We can't afford to be innocent

I went to the Pat Benatar concert this evening with a few friends. We stood in line for less than an hour and ended up on the front row. My heart was beating as I thought about seeing Pat live and I'm pretty sure we had perma-grins the entire night.
Lindsay Rush opened for Pat and Neil and she was a pretty good singer, but all I wanted was Pat and Neil to come on stage. When Pat and Neil finally came on stage, the crowd went wild. Pat sang the songs everyone knows including Hit Me With Your Best Shot even though she doesn't like to sing that one anymore. At one point Neil looked at us on the front row and said 'many of you weren't born when we first started singing.' Pat smiled at me and she touched my hand. I thought about never washing that hand again, but I knew my health inspector roommate would not approve of that decision. And more importantly, I wouldn't approve of the decision to not wash my hands. I sound like I have multiple personalities.
Back to the concert. Pat was entertaining and sounds great live. We sang along to every song and lost our voices and hearing by the end of the night. I felt like I was in the movie Bucket List and seeing Pat put one more drop in my bucket. Such an incredible concert.

Movie Theater Work Out

I was talking about the Cardio Cinema room at Gold's Gym with some co-workers when Lisa jumped into the conversation and the following is my conversation with her.
Me: I love going to the movie theater room.
Lisa: You work out while at the movies?
Me: Yes, I find that it's best to go to a theater that has stadium seating so I can do squats up and down the stairs. Sure, people may get annoyed as I walk up and down the stairs, but we're talking about my health and exercising is an important part of my daily routine.
Lisa: Ooh. You can buy candy and use it as weights for an arm workout. And just lifting the large popcorn is a workout so you definitely burn calories.
Me: Exactly. I can also lay down in the front of the theater and work on my abs.
Anyone want to go to a movie?

I own the Boston Celtics

When I was in middle school, I was student of the month and at the end of the year, I won a prize. What prize? 1 share of Boston Celtics stock. I remember talking to a financial adviser and he told me about my new investment and all the money I would make with my 1 share. I have received a check in the amount of $1-2 every year since middle school and after awhile, I forgot about my share. Besides, I was told the stock would be sold to someone else after one year.
A couple years ago I received a letter saying that the Boston Celtics, or actually, Henley Limited Partnership, would like to buy my stock for $20. I signed a form and soon received the $20 check in the mail. I no longer owned stock in the Boston Celtics. At least, that's what I thought, until my mom handed me a check yesterday for $5.35 from Henley Limited Partnership as 'final' payment for selling my stock. The last paragraph of the letter that came with the check explaining why I received the money, said that I could possibly receive more money in the coming years.
I'm going to be rich. Go Celtics.

H-O-R-S-E

Mike asked if I wanted to play H-O-R-S-E and I wasn't sure I wanted to play because I haven't shot a basketball for quite some time. I decided to play and ended up winning. And by winning, I mean that there was no way I could lose. Maybe Mike was having an off night or maybe I'm just that good. On second thought, he probably was having an off night.
After Mike and I finished playing, Gundry, David, and Jennifer decided to play P-I-G so it would be a shorter game. Shorter game? Yeah right. A crowd gathered to watch the game and Elliott was a great water guy. We thought David was going to lose many times, but he always made his life saving shot. I was feeling pretty good about the game, until David started bringing out the props. 'This is what you're going to do. Jump over the chair and shoot with your right hand or run, grab the frisbee off the chair with your left hand and shoot with your right.' Luckily he either missed or Mike would miss so I wasn't forced to try sustaining a brain injury while playing. We should have worn helmets.
At one point, David stood with his back to the basket and threw the ball over his head and made the shot. Mike was after David and he too made the shot which meant it was my turn to do the same. A hush came over the crowd and I asked Gundry to make sure the ball didn't end up in the fire. I took a deep breath and tossed the ball. I didn't dare watch the ball fly through the air. The crowd went wild, high fives were exchanged, and I was in shock that I made the basket.
At the end of P-I-G, David won gold, I won silver, and Mike won bronze.

