So this is my new template. Do you like?

But it won't put "titles" in.

Can someone help me with the code??? Argh.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORENE!!

We Love You, Old Woman!

My New Fascination

You must go here and look. You will be amazed and astonished... possibly inspired.



Hat Tip: My little G-Fry O' Goodness

SCOTT IS COMING HOME!!

Not forever, but for leave. He will board a plane on the 23rd and will be off for 15 days. I am so excited to see him...

We should have a get together.

Here are the latest pics he sent me. His digital camera is coming in handy!








Operation Viper Vengance... not sure what that means, but at least he's waving hello!






















Scott in Rashad, Iraq... don't be messin' with him, man!










My friend Michelle has been emailing him, and he's setting up her friend with another soldier in Iraq as a pen pal. Awww, love being a matchmaker. The more mail the better.

Oh, and By the Way

Sarah is going right now to get her Driver's License.

Be afraid. Very Afraid.

To answer some of your questions...

:: The Hot Girls are still hot

:: The snobby girls, for the most part, became really nice

:: The hot guys aren't that hot anymore

:: A lot of men lost their hair

:: No major transformations of any kind

:: Everyone got a long great, even the Cheerleaders.

:: No one got drunk enough to dance on the tables, to our bitter dissapointment.

:: We have a doctor, a professional Baseball player and a filmaker/director in our graduating class. The rest of them are homemakers or sales people. (Just kidding!)

Reunion Weekend

Friday evening, I picked up Sarah and Lindi and we headed to the ballpark for Day One of the reunion. We were in for a double-header AAA baseball game and dinner. We met up with the Reunion Committee and some friends who came early in front of the park. It was really warm, so I was glad I had brought my visor and worse long pants to protect my lily-white skin!

Our picnic consisted of hotdogs, hamburgers, chips and side dishes under a canopy. We were given t-shirt and water bottles, all printed with our emblem and reunion dates. I only ran into a couple of people I hadn’t seen in a while, but it was a great time, nonetheless. The stadium was extremely hot, so we moved to upper seats to escape the sun. We enjoyed the games and left around 10pm since we were so very tired.

Saturday night was the official reunion. I had made ‘In Rememberance Of’ books for three of our classmates who passed away. Their families provided pictures and little profiles of them and their lives after high school. In these books, I had room for people to write memories of them to take back to their families. The Memorial Table looked beautiful, with a framed collage of pictures of all the classmates who passed away, and another framed page encouraging people to write words to their families. It was really pretty.

When we entered the Hilton Ballroom, we were given our Memory Books with all the profiles of the classmates (at least, those who submitted them…) which was really entertaining to read. I helped a little with the set up and then headed straight for the cash bar. Lindi was so very patient with me, since I was a crazy biotch most of the day. We drank a couple and chatted with some friends until we were ready to be seated in the ballroom.

The tables were decorated with small treasure chests filled with gold coins. Each place setting had a small packet of mints with the container emblazened with our mascot and “Cyprus High 15-year Reunion.” The lights were turned down a bit and the tables were lit up with candles. It was so classy and elegant, I was very impressed.

We started out with dinner, garden salads and rolls, lemon caper chicken or roast beef in burgundy mushroom sauce, with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed veggies, and cheesecake or chocolate cake for dessert. The meal was wonderful, I must admit. Then came the festivities, hosted by our class clown, who made the perfect Emcee. He welcomed everyone, then turned the mic over to me so I could announce the Memory Table and encourage those who have attended to please sign the books for their families. Lucius (the emcee) asked me to come up and wrapped his arms around me very warmly and said, “Damn, girl, you are looking good!” I smiled and told him thanks you, then when he handed me the mic, I said, “I don’t know about you, but I think Lucius looks BETTER now than he did in high school!” Everyone whooped and hollered and I said, “Hey Lucius, my room number is 1427…” I didn’t think anyone heard my last comment, but it became the theme for the rest of the evening, while Lucius was interviewing people during the raffle… he would come up on an attractive woman and ask if she was single and wanted to meet us in room 1427… I thought it was hilarious.

We had some great raffle prizes, from Arby's gift certificates, all the way to a spa getaway for two at the Venetian in Vegas. My sister contributed a beautiful $150 basket full of AVON products, and my friend Dee contributed a detailing from her business, both BIG hits at the raffle.

The highlight of the evening was the end of the raffle prizes (which were wonderful). We called 10 members from the audience to come up to the stage and handed them packets as their prize and told them they all had to stand in a line and then they would be told what they had won. Our reunion committee chairwoman said, “Ready for your prize? Class of 1990, meet your Reunion Committee for 2010!” Everyone laughed and screamed, it was so funny and unexpected. The people who were chosen looked dumbfounded and some of them were excited to be on the committee. I loved it because there is no doubt WHO is on the committee – we know it and they know it!

Dancing, drinking and lots of hugs were the order of the night and we left happy and fulfilled at 11pm. I can’t wait to see the pictures.

So, now my life can get back to normal. Yeah, right.

Which Western Feminist are You?

