Alias

I was in the shower last night thinking about a new nickname I received; Cami Cakes. It got me thinking that I should blog about the numerous nicknames I have had over the years. There's really quite a lot, I hope I can remember them all. Here goes....

Cami Lambie (thanks to mommy)
Cami Miami (Kelly coined this one)
Cam
Cams
Camcorder
Camelot
Cami Train
CamBam
Cam-dawg
C-dawg (someone different)
Camalita
C-Cup (no direct correlation)
CJ
Cammers
Cankles Sr
C Squared (for those that new me as a Cook)
Cam Cam
Cami Cami Cocoa Pop
Campfire
and most recently, Cami Cakes

I know there are some I've missed, but as you can see, it's hard to keep up. I lose track over the years. Still, I seem to get them where ever I go and whoever I meet. It's kind of fun. If you can think of any I've missed, please let me know. Love to all my peeps. :)

Baseball, Denver and cheesecake.

Finally I’m getting to posting about our Denver trip back in August. Keith and I went to Denver for a quick weekend to see the Cubs play the Rockies. As you can see from the pictures, we are HUGE Cubs fans. The weather was perfect and it was so nice to bum around and whatever we wanted.

We left Friday morning and got to the Denver airport about 11:30ish. That is one huge airport and so far away from downtown. We took a shuttle bus to our hotel. It’s very flat, I was surprised. I have never been to Denver and until we got into the city there wasn’t much to look at. It reminded me of Utah in some places, only greener. The ride was nice though. Keith and I got to overhear 2 girls in the back seat talking about their dysfunctional relationships with parents and boyfriends. It was quite amusing and entertaining. Word to the wise: Don’t talk about personal things when you are in a van full of strangers.

When we got to our hotel everyone was very nice and friendly. We stayed at The Grand Hyatt and it was a pretty posh hotel. Keith was able to find us a killer deal online. The bellboys opened the van door for us and everyone was extremely professional. Our room was so nice too. What a soft bed! And so many pillows. Keith was in heaven. He loves pillows. Ü We got settled in our room, waited for the sudden rain/hail storm to subside, then went out to grab some grub. I was starving! We were about 2 blocks away from this outdoor mall, I forget what it’s called, but there’s a movie theater and several stores, restaurants and bars along it. There is a free shuttle bus that runs up and down the length of the street, but other than that there are no cars allowed. So it was nice to be able to walk freely across the street and look at everything. There are some really nice hotels in that area of Denver as well. After lunch, we went back to the hotel for a quick nap, then headed to the game. It was so fun! The stadium in Denver is really quite beautiful. It’s new and very clean. It was fun to be there and walk around. We had great seats that first night and where we were sitting there were several other Cubs fans. So we had a great time, even better since the Cubs won that night. And I got to see Matt Murton hit a home run. It was fun.

Saturday we slept in then got ready to meet my friend Amy for lunch. We went to the Cheesecake Factory. It was delicious, as usual. Amy is a good friend I met when I lived in CT. She moved back to her home town of Denver about a year ago and was able to fly out to Utah for the wedding. But we didn’t get many chances to talk so it was fun to visit with her. Afterwards, we walked around for a bit and then Keith and I headed to the stadium. Keith wanted to watch batting practice. It was pretty fun, but so hot. I was getting a little tired of it. Sadly, the only Cubs shirt I own is a quarter length sleeve. Not fun in 90 degree weather.

We didn’t have great seats the 2nd game, we were high up and in the sun. So that kind of sucked. Also, Cubs got slammed! Only good thing was that I did get to see a Grand Slam, although it was for the Rockies, it’s not every day you see one of those. (For those that don’t follow baseball, a grand slam is when the bases are loaded and the next hitter gets a home run.)

We left the game at the bottom of the 6th inning, and then stopped at the Cheesecake Factory to get cheesecake to go. Went to our hotel and gorged ourselves and watched pay per-view movies. It was fun. Sunday slept in, went to a breakfast buffet at the hotel, saw Stardust and then caught the bus back to the airport. Now that I’m thinking about it again, it was such a fun trip. Too bad it was only 3 days. Still, it’s nice to get away, relax, and do nothing but chill.

