Almost moving day

6 November 2009, 11:09 pm by Giggles
Categories: Life

Tomorrow we are moving my furniture. We’ve been moving boxes here and there for the last few months so that we don’t have to do it all at once. And it doesn’t even all need to be moved tomorrow since I have the apartment till the end of the month. So no stressing to pack and move and clean to add to all the other stress right now. One nice thing about the car accident was that the rental they gave me had a lot of cargo room, so in two trips I was able to move what would’ve taken probably at least 5 or 6 with just our cars. I loaded that thing down.

When I got the majority of my furniture I got it second hand from my uncle and aunt and it all fit in the back of one pick-up. We’d packed it in. Driving the truck back from Salt Lake to Orem it blew a tire. Which sent me into an anxiety attack. I’d borrowed the truck from a friend. I didn’t know where the spare was if there was one. And I was afraid I’d have to unload the whole truck there on the side of the freeway to change it.

I walked to a hotel and called some friends and they helped me out. Luckily because it was a duallie, and because it was one of the back tires that blew, it was still driveable, a blessing of six tires. Just not driveable by me at that point. So one friend drove me home and another friend drove the truck home.

I don’t have that much more furniture at this point, two more bookcases, a table I put the tv on, a bed, and a washing machine, I think are all the additional big pieces of furniture I have. We’ve asked the men in the ward to bring their pick-ups tomorrow and if three or four show up that should be enough to get the furniture. And if we can get that moved tomorrow then we’ll be just fine with the rest. If more show up I’ll start putting things in boxes quickly and we’ll reduce a few car trips we have to make.

I should probably go box up a few more things before calling it a night.

4 Shared thoughts

And make believe I have no problems

5 November 2009, 7:00 pm by Giggles
Categories: Exercise

So this week hasn’t been the greatest. The darn car has been a lot of trouble and phone calls and time. Hopefully the car will not be a problem any more after Friday, Monday at the latest.

Last night I took time in the evening right at sunset, a beautiful sunset, and went for a run so I could relax some, and also so I could “make believe I have no problems.” Running always feels that way to me. Of course I do still have problems. They’re waiting for me when I get back. But for those few miles, I have peace, and on occasion, I have actually solved a small problem or two by the time I get back. There’s something about your feet pounding on the pavement that either knocks things back into perspective or knocks them out of your life.

While I love the challenge of a long run, which is why I like marathons, the 5k is probably my favorite distance. Long enough to be worth your while, not so long that you have to do some serious planning before hand. Have shoes, running clothes, and keys, will run. Although in Tucson, depending on the time of year, it also requires water. I can go for speed and get it in under 24 minutes. Or I can just go and not worry about the time and just enjoy it. The 5k is a great distance. I just wish more races in Tucson weren’t on Sundays so I could race more of them.

2 Shared thoughts

Four names in three spots

4 November 2009, 5:29 am by Giggles
Categories: Random, Venting

When you fill out a form that has designated spots for your name, more than just a line that says “name,” it generally has one space for first name, one space for last name, and then a spot in the middle labeled “middle initial” or sometimes “middle/maiden name.” That’s all well and good and standardized, but what about people who don’t fit that mold?

My whole life this hasn’t really been a problem. But next week I’m adding a fourth name to my name. How do they expect me to fill out a form when I’ll have four names and they’ll only have three spots? Why does our society have to be so limited in our understandings of names? I’ve actually spent quite a bit of time trying to figure this out. And to be able to do it without hyphenating anything because I do not want any punctuations in my name.

There are several things I could do. I could just not use the middle name I’ve used my whole life and love and is a part of me. And I’m sure that’s what all those people who make the forms expect me to do. But that’s just lame.

I could say I have two last names. But then I’d run into the problem of people thinking they were hyphenated, which they won’t be, and it would mean I’d be listed differently alphabetically from my husband and that’s just weird for me because I like things to be neatly ordered alphabetically. So that’s not an option for me.

