Friday, March 1, 2013

I started out March with a shamrock shake from McDonald's.  You can only get them during March and I wanted to make sure I got mine early.
Max stayed home from school today with a slight fever.  I checked on him a couple of times and then took him to lunch at the place of his choice: Subway.

Does this boy look sick to you?

This afternoon I picked up Darrel and while I was out his house I got to see this two:

Ruby and Creed are cousins and best friends.

Darrel and I drove to Apache Junction to pick up the U-Haul truck Harold arranged for us to use this weekend to move furniture to the cabin.  We had a difficult time finding the place until we called 1-800 UHaul.  We got a 17 foot truck and a car hauler.

Thanks Harold for the U-Haul truck.

Paul, Darrel, and James did most all of the moving of furniture.  It was most impressive that the three of them moved the piano by themselves.  To show my gratitude for their help I bought dinner for Paul, Darrel, and James at Elmer's.

This evening The Oxford Clerics (Dallin and Kevin) played at a little coffee house in Chandler called SoZo.

Two very talented guys.

In other news ASU has come out with a new Sparky that no one seems to like, including me.

I think he looks evil.

He he is with Jeffrey Maxwell.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Because I am going to the valley with James I had to get up bright and early to get ready, 4am.  At least I didn't have to do the winterizing.  We stopped at the Subway in Globe for breakfast sandwiches.
I dropped James off at Enterprise in Tempe to get his rental truck.  It is a brand new Ford Ranger and would cost $50,000 if he was going to buy it.  On my way back to Chandler I got my car washed at the Sam's Club on 54th st.  I stopped in at Deseret Book and picked up 3 values bracelets for Trenda, Mary, and Kilee who have birthdays in March.  I also did some shopping at JC Penney's.  I bought two pair of jeans and two tops.  I met Sheri and James at Pei Wei for lunch.  I love their spicy chicken salad!
I worked in the yard for an hour or so and then went to my dentist appointment with Dr. Hillary Douglas.  She put on my crown. 
After my dentist appointment I came home and went through some old files and listened to Kevin and Dallin practice for their performance tomorrow night. 
When James got home from work we picked up Joe and took him to Red Lobster for his birthday.

He got the dish with mussels, scallops and lobster.

I can't believe he is 16!

James and I slept downstairs on one of the air mattresses I bought for the cabin.  It wasn't too bad once we put some more air in it.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

I got up early and made two large batches of brownies for our New Beginnings this evening.  James is here today for a doctor's appointment with his cardiologist, Dr. Memon, and he is going to make his famous punch. 
We left for town around 10 as James's appointment is at 10:30.  Denise came over from the hospital and we made a trade.  She gave me back season 1 and 2 of Downton Abbey and I gave her season 3.  She says she loves it and can hardly wait to watch it although Dennis is a little jealous of her time watching it.
We did some other errands and had lunch at LaCasita.  I had the green chili chicken enchilada as recommended by Kaeli Nicoll and it was delicious!  I think James had it too.
We got stuck in the mud on our own road going home.  There was so much mud in the wheel well that the tire could not go around.

There was only a few hours before I had to be at the church for New Beginnings.  I hiked up to the house (cabin), got a crowbar and began digging the mud out.  Man that stuff is sticky.  Soon James was helping me and we finally got it out.  I am not sure I could have done it without James. 
We went down early to setup and make punch.  Shelly and Brother Applegate came shortly after we got there.  Here is a picture of the refreshment/handout table.

Sock cupcakes.

I guess my picture of the "value" brownies didn't turn out.  I had mini M&M's on each brownie which made the very colorful.  Also we had ice cream and homemade hot fudge sauce.  Yes, Janis Willis finally gave me her recipe!

Shelly was in charge of New Beginning and did an outstanding job.  The program she chose was Personal Progress Airlines.  We moved from room to room and visited four holy places: the home, the temple, the church, and ourselves.  It was a great evening!  And all the girls did a great job with their parts on the program.

James's punch was a big hit but we had lots left over.  He sent the leftovers home with the Applegate's.  Brother Applegate said it was the best punch on the face of the planet.

