Farts ARE Funny

Tie this back to my "I have three brothers" motto for explaining life if you want to but farts ARE funny. Really, you don't want to get me started on fart stories.

****WARNING****
Quit reading here if your senses are easily offended.


Okay. You've been warned :) (Just be glad that the internet doesn't readily deliver smells!)

It's probably a sad truth that some of my best family memories include flatulence but it's the truth and you can't avoid it. My dad has *quite* the reputation on this front and he's taught my brothers (and me) well. My mom grew up visiting her grandparents farm every weekend as well so she doesn't exactly have the most delicate sensibilities.

My paternal grandmother TRIED. She was the girliest girl you could ever meet. Every shade of pink imaginable and the scent of roses. That was Grandma. Unfortunately her children and grandchildren did NOT smell like roses! One summer we rented a cabin by the lake. There were a bunch of us sitting around the kitchen table visiting. Someone (one of my uncles if I remember correctly) kept letting farts go. Nasty smelly ones. Grandma was armed with an areosol airfreshener and she would calmly walk up behind the offender and SPRAY. Too funny :)

Another time we were visiting my aunt's house and watching Canucks play the Oilers on tv. My cousin was RANK that night. My family STILL talks about that time.

And one of my personal "most embarassing moments" (I really shouldn't share this but I'm going to anyways). I was at work one day, all alone up front. I let one loose and my poor unsuspecting co-worker decided to come and chat at that moment. He paused by my desk and sniffed and said "It smells like methane in here". Now I live in a farming community and on a summer morning that's not an unfamiliar smell. IN the building though, not so much. I put on my most innocent face and blamed it one the cows.

See? Farts are funny!

When "should" turns to "do"

Monday afternoon I came back from lunch and my co-worker and I decided to finally do the office re-organization that everyone has been talking about since before Christmas. We dismantled a desk in one office, move it into another. Took the makeshift "desk" from that office and distributed the pieces around the office. Moved a credenza and the photocopier, aranged a bunch of filing cabinets and supplies. When that was done, I worked with my boss on flinging magazines. We filled seven boxes for recycling and I had the wonderful task of carrying them down the stairs and outside. By the time I got home I was *exhausted*. Dance was cancelled due to the weather so I watched the second "Jane Eyre" video that I had (you're right Sherilyn, it was way better) and went to bed early.

Tuesday the nasty weather started. A huge dump of snow, closed schools, treacherous roads. I had my first BerryBeat Festival meeting. Because of the meeting I didn't get in to work until 10. The roads were pretty interesting but quiet too so I could set my own pace. The weather didn't let up all day so we were let out at 3:15. Tuesday evening I had the whole evening to myself. It was wonderful. Granted I ended up working until almost 7, drafting the minutes for that morning's meeting but I set my own pace and just hid away in my apartment.

I even went digging in some boxes and found some candles that I've been hoarding for some unknown reason. It's amazing how much difference a little bit of light makes when it's cold and blowing outside.

Wednesday the weather was again nasty. The snow kept up and when my boss gave me the choice to go home at lunch, I lept at it. Of course then when the store called and asked if I could come in early I conceded so I didn't really gain anything other than more hours at the store.

In between leaving the office and going to the store I stopped in at my friend Jenna's. I haven't seen her in awhile so we spent a little while catching up. She mentioned that she's working on memorizing all the US states. That evening at the store I challenged myself and I managed to write down 49 states from memory!!! The only one I missed was Missouri. I also named all 28 NHL teams. I used them to cross reference a little bit but some how the fact that St. Louis is IN Missiouri escaped me. Pretty good though huh? 49 states off the top of my head?

Today it's raining so the snow is slowly washing away. I asked Veronica the other day "when's the next plane to Australia?" and she said "Anytime you want to come". Believe me, if it was just as simple as getting on a plane I'd be there in a heart beat (although my heart would probably stop when I get there because I understand it is REALLY hot right now). Too bad there are things like tickets and vacation that has to be considered :P

Speaking of vacation, Southwest has finally extended their booking dates (I want to compare how much they'd be to fly to Diane's wedding). They've extended them to August 22. The wedding is on the 23rd. That is absolutely no help!!!

