BYU v. TCU

4.75 hours of my life I will never get back.

At least John Beck looked good.

Enough said.

Karen's Kitchen

No, that title is not a typo, a play on words, or an oxy moron. It is my affectionate title for my new role as primary dinner-maker. I'll tell you what, I sure never thought I'd be saying this--at least until I was entirely in the "stay at home" category. But now (an entire WEEK into the process), I am the proud new owner of some decent meals. Ang--no more veggie trays for me! I want a REAL assignment at family dinners.

I even have an apron.

Hard to imagine, huh?

Scream 4

No, I have no anticipation about another Scream, but I was pretty startled yesterday night when I got home. Brady and I were busy discussing locations while sitting in the car. I had just opened up my door, when suddenly I felt a someone/thing touch my hand. It was terrifying, and I really let one go. I felt a little sheepish when I realized it was just Terris, who was somehow released from her chain and running around in the dark. Of course this sounds silly, but what would you first imagine when a dog's tongue licks you by surprise?

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Well, today was interesting. While driving unknowingly through a school zone, I was pulled over going 6 mph under the posted limit, but 14 mph over the school zone limit. Oops. It turned out to be a good thing, though. It helped me realize quickly that my wallet had been stolen.

Yep. But we're good at this now. After the $20,000 scam last year, this is a walk in the park. The kid has already spent close to $1000--IN ONE DAY. We've started our detective work already, and hope to hunt this kid down. We're pretty sure he's a high school student, although we have no idea how he got my wallet. I always keep it locked up. I'm afraid it's my TA.

It's a little ironic. Just yesterday I was getting on my cousins for speeding, and bragging that I've never been pulled over.

Thankfully, I was not given a ticket or even a warning. I didn't even have to cry. So maybe we're on the upturn in these happenings. (Knock on wood.)

--Karen

It's Just Money, Honey

Yeah, I know I should be "over it" by now, but anyone who knows me realizes how analytical I can be about money. Considering that it took me 147.05 hours to make the money it will cost to repair my literal "million dollar smile," I took the liberty to dream of other ways I could have thrown it all away. Here goes: (Of course the estimates are only approximate...)

• 100 pairs of jeans from Old Navy
• 50 pairs of jeans from GAP
• 125 somewhat-dressy shirts
• 33 pairs of running shoes (NOT on sale)
• 1 dog--vet, materials for a few years, etc. INCLUDED
• $500 wedding band--Forget it! An entire new set of rings! (Maybe I could get into the "right hand" market.)
• 50 trips to the grocery
• 25 trips to Chef's Table--our favorite restaurant (including drinks, appetizers, and the works!)
• 7 day cruise--airfare, excursions, and even taxi tips included
• 5 trips to Ohio/Michigan
• 166.7 haircuts
• 13 season ticket sets to BYU sports (maybe then I would have a SHOT at good seats...)
• 178 books from Borders
• 8.333333 year-long Gold's Gym passes
• 83 gas fill-ups (although this rate will be inaccurate by the time I push "Publish Post" by about $0.10/gallon, right?)
• A large check to New Orleans

For those of you who think this list is a bit over-the-top, be thankful that I did not include other items, such as the number of nail polishes (625), or sets of earings (312) that I could have really burdened you with.

Brady's just excited to be on salary so I quit calculating opportunity cost on every vacation...

Our $2500 Mistake

For those of you fortunate enough to have no experience with major dentistry, the picture above is called a root canal, also referred to as a "2 month paycheck." A root canal is sometimes performed when a previous dentist made a mistake with a filling, and bacteria continued to grow for 3 years. Party! I now get to join the ranks of "bad teethdom" and undergo this tedious procedure, experiencing my own 2 hours in the dentist chair. I'm not sure if I'll be quite as funny as Kristen was in her follow-up email, as I'm not sure I can think of ANYTHING worse than spending money and dealing with the nauseating noises associated with all dentist offices. We shall see.

This is the first and ONLY time Brady and I will go without dental insurance. Our $2500 mistake.

Lickin' Good!!!

After a long hot summer, Terris was "wet her pants" happy to see Karen and I pull up in the car the other day. It was so good to see her. She was a complete spaz, but I probably was too. Best of all, I heard one of the best complements recently. "That dog is the most well-trained dog I have ever met." Oh the humility of a proud owner. Terris will join Karen and I in two weeks when we move into our new place.