Instant Replay Of My Life

This post is going to be like reading a page out of my Franklin Day Planner.  If I had ever owned such a thing.  In other words, probably interesting to no one but me, but since I write my blog for me (it's all about MEEEEEEE), I'm cool with that.  I didn't take many pictures over the last week or so, but the few I have didn't come out well enough to bother with.  So there aren't even any pictures to jazz it up. 

On the Monday after Father's Day, Sean's family all met up for a picnic at the castle park to celebrate with Dennis.  The kids played while the adults chatted.  Hopefully Dennis enjoyed it.  I thought it was really fun.

The next night, Tuesday, we went boating at Pineview in the evening.  Scott and Heather and their kids came up with us.  It was a freakishly chilly day, so we mostly played on the beach and went for boat rides.  It's so pretty up there.  I seriously could live there.  As long as I had a shower.

Wednesday was the Def Leppard/Poison concert.  Sean, Brittney, and I went.  It was good, but we all agreed that we liked the Bon Jovi concert last year a little better.  I'm not sure exactly why.  I didn't like the acoustics when Poison played.  Too much feedback and just loud instruments, so that you could barely hear Bret Michaels' voice.  Def Leppard sang lots of great songs-- good memories-- but Joe Elliott isn't as charismatic as Bret Michaels or Toby Keith or Trace Adkins, so he doesn't connect with the audience as much, and that definitely makes a difference.   But it was a great walk down memory lane, and I liked hanging out with Brittney and Sean. 

Thursday night was Josh's 2nd grade program.  It was about friends.  He did NOT want a speaking part and was very relieved that all he had to do was hold up a sign.  It was a cute program, and the kids did great. 

Friday night we had a backyard campout at our house, minus the actual camping.  Basically, most of my family came over and we made dutch oven, lit a fire in the fire pit, and made s'mores.  We did one chicken and one hamburger/potato/carrot thing.  It was fun to hang out with everyone.  The kids have had lots of cousin time. 

Saturday night Sean and I went to Trace Adkins down in Wendover.  It was a pretty good show.  He was really mellow, but still funny.  It was almost the same show that we saw last June, just with a different backdrop and a few different songs thrown in.  He didn't have his big video screen, and it just felt a little more toned down.  The crowd was surprisingly mellow, though.  Very few people were standing up and dancing, until the last song.  When he did "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," that got everyone on their feet, including some white haired grandmas who were dancing enthusiastically.  Ha ha ha!  That made me laugh, especially considering the song is about some hot girl and her butt. 

Sunday I went over to my mom's and chatted it up with Heather, Katie, and my mom.  It was so nice to just sit and talk and talk and talk that I stayed until 2:30 in the morning.  The only thing we needed was Wendy.  I love talking to my sisters. 

Monday I think I did nothing.  Probably literally.  I have been getting little projects done every day, but not anything near what I should be accomplishing. 

Tuesday we went to my mom's and Heather made us a fabulous dinner.  We got more visiting and more cousin time.  Scott, Wendy, and I decided we are going in to business together.  Our first venture, or maybe adventure, is Saturday.  We'll see what happens. 

Yesterday, I did nothing again.  I mean, I did some chores and whatnot, but nothing too interesting. 

Today we are taking the boat out, maybe up to East Canyon to go fishing.  I need to run to the library and get a book. 

This brings me to the end of My Life: The Instant Replay.  On to my random thoughts. 

I hate snobs.  I'm so tired of people's snobby attitudes about music, movies, TV, food, clothing.  I'm sure I'm being hypocritical, because there is probably something that I am snobby about, and when I think of what it is, I will berate myself appropriately.

Ways In Which I Was a Dork Recently (At Least the Ones I Can Remember): 
Saturday after the concert, Sean wanted to gamble a few bucks.  I have totally lost interest in gambling unless I have a lot of money to play with, because I always lose.  Always.  Al.  Ways.  So I happened to have a book in my purse (who doesn't?), found a deserted lounge area, and read my book.  I'm such a party girl!  If you come to Wendover with me, expect wild times!

