A Bit of a Rough Patch

I obviously didn't get around to the September wrap up blog before the month got away from me, much to my mom's disappointment, but I was able to chat with her in person so I guess that sort of makes up for it, although she was looking forward to the month in review. Here's the best I can do (thank goodness for calendars that remember stuff I can't).

• Went with Lizzy and JR to see the Scarlet Pimpernel at Hale Center Theatre and paid way too much for dinner at the Ruby Tuesdays.
  
• Wished a Happy Birthday to Mrs. Awesome, the Freckled Nephew, and Baby Matilda.
  
• Spent Labor Day rearranging my bedroom furniture. I'm not yet quite sure what Gus the Cat thinks of the shift. He's had to rearrange his mach-speed racing to fit the new setup.
  
• I was also in charge of an activity for the Primary Quarterly activity. I ended up making a Prophets Memory game for the kids to play. It turned out quite well.
  
• Pila (my flatmate's mum) spent a week in the hospital with a rather bizarre blockage in her colon.
  
• Attended the "Taste of Home" Cooking School – Fell in love with a dual-flush European style toilet which would have been perfect in our tiny bathroom (which I didn't win), learned how to make Snickerdoodle Chex mix (yum!), and saw JR's cute mom (it took me a while to figure out who she was, I kept thinking I know that cute little lady, finally it dawned on me).
  
• I finished the blessing dress (it's SO cute) – haven't decided to make the bonnet yet, since the last two babies that wore the last two dresses didn't seem to go for the bonnet idea.
  
• I've done a lot of Geology homework, which here means I've tried to read the text book which is really confusing (even though it's for beginning Geology) and have taken 3 quizzes always managing to miss at least 3 not matter how hard I try to find the answers.
  
• The best part of Geology so far, reading the side notes in the book about cataclysmic volcanic eruptions, such as Mt. St. Helen's and this island somewhere in the ocean where the people didn't escape in time and their brains literally melted in their skulls (gross, but SO wickedly awesome). I love volcanoes. If that makes me a weirdo, so be it. I'm thinking of getting a bumper sticker made. As a side note to the sister who lives in the path of Mt. Reiner, no worries, the lahars only actually reach about 100 degrees – just keep the kids away from the river when the mountain goes.
  
• Received yet another "I've got the perfect person to line you up with" offer and acquired an unsolicited admirer from the Africa who doesn't seem to understand that "I'm not interested" means "No" (completely unrelated).
  
• Joined a Biggest Looser team to see if I can burn off a few of the extra pounds I've gained over the past 9 and ½ years of sitting in an office chair. So far so good! (Last week I managed to lose 3 pounds) It's amazing what a little competition and the lure of a cash prize will do to get you back on the exercise bike.
  
• Clipped 2 of Gus the Cat's claws (only 16 more to go!) I'll hear no guff from anyone on this one, have you ever tried giving a cat a manicure?
  
• With the help of the 1911 UK census which is available online I was able to help mom find the wife of one of my dad's ancestors! Cool Beans!
  

Since October's started I've managed to do the following:

• Picked up a sore throat which quickly turned into a full-fledged, stuffy nosed head cold and subsequently kept me from a Sister's Reunion, Girls Night Out, Ice Cream and Scones. (What fun!)
  
• Watched all 4 sessions of General Conference without falling asleep!
  
• Read 3 whole books: A Countess Below Stairs by Evva Ibbotson, Dad: The Man Who lied to Save the Planet by James Michael Pratt (a gift from my Grandma) and James Herriot's Cat Stories by (of course) James Herriot.
  
• Narrowed down the search for a new coat – the last nice on I had got too small and the interim everyday coat made me feel a bit like a hobo. Hopefully by the end of the week I'll have made the final decision.
  

What I've got to look forward to…

• An end to this cold (my nose is SO raw from the tissues)
  
• A fun and relaxing trip to Denver at the end of October (anybody want to look after Gus while we're away?)
  
• Possibly a trip to Nashville in November to see my "hillbilly" nieces and nephew ;) (crossing my fingers)
  

Now that you're up to date I'll go one living obliviously until I realize another month is gone!