Funny how things work out.

I was very much in the mood for a good narrative post a while ago, but now only want to check in and say s'ok.

Went shopping with my darlin cousins, had a good day, came home and will share the fun stories later.

My Hillyard family holiday party is tomorrow. Looking forward to good times with my crazy beloved ones.

More later.
-m

Oh what a whirlwind!

I'm a BAD blogger. I'm sorry. I'd promise to improve but I keep running out of umph.

I will promise to update while we're camped with Thom & Judy. I'll be on vacation and thus hopefully will have time to put together a few thoughts. Though I do plan to just absolutely enjoy the hell out of every minute while I'm there.

Lynn's doing better every day, in a recovery center and making plans for going home. She's an amazing example of patience and positive attitude. I am truly a wimp. I couldn't do what she's doing. Especially not with her kind of attitude. I love that woman, and hope to be like her when I grow up.

Scott's still keeping his head down and trying not to scream bloody murder at work. The same issues the always surface between semesters keep popping up. Perhaps it's good that the same things keep being the problems, he's gotten very good at repeating the same old answers and then fixing things in time to keep everyone happy. He spends most of his evenings playing a game called Left For Dead. As far as I can tell it's people with guns running amongst Zombies. He plays online with other equally engrossed geeks and seems to enjoy himself.

I procrastinated my christmas shopping this year and am just barely finishing...I'd like to say never again. But I'm pretty sure that won't happen. Tomorrow I'm going shopping with Lyndie, Jamie, and Kelcee (my younger Hillyard girl cousins) in Park City. We're making an adventure of it and spending the night in a hotel. I am SO excited. It's kinda silly. I haven't had near enough time with those girls lately, and even if we were planning to lick envelopes all day I think I'd still be excited. They always remind me of the parts of myself that make me smile. Or maybe they just make me stretch those parts. Or they are those parts...whatever.

Mom and the Aunts were going to join us for Saturday, but Grandpa checked into the hospital this afternoon, so they're all staying home to be responsible. Guess this is where I'm happy to be part of the kids crowd. I know how to be responsible but sometimes get to not be without too much guilt.

Work has been INSANE this week. Wednesday we did 34 orders. A normal busy day is 20 orders. 34 is a lot when you also consider that we were getting ahead of time orders for next week too. Also our holiday elves have been busy cleaning and organizing the shop. I believe that due to their efforts we may just come out of the holiday organized. I really love my job. The people I get to work with make me smile even when we ALL want to cry and stomp our feet. Going into a crazy holiday isn't so much preparing to tear our hair out as thinking of new ways to help each other get around the challenges. It doesn't make the obstacles any smaller, but knowing that you're part of a team sure makes it less frustrating.

I got a call from my canyon manager this week. I'm officially headed back to the campground. I love that job too. I really am blessed to have 2 places I love being that are my job. Yes it's work and I wouldn't do some of it if no one was paying me. But as horrible irksome projects go, most of it rates 0 to none. So on average both jobs rate 2 or 3. Wouldn't trade most folks for that.

I'm missing my quiet downtime. As many fun and interesting things as there are to do here in civilization, I sorta miss the nights where I got bored and just stared at the campfire and stars for an hour or two.

We're very much looking forward to a visit with Thom & Judy. I've lined up pet & house sitters. Oscar's going to live at work for a week, spending some of his time with a Stack, a giant boxer puppy(well less and less of a puppy every day). They're friends with very specific boundaries. Mostly Ocsar in cage, Stack outside cage. They have no issue being right next to each other, but it sure makes the rest of us cringe! Oscar loves work and will no doubt be spoiled rotten and have new words to share by the time we get back. I wish I could give him a visit with Judy & Mucuey but don't want to torture the bird or Scott with that many hours in the truck together.


We're spending christmas eve with Mathew. I'm looking forward to an awesome evening with two of my favorite people.

It' s now much later than I realized, and I'm getting up early tomorrow to get in a few hours work before my girlies arive and whisk me away.

Happy Holidays to all y'all! And don't forget the eggnog!
-m

still alive

Oh my, so much to write down and so few words that come to mind.

Between personal and professional stresses I managed to put myself through the worst set of muscle spasms I've had in 10+ years.

But Lynn's out of the hospital, I'm still alive, and things are getting back to normal.

I do however claim full absolution from guilt over what I haven't been able to get done. It's been a very long month, and my blog just didn't hit the top ten on the priority list. Typing is just barely an option tonight. I hate to be a whiner but MY BACK SUCKS!!!!!

I got the most thoughtful present from a good friend this week. Judy sent me a purple & green hummingbird. It's gorgeous! I hung it above my workstation at Tulip Tree and it makes me smile every time I see it. I don't usually have a bad day there, but that hummer sure makes me smile while I'm workin'.

Scott & I re arranged our living room for the first time in 7 years. The floor plan came to me in a dream...odd huh. But it seems to work. Perhaps I was actually stumbling around the living room while sleepwalking and had an idea. Either way, it seems good. We'll end up with a sitting/reading area and a tv area. Instead of a junk area, and a tv area. Room's big enough we should USE it right? I'm hoping we like it long term.

Been typing enough to set of a back spasm so I'll stop now. Also husband is absurdly...present tonight, and playing Don Edwards *my fav*, perhaps it's the new room layout...anyhow, g'night!
-m

Too Much to Think About!

Life's gets complicated very easily, and having your dear ones in the hospital only tangles, everything.

I'm not comfy sharing details, but Lynn can use all the good energy anyone can send her! She had a heart attack Friday night and that just adds another layer of complication to her recovery! Those who love me will add her to their prayers. I don't know what I'd do without her! We're all crossing our fingers and lending hope. Aunt Cherryl (I have no idea how she spells her name, but we LOVE her) flew in today. I believe she'll help Lynn's spirits greatly. They are THE example that makes me wish I wasn't an only child. Sisters looks like a very strong thing with them. I believe I can envy that. But mostly anything that makes Lynn feel better is golden. We're all waiting and hoping.

Once again I'm counting down the days I have with Royla. Against my fears I'm giving her back to the people who held her for a few days (she works at the gas station). Royla's been a different creature since she came back home (yes, it's an infinite guilt trip to know I did that to her). Her safe spot is a chair or my lap, but I saw that at their house she thought their bed was safe. Not just under but in it. That's how she was here before...I trust these folk, to watch and see and send her back if she's unhappy. It's terrifying. How do I send her to a new home and not feel like I'm turning her out into a cruel world? Las time I sent her to a good home (I thought) and she wound up scared, alone, and at risk. I HATE this. But these are good people who WANT her, so I'm taking a chance for her AND my peace of mind. I hope I can find a comfort zone with this, and I'm really gonna keep bugging these folks I'm affraid.

I discovered a HORRIBLE thing the other morning! I had been up all night with pain (yes unfortunately, that's normal) and decided to feed Oscar at 5:30 instead of getting up again at 7. For once I read the label of the bag I was reaching into, and realized I've been giving him dry/uncooked simmer (beans, seeds, peas, etc) food instead, which needs to be cooked instead of his healthy seed food (sunflower, pumpikin, etc) for a month now. Poor baby. He's still been excited for 'BREAKFAST' every morning. Poor baby, needless to say I found the right bag *much fuller than it should be* and he got an extra dose. Not that he's not still spoiled, but I feel BAD.

Work has been crazy, in a wonderful way. I do what I love, help people who make me smile, and generally have a good time. Also I get paid for it. Not much, but enough to pay the bills. It's a good life. Also I get to help set the rules and can take on whatever projects I'm comfortable tackling. I love it.

Tonight we had a nasty encounter. I think I gave Scott a connsusion. There is no end to the guilt! We both headed to bed, I gathered up my computer turned off the living room lights, he went to tuck in his office, I filled my water bottle and headed to bed...halfway up the hallway I hit a solid wall of...well Scott...who I knocked down amidst thumps and grumbles. Poor man, I rather ineptly tackled him. Cracked his head on the door frame, and I'm gonna wake him up in an hour to make sure he's not dead. Awful wife! Make me the name tag, I'll wear it. There's no end to the guilt!

I'm exhausted and still have miles to go before sleep. Perhaps it might be easier to just stay up nad catch a nap tomorrow evening. Nah, not with my luck.

Rest and be well. Keep those whom I love in your hearts!
-m

Quick check in!

We're all ok, healing, coping, and "not" aging. Oscar's grounded, Kitties are copacetic. And I'm no more insane than usual. There have been good and bad adventures this week, and we've all survived. I'll post more details soon.

Hope you all had a fabulous Friday the 13th!
-m

Amputation!!! All the cool kids are doing it!

Looks like the Brown family will have yet another cool kid. Lynn's in the hospital tonight, and tomorrow they'll tell us how much of her foot she gets to keep. It's a pretty common event for diabetics, but not a ton of fun when it's happening to you. I sure wish she didn't have to deal with this. Her boys are doing a good job of supporting her and holding things together. They're a good team. Danny's taking care of her pack (brave man). I'm mostly standing around twiddling my thumbs. But I love her dearly and wouldn't be anywhere else.

Top that off with our driver at Tulip Tree finding a better job, and it all equals a pretty high stress week for me. But hey, I'll get to hang out with the cool kids, so who cares right?

