7/31/08

Three Funny Things about Alice

1. When she goes biking, sometimes she is scared she will run into bears. She pedals much faster than usual and really doesn't enjoy herself.

2. She thinks it is funny that the only thing to prove she caught three fish today was that her hand smelt like fish. Crazy, funny and weird.

3. She likes Brett Favre and has been his fan for many season as a Packer fan. Right now she isn't a Favre fan. If you are going to say you are retired, just retire and get it over with. Do not come to the team you play for weeks before training camp and want to play again. Get a life. Go fishing or something. Let the team move on. I hope they trade him(not to a team within the same conference) and that he has a not so good season(I am trying to be nice because really I would love to see him injured during week one!)

There are lots more funny things about me. Cherish the ones you just read, though. It was a good day. Slept in, lounged around, went biking, fished, played trivia, lounged some more, worked, and now I will sleep again.

7/29/08

Hummingbird Haven!






My parents have two hummingbird feeders. It is always enjoyable to sit and watch these tiny birds come and eat. Today was interesting because the birds kept fighting each other. My dad and I must have been entertained by them for about an hour.

It was also storming and we often are out on the porch enjoying a good thunderstorm. Not a bad day in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Now off to play softball. Should be fun as always, if not a little muddy and wet!

7/28/08

Spoiled Rotten Girl!




Today, I actually worked on the project I was supposed to be working on all summer. SIGH. It is coming along but slowly. Why is it that I can't ever get anything done unless it is last minute? What a weirdo.

What a spoiled brat too. I got two new pairs of shoes today as well as a pair of cargo Capris and a pair of shorts. My mom is way too good to me. She is definitely one of those people in my life that I will never be able to thank enough. Just giving me life alone, but then all the stuff she does for me and buys me. Thanks Mom!

Not much else to note today. I do have a date for fishing tomorrow. A guy my mom knows really wants me to fish on his "private" lake. (sounds fishy doesn't it, punny too!) Anyway. He said I could go to his house anytime and fish from his dock. I really don't know how to get there so one of my friends that I play trivia with volunteered to take me there tomorrow. Unfortunately, it is supposed to be stormy all day. SIGH. Luckily, there are more days in the week. I will get out there sometime. It should be pretty fun.

Well, spoiled brat must get her beauty sleep. I hear fish like to bite the lures of pretty people. :)

7/27/08

Clydesdales



Here are pictures of the Clydesdales from yesterday. My grandma was very excited to have her picture taken with them. She liked that she wasn't supposed to technically get that close and still did. Little scandelous rebel. If you are compeled to rush out and buy said beer, I apoligize. I know the power of those horses is pretty strong!

It was fun to have the family in town this weekend. I really do have an awesome family.

I really don't have much else to write. I am tired. Probably has something to do with me sleeping for two hours this afternoon. I am not usually a napper, or a rapper for that matter. Similar spellings and I am neither, really.

Went to church today. It was weird. Always interesting to hang out with the Mormons in Wisconsin. It was nice to go because I hadn't been in three weeks. Been a very busy month filled with travel.

Well, I think that is all I have in me tonight. Sleep well. Or stay awake if you are working. Millions on Welfare are depending on you to work hard!

7/26/08

Family....isn't it about time?



This weekend has been a great one. Last night, a couple of friends came up from Wausau for dinner and games. We started with Ladderball, until some crazy clouds came rolling in from the North. The pictures are okay but, man, those clouds were something else. The sky was a weird orange-brown color and they started to swirl as two different fronts collided. It was cool and scary at the same time. You could actually feel the cold air start to mix with the already warm air. I love weather, I am not going to lie(I am no good at it!). I like that we don't just have sunny days all the time. I think I would get very bored. I am glad that Heavenly Father made the world a very diverse place. It rarely is boring! Except maybe Kansas, that place is boring.