Sur la Table

My friend Andrea won a free cooking class from Yahoo's freecycle website and invited me to be one of her 5 guests. Andrea sent me an email with the menu and I was a little worried that I wouldn't like any of the food we prepared and I'd be forced to go home and make another meal. We sampled babaganoosh, cheese and crackers, and vanilla bean lemonade while waiting for all of the chefs-in-training to arrive.
Chef Scott made a chilled tomato soup and then we split into groups of 2 and each group was in charge of one recipe. I was partnered with Lisa and we made corn and tarragon bites. I chose this recipe because it seemed to be the easiest one and fail proof. The bites were delicious.
Andrea and Hilary were in charge of the vegetable cobbler. I don't like cobbler so the idea of a vegetable cobbler made me want to throw up. Chef Scott felt the same way and he described the veggie dish as a pot pie of sorts. I started to feel much better at this point and the color returned to my face. Andrea asked about the K-9 pepper and I was so confused until I realized she was asking about cayenne pepper. We obviously cook a lot.
Curtis and Kari were in charge of the pork chops. We all nominated Curtis to cook the meat and Andrea kindly pushed Kari to be Curtis' partner in the hope that they would find love while stuffing pork chops with a bacon and onion mixture.
We laughed a lot while cooking and I had a good time meeting new people and learning the cooking skills of a master. I even got Chef Scott to give me the recipes from his cookies and ice cream class. That's two classes for the price of none.

Hit me with your best shot

I received an IM from Pseu and a message from Rachelle telling me that Pat Benatar and her husband Neil aka Spider are coming to Salt Lake in July and I may have screamed. I quickly went to The Depot website for more information and started to spread the word to others who love Pat. Many people have a list of things they want to do or see before they die, and seeing Pat in concert is on my list. I check her website frequently to find out where she is touring and was planning to travel out of state if necessary but instead, Pat is coming to see me in Utah.
I bought my ticket for the concert today and now I am counting down the days until July 23rd. I might have to leave work early on the 23rd to get to The Depot so my friends and I can be as close to Pat as possible, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Cutting Out Cancer

I took a drive to Idaho for the weekend and participated in the Relay for Life which raises awareness and money for the American Cancer Society. The relay lasted from 7p Friday night until 7a Saturday morning with at least one team member walking around the track at all times. My sister was the team captain and our team consisted of The Villa salon and day spa girls, myself, our dad, and our Aunt Joyce. We loaded up on the free stuff which included band-aids, pedometers, fans, and sunscreen. There was a problem with the lights around the track so much of the night was spent walking in darkness. Around 3a, I became very tired and didn't know if I would make it the whole night, but I did.
My aunt Jacquie participated in the survivor walk and then my dad walked with her for the caregiver lap. My dad transported his sister to and from appointments, handled insurance issues, and was an amazing support while Jacquie was going through radiation and chemotherapy and continues to help as needed.
The Villa girls participated in a potato relay race and won. The prize? Idaho Spud candy bars. We also sang Straight Up by Paula Abdul and the crowd loved us. Everyone knew The Villa girls by the end of the night because of the hoodies we were wearing that said The Villa and because we sang, danced, and talked to other relay for lifers while walking. We had so much fun raising money for cancer that we are already planning for next years Relay for Life.

Father Rufus

Happy Father's Day

I was on the phone with Lucy and I heard Avry Shae ask you to fix her hair and it reminded me of the times you fixed my hair in the morning. You played basketball or racquetball, came home and fixed us breakfast and then drove us to school. I like going to the store with you because you know everyone and you genuinely care for people and want to know about their lives and people feel that. You are accepting and look for the good in others and help them to see it within themselves. You have a great sense of humor. You notice where you can be of service and you don't hesitate to shovel someone's walk, build a fence, or drop everything to give someone a blessing. You are the best listener. You ask questions and allow me to come to my own conclusions rather than telling me what to do. You are the one I call if the fridge is broken, I have a flat tire, or something is wrong with the vacuum. And yes, I am aware that there is little you can do hundreds of miles away but you are still the first one I think to call in those situations. I'll never forget gathering around your hospital bed and hearing you offer the family prayer for the first time after you had heart surgery. I love you dad.

Sharmane is now what? Baptized!

I met Sharmane when she moved in with my friend Rachelle. Sharmane is amazing, funny, friendly, a great dancer, and strong inside and out. She started attending church, took the missionary discussions and was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Friday the 6th of June. Rachelle gave a talk on baptism and I spoke on the Holy Ghost. I'm so happy for Sharmane and it's wonderful to see the change in her life and countenance since she was baptized. After the baptism Sharmane made us dinner. Yes, you read correctly. Sharmane made her friends dinner after her own baptism. Did I complain? No way. Sharmane is attending culinary arts school and can cook for me anytime.

Memorial Day Weekend

I spent part of Memorial Day weekend in Blackfoot. My Grandma Bingham turned 92 years old and I sang in sacrament meeting with my dad and my mom accompanied us on the piano. We laughed a lot while practicing the song and it brought back so many memories of other times we have sung together. We also drove to the cemeteries to put flowers on the graves of Grandpa Bingham, Grandpa and Grandma Mortensen, and Grandpa and Grandma C.
The rest of my weekend was spent at The Dirt. We played games, guitar hero, and went 4 wheeling. Go here and here for pictures of the weekend.

