Sunday, September 30, 2012

Post it notes change lives, really. It's true. They do.

Work is starting to feel better. I am not petrified every time a customer comes in wondering what in the world crazy boot knowledge are they going to expect from me. I am mostly enjoying it, although the days I work two long days, Friday and Saturday, I really worry if it is so wrong for me to be away from my family. But for now I don't have a better option as we are benefiting greatly from a little extra money.

Often when I come to work I will find notes from the guys I work with giving me instructions. My boss usually tells me I am doing a good job.

Here was my note the other day.


It got me thinking. I know I have always been a "words of affirmation" person. I think I am a "words" person in general .Thus my love affair with my blog I suppose. Sometimes people can't believe I blog so much. I just love the outlet of words I suppose.

I realized that I don't give my kids enough "Words of affirmation". Sometimes I feel such an overwhelming need to correct any of their behavior that I forget to flood them with all they are doing right.

My boss tells me things I am doing right. Even when there are plenty of things I am sure he could tell me that I have done wrong. He always chalks that up to "that's how you learn". And leaves me little notes telling me I am doing a good job. I have come to look for those those little notes now because they are important to me.

So now I realize I need to be doing that with my children. If a "post it" note is that important to an adult from a boss I barely know...imagine how important one would be to my child from likely the most important person in their lives. A parent. Why haven't I been doing this all along?

My new goal. A "post it" per child per week. The things you learn in a boot store! Sheesh!

I just woke up form a five hour nap. What the craziness is that all about! I just might be up all night tonight! :)

So I have been doing my assignment form Super Hero. Reading about the parables.



And in the introduction it said something so interesting and sweet. Jesus spoke in parables so that the people who were not spiritually ready to receive his word would not be held accountable if they did not live their lives accordingly. Isn't that merciful? The people who were spiritually ready could decipher the parables and understand. Does that mean I am not ready that I am needing the book to explain some of these parables to me?......Hmmmm.

Corey got his elk. He has been so happy. He also lost his wallet. He came to me at work and looked like someone had died. He was so distraught about it. Things like that really get to him. Plus it is totally frustrating and a pain to lose your wallet. So he went back up to the hills to look for it. I thought it was slightly nuts and that he was never going to find it on some path in the mountains. He wasn't having any luck when he just got so upset and pleaded with Heavenly Father to help him. And He did. He found it within two minutes. Laying. on. the. side. of. the. trail. He didn't even really know for sure when and where he had lost it. He just had a slight inkling. He bawled for about fifteen minutes afterwards because it was so spiritual for him. Nice, huh?!


Wednesday, September 26, 2012

My "vision" freaked me out!

I have one funny kid!

Remember my vision board?

This is what I found on it this morning when I was brushing my teeth. Kassidy left it there for me as a joke. I busted a gut over it. I LOVE Simon Cowell!. Cracked me up.




I love these older kids. I love it when they start to become friends. I know everyone says you shouldn't be your kid's friends and my kids for sure know I'm "the mom" but it is fun to be friends also. .

I had my appointment with Kristopher yesterday. It was such. a. gift. The next client had cancelled and he spent two hours with me. We talked and talked and talked about Christ. And religion. And trials. And being in darkness. And his upcoming project. And how he was proud of me. (My heart broke into a million, trillion, billion, loved, happy little pieces.)

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Heavenly Father was "in the details" in regards to me meeting Kristopher as a therapist. I needed someone who could speak of Christ with me. And mean it. And know about it. And be living it. And train me in regards to it, with tears in his eyes as he does so. I don't know if I have met someone before who is trying to live it the way he is. Maybe it is because he is trained, but his compassion and understanding and desire to do the right thing is so lovely. I have felt more peace in his office than I knew I could finally ever find.

Kristopher and I discussed trials. And how you are often in darkness during them. Trying to figure your way out. Alone. And he told me he has been through that also. Even him. Even recently. And it is because he is no better than Christ. And Christ was even alone for part of His suffering. And so sometimes we go at it alone. And sometimes it takes a long time and we have to be patient, lest we act entitled for the easy fix (I'm learning that one!) And sometimes it really, really hurts. And sometimes it is really, really hard. And sometimes the path is really, really dark. And most of the time it is really, really painful. And you say "why is that happening to me?", "why can't I get any help?", or "why does life suck?"... I always say "Ugh! (You have to do the 'Ugh') Why does life hate me?!!!".

But Kristopher says..."What can I learn?" "What are You teaching me?"

