My Scooter Nerd

This is my husband.

This is his scooter.

This is the story of my husband and his scooter.

When Brad was at BYU his trusty Chevrolet truck broke down. On the advice of one of his professors, he decided to sell the truck and buy a scooter, which would save a ton on gas and get him great parking on campus. We tried to sell it after he graduated and started working in SLC, because obviously, he couldn't drive the little thing to Salt Lake every day. It was at this time that I lovingly coined his nick name of "Scooter Nerd." Perhaps the pictures don't do him justice, but to see a 6'4" guy on a little red scooter is pretty funny. And so, for the past 3 years Brad has been the "Scooter Nerd."

In January, Brad's not so trusty, but oh so stylish, Saturn station wagon, lost its engine, by some confusing circumstance that I shall not attempt to explain. Needless to say, we could not afford to replace the engine, even if the car was worth it, and we needed to find a way for Brad to get to school. He couldn't drive the van because of the glorious price of gas and because I have to work and haul kids around all day. This was the beginning of the second tour of duty for the scooter, which has sat idle in our garage except for the occasional recreational rides around the neighborhood, since Brad's graduation in '06.

We decided the only option was to ride the bus, which he could catch at University Mall, a few miles from our home. He only had to transfer 4 times and it would take a mere 2 hours, compared to the usual commute in the car of 35 minutes. In an effort to spare me the pain of driving him to the bus stop each morning at 5:00 a.m. and leaving our sleeping children home alone, he decided to ride the scooter. Problem #1 - The mornings in January are not so toasty. Problem #2 - There is quite a head wind on a scooter at the rapid speed of 25 mph. To combat these two problems, we assembled a wardrobe of our warmest winter and ski gear to get Brad to the bus stop each morning and home each night. This only made the name "Scooter Nerd" more appropriate, and might I say, we have gotten many comments from neighbors and friends who have seen him zip home at night all bundled up, looking even bigger and more stylish, in his big parka.

After all the ribbing I give him about being my little "Scooter Nerd" I have to say that I am grateful for and recognize that the last few months have been a sacrifice for him. He comes home with a frozen face and frozen hands, even when bundled up. He leaves so early in the morning and he really hasn't complained. It is just one of those things you have to do to get by. Hurrah to the boys at Hillcrest High School who have volunteered their time to breathe new life into the Saturn and hopefully Brad will finally have his car back at the end of the week. Although I am sure Brad will not, I think I will miss the "Scooter Nerd" just a little bit!

6 Strange Habits

So, I got tagged by my sister, who is now on my hit list! I must admit that I found it difficult to come up with six strange habits - this was rather surprising to me, as I thought I would be able to find quite a few. On a trip to Beaver this weekend to my cousin's wedding, I posed the question to my mom, dad, and wendy, who were more than willing to help me! Not surprisingly we finally came up with a few and then we were on a roll! Here are a few of my oddities!

1. ICE CRUNCHING - I am an ice cruncher! I am addicted to ice - but it has to be the "good ice" or "crunchy ice," you know, like the stuff you get from Sonic. MMMMMmmmmmm. I am fortunate enough to have an ice maker in my fridge and boy do I get good ice out of it! There is a system you see - first you fill the glass with ice, then the water. Next, you must crunch the ice with a fork or knife to separate it, otherwise, you get a gigantic block of unusable ice. Then you let it sit for at least 30 minutes - depending on the temperature of the day - to let it get to just the right crunchiness. Then, enjoy! Yes, it is a sickness. It is the first thing I get in the morning and last thing before I fall asleep. And never, ever, think of wasting a good glass of ice! Even my twins know how to prepare my ice water. I often yell at my husband who steals my "good ice" which has been "ruminating" for the prescribed amount of time. He cracks up at my verbage, but it works. In my defense, the madness started when I was pregnant with the twins and that was all i could keep down. Strange I know.

2. HOUSE FIRES - If any of you are fans of Little House on The Prairie, you will remember the fire at the blind school. Pam and I were loyal watchers and were forever traumatized by the fire at the blind school. So much so that in our prayers from the time we were 8 or 9 we began praying that the house wouldn't catch on fire - yes, it continues to this day. I even check the water heater before I go to bed to make sure that there is nothing underneath it that could ignite. For some reason in my mind, this seems like the most likely spot a fire would start. Strange I know. (by the way, Little House airs on PBS, but you may want to screen the episodes for the blind school fire - seriously traumatizing)

3. MINGLING OF FOOD - I hate it when my food touches on the plate. There are only some flavors that I like to mix, like cranberries and turkey etc., but I like to be in control and mix the flavors at my pleasure. I really hate it when a sweet thing, such as a Jello salad, mixes with a savory flavor. It makes me crazy when my jello salad melts on my plate, or when saucy things get all over. Perhaps it is a control issue! Strange I know.

4. DOORBELLS - This started after I had children and they would get all excited when the doorbell or phone would ring. I began to ask, "Who is at the door?" I didn't realize what I was doing until one day, while living at my mom's house, she exclaimed "Well, go answer it and find out! We won't know until you open it!" Well, duh! Yes, I still do it, as though someone will tell me who is there. Strange I know.

5. CHEERLEADING - I know this may come as a surprise to many of you, but I can get rather loud - especially when watching my children at sporting events. I cannot sit quietly in my seat and inwardly cheer. No. It must be loud and filled with enthusiasm even if my kids can't hear me. Recently I realized what a problem this is for me. The boys play soccer in the fall and spring. This spring it has been so cold and windy that we have watched several games in the car at the edge of the field. Even while I am in the car with the windows rolled up, I am screaming and cheering for the boys - like they can really hear me! I just can't stop! Strange I know.

6. IDIOT SAVANT - Wendy calls me the idiot savant of phone numbers. This "talent" was discovered when Wendy was working for my property management company. She would ask who she should call and I would recite the number by memory to whichever tenant she needed to call. She has dubbed me the "Idiot Savant" It's truly an honor. Strange I know.

7. I told you I could come up with more than six, so here are a few extras. This may not come as a shock to some of you, but I have a true phobia of vomiting which stems from the pregnancy with the twins. When my children begin to vomit I flip out. I almost hibernate trying to stay away for fear that I too will vomit. I instantly get a stomach ache and stop eating for a few days - except the crunchy ice of course - because it is easier to throw up water than food. Strange I know.

And finally - I cannot stand dirty noses, ears, fingernails or pimples. I love to clean them, swab them, clip them and pop them! What a feeling of accomplishment. I share this with a few of my family members. Thanks to our brothers for providing us with years of teenage acne to work on! Strange I know.

So there you have it! A few of my strange habits. I know you were all dying to hear about them, and I hope that I didn't disappoint. You may know of a few others that I have failed to recognize - do us all a favor and keep it to yourself!

I tag Lila Geddes, Pam Thomas, Julie Esplin, Lindsey Myers, Joni Geddes, Jacque Thomas - if you don't have a blog, now is your time to start!