Something You Don't See Everyday!!!

I work for Wells Fargo, one of the oldest and now largest banks in the United States. It is probably one of the most well branded companies out there. The company began over 150 years ago with the Wells Fargo stagecoach. While technology out grew the need for the stagecoach, it has remained an icon and symbol for our company through the years. Vary rarely do you see one in public, except for the occasional parade or trade show. But yesterday, in downtown San Francisco, if one was walking near the intersection of Montgomery and California Streets, they would have seen the Wells Fargo stagecoach pulled by 4 gorgeous black horses, accompanied by one horse trainer on horseback, 4 SFPD on horseback and multiple motorcycle cops. It was actually kind of fun to see. Apparently, there was a contest to give away $100,000 to a worthy cause and the winner got to ride in the stagecoach up to the headquarters building to accept her prize. We have a Foundation that gives away millions of dollars each year to schools and non-profit organizations. I like to say it's the nice side of corporate America. Here are a few pictures of the event.

It Boggles the Mind!!!

Beware. I know I haven't posted in a while and I apologize that this post is going to be a venting of my frustrations. But there is a part of the human existence that truly escapes my understanding. It boggles my mind. Marriage. Now, don't get me wrong. I understand what it is and why, but I am at a complete lost as how to obtain it. I was on Facebook checking out profiles of all these people I grew up with and most of them are married. I had to log out because my frustration had reached a boiling point. Which brings me here. How do people get married? How do they find people who want to marry them? I'm having trouble just finding someone to ask me on a date. I just don't get it. And it isn't for a lack of trying. Trust me!!! I've put myself out there. I've asked guys out. In fact, I've asked more guys than have ever asked me out. I am a pro at embarrassing myself in this regard and at rejection. Well, maybe I can't say a pro at rejection, because I don't handle it well at all. But I sure have had my share of it, more than I care to. I attended singles wards for 17 years. OH MY WORD THAT'S A LONG TIME!!! Singles wards have worked for other people, but not me. I've even resorted to online dating. Yes, it is tragic. But I have done it and have met a few people. Online dating is a bit strange. But it does seem easier to get to know someone online than in person. It goes faster, that's for sure. In fact, my longest "relationships" have been online relationships. Oh, that is sad. But they've all turned out to be colossal jerks. One guy ended up not wanting to take it any further than an online thing. WHAT?!?! And another guy, he... well, he had issues. Let's leave it at that. So here I am, 35 and single. I'm in a family ward and I've found that I have more in common with the married men than I do with the women, which sucks because I can't really hang out with the men. I don't think their wives would appreciate that. But they talk about work and life and sports and politics and the economy and... whatever. The wives talk about their husbands and their kids and since I have neither, I really can't relate. So do I go back to a singles ward? The frustrating thing about that option is that I am just constantly reminded that there are a ton of single men, great single men, who do not want more than a casual friendship. Casual friendships are nice, but come on already!!! What's so terribly wrong with me? OK, so maybe I don't have a Cindy Crawford figure, but I'm pretty damn great! I'm smart, talented, I have a wacky sense of humor, I've been told I'm pretty (but to say it myself would seem rather arrogant! :-) ), I'm a good cook, very organized, capable of doing almost anything I try (I can't skateboard - I fell flat on my butt the one time I tried), I'm well rounded (physically as well as mentally! hehehe), I'm good at sports... man this list is long!!! See what I mean? Pretty damn great. Perfect? No, but who is? So why can't I find someone who wants to marry me? I'd be a great wife and mother. Well, there it is. I'm so done being alone. It sucks. But I haven't figured out how to get from point A to point B. I still want it to happen. Just because I am 35 doesn't mean I'm all washed up and out of hope. I had an aunt that said to me when I was 25 that I shouldn't worry because there are many women who never get married!!! I WAS ONLY 25!!! WOW!!! She had already given up hope on me then. Well, I'd better end this depressing tirade. If anyone has any words of wisdom, I'm open for suggestions.

History in the Making...

Well, it's over. And I am so glad. I was so tired of the arguing between the candidates and supporters and opponents of all the propositions. I read an article in the San Francisco Examiner this morning that I rather enjoyed. He was speaking for politics in San Francisco, but I think it can be applied to the country as a whole. At one point he says, "Our elections have little to do with the betterment of [our country] and mostly to do with the continuous pursuit of power." I wish I could believe that our politicians truly have our best interest at heart.

