Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Fun

Well, I've been a slacker on my blog lately. I have intentions of posting and then I don't. So last week I had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Then, I went up to my sister's house to stay over in preparation for Black Friday shopping. I used to be one of those people who swore that there was no way that I would go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, and then there was a really good deal on something I wanted. I don't even remember what it was. I found it slightly exciting the first year and then it got to be more and more fun. Something important to note--I go to office and computer stores, not clothes and toy stores. Last year, I bought a thermos, so that we could take hot chocolate with us.

So Thursday evening, CompUSA opened at 9:00 p.m. (I would like to note that I am morally opposed to them opening on Thanksgiving Day, as I don't think anyone should work on Thanksgiving that doesn't have to. I do not consider sales a mandatory working situation; however, if they are open, I will go there.) My Pop wanted a 24 inch monitor, so we got in line about 8:15. By the time we got in the store, the 24 inch monitor was gone; however, savvy shopper that I am, I thought that this might be the case, so I'd previously asked him if he'd take a 22 inch monitor if the 24 was gone, and he said that he would, so we picked up the monitor, along with some power strips, cans of air and other sundry items. We, meaning my brother S.Q. and I. We had left my sister Loo and her husband to go do some secretive Christmas shopping for their son. Loo's hubby was feeling pretty good about the time it took to get the stuff and then he realized how long the line to pay was. Apparently, paying takes longer than picking up the loot. He is new to Black Friday shoppig. As we went along, we started games on all of the computers, so that those behind us could continue playing the games to entertain themselves. We were in the car ready to go home at 11:21. Loo won the guessing contest of when we would finish.

Done with our shopping? No. It wasn't even Black Friday yet. S.Q. and I scoured the ads and tried to determine where to go. We couldn't decide, there was nowhere with anything we really wanted. (Loo and hubby decided to skip out on the morning run). We'd already determined that we wouldn't get up for the 5 a.m. store openings. 6 was the earliest we were willing to go. We woke up about 5:30 or so and headed out the door. We just slept in our clothes to save time. We decided to go to Staples first and arrived there at about 6:02 a.m. No line out the door because they were already open. We went and got what we came for and were out pretty quickly. Next I went to JCPenney to pick up some stuff for Mom, while S.Q. looked for a WII, so that he could resale it on E-bay. No luck for him. Next stop: Sam's for free breakfast. It was very good, but we knew we'd need food for later. On to Shopko for a glider for me and a bunch of baby clothes for all of the new babies in the home ward. I also picked up a few movies and a CD. Next, we went to McDonald's to finish our breakfast and mailed a package at UPS. So, here is the list of most of the stuff I/my family got, just in case you wondered:
A 24 inch monitor
Computer Memory
Surge Protectors
Cans of Air
Printer network thing
Other network thing (S.Q. will have to clarify)
DVD burner
Labeler (I didn't need one, but S.Q. and I thought it would be fun to play with)
Secret items at JCPenney
Battery Recharger
Glider w/ottoman
The Holiday
How to Marry a Millionaire
A U-2 cd
Baby clothes
Other stuff I forgot.

Now, I just need to submit all of the rebates, a very important part of Black Friday shopping.

On Saturday, I went with my Mum, Loo & L.H. (Loo's Hubby) to the light parade in Delta. It was very long, about 15 entries. We watched it at one end of town and then went to the grocery store for food, and it was just starting down there, but we didn't need to see it again, so we did our shopping and came out just as it was finishing up. The first year of the light parade, it was tractors and semi-trucks with lights on them. I was a bit disappointed this year, as there were actually decorated floats.

Well, now that I've bored you all, have a great day!

Weddings

Well, I survived my sister's wedding last week. I'd like to reiterate that I'm not going to have a reception, I'm going to elope and only my immediate family will know about it. I don't care how good of a friend you are, you probably won't be invited, maybe. Why skip the reception? Many reasons. First, it is money that could be better spent traveling the world. Second, I don't like to talk to people for extended periods of time. Third, it will be stressful. Fourth, I can get the dress without the reception. My mom tells me that there will be another person involved in the wedding and that he might want a reception. My reply, "Then I won't marry him". You needn't worry yourself about the fact that you won't be invited as there are currently no prospects whatsoever, and unlike Dennis Rodman, I want to marry another person, rather than myself.

I do have to say that my sister was acting appropriately for her wedding day. She was all giddy and excited and giggly--exactly as a bride should be. The upside to weddings--you get to see the whole family, even it is for just a few minutes. Granted, our family isn't too large as Loo is only the second to get married. I also got to see the niece, NooKoo (how is that nickname Coo & wife). She is very cute and figured out how to get the animal book to make noise, as did the rest of the family. I'd post pictures of the wedding and the family, but I didn't take pictures. Why?, you ask. I'll tell you. There were five bazillion photographers at the wedding. The hired one and all of the amateur ones that are friends and relatives. I figure the more pictures you take, the fewer words they are worth. One picture is worth 1,000 words, but 1,000 pictures are only worth .25 words apiece.

I'll see if I can get my brother S.Q. to send me the video of the bouquet toss to post next time and then I can commentate on that whole debacle.

Ta-ta
Moo

Halloween Rundown

We had a new record number of trick-or-treaters at the house this year, at least I think we did. That's right--17! I took my candy to Mum's, so the ghosts and goblins wouldn't hurt themselves on the way to my house (the light is motion-sensitive, so they would have had to walk most of the way in the dark.

