Story time- Chptr 7

The fog slowly drifted onto the darkened stage as Michael Jackson bounced up and down in the wings, awaiting his cue. But he was also signaling for help with something. A stage hand rushed over and reconnected the metronome chord that ran through to Jackson's ear. Mikey heard a loud click as the wires meshed. 'Thanks!' Jackson said, 'now I will know for sure when to start singing. It can get confusing with all the dance moves.' The techi gave him a heavy, approving pat on the back and moved the huge gorilla mask from a table to a stand closer to the stage. Jackson warmed up his arms and hands by raising them to the 'thriller' move, and jerked his head to the beat of the music playing. He looked thrilled to go on stage and gave a quick look to his stylist for a go ahead. She hurried over and pulled a few strands of hair loose from Jackson's ponytail. 'There,' she said, 'perfect!' He smiled, clapped his hands, then ran onstage just in time for his cue as the crowd went ballistic.

Story 2 - Chapter 6

Mikey’s unusual interest in history and worldly events for a young kid made him jump with excitement at the thought of getting such a mysterious bottle. He wasted no time in drinking the first bit of potion and after what seemed like several days of adventures he found himself back at the retirement home with all kinds of ideas whizzing through his head – “So that’s who really killed JFK!” and “I never would have guessed that UFO’s really did exist” and "American independence really was inspired by a bunch of slave-owning, aristocratic, white males who didn't want to pay their taxes." In all this excitement and despite his exhaustion, Mikey had so many more things that he wanted to discover. “I’ve always wanted to figure out how Michael Jackson became so successful” he said to himself. As he was about to drink some more portion that would allow him to go back to Michael Jackson’s prime in 1983 he heard voices through the other side of the door. “Stop that kid before it’s too late!” he heard a stern voice say. Just as two men burst through the door Mikey sipped another drop of potion. The potion was running out and before he knew it he was backstage at a Michael Jackson thriller concert.

Story 2 Chapter 5

The energetic and springy Mikey walked over to Colin with the eagerness that only seven year olds possess. "What is it Mr. Davis?" "I have something that you need to take for me, inside this green bottle is a magical potion that allows you to go anywhere at anytime while being invisible to everyone around you. You have the power to see if the dinosaurs roamed the earth, how your favorite tv show is made, what people are really like and so much more. Sadly I have wasted this power by replaying memories of love lost and squandered opportunities in my own life. I have been a greedy selfish old man but you Mikey I hope you do great things with this gift. I hope you make great discoveries and make our world a better place. Here take this bottle and remember what I told you." Colin handed the bottle, somewhat forcibly, to Mikey and almost immediately drifted off into a relaxing slumber before Mikey had a chance to assess what was happening.

Storytime 2, Chapter 4

Colin snapped back to his room again. Clearly his prolonged exposure to the green liquid was effecting his brain and causing him to come unloose in time. It was imperative he find the right candidate and make the hand off in the next 24 hours or he could be trapped forever in a timeloop. The knock came again, more insistently this time. "Mr. Davis" the muffled voice called through the door. "Come in" Colin said with exhaustion. The door opened slowly and a child, no more than 7 years old entered. This was Mikey Walsh, the rest home owner's son and a very sweet young man. Colin was startled at the prospect of entrusting a small boy with this precious gift, but then saw a beauty in it. "Mikey, come over here. I have something to show you."

StoryTime 2, Chapter 3

'Three, Two, One...Happy New Year!!' "Colin, can you believe it? 1940! A whole new decade! I tell you I won't be making it to the factory tomorrow because I will be up too late partying here in Times Square, yeahhhhhhh!" Colin Davis just heard the last word of that sentence from his co-worker, Mr. Riley. He was distracted by a beautiful blonde woman with incredible blue eyes. "Happy New Year Mr. Riley, enjoy your night," Colin said as he made his way through the crowd towards the woman. "Happy New Year!" A festive person in the crowd yelled right in Colin's face. "Let us toast to a great year!" "To a great year," Colin dryly said as he raised his bright green bottle. He was annoyed by this festive individual because it seemed the blonde was getting further away from him. He pushed his way through the crowd a bit gruffly until he was right next to the blonde. "Nothing like a New Year. My name is Colin Davis and what is your name?"

