A Vacation is Having Nothing to Do and All Day to Do It!

I took a week off. I needed it. Summer is a very busy time at work, and so to celebrate the start of the school year, I'm using an entire week of vacation time to relax. I'm on a "staycation." I didn't go anywhere that I couldn't drive to in one day.

Last Friday after work, I drove to Orlando and spent the weekend there with Valarie (sans children). We went to Disney World and Sea World. It was a lot of fun! We started Saturday morning in the Magic Kingdom, which was surprisingly uncrowded. We go to ride Splash Mountain twice! Usually when we are at Disney World, we have small children with us who are either unable or not physically allowed to ride the thrill rides. Val and I were both very excited to ride a ride where we actually got to put our hands up and scream (and get VERY wet!)

We did everything that we wanted to do in the Magic Kingdom by noon, so we decided to head over to Animal Kingdom. I have not ben there in many years, and, unlike the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom was EXTREMELY crowded. There was one point when we were standing in line waiting to walk down the sidewalk! Seriously!

One thing that I loved a whole lot was the Finding Nemo show. I think they called it something like "Finding Nemo: The Musical." It was fantastic! The puppets they used were really cool. If you've ever seen The Lion King on Broadway, it was a lot like that except in the ocean instead of the African plains.
Val and I came home from Orlando on Monday. Since then, I have been hanging out at home. I've gotten to spend a lot of time with Devyn. She a punker, but at least she's a cute one. Yesterday, I got to go hunting for alligators. That just means we went to the park, walked around on the nature trail, and looked for alligators. We found one. It kept swimming right underneath the boardwalk where we were standing. CREEPY!

I've also become addicted to a show that comes on HGTV. It's called "My House is Worth WHAT!" In each episode, real estate agents tour people's homes and tell them what the listing price would be if that house were put on the market. It's fascinating, especially to see the studio apartment in Manhattan that is worth $400,000 compared to the three bedroom house in Nowheresville, PA that is worth $200,000. It's my new favorite show!

Tonight Val, Jill, Devyn, and I are off to Tallahassee to visit Drew & Marquesas. It's Drew's birthday tomorrow, so we come bearing gifts! We'll be there the rest of the weekend.

I've had a great staycation. I recommend everyone have one!

Embarrassing Moments

I have decided to share some personal stories with the blogosphere. Here are some of my most embarrassing moments (in no particular order according the amount of embarrassment I suffered):

1. I Pee on Myself at Work

This happened a couple of years ago when I was working at OSU. My office was down the hall and around the corner from the little girls' room. I realized that I had to go, and then I realized that I HAD TO GO RIGHT NOW! I hurried down the hall, ran into a stall, locked the door, turned around, and sat down. AHHHHHH!!! Relief! Then I realized that, in my rush, I had not properly removed my skirt from the way of the pee stream. I was wearing one of those skirts that is a see-through flimsy layer of fabric over a solid layer of another color fabric. I got the solid layer out of the way, but I ended up stretching the see-through layer across the lid of the toilet bowl, so, essentially, I strained my pee with my skirt. Yup. I did. Then I was in a pickle. How do I explain to my boss that I needed to go home to change because I just peed all over myself? I didn't. I took my skirt off in the bathroom, stood there in my underwear, and washed the pee out of my skirt in the sink. Luckily, nobody came in while I was indecent. Then this would have gone from just an embarrassing moment to a totally mortifying event.

2. I Announce to a Roomful of Strangers that I have a Wedgie

This one happened one day when I went with Valarie to take Mikaily to her doctor's appointment. As we were coming out of the "back" after the appointment, we got into the waiting room. I thought the room was empty because there was nobody in my line of sight except for Val & Kaily. I said, rather loudly, "I have a wedgie!" Then I lifted one leg off the floor and proceeded the pick my wedgie in a silly manner. I figured I would get a laugh... from Val. I didn't not count on the other laughs I got from the 2nd waiting room, which was behind me and was full of people waiting with their children for the doctor. Valarie still makes fun of me for picking my wedgie in front of all those people. I still feel like a fool when I think about it.

