aqua poppy 11:16 AM

I have been searching for a new blog background. After googling blog backgrounds for a million hours I gave up. White it was. Until today. I went to Jo's blog and found a link to a background site that I had never been to before! Why had google hid this from me?!? Aqua Poppy Designs has cute backgrounds. (give the link a minute or two to load, there are a billion images on it) Yay! I really like this new background.

famous 8:13 PM

My office.

Today was my first day back at work. I admit that I was a little nervous, but things were just like I left them (with the exception of a few of the boys coming up and introducing themselves to me, pretending I was the new girl. They greatest thing is that they all did it independant of each other and each thought they were so original. Clever guys. Clever.) We spent the morning at a family fun fair put on by our city. We helped little kids look around the fire and EMS apparatus, climb in as their parents took pictures and learn that we are here to help them if they ever needed it.

Then I had a once in a lifetime experience. A mom came up to me, introduced her daughter and said that she wanted to be an EMT. That never happens. They all want to be firefighters. Her mom said it was all she had talked about being for the past 4 years (she is 10 y.o.). It was so cute. I talked to them about training and volunteering as a junior to get experience and about the levels of EMT. Then I had her and her brothers climb into to back of the Medic unit (ambulance) and check it out. I explained stuff and then pulled out the LifePak 12 to show her how we looked at peoples hearts. A few stickers later we were looking at her heart rhythm, her brothers thought she was so cool. I printed it out and gave it to her. Then I let her brothers get in on the fun and listen to each others hearts. It was awesome. Never have I seen a group of kids so excited about the Medic unit.

As they were getting out the girls mother asked me to autograph the EKG. It was hilarious. I felt silly doing it, but asked the girl if she wanted it and she shook her head yes. So, what could I do. And what can I say. I am famous. I was asked for my John Hancock; it is now hanging on a little girl's wall. This will never happen again. Ever.

punta cana 1:00 PM

This Memorial Day Weekend a bunch of us opted to ditch the usual Duck Beach plans and head down to somewhere a little more tropical and a little less crowded. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic was the destination. Tasha, Susan and Whitney had been to an all inclusive resort there before and loved it.


Our vacation started out rainy and overcast. Saturday morning the showers came and went. Scott, Mandy and I ran under the palm covered cabanas to hide from the rain then ran out as soon as it stopped to try and catch a little sun. In the afternoon there was a beautiful fierce lightening and thunder storm. Rain came down sideways. We hunkered down in our rooms and prayed that it would not last all week.


Sunday the sun came out and stayed out for the rest of the trip. We headed for the beach and set up camp. I wish I could tell you we did exciting things, but we did not. We laid out, listened to out iPods, read books and magazines, talked to each other, wandered out into the ocean, drank diet coke and pina colada's, got a tan, tried to nap and retired under the cabana's when we were sufficently sunned.


Our beach time was interrupted by the occasional activity. One morning Tasha was scooped up by one of the local men to dance the meringue (or salsa or some dance). One afternoon we spent snorkeling, unfortunately the storm had disturbed the ocean such that there was not alot to see. We walked over to some shops. I took a bubble bath. They played tennis. We all vacationed.


It was a good trip. It was a relaxing trip. It reminded me how much I love the beach (and dislove humidity). It was a good time spent with friends. I'm glad we all got to go.

um... 2:42 PM

i started messing with the template. this is a work in progress...

ps, where did my blogger navigation bar go???

tropical beach vacations 12:10 PM

Palm trees rose high to make a beautiful skyline.

Toes were freshly painted for the occasion.

The beach was as it should be: clean sand, blue-green water and cloud spotted sky.

I love tropical beach vacations.
...more about it tomorrow, waiting on pictures.

stand by 8:57 AM

i am at the beach...

be back next week.

maybe.

farmers market 8:23 AM

Strawberries, artichokes, white nectarines and kettle corn. Yum!

