The Goomba Shoe

Farewell...

2012-02-08T14:12:00.002-07:00

...to our apartment!!! And hello to Farewell Street! We've purchased a little yellow house on Farewell Street here in Lewistown and will be moving in this weekend. I promise I'll take pictures and such when we get settled. We've been cleaning and painting for the past few days. We're soooooo happy to have our first real house with no shared walls and even a little garage. Hooray!!

Montana Winter Fair

2012-01-28T20:56:00.004-07:00

HAZAH! So for the first time ever, I decided to enter something I made in a fair. Today and yesterday, Lewistown hosted the Montana Winter Fair. I entered Matilda's blessing dress into the Fiber Arts competition. I also had a little booth of things for sale. I made a few sales and special orders. Best of all, I won "Best in Show" for the dress, and received as my prize an AWESOME wool (local sheep) rug that is crocheted and felted. All of the spectators were also invited to vote for their favorite entry for the "People Choice Award" which I was also very fortunate to receive! The prize was an adorable basket with several skeins of wool yarn, and lots of little sheep-themed goodies. I had a wonderful time and feel more "Montanan" than ever! :)

The Blessing Dress & Ribbon

My two awesome prizes: The rug & basket of goodies.

My little display table

YouTube-alicious

2012-01-20T22:54:00.003-07:00

Baby Mobile

2012-01-16T11:28:00.004-07:00

So a year ago it was cakes, then baby crafties, then just baby. Well, no cake here, but a new little baby crafty. :)

Photo update

2012-01-08T17:44:00.001-07:00

Hi Matilda fans! I thought you might be interested in some of her latest photos. I've added them to an old album, so skip what you've seen. Thanks for all the love!!! Album here.

Christmas

2011-12-31T12:44:00.007-07:00

We all had a really nice little Christmas this year. It was the first year ever that I didn't open presents until the PM hours!! Tilly had a nice day, and we all enjoyed talking to family. Here's a few pictures:

The "after presents" nap

YAY! New toys! (She's pretty coordinated, she can play the piano with her feet!)

Matilda's Blessing Day

2011-12-04T21:14:00.003-07:00

Our little Matilda was a perfect angel for her blessing today. We were so happy that Grandma and Grandpa could come. I was so happy the dress I slaved over for days and days fit. And we were all glad to enjoy some pinochle, even Tilly. It was a great weekend!! See blessing pictures here.

Catching Some ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ......

2011-11-13T21:13:00.003-07:00

"Whoa..I ate a lot..."

"I don't want to have a nap."

And this pretty much speaks for itself...

Tub Time!

2011-11-09T22:59:00.003-07:00

Matilda's first bath in her new tub. Check out that tummy!

First day at church

2011-11-06T14:41:00.006-07:00

Hello Matilda fans! Thanks for joining us today. Matilda made it through sacrament meeting, sort of...and was admired by many in her new little yellow dress that her mommy made. We also tried out the video on our new camera. :)

Matilda Grace Hardy

2011-10-17T12:40:00.006-06:00

She's here! Our little Matilda Grace was born on Saturday, October 15th, 2011 at 2:20pm. 8 pounds, 2 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. We are so pleased to have her here! Things are a little disorganized right now so I just put a whole bunch of photos on a picasa album. Feel free to go have a look if you wish. We'll be updating more soon!

Photos Here

Produce Hats

2011-10-13T20:19:00.001-06:00

Not the best picture. They look better in real life! :)

Due Date

2011-10-12T19:14:00.003-06:00

So today was my due date. No baby yet. Oh well. I made a cute hat and started a crocheted onesie. Maybe I just haven't made anything to her liking yet. I guess I'll keep trying new ones until she picks out one she likes! ("It sounded more plausible than Birdseye")

More Baby Crafties

2011-10-09T23:41:00.004-06:00

So I'm sitting around waiting for something BIG to happen, haha. I'm back to my crafting ways of course. I finished all the crochet on the blessing set, (dress, bonnet and booties), so all I have left to do is add the ribbons and roses. HOORAY!! I also did a hat and some legwarmers this weekend.

Mom made the adorable little booties and gave me the extra yarn, with which I did the hat. :)

Little legwarmers. I modified a pattern I found online. They wanted me to use buttons, which I didn't have, so I went for pom poms. (They open a bit at the bottom and top to help get them on). I have no idea how long little legs are, so we'll just have to see if they fit when she gets here! YAY! :)

"I would like to see Montana.."

2011-09-29T16:25:00.007-06:00

"Then I will live in Montana. I will marry a round American woman, I will raise rabbits and she will cook them for me. And I will have a pickup truck."

Well, here we are in Montana, and I have never been this round in my entire life. I don't think our landlord would look favorably on us raising rabbits, and the Jetta will just have to do for now. But we are so pleased to be here! Lewistown is a pretty small little place in the middle of the state, frankly in the middle of no where.

Abram is really enjoying his work as a Deputy Public Defender. He has a great boss and gets to travel around to various locations in the surrounding counties. His office is right downtown, about a 5 minute walk from our apartment.

The Bank Electric Building. Abram's office is on the 4th (top) floor.

Probably the coolest building in town, the courthouse/county building. Abram goes here frequently for hearings and the like.

Main Street and the beautiful mountains. :)

Anyhoo, we're still settling in and of course getting ready for the (hopefully) soon arrival of Little Miss. I've been to the hospital a few times to meet with my new doctor. It's a great little facility. The OB department was so excited to meet me and they gave me a little tour of their labor and delivery rooms. (Yeah, there are TWO!!)

Our ward here is WONDERFUL! They came the very first night we were here to help us move in, and the sisters are insisting on throwing me a little baby shower. We're very happy to be here and to get to know the area and the people better. I'll try to do my best to keep posting to let everyone know what we're up to. Needless to say, the next big thing will of course be Little Miss. She's practically here!!! :) Miss you all!

Onesies

2011-08-21T20:32:00.003-06:00

So I've designed a few embroidery patterns for Onesies. I've finished two so far.

No explanation needed here, really. ;)

Abram (and I have to say I agree) has insisted that no Cougar fan can wear a pink Y on anything. So I did this one for game day. :)

Carrier Cover

2011-08-01T21:55:00.003-06:00

This was a fun little project I picked up at the Sew 'N Save with Mom. It should be called Sew 'N Spend, but oh well. I love how it turned out!

The top layer is a cream with a cute paisley pattern, and green rick rack trim.

The underside is a cute pink polka dot.

I couldn't resist these cute buttons!!!

Little Miss will be traveling in style! :)

Baby Quilt

2011-07-30T14:12:00.003-06:00

"Daddy! Daddy! My woobie ripped!!"
"Kenny, maybe it's time to get rid of the woobie"
"No! No! No!!!!!!!!!!!"

Mom and I made made this adorable little quilt for Little Miss on Thursday. We couldn't resist these super cute fabrics!! YAY!!! Thanks Mom!

We didn't actually piece the top ourselves. Oh well! No one needs to know....

Detail of the squares. We especially like the fuzzy pink squares.

And yellow with polka dots on the back. HOORAY!!

Purple Quilt

2011-07-21T17:23:00.004-06:00

So I took a few days off from making baby stuff and made something for me! I'm especially glad that Mom helped (did more than 50% of the work for sure). It was also nice that she has super nice quilt frames! We're certainly beginners, but this flannel wonder is all about snuggle appeal!! Thanks again and again Mom! (And Dad for being our cabana boy by bringing us drinks and attending to our every need)

With flash...(note the awesome green quilt behind that Mom did for our wedding!)

Without flash, not sure which looks better.

About 27-28 Weeks

2011-07-17T16:59:00.004-06:00

And about 12 more to go!!
"So much time and so little to do!"

Baby Crafties

2011-07-05T22:20:00.004-06:00

So I don't usually cross-stitch, but I thought I'd do a little for the baby room. Don't get too excited, I didn't do all three of these this past week, just the middle one, haha. A good friend of mine gave me a vintage Strawberry Shortcake pattern book 8 or 9 years ago. It was back then that I completed Strawberry herself. About 3 years ago I started Almond Tea, who was always my favorite, after Strawberry of course. I finished that one about a year ago. I decided to add the "Cutie Pie" to complete a cute little ensemble for baby's wall. Please forgive all the wrinkles. I haven't bothered to iron yet. Now back to crocheting her blessing dress! :)

Almond Tea & Marza Panda

I modified this pattern from one in the book. I took out the characters and added the strawberries.

