Day 416, Saying Hello

When life gets you down, go visit a Grandchild. Grandchildren have a magical way of putting things in proper perspective. Look at our little Jane! The panda hat is hysterical. I love that she recognizes us--she waves her hands, kicks her feet, and smiles when we walk into the room. I'd like to think she created that little jig just for Ron and me.

Oh yeah. There's still that annoying incident with ... what's her name ... that I need to take care of. Ever in the back of my mind, I am letting it simmer on the back burner. Maybe if I let it simmer long enough, it will disappear :-)

Tomorrow is day one of holiday baking. Apple pie is #1 on the list. We got your back, Raechel.

Would you please say a prayer for Taylor---Tomorrow he goes back to the doctor. If all goes well, he will walk out with a walking cast---and head home to begin packing his bags for the MTC. Miracles can happen, right? I believe!

Day 415, Lose / Lose

Ever heard of the Kobi Ashi Maru? I am sure I am not spelling that correctly, so I apologize up front to all you Star Trek fans out there. This is what is referred by Captian Kirk as the no-win scenario, meant to test captain's ability to handle a life & death situation where there is no way to win. Capt. Kirk is the only one to ever beat the test---but he cheated.

I have been faced with my own version of this Lose/Lose game. The enemy exists in the form of a woman who has decided that I am the DNA donar for the Wicked Witch of the West. She is loud, she is obnoxious, and she has made it her mission to villianize me. This is quite new territory for me....I have never come across an adversary of this nature. Some day, I am sure she will end up as a character in one of my books.

So what do you do when you are wrongfully accused? Years of life experience and learning from others' misfortunes have taught me that in these situations, you are damned if you do, damned if you don't. The more you protest, the guiltier you sound. If you defend yourself, you sound like a victim. If you ignore it (which seems the most adult thing to do,) then your accuser(s) take it as an admission of guilt. It's ridiculous.

Now, if someone is going to accuse you of something, they should not be a coward about it. They must be willing to put their cards on the table, and they had better have their facts straight. Otherwise, their claims can have no credibility.

They say that cream always rises to the top.... but then again, so does scum. The trick is in knowing the difference. 

Good night.... I have to go put the sheets on our bed. Sigh!

Day 414, Homeward Bound

Confessions are overrated. Technically I DID make it from the hotel room to the car without playing a slot machine. But that was after I hit the penny slots. You see... The casino gave me $100 slot play voucher. What was I to do? The good news is I made it out of the casino without losing any of my own money. I call that success.

On a serious note...I told you I am reading the book, The Speed of Trust. It is causing me to pause and reflect on my own trustworthiness. I realize that I am lacking in personal credibility. How do I know I am lacking? Because I took the self-analysis, and it told me so. I have high credibility in my "capability," but scored low in "personal" credibility. I am not pleased about that. So... one of the ways to increase our personal credibility is to make a commitment to ourself and follow through on it. I decided I should start with the health plan competition I agreed to take part in with my daughter. So.... tomorrow I will begin to take the competition seriously. I'm not looking forward to that... because a) I love coke, and b) it's dark when I get off work, so walking is out of the question. The point is.... if you can't make good on the commitments you make to yourself, how can you be trusted to make good on those you make to others?

Ugh! Why did I have to start reading that book?

Day 413, Choose The Right!

Today Ron and I explored Zion National Park. Neither of us are currently at our peak as far as conditioning goes, so the plan was to take one of the "Easy" trails and just enjoy the breathtaking scenery. We decided to explore the Emerald Pools first.... a short, one-and-half hour (round-trip) stroll to the lower pools. Sign said, "Lower pools --- to the left." We went to the left. An hour-and-half later, after climbing what seemed to be a never-ending spiral rock staircase, we found ourselves nearing the Grotto. I have no idea what the Grotto is.... but I know that when we were choosing trails, the Grotto sign said "Strenuous!" Hence the trembling legs, racing heartbeat, and lack of oxygen.

When we finally found our way around the upper, middle, and lower pools....and through the falls (which were very cool, I might add,) ---  THREE hours later --- I donned on us that we had somehow been tricked (nothing gets by a Morgan!) We were full-on hiking. Note to self---2-year old flimsy tennis shoes do not make good hiking shoes. I wondered why everyone we met on the trail had backpacks, hiking boots, and serious walking sticks with them. A bit dramatic for an easy stroll, don't ya think? Seriously, at one point, I thought my legs were going to fold beneath me. The only time I have ever had that feeling before, was when I was in labor (and on New Year's Eve, 1999---but that's another story).

