b a c k i n t o w n

Although I lugged my laptop with me on my trip, no matter where I was there was no connection to be had. They wanted me to stay in Reno longer but not being able to check email or compulsively check my bank account every hour was driving me crazy and keeping me from making an educated decision on whether to stay or not. Do I need to go home and make money or not? Well, what bills are scheduled to be paid this week? I don't know because I can't access my online banking in any of these places. So I came home out a better safe than sorry theory. Plus I'm dying to go to Franklin Covey and get my agenda refill (another compulsion). I'm sure they have one in Reno but I didn't feel like looking it up and getting lost 5 times trying to find it.

Ok... Work Trip to Northstar- mostly snowed in (with 3 kids going stir crazy). We got 5' of snow over night. We sled down the snowed over driveway and made snowmen and had snowball fights and threw snowballs to try to knock down the icles hanging off the house. It was a good thing the house they rented was huge and absolutely beautiful because we spent alot of time in it.

In Reno I met up with my uncle Rayfield and his wife and kids (all except our own grown up RaeRae). Nice to be around that side of the family and I see so many tendencies that just are so familiar with that side of the family (like placing bets on absolutely everything). It helps me understand my own father. Watching Rayfield's lax way of raising his kids makes me think Ya, that's probably how it would have been if my dad raised me. He takes the kids to the bowling alley in their pajamas where he feeds them candy and puts soda in sippy cups and the women in his league pick up the little one for some nurturing when it's his turn to bowl. Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that whole scene but I cringe hearing horror stories of his kids drugged up on sugar. As he puts the little one to bed in her clothes I remind him that I think we need to change her diaper before bed. The forever bachelor attitude of all the Gorum men resignates clear in him even after his 3 marriages and 5 kids ages 2 to 29. Although I must admit that what he lacks in parental instincts he makes up with words of immense fatherly love.

Prison visit was an interesting experience and quite an awkward setting. However, I am really glad I went because it meant the world to my bro that I came. He kept saying that if felt like Christmas. He was so excited and it was a complete surprise for him because the whole trip was kinda last minute and there was no way to get word to him in short notice. It really brought his spirits up and I'm glad I could do that for him. Plus it gave me ideas of how I can help him out while he's in there so that he is never in this situation again. It was a beautiful drive with all the snow. Along the road in Susanville I saw this scene and it kinda reminded me of those cheese commercials about how california cows are happy cows... I think these cows should write in a formal complaint.

Ok... now let's talk New Year's Resolutions....

I have to say that I am quite proud of myself for accomplishing most of my 2004 Goals.

Got Done...

*quit Marriott and return to childcare

*paint the house

*get new windows for house

*get new garage door

*fumigate house

*workout 3x a week

*lose 10 lbs

*pay bank & credit card debts

*open a bank account

Didn't do...

*more placement collage art

*publish book/calendar of the art

*didn't go back to school

*didn't pay my dad rent

Here's 2005 Resolutions...

Spiritual- read the whole bible, do marketing for my church, read 3 spiritual betterment books, pray for absolutely everything, consult God first, and no hiding sin.

Career- open creperie part time, do the placement collage art and try to publish

Finances- pay my debt to Kim, pay my dad the rent money (no more pricy home improvements/ more do it myself stuff), no late payments, give 2.5% of income to missionaries (annonymous in middle east & Karen Hosernot in St. Petersburg), create a savings & emergency fund, refinance my car payment, no overdrawn accounts

Relationships- date everybody casually just as friends (no more over the top wasting my time crushes), no more being shy/ make first moves, go on one date a week, know how they measure up to what I'm looking for in a man

Health- workout 3x a week, start triathlons again, lose 10 more pounds, eat more fresh food, go low carb/low sugar

Home Improvement- install sprinkler system, plant vegatable garden, lay cement walkway and widen driveway, landscape, spruce up the gazebo into little quaint hideout

Back to Schoool- business & restaurant management courses, finish the accounting series, dabble with a little web design, do some general ed and transfer. Really I hate school though.

And finally as promised.... pics of christmas quaintness and beauty...