Here I Am Again

I realize how long it's been since I've last blogged my brain.
I also realize the reason why:
I keep all the brain things inside me as much as possible.
I don't typically share my true thinkings with anyone, which is a bit ironic, considering the name of this blog.
Once in a while someone will actually say what I am thinking or feeling, just from their own observations and a lot of times they are right. But I didn't verbally give anybody that information; it came from their own reasoning. When people speak their thoughts about me, and some of the conclusions they have come to about who I am, sometimes I feel as if a burden has been lifted from inside my chest, like it had been some secret I had been keeping for years. Not that what they say is always actually my secret, but because it has been bottled inside me for so long and to hear it out loud from someone else is almost a relief, even if the truth hurts. It also makes me wonder how mysterious I really actually am, since someone else discovered something about me. Haha.. Although none of us are really as mysterious as we think we are, right?

Okay, I think that's enough of Dawn's brain babbles for now.

And to end with a quote for the day:

"My mind tells me to give up, but my heart won't let me."

- Jennifer Tyler -

Mine

Apparently, this blog is now mine, all mine. I made another blog site for the family, and any updates we have. But this blog was originally intended for me. For my thinkings. What that means, exactly...? Who knows. But does it matter? No.

I have been thinking alot about life lately. About how relationships and interactions with others can really effect you. Does it define you? What would you be like if you had even half of the relationships and friendships in your life; would you be different? I have heard it said that you are who you really are when you are alone. Which I see some truth to, but I wouldn't want to be completely alone for too long. Then I would probably go crazy. But then again, maybe that's who I really am! :)

What is the definition of a best friend? Is there an actual definition of what one is, or is it one of those common knowledge things where it's just assumed of what a best friend is? When I think of the word "best", I think of the highly-favored thing; a thing of a group of things that has the least imperfections. When it comes to friends, though, how do you pick a best one? I don't know. But if I were to choose, I would want someone who I can tell anything and everything to, without feeling a fear of being judged. To talk about silly things, serious things, and what-if fantasies.
Very rarely have I been able to completely let all my walls down and just talk about anything that's happening in my mind, with somebody else. There has always been something holding me back. I don't know what it is, but I have quite a bit going on internally, that I am not sure if it will ever get out. But maybe that's okay, too.

As for now, I feel that I need to find a way to love and accept myself, for me. I believe that if I can do that, then it's possible to let someone else in and see me too.

Life never stops moving. And I am twirling, twirling, twirling.

A Brief Catch-Up

Things in the Allen Home

The last time I blogged, it was January. Now here it is nearly the end of July and tonight is the first time I have even logged onto my blog since then. Looks like it's time for me to bring you up to speed. . .

We bought a truck for Jon. It's a little Honda Ridgeline and he loves it. Got a great deal on it and it makes the hubby happy. Could I ask for more? I mean really.

I am working full-time doing home care occupational therapy with Caregiver Support Network. It's been a few years since I have worked full-time, and I am finally getting back into the groove. It was a bit of an adjustment at first, but I am doing pretty good now.

JON OPENED HIS OWN RETAIL STORE!!! This has been his dream for years and years, and it finally came to pass. He is the proud owner of CAGE Computers and Gaming. It has been a roller coaster ride getting it going and keeping it up, but at the same time, it's been a blast. Especially for Jon. The store had its Grand Opening on May 17, 2010 and has pretty much had a steady rise in business since that day. Jon hired some close, trusted friends and family and I think they are all enjoying being a part of a business together. And from where I stand, it is great to see my husband living his dream.

Pretty much that's how things are rolling around here. We are busy, and generally we are always running around. But yet we still find time to have some fun. I think it's what keep us sane. Well..as sane as WE can be.

Our Vegas Trip

It's already the middle of January.
Seriously?!

Yes. Seriously.
Holy Crap.
I know!!

Yep! Time is doing its thaaang and carrying on like it does. :)

So our anniversary Vegas trip was short (3 days) but fun! We drove there, so 2 days of the trip was driving, and the other day was spent hanging out at the Tropicana, doing Let's Make a Deal!!

We stayed at Hooters Hotel and Casino, which some may say is cheesy/trashy. But I say who cares?! It was 20 bucks a night! AND it was the hotel right next to the Tropicana. Score, I say! Score, indeed. Also, we got to try the famous wings at the restaurant. They were pretty good, actually.

Here's some pictures from our trip...

Jon LOVES it when other people "know what they are doing on the road". I made him pose for this picture. It's sheer awesome, yes? :)

Cameras were not allowed to bring into the show, but I had to get some kind of picture-proof of the game show!

The "Soon to Be Relatively Famous" Hooters Wings!

...they charged a buck each for ranch, bleu cheese, and celery. Sheesh!

