KatieBug BlogPants

5 months later....

2009-08-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

Yep - I'm still alive! I know you must be sick of seeing the same Heimlich story every time you go to my blog. Or, you have stopped going to my blog all together!

I have decided to share some pictures of this summer. We did lots of neat stuff! In May, I went with my two friends down to Kanab, UT. I know it doesn't sound very exciting, but there is a no-kill animal shelter there called "Best Friends Animal Sanctuary" where we volunteered. We spent time helping with the cats and dogs. The show "Dogtown" is filmed there, if you've ever seen it on Animal Planet or whatever channel it's on!

In June, we went to the Scottish Festival with my brother and his family (minus Justine...) I went every year with my Dad, so this is an important tradition for me. Later that month Troy and I flew out to California to visit my sister and her family. We spent the time relaxing by the pool, went to the lake on their boat and played lots of games! It was a good time.

We also managed to go camping 3 times this summer with friends and Troy's dad. I am so glad we did, I love getting out of the city and being in nature. Even if you do get dirty and stinky :)

I hope to keep my blog up to date... we shall see!

CAMPING

Troy and his Dad on the left

Nate and Troy

3rd of July Fireworks in North Salt Lake
Drew & Brandie

Troy, Chloe, Mike

Samantha, Troy, Hailey in CA

Troy and Huckleberry - my sisters cute Basset Hound!

Gotta love this one!

Hailey and I

Troy and I at the Scottish Festival - Thanksgiving Point

Brandie, Drew, Troy - Scottish Festival

With one of the puppies at Best Friends

Me, Rebecca and Sarah at Best Friends

Heimlich Anybody?

2009-03-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

I recently visited my sister, Amy in California for her 40th Birthday. We spent a night in Reno, then drove to her house about 1 1/2 hours away in Lincoln, CA. It was a short trip, but it was a blast! My flight home was on March 16th, we took Southwest which made a connection in Las Vegas. Don't ask me why we had to fly south and then north again. ANYWAYS.... when we stopped in Vegas the majority of the people on the plane got off leaving only a handful of us. I was flying home with my brother, Nate and one of my sisters husbands good friends, Jonny. The layover in Vegas was longer than normal because the door in the front had a broken spring that had to be fixed. We started to get hungry during this process, so Jonny decided to get off and get some food and come back on. He brought back a personalized pan pizza from Pizza Hut and offered me a slice.

Nate was sitting in the window seat, I was in the middle and Jonny in the aisle seat. I had my tray table down, Nate made a comment that made me laugh so I started choking on a small piece of pizza. At first I thought it was going to come out after a few coughs, but then I inhaled a bit and lodged it even further! I had no airway whatsoever, not even a whistle. I start to panic, Nate helps me get the tray table up, Jonny gets out of the way so I can get in the aisle way. At this point, the flight attendants realize something is wrong and there was Hank - the Southwest flight attendant that saved my life. He gave me the Heimlich Maneuver 3 times, and at last the piece of pizza came up. It didn't fly out of my mouth like you would think, it just came up and landed on my tongue.

It sounds silly to explain it, and I'm sure there will be jokes down the road about it. But it scared me SO bad, it's never a good feeling when you think you're going to die! It is also a reminder not to take life for granted, and not to laugh while eating pizza.

My Fave Songs

2009-02-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

I am stealing this idea from my dear friend, Rebecca. She posted a blog regarding songs that she could listen to over and over that were her favorite songs. They are also songs that are so not cool and you are like - huh? Really, are you serious? I have included a few of my own favorite songs that I would never skip if they came up on shuffle mode on my iPod. They are usually ones I love to belt out to when I am alone at home or in my car. Enjoy! :)

Sailing by Christopher Cross

Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head by BJ Thomas

Never Ending Story by Limahl (it reminds me of my childhood, ok?)

Say My Name - Destiny's Child

Hello by Lionel Richie

If You Don't Know Me By Now by Simply Red

I Belong To You by Lenny Kravitz

Escape (Pina Colada Song) by Rupert Holmes

Eastern Caribbean Cruise - 2009

2009-01-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

Wow. It has been awhile since I last blogged. I'm not going to apologize - life just happens!

We closed on our house right before Christmas and moved 2 days after Christmas. What a whirlwind of activities! It was stressful, to say the least. Anyone who has moved knows. We have been in our new home for a month now and we are loving it! There are just a few more rooms that need some work, including a dresser for our bedroom. I don't know how long I can stand living out of boxes for my clothes. The condo is listed and we are hoping to sell this as soon as we can. If we are not having any luck, then we will try and get a renter in there. You never know with how the market is these days!

Two weeks after we moved in, Troy and I headed out to Florida where we departed on our 7 day Eastern Caribbean Cruise. We had a blast! We had been to this part of the world before on a cruise, but we visited a couple of new islands we had never been to. Troy has been writing about some of our adventures, you should check out his blog! Our itinerary was Princess Cays on Eleuthera Island (Bahamas), St. Maarten, St. Thomas (we took a ferry from here to St. John and turned out to be our favorite island this trip) and last but not least, Grand Turk. The weather was great - except for a scare I had the first night on the cruise, which Troy also mentions in one of his stories. I have a wild imagination and my mind comes up with so many different scenarios. I am paranoid, I know :)

I was going to add some photos, but looks like Troy put all my favorites on his blog. Thanks Troy! Here is one to spice up the entry:

Turk Bay - St. John. I want to go back one day!