My Uncle Joe, his wife Connie, my Grandma Huven, and my Aunt Kathy have all come to visit for the weekend. Today we went to see the Clydesdale Horses (I couldn't believe that hundreds of people would stand around to see a beer commercial in real life!) unload. There was a big parade as they delivered beer to The Mayor(I don't really suggest that we start delivering liquor to our paid officials, they have to make big decisions and I think they should make those decisions with clarity!), as well as local bars that sell their product. It was neat, I have to admit, but I was still a little peeved by the commercialism of the ordeal! After the horses, we headed to the farmers' market and the Logging Museum. It was a very fun morning. We then came home ate lunch and here I am blogging again. I really like chill Saturdays.

If you are reading this and have not blogged in a few weeks, get on it. Seriously, you can't just live vicariously through me all the time. I need to hear about you too!!!! If you are offended by me adding this to my blog, too bad. Offense sometimes means guilt. JK/LOL

Well, I am off to chill more with the family. My grandma is so very cute. I will have to take some pictures tonight!

7/23/08

Not Sleeping Through Movies.




Life is full of fun experiences. Here is a funny one of mine. A friend recently bought a house, and she has always liked gnomes. In Utah, gnomes are not easily found but in Wisconsin, they are easily found. I, being the nice friend that I am, have been looking for gnomes for said friend this summer. Last week, I found a plethora (I love the word plethora and wish I could use it in each and every blog post, btw!) of gnomes at Jo Ann Fabric, of all places. So, that part of the story is pretty boring. The funny part of the story is that I bought five gnomes and as I was walking up to the checkout, I looked down and remembered I was wearing my gnome shirt that reads: "Chillin' with my gnomies." Now, if that doesn't make me a total geek, I do not know what does.

I had a very fun Tuesday and Wednesday. I played softball last night and won 5-1. Good times. I then went over to my friend, Marla's. (She is fabulous and if you don't know her, you should!) We watched Batman Begins because it was pretty fuzzy in my memory and Marla had not seen it. Okay, true confession(do not tell anybody, well I guess you can, because I am posting about it.): I actually slept through the first Batman movie. It was probably on some Friday night during the school year and I was tired! Okay, funnier true confession: I also slept through the 2nd third and 3rd third portions of The Dark Knight last Thursday. Leave me alone! It is a dark movie(and not just because of the Knight!) and it was bloody hot in the theater. And it was also after midnight and the movie is freakin' three hours long. It is not my fault. Anyway, today we went to see the movie for my second time and Marla's first time. It was awesome. Heath Ledger does an amazing job as The Joker. In fact, I caught myself laughing at him a lot as he was doing very violent things. WEIRD! I give both these movies five stars. You should see them. Just remember to take a nap before watching and you should be alright!

Well, sleep awaits. So does an hour bike ride in the morning. I am lacking motivation these days. I think it is the I-Fries!

P.S. The picture of "Polish" is a bobble head Marla got at a Brewer's game. I am sure you have all heard of the sausage races held at each home Brewer baseball game(for those of you again who don't know sports or their teams!:). Indeed, Wisconsinites are more interested in getting bobble heads of food rather than real players. I never said we were normal!

7/22/08

It's All About The Food!



A goal of mine this summer was to lose some weight. It hasn't happened. There is just such good food here in Wisconsin. Last night, some friends and I got together for some amazing food at The Wausau Mine Company. They have wonderful food. My favorite thing is the Italian Fries with their special sauce. SO YUMMY(see pic). Then we had a pizza. Cheesed out, that is for sure. It was a good meal.

After eating, we headed over to Sunnyvale Park(that is where we play softball every Tuesday night) and watched some Men's games. It was fun, even if it rained a bit while we were there. I love the rain btw! There was an amazing sunset, which just made the end of the day spectacular. I am so glad I have great friends here to play with in the summers.

Well, I am off to play softball. Hopefully no knuckleheads will slide into first like they did last week. My knee is a little hurt. Don't tell my mother. Oh wait, she will probably read it on here and be worried. Sorry mom!