This was my costume for the game show. Yes, I was sick. I know I look horrid. But the costume looks pretty good, right? I think so. We didn't get a pic of Jon's costume, but it was pretty much a paint-splattered shirt, a hat, and props: a paintbrush and paint pallate.

So, that was our trip! Fun stuff.

I am trying to be all fancy-schmancy on this blog. I think I might be doing it wrong because it's difficult! I keep messing up the layout and whatnot. I may need a lesson in awesomizing my blog. Ha. We will see if that happens. Let's hope for the best!

Another Year Gone

It's unbelievable that 2009 is almost The Past. It seems like just last week that I was saying "Happy New Year!! I can't believe 2008 is over!" it's crazy.

Does time go by faster when you get older? I remember when I was growing up, it was a constant wait until Christmas, until my birthday, until I was FINALLY in the 6th grade. And now here I am, one week away from my 2 year wedding anniversary. Lesson learned: Time Definitely Flies!!

Speaking of wedding anniversary! Yes, it's been 2 years for Jon and me. We are going to Vegas again to celebrate. This time we originally wanted to go for a show. And it just happened to be showing on our anniversary. So we're making it into an anniversary trip!

So let's talk about this little show we are going to. Now this show isn't just any Vegas show, oh no! This is "Let's Make a Deal!" (!!!!) With the host Wayne Brady!!! This is going to be so much fun, we're super excited. We are going to have a clever costume duo that we are dressing in, too. We came up with the idea of being an artist (Jon) and an unfinished portait painting (me). We bought some supplies to make the costume tonight. Hope it works out as well as we are imagining it! We are a little short on time as well, since it needs to be finished by the end of this week. But yeah! Totally excited.

Christmas is in 3 days. I would say we're 98% ready. Well, I am at least. Not so sure about Jon! Let's hope for the best!! Ready or not, Christmas is coming.

So....P90X....yeeeeeeah. I have totally slacked off. I stopped and used the excuse that I didn't have the right weights or resistance bands to really get the benefit of the workout. Welp! I bought some resistance bands. Have I done the workout since? Nope! Dammit!!! I really do plan on it though! So help me. I plan on it.

Jackie is getting married next month! Spot (Justin) is pretty much a perfect match for her, and I think he is awesome. So excited for them both!

I am planning a bachelorette party for her. It is fun but a bit stressful at the same time. Some of my major plans for it fell through today, and the party is in just a couple of weeks, so I'm a bit worried. But at the same time, I'm sure everything will work out okay. Tiffani Grimm is helping me plan it and get everything together, and we are both tons of fun, so I'm sure the party will end up being a great hit, no matter what we end up doing! Overall I am excited for it.

We need to get a new vehicle. Jon's truck has seen the last of its days. It's sad. Neither Jon nor I want to get a new vehicle. Such a pain to deal with!

There's so much to consider:

• Do we want a truck or a car?
• Cars are less expensive than a truck/SUV
• We would like the option of towing capabilities
• Do we want to get the vehicle that will be our vehicle for a REALLY long time?
• Where do we want to get it?
• And so on, and so forth...

It's frustrating to deal with, but nevertheless, we have to deal with it anyway. Hopefully we will figure out what we're doing soon!

I've got a busy work day tomorrow. I am seeing all of my home health patients, then I'm off to the nursing facility to put in a few hours there. Can I just say that I love being a COTA? Because I do.

Here's to 2009, the great year that it was. May 2010 be even better!

Cheers!!

Working on Working Out

Jon and I have decided we want to get into shape (seriously, this time). So we started P90X last night! I can tell it will be a kicker. Holy crap. But I do feel that if we stick to it, there will be results!

We took our before pictures....ugh. I have decided that I do NOT like having my pictures taken in my bathing suit. Especially when it is for the sole purpose of pointing out how fat you are. Had to do 6 different poses. If you are thinking, "Well, Dawn, you should post them!" then you are just plain silly. The ONLY way I will post them is, if in 90 days there is a major result. Then I will post before and after pictures.

So we completed a workout that consisted of about 40 minutes, which was called UML (because it worked on Upper body, Middle section, and Lower body). It wasn't the best performance I've ever done for a workout, to say the least! Especially since I had to share my yoga mat with Jon, while simultaneously having Frenchie and Buster up in our faces wondering what in the crap we were doing. But we finished it! And afterward I thought I would finish it all up with a nice strawberry flavored whey protein shake.

