The President and Bachelorette

You know, there are few things in this life that truly truly anger me...but having the President cut into my time with the Bachelorette is definitely one of them.

Just kidding...kinda. If you wanna know what I thought of the President's speech, scroll down to my last fatty paragraph. Warning- I'm kinda a tax dork.

Anyway- did anyone else think Ryan was a complete fool? I just couldn't get over the fact that he didn't even go on ONE complete date and somehow thought she'd be more into him than these three guys that she's met their families and is seriously falling for? He's crazyspice. I just hope so bad he's not the next bachelor.

I swear I have never seen a season where the top two are so close. As far as like...connection with Ashley goes. But, my heart is with JP. So is Ashley's. I just hope she realizes it. I feel really bad for Ben, but at least he's like this big changed man or whatever. But EW- who in the HECK told him to wear that horrific white v-neck shirt? I have nothing against white shirts. I have nothing against v-neck shirts...but that v-neck was way too wide, and that shirt was way to meshy looking...it was just EW.

I think the highlight of the whole episode was the bachelor pad previews. Favorite part of previews "I hope she falls 3000 feet to her death" or something like that. Yikes! This is going to be one crazy season! Finally some entertainment. I swear this season with Ashley has been kinda....booooring.

I'm sorry, but President Obama's speech just sounded like a campaign speech to me. He had all these one liners that made NO SENSE. Absolute nonsense! "Everyone under 250,000 income will have no change in taxes" and then less than a minute later "Only millionares, and billionares, the rich will have increase in tax" hello? Are you forgetting about a large portion of Americans and employers and business owners who fit in the 250K-1M range? You know...the people who employ millions and the people who will probably affect the economy most? Yes, lets raise their taxes...the people who actually hire people, so that they have less disposable income, less money to pay employees, therefore...upping the unemployment. Then I loved how he put in there, "And I want to keep that payroll tax cut for you at home"...well, guess what? That wont help a thing! Nope! Because that payroll tax cut isn't saving employers any money. That money just goes to employees pockets, and the employers are paying the same amount. If they are really trying to help the unemployment rate, maybe give the employers a tax cut on THEIR share of payroll taxes. What I love is he said lots of things that would probably not make sense to the average person who doesn't understand taxes and the way it works. But it has never made more sense to me before- that he is talking politics, and he is talking campaign. NONE of his strategy technically made sense. It sounded good, sure...with the compromise talk and what not- but it's not really compromise. It's exactly what the House Rep said- he wants us to pay more so he can spend more. I know I'm opening a can of worms here and people may disagree with me, but seriously- I am annoyed. It's just common sense. Why is it such a bad idea to make cuts only anyway? Lets think about it...the majority- this is the truth- way beyond majority of Americans pay ZERO income tax. The beyond minority of America, the people over 250K pay around 50% income tax on their income. This isn't an exaggeration. Yeah, 50% isn't in the tax schedules, but when you add self employment tax, alternative minimum tax, state income tax, many people are paying 50% tax. When there are SO MANY that not only pay ZERO tax, they get these huge refunds each year! 5k-8k without paying a dime. And it has been my observation, that the majority of these people understand the system, and play it. Yeah, there's a rare person that works hard and gets these breaks or whatever...but I'm telling you, it's rare. And I think my favorite quote of the speech was, "It's not right for a President of a company to be in a lower tax bracket than his secretary" What? I'm sorry Mr. President, but when has that ever happened? Like I said, one liners that have power to sway people who don't know any better I guess. Not that I blame them...its just that I DO know better and it's annoying. Anywho...

Time to study. Woohoo!

PS- One thing I like about Michelle Bauchman is that she was educated in Tax Law. A president who actually understands taxes and the effects they have on the economy? Might be a nice change.

Shirt redo, and other stuff

So, since my last post, I've turned one of Clay's t-shirts into one for myself:
It was easy peasy. Here are the simplified steps:

1. Turn shirt inside out and lay on table

2. Take your favorite t-shirt (mine was my eclipse edward t-shirt) and turn it inside out. Lay it ontop of the big shirt as flat as you can, and line up the shoulders and neck.

