Don't Forget!

You can still enter to win a $15 walmart gift card or home made pie by going to the post, "Another One Bites the Dust," and sharing your funny/interesting music story. Family and friends are eligible to win, cause really who else reads this thing.

Hold On to Your Hats and Glasses

Cause this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness.

Ahhh it saddens me greatly that it has been over seven years since I have been to Disneyland, (Big Thunder Railroad is where the title of this post comes from.)

Often at night Jeff and I will look at each other and remark about how Mae's personality is defining itself more each day. While only a year old, it is quite clear that she has inherited her father's temper and her mother's stubbornness. Whaaat? Jeff has a temper, you ask. Yeah, me too, but he and his family swear it is so. I honestly haven't seen it in our seven years of marriage, but I am told it was really really bad, like get this kid to counseling bad. I am sure his family can fill up the comments board on this subject. Hmmm I don't suppose there will be any protests on my stubbornness....oh well. Mae will do what she wants when she wants to. And don't mess with her. As I have mentioned earlier I signed us up for Baby and Mom swim class at the fitness center as I did with Max when he was her age. She likes the water but that is it. She HATES doing anything. She doesn't want to reach and pull, kick her legs, or blow bubbles. When I try to engage her in these activities she just looks at me annoyed. At one point the teacher comes around with a bag of toys which the babies are to choose from. Mae likes this, until the activity continues. They are supposed to throw the toy around and reach and pull to get it. She does not want to throw the toy. She fights me and you can tell she thinks this is a very STUPID game. WHY ARE WE THROWING THE TOY JUST TO RETRIEVE IT?!?

This afternoon she had finished a snack and I detached myself from her to get her something else to eat. She started squawking as soon as I left. I was off and on my way back from the kitchen when I saw that she was walking after me. When she made eye contact with me she dropped to the ground and threw a tantrum. What are we in for? I suppose this is just what happens when you get one super mellow good kid.

Acceptance Speech

We won! A huge thanks to all my friends and family who voted for our picture. Our prize, a photo shoot with Erica that includes many free prints. (A several hundred dollar value.) I am really excited, but now stressed about what to wear and getting everyone haircuts...there will always be something to stress about. A few thoughts on the contest. I learned a lot about my self and others in this.

First, I need to read more carefully. I didn't pay that much attention to the judging part only the entry part, so I don't know if I would have entered a popularity contest.

As some of my family will recall I have never been popular. I was actually cruelly bullied in Jr. High School. This did bring up a few of those feelings of inadequacy and lameness.

But on the flip side, when people started to vote for me it was awesome. Just as I thought being popular is all it is cracked up to be. Good Self Esteem Boost.

Conversation between myself and a friend Friday....

ME: "I feel like I am running for Homecoming Queen."

MEG: "Yeah, but this is way better, you get a photo shoot and all Homecoming Queen got was pregnant!"

I was surprised by which people voted for me easy-peasy. My sister-in-law Megan was like the first person to vote. THANKS!

Some people were total BUTTS about it! Now I can understand if you do not look at your account that often. Some people don't, or if you have a hard time working facebook. But for the few of you who moaned about this, REALLY?!? How hard was it, you were already on facebook, just slide over a few pages and bounce your finger a few times. If you hate liking stuff then just unlike later!! It is so easy to hide feeds on facebook. One friend just out right refused cause he thought it would set a bad precedent of helping others....whatever.

But the large majority of my family and friends were very supportive. A big shout out to all my cousins! Toblers Rock! I knew having so many first cousins would pay off some day. And as promised, if I ever need a kidney, I will seek elsewhere. And I only had one side to hit up.

Another shout out to Jeff's extended family cause he isn't even as close to them as I am to mine.

A big thanks to my ward. See we were really working with a large disadvantage from the start. Most of the other entries came from the photographer's home ward. So people from her ward were already fans and getting updates so of course they would vote for her. Way to best the Cenerton Ward guys!

Thanks to all my friends who were friends with my main competitor who voted for me, or voted for me and her. Also I respect my friends who knew us both and just choose not to vote at all.

Dan Flemming you are dead to me. We have known each other for almost six years and you voted for someone else, they had better have given you a kidney! But thanks to his lovely wife Tara who voted for me.

It was a very close race, and I got a smidge desperate at the end. I promise that I will never hit you guys up for anything on facebook ever again. I really wouldn't have done it, if it wasn't so close and such a small race anyway. I mean I always enter my kids in the GAP KIDS model contest, but I never ask anyone to vote cause it is such a pie in the sky thing. This facebook thing was possible. And WE WON!