Story Time - Take Two - Chapter Two

At least that's what he thought it was. His ears strained towards the noise...it sounded more like something familiar - what? - bouncing off the tile floor outside and then onto the tough wood exterior of his door - ka ka thump. The noise bounced and shimmied through the echoes of Mr Davis' innermost being - his eyes shot up up to the shelves next to his window - taking in all the gleaming trophies. Now he knew what it was - it was the sound of a tennis ball bouncing off a handstrung 1920s Wright and Ditson wooden racquet. Mr Davis did not shuffle, he ran to the door, flung it open, and there before his eyes was - Martella!? smiling that gap-toothed dazzling smile. "It's about time you opened the door, Colin." Only she didn't say it in English. Because she only spoke Russian. She walked into the room, bouncing the bright green tennis ball off he racquet. "Do you still have that bottle?"

Utah Valley Half Marathon

Last Saturday I accomplished something I've been wanting to do for a while. I ran my first half marathon! The course started up in Provo Canyon near Sundance and ended at Provo's Center Street. It was an awesome experience. I love running, and since I don't get to do quite as much of it since high school cross country ended, I do what I can to keep it up. I've never run more than 10 miles before, and I honestly didn't train very well for this race, but I really loved doing it. I hope to do more half marathons in the future, and eventually a marathon. This is a picture I got off the event website of me crossing the finish line. I was pretty dead by the end, the last three miles were killer! My final time was 2:02 and my goal for next time is to get 1:50. I know I'm not the only one in this family who likes running, Ian and Beej have both accomplished half marathons and/or marathons so it would definitely be fun to get a family group going sometime for a race!

Sports

Loved the post about Sports and it got me thinking about how much I have enjoyed watching sports with Spence. It didnt used to be something I would seek out on my own- growing up I would watch hockey because it was on already (John and Jord and David and Dad would have turned it on probably...) but it has been really fun to sit down and watch a game of soccer or hockey once in a while with Spence. Not only does he patiently explain the rules to me (over and over again I think) so I understand what's happening, but he also tells me cool insights about the individual players. So I know what 'offside' means, AND little tidbits like that Landon Donovan from LA Galaxy didnt start the game today because he arrived a little later than his team to DC. He was here in California for his sister's wedding! I like having an insight into the players' lives and it adds more color to the game. I remember Jordan or John trying to sell me on sports one time by saying, 'the game is different every time, you can never really know what will happen because each player is so different and there's so many interactions and plays.' I guess that planted a seed because I certainly am interested in people and what they have learned to do and how they interact. I guess if you were to put a label on it I would be a casual sports fan because my husband loves it and I love him, and I am finding things of interest for myself too!

Storytime - chapter 1

Mr. Davis blew out his candles and weakly smiled as the other residents stood by and clapped their feeble, unenthusiastic hands. "Mr. Davis" said one of the nurses "aren't you proud that you're ninety years old today?" Mr. Davis didn't respond. Instead he stood up and slowly shuffled back to his room. He pulled out a shoebox from underneath his bed and opened it up. The glass bottle he held shone a bright green light - he knew they wouldn't let him die until he had done what they had asked. Mr. Davis wasn't 90, he was 120 years old and still waiting for the right person to deliver the package to. He had been too choosy he realized. He was tired and ready for the end - now he resolved that good or bad, he would give it to the next person who walked into his room. Suddenly he heard a knock at his door.

The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat

Over the past couple of weeks, my sporting world has been kind of busy, despite the summer supposedly being barren of sporting events except for baseball (which I regard as the most boring sport of them all). The work softball league has been going full steam ahead (the ward/stake one died out due to lack of participation) and ultimate frisbee is still as fun as ever. The watching of sports, however, has been even more exciting due to tournaments and competitions, highlighted by this:


We resorted to watching Game 7 at home; Lindsay watched the 1st period while I was still at work, we watched a bit of the 2nd period together then she went to a Relief Society activity while I provided text updates. It didn't go our way (Lindsay was rooting for the Canadian team since Edmonton wasn't playing and I, not having any prior hockey attachments, cheered for the same team Lindsay did) but at least there was no rioting in LA. That I know of.

At the same time, the soccer world is participating in the Gold Cup, which is to determine the champion of the CONCACAF region, which is North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The United States is now in the semifinals. Unfortunately, Canada got knocked out in the group play phase due to a very late goal in their last game, plus they also lost to the United States. It's been a bit of a rough patch for Canadian sports recently, but things can turn around quickly. Such is the nature of sports.

Oh, and Happy Father's Day to all the dads (and future dads) out there!

Bonanza non-extravaganza

So as we were pulling into Regina for Aaron and Patti's wedding, I noticed Bonanza and strongly lobbied the group that for old time's sake it would be a good idea to go. As a youngster growing up and as many of the Schneider kids can also attest to, we frequented Bonanza especially when we lived in the ghetto by McKee elementary school.

