Marsha's Place

On my way to Vegas last week, I stopped in La Verkin for the night.  Marsha graciously offered to let me stay at her place overnight.  I picked up the keys from Chuck and headed over there.  I can't help but think about it as Grandma and Grandpa's place. Marsha has made it so cute and so homey but as I was there, I noticed things that reminded me of Grandma and Grandpa.

When they moved to La Verkin, they were so incredibly excited for their new adventure outside of Salt Lake.  The way I remember it, it was a pretty impulsive decision to up and sell the house in Sugarhouse and move to the warmer climate.  I honestly have no idea how they decided what to take and what to leave as they worked to pare down their belongings.

The minute I opened the door to the house, I could smell the smell that instantly reminded me of Grandma and Grandpa.  They haven't lived there for many years so it must be the house smell but to me, it is the smell of my lovely Grandparents.  Marsha has her house closed up until her next visit.  She had the furniture covered, beds stripped down, and blankets over the windows.  Some of those blankets were blankets I made for Grandma and Grandpa years ago.  I chose to sleep in the big bedroom.  I remember how excited Grandma was to have a garden tub in the house.  And the curio cabinets.  And the cute kitchen with a place for a dining table. And the shed outside - Grandpa was a wood worker so he was thrilled to have a place to piddle around still.  He collected petrified wood to decorate the outside.  That was still there too.  I couldn't help take some photos of some of the things that really made an impression on me and my memories.

Grandpa made these bead dolls as a hobby.  They were the oddest things at the time but they've become very important to the family.  I totally forgot about this music box until I saw it in a curio cabinet.  I have no idea the history but I do remember it growing up.

Wow this bowl.  It is the most beautiful blue with the pink flowers inside.  We've had waldorf salad, green salad, macaroni salad, mashed potatoes, and other various delicious dishes served in this bowl. Grandma was the BEST cook! Such sweet memories!

The curio cabinet has a mix of old and new.  Some tea cups from Grandma's collection. 
Other little bowls and vases...but also some from Marsha's collection. 

I totally forgot about this needlepoint picture.  I have no idea where it came from or it's history but it
warmed my heart to see it still in the same spot as when Grandma and Grandpa left the house.

Marsha has done a great job making the house her house.  I don't want to take that away from her.  I was really touched by how she honored her parents (my grandparents) but also made her mark.  Mixing the old and the new.  She is a fabulous painter and has her own artwork hung all over.  I took this picture (which has a copyright...hope you don't mind Marsha) because I spent time while there looking at it over and over since it was in the bedroom I stayed.

Thanks Marsha for letting me stay and allowing me the surprise walk down memory lane.  It was bittersweet for me but absolutely filled my soul which has been pretty empty as of late.

Vegas Baby!

I went down and got the new car.  I drove part way (to St. George) on Thursday.  I'll write more about that in another post.  But then Friday I went on to Vegas to meet Mary and get the car.  Everything went smooth and the weather was beautiful.  I actually got sweaty it was that hot in Vegas.  I was there by 11:00 am.  And back out by 1:30 pm.

Driving into Vegas.  The freeway was crazy and I almost got killed
 trying to change lanes (that is an exaggeration Mom)

Acura of Las Vegas showroom



Mary Weisbrod - My "car dealer friend". 
This was my 6th car I got from her.



The new car.  It is a 2014 TSX.  it is Graphite Gray.
 The last model year for the TSX.  :-( 
 I decided to name her Veronica.  Sexy, Smart, and Sassy.

Drove off the lot with 4 miles but forgot to take a photo. 
7 will do.  And it was that hot!

I was sad to leave the old car.  I thought I might own that one but it wasn't meant to be.  I drove all the way home to Salt Lake from Vegas after buying the car.  I wanted to get home to Philip.  I would have loved to stay down South longer.  It was absolutely beautiful there.  Gave me significant Spring fever.

Old Movies

Do you ever watch old movies?  I'm not talking about the old black and white movies...those are classics.  But older movies like 20-40 years old.  Well I do.  Especially when I am lazy on the couch over a boring weekend.  Sometimes it is intentional.  Sometimes, well not so much.

