Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince Trailer

IT'S HERE!!! Yeah!!!



Who's excited!?

Missing Videos

Last time I posted, my computer was having an internal battle with itself and therefore, me, and didn't want to post any videos (small or large), so I'm trying again today: The first one is from the reunion weekend.

It starts right into the water weenie crashing:


The next several videos are from the Pioneer Day Rodeo in Kamas:








We had such a great time while Sandy was in town. I always realize just how much I miss having her home when she's here.

Pioneer Day

Yesterday was Utah's big holiday: Pioneer Day (or the 24th of July). I've always enjoyed watching the big Days of 47 Parade on TV...I haven't been to one in person for about 6 years, and really, I'm okay with that. It's always too hot! The sun blares down harshly and it loses its appeal pretty fast - so I usually stay in and watch it on TV. That is, except for this year. I didn't watch the parade - but I saw some of the floats on the freeway.

One thing I did this year, that I've never done on the 24th is to go to a rodeo. It's a very Utah thing to do, but I've never gone. This year, Elise was a princess in the Kamas parade and also rode out before the rodeo, so Eric and I went up in the evening to watch the parade and the rodeo. Yeah that was fun and I can now check that off my "Life To-Do List."

Princess Elise was happy to see her Aunt Tina

Andrew and Collin wave to Smokey the Bear in hopes that candy will be thrown their way
One of my lucky shots of a bull rider. All four limbs of the bull are up off the ground and it looks a bit like the cowboy might be considering a bail out
Another great lucky shot. I love the dirt kicked up for the bull.
This was my daily shot - I laughed pretty good when Sandy made her presence known.

Richard, Cynthia and Marcus look like they might be done for the night.

Of course, what would July 24th be without a fireworks display?


Wanna see some more pictures? Go to my flickr page (click on the icon to the right), or click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmlizzyirwin/sets/72157606371349716/

My computer is flipping out, so I wasn't able to load up the videos I took of the rodeo, so I will load those up later.

Echo Lisonbee Reunion

This past weekend we met up at Echo Reservior for our Lisonbee get-together. Angie and Jason brought their adorable (and fast growing) family, their trailer and their new boat. Brent and his children also accompanied them down from Idaho - and that was a wonderful treat.

This was our third year getting together and as usual, it was very nice (minus the BLM and their new "rules").

Here we have Elise playing in the tube. Angie and Jayden. Jayden has grown up SO much since last year. Classic waterweenie experience. From back to front: Madison (Brent's daughter), Carter (Angie's son), Collin (Richard's son), Chris (Lori's son) and Wyatt (Brent's son) Richard joins the crew - you can see Elise has also joined. (The boys ditched the the banana-boat not long into the ride) It's a bumpy ride. Richard falls off the back side. (I love that Collin looks to be half bored) Eric hangs out in the tube. Sandy and Marcus The family photo:

Sweet Boxers

Sandy is visiting us for a couple of weeks and we are HAPPY about that! (We being me, of course.)

Yesterday I got this video of Sandy and April's dog Bruno (yes - he was named after Bruno from Cinderella). You can see Beanie in the lower right hand corner.

The whining, barking dog is Dante.

Farewell To A Great Boss

Today we bid a fond farewell to my manager: Janell Madonna. She has been promoted to Director of Contracting at UUMG.

She joined our team not long after I became a trainer (over 4 years ago). I had reported to my mentor Rob Kistler and I approached the new situation with some trepidation (much like I do now with a new incoming manager).

Looking back on my time working with Janell, I find that she has been more than my manager. She has become my friend. I have learned a lot about dimplamatic relationships with managers and coworkers. I've learned a thing or two or three about writing skills. But as my friend she has supported me and helped me through some rough emotional times and I am forever grateful for that.

So it is with a bit of personal sorrow that we see her off to bigger and better things: Her new office happens to be one floor up from where we are, so we'll still see her in the elevator and when we barge into her office.

Here we have the training team: Derek, Me, Deb, Janell, Bonnie and Tim

Our analyst team and Tasha (Tasha, could you please explain your role?):
Janell, Adrienne, Tasha and Paul

Janell's direct reports:
Back: Tim, Jaynann, Adrienne, Derek, me, Tasha and Paul
Front: Deb, Janell, Amy and Bonnie

Oil Speculation

If you fly, you probably saw this already, but I thought I'd post it here. It's a letter written to consumers regarding the cost to fly. It's written and sent out by most of the major airlines:

Our country is facing a possible sharp economic downturn because of skyrocketing oil and fuel prices, but by pulling together, we can all do something to help now.

For airlines, ultra-expensive fuel means thousands of lost jobs and severe reductions in air service to both large and small communities. To the broader economy, oil prices mean slower activity and widespread economic pain. This pain can be alleviated, and that is why we are taking the extraordinary step of writing this joint letter to our customers.