I'm glad Proposition 8 passed. I wish it meant there would be an end to the contention surrounding it, but unfortunately I see a long fight on the road ahead. There were so many arguments for and opposed and I was really torn about what I believed. But it all boiled down to what the Prophet and Apostles taught - marriage is sacred and is ordained by God between a man and a woman. For me, it was as simple as that. That is what it boiled down to. Many people may have used other reasons for supporting their decision and I'll admit, I did to at one point. You can read about that in a previous post. But after I wrote that post I came across an article refuting those reasons, pointing out the falsehoods used to twist them around to make them support their cause and I had to decide what my decision would be and why. It was simple. Marriage is sacred and ordained by God between a man and a woman. It may not be an argument that can be supported by documentation or published works other than the scriptures. But since when has faith meant that you have to have proof to believe in something. Faith is having hope and believing in things that are not seen. If there was tangible proof it wouldn't be faith, it would be knowledge. I have faith in God and in our prophet and apostles that they have directed us in the way that God would have us go.

I'm rambling. I want to add before I end this entry that regardless of how we all voted, this is a historic moment. A black man will be President of the United States. Think of all the blood, sweat and tears that have built up to this moment. I know many people who honestly did not think this was something that would happen in their lifetime. Is this the vision that Martin Luther King Jr. had? I wonder if the slaves who helped build the White House and the Capital Building had any idea that some day this country would have a black president. There are some out there that may not think this is that big of deal. But I have always loved history. In junior high and high school the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement were a couple of the most interesting topics to me. They touched my heart and moved my soul. I remember visiting the Lincoln Memorial a few years ago on one of my business trips to Washington, DC and being reminded of those feelings as I revisited those history lessons. I feel blessed to have experienced this moment in history.

A Humorous Pet Peeve

Everyone has pet peeves. Some people may not admit it, but come on!!! Let's be honest. There are things that bother everyone. They are definitely different from person to person. I'll admit it. I have pet peeves. Some things I try to not let bother me, but others are just things that bug and I'm really OK with that. One thing that bugs is people who do things that don't make sense. I was trying to find a way to say that without sounding mean, but seriously. Sometimes people will do something that makes no sense what-so-ever and it totally bugs!!! Here's one example that just makes me laugh every time I see it.

The women's bathroom at work has a handicapped bathroom stall and like most handicapped stalls it is much larger than the regular ones. (OK, so this may not be the PC way to say it, but oh well. Deal with it.) As many of you may know, sometimes the stalls have pretty big gaps in the spaces between the walls and the doors, etc. and sometimes you have to be choosy as to which stall you're going to use to make sure you don't give people on the other side a show. At work, the handicapped stall was this way. But maintenance came in and put a metal slab and black padding up to keep the users of this stall modest. YEAH!!! However, someone, and I really don't know who, still feels the need to waste toilet paper to cover up the former cracks every time they use this stall. Did they not notice the metal slab that cover up the gap!?!? And every time I take down the toilet paper and flush it down the toilet. It drives me nuts because it's a stupid thing to do. Come on!!! Use some common sense and realize you don't need to waste toilet paper. Here are some pictures. I just had to take them to prove that I'm not going crazy. You may think I'm strange, but I find this hilarious and annoying at the same time. Just thought I'd share.

See how she sticks the toilet paper in between the wall and the stall to cover up the "gap"? Look at the next picture and you'll see there is no reason to do it!!!

The metal is flush with the wall and over laps the stall. Why does this drive me nuts and why am I devoting a whole entry on my blog to this? Common sense. People. Use your common sense.

Proposition 8

For those of you who read my blog who do not live in California, you may not have heard about Proposition 8. Proposition 8, if passed, will protect marriage as defined between a man and a woman. A number of years ago, we had a similar proposition up for vote in California voted down, which protected marriage between a man and a woman. Then a few years ago, many may remember that the esteemed (sarcasm!!!) mayor of San Francisco decided to legalized same sex marriage. It was quickly overruled by the California State Government. But for some reason, a few months ago, by a slim majority decision makers in our state government legalized gay marriage. Why? I have no idea. It was put to the vote several years ago and the majority of California citizens voted to keep marriage between a man and a woman. So now we are faced with Proposition 8.

Personally, while I do not support same sex marriage or relationships for that matter, I am of the belief that every human being was given the gift of free agency by God. If that is how someone feels they were created and chooses to live their life, then so be it. I don't look down on them for it. I don't agree with it, but I'm not going to shun them. Some of the funniest, kindest people I know are gay men, friends I've met and worked with over the years. So I agree to disagree. But when it comes to same sex marriage, a part of me wonders, why not? If you look at it from a strictly political point of view, under the Constitution every citizen of this country should be allowed the same rights. My problem with legalizing same sex marriage is with everything else that comes with it. Non-profit organizations and churches will be forced by law to recognize homosexuality. For example, in Massachusets a Catholic organization that provided adoptions chose to close its doors rather than provide same sex couples with adopted children. Prior to gay marriage being legalized in that state, a church would be perfectly within their legal rights to deny adoption to a gay couple due to religious beliefs. Not any more.

