It is 71 Degrees here in Houston

Ok, so last week we had snow... today as I am driving around, it is 71 degrees. And as I send Marcy a picture of a bug, cause I was it, she sends me back a text that says they have 18 inches there in Washington. I know it was mean, but I chuckled. So I made, asked, her to go out and take me a picture. This is how I like the snow. In a picture that I can look at. So... this is out their back door. I don't think anyone went anywhere today.

In the back of my mind I miss it a little, but not this weekend. It will be one year ago on Saturday that I totalled my truck and so for this weekend, I will not miss the snow. And then it made me laugh last night because Reed called me from Vegas and said he was mad at me cause it snowed there too... Now when He called, I openly laughed out loud. That was funny.

On another note, I had a great job interview this morning and it looks like I will be getting a job that is better than the one that I have and for more money and in better shape than the company that I am in. That was a great point of the day.

If I don't post again....

Merry Christmas everyone.

Better late than never!!

Mom and Dad had their 50th Anniversary this year. I finally got some pictures.

Kevin and Malia... We are wondering what that scare thing in her hands is. DO they still exist?

This picture is the best one I have taken in a while. I think. This is Reed and I. Everyone else was getting pictures with their families, so Reed and I decided to be a family.

The fun part about our family, is we make the rules. We told mom and dad they had to cut the cake and feed each other just like at the wedding. They were good sports.

This is my family, minus 3. Bruce and Anne had just given birth to their first boy, Silas, and were unable to make the trip. We have since gotten some great pictures of Silas and them.

The fun part. We took the family group pictures on the swings at Rob's house. We had such a great time and I am glad that we were all able to be there and share with them their 50 years together.

Last night, this morning and 2pm this afternoon

Ok, so the pictures in the last post are from last night and early this morning.... Then this one is from this morning and the picture of Danni's truck is this morning. Now last night when I got home it was 31 degrees... this morning it was about 35 degrees and then

this picture of my truck is at 2pm this afternoon at the office and it was 57 degrees. And then just to let you all know, it is suppose to be 75 this weekend... I am so confused. I don't know what to wear when I get out of bed in the morning....

I share this with you all so that you will have something to smile about. And for those of you in Washington, good luck with your buckets you should get this weekend. And Sh'Nell, your winter is there.... build me a snow man and take some pictures... It will be over before you know it.... Love ya sis...

This is just wrong!!!

Ok, so most of you know that I left Spokane for a couple of reasons. One, I needed a new job. Two, I needed a change in life. Three, I wanted to get away from the dang snow...

Ok, and most of you know that the last time I really drove in the ice, was the night I wrecked my truck along with those fine WSP cars.

So, Imagine my reaction when I am sitting at work....doing my job...

when all of the sudden, my employees go "Niki it's snowing!" They were so excited and just had to drag me out to see it. Why I might ask??? I have no idea. Except that it has been 4 years since in Snowed here in Houston. So, apparently, I didn't run far enough.

Now, Candice says that I deserve it because I made so much fun of her last year while everyone up north had snow and I had 80 degree weather. And the other reason is because one of my previous posts.. Yeah the one making fun of the TEXAS SNOW!!! But, do you think that I learned my lesson? Probably not. I will still make fun of those up north when I am warm and it is cold up there. Second, I am just that way. I can not believe it snowed down here. Cheryl accuses me of bringing it with me. Trust me, I was running from the snow... but, it found me anyway.... Dang it!!!

Monday Morning

On the last day mom and dad were here, I drove them to the Houston Temple. I have to admit, the temples are always so beautiful. It is a good thing that I learned how to use the timer on my camera, cause we were able to take this picture. It was a beautiful day. No clouds, it had been cloudy, windy, rainy all weekend. But today, no clouds.

We then went to eat at Papps BBQ... hmmhmm good.... Most of us had a backed potato the size of Texas with BBQ on it. Ok, it took me 3 times to eat the whole thing.

And then I dropped them off at the airport, on their way to Puerto Rico. Got a call from dad later that night, its humid here he says. That is usually what I am saying, but it was actually a little nippy here that weekend and is now a little cold today.

I had so much fun with my mom and dad and Aunt Lorene. I am glad they came to visit.

Going Quickly

Ok, I just wanted to bring all ya all's attention to the right side of my blog.... Today is December 3rd, 2008. I have (officially)


180 days

of school left.

That is it...

That's all I wanted to say!

Texas SNOW!!!

OK, so, I just about died laughing when I saw this. We are in San Antonio on Saturday the 29th of November..... it is 75 degrees outside, I am wearing shorts and a tee shirt. We are walking around and there is the Houston Street Fair going on right next to the Alamo... I walk up to this slide looking thing, from the back, and bust out laughing... This is Texas' idea of sledding. I almost fell over. They are using tubs that you pull behind a boat, and the kids are in shorts and t-shirts, and sledding down this slide into gales of hay... Now, all laughing aside, I am sure that this is the only snow that some of these kids will ever see and the only time they will get to go sledding, but I could not help it. I was laughing so hard and just had to take pictures.

But, all laughing aside, this is good enough for me this year.!!! I don't need any snow this time around.

I've been Tagged

Ok, a couple of weeks ago Erika tagged me to post where I do most of my blogging.... Well, I was at work when I read that and didn't have my camera... so here you go, this is where I do most of my blogging...... Yes, that is my corner in the office and most of where I do my blogging from.... And then, there is my room....
Ok, Erika, sorry it took me so long. Things have been a little on the crazy side. But here you go. SO now, I tag anyone who reads my post and wants to add to their blog about where they post... and by the way, you can not clean up before you take the picture....

Laughter is the best medicine

Thanksgiving day.... 75 degrees playin with my dog. And the best part is NO SNOW!!

The trip to San Antonio with Mom, Dad, and Aunt Lorene... the front of the Alamo. (For those of you who didn't know that!)

Ok, so I don't like getting my picture taken and this one really shows just how much weight I have put on. it really isn't as bad as it looks, but it is the position I choose to sit in. This is Mom, Dad, Aunt Lorene, Danni-my roommate, and Angelina- Danni's daughter.