I feel that I've definitely made a few mistakes in my life but I think this one was one of the worst. The food just wanted nearly as good and the self-serve ice cream just didn't have the same deliciousness as the early 90s. I still ate lots of food because I'm never one to shy away from a buffet but the sub-par quality definitely was a bit of a let down. Although it did help me appreciate the beef tenderloin that Aaron reminded me I had ordered for the wedding that much more.

Even little Benjamin was not satisfied with the ice cream because it was below his standards and he loves ice cream it seems to say that as much as he does "dewwwww" which is his version of juice. Would I go back to Bonanza? Probably not. The food is still ridiculously cheap but I want to try to salvage the memory I have of all you can eat ice cream that you can serve yourself and eat forever. Going to Bonanza again could destroy that memory for good.

Story Time Final Chapter Wible Revealed

The ticking grew louder and louder and then suddenly, it stopped. With increasing panic and desperation Dan looked at the clock and noticed that its screen was flashing DECODE! DECODE! He realized he had only seconds to act. The image of the man with the facial burns flashed into his mind. He grabbed the clock and looked at the back. Then it struck him. The buttons were the same as on the Ben and Jerry's labeling machine.

Once again his knowledge of the Ben and Jerry's assembly line proved useful. Quickly he punched in the code for emergency shutdown. The DECODE message stopped and was replaced by a GPS coordinate. The indicator pointed to a location only a few feet away at the dock next to the opera house.

As he ran towards the opera house, he noticed how eerily similar it was to a series of Ben and Jerry cartons turned sideways. He was amazed how Ben and Jerry had influenced art and design around the world. Suddenly, the clock's alarm went off. He was here! Then he saw something under the edge of the dock!

It looked like an ice cream carton of pure gold. He popped off the lid, but instead of smooth creamy decadence he saw a 3 x 5 index card with the letters WIBLE and what looked like an ice cream recipe. Then it struck him. The rumors were true. This was a radical new product so irresistible that it could revolutionize the icecream industry for decades.

"Nice work, Dan. I'll take that". The words jarred him back to reality. Ray was standing beside him with a crooked grin on his face. Ominously, his right hand had sprouted a midget size Smith and Wesson. Now he realized why Ray wanted him to come to work early.

"Who bought you, Ray?" he asked bitterly. He was answered only with maniacal laughter. It had to be Haagen Dasz. They were the only ones with the resources and German precision to pull off something like this.

Well, they weren't going to get away with it!

"Here, take it, you traitor!"

As Ray reached for the recipe, a quick roundhouse kick knocked the gun away, and a knee to the jaw quickly dispatched the midget. All those hours watching mixed martial arts and eating ice cream had really paid off.

Dan wasn't sure what to do next. Then he noticed a skype button on the clock.

He pushed the button and the man with the facial burns came on the screen with the others in the poker game at the warehouse.

"Great work, Dan. We've been watching you on our satellite system. We suspected Ray was a traitor but we didn't have enough evidence to bring him in. We'll send a helicopter to pick you up and bring you back here to Auckland. As you probably have guessed we are the security team for Ben and Jerry. We've been trying to recover the secret recipe, code name WIBLE, after it got our of our hands. The WIBLE clock stands for WATERPROOF INTERNATIONAL BJSECRET LOCATION EXPEDITER. Its technology was a little more than we could handle. Thanks to you it is safe. We'd like you to join our team, Dan. We'll double your salary and throw in all the ice cream you can eat with a membership to the company gym so you can stay trim."

"Count me in", Dan said. A wave of satisfaction rolled over him. Another great day in the B&J universe.

Story Time Chapter 9

Dan surfaced through the black hole of unconsciousness to the sound of waves hammering near his ears like fists.

Where was he? The warmth of the sand under his skin felt like the fleece blanket he always wrapped around his shoulders when he sat with his carton of Chunky Monkey on a winter's day.

He sandpapered the grit out from his eyelids and there it was - those massive concrete wings exploding into the clouds. The Sydney Opera House! He sat up, grimacing. He alighted on the fact that it had to be his quick thinking and dexterity that had forced him to blast his way through the tsunami and now here he was on the smooth expanse of sand, all alone. Or was he? A midgety squat figure hovered nearby.

"Ray? Is it you?"

"Who else would it be?", the rich gruff voice was cello to his ears. "I escaped from their frozen clutches to follow you. You know I wouldn't let you do this alone. But it looks like you could easily have been a man short after all because - You were magnificent back there... And now you have just one last little thing to do, one little thing that only you can do..."