So, back to waiting :)

~Heidi

Jane Eyre

I did my first full day at the store yesterday. Opened and closed all by myself. I won't go in to the details of what I could have done differently but suffice to say, it wasn't a particularly smooth day. After work my co-workers met up at a local restaurant for dinner. Over Christmas we had won some cash through different contests and the consensus was to blow it on dinner (as opposed to buying something concrete like a fridge or something). We had a great time. I really enjoy each of the people I work with but I rarely get to see them because I'm generally working alone. It was nice and relaxing even though we had a lot of "shop talk" and we got some deep belly laughs in over things that only someone who works in retail would understand :)

When I got home I just vegged. A few weeks ago I was at the library and there were two versions of "Jane Eyre" on the return cart. I'm always game for the classics so I grabbed them. They've been sitting on my counter ever since. One of them is overdue already so I popped it in last night. It was the 1944 version with Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine Now I was tired but man, it played out like a cheesy horror flick! Lots of dark shadows, people moving around a cold dark castle in big billow cloaks, spoooooooky music and women's screams piercing the night. That said, it was interesting to watch. Normally when I view the classics like this I'll listen to the book on tape first so I at least have a grasp on the story line. This one I had to get entirely from the movie.

I still have another version to go. I'm interested to see if it will be any better.

The weatherman was right

No more cold clear weather. Now it's cold, overcast, and WET :P The snow started very slow yesterday. Miniscule flakes that you could almost deny. Within an hour they were big as loonies and fluffy. I'm not a fan of snow but I will admit that it is pretty.
These shots were taken at work. It was slippery driving in and I almost took out the sign that said "Caution Parking Lot Slippery"

Ya think?!?! By the time I got off it had warmed up so that the roads were just slush. There's still snow on the ground and they're predicting more today. Yipee :P

Appreciating the Seasons

I am not a fan of winter. Cold doesn't excite me. On the flip side extreme heat doesn't interest me either. I guess that's why I live where I do. It's really quite mild here compared to some climates. Over the past week we've been experiencing very clear, "cold" weather. I put cold in quotations because it's just been hovering around zero. Not truly cold but colder than I'd like it to be. I'm working to find the beauty in the season though. The best part about this time of year is the sun is rising and setting right while I am going to or coming home from work. It means I'm treated to beautiful sun rises and sun sets and I really notice the gradual lengthening of the days.

So far this week the sky has been lit up in the morning but the sun hasn't quite peeked over the mountains. This morning there was a cloud cover (they're predicting snow for the weekend) so the whole sky was painted a gorgeous pink colour.

In the evenings I drive in to the setting sun. When I leave work it's resting on the horizon and by the time I get home it has generally dipped below leaving a soft glow. I've trired to get a few pictures but it's hard to capture the crisp coldness contrasted with the rays of the sun. It's beautiful in any case and it reminds me to appreciate each day no matter what the season.

Why do people have to die?

It's one thing to say good bye to someone because they're moving to another province or even halfway around the world. When you say good bye in that context you know you'll probably see them again. When you have to say good bye to someone because they've died, it's so much harder. It doesn't matter if you're 59, 28 or unborn. It's still hard.

This week it seems like everytime I turn around there is news of another death. The big one that made national headlines today is Heath Ledger. He's only a few years older than me. It's shocking to have someone my age die so suddenly.

Saturday I got news that my friend's aunt, a woman I have known for many, many years, passed away suddenly. She was a sweet lady who attended our church for the past few years and was always friendly and chatty. At 59 years old I believe it was a heart attack that took her.

I also got news yesterday that one of my friends miscarried. It's a situation where the pregnancy was very unexpected but they warmed up to the idea very quickly and both embraced it. We were all super excited for them and now, hurting for them.

So, 59, 28 or not born, you leave people sad and asking why. My heart goes out to everyone affected.

~Heidi

NR Update

Everyone keeps asking "are you going to keep your job at the store?" Meaning post-Christmas. I keep saying "well, they gave me a key so yeah, I guess so" LOL And they did. I was told right off the bat that if I worked out and if I was interested, I could be trained as a "key holder" which means I can open and close by myself. I started my training around Christmas and worked my first solo shifts during the first week of January.

The second weekend in January was SSWA so I requested it off. Because it's super quiet after Christmas and I had asked for time off, I ended up only getting three hours during that second week (which was perfectly fine with me). It was fun to tell people "Well, they've given me keys but no hours. I guess I'm still working there" LOL Now I'm back to my more regular 12 hours average. Next week will be a few more because my boss is away.

