A Randomly Blissful Blog

"The world belongs to the energetic"

2010-10-08T01:04:00.000-07:00

"The world belongs to the energetic." This guy, you may or may not have heard of him, Ralph Waldo Emerson is who stated that the world, apparently, belongs to the energetic. Hmm...Is it because they are the ones who have the energy to actually run the world? I don't think that's what he meant. I think that those who have positive energy to keep up a constant level of 'energeticness' (I think I might have invented a new word) realize they can draw upon different sources of energy through out the world. The realize they are in an interactive relationship from all aspects that are here in the world. The ones who find the good, positive, and energizing wells to draw from are the ones who understand the stuff that really counts in the world. That through adjusting their focus on the amazing and beautiful they are clearing their vision of what the world's potential is and work to get the world moving toward that potential. Where are these sources to draw from? I think instinctively we have ideas, feelings or intuition as to where to find them or at the very least we know what isn't a source of positive influence in our lives. The courage and the growth comes from leaving a source that will not give us the positive vision, possibly giving us a negative energy to our lives, and turning toward what will help us achieve the positive motion in living.

I can't say that trying to stay positive won't be full of actual bad stuff because life is full of all kinds of horrible things. But, letting the negative overshadow the positive actually stunts your ability to acknowledge to yourself the positive things around, in and can come from you. It's a choice to search for positive amongst the ridiculously moronic things that fly at us from every direction. It is a choice that is constant and a commitment. A choice that needs to be made consciously. We need to realize that no one is happy by accident it takes work. Being miserable is easy you just let the world happen to you. It takes energy to make that choice, but once you do you have a destination to work towards. People's circumstances are full of reasons to be negative and they are usually reasons that no one would blame them for being that way. It just amazes me and inspires me to find those who have had more than enough reasons to give up and chose not to. Those people who take their terrible life's circumstances and decide not only to survive, but thrive. These are the ones who inspire and spread their positive energetic selves to the world around them. They are people who see something a little clearer and try and tell us what they see hoping to bring us to where they are and are happy for us when we get there with them and cheer us on while going on ahead.

Thoughts in a head, words on a page, a spoken voice, or a look on my face can be my simple ripple in this world, but it will be my choice whether it will be a positive one.

What if...

2010-10-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

I heard something the other day about how your inner energy attracts similar energy from the universe. Whether that energy is positive or negative it will attract that type of energy. What got me was the fact that when I feel like bad things are happening more bad things seem to pile on. I also had the insight that I tend to be a lot more aware of the negative things that go on in my life and less thankful or aware of the positive things that go on.
I decided to focus and acknowledge on the positive things that happen in and around my life. If I can and have been focusing on the positive things, I've been finding more things to be thankful for and more positive about. It is an amazing spiral that is the exact opposite of vicious.
I never thought of myself as negative, but the conscious effort to find the positive energy in my life has made getting up in the morning easier and going to sleep at night reflecting on the day more satisfying.
So, what's the 'what if...' What if this is contagious? What if I can spread the positive energy and they spread the energy to someone else, so on and so on. Would that save the world? Who knows, but it might be a better place to be.

Charlie and Construction Workers.

2010-07-31T01:19:00.000-07:00

It all started with a geology trip I had to take down the Columbia Gorge. I needed someone to drive while I navigated and took pictures of the geological wonders along the Columbia Gorge. So, I asked my mom if she would go with me. She said she could, but we would have to take Charlie her very protective Dachshund.

We left Sunday night and drove to The Dalles and stayed in a pet friendly Comfort Inn. All night long, Charlie would give these low menacing growls every time he heard someone walking down the hall. Apparently, Charlie had appointed himself trip security.

By the morning time Charlie was so worked up about strangers just outside our door walking around he couldn't handle it anymore. When mom came back from grabbing some food from our free continental breakfast and I sleepily opened the door, Charlie made a break for the hallway to see these evil strangers and started barking his head off. Just down the hall was this huge construction worker with typical work boots, hammer and T-shirt walking, that's when Charlie went all 'German special forces assassin' on the guy. Charlie took off and was going to rip the guys head off (well, maybe his ankles). The funny thing was the construction worker saw Charlie running for him and he turned and ran too. Well, that just made Charlie more excited that he was actually scaring someone. What a sight, Construction worker running for his life, followed by a crazed dachshund, followed by a sleepy pajama lady yelling, "Charlie, Charlie." Finally, I yelled at the construction worker. "Stop running!" That was the answer, Charlie was deflated when he saw the guy stop. Charlie was no longer scary. He hung his head and turned around and let me carry him back to our room with me saying in a baby voice, "Charlie scared the big ole man away."

Oh, the laughs we had when I was explaining how big the construction worker's eyes got when he saw this little devil dog running for his ankles. I'm sorry but dachshunds look possessed when you can see part of the white of their eyes and their tiny teeth are being barred at you. It is scary. My uncle Dallas said he looks like he's going to bite him like a sewing machine up and down his leg.

The second encounter with a construction worker was at Eastern Oregon University. I took my niece and nephews to the school for a walk and it was getting hot. I told them to get a drink of water from the drinking fountain in the Hoke building while I waited outside with Charlie. These two construction workers came walking towards me and saw me with this little dog and made a joke, "I see you have your attack dog with you." I knew they were making fun of Charlie because he's so little so, I tried to set them straight by informing them, "Well, actually he's pretty vicious." They laughed and before I could stop them one of them bent down towards Charlie with this 'oh, what a cute little puppy' expression on his face when Charlie started acting like he wanted to eat off his face. The construction worker did a reflex startled jump backwards and said, "I thought you were joking. I guess you weren't." Nope, I wasn't joking.

Charlie is very protective of our family and honestly very sweet if he knows you. My dad hurt himself last summer and Charlie was so protective of him as dad laid on the ground that he wouldn't let any of the EMT's get close enough to help him. We had to grab this little tiny dog and throw him in the truck while the EMT's attended to helping dad, growling the entire time. I know I haven't told you any of the cute and sweet things this little dog does, but those just aren't as funny.

OK...Deep thoughts by Jack Handey.

2010-07-23T10:41:00.001-07:00

I found this site and it brought back all those college, early ninety memories. Might not be appropriate though...

DeepThoughtsByJackHandey.com

My Words Came Back to Haunt ME!

2010-07-22T23:02:00.000-07:00

OK. My life the last 3years has been basically filled with this little thing I like to call nursing school. It was hard and there were times I wanted to throw myself out the window. (Maybe that's why we never had windows in any of our class rooms.) But, I graduated. Yep, got my BS in Nursing. (haha...BS.)

As a graduate in the science of nursing, I can't practice without a license and so they invented this small test they call the NCLEX. (Insert dramatic scary music here) The entire 3years of studying, practicing and occasionally freaking out, rested on the fact that I pass this test. (Absolutely no pressure) Not to mention the fact that I have a job waiting for me when or if I pass this horrible test.

I even enrolled in a class to learn how to pass this test. The NCLEX is a random computerized test that gives you questions that it considers are easy to difficult. It will give you easy questions then if you get it right you get a harder one. If you get the question wrong the computer gives you an easy question. Then, after the computer decides that you will either pass or fail the test with a 95% assurance the computer terminates the test. But, the computer doesn't tell you if you passed or failed...IT JUST ENDS! That basically boils down to you can get the minimum of 75 questions OR the maximum of 265 questions (or any freakingly random number in between!).

I went into the test feeling I had done everything I possibly could to prepare for it. I was thinking positively and trying to keep my anxiety down to a minimum. I finished the test with 75 questions and felt like I knew most of what they were asking me. I felt like I had passed.

I took the test with 3 other students from my class and we all finished about the same time. I was confident I passed and was on the way to become a legal Registered Nurse (RN).

The next day my friend looked on the Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN) and her name came up with a RN license number. I put my name in and it came up as 'not found.' I put the names of everyone else who took the test at the same time and their name came up with a license number. Mine was not found...I concluded that I must have failed the test.

