Catch Up Time

I love reading everyone else's blogs, but never seem to have time to write on mine. So, here is a little catch-up information.

We had fun with our Japanese girl, Kimi. She went with us and our entire family to Zion Ponderosa Camp. I think she was a little overwhelmed with all of the people and children, but she seemed to fit in well. She went with her professor and the other 5 girls from Japan on a 3-day trip. While she was gone, I did the fastest ever scrapbook for her. It had about 30 pages and turned out quite well for as fast as I had to work on it.

I was also teaching at the U of U for that week. (I teach english to 14-year-old boys from Japan and then we go on field trips in the afternoon.) This was my 3rd year teaching. I had the highest ability group and the best classroom, so it went very well.

I also spent 2 wonderful days at the Scrapbook Expo here in Salt Lake. (I also spent way too much money.....) I wasn't going to go this year, but it just kept calling my name. It is my favorite thing to do. Rows and rows of scrapbooking stuff--most of it at amazingly low prices.

My grand daughter, Jasmine, had surgery to put a rod into her back to help with her scoliosis. I tended little sister Nyah for 2 days. I took her shopping. You can never start too young.....

I have spent the rest of September trying to undo all of the piles that have accumulated through-out my house (mostly scrapbooking piles). Mike trades product with a house-cleaning company and lucky me gets my house cleaned about twice a month. The best thing about it is that it makes us clean up for the housecleaners to be able to do their thing. I'm never quite sure what to do with myself when they come. I sort of hole up in my office and check out my emails or read the paper or try to find my desk...

And I can't believe that it is already October. Wow! Where did that summer go???

Our New Japanese Friend

On last Friday our new Japanese friend arrived to stay with us for about a month. Her name is Kimiko, but we call her Kimi. She is 21 and has finished 3 years of college. She is here to go to the U of U's English Language Institute. (ELI) She rides the bus to and from school. She is very smart, fun, and helpful. She is eager to learn our language. She has studied it in school since she was little, but there's nothing like on-the-job-training. Last night we were talking about some of our "idioms". It is hard to explain them. ("top of the street", "raining cats and dogs", "I'm bushed", etc.) Just stop and think about all the things we say that can have a totally different meaning. When she tries to look them up in her electronic dictionary, it just doesn't translate well. But we are all having a fun time.

And I am going to have to cook more often.

A Fun Day in the E.R.

On Tuesday, Aug. 12, I was having a "hitch in my get-a-long", meaning that my upper left leg was not functioning well. It was also kinda painful. But I decided that I just had to "walk it out".
I woke up Wed. with tons of things to do, still hurting-but managable, and did all and more of them. But, on Thursday, I couldn't even step on my left leg without excruciating pain. I called my doctor, but he wasn't working that day. His office suggested I go to an Instacare. (I think most doctors who work in instacare couldn't get a real doctor job, and thus don't trust their expertise.) Mike and Kevin gave me a blessing, so I knew that things would work out, but I wasn't sure what to do.

Mike was supposed to be leaving that afternoon on a well-planned out trip to the Zion Narrows, but he gave it up to take care of me. We were also expecting the arrival of a Japanese girl who will live with us for a month on Friday. I was panicing about how I would pick her up at the airport when I couldn't even get into the car. Mike to the rescue again.

Anyway, we finally decided on the ER and the new Intermountain Medical Center. We were there for 7 hours doing an xray, an MMRI, blood tests, heart monitor test, blood pressure, and no food or drink. They were ruling out spontaneous hip fracture. (It happens to women my age....) So the final diagnosis was Bursitis (inflamation of the sac around joints). I was sent home with 3 prescriptions (Percacet, Ibuprofin 600, and Prednisone pack--plus the recommendation of using ice packs on it.)

I woke up Friday about 1000% better, but still in pain. Today, Saturday, I am even better though not thoroughly done. Thank goodness for blessings, husbands, and doctors who know what they are doing.

One good thing about my unplanned illness is that I was able to get, read, and finish the second book New Moon in the series that I am reading while I sat in bed or on the couch recuperating.
Now I have to find me a copy of the third book.