Our carriage ride around the Alamo.

Ok, so mom and dad and Aunt Lorene came to visit this past weekend. I picked them up from the airport and headed for San Antonio. It was so funny. I tried to punch in the address to the hotel in my GPS and guess what, it wouldn't take it. So, I drove blind. No map, no GPS, nothing. Getting to San Antonio was not the issue. That is a straight shot west on I10. It was once we got there and bam... I am so good, I drove right to the hotel!!!! I was so proud of myself and I didn't let them forget it.....

Ok, saturday morning was another story!! I thought I was going to right way.... I was, on the wrong road. We had a great visit to the front gate of Fort Sam Houston Army base.. The guard laughed so hard when I pulled up, Washington plates and all (still) and said... "we're lost!!" He was a great sport and got us in the right direction. Then it was the Alamo. What an interesting place. It was great to see it and watch the little movies and walk around and actually enjoy learning more about history... Didn't like that class either in highschool...

Next it was the river walk. Ya know how great it is to travel with senior citizens?!! Just kidding mom and dad... dad is the one that got the great deals. We rode on the river boat tour and ate lunch on the river walk. It was pretty cool. Then we went on a carriage ride around the alamo. Then we headed back to Houston and home. I was so tired...... and then the laughing commenced.

Sunday, we get up, I go to church with them and we come back home. Now mind you my room mate was the perfect host. She had dinner ready for us when we got back Saturday night, breakfast before church and dinner at noon when we got back... so after dinner, Angelina decided we were playing a game.. It ended up being Uno Attack. Oh my goodness... We laughed so hard that several times we had to run to the bathroom for fear of having to change clothes. It was mom, Angelina, Aunt Lorene and I. Dad and Danni were sitting watching westerns on tv and Danni was cooking cookies.. ok that came a little later... But the best one was my aunt.... oh my goodness.... she picked up her hand of cards... this was bout 2 hours into the 5 hours we played... and one of her cards was backwards... she asks very calmly.... what does it mean when the card says UNO!.... Very calmly I responded with "turn the card over" and then we all lost it. We were laughing so hard none of us could breath. I didn't think I would ever breath again.. Angelina goes flying down the hall to the bathroom and mom and I and auntie were laughing so hard I had tears running down my face. My stomach hurt.... We continued this laughing and playing for most of the day... Finally Angelina pretty much told dad that he was playing by dealing him a hand... And then there were cookies. Danni kept cooking cookies and we were eating them straight out of the oven.... Needless to say, there was no need for dinner that night.

SO, the weekend was a success. We all had a great time and I had not laughed that hard in a while. I am very glad that they stopped here on their way through to Puerto Rico and that we could spend some time together. It was so funny.....

Thanks mom and dad and Aunt Lorene for coming to visit us.

A little clarification

Yes, everyone wears clothes in Pudding Wrestling. The two in here both had shorts and a tee shirt on. I suppose it can be done in any thing that you want, but this one was clothed. And yes, it was sticky. I personally didn't wrestle, but the pudding gets flipped everywhere. Just think about how much four 5 gallon buckets of chocolate pudding is!! It was fun to watch. And it brings new meaning to wrestling.

Just wanted you all to know.

Crazy Things

Ok, I am going to share you all a story cause it is funny. But, I do not want any chastisement because of this story!! Ok Tif!!! :)

This was my weekend. I had to work Saturday, but when I work Saturdays, I get the other sup to open up for me at 530 am and I show up around 10am and then I am done by 300pm.. not bad right?! Ok, so this weekend a friend of mine, ok a lot of friends, and I chose to go out on the town. There is this place that we all go to and hang out and dance and visit and stuff and that particular night, and I know this picture is hard to see, but that night it was pudding wrestling. Ok, my first reaction was, I don't want to go, I won't have any fun, blah blah blah, it was the funniest thing. Have you ever seen anyone wrestle with four 5 gallon buckets of pudding in a blow up pool? OMG talk about laughing your tail off. I had so much fun. One of our friends decided to be in the wrestling matches and that made it even more fun. I tell ya, the people here in Houston are a riot. We have a lot of fun. This picture is hard to see because it was so dark and I took it on my phone, but trust me, we were all covered in chocolate pudding cause it made a huge mess. I am not sure I would recommend this at home.

I do have to tell you, Sunday I did nothing. My room mate and her daughter are sick and they decided it is time for me to join in their misery. I disagreed, but my body said otherwise. So now, we are all recuperating.

And can you imagine, me as obnoxious as I am and how much fun I like to have, but NO, I did not join in the wrestling!!

Family

Ok, OK, so Reed, he is the youngest of us kids.... He's 27.... I get a text from him last night at 1201 asking me if I am still awake. I say not really, but what's up. I feel if I don't answer him, something might really be wrong. So the phone rings and he says.... something happened and none of my Mormon friends want to hear about it... so now I am curious....

So, he commences to tell me that he was doing something... standing I believe, remember I was half asleep.... and he fell on his tennis racket and cut his eye open. So right then he was sitting there with a bag of ice on his face feeling like a real retard.... So of course my first comment, after I got done laughing that is, was You really are related to me huh??? and that made him laugh harder...

So, here he is with a cut on his eye from falling on his tennis racket handle.. and the email he sends to me with these pictures is titled " Is there an extra seat on the shortbus?"

He really is my brother..... I responded to his email with "of course their is, I can't lick all the windows by myself. I have tried and my saliva runs out to fast."

There is always room on the short bus for loved ones.

So for all of you loved ones out there, remember, there is always room on the shortbus!!!