Just last week, a first grade class took a field trip to San Francisco's City Hall to witness their teacher's marriage to her lesbian partner. 1ST GRADERS!!! The school thought it was a great teaching opportunity. If Proposition doesn't pass, then homosexuality will be taught in our public schools as the norm right along with hetersexuality.

If there is such a fight for gay marriage rights, then why not legalize polygamy? Where does it stop? I'm all for equal rights. But when equal rights for one group takes away the rights of others, I'm not OK with that. The rights of the religious and others who choose not to believe in homosexuality is being stolen. How can they force those of us who have religious views against homosexuality to accept it and believe in it? This country was founded by people who commited treason in order to establish a place where people could be free to believe and practice what they wanted to. And now those basic rights that were established at the birth of this country are being destroyed. It's a scary time here for those who support Proposition 8. If they want to get married and have it legalized, fine. But don't take away my rights to believe, and practice and live my religion. FREEDOM OF SPEECH! FREEDOM OF RELIGION!

Metering Lights: Alleviation or Aggravation

If you cross any of the bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area during commute hours, you will experience the invention of metering lights. Their purpose is to regulate the traffic on the bridges to alleviate traffic congestion. Does it work? Not really sure. But regardless, the powers that be decided to expand the use of these metering lights to several freeway entrances to be used again during commute hours. These have been in existence on many Bay Area freeway onramps closer to the city where traffic congestion tends to be more concentrated. However, as the outlying areas of the Bay Area have continued experiencing growth and development, the traffic congestion has increased and metering lights began popping up closer to home. They were put in a while ago, but just have never been turned on. That was until September 16th.

On September 16th I ended up waking up earlier than the butt crack of dawn so I decided to go into work early. That early in the morningthe metering lights weren't as issue. I beat everyone to work that day, even my boss who is usually the first one to the office. On the 17th, I woke up a little later than the day before, but still left for the office much earlier than I normally do. Metering lights Day 2... not so bad. But then came the 18th. After 2 days of not getting enough sleep I slept much later and ended up leaving work 20 minutes later than I normally do. Warning!!! Traffic a nightmare just getting out of Livermore onto the freeway.

I realized I was going to be a little late for work. It was 8:15am, which meant I would probably get to the BART station in time for the 8:42am train... IF I HURRIED!!! Otherwise I would have to take the 8:57am train which would put me into the city by 9:44am, getting to my office by 10:00am. I called my boss to let him know that I would be late and explained why. He's great and told me to just work from home.

Which brings me to today. So I left this morning at my usual time, 7:40am. This time I decided to take the Portola onramp instead of the Airway Blvd. onramp thinking it may be better. Plus, I was leaving a little earlier than last week. Surely it couldn't be that bad. @#$%@$&. It could and it was.

People... I live less than 5 minutes from the freeway. I could take either Airway Blvd or Portola Avenue. Either one takes less than 5 minutes to get to from my house. IT TOOK ME 30 MINUTES JUST TO GET ON THE FREEWAY!!!!!! HELLO INSANITY!!! By the time I got on the freeway I was in the same boat as last week. Sure they use these metering lights to regulate how often cars can get on the freeway, but it doesn't decrease the number of people who still have to get on the freeway. AND... it didn't make traffic on the freeway any less congested. It just added 25 minutes to my already 1 1/2 hour commute! ARGH!!!

So, metering lights: alleviation or aggravation? DEFINATELY AGGRAVATION!!!

I Almost Lived at Safeway

OK, so I know that I owe this blog and whatever viewers of this blog pictures from my trip to Honduras and Costa Rica. I'll get to it. In the meantime I wanted to share my latest "Doh!" moment and so far the most exciting part of my week! (How sad! Yes, I know.)

So these last few weeks have been interesting for me. I won't go into all the gory details. Trust me... you don't want to know. Suffice it to say (is that how that phrase is written?) I have been feeling somewhat lethargic and not my usual chipper self. However, Monday I was feeling more myself and was excited to go home and be productive and get some necessary things done and get to bed early. (I've been staying up late, which is part of the problem.) I had even written out a "To Do" list... on a 3x5 card none-the-less!!! (That will only be funny for my immediate family. Sorry.)

I left the BART station and decided to stop by the Safeway on my way home and pick up some milk. I was out and for me milk is a main staple. I pulled my gorgeous red Mustang :-) into the parking lot and grabbed my bag to put in the trunk while I was in the store. I don't want to give anyone more of an excuse to break into my car. I opened the trunk and used the clicker to lock my car. I set everything down in the trunk, grabbed my wallet out of my bag so I wouldn't have to carry the whole thing into the store. I then grabbed one of the grocery bags that I keep in my trunk so that I can feel good about contributing to the improvement of the environment and not use plastic bags. I shut the trunk and started walking into the store when I realized... MY KEYS WERE IN THE TRUNK OF MY CAR!!!!!!!!!!

