I feel Witchy- oh so Witchy...

Happy Halloween everyone!

It's been a fun week around here (except for work... work's not fun)

Last week I went to Witchfest with Ana from work, and her daughter (I didn't get any of the photos of Christina! Sorry!!!). Oh my gosh it was so much fun!

My sister, Kim made my hat. It is so freaking awesome I can't even stand it!!!

(a special thank you to my other sister, Melanie who is the only person to recognize that I was going for an "Elphaba style picture) 

This year we had tickets to Witchapalooza, the dinner show. It was a spoof on Taming of the Shrew- but they also spoofed a lot of other things, Dr Phil, American Idol, The Dating Game, etc. It was a five person show and honestly the talent in that group was astounding. One guy did a dead ringer impersonation of Dr Phil, and another guy did an incredible sketch as the devil (because I assume the devil sounds like John Lovits ["he's losing his mind... and I'm reaping all the benefits..."]) That same guy sang the song "the Girl is Mine" as both Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney. At the same time people... it was incredible! They do a really good job with that show! I will be going next year for sure.

We hung around a little after the show and danced at the Witches Night Out (and for those of you who know me- you know it's a miracle that I dance- AND had fun).

While visiting a hospital gift shop, I found my favorite new Halloween toy. You form your own little witch- then set her down and slowly slowly the poor dear melts into a puddle of goo. Then you mash her back together and do it again. Hilarious!

Last night I was up till all hours making cupcakes for my coworkers. For my birthday, my cousin and her daughter gave me a HUGE supply of Halloween cupcake decor- fun huh? Except the gummy eyes. Those looked nasty. (I was told they were really yummy though [gag]).

I put them in the car to take to work today- and when I hit the brakes on my car- they slid off the seat. Sigh... so some people got upside down cupcakes. Oh well- I guess if there is a Holiday for that to happen, Halloween is a good one.

Our work meeting/party was fun. I didn't win a darn thing- but any excuse to wear my super awesome witch hat to work is a good one!

Have a great day everyone! If you find yourselves with an over abundance of Kit Kats or Almond Joys, I know someone who would gladly take them off your hands.

Grammar Nazi

That's it. I can't do it anymore! I have to share with you one of my BIGGEST pet peeves. Die of shock- it has to do with grammar.

While the whole to, too, two/there, their, they're/your, you're things bug me (not to mention the then/than issue that the world seems to have- and countless others I won't go into [if you say "I seen it" or "We done that" in my presence, consider yourself punched in the face]), there is still one common mistake that drives me positively bananas.

The one thing that bothers me the absolute most because EVERYONE does it- is the whole screwed up pronoun thing. I let it slide with most people- but when I hear it on the freaking news- it drives me crazy! Those people make a living supposedly sounding intelligent and every time they make this mistake I want to reach into the TV and wring their necks!

If you say "Her and her friends were going shopping." or "Him and me went to a movie." or if you caption a picture that says "Sparky and I," That is just so wrong. It makes me cringe.

Here is the rule. Take the second person out of the sentence and say it. You wouldn't say "her was going shopping." you would say "SHE was going shopping" so the correct way to say that is "She and her friends were going shopping."

The I/me problem can be confusing. I think people are so afraid that they alllllllways have to say "I", but sometimes it actually is correct to say "me."

If you're not sure- do the same rule as before- take the other person out of the sentence. You would never purposely say, "me went to a movie" (unless you're Cookie Monster- for which I forgive you this blunder). You would naturally say, "I went to a movie" Also- taking yourself out of the sentence, you wouldn't say "him went to a movie." So the correct way would be, "He and I went to a movie"

It works the other way though too. A picture labeled "I " is not correct. But if you were to label it as "me," there you'd have it! So "Sparky and me" is better.

That last one is up for debate. I suppose it could be considered correct to say "I" there- but I think it sounds more natural (especially with American English) to say "me".

Because if you were to say, "Sparky and me went for a walk" that's wrong. "I" would be correct in that case. "Sparky and I went for a walk."

Just remember to take the other person out of the sentence and see how it sounds. That's how you know you've got it right.

