Alter Ego

When I went to the library this week there was a paper with the title, "what literary character would you be?"  For some reason that idea has stuck with me.  Being the drama queen that I am I think it would depend on the day to know which character I would want to be and then there is the question I have come up with that wonders if a television script can count as literature.  I feel that that is a very legitimate question.  It would let me add in so many more alter egos.

Somewhere in my head I think I live most of my life in the early years of our Country in the South.  I am a total, wanna be, Southern Belle.  In fact that is where my nickname came from, just a little trivia for you all. I'm pretty sure that if we did have lives before this one mine was one of a nice Southern woman.  At any given time I can picture myself sitting on a large front porch drinking lemonade and wearing a lovely, elegant hoop dress with a beautiful matching hat.  My home would be one of the very traditional large plantation homes that would be surrounded by sprawling green lawns with trees and farther on large fields of cotton and or tobacco.  I used to watch Gone with the Wind a lot when I was young, that should help explain some of this.

There are other days that I am part of a good love story.  I could be any one of the characters from a Jane Austen book or most any other of the good love stories that I have read.  I am a hopeless romantic and love to read and see how each relationship comes together and how the whole story unfolds.  I love the Austen stories because they are so romantic and set in the beautiful English countryside.  They wear my favorite style of dress, empire waist dresses are the best!  They have elegant dances and parties (just like my first example) and are very proper.  I'm not to sure about having a complete life of luxury--some of the things that they do would drive me insane.  I would have to be stimulated more unless I go with the idea that if that is just what I'm used to then that is just what I would do.  I'm also not so sure about being too proper.  I have a feeling that I would struggle there as well.

Still with the love story idea I also love a good fantasy love story like Twilight or the more adult Fever Series. I can visit Forks or Dublin almost anytime and even when I do allow myself to get sucked back into one of those books my boys know I am gone for the duration.  None of the stories that I have read are really healthy relationships but then again they are fiction and just to be enjoyed.

Now to the television part.  If these can be included it would encompass what my real life is more like.  I love watching the Middle.  We fit into that dysfunctional family to some degree.  I have never missed one of my boys birthday's but there are so many other things that I can relate to.  Those feelings of frustration as a mother and wife when things just don't go right.  When something breaks and you just don't have the money right then to barely repair it let alone buy something new.  When life takes over and you begin to think that romance is a thing of the past (doesn't help when this happens just as you begin reading a wonderful love story).  It really doesn't matter how well I try to plan--if I try to put together a planned family day or vacation it all falls apart and nothing ends up as I had planned. I could definitely be the mom on that show.

Last but not least, as long as I can include television, I would have to be able to embrace the mom from Home Improvement.  Living in a house with all men, Jill is totally one I can relate with.  I am consistently surrounded by bodily functions, tools, and other forms of mayhem.  I love my guys but would appreciate some things to be left alone and as they came from the store (or dealership).  I would love to not be outnumbered during most all conversations and then have to listen to my topic switched to one that includes any number of bodily functions being laughed about.  As much as I love the laughter, the topic can get old (at least for a girl).  I guess my topics can get old for them also. They can get bored with clothes, hair, polish colors and new recipes.  I don't see how though :)

In the end, my life is so interesting that I should learn to enjoy my very own character and just keep sharing my own experiences with you all and maybe someday I will be able to put some of these ideas and stories into some kind of order and get my character published for all to read.  It would be really funny to see someone want to be this character.

Kelton's Owie

Last Friday night Kelton was at his friends house for their monthly Halo party when, during a wrestling match, he fell and broke his wrist.  Kelton has been very proud to have been the only one in the family to not have had anything major ever happen to him.  He hasn't had a broken bone or surgery or anything else ever happen in his life.  He has also felt a little left out because he doesn't get the special care packages that his aunt makes for everyone else or any of the other special attention that comes from having a medical problem.  

He finally got some of that special attention when he fell and within a matter of minutes his wrist looked like this (most of you probably saw this on facebook):

He had to wait the standard week before he could get his cast put on so the swelling could go down.  We are so blessed to already be established patients with 2 very good orthopedic surgeons.  I decided that I didn't feel right taking advantage of our relationship with Shriner's just for a cast so I got him in to see Kenny's orthopedic surgeon.  He is so nice and it was to throw him off a little.  When we got into the room to see Dr. Richards he came in and just looked at me and finally asked if he knew me. I said yes and that my husband is Kenny and that he did Kenny's surgery last month.  I love that we have such good doctors and also think it is sad that they all know me so well; even when I'm not the patient.