The funny thing was, in that ten day span that I had off, I actually started missing the store! By the time last Thursday rolled around I was looking forward to going back. It was good too. I had to check my notes for closing because I haven't totally mastered the process of closing but I did everything correctly. Everything except one. My till was over by $15.00. I re-counted it a bunch of times but I couldn't figure out what was up. I ended up just leaving it. Friday I came in and as I was cashing out I realized that I had read one of the rolls of coins wrong. It was a $10 roll of 25 cent coins. Not a $25 roll of 10 cent coins. Duh! I called my boss and told her "good news! I'm an idiot! The till balanced out because Thursday I was over by $15 and Friday I was $15 short. That $15 difference being the imaginary coinage.

Anyway, other than that I'm still enjoying it. The extra cash is nice and making progress on paying debt is a wonderful thing. Slightly addicting to tell the truth. So yeah, for now at least, I'm keeping that job :)

~Heidi

Top 10 Moments of 2007

One year. One year is NOT a long time. I’m trying to do a review and it seems like all of this happened yesterday! I’ll try though. Top Ten Moments of 2007 in chronological order

1. I could have a separate "Top Ten Concert Moments of 2007" but none of them would out rank this one. Dierks with Doc Walker and Eric Church in Vancouver on January 8, 2007. It's hard to believe that it's almost been over a year since that night!


2. Canucks hockey game (Hey, actually attending them is a rare treat for me so it's a big deal)


3. Hemlock 2007


4. My entire Texas trip. Thank you to everyone who made it so special.


5. The countless trips that Meredith and I took in to Vancouver. LOTS of memories there.


6. Spending the day in Seattle with Meredith and Diane


7. The first SSWA Retreat in Monroe, WA (and ALL the SSWA get togethers we've had. The next one is in two weeks and I am ready for it!)


8. The Fraser River Tour was a definite highlight.


9. Volunteering at Agri-Fair. Super, super busy time but something I've wanted to get back to for years. I throughly enjoyed it.


10. Our weekend at Harrison


11. Thanksgiving 2007

Other "non-event" highlights

1. Joining Facebook


2. Starting my second job and making headway on my debt

The negatives of the year? Mostly just good-byes. Saying good-bye to Meredith and to Seth and Robert.

Nicknames

I was asked today, "Do you have a nickname prone name". Initially I wanted to say "no" but as I read this I realize that yeah, people do give me nicknames.

Heidi-ho: The only person who could get away with this without making me mad was my grade 8 math/leadership teacher. Once in awhile at dance the caller will use this term but I just can't bring myself to say it.

Heid's: Very, VERY few people are allowed to use this. I introduced Meredith to a guy friend and when he called me "Heid's" I swear she lost her eyebrows because they went up so high. Very funny.

Triple H: My brother's friend. It was something to do with chemistry. Hydrogen, Helium and Heidi. I forget the specifics.

Dee-dee & Deedle: My mom used these when I was little.

Diesel: The name I picked for myself for camp

Agent/The Agent: My online friends

Ms. Mxxxxx: My boss. Usually when she wants something.

I also get called Heather and Katie a lot. Heather because people aren't paying attention. Katie because that's our receptionists name and both of us answer the phones.

SSWA IV

This weekend I attended the Fourth Annual ScrapShare Washington Day Crop. Four years already! This year's event was at a church in Kent, WA. I crossed the border almost right after work on Friday evening and stopped at Bellis Fair. I stayed the night at Darrcie's, where I have standing reservations for SSWA events. Deb stayed over too. She takes a different border crossing than I do and left much earlier in the day so I just met her at Darrcie's.

Saturday morning Deb and I carpooled down to Kent (Darrcie had to do some kid/dog shuffling on the way down). We stopped at Starbucks and Haagen's on the way and arrived at the church around 9:30.

The SSWA girls are a fantastic bunch. Our first get together was at Darrcie's and we had 11 people there. This time we had 22 including eight of that original group! It was great to see so many familiar faces and meet some new people that I had previously only known online.

I shared a table with Dars and even though she kept me in stitches, I still got a lot accomplished! After my scare last September I was wary of bringing very much with me. I chose a 7x7 project and came back with it mostly finished.

