Eeek! I spoke too soon...

It's not such a good day now that I have these lovely (sarcasm) invisalign retainers. Dang these puppies are hard to get in and out!

Anyway....
As Mandy pointed out... I was tagged... so, here goes...

4 JOBS I'VE HAD:
1. Baker
2. Teacher
3. Designer
4. Writer

4 MOVIES I CAN ALWAYS WATCH:
1. Princess Bride
2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
3. French Kiss
4. A Knight's Tale

4 PLACES I'VE LIVED:
1. Los Angeles
2. Newport Beach
3. Provo
4. Salt Lake City

4 TV SHOWS I ENJOY:
1. Boston Legal
2. CSI
3. October Road
4. Shark

4 FAVORITE FOODS:
1. Dried Mangos
2. Cheese
3. Apples - I cannot wait to take a big bite of one now that the braces are off!
4. Sunchips

4 WEBSITES I VISIT (ALMOST DAILY):
1. Mvelopes... gotta check my budget!
2. MSN (to check email.. haha)
3. My familes' blogs
4. Other various work places I need to visit daily...

4 PLACES I'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1. Italy
2. Kauai
3. On a drive with Troy
4. Chris Botti concert

4 BLOGGER BUDDIES TO TAG:
1. Janice.... I know you are reading this, so let's get on with that BLOG of yours! :)
2. Paulette... do I really have to create your blog for you? Hehe!
3. Carly
4. Shelly

— and just for giggles, i am including the last one of those "tag" emails that Michelle sent me too... enjoy! :)

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I don't think so.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Since I cry at the drop of a hat... it was probably while watching some silly or cheezy show on tv in the last week. Haha!
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Some days...
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Smoked Turkey
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Three very hairy dogs! :) Askie, Maika and Aleusha
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think so... I try to be a good friend
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Nah... never
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Nope... However I enjoyed paragliding. I would do that again.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Smart Start
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Most of my shoes don't tie... But yes.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Depends on my mood.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Dreyers Chocolate or Rocky Road
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Whether their smile looks genuine or fake.
15. RED OR PINK? Red
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? At the moment it’s a tie between the braces and the thighs
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Do I have to choose just one?? I miss having my family and close friends near by!
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? yes
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue jeans and brown wedge sandals
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Eating Cheerios as I type
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The sound of everyone typing
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Chianti
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Troy (Cheezy, I know but true) and rain
24. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Troy...
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes... We've been friends forever and I couldn't be happier that we still are!
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? I enjoy basketball, football or soccer if I am at a game. On tv I can really only get into it if its martial arts. Haha!
27. HAIR COLOR? Who even knows anymore... Haha! At the moment it is dark brown, which I think is fairly close to what it would be naturally. I may go more red for the summer though. :)
28. EYE COLOR? Brown
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Grilled Chicken with pasta or salad
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings... Used to love scary movies but just can't get into them anymore.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? "The Break-up" with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston.. It was on HBO over the weekend.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Red
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Neither.. but I love Fall and Spring
35. HUGS OR KISSES? Lots of both!
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies or Apple Pie
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Who Knows
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Your guess is as good as mine
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? "I am a Mother" by Jane Clayson Johnson, and just starting the second book in a Nora Roberts Trilogy.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Coke logo and bottle
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? CSI: Miami and the Jazz game (obviously Troy was over.. haha)
42. FAVORITE SOUND? Sound of Troy's voice, Elliott saying I love you, Luke's giggle, Trevor's Laugh (I haven't talked to Madde in too long, obviously! I should call her)
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles.
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Australia? Or New Zealand? Not sure which is farther.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Humm.... Not that I can think of. I have been told that I have a talent for making people feel special and that they matter... Does that count???
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Inglewood
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Any and All! :)

Today is a good day! :)

Oh boy.... what a week!

Let's start with the most exciting part— I got my braces off yesterday! :) And I couldn't be happier about it! Although Troy and I quickly realized that he has known me twice as long with braces as he did without, so its going to take a little getting used to for him. Haha! And not that we kiss, because I know that's not allowed, but if we did... it sure would better without braces! Haha! :)

Next, Askie arrived this morning for a little weekend extended slumber party! :) I always love it when my puppy comes to stay! Russ and I had a lovely chat and he told me to tell everyone hello. He tells me that Brooklynn and Askie have become great friends... she learned that if she sticks her hand over the side of the high chair, Askie will lick the food off. And Askie quickly learned that if he hangs out near her high chair, he gets lots of extra treats! Haha!