New House and Mini-Vacation

2008-12-14T11:14:00.000-08:00

So I mentioned briefly in my last post that Troy and I bought a house. We are so excited! We are supposed to (crossing my fingers) close on it this week. Our first intention was to move in the weekend before Christmas (i.e. next weekend) but I think we are going to spend Christmas for the last time in our condo and move the weekend after Christmas. I wish I had saved some photos of it! It is a twin home in Taylorsville, right off of 48th South and 740 West - right on the border of Murray and Taylorsville. It's in a cul-de-sac and there are horses behind our fence. We have a yard (that's a first for me!) and a dishwasher - which we have been living without for over 3 years now. It's 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 bath, 1 car garage AND a carport. WAHOO!

Last weekend I was able to fly out with my mom to see my sister and her family in California. They live right outside of Sacramento in a town called Lincoln. Troy couldn't make it this trip, he had band practice for his work Christmas party. We had a great and relaxing time! I played games with my nieces and nephew, went to see "Twilight" in a very expensive California movie theater, met my sisters new Basset Hound named Huckleberry and went shopping with my sister and mom. Oh, and let's not forget In N Out Burger! MMMMMM.... Here a few photos of my trip below.

Cameron and Huckleberry

Me, Mom and Huckleberry

Me, Cameron & Grandma

Grandma, Hailey & Aunt Katie

Samantha & Aunt Katie

Steve with his Christmas present from Troy and I - a Steelers Wreath!

The Balli Family Christmas Tree

Amy, Mom & Katie

Huck and Daddy watching t.v.

Sisters

Sitting on Santa's (Steve's) Lap! :)

We LOVE Christmas!!

Almost 1 month later...

2008-12-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

This will be short and sweet. I know my page is still Thanksgiving themed, this will be changed soon! Not to worry. Life has been a whirlwind for me lately, so my blogging has come to a halt. Between buying a new home and selling my old one, Christmas, a vacation to my sisters and appointments with doctors regarding babies - I have had little time!

Stay tuned....

Disney and NKOTB

2008-11-16T18:48:00.000-08:00

I have had the best weekend! Last Friday I had the chance to take my niece, Chloe to see Disney on Ice for an early birthday present. I was also secretly excited to go myself, so it was also a good cover-up to go with a child because no one thought I actually wanted to go. I ended up loving it in all its cheesiness. My favorite part of the show was Pinnochio and I think Chloe liked all of the princesses the best :) Here are a few pics from the night, all I had was my camera phone but they are still fun!

The princess herself

Saturday night I had the time of my life at the New Kids On The Block concert. I went with my friends Rebecca, Jessica & Rhianne and had a killer time! Here is a little background with me and NKOTB. I first discovered them at the early age of 11 years old and we were just about to move to Germany. I fell in love with them and had a major crush on Joey McIntyre. I went on to buy t-shirts, pins, had posters of them as wallpaper in my room and even joined their fan club! I had all of their tapes, even the Christmas album. So going to this concert was a mix of 2 things for me. One - that they were back together after 15 years and it was funny that they were doing shows. Two - that all I wanted when I was a pre-teen was to go to one of their shows and I was able to fulfill my childhood dream. And that is really something to me! The crazy thing is, they were all in great shape, still had great dance moves AND they sounded exactly like they did in 1990. Even their new songs are awesome. Not to mention that a few of them became even more attractive over the years. Time treated them well, I must say! No wonder Donnie Wahlberg's brother made it on my top 10 :) The place was full of late 20's, thirty-something women screaming and wearing their old New Kids shirts (that I wished I had kept, trust me!). I loved singing all of the words I used to sing over and over to my tapes back before CD's. It really took me back to those days that I have almost forgotten.

Back in the day.....look at that hair!

Lookin' good today!

One of my favorite songs:

Please Don't Go Girl

Gratitude List

2008-11-05T21:43:00.000-08:00

It's been suggested to me that if I am feeling a little down, don't like the way things are going in my life, life isn't fair, etc... I should make a gratitude list. I don't do this nearly enough, but I'm going to list some things I am grateful for right now. Hopefully it will raise my spirits a little.

* Hot Baths. It's one of the most relaxing things I can do, and it's free. It helps my mind from going a

million miles a minute and it's rejuvenating.

* Great Job. I love my job and it's stable. I've

never been happier working anywhere else!

* A Home. I have a nice condo where I live with my husband and cats. I complain that it's too small all the time, but I need to be more grateful that I have a place to call my own and am able to make payments on it.

* Frankie and Roxy. To most people, cats may not be a big deal. But I love my cats. They keep me company and I know they are treated well and are happy kitties. Sometimes spoiled! They constantly do cute things that make me smile.

* My King Size Bed. After sleeping on a full bed with Troy for almost 3 years, we upgraded to a king. I love being able to sprawl out and not have to worry about kicking Troy in the side. I am also grateful that we are both not cuddlers in bed!

* Traveling. Luckily, Troy and I have had some extra money to travel. We have been on 2 cruises since we've been married, and going on another one this January! We have been to Hawaii, California a few times, Arizona, and Las Vegas. One day I hope to travel to Europe with him.

