I Need to Know

Do you want to know the Nutrition facts of the recipes you make at home??? Like banana bread and chocolate chip cookies?

Go to this site; type in your recipe. It will calculate the facts and you will know!

http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php?process=resubmit&count=7

Relief Society Lesson

I taught Relief Society today and I made this game board for my lesson.

I didn't necessarily want to throw it away at the end of the day, but what am I supposed to do with it now? So Gil took a picture so I could share it with all of you, and now I can throw it away!

My lesson was on "Faith in Jesus Christ." I gave everyone the article and let them read it through quickly. We then divided into two teams. Each team got to choose a question from the halloween bowl I used last night for trunk or treat. Then they got to roll the dice and move their token. Each game piece was a disney princess (Belle and Aurora). You can't see in the picture, but on the game board is a "path of obedience" which moves you ahead 4 spaces, the "depths of doubt" which make you lose a turn, and other parts from the article. We even had a winner at the end of the lesson, which I thought was good timing.

Teo crawled along the floor in front of me as I spoke and pulled himself up on the chairs where he could suck on the edge of the seat. What am I supposed to do, I'm teaching! All in all, it was a fun lesson. Sometimes, I just want to have fun in church and not be so serious. Even the RS president at the conclusion said, "that was fun." Now I'm free for another month.

more interview update

Wonder what I've been doing? Well considering the "down" economy and all, I decided I'd play the numbers game for getting a job. I figured that if I applied everywhere, I'd at least get one job offer, right? Well...try a dozen. So far, I have interviewed with 23 different companies. I have either already flown or will fly to San Antonio, San Jose, Houston (twice), Washington DC (three times), Livermore, and Seattle. I've been in DC most of this week also to present the paper at the conference I published in.

Basically what I've learned is that computer security is a really hot topic. If you want a job (or 12), tell people you do computer security.

Oh, the embarrasing situations I put myself into...

If only I were a Dr. Seuss book...

This morning as I drove my little children to their school 4 blocks away (that's another blog) I was wearing my usual no-work day uniform... soft gray Army t-shirt, cotton pink pajama bottoms with little black bows from Victoria's Secret, wool socks, and to disguise my lack of any supportive clothing, a big white zip-up sweatshirt. Hair tousled from sleep, a smidgeon of makeup under the eyes...you get the picture. After dropping them off I decide to indulge in McDonalds cinnamon melts and a small coke so that I can sit in my car and read a book I am LOVING (This impulse was probably in response to my conversation with Candice late last night about eating oatmeal or eggs for breakfast every morning with only an occasional bowl of cereal thrown in for a treat) before beginning my day of 14 jobs.
It was then that I noticed that I was seriously out of gas and I had to drive the Middle School carpool in the next 20 minutes. After briefly cataloguing my appearance I decided to pretend I was a queen and make a very brief in-and-out stop at the gas station. Off I headed to the nearest gas station, which was, of course, filled to the brim with customers. Not stay-at-home mom customers, but men on their way to work customers. I pushed down the embarrassment with a gulp, told myself I was a queen, and stepped out of the car with my head held high and making sure I didn't make eye contact with anyone.
I put the nozzle in the gas thingy, swiped my card and prepared to jump back in the car when the machine made this terrible beeping noise that said "look at me". I tried to follow the instructions on the keypad as instructed (enter phone #) (swipe card) (invalid loyalty card) (enter phone #) (etc.) but with every push of a button the keypad beeped longer and louder. It was now saying "Everyone look over here at the stupid lady who can't work a keypad" Then finally the message everyone dreads scrolls across the screen, "Check with cashier". I said to myself, only sort of out loud, " I don't want to go see the cashier" I think the cashier heard me because over the LOUD SPEAKER comes the disembodied voice of this supposed cashier saying "YOUR CARD READS INSUFFICIENT FUNDS".
"Thank you so much" I say a little facetiously. As I replace the gas nozzle, screw on the cap, and close the lid I can't decide between continuing the "I am a queen" pretense or just laughing at the total humiliation of the entire experience. I gave up the pretense and chose laughter! So, if you needed a good laugh today, go ahead and laugh with me!