Strawberry Shortcake & Custard

Purple Caps

2011-06-23T12:49:00.005-06:00

Hi everyone. My mom invited me to take part in making baby caps to spread awareness and help prevent abuse. You may have heard of "purple crying." Anyway, this organization is trying to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome, a very worthy cause, and the donation project definitely appeals to those of us crafty people out there. Go to this site for details about cap specifications and where to donate. You can knit or crochet, and the caps must be at least 50% purple, any shade.

I made about a dozen of these from one skein of yarn. Let me know if you'd like the pattern. I modified a free pattern I found online here. If you knit, try this site. Thanks and good luck! :)

Little Miss Sunshine

2011-05-29T19:46:00.006-06:00

So we were very excited to find out this last week that we will be having a little girl this coming October! YAY!! We anxiously await our Little Miss Sunshine! (And yes, we've stopped referring to her as Admiral Ackbar, though I'm sure she didn't mind.)

Almost 20 weeks...only HALF WAY!!

A picture of a picture, so please forgive the fuzziness. This picture shows baby's face, little tummy and curled up legs. You can see her head and eyes pretty well here. :)

My first project completed for our Little Miss Sunshine! :)

Trip to Seattle

2011-03-28T11:58:00.002-06:00

We had a great time in Seattle visiting Abram's family this past week. We went to Port Townsend, Friday Harbor (San Juan Island), Pikes Market, out to Wenatchee to visit his brother, the Seattle Zoo and to a Bonsai Garden. We had a wonderful time!

Pictures HERE

And a little video of Abram feeding the seal in Friday Harbor:

Moochie

2011-03-02T09:30:00.006-07:00

We lost our sweet little Moochie last night. He was such a wonderful friend. He was a very OCD little rattie, always maintaining a very organized food storage and getting frustrated when Butters would raid it. He usually liked to keep to himself, but wouldn't mind snuggling with me every now and then. In his last months, he was a very brave little soul. He went through a rough time getting a lump removed and wearing the Cone of Shame for a whole month. After that, he was as sweet as sweet can be, and spent lots of time on my lap, shoulder or in my arms during his last weeks. We're happy he's at peace now, and I'm sure he and Butters are somewhere enjoying a sweet reunion. We'll miss you little Mooch!

SOOOO little!

Sweet face

Snackies

Snuggies with Butters

Snuggies with Mom

Mr. Wizard

The Cone of Shame :(

SOOOO hyper!

Having snackies

Slightly Selfish...

2011-02-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

So yeah, trying to win discounted hairdo from my favorite stylist. Hazah!
Steph the Stylist: {GIVEAWAY}: "Enter to win HALF off a brazilian blowout treatment, or a cut and a color! Both are a $75 dollar value, you get to choose! Entering is eas..."

Packers Cake

2011-02-06T22:07:00.002-07:00

In the end, I really wished that it had been real cheese. Oh well. Glad the Packers had a good day. :)

The Cone of Shame :(

2011-01-12T18:51:00.004-07:00

Poor little Moochie. He had to have a lump removed this past Friday. He did great through his surgery, but is having a less than fun time dealing with his E-collar and the little cage. We've had some fun times trying to help him eat and get used to not being able to use his hands. I think he especially misses being able to groom. He's always such a neat little critter. Hopefully he won't have to have the cone on for more than about 5 more days.

A little bit crazy...

Doesn't he look kind of like a little pioneer girl? The harness is to keep his little hands from being able to push off the cone.

I know this shot is a little blurry. But you can see his shaved hip and stitches. He has been a really brave little rattie. :)

Butters

2010-09-16T22:27:00.011-06:00

We lost our sweet little Butters last night. It was hard to say goodbye. He was a wonderful little friend and brought so much happiness to our home. Here's a few little pictures to remember him by. We'll miss you Bubbins!

The second night after we brought him home with us. SO LITTLE!!

One of his favorite past-times. Chillin' with Dad.

"Snuggles" with Moochie.

With Grandma.

He was hopeful the camera was a snackie...

If there was one thing Butters was good at, it was being oh so LAZY!

With Moochie. They were a regular Oscar & Felix, but still loved to be together.

And a little video from his more "athletic days."

Let's Go Cougars...

2010-09-02T21:53:00.003-06:00

So you thought this post was going to be about football, right? Well if you've followed this blog for the past year, you will know that the only thing I ever blog about is cake. Unfortunately, this post is no exception. Football season is here at last, and we decided some sweet celebration was in order...

Bake Sale Cakes

2010-06-05T11:02:00.004-06:00

Autumn's work participated in a child abuse awareness fair and she asked me to donate some cakes for the bake sale. Here they are!

Another chocolate rose cake.

My first real attempt with fondant and gum paste.

Graduation Vacation

2010-05-11T11:17:00.003-06:00

So Abram has finally finished law school and we had a great time taking nearly two weeks off! We visited Monterey, San Francisco, Medford, Hillsboro & Astoria. It was a great break. Here's some photos. I never do take enough photos. But we did have a nice relaxing break. :)

Happy Birthday Abram

2010-03-20T16:36:00.001-06:00

Happy #27 Abram! We haven't actually done much celebrating yet because he's been working on a monster paper all week, but we're going out tonight. He did make a little time for carrot cake last night though. It was nice to take a break from baskets and flowers, but I must say, this is one of my more ghetto cakes. Oh well. It's the flavor that counts on this one! ;)

On the back of our Jetta, there's a sticker that says "Whiptastic Handling." Yeah, Whiptastic. ;)

Taking a break from paper writing for cake and presents.

Butters was thrilled. Have you ever seen a more lazy ratty?

Cake O.D.

2010-03-10T21:19:00.003-07:00

Okay. So I thought I'd be done with cakes for a while, at least until Abram's birthday next week. Rewind a little to this last Sunday. The Relief Society President was announcing the activity for Wednesday, a talent night. Alice, the 2nd counselor, pipes in...."They'll be refreshments too!" Then she nudges me and says, "How would you like to bring some of your cake decorating for your talent?" Alice is great. :) So I did two more cakes. It seems like my whole kitchen is covered in frosting. Oh well. The daisy cake is a little out of focus for some reason. Anyhoo...I promise I'll find something else to blog about someday. :)

Basket Cake

2010-03-03T22:22:00.006-07:00

Well, here it is, the one thing I have to show for Wilton Course 2. We spent 3 weeks learning different kinds of flowers: daisies, roses, daffodils, mums, apple blossoms, violets and primroses. (Pansies too, but I didn't put them on this cake). And tonight we learned the rope border and the basket weave techniques. Now if only it could start looking like this outside, eh? :)

Squishy!

2010-02-27T13:30:00.005-07:00

Just for fun...

Icing Roses

2010-01-28T22:30:00.004-07:00

Well, here it is, the result of the final class of Wilton Course 1. We learned how to do roses tonight. I was really nervous about it, but it turned out to be a lot easier than I thought. Now I know they're not perfect, but much better than I had expected. I start Course 2 in February. It has been so fun!! :)

And my lovely cake decorating cohort, Ashley! :)

Cupcakes!

2010-01-21T22:06:00.006-07:00

So hey! I don't know why this is underlining everything, but I decorated these lovely cupcakes in class tonight. Yeah, Abram looks a little funny. But hey, I'm just a beginner. Enjoy!

Cake, Curtains and Sunday Night Funsies!

2010-01-18T11:27:00.007-07:00

Hooray! Things are going pretty well here. I completed my first cake class assignment and the curtains for the kitchen. We also had an awesome time last night at the Barker's in Stansbury. We had fun playing Wii and dining on some delectable porcupine meatballs. HAZAH!!

The classic Super Mario Fire Flower!

I finally finished the curtains for the kitchen! :)

Colby getting ready to throw.

SWING!!

It's all in the wrist.

I sure do miss those snappy stinky shoes!!