3. Cut around the shirt and when you get to the sleeves, just cut at a general good angle...ha sorry I don't have better instructions on that part. I left a little extra on the sides just for good measure because the surger cuts off a bit when sewing.

4. Pin the sides and sleeves with shirt still inside out.
5. Surge or zig-zag from bottom of shirt to edge of sleeve.
6. I re-enforced the armpits and the edge of the sleeves with my sewing machine, since those are hard parts to get on the surger and because they get a lot of action when wearing the shirt (meaning, more likely to get a hole or something).

And you're done! Woohoo!

Well, other things I've done since my last post:

Signed up with readthescriptures.com. My sister Megan mentioned them a LONG time ago and I was thinking the other day I should look into it. I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT IT! I am the type of person that is basically life dependent on the internet and technology. The first thing I do in the morning is check my email and blogs. I know, kinda pathetic/wrong... but, whatever. It's my life. So I've been having a real hard time getting scripture time in because it just wasn't a priority, even though I wanted it to be. So I signed up with this, told it I wanted to read the Book of Mormon in one year, and it sends me 18 verses a day to my email to read. At the bottom of the email it has a button to push "Completed" and then it brings you to your page and tells you what percentage of your goal is done. I LOVE THIS. It is right in my inbox each morning, and therefore a reminder and it's just so easy. 18 verses might sound like a small amount to some of you, but I am thrilled! I think it's just right for me. I am a firm believer in consistency, not quantity. I once read one verse a day of the book of mormon, and I think it was the biggest testimony builder of scripture study of my life. It made it so I read consistently, and then gradually I added more verses. Anyway, if you are struggling with scripture reading I HIGHLY recommend this website. Oh, and if you're not mormon, but are in need of spiritual enlightenment, have no fear! This site also includes the Old and New Testament, King James Version. So you could do that too. But I guess I should probably also say to you that I highly recommend reading the Book of Mormon too. This book truly has done wonders for my life. It's pretty miraculous the changes I see in my life when I'm simply reading the book everyday consistently. It just makes life easier.

Anywho, I made another pillow for my couch! Two down, two to go. Super excited.

Today when we were getting IV's at the West Clinic, there was a lady that just found out she had Lyme Disease yesterday. She was getting her IV and the doctor came and gave her a bunch of papers talking about Lyme Disease and stuff. So anyway, she kinda just burst into tears and later kinda led on that she had read on the paper that it can be transmitted to spouses from eachother. My heart aches for her! She was so overwhelmed. She had just found out about everything and was still learning and oh dear. I just remember the first time we went to our Doctor in Seattle and learned so much and how horrible this disease is...and I don't think I realized it at the time, but looking back...I'm pretty sure it kinda took my spirit away for a bit! It's pretty depressing and hopeless at times. I was pretty proud of Clay cause he was sitting next to her and he was talking to her and giving her lots of hope, and telling her that she will get symptom free and that there IS hope and all these nice things. Later I was sitting next to her (hah it sounds like we play musical chairs or something- but it's just too hard to explain...but it's nothing fishy) and we got to talking and she gave me her card with her email address and I told her I'd email her so that she can ask any questions or anything. I just feel so bad for people when they find out they have Lyme Disease! I'm happy that they finally got a diagnosis and that they will get treated, but it's never a good thing.

One thing that is great is I have been feeling great! I mean...at least right now I do. I suppose every once in a while I have a bad day. But it's weird. I think I forgot what it's like to have energy, cause just tonight- I was walking through winco and I just felt so much more energy than normal and I had a sort-of flashback to high school and thought- oh yeah...this is what it's supposed to feel like. I don't know, it's so weird. Until today, I kinda feel like I forgot that is what it could be like...because I haven't felt that way in a while. It made me so happy! Cause I feel like in the past month I have made SO MUCH improvement. I think the combination of the IV's, the antibiotic treatment, eating healthy- all of it is finally pushing me in the right direction. WOOHOO!

