Stupid

Wanna know how stupid I am? Well, figure how stupid you already KNOW I am, and then know I am even stupider than that.


I go to work at 8:00 am. For a few days I have been expecting a new computer, and the IT guy came and delivered it this morning. I don't remember what time, but somewhere between 9 and 10. So he got the new computer all hooked up and I began resetting my personal settings, such as wallpaper (a tranquil beach scene) and transferring my personal files from the network.


As the morning wore on, I was stunned at how slowing it was going by. I was plenty busy, time should not have been dragging. I was starving by 11 and I don't usually eat until 1. By the time 1 finally rolled around, after what seemed like the longest morning EVER, I went to the break room to cook my lunch and was surprised that no one else was in there. There is usually at least one other person in there cooking their lunch. So I cooked my lunch and went back to my desk. I read my book while I eat and was surprised when I was notified of a team meeting in my supervisor's office. Again, I was surprised that a meeting would be held during the hours between 12 - 2, since that's when people have their lunches . . . but whatever. I left my lunch on my desk and went to the meeting.


When the meeting was over, I went back to my lunch and my book and then back to work. Later, I sent an email to a co-worker and he never responded. AGAIN I was surprised because he usually responds pretty fast. Hmmm . . . I thought. He must have gone home early today.


I leave work at 4:30. Today I needed to be sure to leave on time because Taylor was at home watching Addie until I got home and she wanted to go to the JV football game and I needed to take Addie to American Fork hopsital for another blood draw. So at 4:20 I was winding things up . . . completing the days work so I could leave right on time. It was at this time I got a curious text from Taylor: "Where r u?" What the heck was she taking about? I had told her this morning that I would be home at 4:45.


So to make a long story even longer, it was at this time that I decided to look at my watch instead of the time on the computer. While the computer clock showed 4:20, my watch showed 5:20!


Suddenly, the whole day made sense. I didn't eat lunch at 1:00 as usual - I ate lunch at 2:00! No wonder the morning had dragged on for so long! I never look at my watch at work, since it's handier to look at the clock so conveniently placed in the lower right corner of my computer monitor. So I raced home and got Taylor to her game and Addie to the hospital, where I was pleased to find out that we didn't have to wait at all. And, the silver lining to the whole thing is that I can leave early tomorrow!


Except that knowing myself as I do, I will forget to change my computer clock and I'll still end up being there an extra hour! I am so stupid!

We won't die immediately

The fruits of my labors.


What sort of demented world do we live in that I actually ENJOY canning? There was almost no worse chore in kid-dom than the annual canning. It was truly excrutiating. The kind of chore that parents invent for the sole purpose of torturing children. I'm pretty sure that's the only reason my mom did it.


But somewhere along the way, when it became MY fruit and MY food storage, it wasn't quite so bad. Even back in the years when I didn't have kids to help me (and by help, of course I mean complain).


I remember the peach canning of 2002, when my mother-in-law and Lane's grandma showed up and my front porch unexpectedly and unannounced because they thought I might just need some help with the canning. And did I ever! For whatever reason I had a huge crop of peaches, no help, and was 6 months pregnant with Addie. My feet and ankles were swollen so huge that the skin actually hurt, and my MIL pointed out that I could peel the peaches sitting down. Hmmm . . . what a concept. I had never thought of that before and it worked great and kept me off my giant, elephant feet. I will never forget that peach canning episode because of their kindness in helping me. I doubt I would ever have gotten it done alone, and even if I had, it may not have been a good thing, since I was put on bed rest shortly thereafter, followed by Addie's far-too-soon arrival on Halloween.


But I digress. Every single time I lift the sealed jars out of the water-bath canner, it warms my heart because everything looks so pretty. There is almost no color as gorgeous as the golden color of freshly processed peaches. And my heart warms even more when the jars are cool and I move them onto the shelves and say out loud to myself, or anyone who happens to be wandering by, "We won't die immediately."


Sometimes I just go in and look at it. Okay, I frequently go in and look at it. It is all really pretty on the shelves, even prettier with the knowledge that we, in fact, won't die immediately. With all the peaches, tomatoes, applesauce, and purchased canned goods, we would linger for a few months, at least, as long as we were careful.


At our old house, I kept close track of some things, such as toothpaste, shampoo, and other non-food items to make sure we always had a years supply. I don't know where or when I got off track. Maybe it is just a simple matter of having more kids . . . or older kids . . . or not paying attention . . . but we don't have a years supply of anything anymore. Except salt. I'm pretty sure I have a years supply of salt. What can I say - it was on a screaming deal at Maceys once. I do love me a screaming deal.