Friday night Deb presented me with the most wonderful heartfelt gift that I have received in a long time. "Altered" letters are really popular on SS right now. She had mentioned that she's been working on some but I didn't expect one and I certainly didn't expect one as detailed as the one she created for me. It's perfect! "Family is everything" is the main quote. She knows how close I am to my family so that fits just right. There are little buttons and tags that say things like "travel", "road trip", "journey", "adventure", maple leaves, a CM charm, and a stack of laminated pictures of: sushi, Starbucks, Scrapshare, the Kenny concert poster with Dierks on it and a retro office shot.
The whole thing is perfect because it's so "me". It's exactly all the things that I talk to her about all the time and what represents me. Receiving gifts is wonderful but receiving one that is so perfect for ME is incredible. I had this proudly displayed on my table and made anyone who came close stop and look at it :D

Okay, back to my update. Saturday a few of us did a quick scrapbook store/Starbucks run and then we scrapped until almost 10pm...or at least I did. I was on a roll so I was the last one to clean up. Deb caught a ride back with Darrcie and I followed not TOO far behind. I did do some late night sightseeing in Renton though. Ooops.

Sunday morning we woke up, got ready and headed down to the casino for their wonderful buffet brunch. I enjoyed it even more than the last time we were there.

From there I briefly hit the outlets and then headed home.

It was another wonderful weekend and I hope we continue this traditions for years to come!

Oh and a quick shout out to Charlyn who was our gracious host this weekend (it was her church) and to her husband who apparently reads my blog!!! Hello!

A day in the life

Monday was a good day. No specific reason, it was just a normal, regular day that made me feel like my life is going well. I've written it up and who knows, maybe I'll scrapbook it some time.

A day in the life of Heidi

6:45 – 7:05 Wake up, with the assistance of the radio and alarm on cell phone
7:05 – 7:45 Shower, brush teeth, do hair, get dressed, pack lunch while listening to the radio
7:45 – 8:00 Drive to work
8:00 – 8:30 First in line for phones. Answer emails, get ready for day.
8:30 – 11:30 Receptionist is in, buckle down and start accomplishing things.
Today’s to-do list
• Review minutes
• Set up a conference call
• Make travel arrangements
• Set priority list with my boss
Take short breaks to make/get coffee, chat with co-workers etc.
11:30 – 12:15 Lunch. Frozen leftovers, pudding and carrot sticks. Eaten while driving to library to return borrowed cd’s and pick up requested books
12:15 – 2:00 Continue working
2:00 – 4:30 Receptionist is gone, I’m first on the phones again. Multi-task to end of day
4:30 – 4:45 Drive home, pick up mail
4:45 – 6:30 Unpack lunch kit, make dinner (chicken kiev, mashed potatoes, carrots and turnips today), enough for two so I have some for lunch tomorrow. Check personal emails, check SS/HSS/GS/Facebook.
6:30 – 7:00 Get dressed for dance ensuring I have my name tag, shoes and six dollars. Drive to dance.
7:00 – 9:45 Square Dancing. Mainstream for first hour and a bit, Plus and Rounds for the rest. Finish with coffee and snacks dowstairs.
9:45-10:15 Drive home
10:15-11:00 Check emails again, watch CSI: Miami, talk to Meredith
11:00 bed time!

Hey look, it's me!

I just checked out the pictures of the Basics for Babies Breakfast on the JRfm website and sure enough, I'm in one of them!



The caption says it's Chris but it's actually Dave. That hat belongs to the two girls beside me. I waited for them to finish before getting my autograph. Still cool though :)

~Heidi

Random Memory #4: 50 Cent Swim

One of the big news items on the radio today and in the paper is that my city is giving free rec centre passes to grade five students. Something about grade five being when kids start making decisions for themselves and needing extra incentive to stay in shape. I could have used this.

The summer before grade five we moved to a house that was a two minute walk from the new (at the time) recreation centre which had a huge wave pool in it...among other things. I *LIVED* at that pool. Every Friday from 3-4:30pm was a 50 cent swim. And every Friday, I and my two brothers were there.( Aaron was only 9 months when we started going) My Uncle Tim lived with us during that time and when he was around, we often stayed right through until 10pm. Yes 10. As long as you were there before 4:30 and had an adult present, you could stay for as long as you wanted...or until they closed at 10pm. It used to drive my dad nuts that we'd be there for so long but Mom would just bring a book and read (she rarely got in the water with us).

There was a tube waterslide that went OUTSIDE (so cool when you're ten LOL), two diving boards, 4 feet and 10. I got pretty good at jumping off them. I never learned how to dive properly but I could jump and "swim" back to the ladder. There were also "lilypads". Big floating things anchored by a chain. The cool kids got to be on those and there were often shoving matches for dominance. We weren't the only ones that were there weekly and over the year and a half that we lived there we got to know some of the other people quite well.

