My newfound ADVENTURE!

Friends!! The most exciting news!!
Last night I booked a trip to Ireland!

This was definitely a last minute, spontaneous, booking that began on Friday! I woke Andy up on Friday (with little tact due to overwhelming excitement) and told him that we needed to book a trip from Travelzoo right now. I explained to him that it was the last day to book and we just had to go! Now, Andy and I had discussed this...kind of. The conversation went more like this:

Andy: I got your email. You want to go to Ireland?
Candace: YES!!
Andy: All right. Let's go.

Now, in my mind, that was confirmation that the trip was definite and all we had to do was book. Little did I know that after that conversation, Andy hadn't given the notion another thought. You can guess his surprise and confusion when I woke him up and announced that we were going to Ireland. Poor, Andy. I am a bad girlfriend.

My hopes were crushed until I found out we could book until the 31st of October! I had five days to make this work!! Much discussion followed the next few days. Endless "What ifs" and "Hows" and "When" filled our days until last night. Andy was stellar and called the travel agent. He found out what we had to do, where we had to go, etc. He figured out how to make the trip possible. Yes, he is that wonderful.

When I got home, Andy had the trip pulled up on the computer. February 19-26, from JFK to Shannon, staying at the Breaffy House, automatic car, and loads of adventure! I screamed and giggled and danced and texted...all we had to do was enter the payment information. Trustingly, Andy handed me his Credit Card on his way out the door.

And that's it! I put the information in, and we are going! I can't even express my excitement. For once, I am happy that Christmas came in October!!

How is it almost November?

It's around this time of year that you realize the year is almost over. I swear that I just had my birthday (May) and find it odd that we just celebrated Andy's birthday (the 27th). I become uneasy when I switch my attention to the holidays that always seem to sneak up on you regardless how prepared you are. I find myself overwhelmed and suffocated by the thought of Christmas. I know it is over a month away, but it is here. You walk into stores and are instantly bombarded by premature Christmas music and the stink of holly. And then there is the dread of budgeting out your Christmas list for the year. Juggling the "giving spirit" while making sure you can afford rent, car insurance, food, gas, etc. I have this part down to a science. I pride myself on coming out ahead due to my clever ability to budget. Still...the mere thought is daunting. 'Tis the season for heartburn and anxiety.
Thanksgiving is four weeks away. That means Christmas is eight weeks away. New Year's is nine, then we have to start again. and again. and again. Forgive me. I focus on the inconsequential. I am excited to go home and spend Christmas with my family. Christmas is always better when you are home. It becomes meaningful again...like when you were a kid. Not just a headache, but happiness. Maybe it is happiness because of all of the shenanigans leading up to it. I don't know.
I digress.
Andy's birthday was this weekend!! Festivities began on Friday when we went to see the Odyssey Dance Company's production of Thriller. If you live in the Salt Lake area and are not familiar with this show, you are sorely missing out! It is such a good time. We were harassed by the skinny zombie girls and decided to harass them in return. We named them and tried to carry on conversations. "Abagail? You look like hell! What happened to you?(Imagine that in a Robert Goulet voice)" The girls were unable to respond. Either we rendered them speechless or the only retort they could muster was odd sounding grunts.
Saturday (Andy's birthday) was a little strange. Andy had a choir concert the night of and spent the majority of the day in rehearsal. A group of us went to the concert to cheer on our favorite red-head. He sang with the passion of a monk and maintained the disposition of a surgeon. The concert was beautiful. I just love watching Andy perform. He is fantastic. The concert led to dinner at the Bohemian then back to the apartment for conversation on hot chocolate (accompanied by a mediocre birthday cake...my bad).
Sunday, Andy awoke at the crack of noon and had to run out and get Guitar Hero for the Wii. With his new toy in hand we headed home to play with it. Shortly after Brett called and Andy proudly told him of his new investment. Brett proceeded call Andy demeaning names...turns out he was at Best Buy purchasing Guitar Hero for Andy's birthday. Thwarted! All worked out as we went to see the Nightmare Before Christmas (in 3-D, fantastic!) and had a spiritual dinner at Ruth's Chris.
The birthday was successful. The boy is officially 26. But that means it is almost November. How is it almost November?

The Phone Trees bloom as November approaches...

