Category: Random Babblings

Mother Nature is trying to make amends with mee

She was so unkind to me temperature-wise for so long.  Today, though, was beautiful.  It started with walking in the cold-cold to me, to most it was probably bearable.  Then while Jacob was teaching, I worked on a Scripture Mastery project.   And for our Family Home Evening we grilled hamburgers outside and pick-nicked in our yard.  We listened to the Junior High track meet.  Way to go Daniel D!  Jacob said he heard that you placed.  It was nice, until the sun went down and I started getting goose-bumps.

And because there has only been one guess on the quiz from last week, I am leaving it up for one more week.

Oh, I also wanted to share a lesson in keeping the Sabbath day Holy.  Yesterday as we were leaving church the gas tank light came on.  We decided that instead of purchasing more gas on Sunday we would hold out and trust we would be blessed for it.  Even though Jacob had a home teaching appointment to drive to last evening. And I would need to drive across town early this morning before I could get gas.  So after I did my walking thing this morning I went to start the car and it hesitated, but still got me over to Hy-Vee so that I could pay the electric bill and get a 15 cents/gallon off of my gas purchase.  And then I was almost unable to start the car again to get to a gas pump, it was on what fumes were barely there still, but it made it to the pump, and I was able to fill up at $2.74/gallon.  That is the best we have paid for gas in a long time.

I hate that it is pretty

Snow.  It is cold and nasty.  It is so pretty.  In fact I think I really like to see it drifting across the road in the swirls of wind.  If only it were not so stinking cold!

Tonight as we were driving, I was reminded of a song in Beauty and the Beast.  “Through the mist, through the woods, through the darkness and the shadows, it’s a nightmare, but it’s one exciting ride.”  And that describes the mid-west to mee tonight.

Only problem now is, we don’t own that movie.  And until I can watch it, that song will be stuck in my head.

What can be the issue?

Problem:  I am cold.  All of the time.  I can not warm up.  I sit in a room that is 88 degrees, and I need to put on a sweater.  And a stocking cap.  And gloves.  And wool socks.  And house slippers.

Maybe it wil result in comfort.  Not always, especially if all those things limit my mobility.

At this moment the temperature is -9 with a wind chill of -19.  I hate strongly detest this time of year.  The only redeeming quality is that when blowing bubbles outside, they freeze.  That is the ONLY redeeming quality.

Does anyone have a house they would like to donate to us that is in a tropical region, or at the very least that never has temperatures that drop below 74 degrees farenheight?

Eight dollars and sixteen months

We went out to Idaho (15th-21st) with Jacob’s Parents for Erin’s and Adam’s graduation.  We stayed with John and Tinell (she also graduated) Broadbent (they have two very adorable little girls, and stinking smart too).  John may be responsible for our potentially thinking about purchasing a Wii in the future.  We had a lot of fun in Idaho.  Not so much fun the four days in the car to get there and back. The trip was good; physically sitting in a confined space for four days is not so pleasant.

We were very lucky with the driving conditions.  We did see lots of tire marks where cars had gone off in the snow before we got to those points.  We are happy that the weather cleared up for us to make it there and back in safety and with out too much worry.

Now for the fun stats I know everyone is waiting for, knowing that I am mee and I do these things on car trips.  Just remember FOUR days of travel.

December 15th:

I counted up 30 places where cars had slid off the road in the earlier bad weather, not including cars still there.
There were 2 cars still out there, one was a mini-van and looked like it may have collided with a car not there any more.
There were 6 semi-trucks, 3 of which were flipped on the sides.
I just hoped and prayed that everyone was ok.

Watched Indiana Jones:  Raiders of the Lost Arc and Horton Hears a Who ( the newer one, I still prefer the older one).