3. I Practically Amputate my Finger While Pretending to be Edward Scissorhands

This one happened long ago when I was probably 14 or 15. I was "cleaning" the family room like my mom had told me to do. I can't remember if it was Valarie or Drew (or maybe both) that was in the room with my. My Mom was in the adjoining room. I picked up a pair of scissors and a popped balloon. I said, "Look! I'm Edward Scissorhands!" Then I began to cut the balloon frantically with the pair of scissors. The next thing I knew, I had cut through my index finger on my left hand. I stood up and walked in the kitchen, where my mom was, and told her I cut myself. I remember her telling me to go into the bathroom to wash the cuts, then I passed out on the kitchen floor. It hurt a whole lot! I wasn't out for long. I just kind of collapsed. It was stupid and embarrassing. I still have scars on my finger where the scissors sliced right through.

My Pet Peeves

So I haven't posted in like three weeks, and I figured I would write something because I have a little time tonight. Of course, I'm having trouble thinking of something to write about. I could give you an update in my life, but that's boring. I guess I'll share some of my pet peeves with you. Everyone has pet peeves; I'm no exception. Here are five things that drive me crazy:

1. I hate the phrase,"This is ridiculous!" It's much more constructive to say something like, "I don't understand."

2. I hate being called "Trace."

3. I hate sitting down on a public toilet seat that is warm. (It is a reminder that someone else's bare bum was just where yours is now. Gross!)

4. I hate it when someone comes up to the reference desk @ the library, asks a question, and then immediately answers their cell phone when it rings so you can't give them the answer to their question. So rude!

5. Paris Hilton. I don't understand. (See #1)

Sofa City

Jill bought a couch last January. It had a defect and the whole frame was broken on it. We talked to Kane's furniture (where the couch was purchased), and they said they couldn't replace it with the same exact sofa because it had been discontinued. We got to go in and pick out a different couch! Val, Jill, Devyn, and I spent all day last Saturday looking for a new sofa. We couldn't find one at the same store, so we asked for a refund. We went to another store where I fell in love with a couch. I ended up buying that couch. Plus, Jill found one she liked at yet another store. So, now we have two couches!

Here's mine...

And Jill's...

They are both very nice sofas! Mine was a pick-up, meaning Jason and I went in their van and picked the couch up from the store. Jill's was delivered. We decided to have it delivered today since this was my day off. They called and talked to Jill yesterday and told her that the delivery driver would call between 7:00 and 8:00 AM to let us know an approximate time he would arrive. When Jill left for work this morning, she tossed the phone into bed with me so I would hear it ring. Shortly after she left, I figured that since I was already awake, I would go ahead and get in the shower. I took the phone into the bathroom with me. I was rinsing conditioner out of my hair when it started ringing. I quickly finished rinsing and answered, but I was too late. The answering machine had beaten me to it, then I ended up accidentally hanging up on the caller. I continued my shower, figuring they would call Jill's cell phone and she would call me back in a few minutes. I get out of the shower and I'm standing there naked and dripping wet when I hear the familiar "beep, beep, beep" of a truck in reverse. I run to the window (still naked and dripping) to peek out. It's the sofa delivery truck! It's only 7:30! They were VERY early! It was a mad race to get clothes on. (I skipped the toweling off step.) I made it, though. As soon as I pulled my pants on, I heard the knock on the door. I wrapped a towel around my hair and went to answer the door. I guess it was my own fault. I had been wishing the night before that the couch would arrive early in the day because I had other things to do (like going shopping for library stuff and taking my nephew to see Kung Fu Panda). I wished for an early arrival, and I got it. I guess I wasn't specific enough, because when I said "early" I meant more like 9:00 or 10:00; not 7:30!

5 Things...

Marquesas tagged me for this one. Thanks!!!

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago...

1. Dance parties in the living room with my roommates @ Arcadia in Provo.
2. Driving my first car -- a navy blue Ford Taurus.
3. Working @ BYU's traffic office.
4. Majoring in art history.
5. Staying up waaay too late, and getting up waaay too early.