* Al-Anon. This program has helped me through the roughest of times. I love the friends I have made and the guidance it gives me through life. I don't know how I would survive without it.

Goosh Pants

2008-11-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

I went to a Halloween party about a week ago with some friends. Rebecca and I bought these pants called "Goosh Pants" at the Halloween store for our costume. She also shares my same view and humor on most things! Then, being Katie, I had to go overboard and add things to the costume. Take a look at our creation!

We also won 2nd place for best costume at the party. I think we should have gotten 1st place over Raggedy Ann, but I guess everyone doesn't think messing yourself is funny :)

In addition to the store-bought "Goosh Pants" we added depends diapers as our hats, added a little chocolate frosting and some corn. It was so gross! Yet so funny. We came to the party saying we were party poopers but everyone just called us the poop girls instead. Needless to say, Troy is happy he wasn't caught in public with me :)

Anniversary in Vegas

2008-10-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Today is the 3 year mark that Troy and I have been married. We decided to drive to Las Vegas for a couple of nights for our 3 year anniversary. When I mean we, I mean I came up with the idea and Troy said "sure"! It was our first Vegas trip together. We stayed at the Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites (thanks to our friend John Michael for giving us a sweet deal).

We rolled into Vegas around 4pm-ish on Saturday. We got ready and headed downtown for the night. The weather was warm, in the 80's and in the 70's at night. Perfect weather! We walked around, gambled a little and ate dinner at the buffet in the Monte Carlo. We got back to the hotel early and rented "Step Brothers" which was really funny!

Sunday morning we ate some breakfast and then headed to the Hooters Casino to play a little blackjack and poker. Troy had the gambling luck on this trip. I couldn't win anywhere I went - I guess it just wasn't my time! Troy dragged me away from the penny slots to go check out the Titanic Exhibit at the Tropicana. It was really cool how it was set up, well worth it! They gave us boarding passes for the Titanic with an actual passengers name on it. At the end of the exhibit, you were supposed to check and see if your passenger was a survivor. My passenger survived, but Troy's didn't.

Later that night, we went to the V theater in Planet Hollywood to see the "Fab Four Live" which is a Beatles tribute band. Troy and I love the Beatles. They did a great job of playing their earlier stuff as well as their later stuff. The John Lennon of the group also performed "Imagine" which was awesome. The theater was fairly small, so we could see really well and the sound was great. It was so much fun! We had our picture taken at the beginning of the show, so we bought it once it was over. The quality isn't so well, since it is a picture of a picture :)

After the show, we walked along the strip checking out different casinos. We walked around the Bellagio for quite some time, watched $100 minimum bet blackjack tables and sat in shock while people threw away $200-$300 a hand and then win it back. We also watched the Bellagio fountain show, which most of you have probably seen but I have to do something with this video!

The next day we woke up and headed back to the Bellagio before driving home. Troy had read that the World Poker Tour was having a tournament here and wanted to see if he could see any famous poker players. He LOVES watching poker. In fact, as I'm writing this blog, he is watching poker. This is my background music :) He was so happy, like a kid at Disneyland. We stopped by In-N-Out Burger for lunch (which was a must) and drove home. It was overall a really fun trip with my hubby! Here are some more pics, I didn't take that many:

Troy in front of this cool, but fake, pond in the middle of some shops. Every half hour it would "rain" and "thunder" here.

At the Bellagio. We didn't see "O" but it is a cutesy picture.

I had to go back to work today while Troy had the day off. We went to Madelines for a steak dinner to finish our celebrating. It's crazy to look back and remember all that we've been through in our marriage. It's a good thing I love him so much!!

My Favorite Time of Year

2008-10-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my favorite time of year. Christmas-time is a close second! I wish that FM 100 would play spooky music non-stop during the month of October like they play Christmas music in the month of December. I have added some of these songs to my blog for your listening enjoyment.

Here are just a few reasons why I love this time of year so much:

* Cooler Weather.

Don't get me wrong, I love summer, but I love wearing

jackets and hoodies. They are so comfortable! I also

like not sweating so much when it's HOT. I like

that it's not below zero, although last weekend proved

this to be wrong with the stupid snow.

* Fall Leaves.
I'm a big fan of mother nature, as long it doesn't

involve natural disasters. I love when the leaves

change colors and make the surroundings

beautiful.

* Scary Movies.

Even though I close my eyes and plug my ears

throughout the entire movie, I love them. I

always go see the next "Saw" movie with Troy and

my brother, Nate. It's a great tradition!

* Candy Corn.

My favorite Halloween candy. I only feel right

eating it when it's fall time. Sugary goodness!

* My Wedding Anniversary.

Troy and I were married October 21, 2005. 3 years next week!I look forward to doing something every year with him to celebrate. We are going on a short Vegas trip this weekend. I don't think we'll get around to Elvis re-marrying us, but it would be fun!

* Halloween.

This is my favorite holiday! I love cheesy Halloween decorations,

Halloween parties, jack-o-lanterns, the yummy

candy, cute little trick- or-treaters, scary movies

as I mentioned before, etc. etc. The one thing I

can tell you I HATE are haunted houses. I wish I

liked them. They scare the crap outta me. I left

the last one I went to after being there 2 minutes

and had to use the actors exit. But I love scary

movies, go figure?

