Thursday, December 31, 2009

Goodbye 2009

Well 2009 is almost over & this will be my last blog of the year. It's 11:30pm and I decided to stay home alone this year...compared to last year when Jack talked me into going to the Maswik lounge and I spent most of the time either dancing with Neil or taking pics of everyone. I had fun then but just wasn't in the mood for it tonight.

I guess I would say that 2009 was not one of my better years; but of course there was some good to go along with the not-so-good things this year. But then again there is still plenty I would like to change in the coming year like:

stop procrastinating
be less negative/picky at work
sell some of my jewelry
Do more with the zazzle site
get more organized
save $$/stop wasting $$...need $$ for trip in June
lose weight...about 40-45 pounds
eat healthier
hike into canyon more
keep a better sleep schedule

you know, all the "normal stuff" that people usually make resolutions about....and then break about a month later. LOL

Ok, my back has been aching for most of the day, which hasn't happened in quite some time. I didn't lift anything heavy today so the only thing I can think of that I did differently was spend the night at Brenda's last night. I can't remember at the moment if I had a backache from the other times I stayed over at Brenda's.
Guess its time to take better care of medical/dental issues too...and 2010 might be a good year for that.

~*EDIT*~
well its now 2010. Time for me to get ready for bed and I'm hoping my backache is gone when I wake up later.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Xanterra's holiday party

Xanterra had their holiday employee bash last night. What more could you ask for then a room full of friends & food. I also won a rice cooker...I've been wanting 1 of those for quite awhile.



Leonard kept trying to run me over with his drink cart.


Setting up for the event












Usually we had a big ice sculpture, but this year we had carved fruit instead.
















Desserts~I had some chocolatey cheesecake, that was way to rich & chocolatey. Yes there is such a thing as to much chocolate.














couple co-workers @ Maswik and a few people that live in my dorm.












Brenda and I with Santa. Not sure who Santa was this year as the old Santa retired (in FL, I think)

Monday, December 14, 2009

Winter Wonderland

I always loved the way ice looked hanging down the sides of buildings. Found this down near BA.

Yes, we do get snow down in the canyon. A day or 2 after this pic was taken, it was so foggy that you couldn't see this spot at all.

Look-out studio always makes for a good pic~even covered in snow

Jon (JP) took this picture of the snow-wizard.


Brenda took this picture. Guest started calling it a "Gnome", "Father Christmas", and a "wizard". The next day the wind blew him over.






Wednesday, December 2, 2009

11 down & 1 more to go

Yup, its December again, almost the end of 2009. We got snow the weekend before December but it pretty much melted now...but still cold & windy....around 50 degrees during the daytime, but when the wind gets to 15 mph like they are this week, it can feel colder and I can still whine when I get cold.



Patty is moving to Parrish,FL tomorrow. So in this pic she is "trying" to teach Bob how to assign stations & breaks for the lineservers. Bob will be Yavapai's new FOH manager.
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The schoolyard was FULL of elk, the whole field must of had about 3 dozen of the critters all at 1 time there. I got this pic as I was on my way to Patty's going away party.

So now that Yavapai is closed again, I'll be back at Maswik for the Winter, working as a lineserver. I have asked for my vacation time to be in December. Don't plan on going anywhere but the time off to organize my room more will be good.
But I told Patty, to plan on me knocking on her door in FL, either Dec 2010/Jan 2011. So Susan if you're reading this...I'll need your address so I can knock on your door too.
About the only thing special this month is the Christmas Bazaar at the Grand Hotel in Tusayan on the 5th (and I'll be so glad when its over) and then the employee christmas party on the 15th...which I have already asked for the night off just so I can go.
1 thing about the winter season~its easier to get days off when you ask for them.
~* almost forgot*~ I actually went christmas shopping today...for my ex in-laws (of all people) so much for my reputation of being a scrooge. Actually I don't even remember the last time I bought them anything. But for whatever reason they have sent me cards and stuff quite a few times this year & last year. Luckily the gift shops have a 40% dicount going on right now. I bet they will be surprised this year.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Thanksgiving

I had to work Thanksgiving night at Yavapai Cafe, but this pic is from e-cafe at about 12:30-1pm. Brenda & I went for lunch there...obviously lots of other people did too.
Missed the Macy Parade on TV...there was a dog show on instead (on the TV in the corner)
Oh yes, Brenda will kill me for this 1...but she ate to much Thanksgiving dinner. She tried to convince me that the pumpkin pie was good this year, But I still didn't try it. I bought 3 pumpkin pies from the general store instead.
She missed out on Thanksgiving dinner last year because she got sick.

