Things to do while job hunting

1. Start a new book, or two, or three ...
2. Clean the cats litter box.
3. Play with the cats, pet the cats, groom the cats, hold the cats (It is all about the cats).
4. Catch up on laundry.
5. Catch up on dishes.
6. Become violently ill and spend nearly 20 consecutive hours in bed sleeping.
7. Write silly lists
8. Paint your nails.
9. Catch up on all the cleaning.

Why my family and friends ROCK!

I think it goes without saying, I have been depressed about being downsized out of my job. Fortunately for me, my family and friends are making this transitional period (transitional period sounds way cooler than unemployment) much more bearable. I'm so grateful I have such wonderful family and friends.

Queen Megan and the BAD Day!

Today has been a no good, very bad, rotten day! Well, it actually started yesterday. I had nightmares. I’m not talking about my normal run of the mill “Cookie Monster is trying to eat my brain” nightmares. Oh no, these were the “Your family hates you, you have to save your nephews from aliens, you are being cut into small chunks by your loved ones, you can’t breathe!” nightmares. Then I made a big mistake and decided to try and watch “The Brave One” with Jodie Foster. Sad movie, I cried.But what really takes the cake is today at 9:50 my boss walks over to me and ask me if we can meet in the conference room on the other side. I panic at first thinking I’m going to be released but then I see him approach another employee and also ask him to join us in the meeting room so I relax thinking it’s probably a special project. I get to the meeting room and there are five other employees (not including myself). Our boss along with the CEO of the company enter the meeting room and inform us that the company isn’t profitable and that the ‘Investors’ demand the company become profitable. To make this happen they are doing a workforce reduction and we are all being let go effective immediately. The ‘silver-lining’ of this little rain cloud (as they put it) is that we are all eligible for Unemployment. Hooray!

So, while I try to keep from bawling (failing miserably I might add) I have to clean my desk out while my once co-workers look on with sympathy or offer to help and try to console. I’m sick to my stomach I’m so upset. Jake keeps telling me not to beat myself up but I can’t help but think if I was better, smarter, faster, anything OTHER than what I am this wouldn’t be happening to me.

I’m sick with worry about money, my future, and what I am going to do. I’m also terrified about what impact this is going to have on my depression. My depression is something I struggle with every day. I can’t help but think of a million reasons I should just give up.So! To cope with all of this emotion I am going to go scrub the tub, toilet, cat … anything I can get my hands on. Cleaning helps me feel a little less hopeless and right now I need any glimmer of hope I can scare up.

Blech!

I feel so horrible today. I've been trying to figure out how to load the pictures and make slideshows so I can post pictures and things just aren't going well. On top of that, I'm so exhausted. I just feel miserable! So much for catching up on my blogging this weekend.

Queen Megan and the Draper Days Rodeo!

I apologize this post is mega-ultra late! I blame it on the phantom cat (I'll explain this some other day). Now! Back to the rodeo!

On Friday the 18th of July Jake and I attended the Draper Days Rodeo with my Mom, Dad, Gabe, Caleb and Eli. We had so much fun! Gabe fearlessly entered the 'Cash Calf' contest where he and 30-40 other children chased a calf wearing a coat with money on it around the arena.

Because this post is so late I'm just going to slap my favorite pictures in (I swear I'll come up with better looking images/stuffs later. For now tell me do you like a larger size? Medium? Smaller? Also do you want links or not so much? I'd love input!)

A Small Request

The family of my dear friend Aubrey is a 2nd family for me. I love the Peterson family. They always make me feel warm, welcome and happy. Jenny, Aubrey’s mom, has battled Breast Cancer for over 12 years. Two weeks ago, more tumors were discovered throughout her body and her doctors began chemotherapy immediately.

I feel scared, sad, and useless. I don’t know what words to say to comfort and encourage. All I can do is offer my prayers and support. So, I put this request to you, please keep Jenny and the Peterson family in your prayers. If you are capable please add their names to the temple prayer roll and include them in your fast Sunday prayers.

Thanks to everyone for their support and prayers.

Giveaway Contest!!

