31 December 2008

Adventures in dating...

I love nothing more than to go out and about. I don't much care what we are doing, usually, I just love going out with Steve! Over the years, he has turned me into a bit of a home body and we don't actually get out much for dates and such! At my most recent job I received a couple of Carmike movie passes along with Goodwood BBQ certificates. In October, I tried to give these away to my cousin-in-law to take my cousin out for her birthday and he refused them basically ordering me and Steve to go out and use them! Hmmm...so I wonder, can I blame him for all this now?! Read on...

We finally got around to going out this last weekend. With only 3 Carmike theaters left in the state of Utah, we chose to go to the one in West Jordan and therefore go to the Goodwood BBQ in Draper. When we left the house, we went to my friend, Lorilee, house. We exchanged Christmas gifts and to give her a birthday gift (a month late)...and to help her with her Christmas presents from other family members. I got her hooked up on some of the same websites I use a lot on her new laptop, it is wonderful to have her on email now and will be great as she learns more and more about the internet and the great blessings that can be found by doing things like genealogy! Steve also helped her learn a tiny bit about her mp3 player and loaded a cd to get her started. She got some great toys to play with! After leaving Lorilee's, we checked our PO Box and took a gift to my mom's friend, Judy in West Valley.

Ok, so now on to our date....we decided to go out to Draper and eat at Goodwood BBQ next. This was our first visit to Goodwood BBQ and we enjoyed the food and the service. You see, the gift certificates I had were technically expired...but there is a little known thing about GCs not supposed to have expiration dates because the company has received the money for them. The manager was very accomodating! Steve had the bacon cheddar burger and I had the smoked turkey sandwich. We laughed at there not being salt at any of the tables, even though it was not needed. We thought the food was delicious, including the BBQ sauce, both of us preffered the sassy over the spicy BBQ sauce.

After leaving there, he had me drive to the Christmas Utah house in Murray. If you have not seen this, you have until this Saturday to check it out in person! It is really cool. For more info: http://www.christmasutah.com/ If you happen to watch some of the videos, they are from past years, but are similar to what they had this year.

Ok, next, we headed back to West Jordan to see Tale of Despereaux. We had seen a couple of reviews from friends about this movie and they said they would NOT recommend it, so, of course, this is the movie Steve chose to see! As I was driving us there, we got off I-15 at 9000s. As you head west towards West Jordan, you go up this hill where the speed limit drops from 50mph to 40mph. I specifically looked at the sign and lowered my speed, this is about 900w. By the time we got to Redwood Road (1700w), a cop was behind us and pulled me over as we turned south on Redwood. He said that at 1400w he clocked me going 51, 52, 53. I told him that I had just slowed down to the 40mph speed limit. In any case, he wrote me a ticket and because you know the cops are just so very nice and do us such favors, he wrote the ticket as me going 45 in a 40. I asked him if he knew about how much this was going to be, he said that it is usually about $90 for every 10 over the speed limit....so I'm guessing $90 will be coming due to the courts in a matter of weeks. I don't agree with him that I was speeding, but I don't have the energy to fight it, so I'm hoping that I can just pay it and not waste my time by making yet another court appearance this year!

Oh, we did make it to the movie and on time, even...Tale of Despereaux! I have seen the commercials and really didn't care one way or the other how soon I saw it, but as it started, I was impressed with the list of well known actors doing the voices: Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Watson, Tracy Ullman, Kevin Kline, William H Macy, Robbie Coltrane, Christopher Lloyd, Charles Shaughnessy, Sigourney Weaver, Bronson Pinchot, etc... I have not read the book, shocking, I know...in fact, I had never even heard of the book before this movie came along. I also usually try not to see a movie without having read the book beforehand. I liked the show. It is a cute story of courage, desires, and luck, imo. I think it is an ok movie for families. I, personally, think that I would not have paid to see this movie, but rather waited until I had read the book and the DVD came out, which is estimated for April 2009, like Twilight. As a matter of response to one of the friends who had previously reviewed this movie, I picked up this trivia on imdb.com: The man made out of fruit and vegetables is a tribute to the artworks of Giuseppe Arcimboldo

So, this adventure in dating had it all, for our boring lives, that is...and turned out way more expensive than any date using free movie passes and gift certificates should have been....but, yes, we did have fun...and I hope to start going out more often!!! Oh and I know I can't blame my cousin-in-law for this night, but a scapegoat would be nice!

