This one's for you pops

Some people are addicted to drugs or alcohol, I am afraid I may be addicted to tattoos.........

Bachelor Pad

I have lived alone and single for so long that I have finally turned into a bachelor. Ha Ha Ha

Leaving Las Vegas

Yes, I said it. I am more than ready to get out of Las Vegas. I hate my job, I hate the rude people here, and I hate the lack of plants and the color green. It is time to move on. I have been thinking about it a lot lately, but was not sure about what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. I really miss my family and would like to be closer to them, but Utah is just not the place for me either. So what is a girl to do? Well first she decides to finally take her friend up on an offer for a weekend road trip to San Diego.
They check out some fun places like Seaport village. Check out the size of this naval ship! (picture all 3 pictures as 1, it's huge!)
I love, love, love this statue!
They hit the beach of course. I could have just pitched a tent right then and there and lived out my days completely happy! Who knows, maybe I will learn to surf, although I think I need to learn how to swim first!
We walked out into the middle of the ocean along this pier, and checked out all of the cool shops they have along the ocean.

So what can a girl do but fall in love with San Diego and decide that she probably wants to live there. Of course, there is the beach (that's the pier)
And that is enough itself, but there is so much more. People seem so happy there and they are friendly and there is so much to do and see! It just hit me that this was the place that I needed to be. So I am going forward full throttle! I have been looking for jobs and sent my resume in to a couple of places. I went back again this last weekend and we drove around checking out places to live. I am taking some time off of work next week so that I can hopefully set up some interviews and if everything works out ok, I am OUT of Vegas!

Brian is probably too young to remember, but Steph, remember the fond memories of this place? Ha Ha! Isn't this also the place where you and your love affair with bleu cheese began?
So that is my new plan. I am excited to see where it takes me!

Christmas Follow Up and the big W

I forgot something when I did my Christmas post it's been nagging at me ever since. In case you didn't know my dad loves treasure hunting and his metal detector is his most prized possession. He finds all kinds of great stuff and he has them all organized into different categories. Well Stephanie and I were in his room over Christmas and were looking around at his stuff when we came upon this.....
What the? Dad just went from cute, lovable grandpa to creepy old man! I understand that you find them, but is it really necessary to keep them? What exactly are they going to be used for? Voodoo seances? Gifts for the grand kids? Doll cemetery in the back yard? To start your own china doll army? Whatever it is, leave me out of it creepy dad!

Also in regards to the last post, I concede that Stephanie did not call me a whore but did say that I looked like a cage dancer, which I took as calling me a whore. She also called me a diva, but that is beside the point. Anyway, as promised here are the boots in question.....
Does that look like the face of someone that belongs in a cage dancing? Pure innocence!

On another note, no matter how much I hate the big W as a corporation and their monopoly on the market, I just can't stop shopping there. They are cheap, plain and simple, and if that's all you can afford then so be it. I will put on my blindfold and step off my soap box.

That being said here is a little story. As you know from a previous blog, I use those cute bags when I do my shopping to try and do my part by not using the plastic bags. EVERY single time I go to the big W, without fail they will try and put something in one of those plastic bags. I will have 5 reusable bags and they will want to put my soap in a plastic bag, or my economy size jar of pickles in a plastic bag. It drives me crazy! Not only do they try EVERY single time, but they also have to argue with me EVERY single time when I request that they not use a plastic bag. "You don't want your soap touching your food", or "the pickles are heavy". Well no duh, but no need to worry as I am pretty sure the CANVAS bag won't break! I am not exaggerating here, it is EVERY time I go. Why do they think I bring my own bags? If I wanted plastic I would leave my bags at home! I think it is a conspiracy between the big W and the plastic bag makers.....

Home for the Holidays

I went home to Utah for Christmas and it was great, other than freezing to death in my mothers house. She did turn up the heat from 69 degrees to 71 degrees when icicles formed on my nose though, so that was very generous of her! She had to take off all of her clothes because then it was WAY to hot for her, but aren't mothers supposed to make sacrifices for their children? Thanks Ma!

We started some new family traditions this year. The first one is the making of the Christmas spaghetti.
Yes, Spaghetti! Who needs Holiday Ham when you have Italian pasta! I have never seen the children eat so much in my life!
He is 2 people, it is a rough age! I promise he does smile though and can be VERY charming!
Seriously, Belle had 4 plates! Pure bliss!
Oh they were eating the spaghetti too! It's just not all over their faces! Thanks Steph for the new Christmas Feast Tradition!