I tend to be on the phone. I am on the phone a lot. Most of my time on the phone is spent either on hold or trying desperately to climb the never-ending phone trees that surround various insurance companies. While these trees are treacherous and difficult to endure (most of the time), there is a lot to be said for the leisure time it grants me. Hence, I am writing a blog about them while I sift through the lush branches of "Press 1 for English" and "Press 6 for claims." I climb and climb until I hear,"All of our representatives are currently helping other customers. We know your time is valuable. Please hold for the next available representative." Ah, bliss. As I hold, I am entertained by various musac. Some of my favorite works are: a new age version of "Let it Be," an orchestral arrangement of "Tonight" from West Side Story (to which I sang along), and a healthy mix of Neil Diamond and Dionne Warwick ballads.
My enjoyment of the music is inevitably disrupted by a recording asking me to "remain on the line for the next available representative" or by the elusive representative himself. After that, the call is completed quickly. I feel abandoned and alone. To be blessed with such greatness only for that greatness to be brutally stripped away. As much as I hate for the "on-hold" process to end, I will always remember with fondness the moments that Neil told me he would rather be forever in blue jeans.

Working in a children's hospital

For those of you who are not yet aware of my underwhelming feelings toward children, they (my feelings) border on apathetic at times.
Why, you may ask, do I work at a clinic that treats only children. Answer: they offered me a job. Here are a few things I have to get used to:
1. Random children wandering into my office and talking to me or actually touching me (on one occasion, thus far). No joke! I was working on the computer as a child wandered into my office and tugged on my sleeve. After being scared out of my wits (I wasn't expecting that), I told the child to go find his/her mom.
2. Random screaming from angry kids, bratty kids, kids who climb on rocks...For one reason or another every child finds justification for screaming at the top of his/her lungs. Sometimes, the kids are being casted and are uncomfortable, some kids are afraid of the scary X-ray machine, and some are upset because mom won't let him/her reach into the fish tank and pet Nemo (curses to Disney).
3. Really horrible names for children. I often wish to be face to face with the cruel parents who name their children "Steevee" or "McKendall." And then there is the ever popular "Tucker," "Tanner," and "Tennison." What the hell is wrong with these people?
4. Holding children down while taking an X-ray. That's right! I help out in the X-ray room and I, on occasion, hold down a 2 or 3-year-old to get the film (thank God I am MANDT trained AND certified!). I really am working on my finesse as well as compassion.
I am a little bored today. My goal is to finish 10 patients a day but I am through with 13 and it is only 1:10pm. When I am finished blogging I will go put some charts away. One thing is keeping me unbelievably happy...the pictures we had taken on our wonderful trip to Southern Utah!
I think everyone who looks at my blog also knows me through myspace or facebook (if so, you have already seen these). If not:





My weekend was so much fun! Jamie is the best! She is so talented and is so wonderful to put up with us. For now, There is a child squealing and I feel like my head might fall off. Time to go file.
PS- I won $17 dollars in Mesquite!

Pictures of the Rockin' Ball...

These pictures can also be viewed on my Facebook account...

Car Troubles and other stories

Long story short, I have the worst luck with cars. My history of vehicular maladies would rival the Bible (no sacrilege intended). I think that I would have better success in a city where a car is no longer needed...but that is a different story for a different day.
On Saturday, Andy and I were delayed while on the way to meet some friends. As we drove down the ever-popular Fort Union Boulevard, my car jerked forward and the ABS light came on. Joy. Considering my car had been in the shop the week prior, you can guess my immediate irritation for the new car problem. Andy and I exchanged grumbles and continued driving. We stopped at a red light, then accelerated when the light turned green. Wait a minute. There was no acceleration. The car stayed in first gear. Also, all of the gauges were no longer in working order. Dang it. We drove from Fort Union to 45th south with Hazards on achieving about 15-20 mph. Awesome.
Sunday: My dad had the brilliant idea of having the car towed to the Acura Dealership this day so I wouldn't have to miss work. So, I did. I called trusty AAA and they speedily sent me a tow. Wonderful.
The man who showed up in the tow truck was very nice but incredibly hard to understand.
(Italicized words are words that I guessed in the conversation inevitably making a fool of myself)
Tow man:"mumble mumble black"
Candace:"What?"
Tow Man:"mumble mumble black"
Candace:"Yes, my car is the black one, there (pointing to my car)"
Tow Man:"MOVE IT BACK"
Candace:"Oh. OK."
Tow Man:"What is wrong with it?"
Candace:"It won't shift out of first gear"
Tow Man:"Are you serious? Is your car fun to drive?"
Candace"What?"
Tow Man:"Is your car fun to drive?"
Candace:"Is my car fun to drive?"
Tow Man:"FRONT WHEEL DRIVE?"