Thursday is not the birthday of anyone who lives at my house and only has to wear one shoe. Also no one is turning 40. Just in case anyone wondered. Scott's going to go celebrate with his mom (she agrees about her little boy NOT topping the hill).

I however have big plans for Thursday, I'm having dinner with friends from jr. high. I was gonna feel bad about missing out on the big 40, until it got canceled. So now I'm just excited.

Am I a bad wife for not making a big deal out of this and throwing him a party? I know a big deal isn't his style, but a man only gets to be 40 once. I suppose I'd rather be a bad wife for not throwing a party than to be divorced.

I've had the oddest dreams lately, re-arranging furniture, shoe shopping, really odd. I so very much hope I'm NOT sleep walking during them! Chris found one of my bite guards while digging a trench in the back yard last week. HOW ON EARTH DID IT GET THERE?!? I only wear my bite guards to sleep. Therefore they should always be where I put them when I wake up, right? NOPE, I've misplaced several now (that's not the most appropriate word, but "woke up without and had no memory of removing" is such a long phrase).

It's late, and I suspect tomorrow is going to be a much longer day than anyone wishes for. I'll post more details about Lynn's surgery soon. Keep her in your prayers and thoughts. She's got some hard days ahead of her.

If you get back what you give, then why do the good folks always get ripped off?
-m

*cough* HACK grrrrrrrrr.

I love my job, I love the people I work with, I love their dedication and mentality...but I don't love that they come to work even when they're sick. Cuz then we ALL get sick. I don't like being sick. Just not one of the things I enjoy sharing. Sorry. But I guess as complaints go that one's minor.

But I spent an hour tonight chasing Oscar around the neighborhood (yep it's wing trimming time again!!!!) and calling his name the whole time while loosing my voice and coughing. I'm more than a little GRUMPY! But it didn't kill me, so it must have made me stronger.

I have to take a second to tell y'all about this awesome new friend I have. His name is Chris, and he's like no other teenager I've ever known, except for Jamie maybe...Anyhow he's awesome. He works odd jobs at Tulip Tree and we all adore him there, but he's also done a few jobs here at home for Scott & I. He also helped me chase idiot bird for an hour tonight. He's just a good kid. So from here on in you might hear a bit about Chris, cuz I'm keepin' him.

We've been busy, Scott works on Shedzilla every chance he gets. Thanks to Chris' help there is electricity! & Kirk's offered to help him put up siding. It's entirely possible that before weather flies we'll have a finished product. I'm more busy than I like to be, and can't keep track of what I'm doing with my time...why is that? Work, home, cooking, cleaning (when possible), and then as much sleep as I can find.

We had a good time Friday at the annual Halloween party. Randy and Ashlee always make it memorable, and this year was no exception. They introduced us to a new food addiction "Kolaches" they're like calzones/bagels/sandwiches...hard to explain, but YUMMY. I neglected to get photos of our costumes, but they were awesome. The theme was Redneck/White Trash, so we mostly just went as ourselves.

Just in case you haven't heard, Scott has decide that he isn't having a birthday next week. 40 is just not an option for him, so he's skipping it. Guess we'll have to send his presents back and throw away the party favors. Poor baby, I keep telling him he's only as old as he feels, but he must not believe me.

I suppose it's time for me to start thinking about christmas shopping...oh dear. I love giving gifts, but less and less enjoy the shopping process. Seems like that ought to be a shame.
Amazon here I come!!!!

y'all keep smilin & shufflin!
-m

I abjectly appologise and beg forgivness.

I have been a bad blogger. I have no good excuses, just lame tired cop outs. I've been busy.

After retrieving Royla it became clear that she'd been kicked pretty hard but was otherwise in good physical health. She isn't her same old affectionate self, but is improving. Scott thinks she may even have benefited from the experience by gaining better "get out of the way" skills. She never was very good at the following in front game that our other cats seem to enjoy playing. I wouldn't have had her learn this way, but we're looking for a silver lining. She seems to be recovering well, and though not as trusting as she used to be, she is getting back into our old habits. This makes me feel a lot less guilty. Melanie & Mike whom she stayed with for two nights really want to adopt her. They seem like nice people, and I'm pretty certain she would be safe there, but I'm having a really hard time putting her out for adoption again. It's not that I believe my house is the only safe place for her. It's that I know she'll be safe here and every time I think of placing her I'm overcome with self doubt. I thought the Madsen's would be good people for her, and they assured me that she would be loved. But that didn't work out so well for her.

Scott's worked miracles on our shed, it's now fully roofed *ouch* and wired. He also put up overhead shelves, and has ordered the siding. We have officially named it Shedzilla. Seems like every time we look away it grows. Pretty sure by the time we get the doors on and boxes in there it's gonna be palatial.

I've been crazy busy at work, seems like every day gets a little busier. It's fantastic & exhausting. I've found that coming home at the end of the day too tired do more than sleep is not always a bad thing. Speaking of which, I'm gonna put my feet up and veg for a while here.

Live Long and Prosper.
-m

Bad People! No Kitty!

Just heard from some very helpful gas station personnel in Roy. Royla was hanging around their store dragging her leash, still wearing tags with my phone #. 3 miles and several MAJOR roads from her 'new home'. I can only hope she was dropped off, cuz if she traveled that far on her own, she's a luckier cat than I thought. And if they did drop her off there's a special level of hell for them. She came with a FANTASTIC no voids return policy. All they had to do was call me. Fortunately the manager at the gas station likes and understands cats and is willing to care for her until Saturday when I can go get her. I'm having a very hard time forgiving myself for putting her into a scary situation.

Frustrated, upset and exhausted. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day at work too. I'll post again this weekend when I can think something other than steam pouring out of my ears disgust.

May we all live our next lives as comfortably as our pets.
-m

Where does the time go?

Every day I think "oh, I should blog tonight" and every morning I wake up and go "doh". So tonight even though I'm also watching a new episode of HOUSE that features David Marciano (yes, I do squeal like a girl when I say that) I'm gonna blog a bit anyhow.

Pause, just had the first sight of dear David in a long while YIPPEE!

Today's major revelation was that Oscar does in fact have a name for me. So much for my feel bads over him having a name for Spazz, Scott, Ada (Fran's mom), McKuey, and many other things, but not me. Apparently my name is Meow.

This makes sense when you consider that all of the people who call me by name at my house have four legs (the one legged one just grunts mostly). And both four legged ones use the same sound that is my "name" so Oscar (and yes I'm giving him credit for being clever not 'tarded) has learned that my "name" is Meow.

So when he goes through his "Where's ____." or his "Is ____ a good boy?" routine (insert "Oscar", "Spazzy" "Scott", "Kitty (Yahzi)", "Cooey (his hero, Judy's Bird McKuey*sorry for th spelling Judy*)" When he says "Meow is a good boy." he means me. Gosh Golly I feel loved. :)

I'm loving work. It's a grand adventure. My joy at being allowed to do what I'm good at and being trusted in my skills prevails. It's awfully refreshing. Almost every day is a new challenge, and I rarely come home with out some nerve pinched and screaming at me, but it's worth it. That's awful nice. I'm also meeting a few cool people, not quite like the canyon, but still fun.

This week Scott & I managed to get our shed roofed. Saturday while re-rolling tar paper (knocked off the 12' roof and had to be regathered) and wondering why our helpful neighbors weren't around. I realized that conference weekend is apparently roofing weekend. The last 4 roofs I can remember being involved in roofing all took place over conference weekend...that's mighty odd.

Scott's had House paused for the last 20 minutes waiting for me to pay attention. I'd better get to it. *David- SQUEEL* I promise to write more soon!

Take care and keep out of trouble!
-m

EASTWICK = PAUL GROSS is back on TV!!!!!!!

Yay! yay. YAY. YaY!!!!!

Feel free to imagine me leaping for joy cuz that's what I did when I first saw this promo. And yes I have the first episode recorded and have watched it twice (really bugged Scott the first time cuz i had to keep pausing in order to squeal and giggle). I don't get wound up about celebrities very often, but Paul is my FAVORITE. So I'm slightly excited about this show. Though I'd prolly be a fan even if it didn't have PAUL GROSS in it...prolly. But it does, so EVERYBODY WATCH! Yay. yay. yay, yay....YAY!

Yay!
-m

Hit the Ground RUNNING.

Life has been crazy. I'm finally getting back to normal, sorta. Have yet to finish cleaning out the camper, but have made progress. I'm so tired and soar once I get home from work that I haven't been able to get much done. I believe my big goal for the weekend will be changing the water in the hot tub so that i can soak away some of my owies and perhaps get more done. Kitties are adjusting to being at home, and Oscar is LOVING having space to fly in (wing trimming comes soon).

Scott's made several batches of jam this week, and I've found an awesome breadmaker recipe, for amish bread (lol, amish bread in an electric bread machine). Not much can bead fresh home made bread slathered with butter and fresh pear jam. Oscar approves. Scott's had a bunch of use it or lose it vacation time this week, so he bought a couple computer games (so I've had a LOT of time to myself. Fortunately I've had more than a little catching up to do and haven't had a hard time keepin myself entertained. A lot happens in 3 months.

I'm gonna go find some kind of leftovers for dinner, tuck Oscar into his cage (he's helping me by sitting on top of the computer screen right now), and then start a batch of laundry. Should be just about all the mobility my back can handle for one night. Grr.

Y'all be good!
-m

Back to Flowers!

