This week is kicking my butt

This week I've been in training in Austin for my job and it has thrown my little life topsy turvy.
Spending 2 hours in traffic on the road makes me angry, tired, and just grumpy. I don't know how people drive that every day!

And to be honest, I am spoiled. I live 3 miles from my office.

It reminded me of when I went to Russ's work Christmas party.

Many working moms asked me how I was adjusting to being a working mom and how hard it was. I responded that it wasn't that hard at all. Everything is close, so I'm not spending a ton of time driving that could be spent together. We still get that together time.

And Russ is the one who gets her out the door every morning, so my mornings Ernest really disrupted.

But this week, I am feeling it. I am feeling the tiredness of working and the lack of energy to do anything but play with my family each night.

On top of it all, today I learned that a dear fried, mama Hayes died this morning. She was a force of good in this world. She was absolutely inspiring. I miss her already.

So, in short, this week has been awful. It has made me grateful for the life I normally get to live. Here's to the weekend coming up soon, and good elks full of routine in the future.

(Artwork by my niece, Georgia. It makes me smile)

A Sad Thought

Today in primary we had a special sharing time presentation with the Primary Presidency and little musical numbers intertwined.

It was so special. I really felt the Spirit. And I really do love these precious little children.

Just at the peak of my joy, I thought, somewhere in this world, there is a Primary missing Emilie Parker.

And my heart broke.

In the same breath let me just say that the US has a mental health epidemic. What happened at Sandy Hook Elementary has more to do with mental health and the poor services we have available to those in need than it does with guns.

Crazy always finds a way-- that is something John Stewart said after Gabby Giffords was shot.

And it is true.

We need to teach people how to work through anger and, if necessary, get help from professionals for their mental health issues.

I promise to be more cheery on Christmas eve. But for now I am a bit sad at the loss of so many young lives. And that, as a nation, we are barking up the wrong tree to solve the problem.

Case Law Thought

If you're anything like me, you occasionally ask yourself this question: Am I a Good Person?

I ponder on it for a few days, give up, and table a ultimate decision to be decided later.

Well, I don't really think that way anymore. I think that there is a BRIGHT LINE between being a good and a bad person. But sometimes, when I haven't looked at what it takes to be a bad person for a while, I forget where that line is. Let me say again: it's a BRIGHT LINE.

Lately in law school I have been reading the most horrific and sad cases. Here's a small peek:

• Mom prostituting her 13 yr old daughter out for cocaine.
• Husband, with a history of violence, shoots his wife 4 times, a cop 4 times, and shoots at his extended family. He kills his wife and the cop. 

And this was was the worst:

• A 18 month old is brought into the emergency room by mom for a broken leg. While being treated there is a 'discharge' and it is discovered this baby has an STD, from mom's live in boyfriend. : * (

There is a clear line between right and wrong. After reading all this yesterday, I went home and Russ and I did our little phone routine of scriptures and prayer. We read Jacob 6. I won't recite it, but suffice it to say that it brought me a lot of peace about things.

If you're reading this, just know, YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON.

English for English Speakers- Part 2

Spelling. That problematic pest that bothers us on Facebook, in e-mails, and occasionally on the internet.

If you are a frequent mis-speller, here's some advice: set your computer to spellcheck everything you type. I have mine set to this, so anytime and anywhere I type on my computer I know when I've spelled something wrong.

I can't tell you how to do this, but ask Russ! Or google it.

Even with this little tool, I still misspell. Partially because I write so much. At Baylor we don't have laptops in class. So I constantly handwrite. As I review these notes, here are my top misspelled words:

• Similar (up until about two weeks ago I sincerely thought it was spelled "similiar"
• Imminent- I got those awful red lines as I typed that and I had to correct it. I like to spell it immenient
• subconsious, and other -ious words. Ugh. red lines again. I hate this word.

There are more that I can't recall.