So I did! I chugged that 8 ounces like it was the last thing on earth to drink. I must say, it was quite tasty; it was like Strawberry Nesquik. The next thing I know, though, is my chest is really tight, like when you eat too fast. I figured it was because I drank the thing so fast, so I ignored it knowing that it would go away soon. However, it didn't. It got worse. My chest began to constrict, feeling like my lungs were shriveling. I felt a weird slimy feeling in my mouth and throat. Something definitely wasn't right. I told Jon what was going on and, after starting to feel dizzy and weak, I went to bed. Jon brought me in some allergy medicine but I was still worried and in alot of pain. When I would turn to lie on my side, it felt as if my rib cage was collapsing into itself. Not a pleasant feeling! Then I would start to have little baby panic attacks and then I definitely couldn't breathe.
I did finally go to sleep; I think the allergy medicine helped with that. But when I woke up I still felt a bit crappy. But I felt much better. So I got dressed in my scrubs and went to work.

Needless to say, I think I am allergic to whey.

Today has continued to be a bit of an off day. Jon has been feeling pretty sick today (non-whey-related), and neither of us has had much of an appetite. I really don't want to get sick. Really.

So I made us some homemade soup, even though we both aren't entirely hungry. I figured we should at least have some food in our bellies, and soup is known to be a comfort food, especially when you are sick.

Back to Blogging

I am attempting to blog again. SO much has happened since last time I blogged. I mean come on, it's been 9 months. Well here I go again, with the intention of keeping track of my life via blog. Wish me luck...

Here is a list of some major things that have happened within the last 9 months:

• I finished my fieldwork at ManorCare
• I graduated from college
• We moved to a new location in South Ogden
• We completely renovated the new place
• Jackie had her baby boy, Maxwell Connor Venable
• Darcy and Joe had another baby girl, Brielle Dawn Stuart
• Dannielle and Mark adopted a baby girl, Paityn Elisa Wilson
• Dad and Mom got 2 new dachshund puppies, Shasta and Meisha
• I passed my NBCOT exam and became a COTA
• I got my license and became a COTA/L
• I got a job PRN at Heritage Park Care Center in Roy
• I got a job working home health with the status of "self-employed"
• Jon got his own business up and running, "Cutting Edge Computers"
• I had my first on-stage performance in years

Hopefully I didn't leave out anything super-important...if I did and it involved you or someone you know, I'm sorry but cut me some slack, eh? It has been a long time!

So....now that I have put all the "majors" into a list, I don't know what else to talk about! Maybe that will be all for today.

Let's see if I come back soon. :)

On-Goings

Today was my last day of Fieldwork at Ogden Regional. They are closing down the Transitional Care Unit and they had a big luncheon for everyone on the unit. It was a good luncheon, but at the same time, you could feel the sadness. They made everyone cute little "yearbook" thingies. I got one and had people sign it next to their pictures. I totally felt like I was in high school again. It was pretty cool though.

I'm going to Wendover tonight! Going with 3 boys...should be fun! Hooray for penny slots and flashy lights. We'll see how things turn out.

I feel strange right now. I feel like I'm dreaming and floating. No, I'm not on drugs. I'm not sleep deprived either. I actually even got 8 hours of sleep last night, but I feel all funky. Hmmm. . weird.

Gramma Pammy came over for dinner last night. It was good to have her over, I hope she knows she's loved. Because...well cause she is! So there.

There are auditions being held at the Off Broadway Theatre tomorrow morning. I was seriously considering going. But I found out about the auditions only a few days ago, and I don't feel completely prepared for it. Especially since I haven't done one in over 3 years! Crazy. I think I'll keep my eye out for auditions in the future though, I really want to get back into it. It was my life, man!

Ever miss the things of the past? And long for them? Ever wonder "what if.."? sometimes I can't help it. I do love my life. I know that I am so lucky! I still miss lots of things from "back in the day" though. Some things pass too quickly. That's just life though, right?

We got a new car! I love it. Except it smells like milk. Gross. I've been trying to get rid of that smell. It's awful, and I didn't discover it until after we already bought it. But once it smells oh so fresh, it will be my beauty.

I start my new fieldwork placement on Monday. I will be going to ManorCare for 2 more months, full-time. I have always heared good things about that place, so I hope it will be a good experience for me. I need to go buy some outfits for the dress code there: black shirt, tan pants. yay...

I'm so sad about Kam. The school board suspended his teaching license for a whole year! It's been a year already since the whole ordeal started. It's ridiculous. He and his family have been so strong through all of this though. He's always been a role model for me. It all just makes me sad. Sad and angry.
I know that I was so lucky to have him as my teacher and friend.

Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End.

Getting ready for the Holidays...supposedly a fun time of the year?
We just found out that our credit card information has been stolen. It has been determined that is was probably compromised after Jon made a purchase online for Christmas gifts. Some hacker got a hold of the info and decided to make a PayPal accout in Jon's name. This blows me away. But luckily we are (okay, mostly Jon is) working on getting all the bills disputed and cancelling our cards and all that jazz. So...fun stuff!!

