clothes baskets all over, then into the kitchen, as well. As we talked, my eyes scanned the kitchen. There were kids' blankets & shoes on the floor. There were CLEAN (at least they were clean) pans on the counter dish rack that were "drying." The breakfast aftermath was still on the table AND the usual pile of mail & other ever-multiplying papers were in a stack on the counter. Can you say, "Horrified?!"

***NOTE TO Y'ALL: Please give me at least 20 minutes (or an hour or two) notice when coming over. I usually like surprises, but not this kind. I'm DYING about this one.

AND LASTLY: EVERY OTHER TIME I've made these delicious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins, they turn out beautifully! With nice, big rounded muffin tops.

NOT THIS TIME! And did I mention that THIS TIME I had prepared them for our Relief Society's talent night?!?. Yah, that's right, it was an evening to showcase our sisters' finest abilities! So, NO, I did NOT take them. There was NO WAY in **** I was gonna do that! :)

They became the kids' after-school snack (and they announced they were just as delicious as ever.)

Things I've Heard on the Job: #1

As some of you may know, I work at JetBlue Airways as a Reservations Agent on the phones. When us agents get together, Oh, we have stories to tell!! All in a Day's Work. My family has also been amused by some of my "On the phones @ JetBlue" experiences I've shared with them, so I'm adding this as a segment to my blog. And depending on how much I work (I LOVE to take VTO) this will be a more or less occasional addition.

* Me: "Thank you for calling JetBlue. My name is SUZANNE, how may I help you?"
Customer #1: "Hello, Cindy. How are you?...."
(another call) Me: "Thank you for calling JetBlue. My name is SUZANNE, how may I help you?"
Customer #2: "Yes, Sally, I need to make a reservation...."
(another call) Me: "Thank you for calling JetBlue. My name is SUZANNE, how may I help you?"
Customer #3: "Suzy, I have a question...."
(another call) Me: "Thank you for calling JetBlue. My name is SUZANNE, how may I help you?"
Customer #4: "Thank you for helping me Sharon. Will you..."

* Customer: "Can we take a baby Iguana on the flight?"
Me: "We only accept cats & dogs as pets on the plane."
Customer: "Even if it's small?"Me: "That's correct. Iguanas are not approved to be on our planes."
(pause)
Customer: "What would happen if we took it in our pocket where no one could see it?"
Me: "The x-rays at the security check point may very well pick it up, and then TSA would decide what you'd have to do, but you would not be allowed through with the Iguana.
Customer: "Not that we would do that, or anything, I was just curious."
Me: "Of course." ;)

* During the Fall season, it is a common practice, Industry-wide, to lighten the flying schedule both through reduction of flights per day and cutting back from daily flights to only running it certain days of the week. This particular customer had previously been booked on a Tuesday, but due to schedule changes, this traditionally slow travel day's flight was no longer in service. He would need to choose the day before or the next available day...(And he was NOT happy!)
Customer: "This is not MY fault! What are YOU going to do about it, Cindy? It's YOUR fault. YOU need to get me that flight back. I didn't do anything wrong! It's YOU! Cindy, how are YOU going to fix this problem? YOU keep telling me all the other flight choices, don't you know how to say anything else? Don't tell me you'll 'reaccomodate' me, Cindy, that's not what I want. It's not MY fault. It's not. It's not. It's not! Why did YOU do this to me, Cindy? It's YOUR fault. That's what it is!"
Poor Cindy - Don't you feel sorry for her? :) Uh, huh...she, herself, singled John Doe out and forced the airlines CEO to purposely mess with his flight - just to make him miserable, of course!

* A customer was trying to make some flight arrangements for her father due to a death in the family. The Last minute fares were higher than she wanted to pay. She discovered that if they waited a few days to depart, they could get a much better fare. I overheard this conversation going on in the background while she still had me on the phone...
Customer: "Dad, if you wait to go on Wednesday, it'll cost a lot less."
"Dad": "That's too late, the funeral is on Monday."
Customer: "You can't pay $XXX.XX to fly out earlier."
"Dad": "But, I waaant to go then."
Customer: "What do you want to see a dead man for? He's not gonna know you missed the funeral!!"

* Customer: "Good thing you're dressed, I have video web cam!"
(Good thing I don't have a camera in MY office. And he obviously doesn't know that'd be required to successfully SHOCK someone with his comment.)But just for fun, I could've responded in a number of ways:
"Oh, you better get your eyes checked, because I'm NOT dressed!" OR

"Please turn yours off, I can't stand looking at you!" OR

"What d'ya think of my (take your pick) see-through/leopard print/black leather with metal spikes/barely there negligee?" OR

"No...it's really unfortunate for YOU that I am [dressed], because YOU'RE really missing out!" :)

Let me Give you some Advice...

Whether you want it or not!