My amazing and talented sister is offering a prize giveaway to celebrate the opening of her new blog and etsy shop. Please GO HERE to her blog to enter to win a TaLaisa original freshwater pearl bracelet and a matching pair of earrings. You can see an example images below!

Queen Megan and the Angry Ants! Plural!

I haven’t posted in a while because I have been beset by a summertime cold! It has been horrible, horrible I say! Anyway, I plan on keeping this entry short.

Last night I was sitting on the floor in the living room painting my nails when I got attacked by another angry ant! My apartment is under siege by ants! It is an ant infestation! I saw a marching line headed towards the litter box and then found another ant task force surrounding the cat food dish! I don’t know what I’m going to do but I’m getting ready to go to war!

(COMING SOON to a Blog near you with PICTURES! Queen Megan and the Draper Days Rodeo!)

Queen Megan and the Angry Ant

I crawled into bed last night happily exhausted and looking forward to a peaceful night filled with marshmallow palace dreams snuggled under my beloved “woobie” when I felt a stinging sensation on my right side where my arm meets my back. Alarmingly, it seemed to be MOVING and growing in intensity. I was irritated because not only was it uncomfortable, it was chasing away my marshmallow kingdom! I flopped over and asked Jake to scratch my back hoping it would remedy my discomfort.

Sidebar: A co-worker once told me the story of how he was bitten by a black widow. He unknowingly laid on her when getting into bed! She lived long enough to bite him and he was asleep before he could realize it. When he finally woke he was rendered incapable of seeking aid. It was nearly two days before a concerned friend broke into his house and took him to the hospital. The doctor told him how lucky he was because he had crushed the widow with his slumbering body (or she would have repeatedly bitten him) and because his friend broke in to rescue him. The doctor jokingly urged him to not be angry at his friend for the broken window. SO, this story terrifies me and has become a semi-secret phobia of mine!

Unfortunately, the pain was increasing in severity and images of a sinister black widow biting my flesh swam in my head. I couldn’t take it! I broke and asked Jake to look at my back. He climbed out of bed, turned on the lights, and took a gander at my back. Upon his suggestion, I went to look in the mirror fully expected to see venom tracers spreading out from a grotesque mound of scarlet flesh.

Much to my surprise, all I saw were several small bumps that resembled razor burn. Jake called to me from the bedroom and announced he had found my assailant! It was a run-of-the-mill previously angry now dead black ant! It wasn’t a black widow, an entire ant hill, a fire ant or even a genetically altered ant (I was hoping to at least wake up and lift objects fifty times my weight but I failed the vehicle lift test miserably). It was just an angry ant.

Queen Megan and Sunday Dinner

Every Sunday my immediate family has dinner together, which is something I look forward to all week. It is so nice and fun. We all take turns on who prepares the meal and this week was our turn. I don’t cook … fortunately for me, Jake does! Jake worked so hard and put together this amazing meal that was so delicious. I’m a lucky girl to have such a great husband!

After dinner I got to play with my nephews, which was so delightful. They are the world’s best comedians (I may be slightly biased). The boys just got a Wii and they were showing Jake and I how cool it is. It is really cool! The boys helped Jake and I design our own little avatars and every time Eli saw an avatar he recognized he would say “There’s Granpa!” or “There’s Meggie!”

My nephews, except for Eli, are slightly intimidated by Uncle Jake. Eli isn’t the least bit afraid of him. For example, we were sharing controls and I told Eli he could share with me. He got very quiet and sad and walked out of the room. I followed him and he went outside and told his Dad he wanted to share with Uncle Jake, not Meggie. I giggled and told him he could share with Jake and his whole face lit up. Then while we were playing the Wii Jake was sitting on the couch and Eli climbed up on the couch and cuddled up against Jake. Later without any prompting Eli ran up to Jake and threw his arms around him in a Biiiig hug! It was so sweet.

Another thing that Eli did last night that was super funny was he climbed onto the big leather chair and asked in his little sweet voice if I would put a blanket on him, so I did. Then he said “I need an ice pack” (he had to ask two or three times before I realized what he was asking for.) So, I got him an ice pack and he said “I need it on my back. Ice pack on my back, please.” Any time it shifted he’d say “Meg, ice pack moved. On my back, please.” He had it on for about 3-5 minutes then he let out a happy little “ahhh” sound and said “I’m done” and returned to playing.