With that being said, I am actually looking forward to the next couple of weeks. Christmas is one week from today, and we are close to having all of our shopping finished, with only a few small things left to buy. Jackie's gift still hasn't come in the mail, and I'm getting a little antsy about it, but all will be well. I have been planning and putting together a murder mystery party for Jon's family to participate in on Christmas Eve. I've never been in charge of anything like this before, but I have been putting in alot of effort, I feel, so I hope it turns out to be fun.

Three days after Christmas is Jon's and my 1 year anniversary. We have a short vacation planned to go to Las Vegas for a few days, then come home in time for New Year's Eve. I'm excited to go because I haven't been since I was in high school, and I think that it will be more fun this time around because we are planning on going to several shows while we are there.

It's strange not having much to do during the day, now that school is out for the semester. I'm sure there are lots of things that I could do, like around the house, but then again you can only clean the house and do laundry so many times before you become obsessive with it. I just seem to be pretty bored lately. Maybe I'm just jittery for the Holidays to be here. Maybe I just want to hang out with Jon, but can't because he is so constantly busy with his software writings and phone calls. I think about working out to pass my time...maybe I will actually do it soon. I don't know about going to the gym though, because I don't want to go by myself. So yeah, I should probably start working out here at home, because I can literally feel my butt becoming flatter and wider, just from sitting in my recliner all night surfing the internet to relieve my boredom. Let's have some motivation!! Ooh, how about the motivation of "you can fit into your old clothes again!" Hooray...

I do like it when Jackie comes over, usually because she is bored too. That is helpful, especially on nights like tonight. It has been quiet and boring today for me, so Jax came over and we ordered Chinese for us and Jon, then Jon went back up to his "cell" and Jackie and I watched some Family Guy DVDs. So yeah, it's good having a best friend. Especially one that likes to hang out with me. Haha

I hate the cold.
I hate how winter makes me scared for the energy bills to come.
So I don't look at them. . . But I know they are high. The gas fireplace is on 80% of the time, the Christmas lights are always on, the heat is always on, and now we have a space heater by the door (supposedly to warm up the cold draft that is let in from the doggy door) that is on all day as well. I want to save money, but it seems to be especially hard to during the cold winter! Damn dogs and husband wanting to be warm! Haha back in MY day when I lived in an apartment, we hardly ever turned on the heat, and were constantly wearing sweaters and slippers, and drinking hot cocoa. Haha yes, we were cheap skates, but we were rich!! Hahaha...ok maybe not rich..but efficient! :) ...Nah, it's really ok.

I'm trying to think of something to talk about where I can post some pictures...but I got nothin. So I will end this for now, and try to find something else to alleviate my boredom until bedtime.

Let's try this again...

Today was kind of an interesting day.

This morning Jon was lying diagonally across the bed, so naturally, I kicked him out of the way. It worked; he woke up. But instead of going back to sleep, I heard him say, "Honey! It's 9:30!!" Mind you, I was supposed to be out of the door at 8:30 in order to catch my carpool.

Needless to say, I missed the carpool and didn't make it to school. Apparently, today wasn't a fantastic day to miss school because we were handed out several assignments and information that would be useful to have gotten, had I been in class. That's what classmates are for, I suppose.

So today started out to be a different Monday than usual. But I managed to carry on nevertheless.

Last night Jon and I decided to make a schedule for ourselves, instead of just talking about making one. So we drew out a makeshift weekly calendar and wrote down our schedules so we know what is going on in our lives, and also so that we can get in a routine of how to get things done. We mainly did this to keep a schedule of when to go to bed, as well as what chores to do each day.

Well, we followed the schedule pretty well today because we got the Winder Farms order in, did some work/homework, got some grocery shopping done, and had dinner ready on time. Of course, we didn't get our Monday chores done, and it's past our bedtime, but we're still off to a good start I would say...

So as for what is going on in our little lives (that I would like to write about)...

Jon was offered and accepted a job from a chiropractor to write software for his clinic. So Jon does that in most of his free time. His first priority, however, is Specialty Nursing Services. So has been a hard-working man, moreso than usual. So when we get to go out and do things or spend some quality time together here at home, it's really nice. But he is excited about the software, and he is working on it with his friend Cody, who is also a computer programmer. I am glad that he is enjoying it, and the extra money will be appreciated, especially with the holidays coming up! But on the other hand, it will be nice when he is done with it, too.

As for me, I am just doing the school thing still. I have about 6 weeks or so left of this semester. I am looking forward to the holiday break. But then again, it will be busy busy around the holidays as well, so I guess there's no way of not having a crazy life, one way or another. But in a way, that could be a good thing.

