Merry Christmas, Everyone

Brilliant

Brilliant. That is the kind of move I pulled today. As mentioned in my previous post it snowed here...and in turn the snow turned to ice. Well, most of this ice has melted over the past day or so on all the main, heavy trafficy roads. However, on all the side roads, there is still quite a bit of ice.

Today at work I needed to deliver something to the Fred Meyer HQ's located in SE Portland. In order to get to SE Portland I needed to cross the Ross Island Bridge. And in order to cross the Ross Island Bridge I needed to weave through SW Portland...which happens to have a lot of hills.

So I am driving on the highway and it starts to snow. This didn't strike me as a problem because it didn't stick to the road. Then I exit onto Corbett Road and drive up a hill...still not bad. I stop at the four way stop, turn right and continue driving...down a hill...covered in snow and ice. It was brilliant. As I was turning down the hill the thought crossed my mind that, "this is a bad idea". And it was a bad idea...but it was too late. I had already committed and there was NO WAY I was going to be able to reverse my way out of it. So I just slowly drove, which turned into slowly sliding, which quickly turned into rapidly sliding, which turned into rapidly sliding into a car parked on the side of the road. The good news is I didn't hit the car. I was able to turn the wheel fast enough that I nose dived it into the curb. Missing the car by less than two feet.

It was a very stupid move on my part. To make me feel even more embarrassed a group of men came out of their office to offer me help. They saw the whole event take place from their office window. The only comforting variable in this situation is that they watched SEVERAL people pull the same move I did. Their willingness to help went as far as willingness when we discovered that none of them could grasp enough traction to try and push my car to safety. So I turned the wheels to the curb (with my tail sticking out in the road - a prime target for someone else that wanted to pull the same brilliant move), pulled the parking break, turned off the car and headed into their office with them while I waited for Wyatt to rescue me.

And rescue me he did! After being told from AAA that they wouldn't be able to help me because, "if it was too slick for you to get up and down the hill, there is no way our tow truck towing a car is going to make it", Wyatt took maters into his own hands and freed my little Sam (my car) from bondage. During the duration of time that it took for Wyatt to leave home and come and get me, it had stopped snowing and warmed up a bit. (Yeah, I know, kind of crazy). So he took the keys from me, got in my car, slowly backed it up in reverse (while sliding), created enough clearance from the parked car (that was located less than two feet in front of me), and slid uncontrollably down the remainder of the hill. It was the sharp corner at the bottom of the hill and the grazing of the curb that contributed to his loss in speed. Did I mention he didn't bother to shut the driver side door while doing this? I was waiting for it to be ripped off as he flew past a parked car. I wish I would've gotten it on video...instead you're left with a lifeless documentation of the event. Too bad, because it was a job well done! Thanks Wyatt!

PS - Wyatt 'rewarded' himself with a Chocolate Hazelnut Shake from Burgerville. YUM!

SNOW DAY

This morning when Wyatt and I woke, we were greeted with a white winter blanket. Having grown up in Denver and lived in Chicago for a handful of years, you're first thought might be, "so what?". But let me remind you that I live in the great Northwest...where it doesn't snow, it rains. So today's snow was an extremely special treat! Did I mention they canceled church? Not that I didn't want to go to church but that is just a demonstration that the whole city shut down. (Think about it...lots of hills and limited resources to clean the roads.) To make up for the absence of church Wyatt gave a great "church service" on Christmas, we sang a few carols and wrote down "What Christmas Means to Me" for my family newsletter. You can see our snowy pictures below...

Cookie Exchange

We had a cookie exchange at work today. So when I got home from work I had 54 various types of cookies. After creating four plates to give away - I was left with 18 cookies for Wyatt and me to enjoy for the remainder of the holiday season. Well, I left the plate of cookies with a note stating, "For Us" so he would know he was clear to eat them. I left for book club and came home to this...

My husband hasn't had a heart attack yet, but think he's moments away... (I'm sure he simply hid them but I have yet to find the hiding place).

Thanksgiving 2008

I'm sure by my neglect to write about Thanksgiving before or on the day was a clear indication that it is my favorite holiday. Pretty obvious... Despite the fact that I didn't write a peep about the beloved holiday, doesn't mean I love it any less. It still is and probably always will be my favorite... This year Wyatt and I had the opportunity to fly to Denver to spend five days with my family. The first time I've spent Thanksgiving with my family in eight years. It was a fun visit to be surrounded by family. There were moments of drama (as expected) but even more so there were moments of fun and laughter. It just so happens that my family is one of the things I am grateful for. Some other things I'm grateful for...