I was laying in bed last night and all of a sudden I realized I had made a grammatical error in something I wrote on facebook.  And then I couldn't sleep because I was annoyed. 

I really need a feature on my blog called What's On Brittney's Nails Today?  She always has the most awesome artwork on her nails, and I wish I had taken pictures of all of it.  Today it happens to be Batman. 

Between her two jobs, Courtney has been working a lot.  It seems like she works almost every day.  Her second summer semester just started, so now she has Microbiology with the Chemistry and Math.  I hope she can keep up with it all.

Summer

This is why I love summer so much.  It's when everything fun is going on for the year.  Next school year is going to suck, so I'm trying to live it up over the next 2.5 months. 

The Brantley Gilbert/Toby Keith concert was So. Much. Fun.  Brantley Gilbert sang all of his songs that I know and just generally walked around looking hot.  So much hot.  Gah.  Sean even took a picture of his butt for me, and that is what true love looks like right there.  Then Toby Keith sang tons of great songs.  I used to not like him because of his politics and his big mouth, but he's talked less and I've mellowed more.  I didn't much like "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" and always thought it was a bit obnoxious, but I even found myself singing along with that one.  And I'll take "This American Ride" or "Made in America" over old Lee Greenwood and "Proud to Be an American" any day.   It was just really a lot of fun all around.

Friday night we went up to Mueller Park with my whole family (minus Peter and Courtney) and roasted hot dogs and had a great time.  The kids loved playing together there, and we got to sit around the fire and visit.  My camera battery died before I got pics of everyone.  Boo.

Saturday we had a luau at mom's house with everyone again.  The kids played water games and we ate such good food.  Katie put together a little presentation on ancestors, which is a Rasmussen family reunion tradition, and it was so interesting and sweet.  She talked about my dad and his mom.  He had such wonderful things to say about his mom, and it's no wonder.  She was one cool lady.  She was so artistic and just such a good person.  I always say that I'm country at heart because of my heritage, and my roots are country.  I love county fairs and gardens and camping and taking a drive down an old dirt road and small towns, and I love cowboys and rodeos and trucks and homewoven handicrafts and 4-H.  My grandma was a talented seamstress and Katie told us about how she used to make Western shirts for her boys.  What I would give for her to make one for me now!   Anyway, it was a great night with family.  Fortunately, I got my camera battery all charged up before the party.  Unfortunately, I left it sitting at home on the table.  Double boo.  I'll just have to steal Heather and Wendy's pics when they post them. 

Today was Father's Day.  We put some steaks on the grill and had corn on the cob and cheesecake.  Dennis came over for dinner, and it was nice to have him hang out with us.  Sean got some presents from all of us and one from himself.... a tool box for his truck bed.  He found it at a yard sale for a deal last weekend.   Not sure why my pic ended up so dark.  Blah.  Pictures schmictures. 

Upcoming this week:  Picnic at the park with the Chamberlains, boating at Pineview, Poison/Def Leppard concert, a tentative camping trip to Perception Park, and Trace Adkins concert.  I wish every week this whole summer could be this packed with fun.  My goal is to try.

Boating

First Pineview trip of the season:

It was a good trip.  The boat ran great.  I'm so excited for this concert tonight!  It's going to be so fun.  I need a cowboy hat.  Why don't I have a cowboy hat?

Playing Catch-Up

Squeeee!!  I am dorky amounts of excited.  I just bought tickets for the Brantley Gilbert/Toby Keith concert on Thursday!!  My one true boyfriend.  Sigh.  And Toby Keith sings lots of just happy-fun music.  Gonna be so much fun.  Love Sean for indulging my whims.  

Lexi turned 5 at the end of May.  She's getting so big.  She played t-ball on her birthday, then came home for cake and presents.  She chose Taco Time for her birthday dinner. 

Baseball is over.  Josh is bummed.  He wants to play some more. I need to take him to the batting cages. 