I received my placement for this semester's fieldwork. I will be going to the Wyoming State Hospital in Evanston, where I will be staying Thursday to Friday for 2 weekends in a row. Up there, I will be working with some psychiatric patients. I think it will be an exciting and educational experience. I am really looking forward to it. Gramma Pam has suggested to keep a journal of it while I'm up there, so maybe I will type it and post it on the blog? I have good intentions, anyway.

Frenchie and Buster are doing fantastic. They are spoiled rotten, as usual. In fact, come to find out that the reason why Jon was diagonally sprawled across the bed this morning is because Frenchie was in his "leg space" on his side of the bed. So..just to give you an idea.

They were so cute on Halloween. Buster was a sweet little bumble bee, and Frenchie was an adorable witch. They both hated their hats they had with their costumes. My parents got some pictures of them (and Jon&me) wearing costumes, so hopefully I will get them soon so I can post them. I have only a picture of Buster for now.

He pretty much hates us right about now.

Anyway, we had a lot of fun.

I will try to blog more often.

Later!

So what's goin on?

So this last week has been a celebration of birthdays. Jon, Des, and Frenchie all share their birthdays on the 2nd of September. So this last week has been a time for us all to have a celebration! It's like it has been never-ending. It has been fun, I think, and I think that Jon has enjoyed it as well.

His birthday was on a Tuesday, and it all started the Friday before, when we went to McGrath's Fish house with my family, and then went back to my parents' house afterward to play Rock Band, and other games, and to have cake and ice cream. (Mom made the cake, and I got to put a border on it and write on it. I love every oppurtunity I can get.)

That night, Dad rode Jon's motorcycle around the block. You could tell by the look on his face when he got back, that he absolutely loved it! He had a perma-grin. I have the picture of before he took off; when he was just "trying it on for size" or whatever. Either way, he looks like a little kid on Christmas Day. Adorable.

The next night, we invited some friends over for his birthday celebration. It really was surprising, and almost irritating to see how many ungrateful, moocher friends we have! I spent all day cleaning the house and buying food and punch for our guests. I also asked if people would be nice enough to contribute to the refreshments, and to let me know how many guests I should plan on. 3 people told me they were coming. 1 person brought a treat to share. There were 17people here that night. Jon and I spent close to 40 dollars on party supplies, food, and drinks, plus we supplied a place to hang out. Probably got 1 "thank-you", which was from the couple that actually brought something to contribute! Am I being too sensitive? Am I asking too much or expecting too much?? And then there was only Cory who gave Jon a birthday present. It's just frustrating to me. I see the way some of his friends treat him and it really uspests me. He trys to brush it off like it is no big deal, but I'm sure it has to bother him at least a little bit.






Anyway, I realize I'm complaining, and I started telling about this because it was fun! Haha so Saturday consisted of mostly Rock Band again, and certain friends eating all the food and drinking all the drinks. Ha. Oh well. It was still pretty fun; and I got to make and decorate a cake for him. I only got a picture of it when it was almost all eaten, but I still got one!





So then came Sunday. Sunday was alot of fun. We went up to Jon's parents' house in Huntsville for the birthday celebration of Des, Jon, their cousin Bailey (who didn't show up), and Frenchie. There were lots of dogs invited for Frenchie's birthday party; in fact, there were 8 dogs there. I made and decorated a cake that is specifically for dogs. It had a can of dog food in it and it seemed to be a big hit.


Unfortunately, it was raining really hard on Sunday, so the dogs didn't get a chance to run around outside much, but they seemed to have had a good time, eating their birthday cake on the deck. I am really glad we got video of this event. It was a lot of fun!


Jon's dad made dinner in the dutch oven, and that was fantastic. It was a good time.

I took Jon out for a surprise birthday outing Wednesday night. We went to dinner at Tucci's at Trolley Corner, then we went to the Hale Centre Theatre and saw "BIG-The Musical", which is just like the old show with Tom Hanks, but made into a musical. It was really fun. It was pretty cool because we saw an advertisement in the theatre about texting "hale" to a certain number, and you get a special deal. So of course we did! And we got 2 free fountain sodas ( a $4.00 value! ) Haha so that was a good time. We then went to a bed and breakfast in Salt Lake that I had made reservations for. It's called the Armstrong Mansion. It was a cute and cozy little place. It was nice to get out, just for the night. I enjoyed it, and I think Jon did too.

I've decided that I like putting pictures into my blogs. It makes it more fun that way. I will try to take more pictures of random things I am doing so if I blog about it later, I will have a visual aide to go along with it! Sounds good to me.

Well I need to get ready to go to a Home Evaluation for school today, for a 90 year old lady. Better go!