His attitude is that everyone has to go through their own personal "refiners fire" to learn and grow. He says that one of the saddest things that ever happened to him in his entire life, turned out to be the very best thing that ever happened to him in. his. entire. life. Because of what he learned and because of how he grew and because of what he now has to offer the world because of going through that pain. And he has had some really sad things that really would have done me in. But he looks at things from a very realistic perspective. He is ALWAYS telling me to think more and feel less. When you really finally figure that out it is profound. Life altering.

In Kristopher's office is a disgusting IV pole with a bag of BLACK liquid in it. It represents addiction. He is trying to teach people to live their lives without having to be addicted to something.

We are addicted to so many things. Shopping, food, gaming, drugs, etc.... We are looking to sooth our sad and hurting and lonely souls. Sometimes, since I am becoming free from food, I almost feel more sad at times. And I think it is because I am feeling my feelings now instead of stuffing them away.

It's a journey. And Kristopher teaches instead of soothing ourselves through addiction, there is a better way. And it is through changing our brains through neuroplasticty (remember saying positive things to yourself), it is through looking at trials as an opportunity to learn, it is looking at hurt and sadness as a way of learning to have deep compassion for other's hurt and sadness. It is offering the attachment you want to have with other people....to other people.

He did that for me. And it is the safest "place" I have ever been. And my heart is healing. So all the pain I have gone through that landed me in therapy (which really hasn't even been that huge....but aren't we all hurting...on different levels...and isn't that okay too?) has  been a blessing.... and a gift... and an opportunity to learn.... and an opportunity to come to Christ.... and an opportunity to love... and be cared for...and be free from addiction... and to heal whatever wounds I have. Big, small, or even just medium.

So my "hurt" may just be the best thing that ever happened to me as well.

 Kristopher gave me the assignment of reading about the parables of Christ. I already got a book on the subject. You know...to go along with the real book! LOL! I'm so excited to have a plan. I love assignments. I love life's journey. I am hoping to learn every ounce out of it that I can.


Monday, September 24, 2012

Our newest adventure!! .

Sensory Integration Disorder.

Awesome.

Cause I need one more thing to add to my list of crap to talk to Kristopher about.

Cause I need one more occupational therapy appointment for my kid. (He is in speech right now)

Cause I need one more reason to feel overwhelmed and like I might eat 20 ices cream bars on one night. Even. if. they. are. low. calories.

Bo has the sweetest most caringest first grade teacher ever. I love seeing her. We hug and laugh when we see each other and she is a friend,  a very sympathetic loving friend.

I had the great fun of bringing Bo's class birthday treats (Yes, three weeks late....so? I still got them there!) and reading to them a book of my choice.

I picked my most favorite book series...Diary of a worm, spider, fly. These books crack me up and I laugh out loud every time I read them. I can't help it.


I loved reading to the class because Bo came and sat right on my lap for the whole story. (And since I have lost weight I had lap room for him and it was nice)

When they sang happy birtdday to him he laid his head on my shoulder looking away from the class the whole song. But he was smiling. The teacher told me Bo was the Hero that day because I had brought treats and read and more importantly Bo scaled the basketball pole and got the basket ball down. That boy can CLIMB.I have never seen a kid like it. He climbs our basket ball pole all the time and he nearly gives me heart failure with how HIGH he can get.

By the way, the treat I brought was ice cream cups,  WITH the wooden spoons which are a total must. Do you guys remember having those at school as kids? It was always an exciting day at school when they served them.

Bo has been massively struggling lately. He cannot hold still for any amount of time really. Nor pay attention.He spent the whole primary program coloring in a notebook, swinging around during the songs in la la land, or...coming to talk to me during the program. His teacher at school has allowed him to do his work while rolling around on the floor even. He has been having lots of bad days.

Today when I went to the school to speak with the administor, whom also is a friend now, whom also is the most gentle person alive, whom also is the kindest, wisest person alive...(can you tell I think he is great?) and Bo was sitting there in a chair next him while he typed (me an email) on the computer.

Bo told me he likes to be in the office becausee it is quiet and the kids are too loud in his class.

Bo had probably, literally five inches of his shirt shoved in his mouth and he was just knawing away at it. Even though he was in "trouble" he was peacefully sitting there with the administrator knawing on his cloths. He loves this man and this man loves Bo. There is no harshness or hurt. Just consequences. Wouldn't it be great if we could parent that way? Maybe you all are....