You are Gloria Steinem. You are the McDonalds(tm)
of liberal feminism, though you used to expouse
some pretty radical ideas, you ended up working
the system. Because it's easier? Maybe. But
thanks for the only mainstream feminist
magazine and for heading one of the most
significant feminist lobbys in the history of
the US. We wouldn't be where we are without NOW
and Ms., as much as some of us are loathe to
admit it.


Which Western feminist icon are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Sorry

I've been a slack-ass. Summer's here and with it comes tons of things that need to be done - especially the Class Reunion. It starts tonight and I am looking forward to it, although a little apprehensive. At least I will be there with my family and enjoying a baseball game, so that will be fun.

Lindi and I have spent the last week recording music from 1988, 1989 and 1990. What a trip! Running down the road of nostalgia...

In other news, I'm in the Deseret News today. They chopped the hell out of my letter to the editor, but it was in nonetheless. Apparently, some wise ass thinks I am getting Domestic-Partner benefits. Yeah, they are benefits if youc an afford $600 a month to pay Cobra-like premiums. Pah-lese.

---

Partners still lack benefits
I was disheartened to hear that the County Council voted down domestic-partner benefits in its session on July 12. I applaud council members Wilson and Hatch for being brave and fair and supporting all their constituents.
I was surprised to hear that people are under the impression that the University of Utah has domestic-partner benefits. While the U. has opened its enrollment to domestic partners for their medical plans, full benefits are far from reality here at the U.
I am grateful the university has taken a first step in at least offering domestic partners the option of paying for health coverage, even if it is in excess of $600 per month, but I could go to any benefits broker and get the same deal. Offering enrollment is not the same as offering real benefits.

---

I'm waiting for the knock on my office door from the VP telling me to pack my crap and leave.

I wrote a beautiful paragraph about the 'gay-friendliness' of the U. only to have the DN editor slice my letter to shreds.

Bastard. I guess I shouldn't expect too much from them. They are Mormons, after all. (JUST A JOKE! Sheesh....)

Wonderful Birthday

We had a wonderful Birthday Weekend for Lindi. Saturday, she had to work, but her crew threw her a surprise party, complete with gifts and a huge cake. She was very spoiled and appreciated every moment. Saturday night, we met up with a group of Lindi’s friends and had dinner at Village Inn, and stayed over 2 ½ hours! Wow, it was so wonderful to be with such an uplifting group of women. Conversation never stopped and we enjoyed the company immensely.

We had planned to drive to Idaho for a road trip on Sunday for Lindi’s birthday, but decided at the last minute not to make the drive. Instead, we took her car to the car wash, washed it and vacuumed it out really well, then headed up Emigration Canyon to Ruth’s Diner for a leisurely brunch. We waited 40 minutes for an outside table, but we didn’t mind. We sat in the lounge chairs and people watched, listening to the birds and genuinely enjoying each other’s company. Our brunch was spectacular (Banana Walnut French Toast and Eggs Benedict), even if the kitchen accidentally gave away our food to another couple and we had to wait longer. We stayed at Brunch for 2 hours, and the waitress was so appalled with the kitchen staff, she removed our drinks from the ticket, which was pretty sizeable since I had a house Café Mocha – with refills!

After brunch, we kept driving up Immigration and explored the back side of the road, finding out that there’s another café back there as well as beautiful canyon scenery. The loop wraps around the back of Emigration and meets up with Parley’s Canyon, so when we got there, we took Parley’s Canyon up to Park City and went shopping at the Outlet malls! We walked casually around, parking the car, and going into each and every store that fit our fancy. Lindi and I both got new Converse shoes (and my feet thank me) as well as a very bountiful trip to the Big Dog store and Lenox for a beautiful gift for her mother.

With our fruits of labor in tow, we headed back down the canyon to visit with Lindi’s mom (her birthday is on the 11th), grab a bag of bean burritos and sit in front of the TV with Ocean’s Twelve on DVD and relax our poor tired feet.

Lindi told me what a perfect birthday she had, which made me so happy. She wanted to get away from the city, get up in the mountains, and clear her head. We were like two kids falling in love all over again, and truth be told, I probably did fall in love with her again. It was all about just being with one another, not necessarily what we were doing.

I know It Feels Like Forever

since I've blogged, but I've been a little tired, under the weather and generally pooped.

I was so dissapointed to not be able to attend Toni and Rob's annual Meat Fest. It's the one thing I look forward to every year. When I woke up on Saturday, I started puking. Then cam ethe sweats, shakes and dizziness. Lindi had diarrhea. So, between the two of us, we were a flu waiting to happen. I didn't feel well until Monday, and not very well at that! We stayed pretty low-key all weekend, but we did get almost 30 pages of our Alakan Cruise Scrapbook completed as a family. It looks awesome!!!

This weekend should prove to be another low-key event. Saturday night, we are getting together with a bunch of friends for Lindi's birthday and Sunday, her official birthday, she and I are going up into the canyons to have a picnic and take pictures ~ just be together. That's all she wants for her birthday! Sounds good to me.

Much love out to Dylan on the passing of his Grandfather. May the spirits great him warmly as he makes his journey.

And many thanks out to Lorene for being my shoulder to cry on this week. Work has been hell, but with friends like her, it makes it bearable.

Happy Birthday to SHANE!!!

Wow, you're a Cancer, too? Christ, I am surrounded!!!