HELLO!!! I've never done that before. After the first initial gasp when I realized what I had done, I was pretty much calm through the rest of my ordeal. I'm a good problem solver and my mind went into gear to figure out how to get out of this mess. I have AAA. Great!!! I'll just call them and have them come help me get into my car. CRAP!!! MY PHONE IS IN MY BAG IN THE TRUNK OF MY CAR!!! OK. Next problem. So I go into Safeway and explain my predicament to the Customer Service clerk who lets me use their phone.

After getting through to the trusty AAA they inform me that the locksmith can't get their until an hour later. Lovely. I get to hang out at Safeway. So I sit in the little cafe wondering what I'm going to do with myself for the next hour. After people watching for a little while (its interesting to see how many people will wander into a grocery store and just meander for a while) I decided to get something to eat. After all, I was in a grocery store. I bought my milk, a sandwich and a few other things and went outside to eat. As it neared the time that I was assured by the AAA lady that the locksmith would arrive, I went to stand by car to wait. I figured it would be easier for them to find me in a sea of parked cars. But they didn't come.

I went back into the Safeway and called AAA again. They told me the locksmith wouldn't be able to make it until 8:11pm. WHAT!?!?!? I was so frustrated I hung up on her. It wasn't until after I hung up that I realized that she could just cancel my service request for my being rude to her. But I had to hope that she wouldn't. She didn't. But I had to wait until 8:00pm for the guy to finally come. Do you know how long it takes for the moon to rise from the horizon to almost 1/4 of the way across the sky? I do.

The locksmith was able to unlock my car and then unlock my trunk by sticking this long metal stick between my back seats and pulling the release tag. I now know that if I ever get kidnapped and thrown into the back of my car that I can just pull the release and jump right out. I hope I never have to use that.

So I finally made it home by 8:30, enough time to relax, take a shower, read and go to bed. So much for getting things done on my list. But hey, I got to spend a fun, exciting evening at a local Safeway! Lucky me! (NOT!!!)

My Last Day in Cost Rica

First of all I need to make a comment about my last post. My birthday post. At that time I was feeling really down and very home sick. I was done and ready to go home. But my friends sprung into action and took me out to dinner. I got to pick the restaurant and chose a place called Morpho´s Cafe. They had traditional Costa Rican food. It was great. It wasn´t anything spectacular, but the gesture turned my day around and I went to bed feeling much better about being me. Thank goodness. It would have made the last few days of my trip torture.

We are now in a town on the Costa Rican coast called Quepos. It is idillic. We stayed in a beach front hotel and I spent the day relaxing on the beach. It was beautiful. We are going home tomorrow so I will be able to post some pictures of my trip. It´s been a fun experience, but I am looking forward to going home.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yep. Today is the day. This day 30 some odd years ago I made my way into this world. And unfortunately, I´m not all that excited about it being my birthday. I´m in Costa Rica. This should be an awesome birthday. But we spent the morning traveling from Arenal (an ACTIVE volcano) to Monteverde (the cloud forest). But this was no ordinary travel. We all piled into this minivan type of vehicle and drove down the mountain on a dirt road full off rocks and pot holes. To try and avoid the pot holes, our driver was all over the dirt road. It felt like a roller coaster, but not the good kind. After about a half hour of a bone jaring ride, we got to the ferry where we had to drag our luggage down the side of a hill... in the pouring rain!!! The 45 minute ferry ride was the most enjoyable part of our trip. Once we got to the other side it was another 2 HOURS of bone jaring turbulence through the hills. Oh, did I forget to tell you that Costa Rica doesn´t believe in paved roads? COME ON!!! Almost 2 hours of this. I almost went batty. Happy Birthday to me.

So here I am in Saint Elena, Costa Rica. It´s wet, foggy and humid outside. I´m sore and tired and all I really want to do for my birthday is veg and watch a good movie. But alas, our hotel room doesn´t even have a TV. It´s that kind of weather where all you want to do is curl up on the couch in front of a toasty fire with a cup of hot chocolate and either watch TV or read a book. Oh, but with the horid humidity I´d probably scrap the fire and hot chocolate and trade it for air conditioning and smoothy. OK. I should stop lementing. It could be worse. It could always be worse.

A House is Almost Built

We just finished our project with Habitat for Humanity. We didn´t get to finish the house, but we did make a big dent and were definately a huge help to the construction team. It was hard manual labor, but I´m so glad I did it.

OK. I have to vent for a moment. One thing that drives me CRAZY is the staring and the talking about me in Spanish as if I don´t know they are talking about me. It happens ALL THE TIME!!! For those of us in the group that don´t speak Spanish, it is driving us NUTS not knowing what they´re saying about us. It´s so obvious they are talking about us because when we look at them, they are staring at us and quickly look away as if they weren´t. It´s starting to get on my nerves. But... what do you do? Do I really want to know what they are saying? Probably not. But I swear if I am ever in the situation where I´m the native with foreigners about, I will not talk about them. It´s flat out rude!