I was in shock. I was emotionally numb. The fun weekend celebrating with friends...cancelled. I had nothing to celebrate. I drove from Portland to the La Grande mountains to my dad's cabin, laid down on the cot, stared at the Coleman lamp, called my mom, told her I failed, and had a nervous breakdown. What was I going to do?

I tried to sleep. I'd start to sleep and I would startle myself awake unable to breath. Yeah, this was anxiety to the 10th degree. My mind played over all the questions I had on test and decided that I must have missed every single one. I was embarrassed, depressed and dumbfounded. Then, the weekend came and I went to the testing website to schedule another test, but it wouldn't let me. Then, I saw they had the results of my test in and the testing site said I had...PASSED!?

What the FREAK! I passed? If I passed how come I didn't have a license number? Was this some mean joke? What is going on? On Monday I called the OSBN and they told me that I had passed, but that my transcripts hadn't been sent to them. What the heck? All this misery I put myself through was the result of a paper glitch? Oh, I didn't really care anymore I knew that I passed.

Now, what does this have about my words haunting me? Well, let me tell you. After the NCLEX test, I was talking with a group of my classmates feeling pretty confident about passing the test, when one of the girls said that she had found out that morning that her uncle had committed suicide. She mentioned that she had to put that in the back of her mind until this was all over. That's when I said, "Well, I guess there are worse things than not passing the NCLEX, even though it probably won't feel like it." We all agreed and became philosophical and then continued to talk about the horrible test. That week end...I kept thinking about how IRONIC it was I had said that...ME, the one who didn't pass the test. How little did I know I was going to put those words to a very real and horrifyingly depressing weekend long test.

It was good that by Sunday night I had decided that, 'I'll just work harder and pass the next time,' and that I would survive even though I didn't really feel like I would. Even, though the weekend was horrible I found support from my family and friends that showed me how blessed I am. I had people I could confide in, complain to, and even cry on.

life...

2010-04-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

In three words I can sum up all I've learned about life: It goes on. - Robert Frost.

If you are a glass 1/2 full...Awesome! If you're a 1/2 glass empty...Dang! If you think the water's not worth drinking...You are in big trouble.

I think each of us are on a pendelum swinging between each of those sentiments. Sometimes we spend more time in one than another. Then you have forces outside your control that try and shove you in one direction or another.

It seems that we notice the shoving to the 'bad' place, but don't acknowledge those forces that help us celebrate being in this life. Just like we notice when we succum to gravity by tripping. But, don't take a second thought about defying gravity everyday by walking one step at a time.

The Christmas Bunnies.

2009-12-14T14:32:00.000-08:00

I was super bored and decided to make a video using some cool bendy bunnies Lori gave me this summer. I hope you enjoy it.

A Drive Thru Smile

2009-12-13T23:12:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I had to go shopping for a tri-fold presentation board at a place called "The Craft Warehouse." Scary, huh? Let's just say that for me the idea of crafts usually involve second degree burns from skin scalding hot lava guns, or for those of you who can perform crafts without visits from the EMT they are usually called hot glue guns. Well, back to the story... I found my cool tri-fold cardboard display board and began seeing all kinds of adhesives that don't involve thermal dynamics and began to feel a little more confident in my craftiness. I began seeing all kinds of possibilities of creativity in the rows of stickers, stamps and fun shaped scissors. Honestly, why hadn't I been scrap booking for all these years! I know I could be the scrap booker of all scrap bookers. I would be on the Oprah Winfrey show and make Oprah go into the ugly cry because the beauty I could create with a hole punch and multiple colored brads.

Then, it hit me, I don't like doing stuff like that. I like taking a picture and storing it away in the cyber-world that is my computer. I don't do crafts. Oh, my goodness! They almost got me. That craft warehouse almost sucked me into the world of cute chronicling devices!

I bought my presentation board and walked out wondering what kind of creative commerically induced delusion did I just have? I started my car and drove out and then I noticed a Burger King. Oh, America the land of commericalism and spending money! Every where I go I could spend all the money I have for stuff I don't want and won't do me any good!

In the middle of my anti-capitalism tirade I found myself pulling up to that very comforting drive thru menu board wondering if I should order the regular Whopper meal, the Junior Whopper meal or screw it all and get the double Whopper and throw some bacon and cheese on there too!

In the middle of my fast food fiasco, I noticed that there were two head lights shining right at me. It took me a few seconds to figure out that I was in a drive thru and there shouldn't be any head lights shining AT me, I should only be seeing tail lights. Right? What is going on? Was I going the wrong way? Is it all ready 2012 and the world has gone crazy and about ready to end? WHY ARE THOSE HEAD LIGHTS COMING TOWARD ME?!! We never went over this in driver's education!

In the middle of a slight mind melt in my car, I notice that the passenger handing money to the drive thru lady. I then see two teenage boys laughing hysterically. Oh, the imagination of youth. They drove thru the drive thru backwards. I pulled up after ordering my Junior Whopper meal and a DIET Cola giggling at the two kids I was no staring at waiting to get my food. The driver smiled, laughed and waved. I feeling oddly happy waved back and laughed too. Their food came and they backed all the way out of the drive thru and on their way someplace else in the world. When I got my meal, all the employees at Burger King were laughing and smiling. I was laughing and smiling too. I got my meal and drove off to work on my presentation strangely and surprisingly happy. Here were two geeky boys deciding to do something simply dumb as driving backward through the Burger King drive thru and took something so mundane and typically American and tweaked it enough to make my day just a little brighter. I realized that creativity doesn't need to be in cutting paper and sticking them to a board or a scrap book. It doesn't have to take any materials at all because it can be as simple as looking at something ordinary just slightly enough to make it more enjoyable.

So, to those geeky boys somewhere in Kennewick Washington, thank you so much for a great giggle!

OK...We were bored!

2009-12-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

If you have a lot of bored adults inside because it's freezing outside and you're stuck watching football for 12hrs, I think you get a little loopy. We found a random binki that someone left under a bed probably like, I don't know, three years ago. Then, for some reason we thought, "hmm. we have a cute dauchsund, Charlie, and some peanutbutter...I know let's put peanutbutter on the binki and make Charlie put it in his mouth and then take a picture!" All adults involved (Mom, Marie, and myself) decide what a great idea! Here you go world!

Remember that time...

2009-12-03T23:48:00.000-08:00

I was recently at a local Mexican restaurant eating some Mexican food (big surprise) talking with some school friends and realized that I had a story for almost every bizzare conversation we had. I guess I've done a lot of really bizzare things and apparently I'm not afraid of sharing these things in conversations. I also realized that in almost every situation I had been recounting I had the choice of either remaining calm, over react, or make the situation more bizzare than it originally was. I have a great knack for doing the last two. Over reaction and adding bizzareness are my forte! If there is some random force that increases bizzare behavior in myself and others, I have decided to accept it, enjoy it and if I'm motivated about it I really should have some of these things made into movies!

During some periods of my life, it really does seems like I was living a quriky comedy. I've actually been in the middle of some bizzare moment and thought, "This would be a funny scene in a movie." For example: The time I called the police because someone left on my doorstep a hit man's killing kit, which actually turned out to be a gourmet bbq case. I nearly died of embarassement when the cop opened the case to show me a basting brush. Believe me there's more to that story and I really don't have the energy to write it down for you tonight.

Anyway, I have really been blessed with this odd magnetic force that follows me through life because I always have a story that can cause soda to fly out someone's nose.

Charlie the Chocolate Bunny

2009-12-02T22:24:00.000-08:00

Charlie has this new trick. OK it's not that tricky, but I impress easily. When he walks on his back feet and is begging for food he'll get tired and just sit down on his butt. I thought this was really funny. Then, I realized he looked awfully close to a chocolate bunny. You be the judge...

Confessions of a Goob

2009-10-13T22:27:00.001-07:00

OK, you know those stupid things you do that aren't bad or anything, but you'd probably feel totally embarassed if anyone knew about it. Well, this is one of them that I feel I'm ready to confess...