There are a few movies that I think are a right of passage.  Movies like Pulp Fiction, Waynes World, Dirty Dancing.  But some movies are not.  Like the  movie I caught last night, Shampoo.  Shampoo was made in 1975 and stars Warren Beatty and Julia Christie.  I remember everyone talking about it back in the 70s and I wanted to see it.  I wasn't ever encouraged to see it and since it was only 2 stars, I figured that is why my Mom never let me see it.  I was wrong.  (I was only 11.)

It is only 2 stars because it is terrible.  The whole premise is terrible.  It is about a hair dresser that became a hair dresser to have sex with women.  He sleeps with each and every woman he does their hair.  Married,  young, old.  I just laughed at the entire show because the attitude in the show was soo......70s.  These women had no brains. Just all about sex.  They were ridiculous.  He was ridiculous.  When they found out they weren't the only ones, he was like "What?  I'm a man.  This is what I do."  The women would stare at each other and give dirty looks but couldn't wait to have sex with him.  Like they have no choice in the matter and they are just sex objects.  Never mind the party scene with the naked hot tub scenes.  The pot smoking.  Everyone zoned out.  I was watching it close to see the attitude of the 70s.  No psychedelic scenes but so 70s. Some of the innocent things, I remember.  Like the patchwork purses.  The bouffant hair bump in the back.  The A-Line hair style.  chunky heeled shoes, and mini skirts (so short).  Oh and how sexy everyone thought motorcycles were. 

This movie is not a right of passage.  It was a movie that objectified women.  It showed women are nothing without a man.  Women are ditzy.  Maybe it was the movie.  Could we really have had that attitude in the 70s?  Watch one 15 minute segment of Houswife's of XX and you will see women aren't that way anymore.  You might get mad at me but I'm not sure men's attitudes have changed that much!  Haha.

All I can say is "We've come a long way, Baby!"

Cha-ching!

Well since my last post, I've made a few of decisions....expensive decisions.

Can you say Caribbean?  We are going for Philip's Spring break.  We got a screaming hot deal on the cruise.  So good, we were able to upgrade to a mini-suite cabin.  We will be visiting Jamaica, Cozumel, and Costa Maya.  We've not been to Cozumel for many years.  Our most recent memory of Cozumel was when we paid $5 each to go to the bathroom there and were given exactly 5 squares of toilet paper to wipe and dry our hands.  Not a great memory eh?  Philip has studied Mayan history so he is anxious to see the Mayan ruins this time.  We were in Jamaica a few years ago but not Ocho Rios.  We were in Montego Bay.  But this time, Ocho Rios.  Not sure what we plan to do there.  Maybe some beach time.  Maybe some jerk chicken (Philip loved it last time he was there).  And Costa Maya?  We've never been so we need to do some research on what we need to see. 

We will be on a very huge boat.  Over 4,000 passengers.  I'm sure it will be full too.  It is known for the funky design.  The rooms have wavy walls.  There is even a Vodka Ice bar.  They have a Blue Man group show too.  Should be fun.

I'm still trying to dull the pain from the price of the plane tickets.  That one hurt.  I was able to get Philip's ticket for free using my Skymiles but my plane ticket alone was almost as much as BOTH of our cruises.  I'm not quite sure how to soothe the sting but I think going on the cruise was the right thing.  I'm really hoping to regroup with my teen.

This morning, I was minding my own business trying to motivate myself to clean to my closet.  Suddenly Mary, from Acura Las Vegas called.  She had called earlier in the week but I didn't return her call yet.  She asked if I was ready for a new car.  I said no.  She asked how many miles I had on my car.  I am almost embarrassed how little I drive (21,000 miles in 27 months).  She ask if she were able to work out a deal, did I have any cash to put down.  I told her very little ($500 max).  We caught up and we hung up.  About 20 minutes later, she called to ask what color car I wanted.  Frankly, I said I didn't care.  I didn't care the color of the interior...or the navigation system....or anything else because I really liked my car and wasn't looking to get a new car yet.  I have a year left on my lease. We hung up again.  She called again and said she had a deal for me and do I want a white car or a grey car.  Then she told me she met my terms.  A new 2014 TSX....grey....for no increase in payment and only $500 down.  What day will I be down to get it?