This is our unit manager, Adam. He is wearing a "Wizard of Oz" tie. The minute I came into work he started out asking me what the significance was with the Movie wizard of oz & Thanksgiving...anyone who could answer that question correctly first would get a free meal card.
So for the next few hours, the 3 cashiers & I kept passing along trivia stuff about the movie. Guess there is a book called "wicked" that I need to read.



Just some friends who came into Yavapai to eat dinner together.


Overall, it was a pretty good day. Tai even passed out extra food to everyone at the end of the night to take home. He forgot that I don't need tons of gravy on my food though. Oh Well.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Deer Farm




Here's Christine and her husband John. (both are taxi driver's in the park)


They had gone to the deer farm last year...but I have never been before. It cost us each $8.50 to get in which was expensive...then we had to pay for the cups of food (which didn't last to long)















Don't really think Christine liked having all the deer crowding her.






John decided to play photographer here and got a bunch of pics of me & Christine feeding the deer...actually the deer will eat ANYTHING!
They started chewing on the back of my shirt and I even had to get my keys out of 1 deer's mouth.

(obviously this was taken before I hid the keys down inside my shirt...cuz I can still see them hanging)











ok whats a camel doing in a deer farm?

Actually there are wallaby's, llama's, quite a few different birds, mini donkeys and other animals at this place...who woulda guessed it?











Deer kept chewing on Christine's coat and pulling on the tie-strings.
Good thing the deer in the park don't do this...or people would not be able to walk around here. We always say the animals in park are not afraid of people...well believe me it ain't nothing like the animals at the deer farm.





John found a new date as we were leaving...lol

this bird could only say hello...so John stopped to talk back to it.















I had run into Christine yesterday morning in e-cafe and she invited me to tag along with her & John while they ran errands and paid bills....so glad I did.

It was a fun day!!...went to deer farm, 2 thrift shops, had lunch at some chinese food place next to "Dollar Tree", picked up a hitch-hiker on the way to a casino (I lost $10), and then Fry's before heading back home. Which made for a long day.
































Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Veteran's Day

My younger brother, Lt. Col. Allan Conkey is getting sworn into his newest job in Washington D.C. (this pic is from a change-of-command ceremony last June)
He has been in the USAF for 24 years now
This is Philip. I think the picture was taken while he was in South Korea. He recently got back in Ft Hood,TX...which had some unfortunate crazy excitement this week. Luckily Phil is safe and thinks we are all silly for worrying about him. Phil has been in the Army for only 3 years and is thinking of getting out.

This picture below is Adam, when he first joined the Army. He has been to Iraq twice and now stationed in Hinesville,GA.





I may not always agree with these 3 guys on every subject that pops up, but am sooo glad I have the right to freedom of speech and the freedom to disagree with them when ever I want and the freedom to come & go when ever the mood strikes me, and of course tons of other freedoms that I'm sure I take for granted without even thinking of them.
I guess I need to say Thank-You to them more often for my freedoms.
*around the canyon*
Well I seem to be having Monday-Wednesdays off from work this month. Not sure how I forgot, but went to marketplaza to get my mail & go to the bank...oh yeah, post office & banks are closed for the holiday today...DUH
Guess I will have to go into bank before work tomorrow, seeing as my atm card ain't working.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Shop Till We Drop

Shop Till We Drop

Luckily I had today off work so I could go down to Flagstaff with my friend, Brenda. (She always has weekends off)
We went into Michael's craft store. Halloween is Brenda's favorite holiday and I've been calling her "The Queen of Halloween" for a couple yrs now. She needed to get supplies for project/gifts that she is making for about 30 people, she also wants to make 2 haunted house (1 for home & 1 for her work office) and stuff to make a black halloween wreath. She will go back down later to get stuff for her yummy fattening treats...that will be part of the 30 peoples gifts.