Truth or Dare

Do you remember the days of staying up late, playing night games, or having slumber parties with your friends; playing Truth or Dare, eating treats that your mom only let you have when it was a sleepover night, and talking about boys or watching girly movies and doing each other’s hair? Well, sometimes I feel like this is my life re-incarnated some 20 years later. I look at my friends, I read their blogs; they all seem to be involved in activities that are bettering humankind, in some way or another. Some have children (hats off to you!); some are in school working towards a greater goal; some have jobs that mean something; some are actively involved in service in the communities or church callings. I, on the other hand, don’t have or do any of those things. Sometimes I wonder “What IS the purpose of my life?” Oh sure, I love my husband. We have so much fun. Married life is great! No complaints here. But let’s take a step back to re-evaluate my life:


- Career Life: Career is a strong word. Sometimes I feel like this is the kind of job a college student should have. Usually my day consists of reading articles online, sending way too many emails, working on projects that usually take 30-60 mins and then I’m done, waiting for something else to do. Reading friends blog’s, looking up books I want to get from the library, ordering said books from the library, etc. Some days I get soooo bored. But then I think about the perks of this job, and if for any reason I will be working here when I have kids, at least I won’t be brain dead when I get home. Still, sometimes it would be nice to have a job that pushes me just a bit.


- After Job Life: Did I really spend 3-4 hours last night watching old re-runs of Law & Order on TNT? Somebody stop me!


- Love Life: Just kidding. We won’t go there. Everything is great!


- Cooking Life: Last night I actually made steaks and instant potatoes. Not bad. Is my house being neglected from daily cleaning? Just blame it on TNT. I did manage to do the dishes. I hate dirty dishes in the sink. If you come over, don’t look at the floor. I can’t remember the last time I mopped. Yikes!


- Weekend Life: Usually consists of watching movies, going to dinner with friends, running errands, doing laundry, sleeping in.


- Church Life: We are in nursery and the lesson rotates between Keith and I (as one) and the other 4-5 women that are in there. Playing with the kids and having treats. By the time Sacrament Meeting comes (last of the block) I’m too exhausted to pay attention. I sit in the back and fall asleep once the talks start. We have GOT to incorporate nap time into nursery somehow.


- Gym Life: Well this has been really pathetic over the last few months. I used to workout in the A.M. before I got this job. But now it’s nearly impossible unless I want to wake up at 4am. Which I don’t. I really need to start going regularly. I try to swim once in awhile, but once in awhile just doesn’t cut it. I should be going 2-3 times a week. That is my new goal. That and doing Pilates a couple of times a week. Winter is coming and I’m afraid my cute winter clothes will not quite fit me if I don’t stop the madness. (Perhaps it’s time to pull the plug on TNT.)


So as you can see, my life is mostly ridiculous! I mean, is it possible this is the life of a 28 ½ year old with a college degree? Granted it might not mean much, but still. Shouldn’t I be doing something more with myself? Then I realized….I have the BEST life!!! Sure I don’t have kids, but I have a husband. And anyone who is married knows that can be a lot of work too. Men need so much help. Ü Also, I am young. Who says 28 is not a great age to be alive? I still feel like a 21 yr old, with all the wisdom and style of an almost 30-something. Oh and here’s the best part. The most random things I see, which are for your reading pleasure.

This just in……….this morning (and I couldn’t help but think, as I was walking along, that this would be the perfect blogging moment) I’m on my morning break. Sometimes I walk a few blocks to stretch my legs and possibly get a V-8 juice at the Rite Aid. For those that don’t know, I work in Salt Lake, downtown. There’s this project to up the life here by improving some of the buildings. So that means major construction. Sidewalks have been replaced with those walking tunnels that provide shelter should something heavy fall from the sky. We’ve all seen them, most of us have been in them. Nothing to spectacular. Well, this particular morning I’m walking through one, several people have just gotten off the Trax station and are heading in the opposite direction, but inside the tunnel with me. I see something dark on the ground ahead of me. Something dark long, and roundish. I know it’s not a hotdog. What would a hotdog be doing in a walking tunnel. Oh no, it’s poop!

Now I haven’t seen too many horses strolling in the walking tunnel. Nor does it smell of horse. This must be dog poop because no human in there right mind would drop their drawers and dump in the middle of a sidewalk. (Okay, okay, maybe they would. We’ve all encountered some strange people). Still, I couldn’t believe it. As I continued to walk on I saw more poop. What the hell? I mean, it’s one thing to let your dog poo on someone else’s grass, but this is a sidewalk. Nay, a walking tunnel! It is not even a sidewalk. Besides the fact that it really is Nothing Like Grass!!! I mean, who let’s their dog stop in the middle of one of those tunnels and poop? Those tunnels aren’t big. There’s only so much air space in them. And then to do it Again? At least pick up the crap. I mean, I know this isn’t Chicago, or Manhattan, or even San Diego, but it’s still a major city and you don’t just let your dog poop in the middle of a pseudo sidewalk and then walk off. I just don’t get it.

So I guess the moral of this blog is this: No matter how ridiculous you feel your life is, at least you aren’t that guy with the dog. Imagine what his house must smell like. Sick!!!
Ciao.

