Leapin' Lizards!

Rand loves his crickets. Enjoy the hunt.

Because We Don't Dress Up the Dogs...

For Christmas, one of Al's good friends gave us a Build-a-Bear in a Broncos uniform. His name is Champ.

Now that football is over, he needed a change of uniform, so my loyalties are now being honored:

Go Spurs!

Home Improvement

Mom and Dad got new couches. Because they're technologically impaired (and also to show our appreciation for the super-comfy hand-me-down couches), I'm posting some pictures. It was fabulous to sit on these big, soft couches and watch an exciting Superbowl game on the gigantic HDTV.

The couches that used to be downstairs are now upstairs:

Meanwhile, at our house, Al has been doing some improvements. We got rid of the old showerhead in our shower and stepped up to the showerhead I've always wanted. It's also high enough to actually be over Al's head instead of his shoulder.

Al also had a manly moment when he fixed our washing machine last week. It was running, but not agitating or spinning. I looked up some info online and figured out that it was a broken motor coupler. The part itself was only $15, but to get someone out to fix it would cost about $150. The lowest estimate was $75 for the visit, $30 for the part, and then roughly $45 for labor. Al broke the first coupler he tried to put in and had to buy a new one, plus the spark plug pliers to put it in correctly. He also found a chainsaw sharpening attachment for his Dremel that he picked up. Even with the impulse buy and extra part, the repair cost us about $80. He did it while I was at school, otherwise, I would have taken pictures of the washer all taken apart.

Our Week in Review

Not much has happened in our lives this week. There's still snow on the ground. The dogs dig into it and get all muddy. Al and I went to work and came home every day. We've been watching Seinfeld season 9 when we have a free moment together. All-in-all, it's been a pretty average week. I guess you have to have those sometimes.

Waiting for Springtime

It's another snow day for us! We woke up to about five or six inches and it was still snowing. Al and I shoveled, but by the time we were done, another 1/2 inch had fallen. Al shoveled again about an hour later.

It's hard to keep Trillian out of the snow. She loves it! Thursday, however, has her limits. After a while, she was sitting by the door, so we let her back in. She has learned a thing or two from the cat...one lesson being that a good refuge is underneath the cars. Al says that she is a good candidate for a pink collar.
We had to shovel out a latrine area for the dogs. The snow was almost touching Trillian's belly, and is even deeper in other areas of the yard, so it's difficult for them to do their business. Thursday has been compensating by leaving us presents on the sidewalk and driveway. Thursday has also turned out to be quite a little hoarder. She likes to take toys and bones and put them in places that Trillian can't get to. In the following video, they are fighting over a stick. Bear in mind that there are several sticks laying around, but they're fighting over the one.

You may also have noticed that the stick they start fighting over is not the same stick they finish with. That's what makes these two so fun!

Later on, Thursday nabbed my glove (I'd taken them off to take pictures) and took that under the car with the stick. When she got distracted by Al and left her post, Trillian went under (with much belly-crawling effort) and retrieved the stick. She was able to play happily for only a few moments until Thursday showed up again.

Fuller's Field

Jeff's band, Fuller's Field, played the opening ceremonies of the Utah Special Olympics this past Friday. I'm the weenie photographer who left the memory card at home, so I only had my camera's teeny-tiny internal memory. I was very sad that I wasn't able to get any video. I've explained the pictures beneath them, so enjoy your very brief tour of a very fun night!

The plan was to start with Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid. Jeff had got his wife (Ashley) and some of her friends and family to come up and model the swim-dance. The Utah Blazze mascot (the dalmation) and dancers (the girls in the orange shirts), and the Weber State University mascot (the wildcat) all jumped up to help, too. And then it was time for the opening chords, and there was NO SOUND! There was a problem with the keyboard speakers. The mascots were a help entertaining the crowd while the guys from Wasatch Sound figured out the problem. The band got a nice little beat going to fill the time. Those of you who know Jeff's band might recognize that the keyboardist, Jordan, looks a little different. Jeff's sister-in-law, Heidi, filled in for him and did great!

It wasn't long before they had the place "swingin'!"

They did a short rendition of Chariots of Fire and Chief, the Blazze mascot, jumped right in and did a slow motion run.

While the organizers took down the chairs and set up for the dance, Jeff's band played some more. (Jeff even let me sing with him on Friday Nights Suck--I know he was just humoring me, but it was fun anyway. That's when I took this picture (thus the "onstage" perspective).

They even made friends with a couple of athletes! Brett, the one in the red shirt next to Jeff, was quite the dancer! I really wish that I had been able to get some footage! He was air drumming in front of the stage, so Jeff invited him up. After the dance was over, Brett came out and talked to us. He gave all the girls hugs and shook hands with all the guys. I don't know the name of the athlete in white, but he was jamming on his air guitar and having the best time!

It was a neat experience to get to see them interact with these athletes. Jeff and the band were signing autographs and wishing them luck. They've offered to play again next year, at which time I will have a very large memory card in my camera!