When Toy Story 2 came out...deep breath...I went by myself to Edward's theatre and sat by myself with a big drink and enjoyed every single minute of it. Wow! Now everyone knows how much of a goober I am.

And, just so you know I haven't grown out of that...I went to Harry Potter this summer all by myself and enjoyed it. This time, however, when I came out of the movie tearing up a little, I ran into two nursing students and totally tried to pretend there was something in my eyes.

After that experience I've decided to beat people to the punch and let everyone know I'm goob.

Uh...Brain Cloud.

2009-09-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

Did anyone ever see that movie, "Joe Versus the Volcano?" It isn't one of the amazing cinematic jewels that Tom Hanks is usually known for. The weird thing about this movie for me is that I only saw it once and there are some really odd things that have stuck with me. First, I remember that Joe is diagnosed with something called a Brain Cloud (or was it Brain Fog) and he is convinced that he is going to die. Second, Joe buys this indestructible luggage trunks that survive all the adventures he ends up going on. The other thing that's strange for me is I remember that Joe meets this girl on his trip and I just realized it was Meg Ryan. So, before there was "Sleepless in Seattle" or "You've got Mail" we had Hanks-Ryan duo in "Joe Versus the Volcano." (weird huh?)

Anyway, the reason I'm even talking about this is the fact that there are days when, especially lately, that it feels my brain has a cloud blocking transmission. I think it has to do with overly anxious about school and realizing that time is going by regardless of me thinking its not. It was just a couple of days ago I was walking around Boise Idaho on new years eve 1999, dreading Y2K, with this drunk Russian named Ivan and my neighbor Bill. (Who couldn't stop talking about how he missed his fiance.) Now look it's almost 10 yrs later! (I wonder if Ivan ever felt at home in the Gem state?) I can laugh about how we were so paranoid the world was going to implode. I have to admit that I had my car all gases up, my 72 hr kit was packed and in the trunk, and I had $100 cash hid just in case. I also have to admit that January 1, 2000 was very anticlimactic...No computer I knew about even showed the slightest signs of freaking out!

It's now September 2009 and I wonder if I've changed much? I think of me at that time and wonder what I would think of that person way back then and what she'd think of me now... and that's when the brain cloud hits. It's probably a time-space continuum thing that prevents me from making any conclusions from that type of free verse thought.

This is usually the time I wish I could call someone and just talk random about life and where it takes you and where it doesn't. And this is probably where you all who might be reading this should be glad I don't.

So, where am I now...Oh, yeah, I've got one year left of nursing school, an overwhelming desire to put together a first aid kit that an EMT would be proud of to keep in my car, four bottles of aspirin to give to each of my four uncles in case of heart attack, a gallon bottle of water in my car in case I'm stranded, a sleeping bag as well, and apparently, from looking at this list, I am still in the, 'oh, my we're all going to die but, me' frame of mind from Y2K. I guess I haven't changed all that much...outta here and I'm taking my water filter with me!

Dosie turns 7!

2009-09-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

Dosie Doe, my ever loyal Germador (German Shepherd + Labrador mix) turned 7 years old! Oh, the memories. The time she squeezed herself through a tiny cat door and ate 3 loaves of zucchini bread. The time she figured out how to open the garage window and walked a drunk girl home at three o'clock in the morning (That was an interesting phone call). The time she jumped up, placed her paws on Sandy Chandler's shoulders and stared her in the eyes because Sandy happened to be eating an ice cream cone! The time I decided to shave her because it would be cooler for her during the heat of summer...Even though Dosie can't talk she definitely let me know she was not pleased with my hair cutting skills (see picture).

Dosie is always happy to see me and always wags her tail when I get her. She loves people and all she needs to make her happy is a good scratch behind her ears or a ride in the back of the truck. She has laid down with me when I've been sick, protected me from freakishly random birds that fly at my head, stood guard by my aunt after she got knocked down, and would bark to let us know when the grand kids got too far away. She has even gotten used to Charlie the little wiener dog and lets him chew her ears to the point that they are soaking wet from the dog saliva...weird, but true.

Dosie takes a little longer to get over her mountain adventures than she used to but, her sweet gentle nature is still there even with the occasional limps and sore muscles.

One Day in Portland Oregon!

2009-08-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I had a quick stop in Portland for just a few days and I only had my camera with me once and I got these pictures that just struck me as very Portland. The picture of the guy with the pink shoulder bag looked, talked and smelled slightly like a pirate. He stopped one of the people in our group and explained to us all the history of his tee shirt. Interestingly enough, I don't remember what Andy's shirt was because I kept looking for this pirate-ish guy's cutless to be pointed at us at any moment to spit at us in his pirate-ese, "Avast there me hearty. Ye, have no idea-r what ye have there. I know three sea dawgs that would make ye walk the plank fer wearing such a foul garb out here in the open. But, I won't tell a soul about yer mistake for a pint of rum." OK, if you know me you know my imagination runs away with me sometimes.

Then, I found this sign for gluten free pizza...I have no idea why I thought that was funny. I mean I really like pizza and if I had to eat pizza without gluten due to some kind of medical situation, I would really appreciate someone making pizza without the offending gluten!

After the pizza and before the pirate we walked into the pioneer courthouse square thing and there were all these sand sculptures. I was amazed that someone would have the patience and the desire to make a sculpture out of sand. (I mean you are in Portland and one good rain would wash away hours of work and I hear it rains in Portland.) Then, out of all the things in the world you are inspired to make a Sponge Bob Square Pants...beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Genius on itunes worked!

2009-08-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd give itunes genius a chance and took a listen to a group they recommended to me...I found this group Rilo Kiley (tah dah)! I've enjoyed this alt/indie group a ton. If you like people like Ingrid Michealson, Regina Spektor or Meiko you'll love Rilo Kiley.

I also found at the college radio station I DJ at a group called Miniture Tigers and their album, "Tell it to the Volcano." Very entertaining... If you enjoy They might be Giants...check this group out too!
check it out at www.myspace.com/minituretigers

Sad Van Memories

2009-07-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

The "Silver Bullet" or The "Tin Can on Wheels," is what they called it (my friends and siblings). I called it embarrassing to drive. However, you could seat a bunch of fellow high school students and run down to Dean's Deli, Dairy Queen, or Denny's with no space issues. On Sunday driving around Portland I saw one of these for sell and had a instant flood of memories (which probably made my eyes roll in the back of my head for a second).

I remembered how I totally hung out with a couple of friends all the time and during free periods we would hop in the van and go have wholesome-all-American fun. That was my junior year of high school and arguably the best year of my high school career. It was the first time in my school life that I had friends I would do all kinds of stuff with. Well, my senior year I didn't get to drive the van because my mom thought it would be a good idea to carpool with a family friend to and from school. I lost my cool factor. I was sad and weirdly embarrassed about it. But, the saddest part was when my two friends that were the highlight of my junior year stopped hanging out with me. It was the first real-life lesson I learned... People will use you for your stuff even though they pretend to like you... I grew up that day (I'm just kidding, I never grew up) and felt a little betrayed and it all rushed back on some random corner in Portland Oregon. I need to cut back on free energy drinks.

I am amazed with AGATHA CHRISTIE

2009-07-13T23:09:00.000-07:00

I've been really reading Agatha Christie for many years --and though some people would call writing murder mysteries a bit low brow-- I am continually amazed at how she writes and am often caught off guard at how funny she really is. My favorite quote is from A Murder is Announced, "...I really like dogs with legs." If you read the entire monologue the entire thing is simply hillarious. These are super fast reads and entertaining. You can usually pick one up from a used bookstore or a garage sale...step away from the t.v and try reading one if you want.

The main benefit of reading her books, for me, is they inspire me to write more...not necessarily murder mysteries, but simply writing. Agatha's life is wonderfully interesting as well.

