PHX FUN

I lifted played some sports (including boxing and volleyball), ran a bunch of miles, and basically ended up with 2-a-days Monday through Thursday. So I missed my workouts Friday in favor of sleeping in and then a three-hour-nap. Yeesh. 

Our division at work won the spirit award for taking a pic with sports shirts and mustaches during March Madness and they asked where we wanted lunch from. I immediately said Texas Roadhouse (as one does), and then nobody else said anything because it was a great suggestion. Can't wait for free steaks. 

First attempt at frenching a fishtail.

I also had to do a fall screen at an assisted living facility to help our marketing department. They set me up and left me in the dust, meanwhile the Peaks partner also forgot to advertise it. It was not a great use of my time. 

The fun part was that right before this started, I had a really bad nosebleed, so I put a tampon up under my mask and did the whole fall screen for two hours without anyone noticing. I've done this a few times with great success, however this time it got stuck - glued to my nostril by my traitorous, scabby epithelium. It hurt real bad until I could get home, take a warm shower to loosen it up, and get it out. 

Peep the booties. 

Saturday was our youth fundraiser (planned solely by the YWP since she wouldn't let anyone else help). We all met up at 8am, then split up to rake pine needles at different yards that signed up. Frankly, nobody in the West has the Hutchins work ethic, even the adults. I raked for four hours before I had to leave with my Camelpack so I didn't need to stop for water. Classic Hutchins. 

Rog's new favorite hats. 

Rog and I drove down to Phoenix for the annual Mule Deer Foundation Banquet with our friends. We didn't win anything this year, but Rog did get some new hats, which he is really excited about. The prizes were super cool this year, but the auctioning was less cool to listen to since people weren't fighting as much as last year. 

birthday week of fun #30

 After a weekend in Phoenix, where I used copious amounts of sunscreen (to which I am apparently still allergic), the next few days were a suffer. I was itchy and half-burnt and apparently susceptible enough to Flagstaff springtime to have real allergies too. I knocked back a few of Rog's pills and felt a bit better, but I was glad we cancelled VB and spent most of the week sleeping extra. I was, however, recovered enough to do some damage at basketball on Friday.

Rog bought a new truck! It's a white 2004 Ford F150 Lariat and it was in our price range, even with the work we needed to do on it. So we got that done and took it on a test drive to go camping for my birthday month of fun. We went about thirty minutes into the wilderness, found a road shed, and set up the back of the truck as our tent. Rog made us delicious tinfoil dinners and garlic bread and brownies. And we had leftovers. 

We slept pretty well, although it was a little chilly with the wind. We had pancakes and bacon for breakfast and went on a 4 mile birthday hike (per my request, with elevation changes to help us prep for Ragnar) and  I wasn't even whiny. (thanks hormones:) We drove back home and unpacked real quick (and ate those leftovers). Then we went shopping so I could pick out a new pair of boots and a couple books, courtesy of Rog. 

We snacked on wings and Powerade while we killed time before watching the new Dungeons and Dragons movie. It's funny and worth seeing and Rog liked it way more than I thought he would. Very good G-rated humor and plenty of outlandish adventure. Also we caught a mouse in my car. HBD to me. 

After getting home, we showered and I took out the braids mom put in my hair last week. And we prepped our talks. Per usual, my goal was to keep people awake and trick them into hearing some doctrine. Rog and I kept them laughing enough that they paid attention and even mentioned some points in Sunday School, which I think was a win. 

Girls Trip 2k23

 The biggest thing that happened in the first week of April 2023 was the Hutchins girls trip (minus Jamie, plus Mint). Otherwise, I played sports, I ran, I lifted, and I went to work. And I had a good time off of work. I got off pretty early on Thursday, so I braved the carved up highway southward to Phoenix. (That snow removal was rough on these AZ roads.)

SO to Mac for headshots. 

I moved in some groceries to the AirBnB and claimed my space before anyone else could beat me to it. Kelly and Vin arrived soon thereafter, and Hannah got there earlier than expected. Mama Sama and I got the rest of our grub at Costco (including pizza for the night) and checked the Apple store to see if they could fix my computer. They could not. Which I feel like they should have told me online. We didn't even die on the way home, but we did enjoy pizza and White Chicks/Identity Thief and watching H/L try some self tanner. 