Today I reported for work at Tulip Tree. It was awesome! I love being a florist. And though a bit rusty, I haven't forgotten what I know. And tomorrow, Oscar gets to go with me. He really loved the flower shop over Mother's day

I really miss the canyon though. Had a hard time sleeping last night because of all the NOISE here. And though I think I'll very quickly appreciate my job being a metered specific thing, I'm actually missing my work coming to me, and not having to stress a time schedule (other than the gate).

We have a huge project getting the camper cleaned out, and I still have to go get my bike this weekend (weather permitting). But when that's done I believe we're gonna go play a bit before the season's over. Wendover, the geode beds, antelope island, and whatever else comes up.

I'm about 8 kinds of worn out tonight.
Be well y'all.
-m

Just a Quick Update

I'm camped in Perception on my way home. Many bitter sweets leaving Willows. But my awesome pickup campers the Stephensons came to help me finish the season and get moved home. They're awesome people and I'm looking forward to camping with them in the future. They have a Lance camper, dually truck, motorcycles, fast cars, and cats....gee we have almost nothin' in common. *NOT* They're awesome! I'm having all kinds of feel bads about leaving my canyon home and losing my daily contact with Thom & Judy, and other AL&L people. Not to mention the neat campers I keep meeting. I have so many permanent friends now that began as campers. And the cool thing is that I can go camp with them because they're CAMPERS. So Scott & I don't have to drive each other crazy camping by our selves...not that we have a big problem with that. Having other people to try our food experiments on is always good. Sounds like we're gonna go camp Antelope Island with our NY friends the Whitmans sometime soon. Mike was a chef for a while, so you can imagine us starving to death on that trip. Or not. Mike has officially relegated me to cobbler duty when he's around. I don't mind at all. In fact it's kinda fun, and very yummy. Collard greens and campfire ham have been promised. I have discovered this week that camping when I'm NOT in charge ROCKS. Not that I didn't have a lot of fun hosting. I'll be back.

Running out of battery and didn't bring my cord over from the camper, so I'm gonna end here. Pictures soon.
-m

And The Countdown Begins

Found out yesterday that I'll be leaving the canyon sooner than I expected. Not really a bad thing, but a little bittersweet. It's really been a grand adventure, and I'm going to miss all the cool things that have become part of my daily life up here. I will NOT however miss getting up at 6:45 every morning to open the gate, or going out after 10 at night to tell campers to be quiet. I will miss the wildlife, the cottontail bunnies I run into almost every morning, and the moose who wanders through my camp almost every week, the wild cats that have taken to leaving me presents, my cats pestering me to open the blinds so they can watch smellavision every morning, and the humming birds dive bombing my head to tell me that the feeders are empty. I might even miss the damn raccoons.

This has really been an awesome summer. But I'm ready to go home I think. It'll be nice to have clothes that don't smell of woodsmoke, and a real live couch I can snuggle into and power any ol time without worrying about running a generator or how much sun the solar is getting. I'm also looking forward to being a florist again. That's a creative outlet I miss.

I haven't decided exactly what my plan is for going home, I'd really like to go camp somewhere just for fun for a few days, maybe Monte Cristo, or even just camp at Perception for a few days. Camping without being "in charge" seems like an awful lot of fun at this point. We've also talked about cashing in on a couple of my Wendover freebee coupons and spend a few days over there. Might be real nice to have someone else clean up, cook, and just not have to worry about stuff.

Anyhow, I'm counting the days, and packing up for the move. I'm a little melancholy and a lot tired. But all good things come to an end, and there will be another adventure soon enough. Perhaps I can even work things out to get back here next year. That would be AWESOME.

I'll try to post again soon, but if I don't it's because I'm busy getting moved. Perhaps when I get home I'll have time and bandwidth to post all the cool pictures I've taken up here.

Y'all take care and keep smilin'!
-m

A GRAND Adventure.

I had a grand weekend, predictable campers, good weather, and Scott's help/company. I tubed the river (nearly floated right into my friend the moose), had a good visit with Glenn's family, spent time around the campfire with my new friends Jim & Gerry, and had a lovely snuggle with the kitties while it rained this morning.

Unfortunately it couldn't last forever. I had to deal with a rather nasty situation involving the previous camp host this morning. I believe that she was mostly just upset about not having her job back (not my call) and nothing could have kept her happy. Even still I really didn't enjoy having someone screaming profanity and calling me names at the top of their lungs. It was the first and I hope the last time I will have to call the cops to have them escort campers out. According to this woman Scott is a saint for living with me because I'm such a ***** and never clean anything. I rarely write people off completely, but GOOD RIDDANCE. She left the canyon and stopped every place she could think of to complain on her way out. I am absolutely delighted that I didn't respond to her abuse. It's a trial of my patience I wasn't sure I would pass. I did, and other than a good dose of winding down stress aches, I'm none the worse for the problem.

The weather has been gorgeous! We've had several nice mellow days this week. And the rain and thunder we got to day was beautiful as only a rains storm in the mountains can be. If I'm lucky I'll get to snuggle through another storm tomorrow. Spazz is getting a lot more comfy in the camper, and Yahzi's fine with it all as long as I remember to fill his bird feeders. I'll have to post a picture of his "smell-a-vission" set up. I'm glad they're comfy cuz I would be pretty lonely with only Oscar to keep me company. All the same I think we'll all be happy to go home at the end of the season.

Looking forward to Matt, Sara & the boys camping again this weekend. Perhaps I'll get them into the river this time.

I'm off to harvest my farmtown raspberries and then home to my campground. Hopefully I took care of all my stress for the week today. I ought to sleep well tonight anyhow.

Y'all take care & keep out of trouble!
-m

Good Folk, GOOD TIMES!

I've finally found a routine here in the canyon that works for me. Laundry, cleaning, socializing, shopping and relaxing now have a set time and place. I LOVE IT!

With Mom & Glenn in South Fork, the rest of us get to take care of our own camps. Glenn is gonna be an awesome camp host. Sounds like his kids are gonna come up to visit soon.

I had SO much fun with my nephews while they were here. Most days I don't care for kids, but nephews are fun. They helped me clean the campground, we carved soap boats, burned things in the campfire, roasted marshmallows, and generally had a good time. We also had a good visit with Matt & Sara. They're talking about coming up again to float the river (weather was a bit chilly for it this weekend) in a few weeks. I can't wait!

Mike and Lisa were here again this week. I didn't get to visit with them as much as I wanted to, but they're the kind of friends with whom visiting is pleasant but not mandatory. They had company as well (Mike's parents) and their daughter Jess was here too, so we mostly just nodded and waved and asked if each other needed anything from the store.

Also got to visit with Marv & Deb briefly, they're good folks. Crazy in a good way, like most of my friends. Hope to get more time with them.

Got a closing date for the canyon, Sept 21st. I'm both looking forward to it, and dreading it. I've had a really good time here in the canyon, and done a lot of learning and living. I'll love getting back to plumbing I don't have to maintain, and electricity. But I really don't want the summer to end. 6 more weeks isn't exactly a blink of the eyes though, so maybe I'll be ready to go home by then.

I brought Spazz & Yahzi back to the canyon with me this week, they're not as quick to adjust to the camper as Royla was, but seem to be enjoying their stay. A big plus for Yahzi has been the humming bird feeder I hung outside the bedroom window Sunday. He wakes me up every morning at 6:30 to open the blinds so he can watch his new "friends". Spazz pretends to be immune, but isn't. Judy brought me a whole bag of fresh catnip from Mike & Tiff's yard, so tonight should be pretty good night for the kittahs! I'll let you know when they come down, could be weeks. Oscar is so glad to see Spazz, he calls her and tells her all kinds of stories all day. He ignored Royla. When Spazz meows, he meows, when she hisses, he hisses, they certainly are an odd couple.

Tonight is taco night at the American Legion, a bunch of the camp hosts from the area get together every week there. It's usually a good time for all. One last chance to relax and bs before we all head into the busy weekend.

This weekend should be busier than most, there's a big hot air balloon launch in Eden this weekend. Lots of campers, lots of excitement. Kinda glad I'm gonna be up here in the canyon, not down there in the path of the balloons.

Y'all take care and keep out of trouble.
-m

Holy Heck!

What an ADVENTURE! Since my last post I've been BUSY.
Mike & Lisa (my NY friends) have been visiting and cooking for me. Mike was a chef for a long time and that boy can COOK! They also inspired me to dive into my cobbler experiments, and spend some time playing in the water. They're coming back this weekend, aw shucks.
I'm also gonna have Matt and his family in my campground.
Besides that Mom & Glenn are settling in as the camp hosts at South Fork this weekend (Russ had to leave). Should be awesome! One big disjointed family reunion. I love it!

Yesterday I found a home for Royla, very bittersweet. She's been good company for me there in the campground. But the family she's gone to are going to spoil her even more than me, and I think she'll be pretty happy. I dropped her off last night and said my goodbyes.

On my way back to the campground I was in an accident, and wrecked Truck Boat Truck...not good. But no one got hurt, and metal's replaceable (at least that's what I've been telling myself all day). Truck had to be towed, and that's been it's own can o' worms! Never EVER go to Ogden Automotive. They're con artists from what I can tell. Apparently they use some kind of magical stick to wave at a vehicle and determine it's damage level and repair costs. Cuz they gave Scott a $3,700 repair estimate and then when he asked specific questions said they would have to have their mechanic look at the truck. Isn't the mechanic supposed to be involved in assessing the damage? SCARY! Anyhow, that's a story to be continued.