I could start listing my middle name with my first name, resulting in two first names. There might be some people who would imagine they were hyphenated as well, but probably less so than if I told people I had two last names. It wouldn’t mess with the alphabetizing. The only problem would be people who would think I’d want to be called by both. And while that was the plan when I was a baby, I changed that when I started talking and now only a few old aunts still call me by both.

But that’s probably what I’ll do on forms if I have to. If they give me only three spots to fill in my name then I’ll have two first names. If they give me a blank line to sign then I’ll have two middle initials.

Why can’t I just have my four names and be done with it?!?

1 Shared thought

That’s not on the list!!

3 November 2009, 8:47 am by Giggles
Categories: Venting

I’m a list person. I wasn’t always. But over the last several years I’ve discovered I stay much more sane if I have a list. I have my daily list of things I need to do. I have a list of all the sewing projects I have so I remember and actually sew them. I have a long-term list of things I need to do. I keep a grocery list as I run low on things so that when I’m in the store I know exactly what it is I need.

So when Brett and I got engaged this summer, I made a to-do list for what we needed to get done for the wedding. I broke it down by month and put only 4 or 5 things on it each month. It was a very manageable list. And I actually would’ve stuck to it last month except for the few things that weren’t on the list.42D

So now I have a list of things that I shouldn’t have to deal with right now. There are only three things on the list, but it’s still too long.

The first item on the list was my kidney stone in September. That was definitely not on the to-do list for this semester or for the wedding. But other than providing some funny stories and references for Brett and I, it hasn’t caused further delays.

Item #2 was some car problems last week. It was some bad timing, but by Tuesday evening it was all taken care of.

And now for item #3, this one again with the car. Friday, the 30th, I was out running wedding errands again. Oddly, I was heading towards the place where my car hadn’t started two weeks earlier. Some teenage boys jumped out into the street to cross the street in traffic rather than wait for the crossing signal and I quickly stopped so as not to hit them when suddenly I felt myself go forward, saw the kid in front of my car jump out of the way, and heard a real sickening sound from behind me.

Yup, add car accident to my list of things I shouldn’t have to deal with.

The kids disappeared and I pulled off to the side of the road and then on to a side street while the car that hit me did the same. The hood of her car was bent in half and her engine had been compressed. I was terrified what the back of my car would look like. I kept thinking that I’m supposed to drive to Utah in a week. I do NOT need that. But my trunk was fine. My car is driveable. My bumper will never be the same though. In fact I’m taking it back to the shop today so they can get to work on it. Her car had pretty much gone under my car. Score one for the Ford Taurus!

Because we weren’t injured and we weren’t blocking traffic we were classified as a non-emergency. And so we sat there for more than an hour till the police arrived to fill out the paper work for us. Having nothing better to do, we got to talking. She expressed gratitude several times that I wasn’t the type to yell at her for hitting me.

During the course of our conversation it came up that I’d been a teacher up in Utah. She asked me how I got along with all the Mormons there. I told her I was one. She said she’d never met one before. I told her now she had. Some times my life is just weird.

The cops came and did their thing. There was another rear-ending accident about 100 yards down the street while they were there. And I was finally able to go do the errand I’d set out to do in the first place.

Saturday it was an hour or so on the phone with various insurance people. And then more phone calls yesterday.

Here’s a picture of her car.

And here’s a picture of my car.

I think three things is plenty of things to deal with that aren’t on the list. No more things can be added!

Update: So, I’m glad I’ll be changing insurance companies by the end of the month. It took them five hours to call me back today! I took my car down to my mechanic this evening (after my insurance company FINALLY got back to me) and they said they didn’t do body work but the guy right down the block did. So I went to the guy right down the block and told them I was in an accident and who my insurance was but that the other lady’s insurance would be covering it. Wouldn’t you know, guy down the block is a shop for other lady’s insurance! So they’ll do the paper work and the calls and get me a rental and bill them and all of that for me! I walked out and thought it was a small miracle considering how insurance frustrated I’d been walking in. I told them I’m leaving town next Tuesday and need to take the car with me. So they’re having me drop the car off Thursday morning and I should be able to pick it up Friday.