Colby Man bowling

Playing Tennis

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T20:02:00.006-07:00

We had a wonderful New Year's party this year. Lots of food, friends and fun. Mom, Dad, Baron, Brie, Autumn, Leslie, David, Michele and Kory were all in attendance. It's he most packed house we've had yet, and it was great! Special thanks to Mom for her most excellent quiches and Hawaiian meatballs, not to mention the 2009 charade game. Also thanks to Autumn and Leslie for the queso and fresh guacamole. Delish! We had fun playing Wii Bowling, charades, and a crazy 3-player Super Mario. Unfortunately I only took about 3 pictures. Oh well. Thanks to all for coming and we hope that 2010 is a good year!!

David bowling

Dad charade-ing

Christmas Decorations '09

2009-12-12T00:12:00.008-07:00

So here it is! My first ever attempt at a homemade gingerbread house. Indeed, a little overdone, but I just couldn't help myself!

Our chubby little tree. And there's even some presents under there!! YAY!!

Even the boys have gotten festive. I took this shot before I realized that Joseph had apparently passed out.

After I helped Joseph up.

The classic Rudolph clings. "I want to be a dentist!"

The stockings I just finished. Names still pending, though I'm sure you can figure out who gets the little ones, hehehe. :)

The mini tree on the tv. Hey, it has presents too!

I added two names to the advent tree too. Hooray!

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T11:59:00.005-07:00

We had a great time at Baron & Donette's Halloween party. There was great food and lots of fun, not to mention some great costumes!!
Baron & Donette: the perfect established 50's couple
Mom & Dad: a gumball machine and penny
Brie: hula girl
Colby: Thomas the Train
Airie & Abram: Butters and Moochie
Thanks for all the fun!! :)

Haircut and Snuggle Bugs

2009-09-27T19:40:00.013-06:00

I whacked off about 6 inches of my hair. Hazah. And here's more more pics of the fuzzlets.

THE BIRD!!!!

2009-08-14T14:47:00.006-06:00

So I've found so little to blog about in the last few months, (well, mostly I've just been busy and haven't bothered to take pics of the new place yet...sorry! Those ARE coming, I promise!), I'm proud to announce that I have an amazing story for everyone:

Yesterday morning, I awoke to a metal scratching sound in the house. At first I thought that the ratties had somehow constructed some sort of "rudimentary lathe" and were attempting their Great Escape. But when I walked into the living room, they were both asleep, and somewhat annoyed at my waking them. I went back to bed thinking it was our upstairs neighbors or something. But the noise persisted, and I realized it was coming from the hall closet that contains our furnace and water heater. By this time, Abram was up and we discovered to our chagrin, as we peered into the dark closet, a feather sticking out of the furnace. Oh no...there was a bird in our furnace! We spent the next hour taking pieces of ducts apart, trying to get the poor thing out, which looked horribly wedged and frightened. Finally, we gave up, knowing we had to get to work. So we closed the closet and left. I called an HVAC guy that said he could come by later that afternoon. "The bird will die!" I kept sobbing, and could think of little else during the day. Well, the maintenance guy never made it. Apparently his previous appointment went too long or something. So we went home determined that by hook or by crook, that poor bird, dead or alive, would be freed from our furnace.

We opened up the closet when we got home, and couldn't hear anything as we tapped on the ducts. "It's dead," we said quite soberly, and Abram left for his bishopric meeting, stating that he would fix everything when he got back. I went to the kitchen to drown my sorrows in doing the dishes. Then I noticed a little feather on the floor. "That's strange," I thought, and as I continued around the house, I noticed SEVERAL feathers and little turds in various places. OH SNAP!!! The bird was IN the house somewhere! I can't imagine how it got under the furnace closet door, but upon inspection, I found a little feather stuck to the bottom of the door; a serious Houdini move! I called Abram, who was luckily able to come home, and we began to search every nook and cranny of the house for the little escape artist. Autumn and Leslie came over to help too. At long last we realized that our feathered (so-called) friend had found its way into the swamp cooler. Unfortunately, we couldn't get it out from the outside. We had to get it to come back into the house first. We coaxed it up to the front vent, turned on the cooler, and the air rushing up behind it convinced it to poke its little head out. He looked at us as if to say "Oh hello!" I was by this time quite unsympathetic, and was wondering why I had every shed any tears over this bird. It at last flew out of the vent, circled around the kitchen, landed on my dish rack, and then at last out the patio door. GOOD GRIEF!! What a special bird, and what a bizarre adventure. We're not sure what kind of bird it was, but it was similar to the one in the picture here. I would have to say one of the funniest parts of this whole ordeal was Moochie and Butters. They were peacefully asleep nearly the whole time as if to say, "Oh well, another boring day." It's hard to imagine what kind of excitement would get them out of bed in the afternoon. :)

Probably Mortgaged to the Eyeballs...

2009-05-18T18:58:00.002-06:00

Greetings oh ye faithful souls that still follow the happy little bouncing goomba inside his green shoe. Life for the Hardys is exceptionally sweet right now. We just had our offer accepted to buy a condo here in Provo. We are ridiculously stoked and can't wait to more than double our square footage, not to mention upgrading from a 3/4 bath to a FULL! We will truly be living in luxury. We'd also like to take this time to thank the government (don't get used to it) for giving us $8000 just for getting a loan much larger than we've ever had before. Oh goody.

Don't worry, there WILL be a condo-warming party and all sorts of other funsies coming in July. For now, you can check out the photos if you wish. Keep in mind that is not OUR furniture in those pics. I'm almost ashamed to take all our mis-matchings with us, but it will be home all the same!

Pics: http://500westprovo.blogspot.com/

HAZAH!!

Aww...

2009-04-29T10:58:00.003-06:00

Bend It Like Brie

2009-04-29T10:21:00.006-06:00

So! We got to visit Donette, Brie and Colby Friday night for pizza, funsies and a sleepover. Saturday morning, though cold and rainy, brought Brie's soccer game. Ah yes, the mighty Dragon Snakes. Though the other team was somewhat lacking in sportsmanship, quite sad for being only 6 years old, it was fun to see them all chase after the ball. And Coach Donette did a great job too. "What a coach." ;) We had a great time!!

Can you see the light?

2009-04-09T17:27:00.003-06:00

So I heard something really funny today. I thought I'd share:

***NOTICE***

Due to the rising costs of electricity, gas and oil, as well as current economic conditions, the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off.

**************

Order in the Court

2009-03-31T11:25:00.006-06:00

"We the jury find the defendant NOT GUILTY."

So we had a really fun time (well, I did, ha ha) last night in Salt Lake. Abram's been taking a class this semester called Criminal Trial Practice, taught by a Federal District Judge here in Utah. Well, he had his final last night. A big fat mock criminal trial, (almost 3 hours long!!), and we got to use the judge's court room in Salt Lake! Abram represented the defendant, a man on trial for armed robbery and murder. I got to play a witness, the defendant's wife. I felt like I was in an episode of Law & Order, though, unfortunately, Jack McCoy was not present. :( Abram did an excellent job and the prosecution was tough! But when the verdict came back (a group of undergrads from a Sociology class came to be the jury), the defendant was found not guilty. It was quite a dramatic night, and Abram is just relieved to have one of his finals over with! :)

The Frank E. Moss Federal Courthouse, Downtown, SLC

Moochers Manor

2009-03-31T10:20:00.010-06:00

So it's finally finished! B & M have moved into their new home, Moochers Manor. We found a used book case with display (framed glass) doors that was perfect for the project. We knocked out the glass and Abram attached some coated wire mesh to the doors. We also drilled holes between the levels. Then came the fun part: decorating and accessorizing! This was primarily my job. Each level features custom "carpeting" made from fleece. I attached velcro to the shelf and the fleece so that the boys couldn't pull up the carpet.

Level One: The top level features a big igloo they use for sleeping and hiding snacks. They like to stuff it full of tissue and paper towels as well. There is also a fleece climbing rope and a nice hammock, which for some reason they haven't used much yet. This was their favorite spot in the old cage. Well, maybe someday. I also put in a litter box here, hoping that they'll learn to use it!

Level Two: The middle level connects to the top by way of a wooden ladder and is primarily the "kitchen." I put in food dishes and a water bottle. Another fun feature is a section of pvc pipe they like to sneak around in. I also put in a corner hammock, but I think it's already too small for them.

