I Should've Walked Away

Today, I really wanted a truck. Or some brains. Something.

So, this morning I decided to venture down to IKEA to look at their as is section. I was hoping to find some wood to do a project (seeing as how I'm feeling super crafty lately) to decorate my living/dining area. I didn't find any. I should have left it at that and walked right out of the store. But, it was raining, so I decided to browse just a little longer.

I stumbled upon this great shoe holder or cute sideboard for my dining area.

I looked it over, pulled out the drawers, walked away, came back, and then called for a second opinion. I know, I know. I'm a big girl, but I just like to talk it out. See, I don't need it, and have a hard time making large purchases (I just have to say here that yes, I needed a new computer) and justifying them. Why? Because it's just stuff. I don't need stuff. After talking to my mom and deciding that 1-I love decorating, 2-I spend a fair amount of time at my home, 3-It's okay to find some joy in life and this furniture may bring me a bit of joy, and spending probably upwards of an hour looking it over, I decided to buy it. It was a great deal! 50% off! Plus, I figured my time saved putting one together was more than enough reason to buy it already assembled. Done and done!

Pushing the cart out the door, it was pouring. A complete downpour. Cloudy with a more than a chance of meatballs downpour. I got wet just looking at the rain.

I backed my car into a loading zone space and began rearranging my seats to fit this in. No matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't fit. I didn't anticipate this. I've moved dozens of times and have always found a way. Mind you, it wouldn't fit by about 1/4" or less. A minuscule amount! After three strangers trying to help and looking at me like I was crazy, I knew I needed to do something different. Oh, and did I mention I also bought this STEAL for .99 cents! Woot! So, I had to fit that in the car somehow, too. My plan was to slide the sideboard in the back, then the door up through the back and over the sideboard. My math brain and spacial planning skills totally failed me today.

After four or five attempts to get this in the car from every direction, I decided it was time to just take it apart. Mind you, it has been pouring buckets this whole time. And people are looking at me with that sad you'll-never-get-that-in-your-car look. I had more than one person tell me that, and several tell me that I should get a truck. Anyway, so I went into IKEA and borrowed a screwdriver. I then followed my own water trail back out of the store in an attempt to disassemble the piece (which I was ticked about anyway because it wasn't that simple). I thought I would take the top off and that elusive 1/4" would find its way back to me and *poof!* It would fit.

Not so.

I couldn't get the thing apart! In all fairness, I think it's glued. :l

I walked my soaking wet self back into the store, returned the screwdriver, and asked if they had some rope. Don't ask me why I didn't think of this before. I just didn't.

I put the door in the car through the trunk as planned. Then, I threw some cardboard on the top of my car, rolled down the windows, and got about 30 feet of twine from the box on the wall. Yep, they have boxes on the wall with twine. Right there in my eyesight this whole time. Really, I think I would have thought of this sooner had it not been pouring, or if I had a roof rack, or a truck, or a man.

I took out the drawers and put them in the car and then lifted this on to my roof. I figure I've been in the 15 minute loading zone for oh, close to an hour now. In the rain. Soaking wet. Seriously, it's a good thing I had on a belt, but those flip flops this morning weren't a good choice.

It only took me about ten minutes to tie the whole thing down and get it super secure. Perfect! Then, I went to get in my car to roll the windows up . . . I'd tied my door shut. Total rookie mistake. I couldn't even get in through the window because it was only part way down. I may have looked super defeated and glanced around with the I-hope-nobody-else-is-watching-this look. Fortunately, I only had to undo the rope about three steps to fix this problem. Success!

After a total of about 2 or so hours at IKEA, I pulled out of the parking lot praying that I could make it home without furniture flying off my roof. I drove from 123rd to 33rd on surface streets, just in case. I had visions of how easy the twine was to cut at IKEA, and in my brain, I thought "What if the windows are cutting the twine right now?! Finally, as it started to pour even more, I just decided to get on the freeway and get home.

I got home, got everything up to my condo, and I'm excited to see how everything turns out. Yay! So, Ha! to all those people who told me I couldn't do it. The only casualties of the day include my soaking wet car seats, my soaking wet self, and a little bit of my pride.