Wyatt, the Gospel, the atonement, the temple, my home, health, food, shelter and heat, my job, the opportunity for Wyatt to return to school, elbows, indoor plumbing, music, sunshine, summer, food, my education, airplanes, my feet, my running shoes, my car, my calling in church, my computer, baseball, contact lenses, toothbrushes, soap, clothes, my memory, my taste buds, modern medicine, the Book of Mormon, and on, and on, and on...

And just to prove that Thanksgiving was fun, please see the photos below from our adventure East:

Fixing the dinner.

The older grand kids and me.

The little boys (minus one who was in Ohio).

Judy carving the Turkey (the turkey my husband made!).

Momma with Jeanna posing in the back - love it!

Bowing after our superb performance of the turkey talent show.

Creating individual pages for our family "Thankful Book".

A not-so-flattering picture of my brother showing off the pie table.


Some members of my family went to the Denver Temple Friday morning to do baptisms for the dead. It was a great experience to be in the temple with them, especially with my 13-year-old-niece and my newly baptized brother-in-law.

Posing in the popular wedding picture...

When I was walking out of Safeways tonight I noticed I had an extra skip in my step. So I stopped to analyze why I was walking with such excitement. With a bit of deductive reasoning I was able to determine the reason for my excitment was the box of mandarins I was carrying. Thinking about my recent purchase caused a flurry of butterflies in my stomach and put a giant smile on my face. Then it hit me...I am in love with mandarins! Isn't this time of year great?!!!

Pushing Daisies

Does anyone else watch this show? If you don't, you should. Thanks to Ashley for posting about the show on her blog several months ago... (Yes, it took us until now to take-up her recommendation.) We rented Season One and finished it in less then a week and are working on Season Two via the internet. Let's see here, what do I love about the show?...hmmmmm.... I love the story line, I love each character's character, I love how each character melds with the other characters, I love the subtle humor, I love the costume design, I love how each show has a fairy tale feeling, I love the creativity of it all, and...I love Chuck's hair!

I'm thinking my hair is past due for a new do and am even thinking about bangs! What'd you think? Yea or nea? I think I have the hair for it, however, I don't think I have the face. I think I already have a young face and bangs could very well knock me down to teenage years. And I'm a bit worried that if I don't like it - that it'll take forever to grow out. Believe me, my hair grows as fast as a grandma snail in molasses. Maybe one of these I'll feel brave enough and just make the cut! Stay tuned...

The Resistence is Over

I received an email today welcoming me to Facebook. Sure, it doesn't seem like such a strange email...except for the fact that I didn't create an account on Facebook. After a bit of investigating (which really wasn't very difficult to do) I was able to solve the mystery. As it turns out my dear hubby created an account for me. I guess this is it - this is me throwing in the towel - giving-up my resistance to the Facebook hype. Is this the part where I become addicted? If you want to move our friendship to the next level, you can be my Facebook friend. Look me up..."Brittany Nichols Wilson".

PS - I'm a bit releaved that it was Wyatt that requested to be married to me and not some random stranger... That would've been awkward. Thanks babe! :)

Daylight Savings

Did anyone else forget that it was Daylight Savings at 2am this morning? I had NO idea until Wyatt and I were walking out the door to church and discovered that our microwave clock was an hour ahead or our bedroom clock and cell phones. With a bit of deductive reasoning we figured out that it was Daylight Savings. Thank goodness for automatic-setting alarm clocks! Even though I'm glad we didn't totally sleep in, I can't help but feel a bit gyped that I didn't know I was going to get an extra hour of sleep. There is something exciting about having that bit of information the night before...

HAP-HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

First off, let me remind everyone that Chipotle is giving away FREE burritos to all those that dress-up like a burrito! You would be CRAZY not to take advantage of this opportunity! Don't leave home without your aluminum foil!

We've been celebrating Halloween all month...especially this week. (Sadly though, aside from our visit to Chipotle, cladded in burrito gear, we don't have anything planned for the actual holiday.) But this is what we've been up to...