Yesterday we went to this extremely poverty stricken neighborhood. It was heart wrenching. Our driver has his hand in all these local humanitarian efforts. One of them is this partnership with a friend of his from the States who send him $500 a month. He takes this money to buy food to feed the kids of this neighborhood every day. It´s this long dirt road of 1 room shacks made out of scraps of wood. Most of the shacks are maybe 5 feet by 5 feet. Some might be a little bigger, but not by much. The Peace Corp volunteer in the area said that it´s hard because they try to help these families escape the poverty, but a lot of them just end up taking what is given them (clothes, land, homes) and selling them for money and remaining in the same conditions the volunteers were trying to get them out of. It´s what is familiar. It´s sad.

Today while we were working it started to pour down rain. But what was a little rain when we were already drenched with sweat. But I have to point out that the 7 women in our group were out in the rain shoveling dirt and gravel and moving it in the wheelbarrel while our token male was hiding in the alley way under the awning trying to stay dry. SERIOUSLY!?!? Hats off to all the women (myself included) who weren´t afraid of getting dirty and getting the job done.

I´ll have pictures to post when I get home. But for now I should sign off because the guys in this Internet Cafe are having a field day at our expense. We are off for our last day in Honduras tomorrow - river rafting and swimming under the waterfalls.

A Truly Humbling Experience

How many people do you know that will take time off work, go to a foreign country, pay to build a house and then sweat from every pore to build that house without the use of modern tools? If you said ZERO, well you can now say ONE. Me. I don´t say this with an arogant heart, but a "Wow, this is a really cool thing I´ve chosen to do" heart. I didn´t really think about it much before I came. I was just thinking how cool it would be to go to Honduras and "Oh by the way, I"ll build a house for Habitat for Humanity while I´m at it." I can´t begin to describe what it´s like. We are building a 36x36 foot house for a family of four. It will have a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen and 2 small bedrooms. One of the bedrooms may fit a bed, but not much else. These people have just the bare essentials and they are so grateful for our help. I wish I could explain it. I will post some pictures when I get home, but I just want to say that if any of you love to travel and wouldn´t mind manual labor, this is probably one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have.

PS. I´m still in Honduras using a computer at an Internet cafe that has a Spanish keyboard (and yes, they are different than an English keyboard) so if you notice any spelling mistakes... ignore them. The spell check won´t work.

I'm leavin' on a jet plane...

Well, this is it. Only 30 minutes left until I leave. I'v been so stressed trying to get ready that I really haven't had time to get excited about it. Hopefully I will have a good time and once I leave I can leave my regular life behind and have a nice vacation.

So tonight at the wee hour of 1:35am I board a flight to Honduras. With a layover in San Salvador and a 2-3 hour bus ride once we arrive, we should get to our final destination of La Cieba, Honduras sometime tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully I will be able to find an internet cafe somewhere so I can post some of our adventures. If not, I'll definately fill you all in when I get back.

See ya'll later.

A Nice Surprise...

A few weeks ago, when I returned to the office from 2 weeks of traveling for work and 1 week of vacation I was treated to a nice surprise. The first week I had been gone was to attend a conference in Los Angeles that my boss had been organizing for almost a year. So naturally, I was swamped with the planning and such for this conference. (He would come into my office and say, "I've been thinking..." and I'd think, "OH CRAP!" because it inevitably meant more work for me.) My boss' boss attended the conference in LA, which was a huge success by the way. So when I returned to the office I was greeted with a beautiful flower arrangement. I thought that was the sweetest thing! My boss' boss is so thoughtful and I was touched that he thought to commend me on a job well done. Here's a picture of the arrangement.

Quote of the day...

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those that matter don't mind."

~Dr. Seuss

Team KC

Today my mom told me about this blog she has been reading about a girl struggling with cancer. This girl, Korrine, is 14 and found out in December of 2007 that she has cancer. She found out just before Christmas. Korrine lives in Livermore. Her mom was my mom's water aerobics instructor, which is how my mom knows about it. I thought I'd post this to my blog for other people to read about. I know they are looking for blood donors because Korrine has a rare type of blood, A-. So if you are A- or know of someone who is, I'm sure they would love to have the donations. Keep her and her family in your prayers.

http://www.korrinecroghan.blogspot.com/

The Downside of Technology

So, I know it's been a while since my last post. This morning I actually spent some time writing a really good post. When I clicked on the "Publish Post" icon and... POOF! It was gone! Aahhh!!! I was so bummed because it was a good post, too. It was open and honest and sincere. I thought about rewriting it, but the sincerity of it would be gone. It just wouldn't be the same. So maybe it was just more important that I get my thoughts out then to have them posted for the world to see. Frustrating!!!