Fred

2008-10-04T12:38:00.000-07:00

I have a plant that sits at my desk at work named Fred. One time I asked my co-worker that sits across from me if she could water it while Troy and I were on our 7 day cruise earlier this year. She asked me what it's name was, and I told her it didn't have a name. So I decided right then and there I would name it Fred.

Fred is a compilation of 3 different plants that I received from friends and family when my dad passed away in April, 2006. They used to be in two separate pots, one was at home and the other at work. The one at home was looking kinda sad, so I asked my mom if she could help me re-plant them into one big pot. I had no idea what I was doing and had never planted ANYTHING so I am grateful for her help.

I know it seems silly, but I have never had or taken care of a plant before this (besides the occasional flowers) and I'm happy that Fred is still alive. He is special to me, I feel like a part of my dad is still with me.

Happy Birthday to Vanessa!

2008-09-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have enjoyed planning get togethers with my friends. This could be lunches, dinners, a girls night out, my bunco group, etc. It can be stressful at times trying to get everyone together, but it is also very rewarding!

My friend Vanessa had her 27th birthday on Sept. 28th. She said it would be fun to go out, but I knew she wasn't going to plan it on her own. So I took it upon myself to do so! I sent a message to her siblings and friends I didn't know too well and the friends that I did know well and put it together. We went to this dueling piano bar downtown called Keys on Main, it was so fun! Vanessa even wore her birthday tiara :) I've included a picture of the night below - it was a success!

Trisha, Vanessa, Katie

Trip to Seattle

2008-09-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a mini-vacation to Seattle, WA with my friend, Rebecca. This was my first time here and we were gone for about 3 days. We went to visit our friend, Nicole who moved there earlier this year. Yes, Nicole is my little brother's ex-girlfriend but we still keep in touch. We had such good times!

The weather was cloudy and chilly. I didn't see the sun the entire time, but I loved it! It only rained one of the days, which was nice. There were humongous trees everywhere and it was so green and pretty. I loved the relaxed atmosphere.

Here are a few pics from our trip:

Rebecca walking down Pike Place Market

The famous Space Needle (which is MUCH smaller than the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, by the way)

Rainy Day in Seattle

Very first Starbucks - EVER!

Downtown Seattle!

Us girls

Update on United Way Basket

2008-09-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

I was told that our basket was sold for $650! Wahoo! The great thing about it, a girl from my team bought the basket so I can ask her how fun all the events are. :-)

United Way Basket

2008-09-16T16:40:00.001-07:00

I am not one to volunteer for events at work. Somehow I got roped into this one, though. A few of my co-workers and I were picked to be in charge of the basket for our United Way charity event this week. We really only had about a weeks notice to get everything together. I have to say, I suck at ideas. Good thing someone else came up with the Halloween Basket idea.

We called different businesses in the Salt Lake area that had Halloween events going on and we were able to get a bunch of donations! We had haunted houses donate tickets, a dance company that is putting on "Thriller", The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Show, the Heber Creeper Train and lots more. I really was negative about it at first, but after awhile it got kinda fun! Especially seeing the outcome, our basket is worth a little over $800 with everything in it. They will be auctioning this basket on Friday! I will be sure and update my blog with how much it was sold for.

I included a picture of it below, I used my phone camera so it's not that great. But you get the point!

Grandma Joyce

2008-09-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

My grandma's funeral was this weekend. This was my dad's mother, so it was extra hard for me and my family. Troy has been so loving and supportive with me, I'm so grateful for him. Like my brother, Mike said in his talk at the funeral - my dad and grandma are doing a lot of catching up right now!

After I posted this, I noticed my big brother blogged about this as well. I really liked it if you get a chance to read it: Mike's Blog.

JOYCE ANN MACKAY OWENS

Joyce Owens 1917 ~ 2008 Joyce Ann Mackay Owens, our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend, returned to her Heavenly Father Thursday, September 4, 2008, at the age of 91. She passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her family.Born July 28, 1917 in Murray, Utah, to Leonard and Wilma Faye Atwood Mackay. Married Homer Bringhurst in 1938; later divorced. Married John Edward Owens October 24, 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah; solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple in 1951. They were blessed with seven children and raised their family in the Salt Lake Valley. Joyce was an outstanding Avon representative for many years and found other ways to supplement the family income. She enjoyed reading, traveling, creating beautiful handwork, including crocheting and quilting. She loved to garden and was an outstanding homemaker and cook. She was a champion and protector of her children, where at times that red-headed temperament emerged. She was feisty! And we loved her for it. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joyce faithfully served in many callings, including Primary President, Relief Society Presidency and long-time Sunday School teacher. She and John also attended the temple faithfully for many years. She was proud to be a member of "Daughters of Utah Pioneers". She was politically conscientious and supported her community as a District Judge and Registrar. Survived by her husband, John; children: Gilbert Bringhurst, Jo-Ann (David) Naylor, Maryland; Kelly (Claudia) Owens, Nancy Ann Hawker, Sandy (Randy) Hansen, John Roach; daughter-in-law, Linda Bringhurst; sisters: Barbara and June; brother, Stan; 24 grandchildren; 47 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her parents; son, Terry Bringhurst; daughter, Beverly Bringhurst; sisters: Ruth, Phyllis and Maxine; brother, Keith; grandson, Shawn David Naylor. The family wishes to express their appreciation to the staff of Silverado Hospice for the kind and caring service they rendered to our Mother. Funeral services will be held Sat., September 13, 2008, 11 a.m. at the Atherton Chapel, Atherton and Phillips Lane (1457 W. Atherton Dr., Taylorsville, Utah). Viewings will be held Fri., 6-8 p.m. at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 S. Redwood Road and Sat., at the church, 9:45-10:45 a.m. Interment, Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East 10600 South.