Oh yeah, I didn't ask Reeds permission to share this story!!!!! :)

My Future

DHL to Halt Express Deliveries in the U.S.
Deutsche Post's U.S. division will also close its 18 main distribution hubs and lay off most of its workers in the country

So, I don't know how many of you have heard.... or if I have said anything about it come to think of it.... DHL is cutting back.... way back..... Does that mean me??? Don't know. This is in some relation to the last post of pulling my hair out. I am not freaking out about this. I am at this point not really caring if they keep me or lay me off. I knew this was not going to be a permanent position when I moved down here. Weird huh?! But I think it was a good thing for me because it made me actually take a look at what I want to do and get it done. I have looked into several of the juvenile justice facilities around here and there are openings that I am interested in. So, if I don't make the cut, I will be fine. I am still not worrying about it. I can't. Gives me a headache and makes me crabby and I hate to be crabby! It takes much more effort for me to laugh when I am crabby and it makes me mad!!! So, I wait and see. But what ever happens, it will be for the best and I will still be laughing and cracking jokes and cracking myself up! That is what I do!!

So, just in case you was wondering, I am just fine and dandy and plan on living for a long time. (Just to send you all retarded emails)!!!!! :)

Pulling my hair out

Today, I feel like this!!!!! I am so tired of being accused of being naive and too laid back. Ok, my style is to be laid back and take the things as they come. IF I run into a panic and freak out about every little thing, I might as well go buy a pine box and lay down, cause it is going to run me into the ground. I am not the person to be serious all the time and when I am around people who feel that is all life is about, I have a tendency to run as far and as fast as I can in the other direction. Life is too short to concentrate on what "might" happen and dwell on the bad things in life. I can pretty much guarantee you that if the men back in Jesus' time or the guys in the Book of Mormon would have dwelt on the bad things, they would have never made it as far as they did. And by the way, look at the guys that did. They didn't seem to make it to far did they. So, maybe that is why I am single still and that I have not found anyone to put up with me, cause nobody can. I am one of a kind and I love to laugh. I will be serious when I have too, but I promise, it won't last very long, so what ever it is that needs a serious discussion had better be good. No, not everything in life is a joke, or can be laughed at, but come on....

By the way, this picture is awesome!!!! :)

ok, SO NO, I didn't pay attention in Social Studies

Ok, can I ask a question? I don't pay attention to politics. That is pretty obvious from the last post I wrote. But let me ask a question...... Why does everyone think the world is going to end and that because Barack Obama is president, that the United States is going to Hell!!! Anyone care to try and explain that to me? I know that he has said some things that are a little crazy, but we made it through the Clinton Administration and we are still kicking... someone just please fill me in on why we should prepare for the last days???!!!!

Politics!!!

I just learned something new! And it explains the reason for why I don't vote. I have never known before, and basically didn't care. But now I know why. Do ya all wanna know? Because it means absolutely nothing. Here we are running to the polls to vote for who we want to be President of this fine country that we live in and I just learned that it doesn't matter. We don't get a say. The Electoral voters make the call. We don't get to vote for who we want. We vote and then our reps vote how ever they want. The reason I learned that, I was looking on the net at some of the results and Obama had less votes by the people, but he still won the state!!! How does that happen? Well the people who get to vote, vote however the hell they want no matter what the people say!!!! So, That is my opinion on this fine country that we live in. Someone explain to me why we bother. I am 38 years old and it is the first time I feel as though this country sucks!!! Do I really feel that way? NO, but the way this voting for president goes, yes, that sucks. We might as well be a dictatorship, cuz that is about how it looks to me now!!!!!

November and 80 degrees

A picture of the day the Hurricane hit. My room mate checking on the horses!

This is Taz and Lady. For awhile we had to keep Taz on a chain and this is them attempting to get him off of it. It was so cute.

This is my cute puppy. See how much he has grown!

Ok, I don't need to tell you all that I am a slacker. Hopefully that is just a given. Things have been a little crazy. I've been moved to another station again, school is getting tougher and I have to spend more time on that, and life has just been nuts. There is so much to do. School is getting harder, but only because I have just over 200 days left and then I am so finished. Those 400 hundred classes get harder the higher the number goes. I just don't get it!!! :) Work is weird. There are a ton of things going on right now. They are downsizing and changing a lot of things. As of right now, I have been layed off. My last day would be February 27, 2009. Everyone has been layed off. They are going around and either giving you the severance pay, or offering you a permanent job. I used to think it would be a big deal if they layed me off, and now, what ever happens, happens. I am not worried about it. The severance package is a good one and will cover for about 3 and a half months. So, no big deal. I don't know how I feel about it. I don't know if I want to stay or not. It just depends I guess on what they decide.

On that note!!! Things are good. It is November and the sun is still shining, and the warmth is still here. I love it. It is so cool to be going into Thanksgiving and know for a fact that there will be no snow and I will probably be wearing shorts on that day. How cool is that??

Ok, so I haven't taken a picture of myself yet. I am not real fond of photos, so you might just have to wait for a little while!

Other than that!! life is the same. I sleep, work, homework, sleep, work, homework, and sleep, work, homework!! June 1st here I come and then it will be sleep, work, play!!!!!

HOLA!!!! QUE TAL?????

Ok, So, I AM A SLACKER!!.. I know that I had that posted once before, but sorry, it is the story of my life. I am still waiting for pictures of mom and dads 50th so I can post a few of them, but now Kyrk and Emma are headed to San Diego for a few days. So, hopefully next week.

So a little recap of the past couple of weeks.

I have been relocated at work AGAIN!!!! Oh well. This station is way better than the last one that they moved me too. This one we actually work as a team. The one problem with this station is that the air conditioner has been blown since the hurricane. Ok, if you remember, that was on September 12th. Get the picture? It is 88 degrees in front of my desk right now. And not to give you a visual or anything, ya know how you have to peel your wet clothes off when you get out of the pool or get in a water fight, we have to do that just to go to the restroom. The difference, it is all SWEAT!!!! Can you say "aaaahhhh that is sick and wrong?"

Anyway, home life is cool. I know live with a friend of mine and her very spoiled rotten brat of a 15 year old. Remember, those of you who have known me forever, how I have never wanted kids. Well, this just reaffirms it!!!! But on the up side, it is in the country and I like it.

School is going good. I have 6 classes left and just under 7 months. I am so excited. I am so ready to be done. My advisor the other day was trying to convince me to go get my masters. I laughed at him. I would like a vacation...