Since high oil prices are partly a response to normal market forces, the nation needs to focus on increased energy supplies and conservation. However, there is another side to this story because normal market forces are being dangerously amplified by poorly regulated market speculation.

Twenty years ago, 21 percent of oil contracts were purchased by speculators who trade oil on paper with no intention of ever taking delivery. Today, oil speculators purchase 66 percent of all oil futures contracts, and that reflects just the transactions that are known. Speculators buy up large amounts of oil and then sell it to each other again and again. A barrel of oil may trade 20-plus times before it is delivered and used; the price goes up with each trade and consumers pick up the final tab. Some market experts estimate that current prices reflect as much as $30 to $60 per barrel in unnecessary speculative costs.

Over seventy years ago, Congress established regulations to control excessive, largely unchecked market speculation and manipulation. However, over the past two decades, these regulatory limits have been weakened or removed. We believe that restoring and enforcing these limits, along with several other modest measures, will provide more disclosure, transparency and sound market oversight. Together, these reforms will help cool the over-heated oil market and permit the economy to prosper.

The nation needs to pull together to reform the oil markets and solve this growing problem.

We need your help. Get more information and contact Congress by visiting http://www.stopoilspeculationnow.com


Richard Anderson
CEO
Delta Air Lines, Inc.

Gerard J. Arpey
Chairman, President and CEO
American Airlines, Inc.

Bill Ayer
Chairman, President and CEO
Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Dave Barger
CEO
JetBlue Airways Corporation

Mark B. Dunkerley
President and CEO
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc.

Robert Fornaro
Chairman, President and CEO
AirTran Airways

Timothy E. Hoeksema
Chairman, President and CEO
Midwest Airlines

Lawrence W. Kellner
Chairman and CEO
Continental Airlines, Inc.

Gary Kelly
Chairman and CEO
Southwest Airlines Co.

Douglas Parker
Chairman and CEO
US Airways Group, Inc.

Douglas M. Steenland
President and CEO
Northwest Airlines, Inc.

Glenn F. Tilton
Chairman, President and CEO
United Airlines, Inc.

My 4th of July

Today is Independence Day!

Today my mom joined me and Eric at the lake. It was my first time up there this year and I had really missed our jaunts. We pulled in and sat down and immediately a wave of relaxation came over all of us. "We're home."

The water is still incredibly high - about 4 feet from the bottom of the steps. We had none of the heat of the city - not a TON of people because the water was so high. (that didn't hurt our feelings any, either.)

I took this little video because I love the sounds of the waves.



Dante was happy to see us when we dropped Mom off at the house. No big surprise he was unhappy that we'd been gone ALL DAY and the audacity to return! Bark-bark-bark! I got a little video of that, too.

Later, Eric and I decided to stay home from seeing the fireworks because I work my graveyard job - And the dogs don't really like fireworks. We heard the ones from Sugarhouse and I presume Granite High (or possibly Liberty Park).

I love the 4th of July! It's supposed to be relaxing - and that's just what it was!

Happy Independence Day!!

I want to wish everyone a safe and wonderful

4th of July!

Keep it fun!

Keep it safe!

Bomb Scare

So today there was a bomb threat at the University Hospital. I was training, but we were on break when my manager came out and told us she'd received a "code yellow" page - a bomb threat at the hospital (by the way: it should have been a code purple). We've had so many drills that our first reaction was, "is it a drill?" Within seconds we knew it was real due to various phone calls.
I work in the billing office building downtown, so I was away from any of the lock down, but I called Eric - he works in the school of medicine and the last thing I want is to lose my husband to some fanatic on a rampage over who knows what. AND it's my employer. AND there are patients!
Here's the info as sent to us in an email from administration (it came around 12:30):
"At 9:21 a.m., University of Utah Hospital experienced a bomb threat. We have activated the Command Center, and all precautions are in place.
A second sweep of the internal patient care areas and all other areas of the hospitals and or clinics has been completed. Law enforcement is working to complete a sweep of the external facilities using K-9 assistance. Facilities continue to remain on lock down. There is no vehicle access to the Health Sciences Campus."
Around 2:00 we were told that everything had been cleared. It will be interesting to hear how Eric's perspective was from the hospital.

It seemed an odd coincidence that it's also the day of the press conference announcing that the billing records that had been stolen (about a month ago) had been recovered by police this morning. This morning Shadd Hartman was arrested for stealing billing records from some loser's car. This loser was supposed to have delivered them straight away to some secure vault, but instead took a detour to his house and took a nap. Loser boy left the records, which were on some kind of tape, in what looked like a cash-box on the front seat of his car. Shadd broke into the that loser's car and stole the records off the front seat.

I'm happy to know there was an arrest.


I'm most happy that all is well and safe again at the hospital and that I will be able to pick Eric up from work and that he his safe.