A Night at the Fair

2008-09-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

My friend, Vanessa and I decided to go hang out at the Utah State Fair last night. I think the last time I was there was with my sister and her 3 kids about 8 years ago. I also have memories of going with my High School boyfriend when I was 16 . I had this idea that it was mainly for young children or teenagers who wanted to go with their boyfriends and hold hands and make out on rides. But - I found that it is just as fun when you are 29 years old with no kids and you don't bring your boyfriend! Or husband in my case. I didn't even bother to ask Troy. Maybe I am rude, but I knew I would get something like "I'd rather be poked with a sharp stick in the eye" or something to that effect.

Vanessa and I work together, so right after work we headed downtown. We ate some yummy pasta at Noodles & Co. (love their macaroni & cheese!) and proceeded to the fair. I had also forgotten how scary that part of town is on North Temple. Yikes! I unfortunately forgot my camera, so an old picture of me and Ness will have to do.

We walked around and shopped for a little bit at first. I bought a cute new purse and a travel cozy neck pillow as seen on TV! I love those things when I'm flying or driving anywhere. And it was only $15.

As we were walking around I noticed a few older ladies with purple shirts and black pants with cowboy hats that looked familiar. My mom has been line dancing for about 15 years now and she dances in a group called "Young at Heart". I called her cell phone a few times to see if she was there but couldn't get a hold of her. I didn't see her all night, but I later found out she was there all along and we missed her! Her group performed at the fair earlier, I wish I had a chance to see them. I told her for sure next year. I love that my mom gets out and stays active. She even joined a square dancing class, she is having fun and I am glad!

Pretty soon we ran into some people we knew, a friend from work and her husband. We ended up hanging out with them the rest of the night, it was a blast! We went on every cheesy carnival ride that you can't find at Lagoon. They are extra scary because they travel and are constantly being taken apart and put back together. We went on the Starship 2000, which I remember being called the Gravitron in High School. We laughed the entire time and luckily nobody puked! I even went on the giant slide for the first time, looked something like this:

Everywhere we walked we could smell deep fried something or other. The people watching was great! I even talked Vanessa into walking through this so called "side show" and witnessed a cow with two noses and a steer with 6 legs (two of them were growing out of it's back). I have to say, I had the full State Fair experience and it was all worth it!

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

Troy and I had a busy Labor Day Weekend! We usually try and take a vacation over 3 day weekends, but this time we decided to stay home and relax. Although we didn't do much relaxing, we still had a lot of fun. I'm proud of Troy for hanging in there, he's not one to make a bunch of plans, but somehow that's how it ended up.

* Friday

We both got home from work and headed out to Grantsville for a birthday party. Troy's cousin, Ryen, has a daughter (Maddie) who turned 6. Although he's technically not an uncle to her, he is still called Uncle Troy. They had a slip 'n slide out, a BBQ and present opening.

From there, we drove from Grantsville to South Jordan to play in a little Texas Hold 'Em tournament with some of Troy's recovery friends. It was also a birthday party for our friend, John Michael (a.k.a. JM) There were about 15 people and I stayed in the game, I think I may have taken 7th place. Not too shabby! Even Troy went out before me. That's a first!

* Saturday

Troy's favorite place to eat these days is Colosimo's in Sandy, right down the street from us. He had heard that they were closing the deli (panic!) so we ate lunch for one of the last times there. I had my usual Turkey Cran-Pesto Panini and Troy had his usual Spicy Italian Sausage Sandwich. Yum! I made some steak for dinner and then hung out for the rest of the night at home. We finished the last episode of Dexter, season 2. It's currently our favorite t.v. show. I was bummed that it ended, I can't wait until season 3 starts on Sept. 28th!

* Sunday

We did some much needed cleaning in our condo and thus reduced the amount of allergy induced sneezing for the next couple of days. We belong to the Massage Envy club, and had some massages we needed to use before they expired. We took advantage and booked a 2 hour massage. It was heaven!

Troy came home and immediately layed down for a nap, and I started baking cookies for our get together later that night. We drove out to Tooele in the crazy rain storm and hung out with our friends, Josh and Brittany. We were going to BBQ, but due to the rain we baked a take home pizza, played with the kids and dog and watched a movie.

* Monday

Every year Troy's sponsor, Kim has a BBQ for all of his sponsees and their sponsees. Troy also plays in a band with Kim and 3 other people, so they had a little gig this day. I still don't know if they've come up with a name for their band yet. They were so fun to watch! It's neat to hear Troy play with other people, he is always serenading me solo when we're at home. I've included some pictures and a video clip below.