Now here are words that I see people misspell and I cringe. I want to say something, but I am not the spelling police. But here it is:

• wierd. (this is wrong. It's W-E-I-R-D. It's a short word people!!!)
• screeming
• definately (let's look at this phonetically: defin@ly. This is wrong. It's definitely)
• suceed (no sorry. This is a failure.)
• decieve 
• apparantly
• beatiful

And now for what to me is the worst of the worst. The slang-type the kids use these days. I know it looks "cool". Sometimes it does. But when you type like this all day, everyday... I get a little concerned about the future. Plus, you're not a 13 year old girl. You're a 20 something in College. Here's some examples:

• is eattin....n decidin wat 2 do....i supposed i shud catch up on my hmwk....dats da rite 2 do rite?...
• Ia kindah awake...i guess i shud jump in da shower 2 b AWAKE.....
• can't decide if i wanna eat..or jus go sleep...i mite jus go sleep....
• I wanna wear jeans...but der all in da laundry...so i guess i gottah wear a dress...
• i had a 5day wkend....i feel like i havn't in sku 4 like ever...
• i tink i wanna go bed soon.....i hav notin 2 do...i cleaned up my project....ate dinner....n now its jus blah....

Sad News

After spending a lot of time this past week studying the judicial progression of our country over the past 200+ years, I begin to feel like the US has become a champion of individual rights. Not perfect, but somewhere where civility and respect are engrained into our laws and society. The news of the shooter on Saturday in Arizona brought me to reality.

Our laws can change and be just as they may. But if we do not have civility and respect engrained in our attitudes and behaviors, then what good does it do to have just and civil laws?

I read recently a quote from Ben Franklin. It may be American folklore, but pointed nonetheless.

A aged man asked Ben Franklin after the Constituional Convention of 1787 what kind of government had been created for the people. Ben Franklin responded, "A Republic, if you can keep it."


Please, let us keep it...

The No-Reason Blues

I think because there are so many happy things going on this time of year, so many moments of just being happy and enjoyment, that our body tries to balance it out. So... for no good reason, we feel blue. I guess I should say I feel blue.

We had the ward party last night and it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed getting ready for it, being there, singing and playing guitar, and all that jazz. But I got home last and just felt sad. I guess I shouldn't say for no good reason. I know why.

Russ wasn't there. The GM of Perdenales was on trial and a jury came back with a 'guilty' in the afternoon so my husband was on tv instead of next to me. So I guess that's why I was blue.

Well today's a new day. Time to get happy.

Farewell to Wallace

Do you remember this post?

Well, as of this morning, the guard frog has passed on to frog heaven.

I had a hair appointment scheduled for 9 am this morning and OF COURSE I was running late. I zoomed out of the garage, down the driveway and to Hair Fitness. When I returned I saw a bloody, big, dead Wallace on my driveway. Here's the gruesome proof:

I sat in the driveway for a few minutes trying to decide what to do. You see, I'm not very good around blood. Or dead things. In undergrad I took an anatomy class and passed out the first day of class when they rolled out the lady cadaver. I get dizzy just thinking about that.

Well, I finally decided to just park, go inside, and call Russ to come clean it up. I was completely nauseated and dry heaved even though I hadn't eaten yet. Lucky for Russ the missionaries had called and left a message, so I quickly I returned their call and asked for their help. They needed me to print up a baptismal program so I didn't feel bad asking them for help. I mean they had to come get the program anyway. So Russ was spared from cleaning up the frog (Russ also informed me that he would not have come home for this. So I guess it was really just lucky for me.)

Now- a moment to reflect on what this did to my relationship with the missionaries. On my mission we occasionally had a bizarre request from someone on how to help. Often we would just laugh about it, help the person out and move on. Well, I am now one of 'those people'. One of those people who made a crazy request of the missionaries. But I'll be honest. I truly needed their help.

Back to the story. The missionaries came over and I had the bleach, a bag, and a scrubby for them to clean up the crime scene. Like I said, it was bloody. I tried to be nice and talk with them while they cleaned up the frog but I kept dry heaving and getting dizzy. I think in the end it made me even crazier.

But thanks missionaries.

Goodbye Wallace.

Oh- and I did get to my hair appointment on time. So... at least Wallace's death was not entirely in vain.

Melancholy

I get sad when I am judged to being someone that I know I am not.

Unlucky 7's

Well the stock market tanked, tomorrow should be interesting. Part of
me would like to see the markets just take care of this "crisis" on
their own, but I'm sure the powers that be won't let that happen. I am
glad for two things... One that my condo in St. George sold when it
did. Second, we're in a house and not looking to sale. This weekend
should be interesting.