Tonight I'm at home. HOME the stick and brick house where my bed and cats, and laundry machine lives. Oh and my husband, but he's mobile, so doesn't count. ;) I was planning to bike down tomorrow anyway to do the 15 things I didn't get done in the 3 days I had to prep for my camping job, but after the accident I needed to be able to get my car up the canyon so I don't have to put on 6 layers of clothes at 6:30 in the morning in order to bike down to South Fork and open the gate (that was a bit of an adventure this morning, what with the strained neck and all). So I hitched a ride with Glenn this morning and I'll drive back to the canyon tomorrow.

I miss home and love being here, but miss my canyon home like crazy, and the stuff I'm not getting done is driving me crazy. Oh well! I'm gonna enjoy my time at home though! No worrying, no stressing, just soaking up relaxation.

So tonight, I'm gonna settle in, relax, and sleep deep while kitties snuggle me.
May you all have the same blessings!
-m

Another Crazy Weekend Begins

Here we go, the weekend of the 24th. Should be an adventure...

I've got some awesome campers, and company to help me keep track of all the details. Unless something nasty crops up, it should all be fun.

We may melt though. Even here in the canyon the temperatures are climbing.

I haven't heard from Linda (previous host) so I'm guessing she didn't get clearance to come back and I'll be here 'till the end of the season. Can't say I'm really upset about that.

I'm off to do another loop in my campground then back here to soak up
T&J's air conditioning & watch Bones before bedtime.

Y'all stay cool!
-m

Whip Crack Away!

Note to self, never watch Calamity Jane and then go motorcycling. I hummed, la la la-ed, and sung all the way to Ogden and back. Not unusual for me, but anyone listening would think I'm nuts. Well I am, but I usually manage not to show it quite that much. Good thing there's no cameras inside my helmet.

Scott's been busy building the shed, it's now closed, with walls and a roof. And most impressively, he's done it all by himself. He's keeping me updated with photos of the progress, but I still expect to be blown over by the size and splendor of the thing when I get back home. I very much miss home. I've loved being here, loved being able to do this job, loved the weight I'm losing while doing it, but I miss my kitties. I miss lunches with Lynn, my nail time with Ashlee, and my hair time with Ashley (yes, I pay the last two but they're really friends). I miss being able to run my microwave any ol' time I want, and I miss having someone to steal the covers from at night (Yahzi usually). Scott put me on speaker phone the other night and Spazz tried to maul it, so I think she misses me too.

This afternoon I floated the river with friends. It's the first time I've taken time for that since I got here. I just may find time to do it every day from now on! I'm developing a plot to wash my clothes by hauling them along in a mesh bag with a little soap. Probably not a perfect strategy, but a lot of fun.

Tomorrow I'm coasting, I'll get what blowing and shoveling done that I can, and then I'm going down to Anderson Cove to meet Don's (maintenance guy) parrots, and do my laundry. Should be a pretty good day. I'll let you know.

-m

Way too long sorry.

I've been busy, and lazy, and well I have a whole pile of worthless excuses. Mostly I've just been having too much fun to sit down and type things out.

Since my last post, I've had a whole series of wildlife adventures. I got pictures of most of them, but haven't had time to edit the pictures. Royla & I were hanging out in our hammock the other day, when a moose wandered through our campsite. He looked at us, snorted, and wandered on down to the river. As soon as he was across I grabbed my camera and caught a few pictures of him. We've had countless bird visitors, buntings, goldfinches, gross beaks, and many others I don't know the names of, and of course hummingbirds. I fill both feeders every morning and by afternoon they're both empty. We also have a family of mice living in our wood pile. This morning I nearly stepped on one of the babies while filling the bird feeders, as long as they're in the woodpile and not my camper I think they're cute. We've come across several garter snakes in the campground. And last, but possibly most stressful was the deer I nearly hit on my way down to close Russ' gate last night.

Mom came up for a visit last week and we both had a grand visit. She helped me take care of the campground, and I helped her get some planning and sketch work done for catering. It was the first time she's been camping since she was a girls camp leader years ago. Staying in my camper is a lot less stressful. Being able to take a shower and sleep in a real bed seems to make a big difference.

My fridge quit working right after mom left, made for an interesting few days with the generator running all day to keep things cold. I've gotten spoiled rotten being able to hear the river all the time. Scott & I tried to diagnose the problem over the phone (him talking to the fridge makers, then calling me and having me test parts with what tools I had), but since I've never ventured into the inner workings of a propane fridge before it was rather interesting. Unfortunately we weren't able to fix it over the phone and he had to come up Friday with the right tools. But he fixed it! The whole problem was caused by a single cottonwood seed inside the mixer tube. But now I know what I'm looking at, and might be able to diagnose a similar problem again.

Linda, the gal who I took over from was up today, and is hoping to have medical clearance to come back in a few weeks. I'm both excited, and disappointed. I'm anxious to get home and got to work at Tulip Tree, but I've loved it up here, and would love to stay. All the same, I'm not gonna make solid plans until I know for sure she's really coming back. I've gotten to know some really awesome campers while I've been up here. A couple of them I've adopted for life. I'll miss getting to see them when I go home.

Sounds like Matt & Scott are both coming up the canyon over the weekend of the 24th. I've promised Matt that no one will die this time. I'm looking forward to having both of my boys up here again. We all had a really good time last year, well except for Scott's back being out and the guy dying in the bathroom...but you can't have it all.

There's a good post for ya, I'll try to get another one in soon. Happy summertime y'all!
-m

And then I just stopped...

Today I got up, worked my butt off for a few hours before it got hot, and then I just stopped. I took off my uniform shirt, got in the truck, and came down to T&J's to sit in the air conditioning and get my internet stuff done. I've been here most of the day (with a few breaks to go check on my campground and make sure the cat & bird weren't melting). It's been awesome! I've actually gotten things done and am mostly caught up with my life. Also it's been fun to have someone to talk to. I don't mind being by myself up here, but I really enjoy spending time with friends too.

Not that I've been suffering for company. I've met some awesome campers (single serving friends mostly), and I've had family & friends come to visit. This weekend Celeste and Tracy came up, we had a great visit. While they were here Joffree and Nymul came up also. It was great! I had a campground full of good campers, and my own campfire surrounded by friends. Mom and Glenn came up Sunday afternoon, hopefully they can come camp soon. Glenn says they have to "unload" the camper first, mom "packed" it and it's got so much "stuff" in it that you can't use it. I have sympathy for them both. I've finally begun to find an organized normal in my camper. No more stashing things on Scott's side of the bed so that I can use the kitchen.

I'm even beginning to crave my craft projects again. One of these days I'm gonna dig in and bead up a storm. Perhaps I'll even get some sketching done.

Royla's settling right into camper life rather happily, she sits outside on a leash and watches the birds and other creatures. She jumps into the hammock with me and helps me relax. She sleeps on Scott's pillow at night and keeps mine warm when I go out to open the gate every morning. She rides around on the golf cart with me and helps me keep track of all the goings on in the campground.

I've watched the first two seasons of Due South while I've been up here (they're a good distraction while I'm organizing the camper). I love that show! Can't watch it and not come away grinning. Thank you kindly!

Tomorrow I'm gonna go down to Anderson Cove to do laundry. I think I'll pack a peanut butter sandwich, a cold can of soda, a good book and make a picnic out of it. Perhaps I'll even take my swim suit and go for a swim. Should make for a fabulous day. I'll cross my fingers & hope that it actually works out that way.

Gonna turn off the computer and watch TV with Thom for a few minutes. Sure am glad these guys don't mind me invading their space.

Y'all have a swonderfull time in this summertime weather we've finally got.
-m

Exactly how tired can one human be?

I had a fantastic weekend, my campground was full of good campers & I had all kinds of fantastic visitors. However, there was little to no time for napping, and I was up well past midnight almost every day this week. Match that to getting up at 7am to open the gate, and you have a recipe for exhaustion. Today it hit me hard. I wound up being forced to spend a few hours in bed dealing with incredible nerve pain. I will be very happy to crawl into bed soon and have this day be over.

The weather this week has been weird! Sunny days and muggy rainy evenings. The rain sucks, but driving my golf cart through low flying clouds is kinda cool. I still haven't heard from the previous camp host, so don't know if I'm here for another few weeks or another few months. Kinda makes it hard to decide how much I settle into my campsite. Hopefully she figures things out soon so I can quit living in limbo.

I know I say this every week, but I'm just too tired to string thoughts together. I PROMISE I'm gonna write a real post here soon. Till then y'all take care!
-m

It's gonna be a grand adventure!

Yay and WOW.