Introducing...

Zachary Thomas Lee

Benjamin, Karinne, Zachary, Mom (Tammy) and Dominic enjoying Mom's company on her hospital bed. Benjamin and Karinne had been watching the TV. We had to turn it off to get them to look down for pictures. But apparently, they still didn't look at the camera. In this picture, Dominic had just whacked (accidentally) Zachary in the head. He started screaming, the poor thing. Grandma Lee had to pick him up to comfort him. I chuckled because its starting already... the older siblings beating up the younger ones. Once when Dominic was a baby, he was lying on a blanket in the living room at my parent's house. Karinne walked by, looked around to make sure someone WAS looking and then stepped on Dominic's head. Then she walked nonchalantly out of the room.

Zachary with his favorite Aunt!!! (ME!!!)

Karinne and Dominic holding their little brother, Zachary.

Zachary and Dad (my brother, Brian) holding hands.

HE'S HERE!!!

Nephew #5 has made his entry into this world!!! YEAH!!! He was born last night, June 2nd at 9:53pm. He weighs 8lbs 15oz and is 21 inches long. The poor kid still doesn't have a name, but hopefully my brother and sister-in-law will decide on one today or tomorrow so we don't have to call him "Kid" for the rest of his life. I talked to Karinne this morning and asked her if she was excited to have another little brother. Her response was, "It's not a girl." She's a little disappointed, but she's such a fiesty little girl that I'm sure she'll be able to handle 3 brothers easily. I'm so excited to go see this little guy. Hopefully the next time I post I'll have pictures of him and a name to go along with the little guy.

Baby Watch Continues...

Nope! Still no baby. Man, this one sure is taking its time. Yes, I know its technically not due until Monday, but it always seems like Tammy's babies come a little earlier than expected. OK, I guess I'll just have to be patient. Come on little one!!! Your favorite Aunt is waiting!

Simple Pleasures ...continued

~Having dinner with friends.

~Buying a cute new outfit.

~Being in a crowded room and feeling the air turn on. Taking a few deep breaths is very calming.

~Sleeping in on a Saturday morning.

~Driving a cool red Mustang!!!

Simple Pleasures - Day 1

I think an important part of being happy in life is taking enjoyment in the simple pleasures. I've noticed a few in the last few days and decided what better way to acknowledge them than to post them on my blog. So here it goes...

1. Treating oneself to a nice meal in the middle of the day. Not an expensive one, necessarily, but a nice one where you actually sit down in the restaurant and order from a waiter and relax and not have to think about work for a few minutes.

2. Breathing fresh air after a long day of work in an office at a desk behind a computer.

3. Driving a really cool red Mustang!

4. Having a home cooked meal ready and waiting for you when you get home from work! (The perks to living with one's parents before they've left on their mission.)

... to be continued

Operation "Baby Watch"

So the official due date is June 2nd, only 4 days away. But it could always be sooner than that. No, I'm not pregnant. I'd prefer to get married first before I try motherhood. I know many women in the world are in situations not of their choice where they are now single mothers raising children on their own. Hats off to them. I think being a parent is hard, but add the burden of doing it alone makes it doubly hard. Why anyone would choose to be a single parent right off the bat is beyond me. So to any of my family and friends out there who would like to see me bear children in this lifetime, I could use a little assistance in the finding a husband department. I digress.

My sister-in-law is expecting #4, which will make #7 grandchild in the Lee clan. I'm so excited to see the little guy/girl. Nope. We have no idea which it will be. That's one thing my brother and sister-in-law have always done is keep the baby's gender a surprise, even to them. I like it. The anticipation of either a boy or a girl is half the fun. As soon as the little one makes its way into this world, I will post the great news. Until then, here is a picture of it with it's older siblings, Dominic (2), Karinne (almost 4) and Benjamin (7)... and Mom (my sister-in-law) of course. Where else would the baby be?

Isn't He Adorable?!

This is Dominic, one of my nephews. He celebrated his 2nd birthday on May 19th and while it is 3 days late, I just wanted to give a shout out to this adorable little man and say "Happy Birthday, Dominic. I love you!"

Happy Mother's Day!!!

So even though Mother's Day was technically a couple of days ago, here's a shout out to my mom in honor of Mother's Day. Many years ago, my mom and I were walking through the mall in Orem, UT and we came across this store with all these little trinkets, one of which was a framed peom entitled, "Mean Mothers". We read it and loved it and since then my mom has prided herself on being a "Mean Mom". We didn't buy it, but to this day I wish we had. I've hunted and hunted and have never been able to find a poem that quite does that one justice. But in honor of Mother's Day and in honor of my wonderful, beautiful mother who, I am so incredibly grateful for, was a "Mean Mother", I am including the following peom that I found on the internet. And to all you mother's out there, I hope you are one and are proud to call yourselves a "Mean Mother".

