My adversary...

Tonight my vacuum kicked my a. I had great big plans about moving furniture out onto my deck and vacuuming every square inch of this place - perhaps even a couple of times. My vacuum however, had a different set of plans. Namely to scrape every last bit of polish off my nails while I ATTEMPTED (yes I did say ATTEMPTED) to replace the belt that had broken with one I had ordered online.

Some things I learned in tonight's three hour battle in which my vacuum was victorious - yet again:

1 - If you're frustrated by your vacuum because you don't know how to use it... don't buy some cheap piece of crap vacuum thinking that your next attempt with your original vacuum will go better - it won't. Buy a real vacuum that you can understand. Yes... tonight I tossed not just the ONE vacuum, but TWO.

2 - If your vacuum belt breaks you should DEFINITELY look at the size of the belt prior to tossing it.

3 - If you didn't happen to check the size and you don't have the model number of your vacuum with you at work DO NOT ORDER THE BELT - they all look alike. It is a super bad idea to guess and it turns out that not all Kirby's take the same belts.

4 - If your vacuum is older than you are but you are holding onto it because everyone tells you how great it is and well... BAD IDEA!

5 - If you are keeping this huge heavy vacuum due to an emotional attachment you have formed to it since its the one your mom used your entire childhood you might possibly need help.

6 - My last lesson was of course that the belt is in fact an important functioning part of the vacuum. You might waste your efforts trying to vacuum without having one.

All bleeding eventually stops...

So its been a rough couple of months even though its Spring here and yesterday I was talking to my brother who's having the same type of months. I found myself relating one of my favorite phrases that an old friend told me a few years back moments before it was too late and from too far away to do much else than to save me with words.

Even as I wrote the words to G I began to feel the wave of relief that hit me the first time I heard this phrase. I realized that the most difficult time of our lives is when we're unsure of an outcome or in the midst of some turmoil. Not when things aren't going our way, but when we're not sure which way we want them to go. When we're crouched waiting to jump or run or lie down... when we're ready but have nowhere to direct our action, intelligence, and reasoning.

The one thing I know to be true of all the advice I've ever been given: All bleeding eventually stops.

So I wait. Patiently crouched and much less frustrated, angry, or sad because I know that it will stop. When it stops I will know what to do and I have learned I can deal with anything once it is done.

Salt Lake Spring!

Today in Salt Lake City it was SPRING! I wish I could tell you of the transformation that happens inside me at this time of year. Its like all of my thoughts and feelings are painted yellow. I can even watch the news with a smile. I thought I'd pay quick homage to this amazing time of year with a list of why this is the best time of the year:
1 - you can wear flip flops which cuts down on laundry time and decision making time (i.e., what shoes or boots or blah blah)
2 - you can wear a sweat shirt if you WANT but you don't have to.
3 - on weekends the sun wakes you up.
4 - the sky is almost always blue
5 - the mountains are still pretty and white.
6 - everyone seems so happy
7 - all of a sudden there's this incredible burst of energy
8 - even though (as sara said) mini eggs have been out for a while... this is when they're truly meant to be eaten.
9 - memories of Payson and Easter egg hunts seem to swamp me every time I drive by a park.
10 - I start to make lists and actually get things done again
11 - I look better in the sun - my eyes are a bit more green.
12 - In unpacking my summer clothes I have this amazing sense of anticipation.
13 - YARD WORK! And yeah - I like it.
14 - Sunlight at 8 p.m. That's like the biggest gift ever.
15 - CANYONS CANYONS CANYONS
16 - I get to break out my camelback, tanks, and hiking shoes!

Horsepower in all things

So for those of you who know the boys in my family you will understand this conversation that I witnessed Sunday evening. My sister in law and Gardner are discussing purchasing a new vacuum but will also be building a new home soon. They are debating purchasing a Kirby vacuum or getting a central vacuum in their next home.

dad: you ought to get the central vacuum. Its so handy and great and I love it in the garage. There's nothing better for cleaning out cars.

gardner: I'm worried about the suction in a central vacuum.

dad: I haven't had anything that cleans out cars as well. Its amazing - its great to have in the garage.

gardner: With such a long hose how can it have that much suction?

dad: What do you mean? Its airtight so it has the same suction at the end. Besides its got a ton of horsepower. I'll bet you couldn't find a vacuum out there with nearly as much horsepower.

gardner: Really? How much horsepower do you think it has?

How were they able to equate something typically used only to clean the house with cars and horsepower? That's a rare genetic Crane trait.

Cancun to New Year!

It reminds me of that phrase, "it was the best of times and the worst of times." The best being lying by a beautiful white sand beach as sweet waitresses brought any drink of our choice every few minutes. The worst being packing to go home and realizing that as the plan landed there was SNOW SNOW SNOW everywhere. Merry Christmas!

Highlights Include:
the wall fountain that greeted us in the main hall. It made mom so happy.
the beautiful jacuzzi tubs in the rooms (and mine and m's worked too).
the amazing deep cavern on the way to chickenitsa.
Cliff jumping over and over so that we could catch it on camera! We didn't have to twist M's arm...
Some of the most amazing ruins I've ever seen.
But, the most important highlight was THE SUN!!!
Oh yeah... the best highlight for me was that I realized I look like mom! FINALLY! YAY!

Our company was fantastic (I can't think of anyone I'd rather share such a great resort vacation with), our hotel was beyond belief, the food was safe and yummie, and the weather was PERFECT!!!

Mouse in the House?

Above are a couple of examples of why its been hard to be back home after taking more than a week to soak up the sun in Maui...

Tonight I walked out of work with a friend and we stood in the parking garage talking. While Jess was filling me in on all that happened last week I stood fidgeting (if I listened to my mother and didn't fidget..). I began scraping my open toed black shoe back and forth over some strange lump on the floor. I wasn't really thinking, but if I had been I'm sure I'd have been thinking about ten billion other things other than the obvious: what is this thing I keep scraping my foot back and forth over? Yes - had I been thinking at all I'm sure I'd have been looking down at my nearly split ends that badly need trimming or my toes that badly need painting... the beach was rough on me!

Anyway as I said, I stood thoughtlessly scraping my almost bare foot over this lump when suddenly my friend looked down for a minute and then back up. She made direct eye contact with me and nearly screamed, "WHAT IS THAT THING?" Not too concerned I allowed my eyes to wander where my foot had been wandering.

Two points I'd like to make is that there are TWO of whatever this is and that one of them has been PAINTED over by whoever painted the parking lines. Nice work guys. Really great attention to detail. I guess had I decided to nap in the wrong place I too could have been striped.

Rolling Stones and Relief Society

This past Sunday while in San Diego with my family we attended church together. When the women were in class together we had a lesson on morality. The teacher commented about how Mik Jagger had oppenly admitted that their music was geared at making teens engage in immoral acts... she went on about how important it is that as women we take a moral stance and be sure that we choose even good music, etc... My youngest sister lightly poked my side and made pointed out that a couple rows back a girl was actually WEARING a ROLLING STONES t-shirt. It was the one with a big tongue and had the letters printed boldly over her chest... I couldn't help but squirm a bit for her and realize how perhaps our lesson should have been on understanding. I guess I just have a hard time believing that the band's goal was more financial and that their goal was to SELL ALBUMS just as that poor girl's main girl was fashion... I just don't know that it was as much about immorality...