I wish people understood just how important grammar is. Seriously. People judge you according to the way you speak and present yourself. Yeah sure, there are blunders on my blog now and again- I won't say I'm perfect (although my family would beg to differ- and say I claim that all the time) but honestly, it really is important and people are just so freaking lazy about it.

Please PLEASE make an effort to correct your children. Yeah- it's cute when they're little- but it won't be so cute when they're applying for a job or trying to write a paper and they sound like hicks (unless they're trying to get a job on Duck Dynasty. If that's the case, then by all means, encourage the hick out of them).

[Stepping off my soapbox]

And now for the people I have offended- here are some of my favorite grammar related pins:

Halloween Blast from the Past

Before I delve too much into today's topic- I just wanted to give you a quick update on the dilemma. I really appreciate the outpouring of love and support that everyone gave. You all gave me a lot to think about. I thought a lot about it- I prayed- I talked to my Bishop- I got a blessing...

and I've decided that a move right now is just not the right thing. I want to. Oh, how I want to- but to do the same job I'm already doing- and do it for less money? That's just not a smart option. It's kind of funny- the lessons today in Sunday School and Relief Society were Self Reliance (taught by me) and having courage- you know, the whole leap of faith thing.  The two things I'm struggling with- making enough money to support myself vs acting according to my conscience. Two goods battling it out.

But I'm actually at peace with my decision. It has however compelled me to make changes in other ways. Whether it be eating more sandwiches and not eating out as much (sigh...) or getting a second job so I can get things paid off faster- then so be it.  My Bishop even made a few suggestions as far as career changes go. That scares me. I'm too old to keep starting over at entry level jobs. But I don't want to hate my life for the next 30 years- so something has to change.

ANYWAY-

That got longer than I anticipated. What I really wanted to show you was this video. This is a movie that I had to watch every Halloween as a kid- or it wasn't really Halloween. Have any of you ever seen it? or even heard of it? It used to play all the time on the Disney Channel (back when they had good shows). 

This is the movie that taught me the origins of All Hallows Day and Halloween. Don't tell me that children's programming isn't educational.

It's only 24 minutes. 

It's not pulling up  to let me post the whole video- and I'm not going to post three of them- so here is the link.

Seriously- just watch it.

Dilemma

I really need your advice. Be aware I may not follow it- but I like to know people's opinions.

I have the opportunity to change my job up a little. In July our annex facility became its own hospital. I wanted to transfer then- because I really like the management team over there. But when I talked to someone at work about it I was told, "well, don't leave right now because there is a team lead position opening..." which to me says, "don't leave because we're going to make you team lead soon."

So- you know I didn't get the promotion- and now that a position has opened at the other hospital, because they have been their own facility for a few months, it wouldn't be a straight across transfer. Because they're a smaller facility I would have to take a HUUUGE pay cut (the people who were there during the change didn't lose anything- and I COULD have been one of them but... don't get me started on that. I'm so freaking angry I could punch a wall). For someone who is trying to move out/pay off bills/buy a home, a pay cut is not what I need right now.  They tried talking to HR and explaining that I am a Super User for our computer system, a trainer, and I have a degree- but they still want to cut my pay. When you say the actual amount- it doesn't sound like much- but trust me, for someone who is already poor, it's a big chunk. We'll just say it's nearly a 10% decrease- and that really adds up.

BUT

It's a much better situation. I wouldn't ever have to work Sundays. Because they're so small they can't do anything but grow- so there is more potential for advancement, as opposed to where I am now- and positions hardly ever open and the people who are in them now are preeeeetty much there to stay for the long haul.

I would have a longer commute. But I would have better hours. I would have to pay more for gas, but I would have every Sunday off.

That's what it boils down to I think. The Sundays. I am a big fan of keeping the Sabbath day holy and I HATE that I have to work Sundays. So here I have the chance to change that- but I am having a hard time losing that much money.

Am I selling my soul? Am I choosing money over my beliefs? Ugh. That makes me so sick to think of that. But I really REALLY want to be able to move out someday- to have a place of my own- and if I can't do that on what I make now- there is no way I'm going to be able to do it on less...