Work is good, life is good, school is good, I am sleepy, but other than that.... Mom and dad are coming to visit the end of November. Should be fun. Trying to find things to do unless we just relax and vegetate. Which I am always good at.

Oh yeah, got my hair cut. Not that any of you have seen it lately. I will try to remember to take pictures and let ya all see just how I look these days.

Till then.....

WOOHOO!!!!!

I have less that 250 days of school left... I have 6 classes after the one I am in right now... and 8 months until graduation which is the day before my


BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!


I just wanted everyone to know that!!!!!

Pictures of downed trees- Hurricane IKE

This is the biggest tree that went across the road for us to get out of our house. It was across the road, but someone was nice enough to cut it so we could all get through and go exploring.
Some of them broke, but there was a lot of them that were ripped right out of the ground. Roots and all.
OK, click on this one and see what the clearance is for this bridge. That is water and it is still there. I took that road to get to work at the GLS station two weeks ago.. Not on Saturday I didn't.
This is one of the ones ripped out of the ground. Some of these trees are huge and they just came right out of the ground. There is one in our back yard, but I am just a little lazy and haven't walked out there to take a picture. But I will, cause when I do, we get to fix the fence. That is why I am neglecting it..

Anyway, just thought I would share a few pics with you.

And we have LIGHTS

Did you know just how much you miss something that you take for granted until you don't have it any more????



My roommate just called and WE HAVE POWER!!!! I am so excited to take a shower in the morning in the real shower and not in the garage out of a bucket!!!! ALthough, I wasn't really complaining, but i was getting tired of eating things that took effort and not just something I could grab out of the fridge and reheat!!! :) Little things you take for granted.



So now, we are alive, we are well, and we have power... So, for the next week we get to fix fences and repair the barn and CLEAN THE FRIDGE!!!!!





WOOHOO!!!!! I got LIGHTS!!!!!

Information

OK, so a few of you have pointed out that I have neglected to update you on a few events in my life. So, here you go!!!! :)

When I went home for vacation, Austin decided that he was going home for good. So he left a couple of days before me. And when he left that meant I could no longer afford to live in the duplex by myself. So I was talking to some friends and one of them has a house with an extra room that I could rent. The only problem with that is I had to get out of my lease. Well, that shouldn't have been that hard, so I sent the leasing company a certified letter stating the issues and all of that and then left for vacation. OK, the problem, they decided that we abandoned the duplex and evicted us. Even though I told them that Austin was leaving and I was going on vacation. So, while I was on vacation I get a note on my door saying all this stupid stuff. Well, by the time I got home, I was tired of dealing with them, so I let them kick me out. WHATEVER!!!

So anyway, I moved into my friends extra room and she is the one with horses. It is out in the country and about 45 minutes from work. Which that part sucks, but I like being out in the country and ya all know how much I love horses. SO it works out good. Plus, it is helping her with money and helping me get some stuff paid off.

So that is my story and I am sticking to it.!!!!! That is how I have horses to step on my toes..... So, there are 3 of us living there, 2 horses, soon to be 3, and 3 dogs!! I am back to the animal life and I love it. Now we just need to get things a little organized. She has a full house of stuff and I have enough to fill a house. So, you can see our dilemma! But, it is her house, so mine will most likely be in the garage as storage. No big deal... Save some money and get my own place again.

Back to work I go!!!

Update on Hurricane IKE

Ok, I don't have any pictures yet, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I am alive and well. And even my puppy Taz is alive and well. Although, today if I could have reached him, he might have been a little bruised. Another story though.
The hurricane came right through right on time and knock us all around. We had 4 trees fall and 2 of them are on the fences for the horses. So that will be a fun fixing time. The problem, and this is the other story, one of the horses likes to find its way out and today while I was putting him back in the pasture, Taz got under his feet and he stutter stepped or something and came down on the toes of my right foot. So, I broke 2 of them this afternoon. I have yelled at him and spanked his behind for chasing the horses and I think he just laughs at me.... Wait until I can walk and he does it again. He won't be laughing......
So anyway, we are without power. The only time I have internet is at work and we are running off a generator there. So it is still a little touchy. It is slowly but surely coming together. Every day more and more stores are open and more and more gas stations. The first 3 days the lines for gas were anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to get gas. Now it is a little closer to normal. All the stores are empty though. They haven't had a chance to stock them back up. The power is on for about 50 percent of the people in both Harris County and Montgomery County. Galveston and Bolivar Islands are pretty much a wash out...

But, I am alive and well. I am learning patience not having lights or running water, but it is not that bad. It is like camping but I get to sleep in my own bed. I have to admit though, you never realize just how much you miss something til you don't have it....

Anyway, I have taken some pictures, but just don't have the capability to download them just yet. So.....

Till next time.

Hurricane IKE

Ok so I have been diligently waiting for my family to send me copies of the pictures we took at the big shin dig... but ..... they must be busy too. The only thing I can tell you right now was that it was a lot of fun. They were taking pictures of the families and so Reed and I decided that we are a family. I don't know what I will do if one of us really does get married. I like being Reed's family. Anyway. I heard they turned out good. So, when Emma gets a chance she will send them to us and i can post some......

So the next item of business. It is September 11th! It is so weird to think that it has been 7 years since I stood in the mechanics shack on the tarmack at the Spokane international airport and watched the 2nd plane hit the trade centers. And all that we have gone through since then. It really didn't hit me as hard the past years, cause I was in Washington and the minority population there was small compared to here. Now that I am in Houston and the whites are a minority, it has made me think more. There are so many issues with minorities here, and it makes you wonder who really is the minority? I have never been mad at a person because of their race, but here, there are many people that are. IT is kind of sad. But today, Americans should remember those that died that day. We should also remember, that not everyone from that nationality was in on the attacks...

Ok, off my box!!!!!