Carving Pumpkins!
Wyatt and I did not discuss how each of us were going to carve our pumpkins, so it's pretty fun that the final outcome seems as if there was some premeditation put into it. Wyatt's is the cannibal pumpkin. And mine is the worried pumpkin (which was inspired by these three little characters <:( It's perfect because it looks like my pumpkin is a bit uncomfortable by the whole pumpkin cannibalism. Next up...

Cupcakes!
I'm not really this creative. Thanks to a quick search on Google images, keyword "halloween cupcakes" I came up with these. I made them for the Halloween Party the Young Women's (I'm the secretary) halped put on for the Primary kids. I was in charge of the Cupcake walk... Sadly, as cute as I thought my cupcakes were, they weren't a hit with the little ones. They prefered the cupcakes adorned with Oreos and brightly colored candies...brats. I mean, what?!!!! Just kidding. They just haven't yet aquired a refined appreciation of art. Followed by the cupcake walk we had the...

Trunk-or-Treat!!!! Just to refresh your memory of what we did for last years event, please visit here. It was pretty rad (if I can toot my own horn). The problem, however, is that we set the bar TOO HIGH! So Wyatt and I have been throwing some ideas around the last few months and have been stewing on the one below.
Let me just say, the pictures DON'T do it justice. You really need to see this one in person to get the real idea of it. Everyone LOVED it (can I toot my own horn again?) and told us that we did indeed surpass last years creation. One of the little girls told her parents, "all we brought were these stinky pumpkins!" It made me laugh. Wyatt did take a video that portrayed our work a little better but it's not very exciting footage, so I'll spare you. "What are you going to do next year?", you ask? Move. We're going to move out of the ward...I don't know if we can keep raising the bar.

Hope you all have a Happy Halloween! Especially my sis-in-law Jeanna! It's her birthday! Happy Birthday Jeanna!!!!!! (Sorry I don't have any pictures of you from 1984... I'm sure you're probably releaved that I don't.)

Happy 39 Harold!!!!

Happy Birthday Harold!!!! I wish you lots of birthday cake and presents! P.S. Please take note of your very CUTE sister celebrating your birthday with you.

Happy 29 Schuyler!!!

Happy Birthday Schuyler!!! I hope you're smiling today the same way you are in the above picture. (Please take note of your VERY cute sister in the background).

I decided to take my cousin Janet's idea and post old-school pictures of my family members on their birthdays. Mostly because I decided to take on a project that may have been too big of a bite for me to chew... I volunteered to take all my family's Christmas slides and turn them into digital files. Imagine over 1,000 slides at a rate of one slide per minute... Yikes! Anyway, the picture I posted yesterday, today (and the one I'll post this next Sunday) were mixed in with all the slides. So I decided to showcase them all to see... Hope you enjoy 1984 - the year the Nichols lived in Berlin.

Happy 68 Dad!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!!! Hopefully you feel as young as 44 (like you were in this picture (not 7 years like the candles indicate)).

*Please take note of the Tostitos bag in the picture. I thought it was pretty rad.

Personal Shopper

I don't like shopping. I know, it doesn't sound like the typical words you'd hear from a woman's mouth, but it's true. I don't like shopping. I have tried on several occasions to enjoy the event but the end result is always the same - distaste. I will walk into a store browse the shelves and racks and be ready to leave in five minutes.

The problem with my non-hobby is this - I still want to look cute. And in order to look cute, I have to suffer through the pain of shopping. So I decided I need a Personal Shopper. I realize that they do offer such services at several department stores, free of charge. The problem with that is that I am in no financial position to purchase all my clothing at these department stores. Maybe one or two items... But then again, even if I was in a financial position to purchase all my clothing at these department stores - I wouldn't. Call me cheap but to spend more than $20 on a shirt is ridiculous! Some of my favorite articles of clothing were 3 or 4 dollar steals I found at Nordstrom Rack or TJ Maxx or Ross or even Target. I am of the group that prefers quantity over quality. If you go for quantity, you don't feel so bad if a couple of the items you buy go out of style next season. If you choose quality, you'll look cute for a season but then you'll be out of money for the next.