26 December 2008

16 things about me...

This is a tag from a very good friend from Washington....she passed it to me awhile back, I just felt the need to post it now, as I've been doing some pondering about myself:

1. I'm a genealogist...looking forward to starting a business, hopefully in January 2009!
2. I have always been and will always be a daddy's girl! I miss him terribly! (yes, still!)
3. I loved living in Mesquite, especially this time of year!
4. I love trains and am very happy living near the tracks!
5. My first job was at Lagoon (games and merchandising - great first job, loads of fun, but not much money)!
6. My favorite job was at the Mesquite Library!
7. I love to read...my current favorites are any Sisterchick book (http://www.sisterchicks.com/) and The Heir Series (http://www.cindachima.com/)!
8. I have been selling PartyLite for well over 9 years! (www.partylite.biz/chainoflove)
9. I will write books someday!
10. I always have too much to do...and yet never seem to get anything done! (yes, Pamela, this habit will give you a run for your gold medal on procrastination!)
11. I love hooking up with old friends on facebook, myspace, linkedin, myyearbook, etc...isn't modern technology such a blessing?!
12. I love to travel and look forward to doing more and more as time goes on...
13. My first real concert (not state fairs, etc) was Celine Deon opening for Michael Bolton!
14. I have no sense of smell.
15. I have met a few Olympic Gold Medal winners, Dave Ramsey, Zig Ziglar, Amanda Dickson, as well as many very successful people in PartyLite!
16. I would do about anything to meet Shirley Temple Black, Clay Walker, John Schnieder among many other well known people!

24 December 2008

Things I Have Done...

To participate just copy and paste in your own blog, and bold all of the things you have done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept over night on a train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23.Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone Deep Sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling Both
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class The emphasis being on A class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100 Blogged while lying sick in bed.

WOW, my life is boring. Oh well, there are a few of these I'm working on and a few I would like to accomplish in the future. Thanks, Dirk, for sharing this with us...

21 December 2008

Mom's 60th birthday party...

After a stressful day before the party when the catering fell through....my sister came to the rescue...again...she is quite the little hostess with great a looking spread of delicious foods for everyone to eat, although the cake was from Sam's club where the decorators loved working on it so much, they didn't want to give it up...The party was a success, we had about 35 people here giving us a full house and loads of fun! Here are a few pictures that my sister took:


15 December 2008

SURPRISE 60th bday party...


Amber is turning 60

Of that she is aware

But we want to surprise her

With all of you there

So the party is a secret

She doesn't it know yet

And if you keep it quiet

A surprise she will get...


Please join us if you can, I know she would love to have everyone she loves there. If you have any question please email or call Tonuah or Rebecca. Please arrive early, we are planning on the big surprise at 5p. Hope to see you there!


WHO: Amber Trujillo

WHAT: SURPRISE Bday Party Open House

HERE:

WHEN: 20 Dec 2008...she is expected about 5pm, so if you want to be here for the SURPRISE, please arrive by 4:30pm and park on 1900 W or west of there on 1835 N.

***PLEASE INVITE ANYONE ELSE YOU KNOW THAT KNOWS AMBER***
(the link on the title of this post leads to the official evite, thank you for keeping this a surprise!!! - good thing my mom stays OFF the computer, huh?!)

09 December 2008

twilight

I'm a Alice! I found out through TwilightersAnonymous.com. Which Twilight Female Are You? Take the quiz and find out!
Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!


I have seen the show twice, so far, and love it! I tried this quiz a few days ago and it didn't want to work, so here it is now...funny thing is, as I was answering the questions, on several of them, I was thinking that it sounded like Alice!