Every Saturday morning my hometown closes a block off of Main Street for a Farmer's Market. I feel like this is part of what gives it the quaint "small" town feel that we all love. Local growers display their fresh fruit: delicious strawberries, sweet cherries and lovely nectarines. They showcase their veggies: tiny rainbow potatoes, crisp peas and all shades of fresh greens. There is the stand where Kristin must get her fresh squeezed apple cider every time. A variety of delicious baked goods stands with fresh breads, sweet treats and yummy tortillas are interspersed among the produce. At the end of the market is my favorite place: the kettle corn tent. You will amways find someone you know among the crowd. You can eat your way through all the fresh samples and the prices are not too crazy. I love the Farmer's Market.

Afterward we swung by the Meadowlark Dairy (who BTW has marked up their prices 300% since I was in high school) for some soft serve.

stars: the fake edition 5:00 PM

I really like looking up at the stars at night. How have I not blogged about that yet? A friend of mine knew this and bought me these glow in the dark stars one year. I stuck them on the ceiling in my room at home and there they still remain nine years later. With a little encouragement from artificial light, they become energized enough to shine down on me as I fall asleep snuggled in my comfy bed. They are comforting. I am not sure why.

Athletic's 9:45 PM

I enjoy athletics. I do. All sorts of athletics. Outfielders, pitchers, third basemen, etc. Yeah, I know I ruined that joke by putting the picture at the top of this post. I know everyone has their team and mine is Oakland Athletics. Sure, baseball is not the most entertaining sport to watch on tv but it beats golf. I really do enjoy a live baseball game though. Take the energy of a stadium, add ballpark junkfood and affordable tickets and you have a recipe for a good time. Last Wednesday I met up with Tamarin, Liz and Laurie for a game. Liz grabbed the $2 tickets, Tamarin tried to get the dollar dogs and I ... I just showed up. I also enjoyed the flashbacks to YW/YM activities with contests to see how much bubbleyum you could stick in your mouth. Good times.

Me, Tams, Laurie

new glasses 4:44 PM

I have had the same wire frame glasses for two years. I have sat on them, scratched them, lost them and I may or may not have dropped them in the toilet once. So I was grateful today to get a fresh pair. Yay, new glasses! I am also grateful to have a pair of plastic frames again so they don't bend as easily when I accidentally sit on them or leave sweaty marks from the nose pads. To the outside world they are just a pair of black glasses, but me, they are rose colored.

ninja blog 4:22 PM

Hey Friends,

Sorry about going private with such short notice. Having people from work know so much about my personal life for the first time became a problem. In the words of a co-worker "This is a cut throat industry and people allow their feelings to show instead of professionalism." It is unfortunate. So, the bad news is that you have to suffer and sign in to read this. Good news is that you are now a part of my super secret ninja blog. I always wanted one of those.

Love, Camille

family tradition 4:23 PM

That's how it starts. One little innocent sip of Grandma's Diet Coke. Then one sip turns to two. Then three. "More?" he cries out. "More?" Grandma can't say no. At just over a year old Bryce is carrying on a family tradition - a Diet Coke addiction. Great Grandma would be proud.

strawberry chiffon shortcake 4:50 PM

My Mom said her favorite dessert was Strawberry Shortcake. I would have guessed that it was something chocolate, but apparently I would have been wrong. So to honor the lady who gave birth to me, I decided to make her favorite dessert. Thankfully the trusted Deb, of Smitten Kitchen, had a great Strawberry Chiffon Shortcake recipe.


Admittedly I was a little nervous to try a chiffon cake, but it turned out better than expected. It was light and fluffy, sweet with a light hint of lemon, and more moist than an angel food cake. The fresh whipped cream with powder sugar was yummy, a little over whipped and, uh slightly brown. Oops. *Note to self: Use clear vanilla when making whipped cream.*


I would make this cake again. It was light and fresh and surprisingly not too hard to make. For those with mature taste buds make it as Deb instructs. For those immature like me (ie: you like good ol' Hershey chocolate better than that fancy foreign stuff) I might try to make it with cool whip. Yum. I like cool whip.

mom 1:23 PM

After nine months hosting a parasite and 5 hours of labor, this young girl (above) became a Mother. My Mother. If she knew back then what the task ahead would really entail, she may have sent me back. Luckily she did not and now, 28 years later, she has helped shape the lives of four people and endeared them to her forever. Thank you Mom for all you did then and all you do now. I am glad you are my Mother and friend.