PS. Candice has lost 99.9% of her baby weight because of her diet, and ran 9 MILES yesterday in preparation for her half-marathon!!! HIP HIP HOORAY FOR CANDICE!!

Comedy this week...

Mark and Dawney will be performing in Orem, at the Wiseguys Comedy Club on Thursday, Oct 22. The show starts at 8:00 PM. The cost is $5.00. This is a fundraiser for the UCI High School Ice Hockey Team--they need funds to purchase ice time. We'll be doing about 10 minutes--longer, if people actually laugh. The entire show is clean--Nana and Bumpa are invited!! Bring the kids!

Bumpa's First Blog

I am in the Family History Library, in the Special Collections room. I decided to write a blog. First I read all of Chases letters on the blog. Then I read every blog, and every comment of every person on the blog. How informative... and entertaining. I guess I have a new activity for when I get bored. When I am on "the floor" it would be harder to do because I am supposed to be helping patrons... which I enjoy doing.

I have tried to blog before but just could't figure it out. I hope I have this time.

Nana went to yoga this morning.... after we walked. She really likes yoga and I really like her to go because it really helps her flexibility. We walk almost every single day... about 25 --35 minutes. We both feel a lot better when we start the day with a walk.

Nana broke a barrier this morning with her weight at 149. It has been a log hard strugle but she has been relentless. A big hip hip hooray for her. She has lost weight very slowly, but very consistently, which is the best program. She has lost 16 pounds in about 18 months. Meantime.... I just continue to yo yo but I must admit I have not been as faithful as her.

Since we returned from the Omni Clinic in Las Vegas she has been way better in her eating habits. It is clear that most of her health problems seem to be from her food alergies....... bread (wheat) dairy, sugar. She has felt much better since we came home and I think it has given her a strong motivation.

Well.... that was a long blog

Until we meet again

Bumpa

NEWS!

We're engaged! (Big surprise, I know).

Heather and I had already gone ring shopping together, so the challenge was coming up with a way to actually surprise her.

Here's how I did it:

We went out to dinner and then came back to Nana's to watch a movie downstairs. It was a typical date, nothing out of the ordinary. After the movie had been playing for about 10 minutes, I said that I had to go to the bathroom, don't stop the movie for me. A few seconds after I left the room, the movie abruptly changes scenes and I pop onto the screen. Surprise! I talk to her from the screen for a minute, then I point to the doorway and say that there is someone who needs to say something. The screen goes black, then I came out into the room playing my guitar and sang her a little song. Then I dropped to one knee...

...and she said yes. The end!

BABY PICTURES!!

Here is our boy.




















Cutest little baby in the east


















Handsome, just like his Daddy!

Hey You!

As I was picking Tanner up from school today I saw something that I was not expecting. I was sitting in my car watching students come out of school and walk down the street (I pick up Tanner a block away from school). Boy #1 was following boy #2 and right as they got to my car, which was parked across the street so they didn't see me, boy #1 punches boy #2 in the stomach, laughs and then turns to walk away.

Boy #2 falls to the ground and looks behind him to see where the other boy has gone. As soon as he sees that the boy is walking away he begins to hobble away (really hobble, and I'm wondering if he is exagertating or not - you know sometimes they're just playing and it just looks real).

But I begin to think, "should I do anything???" SO I roll down my window, and in my best "teacher" voice I say, "I SAW YOU!" The boy stops in his tracks and stares at me. He does not run away . . . so I continue. "That was not OK, that is being a bully. You need to go apologize to that kid right now." To my utter surprise he puts his head down and says, "ok." I was not expecting that.

So he begins to turn around and walk back towards boy #2. By this time boy #2 is a good block away. So boy #1 begins running to catch up with him. Boy #2 hears him, and so he starts running too!!! He thinks the boy is coming back to hit him some more!! The more boy #1 runs, boy #2 runs faster, until they are about three blocks away from me (Tanner has still not come by this time). So after running three blocks after this kid, boy #1 gives up and starts to walk back where he was going.

