Senior moments

One of the best things about working with people with Alzheimer's is that you never know what you're going to get when you show up in the morning, so it's always exciting. Sometimes I'll have a cute little grandma give me a hug and tell me I'm an angel and then turn around 20 minutes later and say "Help me break this window or I will kill you" (just happened 2 days ago)- only to come back in another 15 minutes and say hello with no recollection. Needless to say, it provides for a lot of laughs.

One of my favorite old ladies is the grumpiest lady in the whole community, but I just can't help but love her. Today, she had me in stitches.

Me (as I walk by her in the hallway): Good morning!

Old lady: Shut up.

Me: Did you just tell me to shut up?

Old lady: No, I said "Have a nice day."

Me: Oh, that's what I thought. (And then I gave her a big hug)

Utahans love terms of endearment

Call me crazy, but I think terms of endearment (i.e. sweetie, honey, sugar, etc.) are supposed to be used with people that are dear to you, not by the man at the Taco Bell drive through. "Here's your taco. Have a great night sweetie." What? Did he just call me sweetie? For all he knows I'm not sweet at all.

Okay, okay, I don't really care that much. Maybe it stems from the fact that I'm not super comfortable using terms of endearment. I once had a boyfriend that told me that this bothered him. True story. Maybe I'll make that one of my 2010 goals "Use more terms of endearment". Then I'll be a true Utahan, darling.

I forgot what it feels like to be warm.

Luckily I'm headed to Southern CA for a reminder. Can't wait to catch some rays (I'm in serious need of some Vitamin D- and a tan). While the sun will be nice, the real highlight will be catching up with these lovely ladies. High school flashbacks, here I come!

Holidate '09 (not quite as catchy as Holidate '08)

It's that time of year again. The time to throw on a party dress, eat delicious food, and dance until my feet hurt. Check, check, and check. Already looking forward to Holidate 2010.

Good Company

Everyone loves a good white elephant gift.

Looks like the "hand on the hip" is not only my picture pose, but also my dance move.

BIG mistake.

I know better than to drink Diet Coke at 9:30pm.

I need something to keep my mind off the fact that it's going to be cold for the next 4-5 months.

I saw THIS on Kate's blog today and I got soooooo excited. It got me thinking about all of the other documentaries I've seen and loved- and yes, I realize that by admitting this, I cement myself in the dork category. I don't care. I've come to terms with it.

Anyway, I thought I'd ask if any of the 4 of you that read this blog have any suggestions of documentaries. Funny, informative, historical- I'll take it. It's starting to get real cold here, so I've got to come up with indoor activities to keep me busy until it's warm enough to hang out on the porch again.

You'd think I'd be better at this by now.

How is it that after 16 years of shaving my legs, I still cut myself?

So maybe I lied when I said I cry only twice a year...

Hailey (during her night time prayer while I was visiting last weekend): "Please bless mommy that she's having lots of fun in Heaven..."

...I just couldn't help it.

Does this mean it's all downhill from here?

I stopped into Old Navy tonight to pick up a few items -not generally one of my regular stops, but I had a 30% off coupon and they had some great tights and a killer purse. Anyway, the shopping trip went as usual...I breezed past all of the cable knit sweaters and ugly stripped numbers and found the few items I came for. I was feeling great about the deals I had just scored as I swiped my card, but in an instant all of my post-purchase glory vanished as the sales associate mistook me for a teenager's mother. The conversation went as follows:

18 year old ON sales associate: "Are you CeCe's mom?"

Me: "Um, no." (somewhat quizzically- hoping that CeCe is a small toddler)

18 year old ON sales associate: "Oh, cuz you look just like one of my friends from school!"

Me: "Haha" (uncomfortably laughing as I realize that CeCe is not a toddler, but an 18 year old girl).

She might as well have asked if I was pregnant while she was at it.