Level Three: The bottom level is like a rec room. We added a shelf to the side for a step down. I put in a plastic box filled with fleece scraps for digging, a large brick for nail filing, and a slanted fish bowl, for more digging. They love to kick and throw things everywhere down there!

Level Four: We kept the glass in the bottom door, and I use it for storage. (In the photo I hadn't yet put the stuff in there yet). But I keep food, snackies, litter and the second set of "carpet" down there.

The boys are REALLY enjoying the bigger space and are getting a lot more exercise now. A special thank you goes out to the Dapper Rat (http://www.dapper.com.au/index.htm) for their instructions and inspiration with their cage, "The Grotto." Check it out. It's amazing! Now I just wish I could build on to our apartment to make more space for us!! :)

Butters on level 1

Moochie on level 2 (Can you see Butters' nose through the hole up top?)

And Moochie on level 3

Abram's Birthday & More Ratty Fun

2009-03-18T09:58:00.018-06:00

A very happy 26th birthday to Abram!!! We had an average day at the office, but they had cake for Abram there. Yeah! We enjoyed a nice evening at home. We grilled steaks and I made Abram's favorite carrot cake. This year's model was a chess board. Please ignore the lettering. I miscounted on the white blocks. Oh well! We had a great night!

And here are some more pics and movie clips of the boys. They are getting so BIG!! We're working on constructing a bigger, funner cage for them. But as of right now, they're enjoying the little playground we set up on the table. They love climbing up on the cage and running through the fleece tubes. We've also had fun hiding treats in spots that are tricky to get to. We are so impressed with how smart they are! :)

2009-02-28T23:33:00.002-07:00

Abram and Butters checking out cars part online.

My first original crochet design!!

2009-02-24T10:03:00.003-07:00

So I was browsing online at a yarn/crochet pattern website, and I happened upon a cute pattern for some crocheted cotton curtains. The whole thing came in a kit with the pattern and yarn. But it was a little pricey, as those things often are. So I decided to design my own. I mean, how hard could it be? So with a few 50% off coupons in hand, I went to Roberts and got some yarn. Unfortunately, the Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn only came in white, cream and Christmas varigade in the big spools. I was kind of hoping for something a little more exciting, especially for my very white kitchen, but oh well. We won't live here forever. Using a bit of other yarn from a previous project (if any of you have seen my huge yarn box [and the yarn overlow basket, hehe], you're not surpised I had some scrap to work with), I spent some time experimenting. Thanks to that doilie book I got at Powell's 2 years ago, I used my diagraming skills to draw out the different ideas. I then translated it into the standard pattern form, which who knows if it makes sense, but it does to me. I completed them Sunday night and they're now hanging in my now even whiter kitchen. Hooray! If anyone's interested, I'll share the pattern here. I'd like to take this opportunity to say that I am a little proud of myself, having finally designed something myself. I'm trying hard to live up to the nickname Donette gave me: "The Yarn Whisperer." :)

Crochet Curtain Pattern

Materials:
G Hook
Cotton yarn (i.e. Sugar & Cream)
Silk Ribbon (Optional)

*Rows 1 – 5 = Stripe A, Rows 6 – 10 = Stripe B

Row 1: ch 131, dc in 11th ch from hook. Dc in each st across. Ch 5, sl st in 4th ch from hook. (picot) Turn.

Row 2: dc in 1st dc of row 1, ch 1, sk 1, (dc 1, ch1, sk 1) across. Dc in last remaining dc of row one. Dc in the next 4 chs. Ch 5, turn.

Row 3: Dc in 5th dc from row 2, dc in each stitch across. Ch 5, sl st in 4th ch from hook (picot). Turn.

Row 4: Repeat row 2

Row 5: Repeat row 3

Row 6: Dc in 1st dc of row 5. (Ch 1, sk 2 st, 3dc in next st, ch1, sk 2 st, 1dc in next st) across, ending with one dc in last dc of row 5. Dc in 4 remaining dc’s of row 5. Ch 5, turn.

Row 7: Repeat row 6, ending with “picot” stitch at the end of the row (picot = ch 5, sl st in 4th ch from hook.)

Row 8: Repeat row 6

Row 9: Repeat row 7

Row 10: Repeat row 6

After row 10, return and repeat rows 3 & 4 (5 rows total) for stripe A, then repeat rows 6 & 7 (5 rows total) for stripe B, until desired width is achieved.

Optional: Weave in silk ribbon for color contrast stripes.

Bugs in a Rug

2009-02-24T09:55:00.003-07:00

Or rats in a pocket hammock!

Butters and Mooch enjoying the ghetto fleece hammock I made them.

Moochie & Butters

2009-02-19T13:36:00.012-07:00

Meet our new babies!

So we have two new additions to our home! Meet Moochie and Butters, our new baby rats. We adopted them on Tuesday. They are very energetic little brothers and we're having fun getting to know each other. They love to climb and jump and eat. We're finding Cheerios to be their favorite food.

The first three shots are of Moochie. He's a black and white standard coat with dumbo ears. Standard coat means he'll stay smooth like he is now. Aren't his big ears cute?? He's a little squirmy right now, but he'll get more used to us.

The next three are of Butters. He is a chocolate (grayish brown) and white double rex. A rex coat means his fur is all different lengths. It will be more pronounced when he's older. He'll get kinda nappy. :) Butters is more curious and adventuresome, as you can see in the shot where he's going for the camera.

And the last two are a quick peek at their mom and dad. We got to meet both of them too! Guapo is their dad. He's a hairless. And Eve is their mom, a double rex like Butters.

We're so happy to have new little furry friends!

"Even if you feel certainty, it is an emotion, and not a fact."

2009-01-19T10:22:00.003-07:00

Well, I just barely made it to see this one in the nick of time. I meant to see it over the holidays, but I guess time and travel and other events just got bumped up in priority. For those of you that may not know, Doubt was the Pulitzer Prize winner for drama in 2004. I read it for the first time at BYU in my Dramatic Literature class, and was instantly intrigued by it. I became so interested that I made it my obsession my last year by choosing it for my senior directing project. And by the way, obsession IS the correct word one must use when describing something they are directing! But all of that aside, the text itself is remarkable, and the response it elicits is equally, if not more significant. I was often asked the question, “Well, what is your play about?” I would always respond initially by saying, “It’s not really about the plot, but rather our own personal examination of faith and how we deal with times of doubt.” This often proved unsatisfactory, because most of the time we are more interested in what happens in a story, than why it happens.

So, here I submit a brief assessment of the film. I was, of course, perhaps a more biased viewer than the next person. My mind couldn’t help but run through the lines as they were said on screen. It’s funny to think that over 2 years later, I still knew all the words, as they had truly been ingrained in me. I was also grateful that John Patrick Shanley (playwright, screenwriter, director), left in all my favorites, including that amazing line about how Frosty the Snowman espouses a pagan belief in magic. How could ANYONE do without that?? ;)

The acting was noteworthy, particularly that of Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. I realized perhaps more than before how the characters are more archetypical than actual people with experiences and history. They are more representations of how different people arrive at believing in something rather than why. Sister James, played by April Adams, perhaps left a little to be desired for me. She is such a pivotal character, and I felt her personal journey a bit underdeveloped.

I found it indeed interesting that Abram and I disagreed as to how we felt the film was biased one way or the other concerning the supposed “guilt” of Father Flynn. Though this certainly is not the key question to be considered, it was interesting that we had opposite views. The heart of the play/film lies quite simply in its title, Doubt. What exactly is it? Why do we think of it as such a negative or shameful experience? Is it in fact wrong to doubt? I believe that people of all faiths can truly benefit from finding their own answers to these questions, so I in turn invite you to see the film or read the play. Rarely does something like this come to movie theaters, and it saddened me that its stay was so short. We had to see it downtown in Salt Lake, because it was only in our local theaters for about two weeks or so. But I was glad for the experience and hope to have more like it in the time to come.