H and I ended up on the couch that night because it was comfy enough. Mom picked up Court and Mint from the Mesa airport early in the a.m. We had some time to grill Mom by the pool and enjoy mojitos and chinese chicken salad before our pole dancing class. I'm not sure how the back row was doing, but Mint got moved to the front for surprising skills. (And they agreed to take some classes at a local studio in Flag with me). We came away with some laughs, a good time, and a few bruises in unusual places. 

Killing the game.

H and I made some homemade pizza for dinner and we chilled watching Psych for a while before it was time for karaoke. Mom picked up Shan/Mac at the airport and we met them at the restaurant where we booked a private room. Our selection was limited, the videos were asian and creepy, but we (again) had some surprising superstars. Mac jammed out, Shannon killed the Evanescence, and Mint knows almost all the songs played. 

Stylin it up.

We chilled and watched all the Psych episodes with Yang before bed. Mint may have been upset that Court fell asleep on their bed (aka couch). But everyone slept well before we had pancakes and bacon for breakfast with a game of Cards Against Humanity (watch out boys, a game). There was another pool session before prepping for a photoshoot at the botanical gardens during AZ's superbloom. We enjoyed a taco bar for lunch. Let it not be said that we lacked for snacks or meals here. 

H and I drove the crew over. I will say, I was disappointed that there weren't more butterflies in the garden. And that we didn't explore more. But I think the pics turned out and everyone was glad that we were able to move our dinner res up by an hour. The food and drinks were great there, too. 

After a hot tub session and some coochie juice, we showed everyone Austenland - where Hannah is Jennifer Coolidge and I'm her love interest. We had a late night, but I think by this point, Lavinia had made at least 6 positive contributions to the group. 

Almost a real smile. 

Did she convince Mint to do the lion's share of the cooking for our French toast and sausage in the morning? Yes. But maybe she cut up some strawberries. Hannah left after breakfast, taking some leftovers and some heavy baggage. The rest of us went to church, where we ran into my old institute bro - Rod. He's the boss. We snagged some delicious beverages and had burgers and watermelon by the pool with yet another game of Hand and Foot.

I left after that, but hopefully left enough food for everyone to survive on. It sounds like Monday was kind of a wash with a 10am checkout and driving to Mesa to drop off Mint/Court, then back to drop a car off by 2, then waiting around until everyone had 6pm flights. Glad I was only a drive away. 

It was a good time. Rog enjoyed all the tea afterwards, especially since his shed hunting trip proved fruitless.

GC 2023 pt 1

 Good news of the week is that John West told me what my ankle stuff is (only took me 3 years to ask, and SO to the chin for being a go-between. Turns out it’s probably granulosa annulare, a weird circular rash that can affect youngISH females, is triggered by thyroid imbalances and sunshine, and is completely benign. Oh yeah, and there’s no treatment. Like you can take steroids and vitamin E, but it doesn’t do much. Basically it sticks around for a few years, goes away, and may come back later. So I will NOT be seeking further medical advice. 

I also had an increase in knee pain between running, basketball, and my new workout plan. So I took a few days off and changed the plan up and I’m already feeling better. I went on a 6 mile run between sessions and even got a little sunburned. I gotta protect this baby until at least May is over. 

The other good news, is that not only am I doing a Ragnar in May, but we just got hooked up with Havasupai tickets. Unfortunately, they coincide with our Red Sox game, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and still at pre Covid prices. This will be the first year it’s back open since 2019, and I have been bugging Roger’s cousin’s husband’s brother Ken for precisely that long. Luckily, at least 2 members of his group backed out and we were the first people he thought of. For some reason.

We had a goal setting activity with the YW, that I think turned out well. They loved the journals I made and ended up with some decent goals. It was the leaders I had to hound about setting appropriate goals. We also had RB floats and only finished off half of what I brought.

I’m transitioning from Etsy to Shopify for my business. I can sell more stuff with fewer fees and have more advertising opportunity. And my own website. I’ll still do both, but we’ll see how this goes. My newest addition will be a cognitive workbook that some patients requested include a game called trail making that hey do with me sometimes. 

I’ve been hyperfixating on sudoku this week. And my laptop charging port is fried. But I’m having a good time, so what else do you want? 

We chilled mostly at home for conference as Roger was immovable from the couch and almost finished an entire book between sessions! Anyways, here’s the summary for

General Conf 2023 pt 1

- Jesus Christ is central (and maybe we should celebrate Easter better)

- Be a peacemaker. Especially if you want peace.

- Get your patriarchal blessing and read it often.

- Don’t slack off in teaching the kids, yours and others’. Also don’t slack because they’ll slack worse. 

- God will perfect your imperfections #literalgoddess