I am now going to retire a bit from facebook. I will post the pictures once we have them taken, and if you need me to vote for you for something feel free to email me and I will get on and do it. Thanks to everyone. And all my ward members can expect treats in the library today and probably for the next few weeks.*

(I do have a strict policy of not giving library treats to those under 18. That is what Primary and Young Women/Men is for.)

Yup, I'm that person

Yup, I'm the person who dresses up like a cow for free food. Cause hey, free food! I am the person who knows the names of the employees of the Walmart Associate Store cause I am there so frequently. I love a good bargain. Now I do have limits. I would not take a free left shoe if the right one didn't come with it.

A lady who was in my ward is a very talented photographer and recently had a "Christmas in October" contest for her business, Erica Kirby Photography. The rules were simple, take a photo of your family and somehow display the words Erica Kirby Photography or the letters EKP in the photo and be creative.

Yesterday, Jeff and I took our annual trip to the Right Choices Pumpkin Patch in Missouri and decided that their Cow Train would be the perfect back drop for our contest entry. I wish the words on the sign I made had come across more clearly, but all four of us are looking at the camera so I say it is a good photo. I think it clearly deserves to win the contest cause

A. it is the only photo that has both the whole family (some people just did the kids)

B. we embarrassed ourselves to show the sign, giving her the free advertising, (Most of the other entries photo shopped the words or letters in.)

There are only seven entries total, so I think we have a shot, but I need my readers help. It is so easy to help me. Go to facebook and vote for us. Two easy steps.

1. Become a fan of Erica Kirby Photography

2. Like our family photo in the Christmas in October contest.

You don't need to leave a comment or anything; just "like" it. And pass it on to anyone else who may know us, or people who you know who just do stuff like that. Do not feel like you have to strain any relationships over this. Special attention to my parents and Jeff's since they will no doubt be getting copies of the winning pictures.

BLOG CONTEST: Another One Bites the Dust

I love music. Yes, that was a really groundbreaking announcement. No other medium can get me to calm down a relax quite like music. Part of the reason I go into town almost everyday is because I love to hop in the car and listen to the radio. Yes, I could just listen at home, but then I feel like it is a waste of time. I enjoy it more if I am going somewhere. I love the memories that music evokes. The following songs remind me of loved ones and times.

My dad worked at Hasting Entertainment Store for several years at the end of the 90's and the beginning of the new millennium. So being forced to hear pop music he picked up a few he liked. Every time I hear them on the radio I totally think of him.

Closing Time by Semisonic

How Bizzare by OMC (he even bought the CD!)

and of course any CCR song

The summer I came home from my first year at BYU my mother added a new song to her aerobic routine. There is nothing quite like waking up to the walls shaking to Cher's Do You Believe, every morning. My mom and I also share a love of the Bee Gees and I always smile and think of her when they come on.

My sister Suzanne is a total romantic and her musical tastes swing that way, or at least they did in high school. Whenever I had the house to myself I would get out her CD's and pop in Sophie B Hawkins, As I Lay Me Down.

Krista and I have lots of musical memories. Driving home from Disneyland listening to the Wallflowers, One Headlight. (What happened to Jakob Dylan? I really liked him.) We first really started hanging out together in Provo my sophomore year of high school when Fastball's, The Way, was all over the radio, so that song is really special to me.

Remember when Ally Mcbeal came out and suddenly everyone had a theme song? Yeah well Krista's was The Police's, Don't Stand So Close to Me. Of course when she got her mission call to Brazil we switched that to Dave Matthew's Band, Don't Drink the Water. My theme song is Queen's, Another One Bites the Dust. Still fits after all these years.

Songs also remind me of specific places. I am sure you could do a study and find that at all times there is at least one Utah station playing the Cranberries, Dreams during the hour. I couldn't go a day at BYU without hearing this song. When Jeff and I first came to Arkansas The Reason by Hoobastank was playing here and I have always liked it since. My daily commute to and from teaching at my Utah alternative High School always forced me to listen to Pink Floyd's, Another Brick in the Wall. "HEY, TEACHER! LEAVE THOSE KIDS ALONE!" Thanks oldies 103.5 that really helped me feel good about myself.

What about Jeff you say? Well we dated for such a short time, two weeks, that I don't really think of him separately. He likes Savage Garden, shudder, (I blame the mission in Australia for that.) but since I really don't I quickly turn from them when alone. Again our dating time was so short that we never had a song, so a year after we got married we came up with something we thought would be good to dance to on our 50th wedding anniversary, so our song is Hot in Here by Nelly.