4 Shared thoughts

Books! Yup yup yup yup yup

2 November 2009, 11:52 am by Giggles
Categories: Books

I’ve seen two things on the internet lately about books that I thought I’d share.

Remember discovering reading and books?

Books have always been a part of my life. I always have a book with me. I’m always in the middle of at least one, usually more. The first piece of furniture I bought after leaving home was a bookcase. I love the feel of a new book, the smell of it, the sound of it. Old books have a certain charm as well. Books are the ultimate in portable entertainment, especially since the require no batteries, no cords, just enough light to see them.

I saw the martians discovering books recently and it made me smile.

The second thing made me smile in a different way.

Nina Sankovitch set out to read one book every day for a year (A Quest to Read a Book a Day for 365 Days – The New York Times). I haven’t reached that point in my reading yet, but averaging a book a week last year was a fun adventure for me. I read some things I might not have grabbed before. Trying to read through the alphabet right now is also a fun adventure for me as I try to think of things to read for each letter.

Reading, it’s not just for school! Kids and adults can like it too. 😀

1 Shared thought

The power of one

1 November 2009, 11:11 pm by Giggles
Categories: Gospel, Musings

More than 10 years ago I watched a movie called “The Power of One.” And then I found out it was based on a book and so I read the book. It’s a deeply powerful and often difficult to watch story about the difference one person can make in the world. One of my favorite quotes comes from the movie, “Little beat big when little smart, first with the head, and then with the heart.”

Sometimes we might be tempted to say that we’re only one person. Or that it’s only one day. Or just once won’t make a difference. But I think back to all the “ones” that made such a difference in my life. The one class I took that inspired me. The one friend I had who challenged me. The one act of service that gave me hope. And at the same time, the one second too late on the brake that could’ve prevented an accident. The one step too far that resulted in an injury. The one time too many.

One person, one moment, one act, can make a difference. I think of One who gave all so that one by one we can be blessed. I love the scriptures in the Book of Mormon that talk about how Christ took the time with each person, “one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets that should come” (3 Nephi 11:15). And then later when he “took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them” (3 Nephi 17:21).

Sure I may just be one person. One collection of atoms in the whole universe. But I am known as one. And we should never underestimate the power of one moment, of one person.

2 Shared thoughts

Happy Halloween!! v. 2009

31 October 2009, 7:01 am by Giggles
Categories: Happy Things, Quilting/Sewing/Knitting/Crafting

It’s Halloween! Here’s the story of this year’s costume(s).

This year I decided to do a slight twist on a past costume.

Three years ago some friends had a comic themed party and I went as Rose’s alter ego Vicky from the comic strip “Rose is Rose.” We all have a bit of alter ego in us, right? (Except, perhaps I have more than one, but that’s another story.)

Two years ago for Halloween I decided I wanted to be a super hero and wear a cape. So I created a new super hero, the Nighthawk, and had fun with that. (There I go with another alter ego.)

For a couple of reasons, I decided this year I wanted to do the biker ego again, but I liked the bottom half of my super hero costume for it better. Except, that particular costume, for some reason, is not with all my other costumes. But, no worries.

After finally getting home yesterday from quite the eventful afternoon (story to come next week, but the short version is – I’m fine, the car works, but the bumper might need some work), I whipped out another skirt from some fabric I had in my stash. I pulled out the braids I’d had in all day, worked out a tattoo, and I was set.

Brett came over and we tied a bandanna on his head and he was good to go.42D

We make this look good. 8)

Last year we had to do a close-up picture of Brett’s name tag. This year it’s a close-up of my “tattoo.”

Today I’m wearing some black and white stripped knee socks and an orange shirt with a ghost on it that says “Trick or Treat.” If I do go out somewhere I’ll probably grab last year’s witch’s hat. But I’m going to try to not go anywhere today, because of just how well that worked for me yesterday.

Well, tonight we’re going out. If we dress like burritos our favorite burrito place will give us free burritos. We’re going to get some emergency blankets to do that. But I’m not driving.

11 Shared thoughts