(The administrator is also the one who gave Bo a scholarship for Juijitus. He is also the one that when I tried to pay for Rhett's jujitsu uniform, wouldn't take the money and told me to put it in Rhett's mission fund. He is THAT great.)

So last week Bo's teacher had me come to the class room to show me what they had discovered.

Bo likes to be "tied" to his chair. He ususally has his arms out but he can also tuck them in. This blanket is tied fairly tight in the back and Bo told her he feels less "crazy" when he is tied in his chair. He does his work more peacefully and his hand writing became beautiful.


I asked his teacher what all the kids thought about this and she said she explained to them all that sometimes the world just feels like a really big place. And it feel so big to Bo. And she used the example of at night when you cuddle in your bed all snug and safe in your blankets. And it makes you feel good. And that is what Bo is in need of when he is tied in the chair.

The teacher also told me that Bo chews all his pencils because she believes he likes the feeling of the chewed pencil.

And...he has been taking all the wrappers off his crayons becasue he likes them smooth.

Sensory issues. So....Bo will be visitng an occupational therapist to see what the what is up. UG.O.LA!

So grateful Bo is in SUCH good hands. Love them. And as Kristopher has taught me to do I am trying to look for what i can learn from all these situations. I am just about to learn what happens when you eat 20 ice cream bars in a row!!!!!!!! Bye. Sorry spell check quit working.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Hi, please meet..........

Isn't this a great picture? When in the world did Rhett get so big????


Had a great little day the other day. First Saturday in months i had free from work or other obligations. The kids helped me clean house with relatively little fighting. Phew.

Last night, my brother and sister in law called and invited me to crash their date night. Frank even treated me to dinner and gelato. Went way over my calories. :( I hate that but sometimes life happens. And the way I stop it from happening everyday is I journal my calories. Keeps me responsible and it keeps me aware. In case anyone cares.

I had a chicken artichoke mushroom bacon calzone. Uh....YUM! Any time anything says Artichoke, shrimp, mushrooms, or avocado...I just have to order it. I just have to.

It was so fun to go to dinner with them and laugh and talk and be treated. Thanks Sherri and Frank!

My kids LOVE Frank. They think he is so funny. After dinner he wanted to go to the store to buy them some treats so they wouldn't feel bad. So sweet. Then we came to the house and played a few games of Uno. We laughed our heads off at Frank because he was so confused why the number 9 with the line under it to show that it was a nine looked so different from the nine with line under it that he was holding upside down. He was all befuddled until we turned the nine right side up and then he got it and we all busted up at him. Fun times.

So...I did it. I bought a little bird. It isn't my dream bird but I am still waiting for the timing to be right on him.

 Justine and I spent a glorious hour looking at the birds trying to decide which one we wanted. It finally came down to a little, whitish looking , dove like in color, one or this little blueish one. We were just really drawn to the blue one because of the yellowish on his head along with the variety of blues on his body. Like he is peacock feather beautiful.
 

Introducing....

Zane Kristopher Salvador, the 1st.



He is quite young still. You can tell because he has stripes clear down on his face still. (That is what they told me) He also didn't try to bit at all the worker caught him. Great sign.

We gave him a few days to acclimate to our home and yesterday was his first training day. He worked on "stepping up". Justine and I are so excited. He is SUCH a lovey. Didn't bite at all, learned to step up and was such a gentle little guy for his first day. On his second training day we got all the kids involved and worked on letting him know that us scratching his head is safe and feels good. He is a smart little guy! He is learning fast and doesn't bite at all. He often tries to fly away and we have to hurry and grab him so he learns not to do that. The kids were so impressed that I knew how to clip his wings. Once upon a time I did know things you know!!!!!


 




Zane liked to snuggle in Kate's blanket. It was so sweet.

 



I loved teaching the kids how to train him and I have been very happy about it since. Reminds me of things I use to really care about that have been on hold for a bit due to chaos of being the mom. And I am happy to share my "stuff" with my kids. Good "stuff".



Friday, September 21, 2012

Cow girl up!

Katie and I went on a cowgirl field trip. It was quite delightful. I am glad I was able to go and spend time with my girlie.

 

I loved the clever stick horses the teacher had them make!

 
So cute! Teaching the kids about cowboys!!
 

Then the handsome cowboy went to get the horses. It was so exciting when the two wagon teams rounded the corner.



The whole time on the wagon ride all I could remember was how much I love the wonderful and sweet smell of horses. Horses is one dream I have given up on. There was a day when all I thought about was owning a horse. Corey proposed to me with horse training books!


Well, hello there handsome cowboy!