6 days has felt like about 2. It’s been a lot of fun, a little challenging, and at times rather stressful. I’ve made many new friends (mostly the single serving kind). And met a few campers whom I’ll be just tickled if they never come back. Case in point the delightful folks currently camped in sight 12. Came in yesterday, pitched a fit because their buddy Larry (last years host) isn’t here again and expected me to let them camp free because he did. Um NO. Sorry can’t do that, and maybe that’s why Larry isn’t here again this year…ya think? So after I’d carefully ignored the rude comments mixed into their chatter and collected the proper fees from them (they really wanted to trick me into taking less than the full amount) I tried to tell them about the campground rules, and recommend that they store their cooler in the car overnight (we’ve had problems here and in Meadows with raccoons breaking into them). One of the guys wanted to fight with me about raccoons…Duh, I don’t care if they get their food stolen! I just don’t want them complaining that I never warned them. The same folks were up yelling at 11:30 last night. They’ve made it clear that they don’t care for me and are planning to leave me a negative revue on their comment card. And oh joy, they’re staying again tonight. I’m not looking for this to be a stressful job, but I really don’t like having to put up with jerks.

But I’m finally getting my camp set up, not clean yet, still cluttered. But at least I’m not shuffling piles from one place to another twenty times a day.

Sounds like Scott’s trying to get up here next week for a few days. That’s awesome! I don’t mind being here alone, but a campfire is always more fun when there’s some one to enjoy it with. Besides that there’s gonna be a WHOLE LOT of campers in the canyon next week. Should be a little less stressful cuz I’ll know what’s expected, and what forms to fill out.

Tonight I’m at Thom & Judy’s having pizza with Marv & Deb. I love these people! This is why I’m here, well that and it’s gonna be a grand adventure. I’ve got tons of computerish things to get done, and less than an hour to do it, so short post. Here’s a few pictures of my campsite:

Tomorrow I’m riding back to SLC with Russ and Sandy. I’ll load up my scooter, do some laundry, skritch Spazz & Yahzi, and then head back up here. It’s gonna be fun to have my bike here…if I can handle the ride. It’ll be my first in two years. Shameful I know.

Hopefully I have some extra time this weekend to get back online and perhaps compose my thoughts a bit more. Love to all y’all!

-m

My kingdom for a flat spot!

Wow does time fly when you’ve got tons to get done! I finally ran out of time and just loaded things into the camper wherever they fit. Thursday when I got here, I had to spend an hour sorting and stashing things just to be able to get into the camper. And BONUS the can of oven cleaner somehow got smashed / punctured, it sprayed everywhere! So I spent another hour cleaning so that it was safe for Oscar and Royla to be in here. This all had to happen around me learning the rules, and signing up my first campers. Like I said, it’s gonna be an adventure.

Yesterday was a bit less stressful. I got a few things sorted and stashed, figured out that I had the WRONG tent with me, got a temporary tarp shelter put up, and managed to find all of the floor at the same time. Had some fun campers in here last night, I think I’m gonna love the people part of this job. I’m not having much luck with the weed eater and leaf blower though. Hopefully Thom can educate me about them.

I have no cell service here in the campground. But I do have a phone, go figure, don’t those wires go in the exact same trench? Solar panel should keep it from being too much of a stress for me though.

Oscar & Royla are settling into the camper, she spent most of yesterday afternoon hiding in the top of the closet, but now has decided that things are okay, and this one on one time with me is just swell. She snuggles me to sleep, and keeps my pillow warm when I go out to open the gate in the morning. Oscar’s pretty comfy in the camper, and once I got his knot toy placed properly in his cage (he sleeps wrapped in it) he’s just delighted with life. When campers come to the door he bawks and squaks at them, and when I hang up the telephone (it’s next to his cage for the time being) he says “bye bye”.

It’s raining this afternoon, keeps the campers quiet and the campsites empty. I think maybe that’s a good thing today, I’m making serious progress inside the camper. Also, I’m watching Due South. Any day with Due South is a good day! I think I’ll go find the kitchen sink now and see if I can locate a can of soup. Then a quick trip down to Thom and Judy’s so I can post this and check my email & phone messages.

No pictures yet, soon, I promise. Yesterday I got a few shots of the wildflowers, different from the ones at South Fork & Perception. There’s a jackrabbit living in the middle of the campground, I’m hoping to get a picture of him too.

Ya’ll take care now!

-m

Wow, OK...

So I've been kidding about hauling myself up the canyon to take over the extra hours in Russ' campground, and enjoy myself. Serves me right! This weekend Thom & Judy were able to hook me up with a temporary hosting job. Even if it's just for a few weeks (one of their managers had health complications and can't work for a few weeks) it's gonna be one hell of an adventure!

I spent most of today making lists and trying not to panic. Not that it's really stressful, but you try to plan for a two week (possibly a lot longer) camping trip with two days notice! No matter how well stocked the camper is, and how many things I think of, there's gonna be SOMETHING I've forgotten that's really annoying. Fortunately I'm not in the middle of nowhere, I'll have friends, and civilization not TOO far away.

Anyone wants to visit me, I'll be at the Willows Campground in Ogden Canyon. Would love to see some familiar faces! But I'm also looking forward to meeting new folks! If any of you do take it into your heads to come visit (and I hope SOMEONE does) Scott, Lynn, Sheri, Or Fran @ Tulip Tree will have my land number (no cell service). Otherwise I'll try to get down to Judy's to check email and update this blog a couple times a week. If I get busy I'll beg Judy to post a blurb about my general happiness & well being in her blog (http://www.jggrafx.com/ftroadrunners/)

Since it's the first question everyone asks, Willows is a few miles east of Huntsville, Ut (sorta by the monastery). An hour north of SLC, prolly the same from Logan, haven't driven that yet.

I'm feeling super guilty for bugging out on mom's personnel arrangements this year. As usual they have to be done the same day as the FFA competition (this means she can't use the OH Greenhouse where she usually works. Fortunately this year the count has dropped from 30 to 8 and it's being hosted at the presidents home rather than the ballroom. Previously the class or SHA Design would do the arrangements and we would mass assemble them for two days. This week I was supposed to go help her just Wednesday "unless I got a job". LOL. Well I did, sorta. We kept trying to plan me being there but it kept getting super stressful for us both, and then she got uber productive this afternoon. So she's doing them herself. I really hope she's okay. Her back is slow to re-learn it's old habits, and she gets the same kind of shoulder ripping muscle spasms I fight. I'm prolly not her best sympathy for that problem. I just help her find new ways to cope with it...she needs someone to say "That's awful, you are such a poor suffering martyr..." and then commend her for her bravery. I guess we've sorta bonded in mutual pain...I never wanted the whole martyr complex anyhow. And coping is always better than wallowing.

So I'm packing up Oscar, Royla, myself and the camper. More work really than you'd imagine. Especially considering the camper me & scott were all there this weekend. But a weekend is NOT a week, and though packing for one gives you most of the things you'll need for two. It is still gonna be an adventure. As soon as I get my camp set and the pets settled, I'll take pictures and get them posted. Gonna be down to T&J's begging advice anyhow (I'm competent willing YES, experienced NO). I think the easiest thing I'm going to have to take on is Judy's excel spreadsheet (those of you who've seen me work on a wedding bid know I how much fun I have "fixing" the fomulas, yes mom we're expert now, but wasn't that it's own adventure to get there!) My greatest worry is missing my pack (pretty sure they'll miss me too). But at the end of every day there will be the option to light a campfire, watch the moon rise (or the stars), and crawl into bed with a sense of having done something worth enjoying. Paycheck included. Seriously, they're actually gonna give me money for something I'd have easily been tricked into. I'm sure I'll come up with grumblings, aches and pains along the way, but I'd have those at home, & DAMN how often does an opportunity like this come up? I have the right equipment and connections, I have time, my health allows it, and I've had a very hard time coming up with reasons why not to.

It's now WAY past my bedtime for the second night in a row, and I have a long list of things to do and help Scott get done before tomorrows over! I'm gonna play like a Quaker Parrot tuck my head under my wing/pillow, and start of Tuesday screaming like a banshee (well that's Oscar's style anyhow). Yay for me!

No news for a while is good news unless you hear otherwise!
-m

Enough with the rain already!

Seriously! I have mushrooms growing on my front porch. The birds are eating all of my sweet cherries as they ripen. I am so very ready for some sunshine!

We're headed back up Ogden canyon this weekend. Even if it's still raining, at least it'll be a change of scenery. Russ has scouted out a couple of good hammock trees for me (that was the one thing I didn't love about camping with T&J). I plan to spend an hour in my hammock even if I have to string up a tarp to make it happen.

Over the weekend we finished the cat trimming, and to my surprise, Royla was the only one who pitched a tantrum about it. Both Yahzi & Spazz purred the whole time. I'm sure they were comforting themselves, but Yahzi actually rolled onto his back and held still while we did his tummy. They don't look like fancy photo cats, but all three seem way more comfortable with their short hair.

Oscar is on the other end of the couch being Scott's bestest buddy. This is a recipe for disaster. I'd better go stuporvise!

Y'all take care!
-m

Bad Human, no cookie!

Just so y'all get my reference, here's the famous lol cat that inspired my title tonight. ->










However Spazz's sentiments differ slightly due to the evil awful thing we just finished abusing her with. In other words, we trimmed her fur. All though she purred most of the time we did it and wasn't all that stressed by the process, now that the other cats can see her in her new style, she hates us. Well skritches feel pretty damn good still, but only when Yahzi's not looking. I'll admit it's not the smoothest haircut I've given. But since it's my first on a cat I'm feeling pretty good about it. Tomorrow is Royla's turn and then Mr. Muscle cat will have his chance to kick our butts. I'm guessing that by the time we're done, paying someone else $90 to do it won't seem like all that much. But I am certain that this way is much easier on the cats, and I really don't mind if they don't have show worthy haircuts. They'll be cooler and have less hairball issues (vet says that's prolly what's been wrong with Yahzi, too much fur in his diet).