Foolish Candace bows her head in shame and answers the question. The nice tow man towed the car to the dealership...all was successful.
I am sure that the car stories will continue but for now, I need a new alternator. :(

The best weekend...

Last weekend was the best!!
Friday: I got a new job! After weeks of fretting and wondering if I could afford rent next month, I heard the jubilant words "I would like to offer you the job"!! I screamed! Then I cried! Then I screamed again! Then I called (almost) everyone I knew! I even called my darling co-worker who is currently in Romania (I love you, Hilary!). I knew she wouldn't answer the phone, but I had to try anyway!
I ran back to my job and proudly announced that it was my last day. I did not have the foresight to realize that giving such short notice would mean lots of work for me.
I got home around 7:15-ish and Andy took me out dinner. We celebrated such a wonderful occasion with our best friends Brett and Katie at a delicious Mexican restaurant. Two strawberry daiquiris later, I was feeling oh so wonderful and extremely proud of my new found job! What else did I do to celebrate? I fell asleep, of course.
Saturday: President's Ball! I woke up early and took my car to the shop at the wonderful hour of 8am. I went home and tried to go back to sleep. Success for about 30 minutes. Curses! Oh well. I got up, we watched some of Dick Tracy and decided to cast my hair. For those of you unfamiliar with the term: it is dying it temporarily. The brilliant redhead that I now flaunt will wither and die in a few months. Pity. Anyway, I casted my hair and headed over to my friend Heidi's apartment where we sipped tea and watched Mansfield Park (don't judge). I complained loudly for a solid hour as I watched snow fall from the sky in SEPTEMBER! yuck. Slowly, as the late afternoon/early evening stretched on, we began primping in preparation for President's Ball (alumni homecoming dance). Katie joined us when she got of work and I felt the stinging sensation of high school creeping in. No, it was fun.
Donning our breathtaking glamor, we went arm in arm with our loved ones to a delicious restaurant called Trio. Katie and I split a wonderful bottle of wine while the boys shared another. Simply wonderful. We ate and laughed and drank. How fantastic!
Then it was off to the dance. Like all old people, we arrived on time and noticed that we were the only ones there. This was not a bad thing. We were able to take the floor and beat it senseless before the twelve-year-olds began rubbing up against each other. The six of us danced and danced to the smooth sounds of a rockin' jazz band. Brett was even invited up on stage to sing with the band! Slowly, the hall began to fill with the aforementioned twelve-year-olds. Disgusting. Around 11pm the dance floor was so full there was no longer any room for us. We resorted to sitting at a table and making fun of the twelve-year-olds. Good times. Around midnight we left the shindig and headed over to Brett and Katie's. I proceeded to fall asleep directly, of course.
Sunday: My one goal this weekend was to purchase some professional looking clothes. For all intents and purposes, that was my Sunday objective. We woke up early to go have breakfast with my good friend Jamie (We really don't go out to eat that much. This weekend was just hectic). I got home, went grocery shopping and took a shower (hooray!). Soon after, Andy informed me that we were joining Brett at Octoberfest in half an hour. I've got to be honest. Octoberfest was not that awesome. I suppose the fact that I don't like beer nor do I like to get drunk will put a damper on the experience...I didn't have a great time. Then again, I was the designated driver. At one point, Andy and I joined the German waltz...the music ended right as we took dance position. I was none too pleased. I did enjoy watching my boys begin to find the smallest trifles hilarious. That is always worth it. Andy and I watched The Davinci Code on Sunday night. What a horrible movie. I know that movies are worse than the books but I didn't think that the book The DaVinci Code could be trumped! Amazing. It was good to laugh at.
So, the weekend ended with me being slightly worried about my upcoming first day and extreme exhaustion. Turns out, I need lots of sleep to function.
PS- Pictures of the sexy crew will surface soon...