A sound nearby stopped him short, a sound that grew louder and louder with each tick. Their eyes propelled themselves reluctantly to a silver clock, half-buried in the sand, with six blackened letters - 'W-I-B-L-E'.

Story (Chapter 8)

Melissa is totally swamped right now. I'll jump in with a chapter now and may have to do her chapter as well:

Dan had always wanted to get to Sydney, but not this way. He quickly assessed the situation and it was dire. The tsunami alone will destroy half the city and who knows how much devastation is packed into this vest, he thought. He watched the midget jump into the water and swim past the wave, agile and effortless as a dolphin. Dan would have noted how surreal the moment was if he wasn't totally concentrated on the vest. He noted that the clasp mechanisms were almost identical to the automatic capping machine at the Ben & Jerry's factory, which he knew forwards and back, having serviced the temperamental machine almost daily. With a few strategic twists he managed to remove the vest and dropped it off the side of the surfboard. He then jumped off as well. The power of the tsunami was ridiculous, Dan was barely able to aim the machine gun and shoot the explosives about 100 yards from him in the water. BOOM! The vest packed a devastating punch throwing Dan forcefully through the water. As he blacked out again, he saw the midget swimming toward him.

Happy Birthday Melissa

I totally forgot about this until Linds sent an email reminder today (thanks for being on top of it!). It's Ian's turn to post about me but he's swamped- we just entered into escrow on a new house yesterday which he's totally handling plus I'm turning in a huge project this week and next to the church, on top of the usual craziness of having two sets of twins it's been a whirlwind so I know it's unorthodox to wish myself Happy Birthday but for the sake of sanity I'll take something off his plate ;) Love you all!!!

How old are you turning this year? 34

What is your favorite food? I never seem to get tired of roast chicken and fresh strawberry jam

What is your most frequently purchased grocery item? Milk

What is your bedtime routine like? Lately I've been editing for the church a lot at night... I also try to read scriptures on my iphone and plan out the next day

What are three things you absolutely have to do every day? Clean the table from breakfast, read scriptures, kiss the kiddos

What do you listen to most (artist, radio station/program, podcast)? Glee

What’s one skill you wish you had? better cooking prowess

What skill are you most proud of? at this moment-multitasking

If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go? India.

What is your favorite place you’ve been? Italy.

What are three of your favorite books? Pride and Prejudice, Simple Abundance, Little House

If you had to buy any magazine what would it be? I'm not a fan of magazines... I can't remember the last time I physically purchased one, although if I did it would have been on the Royal Wedding

What is one thing that gets on your nerves? Crabiness- in myself and others!

What is your favorite sport to watch or play? Hockey

What do you love to do when you have nothing to do? Family photo arranging, have friends over for dinner

What are three things you wish you had? More time, more space, more dates with Ian ;)

What is your favorite treat? cookie sandwiches

What are a few things you hope to accomplish or learn this year? Get more producing opportunities, get better at parenting, build our new house.

What are your favorite things to watch (tv show/movie)? on tv currently, Modern Family, The Office, Glee

What are your three most visited websites (besides facebook/email)? I'm boring, I never go online except to check email, blog and check on other blogs

Story Time (Chapter 7)

The lights went out in the factory and Dan was confused and edgy as his wrist that held the watch started to shake. As he tried to make out the dim objects ahead, he also found himself wishing that taken up that job offer he got from the Haagen Dazs factory down the road for only slightly more pay as he figured he may have avoided this mess if he had done so. Perhaps his loyalty to Ben & Jerry would prove to be a costly mistake. Just when he thought he could see the outline of a person in the darkness, a bright flash of light came. Dan's feet fell out from under him and he slipped into total darkness as he felt himself falling through what seemed like a narrow shaft that may have been part of the sewer system. It seemed as though he briefly lost consciousness but when he came to, he was on a surfboard on top of a large 20 foot wave, a pack of explosives on his back and a sub-machine gun. The only other person in view was the midget and the objects in the distance were unmistakeable - they were headed towards the harbour in Sydney, Australia.

Story Time (Chapter 6)

Dan opened the door to the warehouse and hesitated for a second before the cab driver gave him a little shove inside. The warehouse was damp and dark, the only light offered was from a single light bulb dangling from the ceiling. Although the light was dim, Dan could see six people sitting around a table playing a game of poker. When Dan entered, the six stopped their game and stood up. The group was comprised of the following: two beautiful women, an old man, a midget, a bald giant and a man covered with burn scars. The man with the scars spoke first.
"Welcome Dan."
"How do you know my name?"
"We know everything about you Dan, we've been watching you for quite some time now."
"What do you want from me - I'm late for work."
"We sent that clock to you for a reason Dan. It's time! It's time!
"Time for what?"