( Paulette - I told Russ that Madi was taller than me now and he got quite a kick out of that. He told me to tell you and Doug both hello. I think he misses you guys... You should call and say hi. )

( Tammara Lynn - I think you started a trend with little Brooklynn Tacy! I'm surrounded by Brooklynns now! Haha! )

This week I also had dinner with my buddy Mark (from grad school) and it was so great to catch-up with him! We chatted about work, friends from school, the arts and the book he and I started working on together but haven't gotten very far on.... I will work on it again soon! Haha! :) We also came up with a new ad campaign that the arts/theatre industry needs to start using.. haha! I'll share it when we've developed some concepts.

So this weekend we have two weddings to attend and were also invited to a dinner party and a BBQ... its going to be a little crazy, but lots of fun!

Mellow weekend...

This past week and weekend were mostly filled with time to relax! :) And Troy and I both needed that. Things slowed down a bit at work and aside from a nasty allergy attack... things have just been nice and mellow.

I entertained myself on Saturday with a little shopping and goofing off. I found a cute little boutique store that carries some very cute stuff! Can't wait to go back and buy a few things!

I also stopped by the golf course to schedule my golf lessons. Now that Troy has some clubs to play with (Thanks Dad for the loaner clubs!!), I need to get moving on my lessons so that we can hit the driving range and perhaps get in a couple rounds before the snow arrives again. Can't wait! Now... if I can just find some golf shoes that won't make my poor feet so hot! Haha!

Troy and I went to a play at Desert Star Playhouse on Saturday.... Less Miserables. I think I have mentioned this before, but here goes anyway - their plays are generally of a comedic nature.. and generally a parody of a Broadway musical, or a movie. This one of course, was VERY loosely based on Les Miserable. We thoroughly enjoyed it and laughed until we cried! So... don't be surprised of you hear us laughing hysterically and saying. "I am Marius and I am revolting"

My boys!

Aren't they the cutest?? :)

I miss the beach!

So Troy and I just returned from our wonderful weekend in Newport.... and we are already missing the beach and the Streiff clan! The trip was too short, as always, even with two extra days! But it was so great to see everyone!!

And everyone.... please take your vitamins! We thought Troy was over his cold (otherwise we would have stayed in SLC) but he seemed to have had a major relapse and I really hope that we didn't get everyone sick! :( I will feel so badly if we did. :( So take lots of vitamins, get lots of rest and drink lots of healthy juice!

Anyway... the weekend was so fun! Thanks everyone for hanging out with us!

~ Michelle we loved having dinner with you, and I was so happy that you and Troy finally got to meet! Sorry that we didn't get to see Rob... next time!!

~ Elliott - Thanks for taking me on such a fun car ride in the little yellow Corvette! I loved every minute of it!

~ Dad - thanks for spending the day with us at the LA Roadster Show! We loved having you there with us, and it was especially nice for me! That way I had someone to hang out with while Troy was off in his own little roadster world. Haha!

Troy took a couple photos of his favorite cars... I've posted them here so that all the rest of you can pretend you were there with us. Enjoy! :)

And everyone else.... thanks for hanging with us Saturday and Sunday for dinner! It was fun to see everyone and to just hang out and catch up!

When we can afford that 8 million dollar house we saw in Shady Canyon... we'll be on our way! :) Haha!

Wedded Bliss...

So in all that craziness of last week, I forgot to mention the fun wedding that we went to! A very good family friend of Troy's got married on Monday, June 11th at the top of the Snowbird Tram. Colleen, Troy and I went up to join the festivities and had a wonderful time!

We all met at the base of the tram, piled in and road up together. The view from the tram is gorgeous (as long as you don't look down!!!) and it was a beautiful day. They had a very nice little ceremony at the top, overlooking mineral basin.

Rick and Shirley are a great couple who just seem to compliment each other perfectly! We are all very excited for them and wish them all the best for their future together!

Is it vacation time yet???