Oregon Trip

2009-01-15T14:27:00.021-07:00

So it's about time I blogged again, eh? It was nice to have a bit of a break for New Year's and visit the various Hardy families in Oregon. We enjoyed Abram's mom's traditional Thai New Year's day meal, full of food with "lucky" names so as to bring you good fortune for the new year. GOOD STUFF. We also got to spend a lot of time with Barlow and Lexie out on the coast in their cute little house in Rockaway Beach. Abram's friend Eric came up for a visit too! We went to the Chinese Garden in Portland. (I'm kicking myself for forgeting my camera), and to Powell's of course for some new books and Japanese stationery (who can resist it?!) We visited the aquarium in Newport (always a favorite of mine), watched for whales at Depoe Bay (didn't quite see any...oh well!), went to Astoria and played 2 very long and intense games of Phase 10, both of which I failed miserably at. Overall, we had a great time, despite quite a bit of nasty weather. I look forward to returning when things warm up!!

A happy little seagull

The beautiful Oregon coast at Depoe Bay.

Can you imagine living in that house on the right?

"La la la la la la...and really bad eggs..."

"Captain" Abram at the helm. Funny, this, it's inside the whale watching building. So really, we're not going anywhere! ;)

Some videos from the aquarium. They had really cool "Chihuly-type" glass art in the tanks. It was awesome. Can you see the seahorse wink at me? And the touch pool with the rays was fun. I got a little too excited and drenched half my sleeve in ocean water! :)

You can't really tell from the picture, but this little starfish was sucked onto the end of a hanging kelp, dangling in the "breeze." The entire plant was hunched over. Maybe not such a "little" star afterall.

Unfortunately it was getting dark by the time we went out to see the otters. Little Emmett here had already gone to bed. OH! So cute!

Abram, Eric and me on a very cold and windy morning on Rockaway Beach.

Some cool shroomage stuff growing on B & L's wood pile. (The house doesn't have a wood-burning stove anymore, hence the extreme shroomage)

Abram and a deck gun at the Maritime Museum in Astoria. Perhaps he's played a little too much "Call of Duty?" ;)

P.S. Sorry I got lazy with placing the captions. My blogging skills are lacking when it comes to the spacing. My preview looks NOTHING LIKE what actually shows up. Any pointers?

Breinholt Christmas Concert

2008-12-23T09:12:00.010-07:00

So with the oober storm going on outside my office window all day yesterday, I sat there worrying about trying to get to Salt Lake for the Peter Breinholt Christmas Concert. Well, we had the option of leaving a bit early, so we headed out around 4:30. Getting to the freeway was interesting, but to our pleasant surprise, the freeway was quite clear and we realized that Provo got the brunt of the storm. We decided to take Trax for the first time. Now I'm sure those of you that live in bigger places or those that take public transportation everyday will think I'm crazy, but it was really fun to ride the train. And really easy if you want to go downtown without having to find a place to park.

Here's my Trax pass. Pretty exciting huh? So we made it with plenty of time to spare. The concert was really entertaining. Ryan Shupe was there. I think he always is. There were 5 guys on stage, with an occasional appearance by a guest singer who wasn't half bad. Peter sings and plays guitar. Shupe of course plays the violin/fiddle and the mandolin. There was a great pianist, a banjo/mandolin player and a bass/mandolin player. Yes, 3 mandolin players. That's got to be a rare find. By the way, sorry the image of the ticket at right is askew. Apparently I don't know how to line up things on the scanner, hehe. But the highlights would have to include a mandolin trio playing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." It was especially great because the showed pictures of screaming and crying children on Santa's knee in the background. It brought a whole new meaning to "you better not cry." ;) But I agree, some of those Santas ARE scary! I also REALLY loved the solo banjo performance of "The Christmas Song" (i.e. Chestnuts Roasting). Now, I know what you're thinking: "Airie HATES that song." Well, you're right, but that was before I'd heard it like this. So it's official, I like it played on the banjo, with no singing. Hazah. Pete did a couple of his old standbys and of course Christmas stuff. Overall, we had a terrific time and really enjoyed getting to see a concert this year, especially right before Christmas. There are few things that do Christmas quite as well as music, right? I'm hoping you all had/will have a chance to take some in this year! :)

Keys to the Kingdom

2008-12-18T10:06:00.003-07:00

So it's one of those mornings. Well, really, it all started last night. I received a payment from a client just as the office was closing. The accounting department upstairs (where the nice big safe is) had already left for the day. Hmm...what to do. I knew that my front desk drawer locked, so I threw it in there, locked it up, and then, stupidly, tossed the keys into one of my other drawers. Fast forward to this morning. I come in after a marvelous trek through the snow (yeck!), sit down and remember the check. I reach for the drawer with the keys. LOCKED. I try all the other drawers. LOCKED. Now, you tell me how I could lock a drawer, THEN place the keys in another drawer and THEN have that drawer lock too? I swear the office is cursed. Last week our phones went down for a day, then we had a power outage that threw our server for a whole day, then I almost lit myself (and the office) on fire when I found a cut wire on the Christmas tree I was putting up. And now, the mysterious drawer that locks the 2nd time it closes. *sigh* When working in a profession that has a stigma for having a certain "bimbo" quality, and in trying to disprove that stigma, I'm not doing so hot today. A locksmith is now on his way. Can I take my vacation now please?

Christmas Tree Quest

2008-12-02T10:33:00.010-07:00

So we set out last night after work with a mission: bring home a suitable Christmas tree for our ridiculously tiny apartment. “It’ll probably have to be a fake one this year,” we said to one another. Yeah, a fake one. They tend to be more space efficient considering their nice symmetrical cone shape. So we set out.
Stop 1: Robert’s Crafts. Well, I’ll be honest, the tree wasn’t the primary purpose of this stop, but we looked at them none the less. EXPENSIVE.
Stop2: Home Depot. We looked longingly at the real ones first. They had about 4 trees total. It appeared they’d been cleaned out. No dice. We looked at the fake ones. Gosh, they’re so fake looking! And only one or two had colored lights. We decided to move on.
Stop 3: Walmart. They had pink and purple trees at Walmart. Not quite what we were looking for. They had a few but they were either too tall, or just too darn fake! (The ones that don’t look as fake are too pricey!!)
Stop 4: Wendy’s. No trees, but some tasty Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers.
Stop 5: Target. They had a gold tree at Target. They called it “Fantasy Champagne.” Uh, no thanks. They had a few others, lit and unlit, but they still seemed too fake or too expensive.
Stop 6: (Yes #6) Lowe’s. Generally we don’t really like Lowe’s. They’re not as helpful as Home Depot, but hey, we were on stop 6 and were getting desperate.) They had a large selection of fakies. Unfortunately, the one I wanted cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $200. Yikes. So we moseyed outside to look at their real ones. At last, we found the tree!! They had several to choose from. We ended up with a Noble Fir from Sublimity, Oregon. Hooray! Yes, it’s a bit on the fat side, but it fit nicely in the tiny space we had available. And get this, it was 20 bucks. Yep. And you seriously can’t beat the heavenly smell of a real Christmas tree. HOORAY!!

OH TANNENBAUM! (or tannen-bum if you're Johnny Mathis)

30 Things I'm Grateful For

2008-11-26T10:01:00.006-07:00

So I decided to do a little blessing counting this morning in preparation for a day of gratitude tomorrow. I've only listed thirty things. There are so many more! I have discovered how positive one feels after a good assessment of how good life really is. Don't let the opportunity to count your blessings pass you by this Thanksgiving!!