Queen Megan and the Night Visitors

Growing up my family had many Christmas traditions, amongst them was going to see a production of the opera "Amahl and the Night Visitors". There is a portion of the story where Amahl offers his only possession, a crutch, to the Three Kings so that it may be presented to the baby Jesus as a gift. Upon giving the crutch to the Three Kings he begins to unsteadily walk. With each miraculous step Amahl takes King Balthazar (a bass singer) booms “He Waaaaaalks … He Waaaalks!”

It is no small secret that I am NOT a morning person. I have a very difficult time with morning. It would be safe to say that morning time and I are MORTAL enemies.

It has possibly been years since I thought about my Mom’s teasingly singing “She Waaaaaalks … She Waaaalks!” to me as I stumbled around the house still 80-90% asleep trying to get ready for school. However, this morning as I stumbled around getting ready for work I heard my Mom singing “She Waaaaaalks … She Waaaalks!” inside my head.

That is the tone for today, it is a miracle!

Queen Megan and the List of Things to Remember

1. When growing your nails out and you have an itchy eye, it is wise to remember that your nails are longer than you are accustomed to. Otherwise, you will end up poking yourself in the eye causing exponentially GREATER discomfort than the originally itchy eye.

2. Kindergartners have it right with snack time between breakfast and lunch, especially if you plan on putting off lunch until 2:00 in the afternoon. Otherwise, you will end up trembling like a wee little hairless cat that just got introduced to a Minnesota winter.

3. Looking at pictures of something you want, will probably only make you want it more.

4. Starting a list on break at work to be finished at home that evening … but not sending the list home will probably result in the post getting made a day late.

Queen Megan and the Five Minute Walk

I’ve set a new goal for myself to take three five minute walking breaks while I am at work. Over the past two weeks I’ve noticed I am very sore nearly 80-95% of the time and I feel less sore the more I move about. It is my thinking that by spending at least 15 minutes each day while at work walking it may help to alleviate the pain. I’ll have to keep things updated and we’ll see how I progress.

Queen Megan and the Quest for the Perfect Yellow Nail Polish

Several weeks ago at our Sunday family dinner my sister asked me if I had, or knew of, a pretty yellow nail polish. I told her I didn’t but I would keep my eye out. Since then I have been on a crusade of sorts to find the perfect yellow nail polish. My first discovery was Essie Short Pants. It is nice but the yellow is so neon and brackish. Next I read a blog review of Chanel L.A. Sunrise but it is a limited edition polish and sells for $25 a pop, talk about a quick nix from the list. Next, while I was at Target I found a canary yellow that made my heart sing! Bonus it was less than a buck! I hurried home to test it out. The problem is that the polish is a streaky as a rebellious diaper hating two year old! Just when I was about to give up hope, a favorite blogger of mine posted swatches of three different yellow nail polishes. I really like Yellow Fever but find the name ironic since the cost is so high.

While I may not have the perfect yellow nail polish in my possession, I felt compelled to blog about it and include links.

Queen Megan and the Case of the Stolen Vehicle

Jake and I live in a basement apartment of an unassuming gray fourplex in an older neighborhood. Our neighborhood is a melting pot of all things diverse. You can find ex-convicts who enjoy the occasional bomb threat living in a house built of exposed plywood down the block from a restored and recognized State Historic home.

So, on Saturday morning I was sweeping the front porch when our upstairs neighbor, Peggy, came outside for a chat. Peggy scares the bananas out of me! When she is around I am fortunate if I can mumble a single word before I turn into a useless bag of strawberry jelly that only desires to hide its big jelly face. Thankfully, Jake was there to do the interactive portion of the conversation while I just stood there inert (like strawberry jelly does). Peggy was curious if we knew who owned the vehicle parked in one of the four parking spots. I hadn’t even realized (until it was pointed out) that there was an unknown vehicle in the parking area. Peggy was furious someone had parked in this spot because they had parked ‘alarmingly’ close to her vehicle. As a matter of fact, she was so distressed that she had procured two 15 lb. chunks of concrete and placed them in front of the vehicle. This would alert her when the owner came to move the vehicle and grant her the opportunity to have words with them. We have a new neighbor moving in this week so I just figured the vehicle belonged to them, and didn’t give the issue a second thought.