5 Things on my to-do list...

1. take an art class
2. get a hair cut
3. clean my bedroom
4. survive this summer
5. create a stunt dummy & make A LOT of fake blood (seriously)

5 favorite snacks...

1. Nachos (loaded with lots of yummy stuff!)
2. Gummy Worms
3. Frozen Reese's Cups
4. Fruit Snacks
5. Potato Chips

5 Things I would do if I was a billionaire...

1. Retire
2. Travel all over the world
3. Pay off student loans
4. Buy my parents a house
5. Buy a fabulous apartment in Manhattan

5 Places I've lived...

1. Pickerington, OH
2. Rexburg, ID
3. Provo, UT
4. Galloway, OH
5. Palm Harbor, FL

Let Them Eat Chocolate!

At storytime every week, I start with the same song. It's a song about what we do when we get up in the morning. I have taught the sign language to the kids, so we sign as we sing. The first verse says we comb our hair, the seconds says we eat some food, we brush our teeth, we put on our clothes, and then we give hugs. So one of the moms came in this morning and said that her little girl got up this morning and wanted to eat some chocolate. Her mom told her she couldn't have any because it was too early in the morning, so the little girl started singing, "When we wake up in the morning, we eat some chocolate!" That's cute. It's nice to know they are absorbing the things I teach them even if she did change the words to suit her own needs.

Apparently it was a week during which chocolate was necessary because yesterday after storytime at my own library (I do storytimes 5 times a week at two different libraries), I was sitting at the children's desk when a little girl came up and started talking to me. She is a regular at storytime, so we know each other pretty well. I opened up a drawer and pulled out a princess sticker and gave it to her. She took the sticker, but she wasn't satisfied. She asked, "Don't you have any chocolate in there?"

GOOGLE Photos

Val didn't tag me for this, but since I like it, I'm going to do it anyway. All answers to questions are in the form of a picture found at Google Images.

Age on my next birthday:

Place I want to visit:
My favorite thing:

Favorite place:

Favorite food:
Favorite color:

Town I live in:
Name of past/present pet:
Nickname I've had:
College major:

First job:

Goal for next year:

How I Met Your Mother - Pencil miracle

I DVR How I Met Your Mother. When Jill and I watched this week's episode, we had to pause the show after this scene because we were laughing too hard to hear what was happening next. I seriously cried a little from laughing!

A Weekend with My Homegirls!

Anna & Karen came to Florida to visit me! We had a great time. We planned a trip this year because this is the year we all hit the big 3-0. (We missed you, Kari!) Last November, when we were planning this trip, we discussed a few possibilities for destinations... New York City, Las Vegas,... Orlando? It's not exactly like it's an exciting place for me. I go there frequently. I have spent two out of the last three weekends in Orlando. But I had never been there with my friends before, so we decided to go to Orlando. After all, I have a free place to stay and a car to use, which saves us LOTS of moola. We did lots of fun things, including Sea World, Disney World, a mystery dinner theater, and the beach. One of my favorite places to go is Jelly Rolls. It's a bar, yes. It's a piano bar. It's at Disney's Boardwalk resort hotel. The guys who play the piano there will play just about anything you request from them (except Boys II Men... we asked. Although, I think if we had offered a large tip with our request, they would have done it. )

Here's a video of the three of us at Jelly Rolls. There are a few things to know before you watch... first of all, I apologize for the fact that I am recording and singing. It is my voice that you can hear loudly. Second, I say "gosh" even though it doesn't sound like it. I did though. I promise! Third, notice the piano player in the brown shirt with the longish hair. By the end of the night, Karen had a huge crush on him. This video was taken when one of our requests was being played... "What's Up?" by 4 Non Blondes...

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I also created a little montage of some of the other pictures. As you'll tell by the pictures (and from what I mentioned before), there are pictures from Sea World, Disney World, and the beach. I think the pictures are pretty obvious where they were taken. Anna, who is very pregnant, rented motorized wheelchairs at both Sea World and Disney World. (She could barely walk at all because of the combination of her pregnancy and her back surgery from a couple of years ago.) We felt sorry for her for the appropriate amount of time, and then we made fun of her. She was our speedy granny on her scooter. It was great fun!