By this time the flood of children have begun to come out, including Tanner. I ask him if he knows that boy (#1). He says yes, he is in MOST of his classes. I tell him the story and ask if he thinks that they were just playing. He says no. I guess this boy has a reputation. I decided I taught him enough of a lesson, so we drove away. As we drove down the street, we passed boy #2 far away. I was going to call out to him to see if he was ok, but he looked fine and I didn't want to embarrass him.

Beware what you do . . . you never know who's watching!!

Job hunt!

I have 5 interviews tomorrow. I had 1 today. I have 1 on Friday. I've had many more in the last 2 weeks. I've talked to all sorts of places, ranging from local jobs in Provo and/or SLC to much larger companies. I am flying out all over the United States in the next month. I've spoken to the CIA, FBI, NCIS (mostly because of the TV show) among others. I accidentally mentioned DirecTV in my interview with Dish Network (they didn't appreciate that...I didn't get a job offer there). So far the my favorite job has been working for Ernst & Young as a hacker. This job is in Houston, which would be funny because we all know that is where Chase is. I've gotten USB drives, water bottles, frisbees, squirt guns, flashlights, t-shirts, candy, pens, yo-yos, a sweatshirt, a travel bag, a pocketknife, several dinners, and a hand sanitizer that looks like a highlighter (that was the FBI's).

The job hunt is exciting and tiring, and practically like a full-time job itself.

Unattended briefcase!

Yesterday at work things were humming along nicely, busy but not frantic. I am on the phone with a patient when a man comes walking in carrying a black briefcase. I smile at him and motion for him to sign in and then I continue with my telephone conversation. Imagine my surprise when he briefly shakes his head, places the briefcase on the counter right in front of me and starts to LEAVE THE OFFICE. I have never seen this briefcase before. He has not said a word and HE IS LEAVING??? I frantically wave my hand at him to get his attention and motion for him to STOP and WAIT! My head is full of images of warnings from the airport regarding unattended luggage and the many terrorist and spy shows I have watched on television. I am NOT going to let this man out of my sight until I have an explanation!...But instead of stopping, he turns and begins walking even faster out of the office. I drop the phone and race around the reception desk calling for him to stop. He begins to run so I hop out of my shoes and race after him. I leap for the tackle and....

OK. I got caught up in my imagination there...but all that DID race through my mind as I motioned for him to stop and wait. He did. The briefcase had some equipment he had borrowed to help with his treatment (I don't know what). We all got a good laugh out of my instinctual response to the idea of an unattended briefcase sitting on my reception desk.

New Running Shoes

Yesterday I had a great experience buying new running shoes. I have needed to buy new shoes since mine were a couple years old and I know were not doing me any favors. I was referred to a "real" running store in Sherman Oaks where they "fit" your foot for the right type of shoe. So I packed up Teo in the stroller and off we went to the store. It was actually quite close to my house.

The man/boy who helped me was very nice. I'm guessing he was Christopher's age. He first measured my foot and checked my arches to see where I needed extra support. He then brought me out three different shoes to try - I didn't do any of the picking, he did it all. I felt like one of those clothing stores where you sit on a couch and the sales people bring you all the clothes to try on.

He was very informative and told me that these were the best type of shoe for my foot. He brought out three different makers, for my type, and for me to choose the most comfortable one. As part of the process, he had me run on a treadmill while a camera filmed me from behind to check if the shoes were doing what they were supposed to! It was very fun.

As I purchased the shoes he asked if I wanted any information on running groups in the area - I said, "of course." He told me of a mom's group and other ones I could join. He also told me of a half marathon in December I could do in LA. I'm very tempted. Maybe Tatia could come down and join me!!!

In the end I chose a purple Reebok (see picture above) and went running in them this morning for the first time. They felt great and I felt great. I'm happy to have my new shoes.