What I need is a friend to be my personal shopper. Someone who has great taste, looks for bargains and enjoys shopping. Someone that would find something cute for herself and buy me the exact item in my size (of course I'd reimburse her). Though I haven't quite worked out what the incentive for her would be... Maybe I'd have to find someone that just enjoyed shopping and would do it out of the goodness of her heart. That'd be nice. Perhaps someday my desired super power will come true. The one where I blink at a cute piece of clothing and an exact replica in my size shows up in my closet. That would be nice...

To any of my readers, if you love shopping and want to be my personal shopper, you're hired!

Soxtober

Just wanted to share my excitement that the White Sox beat the Twins in the tie-breaker game tonight. Making them the AL Central Division Champs! Sweet yo! Here we come World Series!

HALF MARATHON

I ran my first half marathon Saturday - the Champoeg Half Marathon. I was very nervous about it on more levels than one...but I am happy to report that I'm very pleased with my results! The goal was to run it in 2:10 and I ended up running it in 1:52:44. I ranked #2 in my age group (keep in mind there were only 158 runners and only 15 in my age group - nothing exceptional by all means) . It was a difficult run but I felt great the whole time...until after the race when my stomach decided to have a mutiny against my body. Do any of the other runners out there have stomach "issues" after their long runs? Sorry, that might be too much information.

Before

Before

Showing off my cool metal - the one they hand out to all the runners (no importance on time)

Sweat Shot!

My Biggest Fan! (He was unable to attend my race because he had stupid work...BOO!)

I really wouldn't have been able to do it without Wyatt. He has been my Runner's Widower for the last few months and I am so grateful that he's been patient with my running - and with me. Thanks for making me dinner! And waiting until 9pm to eat dinner with me! And thanks for making sure I ate the right foods (constantly reminding me that I need "more food" and "more carbs")! And thanks for meeting me in the middle of my long runs with some water! And thanks for sacrificing your Friday nights for my running!

Now I'm addicted...maybe a few more half-marathons and maybe when I'm 50 I'll do the real deal. We'll see.

Blogging Etiquette

I'm a firm believer in reciprocation - if someone does something nice for me, I need to be willing to do something nice for them. I also feel the Golden Rule is an important rule...if not the most important rule. And of course there's Karma - to the extent that what goes around...comes around.

Having said all that - I haven't really "practiced what I've preached." That's right, I'm calling myself a hypocrite. I know there are no official written rules about blogging. However, in my mind I've always felt like it was an unwritten rule - or rather good sportsmanship - to comment on fellow bloggers blogs...especially those who comment on my own. Am I alone in this thought process? Don't get me wrong and feel like I keep a tally of everyone who does or does not comment on my blog. This isn't me calling anyone out, - just myself. I really have dropped the ball on this one.

But before you send me to the dogs, let me plead my case.

1. Google Reader. Does anyone else use this? I LOVE IT!!!! It sends an RSS feed every time someone posts something new on their blog. This way I never have to make several unneccessary trips to hundreds (that might be an exagheration) of blogs to see if they made a new post. Instead I click on my igoogle account and view all the lastest post in one full swoop. NICE! So I do read your blog...how do you know? If you're reading my blog I can gaurantee I'm reading yours...even if your name isn't listed on my sidebar. That's right, I'm stalking you!

2. Work. You would think with the convenience of Google Reader that it'd be easier to post a comment on your blog. Not the case. My work frowns apon personal internet use. (Imagine that!) I'm sure it doesn't make sense to you, "so she can read our blogs at work but she can't comment on them?" Commenting on a blog is a little more obvious. Clicking on igoogle (aka: google.com) is a little more subtle.

3. Too much computer. Let's be honest. After staring at a computer for 10-hours a day the last thing I want to do when I get home is stare at it some more. Not that you're not important to me...but really. My eyes are tired! Plus at this point I have already forgotten who's blog I read for the day and who's blog I need to comment on.

4. Just plain lazy.

Yep, it's pretty selfish of me to take, take, take...always reading and never commenting. I'm sorry. I really am. Will this change my future behavior? I can't make any promises. I will try to get back to the blogging etiquette...but if I'm not successful - please don't block me from your blog. It's my little bit of sunshine during my bleak days at work.

Blackberry Pie

One reason I LOVE living in the Northwest...Blackberry Pie! Oh yeah!

(I need to stop brushing the crust with egg whites...it makes it look like it's burnt. Lame.)