Guess what I get to experience for the first time this week? Like Tomorrow... You guessed it. Hurricane IKE is going to hit the coast between Galveston and Freeport. I am about 70 miles, give or take from Galveston. It is 38 miles south of Houston and I am about 30 miles north of Houston... So, tomorrow around noon it is going to hit land and start to rain and rain and rain ok, wait it won't hit till tomorrow night, but at noon it will start to show us what it is up to.. I have always watched and read about this, but never been involved in it. Makes you think a little sometimes. But all will be well. 90 mile an hour winds is not something that I have ever experienced!! Should be fun.. Oh and Kyrk said that I can't fly a kite in it!! Dang it... :)

So, as soon as I get back on line, I will let you all know how it goes... I am hoping to take some pictures.!!!

Fun at State Finals

Keyhole, not suppose to step on the lines.. oops


I'm so retarded!! It was hot!!


Look at that turn!!


Aint she cute? She did so well!!


Ok, so for the first five days of my vacation, I spent it with Candice and Tyler. I flew in on Wednesday night and Thursday morning we drove to Wenatchee for state finals. Same as every year, but this was the first year for the new organization. PSHA... It was so much fun. Most of the same people that we always ride with, minus a few! Candice rode all the events, well most of them, and because a lot of the juniors didn't come, Tyler got to ride too. She did so good and I think that she had fun. Me, well all I did was goof off. That is what I am good at. Besides, I was on vacation. I did clean out the stalls at the end of the weekend though. That is my job. I always do that for them while they are getting the horses ready and stuff. We had such a blast. We laughed, we joked, we drank, but not a lot, we played, we slept, a little. But it was so much fun. I hope that I am able to go back next year. That is my goal. I want to take those 5 days off every year.

So the second half of my 10 days was spent with my family. It was Mom and Dads 50th anniversary, and most of the family was there. Bruce and Ann were not able to make it, but I guess they had an excuse. Silas was born like 3 weeks before. Mom said that he is really cute. So they were unable to make it. But that was fun too. I stayed and Rob and Cori's on Marcy's floor. I could have had a real bed at mom's but sometimes it is just more fun to crash and have a sleep over. Anyway, I am waiting for Emma to send out all the pictures she took, so when that happens, I will add them to the blog. I heard they turned out really good. So, we shall see.

Anyway, now I am back home and back into work. I moved again. You should hear about the crap I have gone through... Goodness. I think I just want to sleep for a little bit... Anyway... next post....

I'm on Vacation!!!!!

As of 1100pm last night, I am officially on vacation. I so need to take some time off and the most cool part about it all, I am goin home!!!! It is once again time for state finals and I get to go with Candice again this year. I don't ride, but I have just as much fun working in the arena and laughing and goofing around!
This team will not be together this year, but I have heard the new team is just as good if not better. I am so excited. And then, it is mom and dads 50th. Wow, 50 years is a long time to put up with the same person. No wonder I am not married. There is no one the would put up with me for that long. I would either kill them by making them laugh to hard, or they would get sick of me. :) Oh well, I am still happy with where I am at.

I am so excited!!!!! I will hopefully be able to get some good pictures to post on here and have some good stories...

Headache!!

I wish I had a picture for this one. Ok, mental image..... close your eyes and picture the cartoon character the Tazmanian Devil. See him going around destroying everything he sees and now picture his buddy, whoever, sitting there pulling his hair out not sure what to do about it and actually having to admit that there is nothing he can do about it. Taz is going to destroy what ever is in its path. Ok, now, picture me being the one sitting on the side of the road pulling my hair out.

Life sometimes has its way of beating the crap out of you and there seems to be no answer for how you are going to handle it. And then someone reminds me that God never gives us anything that we can't handle! Today is one of those days that I would love to just beat the person senseless that said that to me. I don't know if I can handle this one. Ever had those days where you think that God forgot about you? I know he didn't, but there are times it feels like that. I know that what doesn't kill me is suppose to make me stronger. But, come on! When I feel like all I want to do is lay down and go to sleep, I think that I have just about had it.

Ok, so those are my negative issues. I know this should be a happy outgoing blog, but sometimes a person just needs to vent!

LIfe as we know it!!

Ok, so yes, I got all the stuff off of my old lap top and my new laptop has arrived and let me just tell you..... It is so awesome!! I love it.. IT is well worth the money I am paying for it.

Next, I am back at IAH. Remember my favorite saying "God must love stupid people cause he sure did make a lot of them," well, here I am faced with it again. I feel as though I am in high school and my best friend stole my boy friend and we are fighting about it. I thought that I left that behind. Nothing has happened for me to even feel this way, so don't get excited anyone, NO I don't have a boy friend, and my best friend is still my best friend. I was just using that as an example! I didn't think with it being 95 degrees outside that the "air" could be so cold. But apparantly when someone thinks you have done something wrong in this town, they don't hide their feelings about you. But you know what I have learned through all of this? It doesn't matter what other people think. I am who I am and I am going to be who I want to be and if they don't like me.... well, oh darn. SUE ME!!!!! No one has to be happy with me but me!

So, life is still a little crazy. It is funny though, we found a house over by EFD and now both of us will be working at IAH. Yeah, Austin quit his job and is going to work for one of the contractors here. It will all be good and we still like where we live, and so does Taz, so it is all well.

On a good note, next week I am going home for 10 days. I am so excited. I am going to go to state finals with Candice and then it is my parents 50th wedding anniversary. Most of the family will be there and it is going to be fun. So, I am taking 8 days off from work. It is funny, I have only been here for 6 months, but I need a break!

SO, since I am at work right now, I will post more later.. One day I will get my camera back and I can take some more pictures.

Til then!!!!

Crazy Life

Ok, so life is so crazy, I don't even know how to handle it sometimes. I did however find out that I can get all my stuff of my hard drive of the computer that TAZ felt the need to spill ice tea on and so when my new computer gets here, I can transfer it to that and have everything. That made me so happy, I just wasn't sure what to do with myself.

Then next, well it is back to IAH for me. So, they moved me to EFD to help out and then said it was permanent, and now, they have decided that they want me back at IAH. Ok, that is not how it really happened. But let me put it to you this way, this is my favorite new saying

"GOD MUST LOVE STUPID PEOPLE, CAUSE HE SURE DID MAKE A LOT OF THEM!"

