So recently I have been contemplating getting a scooter ..... Hmmm so many decisions
Daisypath Anniversary tickers
7.23.2011
12.03.2009
This was just something fun I saw on My Cousin's Blog.
11.28.2009
Black Fiday...Oh the Mania!!
It's pretty self-explanatory. Me and Pat got up very early....think 2AM and drove down to Wal-Mart for it's Black Friday sale. You see, Pat's computer had taken a poo on us so I found a really nice computer on sale at Wal-Mart's Black Friday sale. So we went down there, only to discover that they had given out "tickets" to the first five people to get there for that item. It was so lame! Plus, I hadn't read anything about this ticket-thing. I think they may have wanted to avoid another repeat of the incident that they had last year. You know, where someone got trampled to death. Kinda stupid if you ask me, but that's human nature for ya. We gotsta get our merchandise.
So me and Pat decided to wait, maybe someone would leave and we'd get their ticket. Well, that's actually what happened, but to no loss to the person who left. This lady who had been waiting since 10PM the night before (Yes, these were the pros apparently) had decided to give us her ticket since we were the only other people there and her sister had found another store they could go to for the same computer and be guaranteed it. It was a freakin' miracle and blessing. Truly. Especially since we still had the rest of the semester to go and both Pat's and my computer were down for the count.
I was so depressed when I found out that my computer couldn't be revived for less than $400.00. Devastated. I wish technology didn't cost so much and last so shortly.
Anyway, so now we have a brand-spankin'-new computer and absolutely love it.
So me and Pat decided to wait, maybe someone would leave and we'd get their ticket. Well, that's actually what happened, but to no loss to the person who left. This lady who had been waiting since 10PM the night before (Yes, these were the pros apparently) had decided to give us her ticket since we were the only other people there and her sister had found another store they could go to for the same computer and be guaranteed it. It was a freakin' miracle and blessing. Truly. Especially since we still had the rest of the semester to go and both Pat's and my computer were down for the count.
I was so depressed when I found out that my computer couldn't be revived for less than $400.00. Devastated. I wish technology didn't cost so much and last so shortly.
Anyway, so now we have a brand-spankin'-new computer and absolutely love it.
Thanksgiving
Well, me and Pat decided to stay here in Utah for Thanksgiving. Not like we had very many options, seeing as how we're so poor. But it was a pretty good Thanksgiving, as far as Thanksgivings go. My sisters' fiances came over and participated in the day's festivities. The day before, my sister-in-law Cherie and I watched Pat and his brother Ben play football. I guess "turkey-bowl" is quite the thing to do on Thanksgiving. Something, growing up in a house full of girls, I wasn't aware of. Overall, we had lots of turkey and lots of fun.
11.12.2009
Alrighty...
So I know I mentioned in an earlier post that I had a bunch of posts I would be posting. (I just laughed to myself about how that sounded. Tee Hee.)
Anyway, I promise that I'll post them....someday.....
It's just a matter of finding the motivation. Because, I'll be honest, I DO have the time. Occasionally. However, the motivation to pull the pics off my camera, crop and/or tweak them, and then post them in a format that looks pleasing to the eye, is severely lacking.
I do hope to MAYBE knock out a few posts this weekend. MAYBE. I really do have all the posts done. They just don't have pics. So if you follow my blog, be on the look out for a whole plethora of posts to bombard your dashboard.
Anyway, I promise that I'll post them....someday.....
It's just a matter of finding the motivation. Because, I'll be honest, I DO have the time. Occasionally. However, the motivation to pull the pics off my camera, crop and/or tweak them, and then post them in a format that looks pleasing to the eye, is severely lacking.
I do hope to MAYBE knock out a few posts this weekend. MAYBE. I really do have all the posts done. They just don't have pics. So if you follow my blog, be on the look out for a whole plethora of posts to bombard your dashboard.
This Mediation Stuff's Not So Bad After All
Well, it turns out that I actually do like mediating. When I got to the Orem Court, I found out that a lady that had been in my Fundamental Mediation class last semester was also there. Her name is Virginia. So we got together and divvied up duties and started to meet the New Fundamental Mediation students that would be our pupils. They were pretty cool and so NEW! WOW. But you know what, I think my own experience as a new mediator and not knowing who my mentors were really influenced mine and Virginia's decision to be play very active roles in these new students' learning and experiences. Virginia was constantly coming up with amazing forms to use so that we weren't having to write everything on notebook paper. We each took turns giving presentations on various mediation topics. In our debriefings we took extra care to address students' and each other's concerns. And we tracked each student's progress. I think we did an amazing job as mentors and we received a lot of great feedback from our supervisor, LeeAnn, and the students.
