Sparkle at the Gyn...

This was a funny email someone sent me... I love GYN humor.

.........I was due later in the week for an appointment with the gynecologist. Early one morning, I received a call from the doctor's office to tell me that I had been rescheduled for earlier that morning at 9:30 am.. I had only just packed everyone off to work and school and it was already around 8:45 am. The trip to his office took about 35 minutes, so I didn't have any time to spare. As most women do, I like to take a little extra effort over hygiene when making such visits, but this time I wasn't going to be able to make the full effort. So, I rushed upstairs, threw off my pajamas, wet the washcloth that was sitting next to the sink, and gave myself a quick wash in "that area" to make sure I was at least presentable. I threw the washcloth in the clothes basket, donned some clothes, hopped in the car and raced to my appointment.
..I was in the waiting room for only a few minutes when I was called in. Knowing the procedure, as I'm sure you do, I hopped up on the table, looked over at the other side of the room and pretended that I was in Paris or some other place a million miles away. I was a little surprised when the doctor said, "My, we have made an extra effort this morning, haven't we?"
..............I didn't respond. After the appointment, I heaved a sigh of relief and went home. The rest of the day was normal....some shopping, cleaning,cooking, etc. After school when my six year old daughter was playing, she called out from the bathroom, "Mommy, where's my washcloth?" I told her to get another one from the cupboard. She replied, "No, I need the one that was here by the sink, it had all my glitter and sparkles in it."
..............Never going back to that doctor again! Ever!!!

Ok, so I researched the story and it appears to be an urban legend. But it still made me laugh. :)

MLK Daydreams

I spent my MLK day sleeping. I worked last night. We had no patients and I collected time and a half because of the great MLK. I like MLK day. The kids had a day off from school. I enjoyed listening to this speech! :)

Cadillac One: Obama's new wheels

I loved this article about Obama's new Cadillac One! :)

President Barack Obama will ride in an all-new Cadillac Presidential Limousine, dubbed Cadillac One.

The car was designed, developed, and tested by specialists who adhered to an extensive set of specifications. It was subjected to an extreme testing regimen to ensure performance that achieves precise functional requirements. In doing so, security provisions were undertaken at all times during development to ensure the car's functional capabilities are preserved and confidential. Translation: GM and the Secret Service aren't telling us anything about the power train, safety features, or cabin tech.

If Internet speculation is to be believed, Cadillac One may actually be based on the GMC Topkick commercial truck platform and likely layers on some serious security/safety tech. When we looked at the Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard, we got a peek into just how much tech (and weight) goes into making an armored limousine. We can expect Cadillac One to be similarly equipped, with a honking big engine for hauling armor-plated a** when necessary. Since we're already speculating Topkick platform, let's go ahead and assume the gasoline-powered Vortec 8.1-liter V-8 or the Duramax 6.6-liter turbo diesel V-8 will also be making an appearance.

Then again, this is President Obama we're talking about, so maybe it's a hybrid?

Natalie's Ears are Pierced

Natalie got her ears pierced yesterday. What a grown up little girl. She was sooo excited and didn't cry at all which is amazing for a girl who is DEATHLY afraid of needles.

Here is another Jul-ism for ya. Today Julia was telling me how her friend from school, John, was having his birthday party. I was explaining to her how because it is Sunday and we try to keep the Sabbath Day holy, we wouldn't be able to attend John's birthday party. She smartly replied, "Oh mommy, I know... We don't do ANYthing on Sunday except go to church and go to the dump." (I guess she noticed our occasional dump runs tend to occur on Sundays). :)

When I grow up...

This morning Julia said to me...

Mom, when I grow up I want to be 1 of 6 things. I want to be a:

1. Police

2. Vet

3. Lifeguard

4. Maid

5. Nurse

or a...

6. Monkey-Bar Teacher (FYI... a monkey-bar teacher is someone who teaches you how to go across the monkey bars all by yourself).

Hilights of Visiting Texas

What a Glorious Sight!

There are many wonderful flavors of Blue Bell Ice Cream, the best ice-cream in the world! I bought my favorites, Dutch Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Cookies n Cream. This was just one small hilight of visiting Texas as they don't sell Blue Bell in UT or CA. (One trick though is to go to Outback Steakhouse. They serve Blue Bell ice-cream Homemade Vanilla flavor with their desserts. You can buy Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla in bulk from Outback Steakhouse by sweet talking their food manager.)