7/20/08

Tubing Adventures



This weekend was one of the highlights of the summer. I was able to tube for the first time and it was a blast. It was also so fun being with my family and getting to know my Dad's extended family a bit more. Yesterday was the tubing adventure. The first part I was by myself(my tube was not tied to any other tubes) and on a cheap black tire tube. It was fun because I could maneuver myself anywhere I wanted to be on the river just by paddling. The second half I was tied to my Uncle Paul and I was on a luxury tube with a headrest and all. It was fun to chat with my Uncle as we gingerly floated down the river. It was a beautiful day even if we got stuck in a whirlpool for a while(we kept paddling to the middle of the river only to be swept back to the exact place we were previously stuck) and totally missed the last landing point(my mom was in a panic to see us floating past the place they were waiting for us, luckily we got out just downstream a bit). I was also very impressed with my great aunt, Jeanette, who is 86, who went along with us. I want to be that kind of an older person: not afraid to do stuff and just alive!!!

We went back to the hotel that night and ate some real good pizza and visited. Today, we ate breakfast and chatted for a long time. We were the last ones to leave beside my Dad's cousin Donny and his family. It was so fun to just sit an talk with them in the hotel lobby. Very cool people.

On the drive back my mom had us stop at a really cool place for lunch. It was a vacation resort in Eagle River, Wisconsin. The place was amazing. There were a bunch of individual vacation cottages and some condos on the shore of a lake. The main lodge(where the restaurant was located) was amazing. There were cool decorations, like a wooden baseball bat for the safety rail in the women's bathroom and wooden canoes all over the place. It was a fun little diversion.

I cannot believe that I only have two and a half weeks here in Wisconsin. The time is flying. I am not quite ready to go back to my reality. :( I guess I will have to start mentally preparing for work and being a real live adult again. BOO!

7/19/08

Last Trip to Minneapolis!



Yesterday, I got back from Minneapolis for the second time. Well, technically the third time. First: Leaving for San Francisco, Second: Coming back from SF. Third: Taking friend Aimee back to airport. Three different hotel rooms in the same hotel in one week. It was tiring.

This last trip I took my nephew, E. E is an awesome boy, just to let you know. He was very patient with Aimee and I as we shopped at The Mall of America. In the middle of the endless shopping hours, we took him to the amusement park in the mall. He and Aimee rode a ride together and then he rode one solo. I was glad that Aimee had somebody to ride on the coasters because rides really aren't who I am! We also played some mini golf while there. Crazy that you can ride rides, and play mini golf! Crazy that we also got to see two movies in the mall. We saw Hancock and The Dark Knight. Both very good movies. I was amazed by Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker in the new Batman Movie!

It was fun to have had Aimee here the last week. On the way back from Minnesota, E and I stopped to see my friend Morgan in Menominee. (She and her family are there for a few weeks running a children's theatre.) We got to spend a few hours with their family to eat and just play around. E was so good with their kids. It was so nice to see them and I look forward to seeing them lots as they will be living in Vegas this next year.

Today I have been hanging out with family in Michigan. We tubed today on the rivers that separate Wisconsin from Michigan. It was a blast. I will add pics tomorrow!

Well, I am off to eat pizza and visit with my Dad's extended family. They are awesome people! :)

7/16/08

Tour Guide



I have been very busy since getting back from San Francisco. My friend, Aimee, flew in from Salt Lake City the same night my mom and I flew back in from San Francisco. On Monday we visited the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (that is mostly why Aimee came to visit!) Tuesday, I took Aimee fishing and then played softball. Today, I took Aimee and Elijah(nephew) to Camp Five. I blogged about that place a while back when my sister, mom, niece and I went. It is way cool. Basically, you ride a real steam train to the logging camp museum. At Camp Five you can pet animals at the petting zoo, visit the logging museum, buy stuff at the gift shop and tour the logging woods. I totally turn back into a kid at the petting zoo. Today's adventure was a baby goat eating my pants. So funny and cute. After the adventures at Camp Five, Aimee and I went to the Merrill Fair in Merrill, Wisconsin(Duh!) and partook of some fair food. My favorites were the fried cheese curds, there is just nothing like fried cheese, and the elephant ear(it is not a real elephant's ear, silly, it is fried bread similar to a scone with cinnamon sugar on the top). My arteries are clogging as I type, but the food was fab. Now I must sleep because we are going back to Minneapolis tomorrow morning to hit the mall again and then Aimee flies out Friday Morning. I have had quite the two weeks. I will leave with mom and dad on Saturday for a family adventure in Northern Wisconsin. I am a busy girl. SIGH! Sorry for not writing much about SF, but I have been busy. Maybe when I am bored again next week, I will tell you all about it!