Dr. Richards told Kelton that for a normal wrist fracture you have to have a full cast that goes all the way up your arm but that since Kelton's break isn't that bad that if he promised to be good and not play sports or wrestle he would let him have a half cast.  However, when Kelton said he wanted a red cast Dr. Richards tried to talk him into a blue one (for BYU).  Kelton quickly said no, red for UofU.  After some bantering Kelton was informed that he insisted on sticking with red that he would have to have a full cast and a half cast on the other arm.  Kelton's face was complete shock.  I love doctors with a good sense of humor!

This is the sweet assistant who put on Kelton's cast.  I was even nice and asked before I took her picture.  She was even nicer and agreed to let me snap away.

This is the halfway point.  The assistant was wetting another roll to finish up his cast with.  I thought it was so interesting to watch her put the cast on.  Taylor's cast's are always done when he comes out of surgery so I had no idea how much went into building up the cast and forming it.

Finally finished!!  He got the color he wanted and only a half cast and yet he still would not smile for the camera.

Kelton is so lucky to have his owie only be a little fracture, it could have been so much worse.  He also only needs to wear his cast for a month.  He should still have it on for the next party so he should come out the winner of the next match if he will use it as a weapon :)  just kidding...that goes against his promise and he may end up in a full cast if he doesn't follow the rules.

My Dad

This week is my dads birthday.  LeRoy Mayo Shiflett II would turn 66 this week if he was still alive.  However, he passed away 17 years ago.  He died before either of my boys were born and I like to think that they met before I had Kelton and Taylor.  Both boys do things that only my dad could have taught them because he knew it would push my buttons.  There were a lot of things about my dad that wasn't perfect, but, even as bad as things were I look back now and realize that things could always have been worse (I have seen it this week with a father killing himself and his boys this weekend).  Even though he had a hard time showing it, I know that he loved us and was willing to do whatever he had to do to support us.  It would be really easy to focus on the bad and become bitter but I would rather know that those hard times made me who I am and to spend the time that I have remembering all the good times that we shared during his short life.

My dad loved to spend time with his family and spent hours doing service for them.  Later in his life he also spent countless hours serving our community through the red cross.  He loved to joke around and have fun, he had the best laugh.  He shared his love of fast cars, guns, racing, cowboy movies and adventures with me.  When I was growing up we would spend Sunday watching NASCAR and any war or cowboy movie.  He was the master of  the remote...he could flip between two or three shows at one time and not miss a thing.

He taught me how to handle and shoot a gun.  He taught me how to drive my first car that had a manual transmission.  He taught me how to do a tune up on my car (it was "required" before I could drive it, since I'm not patient we did the tune up in a snow storm. It was so much fun gaping spark plugs in the snow).  He taught me how to work on his race car, prepare him and the car in the staging lanes and how to guide him into the water box so he could do his burn out and stage for each race.  He taught me how to be willing to serve and to use forgiveness in my life.  He taught me the importance of doing genealogy work (I'm still working on incorporating that into my life).  He taught me how to tell a good story. After I was married he taught me the importance of tithing and was there by my side while Kenny and I got ready to be sealed in the Temple.

Before he was my dad, he grew up in a time when muscle cars were the norm and everyone had one.  He had one of the fastest Roadrunners that I know of (other than the one my uncle Ron had).  He was always a rebel and never missed a chance to push the limits.  Once example of this is a story that I heard many times that he would carry a cooler in the trunk of his car full of beer.  He would meet up with his buddies between classes and "enjoy" a beer before going to their next class.  He was a known tough guy and was not someone that would put up with anyone's crap (he would have said that much differently).  He loved his time with the guys and was always with his brother and best friend.  They had been together and joined at the hip since before time.  In fact my uncle and this friend are still close and do things together all the time.

Hunting was one of his other loves.  He would go hunting every year. They didn't always come back with a deer but they always came back with some amazing stories.  We would hear bits and pieces between hunting season and Christmas.  Then on Christmas Eve (our traditional family Christmas party night) over spaghetti and meatballs we would hear the real story of what happened that year and then it would be compared to other years and if it had been better or safer or colder or whatever else they could think of.  By the time I was 7 I could have recounted every story I had ever heard because we heard them every year.  For some reason the only story I remember now is the one where my uncle somehow drove his truck off a cliff (I never heard how large the cliff was but since they drove home I'm guessing it wasn't a large cliff).  Oh, did I mention that there was beer involved in that story as well.