Her excitement was almost contagious as I almost bought stuff to decorate my door. Instead I got jewelry making supplies and a jewelry book to get new ideas. (I'm hoping to sell jewelry at our next Winter Bazaar) I forgot my 40% discount paper so my total was about $63. Brenda remembered her 40% and her total was still about $88. I better sell lots of jewelry at the bazaar to make up for my crazy shopping.

Later we went to Fry's for grocery shopping. Why is it that I always seem to get lost in that store? At least the produce section is easy to find, which is good because I wanted strawberries (2 containers/$5), bananas ( .59/pound), avocados (.88/a piece), tangerines ($1.99/pound), and baby carrots (.88). The avaocados were a tad bit softer then I woulda liked but I got 2 anyways. Flagstaff felt like a sauna today, so I got a few 32oz bottles of powerade for .88/a piece. I ended up losing Brenda in the store when I wandered off to look for Clif Bars...they were $1/ a piece.

Not sure if it was all the driving around or if it was just the heat...but I was sooooo tired on the way home. Was able to make 1 necklace (so far) since coming home though

Sunday, September 13, 2009

To leave or not to leave~Q of the week

ok, I'm a bit stuck at the moment and not totally sure what to do.

I might have a job working at a hostel for 2 nights a week. I'll get free rent, free food, free wi-fi and its close enough to make it to my sons graduation next June, without the hassles I get here about needing time off. I can also work an extra day if I want to for extra $$.

?Will I like the job? ?Will I like the location in Winter? (IDK)

This was quite a shock to Brenda today. I sent her an email before I went to work today telling her about it. She was surprised that I would actually leave the Grand Canyon park. But geez, the park ain't going nowhere, which means I can always come back in a year if I want to. Actually leaving Brenda behind is the hardest thing about this decision. Brenda is probably the main reason I have stayed put here as long as I have.

But would Brenda still be here in a year??? Maybe if she gets the new promotion that she is hoping for. geez, if damn management had just let me stay in Maswik kitchen like I had wanted I wouldn't of even thought of leaving right now...but since when do I get what I want? I guess out of all the jobs I've had here at GC, I liked working in Maswik Kitchen last winter the best but that didn't last long enough.

Well, I guess whoever is reading this will have to stay tuned and wait for further updates later.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Summer is almost gone

Wow, hard to believe that it's September already. September started out with a little bit of sprinkles & thunder. In a way, it seems like Summer flew by and I didn't have time to do everything I wanted. Then again it seems like I wasted alot of time doing nothing to special.

Well today was supposed to be my last day at the kennel, but think I might be made to stay an extra week.... then I'm going back to Yavapai as a busser. But first I get 3 days off during holiday weekend. Was scheduled for health fair in Flagstaff but takes to much time and money. So I could just stay home and FINALLY get my room cleaned out & organized. Or at least spend 1 day this weekend with Brenda and see how her Halloween crafts are coming along...she's making something new this year, that I'll have to take pics of later.
OH! speaking of pics...I entered a photography contest here at the canyon last week...not sure when we find out who won. I put 2 pictures from Indian Gardens in the contest.

Well according to some story online, I guess Farmer's Almanac is predicting a harsh Winter this year.

Friday, August 14, 2009

no more daydreaming~just jump in

Well I have daydreamed about selling my own homemade jewelry for a few years now. While I was living in Kentucky back in 2006, I even had gooten some special license # so that I could buy stuff wholesale. But seeing as I left KY soon afterwards, that dream sorta floated off with the clouds.

This year Brenda has been encouraging me to make something and be creative and usually asks what I have done for the week. Well on Wednesday Doris drove us all to Flagstaff and I went shopping at Michael's & Jo-Ann's among other places...but I bought over $130 just for jewelry stuff.
Brenda will be surprised that I even signed up on etsy...now I just have to get pictures on my page there.
http://www.etsy.com/profile.php?user_id=7880432

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

funny names for dogs

I have to laugh sometimes when people come into the kennel to leave their dogs for a few hours so they can go hiking or on some tour.