When we finally made it back to the trailhead---we hiked the full circle by the way---we decided to check that deceitful little sign that pointed us to the left. Behold! The arrows pointed in BOTH directions---left and right.

Moral of the story? Always Choose the Right!

Day 412, Party ON!

Who says I'm too old to party? Could it be all the "under 30" people that I see on a daily basis? Those who can climb 4 flights of stairs without holding their chest? Those who are not yet acquainted with dark circles, eye sag, and lip lines? Well for all you young-ens out there...I can stand with the rest of you right into the wee hours of the morning---as long as there is a casino involved.

Yesterday (I think it was yesterday,) Ron and I took off for St. George ... via a promised stop-off in Las Vegas. Word of advice ... Vegas is probably not the best --- "drop in for a little rest" spot on your way to Southern Utah. Just saying.

So, I got this "idea" while scheming...(did I say that out loud? Nope, think I just wrote it,).... to convince my honey to make a stop in Vegas. He was 100% opposed to spending a night in Vegas. Period. Instead, he promised me we could stop in Vegas so I could hit the penny slots --- you know I'm hooked --- and he could stretch his legs for a bit. Sure, sure. I knew how that would play out. I would be merrily engaged in my quest for bonus free spins and jackpots via those fabulous penny machines (which by the way can be more deadly than a dollar machine---truly!!), and Ron would stand close by doing every normal husband's "can we go now" routine.... which looks like: rolling their eyes, pursing their lips, sighing, slyly glancing at their watch in a manner that their wives couldn't miss, and with increasing frequency, asking their wives if they are almost done yet. I don't blame Ron for this. I get, let's just say, a teensy-weensy bit selfish when I gamble. So when he made me the promise that he would let me "gamble to my heart's content," I knew exactly what the poor guy was in for.

Disclaimer: I am not proud of the fact that I enjoy gambling. In fact, I have come to the realization that I am very bad at it. Casinos love me. What does that tell you? Well... they don't really love me, they tolerate me enough to lure me back every chance they get. And I blindly oblige. Thank you very much for the "free" upgrade to a beautiful suite with all the amenities Mr. Rich Guy who now has more of my money than I do.... and don't forget those "free" meals.... Hah! How stupid do they think I am? Do NOT answer that!

Okay, back to my story. I received a "gift" in the mail from Harrah's. 4 free nights (woohoo) and the chance to use all my bonus credits by purchasing gifts in the annual "Gift Wrap-Up Give Away." I have accumulated what sounds like a huge amount of points..... about 25,000 to be exact. Found out that equates to about $120-150 worth of over-priced merchandise. Short story long... I reserved a suite at the RIO for 4 nights,,,, fully aware that we would not be staying there for any of the 4 nights. But I figured Ron would have a comfortable spot to nap, watch TV, have a snack, rest his legs..... and relax while I "gamble to my heart's content" as he put it.

End result? We crept into our St. George timeshare around 6:30am....just as the sun was etching its way into the eastern horizon.
Insult to injury...did I win? Let's just say that somebody's name will be crossed off my Christmas list... or downgraded from "purchase nice gift" to "it's the thought that counts."

Is it time for a 12-step addiction recovery program? You be the judge. First you might want to ask if it was your name that got downgraded on my Christmas list :-) Do you think when we return to the hotel to check out after our "non-stay," I can make it through the casino without stopping? Guess you'll have to wait for my update.
Now... back to my opening statement----Yes. I can party all night long just like young people under 30. So give me a big high-five and air knuckles. What does that prove? Nothing. I don't even care about being able to pull an all-nighter. Nor do I give a rat's cheese about what they think of me. In fact, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I was stupid enough to miss out on some much earned and much needed sleep (not to mention stupid enough to spend money doing so). After all, the only thing gained by my childish behavior is the addition of a few more mouth lines and eye wrinkles... Oh, and of course, another "free" offer will be on its way before I can click on the "Publish Post" button.