Welp, I take my exam next week. I am actually FINALLY feeling pretty good. Today I took 3 practice tests that included all of the subjects on the test (cause until today I'd just been focusing on individual subjects until I master them), and so it was kinda exactly like I'd be taking the exam...anyway- I passed all three! That made me REAL happy. I still need lots of practice but I think 3 days will be just enough. I told Clay I need something kinda like a reward after I take my exam and told him that I wanted to spray paint our piano next weekend, after the exam. He looked at me kinda funny, but agreed to it! So I'm really excited. Our piano has been painted before by some idiot because it is BUTT UGLY. And by butt ugly, I mean poop ugly. Cause they painted it the color of poop. NO exaggeration. Seriously. Poop Piano. So I am going to paint over it WHITE and then put antiquing gloss on it and it'll just be marvelous. You'll see.

I found out that my Sunbeam teaching partner got released and I will get a new one next week or something....which pretty much depresses me because she basically ROCKS at that calling. My patience wears thin so quickly with those hooligans. According to her though, I'm the best partner she's had. And she's been in sunbeams for 5 years, so I'd say that's a big compliment! She said she's had partners before where she's feared they were going to hit the children they got so impatient with them! They never did of course, but they just had such a hard time. If you don't know what sunbeams are, they are the 3-4 year olds...who for some crazy reason are expected to sit quietly in primary for 45 minutes while there's a lesson where they just talk to them, and then singing time where they are constantly learning new songs that are so long. I tell ya, I remember primary differently when I was a kid. I swear all we did was sing fun songs like Popcorn popping, Give said the little stream, and only songs we knew. I dunno. Anyway- then after that we are expected to give them another lesson. 3-4 year olds. What?! I try and remember what my mom always tells me, that little kids have a talent of doing things and looking like they aren't paying attention, but really they are absorbing quite a bit of the info you are giving them. It's hard to truly believe that is happening sometimes! Oh well.

Alright- well that's all for now. Life is pretty good. Pray for me that I will pass the exam this week. Please :-)

The latest

The other day I made fresh squeezed clementine/orange juice and it was FANTASTIC! I decided I pretty much want to do that every single day of my life from here on out. We'll see how that goes.

I'm soaking in the rays. As much as I can anyway. Meaning...I pretty much don't use air conditioning and roll my window down cause believe it or not, I love feeling hot! It makes me happy. And anytime I might for a milisecond think, "wow, it's sure getting hot" I immediately have flashbacks of snow and cold bones and I'm instantly happy because I don't feel that way!

I take my next exam a week from today- so please keep me in your prayers! I seriously need it. I am lacking motivation. I'm still studying everyday, but it's so hard for me for some reason...and I just really hope I pass. I'm pretty nervous about it.

I am in the process of making new pillows for my couch. Meaning, I've made one about a week ago and haven't really continued on to the other 3 pillows. I'm only using fabric that I currently have in my stash...so you know, it's not going to be primal, but it will be a HECKA lot better than the current situation. You'll see. Eventually.

I feel like I'm constantly reminded about how I don't truly know how much someone's been through till I talk to them. Or something. I guess I'm reminded that I never have a right to judge someone, cause you never know what they've been through. Someone I visit taught this week was telling us about how when she was 18, her mom died of cancer and she had 5 younger brothers/sisters and had to take care of them. Then later she had breast cancer herself, and her sister wouldn't go with her to the treatments cause it reminded her of her mom, AND- she worked during chemo! I was shocked and she just said, "You do what you have to- that's all" and then it somehow also came up about how her little brother died when he was 10 or something. It was so crazy. It just seemed like this lady had been through so much in her life. You'd never know though! And the weird thing is, it's not like she was just going on to get attention...these conversations just randomly came up. Cause she was the opposite of feeling bad for herself.

Which is opposite of me! Sometimes. Especially times like now when I don't want to study but have to. I feel pretty sorry for myself.

