Song sung blue

Last summer my dad was sharing with me excerpts from his new favorite book by George Carlin. (not suggested reading material for those bothered by profanity) Anyway, Mr. Carlin was ranting about the oversaturation of love songs on the airwaves.  He contended there were enough and wouldn't we like to hear songs about other stuff like colonoscopies and the DMV?  (I'm just making those topics up, I don't think those were real examples in the book, I didn't pay close attention, but his examples were similar)

Anyway, it's only been recently that I have been able to appreciate the wisdom of that little rant of his.

There are A LOT of love songs on the radio.  With this little project of mine, I've been paying closer attention to song titles and their lyrics and trying to match them with topics in my life, and it's harder than you think.   

And up until yesterday, I hadn't used a single Harry Connick jr song.  I know, right?  Most of his songs are romantic in nature. Half of the romantic songs are of the unrequited love variety, or lost love, which don't apply to me anymore.  Once upon a time any one of those songs could have been my theme song, and blessedly it's been a long time since one of those songs fit my life. 

And while I could get all sappy on y'all and write something sweet and romantic every single day, I think I would make myself sick.  I love my husband, but it's not like me to get all sappy and lovey and gush about what a wonderful husband he is to anyone who will listen.  It feels fake and insincere and like I am trying to prove something to someone.  However, I thought yesterday (our anniversary) was a good enough time to use one of those. 

And then there are so many other songs that will probably never fit.  Have you ever noticed how many song titles have the name of a girl in it?  We all live in a yellow submarine? Probably not going to use that one anytime soon.  Walk like an Egyptian? Probably only if I were able to travel to Egypt. 

Some of the other things going on around here that my not lend themselves so easily to a blog post with corresponding song choice.

Sometimes picking the perfect song is easy-peasy. Instantaneous.

Sometimes not so much.

I already mentioned Mindy's birthday party.

And for a month I have been trying to come up with a song.  Besides the standard ♪♫ Happy Birthday to you...♪♫

Maybe the choice is clear to someone else, but I haven't stumbled upon it.

~~~~~~~

My computer broke last week.  Well just the keyboard. But it's kindof an important part.  John was able to hook a wireless mouse and keyboard up to my laptop so now I can use it. (nope. Can't think of a song)

~~~~~~~

Nick hurt is knee in cross country several weeks ago.  We are finally taking him to have it looked at next week.  He's been going to sports medicine after school. (no song here either)

~~~~~~

Basically the mundane pretty much falls into this category.  Nobody sings about the mundane.  Unfortunately my life is about 95% mundane. And some of that I think is still worth remembering even if nobody else wants to sing about it.

Anyway, my point is, I'm not going to strain myself any more.  Heaven forbid this whole blog becomes too much like work and I pretty much flat out quit for a few months. ;)


~~~~~~~

"Song sung blue, everybody knows one.  Song sung blue, every garden growns one."-  Neil Diamond

It had to be you

 

It had to be you, it had to be you.

I wandered around and finally found

The somebody who could make me be true,

Could make me be blue.

Or even be glad just to be sad

Just thinking of you.

Some others I've seen might never be mean

Might never be cross or try to be boss

But they wouldn't do

For nobody else gave me the thrill

With all your faults I love you still

It had to be you

Wonderful you

It had to be you.

 

- Harry Connick, Jr

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

Happy 16th Anniversary to the best guy any girl could ask for.  And who isn't mean or bossy either.  (and only a little cross on occasion) but the rest of the song totally fits.  Thanks for sticking around for the last 16 years, and here's to spending the rest of eternity together. Love you.

random happenings in September & October

 I found Raspberry Schweppes at the grocery store.  Haven't seen that stuff in years. 

 Nick is enjoying his technical theater class.  He made this .  It was supposed to be part of a fundraiser to raise money for a new bass.  But after seeing this, someone actually donated a bass to the orchestra department.

Maddie's first attempt at cupcakes all by herself.  They tasted really good. 

 Zach is having fun in scouts.  Here he is participating in a "rain gutter regatta".

 Maddie had too much fun with her friend and a camera.  She's not really mad, but this picture cracks me up, and she's now a little embarrassed it exists.  She takes pride in being sweet and cheerful.

We got our kitchen fixed. 

