Waldo Lives!

I love Where's Waldo. As a kid I would spend hours looking for Waldo, Wanda, their dog, and the Wizard. Once that was done, I would look for the key, bone, scroll, and other assorted items requested by the back pages. I spy follows a similar theme, and is equally loved. There is nothing better than a Where's Waldo or I spy book on a rainy day.

On the way to Smiths, Nick and I found a yard dedicated to this cause! Let me tell you, the challenge of a 3-D environment was very much appreciated.

We searched for ten minutes until we found Waldo. Along the way, we found all the beach balls. After finding Waldo, we continued home. However, we had to come back. This yard had to be blogged about!

Taking pictures gave us the chance to find all the straw hats, the bucket wearing sunglasses, and the flip flops. I wasn't able to find the smiley face, unless that was Waldo--he was smiling. And counting to 12 was enough of a deterrent to keep me from looking for the bats.

I don't know who should be commended more...the guy who thought up the idea...the guys who strung up all the toys...or the neighbors who are saint enough not to demand that it get cleaned up. In any case, I totally enjoyed the experiment. Oh...I just found the smiley face!

**Disclaimer**

If this is your yard and you would like the pics removed just let me know. No one was home on the Saturday afternoon that we walked by, otherwise I would have asked for permission.

Reclaiming Your Youth

So...I was telling a friend about my colorful knee, and she said that I should blog about it. I'm not sure why...but the TGA isn't behaving, so here I am.

Let me start off by saying that playground equipment is fun. It is almost as fun now (the odd proportions detract from the enjoyment) as it was when I was a kid. There should be a market out there for an adult sized playground, complete...with tamed monkey bars. The kind that the kids have bite!

When Nick and I go to play on the equipment, we like to go at night. There are less little kids then. Little kids tend to get in the way and/or pick up bad habits when adults are playing. Plus, it isn't as much fun if you have to be watching out for those younger than you. Anyway...I digress...at night there also isn't much light to see by. Hence, my poor knee.

One of my favorite ways to get onto said equipment is to run up the stout slide. Every playground has one...and if it doesn't, keep moving. In this case, it was yellow. I was running toward the slide, jumped, and missed. My foot hooked the bottom of the slide, and it was considerate enough to catch my fall. As a result both knees ached and I had a goose egg forming on my shin, right at my sock line.

Never one to be deterred by defeat, I peeled myself off the slide and quickly ran up it. I then had to promptly sit down. Once I was positive that I wasn't going to cry, that would break my cool facade, we preceded to enjoy the playground. It was fun. A cargo net, several slides, monkey bars, and a fireman's pole! Nick beat me at a game of tic-tac-toe. We swung on the swings...well, I only lasted 30 seconds before getting sick. When we got bored of this playground equipment, we moved to the lighted one. It had tunnels! I dominated at tic-tac-toe. Nick was such a gentleman, he let me go first each time. Bad move if you want to win, the first player can always win. ... Something tells me that I won't get to go first three time in a row anymore. Ah, well...it was fun while it lasted.


I feel like I should apologise to all those gangly teens, near teens, and recent teens who were hoping to grow out of it. Like most good curses, it becomes less frequent but never completely goes away. However, as a consolation prize, you can have a kick-a$$ tic-tac-toe game!

Drum Circles

I once went to a drum circle at WSU. It was interesting. One kid sang the theme song for M*A*S*H, and countless others recited poetry that they wrote. When it turned into a beat poetry fest I left. I really can't stand that stuff.

I mention this because every Sunday Liberty park has a drum circle. These are usually (like most drum circles, I assume) a hippie fests. Frequently there are tie-dyed works on display, the marijuana leaf being prominently displayed. And Grandma and Grandpa hippie are usually there. They, of course, are all decked out in long hair, tie-died tank tops, and flip-flops. No, I didn't forget the pants, but it looks like they did. Luckily they are long tank tops.

Anyway, Nick and I walked around the park last night (it is now Monday). Since it was after dark, we were mildly surprised to hear the drums. We listened for a while, smelled "funny" cigarette smoke, and decided to leave. However, they started fire dancing. We walked back through the "regular" cigarette smoke to watch, luckily the "funny" was all smoked out (hence the fire dancing, I assume). They had some there that were clearly beginners, and others that were truly amazing. It was a mesmerizing sight! My favorite was the gal with a hula hoop. I think it had six fires around it, and was really cool!

P.S. This isn't the best video out there, but it does have the hula hoop!

Memories

Let's play memory. I want everyone who is reading to go get a deck of cards. ... I'm serious, go get them. Use Uno cards if you have to. ... Got them? Good.

Now, I want you to pull all of the face cards from the deck (wilds for Uno cards). While you are doing this, think of the times that we have had together. It doesn't matter how long we have known each other, or how in depth our relationship goes. Just think on the memories that you have of me. ... Got all the cards pulled? Good.

Now this game is simple. It only has two simple rules.

