CLIFFY...

If you don't know my dad, then you are missing out. He is probably the funniest person I've ever met... no really...and if you encourage his behavior he only gets funnier. One of the best things about my dad are his sayings.

He has a saying for everything, I can't really explain them, so just enjoy:

"Born yesterday and lived all day for nothin"

"I know that's right"

"Hello der"

"Eat through the pain"

"Cramin' for the Famin"

"Put an egg in your shoe and beat it"

"That's the shits"

"Can't afford yesterday's newspaper"

"Them sonsabitches"

"It aint me"

"Let's make like a sheep herder and get the flock out of here"

"Balder then Ted Maynard"
"Got to go talk to a man about a horse"

"Bound up tighter than Brandy"

"Not wet enough to dry"
"More nervous than a dog shitting peach pits"

"I don't think there's anybody back there"
"You can shit the fans but you can't shit the players" huh?

"I'm tapped"

Names of Cars include: "Rice Gobbler", "Toyodle", "the Pumpkin", "Exploder", "the Taco", "Very fine mo-chine"

He usually only calls people by one of the following names: "Tina", "Evelyn", "Jeffy", "Tommy", "Tiny", "Swootie", "Carla three babies" dogs are called "un-vopers"

Thanks dad- for always making me laugh... love you!

Supportive and Sensitive...

Today is a sad day. Abbey and Matt moved to CA today. Matt's parents flew in Tuesday and they and my parents are helping Matt and Sister move this weekend. So my mom made a great dinner last night for the whole crew. So after dinner I walked Gramps home and we had the following conversation:

Gramps: "What are you going to do when Abbey leaves tomorrow? She is your best friend so I'll bet this will be sad"

(at this point I'm thinking... yeah Grandpa, way to be sensitive)

Me: "Yeah, I will definately miss her... don't know what I will do without her"

Gramps: "Well now that she is married, she has a new best friend"

Me: " I know, but Matt is going to have to share her with me"

(this is where I thought Grandpa would agree with me and take the supportive role that he should... instead he said the following...)

Gramps: "You know if you don't get married, you're just going to be all alone"

Oh to be 86 and not have to worry about what you say... or remember it for that matter. Love him.

Mr & Mrs Matthew Mann

Always Patsy...

If the words "Crazy... crazy for being so lonely", "I go out walking... after midnight... out in the moonlight...", and "You walk by and I fall to pieces" mean anything to you then you should go to "Always Patsy Cline" the play... I did.

The night started out with Abbey, Matt and I rushing to the marriage license place. Literally. I'm talking them jumping out of the car and running hand-in-hand at 4:59 pm. They were a lot more prepared than the other couple who had to call home and ask not only her mothers middle name, but also her mom's maiden name. (People like that should not be allowed to marry)

Then we were off to Chuck-a-Rama...dinner of champions. I knew the choices would be Sizzler, OG never-ending pasta or Chuck-a-Rama. Gauranteed the never ending pasta was better than that mac n' cheese look-a-like I had... sick.

Then we were off to Patsy. The woman, the myth, the legend. We're talking a two-person, two-hour play of Patsy herself. Aunt Terri on my left singing every word and Matt on my right not knowing who the hell she was. Dad just beaming from ear to ear... no seriously he's been talking about this play for over a year now.

The play was actually great... lots' of fringe, sparkles and boots... loved every minute of it.

My mom dared us to take a picture with Patsy after... no dare needed.
I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thanks Cliff & Patsy for the memorable evening.

Sisi's Getting Married...

The happy couple...

Mr Matthew Raymann Mann and the soon to be Mrs Abbey Rae Mann

Here is Matt and Abbey showing us their excited engaged faces...Yeah, he's going to fit in this family just fine! (Thanks Curt for the bunny ears)

Abbey will explain the whole engagement and her plans on her blog- missabbeygal.blogspot.com but I wanted to give you a couple funny things that happened the last couple of days:

1. Ruining the proposal. So Matt had big plans to propose to Abbey at my house Sunday night, with close friends and family. Only I didn't know that... so close friends and family included some people from work and their roommates, my gay friend and his boyfriend, etc. So when I said things like ... "put that ring in your pocket, you cannot propose right now" I had no idea I was ruining everything. My mother then called and confirmed that I had in-fact ruined everything. So I frantically text Matt... appologizing profusely... with no repsonse. I couldn't sleep that night, knowing that this was all my fault. Fact is I was actually texting Matt's old number... no wonder her never responds. The best part about this whole thing was that Matt, my mom, and my dad all knew about this little plan... they just forgot to inform me. Thanks family.

2. Another Grandpa-ism. So if having a little sis get married isn't hard enought... let's throw Grandpa Coy in the mix. Grandpa needs to work on a little thing called tact. So we set off for a day of shopping and wedding planning on Tuesday. Grandpa stopped by to see what we were doing.

Conversation went a little something like this:

Gramps: So what are you are you guys doing today?

Me: We're going wedding dress shopping...

Gramps: Not for you (with a little fist tap to the chin... yeah you know how that goes)

Thanks Gramps...you've out-done yourself...yet again.

Congrats to the happy couple... I'm so excited for you!!!

Raging Waters...

Raging Waters is one of those places that attracts all kinds of people... kind of like the State Fair. Some have massive tattoos, some are wearing swimsuites that reveal a bit too much, and others I wonder how they could be seeing the sun for the first time of the summer.

I also believe Raging Waters brings people together. It's ok to be 30 years old and standing in line with 12 year old boys, 50 year old men and mothers with their small children. So the 5 amigos (Casey, Kate, Lisa, Scott and I) set off for an exciting day that consisted of Waimea Waves, Blue Thunder, White Lightening, Serpentine Slides, The Rampage and the Acapulco Cliff Dive. This was not a day to lay out and relax... this was a day to ride the rides (have I mentioned that I'm pretty scared of things like this?).

Funny moments of the day consisted of us riding out the wave pool (at least 10 times) without tubes... almost drowned, but continued to do it over and over again until all our strength was gone. Watching Casey pull himself across the rope ladder. Watching Scott and Kate play stiff as a board in the water. Me never making it down the slide still in-tact with the tube. Kate has also written about raging waters experience... which I cannot duplicate... so get the whole story at singletonliving.blogspot.com.

Needless to say, we had a great time... but not without injuries. Lisa and Scott hit heads on the double tubes, Casey hit his nose and scraped up his feet, Kate... well she landed on her not-small chest and me? well I broke a couple of toes... on the 2nd ride...

Was it worth it? Absolutely.

A Constant Reminder...

Utah State and the University of Utah compete in two things every fall- football and donating blood. Since we know we don't stand a chance at football, we put our efforts into the blood battle. Each school has the American Red Cross on campus for one week and whoever donates the most wins... which is always USU.

Needless to say, I've been invited by many students and co-workers this week to donate blood... which I cannot do... because the last time I donated they said I tested positive for HIV.

Many of you know my dedication to the American Red Cross... not only have I worked there, volunteered there, donated my time and money, but I have also been a faithful blood donor. So imagine my surprise when I received a letter in the mail that basically said... thanks for your donation but your blood tested HIV positive, please go get tested. Wow... don't sugar coat it... just tell it like it is I guess. If you're wondering if I was in hysterics, the answer is yes.

First of all... I don't have HIV (I would like to make that very clear). I've never shared needles, had promiscuous partners, etc. Still, I can't ever give blood again. I can't ever contribute to the blood battle. Still a reminder of those few moments in my life when I was HIV positive. Thank you, American Red Cross, for the constant reminder...