 

This lady with Kate's head inserted cracks. me. up!




Fun little day. Kate is just so happy to be out in the world learning stuff.

Remember how I told you I am super clutsy and fall a lot... Yep. I fell backwards tripping on a cement ring. No one saw but my neck is still sore today from it. It made it awful hard at work to look up on the shelves for shoes! Sheesh!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Marriage Is For Losers-by Kelly Flanagan

Corey and I have been married for twenty years, yesterday. Wow!

Trust us, we have muddled through it just like I assume many of you have, and are. It has been happy and sad and joyous and hard. It has been an adventure filled with lessons of love, commitment, sacrifice, forgiveness, tolerance, kindness, compassion, mastering the art of pretending to be deaf, and rolling with life's punches.

I am grateful for the journey. I am grateful for the refiners fire that marriage and children bring. I am grateful for the Master's plan of families.

On a whim, I decided Corey and I should go to the photo booth in the mall and get our pictures done before our celebratory dinner and a movie. Corey has never had his picture taken in a booth before. What???? Does that even count as having a childhood then? 

So here we are!


We threw in our fingers to show twenty years of marriage. The last shot must show how Corey really feels about it all. Lol. I told him it looks like the perfect mug shot.

I found this article almost a year ago. I loved it. I really loved the sentence I highlighted. It ONLY works though if both people are losing. It can't just be one. I hope it is not taboo to print his whole article on my blog. But I want to save it for my children to read someday. Please visit his site.  Kelly Flanagan

Marriage Is For Losers-by Kelly Flanagan

"You can be right, or you can be married; take your pick. I can’t remember who told me that, but I do remember that they were only half-joking. The other half, the serious half, is exceedingly important. This is why.

Many therapists aren’t crazy about doing marital therapy. It’s complicated and messy, and it often feels out of control. In the worst case scenario, the therapist has front row seats to a regularly-scheduled prize fight. But I love to do marital therapy. Why? Maybe I enjoy the work because I keep one simple principle in mind: if marriage is going to work, it needs to become a contest to see which spouse is going to lose the most, and it needs to be a race that goes down to the wire.

When it comes to winning and losing, I think there are three kinds of marriages. In the first kind of marriage, both spouses are competing to win, and it’s a duel to the death. Husbands and wives are armed with a vast arsenal, ranging from fists, to words, to silence. These are the marriages that destroy. Spouses destroy each other, and, in the process, they destroy the peace of their children. In fact, the destruction is so complete that research tells us it is better for children to have divorced parents than warring parents. These marriages account for most of the fifty percent of marriages that fail, and then some. The second kind of marriage is ripe with winning and losing, but the roles are set, and the loser is always the same spouse. These are the truly abusive marriages, the ones in which one spouse dominates, the other submits, and in the process, both husband and wife are stripped of their dignity. These are the marriages of addicts and enablers, tyrants and slaves, and they may be the saddest marriages of all.

But there is a third kind of marriage. The third kind of marriage is not perfect, not even close. But a decision has been made, and two people have decided to love each other to the limit, and to sacrifice the most important thing of all—themselves. In these marriages, losing becomes a way of life, a competition to see who can listen to, care for, serve, forgive, and accept the other the most. The marriage becomes a competition to see who can change in ways that are most healing to the other, to see who can give of themselves in ways that most increase the dignity and strength of the other. These marriages form people who can be small and humble and merciful and loving and peaceful.
And they are revolutionary, in the purest sense of the word.

Because we live in a culture in which losing is the enemy (except in Chicago, where Cubs fans have made it a way of life). We wake up to news stories about domestic disputes gone wrong. Really wrong. We go to workplaces where everyone is battling for the boss’s favor and the next promotion, or we stay at home where the battle for the Lego's is just as fierce. Nightly, we watch the talking heads on the cable news networks, trying to win the battle of ideas, although sometimes they seem quite willing to settle for winning the battle of decibels. We fight to have the best stuff, in the best name brands, and when we finally look at each other at the end of the day, we fight, because we are trained to do nothing else. And, usually, we have been trained well. In the worst of cases, we grew up fighting for our very survival, both physically and emotionally. But even in the best of situations, we found ourselves trying to win the competition for our parents’ attention and approval, for our peers’ acceptance, and for the validating stamp of a world with one message: win. And, so, cultivating a marriage in which losing is the mutual norm becomes a radically counter-cultural act. To sit in the marital therapy room is to foment a rebellion.