Now for the Alphabet searches:

Start time 7:50am (finding the words in order)
Avenue Burlington Club Dane Equipped For Golf Hiring It’s Junction Kawasaki Lockridge Melrose National Orlando Peterbilt Quarter Right Stop Travel USDOT VanWyk Wisconsin Xpress (as in U.S. Xpress) Yanke Zooming
Stop time 9:44am

Start time 9:46am (finding the letters on license plates we passed)
668WWA SB3P2M  989CMQ  126TDX  490MLE TF4209  G598107  237SJH 894NIP  790JJA  KTYAHWK  206ALZ  CWM 995TLN 188WDO PS4404  951RQZ  6FBR122  795ESC  896TJY  U1462O  OVF776  435EWX  835RMX 726SYK  013NQZ
Stop time 12:10pm

Start time 12:56pm (finding the words randomly)
Airport Beatrice Class Downtown East Federal Grand Harley Icy Jery’s Knight Lincoln Mack Nation Oak Park Quest Ramada Sale Then University Vehicles Warning Xtra York Zoo
Stop time 4:05pm

We stayed the night in Laramie, Wyoming.  I did not make any lists the next day (the 16th) because I was too busy whining about the lack of data service on the phones as we drove through the rest of Wyoming.  I was also taking lots of pictures of the scenery.  It is beautiful even if there is not a single person who lives there to enjoy it!!!  We decided to stop briefly in Salt Lake City so we could take Jacob’s parents to see the new Conference Center.  It was a fun tour.  And wouldn’t you know it, the first person we see as we are rounding the corner to park the car was Brother Maynard.  He and his wife were serving a mission here in Macomb, and just left in August.  Driving through the mountains was very pretty.

We headed back early the morning of December 20th:

We watched A Christmas Story and Back to the Future I, II, and III

Alphabet searches:

Start time 8:55am (in  order)
And Blackfoot Comfort Diabetes Exit Fort Gas Highway (9:00am) Indian Just (9:19am) Kehoka (10:28am) Lots Miles North Ogden Price Quizno’s Restaurant Subway TechnaGlass Unleaded Villiage Watson Xtreme Yard Zone (no passing zone)
Stop time 12:54pm

Start time 2:42pm (finding the words randomly)
Area Benson Cross Draw Express FedEx Georgia Halliburton Interstate John Keystone Lays Marten Number Only Parking Quick Richfield Sswift Trading Ursus VanPack Winning Xpress (Ad Xpress) Yesco Zone (Auto Zone)
Stop time 5:10pm

We stayed that night in Ogallala, Nebraska.

December 21:

We watched Rigoletto and we stopped about 1:30pm in Omaha for lunch at Jimmy John’s in hopes of meeting up with a couple of friends.  Unfortunately, neither of them were able to make it.  Maybe another time.

Alphabet searches:

Start time 9:22am (finding words randomly)
Ants Bridges Coleman Drive Eagle Food Golden Hershey Inn Join Kearney Lodging Minimum Nebraska Oversized Penske Quit Road Simon’s Transport Utility Veterans Wallace Xterra Yourself Zumstien
Stop time 12:15pm

Start time 12:16pm (finding the letters on license plates we passed)
325OYA 421PAB PCO648  PGD520  8-E2706  18-F585  RGW007  917HLC  200PII  RDJ634  73682K PLW453  XGM676  17-N188  POM896  PVF7849  OYQ634  RCO658  584TTS T865260  HU51693  PV6347  OXW366  PXB761  14-Y427  66055HZ
Stop time 2:40pm

Start time 3:13pm (finding words randomly)
America Buckle City DesMoines Elk Ford Go Horn Immigrant Johnston Kum Limit Malibu Nissan Oldsmobile Pontiac Quality Ram Sunrise Town Up Value Wings Xtra Yukon Zeitner
Stop time 4:33

That is enough of my obsession for now.  Give me a day or two for pictures and holiday reporting.

I admit I can not spell

I can’t spell.  However there are people all around me who can spell.  I always end up feeling like such  a dunce when I learn a new spelling after I know I have typed it for the whole world to see, and not a single person has corrected me.   It really does some damage to the self-esteem.  Now I am not talking about the difference between their, there, and they’re or here and hear.  Those I understand, I do admit that sometimes (often) I can’t remember if a work has “ie” or “ei” or any double letters.  I do not know why I have such a hard time with spelling rules like that, but I do.  And I wish people would point out when I have some letters mixed up, or missing, or extra.  This does not go for commas, I like to use them.  Please help, and please be gentle about it.  Thanks.