After the BBQ Troy went to hang out with an old buddy and apparently they watched the new "Rambo". DANG! I missed out (I say sarcastically..) I ended up going bowling with some of mine and Troy's recovery friends for yet ANOTHER birthday party. I bowled pretty well for not bowling in a couple of years. I was worried about throwing my back out again (I was in pain with a herniated disc for 5 months). It didn't start bothering me until the very end of the game, so I stopped. It's been a subtle pain since, but I've managed it with stretches and ibuprofen. I hope it doesn't get worse!

* Tuesday:

This is the end of our 3 day weekend and back to work. Except we didn't go directly back to work, we had a dentist appointment for an exam and cleaning in the morning. Troy said he's glad to be back at work to get away from his vacation, it would be more relaxing! We all know he's not serious, though. I think.....

Guilty Pleasures

2008-08-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

Per wikipedia, a guilty pleasure is known as something one considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it. Most of the time it is completely nerdy. Here are some of mine:

* I love riding kid rides at Disneyland. The ones I am talking about are the

ones based on movies: Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan and Mr.Toad's Wild Ride. When I went there for my honeymoon, I made Troy ride them all with me. He looked at me as if I were joking. How could you not enjoy going to hell in the Mr. Toad ride? And yes, I had to include pictures of each ride that I love. Good stuff!

* I love gossip magazines. I don't know why it's so interesting to see

who wears what to the Oscars and what Brangelina's

twins look like, but it is. This is my reading material

when I fly anywhere, I make sure I have at least 2 or

3 to keep me entertained!

* I am a big fan of cheesy late 70's and early 80's love songs. To name a few: Lady in Red by Chris DeBurgh, Hello by Lionel Richie, I Want to

Know What Love Is by Foreigner, If You Don't Know Me By Now by Simply Red, Faithfully by Journey, Sailing by Christopher Cross, etc. etc.

* I get excited to decorate Easter Eggs and listen to Christmas music the

whole month of December. I don't like the country versions or when Mariah Carey sings "All I Want for Christmas is You". Blech. I'm talking Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and instrumental. I also love to use a white crayon and write something on the egg before dipping it into the color. It makes for a fun surprise for everyone!

* I love the Game Show Network. I could watch it for hours. Troy and

I can be seen watching Lingo and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire re-runs

frequently.

* I don't know if this next one counts, but it is so nerdy that I have to put it in here. I used to LOVE Star Trek growing up. It started in about 7th grade and went into about 10th grade. I even went to 2 Star Trek conventions. I loved it all, even the old ones with Captain Kirk. I don't care for it now, but I probably would sit through an episode if I saw it on t.v.

My List

2008-08-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Below is my "list". For a more descriptive explanation, please refer to Troy's list. He is much better with words than I. When I was in college, my old roomie (Meghann) used to call it her "Top 10 List of Things To Do" So this little game has been going on long before I was married. I wouldn't necessarily sleep with these people, but maybe just make out and possibly engage in some necking/petting. :)

My list is also in no particular order. Unlike Troy, there are only a few people on my list that I like for more than just looks. It is mainly just how amazingly hot they are!

1) Wentworth Miller. The gorgeous blue-eyed genius in the t.v. show, "Prison Break". His chest and back covered in tattoos also makes him

very appealing.

2) Enrique Iglesias. You may laugh at this choice, but I have always thought this man to be sexy. I
also happen to be a big fan of his music and had the privilege of seeing him in concert. Bailamos!

3) Julian McMahon. A plastic surgeon on the t.v.
show "Nip/Tuck", he doesn't have any problems
getting chicks. He is that hot.

4) Vince Vaughn. I discovered this man while watching
the movie "Swingers" He is talented, funny and attractive. He's a beautiful baby in my book!

5) Matthew McConaughey. Or as my sister would say,
Matthew McHot Pants. There is no way he can look

UN attractive. I really love that he rarely wears a

shirt, too.

6) Clive Owen. In addition to being incredibly
handsome, I melt like butta when I hear his voice.

7) John Krasinski. He is the cute and innocent boy

next door. Jim Halpert on "The Office", I love his

smart-ass sense of humor and the looks he gives to the

camera. He's just so cuddly and cute. Like Troy

mentions in his list (please refer to Jenna Fischer), we met at work. Ahhh, office romance!

8) Johnny Depp. He can manage to be sexy with tons of make-up and crazy hair - such as in "Sweeney Todd" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" I love that he has his own style AND I love his jawbone.

9) Jude Law. There is just something about Jude

and his British-ness. And the fact that he is extremely attractive!

10) Mark Wahlberg. The funny thing is, I didn't pay

attention to this guy in the 90's when he was "Marky Mark". I think I first discovered his hotness in the movie

"Planet of the Apes" Although I didn't care much for the

movie, I did like Mark! He was naughty as Dirk Digler in "Boogie Nights" and a jerk in "The Departed". He gives Good Vibrations!

So there you have it. And no, Norah Jones did not make it on my list! I would love to see other peoples' list if they dare to do this.....

Summer Cold

2008-08-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

This posting won't be very fun. I don't have much energy to post something more interesting, though. I woke up Sunday morning with a sore throat. Now I'm used to having allergies, this only developed in the last year, and it's when I'm around my cats and dust. I have never experienced a sore throat, though, when my allergies are acting up.