Another Day

Today started with bowling. I didn't bowl too bad today, so I suppose that is a plus. After that I went to my parents' house for a meeting with our "financial advisor", a.k.a. my mom. Haha We had the financial meeting and bought an IRA, which apparently saved my mom's butt, as far as her keeping her license goes. So yeah. It was a bit crazy at her house after the meeting, with the kids there because Darcy and Joe are in Cancun. But it was nice to hang out with them all for a bit.

I have had a stomach that has been pissed off at me ALL DAY LONG. It is getting to be pretty old news to me, and I am done dealing with it.

On the brighter side of things, Jon made dinner tonight, and it was very good. He surprised us both. Haha but yeah, it was yummy chicken with cheesy broccoli rice and veggies. Yum!

After dinner we watched 101 Unforgettable moments of SNL. Jon worked and I have been bored all night. I realize that I could probably clean the house to curb my boredom, but I still don't feel very good, so that doesn't completely intrigue me... I'm sure I will gain motivation when the arrival of guests is coming up. I really need to weed my garden out back too. Like bad! Sigh...I just need to do it. No more excuses.
It is getting too late to do it tonight, but starting tomorrow! I don't have any plans tomorrow until later, so I should be able to get alot done during the day. Let's be positive!!

My friend Andrew (Gilbert) is back in Utah from Arizona. Hopefully he is here to stay; he is alot of fun to be around. We were in the same group of friends in junior high and a little bit in high school. We're friends mostly through Alex Thedell, who I'm still good friends with now. We are all going to a movitomorrow as a group. It should be a good time.

Well my first day of school was yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised at how this semester is probably going to pan out. I'm not sure if I would go as far as to say that I'm excited about it all, but I definitely have a better perspective and a better attitude about it, now that I have had my first day back. I'm sure I will be writing a bit about my schooling adventures throughout the semester, so don't get too worried! Ha

Well today's post is pretty boring (again), but I don't really have much of anything else to say. So I think I will go get in the shower and get ready for bed. And maybe, if I get real ambitious, I will clean up the house a bit. I will at least do a ten minute walk-around with Jon before bedtime though. :) Hooray for childhood chores!

Later...

Last day of summer...

So, today is the last non-school night night. I have been milking it by staying up late (it's 1 AM now). It will be a bittersweet return to school I think.

Today consisted of first going to Gramma Pam's house in the morning to help with some things around the house. We had some breakfast and chatted for an hour or so, then we got to work by making the bed downstairs with a fresh set of bedding, then we were off to work upstairs by shifting the cupboards around and such. Then we chatted some more. After we were satisfied with where the cabinets were, we went to lunch at the Deli on 5th. The sandwiches there are very good! Then of course, we chatted some more over lunch. We then headed to Ross and did some shopping. She bought me a couple of tops and a hat to wear for school. I like! So we came back to her house and set up another bed set in her bedroom. She had to go to the hospital for work, so the day ended there. But I had a good time, and I think she did too. It was nice spending the day with her. She is a great person to talk with. I love her and I love the fact that we can be so tight.

I came home and soon after, Jon came home from work, only to work some more. He has been so busy lately with his projects at work. I feel bad for him because he has been working 10-12 hours a day, with very little breaks, and his brain is getting fried! It seems I hardly have any time with him anymore, even though we are in the same room, because he is glued to his computer, working. Hopefully his projects will be accomplished soon, and we can spend more time together. But I do appreciate all he does, and the hard work he puts into what he does. Jon is so fantastic.

So while Jon worked, I was tired, and decided to take a nap for a bit, before dinner. So I did. Very nice! Once I woke up, I came downstairs and made dinner. Meanwhile, Jackie was texting me, telling me how badly she wanted a piece of pie, a milkshake, or some other sort of sweet yummy. I have been trying to cut back on sweets because I am trying to lose some weight, but I knew it would be good to see her anyway, so I invited her to go to Village Inn with Jon and me after dinner for some pie.

So she did. We went to Village Inn and got some pie! (As pictured above) I had the French Silk Pie, which was good, but gave me a killer stomach ache afterward. Perhaps it was because my tummy knows I shouldn't have eaten it..?

Now I am going to play some music with Jon. We have decided that we like "Picture", as sung and played by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow. So we have been practicing that, and we even sing it together, AND sometimes even play the guitar for it together. It's fun.

Phil also texted us tonight and asked us both if we would be interested in starting a country-ish band. He said I could play the ukelele and sing. How awesome would that be?!? Haha fun stuff. He said he would most likely have more information on it by Saturday when he comes over for his piano lesson that I give him. Should be interesting, we will see what happens!

Alrighty, it looks like Jon has the stuff set up to play/sing Picture, so I better bring this to a close. Later!