I was at the rec centre a few years ago when I was volunteering for the Seniors Games I was back in that rec centre. I took a few minutes to look in on the pool. It's still the same but looking a bit tired. Same wooden parrots on the ceiling, same large water squirting lizard. Lots of memories.

~Heidi

New Phone Plan

I changed my cell phone plan finally. I've had a super basic plan for over a year now. Because my cell phone is my primary line (I don't have a land line) I finally broke down and upgraded my service. I now have free incoming calls (so call me!) This works from anywhere. If you call me, I don't get charged airtime.

I also added the much advertised "My5" plan. That means that I can pick five numbers in Canada, cell or land line that I have unlimited calling to. That was WAY harder than I expected. I spent probably 10 minutes reviewing my bill with the chick at the call centre trying to determine who I actually CALL. I generally email people and, I admit, because I HAD limited minutes I DIDN'T call people as much as I should have. Now I can relax if a call lasts that much longer.

Yesterday I put this new plan to the test. I called Seth and talked for 20 minutes. Then Mom called and we chatted for almost an hour! While I was talking I got most of my tree dismantled. I still have fake branches strewn all over the living room because they need to be tamed and squished before being put away but at least I've started the process. I admit that I'm kind of sad. I liked having my little tree in the corner. It was so cheery :) Oh well. Christmas will be here in 11 months :D

I miss my boss

I never thought I'd say that. She's on vacation for a week and I want her back. There are a ton of things going on and I am having to follow up and call the shots on them and it's stressful. Normally I like it when she goes away because it's generally quite and I get a lot done. Not this time, so far anyways. :(

Vancouver with Meredith

I never blogged this. I'm not sure why. Probably because there were a lot of pictures and they take awhile to upload.

As you know, my best friend Meredith lived in Australia for two years. She came back to Canada on December 25, 2006 but has really felt that Australia is where she should be. She secured a position with Mercy Ministries Australia, the organization that she has wanted to work with for years. One that she did work with when she was in Australia and the one that the schooling she took prepared her for.

Our last full day together was Monday, October 8 (Thanksgiving Day) We spent it pretty much like how we spent her first day back (December 26, 2006) Doing our favourite thing, walking around Vancouver. We started in Stanley Park where we had lunch at Prospect Point. Then we walked through Gastown. Mere was super sensitive to all things "Canadian" like mounties and moose. So we got lots of pictures for her to remember her home country by. :)


We really didn't have any destination or goal. It was a beautiful sunny day so we wandered and ended up covering a lot of ground. One cool place we came across was Blood Alley just off Carrall Street. I found out later that according to stories, Blood Alley was the location for a number of butcher shops. At the end of each day they would be rinsed out resulting in the inevitable blood in the street. As if that was not enough they used to hold public executions in blood alley square.

There were some people hanging out back there so we didn't stay long but it looked really neat. There are some interesting restaurants down there that I'd love to go back and try out.

From there we made our way through Vancouver's "International Village" where I got to visit Daiso for the first time. (Daiso is a super cool Asian dollar store that has only been in Canada for a few years). Past the Vancouver Library and back to Robson Street.
Mere got a hot dog there and I got an ice cream cone and we wandered through the stores there. It was a really relaxed day. I already miss being able to do it whenever.

I am so blessed

There, after a week of not blogging I think that's a pretty darn good place to start. Everyone is looking back over the past year. I'm just looking back over the past week plus and I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside. (I wish it would spread to my outside. It's COLD out today LOL).

In my last post I re-capped Boxing Day but I didn't mention that I stopped at the post office. Actually, I have to go back before that. This is my mail box on Christmas Eve. It sucked to have to work all day but when I got home and opened my box to find it literally STUFFED full, that warm fuzzy feeling started. I had a bunch of Christmas cards including one from the Dierks Bentley Fan Club, a post office parcel notification AND a package from Melissa!!! (maddiesmommy123) for those of you on SS. Last year I had the priveledge of being her secret santa. This year she answered my plea to help me decorate my rather bare Christmas tree with a gorgeous penguin ornament!