Adjusting

As I'm sure most of you know my work has started a trial 10-hour, 4-day work schedule. I know, the majority of all your reactions right now is, "I wish my work would do that!" I get this same response from everyone. I'm not going to deny the fact that indeed it is nice to have a three-day weekend. However, four days of the week I am met with a lot of stress. One can certainly make the argument that the extra day can be used to "get things done." It is a valid argument but some things can't wait until Friday to be done. Things like church callings, dinner, running and other extra curricular activities. My schedule is this: get home from work at 6:45pm, go running, shower, and finally at 8 or 8:30pm (depending on the distance of the run) I can sit down for dinner (which Wyatt usually makes for me - what a stud!). Leaving about three hours to enjoy myself, my time with Wyatt or try and attack something on my list of things to do. If my week is anything like this past week, I have other obligations after work (right after work at 7pm) and I don't get home until 10pm or so. (This whole new schedule explains the long lulls in my blog writing). Do you see my frustration in the situation? I will be the first to admit that I do not adapt to change easily. And I know that I have grown very used to my past schedule of grocery shopping, doing laundry and cleaning the house on the weeknights. Maybe I'm a bit old school but I really like the idea of spreading chores out throughout the week rather than designating one day to tackle them all. It's a bit overwhelming if you ask me. I know, I know, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Like I said...I'm adjusting.

Birthday Report

I'm a bit hesitant to post anything about my past birthday. Not because it was a crappy birthday, in fact it was just the opposite, it was a grand day. But merely because I've already posted twice about my birthday this month and I feel like I'd be a beating a dead horse if I did a third. However, I know many of you are curious to know how the big day turned out. So in order to appease my audience, I will post one last time about the subject and cease to speak of it again...at least until next year...

First off, I want to thank everyone that wished me a happy day! I felt really loved and special! Overall the day wasn't anything spectacular but it was special to me - and that is all that counts. Here is what I did:

Worked for 10-hours (my work is doing a trial four 10-hour schedule) - this is what I look like in the tenth hour

Received a surprise visit from my mum-in-law and four nieces and nephews who serenaded "happy birthday" to me...AND showered me with gifts for the Beavers Game (it was a surprise visit so I didn't know to have my camera with me when I was called to the front desk - this picture doesn't do the event justice, it's merely a representation of the event)

Went to PGE park for the Beavers game

Sat in the 90+ degree weather watching the baseball game (we hit a record high that day of 102d! It was hot, even at 8pm in the evening. Poor Wyatt was obviously very uncomfortable but stuck through it in my honor - what a man!)

Opened presents...I did that before the game but this is one of the things Wyatt gave me. A new pair of Pyrameds slippers shipped all the way from Haleiwa, Hawaii. I love them! I love them because they're my favorite kind of slippers and I would NEVER buy them for myself. Wyatt is good at buying me gifts I would never buy myself. That sounds bad. Not that I don't want those gifts, it's just that I'm cheap sometimes. He also bought me cake and cookie decorating tips from Sur la Table! I'm equally as excited about those!

I'm sad to say that I only ate one hotdog. Pretty pathetic for all the excitement I had about the things. However, the sky looked really awesome!

As it turns out there was on a smog warning all weekend. Even Portland has pollution. I know, pollution is bad, except for the amazing sunsets it makes. This picture doesn't do any justice to the real deal. I'm wondering if we could've captured a better shot if we had Wyatt's fancy camera on hand? We'll never know. If you blow this image up you can see that the sun was red. It was spectacular!

We had to document that we were there witnessing the sunset...

Happy Day!

That's right! I'm officially 26 today (August 14th)! And I am on my way to half a century. Sweet yo! The days events will be: working for 10-hours with a lunch break at Nacho Mama's with my coworkers, followed by the Portland Beavers game at PGE park. You can bet I will be eating many many hotdogs...probably 26 to be exact. I'm sure somewhere in there my sweet husband will be giving me my present that arrived at his work three days ago! Hip-Hip-Hooray! This is the greatest day ever!

PS - Happy Birthday Kelsey.
PPS - Pictured above is last years birthday
PPPS - It is forecasted to be 96d and SUNNY!!!!!!!!!