Nick tried out for, and was cast as a revolutionary in a local production of Les Miserables.  He's really excited.  He didn't get a main role, but he has lines and gets to die on stage, so he's happy with that.

 I think that covers all the highlights so far. 

Zoowalk for autism

We had the opportunity to participate in a fundraiser to raise money for autism research.

Basically we went to the zoo.  It cost a little more than your average zoo admission, but not much, and the money goes to a cause that obviously is near and dear to our hearts.

We all had fun.

Sidenote-  It was there by the giraffes that I learned that they changed the missionary age for boys from 19 to 18.  I had a mild panic attack.  I was thinking that instead of three years, suddenly I only had two years left with Nick, then I figured he still needs to graduate high school, so that gives me another 6 months, and he still might not report to the MTC (missionary training center) for a few months after that, so it still might be closer to three years.

He was excited to hear the announcement. Me, I think it's a good thing in the long run, but I think these next couple of years are going to race by all too fast.

quick trip to hawaii (aka Mindy's 40th birthday luau in Vernal)

I put this post off for a long time because I couldn't think of a stupid song. Sure, there's "Happy Birthday"  but that's lame.  What song embodies one of your best friend's 40th birthday luau party? I spent way too much time and came up with nothing.  So frustrating. 

During the summer when we were visiting our good friends in Vernal, Mindy mentioned she was turning 40 in September and all she wanted for her birthday was a party.  Specifically, a luau.

With plenty of notice, we were able to figure out a way to make it.  John made sure his schedule was free, we cashed in some frequent flier miles, and hired a babysitter.  We were only gone one night.

After I officially RSVP'd "yes" to the invite, I got a very surprised phone call from my friend.

"You're really coming?"

"Well, You invited us.  I hope that's ok, we're totally planning on staying at your house.  You already said we could."

Moral of the story- If you don't want us to come to stuff, don't invite us.  With enough notice, chances are good we'll be there.

So we had a grand time. 

I didn't take very many pictures though.

I did take these. 

What's a luau without a real pig? (and a hula dancer, but I didn't get a picture of her)

And then of course the sun went down, and I thought I was going to freeze to death and I spent the rest of the night being anti social in the living room wearing a borrowed winter parka and huddled up under a blanket. 

But it really was a great time.  It was actually a double birthday party.  Mindy and her friend were both turning 40, and there was plenty of pig to go around, so they combined their forces and did it together.  I mention this because at one point I was oohing and aahing over a bowl (yes, a bowl) that the rolls were in.  It was this big gorgeous wooden bowl that looked hand made.  I mentioned something outloud to no one in particular, about how I just loved it, and thought it was gorgeous, and then the husband of the other birthday girl, whom I'd met on previous occasions, said "Thanks! I made that.  Took me over a year."  After I picked my jaw up off the ground, I think I made some comment that if he couldn't find it when it was time to go, that it wasn't in my suitcase. 

Or something obnoxious like that.

At which point he probably said something to the effect that he would appreciate me not stealing his favorite bowl, but he has another one I could have.

Seriously?!?! I tried to protest, and bow out graciously, (cause I really am not a klepto or looking for handouts) but he insisted and brought me a bowl later that night.  Apparently it was like the twin or something to one he made for his ex-wife and he really didn't mind parting with it. I even offered to pay him.

I still need to send him a thank you note or some caramels or something.

Anyway, that was our big fun trip to Hawaii, aka Vernal, Utah. 

Sidenote-  although traveling can be rough, after that trip, I discovered more reasons not to feel too sorry for John.   For instance, he doesn't have to sit with the rest of us in those uncomfortable chairs while he waits for his plane. 

He gets to go to a special club lounge where they have comfy chairs and free cookies and other snacks. 

FREE. COOKIES.

Two words- Spoi-led.

And I have to brag a little.  On the way there and back, he got upgraded but I didn't, so he happily switched tickets with me and let me sit in first class while he sat in coach.  All that he asked was that I try to send a package of his favorite chips back to him in coach.  So I asked the flight attendant to take "The gentleman in seat (fill-in-the-blank) these chips".  Done. 

The flight attendant brought him the chips and said, "Someone in first class really likes you."