1988 Me, Mom and Kristin

the temple 11:28 PM

photo by Weston

We went to the temple today. I love the Oakland Temple. It is the temple I grew up visiting the grounds of, the one that we go every Christmas to see the nativity and lights wound all the way up the palm trees. My parents were married here, so were both of my little sisters. I love this place.

Today what stood out to me was that in the temple we are all the same. The temple is no respecter of persons. Sitting in the room were 50 or so people made up of four or five different races. One person may have been a company CEO and another may have been a maid, one may have been an electrical engineer and another may have been a paramedic. But I couldn't tell. And it didn't matter in there; everyone is equal. I love that about our church.

graph jam 7:36 PM

If you like charts...



and you like facts...



or you like pop culture...



or you enjoy Garth Brooks and America references...



or you just like to know that someone else feels the way you do...



then you might like GraphJam. Tamarin pointed this site out to me after HIMYM (one of the top 5 greatest shows on television right now) played off it on Monday. I may have spent more time than I would like to admit on this site last night.

birds eye view 7:29 PM

I

LOVE

THIS

VIEW.

pistachios 10:10 AM

I cannot describe the taste of these little nuts or what makes them so yummy. They just are. They are probably my favorite nut. The hesitation being that I really love honey roasted peanuts. But they are sugar coated which makes the comparison unfair and irrelevant.

My affections towards the pistachio started with Ashley's famous "Pistachio Fluff". It is a commonly requested as her signature side dish for BBQ's. Even if you don't think you like pistachio's, you should try this.

1 small box instant pistachio pudding
1 medium tub cool whip
1 20oz can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups mini marshmallows

Mix the above together. Let sit for half a day (the longer it sits the more yummy the marshmallow's get) then enjoy! Seriously. Try it. Also, we buy a bag of mini mallows, eat a bunch and then throw the rest in - way more than two cups. :)

What inspired this post is a cake that a lady from the senior apartments makes and brings to us at the firehouse. It is a pistachio cake. It is gone in 2.5 seconds. We love it. While I have not gathered up the nerve to ask her how to make it, I researched it on the internet and found what I think is the recipe.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 box pistachio pudding
4 eggs
1 1/4 c. water
1/4 c. oil
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Heat to 350*. Mix ingredients together on low for 1 minute, then medium for 4 minutes. Immediately pour into a grease/floured bunt pan. Bake 50-55 minutes. Remove when toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes then invert onto plate and cool the rest of the way. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top just before serving if you want. Or forget looks and dig right in. You should make this for Mom on Sunday.

It should be noted that I don't think that pistachio nuts and pistachio flavored things taste that much alike. For instance I hate the taste of pistachio pudding itself, but I love the above treats with it incorporated. So if you are prejudice about these treats because of your lack of love for the nut or the pudding, give them a try anyhow.

And that is all I have to say about pistachios.

great advertising 10:05 AM

Well done Nestea. If I drank ice tea I would be loyal to you product, and only your product, purely because of this ad campaign. You knew it was a risk, but you took it anyhow. Liquid Awesomeness. Nay, Liquid AWESOMENESS. Bravo.

the bright side 9:30 PM

[phone conversation 6:55am]
Me: It's times like this that I hate having a stick shift. (my left leg/foot is injured)
Tom: At least it's not a truck.
Me: What?
Tom: A trucks clutch is harder to push in. At least you have a car and not a truck.
Me: Well there you go. (trying to decide if I believe him) That is something to be grateful for. (is it?) That will be my happy thing for the day. (trying to see this as the bright side, at the same time disheartened that this may in-fact be the best news I hear all day)

Do you like my new shoe?

[phone conversation 7:30pm]
Me: The doctor said it was severe tendonitis. I am out of work for three weeks. (sucks)
Ashley: That sucks.
Me: I know.
Ash: But that's better than you thought it would be.
Me: What? (I was hoping I would wake up this morning and it would be all better, how is this better than that?)
Ash: You were worried that it was a stress fracture. A break would have out you out for six weeks. But it's not broken and you're only out for three weeks. That's good.
Me: Good call. (she's right) Thanks.