Accentuate the Positive

I had the opportunity to fly to Colorado...then drive to Green River, Wyoming last weekend for my Aunt and Uncle's 60th wedding anniversary. It was something I had a hard time committing to because of my lack of time off at work. Finally I decided I needed to go because I knew I would regret it if I didn't. It was a short 48-hour trip packed with early morning departures, long road trips, delayed flights and late arrivals (thanks again for picking me up at 2am Wyatt!). Despite it all, I am glad I went! I got to see lots of family I haven't seen for years and most of all my dear Aunt Lois and Uncle Dale. As horrible as this sounds, I just don't know when I'll see them again. Not so much because their getting on in years but because I've discovered that as I get older, it has become increasingly difficult to travel like I did when I was younger.

At one point in the celebration my Uncle Dale got up and sang the song "Accentuate the Positive". I'm sure many of you know or at least recognize the song if you heard it. It was a really special experience for me to listen to him sing the song and reflect on my memories of him and know that he really has lived an exemplary life of optimism. I've made an effort this past week to follow in his example and try to carry a positive attitude. It hasn't been easy, especially with everything that has been going on at work. But I just sing the song to myself and it makes it a tad bit easier to focus on the good. I am grateful too for Wyatt. I always told myself that I wanted to marry someone that portrayed some of the same characteristics as my Uncle. I knew in some ways the two were similar. But it wasn't until this weekend that I realized the positive attitude they both carry. I am grateful for Wyatt and the way he helps me recognize the good in life. It was such a wonderful weekend! And I'm happy to say I have no regrets for going!

(I've been waiting to post this all week because I've been waiting for my cousins to post pictures of the event on their blogs so I could copy the pics and post them on my blog. I took some with my camera but they all turned out too dark. However, no one has posted pictures...except for Collete. But even she said she didn't have very many. Who has all the pictures? Abbie? I'm sorry that you won't get any visual entertainment out of this post.)

Countdown

10 days and counting until my favorite day of the year...

Just Like Mom

Momma, Me and MIL

I've finally come to that point in my life where I have become my mom...almost. Give me a couple of years, a few kids and I might be a spitting image. Or rather a talking replica. I've caught myself the last few months blurting out the exact phrases I grew-up hearing my mom say. The one phrase that caught me off guard and in turn, started my tally of "mom phrases" was this: "There's food to eat at home." I hated it when my mom said this as a kid. For one, it meant that eating out was out of the question. And it also meant that I had to be a little more creative on what was for dinner by searching the barren cupboards for something edible. Okay, the latter was a bit of an exaggeration. We always had food in the cupboards - it just wasn't instant food. I said this to Wyatt a while ago when he asked me if I wanted to eat out. To my defense, I had just gotten home from being at the grocery store. Sad to say, I've said it more than once since the first incident. Here are a couple other phrases/thoughts/behavior I've inherited from my mom:

1. "Put the dishes in the dishwasher"
2. "Close the shower curtain - it'll get moldy if you don't"
3. "Ripped my head off" (in reference to encountering wind when I walk out the door)
4. "It lacerated my mouth"
5. my obsession of cleaning
6. my ability to pray for a long time (I hated this when I was a kid...Wyatt's not too fond of it either)
7. my ability to leave long voice messages
8. waking up at ridiculous hours in the morning (4am) to go running - okay, this one is a lie. My mom is alone in her craziness on this one. I'm lucky if I can get up at 7am for work.
9. my love for doughnuts
10. "Killerdog" as in, "it was a killerdog day at work" or "that was a killerdog run" - to be hard, difficult, long (I am still working on incorporating this into my vocabulary more)

And one from my mum-in-law:
"there's some in the fridge that needs to be eaten" - Wyatt said this was a precursor to the type of meal he was going to eat and is still hesitant to eat the end result after hearing that phrase

Wait until after I have a couple kids and I just might say, "My Way", in reference in how to clean the bathroom, kitchen, family room, etc.

I love you mom!

Do you have any phrases you've inherited from your parents?

We Have a Winner!!!

The ballots are in and the winner of my Product Description writing contest is ready to be announced.    And the winner is Charlotte!  The vote was completely anonymous, seeing that Wyatt hasn't been connected to the WWW in over a week, due to his week long motorcycle trip with his dad.  So when I presented him with the contestant's entries - he didn't know who's was who's. Well done Charlotte!  You'd be great at my job!  As for the prize, as promised it is something from my work...you are the new owner of Philips SHE9501 in-ear headphones!  For a more detailed description you can check them out here.  (I am sad to say that I did not write the product description for the headphones - mine would've been 100% better).  Charlotte, please email me (brittany.nichols@gmail.com) your address and your new headphones will be on their way!  And thanks to all for taking part in my contest - I enjoyed reading all your descriptions!