Charlie Finds a Peanut Butter Jar

2009-04-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Mom likes to give my dog, Dosie, empty jars of

peanut butter despite me telling her not to. This time her sweet, innocent, little Charlie got to it. I found this guy with his head stuck in the jar and instead of helping him get his head out, I ran upstairs and got my camera. Ha!

I was bored and had a remote control car...

2009-04-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

Another moment in my life when studying Epidemiology just wasn't as fun as tormenting Charlie.

Putting it out in the world and see what comes back

2009-04-08T00:35:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in my room looking at itunes and I was struck by this random and yet profound avalanche of thoughts. I know that the thoughts were mostly for me, but I felt that if I let it drift out to the world that perhaps it increase the hope factor in a messed up world. Who knows. I hope this helps more than me...

It’s Time to Heal.

The world isn’t fair. What goes up doesn’t stay up and what comes down will smack you in the head. You can decide to keep fighting against that law or accept it and make a game out of throwing something up and catching it when it comes down.

When you let the future just come to you instead of taking ownership in your path in life you are just floating by everyday instead of living it. By doing this you’ve lost hope in the future. You can’t envision yourself in your own future. You’ve lost the vision because you’ve lost yourself.

It’s not important to figure out which came first the injury or the hurt. The point is, if you work on either you are working on both. But it is important to realize that the cause of the injury and the hurt must be resolved completely, honestly and thoroughly or they will come back. And it’s not cheating to get help to resolve the cause, it’s just smart.

First, take responsibility for being in the hole; you walked into it, no one pushed you there. Don’t blame others NO MATTER how tempting it is.
Second, work on getting to the point where the pain isn’t constant; to the place where you can peer outside of the hole you’ve gotten yourself into.
Third, realize that being in the hole or out of it is your decision. If you don’t want out as badly as wanting to breathe; you’re not ready to get out of the hole.
Fourth, realize that there will be days that that hole will feel more tolerable than being outside in the world and that’s another reason you need to drag yourself out of that damn hole.

The law that you must chisel in the heart and mind of your being is this:
A positive excitement in your ability to own your future will allow you to use the tools that will build that future!

And that's pretty much it folks. I'm not sure if it even makes any sense, but there you go. Happy Easter and slip some hope out to the world anyway you can

The Adventure Before Spring Break

2009-03-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

(I’m not even joking about this!)

I was helping a friend from school who was having surgery in Boise. It started off with me driving her down and back the same day. It ended up being me, her two sons, her recovering in a Super 8 hotel room for 3days.

Her two sons 9 and 10 are great, imaginative, and extremely high energy. (That’s code for a 10 year old with autism and a 9 year old with ADHD.) Before we leave, she lets her sons back their own suitcase…This includes a set of samurai swords, a hole punch, half of a jump rope and a giant toothbrush that’s really a back scratcher. “Hmm,” I ask my self, “are they planning on being attacked by evil giant tooth that throws Chinese Ninja stars made of paper?” Well, the evil tooth never showed up; so, they used the weapons of mass imagination against themselves in varying ways of demented little boy torture.

I took my friend to same day surgery and then took the boys to Borders, the video game store, Target and the hotel swimming pool. The whole time they kept asking about Toys R Us. I might not be a parent, but I know trouble when I hear about it. Toys R Us was going to be the fixation of the day and I wasn’t going to fall for it. I knew that the whole time they would be asking me if they could: get this or buy that! Wondering the whole time why my purse didn’t have the equivalent of Fort Knox’s reserved gold bullion.

As, I was trying to decide my best mode of action against this toy obsession I got a call that my friend was ready to go home. “Ah ha! Take that; little boys!” Diversion is the best policy at least for the short term. I was given instructions about where to pick up my friend’s prescriptions and drove there to get them.

Apparently, getting narcotics at a pharmacy is a little more complicated than picking up a couple of Happy Meals at the McDonalds drive through. I had to show ID, find her insurance card, then find the correct insurance card, sign my name to a computerized sign sheet and a give a full retinal scan! (I am showing no signs of retinal detachment at this time, in case you wanted to know.)

Needless to say, I had to leave before getting the prescriptions because of issues with the insurance. I picked up a very groggy friend, ask her about her prescription plan, got her information and headed back to the pharmacy. I left the kids and their mom in the car with the radio playing and strict instructions to the kids, that if they ever wanted to see Toys R Us again in this life time they better be good. I picked up the drugs, got back in the car, turned the ignition and nothing happened. The battery was dead. “Aggggggggh!” You’d think I would have gained some Karma points for helping out. Anyway, I found two frat guys to give us a jump start and had to teach them how to jump a car. (That was funny.) And we were off back to the hotel and I needed a nap!

The evening went pretty much without a hitch. I got everyone food and we watch Willy Wanka and the Chocolate Factory (the one with Gene Wilder). I took the kids to see a matinee of Pink Panther 2 and then went to Wal mart to get them coloring books. I lost one kid and had to have him paged. (I forgot to mention that there were complication and all four of us stayed in that hotel room another two days! Yippee!)They fought the entire time and I wasn’t sure if it was just being stuck in a small hotel room with these kids, not having a good nights sleep, or the sound of them fighting over who was more stupid, but I snapped. I lost it. What ever good karma I had been building up was gone in a few, stress relieving seconds. “OK, I’ve got a quarter; Colin your heads, Sam your tails and which ever one it lands on is the one I’m going to drown to set as an example for the other one! Do you understand?! I want you to fold your arms as we go out to the car and so help me the only sound I want to hear is you breathing!”

I can hear the gasps of disapproval from across the vast reaches of cyber space! Don't judge me. I was raveling! I snapped. I wanted to slam my head against a cement wall, jump off a cliff and light myself on fire. I'm not even exaggerating; not even a little...I would have rather enrolled myself into a fire walking for beginners class than hear another word from those two very sweet boys.

And the award for best babysitter goes to…

Snow Mobiling with the Dogs

2009-03-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

We had a big afternoon in the snow with Charlie and Dosie. Charlie got to ride on the snow mobile and Dosie, being the chicken she is, ran along side. Charlie is the right size to fit in your coat while you're driving and loves the trip!

Charlie, Mom's New Dog

2009-03-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

To all that haven't met Charlie this is him.

Christmas at the Hibbert house

2008-12-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

Well, No one got killed or a paper cut! Family sqabbles where at an all time low because we had two babies to keep us occupied (thanks Tate & Dewey!). I still have the Indiana theme song running through my head because Jonas got a fun whip that played the theme song. Out of all the cool presents the babies got, like trains and phones, they loved the extra kitchen spoons that Tate got the best. All in all, the holidays were very enjoyable and extremely stress free. Eli even made pumpkin and lemon marangue pie! (extra props for that!) I wish you all a happy new year full of economic prosperity!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T16:57:00.001-08:00

My Visit with the Howard Family

2008-12-29T16:09:00.000-08:00

I was able to spend a week with Lori and her family in Payson (Go Longhorns!) Arizona for a week. The Payson High School won the state 3A football championship 14-0 season! All because Ryan is their althetic trainer. I had a lot of fun with the Howard clan and am always amazed at how quick kids grow up! Lori and I worked really hard at Guitar Hero and have pretty much mastered the medium level and are both too scared to try the hard level. As you can see from the slideshow, everyone had fun.

Howards in December

2008-12-29T16:03:00.001-08:00

The search for knowledge and other crap!

2008-12-06T00:23:00.000-08:00

Yeah, it's 12:30ish AM and I just finished an 8 page paper! I have a ton o'stuff to work on tomorrow! I wish I could have the energy I used to. I used to be able to stay awake for days on end. (Of course I'd be crazy by day 3, but hey I'd be awake!) Now, the laws of nature seem to be catching up with me and I'm dragging like a giant on planet Jupiter. (How about that image! It's all very scientific big planet + big person = lots of squishing gravity!) I have been dealing with a sore throat and my tongue feels really weird like it is swelling up in the back of my throat. My solution: gargle with a lot of yucky mouthwash, take antibiotics, eat lots of Jelly Bellies, follow that with lots of diet Mt. Dew and of course a multivitamin. That's why I am still awake at 12:30! UGH! Anywho...that's my life right now at this very instance and the last few months. Now, you are all caught up.

