Helly Hill

Made up a new game today...as I'm sure you've already figure out...it's called "Helly Hill." (Please don't be offended by the h-word. Hell is a place and I'm sure it's chock full of steep and never-ending hills for the more athletic sinners...wait, I mean for the less-athletic sinners. The athletic ones are probably NOT allowed to exercise).

This is how it goes. Find a hill. Find 10 rocks. Start at the bottom of the hill with one of the rocks in your hand. Run to the top, set rock down. Run back down. Repeat X 9. Rules are: you have to run up the hills...always. Every time. No matter what. You can run or walk down. Be prepared for passers-by to stare when they see you stop running to set a rock down in a straight line next to 9 others. They'll wonder about that all day. And you'll smile that you conquered your own Helly Hill!

Before any smart alecs comment and tell me these are ladders...or the shuttle run...or any of the other 29 possible names...and that this is not an original idea...I know, I know. But calling it "Helly Hills?" that is ALL me! :)

Once there was a snowman. And then there still was...

I'm not going to lie. I'm only breaking my 5 months of silence to prove that I can update my blog before Sher will.  She and I were talking the other day and I told her I kept checking and her blog kept STILL being about a snowman. I laughed realizing mine was even more outdated. So. Enough of that. I win Pally! ;)

I should probably tell you more about my job or my life or maybe even post Havasupai pictures from last summer that have never quite made it here. Not gonna.

Instead I will rant about how I don't believe in fishing. I know it exists...but I don't like it. Fine if you're going to eat the poor fish, but what is this business of ripping the fish out of their home by their lips...only to put them back? This morning I went walking with a friend at a nearby park that has a man-made lake with men who fish there every morning. Normally I never witness them catching anything so all is well. Today this man caught several...and one of them was still hooked to the line flopping on the cement...while Mr. Brave Fisherman took his sweet time doing whatever he was doing that was NOT returning the poor fish to his home. I almost said "I bet you wouldn't be moving this slow if it were you UNDER water instead of that fish out of the water?!!! Put him back!!!" I don't really even like fish. I think they're gross and slimy and pretty stinky and I pretty much just appreciate that they are a good source of lean protein. But I don't like seeing them looking like they're suffocating on the cement. I know, I know..."Jules...they don't have feelings!" But how do YOU know...you're not a fish!!!

Anyway. The part of me that doesn't believe in hurting or killing animals is totally a vegetarian. The part of me that really loves chicken is less of a vegetarian. It's complicated.

And this would be why it's maybe best that my posts be...sporadic. See?

xoxo.

PS...I swiped this photo from the world wide web...drawn by Erika Aoyama. I don't know her but I bet she doesn't believe in fishing either.

9/11

I was riding the USU shuttle bus up to campus. The radio in the bus was on and suddenly it was very quiet. The bus was packed...as many people standing as sitting...but all of the sudden the light-hearted chatter fizzled and we started really listening. When I got to campus, students were gathered around the tvs watching the news...I stayed and watched for a bit and then headed to class. I'm still grateful I missed the live coverage of the second plane hitting.

Our professor walked in with a cheery welcome and asked us all what was wrong...we were surprised she hadn't heard anything and we all at once started talking to fill her in. As a class we processed our thoughts (this is the benefit of being in a social work major...we process a lot). I remember the next professor (who was teaching some kind of global class...) trying to be calm but sounding anything but as she told us how things would be okay and how we as a nation would recover from this. 

Don't remember much about the rest of the day...except that I felt scared...and older. I thought "if you wanted to wipe out a bunch of people at a time, a college campus would be a good way to do it..." but then quickly thought "but I'm in Utah...we're not exactly the most interesting target." Watched the news most of the day...

Anyway. Tenth anniversaries are big I guess. I've been trying to figure out why, maybe because it's been long enough to see change and progress, but short enough to still really feel the impact. I still feel it. Surprises me how much I do, considering how far I live from NYC and how the events of that day did not affect my life nearly as much as they did the lives of hundreds of thousands. But I guess it affected all of us in terms of realizing how vulnerable we are...how evil some people can be...and how fragile life is.

In 2009 I went to NYC with Mom, Linds, Kim and Suz. We had a great trip...while there we went to ground zero. There wasn't much to see because the fences were too high to see over...but we did walk to St. Paul's cathedral. 

There were candles lit and signs hung...but the ones that got me were cards and drawings like this one:

I love the response from Joe...a real fire fighter...