 

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Happy Birthday to Adam and Joe.  Adam is 23 today and Joseph is 16.
James took my car and left for the valley this morning.  He was back by dinner time with burros from Burger House, and cash from Zaki. 
I spent most of the day paying bills and making sock cupcakes for New Beginnings tomorrow night. I watched some pretty good old movies.  One from 1947 starring Loretta Young called "The Farmer's Daughter", and "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" starring Cary Grant and Shirley Temple.

Monday, February 25, 2013

James and Sean Hunsaker left at 6:30 this morning with Sean's flatbed trailer to pick up James's truck and take it to Hatch Dodge in Show Low.  Thank goodness for good neighbors.
James also spoke to the owner of the fence that he damaged.  His name is Matt Abrams.  We went to high school with Matt and they had a nice visit.  Matt said he would take care of the fence and he also said he did not report the damage to the sheriff deputy.
It was nice to have James home during the week.  This afternoon I made sugar cookies and we delivered them to the three sisters I visit teach: Lannie Gillespie, Linda Diewald, and Rosie Lauritzen.  There was a beautiful full moon tonight. 

I came home and cleaned the kitchen and then we went to bed. 

Sunday, February 24, 2013

James left for his high council meeting this morning at 5:15 in the middle of a blizzard.  First I got a call asking me where we are suppose to be in the scriptures.  James wanted to listen to his scriptures on the way to his meeting.  At 5:30 I got another call asking me to come and get him because he had run his truck off the road and couldn't get out.  He missed the turn just this side of the school yard and ran of the embankment and then in to a fence.  Oh yes, he also hit a sign.  Thank goodness he didn't get hurt, except for his pride.
We went home and then James took me back to the church for ward council. 
Brother MacArthur from the high council was the main speaker in our sacrament meeting.  He is the CEO at the Summit Healthcare Center better known as the Show Low Hospital.  Natalie gave the lesson in young women's on the premortal life.  James had six people at church volunteer to help pull his truck out.  He and Sean Hunsaker arranged to meet after church to do the job.  On our way home from church we noticed that the truck was gone.  James was a little upset but I tried to calm him down and told him not to get upset until we had more information.  Alicia Hunsaker called and said she noticed it was gone so she had called the sheriff's department.  A deputy McCall found the truck and had it towed to Springerville.  When James spoke with him he was very rude.  He said he towed the truck because there was damage to personal property (the fence), and he (James), hadn't reported it. 
We located the towing company and made a trip to Springerville in a blizzard.  As James was driving the truck home and I was driving behind him, in the blizzard, I noticed the truck was smoking very badly.  I tried calling him but he didn't answer.  So I began honking my horn and he finally pulled over.  He grabbed some stuff out of the truck and we left it by the side of the road.

 It was hard for James to desert his truck.

Well it cost us $225 in towing fees and then the gas to go to Springerville to get a truck that is not drivable.  I think I could say that this was not James's best day.

We went home and had some dinner and then watched a light-hearted Hallmark movie called Elevator Girl.  It was a good way to end a sad day.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

I gathered up a total of five bags of leaves from the yard counting what I did yesterday and then this morning.  I couldn't work long because I have another lunch date today.  This one is with Adam.  His birthday is February 26th.  He will be 23 years old.  I can hardly believe that.

He asked if Joshua could go with us and who can refuse Joshua.  We went to one of Adam's favorite restaurants, Red Lobster.  Adam and I had shrimp scampi, (this is the 3rd day in a row I have had something with shrimp in it), James had the tilapia, and Joshua had popcorn shrimp and broccoli.  I might add that Joshua ate everything on his plate.  Afterwards the boys went home and played with their pets.

Adam, Skittles, Joshua and Lightning.

After lunch we packed up my ten boxes of books and headed for home.  I was so sleepy.  I had to have a diet Dr. Pepper, M&M's and some jerky.  On the way home I stopped at Safeway to get some groceries, including ice cream and stuff for punch for New Beginnings.  James will be here on Wednesday so he is making his famous punch for us!

After unloading and putting things away James and I had our weekly date in front of the TV.  One of his favorite shows is Person of Interest so that's what we watched first.  I usually like it but I hated this episode because it was so violent!  We also watched one of my favorite shows, The Mentalist.  Simon Baker, now that's more like it!  

Our goal was to be in bed by 9.  Just as I was getting in bed I got a text from Natalie asking me if I could attend ward counsel in the morning at 7am.  Sure, why not.  James has an early morning high council meeting in Show Low so he will be leaving a little after five.