The above picture is the wrong way to do CPR because you don't want the head to detach from the body! I learned that in nursing school!

If you want to laugh...

2008-12-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in laughing and I mean really a good deep down laugh? Go to the link Eric-Shelly-Tater link and watch the video of my nephew craking himself up!

I dare you not to feel happy!

Sad, Sad, Sad day!

2008-12-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

Damn the Beavers! This was going to be the year I could proudly gloat over the freaking Duck fans! But, oh no! We have to pull a classic Oregon State overconfidence thing and choke at our home field!!! Awww! The agony, the pain, the humiliation, and the anger!!!

They had their destiny ahead of them and they decided to make themselves look like idiots!

The sure thing I was looking for sure got shot down to absolutely nothing!!

In Case You didn't Know...It's an election year

2008-10-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I just thought I'd do my civil duty and remind people that it is time to fulfill their civic duty and vote. I am trying to have a positive feel about this election and having searching for that feeling of patriotism that elections are supposed to envoke. As for that actually happening, I can't say that I've had any warm feelings at all about this election. I honestly try and keep an open mind about all canidates and issues. I want to make sure that I am voting based on what I think are the important issues and not what a party, commercial, friend or family has to say about it.

Anyway, I guess I am coming down with election time blues because I have a hard time believing anyone can help. I am feeling so numb and blah about everything and I cringe everytime an election-type ad comes on the TV.

I guess I should feel lucky that I have the luxary to feel blah or blue about elections. I know our country and our system isn't perfect, but it does allow us to at least participate in the system.

So, good luck to all the canidates and to the fellow citizens who are voting...I wish you even more good things to come. I wish the best to the future.

UHH...this is funny.

2008-10-16T21:00:00.001-07:00

I thought this picture was funny... doesn't the news anchor look a lot like the guy they're looking for?

HOLY CRAP!!

2008-09-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

I really could not believe this game it was so good! I usually don't blog or comment about football games, but OH MY HECK that game was so good. I'm sure the USC fans thought, WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED! And I don't blame them. I don't even know what happened other than the Oregon State University football team beat the #1 USC Trojans AGAIN! In 2006 the OSU Beavers beat the #3 ranked USC team shocking the college football world. Then, again the NCAA football universe was scratching its head after little Oregon State again slapped USC with a big fat L!

When I turned to the game late and saw that the score was 7-0 and that it was the Trojans with the goose egg, I was beginning to feel the tingling of an upset. But, when the score was 21-0 at the half, I was falling on the floor. I did say to my dad, "if any one can come back from a 21 pt deficit it was USC .And if anyone can blow a 21 pt advantage it was OSU." I was getting a really bad feeling when USC made up some quick ground by scoring 14 unanswered points. Was OSU going to lose this thing. I could see the offensive machine that is USC marching down and scoring another TD when Sanchez the infallible threw an awful pass to the OSU defenceI actually yelled, yes I was home watching a football game and yelled a screetchy girl yell about football! I heard me do it and instantly thought that it sounded kind of lame. Oh, well, I was having fun.

Then, the onside kick...Oregon State recovers...the knee...time out...the knee...and the whatever good football karma Oregon State has been saving for the last two years has been used!

THE OREGON STATE BEAVERS HAVE DEFEATED THE NUMBER ONE RANKED FOOTBALL TEAM THE USC TROJANS!!!!

Umm...is my mom trying to kill me?

2008-09-19T02:38:00.000-07:00

Hmm... what should I write about.......I wish I had something funny to tell you that would cheer you up.... Oh, I could tell you about the time my mom tried to kill me this week... OK Picture a dark narrow staircase and the lights are burned out...Then picture my mom leaving a vaccum, or is it vaccuum or vacuum? Anywayz, she leaves that dirt sucking thingy in the middle of the floor right above the stairs.

Now, I go walking up the stairs notice the lights aren't working and decide, "hey, I have pretty good recall, I don't need no stinking lights." and walk up the stairs drinking a soda.

Then it happens... I trip on the vaccuu...dirt sucking thinging, spill soda all over me, swear at the top of my lungs, find the light switch in my mom's sewing room, turn the light on, try and set my soda on her ironing board, step on a seam ripper she dropped on the floor instead! Yell again and spill more soda, hit my arm on the still hot as hades iron that she forgot to turn off that happened to be sitting on the ironing board!

Seriously,I was expecting an anvil to drop on my head any second, that's how cartoony I felt after all that stupid stuff happening all at once. All, my mom could do was say, "oops. Sorry." I would have sworn she planned that like Wiley Coyote does for the Road Runner...I'm just not as lucky as that freakin' bird!

Is the sun really going to come up tomorrow?

2008-09-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

After my last post I realized that it was 9/11. My world was rocked off its foundation that day in 2001. It was such a personal moment shared by the whole country. We were glued to the news. We looked at our lives and wondered what was really important. For me, I wondered if my two brothers were going to be drafted into a war started by some mad man living in a cave on the other side of the world. I remember sitting in my room and for the first time in my life really questioned if the sun was really going to rise the next morning. How could it? For me the words were too impossible to form to describe the new world I woke up to on 9/11. The pictures spoke more than anything I could imagine to say. Living in the world were cameras, video cameras, and cell phones with cameras were everywhere the victims were the photojournalists and the photojournalists were the victims. I picked this picture because it showed the devistation, the determination and the hope that 9/11 left us trying to figure out.

"Out damn spot!"

2008-09-11T01:54:00.000-07:00

I live in a house that has a yellow bathtub and equally buttery matching toilet. Yes, it's a throwback to the place between the 1970's and the 1980's and the color of my sunshine depressed bathroom lost some battle here in the 2000's.

Needless to say, after approximately 30 years-ish of water, showers, and soaking the stress out baths in my yellow submarine tub leaves annoying water spots. Oh, it drove me nuts! I tried soft scrub, not-so soft scrub, hydrochloric acid, Comet, Cupid and a little Donner and I still could not get the water residue out!

Now, this is where the switch in me gets flipped. All of a sudden I go from oh...hum...too bad-- to I AM GOING TO USE EVERY LAST ONCE OF STRENGTH, WILL POWER AND IF NEEDS BE MY VERY LIFE TO GET THESE WATER STAINS OUT OF THIS BATHTUB!!!

Yes, somehow I've turned a little light house cleaning into a gladiator battle to the death! A talent you should be glad you don't have.

I run through the mental list of available tools that might do the trick... Chisel-no. Power drill-no. Hack saw-no. Rock salt-uh maybe-no. My copy of the movie Cinderella and hope there is some way those cute little mice will jump out of the screen and start working on my tub - uh haven't inhaled enough cleaning fumes for that to be really possible yet, so no. Out damn spot! (you can always use the word damn guilt free when quoting Shakespeare)

Then, like a ton of bricks it hits me...A pumice stone! It is abrasive in all the right ways. It gets the hard water rings stains out of the toilet! It should work on my bathtub! I considered turning on a little "Celebrate, Celebrate, Let the good times roll," but came to the conclusion that would be overdoing it a little.

With my goal of a water spot free tub within my reach, I am invigorated and start scrubbing away at those 'damn spots'! My energy level increases as I see the spots disappear and I rinse them away! Oh, how satisfying that was. Yeah, that's right if they gave medals out for kicking butt on water stains--that medal would have my face on it.

I poured out some more soft scrub and rinsed the tub out one last time and enjoyed the beautiful bottom of my reborn buttercup colored bathtub! That's when it happened... the bathtub dried out and I was aghast at what was left behind.