This may be MOSTLY for me, but I wanted to write down (so, I'd know where to find it in the future) this GREAT advice I read in the Reader's Digest. (Aug. '09 edition.)
This advise actually came from a bunch of different readers who submitted their "tried & trues." I found myself reading them and thinking to myself,

"Oh, that's good!"

or

"I need to remember that!"

or

"Yes! I agree."

or

"Isn't that the truth?"

or

"That's got 'ME' written all over it."

So, as to not leave you hangin' any longer.....Here goes....(in no particular order):

• Keep your word.
• Love people. Use things. Never confuse the two.
• Forgive others. You are giving the gift of peace to yourself.
• Find the good in people. Everybody has something.
• Don't smoke. Don't eat junk food. Keep your hamstrings stretched.
• Respect those below you. You never know when they will be your boss.
• Control your emotions. Don't let them control you.
• Don't worry about what you don't have. Be grateful for what you do have.
• Take the stairs while you still can.
• Have a job you love and you'll never have to work another day in your life.
• Never make someone your priority when you're only his option.
• Dance like no one is watching!
• Find the smartest person you can to marry!
• Remember that every expert was once a beginner.
• Always keep your gas tank at least half full.
• Live through it or die from it - you choose.
• Act the way you would like to be and soon you'll be the way you act.
• Love, don't nag.
• Don't lie to anyone, including yourself.
• Take care of your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.
• Don't put off traveling. See the world while you are able.
• Wake up and tell yourself it's going to be a good day.
• Work as hard the last day on the job as you did the first day.
• Always do your best.
• Do what is right, not what is easy.
• Even when you're nervous, act like you're confident.
• Put the peanut butter on the bread before the jelly.
• Make a difference.
• When raising young kids, remember: The days are long, but the years are short.
• If you don't have the money to pay for it, don't buy it until you do.
• Under promise and over deliver.
• Maintain a valid passport. You never know when a new adventure might happen.
• Don't ever regret growing older. Many don't have that privilege.
• Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
• Don't be afraid to be different.
• Never give yourself a haircut after three margaritas.
• Do not confuse a want with a need.
• Stay in your lane.
• Treat others as you would like to be treated.
• Live your life so the preacher doesn't have to lie at your funeral.
• Never burn a bridge. Just shut it down for renovations for a while.
• Always have enough money for a cab.
• Don't store bananas in the refrigerator.
• Eat breakfast. It'll put hair on your chest!

******

Gimme some of your advice! What's you favorite bit o' advise you've received? Who gave it to you?

Crossing a Few More Off the Top 100...

A while ago I referenced this website, StoodThere.com, where the Top 100 greatest places to stand in the U.S. are listed. Well, I was able to knock off 5 more just during my 5-day New York City vacation to add to my previous [unimpressive] number that took 39 years to achieve - that was a 30% increase to my current total! (Now if only I could accomplish everything in such big proportions!)

GROUND ZERO

As if the 50 miles of walking we did every day wasn't enough, we went running in Central Park one morning!

{Well, maybe that WAS a good idea, considering we were consuming 50X the recommended daily calories, also!}

CENTRAL PARKI'm NOT lying about those calories... This was at the Brooklyn Diner, but...

MY favorite sweet treat had to be the 5th Avenue Pie (made w/ chunks of the 5th Avenue candy bar) from Carnegie Deli - Mmmmmm!! Sorry, no photo! (It was devoured before I could be inconvenienced by pushing the camera button!)

STATUE OF LIBERTY

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

This was the view from our hotel window.

We almost considered that good enough as far as seeing it - BUT, Matt's always wanted to actually go up there ever since he saw King Kong as a boy! So, it's good we did.

We caught it lit up in red, white, & blue on Labor Day!

TIMES SQUARE

Now only 78 more places to go...

NYC Myth Busters

I had A LOT of preconceived notions about New York City.

And because of them, I will admit I was a bit anxious, even felt a little uneasy leading up to our Anniversary trip to NYC. I don't know if my preconceived notions came about from watching too many movies, listening to too much "here say," or what. Maybe things have changed, but what I was scared of really wasn't there!

Preconceived notion #1: There are RATS "as big as dogs" crawling around the streets & sidewalks.

Actual: The ONLY rat I saw was this "pet" sitting on his owner's head & shoulders.

Preconceived Notion #2: I would be an absolute "Fashion Outcast" there in my "Utah duds" compared to all those stylish New Yorkers.

Actual: I realized I had nothing to worry about when I saw these folks...

Since this is a "G" (OK, maybe "PG") rated blog, I'll cut this photo off here, so you won't be able to see how far up before the clothes start, but the rest was as interesting as the shoes! :) {Oh, no! I think she caught me snapping this photo!}

Can't exclude the men!

Preconceived notion #3: The Subways are dangerous, scary, (think The Fugitive, Die Hard 3, Ghost, The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3) dirty, & full of people with B.O. (with their armpit right at your nose level.)