Scotty's fever only ran 24 hours, and he's feeling much better (yay). He was able to strap his sticky leg on and stuporvise the cement pouring. Thanks to Glenn and his magical troweling skills, we have a BEAUTIFUL cement pad in the back yard. I'd post a picture of that, but I'm guessing none of y'all would find it nearly as exciting as we do. Got exciting for a little while, just as he got everything smoothed out the sky cracked open and POURED. Fortunately Scott had gone to the store for a BIG tarp earlier and we were able to get things tented over JUST in time. We then spent the next hour poking and prodding and keeping the cement dry while Glenn got it finished. Now all Scotty has to do is build a shed....lol.

Seems like I've posted nearly every day this week. I think I'll take a break this weekend unless I get better pictures of the grooming with the other cats. Oscar's over there giggling. Wonder where he learned that? Giggling, meowing, and the other day he said "give me one" can't tell if that's his version of a Mucuey word or his own creation. I don't think I say that much.

Ooooh Spazz has come to forgive. I must go be snuggly now.

Y'all take care & have a good weekend.
-m

Well then.

So Asgard is still not up, and now Scott's worried it may never come back. He keeps asking questions and providing information and logic, and no one else is talking. So I had to set up a new email account, and write off all those job applications I've sent out in the last few weeks. Unless they call me...I hope one of them calls me. So if you need to email me, I have a gmail account now.
mari.brown.xiii@gmail.com
We're plotting names for the new server, how's everyone with their Norse mythology? Suggestions welcome.

At least Scott's not sick and mopey anymore. Good thing since we all had to bust our butts keeping the cement dry last night. But it's done and looks good, and it's huge. It's gonna be awesome to have a shed again.

I had a bunch of fun today shoveling topsoil with Ashlee. So much fun that it'll be just fine if I don't have to shovel anything else for a long time! I believe my owies have owies tonight.

I have a bunch of other online stuff to switch over to my new email, so I'm gonna get to it before run out of energy.

Be well.
-m

Uh Oh...

Scotty's running a fever and too sick to watch tv. He actually felt too sick to be at work (that never happens), and has been running a fever all night. Of course he's being tough, but I know he's miserable, cuz he actually took asprin and a drink of water when I offered it for the third time. He also let Oscar snuggle him, a sure sign of weakness.

We're pouring cement tomorrow, I'm doing the NO rain dance. I have a thousand things to do, and only plan on getting half of them done. I have a job interview and then another on Wednesday, both with the college. Really hope one of them pans out!

I also hope to get my email back!!!!! stupid dummy who shut it down anyhow!
And most important, I hope Scott wakes up his chipper coffee deprived self!

Live long and prosper.
-m

Pot Sticker!

Yum! Another positive cooking experiment, and forgive me but it seamed like a catchy title. Anyhow, anyone willing to be guinea pig only has to volunteer and I'll subject them to my latest creations. Seems like having a bit of time on my hands has been a good thing. I've shoveled, raked, sorted, washed, and cooked today. I'm exhausted, but that just means I'm a better kittah skritcher. Oscar approves of the pot stickers, though he much prefers the wanton to the meat filling (go figure).

I'm still without email service, it sucks. Apparently the person who shut Asgard down took off Thursday night and may be back Monday. I personally hope whomever it is has a weekend full of snakes, nighmares, electrical fires, and rancid food. Serves them right! Poor Scotty worked hard all day trying to get it fixed. I'm not the only one who's disposed by it, there are students with homework they can't get to. But darn it, I need my emials!

I have another interview on Tuesday night. We're also pouring concrete that night...go figure. My interview is with the college library for a cashiering position. I think I would love the job, and best of all it's with the college. The concrete is for our shed pad. Mom & Glenn are coming down, and Glenn's gonna finish the slab for us. We're calling in a whole bunch of friend favors to get the cement moved into the right place, and hopefully Scotty's got a new puttering project here soon to build his shed. Then I'll have a floral workshop, and he'll have a airplane workshop, and we'll both have a bunch more storage so we can get our house ORGANIZED again. I can't wait to get my xmas stuff out of the side yard!

Gonna go watch mythbusters with Scotty now.

May we all have a better weekend than that IT dude that shut down Asgard!!!!
-m

GHAAAA!!!

Asgard is down, I have no emails....
I may not survive this isolation!

Rrrrrrrrrrrr. Scott's working on it.


Anyhow, if anyone needs me just call me.

-m

Safe & Sound

Happy to report that both me & Truck Boat Truck made it home safely. Had a few white knuckle moments along the way, but most of it was in my head. Oscar narrated the entire journey, and was very happy to get back home to his Meows at the end of the ride.

Had a busy day today, ran a bunch of errands and applied for a couple more jobs. Met a neat kid named Chris this afternoon and he helped me to wash windows and mow the yard. It was awesome! I am now headed into the weekend slightly less behind than I was before. YAY! Sounds like Ashley's gonna come help me finish up the gravel distribution Friday, so I'll be even more ahead. And I fixed the cat cage so we can have kitty back yard time this weekend. I'll try to post some pictures.

Scotty went flying yesterday without his leg, and got to land the plane, twice. Sounds like he had fun and the adrenalin hit him halfway home. He tells me all of this with a huge grin on his face. I'm still trying hard to be excited for him. We'll see.

I've had a kitty touching me most of the day and currently have all three plus the bird helping me type. Perhaps I was gone too long. Sure was fun though.

I'm missing the Crawfords and the canyon. Can't wait to go back soon. It was a great get away.
Here's a few of my favorite pictures from the trip:
Here's Willow (Thom & Judy's adorable pup) with her first taste of snow. Scotty went for a motorcycle ride to the top of the canyon and brought it back in a saddle bag. We called it her Elk Flavor Snow cone. She kept licking till her tongue went numb and then bashed it apart with her paws and teeth. I had a good time watching.













Us Camped Next to Thom & Judy. See it's a tiny camper.... sorta.












View of the river along the campground. Perdy Ain't it?






























Another view of one of the campsites after the place cleared out from the weekend.








A rare flora found only in beautiful campgrounds, and premier landscapes. Like mine :).







Live long & prosper!
-m

Home again, home again, jiggidy jig.

Scott went back down the canyon yesterday (racing rain clouds all the way). I stayed up another night in hopes of dodging the nasty down canyon and end of holiday traffic. Glad I did. Today will be a much mellower day.

Thom, Judy, & I had a lovely mellow night last night. Well maybe Thom & I more than Judy, we made her watch another Sweeny Todd movie (she doesn't like to watch blood & guts). But then we all watched House & Bones and had a lovely ol time. I'm gonna miss them when I go home. Might be spending quite a bit of time here in the canyon this summer. Darn. If I wasn't missing my Kitties so much I'd be feeling bad about leaving this afternoon. But Oscar's missing his Meows too. And we're running out of groceries and clean clothes. And I can't wait to wash my hair, rinsing it in rain water just isn't the same!

Had a nummy food experiment last night. Frozen raspberries, under sliced pear, under gooey mixed lemon cake. Turned out fabulous! I'll have to try duplicating that one another time. I think even Scotty would enjoy it.

I believe I'll go find a sunny spot to read my book & steal a few more minutes of lazy before I have to load up & hit the road.

Today is the tomorrow we dreamed about yesterday. Why not sit back & enjoy it?
-m

Good Times!

Today is my fourth day here at Perception Park (Ogden Canyon Campground) and I'm loving it! I've carved, sat by the campfire, dangled my toes in the river, and had over all an absolutely lazy lovely time.

We're camped right next to Thom & Judy in the host site. This whole camping with internet access thing is pretty nice, I could become totally spoiled! This morning I woke up to the sound of birds, and the smell of woodsmoke...and then opened my email and applied for a job. If I didn't know the cats would kill me for it, I'd definitely think about staying longer.

Oscar is having a good time, he's had several visits with Judy's birds and thinks they're fascinating. He's also picking up words and sounds from them.

I beleive that todays plan is more lazy and more relaxing, so I'm gonna go finish my breakfast and get to it. Poor us, such a hard life.

Happy Memorial Day!
-m

On the road again!

I'm glad to say that all of my cooking experiments went well. My roasted hunk of cow came out perfectly acceptable. My curry will improve with practice, but is most edible, and my bourbon chicken should be better than last time. Should be an excellent camping menu...lol. (it's all a very long way from campfire dinners! even if it is warmed over the coals)

Tomorrow Oscar and I head out for Ogden Canyon. Scotty will follow soon, ON HIS MOTORCYCLE! *think big smiles and bug encrusted helmets* We're looking forward to a mellow weekend of books, carving, cooking, campfires, and good friends. I can't wait! (maybe that's part of why I'm leaving on Wednesday...

Mom and Glenn came down Saturday and set up the forms for our shed pad. Between the 4 of us we moved 3 yards (6600lb) of gravel from the truck to the proper place in the yard. OUCH! The best part is that mom now listens to me when I say "that's gonna make you hurt" because she's learned that I speak from experience, I don't think she has any more illusions me faking my back pain. I know how she hurts and have warned her too many times now. I'm glad she's listening, and absolutely frustrated that she gets to understand how it hurts. NOT FAIR! But we get what we get, and I try not to be angry about it.