Things I'm Grateful For

1. Life. To live and breathe and think and laugh and love and cry and and and…
2. To wake up each morning with the love of my life by my side
3. Flowers and trees
4. Houseplants that can survive in my apartment
5. Rain
6. Cheese, in all its forms
7. Three great siblings for best friends
8. Parents that love me and gave me immeasurable opportunities
9. crochetpatterncentral.com I owe you so much!
10. A priceless education
11. Great artists and authors and playwrights that have inspired me
12. To live in a nation where I am afforded so much freedom and choice
13. Good looking cars. Sometimes it just feels so good to just stare at one!
14. Cats…an independent man’s best friend ;)
15. The pleasure of hearing, feeling and creating music
16. Being able to speak another language
17. The ability to believe
18. Cute shoes. There’s just no substitute for the feeling of wearing cute shoes!
19. Manual transmissions…I just didn’t know what I was missing before!
20. NPR – it feels so good to be nerdy sometimes!
21. Facebook...I actually keep in touch now!
22. To know there is a God, that He knows and that He loves
23. Modern medicine. I owe you my life
24. A good job with good people
25. Friends that let you crash at their house to watch football and beat them at games ;)
26. A sister living so close!
27. A husband who sacrifices so much to make a better life for me
28. Dreams
29. To know the purpose of my life
30. To have a Savior to lift me up and help me get back home

AHM Hoops

2008-11-24T09:14:00.004-07:00

So I'm glad Autumn gave a little preview of what's going on at AHM these days. (AHM = Ascione, Heideman & McKay, our law firm). So the guys here joined the Provo City basketball league. They didn't have any "regular" spots open, so they joined the "6 foot and under" league. Yes, Abram qualified. He claims he's 5' 11 & 3/4". We'll just have to believe him on that. Anyone over 5'5" seems really tall to me. They've been having early morning practices (6am on Saturdays! The psychos!) which I have yet to be involved in. I keep saying that one of these days I'll take them cinnamon rolls or something, but I'm feeling less-than-motivated with the 6am stuff. But Abram goes. Good for him.

We had our first game on Thursday. I won't tell you the final score, but our guys looked good in their new jerseys and made a fair showing. I will add that the other team had plenty of players OVER 6' tall. Oh well. I'm not sure how long the season is, but we're excited to see what will come of it. If nothing else, AHM has the biggest cheering section! Go team!

I like this shot. Everyone seems frozen and vexed by the flying ball. Ah.....

8 Things

2008-11-18T16:20:00.007-07:00

So I saw this on a friend's blog and stole it because I haven't blogged in over a month and needed something to write about. :)

8 Things I'm Obsessed With

1. My new Yoville house
2. Getting squeezies
3. Crocheting
4. Fresh cranberries
5. Office Supplies
6. Getting mail
7. Peter Breinholt
8. Warm feet

8 Words or Phrases I Use Daily
1. "Goob"
2. "Ah...trash bags!"
3. "Hi sweetie!"
4. "I know, right?"
5. "Oober" (I know this one is supposed spelled with a "u" and those funny dots, but I think it looks even more oober with two big fat o's)
6. "Rockin' hot!"
7. "No me poques!"
8. "Ascione, Heideman & McKay, this is Airie, how can I help you?"

8 TV Shows I Like to Watch

1. House
2. The Office
3. Countdown with Keith Olbermann
4. Arrested Development
5. Lost
6. Clean House
7. Law & Order (the Briscoe episodes)
8. Those 7 are pretty impressive considering we don't actually have tv!

8 Things I Did Yesterday
1. Wore my new size 3 shoes :)
2. Won Settlers of Catan: Cities and Knights. HAZAH!!
3. Ate a Papa Murphy's Philly Cheese Steak pizza...oh cheesies!
4. Opened precisely 42 pieces of mail NOT addressed to me
5. Watched an entire pro football game for the first time EVER
6. Took 4 Advil for an oober headache
7. Noticed the new awning on our house that had been there at least three days for the first time. HONEST.
8. Enjoyed the heated seats in my Volvo

8 of My Favorite Places to Eat

1. Red Lobster
2. La Dolce Vida
3. Autumn & Leslie's House
4. Zupas
5. Tucanos
6. Great China
7. L & L Hawaiian
8. Kneaders

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To

1. Thanksgiving holiday
2. Having my Christmas crafties done
3. The end of law school and internships
4. Living in Western Oregon
5. Good health insurance
6. A new snazzy phone in May (Yeah, May)
7. A baby (not quite yet, this is not an announcement :) )
8. Seeing all of my family at Christmas and New Years

8 Things on My Wishlist
1. A big, oober comfy couch
2. A full-sized oven
3. A truly, 100% CLEAN house
4. A kitty
5. An herb garden
6. A garage
7. A baby grand
8. Abram in his dream job

Opposition in ALL things…even the other lane of traffic

2008-10-23T14:46:00.001-06:00

So I haven’t blogged for a while. Apparently I’ve become a once-a-monther. *sigh* Anyhoo, these last few weeks have held the good and the bad. How about the good news first?

So remember that blog about Abram’s new job? Well, it ended up REALLY paying off for both of us. They had an opening for a receptionist at the firm, and little ol’ me was invited to join the team on October 13th. It’s been super so far. And even though I’m new, I know a lot more of what goes on around the office and have a bigger desk and a phone. Lucky me! Abram basically has a closet and a laptop from about 10 years ago. Oh well. Apparently he gets the grunt work and I get the cushy work. No complaints here!!! But it’s super fun to see him around the office 3 days a week, and all of the people I work with are wonderful. Nice lawyers do exist! “Dry land is not a myth!!” Anyway, it’s great!

So now for the bad news. I can’t believe I’m actually going to share this, but here goes. I hurt the car. The nice car. The good looking car. I am ashamed. (Please say the preceding sentence with the little shrimp guy voice on Finding Nemo) While Abram’s been looking into replacing the window switch cover (yes, the cover is broken, not the actual switch) I go and drive the poor thing into a dump truck! Luckily the damage is all cosmetic and the car is still safe and perfectly drivable. But oh! The pain! I merged into a dump truck. Yep. Luckily it was on a city street and we weren’t going that fast. But you know when you’re driving west and the sun is setting and you’re really short and the visor doesn’t help at all and you think you have enough room, and you think someone will be kind and perhaps slow down just a bit to let you in? Yeah, pretty much. There’s a dent and a big scrape on the driver’s side. *Sniffle* :’( I feel so bad. If there’s any good news here, it’s that I’m okay and wasn’t issued any type of traffic violation. The bad news is that the rust bucket Prelude is now the better looking of our two cars, at least on the driver’s side. I’m so sorry Abram!!!!!!!!

So yeah, the dump truck definitely provided some opposition. But overall, life is truly blessed for the Hardys. Our financial woes have been soothed for the time being and we have great family and friends all around us!!

POWER PLAY!!!

2008-09-30T23:33:00.007-06:00

I hope at least some of you remember Briton's infamous call for a Power Play during those great 500 South backyard badminton days. I know I do. I would like to say, though the Power Plays are not as frequent now, that I have taken up once more my childhood obsession with the shuttlecock. Thanks once again to Abram's genius, and some online legal research site called Westlaw that he uses A LOT and gets magical points for doing so, we have acquired an official Wilson® Badminton Tour Kit.

Or in other words, we have a badminton set now, purchased with his hours of doing legal research. (And I thought the fruits of all the current toil were not supposed to pay off for several years to come!!) Anyway, we play at least a few times a week just a block up the street at the elementary school playground. Sometimes it's just the two of us, sometimes doubles with Autumn and Leslie, or our new badminton converts, the Sekaquaptewas. They are all worthy foes. We are also glad to report that we can set up the net north-south instead of east-west, so that no one can claim the sun was in their eyes, haha. It's proven to be quite good exercise and I'm feeling muscles I didn't know I had.

From Shotokan to Law Clerk...Congrats Abram!

2008-09-02T17:38:00.011-06:00

So here he is ladies and gentlemen, the man of the hour! Our very own Abram K. Hardy is moving up in the world! No longer a mild-mannered law student, but a true super hero!

We just received word today that Abram was selected to work part time during the school year as a law clerk in a local firm here in Provo: Ascione, Heideman & McKay, LLC. They specialize in business, estate planning, construction and other types of law. Feel free to check them out: www.ahm-law.com.

So I guess you're wondering about the Shotokan, right? I suspect many of you are wondering what Shotokan is! Believe me, I was unaware! Well supposedly, according to Abram, when he was just a lad of 10, and his mother was teaching at BYU, he was a member (though a slightly shorter one) of the Shotokan Club (a Japanese martial art form from Okinawa). As it turns out, a young student by the name of Patrick Ascione was a part of said club. This is the main dude at A, H & M. But don't think this little "in" helped him in! In fact, he never even met with Patrick. It will just be something funny to bring up when he does. Congratulations Abram!!!!!

Extracted Extracts

2008-08-31T21:33:00.008-06:00

So don't be fooled by this ever so innocent looking little box of vanilla. I've learned now not to take it's powers for granted. No really, I thought I'd just share a rather ludicrous and quite humorous occurrence at our local Provo Macey's (a grocery store) this past week.