My beautiful bathtub looked like some white trash mechanic decided to wash every car part from his front yard in his bathroom... Or some one had taken a bunch of cinder blocks and washed them nicely in their tub...which is basically what I did. My bathtub looked a little like a car that a janitor had keyed with every single one of his billion keys!!!!

How could this gone so wrong! When people come and stay they're going to look at that tub and decide how uncomfortable it would be to sit in the sink and bathe. I did have one consolation, that bathtub has no water spots on it and you can't tell that I scraped the heck out of it when it's wet. I'll have to run before my guests need to shower and say as the hostess I must warm the water before they get in... Anyway, I'll never pull it off. So, if by chance you happen to come and have to use my tub you'll know why it looks like someone washed it with rocks...IT'S BECAUSE I DID!

My poor tub...

It's late... and is that a cow falling?

2008-09-05T02:10:00.000-07:00

OK, For those who know me, they probably realize that I can have problems sleeping. The last time I had that problem it lasted for uh...TEN YEARS! I have been blessed lately with the ability to actually go to bed and actually fall asleep...Awesome, recommend it!

So, now when I can't sleep it makes me very nervous that this may be the beginning of another decade of sleeplessness. If you're noticing when this is posted you'll see it was around 2-ish in the AM!!! The anxiety level is building and the chances of sleeping are dwindling!

Then, I decide to do a google search for "Funny Cow pictures." I started looking for pictures of birch trees and my ability to wind up looking for funny cow pictures is probably one reasons I have trouble sleeping. This is the picture I found....

Yeah, never mind falling rocks...watch for cows falling from the sky!!! Oh, come on! That's funny! I wish I knew where this picture was taken.

Labor Day 2008

2008-09-02T23:22:00.001-07:00

Labor Day is Family Day...

2008-09-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

The Hibberts got together and had a little BBQ (wich means there was tons of food, cake, cookies, soda, salad and meat). It was fun seeing so many people there and being related to most of them in one way or other. The only one of my siblings that was missing was Lori :(. Oh, well... The big plus was no one got hurt, well not bad enough to have to go to the ER...there was a slight Jonas and Dosie (the dog) trying to catch the ball at the same time and a bloody lip was involved, but besides that all was pretty uneventful.

Revenge heaped upon Statistics!

2008-09-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

Picture it...summer 2008, I have just sentenced myself to an online summer statistics class! Ahggg...the horror...the pain...and what the heck does a chi square have to do with ANOVA? Do I really need to know how deviated the standard is? And please tell me that the F-stat, p-value, and the z-scores are just lame rapper names!

There were times I'd be reading my dear old stats text wondering if someone just spilled a bowl of alphabet soup mixed with a complete boggle set and decided to call it stats. For example, I needed to know what the SSE, SSG, SST, MSG (has nothing to do with chinese food), MSE, F and P. (You can now place your index finger in between your lips and do that blah, blah, etc sound.) I was glad I never had to talk face to face with my professor, I'm pretty sure that would have involved climbing a turret in a castle somewhere in Transilvania, because I wouldn't have been able to keep that civil and you know how Igor's get when you threaten bodily harm to their 'master.'

So, I decided to do what any healthy, frantic and perhaps a bit angry stats student would do...Study like hell and complain to anyone with ears about how horrible statstistics is. I did find another student in my program who decided to celebrate the summer with statistics as well. This made complaining and heaping massive amounts of bad energy in professor Frankenstat's direction a lot more fun.

It was during one of these lamentation sessions that the bright idea was born. Oh, you have no idea how bright that light bulb was hanging over our heads when this idea came about...yeah, sunglasses would have been recommended to save your retinas. After our final test, we decided to take our stats books out to the middle of the mountains and unleash our pent up rage on them. (Translation = grab a 30-06, 22, and a 38 and blow the freaking books apart!)

Now, your probably asking, "how come you don't just sell them back to the bookstore?" Good question. My response has multiple levels...First, that's not as fun as shooting a book. Second, we both bought our books from Amazon.com for $8. Third, like most books that you buy at a university book store they weren't buying them back.

I would recommend this to anyone for therapuetic reasons over the pure thrill of seeing peices of book flying across the open field!!!

(I got that waskaly workbook!)

I dare you not to giggle!

2008-08-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

I found this picture and just couldn't stop giggling. I had to share the belly laugh with the world I hope you enjoy!!

I drew a picture...

2008-08-23T21:12:00.001-07:00

I was inspired by the olympics and those cool stick figures running, jumping, fencing, diving, and BMXing! I sat down at my computer and decided I am going to make a cool stick figure. And here it is...

I'm not quite sure what sport my stick figure is doing. Perhaps hailing a cab in New York. That could be an olympic sport I think. Any who, I decided that drawing stick figures that are cool is a lot harder than it looks.

OK, I was one step away from buzzing it all off...

2008-08-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

You know those days when you look in the mirror and all you want to do is buzz your head bald because you're sick of your hair! OK, if you've never felt that way...I hate you and you're very lucky! I decided to go not quite that drastic. (is that really how you spell drastic? It doesn't look right. hmm) And here it is....

BEFORE...

(I never notice that the right side of my face is higher than the left...kinda quasi modo-ish)

... AFTER

Tate Revisited.

2008-08-02T11:54:00.001-07:00

We were able to visit Eric, Shelly and of course Tatum! Boy has he grown! He's a hefty 10 month old who enjoys every meal he's been fed I think. He's pulling himself up and crawling. He has the crawling philosophy of, "Crawl through it not around it." He has a big smile that takes a little bit before you can see it because he's kind of on the shy side. If you think he reminds you of someone, it's probably because he looks a lot like the Campbell soup kids they used to have in old commercials. (It's due to the curls and chubby cheeks.)

He sure enjoyed the meal because it included multiple yummy noises and smiles.

I'm pretty sure that's a thumbs up look!

We Take a Road Trip

2008-07-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

I had to feel bad for putting my parents through, after enduring one myself as an adult, the dreaded family road trip!

Well, actually it wasn't that bad, I mean nobody actually died or was harmed in the making of the road trip. Although, I'm pretty sure threats of bodily harm were involved at some point.

I helped Lori and her three kids drive from La Grande Oregon to Payson Arizona. Two days of driving in the hot, hot sun especially in Utah. I forgot that to me, as a mature adult, five minutes is just five minutes, but to a child under the age of 10 five minutes might as well be five years. I think that's why every five minutes Wesley would ask, "are we there yet?" Oh, to be a kid again and have absolutely no sense of time!

We had bouts of cranky, sick, hungry, potty emergencies and thoroughly bored kids at one time or other or all at the same time. To quote one of my favorite philosophers, Nacho Libre, "It was fantastic!"

Chaz turned out to be a one man comedy tour. He kept cracking jokes when he was at that deliriously tired stage. Chaz was the only one who understood and laughed at his jokes, but the process of cracking himself up made Lori and I laugh to the point of tears which only encouraged him to make more jokes...in short it was a vicious laughing cycle.

When we finally stopped the first day to go to sleep the kids were so excited to get OUT OF THE CAR they were literally bouncing off the walls, beds, bathtub, you name it they bounced off it. This, I'm sure, endeared us to our next door neighbors.

The next day was much better. I think somewhere the kids realized or at least accepted the fact that being in the car was a fact that they weren't going to escape anytime soon and kept the fighting to a mere minimum, except the whole "I'm pretending to be a vampire" incident. We were able to see parts of Lake Powell, drive over a freakishly high bridge, and get Burger King without anyone crying. We stopped at a rest area/information center that had metal sculptures of dinosaurs (genius for a rest stop visited by children).

We finally made it to Payson and enjoyed sitting down on something that wasn't moving. The kids seemed excited to be at home with their dad and I could tell that the natural rhythms that flow through a family's existence was beginning to get in sync.

It was sad to say goodbye to the kids after a summer of seeing them everyday. It was lonely going home and not be able to run over and go hang out with my sister, but at least I have that memory of driving down to Arizona with them, that is until I forget about it.