It was kind of interesting, upon self-reflection, to realize that I am pretty good at mediation and that I enjoy the process, problems, and people. I think the tool that really helped me come into my own was a book that was assigned for the class. It's called, Fundamental Negotiation. It's an amazing case-by-case book that gives the reader/mediator a lot of confidence. I started out thinking that the parties in the mediation had the power to move the mediation forward or stop it, but realized that I was the one with the reigns. This one principle put things into an entirely different perspective and helped me to "take control" per se and be of great help to the parties. And I can do this without losing my neutrality. I learned how to be COMPLETELY objective. And trust me, this is such a hard thing to do. Especially when you get a scummy situation, that is so horrible, and realize that one party is a sleeze-ball and the other is the victim. Such a shame. But that's where I, as a mediator, step in. Unlike a judge, who might not understand what the real context of the situation is, I get to know the parties better and this definitely helps in directing them to a solution.
Please note, I don't mean to make it sound like I make the decisions for the parties or influence them to a solution that I think is best for them. That's not what I do. I help them to understand each other, the situation for what it really is, and brainstorm to create their own solutions to their problems. I've come to realize that people, when they come to his point, are so frustrated by emotions that they can't focus on the problem and possible solutions. It's also that most people think there are only two solutions, either somebody pays or somebody gets sued. When emotions get involved, people lose their creativity. That's where I step in and help them come up with solutions that work for them. A lot of times, somebody just wants an apology and thinks that litigation is what will get them that. Well, technically, it does. But it's not the judge who orders it, it's my job as a mediator to make that happen.
All in all, I would have to say that I feel this semester has been pretty productive and that I've definitely grown to have an appreciation for mediation. I really hope to do more of it in the future. I truly believe that it can change peoples' lives for the better.
It was kind of interesting, upon self-reflection, to realize that I am pretty good at mediation and that I enjoy the process, problems, and people. I think the tool that really helped me come into my own was a book that was assigned for the class. It's called, Fundamental Negotiation. It's an amazing case-by-case book that gives the reader/mediator a lot of confidence. I started out thinking that the parties in the mediation had the power to move the mediation forward or stop it, but realized that I was the one with the reigns. This one principle put things into an entirely different perspective and helped me to "take control" per se and be of great help to the parties. And I can do this without losing my neutrality. I learned how to be COMPLETELY objective. And trust me, this is such a hard thing to do. Especially when you get a scummy situation, that is so horrible, and realize that one party is a sleeze-ball and the other is the victim. Such a shame. But that's where I, as a mediator, step in. Unlike a judge, who might not understand what the real context of the situation is, I get to know the parties better and this definitely helps in directing them to a solution.
Please note, I don't mean to make it sound like I make the decisions for the parties or influence them to a solution that I think is best for them. That's not what I do. I help them to understand each other, the situation for what it really is, and brainstorm to create their own solutions to their problems. I've come to realize that people, when they come to his point, are so frustrated by emotions that they can't focus on the problem and possible solutions. It's also that most people think there are only two solutions, either somebody pays or somebody gets sued. When emotions get involved, people lose their creativity. That's where I step in and help them come up with solutions that work for them. A lot of times, somebody just wants an apology and thinks that litigation is what will get them that. Well, technically, it does. But it's not the judge who orders it, it's my job as a mediator to make that happen.
All in all, I would have to say that I feel this semester has been pretty productive and that I've definitely grown to have an appreciation for mediation. I really hope to do more of it in the future. I truly believe that it can change peoples' lives for the better.
11.05.2009
^^--^^ HALLOWEEN ^^--^^
So....Halloween......
