I have to express my appreciation for scrubs. I do get quite sick of wearing them day in and day out but they really are a remarkable item.

Pros:
- They are reversible (even though I have never in six years worn them inside out. That is due to the fact that it would put the used side of the fabric against my clean skin and that grosses me out.)

- They are oh so forgiving

- Draw string, no zipper

- The only thing that hasn't washed out of mine is a circle of paint that I intentionally sprayed on one day.

- They are the fastest drying material in AMERICA! (I timed it and they broke my previous, not so accurate record of five minutes. They went from soaking wet to dry in 3 minutes 55 seconds.)


I'm not going to write the cons because this is supposed to be a feel good entry about scrubs.

This picture made me laugh.

Mmmmm...

Working with the elderly has helped widen my taste in many wacky ways. I like drinking Pero now, and I know how to make it just right. I've learned to eat those weird breads with the jelly things in them, I have learned that what makes that bread so good is the whiskey in it. Who'd a thought?

My newest favorite is partially an old favorite mixed with a senior touch. Honey Nut Cheerios is by far my favorite cereal, I have been eating it my whole life. The past 4 months it is the staple to my day. My sweet patient who will remain nameless also eats this cereal every morning and night. Needless to say we became best friends from day one. Her twist is that she adds Strawberry Ensure in with the milk. I had a bowl with her one day. I was a little nervous that it would taste like the other diet supplement drinks I've tried but I was wrong! It is delicious!! I'm hooked!

I recommend it to all. For those nervous of buying such a drink, strawberry milk also works as a substitute.

I cannot stop reading Alma chapter 2. I love it. I don't know why it hasn't stuck out to me before now. In my mind I see it play out, in a way, like a scene from the movie 300. The enemy greatly outnumbering the good, but the enemy soon realizes they are no match. I love that the Lord can fill us with strength that we can't even comprehend when we are faced with battles that seem impossible. It's so empowering.

Give me Air!! Or Give Me Death!!!

I have learned to love Cache Valley. The past summer and fall were dreamy, the snow fall was so beautiful, but now... something has happened. I always knew Cache Valley was known for its bad air in the winter and I always wondered why. You would think a small town in the beautiful mountains would have perfect air. I realize there are a large concentration of people here now and we have narrow canyons making the air trapped, but I didn't realize that Logan officials don't have their heads on straight.

CARS REGISTERED IN CACHE VALLEY AREN'T REQUIRED TO HAVE EMISSIONS TESTS DONE!!

You have got to be kidding me!! You think that people would put two and two together. I read some articles about it and one said that they are waiting to enforce emissions testing until they come out with a more advanced technology.

Another article talked about how many health problems come along with breathing this air.

"I feel a burning sensation in my chest, sometimes I cough up gray junk, and my sinuses are equally impacted."

"The source of the problem is lung-penetrating soot particulates less than 1/40th the width of a human hair. The soot — made up essentially of atmospheric ammonia and nitrogen oxide from vehicle emissions — can damage air sacs in the lungs, causing a wide range of health concerns from asthma and congestive heart failure to immune system disorders." (!!!!!!!)

I'm speechless!

(well... obviously I am not since I am writing a blog about it)

Get on the ball Logan before I throw up, or better yet, drop dead.

Thank you

I was thinking today that I never really expressed how grateful I am to Mckay for sewing my costume this past Halloween. You did such a great job!

I love it. I'm gonna wear it all summer.

p.s. - I owe you lunch. Don't let me forget.

So as I visit my old people every day so many thoughts come into my mind. Thoughts about aging, the purposes of life and the consequences that follow you, etc.. It's weird that for me at my age, the thoughts of wearing out don't bother me. I just don't think about it. But for the sweet souls I visit, that is the majority of their thoughts. Keeping your body "taped together" keeps you pretty occupied at 94.

I have learned so much about making things last from them. No matter how much money they have, they know how to save. One lady always asks me for a little TP to wipe her nose and scolds me if I give her more than 2 squares. Most of them raised families in small modest homes and most of them still live in those homes. One lady I cared for raised 8 kids in a 2 bedroom home. When I asked how she did it she said, "We just made it work, the kids didn't know the difference." I look at all the huge homes being built and I just wonder why we need to have so much STUFF these day. Its sad that some kids are embarrassed to bring their friends home cuz their house isn't like their friends.

I say take a lesson from those before us! You don't have to have an 8 bedroom house, 2 SUV's, a four wheeler, a theater room, and a mountain of debt. Live simple. Get by and save the rest the rest for a rainy day. I'm sure one of these crazy days you'll be glad you did.

Thanks old people!

So last night I had a dream that I was on a tour bus. While we were sight seeing we had to stop to let a bird walk across the road. As I got a better look at it, I realized it was two birds. One bird was holding a smaller weaker bird in its beak and carrying it to safety. In my head in my dream I remember vividly thinking how sweet that was and that I needed to write a blog about it. I woke up and that was the first thing to pop in my head. So... here it is.

Thanks Nate...

Journal Material

Well today is a day to go in the Journal. I have been waiting for this day my whole life. I didn't think this would happen to me until I was in Alaska but today as I was sitting in my car in College Ward Utah, I glanced over to a group of trees along a little frozen river and noticed something out of the ordinary.

Since my Dad is a bird lover I have learned to always watch for birds. I love watching all the Hawks up here in Logan. They seem to be everywhere and I find them fascinating. Today however the bird was much larger than a Hawk. At first it appeared to be just a huge brown bird, but then, something magical happened. It lifted its beautiful white head up and I almost screamed. Well actually I did, but that is because I really wanted to see it fly and I was trying to scare it. It didn't work and I had to get closer to it. I jumped out of my car. The only thing between my car and the Bird was a huge snow covered field. I started running into the field but I soon realized I was waist deep in snow and was sort of stuck. I'm sure this was very amusing to my patient through her window. I decided I would never make it across that field without getting hypothermia (I was wearing scrubs) so I turned around disappointed. I drove in a square block twice around the field just watching it. A crow landed in the same tree as the Eagle and the crow was not even half the size of It.

This is the greatest day of my life.



Facts:

*Eagles, as of 2007, are officially off the Endangered and Threatened Lists in the Continental US.

*Eagles make the largest nests of all North American Birds. Up to 13 feet deep and 8 feet wide weighing up to 1 ton!

*The average female weighs 12.8 lbs. The male 8 lbs.

*In Alaska the females may exceed 16 lbs. and have a wingspan of 8 feet. (Oh I love Alaska)

*The average lifespan is 25 years.

*Eagles can fly up to 30 mph while carrying a fish.

*Bald Eagles have powerful talons and have been recorded flying with a 15-pound Mule Deer fawn.

*Eagles mate for life. (I love that)

*Eagles are awesome.

So this is the New Year...

I figured that the only people that read this are my Gnomes so I am not going to document my New Years because they all did it beautifully. All I will say is that it was great.

I have felt really motivated so far this year to be Better, in every way. Some of my desires for the year are resolutions and others are just new mind sets. 2009 is going to mold me into perfection! Hah. I'm kidding, but it really is. I will put notes up everywhere to remind me, I'm going to do whatever it takes.

If you ever see me not wearing this pin you can pinch me. Also by the end of the year all those shoes will be worn out no matter how far I have hike, run, walk whatever... My dancing shoes are there too, just pretend.

The rest of my goals are for me to know and for you to hopefully find out in time.

Here's to 2009!