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We had so much fun! I'll see you girls in two years in Texas!

Another Good Book

Hello! I have another book recommendation for anyone who cares. This book is called The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. It's about a boy who discovers his father is actually a Greek God. It's a modern story about mythology, and it's very entertaining. It's a juvenile book, so it's a pretty easy read for an adult. I picked it up because we get so many requests for it at the library (especially from preteen boys). I just had to see what all the fuss was about. It's the first in a trilogy. I fully intend to read the follow-ups as well -- Sea of Monsters and The Titan's Curse. Check y0ur local library to see if it's available!

Good morning, star shine! The earth says hello!

Today is the first anniversary of my 29th birthday. Last night I went to Olive Garden for dinner with my two sisters and two of my nieces. Then we met the rest of the gang down at Clearwater Beach (a very touristy area). We watched a few street performers, gave some money to a monkey, got some faces painted... the usual, right? After church today, I went over to Valarie's where we had a "picnic". Our original intention was to go to the park for our picnic, but the rain forced us to have a picnic on a blanket in the middle of Val's living room. Then we had some VERY delicious cake which said "Happy Birthday Tracey" because they spelled my name wrong at the bakery. Oh, well.

It seems that, as your birthday approaches, you begin to notice situations where your age becomes apparent. I have had a few of those occasions happen to me in the past couple of weeks.

I had the opportunity of being one of several judges at a local Battle of the Bands contest a few weeks ago. It was so much fun, but I have never felt so old in my entire life. The bands were made up of mostly teenagers; the fans were mostly teenagers. The first band began to play, and I was thinking, "This is pretty cool." I have to say that I was impressed with several of the bands there. There was some good talent. Back to the first band... the first song began, and I was jammin'. Then the guy began to "sing." I put sing in quotations marks because he was just screaming into the microphone. I couldn't even understand a word of what he was saying. I don't know if the song was about love, friendship, or baked beans. I thought, "wow. am I really that out of touch with what the teenagers like to listen to?" But then I told myself, "of course you are. You're almost 30!" It was an eventful night. I got hit on by one of the boys there. That was interesting.

Also, this week at the library, there was a boy there who is one of our regulars. He's there every day, and we know his name; he knows ours. He's a good kid. Anyway, he was standing at the desk talking to me when a teenage girl came along. She is also a regular. During the course of the conversation, she used a swear word. The boy looked at me, looked back at her, and said, "Don't swear around the elderly." Well that blew my mind. I scoffed at him, and he immediately explained that he didn't really think I was elderly. I forgave him. When I was fifteen, I thought 30 was elderly also.

I think it's just because I spend a lot of my time at work with teenagers that I feel old sometimes. I certainly don't feel old among my coworkers. I am the youngest one. You should spend a few minutes with some teens if you don't get to do it very often. You'll be amazed. I always thought, "It hasn't been that long since I was in high school." But these kids use words that I have no idea what they mean. They play video games that I can't even begin to understand. And they are so technologically savvy that it's scary. Seriously, if your computer breaks down, ask a teenage boy to fix it. Nine times out of ten they can do it, and do it quickly. So, yes, I feel old sometimes when I'm surrounded by teenage angst and hormones, but I would not go back to being 16 for anything. I'm glad that chapter of my life is over... it's long over. So, to 30 I say, "Hello and welcome!"

Girls' Night

Yesterday we decided to have a girls' night. When I got home from work, Jill, Devyn, Val, Kaily, and Laney were all there waiting for me. We went out for dinner at Applebees (Kaily's choice). When we got home, Val and Jill played Dance Dance Revolution while the babies watched. Kaily (who LOVES LOVES LOVES to do crafty things) and I made these funny pictures our of magazine pictures. When we finished, we showed them to Jill & Val. They thought they were funny, so we all made some more. Here are the finished products...

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A Walk in the Park...