By the way, Here is something you may not know .... They no longer call it "gambling." It's now referred to as "Gaming." Why? Because when people "gamble," there is a chance or possibility they could hit a good-sized jackpot or at least win something to walk out with--and that used to happen rather frequently. They now refer to it as "Gaming" because it's considered entertainment---like a video game that charges money for every move. No one is expected to actually come out a winner.

Sort of takes the fun out of it..... And how entertaining is that?

Day 411, Gender Bias

I've decided that my new car is female, which is odd since all my previous cars have been male. How do I know? I have no idea. Every car I've owned as just "seemed" like a boy car to me---hence, they all were given boy names. My daughter's car is definitely male---You can't have a cute name like Rolly Polly and not be a boy. My "I wanna be an SUV when I grow up" CRV (buck teeth and all,) was most certainly a male. He reminded me of an adolescent boy, still in that awkward stage of puberty. Camry? Boy. Civic? Boy. Toyota truck? Duh, BOY (thought all trucks were boys, but my husband assures me that "guys" think of their trucks as "girls"). Chevy Nova? Teenage boy. Chevy Malibu? Young Adult male. Vega Wagon? Tough as nails toddler boy, all the way. Honda Odyssey? Not just a boy, a grown up man!

But my sleek, pearl, Accord EXL-Navi V6? She's a woman! A fit, sexy, classy female complete with accessories.

Should I be disturbed by this?

Day 410, And Who IS Counting?

Today's blog is about trust. BUT FIRST, a word from our sponsor....

Just say the word, "FLEA" and I will begin to itch all over my body. I know it's all in my head because I can look at the spot that feels like there is a flea on it, and see nothing. I watch....as nothing crawls along my skin, and I feel it when nothing bites me. I am certain that nothing is there because I feel my little nothing bugs everywhere...... Under my shirt, on my scalp, between my toes, even behind my elbow. And I'm telling you... these little invisible nothing bugs bite!!! When did I first notice I had a nothing bug infestation? When Ellen showed me a flea on our dog. Since then, the nothing bugs have moved into our house. Even Ron is doing the "I'm being bit by something...but nothing is there!!" dance.

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled program.


It's all about trust. T-R-U-S-T..... Hmmm. I've been thinking about this word for a few weeks now, ever since somebody handed me a book on the subject. Naturally, I have been asking myself why this somebody felt the need to loan me their book. After all, I consider myself a trustworthy person. I trust people, and I assume (there's that no-no word), that people trust me as well. But what is trust? What makes a person trustworthy? And what exactly is it that we are trusting people to do, say, be? To always tell the truth? Really? Always? Even when your hair looks like crapola and your homemade soup is less than stellar? Okay before I begin my rants on trust... let's get some of the rules straight on telling the truth....

There are times when you do not need to tell the truth. I'm sorry if that offends some people, but really, sometimes it is better to keep your mouth SHUT! You don't need to tell me that I look like I'm gaining weight. You don't need to tell me that I'm at the perfect age for a mini facelift (translation, in case you are wondering---"You are looking old!") And you do not need to point out that one of my eyes is bigger than the other---it's obvious everytime I look at a picture of myself. Now... Do I want to know when there is something green on my teeth? Yes. And I trust people to tell me, doggone it. So why did I find a piece of lettuce stuck on my tooth yesterday? Do I want to know when my breath smells? Uhm, Yeah! Duh! Offer me a piece of gum, a mint, a sprig of parsley... anything... but don't leave me hanging...unaware of the green fumes hovering around my mouth. Do I want to know if my hair looks horrible? No. Not really. I pretty much corner the market on that one. Don't need it rubbed in my face. Do I want to know if something I said hurt somebody's feelings? HecAbsolutely!! Please!!! Please tell me that I was an idiot, a fool, a horrible person, an insensitive poop, a heartless cow, a class A beyo-itch.... but for the love of Pete,,,, DO NOT tell everyone else in the world and then act like nothing is wrong to my face. I can take it, truly. And I promise to apologize, and mean it. Trust me ;)

So,,, lesson one in my trust blog---No. You do not have to ALWAYS tell the truth in order to be trustworthy. You just have to be trusted to know when it's okay (and recommended) that you keep your thoughts to yourself.

As I read my "borrowed" book on trust, I will share some pearls of wisdom with you. You know you want them. I trust that you will spread the word. Please... feel free to share your own opinion on the subject.