If he would let you past that rough exterior you would find the most loving person around.  He also had a deep love of the Savior that he kept closely guarded next to his heart.  He did serve a mission to England for The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints.  He was always true to himself and never would pretend to be something else just to make someone happy.  He was who he was and I will always admire the strength it took for him to always be honest.  I know that it sounds contradictory, that he liked to push the limits and be a rebel and at the same time was always honest about who he was with himself and with others but that was how he was.  He definitely grew as he got a bit older, as we all do, and I guess that is how it somehow meshes together.  How I can put his stories of how he was younger and how he was as he grew older and you end up with this amazing person who loved to have fun.

There is no way I could ever do his life justice in one entry so I think I will add a little something about him every year for his birthday.  My boys love to hear stories about their grandpa and so I will start to share them every year with everyone.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!!

I will always love you!

 

The Leonardo

My amazing sister was able to get us tickets to The Leonardo Museum.  It is an all hands on museum that focuses a lot on the arts but they also have a section on genetics where they are doing genetic research and an area where you can feel what it is like to be someone who has a handicap.  It was so amazing and most importantly, fun.  All the pictures I took are from the area with all the art stuff you can do.  I also took a bunch of video but for some reason it won't play nice and download from my phone.  If I figure it out I will add it.  

Before I show you all the pictures I also want to add another part that they had.  There is a huge human rights museum that focuses on the Civil Rights movement from the 1960's.  There was a volunteer there at the beginning of the exhibit that explained how the Civil Right movement really was able to move forward and that it was from all the students who had access to camera's.  He talked about how the people in the South would earn $.50 to $3.00 per day and so the people who were working and supporting their families couldn't stop work to put a voice to what they truly wanted and needed so it was the college students that really made everything move forward.  The pictures in the exhibit are all from the 1960's but there are many that look like they could have been taken yesterday.  I have never been to the South so there was much that shocked me when I saw how the African American population lived, worked, and were treated.  I think we all have an idea but until I saw some of those pictures I never truly appreciated how their lives were.  It is an amazing exhibit!!

Below are some of the pictures that I took of our fun.

Kenny and Kelton making a stop motion movie.  I did   record it and will add it later if  possible.

Taylor and Becca drawing pictures on the board that are shown on the large screen in the back.

Grandma Shauna and Kelton on the other side of the table doing the same  thing.  You can see the screen a little better in this picture.

One of the things you can do is watercolor painting on the computer.  This was my attempt at watercolors.  Yep,my art level is still at about 3rd grade.

This interactive exhibit is beautiful!  It is supposed to sense you and move and light up according to your emotions and the carbon dioxide in your breath.  It did that a little bit, it was just more fun to look at than try to make it work.

My men looking at the living exhibit  and trying to make the feathers move.

Taylor at the desk where you draw yourself.  He wouldn't keep his picture.  He wouldn't even let me see it.

Kenny is sitting next to Taylor drawing his own self portrait.  He did a really good job.

Kelton in the room where you could  move and dance and make the animated person the a T.V, screen  do what you are doing.  Once again, I recorded this but can't add it at this moment.  It was so cool.

Taylor in the same room making the  Knight dance.  Taylor even got the animated guy on his head when he tried to do some football move.  I did record him and I even got Kenny when he went in there but will add them when I figure out how.  I even took a turn in there but my mom has that picture, so, to bad but I don't  have it and can't add it.

We had so much fun together as a family, Thank You Becca for taking us.

A Jazz Game or A Jimmer Game

Kenny was able to get us tickets to the Jazz game on Saturday night. I was so excited to have a date night. We get a lot of evenings alone but we don't get to go out and do something very often.  So, this was a big night for us.  It really should have been just a perfect time but I let my snarky side out early in the evening and then it didn't want to go away (I'm thinking of blaming my cousin, it could be her influence that is helping me to foster this side of me.  Please note the level of sarcasm here.).

It all started when we were parking and the parking attendant asked me to move my car over. The guy beside me insisted on backing into his spot but he was way to far over so while I waited for him to move the parking attendant spoke with someone in a car behind me and then when I hadn't moved fast enough for him he came to tell me to move again.  I informed him that I was trying to move but and that is when he cut me off and spoke to me like I was 3 years old and said that he would help me.  Gee Thanks! Like I don't know how to back up my car.  I rolled my window down and as he "helped" me back up I caught his attention and explained that I can only move as fast as the people around me and that I had to wait for the guy next to me and then for the car behind me and that unless he wanted me to back into someone (I was thinking especially him) then he needed to be patient. I finished by yelling out my window as I pulled forward that he didn't need to treat me like an idiot. I am still embarrassed that I actually yelled at him.