So readers I turn this over to you. Today's post comes with a giveaway. Two actually, one for my local readers and one for those farther away. Rules, post a comment telling me about a song that evokes a memory for you. The funnier/unique/more bizarre the better. Now don't just tell me your favorite song, I want a memory and story. The Prizes: The local winner will receive their own Emily Apple Blackberry Pie. The far away reader will receive a $15 Walmart Gift Card, cause now matter how far you get from Bentonville, AR, Walmart will be there to get you. errr make that serve you. Submissions must be received by Saturday October 30th for a Halloween announcement. Winner will be picked randomly out of a hat by Mae. One entry per person.

The picture was of a pumpkin Lu and I dropped off at a friends house one Halloween in college. Bonus entry to the first person to recognize the pumpkin pop culture reference. Or to the first one of the poor ladies that got a fright from it, I think a few of them read my blog.

Height of Fashion

Mae has always been the height of fashion. Thanks to my friend Dandi, Mae is once again ahead of the curve. Don't you love these hair flowers? All designed and hand made by Dandi. This once again brings up questions of what exactly I do in my spare time while my friends are running business', running marathons, and remodeling houses. But that is self pity for another post... I will be posting a link to my friend Dandi's site and she is carried at the 3 Monkey's store in Rogers.

Things That Must Go XII

1. Non-acknowledging Pedestrians: I often swing by Jeff's work to say hello for a few min. when we are in town. This requires navigating the large Walmart ISD parking lot which has people coming in and out all the time due to it's size. What I really hate is when you are stopped at the crosswalk waiting for John Doe to cross and he just continues walking at his slow crawl oblivious that you are waiting from him. Sure he has the right of way, but that does not mean his time is more valuable then mine. Ideally I want an increase of speed, but will settle for a wave and faux hustle. I am the queen of this. Acknowledge with a slight head bob then put a slight spring in one of your steps, or swing your arms a bit. This makes the driver feel valued, and that can only be good. This is similar to the wave you give when driving and someone lets you in. (Tee Hee Hee just after writing this I picked Jeff up for lunch and got a faux hustle from an overweight Indian.)

2. Line Cutters: There will be a special level of Hell reserved for the people who cut into a merged highway line. How do these people live with themselves. This is perhaps the highest level of rudeness I can even imagine. You know, you're sitting in your car and see that everyone in merging into one lane. You do the right thing and move over. Soon things empty up in the cleared lane and everyone must wait for traffic to move ahead past this problem. Then some self centered numskull scoots all the way up to the point of merge just expecting to be let in. Yeah I would rather risk killing myself and my family then let these guys in. I sit myself right on the bumper in front of me cause this behavior is just not acceptable from grown adults.

3. People who move furniture in pick up trucks: This is so reckless and dangerous. Last week Jeff was driving home and actually had to swerve out of the way of a falling queen mattress. Most people just think that the worst thing that could happen is that their stuff will fall out and break. It isn't about the stuff it is about the people who hit the stuff. Cough up the 50 bucks and rent a moving van people!

4. Defensiveness: Now sure, I am totally guilty of this. That is kinda the point of Things That Must Go, it is a spot to question, gestate, and hopefully evolve. The following example comes from a few recent events surrounding my feelings of slight (also a bad behavior)from the male population. Remember the whole "only a man in our ward can say the opening prayer thing?" Yeah well as noted in the comments section of that post, that is nowhere in the Bishop's Handbook, just stupid tradition. Well so flash forward to my new calling as librarian, Jeff was called in first to approve/disapprove/give permission. So I asked about the prayer thing and the permission issue. Jeff was just as curious as me. I think we asked very calmly if I do say so myself. Well, you would think that I had slapped this member of the bishopric in the face. He got very put out and defensive, and then brushed us off as heathens. Well so lets move forward to a few weeks later when a friend informed me that a couple is supposed to meet with the Bishop before getting a vasectomy (Tee Hee Hee, you should have seen the way I tried to spell this before spell check got to it.) At first, as always, I got a bit riled up. That didn't seem right that the man gets to decide. So I was talking to my incredibly wise sister who gave me a new perspective. That it is actually helping the women protect their right to reproduce by keeping the men from just going off and getting this procedure done. I hadn't even considered this because Jeff would never do such a thing. I will totally admit that I am human and have a hard time seeing outside of my limited experience. That is why I just need an explanation sometimes. And yes, I do realize that there are some things you just do and accept on faith, but I firmly believe that it is okay, that it is in fact our duty to ask for explanations when we do not understand. Maybe if someone, i.e. my bishopric leader could have gently explained why they feel my prayers are not as Spirit evoking as Jeff's, then we all would have felt better. Yeah this is something I need to work on too. I do give an excellent faux hustle though.