There are people in this company that have made me ashamed to be a part of DHL at the EFD station. I can not believe that there are people that get away with the things that they say and do and no one does anything. I have never been associated with anyone that has been as rude as our office ops agent to anyone. She is amazing and when I, as the supervisor, stepped in to put a stop to it, she goes off on me and eventually it leads to me begging to get out of EFD. I tell you, it is better for me to go back to my original station, but the way things went down here was not cool. But I tell you what, the email that Nate sent out to my bosses and the bosses at IAH, was a total slap in everyone's face at EFD who have decided to make a sport out of going after me. For a few minutes I began to wonder if I had done anything to bring this on and then I read that this afternoon. He told me that he wanted me here for one reason and that was to turn this stations night sort around. He then told me that I did that and had accomplished that task with flying colors and he promised me it wouldn't be forever and it was all good.

So, I just found a house across town closer to EFD and I now find myself driving back across town to my old station. But oh well. Another saying I like is "everything happens for a reason."

SO, on that note.... Holy Cow! has anyone been watching the weather down this way? I have just been through my first hurricane warning. It didn't get close to us, but we did get some great thunderstorms and lightning and rain and oh it was cool. I love the rain and I love thunderstorms. And the cool part is that when it rains here, like today, it accumulates like snow. Ok, so when you are driving it is not cool. But, it is cool. I just want to run around outside in it. But nope, I am being responsible and sitting at my desk at work. Notice I didn't say working!!! :)

Slacker!!!

Ok, I am a slacker. I know this cause I check into this just about every day and I don't take the time to post more. I have been really busy and since Taz decided it would be funny to spill ice tea on my laptop, the only place I check in is at work. So, here I don't have pictures to add and I don't have a whole lot of time. But today, I am taking the time.....

It has been busy. We found a duplex to rent. 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, back yard... it is way cool. It is so nice to have the space and be able to shut our doors and be quiet. It is about 10 minutes from work and that is nice too. I push that limit a little too much some times. I know it is closer, so I wait to get ready longer. Duh, I still have to get there.

I finished another class. Now I have just less than 10 1/2 months left and I am done. Still have my beautiful straight "A" average. It is so cool. I am now taking a class called juvenile justice and I love it. That is where I want to head when I am done with school. Don't get me wrong, I like my job, but sometimes.......

My puppy is good. As obnoxious as he usually is.... and I have been debating on trading in my truck. I don't really need it and the gas is getting high... we shall see. Plus, it could end up being cheaper.

But for now... HI everyone. I will do better.

Update on Taz!

So, I am so excited that we got to bring Taz home a couple of weeks ago and I thank my father for the help he gave me to be able to have him in the puppy hospital. But now, I regret to inform you that he may not live long enough to help me pay my father back! You see, he is back to normal. Rowdy, out of control and living up to his name. If you have noticed, I don't have pictures on here recently. One reason is that my laptop has been having issues and I finally got it fixed last week. Well, so I was about to put a post up and I went to grab my computer and Taz is licking it. I grab it from him and realized that he has spilled a glass of ice tea on it. SO!!! It is now dead for life. The only thing I am hoping is that I will be able to have someone get the info from my hard drive or I have lost all my pictures and all my school stuff for the past two years.. I am so happy with him. Oh wait, this morning, he aparantly is mad at me, he peed on my bed. I love him I do, but let me tell you, if we had not just found a bigger house that has a fenced yard for him to run around in, he would be going out to foster care for awhile. :)!!

So, anyway, I will update you all more when I figure out what to do about my computer and post pictures of our house when I get my camera fixed and all that stuff. Life of having a puppy!

OK, OK, OK

Today is sunday and we get to go pick up TAZ at 600pm. We are so excited. I have cleaned the house from one side to the other, we have done the laundry and we even think that we found a new place that has 3 bedrooms and a fenced back yard for the little man to run free in. We are so excited. We will each have our ouwn rooms and our own space and extra space for our friends when they come to have the BBQ's!!! It is so exciting. Things are going great and I am so excited to go get my puppy and bring him home.

There was something else I was going to tell you all, but right now, it just left my brain. The problem with that is my brain isn't that big or that developed, so if I lost it, it is gone!!!! and I mean for GOOD!!!. Shoot... what was it.. It was good too. That is all I remember about it. Wow, they do call me shortbus for a reason.

Oh well, maybe at some point in my life time it will come back to me.... For now, TAZ IS COMING HOME!!!!!! Thanks Dad. Love ya.

Update on Taz!!

He has a 60% chance that my little baby is going to make it. We have been praying hard and hoping and hoping and today he is more responsive and all that stuff. He is still not eating, but he has an IV, so he is getting what he needs. So, it is time to fumigate the house and clean everything that he has ever thought about touching so that when we get to go get him next week, he will be able to come home and not get sick.

WOOHOO!!!!! I am being positive and hoping more and more each day!!

EFD

SO, remember me going to EFD for just a short time to help pull the station out of the depths of despair??? Well, Nate and I have yet to come to an understanding, but it looks as though this will be my home for awhile. Until he rips me from here to send me somewhere else. It is nice to know that he has that much faith in me to send me to the stations that are the problems and let me take them over. Remember, I am just a supervisor, but he pretty much lets me have the night sort and all that. And, all the hard work that Chad and I have put in, is starting to pay off. I think. We went through and integration of dock workers and contractors, well we are still going through it, but I think, once the IC owner gets of his high horse and learns a little, that they will actually be ok. But there have been a couple of times that we have all wanted to lock him in a can and send him to somewhere like Malaysia. Anywhere but here.

So, EFD is slowly changing it's name from Every F!(@&^*&@#in Day, to .... I don't know.. something a little more positive. When I figure it out, I will let you know.