Once inside it was wonderful and we sat next to one of Kenny's coworker's and his wife who were both very nice.  Once they started to announce the players for the teams my snarky side came back out.  When they announced Jimmer, who now plays for the Kings, the crowd went crazy and gave him a huge welcome.  They cheered more for him than the entire Jazz team.  That is how it went through the whole game.  I couldn't believe how the people there would give him encouragement and cheer for him and barely notice what the Jazz players were doing.  It became very clear, very quickly that for the majority of the people there that there was only  one player on the entire court and that was Jimmer.  I felt so embarrassed for "our" team.  There were some boos from the crowd at times when Jimmer had the ball but overall there should have been much more support for our Jazz.  I had so many comments during the game that I won't share here because I already shared my slight freak out moment with the parking attendant and that was bad enough, everyone would hate me if I shared half of what I thought and shared with Kenny during the game.  Kenny finally decided that the whole place was off (there was a disturbance in the force) because we had so many people from UT county there for the game.

We really did have a ton of fun and even spent some time remembering our first date and where we sat.  I am so proud that the Jazz won the game!!!  It was a good night that I will remember for a very long time and not because of who was there but because I got to enjoy so much time with my husband watching a sport we both enjoy while eating ice cream.

The North Invades, Maybe

When I took my first accounting class my professor was obsessed with the  idea that all great invasions came from the North.  Well, Canada,  being our northern Country bordering us, my professor insisted that one day Canada would invade America and take over.  With the 2012 election under way and those interested in running for the top office have begun their campaigns, we now have a new party that whether they are serious or not have announced  their interest in the campaign.

The new party is The Canada Party.  

Below is the link to their website and a video explaining their platform. 

(If you are sensitive to some language, I need to warn you that there are a couple of words you may not like  but this is really funny)

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/924885865/the-canada-party-america-but-better

I never took my professor serious, but this could be the first sign that he may have known something we didn't and that he wasn't just off his rocker.  Funny thing is, this is about all I remember from an entire semester of accounting  :)

I hope everyone gets a good laugh like I did.  Politics are so serious (they really should be, there is a lot at stake) but we can still keep our sense of humor and enjoy a good laugh.

A Solicitor and Pink Paisley Pants

Now that it has been almost a month since I have last blogged I should probably apologize for being such a bad blogger.  Life has just been normal and boring which is nice but it also makes it hard to write about things.

Now for something funny.  People have a way of knowing when you are having a bad day and the other day I was having one of those days when I was really rockin' the fat housewife look.  I'm not even saying that to be mean, I really had that disheveled look going.  Picture it:  Me, black long sleeve T-shirt (from the day before and wrinkled), pink pajama pants that have dark pink and white paisley patterns, tan socks (at 6 am I thought they were white, it doesn't make it any better but it helps explain my train of thought).  So far you should have this picture of me from the neck down where nothing matches. Now to add the neck up: oily face (no hormones = me at 14 all over again) which has spread to my crazy hair so my hair is cucky at the temples, bangs that are split down the middle from my c-pap and massive bed head in the back.  Now put that all together.  I have no credibility at all for anything in life, I shouldn't even be out of bed like this.

Someone knocks on the door and of course, whooosh, the boys and the dog are at the door swinging it wide open.  And, yes, they really did make that noise.  I stumble over to the door and it is a solicitor.  Really! I don't want to deal with this.  I gather what little I have mentally for that day together and approach the door tell him off before he has a chance to say more than "wow, big dog, I hope you fed it breakfast."  He in turn gets that ha, you are so not funny grin and then I quickly turn it into my I don't like you mean face and inform him that "this is a no soliciting area and that I need to ask him to leave now. And I'm not very interesting anyway."

Right there, at the I'm not very interesting part, ya, combine that with how I looked and I lost all credibility. I'm not really sure if I had any to begin with but there was none when he left because he walked away laughing and repeating me. I quickly yelled behind him that "I wasn't interested!" and then shut the door.  I had fed Maggie breakfast but I think she really needed a snack right about then.  I just couldn't decide if she could have him for laughing at me or if she could have me for, well, being me.