Home Sweet Home

I've lived in Utah for about 8 years, but Clovis will always be home. I don't care if I live here the rest of my life (well, actually I do care and I don't plan on it...), it will never feel like home to me. That's not to say that Utah doesn't have its perks- it certainly does (i.e. 7-11's on practically every corner, the seasons, temples, great people, etc.). I wouldn't live here unless I liked it, but it'll never give me the rush of warm, happy feelings I get when I turn onto Sunnyside Ave. I had the chance to go back to Clovis a few weeks ago and while I didn't recognize most of the city, my old neighborhood took me right back to high school- the fact that all the radio stations seemed to only play music from the late 90's may have also had something to do with it too. Seriously, I don't think I've heard so much Natalie Imbruglia and Blink-182 since I was in the 11th grade.

Sunnyside, just the way I left it.

When did the trees get so big?

For real?

So I'm not in charge of the animals at work, but turns out that in addition to my counseling and assessment responsibilities, I am in charge of the Lost & Found (kind of random). Lost & Found in an Alzheimer's community? Isn't everything/everyone lost? I thought for sure it was a joke they were playing on the "new girl", but turns out it's not. This should be interesting.

Sometimes I hate being a girl...

...because it makes me do things like burst into tears at Sunday dinner with my parents. I only cry like twice a year (although I tear up daily while watching Oprah and such), and for some weird reason, yesterday was one of those days. Somehow I ended up laying in my mom's lap in the rocking chair while she reminded me that at least we're not pioneers that got all the way to Utah and then didn't even have a rocking chair to cry in when things got hard. Needless to say, the tears quickly turned to laughs. Thanks mom for making it better.

P.S. Dad, you were right, we should've just stuck to talking about Bret Favre or something.

Just another day at work...

Contrary to popular belief, I work with old people (and their families), not animals. But there happens to be a kangaroo, 6 dogs, a few cats, some birds, and a bunch of fish that also live in the Alzheimer's community. Oh yeah, and sometimes we have visitors like ponies and camels. And yes, Oscar the kangaroo is wearing a diaper- luckily that doesn't fall under the umbrella of my job description.

Old Soul, New Heart

My friend (and past roommate- until she had to go and get married on me), Shea, is outrageously talented. So talented in fact that she started her own accessory business and was able to quit her 9 to 5 to become a full time crafter. Okay, the title "crafter" doesn't really do her justice. But anyway, she makes beautiful things and I want to buy all of them. Go HERE to check her stuff out. And yes, I know I'm not supposed to end sentences with a preposition.

P.S. I'm partial to the Sparkle Sparkle Shake. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it's named for yours truly?

We like to party, we like, we like to party.

And by "party" I mean, throw weddings. Getting married seems to be the thing to do around here- maybe one of these days I'll hop on that bandwagon, but for now, I

love celebrating the nuptials of my friends.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Anderson

Had to pick up Big Gulps between the temple and recpetion set-up

I'm noticing a pattern in my photos- looks like my go to pose is the "hand on the hip".

Roommates

I must've been really feeling the beat.

Sometimes a little heart and soul...

...does the heart and soul a little good.

*Picture via Melissa Lucia

(I just love how she translated our frenzied fingers onto film)

Two thumbs up

I love magazines and I love documentaries, so imagine my delight when I got to watch a documentary about a magazine this weekend.

The key to my heart.

I've always liked nerds. Not the Urkle kind, but the cool kind- you know, a nerd with personality and social skills. It's surprisingly hard to find.

I promise I won't be the next Anna Nicole.

So I know I haven't had the best luck with guys my own age, but men in the 80 and older set sure do like me. Sure they have dementia and most of them can't see, but I still like it when they tell me I'm pretty.

Sometimes a bad economy isn't all bad.

Like when one of our local eateries offers "free coffee (or hot cocoa) Mondays" until the DOW hits 10,000. All you have to do is bring your own mug and they'll fill it up. Not too shabby.

Is it bad that I want the economy to recover, but I also want the DOW to hang out at 9,999 for just a few weeks?