During the flight, John happened to be sitting next to a pilot who lives in Phoenix, but is stationed out of Salt Lake.  He has to fly (as a passenger) to Salt Lake to fly his plane wherever it goes.  Anyway, after John got his chips, the pilot curiously asked what that was about, so John explained that we only got one upgrade, and he flies first class all the time, so he gave the upgrade to me. And to John's utter amazement, (which is a testament to his character) the pilot was astounded, and said that he sees that a lot, where the frequent flying husband gets upgraded, and the wife does not.  And more often than not, the husband doesn't think twice about sending the wife to coach, while he takes his usual spot in first.

The pilot made sure to tell me that "I had a keeper".

But I already knew that.

When September ends

I'm going out on a limb here in believing the 10 day forecast as shown on my phone is telling me that the 100+ degree days are over.  Supposedly yesterday was the last one.  My fingers are crossed, and I've knocked on wood.

Hallelujah we've survived another summer. Of course the 97 degree temps we should see today don't exactly inspire me to break out the sweaters and socks and nurse a cup of hot cocoa.  But I will take what I can get.

In a couple of months when every one else is whining about the snow and the cold, I will be sitting here all smug, but right now I am very envious of all the pictures and posts I see on facebook and instagram where people are frolicking in the gorgeous autumness that seems to exist everywhere but here.

I did get a brief glimpse of what the rest of the world enjoys a few weeks ago.  We were up in Utah for a friend's birthday and the leaves were just starting to change on the mountain.   From a distance it was like somebody flicked paint all over the side of the mountain. 

We didn't have a lot of time because we were on such a tight schedule, but I managed to coerce John into pulling over so I could take a few pictures.

One item on my bucket list is that I'd like to spend some time back east during the fall.  I hear it's amazing.

~~~~~~~~~


"Summer has come and past, the innocent can never last.  Wake me up when September ends." - Green Day

Catch a wave

The last two years our church has done a fundraiser to raise money for the young men and women and all their various activities and camps over the summer.   They do a silent auction and the kids offer up goods and services (babysitting, dinner, lawn mowing) and people bid on it. 

Other individuals and families can offer up items as well. For instance, Maddie made FHE kits, complete with sugar cookies for dessert, and John offered up a night at a Marriott hotel.  Of course that didn't go over as well as we'd hoped, most people thought that it was at the local Marriott, so they weren't interested.  I suppose we could have done a better job at trying to sell it, but some friends of ours really, really wanted it because they knew that it could be redeemed for ANY Marriott, or a Marriott partner any where in the world, and they wanted to stay at that really super nice hotel we stayed at in Venice. (The former French Embassy) They were planning a trip to Italy, and this was a really great deal for them (as long as the bidding didn't go to high of course).  Of course, in the end, the price was so low, they ended up outbidding themselves, because they felt guilty about walking away with such a steal, and it was for the kids after all.

Sorry, got off on a tangent there, not the point of my story.

One of the things we ended up winning was a lake outing for our family.  We won this exact same prize last year too, and we had so much fun, the kids wouldn't let us not win it again this year.  I almost feel sorry for those people that we beat out.  Almost.

Anyway, we had a lot of fun. 

Christopher didn't like the life jackets and kinda freaked out at first, but by the end of the trip he was jumping off the boat all by himself.

As usual the tubes were a big success.  Even Christopher got in on that action.

Nick, Maddie, and John tried out the knee board. 

John tried to bow out gracefully and let the kids have all the fun, but the kids insisted, and Dave, our friend who took us on this little excursion, used a little peer pressure to get him out there.  "Come on!  You're not going to pass up this chance to remind your girl why she married you, are ya?"

Needless to say, despite his protesting knees, John was out there showing off in no time.  Ü  (Of course, when we got the pictures back, he was like-" Hey!  Who's that bald guy?"

And for those of you wondering why I'm not out partaking in all this fun, let's just say that my swimsuit and I aren't on speaking terms right now.  Also thanks to Zach, I've seen way too many episodes of America's Funniest Home Videos to know what happens when fat people participate in these various activities.  (It's not pretty.)

 

Anyhow, we had a lot of fun, and hopefully the family that donated this little trip doesn't get too sick of us, because I have a feeling if this trip goes up for auction again, there will be four kids begging and praying for us to win it again.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

"Catch a wave and you'll be sitting on top of the world."  - The Beach Boys