[6:52am text - for your entertainment]
Me: Calls if you're still at work.
(call me if you're still at work)
Me: Call me mean.
(call me, I mean)
Tom: Ok you are mean
Me: I know. I cannot text this morning.
(I realize I cannot text this morning)
Me: I am not drunk.
(but I am retarded sometimes)

half-marathon 11:59 PM

Day two of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer was wet and miserable. Luckily I avoided all the rain. The pain that I started feeling after mile 13, the pain that hurt so much I thought I was going to vomit with every step I took after mile 20, the pain that I hoped would magically be gone when I woke up on day two of the walk - did not disappear. It may have gotten worse. So I decided that I would not walk the 13.1 miles of day two. It was a frustrating decision, I hate quitting, but was a smart decision. After 28 years am I finally acting like an adult? Don't worry, I am sure it is only temporary.

Saving Private Parts pausing for a photo before the finish line. * Finally!

Steph came and rescued me from a miserable day of being stuck on the Avon walk bus. She was a lifesaver. We grabbed Tasha too and killed time until the rest of the team was nearly done. We picked up our friends Marty and Whitney and waited for our drenched teammates. Tasha and I joined them for the last 50 yards to cross the finish line. They were drenched and miserable and awesome for completing 39.3 miles.

Dana and I in our respective theme park ponchos. * Whitney, Marty and Steph - our biggest fans!

All in all this was a great experience. Once was enough, I do not think walk it again. But I would go back and do the medical crew. Or even just camp out on the side of the road to cheer people on and hand out Diet Cokes. We would have given out first born for someone to hand us a nice cold Diet Coke.

marathon 11:59 PM

Today was day 1 of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. (L) We woke before the sun was up and headed into the DC. (R) The starting point was between the Lincoln and FDR Memorials.

(L) Our team name was Saving Private Parts (like Saving Private Ryan). Dana had these great shirts made for us; we loved them. And apparently so did everyone else. People had us stop so they could take pictures of them all day. (R) Our team (left to right) Me, Ashley, Susan, Courtney, Dana, Tasha and Scott.

(L) At the opening ceremonies they had us all stretch. Looks like Scott took this opportunity to check out all the ladies. He had great odds today. (R) Our pile of trusty CamelBaks.

It was fun walking through the District past the famous landmarks.

(L) We walked. A lot. (R) We were hoping that that the trail would take us through the zoo. It did not.

(L) I tried to get the pig flu. (Middle) Little umbrella for the sprinkling rain. (R) Big poncho for the real rain. Luckily it only rained for like 5 minutes today. It was slated to rain from 11am through Sunday. We were blessed with great weather.

(L) Half way through! 13.1 to go. (R) Luckily Scott had to pee at every rest stop so we got to stretch a lot.

(L) The volunteers kept us entertained. The had crossing guards at all the intersections. (R) Bicyclists and motorcycle riders rode past making sure we were okay and guarding the intersections for us. They were too nice.

(L) Scott got tired of the people cheering "go ladies" and "great job ladies". He wanted to know where the love for the men was. Men get breast cancer too. (R) More walking...

Done! Well, almost done. Twenty-six miles down; the last 0.2 miles after this marker seemed to take an eternity.

(L) Back at camp we grabbed our stuff and put it in the tent that Jessica had so lovingly set up for us before we got there. It was nice to just sit in there. But we smelled. So we headed to the showers, then Tasha and I visited the medical tent (I had a pain). (R) We met back up and scarfed down food. It tasted great.

(L) After dinner Scott came over to our tent. We played with glow sticks and tried to play cards. (R) Unfortunately we were all a bit delusional so that didn't last long. We took Ibuprofen and Benadryl and hit the sack at the late hour of 9:30pm.

It took forever. We walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. It was painful. It was great. It was a good day. It was nice to do something to help such a good cause. And it was nice to feel the accomplishment of walking 23.2 miles. Because we all know that walking is the only way I will ever complete a marathon.