I kind of layed low yesterday, my nose raw from blowing it every second and sucking on cough drops. Nate asked me if I wanted to go see a movie, I thought it would be nice to get out of the house. We went and saw "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" at the dollar movies, which was funnier than I thought it would be.

When it came time to go to bed, I fell asleep pretty quickly after taking Sudafed. I woke up every hour to cough and attend to my runny nose. It was inevitable, I wasn't going to be able to work the next day. So I called in sick today, slept until 2pm and now am blogging while drinking my Thera Flu. I don't get sick that often, so I'm allowed to complain every now and then!

I act like a 5 year old, so what?

2008-08-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

Those that know me really well know that I think the dumbest things are funny. Most of you shake your head when I giggle uncontrollably over things a 5 year old may laugh at. I have listed some examples below. Please keep in mind while reading that YES - I am almost a 30 year old woman :)

Let's start out with my desire to push every single button on a toy that sings/dances/laughs/shakes, etc. I find as many of them I can find and push the buttons all at once, so they are going simultaneously but each one a little delayed. It sounds like one big garbled loud noise by the time I've hit all of them. I think it may have started when I was in high school at K.B. Toys in the mall. There was this children's show called Bananas in Pajamas. The song goes something like "Bananas! In Pajamas! Are coming down the stairs!" I found myself going into that store just to push all of them at once every time I was at the mall. Most the adults were irritated, and I always left the store laughing and in tears.

Sheesh, just last Sunday we were all at my mom's house for dinner. She has this frog that has a motion sensor and sings a really dumb song every time you walk by it. For some reason I find it hilarious to let that thing play over and over. My brother, Nate had something to do with this too. I guess it runs in the family? Poor Troy - he doesn't think it's funny at all!

The next thing I would like to talk about is silently bugging people. I mainly like to do this to Troy (again - poor guy!) I will lightly poke his side or arm to the point that it kind of tickles and it takes him awhile to realize what's happening. Or if we're on the couch watching t.v. or reading in bed, I'll move my body around to the point where the couch or bed jiggles just a tiny bit. After a few seconds, Troy realizes that he's moving a little and looks over to find me with a huge grin on my face. I'll also do similar things with my friends that are not so silent. I'll say the same thing or make a noise over and over until they can't handle it anymore and tell me to shut up. When they get to that point of irritation, that is when I think it's the funniest!

I love to make dumb noises. Now this may be genetics because my older brother has been known to make awful - yet funny - loud noises, especially in public. My older sister, Amy, and I have come up with our own language. It's really hard to explain in writing without hearing this for yourself. We say 'UUUURRRRRR' a lotreally loud and "vurts" at the end of a lot of words. Troy has dubbed this the "vurt talk" and it only comes out when I'm around my sister. AND - my sister is ten years older than me!

I can't get enough of potty humor. I love all potty talk, but "poop" talk is the best. My brother and sister love it when I'm around their kids because I get them all hyper talking about farting and diarrhea, etc. This goes for my friends with kids, too. Some of my nieces and nephews just roll their eyes at me when I start talking about different kinds of poo. This should be a sign to me that I should act my age, but I don't. I've also been known to carry around "Flarp". This is a children's toy (of course) that consists of puddy in a plastic container. When you push down on the puddy, it makes really cool farting noises. I love using this one in public!

The last thing I can think of, that only certain people can handle, is my belching ability. I avoid doing this around Troy 100% as well as some of my friends. I enjoy doing this one in public and I do not need a carbonated beverage to do it (although it does help). I have had strangers applaud me in restaurants and people say "That was a girl!" I've also received really crusty looks from people and comments like "That was disgusting, I can't believe people". I usually try and keep a straight face if people turn around to see who it was, to look conspicuous. Sometimes I'll even turn around myself and say to myself "who was that?" My friends usually laugh or walk way ahead of me in embarrassment.

So there it is. I am a 5 year old trapped in an almost 30 year old body. I am always "crossing the line" as my old college roommates used to say. I can't just do something once, I have to do it over and over or say something grosser to get a reaction out of people. I really don't think this is something I need to change in myself, it's part of who I am. Sure I may irritate the hell outta people, but I know some limits and I'm having fun!

Regeneration Tour

2008-08-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Troy and I went to The Regeneration Tour this past Thursday, Aug. 7th with our friends, Adam and Jodi. Now, I am a HUGE 80's pop music fan. Growing up in the 80's, I had a brother graduate high school in 1984 and a sister graduate in 1987. I was used to hearing singers like Billy Idol, Depeche Mode, Thompson Twins, A-Ha, etc. - you get the point. I loved it all, and I loved it through High School and still love it all today. I even have 2 pre-sets on my Sirius Satellite Radio set to "New Wave" and "80's Hits".

Troy, on the other hand, was listening to bands like Motley Crue, AC/DC, Van Halen, Def Leppard, etc in the 80's. The more "butt-rock" type music you could say, and I have grown to like these bands more as I get older. He wasn't super excited for this show we went to, but he went and he did enjoy himself!

The performers were awesome. They all looked a bit old. Not old like The Rolling Stones or The Who, which we've also seen in concert. But 25 years older than they did when they first made it big. The venue was originally going to be at Usana, but they changed it to The Depot at the Gateway. I had only been here once before and I remembered how much I loved it. It's smaller, but there are plenty of seats and the sound quality is outstanding.