-Dawn-

Today was a chillin' day

Today was nice. I am really liking not having much responsibility, as far as school or work is concerned. . . . that will all be over by a week from today. :( It will be a good thing, though, to be able to get my schooling done with. I really do want to have a feeling of accomplishment in my life, when it comes to school and such. So even though it is a long and boring ride to 9000 South every day and back home, I think it will all be worth it. I only have one more semester of long daily commutes, and then I have my full semester of Fieldwork/interships to do. *Sigh*...then what? Ha! I guess that only time will tell...Hopefully the world won't come to a blinding end before I get my degree. Where's the feeling of accomplishment in that?! Hee hee

Speaking of that, I didn't sleep very well at all last night, so today, I took an afternoon nap. It seems that I have very very strange dreams when I take naps, and today was not an exception. What I can remember of my dream...I dreamed that there was massive war and destruction around. Like the rest of the world, really, but this time it was actually affecting all of us around here. There was flooding and fires. I remember wading through waist-deep water and trying to get to a raft. ...and trying to make deals with Osama Bin Laden haha. I just remember being happy that we were prepared with our 72 hour kits on our backs, but also very sad that we weren't with our families for some reason, including our babies, Buster and Frenchie. I have no idea why I am writing about my dream, but partially perhaps because this is the second dream within a week, that I can remember, about being in a land where there are scary terrorists with guns and I am trying to do something.
The last one was about a mosque that had gotten blown up, and I was one of the many that were beign forced to help rebuild it. There were guards with machine guns all over the premises, and I really didn't want to throw sandbags all over the place, so I had a different plan! I distracted the guard with my incredible wit, while Jon turned into a morphing animal. Haha. that's all. Totally random. That's why I write it. :)

So speaking of Jon and me! We are doing SO good!! In my last post, I mentioned that we were on a bit of a shaky road, but everything has pretty much evened out, and now we are so happy. It's fantastic. I sure do love him, and I am so thankful that he loves me too. It works out best that way, I do believe! We like to just hang out together, and we have some hankerin' for trying some new things. For example, we were online for awhile last night looking at upcoming events around town. Jon found something at Snowbasin that sounds really fun. I guess every Saturday this month they do a cultural night. This week is Brazilian night, and there will be food and live music, as well as the gondola ride up there. I think that sounds like so much fun, and so does Jon. There is so much fun stuff out there, so little time and unfortunately as well, so little money.

So Jackie has been home for about a month now. Turns out she didn't stay and go to Las Vegas afterall. She had a little change of plans. . . She came home early because she found out that she is going to have a baby. So she is home, getting herself ready for that big change, and I am here, trying to be the most supportive best friend that I can be. I really wish the best for her; being a single mom definitely can't be the easiest thing in the world.

I said that I would tell about how the dinner with my parents went. Turns out that it went pretty good! The pork loin was really tender and juicy and had lots of flavor. My mom brought a yummy salad and we just had a good time. Ya know, played some games and such. It was fun, I think we should do it again. I did learn, however, that I need to get some serving dishes, such as platters and whatnot. My ideas and thoughts were confirmed when I invited my Gramma Pam over for dinner a few weeks ago. Yeeeah....I don't have any serving dishes..haha! I went to Ross and bought a vintage-looking tray with a painting on it, as well as some placemats that match our dishes. That was the nicest I had to present to Gram. Haha I'm sure she understands! I do like entertaining, and having guests over for dinner, games, or whatever. The only problem is the space...I have a teeny tiny dining area, and a nicely sized table, that fits it proportionally. It seats 4 people...So I can't have as many people over as I would like to have. I would really like to have my whole family over, or a few friends over. Oh well, I am nevertheless very blessed with
what I do have; I really shouldn't complain at all.

So what's new with me...Ooh! I got my hair cut the other day. I think it's probably the shortest it has ever been. I like it. I didn't like it two days ago; I went back yesterday and had it fixed. I paid 30 bucks though (!), so I didn't feel TOO bad about doing that. I like flipping it out and such. It really gets me thinking about doing a pixie cut, where it is pretty short in the back, so I can spike it out, but still have it a little longer in the front and on the top...but not too much longer. So yeah, it was nice to have a change. Maybe I will change my hair color again soon, it's been a long time since I've colored it. In fact, my silver streak is showing on the back of my head, so that just shows ya how long it's been, if my "natural colors" are showing up! Anywhoo... that is the newest thing for me right as of now.

Tonight, Jon and I are planning on working on some music together. Nothing of our own writings or anything; we haven't gotten to that point yet, although I do hope we will get there eventually! We plan on just doing some cover songs, such as Sheryl Crow, Flyleaf and others. It's fun to just jam out together. I like that we can, and that we both enjoy it.

Welp, I think that's it for today. We'll see when the next time I sign on here will be....