7/15/08

Day One San Francisco

I have been so tired. I was going to go through a play by play of all I did in California, but I really think that I will never ever catch up, so you will just have to enjoy these pictures and know that I had a great time and did lots of stuff.

7/14/08

Read me, Then Watch video below!

Did you all miss me or what? I tought so!

I had a great week in San Francisco. I learned a whole lot about me. I also was able to see lots more of the city than I did last time. It was truly a blast. Unfortunately, you will not get to hear much about the trip until later. I plan on posting a few blogs in order to give the whole trip justice. It was an amazing experience.

It is late right now. We just got back from Minneapolis. My friend Aimee flew in on Sunday night(as did my mom and I) and we went to the Mall of America today. Lots to tell you about it but I must sleep. It is nearly two a.m. and I am taking Aimee to fish tomorrow. It will be tiring to be tour guide the next few days. SIGH.

Night. Enjoy the turning around of a cable car. I love those things.

As the Cable Car Turns

7/7/08

Fishing Lessons!



That picture is of my friend Don. I met Don through my Mom. When my mom was renting an apartment many years ago, Don lived in the same building. Don took care of all the maintenance of the building and really took care of my mom when she was living up here in Rhinelander alone during the week and then going to Wausau on the weekends. He is one of the biggest characters in the world. He has a great sense of humor and always seems to make people laugh, if not get some sort of reaction out of them(some people are taken aback by Don because he pretty much says anything that comes to mind, which can be shocking at times! Sometimes I wish I had the courage to do the same, but then again I do really like to have people like me.) One of the other guys that hangs out at the bar that my mom and I like to go to said to me last week: "You let yourself be alone with Don?"(as if he were some dangerous Dahmer type.) I replied by saying that I can run a lot faster than Don!(Don has trouble walking these days because his hips aren't working as they should) Don reminds me of the men in Grumpy Old Men. He is so much like both of those characters. He is also a master angler. He has been teaching me how to fish and I have been having a lot of fun learning.

I have fished before, but I think I have always been pretty much clueless about it. I have learned how to tie a good knot on the line attaching the hook. I have learned how to cast better. I have learned that when you are bringing the line in to re-cast that you should do so slowly because as Don says: "You just never know." You really don't know if a fish will bite the bait on the way in. I have also learned that you should guide the line in with your thumb and forefinger. (That would have helped very much last week when I got the line all tangled and I was by myself and I couldn't un-tangle the line. I guess that is what I get for going out without my teacher!) I think the most important thing Don has taught me though is that there is so much beauty in just taking the time to stop and enjoy life. Sitting on the shore he often says: "It is a shame that all the kids in the world go around saying 'I'm bored, there is nothing to do.' Look at the place and how much fun we can have out here, Man!" Really, life is like that. You really just need to sit back sometimes and realize how wonderful everything is. Sitting out there on beautiful lakes is a real special thing to do and I am so glad to have Don there with me to teach me and to help me remember important life lessons.

People are cool, aren't they? I am still amazed by how each person that is allowed to be a part of our lives can really effect us both positively and negatively. I feel lucky to have mostly people in my life who effect me positively. I am also amazed that somebody who is over forty years older than me can really get along with me and make a difference in my life. It's cool!

I caught four fish today. Three Bass and one Bluegill. It was weird to catch something beside a Bass. I just expect to have a Bass on the line now. Good times.

Didn't do much else today. Summer is going too fast. SIGH!

7/6/08

Family Weekend!



Well, we had our celebrations, we stayed up late, we slept in, we watched fireworks, we at too much food, but dang what a good time!

The weekend went to fast. I was able to see most of both sides of my family. Friday we were in Appleton for my Dad's side's annual 4th Celebration. It is an annual event that all the my dad's brothers organize. There are three of them. They switch off years. This year it was at Jim's. He has a nice house and is a great grillmaster. Good, good food. I had my first Brat of the season. YUM! It is always fun to catch up with all my relatives. I have such good ones! I am glad I have all of them and that fate brought us all together. What would have happened if my parents never met? That is scary to think about! I wouldn't be here either. YIKES!