Yesterday a couple came in with 2 little dogs named "Brown Sugar & Soda Pop". Seems they used to have a dog named Cinnamon and figured that the name Brown Sugar just went with it.
But I guess the day they got Soda Pop, the wife had opened up a soda and the puppy got all excited when it fizzed up and started licking up the fizz, so they just decided to call the dog soda pop to remember that moment.

Last week, we had a golden lab (I think) come in with the name "Tater Tot". Seems that the wife thought taters were the perfect food and their dog was the perfect pet.

We have 15 stray dogs at the moment. (Brandy in the picture with the last blog found a new home on Sunday). Sometimes if People abandon the dogs with us, we will change the dogs name.
1 high school kid left his dog at the kennel when he moved to Phoenix..he called the dog "Segi" and we are now calling her "Sasha".

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Sharing a day with the dogs


Here's 2 of the strays at the kennel "Brandy" is 1 of our newest strays. "Penny" is the black puppy that came with her brothers.
Today started off super busy, with a F&S person admitting dogs in before I even got to work and I had 5 dogs check in during the first hour.


Monday, June 8, 2009

Done with the cafeteria

Today was my last day working at Yavapai..and boy I couldn't wait for 2pm so I could clock out. A couple people wanted me to stay late and a few more told me to make sure to come back.
When Patty put the new schedule up yesterday and my name wasn't on it...it did seem slightly weird but soooo good to know that I would definitely be starting the new job. I think it finally hit some people that I was really leaving when they saw my name left off the schedule. Patty surprised me the other day by giving me a free meal card, as a way to say thank-you for all the work I did.

Dogs & cats must be easier to feed then people!! Co-workers won't be annoying either...at least not after the 2-week training period, cuz usually there is only 1 person working at a time...sometimes 2 people work together and there's only 3 people in this whole park working at the kennel. I told "Grandpa Al" that I would name a stray cat or big dog after him, just so I would have someone to whine to or yell at.

Well I have the next 2 days off and an old co-worker from Maswik agreed to take me to Flagstaff tomorrow after he gets off work. I still need to get rain boots for working at the kennel, and maybe a second hiking pole for my hike to Indian Gardens on the 12th.
Brian also got a new job recently...he is now the resident procter at Victor Hall.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Winnie is back

I had a roomie for a few weeks last year named Winnie from Taiwan. Well she came back to the canyon today. I knew she was coming back because she wrote to me on facebook and told me. So I was waiting for her outside of HR when she came in (with camera of course)...boy was she surprised!!!

Now in the last 2 years, I have seen a bunch of kids come & go and I wish a few more of my favorites would come back, so I was thrilled when Winnie told me she would be here again. I don't spend lots of time outside of work with the exchange students that work here, but even still...its nice to bump into them around the park either on the shuttlebus or in e-cafe or at the rec center. I guess seeing as my own kids are not here I sorta substitute them with the foreign kids that are here.

Winnie's 2 schoolmates that came with her last year will not be here this year. So she was nervous about traveling back by herself. I helped her get settled into her room at Colter Hall (I've been here over 2 yrs and today was the first time I ever walked around in Colter) and then we went to see her roomie who works as a cashier in Maswik. Winnie was surprised that some of the co-workers she worked with last year remembered her. Last yr she was a line server at Maswik, this yr she will be a hostess.

*~ and speaking of new jobs, I finally got told yesterday that I got the job at the kennel~*

Thursday, May 21, 2009

my day at the kennel

Well yesterday, I finally had my trial run for working at the kennel. Clocked in @ 7:20am and clocked out @ 5:50pm....long day. Karen stayed even longer.

There are 13 stray dogs & 22 stray cats at the moment. Few people came in and left their dogs for a few hours...but came and picked them up at the end of the day. 1 mother cat to watch out for is named Priscilla (who is also called Ms Nasty) cuz she don't like NOBODY! But 1 black cat is an attention hog & lovable everytime I went into the cat room.

The lead, Karen, asked when I had another day off work from Yavapai so I could work at kennel again. Well my next days off will be in Flag taking care of dental stuff, so she will have to wait.
But I must say, even with the long hours at the kennel...its a piece of cake!! Kennel attendents work 3 1/2 days a week and still end up with overtime cuz they stay to do paperwork or extra cleaning at the end of the day.
Hell it don't even seem like work...I sure won't worry about saying good-bye to yavapai.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

abscess teeth

Well yesterday, I went to the clinic because my face was swelled up and teeth were throbbing. I got antibiotics and tylenol w/ codeine. The new doctor actually paid for the meds himself cuz I didn't have enough $$. The clinic here even called the clinic in Flagstaff to find out the hours for me to go in for emergency care. I'd have to be there at 7:45am to walk in for emergency care...which means I would have to be in Flagstaff the night before in order to do that.