As I child, I dressed up as many normal things--a witch, an alien, a punk-rocker, a baseball player with a black eye and a few not-so-normal things--Pippi longstocking (with a coat hanger threaded through my braids to make them stand up), a hunchbacked old man and random other things. We always had a Halloween party in the next town over a few days before Halloween and then on Halloween we'd go trick-or treating in my own town. It was very important that you went to every house in town, so that you wouldn't hurt somebody's feelings. I always hated the bit 'o honeys. I think my favorite were Almond Joys. One of the great things about having a large family is you can always trade candy with a sibling if you don't like certain kinds.

True fact: On vacation, I specifically bought candy with peanut butter because I knew some of my siblings didn't like it and they wouldn't ask me to share with them, thus leaving me more!

Top ten reasons to love Halloween in a small town.

1. You get lots of candy in few stops.
2. You know everyone in town, so there is no "scary" candy to eat.
3. People never run out of candy.
4. My mom gives out toys like play dough (I am playing with mine right now.)
5. You know everyone that comes trick-or-treating, if you can tell who they are.

This year I didn't dress up for Halloween, guess I'm just turning into a fuddy-duddy.

In other news, FarmerBoy and I are cancelling our South Asia cruise and may go to Rome instead. Who knows? I'm open to anything, as long as we know before we leave the driveway. Also, new to grandma's (my) house, is a programmable thermostat, smoke detectors, and a carbon monoxide detectors, so hopefully now I'll be a little bit safer in the house.

Pumpkin Walk + 1

Walking Pumpkins

I apologize for the blog in advance. I'm in a blah mood right now, so you'll get a blah blog. It's been awhile since I've posted. Friday night I went to the pumpkin walk in North Logan. It was pretty fun--one of those small town things that is slightly lame, but that is what makes it great. Yes, I realize that is contradictory. Anyway, I went with friends so we had a good time. I took pictures, but don't know if I'll get them posted.

Also, on Saturday Loo got the letter giving her fiancee' clearance for temple marriage. She is getting married two weeks from today, so I've been doing a few wedding things for her this week--ordered table runners and labeled envelopes. Hopefully, the invitations will get sent out before the wedding! I also brought some of my junk down from Loo's house.

Tomorrow I'll help clean her house and get some more of my stuff out of. Work has been pretty slow lately, as we are in the off-season.

In other news, I found a dead bird on my doorstep this morning. I think the birds are all plotting against me to die all around me. That's all for now, have a great weekend.

Country Critters--Installment 1

First off--Happy Birthday Da!
The cookie picture is for your birthday.

I told you that I'd post a picture of a silage bag, so here it is.
Photo #2 Silage Bags (corn post-chopping)
Photo #3 Corn (pre-chopping) with the Harvest Moon

Country Critter Incident #1
The flies have been annoying me all day to the point of insanity. Yes, I was raving like a lunatic at the flies. Anyway walking by would surely think that I was insane. I finally pulled out the fly swatter early in the day to kill a wasp--I try to keep a safe distance from the wasps, as we are not kindred spirits. I then proceeded to swat two more flies--one on the desk and another on a self-inking, rubber stamp, which takes a special talent. The flies kept landing on the computer screen, which is very, very annoying. I didn't want to swat the flies on the screen, for fear of causing irreparable damage to the screen, but it was just too much. I had to swat and bam! I'm 4 for 4. I think these mad fly-swatting skills come from the days when my mum paid us a penny for every two flies we swatted. Back to the present. I saw a smudge on the screen. Is it a crack? Did I cause indeed ruin the expensive screen before me?! Alas, it was only fly guts. One swipe with the fingernail and the bug guts are gone (Using the fingernail was the gross part of the process). There is still one pesky fly buzzing around the office, though. I will get him. Just watch out Mr. or Ms. Fly.

Country critter incident #2
Last week as I was walking the 7 feet from the office door to my car, I noticed that there were two birds (dead, of course) stuck in the grill of my car. I obviously hit them at some point. I solved the problem before me in my head--make my Pop or FarmerBoy remove them for me. Excellent solution, if I do say so myself. I proceeded to go get my lunch; however, I could not stop thinking of the birds in the grill and what people would think of me if I left them there. If I continued to drive around town, would I become known as the girl with the birds stuck in her car that leaves them there as if they are hood ornaments. I couldn't let this happen to me. I placed my lunch on my desk and proceeded to get grocery sacks from the back room. I knew there was a reason to save grocery sacks. Anyway, I digress. I flipped the bag inside out to grab the birds ( a technique taught to me by my mother as a method of rodent removal) and pulled one of the birds out quickly flipping the bag over, so that I didn't have to look at the poor dead bird whose life was abruptly ended as it flew over the highway. I threw this bird/sack in the dumpster and proceeded with the next bird. However, this bird was wedged in there tightly. Wow! I really must have hit that one at high speed. I didn't know if I would be able to remove it without some of its body parts becoming detached. Oooh, gross! I popped my hood to get better access. I pushed from both sides and finally removed the sad bird from my car, which I did without any gagging on my part.

I called Loo to tell her of my great conquests, as Pop and FarmerBoy would just make fun of me for being a woose. She was properly amazed by my great feat or at least she pretended to be.

P.S. The photos would be in a slide show, but I'm not that advanced, yet.