05 December 2008

Mars, Cars and Bars....

SIGH, wow...I finally caught up on all my friends' craziness...good, bad AND ugly! Now, I guess it is my turn to catch all of you up...

As you can tell this was posted relatively early in the morning (for me), considering I have NOT been asleep yet this last night, it is very early for my body. I won't be getting any sleep just yet, either, as we are headed to West Jordan for my moms Dr appt. Hopefully, I can find a way to take a nap after that and before heading out to the Festival of Trees. My sister and her friend did get their tree done. For anyone who is going, it is located at N7 and is the NFL Tree. Then, I will get to play Bunko, again! I love that...I'm still willing to get a group going, if we can get enough interest! Who's game?!!!

Ok, now to my title...forgive me for going out of order, but I will start with CARS: This post has been long in coming, I'm just now getting a chance to get it done. We have two cars in our household, a Ford Taurus belonging to my mom and a Dodge Neon belonging to my husband. The Taurus has been out of service since July and through a string of events, we finally got some work done on it during November. There are still a few questionable things that will hopefully turn out to be nothing to worry about, but we are so grateful to have this car back in running condition! Because the day before this car was done, sort of, the Neon died...we thought we had the Taurus fixed, but Murphy had other plans for us, still. So, we took the Taurus back to our wonderful neighbors to take another look at...basically trading it for the Neon, which we also thought was fixed. I think you get the idea, I think it was the next day, the Neon died AGAIN and really died this time. Luckily Steve was able to coast into a parking spot at a gas station about 15 min drive away from where we live! It was something like 1am, so by lucky circumstance a Draper police officer brought him home, leaving the car there until we could figure out how to get it towed to our neighbors! A day and a half later, we finally got it down and now after it being fixed some more, it does seem to run better than it has in two years! Oh ya, we got the Taurus back while the Neon was down and overall, it runs ok, too. So, I've had my fill of car problems, for a long while!!! Mostly, we are more than very grateful to have such wonderful neighbors to give us such service and help us out with our vehicles!!!!!

BARS....bet you are really wondering where I'm going to go with this one, huh?! Come on, be honest, you are really curious, what could I possibly have to say about BARS?!!! Ok, ok, I'm talking about Cell Phone BARS that represent how much battery power you have left...During all of the above issues with the cars, my already problematic cell phone gave me even more stress, one night having my battery run very low trying to find rides for everyone and change other things around to be able to function with the limited to no use of our cars! One day that we had no cars at all, my battery died, I was left to use my moms phone for texting, at least. Then, I got it all charged up, only to have ME leave it in the Taurus while Steve went to work...so, again, I had to use my mom's phone for texting, at least. I was so lost without my phone. This was the same day that we managed to get the Neon down to the neighbors! Good thing, we have a phone for my mom!!! My phone is still giving me grief, but I hope to be able to replace it very soon, as I am using more and more often in my 'jobs/yobs' and in taking so many pictures. If I don't diligently charge it every night, the battery runs low faster. It has been dropped several times, so the camera takes fuzzy pics at best. Ok, I'm rambling about this now, suffice it to say, we need new phones, too, and with Steve working again, I hope to be able to resolve this issue in the next few months!

MARS: ok, seriously, I didn't know how else to put this one, but with just the above stress alone, I sure could use some CHOCOLATE!!! No, Mars is not on any of my top favorites lists, that would be the RPC, but that is beside the point, especially since it doesn't rhyme with cars or bars!

Right after most of the above, but before I could take a moment to vent about it on here, I got sick with a cold....I'm over that, except a little coughing and my voice can't seem to make up its mind if I can have it back or not! I'm rambling really bad and my heading keeps bobbing, so I need to run upstairs and get stuff together so I can get cleaned up at my sisters place later and hopefully throw in a power nap, for now, before leaving for mom's Dr Appt...confused yet?!

DARN, I didn't do a good enough job....