So since I haven't tortured my kids sufficiently with the annual canning (they think I have, but I'm pretty sure they are WRONG), for Family Home Evening this week we are evaluating our years supply. I attended a really great class once and the book has a chart for calculating food and non-food storage, as well as recipes that use typical food storage items. Again, way back when I was a better woman than I am now, I used to make at least one of those meals every week so we could learn what we liked and what we would rather die than eat. I found out we don't like lentils. I don't recall what I did with all those lentils I had stored, but I no longer store lentils. I think that given the choice between lentils and certain starvation - well, let's just say that it would require some careful consideration.



I have again gone off on a tangent (look! something shiny!). Since I bought a juicer last year, I juiced my grapes this year. I have always given them away before, but manned up and juiced them for once. I should have bought a juicer years ago! What a wonderful little contraption that is! (Ok, in the interest of full disclosure, I know these are not new and my mom used to borrow my Aunt Della's to do the grape jelly. However, that memory, as mentioned above, is still somehow associated with childhood abuse and torture.) The beautiful purple color of freshly processed grape juice almost rivals the golden color of the peaches. If you take 1/3 cup of the grape juice (concentrate? I guess?) and add it to a full can of ginger ale - that is one tasty treat. It may just replace my "cocktail" of 1/2 freshly squeezed lime mixed with a can of ginger ale. So since grape juice is so good, and I was terribly bored of bottling peaches, I figured, Hey, lets just toss the peaches in the juicer and see what happens. I did it with apples last year, although the apples didn't produce a lot of juice for the work invested. But since peaches are juicier, I decided to give it a try. I haven't tried out the peach juice yet, because at 1/3 cup at a time, we are still working through the open quart jar in the fridge.


I don't do stewed tomatoes anymore, just tomato sauce and it has changed my life. I don't enjoy the whole blanching process very much and my kids are freaked out by the fibrous, stringy tomato bits that wind up in soups and chili over the winter. So I sauce them. It's a much better way to go.


So to sum up: enjoy the canning . . . won't die immediately . . . a thousand points of light. . .

On my Honor

On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

Whew. That's a lot longer than the Cub Scout Oath. If my Webelos have to learn it, I will learn it.


I don't understand why people don't want to serve in Scouts. It is, in my humble opinion, the best job there is in the church. Sure, it is challenging if you have a ton of boys, but for the most part it is just the best place to be. I have spent time in all 3 dens, but my experience so far in Webelos is the best one yet. My boys are the best, and I hope they enjoy their time in Webelos as much as I will.

Birthdays, Cupcakes & Clots

We had a family barbeque in honor of Lane's grandma's 80th birthday. We had the REAL big family do at the family reunion in July, but this was her real birthday so we wanted to do something. Of course that meant that I had to bake cupcakes. I tried out a new one - Sour Cream Blueberry - which turned out pretty good, but again nothing to write home about. The looked pretty with the fresh blueberries, though.






I tried again with the Rootbeer Float cupcakes, this time using the good, expensive Root Beer, not Shasta like last time (what was I thinking?) They definetly turned out better than the Shasta ones, but I'm still not loving them. I'm thinking of trying it with different sodas. I'm not a root beer lover, so maybe that's the problem.








Jack had his birthday on Thursday. He got new Legos and fishing stuff for his weekend fishing trip with his dad. Apparently, they had a great time fishing and caught lots. Earlier in the week, Jack had his interview with the bishop and will be ordained a Deacon on Sunday, the 18th. PLEASE everyone say a prayer that he doesn't drop an entire tray of water on someone's lap. PLEASE!! I am actually begging.





Then today we had our follow up appointment at PCMC. To catch up, Addie had her regular check up on August 30th. She was scheduled for an echocardiogram, which always makes us nervous because every time she has one, the doctor says "Hmmmm." And then we have something new to deal with. Sure enough, at this echo, the radiologist said "Hmmmm." And then they said that Addie might have a blood clot. They were almost sure it wasn't, but just to be sure they wanted to do another procedure called a trans-esophogeal echocardiogram where they put her under general anesthesia and then go down her throat to get a better look at her heart.



So she came through the TEE today like a trooper, threw up once coming out of anesthesia - she's done that before. Then our cardiologist came by and said that the good news was that what they had seen on the first echo WAS NOT a clot! Whoo hoo! That's one less thing to worry about, right? Nope. They found two other things that probably are clots. So given that blood clots are not unusual for someone with Addie's history, and given that I have had blood clots and both of my parents have had blood clots, I'm thinking it's a safe bet that it's clots. We are waiting for blood test results tomorrow, but probably they will have to start treating her with coumadin since the daily aspirin isn't doing the job. I'll have to start wrapping her in bubble wrap to send her to school - she is very clumsy and falls down a lot. Her teacher will just love it if she starts spurting blood every time she skins her knee!



Our cardiologist said that they will probably also have to do another procedure if she is prone to clots, but it is just done in the cardiac catheter lab, not technically a surgery, so we'll see about that one when we get blood test results.