TAKEN HOSTAGE

Considering my curious nature on the subject of religion, I was intrigued by the cover of this book as I strolled the glorious aisles of Barnes and Noble on Thursday evening. Reviewing the back cover I was immediately captured. I would not be walking out of the store without this book.

I started it Friday while waiting for a soccer game to start and have become hostage to the stories of Ranya, Suzanne and Priscilla. Everything else I have attempted to do this weekend has become a dreaded chore (even blogging this is taking away from precious reading time).

If the book is not in my hand it is in my head. The words are surfing the waves of my brain and the beat of my heart. So I started this blog. Recording my thoughts as I read.

Religion is a curious thing. We worship as we choose but in actuality are we not all somehow connected to the same God?

THEY MAKE WORKING FUN!

The nature of "Director of Public Relations for KCSG TV" ensures that I will be spending time socializing with people of all sorts. And for that reason I sit on many boards and associate with many people.

The Washington County Fair Board is MY MOST FAVORITE! Last night I attended the closing party for the 2008 Washington County Fair Board. The companionship of these people makes doing my job bright and wonderful! We work so hard together and we have SO MUCH FUN!

Wendy Sandberg is the leader of our gang. Her love and excitement for the fair rubs off on all of us. She encourages us in our responsibilities and we all support each other in return. The board members are just "downhome" good people. It's not a job, it's a service to the community. They follow the motto - "Service above Self".

These are people I hold in high admiration. When I move to the UAE I will miss them most of all!

WEEKEND PROJECT

The St. George Lions Club presents the 74th Annual Lions Dixie Round Up Rodeo. Look what I made!

LATE NIGHT REFLECTIONS

Another exhausting Saturday and I can barely keep my eyes open. The thought of sleep is tantalizing and I'm almost there. Drifting into the unconscious when your dreams take you places you sometimes don't want to go...and then sometimes you do.

We attended a gala luau event this evening. Ra invited friends he works with to go with us. Mostly because I don't have friends. "Kind of strange", he said, "since I know so many people".

A wonderful surprise occured.

As I sat at the table Kathleen McKnight came up to me with a lei she had special ordered, "just for me" she said. Kathleen is a transplant from Hawaii, coming to St. George to take care of her dad. It was wonderful of her to think of me and to bring me the lei. Now, as I sit typing, the aroma fills the room and I am taken to my tropical memories.

Now there's a memory to fall asleep on...

DEFINE WEEKEND

When Friday afternoon comes around in the world of work, we bid each other farewell and wish our colleagues a "good weekend". What exactly does that mean?

This past Friday Ammon, my 16 year old son, was with me as I was leaving work. When we got in the car he asked, "Mom do you ever really have a weekend?" I'd never really thought about it so this weekend I tired to be more observant.

Saturday morning Hamilton (he's 9) woke me at 5:50a. He was playing soccer in Vegas and needed a ride to his coaches house because he was riding with them. We left the house at 6:15. It's quite intriguing how many people are up early on Saturday morning. Some getting exercise with a walk, run or bike ride and others gassing up the boat or some other recreational vehicle so they can head out for the day. And others, doing the yard work before the heat of the day sets in.

I returned to my bed with an ice pack to numb the pain of the stress that I carry in my neck but I was back at life by 8:00. I spent the next few hours picking up children who had slept at friends houses, bringing them home to breakfast, then driving them to work and other various locations. I observed the activities around me as I drove. There didn't seem to be much recreating going on. People loading moving trucks, working in their yard, working at work. By the time I arrived home it was 11a. I could actually eat breakfast now.

Then I was off to work. Yes that's right, Saturday afternoon of my weekend was spent at the office. Go figure. I reorganized the storage of my promotional closet and the shelves in my office while the boys and Ra did their weekly janitorial chores.

What happens to men when they've spent a few hours working? They get hungry. Of course they were all starving when we got home (4p) so I prepared lunch and they ate it.

Are we having a weekend yet?

As you can see from my play by play of Saturday it's not much of a weekend. I am, however, quite enjoying the peace of my Sunday morning. Everyone sleeps while I listen to the sounds of nature and catch up on a few blogs.

I've decided my weekend starts when I wake Sunday morning, not to the sound of an alarm clock or the nudging of a child, but just simply and naturally come into my existence.

Yes Ammon, I do have a weekend. It's not a complete 2 days. Instead it comes in sporadic moments when I have time to stop and connect with what's really most important.

NO SUNDAY

What I love about Sunday is non existent for this week. Yes I did go to church, which isn't really what I love about Sunday, but the rest of my Sunday has been one chore after another. That's because Saturday was spent doing my job.

After my nineteen hour Friday I was up bright and early Saturday morning so I could get to the parade on time. The KCSG crew rode on the Vintage Fire Truck while I rode on the Fair Board float. So much fun!

Side note - it's a good thing the Fair Board is so much fun or the last week of my life would've sucked really bad.

After the parade I was off to the fairgrounds where I spent the day doing...fair stuff. KCSG talent presented the Baby Contest, we joined the Sheriff's Department to make JR Deputy ID's and I worked the gate at the Demolition Derby. When I finally climbed into my car I was so exhausted, I wondered if I would make it home alive.

As a result of working yesterday, my Saturday chores did not get done so I have spent Sunday doing laundry and buying groceries among other domestic duties. It's time for a much needed break.

So I grabbed my favorite blanket and my laptop climbed into bed and decided to blog "a day in the life of" before drifting off to sleep. My family is driving home from up north...only a few hours of silence left and I must take advantage of it...

BEWILDERED

I catapulted into consciousness at 4:30 this morning. Knowing I had to really be awake by 5:15 to get to the radio station on time, I couldn't fall back to sleep.

radio :: school registration :: work :: fair :: Sunset on the Square ::

And I did it all with a throbbing migraine. How do I do it? At some point I'm going to crumble into a sweet oblivion and loose all memory of my existence...

It's been a nineteen hour day. I think I'll crawl into my bed now.

AT THE MOVIES

It was "girls night out" at the movies. Gerald, theatre manager at Stadium 8, thought we should attend the movie Mama Mia all together. Little did we know he had a plan...

Just before the start of the movie Gerald walked into the theatre. He welcomed and thanked everyone for coming then said, "We've got a treat for you tonight. The girls from KCSG are here and they're gonna dance for us." Of course we all look at each other in disbelief, laugh at Gerald and thank him for the plug.

We sit back and enjoy an amazing movie of song, dance and fun. Towards the end of the movie I notice Gerald has popped back in. Just as the movie ends Gerald strolls up the stairs to our row and introduces the KCSG dance team. Everybody stand and take a bow. Then he encourages the theatre to get up and dance. The last 2 numbers performed by Meryl Streep and the girls were spent dancing in the aisle. So much fun and so hilarious.

So next time Gerald invites us to the movies...we'll think twice about going.