Last weekend we went to Starkey Park in New Port Richey, FL. We had a great time. The weather was great, and the kids (and adults) had a great time playing on the playground. I made a montage of some of my favorite pictures. (And I used a song I love!)

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Let me tell you about this great book...

I must mention this book I am reading. I am really enjoying it. It is called Physik by Angie Sage. It's actually the third book in a trilogy. (The first two books are titled Magyk and Flyte.) It is a young adult fantasy-fiction book about a young boy named Septimus Heap. He is the seventh son of a seventh son, which makes him powerfully magical. I liked Magyk, which had a chapter about a "rubbish chute" that had me laughing out loud, and Flyte, but my favorite is Physik. If you're looking for a good book to read, give these three a try. Don't let their size discourage you. They are hefty books, but they are written for a young teen. It's not tough reading for an adult, but the story is good enough not to bore.

Let me know if you have read anything good. I'm always looking for suggestions!

Music Makes the World Go 'Round!

It's been more than a month since the last time I posted anything. I won't make excuses. This is why I was never good at keeping a journal. I write diligently for awhile and then I go for six months without writing anything. I refuse to feel guilty. I'll just write when I can. That's all I can promise.

I have decided to write a post about the songs that have had meaning to me throughout my life. They are not all necessarily songs that I love or even like. They are songs that evoke certain feelings or bring on specific memories.

Let's start at the very beginning (a very good place to start)...

1984 --Wake Up, Little Susie by The Everly Brothers
This song was my favorite song when I was about six. It's the first song I remember really really liking. My Dad had the record album, and I always requested it. I thought it was such a funny song. I didn't really get it. It's about a young teenage couple who get in big trouble after accidentally spending the night together because they fell asleep. It was actually written in 1957, but I didn't discover it until about 1984.

1986 -- Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual album
I know this isn't a song... it's a whole album. This was the first album that was ever MINE. I think my Dad bought it for me. I was obsessed with Cyndi Lauper. I thought she was so cool with her totally 80's hairdo and clothes. My favorite song on the album was probably a toss up between Girls Just Want to Have Fun and She Bop.

1990 -- Hangin' Tough by New Kids on the Block
Yes, I was a fan. I even went to a concert once. I had posters on my bedroom wall. I'm not ashamed. I was 12... it's what 12 year old girls do.

1992 -- Jump Around by House of Pain
Everytime I hear this song, It takes me straight back to stake dances.

1993 -- The Sign by Ace of Bass
I had the whole cd. I listened to it A LOT. It's a fun song! (It surprised me when Kari liked it because she was all about the country music.)

1995 -- Lump by The Presidents of the United States of America
"Lump lingered last in line for brains, and the ones she got were sort of rotten and insane." What's not to like about a song containing that line? This one reminds me of my brother Drew. We used to sing it taking turns doing every other word. That's a lot harder than it sounds like it would be.

1996 -- The Power of Love by Celine Dion
I had a roommate at Ricks who listened to this song over and over and over and over because it reminded her of some missionary she was "waiting" for. I say "waiting" because she sure did date MANY other people while "waiting." In fact, she married one of those other people.

1997 -- I don't remember the name of the song. Kari will know it. It goes "He sends chills up and down, up and down my spine." I think it's sung by Tanya Tucker?
This is another one that was played on repeat by a roommate. (Not the same roommate who played The Power of Love.) We used to dance around a lot to this one. This same roommate also listened to "Oh L'Amour" by Erasure a whole lot also. I still remember every word to that song.

1999 -- Never There by Cake
Again, this one holds memories with my roommates at BYU. I remember calling the radio station once to request it. I flirted with the dj, and then they played my request on the air. It was quite exciting at the time.

The next several years were a musical blur. No specific song really stands out to me in particular. I think this was my Sarah MacLachlan phase. I own several of her cd's.

2004 -- My Humps by Black Eyed Peas
"No, no drama. No, no, no, no drama!" I remember riding in the car with Val, singing along with this song while dancing. I think we laughed so hard we had to pull over.

2005 -- Since You've Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
My nephew Kyle loved this song. He sang along to it in the car when it came on the radio. He was only about 3 at the time. When Drew and Marquesas sang with their band, Marquesas would sing this song and dedicate it to Kyle.