As a side note, our Japanese girl came Friday. She was delivered to our house by the person who sets up the housing. Her name is Kimiko. We took her to dinner at golden Corral to see what she likes to eat. She eats very healthily--vegetables, fruit, no meat. Then we went to the grocery store to buy stuff she likes to eat. Today she and Mike took TRAX to the U of U to check out the campus so that she will be able to find her way around. And next we are taking her to Snowbird on the Tram. (She has jetlag and is napping right now.) She will be with us for a month while she studies English at the U of U in a special program with 6 other girls and their professor. Kimi speaks very good English. She is 21. We are looking forward to lots of fun with her.

Free the Fridge!!

Well, I just accomplished my every two year ritual. I cleaned out the fridge AND the freezer. My family will be happy to note that I got rid of all the out-dated stuff, including the gooey raspberry sherbert that was oozing out of the carton on the door of the freezer. MEMO TO FAMILY and SELF: Do NOT store icecream products in the door of the fridge!!! The really cool thing (no pun intended) about today's project was that I actually recognized every thing that I threw away. Tomorrow is garbage day, and I wanted to get things out before then. But I am afraid the RHODES ROLLS are going to expand and fill up the whole can. And the old meat will be defrosted and start to smell in the hot garage, so I think I will take it to the street early. Then I will watch the neighborhood wasp, bees, etc. buzz around it for the rest of the day.

I also decided to jump on the Vampire Bandwagon and bought the first book in the series (Twilight) at the airport in Seattle. I finished it by the next day. Now I have to go hunt down the next book and avoid any chatter about the 4th book so it doesn't spoil my quest. I have been missing Harry Potter. This series is nice in that all of the books are done and I won't have to wait two years (and forget all the details and characters) like I did with Harry Potter.

We spent 4 lovely days in Seattle in a beautiful hotel with two huge corner windows overlooking the city. It was Mike's CEO group--very fun to be with. We did the Pike's Market, a dinner cruise, and took naps almost every day. Very Relaxing. No cooking! FUN!

My Most Favorite Activity

We just threw some stuff in the car, grabbed the waverunners, and flew up the canyon to Jordanelle Dam to try out the waverunners before Mike's company party on Saturday. Hopping on the big waverunner (it's more stable) and sailing over the water is such a wonderful feeling. Being the middle of the week and about 4PM we literally had most of the lake to ourselves. It was a tiny bit rough to start out but soon became almost glassy. The sun was still out, the air was warm (not too hot) and I LOVED IT. I guess because my feet have hurt for ten years and slowed down my ability to get around much, getting on the wave runners gives me a great sense of independence and mobile freedom. We are so lucky to live close to so many opportunities like mountains and lakes.

Mindy and Michael were able to go with us and help us launch and stuff. They took Carson out for his first ride on the waverunners...and he fell asleep!

Well, it's been almost a whole month since I put something here. I spend my time reading everyone else's blogs and then don't take time for mine. July just kinda whizzed by, didn't it. Today would have been my mom's 94th birthday. I hope she's having fun. Do you think when we die we get to celebrate our death day????

We were able to attend the Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Osmond concert at the Conference Center this past week. It was so good. And then it was on tv again last night, so I got to relive it.
I have always been facinated by the Osmonds. They're amazing.

Mike hurt his back this weekend and was hobbling around like an old man. I was wondering, when do you go from "middle age" to "old". I think we are on our way. Whenever we try to "get fit" we end up hurting ourselves and going back several spaces.

Mike was out of town last week for one night and I stayed up til 3am scrapbooking. It was heaven. Then I slept in the next day, so I wasn't even tired. I think if I lived alone, I'd never sleep--it's such a waste of time. But then I'd be sick.

Oops!

Well, I learned something this morning that I really did not want to learn. I was in the fridge and saw my liquid egg carton and thought, "I don't remember putting away the real eggs I bought on Tuesday (today being Thursday), so I went to the car where I keep my cooler for cold stuff and there were the eggs, along with a gallon of now chunky milk and a gallon of warm orange juice. My disposal got a really nice snack. Oh, yeah, what I learned was (1) milk doesn't keep in the car for 2 days at 97 degrees, (2) I am getting forgetful or maybe too side-tracked (3) Now I have to go buy new milk and eggs. ( I know, you're thinking, I should have saved the milk for Ryan....)