Mary only calls me when she has a great deal and needs a car sale to meet her quota.  This will be my 5th car I got from her.  She knows my buttons "Why not get a new car if you can?" Yeah....why not?  Haha.  As you know, I lease cars so there is zero ownership in the car.  Payments are really just a number game.  She has a little habit of finding what she calls "the sweet spot" in  my lease when she can get me out of it to her advantage and to mine.  So I guess I'm going to Vegas next week to get a new car.  I love my current car.  I feel like I've barely used it yet.  I think it is a beautiful car.  As much as a cuss the black, I think it is so pretty.  I've had a grey car before.  It was pretty too....but black is so sexy.  BUT I am not sexy anymore and I need a car that is easier to keep clean and pretty.  So by this time next week, I'll have turned in my car and drove away with a new car. 

I get so attached to my cars.  That drive back from Vegas is always bitter sweet.  The good news is I am going to stop in St. George to see my Mom and Grandma.  Hopefully the weather will be beautiful.

Beach dreams

I've had another doozie of a week.  Nothing I want to go into details about but I'll just leave it that raising a teen is harder than I ever imagined.  Don't worry, I haven't choked or hurt Philip.  In fact, although it was a bad week, we have come out on top and are both wiser because of it.

And because of it, I had another epiphany.  You know....those epiphanies that hit my credit card hard and result in fabulous and wonderful experiences.  Here is what I am dreaming about.

Dreaming part 1 - Fun times sweating and laughing with my boy

Dreaming part 2- Smelling the ocean and enjoying the sand
while I watch people that have no business in that tiny swim suit.

Dreaming part 3 - Relaxing on the ship being taken to an exotic location each day.

Philip's school Spring break is exactly a month away.  And I am terribly unprepared.  I know I said no big travel this year but then I realized (in my epiphany) that I am near the end...this is it....you no longer can have your cute teen at your disposal.  I figure I have just a little over a year.  I've also got a free flight certificate from Delta, a credit of $250 on Norwegian Cruises, and a super hot deal on a balcony cabin.   The problem?  The certificate has no flights available for the week to the location I need (Miami or Fort Lauderdale).  Flights during Spring break to hot Spring break locations are crazy expensive.  I also have a nasty roof, terrible rain gutters, and concrete that should have been replaced 5 years ago.  What a dilemma!  So I am moved to inertia at this point. 

I hope I find the clarity I seek soon because the ocean is calling me!

Shoes...shoes...shoes...and shoes

You might recall my giraffe walk post last year.  Well then it is no secret I have a tough time finding shoes that work for me.  They must be incredibly flat, with a back, and non-skid bottoms.  Doesn't sound like a tall order but it has been.  For the last few years, I've only felt comfortable with 4 different shoes.  Gym shoes, special flip flops, plastic sandals, and my Velcro Sketchers.  It doesn't help that I have platypus wide feet.  I rarely can find shoes to purchase in a store so I have to usually mail order them.

Much to my surprise last week, Lands End had a bunch of shoes on clearance.  Doesn't hurt that they had free shipping!  So for $63.00, I found 4 more shoes that should work for my rotation.  Time will tell how comfortable I am in them.  My left foot appears to be larger than the right.  But it is a good start.

Nothing seems to make a girl happier than new shoes.  And as a bonus, last Sunday I met my friends for brunch.  I decided to put on those shoes that were so difficult last year and I was able to wear them okay!  I think my ankles are getting stronger.

Shoes and some cute kitty feet as a bonus!

Eye Dent camouflage

I've had a few comments that my eye dent really doesn't show much....in pictures.  But it does show in person.  As I mentioned in my last post, I am learning how to use eyebrow color/powder to camouflage it better.  I went out this weekend and did up my eyebrows so I thought I would show photos of before and after.  Even here, in photos it is hard to see the dent.  I think because it is 2D instead of live or 3D.  Anyway, I am thankful it doesn't show as much.  I'm looking forward to it going away....hopefully.

Eyebrow made up with pencil and powder

Makeup removed - no color!