Heather is here visiting with her family.  It's been fun hanging out with her, and we have more family parties planned for this weekend.  Can't wait.  We took family pictures last weekend at the park. 

Pretty sure this is a bunch of trouble makers right here

Random Thoughts: 

A favorite quote from the comments section of this story on FMH:  "Imagine the Lord ever thinking that wearing our compassion... would ever be inappropriate. Love your neighbor IS Sunday best attire." I love that.  Compassion and love is our Sunday best attire.
 
I had a dream last night about school, and we were doing planning for the new school year, and I came up with this really great idea for writing curriculum.  Then I woke up and it wasn't quite as great as in the dream, but still...  not a bad framework for starting out the new year.  In my dream I had ideas about doing a review of the basics before starting, and anyway it's all boring but I hope I have more dreams about useful stuff.  Usually it's all just weird stuff that makes no sense.  Like the rest of the dream where Brittney and I were trying to get to a derby bout but were stuck at a t-ball game and other weird stuff.  And where the assistant principal gave me a note to pass on to my department head and told me not to read it, and all these people were chasing me around trying to get it away from me. 

I went to an insulin pump class at the Diabetes Clinic tonight.  I had to take Josh and Lexi with me, and that was a special little bit of hell, but I don't want to think about that part.  Anyway, blah blah blah.  I have to keep a record of every crumb she eats for 5 days and how many carbs and how much insulin. Then the nurse has to look it over and tell me what I did wrong and make changes and approve me.  Then the insurance has to decide if they want to play nice or not.  Then I have to choose a pump, so we'll probably want to do a trial with all of them, I guess.  And then there are like 3 more classes.  And it's all just a lot of work.  I need to get a food scale.  And the pumps are effing expensive.  It will be easily $1200 after insurance, probably more.  Not sure how much per month for the supplies.  If I do this, she better not decide she doesn't want one.  Because that would be something she would do.  I love that little girl so much, but she will put me in an early grave. 

Weekend Gossip

I read this on Snarky in the Suburbs today and this is totally the way I look at gossip.  "The problem is that people are confused about what defines gossip.  Gossip is not a group of people sharing factual data about what went down in a PTA meeting that puts you in a bad light.  That’s called the truth.  Deal with it."  Ha!  And yep.

 I am spending waayyyy too much money on food for this family.  Like, my food bill each month for eating out and groceries could feed all of the people of a small third world country.  It is insane, and I have no idea how I am going to fix it.  I know how I can fix it, or how I should fix it.... I just don't know how I actually will fix it. 

I wish I were going camping this weekend.  Although it's raining, so I guess it's good that I'm not.  It's rained every year for the last few years on Memorial Day weekend.  I'm supposed to be helping the Harlequins hand out flyers at the Hill Air Force Base air show, but I stayed home with the two munchkins.  Didn't think they'd make it in the rain and cold.  Sean had to work a few hours today, but he should be off soon.  I need to clean the house and do the grocery shopping.  Other than that, no real plans for the holiday weekend.  I definitely want to visit my dad's grave and any others that I can.  Sean wants to go to Roosevelt to visit my grandparents' graves because we haven't been for a few years, and that would be a nice little drive.  He wanted to take Josh and Lexi and do the dinosaur museum, but they hate driving so I don't think I want that particular little bit of torture. 

Only a few more days of school.  Woohoo! 

I Hate Writing Titles

I decided that for my 40th birthday I want to go to Las Vegas and see Garth Brooks, so I started looking for tickets.  $253 each!  Holy crap.  And I can't find anyone who has discount tickets.  That's just crazy, right there.  For the price of 2 tickets, I could sip something fruity at the Rhumbar and go to Cabo Wabo and the House of Blues.  Eat at one of those frou-frou restaurants that probably wouldn't let people like me in my Converse and Target t-shirt in the door.  Buy something to wear so that the frou-frou restaraunt will let me in.  Maybe get a little tattoo at Vince Neil's tattoo parlor.  Sorry Garth.  You're not worth it.  Have to re-think a few things now. 