All the Halloween Fun I Can Handle

Friday night Kristin, Matthew, and Axton came down for dinner, games, and a movie. We had pizza with drinks, Kristin and I did some crafting (see below), played several rounds of Guess Who? (Axton calls this his game), took turns winning and losing at Sequence and did popcorn and a movie. It was pretty fun for a Friday night.

I've been doing a few Halloween crafts to help my love of Halloween grow. For those of you who don't know, I hate Halloween. I think I just hate the costumes and such. Maybe this comes from college. It's the only day of the year that people can dress however they want--or I guess not wear anything--and get away with it. Any other day of the year, they'd be arrested. On Halloween, wear hardly anything but underwear, and it's called a costume. Creeps me out.

Anyway, so even though our night was just a regular night, here's how it became a little more reminiscent of the oh-so-creepy holiday of Halloween.

My friends Jen and Emily came over a few weeks ago, and we painted these pumpkins. They are fake and can be used year after year! I painted a swirly tree, moon, spiders, and a cat.

Scary Straws! Axton loved his scary straw. Matthew, Kristin, and I, however, mostly tried to keep soda from coming out our noses. :)

We used these coasters for our drinks. Kristin and I made them last weekend.

They make me giggle.

We made some cute everyday ones for our own houses, too!

I printed off these labels from a website. Can't recall which one, but they were fun on the drinks!

I made these a few weeks ago, one for each of my sisters, my mom, and myself. Kristin helped me paint the glitter on the frames. Kind of silly. :)

Because I Like My Toes

Oh, the joys of home ownership. Really, I've been lucky and haven't had any problems. But, as the snow started to fall, I figured I better turn on the furnace so there could be some heat around this place. Furnace on. Check! Hot air? Hello? Hot air? No hot air. Sad day.

So, I did what any single girl who has no idea about furnaces would do: Googled a repair company. There was one right down the street! He came, he looked, and he said, "Hope you don't need heat tonight."

Good thing I have that fireplace. It's much more useful than just being cozy watching movies.

Long story short--okay, it's a short story--is that I need a new part. He's going to come back and fix it tomorrow. I have no idea what it will cost, but my guesstimate is somewhere around $200. It could be a lot worse. Let's hope that it's not!

New Hobby

I'm into photography. Lately, kids and babies. Love it! Here are some pics from recent shoots. I think they are the cutest kids in the world. I could be a little prejudiced, but that's because I'm their favorite aunt. More to come, but for now I promised I wouldn't ruin any surprises, gifts, etc. I really enjoy this hobby, and I'm thinking of branching out a bit. It's two things that I love, together! Kids + Photography. I really enjoy editing the photos, playing with lighting and colors, antiquing photos, cropping shots, etc. Stay tuned for upcoming baby photography.

FAIR WARNING: If you are related to the Fifield or the Madsen families, you may want to skip this post. I only posted 3 photos out of 200+ and 6 of 400+, so take your odds. I don't want to be the spoiler of any surprises, gifts, etc., but I do want to show what I've been up to lately.

You've been warned . . .

At our last location, I said, "Show me some attitude." She replied with, "I don't have attitude," and struck this pose.

. . . which turned into this face. Can you tell someone's tired?

This girl has grown like a weed. She's beautiful.

Love those eyes. And this kid.

A walk in the park

This kid posed himself for this. I told him it was his turn, he sat, put his little leg up, looked at the camera, and this is what we got. Love it!

Little Miss Long Limbs

He said, "Wow. Look at those really tall cows."

This kid can never keep his pants up. Axton, eat more snacks!

Just taking a break (or so he thought) on the playground.

Such a thoughtful kid!

Age Old Problem Unsolved

So, I recently decided to go through my sock drawer, toss the ones filled with holes, match the wanderers, and try to make sure everyone had a mate. I did pretty well, with about five socks being loners at the end. Here's the thing that bothers me the most: they weren't white! Usually, all the socks that have lost their matches should be white, at least in my mind. This happens because over time, when I can't find a sock, I just find two that are close and put them together. For example, they might be the exact same cut and style, just a different color thread on the toe. Still good as a pair. Anyway, wearing socks like this is bound to cause mismatches. However, I started buying only colored or patterned socks a few years back because then each sock had one--and only one--match. They were easy to pair up. Now I have five mismatched socks. No pair possible. Where do these socks go? I've checked all baskets, around the washer and dryer, and just about everywhere (well, except where the match is, which apparently isn't here at my house). Looks like I'll be wearing mismatched patterned socks. I can't bring myself to throw them away. Apparently, it's the new thing. There's a website, or several, that sells ONLY mismatched socks. How cool is that!