I like my job and what I do and it is fun to get to know new people and try to figure them out and get them on your side. It is also been proven to me in the past few days, sorry men, but some men just have crappy attitudes. I want to beat a few of them. But, if you keep the positive one and don't let them get to you, they will eventually change to the way you think!

Poor Taz

So, you have all seen pictures of my puppy. I am sad, because he is in the puppy hospital with a 30% chance of coming home. We are being very optimistic and saying he is going to pull through. He got sick with parvo and I don't know how yet, but because he is a little older than most puppies that get it, he has a little better chance. He is still attentive and responsive too, so that is a good sign also. I didn't realize just how attached to him I was until the doctor told me that today and I had to leave him there. Sometimes it just sucks. And with the week that I am having, it is just one more thing and I am having a hard time dealing. It is a good thing that I have friends I can talk to and friends that I can count on to be there for me. Without my friends, I would be no where.
So thank you for being my friends.

E.F.D.

So, I don't have pictures for this one, but I just had to tell you a story.

When I moved here to this great place called Houston, it was on the recommendation from Nate Reed. He was the District Manager in Spokane for DHL when I worked for the franchise there for 12 and 1/2 years. Well he is here in Houston as the reginal manager and he gave me this glowing recommendation. Which I have thanked him for many times.. Until now.... Knowing him is not always a good thing. He is a great guy, don't get me wrong.. but because he has known me for 10 years and knows that I do not like to fail and that what ever he gives me I will not do it half heartedly and will fight to the DEATH to make it work.. Jerk!!!! So my original station here is called IAH! And I love it there. It runs itself. I have a great crew and the IC's there are for the most part decent. And I have made some friends there. So, I guess he decided that I needed a challenge..

So, EFD was slowly but surely going to hell! Literally. They fired the two night supervisors and they were losing dell laptops all the time and it was just a mess. So, he tells them to send me. At first I was going to smack him into next week. Then when I got here, he sits me down and says, "I need you to be my eyes and ears." He explained the situation and I felt a little better. He said it wasn't permanent, but he needed me here. So, what the jerk, said in the nicest possible way, didn't tell me was that the next week I would be on my own at night because they fired the other night supervisor. So here we are in "HELL" with one sup in the morning and one in the evening. ME!!!!! Ok, here is the problem with this... there is no ventilation in this fine building.. I have not had a full crew yet which puts me out in the warehouse sweating my tail off every night and working harder than I have in a while, and it puts me doing things that I have never done before and have had to learn the hard way....

Ok, did you know that one person or staion for DHL can tank the region every night in one week in a different aspect??? I had thought about it, but now I know for a fact. And it sucks... But let me tell you, I am so frustrated with the things that we have failed on that I won't let them send me back to my own station until this one is so perfect you will be able to eat off the floor of the building!!!!!!! I hate to fail. And Nate knows that and that is why he put me here in the first place. It is a great compliment for him to send me some where that is falling into the pits of dispair with the knowledge of knowing that I can do it. And after all of his emails this week that said "what in the heck happened last night for you to fail the entire region again on this part," He send me one today that said, "thanks, you are doing a great job!" and the guy under him sent me what is called a "rapid Rewards" which is basically a thanks also but in the form of me ordering something from the company. So, all the sweat and tears and yes, sorry, cussing under my breath, is starting to pay off and one day, this place will not be known as Every F*&^)*&^ing Day!

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!!!

SO, today is my birthday.... And it is a good thing that no one had a camera yesturday. We went to dinner at the Texas Roadhouse with some friends of ours and it was really good. So we are eating and my friend gives me a present. Well, she thought it was funny. It was a GPS! Did I tell you guys about the amount of times I have gotten lost here? I used to be so good at finding places and now it is getting better, but that was just funny. OK, but the next thing.... Her daughter thought this was great and it was the reason that they picked the place. Here come all the waitress' with a saddle on a saddle stand.. And I have to sit in the saddle and wave a towel around like it was my lasso every time that they screamed... Talk about embarrassing. But very funny.
So on Saturday we went and floated on the Guadalupe's (?) river. It was a total blast. But a little too long. 8 hours is a long time to be stuck in the water with no way out but float to the end. But, it was a lot of fun. And I am not the one that is the most burnt this time. I learned my lesson. Austin got it the worst. He bit it on the first rapids and tore up his body. And he didn't use sunscreen this time, so he is burnt to a crisp. But, we still had fun.

And, Today, I have 364 days of school left. That is less than a year.... WOOHOO!!!!!!!

Sunday!!!

So, saturday I check my posts and Tifani says "hey you are in Spokane".. So I call and make a plan to go see here and meet her family! For those of you who know her, she put the "respectable" picture on her blog, so I chose the one that shows who we really are. This is us and the way I have always known us to be. So I have known Tifani since I was 20. She was a missionary in our ward when I was in college and I hung out with her and her companion Sister Elizabeth DeWitt all the time... It has been since they went home that I have seen them. Pretty much 19 years ago and it took me moving to Houston to find out that she was in Spokane and has been for the past 6 years. How crazy is that?! Anyway, I get to her house about 630 or so and they have a house hold. Their BFF's were there and they are a riot also. The ODonnells, I can't spell.. not sure how that is. And then she has a meeting, so I play a game with Ben, Rachel, Larry, and I am a loser and can't remember their friends first name... I am a loser.. sorry guys!!! But it was funny. I don't even remember the name of the game, but it was a blast. I laughed so hard. That is what I did this weekend. And then here is the kicker.....

Their home teachers walk in. Husband and wife... so I am sitting at the table and I lean back to say hi and look at the wife. I say hi, sit back up and then lean back again. Here stands a girl that I knew from the island. When we lived on Bainbridge Island, her family lived on the penisula and her sister was dating my brother. There in front of me stood Lisa Smith. IT was so funny. Tifani goes.. you do not know each other. I said. well yeah we do. It was so funny. It is a small world.