Time for a Change

As much as I say I don't like change, I do enjoy the challenge of new situations. Usually, a change for me consists of coloring my hair or growing it out or cutting it or switching brands of deodorant. This week, I've decided to change something that will have a far greater impact on my life than whether I buy Dove and Lady Speedstick deodorant- I got a new job. I hadn't planned on changing jobs because I love what I do, but an opportunity for advancement and better pay came along and I decided to go for it. I'm still working for the state, but I won't be working in the brain injury unit anymore. Instead, I'll be working in the Neurobehavior HOME clinic and will split my time between the clinic near the U and my current office. I love that there is a team of nurses, doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists in one office working together to best meet the needs of each client. I enjoyed my time working in the brain injury unit and I will miss my clients and coordinating the Brain Injury Support Group, but I know I'll continue to be involved in brain injury prevention and awareness efforts. All you fellow bloggers and blog stalkers better wear helmets when biking, 4 wheeling, etc. Besides, there's isn't much chance that I'll be your social worker when you crash and are injured when not wearing a helmet so now is the time to protect your head.

Gratitude

I was so scared when you called last week and you said something might be wrong. I cried as I thought about and prepared for whatever was going to happen to you and the impact it would have on those close to you. The unknown is frightening and the waiting game is annoying. My phone rang this morning and seeing your name made my heart race and I was nervous to answer. I knew by the way you said my name that you were going to be fine. Relief washed over me and I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude that the problem isn't as serious as it could have been.

It can wait until tomorrow

Life was going pretty well and then I went to eat sushi. As I pulled into the parking lot, I heard a lot of scraping and I think part of my car was left behind. Dan heard my car scraping and decided to park in the parking lot east of the restaurant. After sitting in the restaurant for less that five minutes, Telle went to move the car and she found that the car had been booted. She paid the $80 and moved the car.
Fast forward 4 hours and a group of friends went to see 10,000 BC at the dollar theater. Pelosi dropped us off and she showed up right as we were buying tickets. "I locked my keys in my car. I thought I put them in my purse, but they are in the ignition." After a lengthy discussion, Pelosi decided to call a locksmith because her insurance will reimburse whatever she has to pay to get into her car. The rest of us went to the movie and the fun continued. Pelosi sent a text to Kim saying that it's too expensive to call a locksmith so she called a friend to help and Kim told her what she needed in order to get into her car. Pelosi eventually sent a text saying that she got into our condo and was going to bed so she would attempt to get into her locked car the next day and then asked to make sure we could find a ride home. Kim continued trying to contact a few people, but with no success. Many times during the movie, my thoughts turned the keys locked in the car. Someone could easily break her window and get 2 free purses filled with much goodness as an added bonus. After the movie, the parking lot was searched for a hanger and eventually one was found. Many people told us good luck, including a security guard who told us to buy a slim jim at Skaggs. What good is a slim jim if it's in the locked car and do we have a Skaggs store in Utah? The hanger was used to unlock the door and we drove home and woke up Pelosi so she could see our happy faces.

Mother Lucy

Happy Mother's Day

My life is blessed because you are my friend and mother. We've been through some difficult experiences, but your strength and faith has helped me to be stronger that I thought I could be. I may not remember much about our life before you became sick, but I do remember feeling loved. There were times you came to choir concerts, clogging competitions, and school activities to support me even when you were in pain and feeling completely drained and I recognize the sacrifices you made for me. I knew I could count on you being there when I came home from school and we would lay on the bed talking about life for hours. Remember when you were my piano teacher and you would tap with a pencil so I knew the timing of the song? I admit there are times I purposely play a song incorrectly hoping that the famous pencil will make an appearance. You taught me the importance of getting an education and reading out of the best books. I don't think I have ever seen you without a book to read. You have a great sense of humor that many miss out on because you don't like being the center of attention and instead say funny things to those sitting next to you. You reach out to everyone around you and serve even when it may be hard to do so. I love you mom.

Feeling lucky

Construction on 33rd S is driving me crazy. I exit the condo on 11th E and usually wait in a long line of cars being driven by people who thought that driving through the condo complex would save them time. They are so wrong. Eventually someone lets me turn left onto 11th and soon I make it to work. I battle the cars and construction on the way home as well.
One morning I tried to turn right onto 33rd from the condo only to find the exit is blocked because of the roadwork. I back up and find another way to leave to complex. Later that night I drive down 33rd and find that I can't turn into the complex from 33rd nor can I turn onto 11th E. I turn right onto 11th and make a U-turn and 10 minutes and 20 potholes later I am home. I find a new way home each night. Just because I can leave one way in the morning does not mean I can return the same way. And what's up with the no left turns for what seems like 500 miles? I'm not even sure what they are working on but I do know that I'm not very hopeful that the roads will be fixed. Instead they will try to cover up the problem and we'll go through this nightmare again next Spring. My thinking is that it would be more cost effective to really fix the road instead of masking the problem every year, but what do I know?