Pacific Coast 2010

During my off track time this September, I took a weekly road trip through Reno, Sacramento, Fort Bragg, and up along the coast of California. I went through Oregon, and then to Seattle. From Seattle, I came back to Portland and back home through Boise. I went by myself and camped along the coast, sometimes staying in hotels. It was fun to just be able to drive, stopping when I wanted, eating where I wanted, and spending as much time where I wanted to spend it. A great adventure.

Create a free slideshow design

My Sweet Grandma

I've been away from the blogging world for a bit. A lot has happened. There will be some back-blogging going on. One major thing that has happened lately is the passing of my dear, sweet Grandma Wood.

Grandma had been struggling with end stage Alzheimer's Disease (or at least the doctors think that was it--not entirely sure) for the past 2 1/2 years. It's been heart-wrenching to watch her go through this. Looking back, I can recall the day when I went to visit her and she didn't know who I was. This was the first time of many that this would happen, but it was devastating to me. Grandma and I have always been so much alike. Anyway, I cried all the way home. Then I cried some more to my mom on the phone, and then I went and spent like $150 on new clothes. A little retail therapy I guess.

Over the time she was sick, it seemed that sometimes she had no clue, and other times, Grandma would know exactly who I was. A month or two before she passed, I was visiting her, and as I went to leave I kissed her on the forehead and said, "See you later. I love you." Grandma sweetly replied, "See you later, and I love you, too." I was shocked! This is the first time I had heard her speak in quite awhile, and it would also be the last. It's a great memory for me, for somewhere deep inside of her sick body, I know her sweet spirit was still there. Of course, being the girl I am, I cried all the way home. Don't worry, I didn't stop at any stores.

It's been a heartbreaking process, mostly learning to let go. Letting go of hopes that I had to have my grandma at those milestones in my life. Sisters, I am jealous of you. I wanted to have her there at my future wedding, holding my babies, and celebrating with me. Sharing with her the trips I've been on and places I've visited. I wanted to have her visit my new place, my home. Changing those realities has been hard, but I know that I've been so blessed to have her a part of my life for as long as I did.

I have wonderful memories of my time spent with Grandma. I remember riding in the camper on trips to Bear Lake, playing cards and eating red licorice. Riding in the station wagon, standing on the seats and singing crazy songs. Going to the park down the street to play for hours--Grandma never seemed to mind how long we were there. Playing games of Sorry!, Trouble, Pick-Up-Sticks, and Boggle. To this day, I can't play Boggle without thinking of Grandma. We spent hours looking at old photo albums and having Grandma tell about them. We counted pennies in the penny jar. We spent hours trying on all her clip-on earrings and long necklaces. Grandma always tucked us in for the night and made up bedtime stories that usually involved a frozen pond and ice skating. In the mornings, it was breakfast to order. She would always make us whatever we wanted. Oatmeal, toast and jam, waffles, or french toast. All with a side of orange juice, which we never drank.

Grandma was always dressed up and put together, complete with red lipstick and a purse containing pink Extra bubblegum. You could always ask for a piece. Grandma used to make caramel popcorn just for me because she knew I loved it so. Her recipe is still the best ever.

I always knew that family was important to Grandma. Along with Grandpa, she was always at any important event in my life--from my blessing to my graduate degree graduation--and made me feel so important. Cards, phone calls, visits, and birthdays. Cutting--and laminating--articles about me she came across in the paper. She was always showing she cared.

Oh, how I miss her sweet smile and laugh.

Her tender hugs and kisses on the cheek.

That bright red lipstick smile.

And I know that someday, I will see her again.

I'm Back!

I know, I know. My blog has been missing me. Thanks for the calls and concerns. But, I have big news!

I got a new computer! Yay!

Remember, oh last Decemberish, when I smashed my computer screen? That computer has been basically unusable for awhile now. So, after much deliberation and internal struggle, I've purchased a computer that I think I'll be happy with for many, many years to come.

Meet Miss Molly Mac.