Since I've started making Robin's recipe for granola by the ton (thank you so much Robin and Autumn for passing it along. It has truly changed my life!), I've been using my vanilla extract a little more than usual, and hence was running low and put it on my shopping list. Whilst at Macey's, I found myself scanning the baking aisle for the desired little brown bottle (mine didn't look like the pic, I go for the Western Family crap). Anyway, after going up and down the aisle at least 5 times I threw my hands up and said, "Could they have moved it??" Enter taller, and in this case, more observant Abram who noticed an orange sign on the uppermost shelf. "Hey look! It says that all extracts are now available only at the Service Desk." What? So we continued with our shopping, puzzled as to why they were moved. After we had collected all our desired items from the regular part of the store, I walked to the Service Desk and asked for my vanilla, which was promptly handed over, no explanation given. I wasn't asked for my ID or anything. So I walked to the check out to join Abram who was already in the check-out process. Suddenly, the curiosity got the better of us and I asked the checker, "Why is this behind the Service Desk now??" He smiled slightly and said, "Oh, that? Well, some of them contain just a little bit of alcohol. We were having problems with people taking them off the shelf, drinking them, and putting them back. So we moved them to the desk." Drinking them??? First of all, I cannot think of a more disgusting way to raise one's blood alcohol level by insiginificant amounts. Secondly, all I can say is, only in Provo. So next time you're looking for the powdered sugar, don't fret, it's at the Service Desk!

P.S. I do realize of course the darker, more serious side to this tale, that is, people with serious problems. This light-hearted rendition is in no way designed to make light of that. Thanks for reading!!

Ode to Netflix

2008-08-18T18:40:00.019-06:00

So I haven't blogged in at least 2-2.5 million years, so I decided to make up something to blog about. Perhaps it won't make too big of a difference considering no one will likely read this having given up after waiting 1.99 million years to see something new, and finally giving. So I guess I'd like to start by thanking all my hardcore fans for coming back.

So in our new apartment we decided to ditch paying for cable and have invested in a new and dear friend, Netflix. For those still unfamiliar, it is a rocking good way to have the mailman bring you something several times a week! It's like my new version of vendo-mania, for those of you that remember those days. Our most recent faves would include the following:

The Office. The whole world has been talking about this show for a long time now, and we finally just started watching. I confess it to be an addiction of sorts, but of the best kind. For those that work in an office, you'll find someone in this show who reminds you of some nut at your office. I do however find it ironic that I use a spoof on work to unwind from work. (Sigh)

Seven Samurai. This is a must see. I've been apart of many a Kurosawa discussion in my days at BYU, mostly seeing snippets here and there. But finally, for the first time ever, I have seen one of his films. Kurosawa captures a story on film unlike many others can, and the fact that he was making these kinds of films in the 50's when Americans were making sugary musicals and other leave-it-to-beaverish themed entertainment. While set in a more ancient time in Japan, Kurosawa mirrors the hardship of life in Japan in a post World War II world. This film was also the inspiration for the 1960 American classic, The Magnificent Seven.

The Dirty Dozen. Okay, I know there's a number theme going on here, but I'm glad to say that I've finally seen this movie. What started out as dim curiosity stemming from one of the better scenes from Sleepless in Seattle, (and yes, there is certainly room for tears at the end of the film), turned out to be a great experience. I have Abram to thank for this one. He loves old WWII films. It is both humorous and terrifying, not to mention how young and skinny Brian Costello is. (Donald Sutherland for those that don't get that one). I was surprised to find so many moral questions lacing the subtext of the plot. The choosing of the dozen was shady at best, their mission was a questionable one, and how they ultimately carried it out would seem to challenge the glow of the purity of goodness that is so often the portrayal of the American Army. Anyway, I would recommend this to anyone. And it's not a hard old film to watch. In fact, it seems to maintain a very timeless quality, as if it could have been released in my life time.

So there you have it. This has turned out to be more of a copy-cat edition of B&D cinemabon blog (which we all do enjoy), but I haven't much else of excitement in life right now and I think the camera is still packed somewhere. So farewell fearless readers. Good night, and good luck!

The Quintessential Query Queen

2008-07-22T16:36:00.009-06:00

Enter your choice, Airie…..

And thus it has begun, finally. It has now been about 4 weeks since the dreaded CONVERSION, and I have finally used DIAD for real, for the first time. Yeah, real thrilling. It’s actually not too bad, but since we’re changing all our processes, people are looking for any excuse to unload responsibility. People in the building I’ve never even met before are now giving me their stuff to do. Apparently, anyone can claim that a problem should be handled by Queries. (I still say Rejections, btw). Anyway, it’s become an interesting study in human nature as I receive more and more things to do. If it can somehow be correlated to the phrase “this needs fixing,” it lands on my desk. Ah, well. We can’t all. We’ve been coming up with some fun acronyms for DIAD. Here’s a few:
Don’t Inquire Again, Dummy
Delicious Inconvenience And Drudgery
Did I Appreciate DOS?
Do Invertebrates Agonize Daily?
I invite you all to submit your own if you wish. It’s kinda fun. ;)

A Most Humble Ode to KSL Classifieds

2008-07-16T22:52:00.005-06:00

So in the last 3 days, our lives have changed dramatically. That's right, my friends. No more hand-washing dishes. No more mooching off Autumn for laundry service. This post is an expression of undying love for ksl.com classifieds. Though craigslist is a fine friend, ksl really came through for us this time. For $150 (total) we now have a functioning washer, dryer and portable dishwasher. Oh my yes!! Here's a pic (not ours specifically, but it looks just like it) of our new dishwasher. I used it yesterday, and it was one of the single most thrilling moments of my life when I opened it up to find all my dishes sparkling clean and I didn't lift a finger! Ah, the wonders of modern technologies. My life has changed so much!!!

La Casa Nueva!

2008-07-13T23:06:00.003-06:00

Howdy! Just a quick little post to announce that we are moving this week! YEAH!! We found a cute little apartment in a little red brick house just a few blocks from here. (815 W. 300 S. Google it and you can get a great street view.) We're very excited about the new place (not so much about the move, ha ha). We like that we have big wide windows and a huge basement room below us for storage and laundry. Speaking of which, if anyone knows of a cheap washer & dryer available, let us know! We're in the market! We're planning on getting moved in by this Saturday. YEAH!

Trip to Portland!!

2008-07-09T21:42:00.007-06:00

So Abram is finally home!!! HAZAH! We spent a delicious four days in beautiful Portland. The weather was nice and cool compared to Utah and we had a great many adventures!

Day 1: We slept in :) and later went to see a movie with Barlow (Abram’s brother). We saw WALL-E. It was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! A MUST MUST see if I do say so myself. I won’t say anything to spoil it. But go see it!! We then went to go and watch fireworks with the Barkers and their neighbors. Quoth the Talmage: “WOW!” It was good fun.

Day 2: Portland. Abram and I went downtown to Powell’s first (as you can see, we’re keeping our priorities straight.). We picked up the newest Pulitzer for Fiction: The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, which I’m very exited to read. It’s about a Dominican kid in New Jersey. :) We also picked up Guys and Dolls a series of short stories by Damon Runyon that the musical was based on. They are delightful!

Powell’s was followed by a now traditional trip around the corner to Sushi Land where we enjoyed some good sushi, miso soup and edame (soy beans), which has become, interestingly enough, one of my favorites.

Then we went up to the fabulous Portland Rose Garden. I have a slight addiction to taking flower close-up shots. I won’t tell you how many I took overall, but here are a few of my favorites:

Then it was up the hill to a very peaceful and relaxing visit to the Japanese Garden. I think I liked the koi pond with huge irises and the rock garden the best. Here’s some pics of the Japanese garden:

Day 3: We went to church with Barlow, and then spent the evening with Briton, Robin, Talmage and Sydney. I’m hating myself for forgetting the camera!! But I think Robin took a few. She made a fab-oo roast for dinner and we ate peas from the garden and some amazing rolls. Then we played with bubbles on the back porch and read some fun car (and other topics) books. FUN!!!