Accident prone

On Friday the 11th of April I drove home to Idaho for the weekend with a few friends. I was calling a friend on the phone and as I turned the corner to head down the hallway of my parents house, I stubbed my toes on a roll of flooring that is going to be installed in the bathroom. Somehow I made it through the call and then fell to the floor in pain. My middle toe took most of the beating and I popped it once, but it is still misshapen and purple.
The next day I was coming out of the bathroom and my right arm ran into the doorknob. Truly a miracle that I didn't get a bruise from that encounter. Later that day I walked Syden to the car so he could go to the church with my mom. I buckled him in, turned around, and the left side of my body ran into a brick wall. I was a little surprised at this and stood for a moment collecting my thoughts and then started laughing and went inside to tell everyone what happened.
Sunday was game day. I went to the hall closet and as I reached for Catch Phrase, flashlights came flying out of the cupboard and just as I was rejoicing that nothing fell on my toes, a large aerosol can of something hit me on the head. I turned to see if anyone had noticed and of course one person saw the whole fiasco. I laughed out loud and cried on the inside as I felt the bump on my head. Later that night I was holding my niece Avry and we were putting the game away when an easter basket fell on Avry's head. At that moment I realized I should have spent the weekend in a bubble.

One who buys pennies

I started a post a few months ago and never posted it and now, thanks to my friend Cory, I don't have to. Let me explain. I started a post telling all about my job, but for some reason I never got around to posting the final draft. I admit that my job is flexible and laid back, but I also work hard, contrary to what a couple of my friends may say. Cory was kind enough to write a post on his blog about my life and job as a social worker for individuals who have a brain injury. It's important to remember that one shouldn't believe everything that one reads, especially before sources are checked and found to be credible.

I have to go

Frantically I run up the stairs and into the condo pausing only briefly to say hello to my roommates. I change my clothes and I'm on my way out the door. I am stopped by questions: "What are you doing? Who are you going with?" To these questions I answer, I'm leaving the condo to see friends and I'll be back later. As I run down the stairs, I make sure I have everything I will need. Water bottle-check. Purse-check. Wallet-check. Camera-check. Burt's Bees lip balm-check. Burt's bees lip balm-check.(I always carry at least 2 in my purse in case I lose one). I'm feeling pretty good because I'm going to make it on time and then it hits me- the "I have to go to the bathroom even though I haven't had a lot of water recently and I just went 30 minutes ago, but soon I'll be sitting for a few hours and there is no way I am missing one minute of(insert activity here) so I better go before it starts urge."
Why does this happen and don't pretend that it doesn't happen to you because I've asked some pretty reliable sources and they have also encountered the need to go. Until this mystery is solved, I will do my best to allow a few extra minutes before activities begin so that I can go to the restroom. Speaking of restrooms, I have to go.

An enrichment to remember

I was talking to some girls in my ward when I heard the Bishop's daughter say: "They broke the glass." I thought that someone had broken a glass in the house, but soon I wished it were that simple. I turned to the window and saw a person walk away from a car, zip up a backpack, get on a bullet bike with another person, and ride off down the road. I felt frozen as I stood there and then someone asked whose car was broken into and I said that it looked like Stacy's. Stacy ran outside while someone called the police. It was Stacy's car that was broken into and her purse was stolen so she immediately called to cancel her credit and debit cards. Angie was smart enough to take a picture of the bike with her camera phone, but the license place was bent so we couldn't read to numbers. The police came and there wasn't much they could do, but he did take a copy of the picture Angie took in case the thieves are caught in the future and can be linked to this crime as well. Earlier in the week, another friends car was broken into at the church parking lot and his wallet, jump drive with papers from college, school books, stereo, and other items were taken.

Yawn

Dear blogging friends:
Hi. How are you? I am doing fine. Write back soon.
Love,
Your friend Mishellita

Remember those great letters you wrote and received during your younger years? I sure miss those days. Maybe I'll start sending letters in the mail again. What a novel idea. Moving onto the topic at hand. So many thoughts and ideas for a new post on this here blog, but nothing is coming together as it should. Do not fear for I shall post again soon. In the meantime, the picture below will allow you to see how I am feeling as of late.