Yeah. Me and Pat dressed up. I had made our costumes this year. It didn't start out that way though. My sister Clarissa is a Theater major at SUU, so one of the classes she gets to take has something to do with making costumes. Yeah. It's pretty nifty. Anyway, she volunteered to make us whatever costumes we wanted and, of course, Pat chose Link from The Legend of Zelda. (Huge Gamer, my husband)
This would have worked out great because, as I wanted to go as a couple, I could be Zelda. YAY! She's hot. Well, I started doing some research on her costume and discovered that, to make: MONTHS! and to buy: $300+. YIKES! So I talked Pat into going as something else. That "something else" wasn't to be decided until 2 days before Halloween and it was such a simple costume. Although, it wasn't anything ordinary that inspired him.
We got Netflix recently. Not that we have ANY time to watch a lot of movies, but it's 4.99 a month so when we do have time, we can watch a dvd or two.
Anyway, back to the story, we were watching all kinds of movies instantly online on Thursday evening, after we got home from school and discovered we didn't have to work on homework (Yay! A reprieve!) Well, one of the movies we watched was Interview With The Vampire starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise (and Antonio Banderes). So we watch this and Pat gets inspired. He decided that he would like to be a vampire as well. Boring you're thinking, right? No. Not Pat's way, at least. He decided that he should have cool makeup, to look dead but not like a ghost. And, after trying to tame his poof of curls, suggests that I put my hair extensions in his hair. All the more to look like "Sexy Brad Pitt". Yes, he fully admits that he thinks Brad Pitt is a Sexy Man in that movie.
So I put in the extensions. Yeah. My hubbs is a cross dresser. However, his bone structure (superb as it is) would never allow him to cross that threshold. He's too damn masculine. I have pics. You decide. I think he looks sufficiently sinister (and sexy).
I, on the other hand, to inspiration from Martha Stewart's Halloween magazine and decided to be the Gray Lady. It was a fairly easy costume, with the exception of all the hand stitching I had to do because I don't own a sewing machine. I now have a greater appreciation for all the seamstresses and dress makers of long ago, before sewing machines.
Anyway, we got dressed up and went trick-or-treating on Halloween and had many a good laugh. One, because we were the only adults dressed up and trick-or-treating and Two, because of all the drunk people we encountered. Who, by-the-way, made fun of us. Interesting, right?
Yeah. Me and Pat dressed up. I had made our costumes this year. It didn't start out that way though. My sister Clarissa is a Theater major at SUU, so one of the classes she gets to take has something to do with making costumes. Yeah. It's pretty nifty. Anyway, she volunteered to make us whatever costumes we wanted and, of course, Pat chose Link from The Legend of Zelda. (Huge Gamer, my husband)
This would have worked out great because, as I wanted to go as a couple, I could be Zelda. YAY! She's hot. Well, I started doing some research on her costume and discovered that, to make: MONTHS! and to buy: $300+. YIKES! So I talked Pat into going as something else. That "something else" wasn't to be decided until 2 days before Halloween and it was such a simple costume. Although, it wasn't anything ordinary that inspired him.
We got Netflix recently. Not that we have ANY time to watch a lot of movies, but it's 4.99 a month so when we do have time, we can watch a dvd or two.
Anyway, back to the story, we were watching all kinds of movies instantly online on Thursday evening, after we got home from school and discovered we didn't have to work on homework (Yay! A reprieve!) Well, one of the movies we watched was Interview With The Vampire starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise (and Antonio Banderes). So we watch this and Pat gets inspired. He decided that he would like to be a vampire as well. Boring you're thinking, right? No. Not Pat's way, at least. He decided that he should have cool makeup, to look dead but not like a ghost. And, after trying to tame his poof of curls, suggests that I put my hair extensions in his hair. All the more to look like "Sexy Brad Pitt". Yes, he fully admits that he thinks Brad Pitt is a Sexy Man in that movie.
So I put in the extensions. Yeah. My hubbs is a cross dresser. However, his bone structure (superb as it is) would never allow him to cross that threshold. He's too damn masculine. I have pics. You decide. I think he looks sufficiently sinister (and sexy).
I, on the other hand, to inspiration from Martha Stewart's Halloween magazine and decided to be the Gray Lady. It was a fairly easy costume, with the exception of all the hand stitching I had to do because I don't own a sewing machine. I now have a greater appreciation for all the seamstresses and dress makers of long ago, before sewing machines.
Anyway, we got dressed up and went trick-or-treating on Halloween and had many a good laugh. One, because we were the only adults dressed up and trick-or-treating and Two, because of all the drunk people we encountered. Who, by-the-way, made fun of us. Interesting, right?
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