Not quite the Big Fresno Fair, but it'll do.

I went to the Utah State Fair with a few friends last night and noted some differences from the fair of my childhood:

1) I could actually go to the fair at night (which was unthinkable at the Big Fresno Fair unless you wanted to risk being shot in a gang fight).

2)I didn't see any low riders in the parking lot. Weird.

3) There wasn't even one booth where I could get my name graffitied on my shirt. Luckily,

Natalie went to the Fresno Fair last year and got me one to help me remember my roots.

Even though it was a little different than the fair that I was used to, the Utah State Fair didn't disappoint. Between the funnel cake, brick of curly fries, cotton candy, fresh lemonade, and the big yellow fun slide, I was satisfied.

I survived my first day.

I think I was more nervous today when I started my first real job than when I started the seventh grade. What if no one liked me? What if the kangaroo was mean? What if I had to share an office with someone that wanted to listen to techno music all day? SO many things to worry about. Luckily all my worrying was quickly put to rest. Turns out my coworkers are all super nice and they think I'm important or something and I get my very own fancy schmancy office- complete with a large oak desk and comfy couch. Did I mention that I have a mini-fridge?

Anyway, not much kangaroo interaction today, but just when I started to hit the afternoon lull, this cute little bulldog (well, ok, cute might be a stretch- but she's so ugly she's almost cute) wandered into my office. Just what I needed to distract me from the fact that I had NO IDEA what I was doing. Hopefully I'll figure it out soon.

Turns out a Masters degree is good for something- I was seriously starting to wonder.

I finally did it. I got a job. Say hello to the new Director of Resident and Family Services at Silverado Senior Living-Aspen Park.

Did I mention that I have a kangaroo as a coworker? Don't believe me?

Check THIS out.

I have a feeling that Oscar the kangaroo and I are going to be fast friends.

The sun is setting earlier and earlier and I don't like it one bit.

'Cause it means that winter is coming which results in fewer nights spent hanging out on the porch.

Nothing better than an unexpected visit from an old friend.

Thanks, Joey, for "missing" your connecting flight and playing for the day- it was just what I needed.

Note to my future husband

Just sayin'.

*image via ffffound

I'm proud to be an American.

Not sure why THIS was so hottly debated. I couldn't find one thing that I wouldn't want children (or everyone for that matter) all over this country to hear and heed.

Code for "I'm Mormon"

I saw this car at Walmart and had to laugh.

Roommate FHE

*Don't mind the fact that I look 3 times the size of my roommates in the bottom picture (they keep telling me "it's the angle")

A little 30 Day Shred followed by brownies.

Counterproductive? Nah.

I'm starting to get desperate.

* Found via indexed

We made the last week of summer really count.

Hailey starts kindergarten tomorrow (and couldn't be more excited about it). But before she went to school, we made sure she had a fun filled week of 'cation at Chickee's house complete with trips to the zoo, Thanksgiving Point, the Monte L. Bean Museum, sleepovers, giant bubble baths, tea parties, and swimming in Chickee's basement. School will probably be a nice break.

I don't consider myself a jealous person.

But I'll admit it, I'm feeling insanely jealous of everyone who got to go back to school today.

I just wish I could be a student forever.

What happens when there's a mouse in the house?

A group of otherwise seemingly grown-up, logical girls instantly turn into screaming babies.

I've got to get a boyfriend, stat, to take care of this kind of stuff.

Confession

I drank sodie last weekend. Lots and lots of sodie. But I don't feel bad about it 'cause I was on 'cation. And like I said before, just about anything can be justified while on 'cation.

My body felt like I slid down a 1200 foot glacier.

The view from the top and the beautiful wildflowers were well worth the 15 miles, sore feet, and numb bum (fyi, one thin layer of cotton spndex is not sufficient for sliding down a glacier). Thanks Mt. Timpanogos, I'll be back.