I never did say- but I FREAKING LOVED HARRY POTTER! Oh my. I blubbered my way through most of it. I seriously SERIOUSLY loved it. The whole scene with the snape flashbacks....oh my. He deserves an oscar, I swear. So...so...good. I felt like all the emotional parts, they were spot on. Which are the most important parts for me. There were some differences here and there from the book, but not enough to make me upset! If you haven't seen it- go see it! You wont regret it.

Well, time to study. I have tomorrow off, which is fantastic. But you know...that just means more studying and cleaning. WAHOO! Oh and by the way- when I got my IV's on Saturday it was successful! I just went as slowly as I could (put the drip very very slow) and no blowing veins. I WAS the longest person there basically...poor Clay only takes 1 hour to get his (the same iv's as me) and I take over 4 hours. Oh well. My veins are just puny and his are quite big.

CYA!

Per Clay's request...

Clay tells me I need to blog because he's sick of my other post. There's just not much to say.

We are going to see the movie tonight at 7:30. I'm so.freaking.excited. This has been the LONGEST day of my life. I also decided we need to get snocones after the movie. I asked Clay and he said yes. Cause seriously? It's the middle of July and I haven't had a snocone! If you haven't had a snocone at those sno shack hut things...boy you are missing out. I'm not talking about the snow cones you get in grade school that are just HARD CHUNKS of ice with a pool of flavor at the bottom...I'm talking shaved ice...smooth, with cream and flavor througout. Yum. Red raspberry and cream here I come.

We have been trying to juice veggies and fruit lately. We started thinking it'd be like 2 of our meals a day or something...but holy COW- my body basically yelled at me for making it feel like death! I know that's just me trying to get rid of crap, cause that's what happens when you go on a juicing diet...but when you're trying to go to work, and live a life...it's quite hard. For my lil body anyway. So we are just trying to add a juice here and there. I think it will help, cause we put WAY more fruits in veggies in there than we would normally eat in one sitting. And it just takes a minute to drink it up!

What else what else. I dunno. I've been finding myself in a bit of a rut lately. Emotionally. I just wish so bad I lived closer to my family. But even then things wouldn't be that much different I suppose. I guess I wish that I lived by my family, and had a baby, and was staying home full time. That is what I wish most of all. Oh well!

OH YEAH- one thing that's been great! I made this homemade raw nutella stuff. Except I didn't exactly make it raw, like the recipe. But it is TASTY TASTY! http://www.sunfood.com/pages/recipe-chocolate-hazelnut-butter there's the link if you want to try it. It's very health foody though so like, you may not love it if you eat normal chocolate chip cookies everyday. But for me, it's kinda a saving grace! I ate so much this past week. So yummy. And yes, there's a lot of agave, but also 2 cups of hazelnuts! That's some good stuff.

Tomorrow we are going to get our IV's and I just hope my veins don't explode. That's been happening. Clay wants me to stop going, but I can't help it- they make me feel so much better! Even with my veins exploding and me crying cause it hurts. I'm gonna talk to the docs about that though cause I don't think they realize its happened so much. AND who knows maybe I could get a port or picc line or something. Anywho...

I suppose that's all I can think of! I'll probably post again about the movie after I see it. I love Harry Potter. Will there ever be a series like it again? I really hope so. Cause it's so fun! I love anticipating new books and counting down days, and dressing up and making predictions and obsessing over an imaginary world. Seriously- it's some of the most fun I've ever had! But...it's really quite doubtful it will happen again. I love Twilight, I love Hunger Games, I love other series- but none of them come CLOSE to my undying love for Harry Potter. I'm pretty sure everyone whose read them feels the same way. Anyway- have a great time watching the movie those of you who are tonight! I know I will!

