April 16, 2009

Have you ever...

Bold the items you have done:

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lighting storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick.

24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.

26. Gone skinny dipping.

27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

March 26, 2009

The Big Dance

The NCAA Basetball Tournament in Boise was so much fun! It would have been even better had the Aggie's won, but it was a really good game and it was just awesome to be able to see them play in the Tournament.

The poor kid sitting next to me made me laugh. He was probably about 16 years old and with his family. I was jumpin up and down and cheering so loud, he has laughing at me. But then, during the second half of the game, he leaned over next to me and said...

"I'm so glad you are here...I can cheer as loud as I want and I don't feel so dumb!"

I laughed. At first I wasn't sure if it was a compliment or not, but decided to take it as one, cause he was really having fun cheering as loud as me.
Utah State University vs. Marquette
When we were ahead...by 6!!!


The Final Score...lost by one stinkin' point!
Cornell vs. Missouri game.

Nikole's Hair

Ok finally, here are some pictures of Nikole's hair that I did for her Sweethearts Dance a few weeks ago. She wanted to go for that not so perfectly polished look, so she didn't have to worry about it not looking good later so she could dance and have fun. Here are the results!

Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters...

She wore the dress, and we stayed home!

January 7, 2009

"Twilight"

Thanks to MINDI (growl), who sent me the book "Twilight" for Christmas, I have now become addicted like every other female in this country. I wasn't going to give in to all the pressure from family and friends. I was going to stand out, be different, be the sheep going the opposite direction from the other sheep. But alas, I was thwarted in my defiance and individualism and succumbed to all the peer pressure that surrounded me.

It took me a few days before I even picked up the book to start it, still in my defiance. Then Mindi gave me a lecture on how I needed to hurry and read ALL of the books so we could "discuss" them. So I begrudgingly started it...and needless to say, a few chapters into the book, I got online and ordered the rest of the books in the series.

I was trying to read as slow as possible, knowing that it would be about a week before my other books got here, and how tortured my soul would be waiting for them if I finished the book to soon. Thus, I restrained myself, limiting myself to only a couple of chapters a day. And I finished it today...the very day the rest of my books arrived via the great UPS man. Oh, happy day!
Off to read "New Moon"...

January 2, 2009

Happy New Year!

I'm very excited for this coming year. A lot of hopes and a lot of dreams to look forward to. Some fun and exciting things in the works as well. And for those who are reading, I hope your year is full of health and happiness!

November 26, 2008

I'm adopted

I have come to the conclusion that I was adopted. Pure and simple. Why, you might ask? Well here's the reason. I cannot cook nor can I bake! ALL my siblings, even the boys are excellent cooks/bakers! Just another thing that makes me the black sheep of the family! Like I wasn't enough already...(too bad I look like everyone else in my family, I can't claim adoption)

I'm doing Thanksgiving alone this year. Mostly because I have to work on Thanksgiving. (The price you pay for working at a ski resort and free ski/snowboard passes!) Now, I made Thanksgiving dinner all by myself last year too, but I didn't make any of the deserts, I bought them. Dinner turned out ok, although, my turkey looked a little rough, but tasted ok.. The gravy was a little thick, and I made the dressing from a box. (Actually I forgot to make the dressing for dinner...and made it later to have with leftovers. WHAT IS THANKSGIVING WITHOUT STUFFING?!) So despite some setbacks, dinner wasn't a total disaster.

This year, I bought a turkey, but decided to save it for Christmas. My closest friends are out of town for Thanksgiving. So I think I'll just do steak, or chicken, or ham...I can't decide.
I thought I'd be festive and bold and make my first pecan pie. The crust looked so beautiful when I got it into the pie pan. Things were going well so far. I had hope that maybe, just maybe I could actually do this! So I mixed up the filling...everything going well so far. Put it in the over as directed in my nifty little Better Homes and Gardens red and white checkered cookbook. Cook for 25 minutes with tin foil over the sides of the crust so it doesn't get over done. Ok. I can do that. Except as I was putting on the tin foil...I bent some of the edges down. Oh well, I can live with that, right? I'm not expecting perfection here...it's me, Margaret! The inventor of Maggie's Gaggies!

So after the 25 minutes of baking with the tin foil, it was removed for another 25 minutes of baking. HA! The filling wasn't even close to being done. So I set the time for another 10 minutes...then another 10...then another 10...and finally...the pie is done. Hmmm...maybe that last 10 should have been a 5. Oh well, too late now. The pie is toasty done. Not burnt, mind you...but very...very...done.







So onto the pumpkin roll. A wonderful Banks family tradition for Thanksgiving, and even Christmas. Whipped it up like the recipe says, thought I had the right pan...but no, my pan is too big! It's the only one I have! Should I double the recipe? I do not know. So I call mom, who is on the road to Moscow for Thanksgiving with Curtis and Diane's families. I'm like the batter is barely covering the pan! (so close to tears...this is why I hate cooking/baking) She laughs and tells me to not cook it for as long since it's spread thin. So I get distracted talking to her about how thin the batter is that I forget to put the walnuts on top of it before I put it in the oven. She says to add them to the frosting. It'll taste the same, but not look the same. It'll be good. Ok...I cook it for 10 minutes instead of 15. Seemed to work. Except when I tried to take it out of the pan, part of the cake stuck to the pan. I do not know how this happened! So now I have a huge whole in my cake. Ggrrrr. (have I mentioned I hate cooking/baking?) I'm hoping I can cover it up and nobody will notice.

I'm going to attempt to make one more thing. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I can usually pull of cookies. It's about the only thing though. So lets all keep our fingers crossed that at least they will turn out with no major incident....

***Update***

Fast forward an hour...The Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are delectable!!! Thank you Marcia for saving Thanksgiving Day dessert with your awesome recipe, just in the nic of time!

October 13, 2008

Every woman should have...


A Poem I found on a friends blog and I loved By :Mary Angelou

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job,break up with a lover,and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table.. or a charming Inn in the woods... when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...