 One of my students asked me last week what I'd be if I weren't a teacher, so I said an architect or a lawyer.  He said that he pictured me being a real estate agent.  Wuh?  I told him there was no way I could sell anything for a living.  When I have garage sales, I practically give stuff away because I just don't care.   He said that he figured I could convince people to buy the houses with all my big words.  Ha ha!  That made me laugh.  As if.

Sean, Courtney, Mindi, Steve, and I took Dennis out to Texas Roadhouse for his birthday last night.  It was fun to hang out with all of them.  Good times.  I can't believe Dennis rode the saddle.  What a good sport!  I wouldn't do it.  No way. 

School is almost out.  I am so ready.  I go from 0 to pissed off in about 2.6 seconds these days.  You roll your eyes at me in class and I will take your head off.  And I normally am not like that.  It's time for us to have some time apart, my little children. 

Sean is working too much.  He hasn't had a day off in a couple weeks, and it's getting old.  I hope he gets some time off next weekend. 

I need to go outside and thin out the radishes and beets.  The radishes are getting big and will be ruined if I don't get out there.  Sean doesn't trust me to do his beets because I thin them aggressively he he.  Beets are yucky.    I need to get dinner going, too. 

I want to do something fun.  Like, really fun.  What is that?

Mother's Day and T-ball

Today was a beautiful, sunny Mother's Day.  My mom gave me a lovely hanging basket of petunias, and Sean and the kids gave me some camp chairs that I wanted, gardening gloves to replace mine that have holes in the fingers, flowers for the garden, wind chimes which I have wanted since my last ones broke, Scentsy wax, candy, and a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  Very lovely.  We went to dessert at my moms' house last night and dinner at Cami's house tonight.  Both were full of deliciousness and great company.  Even though I hate Mother's Day, I love my mom, and I love my kids.  I give thanks for them all every day.  And I'm grateful to Sean's mom, because she raised a good son.  And because she likes Diet Coke and puzzles and likes to read so therefore she's automatically all kinds of awesome. 

Josh's baseball practice went well last week.  Lexi is a somewhat different story.  It's OK, she'll go and play, and she doesn't make me stay right by her every second, just every other second, but she's clearly not that into it.  She was sitting on the ground out at second base, picking grass and putting it on her legs, with her mitt and hat off, and I turned to Courtney and said, "Clearly, I think this may not be her game."  Courtney was like, "Ya think?" The sucky thing about t-ball is that it is no one's game.  It's boring for almost every kid, even the ones who really like it.  T-ball probably should not actually exist, really, if you think about it.  The kids in the outfield don't have the skills yet to do much, and they can't understand the strategy and rules of the game quite yet, and I get that t-ball is there to start teaching them.  But, basically, it's just a bunch of kids standing around in a field, not knowing what to do, waiting around until it's their turn to bat, hitting a ball, then running wherever and whenever someone tells them to.  And doing a lot of standing around again in between the running. Baseball is weird in that it doesn't get fun until the kids know what they're doing.  Other sports, like soccer and basketball and football, as long as you get playing time you can have fun while you're learning how to do it.  Anyway.  

Not too much to report.  The garden has started popping up.  Sean's been working quite a bit.  Courtney and Brittney seem to have their hands full between school and work.  Courtney's summer term started this week.  Chemistry and math.  Gross. 

I really feel like writing, but I don't have anything to say.  No, that's not true.  I don't have anything that I feel like writing about.  If someone called me up on the phone right now and asked me how much I hate Mitt Romney and why, or what I think about gay marriage, or why I plan to vote for President Obama, or what I think about the new mandatory 72-hour waiting period for abortions, or how stupid I think the city of Layton is to rezone all the farmland in West Layton and force the owners to sell so they can build a giant Gateway-style mall there, or how I feel about a nuclear power plant being built along the Green River, or how tired I am of high school kids, or why Brantley Gilbert is so hot, or anything else, really, I would be happy to talk about it.  I just don't really feel like articulating it in writing.  But, sadly, it's after 11:00 at night, so it's doubtful that anyone will be calling.