Black Friday!

If you are like me you had no plans to join in the Black Friday shopping madness, but in case you are feeling left out I have just the thing that should get you reaching for the car keys!

I have found the thing I'm sure EVERYONE is looking for this year - the traditional pink tinsel Christmas Pig!!!!

Can't you see him frolicking in the snow with Frosty, riding shotgun in the sled with Santa, lounging in the manger with Mary and Joseph???

Run don't walk, to your local Big Lots store. I'm sure these are the hot item this year. A bargain at only $25!!!! Be the envy of your friends and neighbors, get your Christmas pig today!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!

rosehips

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

I know I'm a lucky girl who has much to be thankful for. I have my home, my health, a caring and loving family, wonderful pets and great friends. What more could a girl ask for? Most of all I'm thankful for my two kids and the fact that they are happy and healthy and well adjusted. Teenagers who (believe it or not!) haven't given me any trouble, and even still tell me they love me. I truly am blessed.


money plant

No KABOOM!

My excitement for the week. We were evacuated for 11 hours on Friday. In reality, I guess I wasn't really evacuated, since I was at work, but my neighborhood was. Sarah called me after school let out to tell me that she was all confused because something happened and they weren't allowing people into our neighborhood. I checked the local news on the internet, and found that a double propane tanker-trailer truck that was coming down Parley's Canyon didn't negotiate the turn on the I-215 off ramp, had crashed, rolled and was spilling propane. The crash site was right behind the street behind me and about five house down. YIKES! The gas from a bar-b-que tank can pretty much take out a house if it explodes, so it wasn't too surprising that they evacuated half mile radius around the crash.

KUTV sent it's helicopter out, so I got to watch nice aerial coverage on the internet. Propane is heavier than air so it sinks; the truck was surrounded by a foamy sea of dissipating liquid/gas. The sound wall had been knocked down, so there was a very real possibility of gas flowing downhill into the neighborhood.

I had evening plans so I wasn't going to be home anyway, Sarah went to a friends house for the night, but my poor son. He was driving home from college in Colorado when this happened, so after an eight hour drive he was home, but couldn't go home. So he headed to friends, but luckily, at midnight (just after my friend made up her sofa bed for me) we were allowed to go home.

I was happy for 2 things... no kaboom, and believe it or not, poor Daisy, who was stuck in the house from 7 am to midnight, managed not to have an accident in the house. Guess it was my lucky day after all.

Wednesday Wackiness...

An odd view of the world... they have been working on the roof of the building across the courtyard from my office window. You'd never see this except from my 4th floor vantage point, but I found it amusing. Exit - to where?, for who? the big partying crowds in the sky?

A beautiful day

Today was a glorious, warm, sunny day, the kind of day we won't see many more of until spring. I went hiking with the meetup group again, todays hike was a 7.5 loop through Antelope Island, the big island in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. I'm not sure why it's called Antelope Island, as I've never seen an antelope there, but we did see a few of the bison the island is known for. It was a beautiful a day with beautiful views.

Last Nights Adventure....

Upon the urging of a friend I joined the local hiking Meetup group. Last night they had a short moonlight hike through Memory Grove, a local park. The hike wasn't very long, but the air was delightfully cool and crisp and smelled of fall leaves. Down in the canyon the moon was ellusive but after ascending the canyon we were greeted by the most spectacular moon. This picture isn't great, as it is hand held, time exposure, night shot with my pocket camera, but I think you get the idea. The vantage point is the east side of the capital building, looking north east across City Creek Canyon. The bright lights below are are the memorials in Memory Grove. The squiggles are the light in the homes that edge the canyon. It really was an amazing site!

16 year old drivers...Yikes

I awoke yesterday at 6:50 to the telephone ringing. Oddly, it was my daughter, who lives with me and should have been home. It turns out that she decided to run to the grocery store to do something about our critical need for a gallon of milk. She was having some sort of issue with her car. Slightly groggy and confused I hopped in the car and headed to the store, which, fortunately, is only a couple blocks from home.

It seems that when she parked, she pulled into one of a handfull of spots that have a one of those concrete curbs at the front of the space. When she realized she arrived before the store opened she decided to leave, pulled forward and ran right over the curve. So here she is, all flustered, trying to figure out what to do about the fact thather car wheels were stradling this huge concrete block . At least she was smart enough to call for help rather than risk damaging her car. I pulled up, aimed my headlights at the side of the car to access the situation. Thankfully the car wasn't bottomed out on the curb, so I made the determination that she could probably slowly back over the curb. Which she did as I stood and waved her on. Clunk, thunk she rolled over the curb, and the front end of the car bounced on it. The car thankfully, seems OK.

I guess drivers-ed goes on and on for 16 year old. And moms-ed goes on and on for us for us mothers. We never do know what our kids will do next. Sarah's big question... "Hey, Mom, how does it feel to know your children are RETARDED???" Hmmm ... should I laugh or cry???

Election Day!

So have you voted? Nope, this isn't my truck or my candidate. My daughter came across this vehicle over the weekend, and took a picture because she knew her liberal momma would have a laugh. And laugh I did! If you happen to be undecided... is this the sort of group you wish to be a part of?? I didn't think so! Another reason to vote for Obama! Vote wisely, not wiseley!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day of the Dead

Today is the Day of the Dead. I figured out why the Day of the Dead comes the day after Halloween. I'm sure it's because after falling asleep wearing excessive amounts of Halloween eye makeup, you wake up with ugly, black, smeary eyes that make you look dead. At least that was the case at my house this morning, where Sarah, her friend Neeka and I all looked quite the fright when we woke up as we were all too tired and lazy after our parties to do proper makeup removal.

I went to a party hosted by one of my ex lab members... science geeks are so amusing. Nate, the Mad Hatter won the best costume prize... a nice box of pipette tips! Just what everyone wants, right? .... gotta wonder about my social circles!

My Day of the Dead was lovely. November 1st, and I walked the dog down the the gully for swim wearing shorts, a t-shirt and sandals. I regretted my choice of apparel, not because I was to cold as you might expect in November, but because I wished I'd worn a tank top instead of a t-shirt. Daisy was happy to get one more swim in before winter.