I already paid for the rec center trip on the 26th, so I guess I'll just get a 1-way ride with them and stay down in Flagstaff at the hostel. Will also try to get on ACCCHS while I'm down there too. ACCCHS doesn't usually pay for adult teeth unless its an emergency and seeing as 1/2 my face is swelled up this might count as an emergency. Guess its about time to have all my top teeth pulled as none of them are any good.

I went into work this morning and Michael sent me home..saying "I looked to terrible to be at work today". This morning I was waiting for the shuttle to get to work and was trying to explain to some hikers about the Kiabab Express bus and 1 guy had me repeat stuff 5 or 6 times cuz he had a hard time understanding me as I was having a hard time talking.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

My week

Today's interview for the kennel attendant job is now done. Now I wait for the other 6 people to have their interviews. Then probably next week the 2nd interviews & training day starts. Training day will be spent helping the lead person with the animals, learning her procedure of doing things, and will let her know how well you relate to animals.
So I will still be keeping my fingers crossed to get called back for that. The kennels are open from 7:30am-5pm and then whoever is working that day has to stay to clean up once its closed and usually only 1 or rarely 2 people work there at a time...because kennel attendants work long hours, they only work 3 1/2 days a week.

Hey the stray dog, that we found outside of Maswik Cafeteria a few months ago is still at the kennel...and they even kept the name I had given her. "Rosie" LOL~my manager must of told them that was her name when she was brought down there.

Hey if the kennel job don't work out...then maybe I'll go try for the switchboard operator job (if its still open by then)

In the meantime I will be busy making jewelry & crotcheting. Seems there is a "Spring Bazaar" coming up on May 9th, so Brenda and I are setting up a table together at the rec center for that. While my hands are busy with jewelry and yarn, I won't be picking up junk-food....course I won't be hiking or taking many pictures much either until this bazaar is done.
Well I have tomorrow off also, so I better get home and finish up the jewelry I started last night and then figure out what to do with all the beads I got today.
And it's been windy & chilly for the last couple days too...maybe my sunburn will be totally gone before it gets to hot again.

REMINDER: BUY SUNSCREEN!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I declare~sunburns suck!

Yesterday I volunteered for Earth Day so I was outside from about 9:30am-2pm.

I was wearing a T-shirt but still ended up with a helluva burnt neck and shoulder. My lower arms & face got some color but nothing like my neck. Enough color so that when I walked into work today 1 co-worker asked who I was angry at~~LOLThis must be the worst sunburn I ever had cuz usually if I ever ended a day with some color its usually gone in 24 hrs, but my co-workers said to expect this one to stay a week and said it will soon be bubbling and peeling.

I have never had to worry about a burn before, so I don't usually ever use sunscreen and probably for the first time ever I am going to the general store to buy some....and after this I will surely be taking some with me on my camping trip in June down at Indian Gardens.

When I was a kid, my brothers used to have me put Noxzema on their burns but at the moment I don't have that either. Geez even my hair hurts when it brushes against the back of my neck...and I don't even have long hair anymore.

Should have some rain this Saturday...geez right now I wish it was Saturday.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Is Sunshine around the corner?

You know, I'm beggining to wonder if Summer will ever get here. We had a "white Easter" and the last few days have been way to windy for me. And to think I was looking at jobs in Alaska...LOL

Well I finally got a job interview at the kennels set for the 28th. But for now I'm still at Yavapai...working the morning shift. Which means I have to catch the bus about 5am the rest of this week.