My mom with one of her granddaughters, Abigail.

The Meanest Mother In The World
Copyright© 1967 by Bobbie Pingaro

I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. When others had cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different than the other kids' also.

But at least, I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, that we be gone one hour or less--not one hour and one minute. I am nearly ashamed to admit it, but she actually struck us. Not once, but each time we had a mind of our own and did as we pleased. That poor belt was used more on our seats than it was to hold up Daddy's pants. Can you imagine someone actually hitting a child just because he disobeyed? Now you can begin to see how mean she really was.

We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath. The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. Why, oh why, did we have to have a mother who made us feel different from our friends?

The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn't sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept-my mother actually had the nerve to break the child-labor law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.

She always insisted upon us telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, even if it killed us- and it nearly did.

By the time we were teen-agers, she was much wiser, and our life became even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn of a car for us to come running. She embarrassed us to no end by making our dates and friends come to the door to get us. If I spent the night with a girlfriend, can you imagine she checked on me to see if I were really there. I never had the chance to elope to Mexico. That is if I'd had a boyfriend to elope with. I forgot to mention, while my friends were dating at the mature age of 12 and 13, my old fashioned mother refused to let me date until the age of 15 and 16. Fifteen, that is, if you dated only to go to a school function. And that was maybe twice a year.

Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie in bed, "sick" like our friends did, and miss school. If our friends had a toe ache, a hang nail or serious ailment, they could stay home from school. Our marks in school had to be up to par. Our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother being as different as she was, would settle for nothing less than ugly black marks.

As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.

My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, most of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested, divorced or beaten his mate. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. And whom do we have to blame for the terrible way we turned out? You're right, our mean mother. Look at the things we missed. We never got to march in a protest parade, nor to take part in a riot, burn draft cards, and a million and one other things that our friends did. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults.

Using this as a background, I am trying to raise my three children. I stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Because, you see, I thank God, He gave me the meanest mother in the whole world.

Written byBobbie Pingaro ©1967

The Latest Update

I realize that it's been a few weeks since I last posted and much has changed since then. I'm still loving "Stella". People are quite shocked when they see me driving a dark red Mustang. It has definitely been quite the conversation piece. For those wondering how she got her name... well... I wanted a name that was sassy and feminine. Something with attitude but not too overbearing. The name Stella just popped into my mind a few days after I got her and I thought, "Stella the 'Stang", and it stuck. For those wanting a picture of me and my car... give me a few days. I'll get one and post it soon.

So the biggest news is that I am moving. Not too far away. I'm moving to Livermore to live in my parent's house while they are gone on their mission. FREE RENT!!! YEAH!!! My mom brought up the idea last year and I thought it would be great. But then a few months ago, after I had decided to move it just didn't feel right. So I told my parents that I had decided to stay where I was and not live in their house while they were gone. They understood and began making preparations to leaving it empty for us kids to take care of while they are gone. But then a couple of weeks ago my roommate and I were notified that our landlord was increasing our rent and with the recent purchase of that shiny red Mustang parked out on the curb, more rent stretched me to my limit. So I started thinking about it again and this time it felt right. Don't ask me to explain why now it is the right thing for me to do and a few months ago it wasn't. Heavenly Father has His reasons and I've learned not to question why... sometimes anyway. So I am moving Memorial Day weekend. I'm kind of excited to embark on this new adventure.

Since deciding to move and save on rent I was invited by a friend to go to Honduras in August and build a house with Habitat for Humanity and I thought... why not. I can afford it. So August 2nd I board a plane with friends bound for Honduras to spend 8 days building a house for a less fortunate family. And then on the 10th we hop, skip and jump it to Costa Rica for 6 days to relax after a hard week of manual labor. I am so excited for this trip. I have developed a love of traveling to different countries and Central America is one place I've never been before. I have the opportunity and means so why not take it? I am going to make the most of my single life and have great adventures. That just seems so much better to me than wallowing in self pity and loneliness. I get plenty of that in anyway. I might as well intermix it with once in a life time experiences!

My New Car!!!

It was time to retire my trusty little 1998 Ford Escort. The maintenance to keep her running would of cost more than she was worth. So I decided that if I have to be single right now, I'm going to get a fun car. Why be practical? I have no dependents. No 4 door sedan or mini van for me. I decided to go a bit sporty. But I didn't want tiny. One little fender bender would total something like that. So no Mazda Miata. But I couldn't afford expensive. No BMW or Mercedes either. (OK, so I'm being just a little bit practical.) So here's what I got... a 2008 Candy Apple Red 2dr Premium Mustang Coupe. Here she is... introducing my new baby, "Stella".