On another one, a child had written these words in alternating red and blue marker:

 "We really love our country, thanks for helping the people. We want                                     to punish the terrorists. Thanks for helping clean up the city.                                                                               I hope you get the job done and you get to go home to your family."

Yep...I was just riiiiight crying there in St. Paul's. 

Anyway. I'm surprised at how much I've cried in the last few days. For some reason, I feel like it's not warranted...like I wasn't close enough to it all to care that much....but...I do and I cried when I read from cover to cover the 9/11 special edition of Time. I cried when I watched this: "9/11 Boatlift", a youtube video about the water rescues that took place that day. I sighed when I found out Areta flew home yesterday...and is not flying today. Because...just in case... (She did tell me the airport and her flight were both pretty much empty...someone from the news interviewed her and got video of her hugging her sister goodbye before she got back on the play to head home). And I'm wondering how my buddy from this flight is doing today, on his birthday.

I don't know that I'll ever be able to watch footage of the firefighters...rushing in as everyone else was rushing out...without feeling so much gratitude swirled in tears rise up. There is evil in the world, but there is so much more good. And for that, I am grateful.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Googleplex and Stuff

• Washed my car today. BY HAND. Didn't think to check the weather. Yep, rain tonight and tomorrow. Nice. At least I burned some calories. Bodybugg will be happy.

• Almost chose today as the day I start my life of alcoholism...due to being in my office (today is Saturday...so this was the first problem)...attempting to enter info into Quickbooks. Shane, the friendly "video tutorial" boy promised to have me "on the road to saving time, saving money and being more organized in no time" but mentioned nothing about sending me towards a dark and dangerous road. Shane, you let me down. (Reader: I did not drink alcohol).

• I love when my clients teach me things...including definition for the word "googol"..."it's the biggest number ever...and bigger than the one after that...like...you can't ever get that big. It's the highest number there is. But after that." So, in case you didn't know where "Google" got its "googol".... 
• Googolplex: the number 10 raised to the power of Googol...see, I'm good at math
• And if you're thinking "sounds like "googol" was invented by a 9-year old," you're right. No wonder 9-year olds today are smitten with the word.

• Did you know you can blend 2 cups of cottage cheese with a Hidden Valley Ranch packet and thus drastically increase the amount of vegetables you eat in a week? More math for you.

• I started swimming. I'm a swimmer....or...at least I have the swim cap, goggles and ear plugs to make it seem as if. But I will tell you this: having goggles drastically reduces the amount of time a swimmer spends pulling arms out of/off of floaty lane lines and/or cement pool walls. Definitely worth $13. Apparently the nice linear tile design at the bottom of the pool is not just for looks...and if you can actually SEE, it will keep you on "the straight and narrow" so your fellow pool mates won't wish you would just drown already.

• There is such thing as Aqua Zumba. It is pretty magical. And Maria M. is changing my life one little "cupid shuffle" at a time...on land and in the sea. That Cupid, he's single-handedly bringing back line dancing...at least for all those who believe in Zumba.

• And on that note....(kinda), I still really want to participate in a flash mob. Maybe like this. (Just remember, it's not "shorty hot pocket...") If I can't BE in one...I'd at least like to SEE one... This one was local...WHY wasn't I at Tempe Town Marketplace that day?!?!

• I think that is all for now. I'm sure you've been sufficiently enlightened...

My Office...

Several months ago, my dear friend Kathy came to do a photo shoot at my office. Wanted to share because I love her work and because I want to share with you a little of "my world." This is where I spend a lot of my time...it's cozy and fun and I love that I have a job I love with little people I adore. (As a side note...the little girl in these pictures is NOT a client, she's Kathy's little girl, Ryann...who I adore. She and I are good buddies...I love when I walk in the door at her house and she squeals "Jeweeeee!" yep...melts me).

my desk...and "zazu" the bird

kid art...things kids give me and/or ask me to hang

can't get enough of this backwards "j"...loved that kid,

pretty much the cutest 4-year old ever...

client couch and friends ginger, zeke and leo

love this lamp...have yet to determine if this is "hank" or "elle"

my chair, bookshelf and "bear"...what?! i was out of names, gosh!

love that she got a picture of my shoes on the printer...

because i always take my shoes off once the kids and i get started

best counselor in the "wold?" not sure about that

but how do i ever throw this away?!?!

sandtray with Ry

tickle time...and look at my wild gypsy skirt??

it's pretty intense

princess prep...

that face...are you kiddin' me?!