Since moving my computer across my room the darn thing won't work...hasn't worked for about a week now. Keeps telling me to try "safe mode" or "last good configuration" or "start normally" but NOTHING seems to work so I'm sitting at Park headquarters right now.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

work~and no power

For some silly reason I clocked into work 1/2 hour early...need to open eyes and look at time clock better. LOL

Sooo, labout 9:15-9:20am the power went out around the whole park. A raven flew into the main transformer and knocked power out for about 4 1/2 hours.
Not much food to serve people without power. We extended breakfast and towards the end we started letting people have 1 breakfast free. For lunch we had soup, hotdogs, started out with chili but when that was gone we got the spaghetti going out front. Grandpa Al made a few pitchers of "cowboy coffee" and boy was it ever strong!

Power came back on just as 2nd shift was coming in...I left at 2pm. It started to spit snow soon after I got home and the wind knocked power out again for About a minute.
Had a wicked toothache all day and went to bed about 5pm I woke up with the side of my face all swollen.

Last week or early this week (I forget at moment) I got a food handlers card from ALASKA! Took some simple test online~got 100%. The card is good for 3 years, so anytime between now & 3 yrs I can go up to Alaska to work if I want. hmmmm, Glacier bay, Denali Park, Coldfoot Camp????
Aah, my face/teeth hurt to much to think of all that now...and just my luck I have to go into work at 5:30am today. Which means I need to jump in shower now and catch a bus by around 4:45-5am

Friday, April 3, 2009

walking

(anyone remember the old christmas show with the mizer brothers? I loved the silly little song...
just put 1 foot in front of thee other and soon you'll be walking out the door...or...or
Just put 1 foot in front of thee other and soon you'll be walking cross the floor...or...or)

Every week we get messeges from the rec center here after everyone has weighed-in for the weightloss contest....usually late Sunday or early Monday. Here is part of their messege this week. This weeks healthy habit challenge is to try to log 3 miles total walking/running for the entire week. That means at the end of weigh in, the total amount you would have walked for the week would have been at least three miles. The weather is going to start turning beautiful again...let's all get out and enjoy it!
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I guess I always considered walking as just something you do to get from point A to point B. like I would walk to the store, walk to work, walk the dogs so they could have different scenery/fresh air...sometimes I think I still have a hard time thinking of walking as being exercise. So anyways my contest messege says to walk 3 miles this week...well on the days I remember to wear my pedometer I can do over 3 miles in just a normal day, which is surprising seeing as I sit on my butt in front of the computer alot more then I should,

So yesterday after work I decided to go for a walk . I went up to Pipe Creek Vista and walked back down to Mather Point. Now this picture might not look like much but its a spot that is peaceful & relaxing and seeing as it was a chilly/windy/ day, there was nobody else around.

try clicking onto the picture to see if its gets bigger (in case u wanna see what the weather was like here.













Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Sunsets

This top photo was taken from a window in my room a few weeks ago.


This photo was taken last night while I was on the sunset tour. I think I have now gone on the sunset tour 4 times. Last night was pretty cloudy..usually I like clouds for a sunset but last night there was just too many clouds..as I have seen better sunsets here then what I saw last night. But it was still a nice way to spend a night off from work, even if it did get chilly.

It still seems silly when guests will ask where the best spot to watch a sunrise or sunset.
Hmmm, there are to many good spots here so it just depends on how far you want to walk and what end of the canyon you want to be on.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

work

well I have been back at Yavapai for 2 weeks now, and last night I got Michael to sign the transfer paper so I can go work at the kennels. I was put back on yavapai's schedule as a line server during night shift(which I hate) For the 2 yrs I have been here I never asked to be a line server and never officially had the job title of server but for some unknown reason its the job I have done the most here.
It seems so silly that he wouldn't let me stay at Maswik to cook even though all the managers at Maswik said I could stay, but he had no problem letting me go to the kennels. So anyways, I will be walking down to the kennels later today to talk with the lead, Karen.

How hard can it be to work at the kennels:
u feed animals
u wash animals
u clean-up after them
u keep track of the vet/Dr. schedule
u keep track of who walks the dogs every month
keep guests dogs for a weekend while they are on vacation
answer guests calls about lost pets or whatever
Maybe help find new homes for animals elsewhere

The kennels are open sometime around 7am-5pm, and it takes me about 20-25 minutes to walk there from my room...but I'm not sure where the kennel workers clock in for work. Hmmm, I will have to find that out.
But oh yes, I imagine that job being more alot less stressful then working in a cafeteria and the hours are better too.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

St Patrick's Day

I would say that someone got a little carried away with the green theme for St Patrick's Day. Well anyways I found this girl wondering around Target and couldn't resist taking a picture of the green hair.
This shot is inside 1 of my favorite stores in Flagstaff. Brenda & I on most of our trips into Flagstaff. As you can see there is alot of different stuff. I didn't buy anything there on this trip though. But sometime I might go back in and get a Buddha statue that I like. During my trip yesterday I was anxious to go to Micheal's and check out some new bead store that Brenda had found before.