What do the rebellious marriages look like? Lately, when my blood is bubbling, when I just know I’ve been misunderstood and neglected, and I’m ready to do just about anything to convince and win what I deserve, I try to remember a phone call we recently received from my son’s second grade teacher. She called us one day after school to tell us there had been an incident in gym class. After a fierce athletic competition, in which the prize was the privilege to leave the gym first, my son’s team had lost. The losers were standing by, grumbling and complaining about second-grade-versions of injustice, as the victors filed past. And that’s when my son started to clap. He clapped for the winners as they passed, with a big dopey grin on his face and a smile stretched from one ear of his heart to the other. His startled gym teacher quickly exhorted the rest of his team to follow suit. So, a bunch of second grade losers staged a rebellion, giving a rousing ovation for their victorious peers, and in doing so, embraced the fullness of what it can mean to be a loser. When I’m seething, I try to remember the heart of a boy, a heart that can lose graciously and reach out in affection to the victors.

In marriage, losing is letting go of the need to fix everything for your partner, listening to their darkest parts with a heart ache rather than a solution. It’s being even more present in the painful moments than in the good times. It’s finding ways to be humble and open, even when everything in you says that you’re right and they are wrong. It’s doing what is right and good for your spouse, even when big things need to be sacrificed, like a job, or a relationship, or an ego. It is forgiveness, quickly and voluntarily. It is eliminating anything from your life, even the things you love, if they are keeping you from attending, caring, and serving. It is seeking peace by accepting the healthy but crazy-making things about your partner because, you remember, those were the things you fell in love with in the first place. It is knowing that your spouse will never fully understand you, will never truly love you unconditionally—because they are a broken creature, too—and loving them to the end anyway.

Maybe marriage, when it’s lived by two losers in a household culture of mutual surrender, is just the training we need to walk through this world—a world that wants to chew you up and spit you out—without the constant fear of getting the short end of the stick. Maybe we need to be formed in such a way that winning loses its glamour, that we can sacrifice the competition in favor of people. Maybe what we need, really, is to become a bunch of losers in a world that is being a torn apart by the competition to win. If we did that, maybe we’d be able to sleep a little easier at night, look our loved ones in the eyes, forgive and forget, and clap for the people around us.

I think that in a marriage of losers, a synergy happens and all of life can explode into a kind of rebellion that is brighter than the sun. The really good rebellions, the ones that last and make the world a better place, they are like that, aren’t they? They heal, they restore. They are big, and they shine like the sun. And, like the sun, their gravitational pull is almost irresistible."

Pretty good article, huh?

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Blecka.

"Finish each day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities have crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day;
you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit
to be encumbered with your old nonsense."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Not the best day today. I had an appointment with Kristopher and was crying before I even entered his office.
He says I am too hard on myself and don't have to be perfect. I said I am too sensitive to be out in the world making mistakes because it hurts too much. He said that is when you tell yourself, "I don't like it, that's okay, I can take it anyway."
I share this again because it is true. Life hurts. Super Hero told me everyone is there drudging along in life with me.
I guess we are all trying to get through the muck of it all and to find peace and happiness. And things happen along the way that hurt and drag you down and sometimes cause you intolerable anxiety or regret or hurt. And to get through those times you pray of course, and also tell yourself things like "I can't control or fix everything, it is what it is, I don't like it, that's okay, I can take it anyway." You basically sooth your sad little brain. It works.
My sweet soul sista friend told me you pray to Heavenly Father to take away your pain from certain regrets. And she said Jesus takes them away and she said it is magic. I smiled. It isn't magic. It's the Atonement. I guess that is magic though, do you agree?
Another interesting thing Kristopher and I discussed today about trying to save people from pain. He said when you are trying to save your children or other people in codependent ways you are actually trying to save them from something that even Jesus had to go through. Pain. And we are not better than Jesus.
Kristopher tries to emulate Jesus. He brings me great peace. Grateful. Grateful.
Don't you love my Emerson quote? So profound and comforting.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Never eat more than you can lift! -Advice from Miss Piggy.


So since I have lost some weight (45 pounds now....Thank you therapy and calorie counting) I decided I could be brave enough to wear my beloved Miss Piggy necklace that my brother gave me when I was a girl.

Our family loved the Muppet's. (I loved the new movie!!!!) Jason probably doesn't even know he gave it to me. I am sure my mom set the whole thing up. But I remember it was from my brother and I saved it all this time. He always received Kermit paraphernalia and I received Miss Piggy.