Border Guards

Being border hoppers I think all of us in the fam could share stories... there was the time I had so much luggage the lady looked at me like, 'you were really just gone a weekend?' There's Mom's theory about the gender and age of the border guard affecting how tough they are... there's the whole driving vs flying that Dad could attest to and the varying leniency... There was also the time Spence and I were coming up to be married and the border guard saw my wedding dress in it's garment bag and said, 'there are easier ways to smuggle people in, you know...' There was also the time David and I were encouraged to renew our Canadian Passports when the border guard checked us in and discovered we were both Canadian.

Anyway, I recently got my passport stamped again when i visited Canada for Patti & Aaron's wedding. It was a wonderful visit! Then it was time to head back.

Here's the dialogue upon my reentry when I cleared customs in Calgary... I thought it was a noteworthy one because the border guard actually cracked a few jokes!

‘Where do you live?’
‘Los Angeles’
‘Born a California Girl?’
‘No’
‘Where were you born?’
‘Portland’
‘Ah, and then just a little trip down the I-5 to where you live now,’
‘Yea, pretty much’ (for all intents and purposes we could just leave it at that.)
‘What’s your day job?’
‘I’m a teacher’
‘What do you teach?’
‘1st Grade’ (again, keep it simple)
‘Ah, Quantum Mechanics… Chemistry?’(not simple)
‘Getting there’
‘haha’
'haha' (yes, we actually had a laugh over it)

‘Got any fruit?’ ... and on it went. I guess I didnt look too suspicious - I passed and here I am!

Story Time Chptr 5

Dan glanced around nervously. In his reverie he had not noticed it had started to rain. Huge drops were coming down and the wind was blowing, smashing the shutters of the warehouse against the worn and weathered sides. 'Uh, how much do I owe you for taking me somewhere I didn't ask to go?' Dan grumbled to the Cabbie. The Cabbie gave him a mysterious look through the rear view mirror one more time. Then he grabbed a leather bag from the passenger seat and said, 'follow me....'

Story Time Chapter 4

All of a sudden Dan remembered why the brand name “Wible” was so interesting. He’d heard the rumors, of course, but nobody had been able to put together the pieces of the secret Wible empire. Or had they?

Did Ray know more than he let on during the phone conversation? Was it too important to discuss this over the phone? Or too dangerous? Or too lucrative? Was Ray a key part of the empire? Or just another person trying to put the pieces together? Dan wasn’t sure, but he decided that the opportunity to answer his questions was worth the risk.

As Dan finished processing these thoughts, the cab driver stated, “We’re here.” They had arrived at a nondescript warehouse in the industrial part of town.

Story Time! Chapter 3

As Dan took his seat in the cab he saw the reflection of a gaunt face with a broad forehead and dark penetrating eyes. The glare of the cab driver transmited sheer fear and intimidation. Dan glanced around nervously trying to avoid the cab driver's gaze in the rear view mirror. "Take me to the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream factory, I'm late for work please hurry," Dan exclaimed. "Right away," the cabbie replied calmly still staring at Dan as he quickly accelerated the taxi forward. Waves of a terrible scent of burning rubber penetrated Dan's nostrils as he quickly met the cabbie's eyes through the rearview mirror the cabbie would quickly glance to look at the road but would then quickly return to watching Dan through the mirror. It was at this moment that Dan noticed the brand name on the analog watch on the dash of the cabbie was peculiar. "Wiebe!" Dan whispered to himself loudly clenching his fists. "Yes" the cab driver replied calmly, "I hope you don't mind but we're going to need to make a quick stop along the way there's someone who needs to speak with you."

Story Time! (chapter 2)

'Wible, that's an interesting brand,' Dan thought to himself when he saw the black letters engraved on the clock. He retrieved his cell phone from his pocket. 'If anyone would know something about Wible it would be Ray.' Ray was a co-worker of Dan's who had a fascination with clocks. 'Ray could also explain the ticking' he thought. The phone was ringing. "We need you here at work right away Dan!" "Okay okay, I'll be there, you know I don't have a car right now, so I'm running late. Do you know anything about Wible, it's this brand on a clock I have." "I know I have heard of them before, but I can't remember much about them right now. Get over here!" "Okay okay, I am about to wave down a cab. I'll be there soon." A yellow cab stopped right by Dan. "Where are you headed?" The cab driver asked.