AMUSEMENT PARKS, ROLLERSKATES & A BROKEN TOE

This last weekend was packed full of fun and many flashbacks to some awesome childhood memories thanks to the best parents in the world!

It started out with my sister flying in from OK with her 3 kids.
My parents and I met them at the airport and then we drove up to the Hilton in Layton where they were all staying. That night we went to dinner and swimming with the girls.

Friday the whole fam-damily met at Lagoon for a day of fun. The weather was a little cool, but we all had a good time.

As kids, we looked forward every summer to go to Lagoon on Stake Lagoon Day and we would stay until the park closed.

Halee was hilarious. She would want to go on all of these rides, but then she would put her hands over her eyes and just repeat, "Why am I doing this, I am never doing this again, just tell me when it's over." It reminded me of how Angela (2 years older than me) would never go on any of the crazy rides, but I loved them. I would go with my dad. There were even some of the rides that I wasn't tall enough to ride and I would stand on my dad's toes so that I could ride them. Halee is almost 2 years older than Carlee but Carlee is the fearless one and Halee was FREAKED out even on the ferris wheel. I still love the crazy rides, but now that I am older I need a serious dose of Dramamine before embarking on most of the rides.

On Saturday Debra, Laura her kids & I took another stroll down memory lane. We spent a couple of hours at the Sandy Fun Center (formerly know as Classic Skating).

Many hours were spent there as a child, learning how to rollerskate, going to birthday parties, daddy-daughter dates, etc. I must say that although I was a pretty good skater back in the day, I am not so good now. Also, it is much more difficult trying to skate when you are trying to hold up a child that has never been on skates before. My dad is awesome. I think there were times when he was skating while holding up and skating with more than one of us.

There is a lot more to do there now. THE JUNGLE was awesome! You can climb all over inside and there is a zip line, a rope swimg, a pool of balls (crocodile pit), magic carpet, etc. There is even a high bridge (monkey crossing) you have to cross to get to the other side of the jungle.

Halee is terrified of heights. She barely made it across the first time, and then she found out that there was only one way out and she would have to go over it again to get out. She instructed us that in order for her to go back across Debra had to be in front and then Carlee and then I had to be right behind her and I had to promise I would give her $1 million if she fell, in order to get her across.

We also played on the blow-up toys/slides as well as the arcades.....my favorite being skee-ball. Then the two girls got to pick prizes to buy with all of the arcade tickets we won.

As for the "broken toe..." If you notice in some of the pictures from the Jungle the nylon straps are woven. By the rope swing there is a green slope that you slide down to get to the rope swing. As I was so gracefully trying to keep my nephew from getting plowed over by the bigger kids in the jungle, my baby toe got caught as I continued sliding. My toes and the surrounding area on my foot just below my baby toe were black & blue and it hurts to even walk. I am told that if I can move my toe it is not broken. So, I guess it is not broken. It was definitely injured but well worth it!

WATER HEATERS, GOOD FOOD & THE FRENCH OPEN

PART 1

I was excited this past Friday night as I was looking forward to spending my first day at my pool this year. Knowing that I had to meet with my trainer at the gym Saturday morning, I thought I would shave my legs, etc. and be ALL ready to go to the pool shortly after returning home from the gym the next morning.

I turned on the water only to find that it was ice cold. I knew this day would eventually come, but I was not happy about the timing. So at 11:00 pm I got out my 3 largest pots and began heating up water on my stove. Then I would take turns running the pots of water back to my bathtub that I had put a small amount of cold water in. With each run, I would hold my breath hoping that I would not spill the scalding hot water on me. Just call me Laura Ingalls. After bathing "Little House on the Prairie" style I hated pulling the plug. All that time and hard work going right down the drain.

First thing Saturday morning I called around...Home Depot could install a new water heater that day. They got all my info and said the installer would call me to set up the appointment. I gave them my cell phone number and headed over to the pool. I kept waiting to get into the pool, knowing that the minute I got in the pool, my cell phone would ring and I would have to hurry and jump out hoping to get to my phone in time.

I started getting nervous and kind of annoyed when I hadn't yet heard from anyone by 1:00....."were they still going to be able to do it today??" I ran home where I had the info and called to check. Long story, short....some how they didn't get my order in and they wouldn't be able to do the install until Monday. Nice that they called to let me know this, right? Arrrghhhh! At least then I was able to fully enjoy the lovely day with my book.

PART 2

I was supposed to meet with 2 of the sisters that shared my room in the MTC (the other girl lives in CA, but joins us whenever she is in Utah.) The 3 of us try to get together a couple of times a year as our schedules allow.

Because I had been out at the pool, I was all greasy with sunscreen (not to mention the chlorine), so a shower was very necessary before going out into public, so on went the pots and the boiling began again.

I met them downtown at TUCANO's in the Gateway. It is a Brazilian Churrascaria. The ambiance is fun and even though it is pretty pricey and I always leave feeling so full it hurts....it is always a good time. The meats are very tasty, but my favorites are the grilled pineapple (abacaxi) and the cheese breads (pao de queijo). YUM!

AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY.......

I will try to finish this up as quick and as painless as possible.

Sunday & Monday mornings I woke up 1 hour earlier than usual to bathe "Little House on the Prairie" style again. I got a call Monday morning saying that between 9-1 someone could come to install my water heater. They were going to call me when they were on their way. I had given all the info to the girl on Saturday and then it was confirmed again Monday morning.