Saturday we headed to Green Bay. I love that place. I would live there if I didn't have this whole other life in Provo. It is a great city. I love seeing Lambeau Field where the Packers play. I think I take a picture of it every time I see it. I am still in awe of it.

I had a lot of fun with my mom's side of the family in Green Bay. I love to see my Aunt Linda and Uncle Tom. They are always so good to me. Their grandchildren are precious. Little Thomas makes me laugh. He is just a cutie. I also like to see my cute little grandma, Rita. She is so funny and cute. It was fun to hang out with everybody. My uncle Danny was even visiting from Oklahoma. He likes to talk about religion and kinda grilled me about Mormonism last night. I was up for the challenge and it was not as scary as I thought it might be. He is pretty much a holy roller and used to be a minister, so it was interesting. Weird and interesting.

Tonight we are back in Rhinelander. I am tired. It is late. I get to fish tomorrow...what am I do writing to you guys?

Later!

7/4/08

Happy 4th!



Happy Fourth of July! I hope your family outings are much less stressful than mine always are. I can hear the parents already getting on each other's nerves downstairs as they get ready. Family...isn't it about time?

I went fishing yesterday with my new pole. I am a horrible angler. Well, maybe not a horrible angler per say, but I really have a hard time with keeping the line from messing up in the reel. I caught one fish yesterday and as I was reeling him in, my line got stuck. I had only been out for about a half hour and then had to go home because I didn't know enough about my reel to six it and continue. I should have studied it before fishing because my dad fixed in in about thirty seconds. Dang!

I liked that Packer boat I saw a few days ago so I snuck up and took a picture of it. I find myself doing that a lot lately. Sneaking up on strangers and their things is fun work. I will try to add a video of people dancing the Polka that I did some sneaky camera work for.

My mom has an MP3 Player and she knows how to use it. She bee bops around the house with it singing and dancing. It makes me laugh every time I see her with her little earphones on. Hilarious.

Well, I better go finish packing and getting ready. We are heading to Appleton for the big party at my Uncle Jim's and then we are heading to Green Bay tomorrow to see my mom's side of the family. It will be a blast and an adventure.

Have a great day. Enjoy your day off those of you who are working for a living. Suckers!

Hopefully the video of Polka dancers will be in a future post! :)

7/1/08

Lazy Tuesdays.

Okay so everyday lately has been lazy. I just don't know why I like doing nothing. Oh wait, that is part of who I am.

I have been reading the first Harry Potter again. Very good stuff. I think you get much more out of it the second time around. I was inspired by one of my friends who just finished reading the series again.

Other than reading, I really did a whole lot of nothing today. Okay, so I did do laundry and I did even make my bed again. Sorry Moo, I do not know what has gotten into me lately. I did write a bit in my novel today. Did all of you know that I am writing a novel? It is pretty silly. I think I am pretty much a hopeless romantic or something because my main character, who happens to me a male, tries to pick up on all the chicks. What is wrong with me? I try to write a serious novel and it may turn out being like a Danielle Steel steamy romance novel. Okay so maybe not that steamy seeing I am a good Mormon girl, but it could be close. Why am I writing from the perspective of a male, you may ask? I really don't know. Maybe they are easier to write. Seems like they are pretty simple. They like sports, love to eat, love women(well most of them anyway) and that is pretty much them. I don't know if I am any good at writing from the male perspective though. My main character may totally be a pansy. I am a girl after all!

I also bought a new fishing pole today. Of course, because I am lazy, I was not able to go fishing today because I ran out of time before my softball game. SIGH. And it is supposed to rain tomorrow so I may not get out tomorrow either. DOUBLE SIGH!

It was fun to travel to Wausau and play softball as it always is. We actually won again. I guess this team is a little bit better than my other team in Provo, and that is fine. Really, winning is NOT everything. I am glad I have learned that lesson. Have I mentioned that I love to play? It was fun. I also like sitting and chatting with my good friends after the games. We usually get some concession stand food and just chat and chat. Tonight we also watched another softball game after we ate. I liked it.