What do you think?

Promotion!!

Suckers! You all thought it was about work, didn't you? Well- this is a self promotion- well, an anticipated self promotion.

This is concerning the VL Club (for you lay-persons- the Virgin Lips Club) of which I am a member.

At 25 I made myself president.
At 30 I made myself Queen
At 35 I was promoted to Empress.

I am just informing you now- that on my 40th birthday I will be promoted to Goddess of the VL club. I have a few more years to anticipate said event, but I just want you to start preparing yourselves now. There *will* be a birthday party- and it *will* have a Grecian theme and guests will arrive in togas and feed me grapes while fanning me with ostrich feather plumes.

You have four years to arrange your lives to be there and to get into your best toga fit self.

(because no one wants to come looking like this guy- although apparently he is the life of the party)

Heck, I may even have the party in Greece just to be more authentic. Or at least on the Mount Olympus in Utah. That's legit, right?

Seriously, like indoor plumbing- it's gonna be big!

Birthday Gratitude

I started to write a post about things I might wish for with my birthday wish- but by wish number four I felt like I needed a Prozac it was so depressing so I stopped. There are a LOT of things I wish I had. How about instead of wishing for things I don't/can't have- I list things that I'm grateful for. That would sure be a change of pace around here.

These are in no particular order:

1. I'm grateful for this silly little kitten who likes to give kisses and purrs like a motorboat.
2. I'm grateful for an Aunt who lets me live with her for free.
3. I'm grateful for a family who loves me no matter how big a jerk I am.
4. I'm grateful for friends- even if they are hundreds of miles away.
5. I'm grateful for the people I'm starting to get to know here.
6. I'm grateful for the job I have. I went long enough without one to know that this job is better than nothing.
7. I'm grateful for my freedom. This country is pretty screwed up right now- but I am still free to gripe about it.
8. I'm grateful for authors who have amazing imaginations and come up with some of the coolest stuff!
9. I'm grateful for chocolate. 
10. I'm grateful for rain- the smell of it and the sound of it on the roof of the deck while I sit outside and read.
11. I'm even more grateful for sunshine.
12. I'm grateful for flowers.
13. I'm grateful for modern medicine that extends lives that would otherwise be cut short- and manages pain on pretty much any level.
14. I'm grateful for historians. I love history and without them- it would be a lot harder.
15. I'm grateful for Puffs tissues with Vicks- seriously saved my nose this last week.
16. I'm grateful for damask print. It's just so pretty.
17. I'm grateful for sandy beaches.
18. I'm grateful for electricity.
19. I'm grateful for indoor plumbing.
20. I'm grateful for heat/air conditioning.
21. I'm grateful for airplanes- because they take me to far away places in a short amount of time.
22. I'm grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.
23. I'm grateful for the education I have- even though I rarely get to utilize it.
24. I'm grateful that Christmas is only once a year.
25. I'm grateful for Disney- because it just makes me happy. It's impossible to be sad watching a Disney movie (except for Old Yeller, that's the one exception... Ok, and UP. but I mean at the end of the movie- it's impossible to be sad at the END of a Disney movie).
26. I'm grateful for hair gel. Without it I would look like a bushwoolie.
27. I'm grateful for beautiful British men- but mostly for Richard Armitage- because he's Richard. Duh.
28. I'm grateful for dreams. They make sleeping all the more fun!
29. I'm grateful for deodorant. Seriously.
30. I'm grateful for calculators.
31. I'm grateful for watermelon.
32. I'm grateful for DVDs.
33. I'm grateful for mint brownies.
34. I'm grateful for music. And by "music" I mean real music- not that crap that is written by ten different people and performed by a mediocre former Disney star with an electronically engineered voice.
35. I'm grateful for mani-pedis. I need one. Like, bad.

And last, but certainly not least:

   

   36. I'm grateful for Modern Technology that lets me write about myself- and allows people from all over the world [friends and total strangers] to click the comment box below and wish me a Happy Birthday! 

How's that for subtle?