Calling the Cops

This story is already old news but I have yet to post it on here and I do think it is worth the read. Also it makes me laugh that Kira has had similar problems. Although before I say too much I do find it a little more than annoying that we live in condos with a middle-aged woman above us that is giving us trouble, not apartments with single, young people.

About mid January I got sick and I stayed home from work for a week. The entire week I heard our upstairs neighbor yelling and screaming at someone accompanied by pounding around and people throwing things on occasion. This was not normal. Other than some loud country music on Sundays that annoyed the crap out of us, she was usually pretty quiet. As a reference point just remember that this is the same neighbor who's toilet leaked on me through our ceiling... yup she is that classy. Oh and we have DEFINITLY heard her uhhh... you know doing the dirty, uuuggghhh GROSS. Needless to say all the yelling and screaming, though not usually understandable (minus the obvious explicatives), was getting me uncomfortable and my opinion of her was already low. All I wanted to do that week was sleep and relax, but instead I got Jerry Springer live above me. Just about every night when David came home I would complain, and just about every night David would tell me I should call the cops.

To be fair I wasn't totally just worried about me trying to sleep. The fights seemed like they could turn violent and there was much banging around upstairs so they might have already been. All I'm saying is I didn't want her to be killed and have it leak through my ceiling before something was done. I'm kidding but only about the being killed part.

On Wednesday evening I looked up the number. I had had all I could take; I was determined that if said neighbor and her boyfriend (ex husband, gigolo, whatever, I didn't and don't care), had more trouble the next day, I would call... for real this time... I meant it! Sure enough Thursday afternoon rolled around and another yelling outbreak occurred. What is strange is that by the sound of her voice I know she isn't necessarily screaming because her voice never breaks, but I can hear it SO well that I wouldn't call it yelling either, its like screlling? Back to my point- I pick up the phone and dialed the number. It wasn't the right one. I begin scrambling to find the correct one and by the time I do there is no more screlling, of course there wasn't.

I was determined to call the cops now, the VERY instant I heard something going on. All weekend was silent. It was like everything had gone back to the way it had been. When Monday came I was back to not being sure if I would call the cops if I heard the screlling again. Then it happened again only this time there were plenty of things being thrown around and David was there to fully witness/hear it with me. I have lived in a basement bedroom for most of my childhood so I know what certain things sound like and I can decipher what is going on better than some people. I called the cops. Within the hour they were at our building! Wow talk about speedy service, I was pleasantly surprised. When they knocked on her door no one answered or moved. The cops knocked several times for about a minute with no answer and then left. Immediately afterwards we heard our upstairs friend moving around.

The next week I went back to work and we no longer heard her screlling for long periods of time, mainly because I think she saves it for during the day when we are gone, which I am grateful for even if it doesn't change my opinion of her. And that my friends is my story of calling the cops.

99 Years Young

On January 30th I found out that my Mom was flying out to Hamilton (south Ohio) to visit my great Grandma before she died. My great Grandma Hazel is the sweetest little lady I have ever met. She loved pretty things, birds flowers, butterflies and anything else that was girly. I could go on and on about her but the number one thing that I have to thank her for is my mother. She raised my mom in the gospel. My mother's parents were VeRy young when they had her and so Grandma Hazel would watch her on the weekends to give them a break. Most importantly she took my Mom to church, taught her how to feel the spirit and was a great example.

The week before my great grandma had suffered her 3rd heart attack. Everyone knew that this would probably be the last and I instantly started debating on whether I should go and visit. When I found out my Mom was coming I knew I needed to go as well. I was able to meet up with my Grandpa Joe (My Mom's Dad) and drive with him to get my Mama from the airport.

 When my Mom came and talked to Grandma she didn't say much but we knew Grandma knew it was my Mom. The joke always was that my Mom was the golden child, although it really wasn't a joke. Grandma used to tell me "Becky was always my favorite and that's why she ended up moving away, because I'm not supposed to have favorites." I can remember my Mom telling me she wished she could have seen her more the whole time I was growing up.

 When my family went out to Ohio in 2009 we thought that would be the last time we saw her, and as we backed our truck out of her driveway she watched us from the porch and waved until we couldn't see her. Talk about a tear jerker! What a sweet little lady!

 I don't really like these pictures but they are the last ones of me with her and with my Mom. She never looked like this she was always so happy.

This was taken a couple of months before she died. For the most part she was still sharp as a tack all the way until the end. She was still living on her own until August of this last year. Grandma had people that would stop in and make sure she was all right but she could still walk on her own. 

This picture is a perfect example of how I remember her. This visit was a much more sullen visit than the one I had with her last September. Looking back I am SOOO glad David and I took the time to go and visit her.

We got there on Monday evening, she recognized my Mom and went to sleep. She never woke up after that and by Wednesday morning she was gone. This was all happening during that big ice storm that was supposed to hit, but the morning she died the sun came out and was shinning so brightly. We also heard a bird singing a little right before she died and it continued to chirp outside the window after. Just what she always liked sun and birds and pretty things. I also thought it was a little more than ironic that she died on a Groundhog's day that said Spring was actually going to come early. How fitting is that?! I say never ignore the little stuff it all happens for a reason. And I hope Spring really does come early this year.

 I was sad to see her go and I was actually in the room when she died. Being there for that I was worried that I would feel really sad or depressed but surprisingly it was like a weight had been lifted from the room. She had out lived her most recent husband by 9 years and her eternal companion by 27 years, and I can't even imagine how great it must have been for her to finally go home. It's moments like this that I am so thankful for the gospel and the knowledge that we have about death and family, it really does take away the sting of goodbye.

Goodbye to that happy little lady that taught my Mom so many things and gave me the gospel. I wish I had known her better but my Mom embodies her in so many ways that I probably know her a lot better than I realize.