I take for granted

2008-07-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

NUMBER ONE THING I TAKE FOR GRANTED (at least right now): Hooks to hang stuff on!!!!

Why is that my number one thing? Well, my lucky little friend let me explain this to you... I am right now stuck in the airport in Reno, NV. I am stuck between the excitement of being in the the world's biggest little town and my desired destination...Boise. I am being reminded constantly of the thrill of gambling with slot machines within 10 paces in every direction and poker chip keychains that read Reno Nevada.

I find it funny that in front of the gate terminal where you have to wait for your airplane there are signs that state, "it is against the law for those under 21 to loiter near gambling areas," Hmm. Maybe they should put the slot machines somewhere besides a designated loitering area, I mean isn't that what the gate is for: an accepted form of loitering (waiting)for your flight. Then, how are they supposed to enforce that. I mean if I were a determined to loiter around slot machines and happened to be under the gambling legal age limit and some one were to accuse me of loitering, I would totally say, "Hey I'm waiting for my flight." There really would be no way to disprove that. (Ha! That's right, evil genius at work.)

Anyway, I'm off the mark with the whole hook thing... I had to go to the bathroom and of course that like anybody else in an airport I have bags being toted around like an annoying Siamese twin that can't even carry on a conversation to help pass the boring time in a shopping deprived terminal. (insert breath here) I shut the stall turn around expecting the necessity of every airport hopper... a hook to put my portable companion aka ... my backpack. Alas, I saw the evidence that at one time there had been a hook there, but some heavy laden bag, in league with the laws of gravity, ripped the damn thing off before I got here. "Oh, my kingdom for a hook!" So, there I was in a tiny stall, hoping to all that was holy that the suspicious floor was Ebola virus free, trying to set my bag down in a severely space deprived lavatory cubicle! I had to wedge my bag between the door and my knees while in the sitting position which made me nervous that if someone had installed one of those perverted video cameras, then I truly felt sorry for him when he checked this footage. I at least had one comfort, if someone tried to bust in on me there was no way he was going to be able to get the door open.

That's when the thought occurred to me, I really take hooks for granted! They hang out all day and I just expect them to be there when I need them. Then, I thought it's probably a good thing hooks were invented before this day and age of extreme capitalism or we would have to deposit 50 cents before using them and really in a bathroom emergency, lets face it that would suck!

So, I officially thank the inventor of the hook! Thanks for thinking, "I should make something to hang stuff on."

Once again silliness finds me...

2008-07-17T00:37:00.000-07:00

I found this and just thought it was silly in a funny kinda way...I hope it brings a smile to your face! If not...lighten up, geez!

Christmas in July

2008-07-13T23:34:00.000-07:00

I found this picture from the movie Elf and thought, "Can I enjoy something so simple as a revolving door with child like enthusiasm?" Then, I thought about trying to keep the Christmas spirit all year round. This all lead me to remembering the advice the savior gave, "...Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3.

So, what does this all have with Elf and a revolving door? I'm not quite sure, but I think I made the connection of trying to find and enjoy fully the happiness the plan of salvation provides. Perhaps, we hear about the plan so often we forget how truly amazing it is. The challenge is trying to keep that pure joy that children have when they really feel happy. The plan of salvation is often called the great plan of happines.

Now, I'm not so dumb as to think that everyone has to be happy all the time, that really isn't realistic. (Well, at least not for me.) I guess I mean we (meaning me) need to take the time to sit back and see how blessed we (I) are (am). Then, let that feeling fill every molecule of our body and cheer (if you want to) or smile as big as you feel like.

See, what happens when you aren't looking for a spiritual connection and you find one that is so random it's cool.

A doe a deer a female deer

2008-07-13T23:10:00.000-07:00

Hah! I actually had my camera and was able to capture the eating habits of a deer! (They eat grass...who knew! Just kidding, I knew they ate grass) I felt very safari. Lori was driving, the window was rolling down and snap, snap, snap...Got ya! I've seen tons of deer before and at very close range. (If you can avoid it...don't take your dog for a late night run through Eastern Oregon University Campus in the middle of deer season...believe me, you can't run fast enough to keep up with a wantabe deer hunter on four legs! I had the scrapes and bruises to prove it!) But, I've never had a camera with me to capture what my eyes have seen before. I hope you enjoy the pics...they're very Bambi's momesque.

OK Just some Random Shots

2008-07-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

See, dogs smile.

I accidentally took this picture and thought it was so cute. Dosie is just being pure happiness. I wish I could do that. (I'm a little obsessed with my dog, sorry.)

Only one 4wheeler! No prob!

I saw my cousin coming around the corner and thought it was so funny. I was glad I had my camera!

So, my boots are pink. Got a problem with that?

Chaz didn't care how he was going to do it, but he was going to get outside! He found these Disney princess snowboots and shoved them over his PJ's and out the door he went!

Something's not right here!

My uncle parked his snowmobile in an old cabin on my dad's land. The snow melted before he was able to move it and I thought it looked funny... again lucky I had the camera!

The 4th of July...And I'm Freezing.

2008-07-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it's another 4th of July and the air conditioner is on full blast and I can't figure out how to turn it down. It's 95 degrees outside and it's about 69 inside. I'm wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket contiplating making a cup of hot chocolate and wondering if we have marshmellows.

Why am I inside on such a wonderful holiday and missing the BBQ's and sunburns associated with this holiday? The answer is pretty simple, my dog has been barking, at every single pop, bang, explosion that has been going off every few seconds. If that's not enough she actually moved her dog house (weighing about 200 lbs) about a 1 1/2 ft after I chained her to it. I was afraid she was going to attack the back door. So, I relented and let her come in the house but, only after an intense bath (she has a habit of smelling like a dog).

We did go on the mountain earlier today and drove four wheelers and watch my dad work on tearing down the old shed on his land. Dosie caught a mouse and chased every red digger (a red digger is basically a squirrel on steroids) that she saw. All this running around in mud and guck practicing her ancestoral art of hunting is another reason for the bath with our fire hose.

Anyway, I have plans to enjoy the quiet and the possibility of snow this fourth of July. (I still can't figure out the AC and how to prevent a miniture ice age in the house).

Hope you all have a good fourth and I'll be enjoying my hot cocoa.

Introducing ....Dosie Doe

2008-06-29T01:17:00.000-07:00

I Think it's been a while since I updated anyone on the status of my dog, Dosie Doe (named shortly after our first walk. Yeah, it was pretty much a square dancing nightmare.) She is a very "special" dog. I mean "special" in the way you would say, "Oh, isn't she special." She's a German shepherd/Lab/Husky/garbage disposal mix. She's very sweet, but is terrified of water, blue dishes (I don't know how, after all she's supposed to be color blind), and thunder. She has her own blanket that she pulls around the yard to sleep on. She can smell any Happy Meal within a six block radius. She loves ice cream cones and does not realize that when she sees an ice cream cone it isn't necessarily for her (it was my mom who gave her first ice cream cone and thereby created a monster). She is very particular about people being awake after ten o'clock at night. She grumbles at you and stares you down like, "why are you still up? Can't you tell I'm trying to sleep."

She has been enjoying the summer because she has been visited by all my nieces and nephews which means a lot of sticky sweet faces and fingers to lick. The other day, I went to check on the kids and saw them all standing on top of the picnic table with their creamsicles in the air like they were doing an impression of The Statue of Liberty. I saw Dosie hovering around the table staring at every one's ice cream treats hoping one of them would be brave or dumb enough to get down off the table and give her a chance to try and snatch one of them for herself.

She's actually very smart, which means she can get in or out of anything. One time we left her in my parents garage when we went to wal mart and when we got home she was sitting in the front room and looking at us like, "what took you guys so long?" She had pulled the guillotene type closure to an old cat door in the garage out and some how pulled herself through the space. It must have been a lot of hard work and must have worked up an appetite because she then helped herself to a loaf of freshly baked zucchini bread.