On Boxing Day I picked up package that I got the notification for on Christmas Eve. It was a box FULL of goodies from Martha. Four adorable ornaments. Another penguin (by the way, for those of you who aren't my online friends, penguins are the mascot for one of the internet boards I visit. Flamingo's are the mascot for the other.) As well as boots to commemorate my 2007 trip to Texas (at least that's how I'm seeing them ;)) and a small Precious Memories plate. I don't even think she knows that I actually have a whole tree with mini PM ornaments on it. In the box was also a set of tea towels and a cool "Martha" paper album that I have assembled but need to pick a project for.

After Christmas the parties continued. I think I'm going to dub 2007 the year of the parties. We may have cancelled Christmas day but man have I been busy!

Friday, December 28th I attended the "Second Annual Sushi and Re-gifting Party". Note that's not a sushi re-gifting party ;) but a sushi AND re-gifting party. Last year one of my dear friends and ex-CMC sister Barbara hosted a dinner party at her home just after Christmas. It was such a success that we made her promise to do it again. I've had this party on my calendar since October. This year there were just five of us. All current or ex-CMC's from the same unit I was in. We've gotten together other times for retreats at Point Roberts and on the Sunshine Coast as well as a dinner party this summer when another of our "sisters" Jackie, was in town. This post Christmas bash is a blast. We all chipped in for sushi because we're all sick of turkey by this point and we brought along gifts that we received that we didn't particularly want to keep. The gift exchange is done in the typical "steal" way but BEFORE you open it so it's all based on the wrapping. We had fun stealing each other's bags and boxes but in the end, opening the "gifts" is what really made us laugh. I got some kind of cheesy Christmas themed serving plates. The best part? THERE WERE CRUMBS ON THEM! ROFL That made me laugh so hard. And, for any of you who were worried, I got rid of a dollar store glasses holder that I had "won" during one of our daily contests at the store. Cute I guess but not something I need or particularly want.

After dinner we also played speed Scrabble which is always a blast and mostly just caught up. I'm by far the youngest in this group but I love every single minute I get to spend with them and I truly value their friendship.

SaturDAY I didn't do much. That evening I worked at the store. 6 hours of mark downs. Yipee! Let the Semi-Annual Clearance begin LOL

Sunday was another party. This time it was my turn to host. The best part of actually hosting is it inspired me to clean up my apartment LOL I've been so busy that even though I was home every night, I really hadn't paid much attention to the place and you could tell. The get together was intened for my highschool friends. Due to previous commitments and illness we ended up with just three. Mike, Jenna and Melissa. Melissa brought her fiance Jevon along and at the last minute we also included Jevon's sister Rachel and her boyfriend Scott. So we ended up with a nice little group. It was a games night. Monopoly (which Rachel and I won), Scene-It DVD and a politically UN-correct version of "Whoonu" that Jevon had threatened to make and delivered to Melissa on Christmas day.

Phew! Is anyone else getting tired by this re-cap? Well, it serves me right. That's what I get for not blogging for so long.

Monday was New Year's Eve. The best part was I stayed in my pj's until 2pm :D Even then I only got dressed because I wanted to go to Walmart. Mike had given us girls gift cards and I took mine and bought a mirror that I've been coveting for AGES. I also "splurged" and bought a second floor lamp for my living room (it was only $14). Now I have more even light throughout.

Monday evening, as usual for me on New Year's eve, was split in to two. I started at the church where we had a finger food buffet and then headed out to my friends house where we welcomed the new year with more food and games. Mostly Charades and the like.

New Year's Day I would have been content to just stay home in my pj's all day but instead I coordinated with my parents and we went to see "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" together. I enjoyed the film for a few reasons. 1. It was fun, mindless action which was great for continuing with my "relaxation" trend. 2. I have been to a bunch of the places featured in the film now so I had a lot more context to reference. At one point two of the characters go "outside to see the ducks" in front of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. I leaned over and told my mom "I've seen those ducks! I have pictures of those ducks!" Then when they're in front of the White House I told my mom (yes I'm a talker during movies. She doesn't mind though) "We parked right there!!!" The movie takes them to Mount Vernon as well and it was so neat to see a place where I've been. Very cool and it definitely expanded the movie experience for me. Dad complained that Nicholas Cage didn't do a great job of acting but I told him "Dad, it's not his fault, it's a DISNEY movie. He didn't have great material to use".

After the movie Mom and Dad came over to my place for chili and corn bread and we had a rather morbid discussion regarding who gets my stuff when I die. Hopefully more about that in the future.

Anyways, after all that I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and a family that I like spending time with. So, here's to another great year full of happy times and warm fuzzy feelings.

~Heidi