I'm really looking forward to a visit with our friends (even though they'll all be too busy to spend much time). I'm even more looking forward to some uncomplicated relaxing time. I've had plenty of stress and just want to chill for a while. Me, my hammock, the sunshine, the shade, a good book, a lazy afternoon, who wouldn't look forward to that? And we'll go back to camp with our friends again another weekend when they're less busy! So if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm fine, and I'm happy, and I'm absolutely relaxing!

If anyone MUST contact us Mom will have the number of one of the friends we're camping with, and i'll try to check my facebook (but prolly not my email) sometime over the weekend. Odd to have the option of internet but not cell phone isn't it :). Judy and her wonderful sharing of interwebs....she rocks. Anyhow, you won't HAVE to contact me, cuz nothin's gonna go wrong. I'm just paranoid.

And Scott's in the other room mumbling at his computer, usually not good news. I'm gonna go check on him and put the bird to bed.

Night, night.
-m

Saturday again!

And I haven't done much but apply for jobs and sleep. Some person who shall remain....Scotty!...gave me swine flu....or just plain annoying flu for a birthday present, and I've been half of myself all week! But there's enough !!!!points in that paragraph for my whole post so I'll calm down and just give fun stories from here in.

Tomorrow is KitTaH VEt DaY. This is their least favorite day of the year, and also one of my most dreaded. This afternoon I captured and harnessed all three. This was not fun for any of us, though all of them were better behaved than usual because Scott was home (dunno why but he's scarier than me even when he's not participating). In the morning we will individually trap and transport them to the camper (much easier with the harnesses on) and then we all go for a ride to the vet. Then mom wrestles in the first kitty at hand (usually yahzi cuz I'm too exhausted to do him last ((he's a strong little beast))) and we begin the awful process of weighing....and shots, and worst of all NOSE DROPS. They hate nose drops! (yes another one, couldn't help it,sorry) And then we all ride home burrowed into whatever blankets and pillows the camper provides (still so much better than when we loaded into cat carriers and all rode in the CAR. And then I'm the evil hated Mom, much like today just after the harnessing. (why does some part of my head still think "hoaaaarness" like grandpa says?) and I'm paranoid about any of them having a bad reaction to the shots (people parents worry this much too right?) and they are just exhausted and sleep a lot (the exact negative symptoms of the shots, yay).

So anyhow, we're also going to get firewood, and cooking a beef roast tomorrow. How is it I got to be 27 and have never attempted a beef roast? Should I be intimidated or concerned? Frankly in comparison to the cat's vet appointment, cooking a hunk of cow seems safe and friendly. That's probably not right either.

Either way I'd better get a good nights rest.
Live Long and Don't get clawed to death by your pets.
-m

Happy Mother's Day....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

It's over! I had fun, felt appreciated, and took pride in what I made. I will never again let someone bully me into doubting my own skills. I am a good florist! And Hyland is a questionable at best floral shop...but I've always known that. Throughout my time there I saw too many iffy decisions being made. But they're cheap, so maybe the customers are just getting what they pay for :)

Oscar spent the whole day on a shelf in the shop stuporvising. He quite enjoyed it, and by the end of the day was very busy telling everyone about good boys, and meows, and bawky bawky, and ...

I am now tired, soar, and absolutely worn out. So I'm gonna sign off and promise more whitty dialog another time.

Night, night, sleep tight, don't let the kitties bite.
-m

Yay!

Today was AWESOME!

I got to go to work, work hard, do my best, get things done, and best of all NO DRAMA. I'm still glad for the experience I gained working at Hyland. But I am more than ever glad I left. Tulip Tree is a whole different environment, with different rules and expectations, but get this, all the people who work there are grown ups. Even the high school student who does odd jobs is professional about it and knows what's expected of her. I LOVE IT! I'd like to say there's no catty fighting, there is...but it's not real drama, mostly just Fran's mom teasing people. And she's a sweetheart who would do anything for ya, just likes to act grumpy. Sorta like my Grandpa Glen.

I had more fun just working today than I've had at Hyland all year. I think no matter what job I end up with I'll still go in to visit with Fran and play with flowers on a regular basis (if she'll let me).

Scott had a good day too I think. All of his medical stuff has come back clear and he's ready to dive into his pilot training. He's also been able to ride his bike to work two days in a row. And today was payday! When I got home tonight he was planting vegetables in the back yard. I believe his plans for the weekend include puttering on the camper, flying, cooking experiments, and a little yard work. So should be a pretty good weekend for him.

I'll be at Tulip Tree, which should be fun too. And the paycheck won't hurt either. I really hope to hear back from the community college tomorrow. I would LOVE to get that job. But I'm not giving up if I don't get it. Something IS going to happen, and when it does it will be a good change of pace for me. Really it's kinda scary how happy I am in comparison to the last few months. I apologize profusely to all the people I've been whining to! I think I've learned not to let myself be put into that kind of situation again. I was not helpless, but the solution wasn't an easy one to stick with. And didn't make sense to me right up to the end. Giving up on things just isn't something I readily do. But it was right, and I'm SO glad I did it.

Oscar came to work with me this afternoon, there was a big boxer puppy there all day and they've had shop birds before so it was kinda fun to see how he acted with other people. He is definitely a Mama's Bird! Just fine with the dog (caged). And absolutely fearless of strangers, though he wasn't much of a talker till we got back in the car to come home. He sure didn't like it when I walked away where he couldn't see me though. Kept calling to me if I wasn't talking so he'd know he wasn't abandoned.

I prolly won't post again until Sunday or Monday, so no news is good news.
I'm gonna go get some down time and relax.

Happy Mother's Day to all.
-m

Much Ado

So it's been a while, and much has happened.

The drama at Hyland finally escalated to outright name calling. No professionalism, no actual management, just a bunch of immature and don't give a shit behavior. So I gave notice. And I can't believe how relieved I am. I should have stood up for myself long before now. Not like the $50 a week they were paying me came anywhere close to paying the bills. And now I don't have to wake up every other Saturday and spend the best part of my weekend twiddling my thumbs. Though I will miss the days I got to work with Joffree. Their behavior after I gave notice has only confirmed that I made the right decision. No matter what happens from here, this was the right thing to do.

Independent of that drama I've had a couple of interviews, and have spent a lot of my down time job hunting. Nothing solid yet. But I really hope I get the job I interviewed for today. It's a customer service job with the Community College. Keeping my fingers crossed, and I'll know by Monday.

Today I stopped in to visit Fran at Tulip Tree, I'm going to work a few hours there over the holiday. Should be fun.

Just watched Oscar unwrap a fortune cookie, he's way more interested in the wrapper than the cookie. Smart bird. Though he did try to have a bath in his water dish this afternoon (he does not fit) so maybe he's not such a smart bird. I think even the cat's were laughing at him.

Scott's been able to wear his leg more lately, hooray! He's gotten lots of our puttering projects done. At this rate we may be ready to dive into that bathroom remodeling project sometime soon...like next year...this is one of those times when both of us being gimps kinda sucks.
He's also been working on all of the medical tests he needs to get his pilot license. So far so good. I'm happy cuz he's healthy, he's happy cuz he can fly.

Looking forward to a motorcycle ride tomorrow. Hopefully I can pull a hundred miles and get comfortable riding long distance again. Or maybe I'll just go find a parking lot and practice my cornering skills...either would be good for me.

Scott just got home from work, I'd better go get started on dinner.

Ya'll enjoy the sunshine!
-m

Another Quick Note

I'm headed to Logan tomorrow. Yay. It's Mom's first big event since her surgery, so I'm going up to help her work her miracles. I'll try to get some pictures and post them...but no guarantees, usually by the time the arrangements are done I just want to curl up in a ball and sleep like a kitty.

Just my luck, I spent most of last night trying not to scream. One of my ribs is out of alignment (this is my non medical description) and is putting all kinds of pressure on nerves. Between the nausea and it being rather painful to breathe, I have not had a good day. But when Scott got home tonight he was able to pop what I think was the out of place bone, and now all I'm dealing with is the sore muscles. I hope! Isn't the human body an interesting machine. Scotty just found some of my soma while cleaning the kitchen. Yippee I thought I was out. That certainly helps me feel more happy shiny about tomorrow.

Went to dinner with Judy, Thom, & Russ. Good times. I honestly think we could have a good time with those guys just watching paint dry.

Oscar has just informed me that it is BIRDY SNUGGLE TIME. And after that I think I really will try sleeping like a kitty, that appeals more and more as I think about it.

Live Long & Prosper.
-m

quick note

I just got home from the dentist and half of my face is numb, so if something here doesn't make sense, that's why. I'm ever so slightly distracted. But I haven't posted in a while and want to catch up. Not that I'm certain anyone reads this, but it's cathartic for me to write things down

It was an interesting weekend. When we got to Antelope Island the campground was full, & the ranger was recommending Willard Bay, 15 miles north. So we went north. There were a few other campers, mostly tents, so we settled into a far corner. We usually try to camp away from the bathrooms, and away from the tent campers (sometimes for our noise, sometimes for their noise, that and tenters almost always means little kids, who can be down right nosy about the one leg and the parrot). The anti mosquito bat squad must still be in hibernation, and we'd forgotten to load firewood, so we didn't spend much time outside. It started raining during then night, and by the time we woke up we had the campground all to ourselves. I do feel bad for all the folk who had a miserable night, but it sure was fun to listen to the raindrops on the rooftop while snuggled safe and warm in bed. Saturday we trekked across the mud and climbed the edge of the lake....and then promptly climbed back down. Windy!!!! and not much to see. Not even any boats out puddling around. Scott took a short walk through the grass and came back with a soaking wet shoe. I stayed on the mud, and asphalt. We had fun watching birds and bugs for a while but quickly retreated to the camper. Good thing cuz the next time we looked out it was snowing. Spent several hours playing the farm game (Scotty won this time). And Oscar was all kinds of helpful.