My Parent's Mission Call

For several years my parents have been talking about serving a mission after my dad retired. Well, he retired last June. So a few months ago they began the process and turned their papers in just 3 weeks ago. Now, my dad served a mission in Mexico City when he was 19. My mom on the other hand got married when she was 19. But over the last 15 years she has sent 4 children on full-time missions. Having been one of those children to have been sent, it has been quite an interesting experience to be on the other side of it... the children getting their parents ready to serve a mission. 3 weeks ago we began the long and dreaded wait. Being potential senior missionaries did not exempt my parents from the anxiety of waiting and checking the mail box daily for that long awaited white envelope. But yesterday the wait finally came to an end and all of my parents posterity who live in the San Francisco Bay Area gathered at my brother, Brian's, house and called and set up the web cam with the rest that live out of state. And then they read that familiar phrase... "You have been called to serve in the Asuncion Paraguay Temple Mission for 18 months." My parents are going to Paraguay!!! How exciting and crazy is that!?!? So now we begin the process of helping them put their things in order, setting up a schedule for taking care of the house, and any last minute things to help them get ready. Then on July 21st they enter the MTC in Provo, UT and we children can sit back with a sigh of relief and say, "Well, we must have done something right!"

Happy Birthday, Brenda!!!

Just a quick shout out to my sister, Brenda. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Well, it was actually yesterday. Brenda, my parents and I were all at my brother, Brian's, house and my adorable niece decided to dress Brenda up as a princess. As soon as I get a picture I will post it. It's great. Anyway... Happy Birthday, Brenda.

Thankgoodness for Working from Home!!!

So this is how I felt yesterday. (Except

brunette, not blond.) Work is just a little busy for me right now. I have quite a few projects that I'm trying to juggle to make sure they all get done. And then my boss is organizing a business forum for June, which is really quite a big deal, and is on caffiene overload while planning all the details and everytime he comes into the office and says, "I've been thinking..." I feel dread and panic knowing that his "thinking" is going to add to my already bulging list of projects I have to do. So by the end of yesterday I was frazzled, exhausted and just wanted to go home. But my stressful day didn't end there. Oh no. It kept on going. So I take CalTrain to and from the city. San Francisco is the last stop on the northbound trains, so if I fall asleep... no worries. But if I fall asleep on the way home... well, let's just say I really try not to. But after my exhausting day yesterday, it happened. I fell asleep. And for a while I was doing OK. Everytime we came into a station I would wake up to see where we were. But as fate would have it, I didn't wake up at my station until we were leaving it. So I got off at the next station and instead of having a 15 minute walk home I had a 1 HOUR walk home. 3 HOURS, people!!! 3 HOURS is what it took me to get home last night. So needless to say after my day commuting into the city yesterday, I decided to work from home today. Ahhhh!!!! I am so grateful that I have this option. There have been days where I litterally work in my pajamas and still in my bed. I try not to do it too often because I am much more productive if I'm in the office. But after a day like yesterday... I need this kind of break.

NAKED MAN ON CALIFORNIA STREET!!!

I guess I really shouldn't be all that surprised seeing as how I work in San Francisco. But unless it's the Bay to Breakers race or the Folsom Street Fair people are usually fully clothed. They may be bizarrely clothed but the important parts are usually covered by something. However, today there was some sort of rally or protest going down California Street. They stopped at the Bank of America plaza across the street from my building and danced and sang and played the drums. I was curious as to what was going on, so I looked out my office window. Most everyone was dressed strangely. From 7 stories up it looked like they were wearing costumes but for what reason I couldn't tell. I am a little too high up to read their signs. And then I notice a costume that looked somewhat different from the others and then I realized what I was looking at. I couldn't believe it! There he was, naked man in all his God given glory! I wonder if he'll get arrested.

My New Toy!

It's not my birthday. There's no holiday. There isn't even anything to celebrate. I just felt the need to treat myself to a new toy. I've been wanting to get a new phone for a while and thought I'd get one of these eventually. But the other day as I was going home from work, I thought, "What am I waiting for? I know what I want and I have the money, so why not just get it?" So I did! And I love it!

I Must Look Young!

I actually got carded the other day at the grocery store. Now before you freak out, don't worry. I wasn't buying alcohol. (If I was, I sure wouldn't tell you! hahaha!!!) I was buying cough syrup. HELLO! You get carded now for buying cough syrup? But then... HELLO!?!? I was carded??? WOW! How nice! I must not look all of my... 29 years? Hahaha! Just kidding. Own it, baby! I'm 34 and loving it! But seriously. I'm 34 and they had to card me for buying cough syrup? I've never been carded before, not even when I've gone to a bar. (And no, I never drank!) So I'm taking it as a complement. I must still look young. YEAH!!!