Needless to say, I didn't leave their house until 10pm, got to my hotel about 11pm, and you guessed it, my alarm went off at 400 am and my plane left at 550am. It wouldn't be all that bad, but I had to work that night and got off the plane at 130 to be to work at 300!! I got home that night about 1230am.. ok the next morning.... I am not as young as I used to be. But that was ok, cause I thought I could sleep the next day. What ever.. you guys see that thing on the side of my blog that says "I must be crazy?" Well, yeah, school does not wait for me to sleep. Then they sent me to another station on tuesday night and I didn't get home til 130am to get up at 500 am and go to work with Austin so that I could take him to the airport.. Yeah, we didn't coordinate our vacations very well.

So, all in all. I had a great weekend and I had a blast surprising people and seeing people I hadn't seen in the past 20 years. It is great that friendships last forever... Love you Tif!!!

more adventure of last weekend! Saturday!

Mom's brothers and sisters


My older sister... we think so much alike


The moon from my brothers house

Ok, so I left Colville about 200pm and headed to Spokane for the next surprise on my list. I was excited. Kevin knew that I was there, but no one else. So I drive down to mom and dad's and as I pull in the drive I see this small ugly red car. Not thinking much about it, I park and they are all outside and I get out and go to the top of the stairs and say " can I use the bathroom?" I thought my mom was going to die. And as I look down, there sits Sherlyn. The oldest of us kids and she says.. "good thing we showed up first!!!" Her and Bob had the same idea and didn't tell anyone and just showed up at the house. Look at us go. We are so funny. So that was a blast. Not only did I get to see my family, but I got to see my sister that i had no idea I was going to get to see. My uncles and aunts are a riot and it was so much fun. I laughed and laughed til my guts started to hurt. And then, it was on to do some homework. Life still goes on whether i am home or not.

I spent the afternoon with them and then migrated the 100 yards up the hill to take over my niece's bed. She is so awesome about letting me just move in whenever I want to.

Then sunday morning.. so I get to bed about 1200 midnight and I told mom to call me and I would come to breakfast. Ok, so I am still a kid and I am thinking like 900am.. Oh HELL NO! it was 700am!! it was so funny. I was sound asleep and she woke me up and reminded me I told her to. SO I roll out of bed, fall down the stairs, grab my keys and tell Rob, in a very sleepy voice, "i'm going to moms for breakfast." He is laughing and then I tell him that I am to lazy to walk, so I am driving the 100 yards. Which made him laugh harder. So I get to moms and I fall up their stairs. My eyes are not even open yet.. I go into the kitchen and tell them they get me how I am and they will like it. My uncle gives it a few minutes and says " I really wish you would have combed your hair before you came here!" He is such a retard... I told him he was lucky I brushed my teeth. It was too funny.

So while everyone went to church, I did my home work. And them came sunday afternoon.!!!!

How to Cram 10 days into 3!!!

Ok, so here we go. It is Thursday night the 15th and I am at work in Houston. I finally get done about 1100pm.. I fly home, jump into bed thinking, "sweet" I will get at least 41/2 hours of sleep. That alarm going off at 330am was not something to be excited about. Well, except for the fact that when that alram goes off, I am on my way outta here and headed to Washington to cram as much into 3 days as I can. SO, thinking 4 hours will be good.. of course with the excitement of seeing Candice and Tyler and surprising my mother and father, I DID NOT get those 4 hours. In fact, I saw the clock turn 130 and I think I was going to scream.. So when 330 came and my alarm went off... I got up just fine, cause I was so excited... but as soon as I hit the plane, that left at 630am... I was out like a light. I had homework to read on the flight, and HAHAHA, that didn't even get opened. I slept on the first leg to Denver, and then changed planes and slept the rest of the way to Spokane. When I landed in Spokane, it was only 1030 am and since I am 2 hours ahead of them, that meant I had been awake since 130am. Oh goodness was it going to be a long day. But, I didn't care.

So, I get off the plane, grab my rental and I am off to the north to go to lunch with Candice and Shannon, to get my hair cut and highlighted and to surprise Tyler. She had no idea I was coming home. It was so cute. Shannon went and picked her up from school and brought her to where I was getting my hair cut. She came in and immediately went to talk to her cousin that was there and I snuck up and said "hey"! She grabbed me and held on for dear life and cried. She is 9.. it was so cute. just about everyone in there had tears in their eyes. That night, I spent with them watching Tylers softball game and the next day we went to the Arden Oldtimers Rodeo which Cnadice competes in every year... I didn't get to watch much of that because it wa time to surprise my family!

Saturday at the BEACH!!!!

So, here we are, late friday night. I have just come home from work and it is like midnight... Austin asks me what time we are leaving for the beach in the morning. Well, my answer was that Carla and Danni would be here at 830. We both just about died. I was so tired. The plan was to leave by 900am, but Danni has a problem being late, so we lied!!! :) Anyway, the 900am turned out to be for us. They call and say they are here and we aren't even ready. It was too funny. Then the laughter begins. We pile into my truck. 2 coolers, 4 chairs, Taz's Kennel, and Taz with the threat that if he pees on someone, that is it for him. He will ride all the way in the kennel in the back. He must have listened, cause he was a good boy. So, off we go. It is about an hour and a half to Galveston and had we not stopped twice, it would have been a little faster, but for some reason, we can't hold it that long. We are getting old or something. Anyway, we get there and the first thing we do is get on the ferry to Bolivar Island. No real reason, just to say we did. It was cool. I have been on many ferries before, but this one was like ant size compared to the ones in Seattle. But it was fun anyway. And even more fun when the seagull pooped on Austin's head. I was trying not to laugh, but I couldn't. And then everyone joined in, including him. Then it was off to east beach. Backed into a spot, dropped the tailgate and set up our spot. It was way fun. We parked about 3 miles from the bathroom and of course about every 30 minutes one of us had to go. You would think we learned. But, um that is a big I don't think so. Anyway, we spent the day laughing and playing catch with the football and taking Taz in the water, which by the way he loved, and just hanging out with friends. It was awesome. I am paying the price though. The sunscreen I bought, well I guess you have to use it to make it work!!! Ooopss.. I knew there was something wrong. But, oh well, it was a great day.
Just wanted to share my saturday with you all.