I managed to tweak my back by walking into the camper slide while we were packing (genius I know) and so we came home early Sunday so that I could have kitty therapy. Don't know why, but being at home just feels better. I'll give the cat's credit.

Today I got to go to lunch with Russ. YAY! Funny how it's only been a few months but it's felt like forever! We went to Chin Wah and of course had Phoenix Chicken, and Russ agrees with me, their egg drop soup is weird, good, but weird. We did indulge our cruel selves a little by sending Scotty pictures of our food...I know it's mean, but it's not very often we get the chance to tease him like that. He'll get even. He always does. And then we'll find some new way to tease him. I'm looking forward to spending a little more time with those folk before they fly north. And then I'll be looking forward to going north to camp. Lots of looking forward to do.

My cheek is coming un-numb. I think I'll go try drinking water, when I tried it a while ago I spilled more than I swallowed.

Remember I'm pullin' for ya, we're all in this together.
-m

Let the sun shine!

Yesterday Oscar & I hung out in the back yard for an hour. It was lovely! He had a good chat with the wild birds (he's practicing how to do a quail call), and I fell asleep...and somehow sunburned the soles of my feet. I didn't know that was possible. With all my Lake Powell sunburns, I have never burned the bottoms of my feet. It is the most interesting sensation. Thank goodness I still have the burn turns to tan skin I enjoyed so much as a teenager. Anyhow, he jumped out of his bath tub, off of the table, and onto my head to wake me up before I burned more than my feet. Good Birdy. I sure am enjoying him having trimmed wings. He's still crazy, but less annoying.

Tonight while I was prepping camper meals (we're going to Antelope Island again this weekend) I called Royla and gave her some ham scraps. Next thing I know, Oscar jumps off his cage, waddles over there and starts pulling the scraps away from her and chasing her around. I expected her to be aggressive about it and go after him (she won't even let Spazzy steal her food), but she just kept ambling away and waiting till he got bored with it. Ham's not on his bad food list so I let him chew on it until he got bored. I'm still not leaving them together unattended, but I believe this is in fact proof that all the animals at my house are hopelessly confused. Yahzi thinks he's a baby, Spazzy thinks she's a superior being (she might be right), Oscar thinks he's a cat, and Royla...well I have a very hard time diagnosing her. And if they're that confused about themselves, I can't imagine what they think about their people. Good thing none of them have to survive in the wild. The standard response to danger at our house is to roll over and show your tummy. Well except for Oscar, he just bites the shit out of whatever's bugging him. Good strategy that, maybe I'll try it.

As I said we're camping again this weekend. Didn't have anything else planned, and couldn't come up with a reason not to. I think I enjoy these impromptu trips the most! Well impromptu in that we decided yesterday that we were going. Most people would consider any trip that involves a spread sheet NOT impromptu. But it keeps us efficient, and we don't bring home leftovers when I plan a menu & make a packing list. So whatever, I'll do what I want! As Scott says, years of Lake Powell packing have made me somewhat of an expert. That, and it's always a more pleasant trip when we don't remember three things we forgot on the way to the campground. Though the iron chef substitution moments are kind of fun in their own way.

Alright, I'm off to research blm land in utah and read Judy's blog.

Live long and prosper!
-m

An interesting day.

This morning when my phone reminded me to be to work my 9 I said No, I don't work Tuesdays, that has to be wrong. So I did another batch of laundry and kept looking for black dress shoes *Wow, I didn't have any*...and at noon I remembered to check my calender, I really WAS supposed to be there. CRAP! So I called, and they didn't know I was supposed to be there either. So no harm done...except to my wallet...oh well. I'd rather miss a shift when it's slow like this than be there trying to keep busy.

Went for my interview this afternoon...and it was interesting. I really hope I get the job I interviewed for yesterday or last week. Something just didn't feel right today. Yesterday was awesome. I think I'd much rather be there. But beggars can't be choosers, and I'm back out there applying for more jobs tonight. I really hope I can find a job that wants to hire me and I want to work at. I know that's asking a lot. But I try to put all the good I can into the world, some has to come back at me eventually.

Heard from Russ he's okay. Sounds like he's about as sore as me (been a bad week for my back), but he's coping and so am I. He told me about the cool museum they went to in Overton (NV) the Lost City museum (I think, there was phone issues) geological and historical (think Anasazi) exhibits from before they filled up Lake Mead. I think I'll add that one to my list of cool things to see.

Sounds like our nomad family had a frustrating trip north from Quartzsite. Muccuy (Judy's Quaker Parrot) was rejected from California, so they had to take a looooonnnng detour to get north. Good to know if we ever take Oscar with us. Guess Bawky Bird ain't ever gonna see the San Francisco Bridge...oh well. We'll leave him with Matt that trip. Or (I know this is gonna be Scotty's thought when he reads this) we'll fly in our private plane and make it a weekend trip. Holy crap does the very thought of that FEAK me out!

For those of you just checking in Mari DOES NOT LIKE FLYING! I'm just fine with the gliding along, but the up and down bits put me into shut down mode. Scott's instructor on Sunday offered to let me ride with them...NO...no I'm absolutely sure, NO. As Scott says, there's not enough prozac in the world. Well maybe there is, but there wasn't enough in me at that moment to make it anything other and a pretty good hyperventilation. Deffinitely gonna need some anti anxiety meds to get to where I can go places with him.

Oscar had his wings trimmed yesterday afternoon, and he is one sad little climbing bird today. He wants to fly, and the vet left him enough feathers to flap, but he just can't get any lift. Poor baby. I love it! no more chasing him all over. He is a much more humble creature. But still a brat. I expect his next trick to be riding the cats around the house to get where he wants to be...when he manages it I'll post a picture.

Gonna go watch the end of American Idol. No I'm not a fan, I just need to know when it's safe to bug the nomad family again (Judy's a fan). And maybe it will help me understand the play we went to at Desert Star last night American Fork Idol (was okay, but the Oleo was better than the rest of the show).

Ya'll enjoy this good weather we're having!
-m

Another Week Gone?

And feels like nothing to show for it. But there really is. Just nothing exciting.

I planted a bunch of seeds last Sunday, our kitchen window is filled with pots. If I haven't screwed up we should have catnip, mint, lavender, sweet peas, & plain ol grass.

I had the job interview Tuesday, it went well, I think (never can be sure). Haven't heard back from them. I've got two more lined up for Monday and Tuesday of next week. FINALLY! I am so relieved. Even if i don't get a job out of these interviews at least it's finally something. I am having a bit of a mental debate about rather I want a full time job or not. I hadn't considered it, but then I gave up and began applying for anything I qualified for, and one of these interviews is full time...so...but I'm pretty sure I can handle it...but mom isn't. I try not to listen to her when she's being insecure for me, but the seeds of doubt are sown.

Got to do funeral flowers for the Emmer family, don't want to use the term "fun" but it's always nice to exercise my floral skills when there's no overlord glaring over my shoulder. And I like helping friends out (though it in no way repays all the favors I owe them).

Work is winding up for mothers day...I'm trying to be excited. At least I'll get a few more hours worth of pay. Woohooo. Good grief I need a better attitude!

Scotty's got his first flying lesson tomorrow. My skin crawls even thinking about it. I am terrified that something will go wrong and he'll get hurt or killed. I know it's safer than mortorcycling but I freak out about that too (yes this does make me hypocritical because I love biking). I guess it's cuz it scared the hell out of me when he lost his leg and I'm not sure I could deal with anything like that again. So, I'll be doing the worry dance the whole time he's up there. But it's something he wants and I will NOT be the kind of wife who tells him what he can and can't do. I'll just be the kind of wife who quietly has a nervous break down while he's flying. Hopefully it's something I can get over eventually.

Oscar & I had a nice adventure in the sunshine today. He came outside with me while I did a little carving (stress management). He played all kinds of games with his knotty toy (his favorite cage toy) and told the wild birds all about what a good boy he is and what kitties say, and , and, and. I don't think the wild birds really appreciated his story, but he seemed to enjoy all their responses. Spazzy however did not enjoy our adventure. She guarded us from the back door the whole time we were outside. At one point she and Oscar had a very detailed meow conversation about how scary it outside is. From my clumsy human interpretation, he thinks outside is just fine, and she thinks it's terrifying and no one should ever go out there.

I'm worried about Yahzi's Uncle Russ. I haven't heard from him all day (that's unusual) and Judy's blog says he hurt his back this morning. Hurt backs are no fun! They're supposed to be driving north tomorrow so a hurt back could be all the more frustrating. Hopefully I hear from him soon. In the mean time I'll worry and send positive energy.

Mnkay, gonna go try to get some rest and try not to freak out about Scotty's plans for tomorrow. Wish me luck.
-m