Actual: We experienced none of that. And I'm pleased to say that we only got on the wrong Subway twice! Note to self: just because you took a certain Subway getting to your destination, does NOT mean the same one will get you back! Also, Don't let "Downtown" confuse you. It is not the center of the city as I naturally will refer to it in these parts - but, in NYC, it's down, as in more south from where you currently are ~heading towards Lower Manhattan! Also a big help: HopStop.com

Preconceived Notion #4: You will get mugged/jumped/attacked - or even witness a murder.

Actual: Although, I did frequently keep one hand on my purse at all times, no one touched me...except I did get pushed by a stiletto donning woman as she walked by (and commanded, "Excuse Me.") since I was stopped on the sidewalk she wanted to walk by on - and avoid the alternative, the grates covering the Subway below which would surely have been a disaster with her shoes!

Preconceived Notion #5: The hotels that are in the price range below $300/night are "hole in the walls" - a regular dive.

Actual: We were so happy with our hotel. New, no noise, so comfortable, free wireless, complimentary bottled water ($5/bottle at other hotels), a candy jar at the front desk!...And the price was right!

{In our Lobby}

I've fallen in love with their signature "Sheraton Sweet Sleeper" beds. (They tell me you can order them online....)

It really did the trick - we slept until 11:00a.m. one morning, 9:45a.m. another!

Preconceived Notion #6: The weather isn't nice. Too humid, too cold, too muggy. Unpredictable summer storms.

Actual: Just look at these skies...

I ended up wearing my jacket around my waist every day "just in case" I needed it. Didn't!

Finally, on the 5th & last day, I left my jacket behind (since I'd never needed it yet!)

THAT DAY, we went to the top of The Empire State Building....

it was just a tad bit windy clear up there!

Yep, Murphy's Law applies to me again, THAT would be the ONE day, I didn't have a jacket! :)

Preconceived Notion #7: It's practically impossible to get tickets to Letterman.

Actual: WE DID! (They actually called me ahead of time, before we left, asked me a "trivia" question - What kind of store does Rupert have? Answer: Deli. Done - we're on the guest list.)

Our show will be airing tonight, Friday, Sept. 11th. We're in the audience on David's desk side , about 7 rows up! The main guest was Michael Douglas. I don't know if it was just because we were there, but "our show" seemed to be better than all the others I see on T.V. Tune in tonight to see for yourselves!

Preconceived Notion #8: Movie Stars are walking around all over the place.

Actual: Negative. Unless you consider him...

We also DID see all this hub bub happening on the street one day with a big film crew. I see no stars, do you?

We found out they were filming Sex and the City 2.

OK. OK - there WERE a few of my Preconceived Notions that were right on...

Taxis, Taxis, & more Taxis
{we never took one}

Pigeons, Pigeons, & more Pigeons
{a flock even made a landing on the field in the middle of the Yankees game}

Garbage, Garbage & more Garbage
{put out at night, and it miraculously disappears by morning}

People sleepin' around
{I only saw this kind, not the other kind!}
Fancy Cars
{A Rolls Royce}

What a wonderful surprise to have most of my preconceived notions proven wrong! :) Now maybe another time, another place, those things are happening....? We'll just consider ourselves LUCKY!

Now in closing, Imagine the New York, New York song by Frank Sinatra playing in the background!

15 YEARS, BABY!!!

Matt & I were married 9~9~94.

I suggested to him we wait five more years, so we could have 9~9~99 for our Wedding date, but he wouldn't go for that! ;)

We still laugh when we think of the memories of this "Photo Op" we had taken on our honeymoon.

First, we ARE both wearing shorts, but they had Matt take off his shirt for the picture and then they gave me this strapless corset thing-y (that attached up the back) to put on. I was having trouble reaching back to get it done up, so I asked Matt to help. Well, Matt...bless his heart...only having ONE sister (who is 12 1/2 yrs. younger than he) didn't hardly know anything about "girl" things, let alone how to fasten a corset! (OH, what he's learned since then!!) He fumbled & fumbled over that dang thing and then when he thought he'd done it, I start to walk out of the dressing room to the studio -- and it "malfunctions" (falls down.) He tries some more (in vain) and then we're laughing so hard, all attempts to get it on are futile. He ends up asking the photographer (luckily, a woman) to come "dress his wife."

Second, the USUAL pose for this picture is for the wife to lean back against the chest of her husband....BUT, since I was NOT blessed with height genes, when I leaned back, I was hidden down in the bathtub! So, then they said I'd have to pose sitting upright. But, then my corset was showing, so they told me to pull the corset down a bit....and then to sit up a little taller...needless to say, I was getting a little nervous as to how this picture was going to turn out...and what was going to be exposed!!

But, we must like it a lot, because it's been on display in our bathroom for the last 15 years (in 4 different residences!)

Happy Anniversary, Matt!

{Don't ya think we still look exactly the same?!?} hahaha. :)

Random Question of the Week

What does one wear to/in New York City?

Especially if:

• One doesn't want to [appear to] be a fashion "outcast"
• A lot of walking may be involved
• One wants to be the *right* temperature (for September)

I'm a little bit clueless. :0