A Very Overdue Christmas Present

There is one thing that those of you who do not know my husband very well should know, he doesn't like to ask for things or ask for help. When Christmas and Birthdays come around that makes buying things for him difficult because he "doesn't want anything." This means Kari has to put on her extra tricky, thoughtful, sneeky, creative thinking cap in order to shop for him.

The infamous early package

David's best Christmas present, from me, this year didn't arrive before Christmas. Long story short is this- The week before Christmas I paid to have his present shipped within 2- 4 weeks. Then while we were in DC I found out that it would be arriving at OUR house back in Toledo on Christmas Eve! I tried to call and I searched their whole webiste in hopes of stopping the package, having it rerouted to DC, or simply to have it be held at the UPS store, with no avail.

When David and I got back to Toledo the UPS store was the first place we hit. The store was closed. Early the next morning that was the first place I went, again. Only to find out that they had sent my package back! Ughhh! I tried my best to get them to turn it around and tell them what happened but they didn't care. I had to wait until David's present went all the way back to Utah before I could even get it sent to my house again. AND I had to pay shipping AGAIN. I still think if I had been more angry they would have done more, but such is what I get for being a push over. The FINALLY on the 13th of January David's package shows up.

Even though it said "The Document Preservation Company" David still couldn't figure out what it was. 

opening it

As you can tell I was so excited I took several pictures :)

Tah Dah! It's a framed copy of his BYU diploma.

I came across the idea while I was going through piles of our stuff on our desk. I decided it was a great idea because while it isn't something he "needs" or specifically wanted it was somthing that he could have around for YEARS to come :) Also I might add that I went $10 over his entire Christmas budget with this one present... oops, but he is worth it!

Dancing Sheep Night

David and I have been making new friends! We are both not the best at being social. I like being around people if I know them and feel comfortable but I have to convince myself to go when I am not. David has to convince himself all the time :) haha and I mean that in the nicest way possible, although those are his own words. I guess that is what happens when one home body marries another.

Anyways our new friends have lots of fun board games and we have been hanging out with them once a week, usually on Sundays because it's everyone's day off. A couple of weeks ago we played Settlers of Katan. In the game you have to buy, sell and trade recources in hopes of earning enough points that you can win. It was Dannielle's turn and she wanted a sheep. Immediatly David and her husband Tyler start trying to get her to trade whatever it was she had for their sheep. She was having a hard time trying to decide and then David says "Mine is a dancing sheep!" Haha needless to say his sheep was instantly picked. It was really funny because her husband starts laughing and says "Hey! I didn't even know that was an option". Hence now whenever we hang out it is officially "Dancing Sheep Night"

David and Tyler

Dannielle and I. I had a hat on so when we played Scotland Yard they couldn't see where I was looking.

My Hair Crisis

A week before Christmas I was at the salon and I pulled out the straightener and start using it on a couple of pieces of my hair. Not really to staighten because my hair is already stick straight but to put a bit of shape in my hair. At that point my boss says "why are you using that crappy straightener, use the nice one" and based on previous posts I am afraid of her a little because she takes everything personally and I can't say no very well, so I deicde to use it. I turned the heat all the way down and started running it through my hair. It burnt my hair. To the scalp. I was ready to have a coniption fit. Long story short and definitely some tears later I now have most of my layers back and full bangs. Also I would have to say I am much better at giving myself hair cuts.... if that can ever be possible. NOTE- Ladies out there PLEASE do NOT cut your own hair.

Hello, my name is Kari Warden and I am a cutter....

And this picture is a VERY small example of how much I cut out. I probably did this about three times. I made sure to cut it on three different occasions so that I didn't just cut my whole top layer off all at once.

This is what the front section of my hair looked like up close. All weird wavy almost curly looking and puffy kinda like ethnic hair.

It's really hard to see but if you look at the ends of my bangs you can tell that the hairs are all bent up.

 Addmittedly I do like me best with some form of bangs but it still irritates me (drives me crazy!) that I grew my bangs for 4-5 months of annoying-ness in my face/ eyes 24/7 just to burn them off. The plus side is I'm ok with the way my hair looks right now and hopefully I will be able to grow out my new little burnt off spike-y pieces soon. Such is my life, I wonder will I ever feel like my hair is NOT in a trasitional phase? I have decided though that for the time being I will be keeping my hair much closer to dark blonde/ light brown than I usually like, in hopes that it will help me keep my hair healthier.

if you look at the layer by my cheek bones you can see all the squiggaly pieces of hair.

the layer of hair right below the top of the picture. I wish this even showed half of what it really looked like. It was impossible to brush! I had to cut so much of it out, and now I have a bunch of Alfalfa's on my head.

At one point when David and I were in DC I was freaking out about my hair (again.... for probably the 100th time) he turned to me and so very, very sweetly asked if there was anything he could do to make me feel better. Poor boy. I told him there wasn't until my hair grows back out, but I managed to keep my fits on the DL after that.

Toledo Skies

This is Toledo.

When I moved from Idaho Falls I enjoyed the grey days. Some times living in Idaho Falls can get old. It is sunny 9 out of 10 days (I'm guessing) and the sun there can be VERY bright. I know there have been times that between the sun and the wind I have a headache by the end of the day. Here in Toledo October had about a week of grey days, November about 2 weeks, December about 3 grey weeks all mixed in. It only got better in January. By the time last month rolled around I only had about one week of sun and clear skies (mixed in, maybe two sunny days in a row). All I can say is it makes me lathargic. It has this weird relaxing effect that makes me want to sleep in, and spend my day in bed with a book or watching TV on the couch (YIKES).

Our house on a sunny day

A recent sunny day

Today.

I never thought I would say this but.... the grey days are getting old!