So, I meet Jay at my house and as he goes to check out the space, etc. he says, "Oh, it is electric?" HELLO! I had only told 12 people it was electric, I had to tell them what kind of breaker it was connected to in my breaker box, etc. Apparently, he didn't check his info so well and just assumed it was gas, but we all know what happens when we "assume" things.

He tells me that he will just run over to Home Depot (less than 2 miles from my house) and grab one. I am just hanging out on my couch watching the French Open (Since it is in France, I am usually never home when the matches are actually televised). After he has been gone for almost an hour, he calls to tell me he had to go to 3 different stores before he found a 40 gal/electric water heater. At the first store, wouldn't you think he could have had them look up what stores had one???

Although I am thoroughly enjoying the French Open coverage I am thinking about the vacation time that I am going to have to use because of their stupidity. It is probably the busiest day of the month for me to be out of the office. I left work having only completed half of the employees payroll checks, and I should have been working on getting invoices out after that, but instead I am just sitting at home while Jay drives all over the Salt Lake Valley to pick up what he should have already had with him upon arrival 1 1/2 hours ago.

Once he got back, things went relatively quickly, but by the time I got back to the office I had been gone for 4 hours! What a way to kill a day.

I can't believe how much simpler life is when you can just turn the knob and hot water comes out. I just want to kiss whoever invented the hot water heater and indoor plumbing. I hope that the next time you turn on your hot water you realize how fabulous that is.

MARVELOUS MEMORIAL DAY!

I have been looking forward to Memorial Day since January 2. It is the first holiday we get off at work following New Year's Day. Needless to say....it has been a long 5 months.
I live in a condo, and Memorial Day weekend is also when the pool opens. There is not much that I enjoy more than laying out by the pool with a good book, so I have been VERY excited for this coming weekend. I even purchased a new pool lounger. (Wow! doesn't that look fun! However, my abs don't quite look like that Ü ).

It FINALLY started to warm up. We had our hottest day of the year last week and made it to a wopping 94 degrees! After seeing the forecast for Memorial Day weekend, let me just say that Mother Nature and I are not exactly on speaking terms right now. I am not very happy with her. Last weekend should have been 60's and rainy and this weekend was supposed to be in the 90's.
Apparently there is a communication problem in our relationship. Maybe we could use some counseling???

A couple of days ago the forecast for Monday was 66 degrees and rain, but each day the forecasted temperature has gone up about 1 degree and the rain drop has disappeared! It is not fabulous, but at least it appears to be going in the right direction so I won't complain.

As of last night we are at 74 and holding.

Another reason that I am excited for Memorial Day weekend is that the French Open begins.

I totally understand that many find watching tennis as boring as I find watching golf, but I could watch tennis all day long, and unless you have the Tennis Channel (which I am told is not even offered through any package with Comcast) the 4 Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon & US Open) are almost the only time one can catch any tennis action on the "tube." I wish the USA had some fabulous Americans to cheer for, but until then, I will still enjoying watching everyone else.

Hope you all have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend!

PRINCE CASPIAN

I saw the new "Chronicles of Narnia" movie Prince Caspian on Saturday and it was even better than the first one, "The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe."

After taking some classes at the U of U institute from S. Michael Wilcox, I have developed a great love and interest in the writings

of C.S. Lewis.

I am currently working on finishing the 7 books in The Chronicles of Narnia.

Not only was C.S. Lewis a great story teller, but it is fun to pick out the details in his books that parallel LDS doctrines.

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

I feel like I need to head south with the luck that I had this evening.

I was invited to attend a "New Car Clinic" at the Honda Dealership where I bought my car. I hadn't decided yet if I was going to go, but my friend told me that she thought it was informative and they gave away prizes. BONUS! When I didn't have anywhere else that I had to be tonight, I figured that I would go.

I talked to my sister right before I left work. I think that she is convinced that I am the luckiest person around. She told me I was going to win big at the event tonight.

When I got there they had a nice spread of food out for us. FREE FOOD! Great because I was hungry. They gave us all a raffle ticket and we could also put our name in the drawing for the grand prize.

They have 4-5 presentations by a Highway Patrolman, sales, parts, service departments, etc. In between each one they drew out 2-3 raffle ticket numbers. The raffle prizes were Honda First Aid Kits, Honda lunch boxes, and licence plate frames that said HONDA.

The first number drawn was 361288 my number! I won one of the first aid kits. I have to admit I was kind of bummed because I already have a really nice first aid kit in my car that I received from my bosses and I REALLY wanted the license plate frame. (I had looked at buying one of these but they are $30. Did I want one that bad?)

The night came to a close and they drew out the winning name for the ipod......it was ME! I am now the proud new owner of an ipod nano.

They had told us we could go up to the sales front desk to see if our license plates had come in yet. Mine were there and one of the guys from the service dept. put them on for me. After they were on I was really thinking I needed the Chrome Honda frame. I went to talk to the parts guy. He only had one that said ACCORD. He told me he would be getting more in. Did I want to buy that one now or what and buy two at the same time? I decided to get the one. He then asked me if I had won anything. I told him what I had won, but then he just gave it to me.

Everyone had the chance to win 2 prizes. Some didn't win anything, the others won 1 prize.....I came away with 3!