I love her spunky piggy self. Most of my family made fun of me for wearing it to church. Just like my sparkles. But I don't care. I love it and the primary kids also loved it. I was able to converse with a darling crying little girl about our necklaces so I was happy about that.




Also....thank the Heaven's above that someone finally got smart enough to create this cool invention!!!! Nothing worse for a germaphobe to know they are touching lids to cups that all sorts of other people had to touch to get them separated. This invention works perfectly!!!!!



Tonight we are off to a great night sponsored by my friend's the Porters. "The Amazing Race" homemade style. I'll document it for you all!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Kristopher may have a new client in our family!

I can't handle how CUTE this is....


Kassidy LOVES cats. She ALWAYS has. She has the jerkish cat in the whole world. That was one of my very first POSTS. How jerky her cat is. It would be gone except I could never break Kassidy's heart that way.

Banditt hurt his leg. We assumed it was an infection or possibly broken. Because Kassidy loves Banditt and she is so responsible, she agreed to pay the vet bill to take her "boy" in. She cried and was very worried. What a good mom.

Banditt is declawed but he is still the TOUGHEST cat in the neighborhood. He is a FIGHTER. But he must have gotten bit because he ended up having an infection from a bite wound.



He had a fever!


They had to do a "hold" on him because he will bite!


They shaved his little paw...



He was so cute and funny. (The only nice thing I have to say about him) After Kassidy got him back he actually CUDDLED her like a real baby. She loved that.

So THEN.... we discussed Banditt and his bad behavior and how he hates most of us in the family. The Dr. said he could benefit from an anti depressant and an anxiety pill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kassidy and I busted up over that. Or...there is a plug in the wall gadget that puts out happy pheromones for cats!!!!!  We are so going to try something. We care about the mental health of ALL creatures at this house! :)

So...Because animals are so very important to me....Kristopher gave me the assignment to get a pet. I went to the pet store to take a look. I so love lizards and reptiles and birds. They are just all so cute. This bird is my dream bird. Just a little Conure. Not too loud or unmanageable. I am waiting another year before I get him though. I want Kate to be a little older.


He was so dang cute. I really miss my pet store days. I had so many good friends there and I was good at caring for all those little animals.



This parakeet cracked me up. He just was so cute and curious. We might get one of these to begin with. Justine really wants one.



These frogs are the CUTEST things ever!!!!!!!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

You know you love tiger ears!

So....the boss decided we had all worked hard to sell shoes. As per tradition, starting last year, the company buys us a tiger ear for doing so. A tigers ear is a bready, flat, fluffy, sconey, type thing, larger than a frisbi, with cinnamon and sugar all over. I have had a bite of one once and they are good. Sugar and cinnamon and bread? Did you have any doubts?

So on the last day of the fair after we had mostly cleaned up our booth of the remaining 400ish pairs of shoes and so we went to stand in line for a tiger ear.

It was 11:00. P.M. As in at night. We had worked a 12 plus hour day.

There were at least 100 other people in line.  (Nick is the tall guy in black toward the back)


I was like "what the what?"

"We are standing in line for this....?"

After working a twelve plus hour day? In a crazy line with 100 people? Staring at a kid who was stoned out of his mind? (I was sad at his wasted potential), With another person vomiting close to us?

My boss says, "It's tradition." (since last year. Does that even count?)

So since I am game for mostly what ever, I stood in line with him and Gus. Gus got us corn dogs.



And we waited. Actually Nick mostly just stood in line and Gus and I stood off to the side for support. I timed it. And annoyed him by taking pictures. We waited 28 minutes.

 
He's ALMOST there!!!!!
 

And then.....When Boss was this close to getting our bready, cinnamony, fair heaven....



(see how close he is?)

(see how he is about to walk away?)

The tiger ear workers announce they are ALL. OUT. OF. TIGER. EARS. We could not believe it.

It was sad. We were confused and befuddled. A little bit lost.

We had no choice but to  head to the fried oreos to start a new tradition.Closed.

Sadly, but still yummily, we ended up each picking out our own random treat.

Boss had a donut hamburger with an egg on it. Gus had cheesecake drizzled in chocolate. Boss's wife and I had strawberries dipped in chocolate.






I know I am the new girl and all but I am going to suggest that perhaps we change the tradition of getting tiger ears to maybe the night before the last day of the fair. Sounds like a plan!

Gus is taking home cotton candy to his twin girls. Aren't you so jealous? Twins! I wanted twins.

Hello, my old friend.

It's been about six months since I have seen your face. I decided today that I needed you again, back in my life. School is all but a mi...