I asked Wyatt to take a picture of the headphones...this is what he provided me with.  Interesting...

Summer

So we're officially one month into summer - which means we are a third of the way through it. And I am panicked! I know, I still have more than half of the season to enjoy but in my mind it's basically over. I guess I am just so excited that it's here - the thought of it leaving is so depressing to me. Three months is not long enough! I haven't even gone camping! Or gone on any exciting summer vacation for that matter. Dear Summer, if you're reading this, will you please extend your stay for a few months? Please? Think "Indian Summer". I'll let you think about it...

My Job (and a contest!!!!)

Some days I feel like I have a pretty cool job. And other days...I feel like I can throw-up while I'm doing my job. I tell myself that it is normal to hate one's job sometimes and like it other times. I mean, really, who LOVES their job all the time?!!! I want to meet the crazies out there that can hardly wait for Monday to arrive.

Anyway, one part of my job is to write product descriptions for the products we sell on Amazon. I have written a product description for headphones, remote controls, cordless phones, guitars, hair clippers, calculators, digital picture frames, antennas, iPhone cases - just to name a few. Sometimes writing the descriptions is really easy and takes little thought. That's not me bragging. The truth of the matter is that the level of easiness depends on the amount of information I get from the manufacturer. The majority of the time, it's not very easy at all. And sometimes I feel the same way I did when I was in school -when I sat down to write a paper. (Imagine writting an essay every day at work). The majority of the time it's a matter of me taking the few (and I mean few) features the manufacturers list on the spec sheets and turning it into a full page description. Here is an example of the list of features I received the other day to write a detailed product description for a cell phone car charger. And by "detailed" I mean at least two paragraphs of description.

Product Features: Powers phone from vehicle; adjustable flexible head; green LED light to indicate charging; connectors included to enable rapid charging of various Blackberry/Treo models; lifetime warranty.

Not that I'm trying to skirt my duties but it's a cell phone car charger! How much detail does one need for the product?!!!! Maybe I'm upset because I lack in the creative realm. Maybe I am bitter that I struggle to squeeze two paragraphs out of three measly features.

I've decided to challenge my readers (I think I'm down to two now) to participate in the contest I'm hosting. I don't have a creative name for it, so I will just call it, "Product Description Writing Contest". The rules are you have to write at least one paragraph (8 sentences) describing the product I've outlined below I'll pick the top three (if I get that many) and Wyatt will pick the grand prize winner. Contest ends next Sunday the 27th. The winner will receive the prize of my choice, probably one of the products I've written a description for in the past. You're welcome to visit Amazon to get some ideas. Good luck!

Widget WD7649BL
compact size, orange LED light, automatic on/off, AC and battery (2 AAA) powered, retractable cable, semi-glossy finish, ergonomic shape, rotary dial

PS - if you don't participate, I won't feel bad. If it were me, I'd avoid this contest like the black plague.

Our Weekend Getaway

***WARNING**PICTURE OVERLOAD***

In order to celebrate our one year anniversary, Wyatt and I headed south for the weekend. Here is what we did:

Got a personal tour of the Harry and David factory, which included a full tour of the factory, free samples of Moose Munch and truffles AND finished off with a gift basket of pears, candy and chocolates (which ended up melting into one glob of chocolate).

Cruised around Crescent City, CA - it's not as glamorous as it sounds...

Wyatt and I peaking through the many, many fern bushes...

Modeling off one of the many big tress

More big trees...

Inside the Oregon Caves

Wyatt eating the Oregon Caves

More Oregon Caves

Look at that view...and Wyatt and me acting stoic

The itty-bitty Medford Temple

As well as this picture turned out, I wish it could show how amazing Crater Lake really is. My breath was literally taken away. I really didn't expect to be in love with this lake after I visited it. But I am!

Cool Picture

Crater Lake license plates in Crater Lake!

Demonstrating the crystal clear water. (Wyatt's naked).

Nice View