Day 4: Gooney-ville!!!! (aka Astoria) We drove up to the tippy top of Oregon to Astoria. I'm not sure if they filmed the movie there. Perhaps the town stuff, because it looked a lot like it, but the beach stuff I think was filmed on Cannon Beach. Anyway, we visited the Maritime Museum, the Column (lighthouse) and went to the shore of the Columbia at a place called Steven's Point. My favorite part (as you will see from the following photos), was the big gun...hehehe.

So we had a fabulous time (and a long drive home yesterday). And even though it’s not so fun to be back at work, it IS great to finally have Abram home again!

The Fruits of My Labors: What happens when DIAD doesn't work.

2008-07-01T12:58:00.013-06:00

So, we've been experiencing some major hickups in our new old system. Hooray! Not really. But it's means coming in and having not so much to do. So what have we been up to this morning? Well, we discovered a fun little website that you can check out if you want. Here are some of my creations:

Ta-dah!!! I'll bet you can guess who is being protrayed in each of these little nuggets. You can try it out for yourself if you'd like: http://www.sp-studio.de/. Don't tell the boss (who isn't even here today!) "She's a gem, Banister. She's unbelievable!"

The Adventures of Lonely Girl

2008-06-25T20:49:00.015-06:00

So for the last long time, I've been trying to come up with something to blog about. I kept telling myself that nothing particularly stellar has happened since Abram has been in Oregon. And really, I was kinda right. But here we are, almost one week from now I fly up to meet him and I think that I've done "strictly okay" (as Autumn would say) and doing the "alone thing."

So the highlights include a few things. First, playing some serious Settlers of Catan: Cities and Knights with a few very awesome friends. Between the Sekaquaptewas and the Sievers we've had some awesome battles to the finish. It's all about getting to "happy level" on the book commodity and bustin' a move with a good port or two. It loses a little luster when someone (ahem, KORY) steals the golden arches of your metropolis!!! GRRRRRRRR. However, if you happen to remain on top, it seriously feels so good to win that game!!!

Number two: Weekends. I spent the last two weekends up in Farmington moving around bark, enjoying truly amazing (please catch the sarcasm) service at the local Chili's (the food was tasty though), singing in church for Mom and enjoying good company and a nice cool basement all to myself (which is a super nice change from my little hot house in Provo). I also got to swing by Stansbury Park to enjoy some time with Baron, Donette & the kiddiewinks. We had a great time playing frisbee ("far out") and Baron showed me around on his Warcraft account. The tour included the most hallowed grounds where the Sword of A Thousand Truths defeated the most evil of enemies and a cathedral that's looks suspiciously like the San Diego Temple. (Don't worry if you don't get that sword stuff. It just means you watch less tv than I do).

Number 3: Weddings. (Drinks all around!) I enjoyed going to a sealing of two friends in the Mt. Timpanogos temple last Saturday. Besides the beautiful ceremony (which was kind of hard without my sweetie there), my favorite was Ariel's polka dot wedding dress!! I was all white with a netting top on the skirt that had white polka dots in the netting. HOORAY FOR POLKA DOTS!!!

Four: DIAD. Boo DIAD. DIAD is the name of the new software we're implementing at work. It is the cause of me having to work this Saturday and Sunday. It is causing everyone a lot of stress. Some guy from IT told me it was written back in the 70's. So yeah, we're movin' on up! It's by a company called Procomm Plus, I think. Here's a typical screen shot for your viewing pleasure:

So you don't really use the mouse, AT ALL. YEAH! No offense Mom, but I remember how much fun you had learning how to use the mouse. Maybe you'd like this! ;) But anyway, I'm REALLY hoping that things work out with this dinosaur.

So that about does it I guess. Exciting, no? Well, a week from today I fly up to Oregon and my lonely woes shall end. Thanks for all the support and for reading this. :)

What color are their hands now?

2008-06-12T17:21:00.014-06:00

So I've been secretly living the life of a criminal for almost two months now. Unbeknownst to me that is. I can say that it's easy when you're ignorant, but when confronted with one's crimes, all becomes frantic checking of the rear view for cops, coming to a full and complete stop at every 4-way, and driving as slow as the old lady in the Lincoln in front of you in the right lane and being grateful for it.

So what am I REALLY getting at? Well, I happened to notice my driver's license on Wednesday night. Guess what the expiration date was? In case you can't make it out on this crappy scan, the expiration date is 04/14/2008. Yeah. What an unpleasant surprise! And thus followed the over-cautious driving (which is how I ALWAYS drive, Dad ;) ). So bright and early on Thursday morning I nonchalantly stroll into the Provo Driver's License Division, filled out the renewal form and tried to act natural. I really thought I'd have to re-take the written driving test or pay some fine or something. Fortunately, the, shall we say, less than exuberant government worker behind the counter required nothing of the sort. I signed some papers, paid my 25 bucks and gave a dorky smile to the camera. And thus was issued freedom, albeit temporary, from my criminal life. It doesn't compete with Mountain Fuel, but it's "pretty tasty." And yes, the new licenses really are pink like that. Oh goody! So the moral of the story is, keep in mind that your postal forwarding when you move only lasts 6months-ish and the government is not going to make any real effort to notify you that you're about to turn illegal. I'm glad it's all over though. So many bad things (namely, a FAT fine) could have happened!!!

The Big Fat Month of June :P

2008-06-04T16:48:00.014-06:00

So, as I'm sure you all know, because I whine about it a lot, Abram is in Portland this month and I'm here in Provo. Boo. But things are going okay so far. But then again, this is only day 5 of 34 days apart. So, he's at a firm called Vial Fotheringham (http://vf-law.com/index.html). Right now he's working on some trust stuff. I don't know. It's all greek to me. But he says he's enjoying himself. I'm jealous of course, that he gets to be in beautiful Oregon, eat his mom's amazing food everyday and be sooooo close to Little T & Sydney (whom I still haven't met!).

But hey, I'm still keepin' it real here at good ol' PDC. Ha ha. The rejection specialist lives on. We're gearing up for some BIG changes in the company. We're switching all our software over to something else. From my understanding, the nature of my job will change quite a bit, but no one can really tell me the details. Oh, and the least exciting of all is that they're changing my department name from Rejections to Queries. BLEH! I'm already hearing new jokes about it. I'm going to continue to call it rejections as long as I can. But at least I've got some amazing greenery in my corner of the office. I wish I could upload some pics, but Abram took the camera. Sorry. :( But I have 6 plants in my tiny little cubicle corner, 3 of which are approximately 3 feet high. Woo hoo! "Mom, it's a jungle out there!" The two biggest are rubber plants named Perseus & Andromeda (go Clash of the Titans!) A big palm tree looking thing called Brecht (a gold star to you if you know who he's named for) a very ambitious pathos named Reggie (for rejections), the little leafy thing Mom gave us all in a paper cup named Dot and a new little spider-ish plant named Quintessa (we tried to find a Q name for Queries). I really wish I had some photos. Use your imagination. ;)

So you can tell by the above paragraph that there is A LOT going on for me right now, ha ha. Oh, for all you Brian Regan fans, you can pre-buy tickets for his August 15th show at Thanksgiving Point this Friday. I don't know how much they are. I might not even be going, haha. I've decided that the Nintendo DS is the new re-incarnation of the old NES, and is fantabulous. I don't have one, but a friend let me borrow one. Hooray! I also really like it when my wireless is working at home. Our PC (which never gets any use, but does now that Abram's laptop is gone) struggles a bit with it, but hey, baby steps, huh? So I'm going to put an end to the randomness that has become this post. Feel free to suggest any meaningful activites for one who has suddenly become single again for a month. Thanks for reading!!

Trip to St. George

2008-05-21T22:36:00.005-06:00

So we had a wonderful little weekend in St. George (9th - 11th) in celebration of Abram finishing his first year of law school. We had a great time hiking in Snow Canyon State Park and doing a whole lot of nothing. The vacation was short lived as Abram was in the middle of (and still currently) working on becoming a state certified mediator, and preparing for his June externship in Portland, OR. And of course, it was back to work for me. Hope you all enjoy the pictures!!

2008-05-20T23:11:00.005-06:00

Hi friends!
So here's my first attempt at blogging. Woohoo! It's late and I need to get to bed. Tomorrow I'll figure out how to upload some photos of our most recent trip to St. George May 9th - 11th. Hooray!