It's true. I'm a Mac owner. Yes, there is going to be a slight learning curve, but I'm adjusting quickly. I'm going to have a really hard time putting it down or away or whatever. Really. I'm going to have to schedule in my computer time so that it doesn't take over my life. I'm perfectly okay with that.

Woopsies

It's kind of like I forgot that I had a blog. I've been disconnected. Literally. No internet connection at home for awhile. I have it now, but I just don't care. It could be that I'm super busy with work, school, and life. It could be that my computer screen is smashed to spidery smithereens, and I can't stand to use my computer very long. Please forgive me. I'll try to be better.

I Don't Know Why

Red was a very elderly man--in his 90's I'm sure--who always came into the Sugar House Sizzler when I was a waitress there during college. He had a wonderful voice but a terrible memory. When Red would come and sit in my section, without doubt another server would come over and say to him, "Red, I don't think Michelle has heard your song." Red would then begin signing this song by Hank Locklin. He wouldn't just sing, he would get up and dance, too. After, he would tell you about his sweet wife (who was deceased) and show you her picture. I just had this song on my mind today and thought of Red. :) I can't even find the song on Youtube, or I would share it.


I don't know why I love you like I do;
I don't know why I just do.
I don't know why you thrill me like you do;
I don't know why you just do.
You never seem to want my romancing;
the only time you hold me is when we're dancing.
I don't know why I love you like I do;
I don't know why, I just do.

Statistics

I'm starting year 6 of teaching. SIX! Take that! I've made it through my first five years of teaching. Most new teachers quit within the first five years. Believe me, there are times I've wanted to. Wahoo! I'm not just another statistic.

Random Pictures

Yeesh. All these pictures have been living in my camera or phone. Now, here they are for your viewing pleasure, in no particular order. I'd like to do more of these, when my life is more orderly. ;)

Customize your own free slideshow design

Home Again Jiggety Jig

Or, just finally home. So, I've moved! And I like you enough to show it to you. I finally made the plunge and bought my first place. Maybe plunge is the wrong word, since it's a third floor walk-up, and it wasn't necessarily as easy as jumping in. Anyway, I signed on May 11, and I have been spending all my off-track time moving in and making the place my own. Actually, I'm still moving things around and making the place my own. I'll probably be doing that for a few months to come. I have so many ideas, and oh-so-little time to make them all a reality. But, here's a sneak peak of my new place with pictures from the listing of when I bought it. If you want to see the real deal, well then give me a call and come on over!

Cabo Cruising

April 9-15, I went on a cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with some of my friends. It was very fun, although getting sea sick was probably the least exciting part. We had some fun times, ate delicious food, and played in Cabo. My favorite activity was riding four wheelers on the beach, Migrino Beach, on the Pacific Ocean side of Cabo. It was extremely beautiful, and I didn't mind the driving fast part either. I've been reprimanded for not blogging for awhile, so to apprease the readers, here are some pictures from that trip. More to come in the near future when I can sort through the hundreds of pictures that everyone took.

Denise and I sporting our four-wheeling gear. We are going to be on the Amazing Race someday.

Emily and I riding in the backseat of the car. We spent a lot of time together. :)

Taking in the view from one of the decks onboard the ship. Good thing nobody pushed me overboard.

Yes, that is a cooked snail that I'm about to put into my mouth. It was actually pretty good. Tasted like chicken. . . or mushrooms. ;)

Emily and I showing off the exquisite view from our cabin. I think it's hilarious they even spent money on a curtain!

On our tour of the Cabo harbor, we saw this little guy, hanging out by himself. He looked dead, but he wasn't.

One of the views on the tour of the Cabo harbor. The water was beautiful! The other side of the arch is the Pacific Ocean.

Frozen in Time

Just thought I'd upload a few pictures that have been living in my camera for awhile. Most of them are pretty recent, well, at least from 2010. :)

The February/March Birthday Party

Everyone had a set of candles: Jenni, Dante, Nan, Axton, and Tony. Dante lost no time blowing his out. Notice he's pretty proud of himself.

The Madsen Family Sealing, Jordan River Temple, March 6, 2010

Double Trouble

Scott and Mike

Seriously, every time I hold this kid he thinks that he's going to stay and his mom's going to leave him. That's what I get for watching him for a week. Geesh!

Last but not least (for a moment anyway), my students. We made silly-eyed glasses for a fun day activity. I almost peed my pants. :)