Bye Bye Blackbird

Well, it’s been forever since I posted. I apologize peeps. (The pictures from our Denver trip are coming, I promise!) Over the weekend I went to Evanston, WY to help my sister and her husband pack up their house. Jay got a new and better job in Tehachapi, CA, and they are moving there this week. I am going to miss my sister so much and my cute little niece. I know I will see them again in a few months for Thanksgiving. But it’s been so great having them close by. I have loved spending more time with my older sis. She’s such a great mom and a wonderful friend. I look up to her so much!

So here’s to my older sister. Wiser. Kinder. Smarter. Hotter. Don’t be a stranger Kells. Love ya!!

P.S. Some crazy person called at work today wondering what his payments are for a car that was repossessed and started into this story about how he’s been incarcerated for the last year and is now trying to get his life back together. Wow! Too much information. They really need to teach phone etiquette in the prisons. Ü

Ultimate Dumb Ass

This girl at my work locked her keys in her car and her car is running. Luckily her husband is driving down from PC to let her in it.

I guess her car’s been running for a couple hours. HA!

Seriously. This girl is so dumb. I mean, she’s smart, but she talks non-stop and loudly, too. This place was quiet before she started working here. She’s so strange.

I’m sure we’d be friends if we met in a different situation. Wait…. No. We wouldn’t.

My Own Little Mission

I usually go outside on my lunch break and sit on a bench by the JSMB and eat my lunch. It was so hot today and some teeny boppers had taken my bench in the shade. I had my Harry Potter Book but between my sweaty back and the millions of brides trolling the premise, I decided to walk around Temple Square instead.

Side bar: I’m really glad I didn’t have to share my wedding day with literally 6-8 other brides; waiting in line and fighting over the premium photo spots. Dodged a bullet you say? I sure did!

So I’m walking around temple square and I stopped to talk to some sister missionaries. One was from Finland, the other from Calgary Canada. Even though I wasn’t wearing the traditional missionary attire, I sure felt the sweltering heat. We chatted for 5 minutes or so about Harry Potter (book in hand), the heat, and the fact that I work at Zions Bank across the street and then was on my way, yelling over my shoulder, “Maybe I’ll see ya around”.

As I continued my stroll through Temple Square I noticed some additions that have been made. Some statues and walk way paths added on the south side by that fountain thingy. I really don’t know how to explain where it is, you’ll just have to go there. But being there, walking around and seeing statues of our Prophet Joseph Smith, I thought how lucky and grateful I am to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know I need to act like it more but I really am blessed.

So even though I never went on a mission and that really was in no way like being on a mission, I’m sure glad to have the church and others who are great missionaries and willing to be ones. Kudos to all you out there who have been, will go, or are on a mission now. Salute.

Back to School Blues

I am having a major case of the back to school blues. Not that I’m in school or going to be attending school in the fall. It’s just one of those days. It’s a Wednesday. It’s August. Summer is on a downward spiral and I feel like this past summer has flown by. I’m not ready for it to end. I know what you’re thinking….it’s only August dummy. Well, true.

July was a month of stress for Keith and me. After we had to put Connie to sleep, Keith got really sick and had a couple of procedures done. To save him the embarrassment, let’s just say he was in the bathroom…a lot! And the Dr that did the procedure, a complete A-Hole! I mean, this guy has no bedside manners. When the biopsies came back the Dr couldn’t see anything, which is good I guess, but still we have no answers for why he has been so sick and didn’t seem to know jack about anything! What a freaking ordeal. My husband, sick as a dog for over 2 weeks, on this medication that makes him even more sick and the last thing he wanted was to be touched or even be around people. Not fun to live with. I don’t like feeling helpless or alienated. Not after 3 ½ months of marriage! Anyway, I’m happy to report Keith is on the mend. But the stress doesn’t end.

We are punching the deadline for a decision on this condo that we could potentially buy. It’s just around the corner. The deadline, I mean. Not the condo. We really don’t know what we should do. There are so many good things about it. It seems like the right decision. But it also seems right to wait and look for a house sometime next fall. What to do, what to do? If any of you have suggestions or help, or even just words of comfort, please….PLEASE!...I beg you. We need them. I’m to the point now where I just want someone else to decide because I don’t know what to do or what I want anymore.

Anyhoo, enough of my complaining. To say the least, I’m more than thrilled that July is over. We are going to Denver a week from Friday and it’ll be so good to get away. But I fear August is full of more of the same, stress and decision making. And before I know it it’ll be snowing again. So yes, I’m a little sad this summer is, in my mind, basically over. Morphine drip anyone? Don’t mind if I do!