2008 -- TBA
We'll see what songs have an impact on me this year. That remains to be determined.

I'm sure I left out tons that I just can't think of off the top of my head, but when I hear them I immediately reminisce. What songs have meaning to you? Feel free to leave a comment with an important song in your life.

Guitar Hero

I love to play Guitar Hero! I was first introduced to the game back when I lived in Ohio and was doing my practicum at the Hilliard Library. You can't work with teens and not hear about this game. Probably most of you have either played it or seen it played. Basically, the game controller is a guitar. The song plays, and a fingering chart scrolls across the tv screen. There are buttons for the frets and to strum. You try to get as many notes right as you can.

My brother Drew is an excellent guitar player. (Real guitar, not Guitar Hero guitar.) Whenever he comes over, he wants to play the game. Drew and Marquesas were at my apartment last week, so we broke it out. I played with Drew for a while. When I quit, Evan (my 3 year old nephew) asked if it was his turn next. So he "played" with Uncle Drew. (Really, Drew played on one player, and we didn't plug Evan's controller in. But he didn't know that, of course. He thought he was totally rocking out.) I thought these pictures were so cute. Evan is so tiny! He concentrates so hard on the game.

Here we have the instructional session. We had to explain to Evan that he had to hit the buttons with his right and left hands at the same time.

He looks like a pro, right?

And here he is all concentrated on playing the song right.

On another note... my neice Devyn (11 months old) was there also, and she LOVED Guitar Hero too. She danced to the music!

5,000,000 Christmas Lights!

Today I had to drive to Orlando to take and Drew and Marquesas to the airport. (They are spending Christmas in Europe.) Since I was going over that way, I decided to take Devyn along and stop at Disney's MGM Studios to see their giant Christmas light display. The lights are all taken from a family's house (or farm?) in Alabama, and now Disney puts them up on their movie set lot at MGM. The lights are choreographed to the music, as you can see in the short video below...

Here we are approaching the main Disney gate...

This is Devyn rocking out to a band. She loves music. She grabbed the try on her stroller to pull herself upright so she could bounce up and down to the music.

Here we are at the lights. She looked straight up pretty much the entire time. She also tried to catch the "snow" (soap bubbles).

We had a really good time!

I Get Paid to Do This! (Short Post)

So, here's how I spent my free time this evening...



I made nine little colorful felt penguins to use during storytime tomorrow while I tell a story about... you guessed it... penguins! I love doing this kind of stuff, and to top it all off... I get paid to do it. (Well, technically I was not getting paid to do what I did this evening at home, but I do this kind of stuff all the time at work too.)

IKEA!!!

They opened a new Ikea store in Orlando. I have never been to one before (although I have been getting their catalogs for years). There just has never been one close to where I live. Yesterday Valarie, Jill, Devyn, Alaina, and I all piled in my car and took the two hour drive to get there. It was great! That store is humongous, and they have everything set up in a showroom. I bought this great lamp. My plan is to place it so that it hangs over our dining room table.

After Ikea, we headed over to Disney World to play some mini golf. At Disney, near Epcot Center and the Wide World of Sports, they have this mini golf course that looks like a regular golf course. There are sand traps and "lakes." Perhaps the hardest part (at least for me) is that there is no border around the outside edge. If you hit your ball too hard (which I tend to do), then it goes off the course into the grass or bushes or rocks or whatever. We had a good time at both Ikea and playing golf.

I Love Mad Libs!!!

I love Mad Libs. They are so much fun. I was doing them last night with Jill, and I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. It wasn't THAT funny. But it was THAT fun! Know what I mean? The line that got me going was something like "...but the children say he could spin and flop just the same as Devyn and me." It was a Christmas Carol Mad Lib. That particular song was originally "Frosty the Snowman." Our version was titled "Frosty the Boyfriend-man." I'm seriously trying hard not to laugh too much as I type this because I am remembering some of the sillier lines we created. Let me make a suggestion to you all... do some Mad Libs and have a good time.