We also started a new family game called BeanBoozled! Basically you get 2 Jelly Beans that look the same and you have to decide what flavor it is. Options include Coconut or Baby Wipes, Peach or Barf, and my personal favorite Buttered Popcorn or Rotten Cheese! I don't have any pictures of the great faces made as I was an active participant in the game. There was a lot of spitting in the trash though, take my word!
Another change to tradition was the Christmas Tree. Growing up we ALWAYS had a fresh tree and a couple of times even cut it down ourselves. As we all grew up and moved out of the house, mom moved on to the fake Christmas Tree. Ok, I can live with that. This year though, it went a step further.....
Nothing says Merry Christmas like a fake mini tree on top of the table! I am hoping for a simple Christmas Tree Ornament next year hung from the ceiling!

The one thing that never changes though is the laughter, smiles and love! I love my family!!!


Oh yeah, one more Christmas memory I will never forget..... Being called a whore by my sister! Ha Ha Ha, ok she told me I looked like Pretty Woman, but same thing!!!!

There is no place like home

I went home to Utah for Thanksgiving and other than the freezing cold and the fact that my mother doesn't believe in a heater, it was great! I miss my family and it was so good to see them. We always have such a good time and there is always a lot of laughter. Once again, I am ticked that I did not take more pictures, but it is what it is!
My sweet momma, I miss her so much!
I learned you don't mess with grandpa's whipped cream
Because then he smears it on your face
I learned sometimes you have to stand on your tiptoes to be seen in the pictureI learned grandpa never smiles, ever. I also learned that he doesn't like the rules of Scrabble although he does manage to kick my butt almost everytime!
I learned that not only does Steph's hubby not have a face, but neither does their son. Their kids are so cute but unfortunately you can't see that. I was unable to get one of Libby because I only saw her at family pictures and cameras aren't allowed there.
I learned that Brian and Jamie have really awesome smiles, really they are perfect!
I learned that sometimes a 2 year old can be really mean
And is not afraid to wear a bow if that's what he wants
On a side note, notice his snotty nose? He passed that to me but it was worth it to kiss all over that face. I can't believe how smart he is and how much he is talking. When they showed up for family pictures, Brian got out his Utes flag and he said "Hey daddy, go Utes!" So cute!
I learned that a growling, moving dinosaur will cause hours of fun for both boys and girls
I learned that getting up really early for Black Friday is a great way to spend time with your sis, but can really make you look and feel your age!
How can you not love these faces!!!!!!

Catch up

I don't know what is wrong with me lately, but I have had no interest in blogging. I think it is partly because I know I am going to have to commit to some time as my computer is slower than molasses! I am going to try and be better though. Halloween came and went without any fanfare. Once again not one person came to my door (I did NOT buy candy this year) and once again, I was the only one who dressed up at work. Where is the sense of fun???? I was the Octomom (thanks for the idea Steph!)
I got so many compliments on my "hair" that I decided to mix things up and dye it! I don't have any pictures yet, and trust me, you do NOT want to see me right this second, so as soon as I decide to take one, I will post it.

I have also started baking a treat for work on Mondays. Mondays suck as it is, so I wanted to bring treats for everyone to try and brighten the day. Here are a few things I have made so far but unfortunately I have not taken pictures of everything I have done. First we have Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Apple Toffee Tartlets
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (which took entirely TOO MUCH time!)
Here is my spin on Carrot cake in which I mixed half carrots, half sweet potatoes. I am so mad I did not take a picture of the finished product. I did it in my bundt pan and it was so pretty!
I also made 1,000 Calorie Bars, Peanutty Buckeye bars, and Lemon Squares. My next treat is Molasses Sandwhich Cookies. I LOVE to bake, and since I have been eating healthy it has been hard for me, but this allows me to do what I love and then give away to other people!

I have been doing a lot of craft projects too and Celeste gave me this idea from a Womans Day magazine.
You take your old sweaters and make pillow cases out of them and close them up using cute buttons. So cute! I of course have been doing a lot of crocheting but nothing new or exciting.

I have also been trying to help with my "carbon footprint" in small ways and I found these bags at Ross for $1.00 and use them whenever I go shopping. I don't only use them for groceries but also at the bookstore, the craft store, and the little ones I use as my lunchbox!
That's about it! The weather here has just been wonderful. We are finally getting into fall though and the reason I could tell was this.....
Yes, we have a tree in Vegas, and it changed colors! Very exciting, as you can see from the background that we do not get a lot of color out here! I am so excited to come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas and can't wait to spend time with my family! Even in the cold ;)