Now I am here in my room in Rhinelander updating you all on my real exciting life. It is after midnight. Why am I such a night owl? Who knows really! I may even put the old Ocean's Eleven in and watch it. I got it from the library. I love libraries and the one in little old Rhinelander is surprisingly very amazing!

This is kinda random isn't it? I think my sister likes it best when my blogs are random. Maybe it is because all the people in her house are ADHD. I am sorry Seester, you all are! Reminds me of a joke my nephew always used to tell, when he was much younger, of course. He is almost a Senior in High School. How did I get so old. Here is the joke:

How many people with ADHD does it take to change a light bulb?
(with little hesitation the joke teller then says:)
Wanna go play soccer?

This joke reminds me of the joke I always used to tell my nephew. Here it is:

Hey, I got a great knock-knock joke for you. You start.
Nephew then says: Knock-Knock
I answer: Who's there?
Then there is a long pause and a confused look on Nephew's face. Aunt then laughs real hard.

I still tell him this joke years later. Now he just rolls his eyes and ignores me. Teenagers!

Speaking of teens. They are nice, but I tend to like toddlers more. My friend's little boy is so cute. I usually talk about him on Tuesdays because I see him at softball games. He is clumsy and falls a lot. Today he got a little scratch on his chin because walking is a challenge for him.

Walking is a challenge for me when I am wearing high heels. I think it is highly inappropriate for a girl who is nearly six feet to wear heels. The first reason is that said heels usually make her well over six feet and then she looks even more like a giant and is taller than all the cute boys(and the not-so-cute ones too, I guess!). The second reason is that this particular girl is very much like a New York Giant(football team for those of you who are not sports fanatics like me) lineman(the big guys) and when she is walking in these shoes she looks kinda like a lineman would if they were trying to walk in said shoes.

I am a shoe addict as well. I don't even know how many pairs I own. Some people collect antiques, or sports cards, I collect shoes. I have about ten pairs of Converse All-Stars alone.

Addiction is a funny thing too, don't you think? Some people are addicted to crazy things like cocaine and marijuana(yes I know marijuana doesn't have typical signs of addiction and people say all the time, I can stop anytime....I say "then why don't you?" stupids) while other people are addicted to food or sports. How do we get our addictions? Do we all have different ones because of our personality and upbringing? Are there people out there who have no addictions? Even if they claim to have no addictions, do you think they may be addicted to lying?

Lying is not a good practice. Honesty really is the best policy. I think the main reason for this, besides the moral issue, is that it is just too hard to keep all the lies straight. Who have you lied to? Who knows the truth? Maybe you even start to believe the lies you tell and then you have just lied to yourself. That is sad.

Back to addictions. I have lots. Ice cream, that is one. It is evil. If somebody offers ice cream, how do you say no? It is a nice gesture to offer this cream treat, is it not?

Another nice gesture is handing out money. If any of you want to hand me money go right ahead!

Blogging. I think I am addicted to blogging. I always want my blog to be up to date and funnier than everybody Else's blog. It really makes me upset when I have nothing to blog about. Like this past weekend my blog was not up to date. I just did not have creative juices those days. It was sad. I am funny right?

Paper. I am addicted to paper. I bought a notebook for myself(OK mom bought it, I am not a liar) this weekend. I already have lots of notebooks. This one does say: "Boys are stupider...send them to Jupiter." and has a picture of a boy in a rocketship headed for Jupiter. Very funny.

Funny like Happy Bunny. Happy Bunny always smiles but sometimes says mean things. I still am addicted to Happy Bunny. Sometimes I feel like Happy Bunny. I just smile and really inside say mean things. Like at work sometimes. I may be all happy and nod my head lots, but deep down I am thinking: Are you serious, do you really think this program is valuable enough for all the money we are spending? Are you crazy?

Craziness. Now that is a good topic. Who defines what is crazy and what is not? Do we have people who make the crazy rules? Oh wait...we do, they are politicians. Don't even get me started on Politicians; they make me tired.

As does being up at 12:54a.m.

Night.