1. As a comment, leave a memory you have of me on my blog.

2. Re-post these instructions on your blog. If you leave a memory about me, I will leave a memory about you. If you don't have a blog, I can post a memory of you on my blog. This way, we can all take a stroll down memory lane together. If you don't want to play, just say so in your comment and I'll keep my memories of you to myself.

Yep. It's just that simple to play. Oh...the cards...sorry about that. Now that you have them, you might as well play a hand or twenty of solitaire. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**

This is a copy of a copy of a copy...well you get the idea. I hope no one minds that I changed the wording.

Family Heirlooms

It is rather amazing what you inherit if you live in an apartment long enough. Personally, I inherited 7 half-empty bottles of Windex; yes, I counted them. And yes, they are definitely half-empty, not half-full. You'd be pessimistic too...if you inherited 7 partially filled bottles of Windex. Anyway...I digress.

Nick and I were watching Smallville (a TV series that I am completely convinced has its roots in fanfiction) at his place when there was a knock at the door. It was a gal from the ward. She said, and I quote, "... This is going to sound strange, but I have a friend here who just had to see your orange couch..." No joke. That is what she said.

She brings in this guy who is surprisingly happy to see this orange couch. I say surprisingly, because I don't think that anyone has been happy to see this couch for 40 years. He even took a picture of it! It turns out that he had bought that couch for $40 from the DI. Nick thought that he got took, but I'm not so sure. Let's look at the facts.

1. Yes, the couch is ugly. But if it wasn't so ugly, when you sit in it you might sink all the way to the floor instead of only half-way. That has to be worth at least $10.

2. It has a nice, solid frame. Considering how ugly the couch is, this may seem like a curse. However, it also makes it hard to move. I can personally name 6 guys who have moved in and out over the last few years. (In all fairness, most of them got married. If my husband suggested that we take that couch, I would do my best to convince him that the guys need it worse than we do. If that didn't work, I'd get a restraining order.) If each guy was willing to put in a one time $8 (1/5 of the original price) for a new couch, that makes the couch worth...$48!

3. And when someone finally gets sick enough of it to get a new one...it can be taken out to the desert to be shot and burned. BONFIRE!! Who can put a monetary value on pyromania?

In short, $40 was a small investment for such a great family heirloom. Much better than...oh, I don't know...let's say...7 half-empty bottles of Windex. And #3 will make a group of somebodies very happy one day!

**Thanks for the pics, Nick. You're the bestest!**

why?...Why?...WHY?

Have you ever met one of those people who are always asking why? I'm not sure if I have. But, just to be fair, I should probably admit that several of my family/friends just thought of me. I have recently found a website that could help defend against these people...the ones that are always asking why...not my family/friends. My family/friends like to put on a good show, but they are really harmless.

They are very up front and admit that they are not proposing scientific fact. I quote: "Misinformation is at the heart of all scientific inquiry. ... Once an explanation is ruled out it becomes fair game and fodder for sites like this... This site makes no apologies for dissemination of bogus facts, half-truths, shaky hypotheses and downright malicious lies, innuendo, tomfoolery and even shenanigans." It's a good thing...since this is exactly what they are trying to feed you.

Some of my favorites are why is...the grass green, water wet, steel stainless, and metal shiny. Also worthy to note is their discussion on light speed, a blog, and where babies come from. I am proud to say that they seem to hold to the same philosophy that I do; If you don't know the answer, make it up.

Before you check it out, you probably should know that they get a little silly...that's an understatement. And...hopefully...I have managed to drain at least a small corner of the swamp.

Tag, YOUR IT!

I've been tagged!

Ten years ago:

I had just graduated from Dixie Jr. College, now Dixie State College (they went 4 year). I was planning on going to WSU, where I would become a criminalist. My goal was to work on a body farm, or become a medical examiner. I didn't know that you had to be either an Anthropology major or a MD.

5 things on my to do list:

1. Get my thesis published.
2. Find a real job.
3. Figure out why I still haven't received the part I ordered almost 3 weeks ago.
4. Get the TGA fixed.
5. Send Jessie's planters to her.

Things I would do if I was a millionaire:

1. Play with a tiger cub
2. Pay off debt
3. Invest
4. Visit the black and the mutter museums
5. Spend the night at the Winchester manor
6. Start a scholarship fund
7. Make a crop circle
8. See Jeremy Bentham
Above all else...HAVE FUN

Places I have lived:

1. Avendale, AZ (barefooted outside on Christmas day, Yea!)
2. Lovelock, NV (only there for 2 months, and horses stink)
3. Martin, SD (it starts to snow, and they close school)
4. Ivans, UT (red dirt, only bleach will take it out)
5. Kanab, UT (home of the 'pink bridge')
6. Kearns, UT (as a kid, the only place where I graduated from the same school I started at)
7. Odgen, UT (moved there twice, about 20 years apart)
8. Salt Lake City, UT (still here)
9. St. George, UT (seems like every other move I end up back there)
I don't think that I left anywhere out...but it's possible.

Now for the difficult part. I'm supposed to tag 5 people. I only read 4 blogs (not including my own). And half of those have been tagged already. So...if you haven't been tagged, guess what? Tag, your it!