They came on stage in the order I liked them least to best. I didn't dislike any of them, but they did save the best for last. The first band was Naked Eyes. You might remember "Promises, Promises" and "Always Something There to Remind Me"

Second was ABC. The lead singer came out in a suit and tie and rocked the stage. Songs by ABC are "The Look of Love", "Be Near Me" and "Poison Arrow"

Third came out Belinda Carlisle, formerly singer of the Go Go's. Loved her, she looked beautiful . She said she knew she made it big when this song made it into elevators and supermarkets: "Circle in the Sand". Some other songs she sang were "Mad About You", "Our Lips Are Sealed", "Vacation", and "Heaven is a Place on Earth"

The last group to play was The Human League. My favorite. They had a more electronic sound to them, anyone who has heard them knows. Their stage set-up was awesome and they sounded exactly how I remembered them growing up. Their popular songs are "Love Action (I Believe in Love)", "Fascination", "Human" and of course "Don't You Want Me Baby"

The other group that wasn't there that was originally in the tour was Dead or Alive. Apparently the lead singer, Pete Burns, is having health problems. My friend at work said it's probably because his face is falling off :) They sing "You Spin Me Round" and "Brand New Lover"

There were rumors that A Flock of Seagulls were going to perform in place of Dead or Alive. I was so stoked to hear them, they are also one of my favorite 80's bands (I have their greatest hits) but they didn't end up coming. Their great songs are "I Ran", "Space Age Love Song", "Telecommunication" and "Wishing (If I had a Photograph of You)".

I have already voted for the bands I want playing at the next Regeneration Tour. Psychedelic Furs, Tears for Fears, Thompson Twins, Howard Jones, O.M.D. and The Fixx. I'm interested to hear who will be on the list!

My Very First Blog

2008-01-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

I started this blog in early January of this year. I lost interest, so I only got half-way through the first post. I decided recently to keep it going - I dunno, might be fun?

First Blog: How we spent 2007

* January: Troy and I went to Maui, Hawaii for a week with Troy's mom and boyfriend. We stayed in a condo that we got through a travel club that we belong to. It was beautiful! We rented a convertible Mustang, went to a few beaches, took a snorkeling tour to the volcanic island of Molokini and ate the best fish and chips you've ever tasted.

We even had a chance to fly to the island of Oahu for one day and visit with Troy's grandfather that he had only met once when he was just a child. On Oahu, we visited the Dole Pineapple Plantation (mmm....) and Pearl Harbor. We also saw several whales and their babies frolicking in the ocean :)

Troy and Grandpa Ken

We also had a new addition to the family on January 2nd. My brother, Nate's daughter - London Ann!

*February: Troy turned 27 on February 12th.

* March: I turned 28 on March 1st. Troy and I both went on vacation to Las Vegas at the end of the month. I went with my girlfriends and Troy went with his guy friends for an annual men's AA conference. Even though we didn't see each other while we were there at the same time, we had alot of fun! We also got to see Eric Clapton in concert on March 7th, what a great concert.

*April: It was the 1 year anniversary since my father passed away on April 26th - what a milestone. The Bringhurst family decided to start a tradition to go to dinner together this day each year.

*May: Weather is getting warmer! I drove out with friends to visit my sister in California over Memorial Day weekend and had a great time. Troy couldn't make it this trip :(

*June: Lots of bbq's and laying out by the pool!

*July: We went up to my brother, Mike's house in North Salt Lake and saw the fireworks together for their first time! They do fireworks on July 3rd, must be a Davis County thing :)

*August: We went on a camping trip to Bear Lake for the night with Nate and Nicole. The weather was beautiful and the water was so blue. We even rented a waverunner and a paddle boat. Nate and I were in the paddleboat when all of a sudden it started sinking from all the water being splashed into the boat from all of the jet skis. We had to get help, a guy on a jet ski came and dragged the paddleboat behind him.

* September: Troy and I flew to CA to visit my sister, Amy who lives in Lincoln - just outside of Sacramento. We spent a day on the lake on the Balli's new boat, watched football (which Troy loved) and just relaxed.

* October: We celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary by going to Logan for the night. I went to Utah State for a year and a half right out of high school and Troy lived up ther for a few months and worked at the bowling alley. We drove around and showed each other where we used to live and hang out.

* November: Thanksgiving was spent at my sister's house in Lincoln, CA. We lucked out on weather, it was gorgeous! We ate lots of yummy food, spent time with family and even spent a day in San Francisco.

* December: Troy had wrist surgery right before Christmas. This would be his 3rd surgery removing the same cyst! He was not feeling well and I got sick right during Christmas, too. Not very fun! But we still managed to have a good time. We went to my mom's house to open gifts with my family Christmas Eve. Troy and I then went home and opened gifts to each other the same night - a tradition we started when we first got married.

We went to Troy's sponsors house on Christmas morning for omelets. His sponsor does this every year for his sponsees, which I think is awesome. Then we went to his mom's house and spent time with his family and opened more gifts.

On December 31st, we rang in the New Year by playing some Texas Hold 'Em poker at Troy's sponsors house. We did this ending the year 2007.