Update on Dad

My dad is doing well. He has his 2nd of 6 doses of Chemo on MLK day. I was able to visit this past weekend and had a good time with dad celebrating his 60th birthday. His Bone Marrow Biopsy came back clean and so his NHL (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) is a stage 3. The PET scan results came back with no involvement on the brain, heart, or liver which is good news also. He does have lymph node involvement on nodes near his trachea, chest, abdomen, and groin. Hopefully the Chemo will shrink these tumors. For dad's birthday, we went to the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. It was really interesting and exciting to see all these beautiful pieces that are 3000+ years old. Rachel & Michael practically ran through the maze of artifacts and were eating lunch when an hour later, mom, dad, and I finally caught up with them. We of course had to look at every single item and read every single caption about each piece. Mom pushed dad in a wheelchair throughout the exhibit so he wouldn't get too tired. Only it was a tiny wheelchair made for a kid I think. :) Poor dad had to squeeze into it. Mom also pushed people out of the way and squeezed her way up front of every piece so dad could see everything. I am sure some toes were run over. :) We were all exhausted after the day's trip walking all over the exhibit, but dad said he felt great riding in the wheelchair all day, not tired at all. Mom made Sweet n Sour pork chops over rice for dinner. Then we had cake with 60 candles on it!

Welcome Home

I love Texas. I love the sunsets, the crazy thunderstorms, and the hot summers. OK... Winter is a little bland, but home is home. I'm flying to Dallas to visit my dad for his 60th birthday! His B-day is Jan. 10th. I'll be in town this evening thu Sun Jan. 11th.

Clothier Cousins

Today I discovered two Clothier Cousin Blogs! My cousin Lindsey living in Utah right now and my cousin Ben living in Arizona. I love reading these blogs and keeping in touch with what you guys are all doing in your lives right now. Its a fun way to keep in touch. I have fun memories of Ben & Michael and I hanging out @ Christmas time in Arizona. Ben, your girls are beautiful! Congrats on your new little one on the way. Lindsey, I love your blog too. I agree that Math sucks! Good for you for sticking it out! :) CLICK HERE for LINDSEY'S BLOG. CLICK HERE for BEN"S BLOG.

Happy New Year

New Year's Eve 1997This is my great friend and former roommate Erica (Yankee Cowgirl). She's from New York and lives in Texas still. We had to work New Year's Eve of '97 for the annual murder mystery dinner theater at the Abbey Texas Cafe. It was great fun drinking our Martinelli's @ Midnight and having to clean up after the dinner party.

I usually have to work New Year's Eve. I can't remember the last New Year's I had off... Last year I worked in Trauma ICU for New Year's & it was a surprisingly quiet night. I remember my patient was this woman in her 50's dressed very nicely- cute nails, hair, and clothes. She had a BA (Blood Alcohol) of 390. That's what we call a "Professional" folks! She was picking her tiny dog up from the groomer's and had tripped in the parking lot (I wonder how she could even walk?) Anyway she had a head bleed b/c she had hit her head on the bumper of someone's pickup truck. Anyway. She was stable, just needed neuro checks all night. Oh and she also looked about 5 months pregnant because her liver was soooo huge from all her years of alcohol use.

Anyway. This New Year's Eve I was "on call" for Trauma ICU. They haven't called yet, so I guess that means I may be off the hook. I cooked a Roast with carrots and potatoes. It didn't turn out well. I think the meat I got was too tough and fatty. I know nothing about picking out meat. Hmmm.... I'll have to do better research next time. I did make pumpkin dump cake for the 2nd time this season and it turned out rather well! I serve it warm with ice-cream and whipped cream on top. Ben & I had the missionaries over for the dessert part of dinner. Then they played the World Edition of Monopoly with us. (I think I won, b/c I had the most property, but then again Elder Manuma had the most cash). We quit at around 11pm and sent the missionaries home with pumpkin dump cake (whether they liked it or not) and Martinelli's Apple-Mango.
I love Monopoly! I was so grateful to have people to play with. Thanks missionaries! Natalie & Julia watched their Barbie Diamond Castle Princess movie and got to stay up late too. Happy New Year! :)