So I might get in trouble for posting the last three...turns out most every photographer feels more comfortable BEHIND that camera than in front of it...and Kathy is no exception. Hard to say how much I love Kath...she is gentle and soft...but fun and spunky. She is an incredible mom who loves her children so much and does such a great job as a mom. I love her and love that she includes me as part of her family...love how welcome I always feel in her home. Love you big, Kath...thanks again for the shoot...and for letting me take a few of you!

A+ and Stuff

I survived online traffic school. It took 4 hours. There was no way to speed it up. I may now be suffering from post-traumatic traffic teaching time. (Sounds serious, right?) It's not yet in the DSM...but should be. The page has a designated amount of time you HAVE to have it open before moving on...usually 2 minutes longer than I needed to read the material. Luckily I was able to catch up in the world of Facebook and email in the interim.

I am pleased to say I did not miss one quiz question and on the final exam I missed only one:"Question: If you do not pass this exam you can...." Duh, I wasn't planning on not passing so I didn't even consider that option...or get that question right. That miss brought me down to a 96%. Still, I'll take it. For a person with a possible case of severe ADHD, a 96% on a 4-hour deal is acceptable.

I did learn a few valuable things. But I still feel that I am, in my heart, a race car driver who is in serious need of an upgrade (while the fuel-efficient Corolla is an economical choice, it lacks much when it comes to power...which may be...a good thing for me right now...). In heaven I hope there is a place for people to drive as fast as they want...with NO motocops or photo ticket cameras. The Celestial Autobahn. Admit it, you're interested.

In the meanwhile, I'm back to being hypervigilant ....boo.

In other news....it's hot here. I'm sure you've heard. It makes me laugh that the weather app on my phone says "Hot" up to 108 and jumps to "very hot" around 109. Really? Because I thought 108 was feeling hot-ish.

Work is good, However, I am in desperate need of tax advice...any of you readers out there savvy about small business tax rules? If so, email me, I'd love to ask you a few questions.

Church is now at 8 am. Which means Sundays are now a long day. Love it. I love being out by 11 am...

Last tidbits:

-I have gotten addicted to the flat bread option at Subway...who knew my love for Subway would ever return after the summers of 1990-1998 when we ate there daily. (Rand, Lindsay...someone confirm that this was also your reality?!?)

-I recently went to Flagstaff for a training. While there I bought a mood ring, which is such a Flagstaff-y thing to buy. But I gotta say, for $2.95, it's putting everything Claire's has ever offered to shame. I realize I'm about 23 years too old for a mood ring. But since when has that stopped me? And...let's be honest, my therapy kids are gonna eat it up.

-Speaking of therapy kids...favorite moment of last week was when a cute 3-yr old boy was dunking Green Lantern, Superman and Spiderman in "sand quick." Love that he calls it that.

-I am exuding every last ounce of restraint and REALLY developing my restraint while waiting til October to get a new phone...I'll be up for a new one then and also praying iPhone 5 happens to be out then. I'm not holding my breath though...If Apple products weren't so amazing, I'd totally boycott them for the way they jerk us around... My sissy Droid works about 62% of the time so if you're ever talking to me and then suddenly...you're not...do not blame my possible ADHD...rather, just call me back...in about October.

I believe that is all. Carry on.

For The Love...

Bad News Folks. July 12th marked the end of an era. Which era, you ask? Well, the one wherein I was a noble, upstanding citizen with ZERO traffic violations. (Lasted 33 months, which I feel is commendable).

Yeah. Photo ticket. What kills me is that I was on the way to the temple...the day before I was leaving town for 10 days...and I was debating going because I had to so much to do. Apparently I had so much to do that I decided to possibly (okay, fine, undeniably...photo evidence) run a red light. Which is a pretty big (big=expensive) deal in Arizona...because I think AZ is the red-light running capital of the world. I swear to you I broke the plane prior to the light turning red...and I know all about "breaking the plane" from back in 2008 when I used to speed and had to go to traffic school. So. Luckily I can do online defensive driving school for a mere $200. For the love. Let that be a lesson friends...if you go to the temple...go SLOWLY.

Now...on with happy news...these are the things for which I am grateful today:

1-living 5 minutes from work and being able to come home for lunch

2-having had the opportunity to hike Havasupai (pictures to come)

3-things going well in private practice (yeah, I started one...need to write about that one day)

4-for new friends who make life fun

5-for living in a place where I get to wear flip flops pretty much year round. LUCKY!