Peggy on the other hand, couldn’t let the issue drop. It was some time after one when our landlord showed up along with an officer, only to be followed by a K-9 unit arriving. Jake stepped outside and spoke with one of the officers who politely informed him that the plates on the vehicle were stolen. Our driveway was suddenly a hotbed of activity. By three the vehicle had been searched inside-out and impounded. As it turned out, not only were the plates stolen (from a separate vehicle) the vehicle was also stolen.

So, I am left wondering if our new neighbors tried to hide a stolen vehicle there, if the person who stole the vehicle was/is planning on coming back, why they decided to try and hide the vehicle there, and how safe my vehicle is. I guess that the best result of this whole ordeal is that those 15 lb. concrete chunks are now acting as the divider line between Peggy’s parking spot and the new people’s parking spot. I’m so glad we don’t have the parking spot next to her!

Driveway of Fire 2008!

Historically speaking, I don’t do much in the way of celebration for the 4th of July. However, this year Jake and I attended the Driveway of Fire 2008 hosted by the Williams family. It was awesome! Literally! I’m so glad we got invited because it was the highlight of my 4th of July! The Williams really know how to throw a bash that includes everything from barbeque corn, freak windstorms, kiddie pool splashing, Guitar Hero II, Insane DARTS, and finally, The Driveway of Fire 2008!

Watching Elise and Tom rock out with Guitar Hero II was hysterical. Before you know it those two will be on tour, seriously. All they need is a headband and fish guitar for Tom and some pink or purple hair for Elise!

Now, the Driveway of Fire 2008 was the best show! I laughed, I cried, it moved me. The only disappointing part was when the night had to be cut short (Hoopla free) because I was tired. Since when is 10:30 ‘way past my bedtime’?

Wonderland

Before our story may begin it is necessary that I paint a picture for you of what a typical day in Wonderland is like for Megan.

At an objectionable hour a less than bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Megan would awaken to the pleading calls of her husband. If he was fortunate, she would actually clamber out of bed before his temper grew hot and his voice hoarse. If she was lucky, he would be running behind schedule. The preparation made for the day by Megan normally occurred haphazardly and with no attention to ‘fashion’. Megan had no strong love for her work life as a desk jockey, but she relished in the small things such as her desk that was tucked away in the corner near the windows, streaming classical music, the occasional surfage of a website, and periodic email communication with her husband.

On the evening of June 24th Megan expected the day to follow to be like unto the others. Little did she know the day would be far from a typical day in Wonderland.

When Megan awoke to the wet nosed urging of her cat Pixie, she thought it an oddity. When she dressed ‘to the nines’ for work it was shrugged off as a fluke. When she dolled herself up with hair AND makeup she only paused for a moment. No, what really made Megan step back and wonder what type of day it would be was when she arrived in the office and found her co-workers buzzing about in a social way. She quickly learned the internet was down and they were supposed to do as ‘much work as possible.’ Now, that would exactly equal 1/15th the normal amount of work.

There were a number of factors that played into the amount of work Megan did on this particular day (or lack thereof). It could be that the Friday prior management had decided to play musical desks. Megan was now partnered with a desk that was SMACK DAB in the middle of everything. It could have been impacted by the absence of music or communication with her husband (his frantic story during all of this should be saved for a later date!) It didn’t matter what the cause was, it all added together to create a topsy-turvy day that left Megan’s head spinning with the firm knowledge of the following:

1. Never let your cell phone battery die. Otherwise, your beloved may be left with no knowledge of your whereabouts and well-being.
2. Music is the key to remaining sane! Always, have a backup music plan.
3. If you want people to think you can’t hear them, put your headphones on and pretend to have music.
4. The world without the internet is like an unbirthday without the Mad Hatter!

Picky!

I’m picky; I’m trying to find the perfect template that fits my ‘blog style’ only I haven’t a clue what that is. So, if things are changing around a lot in a short period of time, forgive me!