Friday, March 13, 2009

2 years

wow, I have been here at the Grand Canyon for 2 yrs now. Not sure whats the bigger miracle...that I actually stayed-put & kept working for the same company or that the company hasn't fired me for something dumb. Sure a better paying job (even a better 1 within this same company) would be nice but I guess I can't complain much..at least I got my own room and don't have to worry about room-mates anymore and the rent is cheap....unlike most places in the country.

I had found some little booklet last month that I had gotten during orientation...in the back of the booklet I had listed some stuff that I wanted to do while I was here. I still haven't taken a helicopter ride over the canyon, I still want to do the smooth-river raft trip, I still want to check out the "ghost town", Jerome and in June I am finally going to camp-out for 1 night down at Indian Gardens.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Money problems getting better by the minute~NOT!

OK, last month I had problems with Qwest...they had disconnected my phone & internet. Well after paying them $240 and sending back some of their equipment (that I had already paid for but never used...it was still in original wrapping) they finally turned my internet back on. I said to hell with the phone. And of course Qwest would not turn anything back on unless all past bills were paid up-to-date.

So why is it that after just a week or two (forget exactly how long its been) why is my qwest bill now $152.
We must have the most expensive internet service in the country up here at the canyon.
Well seeing as the court in NH has already claimed all of my next paycheck, it looks like Qwestt will be shutting my computer off again at the end of the month.

court induced diet

I might have found a new way to win this weight-loss contest thats going on at the Grand Canyon.Saturday is my weigh-in day for the competition and this last week I lost 4.2 pounds.

I also found out that a court in NH will be deducting $194.25 from my paychecks from now on. (My gross pay won't even be that much on next paycheck, so I ain't sure what magic act the court will pull off to have that happen...guess the judge's name must of been HOUDINI)

so anyways seeing as I won't be getting any money for a looooong time...I'll be sure to lose some more weight during this contest.losing weight will be a great thing..but..but..I'm still a little confused on how a court can expect & automatically take out more money from a paycheck, then what a company pays you. Guess I need to start asking for a raise.

Monday, March 2, 2009

My clinic visit

spent this past weekend with a headache that just didn't want to go away. So because of that and a couple other annoying problems I finally decided to go to the clinic today. Went through the usual vital checks...weight check, blood pressure, and the check list for family medical history stuff.

First...the scale at the clinic weighs in about 5 pounds more then the scales at the rec center(where I go for the weightloss competition). My blood pressure might have been considered normal by the nurse who took it, but it was the highest I think it has ever been. She kept telling me that it was nothing to worry about and that being in pain makes blood pressure rise. Well DUH! I've worked in hospitals before so I knew that...but also knew that even while delivering 7 kids or after 2 different car crashes that my blood pressure wasn't as high as it was today.Later the doctor told me to come back in a week to re-check it because it was higher then she woulda liked it too.

Well the doctor finally gave me a shot for the headaches and another shot for nausea.I also have to schedule time to do a diabetes test. Guess it might just be another family trait that I got. Geez high BP would mean I need to watch my salt intake, and diabetes means I need to watch my sugar & carbs intake...ok, time to really empty out the cupboards once and for all.

I stopped into work to give the manager's the note from the clinic saying I would not be at work tonight. When 1 manager saw me, he looked surprised and very nicely told me I didn't look good. Well, I also got a weeks supply of tylenol with codeine, so for now I'm going to bed.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Did it again

Well on Thursday I went down to Flagstaff, on 1 of the rec center trips. When we stopped into Safeway for about 45 minutes, I ran in Fantastic Sams next door for a haircut. They only charged $13 and now I don't have to fuss with it for work anymore.