Today...

Today was Father's Day!
My dad is fantastically awesome! And I love him. So there.
I haven't blogged since February.
Jon and I went to his parents' house earlier today, then went to my uncle's house for dinner later. Good food. Good feelings! Haha
Things have been a little shaky for Jon and me, this last week especialy. But things seem to be getting lots better. I know I need to work on lots of things in order to make this marriage what it should be. I think I am getting better, though. I want to be a good wife. I want him to know I love him and that I want the best for him. I really just need to show him...I need to grow up alot, in some ways. But I am ready to work on it. I really am.
Buster and Frenchie are doing great. I am so glad I have them around. Buster doesn't leave my side and it makes me feel so needed and I love it! It's the closest I want to feel like being a mommy as for now.
My best friend, Jackie, is in Alaska, and has been for going on 2 months now. I miss her pretty badly! She is there for the summer, working, and will hopefully come home after the summer is over, so I can see her and hang out with her again. But she says that it is a possibility that she might go straight from Alaska to Las Vegas to do another job. I would be happy for her, but sad for me.
I have been able to make some new friends lately though. Some friends from school. I have gotten to know them and have gotten close to them. I can say I have friends now! I know that's lame, because I get so excited about it, but it's just been so long since I felt like I truly did have some friends. And I feel like they actually do care about me and what I have to say. That is pretty dang awesome!
There are things I want to work on to get my life on track so that I am productive and feel successful about my day. Such as getting up earlier and starting my day sooner,so I have time to get all the things done that I would like to. Also have a schedule of all the household chores and tasks that need to be done so I can stay on top of things and not feel overwhelmed by it. I have a plan...and I plan to execute the plan...! Ha!
This blog is pretty lame. But I don't really have anything to say...so I'm just writing whatever is on my mind. Plus, nobody else reads this, so I can say whatever the hell I want! It's practically just an online journal...because nobody else really knows about it, or cares anyway. So there!
We are having my parents over for dinner tomorrow for the first time. It should be interesting. I am kinda nervous about it, although I don't think anything will really go wrong or anything. But I do want to make a good impression and let my parents know that I can survive out here in the world! I'm planning on making a pork loin in the crock pot. Should be good, right? Maybe I'll blog about it later, once the dinner is over, and I'll tell ya how it all went down. :)
So....I got bit by a goat today!! It was awesome. Just my pinky finger. I guess they don't have top teeth. But this particular goat at Jon's parents' house was sucking on my fingers and managed to get one maneuvered back to his molars and chomped down. It hurt like crazy! I swore as quietly as I could, while still shouting it. It made me bleed!! Haha but I'm doing ok. I just thought it was something interesting that I could say that doesn't exactly happen to me, or most people everyday.
One of my "goals" for a better lifestyle is going to bed earlier, so I think I am going to do that shortly. So...here's the end for today!

Today

Today I went to school, and surprisingly my 45 mile commute was not very bad this morning! That was exciting. So I decided to treat my early-arriving self to some Sconecutter. I had a wheat scone with honeybutter. MmMmm.

At school, we had an anatomy class with a real live cadaver!!! ....wait... But yeah, it was very interesting, once I got over the horrid smell, and the fact that he actually had fingernails.
After that lab, we had another lab where we made a dynamic hand splint. That took a long time, but my partner, Jamie, and I both wanted to get out of there as soon as possible so we hurried...It still took forever. But yeah! We all made really cool splints that look somewhat like torture devices! Hooray for Occupational Therapy!!!!

I went to an awesome improv/sketch show at Weber State tonight. It was called "Girls Aren't Funny". Laughed my freaking butt off. Way to go, Girls!!!

I am not doing much on a Friday night. That's ok too. Not many friends around me. I try to be ok with that. It's hard though. Good thing I love my husband!!

Better go for now.
Bye!!

So here I am

It's my first blog! What do I do now? I guess I'll just tell what's going on right now. This is my spot!! I can say whatever I want, because this is my place. hooray!
I am watching the Office, Season 2. The episode where Ryan the Temp sets the place on fire cause he leaves a cheese pita in the toaster oven. Haha
the laptop is really hot and my lap feels like it will light on fire soon... relaxing....!
I am freaking out about school...everything is coming down all at once. It is stressful but I hope I can make it through with at least a passing grade. We will have to hope for the best I suppose. La Dee Dah.
I made dinner tonight! Stuff that people make all the time, I made for the first time tonight. Such as steamed vegetables! And mashed potatoes. Loaded mashed potatoes!!! Let's hope my husband liked it too. That was exciting and new.
I am getting tired, and I should probably get ready for bed now. I have a full day at school tomorrow. Hooray, once again.
We'll see who even reads this...could be interesting.
Later!
Dawn