So, here's her fitting through the cat door and here's another picture to show her actual size. Yeah, I know, that must have been a really tight squeeze!

Cutest Baseball Player I would make into a Keychain

2008-06-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Play Wink
This is Jacoby Ellsberry #46 of the Boston Redsox! He's adorable enough to put in your pocket...I suggested they make him into a keychain! No response back from the Redsox...but, don't worry, my cell phone is with me at all times.

Late Night or Early Morning?

2008-06-26T01:02:00.000-07:00

I found this picture and thought...... "HOLY CRAP! That's a knife!" That was followed up with, "Why are the Swiss so obsessed with knives and watches?" The next thought was, "How come there's not a watch on that knife?" This naturally was followed up by, "You'd have to have one HELL of a big pocket for that knife." Then, I couldn't help wondering why I was having such a in depth internal monologue about a Swiss Army Knife?

I then realized that it was 1:07 am and I needed to cut back on caffeine. I keep finding the coolest things with caffeine in it. Like breath mints, water, gum and the best yet....(insert drum roll here)... snickers candy bars! Oh, alright, I'm probably have to find something to knock myself out with because I am definately on a typing random rampage! Tylenol PM here I come.

Fun shots for Fun

2008-06-26T00:26:00.000-07:00

The picture of Ryley I took while I was laying on the ground and I thought it was so cute and really showed how Ryley tends to be very sincere in her concern for people.
The picture of Dewey shows how happy that kid is! For crying out loud he has a big, happy smile!
This picture of Chaz just cracks me up. He kept poking his head around the shower curtain while he was taking a bath and making funny faces, I caught one with my camera.
The picture of Wesley captures how he's slipping out of being an excited little kid to a bored-with-the-whole-picture-thing-and-wants-to-keep-watching-Ben-ten-and-eating-my-popcorn phase of older childhood.

I am just finding funny things to laugh at!

2008-05-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Because it's cheap therapy!

Summer is coming?

2008-05-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

It's only the end of May and it's just now starting to look like we're getting April showers! Eatern Oregon is looking a lot like the west side of the state. School is crazy and everything is building up and my brain is filling up to the point of no return. I can't wait until I can throw up my hands and say, "Yey!"

Aww! Nice pics

2008-05-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so I got this new camera...LOVE IT! I can take about a billion and a half pictures and I don't even break a sweat. So, I've thrown away every single sweat band I have!! My sister's family (Lori) were my first victims. BEAUTIFUL! WISH YOU WERE HERE! (If, by chance, you don't think these pictures are awesome, then take a happy pill -- any of the benzodiazepines will do -- and take a second look!)

First Clinicals in Boise!

2008-05-17T00:54:00.000-07:00

I just finished my first clinicals in Boise at St. Lukes. It was an amazing experience I had a great opportunity to learn and see a lot of stuff. I am glad that I am not getting too freaked out by the stuff I've seen. Being a nursing student is a lot like learning a new language, you are able to understand that people are talking, then you can pick up words here and there, then you begin following the conversation and understanding the gist of what's going on. It has been gratifying to realize that I've actually learned stuff.

I can't help finding stuff that makes me laugh!

2008-05-17T00:50:00.000-07:00

Bah Hah! Now that's funny!

2008-04-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

Simple, yet hillarious!

2008-04-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

That's right I like The Ghost Hunters!

2008-04-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

I guess I like the idea that there is so much we don't know or understand in the natural universe around us. To pish-posh the idea that there is some energy or natural laws we don't understand is as silly as those who doubted Columbus when he said the world was round. I love the philosophy of the TAPS team out there on the east coast trying to document, more than anything, the things we don't understand. That's right I like The Ghost Hunters! Even if it makes me geeky!

PARAMORE VIDEO

2008-03-04T21:51:00.000-08:00

This link will take you to a video "Misery Business" it's pretty good!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCyGvGEtOwc It kinda made me chuckle I hope you like it.

One of the Funniest Moments EVER

2008-02-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

Abby Normal's brain!!! Young Frankenstein! Oh, the Hilarity! My side's are achey just thinking about it!

AWESOME ALBUM!!!!!!

2008-02-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

OH, MY HECK! These guys are awesome! Verona Grove, found them this week and enjoyed every single song on the album. "Smalltown Celebrity," is my favorite. But it is all so good.

Inside the DJ world of Jen!

2008-02-29T16:59:00.000-08:00

OK. This is me being DJ "Bliss Burbin," I know, awesome name, huh? I am a person of many talents and I am enjoying the whole "controlling the airwaves" for two and half hours a week. I've always wanted to be a DJ, I've always felt I had a lot to say, whether it was important or not. Anyone, who knows me very well knows this to be true! Tip of the week, "Drink Deep, Run Fast, but don't do them at the same time." I just made that up this second... can't you see the wisdom I can give the world. It would be a diservice not to spread the joy throughout the world. You can catch my show at www.eou.edu/keol every wednesday 9:30 am to noon PST. Well, at least this term you can....who knows what's going to happen in April.

Management of Stress?

2008-02-09T17:47:00.001-08:00

I was wearing my scrubs and was in the middle of freaking out over my workload... I then realized that the scrubs looked a lot like sweats so I went to the gym and burned some calories and some stress at the same time. I didn't care how silly I looked so there you go!

LISTEN TO THISSSS!

2008-01-26T17:59:00.000-08:00

Jubeus Natural Mood is a must listen to!

The Pipettes a fun retro-progressive band that have great songs with a quirky twist that definately going to make you smile.

Music I'm Into right Now

2008-01-26T17:50:00.000-08:00

Meiko is great and very creative in her lyrics. Check out the "Piano Song," and "Onions & You."

Mink, very, very, cool! Check out songs: "Jodi, Dematerialize, and Untouchable."

Cannonball Jane, Knee's Up. Whole album is great. Check it out!

Ryley and Chaz

2008-01-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

Ryley and Chaz wanted to make a movie. So we took a whole bunch of pictures of them and made a very short movie of them. Chaz was less thrilled about the idea and had a hard time having so many pictures taken...Ryley did not have that problem.

My First Christmas Movie Made by Me!!!

2008-01-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

With the help of Lori, an Alligator in combination of sugar and lack of stuff to do we came up with this movie

Baby Bath Time Distress

2008-01-15T18:17:00.001-08:00

I thought this picture was so cute! I'm sure that Tate would not agree. It looks like he's thinking, "Why would you do this to me?"

Baby Dewey & Baby Tatum

2008-01-13T13:58:00.000-08:00

October and December added two more nephews. October's baby = (In Car seat) Tatum Brown Hibbert! December's Baby = Dewey Eugene Nerdin

My Snow Struck Dog

2008-01-12T21:10:00.000-08:00

My best, four legged, friend Dosie Doe, LOVES and I mean LOVES snow. I think she would like to try out for a sled pulling team if we could find one for her to try out for

After All The Many Careers... I Choose Nursing

2008-01-12T21:03:00.000-08:00

I decided to go back to school and then got accepted to OHSU's School of Nursing at the campus in La Grande Oregon! I am enjoying it very much and look for opportunities to spread my sense of humor to the serious nursing students I find all around me. Here's a snap shot of me trying to cheer up our patient. As you can see, he smiles with his eyes shut.

And Then there was Christmas Eve Sledding

2008-01-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

I hadn't been tubing or sledding in ages! So, For Christmas Eve I got to go! I had fun and didn't get hurt... which is amazing! It was a Beautiful day and I caught this amazing photo.

2008-01-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

While I was visiting Looooweeezyanna, I found my brother's Helmet he left behind. (Eli is in the Air Force somewhere in the Middle East) I couldn't resist a self portrait. I was feeling very silly because I was still on Oregon time and everyone was still asleep.

2008-01-12T20:38:00.000-08:00

We went to the city that "Steele Magnolias" was filmed. It is pronounced KNACK-UH-DISH, but is not spelled anything like that. We watched some fireworks and got some pictures of the kids with Santa. Very fun, but a little cold!