Oh my.... I am soooo ready for a vacation! Even if its a short one, it will be nice to have a few days to play! Things have just been crazy around here!

The craziness started last week with the rush to get ready for a trade show, a few late work days, and a lot of rushing to try to get to the Hale Center in time for Thoroughly Modern Millie. The play was wonderful!! We both just loved it and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. And it was a great break for me too, as it forced me to forget about work for a couple hours... which I needed after such a crazy week.

Next was Askie's arrival! I couldn't be happier about having a whole week to play with my puppy! He is just so fun to have around! (Except when he wakes me at 4am to go outside, of course.... but I can't be too upset with him, he's getting pretty old after all)

Last week we also had a Baptism for one of Troy's nephews (Daniel)... so we needed to make a day trip to Idaho for that and get back relatively close to Askie's dinner time (THANK YOU STEVE FOR GOING OVER TO LET ASKIE OUT DURING THE DAY!!!) We had a lovely, but very short visit in Idaho with Tanya's whole clan and Daniel was beaming from ear to ear. We are all very proud of him!

After the long drive home, and a quick walk with Askie, Troy and I headed off to a fundraiser for the Repertory Dance Theatre, a local dance company. The party was at a lovely home in Federal Heights and there was a gorgeous view of the valley and the sunset. What fun!

This week has been just as crazy.... work has been non-stop with trips to the printer for press checks, ads needing to go out the door, etc. Good thing I love my job, huh? :)

Now I am just anxious for some relaxing time with Troy, Elliott, Luke, the rest of the family and hopefully a few friends too! See you all tomorrow!!

Old friends are sometimes the best friends...

So last night at about 11, I get a voicemail from Bunker that says, "Hey Streiff, Watty and I are just driving by your house. Call me back!" So being half asleep and already in bed, I hesitate but make the call. Sure enough, Watty is in town for a visit (which rarely happens) and they are headed off to Denny's and want me to come join them. Normally I would have ignored them and gone back to sleep... haha! But who needs sleep anyway?!?!?! :) So out of bed I go and off to Denny's in the middle of the night, on a school night no less!

But, you know what?? I am soooo very happy that I did! It was so nice to just spend some time with two awesome guys that I have known FOREVER! Old friends are really sometimes the best friends! They know you so well already that it is just comfortable... you pick right back up where you left off. We had fun reminiscing (wow... don't know how to spell that word) and catching up on what is currently going on in our lives. And the best part... when they ask how you are, they really genuinely want to know. I love that!

So anyway.... for those that don't know:
~~Watty and his family (Kerrie and 3 boys) just moved back to southern California. They are in the Aliso Viejo area and loving being back.
~~Bunker is living up the road from me, about 50 yards. Heehee! It is soooo fun to have him so close! He also has two kids who are just a delight!

And now I am even more excited to see Michelle and Rob next weekend! :) I hope that we can find some time to see a few of my other friends that I haven't seen in way too long! (Yes, Tammy and Nita, I do mean you!)

Is it the weekend yet???

OK.... my brain is just too fried this week to write much of anything... Haha! It's been a crazy week with book edits, cover designs, print bids, web site launches, partner agreements, etc. While its always challenging, and fun in a work-a-holic kind of way... I am very happy that the week is ALMOST over! Tonight we are off to the Symphony and tomorrow night we are going to the Ballet with a fun after-party for the Studio D crowd. Can't wait! :)

So... since I have very little brain power left today... I am simply posting a funny joke that Mom emailed me today. :) It cracked me up and reminded me of a little trip that Troy and I made to Home Depot just last week. Haha!
____________

Three men were hiking through a forest when they came
upon a large raging violent river. 

Needing to get on the other side, the first man prayed,
"God, please give me the strength to cross the river."
Poof! God gave him big arms and strong legs and he was
able to swim across in about 2 hours, having almost
drowned twice.

After witnessing that, the second man prayed,
"God, please give me strength and the tools to
cross the river."
Poof! God gave him a rowboat and strong arms
and strong legs and he was able to row across in
about an hour after almost
capsizing once.

Seeing what happened to the first two men, the
third man prayed, "God, please give me the strength,
the tools and the intelligence to cross the river.
Poof! He was turned into a woman. She checked the map,
hiked one hundred yards up stream and walked across
the bridge.