My favorite book

So my sister Amy gave me this book a while back. I honestly can't remember when it was?! Obviously before I was married...cause it's dedicated to Danielle Arnold. Who knows.. But I LOVE IT! With all my heart. I look at it a lot more than she probably realizes. But anyway, I took it to church the other day cause the lesson was on brothers and sisters and being nice and stuff like that. There are a few pictures of Amy and I as children, and so I showed them and told them about how we were nice to each other and stuff. So I had this great idea to share it with all of you! AND, incase of some tragic event where I lose it or it gets destroyed...this way I will have it forever. Cause it's really the best. A lot of the content is inside jokey kinda, so don't feel bad if you don't get it:)

Note: Clay is really embarrassed of this picture of me. He doesn't understand it and thinks it's weird and stupid. It was hilarious when I was a Junior in high school...at least to me! :)

Seriously- the best. Love it. Hope you enjoyed it! Some of the pictures are kinda embarrassing! teehehe...but they are fond memories :)

Blondes beware, you are at risk for being a terrorist target.

Or so my friend at the post office says.

Let me set the scene...

I'm at the post office and get out of my truck. You know how when you are a girl and you're wearing a tight shirt with an undershirt you kinda have to pull it down whenever you get up from sitting? Well, that's what I did. All of a sudden I hear behind me,

"You're never going to be able to cover that up"

What?

"You've got the same thing as me and my son. There's no covering it now. And you chose it."

Huh?

"You might want to consider changing that hair style"

Oh. My hair....huh?

"My son and I were at the fair and there was a helicopter filming from above for the news station and our heads were so shiny it you could point us out from thousands. We were even shinier than the hubcaps. And yeah, it was funny. But on the news that night they were very serious because if you think about it, if that were a terrorist, we would be the first ones they'd go after. And so you might want to reconsider that hair style. And they thought we had wigs on. But we didn't, I said, 'this is real! this is my hair!' and they just were so surprised because you could pinpoint us from up in the sky and that's pretty scary if you think about it"

Yeah, it's real scary here in Idaho. That's my number one fear that I'll get sniped by a terrorist in a helicopter in Idaho...since Idaho is such a target. But...all I could think to say was, "That's interesting"

"And I mean, I can't do anything about mine. It's natural the way it is and I can't change it. I mean you should be grateful you can look like a woman and so you should really think about your hair style because walking around you never know if a terrorist will be flying above you."

Wait what? What about me looking like a woman? Again, all I could think to say was, "That's interesting"

Now I have to interject this story and tell you that we are now in the post office standing in line. I can only imagine the expression on my face...but anyway, we are still standing in line and no one has moved and she then says,

"Alright well you have a good day then, Goodbye"

We are still standing in line, the same spot. Both of us. And she just said goodbye to me. The best word to describe this is...awkward. And slightly scary, I might add. I'm not gonna lie, I basically sped walked back to my truck after my transaction was done because I could see her transaction was finishing up too...and this lady was kinda scaring me!

But, you know...I'm a blessed woman. I got away and drove off with no more interactions with her. All I could keep thinking was, "This is something that would happen to Amy". If you don't know my sister Amy, she seriously has things like this happen to her ALL. THE. TIME. Just crazy stories and crazy people. Anyway. My mind is still boggled. I had NO IDEA what to say in response to these comments. Seriously, just try and imagine if you were in my shoes...what would you have said? And this recount of the story doesn't even do it justice. I know that she said way more than I can remember...cause half of what she said sounded like complete nonsense. I had no idea what she was trying to say half the time. But those few sentences I shared...I could understand and remember. Thinking back I should've said- well do you think you were the only blondes at the fair? Maybe your hair is just super special and shiny for some reason. Oh well. She didn't make too much of an impression on me. It's not like I'm gonna go die my hair black now.

The funny thing is, her hair didn't look one bit shiny to me at all.

Oh- btw, I have recently gotten highlights in my hair and look like this (i just realized i don't think i ever mentioned that or put a pic up)
yes, i am aware it's blurry, but I just took it real quick myself and when I finally took a clear picture...i didn't like it cause my humongo zits were way more noticeable. but, you get the picture of how my hair looks...THAT is the point.