Xanth!?!

Anyone who knows me knows I am the last person you would expect to get into fantasy books I love mystery's, I like the classics Jane Erye, Wuthering heights, anything by Dickens, I like a really well written romance(not some smutty bodice ripper)and even the occasional horror book.
None of that contains any ogres, golems, merfolk, no invisible giants, sorceress, magicians, harpies, elves or unicorns. I did read the Hobbit about 25 years ago ( I guess that is telling my age huh) but I had a hard time following who where the good guys and who where the bad guys are orks good or evil what about the elves and the tree people.
Mike introduced me to the Xanth books about 6 months ago (after years of suggesting I might like them) and I read the first one with a bit of hesitation not that I don't trust Mike's judgment...
Well okay that's it I don't trust Mike's judgment he went on and on about how I would love the movie "Highlander" EWWWW!! I hated it! It was all cutting peoples heads off and gratuitous violence. However I have really enjoyed the Xanth books. They are funny (I can't decided if that is in spite of or because of all the puns) I can follow who is good and who isn't, they are short enough I can finish one in about a day or so and it has given Mike and I a common ground in something we like to read.
I don't know if this means I am ready to move on to Isaac Asimov with Mike and I doubt I will get him to read any "The Cat Who.." Books any time soon but for now it is nice to be able to talk about these books and laugh at the same joke and torment the kids by not telling them anything so as not to violate the adult conspiracy.

Dang snowplow drivers!

This can't possibly be a picture of my street as some one has plowed this street!
It has snowed for the last 12 hours or so we have about 3 to 4 inches of snow so far the roads are a nightmare and I have yet to see a snowplow come down our road. Now not living on a main thoroughfare I can understand (a little) that they may be busy with other streets in town, they aren't! I just had to go out to take Miranda her homework at school ( she is 10 you would think that was the sort of thing she would remember but it isn't) and not one road has been plowed. I did see a snow plow not plowing or salting or really doing anything but driving around looking for snow.
GRRRRR I would move someplace warm but I complain just as much when it gets over 80 degrees.

are you a geek?

http://www.innergeek.us/geek-test.html
I have descovered I am a "major geek" with a geek score of 40.43393%
I guess I sorta knew that but it is sorta funny to see.

Tag your it

I have been tagged by Marilyn http://marilynhealey.typepad.com/familyjournal/

Four jobs you've had
IRS
The USPS
AOL
I was a maid at the Grand Canyon

Four movies you could watch over and over
Princess Bride
Holy Grail
Yellow Beard
Christmas Vacation

Four places you have lived
Salt Lake City,Utah
Layton,Utah
North Rim, Grand Canyon, AZ
North Ogden,Utah

Four TV shows you watch
Simply Quilts
The first 48
Celebrity Fit Club
Dr G Medical Examiner

Four wesites you visit daily
Squirrely Girls board
The Straight Dope
Discovery Channel
Blogs

Four places you have vacationed
San Diego, CA
Mt. Rushmore, SD
Las Vegas,NV
Yellowstone NP,WY

Four foods
Mike's pasta
Chocolate
mozarella sticks w/maranara sauce
toast (we doesn't love toast especally with cinnamon and sugar)

Four places you would rather be right now
A WARM tropical beach with Mike and someone watching the kids so I don't have to think about them for a while
in a paid for house
did I mention someplace warm?
Italy

Four bloggers you are tagging
http://coxkids.typepad.com/what_a_life/Mary
http://brutus1964.blogspot.com/Ken
and everyone else I know that blogs has been tagged at least once :(

My friend Mer

This is my friend Marilyn! (its the only picture of you I could find :) ) She is the best friend anyone could ask for. We have been friends for longer than either of us care to admit to. We shared a locker in high school, worked our first jobs together at Wendys, lived through being forced to go to girls camp and both have a son named Austin.
I am a HUGE flake I forget birthdays, Wedding anniversary's, Baby blessings I wouldn't remember my head if it wasn't attached. Mer is my polar opposite in many ways. I am so thankful that she has remained my friend for all this time and not given me up as a lost cause years ago.
Mer thanks for all you do for me and thanks for being my friend!

Austin

This is my sweet Austin.
I realized that I hadn't posted about him and it is time to fix that.
Austin is the busiest child you would ever meet at the same time he is the most loving child you could ever meet. He can't sit still for 5 minutes, I get notes from his teacher saying that he laid on the floor under his chair for half of his math class, he never walks down the stairs he always runs and jumps down the stairs. Austin is the poster child for busy.
Austin is so full of love for everyone that when a sad story is on the news he is sad for those people. Days later he will still come to me and tell me how sorry he is for the people who lost there house or whatever happened. When the hurricanes happened he sold soda and popsicles at our garage sale to donate money to the red cross. He loves his family and will just walk up and hug you and say "I love you mom". Austin is such a joy in my life and such a trial I know that he will do great things in this world if I can do my part and help him to learn to focus that energy and love into something to help save the world.

I have good news and I have bad news

Well the good news is I was able to buy a pair of pants in the regular woman's size part of the store today! WOO HOOO!!!
Now the bad news I went for my cleaning today at the dentist and he informed me I have put of the crowns and bridge I need as long as I can. To that end I now get to spend some quality time with our friendly neighborhood dentist and I get to play with the budget in an effort to come up with $3000 to pay for the pain and suffering. Lucky me(said with all the sarcasms you know I am capable of.)

2006

Just like everyone else at this time of year I too am making a few goals for myself and my family.

1-continue to make it to the gym!
I would like to lose another 25 pounds in the next 3 months and continue losing until I lose a total of 75 pounds this year.

2-eat better
see above

3-work towards our goal of being debt free.
its been a year since we went to Financial Peace University and we have done really well with 4 layoffs during that time we still have paid off hospital bills, one car, 2 credit cards and incurred no new debt for both Christmas's we have had since we went. I know that we would be out of debt much sooner if I go back to work and I will have to make that decision in February because that is when my leave of absence from the IRS is up.

4-be a better wife and mother.
This is also a factor in my work/stay home decision I have worked at night for most of my 2 older children's lives. It has been very nice to be able to be here to help with homework and eat dinner as a family.

5-strengthen my testimony of the gospel.
I believe knowledge is power and so the more I know and learn about the gospel the more it will strengthen me and my faith. As a relief society teacher I have a golden opportunity once a month to learn all I can about that months lesson. I need to be better about doing just that.

6-start scrapbooking again.
I have missed scrapbooking I have been doing a lot of other things sewing, craft projects, quilts but I haven't set aside any time for scrapbooking. I need to.

7-Keep the California grandparents more in "the loop"
I know this one is just a matter of being more organized and following through on goal # 6 so I can send them pictures and the like. Love you guys.

I think seven is a good number to end on for now. I don't think any of my goals or resolutions if you will are unreasonable or unattainable. We will see ;O)

Happy New Year!