So Brenda took the top pic yesterday while we were sitting outside of Brandt Hall enjoying the sun and I took the bottom close-up pic myself last night when I got home. When I got off the shuttle at Maswik before heading home...2 managers said they liked the haircut.

Now if I ever get around to it I'll dye my hair to cover the white....LOL



Saturday, February 7, 2009

Procrastination/clutter

My ex-husband used to tell me that I lived in "The Land of Later" because I would say I would fix something, cook something, make some project, or clean something up...later. Sometimes it seemed like later never came around.
I either never had time to fix or make whatever it was, I said I would...course it takes me 4 times longer then most people to do anything even when I do it. Or I have a habit of spreading myself to thin...meaning I want to do a hundred things all at once and then get to overwhelmed with stuff to do.

So today instead of going to Tusayan to look around gift shops for something I don't really need and can't really afford anyways, I'm gonna stay home & spend the day by beginning to clear out my room...or at least clear off the stuff thats been piled on my bed all week (I ended up sleeping on my floor for a few nights cuz of all the stuff on my bed)

Presents – if someone gives you an unwanted gift and there is no polite way to refuse, accept gracefully and respect the other person’s feelings. But remember it is your home and if you do not like something, it will drag your spirits down every time you look at it. So dump the guilt and let it go.
Have I used it in the past year? I'll Be ruthless with paper. Put junk mail straight in the recycling and decide how long to keep newspapers... Remember no-one has time to read everything. Donate unread books to library.
Is it really garbage? Broken things Give yourself a deadline for broken items to be fixed, if not discard them.
Do I have another one that is better?
Should I really keep two? Fear The "what if" thoughts are some of the hardest to deal with. Then the thought crept into my head, what if the new one breaks down. A useful tip is "one in, one out"
Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it? Sentimental items Be sentimental but selective. Choose a pretty box in which to keep sentimental items. Put photos into albums ( or special folders on computer) only keeping the best ones and let the others go.
Or does it give me guilt and make me sad when I see the item? *I'm going to Clean my rooms of everything that does not make me SMILE.

walking to Brenda's favorite tree spot

Well here's Brenda adjusting something on her camera. First time she has been to the rim since her ordeal in the hospital. She walked the trail from the Shrine to the rim without using her oxygen (yes I brought it just IN CASE it was needed)





The PT guy, Tom, had told Brenda to wear a scarf on the walk & she did admit that it helped alot. 1 pic, she is sitting and just enjoying the view watching the storm clouds. Other picture she was just walking towards the tree as I clicked my camera.








As you can see the clouds were getting darker and it seemed to me, like there might of been a snowstorm over at the North Rim.
We were outside walking for about 1 1/2 hrs or more...the wind started picking up as we were heading back to Brandt Hall. The computer said it was supposed to rain and/or snow this weekend...but so far~NOTHING, in fact the sun is shining. I swear that sometimes the weatherman must use some old "crazy 8" ball to predict the weather.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Prescott,AZ

This was taken from inside the van, while on the rec center trip.
At the end of the day I went with some friends downtown. They wanted to visit some yarn shop near the courthouse. Right next to the yarnshop is an amazing art gallery. I fell in love with this table and couldn't resist getting a picture (for which I was told that the gallery doesn't allow pictures being taken). But there were paintings/drawings that were also amazing.

Just thought these fire hydrants were cute...they were around the corner from the yarnshop and some yummy bakery.


My friend, Debbie was sitting outside of the yarnshop eating ice cream.






You know when you're in Prescott, when you see the rock formations. I took these out the van window as we were driving by. Would be cool to drive yourself down and get out to walk around...I'm sure all the shadows among the rocks would make really cool pictures. Geez when did I start falling in love with rock piles???






Brenda's fairies

Winter Fairy~Brenda put this adorable fairy in the fund raiser last month. Christine who works at the clinic won it and fell in love with it and now everytime Brenda goes into the clinic, Christine asks if Brenda has made anymore. Christine is trying to convience Brenda to sell them...along with little storybooks to go with each fairy.
These are the 3 lastest fairies that Brenda has just finished.



Hard to believe that these were made from the same basic mold. Depending on how Brenda decides to dress them up and paint them, they always come out different with their own little personalities.